《My Self-Insert Stash》


 Chapter 1 - My SI Stash #1 - Brightest Doom by BigTofu (DCU)

    -Haven''t seen a lot of Dr Doom in fanfics? Well, BigTofu got you covered!


    Sypnosis: Vincent Doom fell over into the DC Universe


    Rated: M


    Words: 42K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13423908/1/Brightest-Doom (BigTofu)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Vincent Doom


    BEEP


    BEEP BEEP


    BEEP BEEP BEEP


    Jumping up out of my bed, I rushed to the bathroom. I was so late, and I was so dead. With my toothbrush in my mouth and my teeth half brushed, I pulled on a pair of jeans and grabbed a shirt that smelled clean and pulled it over my head.


    With a quick gurgle and spit, I grabbed my toast and was out the door. I couldn''t be late; not today, man, not today. My final was at ten on the other side of the campus, and I couldn''t miss it. This was the last test of the semester before the summer break, and it would set the course for how I would spend the rest of my college days.


    I dodged around the jock and his hot girlfriend Stacy while blitzing down the hallway as I made my way out to the parking lot. This way, I could jump the fence and cut across the mini garden the campus had. Honestly, I had no clue why they had the fence up since most people jumped it to get a quick shag on or just to piss on the plants.


    Hopping over the first fence, I dodged around a few trees and ran past the Professor that was balls deep inside one of the other new freshmen this year. Guess now I knew why she always had such high grades: but that wasn''t my worry right now. Ignoring the m.o.a.ns, I sprinted past a mini groove and cut a right for the fence behind the hedges. Ohh I was going to make it, I could feel it and could now already taste the stale air inside the classroom.


    There was no way I was going to miss Mis. Baker''s class; not only was she one of the hottest MILF professors around, but she was the most strict. The last time I was late by a minute, the door was closed, and I missed out on the test. There was no way I was going to be late today. Taking a look at my watch, I spotted I had five minutes to go with the shortcut that I used.


    If I didn''t go through the garden, I would have to run a full ten minutes around the long way. Looking ahead, I could see that there was road work I had to go around with all the orange signs up; but that would cause me to waste my head start on time.


    Checking left and then checking right I took off across the work zone.


    "Aye kid, get outta here!"


    Someone yells out behind me so I did what anyone else would do in this situation. I pulled a Starsky and Hutch and slid my ass across one of the cars parked beside one of the hazard signs.


    As my feet came down on the other side, I tried to stomp down to steady myself, but there was nothing there, and I fell in the hole.


    "FUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKKK!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I fell. I fell and fell. Time was there, and then it wasn''t there was no up nor down, there was only the dark and my mind.


    It could have been years a day or maybe even decades, but I fell some more. There were moments that I lost my sanity and gained it back only to lose it all over again. Then it hit me and drilled its way into my head. First, they started out small, and then the volume rose an octave, and I couldn''t help but curl into myself.


    My ears popped and my spine tingled, my brain felt like mush, and the voices came again and again, first low and then louder, but there was one thing I learned from being in this void, and that was to stare into it and show no fear.


    This was not going to break me, and I would survive to live however long it would take me to get to the other side. I commanded myself to ignore the voices; the only way through all this was to be zen and be at peace. There goes a saying what doesn''t kill me will only make me stronger. So as I curled into myself and I sought inner peace within me.


    After a time the voices dulled but that wasn''t good enough for me. What I wanted was total control to make the voices silent. It took what felt like days to get the voices under control, but once that hurdle was complete, I felt my mind expanding on a scale that I would have thought impossible before. Invisible fire poured into my veins as it ran from my heart to my brain and then the rest of my body.


    Memories became clear, and thoughts and ideas on tech and what I knew from comics became easy not only to understand but also to create. My mind was now flowing on a level that was indescribable. With the clarity of my mind and newfound intelligence, I understood what I was given.


    Somehow, I had gained the SAGE FORCE and all of its powers that came along with it. The major thing I knew about the Sage force was that it gave its avatars telepathy and telekinesis of the omega level scale and beyond.


    The man makes the powers, and the powers did not make the man. Repeating the mantra over and over, I used it to focus myself and calm down. The other thing that I knew about the Sage Force was that it was from the DC universe, and that could mean far too many things for my situation. The only thing I could do was to force myself to wake up and then deal with it one step at a time.


    Now that I knew I had more than an overdose of telepathy, that could only mean that I was currently trapped in my own mind in a coma. There had to be a way that Charles Xavier as able to get out of his mind while trapped inside. My will was already strong, so there had to be something that I was currently missing.


    The voices I had under control now, but that only needed small amounts of my focus¡­ That''s it, and I was missing a focus. With the twinkle of an idea, I settled down and slowed my breathing. My body, I needed to get back to my body.


    My body was my current focus, mind over matter, and the will to forge a path. I told myself this again and again before I noticed the glow coming from my chest to form a line to follow. With a grin, I grabbed hold and flew after the light. Soon there was a flash of light, and I felt the cool air on my face. Standing around me were people, and they had a light flashing between my eyes back and forth before my pupils.


    With a groan, I tried to ask where were we but the dry rasp from my throat left much to be desired. With my groaning, a straw was thrust into my mouth, and I was relieved with fresh cool water to cleanse my parched throat. Taking to the water like a fish out of it, I swallowed it all down within moments and felt so much better afterward. Sitting up in my bed, I found that I was whole and hearty as could be once the initial light sensitivity wore off.


    Around me stood two doctors and a female nurse with shocked expressions on their faces.


    "Which hospital is this?" I asked as I felt a draft on the side of my leg. That sent a shiver up and down my spine as I looked at myself over to find that I was in hospital garb.


    "Sir, sir, please calm down you''re in Gotham General." The nurse at the foot of my bead said as she tried to calm me down.


    "Mirror?" I demanded stretching my arm out and will the nurse to obey my commands. I could see the thoughts that came out of her mind as wave of energy and strings. It was easy to tangle her thought waves with my own and press upon her with my will for her to do my bidding.


    Instantly the nurse pulled out her compact and handed it to me. With the small compact in my hands, I examined my features, chocolate skin check, grey eyes check, but my head looks like it hasn''t had a cut in days.


    "Thank you, nurse," I responded after checking to make sure that it was my body and not some bodyswap situation. "So tell me doc, how long have I been out?"


    They both kept up that flabbergasted look, and it was starting to wear on my nerves really quickly. The one with the clipboard answered first. "It has been three days since you have been brought in for severe dehydration."


    "Yes, yes, we kept you on fluid and a steady dose of electrolytes, and that brought you back to life." The second doctor said this, and he was also the one with the twirl tip mustache.


    With a click of the tongue to myself, I chopped it up to what happened to Barry Allen when he was first hit with the speed force but different for me. The first thing I would need to do is get up out of here and find my way. If this was Gotham then it would be Batman''s territory, and the Joker could be in Arkham or out, and I would need a place to practice before I could tackle anything big or even make an attempt to take out the J man.


    "How much longer do I need to be in here doc?" I asked towards the one with a clipboard in his hands.


    "One more day for observation now that you''re up, the police would like a word with you since you appeared on the doorsteps of some hotel." The doctor said before he left to get whatever amounts to a police officer around here.


    Hell, I honestly didn''t care because I was happy that I had both of my kidneys and all ten of my fingers and toes. Since I had one more day what I really needed to do was get some practice in with my telekinesis.


    Shortly after the doctor left in walked two beat cops that looked like they just wanted to find somewhere to sleep and not be bothered with some young punk. That helped me a lot because it was only a matter of pulling a Star Wars Jedi trick and they were soon out of my room and left me alone to relax and pull my mind together.


    Laying back in my bed, I closed my eyes and focused because the last thing I remember was jumping across that car and then falling. There was nothing to land on, and I fell into a construction hole beneath me.


    The only logical and illogical conclusion would be that I fell from my world and into this one but how in the hell could a hole handle dimensional travel or even quantum tunneling. I had to accept that there was no way home, and I knew the f.u.c.ker that caused my situation. It could only be the Flash and his f.u.c.k.i.n.g with the time and space barrier.


    If that was the case, then that would mean this would be some time after FlashPoint and everything was recently reset in time. Placing all those thoughts aside, I sat back up and folded my legs into a meditative position.


    Taking slow and steady breaths, I focused my mind; this telepathy and telekinesis would take some getting used to, but I couldn''t stop now. I was in DC, not only that but I was in the worst of the worst towns around. Gotham city with their equally shitty and enabling hero Batman.


    Slow steady breathes to control oneself; once the self is controlled, then the mind can be manipulated. With a steady heart, I opened my mind and felt the world around me. With a smirk on my lips, I pulled back my mind and went deeper inside. The Martian Manhunter was a telepath and liked to skim minds because it''s socially acceptable on Mars, but I refuse to have someone else within my mind.


    My mind would become a fortress and allow no one entry besides those I allow, and the Manhunter would not be such a person. First, the walls were erected of white obsidian, and then the windows were installed. Tall battlements and even more arches to go around the fortress, on the outer wall and inner wall rail guns were erected to ward off any mental intruders. There was no need to rely on relativistic speeds within my own mental domain, so each shell was packing the firepower or a gravity-driven singularity behind it.


    Rooms were erected within the walls off of my fortress to store and contain memories: but with my memories laid out plainly before me, it was time to separate out the DC memories from the Marvel''s and place them on the side for later viewing. With the defense of my mind in place and my mind organized, it was time to turn my sight somewhere else.


    Marvel and DC had some pretty descriptive books on what telepathy could do, and I planned to use them to the fullest extent to make sure I don''t die a premature death. Speed, strength, and reflexes were needed, this was the perfect chance to make the change to my body while I had this break.


    The best way to make the improvements I needed was to gather more knowledge of the human body and then go from there. Opening my senses, but keeping my mind closed was hard at first, but I was able to get it down after the second hour and a bathroom break. It started as a dull noise, then became a loud roar as I heard and sensed all the emotions and thoughts of those with me inside the hospital. The trauma and pain almost forced me to curl up into a ball and cry before I was assaulted with joy and jubilation of families gaining new children and people being told they are cured.


    Honestly, it was almost all too much for me to take. Taking a deep breath, I slowed down my mind and fine-tuned my senses. The minds I wanted were those of the doctors and nurses, and maybe a few investors and whoever else might have important information that could help me survive. I left the bank teller and the pregnant mistress of the mayor for now and the other twenty minds that lit up on my senses as the others went dim.


    With my mind reacting like a radar to my thoughts that helped me zero-in on more than a few doctors from whom I started to pull information about the human body. With that down, I went around downloading everything I could from each doctor, from stitching wounds to the proper procedure to bed down a patient, old or infirmed. Before I knew it, I was becoming a first-rate doctor, and I hadn''t even finished school yet.


    When I thought about that, I gained a manic gleam in my eyes. Now that I was in a world like a comic story, I wanted people to address me by my name and a title like my most favorite character of all time. His name was Victor Von Doom, and he was my favorite because we shared the same last name. I could already see people calling me Dr. Doom to my face, but I had to temper my excitement because I had such a long way to go to get to such high standards.


    One day though Doom will rule all, but first let''s use my telekinetic powers to make a few changes to my body. There was no way that I would spiderman my body not only did I not have access to the OZ formula but I also didn''t want something like that to get out into the DC universe, but what I could do was bring my body to peak human fitness and stamina, with the agility to boot.


    The first few changes felt like fire was being poured into my veins, and it almost caused me to scream out bloody murder. Weakness was unbecoming of Doom, and I refused it, so with a quick review of my mind, I had my pain receptors shut down so I could continue with the procedure.


    Multiple times I had to stop what I was doing to make sure that my body was hydrated with the correct amount of fluids, with the rate my body was burning through liquids from the muscle stimuli and vibrations. Somewhere around one o''clock in the morning, I was finally done before one of the orderlies came to check on me for the last time of the night.


    With the improvements finished, I prepared myself for bed, with a thought I reapplied my pain sensors, and when they came online, I was knocked out from the overload.


    o.O.o


    The first thing I felt when I woke up in the morning was a dull throb of pain. On the TV diagonally from my bed was the news and man was I in for a surprise. The news was reporting about a turf war going on and how Batman came in and saved the day. Instead of watching Batman and his bullshit, I changed the channel and was surprised to be greeted with the Man of Steel himself talking to a news reporter.


    Changing the channel again, I was treated this time with Wonder Woman battling Cheetah, while a camera-man stood on the side and watched. Now this caught my attention alright, not going to lie, Cheetah has me rooting for the fury club, but there''s also something to be said about that princess, she was beautiful.


    The fight lasted a hot minute while I watched them, Cheetah buns danced agile against Diana on screen. The fight ended rapidly once the princess took out her lasso and wrapped it around Cheetah''s legs. With a shake of my head, I hopped out of bed and did my morning routine.


    With that over with, I dressed in civilian wear and was on my way out of the hospital. Once outside, I was greeted with what could only be considered gloom and Doom. Looking at the sky above me was when it all finally settled in, you can walk the walk and talk the talk. Hell, you can even go so far as to prepare yourself for anything: but it''s not until your given the reality slap to your face that you come to understand how much deep shit you''re truly in.


    Gritting my teeth, I hunkered down and made my way down the streets. The current plan was to get some thug to try and mug me so that I would relieve him of his cash and weapons. The bar with no names or the Iceberg lounge would be the perfect place to start.


    Well, I can also make my way towards the hard side of town and go to that bar called The Busted Flush. There was never a hero bone in my body, and I wasn''t going to go knock on Bruce Wayne''s door and ask him for help. There was no need for his bullshit in my life because before long this city would be mine.


    Right on cue as I hit the sixth block out from the hospital, my mental radar picked up the mind of someone that wanted to do me harm. With a grin on my face, I ducked into an alley, acting as if I was taking a shortcut. As I made it near the garbage can, the thug came in behind me while his buddy watched out at the entrance.


    With a quick jab, my hand was out, and I had the thug up in the air as I held him with a telekinetic grip. My other hand came forward, and I commanded his wallet and the wallets of his friends to float over to my outstretched and open palm. What surprised me though, was feeling the leather of more than one wallet within my mind. With a shrug, I commanded those to also float into my hand.


    With a flick of the wrist, I tossed the thug out and onto his friends that stood stunned watching. Out of the wallets, I had come into a total of over five hundred dollars and some change. This wasn''t going to last me long, but it would do for now. Walking back out of the alley, I made a mental note to learn how to fly once I got the chance.


    Making my way to the decent part of Gotham, which to tell you the truth, would be anywhere that wasn''t bludhaven. I was able to get myself some lunch and time to put my mind together for what I planed to do. Money was needed and not just scraps, I would need a lot of it if I wanted to follow in the footsteps of Doom. So for now, I would have to keep robbing thugs until I gained enough to procure myself a laptop.


    With that plan in mind, I went about the rest of my days luring hopeless thugs into back alleys and robbing them blind, while they also tried to hold me at gunpoint. After about the twelfth person I had gotten pretty good with my telekinetic hold and no longer needed to stretch my hand out like I was using the force. Although I no longer needed to use my hands, it felt right to keep doing that to people, and some will think I would need a focus. As Vincent Doom, I would need to hold a few cards to myself.


    o.O.o


    With the sun going down my feet were becoming weary but I was able to get myself a laptop, and I


    had a good wad of cash in my pocket, but the real gold of today was finding the location to the bar with no name. Honestly, I didn''t want to go to Selina''s place, but I also knew it was the only place that wasn''t run by Cobble Pots where I could get connections and work.


    Perched on the roof of a building I sat overlooking the tin roof bar, which had no name on the front of the establishment. Chuckling to myself, I jumped down onto the fire escape, then made my way out of the alley and across the street.


    The music was bumping and the night hadn''t even descended on Gotham yet. Pulling my hoodie up over my head, I pulled a Jedi mind trick on the bouncer at the front and walked into the bar. Settling my way into a seat at the bar, I ordered myself a rum and coke. With a nod, I slid the bartender his cash and relaxed my mind and began my second test of abilities.


    Charles Xavier was noted to have a { trust me } telepathic field around himself. If memories served, that was how he was able to gain so many people on his side. The best way I can figure that a field like that would work, would be a reverse of the Jedi mind trick with a positivity twist.


    With a smile on my lips, I ordered a pitcher of ale, then made my way towards the corner of the bar with a few guys huddled in a corner. Anyone with half an eyeball could tell that they were planning a heist and I didn''t need my powers to sniff that out. Within moments I was among the group and in on the play that they had going down tonight. Move some guns and get some money, and I get a cool ten percent because I''m the new guy. That sounded good to me because I plan to take the whole payout of fifty thousand and erase their memories of the event.


    This was far too early for me to be running into Black Mask or maybe even Batman himself. Even if I wanted to avoid the two, there was no need for me to be on my back foot. I''m a Doom after all, and Doom shall stand above in this new world even if it isn''t Marvel.


    With myself implanted in their minds, I left for a store to get myself a balaclava to cover my identity. Funny enough almost every store sold balaclavas but I guess I could mark that up to this being Gotham. With my mask procured, I went about acting like a victim once more to rob unsuspecting thugs.


    Before the time for the heist, I ran into more than fifteen different gunmen, and damn was that surprising for me. The tenth one was able to get a shot off in my general direction, and I was surprised that my reflexes were able to react fast enough to stop the bullet matrix style, even though it wasn''t going to hit me.


    Logically I knew that I needed to take my time and learn my powers, but I also knew I needed the money and a few hundred dollars here and there, taking my sweet time, was not going to cut it. So this had to be seen through till the end.


    Doom Shall Not Fail.


    The crates in the back of the truck all had large labels with the name of LexCorp, and it reminded me to make a mental note to remove the bald asshole once I get the chance. Within my hands, though I was holding an old school Kalashnikov AK-47 with a few attachments that meant nothing to me at the moment. My mind was focused, and I was ready to spring on these unsuspecting goons.


    As the guys hopped out of the truck before me, I pulled up the rear and helped offload the goods. With the last crate down, I took a look around me and found that we were in some type of warehouse in Gotham. With the smell in the air though it was easy to know we were by the docks.


    The moment that I thought that the night was oddly silent, I heard signs of weapons fire in the distance. That sound oddly calmed my nerves because I knew Batman would have to go and deal with whatever that was going on. There was a niggle at the edges of my mind that snapped my attention back around as I felt the arrival of our guests.


    The van was black and nondescript just like the clunker that we drove here and that was a shame. No extra muscle in case they had to drive in a getaway, or they could be going for the stay under the radar type of deal which still wouldn''t help if Bruce wanted to locate them. Putting my thoughts aside, I took two steps back so that I had everyone within my sights and spread my senses to encompass the warehouse.


    When the crews opposite us just exited their van, I felt that slight niggle at the edges of my mind again sending me warnings of something of which I should be aware, but I was unable to discern from where the danger was coming. With my focus razor-sharp, I was certain to be ready for anything. I was then presented with two duffle bags filled with cash. The moment to strike was here, all I had to do was bide my time, then vanish with the cash while also wiping the memory of me being here from their minds.


    As the money exchanged hands, that was when it happened.


    FWIP!


    FWIP! FWIP!


    FWIP! FWIP! FWIP!


    The bullets came out of nowhere, but that didn''t stop it from cleaving two heads off and then going through the chest of two others. With my defenses up, I was able to catch the round that was aimed at my heart but not before it knocked me over.


    F.u.c.k did that hurt a lot when I was younger I had broken my arm going snowboarding, but that was a sharp snap of pain and then numbing, but this was so much worse.


    It was like my brain was on fire from the mental strain to catch the bullet, and then the impact felt like two ribs broke. My eyes were blurry and watered, but I refuse to give in now. My hands were clammy, and I wanted to get up and sprint from this place, but with the wet squelching sounds and the falling bodies, I was very aware that the sniper was still out there.


    The bullets could have only come from outside and to the south of the warehouse. That was the only place someone could not only get a shot but also see past where the trucks were parked. They will rue the day that they chose to mess with DOOM.


    With a quick look around, I had a plan of attack and retreat, now all I needed was for the sniper to come and get their prize. I waited for a minute and then two, but no one was here yet, so with a telekinetic pull I had one of the bodies laying over me as the blood flowed. Then I had the bags of money pulled closer to my location.


    Two more shots fired into someone that tried to crawl away, and that made me very aware that the shooter was still outside. Luckily, I didn''t have to wait long because, after five minutes under the cooling corpse, another truck came speeding into the warehouse.


    Two goons came out of the truck, and I knew that this was my chance. When the goon with the leather jacket reached for the bag of money in front of me, I launched forward with a jab going for his solar plexus then turn around and blasted the other with a telekinetic blast to his chest.


    The goon I blasted flew back over fifty feet, and the one that I punch was down and trying to catch the breath that was never going to return. The punch that I sent into his solar plexus was backed with my telekinetic force behind it, crushing in his chest. With a mental summons, I pulled the other duffle bag of cash into my hand as I tossed the other over my shoulder and ran for the exit.


    There was a pattering above me, and I felt another mind land on the roof above. Placing aside that, for now, I noticed the last person in the van getting out with his gun up to aim at my general direction. Skidding to a halt roughly five feet before the door''s exit, I whipped around and sent another telekinetic blast at my would-be shooter slamming him into the van behind him. Even from my distance, I heard the crunch of bone-breaking, but I paid him no further attention.


    I broke through the back door with a bang and sent myself into a massive leap telekinetically assisted. Out in the night sky, I was greeted with water on the front and the warehouse at my back. With a smile, I dashed along the alley going for a car or person I can Jedi mind trick into giving me their car keys.


    Not even ten steps from where I landed, I was greeted with a swooshing sound. The sound sent a shiver down my spine. With a spin, I reflexively slapped the rocket that was heading directly for me into the ground. That was a bad choice because I got an explosion to the face.


    Everything happened within a split second, the ground broke open beneath me, but before I dropped, flames tried to lick at my body. There was no thinking there was no planning; there was only doing and making sure that I didn''t die here with the choices I made.


    Catching myself before I fell into the water below, I created a pad to jump off onto one of the pillars that held up the docks and pier. Jumping from point to point, I was happy that I used to parkour across the college campus back home as I made my way towards what looked like the end of a shoreline.


    While I ran, I heard yelling and cursing behind me, but I ignored it all because I was almost free of this situation. What little hope I had, though died inside me as I heard another swosh above, my heart clenched but this time there wasn''t an explosion. The none explosion caused me to doubletime it because that swooshing sound could only be from one thing, and that would be the Batwing flying overhead.


    It took me ten minutes to get to the other side, up the shore, and into the woods. While I was running for my life, I had learned how to keep myself in a hover. I was going to use my hover for all it was worth as I ran through the woods. There was no destination in mind besides leaving this place, and I almost regretted not going for some cheap hotel somewhere.


    All around me there was nothing but trees, I came to a stop and listened for any sign of anyone following and then checked with my telepathy within five hundred feet radius. There was nothing, but I was able to pick up on the minds of the birds and smaller animals around. Taking a little longer to double-check, I still felt nothing, so turning around I ran keeping up the pace of escape.


    For another twenty minutes, I ran and hovered, and within that time, I came up with a plan for how I was going to proceed in the future. Jumping onto the tree like a ninja, I then jumped up above the treeline and looked around for any sign of people. On the third try, I found a road and not too far from it. I found a place that I could call home.


    At the end of the road, there was an old house that had a greenhouse attached to the back of it. With a quick mental scan, I found the house devoid of another person, but when I check it with my telekinesis, I found a warm stove but a cooling body on the ground. The gas lines were cut, and there was a candle-lit in the living room. Damn Gotham held no kind nice for those that drop their guards, with quick mental nudges I flicked out the candle and turned off the gas pipe at the valve behind the stove.


    With a sigh, I shoulder the second duffle that I was carrying and made my way to the house. There was no way I could tell the color of the house from the darkness, but I was able to spot the old truck parked out front.


    With a twitch of my finger, the latches on the door unhooked themselves, and then the door opened to allow me inside. With a kick, the door closed and I tossed the duffle bag onto the table in the living room before I sat down in the recliner that faced the tv.


    Everything hurt like it''s never hurt before, shit I had no clue how Bruce does it. Then again, he had all that armor, money, and training. I''m a punk that woke up and took the world by storm, but I''m also a Doom, and I shall endure.


    Falling into a simple meditation to look myself over, I found broken ribs and lacerations along my thigh and the left side of my abdomen. While I checked myself over, I noticed my body already in the process of healing my wounds. It would appear that I had enhanced healing but not at the same level as that of Logan, but I will be alright with this.


    Releasing the breath I had been holding, I took another deep one only to be greeted with the smell of gas from the stove that was left on. Ignoring the pain in my chest, I raised my hand and did a wave that opened all the windows of the house. With another wave, I created a spiral of the air within the kitchen area and forced it outside.


    There was no clue who killed the guy in the kitchen or for why, but there is one thing I do know and that they will be back someday. The fact that the firefighters didn''t show up here or the explosion that they were hoping for didn''t happen will be cause for someone to come sniffing and get answers.


    Making another mental note to get up a perimeter defense, I pulled the balaclava off my face and removed my shirt, allowing my body to get some air. Sitting back down, I summoned the duffle bags to me so I could get a count of the cash: then I would have to find out where the National Embassy was located. I needed papers, and I was going to Jedi mind trick myself into a passport and student visa.


    With my arms outstretched before me, it was easy to manipulate both duffle bags telepathically and then summon the cash out of the said bag. Eventually, I would have to gain control over my telekinetic abilities allowing me to use it without my hand motions as a crutch, but for now, it is time to count the cash.


    With a flick of my wrist, the tv turned on, and the remote was summoned to my side. The TV played in the background as I counted out a total of one hundred and twenty-two thousand. Tomorrow I will also need to get myself a laptop and find the main library of gotham. For now, it was time to get rid of the body then get some rest.


    o.O.o


    Walking out of the Embassy in Metropolis, I looked at my new student visa. Vincent Doom age twenty-two from the nation of Latveria. With that taken care of I picked up a Wayne Tech laptop and cellphone from a store and drove back to Gotham, before getting back to the house I did pick up some trip lasers and a few things to create a connection to the outside world and the internet. There was no way I was going to use what was already installed in the house.


    Now that the house was secure, I took another hour to clean up and change out the bedding and clothes in the closet. I refused to use any of those things. With all of my errands taken care of, it was time to head to the library that''s perpetually empty.


    Before I was launched into this reality, I was getting a tandem degree in general engineering and aerospace to cover my bases before NASA. Now though, with the way my mind worked, there was no way I was going to be working and become subservient to another. With the capital that I had remaining, I was going to release patents into the world to get my name out there and then blitz my way through school.


    Bruce Wayne had more than seventeen degrees, and Clark was noted to be an exceptional scholar even among Kryptonians, and I would have to do better if I wanted to stand against such minds. Halfway through my third pile of textbooks, I was interrupted by a voice.


    "Excuse me, is this seat taken?"


    When I looked up, I was greeted with a redhead and her boyfriend that had a scowl on his face. My own scowl matched the black-haired guy''s because in front of me could only be one of the worst couples in the DC universe. Taking a look around, I noticed the other empty tables and raised an eyebrow at the redhead.


    Beauty was not going to sway me.


    "It is not, but I do believe there are other tables that are available for one such as yourself," I replied smoothly before I went back to my studies.


    "Told you Barb, let''s leave him alone and go somewhere else."


    "Come on D.i.c.k it''s obvious he goes to Gotham University. We should at least be nice to a classmate. Not many of them come to Gotham Library after all." Barbara Gordon replied to her boyfriend before turning around and looking at some of the books I was reading. "The librarians said that you had the only copy of Criminology by James T. Do you mind if I get it since it''s in your finish pile."


    Without even lookup back up at her from my book. I waved for her to take the book, but she sat down across from me and pulled D.i.c.k Grayson into the seat beside her. Looking up at the two, I raised an eyebrow at the couple for interrupting my alone time as I sought knowledge.


    Putting down the now completed copy of advanced nuclear physics onto the complete pile, I watched them out of the corner of my eye as I picked up a copy of aerospace and beyond.


    Grayson was leaning back, balancing on his chair doing his homework while wearing a scowl, and Barbra was also going over her homework. The difference though was that Barbra was giving me the side-eye while also doing observations in a notepad on the side under her book. Tch, I clicked my teeth at that, just what I need, some noisy girl and her annoying sidekick boyfriend to deal with.


    Getting up swiftly, I picked up my carrier bag and took the other books back to their rightful positions on the shelves. Turning my back on them, I left. I did not need nor want them to insert themselves into my life or situation.


    "I would like to check out these two books please," I said to the librarian as I handed over a copy on software architecture and design and another book on genetics and evolution of man. I already knew about software design and computer engineering, but I needed a base for what this realities computer worked on because there was no way I was getting online with a Wayne Tech laptop and not remove whatever bugs Bruce had in place across the board. If Lex does it, there is nothing that said Bruce might not have some back door installed for key searches to ping the Bat Computer.


    Once the computer was double and quadruple checked, tore down and pieced back together, I was then going to rewrite the operating system from the ground up, and then I was going to create a VPN before getting online.


    "Do you have a library card, MR?"


    "Doom, Vincent Doom," I replied as I gave the librarians a charming smile. "And might I know the name of the delectable beauty before me."


    She smiled and placed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "That can''t be your real name,"


    "Oh, my dear but it is, I would prefer you to call me Vince though," I replied as I leaned on the counter. "And what might I call a rose such as yourself?"


    With a playful smile on her lips, she took my hand that I had held out for her to shake with my introduction.


    "My name is Jaina, Jaina Hudson; it''s a pleasure to meet you, Vince." Jaina returned with a smile as she got the things together for me to check out.


    "It was lovely meeting you, Jaina," I replied as I took my things and left. There was no need to use my powers to know she was watching me leave.


    Tall, dark, and handsome always works.


    o.O.o


    AUTHOR NOTE''S


    Alrighty, folks this is another story brought to you by my imagination.


    Yes, I went away on vacation for my birthday and then took a break from the Fastest Man story because I was toning down the updates that way I didn''t burn myself out.


    While out and relaxing I came across a story that died after only 3 chapters and I thought since it''s been on my mind for a month why not write my own version and then go from there and cause havoc in the DC Universe.


    Please leave a review and comment.


    You can reach me here at my discord or join my patron and get early chapters.


    Removes the - for the internet links


    www - DISCORD - GG - p2QJNck


    www - Pat - reon - com - TheToFu

 Chapter 2 - My SI Stash #2 - Unexpectedly, I have become Hikigaya Hachiman by minhmap859 (Oregairu)

    -Inconsistent and a very lazy author aside, this has a really good Self Insert that makes you ask questions! Very intriguing, highly recommended!


    Sypnosis: A story born from the combination of a certain antisocial and disillusioned high schooler and a pathetically apathetic college student, both hell bent on finishing their own shitty chapter of youth, stubbornly set in their own way like a bull on a warpath. Or something. I mean, this is a shitty summary. Perfect fit for a shitty self-insert fic, don''t you agree?


    Rated: T


    Words: 30K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12761010/1/Unexpectedly-I-have-become-Hikigaya-Hachiman (minhmap859)


    Chapter 1: Unexpectedly, I have become Hikigaya Hachiman. How terribly unoriginal, clich¨¦ and...wait, what was the the right word again?


    Existential crisis. The bane of middle-aged men stuck in a dead-end career. That strange, unknown feeling that pervades your mind like a snake coiling around your heart, squeezing for all its worth your raison d''¨ºtre, reminding you so fondly of your inevitable mortality and how everything you did will be all for naught in the end.


    But, or me, its that fleeting moment of awareness. Of what? Everything, I think. The absurdity of life, of me, of that feeling that I don''t belong here, that this is not right and things will never be alright¡­


    "¡­Tell me, Hikigaya. Do you recall what I said about the topic for this essay was?"


    ¡­and that is okay. I''m okay. Even though I''m now a character in a light novel series, even though everything I thought I had understood about the nature of reality is breaking down right in front of my eyes, even though nothing makes any f.u.c.k.i.n.g sense anymore, i''m still me. Just in the body of a certain Hikigaya Hachiman, with all his knowledge and memories.


    Or is it?


    What defines "me"? Body? Mind? The patterns of my atoms? Nah, they are all of Hachiman.


    Thoughts? if I''m thinking with his brain then how can his thoughts be mine to begin with? Memories? All the fleeting agony?


    "¡­Hikigaya?"


    ¡­But then, they have all become one. As crazy it sounds, I am now him and he is now me, and I''m not sure which end is which.


    Still, considering that I''m currently residing in his body, I guess I should refer to myself as Hachiman now.


    A harder, better, faster, stronger Hachiman.


    ¡­Batman?


    "¡­HACHIMAN!"


    ¡­Hachiman it is, then.


    "Yes, ma''am?"


    "Pay attention to me, damn it! Stop glazing all over the place with your rotting dead fish eyes!"


    "Sorry, was thinking about..stuff."


    "''Stuff'', huh? Does this ''stuff'' of yours include anything to do with this essay, Hikigaya?" Hiratsukasensei, if I recalled correctly, glared at me. "I''m giving you one last chance to explain yourself, Hikigaya: what is with this pointlessly condescending paper and how could you have thought ending it with a death threat was, in any form or way, a good idea?!"


    "The essay topic was "Looking back on high school life" right? I did share my thoughts about high school life and I did finish the topic with a satisfying conclusion. I wrote what you ask, so therefore I am not at fault here."


    "No you ARE at fault here you idiot! This paper looks more like a death threat than an essay! I''d expect you to reflect on your personal experience, not¡­whatever you call this!" Hiratsuka-sensei cried out with more then a little force behind it. If I was the Hachiman before, I would probably be intimidated into stuttering like a bloody idiot.


    But I''m not.


    "Well, you didn''t say so."


    "¡­What?"


    "I mean, if you said so in preference to the topic, I would have followed it in a heartbeat." I paused. "Yet you didn''t. I ain''t a psychic, madam. I can neither read your mind nor your memory card." I took a breath and look at her agape face "¡­Nor reverse your control input, but that is beside the point."


    "¡­Don''t get smart with me, kid."


    "Well, it is true that I am just physically a kid¡­compared to you, that is."


    But then, all the smart talk I have about mentality and whatnot died down in my throat the second after I realized my mistake: Hiratsuka, in all her glory as the Christmas-cake to topple all of Christmas-cakes, is very irrationally sensitive about comments made on behalf of her age.


    "¡­I''m very sorry." I said to the certainly not fuming mad face of a certainly violent but and certainly not old teacher whose fist is just millimeters to my face. "Let''s just forget this, okay? I will rewrite the essay, so just sit down, please? Violence is not the only answer, y-you know?"


    Still fuming, Hiratsuka fumbles around with her front pocket and pulled out a cigarette, tapping its filter hard against her desk like how old geezers would do and then lit it up with her cheap 100-yen lighter. 3 long drags after, the now less angry but probably still as violent teacher glanced at me with a calculating look on her face.


    "Say, Hikigaya¡­you''re not in any club, right?"


    "Yup."


    "¡­Do you have any friends?"


    "Acquaintances? Maybe. Friends? Nope."


    "Okay, so..girlfriend?"


    "Nope."


    "Good! Let''s do it this way! Firstly, rewrite your essay."


    "Okay."


    "Secondly, you will have to join the Service club as punishment for hurting my feelings!"


    "Okay." Sheeeeez...Knew this would happen one way or another.


    "W-wait no, you were supposed to say ''objection!''! Now my supposed cool speech is ruined!"


    "Okay." Yup.


    "Stop saying "okay", damn it!"


    "Okay." This is fun.


    "¡­.Are you messing with me, Hikigaya?"


    "No, I am not."


    "¡­whatever. Just, follow me!"


    "Okay."


    "STOP IT, DAMN IT!"


    ...After a long, silent walk along with Hiratsuka through various hallways, I have finally come to face to face with it.


    A door with a nondescript doorplate.


    In due time it will be the "Service club", where troubled youths could come to ask for help.


    And with a stroke of (bad) luck, I''ll become a part of this clich¨¦.


    How do I know of this?


    It''s easy, really: I''ve read about this. This is a straight out of a light novel. Say, I''m dealing with both the unthinkable fact that I''ve become a fictional character and this paralyzing feeling of despair stemming from the fear that my life was just bunch of fabricated lies.


    ¡­Just another Tuesday, I suppose. Tends to get people steamy, and in some case, steaming mad.


    "Hikigaya, quit daydreaming and get your sorry ass inside!"


    "Okay."


    "AND STOP USING THAT WORD!"


    "Please do mind your manners, Hiratsuka-sensei." A female voice graciously said. "It is quite understandable for him to be stunned by my beauty." Nope, too distracted to care, But, Now that I look at her carefully¡­


    Yukinoshita Yukino, grade 11, class J. Beautiful. Gracious. Abrasive. Likes cats, cute things and..that weird Pan-san figure or something. Weirdly competitive about things, which probably came from being born into a rich, competitive family and having Yukinoshita Haruno for a sister. A rational mind governed by an irrational heart.


    Conclusion? A woman with a very tough shell, but a weak core who nevertheless strives to do the right thing. Well, what she considers ''right'' anyway.


    Too bad she''s flat.


    "...-ut Sensei, considering where this ''Hikigaya Hachiman" is currently looking at, I fear he might have impure, scandalous thoughts about my esteemed self." Ah, I guess they''ve done the introductions for me now.


    "No worries Yukino, Hikigaya is quite adept at self-preservation. He wouldn''t dare risk doing anything that results in a criminal charge, so you can rest your heart at ease." Indeed, too much hassle. "Besides, as you can see, he is a pitiable, easily distracted and lonely shell of man, one whose heart and eyes has been heavily corrupted. He is merely a petty thug who has a case of grandeur delusions."


    "Petty thug?...I see¡­." Somethings never change I suppose, butterfly effect be damned.


    "I know this will be hard on you, Yukino, but can I leave him to you? I am requesting you to straighten up his act and beat the reclusive disposition out of him¡­psychologically, okay? Physical violence isn''t permitted."


    "¡­If it''s a request from sensei, I can''t very well refuse¡­I accept." Oi, I can smell the distaste from here.


    Sensei said with a smile. "So it is all settled, then!" She clapped her hand loudly. "I will leave the rest to you!" ¡­And with that, she quickly left the room, leaving me standing here all alone.


    ¡­Wait, not alone. Yukinoshita is still staring me as if I am some kind of a walking freak show.


    Which is probably true, considering the fact that if anyone ever knew what the hell happened to me, being called a freak would probably be the last thing I would worry about. It was utterly insane how calm and normal my exterior is through this whole damned thing, how ready I was to accept my innate reasoning, how fervent I tried to cling on any sense of normalcy I could see and feel and hear and¡­you know, sense.


    Inside though, it was a mess. A stupidly hormonal mess born from the combination of a certain antisocial and disillusioned high schooler and a pathetically apathetic college student, both hell bent on finishing their own shitty chapter of youth, stubbornly set in their own way like a bull on a warpath.


    ¡­Oh my, this combination is beyond f.u.c.k.i.e.d up. Double the salt, Double the fun! Quadruple the chance to die from a heart attack!


    "¡­Is something wrong? The fact you keep glaring at me even though I glared back already unnerves me enough, please put that disgusting serial-killer smile of yours aside before I start fearing for my chastity and well-being for real this time" Yukinoshita said, her eyes narrowed as she glances at me like a piece of trash.


    Oh, I spaced out again. If I have a drink for every time I space out, I will probably die from alcohol poisoning pretty soon. Well, if I didn''t die from acting like a jackass because I was drunk, that is. Thankfully neither me or Hikigaya like alcohol. Depression and alcohol is like a match made in heaven, or more likely, a normie''s hopes and dreams, so naturally its f.u.c.k.i.e.d up.


    Just like me.


    "¡­Ehem. Could you..please¡­ take a seat?" See, I spaced out. Again, much to my dismay.


    "...Pardon me. I was thinking about..stuff." I replied a little unconvincingly. I can see her glaring at me intensely as I clumsy waddled around trying to make myself at home.


    Way to make yourself suspicious, Hachiman.


    As I sat down to the opposite of Yukinoshita, she ceases to glare at me and I cannot help but let out a sigh. This was a long day for me, and I am tired. Mentally. Physically. MAX coffee, I want MAX coffee! I need MAX coffee! Or a steaming hot cup of drip-filtered coffee with its dark, strong taste diluted by a copious amount of sweetened condensed milk!


    "Hikigaya." But before I could go any further, Yukinoshita suddenly speaks up and broke me from my daydreaming , her voice rings clear and sonorous like bell, its tune resonating as it beckon me to cross the gap and transcend from one nightmare¡­to another.


    ...No point musing on what is inevitable, I guess.


    "¡­Yes?" I reluctantly replied.


    "Do you know what kind of club is this?" What is with that condescending smirk? I know you know that people expect nothing less from an princess-archetype like you, but please, try to keeps it in check or someday people will smack you right in the cheek! What a f.u.c.k.i.n.g terrible pun! I expected nothing less from myself! Good job, me, you are still full of shit! Yay for self-awareness!


    ¡­Ah crap, I was distracted again.


    "Yes, I do." I-it isn''t like I l-like you or anything, Distract-kun, you i-idiot! Leave me alone!


    "Really?" ¡­Oi, I can smell the disbelief over here. "Had Hiratsuka-sensei told you, then?"


    "No, but I can take a hint, y''know. Helping others, accepting their stupid, teenage-related requests, making it an aesop along the ''teach a man how to fish and he won''t starve'' stuff, yadda nadda." I take another sigh, finally realizing how much a chore it is and will be for both the me right now and the me in the foreseeable future andddd ended up sighing again, this time with a much needed double facepalm. "...There, that is all there is to this "Service" club. Happy now?" I look at her expectantly¡­.


    "Hikigaya-kun, how many years has it been since the last time you talked to a girl?"¡­And proudly earned my first Yukinoshita-grade death glare. Y-yay?


    "¡­Does sister count?"


    "No."


    ¡­And with that, I heaved another sigh.

 Chapter 3 - My SI Stash #3 - Going Native by IdeasGuy (DBZ & Justice League)

    -A great SI DBZ & Justice League fanfic, it will really leave you craving for more chapters


    Sypnosis: It''s really hard to maintain a clean conscious when you''re surrounded and encouraged by genocidal aliens that wanted to only eat and fight. Especially when your entire race has been enslaved by Frieza, an especially genocidal alien that commits war crimes to pass time. No one could say I didn''t give it my best shot, though.


    Rated: M


    Words: 100K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13398050/1/Going-Native


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1:


    I have become a test tube baby. Quite an accomplishment for a teenager and all it took was getting my brains splattered on the front bumper of Truck-kun, the isenski protagonist hunter, so I could be transferred into a fictional universe. Not really sure if everyone that was killed in a hit and run got the same treatment, but it was certainly the case for me.


    My eyes flickered open, having long since gotten used to the goop that left me suspended in a large tank. A mask covered my face, feeding me oxygen while another mask covered my lower body to serve less pleasant purposes, though it had a hole for my tail to slip through. Neither left me with a lot of room to maneuver, too far one way and the hose that connected both of them to a


    filtration system would go taut.


    A light orange haze filled my vision, but I could still see through the goop. The room around me remained unchanged since the...weeks¡­months...maybe even years since I found myself here. My tank was on the highest platform of three, with me being the only tank while the second had about twelve and the bottom had fifty.


    The goop changed again. It started off as a dark blue, then it went through several shades of green, then yellow and now it was dipping into the oranges. What it meant, I didn''t have the faintest ¡ª if I had to guess it was some kind of a development cycle.


    I hope it means I get out soon. I closed my eyes, having seared every detail of my surroundings into my brain ages ago. There was nothing there that could help me get out and my attempts to escape were all met with failure. I could only wait to be released. So, for what felt like ages, I waited.


    A sigh escaped me as I drifted off, finding that sweet spot between consciousness and sleep that helped pass the time. My mind cleared, long since clear of turbulent thoughts about my death and resurrection. That had taken some time, but it was what it was. I couldn''t do anything about it anymore, so there wasn''t a point of dwelling on it.


    Time passed. Minutes, hours, or days - I had no way of knowing. My meditation was only broken up by brief resurgences of conscious thought, each time noting that I was still alone in a tank. Each time, I drifted back into myself, thinking of nothing or latching onto a random thought and thinking it to death.


    I''m an alien. I didn''t feel like an alien, except for the tail. I looked too human. My body was that of a toddler, somewhere around two years old or so - stubby arms and legs, too small hands and feet attached to them...everything was too small. My hair was weirdly static, but from what I could see of a single long lock that brushed against my forehead, it was a normal black color.


    The few people that I saw since finding myself in this new body also looked human except for the tails and gravity-defying hair.


    I''m a self-insert. Self-insert stories were always a guilty pleasure of mine simply because, at their core, they were little more than self-indulgent power fantasies. Some of them hid that fact better than others, but it was a fact. After all, what was the point of writing a self-insert in a favored setting only to be a dishwasher?


    I never expected to become one though, and now that I was, I couldn''t help but wonder just how exactly it worked. I could accept some infinitely powerful being did it for any number of reasons, from boredom to malevolence. That wasn''t what I questioned ¡ª just how did I find myself into a new body? When it came right down to it a person, who they were and their memories, were little more than jolts of electricity firing off between synapses in the brain.


    Did my brain get teleported into this new body? Did it grow into an exact replica? Or were my memories and personality just downloaded into it? Or, maybe, there was another factor to it? My soul, or something, made the trip? Because that raised a lot of questions that religious figures had been debating for thousands of years, most of them much smarter than me, and they still haven''t found an answer.


    Then there was the whole can of worms of was this me really me. Was I-


    My thoughts were interrupted by a harsh rap against the thick glass of my tank. My eyes snapped open, ignoring a pang of irritation in favor of pinning a glare at the source. To my surprise, though I guess it really shouldn''t be, it was a little boy pounding at the glass with a scowl so entrenched on his face it was like it was stuck like that.


    "I demand that you awake this instant!" The child snapped, pounding on the glass for emphasis. I just stared at him for a moment, struck by how familiar he looked. His hair was spiked upwards in long, thick, locks that tapered off into a point, revealing a deep widow''s peak. His almond-shaped eyes were just as black as his hair, so much so that I couldn''t tell the difference between his pupil and the iris. Strong jaw leading to a stubborn chin, thin lips pressed into a thin line and a small nose.


    Vegeta? He was maybe six or seven, but no older than that. He wore white and gold Frieza-Force armor, a skin-tight blue undersuit, only it had a red symbol on the left pectoral area and a thick red cape dr.a.p.ed off the shoulder pads.


    "Hmph. Finally," Vegeta muttered, squinting up at me. His gaze was judging and, after a few moments of him staring at me, it was clear that I was found lacking. "I don''t know why my father is bothering with you. He already has an heir." He might be young, but he had already mastered sneering. He looked at me like I was something that he scr.a.p.ed off his boot.


    Naturally, I flipped him off. I couldn''t exactly speak with the mask over my face. Unfortunately, the middle finger didn''t seem to mean anything to saiyans because he just sneered so hard I was almost worried he''d pull something.


    "You can''t even make a fist," Vegeta observed, crossing his arms over his chest and- woah. Young he might be but he was properly swol. Muscle clung to his arms, straining against the undersuit so badly I could see every line. Yeah, he could definitely take me in a fight. In my previous body too. "You''re pathetic."


    What a jerk. I knew kids were mean, but this was a little much. My eyes narrowed into slits, glaring at the punk, and, oddly enough, that got a crooked smirk from him.


    "That angers you, does it? I suppose you may be a saiyan after all," Vegeta said so smugly it was a wonder how he managed to fit is massive ego in the room. And what''s with this kid taunting me? He had absolutely no idea that I wasn''t just some toddler in a test tube - that meant he thought he was just taunting a baby for...what? What was his goal here?


    "If only barely," Vegeta continued as if realizing that his words sounded too much like a compliment. "A power level of 15...what a bad joke. I was 350 at this point."


    Ah. The eldest child feeling jealous of the attention the youngest was getting. Which was worrying because I haven''t even seen my father or mother as far as I was aware. Apparently, they were taking absentee parenting to a whole new level. No, wait, saiyans didn''t do families. Not the same way that humans did.


    Parents and siblings were acknowledged to track lineage, not out of familial bonds. Two saiyans banged, if the woman decided that the male was strong enough to produce worthy offspring, then she would take the fertilized egg and dump it into an incubation tank like I was in. More often than not, the male wouldn''t even realize that he had a child until they ran into a kid that looked just like them.


    Saiyan parents didn''t care. They weren''t expected to.


    Children were carried in an artificial w.o.m.b, so there was none of that paternal instinct from the mother''s side. For humans, a baby literally grew inside them, making all kinds of hormones fire off in their brains to convince them that they loved the baby and it was totally worth all the suffering and pain to bring the baby into the world. Saiyan mothers just didn''t have that connection. They just put the kid in a tank before dropping them off for the caretakers to deal with for the next three years.


    After those three years were up, provided that the baby wasn''t deemed too weak and sent off to a distant planet to wipe all life out, thus proving they were worthy to be called a saiyan...the baby would be given a patron that would put them through brutal training so horrible that Spartans would jump out of their seats in shock until they reached an appropriate power level or they reached the age of ten. Or, you know, they died. Or, of course-


    Wait. Wait, wait, wait. How in the hell did I know all of that? Or how did I know his name even though he never gave it? Or why wasn''t I surprised that he was my older brother?


    "Why are you scrunching your face up like that? Are you going to cry?! Stop this instant! You are a saiyan prince, and princes don''t cry!" Vegeta snapped, banging the tank for emphasis as he barked his orders. His face didn''t match his words or actions, his eyes were wide and filled with panic. It was like a bomb was going to go off instead of a toddler crying...though, I guess that''s not too far off the mark.


    I thought about crying just to spite him, only to discard the idea a moment later. I loved drama class in high school, but I knew I was bad at it. My resting-bitch-face syndrome made faking expressions hard, and my deep voice didn''t help with conveying emotion. Certainly didn''t help that I was a spastic bundle of anxiety and frayed nerves at the time, either. So, faking crying was well beyond my abilities at the best of times.


    Pointedly ignoring him, I wondered to myself at the sudden burst of new-found knowledge. I-


    "Don''t you dare ignore me! I am Vegeta, Prince of all saiyans and I will not be ignored!" Vegeta proclaimed, slamming his fist on the tank again. I swear, the first thing I do when I get out of here was free every fish in every aquarium in the galaxy. And, considering he earned my undivided attention in the form of a glare, he wasn''t exactly wrong.


    "Vegeta!" A harsh voice barked, making Vegeta go rigid before he snapped to attention. With wellpracticed ease, he turned on his heel and bowed so low he practically was bending over. Even his tail went low, a complete submission.


    I looked at the new guy as he confidently strode into the room like he owned the place, which, well, he kinda did. He was a dead ringer for Vegeta, only much older with a thick black goatee around his mouth. He stood at five something, the shortest of the three people that followed him, but he was unmistakably their leader. Our leader.


    King Vegeta. The king of the saiyans by virtue of being the strongest saiyan alive.


    My father.


    "You missed your training to gawk at your brother." King Vegeta observed, his voice cold enough to refreeze the arctic poles. Vegeta went rigid as if our father wouldn''t notice him if he was perfectly still. And he was perfectly still, enough so that I spared a worry that his heart gave out on him out of fright.


    "I''m sorry, my king." Vegeta rushed out, not looking up. "I¡­"


    "Speak," King Vegeta ordered, coming to a stop a few feet from the two of us. He crossed his arms over his chest, showing off chiseled muscle. While not as big as the bodybuilder behind him that looked at Vegeta with far too much amus.e.m.e.nt, he still looked like he could break me over his knee.


    "I-I wanted to know why you decided to have another son," Vegeta forced out in a rush, daring to glance up, only for his gaze to return to the floor when he met eyes with our father. I could see a bead of sweat form on the back of his neck. No kid should have to be this nervous just speaking with their father.


    "You wanted to know if you were being replaced," King Vegeta corrected. Vegeta''s flinch all but confirmed it. The king looked down at him for a long moment, seconds felt like hours before he made a dismissive sound. "You are my heir Vegeta. The only things that can change that are your death or disgracement."


    Vegeta looked up sharply, and even though I could only see the back of his head, I didn''t need to see his face to know that he wore a shocked expression. That was made clear enough when King Vegeta''s narrowed dangerously.


    "Control your emotions," he ordered with easy authority. He strode past his elder son, coming to a stop directly in front of me. His gaze roamed me for a moment, silently judging much like Vegeta had. His expression might as well be made of granite for all the emotion it showed, or ice for just how coldly he analyzed me before his gaze snapped to mine. He silently stared a hole through my skull, and silently came to a conclusion. "To answer your question; he is a spare. You''re mother thought it prudent given the...favor that Frieza has shown you."


    "Should I try to lose it?" Vegeta asked and his father didn''t so much as blink.


    "No. You are my son, you will never have to swallow your pride in the face of that creature," King Vegeta said, a sneer in his voice even if his face didn''t so much as twitch. However, his gaze darted down at his son, who didn''t dare to look up at him, and I would swear his frozen expression warmed ever so slightly. "You will be King Vegeta one day, perhaps the greatest of us all. Accept and conquer any challenge Frieza gives you. Let the trash in the Frieza Force know why they should fear you."


    Vegeta looked reassured by his words and it was obvious why.


    Saiyans didn''t have families. Our culture developed in a way that did away with the idea of family bonds with the use of incubation tanks and our warrior ways. But love didn''t care about what you should feel. As stunted as it was, that''s what passed between Vegeta and his father.


    When King Vegeta turned to me, his gaze hardened, making it clear that he hadn''t made room in his heart for me yet. "That being said, I believe I may have to i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.e your mother again for a proper spare." If he ever would. "He''s strong enough to avoid an infiltration mission, but I will not allow a low-class saiyan of my blood."


    My blood ran cold in my veins as I stared into King Vegeta''s eyes and it became all too clear what he meant by that.


    Murder. If I wasn''t up to snuff, he would...well, he''d snuff me out.


    All of a sudden, the tank didn''t seem so bad.


    "Nappa," King Vegeta barked suddenly, making the massive man stand a bit straighter inattention. Now that I wasn''t memorized by my father and actually gave him a look. He was built like a bodybuilder, making his already impressive height that much more intimidating. A jaw so squared it could be used to measure perfect angels, a thin mustache, black eyes, and shortish black hair, though the sides of his head were bare.


    "My king?"


    "Make sure that Vegeta makes up for the time he wasted." King Vegeta ordered, earning shallow bows from both Nappa and his son.


    "Of course, my king."


    "I''ll more than make up for it," Vegeta swore, getting a curt nod of approval. Taking that as a dismissal, both of them turned on a heel before marching away. As they approached the door, waited for Vegeta to look back at me, or something, but the bulkhead door slid behind them with a hiss without so much as a glance in my direction.


    "Thyme," King Vegeta spoke again, bringing my attention to the other man that walked in with King Vegeta. An elderly man that wasn''t treated kindly by time. His hair was gone at the top, what clung to the sides was a stark gray. Deep wrinkles ran across his forehead, tugging at the corners of his eyes and around his mouth. He might have been tall a long time ago, but now he stood with a slight hunch.


    "What can I do for you, my king?" Thyme asked, his voice strong despite his appearance. It belonged to someone decades younger than what he appeared.


    "How fares his education?" He asked, and I struggled to keep my expression blank. I didn''t manage it, but the mask covering most of it helped a lot.


    Education? What education? I just float around in this tank for...I don''t even want to know how long.


    "Extremely well! He''s already gone through the basic lessons, and he''s well into the advanced." Again, what lessons was he talking about? I couldn''t recall getting a single lesson from anyone since I got here. "His brain his very developed, it just soaks up information like a sponge."


    What? What did that mean? A sense of unease filled me, my lips pressing into a thin line. It only took a moment to puzzle out what he meant, once I realized what other options there were. Either he was lying, or they were doing something to my brain. Considering I knew a whole bunch about saiyan culture, the truffle war, and important figures during it, it was clear which one it was.


    They were downloading information into my brain.


    "Hm. Expand the scope of his education, then. He still has some time before he''s done incubating." King Vegeta ordered, getting a shallow bow that he couldn''t see before Thyme walked over to a computer and started typing away.


    "Any particular field in general?"


    "The Reach. Frieza is provoking them into a war," King Vegeta answered, as he just stared at me. I stared right back, afraid to so much as blink.


    "If I might ask my king, why are we going to war with the Reach? As far as I knew, things between


    the Trade Organization and the Reach were great." The old man commented, sounding nonplussed that we were going to war with the closest thing the Trade Organization had to an ally.


    The Trade Organization, lead under King Cold and now Frieza, enjoyed a very profitable relationship with the Reach, a large empire that stretched over nearly 5% of the galaxy. Part of that was because of its own expansion methods, but it wouldn''t be wrong to say that the main reason was its habit of buying premium planets from the Trade Organization.


    It was hard to imagine that either side would want to end the relationship. Especially when it made the Reach extremely powerful and the Trade Organization extremely rich.


    "Frieza took over," King Vegeta replied with a scoff. "I can''t claim to understand what is going through that little monsters head, but apparently he was offended by something or another and caused a diplomatic incident. Regardless, relations have soured between them and I was...ordered...to prepare for war."


    The old man nodded his head, a slight smile of all things playing at his lips. "So it won''t be a minor skirmish. Good. I always wanted to fight in an intergalactic war at least once before these old bones give out on me." Thyme noted with some humor. "With any luck, Frieza will lift our population cap for it. It''ll be a long war."


    "Anticipated wars always are and it''s a possibility I''ve brought up with him. He said he would consider it," King Vegeta agreed easily, a grimace passing over his expression for a split second. "The Reach is a vast empire, and with other meddling flies buzzing around, he will need every soldier he can get. And saiyans are worth at least ten of every other pathetic species in his army."


    "Ah. The lanterns, then?" Lanterns¡­? I didn''t remember anything about them either.


    "I expect so. They want to check Frieza''s power while it''s still early in his reign, especially when they made that mistake with King Cold. The Reach''s as well, though I suppose it''s more likely they''ll wait until we tire ourselves out against each other. Cowards." It was amazing how much hate could be put into a single word. He muttered it like a curse.


    "True, true. The Thanagarians have been looking to expand, and doubtlessly Darkseid will use the chance to stir up some trouble. And I''ve heard rumors about a race of warriors in the Vega system that sound like they would be fun to destroy-"


    "Hmph. It''s unlikely to expand into a galaxy-spanning war, Thyme." King Vegeta shot down, earning a scowl from the older man. As if he sensed it, King Vegeta smiles ever so slightly. Well, sort of. It was more of a smirk that could have grown into a smile if it wasn''t prematurely killed by his usual smoldering expression.


    "I know, but a man can dream. Annnd, there, his next batch of lessons will be starting shortly." Thyme said with some flourish, getting a grunt from King Vegeta.


    "Good. We''ve wasted enough time here." King Vegeta announced, turning around and walking away without a second look, much like his son did minutes earlier. "The war may be years off, but it''s going to be a long one and we must prepare."


    "Very well, my king." Thyme agreed, pressing a final button and the filtration systems hummed with life in response. I looked around sharply, trying to figure out what was going on, only for exhaustion to hit me over the head like a brick. Without any warning, my eyelids seemed impossibly heavy, my thoughts becoming fuzzy as if my head was full of cotton.


    I struggled against sleep for no real reason other than spite long enough for Thyme to notice as he followed my father out of the room. Out of everyone, he was the only one to glance over his shoulder at me as he exited the room.


    A crooked grin found its way onto his face - it would have looked creepy if it weren''t for the look in his eyes. Amus.e.m.e.nt danced in them, like he was looking at a particularly stupid animal that managed to be cute instead of irritating. I glowered back in response, only making his smile grow a fraction.


    "He''s going to be a warrior, that boy." Thyme observed, falling in step with my father as they exited the room. The heavy bulkhead doors slid up with little sound.


    "If he survives," King Vegeta dismissed, stepping through them.


    "Ah, well, if you''re worried about then-" Whatever Thyme had to say was lost to me when the doors slid shut behind them.


    I lost the battle against sleep not long after, knowing deep down in my gut that I wasn''t going to like it when I woke up.


    This is a light fusion of universes. The only thing taken from the DB universe is the saiyan race and the things that directly influenced them. So, that means Frieza and the FriezaForce are a thing, but for the most part, things remain unchanged in the DC universe because Frieza isn''t peerless when it comes to strength. That''s it though. No kamis, kais, Beerus, Zeno, or namekians, thus no dragonballs.


    I know that''s going to turn some people off of the story, but a full blend of universes always feel like too much to me when I read them, That, and I''m not confident I could make the blend work without stretching peoples SOD to the point of breaking.

 Chapter 4 - My SI Stash #4 - Reincarnated into the world of Naruto by onetim3 (Naruto)

    -This Naruto SI Fanfic is probably one of the best Naruto SI fanfics out there, the updates are really consistent, not one of those dropped after a few chapters type beat. If you just loved fanfics where the MC is a complete badass you''ll most likely love this one!


    Sypnosis: Izaya. Karasuma Izaya. I was a spy working for the UN on a top secret mission when someone sold me out. Seriously? I had to work fast and working fast means higher chances of getting caught. Wait, what is this. Where am I? "What a shame. Another failure." Said a cold, dark, and eerie voice. "Is that...Orochimaru!" The last thing I remember was an explosion. Is this reincarnation?


    Rated: T


    Words: 213K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13397148/1/Reincarnated-into-the-world-of-Naruto


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Hello everyone, welcome to my Narutoverse fic. I just want to mention a few things before the start of the story. First off, you may notice that I reference the background of the Narutoverse but made some small changes to it as well. For instance, some events that took place when certain characters were a certain age may not align due to me making changes in the details to fit my story like, Sasuke was supposed to be 8 years old and already be attending the academy when Itachi massacred the Uchiha clan.


    Well, in short, that didn''t happen in this story. Sasuke hadn''t officially enrolled yet and was only 5 or 6 when Itachi killed his clansmen and defected. Details details.


    Second, the main character of my story will be named Karasuma Izaya, Izaya is his first name.


    And lastly, disclaimer notice, I do not own any characters or plot related to the actual Narutoverse except for my own original character and the makeshift changes I made to the original story. I hope you enjoy the story.


    Chapter 1


    Drip...Drip...Drip...Water from the ceiling of the cave continued to fall at a constant pace. Not too fast, but not slow either. The room was dimly lit by multiple torches hanging on the sides of the wall. Multiple large cylindrical containers filled with liquid were erected in the room and gave off a light blue glow.


    In one of the containers the fingers of a specimen slightly moved. "Ugh...What happened...Where am I? Am I not dead?" I took a minute to slowly assimilate my mind and recollect my thoughts since all I could see was darkness. The last thing I remembered was being shot in the chest and then pressing a button that triggered an explosion.


    Oh wait. Right, I was on a search and destroy mission.


    I worked as an international spy for the UN and was supposed to infiltrate and recover or destroy the new weapon of one of the most dangerous terrorist organizations in the world. The day before I was about to complete my mission someone leaked the info of my mission to the enemy so I had to work in haste. I ended up getting shot in the process, but I was able to successfully transmit the data of their weaponized research to the UN.


    Since I was dying and had no way to escape I ended up destroying the entire research base with the multiple explosives I planted. I should''ve died then and there but turns out I''m alive. Is this what they call reincarnation?


    I slowly opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. Seems I''m in some sort of experimental container I mused as I checked over the multiple needles and pads attached to my new body. Wow, my hands are pretty pale looking.


    Wait, does this mean my entire body is this pale? Jeez, almost like a ghost¡­I have a feeling that if I stick around here i''ll be in for a world of torture. Seems like the other containers are empty. Hmm...and my hands and feet are pretty small. Did I reincarnate into the body of a child?


    As I was musing to myself I heard footsteps coming from the hallway corridor so I quickly resumed by dead-like comatose state. Surprisingly, even with my eyes closed I seemed to be able to tell where the mysterious figure was and track its movements.


    In my mind the figure looked like a blue light of fire. The footsteps slowly got louder and louder


    until they came to a stop in front of the container I was in. I wonder who it is I silently pondered. Probably the person who put me in this damned jar.


    What I wasn''t expecting was that the voice of this mysterious individual sounded incredibly eerie and sinister.


    "Another failure." It said. "Looks like I''ll have to leave this hideout before I''m discovered. What a pity. Other than that kid Yamato every other experimental subject died in the process of creating a Wood Style user. I even went to the lengths of giving this one the sharingan and tortured its mind in hopes to unleash the mangekyou sharingan. Unfortunately both the body and the mind couldn''t stand the process and ended up shutting down."


    I silently cursed in my head at this vicious bastard and was also surprised at myself that I understood what he was saying. After a while of this mysterious figure taking a few important doc.u.ments he left without saying another word. I remained unmoved for a few hours just incase before opening my eyes again and taking a sweep around the room with my eyes.


    Surprisingly everything in the room, even while being dimly lit was perfectly clear to me. Oh wait...that person did say he gave this body sharingan. No way, don''t tell me I reincarnated into the world of Naruto?! And that person...No way, could that have been Orochimaru?


    I was reincarnated into the body of one of his experimental subjects? I unplugged the pads and needles attached to my body and took off my breathing mask before swimming to the top of the container and removing the lid to climb out. I gave my body a quick stretch and took in a deep breath before looking at my n.a.k.e.d reflection through the glass container.


    Wow...pale I mused to myself. And definitely male. Surprisingly I''m not genderless as one of Orochimaru''s experiments. I ran my hand through my snow white hair which was surprisingly soft. From the looks of my appearance I''m probably around age 4 or 5.


    I stared fixedly at my eyes which bore the blood red color of the sharingan and the trademark 3 tomoe pattern on them. I focused in an attempt to deactivate the sharingan which failed miserably.


    "Guess I can''t deactivate the sharingan since my body isn''t that of the Uchiha."


    I focused on my body and sensed the changes of energy flow through it. This energy must be chakra. Surprisingly the drain on my chakra was minimal. Must have something to do with what Orochimaru did to this body. My guess is that this was an artificial body made from the First Hokage''s cells.


    "For an artificial body I''m surprisingly handsome compared to the experimental subjects I saw in the anime and manga of my past life. Thankfully I don''t look like White Zetsu. I wonder which timeline of the narutoverse I was reincarnated in.


    Since Orochimaru mentioned recreating Woodstyle and sharingan implantation I''m guessing before the 4th great world war and possibly after the 3rd great world war. And since I have the sharingan the Uchiha clan massacre must''ve occurred already."


    I walked around the room and found some dr.a.p.es and cloth which I used to create some makeshift clothes to wear. I sat down on the ground looking through the memories contained in this body before a quick and sharp pain pierced my mind and my eyes.


    Evidently the previous owner of this experimental body had consciousness and so the experiences it went through and kept as memories came rushing at me all at once. From the moment it was born to the inhumane torture it suffered, all of it filled my mind in one go as I let out an agonizing scream of pain.


    "AAAAAAAHHHH!"


    I clutched my eyes as blood ran down them and squirmed on the floor. This went on for a few hours before I lost consciousness. When I finally woke up I took a deep breath and steadied my heart and my mind.


    "That was awful. I only wanted to organize the memories of this body but it suffered so much pain and torment that it built up a wall in the back of its mind to keep the pain at bay. Once I tried to pry open that wall in my subconscious all that pain came back at once."


    I turned to look at my reflection once more and noticed the change in my eyes.


    Red eyes with 6 tomoe on the outside and instead of a black pupil in the center it was a swirl of darkness akin to that of a blackhole. Mangekyou sharingan.


    "So, Orochimaru made this body go through all that pain and torture both physically and mentally in order for this body to awaken the mangekyou, however, he failed to notice that this body awakened the mangekyou just prior to its death. According to the memories of this body Orochimaru put in a lot of time and effort creating and nurturing it aside from torturing it.


    Apparently this body is very good at assimilating other bloodlines and was a branch subject for his research on Uchiha Shin. If I remember correctly Uchiha Shin was a character in the spinoff manga in the Boruto series after Naruto ended.


    He was an experimental subject used for creating a method to utilize multiple sharingan and later Orochimaru used Shin''s sharingan filled arm to fuse it with Danzo. Shin later escaped and ran off into some other dimension with his clones. Guess he won''t be making an appearance anytime soon."


    Getting up off the floor, I walked around the room one more time according to the memories this body studied of Orochimaru''s movements. Pushing behind some of the rocks on the walls I found a box.


    Aha, Orochimaru probably thought this was useless to him and left it. I carefully opened the box to find some scrolls inside and then opened and studied the contents contained within.


    Oh, this has some various sealing techniques. And this one contains some information on low level D-rank ninjutsu, even some C-rank ninjutsu and Taijutsu.


    "Oh, the substitution jutsu will be useful. Body flicker jutsu, Earth Style HeadHunter Jutsu, Leaf Whirlwind, Shadow Shuriken, Fire Style Flame Bullet, and a few others. Looks like Orochimaru collected some various jutsu that seem to be miscellaneous for him, but for me this is a golden opportunity."


    I sat down and carefully memorized the details of all the jutsu before creating a makeshift bag out of some rags and bundling my feet in some cloth as temporary protection for my feet. I cut a black cloth into a blindfold and utilizing one of the sealing techniques I just learnt I imprinted a one-way visual sealing technique on the blindfold before tying it around my eyes.


    The drain on my chakra wasn''t too bad after using the one-way concealing seal jutsu. I wonder how my chakra reserves are compared to others. Considering this body is only 4 or 5 years old my guess is the chakra I have access to isn''t a small number.


    "If I''m right and the Uchiha massacre happened already, and given the fact that I am not of the Uchiha clan me possessing the sharingan is way too high profile. I''d most likely get hunted down by other shinobi.


    With my sharingan I can see through the blindfold just fine and with the one-way concealing seal jutsu it''ll prevent others from seeing through the blindfold and detecting my eyes as long as the blindfold doesn''t come off."


    I walked to the box I opened earlier and took out a map to study it.


    "Looks like I''m near Kirigakure, the land of water. According to some of the doc.u.ments I found lying around this hideout it seems that I was reincarnated about 5 years after the Kyubi''s attack on the leaf village. That should also mean that Sasuke and Naruto are about 5 years old right now. I have a chance given that I''m already near Kirigakure.


    If I time it right and move fast enough I could potentially save Haku and Kimimaro. Since I know Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto are probably going to be on a team, what if I can save Haku and Kimimaro and form our own team.


    I know Kimimaro will suffer from an illness but that won''t be until the later years and Konoha should have the medical equipment to keep him stable for awhile until Tsunade arrives. Good thing Orochimaru had a detailed map here.


    Since I can sense chakra and people''s presences from far away I must be a sensor type so that''ll make things easier. Alright I''m finally ready to get out of this damn cave."

 Chapter 5 - My SI Stash #5 - Playing Our Roles by The Grim Blade (RWBY)

    -I''m pretty sure this is the only SI Roman RWBY fanfic, probably the only good one. Author''s a real gamer too.


    Sypnosis: Something unexpected happened to me. I''m stuck inside the body of the (future) greatest thief in Vale, with the power of The Gamer given to me for some unknown reason. All in all, it could be worse. For now I have given myself a mission, actually being the greatest thief in Vale! I also need to screw over Cinder, save Pyrrha and Penny, and not end up dead in the process.


    Rated: T


    Words: 154K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12454951/1/Playing-Our-Roles


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I groaned as I cracked open my eyes to find myself staring up at an unfamiliar and dusty ceiling. I was surprised, but I felt way calmer than I honestly should have been. Blinking, I looked around my new location and came to the rather easy conclusion that it was the upper office of some old decrepit warehouse. If the window overlooking the large, empty main storage area was any indication.


    Half my vision was also colored orange from the hair covering my right eye, a fact that had me a little suspicious as I did not have bright orange hair. I had to push that thought to the side, because what really caught my attention was the blue, mildly transparent square floating in front of my face.


    Welcome, Gamer!


    You have been randomly selected to experience a once in a lifetime¡­ experience!


    (New Quest!)


    Would you like a tutorial to get you started?


    Rewards: 1000 XP, 500 Lien, 10 free stat points, and potentially a deeper understanding of your new role in life!


    [Yes/No]


    I''ll admit that I have never been expressively fond of extreme change. I usually prefer to keep things simple and plain, so that I can mindlessly go through most of my day without thinking too hard. Only breaking out of that mindless zoning out when it was time to have fun.


    That being said, I can''t help but find this new, and extremely abrupt, change of pace in my life to be¡­ weird as hell for sure, but strangely nice as well. I always fantasized about having superhuman powers, add to the fact that this was a power from one of my favorite Korean comics was just a bonus.


    Standing up from the large pushed together boxes I was apparently using as a bed, I tentatively pressed the yes button, almost expecting my finger to pass through the window and confirm if I was actually insane. Turns out I was not, in fact, insane and the second I finished pressing the button the window flashed and new text appeared on it.


    Excellent choice!


    Normally you would not get a tutorial and would have to figure things out on your own, but due to your new circ.u.mstances, this was made an exceptional case.


    Please, say or think "Status" to continue. This will set your skills as internal or vocal commands for the future.


    Changing between thinking and speaking commands can be modified later in the options menu.


    "Status," I thought to myself. A new window replaced the previous in a flash of blue, showing me my stats¡­ and something I was not expecting but did explain why I have orange hair now.


    Name: Roman Torchwick


    Class: The Gamer


    Level: 10 (Next Level: 0/5500)


    Title: None


    Bounty: 0 Lien


    HP: 760


    MP: 708


    STR: 18.2 [Base 14 + 4.2(30%)]


    VIT: 26 [Base 20 + 6(30%)]


    DEX: 28.6 [Base 22 + 6.6(30%)]


    INT: 20.8 [Base 16 + 4.8(30%)]


    WIS: 13 [Base 10 + 3(30%)]


    LUK: 11


    Elemental Affinity: None


    Attribute Points: 0


    Lien: 250


    Status Effects: None


    Apparently¡­ I became Roman Torchwick? I mean that does explain the orange hair. I admit, this has really taken me off guard and I don''t know how I really feel about losing my body and replacing it with someone else''s.


    I sat back down on the boxes I was sleeping on in shock and placed a hand on my new chest, absently staring at it as I slowly started to freak out. A sort of calm quickly washed over my mind before that could take root, I figured that was the Gamer''s Mind passive skill going to work on keeping me sane.


    [For getting ahead of the tutorial and recalling key information from a previous life your INT has risen by 1!]


    I dismissed that notification with a roll of my eyes. But seriously, for a level ten, Roman had more stat points than I would have expected. Even if they are allocated way too weirdly for my liking. I would have thought there would be a bit less in vitality and more in dexterity and intelligence.


    As you can probably guess this is your status window.


    On it you will find a plethora of useful information, things such as your total health (HP), your total Aura (MP), various stats, any elemental affinities, status effects, and your total money. Tapping on any of the info on this screen can bring you further information on it.


    Try tapping on one of your stats now.


    I tapped on my intelligence stat for the hell of it.


    [How smart you are. Higher levels of this stat will increase learning ability and speed, memorization, thinking up new ideas to solve a problem, etc. Each point in INT increases MP by 10 per stat point.]


    Huh, judging by my total MP right now a little bit of math tells me that each of my level-ups gives me fifty MP. I tapped on all of the other stats, best to figure out what each one does before I spend any points.


    [By planning ahead to figure out what each stat does before making a decision has increased your WIS by 1!]


    I dismissed that with a flick of a finger.


    [HP, or health, is how much damage after Aura you can take before dying.


    Current HP regen is 2% of max HP/minute]


    [MP, or as the locals call it, Aura, is the resource used in most spells and skills.


    Current MP regen is 1% of max MP/min]


    [Strength is how strong you are, duh! It affects physical carrying capacity and how hard you hit with melee weapons!]


    [Vitality is how tough you are. Increasing this stat allows you to actually take a punch to the face without crying like a baby. Each point in this stat increases your overall HP by 10.]


    And using math tells me that each of my levels also increases HP by fifty. Good to know.


    [Dexterity is how agile you are. It increases hand-eye coordination, attack speed, movement, how easy it is to DODGE! attacks, damage and aim with a ranged weapon, and also aids in more¡­ nefarious skills.]


    [Wisdom is the ability to take any decisions you have and choose the best one out of them. It also increases MP regeneration by an extra 1% every 10 levels.]


    I didn''t feel the need to check on luck right now, I figured that was probably pretty straightforward. Once finished with looking over my status screen I continued with the tutorial.


    Now that we have finished with the Status screen, let''s move on.


    Try thinking "Inventory" now.


    "Inventory," I thought. Sure enough, the status screen was replaced by the inventory screen. So far all I saw in the inventory was a lighter, some cigars, and Roman''s Scroll. I gave a look at what I was currently wearing, nothing seemed to match what Roman had on during the main timeline of RWBY. Right now he was just wearing some brown cargo pants with a green polo shirt and a zipped black hoodie. Not the most classy of things, which is something that must be rectified soon.


    Obviously, I must be some time before the main story, perhaps Roman hadn''t become the best thief in all of Vale yet and also hadn''t adopted that classy look. Also because Roman was clearly weaker now than what he is in the show, I highly doubt a level ten would hold out for long in the kind of work he was doing. Once I finished with this tutorial I needed to figure out how much time until the fun stuff begins.


    This is your inventory, you can put things into it and pull them out whenever you wish. You can also equip clothes and items in this screen without having to manually change them.


    Convenient, right?


    When you are finished here, please think "Skills".


    "Skills," I thought, the inventory screen being replaced with a mostly blank one. It only had three currently in it. The tutorial screen decided to voice itself on that issue.


    Oops! Seems you are lacking some skills. How about we fix that?


    Sure enough, a couple of skills fazed into being in the menu. I tapped on one of the new ones.


    [Pickpocketing Lv16 (Active) EXP 0.0%: This skill allows you to reach into another person''s clothing and grab hold of their hidden assets¡­ their money and other valuables of course!


    Base chance of successful pickpocketing: 65% (Can be increased or decreased by your dexterity relative to theirs. Yours minus theirs applied to the base, mostly applies to other hunters as civilians will probably not notice you.


    Cost: None


    Passively increases dexterity by 15%]


    I snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt at that skill description. I decided to check up on the two basic skills I knew from heart, just for kicks.


    [Gamer''s Mind (Passive) Lv: Max Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Allows peaceful state of mind. Immunity to mental attacks.]


    [Gamer''s Body (Passive) Lv: Max Grants the user a body that allows them to experience life as a video game.]


    I closed the skill''s description, feeling oddly satisfied, and focused back on the tutorial.


    There we go! Much less depressing now.


    You can gain new skills in a variety of ways: by repeating certain actions, experimenting with your Aura, and reading skill books.


    With that, you have finished the basic tutorial and all that''s left is for you to make your own mark in this world. Choose whichever path you want, you have that freedom. Any further information can be found in the help section in the options menu.


    Happy gaming!


    I nodded as I closed the tutorial, I already knew what I had to do. Just as the tutorial finished disappearing, a new window appeared.


    Tutorial quest finished!


    Rewards:


    -10 free stat points


    -500 Lien


    -1000 XP


    I decided to keep the stat points, for now, instead opting to look over my other skills. One was


    "Stealth", which obviously allowed me to sneak around undetected.


    [Stealth Lv10 (Passive/Active) EXP 0.0%: The ability to move silently, like a, like a ninja! Or a thief.


    Passively decreases noise of movement by 5%


    Active - decreases noise of movement by a further 20%.


    Cost: 25 Mp/minute


    Movement speed reduced by 50% when active.


    Can only be leveled if there are others nearby to sneak past.]


    Another skill was called "Thief Mastery", which at level 14, increased the chance of stealing (pickpocketing included) undetected by an extra 18% and gave any stealth or thieving based skill a 30% extra experience gain.


    The last skill was simply called "Aura".


    [Aura Lv13 (Passive/Active) EXP 0.0%: The manifestation of your soul. When active it creates a sort of force field around your body, protecting it from harm.


    Passively increases all stats except LUK by 30%


    When active, increases all stats except LUK by 60% and allows MP to be used as a second health bar.


    Cost: MP regen disabled until deactivated. (Parameters to remove this cost not yet achieved)]


    But seriously, that''s some impressive passive and active effects. And I bet removing that cost is something like bringing it up to max level, or at the very least up to a certain level in between. Well¡­ I should probably start leveling it up in the meantime.


    I experimentally activated my Aura, watching the skill screen closely. It did go up eventually, but it was .01%, so just leaving it on will take a while to level it up. Since Aura is combat related I''d bet leveling it up would go faster when used in actual combat, maybe even taking hits with it on. Should be easy to grind then, provided I have enough patience.


    Nodding to myself I got up from my boxy seat and stretched, cracking my neck to get rid of any kinks. It was time to wander around Vale, and eventually, head to the island of Patch to observe two of the main cast in order to check their ages.


    Heh, see what I did there? Yang would be proud of me.


    I stuck my hands in the pockets of my hoodie and walked out of the warehouse, making sure to intensely look at everything. Before I even left the room I woke up in I got the message I had created the observe skill. I was going to abuse the hell out of the skill and make sure to rank it up as high as possible just in case.


    I had noticed it was around midday when I got outside the warehouse, a quick check with my handy dandy new scroll also helped.


    My first order of business once outside was to see if I really had gone into the world of Remnant. The answer to that question? Yes, yes I did. My scroll aside, I practically stared at every single hard-light lamppost and Dust store I passed by. Once the novelty wore off a bit, I yanked my scroll back out of my inventory and opened it.


    It basically worked like an iPhone, with the addition of being able to expand its screen from the compact mode to iPhone size, and up to iPad levels. Finding the equivalent of google maps was a little challenging because I didn''t know what any of the app icons meant, but once I found it I made my way to the nearest mall.


    The reason? A ton of people in a crowded space and plenty of stores to buy stuff from. I needed to practice my Pickpocketing skill and level up Thief Mastery while finding some new duds. While I might''ve gone with my current clothing choice back in my own world, a soon to be master criminal could not have anything less than the best.


    I spent the next two hours just walking around and pickpocketing random strangers. I ended up leveling the mastery skill by one and the actual pickpocketing skill by two and a half. Though later on, I figure getting more levels in them would take a lot longer. On the upside, I made off with about an extra three grand of Lien.


    My next order of business is to buy some new clothes while walking around and stealing people''s wallets I found a few stores that seemed to have what I wanted. What I wanted being Roman''s clothing style, scarf, jacket, hat and all. And some other miscellaneous clothing to use as hiding my identity for any crimes I''d need to commit before revealing myself publicly, I made sure to go full on ninja suit for those.


    Ah right, I forgot. I am going to be a criminal during my time here, did I not mention that? It''s a thing I do in games, even if my current situation borders the line between real life and a game. I''ll always go the route of an assassin or a thief in RPGs, one of my current favorites being the illusionist-assassin build in Skyrim. Invisibility plus hard-hitting sneak attacks is broken in one versus one combat.


    But I''ll admit I don''t particularly like the thought of killing someone else, even if Gamer''s Mind would let me do it easily and is something that will likely happen sometime down the line.


    I am going to be a thief, and not just because I want to live a fantasy of mine. This world needs Roman Torchwick in order to move forward, I am needed now to move this world forward. While I don''t abhor the idea of being a hero, I just don''t really want to be one. Let everyone else die for what was right, I going to have fun for as long as this fantasy will let me.


    Of course, I naturally don''t really want Cinder to win, because really if she does win then that means Salem wins and then humanity is doomed. I can''t have fun with a doomed humanity. And so I plan on betraying the bitch as soon as feasibly possible, depending on how strong she will be in comparison to me. But not until I make sure to throw her ass under the Ozpin train. No one kills Pyrrha under my watch damn it! She still needs to properly confess to her future husband¡­


    Anyway, I won''t bore you with clothes shopping as it was a fairly simple get in, observe the clothing, buy any particularly interesting clothing that stands out, get out, stuff everything into my inventory, type of deal. Now, to complete the look, I just had to create melodic cudgel. I won''t actually wear the clothing until I get it, no need to spoil the look just yet. The problem I faced was materials and where to get them. I''m sure I could probably pay someone to use their forge, or perhaps Signal Academy as I wasn''t wanted just yet.


    But before I do that I need to level up a craft skill. Which probably means finding a skill book. I mean¡­ in the original webtoon, Han Jee-Han has only a singular crafting skill that looks to encompass everything. Maybe if I create the skill first I could incorporate knowledge from books into the skill. I''ll have to give that a shot soon, I really need to get a weapon so I can start doing some hardcore training.


    "Yeah, training really needs to st-" I let out a loud "Oomph!" and a grunt as I slammed butt first on the floor of the mall''s hallway. I couldn''t help but notice the twenty MP of damage I took from that fall, meaning whatever hit me had to be going faster than a normal civilian.


    "I''m so sorry mister!" Judging by the voice I could immediately tell that whoever slammed into me was a young girl.


    I picked myself up, dusting my pants. "It''s fine kid, just watch where you''re go-" I paused in my speech when I finally got a look at who hit me, I stared in disbelief at the girl in front of me while I finished my sentence before it got too awkward, "-ing..."


    On one hand, I did not necessarily have to stalk the home of a trained hunter and his two young daughters like some sort of creep. On the other I was now staring down at the real Roman Torchwick''s red colored, silver-eyed, nemesis, Ruby Rose, albeit much younger than canon.


    Not the worst thing to ever happen, and I''ll admit just a little bit of fangasming was going on under my cool looking exterior, after all, I am not a (big time) criminal right now and she probably isn''t a huntress in training just yet. But I didn''t want to create any divergences from canon until I was one hundred percent positive I could manipulate things into what I want to happen. Meeting Ruby now was certainly a divergence from canon.


    I did not like this. How do I plan around this? Is it possible it will affect things to come in a major way? With my relatively low INT stat right now I simply couldn''t think that far ahead. Not yet at least. I needed to distance myself from this girl for now. But¡­ justing looking into those big, silver, adorable doe-eyes...


    Taking a deep and silent breath through my nose, I couldn''t help but only think of one thing that could summarize this.


    "Shit."


    Current Stat spread (Note that I won''t list Skills here, that would eventually make this waaay too long of a list. I''ll list improvements as they become relevant):


    Name: Roman Torchwick


    Class: The Gamer


    Level: 10 (Next Level: 1000/5500)


    Title: None


    Bounty: 0 Lien


    HP: 760


    MP: 721


    STR: 18.2 [Base 14 + 4.2(30%)]


    VIT: 26 [Base 20 + 6(30%)]


    DEX: 31.9 [Base 22 + 3.3(15%) + 6.6(30%)]


    INT: 22.1 [Base 17 + 5.1(30%)]


    WIS: 14.3 [Base 11 + 3.3(30%)]


    LUK: 11


    Elemental Affinity: None


    Attribute Points: 10


    Lien: 2480


    Status Effects: Inactive Aura(Toggled Off)

 Chapter 6 - My SI Stash #6 - A Fantastic Four Story: The Rubber Gods Legacy (Fantastic 4 & Avengers)

    -Recently published, I mean not that recent but considering that there''s a chance that fanfic authors can suddenly be thanos snapped... I''M LOOKING AT YOU "Another Hanma in a World of Martial Arts" I digress, this is a very cool SI Fantastic 4 that will make you like Reed


    Sypnosis: A man gets reincarnated as the least favorite member of the Fantastic Four after slighting a goddess. The world is mostly similar to the MCU, with a few artistic divergences to allow for the presence of the Fantastic Four.


    Rated: T


    Words: 47K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13425706/1/A-Fantastic-Four-Story-The-Rubber-God-s-Legacy


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1:


    "Where am I?" I asked myself, as I woke up in some kind of queue, with people walking behind me and in front of me towards what can only be described as some kind of temple. Looking around, all the people surrounding me have a blank look in their eyes. I can see hundreds of people, but a mist is obscuring my vision for more than fifty meters.


    Thinking to myself that it wouldn''t be a good idea to stand out in a situation where everyone looks brainwashed or something, I just follow slowly, in silence, trying to keep my eyes from wandering too much in case we''re being watched. After about twenty minutes with no sound being made but the shuffling of feet against the yellow tiled floor, no movement but the people slowly advancing towards a temple that doesn''t look to be getting closer, no matter how much we walk towards it, and not seeing anyone else but us, I decided to be a little adventurous. Still walking in the direction of the temple, at the same speed as the others, i slowly inch to the right, trying to distance myself from the queue.


    The moment I step out, however,-


    "Finally! Dammit, that''s why this part of the queue was stuck in the forgetting mist for the last half an hour. Come on, step out now, it''s alright. I understand this might be scary, but we need to talk, and you obviously need answers. Come with me, don''t worry, I''m not going to do anything."


    As soon as my body was out the queue, a humongous beast four meter high and two meters wide with the head and tail of a bull addressed me. Quite frankly, I don''t know what''s the scariest thing, that an actual Minotaur like creature exists, or that I feel like it''s normal for it to exist. Why do I feel that way? Now that I think about it, why did I not panic about anything around me?


    "Now, please, I really need you to come with me, you''re delaying everyone. My wife is going to kill me if I do any overtime again, so please, help a brother out and come with me alright?"


    What the f.u.c.k is happening? Did that really just happened?


    "Alright." My body answers without my input on the question, and starts following the Minotaur. What the f.u.c.k is happening to me?!


    "I''m sorry about that, but I needed you to move, so I used a bit of persuasion. As soon as we''re in the office I''ll free you from it. There''s mostly no side effect from it, and even then, something tells me you won''t have to worry about that."


    What? Side effects? Why wouldn''t I worry about that? Am I going to die?


    "Am I going to die?" Asks my body. Yes! Go me!


    "Why would you die again so soon? Oh! Is it about what I just said? Oh no I just think you''re going to get resurrected is all. So since you''ll be getting a new body there is no need to worry about anything. Alright, just a couple more minutes and we''re there."


    I¡­ I died? I mean, I guess the weird queue, the blank look, the temple, the mist and weird creature should have- no! No, what the f.u.c.k!? I died!?


    "How did I die?"


    "I don''t know, probably saving someone since you''re getting resurrected. I''m not omniscient, I''m just a guardian. She''ll tell you everything you need to know. Alright, we''re here. It''s the second door on the left. Bye, now! Have a good rerun!" the Minotaur says as we arrive at the entrance of a decrepit looking house. Stepping through the open door, my body stops moving, and I suddenly


    fall on the ground with a loud thump, unable to move.


    "Oh, my bad, there you go. Should be better. Don''t dally, she doesn''t like people who make her wait."


    *Gasps* As I feel my body again, I take deep breaths to calm down. When I feel good enough to walk, I stand up, look behind me only to see the door slowly closing with a squeaking sound.


    "Alright then¡­" I mutter, walking towards the second door on the left as the married Minotaur told me. About to knock on it, it suddenly opens. Stepping through, I see a small table on the ground in front of a huge bed, veiled from all sides. Is the person/creature on the other side so ugly as to have to hide itself from anyone, or is she really scared of mosquitoes?


    "Okay, that''s it! Stop thinking that shit! Forty-five minutes that I hear you thinking so loud and so rudely! I was going to explain everything to you despite everything, even after you called my house decrepit, but no. You don''t get to get that anymore. Who do you think is one of the most hated characters in Marvel?"


    What the f-


    "Don''t you dare finish that thought. Answer my damn question!"


    I-


    "And trying to think of nothing doesn''t work either you shithead! Worst Marvel Character! Now!"


    As hard as I try, I couldn''t help but subconsciously think of Reed Richards despite my best efforts, and so...


    "Mr. Fantastic it is! Get ready for a wild ride!"


    "Wait! Don''t I get a wish or a cheat ability or a system or anything? This is a reincarnation, right?!"


    "You pissed me off, so no. But don''t worry, I''ll be nice to you, you won''t get to remember your past life till you''re back from the dimensional travel. If you do actually do the experiment that is¡­"


    She muttered the last sentence just loud enough for me to hear, but when I asked "Wait, what?", I suddenly felt nothing but darkness encroach my mind.


    *Gasps* "I¡­ I''ve got to¡­ to stop doing that¡­" I say, after waking up. Remember when I wasn''t in control of my body in the underworld? Well the last nineteen years have been even worse. I was in the body of Reed Richards, saw him make stupid decisions after stupid decisions, but couldn''t do anything about it.


    Now, let''s deal with the situation at hand. I appear to have my body stretched out. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, think about it becoming normal again, and open my eyes again. Slowly but surely, my arms and legs are pulled towards me, losing their elasticity.


    Good, so I can actually control it by really focusing on it. I''ll have to work on that, and speak about it to the others. Right! The others! So, this is a difficult situation. Difficult, because during those nineteen years, I didn''t recognize this setup, this universe, from anything I read and seen in movies. Granted, I haven''t read all of the comics, but even then, this is really different.


    Being myself again, in one human sized body, I tentatively take a step forward. My foot touches the floor, and stays in form. The second step is the same. Perfect, let''s do it. The room I''m in is blank. There''s nothing but the bed in it, and I can''t see any camera. I walk towards the door, put my ear against it, and hear nothing from the other side. I try to open it, but it''s locked. There''s no keyhole on my side. The gap between the door and the floor is just under a centimeter tall, so it''s going to take some practice.


    After a way longer hour than it had any right to be, my hand finally slips through the door, but instead of reaching out, I try to stay at the closest possible to the recess. As my hands slowly climbs against the door, I manage to find and unhook the latch holding the door closed. After trying out the door from my side, it doesn''t appear to be locked anymore, so I pull my hand back and open it extremely slightly, trying to see in the corridor. It''s a dark corridor, with five doors in it and nothing else. Walking to the nearest, I unlatch it and slowly open it. Seeing Sue inside, I go to her, and close it behind me.


    "Sue.." I whisper. "Susan¡­" She slowly opens her eyes. Seeing me, she has a small smile, but it quickly morphs into horror. "


    "Reed!"


    "Shh!" I say, gesturing her to stay quiet. "I don''t know where we are. After we came back, I woke up just like you did."


    "Oh, thank god, we made it¡­ Wait, what about the others? Are they¡­ Johnny!"


    "I just got out of my room and found you, I suppose they''re in the other rooms. Take it easy. Breathe, slowly. You''re losing control."


    "What do you mean I''m losing control!" She says, as her hand and head slowly turns invisible.


    "Calm down, we''re okay, you''re okay. We''ll be home soon."


    "Why wouldn''t I be okay? Is there something wrong with me? Do I¡­"


    To shut her up, as even her hair started disappearing, I did the only thing I could think of in the spur of the moment. I put my hands around where I last saw her face, caught what I thought were her cheeks, and kissed her on what I only hope was her mouth. Surprised at first, she calmed down in my hands, and started kissing back. Her hair, head and hands reappearing as the kiss deepened a bit.


    "Okay, I can''t believe I didn''t do that sooner¡­"


    "I was starting to think you never would," she answers.


    "Now that you''re calm, we-"


    "I wouldn''t say calm exactly¡­"


    "Now that you''re calmer, I need to talk, and you need to listen just a bit. Can you do that for me for a minute, please? Without freaking out too much?"


    "What? Okay¡­ I''ll try¡­"


    "So, the storm in that dimension seem to have affected all of us while we were in the pods. They seem to have affected our bodies, and given us mutations. I can apparently control the elasticity of my body while it seems you can control yours to become invisible. It took a little getting used to for me, and it should be the same for you. I told you not to freak out because it seems our emotional state affects our mutation and triggers our¡­ power? When I woke up, I was literally the size of the room I was in. When you started getting worried, you became more and more invisible. See, it''s happening again. Breathe, Sue, think about staying visible."


    "I¡­ I¡­ My hand¡­"


    "Clothe your eyes. Breathe, slowly. In¡­ And out¡­ In¡­" As we do the small breathing exercise, she slowly gets her hand to become visible again.


    "This is going to take some use to, I know. But we need to check on the other. Can you come with me?"


    I held out my hand, and as she opens her eyes again, and seeing her hands, she smiles as she takes mine. As we walk to the other door, we see Johnny on the bed. I tell her to talk with him, bet to keep her distance, just in case the mutation is more dangerous than ours, while I go check on Ben.


    I already know about his mutation from all the source material in my last life, and I don''t think a small pep talk about breathing is going to help him today, but that''s not going to stop me from trying. If that doesn''t work, science will find a way. If my science can''t help him, I''ll ask other scientists. If that doesn''t cut it, I''ll find someone else. The Ben of this universe saved my life multiple times, so I''ll be damned if I can''t repay him.


    As I open the door, without much surprise, a huge pile of rock is on the corner of the room. It seems Ben is awake, as the floor tiles and a few wall tiles are broken, with the bed bent in multiple places.


    "Ben. Talk to me, big guy."


    "Reed? Is that you? No! Don''t come near me! I''m a monster!" he says in a deep guttural voice.


    "Ben, you''re not a monster, you just became more than you were before."


    "I don''t want to be more! I want to be human! I don''t want¡­ this!..."


    "Listen to me, I had the same problem as you did, and look at me, I''m back." He turns towards me slowly, eyeing me from the corner of his eye.


    "Don''t lie to me, Reed, you always tap against your hip when you lie!" Looking down, my right hand is truly repeatedly tapping against my right hip.


    "Alright, I lied, I was not exactly like you, please, look." I extend a couple of y fingers, before extending my hand, and my arm.


    "You don''t look any different though! I''m a monster!"


    "I have it under control, you can as well, just listen. Close your eyes, take a deep breath."


    "I can''t control it Red! I''m a pile of rocks!"


    "Yes you can, you''re stronger than this. Please, just try it." I say, and slowly, he closes his eyes. Or I think he closes his eyes, I can''t actually see them¡­


    "Now what?"


    "Now, regulate your breathing, once it''s slow enough, tell me." After a short time, his breathing became normal again. "Now, with your eyes still closed, think about the last time you saw yourself in a reflection. When was that, Ben?"


    "It was¡­ The day before the departure. I snuck out to a bar despite you telling me to be sober. The bar had a huge mirror behind the bottles."


    "Good. What did you look like in the bar? Focus on this image, and try to imagine yourself sitting at that bar, looking at yourself in the mirror." To my surprise, it actually started to work, as the rock like appearance of his body started to disappear, starting from the top of his head, to his eyes, nose, the rest of his face. As his hand slowly came to be, Sue and Johnny opened the door, and Johnny, being the loudmouth that he is, couldn''t help but shout:


    "What the f.u.c.k is that thing!?" Ben, disrupted by the loud shout, opened his eyes, losing his concentration, and his body quickly returning to stone, but not fast enough for him not to see that it had started to work.


    "Good going there, Johnny. Ben was almost through¡­"


    "That''s Ben?!" he shouts, pointing at the pile of rocks.


    "Ben, you almost made it, it means you can control it, you''re not a monster okay, I can help you-"


    "I saw it, thank you, Stretch. I''ll work on that don''t you worry. I feel better already." He says, calmly, with what I can only assume is a small smiling tone. "Now, where are we? Cos'' those aren''t normal walls." Looking around, we see the walls, and now that I think about it, a few punches from the Thing should have left more than a couple of broken tiles¡­


    "I don''t know yet, but I haven''t seen anyone or any camera yet. Let''s try to get out of here." Walking out of his room, we turn to the last unopened door. Looking at each other, we slowly pry it open, before seeing white. Not like metaphorically, or because we were blinded, but because it''s snowing. Snow and ice cover everywhere we look. Walking out of the building, the only thing that stands out is a small helicopter. While Sue and Ben walk back to the building to see if we haven''t missed anything, Johnny and I walk towards the helicopter.


    Opening a door, we jump a bit as a robotic voice says, without any intonation "Please board the aircraft and fasten your seatbelts to return to New York City." Standing on the white field and looking at Johnny, I see he''s as lost as I am. Before I have the chance to say anything, Sue and Ben come back empty-handed from their search.


    "Well," Johnny says, "the helicopter talked to us. That''s new."


    "What do you mean talked to-"


    "Please board the aircraft and fasten your seatbelts to return to New York City." The same voice, with the same intonation sounds out.


    "Okay¡­ Reed, what do you think?"


    "I mean¡­ Sue?"


    "I don''t know¡­ There was nothing there, and I''m getting cold out here."


    "Don''t worry about that, sis, I''ve got this!" he says and turns into flames, before Ben grabs him and throw him in the snow. "What the hell man!?"


    "You want to burn our damn ticket home? What were you thinking?!" I mean¡­ He has a point there.


    "Johnny, try to refrain from spontaneously combusting into flames near this helicopter please. We need it to-"


    "Please board the aircraft and fasten your seatbelts to return to New York City."


    "Yeah, what it said. I know I said I was getting cold, but I didn''t want to get a second degree burn instead¡­" Sue finishes her sentence and climbs on board, trying to put on the seatbelt.


    I follow her, and offer to help her. She smiles and nods. Johnny climbs in the back, refusing to put his seatbelt.


    "Wow! There, Mount Rushmore, I don''t think you fit in there!" he shouts as Ben tried to follow after him.


    "Johnny-"


    "Don''t worry, Sue, I don''t mind. And I''m sure it''ll be fine, you''ll just have to squeeze on the side a little bit. Huh, Matchstick?" he replies, and fits into the seat, even putting on his seatbelt. As mine clicks in as well, we close the door and wait for something to happen, when-


    "Please board the aircraft and fasten your seatbelts to return to New York City."


    "I don''t understand, we boarded the helicopter¡­" says Sue, frowning. I think about it a bit while she looks for a button on the empty dashboard, when it clicks in my head.


    "Johnny?"


    "What?"


    "Seatbelt."


    "Are you serious? Turn the helicopter on instead of worrying about something like that. Man¡­"


    "What is it, Stretch?"


    "The computer told us to put on the seatbelts, what if that''s the on button?" I ask.


    "How stupid would that-" Johnny gets interrupted by the robotic voice.


    "Please board the aircraft and fasten your seatbelts to return to New York City."


    "Johnny, please. Just try it on." Sue asks him. He tsk-ed, before fastening his seatbelt. As soon as it connects, the helicopter turns on, the motor roars, and the blades start spinning.


    "How long do you think-"


    "Welcome aboard. The flight will take 3 hours and 43 minutes. It is currently Saturday the 30th, January 2010. The weather is clear for the trip. Unfortunately, no refreshments will be served, and you are asked to keep you seatbelts on at all times until the aircraft has landed. Thank you."


    "Well that certainly answers some of my questions," I say. Intrigued to know if it''s programmed to tell us that or if it recognized my question as I started asking it. "Who dropped us here?" I ask, only to be answered by the mechanical sounds of the blades turning at high speeds.


    "We''re flying too fast for it to be a regular helicopter." Ben says. "Whoever made that knew what he was doing. It''s years from anything the military''s been building."


    "Not to mention that under four hours from an icy land to New York is ridiculous. How fast must we be going for it to be less than four hours?"


    "If we were in Groenland, it would mean about 3000 km, so around 807 km/h, just under the theoretical maglev train''s speed. It''s a bit less than Mach 1." I answer, surprised at the speed of my inference and calculation, only to remember that the body that is now mine was still considered to be one of the smartest minds on the planet. It seems I inherited some of his smarts. I''ll have to check how much later.


    "Yeah, but that''s still three or four time faster than the fastest helicopter in the world. I''ll have to check what''s under the hood when we arrive." Ben replies, clearly impressed with the aircraft.


    "I''ll take a look as well." Says Johnny, still as obsessed with speed as ever.


    "In the meantime, I''ll try to take some shuteye, wake me up when you see the coast please. Sue says, putting her head against my shoulder with a smile, and closing her eyes. As she falls asleep, I can''t help but put a couple of rebel strands of hair that were falling over her face behind her ear, which triggers a small chuckle behind me. As I try to look without too much movement, I see Ben and Johnny looking in the opposite direction, with a smirk on their faces.


    "Bastards, I''ll get you for this." I think, while trying to get some rest as well. Three hours might not seem like much, but with nothing to do, it gets really boring, and I''m sure that once we touch down in New York, we won''t be getting a lot of rest for a while¡­

 Chapter 7 - My SI Stash #7 - Yknow Nothing Jon Snow! by Umodin (Pokemon)

    -A pretty fun bastard SI in Pokemon, SI never finished the Pokemon series so he won''t have all meta knowledge but still quite cool


    Sypnosis: Y''know, I never realized how much the phrase about life giving you lemons resonated with me until all of this malarkey happened. I should be dead. Instead, I was dropped into the world of Pok¨¦mon, turned into a nine-year-old that looked nothing like I used to. To not take advantage of this supernatural opportunity was just stupid, however. And so, I became a trainer. OC-SI


    Rated: T


    Words: 160K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/11460367/1/Y-know-Nothing-Jon-Snow


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!) Thank you peeps for the power stones~ also shout out to Rei for adding me on League and boosting me~


    Chapter 1:


    It was time. I was ready.


    I was just minutes away from losing my v.i.r.g.i.nity: My skydiving v.i.r.g.i.nity, to be specific. I was both terrified and awe-inspired all at once. This was the best eighteenth birthday present ever.


    I''m also offering a hell of a lot of filler information without any background information to compensate, so let''s just back it up a bit. Hi! My name is Johnathan Snow, affectionately called Jon Snow by everybody and their grandmother.


    Yes, I am perfectly aware that my name is famous. No, I am not the reason it is famous. I was not born the bastard son of Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. I am a bastard, however. As it were, I was just a kid with a curious name. Curious enough to make me look up Game of Thrones and then read the books. George R. R. Martin is a genius, might I add; his works make up my favorite book series of all time.


    Anyways.


    Like I said, I''m a bastard. I was born to a teenage couple in 1994, on December 26th. Obviously, one of my parents raised me, right? Being a bastard in the modern world isn''t really anything terrible, single parents are common enough.


    Well, that''s wrong. Not only was it wrong, it was hella wrong, meng.


    Instead, as they were teenagers and had no interest in becoming actual parents, I was shipped off to an orphanage in San Francisco called Baychester.


    It wasn''t all that bad, to be honest.


    I was given a fair amount of food, decent company in my fellow orphans ¨C we learned to stick together ¨C and a surprising amount of opportunities. Most people think orphanages don''t have the ability to grant their inhabitants many opportunities, and that would be correct for the most part. Orphanages aren''t really able to financially back their children outside of their basic needs due to their stretched funds, but there were plenty of people that volunteered and helped out that were¡­ Well, pliable isn''t a word I should use, but they were pretty pliable.


    I was lucky. One of the volunteers was a college intern at a local production firm. She thought I was cute, and I was fortunate enough to be born with a clear voice and the ability to project it. So, through her connections, I was able to start a career as a voice actor at the tender age of eight years old.


    By the time I finished middle school at fourteen years old, I had been able to plow my way through the field enough to earn roles in some video games, commercials and even a few cartoons. My opportunities brought me into the actual world of acting as well, though I never was able to break out of plays. I didn''t necessarily have much in the form of money, but I had way more than most people my age did. Money equaled security, and I wasn''t feeling secure at Baychester anymore.


    Don''t get me wrong, Baychester is a great place. For children. The caretakers and matrons are wonderful people and the volunteers are happy to give their attention. The teenagers were often put to the side, however. To put it bluntly, nobody wanted to adopt them because they weren''t in the cutesy stage anymore.


    To be even more blunt, I was a runt. Right now, at the age of eighteen, I barely stood 5''6. At fourteen I wasn''t even five feet tall. So, as both the runt and the only kid in the orphanage that had any money, I was the most common target for bullying. Nobody beat the shit out of me or anything, but I had my share of scars and body bruises.


    ¡­Where was I? Oh, yeah. Security.


    That girl that gave me my connection? Her name was Ellie. We still talked, and she ended up being my agent while I was her first client. She was kind enough to "adopt" me. The word adopt is in quotations because it was just a pile paperwork; in truth, we ended up being something akin to roommates. I had my area, she had hers. I never took her name, she never got in my business. Our relationship had always been more like what I presumed siblings or close relatives felt for one another, and things ended up calming down rather significantly.


    Life was good.


    Fast forward three and a half years, through my embarrassing high school career and the struggle I went through when my voice started cracking (which put a dent in my voice acting opportunities, let me tell you), and we return to my birthday. Ellie had always known I was a bit of an adrenaline junkie, so she called up a friend of a friend and was somehow able to get me a ticket to skydive in the middle of winter.


    Which brings us to the here and now. My jumpsuit was tight, my body as prepped as it could possibly be, and I was stood in front of the hanger ready to jump.


    The hatch opened; I secured my parachute pack as well as I could. There was a red light above the door. We were waiting for it to change color. I wasn''t the only one jumping, but since I was the birthday boy I was obviously going to be going first. I even wore a pair of absorbent swim trunks underneath my suit, ready for any eventual bladder leaks that may or may not occur.


    The light above the hatch flashed green. I wasted no time. I jumped.


    It was easily the most exhilarating feeling I have ever experienced, just falling through the air and feeling the wind on my face. I could see everything from up here, all the mountains and beaches, even the curve of the planet. I wish I could describe it better. Sadly, my vocabulary had never been my strongest suit. I had to thank the public education system of California for that.


    It was both terrifying and calming. Terrifying in the whole I''m falling fast enough to hit the ground like an old tomato way. Calming in the sense that this was a place where none of my problems could worry me. I could only focus on the here and now. I closed my eyes and just started to think.


    I was eighteen years old; halfway through my senior year of high school and was living without a care in the world. My future plans weren''t really set in stone. I was going to keep voice acting, that was certain. And now that I was eighteen, I was considered an a.d.u.l.t in the eyes of the world. I could move out, and I was actually able to afford a flat in California of all places! I was already looked at pretty well at my school for having such a cool job, and if I got my own place I might even pop that pesky cherry; the real one, not my sky diving v.i.r.g.i.nity.


    Did I want to go to college? No, not really. The only degrees that interested me were media focused, and I was already involved in entertainment. Media was all about connections, and I had those. I mean, I wouldn''t mind going to a university; Ellie had always said that I absolutely needed that college experience. To find myself, whatever that meant. If an opportunity to go somewhere for free or for cheap popped up, I would probably take it.


    But I also wanted to travel. So long as I kept a decent microphone on my person and a laptop with the ability to edit audio I could essentially work anywhere with an internet connection. Europe sounds fun. So does South America-


    -Splat


    "AGH!?" What the f.u.c.k? Did I just smack a bug with my face? No wait, that''s the wrong wording. Did a bug just smack me in the face?! I wiped at my check with my hand, green ichor coating my finger. Belatedly, I remembered that I had to keep my body stable as I dove, and I began to move in a manner that did not promote confidence. I was spinning randomly now, my eyes wide open in fear. That calmness that supposedly came with terror? Yeah, that was nonexistent, this was pure terror.


    I panicked and pulled the string to my parachute. The recoil of it smacked me like a truck, and it was in this moment that I learned something quite important.


    Never trust a parachute that says Made in Vietnam. I''ve always had the feeling that they still hate Americans for that war. Well, that feeling was accurate. And returned. I needed to tell people. The people have a right to know!


    Sadly, it seemed as if I would never be able to tell others of my discovery. Once the recoil hit, the string connecting my ''chute snapped like a piece of twine. My chance at survival was gone.


    I was going to die.


    I wasn''t religious. I didn''t believe in fate, nor did I especially care about anything steeped in the supernatural. However, I had also never been in a life or death situation up until now; though it could be argued that this was more like a death or death situation. I needed a miracle. So, I did something I''ve never done before; I started to pray.


    "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I''M TO YOUNG TO DIE!


    PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE, NONONONO, I''M STILL A V.I.R.G.I.N, F.U.C.K! LET ME LIIIIIIIVE~ GOD, BUDDHA, ZEUS, ALAH, AZOR AHAI, SHENRON! SOMEBODYYYYYYY!"


    I probably didn''t pray right. I''ve never tried, so it wasn''t like I knew if there was a certain way to do so. Most folk probably didn''t scream as much.


    I stopped bothering with words, just screaming my throat hoarse. I screamed and panicked and cursed and cried and pissed myself (I knew those absorbent trunks were a good idea).


    I also determined that I hated the Vietnamese.


    I was closing in on the earth; the designated landing sight was surrounded by a set of rocks. I wasn''t going to hit the landing sight, I was going to hit those rocks. The training prior to the skydive included, in the case where my parachute didn''t work, that I was to position myself like I was sitting. My legs were supposed to take the majority of the impact. I probably wouldn''t ever walk again, but I might live.


    That was all I could hope for.


    So, I did as I was supposed to. I tucked my legs into position and tightened my muscles as much as I could. The ground was approaching fast, faster than I could keep up with.


    The moment my feet touched down, there was nothing but pain, and then there was just nothing.


    Surprisingly enough, I opened my eyes. It¡­ It worked?


    Wait, what worked?


    Hold up. Which deity was the real one? I need to know who to worship from now on.


    "I''m alive?"


    I then promptly closed my mouth because holy hell did I sound like a squeaker.


    I looked around. I was on a sand beachfront. This- this wasn''t possible. I was miles away from the beach, and even then, this looked nothing like the beaches I was accustomed to. There was too much sand, too many tall trees. There were no businesses or overly large crowds.


    "Hello, who are you?" Who the f.u.c.k was that?


    I turned my head the side. Sat next to me was a¡­ thing. It was pink, with a pale-yellow muzzle and a scaled belly, with a red and white striped ruff around its neck. On its head was a grey crown with a ruby gem in its center.


    It smiled at me in a sort of dopey way, "How''d you get here?"


    ¡­


    "AHHHHHHHHH MONSTER!"


    "WHERE?!"


    Nope. Nopenopenopenopenope. Not gonna happen. I began to run away, or at least tried to. Pain lanced through my legs. I couldn''t move. Looking down, I realized that my legs were, well, a mess. There was blood and gore everywhere; if not for them being attached to my body, I wouldn''t have even realized that these were my legs. Sweat poured out from all around my body. I started to shake, my breathing turned sporadic.


    "Now that''s not nice, calling me a monster," the pink thing whined. "I''m a proper Pok¨¦mon, you know?"


    "Pok¨¦mon aren''t real." I should know, I auditioned for the role of Max Maple a few years ago for the dubbed animation. I didn''t get the role due to my balls deciding they wanted to drop around that time, but I was perfectly well aware that Pok¨¦mon didn''t really exist. It was a game and an anime and a job for some lucky sobs, nothing more and nothing less. And why did I sound like such a squeaker? Where was my beautiful, velvety, panty dropping voice?


    "Then what would you call me?"


    I would call him a freak. I''d seen some weird stuff on the internet, even some dude that augmented his body with tattoo''s and surgeries to make him look like a reptile. Even if this guy was way more bloated, he was human. Had to be.


    My body was spasming more and more.


    "Mmn, perhaps now isn''t the best time for this. You''re in pain."


    No shit, Sherlock.


    "I''ll just put you to sleep and take you to a healer. My good deed for the day, as the islanders like to say."


    Healer? Doesn''t he mean a doctor- what the f.u.c.k? This guy just- he just yawned out a yellow blob that slowly floated towards me. I tried to scurry away, but the blob, while slow, was still faster than I was, and slapped me in the face.


    I was weak. I was hurt. And all of a sudden, I was just tired. So, so tired¡­


    With a yawn my eyes closed, and I felt myself drift off.


    .


    This time, when I awoke I was in an environment I could understand. The sanitized smell and white wash color of a hospital may not have been especially familiar to me, but I could understand it. Waking up on a beach, that must have been a dream.


    ¡­I am both happy and sad about that. Happy, because I was able to continue with my life. Sad, because I once dreamed about being in the world of Pok¨¦mon. I mean, who didn''t want to live there? Pok¨¦mon was the first game I''d ever played; it was near and dear to my heart. When I was younger, I would dream about Pok¨¦mon all the time, hoping beyond reason to become a trainer. I had been past ten at that point, which meant I would have been able to go on my Journey.


    Ah well, life''s life. At least I''ve got my¡­ health? Experimentally, I tried to lift my leg, only to see a great big cast on it.


    Well, that sucked, though not as badly as it could''ve. Cast or no cast, I could feel my leg. It didn''t look like I was going to be in a wheel-chair for the rest of my life. A few months of uncomfortableness along with a helping of rehab and I''d be back to the grind. Probably. Maybe.


    Hopefully.


    Hold up, how long have I been asleep?


    I looked around the room. There was no calendar, nor was there a clock. My bed was more like a long chair. Next to it was a button, with the symbol of a nurse printed on it. I pressed it; a buzz echoed from the hall. I stared at the door to my room, waiting.


    My wait was short. The door opened, and an attractive woman walked in. She had bright pink hair, deep blues eyes, fine pale skin and wore a stereotypical nurse''s outfit, the kind that could be confused with a s.e.xy-nurse Halloween costume if it were a little tighter. On her obviously dyed hair was even a cap, with a bright red cross on it. I almost laughed.


    Instead of laughing, I settled for a simple greeting. "Hello."


    Wait¡­ My- voice¡­?


    "My goodness!" Her eyes were wide, her mouth ajar. What was up with my voice? "I expected you to be asleep for another few days at the very least! Slowking must have used a Heal Pulse on you before bring you over."


    ¡­Slowking?


    "Chansey and I were ever so worried," she continued, casually ignoring my shock. "This is a Pok¨¦mon Center for a reason, not a hospital. It''s a rare day when anybody comes in with wounds like yours, human and Pok¨¦mon alike. This Center is away from most gyms and not many strong Pok¨¦mon come to this island. Honestly, you''re quite lucky. Being unconscious for only a few days is better than what could have happened."


    ¡­Chansey? Pok¨¦mon? Pok¨¦mon Center? Gyms? I was unconscious?


    "What the f.u.c.k is going on?!"


    "Language!" The woman whose name I was beginning to suspect might rhyme with toy scolded.


    "You''re far too young to use words like that. What have your parents taught you?"


    "Nothing, seeing as I''m an orphan," was my quick response. I''ve had that reply lined up since I was ten and served my first detention. It''s served me well. And what did she mean I was too young to curse? I''m eighteen, damnit. I''m an a.d.u.l.t!


    Her demeaner shifted in an instant. Gone was the scolding, indignant woman and instead she became this puddle of sad. She was tearing up, sniffling and dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief that she hadn''t had before. Where the hell did that come from?


    "Oh, I''m so sorry." She''s crying now. Big, fat honking tears. I don''t know how to deal with this. As the stereotypical white girl would say, I can''t even. "Of course, you''d speak so crudely! No parents¡­"


    Well, isn''t that just rude?


    Whatever. I don''t have the inclination to care about her rudeness right now. Why the hell was she talking about Pok¨¦mon as if they existed. Where was I? Why did I sound like such a squeaker?


    I also needed to pee.


    "Can I go to the bathroom?" Maybe I could look at a mirror then, see how bad the damage really was.


    "Yes, yes of course you can." She pulled a sphere out from her robe, a ball with a red top and a red bottom. It split in half in a flash of silver light, and then a pink blob with an egg in a sack stood in the room.


    My-Wha-Who-Huh!? That wasn''t- That- HOW THE F.U.C.K?!


    "Chansey, be a dear and take this young man to the restroom." The nurse said. She paused for a moment, and as if it were an afterthought continued. "Be mindful of his legs."


    "Chansey- Chan!"


    The blobs black eyes turned a pale blue, and I was lifted out of my bed and floated out of the room


    . The blob-Chansey walked out of the room at a sedate pace, my flailing and floating form psychically made to follow. It stopped at a bathroom, opened the door and sent me inside, sitting me on a toilet and forcefully dropped a diaper that I most definitely hadn''t been wearing previously down my legs, resting against the base of my cast. It left the room then and closed the door. I could see its shadow though, from beneath the frame. It wasn''t leaving.


    I only kind of had to go to the bathroom. Really, it was just a little trickle. But I couldn''t even get that out. Not when I looked at the mirror stood just in front of the toilet I was sat on. I know that I was looking at myself but¡­


    This wasn''t me.


    My long brown hair was now crimson and shaggily cropped. My hazel-blue eyes were now purely yellow and amberish, almost hawk-like. The scars on my body were gone, all except the one just over my left eye, jutting diagonally through my eyebrow. Speaking of my body, it was now tan and stocky, as opposed to my pasty pale normality that was beginning to grow a gut. I looked like one of those pretty boys I''d seen some classmates gush about, with higher cheekbones, dimples and naturally straight white teeth.


    And I was definitely not eighteen. I looked nine.


    What the hell happened? This wasn''t a lucid dream, I''d had one of those before. It was too real, everything had a scent and a feeling, that Chansey was too animated. Too alive. The woman who took care of me wasn''t just any woman, she was a damned Nurse Joy.


    Impossible as it may be¡­ I think this is real. Somehow, someway, I was in the world of Pok¨¦mon.


    ¡­I have no explanation. Nobody could have one. I guess my prayer was heard by somebody, I was allowed to live; just not on Earth. For the first time in a long time, I ¨C Jon Snow ¨C knew nothing.


    The irony of that phrase is not lost on me.


    But where was I? Nurse Joy''s were everywhere according to the anime. And in the games they were only located in select cities and towns. If I were in one of these cities, it would need to be on an island. She specifically said it was an island. Let''s see¡­ Cinnabar Island, the Whirl Islands, the Seafoam Islands¡­ I can''t think of anything else-


    ¡­


    Oh, right. I''m an idiot. I started this new existence by having a conversation with a talking Slowking


    . There was only one place that had one of those; Shamouti Island, setting of the second


    Pok¨¦mon movie: The Power of One. It was my favorite movie of the Pok¨¦mon franchise, and more than that, it was among my favorite animated movies of all time. Only one of them, though; nothing beat the Lion King, and nothing from Japan could top Spirited Away. But The Power of One was my number three!


    There was a good reason that I loved The Power of One. My favorite Pok¨¦mon were Flying types, and the focus of this movie was four legendary Flying Pok¨¦mon: Moltres, Zapdos, Articuno and Lugia. It was great and amazing and all the feels. That movie let me see them at their best, which also just happened to be their worst since they nearly started a global storm that could be considered apocalyptic. Still though, best battle royale in all of Pok¨¦mon.


    Flying types were the shit. My favorite playthrough of Pok¨¦mon Blue was when I started with a


    Charmander and made the whole of my team consist of only Flyers. My main team consisted of Charizard, Aerodactyl, Pidgeot, Dragonite, Zapdos and Articuno. I would have used Moltres, but Charizard was already a Fire type and I needed the diversity on my roster.


    ¡­Now that I thought about it, this was damn perfect. I could be a Pok¨¦mon trainer. I knew where a hell of a lot of Pok¨¦mon were from the anime, movies and games. I would be able to see the world on the back of a Pok¨¦mon, just like I had dreamt when I was a kid, soaring with one of my Flying types.


    I would miss Ellie. She did right by me, and now she was probably devastated. I was dead on Earth, dead or missing. But there was nothing I could do about it; this was my second chance and there was no way I would be lucky enough to get a third chance.


    No, I would make do with what I was given.


    I was going to fulfil my childhood dream and be just like my character in Pok¨¦mon Blue: Assfart. Don''t judge me, I was, like, nine when I made that character.


    Wait, was that why I was nine now?


    Whatever. Goal established.


    I would become a Flying Pok¨¦mon Master.


    Jon Snow ¨C Male


    Date: Dec 29


    Badges: N/A


    Pok¨¦mon: N/A


    Currency: N/A


    There we go, the first chapter of my reworked Y''know Nothing Jon Snow! Some of you might be wondering why I did this, and the simple answer is that this was one of my first Fanfictions, and while looking at it from the perspective of a better author is interesting, the simple fact of the matter is that I''m a better writer. I don''t like looking at my old works and just think "Oh, look how much better I''ve become." I prefer looking at my old works and thinking "Let''s see how much better I can do with this."


    The over-all pace of the story isn''t going to change, the events that you''re all familiar with will be the same, but now they will be written by a better, more mature author. Plots will make more sense, details expanded upon, characters given a better opportunity, the works. Though the story itself won''t necessarily be meant for the mature, that isn''t going to change.


    Also, if anybody''s curious, the move Slowking used on Jon to make him fall asleep was Yawn.


    If you liked this story, please Favorite/Follow it and don''t forget to shoot me a Review!

 Chapter 8 - My SI Stash #8 - Perseverance by okmangeez (Pre-Naruto)

    -I don''t really wanna spoil it but the SI will be in a team along with Shikamaru''s father and Sasuke''s Mother, I really liked how the MC gets stronger and stronger chapter by chapter! You will too.


    Sypnosis: When my senses came to, I realized that I was no longer in my a.d.u.l.t body or bedroom. Instead, I was in the body of a seven year old kid that lived in Konoha, right before the outbreak of the Second Shinobi War. With no way back home, I decided that I was going to preserve and survive, even if it meant changing the future (OC Self Insert, Pairings will be revealed later).


    Rated: T


    Words: 52K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13304398/1/Perseverance


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Timeline of the Naruto Universe (timeline will diverge):


    25 BN (Before Naruto)- OC is born.


    24 BN - Minato, and Kushina are born


    18 BN - OC''s mind is transported from Earth


    16 BN - Kushina comes to Konoha


    14 BN - Second Shinobi War Begins


    11 BN - Second Shinobi War Ends


    7 BN - Uzushiogakure is destroyed


    4 BN - Third Shinobi War begins


    3 BN - Third Shinobi War ends


    0 AN (After Naruto)- Naruto is Born


    12 AN - Naruto is 12 (Beginning of Series)


    A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.


    - Lao Tzu


    AN: Just a warning: the dialogue will sound awkward and rough in the beginning. I was trying to portray the awkwardness after Hiro''s sudden transfer to a seven-year-old body, but I understand


    the dialogue is very rough regardless. The writing does get better after Chapter 2, so please do


    not be deterred or disinterested. Thank you so much for reading! :)


    I died.


    Just kidding, that would be an extremely cliche way to start off a story. Thankfully, that trope isn''t used that often. Because if dying made you appear in another world, I''m pretty sure that a lot of people would attempt to kill themselves in order to escape their mundane lives on Earth.


    What really happened was simple. On a perfectly average night, I silently prayed that I could escape my continuous cycle of working, sleeping, and resting on Earth. I was only twenty-four years old at the time, yet I was already getting tired of what life had to offer. Sure, I was still young and had decades remaining in my lifespan. Even so, I wanted to live somewhere with more action and adventure, a place where I couldn''t predict what would happen the next day. I wasn''t very religious, but I prayed to every deity that I knew of. As I finished praying, a voice in the back of my mind whispered gently, stating that my prayers would be granted.


    I almost snorted at the imaginary voice in my head, but I asked which deity had answered my prayers instead of answering with a snarky response. The voice answered immediately and claimed that a deity from another world wanted my presence in his world.


    Before I could come up with a smart ass response, my consciousness faded away. The last thing I saw during my final moments on Earth was an ordinary soccer poster hanging on my bedroom wall: an image that would replay in my mind whenever I experienced hell in the other world.


    I woke up.


    Another cliche way to start off a story, but that single action was what began my journey in the new world. Like a Chinese philosopher once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."


    Now, what that quote didn''t tell people was what would happen after that first step. The first step was always the easiest... the steps that followed? Not so much.


    For me, the second step of my journey consisted of panicking at the fact that I was no longer in my comfortable bedroom in California. Instead, I was in a rather uncomfortable bed in a dimly lit room with a single window. Panic turned into horror as I looked down and realized that I was no longer in an a.d.u.l.t male body but in a tiny child''s body. I would''ve freaked out very audibly if I didn''t see several children sleeping around me.


    Luckily I did, and I wisely kept my mouth shut to not wake up the others.


    When I managed to calmly assess the situation, I saw that there were three other beds in my room. All the beds were occupied by boys that looked no older than eight years old. I continued to look around in order to find any clues that would help me identify where I was, but the room was fairly bare. The color of the walls was a dirty white and the ceiling had a single ceiling lamp that was turned off. I spotted a few pieces of furniture scattered throughout the room and a gray door to my right, but nothing in the room gave me any clues to my whereabouts.


    After my quick sweep of the room, my eyes gazed out the small window that was filtering in light into the room. The sun was beginning to rise over the mountain that the window was facing. As the light grew brighter and brighter, my eyes recognized the familiar looking faces that were displayed on the cliff side. My head began to spin as I realized that I might have been sent to that world. Within half an hour, my suspicions were confirmed. The sun shone clearly on the stone faces that were sculpted onto the mountain, revealing the facial features of the first three Hokage.


    Yes, I did mean three faces. I did read the entire Naruto manga series, and by now, I was aware that I was most likely in a time period before the original show. Much earlier, if the Fourth''s face wasn''t even up there yet. While I was a bit excited at the prospect of becoming a shinobi, I was also extremely terrified at the fact that if I did become a shinobi, I would most likely die at an old ripe age of 20, if not younger. To make things worse, any foreknowledge that I knew from the Naruto series that could have increased my chances of surviving was all but useless. Even though I did know what would happen in the future, much of the future that I knew of from the series was years off, if not decades. I knew bits and pieces of events that happened before the main series, but they were merely that: random pieces of information. The Naruto series was terrible at labeling specific dates on events before the main series, thus I had no idea what would happen to me in the immediate future.


    But hey, this was what I wanted right?: an uncertain future, tons of adventure, and almost a bit too much action.


    I sighed and I shifted out of bed, feeling a bit awkward controlling my new body. I flexed my hands and pinched my cheeks to make sure that this wasn''t a dream. After confirming that I was in reality, or in a really vivid dream, I opened the door and trekked out of the room.


    The door led me to a narrow hallway with numerous closed doors. The hallway was peacefully silent except for the sound of whispers that came out of several of the doors. I glanced at both sides of the hallway and spotted an open doorway with a bright light shining through. Feeling out of place, I cautiously approached the doorway and stepped through it.


    I had half expected the room to be filled with more sleeping children, but I was surprised to discover a bright room littered with toys and books. Paintings drawn by children were strewn across the wall and even a small playground set was present inside the room. The room looked like it belonged in any typical daycare or kindergarten, which I hoped was the case. But I had just woken up in a room filled with other children and had witnessed the sunrise from where I had slept. That could only mean that I was in...


    An orphanage.


    Before I could take another step forward and come face to face with the reality of the situation, a voice spoke behind me. "Oh, Hiro! It''s nice to see you awake so early this morning since you''re never eager to wake up early! Are you excited for your first day at the Academy?"


    The voice surprised the living hell out of me and I tumbled onto the floor. As I was getting up from the floor, I managed to get a clear view of the person that spoke to me. She was a pretty woman with jet black hair and emerald eyes. Her face showed signs of weariness and age, but she still looked a bit younger than forty years old. From the looks of her outfit, with her apron, Konoha headband, and a nametag that stated her name was "Aina," I concluded that she was a caretaker of this place. She chuckled as she helped me up and dusted my clothes. "Aren''t you a bit jumpy today! You better not let any ninjas scare you from behind like that, or you won''t be a very good ninja!"


    She let out a small laugh at her own joke while I gave her a smile. The joke was pretty amusing and I knew that if what she was saying was correct, then I would be off to the famed ninja Academy in order to become a shinobi. Even though I realized that I didn''t need to do anything in order to get into the Academy itself, I was extremely nervous attending the Academy right away. I didn''t know anything about myself except for my name, I didn''t know how to get to the Academy, I didn''t know what time period I was in, and I didn''t have any memories of my past "self." I didn''t know if I was supposed to act like a brooding emo, a bright ray of sunshine, or just a very basic vanilla character. Thinking quickly, I opted to act like a normal, curious child until I could find out more about "myself."


    "Aina-san, when am I supposed to go to the Academy again? I just woke up early because I didn''t want to be late." I asked the caretaker, with my best childlike tone. The pitch of my voice was much higher than my usual voice, which annoyed me a bit.


    Thankfully, the woman did not treat me with suspicion and instead answered my question, "You''re supposed to be at the Academy by nine for the entrance ceremony. It seems like the Hokage himself is coming to welcome all of you into the Academy! As for getting there, I will walk you and the others to the Academy for the first week. Afterward, it is expected that you find the way to the Academy yourselves. You should be honored that he would come to visit you on your first day!"


    The lady clapped her hands together as she looked at me with a smile that didn''t quite reach her eyes. "I almost forgot! Since today will be your and your friends'' first day at the Academy, I will be giving all of you some papers that will contain information about yourselves. Once you get to the Academy, you''ll need to fill in some paperwork to be officially accepted. After all, we wouldn''t want


    someone as talented as you to be delayed from entering the Academy because of some paperwork! Here, Hiro, I''ll give you yours first since you''re already awake. Make sure to read it carefully and fill in the paperwork at the Academy correctly. Follow any and all instructions the instructors give you on your first day. We''ll be leaving in about an hour and a half to the Academy, so go read over there while you wait!"


    She handed me a small packet of papers and gestured to a small table in one of the corners of the room. I internally shrugged and sat down to read the packet that I was given, hoping that the information packet would give me a glimpse of my background. After reading the first few lines, I realized that for some miraculous reason, I was able to read kanji and also understand Japanese. It was as if I had a translation software in my brain, allowing me to comprehend a language I had no familiarity with before. I should''ve noticed that small fact when I read the caretaker''s nametag and when I spoke with the woman, but my mind was reeling for a few minutes after the lady had scared me from behind. I thanked whichever deity had left me with the ability to read and understand Japanese and skimmed through the material.


    My full name, according to the information packet, was Hiroyoshi Osato. A picture was stapled to the top left corner of the front page, revealing a small boy with brown hair and light green eyes. I became an orphan after my parents, both of whom were Chunin, were ambushed and killed in an attack by several Kumo ninjas. They were on a standard patrol on the border when a Kumo infiltration team surprised my parents and overwhelmed them. I was five years old at the time. My birthday was July 4th and I was currently seven years old. I snorted a bit when I saw my birthday, as it coincided perfectly with America''s independence day. The rest of the packet did not contain any other useful information that I would need to completely assume my Hiroyoshi identity. The only other interesting information to note was that I had taken an aptitude test for the Academy and passed with very high marks. I had no idea what was on the test, but I had to assume that it wasn''t a normal test, since the test was for future shinobi. Still, that did mean that I had to make an effort in the Academy and work hard in order to make sure that I maintained my image as a prospect with high potential.


    Not that I was going to slack off or relax while I was living here. I was going to make sure to work hard to become a kick-ass shinobi and survive in this harsh world.


    While I was reading the information at hand, I saw that several other kids that were going to attend the Academy had woken up and had greeted the caretaker. Aina greeted each and every child personally but repeated nearly word for word what she had said to me earlier, minus the surprise part. As I replayed her words over and over again, I realized that she emphasized and stated a lot of words that my mind hadn''t noticed before. Her words were an attempt to make the kids feel special and privileged to enter the Academy. By doing so, the kids were more enthusiastic to go to the Academy and also less inclined to cause mischief or break discipline. Since most of the kids were around my age, they were most likely unaware of the grim realities of the shinobi world.


    It also made sense why she had a Konoha headband. If she had a headband, that would mean that she was at least a Genin. She was most likely tasked to watch over the kids here not as a simple D-ranked mission, but to evaluate and to see if any of the kids within the orphanage had the potential to be a shinobi.


    Realizing that the caretaker was underhandly manipulating the kids almost made me wish that I was a child, just like the others. But I wasn''t a child. And I knew that if I really wanted to survive, then I would need to advance more quickly compared to any of my classmates. In my head, I was already making a list of things that I would prioritize in order to become an accomplished shinobi.


    I was still lost in thought when the caretaker gathered all the prospect Academy students around and started to herd us out onto the streets.


    AN: Welcome to my newest fanfic!


    It''s an idea I had in my mind for the longest time, but something I never really managed to put into words. I''m going to make sure that this story becomes my longest and best writing piece. It should be a bit easier than my other stories since technically I am the main character and POV.


    No, the OC will not avoid combat or try to run away from the shinobi life. No, the OC will NOT be overpowered or have rare bloodline limits. The OC will gradually grow and acquire skills and abilities. He has a headstart because he''s mentally an a.d.u.l.t, so he''ll have more drive and mental awareness to improve his skills.


    Pairings are not official, but I do have some in mind. And no, I won''t go the conventional pairing routes :).


    As always, feel free to comment and critique my work. I will respond to you in the following chapter.


    Till next time.

 Chapter 9 - My SI Stash #9 - Return of The Heavenly Demon by AzumiBear (One Piece & Naruto)

    -I gotta say, for someone who has never seen One Piece, reading this SI Doflamingo fanfic gave me the goosebumps it is that good... Personally I''m one lazy f.u.c.k so I just googled about the characters of One Piece, but it''s still a very enjoyable read!


    Do comment down below your opinion if you think One Piece is still worth watching in 2020! LMK.


    Synopsis: He had lost. Donquixote Doflamingo had been defeated, and he had lost his life. He had expected fire and brimstone or an endless existence in purgatory, but this? This was something he hadn''t expected. Now here he was, a new world, a new life and Donquixote Doflamingo would use it to usher in a New Age. And being the Child of Prophecy will be a tremendous help.


    Rated: M


    Words: 266K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12926937/1/Return-of-The-Heavenly-Demon (AzumiBear)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    He had lost. The moment his God Thread had been broken, Donquixote Doflamingo knew that he had been defeated. His only hope now was to survive the full brunt of Monkey D. Luffy''s King Kong Gun, a task that was beginning to prove very difficult.


    Bringing his Haki to its utmost limit, Doffy was able to bear the initial pain and impact of Luffy''s attack, at least at first. After what seemed like an eternity, Doffy''s body had finally reached Dressrosa, and proceeded to tear straight through the small kingdom.


    He could feel the stone and dirt below him crumble and fold around him, driving him deeper into the earth and closer to the secret underground facilities beneath Dressrosa. Even though he could feel his former kingdom split apart from his impact, his momentum showed no signs of slowing down.


    Eventually, his back met steel as it reached his underground operations and the steel tore like paper. The pain at this point was excruciating and it took all he had to maintain consciousness and keep his Haki up to protect him from the debris.


    He could feel his focus waning as his body was assailed by torn metal, and, for just a moment, his focus broke, his Haki fell, a piercing pain formed in his chest and everything turned to black.


    Doffy''s eyes began to open ever so slightly. As he awoke he slowly starts to notice the several marines around him, scurrying with medical supplies. Wondering why, Doffy looks around until he remembers what had happened moments ago, finally noticing a steel support beam lodged into his chest.


    His body felt numb. He tried desperately to use his Devil Fruit to try and repair some of the major damage, but it was impossible, the damage was too great. The marines where trying their hardest to keep him alive to bring him into custody but he already knew his life was escaping him.


    The Captain of the Donquixote Pirates began to chuckle lightly. For 30 years, he had dedicated his life to destroying everything the Celestial Dragons cared about.


    For 30 years, he and his family and grown and thrived to be where they stood up until this day. 30 years of his life, and it was ended by an idiot in a straw hat that couldn''t find his way out of a wet paper bag. He would cry if it wasn''t so funny or even possible at this point.


    He could feel his vision fading, his limbs losing even the numbness they once held and now felt as if they were disappearing. He was about to die.


    ''Trebol, Diamante, Pica¡­. Vergo'', he thought, picturing them in his mind, the people who had come to raise him, the person who was his childhood friend, the ones who had become his family and the ones that he had failed.


    ''I''m sorry...'', he thought, darkness taking over his vision, until he decided to finally close his eyes, a small smile replacing his usual manic grin. It was then that Donquixote Doflamingo, The Heavenly Demon and Captain of the Donquixote Pirates, had died.


    Donquixote Doflamingo did not think much of the afterlife when he was alive, but even he had thought of what waited for him at the end of his days. Whatever he had expected, be it fire and brimstone or an endless existence in purgatory, this was not something that he imagined. Doffy found himself surrounded by darkness, yes, but there was more.


    It was like he was in some form of cocoon, a barrier of warmth that wrapped around him protectively. He found it almost impossible to move his body and, speaking of his body, it felt off, dis-proportioned and more importantly incredibly weak. Where was he? He took a moment to relax his mind and concentrate, to listen. He could feel and hear his own heartbeat. A good sign but also confusing.


    ''Did I survive'', he thought. Were the marine''s medics able to somehow save him? No, that was impossible, the amount of damage he sustained was too severe and the one who bore the Heal-Heal Fruit would never try and save his life.


    Putting that issue aside he continued to concentrate, listening past his own heartbeat. After a moment he began to hear another, one separate from his own. This was odd, especially because the heartbeat sounded like it came from all around him. Not bothering with trying to solve this mystery quite yet, he decided to use his Haki to sense his surroundings.


    As soon as he attempted this he had felt a wave of exhaustion hit him, only letting him use it for a moment, but it had worked. He had felt a few auras around him but what he had found confused him. One Aura, he could sense several feet away from him and it was powerful, clearly belonging to a seasoned warrior.


    There was another Aura, not as strong but still fierce, this one, along with another, confused him. This aura was all around him, it was large and surrounded him completely as if he were inside its owner.


    Now, Doffy was not a fool. He had many years of experience dealing with the most cunning minds in all the New World, so it should not be surprising that he had an idea of what had happened to him and where he currently was. ''


    I''m an infant¡­.''. This revelation was one of both shock and slight amus.e.m.e.nt. ''First that Straw Hat boy kills me and now I''m an infant?'', well, a fetus really but still, the very thought made him laugh hollowly in his mind.


    But there was one more mystery to solve, one more aura that his Haki could sense. Its nature and location confused him, however. It was unlike anything he had ever encountered; powerful, overwhelmingly powerful, and evil, sickeningly so. It felt like it was right next to him, yet, at the same time, locked away in a place he could never reach.


    Now that he felt it for the first time, its presence was just there. Whatever it was, he could feel it, just behind that incomprehensible barrier. And now that he could feel it, now that he could sense its rage, he knew that it was watching him, that it knew he was watching it, and it did not like being watched.


    However, the mind of Donquixote Doflamingo, the Heavenly Demon, simply grinned.


    Life within the w.o.m.b, Doffy had learned, was very boring and disorienting. There was little to do while trapped there and time seemed almost non-existent. But he knew that time was passing, his body had continued to grow, growing stronger if only marginally so, and soon he would be free.


    The thoughts of freedom brought other thoughts as well. Where and when would he be in his new life. Would he find himself flung into the far future? Would he still have the opportunity to get his revenge on the Celestial Dragons?


    These thoughts had plagued Doffy for most of his time in his ''new home''. There was also what he began to call The Entity that lived with him in his new Mother. He would continue to watch and observe it and found something interesting. The Entity was releasing some form of energy into his mother''s body, this energy was thus flowing into him as well.


    When he felt it, it seemed wild, almost primal in a sense with that same feeling of maliciousness that The Entity exuded if watered down. As far as he could tell it was not harmful and he had no way of stopping it either way. He continued to examine this energy as time went on and discovered that his mother also had something similar. Unlike The Entity''s, hers was warmer, calmer almost and somewhat soothing if he had to admit it.


    What was really interesting was how they interacted. With the help of his Haki, that would still take up a lot of his stamina, he found that his mother''s ''energy'' seemed to be almost shackling the others, controlling and mitigating it. After discovering this, he looked ''into himself'' so-to-speak and discovered that he contained his own ''energy'' as well, separate from the ones supplied to him by The Entity and his mother. Not that he could really do anything with it though. He mostly spent his time examining these various energies, trying to kill his utter boredom.


    As time passed he began to feel it. His body had been growing and his ''prison'' was growing smaller and smaller. His limbs were now capable of small movements and he knew now that it wouldn''t be long. While in this near timeless place he had time to think. Before, he relied on his family to do many things for him, though they did it happily of course.


    He was stronger than the rest of his family, yes that was true, but that was not because of any considerable effort. Doffy, after coming out of his childhood, had been stronger than most around him. He rarely trained his body and hardly ever practiced his techniques, there was no need to. He had his family to do most things for him and he was superior to most of the sc.u.m of the world anyways. That was how he had always thought, and then Straw Hat Luffy had proved him wrong in both the worst and best way possible.


    In this new life, there would be a new Doflamingo. One who would fight to get everything he would ever need with his own two hands, one who would not- no, who could not rely on his family to do things for him.


    The cage around him had suddenly tightened around him. It was time. A brand new Donquixote Doflamingo would emerge in this New World, and usher in a New Age.


    He hated this. This entire process was uncomfortable, humiliating and if he didn''t have so much pride he would say a little scary. Doffy was completely helpless as his 9-month prison tightened and squeezed him, pushing him further to his ''exit''. He didn''t know long his torture lasted but eventually he could finally see it; light. Just a moment later a wave of frigid air assaulted him, but he didn''t care, he was free!


    The light and chilly air disoriented him for a moment but eventually he felt himself wrapped in what was presumably a blanket. He opened his eyes but could only make out the outlines of shapes and various colors. There was no definition and the world was a blurry mess. He felt himself being carried and eventually placed in front of who he assumed to be his mother''s face.


    He strained his senses, trying to make out anything familiar around him. His ears could hear what sounded like speech, but it sounded almost garbled, he just couldn''t make out the words. His eyesight was also still limited, he looked up to view his new mothers face but could barely make anything out except the distinct color of red.


    He really hoped it was just her hair. His first mother died rather early on in his life and it would be rather¡­ saddening to lose another so quickly. A moment later he was carried a bit further away from his mother.


    Suddenly, he heard what he easily recognizes as a scream come from the nurse currently carrying him, another pair of arms quickly grabbing him as the nurse fell. Startled, he saw a hand raised threateningly above him through his blurry vision.


    He tried to see who it belonged to but couldn''t. He could hear his new retainer speaking to someone, his mother or father perhaps when they suddenly flung him into the air. The world swayed around him as he was disoriented, then he felt someone catch him.


    He activated his Haki, attempting to identify the aura of his attacker, but something very odd happened just before he did. The various colors around him changed in an instant, and he could now feel a slight breeze where before the air was still.


    His Haki, short lived that it was, could now only sense the person carrying him, who he had recognized as his father during his time in his mother''s w.o.m.b, with no trace of his attacker.


    His use of Haki had quickly drained his stamina and he could feel sleep already approaching his small body. Once again, his surroundings had suddenly changed, and he could feel his father place him down onto a soft surface, a bed. He tried desperately to stay awake and was successful for a few minutes.


    Soon after he felt someone else, someone much larger than him, being placed in his bed, the distinct color of red returning. His mother, laid next to him, cradling him in his arms and a moment later sleep had finally took him.


    He awoke again, his eyes revealing a still blurry world, but it was clearer than before. He was laying in some sort of crib and there were two others standing over him. He looked at them, seeing that distinct color of red, his mother, and a brilliant gold, most likely his father.


    There was something else, It, The Entity; he could feel it just behind his parents, looking past them, he saw a mountain of reddish orange, in a form he wasn''t able to make out. It was filled with a hate he was now very familiar with. It was then that he noticed it, a nail, or more accurately a single claw piercing through both his parent''s bodies, inching closer and closer to him.


    He could hear his parents speaking but his ears refused to translate the cacophony of noise aside from The Entity''s roars of anger. Then, suddenly, he felt a burning sensation in his stomach, and energy being poured into him that he easily recognized to belong to the monster that had just killed his new parents. Its power flowed into him and when it stopped his eyes began to close and he welcomed some much-needed rest.


    It had been quite some time since the date of his birth. In that time, he was able to learn his new name: Naruto Uzumaki. It was rather pitiful compared to Donquixote Doflamingo, but it would have to do. He found himself now being raised in an orphanage, having never seen his parents after his first day in this new world. He was still under the age of 1 years old or, so he thought. Time was still quite hard to keep track of but at least now he knew when it was night or day time, he estimated he was at around six months now.


    His sight and hearing were now significantly better, and he was capable of standing on his own if he had something to lean on. He was able to crawl as well when his caregivers gave him the opportunity. Speaking of his ''caregivers'' he found them quite¡­odd.


    There were 3 different women working at the orphanage. They took care of him as well as any other child but with a strange sense of detachment, like it was just a job to be done.


    Now, while that is technically true they only had this quirk when it came to him, the other children they treated as if they were their own. The looks they gave him were reminiscent of a different past he was never able to forget.


    Despite these issues Doffy, or rather Naruto now, quickly began a routine to further himself as quickly as he could. He would crawl and perform small exercises to help develop his body and practiced talking when no one was around. It wouldn''t do to have a.d.u.l.ts hear a 6-month-old speaking words it shouldn''t yet know.


    He was able to use his Observation Haki much more efficiently now as well, though he never tried using the other two types. Sadly, it seemed that his Devil Fruit was now lost to him as no matter how hard he tried he was never able to conjure his beloved strings.


    Furthermore, he had continued to investigate the energy that he discovered early on in his new life. He could feel The Entity''s energy still, but it seemed almost muted, trickling into him from somewhere he couldn''t identify. The beast itself seemed to be almost asleep, no longer aware and watching him as it did when he first arrived in this new world.


    His own energy, separate from the beasts, was now much ''larger'' than before. If he concentrated he could control it to some degree, moving it around through bizarre channels in his body, but he didn''t know what it was or what he was doing. He continued to manipulate it regardless, trying to piece together its purpose but still hasn''t discovered it yet.


    Looking around, Doffy/Naruto found that the room he was in, a rather large nursery with other cribs and infants, was currently missing any caretaker, with the other children currently asleep or content on their own. He used this opportunity to sit his small and still pudgy body up. He stood on wobbly legs and, using the sides of the crib as support, practiced walking around the edge of the crib. Using his Haki, he made sure to watch anyone approaching the room.


    He had been practicing for a few minutes, when he suddenly felt two large auras in the other room approaching the nursery. As quickly as he was able, he laid down and stared at the ceiling, making small movements and sounds to give the impression the he was just a normal six-month old baby.


    The door opened a moment later and the two powerful auras walked into the room. With his ears now in much better ''condition'' he was able to make out what they were saying.


    "Which one is he?", a voice, deep and slightly rough, asked its counterpart.


    "He''s just over there, in the corner of the room.", another voice this one sounding older and belonging to what would seem to be a rather heavy smoker.


    The two strangers walked to the right side of his crib, looking over him allowing Doffy to see who was interrupting his training session. The man on the right had bright white hair, it was long, tied in a ponytail behind him with two large bangs framing his face. He had a strange headband on with the kanji for "Oil" upon. His face looked somewhat young with but a small wart on his nose, but his white hair made it hard to discern his age.


    The other was considerably shorter than the white-haired man, and older as well, with gaunt skin and liver spots dotting his face. He was wearing white robes and strange diamond shaped hat.


    The two looked down upon him until one finally spoke up. "So Jiraiya, care to explain why it took you six months to respond to my summons?", the older one spoke, his face seemingly calm but clearly, he was irritated.


    The taller man, Jiraiya, hesitated for a moment, his face set in stone, then he responded. "When I got news that Minato and Kushina were dead, I immediately set my spy network to ensure that no news was spread about their child."


    The old man''s face flashed a hint of irritation before calming, then speaking again. "And it took you six months to accomplish this? Without any contact with your home that had just lost their Fourth Hokage?".


    At the mention of this ''Fourth Hokage'' Jiraiya visibly flinched. He was silent for a moment, his eyes taking on a hint of sadness. His reply was quiet, with a tone of defeat, "Yeah¡­".


    The two stood there for a moment, silent, continuing to look down on Doffy/Naruto as he continued his charade. The old man let out a small sigh. "Very well, what are you going to do now then? The boy has no other family and you are his godfather Jiraiya."


    The white-haired man took in a large breath of air, held it for a moment and then released a large sigh. "Well, I can''t imagine myself taking him in, I''m just not father material honestly, even if it''s just as a Godfather", he said, an arm reaching behind him to scratch the nape of his neck. "Honestly, he''d probably have a better childhood here, in the Leaf Village."


    The older man glanced at Jiraiya, who did not meet his gaze. "You''re sure about this then? If he finds this out he may not forgive you."


    Jiraiya continued to look down, not even truly looking at Naruto anymore. "Yeah, i-¡­I''m sure", Jiraiya''s voice was quiet and the older man closed his eyes for a moment.


    "Very well", he said, opening his eyes to look at Naruto, "He''ll be raised through the Leaf''s orphanage services then. I''ll look after him as best I can Jiraiya, but I am Hokage again, and I am not as young as I once was."


    Jiraiya quickly responded, "I understand Sarutobi Sensei", almost interrupting the older man.


    The two stood there a little more before Jiraiya vanished in a small puff of smoke. Sarutobi sighed, "He could at least leave the building normally", he grumbled, taking one last look at Naruto before walking out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.


    Doffy, sensing that the old man was gone with his Haki, stopped his small charade and thought about the conversation he had witnessed. ''So, it would seem one of my parents, Minato and Kushina, was rather important, this ''Fourth Hokage''. I know where I am now too, the Leaf Village, quite a strange name.''


    Doffy continued to parse through the conversation. ''I have one more family member as well, a Godfather, Jiraiya.'' Doffy mouthed the name of the Godfather that abandoned him, then said the name aloud. With that name firmly in his mind Doffy stood back up and continued his training, with a smile that did not belong on a child''s face.


    2 Years; Naruto Uzumaki, or rather Donquixote Doflamingo, was finally 2 years old. Last year, he was finally moved out of the nursery and was given his own room to sleep in. It was rather small, more like a closet than anything else, but unlike everyone else in the orphanage he did not have to share the room, giving him the privacy needed to continue his training.


    He also was finally able to go outside as well, to the small playground just outside the orphanage and see just what kind of village he lived in. When Jiraiya had called his new home the Leaf Village, he was expecting just that, a village.


    Instead, he was greeted by a large city, with oddly shaped buildings and various pipes and wires traveling across them. This ''village'' was unlike any other he had ever seen, which was saying something.


    He also took notice to the large mountain with four large stone faces engraved onto them, overlooking the village. He recognized the Hokage, Sarutobi from his encounter with him, meaning the last face on the right must be the Fourth Hokage, his father Minato. An important man indeed, to have something like that dedicated to you.


    Doffy had also made an effort to try and¡­ socialize with the other children. Needless to say, that ended in disaster.


    For one thing their vocabulary was extremely limited compared to his own making conversation utterly meaningless. Their games were far too simple and trivial for him to take part in. Also, he got the feeling that the other children didn''t like him much. He didn''t know why though! He made sure to have his best smile on his face as much as he could, almost always!


    Oh well, it didn''t really matter. These children were just orphans after all, no one important. There was no need to start building any relationsh.i.p.s with the rabble after all. He had his eyes on much bigger prizes.


    This ''village'' was ruled by those with the title of Hokage. The current Hokage, who he learned was named Hiruzen Sarutobi, would visit the orphanage now and again. Though he made it seem he was just visiting the ''unfortunate'' children without parents, Doffy knew that he was really checking up on him.


    Sarutobi would also come to deliver a sales pitch about being ''ninja'', this villages military force, of which the strongest was elected as Hokage. He explained to the Orphanage that children can go and attend an academy where they would learn how to become the heroes that protected their home: Ninja.


    It did not take Doffy long to decide that the Ninja Academy would be his first stepping stone in his new life, telling the Hokage to sign him up. But there was something else that was bothering him as well. Small things about his new home that had puzzled and slightly worried him.


    For one, he had heard no mention of either the World Government or the Marines in the past 2 years. The naming conventions here were also different. The style of names were different than what he was used to, usually more complex than simply ''Trebol'' or ''Baby 5''. Everyone here also would introduce their given names first and surnames last if they had one, the opposite of what he was used to.


    He had no way to confirm it but, he didn''t think he was in Kansas anymore. Regardless, Naruto Uzumaki continued his life in the orphanage, a grin on his face and a diamond shaped hat in mind.


    Aneko Hamadate did not like Naruto Uzumaki. She had run this orphanage for almost 20 years now and, while there was the occasional bad apple, never in her life would she say that she did not like any one of the children living in her orphanage. Naruto Uzumaki changed that.


    She knew that young Naruto was the Jinch¨±riki of the Nine Tailed Fox, that was really an open secret at this point, but that wasn''t why she did not like him. No, there was something else, something off about the child.


    When he had first arrived at the orphanage, she was wary of him, knowing his status as the Fox''s container. She did her job, took care of him and that was it, end of story.


    After a while, she began to notice strange things about him. His eyes seemingly holding an awareness that didn''t belong in such a young child. Some days, she could have sworn that she had seen the young boy in his crib, practicing to walk a couple months ahead of others his age, but lay right back down as soon as she had walked in.


    That wasn''t what had disturbed her the most though. When he was young, the boy would almost never cry. It was only when he needed to be changed or feed, never anything else. Eventually, even that stopped all together.


    When the boy would fall and scrap his knee or when the older kids would try and pick on and bully him, never would he cry. No, instead there was just a smile, a grin if you could even call it that. It looked normal to most yes, but after seeing that smile everyday for over a year Aneko knew better.


    There was something wrong with that smile, with that boy.


    The other children knew it as well. They would hardly ever interact with him anymore, and when they did it would not go well. That boy would simply smile at them, brushing them off and almost ignoring them completely, as if he were looking down on them.


    It wasn''t just his social skills that were off either. The boy moved with grace; an elegance and control that a 5 year old should not posses. He walked with confidence wherever he went, with that damned smile never going away.


    He was stronger than others around him as well, she had seen him beat children that were almost twice his age and had training in the ninja academy, though he never instigated the fights.


    Yes, Aneko Hamadate truly did not like Naruto Uzumaki. He had shown an interest in becoming a ninja as well, a terrifying thought. And with that thought in mind, she signed the letter she had written to the Hokage, his official guardian, calling for his immediate removal from the premises.


    Normally, she would feel bad for sending a child out all alone into the world, but Naruto Uzumaki was not a child, this she was certain of.


    Hiruzen Sarutobi was not having a good day. It, like almost every other, was filled with monotonous paperwork and political strife that he was well and truly sick of at this point. He remembered a time when he enjoyed these things, but now he was missing the retirement that Minato was so kind to bring him.


    He grabbed the next obstacle in his path to the days end, what looked to be a letter addressed to him, and filled his pipe with another round of tobacco. He read the letter as he did so, stopped for a moment to put his pipe down and re-read the letter, hoping that he had misread it.


    After, he sighed and, with weary hands, set the letter down and picked up his pipe. He sat there for a few minutes, enjoying the downtime that he honestly felt he deserved. When his pipe ran dry, he quickly scribbled a reply to the letter he had received, signed it and signaled for one of his ANBU.


    "Yes, Lord Hokage?", a Tiger Masked ANBU had appeared kneeling in front of his desk.


    Hiruzen handed the folded up letter to the agent. "Take this letter to Akeno Hamadate at the Southern Orphanage", he ordered, his voice firm and calm to hide the frustration he was currently feeling.


    Without another word the ANBU agent disappeared to fulfill his orders. Hiruzen got up from his chair, stretching his back that sore from constantly sitting down for the past few hours.


    As sad as it was, Hiruzen had anticipated this happening and had already rented an apartment in advance in-case this situation ever occurred. He walked out of the room, entering the hallway and greeting his secretary.


    "I''m going out for the rest of the day. Push any appointments I have to tomorrow". Not stopping to hear her answer, the Hokage continued to walk out the tower and made his way to Naruto''s soon-to-be former home.


    His pace was slow as he greeted the various villagers around him. He was not looking forward to this. While he enjoyed visiting and speaking with Naruto, telling him that he was going to be living alone from now on was not something he was eager to do.


    The villagers were quite wary, afraid even, of the young boy. That fear spread to their children as well, ostracizing Naruto and making it very difficult for him to make any friends. He knew this, it was something he was keenly aware of.


    His decision to reveal Naruto''s status as the Nine Tailed Fox''s Jinch¨±riki was a hard one. There were many ninja that night, watching the sealing happen. Who knew what kind of rumors would be spread if left alone?


    To mitigate this, he had decided to reveal Naruto''s status making it clear that he was just a normal child and that he was a hero. That decision clearly went well.


    Still, Naruto himself did not seem to be bothered by this if he was aware of it, which he undoubtedly was. He was a smart kid, advancing well beyond his peers in pretty much all things.


    When the two of them would get a chance to speak, he didn''t feel like he was talking to a child. Honestly, Naruto reminded him of Itachi, with eyes too old for such a young soul.


    Like Itachi, Naruto was talented as well. Hiruzen had already suspected that the boy was a sensor, never being surprised when the Hokage would drop by, almost knowing that he was on his way.


    His physical abilities were quite impressive as well if Aneko''s letter is to be believed. Defeating multiple academy students that were almost twice his age with no formal training was quite a feat.


    Hiruzen continued his steady pace toward the orphanage. No doubt by now Tiger would have delivered the letter and Naruto would be almost done packing his things, what little he had anyways.


    Hiruzen''s thoughts eventually strayed to his now wayward student, Jiraiya. All those years ago, when he had come with him to visit Naruto, Jiraiya had disappointed him. Was that unfair?


    Perhaps, he knew that Jiraiya was in a lot of pain after Minato''s death. He had spent most of life searching for his Child of Prophecy, and finally he had thought he had found him in Minato. Minato and Kushina treated him like family, something Jiraiya never had.


    And in the end, he lost everything in a single night. Naruto was a reminder of that pain, of everything he lost. Yet Hiruzen couldn''t help but see it as a Jiraiya running from his responsibilities.


    The two still kept in touch via letters though only for official Leaf Business. Still, Hiruzen would mention the boy in his letters, encrypted of course, and mention his hard sh.i.p.s and struggles, hoping to convince him to change his mind and return.


    He never even bothered to acknowledge them. Yes, in Hiruzen''s eyes, Jiraiya was just running from his responsibilities.


    Finally, Hiruzen had reached the orphanage and approached the front. Already, he could hear the sounds of children playing and laughter. He waited for a couple moments until the door finally opened, Akeno there to greet him. A short, brown-haired and rather heavy-set woman but one that he had known to be a mother-hen through and through. This thought only made him more disappointed in her, an emotion he was beginning to be feeling far to often.


    "Ah..h-hello L-Lord Hokage", her voice trembling slightly. There was a small look of shame in her eyes that could barely stand to meet his own. What stood out most though, was the was the look of determination in the rest of her features.


    He didn''t have to do this. As Hokage, he could force her to continue keeping Naruto in her care, but that look meant that she was adamant about getting him out of here. If Naruto did stay, his life would only go downhill from here as the caretakers began to neglect him more and more till he was already independent. It was best to get it over with now instead.


    "Take me to him", his replied with his voice demanding and possessing an air of authority. Akeno startled slightly, wide-eyed, and nodded, turning around to guide him to Naruto''s room.


    The two went through the building, with Hiruzen smiling at all the children running up to greet him. Soon, they made it Naruto''s room, and not even bothering to knock, Akeno opened his door and walked in.


    "Hey old man, what took ya so long huh?", rung out a young voice, full of amus.e.m.e.nt and mischief. Looking inside, Hiruzen spotted young Naruto. He was leaning up against the far wall, his arms crossed and a small backpack sat down in front of him.


    The short blond-haired boy, was wearing his ever famous grin, a bright pink shirt on with equally bright white shorts and black shoes. He had on a pair of oddly shaped sunglasses, with a silver frame and red lenses. Naruto had asked for them during last year''s Rinne Festival that they spent together and wore them everyday. In fact, Hiruzen couldn''t remember seeing him without them on since then.


    Yes, without a doubt, Naruto had quite the flair for the dramatic. It didn''t bother Hiruzen though, he had seen stranger things, and stranger people.


    Hiruzen smiled lightly, then chuckled a bit. "Well when you get as old as me it takes a bit longer to get around", he said humoring the boy.


    "heh heh heh, sure old man. What ever you say", Naruto replied, seemingly laughing at some inside joke. Naruto pushed off the wall, kicking his back pack up and looping one of the straps around his shoulder in one smooth motion. "Now c''mon old man, lets go see this new place ya got for little ol'' me", he said, walking past him and Akeno and toward the front door.


    Yeah, quite the flair for the dramatic indeed.


    The Hokage followed him to the front door, amused by Naruto''s antics. "Now Naruto, shouldn''t I be leading the way? After all, I doubt you''ll know where to go after we walk out that door."


    Naruto, finally at the front door, opened it and bowed dramatically, gesturing for Hiruzen to step out."Of course Lord Hokage, I was getting the door for you. One should be respectful to their elders. Heh heh heh". Naruto, with that grin still plastered on his face, laughing at the barb about his age.


    The two walked out of the orphanage, now side-by-side, they began to walk closer to Naruto''s new apartment. It was located closer to the Hokage Monument and thus the Academy as well, which Hiruzen signed Naruto up to begin attending next year.


    As they walked through the village, the various villagers would often stop to look at the two, and not in greeting like they did when he was alone. They would often move to the other side of the street to avoid being close to them. Seeing this, Hiruzen looked down at Naruto.


    Naruto seemed to be ignoring this, grinning like always and his eyes hidden behind his stylish sunglasses. Hiruzen sighed a little, looking at him. Naruto had a bad habit of walking a little strangely. His hands would be in his pockets and his legs would move at an almost exaggerated pace, lifting up far too high when he walked. But he was mostly concerned about the way Naruto would hunch his head, as if he were too tall and trying to duck under some thing.


    They pass by and stop by a few places, getting Naruto food, clothes and various supplies like utensils and dish soap. The apartment was already fully furnished and Hiruzen would leave further decoration up to Naruto. Continuing away from the market, Naruto stops and turns, standing still for a moment. "Hey old man, whats the building for?" the child looked up at Hiruzen pointing at a building to their left.


    Hiruzen looked over at the building Naruto had pointed out. It was a fairly large building, two stories and with a red shingles making up the roof. The beige walls shown obvious signs of wear, spider web cracks running all along them. He knew this building quite well, watched both its construction and the need for its use. Built during and after the First Great Shinobi War, it housed all of the war orphans that the war had brought and has done so for the Second and Third as well.


    It was a building that symbolized the pain and hardship that the Leaf had gone through, and a prison for the children whose parents were sacrificed in her name.


    Hiruzen looked down at the boy. Naruto looking towards the building, his usual smile missing from his face. "That''s the first orphanage that was built in the Hidden Leaf Village. Why is there something the matter?", he asked, curious.


    The boy stares at the building for a moment longer, eventually looking away and continuing. "Nothing, let''s keep going", as he called back to him.


    They continue towards where Naruto will be staying. They finally walk up to a beige building with maroon colored shingles. Standing about four stories tall it was a plain apartment building.


    As they proceed to follow up the stairs to the top floor and stop at the third door on their right, at room 4C. "This will be the building you will be staying at," Opening the door, he revealed a single, small, plain room with dim green colored walls and a wooden floor. In it was a bed with a small night stand and alarm clock, a small desk and chair with a small radio on it and a single dresser. "and this will be your new room."


    Naruto, after adopting his smile again on their way to the apartment complex, entered his new room, looking around. The two walked through a small door way leading to the kitchen, where a small refrigerator, stove top and a small table with four chairs served as Naruto''s new dining room. There was another door in the kitchen leading to the bathroom.


    Hiruzen put the bags of groceries on the dining table. "So, what do you think, Naruto?" Hiruzen asked, eager and slightly nervous to hear the boys response.


    Naruto looked around the apartment for a moment, his smile dropping for a moment. Then his smile returned and he looked up at the old man. "It looks like shit, old man. Heh heh heh". Naruto said, laughing.


    Rather disappointed but not very surprised the Third Hokage sighed. "Language, Naruto", Hiruzen reprimanded him, handed him a spare key and then continued, "I''m afraid you''ll have to live with it for now, at least until you become a powerful Shinobi and earn some more money. Speaking of...", the Hokage reached into his robes and pulled out a small bundle of money, handing it to Naruto.


    "As of this moment you''ll be receiving a fixed income every 30 days from the Hidden Leaf in order to help take care of yourself. This is all you''ll be getting so be sure to spend it wisely." The Hokage moved out of the kitchen and into the main room, with Naruto following him.


    "Also, I have enrolled you into the Ninja Academy for next year. As long as you''ll be attending you won''t have to worry about paying any rent or utility bills."


    Naruto flung his backpack off his shoulder and onto the bed, his grin widening as he flipped through the bills that Hiruzen just handed him.


    After flipping through the last bill, Naruto spoke up. "Anything else I need to know, eh?", Naruto asked still gleefully looking at the money in his hands.


    Hiruzen shook his head at the young boys greed, and replied,"No that''s everything for now. I''ll be visiting in a few days to check up on you and if you need anything I''m usually at the Hokage Tower." Hiruzen opened the door, ready to head home and relax for the rest of the day.


    "Yeah, Yeah, see ya later old man", Naruto waved him off and closed the door behind him.


    With that, Hiruzen made his way home, this time traveling by the rooftops. There many thoughts about Naruto on his way home. What Naruto was thinking and what his future was. As much as Hiruzen hated it, there were many things that rested on the boys shoulders, too many. He would do all he could to make sure Naruto went down the right path.


    Hopefully he wouldn''t be the only one for much longer.


    Doffy closed the door behind the old man, the smile on face dropping for a moment. Ever since they passed that building, the other orphanage, what his Haki had sensed had been bothering him, distracting him. Looking out the window in his new apartment, the sun was beginning to set. He would investigate it tomorrow. For now he would settle into his new home.


    He put the things that the Third had bought him away into its new designated areas, made some dinner for himself and, after he was done eating, laid in bed.


    He lay there for a while, trying to sleep but the orphanage situation still bugged him. It took a while, but eventually sleep took him.


    Doffy woke again at the crack of dawn, like always. He got out of his new bed and decided to enjoy his new freedoms. He used his own shower and bathroom, no longer having to share it with various other orphans. He cooked his own breakfast, something he was slightly out of practice of but was more than capable of. Changing clothes, Doffy grabbed something, a gift, out of his backpack and exited his new apartment, locking the door behind him with an objective in mind.


    Slowly, Doffy mad his way over to the orphanage that he and the old man had passed yesterday. It took quite a bit, as Doffy had a bit of trouble remembering exactly where it was but he found it again eventually. It was just before noon now and just like at previous home, there was various children playing at a nearby playground.


    It was like clockwork, as soon as he was in range that aura was back, calling out to him through his Haki. Doffy with his signature smile walked onto the playground and spotted two benches sitting back to back in the middle of the park.


    He walked toward it, slowly, tracking that aura through his Haki and sat down on one of the benches. Then he waited, his eyes staring straight ahead of him and his smile dropping.


    There, a boy was a few meters ahead of him. He was quite odd looking, a bowl shaped hair cut, thick eye brows and large, round eyes with rather prominent eye lashes. A small frown adorned the boys stone set face, a perfect example of seriousness.


    The boy walked forward at a steady pace, his hands neatly folded behind him. He continued to approach him, eventually reaching the bench Doffy sat at. Rather than sit next to him, the mysterious boy circled around, sitting at the bench just behind him.


    The two sat there a moment, back to back, the sound of the other children playing around them. Doffy reached into his pocket and pulled out the gift, a pair of sunglasses. Taking them, he reached over his shoulder, offering it to the other boy, who smoothly reciprocated the action, taking them from him.


    Doffy could hear the boy unfold them and place them on his face. They say there for a moment, until finally, the other boy greeted an old friend.


    .


    .


    .


    "Doffy".


    .


    .


    .


    Donquixote Doflamingo grinned.


    .


    .


    .


    "Vergo"

 Chapter 11 - My SI Stash #11 - A Motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g Dragon by Cambrian Beckett (Game of Thrones)

    -And this is where you''ll say damn this motherf.u.c.ker''s stash really be hitting different: great p.o.r.n with plot like one of them novels y''all got here what''s it called Dual Cultivation? It''s great ????


    Do any of you guys listen to music while reading? I mean everytime I open Spotify always Lil Uzi Vert comes on, I need some new songs to bump to


    Synopsis: A Self-Insert fic, in which I find myself in the body of Drogon just as he''s about ready to break free of his shell. Poor Daenerys, stuck with a perverse little f.u.c.ker like me. Fair Warning, the Mature Rating will be well-earned.


    Rated: M


    Words: 69K


    Posted on: wwe.fanfiction.net/s/12704225/1/A-Motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g-Dragon (Cambrian Beckett)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I awaken and immediately take note of three things. First, it is hot. In fact, it is sweltering, boiling. I''m burning up, or a thousand other terms that mean the same thing. Basically, heat. Except, the extreme heat does not matter. I know intellectually that this sort of temperature should be harmful to me, but instead, it is bolstering me, strengthening me. In fact, I''m fairly certain it''s what woke me up in the first place.


    The second thing I notice is the darkness, the confinement I find myself in. I am curled up tight in some sort of space that is truly miniscule in size. This will not stand, because the third thing I notice is tied into the fact that I am confined in this tight place. Basically, I''m suffocating. I need air, oxygen, something. My jaw opens, and a plaintive cry leaves it that does not sound at all human. My feet kick out and claws I did not expect to have rip at one of the walls of my confinement.


    The wall is not strong and I feel my claws dig into it. So I keep at it, ignoring the strange aspects of my existence for a few moments as the alien mind operating right alongside my more human thoughts demands that we get out, Out, OUT!


    I break free of my confines and pull myself free, throwing my head back and forth. My neck is longer than it should be, almost serpentine as I look about and see nothing but flames. They lap at me and the egg I was confined in, but it does not harm me. Fire cannot harm me or my new body, I know this instinctively and do not shy away from it.


    Or perhaps the alien part of me, a new set of instincts that I did not have before awakening, knows it. Regardless, I open my jaw again and cry out once more. Then, my tongue snakes out and I taste my teeth. They are sharp and numerous and my mouth and lips do not feel at all human. But then, I am not human anymore, am I?


    Looking back, I see the remains of the egg I have just broken free from. Looking down, I see the lizard-like body I now inhabit. My upper arms have wings now. My back legs have the claws I used to tear my way out of the egg. I am a dragonling, a tiny creature who will one day grow big enough to devour entire horses. Hopefully anyways, I still don''t actually know what setting I''m a dragon IN.


    Turning this way and that yields only more flames. Crawling through the high-burning fire, I look for signs of anything that can tell me where I am. In the end, I find it at the same time her beautiful, vibrant violet eyes find me. And now I know where I am.


    Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen looks at me with shock in her gaze. She sits among the fires, her clothing burnt from her but her flesh, her n.a.k.e.d, nubile young body is completely untouched. Of course it is. She is as dragon as I am. My instincts scream this at me, but my memories are in agreement. While Dany is a human or whatever the Planetosian equivalent is, she is also the blood of dragons, of Old Valyria. She does not burn, no matter how hot the flames.


    I open my jaw and cry out to her, the action almost entirely instinctive and involuntarily. Startled from her wide-eyed surprise, the silver haired girl finally moves. She gets off her shapely, fine ass and crawls over to me, reaching out as if unsure if I''m real or not. I do not attempt to bite her, though there''s a slight desire to do so as her pale fingers come into reach. Instead, I lean in and bump my head against her hand.


    A tentative smile spreads across her face at my action and when she reaches out to me with both hands, I allow her to pick me up, before immediately claiming space on the front of her body. The Mother of Dragons (of which I am one, hooooly shit) sits back on her ass once more and I take advantage of the moment to nuzzle my small head between her soft, delicious tits.


    I may be a dragon¡­ but I still have a human mind. A slight gasp falls from Daenerys'' lips and I know I''m stimulating her, arousing her. If I could have grinned wickedly in that moment, I would have. Instead, I settle for snaking my tongue out and licking at her. I lap at the black soot that is settling on her body, seemingly for the purposes of cleaning her¡­ but I focus an inordinate amount of attention on her b.r.e.a.s.ts of course.


    At the same time, my long tail, the longest appendage I have at this point, slides down into her lap. I''m sure she thinks it can''t possibly be on purpose, but I still writhe my tail against her moistening cunt all the same. The sinuous appendage slides up and down and a surprised m.o.a.n of desire slips free of Daenerys'' perfect, full lips.


    She''s going to be beautiful as she finishes growing. I honestly can''t wait. Though of course, there''s only a small window in which I''ll get to f.u.c.k her. I have to start conditioning her to accept these kinds of advances now, because once I''m too big to pin her down and take her, I''ll have to depend on her to initiate contact herself.


    Still, I can imagine it, in my mind''s eye. I can see Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons, stripping n.a.k.e.d and wrapping her lithe, beautiful body around my massive c.o.c.k, rubbing herself up against me and licking my length in the same way I lick her tits now. Yes, it will take some work¡­ but I will make the last Targaryen my s.l.u.tty little dragon bitch. She can have the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms. I''ll gift them to her, all on my own if I have to. But I will have her¡­ oh yes I will.


    Her hands suddenly curl around me and it''s clear that Daenerys has finally come out of the haze of pleasure enough to realize this is wrong, even if she is enjoying it. For the first time, I growl, my small front claws clutching at her flesh and my tail lifting up, only to slap down with a sting across Daenerys'' slit and clit. The silver haired girl gasps in surprise and pain and looks down at me with wide, violet eyes. I don''t pay her any mind though, instead I continue to nuzzle my head into her cleavage and tits.


    She doesn''t try to move me again. Honestly, she''s lucky I''m not giving b.r.e.a.s.tfeeding a shot. F.u.c.k, she just had a kid right? Man, I''ll try some other time. For now, need to start slow.


    As time passes and Daenerys tries to hold back her intermittent orgasms, completely ineffectually, my brothers join us. She''ll name them Viserion and Rhaegal, according to my foreknowledge. I''ve already looked at myself enough to realize I''m Drogon. Which is nice and right and proper. If I was going to be reborn a dragon, I f.u.c.k.i.n.g better be the largest of the three. Whether I''d let Drogon''s animal mind, which I''d long since figured out was the alien brain that kept trying to wrest control of my actions from me, actually be as aggressive as he''d been in the canon, well, that was to be decided.


    Regardless, I hogged our ''mother''s'' front and Viserion and Rhaegal were not nearly as lecherous as I was, so they did not try to fight me for the right to molest Daenerys. Instead, Viserion hiked his way up onto her shoulder and Rhaegal stuck to her back, winding back and forth to look at me with big eyes from either side of her.


    Whenever he got too close, I hissed at him¡­ and whenever our ''mother'' tried to admonish me for the action, I gave her another smack across her clit to remind her of just who was in charge here.


    Still, all good things come to an end. The fires abated and it became far, far too cold for my tastes. Luckily, Daenerys remained nice and warm and delicious, even as she stood up and I had to cling to her to keep my place on her front. All three of us dragonlings stuck to her like glue as she walked forward, but I looked back behind me all the same to see what she was looking at.


    Ah, there was the remnants of Dany''s ''khalasar''. Most of them would be dead soon. Could I stop that? Would I? Eh, probably not. Though her handmaidens were certainly hot. And then¡­ there was Jorah Mormont. I couldn''t help but glare at the potential rival to my ''mother''s'' affections. I mean, intellectually I knew that Jorah never got f.u.c.k all anywhere with her, but he still l.u.s.ted after her just as I did.


    It seemed my foreknowledge and my l.u.s.tful intentions were slipping into Drogon''s bestial mind, because the dragonling that I was sharing brain matter with was immediately hostile of Jorah and it was hard for me to rein that in. Still, in the end I managed it, even as the two met in the middle of the burnt field.


    Jorah looked shocked. Understandably so. The exiled knight falls to his knees and stares at Daenerys reverently as he speaks in an awed tone.


    "¡­ Blood of my blood."


    Everyone follows suit. Those who have stuck around kneel before the woman who has brought dragons into this world for the first time in a hundred years. If I could, I would roar at this point. It''s certainly what my bestial instincts tell me to do. I must declare myself ruler over this lot of kneeling humans. I must proclaim my magnificence!


    Except, I know exactly how weak and pitiful my cry is at this point in time. Rather than open my jaws and embarrass myself, I content my instincts by sliding my tail one last time through Daenerys'' puffy aroused p.u.s.s.y lips. To her credit, the beautiful young woman keeps her composure, though I feel her legs wobble for a second all the same.


    I stop at that point. No reason to ruin her credibility by bringing her to orgasm in front of the last people willing to follow her. Still, my dragon lips curl back to show rows of wicked teeth, as I direct a particularly triumphant look at Ser Jorah Mormont. He can''t possibly understand what it meant, but that was fine. What mattered was that I knew what it meant.


    Breaking eye contact with the exiled knight, I look out at the barest remnants of Drogo''s khalasar¡­ and at the wasteland beyond them. My lips pull back down as I lose any humor or amus.e.m.e.nt I''d felt.


    Right¡­ next was the trek to Qarth¡­ through the red waste.


    F.u.c.k me, this was NOT going to be fun¡­

 Chapter 13 - My SI Stash #13 - Lex Marks The Spot by dogbertcarroll (DC & Buffy)

    -Hey! Thanks for 30K views and the Power Stones~


    Out of all the fan fictions that I''m showing off, this one made me laugh the most. The author is very creative especially in the superpowers part, you''ll see!


    Synopsis: The Other Side of the Coin. Xander Harris finds himself inside Lex Luthor''s body in the DC Universe. He''s sure his friends will eventually rescue him, so he decides to toss a few monkey wrenches into the workings of the universe while he''s there. Everyone has to have a hobby after all.


    Rated: T


    Words: 77K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12512455/1/Lex-Marks-The-Spot(dogbertcarroll)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Xander blinked a few times and looked around. He''d just been escorting children trick or treating, in the only costume he''d been able to come up with due to his limited budget. A single piece of costume jewelry, a fake bald ''wig'' combined with a LED from Radio Shack, and his Sunday best had made for a passable-


    "Mr. Luthor, your three o''clock is here," the intercom announced, interrupting his thoughts.


    "Send him in," Xander replied before leaning back in his chair, and examining the ring on his left hand with its softly glowing green stone. He knew he should be freaking out or shocked, but for some reason he felt remarkably calm and he could see a lot of ways he could have fun with this situation before it ended.


    Xander looked up and saw a familiar looking face extending a hand to shake. "Give me a moment, Mr. Kent," Xander said, pulling a lead lined box out of a desk drawer and depositing his ring in it.


    Clark shook his hand, making sure to make his grip limp and weak. "If I may ask, why did you take off your ring?" He''d expected to have to suffer through nearly half an hour of Kryptonite ''s weakening effects to get his interview and had counted on the fact that Luthor kept people at a distance in his spacious office to help him endure it, but now Luthor had removed his ring, which meant he might have figured out who Superman was, making this all an elaborate trap!


    "Because wearing it is childish, petty, and possibly dangerous now that I think about it," Xander replied.


    Clark was surprised to hear the honesty and amus.e.m.e.nt in Luthor''s tone. "Could you expand on that?"


    "Sure," Xander said cheerfully. "Everyone knows I just wear it to annoy Superman and he''s the last person on Earth who would actually attack me physically, ironic as that is. So it''s both childish and petty to keep on wearing it. Now, it also occurred to me that no long term studies have been done to the effects of Kryptonite exposure on humans, thus possibly dangerous as well."


    "That- that makes a great deal of sense," Clark said, trying to hide his surprise.


    Xander chuckled. "And completely out of character for me, I know. The really funny part is that Superman is only vulnerable to Kryptonite because he''s just about as bad at looking at the big picture as I was."


    "How so?" Clark asked intently.


    "Kryptonite radiation can be stopped by lead, gold, and similar high density metals as well as specifically tuned energy fields. He could easily redesign his costume using some of the advanced technology he has access to, to either cover him in some thin exotic kryptonite radiation blocking material on exposure or generate a field to block it."


    "That''s... quite an idea," Clark said in shock.


    "That''s nothing," Xander waved it off. "He could have a hidden red sun field generator in his belt so he could flip it on, neutralizing his powers and the kryptonite''s effect on him."


    "But that would make him powerless," Clark pointed out.


    "Far from it," Xander said, shaking his head. "It would simply reduce him to near human levels, allowing him to go hand to hand without holding back."


    "I hadn''t thought of that," Clark admitted.


    "Superman is a good guy and by that I mean a good man not just a good guy, if you get the difference. But if there''s two things I''m good at, it''s making money and annoying Superheroes, so you can bet he''s had to restrain himself from hitting me at times," Xander said with a grin.


    "You two have had your differences," Clark admitted.


    "So imagine how satisfying it would have been for Superman to get to paste one on my grill, just mano a mano," Xander said, amused at the look on Clark''s face as he realized he could have done just what Lex was describing and he''d now lost the opportunity.


    "Being Superman he couldn''t do much more than hit you a few times and turn you over to the cops," Clark said.


    Xander laughed. "I''m a trained fighter, Superman isn''t nearly as skilled. I''d beat him bloody, but your average crook he could handle."


    "I think you''d be surprised," Clark said, forgetting he was playing a role for a second.


    "I really wouldn''t," Xander said. "Sadly I know more about Superman and his skill levels than anyone but Batman, who obviously trained him. But enough about Superman, I''ve wasted far too much time needlessly antagonizing him in some adolescent d.i.c.k waving contest that I''ve now outgrown. Let''s start this interview on...?"


    "The recent pay cut to your workers in Gotham," Clark said, pulling out a voice recorder.


    "You''ll have to refresh my memory on that, I''m afraid I''ve been dealing with oversea expenditures and have completely blanked on the details," Xander said.


    Clark nodded and talked at length about Lex''s Gotham holdings and how Luthor''s twenty percent pay cut would affect the local neighborhoods.


    Xander reached over and pushed the button for his secretary. "Mercy, get me the man I put in charge of Gotham on the line, I want to hear him justify the pay cut to Mr. Kent."


    "Right away, sir," she replied.


    "I thought you handled all major business decisions yourself," Clark said.


    "There is only so much information one man can process and retain with any degree of accuracy, that''s why I hire people to work for me and follow their advice, unless I have some reason to believe they''re wrong," Xander explained.


    "Craig Johnson on line two, sir," Mercy announced over the intercom. "Transferring him now."


    "You wanted to talk to me, Mr. Luthor?" Johnson asked.


    "Craig, I have Clark from the Daily Planet here and he wants to know how we''re justifying the twenty percent cut in pay for our Gotham workers," Xander explained.


    "Financial forecasts for the upcoming quarter in Gotham shows a minor recession heading our way and by cutting salaries by twenty percent we are hoping to avoid a drop in stock prices that would necessitate closing our Gotham offices," Craig explained promptly.


    "Hmm," Xander said tapping his chin. "Show me the hard data on that, so I can eyeball it for a minute."


    "You should already have it, sir," Johnson replied.


    Xander logged onto the computer built into his desk and quickly brought up the relevant files and glanced through it. "This looks familiar."


    "I''ve shown you the data before, sir," Johnson said nervously.


    Xander chuckled. "I mean I''ve seen this pattern before and yes I know how financial forecasting works, but just as an experiment... let''s take a look at the times when a recession did not result from these numbers and see what local businesses did at that time."


    It took several minutes before they had a definite pattern that even someone who was untutored in business could see.


    "It only caused recessions in one case out of twelve before 1984," Clark noted. "What happened in 1984?"


    "There''s no telling," Johnson admitted with a sigh. "It could be anything from the price of rice to women''s skirt length."


    Xander laughed suddenly. "Actually, I believe I know exactly what happened."


    "Yes, sir?" Johnson asked curiously.


    "Let me give you a clue and see if you get it," Xander said. "I looked up redundant in the dictionary and you know what it said?"


    "What?" Clark asked.


    "See redundant," Xander replied and laughed only to sigh as neither got the joke. "Recursive error."


    "How so?" Clark asked.


    "Financial forecasting became a big thing in the early 80''s, meaning everyone is responding to the forecast itself and not the market. Forecasting a recession is causing a recession," Xander explained.


    "That''s awful," Clark said shaking his head.


    "Not for Lexcorp it isn''t," Xander said. "Increase the salary of everyone that stayed with the company, after getting their pay cut, by fifty percent," Xander ordered. "And prepare for expansion in Gotham as the forced recession takes effect. With proper management we can pick up all the business that everyone else loses, making a fortune for the company without negatively affecting the local population. In effect we will prevent a recession for anyone, but the businesses cutting their employee''s salaries and selling off their holdings."


    "Sir, you have a reporter with you," Johnson pointed out.


    "Good point," Xander said before turning to Clark. "Clark, don''t report this or you''ll cause a recession."


    "The public has a right to know," Clark said.


    "True, however what you''ll be doing is causing the disaster by warning them of it. It''s morally the same as shouting fire in a crowded theater," Xander told him. He knew he really shouldn''t be tweaking Superman''s nose the way he was, but the memories from Luthor made it just so satisfying!


    "I need to report on something," Clark said with a sigh.


    "Report that we went over the numbers and you convinced us that we should be investing in Gotham," Xander said. "It''s the truth."


    "Reporters are supposed to report the news, not make it," Clark said.


    "Miss Lane must have missed that memo," Xander joked surprising a laugh out of Clark. "Fine just report that while going over the numbers we decided pay cuts were unnecessary and we''re in fact going to increase pay across the board for our loyal employees. We are also going to look into starting in-house medical care for all our employees and their families."


    "That''s suspiciously generous," Clark noted.


    "Mr. Kent, do you know how many new materials Lexcorp employees work with each year?" Xander asked. "Materials that may prove harmful?"


    "Quite a few I''d imagine," Clark replied. "But I believe rigorous testing is required to make sure they''re not harmful."


    "Life is not a laboratory, Mr. Kent," Xander said seriously. "On the job, things occur which no one can foresee, but a good doctor can see what is happening and prevent disasters like the one asbestos created. In this day and age an ounce of prevention is worth far more than a pound of cure."


    "There is some truth to that," Clark admitted.


    "Some of the largest costs for families today is medical care. If medical care is covered by working for Lexcorp, not only can we avoid disasters that cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars, but we can improve employee retention. There are many businesses that rely on regular employee turnover to make their money, but Lexcorp is not one of them! Skilled employees are worth far more than people think... and I sound like I''m giving a speech. Let''s just say providing medical care is not only the right thing to do, it''s the fiscally smart thing to do for multiple reasons."


    "You''ve managed to make helping your employees sound selfish," Clark said shaking his head.


    "No, I''ve simply pointed out selfish reasons to help our employees. There are lots of altruistic reasons to do so, but as a businessman I have to be able to sell it to my shareholders, and I fully intend to see it done for both reasons," Xander said, wondering why more businessmen didn''t do it since it was blindingly obvious.


    "I think I have enough for my story," Clark said, "though it wasn''t the story I planned on writing."


    "Life is not a laboratory, Mr. Kent," Xander repeated with a smirk.


    "I believe I''ll be quoting you on that," Clark agreed. "Good day, Mr. Luthor."


    "Good day, Mr. Kent," Xander replied.


    As the door shut behind him Johnson spoke up, "Sir, am I really instituting those changes or was that just for show?"


    "Make it so, Mr. Johnson," Xander said. "Also start a college fund for employee dependents who want to go to med school. If they agree to an 8 year contract when they graduate, we''ll cover all their education costs. The world never has enough doctors and this way we''ll get them while they''re still young and idealistic."


    "On it, sir," Johnson replied.


    "Good, Luthor out," Xander said with a grin as he hit the call end button.


    "Marcy do I have any more appointments today?" he asked.


    "A five o''clock at Cadmus," she replied. "Should I bring the car around?"


    "Do that, but first..."


    "Yes?" she asked when he trailed off in thought.


    Xander thought about Superboy and began to grin. "Can you get me a sample of Bruce Wayne''s DNA?" ''Let''s see Kal-El ignore Superboy while he''s being raised by Batman!''


    Typing by: Abyssal Angel

 Chapter 16 - My SI Stash #16 - Twice Inheritor by bubbajack (MHAxOPMxFatexRick&Morty...)

    -This is going to be the only story that I have in my stash that is discontinued, it has 500K words and the reading was really worthwhile. It''s one of those fanfics that has a lot of crossovers: it''s a MHA x OPM x Fate/stay night x Rick and Morty... Crazily enough, the author seem to have made it work atleast, in my opinion!


    I wanted to get this story out here, (even if it''s already abandoned) to just possibly give the author more motivation to continue this lovely story, gotta have HOPE!!


    Also, stream Darwin''s Game that anime is going to be huge~


    Synopsis: Absent of ideals; absent of ideology and consequently of the highest efficiency. Virtually a machine, an executioner. With Swords that are not his, Strength that is not his, he will smite evil¡­knowing his broken hands do not deserve to hold anyone. It''s a shame that the many girls he ends up saving disagree with him. Izukuxharem!


    Rated: M


    Words: 518K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12642513/1/Twice-Inheritor(bubbajack)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Six-year-old Izuku Midoriya was making his way home after possibly the worst day of his young life. His friendship with Kaachan felt well and truly dead after today. It was strained to the limit after he found out two year''s prior that it was impossible for him to have a Quirk. That becoming a hero like All Might, for him was not possible, was soul-crushing. Then the bullying started. His classmates were lead by none other than his friend. He could endure that. He could stand being called Deku, Useless by his friend. But then, he crossed the line today. By willingly picking on someone weaker than him! The boy didn''t do anything to deserve it, but he did it anyway! And when he stood up to him¡­well, he''d never seen him that angry before.


    ''I''m not useless! I can still be a hero, and I''ll prove it to you and everyone else Kacchan!'' The young boy thought to himself on his way home from school.


    As he passed a darkened alleyway, he heard some rough voices shout, "Oi, you drunk bastard, apologize!"


    Peering into the darkness, he found a dozen Yazuka types with quirks ranging from fire manipulation to quill manifestation surrounding an equally odd group of foreigners. The oldest looking of the group was a tall and lanky man with an ashy complexion and wild gray hair, with spittle dribbling from his chin. He was wearing a lab coat over an off-blue shirt and brown pants and shoes.


    Hiding behind him looking more nervous than Izuku himself felt was a boy older than he was, with a mop of brown hair on his head and he wore a yellow shirt with jeans. His eyes darting around in a panic.


    While the first two looked average, their companions, by contrast, looked like cosplayers. The older of the two wore was a blocky built older man with slicked back gray hair and a full, if wild looking beard, his eyes crimson glowing pinpricks in the darkness. He wore a dark foreign suit trimmed in gray with white gloves covering his hands. Both of which rested atop an ornate cane.


    The last member of the group looked to be a young man in his twenties, elegant facial features, and long red hair. He was garbed in a steel and gold trimmed b.r.e.a.s.tplate, with over the top pauldrons, which were placed over a white kimono.


    "C''mon guys, let''s teach these foreigners so manners." The one with quills coming out his body said to the others causing them to begin to move forward slowly threateningly.


    He didn''t even know his legs were moving till he was suddenly in front of the thugs, his whole body shaking in fear, yet he stood firm. "L-L-Leave th-them a-a-alone!"


    "Eh?" The yazuka paused collectively seeing a little kid come out of nowhere. Before moving forward once again, and the leader growled out, "Get outta the way brat! The old drunk owes me for puking all over my shoes."


    "T-That''s a p-poor e-excuse, f-for hurting p-people."


    But the delinquents didn''t feel like listening. Instead, the one with the quills who had a layer of vomit coating his shoes took a swing at the boy smacking him aside and causing several of said spines to get stuck in his cheek. "I said get outta the way you brat!"


    Suddenly the Yazuka found his head smashed into the wall, with one eye staring between two fingers he locked eyes with the red-eyed old man who was grinning at him. Yet it was malicious, and his smile was too broad it showed off just how sharp his teeth were, particularly his canines. When he spoke his voice a deep jovial timber, "Now lad, I realize my friend upset you-"


    This caused the scientist to scoff, "Pff, Friend? Don''t flatter yourself, you Twi-hard reject. If anything I see you as a potential [Burp] test subject for some of my more dangerous experiments. Meaning you a little bit more useful than my piece''a''shit son-in-law. Cause at least I can expect you to regenerate from a neutrino bomb. Now can we hurry this along? I really gotta take a shit."


    "Rick, could you please look at the kid. He was kind enough to help us."


    Rick Sanchez turned to his grandson, "Morty, [burp] we can''t just go around helping every Grace, D.i.c.khead, and Todd, that shows up in the wrong place at the wrong time. If anything we should be grateful he chose to be a meat shield and use it to our advantage¡­Like this!"


    Rick pulled his Portal Gun from his jacket and proceeded to blast the ground around the Quirk users, causing them to fall into unknown alternate dimensions.


    "Sanchez, you say some of the sweetest things." The older man turned his attention back to the punk in his grasp, as an almost palpable bloodl.u.s.t filled the air, "Now, as I was saying, though my associate vomited on your shoes, that is no reason to harm a child. So be a good little boy, and head on home unless you want to end up like your friends."


    Zelretch Kushner Schweinorg, the Old Man of the Jewels, Dead Apostle and holder of the Second Magic then dropped the now terrified wannabe gangster who ran down the alley a prominent stain in the front of his pants.


    Turning to the scientist who was still arguing with his grandson he looked over to the young lad who had valiantly tried to defend them, albeit in vain. He had a messy mop of green hair, a smattering freckles dotting his pale face. Several large tines were sticking into the boy''s left cheek. Turning to Rick who by now had somehow put Morty in a leg lock he said, "Sanchez, come here and give the boy a once over."


    "As soon as Morty says, uncle!"


    "Kiss¡­my¡­ass¡­Rick." Morty retorted, who had reached up and wrapped his hands around his grandfather''s throat attempting to choke him even as he was sitting on his back, pulling his leg.


    "Enough!" The Wizard Marshal''s voice boomed through the alleyway having nothing to do with acoustics, shaking the dust off the buildings.


    Rick just stared as the vampire''s eyes glowed threateningly brighter before looking down at his grandson, who said, "Please Rick?"


    Huffing, the jaded scientist got off his sidekick and his way over to the injured boy. Taking a tool out of his coat, he did a quick scan with it before flatly replied, "Kid''s got a goose egg on his head, and spines sticking in his face, but other than that, he''s okay."


    Can you help him, Rick?" Morty who by now had picked himself up off the ground and made his way over asked, concern and worry in his tone.


    "I can." Yet he stood there doing nothing.


    "Well, what are you waiting for?" Morty asked after a moment''s pause.


    Rolling his eyes, Rick replied, "I said I ''could'' help, I never said I ''would.'' [Burp]."


    Taking him by the coat and shaking him Morty raved at his callous grandfather, "God Damnit Rick! I know he didn''t have to, but he tried to help us. That''s gotta mean something, I mean, cmon!"


    Shoving Morty away, the super-genius replied, "Alright, alright already! I''ll help just get off your damn period Morty."


    Hand going into his jacket once more, Rick pulled out a familiar syringe Morty Recognized. "Hey isn''t that the broken bone formula you got from that one dimension?"


    "Yep. I [burp] kept some of it, reverse engineered it, and [burp] then improved it. Now it can fix anything short of death. Observe [burp]."


    He pricked the boy in the arm with the needle and injected most of the serum into his veins. Seconds later, the keratin-coated spines popped one by one out of his cheek and the goose egg on his head shrunk into nothingness moments before he awoke with a gasp. "W-Wha-?"


    "Easy, you''re ok little guy," Morty said easing him into a sitting position.


    Shaking his head, to clear it of cobwebs, Izuku asked, "What happened?"


    "You got [burp] knocked the f.u.c.k out, doing something stupid [burp]. That''s what happened." Rick told the boy standing up.


    Sirzechs who had remained quiet this entire time, finally spoke up, "On the contrary, I found him to be quite the courageous little hero."


    [Burp] "Of course you did."


    Sirzechs continued on as if Rick hadn''t spoken, "Yet I can''t help but wonder why you would get yourself involved with us?"


    Standing up on shaky, nervous legs, Izuku replied, "Y-You were a-all in t-t-trouble. T-that''s all-l the r-reason I-I n-n-needed."


    Upon hearing this, Zelretch couldn''t help himself. He threw his head back and laughed. ''This boy, so reckless, so willing to put himself on the line for others, he reminds me of him.''


    Turning his crimson gaze onto the young lad in question, "You remind me of someone I knew once lad. You act just like him. Tell me, what do you want to be when you grow up?"


    "Ah-I¡­I r-really want t-to be a hero, sir."


    Hearing this, Zelretch grinned showing his fangs, "Yes, you''re just like him."


    The young boy suddenly became glum, but I''m not sure if I can though. I don''t have a Quirk."


    A cough was heard, and Rick rudely interrupted, "It''s not like I hate to interrupt your trip down memory lane or anything, but I thought you brought us here because you claimed you found the quote ''best katsudon in the multiverse'' end quote."


    Smacking his cane into his open palm Zelretch got back on track, "Right, so I did. To Katz-Sedan."


    "Katz-Sedan?" Izuku questioned.


    "Yeah, you''ve been there? Is it as good as they say?" Morty asked, having never had Japanese food before much less the ''best in the multiverse.''


    "Yeah, you could say that¡­my mom''s a chef there." Izuku admitted.


    Zelretch put his hands on his face and exclaimed, "Oh. My. God! Your mom¡­is the chef¡­At Kats-Sedan?"


    "Yeah?"


    "Well then, what''re we waitin'' for, lead the way! Consider getting us a bite to eat a thank you for savin'' your sorry butt." Rick said grabbing the boy by the arm and dragging him out of the alley only to be stopped by Morty who said, "Rick! We can''t take advantage of a little kid!"


    Only for Izuku to interject and say, "It''s fine. A-After the day I-I''ve had, s-some katsudon sounds good r-right about now."


    "You heard the kid Morty, let''s go!"


    Thus, the group of five made their way down the street.


    By the time they arrived, Izuku had managed to stutter out the history of the Katz-Sedan restaurant. It was owned by the businessman Don Neko. He tried opening two businesses before Katz-Sedan really took off. The first was a pet shop geared towards cats. It went out of business in ten months. So he reinvented the store, turning it into a Sedan dealership. That lasted a year and a half but still ended up sinking. But, before it got bad, he reinvented his store again. Taking leftover bits and pieces from his previous stores he opened up a restaurant.


    As they entered, they could see exactly what the young boy meant. Seats out of cars had been converted into booths which circled around the establishment, the legs of the tables consisted of cat trees. The floor was red and black checkered linoleum, and in the middle of the open floor was a giant square flat top grill which had several people cooking over it. Customers could pick what they wanted in their katsudon and then the chefs would cook it right in front of them. It was something the owner picked up when visiting America.


    As he walked in with his¡­acquaintances? Yes, the young boy supposes that would work, he was met by Neko-san himself. He was a balding if kindly and well-meaning man who always looked after his employees and treated both them and their families well, "Ah, Midoriya-kun, how are you?"


    "I-I''ve had better d-days Neko-san. H-How are y-you?" he asked bowing politely.


    Looking the boy over and seeing him covered in scorch marks his clothes covered in dust, the owner of the katsudon restaurant frowned but nodded, "Yes I see. Well then, have a seat with your friends, and I''ll bring a menu right over yeah? I keep a table reserved in the back just for you."


    Izuku''s face lit up like a tree on Christmas before he muttered out, "T-thank you s-sir. B-But you don''t need to do that."


    "Think nothing of it, my boy. I''m sure you''ll make good use of it when you bring all your future girlfriends here on dates."


    "G-G-Girlfriends? I don''t have any g-girls who are my friends¡­Anymore anyway. And what''s a d-dates?"


    Laughing awkwardly due to forgetting the young boy''s age, Neko-san told him, "You''ll figure it out when you''re older. For now, just go have a seat. I''ll be by in a minute with menus."


    Izuku was confused, but he just decided to nod and do as the older man said. Leading the group towards the back were several bright red bucket seats had been set in a circle around a large round table with enough space to seat almost thirty people.


    Taking their seats, Izuku ended up in-between the older boy and the man with the cane. ''I don''t even know their names.'' He realized with a start.


    Deciding to rectify that, he pulled on the sleeve of the elderly man with the cane. When prying crimson eyes locked onto his green one''s Izuku froze. Yet he smiled like a kindly grandpa, but the effect was ruined somewhat by the grin revealing his canine-like fangs. "What''s wrong lad, something on your mind?"


    "I-I just realized I-I d-don''t k-know your n-n-names."


    Giving an awkward little chuckle the elderly man bowed slightly at the waist, and introduced himself, "We did skip that part, didn''t we? I am Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. But you can just call me Zelretch. Everyone does."


    "I''m Morty, and this is my grandpa Rick." The older boy on Izuku''s opposite side commented.


    "[Burp] Sup kid?" Rick greeted after taking a sip from his flask.


    The cosplayer spoke last, "I am Sirzechs, Sirzechs Louis Cipher."


    "N-Nice to m-meet you a-all, I''m Midoriya Izuku¡­" He then paused for a moment considering his next words carefully before finally saying, "Forgive me for saying t-this but, f-for foreigners you a-all speak j-Japanese p-perfectly."


    "I travel a lot," Zelretch replied.


    "I''m a polyglot, it runs in the family." Sirzechs chimed in.


    "I [burp] created a throat lozenge that can teach anyone [burp] any language."


    Izuku looked at the elderly scientist in wonder, "Really?" Seeing him nod apathetically he asked, "Do you have any that would teach English?"


    This caused Rick to smirk, "Only four and already looking to cheat the system huh?"


    "N-no, I w-was just." Izuku tried to deny only for Rick to ruffle his hair affectionately and say, "Good for you kid. You recognize school for what it is, a bunch of crap used to indoctrinate children, and teach ''nem a bunch of bullshit."


    Reaching into his coat pocket, Rick pulled out a rainbow colored lozenge, and forcing it into Izuku''s mouth said, "Hope you don''t mind tutti frutti, English is kinda the bastard love-child of a lot of languages, so it tastes like that."


    "Oh, and what''s Japanese taste like?" Zelretch inquired his crimson eyes gleaming with mirth as Izuku started choking, his face turning a hue of blue.


    "If you must know, it tastes like grilled fish and soy sauce. I wonder what vampire tastes like. Care to donate so I can find out?"


    "We taste like ash and mildew, or so I''ve been told by a friend of mine."


    Rick nodded before taking a swig of his flask while Morty proceeded to smack Izuku on the back, "I bet you [burp] do taste like ass."


    "Ack." After a final good whack on the back from Morty Izuku finally managed to swallow the lozenge that had been trapped in his throat.


    "You ok Izuku?" seeing the boy nod, Morty turned to his Grandpa and said, "Rick you almost killed him! Not cool man!"


    "Almost only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and [burp] attempted murder Morty."


    Before the boy could retort, Don came back with their menus. "I''ll give you a moment to look this over. But before that, drinks?"


    "Do you [burp] serve sake? Cause I''ll have some of that. When in Japan do as the Japanese do right, eh, amirite? Hehe you know I am."


    "Seconded."


    "Same."


    The waiter and proprietor''s smile seemed forced before turning to the young boy and saying, "How exactly did you meet such a¡­colorful cast of characters Izuku-kun?" Before telling the men, "Yes we do serve sake."


    "He was kind enough to help us out of a rough spot with some delinquents on our way here," Zelretch informed the man.


    "Wubba Lubba Dub-dub! Let''s get smashed! Sake in the house! [Burp]!"


    Shaking his head at Rick''s enthusiasm, Don turned to the two minors, "And you two?"


    "Soda?" They both said at the same time.


    "Coming right up." He scribbled on his menu before walking off.


    After he walked off, Rick asked his host, "So, anything, in particular, you''d recommend kid?"


    "I''m a fan of s-sauce Katsudon myself. They smother the pork cutlet in Worcester sauce."


    "Well, I know what I''m getting." Rick leaned back in his bucket seat, hands on his head, placing his feet up on the table as he did so.


    "Have you decided?" Don asked returning with their drinks and shooting Rick a mild glare for having his feet on the table. Something the old foreigner completely ignored as he was currently too invested in picking his nose.


    After their orders were placed, the Wizard Marshal turned to his mousy host, "Midoriya, I have a question for you."


    "Y-yes Zelretch-san?"


    The Dead Apostle Ancestor chuckled, "Just Zelretch is fine." His grandfather fa?ade dropped, and his face and tone suddenly became deathly serious, "Just how far are you willing to go to become a hero? Would you endure great pain, suffering, and emotional turmoil just to have a chance to achieve your dream?


    "I-I-"Izuku locked eyes with the elder vampire his gaze firming, all fear and hesitation leaving him. When he next spoke, his tone was clear and unwavering, "I will do anything to become a hero. To save people with a smile, that is my dream!"


    The intensity in his eyes wavered, and the shakiness returned as he asked, "W-why do you a-ask, Zelretch-san?"


    Just then, their food arrived, and the Old Man of the Jewels replied, "I''ll tell you after we eat."


    As Izuku graciously accepted his meal, he couldn''t help but wonder what the odd man wanted to say to him in the back of his mind.


    Plates, empty sake jugs, and four glasses of soda were stacked in the middle of the table while the now satisfied occupants picked at their teeth with toothpicks. Rick let out a contented sigh, "Ya know, I had my doubts considering this recommendation was coming from a walking corpse, who''s even more of a piece of crap than me but after trying it myself-Best-Katsudon-in the multiverse. [Burp!]"


    "I''m glad you enjoyed my cooking, sir."


    Izuku''s eyes lit up upon hearing that voice, "Mom!"


    Sitting up, the foreigners beheld Inko Midoriya for the first time. She was a curvaceous woman with pale skin and violet eyes in her early thirties, with her midnight black hair tied up in a simple ponytail. She was wearing a pink uniform with a frilly white apron.


    Morty was the first to regain his wits, "Thanks for the food Mrs., it was awesome."


    "It''s no problem young man it''s good to see my son making friends. Tell me how did you all meet?"


    Izuku jumped in before anyone could speak up, "T-they needed directions here, and I was on my way anyway after s-school so I-I showed them the w-way h-here."


    Mentally sighing, the young boy was glad he could spare his mother any undue duress. That was, until¡­


    "Yeah, after you got knocked the hell out by a bunch of thugs for trying to be a hero. [Burp!]"


    "Izuku¡­" Seeing the tears gathering in her eyes, he tried to explain, "Well, I-I saw them in trouble, and I couldn''t just sit by and do nothing."


    "And the next thing you''re going to say is, you could''ve gotten hurt!" Zelretch said while pointing a finger at the elder Midoriya.


    "You could''ve gotten hurt!" Inko blinked staring at the grinning elderly man with the cane, "How did you do that?"


    "Years of practice. Now, Midoriya-chan, I would just like to point out that your son is fine. He what he did was very foolish yes."


    He paused, and Inko picked up where he left off chastising her son, "Especially since he doesn''t even have a-"


    "I know!" Izuku cut his mother off, raising his voice to her for the first time in living memory. "I know I don''t have a quirk, I know I can''t do anything! But if I stood by and did nothing, how could you expect me to look at myself in the mirror the next day or any day after?"


    "Izuku¡­"


    Before a touching moment between mother and son could occur, the Wizard Marshall cleared his throat and announced, "About that talk, I wanted to have with you Midoriya-chan. What if I told you that my¡­Quirk allowed me to give you superpowers?"


    "Give me superpowers? A Quirk?" Seeing the man nod he gripped him by the collar of his coat and all but yelled, "Can you really do that?!"


    "I can."


    "Why?" It was Inko who asked this. It''s not that she wouldn''t be grateful for this man for helping her son, but for him to seemingly appear out of nowhere and apparently grant a miracle seemed almost¡­Too fortuitous to be believed.


    "Well I have to pay him back for his aid, directions, and free food somehow don''t I?"


    "Free food?!" Izuku inquired panicked. He knew he didn''t have any money on him, and even if he did, Izuku also knew he didn''t have enough to pay their collective tab.


    "But of course! Your money''s no good here kid, not when your mom''s the reason for my success."


    Looking past his mother, Don standing behind her wiping his hands on his apron. "The food is free¡­the amount of alcohol you all consumed on the contrary¡­"


    In response to this, a rainbow colored portal the size of a vinyl record with various shapes fading in and out of view disappeared only for a stack of yen to fall out and into the man''s waiting palm. Taking several thousand yen from the pile, he tossed it on the table looking at the owner questioningly.


    "That''ll cover it, though I would ask that you not use your Quirk in public, it''s illegal you know? Plus, you''re scaring my customers."


    Glancing around and seeing his fellow diners looking at him nervously Zelretch laughed and said boisterously, "My friend, out of everyone at this table, I am the least dangerous. That honor goes to the crazy scientist here."


    Said crazy scientist flipped him the bird and said, "F.u.c.k off, you can''t prove shit."


    "You turned flies into the dominant species on earth in one dimension on a whim." Zelretch''s tone was deadpan flat.


    "Hey, hey, I was trying to create an eco-friendly way to get rid of the trash. I just miscalibrated the potency of the growth hormone that''s all." Rick retorted arms cross defensively over his chest, a scowl on his face.


    "The flies killed everyone." The Wizard Marshal reminded him.


    Seeing everyone looking at him horrified, flipped them the double deuces and said, "F.u.c.k you all I''m not beholden to any of you." Turning to the vampire, he said, "Now, are you gonna do this or not? Hurry up cause I really gotta take a shit."


    "Umm, the bathroom is over there." Inko pointed out.


    "Thanks."


    With that, he got up and left towards the back. "Wait Rick-ah man." Turning to the mortified looking woman, he said, "I''m sorry about my grandpa, he''s been like this for as long as I''ve known him. To everyone. So please, don''t take it personally."


    Frowning sympathetically, Inko thought ''What could possibly make a man so callous jaded?'' Giving the young boy a pleasant understanding smile, she replied, "No need to trouble yourself Morty-san, I understand."


    The sound of cracking knuckles was heard, and a moment later Zelretch placed a hand on Izuku''s unruly mop of green hair, grinning like a loon he said, "Well let''s get started!"


    "Wha-no wait!"


    But the vampire paid his protests no heed, instead intoning, in a profound and powerful voice, "The Infinite Spiral, viewed through broken stained glass. Regimes Rise, and Fall. Some endure, others Collapse. Heroes become Villains, and Villains, Heroes. For every choice a consequence. One choice. A million different outcomes! The tree forks with every decision. I can see it all¡­Infinite patterns. Unknown Civilizations. Lost Histories. All thanks to my, Kaleidoscope!"


    Then there was a flash of Rainbow-hued light¡­


    When Izuku next opened his eyes, he found himself laying in the lap of an unknown woman. Seeing him awake, she smiled lazily and said, "Ah, you''re awake, good."


    Sitting up Izuku looked around in confusion. He now found himself in a lavish traditional Japanese estate. A pool with two koi fish circling each other was just in front of him and just beyond the perfectly manicured lawn was a grove of bamboo that stretched beyond the height of the outer wall.


    Returning his gaze to the woman upon whose lap he was resting upon he took in her form. She looked beautiful as she did elegant. Inky black hair framed her pale, aristocratic face, with eyes like a shadowy dark void staring warmly back into his green. She wore an off-white furisode-style kimono, long billowing sleeves trailing down from her arms, with images of wheat expertly woven into the fabric. A red obi with red tassels held the garment closed around her waist.


    She had a warm yet knowing look in her eyes much like he had seen older siblings give their juniors in matters they had greater experience in. After a moment of looking into each other''s eyes, the older of the two giggled, "You sure are a strange one aren''t you Izuku-kun?"


    "Me, what about you¡­who are you by the way?" the young boy asked, curious as to how she could''ve known his name.


    She smiled like a Cheshire cat, "I''m," A pause like the void filled the space between her answer. "Ryougi Shiki."


    He nodded accepting it as quickly as one did breathing without question. A comfortable silence fell between the two, and they enjoyed the quiet. The night was cool yet not cold, even with the light breeze present. Finally, Izuku asked, "So, uh, do you happen to know why I''m here?"


    "Who knows?" Shiki said with a noncommittal shrug. "But if I had to guess, it has to do with the meddling of a particular old man."


    Izuku nodded not having it in him to disagree with her at all. She was right anyway, Zelretch was the reason he was here right now. His gaze settled on the spiraling koi fish. Around and around they went. Back and forth, a circle. No beginning and no end. It was both calming and hypnotic.


    "A lot of things are like them you know?"


    "Hmm?" he asked turning a quizzical gaze back to her.


    Nodding, she explained, "Things are circular. Like the koi fish or two sides of a coin. I also believe that humans are naturally inclined to be evil."


    "I don''t-"He stopped when she raised her hand, allowing her to finish.


    "But just because I believe that, doesn''t mean I''m not rooting for the heroes. It does make one wonder about the why though."


    C.o.c.king his head to the side, Izuku inquired, "Why?"


    "Yes, why are some inclined to do good and others evil? Also is one who does evil truly doing it for the sake of doing evil or do their actions have good intentions?"


    Seeing she was confusing the young boy she gave a simple easy to understand example, "Say a man steals food from a store. He doesn''t have money to pay for it, but he only does it, so he and possibly his family doesn''t starve. He broke the law, so he should be a villain. Yet, his intentions were not evil, merely for self-preservation."


    Izuku found himself conflicted. Yes, what the man did was wrong, but if someone did it for reasons like that then¡­


    "I couldn''t consider that person a villain no. If anything I would offer to pay for the bread, so he doesn''t get in trouble."


    Shiki smiled warmly seemingly satisfied with his answer. She then continued, this time more introspective than before. "Another example would be this. One person''s Villain can be considered a Hero by another. Take the Vigilantes'' for example. Heroes and Villains, they need each other. One cannot exist without the other. In order to remember an existence, one must first abandon the existence. In order to save an existence, one must forget the existence. Longing and return are two sides of the same coin. Just like life and death. It''s a Paradoxical Spiral."


    She then gave an awkward little laugh, "I apologize. Most of that must''ve gone right over your head. Just forget about it alright?"


    But Izuku Midoriya was smarter than Shiki Ryougi was giving him credit for. Though young, he understood the gist of what she was saying it made him pause. It made him think. He began to mutter to himself. Something he did unconsciously when he was nervous or trying to figure something out. "She''s right. Without Villains, Heroes would be out of a job. But with Villains, comes danger to people. I never really thought about why villains did what they did before though."


    As his head filled with such conflicting thoughts, his eyes began to droop. Shiki immediately took notice. "Maybe you should lay back down?"


    Izuku didn''t think twice about accepting her offer so caught up in his thoughts was he. Yet even distracted as he was, he couldn''t help but ask, "Shiki-san, is this a dream?"


    "Who knows?" She shrugged, "But if it is, it''s pleasant for the both of us."


    Izuku nodded his eyes growing heavy, but he still managed to ask one final question, "Will I see you again Shiki-on¨¥san?"


    Stroking her hand through his green locks, Shiki told him, "We will."


    He smiled moments before nodding off. Shiki placed a kiss on his brow, moments before his body faded away like a mirage. Shiki Ryougi stared off into the night. Her serene smile never leaving her face.


    The pain was the first thing Izuku felt. Mind-numbing, and intense enough to awaken the primal part of his mind. He couldn''t even cry out as his throat seemed to just seize up. He wanted to escape the pain, yet it was impossible. As it felt like someone had stabbed him in the spine with almost thirty red-hot iron rods. The closest thing he could compare it too was all the times Kaachan had used his explosions on him only about ten times more potent.


    Such was his agony that he didn''t even register the needle piercing his flesh, but he felt the wave of relief it brought him. Finally able to release a pain filled groan he managed to crack his eyes open and hissed at the brightness of the lights. After trying and failing several times to form a coherent sentence, he managed to get out, "What hit me?"


    "Kaleidoscope has its kinks. Especially when used on someone else." The voice of Zelretch replied, sounding only a little bit sympathetic.


    "Oh geez Rick, is Izuku gonna be ok?"


    "He''ll be okay Morty, you moron. Quit your bitching. I injected him with the good stuff¡­again."


    Izuku, are you alright dear?" Izuku heard his mother''s voice and what he assumed was her hand on his shoulder.


    "I''m having trouble seeing at the moment, everything''s too bright. Help me sit up please?"


    Several pairs of hands pulled him into a sitting position. Izuku blinked owlishly giving himself time to adjust. The first thing he saw once his vision finally came into focus was Zelretch looking at him curiously, "Well, that wasn''t supposed to happen."


    "The pain?" the youth asked, having regained his wits now that said pain had been toned down to a dull if throbbing, ache.


    "No, that''s normal, I''m talking about your eyes. That''s unusual."


    Fear shaking his voice he asked, "W-what''s wrong with my e-eyes?"


    In response, Zelretch spawned a mirror, uncaring of Don''s squawk of indignation, and held it out for the boy to see. Shakily taking it, he leaned forward, he gazed at his reflection. His eyes were green completely green. Both iris and pupil had been turned a vibrant emerald green. Izuku let out a sigh of relief. ''I thought it was something serious.''


    "You had me scared there for a minute Zelretch-san. My eyes do look different, but it''s not super noticeable."


    "Oh?" The vampire said knowingly, before pulling some foreign change from somewhere and showing him both sides. One had a human head and the other an eagle. "I''m going to give this coin a toss, and I want you to tell me what it''s going to end up on. Heads or Tails."


    "Why?"


    "Just do it, it''ll confirm my suspicions." With that said, the Wizard Marshall tossed the coin into the air.


    Focusing on the coin as it made its ascent, both results appeared in his mind''s eye. Various other factors like rotation speed and height were taken into account, and then, the image of the result appeared in his mind''s eye. "Tails."


    It landed in Zelretch''s outstretched hand, it was tails. Grinning he did the same thing nine more times. Every time, he called the result, and every time, he got it right. Then, the crafty old man added another coin.


    This time, he saw four different outcomes. Panicking he picked at random this time. "Left is heads, right is tails!"


    Much to his surprise, he got it right. The exercise was repeated four more times to the exact same result. Finally, Rick asked what everyone was thinking, "How the hell is the kid doing that?"


    "Just as I expected. When I gave you your powers, everything didn''t¡­settle in properly. Nothing bad is going to happen of course, but it''s given you a unique skill. A particular set of eyes."


    Rifling through his bag, Izuku pulled out his notebook and flipped to a specific page. "You mean like Eraserhead? He''s a hero who can cancel out other people''s Quirks on eye contact. They said to turn red when he does."


    [Burp] Mind if I take a look at that notebook kiddo?"


    Seeing no harm in it, but slightly nervous about what the man would make of his hobby, he handed it over to the mad scientist. Who began flipping through it as the Wizard Marshalln explained, "What you''ve got there lad, are a rare set of eyes. So rare in fact, that only one person has ever had them before you."


    He paused for dramatic effect and then said, "Miyamoto Musashi."


    Izuku felt his jaw drop. Even though Quirks and Heroes had become the norm over the last two-hundred years, the name of Miyamoto Musashi was still highly regarded. As he was venerated to this day, as the Saint of the Sword. "Y-You''re kidding right?"


    "I am not. These eyes are the Empyrean Eyes also known as the Eyes of Heaven. The reason you always got your guesses right, is because these eyes not only allow you to see the future but influence their outcomes through sheer force of will."


    "I-I-I"


    "Yes, you''ve got a pair of good eyes now, but that doesn''t mean a damn thing unless you know how to defend yourself which brings us to our next topic. Getting you some proper teachers."


    "Wait, what?"


    Grinning the Dead Apostle Ancestor replied, "I''ll explain once we arrive."


    "What do you-" Izuku didn''t get a chance to finish as a multi-hued portal opened beneath him swallowing him whole.


    He landed with a small thud, sitting up he found himself in what was unmistakably a dojo. Long polished wooden floors stretched to the far wall, where several katana sat. The place was lit by the slowly fading rays of the sun casting the place half in shadow. "While this place is amazing, why did that madman send me here?"


    "That''s an excellent question." A strong if elderly voice agreed.


    Spinning on his heel, Izuku turned and gasped. Two old men were sitting a shogi board and a small tray of tea between them, their gazes locked on him. The first had a head of spiky silver hair complemented by bushy eyebrows and a thick mustache, piercing blue eyes peered out from his tanned weathered and lined face. He was wearing a simple black shirt and white shorts.


    The other had gray streaks in his hair, which was up in a topknot. He had a long jagged scar on the left side of his face, trailing from his temple to the end of his chin crossing over his eye. He wore a hooded red cloak over a black haori which covered a plain white kimono and hakama pants.


    Izuku being the hero nerd he was, recognized them instantly. They were the First Generation Heroes before Quirks became prevalent. Silverfang and Atomic Samurai. Both also went by their names of Bang and Kamikaze.


    "Your S-Silverfang and A-A-Atomic Samurai!"


    They both adopted looks of surprise when he called them by their hero names. Bang then spoke, his tone kindly and grandfatherly, "My, my I''m surprised one as young as you knows about us old relics. Most kids your age look up to Heroes with flashy Quirks like All Might."


    "W-while I do l-look up to All Might. I r-really look u-up to y-you two as w-well." A look of shock crossed the young boy''s face, and he suddenly bowed saying, "I''m sorry, I d-didn''t introduce m-myself! I''m Midoriya Izuku! It''s an honor to meet you both!"


    This caused both retired heroes to chuckle, and Kamikaze then said, "No need to be so formal kid, we''re retired. But we''re curious as to how you know that meddlesome piece of crap vampire."


    "Vampire? You mean Zelretch-san?" Seeing them nod, he replied, "He said something about getting me training and teachers then I''m here."


    Kamikaze shared a look with Bang, "You don''t think he means?


    "Probably, yes," Bang replied.


    Suddenly a multi-colored portal opened, and the Wizard marshal stepped through saying, "COMING THROUGH A PORTAL LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"


    ''There''s nothing normal about coming through a portal out of nowhere.'' The three thought simultaneously.


    Grinning like a loon, Zelretch said, "I see you three have become acquainted." Speaking directly to the retired heroes he said, "I assume you figured out why I brought him here already?"


    "You want us to train him." Bang said, shocking the young boy, "Not that I''m opposed to the idea, but why him?"


    "It would amuse me. Plus Izuku, a boy with no Quirk, really wants to be a hero. I thought it¡­appropriate that he be trained by you two."


    The two heroes turned to the boy in surprise, and Atomic Samurai asked, "Oi, kid, is it true? Do you really intend to try and become a hero without a quirk?"


    "Y-Yes, sir. It''s why I look up to you two. You were Heroes without Quirks meaning its p-possible even for s-someone like me to become a Hero."


    Upon hearing his answer, Kamikaze tossed the boy two things. An apple and one of his swords. Seeing the questioning look he was receiving, the samurai said to his would-be pupil, "Take that sword and cut the apple. Depending on how well you do, I might decide to teach you a thing or two."


    Izuku picked up the sword first, feeling drawn to it for lack of a better term. He pulled it out of its sheath and looked at it. The sword, Hocho Toshiro was an heirloom of the Ashikaga shogunate, forged almost seven hundred years ago in the year 1569. It had a two shaku and seven sun long blade that had been folded over several times during the forging process giving it a ripple pattern on the edge. Possessing simple circular guard made of solid iron, with the grip wrapped in genuine rayskin and silk cord. Two brass pegs held the blade securely to the handle, with an iron cap on the end.


    Simple, elegant, and deadly. The blade was thin and sharp like a kitchen knife. This sword had spilled much blood in its day, mostly human but also the blood of inhuman things. Due to its bloody history, it had a thirst for blood and a desire to cut things into mincemeat.


    Izuku didn''t question how he knew all of this. To him, it just felt normal, much like breathing. A human didn''t question why it happened. It did and was accepted as normal.


    Placing the blade back in its scabbard, he held it loosely in his left hand before picking up the apple. He gave it a quick toss into the air. In one smooth motion, his legs spread bent slightly at the knees, his right hand rested on the sword, and he turned his waist slightly. When the fruit reached the apex of its toss, it stopped. He drew.


    Dozens of transecting flashes of light crisscrossing over each other happened in mere moments. When the apple finally did hit the ground, it did so in finely cubed bits. Silence reigned in the dojo as both retired heroes stared in shock. Atomic Samurai in particular. After all, it wasn''t every day you saw some kid perfectly replicate his signature Atomic Slash. Managing to pull himself together he grinned like a wolf saying, "Well, I think I''ve made up my mind."


    Izuku waited with bated breath for the hero to speak. Finally, he did, "You''d better show up here tomorrow after school,n understand?"


    Grinning from ear to ear, he bowed at the waist and said, "Y-Yes sir! I p-promise I won''t d-disap-point you!"


    "I''m sure you won''t. Before you go." He disappeared and came back with a brochure to the dojo Atomic Waterfall Slashing Rock.


    ''They just combined the names of Bangs combat style and his Signature Move.'' Izuku thought to himself feeling sorry for the two men. But now he knew it was located just a short train ride away in the Aichi prefecture with the address only a few blocks from the train station.


    "I-I''ll be here."


    "Excellent. Well, lad time to get you back to your mom before she floods the place with tears." Without another word, Zelretch opened up another glowing portal and tossed the boy through it by the scruff of his neck before walking through himself. Only to stop when Bang said, "What would you have done if we refused to train the boy Vampire?"


    "I would have reminded you that you both owe me a favor. Teach the kid. Do a good job, and we''ll call it even eh?"


    "Saitama is he still¡­?" Bang questioned.


    "Still fighting? Yes. But even he can''t keep it up forever. To kill such a concept you need a stronger concept."


    Bang nodded, "I see."


    With that, the wielder of the Second Magic walked out of their lives for the second time in twenty years.


    When he arrived back at the Katz-Sedan, Izuku was immediately squeezed almost into unconsciousness by his own mother. She began to shoot off questions in rapid-fire. "Izuku are you alright? Did you get hurt? What happened? Did that strange man hurt you again?"


    "Air!" He pleaded.


    She released him, and after he caught his breath, he answered, "Yes, no, I got to meet two of my favorite heroes next to All Might who chose to take me on as their apprentice, and no."


    Inko released a sigh, "Thank goodness."


    Looking past his mother, he spotted Rick who was now sporting a couple of lumps. Sirzechs was looking rather smug. "What happened to you Rick-san?"


    "I was-ah, convinced to help you with this whole hero thing." Sirzechs snickered.


    "I would''ve done it anyway. You''re one smart cookie kid." He said while handing him back his notebook, "Not on my level of course, but still. So here''s the deal. You scratch my back I''ll scratch yours. In other words, you help me with the occasional problem, and I can make with the super science and make you things like armor or whatever. Deal?"


    Rick held out a hand, which Izuku shook vigorously, "Deal Rick-san! Thank you so much!"


    "Yeah, yeah, leggo my arm-o. Where the hell is that nutjob¡­He ditched us didn''t he?" Rick''s tone was flat.


    Sirzechs nodded, "That sounds like him¡­I don''t suppose you''d be willing to give me a lift back home?"


    Rolling his eyes, Rick replied, his tone drier than Death Valley in the middle of summer, "Sure, why not? I''m being super charitable today."


    "Thanks." He then turned to Izuku and said, "I may have some work for an aspiring hero in the future. If something comes up, you''ll be the first person I call. How''s that sound?"


    "G-great! I-I''ll do my best if y-you need me S-Sirzechs-san."


    Ruffling his hair, the Daimou replied, "I''m sure you will good luck in your studies Izu-kun."


    Rick then pulled out his Portal Gun and shot it into the floor. "First stop the ninth circle of hell."


    Izuku was beginning to think Rick-san had a rather morbid sense of humor calling wherever Sirzechs called home hell. ''Is it New Jersey? One of the few times he''s ever called home, dad said that place was hell on earth. Something about a terrifying monster called a Snookie. Whatever that is.''


    Regardless he didn''t get a chance to ask as Sirzechs cannonballed into the green portal. Once he was gone, the portal closed, and Rick hit a few more buttons saying to his Grandson, "Say goodbye Morty, we''re leaving."


    "Seeya later little buddy. We''ll be in touch." Was all Morty could get out before Rick dragged him backward into the portal.


    Izuku couldn''t help but grin from ear to ear. Within the span of a few hours, he''d made quite a few friends, got some kind of superpower that still needs to figure out, has two of his favorite Heroes taking him under his wing, and could even get some experience under his belt in heroism. Yes, indeed things were looking up¡­If he had even an inkling of what kind of hell he would be in for over the next few years, he would''ve run in the other direction. Very far, very fast.


    Chapter Length: 7,950 Number of Pages: 17 Date Completed: 9/5/2017


    AN: Hello and welcome to Twice Inheritor, everyone! In truth, I should be updating pretty much any of my other fics, but after finally getting my Roku to work, I decided to watch my Hero Academia¡­And I just couldn''t help myself. I hope those of you who are fans of my other works understand. With how shitty Marvel is lately this show was a godsend. At least DC and Image Comics are still good. Still, what they''ve done to Tony, Thor, Hulk, and Cap, is just criminal. Yet despite how much I like MHA I thought to myself, ''He gave his protag the most generic superpower ever'' Superstrength is like the one power nearly almost every hero has in some fashion. Then seeing how both Izuku and All Might''s minds worked, I, of course, thought of particular ginger FSN protagonist. Now here we are.


    Before I sign off a couple answers to questions that I feel will be asked in reviews:


    Q: "Will Izuku still be getting One For All?"


    A: Yes. That''s the second thing he''ll be inheriting¡­eventually.


    Q: "What is a shaku and a sun?"


    A: Both are old forms of measurement. A Shaku is a foot, A Sun is an inch. More or less.


    That''s about all I can think of. Unless you wanted to know why Rick and Morty and palling around with Sirzechs and Zelretch¡­to which I reply. Zelretch is a troll, Rick is an asshole. Both of them can travel through various dimensions, and I thought having them interact would funny. DXD will be involved later, and Sirzechs is my chosen plot device. Ok, that should about do it. Till next time everybody! Stay safe out there! #Literature and Bubbajack out! Peace!

 Chapter 17 - My SI Stash #17 - A Farmer’s Tale by alltheuntold (ASOIAF)

    -A slow SI fic, I mean what can you expect it''s a farming type story. SI seem to have no meta-knowledge so he''s going in to all of this blind.


    Synopsis: A 30 year old American farmer is sent to the world of ASOIAF. Follow as he tries to create a life for himself.


    Rated: M


    Words: 229K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12839968/1/A-Farmer-s-Tale (alltheuntold)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    thought I should try to write some of this down. My name is Michael Dunwoody, and I don''t know where I am, or how I got here. I was a 30 year old farmer from Iowa, but now I am in a land unknown. I suppose I was born here anew, like some story, but I know not of any purpose. I was born to a new family, and like any child, I only have some fragments of my memories as a toddler. I lived with my mother and my father''s family mostly while my father travelled nearby as a merchant. However, my new mother died when I was 4, and my uncle passed me off to my father and said that they could no longer keep me in their home. My father decided to move to a place called King''s Landing in order to better provide for us. I helped my father as much as I could, but by the time I was 14 he had died down at the docks. This world is so harsh, I didn''t even know until the next day, because when he did not come home at night I had to go looking for him. Apparently, he slipped on the docks, and a box crushed him.


    Even now, I can remember the feeling of being dumbfounded. His body was already disposed of, and none of the other merchants wanted to waste time talking to me. I remember waiting for a government official to come by, or for someone to help me sort through some sort of legal paperwork. But nothing came.


    Before this I knew things were different here, how could I not? But it really struck home for me. I realized I didn''t have anything tying me here, and I didn''t have the heart to try and claw my way to the top of the merchant class in this cruel, lawless world. I sold off what I could, and decided that I wanted to be a farmer again. I know I could do it better than anyone else here, they were all very medieval here. But I also knew that these smallfolk had no rights, no liberty. I was stuck, for the Reach had the best farmland, but was already filled with farmers. I could try the Riverlands, but I don''t want to die.


    It seemed to me that everything boiled down to that. I wanted a good life, and to not die. Since coming here, I was constantly fearing death. There was sickness, hunger, bandits, cutpurses, lords, and fighting. As a merchant''s son, I had seen the map of Westeros many times, and while I wasn''t very knowledgeable about current politics, I knew the general history of the kingdoms. I knew without dragons (DRAGONS?! This still astounds and frightens me), that war would come eventually. I knew not when, but being so close to the throne with no natural defenses the Riverlands was probably a death sentence. Similarly, the Crownlands was the same and much too close to a line of rulers that were mad (I mean, drinking wildfire? Seriously?).


    My only real options were the Vale or the North. I was skeptical of the Vale, I knew that they were plagued by mountain tribes, so I knew there might not be room for me. And the fact that I would have to demote myself from a merchant to smallfolk. To be honest, I didn''t even know if that was possible. In the end, I decided to make my way north through the Vale, and if need be then onwards to the North. The North seemed to be frontier-esque, like early America, with a harsh land and harsh life, but apparently, they have different customs there. I know it''s not correct, but the talk around King''s Landing carried that vibe. But I knew if need be, my mother was a Northerner by blood. So, with that in mind, I decided to head out.

 Chapter 18 - My SI Stash #18 - Easy Mode by Quantumshard (Gamer/Multicross/SI)

    -A multi crossover SI Gamer Fic, my only regret is that I haven''t seen it sooner, It''s good read it :) **SI starts in Minecraft


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 110K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/easy-mode-gamer-multicross-si.491065(Quantumshard)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I cranked this out in an attempt to overcome some writer''s block with other stories of mine. I wasn''t even planning on posting it anywhere, but feedback is always nice.


    I may or may not continue it.


    -----------------------------------


    ''Thwak''


    "F.U.C.K!"


    I cradled my hand as I stared at the square tree. The pain passed quickly, and I stepped back. I rolled my eyes up, jumped up and down, and did everything else I could think of. The dream didn''t end.


    I looked back at my bed, the only thing besides myself in sight that had rounded edges. I left the tree I''d try to punch behind, and experimentally slapped the mattress a few times. There was a brief noise like tearing cloth, and the bed shrank, popped into the air, and flew towards me. I flailed at the incoming object on reflex, but the bed passed through my arms without resistance and vanished.


    ¡­


    "E?"


    ¡­


    "Inventory?"


    There I was, a paperdoll wearing my pajamas, the standard minecraft crafting-slash-inventory screen, my bed in the hotbar, and¡­a book? It took me a moment to figure out just how to grab it, and it popped into my hand with a small rush of displaced air. It looked just like I expected it to, all right angles and pixelated, and I felt around the edges of the square, seamless cover for a way to open it.


    Hello! You''ve read enough self-inserts to understand the situation you''re in, but there are a few details unique to your situation I''ll fill you in on.


    Now, this is just the first of the worlds I''ve lined up for you. Traveling to another world is as easy as following the blueprints within this book to build a portal that can take you to the next world on the list, or return you to one previously visited. Just keep in mind you may spend at most one year''s time in each world. After that, you''ll be locked out.


    Each world you''ll visit has one or more World Quests, and completing these offer unique rewards. Other quests are hidden or are only revealed after certain conditions are met, and some offer special, secret rewards! Isn''t that exciting?


    As a bonus, if you complete all a world''s World Quests, you may choose to distribute that world''s remaining time to others, if you need extra time to complete a particularly difficult quest, or if you just want to spend more time in a certain world.


    Now, I''m a generous sort, so I''ve started you off in Easy Mode, with the first few worlds set up to get you ready for later challenges. You won''t have this benefit for long, so train hard!


    As for returning home, that''s quite simple. All you have to do is get stuck, run out of time, or trigger some kind of fail condition a particular world may have. ¡­Or you could, you know, die.


    Good luck, Gamer!


    For a moment nothing in the world moved, which I confirmed by spinning around in terror at the thought of a creeper sneaking up on me. Then I spent a minute or two quietly gibbering in terror and disbelief before shakily putting the book away and going back to the tree. A part of me still hoped this was just a dream, but I didn''t want to stay out in the open either way.


    I shucked off my pajamas and wrapped the legs around my fists, and¡­noticed I looked pretty good, actually. Not buff, but not as out-of-shape as I was when I''d gone to bed. Small mercies, I supposed, as I braced myself and started punching. Cracks spread through the wood, and I forced myself to keep going until the block broke. I was about to move onto the next block, but-


    *Ping!*


    A wise decision has caused your Wisdom to increase by 1.


    Seriously, What?


    "...Status?"


    *Ping!*


    Name: T????????a?????????k?????e????????????n?? ????????a?s?????????? ???p???????a???????y????m??????????e?????????n???????????t????


    Class: Gamer


    Level: 9


    HP 610 (110 + 500)


    MP 0 (170)


    Str 64 (14 + 50)


    Dex 55 (5 + 50)


    Vit 61 (11 + 50)


    Int 17


    Wis 8


    Luk 2


    What''s wrong with¡­I can''t remember my name. I was n.a.k.e.d, amnesiac, and trapped in Minecraft. I couldn''t help it. I started laughing like a madman.


    And that''s how my day started.

 Chapter 19 - My SI Stash #19 - Dance, Dragon Dance by Locksoli (Pokemon)

    -I''m really reading these Pokemon SI fics just cause of the new female characters ngl


    Sypnosis: On one hand, I died and probably left a bunch of grieving relatives in my old world. Everybody I loved was gone, and I was never gonna see them again¡­ On the other hand? DRAGONITE! I''M GETTING A DRAGONITE! WOOHOOOOOOOOO! (SI/OC, reincarnation fic)


    Rated: T


    Words: 77K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13360050/1/Dance-Dragon-Dance (Locksoli)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    The day I died had started out pretty much like any normal day. After getting back home from working the graveyard shift, I decided I''d go down to a local convenience store for a bottle of coke, a bag of ch.i.p.s, and maybe some skittles. Yeah it was raining, but I brought an umbrella, so I should have been fine since it was just a light rainstorm.


    The last thing I could think about was my granny, specifically a memory I had of her telling 6-year-old me that lightning never strikes the same place twice.


    That knowledge really didn''t mean anything as parts of my skin were charred to a crisp, my heart practically stopped, my brain jolted at the onset of a seizure, and my blood turned so hot that I was boiled alive from the inside. But it was nice that the last thing that went through my head was the sweet old woman that practically raised me for a couple of years. I guess that''s my only peace of mind as I die huh?


    Oh, I guess I find out whether or not the afterlife is real, or if I go to heaven. That''s really the only explanation to why everything is literally going white...or maybe that''s just a side-effect of being struck by lightning.


    When the white faded, I was greeted by the sight of gold instead. Golden everything, gold grass, golden tree bark and leaves, a gilded sky that reflected into the water and a bright golden sun. On one hand, I was definitely in heaven...then again, I was an atheist, so no idea how long that was gonna stick.


    I flinched at the sound of loud honking and looked around for the source, finding the large golden marsh filled with a great flock of flamingos. Despite being bright red, I could see the gold where there should have been white feathers. I know this is heaven and all, but they''re going a bit too far with all the gold.


    "Well this is a surprise" a voice called out from nearby. "I don''t really get to speak to people moving through here too often."


    That voice! I know that voice, it''s been one of the many that became ingrained into my head since 2012 started.


    "I mean, Jojo is a little on the fence about me, and Riley just thinks I''m another figment of his imagination" the familiar voice said. "It gets kind of boring, regardless of the harem and all."


    I turned around to see a 17-year old dressed in a green school uniform from late 80s Japan, red hair ending in a twisting bang that hung over his face. Behind him, an athletic humanoid in robotic armor just as golden as its surroundings floated, holding its hands in a prayer-like pose.


    I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. "Are you...Noriaki Kakyoin?!"


    The redhead smirked as he held a thumbs up and drew it across his chin. "YES!" he cried out, thrusting the hand downward. "I AM!"


    "...Holy shit!" I gasped out. "This is all some weird mindscrew I''m having as I die, isn''t it?"


    "Oh right, you were struck by lightning huh?" the redhead pulled a cherry from literal thin air and broke off the stem. "Pretty...shocking, that turn of events."


    I hate that I laughed at that, but I was a sucker for puns. "That was in bad taste, all things considered...it really hertz."


    Kakyoin snickered hard at this, nearly squishing the cherry he held. "That was a good one...I really could do this all day, but you''re not wrong about it being in bad taste" the stand-user rolled the fruit in between his fingers. "I''m more interested in getting you through the whole process."


    "Process?"


    "I am an angel after all" the redhead said, snapping his fingers to summon his golden wings and halo.


    "Ah, I see...So how does this work then?" I asked. "Is it like in Supernatural, where I get my own personal heaven based on my memories, or do I dance in the field with angels all day and smoke blunts, or what? Give me something!"


    The redhead guffawed in response. "Goodness, maybe I should have been clearer...you''re not passing on to the afterlife. As it turns out, dying before your scheduled time while being completely unfulfilled, as well as having no attachments to the living world, means you qualify for reincarnation."


    "...Reincarnation?"


    "Yes, of the other world variety. The way it works is that your new life will have lived without any memories of your previous, until somebody up here jolts the memories from your old mind into your new one," then he popped the cherry in his mouth. "ReroReroReroReroReroReroReroReroReroReroReroReroRero-"


    "Hold on a sec!" I growled nervously. "Reincarnation...into another world...Are you saying I''m gonna be Isekaied?!"


    The redhead pulled the cherry from his tongue and smiled mutely at me. "Pretty much, yeah. Don''t feel too bad, you could be lucky and be reincarnated into some generic fantasy world where you can live with a harem of s.e.xy elf girls."


    "...Continue please."


    "Or you could be reincarnated into an Anime world, like this boy I know who was reincarnated into the world of Naruto. The bonus for him was getting a Stand, but still," Kakyoin waved his hand in a "so-so" motion. "You might get the raw deal on stuff, who knows."


    "Oh goodie, I either get reincarnated into a shitty world but with cool powers, or into a cool world with shitty powers," I grumbled. "What could be worse than that?"


    "Fate!" the stand-user said simply. "I can assure you, I know very much about it, since I was fated to die the way I did. In some worlds, you can''t fight fate, though depending on the severity of certain changes, fate may rearrange what happens and how it''ll happen to fit them. What I''m telling you now is¡­" Kakyoin gave me a fierce look. "Don''t try to change fate, even if she''s a fickle mistress. If something has to happen, don''t try to stop it! Even if somebody is going to die, saving them will just be a bigger mess. Do you understand?"


    "Yeah¡­" I said lowly. "If I get reincarnated into the world of Re:Zero, then I have to let Rem go into that coma and shit...if I get reincarnated into the world of Tokyo Ghoul, then my green-haired waifu has to be turned into a decapitated zombie, and if I get reincarnated into Doki Doki literature club...well, I don''t think I need to go into detail there" I sighed tiredly. "That''s all really hard to think about...combined with the whole dying thing, I''m already starting to feel pretty overwhelmed."


    "It''s alright...I get it, being thrust into this and hearing that you have a chance like that" the stand-user cupped his chin in thought. "You have a few more minutes before I have to transport you to your new body, so I won''t impose on you before-"


    *BEEP*


    "Hmm?" the redhead pulled a f.u.c.k.i.n.g tablet from his coat, turned it on and scrutinized it for a good minute. "Huh...well, now I feel like a dumbass."


    "Eh?"


    "Well, I just gave you that whole speech about not messing with fate and trying to change things," Kakyoin rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "But I just got a message from my superiors, and apparently you''re going to a world where that doesn''t even matter?"


    "What?!" I cried out. "Dafuq you mean it doesn''t matter? You said fighting fate and changing how things go was a bad idea!"


    "Well, for any of the worlds we both mentioned, yeah that would apply" the stand-user shrugged blithely. "But you''re being reborn into a world where one of the inhabitants used its powers over time to prevent something from happening to that world''s god in the past, and even though that should have been against the rules, said god did nothing about it even after he stopped being pissed over something that happened in the destroyed past."


    "So then just do whatever the hell I want?"


    "Yeah, go to town! Balls to the wall, whatever you feel like, it isn''t gonna matter in that world anyway¡­" then Kakyoin chuckled nervously. "Well, maybe try not to use Payday too much."


    "...Payday? What the hell does that even-"


    "Oh, my apologies" the redhead gave me a sad look. "It''s time for you to get a move on" the stand-user huffed lowly. "This is probably the last time we''ll speak...it was nice talking to you."


    "Wait! I have so many questions! Why do I exist? What is the meaning of lif-"


    "Haierofanto In Hebun!"


    *CRAAAASSSHHHHHHCCCCCKKKKKKKKKVVVVVVVRRRrrrrrrrrr*


    Son of a-really, you couldn''t have let me get something in?


    Well, at least I''m waking up on a nice bed, and in some PJs...that''s something to thank Kakyoin for. Guess I gotta go and check out whether or not I''m some mutated monster or something.


    I pulled myself up and walked into what I immediately assumed was my bathroom (thank f.u.c.k I was right, otherwise I''d have faceplanted into a closet) so that I could hopefully get a better look at myself. I already noticed that I seemed shorter when I got up, but it was after turning on the bathroom light and looked in the mirror that I froze.


    Well, now I knew I was in an Anime world at least.


    The most obvious change was that I was now nine years old. Which certainly explained why everything was suddenly smaller. Another thing was my now olive skin, a far cry from how white I had been previously. Of course, my hair and eyes were now both dark purple...but my hair¡­


    I looked like the Goblin King from Labyrinth.


    No joke, my hair was a big poofy hair-metal mullet with several locks trailing from the side of my head down to my chest, just like David Bowie''s character from the labyrinth. Only difference was that it was all dark purple, but still... I looked like I played for the M?tley Crue from way back in the 80s.


    Ok, focus on your crazy hair later...find out everything about new world first.


    I walked back to my bedroom, spying another door not too far from my bed. Judging by how there was only the bathroom door and that one, that could be an exit. The next room was a small but livable kitchen, with a single door to lead outside and one big sliding door leading to a balcony.


    So I lived in an apartment...well, at least I didn''t lose my slight neatfreak tendencies in my new life. If I want to figure out what kind of world I was reborn in, then the balcony is the best bet-


    And there''s a giant green bird there.


    Giant is a stretch, it was under 5 feet in length from head to tail, but considering I was nine years old now that was still pretty big. The wings too, they had to be at least four or five meters long if that thing needed to get off the ground. The thing was probably predatory, seeing as how it had a stooped neck, a pointy beak, and large talons. The only odd thing about it was the comb on its head...wait a minute.


    That''s...that''s a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Fearow! As in, a REAL POKEMON, laying right there on my balcony. I''ve been reincarnated into the world of Pok¨¦mon...


    On one hand, I died and probably left a bunch of grieving relatives in my old world. My old coworker was probably bem.o.a.ning the fact that his favorite conversation partner and backup on the night shift wasn''t gonna come back. Everybody I loved was gone, and I was never gonna see them again¡­


    On the other hand? DRAGONITE! I''M GETTING A DRAGONITE! WOOHOOOOOOOOO!


    *RINGRINGRINGRINGRING*


    Oh hey, I have a phone. Funny that, even in my old life, I hadn''t seen a landline since I was 9 years old...guess this is the cut off point then.


    "Hello?" I called groggily into the line as I picked up.


    "JARETH!"


    "Gaah!" I reeled back at the loud girlish voice. "It''s early in the morning and you just tried to break my eardrums, who dis?"


    "It''s Caitlyn¡­"


    "Ah yes...Caitlyn...who?"


    "Your social worker," the voice groaned from the other side of the line. "Yeah, you definitely woke up late...I sent Fearow to check on you, is he there?"


    I turned to see the shiny Fearow in my balcony, now fully alert due to it''s trainers scream. "Yeah, he''s here...he was also asleep."


    "That doofus...anyway, how are you doing Jareth?"


    ...Wait, was that my name? "I''m fine...I guess, considering it''s pretty early in the morning" and there was the unspoken ''why is my name the same as the weirdo who waved his glass balls around and stole babies?''


    "Jareth, it''s 11 AM, you just slept in."


    "Ah...well then¡­" old habits die hard. "Sorry bout that, I hope you weren''t calling me for like, four hours and getting worried."


    "I kinda have to check on you, remember?" the girl groaned. "Of course you don''t remember, you''re that forgetful...I''ll come by on Togekiss in a bit," there was a short pause. "Drat, I forgot if Fearow ate or not!"


    "You forgot if your flying type, which you sent to check on me, was fed?"


    "Well, he could have eaten on the flight over, but you know how he is, he gets pretty focused on stuff."


    A memory flashed through me, most likely one from this life before remembering my old one. "I have some food for the big guy, remember? The bag is around here somewhere¡­"


    "Thank you so much Jareth!" Caitlyn said happily. "With Togekiss, I should be there in about an hour, so hang tight!"


    The moment the line clicked and went silent, I put the phone back and walked over to my balcony. Sure enough, just next to the sliding door was a bag of food with a bird symbol, the label clearly stating that it was meant for predatory flying types like Fearow and Pidgeot, alongside it a bowl. I grabbed the bowl and hauled the bag onto my back as I slid the door open.


    Fearow''s reaction was instant. He immediately interrupted his preening to stare at me expectantly. "FEEEEEEEE?!"


    "Yeah, yeah, I gotcha big guy" I opened the bag and dumped a sizable amount of what looked like cured and processed meat into the bowl. I could tell that at least some of it was from Magikarp, based on the appearance. "Alright, go ahead and dig in then!"


    I didn''t need to ask him twice, the bird jumped up happily and speared as much meat onto his beak as he could. I know it should have been terrifying, but in my old life I''ve had one or two reptiles and insects as old pets, and I''ve parrotsat once or twice, so I wasn''t as creeped out as I probably should have been. Fearow let out a satisfied cawing when he finished and hunkered down a few feet away from me with a content look.


    A sharp pain pierced through my skull, prompting me to walk back inside. I was seeing flashes of memories that, while they didn''t seem like they were mine, were way too familiar for me to write off. The oncoming migraine made me feel like my head was going to explode, and I had to do something to take my mind off of it.


    ...Hey, I live in an apartment right? That means that I have a mailbox somewhere in the lobby or something. I just had to get both the key to that and the one to my flat, or else I''d be locked out and I wouldn''t have my mail. Thankfully, my new self hadn''t been completely oblivious, because right next to my door were two seperate keyrings, one for the apartment key and one for the mailbox key.


    Both of them were labelled ''take this key to get back into the apartment, dumbass'' and ''take this key for your mailbox, dumbass'' respectively. Yeah, that sounded a lot like me¡­


    "Hey, Fearow! I''m gonna grab my mail real quick, I''ll be back" I called to the shiny bird, getting a few tired warbles in response as I left.


    After a bit of wandering around in the hallway and a tentative walk down the stairwell, I found the mailboxes. I singled out the one that matched my suite number, and unloaded the contents...and it was all telemarketer bullshit, ads for bogus steroids and a letter from a nigerian prince. Because all of those would be a thing no matter what world you were in.


    Funny thought I was having as I walked back to my suite, I still had no idea which iteration of the Pok¨¦mon world I was in. Was it the anime, with Ash Ketchum as the only protag without crazy hair? Was it the games, and there was a secret level system that you could view with the pokedex or something? Or was I in the generations or manga versions, which were like the first version I mentioned but with enough edge to cut your vegetables with.


    Considering the stripper ads I spied in my mail, I was leaning towards the latter. Or maybe it was a mashup between all three, who knows?


    "Hmm? The f.u.c.k is this?" I murmured at a piece of mail that I dropped by accident. It was a pamphlet with a few pictures of children playing around with Pok¨¦mon, with more than enough a.d.u.l.t supervision. "Well how ''bout that, maybe Kakyoin wasn''t talking bullshit about fate after all."


    Caitlyn had arrived nearly an hour and a half after our phone call. I knew it was definitely her because she said she was coming in on a Togekiss, and said Togekiss crashed into my balcony comically, startling a sleeping shiny Fearow and knocking over the rocking chair I had. The fairy-type''s unceremonious landing was followed by a loud groan and a string of curses.


    My social worker was a petite young woman with a soft face and long brown hair that went down to her waist, topped off by her wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Most people would assume that child services would be overly professional and cold looking, but since they have to work with children that isn''t meant to be the case. Caitlyn seemed like any other nice lady, barring the intimidating green bird that was nuzzling her leg.


    "Took you awhile, huh?" I called over from my small couch as she invited herself in. By now, I had begun to remember enough of my new life that I could still act the part of myself (not that there would be much to act).


    "Annual Beedrill migration, skies were packed," the woman said tiredly. "It was so serious that the air traffic cops had to be out...maybe I should have come in on Skarmory" she mumbled angrily.


    "I bet it would have been just like last time," I said, turning to another page of the pamphlet I heald. "I wonder what color I could replace everything with? Cause last time you told me baby blue looked like a nice touch, but you can see it now and¡­" I trailed off, motioning to the entire room around us. "It looks like a gulpin ate some rawst berries while it was under hypnosis and used Spit Up all over the place."


    "Very descriptive," Caitlyn huffed, then tilted her head when she noticed the pamphlet in my hands. "What do you have there?"


    "...A pamphlet for a summer camp, run by one Professor Oak."


    Caitlyn stared at me for several seconds before sighing. "Oh boy...we''re gonna have to have this talk again huh?" the woman sat next to me, eyeing the leaflet over my shoulder. "I get it, you''re enamored with the world of Pok¨¦mon and you wanna connect with them like everybody else, you''ve been saying you want to be a trainer since you could talk...but it isn''t all it''s cracked up to be."


    "You say that from experience."


    "Because I have the experience," the short woman said. "I''ve told you dozens of times, I went through every gym to get to the Indigo League, and I didn''t even get to the first actual round. Becoming a Pok¨¦mon Master isn''t something you just do, it requires blood, sweat, and tears. People who can''t measure up, they live with that for the rest of their lives."


    ...Pok¨¦mon Master? Hold up!


    "You think I want to become a Pok¨¦mon Master?" I asked flatly, glancing at the lady from the corner of my eye. "Cait, what is a Pok¨¦mon Master?"


    The brunette looked at me owlishly before rubbing the back of her head. "It''s somebody who...huh...I don''t really know...I mean, you need to have won all 8 gym badges in your home region, and usually winning the Pok¨¦mon League is the first step to becoming one, but-"


    "SO, the title ''Pok¨¦mon Master'' is completely arbitrary, and practically has no meaning, is that right?"


    Caitlyn gaped at me for almost half a minute. "I mean...yeah, I guess that''s how it is, but there are people who are called Pok¨¦mon Masters and...I¡­" the woman put a finger to her chin in thought. "I never really thought it through that much."


    "I see¡­" I lowered the pamphlet down and closed my eyes. "Caitlyn, I do not want to become a Pok¨¦mon Master!"


    "What?!" the brunette stared at me like I had grown a second head. "But you said you wanted that, what changed your-"


    "I said I wanted to be a Pok¨¦mon Trainer, not a Pok¨¦mon Master," I wagged a finger in front of her face. "There''s a big difference between the two titles. A Pok¨¦mon Trainer is a title which actually makes sense, you train Pok¨¦mon and fight with them. You can''t even tell me what a Pok¨¦mon Master is, and you tried to become one. So no, I don''t want to be something that isn''t even properly defined."


    Caitlyn stared at me nervously for a few seconds. "So you just want to be a trainer?"


    "Yeah...well, maybe a type specialist."


    "Type specialist?" the woman scoffed. "What, you wanna be a gym leader, or a member of the Elite Four? Type-specialists are just some gimmick for tournaments and leagues."


    "Name one of your Pok¨¦mon that isn''t a flying-type" I responded.


    I saw Fearow and Togekiss sharing an ''oooh snap'' expression between them as their trainer reeled back in shock. She stood still for several seconds before taking a deep breath.


    "I''ve got Farfetch''d, he''s-"


    "A flying type," I cut her off. "You have at least a dozen flying types, and you''ve admitted that you could never stop gushing over flying types. Ergo, you are a flying-type specialist."


    "Alright, I get it!" the short woman held her hands up defensively. "So you wanna be a type specialist, convince me then! what type do you want to specialize in?"


    "...Dragons" I said simply.


    Caitlyn leaned back anxiously as she pinned me with a blank stare. "I''m sorry, could you maybe repeat that? Cause it kinda sounded like you said you wanted to specialize in-"


    "Dragon-types, yeah that''s what I said...though that''d be a bit rigid, since I''m gonna try to get anything that looks like a dragon or is in the egg-group," I leveled a confused gaze at the woman. "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "Why dragon-types?" the brunette croaked. "They''re one of the most dangerous types there is, they only have two type weaknesses aside from their own, and most of them are nearly impossible to train."


    "Yessss," I hissed maniacally. "It''ll be a challenge, but I''m not one to give up so easily."


    "Ok genius, what dragon would you get first?"


    "Well, if I were going by easiest to find, then I''d probably get a Magikarp or a Horsea," I said blithely. "Pallet town isn''t far from the ocean, I''d just need a fishing rod."


    "Ok I guess you''re...wait, Magikarp? How is that a dragon?"


    "Egg-group," I explained quickly. "And I''m gonna evolve it into Gyarados anyway, so-"


    "ABSOLUTELY NOT!"


    I rubbed the inside of my left ear for a second time today. "Sitting right next to me, by the way. Maybe keep your volume down?"


    "Gyarados?! The Atrocious Pok¨¦mon?! As in ''destroys everything it sees when it''s mad'' Gyarados? The things that go on rampages that can last for months?! That thing?!"


    "Yeah, I was gonna get one of those" I said cheerfully.


    "Are you insane?! I never even went near one of those things!"


    "It''ll all be part of the plan..." I said devilishly. "First the Gyarados, then the Dragonite!"


    There was the unspoken ''then the bitches'' to go along with it. I saw Caitlyn giving me a stern look from the corner of my vision, and I turned a page in the pamphlet in a bid to ignore her. Hopefully she didn''t notice I was just rereading the entire thing.


    "Oh, I see what''s going on...explains why you slept in too," the brunette pointed an accusatory finger at me. "You were staying up late last night, and you saw that dirty commercial, is that it?"


    "Dirty commercial?" I lowered the leaflet and thought to myself for a bit. What dirty commercial would I have seen last night-


    "Sweet s.e.m.e.n of Baby Helix! Get yourself a Dragonite! That''s right, a Dragonite! The OD of the OG!"


    "Oh, you mean the one where the guy says that Lance gets his c.o.c.k sucked for every-"


    "Language!" the woman growled. "Also, you''re nine years old, you shouldn''t be thinking about that stuff!"


    "...I shouldn''t think about getting one of the coolest Pok¨¦mon ever?" I said dumbly.


    "No, that''s not...ugh!" the brunette groaned. "You have been more interested in dragons than anything else...are you sure about becoming a trainer, kiddo?" Caitlyn pinned me with a gaze that was equal parts firm and questioning, but I could see the worry just lying beneath it.


    I sighed as I closed the pamphlet and turned to her. "It''s not like I''ve made the decision on the fly. You said it yourself, I''ve been all about being a trainer since I was...5 maybe?" I stared into space absentmindedly before shaking my head clear. "That''s why I was thinking about this summer camp! I don''t wanna jump into being a trainer without having any idea of what I''m doing, so this camp will be the perfect chance to learn the stuff I''d need to get by!"


    The brunette sighed tiredly. "My bosses usually want to steer kids under our jurisdiction away from being trainers, considering how many end up failing and getting all disappointed, but since you''re so keen on it I can try and convince my superior," then she let out a small giggle. "Considering how much you have in your savings accounts, four years at this camp wouldn''t be a problem."


    ...Wait, what?"


    "I remember when I first started, when you had to be 15 instead of 13 to become a trainer."


    WAIT WHAT?!


    "I guess the whole ''island challenge'' events in Alola being televised made voters think, huh?"


    "13¡­" I said quietly. "Yeah...four years at camp will be great!"


    FOUR YEARS?! Ash and Red both started when they were 10, why did I have to wait four years to finally get a Dragonite?! This system is so unfair dammit!


    "You sound really sure about that, Jer" the woman gave me a bright smile. "You''ve always been a pretty patient kid, even when you were really young. In my opinion, I think you''d be a great trainer."


    [INTERNALIZED SCREAMING]


    TIME SKIP


    Funny enough, Caitlyn''s boss was on the fence about me going to Pok¨¦mon summer camp, or being a trainer in general. It wasn''t exactly because I could give so much more to society by being something else, not even close. They were just worried due to the circ.u.mstances that brought me under their jurisdiction.


    At least I can go and get a "World''s Deadest Parents" mug from a novelty shop. Apparently my parents were either both experienced trainers, or only one of them was, because I was found in a baby carrier at the scene of what looked like an intense battle...starting to lean more towards generations every second.


    Thankfully, I was allowed to apply, and the ensuing months were filled with me doing odd jobs around Pallet Town, going over my new memories, and exercising my body. I was still a stick, but I wasn''t gonna be a skinny stick this time around.


    All that led to this moment, the trip to the camp itself. Oh sure, I could''ve taken a bus or called a taxi. I could have even carpooled...but Caitlyn wasn''t gonna have that. Once I was ready and I had everything I needed packed, she pulled me along and we left in style.


    "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWRRRRR!"


    "WOOOHOOOO!"


    Charizard, the best starter evolution. Don''t care if you like Venusaur or Blastoise, and I don''t give a damn about Pikachu, miss me with all that gay shit. Charizard is where it is, and this flight was the best experience of either of my lives.


    "WOOOOHOOO!"


    Apparently it was the same with Caitlyn...even though she probably flew everywhere she went. Yeah, I loved flying on Charizard, but I had gotten everything out of it after the first 3 hours. The little brunette, on the other hand, couldn''t go 5 minutes without squealing in joy at the wonders of flight.


    "Weeeeee!" as if to ill.u.s.trate the point, she cried out again. "I bet there are a bunch of dragons you could fly on, huh Jareth?!"


    At least 18 proper dragon types...which led me to the question that had burned through my mind for the past few months. Aside from studying everything Pok¨¦mon and Dragon-type related, and going over the memories I had from my new life, I was also crunching the exact numbers for my long term goal.


    Just how was I going to get every Dragon?


    Obviously, I counted the egg group as well, so I included Arbok and Seviper in there. Plus, I was gonna go after anything that was remotely dragon-like, so that included Aerodactyl and Archeops (Pterosaur wyvern and proto-birb with alotta dragon moves) and Lugia (favorite Legendary, and plesiosaur wyvern). But, after taking everything into account and crunching all the numbers, the best I could hope for was to get a Latias and maybe one or two of the Ultra Beasts if I was lucky.


    Probably a good thing, I''d never be able to feed a Rayquaza, nor was I heroic enough to be worthy of Reshiram...and I don''t think it''d be a good idea to even try to bring the masters of time, space, and anti-matter/gravity to heel, that''s just asking for a good round of smiting. And don''t even get me started on Necrozma, mister "bippity boppity, your Nuzlocke gonna stoppity" wasn''t ever gonna be a possibility at any point in time.


    Best to just start with the basics, go for a charmander, capture a horsea and magikarp, and maybe get a revived Aerodactyl. Once I''m far enough along, getting the Dratini will be a cake walk.


    "WOOOHOOOO-Oh shit!" the woman cursed. "Ehehe...sorry Jareth, I hope you don''t mind a little bit of a rough landing."


    The hell did she-Oh no!


    "Caitlyn, please don''t tell me we''re going to crash!" I cried out over the winds. "Charizard, please don''t tell me you''re crashing, please!"


    The poor dragon just gave me a sheepish look in response, and I immediately knew how much this was gonna suck.


    One crash later, Caitlyn and I stood in front of a slightly scuffed up Charizard, all while several parents who had brought their kids to the camp stared at us. Obviously the really young kids were ecstatic to see a live Charizard, and even some of the kids that were around my (new) age were staring in awe. I only realized people were looking after I had finished dusting myself off, to which I shied away slightly.


    "Alright, I''m gonna go to the front desk and get you set up," the woman said, heaving my backpack and her briefcase off of the lizard. I flinched when she nearly fell back at the weight and sped over to help her with our combined luggage. "Ah, thanks! Anway, I''m putting you on Charizardsitting duty" the woman surveyed our surroundings. "Judging by our entrance, I''m sure you''ll make a lot of new friends."


    Once Cait left to get my semester at camp figured out, I honestly expected a bunch of kids to crowd me and Charizard. Strangely enough, most of the kids were too shy to even go near us, which wasn''t so odd considering that Charizard had finally got his bearings and stood with a confident, folded arm stance. Two kids did actually walk away from their parents, two that anybody would be familiar with.


    Two kids with spiky anime hair, one with dark hair, brown eyes, and lightning bolt marks on his cheeks, and the other with auburn hair and very dark green eyes. The dark-haired boy walked towards us shyly while the redhead was flashing us a confident smirk.


    Ash "can''t win a league to save his life" Ketchum, and Gary Motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g Oak. I hadn''t actually seen them in the few months after the whole past life memory thing, but I had heard about them in passing. Obviously I had seen Delia when she was running her restaurant, since I''d deliver supplies there from my part-time job, and the same went for Gary''s sister Daisy and the Pok¨¦mon grooming business she worked for.


    "Hey, you''re that big kid that delivers stuff to my mom, right?" Ash asked.


    "Yeah, that''d be me," I said while holding my hand out, which the boy thankfully understood was to be shaken. "You must be Ash then? Your mom may have mentioned you a few times."


    "Yeah, I''m Ash Ketchum...Oh, and this is-"


    "I heard you didn''t have any parents!" Gary said happily, cutting Ash off and causing a horrified look to spread across the dark-haired boy''s face.


    ...Must...resist urge...to strangle six-year old.


    "Yeah...that''s not incorrect..." I said through gritted teeth and an extremely forced smile. "I''m sorry, I didn''t quite catch your name. You are¡­?"


    "I''m Gary Oak, I''m the professor''s grandson! And I''m gonna ace this camp!" the redhead smirked and jabbed a thumb towards himself.


    I just stared mutely at the boy, before a devious grin spread across my face. "Oh, you''re Daisy''s brother! It makes so much sense now."


    "Yeah, that''s me! And once I''m done with this camp, I''ll be the best trainer in the entire-"


    "Yeah, sounds about right," I cut him off. "Daisy told me a lot of stuff about her little brother, even showed me a bunch of pictures. With you here now, I can sort of see it all playing out."


    "Wait what?! That''s not fair!" the boy cried indignantly. "Daisy said she wouldn''t show off my baby pictures like that!"


    "Baby pictures? No, she showed me pictures of this thing from an ice rink-"


    "THAT''S EVEN WORSE!" the redhead shrieked hotly, face beet-red.


    I chuckled slightly at Gary''s reaction. I was only gonna do some harmless teasing for the next four years as revenge anyway, so I wasn''t gonna go overboard. Plus, he gets like 6 cheerleaders after becoming a trainer, I''ll mess with him all I want.


    "So you really came in on Charizard?" Ash asked quickly, excitement glinting in his eyes.


    "Well, you saw the crash after all¡­"


    "That''s so cool!" the dark-haired boy cried in awe while looking up at Charizard. Said fire dragon smirked at the attention he was getting.


    "Well...we kinda crashed, which isn''t as cool as you think" I said sheepishly, causing Charizard to deflate.


    "Still, your sister is a really cool trainer," the dark-haired boy gushed. "When I''m finally ready to be a trainer, I''m gonna try and get a Charizard too, just like her."


    "Sister...Oh, you mean Caitlyn? No, she isn''t my sister" I rubbed the back of my head anxiously. "Cait is my social worker."


    The two boys looked at me dumbly, and I realized these kids didn''t know what that was. Because they had non-dead parents/biological relatives to take care of them, and they probably never had to work since they could pick up their own body weight.


    "A social worker is...ok, lemme explain it," I held my hands up and thought to myself. "Ok, remember how I don''t have parents? That means I''m a ward of the state, which means the government has to take care of me. A social worker is a government worker who is assigned to specific kids who are wards of the state, so their job is to make sure kids under the government''s care. Cait is my social worker, so she checks up on me a lot, and she flew me to this camp on Charizard."


    Ash and Gary stared at me blankly, before the redhead''s eyes lit up. "So you work for the government?"


    "Wait, no I-"


    "Are you a secret agent?!" Gary cried out. "You ride on a Charizard and you''re a secret agent?! That''s so cool!"


    Honestly, I should have realized this would happen, since I was talking to two six year olds. I remember when I was that age, when I thought "gluteus maximus" was one of the muscles in your arms, so I loudly announced how big mine was to my 1st grade class. So obviously Gary heard "government worker" and his six-year old mind went through the only mental gymnastics it was capable of to come to the conclusion that I was in fact a secret agent.


    I noticed Daisy and Delia walking towards us, and smiled sheepishly at them. "So, I made your boys think I''m a Secret Agent by accident¡­"


    Delia laughed at this. "Oh, we heard that. Don''t worry, I think you explained it pretty well, all things considered."


    "I think your main problem is that they''re six," Daisy said with a giggle, motioning to the two as the crowded Charizard. "Most of what you said probably computed into all sorts of things. Be glad they''re stuck on the secret agent thing."


    "Secret agent Charizard!" Ash cried out happily. "He takes names and kicks butt!"


    "Raaaawww!" said dragon beamed and struck a flashy pose, eliciting excited cries from many of the kids around us.


    Good thing about Charizard, as long as Caitlyn isn''t around then he won''t attack anything. Charizard are a proud warrior race, they don''t go after anything weaker than they are unless ordered to do so, and even then they''ll be pretty reluctant about it.


    It was just as the big guy was performing his own Jojo pose that I spotted Caitlyn coming back towards us, eyes closed and a bright smile on her face. "Alright, I''m back! Now you just need to go to orien¡­ta...tion¡­" the brunette blinked at her posing dragon and the children calling out the words ''Secret Agent Charizard'' before turning to me.


    "Sorry Cait, I was trying to explain what a social worker was and now everybody thinks you''re a secret agent," I said nervously, looking back at Charizard. "They''re like six, so I have no idea how to correct them on it..." I flinched as Caitlyn stood there with a blank stare, to which I waved a hand in front of her. "Cait? You ok Cait? Helloooo~? Miss social worker-"


    "Agent," she said lowly, looking down at me with a fierce glare and playful grin. "Miss secret agent! That''s me!"


    Oh Helix damn it!


    "Charizard!" the small woman called out, causing the fire-type to look up. "Come, we have a mission! A...secret agent mission, one that has a lot of secret secrets to un-secret...I''m a secret agent!" the woman cried out happily, causing the kids to cheer. "Come Jareth, I do believe we must continue with our assignment from MI6."


    Oh goodie, she''s even using the whole british accent...wait, MI6? Was britain a thi-Oh wait, Galar region. Alright, guess I should figure out why she''s pulling me along to some random building a bit aways from the reception desk.


    "So, where are we going to Miss secret agent?" I asked flatly.


    "We''re heading to see an old friend, she''s working here," the short woman noticed my concerned look. "Relax, orientation isn''t for another hour or so. Besides, Sara is great...and she might have something that interests you."


    I was about to ask if this ''Sara'' was a hot teacher, but stopped when I realized that would open up a whole bunch of questions from Cait that I wasn''t ready to answer. After a few minutes, we finally arrived at what was probably the camp mess hall. Inside was a tall blue-haired woman cleaning the floor behind the counters, and a huge fluffy white bean-bag chair nearby.


    "Hey, Sara!" Cait called out, causing the bluenette to look up. "Here, this is the kid I was telling you about last month. Jareth, this is my old friend and rival Sara, she''s one of your camp counselors."


    "You''re Jareth?" the woman looked at me owlishly. "You''re the munchkin that made her have an existential crisis?"


    How are munchkins a thing in this world?!


    "I guess I am," I shrugged. "So you guys were rivals? I can''t imagine why."


    "It''s because we both wanted to be the best flying-type masters in the Indigo Conference" the bluenette smirked and put a hand to her chin. "It would have been me, but Cait beat me in the preliminaries."


    "And¡­" I trailed off, looking towards the short brunette. Caitlyn sweatdropped and rubbed the back of her head.


    "I didn''t even get into the top 64. I barely got into the top 128...and it totally wouldn''t have been me" the short woman sneered at her friend/rival.


    "Yeah, as if!" the bluenette smirked evilly. "My Crobat could have easily beaten your Togekiss if it weren''t for that lucky shot with psychic!"


    "Oh yeah? Charizard nearly turned your Yanmega into char, it was an easy win!"


    "HA! Mantyne brought him down easily, you''re kidding yourself if you thought that was an early sign for your win."


    Maybe it was a good time to back away just a bit before the fireworks really started. As I backed up, I accidentally fell backward...right into the fluffiest thing I had ever touched. If you''re thinking ''Air Foam'' or ''Tempur-Pedic'' soft, you''re nowhere close to how soft this was. The only thing I could see of the soft thing I laid on was the white, cotton-like fuzz dotting the entire thing.


    Oh, and the blue head peeking down at me with beady eyes and white cheek patches.


    "RiRiRiRi?"


    "Eh?" Sara looked over and saw us. "Oh, Altaria! Jareth, please be careful with him, he hasn''t-"


    "How did you capture a cloud?" I said absently, still looking at the fluff monster. Said being of softness trilled happily as I lifted myself up. "So...Cool¡­" I trailed off, to which Altaria nuzzled its head against my chest.


    "Ah right, I forgot...Altaria" Cait chuckled at Sara''s confusion. "He wants to be a dragon specialist, so obviously he''ll get his own."


    "I''d get one even if I wanted to be a fire specialist! It''s so flippin fluffy, nothing in the entire known universe could measure up."


    "He''s right, that''s actually been scientifically proven," the bluenette smirked at me. "So, dragon specialist huh? That''d certainly get you to the status of Pok¨¦mon Master really quick."


    "Hmm? Oh, I don''t wanna be a Pok¨¦mon Master, that''s just stupid" I said dumbly.


    "...Wait, what?" Sara gaped at me in shock. "Why don''t you wanna be a Pok¨¦mon Master?"


    "Oh shit!" Cait hissed lowly. "Sara, cover your ears, quick! If he starts talking, then you''re gonna start questioning your existence-"


    "I don''t wanna be a Pok¨¦mon Master because the title is completely arbitrary and meaningless," I said, all while giving the floof monster a perfect neck rub. "I''ve asked a bunch of trainers and former trainers like Cait what a Pok¨¦mon Master is, and they can''t even tell me. It''s so vague and improperly defined, yet somehow people all over the world are aspiring to become one. I think it''s a sham, a sham to show off the underdogs who couldn''t possibly win a full league while glorifying the people who obviously had a better shot at the whole kerfluff-"


    "Jareth!" Caitlyn''s cry finally took my attention away from giving the fluff dragon his headpats and neck rubs, and back to the two women. "I think you should stop, you already broke her" the brunette motioned to Sara, who sported an absent look on her face like she was trying to unravel the secrets of the universe.


    "...Oops," I said, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. "Sorry for making you have an existential crisis over your trying to be a Pok¨¦mon Master."


    "...Huh? Oh, it''s fine" the bluenette shook her head clear.


    I looked back to the floofy dragon just as an idea hit me. "Hey, you raised Altaria right? Think you could give me some pointers for the next few years?"


    "Eh? You sure you don''t wanna ask Cait?"


    "Cait''s been having me hang around Charizard, she thinks its the same thing as a Dragonite," I said, waving away the brunette''s protests. "I think I''d get a better idea of what I''m doing if I asked somebody who raised an actual dragon-type."


    I really hated to put Charizard on the spot like that, not just Cait''s but the species as a whole. Sure, they got the typing when they mega evolved, but that was years away from me.


    Sara put a hand to her chin in thought and looked at her watch. "Hmm...well, we have maybe 40 minutes before orientation, so I guess I could tell you about the basics."


    I gave the bluenette a bright smile as Altaria nudged my arm playfully. "Thanks Miss Sara, I''d really appreciate it."


    Orientation was exactly how I expected it to go, what with Professor Oak getting up on stage and giving a speech. He started with ''Welcome to the world of Pokemon'' for it, so I had already figured out how it was gonna go. Of course, he and the camp organizers definitely hammered home that you had to be 13 to be a trainer.


    Four years...so damn painful!


    It was what I saw out near the woods an hour or so after orientation that was interesting. By interesting, I also mean very infuriating, because it was a little girl being bullied by some guy probably a year older than I was. The boy was on the chubby side, and he obviously had no problem throwing his weight around. The girl on the other hand¡­


    "L-Leave me alone!"


    "Awww, is the baby gonna start crying again?"


    The girl was incredibly lithe and short long-haired brunette clad in a t-shirt and jeans, and she had great blue tareme eyes dripping with tears. There was some serious cry cute going on, which only made everything more sad and infuriating. By the time I had heard them speak, I had already made my decision on this.


    "Hey! What are you doing?!" I cried out, trying to sound as calm as possible.


    The fat kid turned his head towards me slightly and sneered at me. "Nothing you need to butt into punk, move along."


    Obviously the best course of action was to try and intimidate the guy...and the only way I knew how? Act as crazy as I really was.


    "Nothing? Nothing?!" I growled, storming forward and grabbing the boy by the shoulder hard, turning him around to face my deranged snarl. "Nothing, Tra La La?!"


    Hey, I had the same name as the guy, I''ll run it into the ground.


    "W-What''s your problem dummy!" the chubby kid growled as he tried to wrench his shoulder free. "Lemme go!"


    I acquiesced to his demand by pushing him back. Of course, the kid decided to take a swing at me, a futile effort considering his girth. The first few punches, I dodged, and the fourth punch was redirected straight into the ground, causing the boy to fall flat on his face.


    "If you want to pick on girls, then I''ll turn you into a prince" I growled at the kid as he stood up.


    "...A prince?"


    "Prince of the Land of Stench!" I cried madly.


    Didn''t sound as funny as the movie made it out to be when I put a crazy voice on it.


    Chubs once again made for another swing, to which I once again dodged. This time however, my hand flew towards his throat and I pulled him up by the neck as best as I could. I made sure he got a good view of my creepy dead-fish eye stare.


    "Beware," I said lowly, leveling a deadly glare at him. "I have been generous up ''til now. I can be cruel."


    "Eeep!"


    I released the punk from my grip and pushed him back onto the grass. Thankfully, the kid had gotten the memo and ran away from me as fast as his fat little legs could carry him. I looked on as he fled, and let out a mad Goblin King laugh.


    Funny enough, I forgot I had an audience.


    "That was so weird," the girl said from her spot on the ground. "You were dancing around like a clown, and talking crazy."


    "That does sound a lot like me," I said, putting a finger to my chin before looking back to the girl and holding a hand out to her. "So, you wanna get off the ground? Or do you like having jeans that smell like cut grass?"


    "Getting off the ground would be nice," the girl grabbed my hand and allowed me to help her up. "T-Thank you...for making that mean guy go away."


    "Don''t mention it!" I said happily. "My name is Jareth, by the way, in case you were wondering."


    "Just Jareth?"


    "Yeah...what, what''s wrong?"


    "Don''t you have a surname?" the girl asked me owlishly.


    "You mean the last name of your parents?" I asked, to which she nodded. "Oh, I don''t have a surname...or parents."


    "Eh?!" the girl stared at me in shock. "You don''t have any parents?"


    "Well, yeah, I am an orphan," I said, anxiously rubbing the back of my neck.


    The girl stared at me for a few more seconds before bursting out into a tearful laughter. "I feel like a butt...I''m only crying because I''m four countries away from Unova and I can''t be with my mom like I wanted."


    "You''re from Unova?" I asked.


    "Yeah, I live in Aspertia City," the girl rubbed her nose as she sniffled. "My best friend Hugh lives next door, but sometimes he''s busy brooding...and mom is always busy because she works at the Pok¨¦mon Center."


    "So you''re sad that you don''t get time with your mom, and you''re scared because you''re in an unfamiliar place?"


    "Yeah...but it seems so...so¡­" the girl stared off in thought. "Trivial! That, it seems so trivial, because I was just saved by a boy who doesn''t have parents."


    "I try not to let the whole ''no parents'' thing bother me," I said blithely. "I''m gonna be a Trainer in four years, so I''ll make a name for myself. Then I won''t need to worry about being the kid with no parents, because nobody will even remember that when they look at me and my awesome team."


    The girl giggled happily. "Its kinda unfair that people in Kanto have to wait till they''re 13...in Unova, the age is 16," then she flashed me a kind smile. "Still...if you become a trainer, then you''ll probably be in one of those tournaments, so I can''t wait to watch."


    "Then I''ll be glad to know that somebody is gonna root for me" I smirked, then looked back to the main campgrounds. "Maybe we should get back...I''m pretty sure that chubby kid might tattle on us, so I might need you as my witness."


    "...Can you carry me?" the girl asked shyly.


    I simply smirked and pulled her off the ground as best I could and slung her over my back, eliciting a happy squeal from her. After walking her through it, the girl hooked her arms under mine and wrapped her legs around my waist.


    "Hey, I definitely remember telling you my name, but I didn''t get yours."


    The girl hitching a piggyback ride on me giggled again. "Sorry, I should have told you when you told me yours. My name is Rosa, Rosa Blanco" Rosa then nuzzled the crook of my neck cheerfully.


    Sure, maybe I had to wait 4 whole years to become a Pok¨¦mon Trainer, finally get a badass Dragonite and try as hard as possible to get a Lugia. But, if I got to spend time with a cute girl for the next four years who didn''t mind if I acted crazy while saying ''Tra La La'', then maybe¡­


    Maybe four years wasn''t as bad as I had made it out.


    Don''t worry, I won''t spend 5 chapters stuck on Oak''s summer camp like I did with the academy in ''In Another World''. Jareth''s Pok¨¦mon journey starts next chapter, alongside the reveal of his starter.


    As always, lease leave any thoughts, questions, and constructive criticism in your reviews.

 Chapter 20 - My SI Stash #20 - Member of Miachs Familia by NakaruSoul (Danmachi)

    -Somehow I found this WW3 Soldier reincarnated to Danmachi fanfic really wholesome????


    Sypnosis: Go on adventures? Nah, no time for that. Get involve with dealing with a cult that threatens the entirety of Orario? I''ll let the main casts deal with that. What am I going to do you ask? Earn enough money to pay off my Familia''s debt of course. Who knows, maybe I''ll even fall in love and get married at some point. Assuming that I manage to survive that long that is.


    Rated: T


    Words: 72K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13366594/1/Member-of-Miach-s-Familia (NakaruSoul)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    AN: Alright, a few things to note before you begin.


    1) I might get facts wrong about the Danmachi universe so please do tell me when I do.


    2) My English is not the best since I typically just sleep in school instead of, you know, studying.


    And lastly,


    3) This is actually a plot bunny so the story is not fully flesh out yet. Ideas are welcome.


    Okay, I''m done. Please do enjoy.


    -0-


    There will always be a time in your life where you would question the decisions that you''ve made that led you to where you are now. The countless paths that you could''ve taken that would''ve led to multiple different outcomes and yet, you somehow manage to choose all the right ones that put you that predicament in the first place and you couldn''t help but wonder what life would be like had you just taken another path.


    Since I''m leading the story with that, you can predictably guess that time for me is right now.


    "Oh sonova-" I let spew an unrestrained curse but was interrupted when I had to duck under a swiping claw of a Kobold least I lose my eyes.


    Just in case you didn''t know, a Kobold is a humanoid creature with a dog''s head. It''s a very odd sight I know but trust me when I say that it''s not the strangest thing that you''ll see in this world.


    I retaliated by kneeing the creature at where the balls would be at if it had any. Thankfully, the monsters in this world didn''t have any genitals. Can you imagine the amount of bestiality there would be if they had? There are Goblins in this world, GOBLINS! If this world was the anime that shalt not be named, there would be plenty newbie female Adventurers being r.a.p.ed at all times.


    Good thing that the Goblins in this world is only interested in killing them instead of fornicating with them. Thank god for small miracles right?


    The Kobold let out a pained cry and flinched back involuntarily, creating some distance between us that I exploited mercilessly. I lunged in and thrust the short sword in my hand into it''s throat. The sword dug into the Kobold''s flesh with a bit of resistance and because of poor maintenance, it snapped in half from the force of my thrust.


    The Kobold fell down to the floor with a piece of my sword in it''s neck, gurgling in it''s own blood before finally ceasing movement. I look towards the broken weapon in my hand and cursed again at the bad timing. I knew not taking care of it would come to bite me in the ass one day but I honestly don''t have the time to do so. So this is how much abuse I could expect from a guild issued weapon to take before it breaks. I thought to myself as I look in front of me.


    Now that the Kobold is dealt with, let''s get back to the reason why I was regretting my decisions. It''s mainly because I had my back to a wall and is about to be gang banged by a bunch of other hairy doggos that''s en route to my location along with a few goblins thrown into the mix as well. Note to self, memorize the map before going to a new floor. I let out a growl as I ready myself for combat, trying my best not to let my enemies out of my sight as they started to enter my vision.


    As to what led me to this predicament, it all started from when I tried killing a monster while exploring the new floor that I''ve just been authorized to enter this morning. Like a noob that I am, I did not properly make sure that there''s nothing nearby while I killed it, causing it''s friends to hear it''s dying cry and came charging at me. The numbers were a lot more than I would normally fight against so I did the smart thing and bailed. Unfortunately, this is a floor that I''ve never been to so I am not familiar with the routes to take in order to return to the previous floor. Instead of reaching somewhere safe, I ran around like a headless chicken, unfortunately attracting more monsters until I hit a dead end in a narrow passageway and thus, leaving me in this situation.


    In hindsight, had I just killed those Kobolds when they came to me, I wouldn''t be facing against such uneven odds right now. Now I''m going to be maul to death by a bunch of werewolf rejects and the typical ugly bastards in hentai doujins. Why did I even want to be an Adventurer again? Oh right, money problems.


    Alright, let''s assess the situation. I thought and did a head count on the amount of monsters that I have to deal with. I counted 20 total from what I could see running my way and that''s a lot more than the 3 at a time that I''m used to dealing with. Right now the nearest monsters are the Kobolds and the Goblins are still catching up a few paces behind them. Good, that means I don''t have to deal with them all at once.


    That Kobold that I killed just now was the fastest among the group so it reached me first before the rest of it''s peers could. The rest could arrive at different intervals, allowing me to deal with them 1 or 2 at a time if I''m lucky.


    My weapon is now broken, halving my range effectively so it''s now more of a dagger than a short sword. I''ll just have to keep that in mind while I fight so I don''t mistake my range for the sword that I''m accustomed to using.


    Looking around yields no path of escape so if I want to survive this, I have to deal with those monsters before me.


    Okay, options. What are my options.


    Fighting them all sounds very stupid because I''m very low on stamina from all the running I did. Do I create an opening and run? No, wait. That won''t solve the issue of not knowing where I am and I could be running around aimlessly again and end up at another dead end with even more monsters after me.


    Ugh, looks like killing them all is the only option available for me. I just have to be conservative with my actions in order to conserve stamina then, no biggie right? Whose balls do I have to fondle to get a gun around here. I would literally kill a god for an assault rifle right now.


    I watch tensely as they got nearer and had to let out a sign of annoyance when I saw that they had grouped up when coming through the narrow corridor. "There goes my luck." I murmured as I steady myself, ignoring the small voice in the back of my head constantly shouting ''I''m so f.u.c.k.i.e.d'' in favor of letting my mind sink into what I like''d to call, ''Combat Trance''. It''s a neat trick that I have. It filter out every stray thoughts and allows me to focus solely on my surroundings and objectives.


    Knowing that I couldn''t do anything about how the monsters are approaching me, I chose to ignore that faint hope that maybe I could get them to separate somehow and started crouching down into a sprinting start. I plan to spring towards the nearest monster to kill it and take out a few more when they''re still surprised before fighting to the death with the rest. As I crouch down, my hand brush against the pouch hanging on my waist and my eyes widen slightly when I realized that it''s still there. To be fair, I''ve never really need to use it before so I may have forgotten about it for a bit.


    Well, this changes everything. I thought to myself with the feeling of relief blooming in my chest. In my haste to escape, I had forgotten that I have brought along tools that could help me when I got into tough situations such as this.


    I quickly dug into the pouch with my free hand and procure a bunch of small marble size smoke bombs in my palm, all homemade. They would make this a whole lot easier than what I originally had in mind


    Okay, new plan. Smoke assassination it is. I close my hand around the smoke bombs and use the spare cloth that I have in the pouch to cover the lower half of my face so I don''t inhale any smoke. I got into a running start, turning my entire attention towards the incoming horde.


    Predictably, the Kobolds were at the forefront of the small mob since they were faster then the Goblins. They all charge at me with the intent to decorate the space with my blood and guts.


    Once they were but a few meters away from reaching me, I shot forwards like an arrow, kicking up dust and dirt behind me. I ram my broken sword into the nearest Kobold''s head and used it''s body as a shield to ram against another onto the ground. While that was happening, I use my other arm to throw the smoke bombs into the ground, causing an extremely thick smoke screen to erupt on impact, effectively covering the entire area that I''m in with black fumes. I''m now shrouded in smoke, making me invisible to my enemies but in return, it also hides them from my view as well.


    I could hear the confused cries and coughing of the monster around me and I smiled because I could use the noises to pinpoint exactly where they are while they remain unaware of my position.


    I could hear the Kobold that I had knock onto the ground getting up and I move swiftly towards where it is and saw it''s silhouette in the smoke. I slid it''s throat before it could cause me trouble; blood sprayed and it''s body thump against the ground while I kept on moving. I focus on ears on the sounds that the monsters are making and my eyes on any moving silhouettes, repeating what I have done with the rest of the monsters.


    Soon, the smoke lifted and the floor was littered with the carcasses of my enemies. I took off my mask and the bag on my back so I could sit against the wall without harming it''s contents, panting like a dog as I try to regain my bearings.


    I think this should be enough for the day. I thought to myself as I look over the mess that I''ve made. I lean my head against the wall and took deep breaths. I''ll just rest up a bit before I dig the magic stones out and head back. Yeah, sounds like a plan.


    I kept my awareness of my surroundings up at all times while I rested, thinking to myself about the mistakes that I''ve made today and what I could to do improve myself.


    I also gave myself a once-over to check the damage that I had sustained so far. My black long sleeved shirt, trousers and boots are all fine and is merely covered in dirt. At least I don''t have much blood on me this time. I''ll be able to sleep early tonight instead of spending the night washing it off my clothes. As you can see, I have a black theme going for me because it''s useful for stealth. Being a solo Adventurer meant that I have no one to watch my back so I had to improvise with sneaking around and killing things. It''s not as fast as a frontal assault but definitely safer...so long as I don''t get spotting like I did earlier.


    My Guild issued chest armor looks worn and has some light scratches and small dents on it but those were from older engagements. My sword on the other hand, is now half the length it used to be. Can it be repaired? I thought as I look at it, wondering if I should look for a blacksmith later. Then I remembered how much services like that cost and immediately drop that idea. Oh screw it, I''ll just file it down when I get home and turn it into a dagger instead. I grumbled internally.


    I sheath my sword into it''s scabbard on my waist and focus on recovering as much energy as I can for my trip back. It won''t be pretty if I run into more monsters and is too tired to even fight or run.


    Now that I''m reasonably safe, well, as safe as one could get in the Dungeon, I figured now is as good as any to start the exposition about my backstory like any anime would do when a character is introduced. You probably noticed the references that I''ve made earlier and came to a conclusion that I am not from this world. If you did, then you''re absolutely right.


    But since I''m not really in the mood for long winded exposition that the main characters somehow always manage to spew out of their asses that took the entirety of an episode, I''ll keep the explanation of how I arrive to this world brief. In fact, I''ll do mine in two sentences that all weebs would understand.


    Truck-kun.


    Isekai''d.


    There, got it? You do? Good, because I lied about the first one. I died from a mortar strike¡­.no wait, I actually survived the mortar strike, I just have half my body blown away and bleed to death. Or did I die from the shock? Hmm, I can''t quite recall. So in short, I''m just another casualty in war as they would say, World War 3 to be more specific.


    Truth be told, I find that it''s a bit of an overkill that they would use mortars against me. I mean, a greasily death is to be expected when one is fighting on the front line; doubly so when one is put on a suicide squad, but unleashing an entire barrage of mortars just so they could kill me? I''m flattered.


    Anyways, when I opened my eyes again I found myself in this world and had been living in it for 14 years. Apparently it''s from an anime that I''ve watched many years ago called Dan...something something. Don''t be surprise but over here, there''s Gods and Goddesses living in this world with us mortals and a big ass Dungeon that spawn monsters looking like they came from Satan''s anus.


    I must admit that the idea of having divine entities walking among us pitiful mortals is a concept that I have the most trouble wrapping my head around, mostly because I''m an atheist.


    So, in order for me to accept that they exist, I merely think of them as overpowered people with bullshit abilities instead of omnipotent beings that could snap me out of existence with a flick of their fingers. Same thing, but different.


    When one think of being Isekai''d into Dan-something-something, one would normally think that they''re either:


    A) Be the main protagonist and take Bell''s place.


    Or


    B) Is an extra character that could join Hestia''s Familia and go on adventures with the main cast.


    Right? Totally a normal thing to assume, right?


    Well you''re wrong in both account. First off, Hestia hasn''t even come down from Heaven to grace us unworthy mortals with her divine (Read: bouncy) presence yet and secondly, I''m in another Familiar, Miach''s Familia.


    An odd choice of Familia to pick you say? Well, not much I could do about that since I was a member of this Familia from the moment I was born. My parents were members of the Familia so being born in it, it automatically meant that I''m a member as well. I was raised and taken care off quite well so I don''t have much to complain about it. It''s a rather well off one too. Well, it was until tragedy struck us a few months ago, causing me to lose my parents and leaving my Familia in a large debt.


    Almost everyone left the Familia soon after, leaving only me and my little sister in all but blood as the only ones who had decided to stayed behind the sinking ship that is the Miach Familia. We both have our reasons for doing so, mine is out of gratitude for Miach for taking care of me and my parents back when they were still alive. It''s also because that guy is just too nice for his own good and kept giving things away for free.


    Afterwards, the shop that we own stopped getting much business now due to losing most of our stock because of the debt and is unable to meet our customers wants, causing them to go elsewhere to get what they want instead. Right now we have no way of replenishing the high quality stuff to attract our old customers back and we''re barely holding on.


    I quickly realized that we needed another source of income. Dungeon diving is easily the most profitable thing to do in the city of Orario so it''s only natural that I chose to become an Adventurer. There was some opposition from my God of course, as he wanted me to stay home where it''s safe but I ignore his protests and went anyway. I know that we desperately needed money and this is the only way I can help. I''m shit at potion brewing despite being in a Familia that focuses on that so what else can I do but put this body through hard labor.


    And there you go, the entire reason of why I''m risking my life dungeon diving in the first place. I assure you that it has nothing to do with my childish desire to fight against monsters, honest.


    ¡­..


    ¡­


    Okay fine, I lied. I wanna fight against monsters as well; there''s nothing wrong with that. I mean, what hot-blooded teenage boy wouldn''t? I blame anime for filling my head with fantasies of that.


    At any rate, the exposition is done and I''m feeling rested. Time to get back to work.


    -0-


    Orario- The Guild


    -0-


    "Here you go, a total of 3500 Valis." I heard the Guild Employee said in a professional tone and watch as the coins get dropped onto the tray. I pick them up one by one while counting them mentally to ensure that not a single Valis is missing. It''s a lot less than what I normally earned on a daily basis since I decided to leave early but it''s not as less as it would''ve been if it weren''t for the monster drops that I got lucky with. Thank you RNGesus, I''ll be sure to sacrifice goats for you in the future. No wait, that''s the method for thanking Lootcifer. Anyway, I''ll most likely still meet my weekly quota so I don''t have to worry about not earning a lot today.


    Satisfied that I''m in no way being cheated, I place them inside my pouch of holding hanging on my waist next to my tool pouch. It''s just a normal pouch but I like to call it that because why not?


    "The distrustful eyes that you have when you counted your coins really hurts me my friend. You know I''d never cheat you of your money." The guild member said to me in mock hurt, obviously more laid back now that our transaction is done.


    "Yeah well, math was never your strong point so it''s better to be safe than sorry."


    "Hey! I''ll have you know that my math absolutely superb thank you very much. Anyway, congratulations on surviving another day Cain-kun. For a kid your age, you sure are doing quite well on your own. Reaching the 4th floor only after a few months of your Adventurer career with no help and prior training to give you a boost, not bad, not bad at all."


    You know what I find weird about Orario? It''s that despite being a hot spot for western deities, everyone here is using Japanese honorifics. The rest of the world is the same as well. It''s like the eastern deities infected everyone in the world with Japanese culture and everyone just accepted it as the norm. But then again, it may have to do with the fact that the Light Novel was written by a Japanese.


    "Thank you. If anyone asks about the secret to my success, please tell them that my stubbornness in regards to not dying is what got me so far. Oh, that and also my desire to not die a v.i.r.g.i.n." I deadpanned.


    "Ah yes, the power of wanting to get laid is the best drive any men could have to see them through tough situations." He nodded sagely. "Oh right, I know that you''re a busy guy and all but you should go see your advisor first before you leave. She''s still quite new to all this and seeing her first charge return safe and sound would do her a great service. Poor girl needs more confidence in her decisions; she was fretting all day, worrying that something might go wrong after authorizing your new floor."


    I mull over his words and started rubbing my chin in thought, wondering whether I should go reassure my advisor that I''m still alive and well or be a d.i.c.k and go back home.


    "Oh, I know that look Cain-kun. You''re thinking of being an asshole again aren''t you?"


    "What? I would never." I defended myself while trying to sound as offended as possible, causing the Guild member to snort before giving me a pointed look.


    I rolled my eyes and dropped the act. Hmm, now that I think about it, I do need to preview the map of the new floor and properly memorize it as well as acquiring more data regarding the monsters on the floor lower than that just in case they decided to climb up. Huh, looks like I''ll be visiting my advisor after all. "Alright fine, I''ll go talk to her. She''s right to worry though, something bad almost did happen to me today." I replied as I turn around to leave.


    "Huh? Hey wait. You can''t just leave after saying something like that! Cain-kun!? Tell me what happened buddy!" I pause in my steps and turn my head around to look at him over my shoulder. Then I offered him the best shit eating grin I can manage before leaving, knowing full well that he''s going to be absolutely brimming with curiosity and will have no way to know about what almost happened to me unless someone tells him.


    He''s just too curious for his own good and wants to know every little thing that happens. Can''t blame him though, working at the exchange area is usually a bore unless someone brings in something rare to exchange. I think I''ll just let him stew on it for a day before telling him, I''m not that evil after all.


    "Damn youuuuuuuu Caiiiinnnn! I know you''re doing this on purpose!" I ignore his voice and kept on walking to where the receptionists are.


    -0-


    As I got close to where the reception area is, I saw the familiar figure of my advisor. There she stood, with her short pink hair and eyes, looking rather bored and lost in her own world. It''s still quite early so most of the Adventurers are still in the Dungeon. They mostly only come in during the mornings and evenings so it wouldn''t be weird that for the receptionists have to a lot of free time during the time in between.


    The girl is quite young as an advisor, somehow managing to get a job at the Guild at a tender age of 14 along with her friend. From what I have gathered, they joined the guild right after freshly graduating from school and is good enough to impress them that they hire the two on the spot.


    Right now she''s wearing the standard Guild uniform that consist of a set of black vest and pants with a white collared long sleeve shirt underneath, a gray bow tie and black shoes. Because of her age and height, she looked like a child trying on her parent''s business suit in my eyes. Absolutely adorable.


    Oh, it looks like she finally noticed me. We made eye contact and the bored expression on her face was instantly replaced with a large smile filled with relief. After that, she quickly move to straighten herself and force her expression to look natural, which she is failing at because her lips keep twitching upward.


    What''s this? She''s totally trying to act professional isn''t she? Normally, she''d be waving her arms like a madwoman the moment she saw me. Wonder what''s changed? Maybe I should investigate a bit and find out?


    With that in mind, I started looking at everything else but her and started my approach, noticing the slightly confused look on her face in my peripheral vision. I kept on walking towards her while pretending to sight see. Just when I was about to a few meters away from her desk, I did an immediate 90 degree turn to my right and walk towards the receptionist beside her.


    "Hey there Eina-chan." I greeted the bespectacled female Half-Elf that was seated next to my advisor with a grin instead of greeting my advisor herself. Mostly because I know it''ll make her mad.


    Said person quickly look up from the paperwork that she was working on and a pair of emerald colored eyes met mine as she brush aside her long, brown hair behind her ear. As a Half-Elf, Eina shares a similar physical trait that her full blooded counterpart all have: long, pointy ears.


    "Oh! Good afternoon Cain-san. You''re back early today, it''s only a bit after midday." Eina greeted me back with a small smile of her own.


    "Yeah, some stuff happened and I decided to come back early."


    "I see. While I do appreciate that you''re spending your time to talk with me, shouldn''t you be talking with Misha-san instead? You know, your actual advisor?" She said, shifting her eyes to the side and I followed suit.


    We saw that Misha is currently looking at us while pouting hard with slightly red cheeks and both her fists were shaking in front of her chest in indignation.


    I quickly turn my attention back to the Half-Elf. "You''re right, maybe I should¡­." I said while nodding before I lean in a bit closer and started whispering. "Or, we could just pretend to do small talk and laugh just to see how long she can last before she barge into our conversation?" I suggested with a wagging eyebrow, knowing full well that Eina enjoys teasing her friend as much as I do because she was being teased all the time by Misha back when they''re in school.


    "You, Cain-san, are a very cruel man." She replied with a disapproving frown on her face. "You shouldn''t tease your Advisor so much, it''s unbecoming of you to do so."


    We simply stared at each other after that. She held her reproachful look for a few seconds before she let out a snort and started giggling and I join in with a small chuckle of my own.


    "Stop ignoring me already!" Came Misha''s displeased cry for attention and we both turn to face her with large smiles on our faces. The pinked haired girl looked like she wanted to pound her tiny fists at me as she glared cutely at me like an offended kitten. Like I''ve said, absolutely adorable.


    "Sorry, I couldn''t help it. You just look too cute when you''re mad." I told her and it seem to only get her even madder because her face is becoming even redder now. Eina just giggled at her friend''s expression, causing Misha to shot her a look of betrayal.


    "So Misha-chan, any reason why you''re trying to act all professional for? Last I''ve checked, you both are still in training so being a bit lax should be fine right? Speaking of which, I don''t see your supervisor anywhere. Isn''t he suppose to look out for you both while you man the counter?" I said as I look around the area for any sign of their supervisor.


    "Rehmer-san needed to step out for a bit to deal with a particularly tricky Adventurer so it''s just us for now until he gets back." Misha informed me and I nodded. Yeah, troublesome Adventurers does appear from time to time. It''d be bad news for rookies like these two if they had to deal with them.


    "What about your behavior from earlier then?" I asked the pink haired girl.


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "I mean why you weren''t waving like a madwoman when you saw me earlier like you use to."


    "Wha- I most certainly do not wave like a madwoman when I see you." Came Misha''s panicked reply along with a bit of pink appearing on her face from what I presume to be embarrassment.


    I merely offered her smug smile that told her that she wasn''t fooling anyone. "So, I''m guessing that you got told by your superior about needing to be professional at all times or something?" I asked, changing the topic to something else.


    Misha''s shoulder went slump and she let out a sigh. "Yeah, something like that. Our superior noticed how Eina and I were chatting away like we were at a cafe or something and gave us a stern talking to. Mr. Rehmer can be really strict when he wants to be. I''ve been trying my best to act all serious all day today but it''s just so hard." Misha said as she let out a pitiful whine.


    "It''s your fault if I recall. We wouldn''t have been caught if you weren''t so loud." Eina chipped in.


    "Hey! You were the one that made me laugh in the first place." Misha shot back as she pointed an accusing finger towards the Half-Elf.


    "Here''s a suggestion: maybe just be yourself? I don''t see anything wrong with the way you are; so as long as you aren''t that loud when your superior is nearby, you should be fine." I said, interrupting the two.


    "No way, I am a member of the Guild so it''s my job to be professional."


    "Uh huh. You, being professional? I''d imagine we''d have more luck getting the sky to rain gold." I teased.


    "I totally can do it! Just watch me!" Misha fumed, looking rather offended by my lack of faith in her ability.


    "Sure, sure, Miss professional. Whatever you say." I told her with both my hands raised in a placating manner. "Oh, and before we all get sidetracked even further, I actually have another reason for coming over other than showing you two that I''m still alive and teasing Misha."


    "Really?" Misha asked with an eyebrow quirked in obvious interest. "What is it then?"


    "I''ll need to see the map of the 4th floor, as well as the bestiary that the Guild has."


    "But didn''t you examine the map just this morning? And what do you even need the bestiary for? Don''t you always keep a notebook with you that has everything about the monsters you would encounter noted down already?" Misha tilted her head to the side cutesily with a confused look on her face.


    "Yes, but back then I was too excited at the prospect of going to a new floor to properly memorize it and I need the bestiary so I can update my notes to include monsters from the floor below just in case." I explain my reasoning for needing the two items.


    Misha gained a look of understanding and nodded. "Okay, sure. Let''s go to the private room so you can look them over without bothering others."


    Eina''s eyes suddenly gained a mischievous glint. "Oh my, inviting a boy to a room so you could be alone together already? You sure do work fast Misha."


    Misha''s face turned bright red. "That is not what I''m doing and you know it!" She growled at the Half-Elf, causing her to chuckle. "I''ll get back at you for this Eina! When you become interested in a man one day, know that I will be there to tease you relentlessly about it! Mark my words!" Misha all but shouted out as she stomp away, looking peeved.


    "Did you really have to do that? Now she''s going to be glaring at me the entire time." I said to Eina in exasperation.


    "I''ll leave you two to it then." Eina giggled and I rolled my eyes before following Misha.


    -0-


    I let out a happy sigh as I lay sideways on one of the couch present in every private room that the guild has. I could feel my body sinking deeply into the soft cotton seat and the stress that I have in me slowly melts away into blissful oblivion.


    When one spends an entire day fighting for his life, he would no doubt build up stress within his body from being constantly alert and wary of any attack that might come his way. I find that letting it build up too much without a way to release it is generally a bad thing for the body so any chance I got to de-stress is one that I would take gladly as I am a very busy guy.


    "I''m totally going to marry this couch in the future." I murmured as I feel myself being lulled into slumber.


    "Didn''t you say you wanted to marry your kitchen in the future?" I heard Misha said, accompanied by the sound of something being place down on the table placed in front of the couches. The setting was arranged in a way so that both sides would be facing each other with a table in the middle.


    "Hmmm, you''re right. Maybe I''ll just marry them both. I don''t think I can live without one or the other." I said lazily and I could practically feel Misha rolling her eyes at me.


    "I''m sure you''ll manage somehow. Anyway, here''s what you asked for." She told me and I reluctantly pull my lazy ass up from the comfortable couch so I could sit properly. On the table I spot a large sheet of paper all rolled up as well as a very thick book.


    I took out my notebook and place it on the table. Then I spread open the paper, revealing the layout for the 4th floor of the dungeon and opened the book to the page about monsters in the 5th. I started scanning through them both, jotting down what I find interesting or important. That''s right, I can multitask, be in awe at my ability to do two things at once.


    "Do you need me to bring you some refreshments while you work?" Misha offered as I was starting to get to work.


    "Yes please!" I immediately replied, feeling grateful that Misha is such a considerate girl.


    "Tea as always?"


    "Always." I nodded seriously. "Thanks Misha-san, you''re the best." I told her with a smile.


    Misha gave me a smile of her own and went out to get my drink. I turn my attention back to the information before me and started soaking them in, my hand jotting down important notes that will no doubt aid me in the future.


    -0-


    Orario- North West Street


    -0-


    After spending 2 hours painstakingly burning the image of the 4th floor into my brain and jotting down important details about War Shadows and Frog Shooters into my notebook, I bid the girls goodbye after returning the items to Misha and left the guild.


    I was on my way back home while busily sorting through the information in my mind when I noticed something happening in front of me.


    There was a crowd of people there. They were gathered on the street and forming a circle for some reason. From how rowdy they sounded, it seems like something interesting is going on.


    Needless to say, I got curious myself and went to join the crowd to see what''s up.


    Using my secret skill that I gained many years ago from surviving hordes of impatient and angry women during markets sales, I easily weave through the crowd and arrive at the front with ease. Truly, it''s the most essential skill to have if I ever decided to become a househusband like I had originally intended before shit happened.


    In the middle of the crowd encirclement I saw a pair of young Amazoness duking it out with some guys. It couldn''t even be called a fight as the girls were easily trouncing the dudes. Seeing them demolish the guys with such ease, I''m guessing that they''re either level 1s with extremely high stats or level 2s.


    As Amazons, they have their signature tanned skin and they both have black hair and brown eyes. They looked about the same age from what I can tell. 11 or 12 years old maybe? One may think that it''s out of the ordinary for kids to reach this level of strength but I''d like to beg the differ. I mean, I know a kid that managed to reach level 2 just within a year of joining a Familia. Man, kids these days are scary.


    An important thing to note is that the Amazon with longer hair has a slightly more developed body while the one with short hair is still like a child''s.


    Who are they? I thought to myself as they seem familiar to me somehow. My foreknowledge of this world is spotty and unreliable at best so I don''t really know if they would play an important role in the future. You can''t blame me for not knowing, I can''t even remember what I ate last night and it''s been years since I last saw anything related to Dan-something-something.


    While I was busy thinking, the girls seem to have enough with playing around and ended the fight without me realizing. The guys were on the ground looking battered but very much alive. They looked fine aside from having their ego bruised and would probably be all healed after a good nights rest.


    "Well then, is there anyone else who wants to give us a shot? Remember, we''ll only join your Familia if you manage to beat us." The Amazon with long hair spoke out confidently, like she knew that there''s no one here that could beat them. The other one was looking around while whistling with her hands hooked behind her head.


    A few moments pass by with murmurs going through the crowd and no one stood up to answer the girls'' challenge. Seeing that there isn''t anyone stepping up, the girl spoke again. "Since no one here is going to face us, I guess we''ll go look elsewhere. We''ll be going around searching for people who could actually give us a challenge so if you feel like manning up and face us, feel free to come find us."


    With her piece said, the crowd started to disperse while I stayed on my spot, still digging through the archive in my head that I named ''Approximate Knowledge of Many Things''.


    So lost in thought as I was, I didn''t notice the people were leaving nor did I notice that the Amazoness were heading my way. Apparently, I was unknowingly staring at them in my distracted state and because of that, the girl with long hair seem to take it as a challenge or something.


    "What are staring at so intensely there for bud? You want to have a go as well?" She asked with a grin, obviously ready for more fighting.


    Her words jerked me back to reality and I paled slightly at the prospect of fighting either of them. "Nope. No thanks. I''m still tired and sore from fighting in the Dungeon earlier today and I''m not so stupid as to fight against someone who looked like they could snap me in half. Besides, I''m just a level 1, the best I could do is bleed aggressively on you and hope that you''ll be annoyed with the mess I left." Left unsaid was the fact that they''re both shorter than me so I''d most likely have my fragile ego destroyed as well.


    "That''s not right. You''re a man aren''t you? You should have more confidence in yourself." The Amazon with short hair told me while eyeing me with a look of disappointment.


    "Oh, I''m plenty confident. Confident that I''ll lose that is." I told her with a smirk while frantically thinking of a way to change the subject that doesn''t involve me being buried five feet underground via Amazon suplex. "If I may ask, you two are looking for a Familia to join right?" I questioned, thinking back to what I''ve heard the girl with long hair said earlier.


    "Yep/ Yes." The two replied in sync as they nodded.


    "Then why are you two using such a roundabout way to find one? Can''t you just join the one you find suits you?"


    The one with long hair rolled her eyes. "It''s because we don''t want to join just any Familia, we want to join one that earned our respect." She told me as though it''s the most obvious thing in the world. Well sorry lady, it''s not like I can read minds. "It''d be great if they are interesting and fun as well but we''ll take what we can get so long as they prove themselves worthy." I resist rolling my eyes at the clich¨¦ reason that they have because I don''t want to get hurt for being rude. Amazons and their battle boners.


    I let out a thoughtful hum as an idea started to form in my mind, a very interesting idea. "Weeeeell," I drawled. "If you''re looking for a strong and interesting Familia, you can always try Loki''s Familia." I suggested while keeping a smirk from appearing from my face. "They''re currently the top 2 ranking Familia in Orario and frequently go on expeditions into the Dungeon."


    "Really?" The one with long hair asked, a bit of interest leaking into her voice.


    "Yep. From what I''ve seen and heard about them, they are the most interesting bunch you''ll ever find in this place and is always looking for new challenges to overcome. Loki-sama seem to accept everyone who comes her way so it''s a pretty big and diverse group that you''ll be joining. Lots of interesting people there, not to mention strong ones too. Their captain and vice-caption are both level 5s and they have a handful of level 3s in their midst." I informed them, hoping that they would give Loki''s Familia a shot. It''s definitely not because they''re absolutely guarantee to lose against them and I want to see them knock around a bit. Nope, no siree.


    Anyway, that place would be good for them if an exciting life is what they''re looking for. Loki may have a reputation of being a perverted old man but she actually cares for her children and is actually one of the few deities that I don''t dislike, unlike many of the other deities that I know of who treats people as tools or toys.


    Deities. They never change.


    I could tell them about Freya''s Familia instead as they''re ranked 1st in Orario but I don''t really like the Goddess there despite having never seen her before. Not sure why but something about her Familia just rubs me the wrong way.


    The girl with long hair nodded with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Alright, it does sound interesting. If they''re as you say then I suppose we''ll go see them for ourselves. Mind directing us to where they are?"


    "Most certainly." I replied with a grin and started rattling off the directions that they would need to take in order to reach the Twilight Manor.


    The girls thanked me and started making their way there. Just as they were leaving, I remembered something important and call out to them before they got too far. "Oh hey! If you do see their pet dog, do give it head pats and tell him he''s a good boy for me yeah? I haven''t been able to visit him lately so he must''ve been lonely while I was gone. He''s easily recognizable by his gray hair and bad attitude." I shouted.


    I can tell that they''re obviously confused by my sudden request but agreed to do so nonetheless. I watched them go, thinking that this will be the last I will see of them.


    With that dealt with, I began my trek home. Since it''s still rather early, I''m thinking that I''ll put in some time to properly maintain my equipment for once least they break down again in the worst time possible and replenish my smoke bombs- Wait, wasn''t there a sales going on in the market today?


    -0-


    Orario- Blue Pharmacy


    -0-


    "I''m home." I called out tiredly as I push open the door to the medicine shop that I''ve been living in for the past 14 years.


    After a grueling battle with crazy housewives and occasional grandmas, I managed to buy enough supplies that will last us for a while so I wouldn''t have to worry about us running out of food for the time being.


    It was a battle of epic proportions; things were flying everywhere while people charged into the melee, using whatever means they could to reign supreme in a death match that challenges one''s mettle and wits. Old ladies were performing amazing feats of acrobatics and flying everywhere, housewives were using toddlers as makeshift shields and their shopping bags as weapons and one guy got a leek stuck up his ass for trying to clam them down.


    Truly, it''s an epic that will be recorded down in the annuls of history where our descendants will read about in awe.


    "Welcome back, Nii-san." Came the warm greeting from behind the counter of the shop. I look towards the source and saw a little girl a year younger than me sitting behind it with a small smile on her face. From seeing such a small shift in her expression alone, I can tell that she''s obviously relief to see me back safe and sound as she''s one to rarely show much emotion on her face.


    That, my friends, is the girl that I came to think of as my little sister during my life in this world, Naaza Erisuis.


    If any of you weebs have any lewd thoughts about her, I swear by Apollo''s limp d.i.c.k that I will find a way to cross over to your side and kill you¡­. Then I''ll steal your computers or console because damn do I miss video games.


    Naaza here is a Chienthrope, one of the many races that exist in this world, meaning that she has dog ears and tail. She used to have very long hair but it''s much shorter now due to reasons and purple eyes. She''s wearing a shirt that has it''s sleeve longer on it''s right side while the other is short. It may look like she''s wearing a silver gauntlet on her right hand right now but in actuality, she''s not. Her entire right arm is a prosthetic silver arm that she can move around just like a regular arm.


    Best part is, it also grows alongside it''s owner. If you ask for how that works than I''ll answer with ''Magic!'' because I don''t freaking know. As for why her arm is like that, well...it''s a sensitive topic, fresh too for the both of us so maybe I''ll explain it next time?


    "How''s business today?" I ask her as I enter the shop and close the door, adjusting the bags of groceries in my arm so that the contents doesn''t spill.


    "The usual." She replied in her usual soft spoken manner and I nodded. Usual meant absolutely not a f.u.c.k.i.n.g customer. Being someone close to her, I can tell that she''s rather upset by it judging by how her ears just drooped.


    Noticing that she''s in low spirits, I went to cheer her up. I put the bag down and move behind the counter so I could ruffle her head. "Don''t worry about it, someone would come in eventually. Even if no one did we''ll still be able to get by with the money I''ve earned by adventuring." I told her as I continued to make a mess of her hair.


    Naaza seem to frown at the mention of my current profession but didn''t say anything about it. Instead, she tilt her head to look at me and gave me a small glare that has no heat in it. "I told you to stop doing this."


    "So you say, but yet you''re wagging your tail like you''re enjoying it." I replied. Smugly of course.


    "N-no I''m not." She tires to deny it, eyes darting away from mine and using her hands to keep her traitorous tail in check. Fufufu, don''t you know that the more you deny it the more obvious it is to me?


    It was then did the door swings open and in comes a dude that looks like he has a permanent scowl on his face.


    "Oh." I let out as I stop rubbing Naaza''s head so I could address him properly. "Well, if it isn''t the perpetually angry mutt. What brings you here today Bete-kun?"


    That guy there is Bete Loga, a level 3 from Loki''s Familia that''s well known for his rough personality. He''s a werewolf so the ears and tails of a wolf''s is a given. Bete has gray colored hair along with amber eyes and the first thing one would notice about him when you''re speaking with him face to face is that he has a blue tattoo on the left side of his face that looks like a lightning bolt.


    He''s currently wearing a gray furred jacket that''s currently open with no undershirt underneath, along with black trousers and boots. I''m also not sure why he''s even wearing a jacket in the first place if he''s going to be showing off his entire chest to everyone like a flasher. Who knows, maybe it''s a werewolf thing.


    "Tsk. I''m here to buy potions obviously. Why else would I enter a shop specialized in them?" He replied as he walk towards the counter.


    "I see. Oh, by the way, did you guys receive the gift that I sent your way?" I asked him, placing both my hands on the counter as I lean forward with a smirk on my face. Bete''s eyes twitched and his scowl seem to deepen, giving me all the answer that I needed.


    "What gift?" Naaza question with a puzzled look as she look between us.


    "Just something I found on the way back and decide to sent over to Loki''s Familia. So, how are they?" I told Naaza before turning back to Bete.


    "They''re a pain in the ass. You sure have a lot of guts to sent something so troublesome to my home." Came Bete''s irate answer.


    "Really? They seem like good people to me."


    "The entire courtyard got destroyed during their spar." Bete''s ear twitched at the reminder he gave himself, most likely thinking about the cost it would take to repair all the damage.


    "At least they''re strong right?" I tried again and the werewolf sighed, shoulders slacking slightly.


    "Yeah. Can''t deny that." He muttered.


    "Neat. Did you get to fight them?" I asked in curiosity, wondering how well they did against him.


    Bete shook his head, looking disappointed. "No, Finn and Gareth were the ones that took them down. I didn''t even get to see the fight because it was already over when I got there."


    I nodded with a slight frown on my face, disappointed that I wouldn''t be able to get first hand account of the fight. What a shame. "I''m guessing that they''re part of your Familia now right?"


    "Yes." Bete answered testily. "Loki-sama was more than happy to add two scantily clad girls into our ranks." I smiled and nodded to myself. Yep, that''s Loki alright.


    "You seemed rather annoyed Bete-kun, is something wrong?" I asked him, trying to sound concern but failing as I have an idea as to why he''s so worked up already.


    "Apparently, someone told the Amazons that Loki''s Familia has a pet dog and ask them to give him head pats when they see him so he wouldn''t be lonely. Something that Tiona is more than happy to do after she finally realized that you were referring to me after asking around for our pet dog that doesn''t exist." He growled at me and I grinned widely.


    "So one of them actually did it? Wow, who would''ve thought." I stated in genuine surprise. I thought they would forget about it by the time they reached the manor. "By the way, who''s Tiona?"


    Bete paused for a moment, looking like he''s trying to recall the image of the one we''re talking about. "Short hair and looks like a sack of bones."


    "Ah." I let out in understanding, finally able to put a name to the face that I''ve met earlier. "What about the other one?"


    "Tione."


    "Now that''s just lazy writing." I muttered to myself.


    Now, one may wander just how I am able to converse with someone of such high social status despite being nothing more than a lowly level 1 and is able to dash out jibes without getting my face pound in; well here''s the exposition for you curious viewers and I''ll keep it short as always.


    It all started out many years ago where we bump into each other by chance. I was 9 and he was 12 and just arrived in Orario all lost and clueless and he''s all angst and angry from having his entire clan wiped out by monsters. He didn''t like the way I looked and I didn''t like the way he smells so we fought (verbally) until he I managed to convinced that being all angst isn''t going to help with his situation.


    That got him out of his funk and he started doing something about his situation, mainly finding ways to get stronger so a tragedy like that doesn''t happen to him again. I helped by looking for a Familia for him to join as well as providing some basic necessities which I have to force onto him because of his stubbornness. We remain in contact afterwards and hang out from time to time just to trade barbed words with one another.


    It all worked out great for him...until he did a Sasuke last year after becoming a level 3 and went to kill the monster that destroyed his clan. He came back after successfully completing his mission only to find that his Familia got shot to hell in the Dungeon when he was gone and had left Orario. I was the one who had to break the news to him.


    He disappeared after that and I had to look all over for him, fearing that he might commit sudoku-I mean seppuku, and eventually found out that he got into some trouble in a pub and ended up joining Loki''s Familia the next morning for my effort. I punched him in the face for worrying me when I saw him again and that did almost no damage at all. My hand was the one that got hurt instead. Damn him and his ridiculous resilience against my attacks. How am I suppose to show that I cared if I can''t hurt him with my punches? That''s like, the only few ways us guys use to show affection to one another.


    We still kept in contact afterwards just so we could snub at each other like always and I''d like to think that we''re friends at best or frenemies at worst. Still, it''s good to see that he''s a lot better now.


    "Putting all that aside, what can I get for you today Bete-kun?"


    "One small bag of the lowest quality potions you''ve got." Bete told me, straight to the point as always.


    I nodded and turn around to get what he requested. Naaza is keeping quiet the entire time during our pleasantries mostly because Bete scares her even if I had told her plenty of time before that he''s a big softly deep down in his heart. Shielded by multiple defensive layers of pain, remorse and his self-hate of his own weakness of course. Sign, nothing''s ever simple with Adventurers.


    I got the potions and place them all in a potion bag that could hold a total of 10 before placing them on the counter. "Here you go, that would be 10000 Valis total." I informed him with a grin.


    Bete''s eyes narrowed when I mentioned the obviously ripoff price but he just let out an affirmative grunt and place the money on the counter before taking the bag and started walking away.


    "Don''t let the door hit your ass on your way out mutt!" I shouted to him as he left through the door.


    "Don''t slam your d.i.c.k on the toilet seat when you''re taking a piss, twat!" He shot back and close the door while I just laughed. Ah, good old Bete.


    With Bete gone, Naaza finally spoke up. "Why do you two keep insulting each other like that?" Her extremely puzzled expression told me that she had been wanting to ask that particular question for a while now.


    "It''s just how we guys show affection to one another." I simply replied with a smile.


    She stared at me with those stoic eyes of hers, searching my expression for any sign of deceit. After finding none, she simply sighed in defeat. "Boys are weird." She concluded and I just let out another laugh. "Still, I just don''t get it."


    "What don''t you get?" I asked while rising a curious eyebrow.


    "Why does Loga-san keeps coming over to buy low quality potions from us? Someone of his caliber shouldn''t have any need for them and he didn''t question the ridiculous price you were charging him. Only a fool would think that 10000 Valis is normal for 10 low quality potions."


    I let out a thoughtful hum as I scratch my chin, thinking about the best way to explain this situation to her. Knowing how Bete is like, I figured that the best way to do this is to go over a scenario that has probably already happened while I was away. "Well¡­.judging by what you''ve said, Bete-kun has came to our shop before while I was away, yes?"


    Naaza looked puzzled at my question but replied nevertheless. "Yes."


    "I''m assuming that he bought the same thing as he did today right?"


    Naaza nodded again.


    "How did you charge him then? Normal or overcharged?"


    "The normal price of course. We''re running a business here you know."


    I smiled at her answer because I can easily predict what Bete would do afterwards. "And I''m guessing that he payed way more than he needs to and told you to keep the change, adding in some kind of snide comment about not being able to return them right?"


    Naaza''s eyes widen slightly at my words. "How did you know?" She asked, looking a bit astonished at my ability to tell what had transpired with so little information.


    Feeling rather proud that I got it right, I began explaining to Naaza the secret of understanding how Bete ticks and started assuming a lecture pose. It has me standing straight with my hand on my elbow and a finger waving in the air. "You see, that''s just how Bate-kun is. News about our Familia''s situation has probably spread to all of Orario by now so it wouldn''t be weird that Bete-kun has heard about it. Being such a nice friend that he is, he probably thought about helping us but didn''t know how. He wouldn''t just come up and give us some money because it would be awkward for him due to his personality so he went with the next best think he could think of. In other words, he does so by buying things from us and paying us way more than what the items costs and refuse any change."


    "I already realized just what his game is the moment he asked for the potions so by charging him by that amount, I also effectively told him that I know what he''s up to and set a limit to how much he can give us as donation. It wouldn''t do if he keeps giving us too much money after all. He''s a level 3 and he needs the money to keep himself and his gear maintained." I told my little sister and she just stares blankly at me. "He knows that I knows that he knows that I''m onto him but didn''t say anything because he just wants to save face. He''s too proud to say it by he actually does care. Besides, it''s not like the potions are going to waste; they''ll most likely be passed out to their low level Familia members during training or something." I concluded my explanation with a nod and let my hands down.


    After hearing what I have to say, Naaza just kneaded her temples like she''s having trouble grasping how the being known as Bete works. "Why does he have to be so complicated? Can''t he just be honest and tell us he''s giving us money to help us?" She complained with a bit of annoyance in her voice.


    I just chuckled at her reaction. "He wouldn''t be Bate otherwise. That''s how he is, a typical tsundere." 80% tsun, 20% dere to be exact.


    Naaza quirked a lone eyebrow slightly. "What''s a tsundere?"


    "Well, my young pupil, a tsundere is someone who is shown to be cold and doesn''t care about other people but deep down, they''re just someone who has trouble showing how they really feel and actually cares a lot. That''s what Bete-kun is, a tsundere. While you, on the other hand, can be considered as a Kuudere."


    "A what?"


    "A Kuudere. Cold, blunt or cynical on the outside but warm and caring on the inside, just like I know you are." I began cooing as I started scratching the bottom of her chin like how one would with a puppy.


    "Stop that." She whined in protest but I noticed that she''s not really doing anything to stop me and despite having a cool and calm facade, her tail was wagging frantically at being caress by me.


    "Your lips says no but your body seems to be saying yes." I let out an evil laugh. Man, that sounded so wrong when I said it out loud. I thought to myself as I added an extra attack by patting her head as well.


    I felt her ears twitched when my hand landed on her head before her entire body relaxes as I started stroking her head. I could feel Naaza basically melting into a puddle in my hands as she looked lost to the world with an expression of absolute bliss on her face.


    Best. Stress reliever. Ever.


    "Glad to see you two are getting along as always." Someone said as they entered the shop.


    "Oh! Welcome back Miach-sama!" I greeted him with a grin as I let go of Naaza. With my hands gone, she finally snapped out of her stupor and realized that our God has return.


    "M-Miach-sama!?" She yelped, face burning red with embarrassment from being seen in such a state.


    "I''m home." Miach replied with a warm smile on his face. If you couldn''t tell by the name of my Familia, this guy here is my God. He has long dark blue hair and dark blue eyes and he usually wears a black robe with a tan brown stole that reaches down past his shoulders, and brown shoes. He''s also criminally beautiful to the point that I''d often wonder if I''d have to fend off a horde of horny ladies one day to keep Miach''s purity safe.


    "So where''ve you been Miach-sama?" I asked him. Probably off unintentionally seducing girls again with that beautiful face and caring personality of his no doubt. Chicks just digs that.


    Miach let out a tired sigh that made me wonder what could''ve gotten him so down. "Well, I remembered that there was a sales today in the market so I went out as quickly as I could before things were all sold out. But when I got there, I was already too late and everything was already gone." He told me in obvious disappointment.


    "Oh, I''ve already went there and bought what I could so don''t worry about it." I Informed him and pointed to the bags on the counter.


    "You have?" He asked before seeing the bags and a small smile broke out across his features. "I see. Thank you for doing so Cain-kun."


    "Since you''re back, I guess I''ll take a shower first before working on dinner." I said as I took the bags from the counter and walk towards the kitchen in the back. I''ve always been working as a cook for this Familia since I was young and that hasn''t change even after I became an Adventurer. I started out my day by cooking breakfast and lunch and I always made sure to come home before dark so I could cook for Dinner them. It''s my favorite hobby as it lets me do things while letting my mind wonder and relax, and watching people enjoy what I''ve made always makes me happy too.


    "Do you want me to-" Miach began speaking but was cut off.


    "Nope! Just sit down and relax while I work Miach-san." I answered him quickly. Was I being disrespectful? Yes, probably. But Miach was about to suggest helping me in the kitchen and I can''t have that. The kitchen is my sanctuary, my personal happy place and experimentation area for new dishes. If Gods have can dominion over things and places then the kitchen is mine and I will protect it till my dying breath. Trespassers will be dealt with via leeks being shoved into their anuses.


    "You too Naaza-chan." I said as I saw her wanting to get up and offer her help as well. "The ban is still in place remember." I reminded her and her ears flatten against her head with a small pout on her face.


    "It was just one time." She muttered softly in discontent.


    "Yes, I know. But you have a tendency to mix whatever you want just to see what would happen. Useful trait for potion making but absolutely horrible when it comes to cooking. So unless you learn to control yourself young lady, you''re not stepping into the kitchen." I told her as I walked away, doing my best not to let her pitiful whines affect me resolve.


    -0-


    Dinner went by normally, it was a routine as it could get to be honest. We ate and talk about our day, chatting about nonsensical topics to pass the time. It used to be many of us but now it''s just us three; it''s quieter than before but I don''t mind.


    Then we went and did out own things, Naaza went to make more potions to replenish the ones we''ve sold today and Miach is watching over her so she doesn''t make any mistakes. I, on the other hand, went to make more smoke bombs and turning my broken sword into a dagger by filing it down the jagged tip with a whetstone until it became a single point.


    Afterwards came the routine that I do every night; updating my status.


    "Yo, Miach-sama. I''ve come to get my status updated." I said as I opened the door to my God''s room. It was already dark and the only source of light in the room were the magic lamps in the room.


    "Cain-kun. How many times have I told you to knock before entering." My God admonish me like a disappointed parent would but directed me to take a seat nonetheless. It looks like he was expecting me already and have prepared the things necessary for my update.


    I sat down on one of the only two chairs in the room and took off my shirt. Miach took a seat behind me and I heard the familiar clicking sound of a small box being opened. I watch over my shoulder as Miach took out a small needle from the box and prick his finger with it. I turn back around and felt his blood dropping on my back before the usual glowing began. I could feel his finger touching my back as he began working on my Falna.


    As someone who has received a blessing from a deity called Falna, I can become stronger than any average humans in the way of video game like stats. There are 5 basic abilities that can be increased with this blessing and they are very typical in any RPG games; Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Agility, and Magic.


    It''s very self explanatory. These stats can be increased further with excellia. The more excellia, or exp as I''d like to call it, that I earned while diving in the Dungeon, the more my stats will be increased.


    Now, Dungeon diving isn''t the only way one can gain exp, you can gain them from everyday life too. Be it running around, doing manual labor or even playing, you''ll still get exp from doing all those things. But the amount you can earn by doing those is almost nonexistent so the Dungeon is always the main location to gain exp for Adventurers. The only exceptions where one can gain large amount of exp while outside of the Dungeon is fighting against monsters from the surface and other Adventurers. To my knowledge at least. There could be more but I sure as hell don''t know about them.


    "Did something happened in the Dungeon today Cain-kun?" Micah suddenly asked as he continued to move his finger around on my back.


    I tried really hard not to flinch before addressing him. "Whatever do you mean Miach-san? Nothing happened today." I replied in a nonchalant manner.


    "Oh? Then explain how you managed to buy the groceries today?"


    "I went over there and bought them obviously." I replied, trying my best to remain inconspicuous.


    "But Cain-kun, if you returned from the Dungeon by your usual time then you wouldn''t have made it to the market sale before everything is gone. Since you did so, that meant you returned from your trip early. I know you well enough to know that you would never do something like that unless something has happened. So don''t try and lie your way out of this one young man, tell me what happen and don''t leave anything out."


    I winched at his words, feeling rather dumb that I thought I brush aside what happened today without anyone knowing. "I really can''t hide anything from you now can I?" I said as I look over my shoulder at him. Miach most likely suspected something after I told him about my shopping trip but he waited until we''re alone so he would question me without Naaza knowing. Smart move on his part. Naaza would''ve exploded with worry if she had known.


    Miach has a small smile on his face that looked almost sad in my eyes. "We deities have a lot of experience in reading people Cain-kun. We have lived a very long time after all."


    I just heave out a sigh, knowing that I can''t get away from this and face forward, not daring to see my God''s expression as I told him about the mistake that I''ve committed today.


    As I recount my tale, I felt his finger stopped moving at the part where I got myself trapped at a dead end before moving again moments after I told him how I managed to get away.


    After I finished, Miach let out a sigh of his own. "Cain-kun, I know what I want to tell you will be pointless since you most likely already took the mistake you''ve made to heart. But please, do be more careful. If something happened to you as well¡­." He trailed off as his eyes seem to lose some of it''s usual l.u.s.ter as he seem to be thinking of memories of the past.


    "Hey! I know that!" I quickly said something before he got too deep into his memories. The downfall of our Familia is still a very recent thing and my God is the one affected by it the most. Losing some of his children in the Dungeon, incurring a large debt and watching most of his children leave soon after; what Miach had experience would make anyone mortal man fall into a downward spiral of depression.


    But yet he didn''t, he continued to stay strong and with a smile on his face, just for us. He kept trying despite the state our Familia is in, working harder than he ever has before to provide for us and is actually hopeful that we could recover from this. He''s a strong man and I respect that; that''s why I''m doing this, fighting everyday and risking my life just so we could recover what we''ve lost just a bit faster.


    "I''ll be more careful, I promise. I''ll get so strong that you won''t ever have to worry about me getting hurt in the Dungeon ever again." I told him confidently with a smile.


    I don''t know what''s going on in his head but I seem to succeed in bringing him back to the present if the smile he return to me was anything to go by. Miach nodded and remove his finger from my back, signifying that he''s done updating my status.


    I got up from the chair and pick up the shirt that I had dropped to the ground. When I got straightened myself, I just so happen to be facing the mirror that Miach has in his room and I saw my own reflection in it.


    With my shirt off, I looked like a scrawny child, something that I''m hoping to change in the future. There is already some noticeable development in my muscle mass, most particularly in the legs and arms. I looked up to see my own face and a pair of black iris met with mine and short, black hair sway gently in the air as I moved to put on my shirt.


    They say that I''ve inherit my mother''s looks and I can agree with them. She''s from the Far East, some place where black hair and eyes were the most dominant trait there. My name on the other hand, is a mixture of western and eastern names because my parents had trouble naming me. My father is from Orario and he wanted dips on naming me, but sadly for him, so did mum. They argued about it but eventually reached a compromise by mixing the names that they have in mind. Cain is from my father and Musashi from my mother as it''s her family name.


    While I was examining my looks, Miach was busy writing down my status on a piece of paper. The reason for doing so is because the Falna on my back is written in the language of the Gods and I have no way of understanding them. Oh, and also because it''s hard to read the thing on one''s back.


    "Here you go Cain-kun." Miach said as he handed me the paper. I took it from him and quickly read what was written.


    Cain Musashi


    Lv. 1


    Strength: H 150 ¡ú H 158


    Endurance: I 80


    Dexterity: H 189 ¡ú H 195


    Agility: G 205 ¡ú G 215


    Magic: I 0


    Magic


    [ ]


    Skill


    Stealth


    [One with the shadows]


    Makes one harder to detect


    Effects increases when hidden in the shadows


    Effects increases with one''s experience


    Let''s see here, my stats didn''t increase much but that''s to be expected with how little I did today besides running for hours on end. I try my best to keep things balanced but with your life on the line, it''s rather hard to do so.


    I really need to catch up on lost time tomorrow and grind my stats but I need to be more careful at the same time as well. Sheesh, I wish I had some overpowered ability that would let me plow through enemies with ease like our main protagonist does. That way I don''t have to keep worrying about possibly dying on accident.


    Oh that''s right, I forgot to mention that I actually have a skill.


    It is said that discovering a skill is rare occurrence but I call BS on that. If I recall correctly, all the main casts has a skill or two in their disposal. Besides my skill is not that much of a big deal anyway. Stealth is a very easy skill to acquire. In fact, it''s the most common skill out there for thieves and cutthroats. From what I''ve heard, in order to acquire it, one just has to spent a lot of time sneaking around and pray to RNGesus that it''ll appear one day.


    For me, it showed up when I got my Falna updated for the first time, which was 3 months ago for when I wanted to start going into the dungeon to earn money. Previously, there was never really a need to update my status as I wasn''t doing much other than goof around like a brat that I am but when I set my goals to fighting monsters so we could afford living comfortably, I knew that I needed the boost in my status to help me through.


    Miach theorized that I may have gotten it due to how sneaky I used to be back when I was younger. I''ve already been trained in the art of stealth in my previous life for assassination and espionage missions during WW3 so I have all this knowledge regarding stealth in the back of my head and no way to utilize it here. And so, I''ve made it my personal mission to sneak around and scare the other members of my Familia for shit and giggles. Their cries of shock and terror always do make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I am smart enough not to do that to those who would enter the dungeon to collect materials of course. Their first instinct would no doubt be attacking the source of their scare and I prefer living thank you very much.


    "Thanks a lot for the update Miach-sama. I''ll be heading off to bed now so good night." I told him as I kept the paper to burn later. It wouldn''t do if someone got their hands on it after all.


    "Good night, Cain-kun. Sweet dreams."


    -0-


    I was awoken from my slumber when I heard the door to my room creek open. I didn''t move an inch nor did I open my eyes to show that I was alerted to the intruder''s presence. My instincts from the war came flooding through my body and it automatically readys itself to attack anyone that could be coming to end my life. I was ready to fight, the moment the intruder came within a few meters to slid my throat, I would reach for my knife I have strapped on me and strike first-


    My brain finally caught up from it''s restful state and is in full alert. I remembered that I''m no longer in that hellhole, I''m in the Blue Pharmacy, my home, somewhere where I''m safe. I force my body to relax and kept my ear out to hear whoever just entered my room. There''s only two other people here so it really isn''t that hard to guess who had entered.


    She has done this many times before after what happened to her in the Dungeon after all. I peek open a lone eye and confirmed that it is indeed who I thought it is and I close it again.


    I kept myself still, breathing evenly as I hear Naaza''s attempt at being sneaky as she move towards me.


    I could feel her climbing onto my bed slowly and steadily. Once she''s on, she lay down and place her head against my shoulder, trying to make herself comfortable as much as she could without disturbing me. I could feel her breath against my skin and the heaving of her chest as she tried to go back to sleep but the shaking of her body told me that she''s having trouble in that regard.


    "Nightmares again?" I suddenly spoke up without opening my eyes and I could feel the girl went stiff.


    Naaza has been suffering constant bouts of nightmares after the incident. I would normally find her crying in her bed at night and will always try my best to comfort her. It makes my heart wrench whenever I saw her in that state and a feeling of uselessness assaults me when I realized that I can''t do anything about it at all. There was nothing that I could do to make the nightmares go away and when morning comes around, she would look like a shambling corpse.


    I found that being by her side usually helps so I did so as often as I could, sitting by her bedside and talking to her until she falls asleep. This went on everyday and eventually, I find her climbing onto my bed to sleep with me like what she''s doing right now. The nightmares were especially bad during the first few days but gradually lessen in intensity. Now though, she managed to go four days without having one so it''s an improvement.


    After a moment of asking my question, she eventually nodded.


    There was silence for a moment as I ponder on what to do. "Do you want me to sing a lullaby like last time?" I asked her.


    Another pause, another nod.


    I wrap my arm around her and pull her close, she didn''t resist and lean her body against me more. I took a deep breath and began humming a melody. I began humming the lullaby that my mother used to put me to sleep with my past life as it''s the only one that I know by heart. ''Wanderer''s Lullaby''. Just listening to it always calms me down so I hope it would have the same effect for Naaza.


    Eventually, the little girl fell asleep and I stopped. I carefully sat up and adjust her position so that she''ll be sleeping in a proper position. I watch over her as she slept and realized that she had been crying again before coming over to my room as I noticed the dried tears at the edge of her eyes.


    I move my hand onto her head and began stroking it. Naaza shifted a bit in her sleep but remained asleep. Many thoughts were going through my mind at the moment but the most prominent one that kept making it''s way to the forefront of my mind is the one telling me to keep this little one safe and secure. The little girl that I''ve come to view and love as my own little sister. The only way I can do that is to provide her with a better life where she doesn''t have to worry about anything and live as a normal girl.


    The best way to do that is to get stronger so I can earn money faster.


    Being an Adventurer, it''s a dangerous life where one could die from a single mistake. Who knows when I''ll die in the Dungeon, could be tomorrow, or years later but it''ll happen the moment I let my guard down and become careless. The Dungeon is said to be a living entity that hates all living beings and will do everything in it''s power to eradicate us like insects. I don''t disagree with that notion. But the money one could earn just from simply killing monsters in the dungeon often outweigh the risks.


    With that money, I could help Miach pay off his debt, allow Naaza to live more comfortably. They''ll be able to live out their lives unburdened and free.


    And for that reason alone, I''ll keep on fighting. I''ll keep on staining these hands with blood and gore as I crawl upon another mountain of corpses. I''ll survive whatever it is that the Dungeon will throw my way and I''ll come back home to my Familia at the end of the day, alive and smiling.


    For their sake, there can be no other outcome.

 Chapter 22 - My SI Stash #22 - Screw the Rebellion, I want Cookies by DWAR (Star Wars)

    *Soviet Anthem Intensifies* ProEmpire Fic.


    Thanks for 100K views, I''m really glad 300 people have found the way of ?????etter fanfics. ¦×(£à?¡ä)¦×


    Anyone else not getting notifications? Like I have notifications turned on and all but I ain''t getting them when someone comment or message me ?(¨°_¨®¡¦)?


    Synopsis: We''ve all read stories where a fan gets transported into the movies/books they love, and use their knowledge of the plot to change things for the better. Well, this story is similar. Only thing is...this fan DOES NOT support the Rebellion, and is willing to do all that he can to ensure the supremacy of the Sith and the Galactic Empire.


    Rated: T


    Words: 78K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12226414/1/Screw-the-Rebellion-I-want-Cookies(DWAR)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    He had finally done it.


    A millennia of planning, and he was the one to reap the rewards of all the efforts his predecessors spent in bringing him to this moment.


    The corpulent Republic had been transformed into an Empire. A large expanding military was in place to crush any attempt at rebellion while ensuring the continued loyalty of the denizens of the galaxy. And most important of all, the once proud Jedi Order had been reduced to a few survivors scattered across the galaxy thanks to the efforts of his loyal troop, and more importantly, his new apprentice.


    The new emperor''s mood was somewhat soured by the thought of the newly minted Sith Lord, for although he had been instrumental in dealing the Jedi their death blow, his arrogance had resulted in an apprentice that, while still powerful enough to act as his primary agent in his quest to destroy the remaining remnants of the Jedi, was nevertheless too weak to ever hope to succeed him as master of the Sith Order. This was a potential problem, for although he had mastered some of his former mentor''s teachings, the ability to make oneself immortal still eluded him, and as much as he wished to ensure the superiority of his order, he had no desire to let some crippled asthmatic cyborg take his place when he couldn''t even safely conjure the barest spark of force lighting.


    However before he could begin to formulate ideas that would help to ensure the future of the Sith Order, favorably with him as its head but he wouldn''t discount the possibility that he failed to learn Plagueis''s techniques before Vader managed to find away to work past his injuries and supplant him, a bright light suddenly flared in his office, which disappeared as quickly as it came.


    Using the force to rapidly cure him of his temporary blindness, and frowning in thought as the dark side had given no warning of this peculiar event, Sidious was somewhat surprised to discover that standing in the middle of his office was a teenage human, wearing a black shirt that depicted not only Vader''s newest appearance, but also had the ridiculous slogan ''Come to the Dark Side, We Have Cookies'' .


    Seeing that the boy was staring around the office in a manner that suggested that he was not only familar with the surroundings, but also excited to be in the red colored room, Darth Sidious, Master of the Sith Order, and Emperor of the galaxy could only stare with some bewilderment as the boy, who as he could sense had no force abilities or even ill intentions toward him, quickly noticed him before bowing his head in submission and spoke with an adoration that would even give his most loyal servant''s a run for their money.


    "Oh my god I''m sorry Emperor Palpatine, I mean Lord Sidious, I mean sir. It''s truly an honor to be in your presence, big fan of yours, huge. Please don''t electrocute me, I have information for that will prevent your Empire from being destroyed".


    Slightly intrigued that this boy not only knew who he was, but also willingly volunteered his services, even if what he was saying sounded crazy, the Sith Lord decided to withhold his judgement on the strange, but eager boy until he discovered what information the boy possessed.


    "Do you boy? I confess I find that hard to believe, even with your unusual interest. Still, I find myself willing to hear what you have to say, provided of course that you don''t lie to me, for I will know if you do, and that the information you possess is in fact genuine. Other wise, I''ll make you wish you were being tortured by force lightning".


    Gulping at this threat, but still managing to somehow retain his earlier eagerness, the oddly dressed boy first asked a question that should have been impossible to know.


    "Has Anakin..sorry I mean, has Darth Vader been fitted out with his life support suit yet"?


    Hiding his shock that someone else other than himself knew about the status of his apprentice, who had finished reconstruction only 24 hours ago, Sidious glared in suspicion at the boy as he provided his answer".


    "Yes he has. In fact he''s been in that suit for the past 24 hours, and is currently undergoing final checks before I can introduce him to the galaxy as my enforcer".


    Surprisingly, this bit of information seemed to somewhat disappoint the boy, mumbling something about missing the ''epic no scene''. But to the Sith Lord''s continued confusion, the boy quickly brushed this off, and stared directly into his ruined visage with a confidence that he didn''t suspect the boy was even capable of.


    "Since I know you can tell if I''m telling the truth or not, the two FIRST bits of information I have for you is this. I know what planet Master Yoda is going to hide on, and I know that Senator Padme Amidala managed to give birth to twins before she passed away".


    Despite his decades as a politician, Sidious couldn''t help but allow his surprise at this information to be visible, for he could easily sense that what the boy had told him was true. Meaning that, and indeed the boy had indicated that he had more available, that not only had he a potential fountain of information to exploit at his whim, though he had to be careful since he was fully aware that the force was always in motion and even the smallest impact could have wide repercussion, but that his earlier fears for the future of his order might have just disappeared.


    ...


    Think I''ll leave it here for now lol


    Always wanted to do a story like this, and thanks to the ASB thread on Alternate History . com,, not to mention some other time travelling/mary sueing stories, felt motivated enough to publish this.


    As a kid I always liked the Empire better, they got cooler sh.i.p.s, their military commander is a bad ass, and the fact that the Rebellion is too preachy. Not to mention the fact that the so called democracy in the Republic is corrupt as they come, and the Jedi could have avoided near extinction, IF they adapted with the times and didnt become the personal police force of the senate.


    Flames are never welcome...and their sorta useless since constructive crisitsm is soooo much better lol

 Chapter 23 - My SI Stash #23 - Yami The Gamer Kage by Imjusttryingtofindmyway (Naruto)

    -Ending of this fic was quite rushed but otherwise a fun read


    Synopsis: A man wakes up to find himself inside the world of Naruto experiencing it via a video game. Forced to fight to survive, he sets upon a path of self-discovery, whether to save this world or destroy it. Self Insert. Finished, finally.


    Rated: M


    Words: 313K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12797125/1/Yami-The-Gamer-Kage(Naruto)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Ping!


    You have entered the game!


    You have experienced selective amnesia. All memories of friends and family have been removed. Memories of life altered, necessary memories kept back.


    Motor skills has also been retained.


    Please create your character profile!


    I couldn''t understand what I was seeing. A game? What game? I didn''t...who am I?


    Please select name:


    I looked at the text box before me and squinted my head, I felt it buzz around, it''s like something was wrong, but I didn''t know what.


    I looked at the other boxes before, ''my memories are...gone?'' I blinked, that was...is that even possible?


    I tried to remember my name, my age, anything. But I always came up blank. I...I don''t know who I am.


    The boxes, they were the only thing I knew now. A name? How can I give a name when I don''t know what it is?


    I looked around, I was surrounded by darkness, nothing but darkness. Even the ground I walked on was black, black marble.


    "My name is¡­.Darkness," I replied slowly, hoping by following through with the boxes questions I could eventually find some help.


    Name: Yami (Darkness in world''s native language)


    Please select gaming world:


    Naruto


    Everything else was blacked out, there wasn''t any other options. I blinked, I recalled that name, it''s an anime about ninjas, one I liked very much. With no other choice I selected it and suddenly a new box came up, with a whole bunch of new info;


    Default settings are being implemented for game run.


    Name: Yami


    Age: 8


    Gender: Male


    Clan: Orphan (None)


    Select village:


    Fire


    Lightning


    Wind


    Water


    Earth


    I blinked, I didn''t understand what was happening, but I decided to play along. I chose the one village I knew properly, Fire.


    You have selected Fire, here is your status page. The game will begin when you finish reading:


    Yami, (No Title)


    Level- 1 (0/200)


    HP- 50/50


    SP- 25/25


    CP- 25/25


    CONTROL- 20%


    Allegiance- Konoha Civilian


    STR- 2


    VIT- 2


    DEX- 2


    INT- 5


    CHA- 4


    CC- 3


    LUC- 1


    Points- 0


    Money- 0R


    An Orphan living in Konoha, born the day after the Kyuubi attacked, Yami has been known to be a quiet child, people barely even realise he exists. He has no real past, but his future is blank, his potential is in his hands alone.


    Select difficulty mode:


    Story mode


    Normal


    Hard


    I selected story mode and the moment I did the world moved away. I felt my eyes being closed and my head hitting something soft.


    I blinked immediately and got up, I felt gravity working on my body as I picked myself up from a bed. I looked down, it was old and dusty. The room I was in was poor, dirty walls, no other furniture other than the bed, in one corner a small wall shelf with clothes stacked on it along with other household items.


    I blinked as memories came into my mind, this was my room, I lived in it, I remember living in it. But...at the same time, I have never stepped foot in this room in my life...I think.


    Just then the door handle turned and an old looking woman walked in. She had a brown kimono on and gave me a soft smile, "hello Yami, have you slept well?"


    I blinked, I looked over her head, to my shock words floated above her;


    Ksume Horono, Matron of Konoha Orphanage


    Lv- 14


    REP- 19


    I gawked at the image before me. Ksume quickly began to look worried, "Yami? Are you alright? You''re not sick again are you?"


    I blinked, "I-i, no, I''m fine, it''s just..." I didn''t know what to say. This wasn''t normal yes? The words floating above her head? I knew that for a fact, even if I didn''t remember who I really am, this I know.


    "Well, you better get up and ready," she smiled, "come, you best get ready quickly, breakfast will be served soon," without another word she walked out leaving me alone.


    I knew what she wanted me to do, I had to go and take a bath. I began moving to do just that, grabbed a towel off the top wall shelf, which was very high up thanks to my short stature.


    I walked outside and immediately realised was surrounded by children, and what''s more, I myself was a child.


    This didn''t make any f.u.c.k.i.n.g sense!


    Oh my God how am I so calm about all this?! Someone please tell me what the f.u.c.k is going on!


    Slowly I began to find myself calming down, honestly it was almost instantaneous. I looked around, ''okay, facts first. I''m in some sort of game like world, maybe virtual reality? Yes, that''s the only thing that makes any sense. So I''m in here and this world is based on the anime Naruto, what else? Oh right, apparently I can interact with this world, meaning this game needs to be played.''


    I looked around, there were kids running in the hallway with towels thrown over their shoulders. One of them, a kid named Nanou according to the name over his head, smiled at me, "come on Yami! We need to get ready! Today''s the day we begin ninja training!"


    Ping!


    Quest Alert!


    Join the academy on time!


    As an orphan you don''t really have much of a life, so when an opportunity comes to become something amazing, you damn well better take it!


    Reach the academy before 9 AM!


    Rewards;


    Ninja training


    +20 EXP


    Failure:


    Train again next year


    Possible eviction from orphanage


    Do you accept?


    Y/N?


    I blinked, ''okay, it''s a game, stands to reason I get quests like this from time to time.'' So I pressed the ''yes'' option causing the screen to vanish immediately. I blinked, okay, that was new.


    "Come on!" Nanou cried out running towards what I remember to be the showers.


    I walked out and looked around finding a wall c.o.c.k in the side. The time read 7:30, I had time. I quickly followed the boy and found myself in a crowded showering area. I blushed when I realised I would have to be n.a.k.e.d in front of everyone else when showering.


    But seeing no choice I quickly stripped out of my clothes, throwing them into a laundry hamper in one corner of the room, and walked for a quick shower.


    I passed my a mirror and stopped looking at myself. Yami was right, I looked super goth right then. My hair and eyes were black, like an Uchiha''s. My hair was short and spiky coming down to my shoulders similar to Madara''s hair, but not as long or thick. While I didn''t look anorexic, I was skinny, something I really didn''t like, ribs aren''t meant to be seen.


    Was this my real face? Or was this just the face of the body I''m using? I honestly couldn''t tell, but the fact is I recognize this, I know this face to be mine so honestly I had no reason not thinking it was my face.


    Pulling myself from the mirror I took a quick shower. After I was done I went back to my small room and put on the only other fresh pair of clothes I had. It was pair of old sand coloured cargo shorts a red shirt and a pair of blue sandals. Honestly I was surprised such small clothes even fitted me.


    I walked out and followed everyone else into a large mess. There the kids around my age were gathered at a table talking in excited tones. A few of the loud ones exclaimed how excited they all were for today.


    I took some food for myself and sat down with them, better to be a part of a group then stick out. As I ate the small bowl of rice and skinny fish I listened to them talk.


    "So is it like difficult?"


    "It is! I heard only like half the kids even pass!"


    "I heard only three students get to come out as a team!"


    "No you idiot! That''s three students per team! At least twenty people graduate every year!"


    I listened as I silently ate my food, using chopsticks was difficult at first, but I managed but adapting an unusual eating habit of being very rough with the food.


    But as I continued to listen intently there was another one of those gaming boxes;


    Ping!


    Repeated action has caused a new skill to be formed!


    Easdropping, Lv- 1 (0%)


    Your ability to listen in someone else''s conversation without them being aware of it. This is a very important skill for a ninja to possess for information gathering.


    Range: 10 feet (100% accuracy)


    -10% accuracy for every additional feet


    I blinked, ''well this is new,'' I told myself reading the box. If I understand this correctly this means I have a very interesting power indeed. Just like a game.


    But wait, it said skill, does that mean I have other skills? Growing curious I whispered in a quiet voice, "skill list." Suddenly a box appeared before me, making my eyes widen in surprise.


    "Did you say something Yami?" a girl sitting besides me, Karua, asked.


    I blinked, "n-no, nothing," I said looking down at my meal, hoping she would ignore me.


    "What a weirdo," somebody whispered, which I promptly ignored. I freaking hate kids.


    Instead I focused on the box before me. It was a menu list showing me all the skills I had. Apparently I already had two;


    Gamer''s Mind Lv-MAX


    Allows user to calmly and logically think things through. Allows peaceful state of mind, immune to psychological status and effects.


    Gamer''s Body Lv-MAX


    Grants the user a body that allows the user to live the real world according to the status he possess.


    Okay, that''s actually understable. I understand Gamer''s body, meaning my body will work according to the HP and SP bar I have. Meaning the lower my HP the lower my actual health will be. And the same for my stamina.


    And Gamer''s mind is probably why I''m not freaking the f.u.c.k out right now. Amazing, truly amazing. So I can''t get freaked out huh? Could be useful.


    I blinked, I need to check something, "Menu?" And just like that a new box opened up showing off my menu card.


    Okay let''s see here;


    Yami, (No Title)


    Level- 1 (0/200)


    This had my name and level. Hm, that bracket must be how much experience I have left to level up. And title, I suppose that makes sense, I''m supposed to be an orphan, a nobody, hence no title.


    HP- 50/50


    SP- 25/25


    CP- 25/25


    CONTROL- 20%


    Allegiance- Konoha Civilian


    Okay this isn''t too bad. I''m supposed to be eight years old. An eight year old can''t be freaking immortal. HP means health points, SP means stamina points. Could CP mean chakra points? Most likely yes. And CONTROL, obviously that meant chakra control, but how did it apply into the game mechanics?


    I know chakra control in important for anyone, it determines how much chakra isn''t being wasted...hm, maybe CP is how chakara I have totally and CONTROL is how much I can use without everything being wasted. Hm, makes sense;


    Ping!


    Your INT has gone up by 1 for thinking logically!


    I blinked as I looked to my status, and sure enough;


    STR- 2


    VIT- 2


    DEX- 2


    INT- 6


    CHA- 4


    CC- 3


    LUC- 1


    My INT has gone up by one. Usually in games like this logical thinking would result in WIS going up, I''m guessing since this game doesn''t have WIS, INT fills in that roll instead.


    The rest of my stats were...okay, for a child. My physical side never was very strong. But my brain and chakra were decent, assuming CHA meant chakra and not charisma. Which I think it did.


    Points- 0


    Money- 0R


    And finally I had no points to allot and no money. No wonder my LUCK was only 1. Great. I looked around, the kids were nearly done, a few staring at me giving me weird looks. Why..oh, right, food.


    I quickly scarfed down my breakfast and put the tray away for washing. I followed the crowd out of the orphanage as we walked down the streets of Konoha. Ksume was at the head of our little group, guide us through the streets while people smiled and waved at us.


    I looked at them all, there were so many ethnicities here, blonde caucasians, a lot of them with japanese features. A few korea and even, I think, a few chinese people. But there were also white people her and people with weird hair colours like blue and green. Natural or not I have no clue.


    As we walked through I noticed most of the people in the streets had a level from 5 to 20. I very rarely saw anyone passing that level, and when I did it was sometimes a kid no older than 13!


    I would have been shocked, but most of those kids had a title over their heads that read, ''Genin of Konoha'', which meant they were ninja. Which actually made sense.


    So that mean that civilians were just below level 20 while ninjas were generally above. Hm, makes sense I suppose.


    The kids were all excited, but kept their gossiping to whispers around Ksume, which did make sense. I was left out of all the socialising, guess I was supposed to be an outcast of sorts huh?


    Soon however we approached the gates of an academy and I was a little taken back about how accurate all of this was too the manga. I never saw the anime, only read the manga, saw some things might be out of my reach, but so far it seemed I wouldn''t be totally lost.


    Ping!


    Quest completed!


    Join the academy on time!


    As an orphan you don''t really have much of a life, so when an opportunity comes to become something amazing, you damn well better take it!


    Reach the academy before 9 AM!


    Rewards;


    Ninja training


    +20 EXP


    I blinked, I opened up my menu and sure enough I had gained 20 experience points, only a hundred and eighty to go.


    "Alright children, wait here," Ksume called out causing us to all stop in the academy''s front yard. The kids immediately began to look around, peeking into classroom windows, finding a few of the older years sitting inside lectures.


    I myself was curious enough to find an open window near the side from which I could hear the lecture coming from within,


    "-And who can tell me what Madara''s most famous jutsu?" asked the lecturer. The man had grey hair, chewed on a toothpick and had his leaf headband tied as a bandana around his head. I looked at his name and title;


    Mizuki, Chunin of Konoha


    Lv- 41


    REP- 0 (Isn''t aware of your existence)


    My eyes went wide, this guy was Mizuki?! Holy shit! His level is through the roof! And he''s one of the first people Naruto fights?! F.u.c.k me man just how strong are people?!


    "Anyone?" Mizuki asked again with a deep sigh, "come on kids, you have to know this. This''ll be in your history finals!"


    I looked around, no one was answering the man. I blinked, hmm, might as well. I cleared my throat and spoke up, "Madara''s favorite jutsu was the Great Fireball jutsu. He even made it a right of passage for the Uchiha clan, if a member can''t perform it along with awakening their sharingan then they weren''t considered Uchiha."


    Mizuki''s eyes immediately landed on me as slowly the rest of the lecture hall realised I was the one who spoke up.


    The chunin looked amused as he smiled at me, "not bad kid. You one of the orphans starting out today?"


    I nodded, "yes. Hello, nice to meet you."


    The class exploded into laughter as Mizuki himself chuckled a bit. "Alright kid, I got to say you''re pretty smart," the man smiled, and from what I could tell it was a real smile, "tell me, do you think you can answer a few more questions?"


    Ping!


    Quest Alert!


    Answer the questions smarty pants!


    Rewards:


    +1 stat point per correct answer


    ?


    Failure:


    Nothing


    Do you accept?


    Y/N?


    No risk for failure? Also a mystery reward Hell yeah! I immediately pressed yes and turned to Mizuki and smiled, "bring it."


    "Oh, confident one aren''t you?" Mizuki spat out his toothpick, "alright kid tell me, which clan does the first Hokage belong to?"


    "Senju clan," I answer immediately.


    Ping!


    + 1 stat point!


    Mizuki blinked, "r-right. Next question, who was considered a SS rank threat that-"


    "-Minato Namikaze, the fourth Hokage also known as the Yellow Flash," I interrupted him before he had a chance to finish.


    Ping!


    + 1 stat point!


    Mizuki raised an eyebrow, "alright...when was the first and second Ninja war fought?"


    This made me pause. I didn''t have an exact date, the manga and anime never established a proper timeline...but why? Maybe they don''t use time lines here? Maybe it was based on historical events, all types of civilizations based any time line around that so¡­


    "It happened around 70 years ago," I flinched, "I''m sorry I can''t be more specific."


    Mizuki snorted, "no problem, that''s much more than I''ll get out of these morons," he said glaring at the kid who now looked embarrassed to be shown up by an orphan like me. I hope this doesn''t make them¡­.oh shit.


    I just saw the REP score, or the reputation score, floating over their heads slowly turn from 0, which I assume is neutral, to -5. I''m guessing they all hate me now.


    Ping!


    + 1 stat point!


    "Anyway kid, one last question," this time he smiled evilly, "what''s worse? A ninja who craves power or a weak ninja?"


    Ah, philosophy, nice. I''m guessing based on my answer he''ll try and recruit me into his cause of being a traitor. Wonderful.


    I smiled, "that depends on the ninja."


    "What do you mean?" the chunin asked.


    "Well, if a ninja wants power to protect his friends, these is no reason he shouldn''t be alone to be the best he can be. But if a ninja is weak and is scared, then chances are his cowardness will get other people killed. It doesn''t matter who has power and who doesn''t, all that matters is how they use it."


    Ping!


    + 1 stat point!


    And just like that Mizuki''s REP score went from 0 to 5. Even a few of the kids started to hate me a little less. Though still had a negative score when it came to their REP.


    "Not bad kid," Mizuki smirked, "you''re like a little genius aren''t you? Hm, just like the third hokage¡­.a little professor."


    Ping!


    Quest completed!


    Answer the questions smarty pants!


    Rewards:


    +1 stat point per correct answer


    A new title!


    Title gained!


    Little Professor- +5% bonus marks to every written and oral test. + 2 INT boost


    I blinked, "t-thanks."


    "Yami!" I heard Ksume call out. I turned to see her glaring at me, "get back here this instance!"


    I gulped, "sorry!" I went running away, putting the class out f my mind. I ran to her and gulped, a ninja had arrived and was taking the rest of the orphans inside the academy. Ksume said nothing as she pointed at the group, glaring at me as I ran to them.


    I sighed as I slipped into the ground and listened to the ninja who was leading the group, "this is the academy, you all will study here for four years and at the end, depending on how well you do, you can become ninjas for the village!"


    The man had tanned skin with a hair tied up in a short ponytail. He had a scar across his nose and a cheerful smile on his face;


    Iruka Umino, Teacher


    Lv- 45


    REP- 5


    Woah, I don''t even know the guy and he already likes me? Cool.


    "Ah, sensei," a small girl in the group raised a shaky hand. Iruka nodded to her allowing her to continue, "w-what happens if we don''t become ninjas?"


    The man smiled, "don''t worry, if you don''t become ninjas there plenty of other things you can do! Konoha takes care of it''s own! That''s our way!" The kids all smile, infatuated with the hope the man oozed out.


    I could understand why, a bunch of hopeless kids like this being told they will be taken care off? It''s like giving a thirsty man a water can.


    We followed Iruka into a class which was already filled with a few other students. I immediately recognized a few of them, Shino, Kiba, Hinata and a grumpy looking Sasuke. The clan kids were already here.


    "This is your classroom for the year," Iruke turned back to us and smile, "go on, take a seat," he motioned around.


    Immediately everyone seeped into the rows of seats, a few of the braver kids talking to the clan kids and the other civilian kids.


    I found one seat in the back near the window free so I took it. I was only a few seats above Sasuke and few seats away from Shikamaru, who was asleep, lazy Nara.


    "Alright kids get settled in, we''ll begin momentarily," Iruka said with a smile as he walked out leaving us alone.


    I took this chance to look at the other kids. They all were...so young. Nothing like the monster I knew they would grow up to be. Especially Sasuke over there, he kept glaring at his own reflection, looking kind of...kiddish.


    Each of the clan kids were at least level 10, Sasuke being 14. Guess he really was a prodigy. But that didn''t change facts, they were all incredibly strong. Which begged the question...just what the hell am I doing here?!


    This path lead to a life of killing and murdering. Yes, throwing fireballs and all will be an adventure but...god damnit I wish I knew what was going on?! Why am I here?! Who am I?!


    Was this just a game?! It felt too real to be a game! Was this the f.u.c.k.i.n.g Matrix?! I would think so! So what¡­.what am I?!


    All I know is this, I need answers, and something told me if I followed the main story line I might get the answers. For example, the sage of six-paths might have the answer I need, he is a being that exists beyond time and space after all.


    So until then I need to stay alive, and in this world that means getting stronger. Damn it, I''m shit scared but also so excited!


    I opened up my menu and looked at it. I had four points to spend, but what should I spend it on?


    STR- 2


    VIT- 2


    DEX- 2


    INT- 6


    CHA- 4


    CC- 3


    LUC- 1


    I knew two things, one, my intelligence was my best angle, so I need to be smart about this, go with what I''m good at. And two, chakra was everything, but so was control, I need a balance.


    I''m guessing since I got an extra point in INT by thinking clearly I can improve the stats by doing other things, like weight lifting for strength, running for vitality and gymnastics for dexterity. Maybe if I read books that can also help with my intelligence.


    So maybe...maybe I should hold off on spending my points. I don''t know what my limits are just et, not need to rush into things.


    Ping!


    For thinking things through you have gained +1 INT!


    I smiled, this might actually be fun. I tapped my title box and found my title box still empty. Curious I tapped it opening a list of available titles. Eagerly I attached my ''Little Professor'' title on, smiling, this would give me an edge over everyone else.


    Just then Iruka walked in with a cardboard box filled with red bound notebooks and placed them before us.


    He took one book out along with a pencil and eraser, "this is your notebook, those of you who don''t have any writing instrument and the such please come down here and collect them." Ah I was wondering how they expected us to learn without any books.


    I grabbed a copy for myself, it was a black book with nothing written inside, I guess this was going to be like college then, taking down lecture notes and then learning them for a later dates.


    Iruka took out an older looking book and placed it on the podium, turning to face the class, "alright, let''s begin."


    "Wait!" came a cry as suddenly the doors were thrown open as a boy dressed in orange pants and a white shirt came crashing in. He rolled into the podium knocking it aside before jumping to his feet, "I made it in time!"


    Bonk!


    Iruka''s fist came crashing down on his head, "no you didn''t!"


    I couldn''t help a chuckle escaping my mouth as I looked at him. Blonde hair, blue eyes and a goofy smile. I didn''t need to look at his name or title to know who he was;


    Naruto Uzumaki, Jinchuuriki


    Lv- 5


    REP- 0


    During lunch:


    For the first day Iruka gave us a little speech on what ninja were. It highlights the difficult parts of a ninja''s life, something an innocent kid might not know. He then gave a lecture about the village itself and why it was so important. Obviously Naruto was asleep the whole time.


    We were served lunch in a cafeteria down the hall. All the kids from my year sat together in four benches chatting with each other. I found most of the attention was on the three benches, with the fourth taken up my Sasuke who sat in one corner choosing to be alone and Naruto sitting on the other side, who had no choice but to sit alone.


    I walked towards the table with my lunch tray in hand and looked curiously, I had a chance...meh, what the hell. I put the tray down next to Naruto''s startling the boy. I smiled as I sat down, "hey."


    Naruto blinked, "h-hey," he blinked.


    I began to eat my lunch with him looking at me curiously. I raised an eyebrow, "what?"


    "N-nothing," Naruto shook his head, "it''s just...it''s nothing," he said with a big smile, "I''m Naruto! Nice to meet you!"


    "Yami," I extended his hand shaking it, "nice to meet you Naruto. How''s it going?"


    "Ha ha, can''t complain," he smirked scratching his head. Just then his stomach gave a loud growl. I groaned and turned to his meal seeing his tray half of what I had.


    I sighed, "they didn''t give you enough food huh?"


    Naruto blinked, "what? No it''s just," he chuckled, "I pranked the lunch ladies a few days ago, so I guess they''re still mad!"


    I smiled, "right, well then," I took my bowl of rice and poured half into his bowl, "eat up sparky."


    "Hey, you didn''t have to do that!" Naruto said looking saddened at being pitied.


    I shrugged, "consider it an investment, I heard about your pranks, just don''t do it to me deal?"


    Naruto''s shame immediately turned to joy, "deal!" He grabbed his chopsticks and munched down into his meal, "this is awesome!"


    I smiled, "I know right," it was true, the rice here was much better than the stuff I got in the orphanage for breakfast. I looked up at Naruto''s REP score, it went from 0 to 10. Guess he likes me now.


    "Hey Yami, you understand anything from Iruka''s speech?" Naruto asked, "cause I didn''t."


    I nodded, "he just explained why being a ninja is a difficult job and how the village was an important structure in the ninja world. Nothing too groundbreaking. I don''t think we get to the important stuff until later."


    Naruto sighed, "yeah. Hey, you want to hang out after this?! We can go to the park and play!"


    I blinked, "ah, sure, I guess. Do you know any good places?"


    "Yeah! There''s a park right across the academy!" Naruto replied with a foxy smile.


    I nodded, "sounds great," I looked over at Sasuke who did his best to pretend like he wasn''t listening in on our conversation, I called him over, "yo! You want to join us?"


    Sasuke paused as he looked at me in surprise, amazed I would even ask him. "Pft, that bastard? Forget it Yami, that guy doesn''t do anything fun," Naruto glared at Sasuke daring him to say otherwise.


    The last Uchiha looked at me and Naruto and returned to him meal without saying a word. Naruto snorted, "see?"


    I shrugged, "worth a try. Alright then, it''s settled, anyway, eat your food Naruto, it''s going to get cold."


    Naruto blinked "oh, right!" He immediately began to dig in. I turned to Sasuke, who once again was caught red handed looking at me and Naruto. I raised an eyebrow and smiled at him, and he promptly ignored me, got up and left. Wonderful.


    After lunch we returned back to class. This time Naruto sat down next to me in my seat a few rows back. He and I chatted for awhile, I told him that I was an orphan and live in the orphanage. He confided in me the same and that he had his own apartment.


    I sighed, "damn, I wish I had my own place, it would be so much better than where I''m living right now."


    Naruto chuckled nervously, "yeah, it''s not all cracked up to be what it is. My place is honestly kind of a dump. It''s in a bad place too."


    I shrugged, "but it''s yours," I hummed, I wonder, can I get Naruto to share his apartment with me? I could do it right? It would be so much better than the shit hole I live in right now.


    And just as I had that thought a new box popped up;


    Ping!


    Quest Alert!


    Convince Naruto to let you move in with you!


    Objective:


    Gain 40 REP score with Naruto to unlock this option!


    Rewards:


    A place of your own!


    +100 EXP


    Failure:


    Stuck in orphanage until you graduate


    Do you accept?


    Y/N?


    I blinked, I didn''t realise my personal options can be made into quests that affected the real world! This is awesome! I immediately pressed yes, so all I have to do is get him to like me until he said yes, sounds easy enough.


    As soon as I pressed yes the door opened and Mizuki walked in, "alright kids settle down," he stood behind the podium and looked at us with an unamused eye, "listen up kids I''m Mizuki, I''m going to be your history teacher, I know it''s a boring subject but-" his eyes landed on me and he smiled, "well well well Professor, didn''t expect to see you so soon. Why are you sitting all the way in the back there?"


    I blinked, "ah, I like it here. Let''s me think."


    Mizuki shrugged, his eyes landed on Naruto sitting next to me and I saw a quick hardening of his glare, guess he doesn''t like the blonde even now. Immediately the man smiled, "well as long as you keep answering questions I don''t care. Now, shall we begin? First up is the history of our great village, the village hidden in the leaves."


    And it was one hell of a class. I don''t think by the end there wasn''t a single kid who didn''t fall asleep. I did my hardest to stay awake, but even I nodded off a couple of times.


    But in the end it was all worth it;


    By listening to a lecture you have gained +1 INT!


    I smiled, ''sweet! But wait...I listened to Iruka''s speech as well, why didn''t I get a stat point then as well? Unless...unless the higher my stat points the more difficult it would be for me to learn more. I guess I should hold off on spending my stat points, don''t know when I''ll need them.''


    After Mizuki left Iruka came back and had us all walk out of the class in pairs. Obviously Naruto was my partner. We reached the Academy''s backyard which was not the ordinary backyard one can find in a normal school.


    There was a complex obstacle course in one corner, a small area cleared off with a white circle serving as a sparing area and the far wall had wooden targets painted on it, obviously for target practise.


    "Alright kids, this is where we will train you physically," Iruka said pointing at a bunch of 12 year olds who were currently running a very complicated obstacle course where they had to jump through hoops while dull kunais and shurikens were thrown at them. I''m honestly surprised someone so young could move like that, it seemed abnormal, but then again they were training to be ninja after all.


    "Woah! Are we going to do all that cool stuff too Iruka-Sensei?!" Naruto asked for the class.


    "No, not yet," the man smiled, "for today, you kids are going to undergo physical training," he grinned, "ten laps around the field! Get moving!"


    The kids looked surprised and a little startled. Clan kids like Sasuke just obeyed while a few lazy ones like Choji and Shikamaru walked instead of running. Iruka did manage to get us all running in the end, with me bringing up the rear thanks to me...less than stellar physical stats.


    Naruto, seeing me struggling, held back as well, walking besides me as I struggled to finish one lap. "Come on Yami! You can do it!"


    I grumbled, "I-I try," I groaned, "don''t hold back-run faster."


    Naruto blinked, "ah, you sure?"


    I nodded, "don''t hold back to make me feel better moron," I panted, "run."


    Naruto grinned, "alright!" And he took off like a bullet pulling up third right behind Sasuke and some other civilian kid that looked like he was used to heavy labour.


    I was the last to finish, panting and sweating like nobody''s business. I was mildly aware of Naruto picking a fight with Sasuke about who really won, but I honestly was too exhausted to give a damn.


    Ping!


    Due to constant exercise you have gained +2 VIT!


    I groaned, at least I gained something. I hate physical exercise. F.u.c.k me.


    It took me ten minutes to recover. Iruka took us all back inside and let us rest for a while before giving us another lecture on why physical exercise was important before letting us go home.


    "Alright Yami! Let''s go play!" Naruto cheered.


    I groaned forgetting the promise I made the blonde. I sighed, "right, let''s go," I grumbled as he practically dragged me out of the academy. The other kids looked at us funny but let it go, the orphan kids openly glared at Naruto and I, but said nothing as I left.


    We reached the park, to be honest it was huge for someone of my stature. Naruto guided me to the swing set as he quickly began to play smiling all the while.


    "This had been the best day ever! Dattebayo!" Naruto grinned, ah his infamous verbal tick.


    I sighed, "I hate physical training, I feel like I''ve been rung out and hung out to dry!"


    Naruto laughed, "yeah! You looked like a zombie Yami!"


    I grumbled, "thanks orange monkey. I don''t understand how you can be so f.u.c.k.i.n.g hyper all the time! It''s not fair!"


    Naruto blinked, "what''s f.u.c.k.i.n.g?"


    My eyes went wide. "Shit! I mean f.u.c.k! I mean," I closed my mouth with both hands, "Naruto, please don''t tell anyone I told you that!"


    Naruto blinked, "but what does it mean?"


    I grumbled, "it''s a bad word Naruto. Please don''t tell anyone, kids like us aren''t supposed to know it."


    "Then how come you know it?!" Naruto asked with sparkling eyes.


    I sighed rubbing my temples, "because I''m smart like that. Listen, please don''t tell anyone, okay? Promise me."


    Naruto quickly nodded, "I promise!" he held out his pinky. I looked at the finger, what was he trying to do? Naruto blinked, "you don''t know the pinkie promise?"


    I shook my head, "no, what is it?"


    Naruto grinned, "well it''s a promise you make between to friends! You hold each other pinkies together and make a promise you can never break."


    I chuckled, "alright fine," I bent my pinkie around his.


    Naruto smiled, "I promise not to break my promise!"


    I smiled, "thanks Naruto. Now, what''s say you and I play on the slides?"


    Naruto''s eyes went wide, "yes please dattebayo!" He jumped off the swing set and pulled me along towards the slide. We played for hours until the sun began to go down. I honestly forgot how it felt being a child, so carefree and full of joy. It was...a nice life.


    Naruto and I found ourselves looking down on the park from atop the slide. Children were leaving with their parents, all of them looked happy and smiling. I noticed Naruto''s eyes saden a little watching them leave.


    He suddenly spoke up, "hey Yami...do you ever feel lonely sometimes? You know, without parents?"


    I shrugged, "honestly Naruto? I don''t really thought of it. I don''t remember my parents," literally, "and right now...I''m more focused on staying alive."


    Naruto blinked, "eh? What do you mean by that?"


    I sighed, "the world''s a very scary place Naruto. There are people out there who can kill me in seconds. So right now my goal is staying alive."


    Naruto snorted, "that''s a horrible dream Yami!"


    My left eye twitched, "yeah? And you got a better one?" I asked the question on impulse, but I already knew the answer that was coming.


    "Yeah! I''m going to become Hokage!" Naruto cried out at the top of his lungs, the convection in his eyes spoke volumes to me, I can honestly see why so many people saw him as a charismatic leader when he grows up.


    I looked at him, "you know, a Hokage needs to listen in class."


    Naruto hung his head, "I know," he looked up at me, "so what? Do you have a dream like that?"


    I smiled, "well¡­no, I don''t. I honestly don''t know what this world has to offer me. What do I want¡­.well, I suppose I want to know just who I am."


    Naruto blinked, "eh? What are you talking about ? You''re Yami. Duh."


    I rolled my eyes, "not that you dummy! I mean I don''t know what kind of person I am!"


    "You''re Yami! How hard is that for you to understand?!"


    "You''re the one who doesn''t understand moron! There has to be more than just Yami! I need to know what kind of person I can be in such a world!"


    Naruto blinked, "huh? What do you mean?"


    "I don''t know if I''m a good man, and brave man, a honest man or even a greedy man," I shrugged, "I don''t know who I even am."


    Naruto narrowed his eyes, "how many times do I have to tell you, you''re Yami!"


    I grumbled, "Naruto that''s not..." I paused and wondered, could I really be that? Yami...all this time I thought I was trapped here, but what if this isn''t a trap, but a gift? What if¡­.what if I was given a chance to live a better life? A happier life? Then¡­.can I honestly say I shouldn''t learn to enjoy it?


    Who knows what kind of life I lived before this, whatever happened back then...that''s gone now. I need to focus on what I can see and do, and that means this new world before me deserves my full attention.


    I looked at Naruto, "what do you think I should be?"


    Naruto blinked, "eh...well I don''t know. You''re pretty smart, maybe you can be like Iruka sensei."


    I snorted, "yeah right, no way I''m going to become a teacher, I would go mad before I spend my life teaching people."


    "Hm...well...maybe you should be my assistant!" Naruto smiled with a broad grin, "yeah! When I become Hokage, you can be my assistant and help me run the village!"


    I blinked. In the future that''s Shikamaru''s position, technically I would be taking his place. I snorted, "oh please Naruto, I''m sure you can find more qualified people than me to help you."


    "No way! You''re the best person I know Yami!" Naruto jumped to his feet, "you''re the only one who didn''t laugh at my dream!"


    I blinked, "yeah but...I don''t think I would be that¡­." I looked at his big blue eyes sparkling with hope. I couldn''t help it, I smiled, "fine. The day you become Hokage I''ll be your right hand man, okay?"


    Ping!


    Quest Alert!


    Become the Shadow''s shadow!


    Rewards:


    ?


    ?


    ?


    ?


    Failure:


    Death


    Do you accept?


    Y/N?


    I blinked, holy shit, that''s a lot of question marks¡­.ah what the hell. I clicked yes.


    Naruto smiled, "deal! This is awesome Dattebayo!" his REP score went from 10 to 20 in one leap. Guess he really took the promise to heart.


    I chuckled, "right right, anyway Naruto, it''s time to go home, it''s getting late."


    Naruto looked around and suddenly realised the park was being emptied, "heh, yeah! Let''s go!" He dragged me down the slide one last time before pulling me out of the park.


    I allowed him to drag me along, looking around the emptying park all the while. But just then as we passed a large fire monument I spotted what looked like a glowing leaf symbol near the bottom of the monument.


    I was taken back. The way the symbol glowed wasn''t normal, it was almost supernatural. And if my life was like a videogame, this only meant one thing. Side quest. But I couldn''t investigate it with Naruto around. So I would need to come here later.


    Naruto and I went our separate ways outside the park promising to see each other tomorrow after school. I managed to use this body''s memories and find my way back to the orphanage without a problem, though I did have to ask Naruto for directions at first.


    As I entered the orphanage I noticed it was dinner time and all the kids were eating. I joined them again and sat down quietly listening to them talk to each other again.


    "I like Iruka-sensei, he''s nice!"


    "When is Mizuki going to teach us something cool?!"


    "Why did Sasuke look so sad?"


    "Didn''t you hear about him? His entire family was killed by his brother!"


    Ping!


    Your skill have leveled up!


    Easdropping, Lv- 2 (3%)


    Your ability to listen in someone else''s conversation without them being aware of it. This is a very important skill for a ninja to possess for information gathering.


    Range: 11 feet (100% accuracy)


    -10% accuracy for every additional feet


    I blinked, ''so my skills increase with useage? Wait¡­.did they even have a limit? I''m not seeing one so that must be true,'' I felt an evil smile come on, this was amazing!


    I continued to spend the rest of dinner listening in on everyone''s conversations, trying my best to remember what the say, but most of it was gossip and not worth my time. But this did cause my skill to level up again, which was very exciting to see;


    Easdropping, Lv- 3 (43%)


    Your ability to listen in someone else''s conversation without them being aware of it. This is a very important skill for a ninja to possess for information gathering.


    Range: 12 feet (100% accuracy)


    -10% accuracy for every additional feet


    Unfortunately I couldn''t do any more as soon people began to finish up and head for their own rooms. I did the same and was kind of pissed off that night time for us was at 9 o''clock. Did kids really sleep so soon here?


    I found myself back in my room alone, my old clothes were freshly washed and kept in one corner along with a towel for tomorrow''s bath. But other than that there was nothing to do! I didn''t have any books to read, a phone to call people or a laptop to search the net! I was so bored!


    But just then there was a knock on my door as Ksume walked in with a smile. "Hello Yami, how was your day?"


    I smiled back, "find, I had a lot of fun. I think I''m going to like being a ninja."


    "Oh? That''s good to here, I''m sure you''ll make us all very proud," Ksume smiled before slowly it slid off her face. She sighed walked towards me sitting down on my bed and patting a spot besides her.


    I sat down next to her and looked curious as too what she was going to say. She smiled, "you know, I heard from the other children you made a friend today."


    Oh great, it was about Naruto. Wonderful. I put on my best poker face and nodded, "yes, he''s a nice boy, very fun. We went to park and played."


    Ksume smiled, "well I''m glad to hear that Yami but you see...that boy isn''t a very good boy."


    I blinked, "because he pranks people?"


    "Yes," she smiled and nodded, "he''s very cruel when it comes to pranking people Yami, you shouldn''t associate with people like him."


    I raised an eyebrow in challenge, "oh? But it''s alright to associate with hired killers and liars on a daily basis?"


    Ksume was taken back by my harshness, "Yami! That is not the same!"


    "Why not?" I asked her, "I''m training to be a killer and a thief matorn, is a few pranks really the bigger danger here?"


    Ksume narrowed her eyes, "Yami I am warning you, stay away from that boy. Do you understand?"


    I huffed, "unless he proves that he''s a threat to me he''s my friend. I don''t understand-"


    "Yami you will do what I say or I''ll have you out on the streets!" Ksum got on her feet glaring down at me, "do you understand?!"


    I narrowed my eyes at her. So this is how she wants to play it huh? I don''t like being threatened, I honestly didn''t really mind never speaking to Naruto again, the kid was my friend sure, but I knew he would understand if he thought I would become homeless if we continued to talk. But nobody, nobody blackmailed me.


    I don''t like being told what to do. Without reason that is.


    I looked at her, "if you don''t let me be¡­.I''ll¡­." I began to think.


    Ksume huffed, "what? What will you do?"


    I smiled as I got an idea. I looked at her, "I''ll tell the Hokage you told me about the kyuubi inside Naruto."


    The world seemed to come to a stop for Ksume. Her skin peeling as if she had seen a ghost. "W-what?" she asked in a ghost of a whisper.


    "I know why people don''t'' like Naruto," I shrugged, "I also know it''s a stupid reason, but whatever, people are dumb that way. Anyway, if you kick me out, I''ll tell the Hokage you told me about Naruto''s furry little problem and told me not to play with him. I know there''s a law forbidding anyone to speak about Naruto''s tenant, if he believes you violated that law..." I left the threat hanging.


    Tsume''s eyes went wide, "y-you would have me executed?! After all I have done for you?!"


    I rolled my eyes, "you''re a government worker, it''s your job."


    She began to steam, her face going red, "you horrible monster! You demon! You and that brat deserve each other!" she turned without another word and left, slamming the door shut behind her.


    I saw her REP score go from 19 all the way down to -21, meaning she probably hates me...a lot.


    I sighed as I sat down on my bed, now thinking that what I did probably wasn''t a good idea. She can do anything she wants to me and I can''t say a thing. She could poison my meal, though I doubt she would go that far.


    Probably she was just going to kick me out, find some loophole somewhere and throw me on the streets. No, she can''t do that, she knows I''ll go to the Hokage then, well I won''t really do that, but she doesn''t know that. Whatever she decides to do it will be desperate, I know that for sure.


    Either way, I really need to find a way to move in with Naruto, and soon. I need to improve my REP score with him to at least 40. I was halfway there now, but if REP scores was anything like leveling up it will only get more difficult from here on out.


    I sighed as I sat on my bed and leaned back on my room wall. I looked out the window and could see a worked close the gates shut. The compound walls were 20 feet high, there was no way I was getting over them. The gate was also being patrolled by a gaurd, no way I can sneak past him.


    I can''t get out and see the symbol in the park, no, that would have to wait. I was stuck here...in this room¡­.with nothing to do¡­.damn it all to hell!


    I looked around, I had nothing to do except...I spotted the red notebook Irula handed to me. I Grabbed the book and opened it up revealing my carefully written down notes in the native language of japanese.


    I didn''t know if this was my first language or not, it felt foreign to me, but obviously I knew how to write and understand it. And of course I have no idea what ethnicity I was, maybe I was bi-lingual? I don''t know, I think I know english as well but...hm, let''s see.


    I began to copy the notes I wrote into English, visibly making an effort into remembering the language. And finally I had a page of english. I could tell the difference between the languages, I knew Japanese instantly, but I also knew English. How much was the game and how much was me?


    Honestly? I don''t know.


    I sighed and put away the notes. I looked them over a few times but it got boring revoking the same thing over and over again. I looked out the window as saw the silent village before me bathed under a crescent moon light.


    Tap tap!


    I looked and saw a tree branch tapping on my window. I was a floor above ground so a few branches were close, but this...hm, leaves...what can do with leaves?


    Oh I know! Chakra control!


    I immediately grabbed a single leaf from the branch and held it in my hand. I focused on it trying to remember what I had to make the leaf stick. Channel chakra into the palm of my hand focusing on the leaf. If I gave enough it should stick to my hand...no, wait, not hand, forehead.


    I placed the leaf on my forehead and focused, I didn''t know what chakra felt like, but I knew I had it. I closed my eyes and sat in the lotus position. From what I remember chakra came from one''s gut, so I focused on my gut.


    I let my eyes closed with my head leaning back to hold the leaf up. I couldn''t feel anything. I couldn''t...wait! I feel it! A rumble in my stomach! A lurching feeling slowly coming up from my stomach, rising like a wave of pure unbelievable power


    "BURP!" no forget what I said, it was just a burp.


    I sighed leaving my head letting the leaf fall down. I sighed looking at it. Chakara, it was a mixture of spiritual energy and physical energy. My physical side sucked, so maybe that was it? Maybe I need to improve that?


    I sighed, held the leaf in my hand and looked up at the ceiling. I closed my eyes and focused, letting my body relax. I let my body rest, I wasn''t feeling tired, but I just needed some peace and quiet.


    All this talk of ninja''s and chakra, it''s gotten tiering. I took and deep breath and sighed. I turned my attention to my stomach. With every breath I took in my stomach expanded. As I let it out it pumped air out and shark back down.


    Slowly every breath made my stomach rise and fall. And slowly, I felt something move.


    It was in my gut, slowly rising up every time I breathed out. Like a water pump being pushed down squirting a little bit of water out every time.


    I remained calm, I didn''t let the excitement take over me, I continued the exercise.


    The chakra at first began to spin around near my gut, I''m guessing my chakra pathways were circular near my gut. Slowly though I felt it began to swim all over my body. It was like there were several tiny river canals in my body and the chakra was the water finally being poured in.


    I opened my eyes and let go of the chakra allowing it to return back into my gut where it came from. Amazing, this was all simply amazing.


    I looked at the leaf in my hand and immediately placed it on my forehead. I closed my eyes and felt around for my chakra once more. This time it was much easier to use it, allowing me to direct the flow into my forehead.


    I suddenly found the chakra running my neck and around my face. My cheeks blushed, the feeling foreign. It passed over my eyes without incident before meeting on my forehead. I scrunched my eyes, focusing on keeping the leap steady by using all the chakra I could muster to hold it there.


    And suddenly;


    Ping!


    The chakra flow became natural to me, it was like I didn''t have to tell it what to do anymore. I opened my eyes and looked at the box before me;


    You have created a new skill!


    Leaf concentration exercise, Lv- 1 (0%)


    By keeping a leaf stuck on your forehead thanks to chakara you now only help with your chakra control exercise but also improve your concentration.


    Uses: 20 CP per minute


    Leaves to hold up- 1


    +1 INT while active


    +1 CC permanent bonus per level


    Ping!


    You have gained +1 CC thanks to skill: Leaf concentration exercise!


    I looked at the box and grinned. ''Oh hell yes! This means I gain one permanent control point every f.u.c.k.i.n.g time I level up this thing! And what''s more, when it''s active I get a bonus of +1 INT! This is so freaking cool!''


    But the best part? It didn''t look like it had any limit! So now it''s time for me to train. I closed my eyes and focused on keeping the leaf on my forehead for as long as possible. Hopefully I can abuse the hell out of this system. I couldn''t help the smile forming on my face. This might not be that bad.


    Based on the popular, ''Life is a Video Game'' theme going around. I figured I might as well give Naruto a crack.


    I''ll have an update every week, including my other stories, The Spider and Percy J and the W of Magic.


    Also, the first four chapters of this story is already open an available on my website which you can find on my bio.


    Enjoy and please inform me in the reviews what you think about the story.

 Chapter 24 - My SI Stash #24 - DC Remastered Edition by Sir Lucifer Morningstar (DCU)

    -BEWARE: Story''s darker than the 177013. ©c(£þ§Õ£þ;)¥Î=3=3=3


    Sypnosis: A young man from earth is reborn into the DC universe with the powers of the gamer. Except, the circ.u.mstances of his reincarnation, are less than satisfactory. Dark Fic. DarkGamer!Fic. Eventual Antagonistic!Gamer.


    Rated: M


    Words: 148K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12805334/1/DC-Remastered-Edition (Sir Lucifer Morningstar)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    A Gamer DC story - honestly there are too few of those. This is my own spin on it, darkly done, of course.


    WARNING! You are reading a work written by the devil. M - Rated, possessing crude language and scenes, character death, murder, torture, and other possible acts of depravity. Not for the faint of heart, easily offended, or pussies.


    I would have preferred it if my new life in a new world had started off great.


    "Oh, god yes! Harder! Harder!"


    Being the child of a twenty year old nymphomaniac hooker, was arguably not the best start to a new life.


    "Oh, yes! Oh yes you filthy whore ¨C take my ¨C what the f.u.c.k?! There''s a goddamned baby in here!"


    I was surprised he noticed my presence, being silent in the crib as I was.


    "Oh, that''s ¨C ah ¨C just my ¨C oh f.u.c.k ¨C bastard son. You let them take off the condom once, and you get nine months of pain and a crying shitbag for it."


    Ouch. I had unusually thick skin, but that had hurt, even by my standards.


    "You''re a sick woman."


    "Pft. Coming from the sleazebag f.u.c.k.i.n.g me? Save your morality for your paraplegic wife."


    And then came the slaps. I would have sighed if my babyish lips were capable of doing it. Honestly, I thought she would have realized after the sixteenth time someone smacked her in the eye that it did not pay to be a smart ass when you were, in plain terms, a simple hooker.


    The beating ended, and a rather angry customer stormed off, though, not without at least tossing a fat stack of bills into the woman''s face.


    "This is for the kid. With any luck, he''ll live long enough to put you out of your misery."


    "Oh, a cheater with a conscience! Call the f.u.c.k.i.n.g Daily Bugle!"


    The door slammed shut, and once more, a pair of angry eyes turned into my direction.


    "This is all your fault you know."


    Actually, I was sure it was due to your own poor life choices, but, sadly, I could not speak, and thus, I said nothing.


    "Get pregnant for a while they said ¨C customers are into the b.r.e.a.s.t milk fetish they said, it''ll boost your average rates by over a hundred percent they said!" She growled, before, I once more heard the sound of liquid pouring into glass, and three guesses told me what it was.


    "If only I''d gotten rid of you sooner ¨C but no, I let you stay long enough, just long enough for any sort of procedure to get rid of you guaranteeing my death. F.u.c.k.i.n.g hell."


    She gulped down the drink, and once more, I remained silent, listening to her swallow down what sounded like three full bottles.


    "But", she said, her voice slurring slightly now, "At least ¨C you''re good company. You don''t cry much ¨C and though the diapers costs a small fortune, and your shit stinks up the place ¨C you''re good. You a good baby."


    I felt a pair of hands lifting me out of the small crib, allowing my eyes to truly focus on the blonde hair and cobalt blue eyes of the woman in front of me.


    "Heh ¨C it''s just you and me versus the world ¨C f.u.c.k everyone else ¨C f.u.c.k everything else ¨C you ¨C baby, you get me. You ¨C you''re still here, you''ll be here for your mama forever ¨C and I ¨C I won''t¡­ let¡­ anyone¡­ take¡­ you¡­"


    At least, she had the decency to place me back into the crib, before collapsing into it. Her open b.r.e.a.s.ts were exposed, and I knew, that unless I wanted to die, I needed sustenance. And so, I ignored her snores, sobs, incoherent mutterings, as my lips gathered around her suckle n.i.p.p.l.e, and I fed.


    Had I been any ordinary child, any ordinary baby ¨C I would have long since died from starvation and malnutrition, if not from the fact that my mother smoked and drank heavily, and it was clear in the acrid taste of the milk.


    But I wasn''t, and so, instead, I survived.


    And I intended to continue surviving.


    Through any means necessary.


    DC - Remastered Edition


    Belatedly, I knew, or I realized, that the reason I had not yet completely freaked out or gone insane or lost my mind at the lifestyle which I now lived, was due to the Gamer''s Mind skill. Likewise, the reason why I was not yet dead, was due to the Gamer''s Body. It was with these skills alone, that had aided me enough, so I could crawl on all fours by six months, and I was finally capable of walking at only one year old.


    I knew which world I was in, as it was hard not to, considering that I had heard the name of my city loud and clear, and unless there was another Gotham City that existed somewhere in the world, then I could not be mistaken.


    And considering the current state life, which would one day be considered as my ''backstory'' I would either become a great villain, or a great hero. For some reason, I was leaning towards the former.


    "Oh! Great job Isaac! You''re a really smart boy!"


    I smiled at the woman on whose lap I sat, as I solved basic arithmetic I could have completed in my sleep, and made her look at me with something akin to admiration.


    This would have been such a great, or normal moment for a child, had we not been in one of the back rooms of a strip club, and the woman in question wasn''t skimpily clad in a mini-skirt, topless, and did not have a roll of weed in her left hand.


    But at least, she wasn''t named Chastity.


    "Thanks Auntie Purity!"


    ¡­Shut up.


    "You know, I think your mother really ought to put you in school. You''d really blow them all away with that brain of yours!"


    There was a snort, which came from another stripper who had entered the room at that moment. So much b.o.o.b.s and skin right in front of me, but unfortunately, my body was not s.e.x.u.a.lly mature enough to have a reaction to any of it. Didn''t that suck?


    "You know why Eva won''t send the brat to school. All it''ll take will be one person figuring out what or who his mother does for a living before child services come knocking at her door."


    The woman sneered at me. "If it were up to me, I''d have dropped you off at the nearest orphanage right after your birth."


    "Ugh! That''s just rude!" Purity said.


    The woman flicked her eyes to her. "As if you wouldn''t have done the same. How many abortions have you had Purity? I stopped caring to count after the seventh one."


    "That doesn''t mean you can talk to him like that, or tell him straight to his face! He''s just a kid!"


    "And the sooner he learns how shitty the world is, the better." She snarled, before, I felt a hand grabbing me, forcing me off Purity''s lap.


    "Hey ¨C where are you taking him ¨C sto¨C"


    Her protests were cut short, as I was forced through the strip club, before I stood behind a curtain, the woman''s sharp fingered hands slamming down unto my shoulders.


    "Look ¨C over there ¨C"


    I did.


    I saw my mother.


    "There ¨C that''s your mother, riding a pole and making men hard just to get some cash. You see it? You see how well she does that? Well, remember it. Remember that. Because after she leaves here, some of those men are going to be f.u.c.k.i.n.g her hard, for some more cash."


    There was a sneer in the woman''s tone, and, idly, I wondered why she was showing me this. Wasn''t she also a stripper?


    "That cash is barely ever enough for her, but she splits it in half for you as well, starving and getting skinnier just so you can eat. F.u.c.k.i.n.g more and more men than even she can handle just to make sure you don''t starve."


    Oh.


    "So brat, you better remember, and you better be grateful."


    The gripping weight on my shoulder slowly left.


    I barely noticed when the woman had left, instead, my eyes were still focused on the woman in front of me. The woman who, now that I realized it, was twenty-one, the same age I had been before I had died. She was a child by all means, young, very, very young.


    And her skin shone with sweat, her b.r.e.a.s.ts and n.i.p.p.l.es heaved in the air, a metal pole pressed against her legs and thighs, as she shot out a sultry look to a group of men disgustingly older. Their applauses and catcalls were dulled in my ears, as I gazed upon the woman, and slowly, steadily, my lungs burned and a thick heavy lump buried itself in my throat.


    I would only later realize, that this burning sensation, was anger.


    MISSION UNLOCKED!


    Pulling Your Own Weight!


    Your mother is a young, talented, and extremely beautiful woman, who is wasting away her life as a cheap stripper and hooker in Gotham City''s slums, and is barely making enough for herself, let alone for the both of you. Help her out by attaining enough money to steer her off this path of life, and truly become a better person.


    Objective: -


    Attain $100,000 Dollars via any means necessary


    Bonus Objectives: -


    Attain $250,000 Dollars


    Attain $500,000 Dollars


    Attain $1,000,000 Dollars


    Time Limit:


    Before your mother turns Twenty-Five


    (Four Years)


    Rewards:


    10,000 EXP


    Additional 25,000 EXP Per Bonus Objective


    Increased Standards of Living


    Greatly Increased Reputation with your Mother


    Greatly Increased Affection with your Mother


    Accept?


    (Yes)


    (No)


    Taking a deep, filling breath, I hit the accept button without a single regret.


    Four years? They gave me four years to make a hundred thousand dollars? I actually chuckled under my breath.


    No. I could not stand this sight for that long. I would make that money in the next one week.


    Had I been any other person, any normal child, this would have been an impossible task, but, I wasn''t. I had the brain of a twenty-one year old from a different dimension, from a dimension in which granted me knowledge about some of the secrets and details about the world I was currently in. With this knowledge, there would be nothing that would stand in my way.


    In a world where gods walked the earth as mortal men, I would become a legend.


    And I would do it ¨C


    For my mother.

 Chapter 25 - My SI Stash #25 - Land of the Dead by Brian Boru (Highschool of the Dead)

    -IDK but this guy talking his talk on his religion makes me laugh so hard.


    SI Highschool of the Dead really be hitting different fr


    **not one of those fanfic where MC gets superpowers and terminates all zombies, MC just a normal human being albeit with meta knowledge ofcourse cause SI**


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 100K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/land-of-the-dead-highschool-of-the-dead-si.342652/ (Brian Boru)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    AN: Constructive criticism and or volunteering Betaing is appreciated and will be acted upon.


    One year, it had been a VERY long year since I''d found myself in the land of the Rising sun, with no memory of how I''d gotten here, doc.u.mentation indicating that I was a Custodian at some high-end high school in a city whose name I didn''t recognize.


    Today was actually the anniversary of the day I''d found myself in a dingy apartment with a custodial uniform in one corner and a note attached to it. Written in Japanese script, which I found to my shock that I understood perfectly, was a short letter explaining that I was now a Janitor for some place called Fujimi high, all doc.u.mentation was taken care of and I even had a bank account. It was the end of the note that made a chill crawl up my spine that day.


    One Year Ago


    "Please be sure to bring the items found in your closet one year from now to your school. You will need them."


    Hesitantly I had opened the small closet and a cold, hard knot formed in my stomach when I saw sitting at the bottom of the closet three things. An ax, a spear, and a shield. Why in God''s Name did I need weapons like that, I had no clue but if ROB, as I''m sure ROB had something to do with my situation, said I would need them, then I had better listen to what he had to say.


    Shutting the closet I had dressed myself glanced into the mirror...which had brought me to a complete stop yet again.


    "What the fu...?" I had muttered staring at a small mirror hanging in on one of the walls of my apartment.


    I....looked like myself...sort of... a more apt description is if I had visited one of those caricature artists like they had back at Six Flags, only the caricaturist was replaced with a Japanese style artist and had made me into a cartoon character....though, much more detailed than any that I''d seen in my entire life. I was leaner than I''d ever been in my entire life. Lifting my shirt I noticed that the sheathing of fat I''d carried for pretty much my entire life was...gone....replaced with hard muscle. I wasn''t model lean by any shape but I looked more like a miniature linebacker than the pint-sized offensive lineman I was before....


    "Damn...looking good..." I''d muttered to myself. Even IF this didn''t make up for the fact that I''d been ripped from my home and life...it was a start.


    Pushing it out of my head I headed out of my building and glanced in the direction of my job....about a stone-throw away from my new home...convenient. Glancing under the stairwell I noticed the moped I apparently had a key for....never had one of those before...but shouldn''t be too hard to learn to ride.


    Locking the door behind me I''d trotted along at a sedate pace, my mind a flurry of questions. So deep I was in my thoughts I''d failed to notice something else about my new...home. In fact I failed to notice said trait until I was walking through the student parking lot when the driver side door of a little bug car happened to open and I stopped dead in my tracks...


    Blonde hair was the first thing that stood out. Bright as the sun and long enough to reach a gloriously formed posterior. Then this glorious tribute to feminine beauty turned around to face me. Amber eyes that seemed to glitter with bubbly happiness. A perfectly formed face that seemed to permanently smile and light up everything around it. Oh yeah and a bosom that''d make Anna Nicole in her prime feel self-conscious.


    Apparently I''d been staring for a while when a horn honked right next to me. I nearly jumped out of my skin and scrambled out of the way of teacher trying to get to their parking place. I caught a glance of dark hair and glasses before the car passed by me.


    I heard a female voice giggling. I turned my head back towards the focus of my attention. Apparently the woman about my age had seen the entire affair and had been amused by my antics.


    I could feel my face going red as I chuckled weakly. "Thank-you, I''ll be here all week." I replied as if I''d been doing a comedy routine.


    That set her laughing even harder, her shoulders actually shaking a bit....along with other things. "You''re funny Sir. Oh but are you alright?" Even her voice was a wonder to hear...I was starting to wonder if I had a problem...


    "Yeah, I''m fine. Just scared me out of a year of growth is all." I managed to sputter out.


    "Are you sure? Because your face is all red." The blonde bombshell walked around her car and actually pulled that stunt with the hand and the forehead. Unfortunately, or fortunately, that also meant that certain somethings were rather....close, nearly pressing into my chest really. A small corner of my mind noted that we were nearly of a height, she being just a hair shorter than me at about 5''8''''.


    "N-no really I''m alright just had a scare is all." I had finally managed to sputter out, and backed up just slightly so as not to intrude on her personal space.


    She smiled and said, "If you insist but if you don''t feel alright later you can come see me, I''m studying to be a doctor and I could use the practice."


    "Thank-you Miss, kind of you. Oh where are my manners, I''m Tom Brody" I managed to sputter out, "I''m the new Custodian here."


    She bowed in return. "My name is Marikawa Shizuka. I''m the School Nurse here. I''m also new. It''s my first day actually. I hope I''ll be able to find the nurse''s office."


    A detailed map of the school flashed in my mind, well Fortune Favors the Bold and all that.


    "I think I can help there. I kinda had to learn every nook and cranny of this place when I started here. I can take you to the nurse''s office before I head down to mine." Really just a glorified broom closet my implanted memories said but I wasn''t about to say that out loud.


    That brilliant smile snapped right into place, "Oh thank-you!" I think my heart skipped a beat.


    "Not a problem, the least I could do really. Us newbies have to stick together right?" I managed to say without getting tongue-tied.


    "I guess you have a point, lead the way Brody-san."


    With that I turned and headed into the building, Miss Shizuka behind me, a chipper smile on her face.


    As I guided the two of us through the large school a niggling familiarity began worm its way through my mind. This all seemed really familiar. The names, and the young lady moving up to walk next to me, I felt like I knew them from somewhere.


    Then it struck like a thunder-clap I knew where I was and what was going to happen in a year and why I needed those weapons when it happened.


    I managed to cut off a curse before Miss Shizuka noticed the change in my demeanor. A quickly plastered smile covered the growing terror that rose us from my soul. Then a sort of resolve seemed to harden as I headed down the hallway that held the Nurse''s office.


    "Well here''s your office Marikawa-san. "If you need anything or help finding a room I''ll be on the first floor by the stairs, can''t miss it."I hope you have a good day." I gave her a slightly clumsy bow.


    "Thank-you Brody-san. I hope we''ll meet again soon. Us newbies have to stick together right?" Marikawa echoed my own words and returned the bow, then headed into her office.


    I smiled again then headed down to my office. I knew why ROB had armed me and given me a year. I needed to prepare.

 Chapter 26 - My SI Stash #26 - Flash SI: Whats A Speedster To Do? by Slicksick (The Flash)

    -Fun enough to read, a mixture of Arrowverse and Comics ?( ? )? Gnite gamers, comment down where y''all from (I''m from France)


    Synopsis: Our SI gets himself tossed into some dark corner of the DC-52 Universe into the body of one Barry Allen, otherwise known as the Flash. So what is our confused and pragmatic character to do? Toss out the script, make some changes, and see who he can screw with without coming off as some diabolical Chessmaster. And without pissing off Batman as well.


    Rated: M


    Words: 74K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12931502/1/Flash-SI-What-s-A-Speedster-To-Do (Slicksick)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    This is mostly a prequel as it were to the ''Justice League'' cartoon timeline but it uses the Arrow-verse as a launching point. Granted, some events don''t really line up (Martian Manhunter a prime example), but I think it could be done.


    Hopefully, this doesn''t turn into a serious fic. I wanted this to be sort of a lighter toned story, what with an SI who has common sense and knowledge of the world he is now in to alter it for the better.


    Still, maybe you readers will enjoy it. For now, I will leave it as it is.


    "¡­ please check your bags, the train will be arriving to Starling City within the hour."


    I woke up in shock, covered in sweat, from what felt like a nightmare.


    Flashes only ¨C darkness, followed by a light, maybe a gate¡­ a pale woman dressed in black, a girl with crazy hair and madness in her eyes¡­ a man with a weird book in chains, shaking his head in annoyance¡­ a few other figures behind them as well.


    A strange being wearing a mask with multiple faces circling his head.


    A wall in what appeared to be space made of some strange stone, with faces and bodies making it up, almost like they were guarding something.


    A kaleidoscope show as I fell down a tunnel, floating through some storm, whispers in my ear.


    Finally, a glowing hand reached out to me and¡­ nothing.


    I looked around, realized I was sitting in an empty booth on a moving train.


    Trains were still a thing?


    No one paid attention to my panicked awakening. Granted, most were busy doing things, like reading or working on their laptops.


    My hand went to my forehead, wiping off the sweat.


    Panic again ¨C not my hair. Too short and spiky. I had longer hair, smoother.


    Checked my hand ¨C not mine either. Wrong calluses, fingers too long. Nails weren''t chewed due to nervous tick.


    Noticed the smell as well. Reminded me too much of a hospital room, what with the antiseptics and chemicals.


    Looked down - clothing choices off as well. Too bright, I preferred neutral colors.


    Wait ¨C Starling City? Shit¡­


    Hand in the left pocket ¨C thank god, still right-handed - and checked the ID.


    Nice, wallet filled with cash. ID, ID,¡­ Found it.


    Bartholomew Henry Allen.


    Shit.


    Noticed the face ¨C I look like Grant Gustin.


    Except I have blond hair and blues eyes.


    Not the worst combination ¨C definitely a plus in my corner. I wasn''t a looker before.


    Really odd when on Grant''s face. Fits the comic book character though.


    Wait, comic?


    I checked the phone. No Apple logo ¨C Wayne Tech. Huh, made sense. Is Steve Jobs still a thing though? What about Pixar?


    Pin in the thought: did I override Barry or is this reincarnation?


    As if on command, a memory dump of Barry''s life went through my head.


    Huh ¨C I know chemistry and criminology now. Cool.


    Must be what Neo felt like. Thank God Matrix is still a thing here.


    Damn, was Barry a beta personality? Maybe becoming a hero gave him the personality boost he needed.


    Popular culture mostly same here compared to back home. Big shots were still around. Thank God Kubrick and Spielberg were universal.


    Stephenie Meyer is also around. What is she, death proof like her sparkling emo vampires?


    The good TV shows and cartoons were also present, so plus in that corner. Don''t think I can get rid of my addiction just yet.


    Damn, no "West Wing" in this Universe. More seasons of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" though. Got to remember to check what other differences there are.


    Huh¡­ Metropolis is in this universe. Not Arrow-verse then. Got to be careful then. I never bothered reading comics or paying attention to names. Big shots I knew, but small details and timeline? Not so much.


    I blame the cartoons ¨C they were more entertaining.


    Shows were okay.


    On the other hand, no legal issues about using all of the Justice League.


    Superman has been active for slightly longer then Arrow. Means Supergirl is maybe a year or two away. Math works ¨C alien invasion crossover was three seasons later for Arrow and Supergirl had to be active for a while before that.


    Can''t visit though, Manhunter would be an issue. How the hell do you explain this to an alien? Actually, is Manhunter in this reality? I mean, it looks like Arrow-verse, but could it be more in line with comic and cartoons where John is captured and experimented? Questions for later.


    Oh, got to remember that aliens are the norm in certain parts then ¨C unless it''s different here. Damn, and here I thought I would find an alien bar in Central City.


    On the other hand ¨C meta aliens. Can that even happen? Sure, some aliens weren''t exactly humanoid, but DNA is DNA and it''s not like dark matter cares.


    No Batman, however. Or is it?


    Quick Google search for Gotham ¨C yep, suspected sightings, but Harvey Dent is still DA. So before the timeline of the cartoon then, but he is active.


    Is it weird Google is multiversal?


    Don''t care. Just be glad it exists. Maybe I should invest in Bruce''s company then.


    Okay, priority check. I am Barry now ¨C memories, warts and all.


    Thank god he wasn''t a v.i.r.g.i.n before Iris.


    That would have been disturbing.


    More active in college then I expected though. Guess innocent, clumsy, and friendly does get you laid, even if you aren''t the girl next door type.


    And, eww. Yeah, that''s changing right off the bat. How in the right mind did he not realize how weird it was to fall in love with your sister? I mean, sure, no blood shared but still. It reeks of i.n.c.e.s.t and makes Barry look like a stalker.


    Which he was ¨C he found her diary more then once ¨C if we consider his photo collection. Thank god they were all innocent family and friend gatherings only.


    Got to remember to get rid of the unnecessary ones.


    Thank god that''s not going to be an issue. Always felt like she was a Mary Sue.


    Speaking of which¡­


    Is Oliver dating Felicity yet? She dated him after Palmer, which was post Season 3. She even lived with him for some time when Season 4 started¡­


    I get that this isn''t the Arrow-verse but yeah, not letting Oliver stick his d.i.c.k in crazy.


    If crazy is defined as a hypocritical, commanding, inconsistent, ungrateful, and basically, undeserving person.


    Suck on that Oliver-Felicity shippers!


    Seriously, Oliver should have smacked her down hard every time she questioned his command or went against his orders or behind his back. He was in charge, damn it.


    Unnecessary drama indeed.


    Granted, Diggle and others didn''t say anything either, but I think they were following his lead.


    Still, anyone is better than Felicity. Hell, even Nyssa was a better option. Or even Mr. Terrific ¨C he was literally one of the smartest men on the planet in the cartoon.


    I think he works for Queen Consolidated somewhere in tech. Damn my spotty memory.


    Granted, I was hoping Oliver would end up with Laurel. Nothing against Sarah ¨C just sticking to continuity. Not going to be playing Cupid though: the heart wants what the heart wants.


    Plus, she belongs with the Legends.


    Just as long as it''s not Felicity.


    Wonder if I can snag her X-axis bi-numeric algorithm before Waller does?


    Waller¡­


    If she''s skinny in this reality, I have no chance.


    If she''s large and in charge like the cartoons¡­ maybe. Was she manipulative and borderline lawful evil? Yes. But at least the cartoon one had damn good reasons and was redeemable. Say what you will about the government, but at times, a deterrent is needed.


    If she''s skinny? All bets are off. Either Oliver gets her or I do when I become the Flash.


    Now there''s a thought. What to do with Thawne?


    Never understood why Eddie had to kill himself to end Eobard. Was vasectomy really not an option? I get it was a TV show, but still, practicality and pragmatism is a better option.


    Jesus, I am depressing. How the hell am I going to pass off as the chipper Barry?


    Oh wait, got all his memories, can fake it for now and transition with time. Panic over. Plus, I am just considering all the potential ramifications of me replacing the overly trusting Barry.


    Again, damn depressing.


    Still¡­ S.T.A.R Labs¡­ F.u.c.k, Gideon! That future seeing A.I will show that Harrison Well''s impersonator that I don''t ¨C wait a minute.


    In the show, Gideon revealed that she was built by Barry. She even prioritized his commands over Eobard''s. I wonder¡­ is time affected by though and choices here or are there fixed points?


    Damn it¡­ I doubt Eobard will care who I end up with since he needs the Flash, not Barry Allen-West.


    Still¡­


    Okay, I''ll just remember and convince myself to program Gideon in the future to not tell Eobard if the future has changed. Either it works, or it doesn''t.


    Does his memory change though? Savitar''s did when Barry tried to erase his own ow shit¡­


    Speed Force time machinations don''t follow the usual laws of causality and effect. Eobard is exhibit A, B, and Z.


    Wait¡­ not speedster yet. Magic? Act of God? Either way, I am a ripple in the bond, but a ripple that won''t affect the memory of other time travelers.


    Could that work?


    It would freak out Well''s.


    Wonder if Rip Hunter will make an earlier appearance?


    Will Savitar appear who has the other Barry''s memories and become confused with what is happening? Could always pass it off as an alternative reality.


    Well''s is probably watching me anyway, so he knows I am going to Starling City, meaning I will meet the Arrow.


    I still become the Flash after I come back.


    Is that weird of me? I am somehow Barry Allen, meaning either the old me died and reincarnated, or someone is screwing with me for shits and/or giggles.


    DC Universe does have some OP beings in it¡­ is it wrong that I want to meet Dream?


    Did I meet Morpheus already? Oh my god, I AM NEO! This is the Matrix!


    Neil Gaiman be damned, I want to see the Endless!


    Okay, back paddle here.


    It''s season two of Arrow so Brother Blood and Slade.


    Yeah, not touching that with a ten-foot pole.


    I don''t have Speed Force given abs yet. No way am I tough enough to mess with the Terminator of all people.


    Although...


    I wonder how much damage I can do to continuity in a few days.


    Arrow Season 2 Episode 8 and 9 later¡­


    I was running out of time ¨C the irony not lost on me.


    It was raining cats and dogs, Linda Park was on the news talking about the accelerator being turned on.


    Wait, Linda Park. In the comics, she marries Wally West, the ''fastest'' Flash. Does that still apply in this universe? Probably not for much longer. I mean, I am going to be the progenitor of the Flash legacy.


    I checked, no Jay Garrick in this timeline. That''s sad.


    Anyway¡­


    And I have planted so many seeds in Team Arrow that I amaze myself with how easy it was.


    Let''s recap.


    For convenience sake.


    No bragging, just facts.


    Quick detour¡­


    Cyrus Gold was still given Mirakuru and still died from chemical exposure. Whether or not he becomes Solomon Grundy is up to the universe.


    Now for the important stuff.


    I stuck to my charming personality and kept to the script as close as I could follow ¨C with some exceptions ¨C since while I now have Barry''s ''super brain,'' no way can I recall line for line what happened.


    I am just not that kind of guy ¨C seeing the good in people unconditionally. Oh, I can be a beacon of light to Oliver''s darkness, but some people are just unredeemable and/or not worth keeping around.


    Doesn''t mean I am going to kill anyone though, that not practical or good for PR. Plus, as much as I hate to admit it, Batman has a point: killing is the easy way out and makes us no better then the criminals heroes go to capture. Is the justice system flawed on some level? Yes. But it''s the best thing we have to legally put away criminals.


    Doesn''t mean we can''t get close to the line.


    Breaking an arm is an excellent negative reinforcer. It heals with time if set correctly and if not completely shattered, and criminals at least get the warning that you can do worse. Others follow after hearing about your actions.


    Hanging someone off the roof or threatening them with super strength is also a plus.


    Crippling someone seems like a last resort.


    By that logic, Oliver and Batman have the right idea, but such tactics don''t work on the super-powered and insane.


    I wonder how many people experience a crisis of faith or a philosophical debate whenever the death penalty came up regarding supervillains that weren''t clinically insane.


    It''s the only reason I figure as to how Joker remained alive in the source material.


    This requires more consideration. I don''t want to kill just because someone is going to be a more significant threat in the future ¨C this is a different universe.


    I''ve already made some changes in any case.


    Big change is that I didn''t romance Felicity. Don''t care who she went to the gala with, or if she went at all.


    Took advantage of the extra time to look into Sebastian Blood.


    Father Trigon was real but human ¨C wonder if Raven still exists in this world.


    Coincidence be damned, I am in a comic book universe.


    Can''t remember her human name ¨C damn.


    Google search showed that Constantine is around, so magic is real. Can I do magic? Again, questions for later.


    Speed Force is a tricky thing, and magic is technically a manipulation of energy, albeit in shall we say, a supernatural way.


    I don''t know if the series made the characters dumber or something, but finding out about Sebastian''s mother ¨C or his ''aunt'' ¨C was suspiciously easy.


    Back to the case.


    Sebastian Blood got off surprisingly easy.


    For anyone schooled in forensics and completely unbiased, it was ridiculously obvious. I mean, I get he was from the Glades, but seriously? It was a father, mother, and son in one room, and the father was killed from a low angle. Was it so hard to believe the son did it considering the rap sheet daddy dearest had? That and abused wives are rarely the ones to pull the trigger, as it were.


    I say rarely because some do break the mold.


    Kept the info on the side for now.


    Used Barry''s hidden hacking skills ¨C and wasn''t that a surprise - and with the help of Felicity''s set up ¨C which she gave the password too while she tried flirting with me ¨C I managed to quickly backtrack Cyrus''s travel history and find the Church of Blood.


    Added that to the folder.


    Remembered to call Barry''s boss to use some of my sick days to explain why I wasn''t working. Singh gave me some grief, but Barry saved up quite of a few of those, so he gave him slack since I did, in fact, call in.


    Where was I?


    Sneaking in? Much harder. Had to do it in daytime ¨C no one expects to get robbed during the day. Apparently, neither did Brother Blood. I mean, who expects to find a hoard of bodies hidden underneath the Zandia Orphanage due to failed experiments?


    I''m just surprised there weren''t any cameras there either. Granted, I used the back door, but with Slade being so paranoid in the show, I figured he would have done something along those lines.


    There was a guard or two, but my teenage years of playing RPG and assassination games paid off.


    A stun gun helped. Didn''t use it, but it felt comforting carrying it. Odd how Barry had a stun gun but no gun permit. Something to consider in the future. Would Batman have a hissy fit if he realized on his superhero associates was carrying? Granted, I was ''technically'' a cop, so I doubt he would disagree.


    The goons they used were thick as bricks. Didn''t even need to exploit the ''no one looks up'' glitch.


    Trust me, it always works. Ninjas were just the first to exploit it.


    Found their indoctrination room easily enough. Boy was there a lot of blood on the floor. Just how low was the survival rate for the drug? What is this, Orochimaru''s laboratory?


    Reference works, ''Naruto'' exist in this universe.


    Where was I? Oh, right.


    I stole a rack of Mirakuru.


    A whole f.u.c.k.i.n.g rack.


    There were 12 bottles.


    I hyperventilated all the way back to my motel room, carrying them all, making sure they didn''t crack or break.


    Bought a special foam case to carry them back afterward. Drank a few shots of scotch in a bar down the street while I had the chance. Super metabolism wasn''t going to let me get drunk after the storm.


    Still got called in to save Oliver. Didn''t act like some start struck idiot, managed to impress Diggle and Oliver. Set off something fierce in Felicity. Guess she didn''t like it when she wasn''t the center of attention.


    Convinced him to catch me up to speed with what was happening. Made some recommendations about layer defenses and trick arrows if Oliver didn''t want to kill people anymore. Made the domino mask too ¨C gave to him before I left.


    He actually considered the foam and knockout arrows I suggested. Boxing glove ¨C not so much.


    Diggle did throw in the notion of a sonic arrow to compensate.


    I ''conveniently'' showed him the evidence I gathered regarding Blood. During his shock, I explained how I found odd crimes interesting ¨C gave him Barry''s backstory about his mom''s murder and Dad''s conviction ¨C so we had a bro moment.


    We even hugged it out.


    Oliver is a really nice guy when you get through his thick exterior.


    Had to explain how the appearance of the Hoods was odd, followed by some back timestamped bullshit, curiosity in the sudden rise of Sebastian, and bibbity bobbity boop, I give him my theory about who really killed his dad.


    The Father Trigon rumors helped.


    The look Oliver gave Felicity was beautiful. So much subtext, so little time to explain.


    But I will.


    To sum up, if I, a simple forensic scientist managed to deduce this with information by hacking public and police force records, why couldn''t Felicity have done it sooner?


    Finishing move? I asked why only Felicity could hack and use computers, causing Diggle to jokingly say that Oliver used to be good with computers in the beginning.


    Seeds planted.


    Add in Oliver hallucinating from my treatment and his attack on Brother Blood ¨C he didn''t voice his suspicions about his identity, thank god ¨C and Oliver''s psyche was ripe for planting.


    Pump-action shotgun moment.


    I asked him if he always let Felicity lead the missions or if it was a onetime thing since he needed the layout of the base.


    Felicity wasn''t in the room when I asked, but Diggle was. I left afterward, but I think the duo had a chat about it.


    Met Roy and Thea by chance since I was invited to the mansion this time around. Saw a picture of Oliver''s parents. Made a joke about Thea''s dark hair and everyone''s light hair.


    Made sure their mom wasn''t around.


    Oliver smiled, but I saw the thought go through his head. His mom was already in cahoots with Malcolm during the Undertaking, and his parents'' marriage was never stable and steady.


    It would hurt Thea, but Oliver will always love her, and she had Roy.


    Her mom ¨C that was up to the wolves. Or Slade in this case. I don''t think Oliver will have much trouble killing her off for Thea when Slade will give him the choice.


    The realization that Malcolm was her father wasn''t going to ruin Thea this time.


    And the pi¨¨ce de r¨¦sistance


    I was there when Oliver was talking about Mirakuru ¨C I already had it my motel room at this point in time ¨C but I kept my silence. I waited till he stopped hallucinating and right before I left to ask him who else knew about the drug. I didn''t ask him what happened on the island ¨C I didn''t force him, plus he just got to trusting me ¨C but I did point out that once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.


    Ergo, I asked him who could have possibly survived to know about Mirakuru from his past.


    It wasn''t a long list.


    I left him my phone number and email so that he could call me and just talk about his problems. Based on how much I already ''helped'' him out with my fresh outlook, I think he will.


    One train ride to Central City later and the pilot episode case began.


    Gave Iris the same spiel Barry did regarding what the accelerator can do for the understanding of physics, where the fecal matter was found to Joe (Mardon brothers), and went to the S.T.A.R Labs presentation with Iris to help for her article.


    Chatted with Iris, listened to Well''s speech, spotted DeVoe¡­


    Now there''s a thought.


    Nah, left him alone. He doesn''t become an issue until four seasons later, and he only gets dangerous after he starts body-hopping.


    Moving on.


    Went to the precinct after I tried playing hero, saw Eddie Thawne, might have jokingly told Iris to ask him out, got a weird look from her afterward.


    Guess she noticed me pushing her away.


    I hope this doesn''t turn into a case of her wanting me more just because I don''t want her anymore.


    And scene.


    I didn''t get a call from Felicity like in the show. She''s probably getting the stink eye from Oliver and Diggle right about now. I entered my lab, noticing the wet floor and storm outside.


    The news was playing, showing how the accelerator was about to be turned on.


    Wait, I said that already, so I am back on track.


    And in my hand, I had a vial of Mirakuru.


    I managed to hide the rest of the vials in Barry''s secret p.o.r.n stash ¨C the one Joe knew about was a decoy ¨C and brought one with me here.


    Noted that Barry''s s.e.x.u.a.l tastes were rather¡­ diverse.


    It''s always the quiet ones.


    Anyway¡­


    Comics always make it out that people becoming heroes was their destiny, so why couldn''t I add Mirakuru to the Speed Force mix?


    Not like Speed Force didn''t already throw the rules of physics out the proverbial window. Plus, I was here for a reason.


    And the power went out.


    "Showtime."


    With great gusto, I prepped the needle and inserted it but didn''t push the solution in just yet. As soon as I saw the explosion, I injected myself and grabbed the chains to the ceiling windows, making sure to tie them around my arms.


    Turns out, the show was underselling as to how painful it was.


    My inside felt like they were on fire, blood boiling, head in a vice, tears of blood.


    It was so bad that I didn''t notice the chemical mixtures starting to levitate; all my focus was on me holding the chains.


    And then the lightning struck, propelling me into the chemicals when it connected to me.


    There are no words to describe the feeling.


    It wasn''t euphoria nor was it nirvana or something along the lines of enlightenment.


    There was just¡­ serenity, backed up by the feeling of being one with the moment, of watching and swimming through time.


    This must be how animals feel every day: no past or future, just the now.


    I didn''t pass out either.


    Shoes were ruined ¨C what with the hole and all ¨C and my shirt was ripped.


    My right arm had a ridiculous scar going across it all the way to my shoulder. Guess rapping metal around the arm was a bad idea. Whether or not it would heal is up to debate.


    Doubt it ¨C a price needs to be paid for toying with fate to such degree.


    I had the pleasure of seeing the world slow around me while I maintained relative motion.


    I waved my hand in front of my face, noticing my veins glow a weird orange-yellow color.


    Groovy.


    I looked around, walking forward, leaving a weird blur behind me.


    Everything¡­ just stopped.


    Not even moving ridiculously slowly, just stopped.


    Was I willing myself to go that much faster than Barry initially could?


    Was it the Mirakuru?


    Looked around ¨C no hallucinations. Touched my eyes ¨C no blood.


    Did I burn it out? Was my body so hot that it evaporated?


    Unlikely, but this is dark matter and exotic particles I was messing with here. Who knows how it reacted with the drug.


    Pause ¨C are Gang Babies going to be a thing in this reality too? I always did like Static.


    Wait, I am not passed out.


    I ran to the window, which was WEIRD. Time didn''t move any faster, and I seemed to just¡­ appear.


    No weird hand running motion or anything.


    This was going to be tricky to get used to. Feels like I just¡­ willed me there. Reminded me how Savitar traveled through that weird tunnel when moving.


    Checked the shoes. Yep, burned. Should I run barefoot? Nah, maybe I should figure out the Speed Force trick to prevent friction from gathering on me.


    At least that''s how they explained it in the comics. How else was Flash supposed to run around the city at Mach speeds without blowing anything and anyone away or shattering glass from sonic booms?


    The Speed Force helped, duh.


    Help¡­


    I noticed that the accelerator explosion was actually moving ridiculously slowly. Guess I didn''t stop time.


    I can''t change everything but still¡­


    I found my phone on my desk ¨C no way was I letting it get struck by lightning.


    I wonder¡­


    I raised my hand, focusing on the feeling I was experiencing, trying to tap into Flash Time. Eventually, with some trial and error, I managed to make lightning arc between my fingers. Very gingerly, I cusped my phone. With some hesitance, I charged it.


    And as luck would have it, it started working in my time.


    Smiling ¨C and silently thanking the Speed Force deities ¨C I connected my earphones and went to music.


    Cause YouTube didn''t work ¨C not even 3G was that fast.


    I flipped through Barry''s music and found the appropriate song for my first outing as the Flash.


    "Take me away, Jim Croce."


    "If I could save time in a bottle


    The first thing that I''d like to do


    Is to save every day


    ''Til eternity passes away


    Just to spend them with you¡­"


    It took me longer then I would have liked ¨C even at super speed ¨C to locate the right warehouse, but I found it.


    Right on time thankfully.


    Hahaha ¨C time joke from a speedster.


    Sean Sonus and his associate were distracted by the explosion, while Dinah Drake and Vincent Sobel were in their midsts.


    I walked smiling to Sobel, untying his arms. I noticed the gun muzzle had just gone off. I picked the bullet out of the way and threw it at the man who was going to remove their fingers.


    Wonder if the bullet motion will continue? Probably. I don''t think I can just remove the energy and motion put into the bullet ¨C for now.


    I checked Vincent ¨C bullet didn''t even penetrate his skin. Burns were still likely due to the muzzle of the gun being so close, but not threatening.


    I looked at Dinah. She already started screaming. It must seem like that Vincent got shot in real time.


    Still, she should become a Black Canary. Vincent though¡­ his future as Vigilante is unlikely now. Super healing may not be in his future anymore, but something adrenaline related may be possible.


    They have each other, so I doubt they will take the self-destructive route.


    With what I have done to Team Arrow, I doubt she will even consider becoming Black Canary.


    Still, happy endings for all.


    "If I could make days last forever


    If words could make wishes come true


    I''d save every day like a treasure and then,


    Again, I would spend them with you¡­"


    Ran to the farm this time.


    Saw the plane explosion. I know both brothers survive but still, odd they both got weather powers.


    Bigger issues.


    Found Joe and his partner Detective Chyre. I kneeled. The show was right ¨C shot in the neck and bleeding badly, even with Joe''s help to cover and tie up the wound.


    I may not be able to save everyone due to the explosion, but at least in this reality, there will be one less death today.


    I flexed a finger and vibrated it ¨C harder than it looks, trust me ¨C and touched it carefully to the hole. As expected, it burned the skin and sealed it.


    Hard to tell under all the blood. Made sure bullet wasn''t in there, but it was a clear shot ¨C passed straight through.


    I could have stopped there, but I decided to carry both to the nearest hospital to the waiting room.


    I made sure they were covered by my field but not part of my relative time stream.


    Don''t think I could do that trick to living things yet.


    Huh, I just realized it''s the same hospital Barry would be brought to.


    "But there never seems to be enough time


    To do the things you want to do


    Once you find them


    I''ve looked around enough to know


    That you''re the one I want to go


    Through time with¡­"


    Who holds a football game in December? Also, how the hell is it raining in December? Where was Central City anyway?


    Doesn''t matter ¨C found Jax.


    I may not be a sports fan, but even I understand how much a good scholarship can help a person. Chances are, he will still get the ability to become Firestorm, but at least this time he will be in college.


    I allowed the wave to hit him, but I carried him away to somewhere much safer and softer ¨C no torn ACL for him.


    I checked for injuries to make sure.


    Everyone deserved a chance at happiness.


    "If I had a box just for wishes


    And dreams that had never come true


    The box would be empty


    Except for the memory


    Of how they were answered by you¡­"


    The panic outside the S.T.A.R Labs made an interesting sight when viewed in slow motion. Like something Picasso would draw except not abstract.


    Quick memory check - yes, Picasso exists here.


    I walked to the alleyway where Stein was located when he fused with Ronnie. The Firestorm Matrix was already active since it was Ronnie on the ground in Stein''s clothes and an open case next to them.


    I was in a quandary here.


    I could take Ronnie closer to Caitlin so she could find him, but it would be Stein in control, not her fianc¨¦.


    I decided to choose the lesser of two evils and take him to the nearest hospital ¨C a different one to Joe''s ¨C but made sure to remove the wallet.


    It would be confusing when Caitlin gets called in when they ID him, but she is a scientist ¨C she will be able to handle it when Stein is in charge.


    Hopefully.


    Just realized something: is Superman going to stop by and help the city?


    Doubt it, what with politics and all that jazz being involved.


    Best not to be dragged down by the details.


    I ran back and found Hartley as well. Nothing I could do with him: he only gets better personality-wise after he attacks Harrison, or Thawne in this case.


    Although¡­


    Yeah¡­ it could work. If the cards are played right¡­


    Decision made, I carried him back to his home ¨C I checked his ID for the location ¨C and put him to bed. I quickly unplugged anything electronic that could make a sound and soundproofed the apartment the best I could.


    His super-hearing was going to be a bitch, but at least he won''t wake up with a pounding headache.


    Just in case, I ran to a Best Buy and stole the best looking pair of sound canceling headphones and put them on his head.


    I may be interfering too much in his case ¨C and he will realize someone helped him ¨C but he needs it more than the others.


    "But there never seems to be enough time


    To do the things you want to do


    Once you find them


    I''ve looked around enough to know


    That you''re the one I want to go


    Through time with¡­"


    Last but not least the main characters.


    Cisco and Caitlin were currently in the middle of the air, either due to an explosion or jumping for cover, I don''t know.


    Caitlin was crying which was expected ¨C she still though Ronnie was locked up below and probably dead.


    Cisco was holding her, trying to shield them. Good man ¨C friend to the end.


    I noticed the wave was nowhere near them.


    Guess they got the exposure over time since they continue working at S.T.A.R Labs.


    I grabbed them both and started carrying them away.


    I just realized that I was comfortably carrying to fully grown humans like it was nothing.


    Adrenaline and Speed Force be damned ¨C the Mirakuru worked!


    Hell yeah!


    Wonder what else it did to me. Well, besides the apparent super speed boost and somewhat instinctual application of my powers.


    Worryingly, I check my reflection in one of the buildings none shattered panels.


    No accelerated aging, thank god.


    Still¡­ must be some price.


    I''ll carry out the tests later. I''ll have more than enough time since Barry won''t be in a coma this time around.


    I walked outside and gently placed them outside the building. For insurance sake, I left the business card I picked up from the hospital lobby I dropped Stein at in Caitlyn''s pocket.


    I was being cautious, not stupid.


    Curiously, I noticed some white in Caitlyn''s hair.


    Huh, odd.


    She''s already Killer Frost?


    I thought it took Barry going all Flashpoint to make that happen.


    Doubt it will happen this time around.


    Cisco had powers earlier though, and he only had marginally more exposure than her.


    Guess it was all mental on her end.


    Or copyright issues prevented the show writers from using her meta-persona.


    Yeah, that seems more likely.


    One last stop to make before I have enough time to make it back to the lab.


    I crept behind the corners of the central lab.


    If memory served, Thawne was around here somewhere.


    And why was I sneaking around?


    Because he is still a speedster, so there was a chance he could still spot me, even with his reduced power and my accelerated state.


    Found him ¨C he was looking down at a computer panel.


    Couldn''t see his face nor was I going to risk it. Doubt I can check his hidden room either. I think he had had vibration-proofed just in case.


    Not like I could do that trick at the moment, but this was Eobard we were talking about.


    Still, I made sure he was still inside, and that was as good as it was going to get.


    Sighing in defeat, I ran back to the lab.


    Damn it, music ran out.


    Whatever.


    Found Ralph Dibny.


    The show timeline always seemed a little off to me. It stated that Ralph Dibny was dishonorably discharged for planting false evidence for the case of Judy Gimlin, which was Barry''s first case as a junior CSI.


    It was in 2013.


    Which is this year, just in December.


    Which is ridiculous.


    I get the show made it seem like Barry was the only forensic guy the precinct used, but no one gets that kind of a promotion in the first year.


    Which is why I was so grateful that Ralph was still a cop.


    Checked Barry''s memories ¨C seemed like they never did the Judy Gimlin case, some other detectives did.


    Doesn''t mean they were buddies. They nodded if they saw each other, but that was it.


    Still, he is a detective, so good on him.


    Found him running away from the way after exiting a bar.


    (Don''t get any ideas ¨C he was off-duty.)


    Screw it, he will be made of rubber, he''ll live.


    I tossed him right into the wave.


    Quick mental calculation¡­ He''ll land safely in any case against the park grass.


    One of the Flash''s ¨C I don''t remember which one ¨C greatest feats was removing every single person from a city to a few miles away before a bomb dropped and exploded, destroying said city.


    He did it all in less than a second.


    He had years of experience with his powers, but it was still by far the most impressive feat of speed ever depicted in comics, other than his Infinite Mass Punch.


    I doubt the speed I was going was anywhere close, but it was at least in the same echelons.


    I checked the clock in my lab when I finally walked back. I noticed that I was actually sweating but wasn''t breathing heavily. Seems like the strain was finally catching up.


    The show never depicted just how much time passes when Barry runs from his perspective or when he runs.


    Makes it seem like it doesn''t matter, but it does.


    Just imagine it.


    Jogging across a city, everything moving slower than you, to the point where it''s frozen. The sound are echoing due to how slow it is, or there isn''t any at all.


    It was like some messed up "Twilight Zone" episode. It''s you in a silent world, just running for who knows how long before your body finally starts to ache.


    How Barry didn''t go crazy with just his thoughts is a dedication to his focus and will.


    Oliver could probably handle it ¨C he''s used to the solitude ¨C but others? Maybe Diggle and Caitlin. But Cisco, Roy, Thea? It would be too much.


    The clock showed that I was only gone for about two and a half seconds.


    I was actually gone for hours, maybe even days. You learn to tune it out or else drive yourself crazy with how slow everything is.


    No wonder the Flash was depicted as a kid on a sugar rush in the cartoons ¨C he gets bored waiting for everyone else to catch up during their conversations.


    Walking and running around the city takes time.


    The lightning the show showed was just a byproduct of speedsters moving. I am slightly terrified of thinking about how speedsters fight at super speed. Is it like a regular fight only in their time frame or is about seeing who can get faster than the other?


    The thought sends shivers through me.


    A silent prayer to hoping Eobard doesn''t accelerate any of his plans from the fallout of my changes.


    I spotted some cops downstairs looking up to Barry''s lab. They probably heard the lightning strike and my crash into the shelves.


    Means that when I get back to normal speed, they will find me crashed into his chemicals.


    The injury on my arm, which didn''t heal, would lead them to the conclusion that I got struck by lightning.


    I laid back down where I was expected ¨C after I put my earphones and phone away ¨C and willed myself back to normal time.


    "3, 2, 1¡­ Showtime."


    Detective Tom Patterson was currently in shock watching the ring of energy traverse through Central City, with the S.T.A.R Labs serving as the epicenter of the explosion.


    As the wave passed over the station, shaking the ground and knocking out all the lights, the crashing of thunder was heard, followed immediately by the sudden breaking of beakers and liquids hitting the floor.


    "Vukuvich, what the hell was that?"


    "I don''t know sir, something went wrong with the particle accelerator¡­"


    "Not that. Where did all the glass shattering happen?"


    "It was Barry!" shouted Detective Addie. "He just went to his lab a minute ago."


    "Someone get up there and check on the kid!"


    A trio of officers followed closely by Captain David Singh ran upstairs and into Barry''s lab.


    "Jesus," spoke David in shock.


    The lab was a mess, water and chemicals spilled everywhere, the skylight cracked, the smell of ionized ozone in the air.


    One of the officers spotted Barry lying in a pile of what used to be his chemical shelf, smoking.


    "Captain, was he¡­"


    "I am no expert, but it looks like¡­"


    "Sir, he is still alive! His pulse is steady, and his breathing isn''t labored."


    "What about his arm?"


    "It seems like it''s his only injury, other than his clothes and shoes."


    David nodded, his worry slightly abetted, "Someone call 911 or drive him to the nearest hospital! And I don''t care how hard it is, someone call up Detective West!"


    At least I wasn''t dragged in a gurney by a panicked group of paramedics like in the show.


    Granted, there was still chaos all around me, what with the lights being out and the injured pouring in.


    I should be worried, but the show did reveal that seventeen people died before that was altered due to Flashpoint.


    Would it be fifteen now, since I saved Joe''s partner and Ralph were still alive?


    Oh, wait no, fourteen ¨C Vincent won''t be labeled as dead this time.


    Still, I was in the ER, looking around, observing the doctor next to me take my stats and bandage up my arm.


    The lightning shaped scar still hasn''t healed. Guess it was made before the powers kicked in: it will most likely never heal properly.


    It doesn''t hurt, but it''s a huge identifying mark.


    Should I steal the skintight leotard that becomes the Flash suit? Cisco does modify it later, but with the ensuing chaos, would be a good time to steal it.


    Would have to change the face though. No way am I leaving my mouth exposed or my eyes to be seen.


    I honestly never understood that part of the comics. I get chins and lips aren''t that distinct, but it still exposes half the face, more than enough for facial recognition systems to narrow down the searches somewhat.


    Eyes just add more details to work with.


    Zoom ¨C as much as I hate saying it ¨C had the right idea when he covered his face completely. Eyes alone is not enough to work with, especially when he altered his voice.


    Should I do something like the Godspeed costume but red and yellow? Could work, but it wouldn''t be as aesthetically pleasing as the Flash costume with the emblem on the chest.


    I would have thought about it more before Joe and Iris ran up.


    "Barry," shouted both at the same time.


    "Guys, I am fine¡­"


    "You were struck by lightning Barry," commanded Joe, with overtones of worry. "How are you even¡­?"


    "Alright? Hard to say. I am putting money on the rubber soles in my shoes."


    Joe actually laughed at that quip but frowned immediately afterward.


    "Jokes aside Mr. Allen, it really is remarkable as to how¡­uninjured you are," spoke the doctor as he finished up with my arm. "Other then the damage to your clothes and arm, you are in relatively perfect condition. No arrhythmia, no mental issues, no brain injuries, no concussion, no spams, nothing to indicate you have actually been struck by lightning. You are a fortunate man."


    "So¡­ he can leave?" inquired Iris.


    "Well, we would normally ask him to stay for observation but with what''s happening in the city¡­"


    "Say no more," I interrupted. "You need the empty bed for those who need it. Can you unhook me from these things so we can go and sign me out?"


    The doctor flipped through his paperwork for a moment, "I wouldn''t be a good doctor if I at least didn''t suggest to set up a follow-up appointment and not to do anything strenuous for the next few days, but otherwise¡­ You may leave, Mr. Allen."


    "We will make a follow-up doctor," spoke Joe while looking at me.


    "No need to make a command Joe," I said jokingly. "We will set it up now."


    The three of us started walking out to the nurse''s desk to set everything up. Spotting an opportunity, I ''interrogated'' Joe.


    "umm, Joe, this is a little weird to ask but¡­ is that your blood?"


    Joe, realizing this, looked down at his shirt and jacket. "Ooh damn! No, it''s from Chyre."


    "Is he alright? Did the Mardon brothers do it?"


    I spotted the hesitation in Joe''s eyes.


    "No, he is alright. I¡­ managed to get him to the hospital in time. He is in critical condition, but doctor''s say he will make it."


    "And the brothers?" asked Iris.


    "Dead," shrugged Joe while trying to wipe off some of the blood. "They were trying to escape in a plane when the wave hit them, causing the plane to explode and crash."


    I nodded, "Someone should send a team out there to find the remains ¨C to make sure."


    "I''ll tell it to the Captain," agreed Joe. "But I doubt it will be any time soon what with the explosion."


    I shook my head, "I don''t think the government and the military will let any cop get within ten yards of the Labs after this."


    Both West''s looked at me in confusion.


    I leaned to them as we walked out of the hospital, "The accelerator just released a wave of unstable energy that for all intended purposes, was basically a unique form of radiation. I''ve read enough scientific papers and comics to know what exotic radiation does to organic tissue."


    "What are suggesting Barry?"


    "What I am suggesting Joe, is that we live in a world with vigilantes and the likes of Superman. What are the odds that this¡­ accident¡­ is going to create a horde of¡­ of¡­ super powered individuals?"


    I spotted the look of disbelieving in Iris, "Barry, come on, that''s ridicule¡­"


    "Define superpowered."


    I put my hand on my forehead, faking concern while Iris looked at her father in shock for even asking such a question. "If I were a gambling man ¨C which I am not ¨C it would probably depend on what an individual was doing at the time when the energy hit them. I mean, it could range as just giving them super-strength or super-healing all the way too, I don''t know, fusing them with whatever they made contact with like metal or tar."


    "Tar?"


    "Construction workers."


    Joe looked around, pulling Iris and me to a corner where we wouldn''t be noticed.


    "What about something like stopping time or teleportation?"


    "Dad¡­"


    "Not now Iris. Barry?"


    Ahh, he was actually concerned. "Teleportation is possible. It would have to depend on the form of matter displacement. Time manipulation is extremely unlikely ¨C what with physics arguing against it - unless it was in a confined area: no one can just stop all of time. Why do you ask?"


    Joe looked around before whispering. "I didn''t take Chyre to the hospital."


    "What do you mean?"


    "One moment I was on the ground trying to stop him from bleeding out. Next second I see a flash of some sort and the both us just¡­ appeared in the hospital."


    So he did see something ¨C interesting.


    "That sounds like teleportation¡­ how did you feel afterward?"


    "Like something pulled me in one direction, with a feeling of pressure on one side of my body for a moment before dissipating."


    "Sounds more like you were dragged then displaced. I think you were saved by a speedster."


    "A speedster?"


    Good. Now to plant a seed of trust.


    "Someone with super-speed. What you describe sounds more like someone grabbed you two, and carried you to the hospital, which is why you felt pressure on one side of your body. The speedster literally carried you in a straight line to the nearest hospital."


    Iris and Joe stared at me with awe. "And a speedster is possible?"


    "Within reason. Depends where his fuel is from."


    "Meaning?"


    "Meaning that unless he runs one some extradimensional energy, someone in the city is about to get a big case of the munchies."


    I spotted Iris''s journalistic instincts kick in while Joe shrugged his head in consideration.


    "Speaking of which, can we get home? I am starving."


    I was somewhat right about the military and government getting involved.


    Next morning news showed that S.T.A.R. Labs were being quarantined, with biohazard and hazmat crews scanning and inspecting the site for any radiation.


    Not like they would actually pick anything up. Doubt there was a Geiger counter for dark matter.


    Joe went to work while Iris stayed home ¨C college was closed ¨C trying to take care of me.


    I really hope she wasn''t trying to figure out why I wasn''t interested in her anymore.


    I was also scanning across all news sources on my laptop to track down all the images from the site while the TV was on.


    After a fruitless search, I found that Well''s was in fact ''crippled'' and apologized profusely for the unforeseen accident.


    Superman was not in fact called in to help with the damages.


    Fourteen people have been reported dead.


    S.T.A.R Labs was labeled as a class four hazardous location.


    I may or may not have spotted some agents dressed in black uniforms. I didn''t get a clear shot of the logo, but it could be ARGUS.


    Oddly enough, during Wells speech, Cisco and Caitlin weren''t at his side.


    Maybe they already found Raymond and met Stein? Possible.


    I managed to convince Iris that I was fine as I left ''for a walk.''


    Since I was ''injured,'' I was given time off from work to recover, so I managed to run to S.T.A.R Lab without anyone noticing.


    Brought an extra two pairs of shoes with me just in case.


    Luckily, all cameras were currently offline, so despite my slower speeds and somewhat visible lightning, I managed to sneak in without any issues.


    Couldn''t figure out why I couldn''t achieve the same speeds as I did the first time, but I chalked that up to being supercharged by the lightning. I tested myself this morning and I had super strength, so the Mirakuru clearly worked.


    Took me some time to knock on all the bulbed walls ¨C the show never did specify where the hidden room was exactly ¨C before I located it.


    Pressing the right panel, the door opened up, revealing Eobard''s Time Vault.


    Entering the room, a hologram of Gideon''s face appeared. "Greetings, Creator Allen. How may I be of assistance?"


    I couldn''t help but smile. "Well, that depends: did I ever put in any odd protocol into you after you were made?"


    "Scanning¡­ New protocols activated starting from last night. Odd, they seem to indicate that you were aware that the explosion was going to occur and that I would be in this timeline when you created me. Inquiry?"


    "Let''s just say that time manipulation and the Speed Force was involved. I sort of became a time anomaly."


    "Probability of time wraiths arriving¡­"


    "Unlikely. I didn''t come from the future, nor am I a time revenant. No one was lost nor was anyone added."


    "Inquiry satisfied. Criteria for time wraiths not met. Is my current user aware of your change?"


    "Eobard? No. What did I code into you if I may ask?"


    "Creator Barry Allen coded the following protocols to be activated after certain parameters ¨C i.e. particle accelerator explosion ¨C occurred. First, I was to ensure that Harrison Wells ¨C aka. Eobard Thawne, aka. Reverse Flash ¨C will not discover the timeline has changed, by presenting him a false newspaper article, as well as ensuring he doesn''t look further into it with his questioning."


    "Good. What else?"


    "I am also not to divulge any future information to anyone, ranging from future technology, discovery, or event. I can, however, provide information taken from the future when providing current information, as long as it doesn''t affect said future."


    "Okay, makes sense. So, if I, for example, asked you for the secret identity of an individual¡­?"


    "I would be able to provide their future power and ability capabilities as well as all current and past information, but not anything they will do in the future, nor how they would die."


    "And future events?"


    "Completely sealed off by your command. Creator Allen believed that any event that should happen has to happen as it did to him and others."


    "Identities of criminals and events happening in real time?"


    "Within parameters as long as more than half the research and information gathering has been done and extrapolation could have been accomplished without my assistance. No future events will be revealed."


    "Huh. So not so much of a cheat but more like an aide. Anything else?"


    "I am also coded to prevent telling you who will marry who in the superpowered and superhero community."


    "Why?" I deadpanned.


    "Creator Allen was quoted saying, ''It will ruin the surprise.''"


    "Fine. Anything else?"


    "I am also programmed to assist in any way possible, covertly or otherwise."


    I couldn''t help but clap, "Perfect. Okay, here''s what I want you to do¡­"


    "Are you sure about this Joe? It seems¡­" asked Singh.


    "Crazy, far-fetched, delusional, criteria to be thrown in the loony bin?"


    "No offense."


    "None taken, Captain. But I know what I felt, and there was no way I could have possibly carried Chyre to the hospital that fast after the explosion happened."


    Singh wiped his chin as he sat down at his desk, " I don''t doubt your story, but still¡­"


    "We have the likes of Superman in Metropolis and whispers of other vigilantes with weird powers. Is it so hard to believe that whatever was released into the air might create such individuals?"


    Singh pondered this, but Joe raised his hand to interrupt him. "I am not asking for a task force or some kind of special branch to form to investigate these¡­ metahumans as it were. I am simply asking for this precinct and others to¡­ keep their minds open as it were."


    "Such as?"


    "I don''t know. Any weird sightings or odd crime scenes come to mind. Multiple people reporting same odd occurrence without story collaboration. Unexplained phenomenon¡­"


    "I get what you''re suggesting Joe, but that''s not something we cover. What you are describing sounds more like a tall tale some of the drunkards that call our tipline say."


    Joe nodded, agreeing with the Captain''s assessment. "We file most of out reports digitally now, right?"


    Singh shrugged, "Within reason. The old hard copy reports still have to be looked up. What are you suggesting?"


    "Barry is currently stuck at home, and he suggested this theory to me. It wouldn''t be too crazy if say forensic scientist created an algorithm and what not to search for certain keywords and events if they were digital, now would it?"


    Singh considered this. Data mining in case files is not illegal per say, but it''s not something you can just use without consent, especially in criminal cases.


    "Suggest the idea to him, see how he feels about it. As long as it does not break any guidelines or laws, I''ll allow it."


    "As long as you pass the message around the precinct for everyone to write everything down and not dismiss something just because it''s weird and bizarre."


    An odd screeching echo was all that Hartley heard as he woke up. Rising in his bed, the first thing he noted was the darkness of his bedroom, which he didn''t remember returning too.


    The last thing he remembered doing was trying to stop Well''s from turning on the accelerator.


    As he wide his brow, he finally noted the headphones on his ears.


    He was just about to take them off when his genius mind realized that despite them completely covering his ears, he still heard noises as clearly as possible¡­ even better then he recalled.


    Noting that all the stuff in his room was unplugged and his windows were ruggedly soundproofed, Hartley reached a terrifying hypothesis.


    Gathering himself, Hartley cupped one ear and slowly lifted, before rapidly closing in pain as the sounds of the world accosted him.


    Didn''t take a genius to realize that he had somehow acquired super-hearing.


    After recovering, Hartley turned on his laptop, wincing at the now audible sounds of electricity traveling through the cord and the mechanism within the machine working.


    After a quick search of the news ¨C and barely controlling himself every time he hit the keyboard from flinching ¨C Hartley realized that the dark matter released into the air must have affected him and ''gifted'' him with his hearing.


    Running the math in his head made him consider that he was statistically not the only one.


    Pausing, Hartley went to the shelf in the corner of his room, removing the hidden camera he had placed there in secret that ran on a separate power source.


    Hartley had reasons to be paranoid, and he was glad he made the small investment of setting up his in-home surveillance system.


    Connecting to the laptop, Hartley quickly skimmed to last nights footage. Didn''t take long for surprise to show on his face, as he found the moment he suddenly appeared in his bed with his home becoming soundproofed¡­ in less than a second.


    No, not a second. It was more accurate to say that it all happened in between seconds based on how the image shifted on the recording.


    Now while Hartley''s ego wouldn''t - or couldn''t ¨C accept his home and himself being violated in such a way, his logical side and reasoning won out when they realized that his home was modified to block out as much sound as possible.


    He didn''t know who was responsible for¡­ aiding him¡­ but he now had another project to work on in addition to planning his revenge on Harrison.


    Figuring out the weird flashes of lightning that he spotted in the recording.


    First thing first: he needed something better to block out sound then the headphones he was wearing.


    Dibny stumbled home after waking up in the hospital and getting himself discharged.


    Singh almost screamed his ear off, but he quickly calmed down after he admitted that he wasn''t the only one who was damaged by the explosion.


    Dibny visited Detective Chyre on Singh''s behalf to make sure he was fine. He ran into Detective Joe while there and got to talking.


    When Dibny revealed that he got caught in the energy wave last night when he was drinking, Joe gave him a worried look.


    Hearing Joe''s theory about what the energy could do to humans was not something Dibny wanted to hear.


    He sighed as he took a beer from the fridge, opened it, sat on the couch, sipped, and just listened to the news.


    Dibny was no scientist, but he knew enough that radiation was more likely to give him cancer then superpowers.


    If not cancer, then his drinking would kill him before then, or the guilt.


    The constant guilt of sending Reagan Gimlin to jail for the murder of his wife Judy with the knife.


    They all knew he did it, they had everything; just no weapon. The CSI on the case couldn''t find anything conclusive, and the rest of the investigating team were running out of leads.


    Dibny weighted the options, but he couldn''t allow someone like Reagan to get away with it.


    Reagan argued that the weapon was planted, but Dibny made sure he removed all evidence of tampering. A better CSI might have spotted something, but the circ.u.mstantial evidence alone got Reagan convicted.


    He managed to wriggle his way to an appeal, but that tied the noose even tighter around his neck when the opposing legal team finally found enough digital evidence to dig him a deeper hole.


    And yet, despite the fact that a clearly guilty man was sent to jail, Dibny did it by breaking the law.


    His only escape from such conflicting feelings was the bottle. He did his best not to drink on the job ¨C he had some pride left ¨C but the amount he drank outside was starting to be noticed.


    He sighed in defeat, barely paying attention to the news.


    He rubbed his head in annoyance, reaching out to the side of his side trying to find the Tylenol he left lying around.


    Took him a little to long to realize that he was reaching a bit too far for his liking.


    Slowly turning to his side, Ralph stared in shock at his arm stretching and almost touching the wall to his right¡­ more than ten feet away from him.


    As he squeaked in shock, the arm snapped back like rubber. Flexing his hand in shock, Ralph pinched his skin and pulled, stretching it as well.


    Panick sat in, causing him to leap but slip off the top of the couch, landing on the floor and contouring in a way he couldn''t have done before.


    After pulling himself together ¨C literally ¨C Ralph remembered what Joe told him earlier today. Considering the implication, Ralph willed his arm to stretch as he tried to pick the bottle of beer on the floor a good few feet away from him.


    After successfully pulling it back, Ralph was about to take a celebratory drink when he realized what he has been given.


    He had superpowers now. Granted, he could stretch himself, but he doubted that was all.


    Maybe¡­ this was a way for him to redeem himself, a way to make up for the wrong he committed for the greater good.


    As Ralph poured the beer down the sink, he considers asking Joe if he could be his new partner if Chyre decided to retire.


    That was a productive day.


    Got to give it to Cisco, the man can build a good suit.


    Managed to find the prototype he was working on for the firemen: guess he was working on it earlier than in the show.


    It was still red and had the hole in the mask, but I could still work with it.


    Modifying it was going to be trickier, what with me living in the West household.


    I checked my checking and saving''s account. I had a decent amount in both, but not enough for me to comfortably move out and live on my own.


    Hell, there wasn''t even enough for me to consider investing just yet.


    Maybe I can ask Gideon to help out?


    I already ''commanded'' her to spy on the S.T.A.R Labs team on my behalf, making sure Eobard didn''t do anything too crazy.


    Speaking of which, I also managed to link her up to the outside world in secret ¨C why Eobard didn''t do that already was beyond me ¨C so now there was an advanced A.I connected to the world wide web.


    Thank God she wasn''t evil ¨C wouldn''t want to recreate Sky Net.


    She actually got the reference, so I think we are safe.


    In regards to the team¡­


    I didn''t know why, but it appeared that Raymond and Stein were currently in a coma. Well''s managed to convince the doctors in the hospital to transfer him to the labs so they could monitor him due to his weird energy outputs.


    Guess Firestorm is their version of the TV show Barry. Does that mean he is going to wake up in eight months as well?


    Speaking of, got to remember to check up on Jax at some point.


    Would do it later.


    Joe presented me a really great idea as to how to track down these newly dubbed metahumans when they appear.


    I threw around some ideas, but told Joe that a list would have to be compiled of keywords for the system to search for. So while Joe worked on those, I told him I would work on coding the program.


    The superspeed and enhanced short-term memory definitely helped.


    Speaking of which, I should really write out a list of things I have to accomplish at some point.


    Number one on my list: get Felicity''s code.


    While Gideon can probably beat it when ¨C or if ¨C it gets released in the future, having that ace in the hole is too good of a chance to pass off.


    Number two on my list: don''t hook up with Iris.


    Number three: find a way to meet Batman and/or Superman in the future. Got to build up some hero cred first.


    Which reminds me, have to write back to Oliver. He messaged me, asking if I was injured due to the explosion.


    Actually, need to check up on Pied Piper and Elongated Man as well.


    So much to do, but so little time¡­ even for a speedster.


    What I wouldn''t do for two of me right now.


    ¡­


    Dear God, maybe I am becoming Godspeed.


    ¡­


    Nah, I am the Flash, the fastest man alive, and the man who going to enjoy screwing with people''s expectations.


    Now, how the hell do you sew?


    Youtube, take me away.


    Eobard wheeled himself to his Time Vault, maintaining the calm yet grieving charade as best he could.


    It was only when he finally entered the room that he forced himself out of the wheelchair in anger.


    "GIDEON!"


    "Yes, User Thawne?"


    "Show me the article."


    Gideon smiled as she showed him the article written by Iris West-Allen about the Flash''s disappearance in 2024.


    Eobard, while less annoyed, still rubbed his head in annoyance. While Barry still somehow became the Flash, he was more concerned with the immediate fallout of what happened after he sabotaged the accelerator.


    He assumed that Barry would end up in the hospital like he did in the original timeline, but for some reason that didn''t occur.


    Instead, the Firestorm Matrix somehow ended up in the coma. Now while it kept Cisco and Caitlyn close to him to monitor and manipulate, it also made some of his future plans much more complicated to carry out.


    "Gideon, show me Barry Allen."


    Gideon smiled as she found the video feed. After confirming in the nanoseconds it took to process the command that Barry wasn''t doing anything super-speed related, Gideon didn''t carry out Creator Allen commands to make a false feed.


    As Eobard observed barry coding something on his computer, he swiped the screen away, his concerns alleviated slightly, seeing as Barry has yet to discover his powers.


    Maybe Barry would come to S.T.A.R Labs in desperation to help him out when his powers come up? Possible, what with Barry''s minor crush on everything science related.


    Still, his plans were salvageable.


    The government wanted this buried as quickly as possible, so they didn''t put up a fuzz when Well''s corroborated to the best of his abilities.


    The event was still past off as an unfortunate accident, but his reputation was still shambled.


    It didn''t matter in the long run. As long as he got his speed back, nothing in this timeline mattered.


    Gideon smirked as her user left.


    It was funny watching how pride and hubris could clouds people so much.


    In any case, with so much time on her now digital hands and with access to the Internet, Gideon decided to indulge her ''curiosity'' and explore the world she was now connected to.


    With childlike wonder, she considered hacking into the Bat-Computer, just for giggles to see how Mr. Wayne would react.


    Would be fun to record the reaction.


    I think the kids today called it¡­ trolling?

 Chapter 27 - My SI Stash #27 - A Crooked Man by Stranger (Marvel)

    -I think this is the 2nd SI Marvel here? I was hesitating between this fic and The Spider but ended up with this one, it''s quite crooked


    ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 96K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/a-crooked-man-marvel-si.759274/ (Stranger)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    A Crooked Man - In A Crooked House


    AN: This is a rewrite of my story "A Crooked World", both to make it less revenge-ficy, and to switch to a first-person narrative, since it felt weird writing a self-insert in third person. Things will develop a bit different this time around, though like in the previous story, this setting is still roughly Civil War era Marvel.


    You know, Genoshas beaches are really quite beautiful, I can see why this island was considered such a paradise, even if it''s prosperity came at a level of exploitation of a minority group that would have made even the staunched South African apartheid enthusiast tell them to dial it back a little.


    Standing here, facing the endless blue ocean, I can almost forget about the corpse-filled hellscape behind me where Cassandra Nova decided that wholescale genocide was a perfect way to tweak her brothers nose. Though I suppose if you genuinely believe that you''re the only two beings in existance and everyone else is just imaginary, this was probably the equivalent of saying you have bulletproof armor on while playing war in her mind. A d.i.c.k move, but not genocide.


    Of course, it was still one of the worst things that have ever happened, and if I ever get my hands on her, I''m sending her right into the sun. I''m pretty sure I can do that now, I haven''t actually tried. Might even stick, but considering she''s a psychic parasite piggybacking on Xaviers DNA, you can never be sure.


    I wave my hand, the sand in front of me bulging and forming into a large pile before beginning to shape itself to the image in my mind. It quickly solidifies into a glass statue of myself, my transparent doppleganger glittering in the sunlight. The thrill of these powers, the sheer amazement of seeing whatever I can imagine take form in reality right in front of me, doesn''t look to be losing it''s novelty anytime soon. Even this, creating a glass sculpture out of myself just from beach sand, is little more than the equivalent of doodling in a notebook.


    But I want to be used to my powers before I get started with the work I had planned.


    I give another wave and the statue collapses back into sand, before I turn around and look at the twisted, marred ruins that is all that remains of Genosha, the "mutant homeland". Under those ruins lie the bones of 16 million mutants, who survived being enslaved and used as livestock, rose up, only to get caught up in the endless bullshit with Magneto and the X-Men, and finally they were just obliberated.


    Atleast they didn''t have to watch mutantkind as a whole get driven to the brink of extinction because nobody could be bothered to get Scarlet Witch a goddamn therapist.


    As far as I can tell, my body is that of a mutant now, despite looking exactly as it did back in... I want to say "the real world", but apparently this world is also real, except all the ridiculous superhero stuff actually exists here, including mutation that gives you superpowers instead of mildly useful biological deviations if you''re lucky, and turns you inside out if you''re not. And for some reason, whatever quirk of fate brought me here saw fit to hand me the Straight Flush of superpowers - Reality Warping.


    Which is a bit of a double edged sword, because while it''s an awesome power, Marvel reality warpers tend to go looney tunes in pretty short order. Atleast I don''t have omnipotence as well or I''d probably already be insane. If I start turning everything into Wonderland on cocaine like Jim Jaspers did, I''ll have to cut back for a while. But for now, I have work to do.


    Even without omnipotence, figuring out what''s going on in the world is as easy as willing it to happen, I just have to be specific, as I found out early on when I wanted to know what was going on in New York and nearly gave myself a migraine when I got almost every single bit of news about the city dumped into my brain. After testing the limits of it a bit, I simply started to project a screen in the middle of the air and had my power show whatever information I wanted onto it. As far as I can tell, this is Marvel shortly after the godawful Civil War, Cap is dead, Tony Stark is running SHIELD, mutantkind is depowered, a bunch of my favorite heroes are on the run from the law, and the Hulk is stuck in outer space. About the only thing that didn''t suck about my new reality was that I couldn''t find any trace of the Skrulls hiding anywhere, Elektra, Hank Pym and Spider Woman really are who they seem to be. So no Secret Invasion then, which is atleast one problem off my plate. Of course, there''s still Norman Osborn and the Illuminati to deal with, but one problem at a time.


    I briefly consider doing a dramatic walk in the air back to the city ruins, but considering that everyone else here are still dead, it seems a little silly to try and show off to the seagulls. Instead, I simply will myself from one spot to the next, stepping through an invisible door to the highest remaining building on the island. The ruined husk of the skyscr.a.p.er groans in the wind, but it''s stood this long, it can stand a few minutes longer.


    I close my eyes, throwing up a field over the island to make sure I don''t set off Cerebro or tip off anyone else who might be looking in, before forming an image in my mind. Of M-Day, of millions of mutants stripped of their talents and left defenceless in an already unjust world, of anti-mutant forces smelling blood in the water, like this whole thing was a f.u.c.k.i.n.g victory...


    I feel a twinge in the back of my mind, like an unused muscle flexing.


    ....


    Half a world away, chaos erupts on the streets of the Middle East Side in New York City, formerly known as M-Town, a ghetto neighborhood for mutants, and for the past few years just a regular ghetto when most of the inhabitants lost their powers. Flames and electricity arcs over the crowds, scales and wings and strange-colored skin bursting back into existance. The same scene plays out across the world as powers thought to be gone forever suddenly reactivates. Even those who never had powers before suddenly find themselves mutants.


    A few miles away from New York, Professor Charles Xavier awakens with a start in his bed, with the strange sensation that some great flaw has been corrected, though his own power can''t quite put a finger on what. When his excited students burst in a few minutes later, he''s already awake to meet them.


    Tony Stark has a less pleasant start to his day, as he''s met at his desk by hundreds of angry messages from congressmen and senators who had been assured that the "mutant threat" had been dealt with once and for all. all demanding some variation of the same thing; make all our problems go away, that''s why we had you fight your little war. Not for the first time, Stark wishes Steve was still here, that he had just listened. Maybe then he''d have someone to help share this burden, which is made all the heavier knowing that he put it on himself.


    A haggered Pietro Maximoff looks out the window from the crumbling old M-Town tenament he''s squatting in, and witnesses the chaos in the street. His hope dies in his heart when he finds that his own powers remain gone.


    In a little village in the Wundagore mountains, a woman known to the villagers only as Wanda feels a faint stirring of...something, something vaguely familiar. But nothing else seems to happen, so she simply forgets about it and moves on with her day, her chores waiting for her.


    The man once known as Magneto barely stirs from his spot on the park bench in Argentina when he hears the news on a radio in a nearby cafe. He''s not surprised when his own powers make no reappearance. Perhaps this is all he deserves.


    ....


    I let out a breath I didn''t realize I was holding in.


    It''s hard to describe the feeling of using my power on this scale, just changing whatever is in front of me is one thing, but this was affecting the entire planet, even if it did only involve turning the X-Gene back on for the relatively small group of people who used to have it. With three notable exceptions.


    I sit down on the edge of the rooftop, my legs hanging down over the rusted shell of the wall as I stare out across the ruins and think about my next move. It''s ridiculous to think that reversing M-Day is actually the easiest part of my plan, but it''s true. And even then, the consequences of what I just did are going to be massive. The SRA deliberatly excluded mutants because they were assumed to be dead in the water anyway, now that''s blown to Hell so SHIELD must be shitting themselves about having millions of unregistered, untrained superhumans running around. And that''s not even touching on the various secret villain plans I just disrupted. Norman Osborn, I think Red Skull is still possessing that Lukin guy, whatever HYDRA is working on, Doctor Doom probably has something going on...


    Hmm, Doom does have a pretty good track record with high-level superhumans, I''ll have to be more careful if I deal with him. Or atleast not wander blindly into an obvious trap like the Silver Surfer did.


    But, if I''m being honest, f.u.c.k the consequences.


    Mutantkind has gotten screwed coming and going for decades, I''m not interested in micromanaging the whole planet, but I''m going to use my powers to do atleast two very big things, and after that... well, we''ll see. One of them is already done, and now it''s time for the second one.


    I drop from the roof edge, only to find myself back on the beach once again. Making sure that the protection I put over the island remains intact, I turn back towards the ruins and raise a hand. In the far distance, the rubble of the city begins to shift and move, before bursting apart, releasing what I was searching for. The pitiful mortal remains of one of the countless victims of Cassandra Nova is deposited in front of me, the bones still wearing a few scraps of black clothes.


    And then something shifts, and the bones are replaced by the intact body of a teenage girl with nearly white skin and long dreadlocks, dressed in goth-style clothes.


    "Ellie? Ellie, wake up. We got shit to do"


    Ellie Phimister, better known as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, gasps her first breath of air in years and sits up on the beach in a panic.


    "AHHHH!!! WUH-WHAT- MISS FROST!!" She looks around herself in distress, her fear increasing when she spots the ruins behind her. "OH GOD! IT HAPPENED! IT REALLY DID!"


    "Yeah, it did, I''m afraid. I''m working on fixing that."


    She turns back around at the sound of my voice, and stares at me in shock "Who the... who the hell are you?! What happened?! Where''s Miss Frost?"


    "Uh, in reverse order, probably with Scott Summers, you died, and I''m Ginnungagap...but under the circ.u.mstances, I think you can probably just call me Johan." I offer her my hand to help her to her feet, but she doesn''t even seem to be looking at it, just staring off into space.


    "I was...dead! My nightmares, they came true! We ALL died!" She rubs her palms over her face, like she''s trying to chase away a bad dream. "I don''t understand, what''s going on?!"


    "Well, you were dead, and I brought you back to life. Easy as that."


    She freezes and stares up at me like I just spoke in tongues "...you...brought me back from the dead?"


    "Right."


    "That''s...impossible!"


    I blink "How do you figure? Jean Grey has come back to life like three times now, nobody even bats an eye anymore. Granted, the process is usually a bit more complex than what I just did, I''m just saying, there''s ample precedent."


    She looks like she wants to argue but stops herself "I... why did you bring ME back?! I''ve never seen you before in my life!"


    "Couple of reasons. You were one of the few victims I knew specifically by name, don''t ask why, you''re also one of the strongest mutants who died on the island, and lastly, and I know this sounds sort of bad, but I wanted to make sure the resurrection worked properly before I tried to do it en masse."


    She gapes at me "You didn''t KNOW?!"


    "Hey, I''ve had these powers for like a week, cut me some slack. Anyway, I also started with you because I wanted a second set of eyes when I put all the infrastructure together again, make sure I got that right too."


    She begins struggling to her feet and I take her by the arm, helping her up. She brushes off her clothes before turning back to me "Wait, you''re fixing that before you bring everyone else back?"


    "As opposed to what, awaken 16 million people in a pile of charred rubble with no food or water? I mean, I can fix that in the blink of an eye anyway, but still, they''re going to be panicked enough as it is. Speaking of which" I open my hand and a bottle of water pops into existance. "Thirsty? I''ve never been dead, but it seems like it might make you thirsty."


    She just stares at the bottle for a few seconds, before finally reaching out and accepting it. She takes a long drink, then a deep breath, which seems to steady her somewhat. "I wish Miss Frost was here..."


    I shrug "I can... drop you off at the X-Mansion, if you want? That''s where she lives now.You don''t have to stick around if you don''t want to."


    Ellie looks away towards the ruins, staring out over the devastated island for a good long while, before shaking her head "Just...just give me a moment. And tell me what''s going to happen next."


    "Well, first I''m going to separate the remains of everyone who died from Nova''s attack from the people who were already dead, because trust me, some of those guys you do not want to come back, then I''m going to move all the bones out of the cities, and then put everything back together. Finally, I''ll spread all the bones out across the island, and bring everyone back to life."


    She takes another drink "Just like that?"


    "Just like that. Like resurrecting you, but on a way bigger scale."


    She shakes her head in disbelief "That level of power, and you talk about it like you''re pressing a button."


    "Oh, that''s nothing, I already fixed mutant powers for the whole planet like 20 minutes ago. Atleast this is just one country."


    She stops, the water bottle halfway to her mouth "...you fixed what now?"


    "Oh, right, you were dead. Okay, we should talk..."

 Chapter 29 - My SI Stash #29 - Bond Breaker by shadenight123 (Multiverse Cross)

    -I''ve completely fallen in love with this author, so I''ll probably put up 3 of his works... (this the 2nd one of his work)


    An SI Multiverse Cross, Shade starts in Naruto and he''ll become his teacher! The first few chapters are kind of slow but it does pick up after!


    Sypnosis: SI Story. Travelling through dimensions is meant to be a fun thing, not a blood-curling experience of angst and despair. Then again, we''ve already seen it all, haven''t we?


    Rated: M


    Words: 290K


    Posted on: forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/bond-breaker-si-multiverse-cross.5951/threadmarks/ (shadenight123)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I opened my eyes. My natural routine, over the course of my years of life, has always been to wake up, go to the bathroom, head for the coffee pot -holy coffee- and then turn on my computer. I always did that. It''s so deeply ingrained into my skull that the only thing that can prevent me from doing it is some sort of physical entity blocking my actions.


    There were no physical entities blocking my path.


    Then again, I wasn''t even in my house to begin with.


    And I didn''t have legs.


    That should have shocked me.


    It didn''t. It didn''t mostly because it was either a dream -a very deep and vivid one, I admit- or it was a hallucination brought forth from lack of sleep.


    Since one of my permanent fixtures are deep eye bags, I can reasonably deduce lack of sleep and hallucinations could be a part of it.


    I never hallucinated before, so it was sort of cool to be actually conscious it was a hallucination of sorts.


    The room I was in was a small one-room apartment, there was a kitchenette, a large window on one side, a bed in a corner, and a few drawers and dressers around. There was a low Japanese-style table, and a microwave on the counter top where the sink was.


    There was a door leading to the bathroom, just as there was a door leading outside, probably.


    The sound of a chain rustling caught my attention next, and I looked at my left arm.


    Oh, how nice. I had a chain which seemed to tie around my arm, and that seemed to hold the other extremity beneath the bed sheets of the room''s only other occupant.


    I took a deep breath. Hallucinations were not real.


    The fact was, the best thing to do when hallucinating is to stand still until it goes by, because you never know if your next step will lead you down the stairs, through a trafficked road, or in the middle of a gunfight.


    Highly impossible, but excuse me for starting to freak out.


    On the positive side, I could hear my heart drumming in my chest at nine thousand miles per hour; the theory of hallucination was extremely vivid now. I just had to remain still, hope someone else in the house came to look for me, and wait until they called an ambulance.


    Yes. That was a perfect plan.


    I looked around the room once more. I distinctively felt as if I was standing -lack of legs notwithstanding- and so I tried to ''sit''.


    I ended up passing through the floor and into the room beneath it.


    I went through floors fast as I screamed and tried to stop my descent. It worked, somewhat, when I began to try to stand back up. This time, I ended up flying upwards at pretty much the same speed.


    My screams simply grew shriller as I emerged out of the rooftops and into the bright, blue sky above the house.


    At a certain point, the chain yanked me, and I stopped. The backlash took the breath out of my lungs, but thankful I wasn''t going to hit the stratosphere or go beyond Earth''s orbit, I wheezed out as I tried to calm the f.u.c.k out of myself.


    "Hallucination note number one," I said, still hearing the drumming of my heart in my ears. "No f.u.c.k.i.n.g moving. No standing. No sitting. Don''t. Move. The...I must have fallen from the bed. That''s why I felt the fall. And now I must have stood back up; that explains the vertigo. All right. No moving any longer."


    I wiped the sweat off my brow, and closed my eyes. The sun was annoying, but it was just a hallucination.


    The breeze I felt, but then again I was in my...


    I opened my eyes. Uh, no, I wasn''t in my usual nightwear. I was wearing some sort of non-descriptive grey shirt and jacket, and there was nothing more than one of those ghost-like ''vapor trails'' from beneath my navel, so no trousers.


    I didn''t feel exposed.


    "At least I''ve got that going for me, which is nice," I murmured. I licked my lips. "Now, easy does it and-"


    The chain yanked, hard, and I ended up screaming as I began to fall back down towards the house.


    Anyone ever gone on one of those Orbital Elevators Rides? Imagine the feeling of doing that and being face first as you descend and hit the ground -admittedly, the roof- and then tell me, please tell me, if you''d do it again.


    I wouldn''t.


    I never even went on one of those rides-from-hell.


    I tried to ''stand'' or whatever that feeling was, and as I did, I began to slow down -my manly screams of fear didn''t stop me from trying to fly back up, of course, but I kept being yanked down.


    Finally, I managed to slow down just as the final yanked pulled me back in the room I had woken up in.


    The blue eyes of the sleeping child looked at me as I stared back.


    His blond hair was all ruffled from the night''s sleep, and there were dreadfully familiar whisker marks on his cheeks.


    I groaned.


    I groaned. Out. Loud.


    "Who the hell are you!?" he shrieked, and let me tell you, a twelve or thirteen year old child screeching is terribly annoying.


    "Apparently," I replied, "Dreaming I''m a Self-Insert."


    That made the child frown, before he gave one look at my legs and blanched. He began to tremble and stutter.


    "Y-Y-You''re a ghost!" he screamed, pointing his finger at me.


    I rolled my eyes. "And you are-"


    The boy screamed louder and dashed out of the room, still in his pajama.


    I looked at him go.


    I looked at the chain and waited, patiently, for the nightmare to end. This was a hallucination -there was no way I was going to move and...


    And suddenly, I was yanked hard as I ended up being pulled in whatever direction the boy was going.


    "GOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDD DAAAMMMMNNNNN IIIITTTTTTTT"


    /////////


    Chapter 1 - Continuation (just added, my bad)


    I admit, I was somewhat grateful the hallucination decided I was to be ghost-like in appearance and form. It meant I didn''t have to run to keep up with Naruto''s surprisingly quick dash out, nor did it mean I had to sweat in order not to end up a corpse dragged on the ground. My natural buoyancy made me look like one of those helium filled balloons, and there was nothing solid for me to hit against.


    The people seemed to enjoy staring in the direction I was being pulled towards, but apparently no one seemed to care about me in particular.


    Heck, they probably couldn''t see me, if the ghost-like appearance I held was of any indication.


    Then again, hallucination. It wasn''t supposed to make sense; it had to merely be. One night, I had a dream about me being a toddler on a tricycle, escaping an Alien and passing through a battlefield where marines and spacemarines fought each other using the kitchen''s table as an impromptu divider.


    Don''t judge me by my dreams.


    I''m sane, and I never dreamed something like that again.


    I found myself growing incredibly annoyed with the way the hallucination was progressing. The speed was decreasing, but the scenery seemed dull, even boring after a while. I could see the street, and the various small shops nestled within the buildings nearby, and the occasional bench or tree, but there was nothing special by itself.


    No hordes of shinobi rushing about, or secret-Anbu-Patrols doing rounds, or stuff like that.


    It was surprisingly peaceful.


    Except for the menace known as Naruto Uzumaki, who apparently stopped running at a certain point, but being myself friction-less, I was reaching without putting in the minimum of efforts.


    "Wh-Why are you following me!?" the child announced, quite loudly in the middle of the street. His fists were clenched tightly, and he looked like he had a bad case of ''shakes''.


    "I''m not following you," I replied, lifting my chained arm. "You''re pulling me along."


    Sophism.


    Sophistry.


    ''The art of falling on your feet no matter what hell you might go through'' as I personally call it.


    I looked around, evidently, the rushing I felt had been either the ambulance -possible- or the fact they were carrying my body on a wheeled table of sorts into a hospital room.


    Oh hell.


    Could this be one of those so called ''Near Death'' experiences that always end with the guy simply remembering ''the light'' when he wakes up?


    Frankly, I could have done much worse for a hallucination brought forth from cerebral bleeding.


    I grimaced. The thought really was one of my worse, but ''better to think hell on Earth and walk through a garden of roses'' than think heaven and end up trudging through mud.


    "Urgh...It''s not coming off!" Naruto exclaimed, his hand moving apparently through the chain tied at his end. "How do you get this off!?"


    "Don''t ask me," I replied with a lazy shrug. I froze midway. What if the shrug was actually me convulsing? No, no, better to remain calm and avoid movement.


    Any kind of movement, really.


    "Ah! I know!" Naruto exclaimed suddenly, and began to run once more.


    Yes, I knew it was something like this. They brought me into the hospital room first, and now it''s off to the operation room. Maybe they''ll do a scan or something to find out what the problem is, and then-


    A temple.


    I looked at the thing propped at the top of quite a lot of stairs, and then at Naruto''s heavy wheezing. The funny thing was, there was a tiny whispering part of my head that kept repeating that ''it couldn''t be a dream''.


    And you know why? Because dreams usually are non-sequitur.


    Now, to explain it in layman''s terms, say you want to go from point A to point B. In real life, you will walk there, take a car there, fly there, or anything else, really, but you''ll have those boring minutes of walking or running where nothing important happens. It''s normal, and soon your brain will file them away and forget about them.


    In dreams, you don''t ''remember'' how you go from one point to the other. It''s because you simply ''Teleport'' from point A to point B, and the in-between isn''t important...unless the in-between is actually part of the dream itself.


    This was different. I clearly remembered the street and the turns taken. I knew precisely we passed by a shop that sold noodles, and that there was a retail store a few streets further back.


    I remembered the road taken.


    Then again, hallucinations didn''t have to be like dreams. It was my first hallucination anyway; it could be vastly different.


    Frankly, if this was the way I died -judging by the ghost-like appearance and everything else- instead of Naruto I could have, I dunno, ended up in some Harem story of sorts. That would have been a good way to go.


    I don''t know how he managed, but Naruto literally threw himself into the shrine and held his hands over his head, curled in a ball.


    I blinked.


    "What is that supposed to mean?" I asked flatly.


    "Gah!" he exclaimed. "You''re still here!"


    "Apparently," I replied. This didn''t seem to discourage him. He gripped a bucket near the well of the shrine and threw the water inside at me.


    The water passed through my frame and I simply kept looking at him, with my best ''Are you serious?'' gaze.


    Now, this is something I possess which is shared with every other person I know of that belongs to my particular brand of profession. When a sleep-deprived IT guy stares at you, he stares with the intensity of a man who''s been told the other guy ''washed'' his computer with water to clean it up. The stare of ''You are a moron to the nine-thousandth degree'' is a stare that only those who have seen the deepest pits of stupidity of mankind can ever fathom to possess.


    It is the stare.


    And it comes natural.


    "You''re not going away!" Naruto yelled, and pointed his accusing finger at me.


    "Apparently," I acquiesced. "Ask the priest for an exorcism?"


    "There''s no priest!" Naruto yelled again. Was he really that loud of a character? Right, it was in the character description ''Loud, Annoying, Orange-Wearing Shinobi''.


    "I see," I said. "You know you''re still in your pajama?"


    Naruto looked down at his clothes, paled, screamed, and rushed off once more.


    I inwardly gurgled a curse to the Gods of Chaos.


    Was this my one-in-a-lifetime death experience? Couldn''t I have had Hooters, Playboy Girls and S.e.xy Actresses playing the Harem Game?


    Were this my last conscious thoughts? A screaming twelve to thirteen year old child?


    Damn, my last breath sucked.

 Chapter 30 - My SI Stash #30 - Hope Bearer by shadenight123 (Multiverse Cross)

    -This is the SEQUEL to Bond Breaker by shadenight123. You won''t understand shit if you''ve never read Bond Breaker. 3rd fic of Shade in my stash, probably the last one (? ?_?)?


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 130Kjavascript:;


    Posted on: forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/hope-bearer-si-multicross.13798/ (shadenight123)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "Yui," I said softly, opening my eyes to the bright, pastel-like sky above my head. "Uh?" I blinked, and looked around, my neck all stiff and my body hurting all over. I laid on the back of a grassy plain, with trees stretching high towards the sky, as far as I could see.


    I blinked again, and then tried to stand up, only for my hooves to fail me and send me tumbling downwards in a comical way. I rolled down the hill, and growled softly as I landed in a heap near a river of water.


    "Yui," I snarled with a bit of an angrier tone, gazing flatly at my reflection in the water.


    I received no reply.


    Of course. Why would I?


    I exhaled loudly, and shook my head as my mane fluttered in the breeze.


    I was lacking a light saber.


    I was utterly devoid of the powers of the Force.


    This felt like the start of a second season of pok¨¦mon, where Ash Ketchum forgets about having super-pok¨¦mon and drops them at Oak to get new ones.


    "If I end up with the powers of friendship and love," I remarked dryly, "I will burn the universe down."


    I looked up at the pastel-colored sky. "If you can hear me, Yui, know that I will make you pay for this."


    I received no reply.


    I wobbled back on my feet and sighed, giving a last look-over at my form. Traveling through dimensions wasn''t really all that difficult. Finding a way back home, on the other hand, was. There were just ''so'' many dimensions, you know? But by that same logic, out of infinite dimensions, the one where ''I'' was missing had to be out there.


    However to find it, there was a bit of a complicated process involved, even for a highly intelligent Artificial Intelligence powered by Black Holes like Yui was, ''Higher Being'' and all that included, she still needed time, a time that stretched towards infinity.


    So, in the meantime, I had time to spend idly by. The ''Limbo'' dimension wasn''t that bad, mind you, but it just didn''t have what I-


    "You''re just running away from Elsa''s feelings, Shade," Yui beeped from the air around me.


    "So you are listening in on my thoughts," I snarled back.


    "Who? Little innocent young me? Tee-Hee-Hee~"


    "Don''t you Tee-Hee-Hee me," I snapped. "Well? You''re not coming?"


    "It''s going to take me a long time to find out your specific ''home'' dimension, Shade. Just go and have fun while I look through it. Think of it as rediscovering your roots."


    I began to trot by the river''s side. "And you couldn''t give me my lightsaber back?"


    "How am I going to find out where the hell you come from if you [Annul] everything? But don''t worry, you aren''t really powerless. I just toned your power down a bit. As the God-Author would say, ''This is just to keep things interesting''."


    "Yeah, he''d say that, wouldn''t he?" I snapped dryly. "Can you tell him to go die in a molten lava pit?"


    "He probably heard that," Yui said. "But think of the readers'' feelings, Shade."


    "I am," I replied softly. "That''s why I''m keeping the insults clean."


    Objective Found.


    My hooves, damn it, I wanted legs and feet and arms and hands, took me across a nice stretch of land before I finally grumbled out, "Why am I not in human form?"


    "You''d scare the ponies," Yui disembodied voice came through the side of my ear. "And you don''t want to scare the poor ponies, right?"


    "Ponies," I grumbled. "Why ponies?"


    "Why not?" Yui said. "Friendship, Love, Happiness, Cheerful Hugs and everything nice. I say you needed a vacation, and what better way than spend it in a place where you cannot absolutely f.u.c.k things up?"


    "Woah. Such Trust. Much Faith. So Happy."


    "Stop being Doge-Like, Shade. It doesn''t suit you."


    I rolled my eyes.


    "I''m not even an Unicorn," I said dryly. "Or a Pegasus."


    "You''d zap things, or conjure clouds to zap things," Yui replied. "This way, the worst you can do is...kick things."


    I sighed. "I''ll let you know I wouldn''t zap things."


    "You''re the one who went lightsaber-ish murderous the last time."


    I sighed once more. "You use a lightsaber and force powers once, and they never let you hear the end of it."


    "Fluff, happiness and everything nice, Shade. Can you do this, for me, this one time?" Yui pleaded through my...let''s call it ''earphone'' even though there wasn''t actually one.


    "Fine," I said. "Happiness and everything nice."


    "By the way, you''re going in the wrong direction," Yui said.


    I emitted a half-strangled curse to the heavens and turned around.


    "No, you need to cross the river to reach Ponyville."


    "Yui," I said calmly, gazing at the river. "You''re not seriously telling me-"


    "Come on, the river''s not even very deep."


    "Yui."


    "Shade."


    "Yui."


    "Shade."


    "Yui!"


    "I can always bring Elsa over-"


    "I''m going," I said quickly, trotting back to take a running start and then rushing ahead, the entire thing instinctive -at least I had to thank Yui for that- before sailing through the air and landing on the other side.


    "What should I say when she comes over? ''Sorry, but in order to avoid answering your feelings, he went on a journey across the Multiverse again?''"


    I took a deep breath as I squared my shoulders -horse or pony shoulders- and kept trudging forward, on the cobblestone road in front of me.


    "Tell her I''m busy fixing the causality around the universes, that should work."


    I heard Yui sigh. "So, jargon-talk some nonsense to tell her it''s a very important thing? Basically, ignore the issue and hope it goes away, Shade?"


    "Indeed!" I said with a light nod of the head.


    "Never change, Shade, never change."


    I bristled. "I changed a lot, I''ll let you know. For one thing, I''m no longer scared."


    "Course you aren''t. I''m here to keep an eye on you, there''s no way you''d be scared with my tremendous powers at your disposal."


    "And secondly, this is My Little Pony," I quipped. "The worst that can happen here is solved the next episode with a hug...I think."


    "Your favorite place to be then!"


    "Yui, sarcasm doesn''t suit you."


    "I am just another form of you, Shade. So yes, it does suit me."


    Apply Logic.


    I groaned. "Why are you making me remember that!? Can''t we talk about something else?"


    Yui hummed. "I think I''ll go back to crunching out thousands of billions of numbers. You need a hand, just cry out my name like ''By the Power of Yui! Heed my call, supreme and beautiful being of knowledge and power!''."


    "IF you think-"


    "Sorry, you haven''t used the proper invocation, Yui-Chan is currently unavailable for comment."


    I grumbled. You give power to an AI, and this is what happens after giving them the internet. Never give an Ai access to the internet, or it will turn them rotten.


    I remained quiet as I finally saw the start of the ''Pony'' village. It was at the end of the road, and everything looked cartoony enough to make the bile in the back of my throat start to rise, if slightly.


    I wasn''t different from the majority of ponies, actually. The mane was a dark shade of grey, my eyes were brown, and looked haggard by the side as if I suffered from sleep-loss, and I apparently had a...''cutie'' mark. It was a crimson lightsaber, but it looked more like a ''baton'' the kind of which you find in the hands of traffic aides or the type used by people who have to guide airplanes in the airport.


    Redefine Causality.


    Well, I had to give it to Yui. Ponyville seemed pretty normal, all things considered, and since I wanted a vacation with happiness, fluff and everything nice tucked away in a corner, this wasn''t all that bad. There was nothing wrong going on, and there were no screams, suffering, elder gods, or anything else. It was nice.


    Sort of.


    I was vaguely aware of the ''Hammer-Space'' as it is called in nerd-jargon that seemed to be placed somewhere by my side that contained ''money'' and ''stuff''. Yet, no lightsaber, because Yui didn''t trust me with the blade of [Annulment] capable of removing reality and everything on its path.


    Seriously Yui, you''re no fun when you get pushy like a nagging mother.


    A sudden shower sprayed on my entire body from above, and as I blew the wet mane off my eyes, I looked up and growled as a pony had apparently been pouring water on a few vases, and had aptly forgotten of people passing by below him.


    Of course, that was Yui at work with her probability changes from the Limbo dimension.


    I was so going to have words with her when I came back...meanwhile, the pony who had ''doused'' me in water gasped and retreated abruptly, closing the windows behind her.


    Restart In Progress.


    As it was, I ended my nice, normal, vacation-like walk at a large building that worked as the town hall of the place. I stepped inside, trudged up a couple of steps, and came short of the mayor''s desk, where the Mayor seemed busy behind it. There was no secretary of sorts, but again, Ponyville was more of a town than an actual city.


    "Ahem," I coughed politely, trying to catch the mayor''s attention and failing miserably at that.


    "Ahem!" I coughed a bit louder.


    That got the Mayor''s attention, who dropped the parchment and looked up at me, with a puzzled look. "Oh my! May I help you?"


    I inclined my head to the side and sighed. "I am Shade Neight," I growled my surname and felt the burning desire to burn Yui to a stake, which soon passed as I remembered I was here for a vacation, a happy, fluffy, comedy filled vacation of friendship and happiness and burning people to the stake wasn''t in the program...yet. "You should have received a letter about my arrival today?"


    Hoping Yui did everything properly, of course.


    "Of course, of course Mister Neight!"


    "Shade, please," I replied dryly. If I heard my surname pronounced like that one more time, I''d swing my lightsaber-right, right, that explains why she didn''t give me my lightsaber. Damn you, Yui. I want my lightsaber back, do you hear me?


    "Mister Shade, I am Mayor Mare, nice to meet you," the Mayor replied. "I''ll show you to your house immediately."


    "You look busy, and I wouldn''t want to impose-"


    "Nonsense, young colt! These can wait," I just had to smile and let it be, then. I was the one who had insisted on going somewhere else, and Yui had found the perfect place to drop me, where even my angst-driven and hatred-filled self could not worsen things up.


    I didn''t know where or when exactly she had dropped me in the timeline of the show, but it didn''t matter.


    I just had to take a vacation, and everything would be fine.


    A vacation away from the Limbo dimension, because I couldn''t stand punching Cthulhu in the face one more time.


    Really, how hard is it to remember taking the sleeping pills every new moon?


    Detachment Start.


    The blood drained from my face as I realized there were quite less pony hanging around Ponyville than I imagined. It was...clearly, it could only be one thing.


    "There''s a surprise party waiting for me at my home, perchance?" I asked offhandedly, as the Mayor skipped a couple of steps in shock.


    "W-What brilliant idea! Ah! I do not know what made you think such a great-"


    "Feigning ignorance will not work with me, Miss Mayor."


    The Mayor looked sideways and coughed politely with a hoof to her face. "Could you please try to look surprised?"


    "Of course," I dryly retorted. "Wouldn''t want to hurt Miss Pinkamena''s feelings."


    "You know of her?" the Mayor asked, and I nodded grimly.


    "She is quite...famous for her parties. I will live through this headache, provided it is the only one I have to suffer through."


    "Certainly," Miss Mayor said. "I''ll make sure to warn Miss Pie you do not wish to be disturbed."


    "Shade!" Yui grumbled in the back of my head. "You''ve got to take it nice and easy and have a vacation! You can''t act like an anti-social jerk from the get-go! Go out, have fun, go to parties!"


    I will rip your spleen and feed it to the dogs, Yui.


    "Shade, I know you don''t really mean that," Yui replied with a giggle.


    Try me.


    Separate The Masses.


    The house was a normal, pastel beige colored, house on one floor with a pair of windows, a small garden, and nothing more. It looked like the poster-card of coziness and peace and tranquility, and...and yet I dreaded the first step inside as the Mayor handed me the key...to turn into the key lock with my mouth, of course.


    It wasn''t really that difficult.


    What was difficult was keep a straight face as I stepped inside, in the dark room, and wait.


    Two seconds later, the Mayor turned on the lights.


    One second later, after I barely had the time to gaze at the words ''WELCOME TO PONYVILLE, SHADE NEIGHT!'' written on a large piece of cloth hanging from the ceiling, I was assaulted by loud noises, confetti, party-stripes and whatnot that somehow managed to cover me into them as Pinkie Pie emerged with a bright cheerful voice from behind a sofa, yelling at the top of her lungs.


    "SURPRISE PARTY! HELLO! I''M PINKIE!"


    Die in a forest fire, pink pony of hell and doom.


    "Shade!" Yui chided me.


    You can follow her fate, Yui.


    I was lifted by strong hooves, Pinkie''s hooves, and literally sent tumbling through a hundred and more presentations. I felt kind of sick by the time we were done, especially because I somehow ended up with a party hat, a cake in one hoof, and a party-flag in the other.


    And my ears were being talked off by the never-ending stream of questions Pinkie seemed to be sending my way.


    Defy His Will.


    "I reckon ye can give the guy a breather, Pinkie," Applejack said, an amused expression on her face. "He hasn''t gotten a word in yet."


    Pinkie''s eyes widened, and she quieted down and looked at me. "Oh gosh! I''m so sorry! You wanted to say something!?"


    I looked at Applejack, and then at Pinkie Pie, and I nodded once. "Thank you for the party," I said calmly. "The cake look''s nice, but I don''t eat chocolate."


    Pinkie literally disappeared with a ''OH MY GOSH!'' and I blinked at the spot she had been a moment before. I was no longer holding the platter with a piece of cake in hand, so I reckoned she had gone...to bake another?


    Applejack laughed nervously. "Pinkie''s a bit excessive, hope yer not offended."


    I shook my head. "I came prepared for this," I replied. "Her...fame is well known."


    "Even in Canterlot?" Twilight Sparkle asked, coming in from the side of my vision. She had the unicorn horn and nothing else -not yet an Alicorn, then.


    "Yes," I nodded. "Even there," I added with a sigh. "You are Miss Sparkle, am I right?"


    I could do polite.


    I always could do polite. Lacking a lightsaber, I could be the picture of politeness.


    "Yes, Pinkie presented us," Twilight Sparkle replied.


    "You oversee the library of Ponyville, correct?" I asked again, "I might be visiting it."


    "Then I will be waiting," Twilight replied.


    "Hey, you work with Pegasus?" Rainbow Dash asked, nearing me.


    "Oh no, I''m a teacher," I replied with a small smile. "The Cutie Mark''s not a light baton. It''s a red marker."


    "Yer the new teacher then!" Applejack said, thumping her hooves slightly on the ground. "That''s what Applebloom was saying. Ye start next week!"


    Refuse His Words.


    I nodded, and smiled lightly. "What can I say," I said trying to keep my voice light. "I love teaching."


    "You love traumatizing people to the point of breaking their minds. Now I dare you to traumatize kid ponies. I dare you to try that," Yui remarked with a triumphant tone. "We''ll make a normal person out of you Shade, don''t you worry!"


    Yui, I am always willing to start a fire, and cook you over it.


    The party dwindled down a few hours later, if with a brief spark of interest for Pinkie returning with a vanilla frosted cake without chocolate.


    That was a good cake. Yep. That was a very good cake.


    I concede the point that the cake was really, really good.


    And Pinkie, always the party planner, also cleaned the place up before leaving with a cheerful goodbye.


    I sighed and trotted towards the bed.


    I had a dreadful day ahead of me, and it wouldn''t do to go at it while sleep deprived.


    The Project Shall Never Be Halted.


    Vacation time...


    Well, what could possibly go wrong?


    I Shall Find The Answer.


    Author''s notes


    ...


    I regret nothing.


    I never did a proper ''Sequel'' story after a ''Happily Ever After'' so...why not?


    There will be fun, happiness and much more, I swear!


    Paranoia here I come, right right where we started from, paranoiaaa~

 Chapter 31 - My SI Stash #31 - The Doll Gamer by Redwall6921 (Harry Potter)

    -Same author as "Kenji the Shinobi Craftsman" so it''s bound to be fun!


    (¡«£þ¨Œ£þ)¡«


    Wow, I just realized this is the first HP fic in the stash... I''ll definitely be adding more as there''s some good SI HP Fics out there!! ¦×(£à?¡ä)¦×


    Synopsis: I''m not a hero. I''m not even a functional human being. I''m just a living doll that does what it pleases without a care in the world. "Oh? Some more pots that need breaking. Is that a treasure chest? Mine now." OC SI. Gamer ability. Shameless. From the makers of Neville the Gamer is a new story of a sociopath stuck in the HP world with the gamer ability. Tada-da-daaa! Crash!


    Rated: M


    Words: 95K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13203887/1/The-Doll-Gamer (Redwall6921)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "I suppose this is the part where you tell me my death was an accident and you want to send me to another world as an apology."


    "¡­"


    In a white infinity space stood two individuals. One was a tall slender man with gelled-back black hair wearing a pianist suit and golden eyes that were narrowed behind frameless square glasses. The other was a bald old man wearing a toga like outfit with a long white beard.


    The old man matched the youth''s frigid stare with one filled with patience.


    "You don''t seem surprised to meet me. Though I suppose this could be due to your ailment my child," the old man said calmly.


    The young man, who looked to be 24 years old, said nothing as he took off his glasses and used the handkerchief in his pocket to clean them, "¡­I think that this entire scenery has been overplayed just a tad. You can find it almost anywhere these days. So it doesn''t really come as a surprise."


    "Hmm, no, I suppose not. Tell me, how do you feel about your death?" the old man asked curiously.


    The pianist put on his glasses and looked at the man that claimed to be God with a smile that didn''t quite reach his eyes, "I can''t say I feel anything in particular. It is my understanding that the stage light fell on my head just as I was beginning my piano recital killing me instantly. No point in complaining now. What''s done is done. Other than a brief sense of regret for not being able to finish, I have already moved on."


    "Aren''t you concerned for your parents, your friends and colleges?"


    "No."


    "I see¡­ then I suppose there is no point in discussing it further," the old man said regretful looking at the calm young man, "It is just as you said. Your death was not planned so I have come to offer you the chance to go to another world as an apology. Are you interested?"


    "I see no point in staying here so I might as well," the man said in his smooth baritone voice.


    "Do you wish to pick the world? I can also give you one special ability?"


    The black-haired man adjusted his clothes, "Anything will do?"


    "Anything?"


    "Yes."


    "Very well then, I pray that you regain what you have lost in this new life."


    (Scene change) (Charles Pov)


    I woke with a jolt as I heard the whistle of a train.


    Calmly I began to scan my surroundings wondering where ''God'' had dumped me.


    I was in some sort of train compartment for starters. Glancing through the window I could see people in strange clothes running up and down the platform, but only children seem to be getting on. The a.d.u.l.ts dressed in black and pointed hats would wave sticks in the air that caused items to levitate and such.


    Look at my reflection on the window I saw a young black-haired boy with amber colored eyes and a stoic expression staring back at me.


    "It would seem I have been de-aged back to when I was 11. From the evidence provided it would be safe to assume that I have been sent to the Harry Potter Universe," I concluded before staring at my small pale hands and then at the black robes I was wearing, "The lack of color to my robe suggests that I am a first year."


    I was the only one in the compartment, so it was perfectly safe for me to talk to myself, plus it helped me think.


    "''God'' said that he would give me a special ability?"


    Ping!


    "So this must be it."


    I looked at the blue floating window in front of me with a calm gaze.


    [God has gift you with the special ability: The Gamer]


    The window looked semi transparent and when I passed a hand through it there was no resistance to speak of.


    "The Gamer? I can''t say I''ve played many games before."


    There was an exit button on the corner of the window, so I closed it only for a new one to pop up. I hoped that wouldn''t happen too often or else it could get annoying rather fast.


    Name: Charles Bell


    Class: The Gamer


    Level: LV 2 Next Level: 00.00%


    HP: 100/100


    MP: 100/100


    STR: 5


    DEX: 5


    VIT: 5


    INT: 5


    WIS: 5


    LUK: 5


    Points: 0


    Money: 0


    [Help?]


    "What are these?"


    I clicked on the help button to better understand.


    [This is the Status page.


    It lists all of your character attributes in numerical order.


    HP (Health Points) indicated the life force in your body and how much damage you can take. If it reaches 0 you will die.


    MP (Mana Points) indicated the amount of magical energy you have in your system.


    STR(Strength) determines the amount of power your physical attacks can deal.


    DEX(Dexterity) determines the how fast you can perform certain actions.


    VIT(Vitality) determines how much energy you have and your physical defense.


    INT(Intelligence) determines how smart you are as well as how much mana you have.


    WIS(Wisdom) affects your magic control as well as your decision making.


    LUK(Luck) determines chance encounters, drop rate, the amount of drops, and the type drops.


    Points can be used to increase attributes. You get 5 Points every level.


    Money indicated the amount of Knuts, Sickles, and Galleons you presently have.


    Inventory is a personal pocket dimension you can use to keep items. Things placed inside experience no time passing. Currently you have 12 empty boxes. You can purchase more boxes later on. Items of a certain kind are stackable.


    Most abilities are voice activated.]


    "How interesting, to think that a person''s being could be quantified so simply? Inventory window."


    A new window opened, showing a 3D diagram of me wearing my current set of clothes. There was a grid with 12 empty boxes next to it.


    I brought my finger to the black robes on the diagram and a smaller window popped up


    [Black Robes- Rank: Normal]


    Robes worn by all Hogwarts students.


    "Well I suppose that was to be expected," I stated closing all of the windows.


    A brown suitcase under my seat got my attention, on the side was my name, which had miraculous survived the transition.


    Opening it, I could see some packed clothes, a couple of books, and some toiletries. At the very bottom of the case was a photograph of a group of kids standing outside of an orphanage. I immediately saw myself among the crowd.


    "So, this me is an orphan. Well I suppose it could be worse. At least I won''t have to go through the trouble of pretend to be someone else''s child."


    Taking a book from the stack another window appeared in my vision.


    You obtained the skill book [The standard book of spells: Grade 1]


    [Will you learn this skill] [Yes] [No]


    I chose no for now, "Skills."


    Gamer''s Mind (Passive) LV MAX


    Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Allows peaceful state of mind. Immunity to psychological mass effect.


    Gamer''s Body (Passive) LV MAX


    Grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game. Sleeping in a bed restores HP, MP and all mass effects.


    Numbed Emotions (Passive) LV MAX


    In need of a heart? Life has made you into a sociopath, a living doll. You feel very little when it comes to others. Attacks you aimed at an opponent''s heart now do 5 times as much damage. Attacks aimed at the user''s heart does no damage. (Since magic is half emotions you get a draw back to all spells until you reach 50 WIS.)


    "Oh the first two seems quite helpful, it almost makes me regret not playing as many video games when I had the chance. The third however¡­ living doll? How appropriate," I thought out loud before turning my attention back to the trunk.


    There was a 11-inch magic wand placed beside inside of the case which I grabbed. It looked like a black twig that had been sharpened to a point with small bumps on its side.


    A skill has been created through a special action.


    [Observe] (Active) LV 1


    Through continuous observation, a skill to observe objects, situations, and persons was generated allowing the user to quickly gather information.


    "Oh now that''s an interesting quirk. Should I test it on the wand then?"


    Blackthorn Wand- Rank: Special


    A magical wand crafted by Garrick Olivander made out of blackthorn wood and dragon heartstring.


    Magic spells cost 50% less mana to use.


    Magic spells are 50% more powerful.


    Pocketing the wand, I closed the trunk and opened the spell book, I needed to play my part after all.


    About twenty minutes into my reading, the compartment door opened and two girls stepped inside.


    I knew who they were almost immediately as their names were floating above their heads.


    Daphne Greengrass (LV 3)


    Tracy Davis (LV 2)


    My mouth quirked up automatically in a well-practiced smile, "Hello."


    They ignored me completely as they took their seats on the opposite side of the room and placed their respective trunks under their seat.


    It was to be expected I suppose. They correctly assumed that I was either a muggle-born or a half-blood and rather than take the effort to look for a new compartment they instead chose to ignore me.


    I mentally rolled my eyes. Children.


    I was happy to do the same as I returned to the book in my hand. It was interesting all things considering. I passed the time by trying to come up with a logical explanation to some of these spells, like the lumos spell.


    The train''s whistle sounded, and I could feel as it pulled out of the station. All things considering it could be worse.


    Turning a page in my book I received another message.


    Diligent studying causes your INT to go up by 1.


    Now that was an interesting result. Looking at my Mana pool I noticed that it had gone up by 10, meaning that one point of INT equaled 10 points of mana.


    Dismissing the window, I turned to look at the two girls that were completely absorbed in their talk. By the looks of it, neither one could see the game''s window.


    Daphne looked like the stereotypical rich girl portrayed in media nowadays, with white skin, silky blond hair, and pale blue eyes. Her efforts to keep an emotionless facade was almost funny in how bad it was, but that was to be expected of a 11-year-old. She was still green (pun intended) but in time she would be able to hide her emotions more easily.


    Tracy was the exact opposite with black hair and brown eyes. Her presences was completely overshadowed by Daphne''s, and she apparently knew this too as she made an effort to be as loud and eye-catching as possible.


    I had met their types plenty of times before. Entitled children of rich parents that had never known the hardsh.i.p.s of life. In my past life I could also be considered one.


    It was almost funny how just 24 hours ago I was practicing for my big debut and now I was eleven again on my way to a magical school. That was alright however, as I had always been quick to adapt to new situations. For now, I was content to just enjoy this new experience and see were it would take me.


    I could hear a trolley being pulled, and a jovial looking woman pushed a cart full of sweets with a full smile, "Anything off the trolley, dears?"


    I silently observed as the two girls walked up to the cart and bought some candy and pastries, carefully recording how much things cost so as to get a good reference.


    When they sat down it was finally my turn. I walked to the trolley giving my best smile to the witch. I had found some money in a sock inside of my trunk earlier.


    "I''d like a chocolate frog please. How much would it be?"


    "It will be 1 Sickle dearie," she said as she took a pentagonal box from the cart.


    I hand over the silver coin and took the offered candy, "Thank you very much."


    "Enjoy the trip dears."


    The two girls were munching away at a cauldron cake by the time I took my seat again.


    Chocolate Frog- Rank: Magical


    Chocolate in the shape of a frog, enchanted to act like a real frog for 5 seconds. Restores 5 MP.


    I decided to not eat the chocolate frog at the moment and instead tried to go back to my reading but a sudden noise made look up.


    Tracey was gagging as she spit something into her hand. I spotted an opened box of those weird jellybean things and guessed what had happened.


    I let out a small snort. Really, they are just children, putting strange things into their mouths.


    "What, have something to say?"


    Oh dear, it would seem that the Greengrass Heiress didn''t like my sense of humor.


    Still I smiled pleasantly, "I beg your pardon?"


    "You''re a muggle-born aren''t you. I suppose this must all be very strange to you," she said while crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes.


    "Wow. You''re right, I am a whatchacallit, a muggle-born. I admit that this is all very new to me. Everything on this side is just so fantastic," I said trying my best to play the part of surprised boy, "It''s almost as if I step into a fantasy book. Ah! I''m sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Charles Bell. It is a pleasure meeting you both."


    "I am Daphne Greengrass," the blonde introduced herself stoically as she extended a hand.


    I wasn''t really sure what she was expecting, but I shook her hand rather than kiss it just to be safe.


    "Hey, I''m Tracy Davis!" the other girl said waving her hand before jumping to the opened seat next to me and took out the box of jellybeans, "Here try one."


    I looked at Daphne and saw a hint of a mischiefs smile.


    I mentally rolled my eyes at their childish prank. "That''s rather kind of you. I''ll take one I suppose."


    My eyes quickly used observe to scan the jellybeans. Unhesitant I took a yellow jellybean and threw it in my mouth.


    The two girls search my face for any reaction, but they were disappointed when I didn''t immediately gag.


    "It''s lemon, it rather good actually."


    Tracy, seemed to not accept defeat after a single instant however, "Really, have another?"


    I took a green jellybean this time, "Watermelon."


    "Tch. One more?" she said shaking the box to mix them up.


    "Cotton candy," I told her as I got another.


    "One more."


    "Raspberry, I think?"


    "One more."


    "Mango."


    After a few more turns she finally gave up with a scowl and shoved the box into my chest before retreating to her seat to sulk.


    I looked at Daphne with an innocent expression, "Did I do something wrong?"


    "¡­No. But I must say, you have rather amazing luck," she said sounding a little impressed.


    "Oh? Okay. So Daphne, would you mind teaching me a bit on wizarding culture?" I asked, taking this golden moment to find out more about the magical world.


    "Why would I do that?" she said raising an eyebrow.


    [A quest has been created.]


    [Impress an Heiress:


    Daphne Greengrass doesn''t think very highly of you. Impress her enough to change her mind.


    Completion award: EXP 500


    Increase closeness with Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis.


    Completion failure: none]


    "Well seeing as you have lived on this side longer than I have, I just thought you could give me some tips."


    "Hmm? I suppose I could, but what would I get in return?"


    "Well I have nothing right now that could possible interest you, but¡­ how about a favor."


    "Just a favor?"


    "Then what if I show you a neat magic trick I just learned? If you can figure out how I did it then you can ask me for anything?"


    The two girls looked at each other unsurely. "Okay, let me see this trick."


    I rolled back my sleeves all the way to my elbow and took the box of Jellybeans in one hand, "Now keep a careful eye on the box."


    They leaned in closer to get a better look.


    When I knew I had their full attention I brought my other hand up and slammed it down on the box with a loud slap causing the girls to jump back in surprise.


    Lifting up my hand I revealed that the box was now gone, "Tada! So how did I do it?"


    Daphne looked unsure at her friend, "Umm. Was it banishing magic?"


    I titled my head to the side in an innocent manner, "Banishing magic? I don''t know what that is?"


    "Right. You''re a muggleborn, you don''t know about that yet?" the blonde muttered under her breath as she bit her nail.


    This went on for a few more minutes with the two girls coming up with different theories but none of them made sense.


    Finally, Daphne hung her head, "I-I don''t know."


    Of course, she couldn''t figure it out, I had used the inventory window instead of magic after all.


    Clapping my hands again I made the box appeare and put on a c.o.c.ky expression, now for the final step to complete my act.


    "Told you it was a neat trick," I said before throwing a jellybean into my mouth only for my face to scrunch up and gag, "Guk, gross. It tastes like grass!" I made an exaggerated show of using my robe to clean my tongue.


    They giggled at my displeased expression.


    [Quest Complete.]


    Your level went up by 1.


    Seeing that my plan had worked I joined them in laughter.


    Now that the ice was broken, the girls seemed to completely forget their previous attitude towards me as they took turns to answer my questions.


    For the rest of the trip I asked different manners of questions, with Daphne and Tracy more than happy to boast about all the amazing things that the wizarding world had to offer.


    I asked some personal questions here and their so as not seem rude, while they did the same. Most of what I said was made up obviously since I had no memories of ever living in this world, but it was believable enough.


    To be completely honest I was a little surprised to find out how much Daphne acted like my past self, though seeing how we both came from similar backgrounds it should have been obvious.


    As previously mentioned, I was what one would consider a child born with a silver spoon. Both my parents were successful people that had made their individual fortunes in the hotel and clothing industries. As such there was never anything I really lacked growing up, anything I wanted I got. I grew up receiving one of the best educations possible and never lacked any parental affection. They would make it a point to come to all my recitals, all my doctor appointments, even stay at my bed side when I got sick.


    I lived in a perfect home.


    ¡­Yet I could tell something wasn''t right as I grew older.


    I am unsure as to went it started, but soon I noticed that I didn''t enjoy the same things as I used to. Things began to feel bland almost to the point where I didn''t know if I liked it or hated it. Nothing excited me anymore, not the luxury vacations to the Bahamas, not the new game system, not the new puppy. I felt nothing, and I didn''t no why.


    Yet despite my new mindset I was still grateful to the two people who had raised me with all of their love. That was the one thing that had remained true until the very end. It was for their sake that I took the role of being the perfect son both at home and in public.


    I did the things that would make them most happy. Father wanted to see me play sports, I joined a fencing club. Mother wanted to now about my love life, I got a girlfriend the next day. Friends, lovers, hobbies, they were all just pieces that I had carefully picked so to maintain the illusion of normality. Even my career to become a professional musician stemmed from my parents love for music.


    I knew of course that if I simply told them about my problem that they would understand and even try to support me, but I had no desire to put them through that much grief and suffering for something I myself didn''t care about.


    It was this reason why I did not lament my death. I had played my part perfectly until the very end. And now I could finally rest.


    In I way, I suppose that this new life really had been a blessing in disguise.


    A small part of me briefly wondered if Daphne was destined to turn out the same way I did, a cold emotionless doll.


    I was brought out of my musing when I heard her ask a question.


    "So Charles, what house are you hoping to be sorted into?"


    I quickly switched to a friendly smile, "Well, after your explanation. I hope to be sorted into Ravenclaw."


    "Ravenclaw? I suppose that is the best choice for you," she said thoughtfully, "a lot of powerful witches and wizards come from Ravenclaw."


    "I take it the two of you plan to join Slytherin," I said.


    "Naturally."


    "Duh."


    "Well I hope we all get sorted into the houses we want."


    The train slowed to a stop after unknown amount of time had passed. The three of us had gotten somewhat closer in this short time, with the only interruption being Hermione knocking on the door to ask if we had seen a toad.


    "Looks like we are here?" I announced.


    Looking out of the window I could see the silhouette of a large castle in the distance.


    For some reason I felt my mouth quirk into a smile all by itself.

 Chapter 32 - My SI Stash #32 - The Sun of Sunyshore by BANIX (Pokemon)

    -Some fluff and some badassery from our SI Gym Leader Volkner ©d(????)?"


    Synopsis: I didn''t ask to be a Gym Leader, but I somehow found myself as one. Damn it, Flint. THIS is all your fault! I want to resign! I WANT TO RESIGN! SOMEONE, SACK ME! (Reincarnated OC as Volkner)


    Rated: T


    Words: 83K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13306841/1/The-Sun-of-Sunyshore (Pokemon)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "VOLKNER! WAKE UP!"


    I groaned and tossed about in my covers, pulling the blanket over my head to block out the noise.


    "I SWEAR TO THE LEGENDARIES ABOVE, IF YOU DON''T WAKE UP I WILL-"


    Set the fire alarm in my house ringing and the water sprinklers showering over my head.


    "SET THE FIRE ALARM IN YOUR HOUSE RINGING AND THE WATER SPRINKLERS SHOWERING OVER YOUR HEAD!"


    Called it. That little squirt is too predictable.


    "THREE!"


    I took a peek at the clock hanging on the wall of my bedroom. It is 11am, maybe I should be up by now.


    "TWO!"


    Should I just tell Jarvis to ensure that my fire alarm and water sprinklers don''t get themselves hacked today? Jarvis listen to my every command anyway.


    "ONE!"


    I groaned and trudged to the door before swinging it open. The little squirt Kayla already has her hand hovering over the button that will mess up the electrical wiring of my house.


    Annoying little squirt.


    "Finally!" Kayla threw her hands up in exasperation. "Volkner! You are late! You should be at the gym at least an hour ago!"


    "It''s not like there will be any challengers worthy of my time." I grumbled as I went to the toilet to wash my sleepy face and did my morning routine, or maybe I should call it the afternoon routine with how late I tend to wake up.


    "You are the GYM LEADER of Sunyshore! Have some sense of responsibility!"


    "Speaking of that, did you send in my letter of resignation to the League yesterday?" I turned around and asked the small little girl while brushing my teeth.


    "No. If you want to do it, do it yourself." Kayla said with her arms crossed and an annoyed look on her face. "You know for a fact that they won''t let you resign anyway."


    "Damn it." I muttered as I gargled my mouth and washed it clean with water.


    Fifteen minutes later, the little squirt is pulling me by my hand towards the Sunyshore Gym.


    My gym.


    God damn it Flint! Who told you to submit my name to the League when they were looking for applicants to be the next Sunyshore Gym Leader?! Now I can''t even quit no matter how much I try to slack off!


    I will give him the beatdown of the lifetime when he comes to visit the next time. Franky will love to have a rematch with his magmortar.


    Nah, who am I kidding? We will just end up in a draw as per usual.


    Oh, sorry. I didn''t see you. You were talking to me? Oh, you are asking who I am?


    My name is Volkner, the 42nd Gym Leader of Sunyshore. I would like to emphasise that I didn''t become Sunyshore''s Gym Leader by my own will, the jerk Flint somehow got the League to appoint me as one. No matter what I did, I just can''t get myself sacked. The Sinnoh League just love me too damn much and I can''t seem to get them to hate me no matter what I do.


    Why am I so different from the Volkner you knew from the games/anime/whatever pokemon series that you are familiar with?


    Believe it or not, this is the second life I am living. I wasn''t expecting to be reincarnated as Volkner either, but I am not complaining. Despite the flaws and how dangerous this world can be, I enjoy my second life here thus far.


    So now you are asking about my life story of this second life of mine? Ok, let''s see, maybe we should start from the top?


    .


    .


    .


    Nah. It''s way too long and I don''t feel like telling a story. You will definitely find bits and pieces of it along the way if you continue to watch me from where you are.


    I am afraid that I will have to cut our conversation short, the little squirt had managed to drag me to the gym and now there is actually a queue of challengers for me to send packing home. Wait a sec, all of them had actually managed to get through all of my gym trainers?


    Interesting.


    Let''s hope that they can actually put up some semblance of a fight.


    "I can''t believe you did that!"


    "I am the Gym Leader, of course I can do whatever I want in this gym." Volkner retorted as Kayla resisted the urge to pull at her hair. "What are you complaining about anyway? I sent them packing in less than ten minutes. We saved a lot of time."


    "So that you can go back to sleep?"


    "No. It''s so that I can go grab my lunch and then go back to sleep."


    Kayla wanted to just scream at her Gym Leader right now, but she was interrupted before she can do so.


    "Come on, let''s go grab a bite. It''s lunch time and I am hungry, my treat."


    Volkner simply stood up and walked out of the arena. Tec, Volkner''s rhyperior, repaired the destroyed arena within seconds with his expertise in rock and ground type techniques before he lumbered after his trainer.


    Kayla''s gaping mouth hang at the sight. That''s it? Volkner destroyed all the challengers with his main team so that he can eat his lunch as soon as possible? He rarely used members from his main team against challengers unless they are Elite trainers. She could count the number of times that happened with the fingers from a single hand.


    The gym challenge that just occurred was a bizarre sight. Volkner had challenged the entire group of trainers all at once. He and his team faced at least sixty advanced level pokemon from the group of challengers versus Volkner''s seven.


    Volkner had defeated them in less ten minutes. None of his pokemon had gotten even a single scratch.


    Jo, Volkner''s jolteon, nuzzled herself against Kayla''s leg before running after Volkner, yipping happily along the way like what she usually do. Franky, Volkner''s electivire and starter, just walked towards the door like his trainer did as he gave Kayla a wave. ISpy, Volkner''s magnezone, pushed Franky from the back to get him to move faster.


    Simba, Volkner''s luxray, walked to stand beside Kayla and lowered himself down, offering Kayla a ride.


    "Thanks, Simba."


    Kayla muttered her thanks as she climbed onto the huge luxray. North, Volkner''s probopass, floated beside Simba as Myst, Volkner''s gallade, teleported himself to only-he-knows-where.


    This is Volkner''s main team. These are the strongest eight pokemon that he possesses out of the seventeen that he currently has. Well, seven out of eight, since there is a missing member that goes by the name of Puddle, who is too big to fit into the gym most of the time unless Volkner uses the gym''s special feature to make it temporarily more spacious. Volkner usually let Puddle out into the sea surrounding Sunyshore for a swim. Puddle''s presence had made it a lot safer for sh.i.p.s to sail into Sunyshore without the fear of being attacked by feral wild pokemon, pirates, or random criminal organisations.


    Even after being his head gym trainer for two years, Kayla still cannot understand Volkner at times. To put it simply, Volkner is weird. He doesn''t do things the way normal people do.


    First of all, he is lazy. Very lazy. The only time he is motivated to do anything would be engaging in pokemon battles or training. At the same time, Volkner is too strong. Most people cannot give him a challenging enough fight and those who could are usually too busy to come down to Sunyshore to challenge him on a regular basis.


    Hence, Volkner just laze around most of the time. He is so powerful that he is bored.


    The extent of his laziness extended to how he named some of his pokemon. His jolteon was named Jo because Volkner was too lazy to think of a name for her and simply plucked out the first two alphabets out of her species''s name. The same goes for his vikavolt, Vik. His probopass, North, got named as such because according to Volkner, ''she was always pointing to the north as a nosepass''. His gyarados, the menacing, scary, fierce, sea serpent that so many people are afraid of, is named Puddle. Why?


    Because Volkner found him as a magikarp in a puddle.


    It is a miracle his pokemon didn''t eat him up for his bad naming sense.


    Volkner''s motto in life is to do things at his own pace. He couldn''t care less what others think about him or how urgent others wants it to be done. If Volkner decides that this is the pace he wants to go, he will go at that pace regardless of what you feel. Despite that, he had never messed up any important matters before. He still gets things done in a manner that can satisfy all parties involved. The only drawback that it is done at his own pace, which can be infuriating at times when you urgently need the matter to be done.


    The other glaring weirdness of Volkner, especially so when you just met him at first glance, is that Volkner actually has pokemon of other typings other than electric types. It is a weird sight considering that he is the strongest Electric Specialist that Sinnoh boasts.


    Heck, out of the strongest eight pokemon he has, four of them aren''t even electric types. That is half of his main team. She hasn''t seen a Specialist like him in her short career as a trainer thus far. Most Specialists'' main teams are made up of at least 95% of pokemon that matches their type specialty. The remaining 5% are usually there because Specialists keep these pokemon on their team for transportation purposes like teleportation, flying, or surfing.


    Naturally, Kayla had asked Volkner the reason for it when she first joined the Sunyshore Gym as a gym trainer and then eventually worked her way up as the head gym trainer. His answer?


    "There are only so many different species of electric types in Sinnoh, squirt. Some of them aren''t even suited for higher levels of pokemon battling and I need to have a minimum of six pokemon to take part in my conference. And why will I restrict myself to just electric types simply because I am an Electric Specialist? It''s stupid to set such restrictions on oneself. Such thinking will only stunt your growth."


    Somehow, Kayla couldn''t find a way to dispute Volkner''s opinion on this issue.


    For Kayla''s case, the most infuriating aspect of Volkner that she has to face on a near daily basis is Volkner''s unwillingness to be a Gym Leader.


    Yes, you heard that right. Volkner doesn''t want to be a Gym Leader. At all.


    Kayla couldn''t believe her ears either when she first heard about it from Volkner''s mouth. How can anyone not want to be a Gym Leader? It is a prestigious position only granted to the strongest of the strongest! It is a position that many trainers will cut their own limb for! Being a Gym Leader automatically makes you one of the Thirteen Pillars of the region you hail from, the elite group which comprises of the Regional Champion, Elite Four, and the Gym Leaders. It is an honour to be crowned as one of them! It is the dream of thousands, if not millions of trainers worldwide!


    And this guy makes a daily attempt to send in his letter of resignation to the League just to try and get himself sacked. It got to the point where the Sinnoh League has a separate mailbox just for Volkner where the staffs there dump his resignation letters and then dispose of them periodically without even opening it.


    It still didn''t stop Volkner from trying when he learnt about the special arrangement.


    The kicker? The one that made Kayla want to strangle him and scream in his face?


    Volkner want to resign from his job as Gym Leader so that he can be the lighthouse keeper of the Vista Lighthouse, the lighthouse in the south-eastern corner of Sunyshore city. Why would someone as powerful as him want to be an unimportant lighthouse keeper? He can be so much greater!


    Her question was the burning question of the gym trainers in their gym as well. The answer Volkner gave to them when they finally worked the courage out to ask him (she was new at that time, and hence a little scared to ask the Volkner directly) nearly made them faceplant onto the ground.


    "Hey, being the lighthouse keeper is the dream job for me. I can sleep in late, which is a plus. The pay is a little on the small side, but it is enough to sustain me and my team and it is a source of steady income. Plus, there will be the occasional trainers who will climb the lighthouse and I can satisfy my need for battles, which also means more prize money for me since I can defeat them all within minutes. It is the perfect job for someone lazy like me."


    If only the citizens of Sunyshore knew how much of a lazyass their favourite Gym Leader is.


    Volkner''s frustrating personality aside, there''s no denying his prowess as a trainer and his contributions to Sunyshore. He can be lazy, but never was he irresponsible when it comes to fulfilling the more vital and important responsibilities he has as a Gym Leader.


    Volkner is the childhood friend of Flint, the same Flint who is also one of Sinnoh''s Elite Four. They are rivals and supposedly equal in strength. Both of them grew up in this city and they both ended up competing in the same conference, the 521st Lily of the Valley Conference. It is an annual event held in Sinnoh where their regional Pokemon League Tournament will be hosted.


    They both reached the finals and faced off against each other. They both tied for First Place.


    This is an outcome that was never before been seen in Sinnoh''s history. After much discussion by the officials of the conference back then, it was decided that the both of them will share the honour of being the Champion of that year''s conference.


    Flint stayed in Sinnoh and went on to improve himself, eventually making his way into Sinnoh''s Elite Four. Volkner had decided to get stronger by touring the other regions to see for himself what other electric types these regions had to offer. According to Volkner, it was on this long trip that he amassed the required number of electric types to be able to truly call himself an Electric Specialist.


    When Volkner returned, it was the exact time when the previous Sunyshore Gym Leader, Mark, was forced to step down due to his ailing health. The old man was unwilling to leave Sunyshore behind but upon his family''s persuasion, decided to retire for good and then moved to Hoenn, where the tropical climate is more suited for him to live given his body''s condition.


    That leaves the position of Sunyshore''s Gym Leader empty.


    Many Sinnoh trainers sent in their applications to be considered as a candidate for the position of Gym Leader. The trainer community of the Sinnoh region went crazy. It is not everyday such a position is available, so it was understandable that everyone wants to try their hand in becoming one of Sinnoh''s Thirteen Pillars, a prestigious position that only trainers who stand at the pinnacle of the trainer community can hope to even touch.


    Volkner didn''t send in his application, he didn''t care about being a Gym Leader.


    However, Flint did.


    Flint had always thought that it is a waste that Volkner''s dream is to be just an unassuming lighthouse keeper. Volkner was about to apply for that position too, until Flint disrupted Volkner''s plan by sending in an application on Volkner''s behalf to the Sinnoh League, begging the League to not let someone as talented as Volkner go to waste.


    The Sinnoh League agreed with Flint''s opinion after looking through Volkner''s track record. Two days later, a very perplexed Volkner was called to the League HQ located at Lily of the Valley Island with him none the wiser. He walked out of the HQ as a Gym Leader, much to his chagrin.


    He never let Flint hear the end of it.


    In terms of the hierarchy of power between the Thirteen Pillars, the Champion is the strongest, followed by the Elite Four and then the Gym Leaders. However, Volkner had always tied with Flint in every single battle they had with each other. The same outcome persisted even when Flint is already a member of the Elite Four. From this, it does not take a genius to know that Volkner has what it takes to be considered as a member of Sinnoh''s Elite Four with his strength alone. There are talks that the League is considering Volkner to replace Bertha as a member of the Elite Four the moment she retires.


    Obviously, Volkner wants to avoid that outcome at all costs. He still wants to be a lighthouse keeper, and even drew up a retirement plan on how to successfully resign as a Gym Leader in five years time and get his dream job at the same time.


    In Kayla''s opinion, that would not be happening in a few decades.


    The League simply blocked Volkner''s every attempt to get out of the League''s services; Volkner''s strength is just that valuable to them. Until they can find people who is as capable as Volkner to replace him, there''s no way they are letting him go. Volkner knows this as well but he still tries anyway, much to the exasperation of the people around him.


    At this point, Kayla feels that Volkner is doing this just to annoy the League. It is his way of getting back at them for shoving the position of Gym Leader onto him.


    The two of them travelled to the bustling Sunyshore Market. Kayla is hitching a ride from Simba while Volkner has his hands in his pocket and strolled at a leisurely pace, his pokemon beside him. The citizens of Sunyshore exchanged enthusiastic greetings with Volkner the moment they spotted their beloved Gym Leader.


    Kayla still couldn''t believe her eyes sometimes since she knows how laidback Volkner usually is. Volkner is actually loved by the people of Sunyshore.


    Even with the long list of flaws that Volkner has, there is no denying that Volkner was vital in helping Sunyshore develop into what it is today. For generations, Sunyshore has been a major port town and the gateway to the Sinnoh''s Pokemon League. It is situated on a narrow spit of land that is surrounded by the sea and mountains. If it wasn''t for the fact that Sunyshore''s geographical location is so suitable to build a port, no one would have wanted to build a city here. The terrain of Sunyshore is not exactly suited to build a city as large as it evolved to be.


    Even though Sunyshore is referred to as a city, it is in actuality a congregation of many small pieces of land jutting out of the ocean surface. However, being so close to the sea has its problems. Wild pokemon from the sea tend to wreck havoc on the city, be it accidentally or on purpose, and it caused Sunyshore to suffer damages for as long as it has been founded. There wasn''t much of a point building bridges to connect the land masses since they would be destroyed within the next few months no matter how hard the city tried to guard it. It was for this reason that Sunyshore''s citizens rarely explored anywhere outside the land that they lived on since it is so hard to go from one place to another even within the city. Many citizens of Sunyshore had lived their lives not knowing full well on who lives on the other side of Sunyshore opposite them. The only way to visit the different parts of Sunyshore back then was to either surf there by boat or with their pokemon''s help.


    The inconvenience in travelling from one point of Sunyshore to another brought about a whole slew of problems. The city is divided in both the literal and figurative sense. Citizens of Sunyshore have no real connection to the other locals living on the other land masses that is separated from theirs. There wasn''t any true sense of kinship among the city populace. The divide also brings about a huge security issue. The local police force always have troubles trying to maintain peace and order due to how problematic and difficult it is to travel from one part of Sunyshore to another, allowing mobs of gangsters to thrive.


    The League and the previous Sunyshore''s Gym Leaders had tried many times to solve this problem but none of them had truly worked. Many had grown to accept this problem as an unsolved fact, deciding to leave it as it is.


    Needless to say, this problem was passed down to Volkner when he took over as Gym Leader. Volkner was very annoyed at how inconvenient this whole arrangement is. He was annoyed that no one had solved this issue for 500 years when in his opinion, the solution is so simple.


    He came up with a plan within two weeks after he took up the position of Gym Leader. By the time six months had passed, his plan had started to come into fruition. Two years later, the security and safety of Sunyshore had increased tremendously along with other benefits.


    Volkner was of the mentality that if humans cannot solve their own problems with their own strength, pokemon might. The origin of Sunyshore''s longstanding problem was that the city is prone to harassment from wild pokemon from the sea. This not only threatens the safety of the city, but it also affects the shipping route sh.i.p.s from all over the world uses to travel to Sunyshore, putting Sunyshore''s economy at risk as well.


    Volkner''s solution to Sunyshore''s problem started out with a single command to his largest pokemon. It was where Puddle came in.


    Volkner may be an Electric Specialist but he is no slouch in training pokemon of other typings. Puddle is a gigantic gyarados that dwarfed even others of its own kind. He is a member of Volkner''s main team and is one of his more destructive pokemon. As it turns out, Puddle''s presence alone is enough to deter most wild pokemon surrounding Sunyshore from harassing the city.


    Volkner had ordered Puddle to be the leader of the local wild pokemon population from the sea. Many people back then thought he was crazy, because how will that help to solve Sunyshore''s problems? How can a single gyarados, no matter how large and how strong it is in battle, defeat every single wild pokemon in the sea surrounding Sunyshore?


    It took a while for Puddle to complete the mission given to him by Volkner, but he did manage to establish himself as the strongest among them and became their leader. Most wild pokemon have a pack mentality and they will obey their leader''s orders most of the time. Through Puddle, Volkner had ordered the wild pokemon to stop harassing the city. Volkner was also worried that these wild pokemon had attacked Sunyshore in the first place due to scarcity of food around the area. Thus, to be doubly sure that the wild pokemon have no incentive to launch another siege on the city, he had also used his power and authority as a Gym Leader to clear out certain spots in Sunyshore for the sole purpose to feed these wild pokemon. The pokemon food needed will be donated by the League for this cause. Volkner''s logic was that if the main reason for the pokemon'' constant harassments was a need to hunt for food, then there will not be any reason for these pokemon to attack the city if their bellies are full.


    Somehow, it worked out.


    There are a few feeding spots around the city and they are mainly located at the outskirts of Sunyshore. These places also now serve as a tourist attraction. It is one of the few places in the world where people can actually observe with their own eyes how humans and pokemon are able to coexist in harmony. The local police force guards these feeding spots diligently as well, not allowing criminal activity to take place within these areas. This development had helped boost Sunyshore''s tourism and the local wild pokemon population had become more comfortable around humans. There are also trainers who claimed to have found their starters from these feeding spots.


    With the problem of wild pokemon constantly harassing the city out of the way, Volkner then concentrated on solving the city''s internal security issue.


    Permanent bridges can now be built to link the various parts of the city together, something that all Sunyshore citizens look forward to. However, Volkner doesn''t want the bridges to be ordinary bridges.


    He wants the bridges to be built using solar panels.


    It was another crazy idea that everyone had doubted. At that point in time, solar panels are a relatively new technology. Are solar panels even suited to be used as building materials?


    In response, Volkner simply called out Jarvis, his porygon-z, cooped themselves up in a room for a week doing who-knows-what, and emerged from the room holding a blueprint detailing the prototype of a solar panel suitable for building purposes.


    He and Jarvis had invented an entirely different type of solar panel within a week.


    Volkner had given all the credit to Jarvis, saying that he merely gave the idea to Jarvis and the manmade pokemon with artificial intelligence had computed the entire calculation and came up with the blueprint by itself. He said that Jarvis invented that particular brand of solar panels, not him.


    In the eyes of the people of Sunyshore, there''s no difference. To them, Volkner is the inventor of such solar panels since he is Jarvis''s trainer.


    The blueprint was sold to the League, who were impressed with the idea and had heavily sponsored the construction of these solar panel roads and bridges in Sunyshore. Sunyshore is a location that is bathed in harsh sunlight almost all year round. Not only does the solar panel made use of Sunyshore''s natural advantage to create energy and meet their energy demands, it helps to connect the entire city.


    Sunyshore''s economy had nearly tripled in just a short five years after Volkner became its Gym Leader. The locals here love him for what he had contributed to Sunyshore.


    There were people who were resistant to the changes as well, although these people were mostly the local mobs and gangsters who were very comfortable with Sunyshore''s previous situation until Volkner came into the picture. They tried to destroy any efforts in bettering the city but the local police and Volkner had put an end to them quickly. It was a common sight back then to witness Volkner taking on hordes of gangsters with only his pokemon by his side. The moment someone spotted Volkner moving to wipe out the troublemakers, the kids who got wind of it will hide themselves by the side and watch as Volkner stroll into the mobs of gangsters and obliterate them within minutes. Some of them even brought snacks along, treating the spectacle like some sort of action movie.


    Even the a.d.u.l.ts tagged along. Some of them even openly ran bets on how long Volkner will take to finish his job. Volkner simply pretended that he didn''t see or hear anything, although he will send ISpy to guard the growing crowd of spectators in case things went wrong.


    Kayla will never admit it to Volkner but she was one of the kids back then. She still remembers how she stared on in awe as Volkner walked into enemy lines as if he was taking a stroll through the park and finished them off in the same amount of time she needs to eat a quick meal.


    He was what inspired her to be an Electric Specialist.


    Within a year after his appointment as Gym Leader, Volkner had singlehandedly annihilated the underworld of Sunyshore with the help of the police force. No one from the underworld is strong enough to stand against his might. With that, most of Sunyshore''s security issues is solved and the city is now one of the safest cities in the region. Sh.i.p.s are now more willing to travel to Sunyshore and dock there, thereby boosting Sunyshore''s economy. Everyone is happy at this outcome.


    It was around that time that Volkner started to become an inspiration to the younger generations who aspire to be pokemon trainers themselves. Volkner was an orphan with nothing to his name. He had started from zero and had ended up as one of the most powerful gym leaders the region had birthed.


    Volkner is not only their leader, he is their idol and inspiration. He is a role model for trainers and he had inspired a fair share of trainers from the younger generation to be an Electric Specialist. Over the past five years as Sunyshore''s Gym Leader, the citizens there had given him many titles. The more well-known ones are ''The Sun of Sunyshore'' and ''The Yellow Flash''.


    Volkner is like the sun, his presence so blindingly bright but it is also warm. Like a benevolent light, he had guided Sunyshore and improved it further. The moniker of ''The Yellow Flash'' came about when people witnessed his fights with Sunyshore''s underworld. His electric types are so fast that all you can see about them are yellow blurs, hence helping their trainer earn the nickname of ''The Yellow Flash''.


    Volkner seemed to like the second moniker better than the first for reasons unknown. Kayla personally thought that the first moniker sounded nicer.


    The two of them had a quick meal at a random food stand. The owner of the food stand hadn''t wanted to receive their money since he is very grateful for what Volkner had done for Sunyshore, but Volkner just shoved the money into his hands and disappeared into the crowd before the kind man could react, pulling Kayla with him at the same time.


    Volkner is just that loved by the people here.


    "Hey, squirt. What''s the schedule for today?"


    "You are supposed to be training us gym trainers right now." Kayla deadpanned. "That was half an hour ago."


    "Why didn''t you say anything?" Volkner yawned out a reply as he gave a lazy stretch. He had detoured to the Vista Lighthouse and had took a nap beneath the shade of one of the nearby trees, claiming that the food coma is calling for him.


    "It''s not like you will be on time even if I bugged you." Kayla retorted. "You will just ignore me and be late anyway.


    "I take offence to that." Volkner said and he suddenly have a mischievous grin. "For that you will have to walk back to the gym by yourself."


    Kayla''s eyes widened. The Vista Lighthouse and the gym are at opposite corners of the city. She will take forever to get back there by foot. He wouldn''t.


    Volkner''s grin widened.


    He totally would.


    Myst appeared in a Teleport and Volkner disappeared with him in the next second, leaving Kayla alone with the cool sea breeze blowing at her back.


    .


    .


    .


    "VOLKNER!"


    AN: I had always wanted to write a world about pokemon from a perspective that is not a trainer going through the gym circuit. I started out by writing about the life of a pokemon researcher, but that story is boring in my opinion and I am too lazy to invent random scientific knowledge about pokemon. I then turned to other groups of people that I can write about in the pokemon world, people that are vital to let the world run as it is but are often overlooked.


    I decided to write one about gym leaders.


    I had also always wanted to try writing a story on the Sinnoh region and Volkner is the person that I decided upon after looking through the eight candidates to be the mc of my story. There is just so much to explore with him as a mc. It was through writing the first chapter of this story that I came up with the concept of Jarvis, which I then inserted into my other pokemon fanfic, I Just Want To Travel The World. Some of you who came over from IJWTTTW might see some references that I borrowed from there and inserted it here.


    To be honest, I still have no idea where this story is heading to and I don''t think it will ever grow to be as wonderful as IJWTTTW. This story is more like a slice of life story and I have a feeling that I will be making this story a short one. My focus will also not be on this story. This story is more like a way for me to take a break in writing out the main stories I already have when I experience a burn out in trying to write something interesting. I tend to go back to writing this story and another unpublished one whenever I have no motivation to write the other stories that I already have.


    With that said, don''t expect me to update this story regularly given the reason why it was created in the first place. I just thought that some of you might enjoy this kind of slice of life story about the pokemon world, if it is really going in that direction. I think this story has potential, but I have no idea what the potential is yet and I haven''t really decided what I really want this story to grow into.


    In any case, I hope you enjoy this story.


    Pokemon and trainer list:


    Volkner Tide: Gym Leader of Sunyshore, Electric Specialist


    Titles, Accolades and Achievements: Tie for First Place with Flint in the 521st Lily of the Valley Conference, Sinnoh''s strongest Electric Specialist, Thirteen Pillar of Sinnoh, The Sun of Sunyshore, The Yellow Flash


    Main team:


    1) Electivire (Franky), male


    2) Luxray (Simba), male


    3) Jolteon (Jo), female


    4) Magnezone (ISpy), genderless


    5) Gallade (Myst), male


    6) Rhyperior (Tec), male


    7) Probopass (North), female


    8) Gyarados (Puddle), male


    Pokemon used for Gym challenges


    9) Raichu (Squeaky), female


    10) Pachirisu (Scrat), male


    11) Heliolisk (Bask), male


    12) Ampharos (Fluffy), female


    13) Vikavolt (Vik), female


    14) Eelektross (Whirr), male


    15) Lanturn (Glowy), female


    Pokemon used for Sunyshore''s security


    16) Rotom (Prime), genderless


    17) Porygon-Z (Jarvis), genderless

 Chapter 33 - My SI Stash #33 - The Aegis of Fairy Tail by BANIX (Fairy Tail)

    -First SI Fairy Tail fic in the stash. The arcs in this fic are heating up more than Global Warming (¡ä¡Ñ¦Ø¡Ñ`)


    Sypnosis: I cannot remember much of who I was, what I did, and where I lived. But I loved who I am now, what I am doing, and where I am currently staying. Fairy Tail is my new home and I loved it. Being an S Class mage is just another bonus. Reincarnated OC (Rated M just in case, but it should be more on the T rating scale)


    Rated: M


    Words: 159K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13171650/1/The-Aegis-Of-Fairy-Tail (BANIX)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Where...Where am I? Who am I? Why can''t I remember...


    "Hey, there''s still a kid alive here. Wasn''t he supposed to be dead?"


    "Just kill him and get going already. We already got the loot. The boss will kill us if we''re late."


    "Yea, yea... gimme a moment. Hey kid, stop squirming around already. Let''s not make this even more painful than it already is, eh?"


    Huh? Kid? me?


    I sat up and looked at my hands, they are indeed a lot smaller than what I was used to from what little I can remember. What was I doing before this anyway? How did I landed here..URGH!


    Memories flashed for an instant as I recalled a little of who I was. I definitely wasn''t born in this world, and...


    Crap. I died, didn''t I? Did I just reincarnated? And I''m about to die, again?


    One of the thugs walked closer to me as he raised a machete high into the air with his arm. I retreated as far as I could and soon found my back pressed against the wall of the building I found myself in.


    "Alrighty, hold still there, this will be over in 3, 2, 1..."


    DON''T COME NEAR ME!


    I closed my eyes as I held my hands out in an attempt to push, block, or do whatever I can in this new and tiny body to prevent that thug from hacking me into little bloody pieces.


    That blow never came.


    I slowly opened my eyes and saw a translucent barrier formed around me. Holy! What was that?! Did I do that?


    "Damn! This kid has magic? Hurry up Joe, kill him!"


    "I''m on it! But I can''t seem to get through this barrier!"


    While the thugs were talking, I felt a physical strain trying to maintain the barrier that I had accidentally erected. There''s a weird feeling buzzing throughout my new body and I guessed that this was the magic the thugs were talking about. So I had reincarnated into a world of magic? Interesting as it is, the first course of action now will be to survive. Maintaining the barrier based on my newfound magic powers is draining and I am getting more tired every second. The fact that more of these thugs were hacking at my shield doesn''t help my situation at all.


    Please, someone, HELP!


    "DON''T YOU DARE TOUCH THE CHILD!"


    With a loud boom, a large fist crashed into the thugs that were trying to kill me and knocked them unconscious. The fist slowly shrank in size and I saw who it belonged to. My saviour was a small, balding old man with a thick white mustache. He walked up to me and looked over me with a critical eye. My first impression of him is that he''s really short, even from where I was sitting on the floor. I''m pretty sure that my new body is taller than him. He also gave off an aura of comfort, and since I was just informed that magic exists in this world, I guessed that the aura was some sort of magical signature. I cannot explain it. It''s like having a sixth sense out of the existing five senses. I don''t know how to use it or explain it, but I instinctively knew that what I felt from the old man was magic. His magic was vast, no matter how much I tried to peer into him I cannot measure how large it truly is. I don''t think he meant me any harm from what he just did, but I can''t shake off the feeling that I had saw this old man somewhere before.


    The old man helped me up and dusted the dirt off my clothes while I just stared at him in silence. My mind was still reeling in from all the shock.


    "Don''t worry about these bandits, they won''t be getting up anytime soon." He gave a large grin as he held out a hand to me. "My name is Makarov Dreyar, what''s your name?"


    Holy shit! I''m in the world of Fairy Tail?!


    "You wanna go at it, ice princess?!"


    "You want some of me, lizard-brain?!"


    "Grrrr, come at me you stripper!"


    There they go again. One guess as to who''s arguing with who.


    Eight years. It has been eight years since I had joined Fairy Tail.


    The memories of this body that I now inhabit slowly fused with the memories I had of my previous life within my first week of waking up in this world. In this world, the owner of the body is called Elden Tyrell. He used to have loving parents that were killed in a bandit raid, which occurred just as when I first woke up in this new world in the year X770. By all rights, this body should have died from a direct blast of magic from one of the bandits'' magic tool. I think that the entry of my soul (if I guessed correctly) into this body had somehow revived it and took over control of it. No matter how I tried, I cannot feel the existence of another being coexisting with me in this body, so if there was a concept of soul in this world, the original soul that possessed this body is long gone. I feigned amnesia when I first met Makarov, claiming that I couldn''t remember anything due to the head injury I had. It was only after the first week I spent with him that I slowly told him the bits and pieces of what I could remember about the life this body had before I took over it. Seeing that my only known family members in this world were dead and that I had nowhere else to go, I accepted Makarov''s offer to join Fairy Tail. He was on the way back to Fairy Tail from the annual meeting between guild masters when he passed by the town where this body used to live. I would have died a second time if he didn''t passed by the area when he did.


    After assuming my new identity in this world, I spent an entire day by the graves of my parents in this world. Makarov had kindly arranged a funeral for them. I was still trying to figure out how I took over the body of their dead son. It was not my fault, but I am not going to feel guilty about it. I was lucky to have a second chance in life and I am going to live it to the fullest however I liked it. Still, they were still my parents in this world and I felt like I had an obligation to pay my respects to them and their dead child.


    I hoped they found peace in wherever their souls rest now.


    The appearance I took on in this world is unassuming. I look ordinary. I have hair as black as the night and my eyes had the same colour as my hair. I don''t look ugly, but there weren''t any notable features as well except for the colour of my hair. I soon found out that my age fell into the age range of the main cast of Fairy Tail as I was born in the year X763, if the memories of this body serves me right, which means my age now should be 15 years old. Surprisingly, I was one of the earliest members among the main cast to join, only right after Laxus.


    Talking about that guy is opening another whole new can of worms.


    When I first met Laxus, I decided to put aside my initial impression of him based from my prior knowledge and found that he was actually a nice guy to spend time with. We were the only kids around our age when I first joined and we often spent time together. Outside of training and missions, we will spent time together in silent company. He will listen to his music with his headphones and I will read my books to pass the time. We also studied and trained in magic together. We read any and every book we can get our hands on regarding magic. Through that, we learnt a bit of many different types of magic even though we never specialised in them, only training ourselves diligently in the branch of magic that we were born with. We formed the Thunder God Tribe (yea, surprised me too), and recruited Freed, Evergreen, and Bickslow, who we helped rescue from a bunch of slave traders during one of our missions near the borders between Fiore and Bosco. I realised that this was probably the reason why the three of them showed such undying loyalty to Laxus in canon. He saved them from a life of misery.


    All went well, and the five of us were the strongest group in Fairy Tail. We were happy. To add on, Laxus and I made a good duo and there weren''t many that can stand up to our combined might. We were best friends, even though we spent most of our time in the guild in silence rather than talking.


    Until Ivan did something that forced Makarov to excommunicate him from the guild. Laxus changed after that, and became the power-hungry man like how he was initially depicted in the manga. No matter what I tried, I couldn''t get my best friend in this world back. Our relationship soured due to our difference in ideals.


    I left the Thunder God Tribe shortly after. I couldn''t stand seeing Laxus like this, and he couldn''t understand why I kept stopping him from doing what he did. He just wouldn''t listen to me. I couldn''t get him away from his path of self-destruction.


    Natsu will accomplish what I failed to do in the future, so I will leave it up to him. Until then, I will wait.


    No one other than Makarov knew exactly what Ivan did although I have a little inkling on what it was about. There''s a lot about my past life that I couldn''t remember, but I remembered enough about the Fairy Tail series. I had finished the manga, but my memory was only good enough until the Grand Magic Games arc, anything after that is a messy blur. There were still some empty spots about the arcs I did remember about the Fairy Tail series, but I have a vague idea on what I could possibly expect from in the future.


    So many things to prepare for, so many events to prevent, and so little time to do it.


    Over the years, I had truly come to love Fairy Tail as my own family. It''s hard not to. Fairy Tail is more than the main cast you see in the manga or anime. There are many other members that wasn''t shown or portrayed. In Fairy Tail, with the exception of Ivan and maybe Precht, these people here truly love and accept you for what you are. They treated you as their own.


    We are nakama.


    It didn''t take me long to decide to help them in their future wars/troubles/shenanigans as much as I could. I would have been dead or crazy if it wasn''t for them. It was not easy trying to adjust to the fact that I had been thrown into a fictitious world where magic is real. It was not easy trying to pretend you are a kid when you were an a.d.u.l.t. It was not easy trying to act like you don''t know things that you know, but were not supposed to know.


    Fairy Tail kept me sane, and I loved them for it in spite of all the weird shenanigans that went on around the guild on a daily basis.


    Despite my love for my guild, there are things that I rather not deal with, like the squabbles between Gray and Natsu. I wish Master was here, he''s away for another annual meeting between the guild masters. I hope the guild doesn''t crumble before he returns.


    Thunk!


    The sound of fists hitting heads reached my ears. Thank you, Erza, you are a life-saver.


    "Were you guys misbehaving?"


    "N-No. Natsu and I were just practising our magic with each o-other. R-Right Natsu?"


    "A-Aye."


    "Good. I know friends do butt heads with each other once in a while, but try to keep it down in the guild hall. Understood?"


    "YES!"


    I could memorise by now what they were going to say the moment Erza set them straight. They always use the same excuse. Erza probably had both her eyes covered regarding this issue as long as they stop fighting. No way is she that stupid.


    "Hey tin-can! Stop using your fists to settle everything!" There was a short pause and I used my imagination to fill in the blanks on what is happening on the ground floor below. "What are you looking at me for? Can''t use your brain for once? Is it filled with rust?"


    Please, Mira, don''t start another guild brawl. We barely prevented one from happening. LET ME READ MY BOOK IN PEACE!


    "What did you say, you whore?!"


    "See what I mean, scrap metal? You just use your fists to threaten everyone and everything the moment you lose your-"


    WHACK!


    Damn it, Erza.


    "THIS SETTLES IT! YOU AND ME, RIGHT NOW!"


    "COME ON! YOU SKIMPY LITTLE SHIT!"


    I groaned from my spot on the reclining wooden chair that I was sitting on the second floor. All I wanted was to read my book in peace, was that so hard to ask for?


    I left my seat and took a peek down towards the first floor where the fight was taking place. Already, a guild brawl had started. Mira and Erza were duking it out in the middle of the guild hall leaving a pile of unconscious guild members in their wake who were too slow in getting out of their way. Natsu and Gray had taken the chance to settle their earlier dispute. Jet and Droy were fighting for reasons unknown again, probably trying to win Levy''s heart. Macao and Wakaba started another fist fight at another corner. Many other members of the guild were starting brawls of their own in their own corners.


    I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. It''s better to just get it over and done with. I raised my hands parallel to the ground as I summoned my magic.


    "Barrier-Make: Rectangles."


    Numerous rectangular translucent barriers the size of doors fell onto the fighting members of the guild and pressed them flat onto the floor below, one rectangle block of barrier for each of them. Thanks to the barriers pressing down hard on them, nobody can move from their position where they are squished onto the ground. My barriers are nigh unbreakable for most of them.


    "I''m trying to read my book in peace. Anyone who disturbs me again will face severe punishment, am I understood?"


    The members of the guild nodded in fear as I purposefully leaked out some of the pressure from my magic reserves. Doing so never failed to solidify the point I''m trying to bring across to the rowdy members of the guild.


    "Good."


    With that, I dispersed the barriers. I turned around to return to my seat to continue reading from where I had left off. Where was I again?


    "El, fight me!"


    I glanced back and I saw Natsu sprang up to my location from the ground floor and tried to punch me with a flaming fist. I simply flicked my fingers and sent him flying with a transparent barrier that crashed into him and rammed him through the opened windows of the guild towards the back of the building. I don''t care where he ended up in. He will survive anyway. This guy''s tougher than a c.o.c.kroach.


    "Was my speech clear enough for all of you? Or do you guys need another demonstration?"


    The members on the first floor scurried away in fear at my words as I went back to continue reading my book.


    Ah, the comfortable silence that can only be achieved with power.


    It feels good to be an S Class mage of Fairy Tail.


    How?! How did this lazy excuse of a man fought off her attacks without seemingly any effort?!


    "Are you even trying? I''m getting bored here. If you are not serious in becoming S Class then just forfeit. Stop wasting my time."


    Erza watched in frustration as Elden yawned. They had been fighting for five minutes and Elden looked totally relaxed and not a single hair out of place. She, on the other hand, is getting tired from the amount of attacks she has been unleashing, but failed to even scratch Elden.


    Erza didn''t bother to reply as she charged once more towards Elden with swords in both of her hands. Elden is Fairy Tail''s newest S Class mage who just made S Class the previous year. Elden is a reserved man that doesn''t talk much, his powers is still a bit of a mystery to members of the guild that don''t know him well, which is the majority of the guild members. The ones who had better understanding of his powers were probably the members of the Thunder God Tribe, which he was once a part of, and the s.l.u.tty whore Mirajane. Elden and Mira had somehow strike up a close friendship with each other, much to the guild''s surprise. No one thought that was possible due to the stark contrasts in their personalities.


    Erza had an inkling of what Elden''s powers is. She vaguely remembered that Elden had once tried to explain to Natsu that his magic is called Barrier-Make magic when Natsu decided to call it the "almost transparent rectangle magic thing" instead when he first witnessed Elden''s magic. That description had annoyed Elden to no end, so he had tried to explain what his magic was to Natsu. In the end, Elden had enough of Natsu''s stupidity and simply knocked him unconscious after 15 minutes of futile explanations. At least now she knows it is a form of molding magic like Gray''s or Laki''s, but they mold ice and wood respectively. But can barriers be made with molding magic? What is it made of anyway? Solid ethernano?


    Elden''s hands were still in the pockets of his jeans when Erza''s swords were stopped by an invisible force. She cannot push any further no matter how hard she tried. She summoned countless swords that hovered around Elden and sent them flying towards him at high speeds from all directions. Her swords were stopped once more about two feet away from Elden in a sphere. Erza gritted her teeth. She doesn''t know Elden that well, he is a recluse who is only slightly better than Mystogan when it comes to making friends. Elden rarely used his powers in the guild since he did not participate in the guild brawls, she don''t know what to expect when facing him as an opponent. He always have this lazy demeanor and preferred napping or reading if he wasn''t training or going on missions. She knows that he has to be strong to be classified as an S Class mage, but she didn''t know he''s this strong. He''s probably on the same strength as Laxus from what she had seen so far.


    "You formed a dome of transparent barrier around you?"


    "Duh, what else do you expect? I have no wish to be skewered, thank you very much."


    Erza grinned, she had found out the weakness in Elden''s magic in the short time they had exchanged blows. Victory''s in her grasp now, she can finally complete this S Class trial. All she had to do now is to defeat Elden and secure the win that will allow her to be finally recognised as an S Class. She''s going to beat that s.l.u.tty Mirajane.


    "Your magic doesn''t have any offensive capabilities. You never attacked me, not even once. It''s not because you don''t want to, but because you can''t. That''s your weakness. You can defend all you want, but you will never win if you cannot attack your opponents."


    Elden gave a small smile as he begin to clap slowly. "Bingo. Got it in one."


    Erza''s heart soared, she knew how to win this now! All she had to do is to continue her onslaught of attacks. The barriers couldn''t possibly hold forever!


    "Or at least you would have been correct, if you gave me that answer in like...five years ago? Or was it six years ago?"


    What?!


    "You see, sometimes, the best defense makes a very good offense as well." Elden slowly held out a hand in front of him, the other still in his pocket. "Let me show you. Shinra Tensei."


    Erza''s swords, which were hovering about two feet away from Elden in a dome thanks to his transparent barriers, were suddenly blasted back with a sudden burst of explosive force. Erza was pushed back as well from the unexpected attack but she recovered her bearings quickly.


    What in Mavis''s name was that?!


    "As you deduced, I formed a dome of transparent barrier around me. What do you think will happen when I suddenly expand it outwards in all directions? It will look like everything around me will be pushed back by an invisible force, won''t it? It''s a good thing I managed to think of this idea. Saved me a lot on trouble on S Class missions." Elden said this as he stretched his stiff neck. "There are many other things I realised that I can do with barriers ever since I discovered this particular use. I still use my magic mainly for defensive purposes, that''s true, but I have a wide range of offensive attacks as well. All I need is a lot of imagination, which I have in spades."


    "Stop playing with me already! Get serious and fight me!"


    "Eh, I''m playing with you? Well, sorry if you felt this way, but I really cannot get myself work up over this no matter how hard I tried. You cannot even punch a hole through my barriers. Laxus managed to do it, even if it was just a tiny hole, and he''s S Class. Maybe I can consider letting you pass if you managed it as well?" Elden said the last phrase as if he was talking to himself. "Oh well, maybe I will just go on the offensive then. Watch out, Erza, here I come."


    Erza stiffened upon hearing these words. With a wave of his hand, Elden''s right hand gripped a translucent ethereal looking sword with the shape of a basic katana without a hilt. The katana vanished a moment later, but Elden''s grip remained the same. Did Elden made a sword by reshaping his barriers into the shape of a katana and then turning it invisible? That''s a very high level of skill for molding magic, even Gray didn''t manage such a feat with ice even though ice is definitely a lot more malleable than solid barriers.


    Elden gave a few practice swings before giving a shrug. "Thought I let you know that I''m using a sword. I usually don''t let my opponents see them at all." He got into a lazy stance and used his left hand to make a ''come at me'' motion. Elden knew how to use a sword?


    "Any time you want, red."


    The only warning Erza gave Elden was a deep breath she silently took before she dashed in to slice at Elden. Elden wasn''t fl.u.s.tered as he calmly blocked and parried every single blow while moving as little as possible with that lazy gaze still in his eyes. Erza requipped into her Black Wing Armour as she held a sword in each hand to increase the ferocity of her attacks. Elden increased the speed of his swings as well as he continued to slowly move backwards. Seeing an opportunity, Erza quickly requipped into her Heaven''s Wheel Armour and launched a huge amount of swords at Elden, who simply dodged out of the way before conjuring a huge rectangular block of barrier with a single hand to stop her swords. They both jumped back to keep a healthy amount of distance from each other, waiting for their opponent to make the next move.


    "You are good, Erza. Your strength is already on the level of S Class and will definitely continue to grow. Heck, you may even make it to a Wizard Saint''s level if you keep improving like that. However, let me ask you something. What do you fight for? Why do you fight?"


    That sudden question caught Erza off guard, why is Elden asking such a question?


    "I fight to become S Class, obviously."


    Elden facepalmed as he gave a groan. "Never mind, I should have phrased it better." Elden''s legs stood further apart and Elden brought his body closer to the ground while taking a sheathing stance of his sword. "Get ready, Erza. Try not to fall in one hit."


    Erza recognised that stance, it was the stance of the Iaido. Skilled users of Iaido only need one hit to finish their opponents, their blades not even stained with the blood of their foes because it moved too quickly. It is a difficult technique to truly master. She got into her stance as well, this battle will end within the next move.


    The chirp of a bird was the unspoken signal as both mages dashed towards each other and slashed at their opponents with speeds faster than what most people can comprehend with their eyes. Both of them stood on the opposite end with their backs facing each other. Erza wobbled, before her armour started to crack and fell into pieces as she collapsed onto the ground facing down. Elden stood in his usual lazy demeanor as he took off his jacket to cover Erza''s nearly n.a.k.e.d body, her armour was totally destroyed.


    "I...I lost."


    "Yea, you did. You still didn''t tell me what you fight for though. You could have win if you answered that question. Your strike felt like it lacked conviction. That''s what I felt anyway, I''m not a master swordsman so I don''t know for sure, but that''s what I felt."


    "I...I just wanted to protect those close to me. I lost Rob...I lost Jel-, I lost my friend. I lost everyone who I cared about. I don''t want to lose anyone anymore." Erza started to break out in small sobs as Elden sat down next to where Erza was lying curled up on the ground while patting her back awkwardly.


    "There, there. At least now you know what you fight for. Cheer up, you have about..." Elden checked the time using the watch he strapped on his right wrist. "20 minutes? Before this segment of the test ends. You still have a chance to make S Class if you start to make your way to your destination now."


    Erza immediately stood up in excitement, only to find Elden''s back facing her.


    "Clothes, Erza. You are barely wearing anything at the moment. Unless you intend on giving me a free show, I will never say ''no'' to them."


    Erza blushed as she quickly requipped her Heart Kreuz Armour although she reigned in the impulse to throttle Elden for that remark.


    "I passed? But I didn''t beat you!"


    Elden snorted as he put his hands behind his head and lay back down onto the ground with his eyes closed. "Laxus and I didn''t beat Gildarts either and we made S Class. You have the power for it and now you know the reason why you fight. That''s enough for me to pass you." Elden slid out a hand from underneath his head and made a ''go away'' motion with it. "Shoo, time''s a wastin''. You better go now unless you want Mira to reach the end point before you did. I will lie here for a while before I meet up with Master."


    Erza quickly muttered her thanks before running off to her destination. She passed the first segment! There''s still a chance to achieve S Class!


    Erza hurried her pace, she must hurry to the end point before Mira did, the she-demon would never let her hear the end of it if Erza reached the end point later than her.


    I whistled a tune as I slowly walked towards the direction of Magnolia from where I am now. I had just finished a solo S Class mission and it was still early, I wanted to enjoy the scenery while travelling back to the guild. Erza had made S Class a few weeks ago, much to Mira''s chagrin, and she never let me hear the end of it for letting Erza pass, saying that I had broke the ''bro code'' by passing her. Hence, I decided that it may be a wiser decision to just take my time to head back to the guild for the sake of my ears. Mira wanted to come with me as well, saying that she needed more experience in handling S Class missions. However, I wanted a moment of peace and quiet, even if Mira''s a good teammate to have and an even better friend despite how she currently carry herself. I know she will have a drastic change in personality after Lisanna''s presumed death but I''m trying to think of ways to prevent Lisanna''s death. They Strauss siblings did nothing to deserve the separation they experienced like what happened in canon. Even if by saving Lisanna Mira will never become the sweet and motherly woman that I was familiar with in the manga, I will still try to prevent Lisanna from ''dying''.


    They are my friends now.


    I immediately stop whistling when I heard movements from the bushes on the side of the road. The existence of magic in my body had enhanced my senses and physical capabilities to ridiculous degrees. I could probably take part in any sports in the Olympics in my previous world and win simply by having magic running through my body.


    Was that...sounds of crying?


    I discreetly raised a transparent shield of barrier around me in a sphere as I walked further into the woods at the side of the main road. Using what knowledge I had of physics in my previous world regarding the properties of light, I had altered the properties of the barriers such that it refract light around it, causing me to disappear from sight and be technically invisible to the n.a.k.e.d eye. I had also made sure that my scent will not leak out of the barriers, Natsu had checked that for me when I was trying to perfect this particular function of my magic. The sounds made by me, be it footsteps or breathing, were also muffled.


    It only took me a minute or two to find the source of the disturbance. A young girl, who I estimate to be around five to seven years of age, was sitting down on the ground with her back to a large tree. She hugged her knees close to her chest as she buried her head in it. She was sobbing. I twitched uncomfortably, comforting people when they are sad is not exactly my forte. The young girl had short white hair with a slight light blue tinge that extends up to her neck, it was almost like looking at a younger version of Lisanna.


    The Strauss siblings don''t have a fourth sibling, right?


    I dropped most of my barriers, making me visible once more. I only left a transparent rectangular one that hover in front of me without a trace of its presence. Even if it was unlikely that this young girl will attack me, it would protect me from any sudden attacks should she have the capability to hurt others. This young girl is obviously a mage given the amount of magic power I felt from her. Being S Class makes you paranoid like hell, things can always go to shit on S Class missions when you least expect it. I may not be on a mission, but it does not hurt to be careful.


    "Hello, can I help you?"


    The young girl was startled as her head shot up to look at me. She was afraid, I can tell that much when she tried to put some distance between us the moment I made myself known to her while clutching something in her hands that looked like a black and gold key. She tried to move backwards, only to have her back pressed to the tree behind her. I slowly crouched down to her level with my palms opened and visible to her, I don''t want to scare her more than necessary. For all I know, she could have just experienced the same thing I did when I first arrived into this world. It wouldn''t be a surprise from what I could see. The clothes that the girl was wearing has been reduced to rags and I could see blood stains as well.


    "I don''t mean any harm, I swear it. I am a member of the mage guild, Fairy Tail. See?" I took off my dark blue jacket and rolled up the sleeves of my shirt to show her the dark blue guild mark I stamped onto my right shoulder. "I am not a thug, a bandit, or a dark mage. I am not a bad guy. Is there anything I can help you with?" I spoke slowly, trying not to agitate the already frightened kid.


    The kid nodded slowly in response. Good, she understands me. I just hoped that she isn''t mute, that will complicate things.


    "My name is Elden Tyrell. El-den Ty-rell. What''s your name?" I spoke slowly to make sure she got my name right. Natsu heard my name wrong the first time we met and it took two months for me to correct him. That annoying stupid little shit. "What''s your name?"


    "I-I.." The girl coughed as she tried to get words out from her hoarse throat. I quickly gave her some water to drink from my water flask that I always bring along with me. She gulped the waters down greedily and only stopped when there was nothing more to drink from the flask. She looked embarrassed by her actions but I simply smiled at her and produced another flask from my requip space. I cannot do anything fancy like Erza but I can do enough to store a few objects. My proficiency with requip only allowed me to go on missions without bringing any luggage. That''s about the full extent of the powers I have with requip. I don''t know why there aren''t more people who learn this magic. It''s pretty useful.


    The girl drank from the second flask as I sat down beside her and rubbed her back soothingly, trying to ensure that she doesn''t accidentally choke herself while she drank. She drank way too fast. "Easy there, the water''s not going anywhere. I still have more of it if you want to drink later. I don''t know how long you went without food or water, but drinking a large amount of water immediately after a long period of dehydration probably isn''t the best idea. Just take small but frequent sips."


    The girl looked at me and gave me a nod while holding onto my flask with both her hands. Kawaii! If I ever have a long-lost sister or a daughter in the future, will she look and act like her?


    The girl took another small, careful sip of water before speaking.


    "My name is Yukino Agria."


    I nearly did a spit-take as I looked at the girl closely once more. Short white-bluish hair? Check. Big eyes? Check. Possible current age range based from what I know from the manga? Check.


    Holy Mavis, this is the same Yukino that joined Sabertooth, isn''t it?


    Nah, not anymore. Screw canon, no way am I leaving her out here to fend for herself.


    The girl looked a little uncomfortable from how I was staring at her and I quickly averted my gaze. Instead, I gave her a big smile and held out my right hand to her.


    "Hello, Yukino. Would you like to join Fairy Tail?"


    AN: The powers that I created for my oc, Elden, is inspired from the Bari Bari no Mi, or the barrier devil fruit from One Piece. The FT fanfics that I read did not characters with powers like these so I thought it will be fun to write an oc with such powers. Many ocs I read about almost always have offensive magic, so I thought that I will do something different and try to come up with a magic that focuses on defense. In this case, I think that molding magic would be the best category for Barrier magic to fall into as it sounds the most logical, so I made the magic for my oc here Barrier-Make magic, the ability to create and shape barriers into different shapes with different properties.


    To my readers that came here and knew me from my other work, IJWTTTW, this FT fanfic is a side project of mine that I wrote in the short period after I posted the 20th chapter for IJWTTTW. I outdid myself by managing to write at least 5 chapters for this fanfic within 2 days. Like I said in IJWTTTW, I would not be posting any new chapters for IJWTTTW or this fanfic due to the fact that school has started for me, and I will be on hiatus until around the period of May. I will continue to post one chapter a day that I had already wrote for TAOFT during the short two days that I used to write it until I had reached the end of my stash, and TAOFT will be on a temporary hiatus after that as well.


    I will most likely be posting one chapter a day for TAOFT, partly because I''m evil like that and partly because I want to know what my readers thought of the idea I presented here before reading the next chapter. I will probably finish posting all the chapters before the week is up, I don''t have that many finished chapters on hand. I only have about 2 days to write all of them after all.


    Let me know what you think, and I hoped that you enjoyed this chapter.

 Chapter 34 - My SI Stash #34 - A Curse of Truth by butalearner (Harry Potter)

    -Funny American SI in Harry Potter, fic is also quite thrilling (*£þ3£þ)¨q


    Sypnosis: An avid fanfiction reader falls into the Harry Potter Universe just before the Triwizard Tournament, and has to come to terms with what he''s lost, take advantage of what he''s gained, and figure out how to deal with the truths he''s hiding. Complete! Detailed rune magic, witty banter...not your usual SI, so give it a shot! See my author page for more info.


    Rated: M


    Words: 198K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/8586147/1/A-Curse-of-Truth (butalearner)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Preface: So this is a self-insert fic. Yeah, I know, self-inserts are supposedly the bane of all fanfiction, but as I believe I say in my profile, I have a bit of a weakness for them. Specifically, I enjoy the self-insert fics where the author-character is a new character, and he retains knowledge of the fictional work in the story. So obviously, this is what you will find within. This is not the first bit of fanfiction that I''ve written, having had a number of false starts and other stories on the back burner, but it is by far the longest.


    Also note that while ''I'' am based on me, the PoV character in the story is not me. I am more boring than he is, and I''m older. It can be you, if you like, though unfortunately you''ll have to put up with certain traits of mine, not the least of which is being male. Sorry, ladies. I''m also American, so this is fair warning that the PoV character deliberately uses Americanisms.


    A Curse of Truth


    Chapter One: Snapping out of it on Platform Nine and Three Quarters


    Standing against a circular pillar in Denver International Airport with a backpack slung over my shoulder, I flick my thumb across the e-reader screen to turn the last page of my fiftieth novel-length Harry Potter fanfiction. When I lift my head up to stretch a bit, a massive case of vertigo sweeps over me, and my left hand shoots back to steady myself on the pillar. Unfortunately, it finds nothing but air. It must be on account of the sudden onset of nausea and dizziness, but it seems like I''m falling through the pillar. As I shake off some of the symptoms, the sights and sounds coalesce from blurred and slurred to more distinct shapes and noises. I''m facing a tall, age-worn stone pillar that looks absolutely nothing like one from the airport...or anything I''ve ever seen, for that matter. My heart tries to jump through my throat as the shrill whistle of a train blares behind me.


    "What the¡ª" I begin, but stop after I spin and catch sight of the old steam engine, and the throng of children with their familes bustling about in odd clothing with large carts of luggage and...is that an owl? In a split second the familiarity of the scene hits me, and my eyes snap to the engine to verify: Hogwarts Express.


    "You won''t need your wand, here, son," a gruff old man says, off to my right. He''s leaning over the counter of what appears to be a newspaper stand. I look down, and in my right hand, sure enough, is a light, slightly red-tinted wooden wand clutched in my hand where my e-reader used to be.


    "Wha...uh, right, sorry," I say, and I realize with some embarrassment that I''m trying to copy his English accent. Yeah, that''s not going to work. I look down at my clothes and find myself still in my travel attire: faded blue jeans and a white tee-shirt, with a zip-up hoodie hanging over my backpack. But something is off about them...


    I turn back to the pillar, and it seems completely solid, no matter how much I try to imagine it being a gateway back to Denver International. At first I try to nonchalantly lean back up against the pillar, and eventually I''m openly inspecting the thing, hoping to find some kind of switch or push plate that might send me back.


    I find nothing. Absently I rub my chin in thought. I appear to have been magically transported to Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Did I fall asleep? No, everything feels real enough...far too vivid for a dream, not to mention I usually wake up once I realize I might be dreaming. I look again at my supposed wand, then at my backpack. What else has changed? Perhaps there are more clues in there...


    Rummaging through the pack I find my nicer black shoes on the bottom, crumpled heap of nicer clothes that I''d worn for the meeting, and, in another pocket, a faded brown letter with a red wax seal. Perplexed I dig it out and see it addressed to Bud A. Lerner, Gate C36 Southwest Pillar, Denver International Airport, USA. "What. The. F¡ª"


    "You''d best hurry, son, it''ll be off soon," the old man said.


    I glance over to see him starting to pack up his newsstand. Then a newspaper headline catches my eye: "NEW LEADS IN HUNT FOR SIRIUS BLACK!" it says in big, bold, block lettering. The subtitle says "RESPONSIBLE FOR QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP SCARE?" The picture, sure enough, is the same one from the third movie with Sirius apparently screaming like a madman.


    Holy shit, it''s 1994 in the Potterverse! The Triwizard Tournament! But in 1994... Suddenly the reason my clothes seemed off hit me: I''m younger! I''m still a teenager, so the timing doesn''t really work out, but I definitely lost a couple years.


    "C''mon, Hurry!" a shrill voice snaps me out of my daze, and I dash off awkwardly toward the train. I have to hold my pant legs up, and my shoes are a bit too big. I barely make it. As I trudge toward the back of the train, every compartment appears full. One of those pieces of fanfiction - though I can''t remember which - conjectured that the train magically expands to only leave just enough room for everybody. Makes sense, really, since the last ones on the train tend to be the protagonists, and they pretty much always find only one compartment open.


    "Did you get hit by a shrinking charm?" a familiar, melodious voice asks behind me.


    I smile and turn to see the serene visage of Luna Lovegood, peering up at me with large gray eyes flecked with only the slightest hint of blue. "Or did my clothes get hit by an engorgement charm?"


    She smiles back conspiratorially. "I suppose we''ll have to wait and see."


    "Say, do you think a wrackspurt might have gotten me? Is that why I can''t seem to remember?"


    Her already large, slate gray eyes widen. "Oh no! I knew I should have convinced Daddy to let me take a pair of Spectrespecs! Let me get my notes!"


    "It''s okay, it''ll wear off¡ªand she''s gone." I laugh and shake my head. Oh man, messing with Luna is going to be fun. I should probably feel bad about that thought.


    Continuing down the train I spot the trio in one compartment, where Hermione is gesturing excitedly, no doubt explaining something in great detail while Ron looks bored but Harry actually looks interested. Suddenly an odd fact strikes me. Sirius looked exactly like he did in the movie, and so did Luna. And here was Hermione looking just like Emma Watson. Now, it''s been a long time since I had my own pictures of the characters in my head, but Hermione wasn''t really supposed to be attractive, was she?


    I open the door to their compartment somewhat loudly to get their attention, Hermione stops mid-sentence to look at me, as do Harry and Ron.


    "Mind if I sit here?" I ask, giving them my best smile. "Everywhere else seems to be full."


    "Are you a Yank?" Ron asks, brows furrowed.


    "Ronald Weasley, have you no manners? That''s a pejorative!" Hermione says quickly with a furious frown.


    "A wha¡ª?" he asks dumbly.


    I laugh. "No worries, no worries. You might use it as a pejorative, but it doesn''t particularly bother me. Yes, I''m from the United States. Don''t hold it against me."


    That doesn''t get much of a reaction, though Hermione generously turns the corners of her lips up at my joke. "I''m Hermione Granger, and you already know this gentleman with his foot in his mouth is Ron Weasley, and that''s Harry¡ª" she trails off.


    "Harry Potter," the Daniel Radcliffe doppelganger says with a sigh.


    He obviously doesn''t like being introduced to strangers, so I smile and decide to throw them for a loop. "Hermione Granger, are you really?" I ask in my best star-struck voice. "I''ve heard so much about you!" I gush.


    It has the intended effect of silencing the entirety of the cabin with open-mouthed stares. "What?" Hermione asked, being the first one to recover. "You...you have?"


    "Uh, not really," I lie. "Sorry, I was just giving Harry a break."


    They all look surprised, then Harry laughs and Hermione joins in with a chuckle. Ron gives a nervous laugh like he didn''t get the joke, which he probably didn''t.


    "So you are...?" Hermione prods.


    "Oh yeah, I''m...uh...oh!" I remember the letter in my bag. "Call me Bud. Bud A. Lerner," I say, trying to avoid thinking about how stupid my name is, I shake her hand gently and then offer mine to the others. "Nice to meet you."


    "Yep, definitely a Yank name," Ron observes briefly before a solid smack to his shoulder causes him to cry out in indignation.


    "Is there no filter between your brain and your mouth?" she asks angrily, then turns an apologetic look to me.


    "No, it''s okay, I fully agree," I assure them. It does sound like a redneck name...maybe I should come up with a better one. "Can''t help our names, can we?"


    I pull out the letter and hand it to Hermione.


    "But this isn''t even open!" she says incredulously.


    "Oh yeah...oops."


    "But how did you get here? How did you know what stuff to get?"


    "Uh...oops again? I uh, kinda forgot and then I kinda accidentally ended up here this morning."


    "How did you ''accidentally'' end up on Platform Nine and Three Quarters?" she asks dubiously.


    I scratch my head and squint my eyes as if I''m trying to remember. That''s not too far off, really, since I don''t know how this happened. "Well, I was just standing in an airport leaning against a pillar, and next thing I know I''m just sitting on the Platform."


    She doesn''t look like she believes me. "But what about your stuff?"


    "Well, I''ve got my wand, but...uh...I don''t have any money for the rest," I say sheepishly. I dig out my wallet and there''s a ten dollar bill and a few ones. I''m not sure what the exchange rate is between dollars and pounds and galleons, but I figure it can''t be much more than a galleon. "This is all I''ve got," I say, showing them.


    "What are those?" Ron asks.


    "American dollars, of course," Hermione says, then looks up at me sadly. "Well you''re a bit taller than Ron...Ron, do you have any spare robes?"


    "Not really, my other two are too small even for me...oh wait," he says with a grimace. He digs out his hideous dress robes that would only not look out of place on a vampire in the 18th century. "Mum packed these awful things..."


    Just then the door slides open to reveal a platinum blonde-haired boy with a pointy face twisted into a sneer. "What ridiculous robes, Weasley! Were those your great-grandfather''s?"


    "What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry snaps.


    I decide to jump in. "Did you say Malfoy? As in Draco Malfoy? Are you really? Oh, Mr. Malfoy, I''ve heard so much about you! Can I have your autograph? I know I must have something around here..."


    He looks surprised for a moment, then takes in my state of dress and smiles imperiously. "Well, at least some peasants around here seem to know their place." Then he notices Hermione snickering, and a scowl formed. "What''s so funny, mudblood?"


    "He''s not a peasant, you ponce," Harry says angrily.


    "Look at him," Draco says, gesturing toward me. "He dresses worse than Weasley!"


    "I''ll have you know my grandfather is Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, the most feared Dark Lord in United States history! You might want to take that back." I fix a glare in his direction, trying to avoid breaking out into a grin.


    Hermione chokes out a laugh and I have to bite my lip to fight to keep the smile off my face. Draco looks uncertain for a moment, then turns and angrily hisses at Hermione, "what''s so funny?"


    "Oh, I think you''ve got something in your hair," I say, waving my hand in his direction. I feel an odd rush flowing from my stomach, up my chest, and through my arm. Much to my surprise, a pink blob appears entangled in his hair.


    "Wha¡ª" he begins, hand darting to his hair. "What is it?" he screeches in a high-pitched voice. "Get it out! Get it out!"


    "Sorry, I don''t know how to get bubble gum out of someone''s hair. Maybe Ms. Granger knows?"


    Draco squeals like a girl, pushes one of the big lugs behind him out of the way and runs up the train.


    "That was brilliant, mate!" Ron says enthusiastically.


    "Did you conjure that gum silently?" Hermione says, astonished. "That''s really advanced magic! What year are you in?"


    "Uh..." I shrug and point at the letter. "Open it."


    She looks torn between asking me about my accidental conjuration and opening my letter. Hermione probably lives for Hogwarts letters. "Are you sure?"


    "Sure, no big deal, I''m sure there''s nothing personal in there, right?"


    "Okay...it says, ''Dear Mr. Lerner, we are pleased to inform you that your transfer application has been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Based on your age and transcripts we have placed you in your Fourth Year?!'' You''re a Fourth Year?" Hermione asks incredulously. I shrug. Last I checked I''m a a couple years older than fourteen, but I guess not, here in the Potterverse. "''And you will be Sorted with the First Years upon your arrival. Please find enclosed a list of materials for required classes and possible electives, and please be prepared to discuss your electives upon arrival.'' This is incredible, you''re in our year!"


    "Well I''m glad I found your compartment, then," I reply with a smile.


    "What about your electives?" Hermione asks, leaning forward, eyes lighting up.


    "Oh boy, here we go," Ron mutters.


    "Ah, I''m thinking Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, for sure. I have to take two, right?"


    Hermione''s widen even further and she breaks out into a dazzling smile. "Great! I''m in those, too! You know you can take more than two if you want."


    "You realize those are the most difficult ones, right?" Ron asks with a groan.


    "You should take Care of Magical Creatures, too. It''s really interesting ¨C I got to fly a Hippogriff last year!" Harry says excitedly "And the professor, Hagrid, is a good friend."


    I smile. "Well I don''t want to load up too much, but I think I could swing that."


    "You can...you can borrow my books when you need them," Hermione says, but she looks a bit ill at the thought. "But about your robes..."


    "Neville''s sprouted up quite a bit, hasn''t he?" Harry offers.


    "That''s right! I''ll go ask him," Hermione says, taking off before I can object.


    "So do you play Quidditch?" Ron asks.


    Damn, I''m really going to have to come up with a good back story. Then it hits me: I''ve read Harry Potter fanfiction set in the United States! "Nah, it''s actually not as popular over in the States as it is here," I say.


    "Really? But...but...but why?" Ron blubbers. I think he''s going to cry.


    "I dunno, Quodpot is more popular there. It''s like with Muggle sports, your Muggles like soccer - or football, as they call it here, and ours like American football. I never really got into it, though. Quodpot, I mean. I''m pretty awful when it comes to riding a broom." That''s a guess, but a likely one. "And the thought of getting caught holding the Quod - what you guys call the Quaffle - when it explodes never really appealed to me."


    "That''s too bad, Harry here is a brilliant Seeker - he''s been Gryffindor''s since his First Year! Now that Wood''s gone I''m thinking of going for Keeper..." Ron then began a lively monologue about Gryffindor''s chances for the House Cup, potential new players, and the advantages of different brooms over the school''s.


    "Bothering him with Quidditch talk already?" Hermione says, sliding back into the compartment with a large black robe over her shoulder.


    "What''s wrong with that?" Ron asked in an annoyed tone. "Just getting him caught up on our chances for the House Cup is all."


    "You realize he isn''t even Sorted, yet? He might not even be with us in Gryffindor!"


    Ron coughs in surprise and then looks ill. "You...you won''t spill our secrets, will you?"


    I laugh. "Of course not, I doubt I could even repeat most of the stuff you said, since I don''t know anybody you were talking about," I lie. "So you guys are all in Gryffindor?"


    They nod. "You know about the Four Houses, right?" Hermione asks.


    "Gryffindor bravery, Hufflepuff loyalty, Ravenclaw wisdom, and Slytherin ambition."


    "That''s...compact yet insightful," Hermione says in surprise. "Which one do you think you''ll be in?"


    "Slytherin, definitely," I say with conviction, and watch their faces pale. My face twitches and I burst out laughing. "Sorry, couldn''t say that with a straight face. I don''t know which House, do I get a say?"


    "Oh, well there''s an enchanted hat that sort of evaluates your personality..." she begins, but trails off. "Actually, I don''t think you''re supposed to know more than that before you''re Sorted." She looked over at him. "How did you get Sorted at your old school? Where did you go to school over there?"


    "I went to¡ª" I begin, but then I realize Hermione probably knows the names of them, and I wouldn''t put it past her to dig around looking into my past. Should I say Salem, since I know it exists in canon? Or should I go ahead and use the non-canonical school I first thought about and hope she never figures it out? I frown in thought.


    "You...can''t say it, can you?" Hermione asks. "We found out about this last year, right Harry? It must be a Fidelius Charm!"


    I love you, Hermione. "I guess so...I mean it was right there on the tip of my tongue but..."


    "Don''t worry about it, you can''t tell us if you''re not the Secret Keeper. So what can you tell us?"


    "Uh, well we weren''t actually separated into Houses or anything. I guess there weren''t enough of us. My Alchemy professor, or Potions as you guys call it, was a huge jerk, and so was the Dean. She would be called the Headmistress here." Damn, it''s been too long since I read that series, I can''t remember anything else. "Oh! I thought the janitor was pretty cool, though he turned out to be a bad guy in the end."


    "Well we can relate to having a complete git of a Potions professor," Ron mutters.


    "But the janitor? Is that why you left?" Hermione asks.


    Uh, sure! "Yeah..." I say, acting like it was some painful memory.


    "So is your grandfather really a Grand Chancellor or whatever?" Ron asks, trying to break the awkward silence.


    Hermione giggles, "No, Ron, that''s from an American Muggle movie."


    Ron looks confused. I get the sense he looks that way a lot. "What?"


    "I was messing with him," I say with a smile. "I''ve dealt with bullies like him before, you just gotta keep them off balance, not let them get to you."


    "Well it was bloody brilliant, I say," Harry, interjects.


    "Yeah, I doubt you''ll end up in Slytherin, though it might be funny to know you''re messing with him all the time," Ron says.


    "Well you stood up to Malfoy, which means you''d likely fit in as a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff, but you also silently conjured that bubble gum, which by the way is probably NEWT-level spellwork, so you''d probably fit in as a Ravenclaw, too," Hermione says, thinking out loud.


    "Well, what about what I want?"


    "Well...you''ll see soon enough," Hermione says, waving off the question. "I wonder if you''ll ride the boats with the First Years or the carriages with the rest of us? Probably the boats, since they take those to let the rest of us get there first."


    "Does she think out loud all the time?" I whisper to Harry.


    "Best to let her finish when she does," he says with a smile. "She might get angry."


    "Anyway, we should change. Here''s a spare set of Neville''s, he''s another Gryffindor."


    Turns out I had to ride the boats in the pouring rain. So that was fun, though at least I got to meet Hagrid. I wondered how that was going to work out with the camera tricks and all, but turns out he really is an enormous Robbie Coltrane. I tell him I sat with Harry, Ron, and Hermione so he immediately takes a liking to me.


    So here I stand amongst a throng of sopping wet, diminutive First Years.


    "Are you...are you related to that guy?" one asks in a high-pitched squeak. "You''re both huge!" I''m surprised to see that it''s a boy. Or at least appears to be.


    "No, I just ate a couple other First Years on the way here," I say in my deepest voice.


    Several of them snicker, but more of them back away even further.


    I sigh. "I''m kidding, I''m kidding, I''m a Fourth Year transferring from the United States, and since I don''t have a House, I''m gonna be Sorted with you." I look at the frightened boy who asked the question. "Which House do you think you''ll be in?"


    "G-Gryffindor I hope...my brother''s there..."


    Some kids laughed. "Did you forget you have to be brave for that?"


    The boy''s face turns beet red, so I feel I need to say something to make it up to him.


    "Bravery doesn''t mean fearlessness. And ganging up on somebody isn''t brave either. In fact, being brave means being afraid to do something, but doing it anyway." Wow, I''m pretty terrible at talking to kids, that sounded pretty condescending. Even though the whispers don''t stop, the little boy stands up straighter after that, which makes me feel better about scaring most of them.


    "First years," a clear, Scottish-accented voice rings out, "you may come with me now to be Sorted." Her gaze snaps to me. "Mr. Lerner, as a transfer you will be Sorted last." She spins briskly around and enters the Great Hall.


    As we enter I gawk just as much as the First Years at the floating candles, the stormy ceiling reflecting the weather outside, and just the general sensation of being in such a magical place. Maybe I''m just projecting, but it seems like I feel the magic thrumming all around me, and I can almost hear it underneath the din of hurried, post-vacation, catch-up conversations. Sure I''d seen this on a screen before, but it is pretty damn impressive in person.


    Some movement in my peripheral vision draws my eyes to the table next to me, where Hermione waves at me with a brilliant smile. I can''t help but return both gestures, with a nod toward Harry and Ron. A glance to the other side and I see Draco glaring at me, as if I was the one who put gum in his hair. I guess I did, but he shouldn''t know that, and I didn''t mean to do it. Oh well.


    "Creevy, Dennis," Professor McGonagall announces, and the squeaky boy from earlier climbs the steps toward the Sorting Hat.


    Ah, that makes sense now.


    I don''t recognize any of the other names, and before I know it, Professor McGonagall has stopped calling names, and I''m standing there alone with whispers starting to spring up around me. I look at her, but she is looking up at the head table. I follow her gaze to find Professor Dumbledore apparently studying me intently. Suddenly it hits me: I''m about to go under the Sorting Hat, who is going to be in my head. It''s going to find out what I know! And Dumbledore''s eyes are on mine, too. Legilimency! He wouldn''t use it on me, would he? I look away, just in case, back to the Sorting Hat, and then back to McGonagall.


    I avoid looking back at the headmaster, and I''m relieved when he continues the Sorting a moment later. With a scr.a.p.e of his chair, the aged headmaster silences the Hall. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we welcome the first of several opportunities this coming year to comport ourselves admirably in front of outsiders. Mr. Lerner here has transferred to Hogwarts, and shall be joining the Fourth Years upon his Sorting. Professor McGonagall, if you please."


    "Lerner, Bud," she says, inviting me to the stool as she had all First Years.


    I try not to wince at the awful name; it helps that I''m terrified of what the Hat will see. He does claim to keep what he learns a secret, but seeing as how the damned thing talks...how hard would it be for Dumbledore to get a secret this big out of it? I swallow roughly and make my way forward in the silence of the Great Hall. I imagine the Hat being placed on my head and spilling my secrets, but then a mildly comforting thought occurs to me. Who would believe a hat about me? McGonagall would probably set it on fire.


    With a bit more confidence I turn and seat myself facing the crowd. "Oof..." I flop down a little harder than I mean to, because the stool is so low to the ground. The display elicits a few scattered laughs, and I feel my face flush in embarrassment but smile through it.


    "Well, what do we have here, a dimensional traveller, eh? What''s this? Oh...OH! Oh my, this is quite interesting. A fictional character in a fictional universe, am I? And what is..."


    Suddenly the Hat starts laughing hysterically. And I mean hysterically. Not just in my head, either...I can hear it laughing externally as well. It''s such a contagious laugh I can''t help but chuckle myself.


    "Oh my," it says when it finally calms down. "Oh my, that is delectable. I wish there were more stories about me in your head like that, though surely you realize as an enchanted article of clothing I am neither male nor female? Oh well, in any case...I must dutifully Sort you, but I suppose you know where you''re going? Thought so. Before you go, I feel I must point out that, without the delicious memories you have of our entire existence, you''d have probably been Sorted into Ravenclaw. No? Well, some of your misgivings about me are quite unfounded ¨C yes, several pieces of fanfiction have indeed gotten that right: I am quite unable to share what I''ve learned, even if I tried. Not even the headmaster can wheedle information about students out of me, and he has certainly tried. But your other misgivings are not. Yes, I suspect either one of the two Legilimency masters at this school could pick this information from you, even with your current abilities at Occlumency, though I''m not entirely certain they would maintain their sanity. Yes, I suggest you work on that, though it will be difficult without a Legilimens. Also, I see the canonical future, which I assume you''re going to change? Yes, I see the terrible things that would have transpired had you not appeared, and I don''t disagree that it could be better. But I must implore you to be careful, Mr. ''Lerner'' ¨C yes, I see your real name. But think about this: what if you make it worse?"


    The hat finally pauses and the message sinks in. Oh. Shit.


    "Right then. GRYFFINDOR!"


    A/N:


    Bit of a short chapter to start, but rest assured this is an anomaly. I shoot for at least 5k+ words per chapter, not counting disclaimers and author''s notes, but that''s not a hard and fast rule. This just seemed like a natural stopping point. I am averaging just over 6k words per chapter.


    The fanfiction I''m referring to when I talk about the school in the United States is Inverarity''s Alexandra Quick series. That was one of my first pieces of fanfiction, so I''m being totally honest when I say I don''t remember much about it. And since ''I'' fell into the Harry Potter universe, that would be realistic. The only time I will look up facts is when I''m describing something from canon that I don''t remember off the top of my head (which will be often, true enough).


    Despite the Sorting Hat''s reaction, I have in fact never read any fanfiction in which the Sorting Hat is involved in s.e.x.u.a.l situations. Although suddenly I have an idea for another story...


    If you find any errors, be they spelling, grammatical, logical, canonical, temporal, or otherwise, let me know! That includes past/present tense mistakes as well: unless one of the characters is talking about the past or I''m recapping, everything is supposed to be in the present tense. Maybe that''s kind of odd, but I like the way it reads for first-person stories since it makes it seem like you''re there. I''m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to those things, so don''t be afraid to call me names when I mess something up ¨C as long as you''re explicit about what it is I messed up in the process. Also, regarding those Americanisms I brought up in the preface: if you see any non-PoV characters using them in what seems like an unusual way, that is most likely a mistake, so call me out on it. Although, if you''ve ever met a foreign exchange student, you might know that they often exchange words or sayings.


    Let me know what you think!


    One reviewer pointed out the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine did not exist in 1994; it was only through Episode I in 1999 that we learned his previous title. Oops! Hermione must have just assumed I made up a political position to firm up my fake fake back story (as opposed to my real fake backstory...you''ll see). So maybe five years from this point Hermione will think it''s fishy.There was a 11-inch magic wand placed beside inside of the case which I grabbed. It looked like a black twig that had been sharpened to a point with small bumps on its side.


    A skill has been created through a special action.


    [Observe] (Active) LV 1


    Through continuous observation, a skill to observe objects, situations, and persons was generated allowing the user to quickly gather information.


    "Oh now that''s an interesting quirk. Should I test it on the wand then?"


    Blackthorn Wand- Rank: Special


    A magical wand crafted by Garrick Olivander made out of blackthorn wood and dragon heartstring.


    Magic spells cost 50% less mana to use.


    Magic spells are 50% more powerful.


    Pocketing the wand, I closed the trunk and opened the spell book, I needed to play my part after all.


    About twenty minutes into my reading, the compartment door opened and two girls stepped inside.


    I knew who they were almost immediately as their names were floating above their heads.


    Daphne Greengrass (LV 3)


    Tracy Davis (LV 2)


    My mouth quirked up automatically in a well-practiced smile, "Hello."


    They ignored me completely as they took their seats on the opposite side of the room and placed their respective trunks under their seat.


    It was to be expected I suppose. They correctly assumed that I was either a muggle-born or a half-blood and rather than take the effort to look for a new compartment they instead chose to ignore me.


    I mentally rolled my eyes. Children.


    I was happy to do the same as I returned to the book in my hand. It was interesting all things considering. I passed the time by trying to come up with a logical explanation to some of these spells, like the lumos spell.


    The train''s whistle sounded, and I could feel as it pulled out of the station. All things considering it could be worse.


    Turning a page in my book I received another message.


    Diligent studying causes your INT to go up by 1.


    Now that was an interesting result. Looking at my Mana pool I noticed that it had gone up by 10, meaning that one point of INT equaled 10 points of mana.


    Dismissing the window, I turned to look at the two girls that were completely absorbed in their talk. By the looks of it, neither one could see the game''s window.


    Daphne looked like the stereotypical rich girl portrayed in media nowadays, with white skin, silky blond hair, and pale blue eyes. Her efforts to keep an emotionless facade was almost funny in how bad it was, but that was to be expected of a 11-year-old. She was still green (pun intended) but in time she would be able to hide her emotions more easily.


    Tracy was the exact opposite with black hair and brown eyes. Her presences was completely overshadowed by Daphne''s, and she apparently knew this too as she made an effort to be as loud and eye-catching as possible.


    I had met their types plenty of times before. Entitled children of rich parents that had never known the hardsh.i.p.s of life. In my past life I could also be considered one.


    It was almost funny how just 24 hours ago I was practicing for my big debut and now I was eleven again on my way to a magical school. That was alright however, as I had always been quick to adapt to new situations. For now, I was content to just enjoy this new experience and see were it would take me.


    I could hear a trolley being pulled, and a jovial looking woman pushed a cart full of sweets with a full smile, "Anything off the trolley, dears?"


    I silently observed as the two girls walked up to the cart and bought some candy and pastries, carefully recording how much things cost so as to get a good reference.


    When they sat down it was finally my turn. I walked to the trolley giving my best smile to the witch. I had found some money in a sock inside of my trunk earlier.


    "I''d like a chocolate frog please. How much would it be?"


    "It will be 1 Sickle dearie," she said as she took a pentagonal box from the cart.


    I hand over the silver coin and took the offered candy, "Thank you very much."


    "Enjoy the trip dears."


    The two girls were munching away at a cauldron cake by the time I took my seat again.


    Chocolate Frog- Rank: Magical


    Chocolate in the shape of a frog, enchanted to act like a real frog for 5 seconds. Restores 5 MP.


    I decided to not eat the chocolate frog at the moment and instead tried to go back to my reading but a sudden noise made look up.


    Tracey was gagging as she spit something into her hand. I spotted an opened box of those weird jellybean things and guessed what had happened.


    I let out a small snort. Really, they are just children, putting strange things into their mouths.


    "What, have something to say?"


    Oh dear, it would seem that the Greengrass Heiress didn''t like my sense of humor.


    Still I smiled pleasantly, "I beg your pardon?"


    "You''re a muggle-born aren''t you. I suppose this must all be very strange to you," she said while crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes.


    "Wow. You''re right, I am a whatchacallit, a muggle-born. I admit that this is all very new to me. Everything on this side is just so fantastic," I said trying my best to play the part of surprised boy, "It''s almost as if I step into a fantasy book. Ah! I''m sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Charles Bell. It is a pleasure meeting you both."


    "I am Daphne Greengrass," the blonde introduced herself stoically as she extended a hand.


    I wasn''t really sure what she was expecting, but I shook her hand rather than kiss it just to be safe.


    "Hey, I''m Tracy Davis!" the other girl said waving her hand before jumping to the opened seat next to me and took out the box of jellybeans, "Here try one."


    I looked at Daphne and saw a hint of a mischiefs smile.


    I mentally rolled my eyes at their childish prank. "That''s rather kind of you. I''ll take one I suppose."


    My eyes quickly used observe to scan the jellybeans. Unhesitant I took a yellow jellybean and threw it in my mouth.


    The two girls search my face for any reaction, but they were disappointed when I didn''t immediately gag.


    "It''s lemon, it rather good actually."


    Tracy, seemed to not accept defeat after a single instant however, "Really, have another?"


    I took a green jellybean this time, "Watermelon."


    "Tch. One more?" she said shaking the box to mix them up.


    "Cotton candy," I told her as I got another.


    "One more."


    "Raspberry, I think?"


    "One more."


    "Mango."


    After a few more turns she finally gave up with a scowl and shoved the box into my chest before retreating to her seat to sulk.


    I looked at Daphne with an innocent expression, "Did I do something wrong?"


    "¡­No. But I must say, you have rather amazing luck," she said sounding a little impressed.


    "Oh? Okay. So Daphne, would you mind teaching me a bit on wizarding culture?" I asked, taking this golden moment to find out more about the magical world.


    "Why would I do that?" she said raising an eyebrow.


    [A quest has been created.]


    [Impress an Heiress:


    Daphne Greengrass doesn''t think very highly of you. Impress her enough to change her mind.


    Completion award: EXP 500


    Increase closeness with Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis.


    Completion failure: none]


    "Well seeing as you have lived on this side longer than I have, I just thought you could give me some tips."


    "Hmm? I suppose I could, but what would I get in return?"


    "Well I have nothing right now that could possible interest you, but¡­ how about a favor."


    "Just a favor?"


    "Then what if I show you a neat magic trick I just learned? If you can figure out how I did it then you can ask me for anything?"


    The two girls looked at each other unsurely. "Okay, let me see this trick."


    I rolled back my sleeves all the way to my elbow and took the box of Jellybeans in one hand, "Now keep a careful eye on the box."


    They leaned in closer to get a better look.


    When I knew I had their full attention I brought my other hand up and slammed it down on the box with a loud slap causing the girls to jump back in surprise.


    Lifting up my hand I revealed that the box was now gone, "Tada! So how did I do it?"


    Daphne looked unsure at her friend, "Umm. Was it banishing magic?"


    I titled my head to the side in an innocent manner, "Banishing magic? I don''t know what that is?"


    "Right. You''re a muggleborn, you don''t know about that yet?" the blonde muttered under her breath as she bit her nail.


    This went on for a few more minutes with the two girls coming up with different theories but none of them made sense.


    Finally, Daphne hung her head, "I-I don''t know."


    Of course, she couldn''t figure it out, I had used the inventory window instead of magic after all.


    Clapping my hands again I made the box appeare and put on a c.o.c.ky expression, now for the final step to complete my act.


    "Told you it was a neat trick," I said before throwing a jellybean into my mouth only for my face to scrunch up and gag, "Guk, gross. It tastes like grass!" I made an exaggerated show of using my robe to clean my tongue.


    They giggled at my displeased expression.


    [Quest Complete.]


    Your level went up by 1.


    Seeing that my plan had worked I joined them in laughter.


    Now that the ice was broken, the girls seemed to completely forget their previous attitude towards me as they took turns to answer my questions.


    For the rest of the trip I asked different manners of questions, with Daphne and Tracy more than happy to boast about all the amazing things that the wizarding world had to offer.


    I asked some personal questions here and their so as not seem rude, while they did the same. Most of what I said was made up obviously since I had no memories of ever living in this world, but it was believable enough.


    To be completely honest I was a little surprised to find out how much Daphne acted like my past self, though seeing how we both came from similar backgrounds it should have been obvious.


    As previously mentioned, I was what one would consider a child born with a silver spoon. Both my parents were successful people that had made their individual fortunes in the hotel and clothing industries. As such there was never anything I really lacked growing up, anything I wanted I got. I grew up receiving one of the best educations possible and never lacked any parental affection. They would make it a point to come to all my recitals, all my doctor appointments, even stay at my bed side when I got sick.


    I lived in a perfect home.


    ¡­Yet I could tell something wasn''t right as I grew older.


    I am unsure as to went it started, but soon I noticed that I didn''t enjoy the same things as I used to. Things began to feel bland almost to the point where I didn''t know if I liked it or hated it. Nothing excited me anymore, not the luxury vacations to the Bahamas, not the new game system, not the new puppy. I felt nothing, and I didn''t no why.


    Yet despite my new mindset I was still grateful to the two people who had raised me with all of their love. That was the one thing that had remained true until the very end. It was for their sake that I took the role of being the perfect son both at home and in public.


    I did the things that would make them most happy. Father wanted to see me play sports, I joined a fencing club. Mother wanted to now about my love life, I got a girlfriend the next day. Friends, lovers, hobbies, they were all just pieces that I had carefully picked so to maintain the illusion of normality. Even my career to become a professional musician stemmed from my parents love for music.


    I knew of course that if I simply told them about my problem that they would understand and even try to support me, but I had no desire to put them through that much grief and suffering for something I myself didn''t care about.


    It was this reason why I did not lament my death. I had played my part perfectly until the very end. And now I could finally rest.


    In I way, I suppose that this new life really had been a blessing in disguise.


    A small part of me briefly wondered if Daphne was destined to turn out the same way I did, a cold emotionless doll.


    I was brought out of my musing when I heard her ask a question.


    "So Charles, what house are you hoping to be sorted into?"


    I quickly switched to a friendly smile, "Well, after your explanation. I hope to be sorted into Ravenclaw."


    "Ravenclaw? I suppose that is the best choice for you," she said thoughtfully, "a lot of powerful witches and wizards come from Ravenclaw."


    "I take it the two of you plan to join Slytherin," I said.


    "Naturally."


    "Duh."


    "Well I hope we all get sorted into the houses we want."


    The train slowed to a stop after unknown amount of time had passed. The three of us had gotten somewhat closer in this short time, with the only interruption being Hermione knocking on the door to ask if we had seen a toad.


    "Looks like we are here?" I announced.


    Looking out of the window I could see the silhouette of a large castle in the distance.


    For some reason I felt my mouth quirk into a smile all by itself.

 Chapter 35 - My SI Stash #35 - Forget The Rails, I Can’t Find The Train by NotAHero (Bleach)

    -Here is the first SI Bleach fanfic in the stash!


    SI Aizen (*¡ä?`*) thank you btw Tabi for the edit, my bad!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 66K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/forget-the-rails-i-cant-find-the-train-bleach-si.776791/ (NotAHero)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1 (exceptional)


    The butterfly theory dictates that even the smallest of changes can have the most devastating of effects. Which essentially, given my current position, means that I and by extension the rest of the world, are already f.u.c.k.i.e.d.


    But I am getting ahead of myself.


    Our story started about three hours ago, see I was just having a marvellous day out fishing with a few friends before a tsunami literally came out of thin air and killed all of them. Given the state of mind during that outing, I am somewhat skeptical...


    All the same I wasn''t given much time to ponder the nature of the killer tsunami as I was given the pleasure of a unique end by shark teeth. Who, given the world I am currently in, I am just going to assume was really Harribel in disguise.


    Anyways, following my involuntary meeting with the third Espada, I found myself drifting off in a black void of nothingness which at first took me off guard as I''d momentarily accepted that there was indeed a god and I was on my journey towards Hell. Que an emotional breakdown.


    Then a face popped into existence in front of me and as much as I''d like to say I didn''t scream like a girl, I''d be a massive liar.


    But then you can hardly blame me.


    Jack Nicholson''s face is going to do that to anybody.


    Long story short, after pretending to be the devil for a solid two hours the asshole inside finally showed himself.


    Surprise Surprise, it was an utter di-


    Really need to stop wearing, I''ve been knocked out like three times in the past hour. Not that anyone would''ve noticed me. I was currently hidden in my private chambers, stacks of books around me, though I couldn''t tear my face away from the mirror. I''d been like this since I''d gotten here. But I am getting ahead of myself, again.


    The ROB did what a ROB do and promptly broke all kinds of laws and physics out of sheer curiosity. See, just after he''d summoned Harribel for a free meal, and no matter how much that bastard might deny it, deep down I know it was him, he asked me a single question.


    Who was my favourite character?


    And been the idiot that I am, I told him the truth.


    And ever since, I''v been sitting here crosslegged, staring ahead at the image in the mirror. Wondering what the hell I was going to do.


    Because no matter what happens, this world is screwed. Everything is screwed.


    See, I knew exactly what time period I''d shown up to, the ROB made it clear enough.


    Moments after Ichigo first arrives at Soul Society.


    And again you might be wondering why that sounds so bad? Considering I was basically gift-wrapped the P2W package what with been a captain, and on top of that Canon was already in progress taking a majority of potential risks out, as compared to being born decades before canon even started, right?


    Wrong.


    The ROB had evidently decided that I should get a chance to get to know my favourite character.


    The only problem with that being said favourite character.


    And because of that, every breath I take is a cyclone waiting to happen. By the end of this year, I expect Yhwach to be running about playing protagonist.


    Hell, the last three hours alone have probably sent canon on it''s merry way already.


    And why?


    Because the only way to get to know my favourite character is by becoming the one person he respected more then anyone else. Assuming there was an anyone else.


    I never thought I''d see the day where I''d resent Ulquiorra for anything but being thrown into Aizen F.u.c.k.i.n.g Sosuke''s body is one hell of a sucker punch.


    It wasn''t until I left Aizen''s? My? Personal chambers that I noticed a rather heavy presence surrounding me. It''d taken me a few minutes to realise it was coming from my sword.


    Quickly removing it out of it''s sheath, I stared at what was likely the most broken weapon in existence.


    And I didn''t have a single clue how it worked.


    Sure I had Aizen''s memories-


    "Captain!" A shout startled me out of my revelry, I quickly turned towards the voice, finding a rather bland looking reaper heading inside the barracks. A hand waving my way.


    Apparently He just wanted to give me a greeting. Though he seemed oddly out of breath.


    Neat. So Aizen hadn''t betrayed everyone yet. The ROB wasn''t lying...


    I quickly took a seat on the floor, sure it probably looked weird, but whatever. The first problem I realised was likely going to be the fact I had absolutely no idea how Aizen''s powers functioned. See, I know that deep down, I had memories of him when he practiced/learnt them but... Well.


    Dude was a prodigy, that... Those memories were centuries old. And so, rather difficult to make any sense off.


    Either that or Aizen''s memories were encrypted... Given who it is, I wouldn''t be surprised if he set some kind of mental barrier incase he got possessed or something. Kinda like right now actually.


    Aizen''s plans on the other hand, were clear as day.


    I think.


    Sort of. I am fairly confident I''ve remembered everything I need to regarding the soul society rescue arc...


    Well see.


    Still, I had no clue how to use any of his abilities and until I figure it out, I needed some kinda excuse to not been able to fight...


    Second problem. My sword, Sir Hax-alot was glowing. Now, I wasn''t an expert but I am pretty sure that''s a clear sign of Aizen-my Reiatsu or whatever it''s called being used, at the same time I could practically feel the rest of the man''s reiatsu expand out, almost hungrily. I wasn''t sure how I was supposed to pull it back in. And I am pretty sure Fake Aizen''s level isn''t supposed to be that high. So he likely had a way to hide it. Well enough to get people to think he was far weaker then he really was.


    But again.


    I don''t know how to turn either off!


    Whatever the stupid sword is currently doing seems important enough for it to be a giant bloody glow stick.


    I wracked my own head trying to figure out if at any point Aizen showed off so much power openly because I am almost certain he couldn''t keep this hidden...


    I am pretty sure it''s a sign that his Illusion abilities in effect but for the life of me I can''t figure out why.


    Still, it didn''t compare to my third problem, and likely the biggest one.


    Ichimaru Gin.


    And I am the lucky bastard he wants to stab in the back and likely every other place he can get his hands on.


    Joy.


    And as if to mock me, someone at that very moment had the nerve to start screaming. Now, either Aizen had maxed out hearing or that was really close by...


    Regardless, the scream was probably part of the plot, I might aswell-


    I blinked, my eyes wide open at the sudden change in scenery...


    Holy shit...


    I staggered as I turned around, my gaze rapidly switching around at the new environment, the screaming girl in front of me.


    Holy. Shit.


    What the hell was this bastards dexterity!?


    Did I use a spell? Did I teleport, was that flash step!?


    What the hell, the moment I wanted to do something, my body automatically responded... Not a single beat skipp-


    ''Gasp'' The sudden sound drew me out of my awe at the sheer power the body I was currently renting held, to the sight of a girl wearing the standard leutenant outfit, aribbon wrapped around her hair-


    Ah it''s ''my'' Leutenant!


    I blinked. Why was she crying? And what was with the shocked expression. It was then I started noticing the others slowly coming into view, all of them clear disbelief writ her their faces...


    Was it the power? Was it really that hig- my mind screeched to a holt the moment my eyes landed on the fake body currently impaled onto a white building. Right behind me.


    This litarally couldn''t get any worse.


    "Aizen-Taichou..."


    I held in the sigh. I had absolutely no idea how Honorifics even worked...


    "Hello, Momo..." I really hope that''s her name.


    She blinked away the tears as others quickly enclosed in, though none of them seemed willing to interrupt.


    Bastards.


    "How..?" She made to turn back towards something behind me before flinching and keeping her gaze locked onto mine.


    "I..." Think... Comeon, You''re Aizen F.u.c.k.i.n.g Sosuke, think of a goddamn excuse-


    "I am from the future,"


    Well.


    Atleast she stopped crying.


    "What?" She questioned, an utterly baffled expression on her face.


    It was then I noticed it. The sudden flaring of a pressure unlike any other. I had to hold back the wince as the temperature seemed to skyrocket as an almost immovable fortress of Reiatsu appeared between me and ''my'' lieutenant and the body nailed to the wall.


    "Huh... And I thought Gin would be the death of me, forgot about you completely!"


    I probably shouldn''t have said that out loud. Yamamoto did not look remotely amused.


    Those Shinigami probably shouldn''t have laughed either.


    ...


    Author Notes: Don''t forget to leave feedback!

 Chapter 36 - My SI Stash #36 - Replacing The Bow Hero by Liar (Rising of The Shield Hero)

    -Surprisingly, I ended up liking this SI Rising of the Shield Hero Fic, I''ve already read some of course but they ended up getting stale... As this fic is kind of new, i''m really looking forward if it holds up or not!


    SI as the Bow Hero and it also contains some interesting game elements as well! ( *¦ç¨Œ¦ç)


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 34K [so little, i''m scared of adding low-length stories to my stash... what if author gets thanos snapped... we''ll be left with only 34K words (¡ä.£ß.£à)]


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/replacing-the-bow-hero-rise-of-the-shield-hero-si.742174/#threadmark-category-1 (Liar)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1.1 - Chapter 1.8 (author writes his stories part by part I guess, but their all chapter 1)


    I expected Truck-kun to start my isekai adventure, but I appreciated the old school classic of being sucked through the computer monitor.


    "O Four Saint Heroes of Old! Please help save our world!"


    It''s just too bad I isekai''d into The Rising of the Shield Hero.


    Judging by the bow in my hand with a glimmering, golden orb at its center, I replaced the canon Bow Hero, Kawasumi Itsuki. It wasn''t a case of my consciousness taking over his body either, a common trope in the isekai genre; I was here in my own body.


    Wild.


    A (major) part of my mind panicked. Here I was in another world just like in all the anime and manga I consumed. Unfortunately, I was an a.d.u.l.t and an actual person from the real world. I was just starting to build a life and a career. My longtime friend whom I''ve been crushing on just agreed to go on a date. I just won an newcomer''s award for a paper I wrote thanks to my mentor. All my younger siblings were now in university too, and I needed to help my parents in supporting their education. What would happen to them? Dad wasn''t getting younger either and he was just a few years shy of retirement age.


    Everything I had and built up¡­ gone.


    A bitter part of me asked to all the isekai fans in the world, including myself, "Why would it be fun to leave your life behind?"


    ¡­


    But I mustn''t dwell on that now.


    Dad was an old soldier, and he taught me to always stay calm under fire. And, let me tell you, this whole setting was a dumpster fire and now I would be smacked dab in the middle of it. At least I knew what was to come even if I don''t know which version of canon I was in. I read the entire web novel. I caught up to the light novel and manga. I''ve also watched all the episodes of the anime. In fact, that was probably the reason why I got sucked through the computer monitor. I opened up the anime on VRV and¡ªBAM!¡ªI''m here.


    As the men in robes were making their spiel about the premise of the series, I took the time to take stock of the people around me. There was the Spear Hero, Kitamura Motoyasu, looking all eager to play the hero, to my right. On my left was the Sword Hero, Amaki Ren, whose eyes kept glancing at his sword. In front of me on the ground was our main protagonist, the Shield Hero, Iwatani Naofumi. To be honest, I didn''t like him as a protagonist. He was a certified asshole. But¡­ I don''t blame him turning out like that with the shit he went through in canon.


    I walked forward and placed my free hand on his shoulder. "Need a hand up?"


    "Huh?" He looked up to me, a bit dazed and confused still, perhaps even mesmerized by the robed men''s speech. Nevertheless, he did take my hand and stood up. "Oh, yeah, thanks."


    "I am this country''s king, Aultcray XXXII of Melromarc."


    Looking up to the king on his throne, I couldn''t help but blink and be impressed by the grand majesty of his personage. This was an actual king. His regal bearing was natural. Who wouldn''t be wrought with a sense of purpose when this proud king humbly begged you to help save his kingdom? However, I wasn''t going to let the mood suck me in. He was trash because of his discrimination against Naofumi and the demi-humans outweighing the lives and peace of the world. I wondered if he was even allowed to take on his regnal name. He was a prince consort, wasn''t he? His powers invested in him were purely from the whim of the true monarch, Queen Mirellia.


    Questions for later.


    "Now then, Heroes, name yourselves."


    The Sword Hero stepped forward. "My name is Amaki Ren, age sixteen. I''m a high schooler."


    "I''m Kitamura Motoyasu. Twenty-one, and a college student," the Spear Hero said next, beaming with confidence.


    The king''s gaze then fell on me, believing I would be the next one to make my introduction. However, I didn''t like him, so I chose to betray his expectations.


    "Next is me," the Shield Hero cheerfully stated. "Name''s Iwatani Naofumi. I''m twenty, and also a college student."


    His introduction stirred murmurs in the throne room. The various nobles that were in court began whispering to one another. Surprisingly, the Spear and Sword Hero didn''t notice the commotion. Naofumi did and began appearing distressed. Now that I think about it, was his perception always so good?


    Before things carried too far, I made a bold step forward and announced myself, "Ashina Masamune. I''m twenty-five, and an adjunct professor for a university."


    "Eh? You''re a professor? And that old?" I heard the Spear Hero questioned in shock.


    It wasn''t a complete lie. That was my age and occupation, but the name was a fabrication. Chalk that name up to video games. Silly as it must be to create a false name for myself, I found the act necessary. Rising of the Shield Hero wasn''t a series where the main protagonist just blows away all conflict. Each and every Hero would someday fall into despair somehow. This new name was a geas I imposed on myself, a protective mask to help me keep my sanity one way or another in order to survive.


    "Sirs Ren, Motoyasu, and Masamune," the king addressed the three of us, pointedly ignoring Naofumi. "I hope you come to understand the grave importance of our situation."


    The Sword Hero, because he wanted to be dramatic, scr.a.p.ed his sword against the ground as he lowered his arm. "We understand, but surely you didn''t summon us expecting we do it for free?"


    "Naturally, we will reward you handsomely once the Waves are repelled," replied an ugly-looking man next to the king. Considering the fancy clothes he was wearing and his position next to the king, I would assume he held some important position. Was he a chancellor of some sort? Perhaps an advisor conferred with the ability to speak for the monarch?


    "Will you, now? Well, as long as we have your word," the Spear Hero haughtily answered.


    The Sword Hero agreed with him. "We''ll work with you provided you don''t turn on us. But don''t think for a moment that you can tame us."


    I refused to participate in the d.i.c.k-waving.


    Chapter 1.2


    I''ve started suspecting that we''re in an odd blend of the different mediums of the series.


    The robed men¡ªclergymen of the Church of the Three Heroes, I reckon¡ªthat gave the exposition of the Waves and the Four Heroes were from the manga. The sequence of events in the manga after that was the introduction of the status screen mechanic and then being thrown into parties to start adventuring immediately. However, instead of those events, the king gave the heroes rooms with a shared parlor to let us relax for the night after we confirmed the status screen thing. That was a scene from the anime.


    I suppose it would make sense that it wouldn''t be that simple. Given that there are a total of four mediums for the series, I just need to rely on the broad strokes rather than the details then.


    Why do I get the feeling that''s what''s going to kill me?


    "This is shit," I muttered, putting down the coffee I was drinking on the table.


    Naofumi, sitting across from me on the couch, chuckled. "Yeah, the food and drinks here taste different. I guess we have to get used to it."


    Given that you would add ''Cooking Hero'' to your sobriquet in canon, I wasn''t going to believe that you''d get used to it.


    "Hey, Ashina-sensei, is that your natural hair color?" Motoyasu asked, rudely pointing to my red hair with a grin.


    I raised my eyebrow at him and gestured to his own hair. "I could ask you the same thing, you delinquent."


    He laughed off my implied question, but he didn''t try pushing his anymore.


    "Hey," Naofumi called out, closing out his status screen, "isn''t this like a game?"


    "You mean it is one," Motoyasu boldly declared. "It''s exactly like Em¡ª"


    I snorted.


    Ren pushed himself off from the corner of the wall he was leaning against to look cool. "Are you disagreeing, Ashina-sensei? It''s clear to me that it''s much like the VRMMO¡ª"


    "Just because it looks like a game, it doesn''t mean it is one," I interrupted again.


    I wanted to start rubbing my temples, but I kept a level of somberness and calm. I needed to convey the gravity of our situation. Even if I wanted to smack Motoyasu and Ren. You''d think after reading and watching these two for so long, you''d get used to their behavior. However, this wasn''t fiction to me anymore. This was real. How many close calls and disasters were there in canon thanks to the thoughtless actions of the heroes sans Naofumi?


    "I imagine the reason why it looks like a game is because a familiar interface like this is more intuitive for us to grasp. However, we mustn''t be trapped into thinking that this world follows the strict rules of a video game. This is a real world with real people and real dangers. There will be consequences to all of our actions, and one wrong move could kill us or harm people around us."


    Motoyasu clicked his tongue. "Way to kill the mood¡­"


    I rolled my eyes at him as I relaxed into my chair. What would I care about killing the mood when I''m trying to prevent you from getting killed?


    "No." Naofumi sat up straight and stared straight into my eyes. He nodded his head in thanks. "Sensei, thanks for your words. I''ll be honest, I was getting too excited. I mean¡­ we''re all in another world like in all those anime and light novels. Who wouldn''t be? But we just can''t assume that things will go our way. After all, I would have definitely chosen a different weapon than the shield!"


    With a few simple words, the tense air in the parlor disappeared. Motoyasu and Ren even chuckled. I even reevaluated Naofumi. I forgot how before that bitch made his life hell, he was an earnest and honest person.


    It was just¡­ too bad.


    "I don''t envy the shield. It will be difficult to be on the offensive with a weapon like that¡­ if we were still in a game," Ren said. His last few words indicated he took what I said to heart.


    "Good luck on later levels! Only trash players choose the shield because there''s no benefits to it in higher levels," Motoyasu flippantly added.


    Grimacing, I argued, "Are you kidding? In most games, shield classes are either tanks or support. If we''re talking about PvP-oriented combat, maybe it''s not optimal, but we''re in a scenario where we fight monsters and boss monsters in a raid. We need tanks and support to keep the three of us alive. A full DPS party only works if everyone involved has high skill. Don''t tell me you and Ren are solo players who think DPS is god."


    "I¡­"


    "Well¡­"


    I slapped my face and gave Naofumi a wry smile. "For what it''s worth, if it wasn''t for the fact that we all can''t party up, I would stick you in my party."


    He returned my smile.


    "Oi, sensei, you''re way too harsh!" Motoyasu complained.


    I pointedly ignored him.


    "Oh, and one last thing." I stood up and made sure I met each person''s eyes. "Tomorrow, the king has arranged for all of us to have party members. He''s no doubt already planned who will join whom despite him basically declaring it''s a last minute thing. We all know we aren''t the first heroes to have been summoned, and who knows what happened to those heroes in the past. There will be people who will try to use us for their own ends. What I want from each of you is to be wary of your surroundings, and to practice discretion on who to trust. We''re basically newborn babies in this world. We don''t know anything here. But that doesn''t mean we''re helpless, alright?"


    There were no good starting members of any of the heroes'' party. I knew Motoyasu would eventually kick all the men from his party out, leaving behind women who would readily abandon him. I wasn''t too sure about Ren''s people, but I knew they died so maybe they weren''t bad people. Meanwhile, Itsuki had a group of ass-kissers that fed his inferiority superiority complex. Well, it wasn''t like I was planning to keep them for long.


    I looked over at the other heroes to see how they took my warning. Naofumi appeared deep in thought over what I said, but I knew there was still that optimism in him so I don''t know if he could put it to practice. Motoyasu looked flippant over what I said, looking more chagrined than anything else. He no doubt thought I was being an old man ruining the fun. Ren also seemed to take what I said with grace, but it was hard to read him. I''m betting he was confident he could overcome any obstacle in his way. Yeah, sure, Mr. I-Work-Alone.


    "With that, I''m off to bed," I said and walked off towards my room. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.


    I could only hope that scene won''t happen.


    Chapter 1.3


    Rather than sleeping, I took the opportunity to begin sorting my thoughts on the day.


    Despite my misgivings on being subjected into becoming an isekai protagonist, it was irrelevant. I was here, and I had a duty. I was to be the Bow Hero and defend the world from the Waves of Calamity. There was no point in denying it or running away from it. I was conscripted, plain and simple. However, that didn''t mean I couldn''t take actions of my own, but, before I act, I needed to decipher what my priorities should be. From there I could determine my goals.


    Priority 1: Prevent the end of the world threatened by the Waves of Calamity.


    Priority 2: Live.


    Priority 3: Never lose sight of my values.


    Priority 4: Find a way to go home or, if unable, send word to my family that I''m fine.


    Each priority required strength if I wanted to achieve them, and by that I mean more than just raising stats and leveling up. I needed more information of just about everything in this world. Books needed to be read, people to talk to, etc. However, perhaps most of all I needed the strength of character to not fall into oppressing others and justify it with might. How many times have I read in isekai where the main character started growing more and more despicable as he indulged in his hedonism?


    But where do I even begin¡­?


    Even the simple goal of making sure Naofumi, as the Shield Hero, wouldn''t be mistreated would spiral into several dozen steps and actors that needed to be completed or overcome. First of all, the two main actors involved in that are the monarch and the Church of the Three Heroes. They were cemented institutions in the country and it would be difficult to topple even just one of them. Toppling the king would be simple since what all that needed to be done was to welcome back the queen who would take back the power she gave to her husband. However, the king was nothing in comparison to the Church of the Three Heroes who looked down on the Shield Hero and demi-humans. Their teachings were the reason why widespread racism against demi-humans was so common here. Beyond those two things, there was another actor too. Don''t even get me started on Malty. She was a wild card and her one reliable trait was that she would always do what would benefit her and screw someone else over.


    Sigh¡­


    There was much to do.


    For now, I should stick to my priorities. All I could do until I get stronger and form more connections with others to have some semblance of influence was to make sure Naofumi know he had my support. I also needed to utilize my age, experience, and position as a teacher to gain his and the other two heroes'' trust and steer them in a direction that would prevent calamities. On some level, I knew it was manipulation, but I genuinely didn''t want any of them to spiral into despair like they did in canon.


    One thing I know what I could do for that was to have their respect. I needed to be the Bow Hero.


    And therein lied my problem.


    I should''ve been the Spear or Sword Hero instead, things would''ve been alright. I dabbled with fencing in college before so I could grow to learn how to use a sword properly. I even knew a bit of spear techniques thanks to some martial arts I used to practice in my teens. If there was one thing I was confident about, it was my capacity to learn if I put the effort into it. But the bow? I never even shot a proper bow before! And I doubt I had time to learn before the next Wave. I didn''t have Itsuki''s psychic ability to have perfect accuracy.


    Luckily, there might be a solution.


    Focusing with my mind, I opened the weapon tree screen of the Legendary Bow. It was much like the screen shown in the anime as it utilized hexagons and other pseudo-futuristic aesthetics. Several later bows seemed to be locked and their names showed as question marks. Furthermore, the menu even showed why they were restricted, and told me what I might possibly need to unlock them. The most common cause of several of them were level requirements. Some restrictions required the absorption of items, but the specific items in question were left in question marks as well. This hinted what I suspected. I might learn more of what I need if I gathered more information about the world.


    Interestingly enough, the weapon tree path originated on a hex that read: [Archery of the Arcane]. It was already unlocked and it was what provided me with the base form of the Legendary Bow, aptly named "Basic Bow." To describe it in terms of a video game, the [Archer of the Arcane] weapon tree path was just one way to "build" my "Bow Hero" class.


    Of course, this implied there were other paths, and I suspected there was. Because right there next to the hex of the [Archer of the Arcane] was a locked hex reading:


    ???? of the ?????????????


    Requirements:


    Taken at Lv. 1


    Absorption of [Otherworld Item]


    (Warning! Unlocking path increases restriction requirements!)


    ?


    The keyword there was "path," meaning that unlocking it might open up a whole new tree. Furthermore, all it took was the absorption of an [Otherworld Item]. When I was brought into this world, I had my clothes, keys, smartphone, and revolver. Each of these items were categorized as an [Otherworld Item] in my equipment screen.


    But¡­ the biggest concern was the first requirement. I had to take it now before I leveled up. I wondered if Itsuki had to make this choice too in canon, but chose not to do it because it was too much of a risk. Given how powerful Naofumi as the Shield Hero could become because of how he strengthened his weapon, there was a good argument to be made to just follow his build. My growth in that area would be slowed if I chose to go down this road.


    However, at the same time, would there really be a path that was bad? The problem with the growth of the three heroes sans Naofumi in canon was a result of their own hubris. Later on in the web novel, they were still rather powerful forces once they started to follow Naofumi''s lead after falling into and getting out of despair. Sure, they didn''t get as powerful as Naofumi and Raphtalia, but they were the main characters of a Japanese isekai web novel. They literally became gods by the end.


    I stared at my revolver (I''m a Texan, after all, who grew up on Westerns, Wu Xia, and anime), and wondered at the possibilities of absorbing it. I wanted to believe that if I absorbed it, I would be able to use firearms. Itsuki did it in canon, after all. Why couldn''t I? But, again, was it worth the risk? I could always just learn the bow. I had a good eye. Maybe a bit of my shooting skill could transfer over to the bow. Furthermore¡ª


    F.u.c.k it.


    I hated being indecisive, and I might as well take the risk. If this turned out to be a mistake, it just meant I needed to work even harder to keep up.


    Jumping out of bed, I absorbed the revolver on the table by it.


    Road of the Revolutionary Unlocked?


    Arsenal of Ambition Unlocked?


    Restriction Requirements for Other Paths Increased?


    The Legendary Bow started glowing, nearly blinding me in the dark, and it began morphing. The figure of the short bow grew smaller until it fit my grip. When the light show finally ended, I soon discovered that I now held a revolver in my hand. It was black with golden and ivory-colored frames, and the golden orb of the legendary bow was on the grip without distracting my hold on the weapon.


    I couldn''t stop the grin on my face from widening. It was practically Christmas. I could just use the guns until I get better with the bow, and then I could try mastering both!


    However, there was no time to just admire the success of my gamble. What was [Road of the Revolutionary] and [Arsenal of Ambition]?


    I opened up the weapon tree screen again and found a line of hexes formed from [Road of the Revolutionary]. Frowning, I went over to the last hex available. It seemed to be that I couldn''t even read the requirements because they were nothing but question marks. However, at the bottom of it read a helpful tip: "Unlock to further open path."


    Ugh, so it was going to be like that, huh? Well, it wasn''t too bad. The first hex of [Road of the Revolutionary] gave me a rather strong bonus: 25% Penetration. I wasn''t sure how it worked, but, having played a few MOBAs, I assumed that I was able to penetrate through physical and magical defenses. And at 25% too? Not too shabby!


    Although it was a bit too early to draw a conclusion, what I could infer so far was that this particular weapon branch specialized in true damage. If I compounded effects from it or from the [Archery of the Arcane], my damage output would be incredible!


    However, that still begged the question. What was the [Arsenal of Ambition]? It was inside the hex of [Road of the Revolutionary] as the weapon unlocked.


    Arsenal of Ambition (C)


    Firearms Unlocked:


    Revolver


    Repeater Rifle


    Short-Barreled Shotgun?


    I blinked. Wait, what? I stared down at the revolver in my hands. Focusing my head, I repeatedly said in my mind I wanted the repeater rifle. Then, suddenly, there was the repeater. Next I thought about the short-barreled shotgun and¡ªBAM!¡ªthere was the shotgun. Lastly, I thought back to the Basic Bow and the shotgun morphed into that first bow. I focused my mind again and I started rapidly switching between the various firearms of the Arsenal of Ambition and the Basic Bow.


    This was better than I expected! And¡­ a small detail caught my attention.


    The firearms of the Arsenal of Ambition were manual action firearms, meaning I needed to place ammunition into it myself, perhaps? However, Itsuki, in canon, had an infinite supply of ammunition. Maybe I was the same? But a thought came to my mind. What would happen if I used other type of ammunition by manually inserting it into either the guns or bow? Could the weapon tree further open up various other ammo variations?


    I didn''t know, but the only way I could find out is to get even stronger.


    I closed the weapon tree screen and fell back onto my bed. There were still a lot of things I was still unsure of, but, with my priorities straightened out, I should just follow an old adage of the cowboy.


    Keeping a gun on you will certainly give you peace of mind in the frontier. And, boy, another world sure is one hell of a frontier.


    Chapter 1.4


    Morning came, and the other three heroes found me in the dining room connected to our accommodations already halfway through my breakfast.


    I waved at the sleepy trio with a playful grin. "Good morning, you three. Slept well?"


    Ren, quiet as ever, nodded and took his seat, but I could tell by his half-closed eyes that he was still half-asleep. Motoyasu simply gave me a tired smile and a small greeting, but it was covered up by a loud yawn. He, at least, looked sheepish for his sloppy manners.


    Naofumi didn''t look any better than the other two, but at least he had enough energy to properly answer me. "Morning, sensei. I think all of us were a bit too excited to sleep last night¡­"


    Murmurs and nods of agreements from Ren and Motoyasu confirmed his statement.


    Maids soon arrived to place their breakfast fare in front of them, and Motoyasu gave each of them an appreciative look as they passed.


    "Eat up then," I said, taking a sip of my coffee. "We''re going to meet our parties pretty soon. Can''t have them seeing us dead on our feet."


    "I hope mine is full of girls!" Motoyasu declared as he scarfed down his breakfast.


    Naofumi chuckled and agreed. "Hehe¡­ that would be kind of nice."


    Ren didn''t say a word, but one glance at him could tell from the faint blush on his cheeks that he wouldn''t be opposed to the idea either. At the end of the day, despite Ren''s attempt to be some lone wolf character, he was still just a sixteen-year-old kid. Ironically, he was the youngest one among us four heroes. Now that I think about it, without Itsuki to round out the ages Ren was essentially the baby of the bunch. I wondered if that would affect anything.


    "Ashina-sensei, what kind of party do you hope to have?" Ren asked me politely.


    I gave him a shrug. "Honestly, just people I could trust to watch my back."


    "Eh? You''re still on about that, sensei? Lighten up a little!" Motoyasu said with a chuckle.


    "I agree with sensei. People who wouldn''t hold me back would be ideal," Ren replied in my stead.


    Not what I meant, but I resisted the urge to lecture him. Rome wasn''t built in a day. It would take a bit of time to change their perspective about this world. Frankly, I couldn''t understand why they would keep to thinking like that. Sure, each one of us would be more powerful relative to the average person here, but the sights, the scents, and the feel of the world was so real to me here. I could smell the aroma of my coffee below me and could feel the comfortable plush of my chair. This was real.


    How could anyone treat this like a game?


    .


    .


    .


    Immediately after the others and I finished eating, we were brought before the throne once again.


    Nobles watched us with curiosity and chatted with one another on the second floor just like yesterday. Naofumi looked visibly nervous with the attention. Not that I blame him, some of the looks being sent his way were obviously derisive. However, to my surprise, Ren and Motoyasu appeared a bit fidgety as well. Despite the confident smile that was on the Spear Hero''s face, there were hints of sweat rolling down his neck. Ren held his free hand closed to his leg and tried to appear unperturbed, but I could see it slightly shaking as he gripped his pants. Despite what they tried to show, I guess they were still kids.


    Meanwhile, I wasn''t too shaken. You get used to large crowds judgmentally staring at you after presenting a few academic papers at conferences. I even won an award once! Then I had to accept it in front of everyone later at the ceremony¡­ I nearly puked. I was still an undergrad then.


    "Holy Heroes," the king started, silencing the chatter on the upper floor, "we have gathered brave warriors who will fight the Waves with you all."


    Several men and women stood on the dais in front of the throne. Each one looked experienced in their field. I couldn''t recognize any of them from canon. I wasn''t too concerned about that since they were just bit characters. Of course, there was one person I did know. No other woman in any series I''ve ever read or watched illicit as much hatred from me than this bitch. Myne, or rather Malty S. Melromarc, stood proudly as looked from hero to the other. A part of me wanted to immediately take a shot at her and just end her here, consequences be damned, but that wouldn''t help anyone. Biding my time was all I could do for now.


    Our eyes suddenly met. Briefly, she gave me a charming smile. I returned it with one my own. She giggled and turned away.


    Bitch.


    "Now, our future champions!"


    At the end of the king''s proclamation. The various adventurers began taking steps forward. This was the scene where they would all choose which hero to follow. None would choose Naofumi and thus it gives the king the opportunity to oppress him by publicly showing his "lack of charisma." Then when Naofumi was feeling down and stressed, Myne would offer to join him and be taken in by her beauty and kindness. As for the Bow Hero, Itsuki received three adventurers and¡ª


    Wait¡­


    Behind Motoyasu were five women, including Myne. Meanwhile, Ren had six people, a mix of men and women of varied classes. Naofumi had none as expected. However, instead of the three people I came to expect for myself like with Itsuki in canon, there was only one person. Not only did they not match any of those people I remember from canon, but they were a woman as well.


    Have the butterflies already began their fluttering?


    As I tried to reorganize my thoughts, I wasn''t the only one that were shocked by the turn of events. Naofumi stepped forward and counted the numbers for each group and turned to the king, "What''s going on?"


    "I have to admit, I wasn''t expecting this," the king said in a tone that showed how little he cared.


    His adviser next to him agreed. "No volunteers? He must have no charisma."


    Once more the nobles on the upper floor started whispering to one another. Naofumi appeared panicked and confused, unable to reconcile why he felt he was being persecuted. A man came up to the king''s right and whispered something in his ear. As if it was one grand play, the king then blamed the lack of volunteers on Naofumi''s part from rumors being spread about his ignorance that caused a lack of faith in him.


    "Legend says the heroes come with a firm understanding of our lands. And many seem to think you don''t meet that criteria," the king told Naofumi.


    Yeah, right.


    "Legend is just legend," I suddenly said with a firm tone. "Who knows how the stories of the heroes morph and change with every generation. Hey, Amaki, Kitamura, do you two have a full understanding of the setting?"


    Ren shook his head. "I only knew the name of the kingdom when we arrived. It''s why I thought it was like the VRMMO I played."


    Motoyasu chuckled. "I¡­ uh¡­ skipped the story tutorial in Emerald Online. So this is all new to me too."


    I smirked and nodded gratefully at their answers. I took another step forward and gestured to the adventurers. "Your Highness, forgive me for being rude. If these brave adventurers need any proof of our legitimacy they should look no further than our weapons. This is all the proof they need."


    With a flourish I raised the Legendary Bow above my head. As if following after me, Ren and Motoyasu both smirked and joined me with their weapons. I had a feeling they wouldn''t want to be upstaged here, and nothing probably felt more heroic to them in the moment than protect one of their comrades.


    King Aultcray''s eyes looked cold as he stared at me. Suddenly, he smiled and nodded his head. "You''re correct. You hold the sacred weapons and that should be proof enough. Brave warriors! You''ve seen it for yourself. Now do you still doubt?"


    Many of the adventurers in Ren and Motoyasu''s group froze. They probably thought the king intended for them to leave their chosen hero and to join the Shield Hero. However¡­ I knew differently. None of them will choose to join Naofumi. This was all nothing but a play. The only thing I changed was to further prevent questioning the legitimacy of Naofumi as the Shield Hero since I tied it to us other three heroes. In spite of my improvisation, this was but the inevitable conclusion.


    "Sir Hero!" Myne raised her arm and approached Naofumi. Her green eyes shone with the morning light coming in from the windows with even a small halo forming around her head. She appeared meek and kind, her lips pouting ever so slightly as she lightly curtsied the Shield Hero. "Would you allow me to join you?"


    I wanted to curse.


    Not because of how Myne was acting. I expected that.


    But as I glanced at the lovestruck eyes of the series'' main character, I could tell her fangs have already sunk.


    Chapter 1.5


    Us Four Heroes stood at the open castle gates leading to town to make our farewells. Our adventuring companions stood off to the side to give us our privacy. As in canon, King Aultcray gave each of us silver coins. Naofumi received 800. Ren and Motoyasu each received 600. And, in another surprising change in canon, I received 700. Unlike the other three, I wasn''t carrying my money pouch.


    Naofumi noticed this. "Sensei, where''re your coins?"


    I smirked at him and brought a finger to my lips. "I discovered a little cheat. Did all of you bring your wallets with you to this world?"


    Naofumi, Ren, and Motoyasu each nodded, and I could see curiosity shining in their eyes.


    "Well¡­" I chuckled. "Our wallets are classified as an [Otherworld Item] by our status system. By absorbing it into your weapon, it helped unlock a new interface feature. I''m able to carry any currency I have in an extra-dimensional space."


    Ren cupped his chin and smiled. "That''s incredibly useful."


    "Sensei! You''re amazing!" Motoyasu cheered.


    He was about to reach into his pockets to pull out his wallet, but I quickly stopped him by placing my hand on his arm. I shook my head at him.


    "Do it when you''re alone, Kitamura. Don''t let others know you can do this," I told him with a solemn expression.


    Ren agreed with my warning and nodded resolutely as well. This prompted both Naofumi and Motoyasu to do the same.


    I relented my grim face with a smile, and gave each of my younger compatriots a pat on the shoulder. "We''re going to be separating and start adventuring. I may not be much older than you three, but I''m still ahead of y''all by quite a few years. Be careful. Don''t blindly trust the people in your party until they''ve proven themselves. Let''s go and save the world, and then let''s enjoy ourselves afterward, yeah?"


    "Of course, Ashina-sensei! There''s no point to it if we die, right?" Naofumi said earnestly, grinning from ear to ear.


    I rolled my eyes and poked his chest. "Are you really listening? I saw how you looked at that companion you got when she volunteered to join you. Don''t go falling in love at first sight. You might get scammed. Adventurers are basically mercenaries, you know."


    Motoyasu chuckled. "Sensei, ease up on Iwatani. It''s not every day a beautiful girl will be following him around 24/7!"


    "We do still need to focus on leveling up too," Ren interjected.


    Naofumi laughed sheepishly. "Guys¡­"


    After talking for just a little bit more, the four of us separated and started making their way to town to get equipment for their travels. I couldn''t help but stare after Naofumi''s retreating back as he conversed with Myne who was giggled graciously at something he said. Perhaps it was better to give a more direct warning? I couldn''t tell if anything I did would be enough. I doubted it, but could I be forgiven for wanting to be optimistic?


    .


    .


    .


    "Good Hero, this one is simply named Ayelet."


    Ayelet pinched the hem of her skirt and curtsied.


    My companion¡­ was a doll.


    Ayelet stood taller than I by a head. Her height was further emphasized by her rigid posture that straightened her back and gave her an air of refinement. She wore a simple black dress adorned with a plain brown shawl over her torso and cloth wrappings around her hands that were more strips of cloth than proper gloves. Her humble outfit contrasted with her ethereal beauty. Her skin was as fair as snow, and her hair was more white than gold. But it was neither her height, her posture, her outfit, or her beauty that held me. It was the empty, pale blue eyes that met my gaze.


    Yes, Ayelet was a doll and what she represented terrified me for I knew what nightmare she was based from.


    But I would endeavor to adapt to this change in an already fickle scenario.


    What she reminded me shouldn''t distract me. What I should look for was what lied where my eyes couldn''t see.


    Ayelet was no adventurer. Martial skill could be hidden, but her unblemished skin and humble clothing spoke nothing about a life of action. Each adventurer that was accompanying the heroes, including Myne, had armor to some extent. Even the mages I saw among them had some form of protection on them through one of their accessories (which I assumed gave them some form of defense or resistance). None of them were as pale as this woman standing before him.


    "You''re not an adventurer," I couldn''t help but say.


    Ayelet blinked and then smiled. "You are correct."


    I paused. She admitted it so easily. "Then what are you?"


    "Shall we walk to town first as I explain?" She asked, gesturing the road.


    I took heed and we began walking down the cobblestone path towards the castle town.


    "I am naught but a librarian, Good Hero. I tend to dusty tomes of sagas of yore and histories of dynasties, kingdoms, and more."


    It would help explain her pallid complexion. But wasn''t this perfect? I did made it a goal to start gathering more information on just about everything, and a human depository of that knowledge fell on my lap. Shame that it was too perfect.


    "Basically," I smirked, "you''re my minder?"


    Without a break in her stride, she answered, "Yes. I have been asked by the king and the church to aid you."


    Great. I shouldn''t panic in spite of the palpitations in my chest.


    It appeared I caught the attention of the king and the church. However, I didn''t have anything to fear from either of them yet. While I did show an eagerness to aid the Shield Hero, it was never presented as me having a clear bias for him. If anything, all I showed was that I was attempting to establish myself as some sort of leader among the heroes. If anything, Ayelet''s presence was more of a precaution and I was certain there may be other plants in the Sword and Spear Heroes'' parties.


    "I can aid you little in combat save for some magics I know," Ayelet confessed. "However, the king and the church hope to have you use me however you please. I will not abandon you."


    I stared at her oddly. "Watch your phrasing there, sweetheart."


    "I did not misspeak."


    I shook my head. Ugh, it was essentially the middle ages, after all.


    "Considering you easily confessed that you''re essentially a spy, I take it I''m not about to have my throat slit in my sleep?"


    "No. Despite the precaution, Good Hero, it is true we are in need of you. The Waves must be stopped and only the Holy Heroes can do so."


    "Let me ask a few more things. Did the king and your church expect me to figure out that you''re a spy for them, and that''s why you so readily confessed to it? Is that why I was given extra coin so I could find myself more party members whom I could cultivate trust independent from their intentions?"


    "Yes, and yes."


    So, that was their trap. Either King Aultcray or the Pope was a clever strategist. They created a plan that hinged on my mistrust and the euphoria of victory I had over figuring out the ''spy.'' By planting a woman that looked nothing like an adventurer into my party, I would determine her as their spy if I was clever enough. Then she would explain to me their intentions and, in arrogance, I would keep her to use the knowledge she could provide. They would also reason I wouldn''t get rid of her because I already found out she was a spy and wouldn''t want to risk having someone new come in that needed to be further investigated to determine if they were another spy or not.


    Yet there was one more thing that bothered me¡­


    "Well, if you''re going to stick with me, we need to get ourselves gear," I said, moving the topic along, and giving Ayelet a pat on the back. "And since you''re around, why don''t you tell me about how your currency works here."


    Ayelet faintly smiled. "Whatever you desire, Good Hero."


    Chapter 1.6


    "Sir Hero, is that truly all you''ll be wearing?" the shopkeeper asked me, struggling to put on his best service smile.


    I stepped out of the fitting room in a wild assortment of gambeson and leather gear looking more like a penniless vagabond rather than a brave knight in shining armor. Around my neck was a golden scarf in the shape of a triangle that partially covered my upper torso. Then to top off my outfit was something I chose more for my own aesthetics than any practical value¡ªa cavalier hat, the closest thing to a cowboy hat I could find. I looked nothing like a hero, but I daresay I achieved a medieval cowboy aesthetic.


    One thing pop culture failed to mention was how burdensome it was to put on equipment. Sure you looked cool, but any cosplayer could tell you how impractical many of the outfits you see in anime would be as everyday wear. Luckily, it was good that I discovered the secret of [Otherworld Items]. While in the fitting room, I absorbed my old clothes and it gave me the ability to equip what I touch at will.


    "Ayelet, what do you think?" I ignored the shopkeeper''s question and asked my companion, gesturing to my choice of equipment.


    She softly smiled and gave me a brief standing ovation. "You look well, Good Hero."


    I graciously bowed at her compliment with a grin.


    "Surely, sir," the shopkeeper said, desperately waving his hands to the displays of plate armor and more, "you would need more protection?"


    Frankly, I didn''t know a thing about armor. Even if we''re using video game logic in this world, I was never a gamer who thought too long and hard about my gear. I often always chose to wear whatever looked the best on my character. When I first entered the shop, I was paralyzed by indecision and I didn''t know how to proceed forward. It wasn''t until I was given the opportunity to inspect each gear did I discover something astounding.


    Like I saw in the weapon tree screen, every piece of equipment had values attached to them. These were rarity, weight, and their bonuses. However, it wasn''t the rarity or weight that caught my attention, but the bonuses. Most equipment bonuses were typically flat bonuses (ex. +10 Defense), but this wasn''t the case for my system. Rather than flat numbers, the bonuses I saw on equipment I inspected were based on percentages. What this implied was that the gear I would be equipping would be scaled to my level and stats. It led me to wonder if these bonuses could be further boosted by upgrading the equipment.


    But it wasn''t the numbers and metagaming that startled me. No, rather, it was because I knew this system. This was similar to Bloodborne and Dark Souls. At first, I thought I just simply replaced Itsuki and I inherited the system he would''ve worked under. However, I''ve begun to believe that wasn''t the case at all. The system was adapting to me and my own predilection. Amusingly, I wondered if that meant it would find a way to adapt Crusader Kings 2 as well given how much I play that game.


    Once I made that discovery I just chose the cheapest gear for a mobile ranged fighter I could get.


    "No, this is good," I told the shopkeeper.


    He could do nothing but sigh in disappointment, and I paid what I owed him.


    As Ayelet and I stepped outside, I asked her, "You sure it''s alright that all I bought you was that brooch?"


    On her shawl was an enchanted, white brooch. It gave her bonuses to her physical and magical defenses. Spy or no, the least I could do for a party member was prevent them from immediately dying in a random encounter.


    Ayelet tenderly touched the brooch and gave me a kind smile. "It is all I need."


    .


    .


    .


    Thwack!


    "Shit."


    Thwack!


    "F.u.c.k."


    Thwack!


    "Goddammit."


    I lifted up my hat and wiped away the small beads of sweat forming on my forehead, narrowing my eyes at the magnificent work of my incompetent shooting with a bow. Not too far from where I was standing, a group of Orange Balloons were in the field completely unaware of my attempts to murder them. Arrows jutted from the earth everywhere but near where those monsters were idling. How frustrating! Bows were a lot harder to shoot than I anticipated. My plan to learn the weapon as I go along might not be as solid as I thought.


    "Good Hero, do not be discouraged," Ayelet comforted me from underneath the shade of a tree nearby. "It is from humble beginnings do Heroes rise."


    I hummed at that thought and placed my hat back on. "Is that church doctrine?"


    "In a matter of speaking."


    Now that I thought about it, how could worshiping Heroes become an organized religion? I decided to ask Ayelet, "How could this world worship Heroes? You''re talking to me and seen the others. I can''t even shoot the bow right. We''re flawed people, not gods."


    "Prithee, when God forsakes thee, is it wrong for man to turn to those who give hope?"


    "From your words, you''re implying that people do believe in a deity."


    "Correct." Her face then took on a hint of sorrow. "Long ago, man once communed with a Great One. And then the Waves began, and thus our history before that time was lost. Twas only the arrival of the Holy Heroes and their Seven Vassals did our march forward through time resumed once more."


    "So then¡­"


    "Speak not of gods or claim kinship, Good Hero. It is blasphemy and heresy."


    I scratched my chin and studied her words. I was certain this "Great One" was Medea, and perhaps the people of the ancient past managed to commune with her and catch her attention. She started the Waves, bringing calamity to the world, but then the Heroes came and stopped the Waves from destroying it. I couldn''t fathom a being like Medea''s power. Ayelet''s story sounded like the Heroes were the only force of good, but wasn''t it part of her plan? What was true? What wasn''t? Did I even have the appropriate insight?


    One thing I did know though. "You know much more than your average nun," I said.


    Ayelet giggled faintly and replied, "I am no nun. I am but a simple librarian."


    Librarian you may be, but simple you ain''t.


    "Well, you answered why people here worshiped heroes, but how do they go about doing that?"


    Her eyes fluttered wide as she smiled at the question. "Oh, Good Hero, there are many sagas, epics, songs, and fables to speak of. Each Hero is unique. One can learn many things from just one story."


    Now I get it.


    The Heroes were worshiped and their stories passed on from generation to generation much like Norse sagas or something similar. I doubted there wasn''t some revisionism occurring every now and then, but overall the many Heroes'' lives once they arrived here were coalesced into a narrative that could entertain and teach the masses. It was simple in concept, but there were a variety of ways to interpret things. It reinforced my assumptions that the Church of the Three Heroes and the Shield Hero Faith were the result of political machinations more than an actual splintering of the faith in its infancy.


    However, that wasn''t the main point I figured out. I might have discovered Ayelet''s motivation for joining me.


    I made my decision then.


    "You''re right about one thing. I''m sure each Hero is different in their own way. Let me show you what makes me unique."


    It wasn''t an easy decision to make, and it was something I''ve been mulling over since the previous night. Eventually, I realized, there was no point in trying to hide it. People were going to find out eventually and there wasn''t any point in holding back when the world and my life was on the line. Holding out the Legendary Bow in front of Ayelet, I focused my mind and transformed it into the Arms of Ambition Repeater.


    Then I spun around and fired one shot at the Orange Balloon I missed earlier. My bullet cut through the air and pierced it, causing the monster to pop. I pulled the lever in one flowing movement, ejecting the casing I fired, and then shot again at the next Orange Balloon. I fired again and again and again, noticing a little bit more about the repeater every time I took a shot. With each bullet I fired, an Orange Balloon was popped. I counted twelve of them dead by my fire and never did I feel the need to reload. Honestly, I don''t think I ever shot as well as I did now. I suspected my stats might have a hand in my performance.


    Once the Orange Balloons were all gone in the immediate vicinity, I turned to Ayelet and held out my weapon to her.


    "In my world, this is what replaced the bow."


    Her pale blue eyes gleamed.


    Chapter 1.7


    Orange Balloons weren''t the best monsters to farm experience from, but fighting them did wonders in helping me familiarize how combat works here.


    I even collected the remains and absorbed them into my Legendary Bow. Rather than unlocking a new weapon like Naofumi did when he unlocked the ''Orange Shield,'' I didn''t get anything unique from it. However, what I did get from all my effort was an increase in my proficiency with the Arsenal of Ambition. If I maxed out the level, I was certain its effects would remain as a permanent passive. I wasn''t sure how 25% Penetration works with bow and arrows, but I was curious to find out. Furthermore, after absorbing all the Orange Balloon pieces, a percentage was unlocked next to the rarity: 0.12%. It wasn''t even 1%. Judging by its placement, I assumed I could increase the rarity of my weapons by feeding it more things.


    My stomach rumbled.


    "I''m calling it for today," I announced as I stretched.


    Ayelet picked herself up from her place in the shade and approached. "''Tis good. Dusk soon nears, and all manner of beasts will soon encroach."


    "Do more powerful monsters appear in the evening?" I asked her, curious about that tidbit of information. I never recalled that from canon, but it did make sense. That logic could also be ascribed to my original world too.


    "Often in the darkness lie the predators, Good Hero."


    Admittedly, I enjoyed how she talked. Her words were poetic and I was a sucker for prose like that. But it did require me to put more energy into my brain to decipher her meaning. I just nodded at her words and transformed the Arsenal of Ambition Repeater back into the Basic Bow, and the two of us made our way back to the castle town. I was somewhat curious if Ayelet had a home here. That way I could save on expenses for a room in an inn. However, I wasn''t inclined to fully trust her to that extent. With a bit of her guidance, the two of us made our way to the Adventurer''s Guild that also doubled as an inn.


    "Ashina-sensei," a familiar voice greeted me.


    As I stepped into the guild building, the familiar form of Ren stood near the entrance where a bulletin board was set up. I didn''t see his party members anywhere.


    "Howdy, Ren," I greeted back, giving him a wave and a tired smile. "How''re you holding up?"


    "I''m fine. The combat system in this world isn''t much different from the VRMMO game I played so it was easy to adjust."


    "Have you seen the others?" I asked, curious if he saw Naofumi or Motoyasu.


    Ren shook his head. "We all went our different ways when we reached town. I know Kitamura stopped by here first so we wouldn''t get in the way of each other when we went to buy equipment, but I don''t know after that. As for Iwatani, I passed him by in the fields outside the walls a few hours ago."


    I cursed in my head. I wanted to run into Naofumi. I wondered if Myne purposely arranged it that he avoided the Adventurer''s Guild and the other heroes. It seemed rather obvious to join the Adventurer''s Guild in order to take on quests where powerful monsters could be slain for experience as that was the purpose of the Heroes¡ªto become stronger and beat back the Waves. But with Naofumi never having done so and then being barred from guild support because of the false accusation of ****, he never bothered to even try. How deep was Myne and the king''s plot to oppress the Shield Hero?


    "You have a curious outfit, Ashina-sensei," Ren muttered as he stared at my attire.


    I shrugged, grinning. "I''m eschewing anything too heavy so I could utilize my speed."


    "¡­yes," Ren could only say.


    "By the way, where''re the rest of your party members?" I asked him, changing the topic.


    The Sword Hero carelessly tilted his head to the cafeteria nearby. "Somewhere around there. I work alone, so I''m planning to use them only for support."


    Raising an eyebrow, I told him, "You''re shooting yourself in the foot there."


    "¡­" He refused to meet my eyes.


    Out of habit, I rubbed the back of my neck and frowned. "Amaki, you know this isn''t a game, right? You can''t treat your party members like they''re NPCs. They''re real people who genuinely want to stop their world from being destroyed by the Waves!"


    "I will take your words under advis.e.m.e.nt, sensei," Ren declared and then tried to end the conversation by trying to walk past me.


    "Eh? Sir Hero, what about your dinner? It just arrived!"


    From around the corner leading to the guild''s food hall was one of Ren''s party members calling out to him, making Ren pause in mid-stride.


    "Sir Hero? You told me to tell you when the food was ready?"


    I stared at Ren''s party member who looked awkward for interrupting and then I stared at Ren who tried his best to look as passive as usual. Granted, I had a feeling Ren wasn''t the stoic he tried to play off as. It just reminded me of a person trying to act cool. He was only sixteen, after all. Though when I actually met him, I thought it could be his actual personality. The only background information I knew about him was that he was killed by a murderer after saving his best friend from him so maybe his cool appearance stemmed from that trauma.


    Now though? Geez, I guess he really was a kid.


    "Good Hero," Ayelet greeted Ren as she stepped forward, "though your bravery does you well, the strength of Heroes are unparalleled when united with their comrades. Take faith in your boon companions."


    Ayelet, you absolute savage.


    Ren closed his eyes and took a deep breath, releasing it in one long puff. He nodded at me. "Ashina-sensei." Then he turned and walked towards his party member and offered his thanks to her.


    Next to me, Ayelet let out a low hum and she gingerly touched her lips. "Have I offended him?"


    "Nah¡­"


    I''d rather he suffered social embarrassment than the despair of knowing his actions caused the deaths of innocent people any day.


    ------------------------------


    ?


    AFTERWORD: In which Bow Sensei accidentally embarrasses Ren like the big bro he is.


    Chapter 1.8 (END of Chapter 1)


    I awoke to gentle rapping on my door. Keeping one eye open, I materialized the Arms of Ambition Revolver in the hand underneath my pillow and waited.


    "Good Hero?" Ayelet''s muffled voice came through the wooden door.


    Pulling away the covers, I crept out of bed, mindful of my weight on the floor panels to keep it from creaking. I touched my adventuring outfit that I left on a chair and willed it to be worn, and then made my way to the door. I kept my back to the wall and kept the end of my barrel bared through the threshold.


    "I''m up. What is it?" I asked through the door.


    "¡­"


    "Well?"


    "May I come in?"


    I mulled over her request. Well, I did conclude that there was no reason for King Aultcray or the Pope to off me just yet. I was letting my prejudices for what happened in canon affect me. Scratching my scalp in irritation, I decided to just risk it. I opened the door and allowed the librarian in. Ayelet was fully dressed when she stepped inside, and so I threw out her reasoning for wanting to come in as a honeypot scheme.


    "Thank you," she said once I closed the door. "I bring dire tidings."


    Shit. I cursed.


    I knew what was coming. The previous evening after I registered as an adventurer and had dinner, I wanted to find Naofumi. However, in spite of wandering the evening going from inn to inn to find him, I couldn''t. I did meet Motoyasu, and we had a nice enough chat, but he was too distracted by his female party members and quickly blew me off. If I didn''t meet Naofumi, then I no doubt failed to stop Myne accusing him of raping her.


    "The streets are filled with murmurings of a grave sin the Shield Hero committed," Ayelet said in a whisper. "Forcing himself on the sweet elder princess while impaired by drink, he took her virtue and the innocence of her soul."


    I held back a snort. Malty? Virtuous? Innocent? I doubted it.


    "I need to head to the castle then." I decided.


    Before I could begin moving, Ayelet reached out and clasped my forearm. "Patience, Good Hero."


    I ripped my arm away from her and glared at her entreating face. "Iwatani won''t do something as heinous as that. I don''t know him well, but he ain''t like that. I need to go the castle and vouch for him."


    Without allowing her to say a word, I turned my back to her and began a sprint up to the castle. I couldn''t tell you how far away the castle was or how long I was running. I ignored the pain in my lungs, legs, and feet. This was the key moment that established the tone of the series. I shouldn''t miss it. I couldn''t afford to miss it. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I pushed myself harder and harder up the hill where the castle stood.


    But then my running slowed and slowed until I stood still in the middle of the cobblestone road.


    I didn''t stop because I was tired. I stopped because of the sorry sight that lied in front of me.


    Iwatani Naofumi, the Shield Hero, walked with a limp down that same road. He was without clothing save for a pair of trousers. He didn''t even have a pair of shoes on him. I could see purple bruises all over his torso and arms. His left arm looked broken and had yet to be set. His brow and cheeks were swollen red and purple as if lashed and struck. This¡­ wasn''t canon at all.


    "Iwatani¡­" I said aloud, his name barely going above a whisper.


    "Sensei¡­" He stopped to stare at me, his eyes empty rather than the expected full rage. "You were right."


    Naofumi, I didn''t want to be. I never want to be right about that.


    I remained silent, unable to figure out what words I could say. I was never good at expressing myself. But, dammit, I had to in this instance. Sure, I just met everyone. Sure, I just met Naofumi. Maybe there were the king''s or the Pope''s watchers spying on me right now. But I wasn''t some automaton who could blindly look away from this and think, ''Well, the pragmatic way to go about this is¡­'' I knew more than anyone about the ugliness and beauty of humans here. I studied politics! There was only one appropriate answer.


    "I know you didn''t do anything. It''s not your fault."


    "Ha¡­ haha¡­ hahaha¡­" Naofumi began laughing, his eyes burning with fire and rage.


    But as the more he laughed, the more tears began welling up that doused his anger. Slowly, his laughter faded into broken sobs. He stepped forward towards me and I responded in kind. Then without any care, I embraced the younger man and held him close as he cried. I had to wonder what would''ve happened if there had been just one person to have accepted him immediately without judgment or scrutiny when this wound in his heart was still fresh.


    I didn''t know how long I held Naofumi in my arms, but soon his sobs ended and he went quiet. He had fallen asleep. However, what pressed me wasn''t the awkward situation of me holding him, but his wounds. I knew Naofumi was handled roughly when brought before the king and accused of his ****, but he wasn''t hurt this badly in either canon. Something had to have changed. For now, however, I need to see to finding medical attention for him.


    "Good Heroes of the Bow and Shield," Ayelet''s soft words pierced behind me. "Might I take you to where you may find reprieve from this sorrowful turn?"

 Chapter 37 - My SI Stash #37 - You Are A Kryptonian Now by TheEpicLotfi (Worm)

    -Dude gets SI into Worm as a freaking Kryptonite. Instant read~ £¨£Þ¦Í£Þ£©


    *I haven''t read Worm at all, I just like reading Self Inserts in general but I still look up on google (Worm Wikipedia) what''s it about, the characters etc. to better understand the context!


    Sypnosis: Our intrepid Self-Insert awakens in a strange land with the intuitive knowledge that he is a Kryptonian.


    His first task? Survive the Undersiders'' bank heist. Easier said than done, however, since he has had yet to absorb any sunlight from inside the building.


    Rated: M


    Words: 74K


    Posted on: forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/you-are-a-kryptonian-now-kryptonian-si.57514/threadmarks (TheEpicLotfi)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1.1-1.3


    Alright, from the top. I''m a Kryptonian, and I am now in Worm. Like a newborn baby with an a.d.u.l.t body and memories implanted, I knew exactly what the f.u.c.k was happening to me, and it was not comforting in the least. Now? I was inside blackness, which finally receded to reveal people dressed in costumes surrounding us with big monster dogs.


    "Fifteen minutes," I heard a feminine voice announce. "We won''t be here any longer than that."


    F.u.c.k.


    000


    This was real. This was real and it was happening. Right now, in fact.


    Utterly uncaring of my inner turmoil, Skitter continued. "If you are thinking about running, making a phone call or getting in our way, this is a good reason to reconsider. This little creature and her one hundred sisters that I just brought into this room are under my complete control." They were there, dangling above us from hundreds of gossamer threads, just waiting to sever the connection it had to the ceiling and do its job.


    "She''s a black widow spider. A single bite has been known to kill a full-grown human or put them into a coma. You move, talk, try to find or kill the spiders I just put on your bodies, in your clothes, in your hair? I''ll know in a split second, and I''ll tell them to bite you several times."


    I fought through the stress and apprehension, clinging to one life-line: I knew who Skitter was. Taylor Hebert. She''d never kill me. She couldn''t. That wasn''t in her moral fibre¡­ yet, at least.


    I plucked the spider from above me and crushed it with my thumb and index finger. I stood up and gave Skitter a shaky grin. "Y-y-y-you mean that t-t-thing?"


    "Uh-uh." Tattletale shook her head. "Big mistake." She pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. Oh f.u.c.k. She, I knew, would definitely take exception to that. "Black guy with the dumb hairdo, come." She''s not a murderer.


    "U-uh, no," I said. "I''m fine where I am." She''s not a murderer.


    "Come or I''ll shoot you." She''s not a murderer.


    "You won''t," I protested. "B-because you''re not a killer."


    I heard a deep voice rumble a "F.u.c.k it." And suddenly, I was inside darkness. Oh f.u.c.k, Grue was coming.


    The first punch hurt the hardest. Right on my face, even. Did he break a tooth? He didn''t stop with just one, though. Three to the face, then one to the torso which winded me. I was on my knees, in pure agony. The darkness receded, and all the hostages turned to me.


    Tattletale''s grin only sharpened. "What did our friend say about not being a hero?"


    I grinned through the pain. "You''re all¡­ bark¡­ why didn''t you¡­ kill me?"


    Why am I saying this? Oh, right, because Grue f.u.c.k.i.e.d with me, and I didn''t much appreciate that. And because these are all f.u.c.k.i.n.g characters that I know like the back of my hand. Grue is a reputation-savvy asshole who doesn''t really like playing by the rules that society had set, seeing himself as above that shit, but he wouldn''t kill me. It was a combination of not having the stomach to do so, and it was genuinely the stupid thing to do.


    "Shut up, beefcake, or those words will be your last." What the f.u.c.k were these lines, anyway, and why was I still so intimidated by them, despite the corniness?


    I looked around at the crowd. A teenaged girl with brown hair gave me a tiny shake of her head and a disapproving scowl. Amy, my brain absently noted. She could heal me.


    I was safe.


    "They won''t, though," I wheezed, and for the life of me, I did not know why I said the next thing that I said. "Because you''re a dumb bitch who couldn''t-!"


    BANG.


    My shoulder. My shoulder. She shot me in my f.u.c.k.i.n.g shoulder.


    Oh my GOD, it hurt.


    So much for ''Kryptonian'', huh?


    "F.u.c.k!" I screamed. I was on my back, breathing sharply, sucking in short bursts of air. It hurt. It hurt like nothing I had ever experienced before in my life. I began to curse in every conceivable way, in every language, stepping out of my moral comfort zone to say the most heinous of things, all to let out the sheer overflow of emotion. "Tattletale!" I screamed. "This isn''t over! I''m gonna¡­ Oh, I''m gonna laser-eye¡­ laser-eyes¡­ you¡­ I''m¡­ lasers¡­ F.u.c.k!"


    "¡­needs healing!"


    "Stay¡­ where you are¡­ move¡­"


    "¡­bleed ou-¡­"


    The next thing I felt was relief, plain and simple. All my pain was basically sucked away in a single nigh-orgasmic instant. The sheer juxtaposition of misery and neutrality threatened to have me devote my life to whoever allowed me such bliss.


    The haggard, brown-haired girl who stared back would probably order me to jump off a cliff if that exasperated look had anything to say. "You''re an idiot, you know that?"


    "Oh, it''s you," I muttered. "Okay, this¡­ this is good." I grabbed her by the shoulder. "Don''t try to reprogram Skitter''s bugs. It''ll only end badly for you. Just let them take the money, let them leave."


    She pushed my hand off her shoulder and gave me a disturbed look.


    "Nursing time''s over," I heard Tattletale''s obnoxious voice pipe up from ten meters away, outside of the clump of hostages. She pointed the gun at me again. "I''ll need you to shut the f.u.c.k up, or the next place I''ll shoot will be your knee-caps. One for each word you''ll utter henceforth. Panacea''ll heal you, of course, and we can rinse and repeat all day. Just say the words."


    I couldn''t believe the nerve of that bitch! I opened my mouth to-


    I shut my mouth almost an instant later. Rage gave way to fear, because truly, I didn''t want to know how it felt to be shot in my knees. I''d rather live a long life of that never happening.


    "Good thinking." She winked at me. "Now," she addressed the rest of the crowd. "I want you all to understand that we''re not f.u.c.k.i.n.g around. Sit the f.u.c.k down, shut the f.u.c.k up, let us do our job, and you guys can go back to your life, all safe and sound."


    "¡­this wasn''t a part of the plan," I heard Skitter murmur into Tattletale''s ear. How the f.u.c.k did I hear that? "You almost killed him."


    "Trust me," Tattletale murmured back. "I know where to aim. Besides, he was pissing me off."


    "This doesn''t look like ''Cops and Robbers'' to me."


    Tattletale had no response to that.


    The Undersiders continued their bank robbery. Meanwhile, I had to sit down, utterly useless, no doubt a nuisance to everyone around me. So much for being a hero, so much for being f.u.c.k.i.n.g ''Superman''. The hell was I even thinking? There was barely any sunlight in the bank, most of the lights being artificial. The little that I did receive no doubt went straight to keeping me alive after the shot to my shoulder, and the excuse of an ''enhanced hearing range'' I was now enjoying. What good was it to hear when you were f.u.c.k.i.e.d and you could do nothing about it?


    One more word and I''d be shot. Again and again, because stupidly enough, I managed to step on Lisa''s trigger: being called stupid.


    Man, f.u.c.k her narcissism. No wonder the Worm community liked to bash her!


    "Bug," I heard Tattletale say. "Take the brave guy out of the crowd. Keep him close to you so he doesn''t give anyone dumb ideas. It''s either that or I shoot him again. We can''t afford to have the crowd mob us."


    With that, she ambled away. Skitter turned to me. "You"¡ªshe pointed at me¡ª"Get up. Sit closer to me."


    I stood up and navigated through the maze of people sitting on the floor until I reached Skitter, who looked several inches shorter than me, and much less intimidating as a result. "Sit down," she demanded. I did just that. "Don''t turn around. Face me at all times, or Grue will beat you up some more."


    "So much for spider bites," I muttered. She clenched her hands, her head gesturing towards Tattletale, who was keeping an eye on us both. Right. Keep mum.


    I caught the blonde girl''s reflection from the exposed part of the windows on the glass door. After a minute or two, she joined two other Undersiders, Alec and Grue, at the vault in the back. This was my chance. I had to capitalize on Taylor''s doubt.


    "Bug girl," I whispered. "Don''t talk back, just listen. I heard what you did to Lung." She hid her emotions well. I could commend that. "I''m proud of you. I know what you''ve been saying to Armsmaster." I looked at Tattletale until she went to follow Bitch and Grue, no doubt trying to open up the vault door. "What you''re doing is f.u.c.k.i.n.g brave. You don''t have to go any harder than this. It''s fine. In ten minutes, the Wards will come. All of them, except for Shadow Stalker. If you join forces with them, we''ll put away the Undersiders once and for all."


    She shook her head minutely. Right, she was on a mission to find out who was backing them.


    "The boss is Coil; Thomas Calvert. We''ve known for a while, now," I lied. "Tattletale is a high-rated thinker. She will sniff you out by tonight at the latest. It isn''t safe for you to be with them anymore."


    Her thoughts were inscrutable through her costume, her body-language still and vigilant. "If you turn your act around now, the PRT will let you go. I can assure you of that."


    Something told me that she didn''t seem at all convinced.


    F.u.c.k, come on, Taylor! "I wasn''t lying when I said you''re not a killer. You''re just caught up in something terrible, with no one to guide your hand. I''m not saying that you need someone to tell you what to do, but you''re not going at it the right way right now."


    She still wasn''t reacting.


    "There are two killers in the Undersiders," I said. "Bitch is wanted for murder. She killed her foster family. Jean-Paul Vasil, or Alec as you might know him, is the son of Heartbreaker. There are outstanding warrants against him for **** and murder. Forget about ''three-strikes'', your boy is destined for the Birdcage." Her hands were shaking. She hid them behind her back. "You do not want to associate with these folks. The moment you get caught with them, the waters will muddy fast, and you''ll get in over your head. Again, you''re a good kid, Bug girl, and I don''t want to see you taking this direction in life. You could be one of the most powerful heroes in this city. This undercover look doesn''t suit you."


    I was convincing her. I could see it. I knew it in my bones.


    "When the Wards c-" BANGBANG. Air left my lungs wholesale as a projectile shot through the back of my knees and through my knee-caps. I was utterly dazed, and I hoped I would feel this way forever, because I knew that once I reached the top of the ramp, the only way to go was down.


    And down I went. Down, further down than I could possibly imagine, like a Higgs-Boson particle finally hopping out of its false vacuum state valley.


    I saw white.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"


    I woke up feeling much better.


    "-not a part of the plan, Tattletale!" Taylor shouted.


    "-don''t you dare f.u.c.k us, Bug, don''t you dare! You have no idea what I''m capable of-"


    "-threatening me? Is that it-"


    "-f.u.c.k.i.e.d with your head, you idiot-"


    No. They weren''t shouting. They weren''t even in the room. They were out of the lobby, probably somewhere far, but still inside the building, yet I could hear them plain as day. Taylor''s doubt was more apparent, now.


    "Focus!" Grue shouted. "Guys, here''s a quick fix: let''s toss the douchebag out. He''ll be somebody else''s problem. We''ve secured the hostage''s compliance, so it doesn''t matter. Tattletale?"


    "Sure," she said.


    Black clouds were already expanding out from the corridor leading to the lobby. "Remember the plan, Bug girl!" I shouted. "Wash your hands off this mess!" And in another moment, it was dark.


    Hands wrapped around me, lifting me up on my feet. They began dragging me somewhere. Suddenly, they threw me, and I rolled down the stairs. My h.i.p.s ached like a motherf.u.c.ker, but it was manageable. Jesus Christ, I hate the Undersiders.


    I got up shakily. "F.u.c.k!" I screamed. "F.u.c.k you, Grue and Tattletale!" I shouted, then I screamed myself hoarse at the bank''s entrance


    The door shattered to reveal a giant monster dog that punched me with their paw. I rolled as far as to the other end of the sidewalk and didn''t get up. Down the street, the sun was just about to set over a building. I reached my hand up to take as much sunlight as I could, all the way until the sun had dipped beneath it, and there was no more sun. No more sun¡­


    F.u.c.k.i.n.g Worm.


    Chapter 1.2


    I wish there was more sun.


    I felt better, though. Not great. Not not in pain. Just better.


    Someone came up to me to help me up. I took their help and got on my feet. "T-thank you."


    The man was white and old, with male pattern baldness. He gave me a nod. "Don''t mention it. Are you feeling okay?"


    "I feel like shit," I admitted. He led me to a building wall, where I leaned against. "Oh, f.u.c.k," I looked at the hole in my white sweater''s shoulder.


    "Can you walk?"


    "Yes," I replied, irritated. "I just need more sunlight¡­"


    "Sunl-"


    "Yes," I responded. "Yes." I limped away from the scene where dozens of people were coming to observe. I didn''t care what the f.u.c.k happened to those stupid shitheads, whether Taylor actually followed my advice, or if they actually got arrested this time around, or if Amy listened to my advice about not trying to be a hero. If I was lucky, Tattletale''s display of brutality should have suitably cowed her-


    "Wait!" I heard a voice behind me. It was Amy. Why was Amy following me? Well, it made sense to let her leave along with me. Now, Glory Girl wouldn''t have a reason to bash the Undersiders'' skulls in. Though it paid to have powerful hostages, using Amy was just playing with fire.


    I trudged on ahead and tried to scamper away, but it hurt.


    "F.u.c.k-wait!" She shouted after me.


    I tripped over my legs and fell on the asphalt where I belonged. Is this enough suffering, author!me?!


    Amy crouched over to where my head was. "Do I have permission to heal you?"


    "Knock yourself out," I muttered dejectedly.


    She did. I, quite unashamedly, gasped in pleasure as Amy''s power straightened me out. "It''s as I thought¡­"


    I sighed. "I''ve got alien physiology, and you''re fascinated in me." I pushed myself up to leave. "Okay, whatever, I''ve read that story before. Bye. I need to sleep on a heap of trash and wait for sunrise." Or¡­ not. Oh, no, nonononono, Jesus Christ that sounded like a terrible idea.


    "Wait," she said. I didn''t. "What the hell is your problem?"


    "My problem is I need a cigarette, and I already swore those off, and I''m not about to fall off the wagon."


    "Stop!" she shouted. I did, turning around.


    "Yeah? What did you want?"


    "What the hell are you?" she asked. "You''ve got no Corona, and your DNA is utterly alien. You don''t share a single genome with any known organism. I''ve got more in common with rocks than I have with you."


    "I''m not a parahuman," I said.


    "Yeah, no shit!" she practically hissed. "I''m not stupid, so don''t f.u.c.k.i.n.g treat me like I am. I asked you a question."


    "I''m an alien," I then said. Probably the one true thing I had said all day. "I''m a f.u.c.k.i.n.g alien. That''s what I am. I''m not from this city, this state, this country, this continent, this world!" I took a deep breath to calm myself. "And really? Everything is freaking me out."


    "You''re a Case 53," she said with some finality.


    "Call it whatever the f.u.c.k you want," I said.


    "How did you know I was going to reprogram her bugs?" she asked.


    "Because¡­" I muttered. "That''s what I would do."


    She glared at me, now. "With my powers?"


    "Sure."


    "What do you know about my powers?"


    I looked at her flatly and rolled my eyes. "You''re a biokinetic with kiddie gloves on."


    Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "How did you know?"


    "Powers," I said, jazz-handing. "Panacea," I said quite deliberately. "Listen carefully¡­ I''m¡­" I sighed." I can''t sleep outside. I ain''t about that life. I mean, it''s cold outside. What I want to do is crash on your couch, and the moment before sunrise, I''ll be out of your hair. I promise that."


    She sneered at me. "What makes you think I''ll agree to that?"


    I sighed and mentally counted down from ten. "I''m sorry, okay? I''m weird. I''m aggressive. I''m not in a good place right now. I was shot twice today." I took a deep breath in. "I meant thrice. Thrice. I was shot thrice, today. Both my knees, and my shoulder. I respect you, Panacea. Thank you for saving my life."


    "You''re¡­ welcome," she said, still staring at me dubiously.


    "So¡­" I gestured towards her. "You followed me for a reason. What was it?"


    "I¡­ I needed to know what you were," she said. "There''s¡­ sophistication in your make-up. Optimized organic systems that snap into place when things aren''t right. It might take a while, but you can heal correctly from any and all injury. It''s like¡­ someone made you¡­ someone perfect."


    "Ah, gee, thanks," I replied flatly. "Are you satisfied?"


    "That you''re an asshole?" she replied.


    "I need a bed!"


    She nodded. "The PRT can house you. Just wait here. Once the bank robbery ends, I''ll connect you with the Wards. They''ll take you to HQ. You can explain your situation, there."


    I nodded and gave her a lopsided smile. "Actually, thank you, Panacea." Speak of the devil, however, down the street, more black smoke billowed outward as an array of costumed individuals, some flying ¡ª one on his own and the other on a hoverboard ¡ª and some on the ground, were poised to attack.


    A white-clad teenaged girl descended from the sky, then, to stand right beside Amy. Glory Girl, of course. She looked just like how the fan-art portrayed her, almost disappointingly so. A cutesy round face and a costume more reminiscent of Lady Liberty with a short skirt than Supergirl. Still, she was definitely one beautiful person, leggy as all hell.


    "Oh, thank God, Amy." Victoria Dallon wrapped her sister around in a hug. "When I heard the bank was being held up, I thought¡ª"


    "They let me out," she said. "Mostly because that idiot over there¡ª" Was she pointing at me? "¡ªcouldn''t keep his mouth shut. He called their bluffs and almost got killed, so they decided to throw him out, and me while they were at it."


    Victoria narrowed her eyes at me and hummed. "That was¡­ stupid of you."


    You''re stupid, I stopped myself from saying. "I''m a stupid person," I admitted. "Glory Girl, could you do me a quick favor and fly me up to a roof-top? I really need some sunlight."


    "Right!" Amy exclaimed. "T-that''s how the cells¡­ that''s how they activate, isn''t it? Holy shit, this could¡­" she devolved into crazed mutterings.


    Victoria looked at her dubiously. "Ames¡­ Earth to Ames." Amy looked up, almost befuddled.


    "Right, sorry¡­ I was just¡­ considering things. Hey, you"¡ªshe pointed at me¡ª"I need to touch you again."


    "I have a name," I reminded her.


    "And¡­ I don''t care about that," she replied easily. "Give me your hand for a couple more seconds."


    "Amy," Victoria said. "You''re acting weirdly."


    "What she said," I said slowly. "But¡­ okay, f.u.c.k it." I walked towards her, hand outstretched. "Here."


    She took it, and then spaced out, probably focusing the entirety of her brain on my Kryptonian DNA and how her shard could benefit from such succulent data.


    Wait, f.u.c.k.


    I was almost going to pull back, but Amy let me go first. "Done."


    F.u.c.k!


    Why did I let her do that? Moreover, why was I so impulsive?


    Did I just accidentally doom Earth-Bet?


    Like stress usually did with me, it gradually eased into apathy. It was done. What could I do? The answer? Get stronger. Hah, and unlike a certain Saiyan in Brockton, that meant I didn''t have to train all that much beyond soaking in sunlight. Speaking of sunlight. "Glory Girl, about that favor I asked?"


    "Has anyone ever told you that you''re weird?"


    "Only every time I meet someone," I replied. I held my arms up, and she hugged me with one arm before lifting me up. I was expecting pain or discomfort, but instead, I received nothing. That was promising. The moment I touched down on the roof-top, the sun was on me again. Unfortunately, it wouldn''t be for long. Several dozen kilometers away, a mountain range stood tall. In a few more minutes, the sun would dip beneath the mountain range, and I''d be f.u.c.k.i.e.d until sunrise.


    "...Are you staring at the sun?" Glory Girl asked.


    The last of the sun finally dipped below the mountain. "I was, yes."


    "Why?"


    "I want to detach my retinas," I said. "It''s an insurance fraud scheme." I did some stretches. Oh, I felt good. I felt great, actually. Could I fly yet?


    Okay, make like Peter Pan and feel freeeeeeeee!


    No flight.


    "Alright, don''t tell me," she responded. "See if I care."


    I looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "I was joking. No need to catch."


    "...Catch what?"


    Ouch. Difference in slang¡­ that would do ya. "You know, catch feelings."


    "I have a boyfriend."


    "And I''m legally an a.d.u.l.t," I responded. "I meant ''getting upset''."


    "You''ve got a weird accent," she noted.


    "Everyone around me''s got a weird accent," I replied right back. "I think it''s you who should talk normally."


    "Are you from Africa?"


    "Not yours, no. I''m pretty sure that one''s a giant dump." I went over to the ledge of the roof and sat myself on it, legs dangling. Below me, on the streets, a black van marked with the PRT insignia pulled up right in front of the bank. The darkness had abated. The Undersiders were filing out, some unconscious, and others restrained. F.u.c.k. They did it. I turned to Glory Girl. "There''s a girl that was kidnapped, you know."


    "What?" she asked. "Where? How do you know?"


    I raised a finger. "The bank robbery was a distraction. A cape named Coil used it to kidnap a girl named Dinah Alcott ¡ª a highly powerful precog. Few people know she even triggered; well, except for him."


    "How do you know all of this?"


    "I can hear things," I said, posing it as a mere observation that was completely unrelated to her question. "I''ve got enhanced hearing." Because that was the truth. Lies were easy that way. If someone asks a question, tell them a truth, not necessarily the truth, and let their own biases do the rest of the work.


    She flew up over me and descended right in front of where I sat, standing on thin air. "How do I know you''re not just full of shit?" she asked. "Lying to a hero isn''t exactly a smart thing to do."


    "Because I know you''ll beat me six ways til Sunday, and I''m not stupid. Besides, I''d gain literally nothing from sending you on such a wild goose chase"


    "It''s six ways from Sunday," she corrected. "You could just be exceptionally brave. If I was told the truth, you weren''t exactly keeping self-preservation as a priority during the bank heist. Plus, a lot of villains would like it if the heroes get too distracted on bogus rescue-missions."


    "I knew exactly what would happen if I pushed the Undersiders'' buttons," I defended hotly. "They''re all kids, anyway. Plus, I saw your sister and I took a chance on her. As for Dinah, it''s fine if you don''t believe me. An Amber alert is going to sound in a couple of hours. Little Dinah''s gonna have needles shoved in her arm pretty soon unless we do something."


    "-an agent of yours was ins-"


    I looked over to the procession of Undersiders and found Skitter getting filed into the van, quite forcefully, at that. Oh well. I''d do my best to get her out, and it''s not like she did something that couldn''t be forgiven. If fanfiction informs me correctly, then they''ll all get Wardship.


    Well, except for Alec, who might definitely get Birdcaged unless they bring to light years of child abuse. Also, Tattletale might just get ganked or broken out by Coil. Bitch was¡­ ironically enough, I loved Bitch. She was definitely one of my favorite characters in the setting, and her origin story really tugged at my frozen heart strings. They would most likely not overlook the fact that she Victory Royale''d her foster family. F.u.c.k, that was sad.


    Then there was Grue, who almost broke my jaw. The less said about that piece of work, the better.


    It felt utterly alien to still have so much empathy for people who straight-up f.u.c.k.i.e.d me over, knowing exactly where they came from. If I had to live with the guilt of my sister''s suicide, I''d be pretty f.u.c.k.i.e.d up. If I had to single-handedly take care of my younger siblings, I''d probably do some questionable shit to get by. If my dad told me that the only way to have a place in the family was to murder and ****, I honestly didn''t think I''d have the moral fibre to stick to my guns, especially if that moral fibre was never cultivated in the first place.


    "F.u.c.k¡­" I muttered. "It didn''t have to end this way for them."


    "Why?" Glory Girl scoffed. "They had it coming. They tried to rob a bank. They shot you!"


    "Like I said," I sighed. "I''m a stupid person. Though I''m pretty sure the only reason the Undersiders were defeated was because Skitter betrayed them."


    "Why would she do that?"


    I smiled a little. "I¡­ told her to."


    "Bullshit."


    It was getting darker, now. Dark enough that the street lights had turned on. "I don''t think there''ll ever be a day where you''ll just take my words at face value, Glory Girl. I applaud that."


    A guy wearing a white suit with clock faces on them began to fly towards our position. What the f-Clockblocker can fly? Is this an AU? Please don''t let this be an AU. Say sike right now.


    Clockblocker hovered before me, arms crossed. "You the guy Amy told us about?"


    "Uh, yeah," I said. "...Clockblocker?"


    "Aegis," he corrected. "We switched costumes."


    "Right." That happened. "Yeah, I''ve got like, no home or whatever, and I''ve also got powers, so that gives y''all an excuse to house me, right?"


    He tilted his head. "What are your powers?"


    "What aren''t my powers?" I chuckled. "Well, I''m solar powered, and goddess Sol isn''t really gracing us with her presence right now, so I guess you could say I''m just your everyday man. I do have enhanced hearing right now. I can probably hear whispers from a block at most."


    And they were all saying pretty¡­ mundane stuff when I focused. When I didn''t, it all just muffled. The PRT grunts were trading coded words with each other, pretty impenetrable unless I was a military buff, which I wasn''t. Military types sure did like their acronyms. Posers.


    "That¡­ could be useful," Aegis said. "And if you get more powerful in sunlight¡­ there''s potential in that."


    "Okay, so, now what?" I asked. "Armsmaster pulls up on his bike and takes me in? Do I ride with you guys?"


    "Uh¡­ so Clock notified HQ about you, and the Director would probably like to have a one on one with you." Makes sense. "Are you Wards age?"


    "No," Glory Girl answered for me. "Says he''s legally an a.d.u.l.t."


    "Well, I''m nineteen," I confirmed, not that I had an I.D or a passport to actually verify that. Truth be told, I should have gotten a Cauldron tattoo or something. Coupled with Panacea''s testimony and some light acting on my end, I could have gotten away with selling the whole Case 53 angle.


    Well, until Armsmaster busted out his lie detector.


    Eh, I guess honesty would be the best policy in a world of parahuman thinkers and Armsmasters. Nobody had to know my alien (hah) status right now. I spoke English, and I wasn''t planning on overthrowing America, so they wouldn''t have much cause to panic.


    None of that really mattered. I just needed a bed. Once I could get through the night, I''d have a whole day''s worth of solar radiation available to me.


    Glory Girl was still looking at me like I was hiding something, which I definitely was, so she wasn''t too far off the mark. Aegis'' full-face mask left him inscrutable.


    "You''ll be riding with us," Aegis said. "What''s your name?"


    "Lotfi," I said, making sure to enunciate it clearly and loudly. He would have to be an absolute idiot to-


    "Sorry?" Aegis floated in closer. "Lofty?"


    "I want to choke you so hard right now," I bit out, glaring daggers at him.


    "I didn''t hear your name right!" Aegis defended.


    "That''s a dumb name," Glory Girl observed casually.


    "You''re a d-..." Calm down, me. Calm down. "Lotfi. El-Oh-Tee-Eff-Aye. Not much to it, I grew up Muslim, it''s an Arabic name."


    "Huh," he said. "Interesting. Why don''t you come down with me? We''re riding out now. I''ll have to hug around you."


    "Sure," I said. He swooped in and lifted me off gently before slowly descending us both. It felt surreal, being suspended by a person who was literally flying. It shouldn''t have been possible at all, but it was. I was experiencing it, after all. The moment I landed, the magic ceased abruptly. It was over, no matter how much I wished it wasn''t.


    I had to learn how to fly stat. I saw Glory Girl fly off to reconvene with her sister, mentally tuning out their conversation as I focused on where Aegis was leading me. I passed by the van holding the Undersiders. The moment Skitter spotted me from inside the van, she strained against her bonds. "You promised!"


    I stopped in front of her. "You tend to say a lot of things when your life''s at stake."


    "Ah, piss off," Tattletale snarled. "You knew that we weren''t gonna kill you."


    "Bitch, you shot me!"


    "And now you''re walking!"


    "Tattletale, shut up," I said calmly. "And Skitter¡ª" F.u.c.k, why did I call her Skitter to her face? Uh, whatever, roll with it. "I haven''t forgotten. I''ll do my best to get you out of there. Lawyer you up, yadda yadda, you know the deal. Don''t say anything."


    "You told me-"


    I felt myself getting riled up. "Skitter, you literally held dozens of people hostage, fearing for their lives! If you honestly, for even a second, think you''re guilt-free, that you did absolutely nothing wrong, I honestly don''t know what to tell you. Just sit tight and wait, alright? The worst they''ll do is offer you probationary Wardship, though I have no idea what they''ll do to your Canadian pal over there." I was lying. The worst they''d do is put her in jail. Probationary Wardship would probably be likely, but I had no idea how canon Piggot worked. She might very well throw the book right at her face regardless over her change of heart. Then again, she was allowing Sophia in her team. She obviously didn''t have too much of an issue with dark horses.


    Uh, I hated speculating. Always led to so many different avenues, but none certain. What I''d do for Dinah''s power.


    "F.u.c.k you," Alec muttered almost emotionlessly, letting some amus.e.m.e.nt bleed into his voice.


    "Rabbit-Ears," Aegis called to me. "We''re just about to leave." Why did he call me- oh, my hearing¡­ that beat revealing my real name to a bunch of villains with a grudge, though. Still, I''d have liked a better epithet. F.u.c.k, now the Undersiders would go around calling me that, even as my other abilities manifested.


    "Sorry," I said. "Again, sit tight, Skitter."


    The PRT officer closed the door to the van, cutting Tattletale off mid-profanity. Yikety yikes. Good riddance to her. I walked over to Aegis until I reached their van, and climbed onto it.


    All the Wards were already seated. A really young girl, a really beefy guy in a purple diamond-print latex suit, Clockblocker in Aegis'' suit, a guy in a medieval suit of armour and finally a brown-haired boy in a gold and red power-armour.


    "Introduce yourself." Aegis nudged me.


    "Uh, okay," I said, clearing my throat. "Heyya, kids." I can''t believe I was actually talking to the Wards. This felt so surreal that my already tenuous grip on reality began to fray severely. "The name''s Lotfi. I repeat, Lotfi. I can hear within a pretty big range at the moment. Nothing special. Yet. Currently, I''m homeless, so there''s that."


    "Welcome, Lotfi," Vista announced. "I''m Vista."


    "Oh, it''s a superpower!" I said. "The hearing-thing. Also, thank you, Vista."


    "We¡­ kinda got that impression," Clockblocker said.


    "Just had to make sure," I said. "Dunno why."


    "I''m Clockblocker," Clockblocker in Aegis'' suit said. "We switched suits today. Surprisingly, it worked pretty well for us, especially after Bug-girl switched sides."


    "Kid Win," power-armour boy said.


    "I''m Gallant," the medieval armoured boy continued. "We''d love to have you with us."


    "I''m glad you''ll have me," I replied.


    "Browbeat," beefy-boy said in a voice that belied his size. "I''m glad my debut was actually worth something."


    "Wish I could have seen you in action, Browbeat." I ambled over to take an empty seat next to him. "No, seriously, I really do." Wow, was he f.u.c.k.i.n.g huge or what? Aegis took a seat on the van, and after the doors closed, we were on our way.


    "Lotfi," Vista piped up. "Did you just receive your powers?"


    "A little something like that," I said.


    "Oh¡­ I''m sorry."


    I shrugged. "Had worse days¡­ probably¡­ maybe not," I admitted. It was hard topping being shot, after all.


    "What can you hear right now?" she asked.


    I began to focus on auditory stimuli. "Well, for one, PRT goons like to moonspeak to each other. Can''t get good locks on conversations since we''re in a moving car. A couple words at most, nothing more. The drivers are saying jack squat, by the way."


    "Hah," Clockblocker guffawed. "You''ll just get a headache if you try to figure out what they''re saying. Better just leave them to it."


    "Wait¡­ I think I''m hearing the Undersiders. They''re in a van behind ours. Tattletale, actually¡­ hold on, let me focus."


    "-you''re hearing this, you''re f.u.c.k.i.e.d. Yes, I''m talking about you, Rabbit-Ears. If you''re hearing this, you''re f.u.c.k.i.e.d. Yes, I''m talking about you-"


    Nothing for me, there.


    "What did she say?" Vista asked. "It looks like you just bit into a lemon."


    She''s a troubled individual, I tried to remind myself, but I found that difficult at best, on account of the egregious offences towards my person that she had committed.


    "You know what?" I asked, losing my temper. "F.u.c.k. Tattletale. I seriously hope the Director throws the book at her so hard that her f.u.c.k.i.n.g nose breaks!" I wasn''t being rational. None of these Wards needed to hear this.


    Clockblocker, for his part, stifled his laughter, which caused a domino effect where Kid Win practically burst into real laughter, triggering an avalanche of mirth from Clockblocker. I found myself gradually smiling until I laughed along with them. My God, this whole situation was stupid.


    "Nah, but seriously." I didn''t get far before devolving into another fit of laughter, then joined by Kid Win and Clockblocker once again, while Vista muttered a long-suffering "Boys¡­"


    I tried to focus my hearing again on what Tattletale was saying after calming down a little.


    "-es, I''m talking about you, Rabb-"


    "Pffttthaahahahah!" They joined me in another round of laughter.


    "What is she saying?" Vista pouted.


    "Oh, uh¡­" I took a while before I regained my composure. "That I''m fu-hahahahahah!" Browbeat, at least, chuckled. "Uh, she''s saying that I''m basically f.u.c.k.i.e.d," I explained. "Yeah, and I''m not putting it past her, but you know¡­" I shrugged. "She had it coming."


    "I''m glad you feel better," Gallant then said.


    I shrugged. "I''m holding up¡­" I wouldn''t be able to for much longer, though. "I''d¡­ appreciate it if we could all continue talking. It sounds weird but¡­ I''d rather stave off the inevitable mental breakdown for as long as I''m in polite company. Weird, right?"


    Vista reached over and put one hand on my knee. "I don''t think it''s weird."


    My eyes were stinging. Why are you like this, Vista? I choked back the tears and gave her a small nod.


    The Wards were good kids.


    Chapter 1.3


    Sarah Livsey


    In her cell, she wondered where it went wrong, the things she could have done to have affected a different outcome. It all led to one conclusion: she should have just thrown the bastard out of the bank when she had the chance.


    ---


    He plucked the spider from above and crushed it with his thumb and index finger. Used to killing bugs. Does not like bugs. Does not fear bugs. Hates bugs. "Y-y-y-you mean that t-t-thing?" Bravado mixed with fear. Is utterly confident that we won''t hurt him. Ah, that would be an easy misconception to get rid of.


    Six feet and one inch, possibly two hundred pounds of brawn. A fighter? No. Likes going to the gym. Iffy body-image. "Uh-uh, big mistake." She shook her head. He was trying to be a hero, wasn''t he? Doesn''t have a plan. Is winging it. Knows he won''t die. Why was that, exactly? Knows about the Undersiders and their M.O. "Black guy with the dumb hairdo. Come."


    "U-uh no," he said. What an idiot. "I''m fine where I am." She didn''t need to use her power to see that he was gaining more confidence. Less stuttering, more steadiness. At this rate, he''d rile up the mob.


    "Come or I''ll shoot you," she said, and she really meant it. Reputation was important in an operation such as this. Failing that would have the heist completely flop.


    "You won''t," he protested. "B-because you''re not a killer." Back with that absolute certainty. This was how villains got their first body-count, she mused. When idiotic hostages valued their lives too much. Is absolutely certain that you won''t kill him.


    Grue shook his head. "F.u.c.k it." She didn''t need to consult her power to know exactly what would happen. The bank blacked out, and once the fog cleared, the asshole was on the ground, beaten and bloodied. No bones broken, but that would all definitely bruise. She grinned.


    When she spoke, she did so to everyone. "What did our friend say about not being a hero?"


    And the idiot still wouldn''t stay down. Is absolutely certain that you won''t kill him. F.u.c.k! Knows the Undersider''s M.O with extreme intimacy. Does not believe that a bunch of teenagers would kill him. Was this guy actually insane? "You''re all¡­ bark¡­ why didn''t you¡­ kill me?"


    She pointed the gun at her and spoke through gritted teeth. "Shut up, beefcake, or those words will be your last."


    Against all odds, he continued, like the absolute f.u.c.k.i.n.g numbskull he was. "They won''t, though, because you''re just a dumb bitch who couldn''t-!" She had heard enough. The bullet went straight into his shoulder-bone because f.u.c.k him and the horse he rode in on.


    ---


    That wasn''t just where it went wrong. It continued to go wrong even from there, when the asshole turned out to have f.u.c.k.i.n.g super-hearing, when it turned out that he had enough f.u.c.k.i.n.g knowledge to not only literally cause the one girl least likely to betray them, to betray them, and when it turned out that the surety he had that the Undersiders wouldn''t kill him? It was completely well-founded.


    She tried to consult her power once more, to remember details of his attitude. Intimate knowledge of the Undersiders and their M.O.


    A cape geek, then?


    Was there more to it than that?


    "You''re not a killer." A half-lie. Believes that you will kill. Future knowledge allows him to intuit that you will kill because he has future knowledge that allows him to intuit- She cut her power off. It helped nobody when it went circular, least of all her.


    What the f.u.c.k did that even mean, anyway? "Why didn''t you... kill me?" Proving a point. Knows you wouldn''t have killed him. But f.u.c.k.i.n.g why?! Knows the Undersiders'' M.O intimately. Okay, and why? Has read about you. Extensive reading. Knows- the migraine came at her hard, but she persisted. She could feel it, finally providing answers at last. Knows the Undersiders'' secret identity.


    Who the hell was he? Did he work for Coil? Would not condone Coil. Too moral to tolerate Coil. A white-hat, then? Couldn''t be. He was a new trigger.


    "I have no idea what they''d do to your Canadian pal over there." Refers to Alec. Knows Alec is from Canada. Knows that Alec has committed crimes. Crimes of high severity. Crimes that may qualify him for the Birdcage. Is counting on Alec going to the Birdcage. He wasn''t just a f.u.c.k.i.n.g cape geek. Who was he? Cares about Taylor more than he does the rest of the Undersiders. Cares about Bitch, as well. On some level, he cares about Tattletale, too. Wait... what was his attitude towards Coil again? Does not condone Coil. Would rescue Tattletale if he could. Counts on Tattletale to become a Ward.


    That... f.u.c.k.i.n.g asshole! All that work to get away from her parents, and for what?!


    The migraine was reaching critical mass. Just... just a few more answers. How did he know all this? He is intimately familiar with the Undersiders'' M.O because he has read about it.


    The migraine overpowered her and she let go of her power. She literally did not have enough data to get a meaningful answer. She should have known.


    000


    I had to wait outside while the Wards briefed the Director. I could hear that their dressing down wasn''t nearly as severe as in canon. Piggy still gave Kiddy shit for using an untested Big F.u.c.k.i.n.g Gun during the bank robbery, and the Wards still got their pays docked for not following protocol, but at the end of it all, she gave them a decidedly positive "Good job, children" before sending them off.


    Kid Win''s cannon power source was still confiscated, however, and his cannon sent for review, but other than that, they all got off scot-free.


    A PRT grunt approached me. "The Director will see you, now."


    I followed him. Inside sat the corpulent director, surrounded by not one, but two capes. One was dressed in military fatigues and looked decidedly attractive. The other was in a blue and silver power-armour, with a giant axe-spear tech-monstrosity strapped to his back.


    "Have a seat," she said as I entered. I did just that, sitting before her desk on the provided chair, trying, and failing to ignore the bona fide superheroes surrounding her. Armsmaster cut an imposing figure. His power armour, silver and blue, wasn''t bulky at all. His armor made sense for a miniaturization tinker to have made: it hugged around him tightly, accentuating muscle and a spry, athletic physique, showing them off in panel-like configurations. Miss Militia wore combat fatigues, a military cap and an American flag scarf over the lower half of her mouth. She was shapely as an hourglass, albeit an athletic one. One that did regular jogs in the morning and wasn''t afraid to do some lifting in the gym. With the automatic rifle strapped to her back, all in all, she looked like the security guard in any given Kenyan mall. "What is your name?"


    "Lotfi," I replied. "Lotfi Sharif."


    "Reportedly, you have super-hearing?"


    "Yes," I said, meaning it. I did have super-hearing.


    "Truth," Armsmaster said. "My instruments are detecting omissions, however." Because of course they were. F.u.c.k.i.n.g Armsmaster.


    "I power up from solar exposure," I continued. "Permanently."


    "How do you know this?" The Director asked.


    "It''s like someone told me what my powers are," I said. "It''s... instinctual knowledge, I guess."


    "Omissions are still present," Armsmaster said gruffly. "You do no one any favors by lying to us."


    "Okay," I said. "... but how do I know I can trust you guys?" I mean, I could, but I had to put it out there, since not doing so would make them suspicious of me.


    "You''ve mentioned that you''re homeless," the Director said. "That can be taken care of quite easily. You can live on-base in the Protectorate Headquarters, or the PRT HQ right here. Of course, the caveat remains that you play ball. We don''t lease rooms to itinerant parahumans. Also, I would like to see any identification for your registration process."


    "I''m not from Earth Bet," I said. "I''m from a different Earth. I have no identity here. I''m dimensionally stranded. I can''t even say how I appeared here." Because doing so would probably f.u.c.k with their world view a lot.


    Both Miss Militia and the Director turned towards Armsmaster, who stared at me impassively. "...Truth."


    "That is alarming," the Director said. "We aren''t in the habit of accommodating dimensional refugees."


    "I literally have nowhere else to go." I threw my hands to the side. The Director looked towards Armsmaster, who nodded slightly, before acquiescing.


    "Very well," the Director said. "There is a precedent already set by people in your shoes. Have you heard of the Case 53 parahumans?"


    "Yes," I replied. "From Panacea," I quickly added.


    "Then you know that their lack of ability to identify themselves leave them amenable to the creation of an entirely new identity. If you join the Protectorate, we could put your skills to good use, and we could integrate you into a life in Earth Bet, quite legitimately, might I add. Better yet, as you''re not suffering from physical deformations, you''re definitely a lucky specimen."


    I smiled a little. "I''m sensing a ''but''..."


    "Armsmaster will ask you a series of questions. It''s up to you to be as honest as possible when answering them. Barring extraordinary circ.u.mstances, our decision to have you will not change."


    "Go ahead," I prompted.


    "Were you an American citizen on your Earth?" he asked.


    Damn. He really didn''t f.u.c.k around. "No, I wasn''t. I was a Kenyan citizen."


    She narrowed her eyes at me. Armsmaster continued. "Had you ever visited America?"


    "No, I hadn''t."


    "What is your opinion on America?"


    Why was he asking me these questions?! "Didn''t seem like a pleasant place from what I''d seen on the television, no. I mean, sure, it''s a nice place, but a lot of its politics don''t sit well with me." There was more to it than that, of course, but those were the cliff notes. It''s an okay country, but it could use a lot of work. "All in all, it''s a first-world country, so it looks nice to live there?" I shrugged. "Personally, I''d prefer Canada." Why am I digging myself deeper?


    Miss Militia shifted a little.


    "Would you consider the lives of innocent civilians as a necessary trade-off to make a political statement?" Translation: are you a terrorist?


    Depends on the message? No, f.u.c.k, that''s crazy. That''s not even what I believe. "Not generally speaking, no. Political change is better achieved without innocents dying." I did believe that. Or, at least I believed I did. Which was basically the same thing.


    "Do you consider yourself ardently political?"


    "Yes," I responded honestly.


    The questions continued in that vein, unsubtly measuring my inclinations towards anything that might be considered running counter to America''s best interest. There were a lot of questions. My answers gradually went from complex sentences to monosyllabic, but I could tell that none of the individuals inside the room were slackening their vigilance. It was fair, I supposed. Honestly, I was just getting tired.


    The questions were getting weirdly personal, now. Where did I lean politically, what were my stances on LGBT rights, what did I think about women, what religion did I grow up with, did I still believe, and a whole plethora of different ways to ask me if I was a terrorist.


    Eventually, the questions stopped. The Director gave me a nod. "Armsmaster will lead you to our power testing facility."


    "Hold on," I said. "I''m joining the Protectorate, now, right? I''m on track, right?"


    "If all is in order," she said.


    "You just asked me twenty-one-hundred questions. Is something not in order?" I grinned unsuredly. "Do you not like leftists or something?"


    Her expression was utterly dry. "I can assure you, Mr. Sharif, that your political leanings are the least of anyone''s concerns in this room. Listen and listen carefully: for as long as there''s even a tiny possibility that you are a spy sent to acquire PRT secrets, we will remain vigilant towards you. The fact that your power so conveniently happens to be super-hearing does not better your situation at all. In case you weren''t aware, interdimensional politics is a matter of billions of lives. If I turned out to be overly paranoid, then so be it."


    I sighed. "I literally just want a bed to sleep in. Can''t we do this thing tomorrow?"


    "Follow Armsmaster to the power testing facility, or you can sleep on the sidewalk." ¡ªF.u.c.k!¡ª "The choice is yours, Mr. Sharif."


    "Alright, alright," I said getting up, trying, and failing to hide my smile at her sudden zero-to-a-hundred. "Didn''t have to be so mean." I really did not care for authority figures like her. The bitter truth was that I really wasn''t in a position to make demands, though. Not yet, at least.


    Wow¡­ that felt strange to think.


    I almost tripped over my feet at the thought. I was a f.u.c.k-mothering Kryptonian. Sooner or later, I''d be strong enough to destroy planets, probably even more!


    Instead of scaring me, the thought provided a tiny measure of tranquility. Soon enough, nothing could ever measure up to me. Scion could destroy continents using his avatar, but I could actually destroy the whole planet. Moreover, I knew exactly where to hit him where it hurt: his dead wife.


    To first get to that point, though, I needed to survive to see the next day. I had plot armor, most probably, but author!me had made no indication that he actually cared for my mental or physical well-being beyond the power to continue breathing. If what remained of me in the final days of Scion was a husk of my former self, traumatized to hell and back, I didn''t know what I''d do¡­


    I couldn''t rely on author!me to protect me. My shoulder and knees ached at the mere memory of the ordeal that I just went through. The more I thought about it, I... I...


    "Heheheh..."


    Armsmaster turned his head to look at me. "Is something funny, Mr. Sharif?"


    Yeah. One day in the Wormverse, and my ass has already been kicked six ways from Sunday. "It''s all too much," I admitted. "I can''t help but laugh, you know? Today was... a monumentally shitty day."


    "My condolences, Mr. Sharif."


    "Eeesh." I scratched the nape of my neck nervously. "You''re awfully formal. If we''re going to be working together, you can call me by my first name."


    He tilted his head up. "Lotfi, then? May I ask where that''s from?"


    "It''s Arabic," I said. "Ethnically, I''m Somali. We tend to have Arabic names, you know, ever since our culture was subsumed by their culture." I shrugged. "Don''t really care much about that, myself. I wish I did, but I don''t."


    All he did was nod. I don''t know what I expected. Maybe I should have toned down the rhetoric. "So... you''re a parahuman," I said.


    "Yes," he responded curtly.


    What''s your power, I wanted to ask, but I had no idea how his lie detector would take that. It wasn''t a definitive lie, since I was only asking a question, but it could be construed as hiding what I knew, which was, itself, a lie by omission.


    He said ''lie by omission'' earlier, didn''t he? How the F.U.C.K could he detect that?! Best not talk to him too much, then. I bode my time just trailing after him aimlessly. He took us through the many twists and turns of the corridors before reaching an elevator that took us down far. When we emerged, we hiked a little further before reaching huge double doors. Armsmaster pushed it open and walked through. I trailed quickly after.


    The power testing facility large. Giant implements with handles on the bottoms probably for testing brute upper limits, training dolls at the opposite end of what I knew was a shooting range, and a boxing ring, most likely for sparring, were only a few of the dozens of weird shit I was currently seeing. There was a lot to take in.


    "...whoa..." I muttered. "Where do we start?"


    "With the truth," he said. "Lies by omission win you no favours with us. Your super-power may involve an extended hearing range, but I''d like you to be more specific than that."


    "Okay," I said. I took a deep breath and said: "Alexandria package with laser eyes and ice breath. Oh, also with every type of vision you can imagine and an extended hearing range. Granted, I won''t have access to most of that without more sunlight."


    He seemed to frown. "...You''re telling the truth." Was that¡­ aggression I detected? "If what you''re saying is true, then we can have you tested for upper limits of your brute or blaster powers, provided they have manifested. Then, I will investigate the current limits of your hearing range. This will take some time."


    At least he was being honest. "So what''s first?"


    "We eliminate the powers that you don''t have. You will have your brute power tested, and then your blaster powers. If neither manifest, we will move on to testing your thinker powers. Follow me." Absently, I noticed how the man was simply incapable of saying ''please''. It wasn''t particularly annoying, since I wasn''t exactly the paragon of niceties, myself. I could respect Armsmaster''s curtness because I was pretty sure that it would be difficult to faux pas around him accidentally, and all I had to do was ignore his unintentional rudeness.


    At the shooting range, I tried to activate my laser-eyes. No dice. Ice breath?


    I blew hard. To my utter surprise, what came out of my mouth wasn''t just empty air, but fog. It slowly descended to the ground and dispersed, of course, but... holy hell! I tried to blow again. Fog continued to blow out of my mouth, but it did absolutely no damage to the floor. It couldn''t even hit a target, for crying out loud. That didn''t matter. It was a proof of concept. It meant I was doing something right.


    Belatedly, I remembered the existence of super-breath in Supes'' arsenal of powers. I tried to blow as hard as I could, but nothing came of it. I switched to ice breath, but it still had limited range and efficacy. A shame.


    When I reported back, Armsmaster took me to the giant machine with a bar attached near the bottom.


    The idea was to deadlift the bar. It was configured to find your upper strength limit as you lifted. It did exactly that as I bent over to lift it up. It was suddenly really heavy before lightening to reach just the bleeding edge of my limit. I remained completely upright for ten solid seconds before dropping the thing with an audible SLAM that rang throughout the facility.


    He then took me to the machine that would measure my durability. I put my hand underneath this laser thing and once the laser turned on, I would press a button the moment I felt pain. It took a couple of seconds. I stayed my hand even as it stung. When it lurched from sting to ''OHMYGODTHISHURTS'', I did my level best to calmly press the button so Armsy wouldn''t disapprove of my trying to f.u.c.k with his data. The laser turned off. There was a black spot on my skin, though, but I stopped it from doing real damage. Armsmaster, for his part, could give exactly two shits, already ushering me away from the device and onto the next part of the test.


    Then, he took me to a treadmill and had me jogging. The treadmill gradually increased in speed. Ten, twenty, thirty kilometers an hour. At thirty, I was shocked. Why? Because I had barely gotten started. At forty, I felt a strain. At Fifty, I felt like I was reaching a limit. I pushed everything I had to reach a solid sixty. Once I did, I evenly decreased my speed until I was just standing. I was panting like a dog. Holy shit, I was fast.


    Armsmaster gave me a nod before leading me to the shooting range, again. I barely managed to follow through with the burn in my thighs.


    Armsmaster told me to stay put in one end on the width of the expansive shooting range, and began to move away from me, whispering pass-phrases for me to copy. When he reached the end of the range''s width, he took to whispering lower and lower. At one point, he apparently encoded a phrase into a frequency beneath the reach of human ears, and I just barely managed to hear it.


    Eventually, I messed up too many times to be within an acceptable margin of error, and we cut out the hearing test from then on. He checked my vision right after. X-ray was a bust. So was... pretty much every other type of vision he could think of: infrared, ultraviolet, hell, even long-ranged vision was a bust. Turns out, I really was starting to fit into my ''Rabbit-Ears'' moniker.


    I was mentally exhausted when it ended. By then, he recited to me a report of his findings. "You will now be assigned your provisional PRT parahuman classification ratings, beginning from high to low. They are on a standard scale of one to ten, with anything above five requiring specialized responses, and anything approaching ten requiring a team of parahumans with specialized training to combat. We usually reserve numbers exceeding ten, the scale-breakers, to S-Class threats; the highest class of threat that the PRT classifies, capable of threatening the well-being of entire cities." He wasn''t pulling the stops explaining all of this to me. Made sense. PRT ratings weren''t exactly common knowledge. Still, it felt surreal, like I wanted to shake him and tell him to quit being delusional.


    None of this was a delusion, though. It was real, writ large in black on white, locked in a textual medium. It may not have seemed real to whoever was reading this, but¡­ I existed, dammit.


    "I will begin with Trump." Armsmaster jolted me out of my thoughts. He continued by explaining what ''Trump'' meant, which was basically a power-rating which described powers that involved the manipulation of powers, whether personal or targeted. "The next one is your Thinker rating." He explained what ''thinker'' meant. I listened, not saying a word. "An extended hearing range that not only supersedes the human range by a factor of five, but manages to expand the range of frequency heard, is quite potent an ability. Do be warned that the illegal procurement of sensitive PRT data can lead to prosecution. We will be watching you very closely for this reason alone, Lotfi." I nodded. As long as I got a bed to sleep in, these guys could give me a cavity search for all I cared.


    Er, no... that would be a little too out there.


    "You are also a brute. You are decidedly above the peak of human strength, at about fifty percent more. This gives you an edge when in combat with non-powered individuals, but with coordination and tactics, you can easily be taken care of by a PRT platoon. Your speed qualifies you for a mover rating, as well, a parahuman with enhanced mobility. The least impressive of your results were the blaster tests. Your ''ice breath'' turned out to be utterly ineffectual, and all the other powers you purported to have are apparently not manifested yet. Numbers will be attached to these ratings at a later date once I submit the findings for review."


    Finally. "Okay, so about that bed."


    "Right after your body scans."


    F.u.c.k!


    000


    I had to keep reminding myself that if I were in their shoes, I would be doing the exact same thing that they were doing to me; that is, maintaining utter vigilance, to the point of paranoia. To them, I represented a possible threat, one that could threaten their lives. Piggot really hadn''t done much to hide the raw, n.a.k.e.d sense of suspicion she leveled at me, treating me as a ticking time-bomb that wasn''t really worth the trouble it took to get the prize that was inside. I already knew I was on thin ice from the moment I first saw her.


    Armsmaster scanned my entire body in a giant MRI. Once that was over, he had me wait somewhere in the med-bay while he and a host of technicians discussed the findings. Yes, I was using my hearing to listen in on them because why the f.u.c.k shouldn''t I?


    "-utterly non-standard biology, and no Corona to boot-"


    "-Case 53, or-"


    "-a tissue sample-"


    I winced at the last bit. Eventually, Armsmaster strode out of the imaging room and nodded at me. I stood up. "The doctors wish to take several tissue samples of you."


    "Several?" I gasped, feeling my heart clench.


    "I''ve decided to leave that up to you," he continued. "We found nothing hidden or artificial within your body once we eliminated your strange anatomy from that list. Technically, you''re clean, unless you have an ability that allows you to store objects remotely."


    "No, sir," I responded. "I don''t."


    "And your decision on the samples?"


    "Respectfully? F-no." My stomach chose that exact moment to alert everyone of its presence. "Yeah, I''m also a little hungry."


    "Follow me."


    I let my mind wander as I followed Armsmaster again. I refused to acquiesce to how ridiculous it all was. I clearly wasn''t real, and neither was he, yet it felt absolutely real. I directed my mind towards more productive ends. The one thing that had been tugging at my attention for hours, now, was Taylor''s little predicament.


    "The Bug-girl," I said to Armsmaster. "What''s going to happen to her?"


    "If she has any sense," he said. "She''ll become a probational Ward."


    "...Does she, like, have a choice in the matter?" I asked.


    "No," he responded curtly. "It''s either that or continue to live as an outlaw. Either way, she''s not leaving this building easily."


    Oh. F.u.c.k. If Taylor said yes, she''d have to unmask to them, and then her father would know what she''d been up to. If she said no, they''d keep her in a cell, and her father would not know what she''d been up to until she either folded, or somehow managed to break out, which she wouldn''t be able to.


    Oh, and Tattletale.


    F.u.c.k. I stopped dead on my tracks. "Is Tattletale secure?" Armsmaster stopped and pressed on the right side of his helmet.


    "Status update on Tattletale."


    "Bird''s in the cage."


    "Pig''s in the pen."


    "Hen''s in the hen-house."


    Could these blowhards be less cringey?


    He turned to me. "She''s inside. Reports from three different officers confirm it."


    "Good, because there''s a mole in this organization of yours," I said. "And he''d do whatever it takes to either free or kill his assets. Whatever you do, protect Tattletale."


    He frowned at me. "How do you know this?"


    "One of my abilities, as you may know, includes super-hearing," I said. A lie by omission, but in the grand scheme of things, everyone lied by omission. The nature of spoken conversation was that you couldn''t elaborate everything. Details fell in the way-side, and stories were always left half-complete for the listener to fill out. That was human nature, and that was why Armsmaster half-accepted the answer, no doubt wanting to pursue the line of questioning at a later date, when the stakes weren''t as high.


    "Who is the mole?"


    "Thomas Calvert."


    I could practically hear the BGM intensifying in bass (bwwong), and I imagined almost perfectly the dolly zoom on Armsmaster''s face when he said. "F.u.c.k."


    000


    You tell me why I took so long to tell Armsmaster this vital piece of information. Maybe it was the fact that I was a scatterbrained idiot at the best of times. Maybe it was the fact that I was still dealing with trauma.


    Maybe, some part of me really didn''t give a f.u.c.k?


    Either way, apparently, my testimony, enhanced by Armsmaster''s lie detector tech and the knowledge that I was a decently rated thinker, was just enough to have Armsmaster mobilize a team to scour the building in search for Calvert.


    Of course, they didn''t find him. Not a surprise. In the timeline that we did find him, he no doubt collapsed it already. No, that was too simple. He probably rode it out in search for the knowledge of who found him out and would eventually collapse it once he did. I told Armsmaster as much. I was worrying about when he would ask me where I got so much information, but now wasn''t the time, it seemed.


    The Protectorate leader switched out the PRT officers from different platoons and kept them informing him on a regular basis, and that meant every captured Undersider. Taylor had, reportedly, requested a lawyer. If she was smart, she was currently in the process of throwing all the other Undersiders under the bus to save her hide.


    Once the cacophony died down, I''d do my best to provide Bitch and Alec with good enough legal counsel to save them from what was yet to come. Grue would sort himself out. If they took in Madcap, who arguably did much more damage to society than Grue ever did, they could take in one small-time robber.


    Armsmaster led me to the cafeteria and left me there. I picked up some food and used my extended hearing range to get real-time updates on what was going on. Presumably, Coil was a no-show, and with how Armsy kept scrambling to replace officers randomly, whoever worked for Coil in-house couldn''t risk outing themselves in order to cut the loose end.


    Calvert couldn''t be found in his home, someone said. There was no one to ask because Calvert had no life outside of his work, someone then said. Something, something, something, Calvert operated a minor construction company and was a busy man, but there was no mention of Endbringer shelters. So much for ''Fortress Constructions'', it seemed.


    Thomas Calvert was utterly incommunicado, suspiciously so. From what I heard, he was always a couple of rings away, taking his job with the type of seriousness only reserved for someone whose parents bred them to be an accountant.


    So¡­ this was it, then. Coil was as good as gone. The Undie-Sidies were out of a boss to pay them since they were either going to jail, or joining the Wards.


    I laughed at my tray of salisbury steak with a side of potato mash and gravy. Very carb-heavy, but I had a stressful day; sue me. "What the f.u.c.k this was so easy."


    "-kill Tattletale-"


    Record scratch. Freeze frame. What the f.u.c.k did I just hear?


    I locked in on the coordinates for that sound. "-use your side-arm to kill Tattletale. I am willing to pay you two-hundred thousand dollars, deposited to your account, before the act. After the act, I will prepare your escape."


    "Yes boss."


    I left my food half-eaten, running out the cafeteria and into the hallways. The guy was two floors down. He was going to take the elevator. I ran through the corridor until I found the door to the staircase. I knew, from what I had heard, that the ''dungeon'' was located in the bas.e.m.e.nt floors of the PRT building for convenience''s sake. I ran down as quickly as I could, then, hopping over dozens of steps at a time. I grabbed onto the railing and threw myself down the other flight of stairs and repeated the process.


    I still hadn''t let go of my auditory leash on the mole. Absently, I tried to reach out to Armsmaster. His sound was the most distinctive of them all: metallic clangs, servos whirring and a gruff breathing pattern.


    He was several floors above, about four, talking to someone who sounded a lot like Piggot with her incessantly heavy breathing. My hearing locked back to the mole. I was fast going down the stairs, but the elevators were almost matching me floor for floor.


    Once I had finally reached the bas.e.m.e.nt floor with a door that would lead to the holding cells, I found that it was locked. I tried to push it open. No dice.


    I made like an action movie star and kicked it open. It dented appreciably. I did it four more times. Alarms rang. Didn''t matter. The mole was closing in.


    Once more and the door fell off its hinges. A nearby PRT officer pointed a rifle at me. "F.u.c.k!" I shrieked, stepping back. "Ah, not a g-please not a gun!" I held my knees, trying to prevent myself from hyperventilating.


    "On the ground, now!" he screamed. Meanwhile, the mole was still walking.


    "Oh my- gun!" No, not important¡­ just, just ignore the gun for now. "Listen," I said. "I found the mole with my super hearing. Contact Armsmaster quick!"


    Still pointing his rifle at me, he activated his comm device. "Codename: Rabbit-Ears says he picked up on the mole. Yeah, he''s at floor Bravo."


    "We don''t have enough time!" I shouted, rubbing my hands against my face, exasperated beyond belief that he chose now to devolve into military-speak.


    "Uh-huh¡­ got it." He turned his attention to me. "Armsmaster says not to let you through."


    Of course he did. "Someone''s life is at stake, here!"


    "Master/Stranger lockdown initiated." The loudspeakers blared.


    He nodded. "That takes care of that." He gestured his gun at the flight of stairs behind me. "Go back to where you came from. We''ll handle this."


    I tried locking in on the mole. The mole got stuck in a corridor between two descending metal plates of steel so thick, I basically lost my read on him.


    In fact, I basically lost my read on almost everything surrounding me. "I want to talk to Armsmaster," I said. "And please stop pointing a gun at me! It''s freaking me out!"


    Way to go, me.


    "Says he wants to talk to you." I tried listening in on his conversation.


    "Give him a radio." A moment later, the officer handed me a walkie-talkie. It crackled. Armsmaster''s voice then came through. "What is it?"


    "I know where the mole is," I said. "I heard him, and I know where he''s stuck."


    "...Stay put. I will be at your position shortly."


    I looked at the radio in utter disgust. I mean, who talked like that? He sounded like an actual android. The PRT officer, for his part, lowered his f.u.c.k.i.n.g rifle. Goddamn, that was a load off my back. Being in Worm was hard.


    Armsmaster was with me in minutes. "Where is he?"


    I pointed vaguely around the room. "Not far¡­ I think I echolocated him¡ª" was I using the word right? No matter. "¡ªbut when the lockdown happened, it¡­ everything went black."


    "Lead me to him," he said. I did. Every time we encountered a barricade, he would use his access pass to let us through. More and more of the facility opened up to my senses as he did, until finally, we reached the metal barricade that I was ninety-percent sure that our man was hiding behind.


    "Get behind me," he demanded. I did. He used the access pass and readied the halberd in his hands when¡­


    I was on the ground long before the bullets flew. Even as my face was to the ground, the noise was heavy enough to provide an accurate picture of the place. Armsmaster pointed his halberd at the bastard, tanking several bullets. Electrodes attached to wires shot out and struck him on his neck. He jerked and fell, still conscious, but in too much pain to do anything about it.


    I got up shortly after. "Job well done?" I said.


    Armsmaster ignored me.


    "...How''s Tattletale?" I asked.


    "Tattletale remains safe along with the rest of the Undersiders." He turned to me. "I''ll be keeping an eye on you."


    "Sure," I said. "So¡­ now what?"


    "I''ll have your quarters arranged. You need to rest after what happened to you today. We''ll have a talk tomorrow."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    FINALLY!


    Interlude 1


    She had been in here for hours, left completely alone to her thoughts. The room was bright, with walls of white concrete, and gunmetal gray, stained floor tiles. As expected, she was cuffed to the table.


    It felt like Winslow all over again, when the trio would include the administration in one of their little pranks, and she had to bear the brunt of Principal Blackwell''s wrath.


    This time? She knew she deserved it. The whole ''operation'' was misguided, stupid even. Armsmaster was right about everything. She was just a dumb little girl way in over her head, and she didn''t even realize that until she saw what the Undersiders did.


    They were f.u.c.k.i.n.g villains. What the hell did she expect, that it would all turn out well, and they weren''t actually that bad? Tattletale shot a man thrice just to make a point. Who the f.u.c.k did that?


    Someone opened the door. He wore a red suit with a visor helmet. "Cameras on," he said, all lackadaisical, before taking his seat in front of her. "So¡­ Skitter." Resentment creeped up on her, the unfairness that he got to wear a mask while she didn''t. The first thing they did while in the PRT van was to unmask her. After all, she was the villain.


    That''s¡­ that''s what they were calling her? Skitter? It was¡­ as good a name as any, since all the good ones, ones like Swarm, Ladybug and Cricket were taken, two by villains and one by a rogue in Houston, whose power had nothing to do with insects. "Aegis," she replied.


    Where was her lawyer, anyway? Could she request one? It... wouldn''t hurt to hear him out, though.


    "Hm," he hummed. "Sucks when you don''t pick your company well," he said. "This could have been avoided if you came to us first."


    She shrugged. "A.d.u.l.t oversight and teenage drama isn''t exactly my idea of a good time."


    "But robbing banks is," he said dryly. "I''m not judging. It''s not that hard to fall in with the wrong crowd, despite what people think. My old man used to be one of Marquis'' guys way back when. Can you believe it?"


    She didn''t respond. Something about him annoyed her. He oozed of popularity and confidence, but she had seen that before, seen it from people whose eyes glossed over her in the midst of unending torment.


    "Armsmaster tells me to be hard, Militia tells me to be soft," he shrugged. "The way I see it, I''ll just be honest. You have two options. You held up a bank, threatening the lives of forty-three people, ''death by black widow venom'' if my reports are correct. Let me reiterate: You held up a bank, threatening their lives, with a parahuman power," he raised a finger. "Now that looks terrible. Add to the fact that one of the hostages were shot repeatedly, you''re looking at trial as an a.d.u.l.t and prison time." Her gut constricted with each sentence. "The way I see it, being completely honest, you''ve got two choices. Prison time," he said, and she already decided to pick the next option he presented, whatever it was. "Probationary Wardship."


    "Yes," she said weakly. "I''ll¡­ I''ll be a Ward, but¡­ don''t tell my father what happened."


    He pursed his lips. "That''s¡­ impossible. He will have to be involved in some way or another," he dropped a folder on the table, one he had been holding all this time. "Write down your name and address, and your parents'' names and phone numbers. Once they arrive, we can begin your registration."


    "Do I need a lawyer for this?"


    "That''s up to you," he said.


    "T-Then I''d like one." She said. That bastard... he had lied to her.


    Hah, did that even matter? Her "team" had almost killed him.


    She had nobody to blame but herself.

 Chapter 38 - My SI Stash #38 - A Worthwhile Endeavor by Rodrick Minett (Sword Arto Online)

    -First time I read a SAO fanfic and it turns out to be a SI-OC~ Lucky o(*£þ¨Œ£þ*)¥Ö


    Sypnosis: A floating castle. Immersion very few people had ever experienced. As an avid gamer, who was I to resist? As I, Riwet, ventured into Aincrad, little did I know that it would be the start of an event that will change me, for better and for worse. OC Self-Insert. Some OOC. KiritoxAsuna, SI-OCxSilica.


    Rated: T


    Words: 305K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/11915805/1/A-Worthwhile-Endeavor (Rodrick Minett)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    November 6, 2022


    1st Floor


    Lush green grass covered the ground that I walked on, and trees dotted my surroundings. I climbed a short hill and let out a smile. On the horizon, I saw a sweeping flat landscape, filled with the same vibrant green grass. Verdant forests and large mountains resided in the distance, as well as a large rectangular tower that stretched so high up that it almost pierced the heavens. Bustling settlements of different sizes were distributed throughout the floor, but by the far the biggest one was the Town of Beginnings, the city that I just came out of. And last but not the least, a breathtaking cloudless afternoon sky completed the scene.


    This was the sight that greeted me as I first set out into the fields found inside the floating castle of Aincrad.


    And while I''ve got a soft spot for sci-fi settings, I couldn''t deny that this was gorgeous. I know that the added immersion created by the NerveGear helped, but kudos to the game designers.


    Sword Art Online¡­I get the feeling that this game''s gonna be awesome.


    I spotted movement on the corner of my vision. I turned to it and was greeted to my very first monster in the game ¨C a Dire Wolf. It was in a relaxed state, slowly walking around and smelling the ground in front of it. Damn. He looks big, even from where I''m standing.


    While it looked intimidating, I should start familiarizing myself with the combat. No doubt that I''m gonna face even more dangerous monsters as I play further into this came.


    I took a deep breath and nodded. I crouched and traversed down the hill. I drew out my weapons of choice ¨C a one-handed spear on my left hand. I also bought and equipped the very basic medium armor set that consisted of a metal b.r.e.a.s.tplate, and leather gauntlets and greaves.


    I stalked the wolf for a short distance. After a few minutes, it stopped and sniffed something on the ground.


    I was about to come closer when I heard something behind me. I hurriedly turned around and readied my weapons. Fortunately, it wasn''t another monster, but another player.


    "H-hey." He greeted nervously. He had a standard shortsword and shield combo. His armor was the basic heavy armor set that was thicker and covered more of his body at the cost of movement speed. He looked determined, but very anxious.


    "Hey." I replied.


    "Do you want team up with this one? I''m kinda new, so¡­"


    "Sure. This is also my first fight, so yeah, let''s do this." I turned and nodded to the monster." There''s no way we can sneak up on it for too close, so once it rears up or something, we rush it."


    "Sounds good."


    The two of us silently approached the wolf. When we were about 5 meters away, the wolf suddenly looked up and round.


    That was our cue.


    We rushed forward. He swung his sword while I stabbed at it. With a high-pitched whine, the Dire Wolf rolled to the side. But we couldn''t finish it off. It recovered and barked at us before it lunged toward me.


    Out of reflex, I closed my eyes and raised my spear in front of me to block the attack. I felt something slam on my spear and I almost fell back. I forced my eyes open and was greeted to the monster barreling its way towards me, its enormous claws bared into a forward lunge. "¡­!" I let out a sharp breath and just swung wildly with my spear. I knocked it away, and it stayed still long enough for my buddy to finish it off.


    "Haah¡­haah¡­we got it¡­we got it!" My buddy shouted before he slumped down and panted.


    I slowly picked myself up. "It was a bit too close for comfort there, but I''m glad I got out of it in one piece."


    "Yeah, you''re telling me. Good thing that it was alone."


    I was about to agree, but then I heard something on the side. I turned to the source, and my eyes widened. The grass near us was rustling, and it was not because of the wind. "Oh, no¡­" I muttered.


    "What¡­is it?" He asked.


    "¡­wolves¡­hunt in packs¡­"


    Sure enough, the rustling came closer and closer before two Dire Wolves jumped out of the grass. Their enormous claws were bared, and one of them glared at me so intensely that it sent chills down my spine.


    We''re screwed.


    "Oh, no. No no no." He turned towards me. "S-screw this! Let''s just run. Run away now." He said anxiously as he gripped his sword tighter.


    "W-we can''t outrun them. The moment we turn our backs is the moment they run like hell and tear us to bits."


    "W-what should we do, then?"


    Before I could respond, the wolves leaped at us claws-first. The bigger one went for me like a speeding car, while the smaller one targeted my buddy, moving even faster.


    Cue Music: Breath of Fire IV Soundtrack ¨C Bastard Sword


    "Holy shit!" My buddy jumped sideward to dodge, falling over.


    "Gh¡­!" Cursing under my breath as I dove to my left, I was barely able to dodge the brunt of the wolf''s attack, its claws slicing my right shoulder as it lunged past me and turned around, facing me. Three red gashes spread onto my shoulder. The wound was emitting eerie red particles.


    I felt a burning sensation in my wounded arm, but the pain inflicted is only simulated and severely muffled. I doubt any sane person would try this game if the pain sensation is fully emulated. Grimacing, I quickly checked how much HP I lost. Displayed on my HUD, my HP dropped by about a quarter. Wow, that is a lot of damage!


    I quickly got up and faced the wolf, which was strangely silent but tense, as if anticipating something. I darted forward for a stab, but it quickly jumped back and started barking again. Interesting. Am I seeing things, or is that a pattern?


    Years of playing video games told me that mobs, especially mobs found in the starting area, tend to be easy to beat, because they''re either pathetically weak, or have very exploitable weaknesses. Testing my hunch as the wolf lunged, I dodged to my side again, this time completely evading its attack completely. Again, it landed past me and quickly turned towards me, silent and alert.


    I rushed towards it, my spear poised. Come on. Take the bait. Reacting to my action, the wolf jumped back.


    That signaled my attack.


    I leaped again, closing the distance. I knew it. Bait its dodge and it won''t be able to move for a short while. It''s now or never!


    "Die!" With all the strength I can muster, I delivered a hefty stab. Yes! My attack connected! After a small but noticeable spark of red particles, the wolf was sent flying a short distance. Thankfully, there was no blood. While it was in mid-air, I noticed that all its HP was depleted. It exploded into bluish particles and disappeared.


    Victorious, I smiled and let out a shaky sigh of relief.


    "Look out!"


    My buddy''s scream snapped me back to reality. I turned to where he is. A wolf was bearing down on me as it ran full tilt. I froze up, unable to move.


    My buddy tackled the wolf to the ground. The wolf managed to knock him to his back, trying to bite his face off. My buddy was holding it back, blocking its fangs with his own sword. I saw his HP take a serious hit. "Aaah!"


    I quickly made my way towards him. With both hands on my spear, I prepared to strike at the wolf. In my rush, I failed to realize that the wolf disengaged from My buddy and tensed itself, ready to react to my charge.


    The wolf dodged to the side, evading my attack. It then tackled me on my side. I staggered backward, reeling but able to maintain my footing. My HP again dropped about a fifth. The wolf then bared its fangs and leaped for a bite. Shielding myself, I raised my right arm. It promptly lodged its fangs into my arm.


    I grit my teeth, a pained grunt escaping from my mouth as I dropped my spear in panic and used my other hand in trying to pry the damn thing''s jaw open. I can see from the corner of my eye that the rest of my HP was dropping at an alarming rate.


    Fortunately, My buddy quickly got up to his feet. He swung his sword and was able to slash at the wolf, hacking its HP to about a tenth. I felt its fangs loosen on my arm.


    "Raaaaagh!" Following My buddy''s attack, I let out a loud cry and, overwhelmed by adrenaline, raised my left arm and punched the wolf in the face, finishing it off.


    A message appeared with a small fanfare:


    *Ding!* Level up!


    *Ding!* Spear Proficiency Up! New Skill: Linear!


    Exasperated, I collapsed face first into the grassy field. My buddy planted his sword on the ground, leaning towards it with a relieved smile on his face. I glanced at my HUD. His HP was a bit more than half. Mine was slightly over thirty percent.


    Grinning uncontrollably, I exclaimed out. "YEAH! TAKE THAT! WE FREAKING DID IT!"


    End Music


    "¡­that was¡­really intense..." My buddy panted.


    I grunted and turned so that was lying on my back. "Yeah¡­whew. I know that we don''t¡­really ''die'' if our HP reaches zero, but man¡­" replied as I tried to catch my breath.


    "I think¡­that''s enough excitement for me today¡­I''m gonna head back to the starting city." He approached me and held an arm out.


    I looked at him and shook my head. "I wanna rest and reflect for a minute before I wander for a bit more."


    He held his hand back. "Sure¡­well, I guess I''ll see you around." He turned around and started to walk away.


    I just realized something. I sat up and turned to him. "Hey!" I called out.


    He turned around. "Yes?"


    "I never really caught your name."


    "Oh, that''s right." He agreed. "I also forgot to ask your name as well."


    "Right¡­" I let out a smile. "My name''s Riwet. Nice to meet you."


    "Nice to meet you, Riwet." He said before he bowed. "My name is Sefton."


    "So¡­I guess I''ll see you around?"


    "Yup. I''ll leave you to it."


    "Alright. See ya."


    With that, Sefton walked away, and I laid back down on the grassy ground. I thought about everything that happened, from looking at the Aincrad''s gorgeous scenery to fighting the monsters that call this place home¡­


    This is just the best.


    Man, this game''s pretty awesome! And I can''t get enough of it!


    Loading¡­Complete


    After about half an hour of wandering the fields outside, I walked back to the Town of Beginnings and wandered around the city for a bit.


    Dire Wolf - An imposing monster that hits hard, but has a predictable attack pattern and very low HP. They''re also too sensitive to sudden movements, and so they''re vulnerable to feints. It must be designed that way to teach people who rush recklessly and scare the shit out of new players. Right, better make a memo of that.


    I headed for a weapons shop near the inn I was renting. After selling the loot I earned from killing those two wolves, I bought a Wooden Shield and an Iron Spear, which is about the same size as my starting spear.


    As I found out, the reason why my spear was a bit short was that there were two sizes of polearms. The one I got is classified as a Short Polearm ¨C ranging from 120 cm to 150cm. Anything longer than that fits the standard Polearm classification ¨C large and in charge and designed strictly for two-handed use. I''m sticking with short polearms for now. I like how it felt and I''m able to comfortably use it one-handed, leaving my right hand free to equip a shield or something.


    I strolled back to the inn, went up to the roof of the building, and stood near the edge, and once again, enjoyed the view, now safe against danger.


    "Fuu¡­goodbye, my social life. Well¡­didn''t have much, anyway." I muttered to myself, grinning.


    With the success of virtual reality devices, a Japanese video game company called Argus took things to the next level. I don''t exactly know what kind of magic they did, but they created the NerveGear, a device that literally drew people away from the waking world, and into the land of virtual reality. The lead designer of the NerveGear, Kayaba Akihiko, also spearheaded the development of a game to come with it.


    Sword Art Online. The very first Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game, set in the floating castle of Aincrad and filled with powerful monsters and equally powerful loot. Taking advantage of the unparalleled immersion provided by the NerveGear''s FullDive system, it offered the most immersive experience yet. Everything was ridiculously detailed, from the individually swaying blades of grass to the small threads of my clothes.


    Honestly, the FullDive technology was one of the most important things I considered when I was contemplating on buying a NerveGear at launch. Pretty much anything hyped up to a ridiculous degree had a very high risk of under-delivering. I was also contented in playing conventional video games. After experiencing it first-hand, though, I have no regrets.


    I''m pretty thankful that I enjoy playing video games so much. 5 years ago, the nine-year-old me thought that I''d be overwhelmed when I moved from my hometown in Canada to here in Japan. Fortunately, I was able to quickly adapt to the culture, the people I have met accepted me, and I was able to transfer my Steam account. Hey, I spent a lot of money on my games, and games kept me company when I was still new and didn''t know anybody. And then this game happened, and it was like a dream come true.


    When I was done musing and feeling sentimental, I remembered that I have something to do IRL. The sun was setting, and the sky was tinted orange. It''s probably linked to Japan''s time zone, so I guess it was time to go.


    "Haahh¡­it was fun while it lasted. Homework''s not gonna finish itself¡­" I sighed and opened my Player Menu and looked for the Log Out button.


    "After I''m done with homework, I''ll probably have some late-night gaming sessions¡­ pretty sure there''s gonna be some negative effects on my body if I play too much¡­meh, whatever¡­"


    "¡­huh?"


    My fingers stopped.


    The Log Out button''s grayed out. No matter how hard I tried to press it, it won''t respond. That''s weird. I should probably ask someone about this.


    Suddenly, a blue light engulfed me.


    Next thing I knew, I was at the center of the city, along with a lot of players. I asked around, and nobody knew what was going on.


    And then, he appeared. Kayaba Akihiko. In his giant GM avatar and clothed in a flowing garb and a hood that concealed his face.


    He spoke about how we can''t log out unless we beat all one hundred floors. How if we die in the game the NerveGear''s gonna f.u.c.k our brains up. And to make it even more perverse, he made our avatars look like us in real life. He''s really hammering down the fact that this was now our reality.


    As he disappeared, I stood there, stunned, understanding but denying every word he said. My mind was reeling. My hands and knees were shaking. My head hung low and it took everything out of me to not fall on my knees and break down into tears. I noticed a lot of players around me doing just that.


    I saw Sefton amongst the crowd. He was on his knees, and his arms were limp on his sides. His face was frozen, and his mouth agape. His eyes were opened wide, blankly staring at the sunset sky where he was before he disappeared. I tried to call out for him, but my voice came out as a rasped, inaudible whisper.


    This was just too much. Something that existed as a means of entertainment was twisted into something that was too cruel to even exist. We were trapped in here, without any choice but to conform to his rules.


    Not able to take it anymore, I absently went back to my room in the inn. I laid on my bed, looking at the ceiling. I noticed that my vision was blurry, and my eyes felt hot and watery.


    I wept in the silence of my room, defeated and in denial. I couldn''t believe what happened.


    ¡­I think I''ve had enough of this f.u.c.k.i.n.g game.


    Chapter End


    A/N: Hello! Welcome to my very first fanfic, "A Worthwhile Endeavor". AWE for short. The acronym is a happy coincidence.


    First and foremost, I want to thank Gabriel Blessing. His fanfic "The Hill of Swords" was the very first fanfiction I read to completion. I was so engrossed in reading it that I finished it in less than a week, despite me having a busy school life. I also want to thank every single person who has made a fic. Your amazing fanfictions are the ones that inspired me to make my own content.


    Now, onto the notes. This story is probably classified as a "self-insert fic". While I''ll mostly base his personality and morality to my own, I''ll give him some, if not all of my disgusting weaknesses, and I''ll also do my best to develop him into a worthwhile character. I am pretty one dimensional after all *lol*.


    I get my information primarily from the SAO wiki. I find it weird that all skills are labeled as Sword Skills even if it''s a skill for daggers, axes, etc. So, for the purpose of this story, I''m renaming Sword Skills to Weapon Skills. In addition, I feel that some Skills are ubiquitous enough to be used by multiple types of weapons.


    While it might not make sense to the setting, I will make shout-outs and references to video games released in the 2000s and early 2010s. I just can''t help myself. Also, I think that comparing the things Riwet sees on SAO to things that already exist will make my job at writing descriptions easier.


    Riwet will have a little adventure of his own, but he''ll meet a lot, if not most of the cast, and then some. I also plan on making him present on many of the canon stuff, possibly even changing the outcome.


    However, I will not, in any way, shape, or form, make him an overpowered Marty Stu. While I see Riwet as my reflection who''s gonna have a noticeable influence on the world of SAO, it''s not my intention to make him the op hax, harem master, most important character in all of AWE. If I feel that he''s stuck that way and I can''t do anything to salvage him, I will kill him and move on with the story.


    Speaking of the story, aside from giving Riwet his own adventures, I''m planning on following the canon as much as I can, except for the times I won''t. As I said, some events might play a little bit different.


    I''ll try to post updates within 35-40 days of the last update, but I might take longer, so no promises.


    That''s all for now. Thank you very much, and have a good one.

 Chapter 39 - My SI Stash #39 - Heir to the King by Corvus no Genmu (My Hero Academia)

    -DID YOU GUYS SEE EPISODE 13 OF MHA??? LES GOOOOOOO!! Deku 100% Transformation IS INSANELY EPIC!!!


    *This fic also has got an OP MC (/¨R¨Œ¨Q)/


    *Oh and we''re 200K views, 200 powerstones and 500 collections in! It means 500 weebs have added this into their libraries/reading list EPIC o(*£þ¨Œ£þ*)o


    Sypnosis: Armed with memories of a world once perceived as little more than fiction and a Quirk unlike anything this fantastical world has ever seen before... There can be no other course than to bring an end to the greater evils to come before they have the chance to rise.


    But when the road ahead of him is not the familiar path he knows, Itsuki Marumaru will soon realize that while the Golden Age of Heroes is coming to an end¡­ a new era is on the rise¡­


    Rated: T


    Words: 44K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/heir-to-the-king-mha-pseudo-si-au.781141/threadmarks (Corvus no Genmu)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    I can''t escape this hell¡­


    So many times I''ve tried but I''m still caged inside¡­


    Somebody get me through this nightmare¡­


    I can''t control myself¡­?


    What is the difference between Destiny and Fate? Some would say that there is hardly any difference at all, that the connotations of the words themselves is what defines any boundaries between them. That "fate" is a word synonymous with "fight" and thus is a constant struggle to avoid at any cost. In contrast to its twin, "destiny" is accepted as something that should not be only be accepted but welcomed with open arms. Many are those who believe that the two cannot be broken or avoided for long, unaware that the supposed solidity is in fact quite fragile. Likely finely crafted glass, all that it takes is the softest touch to shatter fate and destiny alike.


    Or in more simplistic terms, all it takes is a choice.


    Go left instead of right. Wears shoes instead of sandals. Every action has a consequence big or small and as the saying goes, all it takes is a butterfly flapping its wings to give rise to a hurricane on the opposite side of the world.


    In this particular circ.u.mstance, it was a Quirk.


    A Quirk that in another time and another place would never have been used let alone recognized for what it was. In every possibility that existed throughout the multiverse, there was little to no change of the inevitable outcome for this Quirk and its user. First and foremost, the user would die, the cost of their power too high for they possessed neither the strength nor the experience to comprehend the scale of their meta-ability. As to what the Quirk itself could do, well, in most circ.u.mstances it did absolutely nothing as those whom were struck by its effects were freshly bought canvases before its great and terrible power. Blank and empty, thus unrealized.


    Each and every time in countless iterations of this branch of Infinity, this event occurred over and over and over again, the sheer number immeasurable by the human scale.


    Save for one.


    Because no matter how impossible, how utterly improbable, there is always a chance and thus forever a choice. Left when they would have gone right, traveling down a path so much the same and yet so remarkably different than what might have been. To end up at the wrong place at exactly the right time and there you have it.


    A butterfly''s wings had flapped¡­


    And a hurricane of change was born.


    Izuku Midoriya was four years old when he learned that not all men are created equal. That no matter the strength of one''s convictions, the strength of their Quirk was what made them a true force to be reckoned with. Weeks after he had been told point blank that he did not nor would he ever have a Quirk, he turned to his mother, tears in his eyes, asking if he could still be a hero regardless, the only answer he received was a sorrowful apology and not the answer he wanted to hear¡­


    It was on the very day he turned five when someone finally started to tell him something else. Not directly in words or in action but in something more simplistic and frankly rather befuddling to the young boy.


    Contrary to his hopes, neither Kacchan nor his own father made an appearance at his birthday this year though the latter at least sent a humble birthday card and a gift from the States. Another figure of All Might, much like the one that Izuku carried with him everywhere but different in that it spoke the fascinating language of English, was dressed in his very first costume, and he was getting sidetracked again!


    Izuku shook his head firmly and looked once more to the package sitting next to his father''s opened one. There was no return address and while it correctly had his home address, or so his mom assured him despite his concerns that it was meant for someone else, the name scrawled besides his own was "The Ninth."


    The ninth what, the young boy had no idea and had even less when he opened the package up to see what it contained.


    A small wooden plaque upon which was carved: It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, but because we do not dare that things are difficult. In the bottom corner was a small baby bunny peaking out from tall reeds of grass. Beneath it and carefully wrapped in soft paper was an All Might pen set and a rather humble looking notebook. The title on the notebook''s cover was blank save for a tiny little sticker at the bottom corner, one that depicted a chibi rendition of All Might with a hand held up in victory and a speech bubble exclaiming "You can do it!"


    Young Izuku appreciated the gifts, particularly the pens that he made sure to clean before and after every use for years to come, but he couldn''t figure out who had given them to him or why. As the years passed by, the gifts kept coming without fail on his birthday and Izuku started noticing a trend of sorts between them.


    There was always something that was clearly handmade and bore some manner of moral or words of encouragement upon them or in little typed notes packaged with them. Most of them were carefully carved plaques of wood bearing caricatures of rabbits or extra fluffy lambs. He especially liked the quilt that had been done in All Might''s thematic colors and all but wore it as a cape during the following winter.


    Aside from the handmade gifts, there was always something store bought and easily found on a shelf at some store though it wouldn''t be until his first year in middle school that Izuku found one. He had made such a scene that his mother had almost scolded him for it until he shakily pointed out the very camera he had received for his last birthday and the price tag with its many, many numbers.


    Needless to say, his mother''s reaction put his own to shame though for an entirely different reason.


    Yet, for how (scary!) expensive a lot of those gifts were, they too followed a certain pattern. One that only helped Izuku in his steadily growing hobby of cataloging each and every Hero and Quirk he could lay his eyes upon. From high definition photographs to equally high quality video capture, Izuku swiftly found himself filling whole scrapbooks of information down.


    It never truly hit Izuku until he at last heard the words spoken aloud to him by his own personal hero All Might. Hit him as solidly as a Detroit Smash directly to the face that the very hero who was his inspiration for all of his young life was not the first to believe in him but the second.


    That summer, when his fifteenth birthday came on a day of blood, sweat, and far more tears than a human body ought to contain, Izuku found an anonymous package awaiting him once more and again found himself at a loss of what they could mean.


    The first was a figurine, tiny and small, of a young squire boy freshly dressed for a long journey ahead and armed with a simple, if not positively gleaming golden sword held aloft in its grasp. The figure''s head was turned to look back over his shoulders with its eyes alight with determination but sporting a shining smile on his face. The fact that the little squire boy was a picture perfect copy of Izuku himself did not escape him.


    The second gift was a pair of thick gloves; the kind he was certain only Pro-Heroes could afford. The gloves bore a pair of words stitched onto the back "Plus" on the left and "ULTRA!" on the right. Izuku tried them on and wasn''t surprised to find them a perfect fit when his eyes spotted a small note in the bottom of the box.


    See you soon, Number Nine.


    The sun was hours away still from rising on the distant horizon when they had arrived at the former trash heap now almost completely restored into a prestigious beach with crystal clear waves lapping at the gorgeous white sands of the shore. The source of the beach''s rejuvenation was still hard at work, mere hours away from ridding the beach of its last scrap of garbage and a lone spectator stood far and out of sight of the diligently working boy, each regarding him in silent contemplation.


    Though the boy was only a few months older than the one currently cleaning the former trash heap of a beach, the difference between them was almost as great as the day from the night. For one, this boy was tall, easily pushing seven-and-a-half feet in all and while he was slim in musculature there was a bit of gauntness to him as well, as though he were half-starved. His hair, a resplendent gold even in the wee hours of the morning, was brushed back along his head and fell down in spiky waves to the nape of his neck.


    He was dressed in well-worn clothing, a pair of jeans with patchwork knees, a red t-shirt that was at best a decade or three old, and a jacket that went out of style back in the late twentieth century never-mind previous resurgences in this one. His shoes were a pair of mismatched customized Nikes made special for one whose feet did not fit the human standard. A pair of long, serpentine tails each slightly longer than he is tall, swayed in the air behind him, their clubbed tips glistening sharply with the barely sheathed spikes that adorned them.


    He was not entirely Japanese despite what his name might imply but in a world where even the most benign of physical mutations resulted in hair colors ranging from the plain to the absurd, such details were of a minor inconvenience at best. Even in the darkened hours of a predawn sun, his distorted eyes of yellow pupils against crimson sclera seemed to almost shine as he stared down at the slightly younger boy working so diligently on the once trash-ridden beach.


    His name is Itsuki Marumaru and he is impressed.


    ¡­ Is he actually trying to pull that car to the top of the pile? Is he that focused on moving it off the beach that he hasn''t noticed what he''s trying to¡ªAh, I suppose succeeding is a more accurate statement¡­ He squinted, eyes gaining a faint golden sheen. He chuckled, closing his eyes and shaking his head, smiling and revealing a larger than normal amount of sharpened canines. So that''s what it is¡­ A bit of A and a whole lot of B¡­ BS more like¡­


    He turned away from the beach and started making his way to the parking lot and down the sidewalk just as an ancient pickup truck came turning down the furthest corner. He paused, eyes flashing red for a moment but in the end, kept walking forward.


    Not yet. It''s too early yet.


    Chapter 1


    If you take a life do you know what you''ll give? Odds are, you won''t like what it is¡­


    When the storm arrives, would you be seen with me?


    By the merciless eyes I''ve deceived??


    Itsuki Marumaru looked up at Yuuei, his face an expressionless mask as he took in the massive high school that could, and frankly did, put most college campuses to shame in sheer size alone. He was alone save for the other early morning arrivals slowly making their way to the testing auditorium inside the building proper. They ignored his lingering presence with ease born of centuries long practice to ignore that what didn''t fit into the common standard.


    His physical appearance aside, Itsuki did not paint a pleasant picture that could, optimistically, be called "down on his luck" by the more kindhearted. They at least presumed he was overwhelmed at the sight of a school where many heroes had once stood before, including the likes of the Symbol of Peace himself.


    Those of more pricklier spirits and mindsets, well they thought him overwhelmed at the sheer impossibility standing before him. Itsuki clearly could only just afford this long glance at the building so why not milk it for all that it was worth?


    In truth, such thoughts of heroes past or monetary issues at present never once crossed Itsuki''s mind as he stood before Yuuei. No, what kept him trapped in a rapturous gaze was his mind trying to separate the reality of the school building from the memories of ill.u.s.trations and background scenery of an anime Itsuki himself had never seen.


    Even now, after so many years¡­ When That One''s memories had nearly driven Itsuki to madness¡­ it was so surreal¡­ To see things and know them with absolute certainty to be both well and truly real as well as a complete and utter work of fiction. Fantastically well conceived and beloved fiction but fiction all the same. Fiction that Itsuki also knew was actual fact and truthful history no matter what details or snippets were left to interpretation or imagination.


    Itsuki shook his head, stopping that train of thought before it could gather steam. Without further thought of consequences and what-could-have-been, he made his way inside.


    Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Itsuki sat amongst a veritable mob of hopeful applicants, all having finished the written portion of the exam some time ago. In that regard, Itsuki was certain a portion of his overall grade would suffer not because he felt he had answered incorrectly but rather that he had answered too much.


    In his defense, he had not expected the last portion of the written exam to be an essay question that touched upon morality. Specifically one that presented a scenario of a villain committing a crime and how he, a hero on scene, would respond to the situation. Itsuki had barely finished writing the last sentence in time and even now, an hour and a light meal later, his hand was still aching from how fervently he had written his answer. He had dedicated every spare micrometer he could in giving reason behind his choice of action and inaction, with more than a few sentences dedicated to the lack of reasonability and coherency of modern laws and Quirks.


    Frankly, the question was too open-ended, too lacking in any fine detail beyond the current situation and how to resolve it, caring little for the motivation of the villain just that they were such and needed to be stopped. Itsuki waited impatiently as Present Mic laid out the rules and regulations of the practical portion of the entrance exams.


    Even sitting in the furthest corner of the vast auditorium, the man''s voice carried like a shrill screech in Itsuki''s ears. His claws were starting to make some fairly deep gouges into the wooden armrest of his chair with every new word out of the blonde-haired Hero''s mouth. Those sitting near him choose not to comment though they did make a point to slide further away, especially when the bladed tips of his tails started to unsheathe with a small, metallic hiss.


    Eventually, though what felt more like an eternity, they were dismissed to their respected battle centers and Itsuki found an empty space in front of the doors leading into Battle Center G and began a small routine of stretches. He ignored the looks aimed towards him, the stares and the glares alike.


    Like the other participants, Itsuki had forgone his daytime attire in place of a pair of sweatpants and bare feet alongside an equally bare chest. Many of the nearby hopefuls were eying him, whispering among themselves at the possibility of his Quirk and how someone so clearly starved and down-on-his-luck could dare to present themselves before a school so prestigious as U.A. High and think themselves acceptable.


    Itsuki didn''t pay them any mind, even those whom he recognized from That One''s memories. Instead, he kept his attention on the doors thus was unsurprised to see them opening with nary a sound.


    The destructive explosion of concrete beneath his feet heralded his entrance into the battleground and sent his observers stumbling in surprise. In a single leap, he managed to cover a whole block and landed feet first against an unprepared one-pointer, crushing it beneath his enlarged girth. Now fourteen feet tall with a toughened hide of thick reptilian scales of golden splendor that easily tanked the rubber bullets of the three-pointer in front of him.


    His head had now become an amalgamation of human and dragon, face pressed outwards in a gaping snarl of fangs and five pairs of curved horns erupting at the back of his now hairless skull. His neck had elongated slightly, just above a swan''s in length while his arms were now long and thin, bony fingers nearly touching the cemented ground beneath his feet. Itsuki''s twin tails had grown in length as well but were otherwise unchanged save the bony spikes at their tips possessing a distinctly metallic sheen.


    His throat glowed before with golden light before Itsuki''s mouth opened wide and loosed a thunderbolt that sent the three-pointer flying into its fellow machines with an explosive crash of shrapnel. His reptilian lips drew back further, fully exposing his fangs in a primal display. Beneath his golden scales, Itsuki''s blood was pumping hot and hard in his veins, a flicker of electricity coursing through them like ravenous serpents as the sparkling machine trembled and died beneath his claws.


    That''s fourteen points. Not enough. Don''t stop. Keep moving.


    Three days after the exam and well into the afternoon of the fourth and the U.A. faculty were still going the many applicants to the hero course. A surprisingly large number had passed the written portion of the exams and with more than a few heated¡­ discussions¡­ having broken out over some applicants over their performance in the practical¡­ Well was it any wonder that they had only just now gotten to those in Battleground G?


    "So what did you think of that examinee, Shota-kun?"


    It was nearing the end of what felt like an extremely long day to a majority of the teachers save for one whom felt it was the end of a week of nothing but pain, torment, and a hell of a lot of misery. Only when he took another long sip of his coffee did Shota Aizawa find the strength to answer. Given that his choice of drink for this day was, in his own opinion, black as his embittered soul, it was this rare but oh so precious drink that made this yearly affair even remotely bearable for the underground hero.


    Still in a lot of pain and definitely some torment. Misery?


    "Meh."


    Having heard this answer for every question that he had asked the Underground Hero, Shota''s self-proclaimed bosom buddy Hizashi Yamada felt his ever present smile twitch in the opposite direction and Nemuri Kayama, recognizing an imminent sign of the End Times, hastily brought up the next set of recordings.


    "Examinee No.: 1964, Itsuki Marumaru." Nemuri brought up the boy''s middle school picture on the center screen whilst the rest brought up paused videos taken from the multitude of cameras littered throughout the false cityscape. "Quirk¡­" She blinked and pressed her small, red reading glasses further up her nose to make sure her eyes weren''t deceiving her. "Yes."


    "¡­ Wait, what?" asked No. 13 with a small laugh while Shota groaned and took another long drink of his coffee, dark and empty as his heart.


    Snipe guffawed. "Ya''ll are kiddin'', right? He actually wrote that?"


    Sekijiro Kan rolled his eyes. "At least it''s a better answer than what that one candidate wrote under s.e.x."


    "[Yes please!]" giggled Hizashi under his breath in English, which pretty much meant that everyone in the room heard him clear as day and just as easily ignored him for it. Shota contemplated ways of murdering him via vicious application of his coffee mug up the blonde''s nose only to think better of it. The underground hero would have nothing from which to drink his pitch-black coffee if he did that and silence ¡ªsweet blessed silence¡ª was not worth the sacrifice of this most abysmally darkened cup of java.


    "Marumaru¡­" Toshinori Yagi tapped his bony chin in thought. "Wouldn''t that mean he''s¡­?"


    "Indeed he is but such a thing hasn''t stopped him so far." Nezu answered, sitting back in his plush chair, little paws clasping together in front of his snout as he watched the recordings play out. Barely a few minutes in and already he was starting to put the pieces together and though his jovial fa?ade never faltered, there was a predatory steeliness in his gaze. Interesting¡­ "Thoughts Aizawa-san?"


    Shota repressed the urge to default to his standard answer for the last several candidates and easily ignored Hizashi unabashedly learning forward excitedly with an extremely wide grin on his smug face. "He''s ambitious but ambition doesn''t make a hero, only reckless idiots. They see the end goal and how to achieve it as quickly as possible without any thought or concern for the consequences."


    "Ambitious? Hell, hard to argue that. He''s gone and gotten da most villain points out o'' the ''ole lot with plenty o'' time still left to spare," said Snipe, tallying the number of robots Itsuki was destroying on the screens.


    "Aye, and stealing a lot of them from his fellow applicants to boot." Sekijiro noted with a small frown as the video displayed Itsuki charging in and crashing horned head first into a small horde of robots before any of the other applicants could so much as blink in stunned surprise.


    "I was wondering why Battleground G had so much more wreckage compared to the other areas¡­" muttered Higari Maijima, metal-tipped fingers tapping agitatedly on the armrest of his chair. "At least the first years in the Support course will have plenty of scrap to work with this year¡­"


    "True, true," agreed Nezu. "Young Marumaru is certainly ambitious as any examinee would be but not to the degree you think, Shota-kun, Sekijiro-kun. Look. Pay attention not to what he''s doing but why he''s doing it."


    The faculty exchanged confused looks but paid closer attention than they had been, trying to see what it was that their pint-sized principal had spotted before when they were watching the examinees live.


    "He''s targeting the larger threats." Ryo Inui murmured, leaning forward in his chair, clawed hand reaching up to cup the muzzle strapped to his snout. "He''s not going after the three-pointers for the points, it''s because he sees them as a more active threat compared to the one and two pointers."


    "Given that he''s destroyed a bunch of one-pointers simply from stepping on them that''s kind of an understatement I think," said Hizashi with a smile.


    "Yes, yes, but look at that, right there." No. 13 pointed at the monitor that displayed Itsuki standing between a three-pointer and a horde of students caught by surprise at its sudden emergence from a nearby building, arms spread wide as he advanced on the machine. "He''s making himself the bigger target, drawing the shots aimed at those unprepared or unable to defend themselves."


    "Heh, no shortage of rescue points either then, yeah?" Snipe chuckled.


    Nezu nodded and looked at the timestamp at the upper corners of the recordings. "Indeed but that''s not all. Look¡­ There! Do you see what I see?"


    They looked and saw Marumaru suddenly straighten, neck twisting to look one direction before his head twitched towards the left then the right before he suddenly turned around. He stood facing the end of the street where the massive zero-pointer was only just starting to arise from its hidden compartment with fangs bared and claws at the ready.


    "Wait, replay that." Ectoplasm leaned forward as Nemuri did so. His eyes narrowed. "Well, well, well¡­ He''s looking in the direction of the other battlegrounds isn''t he? He''s somehow sensing the zero-pointers emerging before the one in his area shows up."


    Snipe whistled. "Boy howdy¡­ He''s got a bit o'' precognition in him don''t he?"


    "It''s hardly surprising. Most transformation Quirks result in a wider range of senses than the human norm," said Ken Ishiyama, frowning thoughtfully and tapping a squared finger to his nonexistent chin. "Especially those of that variety¡­"


    "Indeed, indeed, quite the variety indeed," said Nezu with a smile. "I think that Marumaru-kun will continue to surprise us!"


    "Gods damn it!"


    Even forewarned by That One''s knowledge, Itsuki was still an extreme bundle of tightly strung nerves long before actually receiving the letter from Yuuei. Having All Might suddenly appear in his home via holographic projection, twice as bright and loud as he was in person no less, did not help him any. As it was, he''d need to go dumpster diving for another chair again and scrounge about for some more wood for the ceiling.


    Again.


    Quickly dusting off his head as he shrunk down to his more humanoid form, Itsuki Marumaru picked himself off the floor of his humble abode and tried to not stare too hard at the image of a beaming All Might dressed in a rather gaudy yellow suit. Really, the man could, and hopefully would if That One''s Recollections were any indication, dress in far better attire than that in the future. The Symbol of Peace spoke of Itsuki''s performance in the exam, the unorthodox answer that he gave in the essay portion of the written exam that sparked a fierce debate amongst the faculty, and for the practical¡ª


    "You scored amongst the highest in villain points in the practical portion of the entrance exam, Young Marumaru! Not that you were lacking in another, far more important, aspect of being a hero though!"


    The clip that showcased the highlights of his performance consisted mostly of how he had done in the early on in the exam. How Itsuki had quickly overtaken the pack of examinees and the devastation of his methodology when eliminating his enemies. Seeing it from the outside elicited a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu though it was not Itsuki himself that knew why. It''s just like¡­


    Then came the zero-pointer.


    Itsuki leaned forward, clawed fingers clenching tightly upon his knees. He watched as his past self took a hesitant step back against an overwhelming force, the fear and trepidation clear even on a draconian visage and then¡­ Then his past-self''s eyes flashed gold for the tiniest moment, too fast to be spotted even when he was actively looking for it, and his past-self''s eyes moved down towards the zero-pointer''s massive treads.


    The video changed perspective, showing the cloud of dust flowing outwards from the encroaching zero-pointer like a veritable tsunami and there, formerly lying invisibly and unnoticed by all but the sharpest of senses, an unconscious girl lay, a vague shape lost in the growing fog of debris. A moment passed, the tread getting dangerously close only for it and the rest of the zero-pointer''s massive body to suddenly be brought to a grounding halt.


    Another angle, one aimed downwards from atop a nearby skyscr.a.p.er showed the cause. Itsuki stood before the zero-pointer, claws digging deeply into its armored body as his feet dug a slow trench in the asphalt beneath him. His body was growing, already twenty feet tall and changing more and more. His neck became more serpentine and a growth of spikes erupted around his clavicles, eerily reminiscent to the same horns that adorned his head. His arms grew to ridiculous lengths, stretching thinner and yet somehow became stronger as thin membrane sprung unseen between his imbedded and now elongated fingers.


    Itsuki flinched, rubbing his left arm as the phantom pains of holding back the transformation in his arms whilst the rest of him was changed had hurt far more than he had realized. A few more months, he reassured himself, and then there''ll be no holding back. Then we can make our power known.


    His pants were tearing apart along the legs but managed to not tear asunder completely. Lightning danced along his tightly gritting fangs and the muscles of his arms were bulging from the strain of holding back both the massive machine and completing the transformation. His past self was slowing the massive machine down but he alone wasn''t enough to stop its advance.


    "A true hero is an inspiration for others to follow in their example and you certainly were that Young Higuchi! Your actions earned you and your comrades a lot of rescue points!"


    Thick, thorny vines ensnared the dreadful treads from the ground while long strips of tape flew through the air from on high, binding the massive limbs tightly to a massive torso. A girl with a frog''s tongue ensnared the unconscious examinee and whisked her away. Only when his fellow examinees were out of the way did Itsuki finally act.


    With a ferocious roar, Itsuki''s head lunged forward, jaws clamping tightly over steel as lightning erupted upwards from his throat and into the gargantuan machine with explosive force, toppling the robot back just enough for gravity to pick up the slack. The zero-pointer fell with a massive, earth trembling crash.


    Almost mirroring his draconic reflection on the video, Itsuki had a pleased and slightly vindictive sneer on his face at the sight.


    The screen cut back to a beaming All Might, hand held up in a congratulatory thumbs-up. "However, don''t consider this the crowning moment of your career, Young Marumaru! This is merely the prologue, the first step, of your story, your journey! This is the start of your hero academia!"


    Itsuki loosed a breath he didn''t know he was holding.


    He had done it.


    He was in the hero course and ¡ªaccording to the paperwork he had received¡ª he was now a part of Class 1-A and¡ª


    "Oh¡­" Oh shit.


    He was in Class 1-A.


    Surrounded on all sides by people that That One knew and by default so too did Itsuki. People whom he had only seen in passing at the exam, had never spoken more than a few words to at best, and yet knew them explicitly in ways that no stranger should ever know. Classmates and peers that he''d have to pretend and acknowledge as little more than strangers and novices than the pros he knew that they would become.


    "Gods damn it." He fell back onto his sleeping bag and looking up at the cobweb-ridden rafters of his current home. It was another unfamiliar ceiling finely aged with dust and the tangled skeins of spiders, just one of the many forgotten warehouses left to rot in the Arkanis district. Far from the first warehouse that Itsuki had come to call home, this latest one at least was far enough away from the seedier parts of the city to warrant any wannabe villains scoping it for a potential hideout or a well-meaning but far too overbearing hero trying to do what they thought was the right thing.


    Just another day for a guy who had spent the better part of ten years trying to make sense of the life he inexplicably found himself living. The future was already tremulous and if certain events were to play out exactly as they had from what That One had seen¡­ This is the only chance, the only way to change things.


    Too many lives were at stake. They''ll forgive this. They have to.


    They''ll forgive him. They must.

 Chapter 40 - My SI Stash #40 - Welcomed Second Chance by Darashiko (Naruto)

    -Some angst & some fun from our SI Naruto~ ¨A( ¡ã ¨Œ,¡ã )


    Sypnosis: When I closed my eyes for eternity, I didn''t think ''eternity'' would be cut so short. So when I find myself in the body of an 8-years-old Naruto Uzumaki, I decided to delay the next ''eternity'' as long as possible. After all, I have to break my record of living for only 19 years.


    Rated: T


    Words: 77K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13039145/1/Welcomed-Second-Chance (Darashiko)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    It was just another day for Hiruzen Sarutobi. Wake up, get dressed, have breakfast, get to his office and face the continuous barrage of paperwork that keeps coming all day long. And it gets boring really quick. That''s why now a day he has to keep his trusty pipe always in his robes. There are moments, when he wonders if overpricing paper would save him from this eternal trouble.


    Right now he was putting tobacco in his pipe to enjoy his daily dose of cancer while he watches the sunset from his office window. The view wasn''t anything compared to the view from Hokage Mountain, but he doesn''t have the luxury to go to that place with a pile of papers on his desk.


    Just before he could light his pipe, there was a knock on his office door.


    "Lord Hokage, its Mr. Inoichi." His secretary''s voice came from the other side of the door.


    "Let him in."


    A tall man with long ash blonde hair and green eyes entered the room a moment later.


    "Inoichi," the aged leader greeted his subordinate. "Since you came here, I take it you successfully watched Fu''s memory?"


    Ah yes. Fu Yamanaka, an agent in his old rival Danzo''s Root. He was found in comatose Naruto''s hospital room. The boy has gone in comatose state after he unlocked his chakra. According to medics, his condition was known as Yin-Yang Imbalance. The boy''s Yin chakra has increased almost 4 times than his Yang chakra. This sudden increase has put the almost 8 years old boy in coma. He spent last 2 months in a hospital bed. A week ago a nurse found a masked shinobi in his room, both of his hands on either side Naruto''s forehead, unconscious and drained of chakra. The shinobi was put in T&I prison cell immediately, but the interrogation had to wait due to his almost null chakra reserve. After investigation, the masked shinobi was identified as Fu Yamanaka, a boy who was recruited by Danzo 4 years ago. And that worried Hiruzen immensely. As a Yamanaka, Fu ought to know many things about human psyche and how to change them. Whatever jutsu he used on Naruto, is sure to be something dangerous, especially a jutsu that leaves the caster in that state.


    His worry intensified later in the evening. Naruto woke up that day before noon. According to the ANBU assigned as his guard after the incident, Naruto''s change in behavior was noticeable from the moment he woke up. He talked with the nurse and doctor politely instead of his usual brash attitude. His voice was calm where it used to be loud to attract attention from anyone nearby. And most importantly, he hasn''t announced his dream to become Hokage once in the past few days. Whatever Fu did, it changed Naruto from hyperactive knucklehead to calm and mellow.


    And then there was his sudden increase in skillset. Hiruzen had sent Naruto his allowance the before he went to coma. Naruto used the money to buy several sets of clothes, grocery and surprisingly various types of stationary goods. All under the guise of a transformation jutsu. True the jutsu has been demonstrated in his academy class but it was in his time in hospital. And according to his guard, he practiced chakra control exercises following days that weren''t included in academy''s curriculum.


    Last thing he did before turning in, was finding the classmates who left get-well-soon cards in his hospital room, Chouji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, Kiba Inuzuka and Hinata Hyuga. He presented all of them packs of candies as thanks. It seems even though he isn''t trying to get attention to himself, he is determined to make friends.


    "I was Lord Hokage," Inoichi replied. "And what I saw left me confused and worried. Whatever Fu intended to do to Naruto didn''t succeed."


    "But Fu was found drained of chakra. Surely he used some kind of jutsu."


    "Lord Hokage," Inoichi knew he was treading on egg shell. If words got out that a Yamanaka tried to change a jinchuriki''s psyche, they will be under heavy suspicion. It wouldn''t matter that said Yamanaka was under the war hawk Danzo''s command. There was no proof aside from Fu''s memory that he didn''t get a chance to cast any jutsu. The only one who can confirm this was Naruto himself and said boy was already showing drastic change in his personality. Hard to not know when his own daughter complains how Naruto is trying to act ''cool'' like Sasuke in dinner table. "I assure you whatever Fu intended to do to Naruto didn''t come to pass. In his inner world, Naruto didn''t even give him any chance to do anything."


    "You mean to say that he can manifest himself in his inner world?" Now Hiruzen was astonished. No children Naruto''s age should have the ability to manifest themselves in their inner world.


    "He can, Lord Hokage. And the surprising thing is the representation of his self in his inner world is that of a young man in his early 20s or late teens. From what I''ve heard from his medical report, I think it has something to do with the sudden increase in his yin chakra." He produced a seal tag from his pocket. "I have recorded Fu''s memory of his journey in Naruto''s inner world." He placed the tag on Hiruzen''s desk. "You should watch their interaction before you decide their fate."


    "Then let''s watch the show." A third voice came from the room''s window sill. Inoichi turned his head to the newcomer while Hiruzen just let out a sigh.


    "Jiraiya, how many times did I tell you to use the door?" Hiruzen asked his student in an irritated voice.


    "Too many times to count." Jiraiya replied with grin on his face. Then his face turned serious. "So are we going to see it?"


    "Yes, we are." The Hokage replied. He signaled his ANBU guards to leave the room and put up a privacy seal. He went to one of the wall and pushed a bit of his chakra into a small seal. A part of the wall slides off to reveal a mirror. "Inoichi, please place the tag on the mirror."


    Inoichi did as his leader commanded and took his place beside his leader and the toad Sannin. The tag sank into the mirror and the mirror emitted a bright white light. After the light subsided, the mirror started showing Fu''s memory.


    The first scene that was showed was that of Fu perched on a tree-branch near the hospital. It was night time. He scanned the hospital windows from his vantage point. After he found the one he was looking for he left the branch via Body Flicker. After a moment he appeared in a room''s sun-shade. The nurse in the room was checking up its occupant. After the nurse left the room, he entered the room silently.


    ''No nurse is coming to check up on him for before 6 o''clock. Enough time to finish my work here.'' Fu''s thought was heard by the viewers.


    He went near the hospital bed. On the bed Naruto was sleeping with a content smile on his face. For almost 2 months, the boy was in a coma. The reason for this was worrying for Danzo. Increase in yin chakra means increase in knowledge and experience. There is no telling what the boy will do with this.


    Fu crouched on the floor beside the bed. He went through several handseals and then placed his hands on both sides Naruto''s forehead. ''Secret Art: Inner World Entry'' he intoned to cast the jutsu.


    The room vanished from Fu''s vision. It was replaced with bright sky and a never ending grassy plain. However the grassy plain wasn''t empty. For as far he could see, he saw thick pillars scattered throughout the plain. They were connected with each other via ropes. The ropes had strings coming out of them and papers of various sizes were hanging from them. In far corner he could see new pillars rising. Moment after they rose to full length, ropes shot out from the structures and latched to other pillars. Papers grew from the ground and flew towards the ropes. Strings grew from the ropes and papers attached themselves to the strings.


    ''The way his mind palace looks, it he just piles up any information he gathers. It would be hard to find out what kind of knowledge he possess and how much.'' Fu thought to himself as he walked forward. After few moments of walking he saw 3 stone monoliths. The one on the right had a figure of a prancing stag carved on it. In the stone carving, the stag had a crown around its neck. Underneath the carving there was something written in English.


    ''Ours is the fury.'' Fu read to himself. ''A rules he lives by? May be his pranks are a way of unleashing his fury.'' He moved to the next one. This one had a carving of a snarling wolf. Unlike the previous one, this carving doesn''t have any additional gear on the figure. It also had writings underneath it. ''Winter is coming. I am missing some context here. The way it is written, it should mean some kind of warning. But a short season like winter could hardly be a warning.'' Next carving didn''t look much. At first glance it looked like a human body hung upside down on cross. However in closer inspection muscles, tendons and veins could be seen on the body. ''A human body without skin, hung upside down. This certainly represents cruelty.'' He looked underneath the carving. ''And the words. Our blades are sharp. All these words give off warning. Only this carving shows what actually will happen to anyone who will wrong him.''


    Shiver went down his spine. A person''s inner world was his own domain. As long as he has the will power, he can do anything in here. By any chance if Uzumaki gets a wind of him then, judging by the words and the last carving, he will make him experience all kind of hell. It might not do any kind of physical damage, but the mental trauma could keep him bedridden for days. ''However Uzumaki is still a child. He couldn''t have access to his inner world.''


    "And that''s where you are wrong." Fu whirled his head so fast, if did it in real world, his neck would certainly have snapped. Owner of the voice had features eerily similar to Naruto Uzumaki. However whereas Naruto was a boy of 8, this person was young man in his late teen or early 20s. All in all, the person looked how Naruto would grow up to be as an a.d.u.l.t. His clothing consists of green long sleeved shirt, white cargo pant and black sandals. He was sitting on the monolith with wolf carving.


    On instinct, Fu reached for his tanto. "Who are you?" Fu could already guess who this person is but it''s hard to believe a child could manifest himself in his inner world as a grown up.


    "You are trespassing my domain and you are asking me who I am?" the man admonished him with an amused smile on his face.


    At the end of his sentence, chains shot from the monolith with flayed man and wrapped around Fu''s legs, hands and neck. The chain pulled back and he was hung on the cross carved on the monolith upside down, the same way as the flayed man. He struggled to free himself from the chain but to no avail. ''I have to free myself from! No matter what, I have to report this to Lord Danzo!''


    "So a guy named Danzo is gunning for me, huh." Naruto replied. Amused smile that was previously on his face is replaced with a look of curiosity.


    "How did you find out? Are you a mind reader?"


    "You are in my inner world. Everything you think, I will know the moment you do that. You wouldn''t need to speak to inform me anything." Naruto jumped from his perch on the monolith and strolled to Fu. "I have the answers to my questions. Now it''s time for your punishment." He said as he placed his palm over Fu''s forehead.


    "What are you going to do to me?"


    "Earlier I discovered that I can share my chakra with others. Now I want to see if I can take from others as well. If my trial is successful, it will speed up my recovery. You see, at the rate my own reserve is growing; I would have enough to wake up by tomorrow afternoon. Your reserve is one-fortieth of my own. It would save me a few hours and I don''t want to waste my time in hospital more than I already have. Now, go to sleep."


    And with that mirror came turned to its usual state. There was pin drop silence in the office. Inoichi has already seen Fu''s memory so he knew what was coming. But the other 2 a.d.u.l.ts in the room were surprised by Naruto''s appearance and mannerism in his inner world.


    "Sensei," Jiraiya looked over his old mentor. "What should we do about Naruto? After what we saw, we can''t act like he is just another kid."


    "That''s true. But we don''t know everything about his personality yet. His interaction with Fu was very brief. We can''t judge him by that single interaction alone. And if he is an a.d.u.l.t in mind, he is sure to keep many things to himself." The aged leader felt his age catching up with him. Before he watched the recorded memory, Naruto was like grandson to him. But now he didn''t know how he felt for the boy. The words etched on the monoliths worried him, especially the last one. He knew how treatment of populace of a hidden village changes a jinchuriki and there is little to nothing good about it. At best, they become aloof and start to detest human contact and at worst, they become bloodthirsty maniac. Sure he didn''t do anything to Fu or any villagers since he woke up but how long would he stay his hands?


    "There is no better way than having a heart to heart talk then." Jiraiya murmured to himself with a sigh. He looked Hiruzen in the eye. "I am going to get to know him. I wanted to meet him when he grew up a little more. But I guess I can meet him a little early. Otherwise it might be too late."


    "How are you going to introduce yourself to him? He might be suspicious after his treatment from the villagers."


    "I know. Old man," Jiraiya seemed to hesitate before he said his next words. "if I think it''s necessary, I will come clean about our relation."


    Hiruzen let out a long sigh at his student''s words. He would have to trust Jiraiya''s judgment on this. "You have my permission. But do that only if you think he can keep it secret."


    "Alright." With that Jiraiya turned to leave via window.


    "Wait Jiraiya." Jiraiya turned around as his teacher called him. Hiruzen went to his desk and brought out an envelope from a drawer. "Take this with you."


    "What''s this?"


    "His last 2 months'' allowance. I was going to give it to him tomorrow. It won''t hurt if he gets the money a bit early."


    "Sure, I will take it to him." With that Jiraiya left the office to meet his godson. Internally he thanked Hiruzen to provide him an excuse for the meeting. He was anxious about this meeting. All the letters Hiruzen sent him over the years painted Naruto as a happy go lucky kid. But now it wasn''t the case anymore. He would need to see what kind of person Naruto was.


    Quick succession of Body Flickers later he stood in the window of Naruto''s apartment. He could see the boy sitting on dining table, reading a book and occasionally taking notes. ''Studying huh. Good to see there is a bit of Minato in him, from sensei''s letters, he seemed to be all Kushina.''


    After next Boy Flicker, he stood in the hallway of Naruto''s apartment. He was about to knock on the door but he froze after seeing the diagram painted on it. It wasn''t there when he checked the apartment few days ago. On the diagram, there was an orange 6 petals flower placed over red and yellow overlapping circles.


    ''Red and yellow makes orange. Does he know about his parents?'' he shook off the thought about what that means and knocked on the door. ''Time to meet my godson.'' He took a small breath and knocked on the door. Few seconds later the door opened. There stood the blonde boy, his godson he hadn''t met for so many years. Naruto looked at him with cautious eyes.


    "Hey kid!" he greeted Naruto in his usual boisterous voice.


    "Hey, some old guy I never met before." Jiraiya whipped around as reply came not from the boy standing in front of him but from his side. There was another Naruto walking toward him with grocery bags in his hands.


    OxoxO


    AN: It''s my first time writing a self-insert even though the first chapter has been written in 3rd person. I plan on writing this story in both first person and third person.

 Chapter 41 - My SI Stash #41 - Son of Gato by Sir Lucifer Morningstar (Naruto)

    -Maybe you''ll like this one Lost_Reborn. It has been sadly almost 2 years since the author updated it but it was still quite fun! It has the game elements as well just like DC Remastered Editon ¨A( ¡ã ¨Œ,¡ã )


    Sypnosis: An edgy teenager pretending to be a psychopath pretending to be an edgier teenager pretending to be a bigger psychopath, is reincarnated into the world of Naruto with the powers of the Gamer. Chaos ensues.


    Rated: M


    Words: 103K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12794658/1/Son-of-Gato (Sir Lucifer Morningstar)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Once upon a time, it was told to both young and old, to both great and small, to both genius and nit-wit that it was a very, very bad and utterly, horribly, clich¨¦ idea to begin a story with ''once upon a time.''


    "Once upon a time" would indicate that I was about to cosset you with a daughty, insouciant fairy tale of the likes that would have you frolicking in a field of ideals and dreams, merry laughter, romance and adventure. It would imply that I would have you sighing in the perpetual bliss of a heroic saga that will leave your mind in a state of literary euphoria.


    Allow me to render that illusion asunder.


    Stories and fables come in all forms and sizes and there are tales out there that begin with what is essentially the ''beginning''. They start as their adventurer or hero rises from the ashes of his demise like a phoenix ¨C complete with dramatic effect and tension ¨C or as they return from the dead because fate and destiny willed it to be so.


    Then we have tales that begin with the ''middle''. They unravel the mystery of the adventurer''s past ¨C flashbacks included ¨C and they follow his journey into the future, to fight, to conquer, to fail, to love, to win, to live and eventually, to die ¨C unless of course we''re dealing with an immortal hero, which opens its own can of problems.


    And then, there are tales that begin at the end. The hero has all but accomplished his goals and desires, and he faces his final obstacle, and in his mind, he ponders, ''How did it all come to this?''


    Here, we would find out, through his own thoughts ¨C and using flashbacks, once more, really useful those things are - how he had mystically transformed from being the youngest of his family to becoming a warrior king who had slayed a giant, or maybe how had he changed from being a spoiled prince, to the leader of a rebellion for the freedom of his people.


    And of course, as I had come to discover, there are tales that neither begin at the start, the middle, or the end. For they are still unfolding, still changing, they are twisting and forming in nature, and they do not possess the feature of ''chronology''.


    For these tales, Time is powerless and feeble, and would best be ascribed to the metaphor of a grumpy petulant child who has to seat in the back because he didn''t call shotgun.


    These tales are often greater than legends, more supreme than kings, and far, far superior to that of gods.


    These are tales so rare, that to find them is a blessing, to unfold them, a miracle, but to be in them?


    An act of divine providence.


    Is my tale one of such?


    Hell-f.u.c.k.i.n.g-No.


    I died.


    Of such fact I was certain, death was finality, it was the mysterious question that seemed to serve as the final stage of one''s life. It was your last act, your coup de grace, your moment of reckoning. Whether you died with a smile on your face after accomplishing your hearts desires, with frightened eyes as you realize you never expected it coming, with a horrifying expression as you endured torture in your final moments ¨C it mattered not. Death did not discriminate. Death did not pity. Death did not spare. Death did not care.


    I knew I should be worried.


    I knew that I should have been insane, or maybe, I should have been screaming up to the heavens at the impossibility of it all. Perhaps, I should have at least gave it some thought, questioned whether or not this was divine will, providence, or it was supposed to be some form of karmic joke.


    I had died, curious thing it was dying, and the manner in which I had met my unfortunate peril is not one that is suitable for children or sensitive ears. Still, I had died, I was sure of it. Yet, after the sensation of death, the unspeakable darkness and warmth, the feeling of being squeezed through a dark, hot tube ¨C


    I found the light.


    "Welcome to the Reincarnation World System!"


    It was not the type of light I was expecting.


    Here I was, sitting on a chair, in a large vast space of whiteness, as far as I could see, and in front of me, was a man wearing fancy-pancy robes that looked like something in the trash can of a Shakespearean movie set.


    "What."


    The fashion abomination moved up to me with a large smile.


    "You died."


    I rolled my eyes. "No shit. Any other obvious statements you want to make before explaining who you are?"


    The man seemed to blink in confusion at my words. "Strange. Most of you mortals would be screaming and yelling as to how it was impossible. I was expecting some drama, some shock, maybe a little bit of fear and apprehension."


    "I''m feeling slightly bored. Does that help?"


    He grinned at me. "Ooh, we''ve got a snarky one here."


    I waved my hand. "Can you just get to the part where I meet up with Lucifer and stuff? Or is listening to you for all infinity supposed to be my version of hell? If it is, then f.u.c.k, God is a savage."


    "Oh?" The man gave me a weird smile "So you believed you were destined for hell?"


    "No, if anything, I believe hell was destined for me."


    The man seemed to smile even further. "Well, if you''re lucky, you''ll get to do see it!"


    My eyes narrowed at the suspicious man. So far, he seemed far too upbeat for my liking, and either he was retarded, or there was something else up.


    "So¡­ considering I''m not already feeling toasty, are we doing this Konosuba style or Death Parade style?"


    A giant, and by Marilyn Monroe''s s.e.xy ass I meant giant, spinning wheel appeared, dropping down in front of me with a gust of wind that actually made me take a few steps back.


    "Huh. I guess it''s Death Parade style then."


    The man, who was probably some cosmic or divine deity that was out of my paygrade, but most likely had superior officers higher in the scheme of things, then gestured to the wheel, which, as my eyes could now see, possessed thousands of different options on it.


    "Your fate is literally in your own hands as you spin the Wheel of the Afterlife! Will you get lucky and land on Nirvana? Or will you strike out and find yourself best buddies with Hades in the Realm of the Dead? Or, will you hit the numerous options for reincarnation, to return to your own world as a c.o.c.kroach, or perhaps, end up in an entirely new one with an entirely new life!"


    I gave the man a bland look.


    "Did your higher ups also ask you to organize this thing like a retarded game show host?"


    His smile dropped. "It makes things more interesting."


    I snorted. My eyes flickered back to the giant board, wherein I realized that there were indeed several options I could land on, depending on how the wheel spun, and ultimately, I shrugged. Worst case scenario, I was sent back as a mosquito and I killed dozens of innocents in Africa. Still a win-win situation.


    With a heavy heave, I moved to the side of the thing, and I rolled it.


    "Oh, here it goes! Oh, just passed becoming Cthulu''s f.u.c.ktoy ¨C that was a lucky one. And yikes, you got around reincarnation as a magical girl in a hentai universe. That one is usually a crowd favorite! And¡­ Oh! Just passed Heaven and hell! Go straight to jail, do not pass go! Oh the wheel is slowing down, and ¨C and ¨C and ¨C"


    Eventually, tentatively, the wheel came to a stop.


    Reincarnated as The Gamer in A Fictional Universe.


    "Hehehe¡­ hahahahahahahaha!"


    I couldn''t help it, my lungs burned heavily as the only thing I could do upon seeing what was my punishment, my fate, was to burst out laughing like a maniac. and it was this! Oh, f.u.c.k, it was too funny to even put into words.


    "Oh, my, did you think that was going to be all? You still have to spin the wheel to decide just what universe you''ll be entering."


    "I don''t care."


    The man stopped to stare at me like I had gone insane.


    Indeed, with the wild grin I had on my face, with how my teeth probably showed, anyone would believe that I had gone insane.


    "It doesn''t matter what universe. Be it Dark Souls or Dragon Ball or f.u.c.k.i.n.g Tom and Jerry ¨C I don''t care. Just spin the wheel yourself and tell me how it goes."


    The sound of the familiar spinning reached my ears as my eyes were closed and my hands were placed confidently behind my head.


    "Naruto."


    If possible, my grin grew even wider.


    "I once drew some comics with Sakura and Ino as futas¡­ interesting."


    It was at this point, that the man who had previously been smiling, had started staring at me oddly, strangely, and my grin grew even wider at the level of discomfort he was showing.


    "You ¨C you''re ¨C"


    "A genuine psychopath with little to no concept of human decency and morality? Yes."


    The man turned white.


    "And you just gave me one of the most powerful and versatile abilities in the world, and you''re sending me to a universe where I know everyone there is nothing more than the results of a Japanese man''s imagination. They may think and act and feel like they''re sentient, but they''re not¡­ not really. To me? They might as well be a KFC value meal."


    I leaned back, stretching and yawning.


    "Well? What are we waiting for? Let''s get this reincarnation show on the road, nin nin."


    Son of Gato


    How strange was it, that even divine beings were unnerved by me? Of course, as it happened to be, they also seemed to follow some ridiculous notion of right and wrong, of good and evil, as though those abstract terms were supposed to mean something to me. It was disappointing to say the least, I would think that beings that were not human would at least understand where I was coming from, but, I asked for far too much.


    The Show Host, as I had taken to calling him, decided, on his own impetus I took it, that it would be better for this ''world'' I was in, to never succeed or grow or triumph, because once I grew my Gamer ability, nothing short of the five Kage or higher God-tier beings would be capable of challenging me.


    It was for that reason, that I had found myself reincarnated as the child of perhaps, one of the worst people in the entire universe.


    Fan-f.u.c.k.i.n.g-tastic.


    I might never find out who was more astonished on the day of my birth, myself, or the midwives who had helped delivered me. I had been stunned into a state of total silence given the fact that I still couldn''t believe I had just experienced the sensation that was birth, from the perspective of the one person who least wanted to experience it. The mid-wives however, would forever go on and spread my legend about being the quietest baby they had ever seen. I had been so quiet, they had almost assumed I was dead.


    Unfortunate as it was, I had soon come to discover, that the process of my coming into the world had come at the price of the life of the woman who birthed me. I would never truly know her name, never learn of her struggles, or never particularly get to feel the supposed warmth of a mother. Not that I cared, of course, about a nameless fictional character.


    Had I been a normal child, it would have been unfortunate. As it was however, I was a nineteen year old in the body of an infant. I had a mother, and I could not bring myself to feel anything for the woman who would have taken the place of the only woman I would ever call my mother.


    Instead however, my attention was turned to the only other parental figure I had. Despite my eyes being as sensitive as they were, and despite my ability to fully utilize my visual senses due to being a baby, I tried my best to get a glimpse of my new parent.


    Perhaps it was a bad idea, but the more I tried and forced myself to see, the more I unknowingly stirred something deep within me. There''s no real way to explain the ineffable sensations, the simplest explanation would be comparing it to a feeling of ants crawling inside your skin, but instead of the usual itchy feeling, there was nothing but the twisted feeling of cold fire. Or perhaps, the feeling of hot ice ¨C which, as I realized sounds vaguer than intended.


    Nonetheless, this feeling lasted no longer than a brief second before my body felt unusually weak, like I had just completed a rigorous training exercise, my legs shivered and I almost broke out into cold sweat.


    I heard some exclamations that I couldn''t make heads or tails of, but before I drifted into sweet unconsciousness, I was able to get a glance at the form of my beloved father ¨C


    At his round face and obnoxious laugh, his mustache which coiled to reveal one of the most hated characters in the history of Japanese Animation.


    Gato.


    [Welcome, new player, to the World of Naruto]


    Son of Gato


    Year Four, Month One


    It had not taken me long to realize that my life was going to be a veritable shit-storm. Or perhaps, it was going to be slow, annoying torture. First, my name was also Gato, or Junior, considering the fact that the man who was my father, was clearly egotistical and obnoxious enough to name his only male child after himself.


    Second, I was wrong in assuming the type of person Gato was. I had assumed, that despite being a slimy, greasy sleazebag who ruined the lives of the people of Wave, that he would be a somewhat cossetting father. I thought that Gato would be the kind of person who would spoil and pamper his son and let him get anything and everything he wanted, and would shower him with gifts and attention.


    The belt which smacked against my back and sent pain raring up my body served as a harsh reminder as to how hopelessly na?ve I had been.


    "Get back here boy, you will sit down, and you will learn! You''re already four years old ¨C that''s a whole four years of an investment that I need to see some returns!"


    Gato didn''t view me as a son. No, instead, he viewed me as a project. He saw me as some form of investment which would pay off in the long run, and he intended for me to eventually lessen his burdens by taking control of several aspects of his Shipping Conglomerate which ran across the Elemental Nations.


    As such, my life had lived out in that perspective.


    As a baby, I had numerous wet-nurses who fed me. They were good to me, originally, until of course, the time came when my father''s Greed came up. My infant sighs did nothing to stop the idiot of a man as he stripped their clothes and forced himself on them. From that point on, the gazes of the women would look at me with scorn and disdain, they would feed me ¨C barely ¨C perhaps hoping that I would die of starvation slowly, and that they would be saving the world from another monster in human flesh. The irony was highly amusing.


    [Due to a sufficient lack of food and nutrients, you have been afflicted with two debuffs.]


    [You have been afflicted with the debuff (Malnourished)]


    [You have been afflicted with the debuff (Starved)]


    Considering my dearest father never truly checked up on me, their plans would have succeeded. Except, for the rare occasion where he came by for a random visit ¨C read: to randomly **** the wet nurse ¨C and then, he would discover my seemingly starving and malnourished state, go up into a frenzy, and kill the woman responsible.


    Then, he''d get another wet nurse and the process would begin all over again.


    It was through this process that I realized, I was blessed with neither the famous "Gamer''s Mind" nor was I blessed with "Gamer''s Body". This was probably foul play, once again, most likely perpetuated by the Show Host in order to find newer or perhaps, more suitable ways to kill me.


    He seemed to genuinely believe that I would destroy or utterly enslave this world, and his antics to prevent me from doing so where going to be rather troubling. I suppose it is my fault in the first place, for unfortunately running my mouth and revealing my true nature in front of him. Though, it did bring the question of just how much influence he possessed that he would be able to do something as major as edit the rules of my ability.


    Regardless, I was in a world that was the result of the vivid imagination of a Japanese man with a hard-on for messiah-complexes. The people around me were not real, as I constantly reminded myself. Oh sure, they might seem to have feelings and emotions and logical thoughts like every other human being, but they weren''t real. Their destinies were already set in stone, their fates and futures written and drawn out, guided, and nothing they did would change the outcome.


    I, on the other hand was real. I came from a world where I had already seen the utterly crappy, sickeningly sweet ''ending''. Well, unless you count how Naruto supposedly is rumored to get killed and didn''t even live to see old age as the ''true'' ending, but I wasn''t even sure if the events of Boruto would happen in this world.


    I was the farthest thing from an idiot, and unashamed as I am to admit it, I had spent countless hours debating as to what I would do if I was ever reincarnated. The fact was, the Chaos Theory was something that people tended to forget. So many idiots would spend time trying to run damage control and ''align'' the world with what they knew as ''canon'', to hold on to some fleeting idea and delusion of control, believing that they could plan for the worst case scenario as long as their memories of the future was intact.


    I did not have the liberty to be that stupid.


    For starters, Gato never had a son in ''canon''. That mere fact alone, the fact of my conception, had already created ripples that would utterly change the world and the future. Whatever ''future-knowledge'' I had was doubtlessly useless already, and I was not going to spend agonizing hours upon hours thinking about how I had to make sure Naruto fought Kaguya and saved the world.


    Other than that, I was a civilian. Oh sure, I had unlocked my chakra, and I had the powers of the Gamer but it didn''t mean much. My reserves as a civilian-born were so laughable, that I was certain Sakura of all people would be considered a biju in comparison. The deprivation of food had not helped, nor had Gato''s staunch love of corporate punishment. That aside, even if I did not possess less chakra than a flea, my dearest father would never entertain the idea of sending me to a shinobi village to learn how to become a ninja, nor did I believe he would be happy with the idea of hiring private tutors so I could learn the shinobi arts. All he wanted from me, was to become the perfect version of himself that would lessen his workload and carry on his legacy.


    This meant that unless I was willing to run away to Konoha and become a shinobi ¨C on the off, ridiculous chance that they would even allow me into the academy ¨C there was not much I could do against the monstrously, bullshit-level powers that people in this world possessed.


    I licked my lips in anticipation.


    In a world filled with demons and devils, my options were either to roll over and let the devil shove a red-hot iron up my ass, or to smile, convince the devil that I was on his side, and then proceed the shove a red-hot iron up the asses of other unfortunate bastards.


    I was finally in a world of survival of the fittest, and it meant that I could and would have to kill, murder and maim my way to the top of the food chain if I wanted to survive. There was no room for mercy. No room to be limited ''morals''. No room to be an idealistic driven idiot who had to play the role of the hero or the good guy.


    I was the only real person in the world.


    I was number one.


    I was all that mattered.


    This world was my sandbox. A world in which I had read hundreds of different fan variations, fictions and theories. A world in which I had shamelessly seen and gotten off to thousands of different rule 34 materials. Even if I had next to no chakra, and I had absolutely no ninja training or combat experience, I would become the God of the world, using nothing but cunning and brutality.


    The Gamer powers, were merely a tiny bonus.


    After all, the best victory is the one gained without ever fighting.


    And thus, I began my plan.


    My dearest father ran a shipping business, which meant that majority of the time, he would have no choice but to be gone for days or weeks, or perhaps months, leaving my growth to the servants in the house. They were like spies and rodents, loyal to him and him only, and as such, I needed to keep up with my ''studies'' and designated tutors in order to avoid drawing suspicion or a firm lashing. Days blurred rapidly, with the same particular routine of waking, being fed, meeting with my numerous tutors, and spending hours open end learning arithmetic that I was already lightyears ahead of.


    However, there were other skills and unique things which I had gained from my tutors and their sessions, which my father referred to as the "ABC''s of Successful Businessmen."


    Theoretical Skills Unlocked!


    Arithmetic (Passive) Lv. Max


    Bookkeeping (Passive) Lv. Max


    Calligraphy (Passive) Lv. 3


    Deal-Brokering (Passive) Lv. 20


    Economic Observation (Passive) Lv. 29


    Falsification (Passive) Lv. 20


    General Knowledge (Passive) Lv. 68


    Haggling (Passive) Lv. 31


    Information Acquisition (Passive) Lv. 23


    Job Dissemination (Passive) Lv. 21


    Ten skills, all of which, Gato believed that if mastered and combined, would make me his ''perfect'' son. The Arithmetic and Bookkeeping skills were self-explanatory, and considering how I had studied Advanced Mathematics and Physics in High School in a previous life, putting together the rather simplistic business modules of a feudal Japanese business was cakewalk.


    Calligraphy was the one skill to which I had extremely horribly luck with, that is, in the fact that I could not, for the life of me, hold the brush steady enough to write anything legible, which meant that Fuinjutsu would be a long ways off. Deal-Brokering referred to my ability to supposedly create a deal which was beneficial to me, finding and mastering aspects of business and it''s tiny nuances to always get the best deal, be it either by blackmail, bribery, coercion, or any means necessary.


    Economic Observation however, was a skill which I could not deny it''s inherent usefulness. It summed up ability to properly analyze and economy in order to realize the best ways to either cripple it, or elevate it, and as such, find advantages and opportunities where no one else would. This included possessing knowledge of a country/village''s demography, their resources, available manpower and/or military, their available workforce, their male-to-female ratio, a.d.u.l.t-to-child-to-elder ratio, and on and on it went. Essentially, this skill, enabled me to breakdown what would be extremely complex information, into something as simple as a simulation/strategy game like Sim City.


    Falsification was next, and of course, considering that Gato was the consummate professional business man he was, he decided that I needed to learn how to falsify doc.u.ments and forge signatures, and also how to identify falsified doc.u.ments and fake signatures.


    General Knowledge covered the basics, such as the names of the Hidden Villages, the names and titles of their rulers, the names of the non-hidden villages, the names of the major towns, cities and important locations of interest in the world, and the names of dangerous or powerful individuals. Considering how I possessed a large amount of knowledge about the world, and it''s probable future, this was rather easy to get to a high level.


    Haggling was¡­. Well, haggling. A skill that was somewhat close to Deal-Brokering, but somewhat different in a lot of ways, as while all Deal-Brokering attempts could end in me having to haggle, not all haggling attempts ended with me brokering a deal.


    Information Acquisition was a must ¨C as information was as useful to a businessman as it was to a shinobi. What was the latest happening in the world? Which village had the most power? Who had recently been assassinated? Who was sleeping with the Daimyo''s daughter? Who had recently gotten s.e.x.u.a.lly transmitted diseases? ¨C Anything and everything could be used.


    Then, finally, there was Job Dissemination. Essentially, the Chess-Master skill. How best did you allocate your manpower? Your tools? Your resources? Your funds? Who was needed to perform the clean-up job, and who would be best for a stealthy assassination? And of course, how best to tie up any lose ends, once the jobs in question were completed.


    I would not deny that the classes and skills were useful, as they provided me with the expertise and the knowledge that I would use in future, though, between ten-tutors coming daily, and possessing only twenty-four hours a day, ¨C nineteen if you subtracted the hours I slept ¨C I had no time to begin any sort of planning, or to even start any form of ''grinding''.


    The only way I would be able to free up my schedule, was if I maxed out the ten theoretical skills first, and sent one of my tutors packing, as he realized there was nothing left to teach me.


    It was in this manner that time slowly trickled by, with my nose buried in a book, and a series of snooty men baffled as to how quickly I exceeded their expectations.


    Son of Gato


    Year Four, Month Two


    In the second month, I had yet to master any of the theoretical skills, but, I was able to convince my Arithmetic and Book-Keeping tutors that I had no more need of their instructions. They had gone on to sing praises to my father as to how I was some sort of prodigy, but Gato, being Gato, had merely snorted at their antics with the pride that I was his son, and as such, being a prodigy was expected.


    Yeah¡­


    Regardless, now possessing some free time of my own, I realized that one of the most boring aspects of my slow and eventual ascent to God-Emperor of the Naruto-verse, happened to be grinding.


    At four years of age, my gamer system had finally granted its full access to me, which allowed me to examine my stats and information for the very first time.


    Name: Gato II/Gato Junior


    HP: 50/50


    CHK: 5/5


    Level: 1


    Age: 4


    Rank: Civilian


    EXP: 0/1000


    SPECIAL


    Strength: 4 (-2) [E¨C Rank]


    Perseverance: 6 (-2) [E¨C Rank]


    Endurance: 6 (-2) [E¨C Rank]


    Charisma: 2 (+20) [D¨C Rank]


    Intelligence: 4 (+20) [D¨C Rank]


    Agility: 4 (-2) [E¨C Rank]


    Luck: 0 [F Rank]


    Status


    Buffs:


    N/A


    Debuffs:


    (Malnourished: -2 penalty to Strength, Perseverance and Endurance)


    (Starved: Reduced Stat and Experience Gain)


    Foils:


    (Strong Civilian Heritage: Possesses less Chakra than the average human, 60% harder to increase Chakra reserves)


    (Son of the Monster: ¨C50% Reputation Gains with Civilians.)


    (Machiavellian Principle: ¨C50% Reputation Gains with Honorable or Good Characters, +50% Reputation Gains with Amoral or Evil Characters)


    Boons:


    (Arithmetic Prodigy: Grants +20 to Intelligence)


    (Utilitarian Principle: Grants +20 to Charisma)


    (Size Matters: Grants Perfect Chakra Control if Chakra reserves are less than or equal to available Health Points.)


    Bio


    Gato Junior, or Gat, or Junior, is the son of the prominent, but often amoral Business Tycoon Gato, and the sole heir to the Gato Shipping Conglomerate. Possessing a brilliant mind, a flair to be overly dramatic and pointlessly deep, he believes himself to be a genuine psychopath who will take over the world, enslave its women and become a God-Emperor.


    Needless to say, I was not amused by what I saw.


    Regardless, I knew that things were going to be problematic once I realized there was a distinct absence of the "MP" or "Mana Points" which was often used in such scenarios where one became the gamer. This meant that there would be no creating spinning mana balls or shooting giant arrows of mana willy-nilly, because chakra did not allow for that.


    I had perfect chakra control, and this was good, except, my chakra reserves were stunted by my unfortunate genes, and that perfect control was absolutely wasted on me. However, I had already decided that I was going to use my head instead of my fists and muscles to take over the world, and considering that I was, well, loaded, money was now another tool in my fine arsenal.


    Not that the stingy ball of lard from whose s.p.e.r.m I originated would be willing to give me some money, but it was only a matter of time for me. Soon enough, all of the man''s wealth would fully be mine to use as I wished.


    SMACK!


    ¨C10HP!


    God-f.u.c.k.i.n.g-damn it that shit hurt!


    "You were day-dreaming about killing me again weren''t you boy?"


    I turned my eyes to glare at him, and the familiar piece of black leather in his hands. You had no idea as to how much a belt slapping against your bare back stung.


    "I don''t have to kill you. One of these days, you''ll choke on a chicken bone and do me the favor yourself."


    Gato''s lips twisted into a frown. "Had it been anyone else but you who said that, they''d already be dead."


    I snorted. "Probably cause they couldn''t stand the sight of your lubber. I''d sooner pour molten lead into my eyes than dream of the day I see you without your clothes."


    SMACK!


    ¨C10HP!


    GODDAMNIT!


    From repeated physical strikes, a skill has been created!


    [Physical Endurance (Passive) Lv. 1!] ¨C [Reduces damage dealt by physical strikes by 1%]


    I grinned.


    "Keep hitting me with that belt old man! Maybe you''ll get hot enough to sweat out all the fat in your body!"


    SMACK!


    ¨C9HP!


    [Physical Endurance has levelled up! Level 1 Level 2.] ¨C [Reduces Damage done by Physical Strikes by 2%]


    "Call me fat again you unfortunate waste of s.p.e.r.m!"


    "You''re fat! Fat! People don''t fear you, they fear being sat on by you!"


    SMACK!


    SWEET F.U.C.K!


    This, perhaps, had been the worst trade deal in the history of trade deals.


    But seeing Gato''s puffed up, balloon like red-face, in exchange for getting used to pain, just felt so right.


    Not having Gamer''s Body meant that I unfortunately had a rather scarred back, and that it would remain that way until I met, or hired a medic that could heal them. They should be capable of healing scars right? Otherwise shinobi and kunoichi were most definitely not supposed to look like the flawless supermodels they did. I could only recall Kakashi being the character who had a scar across his eye, and of course Danzo¡­


    Hm¡­ okay, so medical ninjutsu could not heal scars. That would be annoying.


    Regardless of not possessing that rather nifty Gamer''s Body that would prevent injury or fatal harm, I still had the benefit of restoring my health via food items, and a night''s sleep would also aid restoring my health. Part of me wondered if the absence of the skill was a blessing or a curse, because I knew for a certain, that if I possessed the ability, it would be ridiculously hard to hide it, as I could be stabbed or survive fatal falls with no visible injuries, and that would most definitely draw attention to me.


    Also, once Gato realized that he had done enough damage to me courtesy of his floggings and the scars, he would refrain from bringing out his damn belt to whip me for the slightest offense. The man did possess a heart, somewhere, in there. Shame he did not possess a keener mind to go with it, otherwise, he would have realized or recognized the fact, that a four year old child was not supposed to be as snippy as me, nor as snarky, nor was I supposed to be as antagonistic. If anything, I was the exact opposite of what a real child in my situation would be like ¨C eager to please, timid, frightened, unsure, desperate for love and attention.


    Gato either failed to notice this, or simply didn''t care. Probably it was the former, as the man most likely had no experience with children to begin with, and was content with me as long as I esxceeded his expectations and fulfilled his dreams of possessing a powerful heir. Still, this worked to my advantage, as I could act in any manner I pleased without having to worry about the man thinking ''children don''t act this way'', and as such, I saw no need to put on the guise of a child. This would aid in furthering my plans.


    ¡­well, it would, if I could even start my plans to begin with.


    Between the amount of time I spent with my tutors, and the time I spent sleeping, I had grown up, essentially, a prisoner in the large elegant mansion that I was to call my home.


    As it stood, I had never seen the outside of Gato''s mansion, let alone interacted with anyone outside of it. My dearest father happened to be one of those men who felt that I did nothing but stay indoors all day and study, as the tutors he brought in seemed to come from all over the elemental nations, yet, I was not allowed to leave.


    And so, I felt that I needed to rectify that error.


    New Mission!


    The World Beyond


    You have spent four years without having ever seen the outskirts of Gato''s Mansion. Now, it is up to you to sneak out and witness the wonderful world of the Elemental Nations all for yourself.


    Objectives:


    Escape the Mansion


    Return before your absence is noticed


    Do NOT get caught


    Rewards:


    50 EXP


    +5 Levels to ? Skill


    Failure:


    Decreased Reputation with Gato


    A brutal lashing with a leather belt


    Time Limit:


    N/A


    Accept Mission?


    (Yes)


    (No)


    It was my first mission, the first quest I had gotten. Part of me had expected something like being told to wash dishes or going out to get a jug of milk, but I supposed a brief escape to the outside world would suit me just fine.


    Seeing as how there was no time limit on the Quest, I hit the ''yes'' button, before immediately beginning my preparation to use and power level the one particular skill that would aid me the most in this world.


    Observe.


    Skill Name:


    Observe


    Skill Level/Type:


    Level 72 ¨C Active


    Description:


    This allows the Gamer to be able to discern information about the world around him with a single glance. Further levels enable full and complete grasp of all information on a selected target.


    Observe was a skill that would be immensely useful, and the best part about it, was how absolutely ridiculously easy it was for me to attain and power-level it. Normally, had I possessed a Mana or "MP" bar along with my Chakra bar, then it would be difficult for me to power-level the skill, because it would cost MP to constantly use. However, seeing as how I did not have mana, and it would be absolutely ludicrous for the skill to use chakra, it meant that there was no cost to using it. This meant, it could be spammed indefinitely.


    And so, I did exactly that.


    I walked around the entire mansion at night and in my free time, observing anything and everything that I set my eyes on. Paintings, walls, stones, cooking instruments, books, papers, mirrors, plates, pens, scrolls, parchments ¨C


    Nothing escaped my gaze, and within the span of about three days in total time of wandering, and using it, the skill now sat at a comfortable level 72.


    Who said that being a gamer was hard?


    I would max the skill out long before I ever reached the age of thirteen, which was when I assumed ''canon'' would start, and it would allow me to gaze upon people and immediately know everything there is to know about them.


    Well, considering I already kind of know most of what there is to know about the ''people'' in this world, the skill felt fairly redundant. Still, it was good to have, and even better to use once I realized that it aided me in analyzing certain information about the staff that my father employed. Knowing their inner workings, secret addictions, flaws, fears, insecurities ¨C all of these were minor things to which I would eventually need.


    And it was with this skill and my wits, that I began my first ever mission.


    Escaping my house.

 Chapter 42 - My SI Stash #42 - A Gamers Guide to Necromancy by The Dark Wolf Shiro (AnimeXover&DXD)

    -If you''re into Evil SI-OC, you''d like this one. It has the Gamer Elements and Meta Knowledge that everyone would like to have except our reality sucks. I''m waiting every single day for Truck kun to come send me to another world.


    *This is the prequel to A Gamers Guide to Conquest. SI starts in Highschool DXD first and will then travel to other universes.


    Sypnosis: The Gamer System is a ridiculously overpowered ability, and now it''s in the hands of a Lich King in Training. Kuro isn''t a nice person, and that was before he had a legion of Undead at his command, the multiverse should be afraid. Will go to multiple different worlds Dark MC/Evil MC, Lemons/Smut, Necromancer MC/Gamer MC


    Rated: M


    Words: 376K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13277163/1/A-Gamers-Guide-to-Necromancy (The Dark Wolf Shiro)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Welcome! You have been chosen as the Host of the Gamer System!


    What the f.u.c.k? Looking around I can see nothing but darkness, only the text floating in front of my face is visible. I can''t even see my body when I look down.


    Due to the gruesome method in which you died your body was not brought along!


    But don''t worry, we can replace that easily enough!


    Died?! Gruesome method!? I was perfectly fine a moment ago, I was... in a car? I was in the back seat on the way to... my home? Yeah that''s right, we had just gotten back from our holiday, I took a nap in the car as my mum drove us home.


    Correct, what you aren''t considering is the incredibly violent car crash that killed you!


    A truck hit the car, crushing your body to paste!


    Oh, and your family as well. But they don''t matter.


    No, I was fine. We were fine. I would have woken up, this is just a bad dream, nothing more. I''ll wake up in the car any minute now...


    Huh, weird. I wasn''t expecting you to freak out like this.


    Easily fixed.


    Skill Gained


    [Gamers Mind] (Passive)


    Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through.


    Allows peaceful state of mind,


    Grants Immunity to psychological status effects.


    Skill Gained


    [Gamers Body] (Passive)


    Grants a body that allows for the user to live real life like a game.


    Skill Gained


    [Observe] (Active)


    Provides information on target


    Immediately I can feel my panic by violently suppressed, as more text boxes appear in front of me. This is real. I''m dead, my family is dead. I should be sad or angry about that, but I''m not. In fact I''m not feeling anything but... curiosity? Mentally I know that this... skill is messing with my mind but I can''t bring myself to be upset about it. Quite literally, I physically can''t get upset.


    If you are done with your little freak out, we need to go through the character creator.


    I feel a brief spike of annoyance at the text box, but it''s muted.


    Your name as been pre-chosen, so we can skip that.


    Please select a race.


    [Human] [?] [?] [?] [?]


    My name was already chosen? Why? And Seriously? Why give me a choice at all if you aren''t going to actually tell me my choices? I''m not going take the risk that the question mark races are insects or animals, so I select Human.


    [Human]


    You are a human, just a regular boring human


    Humans are the jack of all trades, master of f.u.c.k all


    Gain 25% bonus class exp


    Please select a class.


    [Fighter] [Archer] [Mage] [Healer] [Rogue]


    Hmm, I''ve never been particularly strong so fighter is out. I should spend a lot of time thinking about the pros and cons of each choice, but really. Magic? F.u.c.k yes. I don''t feel like playing as a support class, so Mage it is.


    Please select a specialisation.


    [Elemental Mage] [Illusionist] [Enchanter] [Summoner] [Necromancer]


    Hmm, Elemental was what I was thinking about, slaying my foes with fire and ice. But Summoner and Necromancer also seem... interesting. Getting a summon to fight for me seems useful, very useful. I don''t want to die, again. And having something in between me and my foes could help with that.


    Summoning or Necromancy... both are useful. After some thought I go for Necromancer, I like the idea of turning my foes into allies, and necromancers usually have some death magic attacks.


    Class Gained


    [Necromancer] ¨C LVL 1/100 [0%]


    Gain 5 INT and WIS every level.


    Skill Gained


    [Create Undead] (Active)


    100 MP to cast


    Create a weaker level undead to fight for you, you can only have 1 undead per 5 INT.


    Undead can be dismissed and summoned at will.


    Undead Available


    [Skeleton Horde] [Zombie Horde] [Totenhund] [Bayrok] [Plague Zombies]


    Skill Gained


    [Create Ghost] (Active)


    100 MP to cast


    Create a weaker level undead to fight for you, you can only have 1 undead per 5 INT.


    Undead can be dismissed and summoned at will.


    Ghosts Available


    [Ghost] [Bestial Spirit] [Wraith] [Living Armour] [Spectral Knight]


    Skill Gained


    [Ray of Death] (Active)


    20 MP to cast


    Deals 50 points of Death Damage to target.


    Skill Gained


    [Drain Life] (Active)


    25 MP to cast


    Drains 25 HP from target and gives it to second target.


    Wonderful, I can feel the knowledge on how to use my magic entering my mind. I didn''t know if summoner had it''s own attack moves but I know enough about necromancers in fiction to know that there was a good chance of some attack skills.


    New Skills are unlocked as you level your Class.


    Originally there was a skill creation skill, but you can thank a certain cheating asshole for it being taken away.


    New Classes are unlocked once Necromancer has been maxed.


    Cheating asshole? Whatever, new skills from levelling, got it.


    Skills can also be gained through special actions, but that''s for you to discover.


    Right... so now what?


    Kuro


    Level ¨C 1


    Class ¨C Necromancer ¨C LVL 1/100 [0%]


    Race ¨C Human


    Rank ¨C Mortal


    Alignment ¨C True Neutral


    HP ¨C 100 [20 per minute]


    MP ¨C 100 [20 per 30 seconds]


    SP ¨C 100 [20 per 30 seconds]


    STR ¨C 10


    END ¨C 10


    DEX ¨C 10


    INT ¨C 10


    WIS ¨C 10


    CHA ¨C 10


    LCK ¨C 10


    MP Regen = WIS X 2


    MP = INT X 10


    SP/Health Regen = END X 2


    Health = END X 10


    SP = END X 10


    Kuro? Weird name, but whatever. I can''t remember my original name, a fact that should worry me, so I suppose Kuro will do.


    As a optional choice, you can choose to take random flaws.


    For every random flawed trait that is taken a bonus will be granted.


    That''s... interesting. Also risky, I have no idea what I could get from it. Is it worth the risk? I have no idea, but I want to find out. I''ll take one.


    Trait Gained


    [Enemy of the Living]


    As a necromancer you are no friend of the living, and they know it


    All living beings will mistrust you instinctively


    Perk Gained


    [Lucky Charm]


    Increases loot drops


    Loot has a chance to be of a higher rarity


    It was worth it, f.u.c.k people I have my undead. This went well. So well I''m willing to try it again.


    Trait Gained


    [Remorseless]


    Cold, Calculating, Ruthless.


    You don''t care what you have to do if it means you achieve your goals


    Perk Gained


    [Mana Touched]


    You are blessed with abundant mana


    Mana from INT is doubled


    Kuro


    Level ¨C 1


    Class ¨C Necromancer ¨C LVL 1/100 [0%]


    Race ¨C Human


    Rank ¨C Mortal


    Alignment ¨C True Neutral


    HP ¨C 50 [10 per minute]


    MP ¨C 200 [20 per 30 seconds]


    SP ¨C 50 [10 per 30 seconds]


    STR ¨C 10


    END ¨C 10


    DEX ¨C 10


    INT ¨C 10


    WIS ¨C 10


    CHA ¨C 10


    LCK ¨C 10


    MP Regen = WIS X 2


    MP = INT X 20


    SP/Health Regen = END X 2


    Health = END X 10


    SP = END X 10


    Again, I can''t bring myself to regret this. So naturally I should do it again...


    Trait Gained


    [Weak]


    You were born weak and feeble


    Health, SP and Health Regen halved


    Perk Gained


    [Jack of all Trades]


    You''re speciality, is having a lot of specialities


    All class exp is doubled


    Kuro Shi


    Level ¨C 1


    Class ¨C Necromancer ¨C LVL 1/100 [0%]


    Race ¨C Human


    Rank ¨C Mortal


    Alignment ¨C True Neutral


    HP ¨C 50 [10 per minute]


    MP ¨C 200 [20 per 30 seconds]


    SP ¨C 50 [10 per 30 seconds]


    STR ¨C 10


    END ¨C 10


    DEX ¨C 10


    INT ¨C 10


    WIS ¨C 10


    CHA ¨C 10


    LCK ¨C 10


    MP Regen = WIS X 2


    MP = INT X 20


    SP/Health Regen = END X 1


    Health = END X 5


    SP = END X 5


    Now I regret it. A lot. The double EXP is great, really it is. But having my health and stamina cut in half is not worth it. I''m done, I am not risking it again.


    Skill Gained


    [ID Create] (Active)


    Creates an Instant Dungeon


    Dungeons available


    [Angels]


    Welcome to the Game 2.0!


    Your starter world has been pre-chosen, starting in 5.


    4.


    3.


    2.


    1.


    Shooting up from my bed I look around in shock, I''m... in a bedroom? I don''t recognise this place, I''ve never sent his room before.


    "Kuro! Get up now! You can''t be late for your first day!" I here a male voice shout up at me, looking around some more I notice that I am in a school uniform, moving to a mirror on my wall I look at myself in shock. My hair and eyes are black, and my skin pale and sickly. I look like a f.u.c.k.i.n.g skeleton, with no muscle mass at all, lifting my shirt I can see my ribs. I need to eat, a lot.


    Heading downstairs a middle aged man glares at me from his seat in the kitchen.


    "Honestly boy, Kuoh Academy is a prestigious school. There not going to like you anyway, you''re just making things worse if your late on day one, so hurry up and get going." he practically sneers at me, I test one of my skills on him [Observe].


    Kuroda Shi


    Your Father


    LVL - 6


    Race ¨C Human


    STR ¨C 9


    END ¨C 8


    DEX ¨C 4


    INT ¨C 15


    WIS ¨C 12


    CHA ¨C 8


    LCK ¨C 1


    Thoughts about you - Disappointment


    ...My Father? No he isn''t, he''s just a stranger. Disappointment? Yeah it''s mutual ''father''.


    "Yeah, yeah. I''m going." I say heading out of the house. More importantly, I know that school name. Kuoh Academy. F.u.c.k.


    Well I''m f.u.c.k.i.e.d, Kuoh is filled with Devils and Fallen Angels, and I can''t just hope they don''t notice my magic.


    I have two choices ahead of me, One, get strong enough to face anything or Two, stay low level and hope they don''t notice me.


    F.u.c.k that, I didn''t die, be brought back and given powers to hide away like a f.u.c.k.i.n.g rat. I just need to power level until I am strong enough to protect myself. But first I have school. Oh joy. As I walk towards the school I somehow know the location of an idiot rams into me on his bike.


    -25 HP


    Skill Gained


    [Resist Physical] (Passive) - LVL 1


    Reduces Physical Damage by 1%


    "Ow, sorry about that. Here let me help you up." he says grabbing my arm and pulling me up from the ground. "Whoa, dude you look weird! Don''t worry, as long as you aren''t a pretty boy we can be friends!" Issei says. That took half of my health away, that''s how weak I am at the moment, I almost died to this.


    "It''s fine, just watch where you are going." I ground out, hiding my anger, interesting that I can feel anger again. This is the protagonist, enjoying his harem and his super powers and his f.u.c.k.i.n.g plot armour. This piece of shit does not deserve boosted gear, not at all. ''[Observe]''


    Issei Hyoudou


    The Future Harem Emperor


    HP ¨C 70


    SP ¨C 90


    Race ¨C Human


    LVL ¨C 3


    STR ¨C 11


    END ¨C 13


    DEX ¨C 12


    INT ¨C 5


    WIS ¨C 2


    CHA ¨C 3


    LCK ¨C 26


    Thoughts about you ¨C Embarrassment


    He really is pathetic, I could kill him in two spells. It wouldn''t even be hard, no one else is around this path. I could stop this stupid story right here and now.


    Quest Added


    [This story ends in the prequel]


    Objective ¨C Kill Issei Hyoudou


    Reward ¨C Boosted Gear, ?, ?


    ¡­wait really? I.. I wasn''t actually being serious, I was just pissed about my aching body. But that being said... Boosted Gear, just for killing Issei. I should be more hesitant about this as we walk along the empty street, him ranting about the Oppai Paradise we are going to, but I am not. This world is extremely dangerous, and I need any advantage I can get.


    Lets think about this, the pros are gaining an overpowered skill, and two mystery rewards. And the cons are the attention I would get from this, I can assume that Rias doesn''t know about it yet since it''s both of our first days, but if I take it she''ll turn her attention to me instead. So will the fallen.


    I think it''s worth it, as long as I can gain enough power to beat Raynare. All I need to do is hit him with Ray of Death twice, he''s in front of me still ranting about Oppai when I start my spell. Looking around to check for witnesses I find none, thrusting my hand forwards a ray of black light hits Issei in the back, knocking him down, it''s rotted his uniform and the skin beneath it, as he turns I prepare a Drain Life, a trial of red coming from his and into my hand as he collapses to the ground.


    Quest Complete


    [This story ends in the prequel]


    Objective ¨C Kill Issei Hyoudou


    Reward ¨C Boosted Gear Skill, Sense Death Skill, Final Blow Skill [Drain Life] upgraded


    Skill Added


    [Boosted Gear] (Active)


    100 MP per Boost


    Doubles the wielder''s power, can be used every 10 seconds


    Stored Power can be added to spells, or given to others


    Skill Added


    [Sense Death] (Passive)


    Detect the dying and the undead around you


    Skill Upgraded


    [Drain Life EX] (Active)


    50 MP to cast


    Drains 50 HP from target and gives it to second target


    If this skill kills, a random Stat Point is also stolen


    Title Gained


    [Killer]


    Increases Damage Dealt to Sentient Humanoids by 50%


    Causes Fear in weaker Sentient Humanoids


    Class [Necromancer] has reached Level 2


    This was worth it, and I leveled from this, but that doesn''t change the fact that I have a corpse in front of me, the f.u.c.k am I suppose to do with this? I didn''t think this through.


    Store [Issei Hyoudou''s Corpse] in your Inventory


    [Yes] [No]


    Hitting yes the body vanishes, useful if I ignore the fact that I''m carrying a body around with me. I can''t afford to be late today, especially after this. Heading to the school faster, as I get out of breath, I reach the school gate just in time. As I try and pass through I get interrupted.


    "Kuro Shi? I am Souna Shitori, the student council president here at Kuoh Academy. I make a habit to met all the new students, when the other new student arrives I will be giving you both a tour of the school." Sona says, the other student? Yeeeah, she''s going to be waiting a long time. Or not, since he is technically already here. ''[Observe]''


    Sona Sitri


    The Genius Heiress


    HP ¨C 8000


    SP ¨C 8000


    MP ¨C 12000


    Race ¨C Devil


    LVL ¨C 38


    STR ¨C 52


    END ¨C 56


    DEX ¨C 58


    INT ¨C 128


    WIS ¨C 130


    CHA ¨C 87


    LCK ¨C 75


    Thoughts about you ¨C Interest


    Oh. F.u.c.k, I have along way to go. Leaning against the wall I wait with her, ignoring the looks sent my way as Sona gets progressively more angry, it''s hard to tell, but she taps her finger against her arm as her frown slowly grows.


    "Clearly, this Issei has decided that he doesn''t want to enter Kuoh any more, so be it. Follow me." she says irritated, as she leads me through the school, she skips a lot, clearly still pissed about Issei not showing up. The tour is fast, barely covering anything before she ditches me at my homeroom. Storming off angrily, poor Issei, you even piss off girls in death.


    As the teacher takes me into the room, the class stare at me in slight fear and mistrust. As the teacher tells me to introduce myself she moves away quickly, there''s only two people who don''t seem to be afraid of me. Kiba, who I expected. And Aika Kiryuu, who is... drooling? I don''t want to know.


    "My name is Kuro Shi, it''s a pleasure, truly." I say sarcastically, they don''t like me, so I don''t see any reason to be nice. Moving down I take my seat and zone out for the class. I can deal with high school without any actual effort, I''ve done this all before. I need to get stronger, the first major threat will be Raynare, and I can assume she''ll be at a similar level to Sona, if not stronger. So I need to hit level 40 at a minimum before everything kicks off. I need to grind, desperately.


    Quest Added [Power, at any cost]


    Objective : Reach Level 40 before the start of season one


    Reward : Lord of Death Perk


    As the day passes my classmates ignore me, put off by my appearance, but that''s fine. They only ones who have given me any attention are Aika and Kiba. I don''t care about Aika, but Kiba could be a problem, I can''t afford to get dragged into the supernatural world until I am stronger. Which means I need to stay away from the Devils who are already sniffing around me, my Sacred Gear drawing them to me like flies to honey. I saw Koneko staring at me during lunch, she seems almost afraid of me. Perhaps it''s her connection to nature her race gives her that''s causing her apprehension.


    Food doesn''t taste right any more, it''s plain and tasteless.


    Before long my first day is over, as I am leaving I spot a red haired girl watching me from a second floor window, but I ignore her, I can''t get caught up with devils yet, I need power. Luckily I know how to get it. As I walk home I find a nice quiet alleyway to hide in and use one of my skills, [Id Create].


    The only dungeon type I have is Angels. So that''s the one I choose.


    Instantly I am moved to a ridiculous area, the sun shines brightly lighting up the golden path ahead of me, if someone was to try and describe heaven this is what they would describe, nothing but white and gold buildings atop some clouds that are entirely to solid. In the distance ahead of me is a golden gate, with a large armoured angel blocking the way. I can see a familiar foe flying around above the path.


    Affinity


    Level 5


    HP ¨C 250


    The trash mobs from Bayonetta, there are around a dozen of them, all the same level. I could kill one of them with 5 casts of [Drain Life EX], but with my pathetic HP and their numbers that would be a fools errand, even if I could beat one the others would kill me.


    It''s fine, I''m a Necromancer, I don''t fight like that anyway. I have 15 INT, that''s 3 undead or ghosts I can have summoned at any one moment. Thinking over my choices for a moment I use [Create Ghost] to make a [Living Armour], immediately a suit of black armour appears before me, despite being empty it bows to me, a eerie blue glow coming from within rusting metal. A rusty sword is held in it''s grip. It is the soul of a long dead warrior bound to his armour, he will serve me as his king in his unlife.


    Living Armour


    Level 5


    HP ¨C 400


    It''ll help, but we are still outnumbered considerably, thankfully the Affinity''s are ignoring us, I think they will continue to do so, as long as we do not advance. I still have two more spots available summons, while I look over my choices I notice that my class EXP rose just from summoning, I wonder if a healer would get exp for healing?


    As interesting as that is I need to pay attention to my current problem. Using [Create Undead] I make a Skeleton Horde, 10 skeletal figures rising from the ground as their bones chatter, they are armed with various rusty weapons including maces, great swords and even a pair of archers.


    Skeleton (Skeleton Horde)


    Level 2


    HP - 100


    They are weak. But at least now I have numbers on my side. After looking over my choices again I pick Bayrok as my last undead, a skinny rotting figure appearing before me, holding a bow in it''s claw like hands.


    Bayrok


    Level 5


    HP - 250


    This is it I guess, with this I have 12 undead plus myself, sending out my orders mentally I order my Living Armour to guard me while the Skeleton Horde gather in front of us, the Bayrok lurking behind with it''s bow.


    After waiting for my MP to refill I cast a [Ray of Death] at the nearest Affinity, dealing 50 damage, the instant I do all of the Affinity''s swarm towards us en masse. My Bayrok fires at the one I hit with it''s bow, striking the angel in the eye dealing 80 damage in an instant. The skeleton archers join in but they are far less impressive dealing 10 damage with every hit, and missing often. With my Bayrok assisting I finish off the first Affinity with another [Ray of Death], or perhaps I assisted it since it did more damage than me.


    Of the remaining 11 affinity''s 7 land in front of my skeletons rushing them, my skeletons hold them back but I doubt it''ll last. One rushes me attempting to strike me down but my Living Armour blocks it''s spear with it''s body, grabbing the spear it pulls the affinity towards it, and with a brutal swing it cuts the angels wings from it''s back, as the angel falls to the ground the Armour impales it finishing it off quickly.


    I love my Living Armour already. The 3 affinity''s in the air are archers, firing arrows made of light at me and my forces, my Living Armour blocks the ones aimed for me, simply standing in front of me and tanking the blows as I watch it''s HP fall slowly. My Bayrok simply dances through the arrows, dodging and weaving as it returns fire with a cruel grin on it''s blackened face, revealing sharp yellowed teeth.


    Using [Drain Life EX] I start draining the ones in the sky, giving their health to my Living Armour, healing him up. Between that and my Bayrok the archer''s don''t last long, unfortunately I only finished one of them so I only got one stat point. The Bayrok simply dealt to much damage, taking the kills before I could, but I don''t mind. And I''ll happily take the single DEX point I got.


    My Skeleton Horde put up a good fight, taking out 3 of the Affinity''s before they were overwhelmed. The remaining 4 rush towards us as I use [Create Undead] again to summon the Totenhund, rushing forwards a pair of undead hounds leap at the angels, biting and clawing at them as Bayrok fires it''s arrows with deadly precision, my Living Armour guarding my from danger.


    I drain the angels more, healing my Hounds and Armour as needed, my Bayrok stays back, away from danger as he snipes at our foes. One affinity dies with a arrow sticking out of it''s eye as my Bayrok lets out a chilling laugh, another falls as my Totenhund pins it to the ground and rips its throat out savagely, howling in triumph. As the Totenhunds pounce onto another one both tearing at it''s arms the last rushes me futilely meeting rusted iron as my Living Armour blocks it, sending it flying with a backhand before it walks forwards and decapitates the rising angel.


    I won. My first real battle ending in a victory. Taking a moment to catch my breath, cursing my physical weakness, I look over my forces, my Totenhunds are happily eating their prey, tearing chunks from the angels as they devour it, as they do their HP rises, the wounds they had taken healing.


    Totenhund


    Level 5


    HP ¨C 200


    With a smirk my Bayrok returns to my side, completely unharmed. I think he had the most kills of all of us. And of course my Living Armour was the MvP keeping me safe with ease. Opening up my menus I check my stats now.


    Kuro


    Level ¨C 6


    Class ¨C Necromancer ¨C LVL 6/100 [10%]


    Race ¨C Human


    Rank ¨C Mortal


    Alignment ¨C True Neutral


    HP ¨C 50 [10 per minute]


    MP ¨C 700 [70 per 30 seconds]


    SP ¨C 50 [10 per 30 seconds]


    STR ¨C 10


    END ¨C 10


    DEX ¨C 11


    INT ¨C 35


    WIS ¨C 35


    CHA ¨C 10


    LCK ¨C 10


    I leveled five times from that, I guess it makes sense since they were all higher level than me. I can have 7 undead now, the start of a real horde. I got some new skills fro hitting level 5 in Necromancer as well.


    [Stiffen Limbs] (Active)


    20 MP to Cast


    Causes the Limbs of the Target to become stiff unless resisted


    [Dark Desecration] (Active)


    100 MP to Cast


    Desecrate the battlefield, weakening all devout or holy units, all undead units take 20% less damage


    Lasts until the end of the battle


    [Corpus Furia] (Active)


    50 MP to Cast


    Causes corpses on the battlefield to explode causing 50 Plague Damage per corpse to all nearby units


    Dark Desecration looks like it might be my new starting spell, weaken holy? In a dungeon of angels? Yes please.


    The big bastard at the gate is just stood there watching us, but I am not ready yet, I can have more undead, so it''s summoning time.


    With my Bayrok, Living Armour and Totenhunds I''m using 3 spots up, so that leaves 4 more spots free. First I bring the Skeleton Horde back, they were helpful as bait, holding off the angels long enough for my other summons to do their jobs. Secondly I summon another Bayrok, the damage my first one put out was ridiculous. Then I make another Living Armour to guard me, having a amazing army won''t mean anything if I go and die to some assassin type enemy.


    Looking over my choices I use [Create Ghost] to make a Wraith, the ethereal beings floating in front of me, she appears to be the ghost of a woman in a long white dress with long white hair floating behind her. I chose her for a reason, as a spectral being she can''t be hurt by physical attacks and she can deal Death Damage out with her own magic, plus she can cause Fear with her scream. She''ll be great for my growing horde.


    Wraith


    Level 5


    HP ¨C 200


    With this my Horde is ready for battle. We approach the far larger angel as it starts at us, unlike the affinity''s I don''t recognise this one. Wearing full plate golden armour, and wielding a greatsword bigger than me it glares from beneath it''s helmet, towering over all my forces, I''d guess it''s around 8 foot tall, with equally ridiculous golden metallic wings jutting out of it''s back.


    Guardian Angel (Elite Enemy)


    Level 20


    HP - 5000


    This thing is dangerous but I can''t just slink away into the shadows like some rat, I came here to level and that''s what I''m going to do, opening up with a [Ray of Death] I piss off the hulking angel as it charges, my Skeleton Horde surround him just being annoying as me Totenhunds use hit and run tactics lunging at it''s back then fleeing as it attempts to turn around. My Bayroks pepper it with arrows from a distance, aiming for the weak points in it''s armour. Using [Dark Desecration] I weaken the angel, and strengthen my undead as they take less damage. Not that it saves my skeletons as they are swept aside, often falling in a single hit. Then I use [Stiffen Limbs], the angels swings becoming slower, allowing my Skeletons and Totenhunds to dodge it''s massive blade. My Wraith throws orbs of black energy at the foe leaving black marks on the armour where they hit. Spamming [Ray of Death] at the beast I hide behind my Living Armours as they stand between me and the danger. Though truthfully they might not be needed this time as the angel fails to deal with the agile Totenhunds missing time and again, it might be big but it''s dumb. It''s health is dropping fast from the constant ranged damage we are dealing.


    Before long we have the dumb angel down to 1000 HP, maybe I overestimated the fool. As I think that it leaps into the air it''s wings spreading wide as it hovers in the air, it gives off a golden aura as it aims it''s spear at my Totenhunds, disintegrating them both with a golden ray of light. My Bayroks spam it with arrows as it turns to me and aims it''s spear at me, just as it''s spear starts to glow my Wraith let''s out a ear piercing screech causing the angel to clutch at it''s head, interrupting it''s attack. Before it can prepare it''s attack again we pummel it with attacks, my Rays, the Wraiths Orbs and my Bayroks Arrows all striking at the large target, there''s even a surviving skeleton archer joining in, it missed almost all it''s shots but at least it''s trying. As it''s wings get torn apart by arrows the angel lands back on the ground, it goes to charge over the skeletal corpses on the ground but I use [Corpus Furia] to make them explode into clouds of green gas, there''s 9 corpses there, so that''s 450 damage, enough to finish this fool.


    And that is my second victory, I could get used to this feeling. First things first I bring back my Totenhunds, how dare he hurt my puppies? I see more skeletons rises from the ground, it looks like as long as one survives then the group will come back, useful. Next I check my stats again, I know I leveled up from that.


    Kuro


    Level ¨C 11


    Class ¨C Necromancer ¨C LVL 11/100 [4%]


    Race ¨C Human


    Rank ¨C Mortal


    Alignment ¨C True Neutral


    HP ¨C 50 [10 per minute]


    MP ¨C 1200 [120 per 30 seconds]


    SP ¨C 50 [10 per 30 seconds]


    STR ¨C 10


    END ¨C 10


    DEX ¨C 11


    INT ¨C 60


    WIS ¨C 60


    CHA ¨C 10


    LCK ¨C 10


    [Dark Gift] (Active)


    400 MP to Cast


    All undead units deal 25% more Damage and gain [Inflict Curse], causing their attacks to have a chance to cause [Curse].


    Units inflicted with [Curse] take 30% additional damage, and regenerate HP, MP and SP 25% slower


    [Raise Dead] (Active)


    25 MP per Targets Level to cast


    Raises the corpse of a unit on the battlefield to fight for you


    Raised unit will die after the battle is finished and cannot be raised a second time


    [Mark of Death] (Active)


    200 MP to cast


    Cast on a friendly undead unit. Anyone who kills this unit will become [Marked for Death]


    Units [Marked for Death] will take 1000 Death Damage once the battle has finished


    [Speak with the Dead] (Active)


    50 MP to cast


    Summon the spirits of the departed to communicate with them


    The Spirits are not bound and are not forced to obey the caster, the spirits can end the spell themselves


    Taking a moment to laugh maniacally I immediately summon more Totenhunds, I can summon four more times now, two more Bayroks join my forces, they are just too good for me not to summon them. And for now I''ll take another Skeleton Horde and another Wraith, I know all these are useful. Now I have a horde of 34 undead following me, admittedly 20 of them are weak skeletons but they serve their purpose as meat shields. Or bone shields?


    Looking around I can see a chest has appeared in front of the gate, my reward for getting this far? Opening it up I find a card, a crystal and a dagger.


    Starting with the card I use observe on it.


    Summon Unlock Card ¨C Bone Mouse


    Adds [Bone Mouse] to Create Undead


    That''s... useful? I think? Not sure how good a mouse will be but whatever, using it makes it disappear into a black mist. As the knowledge enters my mind I frown, I know that mouse... it''s a Yugioh card. That''s odd, good to know but still odd. Will I one day have the Blue Eyes White Dragon under my control? Moving on I use observe on the crystal next.


    CHA Stat Crystal


    Use to increases CHA by 5


    Fair enough, I love free stats after all. I use it immediately feeling small changes to my body, my skin becomes a little less sickly, while staying pale, my hair becomes less greasy gaining a small shine to it. Even my eyes change slightly looking less dull and empty. So CHA affects my looks? Good to know, maybe one day people won''t be scared of me, not that I particularly care what some humans think. The dagger proves slightly interesting, even if I am not a melee user.


    Sacrificial Dagger


    Has a chance to inflict [Marked for Sacrifice] on hit


    When a unit with [Marked for Sacrifice] dies, all friendly units gain 100 HP


    100 HP is pretty good, 100 times 34 is ridiculous, healing my entire horde with a kill is insane. I have noticed something slightly worrying, none of my Undead are levelling, at all. At their current levels they won''t be useful forever, once I get to the higher levels my Level 5 undead won''t be any use at all. I''m hoping I just haven''t found out how to level them yet, and that they aren''t hard capped at their summoned level.


    Moving towards the gate I go to push it open and a text box appears.


    Recommend Level for this dungeon is 30


    Are you sure you want to continue?


    So this is the real dungeon, all we beat was the bouncer, fine. I''m not risking everything on a dungeon 3 times my level. Heading back the way we came I dismiss my horde, I can bring them back anytime, they are simply waiting for me to call them back to me. Moving back I head through the portal at the start, reappearing in the alley I left. It''s been awhile since I entered so I head out and go home, barely acknowledging my ''father'' as I head into my room. Once night falls and the old man goes to sleep I''ll go back in and redo the opening of the dungeon a couple more times, gotta get my level up.


    - Next Day -


    I''ve noticed something odd... I don''t need sleep, at all. I didn''t bother sleeping last night, instead I thought the same enemies a few more times, it got easier with every attempt as my level and horde grew in power and size. I have about an hour before I have to head to school so I''ll look over my spoils for now.


    Kuro


    Level ¨C 29


    Class ¨C Necromancer ¨C LVL 29/100 [78%]


    Race ¨C Human


    Rank ¨C Mortal


    Alignment ¨C True Neutral


    HP ¨C 65 [13 per minute]


    MP ¨C 3000 [300 per 30 seconds]


    SP ¨C 65 [13 per 30 seconds]


    STR ¨C 12


    END ¨C 13


    DEX ¨C 12


    INT ¨C 150


    WIS ¨C 150


    CHA ¨C 15


    LCK ¨C 13


    150 INT, or in summoning terms 30 summons... I haven''t even summoned any new ones yet, instead just using my current 12 summons to overpower that poor guardian angel, most times he doesn''t even get a chance to use his second phase attack. I ordered my undead to not finish off the affinity''s when possible so I can use [Drain Life EX] to get a stat point, it''s nice but not enough, 65 HP is still pathetic. I think the dungeon has a diminishing return problem, there''s always something in the chest but nothing as good as the first time. Maybe there was a bonus for the first time a chest is opened? I was running out of time so I couldn''t reach level 30 like I wanted to, so I don''t have the level 30 kills yet but I did get the level 20 skills.


    [Essence of the Fallen] (Passive)


    Gain MP from being around Corpses


    Each corpse on the battlefield will increase MP regeneration by 10%


    [Command Undead] (Active)


    Target Level x 20 MP to cast


    Take control of an undead that was not created by you


    [Command Spirits] (Active)


    Target Level x 20 MP to cast


    Take control of an spirit that was not summoned by you


    [Summon Spirits] (Active)


    200 MP to cast


    Summon a spirit to fight for you, you can only have 1 undead per 5 INT.


    Spirits can be dismissed and summoned at will.


    Spirits Available


    [Ghost] [Scheming Spirits] [Chained Soul]


    [Ray of Enfeeblement] (Active)


    200 MP to cast


    Causes Targets to become weak and sickly, preventing SP and HP recovery until lifted


    The MP bonus regen is nice, I haven''t had a chance to use Command Undead or Spirits yet since I am just fighting angels. And I haven''t summoned any spirits yet, why this and Create Ghost are separate I don''t know, especially since Ghost is classed as a Spirit and not a Ghost. Just weird to be honest. But Ray of Enfeeblement is nice, stopping the big guy from regaining his stamina, I don''t think he has a way to heal but it''ll be useful against people with healers.


    Moving on to my loot, I haven''t even used observe on it yet, focusing on grinding my level instead. Pulling the assorted loot out and placing it on my bed I look over it. 5 Cards, 2 Crystals, an Amulet, and a Robe. Starting with the cards reveals pretty much what I was expecting.


    Summon Unlock Card ¨C Cadaver


    Adds [Cadaver] to Create Undead


    Summon Unlock Card ¨C Lost Soul


    Adds [Lost Soul] to Summon Spirits


    Summon Unlock Card ¨C Mammoth Graveyard


    Adds [Mammoth Graveyard] to Create Undead


    Summon Unlock Card ¨C Shinobi Necro


    Adds [Shinobi Necro] to Create Undead


    The last card is different, slightly at least...


    Summon Unlock Card ¨C Summoned Skull


    Adds [Summoned Skull] to Summon Greater Demon


    Missing Pre-Requisite Skill


    Summoning Demons? That''s not a necromancer skill, there must me a demon related class I can choose eventually. Interesting but no use to me at the moment so it goes back into my inventory until I can use it. Moving on to the Crystals...


    END Stat Crystal


    Use to increases END by 5


    LCK Stat Crystal


    Use to increases LCK by 5


    Nice to have, I use them both immediately, feeling my body strengthen slightly. Soon I might even have the HP of a regular skeleton, f.u.c.k.i.n.g Weak Trait... moving on before I get angrier at my pitiful HP.


    Amulet of the Lich


    Doubles all Death Damage dealt by the wearer


    Grants all Undead controlled by the wearer a 25% damage boost


    Robes of Mannimarco


    Grants all Undead controlled by the wearer a 25% damage reduction


    Grants all Undead controlled by the wearer a 25% damage boost


    They are amazing of course, there''s only one problem. They look so... edgy. The Robes are plain black with a red trim on the arms and collar, which is fine if you ignore the giant red skull on the front, it looks so f.u.c.k.i.n.g dumb. But it''s amazing. The Amulet is simply a black skull shaped piece of metal, nothing special looks wise, I can wear it under my uniform. The Robes are going into my inventory, I''ll wear them in Dungeons but never where people can see me.


    It''s so dumb...


    Putting everything away I head out, not noticing the confused look on my ''fathers'' face as I leave, it doesn''t take long to arrive at the school gate, and this time my lungs don''t feel like they are trying to kill me. I enter completely ignoring the looks the students are giving me, I already know they don''t like me.


    - Sona Sitri -


    As she watched the new student walk into the school, Sona narrowed her eyes at his back. He had changed, a ridiculous amount. From a purely physical perspective she could see that he had put on some muscles, not many but they were there. This skin, which looked sickly just the day before had a more healthy look to it, as did his once greasy hair. But far more importantly his Magic had sky rocketed, to a nonsensical amount, her own was stronger of course but for a human to go from having so little magic to this in a single night was unheard of, and highly impressive. So much so that Sona was reconsidering letting Rias have this one... she knows Rias''s upcoming problem, but someone with this level of power didn''t come along every day. And Kuro would make a fine Bishop... if only she didn''t already have two bishops.


    Unfortunately she only had a Knight, a Rook and 7 Pawns left. But he would be a wonderful Pawn for her Peerage as well... she had some serious thinking to do.


    - Kuro -


    Classes sucked, I could be spending this time building my horde and gaining power, instead I''m doing basic maths. With 120 INT this isn''t even a challenge, I finished the worksheet in five minutes... unfortunately the harpy of a teacher just gave me another, longer harder worksheet. Which I finished in 7 minutes, but the demon just gave me more worksheets, this is discrimination against smart people. I briefly fantasise about introducing her and her worksheets to my horde, before getting to work, spotting Kiba holding in a laugh as I do.


    Yuuto Kiba


    The Avenging Knight


    HP ¨C 12000


    SP ¨C 15000


    MP ¨C 5000


    Race ¨C Devil


    LVL ¨C 32


    STR ¨C 87


    END ¨C 71


    DEX ¨C 148


    INT ¨C 46


    WIS ¨C 49


    CHA ¨C 98


    LCK ¨C 51


    Thoughts about you ¨C Amus.e.m.e.nt


    Glad you find this funny Kiba, I''m so f.u.c.k.i.n.g happy to amuse you. I could take you, probably. If I had all 30 summons, and my gear I could take him, with his f.u.c.k.i.n.g 12k HP. Wish I had 12k health... maybe it''s a devil thing? Maybe I can become a Lich, wait aren''t lich''s basically walking skeletons? Maybe I should rethink that...


    - Later -


    The old hag obviously has a special skill to summon worksheets, because the more I completed the more she made appear. But I am done, school is over and I don''t have to do maths any more... my head hurts. I''ve learnt that all teachers punish genius, I tried speeding through the work but they just kept adding more, but now I am free from this hell. Ignoring the mistrusting glare of a cat loli I leave the school looking for a empty alleyway to hide in. as I move I can feel some ones eyes on me but I can''t see anyone, I can''t detect life... only death. I move around at random but the feeling doesn''t go away, I can''t see anything so I decide to just do it. Heading into a empty alleyway I immediately jump back into the dungeon, and the feeling disappears immediately, if they were watching they must be pretty confused right now, but f.u.c.k them. I almost reached their levels in a single night so I don''t see a reason to fear them, I just need more power.


    Switching to the stupid robes I summon my entire horde, smirking as we heavily outnumber the angels. I''ll never be outnumbered with my legion of dead. And I still have 18 more summons to choose. Picking Mammoth Graveyard I am immediately disappointed as it fails, saying I need to be level 30 for that undead. Then why add it to my list? Fine, I''ll take a Chained Soul. Which also fails saying I need the Trap Soul skill for this spirit...


    Counting to ten to calm myself I go over my options again.


    First, three more Skeleton Hordes, taking the number to 50 total skeletons, the base of my horde. Then I take 3 more pairs of Totenhunds, getting a pack of ten total. Another Bayrok to take me to five total. Three more wraiths and three more Living Armours to pad out my forces, I like having multiplies of five. That''s 25 total summons, leaving me with 5 left to summon. Most of my forces are physical damage dealers except my Wraiths so I select Lost Souls and summon them 5 times. 25 souls rise up from the ground, wearing long black robes and glowing with a purple light, their faces twisted in agony.


    Lost Soul


    Level 20


    HP ¨C 1000


    F.u.c.k yes, my first higher level summons. 25 Level 20 summons, which make my other undead seem weak in comparison, damn it I like my other summons...


    Sending my new legion forwards they shred the affinity''s in record time, but really with a horde 100 strong what chance did the 12 angels have? The big bastard does equally little as he is overwhelmed by the lost souls death magic. And that is enough to level me, hitting the big 30.


    Kuro


    Level ¨C 30


    Class ¨C Necromancer ¨C LVL 30/100 [2%]


    Race ¨C Human


    Rank ¨C Mortal


    Alignment ¨C True Neutral


    HP ¨C 90 [18 per minute]


    MP ¨C 3100 [310 per 30 seconds]


    SP ¨C 90 [18 per 30 seconds]


    STR ¨C 12


    END ¨C 18


    DEX ¨C 12


    INT ¨C 155


    WIS ¨C 155


    CHA ¨C 15


    LCK ¨C 18


    [Damnation] (Active)


    500 MP to cast


    All non-undead units will gain [Damned]


    [Damned] units take double damage from Death and Plague Damage


    [Enhance Undead] (Active)


    2500 MP to cast


    Enhance a undead under your control increasing its level by 5


    Can be cast multiple times but undead cannot be raised past the Necromancer''s Class Level


    [Create Soulflask] (Active)


    250 MP to cast


    Create a glass flask that can hold a single soul within it


    Dying souls will be drawn to open soul flasks


    [Create Mummy] (Active)


    200 MP to cast


    Create a mummy to fight for you, you can only have 1 mummy per 5 INT.


    Mummys can be dismissed and summoned at will.


    Mummys Available


    [Sadikh] [Khri-Habi] [Aptrganga] [Akert] [Ze''Atashma] [Kher-Minakh]


    Damnation is very useful, especially now that I have my Lost Souls, Create Mummy is interesting but I have on idea what all those summons are, experiments for later I guess, I use Create Soulflask immediately, looking at the glass flask with runes along it in my hands, cool but I don''t know what I can do with souls, do angels even have souls?


    But the real gem is Enhance Undead, finally I can level up my guys. This place is f.u.c.k.i.e.d now.


    It takes a while, as I have to let my MP regen but eventually I have my entire legion up to level 30.


    Skeleton Horde


    Level 30


    HP ¨C 2000


    Bayrok


    Level 30


    HP ¨C 3000


    Totenhund


    Level 30


    HP ¨C 2500


    Wraith


    Level 30


    HP ¨C 3000


    Living Armour


    Level 30


    HP ¨C 4000


    Lost Soul


    Level 30


    HP ¨C 2000


    They are far more impressive now, the Skeleton Horde have a red glow coming from their empty eye sockets and a black aura around them, their weapons have been upgraded to a black metal, with green ooze dripping from it, gaining Plague Damage to their attacks, maybe the Archers will even hit something now.


    The Bayroks have gained a shadowy aura around them, making them hard to look at, their stealth capabilities greatly increased. Their arrows are coated in poison, and made of a far greater material, they are becoming true assassins.


    My precious Totenhunds have grown up, into snarling beasts bigger than great danes, their claws and fangs are sharper than ever. And perhaps more importantly they have gained enhanced senses, no one will be sneaking up on us with my pack sniffing out stealth units.


    The wraith and lost souls haven''t changed much, maybe it''s a spirit thing? Their aura has grown denser and their attacks more dangerous but they are still the same appearance wise.


    My Living Armour''s have gained a shield in their empty hands, and their rusty armour has been replaced with dull black plate armour, no one is getting though them now, I''ll be safe behind them.


    My army is wonderful, and powerful. I really am on the path to becoming the Lich King, now all I need is a cursed sword and a few million more undead. Before I go through the gate I open the chest and gain another card, I can always use more summons.


    Summon Unlock Card ¨C Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower


    Adds [Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower] to Create Undead


    I can summon... a tower? Why? Well I have a free spot since I leveled up so why not? The tower that rises from the ground is massive, towering over me.


    Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower


    Level 30


    HP ¨C 10000


    10k health is amazing... but what does it do? It doesn''t attack it''s a building, whatever it''s mine now. Opening the dungeon proper I lead my horde in the tower going back into the ground, I think it will reappear when we start a battle. Guess I''ll find out what it does later. Walking into the dungeon I can''t help but feel proud of my legion, from having some weak skeletons, a suit of armour and an archer to a horde of 100 badass undead.


    I take a moment to look around, the path splits off to three different areas, a golden forest, a white temple and a lake surrounded by flowers. There''s another gate ahead with three key holes in it and a weird angel dragon guarding it, there are dozens of Level 20 Affinity''s and some other types of angels flying around above the paths.


    This dungeon is completely f.u.c.k.i.e.d.


    - Bonus Scene ¨C A King''s Council -


    "So, I take it everyone has seen our new student..." Rias started as her peerage gathered in the old schoolhouse.


    "Of course, he is in my class after all." Kiba said casually, thinking of the anti social teen.


    "I haven''t had a chance to speak with him, but I''ve certainly heard the whispers, and I''ve certainly felt him throwing his magic around..." Akeno said seriously for once.


    "I don''t like him... he''s... wrong." Koneko whispered already knowing what her King had in mind.


    "What do you mean Koneko? I know he is... somewhat eerie in appearance, but he doesn''t feel wrong to me." Rias said worriedly.


    "I don''t know, he smells of death and decay..." Koneko continued, not willing to admit that she was afraid of the wrongness that surrounded around the new student.


    "Koneko... will it be a problem if he joins my Peerage? Can you work with him? You all know why I need someone strong and this Kuro is gaining power at a ridiculous rate. I had to agree to a lot to get Sona to let me have the first chance at him, will you be ok if he joins us?" Rias asked seriously, in most situations Koneko''s words would be enough to put her off Kuro, but she was getting desperate, desperate enough to recruit him even if Koneko didn''t want him to join.


    "I... I''ll be fine, I can handle it..." Koneko whispered, still not willing to voice her apprehension and worry.


    "It''s settled then, we will be getting a new family member soon!" Rias said excitedly, something like pale skin and empty eyes didn''t matter to her, not if he could save her.


    "Do you really think it''s going to be that easy to recruit him? He isn''t a people person to put it lightly, I''ve never even heard him speak except for when he was introducing himself." Kiba asked, not getting caught up in her enthusiasm.


    "It''ll be fine, I know he already knows about the supernatural after all, my familiars saw him teleport from a alleyway, so he probably already knows about devils and angels, I just need the right moment. Besides the Fallen are already sniffing around him, I have my familiar watching his house and they''ve seen one of the Fallen hanging around near his home, a lot. When the Fallen attack him, I can save him and recruit him then. I''m sure he''ll be overjoyed to be apart of out family." Rias said confidently.


    Authors Note : To be clear this isn''t a rewrite. I''m still continuing my other story. I''ll alternate between the two


    A lot of the Necromancy stuff is from the Necromancer CYOA by The Scientist, and modified to match the Gamer setting


    This one will probably be less lemon based, maybe one or two a chapter.


    Someone asked if I had a , so I made one, check it out, or don''t. I won''t be posting anything on there that I don''t post here


    pat reon user?u=13212571

 Chapter 43 - My SI Stash #43 - A Gamers Guide to Conquest by The Dark Wolf Shiro (AnimeXover&Marvel)

    -Here''s the sequel to A Gamer''s Guide to Necromancy. I highly recommend you to read the prequel first, before going into this one or not it''s a free world~ except if you live in North Korea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran and the other countries that has Internet forbidden/limited.


    *Damn I''m actually pretty lucky to be born somewhere else, I cannot imagine myself without internet, just Isekai me ASAP


    ¨A( ¡ã ¨Œ,¡ã )


    *This sequel is more Marvel-based, some alternate universes and also other people doing dimension travel. And yes you already know it''s a Shiro fic so there''ll be "make bebe" scenes with Rogue, Negasonic, Storm etc...


    Sypnosis: Kuro lost almost everything... because his fellow Gamer is a crappy parent. Still, at least he got his own Multiverse out of it, Silver Lining. Sequel to Gamers Guide to Necromancy. Lemons, Evil!MC


    Rated: M


    Words: 124K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13420228/1/A-Gamers-Guide-to-Conquest (The Dark Wolf Shiro)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Deep breaths... nice and calm... Deep, deep breathes. Pros... I''m alive. I should be dead, but I''m not. Cons... EVERYTHING ELSE!


    My Skills? Gone. My Levels? Gone. My Inventory, my Perks... all gone.


    "Hey..." a hologram of Shiro starts, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. I know it''s a Hologram because I tried to punch him when he appeared, but I went straight through. "So, I know you probably aren''t exactly happy about all this."


    Oh really... what gave it away?


    "But, I''d like to bring your attention to the good sides of all this! One, we took your... technical death as a chance to update you to the full Game, no more training wheels for you. Two, this is a chance for a do over, any mistakes you made? Just avoid them, I mean realistically you''ve spent what? A couple of months? You haven''t lost that much time, and yes, I''m sure that re-doing DxD and Overlord will be annoying, but it won''t be time consuming at least." he said making me scowl, he isn''t completely wrong... and getting out of this limited game mode is a nice benefit even if it doesn''t make up for everything else.


    I don''t care that I''ve lost progress, I can get that back... Losing my girls hurts however, even if I can get them back.


    "I was going to try saving your progress but.. well Ophis took your death poorly, and there''s not much left of DxD. And the destruction of the Tower Heart kinda... blew up your tower... along with everything in it''s vicinity. I did manage to save some data, some of your girls memories to be exact... you''ll know them when you find them... and I saved your pet bird, she''ll be back soon enough, when you''re in a place she wouldn''t attract the wrong kind of attention."


    Well... at least I have that. Nyx being fine takes the edge of... slightly.


    "I also managed to recover some of your old data, turns out the Game has a recycle bin... it''s been really touchy about that, all this time and it never realised it wasn''t properly deleting data... even if a lot of it was corrupted. I gave some of them a bit of a touch-up... along with a little gift from me to you, call it an apology, you''re not the only one who''s played with Necromancy"


    Item Received


    [The Black Necronomica]


    A Grimoire on Necromancy, compiled by the Grand Necromancer Shiro the Wight after centuries of research.


    Skills Recovered


    [Gamers Mind (Kuro''s)] (Passive)


    Protects the mind of the User, preventing outside influences and access without the Users permission.


    Does not affect the mind or personality of the User.


    Has other abilities for the User to discover.


    [Gamers Body (Kuro''s)] (Passive)


    Allows the User''s body to take on Game-like abilities, preventing the user from dying as long as they have HP.


    Has other abilities for the User to discover.


    [Observe (Kuro''s)] (Active)


    Provides information on the target.


    [Skill Creation (Full)]


    Allows the User to create their own skills if they have the pre-requisite knowledge and proficiencies for them.


    Perks Recovered


    [Background Customisation]


    Allows you full customisation of your chosen background when it is selected during a Jump-chain, allowing you to alter it to your will.


    [Companion Background Maker]


    Allows you to create a background for your companions in other worlds, allowing them to blend in easier with real doc.u.ments to prove they are who you say they are. The backgrounds will be made true, Altering the History of the world you are creating the background in.


    Cannot explain away races foreign to the world you are in.


    [Companion Alignment Suppressor ]


    Companions aren''t always going to agree with you, Heroes won''t want to help villains and Villains won''t want to be made act like do-gooders... that''s where this comes in.


    This Perk prevents Companions from disobeying or betraying you due to your actions... they won''t Approve of your actions if they are against the Companions code but they won''t Oppose them either.


    Does not prevent Affection and Reputation Loss from actions.


    [Soulbound Bets]


    Any Bets made with you are Soulbound, forcing all participants to follow through with their bets, unable to try and worm out of it no matter what their personality is like.


    Warning! All Participants includes you...


    [The Multiverses Most Popular Man]


    Makes People in organisations desperate to recruit you into their organisations, or if that is impossible then they will attempt to ally you with them.


    Makes people more likely to join any Organisation that you are the leader of.


    Warning, Desperate People do stupid things sometimes. This won''t always be to your benefit, as Evil Organisations, or Evil Members of Neutral or Good Organisations may attempt methods such as Blackmail or Threats to force you into their organisation.


    I know I should be focusing on the recovered stuff... but really? Shiro the ''Wight''?


    "Gonna admit... the Game shredded the rest. I was teasing it about never realising that it had a recycle bin... and it emptied it out of spite. It''s still such a d.i.c.k... which brings me to my next point! You may have noticed how.. quiet the Game is being? Yeah, you aren''t connected to it any-more. Say hi, Isis."


    Hello, Master. It''s a pleasure to meet you at last.


    The feminine voice says directly into my head, no text boxes this time?


    "This is Isis, she is your replacement Game... it took a few hundred years to work out how to recreate the Game but I think I did a good job... I decided to give her a name to make her more relatable? She''s basically a child at the moment, nowhere near as strong as her predecessor, but she''ll grow with you, she might even surpass the asshole I''m stuck with given enough time and effort... long story short the Game couldn;t connect with you any-more... because I made a new Multi-Verse for you to play in, without my kids getting involved... there''s certainly enough of them." he laughs before focusing again. "That''s pretty much everything I had to say, it''s going to be... a while before we see each other again... I have a lot to do. Well, for me it''ll pass quickly, I''ve had thousands of years pass by without noticing, but for you I imagine it''ll seem like an eon. Still... we''ll see each other eventually, see you around, Player Two." he says with a wave as he fades. Huh... I''m still pissed at him, but I have to admit it will be weird without him and the Game butting in.


    ...Okay, so now what?


    I believe it is my turn, Master.


    While my current capacities are limited, I have the ability to take you to your ''first'' world, with your permission?


    Looking around the bedroom, I notice something now that I''m calm... well, calmer. There''s no door or windows. This room is completely insular, no way in or out.


    Which means...


    "Do I have to speak out loud?" I ask Isis quickly.


    No, Master. I am connected to you just as my predecessor was, more so even. Simply think and I will respond.


    Lovely, at least you''re less of a d.i.c.k than the Game. Let''s get this over with, I''m ready.


    Ordinarily this would be the part where you make your decisions on your background... but the Gamer Shiro pre-set everything for this jump.


    Of course he did...


    Race set to [Human (Homo Superior)]


    Class set to [Student]


    Level set to [29]


    Background Skills added


    Saved Skill [Nullification Gear] repurposed.


    [Nullification (X-Gene)]


    Your X-Gene allows you to nullify the powers of other mutants you are touching, and you emit a small aura that prevents most X-Genes from working around you.


    [Literature Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)


    You have the skill to read and write with few errors.


    [Japanese Language (Expert)] (Passive)


    You are a natural with the Japanese Language.


    [English Language (Expert)] (Passive)


    You are a natural with the English Language.


    [Maths Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)


    You have the knowledge to do both basic and more advanced mathematical problems.


    [Chemistry Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)


    You have a decent understanding of Chemistry.


    [Biology Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)


    You have a decent understanding of Biology, both Human and Animal.


    [Physics Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)


    You have a decent understanding of Physics.


    [Athletics Proficiency (Novice)] (Passive)


    You have a basic understanding of your own body, and how to use it.


    [Medical Proficiency (Novice)] (Passive)


    You have a basic understanding of how to spot injuries, and deal with them... basically you attending a first-aid course once.


    [Cooking Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)


    You live alone, it was either this or take-out...


    Your cooked meals have a decent effect on health regeneration.


    [Cleaning Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)


    You live alone, and no-one wants to live in a dump.


    [Driving Proficiency (Novice)] (Passive)


    You can drive simpler vehicles, and you''ll only occasionally crash.


    [Basketball Proficiency (Novice)] (Passive)


    You more or less know how to dribble... and sometimes you even get the ball in the hoop.


    [Pickpocketing Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)


    You have sticky hands, unaware targets won''t notice their wallets missing until you are long gone.


    [Lockpicking Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)


    Just because it''s locked, doesn''t mean it''s ''Locked''.


    [Kissing Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)


    Great news! You know where the mouth is, and you can aim for it properly.


    Your partners will be satisfied, if not impressed.


    [Groping Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)


    You are decent at finding just the right spot on your partners, no more fumbling around.


    Your partners will find your touch enjoyable.


    [Oral S.e.x Proficiency (Apprentice)] (Passive)


    You have a tongue don''t you? Put it to good use...


    Your partners will enjoy your efforts, not finding you wanting.


    Wait... X-Gene?


    Oh no... nonononono. Isis, cancel, stop, halt?


    As I''m engulfed in light I take a moment to curse Shiro one last time, of all the places he could have sent me.. why the hell would he choose there?!


    As the light fades, I forcibly calm myself as I look around the new room... it''s nothing special of course, but it''s what it represents that is so worrying...


    Marvel. I''m in the f.u.c.k.i.n.g Marvel Universe. As far as Universes go it''s a pretty bad one... it''s full of things that could erase me in the blink of an eye, foes that could erase me without a moment of hesitation, why would he put me here?!


    Well, cause he''s an asshole, that''s why.


    Calming myself, again, I take a deep breath. While this place is deadly... I should be fine for the most part, most of the big bads would have no reason to bother someone like me, I''m a nobody at the moment.


    But then.. I''m not am I? I''m a Mutant, a part of the Homo Superior Race. Which puts me on the radar, right in the spotlight. Cerebro has probably already picked me up and the brotherhood... Magneto will not be far behind.


    A final ''prank'' from Shiro? Drop my ass in the middle of one of the most dangerous worlds for a joke?


    Gamer Shiro believed that a sink or swim approach was required, but insists that it is not as bad as it seems, Master.


    Of course he did... not as bad?


    It''s like I''m back in DxD when I was just starting again... Just a weakling with too many big people looking at me. This world has far too many dangers, and my only combat ability... is something that I can only use on Mutants.


    I don''t even know which Marvel universe I am in... there''s way too many...


    It is not a Canon one, Master... The Gamer Shiro built this one from scratch taking parts from many versions and combining them into a single world.


    Lovely, a world custom built by Shiro? This is going to go wonderfully.


    First things first... what year is it? And more importantly has the MCU been added to this custom world.


    Looking around my room, I find a pc sitting on a desk, it takes me a moment to rememberer the password for it but I log on with little difficulty, quickly loading up a search engine.


    I need answers and I need them as soon as possible.


    It doesn''t take me long to work out when I am... 2010... and Tony Stark is currently missing, presumed dead. He isn''t obviously, and Iron Man will be showing up sooner or later.


    What''s interesting is that some more searches reveal some more familiar names... the Fantastic Four come up, already having their powers... and more importantly they already have their... rivalry with Dr Doom.


    One of the biggest threats as far as I''m concerned. Victor Von Doom is one of the smartest and most dangerous villains around, and a man I do not want on to be on the shit-list off...


    If the time-line stays the same... I have one year before Thor happens, and two years before the attack on New York by Loki and the Chitauri. Which is the first major event I probably won''t be able to avoid.


    I don''t have to get involved in Thor, as interesting as trying to steal Mjolnir would be I wouldn''t be able to lift it... and even if I could I''d just be putting myself on everyone''s watchlist.


    I could just hide during the invasion of course... only, I''m a Mutant. Which means I need to pick a side... Magneto or Xavier. I suppose the Hellfire Club is another choice, but my searches have found very little about them... is Sebastian Shaw in charge? I don''t want to deal with him.


    Magneto is one of my favourite villains... but I don''t think being a part of his organisation would end well for me, Xavier is the better choice simply because he''s soft.


    But... Isis, would my Gamers Mind be able to keep telepaths out of my head?


    Of course, Master.


    Even if it couldn''t, you''re X-Gene would nullify his attempts to enter your mind.


    Thanks Isis... so much nicer than the Game.


    I live to serve, Master.


    So, I don;t have to worry about Xavier... and Jean Grey, possibly Emma Frost and Rachel Summers rummaging around in my head. There are... other reasons I wouldn''t want to join Xavier''s school, which I know exists, it has it''s own site, ran by Dr Hank McCoy.


    Mostly... Cyclops. I despise Cyclops, always have. The moment he came on the screen in the first X-Men movie I thought ''That guy is a douche''. Didn''t even need him to speak. He just had the look of an asshole.


    Afterwards I was wondering if he was just badly represented in the movies, and checked out the comics... turns out I hated him even more there.


    More searching makes me pause in confusion... Spider-man.


    Why is Spider-man active already? It''s not much, a few YouTube videos and some small posts, nothing major but he is already swinging through New York... but if this has the MCU then... he shouldn''t show up till just before Civil War right?


    Already my time-line is falling apart.


    On the bright side, searching for Thor and Asgard finds me absolutely nothing aside from mythology. Not even the slightest hint that they are real, and Jane Foster brings up a Astrophysicist that looks an awful lot like Natalie Portman, so she''s the movie version which means Thor should be the same.


    Tony Stark is Robert Downing Jr of course, who else could he be?


    ...I''m not googling Nick Fury, he''ll probably show up within an hour if I do. Let''s not do anything to attract the attention of the super-spy. And I obviously won''t find any pictures of Black Widow or Hawkeye either, not going to search for S.H.I.E.L.D.


    Searching for Captain America brings up an old picture, and the directions to a museum? Looks like the good Captain is the Movie version as well.


    A few more searches reveals that Frost International is ran by Emma Frost, which means she''s probably already the White Queen, probably. Hellfire Club is a bit of a mystery to me, I have a general knowledge about it but not enough. I know they''re not exactly nice though...


    Honestly, if I can find an in with them it might not be a bad idea to join up, if I can get enough information about them first, I don''t like going in blind. At least I know the X-men and the Brotherhood of Mutants.


    Closing the browser I look through the computer in amus.e.m.e.nt, p.o.r.n and p.o.r.n games is basically all that''s on it. Some course-work, some pictures, other than that? Nothing.


    Leaning back I sigh slightly, realistically this might not be that bad. Marvel is a world that ranges from street level fighting with barely above average levels of strength, to the universe level threats.


    I just need to keep my head down, and not attract any of the biggest threats. Thanos? Doesn''t even know I exist. Hulk? Somewhere in south America I think, works for me. Galactus? Will probably show up and try and eat earth sooner or later, but he won''t be my problem. One Above All? No Idea... and that scares me.


    When Gamer Shiro created this world, he didn''t bother creating One Above All, calling him an annoyance. There is no One Above All in this version of Marvel.


    Huh... I suppose Shiro has his plus-sides, the knowledge that I''m not going to be insta-killed by something I could never possibly fight is good.


    Honestly, a lot of the villains and threats I can simply... ignore. If I don''t attract their attention, then they aren''t my problem. This world has just as many Heroes as it does Villains, I can just sit back and watch them battle it out, maybe grabbing some of the spoils if no-one is looking.


    I don''t think Xavier forces people to join the X-Men, if he does come for me I can sit pretty in his nice posh school... which gets attacked every other Tuesday.


    Still, I will happily be a background character. Don''t even bother colouring me in, I can be one of those face-less guys in the comics that don''t even get any details.


    I have to admit though...


    Kuro Tepes


    Level ¨C 29


    Class ¨C Student


    Race ¨C Human (Homo Superior)


    Alignment ¨C ?


    Mentor ¨C None


    Apprentice ¨C None


    HP ¨C 495 [66 regen per five minutes]


    MP ¨C 1,005 [138 regen per minute]


    SP ¨C 495 [66 regen per minute]


    STR ¨C 37


    END ¨C 33


    DEX ¨C 31


    INT ¨C 67


    WIS ¨C 69


    CHA ¨C 58


    LCK ¨C 54


    Credits ¨C 0


    It''s not great, but... it''s not Level One either. Also... Kuro Tepes? As in Vlad Tepes? Shiro... what did you do?


    I need to level... and more importantly, I need my magic back... which is why I have this.


    Pulling the Grimoire from Shiro out of my Inventory I pause, looking at the black leather book. What is that leather made out of? It doesn''t feel like regular leather...


    Why is the writing red?


    F.u.c.k.i.n.g Shiro... I can''t say I''m surprised... I''d probably do the same thing, if you''re making a Necromancy Grimoire there are certain cliches you have to follow.


    Still... it can go back in the inventory for now, I don''t want to get caught with a book made from bits of human, that would be fun to explain.


    I have memories of my landlord bursting into my room whenever he wants to, and he already hates me. He''s a nobody, just some bitter old man who likes overcharging me for this shitty apartment.


    He''s convinced I robbed him a couple of years back... which to be fair, I do remember doing. He started it, he increased my rent over me having someone over, so I took the extra money from him. D.i.c.k.


    Looking around, I grab a cheap hoodie from my wardrobe and head out. If I''m going to be living in New York I might as well get to know the area, and I do want to see central park.


    Look, Necromancers can act like tourist too.


    I could be getting angry and raging over my lost levels... over my lost progress... but anger is just so... inefficient. Getting angry won''t help me get my power back, and Shiro has f.u.c.k.i.e.d off somewhere, probably taking the bitch with him.


    So who would I get angry at? I should focus on regaining my power so I can reach DxD and Overlord again, getting my girls back. I was barely in Highschool of the Dead so I have less of a connection with those girls, but I want my girls back dammit.


    Still... Isis, I have a question.


    How can I assist, Master?


    How do I level? I noticed I don''t have my ID skills any more, so how am I supposed to gain levels?


    The system has been changed Master, each Class is leveled by doing actions befitting that class. A Student can level by Studying, attending class, going to school clubs.


    By acting like a student essentially, each class has its own actions that will increase its level, if you ever get stuck, feel free to ask.


    The Class Level Actions aren''t locked, so I am free to tell you them whenever you ask.


    Huh... so to power-level my current class I need to spend time in a library not a dungeon? I can''t say it doesn''t make more sense... and how do I get more classes? I only have Student at the moment.


    Simple, Master. By earning them, the requirements change from class to class but they are all related to the class itself. You could gain Spy by studying under Black Widow, Martial Artist by learning martial arts.


    For magic classes you either need a Teacher... or a Grimoire.


    I have been given selection of Grimoires to serve as rewards, but the Game has been placed limiters on me to prevent me from simply giving them to you.


    You have to earn them.


    Which is why he gave me the Necromancy Grimoire... nice to know, and I can''t say I''m surprised the Game took precautions. I''ll have to study it when I get the chance. Thanks Isis.


    Any time, Master.


    Well, that''s for later... As for why I am going to central park? Well... I could just try and level non-stop, but that would be both emotionally and mentally draining. Rushing would just drain me, patience and careful planning will take me further than just rushing.


    Overlord taught me that. I rushed around like an idiot and I paid for it, and in a world as dangerous as Marvel? I should take my time, it''s better to gain power slowly without gaining attention than to rush everything and get myself killed.


    Besides... If I''m trying to prepare for surviving the attack on New York then I have around two years to get to a level where I can survive the attack and honestly the Chitauri weren''t the strongest enemies if you ignore the big ass leviathans.


    They have numbers, but really? Hawkeye was taking them down with a f.u.c.k.i.n.g bow, it was probably made from some super metal, with equally special arrows. But still, if arrows can kill them then surely my magic can as well?


    Once I have it back... wait weren''t they cybernetically enhanced? Would Death Magic even work on them? That would suck to find out... pretty sure a Bayrok could take them down either way, not sure about a Death Knight... they''re melee units and the Chitauri would have to be stupid to get killed by a corpse with a sword when they''re mostly flying ranged units.


    Yes, I do remember that Captain America, Thor and Hulk fought them in close range, but try telling the Hulk that he can''t hit a flying unit, see how that goes for you. Plus Thor can just bring the lightning and no-one told the good Captain that shields were for defence.


    Grabbing my phone and heading out, I ignore the scowling landlord peering through his door and set out into the wider city. I know Marvel New York is crime central with all the villains based in it, but I shouldn''t get dragged into anything in the middle of the day.


    I already know my way around... more or less, I have the memories of growing up here after all.


    The background Shiro gave me is an that of an half-British half-Japanese orphan... in America for some reason? My mother was British and my father Japanese, which doesn''t make sense... Tepes is a Romanian name... Shiro wasn''t even trying was he? I think my mother had some Romanian blood but my past self didn''t really care about his heritage so he didn''t really know.


    Both of my ''parents'' died in a car crash leaving me to alone, I have a decent amount of money in the bank from selling the house, but not enough to buy a new place, which is why I''m renting this shithole.


    It''s in East Harlem, crime rates are... not great here, but from my memories if you keep your head down and avoid certain ally-ways which are different gangs territory you can be mostly unbothered.


    The trick is not to dress up, if you look like you don''t have anything worth taking then they won''t bother you... a lesson learnt after a couple of lost wallets and phones.


    Besides, Spider-man is getting more and more active, and I can remember hearing rumours of someone attacking criminals in Hells Kitchen. My past self shrugged it off, but I know better. Daredevil is starting to move.


    Iron Fist, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones won''t be that far behind, probably.


    My ''background'' is that of a fairly nerdy guy with a bit of an attitude problem, and some bad habits. He doesn''t need money, but pickpocketing was a hobby of his, as was breaking and entering into the homes of people who pissed him off.


    He was mostly just acting out over his parents death, I''ll stop that. Unnecessary risks and all that.


    He kept to himself in school, a few associates but no real friends. Even his f.u.c.k-buddy isn''t someone he cares about, their relationship is purely physical, neither of them care enough to make it any more than that. Which means I have little in the way of connections I need to care about, I''m thankful for that.


    The memories might be in my head, but I can''t quite connect with them, I wouldn''t gain any feelings my past life had if he had a girlfriend, and they''d notice me acting different.


    Having only acquaintances should make things similar, I can make new connections with better people.


    He was smart, slacked off in class and skipped occasionally but he got away with it since his grades were always great, he was good with tests.


    Heading along the familiar streets I let my background memories guide me, I know my way around but I don''t quite recognise anything around me.


    It''s an odd feeling of Deja vu, I have memories of this place, but they aren''t mine... it''s like seeing a place in a movie or touring it in street-view, and then going there for the first time. It''s all familiar, just not that familiar.


    I haven''t seen all ''my'' memories yet, they''re filtering through as I walk, remembering more and more.


    It doesn''t take me long, even on foot to reach Central Park. I think I wanted to come here in my original life... before I ever started the Game. It''s blurry, but I can vaguely remember seeing it in a game I was playing and thinking... I want to see that with my own eyes.


    As I walk towards the park an all too familiar red-clad figure swings straight over me, turning I manage to spot Spider-man as he swings around a corner, heading out of sight.


    ...He looked small, not a fully-grown man clearly. So that would make Peter still a high-school student? Probably around my current age, sixteen or seventeen.


    He definitely hasn''t been active for very long. Pulling my phone out I put in some quick searches, getting mixed results.


    Rhino, Kraven the Hunter, Electro, Sandman and Tombstone all bring up results... but Green Goblin, Vulture and the other major villains do not.


    Norman Osborn is the CEO of Oscorp, no mentions of any crimes... well, any super-crimes. He''s still a shady bastard. Otto Octavius comes up with some papers he''s written, nothing out of the ordinary.


    May Parker comes up as well oddly enough, as a worker at F.E.A.S.T... which is from the Spiderman PS4 game, but the picture on Facebook is clearly MCU May Parker.


    It''s going to be a bitch to work out who is from what version in this place... Martin Li, or Mr Negative is at F.E.A.S.T as well.


    Looking up X-men villains is informative, Magneto comes up with a few dozen warnings, he''s wanted in just about every country. Mystique is mentioned in his associates, but there''s not much else. Apocalypse doesn''t come up, which means that''s not happened yet... neither does Mr. Sinister.


    Sabretooth is a wanted serial killer, William Stryker is a respected Colonel so that means the Purifiers haven''t happened yet. None of the Brotherhood mutants really bring anything up... but Pietro does have a Facebook page.


    I''m getting nowhere with this, Pietro has the look of his X-Men Days of Future Past counterpart, which is admittedly the best Quicksilver. But if Tony Stark is the MCU version shouldn''t he be the Age of Ultron version?


    Not to mention he lives in New York not Sokovia.


    Ugh... this is going to be such a headache to work out.


    Master, I would advise that you stop looking up things that may have not have happened yet, it will attract unwanted attention.


    I have erased the traces for you but I have limits placed on me determining how much I can intervene.


    Good point, Isis... thanks.


    So much nicer than the game. And she has a point, I need info but google searching people isn''t the smartest.


    Still... Central Park lives up to my expectations, might as well enjoy it while I''m here. I could use some R&R.


    - Nick Fury -


    Looking over the report he frowned thoughtfully. Things were changing, and it was getting harder and harder to keep up.


    Enhanced Individuals were appearing at an increasing rate, and his agents were starting to struggle, even with the best tech available to mankind. They just couldn''t compete with the super-powered beings showing up just about everywhere.


    Super-powers weren''t new, Carol was proof of that, Logan was proof of that and Mutants weren''t new either, but they used to be rare. Now he was getting more and more reports of powered individuals showing up everywhere, whether they were using their powers for their own gain, playing hero or just trying to keep their heads down.


    He wished he could have his men infiltrate that damn school of Xavier''s so he could get some answers from the professor, but the man had protection. S.H.I.E.L.D was supposed to be able to act however he deemed fit... but even he had someone holding his leash or a council of someone''s to be exact.


    School for the ''gifted'' his ass, why would James Logan be teaching at a normal school? The man could teach, Natasha was proof of that, but what would he teach normal children?


    Charles Xavier was off-limits, as was his school. For now. And the other mutant leader? Magneto had gone to ground, and when he did show up it ended badly for S.H.I.E.L.D. How do you fight someone who can control metal... when almost everything they used was made of metal?


    Metal was everywhere, and even with his scientists trying to make plastic versions of their gear, he could still control any metal around them. Last time they fought with him they lost a Helicarrier, he just tore it up and threw it in the ocean.


    Covering that up was difficult, replacing all the men who died on it was even more so. He had a lot of people on the Brotherhood case, but so far? Nothing. Magneto appeared and disappeared at random, wiping the floor with anyone who got in his way.


    The ''Fantastic Four'' were equally off limits, they were basically celebrities, and America loved them. He''d eat his remaining eye for a chance to get Reed Richards working for S.H.I.E.L.D, but they''d turned him down hard and he''d been ordered to accept their decision.


    They were ''independent'' and he had to respect that. What was the point of being a super-spy in charge of a super-spy organisation if you were barely allowed to spy on people?


    ...At least he was allowed spy on the ''Spider-man''. Spider-boy more like, Peter Parker was practically a child. He was a na?ve boy with super-strength, super-reflexes and agility, possibly super-intelligence, or he was just... very smart.


    He''d been left to his devices because even as a teenager who didn''t look like he''d been hit by puberty yet, he was very good at taking down some of the ''Super-Villains'' that were popping up in New York, which allowed S.H.I.E.L.D to grab them when he was done.


    He didn''t like the Raft, but it served it''s purpose. Keeping all the Enhanced criminals in one place seemed like a disaster waiting to happen, but it was his job to stop that from ever happening.


    Magneto could take the place apart in seconds, which is why he was never sending a single member of the brotherhood there, no matter what the council said. They learnt that when they managed to imprison Mystique, it took Magneto around two hours to free her, and most of that was travel time.


    God he hated that man.


    Still... he might just have a solution, Kuro Tepes. Possibly a descendent of Vlad the Impaler if his mothers Romanian heritage was anything to go by, and more importantly... a Mutant with the power to nullify other mutant powers... was Dracula a Mutant? He''d seen weirder.


    He got caught up in a Independent Mutant running from S.H.I.E.L.D agents two days ago, just some idiot using his powers for petty crime with the power to fire lightning from his hands.


    The criminal tried grabbing Kuro as a hostage after being cornered, but the moment he did he lost his powers. His men grabbed him but they took their eyes of Kuro for just a moment and he was gone when they finished sedating the criminal. They had reported it but they hadn''t put two and two together and realised why the criminal had lost his powers.


    Truly he had the best of the best working for him. Thankfully Maria was far smarter than the rest of the brain surgeons he had under him and had brought it to his attention.


    Someone who could just no-sell mutant powers? That was someone he wanted in his organisation, he was technically classed as a Low Threat, his power wasn''t one that would make him a danger, at least that was what it looked like so far, they needed more tests to be sure. Kuro could simply negate other Mutants powers, but as far as he was concerned? That was worth Kuro''s weight in gold... or Vibranium.


    Sure, he had some bad habits. But a little pickpocketing and B&E was nothing to what his best agent had done in the past, he could overlook it. It was just a kid acting out after all.


    Grabbing him of the street was an option, but it wasn''t exactly the best first impression. Kuro might not even know that he had powers, and it was easier to attract flies with honey than vinegar.


    Last thing he needed was to make him run away and join the Brotherhood. Magneto was really good at finding Mutants, same with Xavier, one day he''d find out how they were doing it, they almost always beat him to the punch.


    With Kuro activating his mutant gene it''d only be a matter of time until those two turned up, they always did. Was activating the right word? He didn''t know, that was the problem when it came to mutants, he didn''t know anything, and it seemed like everyone was getting in his way as he tried to learn more.


    Getting an alert he resisted the urge to hit his head on the desk... Magneto had just been reported within two blocks of Kuro. He only had a single agent watching Kuro, he hadn''t been able to cut through the red tape the council had wrapped him in enough to send more.


    They''d blocked his ''Avengers Initiative'' at every turn, and had been thoroughly against hiring powered individuals, so he''d been trying to stop them from finding out by being subtle. Sometimes he had to remind himself that they weren''t enemies.


    Now wasn''t the time for subtlety.


    "Maria, prepare three... no, four squads, the Master of Magnetism has crawled out for his hiding hole again. Make sure they''re properly equipped, no metal." he ordered into his radio.


    They couldn''t get close with vehicles since Magneto would turn them into his weapons, so they''d have to stop a distance away from the terrorist leader, and fighting him in the middle of the city would not be in their favour.


    Ideally any battle with Magneto would be in the middle of a forest with no metal within a few miles, but things rarely went so perfectly.


    He would not let his best chance at getting a counter towards the growing Mutant problem be stolen by Magneto. He had nothing against mutants from a personal stand-point, but from a professional stand-point they were a problem.


    A race of super-powered individuals, that mostly looked like humans? That could be born to regular humans, popping up anywhere?


    As the man whose job it was to keep track of people like that, they were a major problem, one of his biggest problem. Right behind Hydra, a group that just wouldn''t die.


    He didn''t know who they current leader of Hydra was, but they were proving to be almost as bad the Red Skull himself, and this time there was no Captain America to fight them. He had seen far too many snake themed assassins lately.


    Why did it always have to be snakes?


    - Kuro -


    I don''t know how, but this is Shiro''s fault.


    Staring at the all to familiar face under a red helmet I frown to myself, asking the question I already know the answer to.


    "Who are you, and what do you want with me?" I ask quickly, staring into the face of Ian McKellen, I know I''m in danger... but part of me wants to fanboy.


    "You may call me Magneto." the iconic voice responds, a calm look on his face as he lifts us both into the air, using what looks like a metal sheet to raise me into the air, sliding it beneath me as he levitates himself.


    I saw the agents rushing towards us, and I can see another familiar face tearing through them as Sabretooth makes short work of the gun wielding humans with a savage grin. S.H.I.E.L.D?


    ...From this height I might just die if I negated his powers, not that I have even the slightest plan of fighting f.u.c.k.i.n.g Magneto. He''s on the list of people I absolutely do not want to fight, right there with Doctor Doom, The Hulk, Dormammu, Thanos, and many others.


    He can lift the metal sheet beneath me because it''s so large that my negation can''t effect it all. My negation aura is barely a meter.


    "...And you decided that the sky was a good place for a conversation?" I ask keeping myself calm, Magneto isn''t just going to kill me with no reason. He''s a villain but he isn''t insane.


    "I simply wished to keep our... guests from interrupting us, humans have no place in this conversation." he says dismissively.


    "Mutants only, huh?" I ask making his eyebrow twitch.


    "You already know? I see, that saves us some time... yes, I am like you, A Mutant, part of the Homo Superior race and I have come to guide you to your fellow brethren, to your brothers and sisters. You have a great gift, my boy... one that should not be squandered amongst people who would turn on you the moment your true nature was revealed. Already you have the attention of those who would use you until they had no more purpose for you, discarding you." he said calmly... I have to admit, the fact that it''s Ian McKellen''s voice makes declining harder... that and the height problem. Not to mention... I f.u.c.k.i.n.g love Magneto. Such a cool villain...


    "I..." I start, trailing off as Magneto calmly moves another piece of metal above him just in time to block a lightning bolt from the skies, the sky darkening as thunder clouds appear.


    "Hmm, I should have known." he mutters, ripping the metal into shards and launching them into the clouds, as the razor sharp shards shoot into the darkened sky a chocolate skinned woman flies out of them, her white hair dancing in the high winds, she wastes no time as she sends another blast of lightning at Magneto which he blocks with an almost bored expression.


    "Give up, Magneto. We won''t let you brainwash anyone else into your little cult." she says calmly making his eyebrows twitch, a small smirk appearing on his face.


    "The ''Weather Goddess'' talking about cults? Amusing. I am not the one who passed themselves off as a God, and I have no desire to brainwash anyone. I believe that''s Charles role is it not? Has he not come to preach the good word about peace and love?" he asks dryly, lowering us down.


    I wouldn''t want to fight Storm in the skies either.


    As he gets low enough he pauses, sighing slightly.


    "Really Logan? How many times must I crush you before you learn that someone with metal bones can''t beat a Master of Magnetism?" he asks reaching out towards some bushes, as he does Hugh Jackman jumps out from them, claws extended as he leaps towards Magneto, freezing in the air as his body contorts unnaturally. "I can detect the metal within you, you should have learnt that by know." Magneto says bluntly as he tosses Wolverine away dismissively.


    As he does I catch Sabretooth just... standing there, not moving at all. Looking around I see that the S.H.I.E.L.D agents are doing the exact same thing... those that are still alive anyway.


    "It''s not like you to come out in person Charles, did you think your soldiers would be insufficient?" Magneto asks in amus.e.m.e.nt, levitating Xavier''s wheelchair into view.


    "I thought I should give this a personal touch, Old friend." Charles Xavier responds calmly, showing no fear as he is held in the air.


    No fanboying, yes it''s Patrick Stewart, but no fanboying Kuro...


    Still... as I watch Sabretooth breaks free of Xavier''s hold due to Magneto hitting him with a metal shard, the pain waking him up, more of Magneto''s crew showing up as he does I have to admit... I don''t want to be here.


    - Charles Xavier -


    Freezing the card throwing Mutant in place he watched in confusion as Erik gestured for his men to stop fighting.. they were admittedly winning through sheer numbers.


    "This achieves nothing... old friend. All we have managed to do is chase our mutual target away." Erik responded to his confusion without him needing to ask, looking over at where the newly discovered mutant had been he frowned seeing the empty space.


    He couldn''t sense the mind of his potential student without Cerebros assistance, and they''d had to rely on Logan''s ability to track Victor by scent to find them. He hadn''t noticed when they had simply fled, but he wasn''t surprised. This wasn''t the best first impression, any normal person would flee seeing a battle between two super-powered teams.


    "So you are just leaving? It''s not like you to give up" he asked calmly, if Erik truly wanted him dead, he would be dead. A fact he had known for years.


    "No, I have no intention of giving up. I am simply finding a different approach. Goodbye Charles, enjoy your delusions of peace while you still can." he said, gathering his team up with metal sheets and simply flying them away.


    As his wheelchair dropped with a thud he frowned... the wheels had been bent out of place. Erik could be incredibly petty.


    Still, it did slow him down considerably, he couldn''t exactly chase after the runaway.


    "Logan, can you track our wayward potential student? Ororo... I believe I require assistance." he admitted calmly, ignoring Logan''s amused chuckle, taking a brief moment to erase the memories of the government agents with a frown. He was sure his allies in congress had ordered Director Fury to stop that.


    "This is why we said you should stay in the mansion, Chuck. Don''t worry, I can already smell him, I''ll bring him back." Logan said with a smirk.


    "And if he did we would have been overwhelmed, Magneto has been recruiting... and it seems he''s less worried about sending his recruits out than we were... perhaps we should have brought Cyclops and the others after all." Ororo remarked making him frown.


    "They aren''t ready, not yet." he said quickly, watching as Logan set off into the distance.


    "Perhaps, but we are outnumbered, Charles. Magneto maybe a fanatic... but he''s a convincing one, each time we meet him his side has grown." she said making him sigh as she lifted him out of his wheelchair, she wasn''t wrong.


    He didn''t force any of his students to join the X-Men, and he wouldn''t send the new X-Men out into danger until he was sure they were ready, Erik clearly didn''t agree, and he excelled at creating fanatics for his cause.


    They needed allies, fortunately he already had something in the works for that.


    ...if he was a younger man he might be embarrassed over being carried in what could be referred to as a princess carry. Fortunately he was above such things.


    - Kuro -


    Maybe just high-tailing it out of there wasn''t the best idea, but things were getting chaotic, Gambit was tossing his cards all over, Storm was blasting people with lightning, Sabretooth and Wolverine were clashing together.


    I could have died by accident there, and I need to test my mutant ability before I can be confident that it would protect me. Sure, I could probably catch Gambit''s cards and negate the explosion before it happens... but what if it blows up in front of me? What if a rock is sent flying by an attack and it smashes into my head?


    Being near a mutant battle is just a bad idea in general, as weak as I am now? It''s suicide.


    Of course, running isn''t going to work. Sabretooth and Wolverine can track by scent which isn''t something I can negate, so I''m not heading home, I''m just heading away from the fight.


    I''ve left central park completely, moving between the streets via the alleyways, it''s still light out so I don''t think I need to worry about gangs bothering me.


    I''m counting on the fact that Magneto wanted to recruit me, so Sabretooth shouldn''t kill me if he is the first to find me, and Wolverine won''t hurt me... probably?


    "Stop running, Bub. I promise you, I''m faster." Wolverine says as he passes me and gets in front of me easily...


    "...You''re covered in blood, and have hand knifes. I definitely should be running." I say bluntly making him look down at himself before he retracts his claws with a shrug.


    "It''s mostly mine, I ain''t gonna hurt you kid, I''m from a school that''s made to help young mutants control their powers, we just wanted to invite you there, that''s all." he says raising his hands slightly.


    "Pretty sure someone else was giving me an invitation too before you guys showed up and everything went to hell." I say making him scowl.


    "Don''t listen to that fu... to Magneto, he''s a terrorist, if he had his way you''d be one of his soldiers fighting for his cause, guys bad news." he says quickly.


    "And that''s your unbiased opinion?" I ask making him roll his eyes.


    "Snarky little f.u.c.ker ain''t you? You could just ask the men his attack dog killed if you''d prefer? Look, I''m shit at this recruitment thing, you coming or not? Just listen to what the professor has to say, if you don''t like it you can leave. We don''t force anyone to stay." he said with a scowl.


    Master, shall I activate my guidance program?


    The what?


    My Guidance Program allows me to find the most viable ''paths'' for you, and predict the consequences of each choice.


    Of course, if you find them unsuitable you can choose your own path and ignore my suggestions, my role is simply to advise.


    ...Sure, go ahead Isis.


    [Path 1: Go with Logan]


    Will result in an offer to join Xavier''s school, along with the X-Men when they discover the usefulness of your power.


    You will be trained in controlling your power, allowing you to upgrade it faster.


    This path will result in you meeting many the characters that Xavier is acquainted with, including the Fantastic Four, the rest of the X-Men, and the members of the Massachusetts Academy.


    Xavier will protect you from S.H.I.E.L.D and other government agencies as long as you are one of his students.


    [Path 2: Refuse the offer]


    Logan will reluctantly accept your choice, and leave you alone.


    Once alone, either S.H.I.E.L.D or Magneto would return and ''collect'' you, taking you to their respective leaders.


    This could result in you working as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent if you desired... though Fury would be hard to deny, which would result in missions, gadgets and advanced training.


    This could result in you joining the Brotherhood, this path would have training but most of it would be on assignments, you would meet many ''villain'' types during your time there, it would also result in you becoming wanted by authorities when your affiliation is discovered.


    Fury wants me to work as an Agent? That''s... better than what I expected he wanted with me, but no thanks. That would put me in the middle of all the shit that happens... oh and S.H.I.E.L.D is Hydra at the moment if things are staying like the MCU, and I don''t want Hydras attention.


    Being part of the Brotherhood is a No, I don''t want to get on any government wanted lists on my first day here, as I expected Xavier is the safe choice for now.


    I have no intention of becoming a member of his little scout group, but I can study there easily enough. Thanks Isis.


    I''m happy to be of assistance, Master.


    "Fine, lead the way... Bub." I say making him scowl.


    "It sounds stupid when you say it, brat. The names Logan, come on, the Blackbird''s not far..." he mutters.


    "And my names Kuro, not brat. So, how are you planning on explaining the whole covered in blood thing to anyone who sees us?" I ask casually making him grunt.


    "Chucks had everyone nearby leave, so we don''t need to worry about that... would have been easier if you didn''t run around like a headless chicken... I get the feeling I''m not going to like you... Brat." he mutters as he leads me out of the alleyway.


    - Later -


    ...I''m going to admit, I zoned out during Xavier''s speech about peace and coexistence, Mutants and Humans holding hands and planting flowers or whatever he was saying. Also, Storms outfit, more of a bikini really, is far more interesting.


    He just kept going on and on, but I at least pretended to be paying attention even if my attention wandered a few times.


    "For now, feel free to look around and get a feel of the school, this isn''t a decision you should rush after all. I have had a room prepared for you in advance..." he says closing his eyes for a moment. He does that occasionally, telepathically communicating with people... but he can''t do that to me.


    As the door opens, another familiar face walks in, a odd look on her face before she suppresses it, replacing it with a bored nonchalant look.


    "You called for me, Professor?" Rogue asks casually, her eyes flickering over to me for the briefest of seconds before she looks back at Xavier.


    As she does I look her over, definitely looks like the X-Men Evolution version, short auburn hair with a white streaks in the front, pale skin covered with almost Gothic make-up... and a spiked collar for some reason.


    Her see-through green top reveals the black halter-top beneath it, revealing a decent amount of cleavage, not enough to be indecent but she clearly doesn''t mind showing of what she has, same with the short black skirt showing her long legs covered in dark leggings...


    I like her.


    Despite her outfit, very little skin is exposed, a precaution to stop her from accidentally draining people. She''s even wearing gloves.


    Master, my Dating Advisor system is marking her as an ''Easy Target''.


    She is a target who could be turned to your side with relative ease.


    I would advise you use her to earn the Eromancer Grimoire, she''s the easiest path to it!


    ...Well it''s true but you don''t need to be so blunt about it.


    "Yes, I did Rogue. This is Kuro, he''ll be staying here for tonight at least, and possibly joining us as a student. I''d like you to give him the tour and answer any questions he may have about the school." he replied calmly, barely


    "Yeah, sure. Is that all?" she asked putting her hands in her skirt pockets.


    "It is, thank you. For now, Kuro, make yourself at home, if you have any questions feel free to ask either me, one of the other teachers, or the students themselves. We can speak more tomorrow." Xavier said kindly, this is why I wanted to come here... Magneto wouldn''t have been so soft.


    It''s a weakness of Xavier''s and one that I will happily exploit..


    "I will, thank you." I say, might as well be polite. "So.. Rouge was it? Lead the way." I say making her roll her eyes as she walks out of the room.


    "Come on, let''s go." she mutters as she leaves.


    She''s nice.


    - Ororo Munroe -


    "Why Rouge?" she asked as the door closed, leaving her alone with Charles.


    "I simply believed that she was the correct choice." he said making her frown.


    "Surely Jean would have been more suitable, she would have been far better for answering any questions he has. And Kitty is more of a people person, she would have made him feel more welcome." she continued, spotting the slight twitch from Charles. "Instead you took the girl who can''t touch people and put her close to the one person who she would be able to touch, and I know you told Rogue about his power." she said bluntly watching him wince slightly.


    "I did." he admitted, saying nothing more. He didn''t need to.


    Kuro was unique for more than his power, he had a trait that most male mutants lacked... he was straight.


    No-one understood why, no matter how much research they did into it, but almost all the male mutants preferred men... and almost all of them were infertile. A genetic defect? A quirk of evolution?


    No-one knew.


    She could count the number of straight male mutants she knew with one hand, and have fingers left over.


    She''d seen Kuro''s eyes move over her body several times, she didn''t care but she''d seen it. If she cared about being looked at she wouldn''t wear a skin-tight revealing leotard on missions.


    He did the same to Rogue when she walked in.


    Mutants might be appearing at an increased rate, but most studies said that would slow down, if Hank and Charles was to be believed, and she had no reason not to, but a race with infertile men wasn''t a race that would last long.


    To make things worse, while they could breed with regular humans it usually resulted in a regular human child, not a mutant.


    Charles was looking towards the future, but to solve this they had to find out why so few male mutants were straight, and for that they needed data. She didn''t fully understand the science of it, that was Hank''s speciality not hers, but she knew enough to realise that Charles was deliberately pushing the two students together...


    What she didn''t know was what the end goal is, what did he get out of pushing a pair of hormonal teens together?


    - Kuro -


    "...So, is what I heard about you true?" she finally asks making me pause, she''s been giving me looks this entire tour.


    "Probably... wait, what did you hear?" I ask watching her hesitate, biting at her lip.


    - Nick Fury -


    He''d come to the conclusion that 95% of his organisation were incompetent.


    Still, he couldn''t completely blame this on them, an all out fight between Magneto and Xavier''s groups? Without any Enhanced individuals of their own there was no way they could have stood a chance.


    This was why they needed the Avengers Initiative. Regular men with guns couldn''t do much against someone like Sabretooth who just shrugged off being shot.


    It was a problem, Kuro had been seen on the drones entering Xavier''s plane with Logan, and that made getting him more difficult. But not impossible...


    He couldn''t have his people approach the school itself, and if Kuro stayed then he wasn''t technically allowed to keep pursuing him... but when had not being allowed stopped him?


    The council were being idiots, and listening to idiots was a mistake.


    He wouldn''t approach the school, that''d just get the council breathing down his neck, but he would make sure that when Kuro left the grounds, whether it was because he declined the offer or he was just going to do some shopping, he''d know.


    When he found an opportunity, he''d have one of his agents make contact with him. He just had to be subtle, and keep it off the record for now. What the council didn''t know wouldn''t hurt them, or more importantly him.


    And if they did find out? Well, he knew about most of the skeletons in their closets, he wasn''t a spy master for nothing.


    - Magneto -


    Listening to Mystiques report he frowned in thought.


    So the boy had gone with Wolverine? Unsurprising but disappointing. But he wasn''t giving up just yet, there was something about this... Kuro that told him that he wouldn''t be a good fit in Xavier''s dream.


    The calm way he watched Sabretooth kill the S.H.I.E.L.D agents was the first sign, there was no horror or disgust in his eyes, he wasn''t enjoying the sight of them dying but he didn''t care either.


    It wasn''t his first time seeing death, and violence didn''t bother him.


    He truly believed that such a person wouldn''t fit in with Xavier and his dreams of peace and coexistence.


    Charles had won the battle by getting Kuro to go to his precious little school, but the war was far from over. He hadn''t been checkmated just yet.


    Authors Note : Yes, Shiro thought it''d be funny to make most of the male mutants gay to... clear the competition for Kuro as an apology over the whole getting him killed thing, kudos to MizMahem on Questionable Questing for the idea of most male mutants being gay, if you haven''t read their quest, The Uncanny S.E.X-Men and you like X-men smut you absolutely should go and read it.


    In a world made by Shiro, regular logic need not apply.


    To be clear, Kuro isn''t suddenly a good guy... he just decided that Xavier was the safer choice for him to gather his power, he''s still the asshole that shanked Issei for a power-up. Any heroic deeds are either an act or they benefit him somehow. That''s how Kuro rolls.


    Marvel is one big-ass verse, if there''s any characters you want to see, either as Kuro''s lovers or as his enemies/allies let me know. No promises but I''m working with very little guidelines for this, the MCU plot is going on, but that covers very little of the Marvel Characters available.


    [The Multiverses Most Popular Man] means pretty much every group will want to recruit Kuro, unfortunately there are a lot of groups in Marvel, and most of them won''t take no for an answer.


    So, I decided to not go for DxD simply because I needed a break from writing Anime, and Marvel is a good middle ground, because it has no ''End Point'', each plot thread can be tied up when Kuro decides to move on leaving no unfinished ends.


    My current world plan is Marvel, then Skyrim for him to go full Necromancer King, then DxD to get back what he lost. Might change, might not... hell if I know.


    Seriously guys (and maybe girls, nah, there''s no girls on the internet), I appreciate the support (and the literally hundreds of reviews that made my phone practically have a melt down trying to keep up with all the emails). You made this a lot easier than it could have been.


    Someone asked if I had a pat reon, so I made one, check it out, or don''t. I won''t be posting anything on there that I don''t post here


    Pat reon user?u=13212571

 Chapter 44 - My SI Stash #44 - Assimilation by Satire Swift (Young Justice)

    -I remember this SI Fanfic making me binge Young Justice and damn it''s good. It was 2016 when I started this fic and it''s still ongoing and strong! Author is pretty consistent on his stuff, I went half way into this fic by just searching the plot of YJ on Google, it''s really up to you if you want to start this animated series~


    *The SI "Machina" can assimilate any technology he consumes. We''ll see some Starfire action somewhere down the line. []~(£þ¨Œ£þ)~*


    Sypnosis: What does it take to be a superhero? Powers? Circ.u.mstance? The people around you? The willingness to embrace being something other than human? Whatever it is, you''ll have to pick it up. Because we all have to do it sooner or later.


    Rated: M


    Words: 322K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/assimilation-young-justice-si.436294/ (Satire Swift)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1.1


    I checked my phone before I walked down the steps into the subway, couldn''t get a signal down there after all, and found an email telling me that the project wasn''t compiling as of last night, and they were trying to figure out what was responsible. I wasn''t too worried as we had plenty of ways to revert the project to a working state, but I didn''t like how close this was happening to release of the next patch. Three days of planning, six weeks of coding, one week of testing, and to top it off the tradition twenty four hours of panic before release, I thought to myself as I sent a brief reply before entering the subway.


    Lucky for me I was just in time to catch the train pulling into the station, and as I checked my phone one last time before I lost the signal I stepped onto the train


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    ????u????????r???????????n????e????????d????? ??????????t???????? ???????????????? ??????r???????????????????g???????????????h??t?? ??????????????????n???????g??????l???e????? ??t??????????o????????? ?????????e????????????v????????????????r?????????????t????h???????i????????n???????????g?????????? metal table hard and cold against my back as my limbs refused to¡­ wait, what?


    I gave a start (or tried to) as I suddenly realized that I was not on the subway. What tipped me off was how subways didn''t put their passengers on hard metal slabs looking up at incredibly bright lights that made it impossible to see anything else. "W-what? What the f.u.c.k? Where am I? Why can''t I move?!" I shouted as my head whipped side to side as I tried to see something, anything to help me figure out what had happened. Try as my might there was hole in my memory, and the last thing I remember was getting on the subway for work.


    Was there an accident? An attack? Am I in a hospital? I thought before I felt a sudden pit of dread in my stomach. Oh god, is that why I can''t move?! Am I paralyzed?!


    There was movement in the corner of my vision, and I turned my head hoping it was someone who could help me. But whatever I was going to say next died in my throat at what I saw.


    What stepped out of the darkness into my vision wasn''t human. Humanoid perhaps, but the word reptilian was the first thing that came to mind. The head reminded me of some kind of dinosaur with an expanded skull in the back, and the way it tilted its head as it look at me was birdlike. Green scales covered it where I could see it''s body, but most it''s body was covered by some kind of jumpsuit. It was a little shorter than me if I had to guess, and the stilted way it moved along with the shape of its legs and arms made it clear that it wasn''t built in the same manner as a human.


    My response to such a sight was as eloquent as it was insightful. "Oh what the f.u.c.k."


    The¡­ thing let out a series of hisses and growls which I think was it speaking, but I couldn''t understand it. Granted I don''t think I would have understood it if it was speaking English because holy shit lizard people were real. My thoughts completely froze up at that. In all of my craziest thoughts about what secret conspiracies might have littered the world, I never would have guessed that one would be true.


    I snapped out of my mini-fugue as the lizard thing gestured and a small drone of some sort floated out from behind him. It was, almost comically, shaped like a small flying saucer, and it had something clutched beneath it in a claw like appendage. I couldn''t get a good look at it, but it was about the size of my fist and looked chitinous, it''s dull grey color non-reflective. The drone floated over to me and promptly opened its claw, dropping the object onto my chest.


    I had only about a second to tilt my head and look at the insectile thing before it suddenly deployed its small sharp legs into my chest.


    My first scream was more out of shock than pain, but the following screams came shortly after when I felt the thing start to burrow and expand through my torso. Even as I screamed though I could see the grey material start to spread across my chest, and as I saw my body start to soften and dissolve I realized that it was consuming me.


    And I could feel every painful inch as it worked its way up to my head. I¡­ oh god no. I don''t want this! I DON"T WANT-!


    It was dark, silent, and everything felt wrong.


    It was complete bullshit is what it was.


    It took me a while to realize that I wasn''t dreaming. It can be hard to tell when you suddenly find yourself blind and¡­ paralyzed? Insensate? Point is I had this weird tingling sensation where my body was supposed to be, and all I had were memories of what had just happened to me, which featured pain, terror and I giant pile of I have no f.u.c.k.i.n.g clue. I tried to calm down by focusing on breathing¡­ except I couldn''t breathe. That made it worse and should have caused my heart to start hammering in my chest¡­ except I couldn''t feel my heartbeat. Of f.u.c.k.i.n.g course.


    One might be a little confused at my response to the cascade of utter horseshit that I was experiencing, rather than the pants-shitting terror that would be reasonable. Well, aside from the not knowing if I was even wearing pants, a descent into cursing was how I typical dealt with things going tits up in my life, even if it only was internal. Honestly, I wasn''t usually like this, but it made me feel a lot better than falling into despair and terror. And hey, a recent study showed that in addition to boosting your tolerance for pain, cursing also increased your resistance to horrify existential dread too. I mean, it was a sample size of one, but I was willing to believe it.


    In any case, I''m not sure how long I spent like that, panicking over and/or mentally swearing at being in a disembodied nightmare I couldn''t wake up from. However, I''m good at adapting, and eventually I managed to force myself to calm down. I forced all of my fears and my uncertainty down into my mental vault, which I was sure wouldn''t cause me any physiological issues later. Before I could figure out what was going on, I needed to pull myself together, get my body back under control, or just get feeling back. Not that I knew how to do that. For all I knew I was in some kind of coma or¡­ no, not going to think about that. Have to assume that''s not the case. So, lacking any other type of direction, I fell back on pop culture.


    Wiggle your big toe.


    And after a few seconds of trying¡­ it worked. I think. I could feel the big toe of my right foot. It didn''t feel quite right, but it was fine for the moment. Encouraged by this, I started to work my way up. My other toes, my ankles, my legs¡­ sooner than I would have thought I was moving, even if I was still blind. I tried to push myself to my feet-


    And I immediately fell onto all fours, fingers and toes digging sharply into the floor. I remained still for a long moment, the positon feeling¡­ strangely comfortable. I slowly tried to stand again and again lost my balance before I could get fully straight. I twisted as I fell and I landed on my hands and feet with surprising grace. After a moment I started to suspect something I started to pat down my body. My sense of touch was muted, but it didn''t take long to figure out why. Almost everywhere I touched my body was hard and plated, with several ridges popping up in strange places. My torso was inhumanly proportioned and too narrow. My arms were spindly and ended in claws, my legs were digitigrade, and my head was elongated and completely smooth save for a maw of razor sharp teeth.


    And as a long ridged tail swept between my legs, I found I was missing something.


    The fact that I couldn''t even curse due to a lack of proper lips or tongue made this such complete bullshit.


    Eventually, I calmed back down. Mostly because I had nothing else to do. Once I got moving I quickly discovered I was trapped in a small rectangular room, which seemed to be made entirely out of metal or something close to it. Even after stumbling around till I found a door didn''t help, as no matter how much I clawed at the thing I could barely scratch it. I was so frustrated at my own powerlessness that it drove me up the walls.


    Literally.


    Well, I guess there''s a bit of a silver lining to this, I thought bleakly as I sat on the ceiling, my claws somehow finding enough purchase on the smooth metal to let me remain where I was. Of course I would have preferred the radioactive spider.


    I let out a hissing sigh, enjoying what little I could from the act. I didn''t understand how this was possible. Lizard people were one thing, but a full body transformation into¡­


    Ok, let''s review, I thought as I released my grip and fell to the ground, landing deftly on my hands and feet as I did so. It was only about a twelve foot drop to the ground, and even in my blinded state I could sense when to brace for impact . On my way to work, I was apparently abducted by lizard people, who deiced to experiment on me using some¡­ thing, which in turn fused into and/or consumed my body. Later I wake up and find that said body is now, if my impression is correct, a xenomorph knock off. I moved slowly as I once again tried to stand on two feet, this time attempting to use my tail to properly balance myself. The sharp point on the end twitched erratically as I fought to get it under control. Wish the damn thing came with a manual for how hard it was to control.


    Which actually made sense, oddly enough. My brain was not wired for a prehensile tail, so it was a miracle that I could use the thing at all. Then again, I suppose it was a miracle that my mind was still relatively intact, let alone alive. I still couldn''t feel my heart beat, and most of the other tiny sensations inherent a in a human body that you just kind of tune out were now so very obvious in their absence. In their place was¡­ tingling wasn''t quite the right word. When I focused on my new body, it was almost as if chittering were somehow tactile, for all the sense that made. Vibrating in anticipation, like it was waiting for something.


    Yeah, well I''m waiting for some goddamn eyeballs, I thought sullenly. The reason I was blind was that I quite simply didn''t have eyes anymore, just a smooth carapace where they should have been. And yet there were times where I swore I could see fragments of things for the briefest moments, a faint outline or impression. I let out an irritated growl with as much force I could muster, satisfied by the noise but surprised by the sudden, odd constriction of muscles I didn''t know I had.


    Suddenly I had a sort of mental snap, and with the sudden sensation of my mind crossing its eyes I saw the room in a burst. Not an image per se, but I perceived the entire room as an impression of surfaces and corners, the impression of angles and distances in a way I never had before.


    And in an instant it was gone again and I was back in darkness. I remained still for a moment before a flexed those unknown muscles in my throat in the same way, and again the image popped into my head. Ultrasound, I realized. I can ''see'' ultrasound. That explains a lot.


    I spent what I think was the following hour pacing about my cell, getting used to my new ''sight'' and balance. Not that it helped my current situation much, as I was still locked in god damn box. Why, I thought as I moved restlessly. Why would they do this me? What do they gain out of it? Is this what they wanted to happen? At the least, I couldn''t have been a total failure considering that I was still alive, but what more did those who I assumed were my captors want? If they planned to turn me into some kind of living weapon they hadn''t done a great job of endearing me to that prospect. You''d think that they would have fit me with a sort of control collar at least.


    I stopped in my tracks as a thought occurred to me, and I started to pat down my body once again. Nothing said that a control mechanism had to be a literal collar, and I honestly wasn''t sure which parts of my body were actually my own. Unfortunately, with my sense of touch so altered just feeling around didn''t help much in that regard. I focused on myself as hard as I could, trying to feel every odd sensation that-


    Suddenly that ''chittering'' sensation grew, and I got a very acute mental picture of what my body was shaped like. I also noticed four spherical objects lodged in my chest which I somehow knew were not a part of me. I tried to push through the disorientation of have yet another mind bending perception forced onto me and tried to analyze said objects best I could. If only I could somehow pull them out¡­


    Slowly, as if by instinct, I felt the carapace of my chest start to fold and shift, and my internals started to follow suit.


    What the hell?


    Before I could think too much about that though, there was sudden reaction from the spheres and AARRRGH!


    I screamed as electricity arched from my body, and I fell to the ground in a twitching heap. As the pain ripped through me I felt everything go fuzzy and dark, like I was slipping back into where I was before. No. No! I won''t go back to that! I mentally screamed as I forced myself to stay conscious, to keep myself together. Moments later the electricity cut of and I was able get my senses back. And when I did, I noticed something.


    I had, just a little bit, melted. I was like a wax figure that had been left out in the sun a little too long, and I saw droplets of material start to slide off me to the floor. Before I could panic though I saw those little bits of myself slow to a stop before they melded right back into my body.


    That¡­ was informative in a number of ways.


    Before I could reflect on that much though, the door to my cell suddenly snapped open, and I felt myself being dragged forward by an unseen force. I tried to resist, but I hadn''t recovered from my previous ordeal and my body twitched uselessly. Moments later I found myself dragged onto a small hovering platform, and I felt the air snap and charge around me.


    I finally managed to pull myself up on my haunches and take a look around with what I had decided to call my ''blindsight''. I was now in a hallway about five meters across where the walls and ceiling bulged outwards, like I was in a large tube. Aside from a few curves and outlets there were a number of doors lining the walls in both directions, most likely more cells. I didn''t have long to look at them before the platform I was on started to move, and I noticed a pair of lizard people fall in step beside it. Although I suspected what would happen, I reached out towards one of them only for an electric jolt to force my arm back as it reached the edge of the circular platform. Forcefield. One of them let out something that I think was a laugh before spouted off some more noises.


    I didn''t know what it said, but I was sure it was being a d.i.c.k.


    I shook out my hand as I studied my surroundings. Just where the hell was I? This had to be a base of some kind, but how the hell did I get from the city to here? Was it underneath the city? I mean, there was the other possibly, the slightly more obvious one some people would say, that I probably wasn''t on Earth any more¡­ but I honestly wasn''t sure if that was more plausible than underground technologically advanced reptiles. Personally I hoped it was the latter, because the former implied terrible things about my chances of seeing home again.


    I let out a breath to dismiss such thoughts, instead think back to what I had just learned back in my cell. I think, I thought to myself as the glorified cart hovered down the hallway, that I''m now made of some sort of shapeshifting material. Maybe.


    It made a degree of sense given how I just saw myself nearly come apart. And¡­ what if when I couldn''t move before it wasn''t because my limbs were paralyzed, but because I didn''t actually have any at the time. The last thing I remembered before that was being dissolved by that grey thing, after all. It was entirely possible I was rendered a puddle of goo after that interaction. Which meant, if I could pull myself together from that into my current form, there was a good chance that I could turn back into something at least close to human.


    Now if I could only figure out how. At the risk of being tazed again, I focused on what my human body should look like and¡­ nothing happen. I focused harder, but I remained stubbornly unchanged. I grunted in annoyance before I decided to narrow my scope and just focus on the shape of my head. After a few seconds of concentration my skull started to slowly constrict and become more round. Encouraged by this, I started to imagine my eye sockets and felt two impressions start to form on my face.


    However, I stopped almost as soon as I started as one of my escorts let out an angry sounding growl as it turned to face me. I went still as it stared at me for a few moments before it was satisfied and turned back to face forward.


    For later then, I thought, though there was something bitter in it. I had a feeling that there was a lot I was missing about just what my new body was and how it worked, and I wasn''t sure if I would get the chance. Especial since even as I started to consider the ways I could test this I found the cart reaching the end of a hallway and hovered through and open door, my guards stopping before they entered themselves.


    The new room was very large, or at least I assumed it was as my blindsight failed to show me any walls beyond the slightly curving one at my back that faded into my personal darkness. In front of me looked to be a number of large blocky shapes, forming walls, ramps, pillars, and all manner of things I would generally call obstacles. To be honest it reminded me of a laser tag arena. Or a Halo multiplayer map.


    That thought filled me with an abrupt sense of trepidation, which was not helped when the door behind me slammed shut and the force field around me suddenly dropped. Of course, the inhuman roar from a short distance away that followed was just drove the point home. I quickly got on my fours and darted towards the nearest structure, hoping to get cover from whatever had made that noise. For better or worse it wasn''t long before I found out. Crashing though one of the pillars nearby was¡­ something. It was about the size of a huge bear that was heavy and broader on the front even as it moved on all fours. It reminded me a bit of a bulldog, though its head was triangular and had forwards pointed horns. Oh, and the whole thing was covered in rigid armor plates, because apparently fate decided that I hadn''t been kicked in my non-existent nuts quite enough.


    The thing paused after this destruction for a brief moment before its head twitched and it let out another roar, giving me a great view of how its mouth opened along to perpendicular seams. It then swung its head around towards me before it charged. I let out something like a screech before I spun and scrambled up the side of the wall I was next to in a desperate bid to get away from the thing. I managed to get to the top of the wall just before the creature slammed into it, smashing a gaping hole clean through.


    I stared down at the thing as it started to turn, perched precariously on the unstable wall. This is a combat test, I thought to myself. They made me into a weapon and now they want see how well I perform. And I''m guessing failure is the sort of thing they would learn from and I¡­ wouldn''t. So that meant that if I wanted to lived, I was probably going to have to kill this thing. Which to be honest¡­ I didn''t really care to do. Screw Shinji Ikari, I''ll run away all I damn well please.


    But that wasn''t an option here, as I was pretty sure I was trapped in here with the thing. And so, without any clever third options coming to mind, I pounced off the wall the moment before the creature slammed into it, landing deftly on the ground before I instantly turned and bolted at the thing. It started to turn but before it could completely face me I was already on it, leaping up onto its back and trying to sink my claws into it. It didn''t really work though, as its armor plates merely scratched a little at the contact.


    Why the hell do I even have these things?! I thought to myself as the ¨C you know what, I''m just going to start calling it a bearasaur ¨C the bearasaur started to buck to try and remove me. I managed to catch a glimpse of something strange about the plates near the base of its neck before it simply rolled over, and I was forced to leap off. Abandoning that idea, I ducked back in and tried to strike at its legs, at its joints where it was less protected. Unfortunately, even though I was faster and quicker than the thing, the creature was much better at fighting on all fours than I was. The result was less a skillful series of hit and run strikes as it was me frantically slashing and dodging out of the way. Such as it was, it wasn''t long before the thing landed a crushing blow on me.


    Everything distorted as I tumbled through the air, and I skipped a few times off the ground before I crashed into a pillar with such force that I left a dent. I¡­ didn''t feel a lot of pain though, something which caught me off guard. That impact should have crushed every bone in my body¡­ wait, did I even have bones anymore? I really needed to figure this out at some point. And it wasn''t that moment, because before I could even get back up the bearasuar was on top of me, boxing me in and trying to tear me to bits. I screamed as I slashed back at it but I could never land a solid hit in, the creature always moving to block with its armor or horns.


    I started to feel panic as the sensation of my body grew fuzzier with every hit. This wasn''t working! Even as I managed to pull and arm back to simply shove or punch the damn thing, I knew it wouldn''t work! I needed something else, something stronger, something harder-!


    As I c.o.c.ked my fist back I felt my fingers fuse together and harden. My arm and part of my chest suddenly grew in size, and with a scream I hammered my fist into the side of its head. The bearasaur stumbled and I awkwardly rolled to my feet. I cast a glance at my modified limb before I looked at my other one. A second and a bit of effort later the two matched, and I hunched forward from new weight.


    ¡­Screw it, I''m rolling with it.


    This time when I stuck at the thing, it''s plates cracked and shattered under the force of my strikes. The thing roared in pain and hit back, but I could take it. Cuts mended themselves, dents popped back out, and I was started to get too damned pissed to care about what modic.u.m of pain it was causing me. Soon enough I got lucky and crushed its forward right knee, which caused it to collapse just a bit. Following a hunch, it was enough for me to bring my fist down onto its neck, crushing the plates that had looked odd to me. When I pulled my limb back I saw why: there had been something embedded underneath it, a box with odd protrusions that clearly marked it as artificial. Without hesitating I shifted my limb back into a claw and drove it into the device.


    The bearasaur thrashed and roared, but as soon as it started it stopped, collapsing fully in a heap. As I pulled my hand back I found it covered in bits of metal and flesh, and I paused as I tried to process what just happened. I had just killed something, and¡­ I felt nothing. I knew it was fighting for my life, that it was a monster-


    Or was it? I mean, I looked pretty monstrous at the moment, and it clearly had some kind of control mechanism, much like the ones in my chest. Have¡­ I thought with a pit of dread forming in my abdomen, Have I just killed another test subject? Another human? Oh look, there was the feeling of horror and remorse. I absent mindedly looked at my hand, but I froze when I saw (and felt) the bits of tissue and machinery meld into my flesh and disappear.


    What?


    Before I could think on that further though, I heard sounds of combat coming from some distance away, roars and screams and the like. I let out a sigh before I reverted back to all fours and carefully made my way towards it. As much as I wanted time to process everything that had just happened (and just stay away in general) I couldn''t afford to not know what was going on. Just¡­ push it down for now.


    I quickly skirted around several crate sized blocks as I tried to get closer to the source of the noise. From the sound of it there were several different combatants from the various screeches, roars, and other sounds I couldn''t quite place. I almost reconsidered entirely before I heard an odd yell out, having caught it for how¡­ normal it sounded. I crept closer and peeked my head around a corner towards an open space, though I had to wait a moment for my blindsight to adjust to the acoustics. As I finally got a clear picture of what I was looking at, I froze.


    It was a woman. A perfectly normal human woman, with long length of hair trailing down her back. Another test subject. Though it seemed while I wasn''t the only person they abducted, at least one of us got off lightly in the body modification department. Hell, considering the way she grabbed a horned beast with one hand and hurled it a full ten meters before it ploughed into a ramp with a sickening crunch, I would say that she got a much better package than mine. In one hand she wielded something like an oversized machete (which given the odd, bone like shape of its handle I suspected was torn out of another creature) which she used to hack into a wolf like beast charging her.


    As she was focusing on that though, I noticed that something was creeping up behind her, a massive centipede creature rearing its pincers back to take off her head. I didn''t think about it or hesitate before I launched out of cover, clearing the distance in a blink before I slammed into the thing. It was much less armored than the previous abomination I fought, so my claws found purchase to sink into as we tumbled. It snapped and hissed at me, but I quickly identified a metallic device attached to the underside of its head before I brought my tail around pierced it straight up through it.


    By the time we skidded to a stop the thing was still. I really hopped that I was wrong and these things weren''t other victims, because otherwise I had killed another person on the basis that they looked freakier than the person they were attacking. I had no context for the current situation, no idea if the woman attacked them all first or the other way around. But I didn''t have time to think about it, so all I could do was trust my instincts and hope I wasn''t wrong. As I rose I noticed that the woman had turned her attention towards me, her stance aggressive though she remained where she was.


    I turned my head back towards her. Not to look at her, as I was becoming increasingly aware my blindsight didn''t care about the facing of my head, but to give her a simple nod before I leap at the wolf thing that was coming back for another pass. I didn''t know if she got the message that I had her back, but I had to hope that she did and wouldn''t take the chance to stab me in mine.


    I clipped wolf thing and knocked it off its charge, noticing its six legs and smooth skin as I tried to rake into its flesh. We both skidded to a stop before we charged again, darting at each before breaking away again and again. I could only land glancing blows due to its skin, but the hexawolf couldn''t penetrant the harder parts of my carapace at all. After a few exchanges it was clear that I had the advantage, and the creature started to slow as it lost more blood. It hesitated for a moment before another pass before it juked hard and ran, running out of my sight.


    I decided to let the thing go, as there were still two more which the woman was currently dealing with. One looked to be an oversized boar-thing she was current shoving back and the other¡­ wait, where did the other SHIT!


    I remembered that my blindsight could see all around me just in time to avoid getting slammed by the multi-armed ape creature that had crept up behind me while I was distracted. Its limbs were thin and long, and at each of the elbows of its two arms they spilt into two forearms. It growled at me as I stumbled back up onto my hind legs, and was caught by surprise as I felt my back hit something. I looked back to see the woman looking over her back at me, and she gave me a brief nod before she turned back to her own opponent as it was getting up. Back to back as we were, I suddenly felt myself wonder how the hell I ended up here, abducted and in some kind of death pit fighting against abominations with a woman I had just met.


    Eh, still better than my last date.


    I didn''t get a chance to think about it more before ape moved in towards me, and I charged it in kind. I went to slash at it but the thing bent at a weird angle to duck out of the way before it grabbed my wrist. I tried to pull away but it quickly snatched my other wrist before pining down my tail with its foot. It then constricted the rest of it limbs around me even as I snapped my teeth at the collar around its neck. I could feel my body compress and creak as it showed surprising strength for such thin limbs, and the sensation of muted pain started to build.


    I wasn''t having any of that. I had no idea what I was doing, but I figured the hell with it and focused on that chittering sensation, imagining the back of a hedgehog. Spikes erupted all over my body, piercing though the ape creature''s limbs as it shrieked in surprise and pain. It let go of me but I stepped in even as it started to stumble back. A vicious sickle blade grew from my arm as I speared my hand into its collar and straight through to its neck, riding it to the ground as I did so.


    Before I knew it I was done, and I pulled myself upright as some of the gore slid off of my hand (the rest, along with the remnants of the collar, being absorbed into it). I turned to look at my impromptu ally to find her leaning against the wall, a disembowel boar creature next to her. Her posture was tense and her breathing heavy as she stared at me. I didn''t have enough skill with my ultrasound to make out the finer details of her face, but it was easy to tell that she was wary. Everything else in here had tried to kill her without a second thought, so what made me different? And more importantly, could she trust me now that we were the only ones left?


    In that moment, I knew I had to convince her. To be honest I had not even given thought of escape until that very instant, instead having focused on trying to figure out what the f.u.c.k was going on, but I knew that I would need her if I wanted to get out of here. I needed an ally, someone I could trust in this insane place. Our jailers had to be watching, and I wouldn''t have much time. But how hell could I get her to trust me when I couldn''t speak and looked like a nightmare?


    I only hesitated a moment longer before I stood up as straight as I could and started to shift my head, picking up where I had left off. It was risky, but our captors had allowed me to shapeshift earlier a little, so I was willing to bet they would let me now if they thought I was getting ready to attack her. And indeed that was what she thought as well, as she raised her blade in a guard position as my features started to change. But I wasn''t trying to make myself more threatening. Just the opposite.


    My head finished becoming more human like, and a proper brow form above my newly forming eye sockets. I didn''t bother trying to make actual eyes, just orbs covered in such a way to look like eyes. The flesh around my mouth softened and segmented, forming into something not quite scales and not quite shell but something in between, enough that I could get some rudimentary lips. In my throat was where the more complicated modifications occurred, as I frantically guessed at the proper structure of human vocal cords.


    "Hhhhhaarrrch-" A managed to say as I tried to work my new mouth, shifting things around in my throat as I flattened my tongue and teeth. Her grip tightened on her blade as I tried again. "Hhhll. Hllaaa. Hhaaaallpp."


    I took a breath and put my hand to my chest. "Hhalpp¡­. mmme." I strained out. I extended my hand to her, both my stand and my hand open. "Hhalp¡­ mme."


    There was a long moment where she did nothing, and I waited to see if she was going take my head off. Then finally she relaxed, and her sword fell down by her side.


    I didn''t have long to enjoy it though, as the moment she took a step toward me electricity surged through my body and I was on the ground in pain. The woman shouted something, but I could only just make out drones moving in and restraining her before everything went black.


    They left me in my cell for long time after that, and I finally had some time to think, not that it did me that much good. I had already figured that the lizard people had enrolled me in a sort of living weapons program, but I still couldn''t figure out the end goal. I wasn''t exactly planning on being cooperative, so how were they planning on controlling me? And for that matter, who were they planning on fighting? Was there an impending war with the surface world? Ugh, I didn''t have enough information. And considering I didn''t really want to think about all those monsters/maybe people I killed, I fell back on the other thing I really wanted to try out: Shapeshifting.


    And I quickly found out that it was bloody difficult. Or at least, it''s hard when you aren''t making weapons and have to do everything manually. That was what I had figured out after what I think was day or two of personal testing. I had been wary to experiment of my own after the first time, but a few tentative attempts resulted in no electric shocks. I suspected they wanted to see what I could do as much as I did, and would only punish me if I tried to tamper with what I had dubbed the control orbs. So, I spent most of my time seeing just what the hell I could do. And the answer was ''not nearly as much as I felt I should have''.


    One of the first things I tried to do was resume my efforts to change into at least something close to human, but I was met with only mild success. I managed to get my legs back to plantigrade, and my proportions slightly more human like, but my face¡­ Imagine that you need to sculpt a human face out of clay. Now imagine that you have no art training, and have to do it in a pitch black room by touch. Now imagine that your hands have been replaced with calloused walrus flippers. That was what it was like trying to manually shape my flesh. Worse still was how long it had taken me to change; though I could alter every part of my body at the same time with no extra effort so long as I wasn''t too specific on the details, getting even close to human had taken hours.


    And oddly enough, I could change back to ''xenomorph'' in a few seconds no matter what. In addition to that, anything else I tried to shape (simple things like blades, bludgeons, even simple geometric shapes), all naturally formed with Giger-esque aesthetics, with ridges and organic curves wherever possible. It seemed that my body wanted to shape anything it turned into along a certain theme¡­ and things like the finer details of the human form were outside of that.


    Which wasn''t great when it came to making the orbs in my head actual eyeballs. Though to be fair a lot of that might have been because I had only a vague idea how eyes were structured. It was a small mercy that I had somehow managed to get them photosensitive from just randomly trying things. Which was a bit suspicious in and of itself. I thought back to the fight earlier, when those bits of flesh and tech were absorbed into me. I wasn''t certain¡­ but it seemed to imply¡­


    Well, at least when the time came, it gave me an idea of what to do with those control orbs.


    I was snapped out of my thoughts when I felt a sudden tremor, followed a split second later by the sound of an explosion. I tensed and waited, and soon after that I heard what could only be alarm sirens. Hmm, I guess one of their experiments didn''t go quite as planed? I thought with a vicious grin (which made me feel better for the simple fact that I could do it). If I was going to break out, now the best time to try¡­ but I still had to get out of my stupid cell.


    And unfortunately, even with my newfound transforming skills, I was just as successful as last time. No matter how much I slashed, smashed, or stabbed at the door, the damn thing didn''t budge. I was starting to consider trying even more exotic configurations before I heard something through the door. It was faint, but I swore I could hear shouting, impacts, and a few other things I couldn''t identify.


    There was a moment of silence before a massive impact dented the door inwards. A second one followed it and it bent even more. I managed to duck to the side of the cell before the third one hit and the metal slab flew into the room. And standing right in the doorway was the woman from before, her first extended, breathing heavily and looking incredibly pissed.


    I had no idea how she managed to get free or find my cell, but I was not arguing with the miracle. I walked towards her and nodded. "Thank you. I hope you know how to get us out of here." I said, glad I had spent so much time making sure my voice worked. Now we could actually talk to each other.


    "Cor nock toresh nal voerkeni saul." She replied.


    That¡­ was very unhelpful. And what even was it? Mongolian? Klingon? Well, looked like we''d have to stage a breakout from the lizard base using nothing but pantomime. I gave her the ''lead on'' gesture and she did so, sprinting after her as she tore down the corridor. Although I might have been faster if I switched back to my quadruped form, felt far more comfortable just running with human-ish legs again, and I had a feeling that I would need every advantage I could get if I wanted to get out of here. Judging by the number of alarms going off, I had a suspicion that escape wasn''t going to be easy.


    And sure enough, after the woman led me through a number of corridors we turned a corner and almost ran straight into a group of lizard people. There were five of them in total, and each was carrying a sort of strange thin rifle, with multiple barrels and prongs sticking off of it. I had no idea what those things did, but I was sure I didn''t want to find out first hand. I dove to the side to take cover in a doorway as one started to level their weapon at me, and while I didn''t see anything happen I heard a loud hum and the air next to me suddenly spiked in temperature. Laser, I guessed. Going to be really annoying considering I can''t ''see'' them.


    My companion did not immediately take cover, and instead raised her hand towards them. My blindsight did manage to see what happened next, as the space around her hand seemed to ripple in my vision before several bolts of something streaked towards our captors. Most of the reptiles managed to scramble out of the way, but one was too slow and took several shots which detonated on contact. With all of the noise it was hard to pick out any details but I knew that it wasn''t going to be getting back up.


    I briefly turned my attention to the woman as I wondered why she hadn''t shown that ability the last time we met, before I refocused on our opponents and charged out of cover, trying to close the distance before they realized it. There was no way I was going to just hide and let my savoir only risk herself after she had already freed me. It was a risk, but I had no ranged options, so melee it was. Unfortunately, I got just shy of striking range of one before it let out a hiss and tapped a button on a device attached to its arm.


    Once again I felt electricity rip through me from the control orbs in my chest, and I stumbled as I felt myself lose cohesion. Part of me had been waiting for this to happen ever since I stepped outside my cell though, and I prayed that I had acquired enough skill shapeshifting to do what I was thinking. Forcing down all the pain, I turned my attention inwards and imagined spikes. An instant later the orbs were speared through with whatever material my body was made out of, and the electricity was cut off.


    Though I didn''t want to, I couldn''t help but fall to my knees as something unexpected happen. I felt my internal spikes suddenly branch and grow inside the implanted devices, tearing them apart from the inside out, and as they did so I felt something in the back of my mind. When I looked up and saw one of the reptiles standing over me a rush of need and instinct caused my forearms to expand as I felt new, complicated structures form inside them. My claws lengthened, and as the transformation finished electricity began to arc between my fingers.


    Didn''t know I could do that.


    I stared at this for a moment I before turned my attention upwards without raising my head, perceiving that the reptile next to me was frozen in fascination at this. Big mistake. The moment the thing started to open its mouth I shot upwards, driving my newly formed Lightning Claw into its mouth and straight into its brain.


    The thing''s body spasmed as I whirled it around to put it between me and the others, just in time to it catch a laser blast in my stead. I reached down to grab the rile still clenched in its fist, and on a hunch I tried to replicate what I had just accomplished. Sure enough my hand twisted and unfolded into branching spikes that consumed all but the forward third of the weapon. My arm shifted to accommodate, and a second later I was doing a Samus Arin impression. I lifted the weapon towards one of them and willed it to fire, and though I didn''t see anything the one I pointed it at clutched at the sudden hole in its chest before it collapsed.


    The remaining two tried to rally, but my ally was already on them, and a few brutal blows later they down as well. I finished consuming the gun before my hand shifted back to normal, and I could only give the bodies a glance before we were on the move again. I¡­ had definitely just killed two sapient beings. I knew I was going to have to deal with that later (and wasn''t that becoming the theme of my life as of late), but we needed to escape first.


    It wasn''t long before we came to a much bigger set of doors than the ones we had been passing before. The woman stopped in front of them and raised her hands, another series of bolts rippling in my vision before they exploded against the metal. However, it didn''t seem terribly affected by it. She roared as her fists smashed into the door, but it was a lot sturdier than the one to my cell. After a few more tries I held out my hand to get her to stop, and after a few moments I identified what I thought was a control panel next to it.


    Without pause I stabbed my hand into it and deploy my spikes. There was a second or two I was worried that I had overestimated my new abilities before a new presence made itself aware in my mind. It was¡­ difficult to understand. I got the impression of systems, complexity, but it was presented in a way that was alien to me. It was like having someone tap on your arm in different beats with different materials and different rhythms; you could recognize that there was a langue at play, but you had never even considered that paradigm.


    Still, I pushed deeper and deeper, trying to understand as much as possible even if I had to damage it more and more to do so. Just before I started to wonder if I had gone too far I felt the same sort of mental revelation you get when you finally get a magic eye picture to work and everything aligned. One mental command later the door opened, revealing a wide room with a number of consoles lining the walls, and several lizard men looking at us in surprise.


    The woman strode into the room, her hands rippling in my sight as she extended them towards them. "Kreshik mor t''alc! Vaashen!"


    I walked up beside her, Lighting Claws raised. "And we out of f.u.c.ks to give!"


    What? It wasn''t like they could understand me either.


    As it turned out, these particular goons were not security forces like the ones previous. And they quickly fled from our presence as fast as their lopping gait would allow. After they were gone the woman walked to a console on the far end of the room, pressing buttons and tapping at panels. I had no idea what she as doing, not in the least of which because my blindsight couldn''t see what I assumed were the screens and holograms she was looking at. However, she wasn''t at it for long before she let out a grunt of frustration and stepped back before looking at me. "Telos dor?" She said as she pointed at the console.


    Understanding the request, I walked forward and placed my hand on the device, this time melding my hand with it much more smoothly as I tried to limit the amount of damage I caused. Whether or not that helped though, I found myself reeling slightly as my mind connected. I had thought the door was complicated, but this was a whole order of magnitude more complicated. I felt the beginnings of a headache as I was bombarded with information, sensations, ideas that I could barely parse. I was looking at a puzzle that I could barely understand, let alone solve.


    "Shen? Mela orthos?" The woman next to me asked.


    "Hey, this is actually a lot more complicated than it looks, ok?" I said back.


    "Torack mel. Toresh na relma!"


    "Yeah, well I''m pretty sure these lizard folk had no idea what they were doing to me either, so were all flying blind!"


    I could tell from her stance that she was frustrated, that she wanted to get out of here now. She looked between me and the door, and a small bit of fear ran through me. Would she just leave me? At that moment I expected that she would either do just that or start yelling at me more in a language I couldn''t understand.


    What I didn''t expect however was for her to suddenly grab the back of my head and mash her lips against my own.


    I froze, all of the thoughts and processes running through my mind suddenly coming to a halt at the contact. I felt something ripple through me from the point of contact, like an imagined electric jolt running though my body. And perhaps the sensation shook something loose in me, because after I felt a moment of light headedness, the blurriness in my vision resolved and sharpened. And the first thing my new eyes saw was my savoir as she pulled back from me.


    Her face was one of classical beauty, gorgeous and framed by her hair, but that was almost secondary to everything else I noticed in that instant. Her skin was a burnt orange hue, and her hair was far more red than any normal shade. And the eyes that stared so fiercely back into mine were an almost solid emerald green, with only the iris showing a slightly deeper color. More than anything else though, as impossible as it was that she could even be real¡­ I knew who she was.


    "Take control of the security if you can, and try to make your escape. I must go back to save my sister." Princess Koriand''r of Tamaran said as she rose into the air, her hair trailing off into fire around her as she pulled away. A second later she shot off back through the door we came from and disappeared out of sight.


    What.

 Chapter 46 - My SI Stash #46 - JoJos Bizarre RPG by RobinRuken (JoJos Bizarre Adventure)

    -A better and more ¥´¥´¥´¥´ JoJo fic. Recommended by tabbium~


    *Honestly, I prefer fics that just got a considerable amount of word count... I just can''t stand 4K, it won''t make me forget about my 3D life.


    £¨£þ¦á£þ£©¨J


    Sypnosis: There are many moments in life when you start questioning exactly what you''ve done to deserve something. This? I must have either been a saint on the level of Jesus Christ or the Devil is my biggest fan if I''m in my favorite anime/manga. Oh well, at least I''m hot as Hell. That has to count for something, yeah? [Gamer Fanfiction]


    Rated: T


    Words: 30K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13098940/1/Jojo-s-Bizarre-RPG (RobinRuken)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Many people have had various ideas about what happens when you encounter death. The Christians believed that you go to heaven if you believe in Jesus and follow his words, otherwise you''re going straight to Hell. Those who practice Buddhism believe in reincarnation. Atheists don''t think anything happens except becoming mulch.


    And I can tell you with 100% guaranteed certification that I¡­ am still a little foggy on the details, but I may have died with severe head trauma.


    Why you may ask?


    [Welcome to [Jojo''s Bizarre RPG]! The land of crazy, unexplainable shit and flamboyant, muscley men! Say ''continue'' to continue!]


    That. That is why. That is currently a pink box floating in front of my face in this inky blackness that surrounds me. The only damn thing that I can see.


    Why can I only see this box? Where is my body? The f.u.c.k am I? Why my favorite anime/manga? These are all my questions that cannot be answered at the moment, so my only choice is to "Continue." Whoa, my voice sounds weird.


    [Before we continue, would you like to insert a new name? Please note, there''s a chance you won''t be related to the Jovial Joestars even if you choose their names.]


    Hmm¡­ well, seeing as how Araki seems to wear his musical tastes on his sleeve, and this is a video game¡­ thing, I''ll go with¡­


    [Your new name shall be Dean Domino?]


    Second favorite character from the Dead Money DLC just behind the lesbian waifu. Plus, it''s catchy.


    [Now choosing the setting for Player. Setting will influence [Traits].]


    [...]


    [Setting has been chosen.]


    [Part 2: Battle Tendency, 1937, NYC]


    Huh, cool. I always loved Battle Tendency, mostly for the Indiana Jones vibe. At least things are going to be somewhat simple, and it''s giving me some time to prepare.


    Oh shit, I just realized! I can go watch live Frank Sinatra shows! F.u.c.k yeah!


    [Traits are an important part of the start of the game, giving you a few advantages.]


    [Choose 3 [Traits]]


    [x] Past Memories- You will retain all knowledge of your former life! +5 to INT!


    [] Scammer- They say the pen is mightier than the sword, but you know a well sharpened tongue can beat everything! +3 to INT, WIS, and CHA! -2 STR, VIT, and DEX!


    [] Knuckleheaded- Thinking may be useful, but it doesn''t hurt to have a backup plan, ie a knuckle sandwich! +3 to STR, VIT, and DEX, and -2 INT, WIS, and CHA!


    [x] Hamon Prodigy- You are naturally gifted in the mystical force known as Hamon! +25% learning speed for [Hamon] and +1000 MP!


    [] Commanding Presence- You are one of those people that you just can''t ignore. +50% increase in [Reputation] gains.


    [X] Bizarre Destiny- From the day you left the w.o.m.b, something about you has been¡­ bizarre. +10 LUC and a chance meeting.


    Obviously choosing [Past Memories], meta-knowledge is a powerful weapon in a world where knowledge is power. [Hamon Prodigy] because f.u.c.k.i.n.g vampires are a thing here, and the extra MP seems extremely useful. As for [Bizarre Destiny], do I really have to spell it out? Most likely an easy access for getting in touch with main characters. And if not, +10 LUC with no drawbacks seems very handy.


    [Generating character body. Generating complete. Please choose starting clothing.]


    Dear Lord I look good! Six foot six with shoulder length black hair and icy blue eyes. And because I''m seeing my new self (that''s going to take a bit to sink in), I am very proud of my Leeroy Jenkins. What? It''s a matter of pride amongst men, and is the same as comparing boob sizes to each other!


    Now, moving on from my mast, I do have an interesting birthmark. A key looking blotch of skin right over my heart. If that''s a reference to Vera Keyes, I''ll be happy. On the plus side, I can now say I have a literal key to my heart.


    Moving onto clothing, I try to keep it simple. Normal trousers, boots, a button-up shirt, and I do include a black overcoat, fedora, and sunglasses, mostly for the cool factor.


    Now, what do my final numbers look like?


    Title: [N/A]


    Name: Dean Domino


    Age: 18


    Race: Human


    Stand: [Locked]


    Level: 1


    HP: 1000


    MP: 2500


    STR - 10


    VIT - 10


    DEX - 10


    INT - 15


    WIS - 10


    CHA - 10


    LUC - 20


    Points - 0


    Dean Domino is a young man who was reborn as a [Gamer]. And though his past is blank, his potential is infinite.


    Huh, that''s pretty decent, I think. And I do like the little description at the end there. But what caught my attention was [Stand]. Makes sense, when you think about it. Stands didn''t just appear one day in the verse, they''ve been around¡­ practically forever. And that means I can unlock it. Which means that I''m going to have to find an [Arrow].


    [Stand by Me]


    Stands are an instrumental, and eventually mandatory, additions to any Jojoverse arsenal. One that you need to get


    Objectives:


    Find an [Arrow]


    Get hit by the [Arrow]


    Rewards:


    50,000 Exp


    Unlocks your [Stand]


    Oh cool, quests! And that''s a load of exp. Hmm¡­ I''m certain there was another way to get- oh crap, Anubis! I almost forgot about him!


    [Saving Anubis]


    The [Stand] known as [Anubis] is stuck in some museum, waiting for the day he can be released.


    Objectives:


    Beat DIO to finding [Anubis]


    Rewards:


    50,000 Exp


    Gain [Anubis Stand]


    [Anubis]''s undying loyalty


    Failure:


    Future Enemy


    A way to shit on the douche vampire and get a badass sword/follower/second [Stand]? I''m in!


    Wait¡­ speaking of vampire, I''m in Battle Tendency. Where Jars is trying to become the Ultimate Lifeform. Can¡­ can I become one, or at the very least, an Evolved Vampire?


    [A True Immortal]


    You have set your sights on not only achieving vampirism, but becoming an Evolved Vampire! Depending on your actions, this will be a walk in the park, or a deadly road.


    Objectives:


    Obtain a Stone Mask


    Obtain MAX Lvl in [Vampire Physiology]


    Obtain [Red Stone of Aja]


    Bonus Objectives:


    ?


    ?


    Rewards:


    1,000,000 Exp


    [Evolved Vampire Physiology]


    [True Immortal] Title


    Bonus Rewards:


    ?


    ?


    Failure:


    Possible Death


    Oh f.u.c.k the hell yes~!


    But these Bonus Objectives, huh? Seems interesting, and I''ll definitely keep an eye out for that. Now, for gaining functioning immortality, my best bet would be to befriend Joseph in order to get the Stone. Yeah, that seems good. Thank God I chose [Bizarre Destiny]!


    All though, there is one major roadblock preventing me from being able to be confident in my future. The [Reset]. And how will I be able to stop that? Killing Enrico Pucci and destroying the notebook before Made in Heaven is created.


    [Stopping Heaven''s Ascension]


    You have made it a life goal of killing Father Enrico Pucci before he or anyone else can rewrite the Universe!


    Objectives:


    Kill Father Enrico Pucci


    Destroy DIO''s notebook


    Rewards:


    1,000,000 Exp


    [Savior of the World] Title


    Bragging rights


    Failure:


    Reset/Death


    See! Now I have to do it. If not for living then for bragging rights alone.


    [Now that your main goals have been set, let''s send you in! Inserting Player in 3¡­]


    Wait, do I even get a tutorial or something?!


    [2¡­]


    How am I going to grind my levels?!


    [1¡­]


    I''m feeling very ignored right now.


    [0¡­]


    A/N Hey everyone, thanks for starting off on this fanfic of mine. First things first, I am not going to set my foot anywhere near ''Golden Wind.'' It''s a great part, one of my favorites right next to ''Steel Ball Run,'' and because of that, I''d probably butcher it without fail. I cannot see Giorno sharing the spotlight with Dean here, and I''m not even going to try my hand at the bullshit that is Crimson King and Gold Experience Requiem.


    Also, I will be changing the cover as the story goes on. It will always have Dean''s current appearance in it, and I''ve got three of them set up right now.


    If you guys have any critiques or point out things that I skipped over, you will get a reply that is filled with thanks and brownie points.


    Now, enjoy

 Chapter 47 - My SI Stash #47 - Kaleidoscope by TotoroX92 (Naruto)

    -Some drama and some psychotic stuff. It''s real edgy. SI will somehow end up in a universal harem, well the ending''s pretty wild.


    Sypnosis: Fear can make you do stupid things. When you''re two years behind Itachi, that''s a luxury you can''t afford. Drama, Angst, Humor, Horror, Bad Decisions, FFN is shit about tags, Read this on SpaceBattles, SI/OC


    Rated: M


    Words: 136K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12539731/1/Kaleidoscope (TotoroX92)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1.1-1.9


    April 19


    I was born into my second life utterly confused and disoriented. The first and only constant in my earliest days was mother, who held me even though I cried far too much for a normal baby, and whispered softly to me every night as I struggled to make sense of all the conflicting thoughts and memories, her long hair falling down around me in a protective cocoon as I bawled, gleaming light turning the black to indigo.


    "It''s okay sweetie, it''s okay, mama''s here, it''s okay Hiroki."


    And so it was that Uchiha Hiroki came to be.


    . . .


    I often wondered as I grew older if my mother might not have been blessed with the gift of prophecy, for my name was spelled in a somewhat unusual manner.


    Searching Light.


    It was peculiarly fitting, for I never stopped moving once I had achieved some semblance of order in my thoughts. There was so little time, and so much to see and do.


    I was an Uchiha, and thus I was cursed. Born of the line of Otsutsuki Indra, and blessed with both his eyes and his legacy of madness.


    This was not necessarily the most terrible thing that could happen to one dropped into the Elemental Countries, certainly there were worse fates. I would be a strong ninja, at the very least, which was a great boon to one''s chances of survival on this planet.


    My earliest years were fairly sheltered and I was rarely allowed to leave the house, but our backyard was beautifully maintained by my mother, who filled it with lovely white and purple orchids. Our house was not very large, but the smaller size made it cozy and it was nicely shaded by the Hashirama trees whose broad green leaves cast dappled shadows over my infant flailings in the strong summer sun, and in the fall turned orange and helped the oncoming dusk change the windows to warm fire.


    Oh the trees, the glorious trees, towering against the sky, a bulwark against any threat. Not for naught were we called the Village Hidden in the Leaves, for the grand pillars of the Shodaime''s bloodline were omnipresent amongst the buildings, and to a child the shade of the canopy was better than any security blanket.


    There would be time later to train, time to grow. I would not slack, of course, because War might yet be looming, I could not know for sure when I was yet.


    But for a time, I was content.


    . . .


    How foolish youth.


    . . .


    When I was three the Kyuubi broke free from its Seal and decimated Konoha.


    Our pleasant little house was destroyed, along with much of the Uchiha quarter as my mother and I huddled in the fallout shelters under the Hokage monument, crouched in terrified silence with the rest of the civilians as titanic waves of malevolent energy reshaped the landscape.


    When the dust settled we moved to a new house, in a new walled off part of the village, and there were no more cool summers and shady autumns in the lee of great trees, and there never would be again.


    Dreams plagued everyone, the malefic echoes of the Bijuu given form in the sleeping mind, but mine were not of the Fox.


    The trees rush past in the dim moonlight, shapes given definition by the shadows which the anemic silver luminance does not relieve so much as highlight. The inky blue of the hollows in their roots exert a sucking pressure and lend the grass between the wavering spaces the sickening green hue of an old bruise viewed through tear blurred eyes.


    Feet pound in unsteady rhythm, a drumbeat of frantic flight warped to torpor slowness by the clutching shades of indistinct figures hiding behind the towering wooden columns. The ground turns under foot, traitor earth rushing up to blind, fall brought short at the last moment by shaking arms.


    Sandaled feet appear ahead, soundless across the cold and barren clearing, flecks of ice spreading to leech color from the surroundings and leave them a tired clinical grey. A sudden flip and a cloaked figure looms, visage bleeding from black inscrutability into Itachi, face lined and pale and devoid of pity as his eyes expand and swirl, red on black consuming the moon to glower down on frozen limbs with baleful crimson disdain as it peeks through incongruously bright leaves. Steel flashes once more and the view topples in accompaniment to shooting pain-


    I wake to clutch at the neck so recently severed with a silent scream on my lips.


    . . .


    A/N: So, this is the thing I have been working on for... way too long, being edited and re-edited and reviewed and modified and... bleh. I am basically satisfied with it now though, and if I don''t put it out there I''ll eventually edit it to death, so. Anyway, fair warning, this fic is going to be more than just a little bit dark, but hopefully not straight up grimdark. This is a story of poor decisions and unlucky outcomes. Be ye warned.


    I strongly recommend you read this fic on Spacebattles, its first and truest home, where you can also find alt-endings, omake, and fan-art as well as all sorts of other little wonderful tidbits.


    Chapter 1.2


    Feb 2, 1 AK


    I gazed flatly at the faded brown wood of the training log buried standing upright in the backyard of the new house in the Uchiha compound and fingered the pouch hanging from my shorts absently. The early spring wind whistled gently around the edges of the building and sent a tiny chill up my spine even in the late afternoon even as it rustled the feeble green pushing up amongst the dead patches of the poorly tended lawn.


    Hold the kunai parallel to palm, bring hand back to opposite shoulder, flick arm forward, use wrist to aim following smooth arc, release kunai while tip is pointing at target. Repeat until too dark to see.


    Mother was somewhat reluctant to give me detailed instruction in the ninja arts so young but there was no more time to be content, only time to survive. Her few tips on form and technique formed the basis for my new existence and practice consumed every waking moment not devoted to bodily maintenance. I had little natural aptitude for the ninja arts, so I made up for it with repetition.


    Breath in, curl fist with thumb out from core, fist held slightly above waist height, push out while twisting arm till palm is parallel with the ground, extend the punch through the target, finish breathing out. Retract fist one while mirroring with fist two. Repeat until bleeding.


    I was on a time limit, a hard one. I had seven years, and if I was not strong, if I was not competent, if I could not prove my value, then I would die with the rest of my clan. Just two years younger than Itachi, and I was already doomed.


    Breath deep, keep shoulders back, keep eyes on the road ahead and off feet, maintain an even stride length, take small sips of water. Repeat until unconscious.


    Tick tock, goes the clock, now we all must die.


    Certainly my father would perish. He was very proper, Uchiha Genryusai, very much a model Uchiha. Not a bad man, not at all, though I did not see him quite enough to form a solid opinion of him. He was a tokubetsu Jounin, though from what I understood not actually an exceptional one. He only managed tokubetsu because of his proficiency with Genjutsu, and he only possessed that because of the Sharingan. Mediocre chakra reserves, and no notable traits besides his eyes.


    My mother was, as I said, my rock. Uchiha Yuki had retired at the rank of Chunin to breed up the next generation, as is proper for Uchiha ladies who have awoken their Sharingan, and she helped me greatly during the earliest years of training.


    "No, Hiroki, like this, keep your elbow in tight while you punch. If you push out too much you lose power. Okay?"


    "Yes mother. Like this?"


    My knuckles thunked heavily into the wood. I ignored the slight sting and looked back to mother for correction, my eyes wide and observant as I searched for motions approval in the shifting folds of her lavender kimono.


    "Good. Like that. But don''t push yourself too hard, I don''t want you coming home with bloody hands again."


    I smiled faintly at her and she returned the gesture with a smile of her own, the tilt of her head allowing her hair to send long shadows over her face, giving the alabaster skin a somber caste. We both knew it was vain to hope that I would stop before injury.


    The one arguable downside to spending so much time at home was the reputation I built among the other Uchiha children. Momma''s boy, Training freak, Weirdo. Fortunately their attempts at interaction were minimal so I was spared much in the way of teasing.


    "Hey, you wanna play ninja with us?"


    The boy in dark blue clothes was met with only a blank black stare from my position beneath a tree in one of the compound''s smaller parks, eyes grown accustomed to the undistracting pink of my own hands forced to blink as they reset. It was a more or less pleasant spot to train my chakra for most of the year due to the slightly clammy sage-green shade of the trees. Provided I wasn''t being bothered by toddlers. His companion tugged on his sleeve, pulling him away from my spot.


    "Not him; Hiroki''s a weirdo. Let''s ask Satsuki."


    The trio of raven haired children ran past me as I continued to sit in a lotus position, feeling out my chakra system. I didn''t have any friends inside my clan, or to be honest, outside it either. Why bother getting chummy with pre-corpses?


    The only member of my very extended family that deserved, or indeed received, any of my respect and attention was my mother.


    "Where did you want the folded clothes?"


    She glanced up from the dishes in the sink with a little surprise, pushing back a few stray locks of hair with the back of a soapy hand cleaned in the next moment on her sky blue apron inscribed with the Uchiha fan.


    "Oh! Did you empty the drier? Sweetie, you didn''t have to do that, I can take care of it."


    I blinked up at her over the stack of neatly folded clothes, the basket stuffed with clean shirts in the clan''s favored blue and black in a pile almost taller than I was.


    "I don''t mind. I''m too tired to practice today, so I thought I could help you."


    Her smile sent a thrill of warm pleasure through me, even tinged as it was with an expression of chastis.e.m.e.nt at my tacit admission of overwork.


    "You can put it at the foot of my futon, okay? Thank you, Hiroki."


    I tried in all things to be respectful of her wishes, though I could not quite be everything she wanted for doing so would have meant far less time to train. Still, aside from the disagreement over training, I was a model child. Quiet, polite, helpful. Whenever I was too sore to train for another day I would spend time with her, helping to cook, or asking her to read me stories; anything to brighten her day.


    Much as I loathed it, I could not save her. She was loyal to her husband, and therefore the clan, and so she would die. Still I clung to her while I could, and tried to ensure that her experience of motherhood was a good one. She would be gone all too soon.


    . . .


    It was surreal, seeing all these people and knowing that soon they would be dust and memory. The Uchiha cremated their dead, and it became hard for me to not smell smoke when I looked at the black haired figures passing me on the street, and the taste of ash was ever present on my tongue on the rare occasions I spoke to them.


    I could never eat more than a few bites in the presence of my extended family without throwing up. It happened often enough that they took me to the doctor, who of course could find nothing wrong. How could I tell them, how could I explain, that I couldn''t look at black hair, black eyes, and pale skin without food turning to so much charred flesh in my mouth?


    Combined with my obsessive training, my antisocial behaviour was noted as worrisome, but not counterproductive, by the older members of the clan. The Uchiha prized strength above everything, and if nothing else, in this way I was similar to my new family for strength was what I sought above all.


    Every thudding strike against the training post or pounding footstep on the jogging path was a beat of the mantra in my head and heart, and every scr.a.p.e and bloody bandage proof of my commitment to survival.


    I must be strong.


    If I am not strong, I will die.


    Strength opens doors.


    These doors will let me escape.


    No pit is too deep to sink to.


    No mountain is too high to climb.


    Anything that I can do, I must do.


    Strength is the reward for my effort.


    With strength, I can be free from fear.


    I must be strong.


    I was so afraid.


    . . .


    A/N: Don''t worry about the timeline too much; if it matters when something happens relative to another thing the segment will start with the date.


    Chapter 1.3


    I fingered the high collar of the blue t-shirt mother had bought for me with a blank expression of contemplation, digits sliding over the embroidered uchiwa to pick nervously at individual stitches.


    The high collar was traditional amongst the Uchiha, or possibly merely fashionable; I wasn''t sure and didn''t care to investigate further. At any rate, it was a strong identifier of outsider status for none of the children in the village proper wore such things. Without the distinctive clothing I could almost pass for a civilian. The Uchiha were a little bit paler than average, but the general stock of the elemental countries, despite outliers like Naruto, was stereotypical asian: black or dark brown hair and black or dark brown eyes.


    Ninjas threw a huge wrench in that with their weird bloodlines, like the Yamanaka''s pupil-less eyes, but they were the minority. The super majority of humans were fairly average in appearance, and I was within one standard deviation of that norm being a relatively banal specimen of the Uchiha''s black on pale on black.


    ...Save for the shirt. An affectation. An inconvenience. A mark of otherness which set me apart from the rest of Konoha and the other shinobi.


    That just wouldn''t do.


    I reached into my pouch for a kunai and made a few, small, careful cuts; nothing blatant as sabotage or intentional damage, all the sort of marks which could be written off as training wear, but which would eventually acc.u.mulate on the shirt until it fell apart and needed to be replaced. A careful pricking of some of the seams, a little tear on the hem, and the garment would die a messy death, opening the way for replacements.


    If I wanted to set myself apart from the rest of the pre-corpses in my clan, I would need to dress the part. It would take a while for my requests for grey long sleeves with normal collars to be met, but I could afford to wait, for this.


    . . .


    November 24, 3 AK


    It was a difficult problem, managing my time. I was sitting again beneath my favored tree, watching the leaves changing color from faded greens to dull browns and yellows, still clinging reluctantly to the lesser trees of the Uchiha compound against the backdrop of autumn blue sky dulled by intermittent wisps of off white cloud. I only had a moment to take a break between exercises and catch my breath, but even that time was invested in planning my next move.


    What was more important? Should I run another lap of the training field? Some pushups maybe?


    My gaze lingered for a moment at the fallen leaves swirling in the wind and my shoulders twinged sympathetically at the chill; perhaps I should practice more with my chakra today and allow my muscles to rest.


    I had no time, no time for uncertainty or experimentation. I had to make do with off the cuff estimates and back-of-the-napkin calculations on how to invest the ever dwindling number of seconds I had at my disposal. I couldn''t afford the time to find optimal strategies for improvement, and I couldn''t afford not to be optimal.


    I scratched nervously at the back of my hand hard enough to break the skin, tiny beads of bright carmine welling up from the excessive force. I licked up the seeping blood absently, taste of copper sitting in my mouth thick as syrup, sticking to my teeth and lingering on my breath, a tangible reminder of my own transient nature, no more real than the shadows cast by the early morning sun.


    Run, punch, focus, fingers, speed, stamina, chakra, jutsu, again, again, again-


    My mind floated away from my body as I rose and set to sprinting along the dusty track, course momentarily decided upon.


    Every second was precious, every moment another step up the infinite ladder of power, the ladder I needed to climb as quickly as I could. I could not allow missteps; a single serious injury or dead end training routine could be the final nail in my coffin, the unrecoverable opportunity gone forever.


    The same questions, over and over.


    Should I be fast and light? Should I be slow and durable? Should I be clever and twisty?


    What would Itachi think most useful? What would help me get stronger faster? What would convince the village I should be excluded from the purge?


    I couldn''t ask anyone for advice; I was rarely allowed to wander on my own outside the compound and the libraries were only open to Genin and above, and contained scarcely anything besides when paranoid ninja hoarded their knowledge for their students and family. None of the Uchiha would understand, for they would see the desire for power and try to shape me to be like them, a course which would merely seal my doom faster.


    I would smile and nod along with the rest of the Uchiha children in the classes which taught us reading and writing and basic math, allowing the subtler lessons of Uchiha superiority to trickle away unheeded. There was no help to be had there.


    The wind in the trees became the whisper of sand, running through the glass, each grain lost forever. A million chances, and I could only take a few.


    I needed more.


    . . .


    March 28, 4 AK


    "He''s only six years old."


    "Almost seven. He''ll be seven by the beginning of the semester. Itachi joined the academy at six. He graduated in only a year and now he''s on track to become a Chunin!"


    "Itachi is a prodigy; Hiroki is quick but he isn''t-"


    "Bah! Hiroki is strong enough. You molly coddle him too much. At least he takes his training seriously!"


    "Too seriously Genryusai. You aren''t here; You don''t see him coming home dripping blood after beating himself raw on the training posts 6 nights a week!"


    "Do you think keeping him out of the academy will help? Do you think he''ll stop beating himself bloody if we keep him out for longer? You can''t stop him Yuki, he''s going to be a ninja regardless of what you or I want."


    I tapped a foot gently on the darkly varnished wooden floor and the conversation cut off. My father pulled the faintly glowing eggshell screen open and looked down at me with a stern and slightly disapproving gaze, tinged with a light dusting of paternal concern. I blinked up at him placidly for a second then ducked under the hanging sleeve of his midnight blue kimono and climbed into my mother''s lap, head nestling in the folds of her pale lavender house robe.


    "I want to enter the academy. I need to be stronger. To make you proud of me. To be an example to the village of the value of the Uchiha. I haven''t even unlocked my Sharingan yet."


    My voice quavered with emotion and my eyes focused on the stark white and red fan of the clan crest on the wall. My parents probably interpreted the tremble as shame, my mother hugging me closer in comfort, but it was only fear. I couldn''t possibly stand against Itachi without awakened eyes, not if I trained a hundred years. Even then it was a longshot, at best.


    My father spoke as if it was no great gap, but Itachi was a prodigy. I had watched him train more than once over the years and he was flawless. His form was perfect, his skill with our Bloodline was unparalleled, and his chakra reserves were already well developed for a child his age. I needed to press harder if I was to even stay in his shadow, and the academy would give me a chance to do so. More importantly, it would give me the opportunity to get a Jounin sensei, and the significant boost in strength that was synonymous with such an arrangement.


    I would join the academy, and become strong.


    Strength is Life. Weakness is Death.


    . . .


    A/N: italics may be lost in the transition. let me know if you spot any errors in the posts, dropped letters or words or whatever.


    Chapter 1.4


    November 14, 4 AK


    I hit the training post hard enough that the slightly grimy wood creaked, leaving a bloody imprint of my knuckles behind to further encrust the aged log.


    ''Average, maybe a bit better.''


    The f.u.c.k.i.n.g Chunin instructor, just casually consigning me to death, to a faceless grave, forgotten before I had even made a proper name for myself, as if Sasuke would care about some random second cousin once removed, as if Itachi and Obito would even know my f.u.c.k.i.n.g face. Just another name on the memorial or whatever they decided to put up to commemorate the fall of the Uchiha. Spat upon by the village most likely, the little kanji scratchings covered by moss and dust and faded to nothing in a decade, at best.


    All because some noname academy teacher thought I wasn''t impressive enough?!


    F.U.C.K THAT.


    I wouldn''t let some nobody, some cannon fodder, some dropout no-talent hack tell me to calmly accept death because I was ''still growing''. I didn''t have time to grow, I needed to be strong now!


    A rush of chakra to my fist sent cracks through the log, a few flakes of old effort fluttering off in a tepid greyish cloud.


    Cracks. Just cracks. Not shattering it into a thousand tiny pieces, not making it explode in a puff of dust, not¡­ not good enough. Not good enough to live.


    I sank to my knees and began to shake with silent, panicked sobs. My chest heaved but no sound escaped as tears dropped from my face onto the hard packed earth of the training field, moisture briefly darkening the dusty brown earth before fading away into nothing, just like I would.


    A soft sound from behind me, a shinobi being polite. I stood, not quite as fluidly as I would have liked, and wiped at my eyes before turning to greet the interloper.


    My breath caught in my throat, my blood turned to ice, and I froze in utter terror.


    Itachi.


    The cold hand of inevitable fate settled around my shoulders like a cloak and its silken voice whispered sweetly in my ear as I lost myself in the depths of midnight held in his gaze.


    Look, here he is, your death incarnate. Will it be quick? A stiletto through the eye, a yanking snap of the neck, and then fade to black? Will it be slow? A sword across the gut, your organs on display, so you can watch your insides fall out and scream your last breath, trying to clutch your intestines in with the scent of shit filling your nose? Will it hurt? A long, slow bleed, out in the forest as you crawl away like an animal? Will it HURT?


    My eyes burned and everything became so clear.


    My executioner raised an elegant eyebrow, face set in a polite and expressionless mask of nobility.


    "I had not heard that you had awakened your Sharingan, Hiroki-san."


    I smiled mechanically, jerkily, and nodded my head.


    He must not know, He must not see, I must not fear, fear is the mindkiller-


    "It was very recent Itachi-sama."


    His brows pinched infinitesimally at the honorific and I visibly flinched, breath growing slightly more rapid. His expression smoothed once more to placid unreadability and I had to fight the urge to begin scratching at my hands from nerves.


    My eyes stopped burning and clarity left the world as I forced down the instinctive threat response sending chakra to my eyes. I forced a modest laugh, bandaged and bloody hand rubbing the back of my head in feigned embarrassment as I scuffed at the ground with a black sandaled foot.


    "Sorry, I only meant- that is- you startled me."


    He hummed in acknowledgment and c.o.c.ked his head ever so slightly. Stupid, stupid, stupid, can''t act like a normal to literally save your life-


    "I startled you bad enough to awaken your Sharingan?"


    I froze again, like every little white rabbit that ever tried to hide from the hawk, please don''t look here, look somewhere else, there''s nothing here, I am nothing, I want to live, please, please, please-


    "I- I didn''t mean, you''re just, uh, my Idol, Itachi-sama. You''re so strong, you- you''re just- better."


    I clamped onto my wrist with an abnormally steady hand to stop it twitching and desperately tried to keep my gaze steady, but unable to stop it from darting anywhere but on Itachi, searching for escape routes. There was no escape, there was never any escape, I was too weak, too pathetic, too slow, too dumb-


    "I have always held you as the epitome of what it means to be a shinobi of the Leaf; I have been trying to match your achievements, but I fear that I lack your natural aptitude."


    Because I wasn''t born with some bullshit reincarnation destiny, and you were, and you''re going to kill me because I didn''t win the f.u.c.k.i.n.g lottery-


    "I was somewhat¡­ discomfited by my mid-semester performance evaluation at the academy however; it seems likely I will not be able to graduate in only a year. Then seeing you¡­ I apologize most sincerely."


    I knelt my head into a steep bow and my whole body clenched to avoid trembling. Would he buy it? Would he see through the half-truth? Would he just decide to get this one out of the way early, a quick stab to the base of the skull, unfortunate training accident, so sad, prime of his life, oh well, move along-


    Sandaled feet appeared before me, long shadow consuming the multitude of fine variations in color as it spread across the ground.


    I couldn''t breathe around the tightness in my throat, and my eyes began to swim once more with tears, it wasn''t fair, why did I have to die, I workedso hard-


    "I am sorry to hear that. I have seen how much effort you put into training. I am sure you will do the clan proud."


    My head jerked from side to side in negative, motion stiff and forced, he would see through it, he would know, say something,say something-


    "The clan can take care of itself. My first duty is to the village."


    Silence. Just like everything Itachi did, he was completely devoid of presence whenever he didn''t want to be noticed. He was a ghost, no more substance than a mirage, and just as cruel to travelers in the desert. I couldn''t even hear him breathing, and the only sound in the training field was the faintest rustle of wind in the trees and the pounding of my heart in my ears.


    "...Indeed."


    And the feet turned away, the shadow retreated, the hawk flew on, behold: the rabbit lives for another day.


    The gentle padding of Itachi''s retreat filled me with such palpable relief that I nearly threw up, falling to my knees as my legs turned to rubber in the shuddering wake of adrenalin. I held it in, swallowing the bile back down and only straightening after I had finally caught up to my racing breath, the restrained trembling back full force as my fingers twitched spasmodically as they clawed at the dark soil of the training ground.


    When at last I was able to stand straight I turned back to the post and set to with an energy renewed by the burning throb of panic in my skull, the desperate beat of the fleeing rabbit''s tread mirrored in the hammering of my frenzied heart.


    I will not die. I must be strong.


    . . .


    The sunset that night was beautiful, and the leaves of the trees became fire as the lingering yellow rays of light streamed through them. Fear of Death is the Spice of Life. Who knew?


    . . .


    A/N: Just because a thing happened once does not mean it will happen again. One reincarnation is no gauarantee of another.


    Chapter 1.5


    May 13, 5 AK


    I could hardly tear my gaze from the piercing blue sky of early summer, the world leant a dreamy neon edging by the blistering white sunlight and the haze of endorphins rushing through my head.


    Marginal. My pass was marginal, but I made it, by the skin of my teeth and judicious use of my Sharingan. I was probably in the bottom ten percent of the graduating class, actually, but I did graduate, and after only one year in the academy, a fact which filled me anew with a fierce and predatory joy every time I remembered it.


    I was reminded of the old joke.


    What do you call a doctor that barely passed his MCATs?


    A doctor.


    Even with a slim pass, I still passed. I was now part of squad 19, with two older children who I had never heard of and a Jounin sensei who''s name I didn''t catch, floating as I was in the haze of euphoric relief at my hard won success.


    I took a breath and shook my head clear of distracting emotions, refocusing on the present and my team.


    No. I mustn''t think of them like that, as faceless no ones. They need to matter to me. I need to love them. And then, they needed to die. KIA, of course, for Itachi would never forgive such betrayal of the Will of Fire. Just¡­ well. It happened. The mortality rates for newly minted Genin were atrocious, even in peacetime. I didn''t need to do anything precipitous, just let nature run its course. But it had to hurt, to awaken the Mangekyou, which meant I needed to care for them. And the first step to that was getting them to like me.


    Curse you shortsighted antisocial tendencies! What do children even do when they aren''t training?


    "Hi, uh, sorry, I was kind of distracted when they were doing team assignments. I''m Hiroki, Uchiha Hiroki, it''s nice to meet you. What are your names?"


    The girl gives me a slightly put upon look as if I''m already intentionally trying to drag her down with my youth and short stature, the wild spikes of her auburn hair bristling from her hooded leather jacket as her head jerks slightly in acknowledgement, and her frown pulling at the small clan markings on her cheeks and setting her yellowed eyes to glinting.


    "Inuzuka Nikkei. This is my ninken Kenji."


    The small brown dog gives a yip of hello. The other boy on the team just looks a little bit sleepy, well tanned face relaxed and eyelids half closed over pale green orbs, but he gives me a small wave of acknowledgment, the motion barely shifting the longsleeved amber shirt he wore over cornflower blue pants.


    "Yo. I''m Shimura Wasabi. Sup?"


    I carefully school my expression to avoid blinking in surprise at the name. I had known intellectually Danzo must have had a clan, but I hadn''t expected to meet any of them, and certainly not anticipated being on the same squad as one. I smiled politely back towards the shaven headed boy, making sure to crinkle the corner of my eyes so it looked natural, covering the momentary lull in conversation with a little cough.


    "Ahh, any relation to Shimura Danzo perchance? Advisor to the Sandaime?"


    Wasabi raised an eyebrow at the name drop but nodded a positive.


    "Yeah; my uncle''s cousin or something like that. Don''t see him much of course, he''s a busy guy."


    I nod pleasantly, my hair shifting slightly from the unexpected weight of my brand new forehead protector.


    "I can imagine. It is much the same in my family; father is a tokubetsu Jounin and since he has the Sharingan he spends a lot of time outside of the village."


    Nikkei sniffs irritably, leaning back a bit in her chair to look down her nose at me.


    "My dad''s a full Jounin. Front line combat, one of the strongest ninken partnersh.i.p.s in a century!"


    I blinked, slightly taken aback by her aggressive posture, but I make a recovery soon enough, offering up another slightly bland smile.


    "Oh wow! That''s impressive! I hope I get to meet him one day, he''s sounds really cool. I wish I had a partner I could rely on like that!"


    My kunoichi teammate smirked quizzically at me in slightly nonplussed condescension but seemed pleased at my flattery regardless, even though she clearly expected more arrogance from an Uchiha. Wasabi gave her an unimpressed look, but before the laconic boy could say anything to disturb her I asked him another question.


    "What about you Wasabi-san? Does your clan have any cool techniques?"


    People always like to talk about themselves, it''s a near universal failing of humans. Even people who describe themselves as shy or introverted like talking about themselves for you are always the most important thing as far as your brain is concerned.


    My teammate proves this by sitting up a little and smiling a bit at my show of interest.


    "Oh, yeah. It''s not a Bloodline or anything, but the Shimura hold the summoning contract of the Tapir Clan, and we''re all really good at nature transformations. Check it out!"


    He concentrated on a kunai pulled from a pocket, and after a moment it began to waver with faint heat lines. I whistled appreciatively, and even Nikkei seemed reluctantly impressed. It was a pretty decent feat for a rookie Genin, at least one who wasn''t named Itachi or Kakashi.


    We ended up waiting for a fairly long while for our sensei to arrive, and I tried to keep up a low level of small talk and mild flattery in the hopes of building up a little team spirit. We''d have to be extraordinarily unlucky to get somebody touting around an exam as difficult for a new team as the bell test was, but there was almost certainly going to be some form of examination from our new sensei and teamwork was a major virtue in Konoha; it couldn''t hurt to start generating an air of camaraderie.


    When the door finally opened, I was actually in a pretty good mood, despite myself. Wasabi had a very dry sense of humor, and liked slipping in a bit of innuendo to see Nikkei flush. She of course denied that he was making her uncomfortable, but her blazing blush said otherwise. I looked up to see who had entered and my smile became formaldehyde quality fixed as I took in the gravity defying mop of hair and slanted forehead protector.


    Kakashi blinked at us placidly.


    "My first impression of you guys¡­ idiots."


    . . .


    As I followed my teammates and sensei to the roof my smile remained as genuine as I could fake, which was pretty genuine indeed, but inside my head was spinning and my feet felt like lead weights as they tread on the cement steps.


    Did the universe actually want me to die? It had always seemed like hyperbole, a lie to keep me motivated, a challenge from the cosmos themselves to which I replied with a scream of defiance. But this¡­


    Was I in hell? Or maybe purgatory? Being punished for the sins of a past life? To have almost-chances dangled before me, only to be tugged away at the last moment; It seemed unreasonably cruel to go about it in this way. I loved my mother, and she was going to die. What had she ever done? Why? Just¡­ why?


    This was not the Kakashi of Naruto''s time. This was not the Kakashi who had more than a decade of life in ANBU to work through the pain of losing his sensei and surrogate family. It was even odds we were the first Genin team he was going to evaluate, fair chance that the mere sight of fresh faced kids filled him with disgust and self-loathing. His face was blank, but was that a trace of hostility I saw? I couldn''t quite stop my cheek from twitching as I carefully maintained the cheerful and attentive facade.


    I would fail the bell test. The only teams that passed did so on luck; it was an idiotic testing method for children who had never met each other before and had no hardening against psychological warfare. I would fail, and then I would die. Genin who failed their sensei''s exam faced one of two options: either bounced back to the academy for another year, or joining the Genin pool. The pool was a dead end; without proper training from an experienced ninja scraping a promotion to Chunin would take years, at best. The academy wouldn''t work either, I didn''t have time to waste in that den of mediocrity for another year.


    I felt a sort of surreal calm settle on me as the pristine white clouds drifted overhead. This was it then. I was going to die because of¡­ heh, luck of the draw. Once more. It sort of lent credence to the theory that this was hell: there were so many things that might have gone differently that would have made life easier. If I was a year older I wouldn''t have to worry as much. If I was a year younger, I could maybe beg for mercy, or at least live knowing that it was utterly futile to even try. Save myself the effort of working my fingers to the bone on the training posts almost every night for five years straight.


    Hatake gave his non introduction, and the muscles of my jaw tightened imperceptibly.


    No.


    I hadn''t worked this long and this hard just so this angsty asshole could give me yet another death sentence. I hadn''t let that f.u.c.k.i.n.g Chunin instructor kill me with his ''average'' evaluation; I would be damned if this social cripple did it with his indifference.


    He must have heard my teeth grinding, for his attention fell on me; half lidded, bored gaze definitely becoming a trifle cool as he looked me over.


    "Why don''t we start with you Smiles?"


    My face stretched wider in reflexive response, before I experienced a frozen moment of panic. What should I say?


    "Hey there! My name''s Uchiha Hiroki. I like¡­" my mother, no, don''t say that, idiot, "trees!" Nice. Moron. " ...and dango!"


    There, that was normal enough.


    "I dislike people who betray their friends."


    Okay, weird looks, might be coming on a bit too heavy there.


    "My hobbies are training and¡­ um... cat, watching?"


    Skeptical looks from the Inuzuka and Dog summoner. Brilliant f.u.c.k.i.n.g job.


    "My dream for the future is to survive to my twelfth birthday and to be an asset for the village!"


    F.u.c.k it, might as well go all in. Cue vaguely disturbed looks from my fellow Genin and the continuation of the flat, apathetic stare from my Jounin sensei.


    Kakashi blinked languidly.


    "...Uh huh. Alrighty then, Mutt, how bout you?"


    I shivered slightly at the sudden release of tension as we shifted our collective attention onto what Nikkei had to say. That was awful. Worse, it was counterproductive to survival.


    Pity was the death of cooperation. If my teammates thought I was too weak they would never play out the bell test as it had to be done, they wouldn''t want me to pass, ''for my own good''. Intolerable. I had to act fast.


    When Kakashi left us with the admonition to not eat breakfast before the test tommorow I immediately turned to my two teammates.


    "Hey, how''s about we get a little practice in before we all head home? I know he said we should rest up for tomorrow, but a little spar to keep our skills sharp can''t hurt, right? And it''ll help us get a better sense of how each of us can fit in on the team. Even if we haven''t passed the test yet, we can still see if we work out together."


    Wasabi yawned hugely.


    "I think I''ll pass."


    My smile became slightly brittle.


    "Ah, come on, what, scared to get beaten by an eight year old?"


    I put a bit of laugh into it to keep the tone light. Too light, apparently.


    "Oh you know it. I wouldn''t want to be so shamed in front of a pretty lady like Nikkei-chan."


    He hopped off the roof and began making his way off across the rooftops of the village. I felt my last ergs of hope trickling away but I turned to Nikkei anyway, an inquisitive, hopeful expression on my face.


    "Nah, I got some stuff to do. Want to be really prepared for whatever Hatake-sensei has planned for us. You should probably go home too, you''ve been twitchy all day. An early night will do you good, shortstuff."


    My smile remained fixed on my face as my last ditch attempt at survival fled into the late afternoon, the expression growing ever harsher as the light began to fade, distended shadows throwing my features into jagged relief.


    Fine. If they wouldn''t help me, I''d just have to help them even harder to make up for it.


    . . .


    "Hey guys! I made bentos, in case things end up going a little late. I brought some little snacks too; I asked my mom and she pointed out that technically we just don''t want to overeat before a heavy workout, but having something light in your stomach can help keep you going."


    Nikkei blinked at me in surprise as I presented the garishly wrapped orange and yellow packages, but Wasabi nodded appreciatively.


    "Cool. I thought the same way, actually; I had a few pieces of fruit for breakfast."


    I gave him a big smile and turned to Nikkei with a slightly hopeful look, a protein bar extended. She huffed in irritation but grabbed the snack from me anyway, ripping into it aggressively.


    "Disobeying orders already?"


    F.u.c.k. He wasn''t supposed to be here for at least another hour. Big smiles.


    "Well Hatake-sensei, you didn''t order us not to eat, you just advised we''d probably throw up if we did. I assume this was part of the assessment as we''d only throw up if we ate improperly, not if we ate at all."


    A flat stare, single grey eye blinking slowly in the exposed wedge of skin.


    "Hmm. Well. I suppose we might as well get started then."


    Two bells. Two winners. One loser. I saw Nikkei and Wasabi give me sidelong looks, but I kept smiling, crinkled eyes and all. Kakashi didn''t seem to buy it. There were faint lines under his visible eye that spoke of long nights and hard choices, the green of his flak jacket scuffed and worn from heavy use, and I could once more feel the creeping sensation of death getting closer.


    My smile just grew more teeth.


    The team split the moment he said go, and I made an effort to be as quiet as possible approaching Nikkei where she was hid in the brush.


    "Pst! Hey, I think this might be a trick. You ever hear about two person Genin teams?"


    She scowled at me and made little shooing motions.


    "Jounin''s rules. Besides, he might be planning on taking the winners as apprentices."


    I gave her a skeptical look in return.


    "Two at once? Aren''t apprenticesh.i.p.s usually on an individual basis?"


    "You two talk too much."


    I activated a Replacement, but there was a fist already in position at my arrival point. Only a flicker of Sharingan saved me from a blow which would have knocked the wind out of me; as it was I barely managed to get my arms up in time to absorb some of the hit. I would likely have my share of bruises in the morning.


    I gave Kakashi my flattest smile as I massaged the backs of my forearms, basically just showing him teeth. He''s a dog, he''ll figure it out.


    "You''re a Jounin, sensei, if you can''t detect our chakra signatures from a hundred meters, I''ll eat my forehead protector. I certainly don''t know how to hide my chakra, and I don''t think my teammates do either. So stealth is irrelevant unless you deliberately handicap yourself. A proposition which seems unlikely, as you instructed us to come at you with intent to kill."


    Another flat stare. This is not good. I''m not sure what''s real, what I''m misreading, what I''m projecting, and what is merely comparison to a half-remembered future. Kakashi used to be lazy, not indifferent, an affectation of unconcern over a core of warm affability. The Kakashi of Team Seven was a little silly, a little carefree, a little more¡­ secure. This Kakashi is¡­


    I don''t know.


    I know in canon this team didn''t pass. That begs the question of why Team Seven did pass. They barely showed any teamwork. Nepotism? Firm instruction from the Hokage? A sense of camaraderie with that particular team: elite loner, ditzy girl, struggling deadlast that wants to be Hokage? Was success even possible here, or was his judgment already passed, the weight of memory still too heavy on his shoulders for a new team?


    I hadn''t been idle while I pondered. I had gotten in a few good¡­ attempted hits with Nikkei and Wasabi. But not both of them together. They seemed to believe, probably correctly, that their victory against me was assured, however that just meant they were in competition with each other and I was only able to help one of them out at a time, alternating between them as best I could to help make openings and exploit their suicidal charges.


    I caught my breath for a second near the edge of the clearing as I quickly scanned the treeline for my teammates, shoving aside the growing ache of chakra exhaustion. Wasabi was going to try another futile trap; useless, as fire element charged kunai aren''t any faster or less subtle than the ordinary sort. Nikkei was being overly direct again; she trusted her ninken, but the Inuzuka learn pair tactics first, not groups. She overextended in her strike and another heavy sweeping kick was coming towards her back; she couldn''t really weather another bad hit like that.


    The Substitution was sloppy, spur of the moment, and left me disoriented for long enough that I didn''t block the kick meant for Nikkei. I slammed into a tree on the side of the field hard enough I could feel my ribs creak and my breath was forced out in a woosh carrying with it a spray of blood from my busted lips.


    The buzzer rang.


    Kakashi stared at me for a long moment as I tried to get my breath back.


    "Disappointing."


    . . .


    I ended up tied to the stump, but honestly I needed it. I didn''t trust myself to stay upright without the ropes.


    "You better not share any of your food with Hiroki, he''s being punished for being so reckless."


    Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves, and the soon to be stillborn Squad 19 was left alone on the quiet training ground.


    I stared vacantly at the obsidian memorial stone across the field, brain ticking over without direction.


    At least my name would be recorded there, probably. I wasn''t a hundred percent on what the protocol was for ninja who died in the line of duty, but in their civilian capacity. Maybe. Probably not. It probably wouldn''t hurt too much, Itachi was very skilled, very fast; I''d never even notice the blow coming at this skill level, just walking along one day and¡­


    I blinked and the sound of someone talking to me finally registered.


    "Why did you do that?! I could have handled it! You''re just a kid, you got really hurt!"


    I sighed apathetically and let my head thunk against the training post, eyes pointed at the yelling Inuzuka but unfocused.


    "And? Age is irrelevant, only skill matters. I''m the least skilled member of the team. I should always be first in the line of fire to protect you and Wasabi."


    The aforementioned boy grimaced as his name came up, mouth pulling down at the corners in sour disagreement.


    "Don''t be stupid. You''re eight, you graduated four years early, you''re a prodigy."


    I shook my head slowly, eyes still focused on the future and the swirling red and black that would herald the end of Hiroki. My reply was monotone.


    "No. I checked the exam results. I scored in the bottom 5 for our class. Yeah, I graduated, but my overall skill level is lower than either of yours. That''s how they balance the teams: Rookie of the year, Kunoichi of the year, Deadlast. Me. Graduating early means you are skilled for your age, not that your absolute ability is actually notable when compared to others."


    "Shut up!"


    I didn''t respond as Nikkei got up in my face, the sound of screams echoing in my ears as I turned my thoughts on mother, her face covered in blood and eyes blank pits. Dead. All dead, futile effort, spitting into the wind...


    "That''s not true and you know it! You graduated before most kids even start playing with kunai, you deserve that headband! When sensei gets back we''ll get that stupid bell!"


    The bento was thrust into my face and I blinked uncomprehendingly at it. She jiggled it imperatively at me as I continued to stare apathetically at the steaming rice. Wasabi scowled and moved up to offer me some of his as well, spearing a dumpling on a chopstick and pushing it towards my face.


    "You need to eat if you''re going to be any use. You''ve been running yourself ragged helping both of us out this whole time and you''ve already got less stamina, you need the energy more than we do."


    I couldn''t help it. My face fell a little as the despair began to well up beyond my strained ability to control.


    "You''ll get in trouble."


    Nikkei snorted contemptuously, head flicking to the side.


    "If that asshole wants to fail us for trying to take care of our teammate then he can suck it. I''d rather be a Genin forever than a jerk like him."


    Wasabi frowned at the wording, but nodded his own agreement with her statement.


    There is a puff of chakra and Kakashi is present. He stares at us for a long moment in silence before something flickers through his eyes too fast for me to catch.


    "You pass."


    No food ever tasted so sweet as the lunch I shared with my new team.


    . . .


    A/N: Nice and long, with a few lighter bits cause unrelieved tension is tiring. Having an a.d.u.l.t brain is helpful, but even that won''t fix a simple lack of aptitude or practice.


    Chapter 1.6


    July 6, 5 AK


    Every moment is precious.


    This is my rule, my nindo, my ''Will of Fire'', burning bright to keep me fueled through the night, to keep me punching the log when I am exhausted, to keep me sprinting down the track till I can no longer put one foot in front of the other, to keep me focused when petty distractions like mere physical pain try to tear me off the path.


    Nikkei slumped to her butt a few steps away, panting like her dog. Wasabi placed his hands on his knees and bent over to catch his breath, heaving chest setting the soft creamy yellow of his overtunic fluttering. I paused for a moment to toss each of them a couple ripe cherries, popping a handful in my mouth before turning back to the training posts. I like cherries. Quick energy and a burst of flavor to keep me going.


    "You shouldn''t bend over like that, it limits airflow."


    I offer the brief observation before starting my set. My strikes on the training post are light, almost taps, gentle nudgings even, but they fall as fast as I can push my noodle weak arms, and that is enough. Nikkei groans and lets herself topple onto her back.


    "Jeez Hiroki, don''t you ever slow down? You did it, you''re a Genin now, you can take a moment to chill."


    I do not pause in the kata, and my words slip out with every exhale as I maintain an even rhythm, heavier strikes serving to punctuate my rebuttal, tap tap tap goes the wood, tick tick tick goes the clock.


    "No, I can''t. I am still weak. Strength is life, Weakness is death. If I am dead, my team is dead. If my team is dead, the mission is failed. If we fail the mission, we fail the village. If we fail the village, the village dies, and everyone you have ever known, everything you have ever seen, everything you have ever loved, burns. There is no such thing as ''good enough'', only ''as good as you can make it''."


    Wasabi rolls his eyes with a heavy sigh, but stretches to a standing position and pulls a groaning Nikkei up by the hand to join me at the neighboring post.


    "You''re gonna go bald if you keep stressing out like that."


    I take a moment to breathe and roll my creaking shoulders loose as he starts a kata and I flash him a wry smile before moving onto throwing practice.


    "Just wait till we get our first C-rank."


    . . .


    We fall into our roles easily enough.


    Nikkei is close combat, our heavy hitter and frontline. Good stamina, strong strikes, capable of taking blows.


    Wasabi is more mid range, he gains a fair bit of skill with ninja wire under Kakashi''s tutelage and has a decent sized chakra reserve, enough for some simple fire Ninjutsu.


    I opt for speed, a support position. My Taijutsu relies heavily on the use of senbon thrown at extreme close range to actually do damage; death by a thousand pinpricks. I practice the Replacement until I can manage it with a single handsign and I acc.u.mulate as many minor Genjutsu as I can; little things to throw off depth perception or induce transient nausea, trips and traps for the unwary that my teammates can take advantage of, to attack or reposition.


    My reserves are small, so control is paramount; I practice every control exercise Kakashi knows, every thing I can think up, and everything I can beg or wheedle from any other ninja, even Uchiha. Sensei grudgingly gifts me a primer on basic Sealing which immediately becomes my most valuable possession, even though I am unlikely to benefit from it before making Chunin.


    The Sharingan is not an instant win button, especially now, with only a single tomoe lazily orbiting each pupil. I can copy anything I see easily enough, but being able to regurgitate a perfect replica of a fist strike or fireball is useless without the proper timing that comes with an actual understanding of the technique in question. This is a lesson Kakashi knows quite well, and which many Uchiha never bother to learn.


    "Your arms are too short."


    I stop the new kata and fold my hands neatly, giving Kakashi a mild smile, aiming for polite but apparently missing the mark given the nearly unnoticeable pursing of his lips beneath the mask.


    "Is that something I could compensate for?"


    He shrugs ambivalently, glancing over at Nikkei and Wasabi''s practice spar to check their progress. Kenji is growing like a weed, and the little dog nips at Wasabi''s heels at just the right time to throw off his next block, earning the boy a painful fist to the gut.


    "Maybe. I could show you a little blade work, if you like. That''ll take practice too."


    My teeth grind painfully behind my placid smile. Time, time, time, I don''t have time.


    "Would it be possible to get at least enough understanding that using the style wouldn''t be detrimental? In a reasonable amount of time?"


    Sensei blinks at me, his absurd hair swaying as he nods his head slowly.


    "With the Sharingan to help¡­ maybe. Hmm. Watch this."


    He pulls out a tanto and, checking to see my eyes are on, flows through a few simple forms that should mesh reasonably well with the Taijutsu style I had just been practicing. I nod slowly as the images embed themselves indelibly into my memory.


    "Can I try?"


    My squadmates pause in their spar for a moment as I take the short sword from our instructor and emulate what Kakashi-sensei just showed me, Nikkei''s grumpy scowl growing more pronounced as I perfectly mimic the motions of our teacher. Albeit at a much reduced rate.


    The center of my forehead creases slightly as I focus on the movements, not merely reproducing what I have seen, but battling an imaginary foe in my mind''s eye, feeling out the changes in momentum, the flow I would need in actual combat.


    Block, dodge, slash, deflect, and stab-


    "No."


    I reform my face into placidity as I hand my instructor back his blade with a nod and smile of thanks.


    "I don''t think that will work very well for me. The weight is throwing me off a bit, and my current style is focused around speed. Moving that much metal around is impractical unless I can build a lot more muscle mass."


    The watching Inuzuka blinks in surprise, her ninken barking in amus.e.m.e.nt.


    "What? That was plenty fast, what''re you talking about?"


    I smile blandly at her.


    "I am a glass cannon; lots of damage, not much for defense. The Uchiha, particularly those with the Sharingan, are all about speed. We don''t block hits, we dodge them. In principle we could use a hard style like the Strong Fist, but we don''t have the physical build for it. For the same amount of time invested I would see a much larger payout from speed training rather than strength and stamina training."


    The team Kunoichi grumbles in confusion.


    "Isn''t the Sharingan supposed to make you super great at everything?"


    Wasabi snorts and rolls his eyes, running a hand over his head to wipe away some of the acc.u.mulated sweat.


    "Memorizing a jutsu isn''t nearly as important as knowing when to use it. Just because Hiroki can make the same moves doesn''t mean he can use them as well as someone who has practiced them and knows their strengths and weaknesses. Think; not every Uchiha uses all the techniques all the time."


    I give my squad a slightly more genuine smile of agreement.


    "Just so. At best, the Sharingan is good for learning how to use a move quicker than traditional means. I get more out of practice, but I still need to practice. And having that many tools in your arsenal isn''t necessarily a good thing; more than one Uchiha has been killed trying to use a move they just stole and performed without thinking."


    I rub gently at the itchy spot on the back of my hand and shrug apologetically.


    "Practice makes perfect, not a fancy bloodline."


    And so we practice. We practice a lot.


    . . .


    Sometimes, very rarely, when I''m lying in a bathtub full of ice and silently cursing every deity I can think of after working myself to exhaustion, I think about maybe pulling back a little. Just a little. Maybe I don''t need to study my fuinjutsu scrolls tonight, it won''t hurt to get 6 hours of sleep for once.


    Whenever I have these traitor thoughts I seek out Itachi, covertly, subtly, just to watch him move.


    Itachi is death. He is silent, because the grave is silent. He is cold, because the heat of life has fled from him. He is smooth as black ice, fast as a snapping rope, sudden as a crumbling ledge.


    He doesn''t practice in the any of the public training grounds anymore, a subtle mark of ANBU status, but his very presence radiates perfectly controlled lethality even in a civilian setting. Every movement just so, not a single action wasted or without purpose. He is absolutely harmless, and that, more than anything, is what fills me with exactly the right sort of near manic terror to keep pushing as hard as I possibly can no matter how many bruises, cuts, sprains, or very late nights I need to sacrifice to the altar of power.


    Itachi is harmless, until he is not.


    . . .


    Passing a basic teamwork test is not the same as becoming fast friends forever. We work together out of a sense of camaraderie which I try to help along, with mixed success, by being as helpful and eager to please as I can. Without unduly irritating my team with excessive obsequiousness.


    But we aren''t friends, and that might come back to bite us if allowed to continue.


    "Would you like to come over tonight for a team dinner?"


    I have timed my suggestion carefully, both for a window during which Father is unlikely to be home from a mission, and for a day when our training was slightly lighter than normal. Exhausted people want to go home and take a nap; tired and hungry people want free food and a little relaxation.


    Nikkei shrugs indifferently and grunts an affirmative, throwing another one of the peaches we are harvesting for today''s D-rank into the collection basket with expert accuracy.


    "Sure, why not?"


    Wasabi seems a bit more aware of possible repercussions, and glances quickly at the form of our Sensei, standing in the green shade a few yards away and flipping idly through a Bingo Book.


    "It wouldn''t be a problem, right?"


    I offer up a confident smile, which I do not quite feel, and nod.


    "Of course. Kakashi-sensei is a respected Jounin. I don''t think there will be any problems."


    That is not quite true. Kakashi has been given legal clearance to hold the Sharingan from the clan, but they aren''t happy about it. No one will try anything if he just comes by for an evening or two every once in awhile, but it might elicit some grumbling amongst the elders.


    To be perfectly honest, I consider that a bonus. Anything I can do to subtly snub the clan is another step towards keeping myself safe from the purge. Feeble though the attempt admittedly is.


    Everyone arrives, even Kakashi, though he is half an hour late. Mother is far too polite to comment on Nikkei''s somewhat careless speech and Wasabi''s occasional off-color joke, but I think they can pick up on the fact that it is politeness that keeps her from commenting. The Uchiha haven''t quite mastered cutting politeness to the same degree as our distant cousins the Hyuuga (we make up for it in arrogance) but there is something about being improper around someone who you know won''t say anything that makes one uncomfortable.


    As my teammates begin slightly stilted small talk around the dinner table, I consider the problem of my clan anew. An Uchiha without clan backing has never happened before. Not even Itachi at his most overt, or Shisui''s undying cheerfulness have actually openly flouted protocol in that way. If I emancipated myself from the clan, moved out of the compound, got a new name¡­


    I don''t know what would happen. I don''t know if I would be allowed.


    My lip quirks in a mirthless grin before I reshape it into a proper smile at one of Wasabi''s milder jokes.


    Scratch that, I know exactly what would happen.


    Without the clan to raise a fuss about it, I would be quietly disappeared into ROOT, every trace of self erased through brutal conditioning, and sent to an early grave via suicide mission after suicide mission.


    Perhaps that is the dark truth every member of the Hyuuga Branch House knows, deep down. Better to suffer the tyranny of the Main House than god only knows what outside their protective umbrella.


    My shoulders slump, just a fraction of an inch as I take another bite of rice. It''s a moot point, anyway; Genin get more legal rights, sure, but age is not entirely discounted. I need to be at least 12, or a Chunin, before I reach legal a.d.u.l.thood and can emancipate myself from my ''family''.


    "So, how are you liking D-ranks?"


    I blink at my mother, who is wearing a very slight smirk as she sips from the pale orange porcelain of her teacup, appreciating the break from morbid lines of thought and struck with the bizarre sensation every child has eventually when they realize their parents are people too.


    Mother used to be a ninja so she likely remembers her D-ranks with equal aggravation.


    Nikkei grumbled unhappily, arms folded into her lumpy tan jacket with a malcontented huff.


    "Boring! Picking fruit, painting fences, I want a real mission!"


    I smile cheerfully at her, thankful that her inexperience prevents her from reading my mood as accurately as mother often can.


    "Well, it pays pretty well, doesn''t it? And it''s supposed to give you more chances to hone your skills. Peach picking is easier when you can walk up trees, nee?"


    Kakashi nods approvingly, face solemn.


    "Enjoy it while it lasts kiddies. You''ll be going on real missions soon enough."


    . . .


    Kakashi waits till the team has been together six weeks before getting us our first C-rank, a standard merchant escort job, three weeks out, 3 days back (ox drawn carts are painfully slow compared to ninja), minimal chance of hostile contacts, at worst maybe a few bandits.


    I look myself over in the mirror carefully, ensuring I haven''t missed anything.


    Long sleeve, faded grey-green shirt (with a normal collar), darker grey pants, black ninja sandals. I tried to find grey sandals too, but apparently those aren''t the current style in Konoha. A kunai pouch hangs from my right hip, filled mostly with senbon. Forehead protector mounted on black fabric tied tight across my brow, keeping my close cropped black hair out of the way. Tiny stress lines under my overlarge black eyes, and a chin just angular enough to avoid being called weak, but sadly removed from Itachi''s bishounen looks. Pale skin, unblemished by exposure to the sun thanks to judicious application of sunblock, almost ghostly next to all the grey and black.


    Everything in order.


    I made a checklist of necessary supplies for each of us, and nag my teammates about it until they eventually fold and show me they packed everything. Particularly the medical supplies.


    "Hiroki, I promise, we''ll be okay. We probably won''t even see any bandits, it''s just going to be a long boring walk through western Land of Fire. You''re freaking out the clients, man."


    I put my third riffle through the first aid kit on hold and glance over at the merchant caravan. Nobody is looking this way, and I give Nikkei a dour look.


    Wasabi snickers at my overly intent expression as I resume the check.


    "Why do you always take everything so seriously?"


    I think on my reply while neatly packing everything away, hands moving by themselves by dint of long practice, letting my mind and body do their own thing.


    "The following is purely hypothetical, and in no way indicates my views on reality, or should be taken in any way as having valuable informational content. Any replies should be formatted for maximum circuitousness, for reasons which may become apparent."


    Bandages, antiseptic, staples, tape, styptic-


    "There exists the possibility, that one could imagine such an idea, as ''narrative causality''. That everything happens for a reason, and that reason is to make life a good story. Some might postulate that life is a comedy, and thus that if we start out a simple, seemingly innocuous mission with a statement superficially similar to one such as ''what could go wrong?'' an S-rank missing nin will attempt to kill us in a horrible and messy fashion. Conceivably, for similar reasons, an individual might be heard to exclaim ''I have a bad feeling about this,'' whereupon he would be chided by his more confident teammates, brush off the sensation, and be stabbed to death that night while he slept. This would be more in line with a tragedy or drama, serving as a touchstone moment for said teammates as to the seriousness of the job they now find themselves in."


    I sling my pack onto my back and face my surprised teammates.


    "Even discussion of concepts such as the aforementioned is no guarantee that events will not proceed in directions concomitant with the aforesaid. It is merely a good defence. It breaks the flow, you see."


    Sensei''s hand rests on my head, giving my short hair a friendly ruffle.


    "Mah, Hiroki-kun, you worry too much. We''ll all be just fine."


    I restrain the urge to flinch and close my eyes for a long breath.


    "Why must you hurt me this way sensei?"


    I can feel him making that infuriating eye-smile as he replies.


    "It''s my job."


    . . .


    The mission goes off without a hitch, but I don''t think I managed more than an hour of consecutive shuteye the entire month. The team shares a good laugh, and I lie, and promise I''ll worry less.


    . . .


    A/N: The nice thing about having already written all this is that I don''t have to worry about disappointing chapter lengths; I can use the breaks as ultra-heavy periods. I''m trying to avoid using Japanese if unnecessary, but some terms don''t have a good english equivalent or just sound better in nihongo. Bishounen, for those not in the know, means ''beautiful young man'' and is a thing in Japanese culture which refers to men who are good looking in a softer, more effeminate manner. Hiroki is pretty average in appearance for an Uchiha, but doesn''t have particularly strong masculine features. Unhappy medium.


    Chapter 1.7


    Team dinners are still a thing, and after completing our second C-rank we feel the need for at least a little celebration. Nikkei''s turn has come around again, and I am already faltering as the evening progresses, skulking in the deep indigo shadows stretched across the face of the compound by the warm orange light of the sun as it finishes setting. The Inuzuka are the least formal clan in Konoha, and every time our team comes by it seems to dissolve into a party of one kind or another as relations who just happened to be nearby slowly accrete onto the proceedings like the drifts of shed fur which acc.u.mulate in the corners of the houses.


    One of Nikkei''s cousins is hitting on Kakashi, while he tries valiantly to ignore the other man''s advances. They seem to feel it only makes sense that the DogSummoner should be part of the Dog Clan, but Kakashi is transparently disinterested. This is the third Inuzuka to try and chat him up, and I think it is starting to be viewed as a challenge as I can see a few more shoving each other for pride of place and giving the Jounin speculative looks.


    Nikkei is currently giving a younger sibling a fierce noogie, the upstart challenging her position as Beta in her little family unit getting a vigorous smack down. Her older brother is napping in a heap with his dog on the porch nearby, presenting a front of indifference while his slitted eyes observe the exchange with a calculating glint. It brings a twitch of smile to my face, a large enough motion that I notice the facade has drooped a little and I pull up my cheeks in my signature, highly realistic, grin.


    Smile, gotta smile, no one likes an antisocial weirdo.


    "You smell funny!"


    I blink at the little Inuzuka glaring at me from more than a foot down. He looks somewhat familiar, though that could be just the clan markings, bright red triangles on his chubby little cheeks. I smile a little weaker, slightly less sure of myself in the face of his scrutiny.


    "I''m¡­ sorry? I''m Hiroki, Nikkei''s teammate."


    The chibi grunts, lips pulling back slightly from his teeth. On an older Inuzuka that might be a concern, I''ve gotten that look from Nikkei before and it generally heralds no worse than a particularly intense spar, but on a kid that can''t be more than 6 it is just a little disconcerting.


    "I know who you are! Why''re you smiling?"


    Ahh, too many teeth. I modulate the expression, corners up but pearly whites safely concealed to stop presenting as a threat. It doesn''t work.


    "Hey! Don''t ignore me!"


    "Sorry. I¡­ people like smiles? Usually? Uh..."


    I back away half a step, but the pup pushes forward aggressively in response. Oh dear.


    "Hey!"


    Ahh, rescue. Thank goodness for the Inuzuka pack mentality.


    Wait¡­ is that¡­ Hana? Bugger.


    "Kiba! Who''s this? He bothering you?"


    Inuzuka Hana is around the same age as my teammates, which means she''s at least five years older than me. And, if I am remembering correctly, Itachi''s teammate. Maybe?


    My eyes dart back to Kiba, flickering on for a moment on instinct as I inspect the future clan head. Or was that Hana? Or did Kiba challenge...?


    "Oy! Eyes off my little bro!"


    I blink and perception fades.


    "Apologies Hana-sama. I''m a little¡­ twitchy sometimes. I didn''t mean to offend you or Kiba-sama."


    Her eyes narrow at the honorific, and I can''t help the tiny flinch as I realise the slip, but her lip remains uncurled for the moment as she eyes me up and down.


    "You''re Nikkei''s teammate, yeah? What''s wrong with you? You sick or something?"


    My shoulders hunch in slightly as I try to keep smiling, thoughts rushing to try and come up with a plausible sounding explanation. I''m not sure what the problem is; Nikkei never mentioned anything about a weird smell. Then again, she doesn''t have the sort of crazy good nose that I would expect from the main line of the family. What''s a better explanation than ''I am going to be murdered in a few years''?


    "Hey Hana!"


    The Inuzuka''s attention is dragged away as Wasabi bustles up, a companionable arm thrown around my shoulders as he leans over me.


    "I haven''t seen you in years! How''re the triplets?"


    I relax minutely as my teammate expertly diverts attention away from my discomfort and onto every Inuzuka''s favorite subject, affording me the opportunity to settle back into the more polite blankness I feel safe in. Eventually Nikkei comes over as well, giving Wasabi a quick look over my head before loudly announcing that dinner is ready.


    "You okay?"


    I suppress the twitch and merely smile cordially at Wasabi, who winces slightly at the expression. They''re getting to know me well enough to see through the mask; I''ll have to work harder. No one likes a party pooper, everything is fine.


    "Of course! I guess I need to change my shampoo or something huh?"


    My smile slips a little bit into something more open, and my gaze slides away uncomfortably at the implied admission of weakness.


    "Thanks for the save."


    Wasabi gives me a pat on the back and a grin in return, pushing me towards the house from whence admittedly delicious smells are leaking.


    "What are friends for?"


    ...friends?


    . . .


    A/N: Yeah, the SI doesn''t get magic perfect memory. Some stuff is big and easy to remember, but seriously, it''s been nearly 9 years by this point, how much of canon can he be expected to recall accurately? Also, if you haven''t picked up on it yet, AK means ''After Kyuubi'' in the dating system. Some people use ''After Founding'' but then the dates would all be af. :/


    Chapter 1.8


    March 11, 6 AK


    I stare at the dead bandit before me, my head slightly c.o.c.ked and kunai still held in a firm grip by the hand now hanging loosely by my side. He''s sort of handsome, in a rugged, dirty sort of way, I suppose; blue eyes and tanned skin and all. The wind in the trees is quiet, just a slight ruffling of the fresh spring leaves, new growth tinted almost teal by the bright Fire Country sun, and the smell of blood is faintly overshadowing the rather pleasant odor of recent rain that I had been enjoying for the last few days of travel. My eyes slide loosely over the camp, now still where before it had been a riot of activity, briefly catching on a cl.u.s.ter of small yellow flowers poking out from between a few bits of granite, now marked with a concealing splatter of muddy red.


    Was that it?


    The short knife in my hand has only a slight smearing of red over the matte black metal, and it taps against my thigh gently, leaving a small stain on the dark grey fabric of my pants as it continues in its absentminded oscillation. I expected, I don''t know, maybe a little fear from looking at a dead body. ''Oh, that could be you, look out!'', but the whisper of terror is strangely absent. Perhaps I am too used to it to hear.


    The bandit has stopped oozing while I ruminated, still staring in the general direction of my feet. There is a lot of blood in the human body but once your heart stops it doesn''t flow as freely. The pool spreading from the gaping wound in his neck isn''t growing anymore, already transitioning from verdant crimson to a dull and crusty brick-brown.


    Everyone talked about first kills being big life changing events but¡­ I wasn''t really feeling it. Was I in shock?


    My free hand pushes inside my collar to press a pair of fingers against my pulse point. Pulling it back and extending the palm flat, fingers extended, confirms my findings. No trembling. Steady pulse. No symptoms of shock. Though I do seem to be having a little trouble looking away from his face, and my thoughts are slipping through my mind a trifle freely...


    My lips purse in a small frown, my eyebrows pinching under my forehead protector.


    "Hiroki."


    I turn smoothly on my heel to look at Kakashi, face twitching slightly as I abort the habitual smile response. Don''t smile after killing someone, weirdo.


    "Yes, sensei?"


    The Hatake looks me over slowly, his eye drifting for only a moment to the kunai held at my side, a flicker of something vaguely unhappy clouding his placidity for a moment before he reestablished eye contact.


    "Are you alright?"


    I consider the question carefully, teeth pulling gently on my lower lip.


    "I¡­ think so? I dunno. I sort of expected something a little more¡­"


    I trail off, gaze tracking over the handful of other bandits scattered around the camp in various states of disassembly.


    "It''s just, inside, we''re all just¡­ It was so easy. Just a little push and¡­ no more person. Just spoiling meat."


    And it was easy. Really easy. The Sharingan, even with only two tomoe in each eye, makes tracking movement effortless. So long as the enemy isn''t significantly faster than me I am practically invulnerable; I can simply permit the natural flow of events to bring the enemy to my blade.


    "It''s alright. You did the right thing."


    My gazes snaps back to the Jounin and I blink, nonplussed, as he steers my train of thought to completely foreign tracks.


    "I was following orders."


    Kakashi-sensei normally displays very little affect, but there is still a subtle difference between a guarded expression of assessment and one of blank incomprehension.


    "What?"


    My head tilts a bit to the other side as I consider my words, eyes tracking the arcing lines of splattered crimson across the meagre possessions of the outlaws as my attention wanders slightly.


    "You said I did the right thing. I was following orders. Orders cannot be right or wrong, they just are. I serve Konoha; following orders is what I do. Saying I did something right or wrong would be like saying the sun was right or wrong. It can''t be right or wrong, in fact those adjectives can''t even be logically applied. It would be like saying what I did was purple, or what I did was banana flavored. I suppose you could say it was the right thing in a¡­ what do you call it¡­ analogy? No; metaphorical. In a metaphorical way. Like, it was very efficiently done and being efficient is logically better than being inefficient so it was the ''right'' thing to do."


    I bend down and finally wipe my kunai off on the ragged clothes of the bandit, face still drawn down slightly into a frown. I glance back up at Kakashi curiously.


    "But I get the sense that isn''t what you meant."


    Kakashi is looking at me with a vestige of worry and more than a little exasperated concern.


    "I was going to say something about how these were bad men who would have hurt other people if we didn''t stop them, but now¡­ Hiroki, you know there are such things as orders which are morally wrong, right?"


    Okay, I really don''t get where this is going anymore.


    "Yes¡­?"


    "Okay. So, if an order is morally wrong, that makes the order wrong."


    I shake my head in negation.


    "Only if you use morals as a defining factor. But we''re ninja. We are the textbook definition of amoral. Literally: devoid of moral consideration. There is virtually nothing we won''t do for pay; it is the entire reason we go on missions."


    I wave vaguely in the direction of the nearby corpses, the kunai glinting briefly in the anemic sun shining through the thin haze of smoke over the camp before I tuck it away in the pouch hanging on my hip. It''ll need a fresh coat of paint, I guess.


    "Sometimes the mission comes with an objective that is morally praiseworthy, like killing bandits. Sometimes it''s strangling orphans. But I''m a ninja. I don''t care. I care about my team, and the village. They''re safe, so the world is correct. And I get paid."


    My teacher rubs his forehead in small circles, the backs of his armoured gloves reflecting the blue of the clear sky, his expression unhappy but no longer alarmed.


    "We don''t take missions just for pay Hiroki."


    "Yes we do...? There is more than one kind of pay sensei. I get paid by fulfilling my duty to the village, by keeping my team safe, by lots of things."


    I can see that my answer is not quite satisfying to the Jounin, but I can''t quite figure out why. My breathing remains deep and even and my eyes stay wide and open as they track from point to point.


    "Hiroki, what would you do if you were given an order to kill your teammates. Would you follow it?"


    I am still feeling oddly distracted from the current situation, my thoughts not digging in as far as I would like in the stream of consciousness. It takes me a moment to arrange the ideas in a coherent order.


    "No? My first loyalty is to Konoha. The Hokage is Konoha, but Konoha is not the Hokage. If the Hokage issued orders which were contrary to Konoha, then he is no longer part of Konoha. So we would replace the not-Konoha Hokage with a Konoha Hokage. A Konoha Hokage would not order the death of the Konoha members of my team. ...Unless they were traitors, I guess, in which case killing my team would be the Konoha thing to do. I think... I would act in the best interests of Konoha. Doing so will always be... correct."


    "Hiroki, you''re doing it again."


    I blink at a pallid and clammy faced Wasabi before glancing down at the spot where blood has begun seeping out of the back of my hand, immediately stilling my scratching fingers. I catch the thrown roll of bandages with a muttered thanks and bind up the minute abrasions.


    Kakashi stares at me for a long moment before sighing and turning towards where Nikkei is faintly retching next to a pile of sick as her ninken noses at her comfortingly, my squadmate''s gaze fixed on her own freshly made corpse.


    "Well at least you aren''t loud."


    . . .


    Mother knew about the mission. I can tell the moment I walk in the front door and smell frying chicken. It shouldn''t come as a surprise; the village is actually pretty good about that sort of thing, on balance. Missions which are likely to come with some psychological aftershocks are something we can take time with, for now, during peacetime.


    There is something to be said for the more frenetic methods of desensitization, for throwing the pre-teens freshly admitted to the ninja force into the thick of it, for giving them no chance to fester or ruminate about the death. It''s the method I would have prefered, to be perfectly honest. I don''t like having time to myself to think about¡­ uncomfortable topics. At any rate, if the ninja in question has a support system already in place the mission office almost always sends a note to give the parents or extended family or what-have-you a heads up to be extra supportive. It wouldn''t do to let the investment the village has made by training us go to waste with a psychological breakdown after our first proper mission.


    I was expecting it, though. Honestly ''investigate'' a bandit camp? As if a ninja ever just looked at bandits.


    The fried chicken is a rare treat, not something mother makes often, for the smell has a tendency to seep into nearly everything; the bed linens will all need to be changed tomorrow and the house aired out to get rid of the greasy odor. She only puts forth the extra effort for special occasions.


    Well, I don''t mind anyway since I have the next two days on leave. Helping with the chores will be a chance to be with mom for a bit longer.


    "Hiroki? Is that you?"


    "Hey mom."


    Yuki pokes her head out of the kitchen, her lovely hair pulled back into a messy bun to keep it from trailing in the food. She wipes her hands off on a kitchen towel and swats a bit at the flour on her apron before pulling me into a tight hug.


    "How''s my little ninja?"


    I can''t help the fondly exasperated smile at her words. I''m still pretty tiny; she gets a free pass for now. The thought pushes my mind to thinking of the future, and the realization that I''ll probably never be old enough to tease her back about calling me little while she''s alive. I gasp silently and pull her into an even tighter hug, holding back the tears which threaten to slip my control.


    Mother has always been almost psychic about my mood, much to my confoundment, and to her my distress is transparent. She starts rubbing soothing circles into my back and rocking me slightly back and forth.


    "Hey, hey, it''s okay sweetie. I know it''s scary having to hurt someone. It''s okay Hiroki. "


    I pull in a shaking breath, thankful for her misattribution of my distress to my recent mission rather than thoughts of my own mortality, and hers.


    "I know mom. I know. I''m okay. It''s just- It was so easy. It was so small. And we''re all just, fragile things, like glass walking around, and one sharp tap is all it takes and- I''d never see you again."


    "Oh sweetie, I''ll always be here for you. Even if something happened, I''ll always be here for you. Even if you can''t see me I''m still watching over you, and I always will be."


    I force a smile, keeping the glimmer of tears at bay, but I know the horrible truth and I mouth it silently into her hair as she picks me up and carries me into the kitchen.


    No, you won''t.


    . . .


    A/N: First level sharingan gives photographic memory. Second level heightens perception and reflexes for limited predictive powers. Third level allows virtual precognition via hyper-accurate body language reading. Skilled users can cast genjutsu via eye-contact. There are no straight roads to power. If something seems awful, don''t think about it!


    Chapter 1.9


    Feb 22, 7 AK


    Our first Chunin exam finally comes. Kakashi is not pressuring us to advance for we have no direct competition and nothing to prove to the other villages. He has waited a full year to even bring the matter to our attention, and even then we decide to wait for the one after next to give us more time to prepare. This is doubly good because it means the exam is in Suna, our one real ally amongst the Hidden Villages, for as much as that is worth.


    Kakashi is careful with us, his first team. He asks us what we think we need to achieve in order to be qualified for Chunin, and pushes us till we meet those goals. The pressure is more than welcome for the growth it brings.


    It is not the end all and be all for me to pass, but I am looking forward to it with a sort of coiled anticipation in my gut as it would push me one step closer to Itachi''s record. In the back of my mind is the half formed expectation that we will succeed on our first try, for my team is quite strong and we have all made significant strides. It might even be the new trend, my pessimism ensuring success, somehow. Facing challenges, difficult, seemingly insurmountable, and then victory snatched from the jaws of defeat. Fitting, though the thought is quickly crushed as a traitorous seed of weakness. Even if it was true I wouldn''t dare to think it lest my confidence prove its undoing.


    However the promotion would serve a very important purpose for with a rank of Chunin I will gain access to higher rank jutsu. I still need to grow, still need time to master what I have already, for I am not a prodigy like Itachi, but I may not have that time and it may be that having even a single high rank technique partially mastered may be the difference between life and death.


    I will not die. I must be strong.


    . . .


    The first test was too easy. The answers were hidden in the etchings along the ceiling, with a few decoy test takers in the audience to cheat off of. Child''s play for an Uchiha. Though maybe I''m biased. It''s making me twitchy.


    I scrutinize the competition from my position partially shielded by my teammates. Nikkei and Wasabi have both started into their growth spurts and now rather tower over me, giving my comparatively tiny body plenty of room to hide and quietly observe the new testing area from within the tepid comfort of their shade.


    Hot, hot, hot, how I hate the heat, and the dull dusty brown expanse of the desert. The wind kicked up a few times on the way here, howling across the expanse of sand and rubbing exposed skin raw with airborne grit. The test area has a few rocky outcroppings visible in the distance, precious shelter from the heat and the wind. My gaze flits over the other competitors, cataloguing the various idiosyncrasies visible in the spectrum of primarily brown and white and tan clad Genin.


    The exams in Suna are less well attended than in other countries; they might not be known for being hostile to foreigners in the same way Kiri, Kumo, and Iwa are, but simply getting to the Hidden Village is a three day hike across open desert.


    The other teams are a pretty even mix of kids in their midteens. I am the youngest person here by a wide margin, though there are a few teams of Genin from Suna that look barely out of the academy. A few singletons too, which was a surprise, though one I should have expected. Konoha is big on teamwork, and other nations acknowledge its use too, but not to nearly the same extent. The biggest advantage of the Leaf has always been its larger population, meaning we generally field fewer active units but can complete missions faster and with a higher success rate than a village like Sand.


    "Each unit will be given a token!"


    My eyes snap to the proctor and flicker on for a moment to catalogue his appearance and mannerisms.


    "Your unit will need three tokens to pass on to the next round! This is the survival portion kiddies; you''re going to be out in the desert, and if you screw up, there''s a good chance you''ll die. If you do decide to forfeit-"


    His sharp eyes seem to focus on the younger participants preferentially and I return his gaze with an impassive smile-


    "Set off one of these flares! We''ll come get you. Lethal force is permitted, but not encouraged."


    Hmm. Sensible. So far as I know there isn''t much riding on this exam. Suna wants to make a good showing in the finals of course, to attract more business since there has already been whispers that their Daimyo is becoming less generous, but I don''t recognize any important figures in the current pool of competitors. No known clan heirs or last wielders of legendary bloodlines. It''s actually possible that our team is the most important one here, simply by virtue of having an Uchiha and being students of Hatake Kakashi. What an odd thought.


    I accept the small wooden disc from the proctor with a silent nod of thanks before slinging my pack over my shoulder. A loose clasp rattles slightly before I hook it shut again, a little sleight of hand hopefully fooling anyone watching into thinking I put the token inside when I actually store it in the seal tag stuck to my chest. It is a double bluff, an attempt to look clumsy at something easy so they''ll not only look in the wrong place, but underestimate our skills. Or at least my skills.


    No, don''t think that way.


    I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. The Sharingan is not an instant win. The Sharingan is not an instant win. Lots of things can get past it, like puppets, of which I can see at least a few.


    Don''t get c.o.c.ky. Don''t get overconfident. Be prepared. Be calm. Be observant.


    Our starting point is a fair distance away from the other competitors, but not so far that we wouldn''t be able to find the other teams in the expansive training environment. The rocks will likely be points of fierce, but brief, combat.


    "Anyone nearby?"


    Wasabi glances at Nikkei for confirmation and she and Kenji sniff the air diligently before she is forced to shrug in disgruntled uncertainty.


    "I don''t smell anything close by, I don''t think. There''s¡­ something. Oil, like on those puppets. But it isn''t fresh, and I can''t tell what direction."


    The other boy on the team frowns gently, chewing his lower lip in a small show of nerves.


    "One of us needs to work on sensing after this. Your nose is great Nikkei, but it isn''t infallible."


    "I''ll make a note of it. We can talk to Kakashi-sensei after we''re through here. We can''t fix it now."


    Wasabi grunts in acknowledgement of my interjection as we begin to move across the dunes towards the nearest outcropping of stone, maybe a dozen kilometers away.


    "Yeah. Well. Keep an eye on your canteens, but don''t skimp too much. Better to run out than dehydrate with water still to hand."


    I blink as he gives me a raised eyebrow and smile faintly before nodding in acceptance of his concern.


    A little chakra helps the sand stick together beneath our feet and leaves less in the way of tracks, but it is still a hot and tiring slog across the sunny wastes to get to our target. The Sharingan is relatively energy efficient for the Uchiha, but my reserves are still small so it only turns on for a brief survey as we crest the top of every other dune. A sensible precaution, as I kill no less than three scorpions and a snake with senbon on the short journey.


    "Are those safe to eat? I don''t wanna get poisoned."


    I flip the snake over to examine its markings as Kenji sniffs at the bugs.


    "Should be. Better than your cooking at any rate."


    I give my grumbling kunoichi teammate a little smirk before bringing my attention back to the issue at hand, smile fading.


    "I''m not sure about the scorpions. Snake will be fine though. Wasabi?"


    A searing hot kunai cleans and cooks the meat simultaneously without the need of a campfire. It is only enough to stretch our rations though, and I pass around a few cereal bars pulled from my pack as we spend a moment regaining our strength in the shade; Nikkei breaks off a chunk and shares it with her partner alongside some careful sips from her canteen. The dessert is punishing, and I can already feel the beginnings of a sunburn on the exposed skin of my cheeks despite the judicious use of sunscreen.


    The desert shimmers in the heat, waves of distortion from the rising hot air as the sun creeps lower towards the horizon. I stand to suggest we start moving only to stumble suddenly, my muscles tingling and trembling.


    The transition to panic mode is immediate, but the rush of energy has me tripping over myself and falling to my knees, a burning sensation building in my gut. I can dimly hear the sound of my teammates retching and the noise sets me off in turn, my eyes searing in the flood of frantic energy. Poison, where, how, stupid, not like this, I will survive-


    There. The cereal bars. With my eyes on I can see the little puncture marks on the packaging. Stupid, why didn''t I check?


    "Well, that was a lot easier than I expected. Guess even Uchiha need experience."


    I push myself to my hands and knees for a moment before slumping back down as a lone figure pushes its way out from under the sand nearby. This isn''t right, this isn''t how it''s supposed to be, how it''s supposed to end, I can''t die here, I can''t die from this, from carelessness-


    The Suna Kunoichi smirked under her veil and a scorpion puppet the size of a dog scuttles over to begin poking through our packs as Kenji snarls and tries to guard his mistress.


    "Hmm. Hide it somewhere else? Tell you what, tell me where and I''ll give you the antidote."


    My face tightens into a fierce scowl before the sound of my teammates writhing in pain reaches me. I glance over at them as another spike of pain shoots from my stomach. I didn''t ingest as much, I might be safe, I might be less safe because of my body weight, it''s just astupid test-


    "Here."


    Trembling fingers slide under my shirt to access the storage tag. The disc tumbles from my shaking hand to roll across the closely packed sand under the rock before it is snatched up by the scorpion puppet. The enemy ninja smirks again and flicks a small vial towards us, but her puppet turns towards me and clacks its claws menacingly.


    "Now, what about those fancy eyes of yours?"


    How dare she, you can''t have them, they are mine, I bled for them, no one can take them from me-


    My mouth spreads in a tooth baring sneer as I pull up my shirt enough to show off an explosive tag, eliciting a snort of amus.e.m.e.nt from the Kunoichi.


    "Aww, I was just messing with you! Here, I''ll even call the proctors to come pick you up. No hard feelings, right? Ally?"


    The glaring red light of the flare and the crimson smoke plume it sends up are barely noticed as I crawl towards my teammates, mind slipping in and out of focus as I give each of us only a few drops. After the ''joke'' about stealing my eyes I cannot discard the possibility that this is another trap. Light footsteps on the sand catch my attention and my head swings round to see if a new threat has appeared.


    The Sand-nin proctor raised a scornful eyebrow at our dishevelment before sneering ever so slightly.


    "Squad 19 of Konoha, disqualified."


    . . .


    I do not take failure well.


    . . .


    A/N: Small breaks from angst... ish? This story isn''t terribly long you''ll see, so even with a heavy tone it should not quite cross into unbearability.

 Chapter 48 - My SI Stash #48 - Marvel Mutant in DC by Grey Dragon (DCU)

    -Here''s a DC SI Fic for you shashank_bhatt & Zyga. Maybe you''ll like it, SI is a Marvel Mutant. His father is Count Vertigo and he''s no Drake Malfoy, btw.


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 110K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/marvel-mutant-in-dc-oc-in-au-dc.723367/#post-54634522 (Grey Dragon)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1.1-1.12


    It took a good seven years to realise I had been reborn on a death world. From the Detective Comic franchise.


    Currently my only defence is sarcasm. It is all I have, since I have no powers as far as my childish body can display. Of course I have no way to tell which version of DC I am in, so yeah¡­ that sucks. I really hope it isn''t a Hellblazer version, because those suck for everyone involved.


    How do I know this? Because the US map has clearly noted major cities called Metropolis and Gotham.


    Of course I can''t be surprised that the iconic heroes aren''t around, with the exemption of Wonder Woman, Dr Fate, Red Tornado and the Original Flash and Green Lantern who were active back during World War Two and then mostly fell into silence.


    Which brings us to the present; myself a young boy of twelve. It''s 1989 and still no sign of Superman or his alternate versions (Communist/British/Crimelord). The version that appears should clarify whether I''m in a timeline/universe that is horrible or merely dangerous.


    Unfortunately I''m not an American citizen or from my original birthplace of Australia¡­ I live in Vlatava¡­ a tiny Eastern European country¡­ the one that has just one particularly annoying character in residence: Count Vertigo.


    Which brings to the fore my other problem: he''s my father. Yep, I''m the firstborn son of a genuine Super Villain (he wishes, he''s just a step above mook tier at best, but supremely arrogant).


    Mom pawned me off on nannies and tutors since my birth and since I''m somewhat less childish than is normal (being reincarnated sucks, so boring...) I got sent off to boarding school years ahead of schedule. I barely see her more than twice a year, usually just to be trotted out to the royal court and my accomplishments drunkenly rubbed in the faces of the other nobles.


    Dad is no better, he spends his time with harebrained scheming and nothing I do is good enough. At least I see him even less than my absentee lush of a Mom.


    As a result I have a lot of stress and anger issues. And my general education is complete already.


    Oh yes, and my aunt who is still only a year old is set to inherit the throne. Because that stuff is catnip to Game of Thrones rejects like Dad.


    The worst part? His first idea to cut the royal family a member short: trick me into doing the deed with a ''special'' gift for the infant. I smelled a rat as soon as he asked me to come home, since I currently was relaxing before college at my private chalet (technically Dad''s but only I use it). I mean I had only met him in a personal setting twice. So it was a big deal.


    I knew better than arguing with the scheme, he was just as brutal to me as anyone else who got in his way. The first time I embarrassed him by spilling a drink in public he beat the five year old me with a riding crop¡­ I still have the scars. I could see the murder in his eyes as he gave me the wrapped gift of the princess.


    But screw the old bastard, I wasn''t going to be a tool.


    I opened the box and replaced the adorable stuffed rabbit with a store-bought replica I slipped out the castle to buy in the few hours before her birthday ceremony. I burned the original in a rarely used fireplace, since it was probably poisonous or infected with cholera or something just as ridiculous.


    It was the following day, when I passed my father in the hall with a look of barely concealed fury aimed my way that I decided I had over played my hand. Probably because the baby was still alive and pictured on the newspaper hugging her gift.


    I stole a handful of Mom''s better jewellery and skipped town on my acc.u.mulated pocket-money¡­ I had been saving for the eventuality I''d become a runaway. Just as well Dad was by no means able to judge a decent amount for a child''s spending. I had a nice amount in US bills, it rounded down to three hundred thousand. I used the same Swiss bank he did for added security.


    Unfortunately I couldn''t get very far, since Dad had control over the military. I walked right into the border guard.


    And so, boom! No more cushy homes or learning, he shoved me into his private dungeon.


    If I had been an angry child before, now I was pissed off.


    I had nothing to do, besides walk around, jangling my chains. I settled on attempting magic, since that was real here. I had no clue so I tried a variety of things, spilling blood, drawing symbols, entreating beings and forces I knew or suspected existed. For example the Green and Red.


    In the end sometime later, several months I believe, I stumbled across what at first appeared to be an optical illusion. Straining I could move the dust in the air. I thought this was a display of telekinesis, I was wrong. After several days flexing this ''muscle'' I found it had more effect on my chains. I could rattle them with a slight effort.


    Unfortunately they were bolted to the cell wall, so I couldn''t see much use for this, at first. Then some time later I managed to lift the chain with my mind. I had realised my power was magnetism or something like that¡­ when I first pushed my growing frustration and hatred into my attempt and found myself ''floating''. Technically my bound wrists and ankles were holding me in the air as my powers lifted the metal.


    Now only one character I could name had power that was similar to this; a Marvel character, Magneto. Now this actually made some sense, since if I was the victim of a wild ROB being a Marvel mutant means maturing into powers around adolescence. Metahumans in DC can happen at any age. Magneto''s awakened in outrage to Nazi atrocities. And they were strong. Near the bottom of the upper tier of all Marvel characters, reaching Omega level or just under it. Which still doesn''t compare to being a bullshit Kryptonian. But it has it''s moments.


    The sad thing about being a captive of my own father, he thought it was appropriate punishment. The equivalent of being locked in my room. So aside from receiving high quality meals, I was left to rot.


    If nothing else every day was helping my growing hatred of everything Vertigo related, pushing my powers both in range and force.


    Finally I had gotten to the point where I could finagle my powers into lock-picking. Without a pick. Using my powers to explore the pins and depress them until I stumbled across the appropriate form to unlock my chains and door.


    Sneaking back into the castle proper, from the literal dungeon I observed changes. I could sense the metal objects around me for the entirety of my range. From copper wires in devices and walls for power to the steel trophies of distant, tacky ancestors. Swords, rapiers and suits of armour. I found the old armoury, with Dad''s equipment in a sealed room. His favourite rapier, a pistol and costume. The door opened when I unlocked it, even if it was more complex than the average lock I had encountered.


    I found little that I could claim, the whole suits were too large. Aside from a set of bracers and greaves. Just my size, if a touch dusty after years buried under junk in a corner. A touch rusty too, but my purposes were far simpler. I wasn''t using them for more than anchors for my power to lift me.


    I sensed the various people around me as concentrations of flowing iron and electrical signals that originated from their blood and nerves. Apparently I had tripped a low tech alarm switch (a bell at the end of a string!) entering the armoury. I sensed gun-barrels of rifles belonging to the houseguards as they stacked up in the hallway beside the door.


    Well, cornered as I was I used my powers on a large, complete suit of armour. The heavy, solid steps of my puppet must have startled the guards, since their hearts were racing as it strode out of the armoury to face them, holding a spiked mace.


    The guards shouted at the puppet to get on it''s knees and surrender as they raised their rifles, preparing to fire. I pulled down on the gun barrels and they fired at the floor, yelping in surprise. Then a metal gauntlet met face, dropping their captain. I grinned, having the metal suit point at the next and raise the mace in a ready stance and charge.


    The guards yelped and scattered, the mace clipping the slowest on the shoulder and breaking it, if the huge surge of nerves firing from there indicated agony.


    I followed along, letting the suit act as my distraction as I searched for my room and my belongings. The room was as I left it, clean and empty. My clothes were small on me now, a growth spurt in my cage, I reasoned. I wasn''t sure about my bank account''s safety now, but the papers and codes were still in my bag. My original bugout kit was in my cupboard, the one I was caught trying to escape with. Mom''s jewels were gone, but otherwise it was the same as when I packed. I discarded the lunchbox that was a fungus farm now, but the clothes aside from being musty were acceptable.


    I added a pair of fire pokers and my ski mask, in the sides of the case and using the metal levitated it out the window, before following. I wasn''t going to start a fight now with Daddy Dearest. I wasn''t strong enough. I wasn''t certain I could stop bullets yet, never mind the big stuff. I needed time. Rising into the darkening sky I reached out with my power and caught the tail of a passing passenger plane, being towed by it to where ever it would land with a good deal of hope for the future.


    As I flew, I hurriedly threw on heavier clothes as the plane began to climb. No wonder Magneto had a solid looking costume with a cape, it''s freezing up here.


    Chapter 1.2


    Paris.


    I followed the flight to the home of Revolution and Freedom, arriving just after dawn. It was a beautiful place.


    Nothing leapt out as out of the ordinary, as far as I could see. However my first stop was in the seedier alleys. I needed untraceable cash. So I followed my senses, even if their range was only a few hundred feet, they extended through anything non-magnetic. Such as brick and plaster walls. I looked for stashes of guns. Because where firearms were gathered illegally, thugs abound. When I found a good supply, some fifteen handguns and a dozen rifles in a crate I knew I was in the right place.


    I stashed my baggage on a roof and assessed the five criminals. One seemed particularly ugly, a knuckle dragging brute if my senses were accurate. A meta? Venom user? Well I was going to find out. I pulled on my balaclava, from my skiing days in the chalet. I had shoved it into my bag as a last minute extra, since I knew I would need it. To play the vigilante hero incognito.


    The modest warehouse was filled with loitering thugs, as the front door unlocked, opened and tore off the hinges, to fly across the street outside. I floated down, hovering in the doorway with a smirk arms outstretched.


    "On your knees, criminals. Or be shown your place, at my feet!" I ordered in French.


    The thugs were still trying to decipher my orders when the quickest thinker shouted at them to attack. I laughed, folding my arms as I hovered waiting for them.


    One drew a switch-blade¡­ and the device fell apart in his hands and pulled away from his grip, as I watched impassively. The knife and it''s components reformed in the air beside me. It spun down and buried in his upper thigh, causing the criminal to whimper and then scream as he collapsed.


    "Next." I stated calmly. I had such a high level of battlefield awareness, more than a bunch of regular criminals could face. I was already planning how to incapacitate them all. I watched as a small round object flew through the air from the far side¡­ the grenade not surprising me at all, as I sent it flying out a window and into the sky. The fragmentation grenade popped several dozen meters in the air, rattling the windows.


    I turned my gaze to the supposed meta, wagging a finger in warning.


    I failed a sanity check for a moment as my brain froze¡­ it was a gorilla with a beret and a belt of bullets over his torso.


    "Okay¡­ that really hammers home where I am. So Monkey Militia or whatever you call yourself, I''d advise you to surrender. That was a potentially lethal attack for your own subordinates¡­ so I''m feeling a nice rug for my parlour might be in the cards." I spat out, annoyed. The sharp metal fragments of the grenade swirling down to hover over my hand. I barely caught all of them. They reconnected like a puzzle to show the original grenade shape.


    The gorilla growled in anger.


    "I am Monsieur Mallah! I am not a monkey, you Neanderthal!" He roared.


    "And I''m not Savage, what is your point, Gorilla? I was intentionally being insulting, you do understand that, right?" I sighed. "If you want acceptance go back to your hidden city, all I know is that for every nice intelligent ape there are ten like you, preying on innocent people."


    He roared again, beating his chest before charging me. Cables under my control tore out of the walls and ground winding around him. He struggled, trying to tear free of their coils like they were a snake¡­ until a live power line jammed into his lower back. He screeched and then collapsed, smoking slightly. I turned to look at the remaining three wild-eyed thugs. The wires were snaking from every surface in the building, leaving the humans feeling surrounded. Finally the first saw sense and fell to his knees, hands over his head. The other two followed suit almost immediately.


    Coinage lifted free from their pockets, inside their wallets. I took what notes and coins they had, one by one as I waited for the police.


    Fortunately my formal studies in both French and Italian were near fluent, so I was able to explain my actions clearly to the pair of armed and scared looking first responding gendarmes, who expected a bomb. The Gorilla was above their pay-grade apparently. I made sure they double handcuffed him to a streetlight, just to be sure he stayed caught.


    While they debated how to deal with the situation between themselves I floated away silently. Counting my spoils, there was a good three thousand Francs, plus change. My next stop, the quintessential villain bar. I identified this in much the same way, by the fact everyone was armed.


    Looking shady sounding bars up in the phone book of the nearest telephone booth was a resounding success. It also brings home just how far back in time I am¡­ I miss the advanced computers and the non brick sized mobile phones of 2018.


    The Noir bar and bistro was surprisingly high quality¡­ I guess in France even the villains have standards about gourmet pursuits. It even boasts a Michelin star¡­ probably through blackmail or open threats, but still¡­ the various toughs inside killed the ambience. Possibly literally, if magic was involved.


    Of course, I stuck out like a sore thumb. I''m only thirteen. In clothes too small.


    A grizzled looking criminal stepped into my way. His scarred features glowering, as he towered over me by at least two foot. I guess this is how they keep the riffraff out.


    Dammit. Can''t use my powers overtly.


    I guess this means diplomacy.


    "Ah, hello good sir. I hope I''m in the right place. A little birdie told me I could get a fake ID here?" I announced, pouring on the charm as I pretended to be looking for something cheap to get alcohol underage¡­ oh wait, this is France¡­ am I underage?


    The watching patrons let out a few chuckles and the burly guy standing in my way slaps me on the back and points me to a booth on the far side with a slight smile.


    My forger was a chubby man eating some pesto.


    "May I have this seat?" I asked as I took hold of the chair opposite. "I have a business proposition."


    He looked me over for a moment and nodded. "Hundred and fifty Francs for a fake ID." He announced.


    "No, I want the works. Full identity including birth certificate and passport. As good as you can make it." I replied, in a business-like manner.


    He paused and looked at me a lot more seriously. Finally he named his price. "Fifteen thousand Francs. It will take five days to get in order."


    "Fine, here is three thousand as a down payment." I placed the money on the table.


    The forger nodded. "Bring the rest here tomorrow, same time. If you''re yanking my chain I''ll keep this."


    "I''ll be there. Start getting my ID ready. Victor Ignacio Magnus. I don''t care about the other details." Good riddance to being a Vertigo!


    Hmm. Now to rob a few more criminals¡­ it''s for a good cause, after all.


    Chapter 1.3


    I''m beat. Five drug-dealers and a mugger later and I''m only half way there. I need a better class of criminal¡­ or quantity. Not to mention I spent all night awake, floating behind a plane to even reach this city.


    I crashed at a cheap hotel, after a meal from the DC universe version of McDonald''s¡­ O''Shaughnessy''s. It was different in subtle ways, like the pickles on the burgers were sweet and the whole place has a heavy Irish theme, four leaf clovers printed everywhere. Really dissonant, when they used most of the same naming practices, like the Big O burger. I was constantly reminded of that giant robot anime¡­ the series which doesn''t exist and probably never will here. I always intended to watch that, some day. Shame.


    The following morning I took a breather, took it slow. Just enjoying the freedom to go where ever I wanted.


    The newspapers told a slightly disturbing story, apparently Mallard? the Monkey had a partner who rescued him from a prison cell with a flying metal drone thing, armed with lasers and shields. And it was page three news. Because apparently Superman had finally done his big catch a car introduction scene from issue #1.


    The speculation about his powers was high. I got a round of laughs when I suggested he had X ray vision to a pair of gossiping schoolgirls at a bus stop.


    That also means Batman and maybe the Flash are active or about to reveal themselves. Martian Manhunter and Diana are probably still chilling in obscurity. Aquaman is more of a mystery to me, aside from the civilisation he rules being (somewhere) in the Atlantic depths. No signs of the one true Captain Marvel (aka Shazam). Or the Hawks. Or Green Lanterns, beyond original WW2 flavor. Too early for Cyborg (I think) or any of the spinoff heroes. Who am I missing¡­ uh the Robin Hood guy and the robot¡­ Canary? Atom?


    What? It has been thirteen years since I last saw anything relevant besides local war doc.u.mentaries.


    Hmm. I don''t think I''ll ever make Bruce Wayne''s Christmas Card list. Because I object to his obsessive catch and release policy with mass murdering psychotics. When I get the chance, I''ll act on it, too. Because the Joker isn''t a human, he''s a disease. Okay, so maybe Bruce has a whole slippery slope with murder thing going on, I don''t particularly have his issues. Oh, I sure do have issues, but they seem to be more on the overconfidence, anger and arrogance side. Maybe immaturity?


    At least I''m aware of them, magic is going to be my main foil I''ll bet. The Z family of stage magicians who actually do the real thing¡­ completely slipped my mind. There were others too, after all the whole roster can get get into the dozens. But they''re more allies, spin offs and sidekicks that come later.


    I certainly don''t relish the idea of fighting any of the big bad guys, with the exception of the massive armies of mooks and cybernetic/robotic enemies because my powers were made for massive scale warfare and the perfect counter to lasers, electricity attacks and metal structures/weapons. And that is beside the fact, my power isn''t exactly magnetism. There are other components. Sure, the big things with magnetic fields are easy, the other stuff doesn''t come quite as easily. But then, lead isn''t highly magnetic. Yet Magneto clearly can stop bullets like they are no big deal and manipulate other less reactive materials like gold, silver, etc.


    So my power is only fractionally magnetism, I really want to see the look on Batman''s face when he tries to counter me. Not if, but when. Using non magnetic materials for tranq darts will be his first choice followed by tranquilliser gas. After that it will be hairier, but I fully intend to invest in tech of my own to beat some of my more human weaknesses.


    Magneto''s best trick is that everything physical has a natural magnetic field, even seemingly magnetically inert objects and their field can be exaggerated by deliberate manipulation. Even planetary bodies. I''m still learning how to fly using just my natural magnetic field to repel against the Earth''s, no metal involved. But beyond that I''ve noticed a faint amount of gravity manipulation and perhaps pure telekinesis in the form of light reflective shields. In fact my shields come surprisingly easy too but they are impermeable at the moment. If I use one as a bubble I''ll eventually suffocate. I tested it on bugs while in my cell. I''m going to need to read up on my physics if I want to really use my powers to their full potential. But I have already discovered a killer move, courtesy of a Certain Technological Railgun¡­ ball-bearings, nails, screws and small change are converted into deadly bullets in my range. If I work at it, I''ll have an artillery scale attack.


    Maybe once I''ve gained a great deal better control I can rip the iron out of a person''s bloodstream, killing them instantly like Magneto did in that movie. A brute force method to be sure, but perhaps a necessary final resort.


    Telepathy has always been an issue with Magneto, but then again this was because his greatest friend/rival/enemy/peer Xavier was a supreme telepath. I''m not nearly as worried by Martian Manhunter or human psychics, they are far more limited in this universe compared to Marvel, subtler perhaps but definitely weaker. Magneto was also supposed to be a minor telepathic talent, with superior mental defences¡­ able to use Cerebro even. I doubt I possess the defences, since they are a learned ability¡­ but his helmet, or a similar device will be useful in the long run. Magic wards most of all though. Telepathic training is something to invest in, because I can''t sense much from that side of things. Xavier probably definitely helped there. Magneto was likely not a self taught telepath.


    I guess I''ll have to deal with Dad sooner or later. If only to get revenge for my Aunt. I mean, I assume she''s dead by now, since he''s had every opportunity to finish the job in the last half year I was imprisoned. How much of a bungling incompetent must he be to have failed to kill a one year old for that long?


    ... am I giving him too much credit? He is a supervillain after all.


    But enough daydreaming on a bus. Time to go out and do my thing.


    Hello, seedy looking guy with a pair of bodyguards. Armed guards, one even has a sawn off double barrel shotgun in a holster¡­ which is very illegal. The other has a pair of revolvers, one in a holster under his left armpit, the other strapped on his left leg.


    I suspect organised crime immediately.


    Jumping off at the next bus stop I circle back, taking to rooftops with levitation from an alley. I close on them with my senses once again, still on the street waiting for something. A luxury car, it resolves a few minutes later. All three jump in, joining the driver, a slim looking guy.


    They pull away, heading towards a warehousing district. I pull on my balaclava and hover from roof to roof in pursuit. The number of armed guards patrolling at the warehouse is troubling. I flit overhead and descend to the roof of the warehouse for a closer look. I make a peephole in the metal roof.


    Stack of goods¡­


    A bunch of people at the far end.


    And a manager''s section partially walled off.


    Oh, that''s not good. A captive.


    A blonde, in white bodysuit. Her face is a mess, dripping blood onto the fleur-de-lis symbol on her chest. Tied to a chair. As I watch a sleazy guy backhands her roughly once again. Well, enough of that.


    The roof is corrugated iron, the support struts are steel. I smile.


    With a shrieking groan, the roof tears open as I float slowly inside. The place is without question, a drug factory. Some kind of powder. There are five whole rows of dozens of people seated, weighing and measuring their product. A production line.


    Sleazy Interrogator pauses to stare open-mouthed as I focus on him, raise a hand and then gesture. A steel beam sweeps past, taking his feet out from under him from behind so he falls. The next beam stops, to rest on his right arm¡­ and I let go. He squeals as the seventy kilos of steel presses down hard above the elbow. The next three are placed to hold him down by the other arm and legs.


    I sweep a glance at the fleeing chemists, before bolting the doors and distorting the locks. My gaze passes over piles of money, some in the process of being sorted. I turn to the woman, to find she is already free and warily watching me. So she has acting skills, was playing possum I see. A superspy type? Ninja?


    The thug curses under his improvised cage. I look at the elegant looking lady and wink.


    "Hello there, criminal. Now you have two choices, you tell me everything about this factory and who it involves¡­ and you get to live. Otherwise, I''ll be showing you a cheap and cheerful alternative to the guillotine." I point upwards to yet another beam hovering near the roof, casting a shadow over his neck.


    The woman raises an eyebrow at the threat, but her captor begins to spill his guts. I''m not really that interested, it was for her benefit after all. I even ask after he falls silent if she has anything else he can elucidate. But other than a few finer details, he gave her all she wanted.


    Since the thug is being a good sport, I remove the threat of dismemberment.


    With a squeeze I bend the beams over his body, turning them into shackles buried in the concrete floor.


    I hold out an arm. "May I offer you a lift, Miss?"


    With a cheerful laugh she takes my arm in a tight grip. Ugh, a little too tight. She''s stronger than I am, by quite a bit. But then my arm is currently buried in her not insubstantial b.r.e.a.s.ts, so I''ll deal. A trade off of sorts.


    And¡­ liftoff. Trailing along behind me, a set of tweezers holding a stack of thousand Franc notes.


    Sue me, I want to showoff for the mystery woman. Sure, she''s out of my league, I mean the age difference alone¡­ I''m barely a teen.


    I rise high into the air, spinning to offer a view in all directions, before asking the age old question of all taxi drivers. "Where to?"


    The lady points downtown and I oblige at a sedate pace.


    "I''m Fleur-de-lis. While the help wasn''t strictly necessary, it is appreciated." She announced.


    Okay, the symbol was literal. Her voice is nice, with a smooth quality. S.e.xy as hell too. Ugh¡­ stupid hormones. Focus!


    "Hmm. I hadn''t really given much thought to a name yet¡­ I suppose¡­ Metal Storm?" I laugh at her bemused look. "I know, I''m not subtle."


    "How did someone as young as you get such, how should I say it, excessive power?" She queried. "I have seen magic, technology and even powers, but yours is shockingly high."


    I shrugged. "Compared to the Superman in Metropolis, I''m a small fish."


    Her eye quirked again. "You know him?"


    I smiled. "Better than the press. With one exception."


    "Oh?" She asked.


    "Lois Lane, the author of the original article. He has his eye on her." I explained.


    "Ahh. L''amour. The classic tale." She exclaimed, before returning her interest back to me. "So you are the one who captured the Ape?"


    "Yes, even if he has already been freed." I paused. "I wonder what he was doing here."


    "I can answer that¡­ he was responsible for several bombings last week, including the Louvre. You no doubt found his safe-house, as he waited for exfiltration." She explained.


    "Ah. How many casualties? I had no idea." I asked, dreading the answer.


    "Fifteen people, including a cadre of famous scientists and three school children." She softly answered.


    I flinched.


    Shit.


    Next time I see the ugly bastard, I''ll be have monkey stew for dinner. Or several dogs will, at least.


    The rest of the flight was awkwardly silent.


    Chapter 1.4


    Fleur-de-lis requested to be let down on an out of the way apartment building. I didn''t ask, but it was a safe assumption this wasn''t her home, just a safe place to disembark away from prying eyes.


    Before I could float away again, she gave me her thanks for the rescue¡­ a lengthy kiss¡­ and just as French as herself. I keep feeling my cheeks heat up at the memory, as I retreat at high speed from the beautiful woman waving after me.


    I had to take a moment, just to process that final shock. It left be in stitches, after realising she was toying with me a little. Playing me for her own amus.e.m.e.nt. I must have looked the White Knight¡­ a child playing cops and robbers. Which amuses me, I''m not so innocent. I flicked through my newly acquired riches, counting twenty five thousand Francs from the drug money. I nodded and floated back to my favourite villain watering hole, Noir Bar and Bistro.


    I walked in with a slight c.o.c.ky swagger to my steps¡­ I guess I''m a little pleased with myself.


    The big bouncer/criminal that stopped me last time recognised me and nodded. I did in reply, heading towards my personal forger.


    He looked up from a plate of fettuccine alfredo, as I slapped down his final payment on the table, in an envelope.


    Flicking through the amount he finally nodded and slid an address across the table. "Come to this location in three days. Your purchase will be there. Look for a red umbrella."


    I smiled. "Not good enough."


    Taking a coin from my pocket I placed it on the table. I made it spin with a flick of my wrist. "Now I want you to watch carefully." I suggested at the already disgruntled man. The coin stopped spinning suddenly. He paused faintly surprised, then he looked much more surprised as it began to spin again, faster and faster making a faint whirring sound as it drilled into the wood. It cut through the table in a few seconds and fell, only to rise glowing red at the edges to hover over my hand.


    "I want you to understand I am a very dangerous person. The forces required to drive a coin through a table like that are far less than I need to place the same coin inside your skull." I laughed as the bar was a good deal quieter. "You have your money, I don''t want anything more than what I have ordered. If I find you have cheated me, then things will get messy."


    Several people in the restaurant stood up.


    "Don''t move." I said loudly. There was a faint click from each person, as the safety of their pistol was switched off and the hammer pulled. "Or you''ll learn a new definition of ''friendly fire'' as that gun you''re carrying empties into you." I looked at a particularly stupid thug. "Especially this idiot, who placed a loaded gun next to his c.o.c.k."


    The idiot in question, a few tables away squirmed and paled.


    "Now, I didn''t mean to kick up a fuss¡­ but bear in mind I am more than prepared to be rude. If the forger I have hired skips town or tries to escape with my money¡­ well I will be back and I will be looking at all of you fellows to repay me in his stead." I gave them a bright smile, one of the few good things I got from Dad, a gleaming perfect smile. "So please make sure my investment doesn''t do anything silly and I will have no need to ventilate you with your own weapons."


    I stood up and then hovered my way out the front door.


    Pausing I looked back inside. "Whose motorbike is that outside?"


    Several people looked at Crotch Gun''s table. His keys floated out of his pocket and over to my hand. "Hey¡­!" He yelped.


    "It''s mine now." I nodded to myself. "Bye."


    Really swiping the guy''s bike was just for the street cred. I had no clue about how to ride it, but then again my power basically trumped any need to learn. I threw a leg over the highly polished and well loved machine, one that looked very expensive in a glossy red with black trim.


    I pulled my balaclava down over my head, raised the kickstand, started the engine and gunned the engine roaring away. I was free at last! I continued to switch gears as I accelerated, judging by the movements of the internal mechanisms when to shift gears at just the right moment. I met Paris traffic quickly, before I ignored it entirely by rocketing off into the sky as I roared with laughter.


    I left the engine purring as I zoomed through the city on a joy ride, racing news helicopters before leaving them in the dust, by turning the bike into a railgun bullet while riding it.


    Now feeling a bit better, after finally cutting loose I turned to return to my cheap hotel room for yet another night. Oh wait, before that¡­ I floated through the drive through of O''Shaughnessy''s on my bike, just for the teller''s look of surprise.


    Ah, blessed Soder, dimensionally displaced brother to Coke: you quench my thirst just the same!


    Chapter 1.5


    I woke up with a broad grin on my face. A free day!


    Tomorrow I''ll check on my bank account, I''m stalling on that just in case Poppa Vertigo will use it to track me. I still have a bundle of cash to spend, so why not get myself a complete wardrobe change. Hmm. Knowing comic book logic, the bank I visit will be robbed/held hostage while I''m there in some fashion.


    So a show, while I wait.


    Breakfast at a small cafe nearby is nice as I read about my own exploits in the newspaper.


    They got a great picture as I took a corner climbing beside a skyscr.a.p.er. They''re calling me ''Balade''. This translates to Joyride in French. Some of the article is dedicated to simple wonderment and while there is some grumbling about my intruding in restricted airspace, my aid in capturing the Ape and bringing down a drug syndicate is noted¡­ looks like Fleur is pulling some strings to keep me portrayed in a positive light.


    Gotta love DC, almost everyone in the news business loves a highly visible and colourful heroic persona. So much better than being subjected to Marvel''s J. Jonah Jameson or the irrational mutant haters.


    Of course that means I''m going to have to live up to some of the hype. So I suppose I''ll do some patrolling for the afternoon. At least they haven''t been able to move my (stolen) bike from where I parked it¡­ magnetically attached to the peak of the Eiffel Tower. God¡­ I just realised I''m a juvenile prankster with too much power.


    The following three hours spent collecting casual and formal wear is a slightly boring affair, aside from collecting what must be one of the first Superman T-shirts ever sold.


    Lunch is at a more upscale restaurant, since if you come Paris and pass up the food you are wasting a good deal of the experience. I don''t expect to stay here for very long.


    I manged to find a pair of solid bracelets made out of steel. Those will make my secret identity much less obvious than the set of bracers I wear under my jacket if I''m in public or go through metal detectors. I find the steel shoes are redundant, so I replace those with comfortable leather shoes. I only need the bracelets to float after all¡­ it just tires my arms out putting all my weight on them as I levitate. When I get a proper costume I''ll find appropriate shoes.


    The only crime I see during this time is a pair of shoplifting kids filling their sweaters with clothes. As they attempt to leave, I move an aluminium can under the leader''s foot at the exit sending the boy sprawling, with his stolen merchandise spilling all around him.


    Swapping out my regular clothing for obvious costume elements such as the balaclava and bracers, a long coat and for my amus.e.m.e.nt, the Superman T-shirt proudly on display.


    First stop was collecting my motorbike from the top of the Eiffel Tower, currently collecting quite a selection of visitors. Apparently someone in the government has a sense of humour also, as I found a new sign added that proclaimed the tower was a no parking zone. And my bike had a ticket.


    My audience tried to get my attention, those who weren''t filming me. I just waved in passing and moved over the city in an expanding spiral, keeping an eye out for anything serious. A three car pileup at an intersection was my first find. No serious damage, it was just blocking traffic as the drivers argued over blame. So I shifted their vehicles out of the way and moved on.


    Next, a few minutes later, I found a construction site in disarray and ambulances arriving.


    An accident, a truck rolled trapping the driver and slamming a worker into a pipe, which had impaled him, like an insect in a display. The worker was critical, with three inches of copper through the right side of his chest. They couldn''t reach the base of the pipe without shifting the guy.


    Well, damn. This needed my help.


    I moved lower, until the workers trying to free their colleague noticed.


    Some took offence, thinking I was just here to be trouble. I looked for the paramedics.


    "Get back from him, I''m going to cut the pipe free." I explained.


    "Don''t pull it out! He''ll bleed to death in seconds!" They misunderstood.


    "No like this." I pulled a smaller pipe to my hands to demonstrate, tapping one end caused it to split in two, sliding in half along a mono-molecular edge fashioned by opposed magnetic fields of tremendous force inside the same pipe. The two halves of a pipe floated down.


    "Okay¡­ can you cut the pipe below the injury, by at least three inches?" The medic asked, slightly fazed.


    "Done." He looked at me. "I mean, I just did it¡­ get moving!" He jumped into movement, with the help of the workers carrying the injured man to an ambulance.


    I turned my attention to the flipped truck.


    "Move back, I''m going to right it!" I shouted. The workers did as I asked, and with a gentle tug pulled it onto it''s wheels.


    The driver shouted in pain, as his right arm came free from being pinned under the truck crushed and spraying blood I sent a length of copper wire to act as a tourniquet until the paramedic on his case asked for it to be removed as he applied his own.


    I let out a sigh of relief as the second man was sent on his way by the ambulance.


    To my surprise I found I was receiving applause. The entire worksite was cheering.


    A trifle unnerved, I gave a mock salute and flew away¡­ to find an older building on fire and no fire fighters yet.


    Sigh.


    A close assessment showed there were no people inside and only a single floor being affected.


    I threw a barrier around the source and waited a few minutes for the fire to suffocate and extinguish itself.


    The fire brigade had arrived by then, but stayed back at my warning to give the room time to air out the deadly pocket of carbon monoxide I had created in the fire''s termination.


    They found a few spot fires I missed and got to work, the source it turned out was an oven.


    It was night when I finally called it a day, parking my bike on a rooftop I began the flight back to my hotel room, with a pizza for dinner. I was hopping rooftops, to keep out of sight when it happened.


    I was surprised when a voice from a short few feet away spoke. I turned in surprise, since I couldn''t sense nerves¡­ just some iron rich blood. I thought it was water in the gutters.


    "Well, I seem to have found a local celebrity?" The voice had remarked.


    From the corner of my eye I noticed a dark form, eyes from within a hood made my mind swim. I barely noticed, as I fell toward the pavement.


    Chapter 1.6


    The ground was three stories below as I dropped like a stone.


    It took a few moments to see the ground rushing toward me. Longer to recognise it as danger. Another moment or two to begin the process of repelling myself from it¡­ too late. I shifted my momentum at an angle at the last moment, sending myself tumbling on the pavement.


    Ugh¡­ damn that hurts. I think I sprained my left wrist. My head is sore too and the mask feels wet.


    What happened? I was just floating, then¡­ falling?


    I can only sense three people, all of them in the surrounding buildings. Wait¡­ there you are! Running toward me from the street. Maybe it jumped down.


    "You just made a mistake!" I growled as the nerveless thing rushed me.


    Everything around me made of metal became my weapon in that moment, mostly garbage at first.


    "What is this?!" The red figure hissed as a cloud of debris made impact. The being, most likely an undead since it didn''t have nerves or a live human brain.


    The figure was blinded by the cloud of everything magnetic, ranging from iron rust in powder form to aluminium cans. However this was simply a distraction. A smokescreen, blocking view of the dumpster I launched hard.


    Vamp in red took the hit with some shock, as he was sent stumbling back on the pavement. But he got up again a moment later. Probably due to his unnatural physiology. Low level super strength and durability? That would have smeared a regular human across the pavement. I think. Peak human fitness is absurdly exaggerated in DC.


    His form bulged before he shed his robes and came in a second charge at me, in the form of a large wolf.


    I sent several lengths of gutter from the roofs down like javelins.


    He was faster than I anticipated, I had to throw a semi-circular barrier up to protect my throat as he lunged forward, fangs snapping. He bounced back from hitting the solid shield of energy and that moment was enough to bring the gutters down on him in a wave. With a crunch he became a pincushion, but to my great displeasure refused to die.


    The dumpster rose, before crushing him down. Again and again.


    "Why are you after me?!" I demanded, but distantly I already knew. Why else?


    "To make you my subordinate." The thing rasped.


    My mind went hazy for a moment before I turned my head and shook the cobwebs away¡­ hypnosis? Shit. He almost got me. Again.


    "You wanted me to be your slave?" I asked, sheer outrage boiling at the thought of escaping the captivity of Vertigo only to be caged again. "Well let me be frank, as one monster to another¡­ you chose poorly."


    "You fool, this cannot kill me..." He began to rant.


    I''m sorry, I don''t care who you are or how you think.


    Die.


    He exploded into chunks as the metal embedded in his body went several directions at the same time.


    "Brother!" A shrill female voice screamed.


    Which gave me just enough of a location to send a swarm of roof nails into her. She squealed before ducking out of my range.


    "Sneaky, sneaky." I chided. "You really blindsided me here."


    Below the chunks of Red Robe had fallen still. I rose slowly, floating up as I focused on the second vampire. It was running in fear. I followed with a burst of acceleration.


    The last thing she heard was a whooshing sound, as a manhole cover decapitated her. I returned the cover, so it could resume it''s duties on the street keeping people from falling into the sewers.


    Just to be sure I stabbed a length of wood, hastily made from a tree branch into each vampire''s heart. Then threw their remains into the River Seine.


    Following this I shifted hotels, using a different fake name and cash. I must have been too obvious coming and going from the vicinity of that particular hotel. Or they scryed for me, magic vampires after all¡­


    New plan, buy or steal magic after I get my bank account in order. Some kind of mental defence.


    Where does one find real magic artefacts anyway?


    ...


    Antique store. Has to be. Look for the shabbiest thing in the store.


    Hopefully it isn''t a horribly cursed monkey''s paw. Chances are, it will be.


    Chapter 1.7


    Day Four.


    It''s a Thursday. 22 March 1989. I never cared to check before.


    I feel like I was run over by a small car. Bad, but not awful. I have a goose-egg on the side of my face from where I face-planted on concrete and while my left hand doesn''t seem to be broken, it is certainly swelling. Apparently the wool mask was good for something: it kept the blood out of my eyes at the critical moments. Probably didn''t notice the rest because I was running on adrenaline at the time.


    Lazing in bed until late morning helps the lesser aches and pains in my ribs and shoulder.


    Going to a small clinic I get my hand seen to, put into a cast. Which is really going to put a crimp into any trips out in costume¡­ unless I find a nice set of leather gloves. Which I do immediately afterwards. Can''t be too careful.


    Still, I made the newspapers again with my antics¡­ seems the two seriously injured guys are still kicking and I got some kudos for helping with the fire.


    The trip to the bank was a lengthy and boring experience and involved no obvious bank robbers¡­ are my thoughts appearing in bubbles on a page? Was I too obvious and spoilt the plot lines? Am I a fourth wall breaking character?


    This is giving me a headache.


    At least my money was still where it was supposed to be. I guess Dad really didn''t care for what amounted to his own pocket change. At the bare minimum, it should be enough to get the ball rolling on my own little business.


    Once I get as far away from this continent as possible. At least in the US I have a few potentially friendly people I can network with on a regional level. Mostly it is because they are people I know I can trust. Out here I know I have only Fleur-de-lis as potential backup in a serious event. I really don''t trust any minor league human baseline character to able to help if I''m being overpowered.


    God, I''m still thinking of them as characters¡­ like NPCs in a video game. I''m messed up. They are living, breathing (in most cases) people. And I am really out of my depth. I''ve jumped into this gig with just raw power and nothing else. I''m Superman without growing up in Kansas. I''m Batman without martial arts training. I''m a complete idiot.


    I''d blame the hormones, but I think it''s simply that I''m just an impulsive kid. As much as I like to think I''m mature, that is as always a question of time and experience. Reincarnation really likes to give sucker-punches you just never see coming.


    I guess that close call with death and very nearly undeath has gotten me into an introspective mood.


    Cheer up!


    Time to fossick through old junk for treasure that is pretending to be garbage.


    I guess back to the phone book for me¡­


    A systematic search is probably the best way to go about it. I assumed. The following hours of mild bemus.e.m.e.nt and fruitless searching was not what I expected. Sure some of the knickknacks were cool, I mean seeing fifty year old postcards of Wonder Woman is interesting as it is historical reality here.


    It isn''t until I visit the last, of course, that anything interesting appeared. It wasn''t magic, but instead a hunk of red kryptonite. Because yes, apparently I am that unlucky. The glassy, red glowing rock was so damn obvious. Someone had polished it into a rounded, ovoid shape and treated it like a glow in the dark trinket.


    Just what I need, the kryptonite of temporary randomness. Heck, Superman probably doesn''t even know he has a weakness yet. Let alone several. And this stuff, like all kryptonite is prone to being toxic to humans after a lengthy term of exposure.


    On the other hand, I can''t just leave it there. And I''m deathly afraid of being involved in a Zod type of incident. I mean I''m baseline human, physically. Not even peak. It wouldn''t take an effort for a kryptonian to kill me, let alone powerhouses like Darkseid or Doomsday without my shields. They''d be able to just ignore any regular tricks with metal I use too.


    It costs all of five Francs. I asked where it came from, but the owner had no clue. It was mixed in with a geological mineral collection.


    Sealed into a little lead block with a lot of effort and magnetic field warping I guess I have a new pendant? Plated in nickel steel, to avoid those nasty health problems. It''s just common sense.


    So yay? I guess. I got an anti-Superman weapon before Lex Luthor.


    This is not something I feel proud of.


    Chapter 1.8


    10:21 AM, 23rd March 1989.


    Red umbrella¡­


    There are no umbrellas.


    Just people passing. It is a busy street, but no one seems to fit that one little detail. I settle into a cafe to wait. And wait.


    Three hours and several cups of coffee later I was getting jumpy¡­ although it was equal parts caffeine and apprehension. I think the pretty waitress found me amusing, suspecting I was waiting for a date since she was frequently passing my table offering encouragement.


    Turns out, the umbrella wasn''t an object. It was a tattoo. On the arm of a burly guy, the image being a type of burlesque performed by a blonde using said red umbrella.


    The waitress who it seemed had been taking a break, looked this way and nearly choked on a cup of tea, when he sat down opposite me. Apparently a thirteen year old kid stands out, on a school day. The guy in question is quite stiff, probably because he knows who I am. He isn''t armed, but a big guy is a big guy.


    Just to be cautious, I have the cutlery drawer of the cafe ready to descend on him like a biblical plague at the first sign of aggression.


    But he simply slides a manilla folder to me under the table and walks away.


    Flicking through the pages of doc.u.mentation within confirms I am (Illegally) Victor Ignatius Magnus, born in¡­ 1974. I''m apparently fifteen years old on paper¡­ whoops.


    Meh. Doesn''t matter. Makes it harder to trace me back to one Count Vertigo.


    Passport looks real, it even has a previous use¡­ apparently I''ve briefly visited Spain.


    Born in a hospital in the south of Paris¡­ parents deceased, a tropical disease and accident claimed my fake mom and dad respectively. I''m legally emancipated too. Nice touch.


    I don''t know how well these will hold up to scrutiny but they look good. Beyond that how can I really know?


    Calling the waitress for a final snack to go, I mess with her a little.


    "That''ll teach me to look for a date on the internet..." I add aloud. Yes, a dating horror story meme years ahead of schedule! Mission accomplished.


    Afterwards I make a visit to the American Embassy and apply for a change of citizenship and immigration. Surprisingly easy to do, all things considered. Perhaps too easy? The Cold War is still active and shouldn''t that make this much harder? Am I overthinking this?


    Answers come soon enough.


    As a tall blonde woman throws an arm around mine at the entrance and hauls me toward a car.


    "We meet again, my White Knight." She teases.


    "How did you find me Fleur?" I asked.


    "Who do you think helped hush the rumours of your visit to the shadowy side of the tracks and ensured you received genuine identification?" She asked. "Those papers are all as genuine as an alias can be. Did I get your age right?"


    "Actually I''m thirteen."


    "So young, I was convinced you were older." She stated as I was dragged into a small car. "I must also say, I am saddened you wish to leave our beautiful nation so quickly. You could do much good here."


    "It is complicated." I finally replied.


    "Is this related to your family?" She asked sliding into the driver''s side "Because France will do much to protect her heroes."


    "Not entirely. I''m most worried about what happens when the next Superman reveals themselves and proves rotten."


    She blinked. "You know about the red blur and the giant bat?"


    "You know about The Flash and Batman?" I asked surprised.


    "I have seen intelligence reports of these beings. The Flash would be an old man by now." She replied. "But you know them better, don''t you?"


    "Just a little. Not all of it reliable." I admitted. "This is technically the second Flash. The name is a legacy."


    "How do you know?"


    "Supernatural means. Some low accuracy, long term precognition." I finally said.


    "You are evading the truth. But anything you would elaborate on would be appreciated, for the good of the nation if nothing else." Fleur looked at me closely.


    "There are many more coming. With them they will bring rivals and enemies and disasters of global significance. Some are old faces from World War Two. Most are new or finally emerging from the depths of the past. The world is going to become a very strange place and I speak as a man who nearly electrocuted a talking Gorilla the other day." I looked at her. "You have seen or heard of some nasty figures of great power? The League of Shadows, an immortal named Savage, Circe the witch of Greek Myth to name ones you may know. They will become active as those who would battle the darkness become visible and successful. The chaos from the conflict is ever expanding; Earth will learn it is not the lone source of life."


    "I have seen photos¡­ reports of things that were inhuman." She admitted.


    "Heaven and Hell exist as tangible places. Alien life already exists on Earth, some benevolent some malicious. Even places of legend and myth, the lost city of Atlantis and an island of Amazons wait to reveal themselves." I chuckled.


    "I will listen to these warnings, but they are outlandish. What next, fairies?" She asked laughing.


    "The Fey exist too." I winced. "Soon we will need teams of people like the Superman to face the greater threats of the universe at large. That is why I''m going to America. It is where they will form."


    "Ah. I see."


    Chapter 1.9


    5:28 PM, March 23rd, 1989.


    Location: Fleur-de-lis'' car.


    "Would you be willing to aid the French people once more?" Fleur asked. "We could use some help with a particularly thorny problem."


    "Something you need help with? I can assume it is unusual, something other than regular crime." I shrugged. "Okay, I''m listening."


    She nodded. "It is serious. We have lost contact with a nuclear research laboratory and anyone who enters is killed."


    "Is there risk of explosion?" I asked quite worried, this could be anything.


    "The experts looked over the records and nothing that was fissionable was stored there, but a dirty bomb is possible." She answered seriously. "It was a medical facility, not a weapons lab."


    "Okay, that is something. I don''t have any ideas about who in particular might do this, but I recommend some heavy weapons be prepared, anti-tank or higher. A lot of the really bad guys are practically immune to anything conventional. And I wouldn''t completely trust your experts, people able to make technology do things that seem insane will start cropping up as well. You must have seen reports of that machine that rescued the Gorilla. That is the tip of the iceberg. Alien tech exists that can do similarly ridiculous stuff. The same spark of genius that makes one an innovator tends to drive the owner insane if they face rejection, hardship or censorship. They try to solve all of their problems with their inventions¡­ even if that is a deadly, exotic weapon."


    "Do you need any equipment?" She asked.


    "A truck filled with steel rods and sheets. If it is magnetic, I can use it freely. To a certain weight, somewhere around seven tons." I supplied.


    "Ah¡­ the metal you wore around your wrist as we flew. You use it to fly." She nodded with understanding.


    "Exactly."


    "I''ll drop you off, so you can gather your costume¡­ such as it is. I have a radio here, already tuned to the correct frequency. Ask for directions as you fly, military air traffic control will guide you there. I''ll be on a helicopter following. Just wait at the designated zone until I arrive. From there you will be under my command and I have been issued tactical command." Fleur explained.


    "Okay. I understand."


    7:12 PM


    There it is.


    The facility is dark. No lights on. It is all glass and white foundation. Brand new, it looks like.


    Spread out around the facility are several dozen armed men, soldiers in uniform and several lightly armed military vehicles. IFV''s unless video games have deceived me.


    Spotlights are focused on a field and the voice on the radio indicates I should land there. I descend slowly and deliberately, to avoid being seen as a hostile.


    An officer in a green beret comes to me.


    "Operative Metal Storm¡­ correct?"


    I nodded.


    "Please wait and Operative Fleur-de-lis will be with you in fifteen. That is the extent of my orders, beyond being assigned as your escort. But may I just say¡­ holy shit, kid. I can''t believe you''re real." He added with astonishment.


    "Yep." Floating, I leaned back into a reclining position hands behind my head as I hovered nearly horizontal. "But I''m just a civilian contractor. So who are you?"


    "Sous-lieutenant Daniel, sir." He responded briskly.


    "How long has this siege been happening?" I asked.


    "At 1120 all communications from the facility ended and have not been answered since. We were called in at 1400 by the local police after their initial check, due to the potential for terrorism." Daniel shook his head. "We lost the first squad we sent in abruptly and their relief squad managed to reach the exit before collapsing and subsequently expiring from an unknown toxic gas."


    "Shit. That is bad. Do you have any gas masks available? I''m just as susceptible as the next person." I asked sitting up, feeling a thread of doubt.


    "Standard issue with radiation and bio-hazard duty. I''ll make sure you get one." He added.


    As time passed two things happened, a truck stacked with building materials entered my range and Fleur''s chopper landed.


    She spent several minutes issuing orders as I waited and I found I had been placed on the new breaching squad, at least they handed over a gas mask and ensured it fitted.


    The truck was moved to the parking lot of the building, inside my range. And then we entered the building¡­ and the strangest thing¡­ I couldn''t sense a single living being in here besides us. No nerves, no flowing blood. Nothing obvious.


    Which just creeped me out even more. Something is coming. Metal objects began to move, in response to the sound of our advance, but nothing obviously humanoid¡­ several objects? A squad of drones perhaps? Too much steel reinforced concrete cluttering my view of the things on the floor above us.


    I was in the middle of the squad, with Fleur armed with a sub-machine gun at the front.


    I whispered our opposition was above us and pointed their exact location.


    The soldiers were sceptical but Fleur rolled with it.


    "Everyone, prepared?" She asked as we stacked up around the door to the second floor.


    I nodded along with the rest, as several dozen hunks of steel hovered outside the building, waiting for my command.


    Time to kick the hornet''s nest and see what falls out.


    Chapter 1.10


    8:42 PM 23rd March 1989


    Waiting those final few moments before the fight is the hardest part. The tension climbs as you are forced to wait patiently for a moment of life and death, like a roller-coaster on steroids.


    "Breech!"


    The door opened and a flashbang was thrown inside, to explode.


    "Go, go, go!" The squad entered¡­ and there it was. Shaking it''s ''head'' to clear the effects of the grenade. Singular. The metal pieces, some as tall as a man were limbs. The virulent green of the vaguely humanoid creature glistened under the torchlight emerging from under the soldier''s weapons. Printed on the metal limbs was a bio-hazard symbol and the hazardous waste signs that indicated danger.


    "Ggggg." It groaned.


    "Light it up!" A soldier shouted.


    The entire squad fired on the huge green thing, that looked to be similar to a bloated suit of bio-hazard protection gear. The bullets pierced the ''skin'' which sealed behind them, the bullets visibly dissolving in the internals of the giant.


    It began to raise an arm, fluid pulsing from within and pointed at us.


    Shit!


    I threw up a barrier, at the right time because immediately the insides of the giant green thing spewed out as it tried to hose us in that green goop. It slid off the barrier and melted everything material it came in contact with, eating into the floor like zenomorph blood. Acid at ludicrous concentrations.


    Droplets still managed to bounce off my shield and over it. Two of the soldiers shouted, as they felt the chemical bite into their body. My sleeve gained a hole.


    "GGGGGG!" The creature growled in irritation, rising to it''s full height and partially emerging into the third floor as it was simply too big for this one.


    "Pull back, I''ll distract it. This thing is nothing human!" I shouted over the partial collapse of the building''s third floor.


    The thing''s internals swirled and from a metal structure in the head it spewed a mist.


    "Run! Gas weapon!" I added.


    Steel rods speared inside, penetrating the bulk of the creature. Through the centre torso and ''head''. But to my dismay, my rods began to disappear from my senses as we broke contact and sprinted. One of the soldiers, slowed by a leg injury fell. I threw my arms around his chest and dragged him with me, levitating to keep up with the others.


    "What was that thing?!" One of the soldiers asked when we reached the exit.


    "A living vat of chemicals, I think." I panted from the strain of carrying the injured man. "Like a golem. No internal organs and I think it regenerates. I don''t think it is very smart, but it''s going to be hell to stop."


    "Suggestions?" Fleur asked.


    "I don''t see any way to contain it, with that acid spray. It likely has other chemical weapons, it is probably an elemental of some description." I took a breath¡­ before I sensed movement. "Look out, it is after us!"


    We began to run as the massive figure burst through the windows of the second floor and crashed into the parking lot in a crouch.


    Then the fluid began to boil across it''s body''s surface, oh crap.


    I threw a complete bubble force-field around it. Sealing it inside the barrier. As it exploded like a can of soda shaken too hard. The barrier held against the force of the spray.


    I slumped in relief, that was an attack intended for everyone in the area.


    "That was you before? How long can you hold it like this?" Fleur asked.


    "Depends. A few hours, maybe if it stays fluid. But I''m fairly sure it is already pulling itself back together. If it starts attacking the barrier directly I''m not sure if it''ll hold. If a big guy like that puts an effort into his swings¡­" I shook my head.


    Fleur looked apprehensive. "Could we try to asphyxiate it?"


    "Already doing that, my barriers are airtight. If he isn''t dropping from lack of oxygen soon, chances are it doesn''t breathe." I explained.


    "Okay, good to know." She snapped her fingers and came to a conclusion. "Explosives are out, if it can regenerate from self destruction all we would do is spread whatever that mess is."


    "Yes, it also dissolved every bit of metal that entered the main body." I added. "Including several steel rods inches thick."


    "Heat then. Incinerate it with napalm? No that could spread the contamination." She brainstormed.


    "Freeze it!" I realised. "It''s fluid¡­ if it can be frozen we could restrain it in a large refrigerator and transport it in a refrigerated truck."


    She looked my way with wide eyes. "Wait just a moment I need to check something." She ran toward the laboratory.


    However I had my hands full. The creature was nearly reformed.


    "GGGGgggg!" It rumbled, raising a massive steel arm.


    Well, don''t think things are so easy monster.


    I wrenched with my power, twisting the arm against the fluid. But my reward? Pain. I fell to my knees as the green goop tore through my efforts with brute strength, overwhelming me. The arm hammered down on the barrier, shattering it like brittle glass.


    It stepped forward, to bring me in range of the next blow.


    Chapter 1.11


    8:48 PM 23rd March, 1989.


    The giant green thing raised a massive fist over me as I watched, momentarily stunned.


    The following moment gunfire rang out, heavy guns. Fist sized holes were blown into the creature in a stream, causing green fluid to splatter onto the asphalt and corrode it. It lowered the arm to defend from the annoying stings.


    I took that moment to take flight, moving sharply back and away. That was far too close. He had me dead to rights.


    "GGGGG!" It ground out, in frustration¡­ and I can honestly say I was surprised it had emotions.


    It aimed at one of the armed vehicles with the other arm and let loose. To be foiled by yet another barrier, one placed in the path of the spray, just out of reach of the creature. It is good thing my barriers, aside from a slight haze are completely transparent. The creature seems blind to them.


    It glanced at me and pointed both arms my way. I played turtle under a wide barrier as the spray began, but to make things interesting, apparently the creature could learn. Because while one arm continued to blind me behind my barrier with acid, the other moved to target a French military vehicle. They saw it coming and threw the machine into movement I could sense, trying to evade.


    They failed.


    In scant moments the vehicle was a melted wreck and the occupants, very, very dead.


    That didn''t stop the other vehicles and soldiers taking potshots, or the helicopter that joined the assault a moment ago unleashed a flurry of rockets from underneath a pair of stubby wings.


    The creature groaned under the assault, before turning and running blindly as it sloshed, splashing green ichor everywhere in it''s path. The question of course, where the heck was it headed.


    Until a soldier swore in realisation.


    It is headed straight for the outskirts of Paris. It was too dumb to know better; if it could even understand the costs of it''s actions.


    I''d have to slow it down until conventional firepower could be applied.


    At that moment Fleur called on the radio she gave me. "Found the laboratory''s manifest. There is a significant quantity of liquid nitrogen being used for experiments and specimen storage. A vat. The helicopter has orders to follow the monster, come retrieve it."


    Perfect. Turning I rushed into the lab, to find Fleur emerging from the bas.e.m.e.nt by the stairway.


    No time for subtlety and minimising damage in this situation, I pulled her down with me to give directions. The vat, the size of a small swimming pool and several feet tall was heavier than a small car. Unscrewing the bolts holding it in place I lifted it carefully, before tearing some of the concrete roof away using the embedded steel rebar to give me a quick exit.


    Turning I followed the creature, as I passed I emptied the truck filled with steel for my use as projectiles, using a steel plate to provide a platform as footing for myself and Fleur as I flew.


    She coordinated with me and the helicopter over the radio, by relaying the direction and current movements of the green creature.


    We saw the flashes of rocket impacts as we caught up.


    It had just waded through a stream and was ten minutes at current best speed from emerging into a heavily populated suburban area.


    A second helicopter buzzed, high overhead. A news chopper, most likely broadcasting live.


    The armed helicopter was called off, just in time as the creature lashed out with a pinpoint stream of goop at high pressure; which passed beside the evading military vehicle.


    I moved down, getting in it''s path and raising a barrier. As it slowed to strike me, the vat of liquid nitrogen slammed into it''s back. I let the entire thing get swallowed and dissolved, just for the inevitable reaction as the seal on the liquid container was breached.


    The creature froze solid. In places. Not a complete freeze, as it could still move the left arm and leg slightly. But the reaction slowly died off and then began to reverse.


    "Damn, it wasn''t enough!" I groaned as he took a step forward.


    "We can''t let it into Paris! Who knows how many lives would be lost if it does!" Fleur responded.


    "I''ll do what I can to stall. Call up any reinforcements you can to deter it. If it comes down to it, we may only have one remaining option. Shout for help from Superman¡­ if we''re lucky he''ll hear us." I growled. "But until then, we struggle on!"


    I set her down back as far as I could and then moved forward, to do the one thing I could do well.


    All out attack.


    I sent down the sheets of steel and several rods, tearing and slashing into the creature as it trudged, barely mobile, onward.


    I aimed at the goop directly below the arm, trying to sever the connection. The first sheet got stuck past the half way mark, but the second from the opposite side came up and they met in the middle with a clang, as the arm dropped to the ground.


    With a jerk, I threw the creature''s unconnected arm aside, back towards the stream and focused on the other. A mistake I immediately regretted as the severed limb was replaced by a tentacle limb of pulsating green fluid spinning like a vortex which lashed out at me across the distance like a whip.


    Even as the second metal limb was severed the regenerated first struck against a hastily erected barrier around me at the very last moment and hurled me down into the ground. In a round barrier like a hamster ball, I spun out of control.


    The barrier at least absorbed the impact to a degree, as I got a mouthful of sod and left an imprint of my body in the wet soil. I think I cracked a rib or two.


    As I lay, listening to footsteps shuddering the earth I heard heard a shout. Female. Fleur.


    I stood up to catch sight of her hurling a grenade, which bounced off the green skin before exploding.


    Big Green really disliked that, sending a lash of his right fluid tentacle at her which she evaded with an acrobatic flip. She followed up with a leap over a back handed swipe that would have placed her in a world record position in high jump on a normal Earth.


    But human is still human, the protean arm curved and came after her as she descended.


    With a gesture I gave her a barrier as a foothold, giving her the opportunity to leap aside at the last moment to avoid the chemical monstrosity''s blow mid air.


    It lashed out again, with both arms.


    Fleur leaned back to avoid the first, I backed her up by sending several plates of steel down like shurikens, hacking into the flailing green limbs.


    "GGGGGG!" The giant groaned, as it drew the arms back in pain as they were partially severed along their length. I followed up by sending plates to slam into the torso at chest height and ramming them home with metal rods, trying to slice the gelatinous goop in half like dough with a cookie cutter.


    It slumped and the green fluid poured from the great gash. But as always, the gash began to seal, the fluid to return to the main body. And thus Fleur and I waited. For the onslaught to come.


    Chapter 1.12


    9:13 PM, 23rd March 1989.


    Chemo had reached the outskirts of the city, which were being evacuated.


    The battle had degenerated into a back and forth between us, as I took parked cars and tried to use them as projectiles to slow him down. He''s learned to bat them aside, when he can and I''m struggling to find a valid counter with only the materials of everyday life around me. All my ammunition has been corroded.


    The good news is that this has reduced his acidic abilities to the level of vinegar, the bad news he''s switched to using toxic gases and sprays instead.


    Fleur-de-lis has abandoned this position and is overseeing research into a potential avenue of attack, leaving me facing the six metre tall green blob with whatever I can find. Sporadic gunfire echoes as soldiers, police forces and other groups able to assist in the desperate defence attack from behind cover.


    Chemo forges onward, determined now for whatever reason to reach the thing we are protecting, to hurt us. From his direction, the Eiffel Tower itself. Striding right into our trap. A dozen requisitioned fire-engines unleash their hoses on the monster, carving him up like jello.


    Unfortunately we lose track of him as he is flushed down into the storm drains. His torn skin pulled along behind him.


    He emerged several blocks further downtown, demolishing the metro station in the process.


    From the looks of it, the military have finally decided to bring out the big guns as tanks and multiple attack helicopters pull into range and unleash everything they have. The block itself is levelled under the bombardment and Chemo screams.


    "GGGGGGGGggggg!!!!!!" Echoed as the green creature was torn apart by the high explosive munitions.


    He began to regenerate in place, to be beaten down again by concentrated fire.


    I intervened as the green thing began to pull itself stubbornly back together yet again. Barriers cutting into the goop, scooping the majority out¡­ the core I hoped. I flew away, carrying the halved thing, hoping it was helpless. It had left mass behind, hopefully this wouldn''t create smaller clones.


    Past a certain point, reports indicated the rest of it was chasing the ''core''.


    However even weakened it struggled to escape, throwing it''s seemingly deflated self at the barrier. Flexing and expanding inside, trying to use pressure to burst the bubble shield that held it contained.


    Layering barriers helps, I find. The innermost shatters, the next cracks but the third holds long enough for me to slam the whole thing into the walk-in freezer of an ice cream manufacturer.


    Pinning it down I wait for it to freeze.


    "Ggggg!!!" It cries, struggling against potential checkmate. The triple layered barrier seems too much for it.


    I''ve turned the dial on the freezer to maximum output, as I watch it begin to slow down with a grin. The other half flows inside nearly an hour later as I struggle to hold the main body at my mercy. I catch it as it attempts to deluge me by pouring from the roof like rain. Wait, no. That''s a distraction!


    The barriers fail as it struggles in a last ditch effort on the inside and envelops and crushes the outside. Whole again, but severely chilled it begins to attempt to leave the freezer.


    No, you don''t get to escape!


    My power cannibalises the factory in range, machinery disassembling, wiring unconnected to the freezer uncoiling. It''s almost solid. I give it everything, down to screws and bolts but once Green has momentum all I can do is get out of the way.


    It bursts out the wall, emerging into the cross-hairs of what would amount to a small army. Who immediately opened fire. Thousands of bullets chewed the giant, every second, rendering it''s regeneration void for long enough it bled out¡­ temporarily.


    I slammed a bench torn from a rest area down into the mass of chilled goop, Slicing it up and hurling it back into the freezer. I layered barriers over quartered sections of the monster, sealing it in for the long haul.


    Only when a massive transport helicopter appeared overhead hauling on cables below it a semi-trailer tanker labelled liquid helium did I feel relief.


    I gave a chuckle as Fleur leaned out the helicopter side door to wave.


    Watching that green pile of goo being turned into chunks of ice, was worth the effort.


    "Gggggg..." It whined.


    Shut up, already!


    I didn''t realise until much later that the news helicopter was still circling, with friends. At some point I had lost my gas mask. When I got knocked down, I think. World wide, my face had become as recognisable as Superman''s in mere minutes.


    "F.u.c.k." I whispered, realising. I really hope fake glasses work that well for me.


    Interlude: Clark Kent


    The Daily Planet was a busy place, made even more so by the news of yet another heroic person with immense power. Clark was glad that the situation had been resolved, the monstrosity that apparently was formed from and used chemical weapons defeated. He felt some regret he couldn''t be there to help reduce the damage and inevitable cost in lives such a creature would bring. The nature of his own abilities, he mused.


    Superman could fly, sure enough, but his hard limit was at most around Mach three. It would have taken two and a half hours to reach Paris and rather unfortunately he had been delayed, writing a fluff piece on the local zoo with Jimmy Olson along for photos.


    He had made more than half the trip across the ocean, when he overheard that the situation was resolved, from the radio of a passing cargo vessel.


    With a sigh he returned, only to be grilled by Lois about where he had been. The optometrist, he claimed. He needed a second set of glasses anyway, clenching certain facial muscles only helped so far to disguise his identity, wide frames and coke-bottle thick lenses really helped the illusion along.


    This young man, known as ''Joyride'' in French dared to reveal his real face without care for the repercussions, Clark was mildly jealous. He could never do that, bringing that kind of attention on his parents and friends or even co-workers.


    Of course Metropolis was a busy place and after being given barely the length of time to drink a cup of coffee as he thought of doing away with all the lies he was caught once more by an obviously motivated Lois Lane and cornered.


    "Smallville! Stop goofing off with your head in the clouds and start gathering information on that ''Joyride'' kid, I want every scrap of information on him¡­ reading between the lines he''s almost a copycat Superman!" She demanded, that passion for a good story ablaze once more. God help you, Joyride. "After that, we are heading to Paris ourselves on the three o''clock flight, by the words of Perry White himself! Grab a camera, you''re my photographer. Here''s hoping we can find something news worthy in all that mess, if not the destruction, the soldiers involved and the homeless should give us a decent story."


    "Right!" Clark jumped to it, accidentally spilling the last of his coffee on his shirt in the process of checking his watch. Get the newspaper clippings and tape recordings of the incident, then hurry back to his apartment to pack an overnight bag. They could review the information on the flight. Also change his shirt and leave it soaking, so it didn''t stain.


    At least with his powers he rarely felt rushed and doing simple chores like anyone else went a long way to keeping his strength and speed within normal human levels in day to day situations.


    Jimmy came running up looking excited.


    "I hear you''re heading to Paris with Lois, City of Love and all that¡­ don''t do anything I''d do!" The young photographer teased, in a cheerful tone.


    "Right. I''ll do just that Jimmy." Clark replied with a faint smile.


    "But I just said..." Jimmy paused, confused.


    "See you later Jimmy, I''ve got work to do." Clark added, walking towards the records room.


    "Bring back a souvenir!" Jimmy yelled after his retreating form.


    "If I find time, sure thing!" Clark agreed, expecting Lois to spend any time not sleeping working like a fanatic.


    I wonder if I can take time out to meet this ''Joyride'' in person? He thought to himself. It would be interesting to meet someone so similar to him. Having someone to talk to about this lifestyle would be a great thing.

 Chapter 49 - My SI Stash #49 - A Gamer in South Blue by LordVishnu (One Piece)

    -For BlazeNirvarna~ Here''s a SI Gamer One Piece.


    *MC is not OP but still pretty skilled. He''s independent so no join the Straw Hats type beat.


    (=¡ä?£à)ÈË(¡ä?£à=)


    Sypnosis: He''s not involved with The Straw Hats. He''s not involved with the story. He''s half a world away from all that insanity and quite frankly...he''s fine with that. Gamer Fic. Semi-SI.


    Rated: M


    Words: 76K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13260401/1/A-Gamer-In-South-Blue (LordVishnu)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    A/N: This is a [Gamer] story taking place in the world of One Piece. It assumes you are at least somewhat familiar with the premise and workings of [Gamer] stories in general.


    Kivuruk Island, South Blue


    On a small island in a remote corner of South Blue a young man of 25 years sat atop a hill reading a book underneath the shade of a large tree. A light breeze rustled the leaves overhead and blew a few locks of his hair from side to side.


    ''Despite their small size a typical blue-ring octopus carries enough venom at any given time to kill over two dozen a.d.u.l.t humans or even a small Sea King. Their bites are often small and painless meaning many victims do not even realize they''re in danger until paralysis or respiratory failure arises. There are four known species of blue-ringed octopus with rumors of a fifth in the form of an Octopus Fishman that can be found on the fabled Fishman Isle in the Grand Line.''


    Ding!


    Skill Lv up! South Blue Zoology Lv (12/50)¡ú (13/50)


    -Your knowledge about the animal life of South Blue.


    With a simple thought I dismissed the blue pop-up and went back to reading the book I was immersed in. The wildlife of this world was bizarre to the extreme. Some species -like the blue ring octopus- held a lot of familiarity to the animals I remember existing back on earth whilst others here were so cartoonish and comical that it baffles the mind how or why they would ever evolve in the first place. Then again, if there''s one thing that ''One Piece'' spits in the face of more than anything else, its basic biology.


    In the end it''s probably best just not to question it.


    I make it through a few more sections of the thick tome of South Blue fauna, earning another three levels in the [Zooology] [Skill], when a much different notification appears overhead.


    Ding!


    Quest Failed!


    Quest: Read 100 books on Kivuruk Island within one year of your arrival. Progress (89/100). Time Remaining: 00:00:00.


    Reward: +10 INT, +10 WIS, and ?


    ''Damn.'' I curse softly in my mind. ''That was today? Thought I had another week on that...oh well...Can''t get ''em all.'' With a heavy yawn I stand up and stretch my arms overhead. The quest failure doing absolutely nothing to change my blissful mood of lazily wasting away another day. My only regret, if any, is that I didn''t get to find out what the ''?'' reward was.


    Ding!


    A Consolation Prize: For completing more than half of an extensive optional quest you have received the following.


    Reward: +3 INT and +3 WIS.


    "Oh neat! That''s something I suppose." I can''t help but exclaim as I open my [Inventory] and toss the book inside.


    Another yawn escapes my lips as I start the slow trip of meandering back towards town. ''So today marks the one year point huh? Time certainly does fly.'' At the visual reminder of my anniversary in this world I begin to reflect on my time here as I descend down the grassy knoll.


    One minute I was closing my eyes while laying in a pool my own blood- at least I think I was? Those last memories are hazy on the best of days- and the next clear moment I can recall is washing up on the shore of this tiny island in South Blue coughing seawater out of my waterlogged lungs. Then, just to compound the bizarreness of the situation, I had somehow come into possession of the infamous powers of [The Gamer] as well. At least a version of them that is.


    Was my being here the work of some higher power? A bored deity? A ROB? A group of multiverse traveling [Gamers] that decided to bring me into the fold? I haven''t a goddamn clue. Whatever puppetmaster is at work here has decided to be completely silent on the matter.


    Although, if I had to be perfectly honest with myself? I stopped caring a long time ago. I was here and it seemed like I was here to stay.


    I didn''t know exactly where I was in the timeline of canonical One Piece but much like my reason for being dropped here in the first place, I had just stopped worrying about it after the first few weeks. I know that I''m somewhat near the start of the manga story. The four Yonko and seven Shichibukai are the same ones they had been at the start of One Piece and according to the town mayor Gold Roger had been executed "around 20 years ago". I had picked up that the current calendar year was 1519 but honestly that doesn''t mean squat to me. I can''t actually recall the mentioning of any specific dates from the story.


    I suppose I could''ve put more effort into finding out if Luffy was a wanted man yet or not, but once again... I just don''t see the point. Why does it matter? I''m literally half a world away on some backwater little isle in South Blue that only gets a single News Coo once a week. Hell the only town on the island, if you can even call it that, isn''t even 400 people strong. The chance of me interacting with the Straw Hats in any capacity at all seems to quite literally be zero. Not that I''m not disappointed about it or anything. I am perfectly content to be away from all the big names in the world and their special brands of insanity.


    I reach the edge of town and am greeted by the sight of a deliriously happy man in a yellow shirt and blue overalls updating the population counter that stands at the outskirts of the village. One of the quaint little traditions of the people here on Kivuruk was to update the count immediately after a birth.


    Raymond, Humble Farmer, Lv. 6


    "Jack! They''re boys! Twin boys! I''m finally a father!" he exuberantly cries as he changes the sign from ''352'' to read ''354''.


    "I''m glad for you Raymond. Is your wife fine?" I answer back with a genuine smile, all the while silently thanking the blue writing over his head that reminded me of his name. When I first arrived here the titles hovering over everyone was incredibly distracting, but now having been here a year, I barely notice them anymore. Unless I focus on one in particular it all just becomes part of the background.


    "Marie is doing just fine! Doctor was worried about nuthin''!" the farmer replies as he finishes his task. "I''m finally a daaaaaadddyyy!" he bellows to the world before running back into town, presumably to his newly expanded family.


    It''s not too much longer that I''ve truly made it back to civilization myself. The whole town is abuzz with the news and many folks are out and about celebrating. A new birth seems to be the only exciting thing that can happen in this usually sleepy village and the people are always happy to commemorate the occasion. All I did was stroll down the main street on my way home and everyone was eager to greet me with a smile.


    Rika, Baker''s Daughter, Lv. 4


    "Morning Jack! Isn''t today just lovely?" A chestnut haired woman in an apron greeted from a nearby open window.


    "Any day''s lovely when you''re smiling Rika."


    The woman laughs off the weak flirtation with a warm smirk. "Careful Jack. A girl might actually think you''re interested if you always carry on like that."


    Saul, Retired Marine, Lv. 11


    "Jack." A sour old- make that ancient- man grunted from a rocking chair in front of his house.


    "Saul." I reply with a simple head nod.


    "Pleasant day."


    "Yes it is." I agree.


    The interesting thing about Saul was that even though he looked to literally be as old as dirt he was surprisingly the third highest level on the island. In fact, when I first got here I''m pretty sure the old timer was actually Lv. 13. It''s somewhat sad to see someones body literally start to fall apart on them due to age but that thought is overshadowed by the realization that in his youth he was probably a terrifying figure.


    I should probably ask him for some sea stories sometime before he leaves us for good.


    Barker, Teenage Punk, Lv. 5


    A sigh escapes my throat as I spot the town delinquent spray painting his personal symbol on the side of someones house. I know that later the mayors inevitably going to grab him by his ear and force him to clean it up like always but I can''t stop myself from speaking out. " Barker! You know what I told you about painting the sides of other people''s property. It''s just rude. Plain and simple. This is strike two. I catch you again and there''s going to be real consequences."


    "Aw hell Jack. Ease up a little." The teenager whines, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly at being caught. "Besides. It''s an improvement! This town is so dull! It needs a little more color."


    I rolled my eyes and continued on my way home despite the fact that internally I agreed. This town was kinda dull -current celebration notwithstanding-. But I don''t consider that a bad thing! Dull was good. I like dull! Dull means stability. Dull means safety. And safety is paramount considering that when I first arrived in this world I was about as durable as the foil around a baked potato. Thankfully my stats had increased by leaps and bounds since then.


    "[Status]." I murmur to the air.


    Jack Parker, The Gamer, Lv. 15


    Health: 580/580


    Exp: 1360/1500


    Money: 122,470 Beri


    STR: 86


    VIT: 58


    DEX: 43


    INT: 28


    WIS: 25


    LUK: 14


    Points to spend: 0


    Click here to see list of [Skills]


    -Current number of [Skills]: 34


    Click here to see list of [Perks]


    -Current number of [Perks]: 0


    I sported a small grin at the now increased INT and WIS scores from the earlier consolation prize. I hadn''t originally meant to neglect the mental traits in favor of the physical ones but it is what I eventually landed on. Maybe if I had been dropped in a different world I would have chosen otherwise. Perhaps a world with mana and spellcasting. But alas, this was ''One Piece'' where the main forms of strength were mostly limited to either eating a magical fruit or asking yourself the question ''how hard can I hit things?''. Once again, I''m not complaining. After all. Who doesn''t like hitting things?


    My gaze moves upwards and I can''t help the proud satisfaction that gleams in my eye as I look again at my physical scores. Would you believe that I had to start with every stat but the last at a measly two? A two for gods sake! Honestly. I could have been killed from someone patting me on the back too hard.


    In fact I blame that last stat for how It was I somehow managed to avoid dying in a horribly comedic way early on. Luck. A 14 may not seem like much, but when taking into account that most everyone else on Kivuruk was running around with 3''s or 4''s in the stat then, well, 14 begins to look like quite a bit. Incidentally, this was the only stat that I had found no way of improving. I had tried allocating points into it after my tenth level up but I received an error message saying that a persons luck may only be changed through special events or encounters.


    An unfortunate downside of being in such a small community was that I didn''t have a good way of measuring my own growth. My highest stat was strength at 86. And I am damn proud of that 86. It was a stat that I''d put considerable effort into increasing.


    But is 86 good?


    For Kivuruk island it certainly was. The strongest here besides myself was a burly man who ran the town saloon who sported a respectable 32 in the category. But what is an 86 compared to the truly dangerous people out there? Are they in the hundreds? The thousands? The ten thousands? Are Kaido and Big Mom in the hundreds of thousands? Or perhaps the [Game] would just crap out and give an error message if it tried to calculate the power of those seemingly immortal titans. There was simply no way for me to know.


    "Oi! Jack!" a voice called out breaking me from my self-reflection.


    I stopped in the street and swiveled my head around to the sight of a middle-aged man in a stained white coat running towards me while waving his arms dramatically.


    Dan, Merchant Ship Captain, Lv.6


    "Jack. I''m so glad I found you. I need a favor!" The man said as he finally caught up, his voice coming out somewhat desperate and panicked. "Olly busted his leg real bad and I was already shorthanded before that. I could really use an extra pair of hands on the ship. Just for this big trip to Caeba Kingdom I swear! I''ll pay you well and we can be back home in three weeks time. Please!" Dan pleaded as he clapped his hands together and bowed.


    Ding!


    New Quest Alert!


    Quest: Take Dan up on his offer and leave the safety of Kivuruk Isle for the small Kingdom of Caeba. Is this the start of a brand new adventure or really just a simple mercantile trip? The only way to find out is to say yes.


    Reward: +1 to every stat but LUK, 440 Exp, and 8,000 Beri.


    [ACCEPT/DECLINE]


    With a small mental command I selected [ACCEPT] and the blue screen vanished. "No problem captain. When do we set sail?"


    "You''ll do it?" Dan asked a bit surprised. "Yes! Yes! You''re a lifesaver Jack! We''re leaving in just under four hours. If you need anything from your place I''d run home and get it now."


    Without another word Dan turned on his heel and sprinted in the other direction, probably to take care of some other important task that needed doing. Meanwhile, I ran through a mental checklist to see if there really was anything worth grabbing at home. My small cottage for one was admittedly pretty barren. A chair, a table, a bed to sleep in. Not really much of note. When you could store pretty much anything in an [Inventory] provided by reality breaking [Gamer] powers there really wasn''t a reason not to just put everything inside there. Food? Check. Clothes? Check. Wallet? Check. Toothbrush? Che- oh wait... Not Check.


    ''I guess I do need to run by the house.''


    Four Hours Later


    I watched Kivuruk Isle start to seemingly shrink in the distance as the ship pulled further and further out to sea. The humanoid forms of well-wishers standing on the beach seeing us off were barely discernible now.


    I have to admit to feeling a little bit of apprehension now at accepting the quest so quickly. In the moment it had just seemed so harmless. And logically I knew that I could just do this one thing, this one little side-quest, and then sail right back home to Kivuruk.


    Just continue on this simple life on the tiny island where no real troubles were ever found.


    Maybe I could even settle down with a nice girl. The bakers daughter was pretty cute and Rika had often implied that she was interested in more than just the little bouts of teasing we hit each other with every week.


    Yet somewhere in my mind I had already accepted that this trip wouldn''t be that simple. Nothing ever is in the world of One Piece.


    That''s okay.


    I''m overdue for a little adventure anyway.


    With one last look a part of me bid farewell to my adopted home of the past year. Hopeful that I''d find the time to come back and visit...someday.


    ''Look out World. My name''s Jack Parker. And I am [The Gamer].''

 Chapter 50 - My SI Stash #50 - The New Principal by SocialistBukharin (To Love-Ru)

    -Found a surprisingly serious To Love Ru fanfic. Yes the ecchi anime~ SI as the President of Sainan High.


    Sypnosis: Demi-NEET and jobless, Casey Mortimer is ushered in the craziest dimension ever. Put in a position of absolute power over Sainan High, will he kept a proper decorum or let the crazyness and the lewdness rule over his judgement? A true battle of wills on the making!


    Rated: T


    Words: 75K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13222667/1/The-New-Principal (SocialistBukharin)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    There are times I truly hated Mondays.


    Now, I know many would say that I was ripping off Garfield on that regard.. but I genuinely hated that day.


    It isn''t even comic to me as I am quite the hard-working kind of guy, always trying to keep things to myself and get the job done quickly and efficiently but the disdain for the particular day was something that was related to the mere idea that everyone is expected to get up from the bed after an entire day (Sunday) spent doing literally nothing, resting and watching some TV.


    Maybe that is the reason I was literally lacking a real job. Maybe I was kind of a NEET.


    But the conundrum that started this little philosophical question isn''t something truly regular, average, normal.


    Here I am, sitting in front of a small commission made by four alien-like humanoids dressed in formal suits.


    How did I know those were the real deal? Let''s just say that I don''t know any human gun capable of disintegrating an entire plant pot.


    I wasn''t asking then, blinking at the curious costumes they had and thinking about why they were wearing that.


    RIP smol plant, it didn''t do anything wrong in its life.


    So you all might ask how I, Casey Mortimer, got stuck in that unreal situation and.. I would blame me trying to get a job.


    "Mr. Mortimer, you have presented two years ago a CV to find a work for a school''s administration. Is that correct?"


    My memory was fuzzy regarding that but.. I do remember that it was the first applicance I sought when I left high school.


    Also there was something about me having messed up that first appliance, leaving several spaces blank as I thought little of it.


    A rookie mistake, one that I am possibly going to regret now with this shenanigans from outer space.


    "I understand that you are frightened by this little predicament, Mr. Mortimer, but there is a good explanation. One that we will be more than happy to give to you right now."


    "I am sure you are familiar with the place ''Sainan City''." Another said with a british accent.


    I blinked and.. nodded partly out of confusion.


    It wasn''t long that I actually paused and froze, a chill finding his way through my spine.


    "No." The four nodded all at once. "Yes."


    My hands had to graps my chair mightily for me not to jump at the creepy reply.


    "We have studied this dimension for two months and found your application fitting for our needs." He coughed as another continued.


    "We are the new board of the Sainan High Academy, elected just three months ago as per advice of Emperor Gid Lucione Deviluke. Our duty is to appoint and/or fire individuals to preserve and improve the quality of the school."


    "Your appliance is necessary to.. replace an unpleasant character from the established. He was deemed a menace to most of the students'' population."


    My mind was going thousand miles per hour as this information sunk in my brain.


    To Love-Ru, one of the franchise that kickstarted the idea of having high Ecchi content in Anime, was.. real? Absurd, shocking and... dreadful.


    One thing is to have fake characters be put in insane situations, another was knowing that all the crazy things had happened to real people.


    What the actual heck!?


    But I focused on the pressing matter, the very idea that one of the Sainan High''s staff had been fired and I was going to replace him/her.


    I was sure that wasn''t the Nurse, Mikado being actually the best worker I had seen in the series.


    Sure, she would have her ''crazy'' moments but those were heavily outclassed by her moderate professionalism.


    Tearju? Difficult to say, she was good with teaching and was an expert in the subjects but.. she was quite shy and submissive to some bullies from the school.


    Another teacher? Someone who was never shown? Maybe.. but why there was that smug/amused aura around those four exactly?


    "It is because we are using a device to listen to your thoughts."


    ...Crapbasket!


    "No need to use foul language, Mr. Mortimer. Your thinking was mostly correct as our offer is not about becoming a teacher."


    Well, that was good and all but-


    ...Noooooo.


    "Yes."


    Why that? Why? I could be a janitor! I could be anything else and not a- "The role of principal is more than fitting for your attitude, Mr. Mortimer. You scored pretty high in our little test and you have a good knowledge of the issues you might be facing in your mandates."


    Test? What test? I would have known if-


    "We used something your kind calls... Gacha. It was quite fascinating and difficult to understand... but it worked for our search."


    Gacha. They used a lottery to determine my candidacy and I felt quite floored by the fact I was screwed by some bad luck.


    I found solace at the mere thought I could merely refuse this all and resume my life in peace-


    "That is.. mostly false." I froze and turned at the four, all of them sweating some bullets for some reason. "Since we know how your kind agree to this kind of situation eagerly.. we kind of skipped the required signing and.. added your sign already to the forms."


    ... "You forged my forms and literally caged me in this.. without my permission."


    "Forging is a strong word." One decided to justify, failing horribly as I twitched in silent fury. "We prefer to call it tactical pull. Like the one we are going to ''pull'' now."


    "Wait, wha-" I blinked as a flash of light blinded me for a mere instant and my butt found itself lacking the comfort of the chair.


    In layman''s terms, I was whisked in some room with bed, wardrobe and shelves with book.. and I fell on my ass.


    "What the freak was that?!"


    "He will hopefully weather the storm."


    Now that the human had been removed, the committee exchanged some last thoughts about their choice.


    "He will. Seems the kind of man that hardly fail at this kind of things." The second member added with a positive nod.


    "Maybe he will have some trouble adapting with the students. He is quite young." The third commented with some inkling of hesitation.


    The boy, Mortimer, was 22 and he was supposed to deal with high school students.


    "He could fail, he is afterall a simple human. But he seem to have a good head in his shoulder and I am quite certain he will be a good investment."


    "Let us hope that the Emperor will agree with our choice." The final member concluded with a somber, serious tone.


    The idea of kicking the perverted principal out of Sainan had been mostly pushed by the fierce Devilukean, to reduce the deviated influence the individual might have had to his heir.


    A smart move, some might have said, but also a move that forced them to take some serious actions to avoid getting executed by a disappointed Gid.


    Sad was their path but maybe they could manage it?


    It was too early to say for sure.


    AN


    Had been thinking of doing this and I''ve been trying to get a proper way to do it.


    The reason why the Committee was capable of finding ''our'' dimension was thanks to one of the machineries available to the Empire.


    While Lala seems to be unique in doing impressive devices, I still think that other scientists could have done similar projects and even succeeded to created machines that wouldn''t cause mayhem when turned on.


    A big stretch and I will say that this will hardly have proper pairings due to the series Harem-system.


    Fluff moments? Yes. Lime and lemons? A meek no.


    Lots of SoL moments to keep everyone updated on the whole idea of having a functional principal at the craziest school ever.


    Chapter 1


    The room, or house, was an impressive sight to explore.


    The furnitures were pristine and new, the kitchen was furbished and quite large, the living room had a nice-sized TV with several DVDs and some consoles.


    My room.. was a good replica of the one I had back home. Maybe a bit bigger to fix better some of the things I had to squeeze together to keep inside.


    I was satisfied by this, completely defeating the dreadful question of having a good place where to stay in this new ''world''.


    ...Gosh, I was in a dimension were girls could beat my ass for a reason or another even though I wouldn''t mean any of that.


    What a crappy prospect!


    I stared at the clock placed on one of the walls of the living room, ringing 17:00 and sending some good news to my poor brain.


    Even through it was Monday, it was after the regular schoolday and.. that left me with no pressure in getting ready to go right at Sainan High.


    You would wonder why I would go right now at the school and I think I would understand until a certain point the confusion. I was supposed to be the principal, the ''highest'' role in the entire high school, and trying to get some ''tutorial'' down mid school hours... it wouldn''t be a pleasant plan to try and win with.


    With a small sigh I adjusted my clothes, a little bit ruffled from the whole dimensional travelling, as I got ready to go for a walk.


    The walk was supposed to have a dual meaning, the first being scouting the area.


    While I knew generally how things were going in the city, I felt hesitant to truly call it the full truth without having had seen some of that happening.


    I know, I was being quite dumb to tiptoe along the fine line between safety and getting beaten, but it would have helped a lot during my little work.


    The second reason I was actually doing this was also catching the pattern that would usually befell on my path to school.


    I was 100% sure that certain things were going to happen on a daily basis and I would be better prepared if I actually knew what I was going against.


    When I stepped out of the entrance door, I was kind of surprised at how close my house was to the school, making it easy on a normal situation to reach my workplace but also halving the chances of getting some proper information on the city.


    Ten minutes in the walk and I partly regretted underestimating the sheer, abnormal luck Sainan was infamous for.


    Minding my own business when suddenly I heard small footsteps approaching.


    At first I didn''t give it much of a thought but then I felt someone latching at my leg and that was when I realised I had been put in quite the tough spot.


    If I had to estimate from the height of the giggling girl behind me whom was at this moment behind me, I would put a large sum of money on Celine''s name.


    My suspicions were confirmed when someone started to shout out loud her name in a very desperate tone.


    Panic settled in my mind as I turned around to face the little plant-child.. and found her red-faced and with a drunk-like haze plastered in her adorable face.


    Oh hell nope!


    My hands was quick to detain an handkerchief and forcing it on my mouth and nose as yellow pollen started to be released by her top flower.


    Few moments passed and I sighed in relief as seemingly I was left untouched by the troublesome effects of the pollen. "Mau?"


    With my free hand I pulled the giggly child close to my chest as I tried to make way towards where the shouts had started from, trying to limit the damage Celine could have caused in this new chase around town under cola-induced drunkiness.


    My eyes blinked in quite the surprise as I noticed from afar the small frame of one Mikan Yuuki.


    The young teen was looking quite panicky as she searched without mercy through every possible hideout the child could have taken.


    Slowly putting Celine down, I poked at her shoulder and pointed at the brunette. The green-haired child nodded and skipped quickly towards her surrogate aunt. "Mau! Mau!"


    I don''t know if the girl had turned around and saw me too, nor if Celine actually continue to walk towards the mature girl as I was already gone by then, the main reason for this walk still fresh in my mind.


    Yet I felt a shiver going through my spine, as if someone was actually staring intensily at me as I retreated back toward the right streets..


    I was happy to find out that the entrance doors at the Sainan High were still open, possibly because like any Japanese school there were still some clubs open and running at this hour.


    It was somewhat erie to walk in the school, desolate as it was, but I continued to quietly make my way to the principal''s office.


    When I opened the door, I was ready to face the worst room for a principal to have, with clear references to p.o.r.n-related things like posters or full-body pillow with some.. questionable characters in them.


    Surprisingly enough, I found it actually standard-ish. Several shelves filled with books regarding numerous scientific subjects, panels with... my certifications- WHAT?!


    I stared at the panel with my high school certificate, a painful reminder of how I scored quite low in the final tests, because yes I wasted an entire year keeping my grades the highest possible and then got screwed in the last segments because of the system... man, I sound quite edgy now..


    I sat by the chair and looked at the desk with a precise eye as I searched for any suspicious material that could get me murdered for no apparent reason.


    I opened one of the drawers and- founds lots and lots of magazines. Their content? I think the author couldn''t describe them without having to go straight to M-rated.. at least.


    With an heavy heart and steeled resolve, I went to the trashcan in the room to deposit permanently the incriminating clues of my predecessor''s nature and was about to throw them in.


    The reason I actually paused was because the can was... empty.


    I blinked as I give a quick look at the desk, noticing the disturbing lack of something that should always be there.


    Where was the paperwork?


    Dropping the content I had in my hands right in the empty trashcan, I walked back to my workplace and studied it further.


    Other drawers lacked any of the forms, doc.u.ments, even blank files weren''t there.


    Why? Where-!


    I froze as I finally opened the lowest to the right drawer and found the doc.u.ments regarding the students.


    Picking them up, I browsed through them as I felt the fear I had once hoped to not face actually manifesting fully in that very instance.


    The new students, the one that joined Sainan High after Rito had met Lala... had insufficient files.


    Most of them lacked medical check-ups, some of the basic datas was missing and some of those even lacking some parental signing.


    What truly made my blood freeze in my vein was that among the latter cases were Lala, Momo and Nana... that meant I would have to *sigh* call the Goddang Emperor of the Galaxy for a signature.


    ... Seems like I had been set to fail!


    In that dreadful moment, the door of the office was opened slowly as a familiar nurse entered the room in that very moment.


    Mikado Ryouko''s eyes fell on my shivering form with a curious expression.


    "The new principal?" I merely nodded as a small smile appeared in her beautiful visage as she proceeded to advance and got in one of the two free chairs in front of the desk.


    "It''s nice to meet you, young man." Pale as heck, I nodded slower than before.


    "C-Casey, Casey Mortimer." She hummed my name before letting the previous curious look replace her amused one. "You seem quite nervous, Mortimer-san. Is everything alright?"


    Legitimate but quite the unrequited question in that very moment.


    "Let''s just say... I got a crisis to handle."


    She blinked as I neared to her hands some of the files, stopping a brief moment with a serious look. "I am showing you this because I have been told you have a good grasp regarding the students'' populace and I need some advice regarding the situation."


    A nod from her and I gave her the forms. The nurse''s confused eyes soon widened in a barely veiled surprise as she readed the file I had taken as an example for the current predicament.


    "To think.. that the issue was that much more than being a pervert, I would have demanded your predecessor''s removal years ago.."


    "It''s useless to think about the past, I have this problem at hand and... I would have to call the Emperor for signing the paper."


    The woman flinched at the mere mention of the Devilukean King and I fully well knew why she was like that.


    I would be pretty much nervous if I had to deal once again with someone I had tried to remove from his seat of power.


    "The reason I voice this concern.. is that I don''t have the means to get in contact with him-"


    "You should try to get the form to him and then get it back." The nurse replied fiercely. "He will not take politely being ''disturbed'' for bureacratic reasons."


    I sighed as I stared at the first file of the massive pile I had to fix. "Can his daughters.. ask him to do that?"


    "It could work... maybe." She shook her head negatively. "This is quite beyond my ''expertise'', Mortimer-san."


    "Understood, Mikado-san. Thank you for passing by and giving me some advice on the matter."


    She nodded and the nurse didn''t waste time to retreat back to the medical room.


    ''First'' day on the job and had to already fix this crazy issue.


    Why me?!


    AN


    It''s here and finally we tackle one of the reasons I found the principal one of the worst characters in the series.


    It wasn''t that I hated him being the pervert of the cast, knowing that this is meant more as a comic relief kind of thing, but I found disturbing his lack of seriousness when accepting students in the school.


    And for those who had eyed a particular part yes, someone has noticed the principal''s going missing and being replaced.


    Review Q&A!


    davidglhego05: Maybe! xD


    Ritoharemforever: It ain''t a harem-stealing kind of fanfic. I literally said in the first chapter that I will generally leave the state of things as they are, that doesn''t mean that Mortimer will not spark some fluff (not lime, nor lemon) moment with some characters. And no, no one will show romantic feeling to the OC, he will be stuck with mere warm teacher-student relationsh.i.p.s and (sometime) family-like bonds. The reason Rito didn''t appear last chapter was... because most of it happened in a dimension ''close to our own''.

 Chapter 51 - My SI Stash #51 - A New Player In The Force by USSExplorer (Star Wars)

    -SI Star Wars Gamer fic recommended by OrangeSoda~~


    []~(£þ¨Œ£þ)~*


    Sypnosis: A dead soldier wins an afterlife lottery and is given the chance to live a new life in another universe while gaining access to Gamer-like powers. Not a full-on x-over, but has a lot of elements that are similar to those found in ''The Gamer'' manhwa. OC/Quasi-SI. NOTE: This story starts almost 4000 years before the Prequel Era but will arrive there by there end of the Prologue.


    Rated: T


    Words: 143K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12944871/1/A-New-Player-In-The-Force (USSExplorer)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Intro


    "Huh?" I mumbled as I woke, feeling a cold, what I assumed was a table, against my back. "Where the hell¡­" I voice trailed off as my eyes took in the room I was in.


    Everything was white; walls, ceiling, floor. Even the clothes I was now wearing were white. The whole place reminded me of a hospital; if everything had been a brilliant, clear white.


    "OK, this makes no sense. The last thing I remember was¡­" again my voice trailed off as I remembered the attack.


    A group of terrorists had stormed into the market I had been patrolling with my team and started firing indiscriminately into the crowd.


    I remembered leapt for cover and returning fire only to see two of the attackers turn to a school-aged group. Ignoring my own safety, I''d leapt out and dived over, trying desperately to get them to take cover even as I felt three sharp stabs in my side.


    "I, I died? This is Heaven?"


    Incorrect.


    "What the¡­?" I mumbled as I saw the strange floating text that appeared in front of my eyes; no more than six inches away from me. I absently waved my hand through the text, but nothing happened. "So this is not heaven?"


    Correct.


    I frowned at the new message, the old one shrinking and moving down to the lower right corner of my vision. I turned my head and found that the new text stayed in the centre of my vision while the old one kept to the corner.


    "Weird." I muttered to myself. "So if this isn''t heaven, am I dead?"


    Yes.


    "F.u.c.k." I growled and sat up. I noticed that the table I had been lying on was white just like the rest of the room; its edges rounded to avoid cuts. "So where am I? What the hell is this place?"


    Congratulations!


    As a winner in the multiversal afterlife lottery, you have been chosen to live a new life in a universe of your choosing with unique gifts.


    ¡­


    Based on your previous life we have selected the following 10 universes for you to consider for your new life.


    A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE


    DC COMICS


    DRAGON AGE


    ELDER SCROLLS


    HALO


    HARRY POTTER


    MASS EFFECT


    MARVEL EXTENDED UNIVERSE


    STAR TREK


    STAR WARS


    If none appeal you can suggest another and if it exists we will allow you to select it.


    "WHAT!?" I shouted as I fell backwards off the table. "None of those are real!"


    Correction.


    None of them are real to you but all do exist in the multiverse.


    Your reality, like others, has the ability to glance into other realities.


    These glances have allowed writers to create stories that mirror events that happened in those worlds.


    I blinked and stared at the newest text in disbelief. "O-ok. Are those my only options?" I slowly asked. I was still not sure if this was real, but I felt a need to at least play along until I learnt more about what was really happening.


    No.


    As stated, those are just the 10 most likely choices you would make based on your previous life and our own calculations.


    Do you have another you wish to add to the list?


    "Um, no. Not really." I said with a gentle shake of my head. "This is, just nuts. I mean. I get to live again in a game or story world. That''s like some kind of bad fanfiction."


    Correct.


    However, for you it is true.


    Are you ready to make a choice?


    "Um, not yet." I replied before shaking my head again. "Jeez! I''m having a conversation with floating text in a quasi-afterlife." I chuckled and shook my head once more. "How long do I have to decide?"


    Time here is inconsequential.


    Where we are, simply is. Time does not pass here.


    Once you have made your choice state ''I Choose ¡­'' inserting your decision.


    "Right, thanks." I mumbled and the text all vanished bar the list that moved to the side of my vision. "This is¡­ wrong." I paused and tilted my head with a frown. "Wait, why am I not angry, sad or anything about dying?"


    While here emotion is nullified.


    This is due to your first unique gift; Player''s Mind.


    ¡­


    Player''s Mind [ON/OFF] MAX


    Allows the Player to calmly and logically think things through.


    Allows a peaceful state of mind.


    Grants immunity to physiological effects.


    Protects against compulsions and external controls.


    Does not prevent the Player from showing emotional responses, only dissipates them instantly afterwards.


    [NOTE: Will automatically turn on when the Player is in battle or HP falls below 25%]


    Costs 1PP/minute


    "Wha¡­Wait! You mean I really am in some type of video game?!"


    Incorrect.


    While you were and will be alive ¨C provided you select a new universe to live in ¨C you are not in a game.


    However, the powers we are granting you are easier for a corporeal mind to process if they are treated as powers in what you would call an RPG.


    "Well ok then." I stopped and ran my head through my hair only to gasp. "What? Where''s my hair?"


    Your hair is determined by your life.


    As your old one has ended you currently have no bodily hair.


    Once you select a new universe you will be taken to ''character creation''.


    "Well ok¡­ This is nuts." I shook my head and as I examined the list. "Might as well work through the list." I paused and looked upwards. "Um, could I have a notepad and pen?"


    There was a small popping sound and I looked behind myself to see that what I''d asked for had appeared on the table. "Thanks." I said to the empty room as I picked up the pen and opened the notebook. "Right, time to go through pros and cons of each choice."


    ¡­


    I wasn''t sure of how long I took going through the choices and whittling them down to a final two.


    "Um, I think I''ve ready to choose but I was wondering if it was possible to somehow merge abilities and powers from two different universes?"


    It is¡­ conceivable that we could allow it.


    Only 0.001% of winners ask to do so, though most wish to merge powers that do not allow for easy crossover.


    Please state your choice and crossover wishes with reason.


    "Um, well I think I''d like to live in the Star Wars universe, but I also like the idea of begin able to do magic, like in Harry Potter or the Elder Scrolls. I was thinking that while the Force is cool, certain magical powers would be possible with the Force, just that I don''t recall ever seeing such things in the movies."


    Postulating


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Analysis of powers in Star Wars and Harry Potter universes complete.


    Both universes have powers that exhibit similarities to each other.


    As such, your request is denied.


    However, the ease with which you could learn Force abilities that mirror magic powers has been lowered.


    It is up to the Player to discover these overlapping powers.


    In addition, the Force is capable of many wonders that most would not consider.


    And as such, you may be able to create or rediscover abilities not known to current Force users.


    Is this acceptable?


    "Yeah. I guess." I shrugged. And the room was engulfed in bright light, forcing me to shield my eyes.


    As the light faded, I slowly removed my arm and peeked. "Whoa." I muttered as I fully opened my eyes. The room had changed, and I was now standing in a room bathed in a soft light blue light and that there was now a mirror and display screen on the wall in front of me. My eyes were drawn to the text on the display.


    Welcome to Character Creation. [Star Wars Universe]


    Here you will take the steps to create your new persona.


    Step 1:


    Select your given name.


    Currently, this is "Cameron".


    Do you wish to change?


    "Um, no." I said, figuring there was no reason to do.


    Step 2:


    Select a species then determine hair and eye colour.


    Examine the list of races and make your selection.


    "Holy shit," I mumbled as I scrolled the list, only recognizing a handful of race names. Thankfully each had a picture or a base male and female form, a short description of the species and their inherent advantages/weaknesses ¨C if any. Almost every advantage or weakness had a number with CCP next to it.


    "What is CCP?" I asked aloud; figuring that who/whatever was in-charge would explain. I was surprised when part of the display shifted to show text.


    Character Creation Points


    During the creation of your new identity, you have the chance to add special perks and abilities that are considered anything from uncommon to rare within your new universe.


    You may also add flaws that grant you extra CCP''s, though there is no need to take any if you do not wish.


    As a new identity, you have 10CCP''s to start with.


    NOTE


    Certain perks and abilities can be gained later through the spending of perk points (PP)


    "Um, ok." I mumbled as I returned to the choices for hair and eyes. "Think I''ll keep my old hair and how about green eyes."


    Hair: Wavy Light Ash Brown


    Eyes: Emerald Green


    Accept?


    "No. How about a brown/green mix?"


    Eyes: Amber Green


    Accept?


    "Yes. I guess... HOLY SHIT!" I shouted as glanced in the mirror and saw my eyes shift colour and hair grow on my head; matching my choices. I ran my hand through my hair and nervously chuckled.


    "Now that''s just scary." I muttered as a small picture of me appeared at the top of the display.


    Step 3:


    Determine your initial age.


    To allow for more control a new identity can start at 0, 8, 16 or 20 for a Human [Starting ages vary with species]


    Chosen starting age is 8.


    Accept?


    "Um, yeah. I guess." I answered slowly. "I mean I don''t want to be born again and have to experience that but starting as a teen or a.d.u.l.t means I miss growing up. And I''m kinda curious about how that goes in Star Wars."


    Step 4:


    Determining base stats, of which there are 6.


    Strength


    Vitality


    Agility


    Intelligence


    Wisdom


    Charisma


    Each new identity stats with 5 stat points (SP) and is granted a further 4+INT/15 SP per level up.


    From level 8 [1 level is earned per year as a child] you start with 37 SP.


    For comparison:


    An average a.d.u.l.t Human is level 20-25


    An average Human has stat values of around 18 for STR VIT and AGI.


    NOTE:


    A Human has a maximum value of 55 for STR VIT and AGI.


    [Max Values vary species to species]


    ¡­


    NOTE:


    For being granted access to unique gifts and knowledge from your previous identity, you start with a +10 bonus to INT and +5 to WIS and CHA.


    Assign initial stats then press confirm.


    WARNING:


    Leftover SP will be lost.


    "Bloody hell," I muttered as I saw the left side of the display shimmer to display the six stats and a box underneath with each with ''0'' inside; though there was a +10 under Intelligence and +5 under Wisdom and Charisma. Each box had ''+'' and ''-'' beside it that I assumed were for adding and subtracting points.


    "Um, can I have an explanation of each stats? I mean, I think I understand but I want to be sure."


    The right side of the display shimmered, and I smiled as I read through the new text.


    Stats and You


    Everyone is determined by their stats but as one of the chosen few, you have the chance to see these values and influence them.


    However, what does each mean and what does it influence?


    STRENGTH


    Strength measures your character''s muscle and physical power.


    This ability is especially important for soldiers and those with similar careers because it helps them prevail in physical combat.


    Additionally, each point of Strength grants 2 inventory slots [this will be explained later]


    VITALITY


    Vitality represents your character''s health and stamina.


    Vitality adds to a person''s hit points, so it''s important for everyone but most important for those who are active combat participants.


    AGILTY


    Agility measures hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, and balance.


    This ability is the most important ability for Scoundrels and similar characters, but it''s also high on the list for characters who want to be good shots with ranged weapons (Such as Blaster Pistols) or who want to handle the controls of a starship or speeder fairly well.


    INTELLIGENCE


    Intelligence determines how well your character learns and reasons,


    Intelligence is important for thinkers and leaders, and any character who wants to have a wide assortment of Skills.


    WISDOM


    Wisdom describes a character''s willpower, common sense, perception, and intuition.


    Compared to Intelligence, Wisdom is more related to being in tune with and aware of one''s surroundings, while Intelligence represents one''s ability to analyse information.


    An "absent-minded professor" has a low Wisdom score and a high Intelligence score.


    A simpleton with low Intelligence might nonetheless have great insight (High Wisdom).


    Wisdom is important for characters wishing to be in-tune with their environment or characters who like to gamble.


    If you want your character to have keen senses, put a high score in Wisdom.


    CHARISMA


    Charisma measures a character''s force of personality, persuasiveness, personal magnetism, ability to lead, and physical attractiveness.


    It represents your strength of personality and force of presence, not merely how others perceive you in a social setting.


    Charisma is most important for politicians and Jedi.


    "Damm. There''s no real useless stat. Need to think about this carefully." I examined the stats for a while before slowly adding points until there were none left.


    No remaining Stat points.


    Are these your final choices?


    "Yeah." I said slowly, and I watched as the stats appeared beside the picture and the bonuses it mentioned were added on.


    STEP 5:


    Perks


    Each new identity has 10 CCPs to spend on perks.


    An additional perk point [PP] is gained every 4 levels.


    While PPs can be saved, CCPs must be used up when a new identity is created.


    You currently have 10CCPs and 2PPs.


    Since this is a new identity creation, you can spend your PP on Creation-only perks.


    Please browse the list below and make your choices.


    Tap a Perk name to see a description and cost.


    Click the name again to close the information or click the green box to add to your identity.


    I whistled as the left side of the screen filled with over 20 perks, though my eyes were drawn to three that I tapped to open fully


    Force Sensitive


    You are Force-sensitive, allowing you to call on The Force and learn to draw on its powers.


    Grants 100 Force Points (FP) per level.


    [Can only be selected on identity creation]


    CCP 2


    Force Adept


    You are Force-sensitive, allowing you to call on The Force and learn to draw on its powers.


    Grants a greater connection to the force and all but guarantees that you will be selected as a Jedi Youngling; if you so wish.


    Grants 250 Force Points (FP) per level.


    [Can be selected on Identity creation or upgraded to if identity took Force Sensitive on Identity creation.]


    CCP 4 [2PP if upgrading]


    Force Prodigy


    You are Force-sensitive, allowing you to call on The Force and learn to draw on its powers.


    Your connection to the Force is immense and marks you out as potentially one of the most powerful Force users of your time.


    Grants 500 Force Points (FP) per level.


    [Can only be selected on identity creation]


    CCP 7


    "Damm. If I''m understanding this correctly, Yoda, Vader and Luke would be prodigies while most are just Adepts. Hmm, I''m definitely taking one of those two, but I''d better read the rest of the list to see what else could be useful."


    I spent the time going through the list until I settled on four perks.


    "That will do," I murmured to myself as I accepted the third perk.


    NOTICE


    You have selected the following Perks:


    Force Prodigy [7CCP]


    Ambidextrous [1CCP]


    Empathy [2CCP]


    Photographic Memory [2PP]


    Are these your final choices?


    "Yes." I felt a burst of energy as the perk were added below the stats in my mini-picture.


    STEP 6:


    SKILLS


    Each identity learns skills as they progress with skills affected by stats.


    Each stat point grants a 5% boost to learning speed of a related skill.


    Every level-up an identity is granted INT*2 skill points to spend how they see fit.


    You are free to transfer any of your old skills over, though they may suffer penalties because of different universe or age.


    Each new identity is granted 100 plus level*INT*2 skill points [SKP] during creation.


    Skill points can be saved for later use.


    Please examine your old skills and possible new ones before deciding on a final list.


    Skills are added to your identity the same way perks were.


    Currently, you have 340 skill points to spend.


    "Whoa¡­" while the Perk list had 20, the skills list was massive. My old list had about a hundred ranging from school subjects that were at various levels, to artistic one like the guitar and singing that I hadn''t used in years, to s.e.x skills. "Not sure how much use those will be to start, but definitely keeping them for later on." I commented with a smirk. Though the smirk fell after adding Kissing when the skill displayed the words ''Locked'' over it.


    "Huh, well I guess that makes sense. What eight-year-old knows how to kiss properly?"


    I added all my old skills that I thought had any cross-over and noticed that a few were lowered due to being younger ¨C or altered in the case of English becoming Basic ¨C before browsing the list.


    There were actually 2 lists; one for skills that seemed to matter and one for what were called knowledge-based skills. These seemed to just be listings of what I knew about various governments, companies, criminal organizations, topographies of planets and History that didn''t seem to affect skill checks; and many were prone to falling as information became outdated.


    I decided to ignore the knowledge-based skills; figuring they could be easily be learnt once I was in-universe and looked through the main list.


    "Hmm, I can''t wait to get a lightsaber, but since I''m only eight, there''s no point in adding any point to the forms, though a few in the skill to use one makes sense. Having all my knowledge of combat and weapons transfer over was nice, though I imagine I''ve lost a few levels here and there due to different tech.


    "Maybe add points to repair or crafting so I can look after any pistols or rifles I get a hold of. Concentration grants bonuses to skill XP gain, so if I max it out that''s a fifty percent boost to learn other skills!" I smirked as I added the points then increased Meditation to 50 since it boosted the regeneration rate of a few things; namely Force Points/


    "Right, I think I''ll hold on the other skill points and see what need a boost later."


    Do you accept your skills?


    "Yes."


    Skills locked.


    Notice:


    You have 70 SKP left for later use.


    To add, simply call up skills in the user interface and tap the ''+'' symbol.


    Changes will become permeant once you leave the skills list.


    Notice:


    You have over 3000 skill levels, this grants 2 bonus stat points.


    Do you wish to spend now?


    "Um, no."


    Step 7:


    The Force


    As you are Force-sensitive, you can learn to use the Force.


    Each level you are granted a certain number of Force Points.


    The more FP you have, the more you can use the Force.


    However, the cost of a power decreases as you become better at using it.


    What powers you will have will be determined by your origin story.


    After completing the prologue, you may have the chance to learn from a Force Master or experiment with your powers yourself.


    "OK. So why bother making that a step?" I asked the display, but it simply ignored me and moved on.


    Step 8:


    Origin


    Where do you come from?


    Where in the timeline do you wish to live?


    These need to be determined before we place you in control of your new identity.


    Current timelines in play are:


    KOTOR Era


    Old Republic Era


    Rise of the Empire Era


    Rebellion Era


    Legacy Era


    If none appeal, then you can select a specific time to enter the universe.


    "Uh, I really only know the movies and video games," I muttered as I rubbed the back of my head. "So why not the Rise of the Empire. I know that and the Rebellion era best."


    Rise of the Empire Era selected.


    ¡­


    Step 9:


    Bloodlines/Family


    Certain names and families have relevance throughout the galaxy.


    Will you be a scion of one such dynasty or just a random someone?


    Famous choices for family names are;


    Shan


    Sunrider


    Skywalker


    Keto


    House Ordo


    Organa Family


    Antilles Family


    Qel-Droma


    Please enter your family name below.


    Notice:


    Almost any name may have links to someone in the past, however, in most cases, this will not be critical to your new identity.


    I looked at the list and chuckled. "Well to beat a Darth, you might need a Darth so why not Shan; assuming that Revan and Bastila had children." I typed in my choice.


    Cameron Shan.


    Are you sure?


    "Yup."


    Name set.


    Notice:


    This bloodline has a specific prologue to play.


    You do not have to select that, but it is the suggested option.


    Will you accept prologue: The Lost Scion?


    "Sure, why not." I answered with a shrug. Truthfully, I was getting a little bored with creating my new persona and was hoping that I''d get to leave this place soon.


    Character Creation finished.


    Please examine the final listings to be sure.


    If you accept, press the green box and the bottom of the screen, if not press the red box to restart Character Creation.


    ...


    The display shifted to show the details that had previously been on the left side of the screen. I noted with amus.e.m.e.nt that beside my current height it listed a range that I took to mean my potential final height. I chuckled at seeing my current ¨C well old ¨C height of 1.84m was in the middle of that range. I laughed some more at seeing the same ranges were available beside my leg length, hand and foot sizes and most amusingly, Or disturbingly depending on how you saw it, penile length and girth.


    I decided to spend one of my bonus stat points to raise Strength to 7, thus bringing it in line with Vitality and Agility, before I pressed the green button.


    The brightness in the room increased rapidly and I had to shield my eyes again.


    ¡­


    Prologue 1


    Right, the actual beginning.


    Sorry for the info dump, but when I first wrote this I felt it was needed. I''m not so certain of that now, but I am not going to back and change things.


    If you have read Gamer-style stories before, most of this will feel like repetition and can be skimmed if you''d rather just get to the story.


    When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on a bed in a small room, the sounds of birds coming in through the window even as more of the strange blue text floating in my vision.


    Welcome to your new identity.


    To help you with your new powers, we have prepared a short tutorial.


    Do you wish to complete the tutorial?


    Yes/No


    [You must verbalise or press the Yes option to accept]


    ...


    I grunted as I reached out and touched ''Yes'' and the text changed.


    Welcome to the Tutorial.


    Here we will explain the following items that were not covered in identity creation.


    1: Hit points, Experience, Stamina and Hunger


    2: Stats and their Limits


    3: Inventory usage


    4: The Force and Force Points


    5: Player Powers and Player Points


    6: Interface Controls


    7: Quests


    8: Future Knowledge


    Select the option you wish to view first by saying ''Tutorial'' followed by the number''


    ...


    "Let''s be logical and start with tutorial one." I said while rolling my eyes.


    1: Hit points, Experience, Stamina and Hunger


    When you concentrate and say the word ''STATS'' a general listing of your identity will appear.


    Beyond the base stats that were explained during identity creation, there are a few others that appear.


    These are;


    Hit Points [HP]:


    This is a base 50 for Humans plus your Vitality*10


    Experience [XP]:


    To advance to the next level, you need a certain amount of XP.


    For levels 1-20, this is 1000XP more than the previous level.


    For levels 21-40 this is 2000XP more.


    For Levels 41-60 this is 3000XP more.


    Stamina [STAM]:


    Every physical action that you take requires stamina.


    Walking takes 1STAM/minute, jogging 3/minute, running 5/minute and sprinting 10/minute


    Other actions take up stamina as well; swimming, jumping, weight lifting and so drain STAM as you go.


    Your Stamina is your current level*[Strength+Agility+Vitality]/2


    There are ways to improve your Stamina regeneration and lower activity drain, but they are for you to discover.


    It regenerates at 1%/minute


    Hunger [HUN]:


    This tracks your need to eat.


    It drains naturally at 5/hr.


    It will however, drain faster when you are physically exerting yourself.


    There are however, ways to slow your hunger loss down, but they are for you to discover.


    This is limited to 100.


    NOTE:


    For each point that Hunger drops below 20, you experience a temporary 1% drop in your Stats and all linked values until you restore your Hunger to 20 or above.


    ~~~


    End of Part 1


    Do you wish to proceed to Part 2?


    Yes/No?


    ...


    "Yes."


    2: Stats and their Limits


    Every species has biological hard limits for Strength, Agility and Vitality.


    However, there are ways to overcome such limits.


    Additionally, none of those three stats can be more than 10 over your current level.


    The same methods to pass hard limits also can allow you to pass these soft limits.


    Additionally, for each 1 point in a stat you are over your current level, you gain a 5% boost in skill XP generation for relevant skills, up to 50%.


    The opposite is also true.


    Currently, your penalties/boosts are;


    STR -5%


    AGI -5%


    VIT -5%


    INT +35%


    WIS +15%


    CHA +10%


    ~~~


    End of Part 2


    Do you wish to proceed to Part 3?


    Yes/No?


    ...


    "Fine." I muttered, while wondering the quickest way to improve my physical stats. Though when the text didn''t change I sighed loudly. "Oh, for the love of¡­ Yes!"


    3: Inventory usage.


    For every point of Strength grants 2 slots in your inventory.


    This is a pocket dimension that only you can use, and in which time does not pass; thus, nothing will degrade while stored there.


    It also allows you to store money without concern for weight or volume of Cred-chits


    Each slot can hold an object of volume no more than 0.125m^3. [50x50x50cm]


    Currently you have 14 slots.


    ~~~


    End of Part 3


    Do you wish to proceed to Part 4?


    Yes/No?


    ...


    "Yes." I sighed in mild annoyance.


    4: The Force and Force Points


    As you have taken the Force Prodigy Perk during identity creation, you are now one of the few in the galaxy who are able to not only sense, but actively use the Force.


    Each level, you receive 500 Force Points.


    While you can consciously use the Force to improve your actions, many of the more advanced uses and concepts require instruction from a trained Force user.


    All Force powers follow the Novice to Prodigy ranging system and while expensive to first use, the cost of use decreases with training.


    Your Force Points regenerate at 1%/minute.


    NOTE:


    Not all possible Force powers are taught by the Jedi or the Sith; indeed, you may even be able to create your own in time.


    ~~~


    End of Part 4


    Do you wish to proceed to Part 5?


    Yes/No?


    ...


    "Bloody hell! Yes!"


    5: Player Powers and Player Points


    Due to you winning the Multiversal Afterlife Lottery, you have been given the special title: Chosen.


    This title grants access to special powers that, to the corporeal mind, resemble being in a Game.


    Initial Player Powers provided are:


    Player''s Mind MAX


    Allows the Player to calmly and logically think things through.


    Grants a peaceful state of mind.


    Grants immunity to physiological effects.


    Protects against compulsions and external controls.


    Does not prevent the Player from showing emotional responses, only dissipates them almost instantly afterwards.


    [NOTE: Will automatically turn on when the Player is in battle or HP falls below 25%]


    Player''s Body MAX


    The body experiences the stresses of the physical world as if it was a video game.


    [This means that you suffer no obvious damage when hit/shot/stabbed etc, but instead lose HP]


    [You can however, still lose limbs if the attack severs them from your body.]


    Sleeping fully [8 hours under normal circ.u.mstance] restores HP and heals all temporary statuses effects.


    NOTE:


    If your HP reaches 0, for whatever reason, YOU WILL DIE.


    Inventory


    See Tutorial Stage 3.


    Player''s Points


    Every level, you gain 2 more PP, which are used for Player Powers you have purchased.


    They regenerate at 10%/5minutes.


    You gain 1 Player Perk Point every 5 levels, which can be used to activate special abilities.


    To view the list of Player Powers that you can activate, you say ''Player Power Options''


    ~~~


    End of Part 5


    Do you wish to proceed to Part 6?


    Yes/No?


    ...


    "Yes," I mumbled out in annoyance at having to keep vocalising my commands. I hoped the next section told me how to change that.


    6: Interface Controls


    While having this text appear in the middle of your vision is the default setting, we understand that this could be life threatening.


    [Something we learnt from the first ever winner of the Multiversal After life Lottery]


    As such, saying ''Interface Options'' will take you to a screen where you can choose from various options.


    From here you can re-order your interface in a way you are more familiar with.


    To access your stats and skills, please examine the Interface Help in the options menu.


    ~~~


    End of Part 6


    Do you wish to proceed to Part 7?


    Yes/No?


    ...


    "Yes." I was really hoping this would be over soon I could check my details. Hopefully, I would be able to do so once the tutorial was finished.


    7: Quests


    Most activities will be given as quests.


    While many will be pre-generated by the interface, if you set you mind to something, it will be turned into a quest.


    Quests have difficulty ratings which affect rewards and penalties.


    The more difficult the quest, the greater the reward and penalties.


    Any combat quest has a possible failure of death if things go totally wrong.


    ~~~


    Quest Alert!


    Prologue


    This is the introduction to get you to your chosen Era


    [Note, currently you aren''t there.]


    Rating: B


    Objective:Survive and Escape


    Bonus: ?


    Bonus: ?


    Bonus: ?


    Rewards:


    3500XP


    Penalties:


    Capture by the Sith


    Possible Death


    Accept?


    Yes


    ...


    "Why the f.u.c.k is ''No'' missing through?" I grumbled as I finished reading my first quest alert.


    Certain quests cannot be ignored.


    These are plot quests, or quests where you have to follow the orders of another.


    ~~~


    End of Part 7


    Do you wish to proceed to Part 8?


    Yes/No?


    ...


    "Yes," I grumbled at realising that if I screwed up the prologue, I could die or be captured by the Sith; and death seemed the more appealing option.


    8: Future Knowledge


    Since you are The Player, you have some knowledge of future events.


    However, you cannot come out and simply say what will happen as your very presence changes things.


    Every time you try to talk about what you know, you will be unable to do so directly.


    However, you may be able to discover a way to hint at what may happen, but that''s up to you to discover.


    ~~~


    Well Done!


    You actually read the tutorial!


    Here''s 500XP


    Good luck! :D


    ...


    "Mother¡­ Fine." I said with a growl, accepting the quest. "Right, Interface Options."


    Welcome to the Player Interface


    From here you can control where and for how long various notices appear.


    Notice Options are:


    General notices


    Quest Alerts/ Updates/ Completions or Failures


    Basic Stats


    Mini-map


    Combat Alerts


    Interface Help


    Please select when, where and for how long each notice appears.


    ...


    I spent the next while lying on the bed while I fiddled with the various options. Now all quest related notices would appear in the lower right of my vision; though only alerts and completions/failures would stay until read. The annoying random notices like skill level-ups, would also appear there, but then vanish after ten seconds.


    Basic stats would only show during combat, as would the mini-map, though I found out it only showed areas I had already been to. Combat alerts would appear in my lower left with red and green for me losing/healing HP.


    I had just closed the Options menu and was about to call up my details when a voice called out.


    "Cameron? Are you up yet?" A male voice asked from somewhere out the door to the room.


    "Um, yes." I called back hesitantly, wondering who was in the house/flat with me.


    "Good. Breakfast will be on the table in five. Get down here."


    I stood slowly, taking in the fact my body was now smaller and glanced at the mirror that hung over a table in the room. I saw that I was indeed younger; the wear and tear of 8 years in the military gone ¨C along with the stubble I had been so fond of. My hair was cut short, though not like a crew-cut, and my eyes were the shade of amber-green I''d picked before.


    "Guess this is for real," I muttered to myself as I searched around quickly for some clothes to slip into; going to breakfast in pyjamas was not something I felt comfortable doing anymore. Finding what looked like a chest of drawers beside the table, I pulled on what I thought was the handle, only for the drawer to slide open with a quiet hiss.


    "Right, touch-sensitive drawers. Should''ve seen that coming," I mumbled as I pulled out clothes and quickly slipped them on before exiting the room. Seeing three more doors and a set of stairs heading down, I shrugged and jogged down the stairs, assuming the kitchen/dinning room was on the lower floor.


    A waft of food caught my nose and helped me find the kitchen where an older man, probably in his sixties If I had to guess, was just sitting down at a table that had two plates of food on it.


    "There you are. I swear since you started your school holiday, you''ve been getting up later and later." He said with a smile that reached his brown eyes.


    "Well isn''t that the point of the holidays?" I replied as I slowly sat, examining the food in front of me. "To laze about."


    The man chuckled. "True enough. You''ve always been perceptive. Now hurry up. I need to make a few calls to some friends and you have homework to finish before we visit Coruscant next week."


    "Yes Sir." I replied as I cautiously took a bite of what looked like eggs. ''I really wish the movies and cartoons had shown people eating.'' I mentally commented, though thankfully, the eggs really were eggs.


    "Is everything ok Cameron?" The man asked, and I looked up at him. His face was marred by a frown, but his eyes seemed to be looking for something in mine.


    "Just a little off I guess." I replied slowly, and his frown grew as his mouth twisted.


    "Yeah, I get that way this time of year too." He paused and looked out of a window. "Do, do you still get the dreams about that night?" He asked as he seemed to be thinking about something that happened before.


    I recognized the look; one of sorrow and longing and realised that my new parents were missing. Had they died when I was younger?


    "Um, no recently." I replied honestly, and he turned back to look at me with a weak smile.


    "Good. That''s good. Now eat up."


    I put my head down and ate the rest of the food slowly, hoping that whatever the old man was hinting at would hint my unfamiliarity with much of the food in front of me.


    As I finished the meal, which I was happy to find that it was generally quite nice ¨C though eating blue meat might take some getting used to ¨C I started to stand, only to wonder if I had to place the dish and glass in some kind of cleaner.


    "Here, let me¡­" The man said as he started to stand only for his arm to rub against his glass.


    We both watched as it began to tumble off the table and, working on instinct from my previous life, I reached out for the glass, though I knew it was too far away for me to have any chance to getting it before it broke on the floor.


    "Holy¡­" my voice trailed off as the glass stopped falling and floated about halfway to the floor, my hand still stretched out towards it.


    "By the Force!" The man exclaimed as he looked from the glass to me with wide eyes. "How? I was told she tested you and you failed!"


    "What?" I asked as I moved my hand upwards and watched in shock as the glass followed my actions. ''Right. Force Prodigy. Forgot about that for a second. This is cool.'' I felt a grin form on my face as I placed the glass on the table and saw that there was a new notice box in the lower right of my vision; clearly for whatever Force power I had just used.


    ''Wait, he said I''d been tested,'' "What test?" I asked, and the man looked up from the glass, his eyes having returned to normal, but he gaze intensified.


    "A Force Test." He replied, and I let my eyes open wider in apparent shock.


    "You mean like to be a Jedi?" I asked. Sure, I already knew I could use the Force, but ''Cameron Shan'' didn''t.


    The old man sighed and rub the bridge of his nose. "Yes, like a Jedi." He looked out of the window again before he continued. "Your mother, bless her heart, was a Jedi as were my own parents. But you were tested as a babe, but nothing showed up." He shook his head for a second before focusing on me. "Maybe it was just a fluke."


    I frowned, knowing it wasn''t a fluke and extended my hand again, this time lifting his plate. "I don''t think so." I countered with a small smirk as his mouth fell open. I lowered the plate slowly and pulled back my hand as the man continued to stare at me.


    Can I do this test again?" I asked, wondering how likely it was that was.


    The man rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I promised your mother to keep you safe, and being a Jedi is not the safest of careers."


    "Isn''t it better that I learn to control this." I said, hoping to break through his reluctance.


    A small box appeared in the lower left of my vision and I couldn''t help but smirk as I read the small text.


    Skill Usage: Persuasion


    Chance = 30.5%


    ~~~


    Success!


    ...


    I wondered if every skill use would be like that, and if there was to turn off that as it really made this whole thing feel like a game. I blinked at the new text that appeared in the middle of my vision.


    Yes, you can turn those off.


    And again, no this is NOT A GAME!


    It''s just the only way your feeble mind can handle these powers.


    I grunted at the message from what I assumed was the people ¨C beings? ¨C that gave me this new life and did my best to not be offended at being called feeble-minded.


    Good boy!


    Now go, enjoy your new life.


    And don''t die too soon, I''ve got a millennium as a rabbit bet on your mating with ******


    ''Seriously? They''re betting on who I sleep with?!'' I shook my head as the message from whomever faded away.


    "Cameron, did you hear me?"


    I looked up and saw the man was watching me through narrowed eyes. "Um, sorry. I was just thinking how cool it would be to be a Jedi."


    Skill Usage: Deception


    Chance = 11%


    ~~~


    Failure!


    ...


    He frowned, clearly having not bought my lie but thankfully he didn''t push the matter. "Look, just put the dishes in the cleaning unit then go upstairs and start your homework." He said as he stood slowly. "I''ll make a few calls and see about getting you retested."


    "Ok." I said, trying and failing to keep a smile from my face as I stood, though it fell a little as I wondered where the cleaning unit was and what it looked like.


    "Over there," the man pointed towards the sink. "Get your head out of the clouds or I won''t make that call!"


    I hustled over quickly to where he''d pointed, and seeing a small, slightly raised rectangle like the one on the drawer, I pressed it, and was rewarded with a door opening and what looked almost identical to a dishwasher was found.


    After slipping the dishes and cutlery in, I headed upstairs, and fist pumped once safely in my room with the door closed.


    "Yes!" I said, making sure to not shout like I wanted. "Right, time to look at my standing. Interface Help."


    Welcome to Player Interface Help


    Here you can learn how to use the interface to understand what skills, abilities and tricks you have.


    Select help menu you wish to peruse by saying Help followed by the appropriate number;


    1: Lists


    2: List explanations


    3: You and those around you


    4: Inventory and you


    5: Interface Controls


    ...


    "Um, help one."


    1: Lists


    The various lists you have and how to view them.


    To access any menu, simply say list followed by the appropriate word.


    Current lists available;


    Stats, Skills, Knowledge Skills, Perks, Force Powers, Player Powers, Titles, Quests


    ...


    "Seems easy enough. Help two." I said, figuring it was better to at least skim the manual before taking the new toy for a spin, having mentally taken a read of the lists available for once I was finished with the help menus.


    2: List Explanations


    This explains the basics of each list.


    Stats:


    These are the core values that define you.


    They are split between Strength, Agility and Vitality [Physical stats] and Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma [Mental stats].


    There is a final stat is called Luck.


    This is set to 0 for all Humans, though it can be raised through the spending of stat points or certain perks.


    Also listed with your stats are your Hit Points [HP], Force Points [FP], Player Points [PP], Stat Points [SP], Stamina [STAM], Hunger [HUN], Experience for the current level [XP], Title and Credits.


    Hit Points


    These are an indicator of how much damage you can take.


    When it reaches 0, YOU DIE!


    You get a base 50HP as Human plus a further 10 per level.


    Force Points


    These are the points that allow you to use the Force.


    You gain 500FP per level.


    These regenerate at 1% per minute.


    Player Points


    These are the points that allow you to use your unique abilities.


    You gain 2 PP per level.


    Additionally, you gain 1 Player Perk Point [PPP] every 5 levels.


    These regenerate at 10% every 5 minutes.


    Stat Points


    This is a list of how many spare stat points you have to spend on your stats.


    You gain 4+INT/15 SP per level.


    Stamina


    This is your ability to move, run, jump, swim and do other physical activities.


    Your stamina is defined as level*(STR+VIT+AGI)/2.


    It regenerates at 1% per minute when resting.


    This can be boosted with perks or powers.


    Hunger


    This is a measure of how hungry you are.


    It drains naturally at 5/hr.


    However, doing any physical activity increases the rate of hunger decay.


    For each point that Hunger drops below 20, you experience 1% drop in your Stats and all linked values.


    If it reaches 0, you will lose consciousness and, if you are not revived within 4 hours, you will die.


    Experience


    This is a key to how close you are to levelling-up.


    Levels 1-20 requires 1000XP more than the previous level.


    Levels 21-40 requires 2000XP more than the previous level.


    Levels 41-60 requires 3000XP more than the previous level.


    All levels over 60 require 5000XP more than the previous level.


    Titles


    This is whatever title(s) you are currently applying.


    You can apply 1 title as a base plus 1 extra for every 10 levels you gain.


    Credits


    This is your money.


    While it is all digital, you can store it in your inventory in a special slot.


    When you wish to withdraw some, you will be given credit ch.i.p.s that are as close in value to what you wish for, without being less.


    ...


    ''Well Damm! That''s a lot to take in. Still, get through the help then check it out.'' "Help three."


    3: You and those around you


    How you behave has relevance to the people, organizations and planets around you.


    Everything you do affects how others see you.


    While in most cases this is on a one-to-one level, some actions have planetary, or even galactic implications.


    Certain titles and perks can also affect how others see you.


    ~~~


    Reputation


    This is your standing with everyone, from those around you, to governments and corporations.


    Most people start at 0, though this not always the case.


    From there, your reputation with someone can go up or down, through the following levels;


    Despised -500 ¨C -1000


    Hated -1 ¨C -500


    Disliked 0 ¨C 500


    Neutral 501 ¨C 2000


    Liked 2001 ¨C 5000


    Trusted 5001 ¨C 10000


    Honoured 10001 ¨C 20000


    Worshipped 20001+


    ~~~


    Friendship


    Once your reputation is at Liked there is the chance that that person can become a friend.


    This will affect not only how they see you, but how their other friends and enemies do as well.


    Once someone is classed as a friend, then any change to Reputation affects your friendship, though by only half the Reputation change.


    Levels of friendship are as follows;


    Acquaintance 0 ¨C 1000


    Friend 1001 ¨C 5000


    Confidant 5000 ¨C 10000


    [Locked until Reputation is Trusted or higher and passing a test of friendship]


    Follower 10000+


    [Locked until Reputation is Confidant or higher and passing 3 tests of friendship]


    ~~~


    [This section is locked due to your age]


    ...


    "Well ok. That''s something to worry about later on. Help 4."


    4: Inventory and you


    Your special storage space and other attached facts.


    Your inventory is a special pocket dimension where you can store almost anything safely for an indefinite amount of time [Space permitting]


    This screen also lists vital stats and clothing/armour components.


    Certain clothing can grant damage reduction or outright protection from the various forms of damage you could encounter in this galaxy.


    Your total inventory space is defined as twice your strength.


    ...


    "Huh. I''ll check that out later I guess, but this is really feeling like a game, even though they say it isn''t."


    We will remind you of this the first time you get shot or stabbed.


    "Har-har." I muttered at the cheek being shown by whomever was watching/helping me. "I could look at the interface controls, but I suspect that''s just be a full repeat of what was said before, so let''s have a look at myself. List Stats."


    Cameron Shan


    Species: Human


    Title: The Player


    Level 8


    HP: 120/120


    FP: 3350/4000


    PP: 16/16


    XP [500/8000]


    STAM [80/80]


    Hunger [0/100]


    STR: 7 +


    VIT: 7 +


    AGI: 7 +


    INT: 15 +


    WIS: 11 +


    CHA: 10 +


    Luck: 0 + [+10]


    SP: 1


    PP: 0


    Credits: 0


    ...


    "Geez, those Force points are high. Though seeing how far its fallen after using a power twice, I''m guessing that Force powers are hard to use, though I''ll find out for sure once I read through them. First however, List Skills."


    SKILLS


    This is a listing of all skills you have, not all the skills you COULD have.


    Each skill has a corresponding stat that affects how quickly you can improve that skill.


    For future reference, you can call up skills for each stat by saying ''List [STAT] skills''.


    Note:


    Certain skills, such as school and combat skills, have six ranks; Novice, Adept, Professional, Master, Savant, Prodigy.


    Each rank has 100 levels.


    These skills have set EXP levels of 100 for Novice, 200 Adept, 300 for Professional, 500 for Master and 700 for Savant and 1000 for Prodigy.


    These skills will have the name of the current level beside the numerical level value.


    Other skills can go up to 100[though not all] but have increases of 25EXP per level.


    You will Get a bonus general stat point for 1500 levels.


    Each level-up, you gain INT*2 skill points to spend as you see fit.


    Currently you have 70 SP left to spend.


    ~~~


    Any skill that has a [F] next to it can be boosted by the Force, though only once you have the appropriate training.


    STRENGTH SKILLS


    Lightsaber[1-handed]


    10+ Novice


    Hand to Hand [F]


    25+ Professional


    Melee Weapons [2-handed]


    1+ Adept


    AGILITY SKILLS


    Melee Weapons[1-handed] [F]


    3+ Professional


    Melee Weapons [Thrown]


    15+ Adept


    Marksmanship [F]


    97+ Adept


    Ranged Weapons [1-handed] [F]


    5+ Professional


    Ranged Weapons [2-handed] [F]


    40+ Professional


    Ranged Weapons [Heavy] [F]


    2+ Adept


    Piloting [Atmospheric] [F]


    5+ Novice


    Piloting [Space] [F]


    5+ Novice


    Riding [4-legged] [F]


    7


    Stealth [F]


    65+ Adept


    Sleight of Hand [F]


    45+ Novice


    Lockpicking [F]


    15+ Novice


    Cleaning


    20+


    Cooking


    10+


    Musical Instrument [Guitar]


    15+


    VITALITY SKILLS


    Athletics [F]


    10+


    Swimming [F]


    10+


    INTELLIGENCE SKILLS


    Astrogation


    10+ Novice


    Computing [Slicing]


    20+ Novice


    Computing [Programming]


    10+ Novice


    Economics


    11+ Adept


    Mechanics [Engines]


    10+ Novice


    Mechanics [Speeders]


    10+ Novice


    Mechanics [Fighters]


    10+ Novice


    Mechanics [Starsh.i.p.s]


    10+ Novice


    Medicine [First Aid]


    35+ Adept


    Anatomy [Human]


    15+ Adept


    Forensics


    67+ Novice


    LANGUAGES


    There are an inordinate number of languages you can learn.


    Reading/writing speed is (Adept50-current)/2 slower OR (current level-Professional1)/4 faster


    Language [Basic]


    85+ Adept


    Language [German]


    12+ Adept


    INTELLIGENCE/WISDOM SKILLS


    These rare skills can use both INT or WIS stats at different times.


    For battle-planning INT is used but for adapting on the go, WIS is used.


    Warfare [Ground]


    44+ Professional


    Warfare [Space]


    10+ Novice


    WISDOM SKILLS


    Concentration [F]


    100


    Composure [F]


    34+


    Danger Sense [F]


    21+


    CHARISMA SKILLS


    NOTE: All Charisma skills are boosted by luck, when you have any, both positively and negatively.


    Deception [F]


    15+


    Lie Detection [F]


    10+


    Meditation [F]


    50+


    Perception [F]


    50+


    Survival [F]


    74+ Adept


    Persuasion [F]


    1+ Adept


    Intimidation/Taunting [F]


    10+


    Singing [F]


    6+


    Negotiating [F]


    4+


    ...


    "Bloody hell, that''s a long list." I muttered, making a mental note to look at the skills via stats in future. Though I did chuckle at the idea that I could speak a language that no-one here had ever heard before. I figured when I kept my limited German might come in handy for codes, and now just the idea of someone like Yoda or Vader trying to speak it had me laughing.


    "Right, moving on. List Knowledge Skills."


    I whistled at the list that appeared, noting that much of it was based on what I knew from the movies and cartoons even as I noticed that all knowledge skills would suffer degradation as time passed; which while making sense was probably going to be annoying when it came time to re-learn about various military and political leaders and how governments and companies worked.


    "List Perks."


    PERKS


    These are earned by spending perk points [which you earn at a rate of 1PP per 4 levels].


    Perks have requirements in PP, stat and level values that must be met before they become available for selection.


    Currently you have the following perks:


    Force Prodigy


    You are Force-sensitive, allowing you to call on The Force and learn to draw on its powers.


    Your connection to the Force is immense and marks you out as potentially one of the most powerful Force users of your time.


    Grants 500 Force Points (FP) per level.


    [Can only be selected on identity creation]


    Boosts luck by 10


    Photographic Memory


    Lowers Knowledge skills degradation by 75%


    Grants a 9/10 chance to remember something you read in the last 5 years


    [7/10 in 10yrs, 5/10 in 20yrs]


    Empathy


    You can detect the emotions of people around you who don''t manage to shield them.


    Can increase your odds with certain skills.


    Especially useful when combined with the ******* Player Power.


    Ambidextrous


    Can use both hands for tools and weapons.


    Halves accuracy penalties for using your off hand in combat.


    ...


    "Yup, photographic memory will be useful to counter knowledge loss, though I wish I knew what the hidden player power that synced with Empathy was; or how exactly it helped my odds." I said with a slight frown. "List Force Powers."


    FORCE POWERS


    These are the powers you have learned or discovered that use the Force to work.


    Many of the more advanced powers require training from a master Force user to learn.


    You may discover many on your own by simple trial and error, however this is frowned upon by of the groups around the galaxy that can use the Force since control is needed to truly use the Force.


    As to what the Force is, well it simply is.


    It''s neither good nor evil [which in most cases are open to interpretation] but emotions of all kinds do influence what you can do with the Force.


    Importantly, the better you get a using a power, the easier it is to use.


    Currently you have the following Force Powers:


    Push/Pull


    1 Novice


    The ability to push, pull and levitate objects or block objects in motion so long as their mass is within your power range.


    At higher levels this can grant the ability to lift multiple objects at once and even self-levitation.


    Can currently lift 1 object up to 10kg in mass.


    Costs 500FP +5FP/second


    ...


    "Well that''s the power I expected but that cost is high. Hmm, didn''t it say earlier that it gets easier to use Force Powers with training. Maybe that means the cost decreases as I get better at using it." I thought with a smirk. "Once I finish checking out everything I''ll have to keep using it and see. List Player Powers." I was curious as to what exactly I would learn here as this seemed the more reality-breaking part of my new life.


    PLAYER POWERS


    These are powers and skills that are unique to The Player.


    However, some of them are very close to what many consider to be ''Dark-Side Force powers'' so be careful when using them around ''Light-side Force users''


    You gain 1 Player Power Point every 5 levels to spend on new powers.


    Currently you have the following Player Powers:


    Player''s Mind [ON/OFF] MAX


    Allows the Player to calmly and logically think things through.


    Allows a peaceful state of mind.


    Grants immunity to physiological effects.


    Protects against compulsions and external controls.


    Does not prevent the Player from showing emotional responses, only dissipates them instantly afterwards.


    [NOTE: Will automatically turn on when the Player is in battle or HP falls below 25%]


    Player''s Body MAX


    The body experiences the stresses of the physical world as if it was a video game.


    [This means that you suffer no obvious damage when hit/shot/stabbed etc, but instead lose HPs]


    [You can however, still lose limbs if the attack severs from your body.]


    Sleeping fully [8 hours under normal circ.u.mstance] restores HP and heals all temporary statuses effects.


    NOTE:


    If your HP reaches 0, for whatever reason, YOU WILL DIE.


    Inventory


    For every point of Strength grants 2 slots in your inventory.


    This is a pocket dimension that only you can use, and in which time does not pass; thus, nothing will degrade while stored there.


    It also allows you to store money without concern for weight or limits of Cred-chits


    Each slot can hold an object of volume no more than 0.125m^3. [50x50x50cm]


    Currently you have 14 slots.


    NOTE:


    Currently you have 1 PPP.


    Do you wish to view available Player Powers?


    Yes/No


    ...


    "Yes." I replied excitedly.


    Warning:


    No new Player Powers available at this time.


    Please check back at a higher level.


    ...


    "Assholes!" I shouted at the text, feeling like I''d just been pranked by whomever was behind giving me these abilities. I was angry as the text disappeared and I pounded the desk.


    I frowned as I looked at my hand and saw no bruising and realised this was Player''s Body in action. Clearly, I didn''t get hurt or feel pain the same as most people would, though I quickly realised that this meant I would have to be careful about getting wounded in case someone began to realise I was different to everyone else.


    Hey! That''s pretty smart!


    For working out a flaw in the system, have +1 WIS.


    Also, look at your notice boxes!


    I glared at the floating text from the ''Powers that Be'' that were watching me but did as it suggested.


    Skill Created!


    Damage Resistance [Physical] [F]


    1 Novice


    Each level grants 0.1% reduction in physical damage taken.


    Currently 0.1% reduction.


    ...


    I chuckled at the insanity of the fact I gained a new skill for punching a desk, though I quickly wondered if I could gain damage reduction skills against other forms of damage; like say a blaster or lightsaber.


    I noticed that the combat log showed me taking 8HP of damage from striking the desk but ignored it and moved back to the lists.


    "List Titles."


    Titles


    These are special add-ons to your identity that can help you in certain situations.


    You gain titles as you compete quests, grow up, and generally be a badass.


    [Though if you wanted to live a quiet life and gain no titles, that is your choice]


    Currently you have the following titles:


    The Player


    Grants access to special powers that, to the corporeal mind, resemble being in a game.


    Leader


    2/10


    Can command up to 4 others in a group.


    Each member gets 5% bonus to their skills.


    1XP gained for each successful command given to the group.


    2XP for each successful action that obeys an order/ hits a target.


    5XP for each ''kill'' by the group/ project completed.


    ...


    I frowned at that. I''d been squad leader with 2-2 for the last three years. I really should have a better level for my only title. The frown broke as I realised that it, and probably many of my skills, had been toned down as I was now eight instead of twenty-eight. That made sense as not many people would be willing to obey an eight-year-old in battle, nor would the muscle memory of combat transfer. The knowledge would, but I''d have to work on teaching this new body how to react.


    Hey! You''re Getting it!


    You''re really starting to figure out this power.


    Have +1 INT


    ~~~


    And this will be the last free stat point you get!


    I glared at the floating text. Sure, the extra point in intelligence was nice, but the cheek I was getting was irritating. I took a few deep breaths and decided there was nothing I could do about it now ¨C or probably ever ¨C so I moved on.


    "List Quests."


    QUESTS


    These are the story chains that will help push and shape your new life.


    Quests come in various forms, from repeatable simple ones, to long, multi-part campaigns.


    Most of your activities will be setup as quests, however, you are free to decline most quests.


    You can also create you own quests if you are willing to push yourself beyond what would be considered easy/safe.


    All quests are rated from F to S*** for difficulty, with anything rated B or over running the risk of bodily harm, if not death.


    Current quests are:


    Prologue


    This is the introduction to get you to your chosen Era


    [Note, currently you aren''t there.]


    Rating: B


    Objective:Survive and Escape


    Bonus: ?


    Bonus: ?


    Bonus: ?


    Rewards:


    3500XP


    Penalties:


    Capture by the Sith


    Possible Death


    ...


    I grunted as I read the quest again, wondering just what kind of prologue quest ran the risk of death.


    Sure, this wasn''t a game, but I had to wonder if this was altogether fair.


    Whomever said a corporeal life was fair?


    Grow a spine and get on with things!


    I glared at the latest message from the PtB as I wondered if they had it in for me.


    I continued to glare at the message as it faded away, and with a shake of my head looked around the room.


    "I was told to do my homework, but I''d rather practice using the Force. Hmm, List Force Powers."


    I read through the description again and smirked. "So 500FP to activate then 5FP a second to hold it, and my FP regenerates at 1% a minute which is¡­ 40! Sweet! So I lose 260FP a minute if I keep it on constantly and I currently have¡­ Lists stats." The list changed. FP is currently at 3750, so that''s 3250 divided by 260¡­ about 13 minutes. Right then."


    I looked around the room until my eyes landed on the pillow. "That''ll do." I muttered and pointed my hand at it, smiling when it floated up into the air. "Yes!"


    While the pillow was floating, I figured I should get going on my ''homework''; silently praying that I didn''t have to spend skill points to finish it.


    I scanned the room for books but frowned at not finding anything save what looked like a cross between an iPad and a game console.


    "Right, everything here is computerised," I remarked as I picked it up. "Though I wished I knew how to use this."


    I turned the pad over in my free hand slowly, checking it carefully before looking at the front.


    There was a large button at the base, under the screen and working on a hunch, I pressed that and smiled as the screen came to life.


    Thankfully, the thing was setup very much like an iPad, so it was easy to find the homework assignments and I mentally sighed in relief in seeing that the history and electronic ones were completed; leaving me math and science.


    "Here''s hoping I remember this stuff." I muttered as I opened the maths homework with a touch.


    To be clear, Cameron is starting in ~3950BBY with his grandfather, Vaner Shan.


    By the end of the Prologue, he will arrive in the Rise of the Empire Era.


    This is the unique start due to taking Shan as a family name.


    Sorry if this confused any readers.

 Chapter 53 - My SI Stash #53 - I want to play a Game by Chairtastic (Teen Titans/Justice League)

    -SI gets a Yellow Power Ring and trains under Arkillo.


    *The writing is honestly pretty good, + it''s the only Teen Titans/Justice League SI fic that I know of.


    ¨A( ¡ã ¨Œ,¡ã )


    Sypnosis: Adding in a summary because why the hell not. Listen to the story of hate, fear, can-can dancers, and poker playing fish. An average psychopath from Earth is pulled into the DC universe by a Sinestro Corps ring, and reality ensues from there. Expect Lovecraftian imagery, mind f.u.c.kery, politics, and six teenagers with attitude saving the day.Rated: T


    Words: 200K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/i-want-to-play-a-game-teen-titans-justice-league-si.271255/#post-12016745 (Chairtastic)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2


    I once saw a gif on the internet; the word ''sonder'' defined over a busy highway near a big city I didn''t recognize. According to the image, sonder means that every person ever seen from the viewer''s perspective has a story, and that their part in it can be just as profound, or unimportant as the viewer is in theirs, using more flowery words. I couldn''t help but wonder if that''s what word applied to me, being mugged on my college''s campus. Sonder didn''t seem to fit.


    Well. Mugged wasn''t exactly the right word to use, either. A gaunt black man with a knife, demanding cash I did not have. Farce; that seemed better. Comedy drawn from horseplay and ludicrous situations. He was slightly taller than me, skinny to my fat; I recognized him. I had given him twenty-five dollars for gas outside the station a couple months previous. Farce was becoming a better fit by the second.


    I glanced up, we were by one of the lesser buildings on campus, but some staff were still around. None of them with window offices, though. I didn''t look the mugger in the eye, but slightly to the left of him and smiled, then told him I had no money for him.


    It upset him, he moved forward slightly and jerked the knife sideways through the air; a Swiss Army knife, surprisingly. He told me to empty my pockets, turn out my backpack and computer bag. I noticed he had come within arms reach of me. This farce was growing less funny.


    I put my free right hand into a coat pocket, lots of pens in there, and a cell phone; aha. I pulled it from my pocket, and showed it too him, semi-touch screen, internet connectivity, bare bones for the modern world. He reached forward to take it, and I swung my computer bag, along with the seven-hundred dollar computer inside at his head.


    The crack from impact was satisfying and infuriating. The mugger hit the ground, groaning and letting go of his knife to clutch at his now bleeding temple. Idiot. A swift kick removed the weapon from sight, and a second put the black man on his back, where I could easily plant my foot on his neck and put three-hundred plus pounds of weight to good use. I leaned over him, increasing pressure to kill (heh) his thrashing, putting him in my shadow as I blocked the street light.


    "You didn''t account for someone fighting back, did you?" I wanted to kill this man. Who brandished a weapon at me, who demanded money of me, and caused me to possibly break my beloved computer. He desperately shakes his head no, trying to push my foot off his most vital of areas. I curled my lip at him. "This isn''t amateur hour, you know. Having a second person as backup would have you out of this situation." I raise my phone, sliding to unlock and start dialing nine-one-one.


    "Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?" a middle-aged woman answered, and I placed the phone to speaker mode.


    "I have a African-American male, looks to be mid to late thirties, who just attacked me with a lethal weapon, attempting to rob me. I am uninjured, he is currently incapacitated, could you send the sheriff to the community college, the parking lot by the elementary school?" I keep my tone even, a slow grin creeping on my face, an urge to let the triumph show itching at my skin.


    "A squad car is on its way sir, please stay on the line. Can I have your contact information, sir?"


    I gave my name and number, and a moment later, she patched in the sheriff, who inquired about the mugger''s identity.


    He didn''t seem like sharing at first, so I decided to chime in, "The nice man asked you your name, sir, it''s rude not to answer." If pressed I could maybe have remembered the name I had written on the check, but I was not in the mood for such diving. Still he didn''t answer, so I put progressively more of my considerable weight onto the neck I was stepping on. His eyes started bugging out from the strain, and he rasped out his name. I was likely going to get in trouble for this, and I didn''t care.


    For years, I had been waiting for someone to try this, to see if I could do exactly this (well, not exactly, but assert dominance). The power was...delicious.


    A sudden flashing light made me look up, thinking it was the sheriff, but instead it was a mote of yellow zipping through the air. I just stopped and stared at it, unable to process seeing this occurrence, the mugger followed my gaze and for a time seemed to forget that there was a fat man standing on his windpipe.


    The mote floats around, leaving a tail of yellow light to linger for a second behind it, then streaked at me, prompting me to back up off the mugger''s neck, and bring a hand to my face. The light grew blinding for a moment as something clamped down upon the base of my middle finger, squeezing tight.


    "You have the ability instil great fear." A mysterious voice from nowhere. Not a good sign. "Welcome to the Sinestro Corps." What? What?!


    Then suddenly I''m being dragged skyward by my hand. The mugger quickly fleeing as he, the campus, and the town it was attached to begin to shrink.


    The fact that I am flying didn''t hit me until I could see the Mississippi River. I didn''t start panicking until I could see St. Louis. Flailing at whatever was tugging my hand, and trying to process what could cause this.


    Then the blinding yellow light comes again, and the scenery changes. No longer the Midwest, the sky, or even Earth- for certainly Earth was not this yellow.


    A cavern, a city of yellow metal build into the walls. A massive palace at the center, with a courtyard where a yellow object sits: a sphere with two cones coming from the base and top, along with wing-like beams coming from the sides. The shape...is wrong. Something about it shouldn''t be. An itch forms at the back of my neck, my heartbeat grows loud in my ears as whatever force drew me to the sky, and to this place drew me now toward that edifice.


    A fight or flight response, I dimly acknowledge. What do I do?


    A deep breath. Calm, in control, think. I had the potential to instill fear? This wasn''t earth? Too many questions, not enough information.


    The yellow glowing geometry nightmare was glowing closer, and near it I could see a few figures, partly dressed in black which stood out from the yellow dais both they and the structure stood upon. Patience, see how deep the hole you''ve dug yourself into is before you do anything.


    Don''t make a bad first impression. Bad enough you''re wearing khakis to another planet.


    Here''s hoping their fashion sense is as bad as their color scheme.


    --


    I have this fic planned a fair bit ahead; not a complete skeleton yet, mind. Feedback is appreciated, and critiques welcome. I apologize for taking up one of these, but I had the itch. I''m going to post these when I can, life is hectic right now (when is it not?). I''ll try for at least twice a week, and you''re free to set me on fire if I miss a post without a good reason.


    Chapter 2


    The touchdown on the dais is surprisingly smooth given I had the aerodynamics of a flying whale. Actually, come to think of it, some whales would be pretty aerodynamic, given they had to swim constantly. The aerodynamics of a flying boulder, then.


    There was a moment of silence while I looked at the people (liberal definition of that word), and they looked at me. A blue woman, not properly dressed, with a flowing cape was to the right. A book floated in front of her, about half the size of an unabridged dictionary, with the...disturbing symbol etched onto the cover; a yellow circle with two lines branching off like wings at the bottom, and another forming a sort of handle shape at the top. A chain of yellow light flowed from the book to her wrist, so it was likely important, and by extension, she was too. Her expression was distant.


    To the left, a twelve foot, musclebound pile of f.u.c.k you with a face like one of those extinct proto-elephants sans the trunk and ears. He (I thought it was a he, anyway), was dressed in a yellow and black uniform with the wrongness symbol, and given the radically different facial structure, was impossible to tell expression.


    And at the center was...I had the feeling I had seen that person before. Yellow armor, magenta skin, a vague look of Adolf Hitler... "Sinestro," I said, pieces finally fitting into place. "You''re Sinestro."


    "I am." His voice wasn''t all that intimidating, given his history. No echoes, no unnatural elements, just a vaguely English drawl. Oh god. Sinestro was one of the biggest villains to exist; and he was standing five feet from me, looking vaguely annoyed.


    I took deep breaths, trying to keep the panic from running rampant. "Sinestro, sir, what...how...what is this?" I was messing up, I could tell from the increasing annoyance in the pink man''s face.


    "Good question, human," he tilted his head over to the woman, and gestured at me, "what is this?" She flipped a page in the book, disinterested apparently, then spoke.


    "David TiBalt, Sinestro Corpsman of sector 2814. The ring''s coding checks out, and shows no sign of tampering." Her voice, unlike Sinestro''s, had a subtle warble to an otherwise lofty tone. This couldn''t be happening, I must have been dreaming from watching the Green Lantern movie. I never actually had a lucid dream before, and no idea how to wake up; or if I could. The clich¨¦ of pinching myself wouldn''t actually work, would it?


    "Um," I said, deciding to press on before I found out if I could die in a lucid dream, "is that unusual, sirs, madame?"


    "Such manners," Sinestro said, his tone of bland surprise, and he approached me. His expression grew more intense as he came near, I wanted to back away, but found my legs would not move. The pink man was slightly shorter than me, but given the size of the elephant-thing, I hoped he wasn''t against looking up to people. "It is unusual, yes, because this ring," he grabbed my arm in a vice and raised my hand up, "was destroyed six months ago, and has not been remade."


    I didn''t understand what he was saying, at first, but then saw a bauble on my middle finger. A ring of gleaming yellow, with an inset design of the wrong-ness symbol- Sinestro Corps symbol, I realized.


    I said nothing for a moment and then asked: "Um...could it be because I''m not...from here?"


    "Elaborate." The vice on my arm tightened, causing the bones to pop in their joints.


    "Ow. Um. Where I come from you, sir...you''re not real." Again the grip tightened, and the pink man- I had to remember his species name at some point- tilted his head forward in a way I chose to mean he was losing patience. "I mean, um, you''re a character in a story where I come from."


    Sinestro released me and walked back toward the- central battery I now remembered it called, though not the same design as what I grew up with. "Lyssa, Arkillo, theories." If Lyssa was the woman that meant elephant-thing was Arkillo.


    "I suspect that the Guardian''s method of destroying the ring is at fault here; it could be that they use a means that apparently vaporizes an object, but in reality displaces it." She turned to Sinestro''s back, her light chain not making a noise as it moved. Freaky. "Or it may be an inherit power of his universe, that things destroyed in other universes manifest there."


    "I say," okay, this Arkillo thing''s voice was off-putting; like two rocks grinding against each other, and it made me want to clench my teeth for hearing it, "that the Weaponers have hidden a few features in the rings, so that they could build up a number of them and use them against us."


    "Both equally likely," Sinestro admitted, looking up at the central battery''s glowing core. "Boy, TiBalt, was it? Describe your universe, in detail this time."


    He sounded long-suffering, and I forgot my fear and narrowed my eyes at his back. "No rings, no heroes, no villains, no magic. Earth hasn''t gotten out of its solar system yet."


    "That is hardly in detail, but useful nonetheless. You say we''re a story, describe that then." Okay, I was now going to explain to a potentially real and very powerful man that I didn''t follow his existence closely. A sudden parallel between this and me standing on a mugger''s neck earlier came to mind, and I cursed karma as a sadistic bitch.


    "Um. Well," I rubbed the back of my neck, and looked away. "I don''t really follow your story closely. The main medium is comic books, and I don''t...didn''t live near a store for them. I know this story in general started in...the nineteen-forties? After Earth''s second world war."


    "Your planet had two world wars?" Arkillo said, making me wince from his voice. "What, did you not do it right the first time?"


    "Arkillo." Sinestro''s tone was light, but the giant man stiffened, "business first."


    "Yeah, well," I resumed, "I didn''t go back and read those comics, but the mythos has been restarted a few times anyway. There have been a few new Earth Green Lanterns, anyway."


    "Name them."


    "Um, Hal something, Guy Gardener, him I know virtually nothing about, and John Stewart, him I know the best because he was most recent."


    "Was this from a high turnover rate of Earth''s lanterns, by chance?"


    "No, Hal and Guy got too busy fighting...someone to actually police the sector, so John took over." Sinestro made a hmm sound, and I continued while shifting on my feet. "You used to be a Green Lantern, one of their best, but you split from them for ideological reasons that ultimately proved wrong-" The pink man whirled to glare at me again.


    "Wrong how?"


    "I don''t know, but recently you were shown to be a Green Lantern again-"


    "How recently?" Sinestro was approaching again, looking agitated.


    "I want to say like a year ago, maybe two?" This time I had control enough to back away, but only for one step. "The Indigo Tribe tried to force you to atone for the wrongs you did, I know it resulted in their central battery being broken, but not much else, and you went back to the Green Lanterns."


    "Who are the Indigo Tribe?"


    "You don''t know?" A claw of yellow energy formed from the air and lifted me by my neck, squeezing hard enough that I couldn''t breathe for a second, before slamming me down on my back, the small pink man looming over me. For that moment he looked taller than Arkillo, and half as pleasant.


    "I am not in the business of asking questions for which I already know the answer, boy, now let''s try this again. Who are the Indigo Tribe?" I coughed for a second, hurrying to answer.


    "Wielders of the Indigo light, it''s compassion based, it''s infectious, targeting people with high compassion or extremely low to fill the empty space in them with compassion or something."


    "Where are they based?"


    "A planet called Nok, I think? I looked them up on the wiki, I don''t think it was shown where Nok was, though."


    "What is a ''wiki?''"


    "Digital encyclopedia of knowledge, sir."


    "What is the state of the Sinestro Corps when last you checked?"


    "I think you relocated them to your homeworld?"


    "And why did I do that?"


    "There was a war, um, I think Qward," was I pronouncing that right, "was invaded?" Sinestro moved out of my sight, and I tried to stand, to see Lyssa looking intently at her book, while Arkillo bared fang -ye gods those things were huge- at me.


    "This is your opportunity to atone for making me repeat myself, boy." Sinestro spoke slowly, face turned into a considering expression. "Volunteer some information that I would find useful."


    "The white lantern power battery is somewhere on earth?"


    "The what?"


    "White lantern power battery, white lanterns are derived from the power of life. They oppose black lanterns who draw from apathy and death."


    "Good enough, I suppose." He shared a glance with Arkillo. "What is the status of the Green Lantern corps last you recall?"


    "Um, at war with the Red corps, I think? A super-android destroyed Oa once, I''m not sure if they happened in the same version of the story, though."


    "Amusing. But none of this addresses that you possess a ring that was dest- why are you shorter?" I blinked rapidly, unable to comprehend that statement, however Sinestro''s reaction to repeating himself earlier was stuck in my head, so I took a moment to phrase my counter-question.


    "I don''t understand, sir."


    "You are shorter than you were a moment ago. In fact, you are increasing to grow shorter now. Explain this."


    "Um..."


    "Useless," The pink man- Korugar, I remembered, that was his home world, so he must be Korugaran- snarled, "Ring of Sinestro Corpsman 2814, diagnosis."


    "Anomaly," a robotic voice from my hand said. So the ring...my ring, could talk. Yet another weird thing to happen today. Given my ease of accepting that, I believed I had gone into shock. "Corpsman is venting mass at an accelerating rate. Vented mass being converted into negative chronotons then decaying. Cause unknown."


    "Magnificent. Corpsman, I no longer have time for this ''riveting'' conversation. Arkillo, Lyssa, return to your duties. Come to me when the corpsman is ready for deployment, or the ring has been dispatched to find someone else." He paused a moment. "And lower Earth''s priority rating in its detection, if needed." Then he was enveloped by a faint yellow glow, and rose off to the cavern''s ceiling.


    Lyssa closed her large book, and elected to walk rather than fly, and Arkillo cleared the space between he and I with one massive step. "Alright, meat. Until I say otherwise, you are a dead man walking." The massive elephant-thing''s voice was even worse when he was trying to be intimidating, which he turned out he was. From where I was, I could tell that he had a lot more teeth than I had originally thought, and a very unpleasant equivalent of a smile. "I''m the drill sergeant for the Corps, means I have to make you into a functioning warrior. You know how the ring works?"


    "Um." Suddenly Arkillo was all in my business, snarling something fierce.


    "No more of that ''um'' bullshit. I ask a question, you give an answer, or I take your face off. Got it?"


    "Yes, sir."


    "And that sir stuff isn''t going to get you any points. Respect is good, but you also need a spine. And I''m going to beat that into you." I was not a good, kind man. Sinestro got away with talking down to me because he was legitimately smarter than I, and I respected him as a person. This Arkillo, I had no knowledge of. I ran through my mind, reviewing what I knew of the rings; they were limited only by imagination, and required the user to will items into being.


    I clenched my hand, pictured the first big gun that came to mind; the gatling-shield from Gundam Heavyarms, and willed it to me. Yellow light surged around my hand, forming a heptagonal shield over my forearm, and a long gattling gun from my hand, pointed at Arkillo, revving up. "And you, sir, need to learn to tell the difference between respect and being polite." Arkillo looked at the whirling barrels in his face for a moment, and started laughing.


    A full laugh, like it was the best joke he had heard in his whole life. "Damn, meat, you''re the first newbie that made a construct before training. Maybe you''re not worthless." And then he lashed out with one of his meaty hands, which had claws on his fingers, I found out, and struck me across the side, sending me up into the air, and across the courtyard, to hit the ground twenty feet away. "Don''t do it again."


    I groaned, as the construct I made dissolved. Landed right on my keys.

 Chapter 54 - My SI Stash #54 - That Time I Got Reincarnated as Tien by Shocker (Dragon Ball Z)

    -A Dragon Ball Z fic, SI as Tien. It''s been on a hiatus ever since but still a very solid fic~


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: T


    Words: 74K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/that-time-i-got-reincarnated-as-tien-dbz-si.700924/ (Shocker)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    A warm breeze rolled over my body, stray sunbeams breaking through the treeline above me. The grass, soft and verdant, cushioned my mass, seeming to act as a suitable bed for me. Falling asleep in the woods? Definitely unlike me.


    I gave a low grunt as I struggled into a seated position on the grass, a strange weight lingering in my muscles. I felt a whole lot taller and broader than I remembered being, and a cursory glance at my body was a pretty clear indicator of how different things were. For one thing, my body looked as jacked as some kind of movie star. Save for the long diagonal scar that went across my pectorals.


    My vision adjusted steadily to the light, giving me a better look at the clothing that covered me. Dark green pants, matching bracelets, yellow bands covering the tops of my black boots... it all seemed familiar, and realization was steadily dawning on me.


    "Ah, you''re finally up. I was starting to worry! Almost like I scrambled your soul or something!" The voice was oddly familiar, a soft and friendly male voice, that seemed to be naturally at ease. My gaze shifted off to the size, settling on a figure resting under the shade of a looming tree.


    He was a decently tall young man, distinct for his blue skin and the silver hair he kept in a short ponytail. He was dressed casually in a black T-shirt, bright yellow cargo shorts and matching boots. A sword rested on the small of his back, while his eyes were partially concealed by a pair of circular glasses.


    I was able to recognize him quickly enough, a realization that had me all too aware of my current situation. Fu, a villain (of sorts) from the tangled Heroes/Xenoverse wing of the Dragon Ball franchise. A ''demon scientist'' who is basically a fanfic writing nerd with godlike power at his fingertips.


    And the body I found myself in, the familiar scar and clothing... It wasn''t hard to recognize it as Tien Shinhan''s.


    "What the heck did you do to me?!"


    "Oh, this?" Fu''s easy smile didn''t falter, his hands resting on his h.i.p.s. "Well... I take it you already know who I am, so I won''t bore you with introductions! But you can consider yourself the test subject in my newest experiment! See, we''ve all had plenty of chances to see Saiyan potential in action. Buuut... well, I suppose I''ve gotten curious lately, and want to see something new. So! It''s gonna fall to you to show me earthling potential! I figure you''ll have good odds, knowing what''s to come, so you can prepare better than the earthlings did in the original timeline."


    I narrowed my eyes (and assumed my new third one was doing the same) and heaved a small sigh. Stuck in some fanfiction created by Fu... oh joy. "And where exactly am I in time?" I asked.


    "Pretty early. By my estimate, Goku and Raditz are going to get a Special Beam Cannon through the diaphragm right about..." he trailed off, holding up his left index finger. He winced abruptly. "There it is. Boy, that really has to sting. Fist sized ball of ki, drilling right through your tum... I guess the bad guys are lucky Piccolo never thinks to use it more often huh?"


    Right at the start of the Saiyan Saga... okay, I could work with that. I had little under a year to train, and I know well in advance that d.i.c.king around on Kami''s will accomplish sweet f.u.c.k all. All I need is to make a better game plan for training, and hold out for Goku.


    I get the feeling that''s going to be a recurring thing...


    Exhaling, I rose up to my feet and brushed the blades of grass from my trousers. "So that''s it? You''re just gonna dump me in Tien''s body and leave?"


    "I don''t see what you''re upset about, I gave you the third strongest body on earth. Oh, wait, with Goku pushing up daisies you''ve jumped straight to number two! Congrats!"


    A small groan of annoyance left me. This guy...


    "One more thing," Fu remarked, raising his glasses slightly. "I did a little tinkering with your brain and soul, just to make sure you had instinctive ki control, and knowledge of Tien Shinhan''s techniques. A new body isn''t much good if you can''t use it," he explained.


    "Thanks. I guess?" I replied, looking down at him. Better than nothing, I supposed.


    "Wellp, I better jet! Got a lot of pies to put a lot of fingers in! But I''ll be watching, don''t worry. And I may even have a surprise or two for you stored away." He grinned, giving me a brief wave with his left index and middle fingers.


    "That... doesn''t sound like a good thing," I replied. But before I could probe further, Fu vanished in a plume of purple smoke.


    Great. Dumped out in the middle of one of the Dragon Ball earth''s wastelands, with just under a year to get ready for the arrival of a walking Napoleon complex, and an incredibly angry shaved gorilla. If things go the way they went in the story, I''ll be down an arm and dead in short order.


    So where to start? The Ultra Divine Water, I suppose. It''s meant to draw out some latent potential, and nothing in canon indicates that Tien took it. Better than nothing.


    Beyond that, well I could ask Bulma about making a gravity chamber, or put the idea in her head at least.


    Before I could weigh my options further, I was given pause by a strange sensation buzzing in the back of my head. Sensing ki is an odd thing to describe. The closest I could give would be... Imagine if you had a 3D map of your surroundings in your head, and anything of significance is highlighted on that map. I could feel two presences coming my way, one modest and one even smaller. I could at least guess who one of them was.


    "Tien! Tien!" A small voice called out. Turning, I quickly made out Chiaotzu''s diminutive frame as he sprinted toward me, the breeze snapping the hem of his green robe. Trailing a few feet behind was a tall blonde in a green tank top and yellow shorts, her puffy hair bouncing with each step.


    Ah, that''s right. Launch''s only substantial appearance in Z was filler in the early Saiyan saga, hanging around with Tien and Chiaotzu.


    "If Shorty here is right, we got some real bad news!" Launch exclaimed, skidding to a halt and taking in a few heavy breaths.


    "Goku, he... I can''t sense his energy anymore! Him, or that really huge ki that he was fighting against," the mime-like boy frantically said.


    I nodded, maintaining a grim expression. I suppose it would be best to feign ignorance for now, pretend to be in the dark on most things. "I know, I felt it too... But I can tell that Krillin and Master Roshi are already heading out that way. We should join them and get a handle on what''s going on."


    Launch had been Goku''s friend too, she had a right to know what was going on.


    I turned my back to her and crouched down, giving her the means to hop onto my back and get comfortable. She certainly didn''t waste time. "Hold on tight. And maybe close your eyes."


    On a reflex, my ki churned up inside my body like a swirling torrent of the sea. A white aura erupted around my body, just as the same happened for Chiaotzu. We both took to the air with frightful booms of speed, the rushing wind drowning out Launch''s cry of surprise.


    -----------


    It was easy enough to make out Krillin and Roshi''s energy. Even though he had used up a fair bit of his stamina against Raditz, Piccolo still stood at a level markedly above them, and his ki was moving at a steady pace away from their modest signatures.


    It took a few minutes for the three of us to reach the mountainous, battle-scarred wasteland where Goku had met his first death. I flew down first, all too aware that Roshi and Krillin were watching our approach.


    I landed first, with Chiaotzu landing a split second after. Launch clambered off my back, shivering slightly. "Cripes... how in the hell do you two stick that?"


    "You get used to it!" Chiaotzu said in a chipper tone. Though, I had to admit that I felt a little chilly. It''s not as comfortable as the anime makes it look.


    "Tien, Chiaotzu, Launch," Krillin said, his expression grim. I could just about see the distant corpses of Goku and Raditz from where I stood, Krillin''s diminutive stature doing little to hide them. I tried not to stare, but... looking at death so closely was a new experience for me.


    I frowned, feeling a bit of worry rise up inside me. "So, it''s true. Goku really is dead..."


    Bulma was on the verge of tears, and even with his sunglasses on it was easy to see how troubled Roshi was. His posture was hunched, his fists clenched tight behind his back. "Yes. This ''Raditz'' fellow appeared at Kame House, claiming to be Goku''s brother... a terrifyingly powerful young man. Goku and Piccolo, sworn enemies, had to team up just to face him. But, even together..." The old man shook his head sadly, unable to look away from the remains of his greatest student.


    "It''s... been a heck of a day," Krillin said, scratching the back of his head. He went on to explain everything they had just been through. Goku being an alien, Goku having a son, two more alien conquerors making their way to earth because of the Dragon Balls... all things I knew about, but had to act surprised over. Chiaotzu looked set to fall over, and even Launch seemed startled by all this.


    Once he had finished explaining, I sighed and settled my hands on my h.i.p.s. They were reeling from all this, but it was all ancient history to me. I had to keep acting stoic, which fortunately suited Tien rather nicely.


    "That''s a whole lot to take in Krillin. But... if even stronger invaders are coming, we can''t afford to wait around. Piccolo is going to do his own thing with Goku''s son, and he seems to be on our side for now. But we need to do our own training... I''ll see if I can rope Yamcha in. We''ll need all hands for this."


    "You have a plan?" Chiaotzu asked, looking up with hope in his expression.


    I shrugged slightly. "Of a sort... Goku was no match for his ''brother'', and these two newcomers are bound to be a lot stronger. Just following Goku''s path of training won''t accomplish much. But I might have an idea. We''re heading to Korin''s tower tomorrow. There''s something I want to try."


    Assuming the Ultra Divine Water doesn''t kill me, at least... But we have to try, and I need every edge I can get.


    I quite like having both my arms, after all.


    Chapter 1


    When the morning came, I left Yamcha and Krillin in Chiaotzu''s care. I wanted to make sure that they had a strong grasp on flight, and the mime was pretty adept at it even without his telekinesis.


    For my part I wanted to make a quick trip to Capsule Corp, and had to ask Yamcha for directions from the cliffside Chiaotzu and I had apparently been staying at. I was able to get away with asking, I imagine Tien didn''t make many trips out that way.


    I''d need to consider making that ''New Crane School'' at some point, for a stable home if nothing else. Being a martial arts hobo in the middle of nowhere isn''t exactly glamorous.


    West City pulled up on the horizon ahead, a sprawl of pastel colored buildings stretching out across a healthy distant. Most of them were hemispheres or cylinder-shaped, with a few cuboids dotted about the busy streets.


    Capsule Corp itself stood out well enough. The size of the building, the distinct logo, and the amount of land that had been marked away for the surrounding fields. I flew downward and landed neatly on the grass. It was easy enough to spy the... distinct form of Bulma''s Mom (Whatever her name was) while she tended to a small bed of flowers.


    "Ah... Hello, Mrs. Briefs," I awkwardly began. Had these two ever even met before?


    "Hm?" She turned slightly, regarding me through perpetually closed eyes. "Oh, you must be one of Bulma''s friends! She''s in the lab, as usual! You can go in through the back door there."


    Did the outfit give me away? I suppose we did make for a distinct bunch.


    "Thanks," I quickly replied, turning and making for the sliding door she had gestured too.


    I strode through the doorway, walking along the gleaming navy tiles at a steady pace through the lab, examining some of the looming machines in passing. They looked impressive, whatever they were.


    The turquoise haired woman nearly walked right into me, yelping and jumping backward and letting her hands fall from the pockets of her Capsule Corp bomber jacket. She stared at me in shock for a moment, before heaving a sigh and relaxing.


    "Geez Tien... for a big guy, you sure are quiet... Give a girl some warning next time, I definitely don''t need any more stress," she said, scratching the back of her head.


    "Sorry," I quickly replied, giving a light bow to my head. Looking down at the genius, I could see a little redness around her eyes. Goku''s death, even if it could be reversed, was a rather recent affair after all. "You... you okay?"


    Bulma sighed, closing her eyes. "Not really... even with the Dragon Balls, it''s still such a shock to see Goku... dead. And poor Chi Chi. Her husband gets killed, and then her son gets kidnapped by Piccolo of all people."


    Oh, right. Piccolo is still the second worst monster these guys have ever seen at the moment. Give it a couple of months and the power of friendship will make a good boy out of him.


    "Desperate times, unfortunately... but we''ll pull through, we always do." Although, unless I could change the course of events, this is about... the second worst thing this group will go through. Not as bad as Buu eating everyone and popping the planet like a balloon, but still pretty bad.


    Still, she smiled just a bit. "That''s true. But things just keep getting crazier and crazier. I always knew Goku was weird, but an alien... it does explain a lot though, I guess."


    I nodded firmly. "Listen uh... I''m sure you''re really busy here, but I wanted to give you an idea I had. Something that could really help for our training against the Saiyans," I said.


    Bulma quirked a curious brow, folding her arms across her chest. "Really? Well lay it on me. If I can help stick it to those creeps, then I''ll gladly do it."


    "Well... lately I''ve been thinking about the weighted clothing people use. It''s an efficient way to get stronger, but it might be approaching its limit. So I was thinking of something that would be similar, but potentially far more powerful. What if you could create a machine, some kind of chamber that could multiply gravity inside it. Something to test your body, and make you far more powerful when you return to normal gravity," I explained.


    Bulma weighed my thought on her mind, stroking at her chin. "Manipulating gravity huh... I think Dad was tossing around something like that a while ago. I think I could put something like that together for you, but it might take me a couple of months..." she mused.


    "We have at least a year, so we can do some regular training in the meantime. But if you design this machine, I''ll need two capsules," I replied.


    "Huh? Why two?" Bulma asked.


    I cleared my throat. "One of them... is for Piccolo." Him and Gohan could benefit from one extensively, assuming Piccolo would take my offer. But it was gonna be a a tough sell for Bulma.


    "W-what?! You wanna give a training tool to that guy?!" she asked in wide-eyed shock.


    "I uh... look I know it sounds crazy, but we''re all in this thing together. Piccolo is willing to work with us, and even if he changes sides again... well, Goku can whoop him." That was my hope, anyway.


    Bulma seemed uncertain, regarding me closely. I sighed. "The first Saiyan that came our way marched over Goku and Piccolo... and the next two are meant to be much stronger. Piccolo has a vested interest in keeping the planet safe, and whatever training Goku is getting in the Other World is probably gonna be better than what we have."


    Eventually, Bulma sighed and settled her hands on her h.i.p.s. "Fine, I guess I can... put a spare together, if I find time..."


    I smiled a little, relief rising inside me. If Bulma came through for us, we could handle Nappa at least.


    "Oh uh... one more thing," I said.


    Bulma huffed, giving me a mildly annoyed glare. "You want me to give Pilaf the Dragon Balls while I''m at it?"


    No, that would come much later.


    "How much do you know about space travel?" I asked.


    -----------------


    After a few days of basic training and practice, it was time to go for the fancy magic water.


    Korin''s Tower stood out well in advance on the horizon, a dense white column that extended high into the air and vanished into the clouds. Krillin, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu were all following close behind, the four of us forming into a V-formation that raked glowing white lines of ki through the air.


    "I just can''t believe it," Yamcha said, raising his voice to be heard over the roaring winds. "I mean... we''ve been in some real scr.a.p.es before. Getting caught in Pilaf''s death trap, that time Piccolo blew a hole in Goku''s body... but I guess I never thought Goku would ever die."


    The arrival of the Saiyans would be fairly eventful for him if my plan failed.


    "According to Kami, he''s going off to train with some guy called King Kai. Sounds like it''ll be the next big step for him. We can wish him back in time to help us... I just hope he''ll be strong enough," Krillin said.


    "It''s Goku, of course he will be," I replied. The knowledge of foresight was somewhat comforting, as we were likely to ultimately win. And even if I did die, I could still be wished back on Namek.


    But, then again, Fu was watching over all of this. He could manipulate things as he saw fit, all of time at his fingertips. I''d need to be cautious.


    As we reached the tower, the four of us swept upward at an increasing pace and then snapped to a halt at the cobblestone deck that marked the interior of the saucer-shaped structure. I grit my teeth for a moment, a chill rolling over me from the breeze.


    Christ... it''s called a shirt Tien. I''d really need to get more clothing for this body.


    It didn''t tale long to spy Yajirobe at the other end of the platform, with the fat samurai snorting slightly at our presence. "The hell''re you guys doin'' out here? Need some senzu beans or somethin''?"


    "Not yet, at least," Krillin admitted with a small sigh. "Uh... is Master Korin around? We need to speak with him."


    "I already know what you''re here to tell me," a gruff, aged voice said. It was slightly muffled, coming from the small accessway in the platform. Slowly, Korin''s gnarled staff came into view, with the feline following soon after. "Goku''s dead."


    "Yeah, and an even bigger threat is heading our way! And we have less than a year to prepare!" Yamcha exclaimed.


    "W-wha?! For real?!" Yajirobe barked, his shaggy hair standing on end in his sudden shock and fear.


    Korin reached up with his right hand, scratching at his fluffy chin while his expression remained unchanging. "Well, that is some troubling news. That last creep was a threat to the whole planet, after all."


    A tiny cat was walking and talking, right before my eyes. I''d definitely need to adjust to the weirdness going forward, but it was definitely a lot to get used to.


    What if Korin and Beerus are somehow related? Come to think about it, what the heck is Puar? And that weird cat that''s always on Bulma''s dad''s shoulder?


    Discarding these thoughts, I cleared my throat and focused on Korin. "If... it''s not too much to ask, Master Korin, we''d like to ask that you prepare as many senzu beans as you can in the coming year."


    The feline scratched at the back of his head. "Well... the thing is, that''s now always up to me. The beans can be a peculiar breed, requiring extensive care and maintenance. I''ll do what I can, but it''s be irresponsible of me to make promises," the feline stated. Slowly, he made his way to a small wicker basket that he proceeded to open up. After a few seconds, he held up his paw to reveal three beans. "Here''s what I got for now. Feel free to use ''em in your training if you need them!"


    He was quick to toss the beans my way, which I promptly caught and pocketed. Come to think about it, I couldn''t recall an instance of Bulma seeing a senzu bean. Perhaps she could put them to good use?


    "There''s one more thing I wanted to ask Master Korrin. Back when King Piccolo was rampaging around the earth, I''ve heard you gave Goku some kind of magic water to boost his strength," I began. "Perhaps... you could do the same for us? There''s no way of knowing how effective it''ll be, but we''re going to need plenty of help to handle these incoming Saiyans."


    Krillin nodded. "I mean it sounds pretty risky, but... with how outmatched we all were against Raditz, we need to pull out all the stops. Goku will be back in time, but... just in case something goes wrong, we need to be ready to do what we can," the short monk stated.


    "The Ultra Divine Water eh...? Almost forgot I had that. Fortunately I should have enough for you all... But I should warn you, this stuff is pretty dangerous. Goku nearly died from a cup of it."


    "Then... I''ll take the first sip, just to test it. And if I die, the others will know to avoid it, and I can try King Kai''s training too," I offered. My three allies yelped in shock, with Chiaotzu staring at me in wide-eyed horror.


    Krillin swallowed hard. "T-Tien, are you sure? This is death we''re talking about, and you''re sounding pretty casual about it!" he said.


    "Yeah dude, I mean... we''re in danger, but dying for the sake of training sounds a bit much," Yamcha hastily added.


    I shrugged in return. "I have to try. And if Goku could handle it when he was weaker than King Piccolo, then... I''d give us good odds."


    I just barely caught a glimpse of Korin disappearing through the accessway, no doubt going for the water. Krillin took in a heavy breath and turned his attention to Yajirobe. "So uh... you wanna help us out Yajirobe? This kind of effects you too, ya know."


    Yajirobe grumbled, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Yeah... I guess. I ain''t drinking any of that gross water though! Been down that road before..."


    I suppose Yajirobe has his uses. Or at least, if Nappa or Vegeta go Oozaru, he can chop some tail. Not that that would be necessary if I can pick up Krillin''s Destructo Disc. Or prevent Vegeta from doing that ''fake moon'' shit.


    Once Korin returned, clutching a small white kettle in his right hand, and a matching cup resting on his tail, he glanced my way (Or I assumed as much, with his eyes being perpetually shut) and set the kettle down. I entered the tower, inspecting the container and the small Kami symbol imprinted on the porcelain.


    "You sure you wanna go through with this? It''s not fun," Korin warned. Regardless, he proceeded to fill the cup with the most unnaturally clear water I had ever seen. It sparkled, even with no light upon it.


    "Getting torn apart by alien invaders sounds even less fun," I pointed out. If I died, I could hopefully at least go for Snake Way too.


    I held the cup to my lips and sniffed it. Nothing. It had the same non-scent as regular water. And yet... something about it just seemed off. Maybe it was my own looming sense of dread.


    Regardless I bit the bullet and threw my head back, downing the cup in one fluid gulp. Krillin and Chiaotzu yelped in unison, jumping back from me. Yamcha went rigid, staring at me as if he expected me to just... explode.


    Well, I didn''t. But it sure felt like it for a moment.


    Some kind of strangled scream escaped my throat, every nerve in my body howling in white hot pain that had me dropping the cup and clenching my fists tight. Sweat broke out along my body. My muscles tensed, my breathing became harder until my throat began to burn.


    "T-Tien! Tien don''t die!" Chiaotzu cried out, rushing to my side.


    I fell back hard on the cobblestone floor, writhing and sweating, while my heart beat so fast it felt as if it was trying to punch out my ribcage. Korin stood by, impassive, while Yajirobe was on edge from what I could make out through my increasingly blurry vision.


    Then it all went dark.


    -----------------


    However long I was out, the skies beyond the tower were jet black by the time I could open my eyes. A noise, croaking and breathless, rose from my throat.


    "H-hey, he''s waking up!" Sounded like Yamcha, but it was as if the voice was coming from miles away.


    Slowly, with great difficulty and soreness, I worked to sit upright in a cold sweat.


    "Easy buddy, easy. Geez... you''ve been down for a while..." Krillin moved under my right arm, helping to support the bulk of my body. I muttered thanks, or tried too anyway. It just came out as some slurred blob of malformed syllables.


    "Toldja that water was gross," Yajirobe flatly said.


    My balance began to steady, my vision following soon after. "Point... proven..." I huffed, wincing my left eye.


    Korin nodded faintly, not even at eye level with me even while I was seated. "It''s not meant to be a walk in the park. But you survived, so it must''ve worked."


    Chiaotzu made his way around to my left, breathing a loud sigh of relief. "Do you feel any stronger Tien? That stuff hit you pretty hard," the mime-boy said.


    "I... think so..." Everything felt a little fuzzy, and it was a challenge to make much sense of my own body right now. I reached my right hand up, swiftly clenching my fist. The temple shook briefly around us, tremors rolling down the ivory column that supported it, and nearly knocking the others off balance entirely.


    "Easy! Easy! This tower isn''t exactly built for rockin'' all over the place!" Korin exclaimed.


    I think it was safe to assume it had worked, but I couldn''t quite tell by how much. I hoped, at least, that I was stronger than Goku had been when he fought Raditz. But I suppose my ultimate preference was that I could match Raditz himself. Time would tell, and I was gonna be training excessively regardless.


    It took me a few minutes before I could stand up, my left hand wiping the sweat from my bald head. "Then I think that''s a clear sign that you guys can take some too... Take your time. Kami''s Lookout is near here, right?"


    "Above us. Ya should announce yourself before you land. Mr. Popo can get defensive... then again, you all met Kami before," Korin explained.


    I eventually maid my way to the railing, my strength soon fully returning to me. As I peered upward, I could hear Krillin and Yamcha debating the Ultra Divine Water.


    "So uh... you wanna...?" Yamcha began,


    "No no! After you!" Krillin nervously replied.


    "I mean uh... th-that''s cool, I''m not even thirsty!" the former-bandit said.


    "Oh for... just drink the damn water! We don''t have all year!" I shouted over my shoulder. Leaving them to it, I vaulted the railing and swooped my body skyward.


    A thin layer of clouds parted above me, revealing the floating structure of Kami''s weird sky palace. I swiftly roamed under the hemispherical base, admittedly taking a bit of time on the way up. The Lookout looked cool, what can I say?


    Coming up over the deck, I let my gaze roam along the small rows of trees that marked the front edge of the Lookout, until my eyes hit the main temple structure of the Lookout. Mr. Popo was watering the flowerbeds near the doorway, seeming not to notice me.


    And yet, I couldn''t shake the feeling that he was all too aware of my presence.


    "Uh... excuse me?" I called out.


    "Yes? Can I help you?" I bristled a bit at Popo''s words, but steadily calmed down. After the Abridged Series, it was easy to forget that Popo was ultimately a kindhearted, well meaning (but kinda racist) genie. It''d take some time to get used to it.


    Clearing my throat, I asked "Do you... happen to know who I am?"


    "Yes, Tien Shinhan. One of Goku''s friends. Kami was expecting an appearance from you, and earth''s other warriors. Goku may be training in the Other World, but that doesn''t give you an excuse to rest on your laurels."


    "No, it doesn''t," I agreed. But training up here alone would accomplish little, beyond landing most of us in an early grave. It''d make for a nice training ground until Bulma finished the gravity chamber. "If it''s okay with you, we were hoping to do some training up here on the Lookout. "


    "The situation being the way it is, and with the danger posed by the Saiyans, Kami is willing to allow it." The portly genie rose to his feet, his hands clasped behind his back. "Provided you don''t damage the Lookout, at least."


    I gave Popo a firm nod. "Well, I greatly appreciate it. But I had another reason for coming out here."


    Floating down, I landed a few feet in front of Popo. He tilted his head slightly, a bit of mild curiosity in his expression. "Ah? And what might that be?"


    For my time here, I wanted to try and learn plenty of techniques outside of the ones that make people explode. Tien already knew the Evil Containment Wave, which could be a handy tool, but I had a particular interest in picking up this next skill for the sake of training.


    "I''m given to understand you and Kami know a technique that can create objects and clothing ''magically'', so to speak... could you please," I gave the genie a respectful bow. "Teach it to me?"


    "Oh? You wish to learn Magic Materialization?" the genie calmly asked. He silently looked me over for a few seconds, seeming to inspect me on several levels. "Well," Popo eventually said. "If you''re going to be on the Lookout, I''m sure we can find time teach you some new tricks."

 Chapter 55 - My SI Stash #55 - One Foot In the Void by The Master Artificer (My Hero Academia)

    -Another MHA SI fic~


    *Amerikajin SI has a quirk that works like Limbo from the game Warframe.


    ¦·(£þ?£þ)¦·


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: T


    Words: 38K (smol ?(¡¥¦ê¡¥?)


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/one-foot-in-the-void-my-hero-academia-si.773116/threadmarks (The Master Artificer)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    So I finally got this off.


    This is a thing I''d been working on for a while, trying to figure out how to make this idea work and finally was able to get this out to air. Honestly, Warframe has so many ideas to take and form Quirks from, but instead of something with straightforward combat power like Excalibur, Chroma, or Inaros, I figured I''d go with a Warframe that was more of a "support" unit, and Limbo''s abilities surrounding the Rift Plane was a perfect idea to work with.


    Oh, and if you think that this is the only Warframe-related thing to show up in this story...oh, I have plans...


    ***


    Issue 1: Puberty? Again!?


    Japan.


    I didn''t think I''d live to be able to finally say I went there, but I made it.


    I had always wanted to go to Japan, you see. It was never because of any one thing I could point to, but it was always because fate seemed to blow a strange wind in my direction, and it always seemed to come from there. But, after managing to get a job working in a kitchen for a high-end restaurant at a local casino, I had spent much of my time saving for this and getting everything set up so I could take this trip and ultimately seek out what it was that was calling me this way.


    I figured it''d come from some big life-changing event, like at the top of Tokyo Tower or something like that.


    I wasn''t expecting it from the moment I got off the goddamn plane.


    It was right as I was passing through the gate to enter through customs, and in between steps, I just saw my world just...change. I thought it was just because I was giddy from excitement or maybe I was crashing from the sugar rush, because one of my ways of helping ward off airsickness was to eat a lot of Skittles. I don''t like gum, sue me.


    But anyway, I was mid-step and the whole just seemed to warp and bend, with black outlines everywhere like someone was messing around with the contrast of my eyesight. And then my foot came down, and all was well again.


    Spooky.


    Anyway, once I managed to be sure it had passed, I dug out my passport from my jacket and started making my way towards customs when I stopped.


    It''s not mine.


    The picture is wrong. I have more hair than I used to, I don''t have a beard or mustache. My birthday is wrong. The day and month are right (January 2nd, if you''re curious), but the year? When the hell did I go back fourteen years? But if I went back in time like I''m doing the time warp again, there shouldn''t be any flatscreens. Or at least...not as many? I don''t know, I didn''t visit a lot of international airports when I was fifteen!


    "Next!"


    I tried to compose myself, to be ready for the inevitable shit hurricane about to come down on my head as I stepped forward and handed over my passport to the customs agent.


    "How long do you plan to stay in Japan, Wendells-san?"


    Wendells!?


    I had created a character with a last name Wendells. Ian Giles Wendells. I made him several years ago as a rival to a main character I had created for one of my fanfics that I''d had plans for but never got around to actually writing, like so many others before it. British, haughty, a bit of a troll at times, but mostly to hide his vulnerabilities since he was basically meant to be a kind of Alexander Hamilton-esque guy who came from nothing and became the best at what he did. But obviously, that is not my real name. As I slowly start going insane from the sheer what-the-f.u.c.k-ery that has just occurred in the last thirty minutes, I try to stay with what my original travel plans were.


    "A year. Maybe more."


    My Japanese was suddenly flawless. I was okay at it before, but now I''m basically bilingual. I still have a pretty noticeable accent, but at least it''s American and not British. Small victories, I suppose. And then I caught myself: a year!? I was only going to spend two weeks bopping around the country!


    The guard looks at me and back down at my passport, stamps it, and hands it over. "Welcome to Japan."


    "Arigatou gozaimasu..." I barely got the words out before I was bounding down the hallway to grab the first phone I can find, now in full-on panic, only to remember I needed to convert my money first before I got that far. My head was spinning, and I wasn''t quite sure how to calm myself because I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!


    What was going on? If something happened to me, what did that mean for everything else in my life, like my family, or my friends, or anything else of my past? If this wasn''t a time warp, what was it? How do I get back? And most important of all, why couldn''t this happen to some poor sod in Brazil, for the love of Sneaky-!


    I dashed instead into the nearest bathroom, stared at my(new)self and gave myself a good slug right in the center of my forehead, hoping whatever''s decided to clog up my brain to make me start seeing all this shit has cleared out. Nothing changed. I''m still stuck in a glitch in the Matrix, or something like that. Okay, Ian ¨C apparently, that''s my name now ¨C one thing at a time. There''s still plenty of things that could be responsible for this. For now, I should load up on everything I needed to get before I actually stepped into the country proper.


    I stepped out of the bathroom, headed to a money transfer unit to cash in everything in my wallet, and bought a burner phone, because my American smartphone isn''t going to work on Japanese networks. I grabbed my things from baggage claim and made my way towards the exit. Originally, I was going to just call a taxi and head to my room in Tokyo to set up shop for my trek. Clearly, that was all out the window now, so that just begged the question: if I''m no longer here as myself taking a vacation, but as some minor who has no connection to anything of the old me...what am I doing here?


    "Heeey! Wendells-san!"


    Hearing my new name, I oriented myself towards who was calling me.


    And there, at the bottom of the escalator, I saw three people, two of them waving at me and holding up a sign with my (new) name in katakana (¡¸¥¤¥¢¥ó ¥¬¥¤¥¢¥º ¥¦¥§¥ó¥Ç¥ë¥¹¡¹). And one of them pretty much made my jaw hit the floor.


    That''s Katsuki Bakugou.


    Yeah. Lord Explosion Murder himself, looking like his usual pissy self.


    ¡­


    "Oh no."


    The phrase, almost Baymax-like in tone, was all that left my mouth. I didn''t even step off the escalator, just fell down, stock straight, right into the metal floor.


    It all made sense now.


    I''m now in My Hero Academia''s Japan.


    "You alright, kid?" I hear Bakugou''s mom ask as she came over.


    "...I''ve been ROB''d."


    "Huh? Robbed?"


    The drive back to town was rather quiet, mostly because I was still trying to process everything around being absolutely wowed by the sights of another country. But more so because I was hoping not to set off Bakugou and his mom. I knew from experience that his parents were at least okay. Dad was basically a typical dad (and reminded me of my own, half a universe away) and Mom, while she definitely was the source of Bakugou''s bad temper, was at least amicable more ways than not, especially compared to Bakugou. Thing is, though, his mom was driving, so in the interest of trying to get me and Bakugou to interact, Bakugou''s dad was playing a game of rapid-fire twenty questions with me, while Bakugou, in typical Bakugou fashion, was in his usual state of I-don''t-give-a-f.u.c.k.


    "So, Wendells-san, where are you from?"


    "California."


    "Oh! So you''re from the land of the big stars!"


    I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Apparently that particular stereotype was still alive and well. "Yeah, but I''m not actually from the LA area. I''m from Indio."


    "Indio?"


    "You know where Coachella and Stagecoach are? That place."


    "...well, that''s still a big thing, right?"


    "Sure, for all of a month out of the year," I grumbled. "Outside of that, ain''t nothing there but sand, golf, and windmills. And 50-plus degree summers on the constant."


    I wasn''t sure if that was the accurate comparison between Fahrenheit and Celsius, but I guess it was enough for Bakugou''s dad to get the point. Bakugou, of course, said nothing. Then his mom spoke up. "Katsuki, you going to talk to Wendells-san at all? He''s going to be staying with us for the rest of the year!"


    "Why should I?" asked Bakugou.


    "Because it''s polite!" Bakugou''s mom snapped.


    "What the f.u.c.k, Mom!"


    "Language, Katsuki!"


    "This happen a lot?" I asked Bakugou''s dad, even though I already knew the answer.


    "Less than you''d think," Bakugou''s dad sighed.


    And then Bakugou''s mom asked a question. "Are you planning on attending UA like Katsuki?"


    Suddenly, I could feel Bakugou''s aura shift, and not in a good way. All at once, he was very interested, even if he didn''t say a word. No, it was that he was staring at me with one red eye, and even I could tell he was daring me to say yes, just so he could rip my tongue out for even suggesting he could run with the likes of him.


    Do I pat the tiger bearing his fangs on the head, or should I sock him in the face?


    "It''s on the list. There are a few other places I''m considering." Survey says: split the difference and make him sweat. Wait, his sweat is what makes him explosive, right? Okay, let''s not do that. Or at least make him sweat figuratively.


    Bakugou just scoffs and then goes back to staring out the window. As I do, I happen to see a large figure suddenly rise up amidst the cityscape. A woman. Mt. Lady. A woman with a superpower to becomeas tall as some city skyscr.a.p.ers.


    This was going to take some getting used to.


    Bakugou''s house was in a Japanese suburb in Mustafu, not far from Tokyo proper, which made sense considering he was going to the same school as Midoriya prior to UA. I was given the tour and the spare bedroom, which was right next door to Bakugou''s. I had suppress a mirthless laugh. Mornings were gonna be fun fun fun fun fun fun FUN trying to compete with this guy in the morning.


    I started unpacking my stuff, which was a great time to take stock of what I had on me.


    I had taken two bags with me, including my backpack, which was full of my usual roundup of electronic things. Chief among them was my laptop. It was still the same as when I had it replaced with my old one when I fried the power system. Canned air, gaming mouse and headphones. I set up on the nearby desk and turned it on. Surprisingly, my suite of games was still on there: League of Legends, MTG Arena, Rainbow Six: Siege, and Starcraft II. More importantly, a novel that I had been working on for the last few years was still there, too. If that didn''t survive the trip, I probably would''ve had an aneurysm.


    The rest of my stuff was clothes, enough to last maybe a week and half, and a couple of books on Japan I had to help refresh my memory on the culture. There was nothing about hero culture in them, though. That was going to come back to bite me in the ass sooner rather than later.


    With a few more minutes until dinner was called, I decide to do something that was probably going to set the whole tone of how this was going to go. I pulled out my (Japanese) smartphone, and dialed one number: the one for home.


    "We''re sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service-"


    I hung up, not even wanting to hear the rest as I flopped onto the bed.


    On my own in a foreign country with a host brother that would not hesitate to make my life hell and only one and a half parents to keep him in check.


    A normal person would''ve broken down and cried.


    Me? I almost broke my new phone throwing it to the ground and screaming a low, gurgling scream into the pillow.


    School started the next day, and I was going to Aldera Middle with Bakugou. And it looked like he wanted absolutely nothing to do with me, and just gave me a glare when I tried to match his pace. So I just kind of let him go, as we had a few extra minutes before class actually began. I had to introduce myself to the teacher in the office before class began, kind of like Persona 3 and 5. Sadly, no Mama Kawakami equivalent to be found here, although he did look at least mildly impressed to meet an actual American transfer student. It also came with a comment on how "heroic" I looked, having remained 6''1 and some semblance of muscle mass.


    Not sure what the teacher was on, I was a nerd through-and-through and pretty much had the body to show for it, as far I was concerned.


    And then...along came the introductions.


    I took the chalk and scribbled my name in both English and katakana on the board and turned to the class and presented myself from the front of the class.


    "Hello, all. My name''s Ian Giles Wendells. I''m from the United States, and I''ll be staying here for the rest of the year. Please, take care of me."


    Bakugou just glared his usual glare. I could see Midoriya, looking at me with something between curiosity and awe. It made me wonder if I was going to have my own entry in his "Notes For the Future" series, even if I hadn''t shown a Quirk yet. Did I even have one? I''d hate to be another Quirkless guy who sticks out in a Quirky world like Midoriya. Or worse, I''d end up being the one who ends up taking One For All from him.


    ...knowing my luck, that''s exactly how this was going to go.


    And the question was asked.


    "What do you want to do for a living, Wendells-san?"


    Bakugou was suddenly all ears again, like he was in the car the day I arrived the last time the question popped up. I merely shrugged and replied, "Pro hero. Chef. Author. Pro gamer. Maybe all four. Haven''t quite decided yet."


    By God, the look on Bakugou''s face. If he could make me explode by boring holes into my soul with his eyes¡­ "Like hell you''re going to be a pro hero. Only one person in this school is going to UA and be the Number One hero, and that''s me. Not you, and not that Quirkless shit Deku."


    Midoriya jumped, hearing his name mentioned.


    "Iunno, now I might just become all four just to spite you," I said airily. "What''cha gonna do about it?"


    Bakugou huffed, folding his arms. "Whatever. F.u.c.k.i.n.g nerd."


    I was actually kind of surprised. I was thinking that he''d probably leap out of his chair to attack me. But instead, he just kind of waved me off like a dismissive food critic, wrecking some poor restaurateur''s dreams with a gesture of "indifference." I figured he knew it would look bad if his host brother came back from school with a black eye that he gave him. Of course, that would change if I did decide to become a pro hero.


    With what Quirk? That smarmy part of my brain said.


    Feeling mildly defeated, I instead took my seat in the back, feeling the gaze of everyone on me. I looked towards Midoriya, and he promptly looked away, frantically scribbling into a notebook. I pulled out the textbook everyone had and started taking notes.


    The rest of the day wasn''t really noteworthy. Well, except for a handful of girls who were now swarming me, asking me questions about the States and what guys and heroes were like there. I hadn''t paid attention to the American stuff in the series, although I knew they were a bit more lax with Quirks than they were here...which I could totally see, unfortunately. If Quirks were anything like guns, most people would be defending the right to use Quirks however they wanted with all the fire they would put towards defending the Second Amendment. It makes sense when you think about how the South tends to be.


    But what was more important was that I decided to head into town to take in the rest of the area after school. Because that''s where things really took off at MACH 2 for me.


    I just happened to be walking down the street, looking around at what was around. I did notice there was an arcade in town, but I didn''t want to go in, knowing I''d get sucked into the gameplay and probably end up getting back to school late. And then someone came out of a store nearby. It was hard not to recognize her, that black hair, the innocent black eyes.


    What was Momo Yaoyorozu doing out in Mustafu? Didn''t she live way further north, in Aichi? I guess since she was a lock for UA, she had moved here, or was in the process thereof. We passed each other briefly in the street, and we locked eyes for all of a second.


    And then I just kept walking.


    Well, that was rather anticlimactic-


    "LOOK OUT!"


    Someone shouted something from up high. I spun around on my heel.


    There was a huge pane of glass falling from the sky. It was going to fall on Momo''s head. Glass that size was heavy, heavy enough to¡­


    It was going to kill her.


    No.


    No way!


    Was this particular timeline I was in so cruel as to off Momo before she even showed up at UA!?


    I started running, but even as I did, I could tell I was way off-tempo. Momo had frozen, and if she was going to create something that could save her, she''d never get it off in time, either. She was going to die, and I would be six feet from her splattered remains.


    But I still kept running, hoping for a miracle.


    I couldn''t let this happen!


    I had to do something!


    And that''s when I heard it.


    Think of a line.


    A line?


    Think of a line that separates two sides. You and that girl exist on one side.


    I was still running towards Momo, despite knowing I was still gonna be way too late to save her. But maybe...if this is really MHA, and I was brought here for a reason, then I had to have a Quirk. I had to!


    Push her to the other side.


    I can''t reach her, though!


    Push her to the other side.


    I take a flying leap, stretching out my arms. And in that moment, I see something ripple out from my hands, invisible save only for a minor crackle of red energy.


    The window fell and shattered.


    And Momo was perfectly fine, despite being surrounded by a ton of shattered glass. For some reason, I was too, even though I was resting on some pretty big and nasty shards. What? And then, when I looked around, I noticed that the world around me was different again. The world was twisting and bending a little, like reality itself was distorting. All except for Momo; she looked like she was still her normal self.


    "What the¡­?" Momo asked, looking around.


    This was my Quirk, apparently.


    And the thing is, I kind of knew what this looked like.


    This was suspiciously a whole lot like what the Rift Plane looked like in Warframe.


    Did that mean my Quirk functioned like Limbo''s abilities?


    ...I''m gonna kill that Man in the Wall for this.

 Chapter 56 - My SI Stash #56 - Godhood: For Dummies by intata (Avengers)

    -Hey! You''d be glad to know that have once again re enabled Power Stone voting for this stash~


    ©c(;¨Œ;)¥Î


    *SI as Star Prince''s brother. Yes like Peter he''s got the OP powers of a Celestial. I mean with the meta knowledge, he really has got everything to be unstoppable~


    (£à_¡ä)©g


    Sypnosis: Reborn as the twin brother to Peter Quill, Nathan goes his own way because, as awesome as the Marvel universe is, he wants to live his second chance to the fullest. Too bad everything wants to kill him. [Rated M for language and violence. Citrus is undecided.]


    Rated: M


    Words: 55K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13085438/1/Godhood-For-Dummies (intata)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    This is mostly going to be in the MCU, though I''ll be taking a bit here and there from the comics. Just picture a sort of alternate MCU. I''mma call it Earth-199999.7 (If you didn''t know, Earth-616 is the main Marvel universe, and Earth-199999 is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There''s a bazillion in between).


    So I basically took the idea that Peter Quill (Starlord) was the son of a frickin Celestial, and ran with it. GotG found a way to prevent him from being OP by making it so that he was only able to use his ''Celestial powers'' when he was drawing them from ol'' daddy Ego; but then they also made him a bit of an idiot too, meaning he wouldn''t ever try again.


    I am of the belief that Peter would have been able to use some form of those powers had he spent some time trying to figure them out on his own. Granted I also believe that they would be much less potent than they were when he was drawing power from daddy - Peter being half human and all. Meaning that he probably wouldn''t be able to use them effectively inside a normal human lifespan.


    Now if you''re not aware of what a Celestial is; they''re ridiculous. The first of them existed long before the first iteration of the Infinity Stones, and are essentially Gods of Creation. They have powers over energy and matter manipulation that put most things to shame, and are the only beings capable of easily wielding the Infinity Stones. They are not omnipotent in any sense, though. Picture them as superpowered versions of Odin that can manipulate their own energy to physically create things on a whim. We don''t actually know the full extent of their abilities.


    You get it. They''re powerful. So what?


    Well¡­ I did a thing.


    Our story starts Sixteen years into the life of one Nathan Quill; twin brother to Peter Quill, son of Meredith Quill and Ego. He is the son of a Celestial, and he knows it too, because a lifetime ago he liked to read comics and saw this one series of movies.


    These are his adventures:


    Nathan couldn''t help it; he was too excited to keep the smile from his face. It took him eight years. Eight years to work up the confidence and skill to split from the rest of the Ravagers without getting caught. He stood now on the deck of a small spacecraft, orbiting an oceanic planet in the Andromeda galaxy. The planet''s name? Morag. The spacecraft''s name? M''D.i.c.k.


    He even painted it on the side a few nights ago, right after he stole it from some pink humanoid thing at a fuel station.


    He had been tracking this particular ship for a couple months, just waiting for a chance to grab it without the Ravagers noticing. The ship was a rare find in the sector the Yondu Ravager Clan was based out of. Nathan wanted it because it was a small exploration and recon pod, specializing in mining operations. The amenities on board were common enough, save for one, and it was small enough to avoid most heavy smuggling checks. The first thing he did, though, was remove any tracking systems, which meant he had to almost completely reprogram the navigation system. It was outfitted with a hyperspace drive core, some basic storage capabilities, decent planetary scanners, small workbench with a hard-light analyzer, and most importantly; it was a submersible. As in, it would be structurally sound in the far reaches of empty space, as well as the dark depths of oceans. That last bit was the main reason he selected this ship to commandeer. Why? Well that was because of his plans regarding the planet he now orbited.


    Morag. An oceanic planet with warm to moderate temperatures and an oxygen rich environment. The ball of dirt''s surface was about ninety-eight percent water, with only one percent livable landmass. The last one percent was taken up by an active volcano. There was also a very popular vacation area on the planet, visited because of its consistently pleasant climate, sandy beaches, and stunning view of the solar system at night. Morag did orbit an eclipsing binary star system after all.


    The planet hadn''t always been so waterlogged, though. Thousands of years ago, there was a thriving civilization that spanned the globe. Billions of sentient creatures going about their daily lives, none expecting one of their suns to suddenly go into an overheating cycle, melting the planetary ice caps and catastrophically flooding the entire surface. Since then, every three hundred years, the star had done, and will do, so again; evaporating so much of the oceans that a further forty-seven percent of the surface could once again be landed on. Of course you would have to wait for the atmosphere to cool enough, at which point there is a few-day-long window that can be used to explore the surface before the following heavy rains; flooding the surface once more.


    Over the course of a few days, because of an unstable star, billions of people died.


    But they had left something behind, and right now Nathan was pretty much the only one who knew what that something was. To everyone else this place would be just a rumor for another seventeen-ish years when the sea level would lower and the temple ruins get spotted, and subsequently reported. The ex-Ravager was not; however, visiting the planet while its surface was clear. It was still quite wet down there, and was precisely why he needed a submersible ship.


    "Structure Found. Analyzing path. Warning: Intense undersea currents in area. Suggestion: Proceed with caution," said the computerized voice of the navigation system.


    Nathaniel''s grin nearly split his face. He moved away from the observation window and sat back down in the pilot seat, kicking the ship out of orbit and making his way towards the undersea structure.


    It took him about ten minutes to reach the waters directly above the structure. "Alice, start mapping the Temple and get me an overlay up front for the undersea currents."


    "Mapping in progress. C.o.c.kpit overlay display ready¡­ Presenting water current projection."


    The glass in front of the pilot seat blinked for a second as a holographic image of blue tubes with various colored arrows appeared. The colored arrows represented the severity of the currents, where the tubes were the currents themselves. Simple stuff, really. All he had to do was avoid the ''tubes''. The sixteen-year-old was rather proud of the new software around the ship, as he had written most of it himself. When he gutted the navigation system, he was also given the opportunity to upgrade certain other features. Alice was one of them.


    In Nathan''s past life, he had been a bit of a cyber nut. He had gotten into programming and working with computers early on, and liked to think he was pretty decent at it. Taking classes up through a Bachelor''s degree in Cyber Security and a Master''s in Artificial Intelligence development, he stuck his head into that life pretty hard. He wasn''t a genius by any means, but he was dedicated. The farthest he had ever officially gotten was in the creation of an intelligent, multipurpose defense software when he was in his mid thirties. For the next ten years, he and his team had continuously upgraded it until he had reached a pinnacle. What they had created was widely seen as the perfect cyber defensive net and information gathering system. No other system could compare to it, at least. It was the first true AI, after all.


    Then over the course of a year and two months, his entire team started to systematically disappear. They were the only ones that knew the inner workings of the system; the only ones who might have stood a chance in blocking it for a time, or possibly recreating it.


    He didn''t work for the government, instead having brought his team together in their off hours, or through phone calls across the country. They had all met in certain communities online, or were professionals who attended talks and conferences. The AI wasn''t a paid creation. It was a fun past-time. A hobby for everyone involved. But then it happened, and all of his friends started dying because of it. What they created was apparently ''too effective'', or at least that''s what the masked man said, right before he pulled the trigger.


    Then he woke up as the son of Meredith Quill, a beautiful woman in her early twenties that was obsessed with new music from nearly fifty years in his own past. It seemed he was the victim of some sort of time-jump rebirth, having died in the year 2024, and born again in 1980. 1981 was spent on the whole: just freaking out.


    He never had much of a relationship with his parents from before, but it was impossible not to care for the ray of absolute sunshine that was Meredith Quill. He quickly grew to love the girl, as did his twin brother, Peter, who clung to her nearly every waking moment. Peter was his best friend in this life, regardless of how reckless and prideful he was. Oh they hated each other in the beginning; Peter being jealous of any attention their mother paid Nathan, and Nathan being utterly and totally annoyed at the resulting fits. That changed; however, when Meredith Quill, the happiest twenty-nine-year-old on earth, died of a brain tumor. With a smile on her face, she whispered her last ''I love you'', nudging over two small presents, and asking to hold their hands. Nathan did so almost immediately, but Peter didn''t. She smiled at Nathan warmly, but he could see the hurt in her eyes as she turned to Peter.


    "Peter?" She had called, and the heartbeat monitor went flat.


    Peter had to be dragged out of the room by their grandfather, kicking and screaming, while Nathan cried quietly, not wanting to let go of his mother. In the end, though, he allowed himself to be lead out of the room so the doctors could work. There, he found his brother bolting out of the hospital. He followed.


    Then they were abducted by aliens.


    F.u.c.k.i.n.g insult-to-injury, right?


    Anyway, after that things started to click. Names started to ring bells and events started to make sense: He was in the Marvel Universe¡­ The Cinematic one, too, because in the comics Meredith was murdered in cold blood by an alien, and Peter wasn''t abducted by Yondu at the tender age of eight.


    The next eight years of their lives sucked; being the defacto grunts of the Yondu Ravager Clan, but Nathan couldn''t really be happier. Growing up in the eighties, with access to none of the technology he was used to, made a man who spent the majority of his existence creating an AI, very unhappy. That changed almost immediately when he joined the Ravagers.


    He was given access to tech that far surpassed what he was used to in his previous life, and the opportunity to fiddle with it all. He started out as a basic mechanic under a man - at least he thought it was male - named J''gaar. J''gaar was outrageously fat, had purple, studded skin, and a flat face with a partial overbite. He was an alright guy most of the time, but hated answering questions, which Nathan had a lot of.


    After a year or so, Nathan had finally learned enough about the technology to recreate his baby: the AI, which he named Alice in honor of being the only thing he brought with him down the rabbit hole to new life.


    This immediately put him in good standing with the Ravager group, as AIs were expensive. Oh they totally existed in this universe, and were even readily available too, for the right price, but due to the nature of being intelligent, they couldn''t be stolen. One had to either buy it legit, or make their own. The Ravagers were all marked criminals though, meaning no one would even consider selling them an AI.


    Originally, Alice was a program that was given a directive, and went about a systematic intelligent approach to solve that directive. After completion, she would simply wait for the next order. The original program was completely objective based, but after living with the Ravagers for an extended period and gotten his hands on bits of some AI source code, he was able to add a reactive element to Alice, making her more life-like.


    She wasn''t complete by any means, still very much a computer with no personality, but if he could make her more self-aware, then she would be a true intelligence like she had been back in his previous life. As of now, though, she was just a multipurpose tool. It was unfortunate, really, but he couldn''t recreate the AI from his old world completely. There, he had a team of people all working towards it, all knowing different aspects of the code to different extents. Here, he had himself, and a couple reference materials. Not nearly enough.


    The next step in her evolution would probably come about by picking Tony Stark''s brain, who already had an AI by the first Iron Man movie. That; however, happened in the later 2000''s, and he joined the Ravagers in 1988. It would be a while.


    Turning back to his expedition on Morag, Nathan grinned at the underwater obstacle course in front of him, having played enough video games to actually find this fun.


    The Sixteen-year-old cut the engines and let the ship drop into the water with a splash, then flipped a switch on the dashboard in front of him, revving up the under-sea repulsors and eased into the throttle. Yondu always said he was a terrible flier, and that Peter was the natural with a HOTAS. Anyone who rode with Nathan was going to throw up afterwards.


    So he was a little jerky with the stick, and the throttle was either at full tilt, or null. Doesn''t mean he was a bad pilot. He still got where you needed in the end, without a single scratch too, and that''s what matters¡­ Well that''s all that mattered to him at least.


    Not to mention he was flying a spaceship. That part was awesome.


    ''It''s kind of weird that I remembered the name of this planet. Out of all the things I could have remembered from the movie, what made my mind say ''Morag! Now that''s a name I''ll use in the future!''? I mean I''m glad I did, but come on, brain! Remember more important things!'' He thought as he pulled up to the entrance of the Temple.


    He sat there for a second, admiring the architecture, before continuing on through a gap in the columns and further into the depths of the ruins. Soon, though, he came across a door blocking his path. He just grinned.


    Hopping out of the pilot seat, he jumped toward the back of the ship to the small air-lock and quickly donned a pressure suit. The suit was just a vest and helmet, where the vest did little more than relieve pressure on his diaphragm, and the helmet did the same for his head, but with added goggles and six-hour air supply. He spared a brief moment of jealousy towards the movie version of his brother for having that magical fricken helmet. He knew his actual brother didn''t have the damn thing yet, but apparel with Holographic Materialization was f.u.c.k.i.n.g complicated. Nathan had been working on trying to reverse-engineer the technology, but never got very far with it.


    With Nathan''s normal, boring pressure suit now on, he cleared the air-lock and opened the hatch, pulling himself into the water. From there, he swam forward and picked the rotational lock on the door. Two minutes later he was looking at what he came here for.


    An orb, floating lightly within multiple plasma-mesh barriers.


    He pulled out a small triangular device and laid it next to the orb''s display. If he was being honest with himself, he felt like he was cheating; just taking the exact same route as the movie version of his brother, and using the exact same tools. Taking a few steps back, he activated the device and watched as the orb was sucked through each plasma-mesh barrier, landing solidly on the center of the device.


    Two hours later, he had gone back to the surface, and found a place to park his ship on the planet. It took a while to find any land above the water, but he found a small island that looked big enough to park on. Having just done so, he got out of the pilot seat, grabbed the orb from the cup holder and brought it over to a small workbench.


    "Alice, I''m going to need a scan of the inner mechanisms of this orb," he said, holding up the orb in front of a small blue pyramid on the workbench.


    "Scanning." The pyramid pulsed, and a blue, flat laser swept over the orb a few times. "Scan complete. Object is a rotational puzzle sphere containing an unknown item."


    "Get me instructions for the puzzle."


    A hologram of the orb shot up over the little pyramid. "Step-by-step instructions displayed. Rotate right side by thirty-seven-point-two degrees."


    "Okay, this might take a while." Nathan said with a sigh.


    It did take a while.


    Six hours later, he was mentally exhausted, and on the last step of the puzzle. He didn''t complete it yet, though. He set the puzzle down, wanting to take a nap first, and not wanting to expose the contents until he was a sufficient distance from his ship. He was too exhausted to deal with the volatile item that the orb housed. So instead, he stood and looked out the window, finding that it was deep into the night cycle of the planet, he hopped back towards the small living quarters and slept until the dual suns rose in the morning.


    When he woke, Nathan hopped out of bed, took a quick shower, grabbed the orb, and went outside. As he stepped off the ship, he took a moment to just glance around, to really get a good look at his surroundings. The Island he was on couldn''t have been larger than a square mile. The far side of the island had a rocky outcropping that came to a small cliff overlooking the vast oceanic planet. Directly left of that was a rocky shore covered in moss that lead in towards some low-to-the-ground vegetation. To the right of the cliff, and stretching back towards where he landed his ship, was a flat, sandy beach that stretched a couple hundred meters out.


    Nodding to himself, he made his way over towards the cliff, but stopped before he left the beach. After he made sure he was at least a hundred meters from his ship, he took the orb and breathed in; slowly, worriedly, turning the last bit.


    The two halves of the orb came free, somehow still in line with each other and supporting the object he knew to be inside: the Power Stone. An Infinity Stone. Something he hoped wouldn''t kill him in the next five minutes.


    Carefully, he placed the suspended orb halves on a rock about waist-high, so that he would be able to reach the stone without having to support the orb as well. There he paused, taking a few deep breaths, trying to psych himself up for what he was about to do.


    He grinned to himself as he thought, ''I need an Ego boost. Ha! It''s funny because my dad''s name is ''Ego''''


    Pausing at the joke, he groaned. "I haven''t seen Peter in a week, and already I''m making shit jokes to replace him. Gah! I''m pathetic."


    He jumped up and down a couple times. His name was Nathan Quill. Abducted from his mother''s deathbed at the age of eight along with his twin brother Peter. Fraternal twin. Nathan was much more handsome, thank you. With his chiseled jawline, and flowing locks of auburn hair, he was more god than man. He was sure of it; he was half human, half Celestial, after all.


    It wasn''t as if he was going into this blind, either. Ever since he realized he was in the Marvel universe, and that he was Peter''s brother, he had been trying to access his Celestial side of the gene pool. After years of meditation and concentration, he finally managed to pull some of that blue energy from the center of his being. It was just a spark, though, and it knocked him out cold for the rest of the day. That was about three years ago, and since then he had practiced pulling more and more every night. However that was as far as he had ever gotten; limited to just pulling a minuscule amount of pure energy. He never had enough to use for anything, as in he could never pull enough, for long enough, to practice with. But that wasn''t the point. The point was that he had that power in the first place! It meant that he was truly the son of a Celestial, a being that could easily hold and use the Infinity Stones.


    ''Alright, confidence meter is overflowing, let''s do this!''


    Nathan took one last deep breath, reached forward, and wrapped his fist around the glowing purple gem.


    Pain.


    Immediately, a pain like none-other cascaded through every cell in his body. The Sixteen-year-old screamed, the agony too intense to realize that he could just drop it. He could feel his mortal flesh crackling with purple energy from the pure power coursing through him. His mind seemed to regress as well, only capable of single thought as long as the pain ruptured though his being.


    And then something inside of him pushed back. He couldn''t understand what that something was, or why it was familiar; not that he was trying to understand it in the first place. He just clung to it. A light in the darkness to beat the pain away. A blue light in the darkness¡­


    He noticed slowly, that the more he clung to the light, the more of the Stone''s power seemed to be funneled into it, fanning the flames and making the Stone''s direct influence lighter. So he funneled more and more power into the blue light, until finally the pain began to subside. It was still there, but not nearly as profound, allowing for the return of his mental faculties.


    At which point he realized he was on f.u.c.k.i.n.g fire!


    Blue, Celestial fire, and it didn''t burn, so it was OK. But still. That''s scary.


    Nathan continued to pour the power of the stone into his core, fanning the blue flames, but then he realized just how much larger those flames were than usual.


    Several hundred times larger than he was used to.


    He dropped the stone from his hand, allowing it to tumble into the sand below, and promptly collapsed to his knees. He took a deep breath in, and let it out slowly, darkness taking over his vision. All-in-all, that couldn''t have lasted more than two minutes, but he was pretty sure he had been screaming that whole time. And now his throat felt raw, and he was tired. Too tired to move properly, and the world was getting blurry.


    He was out before his head hit the sand.


    When he woke up, he was laying face-down on the beach, Power Stone just inches from his nose.


    Nathan scrambled up and backed away from the stone, nearly hyperventilating just from remembering the pain, but then as more memories came back to the forefront, he forced himself to calm down. He knew it wouldn''t be pleasant from the get-go. Hell, he was half expecting to just poof out of existence as soon as he touched it, so he couldn''t really say that it didn''t go well.


    Taking another couple deep breaths, he sat down to meditate through the experience, and almost immediately noticed a change within himself: what had previously been a small candle of Celestial blue energy within his gut, was now a raging bonfire. The Infinity Stone had somehow jump-started his energy reserves, and he was left gaping like a fish at the result.


    He tried moving the energy; like he had before, and was surprised at the ease that it came to him. He guided the energy through his arms and spread it across the skin of his hands, making them glow a soft blue with little to no strain, as opposed to what would have taken thirty minutes of concentration, and total exhaustion just the day before.


    Well, he supposed it had only been a short time since he had passed out, it looked to be about noon-ish, which meant according to the night-day cycle of the planet, he had only been out for a couple hours.


    While moving the energy, he quickly noticed something else: his senses seemed to expand into whatever the blue energy touched, meaning he could feel and understand the structure of his hands as if he was looking through an MRI scan. He wasn''t seeing, really, as this was more of a third-eye sort-of deal; seeing through the energy itself. He focused a little more, and realized that he could see deeper; as if he had taken a microscope and zoomed in. He could see the cellular structure of his skin, muscle, and bone¡­ However, he could also see something else.


    "Eww! Eww, gross!" He shook his hands frantically, as if he had just stuck his hand in a jar of mystery slime. "Is that bacteria? Is that what that looks like?! Eugh!"


    After a few minutes of rubbing his hands in the sand, trying in vain to wipe the bacteria off, he sighed and came to terms with taking a long, hot shower later. Taking a deep breath, again, he forced his mind to explore with his energy some more. He could already feel a little bit of the strain, but this was the farthest he had ever gotten in his control, and he wasn''t about to stop now.


    In the effort to not look at the disgusting micro-organisms that clung to his dermis, he picked up a small rock, and began slowly moving his energy into it.


    To his third-eye, the rock looked inherently different compared to living matter; an obvious conclusion, but an important one nonetheless. It was solid mass, and in order to see anything of value, he had to ''zoom in'' further. Doing so; however, started to completely tank his reserves, which is why he quickly stopped. He still had plenty left in the reservoir, but he realized he would need a lot more in order to do just about anything with his powers. He knew the stories of Celestials, and how they could create entire planets and solar systems out of nothing but their own energy and abilities; how they could create life itself on a whim. However these were old creatures. They had eons to collect energy and get to know their abilities. Or maybe they came into being with all of those abilities set and ready to go? He had no idea, really.


    He knew that after a nap, he would be back at full, or he could meditate in the sunlight if he wanted to be quick about it. Years ago, when he first began tapping into his Celestial side, he realized that in order to grow his reserves, he had to take in ambient energy; be that the heat and light radiation from a star, or he supposed, now looking at the shining gem on the ground, more esoteric sources.


    He sighed, hoping that what he was about to do didn''t suck as much as the first time.


    He looked to his hand, flooding it with his inner blue fire; considering that was the only thing that kept him from exploding the last time around, and bent down to pick up the purple gem.


    As soon as he touched it, the power started to seep into his system, though much more slowly and controlled this time. Nathan closed his eyes and concentrated on bringing his power to act as a sort-of filter between him and the stone, focusing purely on the energy that radiated from it. Learning to actually control the stone and use its powers had now come secondary to using his own, since he was apparently given the option to improve quickly. Sure, it was easily one of the few things in the universe that would make him a power to contend with, but he wasn''t sure if other beings could detect its use; beings that could easily overpower him if he had just one of the stones. It had been a small worry before, and still was rather small, but now that he had another option, he would explore that first. Not to mention that he wanted to become one of those powers without the constant help of an Infinity Stone. He liked to think of himself as a good guy, but¡­ well, as the saying goes, ''Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.''


    Being born the son of a Celestial did not do him any favors in this field.


    Nathan stayed like that for a couple hours: constantly absorbing the energy that radiated from the stone, filtering it through his own Celestial fire, and feeding his core, only finally taking a break to sleep and eat. Speaking of eating, he had about a year''s worth of dehydrated rations aboard his ship, being one of the main cargo points of the exploratory vessel so that it could survey the remote areas of the galaxy without frequent trips home. The other being fuel in the form of Hyperspace Ion Batteries. These batteries tend to require about two months to recharge, but can last up to three years of moderate use. This charging cycle was, in fact, why Nathan had so much time to plan out how he was going to steal the ship in the first place.


    But back to the food: it sucked. It was bland and chalky, but it got the job done. He highly doubted that he would be on the planet for a year, but he had the stock for it if need be. Nathan really couldn''t wait to eat something more appetizing, and it had only been a week since he arrived.


    So there he stayed, on the mostly deserted planet, for what ended up being three months. He had set up three stages of his day during that time; the first stage was to absorb energy from the Power Stone and use it to enhance his own reserves slowly. The second was to use those reserves and explore his own power, and the third was sleep. Of course he took breaks to eat as well.


    During those three months, he found out four main things about his body and abilities: the first being how to move his energy to manipulate the matter it was connected to, essentially making Nathan a telekinetic. This also allowed him to change the state of matter just by exciting, or calming the molecules that were flooded with his energy. The second was how to mold his energy in its purest form to create matter. This one, though, took entirely too much energy to feasibly work with at his level; meaning that the few times he tried, he was only able to make a small pebble after dumping his entire, now comparatively massive, reserves into the effort. The third thing he learned came off of a combination of the previous two; he could, in essence, alter matter that already existed, changing the organization of the atoms and molecules within to fit his design. This took a lot less energy than pure creation, but it came with the caveat of time. As in it took almost an entire day to change a rock the size of his fist into the same metal that coated his spaceship. Though he assumed it would get faster with practice.


    That brought him to the fourth thing he had discovered. After three months, his reserves had skyrocketed from being in contact with an Infinity Stone, and he couldn''t be happier with the results he had gotten. However there was an inherent issue that he hadn''t foreseen: his reserves stopped growing. Or more accurately, he had filled every cell and atom of his body to the brim with his Celestial energy, and he couldn''t fit any more into his being. He had figured out early into the first month that there was no extra-dimensional pool of energy that he was drawing from, no; the energy was being directly stored in his body; as in each atom that made up his body could hold a certain amount, and no more. Further, he also learned that he could feasibly store his energy into nearby objects as well, but it would fizzle out over a time if he turned his focus to something else. The amount of time an object held energy, as well as how much energy it could hold, seemed dependent on its atomic structure. For instance, the rocks around the small island he was on were mostly volcanic granite, which were absolute shit at holding energy for more than two minutes, but a hunk the size of his fist could hold more energy than he had in his body. The metal hull of his ship, though, could hold energy for roughly two hours, and he could fill the entire hull with it to the brim, and still have half of his reserves left. That ratio still sucked, but it proved that different materials reacted differently to Celestial energy. Maybe there was some material out there that could hold a metric shit-ton of energy, and keep it for an extended period. Something to note and look for.


    There was now very little he could do with his time here, seeing that he couldn''t grow his reserves more. He supposed he could hunker down and actually try using the Power Stone, try to get better with using its abilities, however he was still a bit afraid to openly control the four fundamental forces of the universe. Some cosmic entity being able to detect that was a real possibility. For the past three months, he had only ever used the energy radiating from the stone, never once actually using the stone itself.


    He sighed, looking down at the purple gem, now held easily in his palm. He was still afraid of being hunted for it, as he wasn''t nearly strong enough to protect it, and didn''t trust the Power Stone alone to be able to protect him if those that wanted it came for him. He could still be killed in his sleep, after all. Using the stone had been his original plan in going to Morag, but with the Power Stone''s ambient energy, he received an alternative, safer option to fill out his own powers instead.


    So no; he wouldn''t be learning to control the stone. Not yet, anyway. He closed his fist around it and looked to his ship with a grin.


    "Time to blow this joint. Next stop: Earth."


    A/N


    Well, that''s a thing. I want to make Nathan awesome, but not overpowered. I realize that he now has a fricken Infinity Stone, a Celestial heritage, and loose knowledge of the future, so that idea just f.u.c.k.i.e.d itself out a window, but there''s plenty of other characters that could give him a run for his money. Hopefully this will still be entertaining for you all.


    To answer the question of, "Well what about when Ego wanted to draw energy from Peter to power his plan in the movie? Wouldn''t Peter already have that energy in him? Not to mention that he obviously had a lot. Meaning Nathan would too, right? Why make him suck power from an Infinity Stone to get stronger?"


    So about that¡­ It''s a plot hole in the movie that doesn''t make sense, considering that Ego says that Peter''s powers will go away once he dies. If that was the case, when he was using Peter as a battery, he would have just been drawing on his own reserves like an idiot, since that''s what Peter was doing in the training bit. So to make it less confusing, I''m splitting up the energy into two bits: Life Energy, and Celestial Energy. Celestial Energy takes a lot of time and effort (Or an external power source) to build up and use - it''s how Celestials use their energy to affect the world. Life energy is something that I will probably never use outside of this explanation¡­ probably. Beings with powerful life-forces have a lot of Life energy, which Ego found a way to utilize in order to complete his plan. Peter, being part Celestial, had a lot of Life energy despite his human anatomy, which Ego planned to use.


    There. Hope that answered someone''s question.


    I don''t need a new asshole. The one I have works just fine, so please don''t rip me a new one with your crappy insults. However if you have actual constructive criticism, I will gladly accept it. If you don''t know the difference, you don''t have to say anything at all.


    Please review! Even if it''s just a word or two, I would like to know what you think.

 Chapter 57 - My SI Stash #57 - Apotheosis by Lord Wolfe (My Hero Academia/Avengers)

    -Not really a SI but I''ll make an exception for this one, it''s very cool and I''m just a sucker for hero turned villain type stories.


    *Izuku is inspired by Marvel Comics (Iron Man, Thanos...) He will build his own Infinity Gauntlet with quirks~


    ¦×(£à?¡ä)¦×


    *It''s kinda hard to see a Villain Deku after S4 E13. This is pretty much a what if Deku doesn''t get All Might''s quirk fic~


    Sypnosis: Apotheosis, the highest point in the development of something or if you prefer, the elevation of someone to divine status. "Fun isn''t something one considers when trying to create a better world", Izuku smirked as he held up his gauntlet covered fist. "But this does put a smile on my face". Villain Izuku, eventually OP as hell. Infinity Gauntlet AU.


    Rated: T


    Words: 141K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12948720/1/Apotheosis (Lord Wolfe)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "People aren''t born equal", Even though they should be. We are all living breathing beings born of the same species on the same planet, in the same universe. So what made some people better than others? Quirks, super powers that over eighty percent of the population were born with. It used to be money, or ethnicity, but that was human nature. People will always find ways to be better than others just so they could look down on the others. Unfortunately for Izuku Midoriya, he was the one of the ''others'' of society.


    A quirkless boy that everyone looked down on, like he had some sort of disability just by being a normal human. But even still, he wanted nothing more than to be a hero, maybe not the greatest hero, but a hero none the less. All Might was always his idol, that man''s smile and attitude was always a light in his otherwise bleak world. That''s what he wanted to be, that light in someone else''s world, Izuku felt like he owed it to someone out there to be their light just like All Might was his.


    Until he was told by said hero to give up on his dreams. Until he saw All Might for what he really was. It was one thing to be picked on by Kacchan and told every day that he was a quirkless nobody that could never be a hero. As much as that chipped away at his self-esteem and confidence, he could still carry on with that. But to hear the same thing from the number one hero. That was soul crushing.


    ''I can''t be a hero huh? Fine. You win world'', Izuku sighed finally giving up. He didn''t bother stopping to take notes on whatever commotion was going on in the streets. All of his notes, scientific formulas, diagrams and sketches for devices and gadgets were meaningless to him now. He didn''t care anymore.


    LATER THAT DAY


    Izuku stared at his wall of hero posters and magazine cutouts with a somber look on his freckled face. Slowly he reached up and started taking them down, opened up one of the trash bags he got from the kitchen and stuffed it all into the bag.


    "It appears your son is quirkless, I''m sorry but he won''t be able to be a hero"


    He took all of his notebooks and tossed them in the bag. Next was all of his theories, sketches and diagrams for devices and gadgets that could simulate a quirk. He even threw out all of his mathematical equations for these theories and hypothetical projects.


    "I''m sorry Izuku"


    Izuku went into his closet and grabbed all the comic books, manga, and graphic novels that he collected over the years. It wasn''t just Japanese comics, but American ones to. He used to like the intricate and elaborate universes that Marvel and DC created with their comics. Now though they all lost meaning to him so into the trash they go.


    "I''m sorry kid, but without a quirk you can''t be a hero. We risk our lives every day, it''s not something a quirkless person can do. Try being an officer, sure it''s not the most glamorous job, but it''s still a noble profession"


    Lastly the All Might merchandise that he kept had to go. That man used to be his favorite hero. A hero that saved people with a smile and always preached about never giving up. Until Izuku got to meet him face to face and was told by the number one hero to give up. He even got to see the hero''s true form, a skinny emaciated man that wore his muscles like a mask. Hiding the weak body beneath. It was all so eye opening. Not only was his dreams to be a hero crushed, but it turns out his role model All Might was nothing more than a pretender. ''Three hours a day huh?'' He might as well be one of the made up heroes in those comic books stuffed in the trash. ''Clinging to his title and fame like a leech, even if it costs him his health''


    Just like all these fake heroes in today''s quirk obsessed society. All they cared about is fame and money. No one wanted to be a real hero that just wanted to save people. Kacchan was the perfect example, always boasting about being the greatest and richest hero ever, but the way he bullied Izuku you would think he''d be more suited for a life of villainy. Though that was human nature wasn''t it, nobody did anything for free, everyone wanted something and these frauds dressed in colored costumes were no different. Where were the real heroes? The ones like in his comics, the ones that these moronic fakers pretended to be.


    Irritation and disgust began to fill Izuku''s thoughts as he glared at his now barren room. ''If I had a quirk I wouldn''t be like them'', that thought caused the green haired boy to deflate when he realized there really was nothing he could do about it. What could a week quirkless boy like him do to change society? To change the world? According to the doctor, Kacchan and All Might, nothing.


    "People really aren''t born equal", he sighed again sadly with tears building up. He always knew that he could never be a hero, but he just wanted to hear one person say he could do it. That''s all, just one voice in the cacophony of screams that said he couldn''t do anything, to say that they believed that a quirkless boy could do something great. That alone would been enough to ease all the pain and heart ache.


    Walking back to the closet he checked to make sure everything got thrown away. There his eyes spotted one lone comic book sitting on the top shelf. Reaching up he grabbed it and brought it to his face to look at the cover. He smiled lightly to himself as he remembered this one fondly. A story where the villain technically wins, but the bad guys motives while horrific were done for what he believed to be a noble cause. Balancing the universe, making everything as it should be. Flipping through it he paused on a very epic drawing of the purple skinned villain holding up his gauntlet covered hand about to snap his fingers with it. His green eyes lingered on the stone covered gauntlet while his mind ran a mile a minute.


    Izuku suddenly felt an idea pop into his head. For some reason this particular comic reminded him of an interesting article he read a while back. Placing the novel on his desk he went over to the trash bag and dug through for some of his notebooks. Finding the correct one the freckle faced boy flipped it open to his notes along with the print out of the scientific discussion.


    Apparently a scientist in Germany figured out a liquid serum that once ingested or injected directly into the blood stream could give that person a quirk for a limited time. Just a few seconds, according to a highlighted sentence. The serum was based from the concentrated DNA of quirked individuals and was unfortunately abandoned due to the dead end the research team ran into.


    This led Izuku to wonder. The serum, called project ''Prometheus'', was considered a failure due to the fact that the time limitations could never be expanded upon. Looking at his notes on the formulas that were published in the article, he had to wonder if they were looking in the wrong direction. If a quirk could be concentrated into liquid form, could it be concentrated into a solid form. For example a stone, a small stone that could be fitted to a device that would allow the wielder to use a quirk that the stone was derived from.


    Izuku pulled out some blank papers and started drawing up some equations. He may not have had a quirk, but he still excelled in math and science. In fact if it wasn''t for his foolish dream to go to U.A he would have graduated middle school a year ago. Having a genius level intellect was the only solace the universe gave him, after robbing him of the gift of having a quirk. Too bad such a powerful mind wasn''t even considered as remarkable in a world where quirks outshine everything.


    THE NEXT MORNING


    "Yes this is it", Izuku wanted to laugh in triumph. "This is it" He spent all night working on this equation and he finally cracked it. A way to extract the essence of a quirk from someone''s DNA and concentrate it into a crystalized stone form. His formula was based off of project ''Prometheus'', except his would work, in theory at least. He was so close though, just a few lines of math could turn a quirkless person into the most powerful being on the planet. All he needed was some sort of object to attach the stones too once they were made. But what kind of devise should he make? Looking at the comic that inspired him he decided that he might as well go with that.


    "The Infinity Gauntlet", Izuku smiled thinking about the future hero society he will make with this device. No more frauds and pretend heroes like All Might. Everything will be as it should be. Perfectly balanced. With only those he deemed real heroes allowed. His dream to be a hero was dead, but his new dream, he vowed would come to fruition.


    However there was just one problem.


    "Where am I going to get the money to make it?"


    This was an idea a friend and I came up with recently after seeing Infinity War. At first I wasn''t going to write this because I already had an Infinity Gauntlet parody I planned on doing in the future as part of the Time Misfits trilogy on my profile, but we started talking about this idea and spent a good three hours discussing it. By the end my friend practically begged me to write it so here I am.


    My knowledge of this series isn''t as encyclopedic as say Bleach as I just go into it, I''m on season two, so I''ll do my best. Thank god for Wiki, am I right?


    If Izuku was going to be a villain I like to think he''d be a nerdy type villain like Syndrome. A villain that makes devices and gadgets to make himself powerful. Knowledge is power and all that.


    Izuku is not going to have the gauntlet yet, it will be some chapters later where he finishes it and adds the stones to it. It''s going to be five stones not six, no mind stone because I feel like that would a bit too OP. The stones are also going to work a bit differently then what you''re probably thinking.


    I don''t want to spoil too much, but there''s going to be a couple fight scenes between Izuku and All Might where things are going to get pretty crazy. I''m trying to improve how I write fight scenes, so consider this a teaser of coming events.


    I''m curious to see what you all think. Should I continue it or scrap this story?

 Chapter 58 - My SI Stash #58 - Yoru - Gamer Between Dimensions by jordanvn (Naruto)

    -More gamer type fics. For Lazy_owl~~


    *The author seem to have taken a break on this one, it''s still worthit to read as it''s a very lengthy fic and such a fun one.


    o(£þ¨Œ£þ)£ä


    Sypnosis: When a boy wakes up in the world of Naruto with no memory of the past, foggy memories of the future, and a convenient Gamer-like ability so what''s he to do? The only option is to get stronger and move forward. SI-ish. Mainly OC. Kind of AU. Plans for crossovers in the future. Please leave reviews! (I''ll create a separate sequel to this story in the future.)


    Rated: M


    Words: 315K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13125259/1/Yoru-Gamer-Between-Dimensions (jordanvn)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    ''Normal Speech''


    ''Thoughts''


    ''Bijuu/Summons/Gamer''


    ''Bijuu/Summons/Thoughts''


    Chapter 1


    I looked around me and all I saw was darkness. It was neither cold nor warm as I could feel nothing around me. My body was non-existent and I was but an empty soul. I had so many questions on my mind, however. How did I get here? What was this place? Why was I alone? Could I leave? Would I be stuck here?


    As I contemplated someway to kill myself...again as it seemed..my surroundings started to change...no my surroundings started to feel different. Instead of the lonely unfeeling darkness around me, there was now some warmth and I could feel myself in some sort of viscous fluids. A contraction occurred around my surroundings and I felt my body being pulled or pushed out towards a nearly approaching light¡­


    You have slept in a bed. Your HP and CP have fully recovered.


    With a gasp of breath, I woke up, my shirt sticking to my moist skin from the perspiration on my body. Ever since the day (or night I couldn''t remember) I was born, time seemed to blur around me. It felt as if the past 3-4 years now had been a dream and I could hardly remember what went on during that time. The weirdest part was that I felt as if a fog had been lifted from my mind and I was finally starting to experience my life.


    ...Taking into consideration that I could still see the blue box hovering above my head after my internal monologue, I deemed it safe to assume that I was either dreaming, hallucinating, or this was somehow real. I found it interesting that I could recognize the floating characters as something that I had seen somewhere before, or maybe something I read about, but I could not remember what my past 3 or 4 years had been like. As a matter of fact, I could barely remember what I did yesterday...


    I shook my head from those thoughts and focused on my current situation. My memory seemed to have been...foggy, for lack of a better term, until this morning; I had an ability eerily similar to a video game and best of all, I could remember some knowledge odd knowledge about...anime? Why would I need to have knowledge of anime unless I was placed in a situation where that knowledge was necessary...


    For making an accurate judgement about your situation moments after waking, you are rewarded +1 INT and +1 WIS


    ''Alright, take stock of your situation and first figure out where you are''


    I figured that the best way to get started would be to figure out who I was and where I am. I thought for a moment. "If this is somehow like a game, then..."


    "Status"


    Name: Yorudan


    Race: Human?


    Level: Lvl 1 Next Level: 0/200


    HP: 300/300 Regen: (3 per min)


    CP: 200/200 Regen: (2 per min)


    CC: 20%


    STR: 4


    VIT: 5


    DEX: 3


    INT: 10


    WIS: 9


    ENGY: 3


    Points: 0


    Ryo: 1000


    It was only mildly disconcerting that not only had I not known my name before this, but that I appeared to be not completely human denoting the ''?'' next to my race. However, those were trifles compared to the matter at hand. I clicked on the stats to see what they all meant and to get a general idea of where I was.


    Attributes


    Hit Points (HP):


    HP determines the amount of damage or ''hits'' you can take before your body fails to function and you essentially die. The more HP you have, the more damage you can dish out and the longer you will survive in this world. Hit Points are calculated through the following formula:


    Base HP (50) + (Vitality * 50)


    Chakra Points (CP):


    Chakra if the life energy of every human on the planet and is a versatile and powerful form of energy. It is essential to every technique and can be controlled and manipulated to create an effect that would not be possible otherwise. Chakra Points are calculated by the following formula:


    Base CP (50) + (ENGY * 50)


    Chakra Control (CC):


    Chakra Control determines how much or how little chakra you waste when performing techniques. For example, a CC value of 20% means that you are wasting 80% of your chakra when performing techniques and you are using 5 times more chakra than would otherwise be necessary to get the same effect


    Strength (STR):


    The Strength attribute determines the person''s overall physical power. This attribute affects the amount of damage a person can inflict on another with Taijutsu, Kenjutsu, bladed, or blunt objects. It also affects the amount of weight they can lift, or throw. The average STR stat for an a.d.u.l.t human, who has never trained his/her chakra, is around 10.Vitality (VIT):The Vitality attribute determines the person''s overall health. This attribute also affects a person''s ability to regain health outside of combat and resist specials types of damage from things such as poison, chakra draining, paralysis, burns, etc. The average VIT stat for an a.d.u.l.t human, who has never trained his/her chakra, is around 10.


    Dexterity (DEX)


    The Dexterity attribute determines the person''s overall movement. This attribute affects a person''s accuracy, evasion, speed, and ability to land critical strikes on an opponent in close, mid, and long range combat. Dexterity also plays a major role in pick pocking, stealth, use of weaponry and the ability to dual wielding weapons properly. The average DEX stat for an a.d.u.l.t human, who has never trained his/her chakra, is around 10.


    Intelligence (INT):The Intelligence attribute determines the person''s overall ability to think quickly and innovation. It also affects their ability to learn, memorize, retain information, and determines how smart they are. The average INT stat for an a.d.u.l.t human is around 10.


    Wisdom (WIS):


    The Wisdom attribute determines a person''s common sense and perception. Wisdom also plays an important role in learning certain skills such as Genjutsu and Medical Ninjutsu as well as defending from mental attacks. The average WIS stat for an a.d.u.l.t human is around 10.


    Energy (ENGY):


    The Energy stat determines the amount of energy the individual has and can be increased through training. The Energy of this world is Chakra, therefore increases to the Energy stat will increase your chakra pool.


    ''Interesting'' I thought as I looked at the information present. There were only two worlds off the top of my head which had chakra and in which I could possibly be, namely Highschool DxD and Naruto. I highly doubt I was in Highschool DxD since humans did not use chakra in that series, assuming that the ''?'' did not denote me as a partial Youkai. The only other obvious option was that I was in the world of Naruto¡­in the body of a 4-year-old.


    Sighing, I stood up and tried to think of what my game plan would be. I was young so I had time to train, but the issue was that I didn''t know what part of the timeline I was in nor what nation I was in. It''s possible that I was in some small lackl.u.s.ter area of the elemental nations, however, I would never know unless I left my room.


    I took a pause to really take a look at where I was. The room was quite large and I could note the sleeping forms of a good number of children around me. Taking that into consideration, and the fact that all those sleeping forms were on beds, I could make one of two guesses as to where I was. Either I was in a large ass rich family or, knowing my luck, I was in an orphanage that was well sponsored. I was more inclined towards the latter, but this was also somewhat good news as a well-sponsored orphanage which could afford beds for every child could only be located in a well-off area.


    For using amazing deductive reasoning to understand your situation, you are awarded +1 INT and +1 WIS


    I rubbed my temples as I contemplated what exactly I was to do next. I made a mental list in my mind for my impromptu plan:


    Find out what country I am in


    Train to get stronger


    Pending¡­


    I pinched the bridge of my nose


    "This going to be a long day."


    I had finally found my way to the dining table after one of the Orphanage Caretakers woke up the children who had been sleeping. We were all eating breakfast at some large ass table and I contemplated a plan to train. There was no way I was going to live a life of mediocrity especially since I had such an advantage to my disposal.


    I needed to find some way to get out and exercise


    "-ru"


    There wasn''t really a place in the Orphanage that I could work out and not get caught.


    "-oru"


    Though I don''t think that it would get me in trouble if I started working out in the House. I just wouldn''t want to raise suspicions if I started acting differently than I was usually perceived.


    "YORU-KUN!"


    ''hm?''


    I turned towards the source of my distraction and regarded her for a moment. She was cute in a childish kind of way with her short black hair and dark blue eyes. She looked to be around 5 or so. Looking above her head, I noticed dull glowing words hanging in the air.


    Emi, Orphan


    Lvl - 1


    Rep - 15


    "...Can I help you?" I asked


    She had an adorable pout on her face as she replied.


    "We''re going to the park later today. Remember you promised to play ninja with me?"


    "...Yeah, I did say something like that." No, I actually didn''t remember, but I might be able to take this chance to learn more about myself


    Seemingly satisfied for now the black-haired girl turned and walked away. Not a second later did she seemingly remember something and turn towards me with an ''I''m laughing at your misfortune'' kind of smile on her face. "Also Miss Ayami told me to remind you that it''s your day to help wash up the dishes. HAVE FUN!"


    Who the was Ayami?


    Ping!


    Quest Alert!


    Clean Plate Club


    Miss Ayami is the Orphanage Matron and she requires (demands) your assistance in cleaning up after breakfast. Show her your amazing skills in plate cleaning and make sure there are no spots left unclean.


    Rewards: 25 XP. +1 Stat Point.


    Failure: Decreases Rep with Miss Ayami. You''ll probably have to do them again regardless


    Do You Accept?


    Y/N


    Well, the game thing didn''t give me much of a choice in the way of options seeing as the "N" button was greyed out, so I mentally accepted the quest and got to work in cleaning the table.


    With the gathered dishes I made my way towards the kitchen and noticed an older looking woman washing the dishes in the sink. I noticed other caretakers and a few other orphans doing what they could to help out.


    Since I didn''t really know what they wanted me to work on, I just stood around the area shifting awkwardly for a moment until I was noticed by the woman washing the dishes.


    Yasaka Ayami, Orphanage Myron


    Lvl - 15


    Rep - 20


    "Ahh, Yoru please be a dear and help me with these dishes. I have a few other things to do that need my attention."


    With that said and done she left me to my own devices and I walked up to the sink. It seemed as if I was trusted enough around here is she left me to take care of fragile objects unsupervised. I lightly sighed in relief as I scrubbed the plates clean. So far it seemed as if no one really noticed anything off about my behavior or if they did, they didn''t call me out on it.


    My mind wandered to what the outside of this home would look like. If that girl Emi was telling the truth, then the Orphan Matron would be taking the orphans out to the park or something. This would give me the opportunity to familiarize myself with my environment.


    With these thoughts, I continued to clean the dishes and made sure I could, at the very least, see my reflection on the plates. I was a neat freak, bite me.


    Ping!


    Quest Completed!


    Clean Plate Club


    Rewards: 25 XP. +1 Stat Point.


    ''Status''


    Name: Yorudan


    Race: Human?


    Level: Lvl 1 Next Level: 25/200


    HP: 300/300 Regen: (3 per min)


    CP: 200/200 Regen: (2 per min)


    CC: 20%


    STR: 4


    VIT: 5


    DEX: 3


    INT: 11


    WIS: 10


    ENGY: 3


    Points: 1


    Ryo: 1000


    With all that set and done I relaxed for a moment as I contemplated the mechanics of this system. If this was similar to the Gamer mechanics I was familiar with, then it stands to reason that I should have the basic skill set that came with the package.


    ''Skills''


    Skill List


    Gamer''s Mind (Passive) Intensity (90%).


    Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Allows peaceful state of mind. Grants immunity to psychological status effect. The intensity level dictates how much Gamer''s Mind influences your emotions. An intensity of 100% completely shuts off your capacity to feel emotion while an Intensity of 0% returns your emotional capability to its maximum possible state.


    (WARNING: Due to your unique circ.u.mstances, the intensity of Gamer''s Mind is unable to be adjusted)


    Gamer''s Body (Passive) Lvl 0:


    Grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game. After a quick sleep, it restores HP, MP and all status effects. Allows you to master techniques and adapt to external stimuli much faster. Training Gamer''s body allows you to increase your healing rate. Your body is made with a high level of adaptability and improves on itself. Sleep allows for your body to fully restore itself to its peak condition.


    0% increase to HP and CP regeneration rate


    I hummed in thought as I looked over my skills. Gamer''s Mind solved the issue of why I hadn''t had a mental breakdown as of yet. Waking up in a new and dangerous environment with foggy memories and knowledge would drive most people insane, so I was pretty thankful my mind was intact.


    The ability to adjust how much effect Gamer''s Mind has on me was new though. This would definitely help me in controlling my emotions when necessary and I wouldn''t have to act like ROOT ninja all the time.


    The most interesting thing, however, was the Gamer''s Body skill. Not only did it have a level which was unfamiliar to me, but this ability even allowed me to have a greater ability to learn techniques and adapt to stimuli. I''m assuming it meant things like poisons and burns would have less effect on me the more I became exposed to them.


    This was even more unusual than what I noticed with Gamer''s Mind but it seemed as if I could improve on it to no foreseeable limits. I could work with this. The only thing that sort of bothered me was my inability to adjust the intensity of my Gamer''s Mind perk, but I guess the only thing I could do was wait until something changed.


    "Thank you so much, Yoru you did an amazing job! Why don''t you clean yourself up before we leave." Ayami said as she can back from whatever errands she was running.


    I let a ghost of a smile appear on my lips before I nodded and started to walk off. However, as I was doing so, I noted the peculiar look Ayami was giving me which made me somewhat uncomfortable. Had I done something wrong?


    "...what?"


    She scrutinized me for a little longer before she seemingly found what she was looking for, "No, it''s just that I have never seen you smile before. I''m glad you''re at least starting to open up!" She finished with a smile on her face.


    I took a moment to digest her words. Had I really been so emotionless? What was I really like in the past? Regardless I continued my journey to the bathroom to get a quick rub in. The bathrooms were large with multiple shower heads, but in order to accommodate the number of children here, there was little room for privacy. I went over to the sink to brush my teeth before I took a look at myself in the mirror.


    To be honest I hadn''t even bothered to see what I looked like beforehand. Like with my name, I had no idea what I looked like and the only thing I knew was that I was male. As a result, looking at myself in the mirror was like seeing myself for the first time.


    Light Brown skin covered my 3 foot 7 inch frame. I was taller than most kids my age, on that note, and from my skin color, I guessed that one of my parents probably came from the Land of Lightning or maybe even Kumogakure itself. Silver eyes stared back into mine with short white hair dr.a.p.ed on my head. My body was actually well proportioned and while I didn''t have any muscle at all, I still looked like I went for the occasional jog to keep myself in shape-or whatever equates to that on a 4-year-old body. It was a little weird for me to see this strangers body as my own, but I had to thank Gamer''s Mind that I wasn''t going all angsty and depressed at my situation. Having a nervous breakdown was not a good thing nor something I wanted to experience anytime soon or ever.


    Overall, I guess I could call myself cute and as long as I didn''t ruin myself somehow, I would grow up to be quite handsome. I wonder what my old body looked like¡­.


    With those thoughts, I finished brushing up and went to the shower. The warm water flowed down my body submerging me in a state of bliss until it was time for me to move on. With a turn of a knob, the shower turned off and I went to get myself prepared for the day.


    Coming out of the Orphanage Building, I took a look around the environment I found myself in and took in the sights of all the activity going on around me. I rotated my body as my gaze shifted around when I suddenly froze. The great news was that I had finally realized what Hidden Village I found myself in. The OK news was that I was in Konohagakure, also known as the village hidden in the leaves, which was home to a great many talented and strong people. The shit news, however, was that I could only see 3 faces on that mountain...I squinted my eyes and stood on my tiptoes in a futile attempt to hopefully catch a glimpse of another face on that mountain; of course, I found no such thing.


    Gears turned in my head as I turned around to catch up to the matron and the rest of the children who were going on ahead. If Minato Namikaze hadn''t been instated as the 4th Hokage as of yet, then what part of the timeline had I found myself in? As of this moment, most of my knowledge of canon was irrelevant and that bothered me a lot, but not nearly as much as a realization that came to me.


    If Hiruzen was still Hokage, then I could be anywhere in the timeline from the 2nd Shinobi war to the 3rd. Cold sweat seeped in my back as the ramifications of this discovery impacted me with all the gentleness of a maglev train, all before Gamer''s Mind kicked in and calmed me down allowing me to think about my situation logically. There didn''t seem to be a need to worry because the village looked peaceful and I couldn''t see any evidence of tension on the villagers'' faces, but in a shinobi, village looks could always be deceiving.


    I had to fight back a grimace as I thought of what I should do. The most imperative would be to find out where I was in the timeline and the only way I could do that was to find a character in the series that I was familiar with. Through their age, I could get an approximation of where I was in time and prepare accordingly. My overall plan wouldn''t change though because I would still have to get stronger regardless, but it seemed like the need for strength just became that much more imperative.


    This was a world where individuals could level mountain ranges and change landscapes on a whim. I wanted that kind of strength, no I needed it. Not for some desire to protect my ''precious people'' nor for some misguided notion that I could bring about world peace if I had overwhelming strength. No, I simply needed the power to keep myself alive and enjoy my life without fear of anyone taking advantage of me and if it just so happen that I find people to care for along the way, then them too.


    I would break my body, reforge my bones, and claw my way from hell of it meant that I would be able to live a life with no threats to my being. I couldn''t understand where this conviction came from, but it didn''t matter because this was something I had to do for myself and to guarantee my life. I would not rest, I would not falter, and I would not give up unti_


    "COME ON YORU!" Emi yelled as she dragged me off to who knew were, breaking me out of my thoughts. It seemed like I had been inner monologuing myself all the way through the trip here and most of the other children had gone off to do whatever it was kids did.


    Regardless I forcefully pushed my thoughts to the back of my mind ad I tried to appreciate the scenery around me. I had to admit that the park looked beautiful. The trees seemed to shine with a healthy green glow and the area was surrounded by a variety of color from the different flowers around. I basked in the beautiful environment and appreciated the scenery around me as I was being dragged off to who knew where.


    "KIDS MAKE SURE YOU DON''T GO TOO FAR!" I heard the Matron yell.


    "NO PROMISES!"


    "WE''LL BE SAFE!"


    "HAHAHA!"


    I could practically feel the exasperation coming from the poor woman as the kids replied in their typical childlike manner. I merely allowed myself to get pulled by Emi and we arrived at a more forested area of the playground. It was easy to get back towards the main area where the Matron was due to the visible path that lead here. I assume Miss Ayami wasn''t too worried about us getting lost here most likely due to some sort of fencing of the area.


    Emi and I weren''t the only ones here as a few other kids decided to join up. To be honest I could care less about them and didn''t even bother reading their names. The only reason I tolerated being with Emi was that she was adorable and I wouldn''t forgive myself if I made someone so cute cry. Bite me.


    "Yo are you all ready to play ninja!"


    "Heck yeah! I call being the friendly ninja!"


    "Me too!"


    "Me three!"


    "Hey wait just a minute," Emi said with her cheeks puffed. "It''s Yoru''s first time playing. He should be the friendly ninja too!"


    One of the kids took a look at me and snickered. I think I''ll refer to him as brat 1. "Emi why do you even bother with him? He never plays with anyone! If anything he should be the enemy ninja!"


    "He''s always by himself and doesn''t talk to anyone." This was brat 2


    And the now dubbed brat 3 decided to speak up, "and he''s kinda weird¡­"


    "Plus he''ll learn the game faster by being the enemy ninja. We''re doing him a favor!" Ahh, justifying your actions by claiming you are helping the supposed ''victim''. I didn''t know they started out so young. This one will be dubbed annoying brat 4


    My adorable and dependable Emi crosses her arms and leveled her harshest glare which looked more cute than frightening. "If you guys keep being mean to Yoru then I''m not playing!" She finished her statement with a cute head turn.


    "It''s alright Emi." I stated while patting her head. I just couldn''t help myself.


    "But-"


    "No ''buts'' I promised I would play with you today so I don''t mind playing the villain." This was as good an excuse as any to get some form of exercise in.


    Emi still didn''t look convinced but she acquiesced for now still with a pout on her face. She looked so cute that I couldn''t help but lightly pinch her cheeks.


    "stop treating me like a little kid!"


    "But you are a little kid." Well, she was shorter than me so she was ''little'' in the literal sense.


    "I''m older than you!"


    "And I''m taller than you so that makes me the ''big brother''. Heh, get it? Cause I''m physically bigger." It was such a horrendous joke that I wanted to stab my brain for coming up with it, but I supposed it would work well enough on little children if Emi''s smile meant something. For all her complaining she wasn''t really making an effort to stop me from pinching her cheeks.


    "Alright enough already let''s play!" The peanut gallery seemed to be irritated that we were having our own little moment so Brat 1 decided to make his presence known even if no one cared for it.


    I rolled my eyes before regrettably retracting my hand.


    "Fine then, but at the very least tell me how to play this game."


    "It''s simple, we''re gonna hide and as the enemy ninja, you have to catch us. Good luck with that though." He looked especially smug while I just looked confused.


    "...isn''t that just hide and seek?"


    "What''s hide and seek? We''re playing Ninja!" He was looking at me as if I was some sort of idiot for not even knowing what this game was.


    "..."


    Quest Alert!


    Ninja Hide-and-Seek?


    Since you are essentially an outcast, you have been made to be ''it'' in this game of dubious similarity to hide and seek. Find the brats who have put you up to this and make them regret making you ''it''.


    Rewards: 50 XP. +1 Stat Point per person found


    Failure: You will feel pathetic for letting children get the better of you.


    Do You Accept?


    Y/N


    I decided that arguing with him wasn''t really doing my mental health any favors (again why do I even remember what hide and seek is?) so I waved them off and selected Y. I closed my eyes to allow them to run wherever and opened them to discover that they had disappeared to who knew where. To be honest, if I found Emi first I''d have probably just left the rest of them hanging, but since there was a quest I sort of had to actually try and find them. Now that I was alone, however, I decided it was time to create some skills that would help me down the line and in this game.


    First I needed to get a feel for my chakra, so with closed eyes, I took a deep breath and laid down on the ground. I focused on the center of my body trying to feel for the energy hidden in my body. My focus never wavered and I finally managed to feel some sort of warmth in my navel area, where the chakra center was located. I tried to pull at the warmth any which way, but it managed to slip out of my grasp. I took a deep breath mentally psyching myself up and with greater concentration, I focused on that warmth in my navel area again. ''Breathe in, breathe out'' I repeated that mantra in my head and focused only on myself, disregarding the world around me.


    Ping!


    You have created a new skill ''Meditation''


    Meditation (Active) Lvl 1 [48.67%].


    Meditation is a skill created through continuous inner focus. Meditation helps to sharpen focus and order thoughts, and it increases clarity of mind and awareness of the body.


    Passively increase INT by 2%.


    Passively increase WIS by 2%.


    HP and CP regeneration increase by 10% when active.


    (NOTE: Cannot be activated during combat. At higher levels, you are able to better sit still and the rate of HP and CP regeneration increases.)


    Now that I had a feel for what it was like to manipulate my Chaka ever so slightly, I focused now on trying to spread that feeling to the rest of my body. It was noticeably harder, yet it didn''t take me too long to manage and I finally managed to grasp it. I''m sure that Gamer''s Body played a role in my ability to quickly grasp and manipulate my chakra due to its ability to allow me to learn skills faster. I was still trying to figure out how that worked though.


    "Now time for the greater test." I grimaced as I focused this warm feeling trying to spread it outwards around me. I imagined a ''dome'' of chakra around me for of like a ''domain'' where I would be able to sense people and living things-at least that was the general idea. It was significantly harder than expected and I quickly realized that while it was a feasible idea, it wasn''t necessarily the best or most cost effective since it''s range probably wouldn''t be too great anyway. Plus I could feel that I wouldn''t make fast headway on this technique because it was hard to get chakra to leave my skin without dissipating, let alone form a ''dome'' that was large enough to be useful.


    I put that idea in the backburner for when I had more chakra and control and instead tried a different approach. Instead of imagining a ''dome'' I imagined a ''pulse'' that would give me feedback like a sonar or a bat''s echolocation. I gathered a small amount of chakra and forced it out of my skin in a ''pulse'' that was connected to me. It easy to accomplish since it didn''t require so much chakra or control and the results were amazing.


    Ping!


    You have created a new skill ''Chakra Sonar''


    Chakra Sonar (Passive/Active) LV 10 [5.45%] CP: 5 per pulse


    Chakra Sonar allows the user to pulse their chakra in set intervals. It is useful for detecting living being with chakra and for scouting and it effectively makes the user a ''sensor''. It is possible for this skill to evolve. The skill can be passively activated to occur at the user''s set interval. The range of the skill increases 10 meters per level.


    DEFAULT SETTING: (1 pulse every 5 seconds)


    MAXIMUM RANGE: (100 meters)


    This was a very useful skill to own and the fact that it could evolve and become even better was a bonus that I had not foreseen. Nevertheless, I decided that now was as good a time as any to put this skill to good use...and play some hide-and-seek. I adjusted the pulse rate to every 30 seconds and closed the window only I could see.


    I finally stood up, shaking my legs to get rid of all the cramping, before I ran deeper into the wooded area with my chakra constantly pulsing. I had to set it to 30 seconds because my chakra control was currently ass and at the same time I didn''t have much chakra to work with. I would be using 5 times as much chakra, due to my control rate of 20%, in order to produce the same result is I had 100% control. If I had left the skill on its usual default passive state, I would have run out of chakra in 40 seconds...let that sink in.


    I was cut out of my minute-long musing after I felt a life signature on my feedback loop and quickly approached the source. Since I wasn''t being too subtle, I wasn''t surprised when I heard a "-EEP" and a scuttling of footsteps away from my direction. I picked up the pace of my footsteps and ran towards the sound of breathing and rustling leaves before I caught up with my target. I wrapped up my vict-target in my arms before hauling her up.


    "I found you Emi."


    "Okay okay, Yoru put me down! I surrender!" She turned around and gave me the most adorable glare she could before I acquiesced.


    I simply shrugged in a ''what can you do?'' expression patting her head, "It''s alright Emi, it''s just a game after all."


    The little girl in question turned her head in a huff, "Fine but you better quickly find the others so that we can play again!"


    I rolled my eyes, "Fine but you have to keep up." I could hear her growl in frustration as I ran ahead of her. I sent out another pulse of chakra and picked up a couple signatures in the vicinity. I slowed down and stood a good distance away from them before I noticed Emi coming up behind me.


    She shot me a baleful look, "YORU_"


    I slammed her mouth shut with my hands and gave her the universal hush sign. "There are a couple of them around here. I don''t want to scare them away so I have to do this quietly."


    Looking rightfully skeptical as she couldn''t sense them as I did, she replied with a more level tone, "How do you know that?"


    "Because I''m that good. Now sit still and watch me work." With that, I left the huffing little girl and snuck around the forested area. I used whatever pitiful knowledge of stealth that I could recall and tried to make sure I didn''t make a cliche mistake of stepping on a branch or something. I send out another pulse to make sure that they were still in the same place and tiptoed around the trees while keeping my head low.


    Ping!


    You have created a new skill ''Stealth''


    Stealth (Active: ON) lvl 5 [23.45%]


    Stealth is the fundamental skill that all ninjas learn to become, well better ninjas. Having good enough stealth allows you to more easily infiltrate enemy lines, assassinate priority targets, and spy. This skill is subconsciously activated when you need to go into stealth mode. It grants you increase stealth where your every movement is subconsciously inconspicuous, making it more difficult to notice your presence and find you.


    Stealth infiltration, avoidance, and concealment ability are at 5%.


    For stronger opponents, -2% for each level they surpass you by


    With the presence of this skill, I felt my body correct itself in order to better utilize my surrounding and decrease the amount of noise I made. My breath grew quieter, and my head lowered even more and I snuck up on one of the unsuspecting kids. When I got right behind him, I quickly slammed my hand on his mouth to stop him from screaming and used my other hand to stop him from struggling as much.


    "Quiet down, I don''t want to alarm the other one." I could feel him squirm less as he heard the sound of my voice no doubt recognizing me. He turned an annoyed glare my way yet had a face of begrudging respect which was when I noticed that this was brat #1. I told him where I left Emi and went on to confront my other prey.


    Quest Completed!


    Ninja Hide-and-Seek?


    Rewards: 50 XP. +5 Stat Points


    It had been relatively easy to find the remainder of the kids and they forced me to play a few more times since I was so good at being the enemy. It was a good enough excuse to practice my Meditation, Sonar, and Stealth skills and it had been a while since I had played hide-and-seek...at least I think it had cause I couldn''t honestly remember. Nevertheless, I played along; unfortunately the quest didn''t reward me for the extra times I played so I had to be satisfied with the increase in my skills.


    Gamer''s Body (Passive) Lvl 10:


    10% increase to HP, and CP regeneration rate


    Meditation (Active) Lvl 5 [48.67%].


    Meditation is a skill created through continuous inner focus. Meditation helps to sharpen focus and order thoughts, and it increases clarity of mind and awareness of the body.


    Passively increase INT by 10%.


    Passively increase WIS by 10%.


    HP, and CP regeneration increase by 50% when active.


    (NOTE: Cannot be activated during combat. At higher levels, you are able to better sit still and the rate of HP and CP regeneration increases.)


    Chakra Sonar (Passive/Active) LV 18 [5.45%] CP: 5 per pulse


    DEFAULT SETTING: (1 pulse every 5 seconds)


    MAXIMUM RANGE: (180 meters)


    Stealth (Active: OFF) lvl 10 [23.45%]


    Stealth infiltration, avoidance, and concealment ability are at 10%.


    For stronger opponents, -2% for each level they surpass you by


    All the running around really helped level up my Gamer''s Body skill which was really going to help me down the line. We were now following the pathway back to the entrance of the park where the matron was most likely waiting for us and the other children.


    "_and you were like an actual ninja! I couldn''t even see you until you got me. How did you do it Yoru?!"


    "...Practice" Was my short reply. Apparently, I was some sort of badass to these kids now that I had displayed my dominance in hide-and-seek (I refuse to acknowledge it as anything else). Apparently getting the drop on them like a ninja everytime we played convinced them I was cool_not that they were wrong though. If it wasn''t for the fact that they were so young and had almost no awareness of their surroundings, I don''t think that I could have been able to sneak up on them as often as I did. They made amazing practice dummies for the skill though so I wasn''t complaining.


    "_hey! Do you think you could teach me?!"


    "...maybe."


    Brat two spoke up at this, "man that''s no fair, you''re always so nice to Emi."


    "That''s probably because she''s nice to me and it also helps that she is adorable." I stayed with a blank face. The girl in question squirmed under the attention and looked on with a bashful face.


    "WE''RE SORRY!" All the brats chorused together.


    I quirked a brow at them and looked on in interest. With a chortle, I waved my hand back, "yeah yeah I forgive you, now let''s hurry up and get to where the Matron is waiting for us." Since they looked so remorseful I decided to not refer to them as brats but instead as kids.


    "So will you teach us now?!"


    "Ahh wait me first!"


    "HEY, I ASKED BEFORE YOU BOTH!"


    I ignored whatever else was going on behind me and continued moving. Eventually, we came back to the area where the Matron had been waiting for us and made our way back to the Orphanage.


    I took a shower as I thought about my day. After coming home from the Orphanage, we all ate lunch and I helped clean up the plates again since I didn''t really have anything better to do. Being a 4 year old allowed me a lot of free time as I didn''t have any responsibilities to worry about for a while.


    There really want much I could do during the day, however, I planned to make of my night. I was pretty sure that Gamer''s Mind allowed me to survive without any sleep so I needed to take advantage of that and work on my skills and at the same time try to create new ones.


    I turned off the warm water and dried myself off before putting on my snuggly 1-piece pajama...bite me. With that went over to my room and into my bed where I kept a small stack of leaves.


    I picked them up during my time at the park after thinking about what skills I could practice indoors and it dawned on me how suitable this skill was to practice indoors plus, it wasn''t hard to sneak some leaves in either.


    I looked at the leaf in my hand and immediately placed it on my forehead before closing my eyes and feeling around for my chakra once more. I had already gotten a feel for my chakra this afternoon allowing me to more easily direct the flow into my forehead.


    Ping!


    Congratulations! You have created a new skill!


    Leaf Concentration Practice (Passive) Lvl 1


    The Leaf Concentration Technique is an introductory chakra control exercise taught to all academy students. This training method is done by placing a leaf over your forehead and directing your chakra onto the leaf, using it as a focal point. Every level, a new leaf can be added. This technique helps hone your concentration.


    Increases CC by 1%


    Uses: 15 CP per min


    You have gained +1 ENGY!


    Due to all the activities I had done throughout the day, my STR, VIT, DEX, and ENGY stat had increased by a bit. It wasn''t much, but it was definitely something I welcomed. The fact that chakra control exercises could also help increase my ENGY was very helpful and provided me with a different approach to increasing my chakra.


    ''Status''


    Name: Yorudan


    Race: Human?


    Level: Lvl 1 Next Level: 75/200


    HP: 400/400 Regen: (4.4 per min)


    CP: 400/400 Regen: (4.4 per min)


    CC: 21%


    STR: 6


    VIT: 7


    DEX: 6


    INT: 12.1


    WIS: 11


    ENGY: 7


    Points: 6


    Ryo: 1000


    I was very happy with the small increases I managed today as I had managed to double my CP and increase my other stats by a good margin for the little work I did. I looked back down at my leaf as I mentally did some calculations. Since my CC was at 21%, that meant that I would be using about 4.7 times more chakra for any given technique. The Leaf Concentration Technique used 15 CP per min which for me meant around 70 CP per min. Taking into account my regen rate of 4.4 CP per min and my 400 CP worth of chakra, my skill cost a total of around 65.6 CP per minute and I would be able to continuously use it for around 6 minutes before I suffered from chakra exhaustion.


    Just to be safe I planned on stopping a little bit before that, in order to prevent myself from getting a case of chakra exhaustion. I knew that when the body had no chakra left, it would die and I wasn''t sure if my version of Gamer''s Body would protect me from dying when I had zero chakra left. It was best not to chance it.


    With that, around 5.5 minutes passed going by the amount of chakra I had left. I made sure to check my status at regular intervals but even then I felt myself getting tired. It sucked how my crappy control caused me to get tired so quickly, so I took this time to practice my Meditation skill. I might as well be killing two birds with one stone while I had the time.


    I felt myself lapse in a state of concentration and I could feel my chakra regenerating at a greater rate but to be honest, it wasn''t a large increase by any stretch of the imagination. My current natural regen rate for my HP and CP was 4.4 per min. Actively meditating increased that rate to 6 per min, still, it was better than nothing. It took me a little less than an hour before I was able to regenerate my chakra and it was the longest hour I had ever experienced.


    Seriously, it took me only 6 minutes to run out of chakra but 10x that amount of time to regenerate it to full capacity. The only upside to this crap was that I was leveling some skills, but who knew getting strong would be so tedious? The increase to Meditation''s level somewhat lessened the time it took for me to regenerate my chakra, but it definitely was not enough.


    With that, I took up my leaf and pressed it upon my forehead and went through another round of boredom. I distanced myself from the surroundings and instead focused on the internal of my body.


    I felt the chakra sloshing in my core and flowing through my body. With greater concentration, I forced my chakra to flow upwards towards my head but met with resistance. My own life energy was resisting my pull and command as it sought to flow freely, but I couldn''t have it. So I redouble my efforts and sank into a deep concentration to the point where I was able to my mind was crowded with the single thought of leveling up this skill.


    I felt some sort of mental switch turn on and suddenly, I could feel my energy circulating in the direction I wanted it to go. I felt my skills improve rapidly and the feeling I was getting was exhilarating. I hardly noticed when my hand instinctively grabbed more leaves to stick on my head and I couldn''t even feel the strain that focusing on multiple points on my head should have given me.


    I was so deep in concentration that I barely noticed my chakra go critical and dig into the low double digits until my body''s natural reaction of exhaustion overcame me. I was begrudgingly forced to exit my enhanced state of concentration, but no sooner did I notice a dull throbbing in my head and a slight dampness on my body.


    I couldn''t even describe that experience in words, but it was definitely novel. I felt like I was in my own world where the passage of time was meaningless and I could actually feel my skills improve quickly. Comparing this to before where I barely noticed any improvement in this when they leveled up. The only thing I was upset about was that this state barely lasted and yet I felt exhausted. What the hell was that!?


    Congratulations for Achieving a state of ''Hyperfocus''


    Hyperfocus (Active) Level 2 [64.57%]


    Hyperfocus is a state achieved through the combination of ''Meditation'' and another skill that is compatible. Compatible skills mainly include those that do not require any movement to use or execute. Hyperfocus drastically increases the rate at which those skills level up by increasing brain activity to an extreme. By focusing your all your brain activity on a singular skill, you essentially ''Meditate'' with that skill in mind. The user burns through CP more when in this state due to the extremely rapid use of the compatible skill. Leveling of this skill will increase the amount of time you can spend in this state as well as increase the number of times you can use it per day.


    USAGE: (1 per day)


    DURATION (2.64 minutes)


    Ping! Ping! Ping!


    Congratulations! ''Leaf Concentration Practice'' has leveled up by 3!


    Congratulations! ''Meditation'' has leveled up by 2!


    Leaf Concentration Practice (Passive) Lvl 4 [23.43%]


    The Leaf Concentration Technique is an introductory chakra control exercise taught to all academy students. This training method is done by placing a leaf over your forehead and directing your chakra onto the leaf, using it as a focal point. Every level, a new leaf can be added. This technique helps hone your concentration.


    Increases CC by 4%


    Uses: 15 CP per min


    Meditation (Active) Lvl 7 [1.67%].


    Passively increase INT by 14%.


    Passively increase WIS by 14%.


    HP and CP regeneration increase by 70% when active.


    (NOTE: Cannot be activated during combat. At higher levels, you are able to better sit still and the rate of HP and CP regeneration increases.


    I nodded in appreciation at the increases I made. In that one sitting of less than 3 minutes, I had increased my CC by an additional 3% and my Meditation skill by a couple levels. Even though I was completely drained as of now, my excitement barely wavered. I was only slightly upset about the limitations of the skill but the benefits all but made up for it. Furthermore, if I was reading this correctly, even if I was able to use this skill for a much longer period of time, it still would have burned through my chakra pool at the same rate, so I had to increase my ENGY in order to get the best out of this ability.


    I deposited my thoughts to the back of my head as I focused on restoring my chakra. I didn''t feel tired even though it was pretty late at night, which was a good sign that Gamer''s Mind was effectively keeping me as an insomniac as long as I wanted to stay awake, yet without any of the negative repercussions.


    My heart was still quite excited and I couldn''t wait to practice that skill again tomorrow. I had no idea what the next day would throw my way, but as long as I was given time to grow strong and train, then I was sure that I would be able to tackle the obstacles in my way.


    First thing''s first, I would like to thank the guys who continued to favorite and follow me. Almost every day, my email alert would sound telling me that another person either favorited/followed me, my old story, or both and I really appreciate that.


    Now then, sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out but I said I would do so around this time. For starters, I do plan to continue this for a while and I am heavily invested in this story as compared to my previous one, so hold me to that. Next, due to school and stuff, I haven''t been able to stockpile the 20 chapters I wanted to, so, I''m going to release a chapter either 1-2 times a week, depending on whether I can complete a new chapter in that time frame, up until I complete the first arc of this fanfic (around 23 chapters, maybe a little more).


    Last but not least I would appreciate some comments and I want to hear your thoughts on what I can do to improve my writing. Flames are not appreciated so don''t write any¡­who am I kidding someone''s going to flame me right after this first chapter, so if you are going to flame me at least give me some idea on how I can improve or what I did wrong. For example, if you''re going to tell me to shoot/kill myself, give me a good reason as to why I should do that then maybe I''ll consider it, probably¡­definitely not but you guys get the idea. Alright until next time.

 Chapter 59 - My SI Stash #59 - The Muggle Among Mages by PhantomGalaxy13 (Fairy Tail)

    -For Claytank~~


    *Author''s more consistent than my grades I mean the guy''s just really productive and you can see it in the chapters~ Fairy Tail SI fic that will get you off guard£¨£þ¦á£þ£©¨J


    Sypnosis: What happens when a young man suddenly finds himself in the land of Fiore where danger lurks around every corner? Why overcome all odds with the power of friendship! ¡­Yeah-no. That kid is going to be deader than his own ancestors. (Self-Insert)


    Rated: M


    Words: 461K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12645957/1/The-Muggle-among-Mages (PhantomGalaxy13)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    The Muggle among Mages.


    What happens when a young man suddenly finds himself in the land of Fiore where danger lurks around every corner? Why, overcome all odds with the power of friendship! ¡­Yeah-no. That kid is going to be deader than his own ancestors. (Self insert)


    I once believed the word magic explained every non explainable thing ever. Unfortunately, no matter how ''magic'' could categorize people wielding sticks that shoot lasers, n.a.k.e.d red men fighting robed white guys with wings in a political game of super morality, or the birth of the cosmos by deities fighting to the Super Death (because let''s face it: if deities actually died it would be hell-a-lot cooler than growing old or trying to pull off Die Hard) ¡­


    Magic could never explain the impossibility of Reality.


    So, I was¡­ well I like to think that I was fairly normal with a quirky hobby, my hobby being magic¡ªor well magic tricks.


    It was a whole lot of fun. I would practice my tricks for days until I could pull them off in public in wowing other people. I really loved practicing it as much as I loved to see the look of surprise in people when they wondered how I performed certain tricks. It made me feel accomplished that I could make even the most cynical people just get really into my tricks by staring hard as if they could find some way to figure out my sleight of hand.


    However, I had problems with this in my family.


    "You did what?! Kain, you''re supposed to be studying for your finals!"


    "Dad, I told you, I was studying, but I took a break for a while, it''s not that big of a deal."


    Looking, back, I knew better. We weren''t a rich family and my dad was especially hard on me for school. He wanted a better life and to him I was probably goofing off. Whether or not you believe him was your choice, but me? I just needed to get my mind off amazingly stressful things.


    "Not that big of a deal? This is your future, Kain, and you can''t spend it wasting time with useless things like that! You need to take this seriously!"


    "I am taking this seriously!"


    This was how it always went between us. Looking back¡­ I can only remember the arguments I had with my dad. I barely remember anything really fond with him. I still love him, I won''t doubt that, but¡­ he was just so much grief during that period of my life. College was eating up all of my time and I wasn''t all that happy with what courses I was taking. Magic tricks were a great stress reliever, but my dad always saw them as distraction.


    "You need to stop and think of your future!"


    "I am! Get off my back, old man!"


    I¡­ maybe if we talked better, it could have been solved, maybe if we actually talked instead of just yelling at each other nearly every time we met, things would have been different.


    But they weren''t.


    After a fight went really bad, I went out to bike. On that day, the winds were bad and it looked like a storm was coming, but I really, really didn''t care.


    It started to rain hard and I still didn''t care.


    I probably should have cared that I was riding on a bridge when the storm became worse.


    There was a car that was driving on the other side of the road, one that didn''t have his head lights on, swerved right for me. I panicked and tried to break-turn¡ªanything.


    However, I ended up being thrown into river. But before I fell into the water, I swore I saw a face smiling at me that looked nothing like my own reflection.


    There was a sound of mumbling, that made me realize all was dark. My eyes were still closed, but my mind was slowly getting back up.


    "Wa..er"


    Soon, I felt my body jump starting with a plethora of messages¡ªpain¡ªwet¡ªheat¡ªshadow¡ªsun¡ªgrass¡ªdirt, but most of all¡­


    My body jerked upward automatically, my lungs coughed up water violently while I gasped for air.


    "Oh thank god! You''re alright! You kinda scared me for a second there dude!" There was another voice coming from behind me. It took me a second to realize their shadow was cast over me as if they were looking over me.


    "Are you alright?"


    My eyes still hurt so I closed them back shut. "I-I''m alright. I thought I was a goner when I fell into the river¡­"


    "Man, you''re telling me. At first I didn''t find a pulse on you after I fished your body out of the water."


    "Aye! It was scary!" A second voice, it sounded younger and smaller agreed with the first voice.


    But still, "Thanks a lot for fishing me out. I might have actually drowned if you didn''t do that."


    It was then I noticed something strange. It was somewhat hot out on the grass I was sitting. Not just hot, it felt dry which should have been impossible considering the storm just a while ago.


    "No problem at all!" The first voice said as I finally looked up at¡ª


    Pink hair¡ªwhite scarf¡ªblue cat¡ªblue talking cat.


    "You alright?" The pink haired man asked with confusion.


    "Yeah, yeah¡­" He looked a lot like Natsu Dragneel from the famous Fairy Tail series; the same clothes, the same hair, style, and physique. There was even a blue cat that stood on two legs with giant eyes with a small bag tied behind his back. Unless it was a hologram, and even then 3D animation and holographic technology was still in it''s infancy stages, no cat alive was blue, could talk, and stood on two legs while having a head bigger than his body.


    It was strange none the less, but as I subconsciously took in the area around me: a forest when I should have been in a park in Vancouver, the sun shining brightly without a single cloud despite how a storm was brewing so suddenly, and the fact there wasn''t a single cement path within sight due to all the trees even though I saw a sign of civilization nearly everywhere I glanced before.


    My mind was jumping to a rather farfetched, but potentially plausible idea.


    "By any chance are you¡­ Natsu Dragneel?"


    The pink haired man''s eyes lit up. "Oh huh? You heard about me?"


    There wasn''t a hint of acting in his voice. Either he was in a very deep cosplay and acting¡ªwhich I heavily doubted due to circ.u.mstances such as the fact he was cosplaying in the middle of a forest and not a city park where I had fallen into.


    Or I had somehow met the real Natsu Dragneel, which in turn meant that I had entered into a different world described in countless fantasy fiction.


    The latter was the most unlikely, but then again science has explained nothing is truly impossible, only very, very unlikely to happen.


    And it appears this amazing odd-defying event happened to me.


    "Yeah, you''re from Fairy Tale, right? Wait, how do you spell that last part? I sometimes get confused if you mean the body part of something similar to stories." Of all the worlds to go to, why this one? Most stories described hardcore fans going to their favorite fictional world, yet here I was in one that I was interested but never invested any time into unlike my friend Jerry.


    "The tail part!" The blue cat, which I''m assuming is the mascot Happy, raised his hand out to answer me while emphasizing his own moving tail that was definitely longer than a regular cat''s.


    Natsu seemingly huffed with pride. "I bet you''ve heard many great stories about me!"


    His easy going attitude made me smile and put aside my observations for a moment as I replied, "Well from the people I heard, you are great in your heroics," It was true, my friends who did enjoy the story loved the characters even if some of my other friends pointed out the many plot holes in it, their back and forth arguments were one of the reasons why I never really bothered with the story.


    The famed mage beamed with pride with a smile that would last until the end of time because of my compliment. It was just too bad I decided to continue what I was saying. "But your collateral damage speaks in more volumes."


    Happy laughed as Natsu blanched out of his prideful huff. "Err, dang it!"


    I smiled at him and it seemed like he instantly got I was messing with him.


    "So what''s your name?"


    Ah right. That. "Before I answer that, do you mind if I ask a few more questions?"


    The two tilted their head at me. "Huh? Why?"


    Confirmation. While I had this sneaking suspicion that my other world theory was more solid due to the fact I was speaking with a talking blue cat, I wanted to be absolutely sure of some basics I recall from the few times I''ve heard of this story. "Just for clarity''s sake. We are in¡­ Fiore right?"


    "Yeah." Such a simple answer for questions I cannot even begin to start with. It does make more sense for me to be in this area instead of a park.


    "There''s a lot of magic here, right?" From what I could recall, they never really specified with this type of mystical magic. Most of my friends who didn''t like the story, like Bob, told me their magic was just poorly written super powers. There wasn''t much application of actual mysticism or respect to supernatural elements to the fantasy genre.


    He argued it was more of a waste of potential rather than something he hated.


    "I guess?" Natsu and Happy shared another look at each other.


    "Oh!" The blue cat''s eyes widened and he raised his hand¡ªor paw again. "Are you from a different country? Is that why you''re wearing weird clothes?"


    I looked back at my red hoodie, brown and baggy cargo pants, and my black rubber sneakers. "I guess they would be weird to you. But before I get off tangent, my name is Kain Reynolds, nice to meet you."


    "Hey Kain! So which country are you from?" Natsu asked, jumping to the conclusion that I was from another country.


    Alright, give me a few seconds about this because this is important. I''m not ignorant enough to know that there are stories of other people going into other worlds of their favorite media. I also know that some people either lie or never even say that they are from another world, or their original home. See, I know and don''t really care much for it when enjoying their takes on it.


    But here''s the problem that I have that almost none of them do.


    I need to get back home. I want to get back home.


    I am one hundred and ten percent sure I don''t have any powers and I don''t have any interest staying in this wonderful world because I know how Shonen Anime works, I know there is going to be scary over powered bullshit waiting around the corner that can one shot a civilian like me without even knowing I exist, or I might even be used to demonstrate how bad a villain can be. And hell, I don''t want that, even if these characters are nice and super cool.


    The worst thing I can do about this situation is lie or keep it a secret. What the heck will that even get me? It won''t get me anything, where if by some chance someone in this rock believes and helps me, my chances of going home skyrocket compared to me bumbling around with all the knowledge of a headless chicken. I need to get back home even at the risk of sounding like a lunatic, which I don''t think Natsu, being a titular protagonist that I hear about, would do. I have a feeling he might actually take me more seriously.


    So it''s time for me to break the rules of all other stories when I say, one of the first things to a person you shouldn''t say at all:


    "Actually, I don''t know if you''ll believe me or not, but I am from another world."


    Oh. I really did expect them to scoff or call me crazy. I did not expect their jaws to drop out of their mouth and stare at me in shock. Wait, are mouths supposed to drop that long? Note to self: check how the physics of my world translated over here¡­


    "Y-you''re from another world!?" Natsu cried out in shock and awe.


    It was in my best interest to be as honest as possible, even with my limited knowledge. "I believe so. From where I come from, you''re a famous fictional character. It''s one of the reasons why I recognized you so quickly."


    No sooner than I said that, I noticed Natsu laughing out loud and going back to being proud. "Did you hear that, Happy?! I''m famous even in another world!"


    "Hey! Hey! Am I famous too!?" Happy asked with anticipation in his eyes before I nodded.


    The two were whooping in joy and repeating how they were famous even in another world.


    However, I was more confused by their actions. "Aren''t you going to question if I''m lying¡­ or crazy? I mean, for anyone this would sound absurd."


    The two stopped their miniature celebration and turned to me.


    "Are you lying to us?" The pink haired mage asked me plainly.


    "No," I answered with a bit of confusion at the rather simple answer. "I don''t believe I am."


    "Then we believe you." Natsu and Happy said at the same time.


    I was surprised, but the same time I understood their reactions since they didn''t really seem to let odd things like me get in the way of their job. But was that really it? They''d believe me that easily?


    "Really? I mean, I could try to prove it¡­ maybe I have something in my pockets¡­"


    Even though I tried to fish to see if I had any of my personal items, I heard Natsu speak up again.


    "You don''t look crazy. And you don''t seem like a liar, so I trust you." He said that plain and simple, as if that was all it took for him to believe I was in another world.


    I then realized that he was simple. Even besides the things he does on a regular basis, I didn''t really do anything to hint I was lying or trying to trick him. Not that I have any intention to in the first place, I might need his help later on. I guess that was a good trait of being a heroic character, they had most of the good qualities in them.


    I probably should have reacted more considering the fact I was meeting supposedly fictional characters in a made up world, but then again, panicking like a lunatic wouldn''t help me at all in the slightest way possible.


    Huh, was that why Jerry and Bob''s parents always looked to me to be the responsible friend? I guess I was the cool headed guy among us¡­ but anyway I''m digressing again.


    Information, I need more information. If I have any chance to figure how I came here, why I''m here, and how I''m going to get home, I need to have information or start looking for some that can in any way help.


    "So, do you mind if I ask where exactly in the country are we? And where you two were going?" I asked before I noticed the horrified look on both Natsu and Happy the moment I asked.


    "Aww crap! The quest!" The fire mage cried out before running with Happy past me.


    Considering they were my only hope in even figuring out what was going on, I chased after them. Eventually, they ran up a hill looking over a small town with a well in the center plaza and it was surrounded by acres of cornfield that spanned some hundred acres.


    Natsu threw his hands up in the air. "Here we are: the village of Juter! Now we can finally accept the request!"


    "What request is that?"


    "The village has had a problem with wild animals harassing their fields, and for some reason they wanted a mage to help them out with this problem. It was a low level job with low pay. We took up the offer because it''s nearby a place we wanna check out later." Happy explained as I followed them down the road to the place.


    However, even though I was doing my best to observe, anyone could have noticed how ''afraid'' people were when we came into the town. The windows instantly closed all around us, doors slammed in the distance, and whenever I would see an eye peaking from a hole, they would vanish, as if all three of us were monsters.


    Yet, my mouth seemed to move without me noticing, getting a message from my brain that I had not fully processed yet. "There''s no men."


    Natsu and Happy snapped their heads towards me as I slowly started to recall what I saw briefly. "Did any of you guys see a grown man?" I asked them both.


    The two remained silent. Natsu sniffed the air and his face turned sour, as if he was trying to somehow find any clue to deny my observation. A small piece of me hoped I just jumped to conclusions.


    "Something isn''t right for a low level mission¡­." It was the first time I saw him solemn.


    We walked up to the biggest house of the town, there was an elderly man waiting in front of the doors and slowly lift his head towards us.


    "Are you the mages who answered our call?" The look on his face seemed to grow more worrisome as he continued to view us from the down up. Was he expecting something more for animal control?


    "Yeah, we''re from Fairy Tail!" I was kind of baffled when he said that. But before I could ask why he said that since I wasn''t a part of the guild at all, I heard murmurs around the town coming from our back.


    "F-Fairy Tail!? Oh thank gods, we''re saved!" The old man''s face suddenly changed into one with relief.


    I know I wasn''t a part of their guild, but my curious nature got the best of me. "Um, excuse me? Why did you say that? I thought your mission request was to clear some wild animals harassing your farmers?"


    The murmurs instantly died all around us and the relief on the old man''s face turned back into something of despair. "P-Please follow me."


    We came in to the man''s humble abode. The first thing I noticed was the table for four that was set only for two people.


    He let us get comfortable on a couch before a small young boy who was probably no older than five peeked out of one of the doors.


    "Litche, please, go back to studying."


    "Gra-gra, are they the mages?"


    "Litche, please, go to your room." The older man repeated before the young kid closed the door to his room.


    "You have to forgive my people; we''ve had a very hard month." He then stood back up. "Would you like some tea? It''s not much, but we can offer you some."


    "I¡ª" Glancing over to Natsu and Happy, I saw them both looking at me before I continued speaking for them, "That isn''t necessary, sir. But please, what is going on?"


    The old man sighed and sat back down across from us.


    "It started a month ago¡­" the old man put a hand on his head, "m-my son¡­ he went missing after one day from managing the fields. We all looked for him, but strangely we found no trace of him. My daughter-in-law searched and searched. Three nights after his disappearance, she thought she heard something and went outside to investigate¡­ she never came back¡­"


    I instinctively looked back at the table. A seat of four, set only for two. That was why I was attracted to that detail.


    Fighting back tears, the elder continued. "It only got worse," his voice cracked. "Soon Hoggins, Terieo, Modaf¡­ everyone who went out on the field slowly but surely started to disappear without a trace. It''s gotten so bad that we had to ban anyone from going near the fields. Things have been desperate, we''re running low on supplies, and we are too far from any regular town and we''ve just used up our money on farming tools before this madness came down on us."


    "I don''t get it," Natsu interrupted. "You guys posted that your farmers were being harassed by animals. If it was that bad, why did you lie about the message? It would have definitely bumped up the level if you told them the truth."


    "W-We don''t have money to afford the bigger quests¡­" My eyes widened as I recalled what the man just said. I didn''t know much about this world, but I knew enough about fantasy settings to recall that the bigger the jobs, the higher the pay. If this really was a high pay job, the town would be further pushed into bankruptcy or worse. "The lowest one was all we could afford left. We only hoped that a strong mage would take this quest, and it appears our prayers have been answered."


    "Don''t worry." Natsu stood up quickly, his eyes determined. "We''ll make sure who, or what is ever causing this will pay! Come on, Happy! Kain!"


    "Aye~!" "Wait what?" Apparently, Natsu didn''t really seem to register my voice as it spoke at the same time as Happy. He ran out the door with his flying cat right after him.


    I also went up to try and chase my¡­ would friend be an alright term to use right now? Regardless, I tried to chase them down after I looked back at the elder of the town. "We uhh¡­ we''ll be right back."


    Unfortunately for me, I was basically a normal person. Running after someone like Natsu or Happy was already draining my less-than-stellar stamina.


    "Natsu! Natsu!" I kept shouting his name before I eventually caught up to him while he was standing right in front of a giant cornfield.


    A cornfield. ¡­ Cruse you, Stephen King.


    If there are any Amish dressed children in there¡ªI swear to god! "N-Natsu, wo-would you please¡­ hold on I need to breathe¡­ wait a second?" Oh wow I am out of shape.


    "We gotta help these people, Kain. Whoever did this to them is going to pay!" He slammed his fists together.


    "Natsu," After getting more of my breath back, I stood back up. "Look, I want to help these guys as much as the next guy, but you can''t just blindly search for something we don''t even know is causing all this!"


    It didn''t take much to tell that Natsu was slowly agreeing with my idea, even if he didn''t like it. I explained to him we should gather information and look for clues, it would take a while, but maybe we could find something that could help us.


    Time went on after that. The elder explained that there was no sign at all they just disappeared without a trace. Even asking everyone around there showed no signal for when or how they all disappeared.


    "Augh this isn''t getting us anywhere!" Natsu cried out, it was already getting late and curfew was going up. People were closing their doors and we still had not a single idea where these people could have gone.


    "I even flew around the place," Happy finished eating a fish then swallowed. "Nothing looks out of the ordinary."


    Natsu was right though. It''s been hours, but there''s almost nothing we got except that all of the people who disappeared went into¡­


    Curse you, Stephen King¡­


    The cornfield.


    Trying my best to forget about He Who Walks Behind The Rows, I spoke up. "The last place we haven''t checked is the cornfield itself. But it''s a perfect place for whatever is out there to ambush us."


    I heard a rather intimidating growl coming from Natsu. "It''s time we took the fight to them! Come on guys!" He ran into the place with reckless abandon.


    "Aye!"


    I on the other hand hesitated. The set up was too damn similar and if me coming here was possible, whose to say there wasn''t some kind of evil deity in there? I''m not Natsu, have no qualities that could help me survive in the first place.


    But¡­


    I sighed. "Litche needs his parents." Just like how I need to get home and apologize to my dad.


    Natsu forsook all caution and ran head first into the cornfield with Happy flying right after him. It was only thanks to Happy I could even follow Natsu with how fast he was running¡­ and with how loud he was screaming to whatever was out there to come out and face him.


    Though after a while of running, we still got nothing. (That did not help my paranoia for anything with a giant eye in here) Eventually, Natsu''s temper died down faster than his stamina as he came to a stop to wait for me.


    "¡­ O-Okay¡­ can¡­ can we¡­ take¡­ a break or two?" I wheezed for air as I tried to support myself by my knees.


    "Jeeze, Kain, you need to work out more." Natsu was obviously disappointed in me, but I was too tired to really argue with that notion. I would probably need to be more fit if I had any inkling of surviving here.


    "In my defense," I gasped. "I never needed to before today." I mean, I played a few sports for fun, but nothing worth working out over.


    "WWWAAAAHHH!"


    All three of us snapped our heads towards a direction in the distance. The sound that just came out was that of a baby crying.


    "Ahh! It''s whatever is causing the disappearance! It must have taken a baby!" Happy cried out while he pointed in the direction of the cry.


    Natsu was just as quick to race towards the sound. "Oh no you don''t!"


    I soon begrudgingly ran after the two again despite how much my lungs protested that I should rest. "Oh great, more running..." I''m not even fat dang it¡ªwait a second. Something isn''t right.


    All of the missing people were lost when they went into the cornfield, but no one knows how they disappeared without a trace.


    Yet, out here, when they had a run a good distance away from town, they heard a baby crying?


    But worst of all, why¡­ why did this feel so familiar?


    Eventually, I caught up with Natsu and Happy again as we stopped nearby a scarecrow. The crying should have come here, but there was no sign of anything. Huh? Oh hey, it''s the hill we looked over before we entered the town¡ª


    {Eventually, they ran up a hill looking over a small town with a large cornfield beside it than spanned some hundred acres.}


    "Oh no."


    {"I even flew around the place," Happy finished eating a fish then swallowed. "Nothing looks out of the ordinary."}


    I heard Natsu asking me what was wrong, but slowly my mind started over analyze a few simple facts that we went over today.


    "Happy," I began, hoping to god that I was wrong. "You flew around looking for anything out of the ordinary right?"


    "Aye!~ I saw nothing unusual!" He answered easily.


    "Natsu, when we were up on that hill, we saw the whole town and the corn field from that high point right?"


    "Uh yeah? What''s the point of that?"


    I slowly turned my head and gulped. "D-Did any of you see this scarecrow in either of those times we could look on the town from up high?"


    Their silence could deafen a man.


    The ''scarecrow'' in question had a large hat that blocked its face from view and it was wearing a long, old, worn out trench coat with holes in it. But as we all took a closer look at it, we noticed its hands were far too sharp to be made of straw or sticks and that the trench coat had dried stains of blood on it.


    Utter silence was around us. Fearing for my life, I took a step back¡ª


    ??????????


    "Kain!"


    Natsu tackled me as the hat titled upward, revealing a demonic looking skeleton with glowing red eyes that then quickly tried to bite my head off. I would be lying if I didn''t see my life flash before my eyes in the reflection of those black, large fangs errruughghh!


    "T-Thanks, Natsu!" I said as we both got back up.


    Happy glanced in the direction of where the creature went, but with how his neck seemed to frantically scan the area around us, it looked like he lost him. "What was that!?"


    "I have no idea! But that''s the thing that''s been hurting this village¡ª" I stopped Natsu from running and bolting after the thing.


    I knew what it was strangely enough. They needed to know what they were up against.


    "Bubak."


    "Wha?"


    "The Bubak is a mythological creature back in my home world from the country of the Czech Republic. I''ve read hundreds of mythology folklore and in one of them they describe the Bubak as something like a boogeyman. It lures people in with a cry like a baby and then devours them¡­ all those people¡­ they''re dead not missing."


    Natsu''s eyes sharpened as he clenched his fist, and fire was coated around it. "All the more reason to put it down for good."


    "Natsu, don''t!"


    "Why not!?"


    "Because we''re in the middle of their cornfield! The source of their income and food! Your magic is fire based, and do you have any idea how easy it is for dry plants to get on fire? You would burn a hundred acres of food and money for these people who are already broke!"


    Natsu gripped his fist tighter, but undid his flames. "Then what do we do!?"


    "We lead it out to an open area, it''s the only way you can fight it safely¡ªwait," I then recalled the direction of where the creature ran off too and where we came from. Uh oh. "Which direction did the Bubak, go?"


    Happy flew up ward a little higher, but then his eyes widened as he shot his paw out back and panicked as he did so, "It''s heading towards the village!"


    Natsu ran as fast as he could no sooner than the words had left Happy''s mouth.


    "Happy, where is it!?"


    "N-Natsu! It stopped moving through the field! I can''t see it anymore!" The flying cat exclaimed as he quickly glanced around.


    "Is it in the village?"


    "I didn''t see it go in!"


    Natsu turned back quickly. "Kain, what else do you know about the¡­ Bu¡­bak?"


    As he turned around, he noticed the lack of a short, brown haired boy with dark brown eyes behind him.


    "Kain!?" Natsu shouted again.


    "Natsu? Will you stop leaving me alone!?" Kain''s voice came from past the cornfield.


    "Well hurry up, we have to get back to the village quickly!"


    "I-I can''t! I tripped and sprained my ankle!"


    Natsu grunted. He knew he couldn''t leave him all alone with the Bubak stalking in the corn. "Just keep talking! Happy, watch out for movement!"


    "Aye!"


    "Natsu!? Happy!? What are you doing!? Where are you guys!?"


    Both Natsu and Happy froze when they heard Kain''s voice in the opposite direction of where they first heard it.


    "K-Kain!?" Natsu shouted in shock.


    "N-Natsu! Don''t be fooled! The Bubak can imitate voices! It must have copied mine to confuse you!" The first voice cried out.


    The second voice yelled out in response. "Is that my voice!? Natsu, if you go to him, you''ll be setting yourself up for an ambush! Don''t go to him!"


    Natsu and Happy frantically moved their heads back and forth as both voices started talking at the same time on why they shouldn''t listen to the other voice. Which one was the real Kain?


    "I-I got it!" Happy declared as he pointed high to the sky. "I''ll just fly up until I see the real Kain! Unlike the Bubak, Kain can''t and won''t hide from me!"


    "Do it!" Natsu hurriedly said.


    Happy nodded, before looking up and¡ª


    "NO! Happy, don''t! If you fly that far high up, the Bubak will be able to snatch you out of the sky and neither Natsu nor I will be able to help you when he dips back down into the cornfield!"


    "T-Then what do we do?!" Happy asked, backing out form the thought of being attacked while up in the sky.


    However, Natsu''s eyes hardened. "Happy, this way!"


    I heard Natsu''s voice from the cornfield, followed by him running towards me and reentering back into the outskirts of the village.


    "Oh, so you didn''t break your ankle. That bastard! He''s trying to trick me!" Natsu glared back at the cornfield.


    But I was baffled. "Natsu, how did you know I was the right one?" I was still in the process of figuring out how I could try to convince both of them that I was the right voice without going back in there and potentially being killed by the thing in my attempt to get to them.


    The fire mage''s glare stopped as he looked back in my direction. "You were the voice that cared for Happy. So it had to be you."


    "Wait what? That was it?" Man, I probably over think things too much.


    However, Happy yelled and pointed back to the cornstalk. "Ahh! He''s heading this way!"


    "Finally!" Natsu threw off his coat and coated his fist with flames. "I can now go wild¡ª"


    "We''re like a few feet away from the town, Natsu! Just make sure it follows USSS!?" I grabbed his wrist and ran like hell when the Bubak pounced right for us.


    It took only a few more seconds for the roles to switch with Natsu running faster with me hanging on for dear life. I might have been maybe a few years younger than him, but he was carrying me around like I was a teddy bear! "I''m tired of all the running, damn it! I wanna fight it!"


    Even with that angry cry, he still continued to run while the Bubak slithered on the ground fast right after us, crying an unholy screech as it did so.


    ??????????


    "Last time, I checked, I can''t fight it at all! But trust me! I have an idea!" I saw where we were heading and warned Natsu to stop right in front of the city well.


    "Okay now you can fight it, but you have to hit it in the well!"


    "Huh? Why?"


    I looked back to see the Bubak reaching us at an alarming rate. Me or Happy staying here would only hold Natsu back, so I just started to run. "Just trust me and do it! Happy, we should go!"


    "Aye!~"


    I slide behind a tool shed as I watched Natsu enflame his fist as he fought the Bubak. The creature was a slithery thing, avoiding Natsu'' punches while swiping right for him.


    "Come on, Natsu!" Happy cried as he put away his wings and shouted from right on top of my head.


    "Slippery bastard¡­" The pink haired mage growled as the Bubak slipped away from a flame powered Axe kick that only hit the ground he was previously in. The creature snarled and attempted to swipe right at Natsu. He barely managed to avoid it, but a piece of his shirt got cut off.


    Natsu growled before he seemed to suddenly stop and stand up right form his battle position.


    "Natsu, what are you doing!?" Happy spoke out what I was thinking.


    The Bubak opened its immense maw to eat up the dragon mage. However, in the last second I saw Natsu duck¡ªthen upper cut the creature right into his jaw. The creature flew upward, but not before Natsu quickly grabbed its tail and slammed the monster right into the well like I told him to do.


    He took a quick glance at me and smiled before racing to the top of the well and pounding his fists together.


    "FIRE DRAGON''S ROAR!" He yelled as he spewed fire from his mouth right into the well. It looked like he got my idea after all, seeing that the well was a great way to trap the thing and allowed Natsu to perform his more devastating spells without much damage to the village around us.


    But holy crap! Even from all the way here, I could feel the flame''s heat and saw how the ground around him was cracking with fire bursting out. In a huge bang, the fire Natsu threw in there had also shot back upward into the sky.


    Of course, something like this was sure to get everyone in the village to wake up and come right towards the center of the town.


    "You there, Fairy Tail! What''s going on!?" The village elder along with some women ran up to me with obvious concern on their faces.


    I pointed over to the smoking crater of the middle of town, where Natsu was looking down the broken and somewhat melted well. "W-We found the monster that had taken your loved ones, but we threw down the well in hopes to kill it."


    "I-Is that true?! Did you kill it?!"


    I didn''t know as I looked back right at Natsu. He still looked to be staring down the well he threw the Bubak into.


    Suddenly, his eyes snapped open as he jumped off the well¡ªno sooner than he did, a scorched and hellish demon jumped out, destroying what was left of the well into pieces.


    Everyone screamed in terror as they saw the Bubak, burned but it looked like he had grown bigger and turned into a more humanoid like creature to avoid the worst of the blows. Natsu powered up again but I looked around: some people ran while others stared in frozen shock.


    If the fight dragged out, this place would be ruined! Huh? Wait a second.


    I ran, surprising Happy and a woman holding a farm tool when she came running out.


    "Miss! Give me that!"


    "U-Uh-here!"


    I grabbed the tool and looked to Happy. "Give this to Natsu! Now!"


    The blue cat didn''t argue as he took the tool and flew to his buddy. "Natsu!"


    "Happy!?" His eyes widened as he saw what his friend was carrying.


    "Natsu, decapitate him!" I cried as Happy threw the tool and Natsu caught it.


    "De-what!?" He yelled back before avoiding a fist attempting to crush him.


    "I mean cut his neck off!" I corrected.


    "Oh! Alright!" Natsu, even though he had never seemed to use a scythe before, he held it like a weapon. Amazingly, despite being a simple farming tool, Natsu weaved fire around the tool and jumped right for the Bubak''s head after dodging his tail.


    With a loud cry, Natsu swung the scythe right into the Bubak''s neck¡ªand burned right through to the other side, making a clean cut.


    Natsu landed back on the ground, holding the scythe before it shattered into pieces from the force used on it. However, it did its job of reaping. The massive body of the Bubak fell into the ground with his head slowly rolling towards Natsu. The fire mage started darkly at the head before filling his fist with flame and punching right into his head through the mouth. With a burst of fire, he made the head explode and burnt it into ash.


    But for some reason, the body of the Bubak had done the same, turning swiftly into ash and being blown away by the wind.


    Natsu exhaled before looking at me and Happy. "Thank guys!" He gave a huge thumbs up to us with a large goofy grin.


    I found myself doing the exact same thing¡ªI mean come on! I actually helped in slaying a monster! Despite almost dying several times, it was pretty darn cool!


    Don''t make me do it again.


    "H-He did it! He killed the monster plaguing us!" "They all did!" "We''re finally saved!" The cheers of the Villagers came over us as they all crowded in to give their thanks.


    It was nice, but it was also a little suffocating as well.


    "Where''s my dad?"


    It was a small voice, but it was all it took to silence everyone in the town. I traced the voice back and saw Litche looking at us with pleading eyes. "W-Where''s my dad? H-He''s been gone for a while and where''s my mom? If the monster is gone, why aren''t they back?"


    That was all it took for the mood to sour. I looked back to Natsu, who looked a little ashamed to say anything. Happy, ironically was far from his namesake as of right now.


    Which then left me.


    I inhaled deeply before walking up to Litche and kneeled right in front of him. With my best attempt to comfort him, I said in the most caring voice I could muster, "I''m so sorry, Litche. The monster had eaten all of them before we came here."


    "T-Their gone?" I wondered: was my father afraid for where I was? Would he be like Litche if I disappeared from his life? The last words I said to him¡­ they weren''t kind.


    "They aren''t gone. You are still here, Litche," I found myself saying. My mind was drawing blanks, but it seemed like my heart knew what to say. "You are the product of their love, so as long as you are alive, they will never be forgotten. Don''t let the monster also take away your happiness when it''s finally gone."


    Tears started to swell on the little boy''s eyes. "I don''t want that! I want them! I want them!"


    I could only hug him to somehow lessen the pain. "I know. ¡­ I know."


    I needed to find a way home soon.


    I need to say sorry to my dad before it was too late.


    "Please, take this as a token of our appreciation." The elder said as he handed Natsu the money for the quest the morning after the crazy night before.


    Natsu pushed it back. "We couldn''t. You need all you can to rebuild."


    "Regardless of us rewarding you or not, it still will take a long time. But you''ve given us our future back, so please accept the reward money for this quest. Please, accept it as a token of our gratitude." With that, Natsu took the bag of money. It would be rude to decline after that.


    "Thank you for all your help." The elder spoke out and bowed. As we all waved goodbye, the townsfolk all waved goodbye to us.


    "Man this sucks. If only I took this job sooner!" Natsu gripped his fist tightly.


    "You didn''t know and I didn''t know. We should be grateful that we at least were able to help them in the first place." I still felt bad we couldn''t save those lost people, but there''s nothing we can do about it for now.


    "Yeah," Natsu slowly agreed before looking at me. "Thanks a lot, Kain."


    That surprised me as I turned to look at him with confusion. "What do you mean? You did all the fighting, I just followed along."


    "We couldn''t have beaten the Bubak without you!" Happy raised his paw as he said this.


    "Uhh yes you could have. Wasn''t I holding you back the entire night?"


    "Well yeah," Ouch. "But that was good. If I went just buck wild, I would have hurt these people more than help. You made it so I wouldn''t have so much."


    Really? All I did was just think things through. "By the way, it never really occurred to me until now, but why were you okay with having them think I was a Fairy Tail mage? I''m not a part of your guild, let alone a wizard."


    "Do you want to join our guild?" I wasn''t expecting a question like that to come from Natsu, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to benefit me in the long run. I mean, I could go a separate path from the main story, but then I would be completely in the dark. If I stayed the story route, I could have some semblance of planning what to do with my vague memory in what Jerry told me about the story.


    "I guess¡­ if I was there, it would get easier to find a way back home."


    "Then you can be a part of Fairy Tail."


    "But I can''t use magic. Can I really be a part of a guild like that?"


    "You fought for us, didn''t you?" I looked towards Happy who was wearing a smile. "Anyone who''s willing to go far for good people is great Fairy Tail material!"


    "Then it''s decided! You''re going to join Fairy Tail! ¡­ After we make a stop." Natsu declared.


    Okay, so I''m joining Fairy Tail. I''m not as savvy as most fans would be for this place, but I do admit Natsu starting to grow on me as a friend. Maybe I might actually find a way back home and not die sticking around him¡­ or it could be the exact opposite. Ugh.


    "We are we stopping?"


    Natsu looked at me with excitement in his eyes. "We''re going to the town of Hargeon City to find my father, Igneel!"


    [End of Chapter 1]


    Ahoy, readers! Welcome to my first attempt at a Fairy Tail fanfiction.


    I always did like Fairy Tail, even though certain plot decisions have been ''questionable''.


    I thought that a world full of magic does have a lot of potential, but it seemed that the author seemed to focus more on the super power side of magic rather than the mystical elements to it like the supernatural or mystical elements beyond dragons. Sorta what I did here by adding folklore monsters into the world of Fiore.


    I have a few more ideas for this story even though it''s early on. If you are especially savvy, you probably noticed where Kain and Natsu are heading next. Let''s just say¡­ some things are different this time around.


    Hope you enjoyed this, look out for more

 Chapter 60 - My SI Stash #60 - Unfortunately, I’m not a Hero by Sage_of_Eyes (My Teen Rom Com)

    -I just can''t get over my Oregairu addiction... Yes this isn''t SI, but still give it a try.


    *Hachiman in a surprisingly very serious Monster Girls universe. He''s summoned by the Empire to be the Hero to defeat the Demon Lord. But la di da turns out the Empire are sc.u.m and the monsters are the slightly tolerable and good ones.


    *The same pragmatic Hachiman will become a badass General for the Demon Lord.


    Sypnosis: Stolen from his world one winter night, Hikigaya Hachiman found himself in an alternate world. Surely, this means that he shall become a hero that fights again evil with extraordiary abilities. Wait. What''s this collar? What do you mean I have to either fight or die? Why the heck are all the monsters girls!?


    What kid of shit setting is this and why the hell is everything so difficult? Where''s my shitty cheat skill!?


    I want a refund!


    Rated: T


    Words: 72K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/unfortunately-i''m-not-a-hero-oreigaru-x-mge-lite.800668/threadmarks


    (Sage_of_Eyes)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1.1-1.4


    Usefulness is dictated by circ.u.mstance. While individuals will look upon the likes of plumbers, janitors, and garbagemen with disdain, the fact remains that when they''re needed, they''re irreplaceable. People give up their freedoms to become cogs in the machine called society so that water comes to them, they''re protected, and they don''t have to touch waste. Societies built upon ideas and dreams will inevitably falter and fail due to corruption and tyranny, but while societies of mutual dependence will inevitably falter, they''ll persist.


    Why?


    Because human beings used to certain standards will consider that standard the norm, therefore give up more to maintain it, thus becoming nothing more than puppets dancing to a tune.


    Source: me.


    That was true in my previous world and in this one as well.


    At the very least, this new world I''ve been summoned into is refreshingly honest about what they want and desire from those they kidnap from other worlds.


    Problem: Demon armies.


    Solution: interdimensional conscription of those who won''t be missed.


    Rinse and repeat, until demon armies are swallowed by bodies of people who can''t refuse you, who you''ve enslaved, and who you don''t care for in the slightest.


    In all honesty, I''d enjoy reading such an Isekai novel. The main character just being shit on, until he either breaks or rises above the occasion would be a fresh breeze through the stagnant halls of the genre. Not that it wasn''t stagnant from the moment it was conceptualized in the mind of some wishy-washy mouth-breather/Zaimokuza-type, since it''s all derivative and unoriginal in the first place, but I''m uncultured and have no taste, therefore I like such things. I would very much like to an MC get the what for, struggle, and maybe survive only because of the sacrifice of other people.


    Needless to say, I didn''t like it when I was the aforementioned MC in a setting where I can only suffer.


    I lasted the longest of my batch of fellow individuals who were kidnapped.


    Some had attempted to escape initially, but they were turned into examples of how much control our new masters had over us. The moment they grouped up and tried to run, it was as though Kira came down from the heavens with the Death Note in hand to express his displeasure upon them. Yep, disobeying means a heart attack and a stroke. Nothing silly like electricity or "lightning magic." That was only to punish. Everyone is replaceable, therefore there''s no need for such extravagant measures.


    Those who had potential for magic were taken away to be taught, arrayed into massive lines, and then act as artillery batteries that commanders didn''t have to worry about re-positioning.


    All that were left were individuals who could use their bodies and hold spears, wearing only what they had on their backs.


    Thereafter, battle after battle, my "group" got whittled down.


    Some had potential to be warriors, awakening some cheap bullshit while in combat, and they were taken away to be ablative vanguards. A few had proficiencies for ranged weapons, then they were deployed as sacrificial skirmishers to disrupt supply lines. And, of course, those who weren''t particularly special all just died during battles, even after better armor and equipment was given to us every time we survive.


    Eventually, I was leading a group of newly-kidnapped individuals from other worlds entirely, without anyone of my group remaining.


    The veteran slave leading the rest into combat against monstergirls.


    Hmmm?


    What''s that?


    Yeah, I said monstergirls.


    What of it?


    Trust me, if this was some sort of lewd world, I wouldn''t nearly be as f.u.c.k.i.e.d in the head as I am now. They are simply monsters who must be overcome through calculated sacrifice of chaff. The humans of the world we came into are nothing besides completely rational and utterly focused.


    There was no lewd plot twist to be had.


    Well, or so I thought, until I fell in battle and woke up again.


    The plot twist was apparently the human empire kidnapping people to wage war for them across dimensions was the bad guy all along.


    And the monstergirls were the good guys.


    Again, who would''ve thought that the wizards kidnapping able-bodied individuals from across time and space to fight their wars against a whole world out for their blood are the bad guys?


    Really.


    Truly.


    Surprising.


    ¡­


    It goes to show the uselessness of education that not many high-schoolers from modern worlds managed to survive battles where they''re forced to fight or die. In fact, according to my very-useful liason when I awoke in a ward with my crest removed, the human kingdoms preferred to recruit from worlds that were more tribal or feudal in nature. Teens from those time periods tended to either be farmers, warriors, or other sorts of laborers.


    Things modern teenagers are not.


    They also only looked for people with a certain amount of fitness.


    Again, something most modern teenagers are not.


    Zaimokuza, I''m sorry to say, you''re too f.u.c.k.i.n.g fat to be an Isekai protagonist. I sincerely apologize (not) for being the bearer of bad news, regarding the fact that you have too much of a belly to live out your dreams.


    Regardless, while I was not a laborer, warrior, or of a society that considered violence the norm, years of staying healthy, as to not invite scorn and become another Zaimokuza-type had f.u.c.k.i.e.d me over.


    Disregarding the fact I''ll never see my family again, am permanently trapped in another world, and will forever live with the knowledge that someone, somewhere is kidnapping people to be used as slave-warriors, the Monstergirls weren''t exactly in good shape. The constant stream of bodies flooding into the borders of their empire, with the backbone of the actual, magic-using human army, was stretching their forces to the limit. Though they were numerous, individually more capable, and had far more land, due to not being pricks and willing to work with one another, that wasn''t enough to deal with the constant onslaught of able-bodied individuals who either fought or died.


    Thus, I was given the option of helping them out.


    And, thus, I decided not to.


    The moment the option to go somewhere peaceful was offered¡­ I took it. Two years of being a slave, having to claw my way up from trash to trash who looked after the rest of the trash, was something that I intended to put behind me. What''s that? Why don''t I continue fighting, so I could perhaps find a means to get back home? First, I''m not an idiot. Second, I do not enjoy fighting. Third, I like living, preferably comfortably and with as little contact with other people as much as possible.


    Upon my rescue, I looked forward to either living in the woods for the rest of my life, or finding a small town to become the grumpiest old man at. In a world devoid of entertainment, I figured that I''d either become a farmer, maybe write a few books, and do something else besides fight an empire that has the ability to kidnap and enslave others from across time and space. Anything, actually, sounded better than that.


    Unfortunately, my dream of a life of simplicity and peace did not come to be.


    Why?


    Because, after I was given the option to leave, I was identified, taken aside, and told what I was really going to do.


    By a Dragon.


    Of the monstergirl variety.


    But, still, a Dragon.


    As expected, there''s more than one way to enslave a person in this world.


    ¡­


    I would''ve been pretty happy to meet the Demon Lord in her throne room. Throne rooms, after all, are in the center of the capital city of any faction. It is the defacto place for a ruler to stay safe, secure, and strategize at. Meaning, of course, that it the safest place to be during war. Even wars that involved magic that could level entire cities, killing the leader of an entire country indiscriminately would only result in massive reprisal, welcoming the same attack upon oneself, and utterly eradicating a chance for an armistice.


    A good ruler will sit tight in their capital, so that they can communicate with the other side, stay safe from battle, and ensure that a war does not devolve into a fight of extinction.


    Unfortunately, the Demon Lord led from the front, because this was a total war of extinction, no chance of armistice was possible, and the only way this was going to end was complete destruction of the other side. Even worse, she was the commander of the cohort of monstergirls that destroyed mine. And, finally the worst possible thing in the history ever, was that it wasn''t luck that kept me alive in that fight¡­ I was looked for, found, and apprehended.


    In conclusion, I already knew what happened before the tent''s entrance was opened for me.


    I was taken for my skills by one side, so that I''d use them on the other side.


    Therefore, naturally, I had to f.u.c.k up as much as I possibly could, so they''d just let me go.


    If f.u.c.k.i.n.g up didn''t get me killed, of course.


    ¡­


    The Demon Lord was as a Demon, as expected. As far a battlefield opponent went, Demons were typically commanders who strode into combat and laid waste to just about everyone they fought. In game terms, they were Hero Units for those particularly enthused by real-time strategy. Each one had their specialty, the gimmick that they used to best effect, and they had to be killed by sacrificing a lot of a chaff while someone from range kills them slowly¡­ or they''re stabbed in the back.


    Naturally, I was part of the chaff that was supposed to die for an opening.


    "There''s no need for you to have your weapon drawn, Jean. Without weapons, he cannot harm either of us." Typical and stereotypical were the best words for the red-haired, horned, and armored woman looking over the massive map. It was the same kind that I used the night before, when planning the attack, so I was able to tell where to look. Yep, there''s the piece that represented me and mine. Ooh, it''s a black and gold pawn, instead of just black like all the other slave-units. Neat. "Our former opponent is wasted in combat. I''m sure that he agrees."


    Huh, despite looking like a generic Demon Lord, she didn''t act as I expected. There were no "ara ara''s" nor were there "ohohoho''s." Also, despite her looks, there was no signs of flirtatious or salacious behavior. Indeed, she walked toward me clad fully in plate-mail from neck down, and offered me her hand to shake.


    When I managed it, after a moment, she didn''t smile and simply nodded.


    "Well met, but there''s no time to waste. You''re healed, you''re fed, and now you will aid me in composing a plan to extract my forces from one of the pincer movements the empire adopted since you came to lead." With a gesture at the parchment map, magic formed a more comprehensive picture of the battlefield. "Tell me what you see, as I can''t see a means to withdraw without suffering utterly grievous losses."


    Terrain came to life, models became surrounded by armies and projected a number, and other, important information streamed in. However, most of all, I noticed that the now "living" units of the Demon Lord were sending in information and updates, as well as requests for orders. Given how my body guard looked upon it with no surprise, and how easily the Demon Lord called upon it, it was probably common for well-supplied, military commanders. Now that I think about it, my kidnappers got the hang of fast-maneuvering very quickly and responded to threats with reinforcements quickly.


    So, I was being f.u.c.k.i.e.d over not only on the battlefield, but also on the tactical and strategic level by my former captors.


    What a bunch of d.i.c.ks.


    However, I was now being tested and I was just informed that my abilities were well-known.


    It couldn''t hurt to try to act stupid, though¡ª


    "Your help is most appreciated. Rest assured that your fellows will be treated with the best possible care upon our successful retreat."


    Well, shit.


    "You overextended to take out a priority target, but took prisoners and a baggage train. No wonder I managed to push you back." I understood that these people are stuck in the medieval age, but this is a clear case of stupidity. "Fire whoever taught you tactics, because this little escapade is going to get you killed."


    The Dragon growled, but I ignored her even when the Demon Lord didn''t tell her to stop. There was no sign of her drawing her sword, or acting stupid, due to just a set of words. My hostess''s features did not change either, she just smiled and nodded at my words. They were competent and strong, but they were tactically and strategically inept. No f.u.c.k.i.n.g wonder they were being pushed back by shitty mass-wave attacks and half-assed tactics.


    "The next time you do this, you need make a force that you can afford to lose, but has a chance of doing what you told them to do." Risk, reward, and cost. That was the ultimate determinant of any operation. If you can afford the payment, then risk can be ignored, then you can acquire the reward. Needless to say, monstergirls could''ve afford a steep body count, and even if they took out plenty of people, it didn''t matter of those people were worthless in the eyes of their masters. "What you should''ve done is had me kidnapped by your people who weren''t worthless, because now you''re f.u.c.k.i.e.d."


    "I''ll remember that, but first the problem at hand." The Demon Lord gestured towards the table. She moved to show me where we were, but got there before her. As far as magic went, I had next to nothing, but that was the typical case. I was able to interact with the magical map. There was the river that the battle had been fought on, there was the artillery, and cavalry. The infantry wasn''t present, because that was my job and I''d failed at it. So, that should''ve been it. We would''ve had to face the heavy hitters, just artillery and cavalry, but that wasn''t the case. "How do you propose to deal with these two other divisions that have arrived, which have encircled us after being reinforced by the remnants of your own?"


    The typical response an infantry portion of a division being lost was a full-strength division in a day''s time. It was the typical strategy of reinforcing the backline, then leapfrogging, thus having a defended rear and a chance to rest troops.


    I had no clue where the second division came from, but that didn''t matter at all.


    I needed to deal with the problem at hand, just I''d been ever since I''d been summoned in this damn world to be a slave thrown into a meat-grinder.


    Thankfully, this time around, I was actually fighting to survive.


    That meant, I was more than willing to play dirty, instead of cribbing off of history.


    Joy of joys, I get to f.u.c.k over the people who f.u.c.k.i.e.d over my entire f.u.c.k.i.n.g life.


    The only thing that could make this better was if I could do without worrying about dying if I failed.


    Spite, after all, is best enjoyed without your target being able to hit back.


    I suppose that I''ll have to manage until the time comes.


    ...


    1.2


    ...


    As multitudes of edgy, one-sided MCs would tell you, the only thing that matters in a fight is that you win. However, as expected of their monofocus, lack of intelligence, and 1-dimensional, mouth breather nature, they''re dime-a-dozen warriors who can win fights, perhaps even battles, but not wars.


    In war, everything matters, and if one thing that matters is f.u.c.k.i.e.d, there''s no victory even if you win dozens of battles.


    I only managed to get to my current circ.u.mstances, because I happened to know what I needed to do in order to be important, whilst any other comparable kidnappee won battles for the Empire, I progressed their plans, got them what they needed, and outlived the meatheads who actually believed winning fights and battles would get them freedom.


    The only freedom to be had, after we were magically shackled, was to die on our own terms.


    Since the Freedom True Ending was completely impossible, I changed routes, because I wasn''t an idiot.


    Edgy MCs with paper-like skin would continue on their path until the end, where they died ignominiously, hilariously, and deservedly.


    Source: me.


    Anyway, survival had been my first priority, then gathering power, and finally acquiring a whole division of meatshields. The longer I lived, even if it meant sacrificing others and placating my interdimensional, magical kidnappers, was my victory. Ms. Degurechaff will certainly be proud of me and my actions, as I''m sure it''s perfectly in line with the rules of modern, logical, and capitalistic society.


    Exploitation for one''s own gain is never wrong, as long as it profits society and maintains social order.


    It just so happened that the society and social order I was maintaining happened to be interdimensional enslavers who all deserved to die.


    That part wasn''t my fault, but the result of my actions saving the lives of babies, men, and women of the interdimensional invaders who deserved to die were certainly attributed to me.


    The number of lives I exchanged in order to be seen as someone who had to be captured and used as an asset is well into the thousands. Fighting retreats, suicidal flanking maneuvers, and ambushes against superior opponents ate up people without distinction. However, the Empire saw the bodies of their enemies pile up, or their true troops coming back safe, so it didn''t matter what I did, so long as I got those favorable results with troops destined to die anyway.


    In their eyes, I was saving the lives of those they considered people, therefore I had worth.


    Therefore, I secured my life, while being a good person.


    Again, for the interdimensional slavers, but that''s just how it goes.


    Naturally, my fellow kidnappers noticed that I was surviving fights and currying favor, while they were dying.


    That''s the point where an edgy, brainlet who''s just "clever" would have been introduced to a harem of knives while he slept.


    However, it was never going to be me.


    Why?


    Well, of course, I had a commodity that everyone wanted. I gained the right to live, to be viewed favorably, and was asked to lead, while many were told to die. I approached those who understood that, who wanted the same safety, and betrayed the rest of my fellows to die on battlefields, while I led from the rear with capable guards.


    Well, a guard.


    The time difference between the point where I started getting odd looks from my troops, shortly after the Empire started treating me like an asset, and got captured by the Demon Lord is about¡­ a month?


    You can''t expect a guy like me to get a cadre of people around himself instantly, even if I happened to offer a prolonged, miserable existence as a slave, who proceeded to step on shoulder after shoulder to live, I still happened to be a loner first and foremost.


    The fact that I managed to get one capable, loyal guard is something worthy of praise, dammit!


    Even if, technically, I was cheating because I saved her life and her ass-backwards culture meant that I owned her now or something.


    Technically, I saved her life twice over, so I''m just right twice, anyway!


    ¡­


    After my meeting with my new boss, who gave me the impossible assignment of escaping a pincer attack against a foe that outnumbered us three times over, I did the first thing any sane person would do.


    Fetch my bodyguard who''d protect them with their life.


    Naturally, since the Demon Lord intended to secure my aid, she captured as much of my troops as possible. And, given her forces were mostly composed of Dragons, "as much as possible" pretty much meant everyone. Yep, my whole division had been captured, and were now being used as collateral.


    Whatever the case, the only person who mattered in the deluge of degenerates across dimensions I directed lived and stood before me now.


    "Yo."


    "You live. How unfortunate for me. I thought I was free." Ur didn''t look particularly glad. In fact, even though she was standing upright in an iron cage, she looked as though she tried to pick a fight with the almighty Truck-kun, Hero of the Empire. Yeah, she definitely tried to keep her word, despite facing a force composed of dragons and led by the Demon Lord. "I presume that you have been freed of your collar, too? And, that you intend to fight against the Empire which stole us from our homes?"


    "I wouldn''t if I could help it. I''d rather leave all you idiots behind, but we''re going to be attacked by three divisions, along with some actual Empire troops." I wasn''t particularly interested in how my guard got beaten to a pulp, but still made her guards hesitate when they were told to release her to get healed. I could only presume that she did something incredibly stupid and insane, while I''d been unconscious. "Get out of there, and come get healed, because we have work to do."


    "You have no need of me or anyone else now. You have monsters at your disposal now. Monsters that have defeated me and mine." Golden eyes met my own through ebony locks. Despite the purple and black splotches stretching across her tanned skin, Ur remained defiant. As far as meatheads went, she was the pinnacle of her kind. Worthless in conversation, academics, and anything generally acceptable in modern society, but decent in a fight¡­ against monsters. That is to say, I was getting tired of her honorable warrior bullshit already. "I am of no use to you any longer. Death is my only course."


    "You can die when you pay me back for saving your life and failing to save mine, which means: only when I f.u.c.k.i.n.g let you." Tribal warriors from other dimensions needed a firm hand. Their societies were born in worlds filled with monsters, threats, and other things that would kill most loners in their cribs. Unfortunately, they used all their skill points to spec into physical attributes and used everything else as dump stats. "So, come on, stop moping, and get yourself healed, because I can''t leave you to die, so I might as well use you to get some payback."


    "I understand. Then, my life remains yours to spend." As usual, Ur was powered by idiocy and determination. The moment I clarified that I wasn''t an idiot, that I still needed her, and that she didn''t fail, she fell into my arms. Being a tanned, tribal warrior that was specialized as a shock trooper, I barely managed to keep the meathead up when she fell face-forward. She was about an hour away from being dead on her feet, but the wonders of healing magic never ceased to amaze. I held up my shitty, doubting, and idiot guard, while she was tended to. She had to gall to hold onto me after nearly crushing me, too. Idiot. "Wake me when the battle begins."


    Tch.


    "You f.u.c.k.i.n.g moron." It didn''t take an IQ of over nine-thousand to discern the truth. While I''d been knocked out, kidnapped, and taken care of lie everyone else, Ur had fought. Either she did so after she awakened while being healed, or she kept fighting until she was caged, then refused to rest. The hands the clung onto my shoulders, rigid even while their owner closed her eyes and breathed easy, were covered in cuts, bruises, and torn skin. I saw bone and a lack of nails on some of her fingertips. "You need to start to think with your brain, instead of your fists."


    Thankfully, since she passed out, she didn''t have anything stupid to say after my retort.


    Now, with her in my part of the court, I could get the rest of the division in line.


    Having authority was nice, but being able to call on unspeakable violence upon those who refused my whims was even better.


    ¡­


    "You recruited the vast majority of your division to fight for you once more, despite the freedom I offered them."


    "Please, stop stating the obvious, before I starting questioning your intelligence." The Demon Lord''s guards glared at me, but I kept eating my meal. The wonders of being the guest of a commander who was also the de facto leader of a whole nation-state had its perks. I was enjoying freshly-baked bread, a slab of meat, and some fresh fruit, as was Ur. Despite enjoying being the smuggest smug to ever smug, I was eating properly, while my bodyguard was getting food on her¡­ everything. I really can''t get away with being cool at anything, huh?. "So, now that we have ablative, you and yours can do the heavy lifting. I''ve told my forces to start entrenching, so prepare yours for counter attacks."


    "You intend to use those who pledged their lives to you as a distractions for my forces, just as you''ve done for the Empire." The Demon Lord stood. Clad in plate armor and with curved horns that bent over her skull and through a mane of scarlet hair, she was quite the intimidating sight. The only reason that Ur didn''t stand up for me to fight against the threat was that the meathead knew that she couldn''t do anything besides die with me against the Demon Lord. "And, I believed you kind when you so readily agreed to fight for me when I told you of our circ.u.mstances."


    "It''ll still be "kind" to those who survive the battle, which you dragged everyone into. If you don''t like the idea, just fly away and leave everyone to die." It is said that those who have no pride shift the blame upon others. If such a saying was true, then I was saving the Demon Lord quite a bit of shame. This situation was a result of her actions. Not mine. "That''s what I have for the problem you''ve given me, ojou-sama."


    Surprisingly, none of the guards drew their swords, so that the Demon Lord could show off being noble by raising her hand and stopping them. Damn, it''s been such a long time since I''ve seen anime that I''m trying to make it happen in real life. In retrospect, it''s a bad idea to provoke dragon-girls, but it would''ve been pretty cool to see that particular scene happen in real life.


    I''ll take the Demon Lord getting pissed off for the first time since we met as compensation, though.


    "Unacceptable. I swore upon those you''ve consigned to be fodder that they would have new lives." The distance between the two of us decreased with each word. Walking and following the edge of the table, she soon loomed over me. There was no trace of her beauty any longer. Her face was occluded by a mass of darkness which also came forth from the joints in her armor. Yes, without a doubt, she was the beast that plowed through my division''s lines, past Ur, and swallowed me in pain and darkness. "Upon my family''s name, upon the ideals that the alliance between all the tribes were crafted, I swore they would be free from their lives as fodder for blades, magic, and claws."


    There was no dramatic pause, no chance for me to get another word in, as the Demon Lord looked at me with disgust and disdain which was barely restrained.


    "You will provide another strategy for me. One that does not meaninglessly throw away lives for mere convenience. I demand not the impossible, but your best." Each word was stated without the slightest hint of hesitation. Each syllable dripped with strength. Every single ounce of intent was delivered clearly and with no room to argue. "Plan quickly and plan well, vaunted tactician, because you will be beside me to see this battle through to the end."


    Many of the other individuals in the room were shaking due to the Demon Lord''s strength, in both words and arcane might. The armored, armed dragons that protected her were standing straight due only to force of will or their weapons, which they gripped and held onto to support themselves. Ur had a grimace upon her lips, despite all the battles she fought calmly, with hardly anything more than what she deigned to call clothes, and whatever weapons she managed to get her hands on.


    Me?


    I was sweating like pig, trembling like a loon, and biting my lip as to not scream.


    Correction.


    Biting my lip as to not smile at a job well done.


    "R-right." My teeth chattered while I agreed, but when I bowed, I allowed myself a smirk between troubled breaths. It was just the start, but knowing that I didn''t fall into the hands of another tyrant who''d approve of the quickest, most ruthless options was something I needed to verify. Nor was I in the hands of a helpless, incompetent idiot. Trusting a stranger is foolish. Trusting someone who would allow a captured, enemy force to be rearmed and returned to their commander was suicide. I now knew that the Demon Lord was not an idiot, since she could wipe out all the aforementioned individuals she rearmed, nor was she simply faking her nobility, as she actually gave a f.u.c.k about how their lives were spent.. "I''ll do that."


    Definitely worth a few moments of existential dread.


    "See that you do." The Demon Lord''s power lessened. Breathing, no, existing became an easier and less complicated affair. When I raised my head to meet her calm gaze, covered in seat and fear, and lacking my smile¡­ I saw a glimpse of regret that was tossed away behind determination. Another good sign. She wasn''t a psychopath. Or, at least, very good at acting that she wasn''t. A decent point in her favor either way. I''d like a perfect psychopath on my side of the court, especially if they couldn''t tell if they were being tested and manipulated. "And, my name is Roseanne, not Ojou-sama. You will refer to me as such, Hikigaya Hachiman, my new court tactician."


    Hah!


    Forget not being an idiot.


    I needed to stay on my guard, because she had sharp mind and more than a few suspicions.


    With just a sentence, at little cost to herself, she put me under her command, along with all the troops I had under me, and made it so that every decision I made would have to go through her. Doubtlessly, around her, to fulfill my goal of survival, I would have to do just as well or better than while I was with the Empire.


    Roseanne?


    Roseanne was going to be a pain in the ass to work for¡­ which was almost too good to be true, given my last employer''s complete lack of care.


    This better not be a shitty dream sequence and I''m really still working for the Empire!


    ...


    1.3


    ¡­


    Only an idiot thinks fighting fair ever happens. The morons who try to fight fair are dead by the enemy''s hand or the people they''re supposed to lead into battle. Fact: people want to survive and win. Source: Me. Those who want to fight perfectly and look good are weeds that are pruned by the earliest of battle, left to be nothing more than lessons, and are convenient meatshields at best. They''re the country''s ablative armor, meant to dull the weight of an enemy offensive or two, while the real tacticians and generals are briefed, given the best troops, and send in counter attacks.


    There isn''t a single general or commander in the either side of the war that''s an idiot, who''ll fall for the same trick twice, and if there are¡­ well they''ll be f.u.c.k.i.e.d over by whatever tactic I use against the good ones anyway. There''s no sunken cost involved into making a new, perfect strategy that''ll kill someone else. If the enemy dies, then that''s an absolute victory, because if they''re dead I''m alive.


    The trick is making sure the trick pans out.


    To work is to lose, but if dying is the only other alternative, then I''ll work the hardest.


    Thankfully, my new boss happened to be the very best person for me to abus¡ªwork with.


    Nothing like someone who was honorable, noble, and righteous to make sure that the most underhanded, dirty, and disrespectful means of victory comes to pass. Those who want to be right, those who hold something else above their own lives, and those who would rather lose everything than lose what they hold most dear will never think they''re wrong.


    Not even as they lie dying in a pool of their own blood.


    ¡­


    The incoming enemy force was more than expected.


    "Four divisions of the Empire''s finest will be upon us in a day''s time. Retreat is impossible due to enemy cavalry and our caravan." I knew all of that, but having someone else verify it was for the best. Trusting only my own eyes and ears is a good way to serve my head on a platter. Whether it''s good new or bad, verification is what matters the most. "This situation is difficult. I look forward to saving your life and freeing myself from my obligations to you, especially against foes who I wish to kill."


    I waved away my Amazon bodyguard, then turned to my liaison with the Demon Lord. I didn''t bother with her name. She was just Cell Phone-chan. Beyond communication ability, she could also fly, breathe fire, and could turn aside regular, sharpened steel by flexing her muscles. 10/10 would buy a new version every year and trade-in the old one. Unfortunately, that review is only if I work with her under her regular parameters, so I had to test my new means of communication thoroughly, before giving a review to the public that could be appreciated by the masses.


    Who am I kidding?


    Anyone who can have a dragon-girl would get a dragon-girl.


    "What do I have here?" I had my suspicions, especially given the nature of the camp, but verification was key. "I need numbers, types, and what they can do."


    Wow, that''s one heck of a glare. It makes me feel like I''m rotten trash left on the gutter for seven¡­ no¡­ ten days. The composition of sneer, narrowed eyes, and slightly-flared nose on your face, Cell Phone-Chan, is incredible. I give it 54/100 Yukinoshita''s. It might not sound like a passing grade, but only Yukinoshita has ever managed 100/100 Yukinoshita''s. She''s Yukinoshita, after all. The most Yukinoshita Yukinoshita to ever Yukinoshita. What a Yukinoshita. To even be half a Yukinoshita at being Yukinoshita is quite the accomplishment.


    However, joke''s on you, Cell Phone-chan.


    I have power over you, even if you can crush my head into a pulp between your clawed forefinger and thumb.


    "Talk or don''t, but I don''t need someone worthless in this room. Get out of here and get someone more willing, if you''re not." I''m very grateful that Demon Lord-chan provided me with a permanent warranty on Cell Phone-chan''s. Truly, Monster Girl Incorporated is making strides in customer service that are revolutionizing the industry. Though, stockholders will surely question the need for such costly innovation, because their only competition is Asshole Associates who are, as the name suggests, assholes. "Well?"


    "The Royal Guard and Retinue are composed of the finest warriors and staff to accompany her majesty wherever she wishes. We are at full strength with five Wings of my kin, fifty of the finest warriors of the realms, and five hundred common soldiery who also double as staff." So, it just takes the app a bit to start up. I won''t dock points for it, or even complain, but if it happens again, I''ll certainly complain. I might have paid nothing, but I deserve everything. Why? Because, I''m me. "If you are deserving of your reputation, you will be more than capable of overturning the oncoming foe without breaking the Demon Lord''s word."


    And, I don''t care about what you say now. Go to sleep. I don''t want you using any more mental power than you need to.


    Obviously, you have a short battery life.


    Five "Wings" means 60 Dragon Girls. One Wing is usually enough to chew through a few divisions of slave-soldiers/me. Thousands of Hachiman''s will die ignoble deaths against a single Wing, then the aforementioned Wing will fly back home, rest, recuperate, and come back the next day to burnt up a few thousand more Hachiman''s. Poor Hachiman''s, they''ve done nothing wrong, yet they''re all dying ignoble deaths, so that better-equipped divisions could catch them while they''re doing so and catch them unaware. How sad, Hikigaya Hachiman has made a tactic that involved the deaths of many Hachiman''s to kill 12 Dragon Girls. How sad. How terrible. How Hachiman.


    Eh, did I just use my own name as a slur?


    "So, those five Wings are worthless." I ignored Cell Phone-chan''s outburst of surprise and indignity. I turned to my bodyguard. "Do you remember my plans against centaurs?" My very-useful, capable, and morally-obligated-to-stay-with-me-forever bodyguard nodded. "Get everyone who can move to start digging or making palisades. Cut down as many trees as you can without making an open plain. Turn upturned dirt into small slopes for cover."


    There was an outburst in the making from Cell Phone-chan, but I used a voice command to make her go "silent."


    "You and your kin were the biggest problem to the entire Empire. So, I made sure to make as many tactics and strategies to deal with the lot of you." My whole division was "destroyed" by the Demon Lord and her Royal Guard of Dragons. That was an undeniable fact. That was why five divisions of actual, professional soldiery were being rushed to f.u.c.k us over. They were going to be armed and ready for Dragons and Little-Miss-Mass-Destruction. "This is their chance to kill the enemy leader, several elite warriors they otherwise have no answer for, because they''re not flying away and sacrificing troops to make sure they escape. Get it through your thick skull: even if the Empire loses tens of thousands of lives to kill you and your Empress, they win!"


    Thus, with that Bad End condition in mind, I was going to continue my no-deaths, perfect run at the shittiest game to ever exist: life.


    There was no way to remove that critical, complete weakness in my current situation. So, I''ll at least make that weakness work for me. In my current stages of planning, all I saw was bait and the need to make a trap that could eat up ten thousand professional, specialized soldiers within a day''s time, so that I can escape with my new boss and all the idiots she wanted to keep alive.


    Nothing could be wasted.


    Even proud, noble Dragon girls whose names I didn''t bother to remember.


    I eyed up Cell Phone-chan.


    "Tell me, Captain of the Royal Guard, how fast and deep can you and yours dig?"


    ¡­


    "It looks like a maze composed for slaughter."


    "No need for applause. I know that I''m great." The fortifications were finished within the span of a day. Magic and magic-enhanced muscle carried the day, as it always did for monstergirls, and it showed outside of battle. True, I put my defeated, useless sacks of meat to work, i.e. my former soldiers, but most of the work was done by the Demon Lord''s retinue and Royal Guard. Less than six hundred in total number, the quality of those present were just plain stupid. The cooking staff had a dozen monstergirls and they fed the whole operation, monstergirls and humans all, three healthy meals a day. Work that would''ve taken my troops five days was completed in one. Thankfully, they''re all stupid, otherwise I''d be dead. "Lead the enemy here, after dealing with the mages, and the rest die. That''s all you need to do."


    The clearing that had been made into an encampment no longer existed. Earthworks, stone walls, and wood palisades now created defense in depth. Trenches were filled with pissed off, armed humans who wanted to crack the skulls of those enslaved them. Those who could shoot anything from a rock to an arrow had buckets of ammunition, commanding views of the battlefield, and cover. Monstergirls were formed into squadrons to hit locations that would get swamped with fighting. The tree line was ready to be set ablaze to stop any strategic flanking maneuvers. Then, there were a few surprises if things went badly.


    Or, well.


    If I made the effort to do something, it''d be a waste to not use it. I''m not sort of guy who keeps something "just in case." If money isn''t used, then it''s wasted. That''s a for a regular, normal life. If I had a resource that I can use in battle, that I invested effort into getting, then it was going to get used. The best victory is always the overwhelming victory, after all. There''s no such thing as a fight that could be won more thoroughly. How did the saying go in the American Sci-Fi movie?


    Don''t win one fight.


    Win all the fights.


    Yeah, the shota went insane and nearly completely genocided an alien species, but there''s still lessons to be learned, especially when your opponents are morally defunct, terrible people.


    "Granted power over those whom I rule, you still choose to fight without nobility and grace." Roseanne''s statement had me focus entirely on her. It was the same sort of focus someone would have when they found themselves next to a predator several dozen times larger than you. Thankfully, I didn''t shit myself. All I did was break out in cold sweat. I could also still move. Not bad for a former Chuuni, if I do say so myself. "Are you testing my patience, Hikigaya Hachiman? I''d asked for your utter best, the plans which gained you renown amongst the Empire and gave hope to those who were saved by my soldiers, and you have given me a slaughterhouse."


    Some would falter at such words.


    More than a few would cry out about unfairness.


    Many would just be silent.


    Me?


    "Yeah? What the f.u.c.k did you expect? If you don''t like this plan, then you should''ve given me more to work with, lady." With what I had, in terms of resources, manpower, and time, I''d made a slaughterhouse that would let little more than two thousand souls, even if six hundred of those were superhuman, the chance to fight against ten thousand, professional, magic-assisted veteran soldiers. "I don''t shit out miracles. You asked for me to do my best. This is my best with what I have."


    I expected ridicule, scorn, and maybe anger.


    Actually, I''d have been pretty happy with any of those three, since it would mean the Roseanne was the easily-manipulable person I thought she was.


    Instead, the red-haired Demon with pale skin and perfect features smiled at me. Her eyes curled, her teeth glittered, and a sigh that would''ve sent thousands of otakus groveling whilst holding their crotches left her lips.


    What a scary bitch.


    She just had me verify what she could always expect from me when she puts me in charge.


    Again: what a scary bitch.


    ¡­


    In shonen manga, there''s a lot of romanticism that goes on around fights. People''s backstories are told, the singular individual is put into the limelight, and every action and reaction has some sort of connection to some nobody''s past.


    And, all of that is true.


    It''s f.u.c.k.i.n.g horrifying.


    Every single person on the battlefield has a special origin story. They are all special. What are the chances of being born? Being that one single, wriggly bastard punching through where all others failed, then going through all the inconsistencies of life with different others who all beat that one-in-a-million chance? Every single life is a culmination of thousands of probabilities, differences, and perfect situations that''ll never happen again


    My job is to snuff out those lives with absolute precision by spending lives myself.


    I am good at it.


    I introduced the Empire to warfare suited for them and saving my ass. Nothing more and nothing less. I told them to change, so that I could get what I needed on time, so that I wouldn''t die. Better logistics, specialized corps, and fast reaction forces all helped the Empire on every front, but I gave it all to them so that their resources, manpower, and time could be better spent saving my ass.


    With the Demon Lord, I wanted to win.


    I wanted vengeance.


    And, finally, I did want a lot of the Empire to die.


    So, I introduced trench warfare against an opponent used to glory, cavalry, and artillery, while I had living tanks, gridded artillery locations, and tunnels filled with very angry, pissed off fanatics.


    The results were to be expected.


    The Empire went for magical bombardment to soften us up. The trenchline was deep and the few walls were spread out, so they held. Then, we counterattacked with our own artillery, who knew where to fire and already practiced. The Empire mages died, ours stayed alive, and forced the enemy to scatter, regroup under fire, and then look for targets.


    The Empire''s soldiers reformed under fire, because they were professionals. And, like professional soldiers, they set out to complete their objectives anyway. They sought out the Demon Lord and the mages, so they could end the war and avenge their fellows. Armored foot soldiers moved in pike formation, while armored knights mobilized around the flanks. Both found themselves against an entrenched position, where spears meant jack shit and horses even less, which surrounded the enemy artillery that they were still under fire from.


    Retreating meant being fired upon by the Demon Lord.


    Holding ground meant being fired upon by the Demon Lord.


    Charging into seemingly-undermanned, if intimidating defenses would seem to be the only option.


    So, charge they did.


    Little less than ten thousand men, decked out in magical arms and armor, against some stones, dirt, and wood defenses staffed by barely any people from what they saw, which had already been worked over by their mages, before their untimely demise.


    It was a slim chance of victory, but it was a chance, so they charged.


    They charged into bow, sling, and javelin fire. They charged into long spikes being raised from mud. They charged into mounds of dirt that erupted and revealed Dragon Knights ready to split skulls and breath fire. The forest they charged from caught fire. Suddenly they were trapped in a muddy inferno and the only place they could escape to was filled with tribal warriors with grudges and who were very, very good with axes and clubs.


    Protagonists died.


    Sub-characters died.


    Villains died.


    All from different stories with different plots and different lives, but in the end they all died.


    That was that.


    ...


    1.4


    ...


    There''s nothing worse than having a boss that knows what you''re completely capable of. Why? Because, when you have a subordinate that''s reliant on you for everything in their life, you effectively have complete power over them. When you have complete power over someone, then you expect them to do their best, because that''s what you plan them to do.


    I speak from experience, of being the leader of a whole division of slave soldiers, and wasting a lot of lives being a f.u.c.kup at the start.


    The undeniable fact is that even though humans are industrious creatures that''ll curl up and die without stimulus or anything to do, they still need to rest, recuperate, and sharpen their skills. Even if that skill is getting reports done, or moving up the corporate ladder, and not killing monster girls to stay alive¡­ a human being caught in a rut can only exhaust themselves, lose their way, and become utterly, completely useless trash that eats up revenue you allocated towards a prized worker.


    They can''t be pushed too hard, but still need to be pushed, and they can never be allowed to be completely, utterly comfortable either.


    My new boss was a Demon Lord, raised from birth to be a perfect leader, and loved by all of her subordinates. Not only is she feared by an Empire that kidnaps people from other dimensions and harvests her people for ingredients, she managed to use just her Royal Guard and auxiliaries to capture a whole DIVISION of soldiers without casualities on the front lines of a f.u.c.k.i.n.g war. Her subordinates would all die for her, talking ill of her gets you f.u.c.k.i.e.d over, and she''s pretty and healthy to boot.


    A f.u.c.k.i.n.g degenerate, self-insert character like her won''t have the weakness of being a bad boss.


    I completely, utterly expected for the rest of my life to be as someone who''d be used and utilized. Whatever I was going to receive in payment for my work was going to be exactly what I needed, in order to achieve results just within the farthest realm of my ability to accomplish.


    In short, I was f.u.c.k.i.e.d. Now I was an essential piece on a massive chessboard. And, naturally, in chess the essential pieces are essential because of what they can do before they need to be tossed away or sacrificed for complete victory. It''s certainly better than being a corporate wage-slave, since I was more than a cog in a machine, but the fact remained that I was known by the people I was going to fight, those supporting me had high expectations, and I had more responsibilities to shake a stick at.


    Not going to lie, it''s still a leg up on being slave with an explosive collar, though.


    ¡­


    Food was the one thing I could appreciate in this shitty fantasy. Cuisines of humans from many dimensions transferred over the course of the centuries-long war. It''s not a surprise that quite a few Japanese ended up here, mostly from the Warring States period, and enlightened people to the wonders of rice, soy sauce, and good cooking. The same was true for other civilizations, but the fact that I could get miso soup for breakfast, with rice and fish, was something that I cared about more than having Fantasy Meat.


    That was only due to the fact I was with the "good guys" of the setting, of course.


    The Empire sent grain, meat, and pickled vegetables to the front.


    And, encouraged the eating of Monstergirl parts that weren''t for magical use or valuable


    I kicked out the cannibals in my division, or had them valiantly perform their duties on the front lines.


    Very exceptional valiant duties.


    Heh.


    "Whenever you smile as you do, I''ve learned to be afraid." Cell Phone-chan took a seat in front of me. While I was enjoying my miso soup, rice, and grilled fish for breakfast, the Dragon-girl was chowing down a trough of grilled meat. As a precaution against thievery and underhandedness, I brought my food closer to myself. The charging rate for Cell Phone-chan was expensive and I didn''t want my food disappearing into the void. Blackholes for stomachs are cute, until you have to defend your food against them. "Forgive me for asking, but what are you so pleased about, Hikigaya-dono?"


    Tch, all the monstergirls have been like this since I won the battle. I was being treated with honor, respect, and loyalty, despite treating them the same way before, during, and after the battle. All the admiration and praise was getting on my nerves, especially when I wanted to do without it. Dealing with scorn and disdain is a lot easier, especially when I knew that people thought less of me. I hate having high expectations to live up to, as well as having to pick out who was just hiding what they really felt about me.


    "F.u.c.k off. It''s too early for questions." See, my response ought to have had Cell Phone-chan scoff, walk away, or hit me. Maybe even all three. However, none of that happened. Instead, the dragongirl laughed and shook her head.


    I already knew what she thought, so I didn''t ask because I wanted to avoid conversation, but she spoke aloud anyone.


    "I agree. Silence in the morning is a blessing. My mother missed it quite a bit when we were born, as she told me and my siblings." Blah, Blah, Blah, Boring backstory without purpose. Cell Phone-chan, I understand that you''ve been working for me for several weeks, but you''ll always, only be Cell Phone-chan to me. You''re not even a Smartphone. Just a Cell Phone. That''s not a great comparison between two things from a Japanese young man''s point of view, lady. I can''t even waste my life away on .png pictures of anime girls on you. "Did you have siblings of your own, before you were taken from your world by the Empire?"


    Holy f.u.c.k.


    Forget Cell-Phone.


    You''re now Brick-chan.


    "Great and now I don''t feel like eating. Thanks a lot, you insensitive, flying lizard." The miso, rice, and fish were all good. There''s no denying the fact that I was enjoying Japanese cuisine of relatively high quality. However, was it made for me by my little sister, who I used to eat breakfast with everyday? That woke up one day alone in a house bereft of anyone else? That''s not even thinking about anyone else besides Komachi. "Yes. I did. She was the best little sister an older brother could ask for. And, she and I used to eat breakfast and dinner together everyday."


    Tch, would she even recognize me, if I got back? Not that there was a way back, because why the heck would the Empire care about its meatshields. However, as useless as the question was to consider, I had to wonder if my family would recognize me. The years weren''t kind, even though I kept all my parts and pieces, I was definitely something that would be refurbished before being put back on the market. Burns, cuts, and other injuries that disfigured were the norm. I was lucky to just have a scar instead of a right cheek, when most people who fought Manticores lost their heads. There was also the fact that, even though I was in one piece, I wasn''t exactly a school boy going to university.


    As badass as it sounds to have your youth taken by war, it''s actually pretty f.u.c.k.i.n.g shit.


    "I''m¡­ sorry. I''d thought it would inspire you against the Empire further."


    "Well, it didn''t. So, give me some of your food and eat mine, because I can''t eat it without remembering now." Brick-chan thankfully had enough braincells to do what she''s asked. How someone that thought the way she did got into Roseanne''s retinue was beyond me. Wait, no, that''s a lie. I understood perfectly why a simple-minded, strong person would be recruited by Roseanne. Like I''d already inferred, she was a Brick that was thrown at opponents or valiantly held the line. Hopefully, for Brick-chan''s case, it would be the latter. "So, what do you really want to talk about? Who told you to talk to me? Why? Because, I don''t believe for a second that you''d actually spend time with me if you had to."


    Politics and intrigue wasn''t my strong suit. Or rather, I didn''t have practice in it and it''s impossible to have any practice with all the eyes on me at all times. Back when I was fighting for the Empire, I didn''t have to worry about politics and intrigue. A smart slave is just a smart slave. I dealt with any challenges to my leadership the easy way: setting lose my bodyguard Amazon on anyone who didn''t like me. I either didn''t matter or my bodyguard''s big, giant cleaver did the talking. The rest of the time, I just spent my day thinking about ways not to die the next battle, which took up a lot of time.


    "...The captain of the Royal Guard wants to know more of you, especially now that the Demon Lord wishes for us to protect you as we would protect her."


    "Protect? Pfft, you mean watch my every move." Looking after someone goes both ways. Roseanne might have phrased it in a way that got her affection points from her medley of Bricks, but protecting someone requires constant attention on Party A by Party B. Asking me to be protected by a bunch of Dragons, who''ve spent their whole lives learning to look for danger and anything strange, is just shy of reaching the level of having an explosive collar around my neck. "And, here I was thinking that I''d get some freedom after being freed, but it looks like you all just pretend to be different."


    I took a piece of fantasy meat and ate it.


    More spicy, hotter, and fresher than usual, but it tasted like slavery as per usual.


    I managed to give it a few good chews before being punched.


    ¡­


    "I see that your charms have wooed yet another woman." Ur spoke coldly, cleanly, and with a smile, while I held a hunk of ice against my face. The tiny, toned terror had a war axe larger than me on her back, but she walked with utter ease. I''d like to say that while she was talented in the warrior aspects of this isekai''s magic, I was good at the regular, blasty form of magic. That would be a lie, though. I''m shit at both. There''s no balance in real life. Only measures of unfairness and chasms between those who have talent and those who do not. "Do you seriously believe that if you are repulsive enough, that the Demon Lord would leave you to your own devices, instead of keeping you in her plans, Hachiman?"


    "Those are some big words for bait. Maybe, if you try hard enough, I''ll start to think you have a brain instead of muscle between your ears." I fired back, but the smirk on Ur''s face told me that my counterattack wasn''t very effective. I suppose that coming from a tribal society, she was more well-versed in strong-arm politics than I was. If the chief of a tribe knew what you can do, and if what you threatened to be wasn''t bad enough, they''ll put you where they want you. Curse my modern sensibilities, they''re keeping me trapped in jobs I don''t want! "Tch. F.u.c.k it. How many have you scared off to go live actual, decent lives instead of being idiots?"


    Currently, Roseanne''s plans for me was to bring me back to the Capital. On the way there, we dealt with bandits, actual monsters, and other little things. And, by "we," I meant me. Every little thing I was doing was being spread across the whole of the Demon Lord''s vast country. Yes, while I could be a shitty person in my immediate surroundings, my boss was waging a full-on publicity campaign for me for every good deed I''m doing by her orders. While I can harass Brick-chan, be a piece of shit, and otherwise just laze around camp when I''m not finding ways to not die, her minstrels, envoys, and whoever else listens to her spreads her word far and wide.


    Obviously, I was being set up for something big.


    "A few who have been seduced by some of the camp have left, along with some who had relations with one another in the division." Oh, goody, the Riajuus are all gone to live peaceful, living lives with their significant others. Come back this instant. Let the loners with nowhere to go leave and find love. You already have love, so stay with me and die in whatever convuluted shitshow I''m going to end up in! "Those who are staying believe that the only way to victory in this world is by following you."


    "Tell them they''re a bunch of idiots, then. I''m trapped here, but they don''t need to be, dammit!" I replaced my piece of ice with another. It was exhausting to conjure up a piece of ice the size of my fist, but I''d learned it so that I wouldn''t have to worry about shitty water in medieval times. With all my daily practice with magic over the last couple years, I am feared for my ability to make cold puddles. Yeah, things like Heal, Fireball, and other awesome, basic magic skills are for people with talent that get picked up by the Empire to be trained and sent elsewhere. "Bully them if you have to. They''re free now, so they''ll leave because they have an actual choice."


    "You are a fool if you believe such a thing, but I will try." Ur shook her head and sighed. Oi, what''s up with those words? Do you actually expect me to believe that I''m the MC and you''re an important side character? Well, the truth is that we''re both tertiary side characters who die in a few chapters in another person''s story. The only way out is with a ritual involving either a rope or a knife. Wow, that''s a lot more morbid than I thought. Hachiman-kun, are you okay? "However, please keep in mind, that If you were less obvious about your continuous attempts to make others frustrated, so that we would not find ourselves on another battlefield, you would make my job much easier."


    "...I''m not that obvious." And, ignoring my glorious acting skills, most of my troops are idiots. The Empire recruited from a multitude of different worlds, implementing Mass Isekai protocols to the absolute maximum according to certain specifications, to have an endless well of slave-power to draw from. They looked for magic and brawn. Brains weren''t searched for because the Empire believed they had plenty. Suffice to say, if I fooled the Empire for so long, then I should be able to fool my troops and my new boss with a little more effort. "Just go get rid of as much of them as possible, okay? There''s no need to think too much. That''s my job. Now, get going."


    Ur left with a single nod, while I was left to ponder my next move.


    More specifically, how was I going to be an asshole and make a political tragedy today?


    ...

 Chapter 61 - My SI Stash #61 - Signs of Destiny by MuffinMan69 (The Witcher)

    -I''ve just finished The Witcher series on Netflix and came to this Witcher SI fic on Spacebattles. Dang, I''ve never played the games but the story just lured me in~


    *Toss a coin to your Witcher! ?(???)?


    Sypnosis: A SI story using CYOA temple for the Witcher Series. If Geralt is a generalist Witcher than SI is wizard version.


    Rated: T


    Words: 8.6K (recently published, like 2 days ago)


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/signs-of-destiny-the-witcher-si.817754/#post-64152479


    (MuffinMan69)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    "Oh that f.u.c.k.i.n.g stinks!" were my first words upon waking up - because in my defense, it really did.


    It smelt like super strong alcohol, rotting meat, rotten eggs, manure, and all kinds of terrible smells I likely had no idea the source of since I tended to avoid anything that smells really bad in general. It was not helped that sunlight was beating down heavily on my closed eyes no matter how hard I tried to turn away and it felt like there was a goddamn block party happening right next to me.


    Not to mention the splitting headache! Why was there nothing but pain waking up today?!


    "Well sorry my hut is not a bathhouse, young man." an old female voice sneered at me.


    Who the f.u.c.k was that?!


    In response to someone''s voice I had never heard before being in my room, combined with my other annoyances, I shot up awake and quickly looked around for the source of the voice. I found it in the form of an old woman who seemed to follow all the stereotypes of old hag you can think of: rotten and missing teeth, hunched over, boney fingers, sagging face, a glare that can make grown men wet themselves, and she even had a hairy mole on her nose!


    "I''ll have you know if it wasn''t for was in here you would most likely be dead. Honestly, after over a week of you doing not much more than breathing and eating whatever mashed up food or water I could get down your throat I was ready to declare you dead in truth, being brain dead practically is a death anyhow. Also you are lucky the ealdorman paid me to care for you and is paying for replacement sheets you shit and pissed all over as well." the old woman stated plainly.


    As I tried to process what she was saying I finally looked around my immediate environment. I saw that this was not my room, this was not even my apartment!


    I looked to be in some really old-school one-room house. All around me were various plants and even dead animals hanging from the ceiling and the walls. The old woman was seated in what could be generously called a kitchen area working at a grinding stone of all things! I turned towards the open window what was letting all this terrible sunlight in and found before me seemed to be a freaking medieval village!


    I''m talking animals walking in the dirt and mud streets, people wearing basically potato sacks as clothing, and everyone not looking like they bathed in months!


    Where the f.u.c.k was I?!


    "Seeing as you are awake, my job is done, and if nothing else you walking around will remind everyone else that old Helga still knows her stuff when it comes to healing. Granted, you being a Witcher and all, you healed up better than most that come through my door. That scar on the side of your head is still new though so don''t go scratching at it or risk opening it up, you hear? One thing I hate most is fools injuring themselves the same damned way just cause they didn''t give themselves time to heal proper like." Helga stated before getting back to work.


    "What scar-achhhack!" I tried to say but all these terrible smells in the air were now getting in my throat and causing all sorts of hell. And I still felt like my ears were bleeding and everything was too bright! Under all that though I did feel a slight sore pain at the side of my head.


    I reached up to my left side where I felt it and quickly found a large mass of healed skin that started at my forehead and stretched to the back of my head. I''m sure if I had a mirror it would look like there was a half circle going around my head.


    What happened to cause that?!


    Okay, try to go through what happened before all this. Yesterday I took my mother to the dentist, tried to help my dad set up computer since I was the IT guy in the family despite only knowing basics, I spent the rest of the day on the internet reading and watching video game replays, and I also remember talking with a friend about possibly writing a¡­. No f.u.c.k.i.n.g way.


    "I''m-hack-ugh what did you call me a second ago?" I asked as I processed what she said with what I just recalled.


    "Oh Gods, that hit to the head must have really did a number on you. I called you a Witcher, young man, a monster hunter. Ring any bells?" Helga stated.


    At her words I slowly looked down to examine myself for the first time. I was covered in bandages but I could easily make out the muscular body I knew for a fact I did not have before going to bed. There was no mirror in sight, but I did notice a bucket of water in the corner of the room which I quickly got up, walked over, and picked it up to chest level. As the water slowly stilled I saw a face I did not recognize stared back at me. Looking like a man in their late twenties to early thirties, wearing a scruffy beard, blonde and a few tiny scars on various points of face beyond the newest one wrapping around his head. However the thing that stood out the most were the eyes.


    The yellow cat eyes¡­ that blinked when I blinked.


    I slowly looked back up to the old woman who claimed to save my life and care for me for over a week, swallowed heavily, and tried to speak as calmly as I possibly could.


    "I-I seem to have a few holes in my memory. Where am I, what year is it and¡­ what is my name?" I weakly asked.


    "Well damn, sorry son. Can''t imagine what it must feel like to wake up not knowing what is happening at all." Helga''s scowl actually softened at that and continued. "Well you''re in village of Gramsby in the Kingdom of Kovir and Poviss, it''s 1268, and I believe you called yourself Marvus of Kovir, though everyone knows you more commonly as the Blonde Griffin."


    "I see¡­" I trailed off. I then dropped the bucket, allowing it''s contents to spread across the hut''s floor and felt my legs go dead.


    I''d never passed out before, but I like to think everything going dark and my brain shutting down was like that.


    Author''s Note


    So here we are. I don''t have best history with writing consistently, but thankfully I have made chapters beforehand to give myself buffer and will make new one each time I post one. I also have internet friends helping out to make sure it sounds good, thank you DesertChocolate and TirelessTraveler.


    After watching Witcher series, which I recommend, I rewatched games and even reread stories. Then I noticed a disturbing lack of good Witcher fanftiction and wanted to try my had at it.


    I am using Witcher CYOA template as a base for my character and here is build if interested.


    Spoiler: Witcher CYOA build


    Griffin School


    No special fighting style beyond basics


    Lv 3 Quen (free)


    Lv 2 Axii (free)


    Lv 3 Yrden (3 SP)


    Lv 2 Agni and Aard (4 SP)


    Lv 3 Utilitarian Alchemy (3 SP)


    Nonhuman Friendship (1 LP)


    Protector of Monsters (1 LP)


    Northern Kingdoms


    Using encounter sheet to decide what Path is like a lot, but still plot things as well.


    Hope you enjoy!


    Chapter 1


    "Once again, I''m sorry for passing out like that, and getting your floor all wet. I promise to help clean it up and get you some more water later." I promised Helga as she handed me a terrible-smelling wooden cup full of some herbal mixture that she said would make me feel better.


    I sounded a little muffled since I had asked for a cloth to wrap around my face, eyes, and ears to try to block out most of the sensory input I was getting since it made it really hard to concentrate. I had no idea how Witchers got used to having basically Daredevil senses, in addition to sight, all the time considering all the literal shit they must march through all the time.


    "It''s no trouble, I spilled worse on these floors in my time as the village herbalist. Though I won''t say no to not having to drag up water from the well again. These old bones of mine can''t do it as well as they used to." Helga said with a laugh.


    "You should take on an apprentice, make them do all the manual labor for you and say it is valuable knowledge you are imparting." I pointed out while forcing myself to drink mixture. Oh jeez, that was nasty!


    "Half the village is convinced I''m a witch and the other half barely tolerates me since I barely tolerate fools. Joke''s on them, when I finally die who''s gonna make it so they don''t all die off when an a minor illness passes through? Ungrateful pests the lot of them!" Helga huffed.


    "Well, I thank you for your care despite the trouble I must have been." I said sincerely.


    "And thank you for admitting it¡­ though to be fair you are less trouble than most in this village," Helga said with a small smile.


    Just because I have someone been dumped into a fictional setting, I''m blaming some bored multiversal god or something, doesn''t mean I had to be d.i.c.k after all. Were all CYOA templates people found on internet an open invitation for people to get picked up and played with by them? Or am I just the product of another version of myself writing this down in another reality and thus bringing it to life somewhere in infinite multiverse?


    ¡­ This line of thought as getting way too meta, I best stop here before I hurt myself more than I already am.


    Speaking of CYOA, if my final purchases translated over¡­


    "You mind if I maybe make something from your stock? It will hopefully get me out of your hair quicker and I can pay for whatever I use."


    "Go right ahead, I said anything related to you is being paid for anyway. Why not really tally up the bill?" Hegla laughed a little cruelly.


    Starting to see why village might fear her.


    I got up and walked over to what appeared to her main workstation, what with the grindstone, big metal pot over a fire, various dried herbs in bowls, and other things. As I stared at everything before me knowledge I know I did not have seemed to come to the forefront of my mind in an instant.


    "You have dwarven spirits, celandine, and drowner brains?"


    "Yeah, brains are a bit more rare but I got some fresh ones just the other day from one straying too close to the village the menfolk grouped quickly up on." Helga pointed out to bottles, herbs and even harvested monster parts I asked for.


    "Thank you."


    What came next was about twenty minutes of cutting, grinding, mixing, boiling, and various other steps before I poured the newly made Swallow potion into empty bottle the spirits was once in. I knew for a fact I had done everything correctly but I still hesitated a moment before I finally took a large sip.


    After all, I was basically ingesting pure poison that would kill normal people very quickly. However, as a Witcher I was basically immune to said poison and instead only took in benefits.


    That was the idea at least.


    I wasn''t a big drinker back when I was pure human, but the Swallow tasted like the strongest liquor I ever had and it burned going down. At the same time I felt the various aches and pains around my body that remained quickly begin to pass and even my head wound was barely sore. Swallow was the basic healing potion that all Witchers likely knew how to make since hunting monsters was a dangerous business and they, we, needed to be able to get back on our feet quickly.


    "Now what have you got there? Can''t say I made anything like that before. Should have killed you if I''m being honest." Hegla stated.


    "It''s a potion called Swallow, while it would be lethal to humans Witchers are able to quickly overcome it and we even heal from ingesting it. I should be one hundred percent soon." I explained.


    "And you need to be a Witcher to actually make use of it without dying?"


    I nodded.


    "Good, if something like that was common I''d be out of business!" Helga said in a relieved tone.


    Not¡­ quite the best reaction to what was basically a wonder medicine for only a select group of people in the world, but understandable. Pretty sure most doctors back home would hate having their profession and livelihoods so trivialized as well.


    Also this proved my theory, I had purchased level 3 utilitarian alchemy for my CYOA character. Which meant that I knew alchemy and herbalism was an area of knowledge I was a master at. Looking closer at various plants, herbs, and other items in hunt I could actually identify them and their uses in a number of potions I could make.


    It was knowledge that was there, but it didn''t come naturally to me right away. I would have to take time to actually sit down and go through said knowledge I had now. Along with any possibly memories I no doubt had relating to the poor guy who''s head I jumped into.


    I do hope he was actually brain dead when I did and I didn''t kill him by taking over.


    Leaving aside that potentially disturbing thought¡­ there was still the question of what the heck I did now. I was pretty healed up and for all that Helga can be nice under her tough outside I didn''t want to stay longer than I had to. I do hope Markus, I now, still had more than the plain shirt, pants, and shoes I was wearing now.


    "Helga, you know if I had any equipment on my before you treated me?"


    "Oh yes, as a matter of fact you did. The ealdorman said he would keep it safe in his home till you woke up, if you woke up really. He''s honorable to a fault so I doubt he would do anything with it until you were dead in the ground for good. Still though, you have been stuck in my home long enough and I won''t be sorry to see you go. Try not to get yourself nearly killed again, it was too much work bringing you back the first time."


    "I''ll happily keep that in mind. I imagine the ealdorman''s house is the biggest one in the village baring maybe the local inn?" I said slightly sarcastically.


    "Quite so, now shove off. But do remember ! saved your skin and maybe if there is a monster about in the future bugging old Helga you won''t mind doing a job for free."


    "Yes, ma''am." I nodded.


    "Good lad, nice to see taking a hit to the head didn''t take away your common sense and manners none," were Helga''s parting words as I made for the door and out in the wider Witcherverse.


    Reminds me a lot of prologue of Fallout: New Vegas to be honest.


    ---


    As I walked down the street with what was basically a towel around my head, other than the occasional odd look it seemed like the villagers were quite happy to ignore me. I''m not sure if that was because this lot was not as negatively predisposed to Witchers in general or because I wasn''t showing my obvious nonhumaness in the form of my yellow cat eyes.


    Nordlings in general could be quite a racist bunch at the drop of a hat, or they could be totally decent folk. It depended on a lot of factors.


    Sadly when the pogroms started up lots of innocent nonhumans were slaughtered for little to no good reason, and Witchers were nonhuman enough to be equal targets. Geralt got taken out in one such situation with a random joe schmoe in an angry mob taking him out with a freaking pitchfork of all things.


    Geralt, badass Witcher whose actions have caused the rise and fall of kingdoms, fought and killed some of the deadliest monsters and madmen in this world''s history, taken out by a random peasant. I still don''t see how that makes sense considering Witchers are supposed to have super fast reaction times to point they can deflect arrows out of the air and had access to powerful healing potions, but it still served as a subtle reminder that despite apparently being a Witcher now I was not invincible.


    Certainly not at the moment with no equipment and my new super senses being so powerful I had to actively cut them off. Hopefully this ealdorman is as trustworthy as Helga says, she doesn''t seem one to hold back on describing people, and I don''t end up having nothing to my name or something worse.


    This was the Witcherverse, there could always be something worse.


    On the plus side Helga said it was 1268, two years before the game series start and things really start ramping up all over. I had time to work things out and how I go forward.


    Before I continued that line of that I finally walked up to what was easily the largest hut in this village of about two and a half dozen of them. Wasn''t saying much since it was likely two and a half rooms most likely, but still good bet someone important lived here.


    ''Hope this guy doesn''t sleep in.'' were my private thoughts as I knocked on the door at a reasonable volume.


    A short time later the door was opened and a teenage boy opened it up.


    "Yes, who are you?"


    "I''m¡­ the Witcher Markus, I just woke up."


    "Really? Prove it. You wouldn''t be the first trying to steal the Witcher''s things." the boy demanded.


    Of course people tried to loot me of my stuff before I was even dead. I removed the wrapping around my eyes and showed them to be boy, who breathed in sharply before nodding and gesturing me to come inside.


    "Dad! The Witcher''s alive, and he''s awake!" the boy said loudly and out of the next room over an older man who shared clear facial features with the boy and with a bushy beard appeared.


    "I''m right here son, no need to yell. Master Witcher, good to see that the gods haven''t seen fit to take you into their embrace just yet. I feared the worst when you walked into town covered in ghastly wounds before passing out before my home with the cyclops''s head in your head. It must have been a great battle." he said in awe.


    Huh, so that explained what happened to Markus before I got here. Cyclops were pretty scary foes to fight, especially up close. Still not sure why he didn''t heal himself with potions or something beforehand, then again could be he didn''t have any or wasn''t particularly skilled in alchemy for all I know assuming he was from the school I think he was.


    "Yes, thank you for paying Helga to heal me and not counting me dead too quickly." I said honestly.


    "Your killed the monster that has been making life hell for this village and might have eventually wiped us out if help hadn''t come, it was the least I could do. You must be here for your belongings and your pay, I kept both in a secure trunk. Let me go get them." he began to turn back into the room he came from.


    "Wait! You already likely paid a lot to heal me, I can''t ask for more." I tried to say.


    "Nonsense! Healing you out of my own pocket was my choice. Not to mention you agreed to hunt the beast for very little in the first place. A true man always pays back good deeds," was the ealdorman''s stern reply as he went to collect the trunk.


    ¡­ Huh, a decent authority figure in Witcherverse. I best not get used to this for too long since likely only one out of ten out there, if not even less.


    As I heard some shuffling in the next room the boy had come to stand before me with excitement in his eyes.


    "What was the battle like?! Was it like in the stories?! You ever fight a griffin?! Maybe a troll?! How far have you traveled?! Have you ever met with princes and kings?! Have-" what came was a rapid fire series of questions that honestly took my back a bit. I had to raise my hands up to get kid to chill.


    "Whoa, whoa. Settle down there. To be totally honest I couldn''t answer any of those questions. You see¡­ I kinda lost my memory, I can''t recall anything before waking up in Helga''s hut about being a Witcher." I said the technical truth, the best kind of truth.


    "What! That''s horrible!" the boy said in both shock and likely a little disappointment.


    "Here we are!" the ealdorman said as he dragged in a heavy looking trunk into the room and set it down before me. Dang, I should have offered to help since pretty sure I had at least peak human strength now rather than let the guy likely in his late forties carry it.


    "Father! Master Witcher says he can''t recall anything before waking up this morning!" the son said in worry.


    "Truly? May the gods have mercy. Can you truly not recall anything?" the ealdorman turned to me.


    "I know the basics¡­ but anything relating to me personally is a huge blank. I only know about my equipment since Helga told me." I admitted.


    "That is unfortunate¡­ do you recall your horse?"


    "I have a horse?" I asked in surprise.


    "But of course, traveling on foot would be quite challenging after all. Like your equipment we have tended to it and it is currently stabled at the inn for you. Just ask the innkeeper to point it out to you. Is there anything we can do to assist you?"


    "You have already done a great deal, I''m sure my memory will come back in time and if not I can always seek professional help." I reassured him.


    "Alright then¡­ but you should at least make sure all your things are here." he gestured to the trunk.


    I took him up on that, bending down and opening the trunk before me.


    What immediately stood out were the two swords that were common for Witchers. One steel sword, commonly thought only for men, but in reality just for tougher enemies in general and one silver mostly used for various monsters. Both were sheathed and wrapped in a cloth buddle that I took out.


    What came next was armor. It looked like a superior set from the Witcher 3 DLC at first glance which was good. It had no head protection though and recent events and common sense made me make a mental note to buy some later.


    After that were various supplies: satchels carrying various herbs and monster parts, dried foodstuffs, a canteen, empty potion bottles, rope, knives, a journal that looked like it had a good half of the pages torn out, a coin pouch and basically everything you expected to have in a Witcher''s toolkit.


    The last thing I picked up was an amulet, one made to vibrate in the presence of monsters and magic. An amulet that marked myself as a Witcher of one of the various schools.


    More specifically it as an amulet that was in the shape of a griffin''s head, thus marking me as a Witcher of the Griffin school. Just as I had chosen in the CYOA.


    A school noted to not have the best fighters, trackers, alchemists¡­ but were known for their skill in Sign magic that Witchers made use of.


    Which meant¡­ I focused on the thought and knowledge came to me in a flash.


    I quickly did the required had motions with my left hand and suddenly a small flame appeared on my palm as the amulet in my right reacted to magic in use.


    Was it wrong that despite the situation I was in, I still found myself giggling in glee at the fact that I now had magic? I certainly think I disturbed the ealdorman and his son in the process.


    ''Look out world, I know magic and I plan to munchkin the shit of it!''


    ---

 Chapter 62 - My SI Stash #62 - Level-Up Dragon King by ENIYA (DXD)

    -Another SI DXD Fic, SI as Side Character Saji~


    ¦×(£à?¡ä)¦×


    Sypnosis: Someone get''s inserted to the side character Saji from birth, he gets creative and power games his way to survival. And keep his family from dying just like canon. Not that he knows they do but it''s the thought that counts.


    Rated: M


    Words: 230K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/level-up-dragon-king-saji-si-highschool-dxd.9011/


    (ENIYA)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    One of my pet peeves when it comes to the light novels, especially the battle-harem kind, is how much of the world development and non-main character-related events are glossed through or simplified in a manner that raises many questions.


    Some of those questions can be very worrying.


    Let''s say¡­ there''s this OP arc villain that the main character and his main harem can''t defeat without lots of help, so they need to fulfill various requirements just to have a chance against the enemy of the week. They decide that they need to chip away at the antagonist''s strength, there''s a minor character established a few volumes ago with a weak ass power has that effect, but he sucks¡­ so what happens? That poor bastard gets powered up by a procedure that has been established since the first volume to be freaking dangerous and life threatening! Not just to the recipient, but to the "donors" from where the new power-ups come from?


    What is the main question here? Well... How did a faction filled with non-humans of dubious morality (to say the least) enhance a side character (to be a convenient and future plot device/ally) through a dangerous procedure involving extremely hard to get materials?


    What does it sound like to me? It''s as if some group became either desperate or science crazy and decided to buff up a human / human-like side character as if he was a Common Rarity character in some Gacha game with really strange materials that has terrifying implications when you take a moment to really think about it.


    It worries me. It worries me a lot.


    Well, of course it worries me! Considering that the Truck-sama decided to send me off to Highschool DXD, where that exact scenario has happened (and many other similar events) before, I have legitimate reasons for worrying my ass off about all of this!


    To cut a long story short, I''m concerned about the story of Genshirou Saji. The resident counterpart comparison to the perverted main character Issei Hyoudou but with an added impregnation fetish.


    If I recalled correctly, during the whole (lame version of) Loki debacle, Saji just had several different "Vritra Sacred Gears" stuffed into him by the Fallen Angels. Like, what the f.u.c.k? Hasn''t it been established that Sacred Gears are attached to people''s souls? What kind of f.u.c.kery is this?


    How the actual f.u.c.k.i.n.g hell did they just randomly get Sacred Gears? Especially those specific high-powered ones that belong to the split soul of an Evil Dragon? Did they just go to some random possessor and say, "Oh hey there, you have the soul of a dead Dragon King in you, imma just gonna shank you and rip it out of you for research, teehee!"


    Oh sure, there''s the possibility of those Sacred Gear wielders being the mad-types that would go crazy just from activating their god-given artifact but what if they weren''t? What if Saji only lucked out because he so happened to be the only Vritra Sacred Gear wielder that was part of the biblical faction alliance?


    Considering that no other Vritra-user appeared in the light novels despite there being mention of even more of those types of Sacred Gears¡­ I can only speculate on the possibilities¡­ and it worries me.


    Ah, why am I worried about the case of Saji Genshirou specifically? It''s because I know the guy in my second life.


    Well, of course I know him. He''s me.


    It took me a few years to figure out I was in Highschool DXD. To be fair, it only took so long to confirm my suspicions because I had to wait until I was old enough to ask legitimate questions on the geography of Japan. I mean, if some four-year-old kid asked about whether there was a town called "Kuou" or not, then that would be very weird.


    A six year old child prodigy? Heh, it was a much more reasonable question to ask one''s parents then.


    I''d like to think that I played the role of a good son for most of my new life in this battle harem genre world.


    When my new fraternal twin siblings Gosei and Kouho had been born when I turned ten years old, I had devoted a good amount of time that I could have spent on training with them and helping my mother when I could.


    Thanks to all my help, my father considers me reliable enough to let me get away with a lot of things, and my mother spoils me a whole lot. I''m twelve years old now and I sure hope that my siblings won''t feel left out by the different treatment that they''re likely to get.


    "...Genshirou, why did you skip school again?" My second mother Haru Saji, a sweet and caring woman, gently questioned me after finding her child hiding out in our home''s storehouse instead of going to school.


    For the third time this year.


    And the twentieth time since I started Elementary school.


    "Oh, you know, the usual. I had a bad feeling and I thought someone would break into the house to kill my lovely mother. So I decided to camp here to reverse gank your would-be assailant while getting some studying done at the same time." I smiled as I explained my reasoning for this particular incident as I hid the metal pipe I "salvaged" from somewhere behind me.


    "Ufufu, my brave little boy is so sweet. You''re still getting punished, however, so no Weekly Shonen Jump for you." She admonished me and took my Level 1 weapon away from me.


    "Aww..." One day I shall be vindicated, and I truly am not looking forward to that day...


    "You shouldn''t be worrying so much."


    "I can''t help it."


    Considering that the pasts of most of the Sitri peerage were unknown, with only two or three of them having shitty pasts and Ruruko Nimura having a completely normal life, I think it''s a reasonable assumption that most of the reincarnated devils (among the good guy cast) there had good reason to ditch their current lives and become a devil.


    Since this is a battle harem light novel, there''s a high probability that every character has an atypical home life outside of the main character, with my status as a side character I was greatly worried about the life expectancy of my parents.


    The fact that my (somehow) naturally blonde half-Japanese mother has been using the "Dead Anime Mom Hairstyle" from as far as I can remember is a huge cause for concern. I tried to convince her to try out other hair-styles, but alas, my efforts were in vain.


    As "punishment", my mother cooked us (my dad when he finally got home from work) my favorite home Curry Katsu Rice, before sending me back to my room for the rest of the evening so that I can''t watch TV.


    I''m pretty sure she only chose that punishment because she knew that I wasn''t interested with most of the stuff being shown this year.


    Considering that I had the best grades at school, never gave her any trouble outside of a few "I had a bad feeling" events, and that she doted on me a lot, I dare say she never punished me for real or would ever think of doing so unless I killed a man and buried him in our garden.


    I might need to do just that if the bad things happen on schedule. And by on schedule, I mean before I become old enough to attend Kuoh Academy.


    "Hmm, what to do for tonight?" I look through my book and apparatus filled room for ideas on how to train my abilities tonight.


    I unlocked my Sacred Gear, Absorption Line, three years ago when I was just a third-grader.


    Genshirou Saji was just like Issei in the sense that he had only recently unlocked his Sacred Gear and became a reincarnated devil at just about the same time as Issei did. Which meant that he had little idea how to use his Sacred Gear and was thrust into many life and death battles where he had to learn on the fly. This meant that he quickly gained strength and tactical skill, but lacked the time to truly experiment and develop his abilities.


    I, on the other hand, had a higher IQ and many more years to make up for his lack of spare time. The poor guy was bogged down by his duties to the student council and most of his training was regimented by his strict "master" (the word still gives me chills), with so little time for independent development it was no wonder that he needed some off-screen deadly powerup to stop being a one-trick pony.


    After locking my room door, I summoned up the multi-headed mini-dragon device on both my arms and flexed.


    Shooting out sixteen tape-like lines glowing bright blue, eight from each arm out of each of the eight heads in many directions, sinking into the additional sensations given by the divine artifact, I manually controlled each of them as if they were extensions of my own body.


    From what I can remember, Saji only made it to four lines after he extended his capabilities to manifesting Absorption Line on both hands and both feet. It was much more useful for combat, but I decided to choose a different route with the amount of time available to me.


    I chose four lines, sending them to two power sockets, one new battery and an old battery I used for the first generation Gameboy that my parents got me. The ones targeted at the power sockets twisted until they looked like a twisted piece of tissue paper, they stopped right at the entrance to the sockets before slowly entering the holes. The two lines I sent for the batteries quickly wrapped up the targets in a crude manner.


    Next, I closed my eyes and focused on what the information coming from the lines, telling me the "power" or what it was prepared to tap into from the surface area that they were interacting with.


    Taking a deep breath, I pulled the potential power from the sources at a slow rate, the Sacred Gear processing it in a way that I could understand at first. I was practicing multi-tasking in a way, as I was draining power from different sources at a controlled rate. Wouldn''t want to cause another power outage.


    I had my Sacred Gear convert the power to replenish my own, first my "mental power" to reduce the fatigue of my mind, then swapping it to my physical energy so that my body would feel energized, then to my life force. It barely affected the latter due to the very inefficient conversion rate.


    Vegetables were a much better substitute. Sweet potatoes would be electrical energy for life force supplements any day.


    I tend to pick up leftover food thrown away by restaurants when I have the opportunity, hoard it all and then absorb them all in a private location until the food compost turned into ashes. The stored energy could then be used later on to replenish my own reserves, most of the time I used them to help recover from intense training.


    I''m basically a dragon that runs on potato power, just like Glados once did, and it works. Admittedly, I had the inspiration to try absorbing plant life power from Superman, after remembering what he did in "The Dark Knight Returns". Hence, it wasn''t an original idea.


    I withdrew the tendrils and opened my eyes, reaching for both my microscope and water bottle, then used my additional appendages to set the experiment table up.


    Unsummoning most of the lines, I focused all my attention onto one line, poured a bit of water over it and slid it under the microscope.


    Focus, Understanding, Surface Area and Experience.


    These are the main pillars which govern how well I could absorb "power" or any form of energy and then using it for myself.


    I hadn''t gotten to using Absorption Line to boost my physical capabilities like Saji could, devils likely could imagine physical reinforcement much easier than normal humans could since they have magic in their bodies, however, I made up for the lack of direct combat applications with variety.


    Focus. I closed my eyes and turned my senses to just the line and what was on it.


    Understanding. Water molecules, Hydrogen and Oxygen, heat energy is key to the state of water. I have to look deeper.


    Surface Area. Ignore the light and heat from the microscope, only absorb whatever is in the water.


    Experience. Recall the sensation of heat energy, harmonize experience across multiple absorption materials, drain it all then¡­


    ¡­ the energy flowed into me, I opened my eyes and saw the thin layer of ice upon my line.


    Not enough, when there''s nothing left then I have to take even more!


    There''s still more to take. Don''t look at water as a whole, focus¡­ deeper, smaller¡­ find the inter-molecular bonds¡­ it''s...


    "... Gah! I slipped again."


    Drat. It felt like my awareness expanded to "see" something new, yet, I couldn''t reach for it.


    The level that I intend to reach is still so far away.


    That''s not even discounting the fact that my molecular-level techniques aren''t even usable on the field yet.


    It wasn''t the case that I lacked the necessary energy, I was in peak condition this time and yet¡­ I need more experience, more knowledge, more of everything.


    A few months later and I had barely progressed in that particular field of study, even as was now enrolled in middle school.


    Perhaps I need to focus on developing and mastering other abilities first before going back to that field? As I pondered that, I idly answered the teacher''s attendance roll call for my first day at middle school.


    "Saji Genshirou."


    "Here, sensei."


    ...


    "Kaizer Himuro Heydrich."


    "Yo!"


    I felt like choking on my own spit after hearing that. My eyes quickly opened wide and I discreetly turned my head to look at the boy with the most ridiculously non-Japanese and abnormal name.


    Let''s see, multi-colored hair, heterochromia, buff as f.u.c.k (how is he a middle school student), tanned¡­ oh whatever, he''s either a native of the supernatural world, an absolute chuuni or someone''s OC donut steel.


    F.u.c.k.


    I thought the absence of Naruto in Shonen Jump was a bad sign for an incoming NINO crossover, but this might just be worse!


    I did my best to plan for canon, but I can''t handle fanon! Oh shit, the power creep is going to be even worse, isn''t it?


    Okay¡­ I can probably survive school just by not getting involved with this guy at all. Note to self, also, don''t even think about getting a girlfriend because if he''s an OC, he''s gonna get some.


    In order to assuage my worries, I decided to make a new motto just for the upcoming years.


    "Keep calm and keep grinding."

 Chapter 63 - My SI Stash #63 - A Reality Warper in A DC Universe by HeroineRule34Guy

    -It''s gonna be a very lewd weekend straight up. I''ll be sharing some NSFW SI fics~~ Recommeded by Koahla


    (¡ñ¡¦?¡¦¡ñ)


    Sypnosis: A self-insert finds himself with reality warping powers and the DC Universe at his fingertips. First stop: Shadowcrest, where Zatanna awaits. He has some unique ideas on how to improve her magical potency. (Full disclosure: The basic premise, but not the execution, is inspired by Baroque''s Superheroine Submission. Check that out, it''s over on Hentai Foundry.)


    Rated: M


    Words: 39K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/a-reality-warper-in-a-dc-universe-si-mostly-smut-updated-1-11.9579/ (HeroineRule34Guy) [You need to make an account on QuestionableQuesting to get access to these fics, it''s annoying I can''t do much about it]


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    It takes my eyes a moment to adjust to the sudden transition to the immediate area around Shadowcrest. I consider fixing it for a split second, before deciding against it. Not really worth risking a fundamental change to my being for what''s at best a minor inconvenience. Besides, right now there are more important things on my mind.


    If I weren''t a reality warper, it might have taken a lot of effort to find this place. Shadowcrest was enchanted and warded to be constantly on the move and hidden from all but the most powerful mages by the best of the best, Giovanni and Sindella Zatara, two of the most talented wizards in human history. Both of them dead now. Maybe I can resurrect them as a present for Zatanna.


    What a bizarre thought. I guess I technically could. Just a bit weird to be so blase about this whole thing. Not the sort of situation you expect to run into, waking up in a superhero universe with ontokinesis. Or is it ontomancy? I guess I can ask Zatanna after I''ve made her mine.


    ...I could do that now. No, no, I sort of want to see her succ.u.mb. It''s a bit sadistic, but I feel like I''ve earned those simple pleasures. The Reach, the King of Tears, Mongul, Despero, dozens of other threats, I either blinked them out of existence or changed their modus operandi the moment I realized I''d woken up in a comic book universe. That''s billions of lives saved, I''ve earned a bit of depravity.


    For the sheer novelty, I decide to walk up the stairs to Shadowcrest. If I''m too lazy to walk up a set of stairs, I''m too lazy to deserve reality warping. I already rendered myself inviolate against magic and most anything else I could think of, so any of her manor''s defenses won''t work on me. Otherwise, I''d probably already have been turned into a toad by some anti-trespassing spell.


    I make it up the winding stairway, and once I arrive at the silvered wooden doors, softly glowing with arcane light, I take my hands out of my suit''s pockets and knock authoritatively. Wait a few moments for her to arrive-


    The door creaks open as a confused Zatanna Zatara meets my gaze. "Who are you?" she tilts her head in suspicion. "Shadowcrest isn''t exactly an easy place to find."


    What an unbelievably gorgeous woman. I almost forget to breathe as I take her in. She''s tall, maybe five-eleven, with pale, creamy skin, long, flowing black hair, and striking blue eyes. She''s wearing the infamous stage magician''s outfit, a white button-up dress shirt that wonderfully accentuates her perfect goddamn b.r.e.a.s.ts, which are outlined tantalizingly by the fabric.


    There''s a short black blazer jacket that clings tightly to her arms and shoulders, a leotard of the same color underneath it all that barely conceals her p.u.s.s.y, and of course, a white bowtie and a black top hat tying it all together. Oh, and you absolutely can''t forget the famous fishnet stockings. Those legs!


    It takes all of my self-control not to ravage her right then and there, especially considering how I just warped reality to remove the chance of her experiencing clitoral fatigue, made her erogenous zones a fair bit more sensitive, as well as a couple of other useful modifications for convenience''s sake. Ontomancy naturally results in biomancy if you so choose.


    Gotta savor it, Joseph. "Invite me in and I''ll tell you," I smirk, giving her a slight mental nudge. She narrows her eyes, before beckoning me in. God, she has such luscious lips, and the lipstick only accentuates them.


    Adjusting things a bit so that she''ll accept the gesture, I slip an arm around her waist, pulling her towards me. "Show me to the living room and I''ll explain it all," I say. Shadowcrest is probably one of the fanciest buildings I''ve ever been in, filled to the brim with ancient mystical artifacts, a collection forged by two long-dead archmages, and I don''t even care, what with the s.e.xiest woman I''ve ever seen strutting by my side.


    "Another man with secrets. Perfect," she replies, giving me an apprehensive look, apparently ignoring my arm on her waist. Did my ontomancy render her a bit more trusting of me? Must have. Subconscious? Probably, but a welcome alteration nonetheless.


    Also, a lady who willingly dated John Constantine does not get to gripe about men, ever. "Don''t worry. Soon enough you''ll know all of my secrets."


    Goddamn, her outfit shows off half of her asscheeks, and what little isn''t covered by the fishnets is clutched tightly by her leotard, giving me a perfect view of her ass if I just turn my gaze to the left- oh, we''re in the living room. Spiffy place. I make my way over to a velvety couch, nudging her to join me.


    "So I''m from a parallel universe," I begin, as we both sit down. "Sort of a wizard, I guess. Vast magical powers. Basically immune to magic and other anomalous techniques. I''ve got plenty of tricks up my sleeve."


    She raises an eyebrow skeptically. "Pirts dekan," she says, in a ''prove-it'' sort of voice. What did she just- ah. Very funny. Thank you for translating, ontomancy.


    "You know, you''re lucky I didn''t turn that back around on you. Gorgeous as you are, it''s a tempting prospect."


    She ignores the come on and frowns. "Eurt thgis." Her hand emits a gray aura for just a moment as she glares at my general vicinity. "So you are immune to magic. Huh. You and Joshua Coldrake should do lunch."


    "Okay, I know you''re probably mad at me for trespassing, but I didn''t know you were send-me-to-the-Dark-Tower mad at me," I give her a playful grimace.


    The witch rolls her eyes at me. "I''m giving it some serious thought, seeing as you shouldn''t be here and you still haven''t explained why you are."


    I hold up my hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. So, I''m very powerful, borderline reality warper-" not really borderline, "-and I figured I''d do a good deed or two while I''ve got these powers and I''m in this universe. Your logomancy, the talking backwards thing, it''s a crutch, right?"


    "I prefer the term ''concentration exercise''," she replies.


    "A concentration exercise that you rely on. A crutch," I retort, and while it looks like she disagrees with me, she''s not openly disputing it. "So. I might have a solution for you. I want to see this planet still around in the future, and not, you know, eaten by- I dunno, pick any random extradimensional tentacle monster- so I want to make you stronger. More powerful."


    Make the idea appealing to her- "Too good to be true. Magic always takes its toll. What are you suggesting?"


    "Ah, well¡­ it''s a bit embarrassing," I look down, as if embarrassed. "I have a means to enhance your power, but it''s¡­" I purposefully trail off.


    She narrows her eyes at me. "What?" Zatanna demands.


    "It''s¡­ well, okay, you clearly find me attractive-" Don''t think that requires warping reality further, I already gave myself a body that''s somewhere between Jared Padalecki and Sebastian Stan, tall, muscular, meeting traditional standards of masculinity while also adding a personal touch of well-maintained shoulder-length brown hair, but just in case I''m not her type, I make a few adjustments. "-and I find you attractive as well."


    She raises an eyebrow, as if challenging me. Hah. I could just make her a goddess with the snap of my fingers, but no, I want this to be fun. "My s.e.m.e.n. By taking it on your flesh or in your body, your soul, your mystical potential, it''ll grow ever so slightly with each load you take. I''d say it''d only take a few months of constant f.u.c.k.i.n.g before you were on Fate''s level."


    Zatanna stares at me for a moment, as if awestruck by my audacity, before she starts guffawing. "Ahhahaha, you''ve gotta be f.u.c.k.i.n.g kidding me. Come on! That''s your line? Really?"


    It''s actually true. Thank you, ontomancy. I shrug. "Swear to God. I woke up in a parallel universe, magic powers, magic c.u.m. Here. I''ll drop the anti-scrying wards so that you can see it for yourself."


    "Magic c.u.m. Even John didn''t try that," she shakes her head, muttering something, the gray aura reappearing. Oh, was that a scanning spell? Guess that makes sense. Her eyes widen. "Son of a bitch," she mutters. "You''re actually telling the truth."


    I pull her a little closer to me. "I''m offended you doubted me. Don''t I just radiate sincerity?"


    She lets the mystic glow fade away. "You''ve gotta admit, the magic c.u.m thing isn''t exactly the most believable thing I''ve ever heard."


    "A woman on a team with an Amazon and an alien from a parallel universe-" Power Girl, there aren''t any men on the Justice League in this timeline. Strange. Did I do that subconsciously? "-should learn to suspend her disbelief."


    "Difference between being open-minded and being completely gullible," she counters. "So I think I can guess, but what do you get out of this deal- besides the obvious?" she rolls her eyes, adjusting herself into me. "What''s the price? Obviously I get power, but what are you demanding in return?"


    "It''d probably be a solid trade-off, but I want a bit more than that. The effect will fade, if not even entirely erase, if you ever sleep with another man, so you''ll have to remain mine to keep the power. But you do need my power to better defend the Earth," I say. "You can''t rely on your powers if they''re crippled by laryngitis or a gag. Being my woman can make it so you never have to worry about your-" I do air quotes, "-''concentration exercises'' again."


    Grinning devilishly, I make another change. "Besides, you''ve never met a man who''s made you more aroused than I do," I say, and the shift is almost instantaneous. She sucks in her breath, her legs squeezing together, her piercing blue eyes locking on to me. After just a few seconds, I can see her n.i.p.p.l.es poking through her top, and I actually lift my hand up as if to unbutton it, but I decide to wait. Just a little longer.


    She squirms into me, tentatively placing her delicate hands on my chest, flattening her palms against my torso. "So. Are you interested in my offer?" I ask, erection straining against my pants.


    "Well-dressed, handsome, magic c.u.m-" her gaze flickers down to my growing bulge, "-evidently well-endowed, it''s a difficult offer to refuse."


    I lean in towards her, moving one hand to her nape, the other to her thigh, gently stroking up and down her silky fishnets. My lips inches away from hers, I stare her dead in the eyes. Feels like I''ve waited ages for this moment. "There''s no going back from this, you know. After this, you''re mine."


    God, what a l.u.s.tful expression on her face. "What are you waiting for?" she asks huskily.


    I don''t even bother responding, pulling her into me, softly pressing my lips into hers, starting with a pure, almost chaste kiss. It only takes a few gentle kisses before we both escalate, our lips lingering against one another, the taste of her strawberry lipstick inescapable. I give her lower lip a toothless bite, pulling it back playfully before releasing it abruptly, eliciting a gasp. She giggles a bit before I dive back in, meeting her with several deeper kisses.


    Grabbing her by the waist, digging my fingers into her, giving myself a moment to feel her flesh, tantalizingly concealed by her shirt. Not slowing our lips'' intertwinement, I lift her, moving her from my side to my lap. Zatanna- let''s just call her Zee from here on out, we''re close enough by now for that- obediently spreads her legs, resting her knees on the couch besides me. Her crotch teasingly grinds into mine, and that would be frustrating if it weren''t so arousing. She shuffles a bit to make herself comfortable, gripping my shoulders for support.


    She pushes me back! I find myself pressed against the couch, Zee taking advantage of my surprised gasp to force her tongue into my mouth. I welcome her intrusion, mashing my lips against hers, our tongues intermingling. Her tongue worms against mine, pressing it into the floor of my mouth. For my part, I don''t even bother to resist, giving an occasional flick or two in response.


    Zee relents after a short time, her tongue sliding out of my mouth with a lewd trail of saliva following, and I quickly retaliate, leaning up to meet her for another kiss, beads of saliva dripping down on both of us. My hands make their way down to her rear, and as our lips meet yet again, I massage her cheeks, relishing the feeling of my hands on an ass this perfect.


    She m.o.a.ns throatily into my mouth as I squeeze, feeling her flesh, cruelly concealed by her leotard and fishnets, give way before my eager groping. My palms embed themselves in her ass as Zatanna pushes her tongue back into my mouth. This time, I try my best to match her enthusiasm, but I''m admittedly more than a little distracted by her assets, so she very much has the upper hand. Which, to be perfectly candid, is absolutely fine with me. There''s almost nothing s.e.xier than a woman this beautiful being this enthusiastically attracted to you. God, I can feel her tits pressing into my chest.


    Finally, I close my lips down on her tongue, enjoying her surprised ''mpf!'' for a split second, before I start gently sucking. Her tongue trapped in my mouth, I flick mine against hers teasingly, nestling our foreheads together, hands still possessively kneading her asscheeks. After a few moments of light sucking, I let her go free, the tongue still dangling in my mouth for a second or two before she pulls it out, letting it hang lewdly in midair. I grin dopily at her. "God, you''re so s.e.xy," I mutter, spreading her cheeks fondly.


    "You''re not bad yourself," she replies, and my smile widens a bit as I lean forward to give another kiss. I reluctantly tear a hand away from her ass to caress her chin, tilting her head to the left, exposing her neck. My fingers push her hair to the side as Zatanna eyes me expectantly. Not wanting to let her down, I plant a kiss on her newly revealed flesh, enjoying the way she shudders.


    I breathe out a stream of hot air on her sensitive flesh, savoring her consequent l.u.s.ty coos. "Mmm¡­ I aim to please, you know," I tease, whispering into her ear. I give her earlobe a quick nibble before moving back down to her neck, a quick, soft ghost of a kiss following the motion. The next kisses are deeper, longer lasting. I''m making out with her flesh directly, a few kisses soft and fleeting, others that last longer, my lips lingering against her neck, tongue brushing against bare skin. I could get used to this.


    But if I don''t see her tits soon, I might explode. I reach for the shirt buttons closest to her neck, fumbling a bit in my excitement as I reveal more and more of her flesh. "I can-" she begins, but I interrupt her, shaking my head.


    "No. I want to unwrap this present myself," I say, snapping open another button, at last exposing a bit of cleavage. Damn, you really can see her n.i.p.p.l.es poking through the fabric. Her b.r.e.a.s.ts shudder as I tear open button after button. Can''t be too hurried about this- ah. Whoops. Whatever. Finally, there we go! Still a few buttons left to go, but her b.r.e.a.s.ts have finally slipped free.


    Oh yes. I snap off the last button to let them have room to breathe now that they''re finally unrestricted by her shirt. Zee smirks, barely paying any mind to the button as it flies off in some other direction. "Like what you see?"


    They''re inches away from my face! I don''t even bother replying, instead partnering my hands with a corresponding b.r.e.a.s.t. At this point, I''m not even thinking of her pleasure, it''s just an automatic response, I see tits, I play with them. I spend a few moments kneading her b.r.e.a.s.ts, hands pawing into them, in and out, clutch and release. She bites her lips, still smirking. "Hope you can do more than just squeeze my tits."


    Oh, she wants to challenge me! "Your n.i.p.p.l.es, they''re very sensitive, aren''t they?" I ask rhetorically, thumbs tracing down her b.r.e.a.s.ts until they reach her pink nubs, both already standing at full attention. I circle them teasingly as I await her response.


    "Maybe for the right g-" As she responds, my thumbs and forefingers pinch gently on her sensitive n.i.p.p.l.es, rolling them between my two digits anticipatorily. Her eyes widen in surprise and the smirk vanishes in an instant, replaced by what I admit is a very satisfying shocked countenance. She closes her eyes as she tenses up, her sentence trailing off. "-aiahh!"


    "Take that as a yes," I mutter, ever-so-softly flicking her left n.i.p.p.l.e with my thumb, drawing a sharp intake of breath from the sorceress. "You ever have a n.i.p.p.l.e orgasm, Zee?" She shakes her head. "My lucky day," I grin, giving her right nub one last rub before I lean in, extending my tongue.


    I press the tip of my tongue near, but not on, her right n.i.p.p.l.e. Positioning myself by her a.r.e.o.l.a, I begin moving a circular motion, careful to avoid her n.i.p.p.l.e, wanting her to anticipate this, to desire this, but to be denied it until I think her ready. My tongue circles her n.i.p.p.l.e sensually as I watch her face carefully. Zee''s sucking in her lips, biting down on them in frustration, her eyes rolling up every time my tongue brushes against her n.i.p.p.l.es.


    All the while, her other n.i.p.p.l.e is being subtly but continuously toyed with. Sometimes I''ll roll it between my thumb and my forefinger, rubbing it tenderly. Or maybe¡­ she makes a noise somewhere between a gasp and a m.o.a.n as I grab her left n.i.p.p.l.e and gently pull towards me, before guiding it back to its proper position. I build up a tempo, getting her used to it before I escalate further.


    I drag my tongue down in one quick motion, flicking against her n.i.p.p.l.e as I do so, eliciting a soft, elated murmur from my partner. Obviously, I continue, bringing my tongue back up, its giving fleeting, teasing licks to her pink nub, and I can see her shoulders and neck tense up in response.


    My tongue''s tip presses into her n.i.p.p.l.e, swirling against it, toying with her. "That really is good," she mutters. I intensify my veneration, the body of my tongue joining the edge as I begin to fully lay into her. I grab her back for support as I worm my tongue against her n.i.p.p.l.e, enjoying the way Zee shudders and m.o.a.ns into me as I lewdly worship her.


    Finally, I sheathe my tongue, leaning my head forward so that my face is pushed into her right b.r.e.a.s.t, giving her n.i.p.p.l.e a soft kiss before opening my mouth wide and giving it a toothless bite. My lips come to a close around her a.r.e.o.l.a, and I start sucking gently, looking Zatanna in her half-open eyes as I bring the n.i.p.p.l.e play to its logical conclusion.


    "Ahhaah God," she groans as I purse my lips around her n.i.p.p.l.es, suckling tenderly with soft pulses of pressure. After a few moments of gentle sucking, I return my tongue to her attentive pink n.i.p.p.l.es, letting the tip nuzzle her n.i.p.p.l.e as a reintroduction, before giving way to a full embrace.


    At this point, she just starts panting, and I don''t let up, tongue undulating around one of her n.i.p.p.l.es, the other still receiving its due attention from my relentless digits. My tongue twists and turns around her, tasting my new s.e.x toy for all she''s worth, and I''m so caught up in revering her and her goddamn gorgeous body and these perfect f.u.c.k.i.n.g tits and n.i.p.p.l.es- I lose track of time, and I only barely notice a full-body shudder right as it happens.


    "Ooooohooh fuuhuhuck! Oh- gaahaa!" she squeals deliriously. Her body tenses up as she writhes in the throes of orgasm, thrusting herself towards me as she digs her fingers into my shoulders for support. Her thighs clench together, her knees digging into my h.i.p.s as her whole body squirms. Zatanna, probably unintentionally, grinds her p.u.s.s.y into my crotch, my already hard c.o.c.k massaged for a moment by her covered womanhood. I don''t dare stop sucking her n.i.p.p.l.es.


    After a few moments, I let her go, reluctantly breaking the¡­ let''s call it a kiss, and stare into her eyes as she comes down from the orgasm. I can''t help but glance at her n.i.p.p.l.es, one slickened and dripping with saliva, probably a bit sore from all of the attention. I quickly adjust reality so that it will always be a good sort of soreness. "I promised, didn''t I?" I tease.


    "Oh holy f.u.c.k," she replies, b.r.e.a.s.ts dangling just beneath my face. She sticks her tongue out and licks her lips absent-mindedly. "Apparently you can do more than just squeeze," she says, breath a bit heavy.


    Isn''t that just an enormous ego boost. "Oh, I very much can," I reply, moving my hands to her waist, lifting her yet again, grinning at the way she yelps playfully in surprise. Standing up, I place her back down on the couch, swapping positions with her. "I should show you some of my other tricks. Like how good I am at eating p.u.s.s.y."


    Her eyes widen in anticipation. She bites her lower lip, looking me over. "I''m not seeing what this has to do with you increasing my magical power," she teases, smirking unsteadily.


    I laugh. "It doesn''t. I just want to taste you. Is there a problem?" She wordlessly shakes her head. I kneel on the floor between her spread legs, giving her exposed b.r.e.a.s.ts a l.u.s.tful look as I stare up at her. "Get those clothes off before I tear them off."


    "Threatening me with a good time? Not the most effecti-" she pauses in realization. "-I don''t even know your name."


    I grin at her. "I''m Joseph. I''m the man who''s going to give you the time of your life, and who''s going to make you his own. Nice to meet you."


    She inhales l.u.s.tily. "Enchanted," she replies, a low, husky tone to her voice. "Pirts dekan," she recites a familiar spell, her stage magician uniform disappearing in a flash of light, revealing her n.a.k.e.d body, and I forget how to breathe for a moment. God. She even took away the fishnets- okay, I do admittedly prefer bare legs. But¡­


    "Could you bring back the hat and bowtie?"


    Zatanna rolls her eyes good-naturedly. "Ietwob, tah, teg kcab ereh," the garments return in the same sort of streak of golden light, I barely notice, so focused on her glistening p.u.s.s.y lips that I''d somehow missed entirely until literally just this second. "And yats tup. A man who appreciates accessories. Who would have guessed?" she muses aloud, idly fingering her n.i.p.p.l.e- oh, Jesus, that''s s.e.xy.


    I run a hand over her thigh, smiling as she trembles at my touch, still a bit sensitive from her recent. My hand glides down towards her newly freed p.u.s.s.y, and I use that movement to generate suspense for the coming cunnilingus as I stare at her p.u.s.s.y, perfectly smooth and hairless, almost v.i.r.g.i.nal in appearance. I spread her legs a bit wider, resting my head on her left thigh as I give her one last look in the eyes before I get to work. "Don''t forget my highly refined palate," I joke, before immediately pressing my tongue against her unspread lips.


    Starting at the lower end of the vulva, I keep the full mass of my tongue extended and pressed against her p.u.s.s.y lips, my taste buds happily lapping up her moistness, and I slowly bring it up, starting process slowly and steadily, away from the c.l.i.t.o.r.i.s so as to build anticipation. I keep this pace going, tongue pressing against her entryway, running up and down steadily, my head bobbing up and down to ensure that my tongue doesn''t get tired. I don''t know if that''s possible anymore, but I''d rather not find out.


    Zee coos appreciatively, resting her head against the back of the couch, and when I glance up to see the look on her face, her mouth is hanging open, and her eyes are squeezed shut. So far so good, then. I keep lapping at her p.u.s.s.y, dragging my mouth along with my tongue so as to give her yet another pleasurable sensation.


    I spread her labia a bit so as to cover more ground, going up and down, up and down, in repetitive, slow, predictable drags, pressing my tongue into her just enough to trigger a response, building up to something greater as I rake my tongue through her pink folds. I can''t help but almost come to a pause sometimes while pulling this off, just inhaling her scent, the feminine musk radiating from her p.u.s.s.y.


    Once I''ve established a routine, steady, firm licks up and down her vulva, I begin deviating. My tongue begins steadily moving north towards the clit, not yet at my final destination, but coming closer, and by the way Zee''s shuddering, she knows it. I keep my hands busy, my right hand close by her thigh in case I need it, my left reaching around and fondling her round, firm ass.


    After several moments migrating towards the clit, I begin to switch tactics, my tongue still glued to her sopping p.u.s.s.y, drinking in her juices. This time, however, I withdraw the brunt of my tongue, instead just pressing the tip in the area immediately near, but not on, her clit. Tender, almost rote, licks assail her, as I begin to work my way up to circling the clit directly.


    Within a minute, that''s exactly what I''m doing. My tongue worsh.i.p.s her in a concentric pattern, surrounding her clit, sometimes, just barely, brushing up against it, but always keeping at a slight distance so as not to rush things. I occasionally spare a glance towards my lover. Zatanna''s breaths are husky, lingering, tinged with a desire for a release yet to come, her body quivering as my tongue explores her. "Cuh- come on," she m.o.a.ns. "Mooorrree."


    That''s my cue. I drag my lips up towards her hood, pushing it back with my tongue so as to better expose her clit, before finally pressing the tip against her nub, not flicking it, careful as to provide her sensitive spot with the respect it deserves, instead just lightly brushing it, before pulling it back and repeating the motion. Soft, tentative licks steadily escalate, as her breathing grows noticeably heavier.


    Let''s take this a step further. Formerly fleeting licks intensify, as I begin to make love to her clit in earnest. My tongue latches on to her sweet spot, and I combine the motions of kneading and suckling. As I do so, Zee sucks in her breath, and I can feel the tensing of her thigh muscles growing more and more pronounced and frequent.


    Finally, I wrap my lips around her clit''s vicinity as opposed to merely lazily hovering over the area as before, tongue still lewdly kissing her, before I start to suck. Tongue wrapped around her clit, I begin to pull it towards me, working her gently but firmly, milking her with my mouth. "Ah- agh. Oh God," she groans.


    I keep going. Her m.o.a.ns escalate, and after about a dozen more sucks, her entire body shakes. "Ah- ahaah! Fuuhuck! Oh- Oh Gahahad!" Her thighs convulse, clinging together, squeezing my head. The orgasm washes over her in waves, and I close my eyes instinctively as she involuntarily thrusts her crotch forward, rubbing into my nose and cheeks. I just barely manage to keep my tongue on the prize, not wanting to stop so as not to lessen her euphoria.


    Zatanna comes down from the high after about half a minute of wailing and shaking, and once I feel her body come to a still, I slow my licking, releasing my liplock on her p.u.s.s.y, untangling my tongue from her clit. Rising, I rub a finger across my slickened lower face. Impressive trophy. "Enjoy yourself?" I tease.


    She laboriously lifts her head from the couch back and stares at me for a solid moment, dazed. "You¡­ you already know the answer to that question. You just want to hear me say it."


    I grin. "Guilty."


    Zee woozily smiles. "Hmph. Alright, I admit it. Best cunnilinguist I''ve ever had. Honestly and truly, cross my heart."


    "Better," I reply, smile growing a bit foxlike. "But¡­ you know¡­ I never got to use my fingers. That''s a little disappointing, you know."


    Her jaw drops and her eyes narrow. "Yah- you''re f.u.c.k.i.n.g kidding me."


    I bite my lips as my eyes wander back to her glistening womanhood. "I can''t get enough of your p.u.s.s.y. And the way your s.e.xy body writhes and grinds whenever you c.u.m. I wanna see you squirt."


    "Oh God," she starts nibbling on one of her fingers, looking down at me with¡­ I guess tired anticipation? "How are you going to find the energy to f.u.c.k me?"


    "I''ll think of something. You just stay comfortable."


    I plant a soft kiss on her p.u.s.s.y, welcoming myself back, taking a second to breathe in her scent once more, before I extend my tongue and get back to work, long, luscious drags of the tongue up and down her folds, steadily working my way up. For several minutes, I just do my best to rebuild her arousal.


    From there, I repeat the process I did before, losing myself in her folds, the feeling of using my tongue and mouth to worship such a gorgeous woman, knowing that she''s all mine, knowing that I have full control over her pleasure, knowing that she belongs to me and me alone. When my tongue reaches the point where it''s once again circling her clit,I lubricate one of my fingers with her juices. When I glance back down at my forefinger, it''s visibly glistening. Perfect.


    Spreading her labia a bit, I keep my tongue working her clitoral vicinity, all the while bringing the lubed finger to her entrance. I gently prod at her entrance, encouraging it to give way and grant me access, and with a bit of effort, I begin to push into her. She''s so tight! I can''t even imagine what she''ll feel like wrapped around my c.o.c.k.


    I savor her coos at my forefinger claiming her, temporarily slowing my licks as I advance, making it halfway to the knuckle before withdrawing. I begin thrusting it into her (the motion resulting in a soft squelching noise) not even to give her pleasure, but just for the novelty of fingering Zatanna Zatara.


    But I started doing this for a reason, and I had a desired end result. Now that my finger''s comfortable inside her- as if there was any other option- I can find that g-spot. Ah. There it is. I shift my finger around until I match it with a more solid, ridged spot on her roof. I rub it softly with my finger, and Zee squeaks.


    Well. Pretty clear path from here on out. Withdrawing most of my finger as it''s no longer necessary to fulfill my interests, I begin massaging the area directly around her core, not wanting to rush into this. I carefully close in on her spot, angling my finger so that I''ll be able to comfortably maintain the fingering.


    Once I''ve gotten myself secured, I bring my attention back to her clit, slowly dragging my tongue across her sweet spot as before, the edge sliding across, teasing her, and I smile as I feel her shudder at the feeling. After giving her some time to adjust to the sensation, I move my forefinger closer to her g-spot until it''s directly toying with it, moving back and forth in a ''come hither'' motion.


    Zee gasps, whining l.u.s.tily as I begin to stimulate her core, finger curling in and out of her, and while I keep her insides excited, I intensify the p.u.s.s.y-eating, the body of my tongue pressing into her clit. My tongue swirls around her, swamping her and pressing down on her. After a few moments of that, I can hear her breathing intensify, feel muscles clenching as I rest my head on her thigh.


    And so I wrap my lips around her clit and start sucking. My finger still massages her g-spot while I suckle her, and she whimpers lewdly, more frequently than before. She''s close, just a little more- "Ahhh- ahhh Gaahahhadd! Fuhuuhuck!" I''m better prepared for her orgasm literally hitting me in the face this time, the way her legs squeeze together as if to crush my head, the way her lips purse together and her teeth clench, but even though I was expecting it, what still catches me off guard is the squirting.


    A stream of pure, almost watery, liquid splashes out of her, hosing me in the face with her ejaculate. I close my eyes so as not to get them covered in ejaculate, letting the warm juices wash over my face. The spurts stop eventually, and I open my eyes to the view of a glistening p.u.s.s.y and an exhausted looking Zatanna. Withdrawing my finger, I rub a bit of ejaculate off of my eyelid with my free hand, before looking up at my partner. God, what a s.e.xy f.u.c.k.i.n.g woman.


    "Oh my God," she mutters. "You''re¡­ you''re¡­" she trails off.


    "About to f.u.c.k the best p.u.s.s.y on the planet? You''re goddamn right," I say, my voice huskier and deeper than I thought it would be.


    She m.o.a.ns, spreading her legs a bit. "Do it. F.u.c.k me. Please."


    I laugh and grab a hold of her thighs, lifting her into missionary position, legs spread to the side with knees in the air. Noting that I''m still wearing a suit (a bit wet on the upper torso, I belatedly realize), I render it into nonexistence with ontomancy, allowing my c.o.c.k to swing free. Standing shakily, knees a bit sore from kneeling for¡­ half an hour, maybe?... I grab a hold of my hardened c.o.c.k, taking a step or two towards Zatanna.


    I might have ordinarily gone with some foreplay here, teasing her a bit, but after so much of it already, I just want to be inside of her. I press my c.o.c.k down at her entrance, sucking in my breath. Her juices welcome me, my c.o.c.khead soon covered in her as I grit my teeth, squeezing her thighs as I push into her.


    God, she''s so tight. Her p.u.s.s.y clenches around my c.o.c.khead as I nestle into her, head disappearing out of sight inside of her. Leverage established, I sink into her, closing my eyes as my c.o.c.k descends into her, a slow, teasing process, her wet, tight, hot p.u.s.s.y welcoming me and caressing me at every turn, the entirety of my c.o.c.k venerated by her as it claims her for its own.


    At last, I claim her p.u.s.s.y for my own, my balls gently slapping against her ass as the hilt of my c.o.c.k enters her. Oh Jesus, that''s¡­ borderline indescribable. Her walls squeeze gently on my c.o.c.k, spasming around me. Without my powers, I probably would have came the second I was fully inside of her.


    "Ah¡­ that- that''s good," Zatanna says, grinding her h.i.p.s ever so slightly, making me shudder. There''s a teasing look on her face as she sees my reaction. Oh, alright. I guess I''ll have to teach her a lesson.


    I psych myself up for the actual f.u.c.k.i.n.g by taking a deep breath, before steadily withdrawing, exposing my slickened c.o.c.k to thin air once again¡­ before diving right back in, my c.o.c.k rejoining her p.u.s.s.y easier than before. Sliding in and out of my sorceress like this becomes a rhythm, c.o.c.k pushing in and out of its position inside of her.


    Once I have a routine established, I start going faster, our s.e.x creating a lewd squelching sound as I piston in and out of her. Her body heaves as I f.u.c.k her, b.r.e.a.s.ts jiggling, goosebumps lining her skin, n.i.p.p.l.es still erect, biting her lips. She''s the epitome of sensuality.


    C.o.c.k embedded inside of her, I stop thrusting, planting myself inside of Zee as I lean forward. One of her eyes opens a little wider as I lean in to kiss her, and she''s caught off guard by the motion, so at first it''s just me pressing my lips against hers. But she catches on pretty quickly, and starts responding to my affections, returning the kiss with gusto.


    "Affectionate," she says, throatily, lips inches away from mine. My response is to shove my tongue into her mouth, which she eagerly welcomes, wrapping her lips around it and suckling gently. Remembering the fact that I''m inside of her (as if I could forget), I begin grinding into her, swiveling my h.i.p.s, and the m.o.a.n she makes in response is one of the s.e.xiest things I''ve ever heard.


    Our tongues meet once again as our bodies intertwine, and for a minute I lose myself in her. Reality ceases to exist as my c.o.c.k grinds into the best p.u.s.s.y I''ve ever had, as I kiss the most gorgeous woman I''ve ever met, the increasingly faded taste of strawberry lipstick growing blessedly familiar. She wraps her legs around my back, pulling me into her, and I gladly comply.


    As I push into her, I begin to note a part of her p.u.s.s.y, buried deep inside, that''s firmer than the rest of her womanhood. It''s more¡­ solid. So that''s her cervix. I''d had her so aroused, I hadn''t even noticed its presence until just now. Each and every time I''d been hitting it, she gasps, out of¡­ yes, pleasure. That''s a relief when compared to the alternative. I''d assumed it was just me doing a good job, but this¡­ opens new opportunities.


    As my tongue explores her mouth, play-fighting with hers, my c.o.c.k, embedded in her p.u.s.s.y, continues grinding into her. Unlike before, however, I specifically press against her cervix, repeatedly rubbing against her, internally smirking at the way she suddenly m.o.a.ns out whenever I press against it.


    And so I keep going. My c.o.c.k kisses her cervix with every firm but measured thrust, and her m.o.a.ns grow more pronounced, our kisses sloppier and more lingering as we lose ourselves in each other. At last, I notice her m.o.a.ns deepening, her legs clenching up, squeezing tighter around her back, her p.u.s.s.y, already massaging me, growing tighter and tighter.


    "Yyyyezzzhhh! Fa- fa- fuhuhuck yezzh! A-oh Gaahad!" she squeals, thrashing against me, heels digging into the small of my back as her arms fumble around my shoulders, until she finally just gives in and pulls me in by my nape. I pull my tongue out of her mouth, instead just resting my forehead on hers as I keep grinding into her, savoring the feeling of her writing into me. God damn, could I get used to this.


    It''s at that moment I decide to c.u.m. Buried to the hilt inside her p.u.s.s.y, I let loose a jet of s.e.m.e.n, m.o.a.ning out loud as I finally let myself have a release. My c.o.c.k throbs inside of her as my seed fills her, and I spend a few seconds more inside of her before I slowly withdraw. As I do so, a series of rivulets of c.u.m immediately follow, dripping out onto the couch. The c.u.m fleeing her p.u.s.s.y forms a small puddle in between her legs, the depraved sight of the creampied witch momentarily captivating both of us.


    "That was incredible," I say, sitting down next to her. This post-s.e.x tiredness is something I could get rid of, but I don''t necessarily want to lose touch with my humanity just yet. So for now, it''s a welcome inconvenience.


    Zatanna gives me an exhausted smile, and with the way her hair''s messed up from our lovemaking, the sheen of sweat acc.u.mulated, her reddened skin, it''s a heartstopping gesture. "You¡­ Jesus, Joseph. No one¡­ not John, not¡­ no one ever made me c.u.m four times in one day. Even when I used magic¡­ f.u.c.k." She quiets down for a moment, staring into space.


    I break the silence, wrapping my arms around her neck, warping reality to make her skin warm and cuddly as opposed to a little clammy. "My masculine ego is very happy to hear that," I reply. "What do you mean, ''used magic''?"


    She laughs, before coughing, as if to cover it up. "Ah¡­ you''d be surprised what you can come up with. It was a bit too effective."


    I consider pressing her for details, but¡­ no, she can tell me later. "So. You feeling the increase in magical potency yet?"


    Zatanna considers the question for a moment. "Espmilg ym tnelat dna nercscid." Her eyes go blank for a moment, before she suddenly shakes her head as if trying to wake herself up. "Son of a bitch," she mutters. "And here I thought that might have just been a lame pick up line."


    "No need to lie when you have magic c.u.m," I shrug. How about¡­ yeah, sure, why not. "So. You ready to try anal? I promise it''ll feel as good as everything else, if not more."


    She blinks, taken aback by the question. "You- you can''t- no, stupid thing to say. Of course you''re serious. You¡­" she pauses. "Well¡­ you''ve earned it at this point."


    I lean in, kissing her on the neck, brushing a bit of hair aside to do so. "I''ll make sure it''s the best anal experience you''ve ever had."


    I help her stand, a few droplets of c.u.m dripping out of her p.u.s.s.y as she rises, guiding her to the armrest of the couch, where she promptly bends over expectantly. Ontomancy, is this her- no, not her first anal. Didn''t think so, I knew she''d had plenty of partners before me, was just curious.


    She has a perfect, unblemished round ass. Her skin overall is a bit red and sweaty from our s.e.x beforehand, but beyond that, you have what looks like an untouched, borderline v.i.r.g.i.nal ass. Good enough to eat. And you know what? That''s exactly what I''m going to do.


    I kneel down behind her, taking a moment to squeeze her cheeks. I''ve done this before, but it''s not exactly something you get tired of, and it wasn''t from this angle anyway. I take some time to knead her flesh, getting no small amount of satisfaction from the fact that she''s mine, and she''ll always be mine, and that I''ll get to enjoy this for the rest of time if I so choose. Waking up a reality warper in a DC Universe was the best thing that ever happened to me.


    For a few moments, I''m enthralled by the side of my fingers digging into her flesh, the skin rippling with each solid grope, but I did promise Zatanna I''d give her a good time, and I can always do this later if I so choose. I want our first time together to be memorable for both of us, so¡­ let''s get licking.


    I spread her cheeks, revealing her (of course) gorgeous asshole, slightly darker than the rest of the skin around her, but otherwise, just a mouthwateringly puckered hole ready for munching. I extend my tongue out, starting at her tiny taint, so small that the tip of my tongue can cover it in its entirety, before moving up to her asshole proper.


    My tongue swirls around the creases of her anus, teasing her, occasionally flicking over the hole itself, winding its way closer and closer to her asshole. After a few moments, I''m circling her asshole itself, and Zatanna noticeably shudders at the sensation of my tongue repeatedly crossing over her anus.


    I become a bit impatient, so rather than teasing her further, I just begin to worm my way into her asshole, drawing surprised grunts from my sorceress, as my tongue forces its way past her defenses, boring its way into her. Her sphincter protests my intrusion, but I aim to be shoving a lot more than just a tongue inside of her, so I ignore its dissent.


    I try to swirl my tongue around inside of her, but it''s far too tight to manage much. Maybe I need to take this up a notch. I withdraw my tongue, her asshole squeezing shut in its wake, before putting my forefinger back in my mouth- mm, still tastes like p.u.s.s.y- wetting it and lubing it up, suckling it for a few minutes, before I press it against her asshole.


    She gasps, and her entire body quivers. "This won''t hurt a bit," I promise her, warping reality to reinforce my decree. My fingertip pokes into her, and while her ass obscures my view, I can see her fingers digging into the couch cushions, out of¡­ confusion at an unfamiliar feeling. Never been fingered like this before, my powers tell me.


    I press on, jamming my finger in up to the knuckle after a few minutes work, before slowly pistoning in and out of her. God, I barely made it past her sphincter, and even now, it''s squeezing down on my finger, trying but failing to crush it with each and every time I push into her. I can''t wait to feel it wrapping around my c.o.c.k.


    With a bit more effort, and lewd m.o.a.ning on Zatanna''s part, I manage to shove in my middle digit as well, lewdly fingerf.u.c.k.i.n.g her tight ass, watching myself disappear inside of her. "Getting you ready, Zatanna," I tease. "Gonna be f.u.c.k.i.n.g this ass, but you''re so tight. Gonna take some effort."


    After a few moments of fingering, I extract myself, slapping her on the ass to signify the end of the foreplay, her flesh rippling invitingly. I grab the arm of the couch for support as I stand, c.o.c.k fully erect, behind her. Her slickened asshole stares back at me as I put one hand on my c.o.c.k and the other on her thigh for support. "Hope you''re ready, Zee. ''Cause I''m about to f.u.c.k your tight ass."


    "What are you waiting for?" she shoots back. Heh. Fair enough.


    I position my c.o.c.k at her asshole, poking my head into her entrance, the creased lines and ridges that make up her anus disappearing as I push inside of her. I can see her clenching up as my head presses into her. "Easy, baby. Just relax your muscles and let it happen," I say, in my best soothing voice.


    She tilts her head towards me so that I can see her rolling her eyes. "You''re not the one getting f.u.c.k.i.e.d in the ass," she retorts, but she closes her eyes and I can feel her muscles slackening. Granted leeway, I continue pushing forward, until the mushroom-tip vanishes into her ass. Zee sucks in her breath as I push past her opening in one fell swoop.


    Both of us sort of simultaneously gasp at the feeling, for extremely different reasons. The tightness is almost unbearable. My c.o.c.khead''s slipped past her ring, which is trying its level best to crush me. I''m not letting it win. I grab her by the h.i.p.s, and aided a bit by gravity and sheer force, I begin pushing into her.


    Inch by inch, my c.o.c.k claims her for itself, pressing further and further into her. It takes a fair bit of dedicated grinding, but at last, my balls slap against her p.u.s.s.y, my c.o.c.k buried to the hilt inside of Zatanna''s ass. Once I make it past the sphincter, which angrily clenches down on my length, the rest of her interior is far more welcoming, massaging my c.o.c.k tightly yet hospitably.


    "F.u.c.k, you''re so big," she m.o.a.ns, smacking her fist into the couch cushions, before unclenching it and squeezing the velvet. God, that''s hot. Sphincter squeezing down on my hilt, I pull back a few inches, before pressing them back into her.


    After a few more thrusts like that, dominating her tight, round ass and making it mine, her body surrenders to me, pistoning in and out of Zatanna growing easier and easier. Having previously held herself in position with her arms, she''s now simply opted to collapse onto the couch, belly on the armrest and legs mostly floating in midair, only held in position by my hands and c.o.c.k. I have her completely at my mercy. Incredible.


    Feeling empowered, I actually growl a little involuntarily, squeezing tight enough on Zee''s h.i.p.s to leave marks, thrusting in and out of her with increasing intensity. The way her walls squeeze down on me, the way her ring gives way the more force I apply, it drives me mad. I f.u.c.k her like an animal, only constrained by the tightness of her ass.


    In and out, in and out, fingers digging into Zatanna''s soft flesh, the sorceress m.o.a.ning like a whore as my c.o.c.k drives into her, eight inches of d.i.c.k breaking new ground as I show her exactly who she belongs to. She''ll never touch another c.o.c.k in her life, and she''ll never need to. My c.o.c.k pistons in and out of her for an all-too-short eternity, as Zatanna''s face rubs against the couch cushions, each thrust shaking her limp body, which by now is entirely under my control.


    "Agh- oh God," she m.o.a.ns, her body quivering into mine, her walls squeezing against my length. "I''m abo-owwoooooo Gaahahaahd! Fah- fuhuhuck!" She convulses around me, the muscles in her anus spasming wildly, panickedly squeezing around my c.o.c.k, and, with my c.o.c.k fully embedded inside of her, writhes in the throes of orgasm.


    It''s at that moment I finally c.u.m for the second time, c.o.c.k throbbing inside ofthe witch, releasing a jet of c.u.m that I can feel sloshing around my length. I remove myself from her after a moment, c.o.c.k leaving her asshole coated in a sheen of slime and jizz. Exhaling softly, I relax my grip on her h.i.p.s, wincing a bit at the red marks I''ve left behind. Hope she wasn''t- no, she wasn''t hurt. Thank you, ontomancy.


    "That was¡­ pretty incredible," I pat her ass gratefully. Zatanna takes a few moments to catch her breath, and graciously accepts my offered hand to help herself up. We both plop down on the couch, exhausted from our time together.


    "I feel like a used fleshlight, but it was worth it," she sighs happily, resting her head against my shoulder tiredly. I laugh. "Five! And I''m not even that sore, either."


    I raise my hands. "That''s me. Reality warper."


    She tilts her head towards me, frowning. "You''re not-" I ''flicker'' the coffee table in front of us from a darker brown, to purple, to a wavelength of visible light that previously didn''t exist, and no longer does after I will it not to. "F.u.c.k," she mutters, staring in disbelief at the now conventional table. "So that''s how you do it."


    I grin. "Pretty cool, huh? I''ve gotta give you my whole backstory sometime."


    She just nods in response, rubbing her forehead. "Ideally when I''m not leaking," she jokes halfheartedly. "What now? Are you an expert cuddler, too?"


    I give myself an instinctive knowledge of what she expects out of a cuddling partner. "Sure, but I wanted to try something else first. You ever given a blowjob before?"


    Zatanna laughs, lifting her head off of my shoulder. "I should have figured. All the same, you men."


    "I''d like to think I''m a cut above the rest."


    She shrugs, cracking her neck as she does so. Stretching a bit, she lazily lifts herself off of the couch.


    "There''s an argument to be made," she smiles, eyes latched onto my c.o.c.k. I am, as I always will be, very glad I adjusted her s.e.x.u.a.l preferences to make her more comfortable with this sort of thing.


    The logomancer kneels before me, biting her lips seductively as she shuffles towards me, adjusting her position a bit, presumably for her own convenience. My c.o.c.k is still fully erect, thanks to my remarkable powers, and judging by the look on her face, Zatanna appreciates it. She runs her hands along my thighs possessively as she crawls towards my c.o.c.k.


    "I''ve never wanted to get my hands on a c.o.c.k this badly," she smirks, at last, wrapping her delicate hand around my length. She tenses her hand, as if teasing me, I think just to get a good grip on my erection. Her other hand joins in, and she starts gently stroking up and down my c.o.c.k, sucking in her breath, eyes latched onto my c.o.c.khead.


    This isn''t a disinterested tugjob, this is a slow, sensual, reverent stroking session from a woman who finds me to be the handsomest man in the universe. "F.u.c.k, now this is a c.o.c.k," she bites her lips, deliberately turning her eyes from my c.o.c.k to my face. God, I know she''s only doing that for my benefit, but it''s just so damned effective with her voice and the way she inhales willfully after finishing her sentence- gah!


    She maintains eye contact while she leans forward to plant a soft kiss on the underside of my c.o.c.khead, lips lingering for a few seconds before an audible smack announces her departure. Lasting pecks morph into long, savoring kisses, her lips wrapping around the head of my c.o.c.k for tantalizingly short yet eternal periods of time.


    Finally, she wraps her lips around my c.o.c.khead, squeezing them shut so as not to let anything escape, and begins bobbing her head up and down, only going down by a few inches, but the sensation of her warm, wet lips guiding my c.o.c.k into the hot, moist cavern that is Zatanna''s mouth is indescribable- ah! F.u.c.k! She''s using her tongue!


    It¡­ it doesn''t feel as good as f.u.c.k.i.n.g, obviously, but the comparative loss of control, the fact that I''ve allowed myself to be at her mercy- that drives me absolutely insane. And now her tongue is swirling around my c.o.c.khead, coaxing out and then slurping up bits of prec.u.m- and God, I think I''ll just sink into the couch and allow myself to enjoy this.


    Her blowjob pushes down an inch past my c.o.c.khead, tongue coiling its way along, the leftover bits of slime and c.u.m from our s.e.x eagerly taken in by the best goddamn fellatrix on the planet. She m.o.a.ns lewdly around my c.o.c.k, the ensuing vibrations having a knock-on effect on the rest of my body.


    Focused on the task at hand, she absent-mindedly brushes a bit of hair out of her face and behind her ear, swallowing my length methodically but adoringly. Halfway down my length, she pulls herself back up, lips dragging up my c.o.c.k all the way, releasing her lips from my c.o.c.k with a lecherous popping sound. "F.u.c.k, you really do have one hell of a c.o.c.k," she says quickly, out of breath, running her hands up and down my erection, mixing her spit and the existing juices together as she does so.


    As she girds her metaphorical loins for her return trip, she takes long, dragging licks up and down my length, idle slurps cleaning off my c.o.c.k as she drinks in our juices. When she''s satisfied, she kisses her way up my length, open-mouthed, wet things that are almost always gone too soon.


    But then her mouth wraps around my c.o.c.khead again and she begins pressing down, and I forget every single complaint I might have even considered. Zatanna takes half of my length like a champ, and I can feel my c.o.c.k poking at her throat as she inhales through her nose, before pushing her head forward.


    I sigh, loudly, as my c.o.c.k penetrates her throat, and God, the tightness! She moves her lips down until her nose tickles my crotch, balls slapping against her chin, before she withdraws in one solid motion, gasping for breath. Her spit drips off of my c.o.c.k and onto my balls, a thin sheen of her saliva dangling in mid air between her mouth and my length, and she opens and closes her mouth quickly, as if shocked by her own motion. "F.u.c.k," she mutters.


    Eyes not leaving my erection, she goes for it again, returning my c.o.c.k to her throat, but this time, she''s ready for the intensity of it all, her lips wrapping around the hilt, her throat involuntarily squeezing around my length. Her eyes water a little as she has trouble breathing, but she sticks to it, tongue cautiously roaming around my length as she struggles to adjust.


    I can feel the air shift as she breathes through her nose, only an inch or two away from my crotch, steadily growing used to the log down her throat. After a while, Zee begins to constrict her throat around my c.o.c.k, contracting around my length. Her tongue struggles to find a position in which to work from, and settles for rubbing along my underside. I barely notice, what with her throat trying its best to milk out my c.u.m.


    Zatanna then begins to bob her head up and down laboriously, closing her eyes as she does so so as to concentrate, throating my c.o.c.k. She releases her throat''s vise grip on my c.o.c.k only to reclaim it seconds later, the momentary reprieve making the tightness of her throat all the more effective.


    Oh f.u.c.k it, I''m not holding it in any more. "I''m gonna-" I stop abruptly there, my c.u.m erupting from my c.o.c.k in a solid stream, straight down Zatanna''s throat, whose eyes widen in surprise as I pull myself out of her, her tongue following my length, droplets of jizz pouring out with my sudden exit. My c.u.m, still launching out, splatters the sorceress'' general vicinity, most of it winding up on her face or chest, some wilder drops landing in the brim of her top hat.


    She closes her eyes as my c.u.m paints her face, moving quickly to stroke my c.o.c.k so as to coax out those last few drops of s.e.m.e.n, white splotches coating her. Her lips flick out to take in a droplet that formed near her mouth, Zatanna having evidently already swallowed what came down her throat.


    "Holy shit," I mutter, staring down at my sorceress. "That was incredible."


    She shrugs endearingly, giving me a knowing (if teasing) look. "It was pretty good for me, too," she says, idly running a fingertip along her cheek, drinking in another glob of c.u.m. Depraved, but oddly attractive. Probably because it''s Zatanna.


    The logomancer rises and takes a seat to my right, and I snake my arm around her n.a.k.e.d body, pulling her in by her waist as she rests her head on my shoulder. Hell, I think I need some time to absorb the past couple of hours, get over the shock of it all. It''s tempting to rejuvenate both of us and go in for another session, but, with any luck, Zatanna and I will be spending quite some time together, so I don''t see the point in rushing.


    Hell, this moment of rest gives me the opportunity to think of which DCU girl I''ll be taking next.


    Author''s Notes: First story on Questionable Questing. I''ll be posting an update to this sometime within the next 24 hours.


    Hope you guys enjoy it! I''m relatively inexperienced at writing smut, but I''ve written a fair bit for private use, and decided it was time to make it public here on QQ, and for the time being, QQ alone. Feel free to leave whatever questions, specific comments, or idle thoughts you may have.


    (Next chapter is considerably dommier than this one, if you were put off by the cuddliness of it or something. Going to try and keep a mix of the two in the various updates of this series.)


    Don''t expect me to keep up a consistent schedule or anything, but you''ll be seeing a fair amount of stories from me in the coming months, hopefully. I''m not taking commissions yet, but I might once I dip my toes in the water. Requests in the vein of what I normally post will be considered but aren''t guaranteed. I''ll make a thread for one-shots and the like eventually.

 Chapter 64 - My SI Stash #64 - The Munchkin of Destruction by kayangelus (DXD&EventualMulticross)

    -I don''t know what''s up with DxD and Self Inserts but alot of authors are on it like Free Real Estate~~


    (¡«£þ¨Œ£þ)¡« *NSFW


    Sypnosis: Self Insert as the (non-cannon) twin brother of Sairaorg. Who has the Power of Destruction. Will eventually involve multiversal travel. Also, since this is a DxD SI, it will contain heavy munchkinry. Well, after I establish the setting metaphysics that explains why everyone isn''t using the obvious abuses beyond "they are all idiots".


    Rated: M


    Words: 150K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/the-munchkin-of-destruction-dxd-eventual-multi-cross.9549/ (kayangelus)


    [You need to make an account on QuestionableQuesting to get access to these fics, it''s annoying I can''t do much about it]


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I have two observations to make. One, being squeezed out of a v.a.g.i.n.a head first felt worse than it sounded. 0 out of 10. Would not try again. Two, all praise the glorious track-sama! Truck-sama banzai!


    So yeah, I died, and got isekai''d slash reincarnated. I can''t say for certain if it was truck-sama that killed me ¨C I don''t remember dying ¨C but I am in a good enough mood to praise him anyway. While I didn''t hit the penultimate jack pot on reincarnating in this world ¨C I wasn''t reborn as, say, a Divine Dragon or a God ¨C my new life was still a pretty big upgrade from 100% mundane human.


    "Congratulations Sorin-sama."


    "As expected of a child of Bael-sama. A true genius."


    A group of beautiful, youthful looking women in French Maid uniforms spoke praises around me as a small, pure black sphere maybe a millimeter across floated above my palm. For the record, that was me. Sorin Bael, son of Lord Bael ¨C yes, I interacted with my father so little that I honestly didn''t know the f.u.c.ker''s name ¨C and Misla Bael, and twin brother of one Sairaorg Bael. I was four years old, and had just awakened my Power of Destruction.


    Hmmm? What was that? Why did I skip the first four years of my life?


    Because nothing interesting happened obviously. I was born to Devil nobility, with my twin brother being the heir to the greatest noble house in Hell by virtue of being a few minutes older. Today, on my fourth birthday I awakened the power of our bloodline; magic that can destroy at a conceptual level. During the process to get here, I learned to walk, speak, and awakened the Devil''s ability to understand any spoken language. There, that succinctly summarizes everything important that happened in my life until now.


    The power did not last long sadly. One might initially think that I quickly ran out of power, but that wasn''t it. Devils were beings of magic. The average new born Devil had enough magic to power a teleportation across a city without harming them. However, the same way how it took them to learn to crawl, then walk and finally run, it took time to learn to tap into that power.


    See, Devil magic was wielded by imagination. It had no theoretical limits as to what it could do. If you could imagine something and provide enough mana, you could do it. Now, someone who doesn''t fully consider the implications of this might think that this is an almighty ability. They might then list down ten or twenty overpowered tricks and ask why every Devil isn''t going around doing those things. While possibly insulting the intellect of the Devils in question. Generally, the answer tended to be something along the lines that the questioner was a lazy bum who didn''t bother to consider what imagining those things involved.


    For example, let''s say we want to discuss the simple case of creating a clone made out of water. A nice and simple concept, right? Well, okay, try imagining a clone out of yourself made out of water. Done? Okay, how big of a d.i.c.k were you imagining your clone to have? What''s that? You say that you aren''t a pervert and weren''t visualizing the crotch area when imagining your clone? Well, congratulations. Your clone has no s.e.x.u.a.l characteristics down there. Oh, and did my question make your mind automatically visualize a d.i.c.k, and for even a fraction of a second stop visualizing the clone''s face? Congratulations, your clone''s head just exploded and your spell failed.


    Or in short, imagination-based magic did not mean that you could just write down a sentence or two of what you wanted to happen, and so long as it was easily understandable it happened. No, imagination-based magic meant that you had to simultaneouslyvisualize the entirety of the spell in whole. And if your concentration failed for even a fraction of a second on anypart of the spell, that part of the spell failed. Which could easily cause a cascading effect causing the entire spell to fail. If you were trying to replicate something like, say, the lightning armor from Naruto? This meant that a fraction of a second of a partial distraction would kill you.


    The blood line powers of the 72 Noble Houses weren''t things that couldn''t be replicated by other Devils. So long as their understanding and imagination was comprehensive enough, a Devil without any such talent could theoretically replicate every single one of them. The reason these powers were considered special was that they were instinctive. A Phenex did not need to figure out how to convert their head into figure without risking burning their brain because they forgot to take that part into account. It was, in a way like muscle memory that you were born with. I just needed to imagine the general form my power of destruction took, and my magic filled in the blanks.


    Even so, just because we did not need perfect concentration, did not mean that concentration in general wasn''t needed. So, something like embarrassment from being praised by a bunch of women who were all prettier than anyone I had interacted with in the entirety of my previous life, was enough to make the spell fizzle out.


    That was fine though. I would try again. I was going to master this power, so that when it came out that my brother had neither the family power nor any demonic power, I could neatly slide in to take his place as the family heir, and use the position to create a harem!


    But first, I was going to take my time enjoying the hugs that the maids were giving me. Resting was important after all. It wasn''t like- Oh, who was I kidding. I just found being hugged face first into soft b.r.e.a.s.ts to be too comfortable to push away from it.


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    "Sorin. I see you are training again."


    I turned from the clearing I was standing in to look at my s.p.e.r.m donor. It hadn''t been a clearing before, but a dumpster for trash. Turns out, the Bael power is great for removing trash that did not decompose. Not that most of the family would engage in such acts. It was considered beneath the family''s dignity or something. However, it was considered an acceptable method of training for a five-year-old.


    "Father."


    I gave him a short bow. I still didn''t know his name. The guy never bothered to tell it to me, and I wasn''t yet at an age where I was expected to start learning the family genealogy. To me ¨C and everyone else ¨C he was Lord Bael. Even his wife had to call him that.


    "Your cousin has awakened the Great Power as well."


    That is what father called it. "The Great Power". It was a rather pompous name, considering that there were a great many abilities in the world that were its equal or superior.


    "Sirzech-niisama? Didn''t he already have the ability?"


    Father''s face twitched in irritation, but he continued to smile. He wasn''t a good father, but he wasn''t physically abusive. Well, not towards me. Sairaorg had gotten slapped upside the head for not awakening his power before, but since I could use the ability I was considered an acceptable substitute heir. For now.


    "Your other cousin, Rias." He corrected me. "She ended up disintegrating her bed and the arm of one of her maids." Wait. Why the f.u.c.k was I hearing jealousyin his voice when discussing a five-year-old disintegrating her maid''s arm? "Her talent is comparable to that of her brother. In terms of power, it surpasses yours."


    Father frowned, and kneeled down so that he was face to face with me, putting his hands on my shoulders. Honestly, it would have been touching if it weren''t for the glare he was directing at me.


    "We are the Bael, the most superior of the Noble Families. Our powers must be superior to theirs. Sorin, you must surpass your cousins. Show Hell the superiority of the Bael. Only then will you be worthy of the family name."


    "Of course, father." I didn''t even bother trying to smile as I said that. "I will succeed." The ''where you failed so horribly you couldn''t find the finish line with a map and a GPS'' part was left unsaid.


    Now, let me put into perspective for you what he was asking.


    Most of Devil kind was ranked into 4 tiers of power. Low Level, Mid Level, High Level, and Ultimate Level. Low and Mid level Devils were basically the mooks, red shirts, and common citizens. High Level Devils would be the low to mid-level leaders and nobility of Devil Kind. Ultimate Level ¨C or Ultimate Class as they were sometimes called ¨C were the greats and the geniuses. At this point you could go up against the leaders of many of the mythological factions in the world and have a chance of winning a fight against them one on one.


    Father was an Ultimate Class Devil. He didn''t attain that level by training, or working for it in any way. When Devil kind had a civil war he participated in that, but not enough to rank up from it. He simply was born with so much raw talent, that sitting around on his ass going on and on about the Bael superiority was enough to reach that level. That sort of talent, while rare, was not unheard of among Devil Nobility. It was another reason why the Noble Houses were so important. Those born with the blood could generally be expected to become High Level or Ultimate Level simply by the virtue of not getting stabbed to death.


    Of course, there were power levels above these. The next was Satan Class as it was called in Devil Society. This was the level of power that the four original Satans ¨C Lucifer, Leviathan, Beelzebub and Asmodeus ¨C possessed when they lead our race against God and got killed for their troubles. At this point serious fights could results in the creation and destruction of geological formations. Like mountains.


    Today, the number of Devils who were at least Satan Class was in the low double digits. Most of them were aligned with the four Satans; Devils who were made the rulers of Devil society and took on the names of the four original Satans.


    Lastly, above the Satan Class was another tier of power, the Superior Devils. This was a level of power high enough to be a candidate for the title of strongest in most pantheons. It was a level of power that completely eclipsed the original Satans, and was considered to be impossible for Devils to achieve. The 3 Devils who had managed it were considered to be abnormalities, bugs in the system that was Devil kind.


    One of those ''bugs'' was the current Lucifer, Sirzechs Gremory. The strongest Devil to have ever existed. And my cousin. The guy that my father was telling me to surpass, otherwise I was worthless.


    In short, go f.u.c.k yourself pops.


    My s.p.e.r.m donor nodded, seemingly unaware of my internal thoughts. "Good. It is shameful that a member of the Bael would have to resort to training, but if you are going to do so, you must at least achieve ultimate strength. Remember son, power washes away all shame. Weakness makes the greatest pride hollow. Become powerful, or you may as well not exist at all."


    With those ''encouraging words'', he turned around and left. Really, I was glad for my previous life''s memories. If not for those, I might develop a horrible complex listening to Darth Shithead.

 Chapter 66 - My SI Stash #66 - Total Command by Epsilon110 (My Hero Academia)

    -Not a SI. Returned to FF.net for this NSFW fic~


    *Almost all women in this MHA verse got quirks and Izuku''s the only man with a quirk. Enough said.


    (¡ñ¡ä¦Ø£à¡ñ)


    Sypnosis: When quirks appeared, humanity dealt with the greatest power shift it had seen in millennia. The sudden change gave women powers never seen before, but men were left behind. It was an age of heroes. Now 200 years later, the rest of humanity began to catch up... and it all started with a man gifted with Total Command over every function of his body.


    Rated: M


    Words: 247K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13198312/1/Total-Command


    (Epsilon110)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    He was¡­ unimpressed.


    Izuku twirled his mechanical pencil in his hand.


    Quirk history class wasn''t what he expected, but then again what did he expect from high school history? They were just repeating the same thing he had read, heard about, and had been lectured about for years.


    "The cause of the appearance of quirks is unknown, other than that it started 200 years ago¡­"


    His green eyes glazed over as the teacher regurgitated the same stuff that society had been talking about for over a century.


    His interest in the subject- quirks and the emergence of heroes- was the only thing that kept him going. But hearing the same info so many times made him slightly cynical about the start of the era. As amazing as it would have been during the time when quirks were rare, nowadays, Quirk-Bearers formed 80% of the population. They were common, so made the whole topic desperately mundane. The cause of it all no longer mattered to him.


    Quirks themselves, on the other hand... those were still interesting. His eyes drifted to the explosion of blonde hair in front of him. His childhood friend... or was she an ex-childhood friend at this point? His pencil stopped twirling as abruptly as his thoughts.


    An idea.


    He flipped open his journal, ''Heroics for the Future; Concepts #5'', and found an empty page before starting to draw her out. Sharp chin, lean but heavily muscular body, he knew how strong she was under that baggy school uniform from experience. He rubbed a sore spot in his ribs. The gentle curves of femininity, nothing extravagant¡­


    He chuckled to himself.


    She''s almost... aerodynamic.


    His mind stopped drifting as he looked down on the writing and small sketches in front of hi-


    "Midoriya!" His attention shot back to his teacher, who was looking down at him with slight annoyance. She huffed. "I know you probably know all this stuff already, but could you at least not mutter?" He looked sheepishly around.


    Not again...


    Katsumi had leaned back in her chair and was glaring at him, the livid glint in her crimson eyes shining brightly, the one that hadn''t left her eyes since what- they were 4? He could barely remember her not looking at him with such malice. Honestly, he missed when she didn''t look at him like that.


    She looked prettier without it.


    Shaking his head, he apologized profusely, still blushing madly at the small thought that floated through his stream of consciousness. The attention of the class gradually moved back to the teacher, although some girls were still casting him weird looks. They were something between being impressed and creeped out. Then again, those were the looks he- well, men got.


    Ever since quirks became a thing, a pattern became apparent. As rapidly the number of quirk bearers increased in women, the number of men dropped with them, and now they only made up 20% of the total population. Seeing one nowadays had a kind of ''novelty'' to it, and creeped some people out. But honestly, he couldn''t blame them.


    With the rare exception of full families, most families were now just a single mother getting i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.ed by donated s.p.e.r.m. His own mom was in the same situation and he doubted any of his classmates had ever even seen their dad, let alone been in the same room with a man other than himself.


    He began twirling his pencil again.


    It was automatic, no conscious effort was given to it, but he found that it suppressed his muttering. Maybe it kept his subconscious busy enough so his mouth remained shut. He took a quick break to jot down the note in his journal as quickly as possible before beginning to twirl it again.


    Maybe this was his quirk? Overactive subconscious?


    He smiled a sad smile. Yeah right...


    Men don''t have quirks.


    The bell rang, derailing his train of thought. The class was over and so was the day. The teacher bid farewell and left the classroom. He took a deep breath¡­ and was quickly covered in smoke and ash as his desk sprouted a miniature mushroom cloud.


    "Dekuuuu¡­." Katsumi seethed. She was mad at him. Again.


    "Y-yes, Kacchan?" He grimaced. Why did he keep letting that nickname fly through his lips? Katsumi''s eyes shined even brighter with anger.


    "What the f.u.c.k were you murmuring about back here?" Her tone was calmer than what he had expected and what was used to. If her hand wasn''t sizzling on his desk with enough heat to leave a mark and her eyes didn''t have that glow, he might have thought she was actually relatively calm.


    But damn did she look terrifying. "N-nothing!"


    Smooth, real smooth, Deku, h e chided himself as Katsumi lifted up her hand and took his journal "H-hey, give i-"


    She cut him off. "Oh really? ''Cause I could have sworn that you were writing something down on this." She started flipping through pages and pages of concepts, of how pro heroes could use their powers, possible support gear for them and even some for her classmates and- "Oh there it is..." she flipped to the most recent page. The one about her. An analysis of her quirk along with support gear, with a picture of her for reference. "I still can''t believe you are making these. Especially when they are not going to work for a man like you." She looked up to see his reaction.


    She paled when she saw the raw determination in his eyes. Dammit. It''s still there.


    "I''ll find a use for them."


    His stutter was gone.


    "When I become a hero."


    Some of the remaining classmates tried hiding their giggles, some outright laughed at him.


    Katsumi only wordlessly stared at him for a good couple of seconds.


    Then his journal in her hands exploded.


    F.u.c.k, not again¡­


    She let the remains of the journal drop back to his desk.


    "You. Are. Never. Going. To. Become. A. Hero."


    He looked down on the sad remains of his journal and felt someone pat his head; the hand brushed through his curly hair and landed on his shoulder. The delicate gesture would be appreciated if the hand didn''t start to sizzle against his shoulder painfully. He hoped that the heat would disappear, and only began to breathe again once it started to dissipate.


    "So be a good boy," he looked up to catch Katsumi smiling down at him.


    His breath hitched.


    "And give up."


    Katsumi started walking away from him after that.


    "And stop drawing me you creep!" she huffed and exited the classroom, hand still smoking.


    No one noticed Izuku''s increased heart rate, and no one truly knew why he had a full body blush.


    He can still look at me like that... She hissed in aggravation, clutching the page she stole from his notebook, the page with his newest sketch of her.


    Goddammit¡­


    He kicked a pebble across the road, trying his best to ignore the looks he got from children during his trek back home. Sighing, he took a turn leading to a more isolated route.


    He didn''t want to see the wonder in the little girls'' eyes right now, it hurt to see them. Lost in thought, he didn''t notice the manhole cover shudder as he walked over it.


    He didn''t have time to react when it flew off and his whole world suddenly turned a sickly neon green.


    "Phahaha!" his captor bellowed as her slimy body wrapped around him in a dangerously affectionate hug. "Such a nice catch~" She giggled as he grasped at her, trying to force her off of him, only for his hands to flow through her harmlessly. "I would love to tease you more but I have someone to hide from..." Izuku felt his mouth get forced open, and her body start to slither in. "So let me borrow your body."


    She tasted like lime against his throat.


    So this is it, huh?


    This is how I die?


    He closed his eyes, the pain of her forcing her way through his throat making his eyes water¡­


    Wait- she felt like water!


    And she was in his throa-


    "C''mon, stop struggling, it''ll only hurt for a mome-" She suddenly felt his throat tighten immensely around her tendril, enough to shear the tip off ...


    What the hell?


    Izuku heaved as the tendril bubbled back out and he managed to cough out the rest, taking deep erratic breaths. His whole throat was burning and aching, but she was out, for now. He forced his legs to move under her slimy grasp until his muscles finally budged and started to move. It felt was like he was walking through cement, but he only needed to move a couple more meters.


    Gotta get somewhere public, then she''ll be forced to run away.


    "My, my~ You are a feisty one, aren''t you?" He could hear her mockingly compassionate tone against his neck. "Too bad you''re gonna die..." He could feel her pushing against his lips again, trying to get back in. He couldn''t pull what he did last time again, his throat was already too tired. So if she got in, it would be the end.


    "DO NOT FEAR!" His eyes snapped open as his whole body twisted with shock to look at the manhole.


    "FOR I AM HERE!"


    Before he knew what was happening, the slime villain was blown off him. He felt his insides rattle from a shockwave.


    She did that with just the air pressure of her punch!?


    His internal gyroscope won over the imbalance caused by the punch and he managed to land on his feet, skidding to a halt. He slowly looked up and saw her, standing proud with her signature grin.


    His idol, the number one hero.


    "A-All Might?" he squeaked out before promptly falling on his ass unconscious.


    He woke up to a calloused, but slender hand slapping him softly and repeatedly. "Young one? Young one are you ok?" His eyes snapped open and saw All Might looking down on him, her golden hair flowing free with two bangs in that signature gravity-defying V-shape.


    She is gorgeous up close- Wait, up close?!


    With an undignified yelp, he scooted back away from the hero with a blush on his face. "A-Aall Might?! You saved me?" He tore his eyes away from the larger-than-life stature of All Might: tall and muscular. He looked around trying to find his bag as his inner fanboy kicked in.


    "C-can I ha-" He saw her holding up the backpack he was looking for. She tossed it to him with her usual gallant smile and he was awestruck to find his notebook inside... "You already signed it? Thank you!" He began to bow rapidly. She nodded in response and patted the bottles in her pocket, where he could see green slime flowing within them. She had caught the villain.


    "Take it as an apology for letting her-" her smile faltered only an increment, Izuku barely managed to catch it- "get to you."


    Izuku bowed down once more "I-it''s really no problem, ma''am. Y-you don''t need to apologize."


    She looked him over and saw the redness on his throat "If that mark-" she pointed at his throat, causing him to reach up and touch it reflexively and wince a little as he felt his throat ache again- "got on you. That''s on me, so¡­"


    "Midoriya," Izuku answered the unspoken question.


    "So, I am sorry, Young Midoriya." The number one hero felt her time limit make itself known in the back of her head. "But with that I must take my leave, more people to save!" She crouched down and got ready to jump.


    Suddenly, Izuku''s body reared back to life "Wait, All Migh-" Seeing her start to unleash the potential energy in her legs to jump, he reacted.


    And grabbed onto her leg.


    All Might felt... off, even more than she usually did as her body broke down on her. It felt like one of her legs was heavier¡­ But that didn''t make sen-


    She looked down.


    "Midoriya?! What are you doing! Let go!" He looked back at her with watery eyes and flappy lips as they soared through the air. "Oh... right..."


    After a graceful landing on an abandoned rooftop, All Might looked back at her unexpected passenger. "Look kid, I''m worried about you, but don''t overstep it." She turned her back and started to prep up for another jump. Izuku managed to shake off his near-death experience and blurted his question out, looking down.


    "Can a man be a hero?"


    All Might halted and then felt her limit break. Steam started billowing from her frame as she shrank. Her muscular form ebbed away, and her skin tightened around her skeleton as her muscles deflated.


    "Can a man save people with a fearless smile on their face, like you? It''s just... even before I could speak, I wanted to be a hero, to save people just like y-" He looked up and saw a skeletal impostor where his hero used to be. "-ouuuuuuuuuuuu..." His mouth slammed shut.


    "Imposto-" He raised an accusatory finger only to be silenced by said impostor raising her hand up.


    "It''s me, Midoriya-" She was interrupted by blood spewing from her mouth.


    "I am All Might."


    "A shapeshifting villain? No, then why would she save me¡­ A shapeshifting hero? Why would she fake being All Might? Then all the credit would go to her-"


    "Midoriya-"


    "A shapeshifting vigilante? That''s possib-"


    "MIDORIYA!"


    Izuku found himself standing salute. "Yes, All Might!" he yelled before he caught himself. That person isn''t All Might, she couldn''t b-


    "Look, kid, It''s me, and since you have seen this much..." Her sunken blue eyes pierced his green ones as she pulled up her shirt. He immediately covered them and started blushing. "Not that you- Just look over here!" He peeked through his fingers to see a savage scar on her side. "The smile is hollow," she stated, "much like the facade I need to keep after I got this wound five years ago."


    He shuddered looking at the scar. If it''s half as deep as it was wide, then how is she even aliv-


    "Wait, five years ago? Was it in the battle with Toxic Chainsaw?"


    All Might lost her serious look and chuckled slightly. "I don''t know if I should be creeped out or impressed that you know enough about me to even guess that." The smile melted away. "But no. It was from an undisclosed attack."


    Izuku''s knees started to feel weak as she continued her speech. "The Symbol of Peace should never bow to evil, so this information stays between us." She let her shirt down, covering her wound again. "And, kid, I am sorry but... You can''t be a hero."


    Izuku had a hard time breathing as All Might went on. "You''ve seen what happened to-" She sighed. "Even me." He could tell she didn''t want to add that. "I can''t condone someone quirkless going after villains and endangering themselves."


    She rose to her feet and patted his shoulder before turning and walking away. "But don''t worry Midoriya, there are many other ways to become someone''s hero. Firefighting, police work, charity¡­" She sighed again. "I''m sure you will find a way, but don''t obscure the facts¡­ For your own safety."


    Izuku managed to whimper out an ''I see¡­'' as she opened the roof access and left.


    He desperately grasped at his collar, trying to unbutton it and allow air into his empty lungs.


    I see...


    "What the f.u.c.k are you doing?" Katsumi snarled, glaring at one of her lackeys and grabbing the cigarette out of her elongated fingers before proceeding to stomp on it.


    "Hey, c-calm down, Kaccha- " she yelped as an explosion went off in the ash blonde''s hands.


    " You don''t get to call me that... "


    "Oooooo~" the explosive teen turned around to see the source of the sound and got a mouthful of slime for her effort.


    "Quite the quirk you got there, Camouflage~" Katsumi felt her body being invaded by the slime.


    Her cowardly lackeys already running away.


    Her hands started to go off with explosions against her will in panic.


    It was a blur for her; battling with her own body to stay conscious took its toll, so she didn''t even notice the time passing. In the blink of an eye, the alleyway she was in was covered in flames and the entrance was surrounded by heroes. Yet none took a step forward to actually come and help her.


    Why... She was feeling herself fade. Why is no one helping me?


    She could imagine why.


    Karma.


    She couldn''t help but think of the greenish-black mop of hair that she had been friends with way back when-


    "Kacchan!"


    God, I really am dying if I''m already hearing voices - She saw the familiar black mop dashing towards her.


    De-Deku!?


    Izuku had managed to break through the wall of civilians and heroes and was running towards her at speeds she couldn''t even imagine him reaching.


    No! Go away!


    You''ll get hurt...


    "You lost your chance boy~" the villain mocked him as she lashed out with a tendril.


    The next few seconds were replayed in the news for a week straight.


    Izuku, now seemingly powered by a goddamn god, did a combat flip under the tendril, not even slowing down a little as his hand grabbed onto a decently-sized rock which he pitched hard at the villain as he got back up.


    There was a soft ''What the f.u.c.k?'' from one of the heroes as the stone flew from his hand and stuck true in the eye of the villain.


    As the villain screeched in pain, the tendrils lost their grip on Katsumi, allowing her to get a well-needed gulp of air. But before she could ask what the f.u.c.k.i.n.g hell he was doing here, he was in front of her. Red boots ground against the asphalt as Izuku pivoted his body and speared the mass of slime with his arm, grabbing hold of her waist.


    Katsumi hadn''t felt him initiate contact in ages, but as his hand wrapped around her tightly, she felt¡­


    Safe.


    Throwing his other leg to the side, the green-eyed hero wannabe twisted his whole body fluidly and managed to pull Katsumi out of the villain''s grasp.


    "BLOW HER THE F.U.C.K UP!" he screamed as he pulled her to an embrace, his body between the villain and her defensively. Katsumi complied and rose her arms up to the ''face'' of her tormentor, taking some pleasure in the outright horror that was found in the villain''s one good eye.


    And let loose an explosion.


    The whole street shook.

 Chapter 67 - My SI Stash #67 - Purple Morality by Cambrian Beckett (Jessica Jones)

    -A complete NSFW SI fanfic albeit low length but still a cool one. SI as Kilgrave from Jessica Jones series.


    *Gotta say the Doctor really makes a good villain~ JJ Netflix series was really fun, Daredevil & The Punisher were really good too!


    Sypnosis: Ever watched a show and thought, "I could do that way better than they do." Ever seen a character with power and scoff at the way they misuse it? Ever contemplate what choices you would make if given a chance to take their place? The things you would do differently? Don''t. Don''t do that. Take it from me, you never know who might be listening. (A different sort of Self-Insert.)


    Rated: M


    Words: 48K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/11792054/1/Purple-Morality (Cambrian Beckett)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    A/N: Well here''s my newest story. This isn''t tied to any of my other stories, it''s completely stand alone. That said, I hope both my normal readers and any new readers really enjoy it.


    I sat staring at the computer even as the credits for the final episode of Jessica Jones rolled across the screen. Hot damn, Netflix was on fire with these Original Marvel series. First Daredevil drew me in with it''s amazing cast of villains, and now this one had me binge watching seven episodes at once just to finish the season. Looking at the time I sigh when I find that it''s almost six a.m. I mean, I usually don''t wake up until around twelve anyways, but it''s still a bit much.


    My mind is pretty fried as I go through the motions of shutting down Netflix and putting my computer to sleep. I get out of my chair and take a few gulps of water to cure the parched feeling in my throat. Then I take a piss before crawling into bed. I probably won''t get to sleep until seven at this point, so many things swirling around my head.


    At the forefront is the main villain of the show I just got done watching. Kilgrave and his mind control. I''ve always been more interested in the villains of most of the fiction I partake in. Even Kilgrave with his incredibly harsh disregard for literally everyone around him, was a bit closer to my moral compass than Jessica or Trish.


    Not to say I''d go around telling people to jump off buildings or throw hot coffee in their eyes, or go out of my way to turn an aspiring social worker into a druggie just so he''ll take voyeuristic pictures of a girl for me day in and day out. Kilgrave regularly took things too far, but I could understand why given his childhood. I didn''t have that excuse, and despite being a selfish prick, I still had some compassion.


    Still, mind control would be fun. Even if it only started at 12 hours, I could just find Kilgrave''s parents with my foreknowledge and force them to enhance me. I might even get to the point where I could control Jessica again, unlike the actual Kilgrave who failed in the show. That was unfortunate. I''d have to check tomorrow morning and see if there were any good fanfics out yet that had Kilgrave winning and gaining control again.


    ¡­


    Ah who am I kidding, why wait? Grabbing my phone off its charger I twist onto my side and bring up google, carefully typing in ''Kilgrave Fanfiction''.


    Yep, as I''d hoped, there''s a small collection of stories on Archiveofourown marked with the ''Jessica Jones/Kilgrave'' pairing.


    Well now, I''m probably not going to get any sleep tonight. A slight smile on my face, I pick the first one with a promising summary and begin reading. Hours later I pass out with my phone slipping out of my hand, still shining brightly in the darkness of my room. My last conscious thought is that I would make a much better Kilgrave than the man himself was.


    XxScenebreakxX


    "Would you? Let''s put that to the test."


    XxScenebreakxX


    I wake up slowly, and I''ve never felt more uncomfortable. The surface I''m laid out on is harder than my bed ever has been and I can tell something is instantly wrong. For starters, I''ve slept on my side for most of my life and my head has always been elevated. Yet, when I wake up now I''m on my back and there''s nothing supporting my head.


    With a groan, I sit up only to immediately grow nauseated and confused. My body doesn''t feel right and it makes my head swim as I try to get oriented. I''m lighter and taller and even my hair feels odd atop my head. I bring a hand with fingers that are too long to my midsection, only to find my fat gut is gone, replaced by a smooth skinny stomach.


    Dressed in some sort of suit but stripped of socks and shoes, I swing my legs off of the metal slab I''d woken up on only to find the floor below me covered in several inches of water. I''m in some sort of cell, and even in my tired bleary state I feel like I should recognize this. Everything is so dark though as I try to peer around. I open my mouth finally and speak, calling out loudly, "Hello?!"


    Even my voice sounds strange, an English accent to it that I could swear I''d heard before, just never from my own mouth, but I''m not able to really contemplate what that means before a light turns on and a projector throws some sort of video up on the wall.


    From the ceiling I hear a very familiar voice, "Hello Kevin."


    The tone is that of disgust and triumph and I watch the video on the wall with wide eyes even as the lights behind me turn on as well. I don''t turn around right away. I already know what I''ll find. I watched this very scene just a short time ago. I recognize the home video of a young boy being experimented on that was playing on the wall before me.


    Finally turning around, my fears were answered when Jessica Jones'' face stared back at me, a small smug smirk making her look admittedly very hot if it weren''t for the circ.u.mstances. Running my hands over my body, I looked down at my dark purple suit in horror and forced myself to finally admit in my head what I''d already begun to suspect.


    Oh god.


    I''m Kilgrave.


    Stumbling back, I find my metal bed and collapse on it in shock. This¡­ this is not what I wanted. Sure, I''d contemplated the idea. I''d spent some time considering what I''d do if I was in Kilgrave''s place with his powers. The things I''d do differently and the ways I would use it to slide through life having fun, instead of wasting all my time hunting his parents and killing strangers like he had.


    Nowhere in that though, had I wanted to shoulder Kilgrave''s mistakes, his actions as my own. I especially hadn''t wanted to start in the absolute worst spot in the show, the one time Kilgrave was captured and imprisoned at the mercy of the woman sitting outside this cell. Jessica speaks up again given my silence, the smirk on her face growing wider, "What''s the matter, Kevin? Cat got your tongue?"


    She puts so much emphasis on the name every time she says it. Kilgrave would probably have hated it, but I could care less. Might even start using Kevin full time, if I can get out of here. I consider for a long moment whether I should tell Jessica the actual truth. How will she react if I try to explain that Kilgrave isn''t here anymore and some random f.u.c.ker has taken his place?


    Yeah, I wouldn''t believe me either. Even if by some small chance I was able to convince her that it was true, what then? Simpson and Luke Cage would still want me dead and Jessica would still want Hope free. In the end, all I could do was play along and see where everything takes me. With that thought in my head I finally respond to my captor with a noncommittal, "Hello Jessica."


    My tired resigned tone must be clear, as she immediately reacts to it with more smugness, "What''s the matter Kevin? Lose your strut once you''re no longer in control? Can''t brainwash your way out of this one Kevin."


    The continued emphasis on Kilgrave''s name causes a slight twitch on my lips that she misinterprets, "Granted it is a mundane name, but Kilgrave? How obvious can you get? Was Murdercorpse already taken?"


    I let out a low chuckle at the joke, one of the internet''s favorite lines from the TV show given the amount of times I''d seen it so far in fanfiction, "Ah, I have to agree with you. It does seem rather melodramatic, doesn''t it?"


    That brings her up short, "What?"


    Slowly, I slide my feet off the floor of the cell and onto the bench with me, bringing my knees to my chest and then standing atop that as well. Carefully, I unbutton my shirt and lay it across the driest part of the bench, before sitting on it now bare chested, "Are you going to torture me Jessica? Press that big red button and electrocute the water beneath my feet so that I tell you whatever you want to hear?"


    An incredulous look passes over her face as her eyes glance towards said button and then back to me, "How did you?-"


    I cut her off with a scoff, "Come now Jessica, I''m not stupid. You can still stop this you know. Let me out now and I won''t press charges. I have no desire to spend any more time with you after this, but I''m willing to keep this out of the courtroom if you don''t go any further. Let me go."


    Jessica just smirks, "Go ahead, order me again Kevin. That''s a hermetically sealed room; you can''t control anyone while in it."


    I roll my eyes for effect and shake my head as I speak in a somber and pitying tone, "You''re delusional Jessica. You left me for dead and your brain c.o.c.ked up this made up story about whom I am and what I can do. I wasn''t trying to mind control you or anything like that. I was trying to appeal to whatever shreds of sanity you have left."


    I give a slight smile, completely fake of course just like my next words, "I know that the girl I loved is still in there, somewhere."


    That gets her to finally hit the big red button, and I feel it as the volts run up the legs of the metal table and through my thin shirt, which isn''t as good an insulator as I''d hoped. With a yelp and a spasm I fall off my ''bed'' and into the several of inches of water with very little decorum. As I leverage myself up, I see Jessica''s smug grin as she turns back on the video player showing the experiments Kilgrave''s parents did on him.


    Reaching for and grabbing my shirt, I put it back on and button it up before lying down on the cot. I make a show of appearing to be agitated and irritated by the voices and the pained screams of a young Kevin, but in reality I''m soaking it all in. This right here is an origin story and I''m very interested in seeing more than the TV show ever gave me.


    XxScenebreakxX


    Jessica leaves and then comes back. I have no idea where she''d gone or what she''d done, perhaps a bathroom break, perhaps she''d called someone. Still, it was clear the questioning was back on as she flipped through several different experiments from the flash drive and began interrogating me again.


    "So you weren''t the only lab rat. Riva knew about this didn''t she, and that''s why you wanted her dead."


    Sitting up on the metal cot I give a mirthless smile and shake my head, "No Jessica, Riva died in the bus crash that nearly killed me. She was our friend and she was helping me, helping us. Only, you''ve built this world where I don''t get to have friends that I''m not controlling, so now she''s just another victim. This isn''t you Jessica."


    Jessica grits her teeth together and puts her hand over the big red button, "Shut up Kevin."


    I keep my lips sealed and after a moment of visibly controlling her anger, she goes down a different tact, "Who are these other kids? You killed for this video and you never thought to look for the other kids? Afraid of the competition?"


    I scoff openly, "C''mon Jessica, you know why I wanted to find the flash drive. I was too busy looking for my parents to care about children in other parts of the world. You and Riva were both helping me, before that night."


    Jessica just scoffs back, "Or maybe you already found and killed them all."


    That''s when Hogarth shows up. I notice her but beyond pointing her out to Jessica with a nod of my head, I don''t react in any real way. I have no desire to experience a shock again. Jessica shuts off the mike and I''m left in silence and my own thoughts as I lean against the metal and glass and watch Hogarth and Jessica talk.


    It''s unfortunate I''ve never learned to read lips, but luckily I know the gist of what they''re saying. Hogarth is telling Jessica that any confession she extracts from me will be inadmissible and dismissed as staged. I watch as she gets upset with Jessica for not helping her more with her current divorce proceedings. I can see the exact moment where Jessica tells Hogarth that because I''ve seen her, she''s already implicated.


    Jessica leaves to go find Clements, the detective she would try to have stand witness to my mind control powers. Hogarth remains, fiddling with her phone as she texts back and forth with her lawyer concerning the divorce. I continue to watch, knowing my moment will come soon.


    She sits down and then minutes later she stands abruptly and places a call. I watch as she has a heated discussion with Wendy that ends with the latter hanging up and Hogarth staring at her phone in disbelief. That''s my cue, so I raise my hand and knock casually.


    Turning towards me, Hogarth gives me a look but I just nod towards the mic on the desk. After a moment of hesitation she walks over to it and presses the button that connects me to the world outside my cell once more. I smile appreciatively even as she speaks, "Did you need something?"


    "I wanted to tell you that the offer I gave Jessica is still open. Let me out and I won''t press charges. I thought Jessica loved me like I loved her and that we could make this work, but it''s clear that despite my efforts, she''s too far in her own broken delusion to see our past for what it truly is. Did you know that she''s been living with me? Several days in fact, eating and sleeping together under the same roof. It was going great until¡­ this."


    Hogarth just snorts, but I press on, not nearly finished, "I suppose you would know though. It certainly sounds like Wendy is giving you quite a bit of trouble. Sorry, I was reading lips. Threatening to expose you? Love is such a fleeting thing I suppose."


    Hogarth has her lips pursed together now, "Is there a point?"


    I smile wide, "There always is, isn''t there? Well, I just wanted to point out, that if someone were to let me out, go against Jessica''s wishes¡­ I would be in their debt, wouldn''t I? They would in fact have the ability to call on me for several reasonable favors of a varying range of magnitudes. It would certainly not be terrible, having a powerful lawyer as my friend."


    Hogarth''s lips twitch in a smile, "I''ll be sure to refer one."


    That ends our conversation for the time being as Hogarth cuts off the mic once more, but I know the seeds have been planted. Pretty little Pam will finish my job for me and send Hogarth directly into my arms. All I have to do now¡­ is wait.


    Easier said than done. Settling back down onto my cot, I let out a low sigh and rest my eyes for a bit. Things will start up again soon enough, and I need to be sharp enough to navigate them, or I may end up dead in this stupid little cell.


    A/N: Questions, comments, feedback? Please, throw a review up letting me know what you think. Reviews are my lifeblood and the discussion that comes with writing is a large part of what keeps my creativity flowing. If you post anything beyond "I like this" I''ll try to respond through PMs to answer any questions or discuss any suggestions, but even the reviews that are just positive support mean quite a lot to me.

 Chapter 69 - My SI Stash #69 - I Am Lord Voldemort? by SpectralRoses (Harry Potter)

    -This plot has everything I ever wanted for a SI Voldemort fanfic. Check it out~~


    *Fic is originally in Russian, this is the English translation!


    ¨A( ¡ã ¨Œ,¡ã )


    Sypnosis: A genre savvy but ignorant of canon OC insert into Voldemort right after the murder of James Potter. Greed replacing pride at the helm of a terrorist group just might change the course of history. After all, the magical world is full of potential waiting to be exploited. (Inspired by The Evil Overlord List and 48 Laws of Power.)


    Rated: M(still SFW)


    Words: 288K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12980210/1/I-Am-Lord-Voldemort (Spectralroses)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    Russian original at ficbook: /readfic/5773773


    Updates every 1-2 weeks.


    Notes and warnings:


    -The protagonist is an OOC, more sensible version of Voldemort inspired by The Evil Overlord List and Robert Greene''s 48 Laws of Power. He is still an irredeemable villain and a terrorist.


    -The magic system is slightly changed from canon.


    -Actions and opinions of the characters do not reflect the author''s views.


    -All characters are limited to their respective POVs: they can be mistaken about facts, exaggerate, lie shamelessly or hold delusional beliefs. Voldemort is an unreliable narrator.


    -The pairing is not central to the story and only comes into play after 200k+ words.


    -Content warnings: torture, murder, human experimentation, human sacrifice, character deaths, canon bigotry, all manner of manipulation.


    The Potters'' Home


    I was having a strange dream: I''m standing in some room, wearing a robe and pointing a wooden stick at a corpse. My entire body itches. Skin feels like melting wax. The insides feel like icebergs crashing into one another. The absurdity of it all is too much, so I laugh. But the sound that comes out almost makes me faint: any super villain would sell his soul for this laugh. I realize this is not my voice and run to the mirror. The face staring back isn''t mine either. My body is slowly shifting from something humanoid to a human only vaguely resembling me. It feels as if pieces are melding together inside me. Then comes the pain. I fall to my knees and scream. But it vanishes after a short moment, leaving behind only a headache. And I realize this is not a dream...


    I am Lord Voldemort! Well, not exactly. Foreign memories flooded my mind. Tom Riddle, also known as Voldemort, tried many methods to achieve immortality and modify his body. It turned out some of them did not play nice together- for example, horcruxes and implanting fragments of the Veil of Death into the body. Maybe the remaining sliver was ejected and replaced with a random soul. Maybe my soul merged with the part left in this body. I didn''t know what happened, but the result was obvious: his memories, reflexes and abilities coupled with my consciousness. And this was good. The body was completely under my control.


    Though, this raised an interesting question about horcruxes. Were they parts of Riddle or me? Would they still serve their function and save me from death? Until I get a chance to check, I better act with the assumption that I am mortal...


    Question: what now? The best option would be to forget about everything and run. But I was an international criminal. I wouldn''t be welcome anywhere. Tom traveled a lot in his youth, recruiting supporters everywhere... Wizards were conservative for a reason: their magical power was supported by local magic sources. The British Isles had three large sources: Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic and Stonehenge. Each source produced unique ambient magic, the differences between them increasing with distance. Using a foreign source was hard. It usually lead to much slower regeneration of magical energy and lowering of magic reserve while staying in an adverse area... Simple travel did not present much of a problem, but fighting for your life did: after depleting the reserves, you recovered exponentially slower. If right now I could go all out every other day, in India it would slow down to once every 30 days at best. (That''s why there was a Triwizard and not an All-wizard tournament. The British sources were at least somewhat felt throughout Europe, allowing Beauxbatons, Durmstrang and Hogwarts to compete with months long breaks between events for recovery.)


    In my case, moving was a death sentence. I would weaken as soon as I leave Britain. The younger and weaker the wizard, the easier it was to adapt to a new source. I could get used to it... after 20 years or so, but I would get killed long before that.


    Surrender to Dumbledore? And he will understand and forgive? He will kill me! The most I could hope for was a cell in Nurmengard next to Grindelwald. Riddle personally killed thousands of muggles and hundreds of wizards. People like that did not get forgiven. Nobody would believe my remorse.


    Lead the aristocracy towards peace? I was not omnipotent. I was their leader, not owner. The dark mark was a beacon and a badge; I could not control or kill them through it. If I went against their ideology, they might unite to kill me. And Riddle''s horcruxes were likely useless now.


    It looked like I had to play the villain. No radical changes. At least not immediately, before I could properly assess the situation.


    What were my assets? I was one the world''s most powerful wizards. I had power, knowledge, skills, reflexes, improved body. The Mind Arts granted good memory and quick thinking but also some detachment and lack of emotion. The wand still worked but not as well as before; this needed to be fixed. I also had about a hundred Death Eaters. And twenty of the most trusted Inner Circle.


    What was against me? Dumbledore. Older than me. Stronger. More experienced. Defeated Dark Lords while I was still in school, attending his classes. He also sat atop the strongest magical source in England and had a phoenix familiar with healing tears and the ability to apparate through wards. He would crush me. We fought twice. One time I retreated covered by a live shield of muggles; the second time - a live shield of wizards. He also had his Order of the Phoenix. About two hundred wizards of various levels. Two dozens of highly trained, valuable members like the Longbottoms. Hundreds of fans and cannon fodder from recent Hogwarts graduates. Two hundred Aurors. And a thousand ministry workers, though they may as well be plankton with wands.


    Maybe I should just Avada myself right now? No, at least give this life a try first...


    It was time to get to work. Get off the floor. Pick up the wand. The shame! Lily could have easily escaped or slit my throat with a kitchen knife while I was howling and writhing on the floor. What a headline that would have made: The Dark Lord Defeated by Potter Housewife! Good thing she was in shock and barricaded herself in the nursery. How much time did I spend thinking? Forty seconds? I needed a plan.


    I transfigured James'' body into a rock and put it in my pocket. Why? I''ll find some use for it! Then transfigured a copy of his body from air. Using magic felt instinctive, and the energy expended on non-verbal NEWT-level spells was well below regeneration rate even with an ill-suited wand.


    I walked up to the second floor and pointed my wand at the door. Not even a spell- just my will, and the door opened.


    Lily Potter stood wandless in front of the baby''s bed, shielding him with her body. She was young and beautiful. No wonder Severus desired her. Bright green eyes and thick dark red hair really stood out.


    "Please," she begged, "Not Harry! Please, I will do anything!"


    The girl was panicking. She heard me laugh and scream. But I had no plans to kill her or her child. First, the thrice-damned prophecy. What if I killed them and vanished like Riddle? Second, Lily might be useful. Not in a s.e.x.u.a.l way, of course; at least not to her husband''s murderer, known maniac and psychopath. Also, Snape will probably try to kill me if I took his woman... And she would be detractive to my status anyway. Faking her death was easy, but letting her go would ruin my image.


    For a moment, she froze with wide eyes. I heard her suck in a deep breath in deathly silence. Lily never hoped her plea would have any effect.


    "Anything!" she repeated."Just don''t kill Harry!"


    "Very well," I replied.


    She fell to the floor but didn''t faint. I helped her up. Harry was watching us from behind her back.


    "Very well?" Lily asked in disbelief.


    "I will not kill you or your son, but you must vow to serve me faithfully and never betray me. Vow on your life and the life of your son. The vow will kill you before you can betray me effectively: it is triggered by any attempt to act against me or share confidential information."


    A bit of wand waving - and glowing patterns appeared in the air around us, enclosing us in an odd shape. It was a rather obscure piece of magic that did not need a binder but required honest intent from both parties and could only be performed once every ten years. Riddle came across it in his search for ways to control the Death Eaters. But once in ten years was not even funny. Only the Lestrange couple was under this vow (though the served voluntarily and were completely loyal anyway). Tom wanted to use it on Lucius Malfoy last year, but Lucius did not trust anyone on principle, so the vow didn''t take. Since then, Riddle started calling him "my slippery friend."


    "Do you agree to these terms?" this was actually total peonage with no responsibilities on my side. I did not plan on killing them, but I should still add a clause about self-defense from Harry.


    "I, Lord Voldemort, vow not to kill Harry Potter if you, Lily Potter, vow on your life and the life of your child to serve me faithfully and never betray me."


    "I.. I vow... On Harry''s life. And my own. To serve you faithfully," her voice was growing quieter with every word. "I vow... on his life and mine to never betray you."


    "Repeat after me."


    "I vow to be faithful to Lord Voldemort in both action and lack of thereof, to never, under no circ.u.mstances share any confidential information related to Lord Voldemort I receive today or at any later time, in speaking, writing or any other form, including but not limited to: telepathy, legilimency, veritasetum or similar drugs or potions, consciously or unconsciously, with the exception of following Lord Voldemort''s direct and explicit orders."


    "I vow to not kill your son under the aforementioned conditions but reserve the right to use lethal force if it becomes necessary for self-defense."


    Red glow surrounded us. The vow has taken.


    "What now?" she asked.


    I looked into her eyes. Not even a hint of occlumency. I checked her mind for the location of her wand and other necessities for her and the baby, sending everything into my pocket with space expansion charms.


    "We are moving. But first, give me your arm."


    The marking went without a hitch. I could viscerally feel a new Death Eater near me. The horror on Lily''s face was indescribable. Another swish of the wand- Lily and Harry got transfigured into miniature statues and went into another magically expanded pocket. Why? I still had things to wrap up, and a hysterical woman with a baby would only get in the way.


    Visualizing the Mark, I located and called on Pettigrew and the Lestranges. Everyone appeared after a few seconds.


    "My Lord..."


    "Time is of the essence, Wormtail. Go to London. You will act as bait for Sirius Black. The Lestranges will help you set up the trap. The story is that Black betrayed the Potters and tried to murder you, but you managed to kill him first. You will gain Dumbledore''s trust, and Black will become our prisoner."


    I looked into their eyes to relay the details via legilimency. Rodolphus was carefully memorizing everything while the other two stared at me- Bellatrix with adoration, Wormtail with fear.


    "Go. Time is of the essence," I ordered. Three pops, and I was alone again. I transfigured copies of Lily''s and Harry''s bodies, cast several spells to muddle the evidence of tonight''s events and hid under strong concealment charms.


    Sirius Black arrived several minutes later. He wailed over the bodies for a long time, completely crushed by grief. Meanwhile, I was working on subduing his will. Not with the Imperius, this called for more subtle charms first. Finally, I circ.u.mvented his family amulet. Despite being a strong wizard, this sad sack never learned any occlumency. Now to carefully amplify his grief and despair without pushing him to suicide...


    At that moment, Hagrid arrived and began consoling him. I managed to freeze Hagrid in place non-verbally. He may not be a match for me, but restraining a magically resistant half-giant while working on Black was far from easy. I finally cast the Imperius on Black. He struggled. But his amulets were useless, and I''ve been in his mind for several minutes.


    "Avada Kedavra!" said Black, and the half-giant dropped dead.


    Black''s desperate attempts to throw off the curse were futile, especially with me pointing a wand at him from a few feet away. I transfigured Hagrid''s body and put it with the others. I wonder, could a high quality zombie-Hagrid convince his acromantulas to join me?


    Black got on his motorcycle, and I sat next to him. I cast concealment charms on us and Fiendfyre at the house. The cursed fire was incredibly easy to create but much more difficult to control. It spread through the house almost instantly. And they said bricks don''t burn! Even if I left some evidence, it would be impossible to find after all my misdirection charms and Fiendfyre. Black cast the Dark Mark over the house, and we left for London.


    Chapter 2


    I needed to be extremely productive to frame Black, ensure Pettigrew''s fame and take care of the Longbottoms before magic boost from Samhain night was over.


    I was flying with imperioed Black to London. Why not apparate? He may have a chance to fight the curse during apparition. I was also using this time to assess my abilities. So far, they were impressive.


    Lord Voldemort''s magic reserve and recovery speed were ten times higher than the average wizard''s. Second only to Dumbledore, at least in Britain. Most of of his skills were oriented towards causing harm. Proficient with an incredible number of high-level spells, especially dark, soul, battle and mind magic. A bit less knowledge in transfiguration, potions, rituals and runes, but still high above the mastery requirements. Good enough at Light magic to cast a Patronus, but that was the ceiling. Zero knowledge of household magic.


    What did a magical battle look like? If it were only a matter of waving a wand and saying an incantation, a gun or even a crossbow would be more effective. Wand-waving and shouting spells was the domain of school kids. Perhaps, with the exception of the Unforgivables- enunciating them helped to avoid wasting too much energy.


    On Voldemort''s level, it was usually enough to point the wand and focus on what you want to happen to the target. Simple spells like the cutting curse could be fired as fast as a machine gun without outpacing the regeneration rate. As for speed and power... A bullet did the same damage regardless of who fired it. Incendio barely lit a piece of paper for an average 11 year old but could be comparable to a highly explosive missile in the hands of someone like Riddle. Within the range of one''s abilities, speed and power could be controlled with intense focus.


    Of course, a wizard could be killed with a bullet to the head from a sniper rifle. Unless he prepared a kinetic shield before the battle. Then bullets were useless until the energy poured into the shield is depleted. A third year''s shield may be able to hold against several shots from a handgun; an average a.d.u.l.t wizard''s - against a grenade launcher; Riddle could survive a rain of artillery shells.


    And so, Lord Voldemort was busy going through the usual routine of casting protection charms on himself. Universal mana shield, shield of dust, shields against the elements, mental shields, kinetic shield, shields against gases, sounds, gamma-radiation, microwave radiation... Wait, what? Radiation? Riddle, you must have been clinically paranoid! Who else could have a shield against radiation? Moody and Albus?


    Next came camouflage charms: concealment of magic, aura, sound, heat and smell, attention repelling, standard invisibility, invisibility to radio waves... Riddle hated muggles, but he was not an idiot.


    My reserve depleted by a quarter. Four tenth was tied to maintaining all the charms. And one tenth to controlling Black. Tough bastard.


    Instinctively, I reached for the vials in my pocket. All decently strong potions were toxic. You must know how much to take and the interactions between them. Riddle knew. And, being paranoid, brewed everything himself.


    Potion of regeneration, improved perception, acceleration, sensitivity to magic... After drinking about a third of the safety limit, my attention shifted back to Black. Unfortunately, it looked like I won''t be able to keep him under the Imperius forever. Killing him would be a waste - he was very rich. But how to get to his money? No decent ideas yet, so I decided to throw him in Lestranges'' dungeons for now. No one would miss him after I stage his death.


    A gentle Seco - and a transfigured from air bottle got filled with a liter of Sirius Blacks'' blood, followed by one finger and ear. This will be the terrorist''s remains after the explosion. Two more spells temporarily replaced Black''s missing parts with prosthetics.


    Black and I finally reached a cluttered back alley in London, where we were greeted by the Lestranges and Pettigrew. Peter drank a potion to muddle up the results of the truth serum and legilimency enough to make them inadmissible. After all, he would be the only survivor, victim and witness.


    Bella handed Sirius a family dagger with the Black crest and two nondescript amulets to block apparition and magic detection to prevent the Aurors from arriving too early. Pettigrew went under the Imperius without struggle. Now I could easily stage a play with two marionettes. Under concealment charms, we all walked into a nearby office building.


    We entered a lecture hall. The teacher was speaking about something related to accounting. Fifty or so listeners were drowsily scribbling notes.


    Time to begin our show. Bellatrix and Rodolphuls put up anti-apparition and anti-magic detection wards. I created two popping sounds and removed concealment charms from Pettigrew and Black.


    "How could you betray James, Sirius?!" screamed Pettigrew.


    "Death to the mudbloods!" shouted Black.


    Screaming more suchlike drivel, they began throwing nonverbal cutting and blasting curses at each other. The muggles were taking stray hits.


    Black activated the amulets with his free hand to make it look like the shields were his doing. The muggles panicked, so I made Black use an area stunner. Half of the muggles froze. Once more, and only the two wizards were left moving.


    "Toturnull!" Black''s curse hit Pettigrew''s wand arm, vanishing its bones. It was quickly followed by a stunner and an Imperio (just an empty word).


    Everything had to look convincing. Black blocked the door and proceeded to cut stunned muggles with the ritual knife at five pentagram corners. He frantically tried to throw off the Imperius but on the outside kept ranting about pathetic blood traitor James and how happy he was to no longer have to pretend to be a muggle lover. And about Pettigrew''s great honor to become a human bomb that will destroy Dumbledore, earning the Dark Lord''s favor.


    This ritual really existed: a strong Dark wizard placed another wizard-sacrifice into the center of a blood pentagram, surrounded by live and dead muggles. After the spell, all the muggles would die, and the caster would gain the ability to make the wizard in the center explode at will, regardless of distance. The "bomb" was easily delivered under Imperius. Naturally, Voldemort had already tried it multiple times. It didn''t work on Albus or Moody. But this time I had no intention of finishing it.


    This ritual had two very useful qualities. It devoured an incredible amount of the caster''s energy and emitted so much dark magic that no one in their right mind would conduct it outside a permanently shielded area, risking a meeting with the entire force of the DMLE. As long as Bella held the ward no one on the outside knew.


    But the muggle witnesses couldn''t see Bella - only two amulets floating in the air. Suddenly, one of the amulets began to change in color and make squeaking sounds. Black turned and attempted to stabilize it- or else the Aurors would interrupt his work.


    Black was under so much strain that Pettigrew broke free from Black''s Imperius (which was never there) and stunner (which I dispelled). With Black distracted, Pettigrew ripped out a steel construction rod from a muggle nailed to the floor and heroically stabbed Black through the throat. Black collapsed.


    Of course, the wound was not fatal. I made sure Black did not lose too much blood. Peter dropped the rod and snatched Black''s wand. As Black tried to cast something wandlessly (a ball of light in his hand from me), Pettigrew put everything he had into one final blasting curse. I sped up my perception, shielding myself, Pettigrew, and several muggles. The Lestranges put up their own.


    "Re.." Peter began.


    Black was instantly swapped with a replica made with his blood. Nothing but a useless statue, but it will pass the identity test. The real Black, stunned and transfigured, went into my pocket.


    "...ducto!"-finished Peter.


    The explosion was spectacular. Fake Black got reduced to ground meat. His blood covered the walls, his finger flew somewhere across the room. Half of the muggles were also minced to pieces. The few survivors had heavy injuries. The blast hole went down through three floors. The brave Peter Pettigrew went into shock from a concussion and a broken leg, so I had to take him under complete control.


    The Lestranges took down their shields and left unharmed. Peter continued playing the hero: he summoned the Aurors and the Order, then healed one of the muggles before throwing up on the brink of magical exhaustion. Realizing he could not provide any more help, he apparated. Not to St. Mungo''s but to an on-duty member of the Order. He''ll soon be peddling his story to the old man, who will notice signs of Dark curses from "Black"... Healing Peter would take at least 2 hours alone, unless Abus was feeling generous with Phoenix tears... But even then, he will have to spend time talking to Peter, checking his memories and consoling him.


    I apparated away. There would be no evidence- dark magic from the amulets overwhelmed all other magical traces. After several apparitions, I arrived at the Lestrange manor.


    It has always reminded me of The Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. I was greeted by the entire family: Edward, the Lestrange patriarch, Rodolphus'' and Rabastan''s father, Tom''s classmate and one of the first death eaters; Rodolphus and Rabastan - brothers, death eaters. And my favorite - Bellatrix Lestrange n¨¦e Black, Rodolphus'' wife and the most devoted death eater. I could relax around them. Back in his youth, Tom helped them break a family curse and later saved Rabastan''s life. They were one of the rare few in my organization who could be trusted.


    "My Lord, will you be staying?" - asked Bellatrix.


    Lord Voldemort was obsessed with power and immortality. But not money. He wore transfigured clothes and lived at his servants'' manors. Mostly the Lestranges''.


    "Not now," I replied. "Here is Sirius Black. Put him into your most secure cell and grow him a new ear and finger. Keep in mind that he is an animagus. He must not have an opportunity to commit suicide."


    "Little Siri is an animagus? We''ll find him a cozy cage!" Bellatrix didn''t even acknowledge their blood relation. We walked down to the dungeons, and very soon a large black dog was locked in his new cell, wearing a magic-blocking collar, asleep under the Draught of the Living Death.


    "Isn''t the security a bit too much?" asked the edest Lestrange. He was Tom''s friend and remained one of the few people who could speak to him like this.


    "You are right, my friend. Add wards against house elves and something of your own. Maybe golem guards for constant surveillance. Don''t go inside. I will not risk the Black fortune and Wormtail''s cover in Dumbledore''s ranks. Maximum security."


    "Any more orders?" asked Rodolphus.


    "Yes. I need two houses, permanently. Each warded and under Fidelius. And two house elves. Also, prepare a ritual room to raise three liches and one white zombie."


    Nobody around here batted an eye at playing with the dead. The dungeons were often used for creating zombies and inferi from muggles and unlucky enemies. Once in a while we even made magic-using corpses - liches. It was houses and house elves that went against Voldemort''s MO.


    "Have you decided to settle down, my Lord?" Edward asked.


    "Yes," I refused to elaborate.


    "Do you wish to gather all your servants, my Lord?" chimed in Bellatrix. "Everyone needs to know the Potters have been defeated by your hand!"


    "Later, Bella. I will go to the Longbottoms before Samhain is over."


    "Allow me to accompany you, Master!" she pleaded.


    "I will take care of it myself. If you want to be useful, go do what I just ordered."


    I walked out of the manor to the edge of the wards and apparated to the Longbottoms. Their secret keeper wasn''t a traitor like Wormtail, but he still spilled everything under torture; by that time, his body was not even good enough for an inferus.

 Chapter 71 - My SI Stash #71 - The World Waits on Evil by LoserThree (OC World "Lich")

    -Dude from Earth SI as Lich king (not from Overlord) in an OC world. And it''s a completed fic too!


    It pretty much starts like Overlord but it''ll be more industrial/magical revolution based~~


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 180K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-world-waits-on-evil-hivers-eoa-ww-a-finished-story.274791/#post-12325560 (LoserThree)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    I remember getting up from my computer, just before it all changed. I had been doing some leisure reading, I think, and was headed toward the kitchen. It was the last time I responded to hunger, but of course I did not know that at the time. I think most last times go unrecognized in their own moments.


    I walked barefoot toward the kitchen with the lights out, as I normally did. In familiar spaces I had always been more comfortable in the dark.


    To my surprise, a dark place in an unlit corner held almost as much black cat as it held shadow. The cat may have been just as surprised as I was. It sure acted like it was, anyway: all explosion of fuzzy motion and loud feline expression.


    I have never owned a cat. But maybe the cat also did not own a person. We might have had more in common than our proximity to each other. But we lacked the opportunity to explore our shared experiences because of what came next, And also because it was a cat.


    I jumped back from the yowling, hissing, spitting, startled cat and tripped over some hazard I failed to notice behind me. It might have been my own foot.


    Long term memory is not the the same as the initial recording of perceptions and thoughts, as it is often thought to be. A memory can and will change based on the mind state in which you remember it. If you accidentally take some action in the heat of a moment and later rationalize that action, there is a strong possibility you will remember thinking your way through and specifically choosing the action that was actually a thoughtless reaction. We never had as much time to think as we seem to remember.


    So I might think I remember twisting in the air and seeing a glowing, wispy, purple-shaded, hole in space with a wooden beam floor on the other side, two or three feet below the floor of my house, and thinking, "So that''s how the cat got in. At least it wasn''t me that left a door and/or wormhole open." But I almost certain do not really remember that, because in the times I have remembered the event since then my doubt has convinced me that it is more likely that my only thoughts were impolite and blunt. There might also have been the start of a plea to a God I had not believed in for years, because old habits die harder than old beliefs.


    That is how I remember leaving the place I still think of as the "Real World,"


    Once I entered the hole, the experience changed dramatically.


    The stomach-dropping feeling of falling grew three- or four-fold in ways more usually encountered at amus.e.m.e.nt parks. I believe that was my inner ear notifying me that speed-change had occurred in an unexpected fashion that did not conform to the steady, constant pull of the world it had evolved to analyze. Nausea announced a kind of an error reading from the human speed-change instrument of measure.


    At the same time, proportion and dimension swayed, swelled, and contracted in a wholly unreasonable fashion. My understanding of color, texture, flavor, and tone bled together. I felt a brief oneness with all existence and wondered at the strange, laughably particular limitation of my previously singular perspective.


    Then Space, Time, Love, and the Universal Consciousness vomited me back into being, five or six feet above a cold flagstone set into that wooden floor. I remember that I landed without grace, composure, dignity, or silence, but I do not I think broke any bones.


    In a movie, this is the point where the transported character throws out a witty one-liner. But I did not ask if anyone got the identification plate of the traffic that hit me. And I did not come up with a less tired and worn out line, either.


    There is a bit of missing memory there, instead. I do not know if I was not really perceiving the room while I got my breath back, or if maybe that did not get written to long-term memory. I do not remember living the kind of life that would familiarize someone with the process of recovering from having the wind knocked out of them. It was not entirely novel, but was rare and, of course, that was the last time it happened.


    When I did look around, I found myself sprawled across a glowing, purple pentagram that looked set into the flagstone I landed on, which in turn was set into the wood flooring I first saw through the purple hole in space. I thought the light must have bent the way it does at the surface of water when I''d looked through the hole.


    The room looked huge from my place on the floor. It was square and large enough to park a pair of big road engines side-by-side. In each corner was a pillar that might have come up to my b.r.e.a.s.tbone, with green flame shooting out the top. At that moment, I missed that I was able to perceive colors in what seemed to be the normal fashion, even though the most significant sources of light in the room where bright green.


    Instead, all my attention was the on the over seven foot figure in black armor with silver inlay. It had a floor-length purple cape that flowed behind it, and a collar that rose over the crown of its skull which, by the way, I could see because it had a skull for a head with small blue flames in its eye sockets. Instead of seeming unbelievable, the skull-headed figure was frighteningly real.


    That is when I remember reacting to my surroundings. There have been times in the life I remember when my understanding of the meaning of courage would have led me to wish I were the sort of person who would bravely confront such an obvious threat to safety and fashion. But I was not and had never been that person.


    So I did not boldly assume a posture that could be defensive or offensive, as needed. And I did not wittily snap off a one-liner. And I did not even politely ask if, maybe, Sir or Dame Skull Face would like his/her/its cat back and then maybe I could just go, although the person I remember thinking I was would totally be pragmatic and smart enough to do just that. Instead, the person I remember actually being scrambled across and largely against the flagstone artlessly and made a lot of those sounds that require no constriction outside the throat while I tried to back away.


    The tall figure gestured strangely at me and I felt as though I were picked up by my h.i.p.s and shoulders, but from the inside. Unseen force shoved at me through those four points and brought me back to the center of the pentagram I had landed on. I could fight the force with my feet against the ground in the same way you can lean into a door to try to hold it closed, but I could not stop the unseen force from moving me into the center. I could twist my body a little and my center of substance would lower just a little bit if I went limp, but that put uncomfortable weight on my h.i.p.s and shoulders.


    Powerless, I remember standing in the center of the purple pentagram and finally looking back up at the tall figure. It had walked into a smaller, similar, purple, glowing pentagram, likewise set into a flagstone. It was still gesturing at me with one hand and I remember noticing, then, that its hands were skeletal and realizing that instead of a very tall human with a skull for a head, this was probably a very tall skeleton in human armor. It was a skeleton that could take action without the need for all the meat that makes humans take action bone cannot take on its own, with all the terrifying implications that came with that.


    A sound came from behind me of an impact against solid substance. There was a door there, I would soon discover, made from thick wood with iron bands around it. It was firmly set into its frame. It was barred, too, and the iron beam that barred it sat in stout hooks in the wall on either side. Someone was ''knocking'' on the other side with the kind of force that removes boulders from roads.


    Instead of putting that together, at the time, I remember the look of alarm on the skeleton''s face and I remember doubting that I had seen it. Skulls, after all, are rigid and incapable of expression outside that one expression that comes naturally to each skull.


    Yes, living bone is flexible to a degree that may surprise those who have only encountered bone that is dead and dried. There is give in the human skull, as there is in every human bone. But this was not a little bit of flex and bow, this was full-on clay puppet facial expression on a skull. The ridges over its eye pits behaved like eyebrows. Its teeth ¨C of which it had an incomplete count ¨C and its cheekbones moved in ways that suggested its absent lips and cheeks. There might have been some motion, I remember thinking with out-of-place clarity, around the hole where its nose would have been that imitated flaring nostrils.


    Fortunately, this bizarre sight snapped me out of my inarticulate state and gave me the calm compartmentalization that had carried me through car accidents, medical emergencies, and other disasters in the life I remember. Unfortunately I was still stuck, still powerless. So maybe it was not fortunate as much as it just happened to be so.


    Alarm had barely settled on to the tall skeleton''s face when it shifted to a stern expression, what I might have called its ''game face.'' There was another impact sound behind me, followed by another, and another, and so on. And the armored skeleton raised both its hands and moved them through the air in strange patterns.


    Two poundings later, the skeleton''s hands were still moving and its fingertips began to glow blue and leave trails in the air. The trails left by their motion formed complex, angular, and three dimensional shapes in the air. The lines twisted around each other in ways that required the skeleton to contort its ''hands'' with odd precision. The motions of finger-joints, wrist, elbow, and shoulder might all work together to draw a perfectly stiiaght line with the tip of one middle finger while the other fingertips on the same ''hand'' traced complicated, spiraled, spirals around it.


    Soon, another two or three poundings later still, the whole length of its index fingers glowed like its fingertips and their wide ribbons of light added curves around the straight lines the tips left. And the skeleton spoke. It chanted a series of sounds or words I could not understand and repeated them three or four times.


    The lights on its hands went out when it stopped chanting, though the light shapes in the air continued to glow. I remember watching the skeleton reach into the folds of its cape and draw out a green crystal the size of its hand, which it then hurled against the floor between the two pentagrams.


    The crystal shattered and its fragments exploded outward in slow motion, creating a shape very similar to the glowing blue shape in the air in front of the skeleton. I remember that all I saw was cast in a green light ¨C which may be when I noticed it was odd that it had not been cast in a green light previously, though that could be the previously mentioned distortion by the lens of memory ¨C and that green light grew blindingly bright over the course of the time a rapid breath takes.


    Then the light faded but I remained momentarily blind. I did notice, though, that the four points of force on my body were suddenly absent. My sight came back a heartbeat''s time later and powerful discomposure swept over me like a great wave.


    I looked at myself, standing in front of me. Myself was not making eye contact with me, and did not mirror my motions. My doppelganger was running hands that should have been mine over a body that used to be mine and wincing, which is when I realized I felt no pain.


    I felt no pain in a way that I had not felt no pain in I did not know how long, in the life I remember. I did not feel sore, or fatigued, or hungry, or sated, or hair, or the pressure of my lips against each other, or the need to breathe. And I did not feel as though my stomach dropped out of me as the realization sank in. So that was nice.


    I held up my hand and looked at the bony flanges. They moved just as I willed them to, flexing and folding like a hand would. They might have been able to fold in further than my fleshy fingers had and seemed to make a better fist that I could ever remember making. A substance like the joint material from a human body held the finger bones together, end-to-end. No material seemed to hold them together side-by-side, but when I tried to stretch my hand wide, they did not seem to stretch any further than they would if they had been properly wrapped in meat.


    There was another pounding on the door, which I could see then was bent inward length- and width-wise, jarring me from the inspection of my hand. That brought my attention back to my doppelganger, who was pointing at me and laughing. My doppelganger was, in turn, interrupted when the door''s strength succ.u.mbed to the next strike against it and the it tumbled into the room. The door was followed by a stomping shape twice my doppelganger''s height.


    Our new guest was red skinned, covered in brassy body hair, and apparently sort of a naturalist. He had bat-like wings that were mostly folded behind him and looked as though they would span twice-and-half-again his height when outstretched. He had huge, ivory horns on his forehead. His face was a caricature of disgust. He was, quite obviously, a demon. Unless you were told demons wore clothing, he was just what you were told a demon would be. And he should not have fit through that doorway.


    "Supplicant!" he bellowed as he stomped toward me. "Your debt is past due! The time has long past for you to fulfill your end of our bargain! Your campaign of defense - your great effort to deny me what is rightfully mine! It has brought only ruin to your realm, and to all the world! My rampage now reaches its peak and its prize! Surely now you see there is no escape and you will give yourself over to my rightful claim."


    I was going to respond, to connect my creativity to my speech and let fly with whatever came through. I might have complimented his complexion. But instead I was briefly confounded by the realization that the demon had not spoken in any language I had known in the life I remembered. When I thought over the sounds he had made as opposed to the words he used, I experienced discomposure again.


    In my silencing confusion, the only action that I thought to do was to point at the thief of my self. I would like to think of myself as someone who is more concerned with results than blame. But somewhere in the complex of habits and whimsy that I thought was me, there was a desire to distribute the blame. I hope it was only human.


    The demon''s substantial head spun and his white horns cut through the air and he lowered his h.i.p.s and brought his clawed hands up in front of himself. He looked at what used to be me, what I wholly hoped was not me anymore. It would really have been bad if I had been duplicated into this body and I had just tried to screw over my real self ¨C or at least my self of precedent. Despite my hopes, I am totally the kind of person who would do that. That''s one reason I oppose branching identity fundamentally.


    I watched my body make objecting gestures and babble. I could not understand my former self, even though if I thought about it very hard I could recognize one or two of the words as my former native tongue by their sounds.


    Dizzying discomposure overtook me again.


    "Ah," the demon rumbled. "There you are. You thought, after all I have done to secure this bond, you could trick me with a body swap? With so much of the Forces of Perdition behind me, your trickery will not save you!"


    The one that stole me (I hoped) took a step back and turned to run, despite the demon being in the way of the only door. The figure that looked just like I remembered looking and I began to shout together and incoherently.


    The demon''s wings swept out and forward. In surprising obedience to physical laws I remembered from the ''Real World'', this motion shoved his body back into a crouch. His wings swept back again as he lunged forward to tackle the fleeing flesh that I remembered being mine. As the demon connected with his target, they both vanished with a small popping sound and in a puff of smoke.


    Starting before he moved and ending after he vanished, as though released in a burst during the fraction of a second in which the demon moved, then allowed to decompress forward and backward into time, the demon shouted, "I told you, you are MINE!"


    It occurred to me, then, that a similar phenomenon of decompression of sound had taken place each of the previous times the demon had spoken. There hadn''t been enough time for him to say all he said. And he''d moved faster than I should have been able to follow.


    I blinked, discomposed again, and then spent a moment trying to figure out how I had done so. I had no eyelids and was unable to immediately reproduce the effect.


    While I tried to figure out how I had blinked, more skeletons ran into the room in an disorderly fashion. They were dingy and wore ill-fitting, ill-made armor. As they came into the room they kicked fragments of bone through the doorway ahead of them and I could see broken bones littering the floor of the room behind them. Those fragments were, I supposed, the remnants of earlier waves of the same nature which had been sent to resolve a large, red problem that had just resolved itself... probably.


    The skeletons left room around me in apparent difference. They filled the room as they clattered around, poking and prodding around as though their quarry could be hiding between the stone blocks of the wall, or behind the pillars at the corners. Perhaps he could have. Perhaps he had, previously. In fact, he had come through a doorway that should not have admitted him so easily.


    It occurred to me then, I think, that it was odd that the demon had not come through a keyhole, or a gap between the door and the floor, or a gap between the beams of the floor, instead of breaking through the door. I was just beginning to consider what it might mean for the room to be somehow, some way protected against intrusion like that when a new figure came through the door .


    The new arrival was a dark human in black armor. I thought the armor might be enameled. He had red eyes that didn''t just glow, they burned. In one hand he easily, casually carried a huge sword that was clearly made to be wielded with two hands. The way his body moved slightly in counter-force to the motion of the sword, and the way the sword hesitated to change directions gave credence to its weight and accompanying leverage-force.


    I saw satisfaction and then contempt flicker across his face as he came in, before he schooled his face into an expression of awe.


    Then I considered how odd it was that I lacked a word for the force of leverage, realized I was no longer thinking in my native tongue, and slipped into discomposure again while the new figure looked around the large room before turning to me.


    "Dread leader," he said reverently as he knelt on one knee. "You defeated of the demon king! Your power awes me anew. Surely this is a new sign of your greatness!"


    While he spoke I noticed his overdeveloped third-teeth ¨C dog teeth? ¨C and the language strangeness troubled me again.


    I held my composure of thought this time, though, and realized that he was a vampire, that he was a vampire who addressed me as "Dread Leader," and just what that implied.


    For a moment, my mind seemed empty except for an exclamation: "Oh, love-like-striking."


    Chapter 2


    "My Leader?" the (probable) vampire asked as he rose from kneeling. "The demon king, did you defeat him?" His awed facial expression started to give way to concern as, I guessed, he considered what else might have happened before he got to the room, and he imagined events and series of events I did not know enough to imagine him imagining.


    I thought fast. That is, I chose the first idea that occurred to me and might have been workable: I told a version of the truth.


    "The demon king is gone and I do not expect he will return." I said, "I am still here. Obviously I have been victorious." The reverent difference with which the warrior had regarded me led me to feel like that kind of arrogance would be expected. I guessed maybe that kind of behavior is not arrogant when it really is appropriate to your station.


    The armored vampire bowed before responding again, which hid his face from me. "Are you hurt, My Dread Leader?"


    People do not seem to get to positions of power without being opportunists. Additionally, the person questioning me was prepared for violence, and was a vampire. I wondered if he would kill me if he thought me weak. I wondered if it would help if he were loyal to the ''Dread Leader'' position I held, without regard to the manner in which I obtained it. I wondered if people ever really were loyal to positions without regard for the person occupying it. I wondered how that could ever work for long.


    But that flicker of disgust crossed his face again when he looked back up at me. It was odd to watch happen, unfamiliar and yet it reminded me of some fact I could not quite recall.


    I concluded it was probable that the vampire did not like me, did not trust me, or did not want to be close to me. But from the way he tried to hide it, he was probably there to work with me anyway.


    If I was right about that then that would be fine. I''d worked with people who did not want to work with me. I had management experience, even worse.


    If I was wrong, then I probably could not make matters much worse. I mean, the vampire already disliked me.


    "I am fine for now," I answered him after pausing to think furiously, desperately searching through what I had learned in the past few moments. "I will tell you more in a moment. First, tell me how our defenses hold. Tell me how we fare against the remainder of the Forces of Perdition."


    In the life I remember, I counted myself lucky to be free of that fear of assessments, standardized and otherwise, that plagued so much of my generation. I''d had the good fortune, the privilege even, of doing well at them at a young age and so never had to fight my own distress while also fighting the assessment. Instead, I could freely build assessment taking skills.


    One of those skills is to find ways to draw information from some questions in order to better answer others. This tool even works when understanding of the underlying concepts is unavailable. In fact, that might have been the first, simplest assessment taking skill. Or at least second only skipping questions to later return to.


    "I fell back to the inner walls at the first breach of the outer," the vampire answered. "I was in the inner yard when the keep was breached. I chased the demon king as best I could, but lesser demons blocked my way and, as you know, they are no easy opponent."


    Oddly, that had the feel of recitation, as though he had practiced it in his head. Or not so odd, really. It fit into a convenient and perilous narrative of the sort one would prepare if one were planning to commit deception. So worrying, not odd.


    "Go look after our defenses." I told him. "I recognize your concern, but it does little good if demons exploit our vulnerability. Go." I gestured toward the door.


    He hesitated only a moment, then rushed out the shattered doorway with inhuman speed, which should not have worked the way it did.


    Top human speeds, back in the life I remember as the ''Real World'' are limited by the pull-of-the-world, but not in the way one might first think. Short run speeds would, in fact, be faster with greater pull-of-the-world because it would allow the runner a better grip on the ground, like shoes with spikes that bite the road-for-running.


    The vampire moved so fast that, it seemed, his feet should have slipped out from under him, rather than propel him forward. But the vampire''s feet stuck where he put them and his speed quickly grew as he left. I thought to myself that anyone who could do that should also be able to walk on walls and ceilings, which was fitting enough.


    Then I was alone with the skeletons in a room with one ruined doorway and a little time to plan. And time to experiment with skeletons.


    They were arranged in concentric circles around me. Skeletons on the same circle alternated facing inward and outward. So I attempted to wave one over while I began to consider my options and their possible consequences.


    I was ignored. I attempted to snap my fingers, and found my hands responded sluggishly, as though unfamiliar with the gesture. I struggled with my bony hands for a moment before giving up.


    I called, "You, there." at a skeleton and it did not react.


    I walked up to one particular skeleton and waved my hand at its face. No reaction. I shoved it, it swayed and kept its balance. I shoved harder and it stumbled back but returned to its position. I put my hands to either side of its head and turned it. It turned, and when released it turned back. But there was no response other than that. In frustration I drew my arms back and brought my hands together violently on either side of its head, which was protected by a leather helmet.


    And, in so doing, I broke its skull between my hands into pieces that fell to the floor.


    "I regret that," I said. And I did, while noticing that I again lacked a word. The now shorter skeleton did not respond but was still standing and, when given a shove, still kept its balance.


    "Are you well?" I asked. Still no response. I wondered it it would have needed a mouth to talk before realizing that neither it nor I actually had mouths. Like so many other paths of thought, I set that one aside for later.


    None of the other skeletons reacted to any of this.


    So that was informative: I learned I was quite strong and that a skeleton does not necessarily need its skull to function, or at least to continue standing there. And based on the behavior of the others in the room, I learned that skeletons are either mindless, mute (or terrified into silence), brutally loyal and disciplined, or just not inclined to be overly judgmental of someone breaking their heads off.


    I realized, then, that I had distracted myself from the more weighty issue of what I could tell the vampire. So I busied my hands with picking up the pieces of the skull and putting them back together to see if the skeleton could reincorporate it. And I returned my thoughts to my problem.


    One option was to tell all. That would be placing complete trust in a vampire who did not seem to like me. I thought that I probably should not hold his vampirism against him, at least with regard to how I should expect him to behave toward me. I figured that my lack of blood would take me off his list of favored victims.


    Then again, I considered, was it safe to conclude that his pointy teeth, red eyes, and superhuman abilities mean he drinks blood? I was pretty sure there were stories about vampires that behaved differently.


    More importantly, I thought, vampires, skeletons, and demons were fictions. If they did not exist in the life that I remembered except in stories, did that mean I was in a story? Could I expect narrative causality instead of consistent laws of nature? Should I expect to awaken from fantasy as a bed-ridden weakling?


    I tried to fly in the way that had always worked in my dreams. Short, silly hops were all that happened and that was enough to confirm my experiences were not a dream, for the moment. The rest could be ignored until applicable... probably.


    Meanwhile, I had found that the largest piece of the shattered skull, which included its base, would fall off again if I set it on top of the skeleton''s neck. If it could be reincorporated, some other steps were apparently necessary. I had broken an object almost immediately after arriving in a new world, taking a new position, and meeting new people. That was so very much my way.


    Trusting someone else with my problems always tempted me. There was often little to lose, in the life I remembered, but that was a very different world. There were no demons in the ''Real World'' and I did not face the threats a ''Dread Leader'' would in the relatively privileged life I remembered living.


    The mechanics of reciprocation pressure meant that my urge to entrust others with truths I might have kept secret caused others to feel the urge to share their secrets with me. I had lived more than a third of the life I could reasonably have expected to before I learned my easy openness was why people told me so much about themselves.


    Still, trusting the vampire was a foolish idea, and was rejected.


    Likewise, hiding all and keeping an act up of complete control was rejected because I had no good reason to believe I could pull it off. I have never had the necessary dramatic stamina.


    I would have to build the lie on what I already knew and what I could not hide.


    In the meantime, I had started investigating the skull-less skeleton more closely. I could take its bent, stained, and handguard-less short sword from it. I could take armor off it. It did not object or even react, except to accommodate its new balance.


    I crushed the last digit on its right and smallest finger between my index finger and thumb and broke it into multiple pieces. It still did not react.


    I began to crush the joints of its spine, starting at the top of the protruding neck. This required only the force of my thumb and any two fingers against my palm. It seemed likely that I was considerably stronger than I had been.


    My mind was briefly diverted from planning deception to consider spinal joints and another missing word.


    When I had destroyed the top spinal joint to which ribs attached, those ribs remained attached to the b.r.e.a.s.tbone. When I crushed its right collarbone, its right shoulder blade and arm fell away and into separate pieces. When I crushed not one, but both bones of its left forearm, its wrist and hand fell away and went to pieces.


    I was only a few spinal joints past the top of the rib cage when the vampire returned. I noticed that the skeletons moved out of his way and realized they must also have moved out of his way when he left.


    "Dread Leader," he said as he knelt on one knee again. "There are no demons to be found. It is as if your defeat of the demon king has unmade them all. We are repairing the breaches and keeping watch on the walls, but the camps of Forces of Perdition look abandoned.


    "I have sent scouts to search the encircling camps. Now, if it pleases you, tell me if you are hurt and how you defeated the demon king?"

 Chapter 73 - My SI Stash #73 - Pokemon: SI - OC - Road to be the Strongest by DG2 (Pokemon)

    -A SFW Pokemon SI fic for Lazy_owl~


    *SI gets transported to PKMN verse, and gets into a trainer''s school with young Cynthia as a classmate. And he''s got a Deino for a starter.


    *Also, we just reached 1,000 collections.


    Very epic, thank you weebs~


    ?(?????)?


    Sypnosis: What does one do when they awaken in another world: freak out, find their way back, or accept their fate? I was walking home after class, looking forward to winter break, before waking up to discover I will be spending it in Sinnoh indefinitely. Male SI-OC


    Rated: T


    Words: 31K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13372594/1/Pokemon-SI-OC-Road-to-be-the-Strongest (DG2)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Author Notes:


    Written a few short stories. This is my first time publishing on this site. Let me know what you think and how I can improve/fix things.


    This will be a male SI-OC first person narrative. This will take place before the anime-game version of Sinnoh. I will use characters from those two and the manga. I will be loosely basing places around those three sources using OCs and new places to add my own spin.


    Let me know what direction I should take this story. I''m still trying to find a good main plot to follow.


    Right now, I plan to write a dark story. Don''t know if I should add Team Galactic/Rocket, make it into a Shoenen/Tragedy, or have him travel with a known character, like a gym leader ect. I do know he''s aiming for power, whether its personal or for strengthening his team.


    Currently at 10K words written. Planning for 100K+ if this does well. Weekly releases are my goal, might release more frequently.


    I rush through my exam. Scratching in answers.


    Today is the last class of my semester''s worth of lectures and homework.


    Christmas break starts tomorrow and I could hardly wait a second longer.


    What was I thinking when I thought being a physicist would be fun?


    Mind numbing math and physics. Few lab experiments I could do, already performed thousands of times.


    All I wanted was real hands on experience. Discovering new and exciting things. Instead I''m stuck here testing and proving other people''s findings.


    It made my lab final painful. Demoralizing my weakened spirit. I forced myself to sit down and finish the conclusion on my paper.


    I strained my eyes away. Realizing the other''s already left. Leaving the professor as the only one here with me.


    He''s an older man, white hair combed down, and wears a white lab coat to cover his plump body.


    He didn''t bother putting down his IPad. Addicted to Pokemon Go. Preventing him from hearing my grumbling.


    Slinging my backpack on, I made my way over to his desk.


    "Here." Slamming my paper down. "It''s a little messy, but I think I got everything."


    "No worries John. Others have worse handwriting than you." Not looking up. "I think I can handle it."


    "I just wanted to make sure." I replied.


    The man clearly wasn''t interested in checking. Flicking his wrist abruptly. "Stay in the ball!"


    His face began to contort. Biting his lips until a click came from the game.


    "I finally got you Pikachu!"


    Ending his parade. "I guess I''ll be heading out Professor."


    "Sorry about that Mr. Smith." Setting his IPad down. "I hope you have a good break."


    "Thanks." Stepping out of the room. "You too."


    The door closed behind me. I could hear my teacher talking to himself. Louder when he thought I wasn''t near.


    I held my head in frustration.


    Would it at least hurt him to look up from his game?


    Last night''s cramming came back in waves of pain. Adding on my teacher''s obsession with Pokemon further increased the pounding headache.


    Only growing worse the more I thought about my day.


    "Next spring will be different. No annoying teacher, more time to study and maybe I could make a real friend."


    Stepping outside helped to calm my nerves. I can officially say my winter break was finally here.


    The sun lowered in the sky. Shining on the dull Oak trees on campus. Showing brown crisp leaves falling from the cold breezes passing through.


    Only a few cars remain in the parking lot. No one was outside to bother me.


    A loud sound interrupted the peaceful atmosphere. Looking down, I found my stomach was the one acting up.


    "Where''s that vending machine at?"


    Retracing my steps from memory, I followed alongside the building. Finding a familiar sight.


    Trailing my index finger over the screen, I bought a bag of ch.i.p.s and water. Packing them away for dinner.


    "Time for the walk home."


    Closing my bag, I twisted around. Journeying down the sidewalk.


    The sun dipped below the horizon. Dyeing the sky in a deep red.


    Street lamps turned on one by one. Pushing away the approaching darkness.


    A flicker reached me. Pulling my gaze over.


    Laying in my path was a puddle. Sparkling in a gorgeous blue at every angle I looked from.


    "What is this?" Creeping over. "It didn''t rain."


    It was clear the whole day. Sprinklers wouldn''t been on during this time of year.


    However, this puddle was here. No bigger than me, blocking the way forward.


    "Step on me¡­"


    Flinching. "Hello?"


    Turning around I looked. Checking to see if anyone was near.


    I stood still until I convinced myself I was imagining things.


    I could go around. Having no soaked socks with a short walk through the brush. Or I could go against my better judgment and step forward.


    I rose my foot, aiming to head around. Only to have my thoughts freeze in place. Replaced with a foreboding feeling taking control of my body. Swerving my foot over the water instead.


    N-No¡­ soaked s-socks¡­ need to ru- must step into the blue, sparkly, amazing, glorious puddle in front of me.


    "It''s only a puddle John. Not even a big deal anyway." Leaning forward. "What''s the worst that can happppeeeen!"


    My whole leg was submerged. I fell on my butt, grasping the ground. Coming out of my trance.


    "W-What happened?"


    I remembered walking home, then¡­ then a puddle?


    I felt something swimming by my foot. Flicking its tentacles and wrapping around.


    "Oh shit, oh shit!" Flopping on the floor. "Get away!"


    I fought in desperation. Kicked and screamed, begging someone to come help. Then the force pulled, forcing me to drag my fingers through the mud. To live for a second longer.


    Before long my torso disappeared. Then one arm before the other, sealing my fate.


    I continued to cry out loud. Until water flooded over my face and into my mouth. Choking the words out of me.


    Is this how it ends¡­ Death by a puddle?


    No one would know my struggle. They would pass by and see some upturned dirt. Not guessing I was murdered the night before.


    All I could do was watch. Looking through the blue light. Noticing the puddle returning eerily still. Shrinking silently and leaving a single bubble. Where I rested, floating inside and flailing my arms to break out. Until it popped, sounding like a burp.


    I swam, treaded water. Dragging my body to the surface. Breaking the hold on me. Coughing up water as I gasp for breath.


    The current swept me away. Pushing me further down the dark tunnel.


    I struggled against the rock walls. To keep myself upright as I search for a foothold in the darkness.


    My mouth opened to scream. But I was too afraid to be forced under again.


    Someone please help! I don''t know what''s happening!


    My vision grew used to the darkness. Faint blue light spread out from algae coating the walls. Rubbing off onto me as I was dragged against the rocks.


    I was inside an underground river. Stretching further than I could see with no end in sight.


    All I could do was reserve my strength. Floating on my back as I bobbed up and down. Waiting for the rapids to calm down before I do anything else.


    My ear brushed against the wall. Sending screams and howls of creatures verberating into my head.


    I came to a realization. I wasn''t dreaming.


    Oh god no! Please I can''t be dead, tell me I''m not in the river to the afterlife, that those aren''t demons outside!


    Doom weighed heavily over me. I refused to listen. To hear the creatures of terror waiting to maul me.


    Time past by. The rapids calmed after miles of floating. I convinced myself I won''t get by long without trying to find out what''s happening.


    My body was freezing. I had to swim and search for ground to rest on.


    Something is near.


    A black splotch was a head. On the only flat piece of ground I came across.


    At first it was still. Blending in with the rocks on the floor. Then it moved, startling me.


    The creature bent over, next to my face. Drinking water less than a meter away.


    I held my breath. Allowing the water to sweep me under it.


    Pretend. Pretend I''m dead.


    Barely arms reach away. Only inches remain before I could get away.


    It looked over. Crocking its head in my direction. Sniffing the air and grinning. Revealing a mouth filled with razor teeth.


    "No get away!"


    My legs flailed. Kicking to move my battered body. To push past my exhaustion.


    This excited the demented creature. Making it run alongside the ledge next to me. Closing in and clamping onto my backpack. Before, pulling me against my will.


    Is this how I die?


    I laid limp on the rock floor. Shocked and heavily breathing. Watching the eyeless beast sniffing my bag. Scratching at it with its talons.


    Bag¡­ Bag? What does it want?


    My eyes opened wide. I shuffled my hands behind me. Grasping the zipper as I avoided its swipes.


    A crunch echoed out. Calming the beast.


    Slowly my hand came out. Holding the ch.i.p.s I bought.


    Sitting up. "Ch.i.p.s." Pushing it towards my captor. "It tastes better than me¡­ "


    The beast snarled. Biting down on the bag and tearing it away from my grasp. Throwing salted ch.i.p.s everywhere.


    A gasp left my mouth. I felt my heart beating in my chest. Pounding hard as I watched.


    It was more interested in junk food. Ignoring me completely. Allowing me to get a better look.


    The creature stood on four legs with a blue body, was less than two feet long, with a face and horn covered in black fur.


    "Wait¡­" Nearing it. "Are you a Pokemon?"


    Deino didn''t look up. Licking the salt off the bag.


    "Deino¡­ first form of the Hydreigon line." Picking myself up. "Thank god it was interested in my ch.i.p.s more than me."


    Pokemon shouldn''t be real.


    I played Pokemon games, watched the TV show and was slightly obsessive over it. Not to the degree my professor was, but I knew enough to be competitive.


    From a single glance, I could tell Deino is a dark dragon, weak to ice/fairy moves and extremely aggressive from what I remember.


    A single growl told me this was real. Deino was baring its teeth nearing me.


    "H-Hey¡­ Buddy I''m not tasty." Trying to hold my ground. "We can work together. You don''t need to kill me because¡­ because I know where to find more ch.i.p.s."


    Arceus please tell me Pokemon can still understand humans.


    Deino stopped approaching. Ending its threatening tone. Clearly more interested in my offer.


    "Yes. Ch.i.p.s taste really good." Lowering my hands. "If you want, I could show you where to find some more."


    "Deino Deino¡­ "


    There was a problem. Deino could understand me, but I couldn''t understand it.


    Deino backed off for a reason. I could try working with that.


    "Um, I don''t know exactly what you said, but can we shake hands? Promising to not murder the other."


    "Deino?"


    Raising my hand, I tried showing it.


    Dammit. I forgot it was blind.


    I was sighing because I had to get on all fours.


    On my knees I managed to knock on the floor. Catching Deino''s attention.


    Slowly raising my arm, I got it to mimic my actions.


    "Good. Now we shake our raised arms... I mean legs." Touching its taloned paw. "Up and down. There. Now we agreed on a truce."


    "Deino Deino."


    "I''m not able to lead you to where I got my ch.i.p.s right now."


    "Deino?" it growled.


    "Never said I wouldn''t. We first need to leave this cave and go outside."


    "Deion Deino?"


    I realized it didn''t know what I was talking about.


    "We''re inside a cave right now. Outside is a place so big, you won''t ever run into a wall you couldn''t go around."


    The dragon must have lived down here it''s whole life. The idea of a world outside these tunnels astounded it. Making Deino pace in place.


    "If you follow me, you would see what I''m talking about. Just by looking around, you would tell the difference in a second."


    "Deino Deino?"


    "Right. You don''t have eyes. That''ll change when you evolve."


    Mentioning evolution to it caused Deino to jump up. Brushing past it''s earlier confusion.


    "I know a lot Deino. Like how I know your final form is a Hydreigon, about what moves you could learn and everything about the enemies we could encounter down here."


    The young dragon couldn''t believe me. It sat on the ground thinking if I was telling the truth.


    "Deino let''s go." I stood up and walked to one of the many tunnels.


    "Deino Deino."


    It was trying to reason with me. Not willing to leave until it was sure. Wanting to evolve first, before it goes.


    "You don''t understand Deino. We might be here for years and you''ll probably get killed before you have a chance to evolve."


    The words killed and years made Deino flinch. Making it lay on the ground in thought.


    It still doesn''t trust me.


    "Listen. Stay here and think for a while. If you decide you want to come along, we both have a better shot at surviving and leaving this place."


    "Deino Deino."


    It nodded to me, curling up.


    "I''ll head out and check if I can find a way to the surface."


    It was up to Deino to decide whether wasting away in the caves would do it any good.


    Will it be like those fanfictions of my first meeting turning into friendship?


    I hoped those stories were right. Deino didn''t look thrilled about my offer when I left.

 Chapter 74 - My SI Stash #74 - World Eater by Wacko12 (Overlord&DxD)

    -OP MC(One of Strongest Players of YGGDRASIL) gets SI to Pre-DxD but there''s a time skip (1,700 years later)


    *DxD fanfic for Daoist721221~


    ( £Þ?£Þ)


    Sypnosis: One of the strongest players of YGGDRASIL, who took the power of a World Enemy, waits for the shutdown. But instead of being forcefully logged out, Magnus Dragan finds himself in an entirely new world. With his first meeting with a legendary magician, Magnus''s presence causes much change in this new world, from one of the strongest players to one of the strongest beings. OcXHarem.


    Rated: M


    Words: 57K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13067827/1/World-Eater (Wacko12)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    This is an idea I had for a while after reading Overlord and Highschool DXD. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and leave reviews of what you think.


    In the DMMO-RPG game called YGGDRASIL, dragons were hailed as the strongest race. They had powerful physical attacks, physical defense and endless stamina, and could use numerous special abilities and magic. That was why the player known as Magnus Dragan, chose the race as his character. He was one of the Beta testers when YGGDRASIL was being made, and thus was able to proceed further than most others. He also became the first player to become World Champion.


    Magnus was the type of person who liked to focus on offensive abilities, in both physical and magical combat and thus would select job classes that fit well with one another. He had some supportive and defensive abilities, but was not overall suited to serve as a tank. Magnus mostly relied on his racial traits and equipment for protection. In short he was like a jack of all trades but also a DPS, someone who who dealt massive damage but also focused little on defense, leaving that to his items and armor to cover that instead. Magnus also liked to explore and so joined a group of other players that desired to adventure and uncover the secrets of the game. They eventually became known as World Searcher, with him as guild master, and earned the second rank in YGGDRASIL guilds. Magnus''s and his friends'' efforts allowed him to obtain the job class World Disaster, which boasted the highest offensive magic caster job. He got it after defeating another player who was apart of guild that attempted to ambush World Searcher. Magnus would become one of the top three strongest players in YGGDRASIL.


    One day Magnus discovered a mythical ship that could be used as a mobile guild base, called the Ellida. With it, he also found one of the twenty World Items, World Savior. When powered up enough, it could take down nearly anyone. Recalling of another player who had managed to become a World Enemy, Magnus decided to use both Ellida and World Savior on the final boss, the World Enemy, a Dragon known as the Devourer of the Nine Worlds who, in YGGDRASIL Lore, was responsible for the scattering of the leaves that became World Items.


    So, Magnus and the guild faced off against the dragon. Ellida''s magical cannons were a considerable help in weakening the Devourer. After weakening it enough and bypassing most of its defensies, Magnus used World Savior to kill the World Eater. Along with being rewarded with various item drops and crystal data, Magnus also received the Dragon''s core, Malice Striker. The core granted him the stats and abilities of the World Eater, increasing his racial classes and job classes as well as turning Magnus into a World Enemy. With that, he rose up to the strongest player of YGGDRASIL, remaining virtually undefeated.


    Presently, Magnus was walking through Midgard, taking in the scenery of what he would imagine Earth would look like but without the pollution and corruption. He was wearing his Imperator of Dominance the World Champion class armor he won. It was a metallic grey armor with a large ruby gem in the center of the chest piece. In addition, it had a dark bluish grey fur collar and a black hood with golden trims that was raised over the helmet.


    He wanted to enjoy this as the last hour of YGGDRASIL was almost up before its shutdown, especially the ability to walk. The truth was that in real life, Magnus had suffered an injury that left him crippled. Fortunately, his family had powerful connections and given his own intellect, Magnus was able to get a job that he could do at home. That is how he was able to play on YGGDRASIL so much. Now, that would soon come to an end and would be forced back to reality. None of his other guildmates wanted to come, as they were too busy with real life matters. Not that Magnus blamed them for everything, they at least sent replies to the invitations, thanking him for all the fun adventures they had.


    "Still, I can''t believe I found World Savior again." Magnus mused as he looked at the majestic mace in his hand. "If an YGGDRASIL 2 is ever made, I hope I will still have all these stats and items."


    Wanting to see everything was in order, Magnus decided to quickly check his own status. Opening a holographic screen, Magnus observed his levels and stats.


    Name: Magnus Dragan


    Epithet: Primordial Dragon Emperor, Mystical Battle Dragon, and Devouring Dragon of Worlds


    Racial Classes:


    Dragonoid: 15


    Dragon: 10


    Dragon Monarch: 10


    Prime Dragon: 5


    Dragon God: 5


    World Eater: 5


    Etc. 150


    Job Classes:


    War Wizard: 10


    Armored Mage: 10


    Magic Knight: 10


    Great Sage: 10


    World Disaster: 5


    World Champion of Midgard: 5


    Etc. 250


    Total Level: 500 (Racial Class: 200/Job Class: 300)


    Karma: Lawful Neutral


    Ability Chart:


    HP: 100/95


    MP: 100+/100+


    PHYATK: 100/90


    PHYDEF: 100/85


    AGILITY: 100/85


    MAGATK: 100/95


    MAGDEF: 100/80


    RESISTANCE: 100/90


    SPECIAL: 100/100


    Total Stats: 900+/820+


    The reason why Magnus''s stats was like this was due to the trait of his World Enemy Class, Full Might. Full Might increases all his stats to 100, except for his MP as it had already exceeded 100 because of his [World Disaster] class. This was why World Enemies were considered powerful bosses, because of these cheat-like traits and skills. For his level, the reason was because World Enemies had level caps that exceeded the maximum, with the weakest being level 100. World Eater, the strongest World Enemy, was level 500. When Magnus took its power, he also became the same level as the World Eater. Of course, that didn''t mean Magnus could just pick any additional classes. He had to be sure that his job and racial classes would work well with one another and not hamper his capabilities.


    The player nodded. "Looks like everything is in order." He said as he removed the screen. He soon arrived too his destination.


    Magnus found himself on top of a cliff that overlooked the pure blue ocean. This was the place Magnus had appeared when he first started playing YGGDRASIL. Plus, he always did like the scenery the cliffside would give him. He would miss it as Earth didn''t have a view like this, not anymore. Not that he would be able to move outside much without the use of his legs.


    As only ten minutes remained, Magnus reached into his item box and pulled out something. He wanted to look at this item one last time, since it was the guild''s greatest creation. It was a 75 inches speared glaive-staff with a long single-edge pure silver blade with a golden colored guard and handle. The pommel of the handle was shaped like a small bulb. It''s name was World Glaive, the Guild Weapon of World Searcher. It was forged using a Caloric Stone, a unique world item when you gathered seven high-class minerals known as prismatic ore. It was infused with several divine-level gems and crystals that contained high-tier spells. Its powers were on par with World Items. As the Guild Master of World Searcher, it was a weapon that only Magnus could use.


    As he finished inspecting the weapon one last time, Magnus turned his attention back to the sunset, only thirty seconds remaining. "This was a lot of fun. Thanks for everything, YGGDRASIL." Magnus said solemnly as he felt his character''s vision fade the closer the time reached zero.


    23:59:55


    23:59:56


    23:59:57


    23:59:58


    23:59:59


    00:00:01


    00:00:02


    Something wasn''t right. That is what Magnus thought a few seconds after the supposed shutdown. Opening his eyes, the player saw that he was no longer on a cliff, overlooking the sea and sun going down. Now he was on a small hill, a lush, grass field around him and a forest behind him. White clouds moved across the clear blue sky, with a flock birds flying by overhead.


    "What the hell just happened?" Magnus asked out loud. He paused when he realized his voice was different and furthermore, his character''s mouth was actually moving. "What, what is this?"


    Magnus unconsciously took a step back, stumbled and fell on the ground. Though it wasn''t a pleasing landing, it didn''t hurt as Magnus was still wearing his armor and his own body was enhanced and more durable. At that moment, Magnus had felt two things attached to his back and realized that they were his dragon wings, as well as his tail. He immediately pushed his body back up and tried to catch his breath. ''The hell just happened? Wasn''t I just in YGGDRASIL as it was shutting down?'' He thought, before he calmed down a little. Magnus''s helmet retracted back into his armor, pushing his hood, revealing a light grey skinned humanoid face with white hair that reached his shoulders with a pair of pointed brown horns that were sticking out from it. The ears he possessed had pointed tips that were dyed gray. His eyes were a golden orange with slit black pupils of a feline. If one looked closely, they could see the faint signs of scales on Magnus''s face. The reason being was that Magnus was currently in his dragonoid form, which could switch between his human and dragon form at will.


    Slowly, Magnus removed his gauntlets, before feeling his face. It felt smooth and perfectly plain. Then his hand slid up higher into his hair. Again, the sensation was totally different to that of what he knew from his life in New York. The American-Irish Michael Walter did not have hair this smooth, or this color. He then looked at his legs, moving his feet and lifting them up. They felt so real, he could feel them, the nerves sending messages from the brain to the legs and feet. It had been so long since he walked, and yet he could do it naturally as if the accident never happened.


    ''How the hell can this even be possible? How can I even feel all this?'' Magnus asked himself. It shouldn''t really be possible to be able to feel the structures, the wind, temperature or other things with touch. No matter how good recent VR technology was, it simply couldn''t imitate the sensation of truly feeling something. The same was with other senses such as taste and smell, though it wasn''t so bad since Magnus had been in other less appetizing dungeons and areas.


    Magnus then turned his attention to his tail and wings. Slowly, he traced a finger down them, feeling how smooth the scales were and yet he could tell they were somehow equally hard, like blades that could cut through anything. He folded and unfolded his wings, gazing at how big they were, and then focused on his tail, having it move side to side and then up and down. It felt just like moving any of his appendages.


    Magnus''s musings were broken when he heard an explosion not too far away. Thanks to the enhanced senses of dragons, Magnus could easily tell which direction it was coming from. While normally a person would not go to where explosions were coming from, Magnus needed information and whoever was there could possibly give him it. Equipping his helmet back on, Magnus was about to run over there when he suddenly, almost instinctively, flexed his wings and took off into the air.


    Momentarily taken by surprise that he really flying, Magnus seemed to feel completely at ease while soaring through the air at a speed that would put a jetfighter too shame. It didn''t take him long to reach where the explosion was happening. Floating in the air, Magnus watched as a young white hair boy, probably around thirteen or fourteen, was trying to fend off what looked like seven demons. Magnus noticed how the boy was wielding a staff and seemed to be casting spells. The demons also appeared to be human looking, with none of the usual demonic-like features. They did have bat-like wings though. The teenager was blown away by an explosion caused by one of the demons and landed roughly on the ground. The demons appeared to be closing in for the kill.


    Magnus had no idea what was going on, but he couldn''t just leave that kid to fend for himself. ''Guess now''s a good time as any to see if I can use any of my abilities.'' He thought as he prepared a spell. [Maximize Dragon: Dragon Lightning!] From Magnus''s hand came a bolt of lightning in the form of a dragon. It shot straight towards the nearest demon. The lightning killed it automatically upon impact, the electricity amplified due to the demon wearing armor. His comrades had no time to react as the lightning attacked the next closes demon, giving the same results.


    Shocked, the young man and remaining demons all turned around to see Magnus above them. Several of the latter cried out in anger and conjured magical circles in front of their raised hands. ''That doesn''t look like magic from YGGDRASIL. I guess that means I really am in a different world.'' Magnus thought as he prepared to defend himself. His racial classes offered him protection against physical attacks from those level 60 and below, raised to level 75 thanks to gaining the World Enemy, as well as spells up to 7th Tier. Combined with his armor, Magnus should be able handle whatever kind of attacks the demon might use.


    All the spells were launched in unison, appearing as different colors. Magnus prepared to defend himself. To his surprise, though, the spells cast by the demons were weak. They didn''t do a lick of damage against him when they struck his body. If he had to estimate, Magnus would guess that they were at least 3rd tier. As the demons were still shocked that their attacks did nothing, Magnus retaliated. [Twin Maximize Magic: Chain Dragon Lightning!] And he fired two larger dragon-shaped lightning bolts at the demons. They electrocuted the first two demons to ashes before going after the remaining ones. They tried to flee but were not able to outrun the attacks and joined their comrades'' fate.


    With no more enemies around, Magnus descended to the ground beside the kneeling teenager. His thoughts were towards how easily he killed those demons, and the feeling, or lack thereof, he had. ''I don''t know if the people of this world are real or not, but I felt absolutely nothing after killing those demons. Is it because they weren''t human? Or maybe my character''s race is affecting me mentally?'' Magnus asked himself.


    Upon landing, the dragon saw that the kid was covered in bruises. Raising a hand, Magnus said, [Heal] and in seconds all the kid''s wounds were healed, and he looked good as new. The teenager was clearly shocked as he studied his now healed form. He then gave Magnus a hesitate glance.


    "It''s alright, I''m not going to hurt you." Magnus said softly. He offered the young man a hand who slowly took it. Helping the kid to his feet, Magnus took note of the brown robe the teen wore. Along with the staff and having casted magic earlier, the teen was obviously a magic caster.


    "Thanks" The male teen said. "Those Devils had been hounding me for weeks. I thought for sure they were going to kill me, or worse."


    The name he referred to those demons made Magnus arch an eyebrow. ''Devils? Not demons? Devils are supposed to be a higher form of demons. If that''s the case, then the standards of this world are low.'' He thought as he asked, "Why were those demons after you anyway?"


    "It''s because of my heritage." The teen said, a hint of shame in his voice. "I''m actually the bastard son of one of their leaders, who he had with a human woman." He glanced at Magnus wearily, as if expecting the armored man to attack him.


    As if reading his thoughts, Magnus waved a hand to reassure the teen. "I only killed them because they were attacking you. Unless you have a reason for me to be hostile, then there is no reason for me to attack you." His words seemed to reassure the teenager. "Anyway, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Magnus Dragan. And if you hadn''t noticed already, I am a dragon."


    The last part of Magnus''s sentence seemed to have caught the young man''s interest, as there was a spark of amazement at that. "It''s an honor to meet you, Sir Magnus. My name is Merlin Ambrosius." The now named Merlin revealed as he bowed his head.


    Magnus blinked under his helmet. "Huh?" Was all he could say, wondering if he misheard the kid calling himself one of the most famous folklore characters.


    And that does it for the prologue! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it was kind of short. For those who don''t know, World Searcher was a guild mentioned in the Web Novel. Again, be sure to leave a review!

 Chapter 75 - My SI Stash #75 - Cold Rebirth by XAgent-Venom666X (Dragon Ball Z)

    *SI as Cooler, he''s more aligned with the good. He won''t be pulling a Kaneki pfp and go full edge villain acts. Author''s asking readers which Broly to use, the one from Super or from DBZ, answer in the comments~ Tights/Cooler pairing


    ( £Þ?£Þ)


    Sypnosis: One moment I''m living a normal life, the next I''m accepting an offer that has me reborn in the body of an intergalactic tyrant. With a universe I know a lot about, and incredible power at my fingertips, my path has no limits. But this universe will need all the help it can get to survive. They already have enough heroes...time to show them what a monster can do. SI/Cooler


    Rated: T


    Words: 36K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13273243/1/Cold-Rebirth


    (XAgent-Venom666X) *epic name*


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2


    A/N: Been an active fan of Dragonball Z since I was a kid, and since I first discovered Fanfiction I''ve wanted to do a DBZ story of my own. And with Super coming out long ago, two more movies and FighterZ being as popular as it is I figured it was time to put one up.


    From what I''ve seen, there have been a lot of SI/OC inserts in the form of reincarnation, dimension hopping or even time travel (Xenoverse) and became either a Saiyan or a Gamer. But not a whole lot of them involved someone becoming a member of Frieza''s race.


    In this particular story, it''s not only an insert, but one where a villain that was only seen in a couple of movies has a chance for a different path that will alter the very fabric of Universe-7 and the many events to follow.


    Disclaimer: I don''t own DBZ.


    X


    "Fate is never fair. You are caught in a current much stronger than you are; struggle against it and you''ll drown not just yourself but those who try to save you. Swim with it, and you''ll survive." -Cassandra Claire


    X


    He felt weightlessness, floating through an endless void as some higher power decided where he would go to spend eternity.


    So he continued to wait, hours, days, weeks, he couldn''t tell how much had passed. Here, time meant nothing. After floating through the darkness for another spell of time he felt himself slip into a kind of meditative trans, blurring the line between awake and asleep even though he couldn''t achieve either one in his current state of existence.


    Then he felt it.


    It was subtle at first, a pulse of warmth that echoed through his being. Giving him the feeling of being in a body again. But it slowly faded away as quickly as it came.


    A few moments passed then he felt another pulse, this one stronger, filling him much more quickly than the last and lasted longer before it faded away.


    Before he could think on the anomaly any more a third pulse hit him, so strong that he felt as though the wind was knocked out of him. A bright, white light pierced the darkness, blinding him as he was pulled harshly from it...


    X


    A loud gasp of air ripped from my lungs as I jolted awake, taking in huge gulps of air as my vision was blocked by bright sunlight. My heart beating like a jackhammer in my chest while my mind went into panic mode as I tried desperately to get his bearings.


    Once I was calm enough to actually think, I rolled onto my side and found myself laying in a soft patch of grass beside a small stream that trickled softly as it flowed by. The air was calm, warm, which filled me with an odd sense of peace.


    Looking up into the sky, I blinked when I saw multiple planetoid-like shapes hovering high above. Although that paled in comparison to what else he had seen when he looked up.


    Scrambling over to the stream, I looked at my reflection and was both stunned and horrified to see, directly above his head and glowing an ethereal white light, was a halo. Similar to the ones people hear and read about in in books about angels


    Slowly, I reached a shaking hand up and attempted to touch the floating ring, only for my fingers to pass through it.


    That was when I remembered what had happened before...the accident;


    Bright lights. Metal crushing and glass shattering. Pain...numbness...then the feeling of floating away.


    "I...I died..." I muttered, still in shock, lowering my arm and sitting there in stunned silence. My mind all over the place and my heart beating frantically...wait...


    "How can my heart beat if I''m dead?" I wondered, checking my pulse to see if the vital organ was indeed beating. None of this made sense, then again, no one really could tell anyone else what it was like to die or what happens after.


    Standing up, I took in the landscape that stretched out around me. The oddly colored grass, trees and other plants covering the ground, the large mountains and hills in the distance, it wasn''t what I had been expecting for the afterlife.


    Was this heaven? Purgatory? It certainly didn''t look like any kind of Hell ever mentioned. So where was I?


    "This place looks more like an alien planet instead of heaven." I couldn''t help but comment while my gaze swept over the otherworldly landscape.


    "Quite an astute observation."


    I spun around when I heard the statement and found myself in the presence of a tall man dressed in an elegant robes with pale-blue skin and gravity defying white hair. A large, glowing blue ring hovered around his neck, and in his hand was a long staff with a black orb with another ring around it floating above the top.


    "Then again, what is heaven but alien to those who have never seen it?" the man pondered in a calm, flamboyant tone.


    "W-What...who..." I muttered, unable to form words. But something in the back of my mind was nagging at me, that he was somehow familiar.


    The man giggled, "My you are an interesting one. So full of life, yet cut so short. Sad really." he finished with a somber tone.


    "Are...Are you God?" I finally asked, causing the being to laugh again.


    "You mortals and your fairy tales. Although not far from the mark if I were to be honest. I am an angel, you may call me Whis." the man, Whis, said with a sweeping bow. "And I would bet my favorite confection that you are full of questions."


    I nodded, another wave of nostalgia hitting me but I was too occupied with trying to come to grips with what is happening. "Well, to sum things up simply, you are indeed dead. Although you put up a good fight toward the end, it was an inevitability that couldn''t be avoided."


    A slow breath escaped, my shoulders sagging as the truth settled over me once again. It was undeniable, considering I had a halo and was currently talking with an angel at the moment.


    "What happens now?" I asked after a few moments.


    Whis shrugged a shoulder, "In most cases, you are sent to a particular afterlife befitting your character. However, you are a rather special case. Which is why I am here."


    "Special how?"


    "The people I work with have a tendency to notice certain mortals with traits that mark them as something of interest." explained the angel, "You''ve had a rather interesting life, albeit an up and down one, but you show a strong will and dedication within your soul. Thus, I was sent here before you were sent to the beyond. I''m here to offer you a choice."


    I blinked owlishly, "...A choice?"


    Whis hummed while nodding, "You can either A) continue on your way to the next life you were meant for. Or B) be sent to a new reality where you can start again."


    The offer was, for all intents and purposes, a very shocking one. How many people could say that they died and were literally offered another chance? It had taken me a few seconds before I could respond.


    "What do you mean by a ''new reality''? And what world would I be sent to if I chose option B?" I eventually asked. Although the idea of living again was too good to pass up, I wanted to know all the variables before I made my choice.


    Usually if something was too good to be true, then it most likely was.


    "You honestly didn''t think that your reality was the only one in existence did you?" Whis said with a light laugh. "And as for where, what would the fun be in simply telling you? But rest assured, it is one that you know well and will have a great deal of fun with."


    Even though he was willing to accept the fact that he had died, he felt that he wasn''t ready to go to the other side just yet. And the option to go to another world? It was too good to pass up.


    "As much as going onto the afterlife seems appealing. I don''t think I''m ready to take that adventure." I thought to myself, already coming to a decision. "I''ll take option B. I''m not ready to throw in the towel just yet."


    Whis smiled, "Marvelous. Now then," he twirled his staff, the orb on the end glowing before he pointed it at me. "You may feel just a bit of discomfort."


    Before I could question what he meant, a beam of light shot from the end of the staff and struck me in the chest. My vision blanked out and everything went dark once again.


    X 3rd Person POV X


    Whis lowered his staff when the young man vanished from sight, his calm smile still in place. "Best of luck to you, my young friend."


    "You honestly believe that his presence while make any sort of difference?"


    The angel turned his attention to the being that had just appeared beside him. A thin, humanoid cat with purple skin dressed in Egyptian style clothing.


    "That would depend on him and the actions that he takes. But things will certainly become more interesting for the universe. That much I can say." replied Whis.


    Humming, the feline-being turned and began walking away, "I''m going back to sleep. Wake me if anything interesting happens."


    "Of course, Lord Beerus."


    X 1st Person POV X


    I found myself in the darkness again, but I could hear the dull thump of a heart beating echoed from somewhere close along with a series of beeping and muffled voices.


    Time seemed to go on forever, seconds, minutes, hours, it was hard to say exactly how long I was simply floating there. But then, as quickly as I found myself in the darkness, light filled my vision just as quickly, all of the early sounds now crystal clear.


    "Unbelievable...his power level readings..." a voice spoke with a slight hiss.


    "Contact the King, NOW!" another bellowed


    There was a lot of movements, but my eyes had finished adjusting enough for me to see that I was in some kind of medical center or laboratory surrounded by a half dozen strange creatures wearing body armor and medical coats.


    I tried to move, but only managed to bring my arms and legs into my line of sight to reveal, to my shock, deep purple skin. I still had five fingers on each hand, but I only had three toes on each foot, and an odd movement at the base of my spine revealed a long tail the same color my skin currently was.


    A soft hiss was heard and all sound came to an abrupt end save for the medical equipment around the room. Turning my head as best I could, I saw a creature that towered over everyone else. Wearing a set of royal armor and a long flowing cape, his skin was a lighter shade than what mine had become and a series of white bio-armor plates on his arms, legs and around his head which also had a pair of long black horns stretching upward.


    "My Lord." One of the scientists groveled, kneeling before the intimidating being. "He was birthed moments ago, our readings show his power to be beyond our expectations. He should grow into a fine heir."


    A blade-like smile stretched across the ''King''s'' face as he approached, looking down at my small form with piercing red eyes.


    "What will you name him, Lord Cold?" asked one of the other beings in the room.


    His red eyes met mine, most likely thinking over the question before he spoke in a deep baritone filled with both power and arrogance;


    "Cooler."


    X


    A/N: And it has begun. The next chapter will be a timeskip into the future while more of ''Cooler''s'' origins get revealed through discussions and flashbacks. And as I stated previously, the original timeline for DBZ will be changed due to this development, but by how much I can''t quite say for the time being.


    Also, I am hoping to make a pairing later down the road. Any and all ideas are appreciated while I work to get this story off the ground.


    Read, review, and I''ll see you lot next time!


    Chapter 2


    A/N: Looks like I''m not the only one who things Cooler deserved more face-time in the series, if the many reviews, PMs, favs and follows are anything to go by.


    Because of the early success of this story, I started rewatching the DBZ series and reading the appropriate lore needed to make sure that I was as accurate as possible with the details. The real trouble I had was when in the timeline I should introduce Cooler/SI into the series. And as I watched...it came to me.


    So I decided on a small Saga within the series that many may not have thought of. And given this knowledge, I figured this part of the series could use a little...fan-tune up. But I''ll let you all be the judge in the end.


    (Disclaimer: I still own nothing.)


    "My Lord." One of the scientists groveled, kneeling before the intimidating being. "He was birthed moments ago, our readings show his power to be beyond our expectations. He should grow into a fine heir."


    A blade-like smile stretched across the ''King''s'' face as he approached, looking down at my small form with piercing red eyes.


    "What will you name him, Lord Cold?" asked one of the other beings in the room.


    His red eyes met mine, most likely thinking over the question before he spoke in a deep baritone filled with both power and arrogance;


    "Cooler."


    X Age 763 - Many Years Later X


    Deep within the vastness of space, among the many stars and planets, a lone space pod in the shape of a sphere could be seen flying through the vacc.u.m. A single round window facing the direction it was heading that the sole occupant would be able to see the many views they passed by.


    But they weren''t concerned with the sights.


    Within the pod, a lone figure reclined in the only seat. A tattered cloak shrouding their form and arms crossed over their chest, eyes closed and mind centered as they waited for their trip to come to an end.


    An untold amount of time had passed since he was reborn in this universe, and it took him less than a day to completely figure out where he had ended up and who had sent him here. And when he did...he realized that his life had been completely turned on its head.


    He''d been a big fan of Dragonball while growing up, and had started getting into the Super-saga before the accident that ended up killing him. And now he was part of the same universe that had once been a dream to him as a child...but he wasn''t prepared for exactly ''WHO'' he would end up being reborn as.


    Growing up again by itself was a challenge, but growing up as part of a powerful alien dynasty that pretty much owned most of the galaxy was a whole new ball game.


    He''d come close to death more times than he cared to remember. The training he had to undergo bordering on sadistic. But through sheer will, dedication and a little luck, he''d managed to thrive. He learned everything he needed to in order to survive in this new universe, he became stronger, and all the while handling things HIS way whenever the opportunity presented itself.


    Even though he still remembered his old life fondly, this was his life now. And with everything he knew was going to happen within the next two decades he had many plans set in place to ensure that this universe and the trillions of innocent lives that inhabit it aren''t extinguished.


    The first few steps had already been taken, and he was now on his way to the one place where many of the future events would reach their peak.


    "Destination closing. Estimated time of arrival...1 hour." the onboard computer reported.


    Red eyes snapped open beneath the hood hiding his face and gazed out the window before him as the green and blue planet came into view and was drawing ever closer.


    "Earth...can''t remember the last time I saw it up close." he spoke with a deep voice. A long, dark-purple tail slithered out of the cloak and hit a couple of switches on the pod''s controls in preparation for entry. A smirk spreading across his face.


    "Time to make an entrance."


    X


    Enroute to Kami''s lookout, both Gohan and Krillin froze mid-flight. The half-saiyan child and former monk turning their attention above them.


    "Gohan...you feel that?" asked Krillin, sweat dripping down from his forehead.


    "Y-Yeah. What is it?" Gohan wondered, sensing a power level neither of them had felt before getting closer.


    "I don''t know. But I doubt it''s anything good. First the Black Mist affecting everyone, now this...We better get our hands on that Sacred Water and fast." said the former monk as they charged up and flew faster.


    X


    He''d expected many things when he reached the planet''s surface. But to see the locals going completely crazy and attacking each other wasn''t one of them.


    From the top of a tall building, beneath his cloak, he watched with critical eyes as the people of Earth acted like a strange combination of zombie and vampire. He could also feel a heavily negative miasma in the air, something airborne was affecting them.


    It took him a few seconds before he was able to remember what was happening and who was responsible.


    Closing his eyes, he stretched his senses outward. Locating a cl.u.s.ter of descent sized power levels on the far side of the planet.


    "There." he thought, eyes opening before to took to the air and shot off in that direction. Energy flowing around his form as he traveled faster than any man-made construction in existence and reaching his destination in a matter of minutes.


    Finding a large tower that stretched into the sky above, he adjusted his flight and followed it. Passing the peak of the structure and continuing toward the signatures he had picked up until he caught sight of a large platform shaped like a half-sphere floating high above the planet.


    His energy flowed brighter as he flew even faster, objective in sight as he cleared the island-like structure and landed a foot from the edge. His sudden arrival stopping all activity that had been going on moments before.


    X


    Garlic Jr. looked upon the new arrival curiously from his newly made throne within Kami''s old temple. A tattered cloak shrouding them from his gaze.


    Mustard and Salt had stopped their pummeling of Goku''s son and friend as their attention turned to the unwanted guest. Spice and Vinegar, the former who was still holding Piccolo who had a moment ago acted like a rabid animal was now strangely docile, also blinked in surprise.


    "Well, well. Now who might this be?" wondered the Immortal villain as he rose from his throne. "A weary traveler who lost his way?"


    His henchmen chuckled at the joke, "Dunno, boss. Maybe we should show him the correct direction." Vinegar replied, cracking his large knuckles.


    Piccolo was frozen in place, body shaking a bit as he felt the power radiating off the unknown being. It was bigger than his own my a wide margin, and felt very familiar but at the same time different. Neither he, nor Gohan or Krillin could take them on and hope to survive.


    Despite his earlier plans in fooling Garlic Jr. and his lackeys, if this was another enemy they had to face, then they were as good as dead.


    The stranger said nothing as he observed the ruined Lookout, taking in their surroundings almost casually.


    "Hey! You stupid or somethin''?" Mustard bellowed, the goblin-like being taking his foot off Gohan''s chest and approaching them. "Unless you wanna have a go at us, you better get lost before-"


    Whatever he was about to say next was cut off when a beam of orange ki shot through the air and pierced right through the center of his forehead. The attack originating from the stranger''s outstretched finger.


    The air became very still. Then Mustard fell face-first to the ground. Dead.


    "MUSTARD!" Salt roared, charging across the lookout like a raging bull. "YOU BASTARD! YOU''RE GONNA PAY!"


    He swung at the stranger, only for his fist to pass through empty air. Shocked, he spun around only to be met with a purple colored palm aimed up at his face. A brief second passed before a blast of energy was fired, the disciple of Garlic Jr. was thrown backwards, his head vaporized from his shoulders as his body toppled off the edge of the Lookout and fell through the clouds below.


    "He...He killed them..." Spice muttered in shock, seeing his comrades'' demise.


    "Vinegar, kill him!" Garlic Jr. ordered. His larger disciple roared and fired a barrage of ki blasts, each one hitting their target and kicking up a cloud of dust and smoke. Vinegar launched forward, stopping right infront of where the stranger had been and fired an energy beam right through the cloud.


    "That''s for Salt and..." the large being trailed off when the smoke cleared and his supposed victim was nowhere to be seen. "W-WHAT?! Where did they-" a foot connected with the back of his head sending him smashing to the tiled floor beneath him.


    Spice threw Piccolo aside as he rushed in to help, trying to get the stranger from behind only to receive an elbow to the stomach followed by an uppercut that launched him into the air.


    The pale man tried to regain himself only for the stranger to appear above him and slam both knees into his chest sending him crashing to the ground.


    Both men struggled to their feet while their enemy landed a couple meters away from them. "Spice, what the hell is this guy?!" said Vinegar.


    "I don''t know. But if we work together we should be able to put him down!" Spice said back as they both charged their ki and focused it on a joint attack.


    The stranger remained where he was, seemingly not threatened by what was coming as his opponents charged their attack.


    "EAT THIS!" both disciples shouted as a powerful blast was sent his way. The attack closing distance fast while their target remained immobile.


    At the last second, the stranger swung his right arm. Swatting the attack aside and sending it harmlessly off into the air behind him.


    Spice and Vinegar froze in shock at their attack being easily deflected. But couldn''t think on it long as the stranger vanished from sight.


    "Where''d he go?!" Vinegar demanded, he and Spice standing back to back to avoid getting caught by surprise.


    "Keep your eyes open, he''s gotta be here somewhere!" Spice said back as they looked in every direction. The wind picked up, blowing bits of debris around the Lookout and leaving a sense of foreboding around the duo.


    They kept searching, trying to find any sign of the cloaked man but couldn''t seem to locate him.


    "Grrrrr...Come out you coward!" Vinegar bellowed.


    As if on command, the stranger appeared between them. Both turned to attack only to get a hard kick to the stomach each, sending them stumbling back away from one another. Vinegar growled and fired ki blast after ki blast, each one being deflected with ease as the stranger got in his personal space and slammed a fist in his gut hard enough to double him over.


    Spice charged the stranger from behind, only to have something long and purple strike him across the face hard enough to send him to the ground again.


    Turning around to face his other opponent, the stranger''s newly revealed tail came up and coiled around Vinegar''s neck. Tightening hard and bringing the large man to his knees , grabbing the limb and tried to get free as it started to strangle him.


    Spice looked on from the ground, unable to move as the stranger leered down at him. The shadow of his hood revealing nothing of the one beneath it while his comrade continued to wheeze and gag with the lack of oxygen.


    A sudden shift from his tail and a loud crack was heard. Vinegar went limp, eyes rolling into the back of his head after having his neck broken. The tail uncoiled allowing his body to collapse to the ground.


    It was enough for Spice as he scrambled to his feet, overcome by fear as he took to the air and blasted away.


    He barely made it too far before the stranger appeared before him. Grabbing Spice by the face and shooting back downward where he slammed him into the ground with enough force to shake the entire Lookout.


    When the dust settled, it showed the stranger standing over Spice who was laid out in a small crater made from his own body. His armor torn and cracked with several broken bones visible in his arms and legs.


    Looking down at the battered and broken fighter. Through the pain wracking his body, Spice looked back, catching a glimpse of a pair of crimson colored orbs leering at him from beneath the cloak''s hood.


    "P-Please...mercy..." Spice wheezed, coughing up blood.


    His answer was a finger pointed at him before another beam of energy lanced forth. Ending his life quickly.


    On the other side of the Lookout. Gohan, Krillin and Piccolo were stalk-still, pale and sweating more than a little. The four men in service to Garlic Jr. that had been beating them had all been decimated by one being. And to their ever growing shock and fear, the stranger''s power hadn''t fluctuated once since he arrived, meaning that he was either suppressing his energy very well...or he was hardly trying.


    None of them could tell which was scarier.


    "Who...Who is he..." Krillin stuttered, forgetting the pain he had been in minutes ago. "I haven''t felt something like this since..."


    "Since Namek." Gohan finished, swallowing thickly.


    Piccolo remained silent. Preparing himself in anyway he could incase this new arrival turned on them next.


    From his throne, Garlic Jr. growled through tightly clenched teeth. All of his loyal followers, gone. Dispatched as though they were nothing by this one wretch!


    Who did he think he was?! HE was Garlic Jr.! No one made a mockery of him and lived to tell about it!


    "Seems I need to get a better batch of henchmen." he stated, rising from his throne and setting the glass bottle that held Kami down beside the one that held Mr. Popo. "I''d offer you a place in my new world, but I''m afraid you have pushed past the point of no return." he stepped out of the temple and approached the stranger, who had yet to move from Spice''s corpse. "So it would seem I will have to deal with you and the other wretches myself!"


    Garlic Jr. channeled energy to his hands and fired it at the stranger. But he simple vanished before the attack could hit home.


    "Damn it! Now where are you?!" the tiny villain shouted.


    The sound of shattered glass filled the air, all eyes shot to Garlic Jr.''s throne where the stranger stood with the prison bottles in hand. The tops broken off and sending out grey smoke as he tossed them to the ground where they exploded.


    In moments, both Kami and Popo stood free and back to their original sizes.


    "We''re free Kami!" the Genie said jovially.


    "Indeed we are, Popo." replied the Elder Namek before he looked upon their savior.


    "No! What have you done!" Garlic Jr. shouted, taking to the air and launching toward them. The stranger turned his head at the coming threat and ducked, the Makyan leader flying over his head before snapping a hand out and grabbing Jr.''s cape.


    Yanking back, he slammed Garlic Jr. onto the ground before spinning and throwing him though a wall and back out onto the Lookout''s courtyard. Skidding along the tiles before he managed to stop himself and levitate back to his feet.


    "I don''t know who you think you are, but you won''t get in the way of my revenge!" the Makyan shouted, his small body vibrating in fury.


    Just as quickly, his anger subsided and a vicious grin appeared. "You don''t even understand the forces at work. Allow me to show you." Garlic Jr. pointed upward, drawing everyone''s attention to a glowing red light in the sky. "The Makyo Star! My home, and the source of my power! It''s warm glow revives me and fills me with incredible strength! And after 5,000 years it''s made it here to Earth!"


    "That''s how he escaped the Deadzone!" Kami said in alarm. "I should have seen this coming...should have known."


    "You should have, old man." Garlic Jr. continued, "Because now that the Makyo Star has come, I will be ten times more powerful than I ever was before! There''s nothing any of you can do to stop me from making this planet my own!"


    Holding out his arms, the Makyan began to channel energy within himself while at the same time absorbing the power emitting from the red star above. The ground beneath him caved inward from the output of power, the Lookout began to shake violently, lightning flashing as Garlic Jr. began to change. His clothing save for his pants tore away as he grew bigger and bigger, until he was roughly ten feet tall and looking like a wall of muscle.


    When it was over, the now full strength Garlic Jr. skulked out of the small crater his powerup had created. "Do you see now?" the villain spoke, his voice deep and demonic after changing with the rest of his body. "You''re efforts are for naught, this is where you all will die!"


    "P-Piccolo...what do we do?" asked Gohan, the unbelievable power from Garlic Jr. spreading all over the Lookout like a dense fog.


    Piccolo grit his teeth, fists clenched as he prepared to do whatever it took to put this monster down for good.


    The only one seemingly unfazed by the transformation was the cloaked stranger. He stepped calmly out of the temple and made his way across the courtyard with no rush in his movements.


    Holding out his hand, a sphere of orange ki was formed above his palm. Arcs of red electricity crackling along its surface.


    "Fool! Do you really think that you can defeat ME?! I AM GARLIC JR.! NO ONE CAN HOPE TO SURPASS MY POWER!"


    The stranger continued his walk, the sphere of energy in his hand glowing brighter with each step before he stopped a good enough distance from the villain. And with a flick of his wrist, sent the ball of ki flying.


    Only it didn''t go for Garlic Jr...Instead it shot straight into the air, toward the Makyo Star.


    "WHAT?!" Garlic Jr. roared as the attack vanished from sight. Seconds later, a massive explosion erupted in the sky where the source of his power had been. "NOOOOOOOOO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"


    With the dark energy emitting from the star cut off, the Makyan leader started to shrink until he was brought back to his original size and collapsed to his hands and knees.


    "...This...This can''t be...How could this have happened?!" Garlic Jr. muttered in sorrow. A shadow cast over his small frame and he looked up to see the one who had destroyed his carefully laid plans with little effort. The stranger looked down at him as if he were a whimpering child, mocking him!


    "You..." Garlic Jr. hissed, energy gathering to his hands. "DIE!" he screamed, firing with everything he had. The attack striking home and created an explosion that kicked up a large cloud of debris.


    Everyone who had been watching tensed when the sneak attack hit the stranger, dead on. All of them thinking the worst.


    The dust began to settle, all in attendance were in for a shock when they saw their mysterious guest not only still standing and unharmed...but with his cloak mostly destroyed revealing the one who had been under it.


    Gohan, Piccolo and Krillin turned sickly pale, eyes wide and shaking in place as they took in the being before them. Standing as tall as the Namekian with dark purple skin with a tail nearly as long as his body waving behind him. His forearms and shins were covered in white bio-armor along with his upper body from his shoulders to below his sternum.


    His head was also encased in bio-armor like a helmet with a long, dark-blue bio-gem in the center. A pair of red eyes leered down at the tiny villain that had fired at him, his angular face having a smirk spreading over it as he took in Garlic Jr.''s now terrified form.


    "Well, so much for the surprise." the stranger finally spoke with a deep tone, grabbing the burnt remains of his cloak and throwing it aside. "But I guess it couldn''t be avoided."


    Garlic Jr. screamed as he started firing ki blasts. Each one carelessly swatted aside with one hand as the stranger approached the Makyan. Grabbing the small creature by his throat and bringing him up to eye level.


    "You made three mistakes. The first was trying to take over this world." a fist was driven into Garlic Jr.''s stomach, sending spit and blood flying from his mouth. "The second was bragging about the source of your power." another punch, this one joined by the sound of bones breaking.


    "And three, showing that ugly mug of yours in broad daylight." the stranger uppercut the villain into the air, leaping after him and smashing him back to the ground where he landed hard and made a crater on impact.


    Landing at the edge, he held out a finger and charged ki to the tip preparing to fire.


    Despite the pain of his injuries, Garlic Jr. laughed. "F-Fool...I a made myself immortal! Y-You can''t kill me no matter what you-"


    A second finger was raised and two beams of energy launched forth. Hitting both of the Makyan''s eyes and causing him to scream in agony. "MY EYES!"


    "You''re the fool." the stranger said with contempt. "Only the weak choose immortality over strength. The fact you made yourself this way only proves how weak you truly are." He put a three-toed foot on the still screaming Garlic Jr.''s head. "Now, take a nice long nap, cabbage patch."


    He slammed the Makyan''s skull into the ground with tremendous force. His immortality keeping him from death, but the impact had knocked the tiny villain out cold.


    When he was sure that Garlic Jr. was out, the stranger turned his attention to the others on the Lookout who all flinched back from his gaze.


    "F-Frieza..." Krillin stuttered in fear, "But...how? Goku killed him. Didn''t he?"


    "I am not Frieza." the stranger said, crossing his arms, "The name''s Cooler...Frieza''s older brother. Though I use the term very lightly."


    "B-Brother?" asked Gohan.


    Cooler rolled his eyes at their misplaced fear, "Relax, if I wanted you all dead I wouldn''t have stepped in to help."


    "You expect us to believe that?!" Piccolo shouted, "We know what Frieza''s capable of! If you expect us to simply trust you because you dealt with Garlic Jr. and his lackeys, you got another thing coming!"


    "And yet, I''m not standing here bragging about my ''superior power'' while slowly beating you around to make you fell weak and helpless." Cooler replied with a deadpan tone, "Believe it or not, I''m not my ego-maniacal little brother."


    "Enough, all of you." said Kami as he and Mr. Popo came out of the temple, the Genie holding a strange bottle that he carried over to the edge of the Lookout and opened, spilling its contents over the world below. "He is no threat to any of us."


    Piccolo looked at Earth''s guardian bewildered, "Have you completely lost it, old man!"


    The older Namekian turned his attention to Cooler, "I felt your energy approaching long before Garlic Jr. came. I was concerned at first, but I sensed no malevolence in your aura."


    "I purposely raised my power to be detected." replied Cooler, "I figured it would be polite to announce myself before arriving. But I wasn''t expecing the whole world to be in the middle of a riot."


    Kami nodded, "I thank you for the help, the Earth would have been lost in darkness had it not been for your intervention." Mr. Popo came up to his side with a now empty bottle.


    "The Sacred Water has been spread across the Earth, Kami. The effects of the Black Water Mist has ended."


    "As grateful as we are for your assistance, it still leaves the question of why you are here." said the Earth''s Guardian.


    Cooler was silent for a moment, "Before I go into any details, I think its best if the Earth''s defenders are all here. I''d prefer not to repeat myself too much, to be honest."


    "And what is so important that everyone has to be here?" asked Piccolo skeptically and still untrusting of their guest.


    The oldest son of the Cold family turned to the Namekian fighter with a serious expression. "How about information that my revenge-fueled little brother is still alive?" That statement caused all the air to vanish in the immediate area for those who had fought the tyrant. "I take it that fits the meaning of ''important''?" he added rhetorically.


    X


    A/N: And the ''Garlic Jr. Saga'' comes to a quicker, more brutal, end. With ''Cooler'' being classified as an Anti-Hero, I made damn sure he fit the part while using what I know about Punisher, Venom and Deadpool. So expect more kickass finishers and maybe a few wisecracks in the near future.


    Next time, the rest of the Z-Fighters meet our protagonist. And they will learn far more than they could hope from what he has to tell them.


    Keep reading and reviewing folks. Next installment already in the works.

 Chapter 76 - My SI Stash #76 - Red Dead Salvation by Spartan Joseph-122 (Red Dead Redemption)

    *SI into RDD, before the Blackwater Massacre~


    (£à_¡ä)©g Story for the real gamers


    Sypnosis: What if you had a chance to make a difference for the lives of so many people? Even if those people weren''t real in your time? Thomas White, a city boy from the present time finds himself brought into the world of RDR2 in the year 1899. He knows how the game ends originally but now has a chance to make changes for the Van Der Linde Gang. Rated M for violence, language and s.e.x.


    Rated: M


    Words: 60K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13144910/1/Red-Dead-Salvation (Spartan Joseph-122)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2


    Red Dead Salvation


    Foreword


    My name is Thomas White. My friends and family usually refer to me as Tom. When I was little, everyone called me Tommy.


    To anyone who reads this journal, know that everything I write is the absolute truth. No matter how strange it all sounds, I promise that none of this is made up.


    If this journal is found in my dimension, this is the story of how I survived a completely new world and made changes in the lives of my new friends and the people I have grown to love. And how it changed me into a better man.


    And to anyone who finds this in the world I was brought into, this is the story of a man from another time and place. And how I was able to change the world for the people I grew to love and care about.


    These people are:


    Dutch Van Der Linde


    Hosea Matthews


    Arthur Morgan


    John Marston


    Bill Williams


    Javier Escuella


    Abigail Roberts Marston


    Jack Marston


    Mary-Beth Gaskill


    Charles Smith


    Lenny Summers


    Molly O''Shea


    Sadie Adler


    Tilly Jackson


    Sean McGuire


    Reverend Orville Swanson


    Susan Grimshaw


    Kieran Duffy


    Karen Jones


    Simon Pearson


    Uncle


    Josiah Trelawny


    Leopold Strauss


    These people took me in when no one else would. This is the story of how I was taken from one and into another one.


    December 10, 2018


    To anyone who finds this journal and has already noticed that I''m from the future, bear in mind that I''m from another dimension in which the events that happen in this story did not happen in my country''s history. Meaning that while the events that have happened are real, they weren''t real in my world.


    But here''s a little backstory of my life.


    At the time of this entry, I''m 28 years old, 6'' tall, 200 pounds and an average build. And so, you all know what I look like, I''m a Caucasian with brown hair and blue eyes. And preferably I liked having facial hair but because of the job I had, I either had to keep it short or had to shave it frequently.


    I was living in New York City with my dad, stepmom and our two pets. A dog named Tucker and a cat named Bootsie (out of those two pets, I miss Bootsie the most). I had an older sister who had recently married her boyfriend after being together for 10 years. I lived a relatively peaceful life and nothing exciting. Little did I know how much that was about to change.


    I had just returned home from work. It was another long night at the job. But the job paid well and the people I worked for appreciated what I do for them. I worked the night shift 5 nights a week and I usually slept during the day. My usually routine was that I would come home, take care of the pets, get something to eat, take a shower and then go to sleep. Sometimes I would play a game before I go to bed. And ever since Red Dead Redemption 2 came out, I''ve been unable to put It down. I had already beaten the game once and I wanted to see what would happen if I had made some different changes.


    After I took care of the pets and got some breakfast, I decided to play for a while before I took a shower. I had just started a new game and was watching the opening cutscene when all the sudden I started to feel really dizzy. At first, I thought it was because I was tired. But there have been times where I didn''t go to bed until noon, so I knew it wasn''t that. I then thought maybe I ate something funny, but It wasn''t anything I didn''t normally eat in the morning. The last thing I remember was that I fell back into my bed and I lost consciousness.


    When I awoke, I found myself laying on the floor and I was in another city. But it was a lot smaller than Manhattan and It looked as if it wasn''t finished being built yet. Buildings were still under construction and there was more space than anything in Manhattan.


    When I stood up, I realized that I was still wearing the clothes I was wearing when I lost consciousness. I was wearing a black Express shirt, a pair of jeans and my timberland boots. I also still had my wallet, my keys, pocket knife and my cellphone in my pockets. I reached for my cellphone and called my dad but there was no answer. It said the number I was calling wasn''t in service. I tried calling my mom, my sister and my brother-in-law and got the same results.


    I turned off my phone and decided to ask anyone around If they could help me. As I started to look around, I had a feeling that I was in some real deep shit. Because when I looked at the people in the town, I realized that they were all wearing clothes like the ones you would see in a spaghetti western or any other western movie for that matter.


    I had turned the corner of the street when I bumped into a young lady. She had reddish brown hair, freckles on her face and the most beautiful blue eyes I''ve ever seen on a woman.


    "Beg your pardon miss."


    "No trouble at all sir."


    But as she was turning the corner, I couldn''t help but feel as if I''ve seen her before. I was about to continue my way when I heard screaming coming from the direction I had just left. I ran back and saw the young lady being held by the throat by another man. The man had the look of a thug. Someone you didn''t want to mess with. He looked all muscles and little to no brains. He was about 6''6 feet tall. I heard him say to her:


    "You little bitch! You think you can steal from me and get away with it?!"


    "I haven''t taken anything from you sir! Now please let me go! You''re hurting me!"


    "Oh, I''m about to do a lot more than hurt you! Oh, don''t worry. I''m not going to damage your pretty face. The rest of your body, on the other hand, I intend to do a lot to."


    As soon as I heard that, and I saw the way he looked at her, I knew I had to do something. No matter where I was, I would try to help someone. It was in my nature to help anyone in need. I stepped out and shouted:


    "Hey!"


    He turned around and saw me standing with a small pocket knife in my hand.


    "Put the lady down and walk away."


    The let her go and said to me:


    "F.u.c.k off freak! This is none of your business!"


    "You are holding that little lady and what you plan to do to her makes it my business."


    "Why? Do you know her?!"


    "No. But if there''s anything I hate more in this world is a bully. And you''re nothing more than bully who''s so ugly he''d make a hippo look beautiful."


    He let her go and started walking in my direction.


    "Say that again."


    "I said: "the hippo called! He wants his body back!"


    "All right freak. Now you have my attention."


    I saw him pull something from his belt. I could tell that he was holding a Bowie knife. And I would be lying if I said I wasn''t scared. For all my tough talk, I''ve never actually been in a knife fight before and this guy looked like he knew how to use it. But there was no going back now. I hoped that because I was smaller than him, it would give me an advantage. I was about to find out. I flicked my fingers and taunted him to come at me.


    He came at me bellowing like a grizzly bear and swung his knife to cut my throat. As if on instinct, I ducked under him and stabbed him in the shoulder. Now he was mad. He bellowed with rage and grabbed my wrist and tried to stab me in the chest. Using my other hand, I grabbed his wrist and tried to hold it back. But It was getting closer.


    "Once Im finished with you, I''m going to take my sweet time with her."


    That gave me my second wind. I moved my right leg so that the knife went past my head. I then grabbed him by the shoulders and head butted him. I said to myself:


    "That wasn''t a good idea. They make it look so easy in the movies."


    I was starting to feel dizzy again, but I had to keep going. Unfortunately, the thug was back on his feet and charging at me before I could see clearly. He charged at me with such force that it had me on my back and pinned to the ground. He started to punch me in the face and in my chest. I thought he was going to beat me to death. And then found his knife and held It above me.


    With one arm holding me down and the other holding the knife above my chest, I punched him in the face and held his wrist with my one free hand. I knew I drew blood because I could see it coming from his mouth. Once again, it was getting closer to my chest and unlike before, I couldn''t move my legs as he had those pinned down as well. My first knife fight and not only was I was going to lose the fight, but I was also about to lose my life. I closed my eyes and prepared for the final blow.


    I then heard a roar of pain. The man released me and put his hands on his side. I realized that there was a fresh stab wound there. I saw the young lady holding my pocket knife and there was blood on it.


    "Now you''re really going to get hurt you little cunt!"


    He ran straight towards her. Without any hesitation or any other thoughts in my mind, I grabbed his knife and ran after him. Just he was about to grab her, I jumped on his back and started stabbing him in the chest. He continued to roar in pain and tried to reach for me, but I continued to stab him. After stabbing him six times in the chest, I stabbed him in the neck and his body collapsed to the floor face first.


    I warily stood up and after removing the knife from his neck, I asked her I she was all right. She nodded.


    "I''m very glad to hear that."


    I smiled. Luckily, all my teeth were still there. But I had a cut lip and my mouth was hurting. Along with my face and my chest. I knelt and helped her up to her feet.


    "And thank you. For saving my life."


    "Well thank you for coming to my rescue."


    She kissed me on the cheek. I blushed. But after the adrenalin rush, my injuries were starting to take their toll. The last thing I remember was falling and her arms catching me. I vaguely remember hearing voices shouting:


    "Help! Someone please help! This man has been hurt!"


    I heard footsteps approaching and then, everything turned black.


    Author Notes


    Greetings my fellow outlaws! This is my first ever Red Dead Redemption story. I''ve seen a lot of stories where either Arthur is given a second chance in life or someone is transported to the past and becomes a part of the history of RDR. I thought I would do something a little different. I wanted my character to be transported into the game but in their world, it''s all history. So, I thought it was a neat idea worth trying.


    The name I chose for my character is a combination of Thomas Jane and Colt White. For those of you who don''t know, Thomas Jane, who played as Frank Castle in the 2004 Punisher movie, also did the voice Colt White in the GUN video game, a criminally underrated western game.


    Please read and review! Thanks and I hope to hear from you all real soon!


    Chapter 2


    April 10, 1899


    Great Plains, West Elizabeth


    When I woke up, my head was still hurting, and I still couldn''t see clearly. But my other senses were working fine. I heard rushing water and knew I was near either a stream or a river. I smelled fresh pine trees and knew I had to be somewhere in the woods. It felt like I was sleeping on either a sleeping bag or one of those portable mattresses.


    My sight was starting to come back to me. I realized that I was laying in a tent big enough for two people. I was laying on my back and I realized that my chest was wrapped in bandages. I also felt a bandage wrapped around my head.


    I started to sit up and moved my feet on the floor. I knew I was somewhere in the woods, but my feet were touching a hardwood floor. I was about to try standing up when I heard a woman''s voice saying:


    "Oh no! You shouldn''t be standing! Not yet anyway! You''re still hurt!"


    I tried telling her that I was fine but when I tried to stand up, my legs were weak, and I landed back on the bed.


    "I don''t want you to say, "I told you so". So, I''ll admit that you were right."


    I lay back down on my back. I heard a wet towel or washcloth being ringed. As I laid there, I saw who I was that was taking care of me. The same young lady I saved before.


    "Either this Paradise or Hell is trying pull a trick on me."


    "Why do you say that, sir?"


    "Because you are too beautiful to be from this world."


    "Oh stop! You''re making me blush!"


    "Then I guess that means I''m doing my job well."


    I winked at her and she blushed more. She removed the bandages from my head and put the wet washcloth on my forehead. She asked me:


    "How are you feeling?"


    "Truth be told, not the best."


    She smiled and then said to me:


    "You foolish man. What were you thinking? Risking your life for a complete stranger?"


    "Well I was thinking that you needed help. And it''s my nature to help people. Besides, I wasn''t going to let some prick try and **** a beautiful young lady like you."


    I heard a man''s voice this time.


    "And for that, we owe you a debt of gratitude my good man."


    I saw a man that looked to be in his early 40s. A Caucasian man with black hair on his head and a black mustache. He had brown eyes and seemed to be very fit for his age. He had rings on both of his hands and had a pair of Schofield Revolvers. He was wearing a very nice suit and an awesome hat.


    As soon as I saw him, I knew who he was. Dutch Van Der Linde. Leader of the Van Der Linde Gang and one of the most wanted men in the Wild West But I played it cool and didn''t let him know that I already knew who he was.


    "We owe you a debt of gratitude for what you did. You saved Ms. Gaskill''s life."


    I replied and said:


    "It was nothing sir."


    "Nothing? In all my years, I''ve never seen anyone take on an O''Driscoll with a knife and win. Especially someone with a knife as small as this one."


    I saw him holding my pocket knife. I said to him:


    "Well I didn''t think he was going to take me seriously if I didn''t have anything in my hands. So, it was either that or nothing."


    "Well I for one, commend you for your bravery Mr¡­"


    "White. Thomas White. But folks call me Tom."


    We shook hands. He had a strong and firm grip. He could sense the same about me.


    "Well It an honor and a pleasure to meet you Mr White. I''m Dutch Van Der Linde. And I see you''ve already had the pleasure of meeting Ms Gaskill."


    "Oh please. Just call me Mary-Beth."


    I held out my hand and we shook hands.


    "Well it''s a pleasure to meet you properly Mary-Beth."


    "The pleasure is all mine, Mr White."


    "Also Dutch, I would really appreciate it if you called me Tom or Thomas if that''s all right with you."


    "You''ve got it, my good man. When you''re feeling better, have a look around. There are some people here who would like to meet you. It seems that you''ve drawn quite the crowd with my gang."


    "Will do sir."


    Dutch left me and Mary-Beth in the tent while he went to join the rest of the gang. I still couldn''t believe it. Not only was in the same place as the Van Der Linde Gang but I just shook hands with Dutch Van Der Linde. I thought to myself:


    "If this is a dream, please don''t wake me up."


    I looked at Mary-Beth and asked her:


    "So how long have I been here?"


    "Just a day. I brought you in here yesterday."


    "I''m surprised you didn''t just take me a doctor in the city."


    "Well I wasn''t certain how bad your injuries were. And besides, we don''t have spend that much money if we take care of each other here. Plus, I felt responsible for getting you into that mess."


    "I already told you, it was no trouble at all. I would have done that for anyone who was trouble."


    "Well thank you anyway for what you did."


    "It was my pleasure. So, has there been anyone else that has been taking care of me since I got here?"


    "Mostly it''s been me. But Tilly, Karen, Abigail and even Mrs. Grimshaw have all pitched in to help."


    "Dutch wasn''t fooling. I really have drawn a crowd."


    "Oh, you have no idea. It wasn''t just your bravery that got everyone''s attention."


    "Oh?"


    "Yeah. For one thing they''re curious about your clothes. We''ve never seen clothing like that before. Where are you from?"


    I wanted to tell her the truth, but how could I tell someone that not only am I from the future but I''m from a world where all these people were originally in a game? So, in a sense, these people never really existed in my world. I could never tell them that. They would either think I was crazy, or it would shatter them. So, I told her a half truth.


    "I''m from Manhattan."


    "Really? What''s that like?"


    "It''s never boring there that''s for sure. You wouldn''t believe how big the buildings are. Some are so big you would think that they would be as tall as mountains or trees."


    "Wow."


    "Yeah. And in the center of the city is Central Park. It''s our own little patch of heaven in middle of all those buildings."


    I continued to tell her about what New York was like, but I was careful not to tell her too much. And when asked me what I was doing so far from home, I told her that I was writing a novel and I wanted to find some inspiration in the Wild West. And I told I think I found some.


    She then told me that she really enjoyed reading and wanted to write stories too. And we just started talking about books we enjoyed. I figured it was okay if I told her about some of my favorite books from my time because they wouldn''t be made or known in this world. But after a while, I asked her:


    "Just out of curiosity, how long should I stay in bed?"


    "Just a day or two at the most."


    "So, does that I mean I get to see more of you in the next few days?"


    "Oh, hush up you. But yes. You''ll be seeing me and probably the other girls for the next few days."


    "I look forward to it. But seriously, thank you for saving my life."


    "Well thank you for coming to my rescue."


    I reached for her hand, brought it close to my face and kissed it.


    "You''re very welcome."


    She blushed and excused herself. Saying that she needed to get more bandages. I could hear the ladies giggling. I didn''t know about what, but I assumed it was about me.


    I just laid in wondered where I was exactly. Because I remembered that when I started the game, it was just when the opening credits were starting when I blacked out. If I had started at the beginning of the game, I would have ended up in the snow storm they were in at the beginning. And I remember Mary-Beth mentioning the names of all the girls except one: Sadie Adler.


    Which could only mean one thing: Somehow, I had been transported into the game before the Blackwater Massacre. Which means I was about to either witness or hear about the botched robbery that started all of it.


    I kept these thoughts to myself. I pondered about wether telling Dutch that the robbery was going to fail or if it was too soon to do something.


    First things first. I needed to be able to stand on my own two feet and then I would prove myself to them and show them that I can be useful and that I want to be a part of them.


    So, for the rest of the day, I laid in bed and gathered my thoughts. I had the pleasure of being cared for by Mary-Beth. She changed my bandages a couple of more times and she even brought me some fresh stew made by Mr Pearson. She offered to feed me, and I told her that it was nice of her to offer, but she didn''t have to if she didn''t want to. Eventually we came to a compromise. If I was still feeling lightheaded, she would feed me. If not, I would feed myself. I was able to eat most of it myself but after a while, I was starting to feel tired, so she fed me the rest of it.


    I asked her to give my compliments to Mr Pearson and she said she would. Then she came back and put a blanket around me. I then said to her:


    "I have a feeling I''ll be feeling better in the morning. I''m not going to lie, I''m going to miss having my own personal nurse."


    "Oh, shush you. But I am glad you''re feeling better."


    "All thanks to you and your friends. Well tomorrow, I''ll properly introduce myself to the rest of the gang. Have a good night Mary-Beth."


    "Good night Thomas."


    I saw her leave and I let my eyes shut and I fell asleep. I don''t know if it''s because I was sleeping in place with less noise or because I had so many people taking care of me, but I fell asleep quickly that night.

 Chapter 77 - My SI Stash #77 - World of Whatcraft by Umodin (Warcraft)

    -Same author as that SI PKMN fic "Y''Know Nothing Jon Snow"


    *SI as a Gnoll in Warcraft~ MC that''ll do anything to get powerful. This fic was in hiatus but the author seem to be getting back on it, hopefully


    ©c(???)


    Sypnosis: Life is a funny thing. Sometimes it does right by you, sometimes it doesn''t. Sometimes it throws you such a ridiculous curve ball that you wake up as a baby trash mob in a land where honest conversation is something the locals think to be a food group. Why must life be so cruel? OC-Self Insert


    Rated: T


    Words: 21K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12152244/1/World-of-Whatcraft (Umodin)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    For those that want to read the original variation of this story, it is in a new thread titles "Umodin''s Penitentiary of Warcraft Plotbunnies!" It will also be used to, as the title suggests, put other ideas. There''s already a new, never-before seen Warcraft story up there!


    And yes, yes the name is stupid. And no, I won''t change it.


    Anywho, on with the show!


    At first, he couldn''t understand what was going on.


    In those first few days and weeks, or however much time truly passed, the world was nothing more than a confusing blend of colors and noise. Green and tan ups, blue and black downs, brown and grey blurs and cackles of insidious laughter. His mind refused to function properly, sifting to and fro as if he was in a fevered dream; those few thoughts that were fully formed were pulled into a jumbled mess of gibberish that followed neither rhyme nor reason.


    This was not to say that it would have done much good had he been able to think properly. The body and mind were one in this regard, and he could not stay awake long enough for it to matter in any case. Consciousness was a fleeting thing, coming and going like a moonless tide. Sometimes, he would start to rouse, his mind on the brink of truly waking up, only to fade back into a slumbered embrace before he could comprehend anything. Most times, he just slept. A perpetual cycle of nothingness and bare existence.


    Then one day, random and ordinary all the same, he awoke to that which made no sense.


    He was lain in a pile of twigs and grass, with a smattering of n.a.k.e.d, infant animals for company. They looked ugly, almost identical to baby squirrels, save for the longer limbs and the fuller backs. Above them stood one gigantic and monstrous looking figure, staring at them with fevered eyes whilst a puddle drool welled from its muzzle.


    No¡­ Monstrous was the incorrect word to describe this thing, though it felt close. It stood on two legs yet had claws and paws instead of hands and feet. Its body was top-heavy, with a hunched back, a mane of mottled brown fur with black stripes, and a jittery head. And what a head it was, hosting a pair of beady black eyes and a savage, lupine muzzle. This was not a monstrosity; this was a predator¨C no matter how alien its appearance seemed.


    The predator stuck out its tongue and licked the razors it called teeth, slurping as it did so. A paw struck down, grabbing one of the babies, a runty thing that was pale white with red eyes¨C Albino. Without warning the predator bit into the runt, blood splattering all around that drowned out the fatal shriek from behind those red-dyed canines. The predator cackled and, after swallowing the runt, reached for another.


    Dream or reality or whatever this was, he knew that escape was all that mattered after seeing that. His limbs were weak and horribly uncoordinated, but they followed the panic of his mind and attempted to get away. He crawled for the equivalent of two or three steps when another ugly chomp brought about the dead shriek of one of the infants¨C his siblings, his pack.


    Five more steps, clumsy and loud, until a clawed paw lifted him into the air. The action made him squeal in terror, a high-pitched sound that seemed to echo throughout their location. He was turned in the paw, until he was face-to-face with an open, bloodied mouth. There were bits of his infant kin scattered throughout the gumlines of those razor-sharp canines, guts and skin and even a mangled leg.


    The predator cackled, laughing up a storm. Its beady eyes were lit, twinkling in a maddened form of jubilation.


    "You run! You strong! Live, live, live, yes!" it proclaimed in a broken and strangled tone, almost as if it wasn''t used to speaking. Then it started to snuffle and cackle once more. "Yowler me! Me yowl! You yowl too! Too much Yowler, though." It scratched its chin with its free paw, scrunching up its nose in a pointedly confused manner. Then it snapped its fingers, letting out one more snuffle. "No new Yowler, no, no! You Kowler, yes, yes!"


    The predator then put the newly named Kowler down, patted his head like a dog, and once more grabbed another baby.


    Kowler sat, stunned by what had just occurred. He had no clue as to how to process what he witnessed, what just occurred. And so, he turned to the only comfort he could grasp in his infantile state.


    Sleep.


    \ v /


    / ^ \


    Yowler was his father.


    Yowler was his father.


    More than that, Yowler wasn''t being horrible (well, he was). He was doing his actual job. He was sifting through one of his many nests of children, searching for pups with something wrong. The albino had been albino and was likely to have a slew of defects growing. Those other pups from Kowlers own nest had defects ranging from missing limbs to blindness. One wasn''t even alive, it was a stillborn.


    Of the seven pups that came from his specific nest, there were now only three. Including Kowler himself, the other two were thusly named Towler and Fowler respectively.


    Originality was not one of his new sire''s strong suits, it seemed.


    His mother, nameless a beast that looked near identical to Yowler save for her being spotted whilst his father was striped, and her fur was grey instead of brown, was chuffing and feeding Towler from one of her six teets. She was also a little over a foot smaller than Yowler was.


    But originality and brutality aside, what Yowler was, what Kowler now was, represented something¡­ dire.


    They were Gnolls.


    More specifically, they were gnolls of the Redridge Pack, located in the western portion of the Redridge Mountains on the continent of the Eastern Kingdoms.


    On the planet of Azeroth.


    Call him slow, call him stupid or call him whatever you want, but Kowler knew Azeroth. It was, after all, where he''d dumped over a decade''s worth of his former life into. Azeroth was the main point of interest in the World of Warcraft, literally taking on the World portion of that title. And the newly named Kowler knew Azeroth quite well.


    Its land and lore, the people that played and the peoples that were made¡­ he''d loved it all. It had been a game in which friends were cultivated, relationsh.i.p.s that lasted the whole of his life were formed, and it was the medium in which he was introduced to different peoples and cultures that expanded his understanding of Earth and humanity as a whole.


    But those details mattered little. What did it matter that he knew about cultures and people? Those cultures did not exist, not in this second life. And people? Humanity? He was no longer a human, no longer was he Rick from Florida. Now, he was a Gnoll, he was Kowler, and while he knew plenty about the human characters in the game, this was not a game anymore. If it were, Yowler would have been a pixilated looking fool, not a ferocious beast with the slightest semblance of intelligence.


    And so, as days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, as Kowler''s new body grew and he slowly gained a modic.u.m of bodily independence, as the customs and beliefs of the gnolls and the genuine reality of his situation started to take root, a horribly nagging state of thought dragged at his mind.


    The Gnoll race he now called kin were creatures made of filler content, existing solely so that the human adventurers and their Alliance counterparts could grow in strength. Only a select few gnolls were of any reputable worth in the lore of Warcraft, and only Hogger garnered any real traction, even if that traction was more of a joke than anything.


    And sadly, it was not unfair to note the gnolls as such. They were savages, barely able to live in a cohesive unit. They listened to one thing and one thing only.


    Strength.


    This was the only reason that gnolls such as Yowler and Hogger were the dominant forces of their packs. Their brutality and carnal joy brought them heads above their kin, and to the gnolls, that meant they were worth following. To a gnoll, strength brought about security and survival, and thus only the strongest could lead.


    Kowler understood. His newfound people were savages, true, but they were also simple. In order to survive, to thrive in a manner that suited them, they needed strength. He needed strength.


    And the strength he yearned for could be learned by just anybody.


    He wanted, needed to be unique, for his strength to eclipse anything Yowler or Hogger, anything that the gnolls could hope to attain. For his strength to equal or even go beyond even the heroes and villains of Azeroth. The name Kowler would join theirs, he decided. He would be as renowned, as beloved, as feared, as theirs were.


    And then the thought changed into a question. How would he do such a thing?


    He could follow the same paths that some of the heroes of Warcraft followed and-¡­ No. Though he admired them and their like and was greatly inspired by their accomplishments, the heroes of Warcraft followed paths that he could not tread. Their backgrounds were rife with trials and tribulations beyond his ken, and their power was the result of years of toil and study and loss. Thrall had been a slave before he became warchief and world-shaman, Khadgar had been magically aged into an elderly seniority in a bid to stop his masters machinations, and Malfurion was constantly meditating within the Emerald Dream, ignoring the world around him and the passages of time. And those were only some the more well-known heroes¨C there were plenty of both better and lesser known ones with similar backgrounds.


    No, in order to guarantee the strength that Kowler craved, he could not follow their examples. He needed to gain strength in a similar manner that the antagonists of Azeroth gained theirs.


    Arthas had Frostmourne, Illidan had the Skull of Gul''dan, Gul''dan himself had the Burning Legion, Azshara had the Well of Eternity, Deathwing had N''zoth¡­ There were so many enemies in Warcraft, all who attained power through similar means.


    Kowler didn''t entertain the notion of using any of the powers he''d just listed. They either no longer existed or would lead to madness and death, and they brought about far more pain than they were worth. But those villains, they all had one thing in common: they received their powers from a source that was beyond them, their power was something they did not naturally possess. Regardless as to whether it was power that was gifted or stolen, these villains became as powerful as they were through means that were not their own.


    A slow, wicked grin took form on Kowlers muzzle, ideas beginning to take a more definitive shape. Azeroth was home to a¡­ plethora of artifacts. Home to many fonts and peoples of power, all ripe for the taking, so long as one knew where to look. Artifacts and fonts of power that Kowler just so happened to know the locations of; the entirety of the Legion expansion pack was based around such things, after all, and he had been a proud altoholic during that time period.


    Yes, that would do. It was better that these powers go to a worthy cause. Better that he take them before somebody misuses them. Kowler knew he wouldn''t misuse them. In fact, he''d use them quite well.


    He started to laugh. A whiney, chuffing sound that irritated his weak little throat. Then he rushed at his mother, bodily shoving Towler away so that he could take her furry teat to his mouth. It leaked milk, and in a fit of hunger Kowler latched on, greedily drinking his fill and more.


    It did not taste good. It was a strong, sour liquid, thick like syrup and stinking like curdled piss. But Kowler did not care. He needed to grow, needed to get stronger. The milk of a mother was always the best, fastest way to grow, and while he was allowed to wean, he would do so.


    And so, he drank. He drank and ignored the foul-tasting liquid with thoughts of the future, with thoughts of freedom and conquest. And the milk tasted sweet.


    A/N So¡­ I really hate myself sometimes. I just- why can I not keep to a single idea within WoW? I''ve read some awesome stories that were based around a single character, and I wanted to emulate them, but I keep thinking of different ways a story could go and before I know it I''m using this new idea instead of the actual story.


    Well, at least this time I didn''t feel too bad. I got stuck on Tharama''s setup, and basically I didn''t really know how to continue. I don''t really do the whole Master/Apprentice shtick very well, I''ve learned. Or at least I don''t do the build up for it well. Food for thought.


    So, now we have Kowler, a Gnoll of the Redridge Pack. Born after the events of Warcraft 3, but before the events of World of Warcraft. Best way to describe it is with the beginning of the World of Warcraft cinematic. "Four years have passed." He was born in year one of those four years.


    Now, you might ask what I have in store for this. And to that, I say more than I had planned for Tharama. In this case, I have a journey in mind, powers to gain, and other fun things to go off of. And I even known when these things will happen.


    If you liked this, please Favorite/Follow and don''t forget to Review!

 Chapter 78 - My SI Stash #78 - Damn It Me by KyKyuKai (Pokemon)

    -I finally got to reading this, it was honestly okay. Lengthy SI Pok¨¦mon fic, with Shinx as his starter


    ©c(???)


    Sypnosis: I''m in the Pokemon universe. Of course I am, because why wouldn''t I be. Oh well, whatever might as well enjoy it while I''m here. SI fic.


    Rated: T


    Words: 247K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13371931/1/Damn-It-Me


    (KyKyuKai)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I groaned as I raised my arm up to place over my eyes as the light around me seemed to blind me and I didn''t want to do anything but besides going back to the sleep that I hadn''t been able to get for the last few days. That''s when I remembered that my room didn''t have any windows in it an I lived alone.


    It was then that I also realized that I was not laying on my nice over priced and underused bed. No it felt as if I was sleeping on the ground. Knowing that I was going to regret it I opened my eyes only to have to close them, as sunlight that shouldn''t, be there was streamed into my eyes.


    Groaning, I placed my arm up again as, I sat up so I could at least not be blinded as my eyes adjusted to the bright sun light. Glancing around my surroundings I felt a small bit of panic as I noticed I appeared to be in a forest. But that panic wasn''t even close to enough to help brace myself for when I looked down and noticed another fun fact I should have already noticed.


    I was shorter at least a good few inches from my normal height, but that wasn''t the only thing that I noticed that was shorter, it was also my hair. I was use to having it a few inches past my shoulders but at the moment it was only a little past my ears. It hadn''t been that short since I was a teenager.


    Standing up properly I took a quick recap of my body, choosing to ignore the fact that I was wearing clothes that I had never even seen before. Looking at my arms was weird, I was use to seeing small scars marks and the small patch of burned skin on my right arm but instead almost all of it was gone. And the few that remained I didn''t even remember how I had gotten.


    Another fact was that it seemed that I was in better shape than I was at whatever age I am now. Not like I was ever over weight but I''m fully aware that being skinny didn''t mean you were in shape or even in particularity good health. But I know that as a teenager I never had abs.


    After a few more minutes of looking over my body I didn''t come up with any more overly relevant information besides that I was properly about thirteen or fourteen from comparing what I remembered my body being like at that age. One good thing about that was I currently didn''t need my glasses.


    Well I did but my vision wasn''t near as bad as it would get in the near future, but I didn''t mind as it was quite a nice experience being able to look around without glasses and not have everything blurry. And that was when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye while I was looking around comparing glasses to no glasses.


    It seemed to be a massive green caterpillar with massive black eyes, and that was the only details that I needed to concluded that it was a Caterpie. I stared at it for a few more seconds before cursing to myself. Of course that''s why I''m younger I was in the Pokemon universe. After a few more moments I looked up at the sky and spread my arms out before saying.


    "Really? We are actually doing a SI fic now? I know we have a problem with wish fulfillment but still, I didn''t think it was this bad, that I would actually drop myself into a story"


    I sighed after dropping my arms to my side as I realized that I wouldn''t be getting an answer. Honestly this was already to meta to begin with. Much less with two me''s talking to each other. Whatever Might as well get started then. It wasn''t like I had a choice, if I did then I wouldn''t be here in the first place.


    Oh well, might as well enjoy this then. I mean at least I wasn''t so much of a prick that I got sent to some war torn universe. No I only reserved that for OC''s, speaking of which, I wonder if I should feel bad now that I''m pretty sure Kai and most of my other character''s are real. Because I do send them threw hell quite often.


    Eh, if I ever met him I''ll say sorry but besides that I don''t really care enough to feel bad. After all now I''m a character as well so if anything I''m not really responsible for that anymore. Anyway I should stop distracting myself and find my starting pack or whatever else I gave myself.


    Because of course I would. I mean even if it is another version of me I still want myself to succeed, not to mention the be before mentioned problem with wish-fulfillment, so there should be at least something that I gave myself to start off with before I start sending problems my way.


    And with that I noticed a small satchel resting against a tree a couple yards away from me. Walking up to it, I sat myself down to be on the same level of the bag to help open it up. Flipping the flap open I raised an eyebrow as I noted that it was bigger on the inside because of course it was.


    To be fair I was watching Doctor Who yesterday, and even then I wasn''t going to complain. Especially since it seemed to already be packed. Looking inside it I noted there was five different sections with each one having enough size that it should properly fill the satchel up completely. So it was about five times bigger than it should be.


    After figuring that out I took a better look at the items in the bag itself. In the first section there seemed to be a tent bedroll and a big wad of cash. In the second section there was a a few boxes of something called pokefood and some basic food rations. The third section seemed to be the item section as there was about ten pokeballs and five potions.


    An interesting note was that by just looking at the pokeballs I could determine that all of them were empty. I wasn''t sure why but I did have a theory. After all it wouldn''t do for me to no practically nothing about obvious stuff like pokeballs. So maybe I got a muscle memory package downloaded into my mind as well as the package I was currently looking through.


    Moving on past that to look into later, section four didn''t have much in it besides three slim items. A Pokedex which seemed to be the Kanto version, a badge case judging from the slots that appeared to be the badges that I knew to be present in Kanto. So that at least let me know where I was. And the last item was a trainer card.


    It was interesting to look at, as it had some good information on it like my age which was twelve which was pretty close to what I assumed. Alone with some more information like it saying my birthplace was Nuvema Town which I believe is the starting town in the Unova region.


    From what I remember that region was based on New York so that''s properly the closest I could get to being American. While also giving me an excuse as to why I''m not always aware of the small cultural things that must happen in most regions that wasn''t covered in the anime.


    Moving past that I moved onto the fifth section which had a lot of spare clothes. Which I noted all seemed to be the same thing. I seemed that I couldn''t escape what all anime characters had. The one time of clothes only rule was set on me as well.


    To be fair I could go out and buy something different but that would just be both a waste of time and money while I already had something else to wear. It was then that I noted I didn''t have a Pokemon in the bag. I knew I wouldn''t leave myself without one which meant one thing.


    Looking down towards my belt I grinned as I saw the singular pokeball attached to it. Reaching down to grab it I noted that I was much more jittery that I expected to be. Maybe it was because of the fact that this was a childhood dream or maybe it was the suspense of what kind of Pokemon I would have given myself but I couldn''t help but be excited.


    With that I tossed the pokeball into the air, with the kind of practiced ease that I shouldn''t have, as I watched as the ball open up to reveal the Pokemon inside. I felt a even bigger smile stretch on my face as I watched a small blue club looking creature blink before looking up at me.


    While I didn''t think about a Shinx to be my starter mostly because of my ''birth region'' and the region I was currently in but I couldn''t say I was anywhere near disappointed. Shinx was one of my favorite Pokemon from Platinum. So with that I knelt down to the small club''s level and said.


    "Hey buddy, How are you doing?" I wasn''t really expecting and kind of response that I could understand so I was quite surprised when Shinx looked up at me and spoke in more that just syllables of its name. In fact it didn''t even use its name.


    "I fine master. Why are we in a forest?" I just blinked much like he did, judging from the voice I had just heard, when he first exited his pokeball. So I got another bonus from the other me, well it certainly makes my life easier. After a moment I shook myself out of my head as I responded.


    "I''m not entirely sure myself, But what I do know is that we will be needing to leave here sooner rather than later" He gave a nod at that, not even surprised that I answered his question even though I shouldn''t have been able to understand it. After a moment I asked my next question.


    "Hey Shinx, random question. Do you know where I got you from?" I figured I had an answer considering I knew what I would do which meant it was properly what the other me did as well. And I was proven correct when he answered.


    "Well, I''m not sure where you got my egg from but I remember that I only hatched a few days ago. A little before you got that weird pok-dex thingy from something called an assistant" So I never met Professor Oak just an assistant that I probably would never met again which meant I haven''t done anything yet that would get me in trouble for not remembering.


    "It''s called a ''Pokedex'' not poke-dex it helps give me information about Pokemon, and a assistant is a title not a name. But still thanks for answering to the best you could Shinx" I got a ''no problem master'' from Shinx which made me winder why he used that term. It didn''t bother me so much as made me curious about it but I didn''t press it.


    Instead I reached into my satchel that I now had over my shoulder. Grabbing my new Pokedex out of it and held it up up to Shinx as it beeped. After a moment information popped up on screen. Looking past the stuff I already knew I grinned as I saw that the Pokedex could detect moves. A boy did the moves I saw make me happy.


    It wasn''t so much the egg moves that I recognized or even the few electric move he already had. What made me happy was the fact that there wasn''t four moves list on the Pokedex''s screen. No there was five, Ice Fang, Quick Attack, Night Slash, Charge, and Spark.


    "You have some pretty nice moves here Shinx. I''m quite impressed already, would you mind showing me a few of them?"


    "Of course not master, it''s fun to use them" and with that his fur seemed to start sparking up, something I noted to be Charge, before a small spark of lighting jumped off of him and onto the ground burning the grass and dirt around him making a small cloud of dust come up.


    So he wasn''t all power just yet, but I would be very confused if he was, not to mention feel a little cheated so I didn''t mind. Still all the same I praised Shinx as he looked up at me waiting for me to react to his display. After all even if I didn''t have much to go, via if that was power or not, he still impressed me nonetheless.


    "Good job Shinx, that was quite good. But I think with a little training you could be even better" So what if I didn''t only praise him. It won''t be good if he got a big head while I was aware there was Pokemon out there that could probably destroy mountains, not even mentioning the legendary Pokemon out there. If the anime was anything to go off of.


    Training? That would make me stronger? Getting stronger sounds like fun! Can we start training now master?" He is quite excitable still I''m glad he seems to want to get stronger that makes my life better so I don''t have to drag him along. Still training right know wouldn''t be to good.


    "We can start training after we get out of this forest ok Shinx? It would better to know were we are before you tire yourself out" He just nodded along happily, he seemed quite happy with everything really. I wonder if natures are a thing here, it would depend on if the other me was bored enough to go into that much detail. Because if he did I think Shinx has the Jolly nature.


    Shaking my head out of those weirdly meta thoughts I waved for Shinx to follow me as I started to make my way through the forest not really knowing where I was headed. But what I did know was this journey was certainly going to be interesting.


    I have no idea if I''ll write a second chapter of this. It was mostly just a plot bunny I had after reading some Pokemon fics so I decided to write this just because. If I still feel this motivation in the next few days then I''ll properly write another but fair warning don''t expect this to be a long term story. Hell even my long term stories hardly stay long term. Anyway that''s all I wanted to so say so. See ya.

 Chapter 79 - My SI Stash #79 - Here I Stand by Brave69105 (DxD)

    -Male SI, and another DxD fic... they''re everywhere!


    *SI as a Student of Kuoh Academy with a Stand! ¥´¥´¥´¥´


    Sypnosis: Joining this world with my own stand. Not the worse that could happened. Self insert. M for Mmmmmm.


    Rated: M


    Words: 34K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13416437/1/Here-I-Stand-Stand-User-DxD-OCSi


    (Brave69105)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "Any abilty at all right?" I asked the grotusqe form of tentacles.


    Man, this was wierd. Waking up to see a hentai reject standing above me with a ''smile'' on his face was not what I wanted in the mornings.


    Let it be known, I am not a morning person. If you are, you ain''t natural and must be burnt at the stake. That being said, I ignored it and tried to fall back a sleep. Boy, had that been a morning.


    Let it be known that you shouldn''t piss of a somewhat powerful being that took you from your nice warm bed.


    I''ll bare you the details of what we said but it boils down to this.


    1. I get sent to another world. I will not be told what this world is but I''ve been told that I know what it is.


    By that logic, I''m most likely going to an fiction of somesort. Let''s just hope it''s not something like Attack on Titan. I definately do not want to be eaten by some large, doped up, n.a.k.e.d people of questionable genders.


    Wouldn''t that be a way to die.


    2. I''ll be placed into that world with a background. Not much of one, but one that would make it seem like I''ve just appeared out of nowhere.


    I would be given a home that has been paid for, a weekly allowance for 3 months and no immediate relatives to look after or be looked after by. It already removes the need to protect those around me.


    Dark but useful.


    3. I get any one ablity from anyone universe. However, it can''t be too overpowered.


    How overpowered it is, is determined by the tentacle freak. For all I know, Being a Saiyan with a system could be fine.


    Acctually- "No, no system. No system at all." My Tentacle covered friend ''kindly'' informed me.


    He smiled back at my expression but said nothing.


    RIght, I''m going to be here for a while, aren''t I?


    Here I Stand


    "My Skyrim Character"


    "Do you know how many mods you put on there?" Right. No wonder he didn''t accept it." You''ve got the Unlimted Blade Works, Gate of Babylon, Rinnegan with all Mangekyo ablities shown and Dio''s [ZA WORLDO]. Let''s not forget you have your magicka, health and stamina at the minimum of 50 thousand, and that''s without buffs."


    (A/N, I acctually have all of this. And some questionable mods Hint-Hint)


    I grimaced more and more as he spoke, opting to keep my mouth shut. He was right but I wanted to be OP. Come on man.


    Now that I think about it, he looks like that daedric prince from that DragonBorn DLC. The wierd tenatacle freak.


    "Fine, How about a stand then? or are you going to tell me that''s not allowed to?" I said, already thinking about my next ability.


    What is good but not OP? I mean, there-"That''ll be fine. Most stands are used creativly making them OP but I don''t fault for creativity." He just accepted stands.


    He accepted stands?


    "Star-"


    "NO"


    God dammit, what the hell? If I wanted a stand, it would be the OG. Granted, I barely got into part 5, meaning there could be some other really OP ones. Heard some good things about [Gold Experince Requiem] but nothing else.


    Though, I really like Bruno''s [Sticky Fingers]'' stand cry. That and Giorno''s. A faster paced version of Dio''s Muda.


    "Could I make a stand?" I asked, if I could then my path to OPness is in the bag.


    Just imagine-"Sure, knock yourself out."


    STOP INTERUPTING ME.


    I grabbed the tablet that had flown into my hands. On it was a white husk of a genderless and featureless person. It also had a place where I could input my stands ablity.


    A small but devious smirk etched it way onto my face.


    Hopefully this works.


    Here I Stand


    "My stand, [Friend Like Me],plays on the idea of a genie. Not only from the Disney movie Aladin but also the common trope of genies using the wishes granted for their own benefit, This ties in with it''s ablility, [A Whole New World]."


    The mass of tentacles leaned in, I couldn''t tell but he at least sounded instrested. "Go on." He urged.


    "I called the ablity [A Whole New World] as it symbolises the idea of the world, of the person I''m using the ablity on, changing."


    "Stop teasing me and tell me what it is, you''re killing me here."


    Maybe if you stop interupting- Calm yourself.


    "[A Whole New World] works by getting to a deal with person I get into, as long as I fill out my end of the bargain, I get what I dealed for."


    "...And in theory, you can ask whatever you want for from the victim."


    Yes, Victim. Glad to know we''re on the same side, however, "That''s not all."


    "Ohohoh, what else could you have come up with?"


    "This ablity can take anything from people, anything at all. The only limit to the ablity is that I need consent."


    "So say you wanted to take Goku''s Kamehameha technique, all you need is him to say you can take it if you hold your end of the bargain?"


    I grinned, he''s finally getting it.


    "Yep, I can get anything I want from people, espically those gullible enough to actually accept my offer."


    "Yes, that would work." The tentacle shifted as if nodding to itself. "I got it."


    A snap of it''s fingers and out came my stand.


    It looked like the genie that Robin Williams played exept it was more defined and as if it was drawn in the JoJo fasion. I also notice that there was more muscle that was densly compacted into it''s leaner frame.


    The stand down at me with it''s blue eyes, eyes shadowed. It was wierd to understand what he protrayed but I understood.


    I understood completly.


    "Right now you have that down, I''ll be seeing you off. Hope you have fun or don''t..." the mass shifted again "...I don''t care to be honest."


    I heard the sound of creaky door opening behind me but I kept my head towards the tentacles.


    "Why did you choose me?" I asked, it was something that was waying down in my mind and I knew that this would most likely be the only time to ask.


    "Would you like the genric answer or the real answer?" The door slammed close behind me, I''m guessing it can only open when I leave.


    That was an easy question "Both."


    The room started to darken, closing off what I could see to just before my hands and the soft glow of the tentacles. The floor rumbled as it slowly melted, I could see the area getting smaller and smaller leaving me in the centre. The large mass of tentacles shrunk and shrunk till all there was left was a woman.


    Holy shit, my heart can''t take this. How does someone look so beautiful?


    She was...she... "You are the chosen." She still had the voice of that tentacle freak, you just had to ruin the image, didn''t you?. "I had chosen you because you have the potential to save this world and set it back on course."


    Of course I do, can''t I just live my live in piece?


    Wait, is this the "Generic answer, yes." She supplied as the room returned to normal.


    "Ummm, why are there tentacles surrrounding me?" I asked but it ignored me.


    "The real answer is that we needed a reson to start the fic." It said as the tentacles wrapped around me, the feeling of vertigo hitting my body like a train as I was yanked off my feet hard enough to forget the last 13 words I heard.


    Here I Stand


    *Kono Dio Da* *Kono Dio Da* *Kono Dio Da* *Kono Dio Da* *Kono Dio Da* *Kono Dio Da* *Kono Dio-


    "[Friend Like Me]"I cried as I jumped out of bed. The stand came out and almost destroyed the alarm clock. It opted to instead press the button to stop the repetative sound.


    The stand stared back at me with a large smile on it face and thumbs up before disappering again.


    So it''s got a personality like Robin williams. That''s cool to know. Atleast, it''s not violent like [Star Platinum].


    Also what was I doing in bed?


    I was in a basic bedroom. A bed, closet, desk with a laptop and an en suite. That''s pretty cool. Never had my a room with an en suite. The rest of the house was two-storied. One more bathroom and two spare bedrooms were upstairs with a living room and kitchen downstairs. There was also a staircase to the bas.e.m.e.nt.


    Yeah, a whole house summed up into a single small paragraph, some people need to take notes.


    Right, first thing first. I need to-*Smack*


    -Get hit in the face with a large piece of paper.


    Actually, it''s a letter. A thick one at that.


    *Ahem*


    Dear Akira Kenshin (You''re new name, deal with it.),


    I''m here to inform you of your knew life.


    You''ve got your ablity and home but incased in this envaloup is a few things that you may need to get caught up.


    First things first, This is your bank account. Spend wisely or don''t, though most things that you''ll need or want are already here.


    Secondly, This is your enrollment to Kouh Academy. This is where you''ll be going. If you want, to leave, go ahead but it might benefit you to be somewhere you might understand and gain power before you venture off into the world.


    Thirdly, You are a month before the story, do with that as you will.


    Finally, You''ll most likely never hear from me agiain. Only should the higher ups, Yes you Brave, allow it but untill then we won''t be interacting.


    Your friend.


    Mora.


    Kouh Academy? The school where the two sisters of devil kings go to. Where the first three seasons of a show that can somehow can work on b.o.o.b.s? A hentai with Plot and not ''Plot''?


    Well, there is a ''Plot'' but who cares about the details?


    I know a lot of people that would scream of the unfairness of this world but who cares when all I have to do it steal power from those around me.


    I can become powerful without anyone to stop me. Lets not also forget that only stand users can see stands. So that means all I have to do is trick guillible people into giving up their power.


    And in this world, run by pervertedness, who is the one of the most perverted of them all?


    Issei~ I''m comming for you.


    Here I Stand


    Calming down from my brief glimps of madness, I checked around the house to find that it was already stocked. From movies to food, anything I want is already here. I would just have to get a job some time soon to help pay for when my allowance runs out.


    Though the mirror was something to behold. Well, I was but you know what I mean.


    An airbrushed black haired teen looked back at me. It was me but as if someone had put an anime-esque filter on me. I had a body of someone that regularly worked out. I did have a somewhat lean figure but I couldn''t keep it up for long.


    But damn I looked good.


    I also read the letter, it had stated that I came from the UK and I came to Japan because I was fluent in it. Mighty convient but who cares? It works.


    *Knock* *Knock* *Knock*


    "Coming!" I called out, taking off my apron. I wonder who that could be.


    I swing open the door and put my full power into not outing myself out.


    What the hell is she doing here?


    "Are you Akira Kenshin?" She asked, getting me to nod. "My name is Rias Gremory, nice to meet you."


    "Gremory like the devil?" My mouth seemed to just speak making her eyes widen in response before setting back into her previous expression. Now that I look at it, she seems annoyed.


    "Yes, that same one. Now, can we get on with this? I don''t really-"


    "Excuse me?" I interupted, this was no reason to get rude all of a sudden. All I did was call you a devil, woman.


    It took her a second to notice what she before gained a sheepish espression "Sorry, long week. I told Souna I would deal with your introduction to get my mind of things but look how that turned out."


    "Sona?" Obviously Sona Sitri, Alias Souna Shitori. Rias, couldn''t you change you''re name also?


    "Right you don''t know her yet." She muttered to herself. "She-"


    "Before you talk, come inside. I don''t really want to leave you standing out there all day, do I?" I asked as I made way for her to me.


    She gave me a small smile "Such a gentleman."


    I shrugged as she stepped in and took off her shoes. "Not really, I don''t want to stand there as well. I don''t really do as a gentle man."


    That got a snort out of her as she turned to me. "I''d rather perfer you to be honest than a gentleman."


    That''s a big oof right there.


    Let''s keep away from relationship issues, the last thing I want is for me to remind her of Riser. Yep, reminding a crimson haired beauty that could vapourise you in a second about her fiance tha she hates.


    Lets not do that.


    "Hey, do you smell burning?" She asked, her delicate nose sniffing in the air.


    Acctually, Yes I do.


    I look behind her to see [Friend Like Me] being burnt at the stake, with a rubber glove on his head. It kind of reminds me of of the head of rooster.


    So he''s a burning rooster?


    ...He''s talking about my chicken, isn''t he?


    "Excuse me a second, my house is about to burn down." I told her, walking past into the kitchen.


    Here I Stand


    "Come on it''s not that bad." Rias stated, sitting upon on of the chairs at the table.


    "Not that bad?! This is sign for the times to come!" I screamed out, jumping up from where I was kneeling on the floor. "Watch, there will be feast with the most important people and I''m going to be relied upon. And you know what''s going to happen?"


    "...What''s-"


    "IT''S GOING TO BURN, ALL OF IT. I''M CURSED DAMNIT."


    She put her hands up in a placating manner, "Look we can make a new one together. I''ll even buy a new one for you. Just please calm down."


    "A whole new chicken, you say? And I''ll be alone with a beautiful vixen that makes me feel things that I didn''t know I could fell?"


    "...I didn''t need to know that but-"


    "I refuse." I interrupted, to her shock. "You''d think I''d spend my time in the kitchen doing all this again especially when it''s barely even burnt."


    "That''s what I said." She said dejectedly, sliding down her seat in dispair.


    "Did you?"


    Her expresion suddenly changed as she jumped up into her seat, "Wait a second."


    "I waiting right here."


    "Did you just make a JoJo''s refrence?" She exclaimed, suddenly before me, clapsing her hands around my own.


    "And if I did?"


    Her eyes sparked at my words, "You''ve actually read it? Most people I''ve talked to said they haven''t seen it because hasn''t been made into an anime adaption. The only other person I know who has read it works to much to talk to."


    I forgot to say that it''s currently 2010, Phantom Blood comes out in 2012, 2 years from now.


    "The cruel injustice of this world truely hurts sometimes." I stated as she nodded sagely.


    "This beauty not being shown to the world is crime against nature."


    I clapped my hands on he shoulders, getting her to look up at me. "Rias¡­" He blue eyes sparkling, staring back at mine.


    "Yeah?" She said with awaited breath.


    "We''re eating chicken"


    "Uh, I don''t see-"


    "You''re eating with me."


    "Ok?"


    "Good."


    Here I Stand


    "What about Attack on Titan? Have you read any of it." Rias stated, biting into the perfect chicken.


    Yeah, it''s perfect, so what?


    "Nah, I don''t really like it." I replied. "I get that his mother was killed by Titans but him just being driven by the destruction of titans is just setting himself up for failure. I can see why people like it but I personally don''t. Plus , I dropped it in favour of FMAB. Which in my opinion is much better than."


    "What''s FMAB?" Rias asked with a tilted head. "It can''t be that good if I haven''t heard of it."


    I ignored the jiggle of her b.r.e.a.s.ts in favour of apearing before her with shadowed eyes.


    "So you''ve read Attack on Titan but not watched the beauty that is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood." I asked. Her eyes starting to sparkle as she recognized what I said.


    "Is that a sequel to FullMetall Alchemist? I didn''t think they would need one."


    "God f.u.c.k.i.n.g damit Rias."


    I looked back as she winced in pain, I dropped the subject as I placed a hand on her shoulder while he composed herself.


    "Don''t worry about it." She waved me off. "It''s nothing."


    She stood up pushing her finished plate forward, "Thank you for the meal. It was quite good."


    "No it''s perfect, It was already stated."


    "...Right, Well I think I need to go." She stood up and started to walked off to the entrance.


    Running after her, I grabbed her wrist and stopped her from going "Not yet." I pushed her backwards.


    She landed onto the cabniet bhind her, trying to stand up only to find me stadning before her, noses a hair length apart.


    "As much as I loved this, I don''t think we''re ready to go that far." She stated as my hand crept closer.


    "What on earth are you talking about woman?" I asked, pulling out the box set for FMAB and pushed it to her hands. "Watch the first-actually don''t the first episode is a filler. Start from the second episode, it''s a better verison of the story."


    "Of course." She sighed "I don''t see how it can get any better."


    "Exactly."


    "I guess I watch it tonight." She stated, hand cupping my cheek and giving it a litlle peck. "Thanks for tonight, it did wonders."


    "If you think-" I was stopped by the soft hand that was now covering my mouth.


    "Don''t ruin the night. I watch the second episode and tell you about it tommorow."


    She''s planning to come tommorow? I knew I was good but not that good.


    "Right then, see you tommorow." I said seeing her out.


    "Come to the ORC tommrow, after school, I''ll tell you what I think then." She called out as she left.


    Man, her ass is just as good as- what the hell you doing?


    I stared at [Friend Like Me] who had placed a notebook before him, wearing the Kouh Academy school uniform.


    THERE''S SCHOOL¡­.AND IT''S TOMMROW.


    God f.u.c.k.i.n.g damn it.


    Here I Stand


    Yes, it''s me. Brave.


    My other story is currently on my laptop and that is not working properly so I write this idea up as I wait for it to come back.


    It''ll take about two days so bare with me. Also if you guys like this, I''ll continue it.


    Also, don''t like the cliche of Rias being a cunt and manipulative so I changed it up a bit. Sona was supposed to come but Rias came instead to take her minds off of things.


    I''m guessing you guys know why.


    This story isn''t going to be as serious as ''Where My Demons Lie'' but it won''t be full crack.


    Please give me comments and suggestions on where to go. I have an idea up to the Riser arc but ,until then, I''m stumped.


    Also, you may of notice that there may be mistakes in the story. I may be completly and utterly amazing at creating stories, but If anyone would like to help and beta read for me, I''ll greatly apricate it.


    Until Next Time,


    Ja Ne.

 Chapter 81 - My SI Stash #81 - Knight In Silver Armour by BANIX (Black Clover)

    -Wow, I don''t know what''s up this week but a lot of authors are reviving some dead/hiatus fics! First SI Black Clover fic~~ by BANIX too (same author as Sun of Sunyshore)


    *SI as Nozel Silva! Yes, he keeps the same haircut.


    Sypnosis: My name is Noelle, but this story isn''t about me! It is about my awesome big brother! I am speaking on his behalf since he doesn''t like to talk. Like at all! But he is my knight in silver armour! And he is the BEST. BIG. BROTHER. EVER! (Reincarnated OC as Nozel Silva)


    Rated: M


    Words: 30K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13349133/1/Knight-In-Silver-Armour (BANIX)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "There you are again."


    Acier Silva said with a huff that is a mixture of exasperation and fondness. She walked up to her eldest child and gently shepherd him away from the family''s personal training ground where he is training himself ragged.


    "You need to take a break and act more like a child, Nozel. Go and play with your siblings!"


    "They are boring and irritating." Nozel said in a bland voice that lacks any form of emotion. "All they do is to prance around showing off our status as royals. What a disgrace. They never liked me anyway. The feeling''s mutual."


    "Nozel." Acier said worriedly and is deciding on whether she should reprimand her eldest. "This is not the way to talk about your siblings."


    Nozel simply gave a shrug that made her release a resigned sigh.


    Out of all her three children, Nozel is the one that she doesn''t need to worry about the most but yet also the one that she will fuss over more. He is too mature and smart for his age, almost to the point that he seems like an a.d.u.l.t in a child''s body waiting for his body to grow and catch up to his mind. He is very reserved individual, preferring silence and isolation over any human contact. Things that other children his age do bores him, so he ended up passing the time on his hands by training relentlessly in his magic and physical capabilities, saying that magic fascinates him more than anything else. Acier wouldn''t have need to worry about him so much if he acted more like a child his age should rather than a mini a.d.u.l.t.


    Her husband, on the other hand, do not share the same views as her. When Nozel first exhibits such "genius" behaviours, he is merely happy that his eldest son is a prodigy, saying that he is the one that will lead the Silva house to greater heights. But lately, Nozel has been acting against her husband''s wishes with his differing view of nobles and royalty, openly stating how much he despises those that abuse their status as one. Little did her husband know that Nozel have no desire to be the future Head of the house whatsoever, Nozel had confided that much to her. She is the only one in the family in which Nozel will willingly talk to.


    It pains her heart that her child does not feel like he is a part of their family. Even as his mother, she doesn''t know why he felt this way. What did she and her husband do wrong in raising him? Why does he have trouble viewing them as his family? Sure, Nebra and Solid are also infected with the so very prevalent ''nobles-are-always-better-than-commoner'' foolish mindset among nobles and royalty, but surely that isn''t enough for Nozel to dislike them to this extent?


    "Mother, will you show me more of your spells?"


    "Only if you promise me to stop training so hard. You need to learn how to relax and socialise. If I didn''t know any better, I would have thought that you are preparing for war." Acier pinched Nozel''s nose playfully as she said those words, prompting him to scowl at the action but made no moves to stop her. This made Acier''s heart a little lighter, at least he really views her as his mother from how he allows her to fuss over him. She couldn''t say the same for Nozel and her husband. The way they interact with each other is more like a master-servant relationship than of father and son.


    She will have words with her husband later about the proper way to treat their children, but right now she just wants to spend some time with her eldest.


    "Better to be a warrior in a garden in times of peace than to be a gardener on a battlefield in times of war." Nozel grumbled out as he let himself get pushed around by her into his bedroom.


    "Wow! My little Nozel had grown to be a wise little old man! He even has quotes of wisdom of his own! You will make such a good Magic Knight!"


    "Why will I want to be a Magic Knight?" Nozel scoffed as Acier planted him onto a chair and began to comb his messy hair for him. "It''s a thankless job. Why will I risk my life to save people that I barely knew about?"


    "It''s not something that I can teach you." Acier admitted. "It''s something that you have to experience for yourself, what it means to be a Magic Knight. You can deny all you want, but I know that you have the strongest desire to serve the country as a Magic Knight out of all your siblings. Out of the three of you, you have the strongest desire to help bring about a better change for our people. I am your mother, Nozel. I know what you truly feel. I know that you have a desire to help others. Deep down, you are a kind person."


    "You mean we all have to become Magic Knights because we are the Silva house. Generations of us are Magic Knights since our ancestor''s time and so going by that logic, we all have to be Magic Knights as well." Nozel answered sarcastically, purposely making his voice drier than usual.


    "To even have these negative thoughts means that you are more than ready to be a Magic Knight." Acier can''t help but say with a smile. "You will be a splendid Magic Knight, I''m sure of it."


    "Don''t get your hopes up, Mother. The higher the expectation, the bigger the disappointment. Father is already very disappointed in me and it will only get worse."


    "No matter what, he is your father and you his son, Nozel." Acier can''t help but let her frown show on her face. "No matter what he does or say, that will never change."


    The look on her son''s face told her that he does not think the same way. Oh well, he will understand in time when he is older.


    "Look! Look how handsome you are after I styled your hair for you!" Acier purposely gushed out exaggeratedly to lift the otherwise dreary mood. "Women will be throwing themselves at you the moment you become an a.d.u.l.t!"


    "Mother, with all due respect." Nozel visibly took a deep breath to calm his nerves before continuing. "This hairstyle is¡­ undesirable."


    And by that, he meant the braid that Acier had purposely styled to hang between his eyes and down to the tip of his nose. She knows this looks a little ridiculous, but Nozel needs something to help him stand out!


    "But it''s so unique! My little boy will now be remembered by everyone that met him!"


    "I''m undoing it the moment you step out of this room."


    "Nozel!"


    Even after much assurance on Nozel''s part that he will not style his hair in such a ''stupid manner'' (in his own words, not hers), Acier can''t help but let joy fill her heart when Nozel continues to use the same hairstyle from the next day onwards, and the day after that, and the day after the next, and for as long as she can remember, Nozel will continue to style his hair in this manner.


    All because she, his mother, had styled it for him and asked him to keep that hairstyle.


    "Ah, you will be having your Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony next year!" Acier said contently. Where did all the time go? One moment Nozel is just a baby and in the blink of an eye, he is old enough to attend the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony. Before she knows it, Nebra and Solid will be the same too.


    They all grow up so fast.


    "Your mother is looking forward to what kind of magic you will get!"


    "Definitely something that has a connection with the steel quality of your magic." Nozel said without missing a beat and Acier really wants to stand on her feet right now to purposely coo at her eldest in an exaggerated manner, just to publicly embarrass him for the fun of it. She is his mother! To embarrass him is part of the job description!


    Alas, the fact that she is pregnant with her fourth child and unable to even see her toes made that impossible. She can barely waddle as it is.


    "Well, Nebra and Solid both took after your father''s Water Magic and I have a feeling this one is the same as well." Acier said with a gentle smile on her face as one of her hands unconsciously rest on her bloated tummy. "Like you said, you are the only one who can inherit the steel quality of my magic. Use it to protect your siblings, ok?"


    Nozel''s expression is as unreadable as ever, but Acier is sure that she just caught a glimpse of sadness in his eyes. Why?


    "Nozel?"


    "I¡­ I will, mother." Nozel managed a response as his gaze trailed down to her stomach. "I''m not too sure about Nebra and Solid since I cannot stand both their presence as they cannot stand mine, but I will try my best to ensure the safety of my unborn sibling. I promise."


    "You need to learn how to get along with people, Nozel." Acier chided good-naturedly. "I know you and Fuegoleon are good friends, but you also need friends other than him."


    "I guess Mereoleona counts too, no matter how noisy and crazy she is."


    "And you need to get along with your father."


    "His old rigid way of thinking is simply foolish." Nozel scoffed. "Why will I want to follow in his footsteps of self-destruction?"


    "Nozel-"


    "Being a royal isn''t everything, mother." Nozel argued back. "With how us ruling class have been treating the commoners, I am surprised that they haven''t staged a coup yet. At this rate, the Kingdom''s downfall is just a matter of time. I am not risking my life to defend such a corrupt country with equally corrupt leaders heading it."


    "Nozel, that is your father that you are insulting right there." Acier reprimanded sternly. Why did every conversation with Nozel regarding his father or politics ended up like this? "You need to watch your mouth."


    "¡­ I''m sorry, mother."


    "And your apology is accepted." Acier let her smile reappear as she gestured for Nozel to give her a helping hand to aid her in her endeavour to stand up from her chair. Her eldest did so immediately.


    "Do you want a younger sister or brother?"


    "Sister." Nozel answered immediately. "Just one Solid is enough to drive me up the wall. I don''t need another one, and especially not one with the same insufferable attitude as him."


    "And you are sure this one won''t?" Acier teased playfully. Trying to get a reaction out of her eldest is a fun thing to do in itself.


    "I know that she will be different. If need be, I will personally see to it that she doesn''t end up the same as Nebra or Solid."


    "You sound so confident that your newest sibling will be a sister."


    "Call it instinct."


    Acier let out a laugh which managed to get a smile out of Nozel. She knows Nozel likes to see her smile and hear her laughter in this cold unforgiving mansion. Being born into a royal house is not all sunshine and rainbows like everyone think it is. Being a noble has its own set of responsibilities and downsides too. Even more so for royals like them, who are charged with ruling the Clover Kingdom and ensuring the Kingdom''s safety.


    "You¡­ will you be alright, mother?" Acier was a little alarmed when she caught the very carefully concealed worry in Nozel''s voice. "This pregnancy wouldn''t have any complications, right? The process of childbirth, I mean."


    "This is not the first time I have undergone it." Acier pulled on Nozel''s ear as he let her have her way. "Have a little faith in your mother. I''m not going to just up and die like that. Besides, your father had found several respectable mages who are proficient in Healing magic to lend their aid if need be. Your sibling and I will be fine."


    Nozel remained silent, but Acier knows that he is still worried for her.


    "I promise, Nozel. Remember how I told you a Captain doesn''t go back on their words? I am a Captain, you know? I will live till I become a grandmother and see you have cute little kids of your own."


    Nozel smiled, so she counted that as a win. Acier is sure that Nozel will be a very good older brother to her youngest. He already is.


    "I will hold you up to it, mother."


    "B-Big brother?"


    "Noelle."


    Noelle watched as her oldest brother walked towards her and sat down on the ground beside her. Only he knows where to go to find her whenever she is feeling down. Only he knows to head for the family''s garden to find her whereas the rest of the house''s servants will search frantically within the huge mansion for her. If they actually bothered to spend their energy to look for a defect like her, that is.


    "Don''t take their words to heart. The whole lot of them are idiots, there''s no point in reasoning with them."


    Noelle giggled as Nozel gave her a comforting pet on her back.


    "Thank you, big brother."


    "No problem, that''s what a big brother does anyway."


    The both of them sat in silence as they watched their mother''s grave. Her tomb is made up of the finest steel, a tribute to the magic she wielded. The elegant sculptures and engravings on it spoke volumes on the craftsmanship needed to even build something as beautiful as her tomb. Their father had wanted to build the most fitting resting place for their mother. She deserves only the best.


    She had killed her mother. Her mother had died giving birth to her. For as long as she can remember that was what she was told and constantly reminded about. Their mother''s death was almost five years ago. However, nobody had told her in detail about her mother. It is an unspoken taboo in their family to speak about her. Her other two siblings blame her for her death and her father simply walked away when she so much as asked. The fact that she is a defect as a mage, a stain on her family, isn''t helping matters too.


    That leaves Nozel as the only person to ask about her mother. Their mother. The last time she asked him, he had gone silent for a while before saying that "you look a lot like her" and excused himself.


    From what a long-time servant of her house had once told her in private, her oldest brother was very close to their mother before her death. Their mother also favoured him the most out of her siblings whereas it was, and still is, the opposite for their father. Their mother''s death had hit Nozel hard. The first reaction Nozel had upon learning the news of their mother''s death was not outright grief or disbelief. According to the servant who was there to witness the scene, Nozel had only spoke one sentence before cooping himself up in his room for days until he was forced to come out to attend his mother''s funeral. According to that servant, this was the only thing that Nozel had said upon learning their mother''s death.


    ''You broke your promise, mother.''


    Despite that, she needs to know. She wants to know. She deserves to know about her mother just like her siblings. Nozel wouldn''t be too angry if she asked him about their mother, right? He had always been there for her. He is different from their father and her other siblings.


    "W-What was mother like?"


    As expected, that question took Nozel off guard as he looked at her in surprise. It made Noelle curl up into herself. She had just screwed up, didn''t she?


    When Nozel raised his hand, she closed her eyes in fear. She knew that posture. It is the same one her father and her other two older siblings took before they gave her a beating for being a defect followed by demeaning insults. The beatings were always worse when Nozel isn''t around to help defend her.


    She opened her eyes in surprise when the hand merely ruffled the hair on the top of her head fondly.


    "You look a lot like her."


    "R-Really?" Noelle whispered out as she timidly raised her head to meet Nozel''s gaze.


    "Yes. You are a spitting image of our mother, it is why no one in the family looks at you in the eye. Seeing you brings back memories that we are not yet ready to cope with. I''m sorry, Noelle. I haven''t been much of a good older brother, am I?"


    "That''s not true!" Noelle exclaimed out before she can think. "You are always there for me! You don''t see me as a defect!"


    "You are not a defect." Nozel corrected her sternly. "Our father and siblings are simply blind to your potential. You can be so much more, Noelle. I have no doubts that you will be one of the strongest Magic Knights our house and the Kingdom will ever birth. Never doubt yourself."


    "But I cannot control my magic¡­"


    "Because you are blessed with an immense amount of magic power. The larger the power, the harder it is to control. That is why I believe that you will grow to be extremely strong in the future when you finally learn how to master and refine your magic. You are too kind, Noelle, just like our mother. Your hesitance to hurt others made it a lot harder for you to control your magic. You do need to be more confident in your abilities though. Mother had confidence in spades."


    Noelle leaned in against her brother as he spoke, who shifted his body to block out the cold night breeze blowing at her in the garden. He caught her attention when he flicked the braid of hair hanging in between his eyes with a finger.


    "I never told you why I styled my hair in this stupid manner, did I? Our mother''s the culprit."


    Noelle raised her head in curiosity. Now that is something she wants to hear.


    "Well, I kept it this way because she enjoys seeing me style my hair in this manner for reasons unknown. End of story."


    "Big brother! That''s not how you tell stories!"


    And as she continues to whine and act like the child that she is, Noelle cannot help but smile again as her mood lifted. This is her eldest brother, the one who had never failed to protect and keep an eye out for her when her entire family had casted her aside. He was the one that personally took care of her even when she was an infant, even going so far as to personally changing her diapers from what the servants had told her. He did not have to do that. He is from a royal family, and the eldest son too. The servants could have done the unpleasant job.


    She is also the reason why he hasn''t enlisted into the Magic Knights yet even if Noelle knows that he can easily beat most Knights without difficulty. He will be the most awesomest Magic Knight and she knows that she is right. Her brother is just that strong. The only reason why Nozel didn''t enlist as a Magic Knights even after close to five long years is because he knows that being a Magic Knight is a full-time job. He wouldn''t be around at home much to protect her from her other siblings and their father. He acts as if he isn''t keen on being one, saying that he has close to no hope for the state of the country thanks to the arrogant behaviour of their fellow members of the ruling class. She knows better. Whatever actions he took are always because of her. To him, her well-being always comes first.


    However, Nozel''s reason for not being a Magic Knight infuriates their father, who doesn''t like his authority to be challenged, undermined, or worse, insulted. It had soured their father-son relationship even further and her other two siblings had scorned Nozel as well. It isn''t just him not acting like a Silva, but also his views on how nobles and royals should act and carry themselves. Nozel openly told their father that how he treats his subjects and commoners will one day bring ruin to the Kingdom and to their house. He had told their father and their siblings that given the way most of their Kingdom''s nobles are acting right now, the Kingdom''s downfall is all but certain. It is just a matter of time.


    Their father and Nozel had fought after that. It was the biggest battle fought in their grounds as far as anyone could remember. Nozel had put up a good fight and he had made their father work for it, but he had ultimately lost.


    But he was so close. He was so close to winning that battle. Had their father not pulled out an extremely strong magical artefact to secure his win, the outcome of that battle might have been different.


    Nozel had totally lost favour with their father after that battle. Their father had never talked to him after that big fight and Nozel had never approached him unless necessary. Nozel still goes on missions as a member of the Silva house when the need arises, but otherwise he will spend his free time training, exploring newly emerged dungeons, or simply walking around the city in the Royal Capital doing his own thing. Their father had lost all hope in Nozel to the extent that he did not bug Nozel to enlist into the Magic Knights anymore.


    Where Noelle is a defect, Nozel is an outcast. And Nozel''s status in their family had worsened all because of her.


    It is all her fault.


    But that''s all the more reason to do her best in training her magic, to show the world that her eldest brother is right and the rest of them are wrong. If not for herself, then at least for him. She will be five years old this year, she still has time. She will be the best sister for her eldest brother, because despite how he thinks otherwise, he had always been the best brother she can ask for. Whereas other princesses have their knight in shining armour, she has a knight in silver armour in the form of her eldest brother. His Mercury Magic is just so pretty.


    To her, her eldest brother will always be her true family.


    AN: I have been recently addicted to the Black Clover fandom ever since I decided to continue reading the manga from where I left off about more than a year back. I found myself hooked to the story and when I finally caught up to the newest chapter, I turned to fanfics to satisfy my craving for more stories regarding the BC fandom. Imagine my surprise when I found a serious lack of BC stories on FFnet.


    And so, I decided that I might as well try my hand in writing one.


    It is something that I would not have done under usual circ.u.mstances since BC is still in the early stages and there is no telling how the story will progress. This story will very likely derail from canon early on because canon itself is still in the developing stages. There is a lack of information about the world of BC which is not helping me in regard to my attempt to write a fanfic about it. I will try to stick to canon facts as much as possible, but I will probably have to assume or make up some facts of my own due to the lack of information on some critical areas in the BC fandom. I myself am expecting a huge deviation from canon the further this story progresses.


    This story was inspired when I first had a thought. ''What if Noelle didn''t grow up in such an oppressive family? How much stronger could she be? What if she had some form of support from another?'' The idea of writing an OC reincarnated as Nozel was my answer to this question.


    I spent at least three days rushing out seven chapters and then half a day deciding if I should post this story. After all, I already have too many stories to juggle with and I haven''t been updating some of the existing ones for quite some time because I am currently obsessed in trying to write new interesting stories, which I had subsequently scrapped every single one of them and threw into a folder I created. In my opinion, these new stories I had tried creating are half-baked failed attempts that did not live up to my expectations. I am just not satisfied with them. I was very tempted to just do the same for this story. In the end, I decided to give this story a go, just to see if this story can make the cut.


    In any case, presenting to you, Knight In Silver Armour. As usual, I hope you enjoy this story.

 Chapter 82 - My SI Stash #82 - P-orcing All the Girls: Greenskin by Marchenblanc (Worm)

    -My bad guys, my step-mother got stuck inside a washing machine so I ended up getting horny for the rest of the night.


    *SI to Worm as an Orc with questionable powers. Pretty much Kuroinu- Kedakaki Seijo wa Hakudaku ni Somaru type beat.


    Sypnosis: Take a decent person. Throw them into a situation, and a body, with powers that they''d never been meant to handle because of bad paperwork...then run with it all the way down. When you''re a Hentai Orc that is seemingly obsessed with subverting nearly all the tropes that normally comes with what you are...it isn''t like you can do much else, right?


    Rated: M


    Words: 119K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12953189/1/P-orcing-All-the-Girls-Greenskin-A-Worm-SI (Marchenblanc)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    I hauled ass down the street, my fancy dress shoes beating the hell out of the sidewalk as the screeching of tires and the screams of true, feminine anger echoed in my ears.


    "COME BACK~~~!"


    I had no idea what I''d done to get her acting like this. I''d just met the girl a week ago, this tiny, cute Asian girl that had flagged me down at a Starbucks once. Just to ask me some questions as she waited for her coffee. Questions that had started to become a little personal...in a good way. We''d kind of just connected, after that.


    Or at least that was what I had thought. F.u.c.k me, right?


    A truck, a barely in control eighteen-wheeler, just barely missed sideswiping me and took out a row of parking meters instead when I ducked into a Chinese place. A Chinese place that did not look happy about what had just happened outside, and what was still¡ªAh, shit.


    "WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO KILL YOU!?"


    I ducked around the counter with my jacket up in a weak attempt to hide by covering the side of my face, following everyone else out a side door while silently screaming about how she''d, somehow, found a car, another truck, and drove it right through the glass front of the shop. Not that it worked, seeing how she called out my name and, after seeing how close I was to leaving her in the dust... Her lips curled up into a sneer. Her eyes got even wider. She reversed that truck of hers, then drove back forward like she was on a Nascar parking lot and I was in her space.


    That counter hadn''t stood a chance. Neither had the wall behind it...or Usain Bolt''s record.


    I seriously had no idea what I had done to make her like this. I thought the date had been going well. Like, sure, I wasn''t exactly all that up-to-date when it came to the dating scene, but I hadn''t messed up that bad, had I? I''d met up with her at a nice place, something fancy, but not too fancy so that we could eat, just before we went to the movies. She picked. I paid. Hell, I even got a peck on the cheek for the wonderful date I''d brought her on.


    Needless to say, I''d been flying high...up until the first truck had almost run over my foot, and the next had definitely taken out my date. The date that I had thought had just been shocked at the time... It had kind of gone all downhill from there, with her actually coming back from getting front-ended by a fully-loaded moving truck¡ªI was seeing a pattern here¡ªin a truck of her very own while foaming at the mouth and screeching obscenities.


    I''d thought that ''Yandere'' shit had just been a genre you saw in comics. Manga or whatever. A fetish for people who were into possibly getting their organs extracted while they slept in return for s.e.x¡­ Even if that was an exaggeration. I don''t know. That wasn''t my thing. Never would be my thing now, especially not after today.


    "Oh, f.u.c.k!" I screamed after an upwards glance. A scream that caused everyone around to scatter with screams of their own. Just in time to evade the truck that had, somehow, found its way on top of a nearby building and had decided to make its way back down on the express route. Gravity-assisted. With her showing her teeth and cackling the whole way down while I hugged the wall and wheezed, completely out of screaming air. This was it. This was how I died.


    Before she hit, I closed my eyes and looked away from my impending doom. Hopefully, it would be quick...and f.u.c.k! I never got to write my will! No one would know that they had to put my computer in a microwave!


    Whoever got to use it next, most likely one of my sisters, was going to be in for a hell of a surprise.


    The rush of air. A crash. The sound of breaking glass. Said glass pinging off of my slightly over large glasses and my winter coat without issues...then silence. Relative silence, other than the running of a badly treated junker of an engine. I opened my eyes with a shuddering breath.


    I fear vomited in my mouth a little.


    Climbing out through the shattered windshield of her slowly burning ride was my ''date''. She was bleeding from a head wound. Blood was pouring down her face while she used a giant sword, which I had no idea of where it might have come from, stabbed into solid cement so that she could lean on it. Her once nice dress was smoldering, and I could only watch in stunned horror as she straightened herself, her eyes never breaking contact with mine all the while.


    Hate. So full of hate.


    "Why. The f.u.c.k..." Melly, short for Melinda, snarled at me, venom positively dripping off of her tongue with each word. "Won''t you die!?"


    "Why won''t I die?!" I replied incredulously. I couldn''t help it. What kind of question was that?


    I''d seen her get taken out by a speeding, multi-ton vehicle. She had, somehow, got a goddamn eighteen-wheeler on top of a Chinese restaurant. then made it do a belly flop off that same building. She had survived that. Both of those things, just before she''d capped it by crawling out of the burning wreckage of her last ride...and she had the sheer bloody cheek to ask why I wasn''t dead?


    Who the f.u.c.k did that sort of thing? Who¡­ No. What the f.u.c.k had I been dating!?


    "You just had to make this difficult, didn''t you!? All year!" She screeched, then swung her sword at thin air making the slow sideways motion I''d been in the middle of slow to a stop. "I''ve been trying to kill you for a year!"


    "I¡­" l licked my suddenly dry lips. Not that it helped much, seeing how my mouth was as good as Death Valley when it came to moisture at the moment. "What?"


    "I''ve been trying to kill you for a year, you dumb shit!"


    Now...now that was just hurtful. Uncalled for even.


    "What did I ever do to you?!" I asked loudly, and slowly continued edging away from the crazy lady with the sword...and damn. A whole year? I hadn''t noticed a thing. "Why would you want to kill me!?"


    I was a decent guy! I paid my taxes! Called my elderly mother at least three times a week! I had a pet cat that I loved, and that loved me back! What was wrong with that?


    "You won''t die!"


    "Well then!" I shot back, "that just clears everything up then, doesn''t it!? You crazy, bug-f.u.c.k insane, buck-toothed¡ª"


    She screamed again and charged forward before I could tell her off something fierce.


    Throwing myself to the side in reflex, I somehow avoided all of the glass and shrapnel covering the floor without even a scratch, even as everything went sort of...dream-like. As I scrambled for cover, I paid attention to things that weren''t exactly all that important. Shock and panic doing their work, most likely. There was a shoe. Over there was a phone. Someone had left their purse behind.


    I don''t blame them...but it would all go towards a worthwhile goal. This I promised as I gathered the mess up in my arms.


    "It was supposed to be an easy job! I arrange an accident! You die!" She easily batted the high-heel I''d just thrown at her out of the air. Then the phone. Shit! "You get reincarnated where you need to go and I get to take a vacation! BUT NO! You had to be difficult!" A beat. "F.u.c.k!"


    As she continued to rave, I snuck a peek out from behind the table I''d stuck myself behind and then started crawling for another spot of cover. She''d got her sword stuck in a wall. I might have started giggling hysterically, even before I jumped out of the window she''d driven through and started running down the street again and towards a nearby officer busily waving me over.


    The screech that followed that was inhuman. The one that occurred when a red circle appeared in front of me, forcing me to come to a teetering stop while I tried to catch my balance was even worse.


    I could feel liquid coming out of my ears. Vertigo. A lack of equilibrium due to my inner ear getting a beating...and I tipped forward into the swirling, red, and f.u.c.k.i.n.g obvious magical portal.


    "DON''T YOU F.U.C.K.I.N.G DARE!"


    I fell, and I began to pray as the last thing I saw on her face was horror.


    "NO!"


    My balance had never been the best¡­but the bird I flipped her before the portal closed behind me was in fine form.


    And then, things went bad again.


    When I didn''t hit the ground within the first second I started to worry. When I didn''t hit it within the next two, I started to panic. Then, after some flailing that led to me rolling over in mid-air, I saw that I was over a city and that I hadn''t, suddenly, gained the ability to fly¡­ Well. I didn''t exactly react all that well, to say it lightly.


    You could have heard my oddly deep death scream, one that I chalked up to f.u.c.k.i.n.g up my throat while running, from miles away. I splayed out. Caught as much air as my bulk could take...and started praying to whatever higher power that could hear me as I clenched my eyes shut.


    Jesus, Buddha, Flying Spaghetti Monster, glorious leader Lenin! I didn''t care, just someone, anyone, save me! I did not escape a year of really subtle truck related murder attempts, only to die from a fall at terminal velocity!


    "F.U.C.K F.U.C.K F.U.C.K F.U.C.K!" I opened my eyes again, the wind forcing tears from my eyes before, in what had to be the most confusing moment of my life, I looked into the eyes of a blonde. A really, really shocked blond, just before I fell by, then past her, clipping her on the way down in the worst way possible.


    My eyes crossed. I stopped splaying out. I clutched myself with a whine and I let out a roar of discontent and manly defiance.


    Right in the junk, just before my death...the sheer humiliation¡­ It could make a man cry, it could... The purse that had just wrapped around the front of my face, the one I had taken from the Chinese place for ammunition, was just mean.


    When I hit the truck coming up under me, crumpling the hood under me like a cheap bit of plastic and bringing in the dark...it was almost a relief.


    0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o


    "I just got c.o.c.k slapped by the Jolly Green Giant." Vicky rubbed her cheek and grimaced as she found something moist and sticky on her skin. A something that she didn''t think anything about for the sake of her own sanity while she wiped it off on her skirt, and observed the nearly ten-foot tall, muscle-bound beast that had, somehow, ended up pelvis deep in some poor guy''s engine block. "That''s nice."


    The giant groaned. Shifted his h.i.p.s¡­and the truck made one last sputtering noise, then gave up the ghost with a puff of smoke.


    The crowd started taking pictures. That would, most likely, be a meme before the day was out.


    Vicky didn''t need to be a mechanic to know that thing was totaled. Neither did she have to be a doctor to know that he probably needed an ambulance¡­ Which is why, even as she continued to rub her quickly warming, most likely bruising cheek¡ªthat shockwave had been tough enough to bring down her field for a good three seconds¡ªshe was hitting the first few numbers to call for the local PRT.


    Really... What else could she do with a new C53? Bring him home?


    Chapter 2


    "Hello? Hello, sir?" I got the impression of someone over me, shining a light in my face. Through my eyelids, with a suspiciously green hue. "Can you hear me? Do you understand me?"


    By the Premier''s glorious mustache, please. Please put me out of my misery. I tried to crack open an eye only to regret it horribly. Yep. Concussion. Fun. There was something else. Me grunting. A response.


    "As I said. Concussion. A bad one. He won''t be up for the next few days." Soft. Female. Tired.


    "Ah¡­ I see." Strong. Male...kind of a douche. "Disappointing. You''ll call me when he''s cognizant?"


    "It depends. His form¡­ How he''s built. I don''t think he''ll be a good fit for the¡ª"


    I started to lose clarity. Finished. Someone said something else. Probably important. Mostly likely important... But I wanted to sleep. Sleep good.


    Wait. I had a concussion. Wasn''t going to sleep with a concussion a bad¡ª


    0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o


    The next time I woke up and cracked open an eye...things were better. Not perfect. Not even close. But it was better. Less flaming razor wasps with chainsaws in my brain and more lethargic, normal bees. Still hurts like a motherf.u.c.ker but, just to repeat, noticeably less.


    Enough that I managed to keep my eyes open for long enough to see someone in white standing over me with a washcloth.


    He? she? I didn''t know, ran that cloth down my chest. Moist. Warm. Soft as I grabbed their hand, completely covering it in my own as their heads shot up and they looked into my, probably still a little unfocused, eyes with a blink of shock.


    Light brown. Surprised, but dull. Not quite...there? That was something to say when you were the one with a concussion. Sad.


    "Did anyone tell you¡­" I paused for breath. "That you need a hobby?" That sounded important...and then my head hit the pillow again, and I was out like a light.


    0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o


    I woke up, again, while I was being rolled over onto my side. Apparently, from the view the window afforded me, it was nighttime now. What could the doctors be doing? At night? With the lights off? With a smooth, latex¡ªthe brush of a hand against my butt cheek answered the question. Nothing good.


    I knew where this was going.


    I grunted a bit and tried to turn my head. My head made its opinion on that move known. The wasps were back. They had brought friends, and I was starting to black out again¡­ So I just laid down and hoped they didn''t stick anything up my ass. If they did though¡­ I''d always wanted to win a lawsuit. It was on my bucket list and everything.


    "What are you doing, Doc?" I managed to force myself to say.


    I got no response. Just a loud buzz. A whine. The prickling feeling of a thousand needles biting into my left asscheek. I passed out again. Because f.u.c.k you, that''s why.


    I wouldn''t give them the satisfaction of my reactions!


    0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o


    Finally. Finally, I was awake. Up and ready. Ready for life. Not asleep. Completely, mostly, maybe fine as I used my huge, green hands to change the channel on the tv in front of me to the news while a pretty, young nurse shyly waited on me and¡­ Wait.


    There was something wrong here. Obvious, in hindsight.


    I nodded to myself, then changed the channel to Cartoon Network. Who watched the news while they were sick? Not me...and damn. I''m not sure where they''d hid this episode of ''Billy and Mandy'' but I''m not complaining.


    "Are you still hungry, darling?"


    A hand on my arm tore me away from the screen for the moment, leading to me looking down on that same nurse fluttering her lashes at me...and man. Was it just me, or were all the girls I met like five feet tall at most?


    "Just say the word and I''ll get you whatever you want to eat." She bit her lower lip and took a deep breath. "Anything. Anything at all." After that, actually, sort of touching offer of food, she let go of my arm and took a step back with a smile. "Hell, if you want," She played with the collar of her scrubs while I looked on with interest. "I''ll let you have me¡­ If you just stay still for a moment and let me get comforta¡ª"


    "I must warn you, Miss Militia. This particular...individual...isn''t the most eloquent. If you had waited a while, maybe called ahead first, I could have told you. We could have set something up."


    Miss Militia? Why did that sound familiar? TV?


    The nurse adjusted her collar with a pout and took another step back just before the door opened and let two new, people, in. My own, personal, doctor. The one with the bad combover, a not too subtle habit of casual racism, and a liking for barely legal interns and cheap liquor¡­ Don''t know how I know that stuff about him, but I do... And he''d come with a woman as well. A woman with a red, white and blue bandana over her mouth, while the rest of her was covered in olive, well-fit BDUs.


    "That''s fine, Dr. Gale." Her eyes crinkled up in a smile...and now, I didn''t need to see what was under that bandana of her''s to know that she was pretty. It was just obvious...and she was so authentic. "As long as he can understand me¡­?"


    "He can." Gale nodded, and I used the time where there were no eyes on me but MM''s wisely. I flipped Gale off. With both hands. Subtle, I was not...and I could see that I''d got the point across when her eyes crinkled up even further. "He is still a little confused, due to the concussion he has, but he seems to understand simple, short instructions well enough..."


    He''d called me a mindless animal in hearing range once. I knew what he was saying now. What he meant. Seriously, f.u.c.k Gale. I was pretty sure he was a Nazi and this hospital was ass.


    "In other words, he is cognizant." Gale finished that part of his explanation. "Although, there are some abnormalities that we must¡ª"


    "I understand." Miss Militia (that was a strange name) nodded firmly. "But, please. Allow us some privacy, Doctor." She then turned to the nurse. "Also, that''s a nice fit. Very close."


    My nurse started to sweat as she gave MM a weak smile.


    "A bit too close for hospital regulations I think." She stepped to the side. "You should get something new. Think about it."


    The nurse nodded, then left like the hounds of hell were after her.


    Gale left after her with a sheen of sweat on his forehead. The door closed...and the eye crinkles normalized. I lamented the loss of what could have been with my nurse, just before I said my first words...the first that I could remember so far anyway.


    "The good doctor is an asshole." I nodded. "And I''m not sure, but I think using hospital medical supplies like he does is illegal. Maybe. I''m not a doctor...but injecting me in the middle of the night with enough stuff to make me black out, without my consent, sounds kind of skeevy, and I want to know if those are grounds for a malpractice suit. Besides that though..." I nodded again. "Sup?"


    She continued to smile at me. Just long enough that I started to feel uncomfortable before she sighed. "I''d hoped that Panacea (What? Who?) might have fixed that issue of yours before our conversation." Her tone turned dry. "She''s busy with other, more critical, patients at the moment."


    I frowned and she waved a hand at me, looking for calm. I wasn''t really sure why though. The context here was missing.


    "Cancer patients. Traumatic amputations. Bullet wounds," MM explained. "Nothing you did, I assure you. It''s just that your problems, if any, aren''t life-threatening."


    "I guess?" I grumbled, not really meaning it. From what I could tell, I still had all of my bits. I could move my toes, and things were going well enough...also, still no context. "Who''s Panacea though?"


    "I''m sorry, but¡­" She paused again and took a step towards me to give my hand a pat. "I can''t understand you. No one can."


    I gave her a look.


    She stood firm.


    How could she not understand me? She was speaking English, right? I was speaking English too. This should be easy.


    "Your vocal cords are unable to create the sounds necessary to forming most languages...and you''re speaking something completely different from anything anyone has ever heard of." She stroked my arm, the crinkles around her eyes gone to be replaced with pity. "I''m sorry."


    My jaw went slack. I...couldn''t talk? That was...I could hear myself! I was speaking English, damn it!


    "It''s not exactly uncommon for those like you, Case 53s, I mean." She kept patting my arm, even when my jaw clicked back together and my hands turned into fists. "To have some form of impediment. Or change. Whether it be their looks, their minds...or something else." She sighed. "But that''s fine." She left my side, leaving me alone in the cold. Tiny hands or not, she had been deliciously warm. "There are programs to help those like you. Groups. We can get around this."


    I picked up the remote and turned off the tv. Serious time now. Serious face activated.


    She quickly backed up, then cleared her throat as her hand twitched towards her side.


    ¡­ Less serious face activated. I didn''t need to get tased today. Still. I was feeling pretty manly right now!


    "One of these groups, the one of those that I am currently representing, is known as the PRT. A charter objective of theirs is to provide oversight, guidance, assistance to new parahumans that might feel a little ''lost'' or ''confused'' about their places in the world."


    Her stance loosened slightly. Relaxed as something that she was used to talking about, something that she believed in and felt safe talking about was brought up¡­ I couldn''t help but admit that I found it attractive, weirdly enough...and something was starting to niggle at me, right in the back of my head.


    The PRT, huh? It sounded okay but at the same time, it was kinda...off? Shaky? Not right. Yeah. Sure. I''d go with that.


    "And, of course, in its affiliate organization, the Protectorate, you''ll be able to find others like you. People who can understand what you are going through, and give you the support you need to get yourself back on your feet." She nodded quickly. Her b.r.e.a.s.ts bounced lightly in her top. Her h.i.p.sswayed lightly.


    An erection started rising and, like the gentleman I was, I stuck a pillow over it. Close one. Phew.


    "The memory loss is something that we are still working on fixing," She admitted, seemingly unaware of the struggle I was in the middle of to keep myself decent. I''d had some seriously strong ragers in my time (I think) but I was actually fighting to keep it together here. "But, something like your issues with communication can be managed through translators or through the use of text-to-speech devices." She shrugged, her eyes crinkling again even as her b.r.e.a.s.ts bounced again. "You never quite know what our Tinkers will think up."


    That crinkle was quick to disappear in favor of her brow furrowing when the sound of slowly tearing fabric began to sound. Then, there was only terror as my pillow, the greatest defender of decency man had ever known, was torn in twain. Stuffing flew. Half of the casing hit her in the abdomen, while the other half found itself in the ceiling fan...and things got awkward.


    Hospitals, especially crappy ones like the one I had found myself in, didn''t exactly lend itself to carrying underwear in my size¡­ So I was just kinda showing it all right now. The full monty...and, if I thought I had been embarrassed¡­ MM''s bandanna did nothing, absolutely nothing at all, to hide the fact that her mouth had fallen open to its fullest extension. Neither did it hide the sound of her gasp or the instinctive reach behind her back before we locked eyes.


    Awkwardly.


    The clock ticked. I lost count after five because that was about when her chest began to heave and her n.i.p.p.l.es started to tent her shirt¡­ Someone had to say something because this was getting weird as f.u.c.k.


    "This sort of thing doesn''t normally happen to me." I whispered and, now that I was actually bothering to pay attention to myself, it sounded like I''d been gargling gravel and nails since I was a child¡­ It was kind of cool, actually. "I swear."


    MM shuddered. Her eyes flickered...and then spun around on her heel like it was a dime to walk out the door. Without saying goodbye even!


    "... Rude." I muttered to myself as I flopped back down on my bed. And regretted that. I had just ripped my pillow. With my d.i.c.k¡­ Is this what they call, ''being blessed with suck''? It must have been.


    You gotta deal with the cards life hands you, I guess.


    I sighed and sat upright then, after reaching around for a bit, I managed to find the remote again. Thankfully I hadn''t sat on it, seeing how I was pretty sure that my fat, green ass would have crushed it. I flipped through the channels. I was disappointed.


    Daytime television was the same no matter what dimension you were in. Boring and trashy. Rosalita! I love you, mi amor! Urghh.


    I flipped through all the channels, all two-hundred plus of them, several times. Seen that episode of Spongebob. Ugh. Johnny Test. How the hell did that show get six seasons? Eventually, I stopped on the news channel again after giving up.. Might as well learn something about current events, seeing how the Network had failed me.


    "Cornell Bomber still on the loose, huh?" I repeated the CNN headline out loud. "Lung should be picking her up soon, the dumb bastard... Couldn''t happen to a nicer guy though..." I trailed off. I blinked. I thought about what I just said. What I''d been thinking.


    Green ass? Dimension? Cornell? Lung? What the hell was I¡ªoh no.


    I stopped seeing. I stopped breathing. The remote dropped from my numb fingers. My heart stopped and my stomach dropped. Then, just to add a cherry on the top of the whole mess, I started to hyperventilate.


    I glanced down at my hands. They¡­ These weren''t my hands. This wasn''t my body! This wasn''t me! I was a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Orc! I was a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Orc in Worm! A f.u.c.k.i.n.g Orc, in Worm, without health insurance!


    F.u.c.k.i.n.g concussions! I should have just let Melinda kill me! I couldn''t afford any of this!


    The door opened again, this time letting in an actual nurse. An older one. One that pulled a Militia and just kind of started staring at my junk without even a hint of shame. Then another. And another... And then they all started reaching for my d.i.c.k. At the same time.


    ¡­ This was going places.


    "I think we need a s.e.m.e.n sample." Nurse one breathed.


    "And we can''t wait for even a second longer." Nurse two added.


    "This is for your health." Nurse three licked her lips and snapped on a long, rubber glove. "So...just relax."


    Nope.


    0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o


    Hannah''s eyes were closed. Her face pressed up against her arm, which was pressed up against the wall outside of the room she''d just left... With an arm around her middle to hold back the ache.


    "Good going, Hannah." She mouthed to herself. "Just leave like that. Don''t say anything. Don''t assure him. Don''t say goodbye. Just leave." She sighed. "Damn my memory...and...and thank god I didn''t do what I''d thought about doing."


    This wasn''t the first time she''d cursed her memory. It wouldn''t be the last either... But she''d never done it for a reason like this. She never would be able to get that magnificent sight out of her head for the rest of her life.


    Strong. Virile. Perfectly sculptured masculinity, created just for the sake of filling her up like she was a water balloo¡ª


    She gave herself a crack across the face with the flat of her palm and ignored the orderly that was now giving her funny looks. None of that. No thinking about that. Suppress. Repress. ''Forget''.


    She took in a deep breath and exhaled with what sounded almost like a sob.


    Okay. Alright. She was feeling better now. She...she just had to go back in there, apologize, and continue her explanation. That''s all. Easy. She owed him that much at the very least...and she was here for a reason. He''d fallen out of orbit, from what Armsmaster could tell, and was still alive. A Brute rating like that, harsh as it may sound, would be quite the help...and the local Protectorate needed all the help it could get.


    He couldn''t help his reactions...and they could...talk about this, about what she was feeling, later.


    That was the plan she had had in mind anyway. A plan that she was forced to throw out the window before it was even completely born at the first roar. She immediately went from an embarrassed and debilitatingly horny woman¡ªshe could admit it¡ªto a battle-hardened soldier in mere fractions of a second after the sound of breaking glass.


    She had already barreled through the door, then through the crowd of nurses that had, somehow, slipped by her with a SAW in her hands before he disappeared out of the broken window completely, allowing her to see his bald head before he sank out of sight. Then, when she ran to that window to see where he was going she caught sight of him in an instant¡­ Which is where she froze.


    Her eyes tracked him still, of course. Just not in a way that the PRT handbook would have recommended... At all¡­ Damn. Just...damn.


    "Well. At least we know where his tattoo is," She muttered to herself, her face hot as she watched his n.a.k.e.d backside vanish into the distance. "I need a shower¡­" Something dawned on her as she turned around. "And M/S containment...maybe."


    "He''s got an ass on him." One of the nurses whispered in agreement.


    The interest he got from her, and from the nurses, was just unnatural.

 Chapter 83 - My SI Stash #83 - Perfect Method by Consolidate Means (DCU Justice League)

    -Fairly new fic, not a SI but a student in Gotham who gets The Gamer system.


    *Author precisely said at the end that there''d be no party mode and no spilling secrets, probably the only Gamer fic that follows the thief path? Check it out!


    *Honestly, the whole shadow skill thing is giving me Solo Leveling vibes (a very cool manwha) I''m hoping for some "SUBARASHII" moments~


    (?? ?? ?)??


    Sypnosis: When a young man living in Gotham, is given the powers of the Gamer, he will claw his way out of the miserable life that was given to him. If he has to steal a thing or two to achieve the perfect peaceful life he wants, well then it must be fate that he is shaping up to be a great thief. OC main character.


    Rated: T


    Words: 12K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13468450/1/Perfect-Method


    (Consolidate Means)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Routine had a way of making even the weirdest and uncomfortable things seem normal, one could get used to many things if they happened frequently enough. The human mind was adaptive, it was likely its most powerful aspect. Which is why Damien was no longer perturbed to wake up to the loud rumble coming from his ceiling anymore, the excessive noise would start around 6 AM without fail every day. It had gotten to the point where he could trust it to be his alarm clock for waking up for school, it was certainly louder than his old cellphone.


    The upstair neighbors would start their daily lives with loud s.e.x, their bedframe dragging itself across their floor was the thing that Damien had been uncomfortable hearing when he and his mom had moved in a few years back. Now it was just a thing that happened, just like the sun would rise in the morning. He was just glad that their voices didn''t carry through the thin walls.


    His daily routine was far more normal after that: brushing his teeth, placing frozen waffles in the toaster for his breakfast, a quick shower, and putting on his clothes for school. Not bothering to say goodbye to his mother, who would not wake up for another few hours, he walked out of the two-bedroom apartment.


    Damien White was remarkably unremarkable, he had nothing about him that was special, and he had nothing about him that was weird. He was just a teen of average height and built, his black hair had a sharp contrast with his white skin, and he wore blue jeans with a marron long-sleeve shirt. His looks were neither bad nor good, a perfect example of normal.


    Making sure to avoid eye-contact with the local crackheads, who laid lazily on the hallway, he began to make his way down the old apartment complex. Reaching the lobby, he passed by the mailboxes which were mainly filled with overdue bills and eviction notices. It was comforting for him to think that it wasn''t only him who was in financial trouble. It was a cynical thought, but misery loves company, it was a rule of the world; certainly, nothing he could do about it.


    Damien might have looked normal, but within he held an iron will, it manifested in his dedication to his studies. He studied hard every day in order to achieve his status of number one in terms of GPA, even beating out freaks of nature like Barbara Gordon who was a natural prodigy.


    It wasn''t like Damien liked spending his free time in the library, but it was done to escape poverty. He needed a good-paying job if he wanted to move to greener pastures, money would certainly not fall on his lap if he waited around for it. He did not wish to end up like his deadbeat father who abandoned his mother when he got her pregnant, not be like his mother who was only on the road to death.


    She worked a minimum wage job that earned enough to pay for some food and her a little to support her drug addiction. He didn''t blame her though, she did not have any choice at this point. She was stuck in the cycle of poverty and it was not something that she could break out of easily. She could be a good little worker ant and do as the rich always said and saved her money, eventually, she would have enough to make a move and so on. It was easy for the wealthy to lecture the poor, thinking that they knew what was best. They scoffed at the useless things that the dregs of society would buy. Saying: If you don''t have enough money to put toward your retirement funds, then why are you buying a flat-screen TV?


    They failed to connect with the common person who lived in downtown Gotham: TVs, gaming consoles, concert tickets, drugs, p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.es, and everything else that was a waste of money was something special to the sc.u.m of the city. It was something that for just a little moment would take them away from their problems, away from the hardsh.i.p.s that came with this life.


    Not that he would partake in those things mind you, he simply understood why people choose to waste their money in such a way. He rather study to get good grades, go to college with a grant, and spend the rest of his days rising up the corporate ladder as a salaryman.


    So lost in his thoughts that he failed to realize that he had already boarded the subway and was nearing his stop, that was good, the subway was easily the worst part of his daily routine. The amount of weirdos that would gather around the place was astonishing and he had already received his fair share of muggings to feel no desire to give any money to beggars who bummed around the place.


    As he focused on his surroundings, he spotted a weird paper lingering in the air, looking at a different direction he was surprised when the paper moved with his eyesight. Testing the motion of his head again, he realized that the paper was centered in his vision, it would move to wherever he looked.


    I really need more sleep.


    Reaching out to grab the paper he noticed something peculiar, it was immovable. He could touch it but moving it was like trying to push against a wall, it did not budge in any way.


    What in the world? It feels weird.


    True to his thoughts, the texture of the paper was inexplicable to describe. It felt like it was there, but not really. Like it was a trick of the mind. Seeing that he could not move it he decided to read the stupid thing.


    Welcome Gamer!


    Ok.


    The ''Ok'' part seemed to be almost like a button, risking looking like a weirdo in a train full of them he reached out and pressed his index finger on Ok. The screen immediately changed into a similar screen with more text than the last, at this point Damien had already realized that this thing was definitely not a weird sheet of paper floating in the wind as he initially thought.


    Congratulations on becoming The Gamer!


    We wish you success in future endeavors, the System will now support you in all aspects of your life as The Gamer.


    Ok. / View Tutorial.


    Damien looked at the screen with no small amount of confusion, the subway arrived at his stop and he was forced to run out in order not to miss first period. Like the previous screen Damien opted to simply press Ok once more, it was definitely weird, but more than likely it was the weird that would get him a one-way ticket to the Arkham Insane Asylum.


    After pressing the Ok button the screen was dismissed and Damien felt relieved that the object of his concern disappeared without a trace, he didn''t need something weird in his life now.


    The Gamer?


    The thought stuck to his head for a single lingering moment before it was squashed by the more pressing matter of getting to class.


    Damien stood in front of his classroom door, it stood a monument to his failure. He had arrived late, and as proof, the door was locked. His chances of quietly sneaking into the class were dashed away, he would have to knock and wait for the teacher to unlock the door. A spectacle to be sure.


    Damien had no friends, while he was the smartest student in his grade, he never spoke to anyone without being spoken to first, he was the quiet weird kid that spent all his time with his nose on a book. He wasn''t weird exactly, but his social awkwardness was like blood in the water to the sharks that lived in the school. He was, by all means, the social outcast of the school. Not that it bothered him much, it got lonely at lunch, but it was not something he pondered on much.


    Taking a deep breath he knocked on the door and hear the class go quiet. Footsteps slowly made their way to the door and Damien waited as his stomach dropped, it was his first time being late to class in all his life. The consequences of his tardiness were already piling on his mind.


    Damien had never been in trouble and his disposition to authority made him fear punishment, it had been like that for him all his life. He wasn''t a coward, but he certainly wasn''t the kind of guy to mouth off to the teacher if he got in trouble.


    Something peculiar happened however, the anxiety he had been feeling was quickly suppressed into non-existence. It simply vanished. His mind was completely calm, his thoughts flowed fluidly.


    "Mr. White, tardy? That''s a first, seeing as how it''s your first time late to my class I''ll let it slide, take your seat." His teacher Mr. Gonzales explained with a monotone voice that expressed how little he cared.


    Damien replied with a quiet ''Thank you'' and walked on over to his seat, he could feel the class staring him down, normally such attention would have made his cheeks and ears red, but he felt strangely at ease.


    As the teacher began to speak about the lesson, class once again forgot about the late teen and returned to the usual small chatter of teens talking about anything but school.


    Damien''s thoughts drifted back to the thing he had experienced in the subway, What even is the gamer anyway? Like a video game? Although he used to play video games as a kid, his current financial situation did not allow for much recreational funds. He had not played in years.


    Does it mean like games like FPS with guns or RPGs with statuses?


    At the last thought, a new window popped up in front of Damien, a much bigger one than the one he had seen previously, this one was filled with information that Damien was not sure what to do with.


    Gamer Status:


    Select an item to view additional information.


    Name: Damien White


    Title: The Gamer?Age: 16?Gender: Male?Level (D): 9?Debuff: Mental Corruption X100


    HP: 40?SP: 35?MP: 0?Magic: E0?STR: D25?DEF: D15?AGI: D10?INT: D85?WIS: D55?CHAR: B?LCK: B?Points: 0?Money: $15


    Damien stared at the screen for a new minutes, taking in all the information it gave. Way past the point he could discard this as a hallucination, he began to wonder what all the letters and numbers meant.


    Are the letters supposed to denote my ability and the number is for more accuracy? They all are D, expect for his CHAR and LCK. His magic too.


    Deciding that the best way to learn more was to simply press on each item.


    Title: Awarded by special actions, can grant stat bonuses and special skills.


    Level: Represents the current overall rating of your status, a higher level means higher overall ability, each level will naturally increase your attributes. Levels can be earned through the System. (Level is Denoted by a Letter Rank)


    HP: Represents the maximum amount of health you possess. Should this drop to 0, you will die.


    SP: Represents the maximum amount of stamina you possess. Should this drop to 0, you will faint.


    MP: Represents the maximum amount of magic that can be performed. Should this drop to 0, you will be unable to perform magic.


    Magic: Represents the quality of magic you may produce.


    STR: Represents the amount of strength you possess.


    DEF: Represents the amount of defense you possess.


    AGI: Represents the amount of agility, dexterity, reflexes, and speed you possess.


    INT: Represents the amount of intelligence you possess.


    WIS: Represents the amount of wisdom you possess.


    CHAR: Represents the amount of charisma you possess. Value cannot be changed through normal means.


    LCK: Represents the amount of luck you possess. Value cannot be changed through normal means.


    Points: Earned through leveling up, can be allocated to stats.


    Once again, Damien found himself at a huge loss. It was a lot of information to take in, all his ability could be quantified on a single page so easily? It was a reality check to be sure, but it only brought out more questions than what it managed to answer. The Title section mentioned skills, did he have some sort of menu-


    A thought was all it took for a new screen to pop up in front of the old one, this one more simple than the last.


    Menu:


    Status


    Skills/Blessings


    Inventory


    Quest


    Relations


    Damien was beginning to regret not opting in for the tutorial. He checked his inventory and found it empty, along with his quest tab. He decided to check the Skill section next. This one again was filled with information.


    Blessings:


    - Gamer''s Body, your body is like that of a game. Damage received will decrease your HP rather than damage your body. Sleep will restore HP & remove status effects.


    - Gamer''s Mind, your mind perceives reality as though it were a game. Allows your mind to be calm despite the situation you may find yourself in, you are immune to all mental statuses and attacks.


    - Gamer''s Anathema, you will live life as though it were a game. Allows for Paracasual abilities.


    - Gamer''s Right, set of inalienable tools for the gamer. Gamer can use Inventory and Observe. (Note that entities than exceed The Gamer''s level by at least a value of 1 will have information hidden).


    Skills: A/N


    Aside from that, there was nothing else on the screen. It was surreal, he almost thought that he may have been drugged if not for the fact that it was so vivid. He began to wonder how something like this came to be, everyone knew of the Metagene, but those things tended to be way more physical even if they also had weird abilities, but this was vastly different. This had intelligence behind it, this was even referred to as a System in several of the things he had read so far, the mere fact that it contained text clearly pointed to the fact that something had written it. But for what end? And why did he have it?


    The more he thought about it the less it made sense, there was something eerie about the whole thing. The whole Mental Corruption times 100 wasn''t giving him much confidence either, had the Gamer''s Mind negated the effects? Or...?


    There was only one thing he could do now, and that was trying out his new ability. How would he go about receiving a quest, would it come to him? There were too many questions in his head so the only thing he thought about doing was using observe on his classroom. There were plenty of subjects to try it on, he hoped it would be something unnoticeable or there would be a lot of explaining to do.


    Looking at his teacher, who still was writing on the board, he thought about how he would go about using his ability before he simply decided to do what felt natural, Observe, the thought brought up a box on top of Mr. Gonzales to appear.


    Name: Gustavo Gonzales?Title: High School Teacher?Age: 46?Level (D): 14?Description: ??Relationship: Liked


    It seemed that because his teacher''s level was higher than his, he was unable to read his description, he wondered what kind of information that would give. He began to observe some of the other boys around the class to learn more but was saddened to learn he held the lowest level amongst the boys. It wasn''t surprising given how little he worked out, but it still stung slightly. Seeing that he was getting nowhere with the boys, he set his eyes on the girls and started to learn more.


    Name: Alice Palm?Title: High School Student?Age: 16?Level (D): 8?Description: Alice Palm is a High school student who likes to spend time texting her boyfriend, dreams of long vacations on the beach, and getting rich by marrying into money.?Relationship: Disliked


    Finally, he encountered a person with a lower level than him, the information he was given was not much, but it was more than what he knew of her prior. He looked down at his pencil and used Observe.


    A slightly used wooden pencil.


    About what he expected, he continued to observe his classmates until he was satisfied with the results. It was when he was done with the whole class that a new pop up appeared in front of him, this one slightly different, it read:


    Quest!: Know your limits.?Use Observe on a target whose level greatly exceeds yours.


    Rewards: 50 XP


    Failure: None


    Accept?


    Despite the question mark, Damien took note that there was no option to decline, would this be the case for all quests or just some? Seeing no harm in accepting he pressed his finger on the button and saw the Quest placed on its appropriate tab in the menu. No matter how many times Damien used his Observe on others, some football players had levels in the 20s, but it failed to fulfill the quest. There was no exact number by how much higher the level had to be so Damien had no reference to know how much he needed to see. It was then that he spotted the girl of everyone''s dreams. Barbara Gordon, the redhead beauty. She was unapproachable due to the fact that her father was the Commissioner of Gotham, getting on his bad side was not on many people''s best interest. Therefore, despite her immense popularity she was only ever seen with her closest of friends. He decided to take a look at her information.


    Name: Barbara Gordon?Title: ??Age: 16?Level (?): ??Description: ??Relationship: Neutral


    This caught Damien off guard, he had seen dozens of people with Observe, but this was the first time he had been unable to see a person''s level. Was she really that strong? Word around the street was that she had been trained by the Commissioner had taught her how to use a gun, and she received self-defense lessons. It could explain her abnormal level, after all, he did not know at which point a level would become unknown.


    As he began to ponder the new knowledge he had acquired a small ding alerted him that a new screen had popped up once again, this one was a congratulatory one that awarded him 50 XP after he pressed Ok on it. It seemed that it had been enough to fulfill the quest requirement.


    On top of his status he noticed a blue bar that was almost full slowly begin to move as the XP was gained, it seemed to be his level bar. The 50 XP was just enough to level up.


    Lvl up!?Select to View Gamer Status.


    First level up will be commemorated with a skill.?Please select one.


    1. Shadow Walker - Shadows are your friend, they will protect you from unwanted attention. Chance to be invisible to perception within shadows, chance will decrease with enemy''s level (Will begin the Rogue Path).


    2. Create Minion, allows user to summon small dirt golems that can cause minor damage (Will begin the Mage Path).


    3. Blessed Gains, enables the user to gain 10% more XP from each quest completed (Will begin the Adventurer Path).


    Damien stared at the screen with incredulous eyes, this was already more than what he wanted to mess with. He instead closed the window and chose to figure out what exactly was going on at a later time, preferably when he was not on school grounds and would seem like a weirdo touching the air.


    Damien spent the rest of his day simply observing everything he could see, items, people, and even places. His Observation ability would work on absolutely everything. Somethings were exactly what you expected, but other things provided information that was considered ''important''. Things like date of creation and maker could be found on more custom items.


    The school day had come to a close and instead of heading to the library as usual, Damien headed back home, the sooner he got home the more time he would have to explore this phenomenon. The way home was normally spent with his head down, it was normal to not make eye contact with strangers in Downtown Gotham. One never knew when they would encounter a crazy that would like your guts spilled in a dark alley.


    But today, Damien held his head up and his eyes were dragged across everything and everyone. He seemed like a country-pumpkin that had never been to the big city with all the gawking he was doing. He soon began to notice a pattern with people''s levels. They were all D and in the range of 10-35. He had spotted the irregular obvious thug that was bigger than his peers that reached into the 40s, but aside from that no one else had ''?'' levels like Barbara Gordon had.


    Now that I think about it, Barbara''s level wasn''t the only thing that was ''?'' so was her Letter Rank, does that mean that I couldn''t see her level because she had a higher letter than my own?


    Ding!


    System:?Gamer is only able to accurately see a person''s level if they are within or lower than your own Letter Rank.


    There was that System again, it seemed to run this whole Gamer thing, Damien came to the conclusion that the System was keeping a constant eye on him and on his thoughts. That aside that meant that Barbara Gordon had a higher Letter Rank than himself, at the very least it was C. He had thought nothing of it when he had first seen it, but after seeing countless people with levels that barely reached the 40s he was sure, Barbara Gordon was freakishly strong compared to everyday people. A metagene?


    Wherever her strength came from, Damien knew that her level was hidden as a sort of helping hand from the System, it served as a warning that he would be unable to beat an enemy with ''?'' as their level. His thoughts swirled his head as he headed inside his old apartment complex, hobos littered the sidewalk in front of the place. A sorry sight.


    As he sat down and read his options once again in the safety of his apartment he couldn''t help but notice that each skill came with a ''Path'' what that entailed he wasn''t sure, he had a pretty good idea what it meant but there was no way to know until he accepted it.


    Shadow Walker seemed to be the most useful on of the three, he could understand from his knowledge of video games that an XP boost would be really helpful when levels required a lot of XP to proceed. However that was more along the lines of an effect that will cause benefit in the distant future, he was feeling impatient and wanted to see what this was all about now.


    Lastly, Create Minion, it seemed somewhat useful, but there was no information on what the golems could do, perhaps they were unable to attack at all. Either way, he had no magic to use so maybe it might end up being completely useless.


    Considering all his choices, Damien selected Shadow Walker.


    Quest!: Path of the Rogue?Steal anything!


    Rewards: 600 XP, Starter Rogue Set.


    Failure: System Rejection.


    Accept?


    Once again a quest had appeared and he was not allowed to refuse. The XP was probably good, he had no reference for his judgment after all. What really caught his eye was the Starter Rogue Set, What does that mean? And System Rejection? That definitely didn''t sound good.


    And the quest simply said to steal something, that would be harder to pull off that what he was willing to do. Stealing in Gotham happened all the time, but more than half the time the capes would swoop in and stop the thief and when they didn''t then maybe the cops would, or even other criminals. It was inviting trouble, and unless you were equipt to handle it, you were best off keeping to yourself.


    The quest said steal anything, so maybe he didn''t even need to go out. After all his mother left her money for drugs under her bed. It wasn''t much, only a few hundred dollars. Enough to pay a month''s worth of rent, or get her high a couple of times. He knew which his mother preferred.


    Damien felt a bit bad about stealing from his mother, but he would only take a dollar and return it after the quest was complete. He hoped that the System would recognize this as stealing. He lifted his mother''s mattress slightly and pulled out one of the crumbled up bills. The quest did not complete. He wondered to himself if he would have to go steal from a store before a thought struck him. He walked out of the room.


    Ding!?Quest Step Complete!: Path of the Rogue?Steal anything!


    Rewards: 600 XP, Starter Rogue Set.


    Ok.


    Damien noted the usage of the word ''step'' and pressed Ok. True to his observations a new screen popped up.


    Quest Updated!: Path of the Rogue?Steal $1,000 in any form.


    Rewards: 1,000 XP, System''s Blessing, Rogue Basic Skill Set.


    Failure: System Rejection.


    Accept?


    The value of the things he had to steal had gone up in the next step, it made sense. Games only ever got harder not easier. Plus a blessing, he had noticed that Skills and Blessings had different categories after all.


    Still stealing so much money, it would certainly not be as easy as the first step. He had no idea how he would even go about it or if he even wanted to. These things were piling on to his mind once again, but he was completely at ease. It would not be strange for a person to feel overwhelmed and have a nervous breakdown from such an intrusion on reality, but Damien only knew tranquility. The Gamer''s Mind, this was the cause of this, a blessing. Having no other choice to accept it, Damien selected ''Accept''. The dismissal of the screen only brought a new screen in its place.


    Lvl up!?Lvl up!?Lvl up!


    Select to view Gamer status.


    Starter Rogue Set added to Inventory.


    His rewards had come, the levels were nice. It was an interesting feeling, it was barely noticeable when he went from level 9 to 10, but three levels at once was a major difference. He felt himself grow slightly stronger, it was small but it was undeniable progress.


    The thing that really had his interest was the set given to him. He called out his Inventory and spotted the previously empty slots had now seven slots filled. His inventory was supposed to hold up to 100 unique items that might be able to stack depending on the item. He tapped each of the items and they read:


    Scarf of the Initiated Rogue (D): +5 INT, part of the Initiated Rogue set (1/7)?Grips of the Initiated Rogue (D): +5 STR, part of the Initiated Rogue set (1/7)?Vest of the Initiated Rogue (D): +5 DEF, part of the Initiated Rogue set (1/7)?Boots of the Initiated Rogue(D): +5 AGI, part of the Initiated Rogue set (1/7)?Cloak of the Initiated Rogue(D): +5 MP, part of the Initiated Rogue set (1/7)?Pendant of the Initiated Rogue (D): +5 WIS, part of the Initiated Rogue set (1/7)?Dagger of the Initiated Rogue (D): +5 STR, part of the Initiated Rogue set (1/7)


    A new prompt appeared as he continued to survey the effects that the items had.


    Equip Initiated Rogue set?


    Yes / No


    Finally having a choice in these prompts made Damien less stressed out, he could decide to deny the prompt. Not that he would, but the choice was a nice gesture. Selecting ''Yes'' Damien felt a boost in power surge through him.


    Full set bonus active:?+20 AGI?+15 INT?+10 STR?+5 MP


    It was then that Damien saw his attire had changed, he now wore a dark leather vest that covered his whole torso minus the center where his brown undershirt could be seen, at the edge of the vest were silver buttons. His hands were now covered by brown long gloves that ran all the way slightly past his elbow where it met the sleeves of his vest. A black scarf covered most of his face except his eyes, he also wore black form-fitting pants that led to dark boots that ran up to his knees. around his waist were two brown belts that hanged loosely to each side, a few pouches in each belt. He noticed a cloak that was dark on the outside and silver on the inside, the cloak''s hood covered his head well. Hanging down his neck was a small red stone in the form of a pendant.


    Looking down to his left thigh he noticed a brown leather holster, in it a short silver blade with a black handle. It was very clearly sharp.


    "Status."


    Gamer Status:


    Select an item to view additional information.


    Name: Damien White?Title: The Gamer?Age: 16?Gender: Male?Level (D): 13?Debuff: Mental Corruption X100


    HP: 48?SP: 43?MP: 8 (13)?Magic: E8?STR: D33 (D55)?DEF: D23 (D28)?AGI: D18 (D43)?INT: D93 (D+113)?WIS: D63 (D68)?CHAR: B?LCK: B?Points: 8?Money: $16


    Ding!?INT was unable to progress to C rank due to current level Letter Rank, received "+" denotation to reflect this.


    Studying the status a bit more, he realized that buffed attributes displayed the buffed value in "()" while the natural value remained the same. Judging by that final alert, it seemed INT was meant to evolve into a C rank but was unable to, likely due to his D rank for his level. His thoughts began to shift to the quest, he needed to steal a thousand dollars worth of stuff, the suit was very cool and literally doubled his strength but he couldn''t simply walk into a store with it on and steal stuff. He could get shot, a cape could find out, police, and a million other things could happen. And sneaking in was just as difficult, he didn''t know how to even begin sneaking into anywhere. No lockpicking skills, cool Mission Impossible gadgets or anything of the sort. So how?


    It was then that an idea reached his brain, maybe he didn''t even need to use the suit to steal $1,000, maybe he could simply walk in and out of the store with the merchandise. With this Inventory, he could simply drag expensive items into a slot and walk out with it, even if they suspected him of shoplifting they would not find the items in his possession. This could work...


    Quickly heading out to the nearest big-box store to him, it was only a few blocks away. No need for a subway ride!


    Heading out of his apartment he was once again hit with the smell of piss from the local hobos. Their pleas for some cash fell on deaf ears, Damien could barely take care of himself, and these people asking him for charity placed him in a sour mood.


    Upon reaching the store Damien had a thought, which section was the easiest to steal from? Without a second thought he began to head down to the electronics section of the store, he remembers always passing by there and seeing exorbitant prices for those things. Stopping at the sign that read: 65" 4K Smart TV, he looked at the pallet filled with the things. He glanced at the price, $1,208.99. He would only need one. He placed his hand over the unbound item and thought Inventory.


    The TV was completely gone, no trace of it remained. Looking down at his inventory he spotted the TV taking up a slot. He had it in his possession, but just like last time the quest did not complete.


    When he stole his mother''s dollar, he had to leave her room before the quest was completed. The same thing applied here, he had to leave the scene of the crime before the system recognized the item as stolen. So he headed to the cashier and grabbed a chocolate bar to pay for, just to look a little less suspicious.


    He smiled and waved at the young cashier and walked out of the store with over a thousand dollars worth of merchandise.


    "This is way easier than what I thought it would be," he muttered to himself.


    Ding!?Quest Step Complete!: Path of the Rogue?Steal $1,000 in any form.


    Rewards: 1,000 XP, System''s Blessing, Rogue Basic Skill Set.


    Ok.


    Lvl up!?Lvl up!?Lvl up!


    Select to view Gamer status.


    Damien ignored the ''Lvl up!'' messages and instead went straight for the Skills/Blessings section, he was really interested in the System''s Blessing.


    Blessings:


    - Gamer''s Body, your body is like that of a game. Damage received will decrease your HP rather than damage your body. Sleep will restore HP & remove status effects.


    - Gamer''s Mind, your mind perceives reality as though it were a game. Allows your mind to be calm despite the situation you may find yourself in, you are immune to all mental statuses and attacks.


    - Gamer''s Anathema, you will live life as though it were a game. Allows for Paracasual abilities.


    - Gamer''s Right, set of inalienable tools for the Gamer. Gamer can use Inventory and Observe. (Note that entities than exceed The Gamer''s level by at least a value of 1 will have information hidden).


    - System''s Blessing, awards the Gamer minor Mystery Boxes on predetermined Levels, awards major Mystery Box for progressing a Letter Rank.


    Skills:


    - Shadow Walker: Shadows are your friend, they will protect you from unwanted attention. Chance to be invisible to perception within shadows, chance will decrease with enemy''s level (1 SP/min).


    - Stealth Strike: You take your enemy by surprise with an attack they never see coming. Hit target with 300% more damage, if target is unware of your presence deal an extra 200% (10 SP per usage).


    - Shadow Step: You feel at ease in the night, flow through the shadows as though they were your home. 25% boost to AGI in the dark, your footsteps create no noise at night (5 SP/min).


    - Rogue Dodge: A deceptive dodge that will take you out of your enemy''s sight. Allows user to dodge out of an attack with 500% AGI boost, makes user turn to a purple mist as the dodge is performed, you are invulnerable for 1 second (10 SP per usage).


    - Rogue''s key: No lock can keep you away from what you want. Allows user to pick a lock that is at least one level below them (5 SP per usage).


    - Rogue''s acrobatics: Move like a true acrobat in the night. Allows user to move their body in such a way to effectively transverse their environment (Passive).


    - Assassinate: No armor can stand against you, this is a true hit. Deals 200% True damage, ignore all armor and resistances (100 SP per usage).


    Damien stood wide-eyed at the new skills he had received, it all sounded so incredible. Before he could spend more time looking over the new skills he had acquired a new pop up appeared.


    Quest Updated!: Path of the Rogue?Steal $1,000,000 in any form without being caught.?Deadline: 1 month


    Rewards: 1,000,000 XP, +10,000 Infamy, Cloak of Secrets (A).


    Failure: System Rejection.


    Accept?


    1,000,000!?


    Despite being a very smart kid he had taken this long to realize that he was trapped. He no choice but to accept the quests given by the system, before he could accept them and not worry about them but now... a deadline had been imposed out of nowhere. Failing the quest was still on the table, but quite frankly it didn''t take a genius to figure out that ''System Rejection'' did not sound pleasant at all.


    His only hope now was that if he completed this step it would stop, three quest steps seem like basic game design so he could only hope that such a future came to pass.


    Night was falling on Gotham City and so he hurried his step and headed back home, he had a whole month to plan and figure out how he would go about this.


    AN: Happy New Year''s everyone! I had some free time and I always wanted to write a gamer story so I decided what the heck and whipped something up. Not very happy with this chapter, I noticed that as a gamer fic, a lot of the chapter ends up being the system talking to the gamer, from next chapter on I''ll find ways to minimize that clutter (Hopefully). A couple of things I wanted to get out of the way, obviously Damien is an OC, took me about all of five minutes to come up with him since he is supposed to be the epitome of normal. This DC Universe is an AU made from several different sources. I always hated the party system and the MC telling everyone about the gamer power so there will be none of that in my fic. Other than that, I think that''s everything. Thanks for reading this far!

 Chapter 84 - My SI Stash #84 - The Story of a Misplaced Guy by Cimmang5 (DCU)

    -This story has got some huge potential, the grammar is a bit annoyingly bad. But just a little bit of correcting and it''s looking to be a satisfying one!


    *SI that becomes Penguin''s temporary remplacement. ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)


    Sypnosis: A poor soul was "misplaced" to DC universe. Using his wits and information from reading every DC universe related media, and godlike power. He must found a way back home to erase a dark "history". Even if it means dwells with Gotham criminal underground, freeloading at Wayne manor, steal from the Guardians on Oa, or visiting Darkseid and Trigon for poker. Rated T for terrible


    Rated: T


    Words: 30K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12813178/1/The-Story-of-a-Misplaced-guy (Cimmang5)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Author Note: A terrible story I wrote whenever I''ve got free time. Leave a review or something if you like it.


    Cold


    That''s the last thing he remembered, Before the light got to him, and after that. Void. just the void


    ''Did I die?''


    He couldn''t remember the cause of death, was it a knife? bullet? an unfortunate road accident? Whatever it is, it happened. It may have happened too soon but nothing can be changed. He''s now lost, alone in thought, reminiscing his greatest regret.


    ''Damn, I should''ve finished Skyrim''


    Before that, before the cold, it was quite clear. Remarkably clear, he has a- no, he had a family, his father told him that family lives on, in memory and in heart. A bullshit clich¨¦ quote, but nevertheless he appreciates everything that makes his current predicament much more peaceful. Nevertheless in those short life of his, it had been quite memorable.


    ''Wonder what they''ll put in my epitaph?''


    He went to college, had a girlfrie- no, ex-girlfriend. He had friends, but none couldn''t be called best friends, he was the type of guy that fits in with everybody else. A jack of all trades, master of none. He had no siblings, an only child.


    ''Now that I really think about it, I had a sorry life''


    The Void''s pulling him in, but the light keeps him company.


    Lost in his thoughts, wondering what they would do to his belongings, his family... Will they give everything away? Would they sell it? He had a sizeable collection of miscellaneous items, he was quite the collector. He had several Jerseys, basketball and football alike, various teams, barely used. His fishing baits and car parts, those''ll costs a lot. His comics and novel books, half of them he never finished. He had quite a column of boardgames and Video games, neatly placed in his untidy room. And a hundred more in his computer . . .


    his computer . . .


    The light stirred, disturbed by its host''s thought. His mind awakes at the thought of his computer.


    "MY BROWSING HISTORY!"


    He finally snapped out of his trance, he sees the darkness around and nothing else, nothing but an orb of light that kept him company. Near him, a concentrated bright light shines, the light that keeps the darkness at bay.


    He looked around, trying to find a door, or a window, or anything to get him back. He need to do this, he needs to erase the dark history of his life, or he''ll never be at peace.


    "Ahhh f.u.c.k! anyone! is anyone here!?" He yelled, his voice giving out echoes in the void. He tried doing a swimming gesture, to see if he''s actually moving. He is not. "Anyone!?"


    ''Stop resisting''


    He didn''t know where the voice came from, it was a shrilling echoes of mixed voices. But it somehow felt like, it came from his own head...


    "Hello, can you hear me?" He tried to find a response, to make sure he''s not alone in the dark.


    ''I can hear you frail one, now stop resisting so your passing will be quick and peaceful''


    There it is again, voice can only be described as, echoes, of various sound, a combination of men and women speaking in unison. Somehow it felt like, the voices were crawling in his mind.


    "Who are you?"


    ''I''m death"


    "And I''m Captain Crunch, seriously who are you?"


    ''I told you already, I''m Death. Now cease your pitiful resistance, I''m currently waiting for your fate''


    "Fate? My fate? What does it mean?" The "frail" one asked, he stopped swimming after he realize it accomplished nothing.


    ''I''m waiting for a message from my master''


    "Your boss?"


    ''Yes, he''s the one who decide where I would take you''


    "Actually I was wondering if you could take me ba-"


    ''They''re currently judging your life, each second, every decisions, and what you had accomplished. Before deciding whether it''s Hell or Heaven for You''.


    The last word sounded intimidating


    "Wait, what!?" He started to panic, he lived a good life, no drugs, no criminal records, heck he bought Winrar!


    But inside his room, the things he saw in his computer, the things he kept at his computer, the jokes he laughed at. The memes he liked. . .


    Hell, it''s gotta be hell


    But hell be damned, what he needed to do now is more important, otherwise peace is an impossibility.


    "Please, I need to go back, I''m begging you good sir-"


    ''I am no man'' Said Death


    "Oh, I- I''m sorry mam, but-"


    ''I am no woman''


    "OH C''MON, HERE TOO! I DEAL WITH THIS BULLSHIT IN MY LIFE I DON''T NEED IT IN DEATH!"


    ''SILENCE!'' The voice screamed, worse, it screamed in his head.


    ''You shall not question me mortal, I''m only doing my job, I''ve been in this business since the dawn of time, Dawn Of Time! Do you know how boring it is stuck in a job since the dawn of time!'' Death complained for half an hour, a miserable scene.


    ''You''re not the first, to ask to return, to ask for salvation. Devil tricks! Speak of the devil, your fate has come''.


    The poor soul contemplated, accepting whatever fate awaited him.


    The ensuing silence scares him, whatever caught Death''s tongue, he knew it wasn''t good. He was never a religious figure, but the concept of hell wasn''t alien to him, and it scares him, of fire soo hot it melt your skins, of torture and screams of the damned.


    But nothing more frightening than someone, maybe his mother, or any of his cousins, sitting in front his PC, innocently opening his browser, then seeing the history.


    ''I wanted to say kill me, but I''m already dead''


    And then, Death spoke, revealing his fate, revealing gods judgement upon him


    It''s first words are. ''Oh shit''


    "What? Is something wrong"


    ''No, nothing, nothing, just a minor technical fault''.


    The sounds of a paper being crushed and thrown away followed.


    "Technical fault?"


    ''yeah, apparently I- I took . . . the wrong soul''


    .


    .


    .


    Silence


    .


    .


    .


    "YOU WHAT?!"


    ''Look, I told you it has been a long shift, it might be because I''m too tired from last night poker with Gabrie-''


    "YOU FCKING WHAT!"


    ''Now, now. Everyone make faults sometimes, even death. That say... no wonder your death seems... outlandishly sudden''


    The word outlandish came through his head, he remember it know, the cause of death, the reason of the chilling cold.


    It was the middle of august, it has been a hellish day at campus. He came straight home, not even stopping for lunch, and sprint straight to his room. He removed his clothes and jump straight into the bathroom, didn''t even bother heating it.


    He was taking a bath, playing with his rubber duck, Ducky. Then something heavy pressed against his chest, his back touched the bottom of the tub, his face followed. Paralyzed, he couldn''t move, he felt the cold, then. With the last of his strength, he screamed for Mr. Ducky


    Far Away


    A good man, laid down


    A grieving family, around him


    And a grave


    on it, the Epitaph said


    "May his soul find peace, he was good man


    Boring, but good


    He doesn''t deserve to die like this


    A Death by Drowning


    In his own Bathtub"


    The last thing he remembered was the cold, no knife, nor bullets, not even a simple road accident.


    It was the bath


    "YOU TWAT, I KILL YOU!"


    ''Hey, hey easy, in my defense, both of your names were similar''


    "You get me back, right now!"


    ''No can do, you died, your body is 6 feet under now, maggots just started crawling out of your eye socket''


    Death finally took form, a giant scythe, a pair of skeletal hands, everything else hidden inside the dark robe. It was supposed to frighten him, but now he''s just pissed.


    ''I could, however make it up to you''


    "F.u.c.k You"


    ''Another life? with an Eternal life? unlimited power? maybe a sprinkle of one true love?''


    "F.u.c.k you!"


    ''Know what, this is not up to debate, you will appreciate it sooner or later''. With a snap of his Ivory fingers, a black hole ripple opened, dragging the poor soul to a new life, bringing only his wits, his unstable hormones,and his everlasting regret of a tainted history. . . browser history.


    ''We will meet again unlucky one, in the near future. May you find comfort in your next life Uvuvwevwevwe Onyetenyevwe Ughwemuhwem Osas''


    "SIMILAR!? THAT''S NOT EVEN CLOSE!"


    He woke up at the side of the road, ragged clothes on his back, he was standing below a sign, a welcome sign to be exact.


    His legs were frail, weak and thin. It felt like he spent an eternity in the damn Limbo. He pushed himself up, ignoring the dirt in his face. He could barely keep himself standing, it felt like it has been ages since his last meal. Eyes wondering aimlessly, he had no idea where he was.


    After a moment, his nose started working again.


    ''Damn I need a ba- no no noo, no more bath''


    He looked up to the sign, hopefully it would be something that will lift his spirits


    ''WELCOME TO GOTHAM'' it said.


    He might as well go to hell.

 Chapter 85 - My SI Stash #85 - A Guy and His Girls by Emizaquel (Rule34 E-Multicross)

    -A Rule34 E-Multicross SI. You read it right my dude. QuestionableQuesting fic, make sure you have an account logged in to get access.


    *Author took inspiration from Cambrian Beckett (The author of "A Motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g Dragon")


    *And yes, it''s NSFW. I''ll also put the link in the comments to help you guys out. Type the link in word by word if you''re not on PC!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 43K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/a-guy-and-his-girls-rule-34-economy-multicross-si.11071/#post-3044707 (Emizaquel)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    A/N: So I was inspired to write this by Cambrian''s post on his Cambrian''s One Shot Repository (******* & Commission Pieces) thread, of the Rule 34 economy.


    Jace Spicer then convinced me to actually give it a try, so here we are.


    This story has no buffer, will be sporadic and probably not well planned, so I apologise in advance for when my muse decides to dop this like a fickle bitch five or so chapters in.


    I do have some sort of a plan though. So thank all the multiversal empire SI stories from a few years back for the other bit of inspiration.


    "Congratulations on your purchase!"


    "What the f.u.c.k are you talking about?" ten different voices filled the air of this strange void that had appeared around us.


    I pulled myself to my feet and turned to the figure in front of us, a white two-tailed suit filled with prismatic light, "What the f.u.c.k is going on? Where am I?"


    The figure shrugged, "You were given one hundred credits by a sponsor and made these purchases, I''m just the salesperson. Anyways, you are in the Emporium Eternal, no matter what it is, if it exists somewhere in the multiverse, we have it!"


    As my attention was brought to the nine other people in the room with me, I immediately fell to hands and knees, "I don''t know what''s going on but this seems to be my fault and I''m really sorry. I''ll fix it as soon as I can!"


    "Speaking of which, we have your side options. The control methods are listed here."


    I looked at the options, which basically amounted to mind-wiping, mind-control, personality-rewriting, outright torture for them, and possibly outright torture for me.


    I turned to the girls, "Look, I''m willing to show you my options here, and I''m willing to take the options that affect me the most, but it looks like the choice that''s going to f.u.c.k you over the least is the ''dream date'' option. Here, take a look."


    I pass the pad to the person in front of me, a woman I recognise as Mercy.


    As the women crowd around the pad, the salesman turns to me, "Slick, I suppose, but you do know that that option is incredibly painful, right?"


    "I saw the warnings."


    "I see¡­ so is that what you are going for?"


    "Let them look at the options."


    "Yeah, not much of an option."


    I turn to the speaker, "I''m really sorry Raven, but I honestly don''t have an option here. Actually. Could I ask for a refund?"


    "Nope!" the salesman exclaims cheerily, "Your purchase has been finalised by your patron."


    "So yes, I literally don''t have an option here."


    "So, if you pick this option, we get to decide what you look like, and you get a precognitive empathic sense allows you to automatically know how we will react to anything you are about to do."


    "Well, the option does specify an idealised version of my body, no some arbitrary body, so I don''t think you could change my hair or eye colour too much."


    "So apparently, you bought us? But you didn''t know about it?"


    I search my memories for a bit and scan the women in front of me.


    Raven and Starfire both dressed in the style of the teen titans show, Gwen Stacy in her version of the spider suit, Mercy and Tracer from Overwatch, Hinata from Naruto, Yang from RWBY, Ahri from League of Legends and Elizabeth from Bioshock. Something about that combination reminded me of something.


    "That bloody picture."


    "What?"


    "So let''s just get it out of the way, since he mentioned that this place stocks stuff from across the multiverse and I assume that none of you recognises everyone else despite several o you being incredibly famous where you are from, I should probably mention that you are fictional in my universe."


    They nodded warily, and Gwen spoke up, "So I''m guessing this is the sort of thing where everything you can imagine exists somewhere and that sort of deal?"


    I nod, "We can try and get more details out of the salesperson here, but where I come from, we don''t know this and you are all fictional."


    "Yeah, get on with it!" yelled Yang.


    I nod, "Well, there was this meme on a forum, you are given a hundred bucks and there are something like 21 women with various prices and you pick out who you want the most, and well, I picked you."


    "And then what?"


    "Well, I posted it on the forum, we were discussing the pros and cons of various people''s choices and I went to sleep. Then I woke up here."


    Raven paused, "You aren''t lying."


    "I have no f.u.c.k.i.n.g clue how it went from me posting on a completely normal forum to us being here Raven."


    "So if we are fictional, does that mean you know what happened to my mum?"


    I paused, "You have two arms, so I guess you wouldn''t have learned that yet. Both Qrow and your mom, who I will refer to as such because her name is also Raven and I respect the Raven standing here a lot more than I respect her, are from a bandit clan. She decided to leave you and go back there where she now leads Grimm into isolated villages and mops up after them to secure the loot. I''m sorry you had to learn this way."


    Yang sort of stumbled back, before turning to Raven, "You''re lying!"


    "He''s telling the truth." Raven said, "I guess I should be sorry too?"


    Mercy nodded, "The appropriate emotion is sympathy, that you understand her pain."


    Tracer turned to me, "So what was the goal of this? You wanted us all for a harem or something."


    I scratch the back of my head sheepishly, "Well, not exactly? At some point, the challenge went from ''pick your harem'' to ''how do you best leverage this situation'' when someone mentioned that Elizabeth here has the ability to open interdimensional portals."


    Everyone turned to Elizabeth, "You can get us home?"


    Elizabeth shrugged, "I can make portals, but I don''t know if I can reach your homes. I''ve only ever seen different versions of my world."


    "I don''t know if we can reach your homeworlds, actually, I don''t know where we will be dropped off. I hope it isn''t going to be my flat."


    "I am afraid you will be dropped off where you came from."


    "Well f.u.c.k."


    "Look can you get this over with? I need to get to the others at some point."


    I shrugged and turned to the girls, "So what do you think?"


    Mercy paused, "Well since this will turn you into perhaps the best partner any of us could ask for, can you tell us who you are actually interested in so that we can get through the options quicker?"


    I shrugged, "Well, I think you are all pretty hot, but I''m not into Starfire - actually should I call you Kori''andr? - and Tracer at all."


    "You don''t fancy me?"


    "You can''t be into me, so that''s a turn-off. I''m all about respecting people''s s.e.x.u.a.lities and I don''t want to get between you and your girlfriend. Speaking of which, Hinata, I know that you love Naruto and I''m not getting in between the two of you. I''ll even help you out if you want. Elizabeth, I don''t know enough about you so I can''t say too much. Ahri, you are in the same boat, sorry. But, just to check, what''s a smartphone?."


    Everyone backed away from Ahri, who pouted, "A smartphone is a thing you call people with and use apps and stuff."


    "Okay, so you are part of K/DA then, Still don''t know how that links to the version of you that went on a rampage and consumed the souls of thousands of people."


    Ahrijumped into the air, "WHAT!"


    "Any other surprises for us?"


    "I WOULD NEVER DO THAT!"


    I turn to Raven who nodded, "Okay, so I know next to nothing about you then."


    "Any other bombshells?"


    I turn to Gwen, "I''m assuming you''ve already met Miles and all?"


    "Yep?"


    "I guess I can say that spider-''men'' far outnumber spider women and well, from what I know, Miles''s hero is essentially the archetype."


    Gwen nodded, "I was sort of expecting that after Noir and the others."


    "There''s also the people hunting down spider Totems, but that''s something to worry about later."


    Tracer perked up, "Do me next!"


    "I''m assuming that Mondatta is?"


    "Who?"


    I froze, "Mondatta isn''t dead."


    "No, does he die?"


    "You try and stop Widowmaker from killing him but she outsmarts you."


    "Well, we can stop that then."


    Mercy spoke up, "Well, we can discuss this later. Now, what was your name again?"


    "Jon, I''m terribly sorry for not introducing myself earlier."


    "Okay, well Jon, what you say trims us down to myself, Raven, Gwen and Yang, at least for the moment."


    We turned to Yang, who was, at this point just sort of slumped on the ground next to Hinata.


    Yang turned to the other three, "Just make him hot, I need to think about things.


    "All set then?"


    I turned to the salesman, "Yeah, The dream date package."


    As he handed over the selections for the girls to pick over, Yang and Ahri pulled me aside to quiz me more on what I had told them before.


    And then, all of a sudden, a burning pain spread through my bones and I saw my flesh split in front of my eyes.


    A/N: This has not been beta''ed, but anyone who wants to make sure my work is somewhat grammatically correct can PM me and I''ll let them in on the google doc of what I''m working on.


    Chapter 1


    I came too on the small bed in a crowded apartment as the nine women tried to find places to sit.


    Gingerly pulling myself up, I turned to them, "Want any drinks?"


    "Jon you shouldn''t be moving!" I turned to Mercy, who had her staff trained on me.


    I hold up a hand, "I''m fine though."


    "The ordeal must have been exhausting, you were screaming for quite a while. Raven had to leave for quite a while until you calmed down." opined MErcy


    "No, I''m fine, actually. Just a bit sticky." I raise my hand and pick at it, dried blood peeling off my skin.


    I looked at the mattress and groaned, "Damnit!"


    She laughed, "You noticed?"


    The bed was covered in blood, a massive bio-hazard if I had ever seen one.


    "How was this much blood even inside of me?" I asked


    Mercy shrugged, "You bled enough blood to fill an entire a.d.u.l.t man. But I suppose you gained mass from elsewhere for the rest of your body, so I suppose that they could do this as well."


    I pushed myself up and ambled over to the mirror, "Speaking of which, let''s see what you have done to me."


    What greeted me was still visibly me, but changed in subtle ways. I was a bit taller, bringing me up to even two hundred centimeters.


    My fat had been stripped away entirely, revealing more muscle than I ever had in my life. Still, it was the compact and practical muscle rather than the show-muscles of a bodybuilder.


    My dark hair was now thicker and longer, naturally falling back into a quiff and my beard was trimmed back to to a thin chin-strap that faded from barely opaque at my newly chiseled jawline to clear skin in bare centimeters.


    Well, not clear skin. I could see the beginnings of stubble all across my face.


    And my eyes. Apparently, the process included free LASIK, since I didn''t need my glasses any more.


    I considered my options and turned to the women and posed, "Like your handiwork?"


    A few women cat-called, but Mercy just blushed, "I''d like it better if it wasn''t covered in blood. Go clean up!"


    As I pick through my closet, I frown, "I''m going to have to stop by the garment district. None of these will fit me."


    The women paused, "We hadn''t thought about that."


    I scrounge through the drawers and eventually pick out a shirt and a pair of tracksuit pants, "At least it''s the weekend, I can get away with this for long enough to buy some cloth and put together a few pieces."


    Hinata turned to me, "So¡­ you are a tailor?"


    "Nah, just a hobby." I shrugged, "I''m a developer professionally, but I like to learn new skills and sometimes, what I learn is decent enough that I keep it up. I never really liked fast fashion, especially when it barely takes me an hour to knock out a perfectly tailored shirt or two hours to knock out a pair of pants."


    "Um¡­ Developer?"


    I pause, "I guess you wouldn''t have encountered those in your world."


    I wave over to my computer where Yang was watching RWBY, "That''s a computer, it''s a machine that can do a lot of math and show the results as pictures, text and numbers."


    Hinata nodded, "Um is it like the screens at the Chunin exams?"


    "Yep, developers like me use a language to tell the programs what math to do in order to do all sorts of things, like sending video across the world or making shops that exist in computers."


    "That sounds nice¡­"


    "How about this, once Yang is done catching up with her life and future, I''ll show you what we can do on computers."


    Hinata nodded, "That sounds nice."


    After I came out of the shower, I saw everyone posted up around the room, doing various things.


    "So, we need to figure out a plan. My flat isn''t going to be enough for all of us."


    Elizabeth raised her hand, "Um I can try and open those portals we talked about."


    I nodded, "I guess the first thing to do would be to see if you can¡­ open up a portal to an alternate of this world, preferably one where people don''t exist." my voice wavered as my first line of thought gave me a bad feeling and I quickly switched tracks.


    Elizabeth seemed oddly relieved, "Here then?"


    I nodded and helped move a table out of the way so that the area was relatively clear.


    In moments, a large gate opened up in the room. Beyond us was a sprawling view of forests that stretched out as far s the eye could see.


    And then it slammed shut.


    "So you can open portals here," Mercy noted, "I suppose the question then becomes if you can open a portal to our worlds."


    I nod, "Whose world do you want to try Elizabeth?"


    Elizabeth paused, "How would I know which worlds they are?"


    We all considered the conundrum, and eventually, Gwen spoke up, "How do you open the portals exactly?"


    "How do I say this¡­ I sort of¡­ reach out and I feel all these worlds and sometimes I get little flashes of what''s there. And I then I can grab the picture I see and pull it to make a gate."


    Raven turned to Elizabeth, "So if we asked you to make another portal back to that forest world?"


    "I can recognize the feeling of the world, so I could open the portal pretty easily." Elizabeth confirmed.


    Gwen thought for a moment, "Do you know the feeling of your world?"


    "Umm¡­"


    I put a hand on her shoulder, "If you don''t want to go back, we don''t have to."


    Elizabeth sat down, "Just not now. I don''t want to go back to that room."


    Tracer nodded in understanding, before perking up, "Key do you think this will help?" she said pointing at her chronal accelerator.


    I look at Elizabeth who shrugged, closed her eyes and poked at it, "I feel something¡­"


    And then she groped Tracer.


    Tracer grabbed the offending hand and pulled it away, "Getting a little fresh there Luv?"


    "What? No, I felt something!"


    "You can probably sense quantum signatures then, we still have the quantum signatures of our universes, so you might be able to match up those signatures with our worlds. Well, if you can find them at least." Commented Gwen.


    "Mercy and Tracer''s world is probably the safest to try that with, then," I comment."Yang''s world has two gods that may or may not be active, Hinata''s world has a clan of dimensionally-travelling genocidal farmers, the world that Raven and Starfire and Raven come from is regularly destroyed and re-created, Gwen''s might not be doing that, but it might be arguably worse, what with Galactus, the Celestials and the Infinity Gems all in play, Elizabeth doesn''t want to go home and we don''t know enough about the specifics of Ahri''s world to say that the organizers of the League of Legends who are known to deal with dimensional shenanigans aren''t involved"


    "We really need an accounting of all of our situations before we make any real decisions." remarked Gwen


    I grab my computer, "Here, I''ll pull up the wikis for your settings so that you can explore. It''s getting late and I need to buy some food and clothes for my new body."


    Getting cloth was relatively easy, though I was forced to buy a few cheap shirts that I could wear for the next couple of days.


    As I returned, I saw Raven''s blue cloak hung up on my coat-rack.


    "Hey, I''m home!" I announced


    I dropped off the groceries on the counter as I walked across the flat. The girls were all crowed around the computer, and after putting away the shirts, I headed over to them.


    And over their shoulders, I saw it.


    The bloody picture.


    I sighed, "Well, I can see that you found the thing."


    "We don''t look anything like this!" they complained.


    "Fan art does that a lot. It makes it pretty hard to judge what age you were supposed to be" I shrug, "Plus a lot of those are depicting you when you are older."


    "Why am I wearing a white cloak in this?" Raven questioned.


    I shrug, "Well, that''s after you sent dear old dad packing."


    Raven sat there stunned as we discussed the appearance of each of the girls on the image.


    A/N:


    Did you know that there''s a new version of the economy?


    Spoiler: Rule 34 Economy v2


    What are your choices?


    A quick scan (and boy are there a lot more women) gives me this:


    Jolyne, Zatanna, Sombra, Symmetra, Storm, Android 18, Jasmine

 Chapter 86 - My SI Stash #86 - The Reluctant Hero by SocialistBukharin (Pre RWBY)

    -A SI to Pre RWBY with the future version of Ozma stucked in his head, with the present Ozma stil alive in the vessel of Ozpin the Headmaster.


    *He''s become sort of an uncle to Ren and Nora. Author honestly reminds me of BANIX, they kind of have the same style which makes the reading better~~


    Sypnosis: Remnant sounds like a fun place, right? Well, it isn''t! This lowly Author woke up in quite the ugly predicament, one that I am experienced about... theoretically. No survival training, but an undying determination to not die here, I am ready to venture in this world of scary monsters, secret wars and incredibly confusing twists! True-ish Self-Insert and no pairing for me!


    Rated: M


    Words: 50K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13303782/1/The-Reluctant-Hero (SocialistBukharin)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    The wonderful aspect of a reluctant hero is that he or she doesn''t have to adhere to any stereotype, such as being incredibly strong or a trained kung-fu master. These can be average guys off the street; indeed, it''s often their simple, homespun down-to-earth thinking that saves the day. This ordinariness is an important factor in allowing the audience to understand and bond with the hero.


    - Quote from The Art of Game Characters, by Leo Artas.


    You know about those stories where people get sent to other worlds, places that you think are fake but eventually turns out that those are actually true, just for the sake of some cosmical mission ''only you'' can deal with? That is something that always hits people: escapism in the sweetest form, the kind of drug that no matter how addictive it is, you have to make use of it.


    But sometimes escapism isn''t as good as we hope, the bleach we ingest the moment we realize that reality will still find a way to make us all miserable. Sometimes the very journey is what makes us feel the worst as we could be detained from our world, kidnapped merely on the whim of some lazy deity with no compassion.


    Just give empty words of encouragement, sprinkle in some super-power, and the meat-puppets start to dance like demented madmen.


    Am I making sense with these words?


    Obviously no one cares about the protagonist, they care about the actions they take, the words that are provided to make them realistic to the n.a.k.e.d eye and... I am incredibly tired.


    Sometimes no one wants the isekai, either because the genre turns stale once in a while or because people build up on some emotionless shield for this kind of stuff. A need to preserve what is past, what was good and cherishable.


    Am I making sense with these words?


    ...Maybe I am. But in the moment of agony that follows the sense of realization, the dread that ever-consumes the sanity of someone that merely doesn''t care... words stop making sense.


    --------


    That is why when I woke up in some shady alley in Mistral, Remnant (The world of RWBY for Pete''s sake!), I was quite demoralized. I remembered the things I left undone and the lack of a need to escape to the real world eventually caught up with the childish awe and wonder of being somewhere far from trouble.


    Imagine my discomfort when I learned I was now going to die. The kind of death that is not bestowed upon those who had their bodies destroyed, obliterated, or butchered, but the one of the mind, of the soul.


    When I heard the voice of Ozpin questioning my current whereabouts, I felt nauseated at the mere idea of what I was facing. The Wizard lived, the previous host''s soul didn''t. When would it happen? I didn''t know but at least it wasn''t an innocent fifteen years old Oscar Pine going to face the tribulations of this sickening predicament.


    The numbness caused by the situation vanished the same moment I felt the rain fall calmly around me, droplets reaching my skin and ''waking'' me up. My body was cold, I was wearing light clothing and it was easy to get the chills. I blamed my previous introverted lifestyle but...


    I was fine. The three words that made the world go ''round. We are all fine.


    I bet whoever left me in this predicament expects me to merrily go on the jolly path to Canon, to face the great threats placed by Salem and... kill everyone. When the news reached my ears, that the protagonists were hellbent to reunite the relics...


    I will not commit a genocide. I will not partake in any mass-murdering for the sake of someone being unable to face their ex-wife with normal procedures. A spineless coward that used humanity by manipulating them all to rush and die in front of an enemy that could easily be contained.


    That is why a new resolve built up as I walked away from the darkness of the alley, my mind set to the opposite way of Haven. I could feel something lashing furiously within my core, trying to steal the control over my body and... failing.


    While Oscar and other previous hosts might have been unaware of Ozpin''s slow climb through their defences, in an attempt to fully takeover their bodies one step at the time, I was fully aware, conscious and quite opposed to it.


    So when I felt him trying to get a grip over my soul... I just shook him off. While this might sound overly-simple, I was surprised a bit myself over the easy process too. His voice turned into a whisper, possibly because the attempt may have been a drain on his limited reserves.


    I smiled, my mind sounding clearer than before as I walked out of the village, my eyes glancing at the small signpost few meters away from the path I was walking into.


    Oniyuri - 10km


    Oh joy, I was going to have quite the march in front of me.


    From this point onward, I decided to tune out my usual negativity, just to give myself an advantage of not getting stalked by any Grimm. How did I manage this?


    When I start to sing calmly something that is as good as it is positive, my mind switches to a more cheerful mood.


    So, picking up the pace and smiling tentatively, I started to hum the marching song and then...


    I was singing loudly, completely whisking away my sense of self-preservation, just to have something to break the nerve-wracking development.


    After half an hour of exhausting my knowledge of marching songs, I found myself staring at a distant settlement in the horizon. If I was being honest, Oniyuri wasn''t a place I knew much about, being that it was used as the battleground of RNJR + Qrow versus Tyrian.


    Maybe I should have picked the known trail, risked encountering RNJR and... and then got shafted because Ozpin would be able to do something with that situation. The fear of getting caught, of being forced to do the most heinous thing, was unacceptable for my fervent sense of making things right by my own word.


    No Gods. No Ozpin and no Salem. I wanted things to be whole once more. I wanted to make humanity survive the incoming storm and...


    And I seriously wanted to destroy the silly mentality that those Dumbledore-lookalikes are the only ones capable of subverting the chess board to their advantage.


    No more chess for y''all. Play some fun checkers without using your tactics on real people.


    I had avoided all contact with the inhabitants of the village I woke up in and I was thankful that I spared the smallest of glances to memorize their features. Just a reminder, I repeated within my mind as I continued to ignore the ranting of the manipulator within my skull, to remember that I was in the right, that I had a lone duty for those people.


    No one above my head or station telling me what to do. Just poor, little me and my idea of salvation. Was I being egocentric? Just a little, but who isn''t in this story?


    Who is really the protagonist here? Ruby? Jaune? ZWEI?!


    Actually, speaking of protag-related issues, it was genuinely unnerving how the path I had taken had been lacking any sort of... monstrous obstacles. Maybe it was because I was walking in an open field, a place where ambushes were pretty much useless for simple-minded creatures like the Grimm or maybe...


    Maybe Salem was playing her strategies like chess too. It would explain how and why only a few zones were considered dangerous and why those were places with a high number of hunters. Like Huntsmen Academies.


    That would explain the Emerald Forest but... meh. There was too little to truly say what was the cause of the quite uneventful trip and frankly, I loved being this lucky once in a while and I didn''t want to jinx myself.


    Speaking of deserted places, Oniyuri looked every bit like a real ghost town. No Grimm, no humans and I hardly doubt there were any bandits hanging around for some looting. As I entered the place, I could feel the absurdity of my current predicament sinking in my brain.


    I could try to raid this kind of places being that I was quite alone and far too weak compared to a larger number of battle-hardened criminals to be considered worth of notice.


    Plus I was quite sure that the reason Salem knew where Ozzie was it was mostly thanks to his open contact with Lionheart.


    Without that, my current whereabouts were effectively unknown to the Witch and her clique. Bad thing was that I was effectively deprived of any way of communicating with people without getting noticed by her. So I was pretty much stuck in forced isolation for the sake of survival.


    What a good way to die...


    Yet my overly-positive thoughts were instantly crushed the moment I reached a large, warehouse-like building and opened it.


    ...


    ...


    I walked by one of the seemingly infinite crates filling the storage space of this place and blinked numbly at the words written on the visible tag: "7.62mm."


    The following two minutes were spent looking left and right at the various tags visible from the entrance. There were Dust crystals, ammunition, some standard guns, several assault rifles and two snipers, and several crates with food, clothes and medical equipment.


    Did I just stumbled into heaven?


    I mean, I couldn''t see any junkfood around but... I could live with the steaks preserved in simple plastic bags and the water bottles inside some of the boxes.


    Part of me questioned the possibility of ditching my mission to ''save the world'' and just settle there until I had the resources to survive.


    I could live off of what was here, even start some small plantation of tomatoes and apples with the more than enough seeds in the warehouse. But then I would be too entrenched to escape a surprise assault from Salem.


    The woman, while unaware of my current whereabouts, was still capable of launching a full scouting operation with Nevermores and landed Grimm to search through Mistral. It was best for me to leave the place as fast as possible... but I would have to also ditch the delightful things there.


    It was in that moment that I felt an annoying sparkle coming from the window reach my eyes. I turned to see the cause of this unholy and unneeded sight and... it was there.


    It was a truck, nothing particularly recognizable from back home but it had the form only a truck could have. Some bits were rusty but... it seemed to be still in working order.


    Wasting no time, I went outside to see if it had fuel and... it was ready to go. The fuel tank was full and it seemed that nothing had ruined the highly-flammable liquid.


    Before trying to do anything, I gave a quick look around the proximity of the warehouse, the sudden suspicion that someone could still be around and could be waiting to ambush me quite the ugly theory created by my paranoia.


    I sighed in relief when my patrol found no one, thus confirming that the vehicle lacked a dangerous owner to deal with. The cool engine was further evidence that the vehicle had been unused for God knows how much time.


    My mood improved even more as I found the trailer empty and ready to be filled with what I needed for my little trip to escape Mistral.


    Rolling up my sleeves, I went back inside the warehouse and started to push the first box outside. My new plan was to get the heck away from that place with the crates in tow.


    It took me around four hours of strong moving to get every single box inside the truck, taking few breaks along the way as my body was unfit for that kind of workout. Sitting in the driver''s seat, I turned on the vehicle and I was delighted by sound of the engine showing life.


    A smile finally crept out of my depression-induced shield as the engine didn''t fuss too much and was purring. It would seem that today was my lucky day!


    As I moved out of the small alley, I steered myself towards the main road that led towards the southern end of the settlement, ready to properly start my jolly trip across Mistral and into Vale while hoping to not run into those I was actively trying to avoid.


    But seriously, how should I have known that I had two intruders aboard at the time!?


    AN


    This is important as it will underline the tones of this story. While Ozpin is lurking within my mind and I woke up in Mistral...the ''when'' is NOT the one everyone thinks it is. Expect some early angst, an incredible show of camping skills and life-long path for a different story.


    Still! The bets for who is hiding in the truck are on! Who will make the right guess?


    Diary of a Straight Dude is going to be continued but... this story will serve to show something else. The reason that story was created was because of my inner need to explain the crappiness of a story with quick pairings, lacking explanations about their existance.


    This one? This is going to be the real deal: crude and pretty!


    Lastly, this protagonist is ME! Finally the author is thrown in the fray to deal with the madness of true SI. Reasons behind my attitude will be given along the way and.. I will not answer any question about it. It''s already planned to be given in the form of chapter so... meh.


    P.S. I admit there is somekind of inspiration from Coeur Al''aran ''Relic of the Future'', but I am not copying from it. Quite the opposite if I have to be honest and... next chapter will shed some light around my mysterious tones. (I know, cliffhangers are bad and I hate leaving cliffhangers, but it will be a fun ride!)


    EDIT: This chapter has been Beta-Readed by: Goose!


    Chapter 2


    "Every day above ground is a good day." ¨C Tony Montana


    It''s been several hours since I left Oniyuri and the muddy trail I was driving through was starting to get annoying-


    *Bump*


    I scowled as the truck found another hole in the ground, my nerves unwilling to let go of that forebonding sense of dread that was starting to be noticeably influencing my features.


    The sky had started to darken up and the lack of a proper illumination along the path was adding up with my already rusty driving skills.


    Sure, I knew how to properly drive old stuff with manual gearboxes but my capacity lied only on normal cars as I have never needed to use a truck in my life.


    Uneasiness about possible major differences between the two kinds of vehicles slowly unraveled the moment I found no particular issue with my current disposition.


    Now that I was driving straight lines and not trying to turn crazy corners I was fine, but I was starting to get annoyed the barely visible track.


    The headlights gave me a limited glimpse of the road ahead but I was worried of ending up to attract Grimm with my ever-growing distress.


    *Bump*


    I scowled again, this time barely caring for the umpteenth hole trying to bruise the tires but thankfully failing to accomplish that. My attention moved to the small radio device built-in the truck.


    It was curiosity that urged me to see what kind of programs were in Remnant and to see how the world was faring with Beacon''s fall.


    So I turned it on and-


    "Mistral Grand Museum opens a new gallery for the ''Kestrel Renaissance'' this Tuesday-"


    I sighed as I could barely digest art-related news of this kind, but much to my chagrin the following five channels were still about the Musem''s gallery or some interviews with some artist.


    I had thought that Mistral would have been more concerned about Vale having fallen to the Grimm-


    "General Feldgrau has finally announced that the Vytal Festival will be held in Atlas just like the Vytal Commission had requested early this year. The Atlesian Council-"


    ...Wasn''t Atlas supposedly going have locked down everything because of what had just happened in Vale?! What is going on?


    There is something wrong with those news.


    I tried to ignore Ozpin''s voice but... there was something wrong indeed.


    No shit.


    I remember the event as I had pressed it to happen but-


    Right in that exact moment, I switched to another channel, trying to get more clues on what was going on and... I found my answer.


    "After winning yesterday''s Grand Capital Tournament for the thirteenth time, Peleus Nikos has announced his wish of retiring from competitions to focus more on his family in Argus. Is this the end of the Nikos'' golden age or are we going to see a continuation thanks to his daughter, Pyrrha (7)? There had been some inclinations from the child to follow her father''s footsteps in previous interviews-"


    Oh my God, we are in the past!


    That means that every single plan I had prepared for the whole Volume 4 to 6 was scrapped forever... man, it truly sucks to have efforts thrown in the trashcan.


    Oh, do tell me about it.


    But yours suck from the very beginning, when you are merely forming the idea behind them. Actually, why you sound so calm at the situation?


    While this is indeed an unique predicament, I do think that having experience with Magic and Godly beings has made my capacity to be shellshocked quite... abysmal.


    Oh my, I almost felt bad for that.


    *Bump*


    My attention returned back to the real world, panic surging as I saw it. Black fur, lanky and inhuman limbs and a snarling skull-like face.


    I had just the time to yelp as the creature jumped right by the closest door to my seat and thrusted its claw through the small window deep inside the driving cabin.


    Now you would expect me to dodge this without any itch and... you would be wrong.


    I barely managed to move away from the bone-like, sharp claws, just enough to avoid any killing blow but still getting some damage.


    I flinched and started to tremble, a noticeably gash on the side of my head forming at the contact and my left hand was pressing on the injury, trying to stop the blood from pouring too fast out of it.


    Its growl and snarling muzzle was enough to keep me from fainting as my hand started to search and pick what I had placed for this kind of predicaments.


    The short-muzzled shotgun was something I had never used in my life- scratch that, I have never used a gun ever.


    I would have said FPSs matter as experience but- It wasn''t the moment. I grasped the pellet-loaded gun and c.o.c.ked its hole at the Beowulf, its maws open and ready to take a bite at my body.


    *Blam*


    The dust-powered pellet pierced throught its head, dark matter forcibly removed from the exposed weakpoint as the monster died instantly at the shot.


    My back slammed on the other end of the cabin, the kick of the gun being something new as I had forgotten to put some better hold over it.


    Dropping the shotgun, I didn''t wait for the Grimm to fully dematerialise as I returned to the wheel and pressed my feet as hard as I could on the gas pedal. Beowulves hunted in packs and I was going slow enough for any other monster to jump in and finish the job.


    The truck''s pace doubled and I saw from the small mirrors that showed the trailer, several other creatures trying to jump and latch at the white, smooth texture but ending up to fail because of the sturdy material of the trailer and the friction of the high speed the vehicle was going.


    The rapid pace continued for a while, adrenaline being the only thing keeping me from collapsing on the wheel.


    This- This is bad. The hand on the wound was wet, red and starting to pale a little. I felt some form of tiredness slowly taking over and-


    I needed to find some refuge. A place where to stay for the night and get enough peace to apply the medicines in the trailer.


    I felt relief the moment the truck''s headlights illuminated the signpost that showed a proper place to rest.


    Gekkeiju - 2KM


    Not a location known to my limited RWBY lore but good enough to see if I could get some proper hospitalisation. Sure, I hate hospitals but I needed some serious look over the wound.


    I was no expert on the matter, but the injury hardly seemed like a flesh wound and my thoughts were starting to sound scrambled the more time passed.


    At least Ozpin had decided to tune out from the situation, I don''t know if for respect or more plotting on his part.


    Gekkeiju was another abandoned settlement and this development was met with mixed emotions.


    I was left to deal with my injuries alone and with my rudimental medical skills, but I didn''t have to explain to any authority why I had a truck without proper doc.u.mentation filled with guns and bullets.


    I didn''t look around the deserted city, my attention brought by a large building I had spotted from afar as I approached the town. It looked like a factory... but there was nothing inside from what I could see from the open gates.


    Groaning a little, I started to slowly manouver the vehicle to enter inside the building.


    The moment I was sure the full length of the truck was inside, I turned it off and went to close the gates, the task becoming quite tiring because of having one arm available for the job.


    Speaking of the injury, as I started to walk toward the vehicle, my legs gave up and I fell on my knees.


    I was tired, incredibly tired and yet I needed to g-get up and get some medicines.


    Limping towards the trailer, I slowly opened its doors and I blinked.


    The pink-eyed child with black hair blinked back.


    Oh. "H-Hello?"


    Lie Ren merely stared, not a word uttered in reply to my greeting as his eyes wandered back to the hand clutching my wound, surprise building up the moment he realised I was injured.


    "I-I have to get some medicines- I am not going to hurt you but-" I paused the instant I spotted another head appearing from behind the boxes. "Oh, you have a f-friend."


    Seeing that the conversation was going nowhere, I slowly stepped inside and went to the small box with the red cross symbol on it and picked the objects I needed.


    A bottle of rubbing alcohol, few bandages, some cotton wool and a healing cream and a pair of trauma shears.


    While I never experienced this kind of cuts before, I knew the procedures of dealing with head''s injuries after... that unpleasant ''accident''.


    First thing first, cutting the hair around the wound. I would have tried to find a mirror to help me in the step, I decided to not waste that kind of time.


    Slowly but steadily, I managed to remove most of the black hair around the spot, giving me the opportunity to go forward with the procedure.


    Grabbing some of the cotton, I applied some alcohol to it and gave it a short glance, gulping nervously as I started to tampon the area of the wound.


    Some pained hisses left my throat but... I couldn''t skip this step as I needed to make sure the wound wasn''t getting infected during the recovery.


    Finally I grabbed the healing cream and started to softly apply it on the gash, the cool sensation it was giving now sending shivers to my spine. It was quite the interesting feeling.


    Lastly, I unraveled some of the medical bandage and applied it around my head, the rest of the cotton placed right between the bandage and the skin where the wound was.


    Having completed the procedure, I let a tired sigh loudly out of my mouth and turned my attention back to the two children.


    Nora''s blue eyes were fixed at the bandages around my head, childish wonder hidden in her orbs.


    Ren was still staring at me. His pink eyes trained at my face, waiting for me to do something, anything that would be remotely considered dangerous for him and his friend.


    "I suppose that you have been told to not talk to strangers..." I mused out-loud, the children still silent but I could see some minor reaction at my words. "Then I will introduce myself."


    "My name is John Bukharin and my current destination is Vale." I said calmly.


    The boy frowned at my faux name, seeing that it didn''t match the standard color/element naming system.


    I bet my real one would have brought even more confusion, considering that it is quite hard to pronounce and memorise.


    Nora blinked and her lips moved silently, repeating my name before nodding to herself. "I am Nora." Then she pointed at her friend, Ren now staring at her. "And this is Renny."


    I nodded, keeping just a small smile in my face as I fought off the need to squeal of a chibi Nora. While she looked a shadow of her future self, she had that kind of adorable, squeaky voice only a monster wouldn''t love to hear.


    "Nora-" The introvert child whispered, trying to chide the girl but failing as he kept glancing my way.


    "So, Nora and Ren." I hummed quietly before nodding again. "Nice to meet you both."


    The Valkyrie smiled a little while the boy merely sighed in defeat at the circ.u.mstance.


    Before I could further ask more questions, my stomach gave a loud rumble.


    A small blush spread in my cheeks at the embarrassing noise but much to my surprise, the loud rumble was followed by two smaller ones. I looked at the two children, Nora patting her belly while Ren looked away in embarrassment.


    "Well, I suppose I will start to make something for dinner." I moved to leave the trailer but paused just a moment. "Any preferences?"


    The girl shook her head in negative while Ren looked pensive for a while. "I... I would like something with vegetables."


    "Then I will make some nice salad for you, Ren, I think I saw some ingredients to make a very delicious one." I replied with a smile, the child merely nodding at my comment but letting the ghost of a smile appear in his visage.


    While Nora seemed to trust people a lot easier than her friend, Ren''s inherent paranoia wasn''t truly wrong. If I had taken the brunt of his traumatic experience, I would hardly let anyone sweet-talk me out to backstab me.


    As I started to prepare the cooking instrument on the cold floor of the factory, my mind returned to trace the lines of my future plans.


    Staying in Vale for too long would be a bad choice, especially with Past!Ozpin (Still I had to understand how there were two Ozpins) still ruling from his high tower.


    I hear that Atlas is a nice place nowadays.


    AN


    I am in the Past! And there are two Ozpins to face off (The fun has been doubled!)...


    Ren and Nora, two adorbs kids to spoil and take care of!


    And before asks yes, this happens prior to Summer''s dead so... she might die like she might survive for some random shenanigans.


    Lastly I would like to point out two things in the story:


    1) The ''Accident'' is something that has really happened when I was a little kid. Let''s just say that I had to have an emergency surgery and I remember the particulars of that day because... pain;


    2) My name is really hard to pronounce and it has little reference to colors or fables so yes, faux name for now but I will see if it will be revealed off-camera or not.


    REVIEW Q&A!


    Blake Tourdner: Yep, this chapter is proof of that!


    merendinoemiliano: I don''t know... I have plans for Qrow to have another pairing (nothing Yaoi of course).


    Crozz88s: It was Renny and Nora!


    Guest (Chapter 1): Just like any other stories of mine! Those are the best adjectives to describe them! xD

 Chapter 87 - My SI Stash #87 - Seals are Easy, People are Hard by slythefoxx2 (Naruto)

    -This isn''t a SI fanfic, I''ll be making an exception once again. This story is insanely interesting. Just check it out~~


    *An original take that was executed quite well. Especially with how the other shinobi approach Naruto and how they treat sealing as a whole, some of my favorite parts. Hinata sort of becomes a semi yandere too.


    Sypnosis: Naruto''s reaction to his isolation is different from canon. How will Konoha deal with a Seal Master Jinchuuriki with muted affect and a perverted streak a mile wide?


    Rated: M


    Words: 102K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13050267/1/Seals-are-Easy-People-are-Hard (slythefoxx2)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Naruto Uzumaki had a problem. He realized this early in life. Everyone seemed to speak in some code he simply couldn''t understand, not fully. Like there were nuances or something he just couldn''t grasp. People made no sense to him. And yet, they fascinated him. He watched people a lot to see if he could find a pattern and while he sometimes thought he did, it was never as consistent as he''d like it to be. Confounding people were.


    What made matters worse is that these people, for a reason he hadn''t always known, simply didn''t like him. When he was seven he asked a local shopkeep why he gave the young blond such dirty looks, why everyone did. Granted the Uzumaki didn''t phrase it the best when he asked, "What''s your deal?". The gentleman was startled that the notorious child would speak to him directly and so bluntly.


    "Nothing''s my deal, leave." Said the shopkeep which caused Naruto to turn his head sideways in confusion.


    "Yes, there is. You dislike me but I''ve never done anything to you. I want to know why." This caused the man to get nervous. He''d love to tell the kid, that he didn''t dislike him as he was afraid of him. He didn''t think the kid was the fox but how could a small child truly contain it? What if he got hurt or upset or even died? But how can you handle being afraid of a child? Even as a civilian? Dislike, disregard and ostracization was better than feeling fear. But he couldn''t say that, couldn''t admit his shame. He''d die doing it so he simply brushed the small child away with his broom and closed his shop for the rest of the day. He''d drink all night, trying not to think about the unfairness of being feared and having no idea why.


    Naruto asked several more people that day and got the same answer. His Oji-san told him to stop asking the people as they wouldn''t say. He also said he wouldn''t say. Naruto realized he was beaten but decided to extract a little sweetener if he wasn''t going to get his answer, a favor from the Hokage.


    Because Naruto didn''t get people, if he wasn''t people watching he spent much of his time either reading or playing/training in the forest. Books made sense. Nature made sense. People, Naruto would argue vehemently, did not. And it was this lack of understanding that had him, initially do so poorly in school. The young Uzumaki wasn''t dumb he just didn''t see the point in how the academy taught. They tell you to read a book and then present the same information to you in the same way as the book did. How is that learning? It''s memorization and it bored him.


    Iruka-sensei fussed at Naruto a lot to try harder. Naruto argued he would if they''d actually teach something useful. As far as Naruto was concerned what passed for explanations were pisspoor. The perfect example would be the clone jutsu. Naruto couldn''t perform the clone jutsu. He knew it. Iruka-sensei knew it. His class knew it. When Naruto sought advice, he only got claptrap about lack of chakra control.


    "Just improve your chakra control, Naruto."


    "What does that mean?"


    "The better you control your chakra the better you can perform your jutsu."


    "But what does control mean? Is there a unit? How many units of chakra does the clone jutsu take?"


    "You just have to feel it, Naruto."


    "You''ve been an utter disappointment." The unknowing Jinchuuriki said and Iruka watched the eight year old walk out of his classroom. Naruto would face similar trials. His taijutsu was ok but limited because he didn''t have a training partner and developed bad habits because of it. The skills he could develop without help were some of the better of the class, not the top but not middle of the pack either.


    An eight year old Naruto had planned to resign himself to being a stranger in a strange land for forever, to never fully understand people or their things. Until, one day Iruka-sensei gave a brief demonstration of basic fuinjutsu. The blond was instantly hooked. He couldn''t explain it but it just made sense, the symbols and how they flowed and the end product. He wanted, no needed to learn that art. He even called in his favor from Oji-san to do so.


    "Now, Naruto, you must be extremely careful with even the basics of fuinjutsu and your calligraphy must be perfect. If I see you being irresponsible I will take your materials away until you mature."


    "Define irresponsible, Oji-san."


    "Attempting things you haven''t properly prepared for, rushing through the levels when you have firmed up your skills."


    "What if I demonstrate the required skills through some sort of project or test before I move to another level?" Naruto asked.


    "That would be sufficient."


    "Then we have an accord." The blond said, reaching out hand. The aged Hokage smiled as he shook it. Naruto had a slightly elevated speech pattern as refined his skills through reading aloud. As the subjects increased in difficulty it shaped his word selection.


    "One last thing, you can''t skip the academy no matter how interesting you find fuinjutsu." Hiruzen said and cackled at the boy''s pout. He''d had that issue early on and knew to stipulate Naruto''s continued attendance or the boy would just pursue his interests relentlessly.


    The day Naruto got the ten, thousand page volumes on fuinjutsu, several guides on calligraphy, and the calligraphy set was life changing. He made steady progress for the rest of school year with his chosen topic. He''d basically forgone doing anything but the bare minimum as far as bookwork went, but still did well on the practical exercises. Iruka-sensei wasn''t happy but couldn''t do much as the Nara heir did the bare minimum as well.


    He''d managed to make it through the first two volumes by the end of the academy year, progressing by one volume every two months. Hiruzen remained impressed. The first two volumes were the basic of basics, seal recognition, the foundational languages of seals for the first part, culminating in the storage seal. The second was an introduction in sync''d and localized reactions, i.e. explosive tags, as well as building multifaceted arrays.


    Naruto got a warm feeling when his Oji-san praised him. When he asked what that meant, his Oji-san said it was likely a mixture of several emotions. That when someone was praised it made them feel proud and acknowledged, the feeling increasing when someone close to them did so sincerely.


    It was the first time Naruto realized you could feel multiple emotions at once. He realized that complicated his theories on why people reacted the way they did, as he was making erroneous assumptions on their emotional state. He''d have to return to the drawing board.


    When the summer break occurred, Naruto was able to make significant leaps in his sealing abilities, which lead to the increase in many of his other skills. As the summer break approached, the blond knew there were many things he wanted to get accomplished and without a plan he''d be inefficient. His Oji-san stressed the importance of efficient working habits, to maximize productivity. Naruto, trusting his Oji-san read several books on project management. He first identified his mission which was to find a means to address as many deficits in his shinobi skills as possible. First and foremost would be chakra control. In order to do this, he had to figure out why his chakra control was so bad in the first place.


    He''d find his solution through seals. Volume 3 of his Fuinjutsu books was about manipulating chakra networks. This volume demonstrated how chakra suppressor, paralysis seals, shock tags and even resistance seals worked, how they connected to the chakra system and the effects on the body. The volume included a detailed diagram of the chakra system along with the placement of every tenketsu. Volume 4 included the beginnings of barrier and other security seals, include methods to detect chakra and motion. Naruto finished them the first month of his break and as they inspired him he didn''t move on to any other volumes.


    Naruto was determined to fix his chakra control. He experimented with twelve different designs, with dozens attempts at each, before he found a satisfactory sealing array to measure chakra. He was fortunate his Oji-san participated so he''d have a comparison. The blond was surprised when his chakra reserves were comparable to his Oji-san''s and realized that was not normal. When he learned that he immediately went to the library to read up on chakra networks and it didn''t take long to find that one''s chakra network expanded as one aged/trained and chakra capacity expanded with it. He reasoned his network simply wasn''t mature enough to handle his chakra and control exercises wouldn''t fix that reality.


    Naruto realized his reserves were basically flooding his network. He needed to find a way to direct the excess chakra away, find a method to expand his network so it could handle the flow of his chakra or both. As the blond sketched ideas about a supplementary chakra network he ran into a serious problem, there would be no way for him to apply this kind of seal unto himself. Another issue was the giant, complex seal found on his stomance. It wasn''t until he ran to his Oji-san would he find a solution for one by discovering the other.


    Hiruzen had no visible signs of distress as his favorite blond calmly inquired about the seal on his tummy. He sometimes forgot Naruto was a container, a sacrifice as he only saw his surrogate grandson. That the boy was generally low maintenance aided in that. If he asks a question, give him the information or cut a deal and Naruto would go on about his day. But the boy could be unpredictable. His early isolation made it difficult for him to express his or accurate gauge other people''s emotions, He often had to verbalize how he was feeling and be told directly how others would as well.


    Outside of the guilt of Naruto being affected in such a way, he simply didn''t know how the boy would handle the information. He may accept it with no problem or it may overwhelm him. Hiruzen didn''t want to take the chance so he did something that should have been below the God of Shinobi, he bribed the Uzumaki with a jutsu if he waited until he graduated to find out about the seal and didn''t attempt to decipher it.


    "I need a semi-autonomous clone. You got anything like that?"


    "All corporal clones could fit that description, Naruto-kun."


    "Hmm, what''s the best clone jutsu?"


    "Best is relative to the situation. In Ame or Kiri, the Water Clone is handy and not taxing. The Stone and Mud clones are durable."


    "Are they all elemental clones?"


    "..."


    "Oji-san?"


    "No, there is another. It is quite taxing on one''s chakra."


    "Chakra I have."


    "True. I know I''m going to regret this but I will teach you the Shadow Clone jutsu but Naruto-kun you are to never send your clone to school for you."


    "Why would I do that? Wouldn''t learn anything if I did."


    "The clones transmit their memories and any unused chakra back to their creator once dispelled."


    "Oh¡­ this sounds like the greatest jutsu ever invented."


    "My sensei would likely be honored you think so." Hiruzen said as he ran his hand across Naruto''s hair, causing the boy to smile. He likely could handle Naruto''s nature so much as it mirrored Tobirama-sensei''s. He''d spoke often about Tobirama to Naruto, partially to reassure the boy that he could be a great ninja even with his quirks. The two traveled to a private training ground where Naruto would learn what would be his signature jutsu while enjoying a brisk fall day with his favorite person.


    It would be two weeks before the start of the winter break before Naruto completed his supplementary chakra network seal. His clones painstakingly drew it on his body, having to draw very small seals on many of his tenketsu. It was a five hour process and he was glad he''d paid attention to the meditation unit at the academy. He may have loved to read but he was still energetic and often had to run around or train before he could really dig into his materials.


    The clones activated the seal and it hurt for several seconds but the pain subsided after a few minutes. Naruto sat in the lotus position and did the chakra circulation exercise. He was amazed at how much more fluid his chakra flow was, how he didn''t have to fight to direct it. He could feel the artificial network aiding in guiding the chakra. He performed that for an hour before attempting the clone jutsu. His clones still weren''t right but there was progress. Naruto concluded he''d still have to work on chakra control, it just wouldn''t be as hard nor would the ceiling for how much control he could obtain be really, really low.


    Over the break, Naruto would assign several clones, his Oji-san limited him to five, to chakra control. They''d place leaves everywhere on their bodies for as long as they could. Naruto decided to tackle another problem. He''d noticed the clan children were starting to pull ahead in taijutsu. Naruto could best most of the non-clan children but he''d struggle with all of the clan kids, except the Nara who wouldn''t even try.


    This was not something he was happy about. He didn''t want others to do poorly but he wanted to win, to be better if not the best. His Oji-san said that was a sense of competitiveness and rivalry. He said those were fine in moderation, that if Naruto ever felt he''d do anything to win against his comrades he''d gone too far. That, trying to be the best is fine but he shouldn''t look down on others or forget that ultimately they were on the same side. It was good to have a label on the emotion and to know it should have limits.


    But knowing what motivated him wasn''t going to fix his problem. He spoke with his Oji-san at length about it. He didn''t like the academy style, it felt too stiff and basic. Oji-san chuckled and said it was basic, that was the point. He said the Academy library had access to different styles but Naruto should have a general idea of what kind of style he wanted. Naruto nodded but frowned. Learning a new style without direction would lead him to a similar problem he was having now. Naruto and his clones would think on the problem the entire night. A solution wouldn''t present itself until dawn.


    The difficulties of self-teaching a taijutsu style is not knowing if the kata are correct and habitualizing mistakes or gaps in form. But he had no dedicated teacher nor family to aid him. That thought caused him discomfort but he ignored it. What he needed is a method to drill perfect form into him without needing someone to watch over him. Seals were going to be the solution. If, Naruto thought, he could create a seal that could record movement it''d be a start. He could then build an array that would use those pre-recorded movements as the baseline, as Naruto worked through the kata he could have a slight shock to alert him he''d done the movement wrong. No shocks meant he did it right.


    This would be a highly advanced application of many of the techniques found in security seals. It''d be difficult but Naruto was confident he could figure it out, he''d only need to find someone good enough and willing to be recorded. And while that would solve one problem, it wouldn''t be enough. Perfect kata doesn''t make one a perfect fighter. He would still need someone to train against.


    As winter set in throughout Fire Country, Naruto started the next volume. He''d practiced his calligraphy everyday and would have his clones reread the other texts as he absorbed new information, his Oji-san requested he remind about art but wouldn''t explain why. The fifth volume was an introduction to intermediate sealing theory; it included new languages, ideas about chakra and a start on log and algorithms. The volume also discussed how to translate various elements of ninjutsu into fuinjutsu, focusing mainly on infusing elements into barriers and ideas on how to suppress jutsu. It was difficult for the Uzumaki, and he had to consult many outside texts and his Oji-san but he managed to work through it in three months time, finishing right before spring.


    The sixth volume was focused on application. Techniques on increasing the speed one wrote, how to write on the move. How to etch seals into hard surfaces, such as rocks or foundations, to increase their stability. The technique, called Chakra Engraving, allowed for a concentrated micro blade of chakra to be made via a conduit. Chakra etching was rare because it took a long time compared to the ink based or the materialization methods but they were longer lasting and more secure from outside influenced as it took another etching to interact with the seal. It also required a good bit of chakra control, more than the leaf sticking exercise would grant. Luckily, the volume included directions on surface and various iterations of water walking. It would take a month and many complaining, freezing clones to master all those exercises. But it was worth it in the end as Naruto had taken to using senbon to etch and would do it for fun on the weekends.


    By mid May, the nine year old Uzumaki had gotten his motion capture array down. However, it would end up being a small part of his overall development. He showed his Oji-san and explained his idea. He even had the style picked out. It was Pencak Silat, a style mostly practiced by the southernmost tribes during the Warring Clans era. It was rarely practiced now but his Oji-san knew someone that was familiar with it and agreed to request the Jounin''s help. Naruto met the Jounin a week after the summer break began and the man was¡­ unusual.


    "Hello, you must be the most youthful Naruto-kun?" The bowl cut, green wearing enigma shouted. Naruto was located on the Hokage''s private training ground. It had several clearings, a large pond and even some rock formations but was mostly obscured by extreme tall trees.


    "Hai. Although, I''m not the youngest in my class so I''m not the most youthful." Naruto answered, his Oji-san stressed the importance of being honest outside of ninja missions.


    "Hahahaha, youthfulness is not about age, Naruto-kun. Even our august Hokage is alight with the flames of youth!" Gai said and then adopted a nice guy pose. Naruto wasn''t taken aback by his enthusiasm, it found it interesting.


    "So, a metaphor?"


    "Yes, exactly!"


    "Oh, ok, then. Should we get started? I don''t want to take up too much of your time."


    "Yosh, let''s get started." Naruto put the sealing tags on any point of articulation on Gai and then activated the larger seal he had the taijutsu master stand on. He then watched, amazed, as Gai went through every kind of strike and jurus found in the discipline. Seeing the style in action reassured Naruto he''d selected correctly, it could be fast, flexible and unpredictable. It used the entire body for offense and defense while incorporating grapples and takedowns. The blond was also amazed by Gai''s abilities, the man just breezed through the exercises.


    Naruto was so focused on Gai he didn''t even notice his Oji-san arrive along with a small monkey summons. When he got Naruto''s attention, the Uzumaki was elated, his Oji-san called it, and even more so when he explained he wanted his summons to record some bukijutsu forms. Specifically for a quarterstaff, as it seemed to fit Naruto more and also for rattan sticks that were used in Escrima. Naruto wasted no time getting more seals ready for the summons, a white and gray haired male named Ubu. After Gai finished performing the training guides, Naruto thanked him and went to set Ubu up.


    "He may not be able to expression it fully, but you''ve made him extremely happy, Gai. Thank you." Hiruzen said as he watched his summons and his surrogate grandson interact.


    "It was the least I could do, Hokage-sama. And while I''m not expert, Naruto-kun seems to be something of a prodigy when it comes to fuinjutsu."


    "I would have to agree. I went from worrying he''d fall out of a tree in some remote section of the village to him blowing himself up."


    "Rambunctiousness is a feature of youth."


    "I know, Gai, and I''d never begrudge him it. It makes him happy and he is progressing rapidly. Now, if I could only get him to apply himself in school so everyone else would know."


    "Is he not doing well?"


    "He does as well as he wants to do. He feels that much of the information the academy teaches is irrelevant. He argued once that if he were expected to memorize the names of the Hokage there wouldn''t be so many books in the library about them."


    Gai chuckled at that. "Excess of information must mean it isn''t worth retaining for longer than you need it. The argument has a certain amount of logic to it."


    "Oh, I know. But I don''t want him walking around without common sense or basic facts so I just asked him to do it for me and he complied."


    "Well, I must be off Hokage-sama but I created this exercise regimen for Naruto-kun, so he''ll get the most out of his new taijutsu style."


    "Thank you, again, Gai."


    "My pleasure."


    Gai''s workout plan presented Naruto with another problem. Naruto wanted to get the most out of the routine and not push himself too hard, as he planned to use a modified resistance seal that went up percentages instead of full levels. But how could he track his progress in a precise way and chart his development? And to do so in a way that wouldn''t require clones and a lot of equipment. He instructed his clones to think up a solution, all ten as his Oji-san let him increase his maximum. When he woke up the next day he was surprised by their solution. He''d need books on medical ninjutsu and genjutsu to make it work.


    He decided to leave that to the clones and let them do most of the legwork. He loved working on fuinjutsu and reading new stuff but he simply felt it best to leave it to the clones while he trained his physical skills. Not just combat but also trapping and tracking, as it had been introduced during the most recent term. After applying the resistance seal, Naruto would wake up and run every morning. He''d alternate between normal and ninja running. He''d then do some stretching to increase his flexibility and some strength building exercises (various types of push ups, for example). Next, he''d roll out his seal and practice taijutsu and bukijutsu. He''d spend two hours on each, alternating days between staff and Escrima work. Except for Sundays, that would be his day of rest.


    He''d hunt and forage for his lunch and take an hour break after. Then he''d practice his shuriken jutsu for an hour; he''d utilize kunai, shuriken and even senbon since he had them for etching. He''d do another round of stretching and then a cool down run before returning home for a shower and an afternoon of relaxation. That was how his summer went and besides for practicing chakra control or sparing him, his clones were dedicated to solving his latest problem. They were lucky to find what they needed at the library and the answers came from the same clan. Tsunade Senju for the medical part, Tokka Senju for the genjutsu. And Naruto was lucky as both books Healer & Fighter: A Combat Medic''s Journey and Forest for the Trees: Illusions and You included the types of jutsu Naruto needed and additional exercises and ideas to improve chakra control.


    The next year went much like the previous. The ten year old Uzumaki trained and studied, making time to visit his Oji-san and have ramen from the nice Ichiraku people. He started winning, occasional, against the clan heirs and even tried a little more in the theoretical segments. It got Iruka-sensei off his back and Naruto decided that was enough of a reason to do so. The only person he couldn''t beat, yet, was Uchiha Sasuke. The boy just fought like defeat was death and Naruto got the impression the last Uchiha didn''t see his classmates as future comrades. His Oji-san said the boy was lonely and in pain. Naruto didn''t disagree but his eyes reminded him too much of the villagers at times and Naruto didn''t want to deal with him anymore than he had to.


    The Uzumaki slowly made his way through volume 7. It was about linking and merging sealing arrays, how to make different arrays compatible enough to be merged or how to build the bridge if they weren''t. It also focused on other methods of activation like timers or changes in weight or temperature. There were several non-chakra methods to activate seals, experts could even use emotional states to activate a seal.


    Since this book included even more advanced symbols and sealing languages Naruto had to work slowly. He also didn''t want to divert the attention of his clones, who were making steady progress. Slow, but steady. The school year focused more on soft shinobi skills like infiltration and information gathering. Iruka-sensei spoke about being able to adopt different persona to fool others and what went into making a believable cover story. Iruka-sensei said the henge was a good short term solution but most shinobi could see through it. That didn''t sound right to Naruto and it would plant a seed in his head for his first original jutsu.


    It was the middle of July under the shade of a large tree Naruto Uzumaki almost vibrated with excitement. It was finally done, he was ready to activate his creation. If one were to see Naruto they would see him staring at a bracelet of beads, black with orange symbols. Nothing really stood out about them but that was only a trick. Naruto pulsed his chakra into the first bead and felt chakra feed back into him. It lit up for one minute before the invasion of chakra stopped. Naruto then fed chakra into a second bead and then a screen of information only he could see emerged. It had his height, weight, blood type, chakra characteristics and other information provided by the most basic diagnostic jutsu.


    Naruto wanted to chart his progress and knew he needed detailed information about his body to do so, that''s why Tsunade''s book was so important. Tokka''s book allowed him to feed that information into a genjutsu like projection, one only the person attuned to the bracelet could see. Naruto then pulsed chakra into the third bead and then took off. The third bead was a modified tracking seal, it would tell Naruto how far he ran and how fast. The diagnostic bead would keep track of his vitals and oxygen levels. There were eight beads in total, one was a protection barrier he could erect at any moment. Another a compressed storage seal. Not every bead was currently marked and Naruto was just so happy he got his year long project to work.


    After his workout, Naruto looked at the information provided and smiled. He had his resistance seals off and now had a baseline. He decided he was going to really push himself these last two years in order to be as prepared as he could be. Naruto ran home and took a shower. Once he was out he put on some olive cargo shorts and a blue shirt with a white spiral at the center of his chest. His clones handed him another beaded bracelet and he slipped on his blue sandals before darting toward the Hokage Tower. Because he didn''t have his resistance seals reactivated Naruto managed to move at an impressive speed.


    He followed proper etiquette and was granted access to his Oji-san. The Sandaime was curious what had Naruto so excited and became even more so when the boy handed him a bracelet and commanded he put it on. Hiruzen did, trusting the boy.


    "Oji-san, I got it to work. My project. I even engraved it myself so I made you one."


    "What does it do, Naruto-kun?"


    "You have to sync it to your chakra so no one else can use it. Then pulse it into those three beads. Then you''ll see what it can do, just don''t fight it." Hiruzen quirked his eyebrow but did as the boy said. He felt the chakra invade his system but knew it was his own so he was confused. Once it stopped, he repeated the process and felt another invasion and then saw his own vitals. He dismissed the view and activated the other beads, a storage seal and a tracking one meant to chart progress from training. The Hokage was near speechless.


    "I-I''m so proud of you, Naruto. This is amazing." Naruto felt a familiar warmth bloom in his chest and it intensified when his Oji-san hugged him. He liked it.


    For the next two years on a few things of note occurred for the Uzumaki. The first was making his first friend. It happened while he was training, he heard someone making noise and went to check it out. It was his classmate, Hyuuga Hinata and she was crying. They''d never really interacted before, outside of a him stepping in when she was getting bullied once. He didn''t even know she was getting bullied, she just looked pained by what the boys were doing and wanted to understand why they were doing it. They were weirded out by his questions and left. He just shrugged and left as well.


    His Oji-san once mentioned people sometimes like to be held or hugged when they cry. He said he did it with his grandson Konohamaru when he was a baby. Naruto figured if it were good enough for him it might work so he sat beside her and put one arm around her. She flinched, startled someone would touch or comfort her.


    "Are you ok?" Naruto asked and the question surprised her. He was honestly asking, as if he truly didn''t know the answer to the question. She shook her head "no" as she tried to gather herself. "May I ask what happened? My Oji-san says talking helps."


    "I''m a failure."


    "Oh, in what way?"


    "As an heiress, in my family arts. My father doesn''t find me suitable."


    "Is he right?" Naruto asked and Hinata flinched again. He was confused. To fail would seemingly be pretty objective. He wondered if she were given nebulous parameters.


    "Hai" she whispered lowly, wanting to curl in on herself.


    "Then change it." He said neutrally. Normally, one would feel judged but Naruto said it so blankly Hinata was more confused than offended. "If you failed then there is a standard. You have to find out why you don''t meet the standard and then create a plan to achieve your goal. It''s how I started challenging the clan heirs when we sparred."


    "I''m not strong like you, Naruto-kun." She''d seen the boy''s improvements over their time at the academy and it seemed to be continuous.


    "No, I don''t imagine you would be." he said and she felt her heart ache. "You''re strong like Hinata. So, you should build on that, not try to emulate some else." She chuckled when he nodded his head, sagely, after his words. "I train everyday and I don''t know if you''d be interested but if you want to join me sometime and spar or whatever I''d do that."


    "Why?"


    "My Oji-san said we''re all comrades and should be willing to help each other. Also, I don''t know why but I don''t like seeing people sad, it feels wrong. Also, failing at something is just a chance to succeed next time. I fail a lot because I try a lot."


    "S-so, you''re a proud failure?"


    Naruto smiled, "I think I like that." Just as he finished he saw a kunoichi, appear before them. She had black, wavy hair, red eyes and a bandage dress. Naruto could only come to one conclusion, one he spoke with zero shame, "You''re uncommonly attractive." The yet unidentified woman only smiled at the boy''s forwardness. She''d heard about the Uzumaki and knew he meant nothing by it, only that it was true to him.


    "Thank you, Uzumaki-kun but some women might get offended if you compliment them so boldly without knowing their names, at least."


    "So, introduce ourselves and then tell you?"


    "Hmm, maybe. It depends. Besides, if word gets around you call women attractive and you don''t do it for some, they''ll be offended."


    "So, some will be offended if I do and others if I don''t? This is confusing. I''m going to have to ask Oji-san about this. Well, I need to go, I''ll see you around Hinata."


    "Bye, Naruto-kun."


    "Hinata," Kurenai started. "What your father said, it isn''t true-"


    "Yes, it is. But it doesn''t have to stay that way."


    After that day, the two trained together three times a week and because each other''s best friends. Naruto was always honest with Hinata, willing to help her overcome any problem she identified and believed she could succeed. He could be blunt and awkward but she simply learned to speak his language. He had his own form of kindness and caring. Naruto got a different perspective on emotions and why people act the way they do. He''d never heard of shyness before Hinata, for instance. She also helped him with the ethics of creating and performing the s.e.xy jutsu.


    The second significant thing is Naruto completed the other three fuinjutsu volumes. Volume 8 was on juinjutsu. How to create them, how to counter them. It also included how to expand and condense arrays, how to see full arrays without activating the seals and methods of seal concealment and cloaking. Volume 9 was about space-time fuinjutsu/ninjutsu. Mostly it covered summoning and advancing storage seals to create stable pocket dimensions but it lead to Naruto''s next project and the third significant thing. Volume 10 was about materialization as well learning to create complex seals on the fly from all the elements that had been covered. This Volume really leaned on the creative aspect of sealing, how all the languages, symbols and other information was the same. It was up to the fuinjutsu user to make it something unique.


    His Oji-san was so proud of Naruto for completing all the volumes and he promised he''d get Naruto certified as a sealing master as soon as he graduated. The tests Naruto had to take were the official tests but he couldn''t certify the results until Naruto was a shinobi. Naruto was hesitant, Hinata explained that one to him, as he saw how happy his Oji-san was but he had to ask the question. It startled the Sandaime so much he asked Naruto to repeat it.


    "Is Yondaime-sama my father, Oji-san?"


    "Yes." Hiruzen knew he could have lied but lying would have risked their relationship, he decided to trust Naruto instead. "I didn''t tell you because your father had so many enemies, Naruto-kun and they would love nothing more than to get revenge by hurting you. I''m sorry I had to keep that knowledge from you."


    "Did my mom and he, did they love me?"


    "So very much. You''d never seen two people more excited about being parents. They''d be so proud of you, Naruto-kun. Both were masters of fuinjutsu and would be delighted you continued your clan''s specialty."


    "I''m an actual Uzumaki?"


    "Yes. Kushina Uzumaki was your mother." Hiruzen watched as Naruto processed the information. He shifted through several faces and Hiruzen felt the need to ask, "Naruto-kun, how are you feeling?"


    "I-I don''t know. Like I miss something I never had."


    "Wistful, Naruto-kun. It means yearning or longing, that''s what you''re feeling."


    "Oh. I don''t think I like it. I think it''s making me sad and I don''t like that either."


    Hiruzen went and hugged his grandson. "I know, my boy, I know. But even negative emotions should be felt as they are a part of you and can help you grow. It shows even if they were taken from you so early, you three were bonded and that goes beyond life and death. Don''t let your emotions control you but don''t deny them either. They make you human, they make you real." He felt the boy nod his head against his chest as he rubbed his back soothingly.


    The two would speak about his parents, Naruto enraptured by the details. Hiruzen promised to start funneling his inheritance to him as soon as he opened up an account at a shinobi bank but made it clear Naruto was to tell no one until he was at least a Chunin but preferably a seasoned Jounin. Naruto agreed and they party company, the boy seeming lighter.


    The final significant event was Naruto learning what he contained. It felt weird, knowing what so many people were afraid of, that he and the seal couldn''t really hold back the Kyuubi. It also felt weird knowing his dad did it and his mom was once a Jinchuuriki, the term his Oji-san used. Oji-san said there was little choice and it would have been dishonorable to select another child. He said no one knew of Naruto''s status until the age of three and he promised if he ever discovered who leaked it he''d murder them where they stood. Naruto told him it was ok, it was good to know. He didn''t feel much in the way of negativity. The people hadn''t been very welcoming but there wasn''t much to do. Besides, he had Oji-san and Hinata and even Yuhi-san. That proved he could make connections. So, that''s what he''d do.


    As Naruto sat beside Hinata, reminiscing about the last several years he barely noticed Hinata take a seat beside him. He smiled at his friend, acknowledging her arrival and she smiled back. Hinata had changed over the last two years. She was still quiet and reserved but not as shy or insecure. They had fought and struggled but gained a sense of confidence in herself. She realized there was no magic to improving oneself. It was just hard work. And while she may have been easily discouraged in the past, she was not afraid of hard work; she just had to realize there wasn''t some personality trait she was lacking. Everyday she, with the help of her friend and her caretaker, she pushed herself. The developments hadn''t gone unnoticed within her clan, even if her father hadn''t recanted his previous statements about her overall worth.


    "Hi, Naruto-kun." she said. The Hyuuga heiress was wearing a two tone lavender jacket, blue pants with matching sandals. She wore her headband around her neck and her hair was to her shoulder blades.


    "Good morning, Hinata." Naruto said. He''d also allowed his hair to grow out, the spikes staying as prevalent as before, two framing his face and hanging over his headband. He wore an orange and black jacket with a red Uzumaki spiral on the back. His paints were black as well were his sandals, those coming up to his shins. Naruto still wore his beaded bracelet at all times. Hinata wore hers as well, the beads an indigo color with white irises patterned throughout. He''d given her the collect of seals six months ago as a token of their friendship and she treated it like the most precious of jewels.


    After the brief greeting the two sat in silence, observing the classroom and waiting patiently. Their silence was ruined by two newly minted kunoichi charging in, arguing about who would sit next to Uchiha Sasuke. The two continued on until Iruka-sensei yelled at them to take a seat. They did but not before Sakura glared at him and Ino winked at him. Naruto simply waved back, really not understanding why Sakuran-san was so mad at him.


    Soon after he turned twelve he told Sakura, Ino and Hinata that once they all reached s.e.x.u.a.l maturity he would be willing to engage in s.e.x.u.a.l acts with them as they''d likely be very attractive. He didn''t think it was a big deal since it was four years away. Sakura-san freaked out and tried to hit him, which she failed to do. Ino laughed and said he was much too forward. Hinata blushed and explained it was indecent to make such an offer with girls he barely knew. He ahh''d and never brought it up again but Sakura-san has had a sincere dislike of him ever since.


    "Now, I will announce your teams, do not interrupt me." Iruka-sensei said and began listing the teams.


    Some distance away, Hiruzen shepherded Kakashi through Naruto''s apartment. It was a decent sized apartment for a child. A living room with a red couch and chair. A coffee table and television. There was also a desk in the corner with books stacked on it. There was also a weapons stand containing a wood quarterstaff and two rattans.


    The kitchenette had a standard two sided sink, stove/oven, and shelf space above and below the counters. Kakashi rummaged through the shelves and the fridge. He was mildly surprised at what he found, fruits, vegetables, nuts and recently hunted game. Dairy products as well. The cabinets had instant ramen and granola along with necessary pantry items to cook.


    "Not what I''d expect from a lifelong orphan."


    "He asked me to teach him how to shop when he read a book about shinobi diets."


    "Hm. Why did you need to come along with me, Hokage-sama?"


    "You wouldn''t have gotten in otherwise." Hiruzen said and saw Kakashi''s disbelief. "He''s finished all ten of the fuinjutsu volumes. Tested and passed each exam. He''s a certified Seal Master." The dog summoner hid his shock well. "Do you understand what I''m telling you, Kakashi?"


    "Hai. Even if he should fail the test he has to be a shinobi. Too much potential not to."


    "Yes. Also, he knows about his parents and very likely knows or will know you were his father''s student."


    "Great. Anything else I should know?"


    "You know about how he processes and shows his emotions, yes?" The Jounin nodded. "Then, that should be enough to go on.


    "Ok, I should have enough to go on. I will depart, Hokage-sama." Hiruzen nodded and Kakashi left. Hiruzen did as well and felt the security measures return as soon as he closed the door. He took one last look at the door and hoped he''d made the right decision. As Naruto was in the top ten of the class he shouldn''t be on Kakashi''s team but he felt he owed the young Jounin. Hiruzen hoped he hadn''t done right by one party only to do wrong by another and dreaded the reality that only time could tell.


    Kakashi arrived to the training ground and expected all three of his potential students to be hungry and irate. Two were, though only the girl voiced her displeasure. ''So much for the shinobi rules.'' Kakashi thought. The blond was fine. Which could only mean one thing.


    "You ate, didn''t you?"


    "Hai."


    "Even though it went against my orders?"


    "Bad orders, Hatake-san." Kakashi simply eye smiled, then retrieved two bells from his pocket.


    "You have one hour to obtain these bells. The one who doesn''t gets sent back to the Academy."


    ''How is there a 2/3rd''s fail rate if two of us can get the bells?'' Naruto wondered. The others likely would have as well if not hungry and anxious. ''Something isn''t right here.''


    "You may begin." Stated Kakashi after setting the timer and two of them went to hide. The one remaining was the Uzumaki, his face neutral.


    "Shouldn''t you be hiding?"


    "No, from the Shinobi tactics book I''ve read hiding is unsound. You have what we want, you have no reason to pursue us. Our inaction benefits you. And as we had no agreed upon plan or even rendezvous point, the other two didn''t retreat with the goal of working with me or each other."


    "Hm." The Copy Ninja said but he couldn''t disagree. While he would go after them, if this were a real life situation he''d have no reason to do so. He pulled out his book to read, hoping to get a rise out of the blond specifically, or one of the others. It didn''t work. To his confusion, the chibi Yondaime threw a purse of ryo coins at him.


    "Jounin Hatake Kakashi-san, I would like to enter negotiations for your services."


    "Oh, and what would you like me to do?"


    "A retrieval mission."


    "When?"


    "Now."


    "Can''t, busy."


    "Can I have a bell?"


    "No, sorry. If you want one you''ll have to take it." Sasuke and Sakura both thought Naruto was an idiot for trying to bribe their sensei and avoid putting forth any effort. They saw Naruto touch one of his beads and then kunai and shuriken started coming from nowhere, all aimed at Kakashi-sensei. Kakashi saw the weapons and decided to perform a quick substitution but as soon as he gathered the chakra it dispersed and he felt himself go rigid. The projectiles passed right through him, they were simple clones. He saw the blond rub his chest.


    "Pleased. I think this is pleased. Hatake Kakashi-san, please give me the parameters of the real test." Kakashi said nothing but inwardly was impressed.


    "The bells are clearly for the taking, Naruto-kun."


    "Hai. They are also a decoy, at least to some extent. Now, please explain."


    "Sorry, no can do."


    "I could beat you until you did."


    "Trust me, kid, you don''t have the skills nor the time to break me."


    "Yea, I figured as much. Must be teamwork then. Since the state objective is false. You clearly aren''t testing us on ruthlessness. Also two bells but two will fail? The math doesn''t shake out."


    "Well done, Naruto. You want to release me?"


    "Not until Sasuke and Sakura grab the bells." When Naruto said that his teammates came from their hiding spots and did exactly that. Naruto ended the seal and Kakashi could feel his chakra flowing again.


    "How did you do it, Naruto?"


    "It was smart staying here so late but 2:30am simply wasn''t late enough. I prepped the field after you left."


    "How did you trigger it, you didn''t emit any chakra."


    "Didn''t need chakra." Naruto said and Kakashi thought quickly, reaching the conclusion at speeds only geniuses could. He realized Naruto used a pressure trigger, the coins was likely to make up for Naruto not knowing his specific weight. The chakra for the substitution was the final activation. Kakashi had been led around by the nose, by a fresh from the academy genin. That was embarrassing.


    "Well, you are team for a probationary period."


    "Why a probationary period?" Sasuke asked.


    "Naruto broke the test. You know what to do so there would be no point in retesting you. Be back here tomorrow at 7 am sharp," Kakashi said, shunshining away afterward.


    "Way to go, idiot."


    "Yea, thanks, dummy."


    "I''d prefer you not insult me. I don''t like it. Besides, neither of you knew the secret of the test and I have no reason to assume you would have figured it out. I will see you tomorrow." Naruto said and then departed. Neither Sasuke nor Sakura could argue with his statements. Kakashi arrived to the Sandaime''s office, being granted immediate entry. When he walked in he saw a room full of Jounin and the Sandaime all smirking at him. He then saw the crystal ball on the Sandaime''s desk and slouched.


    "Team 7, provisional pass." he said and everyone started laughing. It would be a long time before the Copy Ninja lived down getting subdued by a brat.


    So, this came from the idea of Naruto creating a shinobi fitbit. Consider this the Seals are easy People are Hard challenge. I may return to this but it''s up for grabs as well. Rules:


    NARU/HINA though harems are allowed. No more than four members.


    Hiruzen and Orochimaru must die at the end of the Suna/Oto invasion.


    Naruto is a pervert but doesn''t realize it. He''ll be confused as to why Jiraiya is considered a Super Pervert but so bad at it.


    Yami Naruto has to be met at some point and can''t straightforwardly be Naruto''s negative emotions. Get creative.


    No Civilian/Shinobi council. Just the Hokage and the advisors.


    Bijuu aren''t demons, Naruto won''t get any tails. Kurama is just Kurama.

 Chapter 88 - My SI Stash #88 - Powerl.u.s.t by Drogoth (DxD)

    -Daily dose of SI DxD fics~ (£à???¡ä)


    *SI as Issei Hyoudou, First SI crack fic I see that has got Iss.e.xAika as the pairing ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)


    Sypnosis: It''s settled. The females of this world makes no sense¡­ When I took over Issei Hyoudou''s body I immediately set myself up to become the pinnacle of strength to gain some leverage against supernatural... But now that I''ve somewhat succeeded, every girl suddenly wants to jump my¡ª "Kuroka... could you please leave my joystick alone while I try to take a piss?" SI smut-W-plot crackfic


    Rated: M


    Words: 37K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13343309/1/Powerl.u.s.t (Drogoth)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Speech: "What"


    Thoughts(3rd POV) / Inner speech: ''What''


    Telepathy: "What"


    Demonic/Distorted voices: "What"


    Ddraig Speech: [What]


    Powerl.u.s.t.


    That''d probably be the most suitable term I''d come up for the emotion whenever a person gets possessed by an intense, insatiable desire to attain power and control¡­ be it physical strength of one''s body or political standing within the society...


    In my case I''d be leaning more towards the former of the two. I mean that kind of crap was practically mandatory for me to achieve, considering the world and the body I''m now residing in¡­ A world with a hidden society where basically Power and strength are all that truly matters if you wish to gain any form of acknowledgment within their social hierarchy or make your voice heard and I can bet your damn ass that there''s no way in hell I''d ever accept the role of some lowly fodder if I have the ability to do otherwise!


    Needless to say my newfound tenant (well over decade long now), teacher, bestie, parent figure and most of all my partner; has been in full hearted agreement with my determination to gain enough power so I''d get some leverage against the supernatural, so he did everything he could to help me with my goal. Anything to increase my chances of survival around here¡­ especially with my foreknowledge on the upcoming events that lies beyond the horizon.


    Speaking of which; Say hi Ddraig!


    [Who are you even talking to?]


    And thus my 13 years long training montage began.


    I don''t bother you with the details, because let''s be real; nobody f.u.c.k.i.n.g cares what people do during training montages! All you need to know is that time passed, I trained under the tutelage of my aforementioned tenant to the brink of collapsing each day, shit happened and Ta-daa! Saitama 2.0 at your service!


    Well Saitama who had been nerfed to hell that is, considering I still can''t jump up to the moon and back on a whim nor can I obliterate people out of existence by simply flicking a wrist at them¡­ Not just yet at least, despite the level of power at my disposal that has actually been given Y Ddraig Goch''s stamp of approval!


    [Seriously who are you talking to!?]


    Although there was this one tiny little side effect that came to me as a result by the end of it all once I''ve somewhat reached my minimum goal¡­ No, no I didn''t lose my hair like Saitama did, if that''s what you''ve been thinking (and I know you did!) and thank God for that, because my mom would''ve gotten an heart attack if I looked anywhere near like that lolicon baldie who''s one of the two retarded friends the canon version of Issei had.


    Anyhow my situation regarding the side effect was a bit more¡­ complicated¡­


    Ugh, what would be the best way to put it¡­.


    Well¡­ in layman''s terms...


    *Slurp~!*


    I basically became a chick magnet¡­ And I''m not even joking...


    On cue, I momentarily decided to cut off from my monologuing to look down towards my lap to meet the spectacled, golden eyes of the perpetrator behind these lewd sound effects.


    Aika Kiryuu, my classmate and¡­ kind of a s.e.xfriend of mine... And we''re both now more or less skipping classes to have some fun at the empty infirmary¡­ yes, the dirty kind...


    In other words¡­ Aika (still fully clothed) is currently giving me a head, while I was seated on the edge of one of the bed with Aika herself kneeled right between my legs, eagerly bobbing her head on my shaft.


    *Sluuurp~~!* And damned if she wasn''t doing fine job at it~!


    I let out a pleasured grunt in response, when I felt her tongue doing magic around the tip of my admittedly impressive sized shaft.


    Speak what you wish about the idiot who was the original owner of this body, Issei in fact was quite bloody gifted below the belt region. Luckily not one of those AV worthy monsterc.o.c.ks (or dragonc.o.c.k in my case) that''d also count as a third leg, but it was definitely way above the average. That being solid (HA!) eight inches in length and nearly three in diameter. All in all, definitely the kind of tool that gets the work done.


    Although the reason for such endowment could easily be just a part of the side effects I''ve mentioned about earlier¡­ More about it will be explained soon I promise, but first I gotta show some appreciation to the girl servicing me with such enthusiasm.


    I grinned down at her and gave her head a loving caress. "Good girl, Ai-chan."


    It seems my praise got a reaction out of the girl as her eyes were practically sparkling at me, before she went down to town on my c.o.c.k with further fervor all the while she reached with one of her hands to fondle my nutsack, while her free hand reached down under her skirt and panties to give her lonely mound the stimuli and attention it desperately needed.


    Mhm! Oh yeah, a good girl indeed! Damn, gotta love these hentai physics this world seemingly had, for how it allowed Aika to take in my entire length down her throat without any apparent discomfort of choking or pain in her jaw.


    Anyhow where were we¡­ ah right, the chick magnet part!


    There is actually an interesting story behind all this.


    But before I get to the heart of it; allow me to get one thing straight; first of all you must understand that while my physique did go through some major changes such as vast increase in muscle density and strength (which luckily retained the shape of a swimmer instead of a bodybuilder) along with the massive increase in dragonic energy (which is more due to Ddraig''s influence, which we''ll be returning to shortly), my face however remained the same, Average. If you noticed the capital A back there; then yes, that was intentional.


    What you all need to know is that I don''t exactly consider myself all that particularly attractive, both in the past and with the current face I wear, and like I said; I''m practically the mascot of everything average one could find in a male individual''s physical appearance (not that I have low esteem or anything just stating facts through personal experience).


    To sum it up as briefly as possible; the reason on why these girls are suddenly all over me now isn''t exactly for me having a good outer appearance (although having a decent face with a body of an Adonis, DOES somewhat help), but it is more due to the physical changes that occurred within my body.


    In other words it was less out of physical attraction and more about primitive, instinctive bodily behaviour that gets triggered whenever a person comes within the certain proximity around me.


    You see, back in my childhood, back when I first met Ddraig in my mindscape I offered my heart to him basically in a heartbeat (pun not intended). AFTER Ddraig ran me through some hellish body conditioning so I''d become physically capable to handle the transformation without lethal repercussions. This was so I could get a massive boost in power and rid myself of all and any limitations I still had in a human, mortal body.


    Then with my threshold of power increased way beyond human levels, the intensity of my training too increased.


    Now you all may be asking; what does that has to do with anything with how I attract ladies to myself like moths to flame?


    Everything.


    You see, giving up my heart to Ddraig basically turned me into a miniature dragon in human form, but doing so understandably had made some major changes in my physiology.


    My skin for example; instead of a epidermal layer, it now consists of microscopic-sized scales. My bones are denser than diamond. My lungs have evolved to the point I can now hold breath for dozens of minutes (ability to breath fire still remains to be seen though). My muscles are powerful enough to bench lift a truck without an effort. My eyesight would make even an eagle froth from jealousy.


    And that''s just the gist of the upgrades my body got thanks to Ddraig''s full cooperation in turning me into greatest powerhouse there is.


    However what also changed is the way my body emits pheromones now¡­ That''s the biggest side effect I was talking of, which is also something I cannot turn off by will. The moment I hit puberty, I began to emit pheromones so strong they started to affect the people around me¡­ Especially the females...


    Shortly put; females who inhale my pheromones, arouses the primal part inside their brain to be invoked, causing them to see me as potential mate.


    For males however¡­ well they''d either back off submissively or becomes far more aggressive with me...


    According to Ddraig, this was because of my new dragonic heritage acting up. Apparently all dragons have powerful pheromones that oozes out of their body on constant flux to instill domination upon others and to attract mates, the stronger the dragon the stronger the effects of pheromones are. Though the thing is, dragon pheromones should be only affecting the species of their OWN kind. However for reasons unknown to both me and Ddraig, in my case whatever the organ or gland it is that is responsible to my rogue pheromone production, has actually mutated to affect females of ALL species that are s.e.x.u.a.lly compatible with me¡­ Meanwhile making most males of all species hate me with passion...


    Most people would consider this specific "side-effect" a blessing and to very big degree I actually agree with it, considering how I''m practically drowning in p.u.s.s.y now, compared to my last life where I literally felt like a man dying of thirst every day...


    And to be honest I''d be a one massive hypocrite if I were to ever ridicule Issei for his perverted ways, considering I was no better in that regard, except for the fact that I was NOWHERE near as open about my desires as Issei has been, so I suppose I can tip a hat in respect how Issei was even capable of such honesty.


    Though while the pheromones makes finding a girlfriend for me easy as all f.u.c.k (pun totally intended), it isn''t without its drawbacks unfortunately¡­ Sure it''s a bummer that finding any bromance is going to be difficult as all hell with how the pheromones affect any male, but that''s not the part I''m mainly disturbed by¡­


    You see, the pheromones affects all species of all ages¡­ ALL. F.U.C.K.I.N.G. AGES! And believe me while this whole pheromone bullshit can be awesome at most times; it is however KIND of a massive turn off when some senile grannies you walk past on the streets are starting to give you bedroom eyes as well!


    UGH! Just the mere thought of it is enough to make me want to hurl my guts out!


    *Sluuurp!* *m.o.a.n* Ah! Good girl Ai-chan! I can always trust you to banish such thoughts away and bring me up to the full mast again~!


    Anyhow! I can only thank all the Gods out there that there ARE certain limitation on what my pheromones can influence and cannot.


    First; the species has to be at least humanoid in shape, anything that I''m s.e.x.u.a.lly compatible with, physically I mean.


    And the second, THIS is the important part; my pheromone can only influence females that has at least gone through puberty or the¡­ menstrual cycle¡­


    So that considered there hopefully won''t be any FBI knocking on my door anytime soon...


    Which then brings me to my next issue that still boggles the heck out of me¡­ It''s the fact for how¡­ easy the females in this world were¡­ Well admittedly I am kinda (read: completely) cheating with that, but meh semantics, right? Anyhow what I''m trying to explain is just that back in my original world, I can tell you with 100% certainty that literally NONE (or at least the vast majority) of these girls would''ve ever given me the time of day.


    But now that I''ve reached the certain threshold in strength that I''ve been aiming for ever since I got here; every girl here all of sudden wants a piece of me and are practically throwing their undergarments at me for just walking past them in the hallways or even at the streets¡­ And no I''m not exaggerating, believe it or not, that shit actually happened a few times in the past to my utter incredulity¡­


    Pheromones or not, you''d think people at least have some form of self-control on their impulses¡­


    So far I''m fully aware how the pheromones affects humans and for Youkai species (especially those with animal traits) it seemed particularly quite bloody effective¡­ this is based on a past experience I''ve had which will be explained on a later date.


    Meanwhile as far as Devils, Fallen Angels and Angels go however, it still remains unclear how they''d react towards the extended exposure due to the lack of encounters I''ve had with any of them and I''ve only gotten like a few passing glances at the Devils here, since it''s only been about a month since I''ve started my term here in the Kuoh Academy as a 2nd year student once it finally went co-ed.


    I do not wish to sound like a misogynistic pig when I''m mentioning all this, but what can you do when you live in a world that''s practically ran with hentai logics with me replacing the guy who was originally meant to be this world''s harem protagonist?


    The answer?


    Just roll with it.


    Speaking of which¡ª


    As I felt my limit at its peak, I instinctively placed my hands around Aika''s temples, getting a surprised look out of her before I brought her closer (making her nose brush against my pelvis) with a low growl.


    "Ungh! C.u.m.m.i.n.g, Ai!" With that I shot my load right down her throat, to which she first sputtered out in surprise before she started swallowing it all with a gleeful m.o.a.n, before she placed both of her hands around my buttocks to keep my entire length in her moist cavern down to the hilt.


    I let out a hiss each time her tight throat constricted around my shaft whenever she gulped down my seed.


    After a solid 20 seconds c.u.m.m.i.n.g non-stop down her gullet, I finally calmed down and let go of her head as I leaned back to catch my breath, feeling the high of my last orgasm.


    And as soon as I let go of her, Aika too slowly pulled back until my c.o.c.k slipped out with quiet pop. She then cupped her mouth and tilted her head back, but not before she made sure our eyes met and then¡ª


    *Gulp!*


    She swallowed the last of my seed in single loud gulp, before she sighed out and opened her mouth to show me the proof of her "clean" mouth.


    Damn that was hot!


    "G-gochisousama(1), Ise-kun." Aika said in a lewd tone as she trailed her lips with a finger for any leftover s.p.e.r.m left on her face, before she licked those clean as well.


    It''s honestly amazing how I initially considered her as one of the uninteresting, plain girls of the series, but now here I am and frankly can''t get enough of her.


    With a grin I reached down and picked the spectacled girl up by her armpits, who let out delighted squeak as I brought her up to my lap, so she was basically straddling me.


    I then brought her in for a heated kiss (ignoring the leftover taste of myself in her mouth), getting loud m.o.a.n from the girl, who sn.a.k.e.d her arms around my neck as she reciprocated the action, just as I as well brought my own hands down to her slim waist and up to the nape of her neck in turn. Before we both closed our eyes to enjoy the sensation.


    As we simply sat there and made out without worries, I slowly trailed down the hand resting on her waist down to her firm ass and gave it a loving squeeze, making her jump slightly in my arms, letting out a squeak. But instead of breaking the kiss; she responded by gyrating her h.i.p.s against mine, getting another growl out of me as I felt myself getting hard as rock again.


    After a while we both reluctantly broke away from the kiss, with Aika panting for air as we stared at each other''s eyes.


    "You know Ai-chan?"


    The said girl tilted her head to the side in curiosity, her face still rather flushed from the session. "W-what is it Ise-kun?"


    I reached up to her face and gingerly removed her glasses from her face, getting a bemused raise of an eyebrow at my efforts. "You ever considered contacts or wearing your hair straight?" I suddenly asked of her as I inspected her pink rimmed glasses.


    Aika''s eyebrows this time jumped past her hairline. "What''s that about all of sudden?"


    I grinned up at her, though I doubted she could even see that far without the glasses, so I gently placed them back on over her eyes.


    "It''s just... has anyone ever mentioned how beautiful you look without your glasses on? It sorta gives you this vibe of¡­ much more mature beauty. And having your hair down would no doubt add to it."


    Hearing my compliment Aika became beet red, before she averted her gaze from mine, murmuring quietly something to herself, though with my keen senses I heard it loud and clear. "Darn gigolo, making me fall even harder for you..."


    Hearing that I blinked, before I let out a small chuckle as I looked at the girl who was still shyly averting her gaze away from mine.


    "Judging by your reaction, I take it compliments such as this doesn''t come out often?"


    This time her expression became almost melancholic, but she nodded in silence regardless.


    Noticing this my gaze softened by considerable degree before I reached up with my left hand, cupping her right cheek and gently turned her head so that we were face to face again.


    "If that''s truly the case then¡ª" I leaned in and stole her lips again in a chaste kiss, getting a displeased m.o.a.n from her for cutting the liplock short. "Then as many times as it takes¡ª" Again a kiss, getting another m.o.a.n (this time in approval). "I will tell you¡ª" Kiss (m.o.a.n~!) "You-" Kiss. "are" Kiss. "Always" Kiss. "Beautiful to me." The last time I kissed her (packed with tongue) however, she all of sudden squealed into my mouth while her body began to shake uncontrollably on my lab, at first I became concerned, but that was until I felt the increasing moisture around my crotch.


    Aika had reached an orgasm.


    This girl is REALLY not used to being called beautiful, eh?


    Once her orgasm finally settled she fell over with her head against my right shoulder, panting heavily.


    "You okay Ai-chan?" I asked, still somewhat amused for the reason of her out of blue orgasm.


    She then gripped on my shoulders and leaned back in a lightning-like movement, then all of sudden she practically ripped off her black corset, throwing it aside, before doing the same for her blouse by ripping it open on the front, revealing her yellow brassiere to the world for me to see.


    I blinked at this, before I averted my eyes from the fine twins she had, to meet her eyes with a nervous look.


    "Uhm, you know, while I love the enthusiasm; the next class starts in¡ª" Aika suddenly took a fierce grip on the collar of my shirt, before she pulled into an equally fierce, l.u.s.tful kiss.


    As soon as she broke it. Her expression became something that I could only call the l.u.s.t incarnate¡­ which says a lot coming from the guy in Issei''s body¡­ "F.u.c.k the class and start f.u.c.k.i.n.g me instead!" With that she lunged in again for a heated mouth-to-mouth action packed with an intense tonsil hockey match. Oh and don''t forget all the dry humping she''s doing.


    Well if she puts it like that, who am I to disappoint?


    After the s.e.xy time I had with Aika, we returned to classroom¡­ 3 hours late and got heavily reprimanded by the teacher for being late (again).


    And now¡­ School hours has ended and was on my way back home, just about a mile away from the academy grounds.


    "Say¡­ Ddraig?" I vocally called out to my tenant, if anyone were to walk by and hear me talking to myself they''d no doubt think I''m a crazy person¡­ Well if they were male that is...considering how females tended to act around me nowadays¡­


    [Yeah, partner? What is it?]


    "... Should we go and raid the Heaven?" I nonchalantly asked in the fit of boredom. As I looked to my left to gaze at the sunset as I was crossing a bridge.


    I could actually feel the ancient entity inside me raising an eyebrow at my out of blue inquiry. [Not that I mind nor particularly care, but what for?]


    "I''m bored..." I stated with lopsided pout.


    [... You''re willing to become an enemy of a whole faction, just to satisfy your boredom?] Ddraig inquired in perplexed tone, but there was a undertone of amus.e.m.e.nt in his voice.


    "... I could grope Gabriel''s tits while at it if you wish?" I offered.


    [OKAY! I''M FIRED UP LET''S DO THIS PARTNER!]


    I chuckled at Ddraig''s full 180 response, making myself legitimately consider if I should just proceed with the idea of invading Heaven to simply kill some time, despite it being said as a joke at first. But as soon as I reached the other end of the bridge¡ª


    "A-anoo?" I was cut off by a feminine voice few steps to my right, earning my attention enough for me to turn and face the speaker.


    I blinked when my eyes caught the sight of a familiar raven haired beauty.


    "A-are you by chance Issei Hyoudou?" She asked me in a bashful tone, although I could easily tell it was faked. Both due to my foreknowledge about the canon and my personal inner bullshit radar that I had on at all times.


    Yes I knew this person all too well and just what exactly she''s after.


    "Yes, that''d be me." Regardless, I responded politely.


    No need to be rude afterall.


    The girl began fidgeting in her place, while biting her finger in a fit of nervousness. "Uhm, my name is Amano Yuuma and I¡­ I was just wondering, are you seeing anyone right now?" She gave me a shy side-glance.


    I gotta hand it to her, despite being a murderous bitch inside that facade of hers, she sure as hell is one heckuva actor.


    "Nope, not really." Which is technically true at least officially speaking. Since I''m quite certain pretty much each girl I''ve had an affair with so far, have been alright with the "friends-with-benefits" package. Although I admit, I''ve been far more intimate with Aika (along with few others) much more often as of late, compared to the rest. However Aika had made it rather clear that she''d be all for the idea of becoming one of my girls if I ever decide to build a harem¡­ Well officially that is...


    Back to the (secretly murderous) brunette however. Hearing my answer she "beamed" at me in pure (faux) happiness.


    "That''s splendid!" She then had the decency to look sheepish and blushing a bit, when I raised an eyebrow at the way she put it. "Ah! N-not that there''s anything to celebrate about being single! I-it''s just, I mean¡ª!" She then took a deep breath and slapped her cheeks twice to focus, before she basically jumped up to my face, causing me to instinctively take a step back from how she suddenly invaded my personal space.


    "Will you be my boyfriend!?" She then asked all of sudden.


    I blinked. Straight to point I see.


    "Uhm, okay?" I went along with her ploy, though it sounded more like a question.


    The girl gave me another beautiful smile, before she leaned back with a bashful blush smearing her face. "YES! T-then how about a date at Saturday? Say around..." She placed a finger on her jawline in apparent thought. "Nine in morning, by that street clock in front of that Maid cafe downtown?"


    I gave her a lopsided grin, before nodding. "Sounds good, see you on Saturday then?"


    "Perfect! Yes until Saturday then Issei-kun!" The girl exclaimed before she leaned forward again to give me a peck on the cheek that was almost even convincing, if I didn''t know beforehand what she had in store for me upon the date. Then with that she left, giving me a wave over her shoulder, leaving me alone there on the bridge.


    Huh¡­ that happened¡­ And boy was that one one-sided chatter...


    [Indeed. I take it this is the part where¡­ what did you call it again? Ah right, where the events of "Canon" begins, right?]


    ''Eeyup, this is literally the starting point where everything slowly begins to escalate.''


    Still, time sure has gone by fast¡­ to be honest I''ve nearly forgotten all about the starting events of the canon.


    [I admit, when you first explained me what we should be expecting from the future; I was understandably rather sceptical about it, even with the memories you shared, but with that crow''s appearance, consider any lingering doubt I may have had good as dead now.]


    ''Good to know, also how do you think I''d fare with Whitey?''


    [If everything does go the exact way your memories serve; with the way you are now, I can assure you''d wipe the floor with him easily.]


    I smiled wide, when I felt the amount of pride in Ddraig''s voice that he had towards me.


    ''Thank you. Although we probably should still give it a benefit of a doubt and keep an eye out on any further changes, considering what we so far have encountered¡­ no matter how minor they may be...''


    [I fully agree. You may have grown far more powerful compared to your predecessors, but overconfidence is what killed most of my former hosts after all.]


    I inclined my head to Ddraig''s words, before I paused and started smirking when a mischievous thought occurred me.


    ''Speaking of changes; do you think Vali has gone through the whole "Rule 63" ordeal as well?''


    [Why you''re asking?]


    ''I mean, I don''t know about you, but what''s the better way to f.u.c.k our rival up than have it done literally from the back?'' I rhetorically inquired my dragon tenant with a shit eating grin plastering my face.


    [HAHAHA! That''s exactly why I consider you my favorite host! HAHA!]


    I too started chuckling along with my partner, before I set off again towards my home. But before that I looked towards the direction the girl had run off to one more time, and allowed myself to smirk in anticipation for what is to occur later this week.


    Now then I hope you at least make things interesting for me during our date¡­


    Ray-na-re-chan~!


    .


    .


    TBC


    AN - Well that''s a wrap. I hope you liked it!


    Daaamn, it''s been quite some time since I''ve last wrote anything lemony. Like¡­ 2 years (?) I think, last one being from Worgen Of The Ardent, but that being said don''t be too surprised if that stuff comes out rusty for a while.


    Funny fact; this idea came to me out of random on my way driving home on Friday, so this one got written over weekend. :3


    Target of next chapter: Raynare


    (1) Gochisousama = Thank you for the meal.

 Chapter 89 - My SI Stash #89 - Half-Blood Emperor by Dio Black (Pre Harry Potter)

    -SI as Severus Snape, HP fic for F1nal~


    *I have hope that this 3 year on hiatus fic will be revived. Either an update or a rewrite! (Judging from author''s bio/profile)


    Gotta have hope...


    ( *£à¦Ø¡ä)


    Sypnosis: This is the story of a person who died. It''s OK though, he got better. Through some kind of cosmic coincidence he wakes up in the body of an 11 year old Severus Snape. What would someone in his position, with knowledge of the future and what can be accomplished with magic do? Liberally abuse it and live like a king of course! Snape!Harem SI-OC as Snape NO SLASH.


    Rated: M


    Words: 41K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12614626/1/Half-Blood-Emperor (Dio Black)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    A/N warnings: This story will contain a self insert OC. He will be a selfish person and will think nothing of doing immoral and manipulative acts to get what he wants. This is also your warning up front that it will be a Snape!Harem and Snape will be a little dark/evil. Only women will be in the harem. There will be a.d.u.l.t situations and lemons in this story. This is also my first attempt at writing so I thank you for giving this a chance and for any positive feed back.


    Warning: This story will contain a.d.u.l.t situations and language.


    Disclaimer: I actually think it''s hilarious that I have to say I don''t own anything from the Harry Potter franchise. I would think it was obvious that I don''t. In fact I wish it would change so that it is just assumed that a person doesn''t own something unless they specifically say otherwise


    Oh I died. Or at least I assume I just did. I was on my way to the kitchen to get a glass of water in the middle of the night when I felt a sharp, extreme pain just behind my eyes. Even worse than the worse headache I''d ever experienced, like an ice pick in its intensity. My vision blurred and the last thing I could make out was the floor getting awfully close.


    But I didn''t feel the impact. In fact I didn''t feel anything except a tingling sensation like when a foot falls asleep, only all over, and then nothing. And I was acutely aware, almost disturbingly so, that I had just died.


    Not to be confused with losing consciousness however, I''m not certain how I know the difference but I just do.


    And I can''t help but mentally curse up a storm as the realization sets in that not only did I just shuffle off my mortal coil right when my life was at the it''s hedonistic peak, thanks in no small part to my hard work and effort to get to where I wanted to be; but I just died to what I''m certain is a brain aneurism.


    The reason this is important, at least to me, is that I''d just died from one of my biggest fears. I was pissed because I knew that despite the low odds it was one of those things that could happen to anyone, at any time, for no reason.


    ''Oh well'' I can''t help but mentally sigh. At least it wasn''t death by alligator. In hindsight this was much less traumatic.


    Although now I was starting to worry. I wasn''t a religious person in life and though I had no idea what, if any, afterlife awaited me. I certainly didn''t think it would be an endless nothingness. Nothing to see, hear, touch, taste, or to feel. Nothing but me all alone with my thoughts.


    I''m not sure how long I was like this either, with no obvious way to keep track of time other than counting the seconds. This sensory deprivation. I knew I wouldn''t last long, I have no illusions about how tough I can be and how I''ll crack eventually.


    At this point I was honestly wishing for oblivion and to just cease existing if this is all there is. ''Of course I''d rather still be alive'' my internal thoughts oh so helpfully pointed out. And no sooner had I thought that, I felt something.


    I didn''t have time to revel in the feeling however, because whatever it was felt like a hook behind where my ''naval'' would be and I was moving. Suddenly the white nothingness that I had known was put into perspective as I was pulled away from its center and into a vast sea of black flecked with countless spheres of light similar to the one I''d just involuntarily, though not unwantedly, vacated.


    There was no time for me to take it all in and try to contemplate what was happening. Because after the next thought of where I''d heard of a similar feeling being described before, I was suddenly jerked and moving faster than I could comprehend from my current perspective.


    It would be quite some time before I thought of this place again. Busy as I was being reborn into someone else''s body and taking over their life was a somewhat more immediate concern that took up much of my time and effort to ensure I came out on top.


    An inhale, then a slow, drawn out exhale. Again and again this happened and I drank in the feeling of air filling my lungs.


    Further listening to my breathing revealed a steady thumping. I could feel my heartbeat. And to someone who knew he died, it was a wonderful feeling. And the more he focused on his heartbeat, and breathing, and being alive, he felt something else. Something separate that he knew wasn''t there before inside him.


    Shocked and startled from this mystery he opened his eyes and found a room that was entirely unfamiliar to him. What was shocking was that he knew that he had not been inside this place before, but the more he looked about the more familiar it was becoming. He started having phantom memories of this room, the bed he was lying in was where he slept, the small desk in the corner was where he studied and did his homework and on and on the feelings came.


    And while this was happening almost subconsciously, the man came upon another revelation that was immediately more important. He was not in his old body.


    He knew the because the last time he checked he was a full grown, healthy a.d.u.l.t male. Yet before even looking down at himself he could feel that his proportions were all wrong. He was smaller! No¡­ His body was that of a child right now.


    ''Thankfully still male'' he thought while breathing a heavy sigh of relief. Not that he had a problem with the female form. In fact he had an overly healthy appreciation for it. But he self-identified as a male for as long as he could remember and had no desire to change that. Or have it changed for him for that matter.


    It was times like this he was glad for being a laid back and unflappable individual. "Make it look easy." Was the best advice he ever received in his early life.


    And it was because of this aspect of his character that he wasn''t freaking out and screaming as some people are want to do. Instead he was more than capable, and even comfortable, in going slow and figuring things out in a logical fashion.


    Getting up from the bed and giving a cursory glance about the room looking for any clues that could help him figure out where he was, and more importantly, who he is now.


    However no sooner had the thought passed his mind, he was suddenly assaulted with more phantom feelings, with a few sporadic memories thrown into the mix this time.


    A stern looking man and a dour women with a scowl, multiple times, through multiple places that are strangely familiar, most likely other rooms in this very house; kept referring to him as Severus Snape.


    With the sudden vertigo that accompanied the foreign memories fading his brain hiccupped.


    ''Severus Snape? Severus Snape as in the Harry Potter book series Severus Snape?'' What are the odds of it being a different person after all. Severus is already an uncommon name and having died once, the thought of being reborn as a fictional character isn''t out of the realm of possibility.


    Though it is somewhat outside of my wheelhouse.


    What I need to do is confirm that this is the case before I make any plans or do anything else. I realize that this different set of memories have been trickling in since I awoke and I''m starting to think that they must be imprinted in this bodies brain. Which makes sense when I think about it.


    But then that begs the question about my own memories? Will they eventually fade away or will they stay with me?


    Genuinely concerned for the first time since I woke up in a new body, I focus inwardly. All I can do is feel what makes me, me. And what makes Severus a separate identity. And as I concentrate on this I can feel an internal shifting. Like something perfectly slotting into place, partitioning a portion of this mind to permanently hold my memories and never letting them go, marking them as important.


    It was a distinctly odd feeling. Something I''ve never done or felt before so I had no frame of reference other than a feeling of inherent rightness. Like this is how it''s supposed to work and it worked perfectly the first time. And I just know I''m no longer in danger of losing either set of memories.


    If I had to describe it, it was like trying a skill out for the first time like a sport or painting, and finding out that you''re a master at it straight out of the gate. A natural talent.


    Because of this I was able to calm down again. A small reprieve that allowed me to know that I can keep in control of the situation and I''ll be alright.


    ''I wonder if that was Occlumency?'' is the best guess he could come up with at the moment.


    Breathing a deep sigh of relief I set about my original task of verifying my predicament and gathering information.


    Moving over to the desk where the memories of Snape are telling me that I''ll find all the proof I need, I sit in the chair and pull the top right hand drawer open and pulling out a long, thin box and place it carefully in front of me.


    Without any further ceremony, and wanting to finally see it I open the box and see a long, thin wand.


    Running his fingers along it he whispers, "Walnut and phoenix feather, thirteen inches, ridged." He quotes what Ollivander told him when he finally found and bonded to it.


    Feeling the warmth from the wand connect to him and the magic inside of him he felt an exceptional thrill of power well up from within. He kept an iron will of control on it however to keep it from lighting up the room and filling it with sparks of light like he inherently knew it wanted to as it bonded to him even stronger than when Severus had originally fist picked it up.


    "This particular wood combined with such a core will be uncommonly versatile and adaptable. Most wand woods will have a particular nature and will resist using spells that go against it. Walnut however, once bonded, will perform any task it''s user desires, provided the user is of sufficient brilliance of course." Ollivander had told him in the shop.


    That settles it. Magic was certainly a thing for him now and he could feel it singing in his veins. He didn''t even need to cast any of the spells he was now more than eager to try out to know that this was real.


    And wasn''t that a happy thought. Everything he had experienced so far was to real and vivid to be a hallucination or an elaborate dream of a coma.


    Especially considering how Severus Snape likely wouldn''t have been his first choice if he had to pick being reincarnated as someone. Though upon further examination of his options, assuming he had to be reborn here in this particular fictional world, it''s not the worst person he could be.


    Of course knowing what I know of the future events, Severus didn''t have a great life. From my own point of view he had an unhealthy interest in his childhood friend who didn''t return his feelings and he never got over it. To him, he also made a few serious mistakes that cost him his freedom by consigning himself to not one, but two masters in what he saw as a pseudo slavery. One of them even branded him!


    But as if that wasn''t enough, if he recalled the cannon universe correctly, Severus died as he lived, completely alone.


    And I can''t except that. Not now. Not when I''ve become Severus Snape.


    The old Severus is gone. Whatever happened to the two of us, whatever brought me to be here, erased him. All that''s left of him is eleven years of memories of a, quite frankly, shitty childhood. And his physical body.


    That''s what I can feel when I examine my mind like I did before when I ensured my past life''s memories were saved. There might be two sets of memories. But as for souls, it''s just mine. I''m probably more aware of this because of my unique experience of being just a soul.


    Pushing aside those morbid thoughts of things I can''t change, and to be honest probably wouldn''t even if I could, from my mind to concentrate on other things.


    I need to plan. Plain and simple. Magic is real in this world and I not only have access to it. I have outsider knowledge that I can liberally abuse to set myself up. The skies the limit when I really start to think about it, and I''m still stuck thinking about the major things that I know of.


    Immortality is within spitting distance. And not just one form or type! Nicholas Flamel had his philosopher''s stone, and if I recall correctly I''m pretty sure that he holds the official record for longest living person at some ridiculous number that''s at least past six hundred.


    And as much as it''s built up to be a mythological artefact that people talk up how great a pinnacle of alchemy it is, everyone seems to forget what''s right in front of their faces.


    Nicholas Flamel and his stone are almost always mentioned in the same sentence. Flamel''s stone that he made with alchemy that can create an elixir of life, and turn lead into gold. If he could do it, why could no one else? It''s man made clearly. And most certainly difficult, otherwise other alchemists would have stumbled upon making one on accident at some point.


    Everyone makes a big deal out of trying to steal it from him. Both in the books notably, but also in various fan fictions.


    Why has no one put in the work or even attempt to make one of their own recently when this guy made his over six hundred years ago?


    What other things can alchemy accomplish? Something to look into as I start a mental list of things too useful to ignore.


    The very next thing on the list is the other known form of immortality. A horcrux. Splitting the soul with a ritual and so long as you can keep that piece of yourself safe you can stick around even if someone destroys your body.


    Speaking of, being able to regenerate is also a must to look into and placed very high on the list. What seems obvious to an outside observer such as myself, but might not have even been a thought for Voldemort is what options are available for healing and/or recreating a body.


    The reason he even lost the war he started wasn''t because his killing curse rebounded and destroyed his body. It''s that it took him fourteen years to get a new one.


    I can only imagine what would have happened if he had been able to get right back to it even a few months later and pick it back up where he left off. If only he had planned for that possibility, he might have been able to set up some sort of failsafe and not even need any help to get a body back.


    But his mistake is my gain. It''s already on the list of things to look into.


    And while on the subject of other people''s mistakes, looking at Snape''s life from the books I already know quite a few personal pitfalls that I need to steer clear of right off the bat. The first one to start with also happens to be the easiest, especially for a womanizer like me, and that''s to keep one Ms. Lily Evans at arm''s length.


    There''s a lot of roads I can take just from dealing with her. For instance I''m not sure if I''ll want to seduce her and keep her all to myself in the future, or if I''ll simply let James Potter and her have a Chosen child to take care of Voldemort while I have fun accomplishing my own goals.


    Tying in with that you can call me Severus McSwitzerland because I''m not about to join anyone''s side in the war that''s soon to kick off in full in the next few years.


    I have no need to get involved knowing what I do. I know Voldemort''s weaknesses are his horcruxes and what they are. And a general idea of where they will be in the future depending on how much I f.u.c.k with things. Regardless of whether or not I can even find them all, he can always be contained if push comes to shove.


    And all that''s not even taking into account simply reasoning with the man. Although that is the riskiest option, I can make myself invaluable while refusing to become an actual member of his Death Eaters.


    Dumbledore will be even easier to deal with in comparison. Not only is he supposed to be incredibly forgiving, but by all accounts he''s a toothless dragon. Far too afraid of losing ownership of his precious Deathly Hallow, the Elder Wand, cripples him, and makes it unlikely he will ever get involved in any kind of battle he might have the smallest chance of losing.


    Of course I''ll be keeping that little tidbit to myself. No need give up that advantage.


    That does however bring up the issue of the Deathly Hallows. I instantly discard the idea of going after them for now.


    In part because I already know where they are and where they will stay far into the future. And also, as confident as I am, and with a surprising repertoire of spells and curses that Severus already knows, I''m not even a first year yet.


    I still have a week to go before getting on the Hogwarts express. And I am lacking the experience I already know is necessary to obtain even one of those mythical artefacts.


    But on the note of experience I''m about to get seven years of free access to an incredible place of learning. And using my knowledge of even just a few of the secrets of Hogwarts will allow me to advance by leaps and bounds in private study.


    And of the things I need to become a master in there are plenty. Starting of course, with Occlumency. The art of protecting the mind from outside invasion and influence. Because I can''t let a single secret slip for fear of it being the end of me.


    I have no doubt that both Dumbledore and Voldemort would have the same reaction and frighteningly similar responses to my future knowledge. Both would Legilimens the ever loving shit out of my head without mercy, throwing in Veritaserum by the bucket load for good measure. Then depending on the person, Obliviation until I''m a vegetable, or a quick Avada Kedavra to the face. I couldn''t fault them though. It''s what I would do in a heartbeat.


    While I''m on the subject of what I would do, my mind goes off on a tangent of¡­ mind magic funny enough. Of all the different things it can do, and of all its various applications. Mind magic is pantshittingly terrifying when it suddenly becomes relevant to a person.


    Obliviation. Something so standard to a wizard or witches everyday life that there is an entire squad of people who do nothing but erase memories working for the Ministry of Magic.


    A spell that terrifying is used on a daily basis to keep our world hidden from the muggles. To just reach into someone''s head and make it so something never happened to their perspective. And they aren''t even aware that it happened!


    The potential for abuse is staggering and one only needs to point a finger in the future Gilderoy Lockhart''s direction. The flamboyant man was good at two things. Publicity, and the Obliviation spell. He took those two things and ran with them to a depressingly great effect by stealing other people''s accomplishments and making them forget so he could take the credit.


    And as far as applications go that was the least of a long list of ways I can think of to use that one spell. For the simple fact that if you can target what you erase from a person with pin point precision, you can completely change them into someone else.


    The first example off the top of my head would be to turn a person from their friends and family by taking just a few of the memories of their most positive interactions with those people, and leaving only the bad.


    And the insidious part is in its subtlety. Because they are still the same person, just with a different view. The Imperious curse may be dominant and impressive, as well as the first thing people think of for mind control, but it is a blunt hammer compared to a well-placed memory charm''s scalpel.


    Making a mental note to find any reliable memory charm that can plant false memories, I go through Severus''s, my, trunk (I need to remember that now) to read ahead for my first school year of witchcraft and wizardry. I really need to keep on my toes that this is me now. Although the list of people who know what I was like is small, the one person who would care is probably going to be on the ball. Luckily we''re still children, and young children at that, so I can hopefully play off any discrepancies under the guise of either nerves for going to Hogwarts or just plain growing up.


    Reviewing past interactions between Severus and Lily though I don''t think I have anything to worry about. Severus and I were both cynical pragmatists with a sharp tongue so I''ll be alright just being myself for the most part.


    Right after getting proficient with defending my mind it will be time to start learning the offensive branch and invading the minds of others for fun and profit. Legilimency, the art of reading someone''s mind, viewing their memories, and hearing their innermost thoughts is an advantage that has me literally salivating and on the verge of cackling like a mad man. That certainly wouldn''t do for the moment however.


    In the short time I''ve been here I''ve already learned that my new parents are terrible people. At least they aren''t really abusive, just horribly neglectful. Severus hardly ever got new clothes, mostly just things from the local thrift store that were poorly matched.


    Until mum took him shopping for his Hogwarts school supplies he didn''t actually have much else to call his own. There are lots of books around the house thankfully. One of those things mum put her foot down on in one of my new parents many, many rows. Severus was only struck a few times in his life and mostly when he was being obstinate while his father was drunk. But for the most part they simply ignored him and didn''t care what he got up to so long is it wasn''t any trouble for them. Which, funny enough, he got over before I even got here.


    And finally the next thing I''m looking forward to is potions. Bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death indeed! So many absolutely game changing, delicious, nutritious potions! Draught of the Living Death, Felix Felicis, Polyjuice, Veritaserum, Amortentia etc.


    Severus Snape was the youngest Potions Master in a century and I have every intention of living up to that particular title.


    The week until I finally set off for Hogwarts passed by quickly enough. I''d managed to devour all the first year books and even spent an afternoon with Lily and Petunia Evans. Lily was blissfully unaware her friend is now an a.d.u.l.t in mind and while she is a rather cheerful girl, Petunia already has the makings of a thoroughly unpleasant individual. I''d always known she was jealous of her sister being lucky enough to be born with magic, though I can see that Lily inadvertently hasn''t been doing much to curtail that by being self-absorbed into her own little world and is a little uncaring about bragging and showing off. Then again they are both children to me and I have the benefit of seeing how this will fester over the years until it culminates in Petunia keeping her nephew locked in a cupboard under the stairs.


    I reaffirm just how grateful I am that I was reborn as Severus with the gift of foresight.


    We arrived at King''s Cross station relatively early and mum escorts me through the disguised portal to platform 9 and 3/4. I silently vow that my future glorious wizards tower will have a similar entrance because that is an impressive bit of ward work and illusion magic.


    Mum and I walk a little ways into the sparsely populated platform before she bids me good bye and tells me she''ll see me when schools out. We''d talked before in the week leading up to this and we (mostly her and dad though I''m not complaining) decided it would be less of a strain on the family for me to spend Christmas''s at school. That''s right, that''s Christmas''s plural. At least my family is planning ahead despite that was my goal going into that discussion.


    Sadly she doesn''t even say she loves me as she walks away, and suddenly the way Snape acts in the books makes a lot of sense.


    Thankfully, I am at least a well-adjusted megalomaniac.


    I made my way onto the train with a quickly, and silently, cast feather light charm on my trunk to easily get it up the steps and found my way to the nearest empty compartment. A simple task considering how early we had arrived.


    Shutting the door and closing the blinds I change into my Hogwarts uniform. It may be school clothes but they are the nicest and best fitting things I have.


    Any purebloods I see before halfway through the trip would probably peg me instantly as not one of them based on my not showing off the latest acromantula silk robes, but I''m not concerned. They would figure that out anyway when I introduce myself as Snape instead of my mother''s maiden name of Prince.


    But either way, if Tom Riddle can climb over the broken and defeated bodies of his peers to rule Slytherin house then I can as well.


    And I know that''s where I''m going to end up. If nothing else than by virtue of any other house being all too easy to subjugate. I''d almost feel bad for how easy it would be to take over then.


    I''m also largely unconcerned with the sorting hat poking around inside my head. Either it will be fooled with my false mind I''ve put up as a beginner and untrained attempt at an Occlumency defense, it will have to keep my secrets which makes sense because I don''t think the founders would want to violate children''s privacy. Or It will tell the headmaster everything, and Dumbledore will be forced to believe that the hat has finally cracked, or that the enchantments are starting to break down after all these centuries.


    What a.d.u.l.t would take the ramblings of a hat that says a first year has plans to become rich and famous, live like a king, and bed a harem of women? At worst if anyone believed it they would simply think it more likely I have an over active imagination. Besides, with the exception of making a horcrux, nothing I intend to do is actually illegal so far. Just incredibly immoral.


    I sit down and go over my potions notes that I''ve come up with in the different ways ingredients can be prepared and how or if that will change their properties to pass the time.


    Before I know it we are already moving and the door suddenly opens to reveal Lily Evans.


    "Severus I''ve been looking all over for you!" She says as her face lights up in a smile and she rushes to give me a hug. It''s actually rather nice considering I don''t get any of those at home, but it will still be awhile before we''re old enough for me to really appreciate it.


    "I had faith you''d find me eventually." I tease back.


    She playfully slaps my arm while giggling. "You prat, come on let''s go make friends!" The tiny redheaded spitfire says.


    I put on my best exaggerated face of disgust. "Friends?" I test the word on my tongue. "Is that anything like minions?" I question.


    She gives a pleasant tinkling laughter at what she thought was a joke, brushing away a few tears before she gets her bearing and gabbing my hand to drag me along. "No silly I mean like me. But I''m glad you''re finally starting to lighten up."


    Leaving our compartment we stroll along down the hall, popping into random compartments that appear to have other first years to say hi and introduce ourselves.


    We continue in this fashion and I do my best to put up with these understandably immature and overenthusiastic children until we come upon two children in particular that I knew I would have to see eventually.


    Sirius Black and James Potter. Sirius has chin length wavy hair and steel blue eyes while James has short, messy black hair that truly does look like he just rolled out of bed and brown eyes framed by glasses.


    Both are already dressed in their Hogwarts robes but probably the most surprising thing is that they are currently in a heated glaring match.


    Lily looks between the both of them a few times before letting out a huff of frustration that neither of them seemed to notice before she finally loses her patience. "Are you two serious right now?"


    And without missing a beat the one I know to be James Potter speaks up. "No, he is." He gestures to the other occupant in the compartment.


    Sirius has the picture perfect expression of gobsmacked, before he snorts and tries to stifle his own laughter. He holds up an admirable three seconds before cracking into nearly hysterical laughter.


    Lily''s expression of confusion is adorable when she looks at me and asks, "What''s wrong with them Severus?"


    I shrug my shoulders and reply, "I dunno. Maybe the stress got to them." Before we both turn and leave the two future Marauders to bond. I may have laughed at the spontaneous joke but I''m sure I''ll be sick of them before the year is out.


    We spend the rest of the journey talking about all the things that we look forward to discovering at Hogwarts as we enjoy a few wizarding treats we got from the trolley on our way back.


    The boat trip across the lake was more interesting than I thought it would be. I incorrectly assumed that a stunning view would be the only thing I would see. Instead I''m rather surprised to find that instead of a half giant named Hagrid being the gamekeeper that would lead us across, it''s someone else by the name of Ogg.


    It makes sense I suppose. On an intellectual level I knew that Hagrid wasn''t always the gamekeeper but I''d thought he would have had the post by now. Oh well, I''m sure he''ll turn up at some point in the near future. Perhaps he''s an assistant and will take over in the next few years.


    The other was the two girls who sat with Lily and I for the boat ride. We had only met Amelia Bones briefly on our whirlwind tour of the train, but we must have missed the other one.


    Narcissa Black. Youngest of the Black daughters which I knew, but for some reason I thought she was supposed to be slightly older than us.


    I give myself a quick mental note that some things may be slightly different from what I knew. The canon story was already out the window because of the things I will do after all, so I suppose things like this won''t make much of difference. But I will need to be vigilant and keep an eye out so I don''t get blindsided with a situation I can''t handle.


    Amelia and Lily hit it right off and are chatting away. I already look the part of the brooding silent type so thankfully my contributions can be minimal.


    Narcissa however takes an instant disliking to all of us and I can''t say I''m the least bit surprised. She tactfully makes her opinion on everyone sharing the boat with her clear that she would rather not associate with people like us. At least she has the good grace to not throw the word mudblood around like some of her peers no doubt will in the future.


    Once we''re all safely off the boats and introduced to Professor McGonagall who looks surprisingly younger than I expected. Perhaps mid-thirties if I had to guess at a glance. It was at that point that it really clicked that it will be another twenty years before the events of the first book takes place. She has average looks, with her black hair done up in a sever bun, stern features accentuated by her pursed lips, and dressed in tartan robes.


    She proceeds to tell us things I''m sure I''m not the only one to already know. About how we are to be sorted into one of four houses, how we can earn points for our house, and how are house will be like are family.


    And I really hope that because the war is still in the early stages of people going missing and the Ministry being unaware of the reason, that my future fellow Slytherin''s will treat me with some respect. I''d so hate to have to use my own house mates as guinea pigs for practicing memory charms.


    All of us first years are led into the great hall where we are told to wait for our names to be called, and in short order the Sorting Hat is singing away a song about happiness, friendship, and I''m pretty sure it mentioned ponies in there somewhere. I couldn''t be bothered to pay attention.


    The sorting goes smoothly as expected and my guesses are reasonably correct for the most part. Narcissa Black is sorted into Slytherin. Sirius Black immediately upsets the status quo by getting sorted into Gryffindor with a smile on his face. Amelia Bones gets into Hufflepuff where she sits beside her older brother Edgar whom she told us all about on the boat ride.


    Lily takes a little longer than most, clearly having a debate with the hat extolling the virtues of Gryffindor house and why she should go there before it eventually concedes and sends her to the clapping table of lions.


    I keep my features carefully blank but inside I''m positively crowing in delight. The hat does have to ultimately put a student in the house of their choice. I know Lily would have been much happier in Ravenclaw with her studious nature, or even Hufflepuff with her friendly personality. I hope she hadn''t been drinking the Dumbledore Kool aid when I wasn''t looking but it seems as though that might be the case.


    The rest of what would become the Marauders ended up in the house of the Lions with the only notable part being Peter Pettigrew''s sorting.


    The small, slightly pudgy mouse of a boy clearly wasn''t debating where he wanted to go. The hat just didn''t seem to think he had any outstanding traits that would make a house an obvious choice. From what Severus knew of him he would end up a lazy traitor, no desire whatsoever to learn, about as un-cunning as can be, and a total coward to boot. The hat must have hoped that putting him in the house of the brave would help him develop a spine.


    ''Poor hat'' I thought. There''s only so much it can do. Thinking of Pettigrew though reminds me of the one impressive accomplishment he''ll achieve and I make a mental note to look up becoming an Animagus.


    It''s finally my turn and I can see Lily waving excitedly at me from the Gryffindor table. I was sure I told her at some point that I was a safe bet for Slytherin or Ravenclaw, when I belatedly remember that friends are supposed to show each other support so I give her a tight smile and a small nod of acknowledgement that causes her face to light up.


    I have to shake my head internally at how impressionable children are as I sit down and the hat is placed on my head where it falls down far enough to block my vision of the students and tables of the great hall.


    "Oh no." I hear a gruff voice filled with despair echo inside of my head.


    "Ah so the false mind didn''t fool you for a moment did it?" I mentally respond back.


    "Yes, yes and you don''t need to be so loud with your thoughts, I can hear you quite well thank you. But what?... How?... I don''t even know where to begin with you!" It huffs in frustration.


    I spend a moment thinking about it, "How about you start with whatever intrigues you most? Or start with what you might know of my situation?" I ask.


    "Well I can already tell you I''ve never heard nor seen anyone in your particular situation. And I can go ahead and put all your worries at ease. I can''t tell anyone anything, it''s all completely confidential. In fact it''s been so long since I''ve had a conversation with the headmaster I''m pretty sure he thinks I''m not actually an intelligent artefact, just a tool to put children in houses so he doesn''t have to take the time and interview all of them himself." The hat says before devolving into a fit of invectives towards Dumbledore that I''m sure he''s barrowing from my mind to be more creative.


    It eventually subsides before he continues, "Well I can tell you I think you''re on the right track with the things you want to accomplish and your ambitions. If what you know of the future is really true and comes to pass it''s not like you can very well make things worse after all."


    "Ah thank you for that." I respond, unsure how to take that but pressing forward. "Do you have any advice for me that could be helpful or if I''m missing something obvious?"


    "Well I have a few id- hold on." He breaks off mentally before I can suddenly hear his voice outside my head and out loud.


    "Can I help you Minerva?" The hat asks in a scathing tone. I''m surprised, I guess it''s been longer than I thought if McGonagall was about to take the hat off wondering if something was wrong. It''s only now that I can hear the low murmur of the crowd expressing confusion and speculating on what''s taking so long.


    I can her how startled she must have been because it sounds like she jumped a little at being preempted.


    "I-I was just wondering what''s taking so long, or if something was¡­ wrong?" She trails off weakly, not have expected to defend her actions to a talking hat.


    "Everything is fine! Better than fine actually, I''m having an actual conversation with an interesting individual for the first time in years." Said the hat.


    "Be that as it may you are supposed to sort the students. There are still more to go and we are all getting hungry." And I can practically see the disapproving frown on her face as if she''s scolding any other misbehaving student, instead of a thousand year old sentient artefact.


    "Well excuse me then!" And I can feel him coming back to resume our mental conversation. "Right then, let''s make this quick. Keep up with Occlumency, Albus won''t bother with any young student unless they are an heir or they stand out academically so be sure you don''t do anything major until you can catch a subtle probe. He likely won''t push it after that.


    Also since I can tell you won''t be swayed from your goals, you should focus on rituals then. Many of them will suit your purposes and there''s a surprising amount that has been lost to time but not to Hogwarts and even Riddle doesn''t know all of them. Good luck becoming the king of the snakes in- SLYTHERIN!" The hat finishes the last word out loud for the hall to hear.


    There is a surprising amount of applause coming from the hall, the Slytherin table included. At first I''m sure it''s because they are happy to get on with the sorting ceremony and being that much closer to the feast, but I notice more than a few curious eyes from my new house table sizing me up.


    No doubt wondering what''s so special about the new firstie.


    I end up sitting next to Narcissa of all people and completely ignore the heated glare she levels my way. She''s far too polite to say whatever is on her mind, no doubt derogatory and insulting. But I''m having entirely too much fun ignoring her and tweaking her nose about it.


    Taking my time to carefully dish up my plate after the last student gets sorted and the food appears, my thoughts turned to the hat''s suggestions. It''s nice to know that I won''t have to worry about anyone stopping me before I''ve snowballed my momentum, so long as I can keep just under the radar for long enough.


    And rituals? Having initially discounted them and put them on the shelf for later consideration because from what I recall of the books, Voldemort had used so many that he wasn''t even recognizable as Tom Riddle anymore.


    I had no desire to disfigure myself, in fact quite the opposite. One of my early goals is to find some kind of potion to permanently increase how attractive I am to people. Not only to make me irresistible to the opposite s.e.x, but to boost my natural charisma and charm. Everything in life will be a lot easier if everyone I come across thinks of me as their best friend after all.


    But the hat raised a valid point when one really thinks about it.


    One of the darkest rituals I know about is the creation of a horcrux. But Tom made one when he was still a student in Hogwarts and managed to complete his last few years just fine with no one the wiser. He even made Head Boy from what I recall.


    He still had plenty of charisma by all accounts, and if that''s the case then it must have been something else he had done after Hogwarts. Something he must have held off doing until after he was turned down for the position of Defense Professor.


    Either way there''s plenty of time to research everything I need to know. What empowering rituals will stack with others for a c.u.mulative effect. What requirements do I need to fulfill. Any potential side effects.


    I should probably see about acquiring a time turner at this rate. There clearly aren''t enough hours in the day. Maybe there will be information on making my own?


    The feast was delicious and I enjoyed my shepherd''s pie, green beans, and boiled potatoes. I had to pass on the pumpkin juice as it tastes like actual pumpkin. I honestly don''t know what I was expecting. What I do know is that, while I normally don''t have a problem with pumpkin pie, I do have a problem with drinking it.


    Luckily there are other options at the table such as milk, tea, and water. I take an unhealthy delight in being the picture perfect of pureblood politeness when I ask Narcissa to pass me the pitcher of water, minding all my p''s and q''s. And she has to acquiesce because of her upbringing.


    I''m not sure but I think I hear her teeth grinding. She seems to be in physical pain to have to be polite to what she sees as a lowly halfblood. Though now that I think about it I''m not sure anyone''s blood status came up in conversation on the boat ride. Perhaps she just made an assumption because none of us where in her circle of friends.


    After the feast Headmaster Dumbledore stands to give us a few announcements. Introducing this year''s new Defense Professor who has no idea they won''t be here next year. Apparently everyone still thinks it''s just a coincidence and not a curse on the position.


    Dumbledore continues on to tell us a list of banned items can be found on the office door to Argus Filch, as if any of us would actually bother. And he wraps it up with a final warning not to go into the Forbidden Forest.


    After having us sing the school song us first years are instructed to wait for our prefects to show us to our common room. The reason we are the last to leave is made obvious as not only the Gryffindor table, but the Hufflepuff as well, stampede in a mad dash to get to their respective dorms from the word go.


    After the initial rush of half the students, Ravenclaw table and our own calmly and collectedly make our way out at a leisurely pace.


    Going steadily further down in the dungeons the prefects point out landmarks to us along the way such as suits of armor and paintings. The reasoning becomes clear as we stop in front of a perfectly blank stone wall with no distinguishing features.


    Turning around the male fifth year student addresses us. "This wall behind me is the hidden entrance to our common room. Try to remember where it is, don''t tell anyone outside of our house where the entrance is. And make sure you check the posting board every day before leaving to make sure you have the latest password. We change it every week, but sometimes randomly as well. If you forget the password your stuck out here until either someone else comes along, or someone leaves."


    The woman who had been silent so far finally speaks up in a severe tone. "If you happen to be locked out after curfew you''ll have to suck it up and get professor Slughorn, our head of house. His office is behind the portrait of the witch playing a harp that we passed on the way here." She says, pointing in the general direction before continuing.


    "If that happens you''ll likely be punished with detention, but that''s better than getting caught by other prefects or, Merlin forbid, the caretaker." She shudders in disgust and I can''t help wonder if it''s because of his unwashed appearance, caustic demeanor, or just because he''s a squib.


    They turn around and give the password, pureblood, and shepherded all of us first years inside after the stones moved apart, much like the entrance to Diagon Alley.


    Once inside I can''t help but let out a small smile at how impressive it really is. There are huge, green tinted windows that show the room we are in is submerged at looks directly into the depths of the black lake.


    I''m not the only one dazzled by the display as there are gasps of ooh''s and ahh''s from almost all of us first years.


    There is a smug knowing look from the prefects as the woman speaks up again. "That''s right, our common room has the best view in the castle. Occasionally you might even see the giant squid swim by, or other more¡­ interesting creatures." She finishes off.


    "The girls dorms are to your left and the boys dorms are to your right. Boys aren''t allowed in the girls dorms and they are heavily warded to prevent entry. No matter how far you manage to get in there is a load alarm that will sound off because of the attempt so don''t try it.


    All of you have your own individual room for privacy, you''ll know yours by the plaque with your name on it, and a communal bathroom for your year to share. The rooms are sparsely furnished with just a bed and a desk. Your meant to learn how to use magic here and the proof will be in how elaborate and decorated you can make your room." The male prefect took up explaining for us.


    The woman begins talking again. "The two of us will meet you here in the common room promptly at seven in the morning to escort you to breakfast and your first classes of the day. We expect you to be up, presentable, and ready by then. We have our reputation of this noble house to uphold after all. Good night." She finishes in a clear dismissal for us to go to bed.


    I silently make my way with the other first year boys and find my room without issue. And it is just as advertised of being medium size, a simple bed, and a desk pushed up against the wall with a standard wooden chair and no window. The only light source being a ceiling lamp that can turn off or on by voice command.


    Checking to make sure my trunk at the foot of the bed has been untampered with, not that there was much to bother with in their at the moment besides the standard set of school supplies.


    I pull out a fresh set of the Hogwarts uniform and lay it out on top of my trunk for tomorrow. Pulling off my clothes and folding them neatly and setting them on the desk I wonder what the protocol is for the house elves to clean them.


    With that thought I slip into bed thinking about how one might go about obtaining a house elf. Dead useful they are, but something I won''t worry about it until I go home for the summer.


    I can''t wait for classes tomorrow. Or more accurately to go exploring for certain things after classes are over.


    A/N: I want to personally thank you all for taking the time to read my first attempt at writing fan fiction. I''ve been a long time reader and I felt it was finally time for me to try my hand at writing. A few more things I would like to say is that this is inspired by various other self-insert stories that I''d read and enjoyed. I''ll admit, I''m not actually a fan of Snape. In fact I would sooner read a bashing fic than one that has Severus in a father/mentor/love interest role. And that''s why I went with making him a self insert OC. Also I don''t think I''ve ever seen one where Snape is in the main character role and will have a harem of women.


    Any way, I''m writing this story because like many others in my position, I''ve read so much that it seems like there are no more stories that I''m interested in reading that I haven''t already. Also I am now far more aware of what a plot bunny that won''t leave you alone feels like. I have a new respect for all writers now, especially when it comes to writing a scene or section you just aren''t interested in, but have to include to advance the plot.


    Once again, thank all, from the bottom of my heart for making it this far and I hope to see you again for the next chapter. Any reviews/favorites/follows are appreciated.

 Chapter 90 - My SI Stash #90 - Better Living Through Magic by Coeus (Pre Harry Potter)

    -More SI Harry Potter fic for F1nal~~ SI to Pre-Harry Potter (1964)!


    *Story starts a bit slow but does pick up after a few chapters, MC''s some sort of inventor~


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: ???


    Words: 160K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/better-living-through-magic-harry-potter-si.756754/page-5#post-58420480 (Coeus)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0.1-0.6


    So this story started as a "take that" to your average Harry Potter story, you know, the standard seven years "Hogwart''s Experience" and all the stupid samey events that tend to show up both canon and fanon. I can''t tell you how tired I am of another "Rune Magic" story where the protagonist takes Ancient Runes and discovers something groundbreaking in a field that has supposedly been around for thousands of years, usually something stupidly obvious to the point that you wonder how wizards can walk and breath at the same time if that is the level of intelligence they have. Even worse, they fail to account for the changes their new system would have had on the magical world, nothing exist in a vacuum. Why they don''t just build on the existing system I''ll never understand. Safe to say, the Hogwarts part of this story will be fairly short. That is to say, there will be an end to it. Eventually. ????


    I''m also gonna try for a bit of world-building, not much, and mostly concerning fringe things that barely get any mention in the books, or none at all, as it happens. Let''s see how it goes.


    Better Living Through Magic


    I hate the rain, I hate the wind, and I particularly hate it when you combine them. I grunted as a brief flash of light startled me. The rumbling boom that followed quickly on its heels seemed to cause the rain to increase, pouring down on the umbrella I was desperately trying to keep steady as the always shifting wind tried to yank it out of my grasp. I hated ¨C well, no. I don''t hate lightning. Truth be told, it was the only part of storms I liked. Once, when I was younger ¨C thirteen, fourteen at most, I''d gone out during a fierce thunderstorm and climbed up a nearby mountain, almost to the top. There I''d laid down on my back and just stared at the sky and the lightning. I remember being scared, yet unwilling to leave and climb back down.


    Not one of my brightest moments.


    But it had been spectacular.


    Magical¡­


    ...No, I don''t hate lightning.


    Being struck by lightning, you''d think it would hurt, you''d think the sound would be horrendous. That''s the picture you have in your mind. The truth is quite the opposite, it was more like I was suddenly struck deaf and numb. My world went white and I felt suddenly weightless like I''d just jumped off somewhere high.


    Then gravity decided I''d had enough fun and reintroduced itself. My landing was ungraceful and quite painful; I saw stars as my head bounced off the ground. I instinctively curled up in a fetal position, both because of the pain and the deafening sound of things crashing into the ground all around me.


    The first thing I noticed was that I could barely see, not that I was blind or anything, everything was just blurry, with everything just seeming to bleed into everything else. I fumbled a bit but managed to pull my glasses off, and to my surprise, my vision cleared. Not entirely, the edges of things still seemed kinda frayed, like a watercolor painting that had a bit too much water.


    "Vad I helvete?!" I almost choked on my own words. That wasn''t my voice! What the hell was going on?! I quickly sang a short tremulous note and felt my insides freeze. There was no way I''d be able to make a note that high with my real voice. I reached up and touched my throat and got my second shock. No stubble! I rubbed my hand over my mouth, no beard. "Vad I helvete!"


    I hadn''t been clean-shaven since I was fifteen and my beard came in, I always had a short well-groomed goatee. "Va fan h?nde med mitt sk?gg!?


    I struggled to my feet, fighting against clothes that were suddenly too big and a body that arched and cramped painfully at every little move I made. God. I was so tempted to just collapse back to the floor and lie there until my world stopped being pain!


    Once I got to my feet the indignities decided to continue with my pants dropping to my feet like something right out of a B-comedy shtick. I was beyond caring at that point, though later I would feel grateful that my underwear didn''t drop as well. I''d been humiliated enough for one night without that compounding it. Since I was now on my feet I took the opportunity to take a look at my surroundings. I wasn''t outside anymore for one. I was in a roughly circular room with a high domed ceiling; bookshelves lined the walls, filled to the brim with books and the odd contraption that I had difficulty making out due to my lack of glasses. Some of the books and things were now littering the floor, probably caused by whatever brought me here.


    The telltale groan of wood under strain pulled my attention to a large wooden desk that had been tipped over on its side. It was one of those humongous monstrosities that looked like they were carved from a single piece of redwood and probably weighed a ton and change. It was currently defying all laws of physics by floating up off the floor like it didn''t weight more than a feather. I felt the roof of my mouth prickle as if someone was slowly pushing in a dozen small needles. I tasted metal. My heart pounded. The desk floated higher and then started to right itself before gently settling down on the floor again. And in so doing revealing the person behind the little magic trick.


    At recognizing him I did the only sensible thing a person in my situation could do.


    I freaked the f.u.c.k out!


    The result was far more¡­ explosive then I had expected, seeding out a shockwave of force that flipped the desk over again and sent the brightly dressed old man onto his ass. Glass shattered all around me and books crashed down from their shelves. It just made things worse, which caused more outbursts of uncontrolled force, which in turn destroyed more of the room. The floaty desk person reacted to that by pulling out a wand and sending out a scintillating surge of energy at me.


    "Tranquillitus!"


    ---


    Well, let''s see where this goes then. Sorry about any spelling or grammatical errors that have snuck in. Don''t have a beta.


    Criticism and comments are of course welcome and appreciated. I''ll post the next part in a few hours after I get some sleep and have given it a once over. Don''t forget to like if you do... like it that is.


    Chapter 0.2


    Imagine if someone was to dump a pail of ice water on your brain and you have a basic idea of what it felt being hit with that spell. Everything calmed down and suddenly I felt very¡­ together. "Ah, hmm¡­ Well, that''s¡­ that just happened. I think I''d be excited, but I''m way to mellow to bother with it, wooh!" This must be what it was like to take drugs.


    I blinked my eyes and shook my head a bit to try to knock some of the cobwebs loose. That turned out to have been a mistake I winced as pain flashed through me again. I needed to sit down. I had a look around and quickly located one of the chars lying on its side some feet from me. Now having a purpose I hobbled over and with some effort righted it and then climbed into it and made myself as comfortable as I could under the current circ.u.mstances. My suddenly enormous jacket made it somewhat easier. Meanwhile, the person that could be no other than Dumbledore, the venerable and barmy headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was seemingly dismissing me at the moment in favor of inspecting his office. Bit rude of him, what if I was hurt? Maybe he''d already checked me over? Some sort of magical bullshit. Still though, bad form.


    Still, Dumbledore! Impossible! Yet, there he was. Undeniable.


    I looked over at Dumbledore again as he slowly moved around his office, repairing, righting and moving various things into place with strange graceful movements of his wand. He didn''t say a word, he just waved his wand and shit got fixed. I guess verbalizing your spells wasn''t strictly necessary. Good to know.


    So what the hell was I to do now? I was likely trapped here, in a world I only knew from fiction. Of course, relying on that sort of information to much would likely get me into trouble since even with that many books it was most likely that I only had a very superficial insight into this place. I suppose the smart thing right now was to use Dumbledore''s momentary distraction to take stock and make some sort of short term plan.


    So what did I know?


    I was in an office. Not immediately useful.


    In front of me was a person that is either Merlin or Albus Dumbledore.


    The giant orange bird that seemed remarkably unfazed by the ruckus would suggest the latter.


    Albus can read minds; don''t look him in the eyes!


    I''m at Hogwarts. A relevant and important fact to be revisited later!


    This should be impossible!


    A dream?


    No, too much pain for that.


    So, it was real? Big problem!


    I just trashed the place with magic!


    I have magic! Yay!


    I''m never seeing my family again! Boo!


    I can learn to cast spells! Yay!


    I appear to be a prepubescent child. Boo!


    Ugh. This situation was highly inconvenient. What the hell was I to do now? Short term. I would need information. I would have to figure out when I was. Dumbledore was alive, and by the look of his hands, he had yet to find and use the Ring. Good. If I was lucky he had yet to send Harry on his little hunt. If I could get to the ring first and get my hands of the Resurrection Stone things would become somewhat easier. At least as soon as I figured out some good shades to summon.


    My chair suddenly gave a little jerk and floated gently up into the air, jogging me out of my thoughts. I noted that the office was once again in pristine condition, with no signs left to indicate my recent magically assisted breakdown. I was floated over and positioned neatly in front of the headmaster''s now righted desk. I observed the whole thing with undisguised interest until it was done before giving a sigh, leaning back and closing my eyes. "Well, that happened."


    "Are you alright young man?" The venerable old man asked me.


    I started to shrug but thought better of it. "Bit banged up, but I don''t think I''m leaking anywhere."


    "I''m glad to hear it. I trust this must seem very strange and frightening to you, my dear boy. But I can assure you, you are quite safe here." He said reassuringly. I noted with some amus.e.m.e.nt that his voice was quite a bit deeper and stronger then ether Richard Harris or Michael Gambon. It reminded me a bit of Sean Connery, only without the Scottish accent. "Now, I think some introductions might be in order. I ''am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where you currently reside."


    "Andreas," I told him shortly. Then after a moment, I added. "Andrew or Andy to you; you English can''t say my name without sounding like a poof." Hahah! Look at me, using an English slang! Epic!


    "Duly noted. Now then young man, perhaps you can tell me how you managed to arrive so spectacularly in my office just now." Dumbledore began in a grandfatherly tone voice. "Quite a feat, one that should, according to all that I know, be quite impossible."


    "Not young," I said, ignoring his question, before looking down at my now very small hands. "At least I didn''t use to be," I added. I thought it would be best to get that out straight away. Getting treated like a child wasn''t something I had any intentions to put up with. "Things happened, I guess."


    "An interesting contention." He noted. "How old would you say you are then?"


    I decided not to comment on the benign condescension in his voice. Kids telling tall tales were probably a twice-daily occurrence around here. "37."


    "Ah." Yeah, f.u.c.k you to man.


    Fine, I can logic my way thought this, no problem. "I''m sitting in the office of a sorcerer-"


    "Wizard, if you don''t mind." Dumbledore interrupted kindly.


    "-whatever, you have what might be a legendary phoenix perching on a golden stand, surrounded by all manner of strange twirling magical tig-ma-jigs, which was moments ago so much junk because I now apparently blow up when I''m excited! And you find the thought of someone being reduced in age strange?" I said, sarcasm virtually dripping off my every word.


    "Ah, a muggleborn then." He concluded, apparently dismissing my little rant entirely. What a guy, no wonder every evil dude wanted to set his beard on fire. This must be what every Spider-Man villain feels like.


    "That sounds faintly insulting," I muttered. Really, what kind off name was "muggleborn" anyway? It''s like the word was tailored to be belittling. Made you sound like you were mentally deficient ¨C highly ironic considering that the average wizard had the smarts of a rotten turnip.


    I head him sigh faintly before speaking. "I suppose there is some truth in what you say. However, to get back on topic, there is no record of someone being reduced in age, unless under the effects of Polyjuice Potion." He said, and I suddenly saw a faint flash of light through my eyelids followed by a strange sensation, like my insides being tickled. I didn''t like it. "Which as it would appear, you are not."


    He wasn''t buying it. I rolled my eyes behind my closed eyelids and gestured languidly in the general direction I thought my discarded pants were currently located. "I draw your attention to Exhibit A, a pair of pants, ten thousand sizes too big for me. Then there is Exhibit B, leather jacket, also much too big for me, under which is Exhibit C, a shirt, also of a size unfitting to my current form¡­ shoes, socks, and underwear, which fortunately for me is equipped with admirable elastic bands, which is why they haven''t fallen of me yet. Not that they are of much use since my tackle is the size of a mosquito bite at the moment." I told him dryly before pointing at my face. "There are also my glasses, which are now both too big and now the wrong prescription as well."


    "You don''t say." Oh hello, disbelieving condescension.


    I would have glared at him, but I was too tired and I didn''t want to give him a chance to peek into my noggin, instead I reached into my jacket and rummaged through one of my inner pockets, which happened to be filled with all sundry of things, papers, receipts, at least two pens and most importantly at the moment, a small metal case. I fished it out and opened my eyes long enough to flicked it over unto his desk.


    There were several long moments of silence, during which I was listening intently for him to pick off the case. He didn''t, or at least I didn''t hear anything. I opened one of my eyes a crack and saw him looking down at the case on his desk but making no move to interact with it. Really!? Did he have to make this more difficult than it had to be? If it wasn''t for the calming charm I''d probably have said something stupid¡­er, I settled for sarcasm in lieu of that. "It''s a case, you have to open it."


    "Ah," Dumbledore responded as if he''d just had a great revelation because of course he did. He carefully picked up the small case with his thin fingers and after a moment of examination, he popped the case open, spilling out its meager content of three plastic cards. One was my MasterCard, the second was my railcard, and finally and most importantly, my ID. Dumbledore spread the cards out and took a moment to give them a cursory examination before picking up my ID and giving it a more thorough look over.


    "It would seem you are yet to be born." He said at length.


    I was again thankful for the calming charm, or those words would likely have set me off again. As it was several scenarios flashed through my head before settling. I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose, sinking back further into my jacket. "So not only am I not in my own world, but I''m back in time as well? That''s just wonderful." I muttered, injecting as much venom into the last word as I possibly could at the moment. "What year is it?"


    "The date is February 26th, 1964. It''s a Wednesday."


    "1964?" I asked, feeling faint despite the charm on me. "I''m in the swinging sixties!? Oh, that''s just great!" I complained loudly. Welp, there went any use I''d have of my foreknowledge. Gone! I''m flying without a safety net. Wonderful!


    "Oh, it is not all that bad. The muggle world seems to be peaceful at the moment."Dumbledore commented lightly.


    "Oh please spare me. It''s the hippy decade, where the whole world smokes pot and competes to be even more moronic than usual." I muttered irritably. The only good thing that came out of this time was a more accepted view of p.o.r.n or something. Not that I had any use for it at the moment. Goddamnit!


    "If I might ask, exactly what time are you from. And why would you believe you are in another world?"


    Whoops! I suppressed a wince and turned it into another sigh. "It was 2019 last I checked, Monday, March 11. And we don''t have magic where I come from, and I sure as shit never did anything like what I just did a few moments ago."


    "Ah, I see where you might be confused. Truth be told, the Muggle World is largely unaware of the existence of magic and the Wizarding World, and we take great pains to keep it that way." He explained shortly.


    I snorted softly. "Unless you happen to exist in some sort of pocket dimension or something then I highly doubt you would be able to keep a lid on stuff. 2019 is a very different world that 1964." I said, and on a whim, I dipped my hand back into my inner pockets and fished out my mobile phone and flicked it on. I was a bit surprised when it worked. Hogwarts'' ability to cook electronics was infamous. Still, not one to look a gift horse in the mouth I turned the phone towards Dumbledore and snapped a picture and then I turned it over and showed it to him. "Where I come from cameras are everywhere, on buildings, in building, in cars and everyone has one of these little handy cellphones, that''s not just limited to still pictures but can even record¡­" I stopped a moment thinking about how to explain video recordings. Did they even have TV''s right now? "Do you know what a TV is?"


    There was a brief pause, where I assumed he was searching his memory before he spoke. "Ah yes, it is a muggle device that can show moving pictures and sounds, much like a wizard painting. Quite the ingenious thing if I do say so myself. I assume your¡­ cellphone, was it? Can it do something similar?"


    "It can do it better, faster and with a crystal clear quality," I told him before shutting down the phone again to save on battery life. I did have the charger with me, but I doubted I''d be able to find a socket anywhere in Hogwarts. Additionally, it might keep whatever was frying stuff around here from nuking my phone. It might come in handy later. I might also be able to figure out what was making it happen. "And it can store thousands of different clips for replay at any time the user so desire, and upload it to a sort of information network that quite literally spans the entire world. So basically, you need only f.u.c.k up once and everyone would know."


    The office fell into a few moments of heavy silence as the venerable headmaster digested this new tidbit of information. I risked another peek and was somewhat gratified by the troubled set of his brow. A bit petty of me I suppose. Still, I wonder how he''d react if I told him about satellites and moon landing and all the other crazy stuff that was coming down the pipe in the next few years. It would blow his mind for sure.


    "¡­I see." Dumbledore said at length.


    I could hear slight apprehension in his voice and did a little internal cheer. Yes! I was getting through that thick skull of his. He was starting to believe me. I decided to toss him an olive branch as a reward. "Hey, forewarned is forearmed, yeah? You have, like, forty years to get ahead of this. I think the first mobile with a camera showed up around the turn of the century, two thousand or something like that. I don''t know when the CCTV network got up and running around here but it''s not up yet. Plenty of time to upgrade your defenses."


    There was another poignant pause before Dumbledore decided to speak again. "An uplifting thought, Mr. Ahlgren."


    "Aint it just." I commiserated.


    I head him chuckle good-naturedly before speaking again. "To continue, there is still the question of how you managed to arrive here at Hogwarts, into my office no less."


    I sighed and thought about how to try to explain that before just giving a mental shrug and giving up. No good way to explain it. "Probably a ROB."


    "Rob?" The headmaster echoed, clearly asking for an explanation.


    "Random Omnipotent Being, sometimes called a BROB, Bastard Random Omnipotent Being," I explained languidly. "Its a god, but more of an asshole on a personal level."


    "I see¡­" He said in that manner that made it clear he thought I might have a screw loose. "And you have had much contact with this¡­ Rob?"


    I smiled a little. "Never met the dude. Didn''t think one could exist until just now."


    There was another pause from the headmaster before he continued. "Then if I might ask; why do you think this Rob is responsible?"


    I shrugged. "Because while I can accept that being struck by lightning might have the effect of transporting me elsewhere, and elsewhen, it''s an old gimmick in storytelling after all, but the reduction in age smells of someone f.u.c.k.i.n.g around with my life," I informed him matter-of-factly.


    "I¡­ suppose that is one way to look at it," Dumbledore said mildly. "Any particular idea why this divine being would take an interest in you?"


    "Nope." I responded, poping the P. "Just a regular guy far as I know."


    Dumbledore paused again for a few moments. "I see. And what were you doing before this occurred?"


    "Going to the store to pick up some milk and cream." I stopped for a moment as a thought occurred to me. "I wonder if I''m still lactose intolerant?"


    "Excuse me?"


    "Nothing, random thought," I said dismissively. "It happens sometimes."


    "Ah, yes, I too am afflicted by that particular malady." The old berdo said humorously.


    "No kidding¡­" I returned with a mock excited tone.


    "I assume you also have no idea as to why you would have been deposited here of all places?" Dumbledore continued, ignoring my mocking. Come on man, give me something!


    "Probably a real-life tutorial level," I answered grudgingly.


    "I''m not entirely sure of your meaning."


    "Easy mode. A place that shows you the ropes without any real risk of getting harmed or killed." I explained simply. "I figure a world full of magic would be dangerous for someone that doesn''t know the ins and outs of it.


    "Ah. I suppose there is something to that."


    I shrugged. "Best guess; don''t take my word for it."


    "I see little choice in the matter at the moment. I will, of course, investigate matters as I''m able, but for now, I will consider the matter settled. Now the issue turns to what to do with you. As it is obvious that you possess the gift for magic, you have a place here at Hogwarts, should you want it. If you are not amenable I''m prepared to help you in contacting another school, one closer to home perhaps, that you might prefer to go to."


    Hah, yeah, that was not happening. "Here is fine, not like I have anything to go home to." I laughed a bit weakly. "I suppose technically I don''t have a home, my dad would be, like, four right now, or something?" God, that thought made me feel f.u.c.k.i.n.g awful. There wasn''t even any assurance that any of my family even existed.


    I heard him get up and after a moment I felt his hand on my shoulder. "Come, it is late. I will show you to a room where you might rest. We will speak more tomorrow, is that alright with you?"


    It had been midday just a few minutes ago, my time. But I could do with a laydown since I felt like I''d gone through the wringer. "I could sleep."


    "Very well then, follow me."


    ---


    Chapter 0.3


    Morning found me lying in my new bed staring listlessly up at the stone ceiling above me. Not an inspiring view as it happens. The calming charm Dumbledore had cast on me the day before had faded by now I since I was feeling depressed as all heck. It was like my dad dying all over again. Had I been home I would have been able to deal with it in several ways. But here I was cut off, utterly alone, with only my thoughts for company. And seeing as they were the problem, what with them being a vortex of depression spiraling ever downwards, I''d have to do something else. I knew I''d have to break that self-destructive circle if I wanted to get on with my life, I knew how to do that too. I''d just¡­ been having some problems¡­ getting started¡­ for the last few hours¡­


    But my back was starting to arch, I needed to pee and I was starting to get really hungry. All valid reasons to get up! Yay! Progress! I suppose that will have to do for motivation. Now, as my normal distractions were unavailable to me; I suppose then, that I have to find new ones to replace them, wouldn''t I? And considering where I was, that would likely prove to be fairly easy. If anything could work as a distraction a magical castle should work adequately, or I''d be very disappointed.


    I sat up and swung my legs out of bed. The shock of the cold stone floor on my feet was a momentary distraction and I decided that I quite like it, so I sat there for a few moments and basked in the cold sensation against the soles of my feet before I turned my mind towards what to do now.


    So what did I want to do?


    No, what did I need to do?


    Long term? I needed access to the Room of Requirement. It was the single most potent piece of magic in this castle that I knew about. Its value as a place to train had no equal. And more importantly, the room also hid the Room of Hidden Things. I had no idea what it contained beyond a few items, but I did know that it housed a thousand years'' worth of things that people wanted hidden! And what did people hide? Valuable things of course! And embarrassing things) I doubted that all of it would actually be of use, but is the place was as big as was indicated, that the chances were favorable I thought.


    The second thing I needed was allies, of a sort. The number one, best-case scenario, was that I managed to bind a house-elf to myself. Their loyalty was without question once they dedicated themselves to someone. I wasn''t sure of the exact nature of their relationship with Hogwarts. But if I was lucky I would have a very loyal confidant on my side, one that might be potentially very powerful. Bonus if it was able to move me around the castle.


    Beyond that, the school would provide for the time being.


    Now, how to get at it? No that was not quite right... It should be; how do I get what I want without getting more attention drawn to myself than I already had? I might be in the past where my meta-knowledge was of limited use, but that didn''t mean I was safe. Voldemort was very much alive here even if he hadn''t gotten around to start his little rampage just yet he likely already had most of his bad-boy band together. A band that comprised some of the most influential and rich assholes around right now. I didn''t like those odds.


    I momentarily thought about trying to get involved but quickly, and brutally, shut that line of thought down. I was not insane enough to get into that right now. Selfish, I know. But while my life might be at an all-new low point I was not eager to end it just yet. And telling Dumbledore what was to come was like painting a bulls-eye on my back, I did not trust that man''s judgment! Anyone that thought it was cool to effectively serve up a kid to a monster to make said monster vulnerable was not one I would trust my safety to. And as Gibbs said; If you have a secret, the best thing is to keep it to yourself. The second-best is to tell one other person if you must.


    There is no third best. I might do something later, once I had some magic under my belt. But it was something to revisit on a later date. Like when I had an exit strategy in place. Besides, the only relevant information I had at this point was the location of the Resurrection Stone. And I wanted that damn thing.


    But that was the future, needed some plans for right now! FOCUS!


    Okay¡­ okay. KISS! Keep it simple stupid! Start small! My stomach complained loudly. Okay, food would be good. Food would also be a good excuse to go looking for the kitchen; the kitchen was where the house-elves were! Okay, but how do I get there without showing that I know how to get there? Ask someone would be easiest. Who should I ask? I didn''t want to talk to Dumbledore again right now; I''d have to see him later anyway. Not the other teacher''s ether. Not that I know which ones would be here at this point in time¡­ McGonagall certainly, possibly Flitwick. I didn''t want to talk to them either. Besides going for them might put me into contact with the students ¨C I wanted to put that up for as long as I possibly could. I did not need teenage drama with magic mixed in right now, or ever!


    At that point, I was forced to make a quick trip to the loo to relieve some pressure on my bladder before I got back to trying to plan out an acquisition of food and house-elf. It occurred to me that I had no business knowing that you could potentially bond house-elves to yourself. AGH! Why is this not easy!? I stomped over to the dresser and leaned on it, looking into the large round mirror that was positioned on top of it. I made quite the sight. My hair looked like I''d been struck by lightning and I had faint bruises all over my body from yesterday''s little adventure.


    I picked up my glasses, kindly resized by Dumbledore along with the rest of my clothes, and put them on, and had to suppress a wince as my field of view become even more distorted then it had been. Wrong f.u.c.k.i.n.g prescription. Of f.u.c.k.i.n.g course! I sighed and looked into the mirror again.


    "I look like an ass."


    "Oh, it''s hardly that bad, honey!" A kind feminine voice responded unexpectedly.


    I flinched back with a yelp. "AH! F.u.c.k me!"


    "Language young man!" The talking piece of furniture reprimanded snottily.


    I took a moment to collect myself. "Talking mirrors. Of course!"


    I chuckled to myself at the sheer insanity of the world I was currently in. I looked at my reflection again. I smiled, showing teeth. Then I frowned exaggeratedly. I made a few more faces before giving myself a flat look. Then something occurred to me. The paintings! I could talk to the paintings! I mean sure, they likely tattled on students to the faculty, but if I did it right then it would just look like some noob asking for directions. Perfectly innocent! I''d never seen moving talking paintings before. Of course I''d be interested!


    Invigorated by my new plan I quickly got dressed in my resized clothes and shoes and then gave a careful listen at the door to assure myself that there was no one moving about outside, I could do without meeting any of the students. Satisfied that I didn''t hear anything I carefully cracked the door open a bit and took a quick peek.


    Empty.


    Excellent!


    I crept out and took another look around. Both walls in the corridor I was in were crowded with portraits and paintings in all sizes and shapes with a stunning array of motifs displayed and hung on the walls in a seemingly haphazard way. Like someone had played a giant game of Tetris and failed spectacularly at it. It just looked like they''d just thrown them up there!


    "Note; Hogwarts'' is in serious need of an interior decorator. End note."


    I just stood there watching the paintings for a few minutes as they went about their business, sleeping, eating, chatting and visiting each other. I watched a character from one portrait move across several frames as he made his way to one that housed a beautiful woman reclining in what looked like some kind of boudoir was fascinating. I couldn''t help but giggle as the couple retired to a bed in the background before pulling the curtains. Damn paintings were getting more action then I''d be liable for any time soon. I think I just hit a new low.


    "Young man, shouldn''t you be in class?" A cultured feminine voice asked lightly, jogging me from my thoughts.


    I turned around and looked behind me. It didn''t take me more than a moment to find the one talking as she was in the biggest frame there. She was a severe-looking lady in an unflattering brown dress with her hair done up in a bun so tight it probably doubled as a medieval version of a facelift. I think she might have been petty at one point, but now frown lines marred her face, making her seem grimmer then I think she might have if she smiled once in a while.


    "Technically speaking I don''t start until next semester," I answered her as I walked up to her portrait. "And you are?"


    "Agnes Sampson." She introduced herself promptly. " If you are not a student, what is your purpose here, young man?"


    "Pleasure, Miss Sampson. I''m Andrew, and my purpose is food. You don''t happen to know the way to the kitchen?" I told her with a cheeky smile.


    The got me a raised eyebrow from the stern-looking woman. "What need would have of going to the kitchen?"


    "For the getting of the food?" I answered slowly in by best Buffy speak.


    That got me an eye-roll. "As you are a guest at this castle, if you wish for food, you merely need to call for a house-elf."


    Oh, opportunity. I had to suppress a smile and affect what I hoped was a confused look. "What''s a house-elf?"


    She gave me a searching look. "You are a muggleborn." She stated.


    "So I''ve been told."


    "Hm, unusual for one of your kind to be called her before you are supposed to." She commented leadingly.


    "My circ.u.mstances are unique," I answered vaguely before trying to steer the conversation back to what was important. "Now, food, house-elf, some exposition would be nice."


    She was quiet for a few moments, studying me, before speaking again. "You are a queer little child, young man."


    I gave her my best irreverent smirk. "You have no idea."


    That got me another eye-roll, I was on a roll today. Eh? Eh? "Another troublemaker, how disappointing."


    "Oh, I wouldn''t make any bets on that." I had no interest in rocking any boats until I felt safe. And I very much doubted that I''d achieve that any time soon. "Now, are you simply going to be overly disappointed in my general direction, or will you give me some answers. If not, then I''m sure someone else will."


    "You don''t lack for confidence, I will give you that. Perhaps Gryffindor is for you, young man." She commented ideally. "But to answer your questions. A house-elf is a type of magical being that has served the wizarding world since time immemorial. They do so by binding themselves to particular wizards and witches, or notable family lines. Their purpose is performing needed tasks that are beneath the dignity of their masters."


    I nodded. "I see. And that can be any witch or wizard?"


    "I suppose. It is generally only done by those that are rich and affluent."


    I made a show of thinking about it. "What about the elves here at Hogwarts, are they all bound to this place, even the young?"


    Agnes looked a bit startled at the question and had to stop and think for a moment. "Well, I''m not entirely sure, to be honest with you. The a.d.u.l.ts are tied to Hogwarts for sure. I''m not sure about the children."


    "Hm, interesting..." I murmured and rubbed at my chin but stopped when I felt the lack of my beard. Damn, I really missed my beard. You can''t rub at your chin properly without a beard, it''s just not right! No! Focus! "Would I find these elves in the kitchens?"


    Agnes gave me a sharp nod. "Of course."


    "Cool, one more reason to head there then," I said with a pleased smile.


    "You mean to bind one of the elves to yourself then?" Agnes questioned a bit snootily.


    I smiled at her brightly. "Oh, you betcha! It seems really advantageous."


    "The headmaster will not approve of this." She stated in return. I detected a note of disapproval in her demeanor. Not that I cared.


    "Is it against the rules?" I asked with a smug smile.


    Agnes''s face twisted into a more severe frown the usual before she sighed. "Not as such, no."


    "Then I don''t see how it''s any business of his."


    She glared at me for a few moments before she slumped and uttered a tired little sigh before looking at me again. "You are a cheeky irreverent little brat, aren''t you?"


    I shrugged my shoulders and flashed her a genuine little smile. "I''ve been known to indulge on occasion."


    Agnes sighed again. "You are incorrigible."


    "I''d argue that everyone is ¨C but I''m hungry, so if you could direct me to the kitchens I''d be grateful."


    "Very well, you will find the kitchens down the stairs that are located just by the main entrance to this school, near the great hall. You will need to find a painting of a bowl of fruit and then tickle the pear in it. It will reveal the doorknob which will allow you entry." Agnes explained shortly.


    I affected a shallow bow. "My thanks Madam Sampson."


    "Humph! I''d ask you to say out of trouble, but I dare say it would be a futile request."


    I chuckled. "I think I''ll be too busy to get into trouble before long. Thanks for the directions; I''ll be seeing you later." I said as I started off down the corridor.


    "No need to hurry on my account." The painting commented dryly.


    "Now who''s cheeky?!" I yelled back.


    ---


    Hey part three, bit light, bit rushed, but eh.


    Ridiculously Average Guy said:


    Don''t suppose he might spill the beans to Dumbledore and kill off Tom Riddle early?


    I''m honestly not sure it would matter. The SI have very little relevant infomation for the time, all of it is 20 to 30 years in the future. Considering the timeframe, telling anyone with enough influense to do anything would shift everything off kilter, making the information useless anyway. With the timeframes involved I think its inevatable.


    Chapter 0.4


    Finding the great hall took a while because the founders apparently liked mazes and had turned their school into one! Now I could have asked the paintings for directions, but I figured I''d have to learn the lay of the land sooner or later so I stuck with it. One would think finding the main entrance would be easy though, not so much!


    Still, once I got there it was fairly easy to locate the correct staircase and after going down it I found myself in a large well-lit hallway decorated on both sides with food-related art, bright orange banners, and some funny looking armors. I have to admit, I had expected badgers galore, but I suppose the famed humility of Hufflepuff house would prevent that even if it could be seen as their domain.


    It took me a few minutes to locate what I thought was the right painting; it had a bowl of fruit roughly at the right high for a doorknob. "Okay¡­ here goes nothing.


    I "tickled" the pear.


    It giggled.


    I feel strangely violated¡­


    The pear "wiggled" a bit and then shifts into the shape of a doorknob.


    "CGI eat your heart out." I murmured to myself before smiling ruefully to myself. Here I am, being impressed by a doorknob. I felt like it should be a euphemism for something.


    I chuckled helplessly at myself before shaking myself and focusing. I had stuff to do and food to eat. I opened the painting. I let out an involuntary gasp at the wave of hot fragrant air that hit me like a wall. It reminded me of some of the places I''d worked in my life.


    My first impression of the room beyond was big, huge even; cavernous would not have been out of place as a descriptor. It was a tall high-ceilinged room that dwarfed the Great Hall above, likely by necessity. The first and most obvious feature in the room was the five great wooden tables arranged much like those I''d seen when I''d taken a quick peek into the hall above. And then there were the walls, every inch of them covered with gleaming kitchenware in all sizes and shapes, there were pots in there that looked big enough for me to take a bath in. Most of the stuff seemed to be made out of copper or brass by the looks of it. I didn''t know enough to tell them apart. Spaced in between were countertops, giant brick ovens, and open fireplaces


    And throughout the room¡­ elves. A lot of elves.


    Who all seemed frozen in place.


    Staring right at little ''ol me.


    Helloooo stage-fright, my old friend.


    "Um¡­ hi¡­" I wave hesitantly. God that was lame! I''m being lame in front of the house-elves. So this is rock bottom. Forget alcoholism and drug use, this is where it''s at!


    The elves were a diverse bunch; to say that they were dimorphic would be an understatement. Some of them looked kind of like what you see depicted in the movies and artwork ¨C big floppy ears and large pointed nose, big eyes, etc. But that was not all, I saw some that looked like they had snouts, others had almost normal human-looking noses, others actually had hair! Never say that before. One elf had a beard so large it covered his entire body from view; he was bald as an egg otherwise. They were not quite as cartoony as the book made them out to be, or the movies for that matter. Though, their hands, feet, and heads did look a tad oversized on their stick figure bodies.


    Incidentally, it was The Beard that decided to speak up first. "Student should not be in kitchen."


    "Ah¡­ sure¡­ I''m not a student though. Not until fall, good elf." Oh god! That was super lame! Good Elf!? Who says shit like that!?


    The elves looked at one another and a soft murmur of conversation floated through the air as they absorbed that nugget of information. After a few moments of conferring with some of the elves near to him, The Beard stepped forward again. "Why are you in kitchen?"


    I shrugged. "I''m hungry."


    That got me an excited murmur. Nice.


    "I''m also looking to recruit," I added.


    That got me a bunch of confused looks.


    "Re-cruit?" Asked The Beard hesitantly.


    "Yeah, I heard you guys sometimes join up with people and help them out. I figured I''d ask if anyone of you would be interested in chipping in while I''m here at Hogwarts. I''ll need all the help." I said in a rush.


    There was a bit of uneasy muttering before the Beard answered me. "Um, Hoggy elves are bound to Hoggy."


    Goddamnit, not what I wanted to hear. "All of you, like from birth?"


    The Beard shook his head. "No is when elf come of age."


    I clamped down on a smile. Perfect! Thank you! "Do you happen to have any elves close to that age that might be willing to enter into my service, good elf?" I asked while beating my dork self over the head with a metal shovel. Why am I saying dorky stuff like that!?


    Nothing happened for a few moments, the elves kinda just shuffled around, looking at one another uneasily and I began to feel a lump forming in my stomach. Did I push the wrong button? Go too far? FUUUUU! I did not want the house-elves on my ass. They run this effing place! And as one that works in retail, and have worked in restaurants, I know you don''t f.u.c.k with the help. We will get revenge! Sweet delicious REVENGE! HAhah! Oh, what''s happening?


    There was an elf standing in front of me. Not The Beard. He wasn''t quite as wrinkly as the others so I guessed he was young. He had hair, white, that stood up like he had engaged in intimate s.e.x.u.a.l activities with a lightning bolt. His ears were not big and floppy, but instead somewhat triangular and stood straight up, and his nose was not long and pointy, but sort of flat-ish? In combination with his dinner-plate-sized eyes, it made him look like one of those furless cats. If they''d had a baby with a human. It was less horrifying then I''d imagined. Still¡­


    Freaky.


    "Paddy volunteers." The possible crime against nature said.


    "Paddy!" The Beard hissed causing the now named Paddy to flinch, but then he squared his shoulders and turned to The Beard and Glared.


    "Paddy volunteers!" Paddy growled determinately trough cleansed teeth. Woah, definitely some bad blood there. Didn''t even think house-elves could growl. Better defuse this before I can''t take advantage of it anymore. Time to make a good impression! Nice person mode is ON!


    I knelt and laid one hand on the little elf''s shoulder, feeling awkward as f.u.c.k, and gave him my best friendly smile. "I accept you into my service, Paddy. This will be great, you''ll see."


    Paddy smiled in return and stood a little straighter. "Paddy will be happy to serve!" He proclaimed proudly.


    I''d have to teach this one how to talk properly. And a few other things¡­ I had plans! But that was later. I had more important things to do now.


    "So. Food. You have any chicken?"


    Chapter 0.5


    After suffering the disapproving almost glare of The Beard, and more importantly, filling the bottomless pit with as much of bland tasteless cooking as I could manage. Seriously, what''s up with this place? The British never heard of spices? Anyway, after eating and sending Paddy to my temporary abode I set out for the Room of Requirements!


    Of course, I couldn''t just go straight there. That would be suspicious as hell. I had to be circ.u.mspect ¨C work my way there gradually. Thus began my slow meandering about the castle, pacing back and forward down one hall and into the next, poking into any unlocked room I came across, or just jumping in and hiding between classes so the magic brats wouldn''t run into me.


    I''d have to deal with them, wouldn''t I? If I went to school here. God, I''d be the weird kid, again! It sucked the first time around, I wasn''t eager to relive that part of my life. Then again, there was magic this time. Yeah, that would flip things around. I damn well should be able to out study some snot-nosed brats that were too busy either sticking their fingers into light sockets or just into any compatible orifice when they got a bit older.


    How hard could it be to fly under the radar long enough to get enough magic under my belt to deal with my classmates? The Room would undoubtedly help if it worked like I hope it did. Dealing with the upper years would be more difficult as they had several years on me. I just had to hope they left me alone long enough for me to catch up. Maybe I could find some way to intimidate them. The average wizard didn''t seem too bright in the books or the movies; maybe I could trick them somehow?


    I pondered that question as I slowly worked my way up, floor by floor, pacing back and forth along various corridors, looking at paintings and poking my head into all unlocked room and cupboard I happened came across. It would have been boring if I didn''t keep running into weird crap pretty much every time I opened a door. Apparently, in Hogwarts, empty rooms had a bit of a different meaning than anywhere else, rooms'' not currently in use and filled with strange crap would likely be a better descriptor.


    I have no idea why there was a room filled with floating left socks. I don''t know how I knew they were only the left ones!


    Of course, it wasn''t as weird as the room filled with oblong-shaped buzzing things. I did not want to think about it.


    I shuddered. "The buzzing. It will haunt my dreams, yes¡­"


    I wasn''t entirely sure exactly where the Room was. I only remember the seventh floor, left corridor (highly useless as there are lots of left corridors) opposite a painting of dancing ballet trolls. That last one was the relevant one, along with the first one of course. But that begged the question. But which seventh floor? Hogwarts was a damn big place, with lots of buildings that went beyond seven floors; the big honking tower in the middle of it had almost three times that!


    Consequently, I''d been at it for a while. I even had to return to the kitchen for another snack. I really wish I could just have asked the damn elves. But I think The Beard is angry with me. Better not antagonize the guy. I don''t need house-elf pee in my drink, or worse!


    I came to another door and pulled it open.


    "¨|¨|¨y¨y¨z¨z¨{¨{¨|¨|!"


    I closed the door.


    "Moving on!"


    Man this place is weird, dangerous weird, strange weird and just weird! Couldn''t stop though. Nope. Stopping meant thinking, and thinking was bad right now. Thank f.u.c.k.i.n.g god I was almost there. Seventh floor. Now I just needed to find a painting of some dancing trolls and I''d be done with another step in my grand plan.


    After another couple of minutes of wandering around, I finally located the painting. The painting that so happened to be a tapestry as it turns out. It was mesmerizing! It was like watching one of those Russian Dashcam videos on youtube. The guy, the wizard, would attempt to get the six trolls he was with to dance in a line, the trolls would try, fail, get frustrated and then beat the wizard with their clubs. It was morbidly fascinating and questionably hilarious to watch.


    No! Must resist! Don''t get sucked in!


    Okay, turn away, turn away. I have a mission! Got to finish the mission!


    I gathered myself and then started to pace back and forth in front of the tapestry, focusing on the shape I wanted the room to take. And after the third pass, I saw a large door melt out of the stone wall in the corner of my eye. I stopped and made a show of slowly turning towards it. I then stood there for a few moments just staring at it.


    "Sure, magically appearing doors. This place has hit every other branch on the clich¨¦ tree, why not this." I made a point of muttering out loud for the paintings to hear. I looked up at one of the nearby paintings, who was of an aristocratic-looking Victorian dude, who was, of course, watching me in return. "So, what''s the chance there is a treasure inside? And is there a grotesque monster guarding it?" That got me an amused smile, but he refrained from commenting. I took that as a good sign and proceeded to open the door. "Here goes nothing."


    The room beyond wasn''t much of a room, it was, in fact, an intersection between two corridors. I smiled, the feeling of triumph welling up in me. I closed the door behind me. "I f.u.c.k.i.n.g knew it!"


    I''d had a theory going back pretty much to the point where I first found out about the room. I had the thought that a room that could, by all evidence, bend space-time might have more than one entrance. And I''d been right! Hah! Okay, so it might not be such a big deal unless one of these doors happened to lead to something really interesting. Writers liked to use the Hogwart''s library for the path to ultimate power, stupid as that was. I mean, it was the one place in the castle that was guaranteed to have seen EVERY student that had passed through her for the last thousand years, which was pretty much every magical in Britain. Any unique magical do-dad that might have been hidden there would have been found a long time ago.


    In my mind, the Room was a far more logical place to find something like that. I highly doubted that it was the case, but it was far more plausible than the damn library!


    I decided to check the left door first. Opening it I was hit with a chilly dank puff of air that smelled faintly of wet stone and stale air and a quick look around confirmed that I was somewhere in the dungeons. Considering the grime everywhere, an unused part of the dungeons. The door was located at the very end of a long unadorned corridor. I couldn''t see the end of it due to it being unlit. I did see two doors on either side. I briefly considered exploring them but decided that I was more curious about the other doors. I could get back to this place later. Besides, it gave me the heebie-jeebies.


    The center door, directly opposite the one I''d come in from led into a small unadorned room with a high ceiling. A large class window provided ample light. The door to the room was directly opposite the exit of the Room of Requirement. There was another smaller door right to the left as well. This place seemed a lot friendlier than the dungeon so I took off my jacket and used it to prop the door to the Room open before I went to see where that other doors went.


    The smaller door led to an equally small bathroom, with a toilet, sink and a lion-footed bathtub right out from an old period drama. No shower.


    The second door led to a small railed of landing overlooking a large well lit room, likely a classroom. A small staircase wound around the landing, leading down to the classroom floor. I was immediately reminded of the classroom that Gilderoy Lockheart had used in the second movie, only the landing was much higher up and the windows were located above the landing facing the entrance to the classroom.


    I recognized it too. I''d run across it during my little tour of the castle. It was on the fourth floor of the big tower, fairly close to the place with the moving staircases. Very convenient. I had a thought but shelved it in favor of finding out where the last door went.


    As it turned out it led outside. The doorway was located not far from a set of greenhouses that I was sure I was going to become intimately acquainted within the coming years. Not immediately useful, but might be a good way to get outside in a pinch.


    Well, this had been productive. Now I just had my afternoon meeting with the mindreading headmaster to get through and I was done for the day.


    I can''t wait!


    Chapter 0.6


    "Are you insane?! No! Hell no! I''m not sleeping with the kids! I''m a thirty-year-old man for f.u.c.k''s sake!" I protested loudly while pointedly not looking in his direction from where I was standing, which was in front of a shelf full of stuff I couldn''t even begin to identify. I''d been offered a seat but had decided that it would be better if I was constantly moving about, making a show of examining my surroundings as it gave me an excuse of not paying direct attention to the man.


    Dumbledore sighed. "Mr. Ahlgren¡­"


    "No. I will have a private room. I will damn well need it if I''m to cope with this shit AND make up a plan for when I''ve graduated. Not to mention I will need the space for any extracurricular activities I will need to do." I growled as I moved from the weird thingamajigs and onto the more recognizable bookcases. The ones I could read the spine of that is. Some of them had old futhark runes on the spine. I wasn''t sure the old Norse even had books.


    "Extracurricular activities¡­?" Dumbledore asked faintly.


    I risked a mind read and turned to him and gave him my best glare. "Yes, did you really think I''d approach this like an eleven-year-old kid and only do the stuff I''m told? No. I have X number of years of free food and lodging, I''m damn well gonna use them to their fullest!"


    The only reaction I got was a raised eyebrow and the patented beard-stroke of thoughtfulness. "I see. And exactly what would that entail?"


    "I don''t know yet. Probably something that would allow me to generate an income of some sort." I said vaguely, I wasn''t willing to give him anything detailed, mostly because I didn''t have much detail to give yet. I''d work it out.


    "While it might be something to keep in mind for your later years here I don''t believe it is such a pressing need at present." He noted kindly.


    "Oh? Will you provide me with spending money for things outside of school supplies?" I asked pointedly. A slim book caught my eye and I took a closer look. It was titled "The Way before Wands: A Guide." Not very inspiring as titles go, so it fit with what I knew of wizard naming practices. I plucked it off the shelf and opened it up to the first page.


    "Ah¡­"


    "I thought as much." I continued absently, absorbed with reading the intro in the book. "I will need my own room, or preferably rooms," I stated as I turned the page. It was as I''d assumed; an instruction book for practicing wandless magic. This was a very useful book. I did not like the thought of having to rely on a fragile piece of wood to do magic if I didn''t have to.


    Dumbledore sighed. "That would bring up questions that would be hard to answer, from both the board of directors as well as the children."


    "How so? You just need to tell the faculty and directors the truth. As for the kids, f.u.c.k ''em." I told him dismissively.


    "I''m not sure that is a good idea, Mr. Ahlgren. The Board would find this to be passing strange."


    "I can''t be the strangest thing that''s come through this place. And if not, they are grown-ass men and women, they''ll deal ether way." I countered bluntly.


    I heard him huff in what I believed to be amus.e.m.e.nt and mutter under his breath. "I would not be so sure if that, young man."


    "I''m sure¡­" I muttered snidely. "Look, just treat me like a visiting student from another school, you don''t just put them up with the other kids, am I right?


    I heard him sigh again. It actually made me feel a bit guilty. "I assume your current quarters are unsatisfactory then?"


    "Bit small yeah. I''ve found some rooms that''ll work on the fourth floor in the big tower. An old unused classroom with an attached office, it would work as a bedroom, even has a bathroom which is a bonus."


    "I see you are not on to sit on your laurels, Mr. Ahlgren."


    I snorted, feeling a bit amused. "I''m a champion procrastinator," I said brightly before my mood dropped again when the thought of my present situation intruded again. "But right now¡­ I needed something to keep my mind off my¡­ situation; putting stuff in some sort of order was the best I could come up with."


    "I see¡­" He said, and I could hear the sympathy in his voice.


    I grunted. "Was there anything more?"


    "I dare say not, Mr. Alhgren. I must say however, I do look forward to your sorting."


    Nice, I''d been hoping for some sort of opening into that subject. "Sorting?"


    "Ah yes, the sorting is a time-honored tradition here at Hogwarts. It is the means of which you are sorted into one of the four houses." He explained shortly.


    "Houses?"


    "Indeed so. Here at Hogwarts, all students are sorted into one of four houses that were created by the founders of this school, each espouses traits that the founder of that house found laudable. Gryffindor, the house of the brave and chivalrous, always the first ones to dare. Ravenclaw, the house knowledge, who value intelligence and wit above all else. Hufflepuff, the house whose patience is legendary and who value loyalty more than gold. And lastly, there is Slytherin who use their cunning and resourcefulness to further their grand ambitions." Dumbledore said with not a little pride in his voice.


    I whistled. "That''s got to create some tension."


    "I''m sorry?"


    "Oh, its basic human nature. If you divide people up in groups but then don''t give them space they will inevitably come to blows. There are numerous studies on the subject." I told him.


    "I assure you, there have been no altercations between the houses, outside of Quidditch matches that is." The venerable headmaster told me reassuringly.


    I rolled my eyes. A school without bullying? Hehe. "Mhm, that you have heard off," I said doubtfully. "How do you sort them anyway? Not like you can just see a person''s qualities just like that."


    "Ah, but magic overcomes many such things. Here at Hogwarts, we make use of the Sorting Hat." He said and gestured to a shelf that contained a ratty-looking wizards hat.


    "Sorting hat¡­" I drawled. "How that does that work exactly?"


    "You merely need to put it up on your head and it can look into your mind and divine the best house for you."


    I gave him an incredulous look. "Woah! Full stop! Look into my what now!? You have a mind-reading hat!?" I exclaimed hotly. And the Oscar goes to¡­!


    "Indeed so."


    "Indeed so." I mimicked snidely. "Well, that hat ain''t getting anywhere near my head!"


    "Its tradition¡­" Dumbledore began, but I cut him off.


    "Tradition my ass! No one goes walking through my damn head! That''s private property and the hat isn''t invited!"


    "I assure you, the hat keeps what it sees entirely confidential," Dumbledore assured gently.


    "Oh, so you say. No! Nu-uh! Nien! Not happening! You hear me?!"


    Dumbledore sighed and pulled his glasses off his nose and used his free hand to rub at the bridge of his nose. "You seem intent on being difficult at every turn Mr. Ahlgren. I have afforded you great patience in this matter¡­" He started but I interrupted him yet again.


    "This is a deal-breaker," I stated firmly and honestly because it was true. I would not let anyone stick their fingers into my mind, for any reason. "I''ll take my chances with the crap orphanages of this time if it keeps stuff from crawling around in my head." I continued fiercely before sighing. "Look, I won''t be living in the dorms anyway, right? So there is no need to have me go through a sorting, right?"


    Dumbledore sighed again and started to polish his glasses with the hem of his robe. "Very well, if you feel so strongly about it I will give you another exemption in this. It will make your schedule somewhat of a challenge, however."


    I shrugged. "Why? Just put me in with the Ravenclaws, I plan on studying me cute little ass off so I''ll fit right in with the house that values knowledge, right?"


    "I suppose that would be adequate." He muttered as he slid his glasses back onto his nose.


    I sighed in relief. Safe! Thank god Dumbledore is a bleeding heart or I''d probably been out on my ass this time tomorrow. "Thank you¡­ sir." He''ll probably have to jump through some hoops for me, giving him some measure of respect for it is only right. Even if it feels a bit weird.


    He gave me an arched look. "I do hope this is the last of your unorthodox requests, Mr. Ahlgren."


    I held up the book I''d been flipping through and flashed him an irreverent grin. "Does asking to borrow this count."


    Dumbledore took a moment to squint at the book, likely trying to place it in his mind before he gave me a considering look. "To learn what is in that book would require great patience and dedication. Do you feel you believe you have those qualities."


    "How about stubbornness and single-mindedness''?" I retorted.


    Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "I suppose we will find out. You are free to take the book, Mr. Ahlgren."


    "Cheers," I responded, waving the book in the air. "Was that all?"


    "Of course. I will see to it that some furniture is moved to your new room."


    I gave him a mock salute before turning towards the door. "Thank ye kindly."


    "My door is always open should you need me, Mr. Ahlgren," Dumbledore said after me as I exited.


    "I''ll keep that in mind!" I called back before I started to make my way down the spiral staircase, two steps at the time. Man, that had been terrifying! But I did it! I was home free


    "Alright!" I said and tried to get into a positive frame of mind. "Let''s see how badly I can gamebreak the setting."


    ---


    And end~~ Continue to Chapter 1.1 on Spacebattles!

 Chapter 91 - My SI Stash #91 - Fate - Stay - Write - Go! by shadenight123 (Fate/stay night)

    -SI Fate/stay night fic for AbsoluteFrostZero~~ Another shadenight123 fic, prepare for an adventure!


    *SI as the second survivor of the Great Fire and Shiro Emiya''s brother (Shiro Genderbent)


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 340K


    Posted on: forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/fate-stay-write-go-fate-stay-night-au-si.19663/page-2#post-3823729 (shadenight123)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0-2 (exceptional)


    The fire was hot. I admit, considering that single thought the apex of all thoughts on obviousness, Captain Obvious would probably name me his trustworthy sidekick ''S arcastic Statement''. I didn''t really think about that though, because all things said, fire was hot, and I was in that devastating heat trudging along on tiny, child-like limbs. One moment I was crossing the road, and the next second I avoided a falling building''s debris that came crashing down a few steps away from me, lifting me off the ground and sending me to crash against a molten slab of iron that was scorching hot to the touch.


    My fingers clutched the dirt, and my clothes were smoking. Dirty looking crimson blood slowly slithered across, pulsing with the energy of a thousand and more curses, lingering on the earth with the desire to consume.


    I had to get away.


    Charred husks with burning appendages screamed their last across shattered streets and melted stone, and my eyes averted their gaze from the grisly spectacle immediately, switching to the most amazing vision of my feet taking step after step away from the carnage.


    The screams were ignored. Everything that was not my feet was ignored. It was erased from existence. It was denied by my mind.


    I just wanted to survive. I would have been fine with surviving, not even living. I would have happily agreed to a life of pain, just as long as it meant I''d still live at the end of the day. The screams finally died out, or maybe my ears grew so accustomed to them that I could no longer hear the sound of the dying -the dead do not scream after all, they are always silent.


    Deep down, I knew that not feeling fatigue meant I was a step away from falling down, never to stand back up. However, I had to move. If I remained there, the smoke, the blood, the fire or something else would kill me.


    In the end, it was only selfishness. I desired to live, I wanted to live, I demanded to live and, in the end, I lived.


    Even if just for one more step, even if just for one more quick breath, one more heartbeat, one more blinking of tired eyes with a blurred vision -my glasses had broken, and I couldn''t see much on my left- I still hung on to that tiny filament of life that refused to whimper out in the night.


    "Y-You''re alive," my ears picked up a voice, a throaty, clearly male voice. I would have liked it if such a voice had been directed at me. It would have meant that I could finally fall down on the ground and let the owner of the voice pick me up and carry me away. Unfortunately, it wasn''t directed at me. I had to walk a few more steps, grit my teeth through the haze, and finally turn a corner where I saw a dark-haired man clutch a kid to his chest, crying tears of relief.


    "S..." I hissed out, my throat half-cracked. I took a step, and the man heard -even among the crackling flames- and he looked up and actually gasped once more in relief. "Sh..." I could only hiss.


    Then, I fell down face first.


    I could finally rest.


    AN: We''re going to have so much fun.


    Chapter 1


    "Wake up."


    The commanding voice begets obeisance from above my bed sheets. I understand that the command is absolute, forged in the steel of a thousand battles for supremacy, of a thousand orders that must be obeyed, of a thunderous and unquestionable purpose and principle that has me caught red-handed each single time I try to avoid it. My answer is, of course, absolutely non-committal.


    I groan.


    "Wake. Up."


    The voice insists, and in its insistence, I can feel the tone start to move and shift. I turn around, and keep my eyes closed. There is a loud sigh, a calm walking out with the sliding of the door, and an even calmer return.


    "You will be late if you don''t wake up now."


    I yawn and blink away the tiredness, a half-amused smile on my face. The figure in front of me is shaking from ill-contained nervousness at the sheer thought of being late, which is a nice positive plus in my head.


    Emiya Shiro was already wearing the school''s uniform, the skirt covering her legs all the way to the knees. She was on the verge of tears -tears of frustration, of course, but tears all the same.


    "Go on ahead," I mumbled, "I''ll swing by in the second period."


    "You''re never going to graduate if you keep this up," Shiro said. "I left you breakfast on the table -remember to put the dishes in the sink!" and then she hurried off.


    When I was just a little boy, I thought that arriving punctual was the key to success, to making a good impression, and was also quite the polite thing to do. This all changed the day the Fire Nation attacked. More like, it all changed the day the Fire attacked and burned everything in the city, killing off everyone but Shiro and I.


    One might suspect it already, but let me clear up the misunderstanding immediately. I am not called ''Kuro'', nor ''Hikage''. I actually have a very normal name. Even though my ''sister'' is called Shiro -and not Shirou- which means ''White'', but also ''Castle'' -and she makes it a point of clearing up the misunderstanding herself- I have the name Kagayaku.


    It is a terrible name when you consider that my ''sister'' had the meaning of ''White'' if you squint your eyes well enough. My name can mean a lot of things -as if common for Japanese people and their silly tongue. ''Shine'', ''Twinkle'', ''Burn'', are the meanings I remember. I have had my fair share of trouble at school being called the ''Brilliance'' of the ''White Brilliant Duo''.


    Shiro is a good girl, honest, hardworking, the apple in the eye of her club.


    I am the brains. Well, I do have the unfair advantage of having had an a.d.u.l.t life before, which means that no matter how serious the curriculum is, it''s only about stuff I''ve already done, and can easily recall or study with relative ease.


    Not so for Japanese literature, but again, it''s Japanese literature. I like literature. The moment I learned how to read and write in the tongue, it was done. I could no longer be held back. I emerged like a brilliant butterfly out of the cocoon and shone- yes, yes, that''s the problem with my name. I''ve heard all of these and worst.


    You just don''t know how many puns there are on the meaning of your name until, well, you end up with a name that bears itself to the very nature of puns.


    I sat down groggily at the kitchen table. I would never understand, nor wish to, the nature of Japanese breakfasts. Why do you need to wake up at six to start cooking food, to have a breakfast ready at seven and a home-made boxed lunch for midday?


    "Where have all the good coffee cups gone, and where are all the gods of breakfast known as ''croissants''? Where''s the sweet, sweet coffee, to face the rising odds? Isn''t there a god-blessed drink, within a fiery pot?" I hummed as I used my fingers to grip a piece of sticky rice, dip it in the sauce, and eat it while I secretly looked around to ensure Shiro was out and about.


    Apparently, a young, growing man should not drink coffee.


    I knelt and opened the sink, pushing aside the cardboard boxes to reveal my glorious coffee pot, and my shining, brilliant stash of coffee. With the expertise of decades, I prepared myself a pot and finished eating the breakfast, before grabbing the cup filled to the brim with the holy substance, and hiding back everything else, so as to preserve it for the next morning.


    I exhaled in relief as I drank, watching the peaceful morning go by, the clouds lazily drifting in the sky, and the sun rising up. I had no desire to waste time in school. Kiritsugu had left some money before his death, and both Shiro and I worked part-time -and Fujimura Taiga was our ''guardian'', and somehow that meant cheap prices in the market due to the Taiga group controlling the area.


    Although, as the proverb goes ''He who has the job he loves, works not a single day of his life''.


    The phone rang, and I allowed it to ring. I knew this was Taiga, phoning to warn me -and threaten me, and scream at me in her usual, worried tone about my future, and head-lock me, and beat my ass in kendo, and so on and so on- that I was going to be late for the second period too if I didn''t move.


    I had no intention of going to school, but I couldn''t ditch it either.


    Seriously, get a teenager out in the streets of Italy during school, and not a policeman will say a word to him. Get a single Japanese student out during school hours, and you''ll have to run away from a pursuing patrol. I understand that education is a serious thing, but playing hooky shouldn''t be treated as if you''re an escapee from Alcatraz.


    So I had to stay indoors, which suited me just fine.


    I had shouldered the wish of a dying man in the place of Shiro. I had taken care of the pain, and the despair, and I had consoled the inconsolable, swearing salvation where I had no right to. I did not promise it lightly, nor did I lie lightly. It was my way.


    It was similar to Shirou''s way of being a Hero of Justice, no matter the cost to himself. A lie said for a good cause was worth more than a hundred evil truths. And while lies could turn into reality with enough hard work, the opposite was not true.


    I did not allow him to lie to me, nor did I allow him to sabotage my knowledge in magecraft. It was obvious he wondered why I knew. Obvious again was the lie that I would do the same in his place, but that would be folly. He accepted it, because he knew the truth would be hard to pry from me, and he had no intention of wasting time.


    And if it gave him misery to teach another his skills, then it fulfilled the curse cast on him. He did die, because that was impossible to deny, but he died later, he died better off, he died despairing, but his despair tied to having given his knowledge to someone that should have had to bear it. He died thinking he had given his knowledge to an innocent child, too young to know everything there was of evil about the world.


    I did not correct him, for if I did, then it would have all been for naught.


    I taught Shiro the skills she was supposed to have -because she asked, because I would not deny her the role she had, because I knew that in the end, I could control little of a battlefield that was ever-changing.


    I prepared, and waited. Shiro was a good girl, a good student, and had a bright future ahead of her.


    I had no such compulsions, and no such desires. I was selfish, and uncaring of most. I cared little, and what little I had could be snuffed out with ease. I had shouldered the sins, and harbored the pain. It was now the time to return it a hundredfold.


    The Holy Grail War was about to start again. Soon, the servants would be summoned. I had to wait -to ensure Saber, to ensure the right servant, the right situation, the right character and the right decisions. I could not risk it. My nature was not Shirou''s, nor was it Shiro. With my luck, it could be a Caster, or a Berserker, or worst of all, Avenger.


    I could not risk it. I would not risk it.


    Thus, I waited.


    I waited for the sun to glow orange, and the packages to arrive, and I hoped that Taiga would not ask her grandfather why his men had new weapons in place of old, or where the old ones had gone.


    I had not trained a lifetime, and I was no Spellcaster worthy of notice. I needed glasses to see, and my shots were average at best.


    I had knowledge though, and if one knew himself, and his enemy, then he could win all battles.


    I sighed as I heard the tell-tale sound of a bike''s brakes, a very familiar sound. "I know you''re in here!" Taiga exclaimed, as she barged right into my workshop, sliding the door open. She looked at me, her expression hard and stricken with worry, and then she looked at what I held in my hands.


    It was a Walther WA Two-Thousand, Kiritsugu''s weapon. It was a ''fake'' weapon -that was what Taiga thought, and I did not correct her when she said that it looked so real it clearly had to be false.


    "I told you a hundred times! School''s important!" Taiga huffed, both hands to her sides. "You''ll make Shiro worry, you stupid brother!"


    I raised an eyebrow. "I can always be your househusband when I grow up," I replied.


    Taiga bristled. "Are you saying I can''t get married and will have to marry you out of pity when you''re legal, you pipsqueak?"


    It was the usual. I placed the weapon down after disassembling it -assemble, disassemble, assemble, disassemble. Do it in less than five minutes. Do it with your eyes closed. Do it. There is no try.


    "Why not? You are probably looking at cats and giving them the names of your future children already."


    "I am most definitely not," Taiga said, eyes narrow. "You''ve been cooped here all day?" she asked, entering the workshop and looking around. I kept the place ordered and pristine, if beneath a fake facade of chaos. Well, not really ''fake'' per se, but ''fake'' enough to make it look -at a first look- disorganized.


    There was order within the chaos. It was, admittedly, my brand of order.


    "Well?" Taiga asked, as I finished cleaning up. "All day in here?"


    "I made a break for lunch," I replied. "Shiro will be home late today. She has club activities."


    "You resemble Kiritsugu so much," Taiga murmured, "and that is why I''m here. We need to have a bit of life counseling."


    "I''m not very good as a marriage adviser, Taiga," I replied, earning myself a glare from her. I should have said ''Big Sister Taiga'', but even now, it was hard to use the proper attachments. They were a key to prove one''s respect for another, and belonged to a hierarchy and a social stratification of a society that should have by now long modernized into one of hidden truths and bold lies.


    You don''t need to add the ''-san'' to be polite to an older person. That is because even if you add the ''-san'' and think ill of the person, you are scorning her even though you are grammatically polite to her. Better to be blunt, and let the tone decide whether you are polite or not, rather than a constructed word to outright state a bold lie.


    Shamelessly using words like that, thinking they have any value when in fact they have none, it''s something despicable, and hypocrite.


    "This concerns you, and your future," Taiga said. "You have to think about it now, or it will be too late."


    I already had. I had but one future ahead of me, one that could belong only to someone like me. A false human born of lies.


    So I gave my answer, as kindly as I could. "I want to make Shiro happy."


    So I gave my answer, as politely as I could. "I want to become an English teacher, just like you."


    So I gave my answer, with a bit of pride in it. "I want to make Kiritsugu proud."


    It was just another lie. One that could become truth, or could remain a lie.


    It was my life after all. I had lied on my age, my name, my nationality, my existence and everything else. I had lied because I was not of this world, so anything I was, anything I appeared as, that was my lie. It was a lie built for the purpose of becoming a truth, but at the moment, it was still a lie.


    The best stories were nothing short than lies that could turn things impossible to believe in real, and was that not the definition of a lie? To make others believe in things that were not real?


    Chapter 2


    I was not a bad cook, but Shiro was better. Shiro was better at a lot of things, and really, should have received all the praise in the world. Whereas I had natural talent and a lie to bolster my strengths, she had nothing but hard work, and a desire to improve and thrive even in the ugliest of situations.


    I might have learned how to work at a counter in less time than Shiro, but Shiro had kept practicing until her work had become perfect and flawless, while mine had always been ''good'', but never ''excellent''. I saw no reason to strive for it. It was a job, and it was a job done well enough to be considered good.


    Was there any purpose in doing it even better? Anything beyond a gratification that would soon pass and disappear, becoming ''obvious'' and ''the average'' with enough time?


    Excellency is a one-time thing, in my opinion. You can keep striving to be excellent, but failures will bring forth scorn and despising remarks. Being average with ease, without having to work hard for it, will give you a buffer zone to show off your excellency in case of praises, and as one-time things, they will allow you to always be considered the best, even when by all circ.u.mstances, you should not be.


    My line of thought was not apparently the one Taiga liked. "Just because it''s easy for you, doesn''t mean you shouldn''t improve it. Right now, I am sure I have more knowledge of the English language than you. The grammar, the structure, you need to be able to know that to teach it to kids."


    "Just because it was hard for you," I replied. "Doesn''t mean it has to be the same for me."


    "That is not what I meant," Taiga said. "Man, when Shiro''s home she worries about you, and when she isn''t, I can''t even get a word in."


    "My sister worries too much," I admitted with a nod. "How is she doing?"


    "As her guardian, I couldn''t be prouder," Taiga said. She took a sip of hot tea, and then waited, her eyes settled on me. "But she is not the only one Kiritsugu entrusted to me."


    I grimaced as I took a sip of my tea. Taiga had green tea, and I had Earl Grey. I could not stand the bitterness of Japanese tea, and the moment I found a store that sold it, I hid a stash of it in the house. ''Tea'' was acceptable, while ''Coffee'' was not. Another prejudice I had no power to destroy.


    "I don''t need help," I said, and immediately regretted saying that sentence. ''I don''t need help'' does not work on people who sincerely wish to help. It works on those who say the sentence out of obligation, or fake kindness, but not with people who really want to help. Those who want to help, they will help you even if you''re against it, even if you refuse, or fight them.


    "I know Shiro took the loss of your father hard," Taiga began, "But he was your father too. I feel you are hiding your pain because it would make Shiro worry, but you don''t have to. You don''t have to shoulder the responsibilities of a guardian for Shiro, or you''ll start making me feel bad for coming over."


    "You have to justify eating here, don''t you?" I remarked dryly.


    Taiga smiled brightly, and nodded as she spoke, "Exactly! Wait. No, not like that!" She glared at me for a bit, but without any heat. Finally, she sighed. "You have to let us in. If not me, at least Shiro deserves it. She puts up with you enough."


    "You are already inside the house," I said. "Is that not enough?"


    "You know what I''m referring to," Taiga said.


    I knew, of course. It was because I knew that I did my best to ignore it. It was because I knew that they knew I was hiding something that I acted dense enough to force her to pry the words out of her, and then mine, mouth. Unfortunately, Taiga cared about Shiro and me enough that she would. If to find out the truth she had to walk on raking coals, she would with us on the line. She was a good woman.


    "You''ve never been the most talkative of the two. You''ve never been the most friendly. You''ve always pushed and pulled against all restraints and did everything you wanted. Kiritsugu didn''t stop you, because he told me you knew your limits better than any of us would. I don''t know if I can stop you either, because if he couldn''t, then what are my chances? Shiro though, she has a bright future ahead of hers, but she''s too busy worrying after her brother to care about it."


    "Using such a cheap trick will get you nowhere," I replied bluntly, "My sister''s not so weak-willed she''d let something as trifle as this get in the way of her studies."


    "You think the bond you share with her is trifle?" Taiga asked with a small smile. "You are already rattling your hackles at her mention."


    I took another sip of the tea to calm down. I did not speak, and a heavy silence hung in the room. Taiga smiled, as if sure of her victory in a battle that I couldn''t understand, or that maybe I did, and that my sanity hid from me in an effort to keep me sane.


    It could probably be a mixture of both. "You have said your piece," I said in the end. "And I remain unconvinced."


    Taiga pouted, and then smiled. "You know what this calls for?"


    "Not what you think," I replied. I had no intention of starting a ''Dojo Beat Down'' hidden behind a facade of a ''Training session''. "I don''t want to sweat before dinner."


    Taiga Fujimura did not insist. In a straight fight, I would lose even against the weakest of her pupils. Shiro was good with Kendo, and swords in general. I wasn''t. I didn''t have to be.


    I used the might of technology, the enduring sweat and blood of thousands of years to create the weaponry to kill better, to kill with more ease, to destroy lives and reap rewards.


    And it suited me just fine. For all of my ''brilliance'', I was clad in a shroud of darkness that snuffed out all light. I was sure I''d summon Assassin naturally, if he weren''t already booked by Caster.


    "Could you take Shiro in?" I asked as I looked down at the top of my cup, trembling lightly from the tremor in my hands.


    Taiga blinked. "Whaaaaaaa-?" she exclaimed, shocked and with her eyes wide. "What are you-Why?" she managed to say, her eyes fixed on me with shock, and no uncertain amount of disbelief. I stared right back at her.


    "It''s not safe," I said. "A young boy and a young girl under the same roof, not tied by blood, it''s really not safe. You''re a woman, she''s a girl. She''d be better off with you, and I wouldn''t have to suffer her incessant nagging about waking up for school."


    "That''s a lie," Taiga said. Her lips had moved to say ''Bullshit'', but she didn''t. "That''s a lie, and yet I feel inclined to agree with you." She closed her eyes, "You Emiya men are so unfair," Taiga said.


    "It''s for the best," I said as calmly as I could, "I''ll break the news to her."


    Taiga stood up, and stepped away from the table. "One day, you''ll have to stop lying and face the truth."


    "Maybe," I acquiesced. "But it is not this day."


    The night went on peacefully after Taiga''s departure. Well, for a definition of peaceful that had nothing to do with the concept of peace, and everything to do with the concept of ''prowling night tiger''.


    Shiro had come back home late, in a slightly hurry and wet with sweat from the exertion of running. Her face promised threats of body violence, but my eyes saw something that made her quickly scamper away in a hurry.


    "And what is that?" I asked, blocking her by grabbing her arm as she tried to move past me.


    "Nothing," Shiro said. "I-I must have dripped the sauce on the cloth."


    "You dip your boxed lunch in blood now? Since when did you grow fangs?" I queried, making her turn and looking at the wound. Well, no, it wasn''t a wound. There wasn''t even a scar to see on the unblemished skin. There was blood around the hole in the cloth, of course. It was the blood that meant that the games had started.


    It meant peace was shattered.


    And I had been a day too late in getting Shiro to safety, but maybe not in safeguarding her for the aftermath of the battle. I knew, deep down, that it wasn''t as if I needed to stick my neck out for long -I had lied to Kiritsugu, I had no intention of being a Hero of Justice, but with my lie, he had found peace. I just wanted to keep Shiro safe. If this hadn''t happened, she''d be fine. If it did, I''d have to intervene, but not to win the Grail -I didn''t care one ounce about the trinket, not a single bit.


    I cared only about saving the city of Fuyuki and its inhabitants, those I cared for at least.


    "Go take a bath," I said as I pulled away from the no longer existing wound, "You stink."


    "Hey!" Shiro exclaimed, "That''s not something you tell a girl, you jerk."


    She punched me on the arm lightly, and hurried off. "Dinner might be late!" she yelled, "Don''t steal the snacks while I''m bathing!"


    I flipped open the phone and bit down on my lower lip as I hastily pushed the numbers, two times I heard the ''beep'' of the ringing, and at the third one, the old man on the other side picked up. "It''s begun," I said, and nothing more had to be said. I closed the phone, and waited. I waited until the water began to fall in the shower, and then I walked quietly into the bathroom.


    Shiro was inside the bath room, showering. I had no intention of peeking, and my hands didn''t even bother for a single second on her underwear. I grabbed the blood-soaked clothes and stepped outside, closing the door as quietly as I could. For the summoning ritual, I needed a catalyst. Shiro''s blood, belonging to a body that held Avalon, should have sufficed. And if not, then I would work with what the Holy Grail would see fit to grant me.


    I stepped outside with the blood-soaked clothes hidden beneath my jacket, turning just to give off a false impression to those who might be watching. "I''ll be off then! See you later!" I said, knowing fully well she wouldn''t hear me under the shower head -and on the other side of the house to boot.


    My heart drummed in my chest, and nervousness would have paralyzed, had I not acknowledged my weak self prior to this, and acted in such a way as to at least suppress it. Self-Hypnosis wasn''t something grand, or even something that worked most of the time, but it did calm my heart. It seems such a stupid thing to learn ''how to calm yourself'', but think about how many times you would have benefited from it. During tests, when making difficult decisions, in matters of life and death, a cool head usually can come up with a solution the instinctive reaction programmed in our minds -self-survival- would have never found.


    The Emiya magic crest held knowledge. It held knowledge, and research. Under Kiritsugu, the research had stagnated. Under me, it would have probably gone in the wrong direction all together. I had no Avalon in my body -Shiro needed it to survive the fire, I, on the other hand, did not. I knew conceptually of Time Alter - Accel and Time Alter - Stagnate and against human opponents, they''d be wonderful. Against Servants, they were meaningless.


    Against Lancer, who prided himself in his skill with the lance, it would at most be a single dodge, executed if the opponent had pride blinding him -and no more.


    I was headed into the workshop, and from the workshop, the plan was simple. I was going to summon my servant. The only one remaining was Saber now, and there was thus no other way to go but hope that a fitting Saber would be summoned. Shiro''s name could mean ''Castle'', and while it was a stretch, I would have been fine even with a variant of Saber. Of course, the blood was no Catalyst in the proper sense of the term. It wasn''t a holy relic, and it hadn''t belonged to her.


    But the blood was powerful in its own right, and maybe it would work just fine. Or maybe it wouldn''t, but I hardly had another chance. This was the last possibility before having to directly involve Shiro. If this worked, I''d shoulder it all. If it didn''t, she had to shoulder a part of it, and I already knew it would end up badly if she did.


    I closed the doors of the workshop, and calmly placed my hands down on a nearby sphere. The Bounded Field around the premises had been a painstaking product to realize, and while meaningless to the many magi far more skilled than I, it was not designed with the intent to halt, or block, or slow down or anything that could aid me in a battle.


    It simply kept things as they were on the visible spectrum with a short two minute time-frame.


    Like watching a recording with a camera lens, the next two minutes would be recorded, and then shown to the observer. I had two minutes to summon Saber, and vacate the premises.


    Lancer -if he remained true to his purpose- had to kill the eyewitnesses and report back to Kirei, but if faced with Saber, he''d retreat.


    There was just one last thing to do.


    I moved the crates away and dropped the piece of white cloth on the ground. I took a small breath, and extended my right hand. This was the moment where everything had to work.


    Summoning a servant was not difficult. Give mana into the circle of summoning, and the Grail does the rest if you have a proper catalyst. If you don''t, start chanting. If you start a chant, be sure it''s something easy to follow through.


    I admit, I had expected this to not work as well as intended.


    When the bright, dazzling light show came to an end, I wasn''t dead. The world was pretty much still spinning, and a lithe woman remarkably similar to Saber stood in front of me. The catalyst had worked in the sense that in front of me was a version of Saber, unfortunately, it hadn''t been strong enough, and so in the end the personal preference had won out.


    Why did it have to be a blonde was beyond my ability to understand, but if such was the rule of the Grail -to make the Saber class a lithe woman- then I accepted it wholeheartedly.


    The girl looked around for a bit, her expression one of open disdain for the chaos, or maybe the dust, until her eyes finally met mine.


    "I ask of you, are you my master?" she asks, and all I do is nod at the blue and white clad woman.


    "Answer me...Are you my praetor?" she asks, and all I do is nod at the red and white clad woman.


    "We will talk later. We have people to kill." She says, and I nod firmly, showing the black and red woman the way out.


    "I suppose it could have been worse," she said with a crisp voice. "Beautiful young boys are good. Beautiful young girls are better. My singular preference is beauty...you are neither, but I will make do. I give you the honor of being my Praetor, which you will, of course, accept."


    "I''ve already got a headache," I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose as I watched Nero, the Red Saber, walk out of the summoning circle as the back of my hand glowed with the symbols of the three command seals.


    "Oh?" Nero said, "It is beyond me to concerns myself with your health, but as a merciful emperor, I can bestow my sympathy upon you, praetor."


    Yes, you do that Nero. I...I just have to convince you to walk out the backdoor now.


    "I appreciate the thought," I said, "But actions speak louder than words. Let us go somewhere less dusty to discuss the tactics to win this war, oh great and merciful emperor," I had to hold on to my self-hypnosis to prevent the drawling from showing.


    "You are not asking my name," Nero remarked as I stepped right next to her, headed for the backdoor. "You are not as much as befuddled by my beauty?"


    "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," I replied. "But these are words of flattery, meaningless without the truth behind them. If you seek to prove to me that you are, indeed, breath-taking as I claim...please do follow me."


    I opened the backdoor. "You have a way with words the likes of Seneca," Nero said, a lingering memory behind her eyes casting a shadow over her gaze. "I feel you are making fun of me. In which case, be prepared. I so enjoy a comedy...when I am not the joke of it."


    We stepped outside just in time for Lancer to step right inside the workshop.


    Now, here is a funny tidbit. Servants are immune to modern weaponry. This means, and you''d be right in your understanding, that no amount of nuclear explosions would be capable of killing one. It''s sad, but it''s the truth. Even humans who managed to kill servants did so with more than enough circ.u.mstances behind it to justify such a thing. To strike one is like hitting a steel beam, even the weakest child-like version of one could rip a human being in half with a very basic application of strength.


    However, for all of their strengths, they have a weakness. That weakness is magic. Of course, since magic cancelling effects exist, as well as magic resistance, it would be sometime hard to get a servant to enter a specifically set up area. Even the blindest would see that there is a trap in an area with magic.


    But a Magus'' workshop is naturally a place where such things happen, and not a single Magus would be so foolish as to sacrifice his entire life in research by allowing his workshop to be breached or, even worse, to be used as bait.


    I was the exception to the rule.


    Kiritsugu had claymore mines stashed away which a strong enough blast to mow down teams of units. While admittedly ineffective against servants, and while definitely requiring a tripwire of sort to activate -or in my case, a button- there was one thing that could be done to a claymore.


    One didn''t have to shoot out iron pellets after all.


    Kiritsugu had expended most of his Origin Bullets, but he was dying, and he had more ribs to give. Prosthetic advances had made him a fake third, and in exchange the Servant known as Lancer knew pain.


    I wouldn''t have been able to prepare such a thing alone, but again, I had knowledge.


    I had baited Lancer inside the workshop with the knowledge that he could not leave Shiro alone, and with the fact that he could not allow an incognita to interfere. He had come for me first, judging me the threat to subdue. He hadn''t expected to find a Master of course, just a random Magus. He regretted his mistake immediately.


    The explosion tore asunder my workshop, driving bullets made of concepts harboring Severing and Binding into his frame with enough strength to shatter his armor, exposing his bleeding midriff which immediately sealed. The servant jumped back, the explosion enough to wound, but not kill, the mythical hero of Ireland.


    And that when he fell for another trap.


    You see, this is the true genius of my knowledge.


    Lancer''s Hero is yes, renowned and famous, but in his demise...traps played an important part, thus making him naturally weak to such an element, for it was part of his defeat.


    "You rotten-" his voice came out as a strangled snarl, but already I had calculated it. I had calculated him jumping back, aiming to leave the bounded field. So I pushed another button and electricity soared to life. It was a very simple trick. An extremely limited usage of Transfer of Power, nothing more than simply having the electric wires within the walls transmit electricity outside of them.


    It was magic. It was powered by extra generators to give enough power in a single burst to power-up the city of Fuyuki. It was a trap.


    It was enough.


    Lancer fell down, a twitching form that barely seemed to hold on.


    "Could you do me the favor of killing the first servant?" I asked Nero.


    Nero looked at me. I gestured at Lancer.


    "I am sorry we could not properly greet each others," Nero said, plunging her sword straight through Lancer''s spine. "Praetor! You demonstrated a cunning not unlike that of the Coliseum''s trap masters! I approve of the fire, but not of the way it was done. Where was the sweat and the blood of two contestants fighting each other? Where was the roar of the crowd, clamoring for more? Alas, I can hardly expect any better."


    "Kaga! What''s going on!?" I groaned at the nickname Shiro used to call me. You see, the word ''Kaga'' is terribly similar in the Italian pronounciation to a verb, a verb that means ''to shit''.


    "Oh! Oh~ Oh-oh-oh!" Nero moved nimbly across the courtyard to the entrance of the house, where a wide-eyed Shiro clad in her bath towel and holding on to a reinforced shinai was. "I think I''ll like this Domus! It''s not as big as I wish, but with a cute girl like-"


    I pinched the bridge of my nose again.


    I had dealt with Lancer by using his weakness, thankfully with Saber in the background.


    ''Twack'' was the sound the shinai made when Shiro hit Nero on the face. ''Twack'' ''Twack'' ''Twack'' came again, at least until the shinai broke, and Nero appeared undaunted and unperturbed. I simply turned away from the pitiful groans of Shiro and stepped back in the house.


    It was too late to keep Shiro ignorant of it all, so I just took out the coffee from the hidden compartment and prepared a mug of it. Explanations were due.


    And with explanations, Shiro would probably hit me a few times just because she could, and would.


    So I drank my coffee, and allowed the soothing sensation of the beverage to placate my nerves.


    "Praetor! Her skin''s so soft -it rivals Octavia''s!"


    I did not need that information. I really did not need it.

 Chapter 92 - My SI Stash #92 - Game of Shadows by Adrian King1 (Naruto)

    -A SI Gamer Naruto fic recommended by Kuraha~~


    *The Gamer system has been extremely nerfed, I mean after all The Dark Wolf Shiro fics taking advantage of the System I would''ve done the same!


    *MC without Gamer''s Body/Mind, and also no bloodlines shopping! Difficulty? Hard.


    Sypnosis: ''So, summary. I am in the Naruto world. I have a name that isn''t mine and I have a really nerfed version of the Gamer. Is that all? Am I forgetting something?... Right, Inventory.'' At that I received yet another disappointment.


    Rated: M


    Words: 45K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13429109/1/Game-of-Shadows (Adrian King1)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I died.


    As simple as that. It wasn''t an accident. Nor was I murdered. I was just unlucky. I had cancer. Lung cancer to be exact. The funny thing was, if you have that type of humor at least, that I had never smoked, ever. I had never tried and never intended to. But fate''s a bitch, it seems.


    So, I lived for three years on a constant pity party. My family suffered, my friends suffered, everyone that was relatively close to me entered a depressive mood with just seeing me. It was maddening, seriously. I was going to die anyway, wasn''t that enough? Apparently not, I had to see the sadness and hurt in their expressions every single time. Don''t get me wrong, at the start it was somewhat comforting that they cared so much. But as time passed it just made me sick. No pun intended.


    So, I distracted myself. I dove face first into books after an aunt of mine bought one for me. And so, it started, my addiction to any type of entertainment. Months passed with my head buried in books, mostly fantasy but sometimes I chose something else just for a change.


    After that came tv programs, from cartoons to normal series, films (or movies, whatever floats your boat) and even doc.u.mentaries. After that I delved into anime after seeing Naruto. Naturally the next step was manga and their Korean and Chinese counterparts. As I kept going deeper and deeper, I ended up reading Light Novels. And I stayed between all those options until what was my last year of life started. That''s when I took my last step into the abyss.


    Fan Fiction.


    Even I don''t know how I ended up in that God forsaken place. But I did and I loved every second of that hell hole. Well¡­ not every second. Some people have a couple of problems in the head. I mean, I get it, some people are into Harry x Draco. It''s ok. I don''t like it at all, but it''s ok. However, when you realize that there''re people that write Harry x Snape you understand that there''s not something like too much for people. There''s no limit for humanity''s imagination, for good or bad. Bad in this case, if you asked me.


    And like that in a couple of paragraphs I described what were my escape mechanisms. My only breath of air on the sea of pity that surrounded me. But I had a time limit and I reached it eventually. I was kind of sad that I wouldn''t get to know how a lot of stories ended. As for everything else, well. Three years had made it so that I had tied all the knots. I had had long chats with every family member and friend that I could, more than once with most of them. Everything that had to be said was told.


    People must have thought I was crazy with how calmly I took to my death. But really, what was I supposed to do? Cry to sleep every day and make things worse for everyone? Nu huh. There were better things to do with my time. Like watch videos of rats fighting for food with Linkin Park music. That was worth every second. I did cry myself to sleep the first month or so, I''ll admit.


    They could also have thought that because sometimes I chuckled to myself thinking that some ROB would take me to another world, preferably one from an anime or something. But alas, truck-kun didn''t think I was worthy of being a chosen one apparently.


    So, I died. There was nothing spectacular about it. There was no me seeing the light or feeling my soul leave my body. There was no doors of heaven or stairs to hell. Nothing. Everything just was and then everything just wasn''t. Like when you fall asleep. You don''t even notice that you do but you obviously do.


    Except¡­ I noticed. Because I was very much aware of the nothingness that surrounded me. It wasn''t quite the darkness that was described sometimes. Or maybe it was. It was a bit confusing. It was dark, yes, but I saw¡­ can you see without eyes? I didn''t even know if I had eyes or not. I couldn''t tell, really. Back to the point. It was like there were different colored lights everywhere, but when I tried to focus on one it was only darkness. All lights where dark in color, barely noticeable from the pitch-black background.


    And like that time passed. Nothing happened. I could only do what I had done every time I was bored to death (pun intended). I started imagining what this or that story would continue as, or maybe thinking of an ''original'' story of sorts. Obviously, none of them were truly original. It just ended up being a mish mash of ideas stolen from others and put together in something that felt awesome. And obviously, I was the main character. Because, I had to feel awesome somehow.


    Eventually, I run out of ideas and stories. So, I just stared at the blackness and tried to see the lights. At some point I started to think those were other souls, but I could never confirm it. It was an interesting, if not disturbing, observation to do. Didn''t really change anything for me anyway, so I pushed that out of my head, even though I didn''t have one. And before you say it, yes, I felt pretty stupid making Brook jokes now and then. I did kind of understand why he did them though. It was a way to deal with it. You could either cry or laugh about it. I decided to laugh. Not sure I could cry anyway, as I didn''t have eyes.


    All this continued until a thought crossed my mind.


    ''Will I be here until my mind breaks and disappears?''


    Even I couldn''t take that in stride.


    Time passed as that thought came back more and more.


    [}-o-{]


    [You have been chosen]


    I would have jumped in surprise as that message appeared in front of me, but¡­ well, you know the drill. I stared at the square that contained the words for a minute or two, although, for all I know it could have been hours or days. It looked just like an open scroll would and had the words written in black.


    After that analysis was done the darkness that had surrounded me for who knows how long started to change. Little by little it changed to a blinding white that ate everything else. Soon, there was only white.


    And when the white disappeared, I woke up.


    [Welcome]


    "Wake up, Eiji!" I felt something hit my head and I instantly sat straight on reflex. What greeted me was the sight of a classroom with the teacher looking thoroughly pissed at me and the rest of the class snickering and giggling.


    "Eh? Huh?" I said intelligently and everyone started laughing as the teacher''s eye twitched. What on earth? I blinked.


    "I''ll let it slide because it''s your first time. Just don''t turn into a Naruto." I heard a shout of protest at that but the teacher turned around to continue the class. I didn''t hear a word of what he said. I was still sitting there, stunned.


    What the hell was happening? My hands balled into fists. I felt my fingers, all of them. My palms. I felt myself resting against the wood of the chair. My arms on the desk. I was seeing things. All this was a bit too much for my stimuli deprived person. How long had it been since I had merely breathed? My eyes widened.


    I was breathing. And it wasn''t any type of breathing. I was breathing well. It had been so, so long since I had been able to breath without difficulties. It was like the cancer¡­ was gone. My thoughts seemed to freeze at that thought and it held the full focus of my mind for what seemed like hours, though, it couldn''t be.


    Still relishing in the fact that I could feel, see, smell, I thought about the situation. I was in a class. A class that I had never attended. I had never been to a classroom like this. And I was pretty sure I had never had a classmate named¡­ Naruto¡­


    ''Oh, no. Oh, HELL NO!'' And surely enough, as I turned to the side, I saw a short scrawny boy with tanned skin and spiky yellow-blond hair. I gulped. ''Oh¡­ come the f.u.c.k on, couldn''t it be something fun like Pokemon instead of freaking Naruto where everybody and their mother can kill people with three hand signs at the very least?'' That''s what a part of my mind complained about.


    The rest of it was just trying to wrap itself around the situation. Of course, I had read reincarnation stories and the like. A quarter of the fanfictions were like that for crying out loud. It didn''t make it any easier to process though. I mean, who in their right mind truly believed they would get reincarnated and in a¡­ ''fictional''¡­ story at that. What the actual f.u.c.k?


    As my mind felt like shutting down it drifted off back to the class. It was being given by none other than Iruka, I realized. He seemed to be introducing subjects that would be seeing at a later date. It seemed like the kind of thing to do in the first day. At that my eyes darted around the class searching for the ''main cast''. Everyone was there. From I-totally-don''t-brood-to-look-cool Sasuke to I''m-not-creepy-at-all Shino. They all seemed a bit different than canon. Was I in an earlier year than canon? Or was it just the start of canon''s last year of the Academy? I distractedly wondered.


    "Now class," Iruka started after finishing what felt like a first class of introductions. "We''ll go outside for the physical training."


    "Hell yeah!" Shouted the excited pair of Naruto and Kiba. I numbly walked with everyone else. Fortunately for me, nobody seemed to take notice that I didn''t seem to know how to walk for a couple of seconds. It felt really strange to do so after so long. It was like that moment in which you take a pen after not writing all summer and suddenly you feel like you don''t even know how to use it. I was disturbing to realize that I had forgotten how to walk. How long had it truly been¡­?


    Soon enough we were standing in a large open area. It seemed to have a path that we would probably use to run, an open space that probably was used for spars or normal physical conditioning, a little further away, outside the running course, was what seemed like a place for target practice and then there was the monstrosity that was the obstacle course in the middle. It looked like something that would get people killed. Knowing the shinobi world. It was a possibility.


    "We''ll start with some laps around the training area." Iruka said and I took solace in the fact that I wasn''t the only one to sigh in relief. Most of the civilian (or at least not main cast people) had done so. "Don''t worry, you won''t be doing the obstacle course until next year." There were more sighs at that and even some complains from Kiba. Meanwhile, I was just frowning in thought. So, it seemed that I was at least a year early, maybe more. I had never been good at reading people''s ages. "What are you waiting for? Start running!"


    And start we did. After a few awkward seconds, I had to do conscious effort to not laugh like a madman. It was exhilarating, the feeling of rush that came from running. After so long barely able to move and then the void¡­ it felt so freeing. So, I ran. And then I continued running. Even when my legs felt like they were going to die I continued running. My lungs weren''t stopping me. They were working to their full capacity, but they weren''t stopping me, and that was even more sweet.


    The moment I came back to my senses I noticed that the only ones that were running close to me were Naruto, Kiba and Sasuke, all of them ahead of me. I didn''t have any delusions about being at their level though. The only way I could keep up with them was because I had been ignoring my body. Soon enough I fell behind and all the clan heirs and Sakura passed me by. I didn''t mind. I was still better than the rest.


    "Good job everyone. Especially you, Eiji." Iruka said looking at me. I looked at him strangely, that wasn''t my name. Then I remembered that he had called me that before too. "I know you fell behind in the later part but you did pretty well at the start." He commented, probably misunderstanding my expression. I didn''t reply.


    "Maybe we can still make a shinobi out of you, loser." Kiba said mockingly. I continued my silence as Iruka chided Kiba. There was a simple reason for my silence.


    A scroll just like the ones I had seen in the void appeared in front of me. There, floating steadily in the air in front of my face. Just like the others it had a message in black. The message though, left me speechless.


    [New Skill Acquired: Running Lvl 1]


    ''Holy sh-''


    "Now, let''s move on to physical conditioning." Iruka said cheerfully while the civilian students whined and groaned. I followed him to the clear area with my legs screaming at me for more rest. I didn''t pay them any mind though. My focus was fully on the apparently invisible (as nobody commented on it) scroll that continued to float in front of my face.


    ''Could you disappear? It would get awkward rea-'' As soon as I had thought the word disappear, it did. That was a relief. I didn''t trust my chances of doing so verbally or tapping the scroll without being noticed when I was surrounded by ninjas and ninjas in training. After that is when my mind started freaking out. And that just made me freak out even more.


    ''Skills.'' I thought and what greeted me was a scroll with the title Skills and the only thing beneath it was Running. My heart started hammering against my chest and my ears seemed to close themselves as everything went silent and I was drowned by my thoughts. ''Nononono, Perks.'' Same thing, just that this one was empty besides the title.


    Now, you may want to know the reason for my freak out. It was simple. There was no sign of me having Gamer''s Mind, or Body for that matter.


    ''Status.''


    [Eiji Satou


    Title: Academy Student


    Energy Points: 100/100


    Chakra Points: 50/50


    Strength: 5


    Dexterity: 5


    Constitution: 5


    Chakra: 5


    Chakra control: E]


    ''No HP¡­ No intelligence or wisdom for that matter.'' I thought numbly to myself.


    "Let''s start with some push-ups, shall we?" Iruka said, blissfully unaware of my internal struggle. I did so together with everyone else. My mind wasn''t on the training though. I was looking straight at my status screen. It told me so much and so little at the same time.


    There were no Health Points and I didn''t seem to have Gamer''s Body. That meant that I wouldn''t be able to pull a bullshit move like getting pierced right through the heart and live because the attack hadn''t taken all my HP.


    I also didn''t have the Intelligence and Wisdom stats. That meant that I couldn''t force myself to be smarter or have better memory through stat points.


    Which brings us to the third thing, I didn''t have Stat Points nor a Level. So, I wouldn''t be able to become stronger by farming Quests (if they existed at all) and killing things. Although that last one didn''t sound so good knowing that I didn''t have Gamer''s Mind to keep me sane.


    With a sigh I closed the screen and followed Iruka''s instructions through the physical conditioning. As we finished it, I received another notification.


    [New Skill Acquired: Physical Conditioning Lvl 1]


    I resisted the urge to sigh.


    "Now, it''s lunch break." There were cheers and sighs in relief at that. "I''ll see you all in an hour at the classroom."


    At that moment I went and sat in a shadow. I needed to think.


    ''So, summary. I am in the Naruto world. I have a name that isn''t mine and I have a really nerfed version of the Gamer. Is that all? Am I forgetting something?... Right, Inventory.'' At that I received yet another disappointment.


    The screen showed me at the top and what I was wearing. I had a pair of dark brown shorts, a white t-shirt with the Konoha symbol in black in the middle and a pair of ''shinobi'' sandals in black. The shocking thing was my face. I looked like f.u.c.k.i.n.g Shisui! Or maybe a son of Kurenai would be more precise. I wasn''t sure. I had short and messy pitch-black hair and red eyes so it could go either way with one having the Sharingan and the other natural red eyes. I doubted I was related to either though, the surname didn''t match and there was no mention of Eiji in canon¡­ although this could be an AU¡­


    The disappointing part though, was that I only had five spaces in the inventory. I spent all of a second lamenting that fact before I desperately tried to expand the screen to see if there was more. There wasn''t. ''I wonder if it works with one of my stats?'' I thought dejectedly. In my mind, it was too much coincidence that I had five inventory spaces and all my stats were five.


    Still with my mood down I summoned my Status screen once more. It was so plain and empty that it hurt to look at. I tried to see if I could get more information on everything. Nothing worked. It was a good thing that everything seemed to be pretty self-explanatory.


    Wondering if the title did anything, I had an idea. ''Titles''.


    [Academy Student: Improves the rate at which your stats and skills increase by 5%]


    ''Underwhelming, but useful all the same.'' I decided to see my Skills next.


    [Running (Active) ¨C Lvl 1


    When used increases the speed of the user while running by 10%.


    Consumption 10 Energy Points per second.]


    [Physical Conditioning (Passive) ¨C Lvl 1


    Improves the rate at which your Strength and Constitution increase during training by 5%.]


    I did a doubletake at the cost of Running. What the hell was up with that overly high cost? I would get tired of running after 10 seconds. What the f.u.c.k? Re-reading the skill several times I came to a conclusion. The skill wouldn''t apply every time I ran. It was actually a boost to be applied on top of my normal running as it said that it increased my speed when I activated it and while running. I hoped I was right.


    As I felt myself get hungry, I sighed. No cheat of not needing to eat for me. I probably needed to sleep too.


    Standing up, I checked my inventory again. This time I ignored the disappointment of the five spaces and checked its actual content. One of the spaces was occupied by what seemed to be some kind of notebook. Taking it out was dangerous. You couldn''t know when you were being spied on while inside a NinjaVillage. The mere thought was surreal though.


    I made my way back to the classroom and to what seemed to be my seat, at least for the day. I had¡­ my? Backpack there, it was a simple beige color, and I decided to use it. Taking a moment to check it, I only had a notebook and pencil case. The notebook was blank. Probably for the Academy. With that out of the way, I decided to take out the other notebook from the inventory while my hands where inside the backpack.


    Taking a look at it, I didn''t have much problem guessing what it was. It was the diary of the real Eiji Satou. I felt my blood run cold.


    It seemed to have started last year. First year of actual Ninja Academy, he said. He explained that before that they had pretty much the same education as the other kids. Last year they had started being taught the shinobi rules, the ranks, missions, etc. It was a How to be a Ninja for Dummies without being taught any actual Jutsu be it nin, gen, tai, or any other.


    I also learned that he was an orphan, his parents died during the Kyuubi Attack. When he was around a month old or so. From there we lived in the same orphanage as Naruto until we both started the Academy. How did I know that? It was mentioned how the matron told the other kids to stay away from the blonde because he was dangerous. I didn''t take kindly to that. The original Eiji though, seemed to take her word for it.


    Anyway, as we entered the Academy, we were given a place to stay at and a stipend to live with. It was a program available for all orphans apparently. It was a bit shitty, I thought, that the best option for orphans was to be a shinobi. It was practically forcing us to be ninjas. But considering a lot of the things that happened in this world, it wasn''t too bad. At least it wasn''t the only option we had.


    When I had a pretty good idea of what my situation was, I decided to think. The first thought was: Did I actually want to be a ninja? Sure, everyone wanted to be one while watching Naruto. But once you seriously thought about it. This world was plagued with death and worse. They were ''ninja'' not ''superheroes'' as they made you believe. They were assassins, thieves and spies. If there was a shitty job to be done, it would probably end up in the mission hub of a Ninja village.


    It wasn''t the type of life I wanted to live. Not at all.


    Despite that though, I had to be a ninja. Why? Simple. As someone that had watched the show and read the manga, even if I wasn''t as big a fan as others and had forgotten lots of things, I knew things. Things like the Sound/Sand invasion, like Pain''s Assault, like the Fourth Shinobi War.


    No, I refused to die as a mere civilian would in any of those scenarios. I would have the power to defend myself. Even if I didn''t reach Madara and Hashirama''s absurd power levels, anything would be better than nothing. I would stay as far away from the void that was death for as long as possible.


    So, I would be a ninja.


    With that decided, I took the diary and started reading again. During the whole thing, I couldn''t help but wonder, had I taken over the body of Eiji? But I didn''t dwell on that for long. I hadn''t chosen this. I hadn''t done anything. I was just dead and then I wasn''t. If someone was responsible for this. It wasn''t me.


    But I felt guilty. So, I made a bow. I would follow Eiji''s goal. It seemed pretty reasonable too, so that helped.


    He had been told of his parents. His mother had been a Chunin while his father had been a Tokubetsu Jonin specialized in Taijutsu. Eiji''s goal had been to reach further than both of them had. His thought process was that had they not been killed they would have both reached Jonin level. As such, he would make it for both of them as well as himself. He also thought that they would be proud of him if he followed their steps.


    It was a goal I could get behind anyway, as it aligned with my own of getting enough power to survive this crazy world. So, I was on the path to Jonin level from now on.


    There wasn''t much more in the diary, sadly. Even though it was a diary, Eiji seemed to write only when something out of the ordinary happened or when he thought about something he thought diary worthy. As such, it gave me a good idea of the important stuff but it still felt a bit dull written like that. I couldn''t help but wonder, was all this made up by whoever had put me in here in the first place?


    I shook my head. There was no way for me to know. Sighing once more, I made a summary of the important stuff in the blank pages of the diary, leaving it separated from Eiji''s original stuff. I was glad I could kind of guess where he lived by bits of information spread over several entries. He seemed to live in the same building as Naruto. And despite what a lot of fanfics said, it didn''t sound so bad a building. Several others that were part of the orphan shinobi program lived there too.


    With everything noted down, I put the diary back into the inventory, making sure to do so from inside the backpack for good measure. Then I sighed and checked my pockets. I had money, thank God¡­ er, Kami? Those things would be confusing for a while. Anyway, with the reassurance that I had money I stood up and made my way outside to buy food. It was lunch break after a-


    "Where are you going, Eiji?" I heard Iruka''s voice from behind me. I turned around with a confused expression. "We are about to start classes again." My despair must have showed because he started chuckling as he made his way back inside the classroom.


    Fuming, I went after him. As I sat down and the rest of the class made their way inside, I sighed. ''Maybe Naruto can show me where Ichiraku is, after classes.'' I thought idly. Then my thoughts froze.


    What was I going to do in the friendsh.i.p.s department? Befriending Naruto out of the blue would be suspicious at best. The Hokage would surely keep an eye on me if I got close to him without reason. And he would be the least of my worries. What would Danzo do if I got close to the Jinchuriki? There were a ton of people that could cause trouble for me if I befriended Naruto, I thought as I looked at the blonde.


    He seemed to be fine anyway, this didn''t seem to be one of those worlds where he was constantly attacked and shunned. Look at that goofy grin as he blatantly ignores Iruka''s lecture. He was fine¡­


    That''s what I wanted to think. But he wasn''t, I knew. I had Eiji''s note on how kids were told to stay away from Naruto. That was all the proof I needed. Maybe he wasn''t physically attacked, but there was some resentment directed at him, at the very least. The problem was, was I brave enough to do something about it?... I was disgusted at the fact that I didn''t know.


    Trying to keep my thoughts away I turned them to the others. Sasuke would be difficult. The only thing he respected and wanted was power. And I wasn''t sure of the first part. It was pretty obvious that we were post massacre just by looking at him. Befriending him while I was a weakling was out of the question. And I kind of disliked him, so there''s that.


    Ino and Sakura were out too. From what I knew, they wouldn''t take kindly to some random guy approaching them. Ino seemed to tolerate Chouji and Shikamaru because she probably knew they would end up as a next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho or because their parents were the previous one. I didn''t have that benefit. And I refused to be treated like another Naruto by Sakura. Nope.


    I wouldn''t go anywhere near Kiba until I could kick his ass. I was sure if I did, he would just put me down while boosting his own ego. He looked the type. And that mixed with the fact that he was as knuckleheaded as Naruto, I would end up killing him if I ever got strong enough.


    Shikamaru¡­ would be a difficult one. He was sure to notice something was amiss, he was scary smart after all. I would have to be careful when around him specially, there was no need to add a friendship to the mix. At least not until I had a better grasp of everything in this world that I would have to know. Choji was out because being near him meant being near Shikamaru.


    Shino was creepy, yes, but he wasn''t too bad. He could probably use a friend as much as Naruto. His clan was sure to face some scorn. He was pretty smart himself if I recalled correctly but not overly so. He would probably not notice anything wrong if I was careful.


    Hinata was extremely shy, but she wasn''t too bad either. Actually, she would probably make a great friend. I couldn''t think of anything bad about her, personally at least. He extreme shyness wasn''t a real problem unless you were Naruto.


    But first I would have to know this world. I would need a week or so to get used to Konoha. Making a map would surely help in that regard. I would have to follow Naruto around to know some places. I knew what apartment of the building I lived in due to the diary but I didn''t know where the building actually was. After I got that I would have to explore the city to know where to buy stuff and all that. It would be a busy week for me.


    While I thought all this, Iruka had been explaining the uses of Shurikenjutsu. It didn''t mean only Shuriken though, as some may believe, it also included Kunai and Senbon. I barely listened though. Everything was pretty simple so far. Kunai can be used both as ranged and melee weapons. Shuriken are good only in range but they are easier and lighter. Senbon are the most difficult but the most useful and dangerous if used right. After that I tuned him out a bit, only keeping an ear open just in case.


    I would need to write down everything that I could when I arrived at the apartment that night. I needed to save as much information as I could. Even if this was an AU of some sort, or if my mere presence changed everything. Some information could be useful. I couldn''t turn down anything in my situation.


    I couldn''t plan much more than that. Get to know Konoha and the Naruto world. Get stronger in order to survive future attacks/wars. Simple but effective. Or at least I hoped so.


    "Let''s go to the practice targets to start with your Shurikenjutsu practice." And it had arrived at last. The moment I dreaded. I was sure I couldn''t hit a target with a Kunai, a Shuriken or Kami forbid, a Senbon, to save my life. That wasn''t even counting that I was still getting used to actually having a body again. This was going to be embarrassing.


    As it turned out, everyone sucked. Well, everyone that wasn''t in the main cast. Naruto sucked too, but he didn''t have anyone to teach him. He would get there. As would I, if I got my way. ''After all,'' I thought while grinning. ''Nerfed or not, the Gamer ability is the Gamer ability.'' And to prove that point there was a screen in front of me.


    [New Skill Acquired: Shurikenjutsu


    New Skill Tree Branch Unlocked: Shuriken Throwing (Passive) ¨C Lvl 1


    New Skill Tree Branch Unlocked: Kunai Throwing (Passive) ¨C Lvl 1


    New Skill Tree Branch Unlocked: Senbon Throwing (Passive) ¨C Lvl 1]


    That had been a pleasant surprise. What wasn''t so pleasant was the meagre 10% chance of hitting the target that each of them gave me with their respective weapons. And that was on a stationary target. The fact that the other students sucked too would help me in that regard. If all students could do this kind of things already it would have been bad for me. That would have been enough to rise some flags that I didn''t want appearing anytime soon.


    Back to the skills though, the Skill Tree thing had been a surprise. Once I opened the skills screen everything made a little more sense. Instead of as a list, skills appeared according to their skill trees extending to the right. I only had to think about a particular skill and it would show me the details. So far, the only one with more than one branch or branches at all was Shurikenjutsu. It was good to know that things like that could happen though.


    "Eiji, your turn again." Iruka said, his tone showing no mockery whatsoever to the previous student lack of skill or mine for that matter. Taking a deep breath in, and relishing in how amazing it felt to be able to do so again, I stepped forward to embarrass myself once again. Even with that, I tried to follow the technique the clan heirs had used. I tried to follow Iruka''s instructions. And I tried my best.


    I had read about that in certain Gamer fanfics. The fact that some became so overconfident in the system that they forgot that it was a real world where they lived. I couldn''t let that happen to me. Because my world was less game than most of those. If I made a mistake, I could get myself killed pretty quickly. That wouldn''t happen. I was alive again. I wouldn''t throw my life out the window.


    I looked at my results. Three shuriken and one kunai were embedded in the targets. Not anywhere near the specific spots we were supposed to aim for. But I had hit the targets and four times out of twenty. That was better than the games percentage. As for senbon, we wouldn''t be using them for practice in the academy until later and even then, we had to specifically ask for it.


    I walked back to the class swelling in pride. Excitement rushed through my veins. Everything had been wonderful since I appeared here. Even the annoying nerfed Game and the, I hope the Nara don''t give me a strike, troublesome situation were awesome. It felt so amazing to be and feel alive again. I couldn''t wait for my turn again. I would beat the percentage again, I was sure of it.


    And I did it. When my turn came I two shuriken and two kunai hit the target. One shuriken even came close to one of the circles on the target. I went back to the group while someone else took their turn. I wasn''t paying attention to the others though. I was thinking to myself.


    [Shuriken Throwing has gone up a level.]


    And as that new notification appeared in front of me, I came up with my nindo.


    Live life to the fullest.


    [} Chapter End {]


    Hey guys! How''s it going?


    To anyone that follows my other stories and thinks this is Project Gamer, it''s not. Project Gamer is a DxD story. This is more of a prototype and a series for when I want to take a breath of fresh air after working so much on DxD.


    To people that are new to my work welcome, I hope you like it and if you are interested in DxD stories feel free to check out my other series.


    Now, onto the story. I don''t have plans for this, not really. But I have wanted to write a Gamer fic for a long time. I''m pretty tired of the extremely broken Gamer fics that are everywhere. I know it''s part of the Gamer thing but really, is having a somewhat balanced game so wrong?


    So that''s what I''m going for. Eiji will still be pretty broken eventually but I consider it somewhat balanced anyway because the Gamer will work as a sort of Bloodline Limit. They are unfair in the world of Naruto, and so is the Gamer ability. And now that I''ve mentioned it, I will answer that question right now. I pretty much doubt I''ll make Eiji unlock any Bloodline limit through the system.


    To justify that, I''ll just say this. You can be powerful without a bloodline. Look at the Yondaime, look at the Sandaime, look at Jiraiya, and correct me if I''m wrong but the Nidaime didn''t have a Bloodline limit either. So, Eiji probably won''t have one.


    Pairings¡­ I''m not sure as of yet. You are welcome to try and convince me though. Just, no slash.


    Any ideas you have are welcome too. I''m working on this on the fly so everything you want to suggest feel free to do so. From skills, to missions, to quests, to weapons, to jutsu, you get the gist of it.


    Please, leave a review, we writers feed off them.


    See you.

 Chapter 93 - My CO Stash #93 - Wonderboy by Tsume Yuki (KakashiXMyHeroAcademia)

    -Not a SI, but a Crossover (CO). Kakashi reincarnates into MHA! He''s gonna troll pretty much everyone, return of Icha Icha!?


    *I''m planning on ending the Volume 1, as we''re almost 100 fics in the Stash. Volume 2 starts the moment 100 is reached, aka I''ll be pulling a Mob Psycho. I just don''t want things to go upto #1377.


    Sypnosis: Who knew some dimensions had actual child labour laws? In which Kakashi is reborn, the Hero Commission doesn''t put all their eggs in one Hawks shaped basket and Shouta isn''t getting paid enough to deal with this shit. Otherwise known as Kakashi in 1A.


    Rated: T


    Words: 18K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13478038/1/Wonderboy (Tsume Yuki)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "Where is the Wonderboy, anyway?"


    Leaning against the side of the wall, Hatake Kakashi tilts his head, lips pursed beneath his mask. The nickname is¡­ less than ideal. But he''s only got himself to blame for that, he supposes. No, wait, he''d been too influenced by Naruto. So, it''s his most-unpredictable student that''s at fault for this one. And maybe the thought of Obito (the old Obito, the one he''d idolised) and Rin had impacted things too.


    How was he supposed to know this society would differ from Konoha? Oh, he''s a genius, but he''d banked a little too much on the people here following the same thought-process as the upper-echelons as Konoha. While the Hero Association may be very similar to how to old elders acted¡­ the ones who ultimately gave out the hero licences weren''t.


    ''Not until you''re eighteen''. A novel experience for someone who''d become a ninja at five.


    Upon awakening in this world in a newly orphaned body that''d been the spitting image of his last one, Kakashi had looked for what his future could be. Here there were no ninjas, murder of all kinds was frowned upon (a startling thought for a life-long assassin), and heroes were idolised to the point it was a full-time job. It''d been like Naruto had taken up residency on his shoulders the second it''d clicked, whispering a constant ''do it do it do it'' in that raspy, foxy tone of his.


    So, Kakashi had looked into it. He needed to graduate through the schooling system. Fair enough; he''d powered through both elementary and middle school in his first year, finishing the curriculum half a year before he turned five. Only¡­ only the government hadn''t known what to do with him. Not a clue. Apparently, there had been (and still was) an age-limit on enrolling in hero courses due to the sheer demands it placed upon its students (once again, a novelty for him). He''d been turned away, told to come back when he was a little older. Maybe to put some time into completing a high-school education.


    By the age of seven, Kakashi had a degree in mathematics and cognitive science.


    They still wouldn''t let him join up. However, by that point, they seemed to realize ignoring him or redirecting him wasn''t going to solve their problem. He''d been handed off to the Hero Association for what they''d titled ''pre-hero course training'' and that was that.


    To say he was highly over qualified for the UA Hero Course would be an understatement at this point.


    Oh well. At least this dimension also had p.o.r.nographic literature too. Even if there was no Icha Icha, some of the books weren''t that far off.


    "Hatake-kun, why are you hiding in the corridor?" Blinking the sole eye he allows the world to see, Kakashi turns his attention to the little¡­ rodent that will be his acting superior. Headmaster. Whatever.


    "Maa, they''re having fun gossiping and I crossed a black cat on my way here; best to not tempt fate, nee?" The look he gets from this comment is glorious.


    "Inside. Now."


    "Maa, maa. Whatever you say, Nezu-dono."


    .


    .


    He''s a brat. That''s Shota''s first thought. Hatake Kakashi is something of an urban myth among the long-serving staff of UA. It''s not that he''s the first underaged kid to apply for the hero course, nor is he the first underaged kid to do so with his middle school degree to back him up. He is, however, the first under five to have done so. The first to come with an extensive resume from five different martial artists which had pretty much amounted to ''we don''t have anything to teach the kid''. The first to go away, slaughter the high school curriculum and gain two degrees within a time that''s unheard of among children not blessed with powerful intelligence-based quirks. A natural genius so blatantly brilliant that it''s unnatural.


    It''s a bloody good thing the kid wants to be a hero and not a villain. After all, there''s no age limit on becoming one of them.


    None of that changes the fact the kid has the most ridiculous excuses, that he walks around reading p.o.r.n in broad daylight. It doesn''t change the fact he''s three hours late.


    "Where have you been." Shota seethes, watching the kid snap his book shut and pocket it. What small slither of his face he allows people to see (a single grey eye and the patch of skin that surrounds it) is near unreadable.


    "Maa, I was helping a little old lady carry her groceries, but then she realised she''d forgotten her pickled onions, so I went back to the store to pick them up, but then the store was out, so I had to go further afield, which is when a villain decided-"


    "Stop. Talking." Hatake''s mouth snaps shut, his visible eye closing in an irritating curve of happiness and hands buried in deep pockets. His whole posture screams relaxed. If Shota hadn''t seen him slaughter the entire set of graduating third years, he might have been fooled by the kid''s non-threatening body-language. But no, the Hero Association have thrown their weight behind this kid, proclaimed him the next All Might. They''d been quick to drop Hawks as their golden-boy once it became apparent just how very¡­ good this kid is. He wonders if the winged hero holds any bitterness towards Hatake.


    "Just get inside and do what you''ve been told to do."


    "Assessing potential students, right?" C.o.c.king his head to a side, Hatake runs a hand through his hair, changing his mind at the last moment to rub at the back of his skull. "Maa, are you sure I''m the right guy for the job?"


    "You''ve been trying to enter the hero course for a decade," Shota stresses, his eyes finding the skeletal form of All Might hunched over a monitor as they walk into the observation room, "you must have some idea of what we''re looking for by now."


    "But what if I only care for the traits I think a hero should have, not the government mandated ones?" God, Shota is praying this brat isn''t in his class. If there is any mercy in the world, he''ll be spared this brat''s presence.


    The fact he walks along beside him now seems to indicate this won''t be the case.


    "I don''t care. You don''t get the final say anyway." Hatake hums, fingers itching towards the pocket he''d stashed the p.o.r.n in and Shota levels him with a look that promises death if he completes that action. Still, Hatake hesitates for a second before holding his hands up in surrender.


    "Don''t antagonise, got it." He snaps off a mock salute that makes Shota want to snap his neck. Figuratively. The brat.


    Hatake saunters into the room, dropping into the chair before the monitors. He makes sure to roll his shoulders back into the cushioned material, fingers drumming against the arms as he waits for the show to start.


    "So, this is the wonderboy, is it?" Hizashi muses, squatting down to stare right into Hatake''s face. Hatake stares right back before he giggles, fanning his face and looking away.


    "Maa, I''m flattered, but the age gap." The absolute shit.


    Hizashi full out squawks, Nemuri breaks out into hysterics and All Might just looks utterly fl.u.s.tered. Ridiculous. The Hero Association''s ''Wonderboy'' is a little f.u.c.ker and they''re gonna have to build a tolerance up to his little tricks quick. Otherwise he''ll spend the majority of his time at UA pushing all their buttons.


    "I told you to shut up, Hatake."


    "Mmm." The boy makes no sound other than that low confirmation, but the amused curve of eye indicates he feels his work is already done here.


    God, these next three years cannot pass quick enough.


    .


    .


    "Maa, I''m not really supposed to be doing this," Kakashi muses, scratching as his chin as he remains seated on the captured criminal. Technically he''s not broken the law, he hasn''t used a quirk, after all. But the police are still gonna be prickly about it. As they have been for the other three-hundred and sixty-two incidents like this that he''s been involved in. Hey, it''s not his job they''re slow on the uptake and poor at patrolling. Honestly, they''ve had these quirks popping up for generations and they''re nowhere near the brutal efficiency that Konoha had. Then again, Konoha had carte blanche on all things that happened in the walls and if they civilians didn''t like it¡­ well, they had to lump it. Things are different here, there''s far more¡­ freedoms in certain areas. And still they wouldn''t let him tear through the hero-course as he has done everything else. Ridiculous.


    "Hatake. Why am I not surprised." Tanema, having finished climbing out of his cruiser, folds his arms and stares down at his seated form. Kakashi only grins back.


    "Maa, citizen''s arrest. No quirks were used, barring the detainee''s, of course. I have my first day of school today but, being on the hero course, I of course couldn''t ignore a call for help. To do so would be un-heroic, nee?"


    "Just¡­ just get going. I''ll be by with the usual forms for you to fill in later."


    "Ja-nee, thanks, Tanema-kun!"


    "I''m thirty years your senior, brat!" Kakashi ignores him, hopping off the downed criminal and offering the woman he''d helped a little salute. She stares but then so do a lot of people. It''s his face or, rather, how much of it he has covered.


    Giving a little wave, Kakashi plants both hands in his pockets and continues his slow meander down the street, the road awash with traffic and pedestrians. Yes, he did have a class to get to. And now that it''s been approximately forty-five minutes since school started, he can show.


    Got to be early for the first day, no?


    .


    The look that Aizawa shoots him as he strolls out onto the open field does, in no way, look appropriately appreciative of his early status. In fact, judging by the ugly death glare and snarl, Kakashi would even go so far as to say the man''s upset with him. Huh. Clearly the Hero Commission hadn''t gotten around to telling the UA staff about his little... quirks (hehehe). That, or they''d assumed he''d be respectful enough to acknowledge school times. Which, ha. They''ve made him wait long enough; now, it''s their turn.


    "Hatake. Nice of you to join us."


    Nineteen heads of various colours (and species, Kakashi''s amused to notice) swivel around to take him in. With the slight scuffs on his trousers and blazer, tie nowhere in sight and his mask pulled up and over his face, Kakashi rather gets the feeling they''re very much unimpressed. One of the students (glasses and engine legs; someone with connections to Team Idaten given his face) makes a noise rather like a tea kettle. While Kakashi would love to peg him as the Gai of the class¡­ well, there will only ever be on Gai in his mind.


    That doesn''t mean he won''t wind the kid up for the entertainment value.


    "-sheer disrespect afforded to this institution-"


    Kakashi zones out of his words, inspecting the array of students that will be his classmates (he''s in Aizawa''s class; isn''t his teacher so lucky to have such a wonderful, prodigal student, nee?) as they continue to stare at him in blatant disbelief.


    "-Sensei! If Hatake-san has missed the vast majority of his quirk assessment tests, does that mean he shall score last?" Quirk assessment test? Oh! It must be just like the bell test, only without any bells in sight. And nearly seven times the number of students to a single teacher. Ouch. Kakashi would hate to be in his shoes. Another good thing about this world; you won''t be forced into teaching by a benevolent dictator who is ''only doing this for your own good I swear to Hashirama, Kakashi, if you don''t pass this lot then-''


    "As much as I would love to throw Hatake out on his ass, I''m not allowed to expel the kid that has held the entrance exam record for the past decade."


    There''s a momentary pause as the rest of the students absorb that information; he can almost see the cogs in their brains whirling as they look him over and absorb the word ''decade''.


    "Dec- wait, Aizawa-sensei, that can''t be-"


    "It is right. I checked. Don''t let his attitude fool you; this brat shattered the entrance exam record before he turned six. It''s only because of child labour laws that the Hero Commission didn''t shove him through UA and spit him out in a pint-sized hero costume."


    They goggle. They''re teenagers, it''s what they do best.


    Behind the mask, Kakashi grins, offering them a jaunty wave in greeting.


    That''s when the ashy blond explodes.

 Chapter 94 - My CO Stash #94 - The Demon Who Lived by Forthwith16 (CodeGeassXHarry Potter)

    -Another crossover; Lelouch reborn as Harry Potter! There''s really not a lot of CG crossovers, I mean it is hard to write Lelouch as his main thing is intelligence, but this one seems to be doing well~


    Check it out! ¦×(£à?¡ä)¦×


    Sypnosis: Reborn as Harry Potter, Lelouch now has an entire magical world to sort out that, to his surprise, actually seems worse than Britannia. Known terrorists freely walk the streets. Corruption is rampant. A fool sits as the head of government. Oh yes, and every single eleven-year-old is given a wand that can replicate the effect of every geass he''s ever encountered, including his own


    Rated: T


    Words: 31K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13444649/1/The-Demon-Who-Lived (Forthwith16)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    The Day the Demon Was Reborn


    Slowly, as the days and weeks and months crawled by, it became easier to think. It felt less and less like he slept the entire day away, but for someone so used to burning the midnight oil, this existence had proven beyond infuriating. His motor skills were shot but recovering. He could barely remember things. The less said of his emotional control, the better. But on the upside, he could finally string a few words together without screaming in frustration. Words had always been chief amongst his powers, and he wanted them back.


    It came as a strange relief that his brain had finally developed enough for him to contemplate how much he hated being a toddler. If this was his punishment for all of the bad things he''d done in the name of a better future¡­well, it could be worse. He would drive himself mad at this rate, true, but someday ¨C he hoped ¨C he would grow out of it.


    As some consolation, however, he had doting parents who weren''t monsters. He appreciated that, he admitted, even if their circ.u.mstances were less than desirable. From what he''d overheard, the Potters were in hiding from a terrorist with a silly pseudonym. When he''d first put it together, the irony had sent him into a laughing fit.


    But the real surprise was magic. Wherever he''d ended up, magic was real. He was a wizard. With his geass gone, his only power at the moment seemed to be destruction fuelled by embarrassing emotional tantrums, but still. Perhaps he would be a healer in this life. He hoped he didn''t have to sort whatever war raged in this world out himself.


    Regardless, those were problems for later. Right now, Lelouch only needed to figure out how to convince his new father he had absolutely no interest in riding brooms.


    From downstairs came the cry of James Potter. "Lily, take Harry and go! It''s him! Go! Run! I''ll hold him off¨C"


    Peter Pettigrew! Lelouch growled in his own mind. He committed the traitor''s name to memory, determined not to lose it to the peculiarities of being an a.d.u.l.t shoved into an infant''s body. If I live through this night, I swear I will destroy you.


    Despite his body''s general inability to cooperate, Lelouch managed to scale his crib and escape. Lily Potter rushed into the room but moments later. Her wand flew into motion, barricading the door behind her with all manner of sorcery. Soon enough, she turned her attention to the son she''d come to rescue. The shock showed on her face when she found him standing a little unsteadily right beside her. Nonetheless, she scooped him up and quickly made for the nearest window.


    And there she paused. Much to Lelouch''s confusion and worry, she backtracked and placed him back into his crib. As her wand once more went to work, she whispered gentle reassurances that so contrasted with the resolved, resigned expression on her face.


    The door to the nursery and much of the surrounding wall flew across the room in a thunderous crack and a mighty boom. Lily fingered her wand lightly as she turned to face the terrorist responsible for the destruction. He strode into the room completely at ease. The man''s features were burned and distorted into a grim mockery of a human being.


    "A displeasure, as always," Lily said.


    The terrorist snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt. "Stand aside, woman. I give you this rare chance to demonstrate your supposed intelligence."


    He''s after me? That was certainly new information.


    "Just kill me and be done with it," Lily returned, apparently not having picked up on the subtext. "Kill me and leave my boy in peace."


    "This is your last warning. Stand aside."


    If nothing else, Lelouch''s new brain shared his previous one''s ability to think under pressure. How curious it was that the terrorist ¨C and this man did indeed fit the word better than he ever had ¨C seemed disinclined to simply murder Lily and be done with it.


    Of course, Lily responded to the demand as would be expected of most mothers. "Never."


    Without warning, the terrorist snapped his wand upon her. So fast that Lelouch almost missed the words, he cast, "Avada kedavra."


    It was done. With a flash of green light, Lily fell heavily to the ground, dead.


    Good job, Mum. What wonderfully sarcastic words to go out on in this second chance at life.


    "Foolish woman." The terrorist shook his head and approached Lelouch. "Now then, Harry Potter."


    Out of the corner of his eye, Lelouch noticed Lily''s wand had fallen into his crib. An idea immediately sprung into his head. It was a long shot, but it could work. He had no control over his accidental magic, but he had just learnt a spell.


    Lelouch snapped Lily''s wand up in imitation of the terrorist and shouted, "Awada Kadabwa!"


    Nothing happened. Lelouch cursed his underdeveloped body and lack of magical education.


    Worse, the terrorist''s response was immediate. Although the surprise showed on the man''s twisted visage, he promptly disarmed Lelouch. Laughter ¨C a horrid, uncertain thing as though he''d forgotten how ¨C soon replaced the astonishment.


    "Well, well. Now that''s respect. If a prophesied child could possibly destroy me, this is the level of competence I expect. Well done, Harry Potter. Unfortunately, you must die now. Such a waste. Farewell."


    Utterly helpless, Lelouch resigned himself to this abrupt end to a second chance he probably didn''t deserve anyway. An incantation, a flash of green light, and then the world erupted in pain.


    Lelouch knew no more until he woke up in what, in the near darkness, appeared to be a cupboard.


    Out of one hell and straight into another. Fantastic.


    If there had ever been any doubt that this was a punishment, none now remained. He''d orphaned plenty of children. Turnabout was fair play.


    In the dark of his cupboard, Lelouch rooted around for one of the rags that passed for a shirt. Carefully, he rolled it up with his left hand. Once he had, he took a few slow breaths to calm himself.


    Now that he had the physical capacity to do work, Lelouch''s so-called Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon forced him to do as many chores around the house as his body could manage before collapsing. Then, if he was lucky, they only threw him into the cupboard under the stairs with some stale bread, locked the door, and forgot about him for the rest of the day.


    Were it not for that bloody lock, Lelouch would have murdered the Dursleys in their sleep months ago. He''d executed men as Zero for lesser crimes than these monsters had committed against him.


    Lelouch bit down on his rag, ignored the ache in his stomach, and braced himself against a wall. With a solid push, he popped his dislocated shoulder back into place. Once the pain subsided, he carefully tested his range of movement until satisfied with the results. With the obvious problem fixed, relatively speaking, he made an inspection of the rest of his body.


    Plenty of bruises, but nothing broken. Today could have been much worse. One of these days, they''ll leave me an opening to use the phone or escape outside. There''s no way this level of child abuse is legal in this society.


    With a sigh, Lelouch collapsed onto the thin mattress that functioned as his bed. He rolled around until he eventually found a position that kept any pressure off of his right shoulder.


    Better me than an innocent Harry Potter, I suppose. I at least have the knowledge necessary to survive this trial.


    It''d been an entire week since Lelouch had reported his own abuse, and nothing had happened. In his own world, he''d assume the police simply didn''t care or merely considered him a child complaining about the cruel, unfair nature of parents who most definitely did not know better than him.


    But magic was real. And it seemed hereditary, unlike geass. There had to be an entire magical community out there living in secret. This was, of course, impossible in the ''modern'' world without a way to erase mistakes quietly and effectively; murder drew too much attention. Therefore, mind magic existed.


    Lelouch clenched his fists, determined not to let his anger slip any further out into the real world. I will not be subjected to this again. Last time Suzaku had been his minder. This time, who knew? It could be the Dursleys themselves, but they seemed genuine in their hatred for all things magical. It would likely be someone else, someone he didn''t yet know.


    Over the course of his slave labour for the day, Lelouch managed to steal a pen and rescue some paper from the rubbish. As much as he hated this sort of security risk, it had to be done. He had no other recourse. He wrote down his suspicions and his plans and then stored the paper underneath a floorboard he loosened in his cupboard.


    He would file another report with the police in a week and after random lengths of time thereafter if necessary to gather evidence. Probably sooner rather than later, the person keeping him imprisoned here would either make a critical mistake or, much more likely, would turn to a more effective solution than simply maintaining the status quo.


    As had become a nightly ritual ¨C if someone read his mind, he was in any case doomed even if his guard couldn''t read his native dialect of English, so he paid the regularity no mind ¨C Lelouch withdrew the pile of paper from beneath the floorboards of his cupboard. He read by the faint light of the corridor seeping inside.


    Why would I report my own abuse? What good would that do? It''s not like anyone would care.


    But that thought rang hollow in Lelouch''s mind. It clashed with his pride. Even in this reduced form, he knew he had intellect to spare. He wouldn''t take pointless actions. If he made a report to the police, it would be with a purpose.


    Lelouch seethed with fury as he felt the compulsion not to report the Dursleys'' abuses snap in his mind. In sharp, rigid lines, he wrote down this latest violation. When he returned the papers to their home for the night, the latest found itself impaled and suffering from nearly a dozen tiny holes.


    Dudley starts school soon, and I assume I''m his age. Unless the Dursleys go to the trouble of pretending to homeschool me, they''ll have to let me outside my cage. I may be able to force the matter if I can cause a big enough ruckus.


    The cupboard door opened to reveal his wonderful Uncle Vernon.


    The compulsion immediately snapped in Lelouch''s mind. He did not love, accept, tolerate, or even mildly dislike his relatives. The look of defiance on his face earned him the hardest beating of his life, and for the life of him, he didn''t care. He wore the injuries as a badge of honour.


    As Lelouch read his latest attempt at escape, he let the hand holding the paper fall limp. He''d managed to run well enough to evade the police, he was sure ¨C if they had even been called, of course. He''d stolen enough pounds from his aunt''s purse to last him far longer than he could have been gone. That meant his guard had a magical way of tracking him which he didn''t know how to evade.


    I give up. I need to stop trying before my guard does something to me that I can''t undo. The thought of a more permanent solution brought Lelouch up short. Unless¡­


    Lelouch spent the next hour examining his thoughts and trying to break any compulsions that might be on him to no effect. He''d admitted defeat of his own volition this time. If this desperate gamble failed completely, what did it even matter? He had no friends here, no allies, and no purpose.


    No, that wasn''t true. He did want to avenge his second parents. That plan hadn''t exactly worked out the first time around, but it had kept him motivated.


    I don''t know if Pettigrew is even alive. Sirius is probably dead since he still hasn''t come for me, but surely he at least exposed the rat first.


    With a sigh, Lelouch took pen and paper in hand and wrote down the most halfwitted idea of his second life. If he was wrong, it wasn''t like he had anything to lose.


    Lelouch breathed weakly, yet another compulsion broken. He felt far stronger than he had any right to, but he suspected it would still take a few days at least before he got back onto his feet. Idly, he noted that magical healing beyond mundane medicine must exist.


    No changes have been made to my circ.u.mstances. I''m not even allowed to kill myself. My gaoler either doesn''t care or actively wants me to be just shy of suicidal. It was the only conclusion Lelouch could reach. If a six-year-old attempting to kill himself didn''t shock everyone involved with his captivity into making major changes, then this environment had to be unique in some manner or intentional. At least I''m wanted alive. That''s something.


    It was. Although halfheartedly, Lelouch wrote that down as potential leverage for the future. Not that it helped him while his enemy and their motivations both remained unknown. Until that changed, the only idea he had left was attempting to gain control over his magic. Unfortunately, not only had he experienced no luck with that beyond completely random effects, every failure that got back to the Dursleys earned him a beating and a week of starvation.


    I give up. I really give up this time. This is impossible without an outside conspirator. I can barely even think straight half the time. If only I could find my way back to the magical community¡­


    While his teacher finished explaining their math assignment, Lelouch finished filling in all of the answers that would give him exactly a passing grade. The teachers knew he could do better and, he was sure, had long since been ensorcelled to not act on their suspicions of his home life. So long as he passed, no one at school made a fuss. If Dudley failed, mindless thug that his cousin was, he would just take the beating for doing better.


    School was a waste of time, naturally, but it remained a refuge nonetheless. Here, he was safe from the elder Dursleys. Here, he had a bit of autonomy. Here, he could rest and recover.


    As he always did, Lelouch spent all of his free time in the library. Dudley refused to enter the place unless required even for such exquisite pleasures as beating his freak cousin to a pulp. Even better, his mysterious gaoler didn''t appear to care that he''d found this sanctuary.


    It was a shame the library, for the greater part, only collected books targeted at children, but Lelouch made do. Although some works were shared across both worlds, this one had an entirely new set of leisure reading that he needed to work through if he wanted to understand the culture.


    Noticing that the shelves containing new releases had changed, Lelouch turned toward them. His eyes automatically skipped over the picture books and anything with less than a hundred pages. On his first pass, he read through the authors for any he recognised. There were a few, but none he particularly cared for. On the second, he glanced at the titles for anything that leapt off the spine.


    Lelouch froze in place even as his eyes widened.


    Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. It can''t be. Who¡­ The spine listed the author as one H Granger, not a name he knew in the slightest.


    Almost afraid to find out, Lelouch took the book from the shelf with trembling hands. He flipped from page to page with his entire life story sprawled out before him from the beginning of his rebellion to his ultimate death. It even held major details only C.C. or Suzaku could know.


    Or my parents.


    The absolute last thing Lelouch needed in this horrid new world was a reborn Charles zi Britannia and Marianne vi Britannia. He skimmed through the book again, this time absorbing it in more detail. There were a few obvious errors clearly left in place as a test as well as some creative liberties, but it held almost startling levels of accuracy. He''d just gotten into his second rebellion when he read something that confirmed the author''s identity, something he knew his queen would have never told another soul in less extraordinary circ.u.mstances.


    A giddy laugh escaped Lelouch. Of all the people who might follow me here, of course it would be you. He flipped to the dedication page and read, ''To my emperor and our infuriating witch. Seek me out.''


    Lelouch snapped the book closed with a smirk on his face. This changed everything.


    A/N: Cue Yuukyou Seishunka.


    I admit to reading more than a few MoB!Dumbledore fics as guilty pleasures, but in all honesty, they tend not to work. Not because you can''t characterize him that way. It''s a perfectly valid interpretation. The problem is when Dumbledore is the villain, he''s in an incredible position of power over our heroes. He has a century of experience. He has hundreds, if not thousands, of followers willing to jump on command. He can make people dance like puppets with potions, charms, and mind magics. It''s basically a hopeless situation and is thus the perfect setting to dump protagonists in to watch them suffer and see what they''re made of. Yet somehow his schemes usually collapse like a house of cards just by poking them a little.


    See the problem?


    Whoever is behind Lelouch''s predicament here knows what they''re doing. It could be Dumbledore. It could be the Death Eaters. It could be someone else entirely. It could be a conflux of all of the above.


    Regardless, one thing is certain: Sybill Trelawney gave a very different prophecy.

 Chapter 96 - My SI Stash #96 - The Mannis with a Plannis by Digsjin (A song of Ice and Fire)

    -American chemist SI as Stannis Baratheon. He''ll be using modern chemistry/warfare to make some dangerous chemical gas ala Singed.


    *He''ll do some big brain moves like having his loyal men take bribes, but having them give mis-information, and he''s also learning how to mass produce Wildfire from the Alchemists! Check it out~


    ( ?? .? ?? )?


    Sypnosis: An American chemist is reincarnated into the body of Stannis Baratheon, he explores the new world he finds himself in learning about the ''Higher Mysteries'' that his education on earth didn''t cover in order to better take advantage of his meta-knowledge and sit on the most uncomfortable chair in Westeros. Stannis SI! Reincarnation.


    Rated: M


    Words: 51K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13289781/1/The-Mannis-with-a-Plannis


    (Digsjin)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    Steffon I


    ''The screams are the worst thing'', Steffon mused as one of the aforementioned screams assailed his ears and reverberated through the halls of Storm''s End. He was a veteran of the War of the Ninepenny Kings and had been on more battlefields than most other men could realistically claim, but hearing his wife screaming and not being able to help was enough to drive him mad. "Damn tradition and the Dragons it rode on to all seven hells", he thought, he''d be fine if he could be in there with his wife. He knew he couldn''t actually help her, but holding her hand and seeing how she was doing would''ve been enough for him, but it was not to be, traditionally men couldn''t see their wives giving birth and he had to content himself by seeing the midwives run back and forth, back and forth, carrying various buckets of water, some full, others empty, and sometimes cloth that would later be stained with blood and sweat, a sight that made him internally grimace.


    It was bad enough when his first-born Robert had been born, but now it sounded even more like Cassana was trying to excise a demon from her w.o.m.b. It was not only the screams that gave way to such an atmosphere, for one the weather certainly didn''t help as his lands were currently playing host to one of the famous storms they were named after, the rain pelting the walls and the rolling of thunder that was occasionally heard aided and abetted in helping to amplify his wife''s screams of sheer anguish, he silently sent a prayer to the mother and father thanking them for having been born a man, he doubted he could stomach pain like that, let alone the life that women were expected to lead¡­


    His thoughts were barely enough to keep him distracted from his very real worry that something might go wrong, but they managed to keep him busy enough, since the birthing went on for hours yet, though he had lost track of time by the time that Cressen had walked up to him. He hadn''t noticed his approach, and was thus very startled when Cressen had said something that broke him out of his reverie, but it wouldn''t do for a Lord to be scared of his Maester so he regained his composure and silently gestured for Cressen to repeat himself, which he did with a soft smile, "Your wife has given birth to a healthy boy my lord and she has requested your presence."


    Steffon smiled gratefully and made his way to the chamber in which his wife gave birth, seeing midwives running to and fro now carrying only empty buckets of water, some of their white robes were stained with blood, the thought that it was his wife''s made him cringe visibly for a moment, but he ruthlessly suppressed it.


    "Steffon¡­", his beautiful wife said out of breath, her long dark hair was slicked with sweat, which made loose strands of it stick to her face, but Steffon had no eyes for that, more important was the small child she was clutching to her chest, Steffon smiled at her and gestured to pick him up, his wife acquiesced and he preened at the newborn for a moment, "Hello little one.", he said in what he thought was a sweet parental voice and he liked to think his son would hear and understand him, but in truth he was fast asleep.


    "What shall we name him?", his wife asked out loud, though Steffon could sense that she already had an idea, one was able to pick up on such things after being married for so long after all, so he''d said, "I already chose for Robert, why don''t you pick this time?", his wife smiled at him gratefully and thought for a moment, "How about Stannis?", ''a strong name'', Steffon approved and said as much, though he would''ve wanted to name him Lyonel after his grandfather his wife''s uncle was an honorable man himself and Stannis Baratheon had a nice ring to it.


    He sat down on the bed next to his wife, both of them were holding their child, just basking in each other''s presence for a moment, not saying a word and simply enjoying the moment. The blissful silence was interrupted by a shrill noise that Steffon couldn''t quite make out, it definitely wasn''t the storm of that much he was entirely sure, he placed his son in his wife''s lap, both of them were sleeping peacefully and he took a moment to commit the sight into his memory, such moments were hard to come by nowadays, especially with Aerys having ascended the throne and requesting his presence in King''s Landing so often.


    He opened the shutters of the window a small amount of rain pelting his face from the storm, though the small discomfort was nothing compared to what he witnessed as he overlooked the Godswood of Storm''s End. He was a believer in the seven and thus had not made much time to visit the Godswood of his ancestral home, even so he knew with a certainty that no man had ever seen what he was seeing right now, there were black Ravens gathered on each of the gnarled Weirwood''s branches and all of them were cawing in unison, it took a while for Steffon to make out the words they were saying over the sound of the rain pelting the castle walls, but once he''d heard it, he couldn''t unhear it.


    "Prince, Prince, Prince", the Ravens were cawing, the round shape of the Godswood allowing their voices to carry by echoing of the walls much further than would ordinarily be possible. He briefly stopped to wonder what this omen boded for his son''s future. He had never placed much stock in such things, but this was a pretty clear message that the Gods, be they old or new wanted to say something, though what that something was Steffon couldn''t say for certain.


    Cressen I


    The old Maester smiled at the thought of his student, his favorite student if he was honest, Stannis had a capacity to learn which boggled the mind. The lad had taken to his numbers and letters like a fish to water and had begun to read every single book he could get his hands on with the enthusiasm that outshone that of most Acolytes in the Citadel. He had said as much to Stannis, and while he did indeed have some interest in forging a chain, he''d said that a Maester''s life wasn''t truly for him.


    He had never explicitly said what he dreamed of being, Lord of Storm''s End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands were titles reserved for Robert, despite the fact that his younger brother was at least a thousand times more responsible from one what could see so far, but through Stannis'' tastes in literature Cressen could at least gleam some of the dreams he had for the future. While Stannis read almost everything, he could possibly get his hands on, he particularly favored the memoirs of Colrys Velaryon and Lomas Longstrider, often re-reading them and being able to quote large passages from memory, leading the old man to believe that his charge wanted to be a great explorer.


    That was practically the only subject of contention between the two, Cressen vigorously argued that with Stannis'' obvious intelligence and inquisitive nature, that he should receive an education in the Citadel, but Stannis eventually got fed up with repeating the drawbacks of wearing the chain and wouldn''t hear more about it.


    Another intriguing if inconsequential difference between the two Baratheon brothers was their attitude towards birds, Robert loved hawking while Stannis found the activity mind-numbingly dull, instead he enjoyed tending to Ravens, a fondness which pleasantly reminded Cressen of his own sponsor at the citadel and the lad thus often volunteered to help feed and water them in exchange for extra lessons on the higher mysteries, Cressen being one of the few Maesters who had studied them and managed to forge a link of Valyrian Steel that indicated as much, though he gained little practical use from the knowledge and had said as much to Stannis, his charge was still as inquisitive and undeterred as ever and wouldn''t be shaken from the boyish dream of learning magic, the thought making Cressen smile fondly as he had a similar attitude when he first joined the Citadel.


    "Nevermore, Nevermore, Nevermore", the cawing of Stannis'' pet raven broke him out of his reverie, the bird was usually very quiet and was by now a fixture on Stannis'' left shoulder, but could be very annoying at times especially because Stannis had taught him to say almost exclusively that word, though he''d never explained why. "Cressen, could I ask a favor?", Stannis asked with his usual curt politeness that never quite managed to set others at ease, Cressen raised an eyebrow and genially answered, "Of course, do you wish to borrow another book?", Stannis shook his head and now Cressen was curious. Stannis almost exclusively asked him for more books or failing that, extra lessons on a subject he was interested in, usually history, navigation or the higher-mysteries, but for him to ask a favor that had nothing to do with learning something new was almost unheard of for him.


    "I was wondering if you could help me send a Raven.", Stannis said his countenance as impassive as it usually was. "To whom?", Cressen was forced to ask. He''d be happy to do most any favor for Stannis, but any Ravens which left Storm''s End could have dire political implications on the family, not necessarily because of the content, but just by where it was going would lead to much speculation among most nobles, especially since both Stannis and Robert were not yet betrothed¡­


    "Castle Black", Stannis said simply. Cressen blinked away his astonishment, and almost breathlessly said, "You mean to join the Watch?!". Stannis'' first instinct was something the Maester would''ve never expected from him, for his charge threw back his head and roared with laughter. After a few moments he calmed himself and wiped away the tears which had gathered in his eyes, "No, no", he began almost out of breath from the fit of laughter, "I''ve no intention of freezing my balls off at the wall.", Cressen glared at him for the language, but it lacked any real heat, "I just wanted to start a correspondence with the Maester there."


    Cressen had not felt this curious about anything since he was an Acolyte and asked the question that he simply couldn''t find the answer to in his own mind, "Why?". Stannis just looked at him like a father would look at a particularly dull-witted child who had just asked a very stupid question, "Why would I want to speak with my great-great uncle Aemon, possibly the oldest man in Westeros, friend to Ser Duncan the Tall and Brynden Rivers?", Stannis began, the sarcasm almost dripping from his voice, "I don''t know, fun mayhaps?". Now Cressen glared at him for real, but he acquiesced to perform his request anyway and thus asked the most prudent question, "What do you wish to ask him?".


    Stannis nodded curtly, a favorite gesture of his that usually indicated approval at someone getting to the point and said, "I was wondering if he had some insight, he might be willing to share into how Bloodraven ran his spy network."


    "Do you wish to become the new Master of Whispers?", Cressen found himself asking, though his tone was more joking than incredulous when the conversation had initially began, "Hardly", Stannis snorted contemptuously, "but it is a matter of large historical importance and all of the books I''ve read are either woefully vague on the subject or are simply conjecture from overeager Maesters born years after Bloodraven became Lord Commander."


    Cressen sighed, "Very well, I''ll help you, just fetch a quill and some parchment from the table over there.", he said pointing to the aforementioned table. Stannis smiled gratefully and went to do as he was told.


    Robert I


    Robert Baratheon was the furthest thing from a patient man and had a temper that could put most wild beasts to shame, currently he was attempting to squash the mounting urge to drop his blunted training sword and attempt to squash his younger brother''s head like a gr.a.p.e, the main reasons why he didn''t were because his father would hang him if Cressen didn''t poison him first.


    His anger was exacerbated by the fact that he''d eaten a bad lobster and was down with the shits during what would''ve been his first squire''s tourney, a tourney that his younger brother, won handily, the thought made him outwardly frown and Stannis took advantage of the lapse in concentration to whack him across the shoulder, Robert let loose a grunt of rage and tried to club his brother over the head with his sword, but his brother merely got on his knee and rolled behind him, giving him a spank with the flat edge of his blade while laughing all-the-while.


    The disparity in their respective skills as warriors wasn''t so great between the two, but between their skills as swordsmen it was very clear that Stannis was much, much better. Robert was stronger by a wide margin and thus preferred using decisive bludgeoning weapons like the Warhammer his father bought him for his nameday, but for all of Robert''s strength, speed and reach, Stannis on the other hand was faster, decisive and had the reflexes of a shadow-cat, making him an extremely able blade for his age. The fight would''ve been more even with their respective weapons of choice, but it was required of a knight to learn the sword, so Robert was doing just that.


    It was not only their respective inborn talents that made a difference, both of them trained quite hard and were expected to receive their knighthoods by the time they turned seven and ten at the very latest, though Robert focused his training more on strength building, while Stannis galivanted with that sword-swallower Braavosi by the name of Qarro Volentin he had hired to teach him their peculiar fighting style and training by doing gods know what, though as Robert barely managed to block a strike that would''ve probably broken his nose, he had to concede that those seemingly pointless exercises of balancing on one leg and chasing cats around seemed to be working for his brother, but they still seemed entirely ridiculous to him.


    It wasn''t long before he landed on his ass, not because of a decisive strike though, but rather because Stannis had closed the distance between them, forcing Robert to take a step back in order to maximize the effective range of which he could attack, but had at the same time entangled his legs with his, making him stumble as he was unprepared for this, but Stannis had come out of the ordeal just fine.


    He tore off his gambeson and rushed at his brother with a snarl of rage, wielding his sword much like how one would use a club, "It''s so unfair", he thought, "my little brother is better at everything.", it wasn''t Stannis who knocked him down this time, but rather Ser Harbert Gower, master-at-arms of Storm''s End and not by hitting him either, rather he had sharply barked "Robert!", in his loudest most intimidating training-yard voice possible, that would cause grown knights to piss themselves.


    He looked up to see Stannis extending a hand to him with a smile that didn''t quite reach his eyes, he scowled and blinked away the tears that were gathering in his eyes, but he took his hand all the same, once he was righted he managed an, "I must be excused", mustering the last of his dignity.


    He tried to leave in the direction of his chambers, but a strong steady hand held him in place, my brother''s, he noticed as the hand spun him back around and Stannis said with a grin, though unlike his usual ones it wasn''t mocking in nature, "Don''t worry about a single loss brother, if you''d had your hammer you would have beat me bloody.", Robert sighed internally as his rage slowly abated, he should at least try to make an effort to get along with Stannis, it was after-all his last week in Storm''s End before he left for the Eyrie.


    Renly I


    He tossed and turned in his bed, he couldn''t help it, sleep just wouldn''t take him! He got up, the cold stone floor being slightly uncomfortable on his bare feet, but he made his way to where he knew his brother would be right now. He ran through the halls as quickly as he could without making any noise that would alert his parents as to what he was doing, "just because they let Stannis be awake throughout the whole night doesn''t mean the same for me.", he thought. The pitter-patter of his feat resonated throughout the hallways as he made his way to the library of Storm''s End, once he got there, he found the room with its innumerable shelves of books to be shrouded in darkness, save for a small candle which was burning away at the very back of the room. He approached and saw his brother Stannis hunched over a few books and stacks of maps, though they were of locations that Renly didn''t recognize.


    "Shouldn''t you be sleeping?", Renly blurted out with all of the vitriol a four-year-old could muster, Stannis blinked his sleep away and flicked his blue eyes over to him, Renly noticed that they had large bags under them.


    "Yes, I really should, sleep is good", Stannis said, and the unexpected response threw Renly off long enough for Stannis to add, ", but books are better.", he said the last part with a Cheshire grin that only showed itself with Renly and Cressen.


    Renly scowled at the response, but chose not to dwell on it, he was here for a purpose after all, so he waited for his brother to take the bait, "and actually, come to think of it, shouldn''t you be sleeping little brother?", Renly misliked the way Stannis always emphasized "little" when he said that, but chose to ignore it once again and opted instead for simply saying, "I can''t sleep."


    Stannis sighed rubbing his face as if it would magically take his sleepiness away, he finally said with no small amount of exasperation, "Fine, will you go to sleep if I tell you a story?", Renly nodded eagerly, the faux betrayed smile Stannis sent him let him know that he knew what Renly was doing, but was not unduly annoyed by this.


    Stannis ruffled his hair and picked him up, placing Renly on his lap, he scowled as much as a child could, but his brother either didn''t notice due to the dim light or didn''t care, because he almost immediately began to tell his story, "In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit¡­", even though he didn''t know what a Hobbit was, Stannis had Renly''s undivided attention.


    A/N


    Hey guys, please enjoy the first chapter of my new Stannis SI! I deleted the last one because I wasn''t satisfied with the first few chapters and I noticed that the story was starting to get away from me during the later ones, but it''s still the same basic premise, a chemist reincarnated in Stannis Baratheon, this time during his birth so he has more ''prep-time''. He''ll still get exiled and go to Essos, but we''ll see more of his preparations while he''s in Westeros. I also hope to include more about his relationsh.i.p.s with his brothers and other people of importance. Not to mention, for those of you that participated the poll about the pairing is still valid, so look forward to that. See you guys next time, same bat-time, same bat-channel.


    Chapter 1


    Cressen I


    As the old Maester made his way up the stairs, he realized that Stannis had no reason to have summoned him. He thought of him as the child he never had and while very intelligent and responsible he was also very grim, pedantic, meticulous and utterly inflexible. For him to have called him to his solar out of his normal schedule, indicated some extenuating circ.u.mstances indeed, this line of thought was further confirmed upon seeing Ser Harbert Gower, the master-at-arms of Storm''s End waiting to me admitted into Stannis'' solar.


    Both men eventually came upon the door which was now guarded by a Baratheon man-at-arms as well as Stannis'' personal sworn-sword, Qarro Volentin, a Braavosi Stannis had hired when he was a child to teach him the way of the sword, but soon became one of Stannis'' most loyal and fiercest protectors, a dawning look appeared in his eyes as he knocked on the door and announced their presence.


    "Bid them enter", the low growl of Stannis'' voice resonated through the hall, both men nodded silently at each other before they made their way into the young Baratheon''s solar.


    Ser Harbert and himself entered the room, Harbert of course hurrying to where their Lord sat behind his desk, the scratching of a quill on parchment the only sound in the room. He slowly walked after him, noticing that Stannis had not even raised his eyes from what he was doing once, neither to acknowledge their entrance nor when either of them had sat before his desk, without asking if could they sit, a privilege he only afforded Cressen, Qarro and Renly, not Ser Harbert.


    They sat there, Ser Harbert becoming increasingly annoyed as Stannis worked on the doc.u.ment before him. As a Maester Cressen was accustomed to being ignored momentarily, but it was not a trait Ser Harbert shared. This continued until finally he took the pot of wax from where it sat on a stand above a lighted candle, pouring a small amount of the wax onto the doc.u.ment and impressing the Baratheon Sigil that was embossed unto his ring into the pool of molten wax.


    Stannis flicked his gaze over to them and Cressen noticed that he looked even more grim and impassive than usual if that was even possible and Nevermore, the Raven perched upon his shoulder, somehow mimicked his owners'' countenance, looking downtrodden and serious overall. Stannis bent down briefly and poured Ser Harbert and Cressen a goblet of wine each, their eyebrows shooting up in surprise at this, "Stannis never offered nor drank wine.", they both thought. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but Cressen could briefly glimpse in his ward''s blue eyes that Stannis knew what they were thinking and could feel amus.e.m.e.nt at their surprise, but he shook his head and drank modestly, interested in what new oddities this day would bring.


    Stannis waited for both him and Gower to finish before sipping at their wine before his blue eyes suddenly became hard as flint and equally as merciless flicked to the both of them briefly until he sighed tiredly and said: "I hope your ravens have been well fed and watered Cressen.", as grimly as his countenance as the atmosphere he had managed to create would warrant.


    "They are my lord, but why do you ask?", he said judiciously. Stannis rubbed his forehead and his blue eyes blazed with something he hadn''t seen in him since his parents died in the shipwreck, worry.


    "I ask because you will be sending a lot of them, Robert plans to call his banners.", Stannis answered simply.


    Both men''s faces were shocked at this, but before they could voice their very fair questions and objections Stannis raised a hand to silence them and said: "I don''t know this for a fact, but I do know Lords Rickard and Brandon Stark were executed by the mad king and that he will likely demand Ned Stark''s head as well¡­", he trailed off for a moment before continuing, "my drunken oaf of a brother will have been pushed over the edge, I suspect he''s on his way right now in fact."


    "You mean to call your banners in rebellion against the crown?", Ser Harbert asked affronted and Stannis nodded sharply: "I take my oaths seriously in general, to my King especially, but they pale in comparison to the sacred ties of Family, if Robert intends to fight, then I''ll side with him.", he shot back.


    "And if you''re wrong?", Ser Harbert asked simply, Stannis met his gaze with steely eyed determination and his jaw clenching and unclenching, being the only thing that betrayed his anger, until he said: "I''ll do my duty and take responsibility, it would seem those ravens to Castle Black were not a waste of time after all.", the last part was said in jest though it made Cressen grimace and Ser Harbert briefly nod with approval, before sighing as an indication of his acquiescence and finally meeting Stannis'' gaze with the same determination that had characterized the gruff old knight throughout his whole career.


    "What would you have of us?", Cressen decided to ask straight to the point as Stannis liked it and sure enough Stannis nodded approvingly and said: "Send Ravens to all the houses, except the Conningtons asking them to muster their troops at Storm''s End and bring as much food as they can reasonably spare, also tell my uncle Lomas that I''ll be sending Renly along to him, he''s too young to endure a siege and it''ll be the safest place for him barring Winterfell or the Eyrie."


    Both men''s eyebrows once again shot up, before Ser Harbert incredulously asked the same question Cressen had on his mind: "You expect a siege!?"


    Stannis nodded sharply and said: "Robert will likely take most of the forces I gather as soon as he arrives, he''ll leave me with little food and a bare bones garrison, something the Tyrells will no doubt take advantage of. They should be at the gates within three weeks, two if Mace Tyrell defers to Randyll Tarly.", he paused before getting up from his chair and pulling out a map of Storm''s End, unfolding it he pointed at the surrounding area and said: "Storm''s End is easily the third most defensible castle in Westeros, they could march here with the combined might of the Reach and they still wouldn''t breach our walls", he now pointed at Shipbreaker''s Bay and said, "they''ll try to starve us out by using the Redwyne fleet to blockade the keep and their army to stop food from getting to us from our vassals."


    "That''s where you come in Ser Harbert, I need you to take some men and forage the surrounding area for all the food you can reasonably recover, I don''t want to let those bastards have even the scraps", Stannis commanded with steel in his voice, Ser Harbert bowed an exited the room with an impressed look on his face, presumably on his way to completing his task.


    "Stannis, why not the Conningtons if I may ask?", Cressen knew better that to question a Lord''s decision outright once it had been made, but he was there to offer advice, and with this issue it seemed prudent. Stannis thought on how to phrase his answer for a moment, before he began with: "Are you aware of why House Lannister is currently the strongest house in Westeros?"


    The non-sequitur threw Cressen of kilter for a moment, first of all the fact that a Lord had admitted that another house was superior to his was, no matter how true, very surprising in it of itself, but also utilizing the Lannisters, a house Stormlanders normally held little except contempt for, was even stranger. He ignored these self-posed questions and instead opted for trying to answer the initial question Stannis had posed, his mind immediately wandered to the simply absurd amount of gold in the Westerlands, but his musings were interrupted by the song Stannis had begun to hum. He recognized it of course, who in Westeros didn''t, ''The Rains of Castamere''.


    "You mean you believe them to be as strong as they are because they wiped out the Rains?!", Cressen asked incredulously. Stannis nodded gravely and began, "Tywin Lannister has the absolute loyalty of every single one of his bannermen, despite the fact that even most of his close family despises him¡­", he paused here to let that sink in, "This loyalty is not solely born from fear, but rather the fact that House Lannister can''t be ousted from power as there is no one in the Westerlands strong enough to do so. Every single House Paramount has a rival that could potentially replace them, the Tullys have the Freys, the Arryns have Grafftons, the Starks the Boltons, the Tyrells the Florents.", he paused to see if he had Cressen''s undivided attention, which he did, before he finished, "¡­and we have the Conningtons, I fully expect them to side with the Crown if a war breaks out, don''t get me wrong, I hope they don''t, but if they try my patience the Griffons will weep o''er their halls with no one left to hear.", Stannis'' expression was severe as he said that last part, so severe that it made Cressen involuntarily shiver as Stannis never made a threat benign or otherwise that he wasn''t perfectly willing to carry out.


    Cressen rose up from his chair, a determined expression on his face, he bowed and left to accomplish his task, but before he could cross the threshold of the door Stannis interjected: "Oh and Cressen", handing him a list, "see if you can have the castellan procure some of the items on this list, it''s not as high a priority as Renly or the food, but they''ll be useful", Cressen nodded with a proud smile and left to do his Lord''s work, looking over the list briefly he exclaimed: "What in seven hells does he need so many pig bladders for!?"


    Renly I


    "But I want to stay and help!", Renly''s voice was laced with all the petulance he could muster, a trait that his older brother could only stomach in him, but Stannis still scrunched his jaw in anger all the same. "Renly, we''ve been over this, if something happens to me and Robert, you''re the future of our house and Uncle Lomas will take good care of you.", Stannis repeated for the nth time. "But I don''t want anything to happen to you!", Renly practically shouted as tears began to gather in his eyes, Stannis kneeled to face him at eye-level, a difficult task considering the older Baratheon was over 6ft tall, but he still managed to hug Renly to his chest and comfort him. The Cheshire grin that only showed itself with close friends slowly began to appear on Stannis'' features as he said in a faux worried voice, "Gods, I should hope not Renly, I don''t want anything to happen to me either.", the unexpectedness of the response was enough to throw both of them into a fit of laughter, or in Renly''s case a half laugh, half cry.


    They eventually gathered themselves and Stannis gazed at him with all traces of levity vanishing from his features before he said, "Renly, I''ve got no intention of being Sean Bean.", the private joke they shared stemming from a made-up story Stannis used to tell Renly when they were both younger, he understood the implications well enough, Stannis was saying he has no intentions of dying.


    Renly sobered up and nodded, making his way to pack his clothes to board the next ship bound for Tarth, he sent his brother a thankful look, though he still wished he could remain with him to help somehow, his brother gazed at him with a small smile, a rarity on his normally solemn features, before he said, "Oh, and Renly¡­"


    "Yes, Stannis?", he turned back to see what his brother wanted.


    "Be good", he said simply. Renly rolled his eyes and made for his chambers.


    Stannis I


    Make no mistake, synthesizing chlorine gas in medieval times was anything but an easy task. You might be wondering, "What the hell, is this guy going to WW1-Germany the Tyrells?!", and the answer to that is yes, very much so, yes. I have no intentions of slowly starving to death in Storm''s End while simultaneously looking out for people who might betray the castle just to get something to eat. I knew I''d have to grit my teeth, (read: furiously grind), and bear it, until the would-be onion-knight showed up. A little starvation was a relatively minor price to pay for someone you could unequivocally trust in the Game of Thrones, not to mention the fact that an experienced sailor like Davos would be an integral part of my later plans to claim the throne. I was also quite curious to see if he looked anything like Liam Cunningham, the world so far was an eclectic mix of book and show in terms of looks. The Baratheons as in Robert, Renly and myself looked nothing like our respective actors, but Cressen looked eerily like the old man who had played him in the show and Tywin Lannister looked almost exactly like Charles Dance, except he was slightly bulkier and had sideburns that would put a Civil War general to shame.


    It was with these inane musings that I returned to my thankless task of synthesizing a 20th century biological weapon with tools that may as well be scraps, it was much easier than expected and thinking about it now I''m surprised that more school shooters and terrorists don''t use it. Chlorine or Mustard gas essentially has two components Chlorine (no shit sherlock!) and Ammonia, which for all intents and purposes in medieval times essentially translates to Bleach and Piss, as in I only have to mix those two things together so that a large chunk of the army outside of my gates dies painfully. The difficulty lay in synthesizing the chlorine to make the Bleach, but I was getting on quite well. The items I had asked Cressen to get for me were as eclectic as it gets, mostly animal parts and copper forged into thin strands (wires) and I was sure he was starting to think that I was performing blood magic in the cellar, which in all honesty wasn''t too far off, as I was essentially sacrificing pigs and turning them into a magic miasma that''ll kill our enemies, the thought made me snort with amus.e.m.e.nt outwardly.


    No, as I said the actual difficulty lied in synthesizing the Bleach. You needed a lot of chlorine for that, but luckily, I was making a lot of headway with my electrolysis. Essentially, I put two nails inside a small glass with sea-water, I run an electrical current through the nails and badda-bing badda-boom, the Salt or NaCl, breaks up into its respective components, and I trap the gas I actually need inside a pig''s bladder. The electric current coming from a guerilla style, ancient Egyptian battery which worked with Zink, stomach-acid (pigs were harmed in the making of this battery), and clay as an insulator, now if only I could learn actual alchemy to speed this whole process up¡­


    Davos I


    After arriving in the hidden cleft of Storm''s End he had discovered in his youth and announcing his intentions several times he was quickly ushered into the solar of acting Lord Paramount Stannis Baratheon. He had taken a risk here and he knew it, Stannis was anything but lenient and he despised Pirates more than anyone else. To the point where he had even ordered the small fleets the Stormlands possessed to periodically sweep the Stepstones of their presence, something which hadn''t been properly done since the War of the Ninepenny Kings and did not initially make him popular with his vassals, even still Lord Stannis persisted. Though Davos was not exactly a pirate he doubted that any Lord would make the very reasonable distinction between piracy and smuggling and he could only pray to the Seven that the hunger his men were experiencing would be enough to turn a healthy profit, perhaps even enough to retire and spend more time with his wife and children.


    Once he crossed the threshold of the door, he noticed the young man who had not even deigned to cast his gaze up to him sitting behind a large wooden desk which looked to him like it was made of some very fine and expensive, wood. Lord Stannis, he noticed belatedly, had a way of using his presence to dominate every room he found himself in, much like some experienced captains Davos had worked under in his youth. The posh cunt had not bidden him sit, and he knew better than to offend a Lord''s sensibilities by doing so without permission, so he just stood in the middle of the room while fidgeting awkwardly.


    After a few moments Lord Stannis put down his quill, presumably having finished writing whatever he was working on, and he finally cast his gaze upon him. If he was fidgeting awkwardly before he lacked the words to describe what he was doing now as the young Baratheon''s stare feltlike it pierced his soul, Stannis feigned a cough to gain Davos'' attention though he had it before and said: "So what brings a famous smuggler like yourself to come visit us?"


    That stopped Davos cold, his mind whirling and tumbling and refusing to come up with any answers, eventually he managed to croak out a weak, "famous¡­?"


    "Oh yes, quite famous indeed", Lord Stannis began his tone almost jovial, though the ''disarming'' smile he plastered on his face sent shivers down Davos'' spine, "you needn''t worry however, you aren''t very well known among other Lords, but I take an interest in learning about capable men such as yourself and don''t worry I fully intend to pay you a fair price which includes the dangerous task of circ.u.mnavigating the Redwyne fleet for each and every onion you''ve brought." At Davos'' uncomfortable countenance and Stannis'' disapproving look he merely said: "Pardon me milord, but I half expected to have my right hand chopped off, not the skills I''ve gained in my trade be praised", Davos commented wryly and to his immense surprise Stannis actually let out a small chuckle at this.


    "I do have that reputation, don''t I?", Stannis asked rhetorically before shaking his head and continuing while gesturing at the paper he had placed on his desk, "here you are Davos, payment for services rendered and all that."


    It pained him to admit this to a respectable customer who would actually pay him no questions asked, "Pardon me milord, but I''m afraid I can''t read¡­", he began before Stannis waved him off and said, "then I''ll read it for you, in exchange for providing sufficient food to prevent the starvation of Strom''s End''s garrison Davos of the newly created House Seaworth will be provided a knighthood and a small keep on the cape wrath peninsula.", Stannis'' expression practically exuded equanimity, which was good as Davos was fairly sure that his own face was slack-jawed and stupid.


    "Why?", he managed to ask breathlessly, "I''m a good judge of character.", Stannis said simply, the vague reply bewildering Davos even more before Stannis continued, "Fighters and Intriguers I have aplenty, but an experienced sailor who presumably has contacts across the narrow-sea and who has the stones to tell me what he thinks and not what he thinks I want to hear well, let''s just say I could use more of those."


    Mace I


    He strutted up to the massive wooden doors of the fortress they were besieging, his attitude c.o.c.ky as a peac.o.c.k, along with his party consisting of himself, his cousin Paxter and Lord Matthis Rowan with a detail of guards. Visiting and arguing with the "Stubborn Stag", as his men had dubbed Stannis was not a task he particularly enjoyed doing, but it was the only way to make him see sense and cease this futile resistance. As his party got closer and closer to the wall, he could vaguely make out the sounds of archers on the par.a.p.ets preparing to lose their arrows, though unlike Lord Rowan he didn''t fear for his life, despite being the single most infuriating man he''d ever had the displeasure of meeting the young Baratheon was nothing if not pedantic, so he''d probably have to be driven to lengths beyond even starvation to break a sacred rule of war like the truce.


    "Who goes there?", a voice bellowed out, the slight Braavosi accent marking the speaker as Qarro Volentin, Stannis'' sworn-sword and a man who had single-handedly killed five experienced knights when they had initially tried to storm the walls.


    "Lord Mace Tyrell, here to discuss terms with Lord Stannis.", he said simply and this time avoided saying something along the lines of ''you should damn well know who by now, you essosi barbarian'', tongue and cheek answers like that which were more reminiscent of his mother than himself would only get him snubbed by the Baratheon as he''d learned the hard-way. "A moment please.", the voice returned from the other side of the door, and a few moments later a latch clicked open to reveal the hateful blue-eyed glare of the young Baratheon quickly scanning over the lords he''d brought with him, before landing on him, ''does he have no other way to look at one apart from skull-f.u.c.k.i.n.g one with his eyes?'', Mace wondered idly.


    "Lord Tyrell, a pleasure to see you again, is there anything I can do for you?", Stannis drawled impassively though the sarcasm when he''d said pleasure came through loud and clear. Mace stifled a chuckle, but he couldn''t help smiling ruefully. The Stag could be as stubborn as a mule and his tongue was sharper than most, though he was inured to this through a lifetime of criticism by his mother and thus Stannis'' lackl.u.s.ter insults had little to no effect on him.


    "You know what I''m here for¡­", he began, before Stannis interjected with, "yes, yes, open the gates, surrender unconditionally, there''s no way your brother can win, you''ll be treated fairly¡­", he drawled his voice hard set and unemotional, "no need to repeat the same conversation we''ve already had fifty times, but as it happens I have something new to say this time."


    Between the two Lords Stannis was the master of using his glare to intimidate people, so Mace never even bothered, and instead simply raised a bemused eyebrow and asked, "Oh, and what would that be?"


    "A warning", Stannis began in a tone one would use if one wanted to announce they needed to make water, "if you don''t march your fat-ass out of the Stormlands yesterday, a lot of your men are going to die very painfully. Though for my part, it would be most welcome if you stayed so I may extract due price for your enmity."


    Mace barely managed to avoid laughing at the absurdity of the jape, though his cousin and Lord Rowan lacked the same self-control, and they nearly fell off their mounts laughing at the desperate bluff the Stag had seen fit to use, Mace smiled at him, the fact that he was resorting to such pointless tactics only proved his desperation and said, "Tighten your belt then my lord, and we shall see whose men will die.", then promptly signaled for his party to return to camp, he''d really wished he''d stayed in Highgarden and allowed Tarly to deal with all of this shit, but being a Lord Paramount meant pretending to be a capable commander and thus waste his time doing shit like this.


    If he''d stayed, he might have further pondered the look Stannis had given him. It was not one of hate for laughing at his ''bluff'', nor one of his typical impassive looks that gave absolutely nothing away, it was something Mace had never seen on the Baratheon''s face before, a smile, a small and fleeting one, but a smile, nonetheless. Not one of warmth that a mother might share with her child, but rather one of a hunter who had just found out how to kill his prey and was letting it know.


    The reason for that look become clear soon enough as he was violently woken from his night''s sleep by the alarm that indicated that their camp was being attacked by projectiles, he''d thought they had set up their tents just out of range from Storm''s End''s catapults, but apparently they were chucking what looked like large stones over to them, he panicked but only slightly, after all, they could just move their tents back and nothing else would come of it. But once the projectiles landed, Mace realized that they weren''t stones at all, but rather barrels that contained what smelled to him like rancid piss.


    It soon dawned on everyone that the Stag didn''t do this as some sort of twisted prank or desperate gambit as a yellowish miasma began to rise from the puddles of liquid that had exploded out of the barrels. Mace had seen several battles in his day, though none as large as this one he''d admit, but the sight of his men running and screaming, emerging with burnt caustic skin reminiscent of what he''d imagined people with greyscale looked like scared him to his core, ''Stannis had told the truth'', his mind seemed to say to him on repeat, the screams of his men aiding and abetting the exacerbation of his fear, "Retreat!", he bellowed in his most commanding voice, it was not an organized retreat, there was no time for that with the amount of fear both the men and the commanders were experiencing, as the panic began to set in seasoned soldiers turned into callow milksops and ran for their lives, the only commanders who could have possibly brought order to this mess were Paxter Redwyne who was with his fleet and Randyll Tarly, who was caught in the middle of the Baratheon''s spell.


    It would forever be remembered as the day Stannis Baratheon made the whole of the Reach scurry away like a scared group of rabbits.


    A/N


    Hey guys, as always hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you did please drop a review, that warm feeling you guys get whenever a story updates is the same feeling most writers get whenever we see a new review, so please take some time to do it. At any rate, I know I rushed Davos'' stuff but honestly, I didn''t want to spend too much time on him seeing as how everyone can guess how it turned out. So, addressing some of your concerns in the order I found them in:


    A Hobbit is a race from J.R.R Tolkien''s "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings", they''re basically dwarves who farm instead of mine, have hairy feet and are generally very nice, but not very adventurous. Their mention in the story is an ''Easter Egg'' which indicates that Stannis has basically been telling Renly stories from our world, including the work of Mr. Tolkien.


    Yeah, I just can''t see a way for a pairing with Dany to fit into the story logically without some major leaps from what would be essential for the SI to do to stop the Ice Zombies.


    Yeah, even in this story Robert is much more popular than Stannis wo there''s no way he could successfully lead a counter-rebellion against his older brother.


    Stannis is not the older brother, it goes Robert, Stannis, Renly.


    Yeah, I made Renly a little older than in Cannon because I wanted him and Stannis to interact a little more before he leaves.


    Arianne Martell won the poll results and to my immense delight Sansa Stark lost by a wide margin, while a pairing with her would''ve made a lot of sense in the story and I could have written her fairly well I always disliked her chapters in the books.

 Chapter 97 - My SI Stash #97 - Skywalker: A Fanon Story by Imjustttryingtofindmyway (Star Wars)

    -SI as Anakin Skywalker. This is the best SI fic that the author has done IMO. The Spider was still a fun read though~


    Sypnosis: Self insert into Anakin Skywalker''s body. Raising himself to be someone worthy as the title of ''Chosen'' to be a Jedi seems too Rigid, a Sith too selfish. War over idelogies was too stupid a reason to die...war for power to vain. M for safety concerns.


    Rated: M


    Words: 67K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13162815/1/Skywalker-A-Fanon-Story (I''mjusttryingtofindmyway)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Half of Chapter 1 ( 20K-limit prevents me from fully posting the chapter)


    The Chosen One


    "Ani! Ani!"


    I hate that name. I looked up, she smiled down at me. I couldn''t help but sigh and smile back, "yes mother?"


    Shmi Skywalker groaned, "Ani...did I do something? Are you upset with me?"


    I blinked, "no! Of course not!"


    "Then why don''t you call me mom anymore?" Shmi asked, obviously hurt.


    I sighed, "I...I just thought since I''m older now I should probably stop talking like a child," I gulped, praying she believed me.


    She groaned, "well...you know you don''t have to grow up that quickly yes? You can still be kid Ani..."


    "I know..." I replied looking away from her and the small meager hole in the wall we now called home. The twin suns overhead burnt me down, I began to sweat profusely, and the sand, God I hate the sand. Woah...sounded a bit like the real Anakin Skywalker for a second¡­


    "Well..be careful today, you understand me my big strong man?" Shmi smiled as she ruffled my hair and checked the backpack I carried, "I''m sure Watto has a lot of work for you today, so remember to stay hydrated, do you understand? And remember-"


    A flash of memories came through my head, memories of Anakin''s life before I came into his body. "-Don''t talk to strangers, yes mother, I know," the memories told me so. They also told me what Shmi would do next.


    She leaned forward and placed a sloppy kiss on my cheek, I flinched a little, the physical contact feeling odd, "please don''t''...you''re embarrassing me."


    "Well tough," Shmi grinned like a cat as she ruffled my hair once more, "now go on. And be careful!"


    "Right...bye," I waved at her and walked away, pulling my backpack closer as I made my was to...what''s his name again? The flying bug thing? Blue...smells funny...oh right! Watto! That''s his name!


    My memory of the movies came sparingly but my memories of Anakin Skywalker''s life...well, that was far more prominent.


    I woke up in this...form, a few days ago. Apparently ''Ani'' had a high fever, caused by overworking. But as Anki went in...I came out.


    I honestly don''t remember much of my own life, whatever did...this, caused my own personal memories to be jumbled. It took me a day to understand this wasn''t my normal body, another to realise just whose body I was in.


    I was...well, I was shit scared.


    The implications alone...Anakin Skywalker...Darth Vader...the Chosen One, the man without Fear. I was him, he was me. And...f.u.c.k.i.n.g hell it''s hot here! Damn, I swear I can roast an egg on the sidewalk!


    I made my way to the dusty town I was living in, it was apparently actually a city called Mos Espa, but anything this small and shitty can''t qualify for a city ranking. At least in my books.


    I made my way through the market of the main city and moved to the edge, where I approached a large junkyard that was both amazing and terrifying at the same time. Amazing because off all the spaceship parts just lying around, horrifying because of who those parts belonged to.


    "Hey! Ani! You are late!" the mocking voice of Watto my¡­.employer called out. I looked up at him with narrowed eyes, the bug flew out of small workshop at the front of the junkyard, his form matching his smell, both disgusting.


    "Sorry...I was still feeling a little down," I replied.


    Smack!


    I felt his slap sting my cheek, it had hit me hard enough to send me back. I looked back up and glared, "what? You going to do something?!" the bug asked, laughing as he did.


    Of course...I could do nothing. Thought I wanted too. I so wanted too. I wouldn''t usually react so..poorly, but right now I was in the body of a seven year old child...a child. And his slave master just struck him.


    If I was older, in another body and saw this situation happening again...I doubt the bug would be alive.


    "Get up!" Watto cried as he buzzed around, the stench alone enough to force me to my feet, "get inside and start working! I got some new power converters that you have to fix up! Do it before lunch, or no lunch!"


    "Yes Watto," I replied monotonously as I entered the junk shop and went to my small work station, a small table filled with broken tech and other random garbade.


    I placed my bag on the table and got on top of a stool and looked down at the machinery before me. I gulped, they all looked so...complex. I don''t even think I ever saw a machine come in that form.


    I was hesitant to even touch these things, but before I could even think I was hit up the head, hard. "What are you waiting for?! Get to work!" Watto cried out as he flew overhead, "I lost three good days without you! I won''t have a waste of space here! Work or get out!"


    I glared at the bug. Did people honestly think he was a representation of jewish people? I know jewish people, they might like investing and being careful with money, but they were never ever cruel to me!


    Wait...I remembered something! I blinked as I realised the new memories flowing into my head were more pictures and recollections than actual memories. It was like seeing a picture of a painting or a movie. Bauge but...still there.


    I think I remember seeing a jewish person before but...I don''t remember who.


    "Ani! Work!" Watto cried out as he threw something at my head again. This time though, I knew it was coming, ducking to the side to avoid the coupling that he threw at my head. Honestly, so predictable.


    I sighed as I turned back and glared at the bug, who was already outside, drinking something vile looking out of his cantin. God how I hated him.


    He seemed to have noticed me staring as he turned and glared, "what are you looking at!?"


    I turned away, the anger still present. I sighed and slowly let it go, it was obviously not important. For now...I need to figure out how in hell I''m going to fix these...power converts was it?


    I picked them up and looked them over, a long cylindrical flask with a donut shaped ring around it. It was big, clunk, something was jinggling inside, probably the zeta wave transmitter, meaning I would need to change its internal system to get to work. Hm, I think Anakin left some spare weld tools in the back and¡­.


    What the hell was that?


    One moment I was totally confused,the next I knew exactly what I was holding and what to do to fix it. Did I...not just get Anakin Skywalker''s memories but also his knowledge? Anakin Skywalker was an engineering genius, he was...he built a robot from scratch, could I do the same?


    "Ani!"


    This time, I felt the hand coming to slap me. I didn''t know how, but I knew it was coming for me...like a third person view of behind my head.


    And so I ducked, avoidin his fists. I tuned, Watton was stunned and slowly my eyes winded, "shit!"


    "You brat!" he slapped me this time, hard enough to knock me off the stool. He flew down and spat on my clothes, "filth! This''ll teach you to try and fool your master! Get back to work! And I swear if I see you slacking off again, I''ll blow your head off!"


    He flew away, grumbling under his breath. I pulled myself up, fear of the threat lingering. I was his property, he could do that. But...but...what was that?


    The first time he threw something at me, I heard him grunt before he threw it, I knew he would try something and I heard the heavy machine fly threw the air. But now?


    Now it was just pure instinct...or rather...oh my god. Anakin Skywalker...the Force! The f.u.c.k.i.n.g Force! I have the Force!


    "Anakin!"


    "Right! Right!" I called back, returning to the work at hand, grabbing the tools needed to fix the stupid junk on my desk for Waldo. But as I did, I realised something. This world I was in...it was just a part of a galaxy...a galaxy far far away and a long time ago.


    Sith, jedi, lightsabers! Holy hells please tell me this isn''t a dream! Though from the pain in my cheek, it wasn''t.


    I watched Gatto from the corner of my eye and saw him walk around trying to gain customers and failing. Obviously, nobody liked him, and for good reason.


    According to Anakin''s memories he was rude to people, greedy and very very lazy. Anakin did all the work...no wonder he said they couldn''t work while I was out sick, he literally couldn''t.


    He was a drunk and a gambler, a bug and sc.u.m of the worst kind. And a slaver.


    I need to get out from his grasp. I need to be free. And...I suppose Shmi as well. I can''t just let that poor woman continue to be a slave. I can''t imagine why Anakin ever left his mother the first time around, what a brat!


    But then again, he was just that, a child. He was so impressionable, he wanted to be a jedi, one of the legendary jedi. He wanted to be a hero to protect his mother, not realising he had to give her up in the process.


    I didn''t want either of those things¡­.I guess...I just want to be free...yeah...free.


    I looked at Watto, until I could figure a way to be free, I would be stuck with him. So for now, I''ll be quite, focus on the damn stupid power converters. So I did just that, looking down at the machine before me and trying to focus. What even was this?


    And the answer suddenly came to me. It transformed various types of electrical current into a different charge. This unit converted energy into a type 2 charge, which is used in minor machines like droids and other such units.


    And I began to work. Almost tirelessly I worked with my tiny little hands, trying to figure out how to go about this the right way. It was difficult, this body was only 7 years old, but I think...I think I was managing it.


    It took me four hours, I''m guessing, to finish them all up. By then I was hungry, beyond hungry. I had stayed rooted in one spot and worked, actually...going into a sort of trance as I did. I smiled, was this the Force? Was it really that simple to access it?


    Honestly it made me excited, the Force. Damn, what an amazing thing! I doubt I actually used the Force consciously right now, I mean, wasn''t the deal that you had to meditate or something? Either Way, I was done, meaning I could finally get something to eat.


    I walked up to Watto, who by now, since it was mid day, had taken to sleeping away in a corner, cuddled up into a ball.


    "Hey Waldo, I''m going for lunch," I told him in a soft tone.


    "W-what?" he blinked away his sleepiness and looked around, spotting me and immediately glaring, "what are you doing?! I told you, no food until you fix those stupid converters!''


    "They are fixed," I pointed at the machines on my table, now looking cleaner and looking far more efficient, "now, can I eat?"


    The bug scoffed, "fixed? Already? Don''t lie to me Ani, I know it would take at least a day to fix these model, these droid converter are tricky things," he flew over and checked them out, "why I myself would have taken-what?!"


    His eyes widened as he examined the fixed devices, turning back to me and then the machines. He took them apart and checked the insides, looking shocked that they were actually fixed.


    "H-how?!"


    I shrugged, "I''m just that good. Anyway, can I eat now? I''m starving," and I was. I wonder, if I go around will I see a cantina? Oh! That would be so exciting to see! A real hive of sc.u.m and villainy!


    "Eh-I...no!" Watto suddenly cried out.


    I blinked, "what? Why not?"


    "Ah-a new order just came in! Very special! I need you to look into them and fix them quickly. Only you can do ti Ani, they require your special skills!" Watto took out a box of junk and placed it on my table, smiling a greedy little smile.


    I raised an eyebrow and looked into the box, it was filled with...junk...just junk. Some of these would never work...unless I made them work. There is potential here, don''t'' get me wrong. But they just seem too much of a hassle.


    "This is a special order?" I asked, my disbelief clearly shown.


    "Oh yes! Yes it is! And they asked especially for you! Now doesn''t that make you feel special Ani?!"


    I blinked, was he seriously trying to trick me with such a stupid lie. I opened my mouth to object, but before I could say a thing, Watto grabbed the power converts I fixed up and flew out of the junk shop.


    "If you don''t fix everything inside that box by the time I come back, you can''t have lunch!" he took out a remote and pressed a button, causing the grill gates on the shop''s windows and door to come down, lokcing me inside.


    "Hey! You can''t do this!" I cried out slamming against the door with my foot, "let me out!"


    "Work hard Ani!" Watto cried out as he laughed, flying away on those beady little wings of his.


    I growled as I slammed the gate a few more times to no avail. I sighed and turned around, sitting down on the desk and looking at the box before me.


    I didn''t have a choice...it was do or die. So I pushed my hunger down, something Anakin''s body was used to do, and pushed ahead.


    I unloaded the box and looked inside. Junk, junk, junk...interesting junk¡­.junk and...oh, what''s this?


    I sighed how did he expect me to fix all these? I sighed and pushed the box away and sighed at the junk before me, leaning back and staring off into the distant, bored outta my mind.


    Anakin Skywalker...I was Darth Vader...or rather the man he as before he fell to the dark side. Would Sidious try and turn me? Would it work? A jedi...Obi-Wan...Padme Amidala...woah¡­.I might get to f.u.c.k Natalie Portman!


    But as I let my mind wander to the amazing world I was now a part off, I grew curious. The Force...could I even use it?


    I looked down at the junk before me and grew curious. I had done this little trick so many times in my old life. Tried to pull the remote from across the room by holding out my hand and focusing. This time...would it actually work?


    I held out my hand towards a cylindrical piece of junk. I think it was some kind of lever, btu if one used a bit of childish imagination, they could imagine it as the handle of a lightsaber.


    I focused, narrowing my eyes and the desire for the object filled my thoughts. ''Come on...come on...come to me...''


    And then, it shock.


    I was so shocked I jumped off my seat and approached it. I observed it carefully, I looked at every single inch of the thrown out object, it had moved just an inch.


    Growing boldend and filled with a look of awe I stepped back and stood feet apart, my entire focus on the object.


    I held out my hand. I focused, I did nothing else, my breathing being the only distraction. And then...it happened.


    It flew off the table and immediately my fingers closed around it as I rested in my hand. Immediately I took a step back and held it with both hand, the thought of a blue blade spouting off the end filled my mind as I smiled.


    ''I have the Force¡­.holy shit, I have the Force!'' my smiled would have seemed almost manicaish to anyone else. Thank God I was alone.


    I needed to see more of this, I needed to do it again. I immediately placed the cylinder on the table and stepped back, further this time.


    I held my hand otu, the object rolled off the table, neared the edge before suddenly zooming out into my hand.


    The next time it didn''t even move. I was confused why, I did all the same things But then I quickly realised why, I wasn''t focusing, I was distracted. I needed to focus. So I closed my eyes and tried again, this time, it flew.


    One time it landed on the ground and I had to pull it up with the force alone. Then another time it began to hop around, moving kettle over bell before it flew into my hand.


    I lost track of time, I was just so enchanted by the mere process of the rod moving into my hand. Slowly, I began to feel something, something small, in the back of my head, a small pull. A small...something.


    I think it was the Force...no, I know it''s the Force. A small sensation that obeyed me, but like a cat, stubborn, resilient. I had to push it to work for me, the longer or stronger my request was, the better it worked.


    And then, after probably the hundredth time I did so, I looked at the rod and wondered, could I do the opposite? A Force Push I think it was called...Hm...I looked at the rode, put my hand up and held the rod with the tips of my fingers.


    I focused on the object, and closed my eyes. The feeling of being pulled, I reserved it. It was difficult, but I think I could do it, it was like reading a word backwards, it started out slowly at first, but the more I repeated, the easier it came until-


    KRASH!


    My eyes flew open as I saw the rod had flown out of my hand and into the wall, sticking out like a broken support beam in the structure. I gulped, of God¡­ THAT WAS SO AMAZING!


    I held out my hand and begged the rod to come back, and slowly it began to wiggle.


    ''Move...'' I whispered, ''come on...move...move...MOVE~''


    It shook and suddenly it came into my hand, pulling the wall apart. It slammed into my hand and I failed to catch it.


    It fell to the ground, I grunted in pain, stupid thing. I picked it up and rubbed my hand. Maybe next time I should be more gentle.


    An hour later:


    I held the rod in mid air, my hands wide apart as it slowly spun around an imaginary axis, slightly tilted to the right. I was sweating hard, it was...difficult, pushing and pulling it at the same time.


    I think I was doing something wrong, it shouldn''t be this hard...should it? Anakin''s is supposed to be the strongest Force user in the history of the Jedi and Sith¡­.was it because of me? Is it because I''m not really Anakin? Because I''m someone else?


    Groan!


    I chuckled, my stomach was rumbling, I looked out the window, it was already night time. The whole day went by and I was hungry but...I think Anakin''s body was used to hunger, it didn''t hurt that badly.


    But I was hungry, still hungry. I sighed, closing my eyes to push away the hunger and suddenly I heard the sound of metal hitting the floor.


    I groaned, the rod had fallen down. I sighed and picked it up and looked it over. This whole thing...it was a difficult process but...I think it''s just a steep learning curve I have to worry about, nothing else. I smiled, a jedi huh...I think that might be a pretty decent future.


    Bang!


    The door flew open as Watoo flew in carrying a box of what looked like another set of power converters. "Ani! We got another order, you have-" he stopped abruptly as his beady eyes landed on the hole I had accidentally made in the wall with the first time I pushed the rod away.


    "What did you do!?" Watto dropped the box and turned to me, fury in his eyes. "You stupid child! I leave you in here for a few hours and you do this to my shop!?"


    "I-I, it was an accident," I gulped. I was so focused with my new power that I didn''t realise what I had done. The amazement of being able to move something with my mind it distracted me from the thoughts of what I actually did.


    "You stupid boy!" he cried out as suddenly a flash of pain was felt across my face.


    The next thing I knew I was on the ground, my cheeks in pain. He had hit me, hard.


    "You think you''re special because you are good with machines?!" he grabbed the rod I was playing with and brought it down, hard.


    The dull sound of flesh being beaten rang out over and over again. I curled into a ball, holding my head, trying to protect any vital parts.


    "You forget that I''m your master boy! I own you and your whore mother!" again and again the hits came until after what felt like an eternity they stopped. He threw it away, I heard his disgusting voice pant as he flew over me.


    "You will learn to treat my property with the respect it deserves boy," he spat, the liquid staningin my head, I could feel it seep into my hair, it felt disgusting. He flew away, I peeked from behind my hands and saw him sit down on his seat and pant.


    "You''re disgusting," he growled as he took out a glass pipe of some kind. He took a deep breath of the vapour inside and puffed it out, "you know...I think I should teach your mother a lesson too. Just so that I know you will learn."


    And then, images and memories from the deepest parts of Anakin''s memories resurfaced. The child that had this body didn''t understand the noises he heard from his mother''s room at night. He didn''t understand the sly smile Watto would always send his mother wasn''t of contempt, but l.u.s.t.


    Shmi Skywalker gave up so much for her son. Anakin must have suppressed these memories, or he just didn''t realise what they meant. But i did. Oh...I did.


    I was on my feet before I realised I was moving. Watto noticed me move and raised an eyebrow, "hm? What boy? You want more?"


    I hated him, I hate him, I hate him. She wasn''t my mother, I knew that, a part of my brain understood that perfectly. But f.u.c.k that, and f.u.c.k Watto. A woman was being rapped by this thing before me, it had to go.


    I wanted him dead, I raised a hand, I''ll crush his head, I''ll break it apart. I focused on the idea of pushing him back, of making him suffer.


    "What are you doing you stupid boy?" Watto grumbled, "did you become retarded?"


    And I pushed, but what came out wasn''t a force of will.


    Using the Force was like pushing a water out of a pipe, the harder you pushed, the stronger it came. But if you push it hard enough, if you pushed your emotions into it, it came out¡­.twisted.


    Instead of a wall of telekinetic energy, I pushed out a stream of electricity.


    I came out like a blaster bolt, so quick I didn''t realise what had happened until it had already struck Watto.


    "ARGH!" the bug started to scream in pain as he fell down his seat and land head first into the ground.


    Every second he screamed, memories of Anakin''s mothers being abused by this monster came into my head. He made her suffer, he made her bleed. And she took it all, and she smiled, just to make sure Anakin grew up with a loving mother and not a hateful shrew.


    She was a good person, and he was not. So I made up my mind, the scales of justice were broken, I would fix them. And I would begin with this monster before me.


    While at first I was afraid of the idea of using such a dark abblity, now, I didn''t care. Killing him would be too quick, letting him go would mean justice would not be served. But this, the pain...oh the pain was just.


    I focused on my focus on him, I gave him everything I had, the anger, the fury of being helpless, everything. And he screamed.


    The lightning that I threw out grew to a slowly pale colour, from dark blue to a almost teal colour. And as I kept the pain up, my brain started to struggle to give reasons to keep the anger alive.


    Hadn''t he suffered enough? Hadn''t...hadn''t I done enough? No...I haven''t¡­.he needs to understand pain, he needs to understand that the people he hurts have feelings too.


    My heart became lighter, the anger going away, but the desire for justice remained. And slowly, with my change of heart, the lighting too began to change. It grew from a teal shade to a bright yellow.


    The pain filled screams were muffled now, he didn''t feel as much hurt as before, but I could see it still hurt him.


    The lighting covered his body like a cloak. Sparks flew as the lightning hit the ground, it burnt his skin thought, hurting him badly. And then, it struck the pipe he was smoking.


    Anakin''s mind quickly understood what will happen, the lightning would have ignited the systems inside, causing it to explode. I was going to stop before that happened, but I slowly realised something, he hasn''t suffered enough.


    I kept at it, now focusing almost all energy at the pipe and then suddenly.


    BOOM!


    The sound was deafening, and immediately the flames came onto Watto''s body. "KRAA!" the screams were loud and pathetic. I watched as his body spasmed, the lightning hurting him and the flames burning him.


    I watched him burn, I looked around, the junkyard was huge, this workshop was in the middle of it. No one will hear him scream and even if they did¡­.who the f.u.c.k would care about this sc.u.m?


    "HELP! HELP ME!" he began to scream. I watched him cry out in pain. I sighed, he suffered enough. I walked to the far wall where he kept a quick freeze spray, basically a quick acting and powerful fire extinguisher.


    I took my time, taking it off the wall and pointing it at him. I released the spay and immediately the scream were muffled.


    I threw the empty can away and watched his withering burnt form on the ground. His bac was burnt, his wings were nothing. His skin leaked an unholy mixture of blood and the aroma of burnt flesh.


    And then, the panic set in. What was I thinking? I was dead. If people heard a slave tried to burn his master alive¡­.oh God...the bomb.


    Anakin''s memories came in now, the memory which told me why slaves were so obedient. Each of them had a implant in their neck that their owners can use to blow their heads off their body. Like a galactic version of Suicide Squad.


    And I just tried to kill mine. I can''t kill him, no...I won''t kill him. He should suffer with that burnt and whole body. But...if he recovered, he would kill Shmi and I without regret.


    I need to find the remote, I closed my eyes and focused, the memory came quickly. The device was a remote, it was small, around the size of my fist. I ran to Watto''s body and searched through his pockets, pushing away the burnt clothes and trying to control my vomit from touching his burnt skin.


    In the satchel pocket on his chest, I found it. I ripped it out, he groaned, trying to reach and grab it. Hm, I may have underestimated him, in so much pain, and yet he tried to get revenge. No wonder jedi mind tricks don''t work on him.


    Watto never hide it, he always waved it around like a magic wand to intimidate Ani to work and...I think forcing Shmi to service him. He knew Anakin, the seven year old child would never even think of stealing it. But not me.


    I sat down on my table and looked it over. It took me seconds to figure out how it worked. The personal slave codes of Shmi and myself were imputed inside, I opened the back and searched through the scraps of junk around the room, finding a powerful magnetic coil.


    I placed the coil on the now exposed motherboard of the remote and connected a small battery to supercharge a magnet. I stepped back and watched as suddenly, the remote began to spark, frying out.


    I smiled, the personal slave code could not be copied or replicated in any form. It was only ever found in the remote of the slaver, hence it was impossible for some other slaver to steal your slave away. That''s why smart slavers never displayed their remote to their slaves, but Watto was anything but smart.


    I threw the now useless remote aside and walked to Watto''s body, he looked up at me and I squatted down before him, my eyes meeting his.


    "The remote is gone," his eyes widened, "I see you know what that means...tell me Watto...if you were me, and your mother was defiled by a pathetic insect¡­.what would you do?"


    "Kam," he whizzed, his throat had been burnt, his voice box had been hurt, badly. His eyes were tearing up, "my-mercy."


    I smiled, it must have hurt him so much to say that. Both physically and to his person. I couldn''t help chuckle, "mercy? From the boy whose mother you r.a.p.ed? Isn''t that a little too much? I won''t spare you...you will die. But..." my brain began to spin, coming up with an idea that made me smile like a mad man, "depending on what you give me...I can make it easy or," I pushed the Force out in the familiar feeling I came to associate with justice, sparks flew out between my fingers, yellow lightning arced through my fingers.


    "A-anything," he croaked.


    I smiled, "everything," I looked around, "I want all of this. When you die...I want to be free. Give me everything, or you will spend the rest of your life screaming in pain."


    He nodded, "yes," he looked around, his eyes landed on a metal safe in the corner of the room, I immediately knew what he was thinking.


    Anakin remembered Watto bragging about owning this junkyard, how he won it from a gambling match a long time ago. Ani was so curious and eager, Watto had shown him the deed to the entire place, he kept it locked away in the safe.


    I walked over and looked over the safe, it was locked with a digital pad up front. I turned, "code."


    "222," he croaked, gasping out, "321."


    I inputted the code and inside I found several expensive objects, thousands of credits, both lactic and basic and the deed for several things.


    I brought them all to Watto and placed them before him. He struggled to type on the deed, his fingers leaving bloody prints on the tad and he worked on changing the deed to the shop. He gave up ownership and pushed it to me.


    I reached down and inputted my fingerprints onto the deed''s main screen and in minutes my entire bio data was inputted. Every single thing Watto owned was now mine.


    "Please," he grunted.


    I looked down at him and smiled. I took the several deeds and put it back in the safe, "you kept your promise...and I suppose I should keep mine," I wanted to torture him some more, break my promise and make him hurt. But...my heart wasn''t in it.


    I wasn''t f.u.c.k.i.n.g evil...I was just me. I moved to the safe and grabbed a blaster that Watto kept for self defense. I aimed it at his head and without a word fired at him.


    The sound was deafening, and then silence. I was alone, his wheezing had stopped...the only thing that remained was Waldo''s burnt body which had a giant hole in its head.


    The blaster fell to my side, I looked down and for several seconds I just looked at the body bleeding out onto the floor of the workshop. I had killed someone...and I don''t know which is worse, wanting to make him suffer some more or killing him at all.


    Was I evil now? I used Sith Lightning, that means I was evil right? No matter what colour it was...was I evil?


    And I realised something...I didn''t honestly care. Shmi was being rapped by this creature, Anakin was being slapped around, he deserved death in the worst ways possible. So what if the jedi hated me for it? Did they ever solve slavery in this world? Did they ever care?


    Damn them, they can''t judge me, they had no right. And damn the sith, those selfish bastards would destroy the world for their own petty reasons. F.u.c.k.i.n.g fools the both of them. When I woke up in this body...I wanted to be a jedi, I won''t'' lie.


    I wanted to be Anakin Skywalker and kill Sidious and be a hero. But I''m not a f.u.c.k.i.n.g jedi, I can''t just push away my own emotions, I can''t...and I''m not selfish enough to be a Sith. I''m...I am me.


    Let the ch.i.p.s fall they may, for now, I need to focus what I see before me right now. And right now I see a dead bug on the floor of my workshop. Tatonnie was filled with sc.u.m, they wouldn''t care what happened to a dead man, but I would need to play it safe.


    I focused on his body and lifted the thing into the air. It was lighter than I thought, I was able to easily pulled it towards the junkyard where I found an incinerator, the kind we used to melt down old metal to reuse it for new projects. And now, I would be using it on him.


    I tossed him inside and watched him burn. No screams, no yells. Just the burning smell of his flesh turned into ash. In the end, nothing remained and I was alone.


    I went back to the junkyard, I grabbed a bag and put the deeds for all of my properties into it. I strapped the blaster to my side and walked out into the dark streets of the rural city.


    I gripped my bag, my eyes darting to every which corner to make sure no one knew what I carried. I spotted a few rough looking green...fish...what are they? Wait...Rodians, Anakin''s memories helped me fill in the name. Damn those things look weird.


    I managed to make my way back to the slave quarters of the city, the place where only the slaves lived. Without knocking, I walked in.


    "Ani? You''re just in time honey! I made some fresh macare soup for you!"


    My stomach growled, I was hungry. But right now...now I couldn''t eat. I walked into the dining room, which was the same as the living room and the half of the kitchen. And there was Shmi setting up a small dinner for the two of us, a smile on her face the moment she saw her son.


    "Ani, did you work hard today? Did you...Ani...where did you get that blaster?" Shmi''s eyes widened as she spotted the comically large blaster on attached to my small hip.


    "I took it from Watto''s safe," I told her as I unstrapped it and placed it on a chair, "that''s also where I found these," I took off the bag and placed it on the table, opening it up to allow the deeds for everything Watto owned to come pouring out.


    Shmi''s eyes widened, "Ani! What have you done?! If Watto found out you did this he''ll kill you! You have to go back and put away! Quickly! Before he-"


    "-He won''t notice," I shot back, "he won''t care."


    Shmi''s face turned from shock and fear to confusion. "Anakin...what do you mean?"


    "He hurt you mom," the word no longer foreign to my tongue, after all I had killed for this woman, "he hurt you and said he would do so again...so I made sure he won''t hurt anyone ever again."


    Shmi gasped, "Anakin...what did you do?"


    "I killed him," I replied, cold, emotionless. I slowly poured my heart out, "but not before freeing us from his control, destroying his remote and then transferring every single thing he owned into my control. And then, I fired a blaster bolt between his eyes and burnt his body..."


    I looked down and away. She probably hates me...I would hate me. I turned her son into a killer at the age of 7, not even Sidious can claim that achievement. I could probably run...those credits Watto has, it should be enough to get me to Coruscant, to the jedi. I''ll warn them and then...and then...what do I do?


    But as I made my plans to run away and hide, crying for meaning in this confusing world, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me.


    "Oh Ani...my sweet Ani," she whispered into my ear, "you didn''t have to do that...my brave boy."


    "Y-you don''t hate me?" I asked in total shock.


    "Anakin, I can never hate you," she replied as slowly I released all my fears and hate. I cried into her arms as she held me tight. I think I cried myself to sleep, Shmi tucking me into bed. But as I slept that night, I didn''t feel alone. I felt connected, like something was out there, calling out to me, comforting me.


    The Force was with me. Always.


    The next day Shmi came to Wato''s-I mean, my junkyard and examined everything.


    "I''m surprised he is actually gone," he picked up the broken slave remote, "and we''re¡­ free¡­ finally," tears in her eyes flew freely as she wiped them away.


    "Are you okay?" I asked her in concern.


    Shmi nodded, "I am now Ani," she threw the remote into the trash as we both sat down next to each other, "now, show me what you got from Watto."


    I nodded as I took the data pads out and laid them out before her.


    "The deed to the shop," she looked through them all, "his house in the Frekaree district," it was a well to do area just West of here, not a palace, but better then where we live right now, "the deed to our home, the deed to some sort of ship and a debt collection deed from...Nato Kryze?!"


    I blinked, I went through Ani''s memories but couldn''t recall the name, "who is he?"


    "A local crime boss..." Shmi''s hands were shaking, "that must be why Watto never got into any trouble for his trades. He must be holding this over him."


    "How much money?" I asked her.


    "A hundred thousand credits, and if he knew what happened to Watto...he would celebrate. And then I suspect, kill us to prevent paying the debt back. We have to make it seem like Watto is still alive, at least long enough to prevent Nato from killing us."


    I groaned, "I could say Watto''s gone off planet but...I doubt people will believe me."


    Shmi turned to me and nodded, "yes...oh what do we do?"


    I groaned as I looked at the deed, the name, the amount...hm, I got an idea. "Mom," she turned to me, "do you trust me?"


    Without wasting a second she nodded, "with my life."


    "Then I have an idea...but you might not like it."


    An hour later:


    "You''re right, I don''t like it," Shmi and I were dressed in robes as we managed to sneak into Nato''s cantina. It took twenty credits to bribe the gaurd to let us in, but now we were.


    The cantina were filled with so many shifty looking people, each at one point or another gave us a look of curiosity and observation. Shmi shifted uncomfortably form some of the looks, I could tell she found them unnerving.


    Her hands palmned the blaster strapped to her side, since she was a better shot, she got to use it. Not that I would need a weapon, I had the Force after all...I hope.


    We looked around and got a drink, two glasses of blue milk. We looked around and Shmi spoke first, "there," we looked over and there was the man we were searching for.


    He was human at least, wearing a brown overcoat honeycomb like armour plates underneath his coat. His hair was cut short into a mohawk and he had a scar running down his right eye. He was old, maybe older than Shmi, greying hair and many lines running along his face.


    He threw back his head and laughed, the people around him joined him, laughing happily. He had a green skinned reptile like woman in one arm, the woman licking her lips in excitement...I think. God this is so weird.


    "How do you know it''s him?" I asked her.


    She motioned to his armour, "Nato is a mandalorian, it can''t be anyone else. Stay here And, I''ll be right back."


    "But-"


    "-Stay," she then left without another word, carefully approaching the group of thugs and mercenaries. I grew panicky...should I just let her go? She''s an a.d.u.l.t, she should know the risks¡­.f.u.c.k it, that woman is my mother, it''ll be a cold day in hell before I let her just go in there alone.


    But I need a weapon. Maybe I can use the lighting as a last minute thing but I need a proper weapon. I looked around and found several people in here with weapons, it was a cantina after all.


    I scouted the area and then landed on a large green skinned...something...God, not even Anakin''s memories knew what that thing was. But whatever it was it was big and had a blaster on it''s side.


    It was facing away from me and I saw it''s holster had a simple button to keep it''s blaster at bay. I had a chance, I needed to take it.


    I focused on the latch for the holster, closed my eyes and pulled with the Force. It came off immediately, bearly a sound made. I smiled, I was getting better at this.


    I waited for a moment, to make sure the green thing didn''t notice it''s holster was unlocked now. I looked over Shmi had made it to Nato''s table and was talking to the man, showing him the deed she had.


    Nato groaned, motioned for his thugs to grab it, pulling it out of Shmi''s hands. I growled, bastard. I turned and pulled the green thing''s blaster out of the holster with the Force. It flew into my hand and thanks to the practise I did yesterday, it didn''t hurt when I grabbed the speeding object.


    I got off my seat and moved, carefully hiding the blaster as I did. The group of thugs laughed out loud suddenly, Shmi flinching back, I suspect she tried to do something they found amusing.


    I approached them and hide behind a pillar, balster at the ready. I listened and heard Nato''s voice ringing out clearly.


    "So you''re telling me, you''re willing to give up a hundred thousand credits just so that I don''t try and pull something with you? Are you stupid?" Nato laughed.


    "I-I just don''t want any trouble," Shmi replied weakly.


    "What happened to Watto?" a fat looking slob of an alien with a trunk for a nose asked, "did you kill him?"


    "Y-yes," she replied.


    "Really?" Nato''s voice sounded suspicious, "you don''t look like you have the stones¡­."


    "I did...he threatened my son," she whispered.


    "I see...well...I wish I could help you Shmi dear, but you see, you''re a slave," he sighed as he stood up, I grew tense and from the way everyone''s attention fell on Nato, I suspect they all knew something was going on.


    "I''m no longer a slave," Shmi argued, "Watto''s remote is gone."


    "Maybe...but you see if I let one slave get away with killing her master, that might give the others the same idea," he motioned to his guards who immediately grabbed Shmi, "so I''m sorry my dear, but I can''t let you leave here alive."


    "No! Please!" two brutish men grabbed Shmi and held her down as Nato took out a blaster. In that moment, rage took over me.


    I turned to two chairs in the cantina, they were occupied, but I didn''t care. I reached out with the Force and pulled it, the emotional request didn''t seem to take any time to fulfill as suddenly the two chairs, along with the people on them, flew threw the air.


    The guards holding Shmi were knocked down and the woman fell on her back in surprise.


    "Who did that?!" Nato cried out as he drew his blaster.


    I aimed and fired the blaster I stole, aiming for his chest, but only managing to clip his shoulder as three blasts went out, and one hit.


    "Get them!" the men next to Nato cried out as the creepy lizard lady attended to the hurt Mandalorian.


    I moved into the shadows and waited as the men all ran out, searching probably for some big thought gang. Not a 7 year old.


    The moment they left I ran out from my hiding place and ran to Shmi, who by now was back on her feet.


    "Ani!" she cried out.


    "Come on! We have to get out of here!" I told her as I grabbed her hand and pulled to leave, but suddenly we found ourselves surrounded by at least ten men, all pointing their blasters at us.


    "You shot me?" I heard Nato''s voice call out as he got back on his feet. He displayed his shoulder, the blaster bolt hadn''t even dented his arm, which was surprising to me. Did he have some kind of special armour?


    "Yes, I did," I replied as I looked around for a way to escape? Maybe I could fire my way out? Maybe I can use the Force to push them all back? I never tried...maybe I could. Maybe I can use lighting to fry them and run, use Watto''s ship and fly away.


    "What are you? Five?" Nato scoffed.


    "Seven," I replied, glaring at him.


    "Anakin, what are you doing?!" Shmi cried out, "you should have run!"


    "I won''t leave you behind with these monsters," I replied back, not taking my eyes off the Mandalorian.


    He smirked, "so this is your son huh? Nasty little bugger isn''t he? Tell me kid, what exactly was your plan here? Come in, shoot everyone and then leave?"


    I shrugged, "worked for Watto." Everyone gasped, suddenly whispering as even Nato looked curious. Shmi looked horrified, trying to shut my mouth, but she didn''t move, too afraid to do so.


    "You killed Watto?" Nato asked slowly.


    "Yes...I did," I replied.


    "How?"


    I needed more time, more...everything. I need to stall him. "I rigged his smoker," I lied, "when he used it, it exploded in his face. I watched him burn and then forced him to sign over everything he owned. And when he did that, I fired a blaster bolt between his eyes."


    That caused the people to really start whispering, the words ''balls'' and ''crazy'' were thrown around easily.


    Nato raised an eyebrow, "you''re not joking are you?" I shook my head and he whistled, "damn. That is ruthless kid...tell me, how would you like to work for me?"


    "I killed my last master, what makes you think I eager for another one?"


    He snorted, "true...alright then kid, I guess there''s only one place for you," he moved to draw his blaster, but suddenly.


    BANG!


    A blaster bolt struck the place over his head as Shmi ran and tackled him to the ground. She pointed the business end of the blaster at Nato''s head, snarling, "you won''t harm my son!"


    Everyone moved, nobody fired, I ran to Shmi''s side and we were back to back as I aimed my stolen blaster at the guards, who looked like they wanted to rip us apart, but stopped since Shmi had their boss at gunpoint.


    "You shot me?" Nato sounded surprised, "did you seriously just shoot me?"


    "Yes, and if you don''t drop your blaster I''ll shoot you again!" she yelled, none of her doubts or fears present. I blinked, honestly, I was impressed.


    Nato blinked, "okay...alright, fine, boys, put them down," he dropped his blaster and put his hands up, slowly his men obeyed. He then spoke to Shmi directly, "alright...what now?"


    "Now?" Shmi blnked, I don''t think she thought this far ahead. She looked around, all of us were looking at her, waiting for her next words. She licked her lips and continued, "now we do business. The debt you owe Watto, you owe us now. Btu I''ll willing to forgive it provided you give my son and I protection."


    The man raised an eyebrow and smiled, "a hundred thousand credits for protection¡­ hm...okay. Why not. But I have one request."


    "What''s that?" Shmi asked.


    "Answer me a question."


    "What?"


    "Are you single?"


    Shmi blinked, "what?"


    "Are you seeing someone? Some slaves are...unless Watto prevented you from having fun¡­"


    I raised an eyebrow, "are you hitting on my mother?"


    "Yes," Nato nodded, "so? Are you seeing someone Shmi?"


    The woman stammered, "n-no."


    The Mandalorian grinned, "perfect! Consider yourself protected! Everyone! The next rounds on me!"


    "YAH!" the entire cantina cheered as they all raised a glass high. The same people who once tried to blast us into dust now celebrated with us. I honestly could say, this Galaxy was f.u.c.k.i.n.g crazy.


    Two months later:


    "Thank you! Come again!" Shmi smiled as the last customer of the day left the shop. She closed the door and turned to me, "are you almost done cleaning up Ani?"


    I nodded, "yes mom. You can go ahead and close things up," I told her.


    "Great, oh and 3PO, can you make sure the catalog for the junkyard is up to date?"


    "I will certainly tend to that immediately madam," the black plated droid nodded as he began to wobble away to do just that.


    I built the robot a few weeks ago and already it was an irreplaceable part of our lives. He did so much meal labour, it freed up both mine and Shmi''s time. I honestly don''t know why Watto didn''t build them himself...oh wait, I do. He''s a shit machnic, no wonder he prefered child labour.


    After we gained Nato''s protection Shmi and I reopened the junkyard under out ownership and so far, we didn''t get any trouble due to our status as previous slaves. In fact people didn''t even blink an eye at that fact.


    A few days later Shmi and I got enough cash to remove the explosive devices in our necks through a simple but expensive surgery. Now chip free we could move about more confidently in society.


    I spent most of my time these last two months fixing up and selling machines to the people in the city. We were still getting our footing in the market, but now that that''s done I think I can personally focus on other things, like building another droid.


    I had already began, this one was fixed together like pieces from a broken jigsaw puzzle, the legs were short and stubby with wheels and the body was like a trash can, hollow inside. It had strong arms for lifting and a decent enough system, I''m hoping this robot would be useful in storing and carrying heavy objects. Perfect for working in a junkyard.


    I think I''ll call him¡­ Bobo.


    As I continued to work on the new droid through the door opened up, "sorry we''re closed, please-" I looked up and stopped, I sighed, "really Nato?"


    The man stood in my doorway with a bunch of desert flowers in his hand. He grinned, "what? She likes them. Where is she anyway?"


    I sighed and pointed out the back, "in the back," he nodded and walked away. Since that day in the cantina, he and She had started...dating. It was frankly disturbing, but she needed someone and...well...being the girlfriend of a mob boss would protect her from danger.


    I watched him walk to the store''s back and noticed the shiny new blaster he was carrying. I narrowed my eyes and held out my hand, causing it to slip out of his hand and fly into mine.


    I looked it over, it was new alrigh. Top of the line in fact. A TX-120, I think. It''s impossible quick and also hard to miss thanks to its anti-recoil grip. I think I have a thing for pickpocketing people using the Force...I should probably be more careful.


    I examined the weapon carefully, using tools to open up the shell to see what was inside. Like usual, I was so absorbed with examining the new tech I didn''t notice time fly by, or notice the fact that Nato was standing right before me.


    He cleared his throat, breaking my focus. I looked up, he looked amused, "you really do have to tell me how you keep doing that. I didn''t even see you take it this time."


    I smiled, "practise," I closed the lid on the blaster, "it''s cool. But be careful, it can''t keep much charge."


    "Yeah, I know, ten shots and then it needs a new pack," the man snorted as he picked up his weapon, "I tell Karros to try and upgrade it, but the bastard is always too stubborn to try."


    "Language!" Shmi cried out from the back, Nato and I rolled our eyes, God the woman is uptight sometimes.


    "Hm...you know, if you want I could try and fix it for you," I offered with a shrug.


    Nato blinked, "what do you mean?"


    "There''s space inside for an additional fuel choke, I could put one in and double if not triple the energy capacity," I replied.


    "Can you really do that?" he asked surprised.


    I shrugged, "I can try."


    He gave me back the gun and I began to work. A few minutes later I handed the blaster back to him and he looked it over. He took aim and moved the gun around, "it''s a little heavier but...I think I can manage."


    "Want to check it''s range?" I asked.


    He agreed and we walked out. We approached a large scrap pile of junk and he took aim and began randomly firing off the blaster over and over again. And sure enough, instead of ten bolts, thirty five came out.


    "Amazing!" Nato cried out, "kid, you are a genius! Do you think you could work on other weapons for me?"


    I groaned, "I don''t like weapons but¡­ if you can promise extra security for my mother and me and pay, sure, I don''t mind."


    Nato nodded, "done. How much for this?"


    "Actually...I was hoping for payment in some other form..."


    He raised an eyebrow, "kid, last time someone said that to me I ended up spending a week in a senator''s private beach resort babysitting his children. Which is embarrassing enough, never mind that he tried to bed me three separate times."


    I chuckled, "nothing like that¡­.I want you to teach me to fight Nato."


    The man grew silent, deathly so. If we weren''t in my junkyard and if he wasn''t in love with my mother, I would be worried being alone with this man.


    "Why?" he asked.


    "You are a Mandalorian, the greatest warrior in the universe. Why wouldn''t I-"


    "-No kid," he snapped, "I''m asking why you want me to teach you in the first place. Why now? Why do you want to fight?"


    "To protect myself and my mother," I replied, "and¡­.to become strong." And because since the jedi will in no way accept a child they can''t brainwash, since I wasn''t really an impressionable little child, I will need to fight in some other way.


    "Is that it?"


    "I live on a planet of degenerates and monsters. It''s leaders as crime lords, no offence-"


    "-None taken-"


    "-and I am a 7 year old with no form of protection. Other than you. So I would like it if I could protect myself."


    The Mandalorian was silent for a long time, thinking to himself. I think...I think I could feel his thoughts in his head. It was an odd sensation and one I only discovered recently when Shmi first grew angry with me over a week ago.


    I had tried to mess around with a thermal bomb, she was pissed. And I could feel her anger before she even said a thing. And right now I felt doudt from Nato.


    "Kid...do you know why I, a Mandalorian, is doing all the way out here in the middle of nowhere?" he asked.


    I nodded, I had heard this story before from Shmi herself, telling me a rumour she had heard. This was when they just started courting, so she still wasn''t totally comfortable being around him.


    "You were sent out of your clan," I looked at the insignia on his left shoulder pad, it was a Blue Spade with a circle in the center, "they say you did something...unforgivable."


    "I murdered my brother," Nato admitted, "because he tried to kill our father...so I killed him first. And for that, I was sent out of my home, my people...my planet. I am sorry Anakin...but no matter what, I am still Mandalorian, and I cannot train someone in our ways unless he is proven worth."


    "How?" I asked quickly, "how do I prove that I am worthy?"


    "Well...I suppose if you can someone give me a reason to train I could. Show me a reason why you would be worthy of the title of Mandalorian."


    I groaned, "like..."


    He shrugged, "that, is up to you. Now, come, I am sure your mother is worried about you." I nodded and walked back inside with him, though in my mind I wondered, what can I do to prove myself worthy?


    A week later, I got my answer.


    A new speeder that had recently broken down was brought in, a client had hired us to fix it for him. I ran my fingers down it''s side and felt the tear marks on its surface.


    "What could have done this?" I asked aloud.


    "I believe these marks matched the ones made by a Krayt dragon," 3PO replied, "a large carnivorous reptile, though they are rare since people killed them for the precious pearls found in their bodies. Judging from the size of these markings, I would wager the greater krayt dragon made them."


    "How big do they grow?" I asked.


    "I believe well over forty feet sir," 3PO replied, "why do you ask?"


    I looked back at the newly made Bobo droid I made along with the newer one I had plans to design. "No reason, 3PO, get the location of where the speeder was ambushed out off it''s system. I want to know where this...dragon was found."


    "May I ask why you require this information sir?"


    "To prove myself," I replied simply.


    A month later:


    Shmi wished me a good night and closed the door behind her. I waited for ten minutes before getting out of my bed and sneaking out through the backdoor.


    I traveled to the junkyard and snuck inside. I moved the back where I had stashed everything I would need already. I had spent a month preparing for this, and now I was.


    I had researched everything I could on the Krayt dragon. I had learnt their movements, what they were made up off and most importantly how to kill them. And now I think I was ready.


    I moved to the back of the junkway and removed a large tarp that covered a speeder and cargo lifter that was attached to the former.


    I started the speeder up and checked the engines, everything was good to go, the coordinates from where the Krayt dragon was seen last was inputted into it''s memory banks.


    I went into the workshop and approached my workstation where I had laid out all my tools for this mission.


    Attached to a leather belt was modified blaster that allowed for a single shot, but would be enough to blast a boulder in half. I also have a pair of night vision goggles that I built from scratch, a couple of grenades, some first aid supplies and one very very powerful flash grenade.


    But this wasn''t what would win me the dragon, no, that was the six feet tall droid standing still next to the table.


    I took out a remote and activated it, it whirled to life as it looked down and bowed, "what is thy bidding my master?"


    The droid was made from the very best parts I could find from my days here. It had strong powerful legs, a blaster and plasma coated blade attached to its arms and a torso that was armed with a small bomb. It was black and shiny with a single circular disk of light in it''er center.


    It was modeled to look like Iron Man''s suit, what can I say? I love that suit. And the best part? Well¡­


    "Alright Vader," I smiled as I strapped the tool belt on me, "let''s move." That''s right, I named him Vader.


    I got on my speeder while the Vader droid got on the turbo lifter. I then took off, zooming out of the city and into the vast desserts, ready to prove myself to be a Mandalorian.


    I know it was kind of reckless, but I had a plan. I knew how to destroy it and more importantly, I needed to be trained. Because whether I did end up as a Sith or Jedi, I was the chosen one, and I needed to protect myself.


    I reached the location after a two hour journey. It was a large expanse of sand with nothing around, except a rocky mountain jutting out in the middle with the entrance for a cave etched into its side.


    I stopped the speeder and got down. I looked around, there were marking on the wall of the cave, claw marks. I narrowed my eyes, it was here.


    I unloaded Vader and we both approached the cave. "Vader, Killer mode," I todered.


    Immediately it''s right arm transformed into a large blaster and it''s left into a sword while a shoulder planted heavy duty blaster swung out and took aim forward, "ready and waiting master."


    It took the lead as I followed behind, drawing my blaster just to be sure.


    We traveled deep into the cave and after five minutes of walking I had Vader stop. We were deep enough that our own footsteps began to echo out. Perfect.


    I reached into my belt and took out a vacuum sealed bag and placed it on the ground. The cave''s ground was large with lots of space to move about, even several stalagmites lying around to provide for cover.


    "Vader," I took out several thermal bombs and handed it over, I pointed to the stalagmites on the ceiling, "plate them around the structurally weak areas. Be careful, they aren''t armed, but they are expensive."


    "Yes, my master," the droid nodded and did just that, using the metal studs on his boots to climb the wall and do as I ordered.


    I unsealed the package I had and poured the contents out, extremely automatic Baku meat. Extremely delicious and very expensive. And more importantly, very potent.


    I placed the flash grenade right before the meat pile, face front. By now Vader was finished, I ordered him to hide behind a stalagmite with me as we now waited.


    It was twenty minutes later when we felt a shockwave. A small tremor that grew bigger and bigger. And then, I heard a growl.


    I took out my night vision goggles and looked at it and for a moment, I wondered if I should have just given up and run for the hills.


    It was huge, maybe forty feet, maybe bigger. It wasn''t a dragon, no, it was more like a giant f.u.c.kin croc with horns on its head similar to a dragon. It had a scales large as my entire torso running down it''s back and a pair of glowing yellow eyes.


    It came slowly towards the meat I left for it. Sniffing as it did. I looked at it''s massive limbs from behind my cover, they were huge and rippled with muscles. But also stubby and frankly, I doubt they were built for speed.


    The monster bent down and began cowing down on the meat before it, licking the food up in seconds, gulping it all down.


    I took out two remote controls, I turned to Vader, "when it''s incapacitated, attack," the droid just nodded. And then, I pressed them both and closed my eyes.


    There was a flash of bright light that came through my shut eyelids. That was the flash grenade. "KAY!" the dragon cried out.


    BOOM!


    The entire canyon ceiling shock at the explosion of my medium range grenades. Suddenly the ceiling began to collapse down hard. Luckily I was further away from the excitement so I wasn''t affected, but I could feel the entire ceiling around the dragon collapse down on top of him.


    "Attacking commence," Vader spoke as I felt him leave my side and activate his blaster.


    A few seconds later I opened my eyes and saw the dragon pinned down under a huge pile of boulders while Vader plunged his blade into its eye, blinding it.


    "KYAA!" it cried out, only it''s head was free, the rest of its body was pinned under the debris. Vader plunged it''s blade again and again into the dragon while firing into its mouth.


    The dragon tried to fight, swinging its head violently to one side to knock Vader away. It then tried to free itself, the rocks beginning to shift away to free it. I knew I had to do something. Vader was still getting back on its feet.


    I threw my hands forward and pushed out the familiar feeling of the Force out, beginning for the power to stop the dragon. Yellow lightning came flying out, striking it hard, the dragon crying out in pain.


    Vader began to attack it again, but the dragon''s open mouth spat out a wad of acid on the droid that melted it''s blaster arm off. It continued to scream in pain from my force Lightning, but I knew it was resisting it.


    So with no other choice I cut off the Force and drew my blaster. "Vader!" I called out, throwing my blaster at the droid. Immediately it understood, I was proud of the superb programing I had installed into its system.


    It transformed it''s sword arm back to normal and grabbed the blaster. I aimed at the dragon''s head and pulled the trigger.


    BOOM!


    Half it''s neck was blown clear off.


    ------------------------


    To read the rest of Chapter 1, continue to FF.net~!

 Chapter 98 - My SI Stash #98 - Winging It by Much Too Desensitized (DxD)

    -Another DxD SI Fic~ I''m starting to run out of SI fics, it would be really helpful if you guys can comment some recommendations!


    *I won''t be posting as much after we reach 100 fics, just 1-3 suggestions per day, I''m honestly happy there''s more Male SIs now, back then on FFnet there weren''t as much of them, it was just filled with Female SIs in Naruto not that I have anything against females in general I just can''t relate to them, it''s just not for me.


    *SI as Riser Phenex~ Make sure to have an account as it''s on Questionable Questing!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 40K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/winging-it-dxd-riser-si.10105/#post-2754974 (Much Too Desensitized)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2


    Did you know that being reincarnated with your mind and all your memories intact from the beginning was a huge pain in the ass? I mean, it was a hardly a unique complaint to hear from anyone even moderately familiar with isekai, being just another attempt from amateurish authors at trying to be unique by not making the transition entirely pleasant so readers don''t think it will be a thinly veiled self-insert getting all the girls and power. Well, even if I''m now a Devil thanks to my particular circ.u.mstances, I''d like to think I am a fairly honest individual, so I won''t bullshit you: I am a complete chick magnet, am the absolute strongest in the world I found myself in, and an utter badass.


    ... Okay, I can''t actually say that with a straight face.


    Regardless, I digress. Having to be aware throughout the first years of my second life had been absolutely torturous. Why? Well, let''s suppose you had had the fortune of being in complete control of your faculties. You know, able to walk, talk, and all those little things you take for granted. Now, suppose, you became a newborn baby, with all that implied. If the thought sufficiently horrifies you, congratulations! You are keenly aware of just how much it sucks to not be able to such things as being able to actually use a restroom.


    There had been talk about how I was fast learner by learning to walk and use the potty by the age of two. Keeping track of time was another one of those difficult things to do as an infant, and so once it sunk in it had taken me two years to regain a modic.u.m of dignity? My response was to nearly cry.


    It was fine, though. Getting over the trauma had been as simple as letting time heal the wound as I filled my days with all the shit I could now do as an actually mobile individual. Namely, actually getting around to learning about the world I had found myself in, where I had promptly asked one of the servants of the estate to get me some water just so I could perform my obligatory spit-take once I figured. I suppose I should have perhaps gotten the hint once I had pieced together that my name here was Riser Phenex, and I was a Devil.


    Then again, I''d never been the brightest bulb in the bunch. Though that much should have been obvious given my general decision making and training methods.


    "Three hundred forty-seven..." I wheezed out, pushing myself back up. Counting aloud wasn''t necessary, but it served as both an ego boost whenever the numbers got large enough, and made it much easier to keep track despite the aches and pains throughout my body. "Three hundred forty-eight..."


    Now, you might be wondering a few things. Assuming you have no idea how it was physically possible for an eight year old to do that many push-ups without lying through his teeth, I''ll restate that I''m a literal Devil with the addendum that the world I lived was exactly like what I remembered from a Sh¨­nen setting. Training from Hell- well, in Hell in this case, was a tried and true method of getting stronger. There were no real limits on what you could achieve so long as you pushed yourself.


    Now, for the others that wondered why I was doing something like physical training when I could be learning magic and doing awesome shit with reality bending powers...


    That was a much more complex explanation, but it basically boiled down to one thing: I wanted to get as strong as possible as fast as possible, and my power leant itself towards gaining physical strength.


    See, as a Phenex, there were three things I was naturally good at doing with my Demonic Power: controlling fire, controlling wind, and regeneration. This is part where others would probably point out I could be a pyromaniac of epic proportions, which was doubtlessly a better path to take. While the point was a valid one, I''ll just say I want to be swole.


    "Four... hundred!" I squeezed out.


    Flopping to the ground a moment later, I rested my cheek on the barren ground that was signature of much Hell. It was blissfully cool against my skin, but there was no time for that. Directing my power, I healed my arms just enough to take the edge off and not be useless jelly.


    I''d done the same thing while exercising, protracting out just how long I could keep going, and how I reached a number like four hundred. While it was hardly comfortable to just heal myself piecemeal after reaching a point of having simply done too much, it did mean I created more muscle tears, and thus strengthened them more than I would have done if I''d completely regenerated the damage and started over. Or so that was the logic I applied, as I didn''t actually know if it provided greater results considering I was an inherently magical creature.


    With a grunt, I got to my feet. Right, that rep was done, and I felt my Demonic Power was down to its last dregs. That meant that this would be my last round, as I''d be dropping in exhaustion somewhere in the middle of it. All in all, my routine served as a good method to simultaneously train my physical strength, power capacity, and regeneration ability.


    Of course, I''d have to look into another method of increasing my capacity once I could train the whole day nonstop.


    Nodding to myself, I started my run.


    ¡ª?


    My father gave me a strange look. "You want what?"


    "Holy water," I repeated, making sure I said the words clearly. "I would like to have a supply holy water."


    Drexel Phenex set down his pen as he considered my request. "While it should not be hard to acquire, I must ask why you would want such a thing."


    "Self-mutilation." There was a stretch of silence as my father simply stared at me. "For training purposes," I added.


    "Riser," he sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I know you like to speak obtusely, and I can only guess where you got the habit from, but please explain properly when you make a request from me. You are asking me not only as Lord Phenex, but your father. So, I will ask again: why do you want holy water?"


    Scratching at my cheek, I glanced to the side, considering my words before looking at him again. "I would like holy water to train," I began. "It''s a weakness I possess as not only as a Devil, but as a Phenex given that I have been told it stalls our regeneration. I was thinking that perhaps exposing myself to it repeatedly could help me grow a resistance or even immunity to it."


    He quirked an eyebrow. "You are aware of what the effects of holy water our to us Devils, yes?"


    "It is corrosive and poisonous," I answered with a nod.


    "And you would undergo that damage repeatedly, willingly, for this¡­ training of yours?"


    I nodded again.


    "I see." Father stayed quiet as he contemplated my words, before eventually giving a small nod of his own. "Very well, I''ll grant your request. However, only under the condition that every time you subject yourself to the damage you are under the supervision I approve of, and that it be applied to you in certain amounts."


    Blinking, I considered his demands. So he just wanted to make sure I was always watched my someone he could trust when I was exposing myself to something that could kill me in sufficient quantities, but limited just how much I was exposed to?


    "Thanks, Dad!" I agreed with a grin.


    He simply shook his head slowly with a faintly amused smile. "You are such an odd child."


    "Of course," I waved off. "If I''m not odd, there''s no way I''ll achieve my dream."


    "Hmm? And what would that be?"


    I cupped my chin in thought. "Well, I''m a bit undecided, but I''m fairly certain I want to marry either Serafall Leviathan or the Infinite Dragon God."


    There was a brief pause before he started laughing.


    "Hey! I''m being serious!"


    That got him to laugh harder.


    Rude. I really was serious


    Chapter 2


    Time had a tendency to pass remarkably quickly, in my view. I suppose that made sense, considering there was so much alike in each day that they just blended together; Sunday to Friday were training days, Saturday was my rest and relaxation time.


    Unfortunately, there were things that came with time. Generally the complaint was responsibilities or losing the spryness of youth, but as a spoiled brat who had an expected lifespan in the five digits? Those were not my concerns. Oh no, my concern was far worse.


    My concern was a hated thing I feared to utter the name of lest I call its attention to me: Puberty.


    It was composed of seven letters, just as there were seven deadly sins. Coincidence? I think not.


    All too soon I knew it had come upon me, as the years without libido and l.u.s.ty thoughts made it quite apparent when they returned. Honestly, it was kind of horrifying in a weird way. It was probably an idle thought people have every once in a while: how much time do I spent thinking about s.e.x?


    The answer is actually quite a bit. Plus, it''s super distracting.


    For example, it was kind of hard not to look at my combat teacher''s b.r.e.a.s.ts, moving as they were in her sports bra, so my brain could only absently question why her fist was getting bigger. Until it hit me, that is. Or when I noticed that she was very flexible indeed, if she could raise her leg that high. But while things did rise in response, said leg came crashing down.


    In short, I had a growing vendetta against my training instructor''s wardrobe and wondered why the hell things were so tight and showed so much skin. Also, I was beginning to wonder if my older brother was a pervert, as even if Devils were generally not unattractive given we were natural shapeshifters, his Rook was really quite beautiful. Still, I was a bigger person than that, and chalked it up as a win seeing as I was already slowly learning to avoid getting distracted by the s.e.xy. Very slowly, admittedly.


    Sadly, that was not the worse part of puberty. No, rather, that was social aspect of my life.


    In the wise words of a con man¡ªthe only absolute is money, for it is replaceable and can replace anything. Given that the Phenex family was capable of producing extremely potent healing medicine of no small demand and its status as one of the 72 Pillars, it was no lie to call me rich. Like, rich enough that it honestly was a superpower of its own.


    In short, so long as it was in the realm of reason - and sometimes a bit beyond even that - I could purchase just about anything. Why was this relevant? Well, it came with downsides as well. Being part of an upper class family meant there were certain expectations of me.


    One of those was that I was required to attend certain events and have playdates with other children around my age. As anyone who had been through the torture that is being a volatile chemical c.o.c.ktail in the shape of a human, you should know why a second run through was absolutely terrible.


    There was nothing lovely about teenagers. Acne-ridden, hormone-driven, angst-peddling, holier-than-thou, world-revolves-around-me, teenagers.


    S.e.x? If the topic didn''t come up, there was something suspicious going on. Self-aggrandizement? They had to find some sense of self-worth somewhere, so obviously. Generally that had to do it via insulting another person, too, so I''d heard my fair share of ''subtle'' jabs at my reputation for being the weakest Devil of our generation and my general weirdness.


    Thankfully, my playdates were, as said, around my age. Sometimes I got lucky and had the chance to meet those younger than me, untouched by the vile grasp of my enemy.


    Such was why I began to carry candy on me at all times when I was told I would be meeting a peer. Being terrible with words was one thing, but I could still ruthlessly exploit my playmates young minds by cheering them up or positively reinforcing them by giving them a sweet. I did need to be mindful to not do it too often, otherwise the effect diminished.


    In other words, I was actually an a.d.u.l.t who gave candy to kids to get them to like me.


    I suppose I should be happy my soul was already damned?


    Regardless, I had been reigned into yet another playdate, and such was why I found myself meeting the gaze of a girl five years younger than me. There was a stretch of silence as both of us waited for the other to make the first move.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you," the seven year old finally said, making a curtsey.


    As for me, I just glanced over at my mother, standing off to the side with Lady Sitri. She gave me a stern look, and I knew there was really no way for me to get out of this. Turning back, I stepped forward and took a step forward and brought up one of her hands to kiss the back of it.


    "The pleasure is mine," I returned.


    Internally, I was just groaning at the formality of it all. Another thing expected of me as a member of a powerful family was knowing how to ''behave in a gentlemanly way,'' which really just meant I needed to know all the superfluous etiquette of high society.


    My retorts are the following: why in the f.u.c.k do you need meals with up to eleven courses? Are you trying to f.u.c.k.i.n.g starve people in the most sadistic way possible by not only stretching the length of the meal, but barely feeding them each course? What possible purpose is there in having so many types of utensils? If I want to eat desert, I can damn well use the same fork I ate my salad and meat with!


    And that was only getting into a subset of the European version of etiquette! I''d been made to learn the damn works.


    Honestly, I felt an immense amount of pity as I looked at Sona. I wasn''t even the heir, being the third child, and that was still considered essential skills for me. I could only imagine the various other things the girl was also going to be forced to learn.


    Glancing again at my mother, I decided it would probably be best to stop monologuing to myself and just do as was expected of me.


    "So, I hear you are a fan of chess."


    The girl nodded. "That I am."


    "I''ve never really possessed the time to play much of it myself," I admitted. "But now seems a good opportunity, if you would care to play?"


    "Certainly," Sona answered with a polite smile. Underneath it, however, I was certain she was quite unenthused. "This way," she guided, taking a step to lead the way. "There is a board in my study."


    Following after her, I let my posture droop a bit once we turned a corner, out of sight from our parents. The walk was not particularly long, relatively speaking. Given that just like any other Pillar family the Sitri estate was f.u.c.k.i.n.g gigantic, it was a couple of minutes. There was no attempt from either of us to break the silence that once more grew between us, though I was a bit tempted.


    Finally, we reached a door that Sona stopped at and opened. "Here we are."


    The study was about what I expected. A fairly expansive room with two walls lined with dark bookshelves filled to the brim with tomes, a desk resting against the wall opposite of the entrance, and a small table with two couches set just off center of the room. Basically, it was as generic as possible.


    Walking in, I took a seat on one of the couches, taking off my suit jacket and laying it over the back. The table already had the chessboard set open on it. Sona quickly took her own seat across from me, smoothing out the skirt of her dress as she did so.


    "I take it you understand the rules of chess?" She asked.


    "Yes," I confirmed. "White goes first, pawns move forward one but can move two on their first move, etcetera. Even if I don''t play it much, I can play decently."


    Okay, that was a bit of a stretch. It was more I wasn''t a total newbie, even if I did suck a tad.


    "Good." She paused for a moment. "Is that why you took the black side, then?"


    Looking down at the board, I noted that I had indeed sat on the side with the dark pieces. I gave a small snort of laughter and shrugged. "Hardly. This couch was just closer. It works for me just fine, however, because I''m edgy."


    Sona blinked at me. "Edgy?" She parroted, obviously unfamiliar with the word.


    I rolled a hand. "It means I am prone to being melodramatic or excessive regarding anything dealing with darkness, literally or figuratively. For example, if I was to order coffee, I''d order it black¡­" My eyes narrowed and I leaned forward, voice dropping an octave. "Like my soul."


    "I see¡­" She obviously didn''t.


    "Think of someone who honestly believed that nobody could be in a worse position than them and there was no value to be had in anything around them, so they spout half-baked philosophy and wear all black."


    She gave me an odd look. "That is a disturbing thought."


    "Of course it''s disturbing," I waved off. "It''s the path teenagers without two brain cells to rub together travel down. I''m just self-aware enough to find the humor in it." Rubbing at the back of my neck, an action thankfully not blocked by the collar of my shirt given I wasn''t made to wear a tie, I considered that we had gotten a bit off track. "Anyway, do you wish to start the game?"


    "Ah, yes." Clearing her throat, Sona looked down at the board for a moment. "Knight to f3," she announced.


    She wanted state her moves, then? Alright.


    "c6." It wasn''t a good move, if I remembered correctly. Generally the first priority of chess was to claim the center of the board and prepare to be able to Castle the King, and this early in the game it would be best to be aggressive.


    Sona took several seconds to contemplate her choices. If nothing else, she seemed meticulous about her approach. Finally, she made her own move. "g3."


    "So," I began, deciding to cut directly to the heart of the matter. "What do you think made our parents force us to interact with each?" Taking a moment, I moved another pawn. "d5."


    Her eyes didn''t move from the board. "I am fairly certain that has to do with the fact that I find it difficult to get along with my peers. b3."


    I quirked an eyebrow at the admission. "Really? I''d imagine you would get along well with the Gremory and Agares heiresses. You''re all the same age and share similar responsibilities as future heads of your families." Or that was my rationale, given what I knew of them.


    "You''re well-informed," she noted, finally glancing back up at me. "And yes, I do get along with Rias. I''ve never had the opportunity to meet Miss Agares, but you have a point in that we would have common ground. However, the problem is that those are only two individuals, whereas I am expected to interact with many more than that."


    Nodding, I could guess at the position she was in. "I take it your trouble stems from your intelligence?" I then made my move. "Bishop to g4."


    Sona''s attention returned to the board. "Is that a compliment?"


    "Just an observation, though you are free to take it as one," I responded with another shrug. Even if I hadn''t known about her before this meeting, I likely would have reached the same conclusion. She didn''t speak like someone her age, but as an a.d.u.l.t. Further, it took a special kind of person to be entertained by a strategic game such as chess.


    "I suppose I will, then." She gave a small sigh. "But, as arrogant as it sounds, I would say yes. It''s hard to connect with others." There was a pause. "Bishop to g2."


    "That probably explains why they chose me. Old enough to be older, young enough to not be an a.d.u.l.t."


    "That seems a fair assumption."


    I tapped my fingers against the table, considering my options. "Knight to d7," I eventually decided before looking back at her. "Well, I hope you''re not expecting much from a delinquent like me."


    Sona gave me another queer look, as if confused about my statement. "I see," she finally said. "You''re one of those types."


    "Huh?"


    She held a finger up before standing, walking over to one of the bookshelves. "My sister bought me a book," she explained as she trailed her finger along the spines as she searched. "Something about helping differentiate the ''interesting'' people I might- ah, here it is."


    She pulled out a small book with a black cover. "''Chuunibyou User''s Manual,''" Sona read aloud, before flipping through the pages even as she walked back and reclaimed her seat. "Here we are: DQN type¡ªPretends to be anti-social or acts like a delinquent when in fact he or she is not or cannot become like either one. Tells made up stories about gang fights or crimes, or boasts and pretends to know about that subculture."


    "Impossible," I refuted immediately. "I really am bad with people."


    Sona merely tilted her head slightly as she shut the book. "If you insist."


    "Oi!" I growled. "I''m not insisting on anything."


    She gave me a flat stare, leaving me feel the heat build in my ears. Because, yes, giving such a stereotypical display of annoyance helped my case tremendously. Slumping in defeat, I hung my head.


    Wood clacked as a piece was placed in a new space. "Bishop to b2."


    Ah, right, we were still in the middle of a game. With a small sigh I picked myself back up, bringing my hand to hover over the board.


    "Swiftly moving on," I started. "Besides chess, what else are you interested in?"


    As she considered her answer and I considered my move, we hit a certain tempo in our interaction. Time went by quickly as we made small talk and I kept getting destroyed in chess. Eventually, however, a maid came to retrieve me and we had to say our farewells.


    "It''s been fun."


    "I''m sure it was," I returned as I shrugged my suit jacket back on. "I know you were no doubt struggling to beat me in each round."


    Surprisingly, Sona rolled her eyes. "Don''t get too ahead of yourself, now. Though, admittedly, you did better than most."


    "Oh?"


    "Just a bit."


    "Oh." Pondering that, I took a moment to figure out my response. "Well, don''t worry, I''ll best you one day."


    "We shall see," she returned with a small smile that somehow stood between pleasant and smug.


    Returning the smile with a grin of my own, I waved over my shoulder as I walked out of the study.


    ¡ª?


    By the norms of Devil society, my family was huge. Four children was a big number for us, because of our super low fertility rate. Compounded with fact that the oldest and youngest were within three centuries of each other? Why, we must f.u.c.k like rabbits.


    However, the age gap between me and my little sister was nothing short of miraculous. Well, if you could use that word for us beings of sin, anyway. Seven years was barely even a blink in the eyes of those that lived for thousands. Practically twins, some probably thought. And by all means we really were quite close.


    Such was why I didn''t question what Ravel was doing in my room when I returned from my training for the day, sprawled out on the floor and reading through the papers I kept on my desk.


    "Hey, Riser?" She called out as I made my way to the bathroom, tossing my towel in the hamper.


    "Yeah?"


    "You write a lot of weird stuff," my sister declared.


    I could only chuckle at that. "That so?"


    "It''s not even in order! You just put random headings down before putting down more random stuff!" She grabbed one of the pages at random and stood up.


    "''To Ashes,''" Ravel read off. "''Greetings once more Epistolary Ac.u.men. Recently I''ve come to learn everyone loves magic. That''s not to say I don''t, but I have knowledge only of the very basics outside of a few utility spells. It seems my focus on the physical with neglect to the arcane means that the times I get into competitions has me ranking at or near the bottom. This seems to have started a reputation of me being weak, though I suppose...''"


    She trailed and remained silent before looking up at me, a confused expression on her face. "Wait, people think you''re weak?"


    I shrugged. "To be fair, my magic really is nothing impressive."


    "But you don''t use magic for combat..."


    Walking over to her, I ruffled her hair, quickly getting my hand swatted aside and receiving a glare. "Your brother is an oddball, but don''t worry about it too much."


    Ravel crossed her arms. "I know that much."


    Glancing down at the papers on the floor, I smirked. "I''m sure you do, reading through my personal stuff like that."


    "T-that''s..."


    D''aww. My little sister was adorable when she was embarrassed. Let''s see, if this was an anime... My Little Sister In The Other World Is Too Cute!


    Or something like that.


    "It''s fine," I consoled her. "I''m more surprised you could read some of the words I used."


    There was a moment of silence before she mumbled out, "I used a dictionary."


    Well, that certainly made sense. With a nod, I ruffled her head again before getting a similar response as last time. "Well, I''m going to take a shower."


    "Okay."


    Oi, sis, this is where you''re supposed to leave the room. Don''t just nod and sit back down and keep going through my stuff!


    Of course, I couldn''t actually say that. I possessed too much of a weak spot for her. What''s that? Am I a sis-con? Well f.u.c.k you!


    ... That''s a definite maybe.

 Chapter 100 - My SI Stash #100 - Becoming a Monster by Bladedhc (Dragon Ball Z)

    -SI as Freeza''s army cannon fodder. *Having him fight and earn his power to the top is way more satisfying than being gifted it~!


    ?£¨???£©?


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 68K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/becoming-a-monster-dbz-insert.9695/ (Bladedhc)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    "Designation?" the monotone of the robot calmed me somewhat of my current situation.


    "Do not look directly into..The Nozzle"


    "Dennis" The Nozzle examined my form as it spoke, though it really had no determinable appearance, aside from reminding me of something I couldn''t quite remember


    "Place of Conscription?" "Abandoned escape pod, found by shuttle 62-48-25F"


    "Race?" "Human"


    "Approximate power level?" "...Three."


    "Verification Confirmed, welcome to Freeza force, conscript Dennis, barracks are on level three, no personal room will be provided."


    As I stepped away from The Nozzle I couldn''t help but remember what brought me here.


    A f.u.c.k.i.n.g birthday wish, I had been sitting through the same song and dance my family put us through whenever one of us got a little older, and in the tedium of it all, I wished for a life in Dragon Ball Z.


    The world froze, A horrible, horrible voice, sounding of rotting meat being slapped against itself replied to my silent wish.


    "Granted, little fly,"


    I awoke to alien faces glaring back at me, pulling me from some pod, and dressing me in somewhat familiar armor, before telling me I was fodder to be used at Freezas will.


    "Planet Trade Freeza?" I asked, with some trepidation, before it started to come together.


    "Indeed new meat, you''ll serve our glorious overlord better knowing who he is."


    They measured my meager power, tossed me with several other terrified beings, and left.


    Some got selected as training dummies, others as food to the soldiers with higher power levels, but I knew they respected power here.


    As the hours ticked by and the people I was with were dragged away, screaming of how unfair it was, all I could do was hope to find a way to impress the next guy enough to be the kind of conscript they used in fights instead of the kind they used for practice.


    The room smelled like disinfectant, fluorescent lighting shined down on the other inhabitants of the room.


    They seemed as concerned as I was, shivering in corners and hoping they would be noticed last.


    I wanted to live, I wanted to live more at that moment than I ever had, I knew people like humans were just toys to the aliens and monster that existed here, meat to be exterminated so the strong could take the planet we inhabited.


    Even the aliens were weak compared to what the main cast would later become, charnel forgotten and ignored as the real power came to challenge Earth for it''s right to live on.


    I needed to be seen as one of these monsters if I wanted to live even past today, so I decided to do something to show the same disregard for life they did, to show them that I was weak, but I was like them.


    So I considered something I never put real thought to before.


    Murder, for it could be called nothing else. I was going to kill these people, who were just as scared as I was.


    If only to seem strong I would murder these people. I already knew how too.


    The body of one of the conscripts who tried to escape was left here as a warning. It had two large horns pointing from the front of its head, and blue skin.


    One of its horns cracked, loose from the blow the creature took to the face.


    I reached forward and grasped at it, pulling with all my might.


    POV Change (Commander Belk)


    Conscriptions were one of Belk''s favorite parts of the job, the new meat they found on conquered or destroyed planets always panicked quite nicely when they found out they weren''t strong enough to make the cut, to be real warriors.


    The fear as they realized they''d either die entertaining the strong on this ship or die distracting the strong when the real fighting started was always delicious to see.


    He was walking to evaluate who had enough spine to be sent out with blasters in hordes to attack planetary defense forces while the real warriors fought, and who would be used as target practice.


    He had even heard one of the latest batches even had someone with a power level of three, what a laugh it would be to see such a weak creature break against the punches of even low ranked soldiers.


    He was having fun today, pulling them out one by one and watching the rest panic when he returned, hoping they''d have just a little more time to live.


    He used the last man he''d grabbed to feed one of the more crazy members of his followers in the 89th invasion squad.


    Pretty funny actually.


    With a skip in his step Commander Belk returned to the room the kept the conscripts in, with a jump he appeared in front of the door faster than some of these weaklings could even see and started to shout "Alright meat, whos ne-"


    The weakest one of the batch stood over the struggling form of a Geressian, probably the last of its kind now that he thought of it, withdrawing a horn from its eye.


    The other two had already been killed, their eyes having been taken out with the same horn the "Human" held.


    It turned to him with a smile and said "They bothered me with all this cowardice. if we are gonna die, I''d rather it by with three more kills under my belt than I had before."


    A pleasant surprise, turns out the weak conscript had the spine for the upcoming invasion.


    Chapter 2


    Apparently, they wanted me to help them clear a world out, not all fighters in Freeza force actually have the fighting power to blow up a world like Vegeta could in his first entrance to the series.


    So they sent in a bunch of peons as fodder while those with power levels above 300 did the real work.


    The good news was they did provide training to all members, even conscripts like me. This was overall a Meritocracy, so while it was nearly unheard of, apparently some individuals could make the jump to regular soldier. In theory, a soldier could then jump to commander, and so on, but it had never really been done.


    The bad news was I had three days before we reached our next target, I was smart enough to realize doing something like fighting someone else or lifting weights was unlikely to accomplish anything but making me a laughing stock, so I retired to the barracks to get a feel for this "Ki" the z warriors always talked about. If it made Tien, someone who apparently was a (somewhat) normal human, capable of actually fighting cell than it clearly had enough merit for me to try it out.


    Our next target was supposed some easy world with a good ecosystem and plenty of mineral resources, but I was worried it would be a death world for someone like me.


    So I sat, criss cross apple sauce, and tried to feel the universe around me.


    I could feel the difference between this universe and my own, but beyond that, I had no idea what to do. So I looked within myself for some spark of energy, some portion of power to fuel my future as a warrior. What else could I be when most other beings apparently had a god-like power over me?


    I looked and looked for hours, focusing on mundane breathing methods just to keep still. As time went on and my anxiety at the situation faded, my mind stopped whirling. I stopped focusing on my pending doom. The silence I once felt as horrifying now helping me to search and do nothing else.


    Until I found it, It was small, hard to feel and harder to grasp, but it was mine.


    I had power now, a power that I knew could grow to surpass my current oppressors, the power to stand against the Freezas, the Cells, and the Buus of the world. I wouldn''t be defending anybody but myself, but knowing I could fight them eventually, with enough training was relieving to say the least.


    Others in this place gave up or stagnated, thinking they could grow no stronger, or that they had already become the very strongest that would ever exist, but not me.


    I knew this place had ways of throwing foes at you until they broke you, it even happened to Goku. He was just one of those lucky enough to have a magical bullshit machine to come back to life.


    I would not be so lucky.


    A human could become strong here. A human would become strong here. Hell, even without training there were ways to grow in strength.


    The Tree Of Life, The Dragon Balls, The Hero Water and the possibility of more all crossed my mind. If I could take advantage of such things I would. For now, though all I could do was wait and hope.


    There was one power a lot closer to my reach though.


    There was one way to power that all the greatest heroes used. One that had turned the mighty Goku into a force of nature, that had allowed Goku access to the power locked within the Sayain DNA.


    The power of Gravity, Goku had trained at gravity beyond that of earth, beyond that of many planets, and it changed him into a "super" Sayain. Honestly, it seemed odd that something that would normally just crush people to goo would make him so strong, but I had to believe Ki was the answer.


    Ki would allow me to experience the training without being crippled, it would allow me to grow to the levels I needed.


    It would have to.


    I began to move my Ki, a task that came at surprising ease. I was probably the Sakura of Dragon Ball, low energy, easy control. I could feel it emanating from my center in slow, eager waves, leaving my body and dispersing into the air around me.


    The first step was to try and make it not do that so much. Not a lot to go off of I know, but apparently, you get the most bang for your buck if you reduce how much you let out of your body. I remember something about it making people considerably stronger.


    I felt at it for hours, poking and prodding, but all it really did was piss me off. When I took a break I finally noticed that others had joined me in the room, looking at me with wariness from the other side of the room were two purple people.


    The horns meant they probably shared the same species of the person whos horn I now held with me.


    Not the best impression to make, but at least they wouldn''t bother me now. Fear was a weapon I would have to learn to use anyway.


    I glared at the one who looked me in the eye, imagining attacking him with a laser beam from my eye.


    He gasped and turned around. I felt the Ki in my body return to its natural form, I smiled.


    As I decided to lay down on my cot, the only one in the "barracks" as they called it, I decided I would need to practice a bit more while I pretended to sleep.


    Apparently, I can already do something that looks pretty f.u.c.k.i.e.d with my eyes.

 Chapter 101 - My SI Stash #1 - The Forges Fire by Btralox (Naruto)

    -Starting the Vol. 2 with a Naruto SI Fic~ This SI doesn''t have any op bloodline nor Gamer system, just meta knowledge. He''s of course training to be a Blacksmith/Ninja.


    *It''s a very slow fic that felt refreshing, the grammar is perfect, the SI and his family seem real and their are just quite likable. The author is still updating after almost 5 years. Check it out if you want a more slower SI fic~


    (*£þ3£þ)¨q


    Sypnosis: As far as death worlds to reincarnate into went the Elemental Nations weren''t bad. Though I have a serious gripe with whoever it was that tired to convince me that a modern education would amount to much here. But hey, I have my family and friends, I''d get through, even without a bloodline limit. Rated M for occasional cursing and to be safe. (First Person SI)


    Rated: M


    Words: 73K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-forges-fire-naruto-si.352170/page-5#post-18594636 (Btralox)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter: Epilogue 1-6 (exceptional)


    I don''t recall the first first two years of my life at all.


    Such a sentiment would usually be met by most with a raised eyebrow and a comment along the lines of "Well of course." After all, our brains are not quite developed enough at that age to truly make instances stick in long term memory, and even if one did remember those times it would mostly be blurry sights through underdeveloped eyes, moments of incontinence, and a.d.u.l.t talking to you like you are a particularly stupid (though cute) animal.


    However, it is notable with me when I say I don''t remember the first two years of my life, because I remember an entire life from outside the Elemental Nations. I remember a life when I was a grown man and the stories of Naruto were a work of fiction.


    I remember a life where I wasn''t Ayasugi Daisuke.


    ------------------


    My new life as Daisuke wasn''t a bad one. I had a mother and a father who loved and raised me as well as a twin sister who seemed to want to spend every waking moment of her life making me do some form of activity with her or another. Though my life did get a bit more unusual from there.


    I held a great amount of respect for my mother of this life. She was a beautiful woman, she had high cheek bones, good facial symmetry, and always kept her long black hair expertly styled (in fact she seemed to change her hairstyle at least once a week). She was kind to her children and fierce when she felt my sister or I weren''t being treated fairly. She did much of the housework and made wonderful home cooked meals. And she did it while in a wheelchair. How she ended up in the wheelchair and how it inconvenienced her life was never talked about.


    Whenever my sister or I would ask what happened she''d give us a stern look and tell us it happened because she didn''t listen to her mother.


    If we asked our father we''d get the same answer, though he seemed to say it with a slight bit of teasing and small smirk at the corner of his mouth.


    I could be wrong though. My father was a very difficult man to read. He didn''t seem prone to shows of emotion and almost always kept his face passive. I''d honestly think he didn''t love his family if it weren''t for the fact that his eyes always seemed to soften whenever he looked at one of us, that whenever he passed one of us by he''d gently place his hand on our shoulder before moving away, and whenever our mother was having trouble reaching for something from her wheelchair he''d seem to appear from nowhere and hand it off to her with a peck on the cheek.


    I am part of a good family, better than most in the Elemental nations, and I love them greatly. I always felt truly safe with them. Like nothing could go wrong.


    Until one day, when I was three, and I wouldn''t feel safe for quite a while later.


    -----------


    The memories of my previous life came slowly and in bits and pieces that didn''t seem to actually make much sense in connection with each other, which was really rather annoying. When I turned three I could quote, from memory, half of the Emperor''s New Groove...in English.


    As one might guess that isn''t particularly helpful when you are in a country where no one speaks said language. It wasn''t even particularly helpful even if people understood what I was saying.


    Regardless, most of the information I was receiving wasn''t particularly helpful.


    That is until one day, when our father had taken my sister and I out of the house to give our mother a break, and I looked up to see four faces overlooking the village.


    I had seen the faces many times in that life before, I had glanced at them and not thought them particularly special, they''d always been there.


    But this time. I looked at them and I understood what they were. I knew their significance and who each face represented.


    And a cold shiver wracked my body. For as long as I was in this world...I would never really be safe.


    This was the Elemental Nations. This was Konoha. And I''d experience at least one war in my lifetime if I wasn''t killed by someone else before then.


    There was a clock on a countdown to a fight that would rock this entire world, and I had to try not be collateral damage.


    --------------


    Epilogue 2


    I was in the Elemental Nation.


    A place of death and war. A place that the idea of cooperation and peace had only seriously been considered within the last seventy years.


    A place where a single man could wave his hand and wipe out the entire village with only his mystic wizard-ninja powers.


    I could feel my skin turn hold and start to sweat, my arms shaking at my side as my breaths started to come in and out quickly.


    "Daisuke?" My father''s voice came, he was kneeling down infront of me. (When did he get there?) His face had more worry on it than I think I''d ever seen, he got those little wrinkles next to his eyes.


    "Dai? Was'' wrong?" Atsuko, my sister, asked as she grabbed my left arm with both her hands. My mouth felt dry but I kept it closed and said nothing. I didn''t even have the words to say what I wanted to. It was one of my biggest embarrassments right now.


    Atsuko had started talking before she was two years old and could already put together complete, though mispronounced, sentences. I barely knew which words to say. At this point I think my parents might think me rather stupid. I should be a chatterbox at this stage of life, Atsuko certainly was, but it was rare for me to ever say anything.


    I blame the fact that what to say in English is always the first thing that popped into my mind.


    I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head, pulling my arm away from Atsuko. I take a deep breath in and try to calm myself. To give me time to think logically.


    Four heads.


    Meaning there have been four Hokage''s. Which means...I''m currently in probably the most peaceful time this world has seen in a long time and it will probably stay that way for several more years.


    There were only two things to worry about right now then. Kurama''s attack and Orochimaru''s play to kill the Third.


    Orochimaru''s play I think I could avoid but Kurama''s attack...what could I possibly do to make sure my family and I are safe from that? Maybe I could...


    My thoughts are cut off as my father picks me up off the ground, saying something. The only word in the sentence I caught was "Home".


    Yeah....yeah...being home...would be really nice right now. I''ve always been a stay-at-home sort of person.


    I grip my father''s shirt and lean into him, the smell of charcoal and fire wiff into my nose. My father always smelled that way...but today it just didn''t seem comforting.


    "Yes. Home. Home." I muttered. I REALLY have to work on this language thing.


    We begin moving again. I''m not very familiar with the world outside our house but I''m fairly sure that the landmarks we''re passing means we are headed back, likely without having completed our shopping trip.


    I didn''t have it in me to feel guilty right now.


    I was more concerned with how I could keep my family and myself alive in a world of death and bullshit magic eyes. (And I don''t use the word bullshit lightly or often.)


    Epilogue 3


    A day had passed since my little...incident on our grocery trip, and I can tell that something is up. My parents had a long conversation when we got home. My name was mentioned many times and I could FEEL them looking at me every few seconds. I generally tried to ignore them and instead "play" with some wooden blocks that I had gotten at some point in my life. Though really it wasn''t playing and probably didn''t look much like playing from the outside either.


    The blocks were made of wood and carved into shapes from a cube to a pyramid to a arch and colored in various bright shades. Probably a staple childrens toy and similar ones could probably be found in almost every home in Konoha.


    I had arranged the pieces in front of me by color and shape to organize a line and row system.


    I was using them to organize my thoughts. Paper and pen weren''t readily available to someone of my age for obvious reasons, so I took half the box and laid them out before me. Half because the rest of them were being used by Atsuko at the moment.


    "Dai! Come on! Help me build the castle!" Atsuko said as she tugged on arm and tried to get me to come over to where she had been taking her blocks to build the biggest structure she could. It was already leaning over precariously and likely wouldn''t last a few more blocks being placed on top unless she did something to add in support.


    I pulled my arm away from her with a firm. "No."


    Atsuko reached out again to grab hold of my arm and again started to pull me off towards her castle, until I twisted my arm out of her grasp and gave her a stern look and harsh "No!"


    Atsuko opened her mouth, likely to tell me the way it was going to be when our mother''s voice came. "Leave him alone Atsuko-chan."


    "But he''s not even doing anything!"


    "Atsuko." Our father''s voice cut in; his tone making it very clear that she was to stop immediately.


    My twin scowled with a look of defiance on her face, but stomped over towards her little project. Said stomping resulting in her work collapsing.


    "Noooo!" She cried before going over to rebuild it, leaving me momentarily forgotten.


    I felt a bit bad about ignoring her, she really isn''t use to it. I normally just do whatever it is she wants, though with less enthusiasm than she would probably like, so this was a bit of a new experience for her.


    I''ll have to do something later to make it up to her.


    I look back at the various blocks before picking up a red pyramid, closely examining it.


    It will represent Kurama. I placed it carefully on the ground. This was probably the most important thing to consider right now. Everything always tied into Kurama or Naruto, and truly those two were the most linked together, their fates intertwined no matter what. A blue block was placed below the red Pyramid.


    Okay so when am I?


    I pick up two yellow rectangular boxes and place them wide away from each other. The one on my left representing the fourth''s inauguration, the right representing Sarutobi''s death. The four faces means that''s my timeline, I''m somewhere within there. Though...I''ve been aware of my surroundings for about a year...I think I''d notice something like the Sand/Sound invasion...so....I move the yellow box on my right further in and place a purple cylinder above it.


    That...still leaves a good amount of time. Roughly...thirteen to fifteen years I''d guess.


    Okay so major events to occur in that time frame? Clouds ill thought out attempt to kidnap Hinata. A white cylinder is place about three fourths of the way between the two yellow rectangles.


    Importance of the event?


    ...minimal to my situation. Nothing I could do about it within the next few years anyways. Probably something I''ll illogically blame myself over for a while but I have other things I need to worry about. Perhaps, if I meet her at some point, I could try and befriend and encourage Hinata at some point. I always felt that moment is probably what caused her to become so shy. That or her father treated her harshly because he blamed her for his brother''s death.


    Right. So befriend Hinata and motion her towards Naruto. Thats going to be set no matter what. If I''m old enough to actually do something when the event occurs I''ll try to help out...best I can do right now.


    Next would be the Uchiha massacre.


    I pick up a red cylinder and place it just past the white one.


    Very important. However...I''m even less likely to able to do anything about that. If I''m near Itachi in age I might be able to influence him a bit to get a different outcome but outside that I really can''t do anything. Danzo is a better schemer than me and I certainly won''t have the combat ability to get involved in that for years yet.


    If the event is unavoidable...best action is...basically what I plan to do with Hinata. Befriend and push towards Naruto. Though...I suppose friendship isn''t the only option with him. I could become some sort of rival or other such nonsense. An antagonist his age who can actually get to him might actually end up beneficial to him if applied close enough to the massacre.


    I might have to go the second route.


    I feel sorry for Sasuke but I never particularly liked him as a character. Though that might prove different as a real person.


    Ultimately there was still nothing I could for a few more years.


    Last event....Obito''s attack via Kurama.


    The thing most likely to get me and my family killed in the given time frame.


    Again...nothing I can do to prevent it. When it arrives though...what to do...is there any way I can make sure everyone is safe?


    A show of emotion.


    If one of my parents seems to want to participate in something heroic...show emotion. A raging fit, a crying breakdown...and if those don''t work collapse to the ground and stopping breathing to force them to instead focus on getting me to a doctor.


    Best I could do.


    Dealing with the even afterwards...brings me back to the blue block, Uzumaki Naruto.


    Do I become his friend? It...might be a bad idea to break him from his loneliness, because it was that pain that turned him into the hero he became. It gave him the ability to relate with others pain and feel for them. It was Naruto''s greatest strength and the reason he is able to change so many people''s lives for the better.


    Should I really stop that?


    ....


    Yes. Past experience doesn''t justify current behavior. Just because I read what happened in a manga in another life doesn''t mean its going to play out that way here. Particularly since my existence is likely to be tossing out butterflies.


    Plus having a friend like Naruto in your corner would be incredibly beneficial.


    Okay. So befriend him if possible.


    ...if any of this is even valid. This could possibly be a world where Danzo has a heart of gold and the biju don''t exist. I didn''t know and couldn''t know for a few more years.


    Which brings me.


    I look at a green arch.


    What can I do about me?


    I need to be strong enough to at least not be killed by random ninja mook B.


    How do I go about that?


    Well strength comes to three categories: body, mind, chakra.


    Chakra was probably the most important, but I wasn''t going to even TRY to touch that stuff until I had proper instruction. Anything that could cut thing on the cellular level, summon the embodiment of death, and bring the dead back to life is not something I want to go playing with blindly.


    Mind was the next most important, in my opinion. Tactics and planning. I could do some basic practices by myself now but again it would work best if I had instruction. The best way to receive that...is if I focus on my ability to speak, read, and write. I need to meet or exceed my peers in this category.


    I hate being uninformed more than anything else.


    Last was body.


    I could try practicing some of the forms I learned of chung do kwan, but that would probably net me some attention I don''t want right now. Next best option, if I don''t have an instructor, is...play. Be an active child and become fit that way.


    Well....no time like the present.


    I push my blocks to the side and calmly walk up to my twin. She turned to look at me in confusion and just started to open her mouth to say something before I poked a single finger to her head and let out a quite "Tag." Before turning and running away.


    "Wha-? Hey! Get back here!"


    I smirked as I ran out of the room, intent on getting an exercise out of this.


    Who said preparing for the future can''t be fun?


    --------


    Epilogue 4


    Our game of tag didn''t last long. After a few minutes our father came and found us running circles around the dinner table, Atsuko giggling madly. However I caught the look on our father''s face and stopped, causing Atsuko to barely be able to keep herself from running me over but hitting me with her hand with a shout of "Tag!".


    "Daisuke." His voice rang out as he motioned for me to follow him.


    "Tou-chan! We were in the middle of playing!" Atsuko''s whining voice complained.


    "Go to your mother Atsuko. She needs you for something."


    Atsuko crossed her arms with a scowl on her face before going off.


    My father pressed his hand into my back to guide me through our house.


    And it was actually a house. To my knowledge its actually pretty unusual that we don''t just live in an apartment, but had a two story building with four rooms, enough of a yard that two three year-olds could run around in it, and then my father''s workshop.


    I''d never been entirely sure what it was that my father did for a living. What time he didn''t spend with us he seemed to spend in his workshop, and my sister and I weren''t allowed to go in there. Occasionally I''d see other people, that I now realize had been ninja, go in through the outside entrance to the shop. Also, whenever our father came out of the shop his clothes were always coated with sweat and much his exposed skin colored black by whatever it was he was doing. Though he never brought anything out of his work area and not even our mother ever went in.


    Thus I was very surprised when my father guided me to the door leading to his workshop and opened the door. I looked up to him in question and he just gestured for me to go inside.


    I cautiously stepped inside, looking around. In the center of the room sat what I recognized as a forge and an anvil. The far wall had a rack with an assortment of hammers of various sizes, as well as tongs and other equipment that I wasn''t sure of the name for or their purpose. Up against the wall to my right seemed to be several container of coal, sand, and...I think some kinds of metal? I wasn''t really sure. If it was metal it was in its raw and unpolished form. The rest of the workplace seemed to be filled with various weapons, though by far the most prominent were shuriken and kunai of various shapes and sizes.


    My father was a blacksmith.


    How the heck did I not ever hear the pounding on the anvil in the blacksmithing process?


    Though it also explained my father a bit. He was a big man. And I don''t mean height wise, since everyone looks big when you are two feet tall, but he was built wide like Jiraiya was in setting. That is to say he was wide and had arms like tree trunks.


    Wait...my dad was a red-head....Uzumaki? It was a pretty vibrant red, though it was hard to tell because he only ever had stubble on top his head.


    No. I''ve heard our last name and it isn''t that....though maybe similar ancestry? Possible. And oddly enough his red hair managed to beat out our mother''s black hair for Atsuko and me, though our hair is a pretty dark red.


    "Daisuke, do you want to help me out in here from now on?" My father asked.


    Oh.


    I''m being groomed to learn my father''s business. Understandable, and really it would help with physical fitness.


    Though the question is does he want me to do this and not be a ninja? Because that....doesn''t seem like a bad idea. I wouldn''t mind it...I''d probably prefer it even. However if I do still end up being a ninja, well, this is excellent physical training.


    I give my father a nod and a smile. I could do this.


    "Good. Now let me show you what you are going to be doing."


    -----------------


    I couldn''t do this.


    I now know why blacksmiths were usually considered the toughest guys in town back in the other world. I''m exhausted and we haven''t even got to hammering yet.


    My father had me shovel some coal into the furnace, then taught me how to arrange it so that it produced the most heat. It was tough for me at that point but I felt like I could keep up.


    Then he took this clay cup looking thing and started to fill it up with some of the bits of metal shards and what appeared to be metal sand. Each time he picked some up from the box though he''d flash me a certain number of fingers for how many shards to pick up from each box and then just one handful for the metal sand.


    I''m guessing that we''re making some sort of alloy? That''s why the different boxes. Though really they all looked pretty much the same to me, even as an ingot, iron looks way different from the other metals I was familiar with.


    Then my father did something that made me practical drool at the mouth.


    He brought his hands together through a few seals, going so fast I couldn''t pick them up, and then brought a single finger up to his mouth and blew fire at the coals, setting them alight.


    I stared dumbly at my dad, slackjawed. My father could breath fire...which means at some point I''d probably be taught to breath fire...oh yes, I am okay with this.


    Dad let me have my moment as he took the clay cup and set it into the coals...with...his...bare...hands....


    There was more staring as the man just pulled his hand out like he didn''t just have his hand in a small inferno.


    After I recovered from that Dad set me again to work. He wanted me to pump that...air thingy that pushes air into the furnace and heats up the coals.


    That wasn''t hard...for the first two minutes or so. A little while after that though I began breathing heavily as the heat from the furnace radiating out and began making the room almost stifling. Sweat began to soak my shirt though the exertion and heat, but every time I started to slow Dad would start to clap his hands to set a faster tempo for me.


    I didn''t even finish. It got to the point that I couldn''t pump the thing any more, my muscles too tired, and Dad stepped in while I layed down on the ground panting.


    It was around that time that a knock came at the the outside door before said door then opened a loud voice boomed "Hada-san!"


    My father looked up from what he was doing, but didn''t stop as he said, "Ah. Gai-san. Hello."


    That made me immediately sit up and look over.


    Sure enough there stood a green-spandex clad man with orange leg warmers and a jonin jacket. The bowl cut was also present. Looking at the man I gauged him to be in his early twenties.


    Meaning we were past the Kyuubi attack.


    I collapsed back on to the ground in relief, thankful I didn''t have to endure the attack of the chakra rage monster.


    Gai and Dad talked back and forth, about what I wasn''t sure. They were using a bunch of words I didn''t know yet and Gai seemed to talk pretty quickly.


    Though I did hear Gai say "Sumi-san" at one point so I can be pretty sure they talked about my mother at some point.


    Then I heard my name, which had Gai looking over at me before shouting something that I''m certain was to the effect of "The Spring Time of Youth!" before giving me his "Nice Guy Pose".


    I gave him a small wave and said "Hello".


    I vaguely expected him to get down over my underreaction, but he just went back to talking with my father. I guess a three year olds approval isn''t as important to him.


    Gai left shortly after that with a very excited farewell that mentioned both my name and Dad''s.


    It was then that my father called me over as he stood in front of the oven that was melting the metal. Then Dad went through several hand seals in a very slow and very precise way, so much slower than the last seals I saw him do that I had no doubt it was because he wanted me to see them.


    The last one in the series was a tiger seal, which if I remember right is usually indicative of a fire move, followed by him just lowering his hands....with seemingly no effect.


    That is until he reached into the oven and pulled out the cup of now liquid metal with his bare hands and poured it out into a mold for a long cylinder. Not sure why anyone would need a solid metal cylinder but okay.


    Then my father proceeded to STICK HIS HANDS INSIDE THE MOLTEN METAL.


    I actually stepped forward a bit and started to yell...but cut myself off as I saw my father....massage the molten metal like it was a damn batch of dough.


    I stood there and stupidly watched him do that for the rest of the afternoon.


    Epilogue 5


    Dad and I didn''t end up coming out of the workshop until it was starting to get dark and when we came inside it was to the wonderful smell of a stir-fry that my mother was no doubt making. The smell of it made my mouth water and it dawned on me just how hungry I was.


    It was a bit odd. I had an appreciation for stir fry, and many other typical asian dishes, in this life, but I hadn''t particularly cared for them in my previous one. I suppose different taste buds had something to do with it. That or my mother just made them better than anyone in my previous life.


    I am personally inclined to believe the taste buds thing.


    Dad and I walked into the kitchen to see my mother standing in-front of the stove on her one leg, mostly supported by a crutch under one of her arms while her other hand stirred the various vegetables in the pan.


    With nary a word Dad came up beside her and gently nudged her out of the way to take over the task.


    My mother glared at him for a moment before saying "I''m perfectly capable of cooking it myself."


    "Yes, I known you are perfectly able to burn the food." Dad replied, "I''ll handle this. You go check on Atsuko."


    That was a lie. Mom had never once burned the food in as long as I can remember, but it was an exchange that occurred almost daily, and it would always get my mother to get back in her wheelchair and do something else.


    I knew it was just my father''s way of showing he loved her, and I''m pretty sure she knew it too.


    Though...the fact that Atsuko wasn''t in here was unusual. Normally she''d be buzzing around mom offering to "help".


    Curious, I followed after mom to see what was going on, to find Atsuko sat the dinner table with a bunch of papers scattered in-front of her, several ink stains on her cheeks and a brush in her hands. Atsuko looked up to Mom enter the room and waved excitedly with her hand holding the brush, resulting a bit of wild ink spatter as she shouted "Mom! Come see! Come see!"


    Mom rolled over and looked at the down at the papers on the table for a moment before taking on the high pitched voice that parents always took when congratulating small children and began telling Atsuko about how much she improved.


    Was she drawing things? Just making a mess and being indulged?


    I walked over to take a peek at the pages. I only managed to get a glance of the several sloppy and barely recognizable kaji before Atsuko suddenly swept the pages away and stuck her tongue out at me.


    "No! This is for me. Mom said you aren''t ready yet."


    The lightbulb clicked.


    I was being taught blacksmithing today. Atsuko was being taught how to do calligraphy.


    I knew my mother did calligraphy, we were occasionally allowed in the spare room where she did the work, but only with supervision. She was passing this on to Atsuko like Dad was passing on Blacksmithing to me.


    Also...caligraphy...did my mom make seals?


    If so...on the one hand, that''s really cool and the munchkin in me did a little happy dance at my access. On the other hand...making things like exploding tags and sealing scrolls in the same house that you raise children in doesn''t sound like a particularly good idea.


    Wow....my house might be filled with explosives as well as sharp pointy objects.


    Not sure how safe that makes me feel, especially with Atsuko around.


    "Don''t worry Dai-chan." My mother''s voice cut in, bringing me out of my musings, "You and I are going to be doing something else tonight after dinner, okay?"


    Something else?


    Not...quite sure what that would be but okay, don''t think its anything I''d be particularly against.


    "Good. Now lets get you two cleaned up before dinner is ready, okay?"


    Aw crap.


    I get that from their perspective I''m a little kid and it isn''t that weird for my mother and sister to bathe with me.


    In my perspective it was wrong on so many level I didn''t even know where to begin. Thankfully I was way too young to experience any libido, but I was aware enough to feel the mind crushing guilt.


    I pretty much spent all of every bath time gazing at my feet or keeping my eyes closed.


    I did not need memories haunting me later on in life.


    And I''m not going to bother running because...yep there it is. Mom picked me up and put me in her lap. She knows I''m not fond of bath time and thinks it because of some other toddler boy thing or whatever. I didn''t particularly care.


    There were many times I DID run...but having a one legged lady in a wheelchair have to chase after you is not a good feeling.


    I heave a sigh and close my eyes. Lets get it over with.


    ---------------


    After that ordeal that I decided to pretend didn''t happen we were all sat down at the dinner table and enjoyed our meals. One of the few things I had an advantage on Atsuko over was here. I could reliably use chopsticks with a...mostly negligible mess. I wouldn''t say I''m proficient with them, but for a three year-old I wasn''t bad.


    After dinner though my mother again picked me up and put me in her lap.


    Now, I''m fine with physical affection and all, but I''m really looking forward to the point that this didn''t happen so often.


    I don''t like being manhandled.


    She wheeled the two of us into my room and sat me on the floor.


    "Now, Dai-chan, I''ve got a surprise for you!" She said...or at least I think...not sure if that word meant surprise or gift.


    Either way it resulted in Mom pulling a thin box about two hand-lengths wide out of...somewhere...not sure where. She proceeded to open said box and pull out a bunch of note card things.


    "Its to help you learn words!"


    THAT got my attention.


    Communication is really what I need more than anything else right now. So heck yea, bring on the flashcards.


    Some of my excitement must have registered on my face because Mom grew a big smile on her face and seemed to breath a sigh of relief.


    She held up a card. On it was a picture of a tree and a kaji under it.


    "Tree." She said tapping the picture before repeating it once more. "Now you say it Dai-chan."


    "Tree." I replied. I had already knew that one, and I knew she knew that, but I''m guessing this is one of those moments of getting me use to the premise of the idea.


    She took out another flashcard with a brightly colored koi on it. "Fish"


    And so my night went.


    It was a pretty demeaning task but...I needed this. It hurt my pride but I''ve always held pride dosen''t do you any good, especially if it prevents you from doing something that would be beneficial.


    Epilogue 6


    It''s a really good thing this world doesn''t have the internet or video games, otherwise I''d not have made near the progress I have in the last few months.


    Boredom is usually a good way to make me actually work on something.


    I feel like I''d come a long ways. I could actually string together a few sentences and could understand basically everything people were saying now. Which made me realize my parents think I have some sort of mental abnormality...which....isn''t exactly wrong but I''m pretty sure they weren''t guessing it was because their son has the memories of a twenty-four year old jammed into his head.


    Hopefully they''d never find that out. That would make some thing pretty awkward.


    I''d also managed to become physically stronger; I could actually mostly keep up with what Dad was asking me to do now. Though it was still the tasks I had started with on the first day. I don''t expect to be given a hammer or be taught to breath fire anytime soon. As my language started to get better Dad started to explain the process of what he was doing more and more. For the most part I was doing a pretty good job of understanding what he was telling me too, the only parts I slipped up was when he started to use the word "chakra" then he pretty much lost me. I''m guessing its something I''m going to have to get around to after I learn how to harness my chakra.


    I also found out that I''m apparently going to the Academy eventually. At least that''s what I''m guessing, because when I asked when I''d learn how to use my chakra I was told "At the Academy."


    Which caught me by surprise. I had expected to be raised to be a blacksmith but Mom just gave a reply to that with "Everyone goes to the Academy."


    So there goes lots of fan theories and fanfictions.


    Well...maybe not. It''s possible this isn''t the world Kishimoto translated into manga.


    Atsuko was also growing, though not as quickly. Her kanji were getting better, but they still looked like a child did them. Sometimes Atsuko would also spend time helping dad out in the workshop, but she always hated it and did whatever she could to get out of it.


    My parents didn''t try very hard to make her do it either.


    I guess they figured only one of their kids had to learn the blacksmithing stuff.


    So after the several months of our parents preparing us for our future we found ourselves in October. Today in particular was a rather...odd day. Mom was bustling through the house, cleaning to a level she didn''t usually bother with, and she had a certain...stressed air around her. One I recognized from my previous life.


    We were going to be getting a guest tonight.


    A grandparent?


    Possible...but unlikely. A grandparent would have been more active in our lives.


    A friend?


    More likely...but my parents didn''t exactly get out and socialize a whole lot.


    A client?


    That...sounds right. Dad didn''t have a shop, so he sold his wares to shops and they in turn sold the product. A few customers did come directly to him if they wanted to special order something or for him to do some maintenance on something.


    Yeah. Probably some sort of business relationship.


    As if my thoughts summoned it a knock came at the door. Mom takes a deep, calming breath before she wheels herself over to the front door. I keep my spot in the living room.


    People don''t usually appreciate kids rushing them as they come into a house.


    So yeah, not going to run to the door.


    "Hello....Jiraiya-sensei."


    I trip over myself as I make a dash for the door but mostly manage to stay up.


    Spiky white hair? Check.


    Colorful and exaggerated outfit? Check.


    Geta? Check.


    Red cheek tattoos? Check.


    Lecherous personality?


    "Sumi-chan! You''ve grown so big! And in all the right places! Motherhood''s been good to you!"


    ....check.


    How is she possibly his student?


    Wait...he had a gennin team didn''t he? Minato, that dark skinned guy, and....oh.


    So thats who my mom is.


    So...Mom was a ninja...which means her leg was probably lost in the line of duty.


    I''m...not sure what to do with that.


    "Ah! This must be Daisuke! I see he is stunned by the majesty of the great Jiraiya-sama!"


    Oh. Right. Staring at him like an idiot.


    Eh...Jiraiya could do with an slight ego deflating.


    "Ka-chan, who''s this dumb looking guy?"


    Jiraiya let out this delightful squawking sound as Mom turned around with a cry of "Dai-chan!". But it was in one of those tones of voice where a parent is trying to get on to a child, but what they really want to do is just laugh.


    I gave my best innocent smile as I asked. "Did I say something wrong?"


    Jiraiya had another moment of bl.u.s.tering before breaking out into a boisterous laugh. "Yeah. He''s Hada''s kid alright!"


    The comparison made me smile.


    --------


    Dinner was an incredibly awkward affair.


    "So....what have you been up to lately Sensei?" Mom asked.


    Jiraiya perked up, "Oh! I just finished writing a book! Its about....uh..." He glanced at me then Atsuko, "...stuff."


    "How interesting." My father droned before placing some rice into his mouth.


    You know those comfortable moments with a family where everyone could sit at the table and not say anything and be perfectly okay with it?


    This was not one of those moments.


    I even did the awkward cough thing just to fill the silence.


    "So, Hada-san. How is work?" Jiraiya asked.


    "Good. I got a contract with a shop a few months ago. Work''s been pretty steady since then."


    "Oh...that''s...good."


    You know the sounds of people eating rice, when you really listen, are very different from pretty much every other food. It has a pretty distinctive sound when-


    "Why do you have those lines on your face? Did you get cut?" Atsuko asked.


    Oh thank goodness.


    Plus that was something I had wondered about.


    "These?" He said pointing toward the red lines tattooed on his face. "Nope! These are clan tattoos! Besides, noone could manage to cut the great Jiraiya-sama!"


    Wow. He even got up and put a foot on his chair to do a pose. Props to him for commitment.


    "You''re part of a clan?" Atsuko asked with large curious eyes.


    Jiraiya''s face got a rather sad look on his face as he replied with, "...no. No I''m not."


    ...ouch.


    That means either his family was killed, or he got them to be clan tattoos for his family...which he never ended up having.


    "Then how are they clan tattoos?"


    Mom and Dad gave a grimace.


    "What? I just wanna-"


    "Atsuko." I cut in. She looked over to me and began to complain again but closed my eyes and gave a slow headshake.Thankfully I appeared sufficiently serious to get her not to say more.


    Oh look, we''re driving through awkward town in the awkward-mobile again.


    "Welp! Thanks for the hospitality Sumi-chan, Hada-san, but I should be going. You know, countries to save, princesses to rescue." Jiraiya said as he stood up, probably having decided that was enough of that.


    "I''ll see you to the door Sensei." Mom said as she wheeled over to him.


    I let the two of them go to the door alone where they had a quiet conversation, before Mom came back to clean up the table, the family dispersing to do their own thing.


    --------------


    I came across mom staring out the window later that night. Her gaze vacant as she looked out, and her lips slightly turned down.


    I placed a hand on her arm. "Mom...are you sad that the dinner didn''t go well?"


    She opened her mouth to say something...but seemed to change her mind and instead said, "Yes, Dai-chan. I am."


    That had to hurt. A jonin sensei was a major part of growing up to a ninja. Like part of the family, if not even a parent. To not even be able to have a dinner with someone who was once so close must be...heartwrenching.


    "I''m sorry." I say.


    "Its okay Dai-chan. That''s just life. People change and their paths may split from each other. But it doesn''t mean the bond between them has disappeared."


    She turned to look at me, both her hand coming to grasp my own as her eyes filled with a feeling I couldn''t quite identify it was....


    "I know that if I ever really needed him he''d show up, and I''d do the same for him. We don''t need to be in eachother''s lives. We are still very important to each other. That doesn''t just go away."


    Melancholy.


    The feeling was melancholy.

 Chapter 102 - My CO Stash #2 - The Hunter Amongst Villains by i4md347h (OnePunchManXMyHeroAcademia)

    -Recommended by OrangeSoda~ Garou somehow gets Isekai''d to MHA verse, expect some heroes to get absolutely SMASHED! No pun intended.


    *I just woke up to 1,500 collections! 1,500 weebs have added the stash to their library/reading list~!


    (¡ä¨Œ`???)


    Sypnosis: Wounded, lost, but growing, the lone wolf awakens in a land not his own of which more colorful and vibrant life thrives, but also young and weak. Similar to home, but so different, Garou must wander the lands and find his purpose in a world where heroes were frail and weak, where the pain of the powerless was ignored by the many. And he will change that world with wrath and fury


    Rated: T


    Words: 82K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13146586/1/The-Hunter-Amongst-Villains (i4md347h)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Death stalked the Hero Hunter''s battered form, waiting to claim him at the slightest moment of weakness. Splintered wood and ruptured glade, blood trailing the dirt in his path to the fires of hell and dying his humanity with crimson perseverance - the lone wolf glared at his hunters, their visage reflected from his very pupils.


    Standing in the clearing of the woods with the earth of which was stained by bodies and blood cracked like glass, and carrying the top half of the split tree, Garou burned with fierce demonic tenacity to crush the three opponents before him.


    Blood dyed the rims of his hair, corrupting pure silver to demonic red, as he slowly exhaled through gritted teeth; his bandages torn and a red aura rippled off his frame as cracks infected the shattered earth beneath his feet. Silence permeated the air so richly only the sound of uncountable rustling leaves blew to his ear as he tightened the tree in his grip.


    Bang, Bomb, and Genos stood before him; all momentarily shocked by his sudden, logic-defying power. However, before any of them could resume their fight, another party swooped from the skies.


    Grabbed by the shoulders, two talons lifting him to the skies with each mighty beat of the phoenix''s wings, The Hero Hunter struggled, cursed, and threatened the thing to let him go, but he could not free himself, not unless he wished for the hammer of gravity to smash him into a crimson smear.


    However, before his consciousness fell, a black mist suddenly swirled around his entire being, engulfing in black without warning.


    Phoenixman could neither react nor parse the event until it was too late, stupored into inactivity as Garou somehow vanished as if he was spirited away by a much more supernatural force.


    "!" Garou''s sudden absence stunned Phoenixman. From where did the mist come?


    More importantly, what the hell just happened? Where did Garou go? No, what was that mist in the first place? Even more importantly, Garou was no longer in his possession. Meaning, he failed in his objective in the end, and soon realized that he would indefinitely end up inside Orochi''s stomach upon return.


    "CRAPPPPPPP!" Phoenix man cursed the heavens as Garou vanished from the face of the earth.


    Puffing heavily with a face twisted with fear and, his heart thunderously pumping adrenaline, a silver-haired boy desperately sprinted up the stairs until he reached the only exit door leading outside via rooftops. Without hesitation, he barreled through the door with stumbling feet, nearly tripping his balance as it turned on its hinges. The early morn sky embraced his presence as he looked back, staring at the darkness with quivering eyes and chattering teeth.


    Cackling echoed from the same darkness, a low, wicked voice that promised dread, as a figure slowly emerged from the shadows and under the starlit night. A man, no, an abomination stepped out of the same door the boy ran through. His form was a mix of putrid green and violet, tentacles and mouths dangling from his clothless body and lines of atrocious, atrophied sinew exposed for the youngling''s eyes to his dismay.


    "Hehehe, come on, little boy. Don''t you want to play?" The voice coming out of the abomination''s mouth was just as horrendous as his appearance as drool could be seen leaking from his mouth.


    "L-Leave me alone, you freak!" The boy shouted as the ''freak'' frowned, assuming that it could even frown.


    "Naughty child, to call a man you just met a freak. Didn''t your parents teach you manners? Oh¡­ they''re already dead! Hee ha ha ha ha!" The villain cackled maliciously, as tears started emerging from the boy''s eyes.


    "Your aunt had some bad evidence against my employer, so blame her for your misfortune! A mere lawyer shouldn''t stick her hand on something that doesn''t concern her. Know the true price of ''Justice,'' kid." The eldritch mutant gloated, reveling in the dominance he now wielded over the child as his grotesque legs of wrangled black tendons sauntered out of the door, heading towards the kid with a maniacal monstrous glee while black ichor trailed in his wake.


    As he continued stepping back, he heard another wicked cackle behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he caught a glimpse of another villain, a gorilla climbing up the side of his apartment. The gorilla, garbed in grey fur, bore a wrinkled face of severe skin and hair, and yellow teeth that had not brushed for days. Climbing along the side of the building was more villains, every other varied in shape, ability, and form. The boy was trapped, while both assailant and victim were unaware of the figure appearing above them from the black swirling mist.


    All but one faces grinned, their victory seemingly assured with no hero to interrupt them, except what arrived at the scene was no hero - its figure whistling downwards from the heavens in its long descent.


    Like a meteor from the heavens, an unknown figure crashed face down the concrete in a grand entrance, cratering human-sized groove into the roof and dispersing obfuscating dust. A monstrous growl resounded from the man-shaped crater, behind the mantle of dust, arousing the villains to step back in concurrence on reflex - they did not understand the reason behind their pacing retreat until the dust diminished, revealing the figure pushing himself to his feet slowly.


    A shirtless, red-haired man, caked in his blood, with baggy pants and tai chi slippers, licked his menacing gaze over his surroundings, his breathing haggard and his heterochromic eyes firing a glare that can kill. The villains and the boy shuddered in fear at the man, as the assailants instinctively took a step back. An unsettling inexplicable fear burrowed within the depths of their mind, then replaced by one of irritation and caution.


    "Who¡­ who the hell are you? Where did you come from?"The mutant Villain pointed one finger squarely at the strange intruder. The rest of the Villains were all put slightly on guard.


    "...that bird had the nerves¡­ to drop me." The crimson-haired man snarled as his glare, flowing with murderous intent, balefully lashed at his surroundings and then at the mutant, prickling him with unease.


    "More monsters." He snarled as he raised his arm, his all five fingers curving into a menacing claw as if grasping the head of his prey. The bird was trying to kill him with the black smoke. He interpreted his situation as such since his mind was bordering to near unconsciousness, with only his demonic will holding himself together and giving him the strength to stand against the world.


    Hearing the strange man''s threatening intonation and seeing him raise his arm, the villains all tensed up. They kept their eyes locked firmly on the shirtless man in front of them.


    "Listen. All you need to do is walk away. This doesn''t concern you." Gesturing around at the area, the mutant villain attempted to reason with the shirtless man.


    After sitting there on the roof for some time, the boy realized his opportunity.


    "H-Help! Please! T-They''re here to take me away! P-Please stop them!" The silver-haired boy shouted in desperation, stuttering from fear at the man standing there covered in blood.


    Hearing the boy''s plea, the man shifted his eyes to the boy, a frightened kid that was begging to for rescue. His eyes, past the tears, there''s something about the kid''s eyes reminded him of that boy he regularly visits in that park ¡ª the one called Tatsurou.


    "Shut up, you brat!" The gorilla marched towards the boy in rage, huffing as he raised his leg and stomped the kid''s head to the ground.


    "Ya just a hostage! Stop crying fa'' help when there''s no one here ta save ya! Just sleep and accept it!" The gorilla roared as he continued stomping on the boy, to the point of blood leaking from his nose and head.


    "Oi! You''ll kill him if you keep this up! We need ''im alive, idiot!" A crab man shouted at the gorilla before he stopped, leaving the boy bloody and bruised but conscious.


    "Ugh, fine! I want to go home! Why don''t we kill that guy and-" Before he could utter another word, his sight sent spiraling out of control, the world around him spiraling in chaos before becoming vertical in his eyes. The roof was now vertical, the sky at the right side of his vision. Then the image split into three, separated by arcing lines like that of a rainbow''s before the absolute darkness smothered his vision and thoughts with silencing black.


    The other villains all turned to the intruder, eyes widened by confusion and confoundment. Glancing at the corpse of their fellow Villain, they understood what the man was not - a monstrous villain arrived the scene, not a hero. One dangerous beyond their imagining, evident by his bare-handed murder of a fellow human being.


    With astounding speed their eyes could not track, he, with extreme savagery, separated decapitated their mutant friend with his murderous fist, and adding salt to injury, sharply divided the head midair into concentric pieces with a skill that can only be described as a Quirk.


    "You¡­ killed him?" One asked in disbelief, still trying to understand that a stranger killed one of them with frightening ease.


    "Sc.u.m¡­" Dismissing his words, the red-haired man seethed, his presence now screaming unfathomable rage at the villains as the sclera of his right eye grew even darker. The menacing feel of his aura rose almost tenfold as if he was becoming stronger with each second.


    The villains could feel his animosity permeating the area. Confused, concerned, and scared, questions ranging from the murderous stranger''s identity to his karmic alignment with society wracked their thoughts. However, one truth was clear, that the man before them was beyond furious for reasons unknown, one with a Quirk strong enough to mutilate his prey with bare hands alone.


    "L-Listen¡­ We didn''t know there were any other Villains in the area. Whoever you work for, I''m sure we could put this b-behind us." the eldritch mutant from the door negotiated. He was not expecting to die. The man was far too dangerous, a murderer drunk with a c.o.c.ktail of blood-l.u.s.t and frenzied rage.


    "What did you just call me?" Garou asked as his anger soared, to the point of being tangible. He was critically wounded, just escaped from a losing battle and was forced into a situation that screamed treachery from the monsters, which he doesn''t mind since he had no desire to join them. He had not a single comprehension of his current situation, but what the monsters did piss him off to his core. He refused to let them free after such blasphemy, his heart demanding their deaths in the cruelest way imaginable.


    Raising both of his pincers in the air in an apologetic gesture, the crab villain could feel a shiver pass over him."T-There''s no reason for us to fight! You could help us! Yous-seem pretty strong!"


    "Quiet." Garou pointed his blood-encrusted finger at them.


    "I have decided. I will kill every single one of you. None of shall escape my wrath." Garou decided his ultimatum. Not in the mood for jokes or nonsense, lividly enraged, he flashed his gritted teeth as the sclera of his right eye turned pitch-black.


    Hearing his decision, a few of the villains shivered, trembling in fear for their lives.


    "O-Oi? What of vigilante are you?" Garou does not know who or what a vigilante is nor does he care. He cared only for the sight of their bodies torn apart with prejudice.


    "Die," Garou ignited the slaughter with that single word.


    The boy watched as the villains tensed, before rallying themselves to attack the dangerous man. He watched as they died one by one, slaughtered like cattle with his bare hands. The man''s fighting style aroused a mixture of fear and awe within the boy. The way he fights was, as a work of art, feral, yet graceful. Intense, however, tempered, no room for error in his movements, only skill of the highest caliber. Despite his fear, the boy felt a sense of awe and respect for the man.


    The eldritch mutant watched in muted shock and horror as this man went about effortlessly slaughtering the entire group of villains. Every attack sent his way seemed to glide past him. His arms were a blur as they lashed out. Blood and body parts flew through the air, painting the ground a deep crimson. All thought of kidnapping the kid disappeared as the villains attempted to fight back.


    The strange man weaved and easily dodged an incoming strike. With one pincer outstretched, the crab villain could only watch as a fist sped towards his face, a blur in his vision, plunging into the crab man''s chest. He felt a brief, overwhelming sense of pain before he felt something ripped out of his chest. Looking at the man''s hands, he saw something red and beating attached to thick cords of meat. He saw his own heart pulled out of his body, before the man crushed it in his hands, squeezing the blood from the red meat as darkness took over his mind.


    The other villains watched, horrified as their fellow villain fell to the ground. The man''s hand remained outstretched, still holding the crushed remains of their companion''s heart, blood seeping through his fingers. Fear began to permeate the mind of every villain present. No matter what they did, they couldn''t seem to beat this guy. The eldritch mutant stared at the man, his eyes wide with distraught."W-we''re just here for the kid. I-If we take the kid, we''ll leave your t-territory okay?"


    "Since when do monsters stoop so low?" The man''s glare shifted from the corpse to him, his killing intent directed at him.


    The mutant Villain grimaced, hearing the man continually describing them as ''monsters.'' He grew slightly confused. Why would a fellow Villain be so against their actions?"We aren''t ''monsters.'' We''re just Villains, doing a job."


    "Huh?" The man narrowed his eyes before walking towards him, his killing intent still at its peak.


    "There''s no difference, especially when all I see are abominations." The man replied with a serious tone.


    The reduced group of Villains all shuddered at the aggressive tone. Judging from his words, this guy had no intention of letting any of them leave alive. Glancing over at the kid on the ground, the grotesque villain had an idea pop into his head. As the shirtless man continued carving his way through his compatriots, the tentacled villain rushed over to the boy, snatching him up ¡ª his grotesque tentacles wrapped around the boy''s throat, strangling him. Holding up the boy between the man and himself, the villain could feel noticeable fear."Get out of here. Now. Alternatively, I''ll choke the life out of this kid."


    The boy''s wide, panicked eyes stared at the now stationary form of the shirtless man. The tentacles around his throat tightened their grasp, choking the breath out of him.


    "...go ahead." The man said as he briefly turned his eyes towards the corpse of the crab creature, eyeing the pincers, as he turned his eyes towards the man with many eyes over his body. The eldritch mutant flinched when he saw the killer started rushing towards another of his own as he saw him run past the corpse of the crap mutant.


    "I-I said stop-"


    Before the mutant could squeeze the boy''s windpipe even further, the man stopped and stomped one of the pincers, tearing the claw out of its socket as it flew in midair, and kicked pincer towards him at speeds he could not react. The inhuman eyes of the eldritch mutant widened the moment he felt something cold piercing his head, right in the center of his forehead. The tentacle holding the boy dropped, as the mutant fell face-flat on the floor lifeless like a stringless puppet.


    "..." The other villains were now scared for their lives.


    "Prepare to die." The man said as he resumed his slaughter.


    Garou stood in the center of his world, surrounded by the blood and corpses of monsters, his only other company was a boy of around nine sitting there, trembling in fear. Garou took a deep breath as he calmed down, his rage sated, but not sans allowing the pain of his acc.u.mulated injuries to catch up to him finally.


    "Crap." Garou knew he must recuperate. He will soon lose consciousness if he remained idle.


    "Kid, you know a place I can stay in undisturbed?" Garou asked. He does not know why there wasn''t a single forest in sight around him, or why he fell from the skies after wrapped in around black mist, but he would figure that out later. He needed to heal¡­ also, he was hungry.


    "E-Eh¡­" The kid was still frozen there, unable to move, most likely out of fear.


    "Kid, this what you do for someone that saved you? Take me somewhere I can heal. I will pass out if I remain idle." Garou demanded again, forcing the kid into action this time.


    "I¡­ f-follow me." The kid gulped, rubbing his neck still sore from the tentacle choking.


    Looking at the kid, he was also in need of medical attention judging by the purple bruises on his person; though he won''t allow him to call for an ambulance. Garou was well versed in the art of self-aid, and the aid of others. He will not let himself be caught by the Hero Association no matter what.


    As the young boy headed down the stairs, Garou followed him. The darkness seemed to engulf the stairway, making everything hard to see. Both he and the boy continued going down, flight after flight passing. The entire area was almost entirely silent, aside from their footsteps. Garou assumed that they had arrived at the floor the boy was heading for, when he reached a nearby door, slowly swinging it open.


    The boy continued walking, occasionally casting a glance back at Garou. The red-haired hunter followed the small boy into the hallway, observing everything as he went with all of the doors they passed shut firmly. He couldn''t hear anything from behind any of them. However, unlike all of the other entries, the one at the very end of the hallway was open wide, exposing the interior. As they neared the room, Garou narrowed his eyes as he noticed a very obviously broken lock on the door.


    The boy entered the open room first, glancing around the interior, as Garou followed shortly behind him. As he threw his eyes around the room, Garou could not miss the signs of forced entry and kidnapping. Furniture was toppled and thrown around. Curtains from a nearby window lay on the floor, apparently ripped from the frame. Dirty footprints of varying sizes and shapes were tracked all along the floor, a sign of the numerous intruders. A nearby dining table rested upside down, flipped by one of the intruders in their violence.


    Garou could see the young boy glancing around the room, frivolously cautious and wary for any more villains despite the overwhelming silence around them. This apartment was his home. The blood-haired hunter couldn''t see any homeowner. Perhaps the monsters outside had already¡­


    "You live alone kid?" Garou asked to make sure.


    "...no¡­ my Aunty owns this building. She''s out for today¡­" Ghin replied as he walked towards a closet, the white door on the wall.


    Following the boy, Garou stayed slightly behind. His senses remained sharpened, in case any more monsters made their approach. He''d been taken aback by how weak those monsters were. It seemed like they were low Tiger or Wolf at best since they''d barely even put up a fight. Garou''s body still ached as he slowly walked behind the boy, still suffering from his acc.u.mulated wounds.


    "H-Here you go," Ghin said as he took out a white square case, with a red plus on it, from the closet. It was a medical kit meant for emergencies.


    Opening it, a small array of medical supplies unveiled. Antiseptics, bandages, gauzes and a wide assortment of other medical tools were sat there, ready for use. Garou''s body ached as he looked down at the contents of the medical kit. The boy began to take the materials out, one by one, glancing up at him.


    "Uhh¡­ w-what''s your name, uncle?" The boy asked, afraid but trying to be brave.


    "...Garou." Garou answered as he took the bandages and antiseptic.


    "And don''t call me uncle. I''m eighteen." Garou lightly chided the boy as the boy widened his eyes.


    "...eh?" The boy blinked owlishly at the revelation.


    "But, y-you look you''re thirty!" The boy uttered without thinking as he rudely pointed at Garou''s face.


    "You want to be socked?" Garou threatened as he started applying the antiseptic, gritting his teeth in response to the liquid stinging the blood-crusted wounds before wrapping the white cloth around them one by one.


    The boy shook his head rapidly in response, unwilling to endure the same fates as the villains there before.


    Staring at Garou, the boy watched as the man tended to his severe wounds, wondering what had he been through to look so bloody.


    "...uhh¡­ why did you fall out of the sky?" The boy asked. A man falling out of the heavens was by far the strangest occurrence now that Garou thought about it.


    "...a bird dropped me," Garou replied bluntly upon remembering Phoenixman, a promise to skin the monster strong in his heart.


    "Eh?" The boy blinked again, trying to process his answer as the atmosphere turned awkward.


    "...a bird? What? How big is the bird?" The confused boy asked, unable to picture such a big bird.


    "...big," Garou tersely answered as he finished bandaging his arms.


    As he continued treating himself with the medical supplies, Garou cast a thought back to the three heroes that had cornered him. The memory elicited a slight frown, grimacing at the pain and shame that occurred. It may only have happened a few minutes ago, but it wedged itself firmly deep inside the recesses of Garou''s mind. After that, another question arose in him.


    However, a question followed Garou after the memory. What happened to him?


    "...kid, where am I?" Garou asked. Grasping his location was crucial, as he cannot determine the distance between him and the three heroes - well, two heroes and another master martial artist that rivaled the old fart.


    "U-Um," The kid stuttered, gathering the vestiges of his courage to answer the scary man.


    "H-Hosu¡­"


    "...Hosu?" Garou repeated himself as he blinked. There was no place he knew in Z City called Hosu.


    "Is it a new place in Z City?"


    "...uh¡­ what''s Z City?" The boy asked, evidently confused.


    "Eh?"


    Confusion was written all over Garou''s face as he stared down at the equally bewildered boy. Where was he? The boy''s knowledge of the location was impossibly absent, replaced by a word Garou never knew existed. The atmosphere teemed with mutual bewilderment as the two exchanged blank, questioning stares.


    "...kid, do you have a map?" Garou asked, fear and trepidation creeping into his heart.


    Standing up quickly, the young boy rushed over to one of the nearby open doors in the house. Garou could hear him rustling around various miscellaneous items in his search. After a moment of silence, footsteps grew closer from around the door. Suddenly, the kid appeared from behind the door, holding a large sheet of paper up for him. Clasping both edges of the layer, the young boy continued approaching Garou, the paper rustling as he moved.


    As he stopped before Garou, the young boy placed down the map on the floor. Straightening it out with his hands, he glanced up at Garou.


    "Is this o-okay?" The boy asked the Hero Hunter as he stared at the geography of the land he now resided.


    Garou cast his eyes over the map. After careful scrutinization, Garou''s brows began to furrow. He didn''t recognize any of these locations. The names and landmarks were alien to him - a sense of unease began to fill Garou as he glared at the unfamiliar map. He didn''t even notice the kid staring intently at him.


    "U-Um¡­ where does mister come from?" The boy asked, albeit still scared deep down. The only thing holding him steady was the fact that this man saved him from abduction, and he did not kill him in cold blood as he did with the villains.


    "...kid, do you have a globe or something?" Garou asked as the kid blinked.


    Throwing his head left and right, the boy found a toppled globe that used to atop of a wooden cabinet and ran towards it. Picking it up, the kid returned to Garou and presented the sculpted representation of the world they call home.


    Garou''s bewilderment only grew as he reached out and took the globe. Glaring at the world model, Garou began spinning it. His glare was practically burning through the spherical model of the earth as it rotated horizontally around a vertical axis. Just like the map, Garou did not recognize anything on the orb. Moreover, there was more than one continent.


    The crimson-haired hunter''s mind reeled as he parsed the unexpected revelation. He was no longer at home - a pastiche of the world he called home.


    "Kid, what do you know of monsters?" Garou asked.


    "Uhhh¡­ like the boogieman?"


    "...The Hero Association?"


    "Um, there are heroes, but¡­ I don''t know about an association."


    "...S-Class?"


    "..." The boy''s silence was deafening.


    "Oh my god¡­" Garou blinked as he dropped the globe to the floor, letting it clattered on the wooden planks. Now, he had confirmed it.


    "...how?" He asked himself. Just how in all things supernatural was he transported to another planet, one so similar to his? No, he shook his head. He should not focus on questions he can''t answer in a single day. He does not know, and he doubted that the kid knows as well. The situation with him and the monsters, assuming they were monsters, spoke of considerable confusion among them.


    "All right kid, tell me everything you know here. The people, the¡­ heroes?" Garou demandingly queried for information.


    "U-Um¡­ are you a foreigner?" The kid asked now confused by his sudden demand.


    "...you can say that¡­" Garou thought it wise to leave him out of his life.


    "...t-the heroes¡­ well, they are a force of good and justice. Every one of them possesses Quirks that separates their individuality and uniqueness." The boy explained with a surprisingly fluid tone and used words others his age would''ve had trouble comprehending.


    "...what are Quirks?" Garou asked, not letting go of the term.


    "Eh?"


    Garou did not like how the boy was eyeing him, as if seeing a new breed of species standing before him.


    "...don''t make me repeat myself. What are Quirks?" Garou asked, in a forceful tone.


    "W-well¡­ Quirks are kind of like superpowers. They''re unique to each person. Eighty percent of the planet has a Quirk! Everyone, even kids!"


    "..." The words that came out of his mouth sounded utterly retarded.


    "Superpowers?" There were things that Garou despised most in the world. One of them was the concept of powers given without proper testing. In summary, he hated those with power unearned.


    The boy continued eyeing Garou, mildly surprised and curious as for how this strange man didn''t know of Quirks."Y-yeah. Every Hero has a Quirk. There are even schools to teach you how to control your Quirk!''


    "¡­do you have this¡­ Quirk?" Garou required an affront example.


    How the boy sulked before Garou''s eyes didn''t leave his notice.


    "¡­no¡­" The boy answered, one with great sorrow in his tone.


    "¡­what of those who do not have this¡­ Quirk?" Garou asked not liking where this was going.


    The boy''s head lowered, looking at the ground dejectedly.


    "W-well... they don''t become Heroes¡­ they live out a normal life. They''re usually called the Quirkless."


    The silver-haired youth''s tone was one of sadness and disappointment. Despite not being able to see the kid''s face, Garou could tell from the emotions in his voice.


    "..." The words he uttered debased the world he lived in even more. The concept of superpowers was absurd to Garou. A superhero society based on superpowers was even worse than the capitalistic version in his home. The reason being at least anyone had a better chance of being a hero there.


    "...that''s bullshit," Garou cursed.


    "Anyone can become a hero where I''m from. Quirk or not."


    "A-anyone? Where do you come from?"The youth''s head rose up, locking eyes with Garou. An interested, curious look now shone in his eyes. Garou could see that kid was warming up to him, the fear diminishing in his voice.


    "...best you don''t know, kid," Garou said as he looked around the place.


    "Got any food?" Garou''s stomach rumbled within. His body was in need of desperate replenishing. That and he needed a place to rest and recover before setting out into the world outside.


    Glancing once at Garou, the young boy rushed over to the nearby destroyed kitchen. He began searching high and low for any food they had in their stores. He could feel Garou''s gaze on his back as he continued searching. Opening a nearby pantry door, a large bowl of wrapped up rice sat there. Reaching out and grabbing the container, the silver-haired youth began rushing back over to the still figure of his savior.


    "I-Is rice ok?"Holding out the large bowl of rice to Garou, the boy smiled slightly at Garou.


    "...got any meat? Protein?" Garou asked as he took a good look at the rice. It seems cold and hard. He needed to warm it before it''s edible, but the microwave was ripped from the outlet.


    "S-sorry¡­ the villains broke the fridge. This is the only thing intact." The boy dejectedly replied.


    "...screw it. Bring those too. I don''t care if it came from the floor; I need it now." Garou had no room for fickleness. He needed his blood sugar to boost his healing, and he needed it now.


    Placing the whole bowl of rice down on the ground next to Garou, the boy rushed back over to the kitchen. Opening a nearby drawer, he pulled out a plate. Going around the kitchen, he began collecting all of the food that had been spilled out onto the floor ¡ª half of a chicken, a small pile of beef, many small, scattered sushi rolls and more layers on the ground in the kitchen. Scooping them up, the young boy placed them on the plate. Before long, the dish had a giant pile of assorted foodstuffs on top, the boy barely able to hold it steady.


    Slowly, the boy began to make his way back to Garou, trying to not topple over from the weight of the food piled up. As he neared Garou, he noticed that the bowl he had put on the ground was now empty. It looked like nothing had been in the container. Placing the plate on the ground next to Garou, the boy huffed from the exertion.


    "Thanks, kid."


    Garou sat down cross-legged, starting to gorge on the food with his bare hands. He needed to tough out the cold-hard mortal fuel and work his stomach past its limits. It was hard to eat raw rice, but at least the trace moisture contained in the wrappings made it soft enough for him to swallow ¡ª cold meat and vegetables. He regretted leaving them uncooked, but pickiness was not a luxury to afford. He needed the energy, and he needs it now.


    Watching Garou devouring that massive pile of food fiercely, the silver-haired boy''s eyes widened in surprise, witnessing pound after pound wolfed down at an incredible pace. Not only was he capable of effortlessly handling a group of villains by himself without taking a scratch, but he could also engorge himself a feast meant for tens!


    "...Wow."


    The sound of Garou''s consumption filled the silent air of the devastated kitchen. After a few moments, the plate was licked clean, the one clattering to the ground noisily. The young boy gaped at the man, glancing over at the cleared plate. A few moments had passed until the entire pile of food to disappear into Garou''s maw.


    "Got water? A large jug or something?" Garou asked as he burped a little, his breath now smelled like a rotten collage of junk.


    Turning back around, the boy once again rushed over to the kitchen. He began looking around for anything that he could fill with water for his hungry, parched guest. In one corner of the kitchen, lay an empty gallon jug. After picking it up, the silver-haired youth began quickly filling it with the only undamaged tap available. The boy waited and waited as the pitcher continued filling up. Feeling the weight in his hand increase steadily, the boy glanced over to the still seated Garou.


    Once the jug was filled to the brim, grasping the handle with both of his hands, the youth began heaving the pitcher over to the awaiting Garou. Just like the plate, the child placed the pitcher beside Garou, water sloshing around inside. The silver-haired boy straightened back to his feet, panting heavily from the repeated trips back to the kitchen.


    Raising the jug to his lips quickly, Garou drank deeply, dumping all of the clear liquid from above. Within a few moments, the water had almost entirely disappeared. After a few more seconds of audible gulping, only empty air remained within.


    "Ahhhh~" Garou took a refreshing breath of relief as he stood up. He was ready to go out once again.


    "Thanks." He would need to find a place to stay here among other things. Garou looked out the broken window, seeing the sun illuminating from the other side. A new world¡­ one for him to explore. An enticing prospect the more Garou mulled it over, leaving him a smile over his lips.


    It would seem God had plans for him, whatever they may be. However, nonetheless, Garou refused to allow God the pleasure of seeing his design work as he pleased.


    Within the shadows of modern day society, in a room who almost no light can touch, two figures lay within the darkness, one wreathed by the black fog of malice and the other marred by death.


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­" Kurogiri wheezed, his breaths heavy, standing on his hands and knees before a specific stout, faceless figure, his energy depleted after his third trial with the trigger drug injected in his veins.


    "Your control over your empowered Quirk had not improved in the slightest, Kurogiri." The man sitting in his chair ''looked'' at the man prostrating before him with a tone of undeniable disappointment.


    "Forgive me¡­ Sensei." The black mist man prostrated before the faceless man with utmost reverence.


    "I do not hold you in any account, Kurogiri. Remember that I never expected this experiment to succeed in the first place. There was no loss in your failure, rest assured. Just try harder next time. For the League of Villain''s sake."

 Chapter 103 - My OC Stash #3 - Less Than Zero by Kenchi618 (DCU)

    -Not a SI but a well written OC DCU fic for InCYGNIficant~ A Gotham student inherits a power suit from his dead parents, he''ll end up on the path of crime and taken in by Selina Kyle(Catwoman) as an apprentice. There will be NSFW themes with Null(OCMC) & Rose Wilson (Deathstroke''s daughter).


    *The author has a lot of good works, if you''ve already finish reading this one try his other works like "Extraordinary Times"!


    (?¡ö_¡ö)


    Sypnosis: It''s one thing to enter the world of heroes and villains, it''s another thing entirely to find your way back out again. That''s a bitter truth to swallow when you want no part of the life to begin with. A hasty decision from a young man with his back against the wall sends him down a path of which there is no return. OC main character.


    Rated: M


    Words: 384K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/10362076/1/Less-Than-Zero (Kenchi618)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "Max."


    One could stare for hours and find nothing particularly extraordinary about Max. A fair-toned boy, atop his head sat a dirty-blond mop of hair, and behind tired lids sat unremarkable brown eyes. Covering a moderate, slim teenage build was a black concert t-shirt and blue jeans.


    "Max. Pay attention."


    He needed all of the sleep he could get when he could get it. The second school let out he had to run to his job, and that would keep him out until after midnight. The more hours he could work the better, as that meant a little bit longer he could keep his parents'' old place. Without it he wouldn''t have anywhere to go.


    "Max!"


    Having his name hissed directly in his ear jolted the young man almost off of his stool and onto the floor had he not caught himself on the edge of the lab desk. He found himself facing an exasperated glare from his lab partner. Understandable, as he had been trying to catch a power nap in the middle of an assignment,


    All Max could do was give her an apologetic look. No excuses. Never excuses, "Sorry Barb," He said with a hint of an indistinguishable accent.


    And he was. Most guys would have been chomping at the bit and wide awake in lab when they found out they would be the lab partner of Barbara Gordon. On the other hand she must have felt like working with him was like dragging along an anchor. It was a shame, she was quite incredible.


    Long red hair, stunning green eyes, and a body to go with it all. Unfortunately, Max knew where he stood in regards to that sort of thing going anything past her knowing his name; somewhere in the neighborhood of ''fat chance'' and ''snowball''s chance in hell''. They definitely weren''t friends. Even saying they were acquaintances was a stretch.


    Yes, she was gorgeous, but girls like that weren''t into guys like him. She had the best grades, was by far the most athletic girl at the school, was the daughter of Gotham''s police commissioner, and she was already doing work after classes with Wayne Industries.


    He was just the kid of some failed commercial scientists who were no longer amongst the living.


    Barbara sighed and shook her head, gesturing to the experiment before them that she had already completed, "It''s fine. It''s actually faster without all of the bumbling working together stuff," She tapped the packet on the lab table that was fully filled out, gesturing for Max to fill in where his name was meant to go, "¡­You know, if you tried a little harder who knows what you could do? I''ve seen your grades. You don''t even study."


    Max laughed and gratefully put his name on the page, "I try plenty hard. Trust me," He didn''t have the time to study. He was hardly able to find the time to do enough homework to keep a decent grade-point average.


    Barbara pursed her lips but didn''t say anything. Because of ''extracurricular'' affairs she was very attentive to what went on around her. She knew full well that Max had lost his parents, the last one over half a year ago, even if he never told anyone or even let it go beyond the people at the school who absolutely had to know that it happened. He simply missed a few days and came back without missing a beat.


    But that beat began to slip, because he had to provide for himself. He had no family stateside. He stopped playing sports, and even stopped coming to school every day. He never asked for help or even let anyone know that he was on his own, out of pride or for whatever reason. And no one cared. This was the wrong town for that.


    The bell rang and Max stood up before she did, grabbing the packet and putting a hand on her shoulder as he went past to turn it in, "Thanks, and if there''s something I can do later on I owe you one."


    "Just happy to help," Barbara said lamely as she watched him go. In the end, it wasn''t any of her business.


    XxX


    Well after two in the morning, Max entered his apartment and locked the door behind him, dropping his backpack at the door and flopping face down on the sofa, not even taking his shoes off first and completely ignoring the notice that had been slipped under his door in his absence. His home was a simple one-bedroom apartment. It wasn''t exactly in a nice part of town, but it could have been worse.


    He dozed off for three hours before waking up and pushing himself up weakly. Two more hours before he had to wake up for school.


    With a sigh, Max looked around his dark apartment, still containing this and that from before his father died six months prior. Just thinking about it angered him, but it was a dull anger. The kind that you knew you couldn''t do anything about.


    His mother and father were both commercial scientists who had made their living when he''d been younger designing and working with teams on technology that S.T.A.R. Labs and other technological powerhouses turned for huge dollars. Then one day that all came to an end, and things grew tough. But they never stopped working. They worked more than they paid attention to him.


    And then they both died, one after the other, not too long after one another. But their work had taken them away from him way before death had. He grieved, but not for long. Because there wasn''t any room for it. The world didn''t care about your excuses.


    They left him alone, with no contingency. No contact with anyone that could take him in, or help him. No money to help him get by. No system worked out. It was enough to make him laugh if it wasn''t so pathetic.


    What was he going to do, become a ward of the state? To hell with that. Adoption? Not a chance. He was sixteen, so it was too late for that to work out for him, even if he did want that sort of thing which he most assuredly did not.


    And now the rest of his days would have to be spent eking out what he could with odd jobs? Before he was even old enough to have a fighting chance at a start? No. If he was going to go down, it was going to be because he made his own stupid mistakes to put himself in the hole. Age be damned, he was going to find a way out.


    Enough of the nine-to-five crap. Even if he ever got to college, then what? He wouldn''t even be able to pay his way through. Not like this.


    Jumping up with a grit to his teeth, Max stomped with a purpose and began digging through everything he could get his hands on that he knew belonged to his parents. Scribbled notes, unfinished designs that were nothing more than gibberish to him, and assorted parts that at one point in time might have been used to actually make something, but Max couldn''t make heads nor tails of any of it.


    Inside of the one room that he and his father shared, he tore through the closet, drawers, anything he could look behind, underneath, or within to find something worthwhile.


    Eventually he came across a case that smelled relatively new and looked important. He definitely hadn''t seen it before, but then again after they''d moved in and before his dad started getting sick he didn''t remember noticing much of anything. All of it revolved around his dad''s work, and his work made him angry to think of.


    So upset was he, that he barely noticed the fingerprint scanner on the front that he''d brushed his thumb over, causing the case to open with a hiss much to his surprise. Upon opening the case he found a folded-up suit and other little instruments to go along with it.


    A onesie? The thought was more than a little irritating as he pulled it out and looked at it. He''d been nervous about finding something or getting kicked out of his home, and he wound up finding a suit.


    It was a dark green one-piece bodysuit with porous fibers and padded bands around the joints of the limbs. On the exterior they were as hard as metal, but on the inside they were easily moveable, allowing the wearer to bend. It covered every part of his body up to the second knuckle of his fingers.


    "Ugh¡­ kinda tight," Max grunted, feeling the suit meld to every nook and cranny on his body it could find, even between his fingers and toes, and there was an uncomfortable tingle to it. Sharp, as if his entire body was taking one constant jolt of weak electricity. It was quick to adjust to him though, a snug and comfortable fit, like a second set of skin. He almost felt n.a.k.e.d.


    Okay. So a suit. Sweet. Unless it actually did something he was still out of luck.


    But as he thought about it, it made him feel¡­ kind of super actually. Smiling at the thought, he bounced on his toes and honestly believed that he''d never felt so light. It was as if his body weight hardly existed. Feeling as if he could go out and win a slam dunk competition he took a hop and promptly drilled his head off of the ceiling.


    Falling into a heap on the floor he held his mouth after biting his tongue, "Ahhhh."


    Pain aside, the important thing was that he hadn''t even tried. He''d barely pushed his toes off of the ground.


    ¡­What was this suit? He felt great and everything he did felt enhanced. How? It was like something out of a comic strip. Like the first scene of some sort of hero''s story.


    But the thing about everything was that Max wasn''t some sort of hero, and he didn''t want a story. He just wanted to live without worries.


    And he was young enough to think that things could really be that simple the way he wanted to go about it.


    XxX


    Over the next few days, he couldn''t stop thinking about the future. He''d worked with controlling his reactions in the suit and realized that everything he''d ever picked up from playing sports in the past, every bit of athleticism he''d ever garnered, was bolstered heavily. He reacted quicker. It was great.


    Every time he woke up he looked at the suit and went to school and to work, just thinking about the day he''d take a chance and take what he wanted. It would come soon.


    When the weekend fell, he started looking around the city for something to try and take first. Something that would get him a bit of change. Enough at least to pay his rent for a good while and keep him fed. Enough to leave that job of his behind.


    Even though he knew it was dumb and it was out of his league, his attention wound up being drawn to an open exhibit of jewelry that would only be in town for two days before continuing on a tour of the world.


    Walking around and viewing everything inside that could probably be fenced for a fortune put a silly look on his face the entire time he stayed there. Images of sitting in a posh, luxurious penthouse suite, or even a spacious townhouse uptown flew through his head.


    As he stood in front of a glass display of a large diamond behind several armed guards and ropes, he felt the presence of someone slightly shorter standing right next to him, apparently observing the diamond as well, until he felt the uncomfortable sensation of being watched and realized that she''d been looking right at him with striking blue eyes.


    A full-grown woman who couldn''t have been much older than twenty-five if she was even that old, she smirked at him and tucked strands of her long dark hair behind her ear. Her attire was like night and day compared to his when it came to representation of class. She wore a black jacket over a blood red dress and an expensive piece around her neck, as well as black shoes so fine, Max felt he could have pawned everything in his pockets and on his back and still wouldn''t have been able to afford a single one of them.


    The woman leaned in close, making it clear she was speaking only to him and didn''t want anyone else to hear, "Kid you are making it way too obvious what you''re here for."


    "W-What?"


    The woman grinned at Max with an expression that he could only compare to that of a cat. One that had knowingly eaten the family''s canary. It made him want to stay away actually, her beauty aside. But he couldn''t. Because he could tell that she knew something he didn''t.


    Everything.


    "Don''t have eyes too big for your stomach," She said, blue eyes shining in amus.e.m.e.nt as she brushed his face with her fingers, "You should head on home. Watching a few movies doesn''t get you ready for something like that."


    Max''s slackened jaw quickly snapped shut and he followed the woman out, trying not to make it look like he was pestering her. Every step he lagged behind her seemed to amuse her even further. She hadn''t told him to get lost, so he wanted to find out just what he was missing.


    "I wasn''t thinking of stealing that you know," Max said, more of his accent breaking through as he found himself at a loss, "That''s totally not my thing."


    The woman spared him another glance without stopping her stride and let out another laugh, "Jewels are everyone''s thing kid. But for the few that actually want to take them, even less of them know how to," The two fell into a silence as the smartly dressed woman navigated the streets of Gotham, the kid following her no matter what street she crossed, ''He''s not going to try and mug me, so what is it?''


    She took him through an alley where no one would see or hear anything and all he did was follow. He didn''t try a thing. She didn''t even think he had a knife on him.


    Eventually she tired of walking with a shadow and hailed a cab, and that was where she found he would not or could not follow. As she got inside and got herself situated she noticed the frown on Max''s face as he watched her. It took a bit of curiosity and determination to follow someone he didn''t know as far as he did from the open house, but he had limits.


    ¡­That was somewhat respectable.


    "Do you need a ride home kid?" She eventually said, scooting over to make room for him?


    Max looked around, not believing at first that she was talking to him, "Uh, yes?"


    "Well I''m not taking you yet. I''m going to shop for a few things, so carry my bags for me and I''ll take you home later."


    Was he really going to say no to that?


    XxX


    (Later that Afternoon)


    Through a quick introductory exchange, Max learned her name; Selina Kyle. And while he didn''t catch her occupation, he did pick up on the thinly veiled fact that she knew what she was talking about when it came to taking what she wanted. For hours she humored him, listened to him, and rebutted when he was severely off about something he''d been saying.


    It was the most productive day he could remember having in years.


    Eventually, arms full of bags containing Selina''s high-end purchases, she brought him to her place and didn''t simply tell him to get lost after they got to the doorman of her building.


    He''d been dead-on when he tried to figure what kind of woman she was. She had a taste for the finer things, and she had them in spades.


    She didn''t seem to be much of a fan of his though.


    "No-no-no. Here''s the thing! I don''t need to!" Max said, excited at the thought of doing something so¡­ so wrong, and getting away with it, "I''m not gonna fight, I''m just gonna steal. I just need to be good enough at enough stuff to handle what I need to."


    "Uh-huh," Selina said, completely unimpressed by him as she sat and listened, "Well that''s the general idea kid. You''re not supposed to want to get into trouble. Not unless you''re one of those flamboyant crooks that like to go after heroes'' neck," The complete look of distaste on his face put a grin on hers, "Well it looks like you''re not totally in over your head if you know your chances of getting away if you go toe-to-toe with them."


    "I''ll do small-time stuff."


    "Won''t work. If you keep pulling things off and getting away with it, eventually you''ll run into dear old Batman," Selina said, lazily filing her nails as she tried to persuade the boy that his choice was not the wisest course of action.


    She stopped and thought about it for a moment. With the fact that the bulk of Gotham City''s more egregious crimes were being committed by true supervillains that intended to cause true and legitimate harm to the general population, the chances that a mere thief would be left alone by Batman existed, especially one that was small potatoes.


    Even so¡­


    "¡­Well with the Justice League calling on him, maybe not Batman himself, but you''ll wind up tangling with one of the kids he keeps with him," Selina amended, sparing Max a partial glance for a moment, "I''m pretty sure they''ll still put you into the ground if you run into them."


    Damn, Max had forgotten all about them. Robin and Batgirl. There was more to this than he''d thought. Sitting on the couch in Selina''s penthouse he thought to himself, but nothing seemed to come, "I''ll-. I''ll-, ugh. I don''t know."


    "Leave Gotham City and go somewhere else," Selina advised, deciding to throw him a bone. He just looked so pathetic, "This isn''t exactly a good place to get your feet wet. Sharks are more than willing to take them off for you."


    "No money to go anywhere else," Max reasoned with a mumble, "That''s why I''m doing this. I''ll be out on my ass with nothing and nowhere to go in less than two months at best. Then what?"


    "Play a sport," Selina said, trying to coax the young man out of doing something he didn''t know the first thing about, "Get a scholarship or something. Go pro."


    "I tried playing everything I could before my parents died," Max said, "That''d take too long even if I had been any good at any of it. I can''t do that and stay off of the streets y''know?"


    "You really think you don''t have any other options do you?"


    "If you have one that''s realistic, I''m all ears," Max said earnestly, "Hit me."


    "Street racer."


    "Where am I getting the car from, how am I paying for upgrades, how am I buying into the races, and what if I lose?"


    "Prizefighter. Kids go pro all the time."


    "No money to train," And if he were that good at martial arts, he would have already tried that path.


    "Underground prizefighter."


    "Not enough money to be worth it."


    "True, true," Selina thought stroking her chin as she had started making a game out of it. Anything but a thief, and anyone but her as the one he''d go to for advice. She wasn''t some sort of mentor looking for a sidekick, and he''d wind up becoming nothing but competition otherwise, "Have you considered doing something¡­ I don''t know, legal?"


    "Sure," Max replied, "But everything legal I can do or might be able to do to fix this takes time," As in months, or years, "I don''t have any. I''ve got like 60 days."


    And he''d already said in so many words just what would happen at the end of that time span. Either he''d be getting kicked out of somewhere or something else along those lines would happen. Aside from that, the kid had a point. There wasn''t anything legal he could do that would solve his problem fast enough.


    She could relate. Things hadn''t always been so smooth for her either.


    Putting her file aside, Selina stood up and gestured for Max to do the same, "Hands up," Immediately, Max did as he was told and slid his body into a ready position for a fight. Not bad posture for a kid, especially something on the spot, "You''re trained?"


    "Rec kickboxing classes when you''re a little kid don''t really count do they?" Max asked before finding himself knocked off of his feet and onto his back from behind, "Hey!"


    "As a base, yes. Practically, no," Selina said, moving away to a more open place in the penthouse living room, "Watch out for that coffee table by the way. It''s worth more than you are. Now come and hit me."


    Max got up to one knee, but felt a pit in his stomach at having to hit a woman. It wasn''t really his thing, "Uh¡­"


    The look on her face seemed as if this would be more amusing than any sort of threat against her, "Hit me one time or grab a hold of me somehow, and I will teach you everything I possibly can in four weeks."


    "¡­"


    His reluctance to break a social taboo gave him pause for a moment. Selina gave him no time to think it over before pushing the issue, knowing exactly which point to press to spur him into action.


    "It''s up to you. You can either suck it up and hit a girl, or you can go and see if whatever''s left of the Falcone Family needs any couriers. I''m sure that''s an entry-level spot that''ll help you break into gooning-," She was almost impressed with the certainty behind the punch he flew at her with. It missed miserably, but there was no hesitance whatsoever, "That was good try," She damn near purred in interest.


    Max kept his hands up and slowly shuffled his feet in her direction, having taken his shoes off immediately upon entering her house to keep from besmirching her floors, "You''re gonna start hitting me back aren''t you?"


    "Not necessarily."


    XxX


    (Forty Minutes Later)


    She didn''t start hitting him back, but that didn''t mean she''d let him take lunges at her and refrain from punishing him in some manner. Her bare nails were wickedly sharp, and she had no problems with using him like a kitty-cat''s scratching post. Aside from that, tripping him face-first into walls and counters, flipping him upside-down and inside-out, forcing him to bump his head on end tables, everything was fair game to deter him.


    Selina figured he''d endure as much abuse as one boy could, and then he would quit, but he took more and more.


    Max was exhausted and covered in bloody scratches all over his face and arms, including a particularly ugly one going down his face over and under his eye, but in his hand he held Selina''s wrist, "Does that count?" He asked between heavy breaths.


    "I didn''t think you''d let me gouge your eye out just to grab me," Selina admitted, a small measure of surprise in her voice. Then again, she also thought he''d quit ten minutes into it.


    "You stopped."


    "I didn''t want to gouge your eye out! You''re just a kid!" She snapped back at him before realizing that he''d fulfilled her condition, "Well, I guess that''s what I get for wanting to let you dangle and have a little fun. I didn''t think you had much in you."


    She could have knocked him unconscious whenever she wanted, but for some reason she didn''t. If she could do that so easily, one of Batman''s kids would massacre him. Even if she let him alone, he''d still give the criminal thing a try, and he''d wind up in jail before he ever got close to anything he wanted.


    Max weakly let her go and Selina looked down at her arm to see a red mark on her wrist from his grip. She was getting so soft.


    "Four weeks," The woman eventually said, holding up four fingers, "Give me four weeks, listen to everything I say, and keep your trap shut. If you ever get caught, you learned all of this from no one. Don''t come back here again," She got a serious nod from Max and waved him off, "Now go home and clean yourself up. I don''t know about you, but I could use a nice long bath."


    XxX


    (The Next Day)


    "Max, what happened to your face?"


    Max had been getting that question all day long, but he winced especially hard when he''d heard it from Barbara of all people. She seemed to be the only one that cared enough to be particularly startled at his appearance.


    Seeing as how she had to sit directly next to him for one hour every day, it was probably the reason behind any sort of concerned interest she had. If she was going to be front and center to look at his scratched up mug every day, it was better to get the question out of the way sooner rather than later.


    He had a feeling times would come when he would have to throw out quite a few excuses to keep people off of his back in the first place, so it was better to get into the habit before it became a big issue.


    "Work is probably gonna be a little rougher for me at night," Max told her, touching one of the raised scratches on his face, still feeling the soreness on his entire body. Selina had made mincemeat out of him, "I''ll probably be looking something like this for a while."


    "What do you even do?"


    "Whatever I need to I guess."


    XxX


    (Later That Night)


    Max didn''t call in to work. The day before he''d left a message that he wasn''t coming back. It was all or nothing here and he was going to make sure he gave it his best. If it failed, no one would ever be able to say that he didn''t dedicate himself to anything completely. Either this worked out, or nothing would.


    If he couldn''t even dedicate himself to what he himself had even considered the easy route, what good was he to the world at all? He was nothing as it was. To give up and quit at what he had already considered his last resort, that would make him even worse than a loser. It would make him less than a zero.


    Sleep was the most important first and foremost. He didn''t know when he''d be coming back, or if he would at all, so it was best to make sure that he was actually rested and prepared to give his best effort once it all began.


    It came easier than he had anticipated.


    Max figured he would have been a bundle of jittery nerves, unable to close his eyes and relax, but there was a stark sobriety to resigning oneself to a task. Figuring that something had to be done was oftentimes a method of coping with just how big or how real a situation was. Once he started, he wouldn''t be able to stop. Not until he''d gotten enough money to guarantee he could try and have a real life.


    A relatively peaceful sleep was disturbed by the sound of his front door opening and closing. Strange, because he knew he''d locked it.


    Sitting up bleary-eyed he was presented with the sight of the woman meant to instruct him, or at least it was who he figured to be. It was a shapely woman for certain, but her identity was obscured by her choice of attire.


    Selina wore knee-high boots and a black, skin-tight, zip-up suit with a goggled cowl on her head, pointed like a pair of cat-ears. The gloves that covered her hands seemed to have built in claws on them. Judging from what she could do with her bare nails, Max wasn''t eager to see what she could do with those.


    He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it, "First thing''s first. No names. If you have to, find something else to call yourself. Catwoman for example," Easy enough to remember and it made sense, "Purrrfect, right?"


    "Original. Did you give yourself that one?" Max dryly quipped before leaning back as far as he could, Selina''s claws having extended, gently touching the underside of his chin, "Err¡­ I get it though."


    "I''d love to see you come up with something better Maxie," Catwoman said before guiding him to his feet and pointing for his back rooms, "Go get ready. We''re wasting time. I''ve got four weeks to make something serviceable out of you."


    Not necessarily wanting to get scratched so early in the night, Max hastily went into the bedroom and went for the case containing the special suit. He still hadn''t learned how it worked, but he knew what it did and how to use it by now. It was simple enough. Put it on, get enhanced.


    If Selina thought he''d been a pushover before, wait until she got a load of him in the suit. And that sort of thinking made him pause in his actions.


    ''No,'' Max thought to himself right before he started to change into the suit, ''She''s expecting what she got yesterday. Any training she''s got ready for me is taking what she already knows into account,'' It was the only reason aside from deterring him altogether that Catwoman would have had for fighting with him.


    If he came out of the gates blowing her expectations away, it would screw up anything Catwoman had planned for him. Besides, he had a feeling that the suit would enhance whatever he was capable of once he put it on. Wouldn''t it be better to let his body suffer through whatever she had set now without the suit only to reap the benefits twice as much afterwards?


    It would make everything so much easier, but would easier be better? That was the idea that had started all of this, but the easy way here definitely wasn''t the better way. He''d take whatever she had on his feet and stay standing. If he could do that, only then would he wear the suit.


    "Are you getting cold feet Maxie?"


    Replacing the case where he found it, Max quickly threw on some expendable clothes that he could move around in and a stocking cap to at least try and hide the trait of his hair, just in case. He hustled back to cat burglar lazing on his couch, looking at a stray note left by his parents, bored with waiting, "Ready."


    Having gotten her attention, he watched her smirk and get back up, giving him a once-over, much like she had in her penthouse the day they''d met, "No you''re not. But you will be."


    First and foremost she''d guided him to the roof and on the way challenged him to keep up with her making as little sound as he could. Sneaking through the halls of an apartment building was simple, and if he couldn''t do that he didn''t have a chance of ever being a decent thief that didn''t take the smash and grab approach. She wasn''t going to put any effort into teaching a brute whose first option would be to tear the door off of a safe or kick in a locked door.


    Upon reaching the roof, Catwoman looked around at the late night sky with a smile on her lips, "Okay, first and foremost, learn how to move. You''re in decent shape, but you need to be better. So here''s what you''re going to do. You follow me and keep up. That''s all you have to do."


    Max''s eyes went wide when he realized that she was going to make him run and jump rooftops with her. Without another word she started, and Max lagged behind, trying to keep up and watch what she did.


    "To keep from outright getting you killed, I won''t distances I need my whip to cover," Catwoman said, right before vaulting over an alleyway with a nimble flip, landing on the other side as smooth as silk, "This is all me."


    Gritting his teeth, Max reached the edge and threw his body forward with everything he had. To his relief he landed on the other side, only to be met with a shake of the head from Catwoman, "What''s wrong? I made it," He didn''t want to see how his body would handle a ten-story fall after all.


    "By three feet," Catwoman pointed out, "You put everything you had into one jump. That''s wasted effort. You do that while you''re being chased, whoever''s after you will clobber you while you''re recovering from the landing," She turned his head back to the gap, "Gauge distance and elevation when you clear a gap to save time and energy when you do it. Trust me. Your body instinctually knows what it''s capable of."


    Max nodded and they continued on. Most of the first night was spent simply learning how to move along rooftops and traverse obstacles. Simple enough in theory, but he looked and felt a mess every single night after they had gone over it.


    XxX


    (Two Weeks Later)


    "Killer Croc."


    "Run. Get high up and run."


    "Good. The Penguin," Catwoman continued, watching Max slowly make his way through her laser alarm course, "¡­With a handful of henchmen."


    "Negotiate, or fight," Max answered, sweat covering his face as he put the flexibility of his body to the test. He wasn''t anywhere close to Catwoman, but he was athletic enough to do what he needed to within the realm of reasonability. He wasn''t some contortionist, and he had learned tricks otherwise to beat lasers if and when they came up.


    "Calendar Man."


    "Beat the shit out of him."


    Week two dipped into practical burglary, and lessons on what to do if everything failed and he wound up having to face off with some of Gotham City''s most notable visitors and residents. Catwoman had set up a share of obstacle courses in a warehouse where no one would bother the two of them while she educated him.


    All of the answers fell into four categories. Either you could outright run, fight as much as you needed to in order to get away, suggest a team-up, or surrender. Catwoman didn''t surrender, but she suggested to Max that he was better off keeping the option open. He was brand new and it wouldn''t do to get him maimed or killed by telling him to never be taken without a fight.


    "Joker."


    "F.u.c.k.i.n.g run and hope he didn''t see my face."


    A smile tugged at Selina''s lips upon hearing that. The idea of getting involved with the meta-human criminals and superheroes that looked to be multiplying seemed to be the absolute last thing that Max wanted in the world, "Let''s switch it up. Superman."


    Max paused in the middle of his movement over a red laser and turned his head far enough to give her an incredulous look, "That''s a trick question! No Metropolis! You said never go to Metropolis! It''s not worth it."


    "-Because you won''t be able to get away from Superman no matter what you try, and whatever you steal will most likely be LexCorp''s to begin with, which has a whole new set of problems. You''re listening," Catwoman said, stroking a black cat that had come along with her to keep her company while she taught, "Now let''s go over capes that you''ll realistically end up facing, shall we?"


    XxX


    (One Week Later)


    Catwoman observed Max''s movements as he hit a human-shaped dummy with everything she''d been able to unload on him combat-wise in regards to technique. Pursing her lips she looked over his handiwork as he struck. Everything he took aim at was meant to debilitate and slow down an enemy. She wasn''t expecting him to outright beat anyone down. There was only so much she could do with a handful of weeks to get him up to speed.


    In close, Max shot his lead hand forward, feigning a jab but smacking his forearm off of the windpipe of the dummy, hooking his hand on the shoulder or collarbone of the dummy and pulling it in for a knee to the groin and an elbow to the head and neck.


    "Nice," Catwoman said, "Don''t be gentle about it. If you think a blow will give you an opening to get away, go for it. If you think you can put someone down you''d better do it. Heroes won''t kill you, but they won''t mess around with you either. They''ll hurt you."


    Standing behind him, a mischievous grin found its way to her face.


    Continuing his practice onslaught, Max felt a hand on his shoulder and a quick pull along with a foot tripping up his back leg. Being sent backwards onto his head, he placed his hands on the ground and backflipped into a crouch for a leg sweep that Catwoman flipped away from herself, a grin still on her face.


    "Let''s see if you''re still such a cream puff Maxie," Catwoman said, beckoning him forth with a crook of her finger, "Hopefully it doesn''t take you forty-five minutes to so much as touch me this time."


    The dirty-blond would-be criminal tensed his muscles in his crouch, preparing to leap right at her and begin, "It''ll be more than a damn touch!"


    XxX


    (The Next Day)


    "Mr. Gabriel, where did you get that black eye from?"


    Max turned to his teacher after entering the classroom. For once the man actually noticed when he''d entered the room and picked up on the wicked bruise around his left eye. Certainly, everyone had seen it, but no one picked up on it. They just assumed he''d gotten mugged or something. It was Gotham City after all.


    Thus, Max hadn''t fashioned a very convincing excuse, "Accident at work?"


    God, he needed better explanations. Every time he gave one, they sounded so slapdash and vague¡­ mostly because they were. He really had to start thinking of decent ones to keep saved up, ''Because I''m not sure saying I got hurt groping the lady teaching me how to be a thief would be a good excuse.''


    On the plus side, it only took him five minutes to get a hand on her that time, and it was a better spot than her wrist. Good enough to get punched over after the fact.


    XxX


    After all of the work, put in by both Max and Catwoman, the time finally came. Four weeks had passed, and Max wasn''t going to ask Catwoman to bother with him any longer. She had her own things to do and he''d put her affairs on hold for long enough.


    Also, he couldn''t waste any more time. The clock was ticking and he needed to come up with something to keep his apartment.


    "Well, you still have zero natural talent," Catwoman said, looking over Max''s handiwork on her fake course, "But compared to how bad you were when I first met you, you''re leaps and bounds better. I still don''t think you should start in Gotham City, but if you''ve got nowhere else to go you''ve got nowhere else to go."


    "I''ve been thinking about that," Max said, smiling despite the almost backhanded compliment he''d received. He knew by now that Catwoman was never going to admit that she liked him a bit, and that was fine. He owed her and she could talk to him any way she wanted to, "I''ve come up with a plan."


    "You already know what you want to hit?"


    "Well¡­ no. But after I do, and I start taking stuff, I know how I''m gonna handle things."


    Ambitious wasn''t he, to think he''d already set up how he was going to operate? So he had a set of rules for himself already. Well it was better to get one sooner rather than later. It kept you from getting into too much hot water when you were young and dumb, which in Catwoman''s opinion, Max was.


    Rule number one, don''t kill cops or capes. That was just day one stuff. Using extreme force like that wouldn''t solve any problems, it would just make sure that the next one that came after him had a vested interest in making sure he bit the dust.


    Rule number two. Never fight when you can run, and never surrender when you can fight. Screw your pride. Money is on the line.


    Rule number three. No haul is worth your life or your freedom. Max was stealing to make his life better. Getting thrown into prison trying to get the big score was not part of the plan.


    Rule number four. Never stay active enough in a given area to establish a pattern. Justice League members or not, heroes tended to be territorial when the issue wasn''t on a world-threatening level. The less heroes that looked his way at any given time, the better. Hopefully by the time he got the money he needed, few heroes would barely know that he''d been active at all. That was the idea at least.


    Rule number five, which was really just an extension and an addendum to rule number four.


    NO METROPOLIS! EVER!


    He wasn''t even going to make the assumption that Superman had better things to worry about than dealing with some paltry burglaries when there was Justice League work and big time bad guys out there that could actually hurt him and the city, because the man was damn near omniscient. Superman would probably wind up busting him in passing without even giving it a second thought.


    He had to be cautious.


    It wasn''t like he would be doing this every day either. Just once in a while. Plenty of time to let any heat against his masked side die down. After all, it was Gotham City. If you waited long enough there would be another bad thing to overshadow the last bad thing that had happened.


    Catwoman heard him out and figured that his code was pretty threadbare and didn''t cover even half of what he would really need to be successful, but as long as he stuck to it religiously it would save him some headaches down the line. That was if he actually managed to last long enough to make any noise out there.


    Either way, whether he did or didn''t wasn''t her problem. She''d done her part, "Well Maxie, it looks like you graduate. Hooray," Sparing him a wave, she prepared to head home and plan her own burglary, "See you around kid," She''d spent enough time babysitting.


    He was going to be on his own again. No safety net or security blanket in Selina, as prickly and as fickle as she could be from time to time. It was time to stand on his own or simply fall down.


    "Hey Selina," Max said before she could leave him alone on the rooftop. She turned and shot him a baleful look for using her real name, but he didn''t care. He just had to know, "Why''d you help me out?"


    Selina pulled up her goggles and looked right at Max, getting the exact same feeling that she''d gotten the day they''d met, just before she was about to take a cab and ditch him, "I''m not even sure I know. Maybe I''m just a sucker for a kid willing to try and take on the big, bad city all by his lonesome."


    Maybe it could have been because she understood someone feeling the desire to take what they wanted to give themselves a better life.


    A smile came to Max''s face. At least someone cared, if only just a little bit. After his ''trainer'' left, he pulled off his hat and raked his hand through his hair before blowing a kiss in her direction. He was going to be a criminal but a deal was a deal. His word had to mean something, otherwise he had nothing at all.


    He wouldn''t ever bother her again. His problems didn''t affect her, and after everything else it would have been grossly unfair to try and offload onto her more than he already had. It was only a month of instruction, but Selina had done more than he could have asked.


    The training wheels were off now, and it was time to see if he could actually make a go of it.


    XxX


    When Batman was away, the criminal underbelly of Gotham City didn''t sleep. Fortunately there were two more caped crusaders willing and able to step in when the big man was off on world saving business.


    Ironically however, since most of Gotham''s criminal powerhouses had a pathological grudge against Batman, a lot of them kept a significantly lower profile when he wasn''t around to try and take a piece out of. Most of their schemes revolved around somehow getting rid of Batman, so when he wasn''t around, the things they stole or the people they went after didn''t really have a lot of purpose.


    Robin enjoyed it though. It gave him free reign to try his hand and keeping the city safe without having to worry as much about as many of the freaks and baddies coming out to play.


    On nights without threats aimed at the very heart of Gotham City itself, keeping an eye out for thieves and other street crimes was the main priority.


    And speaking of which, there had been a bit of a security snafu at Gotham Arena. Radio reports said that it was just an alarm error, but there was no such thing when it came to that town. With that in mind, Robin made his way out to check out the scene.


    "No way," Robin said after realizing what had been taken, and right from the home locker room to boot, "Aw, I haven''t seen that before," And he meant it.


    Game jerseys had been taken from the Gotham Knights basketball team. Actual game jerseys used on the court earlier that night in a televised game. He could actually get a good piece of action from selling those. If he could confirm that they were authentic game jerseys, which wasn''t hard to do, he could pull down tens of thousands of dollars.


    It was definitely the m.o. of the newest pest criminal in the Gotham area.


    Wasting no time, Robin activated his communicator and spoke to the person on the other end, "Batgirl, I''m at Gotham Arena looking at a break-in. This is totally that new guy," He said, barely hiding his anticipation, "You want to see him?"


    "The new guy? He''s small-time isn''t he? He never steals anything worth any real money," From the sound of Batgirl''s voice, Robin was well aware that she didn''t know what he was excited about.


    "Yeah, but we''ve never even seen him before. Most small-time guys we come across, we still know who they are," The new guy, all anyone knew was that he wore a hood. That wasn''t much of a description, "Don''t you want some new business to bring up to Batman when he gets back? No real noise ever goes off when he''s gone doing the Justice League thing anyway."


    Silence reigned between them for a moment, and Robin knew that he had her attention, "¡­I''ll be there in a minute."


    "I''ll try and get on his tail now," Robin said, rushing outside and grappling up to the roof to try and get a bird''s eye view of the area. If he were a bad guy, how would he get away without setting off the good guys? Rooftops were meant for traveling fast, not under the radar.


    Alleyways it was then.


    Figuring that the perp would want to get himself lost heading downtown where things got cl.u.s.tered before trying to make his return to wherever he was based out of, Robin started combing the backstreets and eventually spotted a quick figure darting across a road out of range of the glowing streetlights, ''There''s my man.''


    Making sure his grappling hook was anchored, Robin swung down into the alley, set to get the drop on his adversary with a kick to the back of the head. He didn''t expect his quarry to roll at the last second and avoid the attack altogether.


    Robin landed on the ground in a short slide and watched a hooded figure literally crawl up a wall, with slight hints of blue electricity stemming from his fingers and feet. Well that was fine. He''d normally prefer a quick resolution, but that really would have been disappointing after having the guy duck him for almost two months.


    A second shot of the grapple gun sent Robin up and onto the rooftop, landing in front of his target and bringing him to a stop amid building ventilation pipes and systems, "Wait, that''s not a hood. That''s like a scarf or something."


    "Or something," The figure said. Wrapped around his head was a loose looking, thick dark wrap that went around his neck over his shoulders, upper chest, and upper back. It covered his head as if it actually were a loose hood, keeping his eyes and most of his upper face shadowed in the dark. He wore fingerless gloves on his hands and black boots on his feet that went up to his shins. At his waist he wore a pair of brown straps forming an ''x'' around his h.i.p.s with a few utility holsters attached on both his left and right sides.


    The porous green suit that most of his outfit consisted of seemed to provide protection that rivaled the suits that Batman and his wards wore, at least as far as blunt damage went. There didn''t seem to be any kind of plating or armor to it otherwise.


    Robin squared off with him, but noticed that he looked closer to a teenager than to an a.d.u.l.t. He didn''t look any older than he did to be honest, "You''re the new bad guy in town? I''d say you look a little young, but that''d make me a hypocrite wouldn''t it?"


    "Dude, I don''t want to hear that out of you," Max said, gesturing at Robin, offended at what he was implying when it came to surprise at his age, "I know there are definitely people out there younger than me that''d make me piss my pants."


    Robin opened his mouth to respond his new enemy but shut his mouth, because he was more correct than he probably even knew. So if he was that self-aware, why was he out there doing what he was doing? "Who are you supposed to be anyway?"


    Whatever Batman''s chief apprentice had been expecting, what he wound up getting wasn''t it.


    Max actually took a moment to think about it, "I¡­ never really came up with anything," He said more to himself than to Robin, "¡­I didn''t plan on introducing myself to anybody. But I guess seven weeks is a good enough streak without running into one of you."


    Without another second of pleasantries, Max turned and ran but Robin quickly hurled a Bird-a-rang at his retreating back.


    Max turned his head just long enough to see it coming and dove through the thin opening between two pipes to avoid it, "Yeah! That was awesome! How about that?" He gloated, impressed by his own move.


    Clicking his tongue, Robin went straight over with a single flip, landing just after Max safety rolled through his straight dive. Max''s eyes went wide and tried to lean his head out of the way of a punch thrown at him. Grabbing the offending limb by the forearm at his shoulder, Max turned in the direction of the punch and tried to back elbow Robin only to find it blocked.


    Robin kicked at the back of Max''s knee, bringing him down to one foot on the ground. Max leaned forward and took all of Robin''s body weight with him, throwing him forward in an improvised leverage toss. Both of them quickly scrambled back to their feet and faced off again, "Give up or start crying. The choice is yours."


    Robin''s punch hadn''t missed at all. Max''s lip was split and bleeding. Fortunately the suit had heightened his reaction so well he''d been able to turn his head with the punch and somewhat turn the tide to a neutral tilt.


    ''He hit me in the suit. He hit me good too,'' Max thought to himself, thinking that maybe stopping to fight wasn''t such a great idea. A touch of fear began to creep up his throat. Without the suit he''d have been a goner already, ''No wonder Selina thought he''d tear me apart even with the training.''


    As he thought about what rotten luck it must have taken to finally get one of Batman''s partners on his case, he saw a smirk form on Robin''s face, and for the life of him, Max couldn''t comprehend why. Robin hadn''t beaten him up that badly yet, had he?


    A small nagging feeling at the back of his neck for some reason told Max that it was in his vested best interest to move as hard and as fast as he could by any means necessary. He jumped as high as he could in the air and tried to gracefully backflip and land back on his feet but failed, almost taking a spill onto his face had he not caught himself with his arms.


    He managed to salvage the landing onto all-fours and narrowly jump over a bola that had been thrown at him from a blind spot. With a quick turn of his head, he cursed his luck. When it rained it poured.


    Batgirl. The yellow bat symbol on the chest of the dark, skin-tight protective outfit was a dead giveaway as to who she aligned herself with if it hadn''t been obvious at first. Her gloves, utility belt, and boots were yellow and long red hair trailed down her back from underneath her cowl.


    The dark princess of the night spared Max a glance and looked up at Robin, "Is this the guy?" She asked her fellow sidekick, getting a nod out of him, "You didn''t beat him yet?"


    "He''s got funky moves," Robin defended, "If it makes up for it, he hasn''t really hit me once."


    "Give me a few more tries buddy. I''m just getting warmed up," Max stood back up and tried to position himself in a triangle formation with the two instead of an ill-advised pincer setup that would have spelled disaster for him, "What? You called for backup?"


    "He called me before he even found you," Batgirl corrected him, hands on her h.i.p.s as she tried to size him up. He was obviously their age, "I didn''t think I''d get here before he beat you though, whoever you are."


    Well that was fair. After tangling with the likes of say, Solomon Grundy, putting the boots to a rookie thief probably should have seemed like child''s play on the surface.


    But again, the name thing came up, and if he didn''t name himself they''d come up with one for him, and those tended to be quite awful. Max was pretty sure the Penguin didn''t name himself, and at this rate someone was going to saddle him with a terrible moniker. With the poor way he was fighting tonight though, he might as well have been called a zero.


    "You know what," Max finally said acerbically, "Just call me ''Null''. As in, everything I''ve tried tonight to stay the hell away from you two has been totally worthless."


    ¡­If he was going to have a name that reflected how much he sucked, he was at least going to be the one to give it to himself.


    Batgirl actually laughed at the newly named Null''s honesty assessment of his own situation. Well stealth had somehow failed, and he didn''t seem very enthused to be there at all, so perhaps reasoning him down was an option, "You could just give up you know. It''d probably be a lot better off for you."


    When faced with a rather gentle offer to call it quits, coupled with a gentle smile from a girl he could almost guarantee was pretty behind her mask, Null considered if it was too late to go back.


    Yes, it was. The cops might not have known who Null was, but Robin and Batgirl did. If they caught him and pinned even just the theft he''d committed tonight on him, the game was over and his life was ruined. Even if he would only wind up going for a few years, that would be enough to ruin any future he had.


    To give up so easily when faced with his first real bit of criminal adversity, he would have been going back on a promise he''d made to himself to give it everything he had to make this work.


    The last resort, as it was.


    "I''m sorrier about it than you think I am," Null eventually said, putting his hands back up, prepared to fight or flee again, "No excuses though."


    He was either getting away or he was going to prison.


    This was officially the dumbest idea he''d ever come up with in his sixteen years of life on Earth.


    A stutter-step forward put Batgirl and Robin on the defensive, allowing Null to turn tail and take a standing jump, clearing an entire street to land on another rooftop and try to run.


    The sound of a gun going off gave way to the end of a grappling line stabbing into a water tower in front of Null as he ran. Turning around to see just how close his pursuers were, it gave him the time to cover up and block a pair of Batgirl''s feet from being driven into his body.


    Null was knocked to the roof by the kick, but he managed to push Batgirl off of him and roll back to his feet in a single move. Upon standing he had to knock away a punch from Robin before retaliating with a side kick that hit nothing but air.


    ''Gotta get him down,'' Null thought to himself, pursuing Robin in the hopes of landing a strike good enough to take him down. Stopping in his pursuit upon feeling a presence darting at him from out of his sight, he spun around with a wheel kick that Batgirl ducked by the points of the bat ears on her mask.


    "Can he sense us move?" Batgirl asked, standing with Robin after avoiding Null''s blind kick. She knew she''d been dead silent in her approach. Only Batman himself would have been savvy enough to know that she had been approaching, and the newly christened concealed crook didn''t catch her as being that perceptive.


    Robin shook his head, not knowing how to answer. Null had done the same thing to him when he''d first found him, and he''d been moving even faster than Batgirl had been at the time, "I don''t see how, but otherwise I couldn''t tell you what it could be. He knows something we don''t."


    But he seemed unsure in the way he moved when he fought. Null had a few slick moves, but Robin was a top-level martial artist. Just from dealing with him, he could tell that Null wasn''t quite sure if he was using his techniques correctly. Even if he could sense danger, he didn''t have the talent to actually do anything about much of it.


    Locking eyes with Batgirl, Robin moved in tandem with her right at Null. Whatever chance he had before to make a decent account of himself was quickly dashed.


    For every punch or kick he managed to block, three or four landed on him regardless. Even rolling with the blows the way he''d been taught did nothing when he wound up turning his head or body right into the path of a hit from another assailant.


    Null had lost count of how many times he''d been hit and wound up reaching out for anything to grab just to keep from falling backwards. What he wound up grabbing was Batgirl''s cape over her shoulder immediately after taking a punch from her. Thinking he''d been playing possum to a degree she turned and threw Null as hard as she could, sending him sprawling across the remainder of the roof until he dropped off of the edge.


    Batgirl''s jaw dropped and was quickly followed by the sound of a crash over the side of the building, "Oh no."


    Robin winced at the sound and hoped that they hadn''t killed a thief by accident while trying to bring him down. That was way too far for things to have been taken, "¡­Damn. I guess you got him," Unacceptably far, especially just for a teenager that had been stealing, and not even anything dangerous or important, "We''ve gotta go check."


    Nodding in agreement, Batgirl dropped down to survey the scene.


    Only to find nothing.


    No trace of anything. No body, dead or otherwise. Nothing.


    It didn''t make any sense.


    "Okay, he might be badder than we thought he was," Robin said, staring at the complete lack of anything resembling Null in the alley, "He''s gone?"


    Batgirl knew she''d heard metal smash and saw a massive dent in the hood of a nearby abandoned car.


    "Wow. He must have landed on his feet and made a run for it," She tried to deduce. From how he''d dodged her bolas, how he''d jumped an entire street just from a standing position while turning around, and other things he''d done he had great athleticism, and from how he''d dodged and reacted to a good number of their moves he had smashing reflexes, "He was pretty fast so he probably got a good jump on us."


    Activating the lenses in her cowl, they changed to analyzing goggles, but that bore no fruit for her. Not even any footprints to tell them which way he might have gone. No blood, nothing.


    Where did that sort of showing come from? He barely seemed like he knew what he was doing at first and then he lost them in a heartbeat.


    If Batman found out they lost a bad guy, he was going to kick their asses when he got back.


    Hoping to pick up Null''s trail as he couldn''t have gotten too far, both Robin and Batgirl left the scene to try and see if they could find him in the midst of his fleeing. He''d been heading downtown at first, so maybe they could blanket the possible paths he could take and cut him off.


    And they left the still and quiet, cold alleyway, with only the sound of distant vehicles and city noise echoing into the passage.


    In the dark, with the soft sound of scratching on the concrete, what looked at first glance to be just a form-fitting parchment of the pavement began to move slowly.


    It had taken everything Null had to remain perfectly still and silent. Tears pricked at his eyes the entire time, but he had no other choice. Playing dead and relying on a facet of his parents'' suit had been his only choice.


    Adaptable camouflage. His suit could change to any color and visual texture he wanted to. Even the temperature of the suit would adapt automatically if he pressed himself against enough of something for long enough. Why his parents had kept this for as long as they had without selling it to someone, Null would never know. The military probably would have paid them enough to keep them set for life if they''d managed to get it to them.


    But it wasn''t his primary concern at the moment. His main concern was the awful landing he''d just taken courtesy of the Batman Family of superheroes. His entire right side screamed at him to both turn over onto his left side and stay perfectly still at the same time, "Urrgggh¡­"


    Null slowly crawled on the ground after figuring that Robin and Batgirl were gone, but he soon wished he hadn''t. Lying motionless on the cold ground had been so comfortable compared to even so much as moving a muscle. He couldn''t have hit the hood of that car any harder if Batgirl had actually been trying to throw him off of that roof.


    "Yeah, I jumped off of the car and ran for it alright," Null grunted out sarcastically, mocking Batgirl''s overestimation of his capabilities, "Give me a break. What do I look like here?"


    As bad as it made him feel, he had to stand, had to get up. He couldn''t stay on the ground. Gotham City was the absolute last place on the planet anyone wanted to find themselves injured in an alley. He had to at least try and get home and get himself some help. Getting up was slow going, but when he did he found a silver lining; nothing was broken, even if everything hurt.


    He''d kept his small haul, and at least for the time being, he was free of caped crusaders.


    But it stuck in his head just how close he''d come to losing it all on his very first brush with Gotham''s finest. If it had been Batman, no suit camouflage would have saved his ass. He wouldn''t have even been able to push the issue far enough to luck into the circ.u.mstance to use it.


    ¡­Because that was what it had been. Dumb luck. Pure dumb luck had gotten him out of trouble on that night


    Null thanked God he was only in this for the short term. If he had to deal with this sort of thing for the rest of his life, it would have been enough to bring him to his knees.


    This is just an experiment.


    I''ve thought about doing this for a while, and I finally decided to give it a go.


    Every hero or villain has a reason to become and remain a hero or a villain, or at least they try to come up with a concrete one in their own mind. DC Superheroes are pretty straight-up like that. I wanted to try and introduce a character that doesn''t want any part of the encompassing good versus evil, superpowered, aliens attacking things that you get with comics.


    Null is a thief, or at least that''s all he wants to be, but he doesn''t want to be some sort of soulless person that won''t do something when he knows he can. Granted, there isn''t much he can actually do to even protect himself or ensure his own interests at the moment, but that will change. He doesn''t have any compulsion to rob or fight for some higher aim. His sense of right and wrong isn''t supposed to be above his own sense of self-preservation, and as of now he''s very ''me first''. There''s no reason for him not to be.


    He isn''t twisted enough to be a proper villain, and his sense of justice isn''t strong enough for him to martyr himself as a hero. He''s as close to a normal person as I think I can muster.


    His primary delusion and main fatal flaw is that he thinks that when he''s had enough, he can get himself out. No matter how deep he gets, just as long as he never gets busted or unmasked. He has to think so. It''s the only reason he accepted the idea of becoming a thief in the first place.


    Well¡­ that and he barely knows anything about his own suit other than what it does for him¡­ and his bare-bones combat training that he is now painfully aware isn''t enough.


    It''s supposed to be the closest example I think I can give of what a somewhat normal person without great resources or circ.u.mstances of origin would do if they were repeatedly forced into the outrageous world of heroes and villains.


    Eventually if all goes to plan, it will expand into the greater DC Universe.


    Like I said, just an experiment really.


    So long for now. Kenchi out.

 Chapter 104 - My SI Stash #3 - Any Means Necessary by EiriFllyn (WormXFate/stay night)

    -The SI gets his own Kaleidostock(albeit a bootleg one but still), it allows him to travel the multiverse. *MC starts in Worm, and he''s extremely manipulative~ if you liked the works of Sir Lucifer Morningstar, you''ll most likely love this one too!


    (^^©g


    Sypnosis: A selfish and ruthless mundane from Earth gets an experimental Kaleidostick whose only feature is to travel the multiverse. Random travel goes to Worm and gets trapped (for a while). Uses metaknowledge to gain power at any cost. OC SI. Villainous and Manipulative. Eventual Multicross/Multiverse Travel.


    Rated: T


    Words: 156K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13056334/1/Any-Means-Necessary (EiriFllyn)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    ''So, how do we fight them?''


    ''I do not have any combat programs installed and cannot answer your query.''


    I resisted the urge to scream in rage. Maybe not having combat programs just meant the Kaleidostick didn''t know how to use what it had.


    ''What kind of offensive and defensive spells do you have?''


    ''I do not have any offensive or defensive spells.''


    "Damn! You have got to be kidding me!" I cursed aloud. This was even worse than turning into a magical girl!


    What was even the point of wielding a Kaleidostick that didn''t have any magic?


    ¡­


    Initialization 1.1


    "May you live in interesting times, boy!" the man cursed at me, and signed the doc.u.ment. He stood up with a snarl, glaring death at the woman standing beside me, and almost knocking the table over, before storming off with his entourage and bodyguards. One person stayed behind, face as white as a sheet.


    "Thank you, I truly hope I will." I watched him leave and chuckled to myself. Although it was meant as a curse, I genuinely considered it a blessing.


    My lawyer grabbed the signed doc.u.ments and quickly reorganized them. "Looks good. We have all the paperwork we need," he informed me.


    "No¡­how could this be¡­? My life''s work¡­stolen by a devil¡­" The one man who stayed behind collapsed to his knees.


    "You should be happy, Mr. Totenheim. I heard you were planning to retire soon. We''ve simply taken care of that for you."


    He screamed and charged at me, but was stopped by my bodyguards. "You monster! Don''t act like you''re doing me a favor! This was my last chance! I needed the money!"


    Through a combination of legal and illegal means, I had persuaded Mr. Kraken to cancel the bridge loan that would have saved Totenheim from defaulting on other debts. Once he defaulted on the usurious loan he had foolishly taken from a dangerous gang, it would lead to a chain of defaults on all the various debts he personally owed and in companies he was invested in, including some debts that I had secretly bought from his former debtors, which would allow me to seize his collateralized assets at a tiny fraction of their true market value.


    How did he get into this situation? Well it wasn''t all me, I couldn''t take the credit for that. That was mainly his uncontrollable spending on luxuries, gambling, and questionable activities.


    I stepped in front of him with a scornful expression. "You dug your own grave, Totenheim. All the people you''ve abused and stepped on, all the atrocities you committed behind closed doors¡­the police might not have been able to find anything on you, but your victims have never forgotten. Mr. Kraken understood this, but it seems you still don''t get it. At least this way, you can try to disappear quietly. There are worse fates out there than losing your hedonistic lifestyle."


    "I can''t just disappear! They''ll find me, and they''ll kill me if I don''t have the money to pay them back! I''m going to die¡­!" He devolved into sobbing hysterics.


    "Did¡ªdid we really have to go so far? He looks so¡­" A voice whimpered beside me.


    I turned to look at the source of the voice, a young woman no older than twenty, perfectly proportioned with a symmetrical face and flawless skin, dressed in a fashionable black leather jacket and red skirt.


    I gripped on to her shoulders and turned her to face me.


    "This is all thanks to your hard work, Angel. I couldn''t have done it without you. As promised, the lead role in Violet Millennia is yours," I said. "Everything is already lined up to make it the biggest show of the decade. Director Solzburg has already agreed to work with us, we have more than $50 million for marketing alone, and I''ve already arranged for HyperTV to broadcast on a primetime slot. This is it. You''re going to become the biggest rising star in the world, just as you dreamed of."


    Violet Millennia, a book series that took the world by storm, was the most anticipated TV adaptation of the year and its production rights were owned by a company Mr. Totenheim had owned a small percentage of shares in. Once I seized those shares from him, it would give me the last bit of influence needed to decide who would be part of the production.


    She listened to my honeyed words and her worried eyes relaxed. A bright smile replaced her hesitant expression.


    "You two-faced bitch! Your father would be rolling in his grave if he knew what you did! If it weren''t for you, John wouldn''t have gone bankrupt! None of this would have happened!"


    I quickly pulled her away with me and gestured to my men, who dragged the violent and psychotic Mr. Totenheim away.


    "I know this is what I wanted¡­but I''m just feeling a little bad about it now," she confided in a low voice as we walked toward the limo.


    "You know how this industry works. My way is the only way you can reach the top without subjecting yourself to the hidden rules. You''ve already seen the difference between yourself and your old friends, haven''t you? Would you have rather have allowed yourself to be stained like that?" I said, escorting her into the vehicle.


    "No, of course not. I¡ªI know how much you''ve done for me," she said, turning to face me from her seat with an intense expression.


    "Good. Go on, Angel. Your future is waiting for you," I said.


    Her hand rose slightly as if wanting to reach out to me, and her mouth opened to speak. I pretended not to notice, shut the door, and put on sunglasses as I straightened back up.


    She rolled down the window as the car started driving forward. "Before I start filming, I want to thank you properly! Please visit me!" She yelled out the window and waved.


    I waved back.


    Afterwards, I made a call. "How did it go?"


    "Perfectly. The court rejected the restructuring deal once one of the debtors backed out, and approved the joint buyout offer from us. We''ll get the pharma business, including the patents on the stem cell treatment we wanted, and the rest will be split up or liquidated. The company is done for."


    These days, wealth was of little concern to me. I had long realized that there were plenty of things that money couldn''t buy. Things like game-changing privately owned stem cell treatment research results.


    "What about John Colie? Did he agree to sell his collection yet?"


    "Yeah, funny thing about that. He had a stroke at the end of the court session, and was declared dead an hour ago. Because he doesn''t know his son''s already dead, he never changed his will. And since the idiot son left everything to his girlfriend¡­"


    "You mean¡­"


    "Yup, Angel is just going to inherit everything. I swear, that girl freaks me out sometimes. Too many coincidences, you know?"


    "I see." Many of those coincidences, like the death of the son, weren''t coincidences at all. I had known Angel for too long to be fooled like that. She was like me in many ways¡ªalmost like a female version of myself.


    She was more easily affected by emotion and empathy, but once convinced that a course of action was justifiable and necessary¡ªespecially if it was for the sake of somebody she truly cared about¡ªshe could do things even I would hesitate at. And she really did have a tremendous talent for acting. That was why we worked together, after all.


    The stroke that killed John, on the other hand, was indeed a chance thing. I would have laughed, but I was almost annoyed that it was so easy. Success was good, but I had been looking forward to the final challenge to finish this project.


    Damn. Why couldn''t he have lived a little longer and resorted to using underground connections? At least that would make things more interesting. No, that was hubris talking. I knew I should be glad that things went as smoothly as they did.


    It was just¡­it felt boring sometimes, compared to when I first started and I had nothing, clawing my way into power and wealth inch by inch.


    "We''re done here. Take care of the rest of the legal work, I have other business to attend to," I ordered my lawyer.


    Soon, I was left with just my three bodyguards, and I called for a car to pick me up.


    Twenty minutes later, while we were driving across a section of forest, four black vans came from the two sides of the forest and cut off the road in front of us. We came to a forced break with a heavy turn, tires screeching as men in black emerged from the vans with assault rifles and opened fire.


    I spoke too soon, it seemed! Perhaps John really did hire a hit on me.


    Our car was bulletproof and heavily armoured, so even assault rifle fire couldn''t get through the doors. Unfortunately the glass windows couldn''t be made to that strength, so they quickly shattered, and we ducked down.


    My bodyguards reacted immediately and returned fire with handguns, but they couldn''t aim effectively without moving their heads up.


    The driver tried to hit the gas and turn the opposite way, but he was stopped by an explosion that knocked us into the air. They had fired an RPG at our tires.


    How did they know where we were going? I must have been careless.


    Cursing, I gripped tightly onto the railings under the seat as we landed and shook, all sorts of pain springing up throughout my body as I was knocked around. We couldn''t stay in the car or else we would get killed like this. Unless they planned to capture me, that is.


    "Get out and use your grenades and flashbangs, then retreat into the forest!" I ordered.


    We quickly opened the door on the side not facing the enemy, and exited. The driver was unfortunately too severely injured and we had to leave him behind.


    Several grenades and flashbangs were lobbed over, and we ran out from behind the car once the flashes went off.


    I ran straight into the forest without looking back, but I heard the cry of one of my bodyguards that must have gotten hit, and the sound of our car exploding behind us.


    I tore through the foliage at high speed, then got behind a big tree trunk and use it as cover to turn back and fire on our pursuers. Only two of my men were left with me, and they did likewise.


    "Keep going, after me!" I barked out.


    We raced through the forest again and kept running for the next five minutes at top speed, until I was completely out of breath and about to collapse. I had almost tripped several times, and in the rush my body was littered with wounds from stray branches and other things that got in my way.


    Our pursuers were still behind us, but no longer easily visible and out of options I found a dense section of bush and hid.


    My men took off in another direction and maintained periodic return fire, leading them away.


    After thirty minutes, I guessed that I lost them. But going out there would be far too risky, they were probably still searching for me, so I simply stayed there and started meditating.


    Be careful what you wish for, the old adage said. I wanted something interesting to happen and so it did. Now I was isolated and possibly surrounded by enemies. Was this the day everything would end?


    As soon as I tried to get out of the forest, even if I successfully escaped from my pursuers, would they have already destroyed everything I built? Or perhaps I would return to find that somebody had betrayed me and sent these men to eliminate me.


    Yet I couldn''t help but feel alive. It was the first time I had been in so much danger, and yet it was exhilarating. If only¡­I had been better prepared.


    No, it was no use crying over spoiled milk. At least things would be more interesting now.


    I would fight until the very last moment, and that would surely be an interesting story to behold, wouldn''t it?


    The cold chill of the forest sunk into my bones as I waited. I wondered if they would try to finish me off by carpet bombing or gassing the area.


    Just who were they?


    I felt so tired and weak. Was I injured somewhere I hadn''t noticed? Or maybe it was blood loss from my wounds. I didn''t think I had lost much though, had I?


    ¡­


    Like that, hours passed and I inadvertently fell asleep.


    ¡­


    "Fascinating...this world is devoid of mana. I can''t even feel the presence of Gaia," a voice pulled me out of the darkness.


    My eyes darted about, yet my body stayed frozen, and from my hiding spot in the bushes I looked upon the form of a LARPer with white hair in a black caped outfit. From almost 30 meters away I could only see his back and his right hand holding a cane with his left holding a...floating stick?


    Yes, it was indeed just floating in the air, a smooth wand-like cylinder that was barely visible in the darkness, with a round gemstone at the top flickering in an unnatural light despite its dark hue and no visible light source.


    "It appears that our return trip shall be a bit more difficult from here. I cannot even access prana from our parallel selves. I suppose that makes sense given that this is the first time I''ve come to this universe." The white-haired man moved his hand away from the wand but it kept floating where it was. He tapped his cane on the ground three times.


    "Reporting: Analysis complete. Program compiled. Kaleidostick Agate has acquired Alternate Reality Manipulation Protocol, catalogued as ARMP. First module: User Travel added," another voice rang out from seemingly nowhere.


    "Good. You will take the reins this time. Bring us back to our world and we''ll finish your programming. I''ll have to bring more mana sources the next time we come here," said the man in the costume which I now recognized to be Zelretch from the Fate franchise.


    "Understood. ARMP engaged. User Travel initializing. Destination selected: Kaleido Schweinorg Origin Primary. 30 seconds required to construct pathway. Please hold." The other voice said robotically.


    Suddenly to the right of the Zelretch RPer the air ripped apart and the world was creaking.


    A cloaked and hooded being emerged.


    "Well, well, I thought there was something interesting here, and look what I found! A lesser being trying to create a means of Walking the Eternities without a Spark!"


    My eyes bugged out. Was that actual magic? I thought Zelretch and Planeswalkers were supposed to be fictional!


    "I''m afraid you have me at a disadvantage, my friend...what do you mean by walking the eternities without a spark?" Zelretch turned to look at the newcomer, and I got a look at his blood red eye.


    The air crackled with a strange pressure as a red light gathered in the hand of the, I guess I could call him Planeswalker for now. "Silence, fool! You''ve delved into magics not meant for the likes of you! The Blind Eternities are warping under the pressure of whatever blasphemy you enacted to get here! Your home Plane may have powerful beings guarding it from me, but your own pitiful existence ends now!"


    He thrust his hand forward and a torrent of blinding fire was unleashed, an explosion engulfed Zelretch and the shockwave blew me up against a nearby tree, and I could feel the roots of the tree straining to stay upright.


    In the next moment the night sky lit up and a chain of thunder-like sounds rang out as the explosion grew, new gale winds tearing away the smoke and surrounding trees as something hit my face and finally the tree behind me gave out, roots ripping out of the Earth and I grabbed the thing that hit me even as I tumbled away.


    "Urgh!"


    I collapsed bonelessly on the ground and twitched before terrible pain racked my entire body.


    "I''m sure there must be a misunderstanding, sir. My method of Walking the Eternities as you call it does not disturb the worlds traveled." Zelretch''s calm voice pierced the air. I lifted my face up slightly until I could see what was happening.


    The cloaked Planeswalker floated with an ominous red light in the air while Zelretch stood at the edge of a massive crater, his clothes looking perfectly unruffled as if that monstrous attack didn''t even touch him.


    "Warning! Warning! Pathway formation disrupted! Connection unstable!" The Kaleidostick Agate''s robotic voice rang out. Except, it seemed to come from...me?


    The two combatants shifted their gaze towards me immediately. Zelretch even looked surprised as silence engulfed the destroyed forest.


    I cursed mentally. That thing that hit me earlier and which was now somewhere on the ground lying next me must have been Agate.


    "Pathetic mortal! Curse your gods for your luck today! For the crime of touching the power of the Planes, die!"


    What? This guy was seriously going to kill me for such bullshit? If I got out of this alive I would make him pay a thousand fold! How could I die from such a random event happening?


    Before I knew it, Zelretch''s back was in front of me and his cane was blocking a black torrent of visible mana gathered in front of the Planeswalker''s hand. Up close, I could see the Planeswalker''s snarling angry face, which I didn''t recognize. Baleful red eyes, sleek black hair, bishounen facial features, and a strange glowing pattern on the right side of his face in the shape of a semicircle over a horizontal figure eight with the top two lines crossing back down instead of meeting at the centre.


    He broke away and flew back into the air. "You are strong, little mage, but that will not protect you from a god! Know your place!" Suddenly an enormous wave of mana emerged from him, condensing into a legion of different shapes that blotted out the sky, complete with an Earth-shattering wave of roars.


    Zelretch sighed. "I don''t wish to be impolite as I am the outsider, but you are being rather unreasonable." He materialized a dagger in his right hand as he moved his cane to the left. The Jeweled Sword started to glow as the world around it bent and refracted a rainbow of lights.


    Then he turned around and winked at me.


    What?


    I had no time to think on what that meant before the horde of summoned monsters came upon us, Zelretch''s dagger-sword flashed, and-


    ¡ªthe world went white.


    My eyes burned with the sight, and teared up even as the white gave way to a kaleidoscope of strange things I couldn''t comprehend.


    "AHHHH!" I screamed as I saw what should not have been seen and curled up into a ball whimpering.


    After what felt like an eternity, I was left with only silence. I blinked open my eyes and shifted my groaning muscles until I was sitting upright, looking around. The entire forest was nothing more than a wasteland, and only a small circle below me was untouched.


    "What, what the hell..." I murmured to myself.


    Ominous roars sounded in the distance. I squinted and looked around again, and saw shadows moving in the distance.


    The summoned monsters! Then about a hundred metres away from me, monstrous and bulbous things ripped out of the ground and rose up, surrounding me.


    I watched in morbid fascination as they climbed up slowly from the ground like zombies. I guess it was really the end. I couldn''t possibly fight my way through this horde.


    "RandomBystander1, Master Zelretch has authorized me to establish a partnership contract between you and me. Do you wish to become my wielder?" The Kaleidostick suddenly floated in front of me.


    Or maybe not. Was this the legendary plot armour? A Deus Ex Machina that would save me! If fictional things were real, then I had to be a main character if I was getting an opportunity like this.


    "What does that involve? What are our obligations to each other?" I immediately asked.


    "We will conduct a ritual to establish the magical contract and form a soul-based prana link. A wielder can access all of my powers by mental command and share senses. Conversely, you may grant control of your body to me at will. As you do not possess Magic Circuits some functions will be limited. Our obligations are mutual and are as follows: we must protect the other from harm by any means necessary, we must act to prevent attempts to break the contract if either partner is unwilling, neither can harm or seek to harm the other without consent. Once formed, the partnership bond will begin a process of mental and prana-based attunement. If the bond is later broken, there may be unpredictable consequences." The Kaleidostick explained robotically.


    That was a very helpful explanation, but it also raised some questions. This contract appeared different to what I knew of Kaleidosticks from the fictional franchise, and the bond seemed to be much more permanent.


    "Is it possible for you to have more than one wielder? And can I be bonded to more than one Kaleidostick?"


    "Such a course of action has never been tested and would be highly inadvisable. There may be unpredictable consequences, such as sudden death."


    Well, that also answered my question about what "unpredictable consequences" might result from the bond breaking.


    The monsters seemed confused for a moment, and randomly wandered around, but I knew I was running out of time. Sooner or later they would come for me.


    "Alright, I want to be your wielder! What do I do?"


    "Please apply some blood to your palm and grab onto me, then repeat after me."


    I did as told, using the blood from my wounds earlier. Once my hand touched the wand, two magic circles formed above and beneath me.


    The words of power rushed into my mind and I chanted almost in sync with the Kaleidostick.


    "Let black and chalcedony be the essence. Let onyx and agate form the foundation. Parallel and curved, let the bands close and open. Let blood be the tribute, and the Second bear witness. I hereby declare, our will shall be as one. An oath is sworn. I shall attain all the virtues of Heaven, I shall have dominion over all evils of Hell. Through the infinite realities, all lines shall converge!"


    When the chant that Zelretch must have borrowed partially from the Servant Summoning Ritual was over, I felt something connect with me, and both the Kaleidostick and I glowed with a multicolored aura with a line of pure black running through it.


    Soon the glow and the magic circles disappeared.


    ''New User Registered. Designated: RandomBystander1. Access Level: Full Administrator. Agate awaiting further instructions'', Agate''s voice came into my mind complete with subtitles flashing through my thoughts.


    "Did you just talk to my mind?" I asked out loud.


    ''Yes, User RandomBystander1,'' Agate answered me.


    ''Why was I registered as RandomBystander1? And what does my access level mean?'' I thought back.


    ''RandomBystander1 was the designation for you set by BetterThanBlue, also known as Master Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. Full Administrator access allows complete use, read, and write access to all of my functions and programming. He has also left you a message: I am sorry you were caught up in my mess, young man. Unfortunately this enemy is extraordinarily powerful and while I''m no slouch myself, I know not for certain that I can protect you. I am giving you Kaleido Agate to help you escape. Please take care of Agate and I would appreciate it if you could collect some data on alternate reality traveling for me in your journeys. Best of luck to you.''


    Wow! Thanks Zelretch, what an upstanding guy. I can even forgive the troll name he gave me.


    ''Okay, I want to change my designation,'' I ordered.


    ''Request denied.''


    ''What? Don''t I have full administrative access?''


    ''RandomBystander1 has full administrative access except for anything locked by Ultimate Administrator BetterThanBlue.''


    ...really?


    I almost thought Zelretch''s trollish behavior was just merely fanon from how serious he acted earlier. Just great. I better not turn into a magical girl.


    No seriously, this was bullshit. I just formed a permanent contract with the Kaleidostick and somehow Zelretch could still override me, even though the wand just told me there could only be one wielder. That made zero sense.


    But that wasn''t important, the monsters had gotten their bearings and were now advancing towards me.


    ''So, how do we fight them?''


    ''I do not have any combat programs installed and cannot answer your query.''


    I resisted the urge to scream in rage. Maybe not having combat programs just meant the Kaleidostick didn''t know how to use what it had.


    ''What kind of offensive and defensive spells do you have?''


    ''I do not have any offensive or defensive spells.''


    "Damn! You have got to be kidding me!" I cursed aloud. This was even worse than turning into a magical girl!


    What was even the point of wielding a Kaleidostick that didn''t have any magic?


    ''Agate, can you at least get us out of here then? Somewhere without other people?''


    ''Negative. I do not have any installed transportation protocols other than ARMP: User Travel. This module does not include any targeting function except by Waypoints established during prior travels or semi-random targeting by distance in Kaleidospace.''


    ''What are the Waypoints available?''


    ''There are currently 2 Waypoints: this location and Kaleido Schweinorg Origin Primary. Kaleido Schweinorg Origin Primary is currently inaccessible due to destabilization in Kaleidospace.''


    ''That''s it?! We can''t go anywhere else?''


    ''I can attempt to randomly open a Pathway to an unknown habitable world by shortest distance in Kaleidospace.''


    ''Wait, how can it be random if we target the shortest distance?''


    ''Kaleidospace does not have fixed locations and distances. A Waypoint is a beacon that eliminates the randomness, but any other targeting method is semi-random.''


    The entire mental conversation took only 10 seconds.


    ''Alright fine! Let''s go to a random world close to this one then!''


    ''Understood. ARMP engaged. User Travel initializing. Destination selected: Random by Shortest Distance. 10 seconds required to construct pathway. Please hold.''


    I couldn''t help but smirk. Amazing. I hoped this wasn''t just a dream. With this power¡­the possibilities were endless! If I played my cards right, all of creation was within my grasp!


    My thoughts went to that unreasonable Planeswalker. My eyes darkened in hate. How dare he look down on me¡­being born with such power, to be given a Spark for nothing, he was nothing without his good fortune!


    Then my hate ebbed away and my eyes gleamed with anticipation. That Planeswalker was just a fool, only worth my attention for the power he wielded. But if not for him perhaps I wouldn''t have met such a golden opportunity. In the end, he would become a stepping stone for me on the path to true power. Unless Zelretch successfully killed him, I would likely meet him again, so I had to get stronger as fast as possible. There could be any number of such fanatical fools that would want to kill me for stupid reasons, and the only way to assure my safety was to become more powerful than them! That would be a daunting task, considering the sheer potential that I knew old Planeswalkers had, especially as time was on their side.


    I would escape and hide and build up my strength¡­


    It would mean leaving everything behind on Earth. I couldn''t risk returning here anytime soon, what with the monsters and the possibility of the Planeswalker coming back.


    My money, connections, subordinates¡­I would have to completely start over. That didn''t sound so bad, actually¡­


    It would be an adventure unlike any other! Full of risk and opportunity¡­and the beginning of a new story¡ªmy story!


    Even if I had nothing again¡­I would go even farther this time, I would reach beyond the heavens and grasp infinity!


    O O O


    The trip was underwhelming. One moment I was in a wasteland of a forest in the dark of night, the next I was in an alleyway in a city in the pale light of early evening.


    I was still injured and I didn''t know how severe the injuries were, so reappearing in a modern city was a good thing, I think. I could walk at least, and it didn''t feel like any bones were broken, which was a miracle, or maybe my placebo cultivation exercises actually had some kind of effect? I mean if Zelretch was real, maybe Qi cultivation was real too.


    But first things first, gather information and get some medical attention.


    ''Agate, can you hide yourself somehow?'' I transmitted mentally.


    ''Yes, I can phase out of sync with this reality to hide or avoid enemy attacks.''


    Excellent, I didn''t have to worry about somebody stealing Agate then.


    After a few minutes of wandering, I found a newspaper stand. In big letters one of the papers it showed "BROCKTON DAILY".


    No way.


    I recognized this place from a story I''d read before.


    I put the paper back in its stand and left quickly. It was April 3, 2011. That was¡­seven days before Skitter fought Lung?


    I didn''t know the timeline perfectly and I was missing tons of details. I only knew the big things, and never even properly finished the canon storyline, so a lot of my "knowledge" was coming from fanfiction.


    But I knew at least, that I didn''t want to stay here. Changing Taylor''s fate, helping to save the world, are you kidding?


    Leviathan was going to attack in a month! I''m just a helpless normal, and there was no easy way to power up in this setting. It was be really hard to survive in this crazy grim world, and that was even assuming canon was reliable, which it probably wasn''t. Maybe Cauldron had Masters and would come for me as soon as they find out about Agate and magical realities.


    Hell, maybe they were already observing me!


    Under the setting sun, I rushed to an abandoned alleyway as fast as I could.


    ''Agate, can you bring us to another world? This place isn''t safe,'' I asked.


    ''There seems to be a problem. I have detected a barrier over this Reality Cl.u.s.ter, which is now blocking the formation of a Pathway outside the local Reality Cl.u.s.ter,'' the answer came.


    What? CRAP! Scion had locked off Earth-Bet and the other parallel Earth dimensions that were part of the cycle, didn''t he? Did he notice intruders getting in?


    I could feel myself beginning to hyperventilate and my heart pounding in my ears. I was trapped in a world where normals were just fodder, background characters to be wiped out by the billions, mere statistics on a book.


    ''My analysis suggests that it may be possible to break through the barrier preventing access to other Reality Cl.u.s.ters. I can continue analyzing in an attempt to develop a method of breaking through.''


    I could handle this! I always wanted excitement, didn''t I? It wasn''t impossible to survive, and even thrive with what I knew. I had to calm down and think, use my vaunted intelligence and desire, and obtain the power waiting to be grabbed.


    Deep breaths.


    "Hey, give me your wallet!"


    My eyes darted to the source of the voice. A hooded and ragged guy with a knife was stalking towards me from the entrance of the alley.


    I narrowed my eyes and took in the clich¨¦ scene. I should have expected it though. Brockton Bay was a dying city, full of criminals and a gradually declining economy.


    I began to chuckle.


    "F.u.c.k, you loose in the head? I''m mugging you, bastard!" He waved his knife menacingly.


    My entire body tingled with adrenaline, and I burst forward.


    I could see the unlucky mugger''s eyes widening as he thrust his knife in front of him reflexively.


    Useless. I knew that most criminals didn''t have the resolve not to hesitate, they wouldn''t know what to do if they suddenly became the hunted. He was a mugger, not a killer, and I¨C


    grabbed his knife wrist and twisted, pivoting on my right foot, and using the reactionary force on my h.i.p.s and another step with my left foot to bounce back and strike his chin with my elbow


    ¡ªhad experience in violent confrontations against people more dangerous than him.


    It was just a shame that I lost my gun when I nearly tripped in the forest on my Earth.


    A sickening crunch resounded in the alley, and the pathetic fool couldn''t even spit out the blood before I followed up with a kick to the groin. He crumpled towards the ground but I helped him along by smashing his face with a punch. His head cracked against the hard concrete.


    I straddled on top of his unmoving body and checked for life signs. He was just unconscious and bleeding from his mouth and head injury.


    Ugh, crap, the pains all over my body that I had forgotten with the adrenaline were coming back.


    I took off the gloves he was conveniently wearing and put them on my own hands before searching him for useful things. In the end, I took his wallet, some keys, a switchblade, and phone but left his clothes alone. He didn''t seem to be affiliated with any gang but I didn''t want to risk any buddies of his recognizing the clothing. Of course I took out the sim card on his phone before taking it. It was just a flip phone, nothing compared to my smartphone that I still had with me, but I had other purposes for it.


    That done, I made my way out of there and found a nearby bus stop. Within a few minutes a bus came by and I got on, paying with a few coins from the mugger.


    It didn''t matter where the bus was going, I just went on to grab one of those free transit maps I figured would be hanging around inside of buses like they are on a lot of transit systems back on my Earth.


    I was right and examined my new map until I found Brockton Bay General Hospital. Time to see what my options were for fixing my injuries.


    This world was full of "capes", also known as "parahumans" with powers. There were superheroes and villains, and organizations dedicated to their regulation and governance. The Parahuman Response Team (PRT), which was made up of normals, and the Protectorate, the cape policing organization. Brocton Bay was on the east coast of the USA, and these organizations covered Canada and the USA, plus some parts of Europe.


    If I was to survive this in this world, I needed the power of capes.

 Chapter 105 - My SI Stash #5 - Somebody that I used Tahno by Lost Carcosa (The Legends of Korra)

    -The first SI Legends of Korra fic in the stash~ SI as Tahno, he''ll be using his meta knowledge to the fullest! He''s of course training to improve his waterbending abilities and add in Chi-blocking to the mix~


    (??? )


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 190K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/somebody-that-i-used-tahno-a-lok-si.670771/page-3#post-49922230 (Lost Carcosa)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    Bars were the same wherever you were. London, New York, Vegas, Republic city, they were all the same.


    The differences were slight. Mainly, the very angry stares and glances he got as he crossed the threshold and entered. They watched him, these men and women sat at the table, fury and suspicion in their eyes. The Bartender wasn''t much better, slowing down cleaning his glance to glare at me.


    I ignored this. I always do. People recognised me here, It was a fact of life. Being loathed was a first however.


    "Double Firerum." I ordered as I sat on the bar stool and placed a few Yuans on the bar top.


    The Bartender glanced to my right, and I rolled my shoulders as he took a step away from me even on the other side of the bar. As he finally did place my glass on the table, conveniently forgetting any ice or anything, the man who was trying to loom over my shoulder finally spoke.


    "This ain''t your kind of bar pretty boy." He growled. A few of his rather tall friends stood behind him, egging him on.


    "Hey man. I''m just here for a drink." I grinned, holding my shot glass aloft in my hand, raising it to them before I made to drink it.


    He slapped the glass out of my hand. Very carefully I hid the fury on my face, instead slamming another few Yuans on the bar top.


    "Another please?" I asked politely, clenching and unclenching my fist slowly, rolling my neck.


    "This is a bending free bar. Get your f.u.c.k.i.n.g ass out before we throw it out." the heavy man growled.


    I smiled, turning on the barstool to them. Another glass was placed before me and I made to pick it up.


    "Come on man. I''ve got money to spare. Let me buy you guys a round, put this all behind..."


    Once again, the f.u.c.k.i.n.g bastard slapped the glass out of my hand, the glass and it''s contents slamming into the earthern floor.


    I sighed, genuine anger playing on my face for a brief moment, before I smiled with clenched teeth again.


    "I''m going to order one more. Should you slap that glass out of my hand you''ll find yourself eating the dirt." I said cheerfully, placing another few Yuans on the table. I almost ordered a glass of water to go with it, but I had hoped it wouldn''t come to that.


    "Cheers!" I said, raising my glass. The man''s friends laughed as he slapped the glass out of my hand again.


    I rolled my neck.


    "I warned you." I said, warming up and shaking my hands.


    I kicked back the stool I was sat on, standing up in an instant. Before the guy could work out what on earth was going on he caught a palm in his neck, his throat closing upon impact. He fell to his knees, wheezing as he did so.


    His three buddies looked shocked and glanced between themselves, before shouting for two more of their friends to join them. The bartender stepped back a few feet, signally his neutrality in this. I had paid for three drinks and not drank a single one after all, that did buy a certain amount of loyalty.


    The first came at me, arms raised ready to swing right at my head. His attack was so telegraphed I could almost have seen it the moment I entered the bar. Dodging was easy, ducking my head to the right t miss his swing, before tripping him up by swiping at his leg. Two of his friends might have realised that taking on a pro-bender was not the best of ideas, so decided to attack at the same time. With a simple flick of my wrist, letting go of myself for a moment the pool of Firerum I had allowed to spill on the floor came with my command, rushing forth through the air like a f.u.c.k.i.n.g ballistic missile.


    I had to lean back to dodge the blow of his friend, the other trying to grab my collar at the same time, forcing me to take a few steps back, nearly tripping over another barstool on my journey. The Firerum caught one of them square in the face. Firerum is not named that without good reason, and as he screamed and cried with what was essentially ethanol and chilli dust in his eyes, the other, perhaps a boxer, kept swinging. Unlike the firsts'' drunken obvious swings clearly this guy had some formal training, swinging and jabbing rapidly. His fingers clenching and outstretching depending on what he intended. I recognised them easily. Chi Blocking, combined with good old fashioned bare knuckle boxing. Looks like I found the equalist of the group.


    I turned to dodge one of his jabs at my left arm and threw down another three Yuans on the bar top, and quickly the bartender slide a Firerum towards me. The Chi blocking boxer grabbed a bar stool and slammed it into my back. I leaned over the bar, wincing in pain as the wood snapped upon my back, splintering across the bar.


    I picked up the glass and debated taking a swig, before deciding that ending the fight was more important right now.


    Letting go, I bent the firerum out of the glass. It was a minuscule amount, and the chi-blocker immediately moved to block his face, having learnt from observation. Instead I simply threw the water on his crotch, then froze it into ice once it stained his clothes. He winced and gripped at his trousers, and I could feel sympathy pains as he desperately tried to rip the ice off. A quick kick to his head sent him to the floor.


    However, taking him out of the fight had opened me up to a bottle to the head, smacking me in the skull. I shouted out some very family unfriendly expletives (consisting mainly of how I had fornicated with his mother), then threw down six Yuans on the bar-top and pointed to a bottle of beer. I needed a fair bit more liquid, and I wasn''t going to simply steal from the honest man. Gingerly and annoyingly slowly the bartender reached and shakingly passed me the bottle, even as I had to duck and catch the bottles and glasses being thrown at me.


    I snapped open the bottle by slamming it''s top into the bar-top, then pulled its liquid contents out. With the bottle in one hand and the other controlling an orb of beer, I spoke to the men too afraid to get near me.


    "Back down. I don''t want no trouble." I asked, channelling Jackie Chan.


    Alas, the remaining three men had no apprehension for the works of the Drunken Master. Deciding that trying to out-range a waterbender with whatever they could get their hands on in a bar was a fools errand, they charged instead. I grinned wolfishly, flicking my hair back before charging in return.


    _____________________________


    *Needle Scratch*


    Yep, that''s me. You might be wondering how I got here.


    God, I love that clich¨¦.


    Anyway, you might be wandering. Well, you ever drank enough to essentially kill yourself immediately?


    I haven''t. But believe me, I wish I had. No, there were no f.u.c.k.i.n.g ROB''s talking shit about responsibilities or being pieces of shit or whatever. No, I wasn''t in some f.u.c.k.i.e.d up afterlife, or whatever the hell is going on with ''Whales and Unicorns''. Best I can tell, one day I''m Alex... Well, that''s all you need to know. One day I''m Alex, the next I''m some very pretty waterbender in republic city.


    My first thought was


    I have no idea how to waterbend


    My second:


    But I prefer ATLA! LOK sucks in comparison


    My third:


    Whoa. So am I dead. Shit


    I''m... Not the most optimistic person, it has to be said. Still, I''m stuck inside the body of a elite athlete. Not bad.


    Of course, I had no idea how to waterbend, and seeing as that was literally my job I was pretty royally screwed. I had the biological capability, the means and some of Tahno''s memories, but that''s it.


    Perhaps I was in the clear, and I was actually a non-bender at this point. Hopefully the most traumatic event in Tahno''s life happened and I could just be lazy until Korra got lucky and defeated Amon by crying.


    No luck. Given what the exposition radio told me, I was three days after the 169AG Pro-Bending finals.


    Well. A little time to learn I suppose till I got dropped by my sponsors.


    ________________________________


    "F.u.c.k." I said to myself, marching around my new room. I was taking the whole being in a new body rather well, which you chould be glad about. No one wants pages and pages of me learning how to walk in an entirely different shell, or thinking of the existential consequences and realities of being in a fictional world. No, you want me to kick arse and take names don''t you?


    Not so much on the first day.


    Instead, I stood on a balcony and smoked like I was in a French indy film. An entire packet in one day, nearly killed myself. Not going to lie, I considered jumping and seeing if I would end up somewhere where the writing was a little better, but chances are that I''d just end up in something really bad like Worm or something. F.u.c.k that. I''d take True detective over that shit.


    So, there I was, n.a.k.e.d as the day I was born and leaning moodily on the balcony of my very nice White falls apartment, looking over the city. I''m pretty sure a few enterprising Paparazzi took some picture from below, but I was eight stories up, so that should make my genitals naturally blurred enough.


    No, I finished my pack of cigarettes and threw them over the bannister like a bastard. Then, I considered the f.u.c.k.i.n.g mess I had ended up with.


    First things first I suppose. Probably should put some clothes on. Though I heard a few wolf whistles down from the streets below that might''ve argued with that.


    Secondly...


    I should probably learn how to use this magical power I''ve woken up with. I returned to my rather nice kitchen, grabbed a bottle of some spirit I didn''t recognised but certainly smelt strong, then returned to the bannister, still n.a.k.e.d.


    After a swig of the stuff and nearly chucking up from that, I considered my predicament. And it was quite the bad one.


    Chapter 2


    There''s a certain comfort in food. Not one I aught to regularly engage in, but it''s there. It seemed the previous occupant of this body I stole agreed with me seeing as the guy decided to live about a noddle shop.


    I could not complain at all. Narook''s was great.


    So, as I tucked into my bowl of noodles, and Narook absent mindedly cleaned some glasses, long used to my or other minor celebrities presence in his humble establishment, I ran through my many options.


    1) Run. I hold no loyalty to this place, I certainly lacked the skills to continue with my current job and I knew it was going to go to shit in a years time.


    2) Quit and do something else. More likely. I had a trade of my own, a few months to a year in some trade school here in the city and I could completely change career paths and make enough to get by, living off the previous owner of this body''s wealth for a year or two.


    3) Learn and learn fast.


    It took some bloody fine noodles...


    "F.u.c.k.i.n.g great noodles by the way Narook." I said as I raised my bowl. It seemed this was a bit out of character for Tahno, given the odd look he wore, but I found it difficult to care.


    But eventually I came to this conclusion. I could spend years moping about how my life was dead and the existential and personal terror that came with consuming another person''s life, but that sounded exhausting.


    I was in the prime of my life, famous within this city, in a career that meant I actually owned the apartment in downtown republic city and wasn''t paying rent, one of the few people my age to own a car, good looking and with the audacious pride to back all of that up.


    So what if it could crash and burn if I failed to learn in time. I wasn''t going to let this opportunity slip through my fingers.


    "Can I get a coffee to go?" I asked, tapping a few extra yuans against the bar top as I considered just how to do this.


    And there were. Tahno''s fame meant that if I, say, went to a waterbending teacher of any description within the city and asked for beginner lessons my reputation would be ruined.


    So... It might have to be back to absolute square one. I was going to have to go to a...


    I shivered.


    A library.


    ________________________________________


    I had been right to fear it. The Chasan district library was a labyrinth in every sense of the word. The d.i.c.kish nearly hundred year old earthbender librarian regularly moved the stone bookshelves to screw with any sense of order to the place, the building was old enough to be both merely built of earthbent stone and lack electric lights, instead lit by flickering lanterns of some kind. The room was tall, and a thick layer of shadow hung above the shelves, bearing down on any that tried to read below. Natural light seemed to be in short supply inside the building. From the outside it had looked like a single block of earth, and the insides only confirmed this.


    Then there were the inhabitants. This seemed to be a point between the undercity beneath Republic city and the surface world, where the homeless might spend a few hours on the surface before being forced back down below, less the virulent criminal gangs of the city discover them.


    Still, perhaps only by the mercy of the librarian even pretending to do his job it did have books in it, and thankfully books on beginner waterbending at that. Transcripts of scrolls that, to my amus.e.m.e.nt, I realised were part of a series written by none other than Katara. However, rather than the simplistic and informative pictogram of bending technique, she instead preferred to transfer the knowledge into long and dry as dust treaties on moon and sea worship, on the evils of bloodbending, on the application of healing and, not that I could frankly blame her at all, a great amount of vitriol towards the s.e.xist northern water tribe. It seemed even she could not completely change their society.


    This great tome, apparently one of four volumes, was far too large to simply be read here, in this building of eternal twilight.


    So, I grabbed all four volumes and wandered between the great stone bookcases, lights flickering and passing before my eyes every so often, hunched other people reading at stone tables, or moving like spectres between the corridors of scrolls, books and oil lanterns. I could not tell what time it was outside, how long I had spent inside this sepulchre of writing. For half a heartbeat I thought I was on another plane of existence, stretching on for eternity containing nothing but wandering souls and books.


    But my journey soon came to an end, as I finally once again found the main desk before the foyer.


    "Is that everything for you today?" Asked the librarian.


    "I need to get a library card here I think." I added.


    "That might take four to six..." The old man said lazily, grinning owlishly as he said that.


    I placed twenty Yuans on the desk.


    "Seconds." the Librarian corrected with a smile. He scribed into a great ledger. Whilst he did his job I looked up. There was slightly more light here at the entrance, if only from the currently open door behind me letting the last rays of the sun come streaming through. Owl statues lined the walls. No, not owls. These were to owls what an ape was to a man. They were twisted things, some had four wings, others had their beaks lined with rows upon rows of sharp, misshapen teeth. One particular one that was glaring directly where I stood had three eyes in its head, its wings raised to strike.


    This was a foul place.


    "Here you go Tahno." He said with a smile. The same grin I could see on some of the owl statues above.


    "Thank you." Was I could reply with, so desperate was I to leave.


    I grabbed the books with both hands, carefully carrying them out. As I turned to leave and walk away he spoke up again.


    "You''ll be in my thoughts."


    _________________________________________________________


    I fumbled with the key. Carrying the books up eight flights of stairs had been annoying, but trying to open the door with my hands full was just taking the piss. None the less, eventually I managed the arcane ritual of placing a key inside a lock and turning it.


    I threw the books onto my plush leather sofa. Beyond the sofa, the curtains of my balcony window waved in the late evening breeze. Curling and unfurling with the salt sea winds of the Yue bay. I stood there, in the doorway for a moment.


    Then closed the door behind me, rushing towards the sofa to devour the contents of the four volumes. If I could just get the waterbending basics down, surely my muscle memory would kick back in for me. Surely I could be as great as Tahno had once been, and I could live a comfortable life as a professional athlete?


    My answer came after nearly sixteen more hours of uninterrupted conciousness, fuelled mostly by a few stops to Narook''s below to grab some decent coffee. Perhaps the lack of sleep had made me only more aware. Perhaps I had entered some trance to see beyond the threads of reality, finally having found a vantage point beyond the mere three dimensions that made up this plane to realise an uncomfortable truth.


    Or, and I''m just going out on a limb here, I was sick of sixteen hours of trying with no results.


    "I can''t waterbend like this." I admitted to myself somewhere around my twelfth cup of coffee. Somewhere in that caffinated nightmare that had been the last sixteen hours, I saw the inevitability of my practise.


    I was, technically, still a waterbender. That much I knew. The fact I could vibrate the water within a bowl without moving anything but my hands was as much confirmation as I needed. But that was it. I could not lift the water out of the bowl, I could not freeze it in a moment, nor could I turn the contents into steam. I couldn''t do anything with it but drink it, or throw it away.


    In a fit of pique brought on, again, by nearly twenty four hours of uninterrupted conciousness and twelve cups of coffee I threw the china bowl against one of the walls and held my head in my hands. I was f.u.c.k.i.e.d, good and proper.


    The telephone choose that moment to ring, as if to compound my problems. Gingerly, I picked up the receiver.


    "Tahno." I said, trying to put on a laid back ''I don''t give a shit about anything'' voice over the fact I was practically twitching and beginning to hallucinate at this point.


    "You little shit." The voice said on the other line. "Have you seen the papers this morning?"


    Strangely enough, despite the harsh words, the man on the other end (who I sort of recognise from somewhere in the memories of the man who''s body I had stolen) sounded overly smug. Like listening to a recording of myself in fact.


    "No. I''ve been busy." I admitted to Tahno''s agent.


    "Well, you''re page three on the Republic gazette, page one of the Tribunal and page 53 on the Financial." Said my agent.


    "We did win I tournament a few days ago." I grumbled as I scratched the back of my head, my eyes beginning to close.


    "No one cares about that, that was four days ago. This is so... Well, you''ll get some new fans that''s for sure, though perhaps parental groups might boycott your next fight in a week." Han''za admitted. Somehow I could hear the shrug through the line.


    "Wait.. A week?" I asked fearfully.


    "Don''t tell you forgot buddy? You guys versus the Golden temple Tigerdillos, little charity match thing, something about baby sealturtles or something." My agent explained.


    I nearly shat myself. I had thought I had an entire year to get back into the grove, free to live off the winnings of this year and the odd sponsorship. This was... Well, certainly put a damper on my plans. Not that I could admit that to my boss. Telling him I was effectively useless as a probender would simply see me kicked off the team, then it was goodbye to the life of relative luxury.


    "Right. That." I said slowly, carefully, as I ran through likely means to fake my death and steal enough money to live somewhere else in the world. Surely the water tribes would be cheap real estate?


    "But that''s not what I wanted to talk about. You got a paper yet?" Han''za asked.


    Dead medium anywa... Wait, pre internet society. So, the only alive medium. Great.


    "No." I replied.


    "Well, they''ve got this picture of you smoking on your balcony. Very avant garde." How is there such a thing as avant garde in a world without France?


    "And I''m n.a.k.e.d in it." I said slapping my forehead with my free hand.


    "And your n.a.k.e.d in it." My agent confirmed. "Got to say, not bad."


    "I work out." I replied. "Wait, what?"


    "I mean, the guy was taking the picture from ground level, so you can''t make it out, and it''s covered by the railings of your balcony, but it, you know, implies a lot." Said Han''za. "Plus, it''s clearly wasn''t set up by me or you, so no ones talking about me exploiting you or anything."


    "Spirits forbid." I said drolly.


    "Trust me Tahno, this little picture is going to be hung up in rooms across the world within the week." Said my agent.


    "That''s... Horrifying." I admitted.


    "What are you talking about Tahno? This is big publicity! Plus, It means a total reinvention of your image. Vain pretty boy was getting old hat anyway, other probenders are trying to copy it, so we need a change." Han''za said excitedly. I hoped he was drooling over the money he might make, rather than the picture of me, but who knows.


    "You''ve been probending''s bad boy for a while, but we need to show there''s a tortured soul underneath it. All that crap. Women love a tortured soul." Said Han''za.


    "I hardly think my life..." I began.


    "We''ll make it up. I hired enough PI''s to cover up your ''foggy'' past anyway, no harm in making up an entirely new one." Said Han''za. "You''ve got to come down to my office. Day after tomorrow, we''ll sort this all out."


    "We''ll make up my new entire life story?" I asked incredulously.


    "Tahno, buddy, I do this all the time. So, I was thinking perhaps both of your parents died in a whaling accident and you''ve both feared and loved the ocean ever since, the raging..."


    Does my life always revolve around whaling in some description?


    "Look... Han''za. Can we discuss this later?" I asked, the sudden news and lack of caffeine darkening my vision, narrowing to a single cone of light as I struggled to keep my eyes open.


    "Of course. See you in two days Tahno. I''ll bring the entire team down." Said Han''za. Shit


    "Great. See you then." I said tiredly, placing the reciever down on its stand with a slam.


    I leaned back into my sofa, running a hand down my face. There was no way I could train to be a waterbender within a week. I tried to stand up, perhaps to grab another coffee, or perhaps to just go to bed. But my legs were dead, refusing to respond. I tried to move them, even poking at them to try and feel something through them, but I felt nothing.


    And then, in a flash of inspiration, it came to me.


    Perhaps I don''t need to waterbend. I just need to not get hit. And what style more accurately fits not getting hit...


    I looked at my dead leg, and poked at a pressure point. It twitched even in death.


    Than Chi-blocking?

 Chapter 106 - My OC Stash #6 - Forged Destiny by C?ur Al’Aran (RWBY)

    -A completed RPG based RWBY fic with levels and classes. Jaune is an NPC blacksmith pretending to be a knight pretending to be a hero~ Weak to Strong type fic!


    *The whole fic honestly reminds me of Log Horizon, they got the whole guild, quests going on as well~


    Sypnosis: Jaune had always dreamed of being a Hero, of being someone. But dreams were just that; for in the world of Remnant the Class you are born with determines your fate. Jaune was born a Blacksmith, and thus that was his destiny. But when a strange opportunity allows him to change that, can a simple Blacksmith become something more within the Beacon Academy for Heroes?


    Rated: T


    Words: 1109K(¡ä?§¥?)¡¹


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/12044591/1/ (C?ur Al''Aran)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    What was it that made a Hero?


    It was a question I''d always asked myself, something that had taunted me from when I was younger, it continued to do so even now. Was it their arms and armour, the trappings of what made up those who would stand against the darkness?


    If so, then the shimmering form of Crocea Mors, which lay against the mattress, should have been enough. The straight-edged blade gleamed, fresh from the forge with not a kill to its name. I''d forged it myself. In the Arc Family shop, under the careful scrutiny of my father, though I doubt he had expected me to use it like this. To my eyes it was a good blade¡­ the Quality ranked as such, with a Keen Edge modifier that meant it had extra cutting power. It was perhaps the best I could have ever forged¡­ I was only level twelve at the time, after all. I still was level twelve... it had been less than a week ago.


    Atop the ruffled bed sheets lay the blade''s companions. A silver b.r.e.a.s.tplate and interlocking steel tassets, small wisps of blue cloth drifting from the cold metal. Those had been a chore themselves, the steel difficult to work with¡­ many had come out flawed, but I''d pushed on until Lady Luck smiled. I''d even gained some good Experience from it all, though not enough to push me any further. Routine tasks, and to a Blacksmith the act of crafting with common materials was just that, didn''t give much in the way of Exp.


    Wearing them, it was easy to forget who I was. It was easy to put aside the name of Jaune the Blacksmith, and fall into the new name I had given myself. Jaune of Arc, or Jaune Arc for short. It was a name more befitting a Hero.


    But the forged blade and armour did not make me a Hero, nor did the name. Anyone could have put them on, anybody could pretend to be a different person in the comfort and sanctity of their own home, to be something more than they actually were.


    Was a Hero someone who was willing to stand up for what they believed in, against all convention or risk to themselves? Had I not done that in coming to Vale, in leaving behind my family and the promise of an easy life? My hands shook, as they had for the last week. The world was new and exciting, but also filled with danger. I wasn''t ready, I knew that to be true, but time waited for no one. If a Hero was someone who was unafraid to make decisions in the face of danger, then surely that was myself¡­ for death was all that awaited me should I fail. Blue eyes caught mine in the mirror. The figure there pale and afraid. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but for the knowledge that he ¨C that I ¨C had no answer.


    Those were not the eyes of a Hero. They were the eyes of a man in over his head, of someone who knew the folly of their actions but was now locked unto that path. Did that make that man brave, for risking his life on something that was not only foolish but also highly illegal? Did that make him heroic, or simply stupid?


    Either way, that didn''t make him a Hero. It didn''t make me a Hero.


    The chair creaked beneath me, bare feet padded across the cool wooden floor of the inn''s bedroom. Cheap, linen curtains brushed aside ¨C sharp rays of morning light caressing skin as my eyes looked out over the waking city of Vale. From the third floor of the shady inn it was possible to see the transformation that took place. The change from squat, ugly, wooden houses to taller red-roofed residential districts crafted from stone and marble. In the distance, towering above them all, the conical spires and towers of the Beacon Academy for Heroes. My destination.


    Those who graduated had the right to truly call themselves Heroes, protectors of the people, the land and the Kingdom of Vale. All tales began somewhere¡­ and for many, Beacon was that location.


    Perhaps one day they would tell a tale about Jaune Arc? It would remain to be seen whether that would be a rousing ballad of courage and audacity or a cautionary warning for those who dared reach too far. Once more the bile rose up, once more I forced it down. Fear was good, or so my father always said. It told you when you were about to do something stupid, when you needed to stop and think things through. I didn''t need the emotion to tell me this was a bad idea. This was against the law, it was against custom ¨C it was against the natural order, for crying out loud. People did not do this.


    It just wasn''t done.


    The linen fell back across the cracked window, doing little to diffuse the sunlight that streamed into the cramped room. The mattress gave way, sending up a cloud of dust as I tugged one boot on and then the other. The normality of it allowed me some distraction, as I focused on the simple task of lacing the leather straps shut. But it couldn''t last for long. The day had already begun, and I had a destiny to reach. The armour - my armour - called to me.


    Buckles snapped, leather creaked. First the b.r.e.a.s.tplate as it locked over my shoulders with a simple click, then the tassets, which connected onto the bottom half of the armour. The metal clinked gently against my thighs. A blue tabard flowed down between my legs, a faint crescent moon emblazoned upon the bottom in rich, golden weave. It felt pretentious, even now. There was no House Arc, no family which bore than name, and thus no emblem to represent them. Why I''d settled on the shattered moon, I had no idea. Some grain of truth, a hint, or just the first thing I''d thought of while staring into the night sky?


    Leather flexed as I pushed my hands into the vambraces, wriggling fingers to test the interlocking pieces of metal. It felt awkward, heavy¡­ but not dangerously so. It was something I''d have to get used to, if I wanted to make this work.


    It was Crocea Mors herself that felt the heaviest, though. The leather handle was hard and unrelenting, the blade even more so. My face reflected in the steel as it was held up before me. That face still looked afraid, but there was also a certain rigidness to the jaw¡­ was I really gritting my teeth that hard? The pain in my gums as I forced myself to relax said I was. This couldn''t continue¡­ I was to be a Hero. I couldn''t look like I was ready to flee at the first opportunity.


    But I wasn''t a Hero. I knew that.


    And it wasn''t because of the armour, nor any bravery, courage, history or motives. It wasn''t because I was a liar, because I wasn''t strong enough ¨C nor because I was only level twelve. The simple fact was; I wasn''t a Hero because the words that floated above my head said I wasn''t.


    Jaune, they read. And beneath that a single word¡­ Blacksmith.


    It was the Class I''d been born with, and it was the Class that I''d carry into my grave. I was a Blacksmith, as my father''s was ¨C and his father before him. There was no changing that irredeemable fact of life¡­ some were born Warriors, others Mages, Archers or Paladins. Some were born Shopkeepers, Farmers or Blacksmiths. There was no use railing against it. The world was neither cruel nor kind, it simply was.


    But as the unusual medallion I''d found slipped over my neck, coming to hide behind the steel of my b.r.e.a.s.tplate, the words began to shimmer and change. I''d seen it before of course¡­ with how much was relying on it, I''d tested it a thousand times. Yet each and every time it left my throat dry, as I waited for it to fail and expose me as the fraud I was. The words were different now¡­ my Class wasn''t different, I could still feel the skills and stats of the Blacksmith I was. But to the world outside, I was no longer that person.


    To the world outside; I was a Knight.


    The simple word mocked me. As though it existed to taunt me with the truth of what I could never become¡­ of what I was about to try and pretend to be. Crocea Mors rasped as it slid into the dark scabbard that hung from my hip. The kite shield clipped onto the leather straps across my back, it weighed down on me ¨C or was it just that the enormity of what I was about to do that was so heavy on my shoulders?


    For the sake of curiosity my eyes closed, breath evening as my statistics came into my mind.


    /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/


    Jaune


    Level 12


    Blacksmith


    /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/


    Str: 22


    Con: 21


    Dex: 10


    Agi: 11


    Int: 15


    Wis: 14


    Cha: 9


    Res: 19


    /-/-/-/-/-/-/-/


    If anyone else could see those, then it would have been indication enough that I wasn''t the Knight my title made me out to be. The distribution was all wrong, even I could tell that ¨C limited as my knowledge was. I had the statistics of someone born to sit at an anvil and strike metal all day. Intelligent enough to know the composite breakdown of ores, but what use was Dexterity for striking something that didn''t dodge? Even my Skills and my Passive, the one true ability I could call my own, only served the role of a Blacksmith. Not to mention that Charisma¡­ no doubt this was why dad had gone and married mum, who was of the Shopkeeper Class. Her Charisma was through the roof¡­ she kept the family fed, selling the wares dad made for good profit. A match made in heaven. I could just as easily have been a Shopkeeper as a Blacksmith. Neither had appealed to me. I wanted to be something more, I wanted to go on adventures and Quests.


    I wanted to be a Hero.


    Heh, it was almost funny. I still didn''t know what made a Hero. Which meant I had no idea how I was supposed to act come Beacon Academy. Perhaps that was something that could be discovered, however. Hopefully before some great mistake revealed me.


    "It''s time to become a Hero," the words were weak, whispered and hoarse. "It''s time to become a Hero," I tried again. Stronger this time, still afraid ¨C but not quite so brittle. I''d have to learn fast. Because as the great bell tolled out over the city, I realised there was no time left. Jaune Arc would become a Hero¡­ or he''d die trying.


    That I accepted the fact¡­ did that make me a Hero?


    Or just a fool?


    I''d like to have a quick mention here that this fic is not, and has never been intended as, a crossover with The Gamer, TGWP, or any other fics like that. Nor is it a crossover with SAO or whatever else, which I''m sure some may comment at in coming chapters. Similarly, lore, rules and exposition will be explained through dialogue and interactions, and I will not be info-dumping things in author''s notes or dedicated explanation chapters.


    The entire world here is an RPG-based Remnant. But they are not "playing" it, they are living in it.


    So in some ways you won''t have the full picture of how things work initially, but will come to learn them along with Jaune. That said, much of it is an original concept, so it''s not worth listing similarities to things like Gamer, WoW, Sao or other things. Remnant here works on other rules. Which will be covered in time. Similarly at this point, the stats what they all mean might not make sense (though obviously they will likely be recognised).


    Chapter 2


    The city of Vale was alive. Not in the conventional sense of the buildings or streets themselves, which would have taken some pretty serious magic ¨C but in the way the cobbled roads bustled with activity. Heroes were coming and apparently, that brought with it attention.


    I wasn''t sure if it was a regular thing, perhaps it was just what took place on the first day, a chance to see the heroes of tomorrow when they were still young. Either way I attracted my fair share of attention as I made my way down packed roads. It was honestly kind of embarrassing. People reached out to touch my armour, some shouted words of encouragement, others simply waved and cheered. Hell, at one point a little girl came rushing out in front of me, just to hand over a small flower and run away.


    I''d never been so humiliated in my life. Not that it was only me getting the attention, there were a few others behind and ahead of me, with backpacks and suitcases, making their way towards the Academy. Some of them waved back and smiled, while others looked more like myself; nervous, uncertain and reserved.


    It was the most important day of their lives¡­ of our lives. I was one of them now. Had to try and remember that. Grit and bear it ¨C that was all I could do. As one foot was forced before the other, drawing me inexorably closer to what represented both my doom and salvation. Excitement and anticipation warred within me. I didn''t know whether I should feel happy or sick ¨C and it had somehow merged into something altogether worse.


    But as the stone and wood buildings gave way, as red-slated rooftops surrendered their dominion to bright, blue sky ¨C the crowds began to disperse. I think it was most obvious when the cobbled path beneath me became pristine, white marble. Rows of stalls and shouting figures became green gardens, rich with vibrant flowers and trees in full bloom.


    The tall, twisting towers of Beacon stood before me, like the claws of some gargantuan beast tearing a chunk from the sky itself. I''d never seen something so huge in my life, it was incredible! Some of the buildings had domed ceilings, others were tall and long, with triangular roofs that seemed to carry on forever. The windows too, tall and bright with stained glass that depicted incredible scenes of brave Heroes defeating great beasts. Cowered behind said Hero were huddled and frightened figures, no doubt civilians, farmers and such. People like me.


    It was too much. Everything was too much ¨C and far too soon. I wasn''t one of them, I never would be ¨C at most I could aspire to fire the glass that went into those windows, or maybe smith the frames that held them in place. Yet here I was, about to walk inside with people so far above me, and try to become one of them?


    It was insane! I was insane!


    I could still go back. I could give up this stupid idea and go home. No one would say anything, hell, no one would even have to know! I took a step back, eyes still locked onto the imposing Academy.


    "Sorry," someone mumbled as I bumped into them. A hand touched my shoulder, pushing me gently aside as a feminine figure walked by. Long legs, a rich red skirt and black blazer ¨C she had an ornate bow slung over one shoulder, with a quiver of arrows attached to the back of her hip. The word "Archer" was visible above her brown hair. The girl turned at the last second, dark shades slipping down her nose as she winked.


    A student¡­ a student of Beacon! Not a new aspirant like myself, but an honest-to-goodness returning student. A Hero. A real one! Holy crap, it was actually the first one I''d ever seen so close up ¨C and she''d walked by. No, she''d touchedme ¨C hell, she talked to me!


    And then, while I was still trying to process the majesty of that, another walked by ¨C and then another. Until it was a tide, walking past me, each making their way towards the school. My head swam. Warriors, Archers, Mages, I even saw some more esoteric Classes like Enchanter and Paladin. Some were in the same uniform as the girl from earlier, but most were more like me ¨C wearing whatever they had to hand. Armour, cloth, leather ¨C all in different colours and designs.


    To see so many in one place, it was absolutely incredible. Ten, no twenty, it kept coming, thirty¡­ fifty ¨C okay, this was getting a little out of hand. There''s hundreds of them! How am I supposed to have any chance here if so many people show up to apply!?


    The entire road was full! I''d arrived early, mostly because I''d been so excited I couldn''t sleep, but this was more than I''d expected. No wonder the Academy was so big, but even then¡­ there were so many people around me!


    "Excuse me, sorry, excuse me!" a young voice gasped from behind, right as a pair of hands slapped onto my armour. I hadn''t even half-turned when she had pushed by, a cloaked figure far shorter than me trying to make her way through the crowd. She bounced from person to person, being knocked left, right and centre as she tried to ride the turbulent waves of men and women. It was like seeing a leaf tossed about in a storm. Or maybe a rose petal, given the colour of her clothing.


    But leaf or petal, they all reached the ground eventually. I winced as she did, slamming into the back of a much larger and heavier figure, before collapsing onto the hard marble path. People didn''t even pause for her, walking past like she was a rock in the middle of a raging river.


    Well, it looked like someone''s morning was going as well as my own. I probably shouldn''t have found that comforting, but I did. Misery loves company and right now I was feeling pretty miserable.


    No excuse for being an ass, though.


    "Need a hand?" I asked, having walked up to stand beside her, arm outstretched. I thought she''d looked small before¡­ but from up close I realised that didn''t even hit close. She was tiny! A small, round, pale face set in crimson cloth ¨C with large silver eyes that blinked up at me. They flickered once, twice, before going wide.


    "T-Thanks!" I couldn''t actually feel her hand in mine as I took it, not with the thick, leather gloves on. But I imagined it was as soft as it was small, dwarfed in my palm as I dragged her up. A life made for working at a heavy forge helped with that, my Strength more than enough to carry her if I had to. Was this little girl really a Hero?


    She jumped free, ducking off the main path as she quickly patted down her red and black clothing. Was that a tunic of some kind, or a skirt? "I didn''t expect it to be so crowded here, and my sis just up and abandoned me. Sorry about running into you."


    Wait, she was talking to me? Well duh, who else was she supposed to be talking to? I really was bad with girls¡­ okay, to be honest I was bad with talking to anyone. I''d blame it on my low Charisma, but truth was; it was more just me being an awkward teenager. I hurried out of the crowd to stand beside her, desperate for the distraction. "Yeah," I agreed ¨C because at this point she could have told me the sky was green and I''d have said yes just to keep the conversation going. "I can''t believe how many people are here¡­ it''s ridiculous."


    "Well, this is Beacon isn''t it?" She laughed and hopped on one foot. It kind of made me think of a rose petal again, though not in any poetic sense. More like how jittery she was, as though she might be blown away at any moment. "Everyone wants to come to Beacon. It''s like the place to become a Hero in Vale. You only get one chance after all."


    "One chance?" What was this, I hadn''t heard anything about one chance! Well, I mean why would I have ¨C I wasn''t actually a Hero, but still¡­ one would have thought this would be common knowledge!


    "Eh? You didn''t know?" She looked at me like I was gone out, but it wasn''t like I hadn''t prepared for this kind of thing.


    "Actually, I was raised among a Blacksmith''s family," well it wasn''t a lie, was it? "So I don''t actually know much about being a Hero or anything; definitely not the rules of Beacon. I just know I had to be here to become one." The perfect catch-all excuse for any mistakes I made. It might not stand up to intense scrutiny, but I figured it would make a pretty good way to get out of any awkward conversations.


    "Ohhh," she sounded impressed ¨C which was kinda weird. "Are you one of those people whose distant relative was a Knight? Or were you orphaned and raised by them?"


    "Uhh¡­ the first one?" And she knew I was a Knight already? Oh sheesh, of course ¨C it was floating above my head. That was something I''d probably have to get used to, and with a quick flick my eyes darted up to read hers. Ruby, and below that, Reaper.


    What the hell was a Reaper?


    "Uh¡­ so, you don''t know how the Caste system works?"


    "I know that," I fired back. I wasn''t a complete idiot. You had the Noble Caste, the collection of Classes that represented ruling and governing roles and bodies. Then you had the Hero Caste, which had all the Hero-type classes like Archers, Knights, Mages and such. Then there was the Soldier Caste, which was the military.


    And then there was the lowest Caste¡­ my Caste.


    "Okay, so¡­ we''re all in the Hero Caste, which means we get to go to Beacon ¨C or another school if you''re in a different Kingdom. But that''s a lot of people. Way more than a single school can handle. Plus, not everyone''s made the same, right? Some will be weaker than others, some might not be determined enough to face the things Heroes need to face."


    That didn''t sound good. Not strong enough, yep ¨C that pretty much described me to a tee. "So what happens to those people?"


    "Well they get put into the Soldier Caste," the girl grimaced. "If you fail your First Quest then you get relegated to that Caste, no matter what your Class is. You have to serve in the military."


    "They¡­ force them?"


    "Well¡­ no¡­ but I mean what other choice is there? It''s not like you can go off and become a farmer. Who''s going to hire a Hero over an actual Farmer? No one wants to be put down a Caste¡­ it''s the biggest shame ever ¨C it makes you a failure. But what job can you get when there''s a Class that can do it better?"


    That¡­ that was dark¡­ I could go back and be a Blacksmith though, so I shouldn''t have been as worried about it as I was. But for everyone else here, if they failed ¨C their future would be crushed. Forced to accept being put down into a lower Caste, of being seen as an inferior citizen?


    It suddenly made sense why so many of them looked as nervous as I felt. It made sense why no one had asked why I looked like a nervous wreck. I could already feel my thoughts of Heroes having it easy crumbling into dust.


    "Oh! I''m Ruby Rose by the way," the girl''s eyes were wide and she looked horrified. It was that little thing which made me laugh. The fact that she could act so upset that she''d forgotten to introduce herself. "I know it says it up there and everything but¡­ well, my dad always gets on my case if I''m not polite."


    "Same here," I laughed. Mum had always said it was no excuse not to introduce oneself. "The name''s Jaune, Jaune Arc." I wanted to add Knight on the end, just to make it clear, but managed to hold myself back. "Nice to meet you, Ruby."


    "You too! And thanks for helping me up." She grinned ¨C and the gesture cheered me up a little too. "I guess that''s what a Knight does though, right?"


    Uh, yeah sure ¨C that sounded like a good excuse to go with. Maybe this pretending business wouldn''t be so tough after all. All I had to do was act like a chivalric Knight at every opportunity. Oh, and pass this no doubt horrifying and excruciating test that would determine whether I got to be a Hero or not. One that apparently loads of strong Heroes failed every year. No problem.


    Maybe if I had a higher Charisma stat I''d have actually been able to convince myself.


    "Hey Jaune?" I turned to my new friend, or at least I hoped she was. "I have to go find my sister, but we can talk later, right?"


    "Definitely!" She wanted to talk to me? Okay, either she was insane, as awkward as I was, or I''d somehow managed to defy the very laws of Stats. I''d go for the middle option, though number one wasn''t ruled out just yet. "See you around Ruby."


    She dashed off, but made sure to turn and wave energetically at me before vanishing into the crowd. I waved back, though my arm slowly dropped as I was left alone once more. Well¡­ that hadn''t gone as badly as I''d feared. Maybe I would actually be able to make some friends here ¨C if I was able to stay, that was.


    -/-


    The interior of the main building was as extravagant as the exterior, though it was definitely a lot smaller. I could see what Ruby meant about numbers, because there was no way this hall was meant to accommodate the three or four hundred teenagers squashed into it. At least I had armour to stop me from getting crushed. Though judging from the looks I was getting, those being squashed against me didn''t appreciate that fact.


    Would it have killed for any of them to be pretty girls either? Why did I have to be the meat in a manwich?


    "Ahem," my attention was caught by the man who had strode up onto the main podium. I couldn''t make out his name or Class from such a distance, but the way he commanded respect had me going silent as well. "You are the future of Vale," his voice was rich and low, "You are the future of more than just Vale, you are also the future of Remnant itself. But you believe that makes you the only such future, that there are not others who can rise to such an occasion. You are wrong. You are here today not because you are the future, but because you have the potential to protect that future - to guard those who need it most, those who rely on us for protection. Nothing will be handed to you, nothing will be gifted. Much will be expected. Perhaps should you stand before me once more tonight, I shall have different words for you. But for now I would ask you to direct your attention towards Miss Goodwitch, who will inform you of what may be the most important moment of your lives."


    There was no applause as he stepped aside. My hands itched to clap, but the words had me shaking instead. My only solace was that I wasn''t alone in that fact. We were all scared. Ruby''s words came back to me¡­ this was the first and only chance I''d have.


    "In one hour we will depart for your First Quest," the blonde woman who had taken centre stage was tall and elegant, dressed in a thick black shawl that fell to her feet. I still couldn''t make out her Class, but it had to be a Mage-based one of some kind. She waved one hand, and somehow managed to cast a projection on the wall behind her. It was a map. "This is a ruined and abandoned village fourteen miles out from Vale, the name is unimportant; for it fell over three years ago to a freak Elder-Grimm spawn." My skin paled. We weren''t going to be asked to face something like that, were we? No wonder so many failed their First Quest! "This Grimm was killed soon after by responding Heroes, but not before it had managed to spawn Grimm throughout the village. Though the residents were evacuated, the King declared the village unfit for habitation. Until now."


    She turned back to us, a small wand of some kind in hand. "Your First Quest will be to aid in the reclamation of this village for the betterment of Vale. Though abandoned, structures and fortifications are still in place which will make the rebuilding effort far simpler. Even the ruined buildings will remove the need for transporting large quantities of raw material across contested land. The task of every prospective student here is to enter the village and kill every Grimm in the area. The resulting combat will doubtless spawn more, thus you will be required to hold the village as well. The Quest will not come to an end until every Grimm in the vicinity has been slain. If you are hurt, or do not believe you can hold, you have the choice of falling back to the point you will enter the village from. This will count as a failure, however. I suggest you use your single hour well, for this will determine much of your future. Until that time, you all have free reign of this hall and the grounds outside. I wish you all good luck."


    She walked briskly from the stage, probably trying to avoid having to listen to the explosion of noise that was bound to come. I wasn''t proven wrong either. For the moment she left through a door and it clicked shut, shouts and cries sounded everywhere.


    Not that I wasn''t one of them. Crap, crap, crap ¨C this was bad. I''d thought the test would be general knowledge or something, or maybe they would look through the Classes and select the ones they thought were best. But live combat against Grimm? I was only level twelve! Well, and I was a Blacksmith, but that wasn''t the point.


    Someone jostled me from the side, another pushed from in front ¨C the crowd was getting out of control and I could just imagine being crushed beneath them. Nothing was going to get achieved in here, so with a grunt and some muttered apologies, I started to push my way towards one of the doors. It was like swimming, except that the water tended to hit back, growl and generally be a pain in the ass ¨C but after a good minute or so I finally managed to open the door and slip out into the warm, morning sunlight.


    Right before I collapsed on a nearby patch of grass, arm held across my eyes. I had to come up with a plan. I wasn''t the smartest tool in the shed, but I wasn''t an idiot either. I knew the chances of me being able to actually win this Quest were low, and one hour wasn''t going to let me change that.


    It wasn''t like I couldn''t fight. Any Class could pick up a weapon and try to use it, but there was a difference between a Warrior using Devastating Strike and a Shopkeeper using Cut-throat Bargaining - not to mention the general stat differences themselves. My Strength was pretty high and Crocea Mors was a good weapon, so I was sure I could kill the Grimm, at least technically. I''d just be worse at it than almost every other person here.


    Hell, about the only saving grace was that it was more of a team effort, and they weren''t going to be testing me on my own.


    ¡­


    Wait, that was it!


    Heroes pretty much always worked in groups ¨C or parties, whatever. All the old tales had said so, especially the early legends. There would always be a warrior, rogue, wizard and healer of some kind ¨C so why couldn''t I do the same thing?


    If I make it seem like I''m the tank, then all I''ll need to do is hide behind my shield while the others do the damage. My Constitution is pretty good, so I should be able to take a few hits. It made sense. I may have been a Blacksmith, but that didn''t mean I had a magically different set of Stats from everyone else. Strength was still Strength, it did the same thing ¨C and so my decent Constitution score would still let me tank at the level of a Hero.


    I''d just be pants at fighting back, thanks to my crappy Dexterity.


    Grass fell from me as I sat up, gauntleted hands falling into my lap. One hour, that was all we had, which meant I had to be pretty damn fast if I wanted to form a party. I needed to find some people to introduce myself to, and then convince them it would be a good idea to stick close in the Quest.


    I glanced around the courtyard, trying to see what others had come outside as I had. It was too crowded and loud inside, and I needed to make a good impression. A few people caught my eyes, some already deep in conversations with others. Some might have already had friends before they arrived here, it wasn''t too much to imagine that a few even planned to team up. I saw one such example, of a loud and boisterous ginger-haired Barbarian, dragging a silent-looking Monk aside. She chattered into his ear the entire time, and he bore it with the silent patience of a man used to it. It must have been nice having friends you could rely on like that.


    That made me think of Ruby, and I tried to see if I could spot her. She must have still been stuck inside, however. Wasn''t like I could have missed her bright red clothing against the green gardens.


    Some dark and shadowed figures by a low wall caught my attention, mainly because they sat apart from the others - much like myself. Their armour was mostly leather, while some wore hoods and cloaks. A pair of golden eyes caught me staring, set within a pretty face with long, raven hair. I could just make out the feline ears poking out the top, a faunus... there hadn''t been many of those back home. I paused, wondering if I should go and talk to her. She was alone after all, that had to be a good sign.


    The word `Assassin` floated above her head, along with a name. I swallowed and looked away, breaking eye contact first. I''d never been good with girls, and the look she gave me didn''t inspire confidence. When I glanced back she had already looked away, engrossed in reading some kind of small tome. It felt like I''d missed out on the chance. Like I''d failed some kind of test.


    Arghh¡­ there was no time for melodramatics or hesitation. I had to approach someone.


    "Hey there," I waved and walked up to a nearby group. Four guys, each in different forms of armour. A quick glance told me they were two Warriors, a Duellist and a Geomancer. They didn''t look particularly pleased to see me, but they hadn''t told me to piss off ¨C so that had to be something. "The name''s Jaune Arc, I was wondering if you might be interested in sticking together for the Quest?"


    "Bugger off," the tallest man growled, shoving me in the chest and actually sending me staggering a few paces. Holy¡­ that was a lot of strength. "We don''t need no stinking Knight round here. Not when there''s a Warrior on the case." He slammed a hand against his b.r.e.a.s.tplate, which had an ornate golden eagle emblazoned on it.


    "Ah, right," I tried to laugh but it came out weak. "I guess you''ve already got the melee sorted, never mind." Maybe that had been my mistake, I considered as I beat a quick retreat. The groups that were already together clearly had warriors of their own. Was there an ideal set-up? I wasn''t sure. There wasn''t a limit, I mean any ten people could decide to hang around together if they wanted to. But I suppose there would be a limit in terms of how you didn''t want everyone to be one Class.


    I''d be best off if I could find a Healer or Mage of some kind. That way they could benefit from my armour and shield, while they hide behind me to cast. That would be an easier option too, since there was no way they would turn around and say they could fight in melee on their own. There were a few people in robes around, but one caught my eye almost instantly.


    Snow-coloured hair, pale blue robes that bordered on white, she stood like a doll, talking with another woman. The other woman wore armour too, which looked to be gold. That seemed like a poor choice, the material wasn''t exactly good for crafting armour out of. Not if it was meant for anything more than decoration anyway. But the Mage herself, gods¡­ beautiful didn''t even begin to describe her. She looked like she was carved from marble, skin pale and unblemished. Even the way she carried herself seemed to be with perfect poise, almost like a statue based on the perfect ideal of what a woman should look like.


    She''s a mage, my mind taunted, go and talk to her ¨C ask her to work together. It wasn''t like I was asking her on a date¡­ didn''t have to worry about being rejected. This was just a business arrangement; she would listen ¨C if only because it would make her life easier. That didn''t stop me swallowing down my nerves.


    But I didn''t have time to look for someone more approachable. And with a deep breath, I marched forwards.


    "I was thinking we could work together," the beautiful girl said. Hey look, she was already thinking on the same track as me. Maybe this wouldn''t be all that hard after all. Act like a Knight would, act exactly like a Knight would. A Knight was confident, a Knight was decisive ¨C brave and chivalrous.


    "Hello fair maiden," I put on my best smile and leaned with one arm against the wall beside her, "I couldn''t help but hear you talking about the upcoming Quest and working together. Would you like me to be your knight in shining armour?"


    "Wh- par- excu-?" She didn''t know what to say, pretty, blue eyes wide. It was working, and more than that, she actually seemed fl.u.s.tered. Was she¡­ interested in more than just teamwork? It seemed too good to be true.


    "Play your cards right and maybe this partnership can go even further. I''d slay more than my fair share of dragons to earn your favour."


    "Do you¡­" she paused to take a breath, clearly overwhelmed by her emotions. "Do you know who I am?"


    My eyes flicked above her head, so her name was Weiss ¨C it seemed to suit her. "You''re the girl who''s cast a spell on me. Fitting, I suppose." There were little Jaune''s cheering in my head at that line, which I actually thought quite clever. I just hoped I could keep it going, since it already felt like I was getting cold feet.


    Hang on a minute¡­


    "I wasn''t before, but now I am," the beautiful girl whispered as she poked my chest and walked away. I tried to follow, but for the chunks of ice creeping up my shins. Ah¡­ was a that a no, then?


    "You look like you could use a hand," the woman I''d otherwise ignored spoke from behind me. I tried to turn around to look, only to be halted midway by the ice. It wasn''t creeping any higher, but it still hurt. "Oh, sorry," the feminine voice apologised as the figure stepped before me.


    "Hey¡­" Yep, that''s right ¨C laugh at my misery. Here stands Jaune No-Friends.


    "Allow me," the woman stamped down on the ice, shattering it with two solid kicks. I couldn''t help but gasp and shake my feet upon gaining freedom. More to work some blood back into the frozen and numb limbs than anything else. "Are you okay?"


    "I''m fine," I coughed, "thanks ¨C uh¡­?"


    "Pyrrha Nikos," she grasped my hand and gave it a good shake. What I''d assumed was golden armour actually appeared to be a mix of copper and bronze, slightly better ¨C but still oddly worse than more common materials. It was quite light though, only really covering her b.r.e.a.s.t, flanks and shins ¨C though there was a flowing red tabard that came down from it. It matched her long, crimson hair, tired into an ornate ponytail. All in all, she looked like more of an aggressive fighter than me ¨C or what I was meant to be.


    Green eyes blinked at me as she c.o.c.ked her head and smiled, the expression kinder than the Mage''s at least. "Jaune Arc," I quickly replied, "resident Knight¡­ or snowman, I suppose." She giggled, and that at least made me feel a little better.


    "Not to worry Jaune. I won''t tell anyone about that." She promised. Thank the heavens for small mercies¡­ I just wished the other girl could have had a personality closer to this ¨C to Pyrrha. I realised she hadn''t actually introduced her Class to me, was that something only I did? The words above told me she was a¡­ - whoah.


    "Champion?" That¡­ sounded a damn sight more impressive than Knight or Warrior, I had to admit. She fidgeted a little at the attention, smile being replaced by something less certain. But I had to know. "What''s a Champion?"


    "Huh?" She blinked, mouth open for a second before shaking her head. "You don''t know?"


    Oh crap! More stuff I should have been expected to know¡­ "I was raised among a Blacksmith family, one of my distant relatives was a Knight, so the Class was passed down the family. But I don''t actually know much about being a Hero." And thank you Ruby for that oh so convenient excuse.


    "You were raised among NPC''s?"


    A grimace worked its way across my face. How I hated that name¡­ the `Needs Protection Caste` ¨C the far less flattering name for what was actually the Labour Caste, but one that just about everybody on Remnant used. The lowest level of the social hierarchy, the Caste incapable of protecting themselves ¨C who needed Soldiers and Heroes to look after them. Who were only good for providing services for those people, and for paying taxes to the Noble Caste.


    I was an NPC as well. I needed all the protection I could get.


    "I didn''t mean anything by it, I swear¡­" it looked like she''d noticed my expression, for she quickly reached out with one hand, fingers hovering a few inches from my shoulder in fear. "I hold no ill-will against NP- against the Labour Caste, it is both an honour and duty to protect them."


    "No, no, it''s fine. Forget about it." I waved it off, what else was there to do? "So yeah, I don''t know everything I should do. What''s a Champion?"


    "Nothing more than a Warrior," Pyrrha said. "A few tiny differences but nothing worth worrying about. Just think of me as your everyday Warrior Class."


    Warrior, huh? That seemed odd¡­ sure my own class, well Knights, were considered offshoots of the Warrior Class, but there were still key differences. All Classes were different. But if she didn''t want to talk about it then who was I to push? Not like I was about to alienate the one person here who would talk to me.


    "Alright, sure." She seemed relieved. "So you''re not mad about me chasing that Mage away? A melee fighter and a magic-user tend to make good teams."


    "I didn''t really wish to team up her with anyway, so no, I''m not upset. I hadn''t originally planned to team up with anyone before the Quest. I thought I''d let the ch.i.p.s fall where they may."


    She planned to do it all alone? Wow, that was pretty confident. Either that or she had the skills to back it up, and who was I to judge? It wasn''t like I could see her level or stats or anything, nobody could.


    Come to think of it¡­ how did my current abilities compare to the people here? In truth I was actually quite proud of myself. I was Level twelve, which put me far above most of the other children in our village. Dad was one of the most well-known Blacksmiths around at level 24, few people ever made it that high. Because of the extra work he got, it gave me a lot of chances to help in the forge. The Experience had flowed from there, giving me a good three to four Levels above some of the people I knew.


    To be honest, most of them had accused me of lying. But how did I compare to someone like Pyrrha, a person confident that she could do this alone?


    "What Level are you anyway? I''m Level twelve." I''d said something wrong. I knew it the moment it left my lips, but even more so when her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. She flushed briefly, glanced aside and coughed. "Did I¡­ say something wrong?"


    "I suppose you didn''t know so there''s no harm. Your Level is considered quite personal information. It''s not something you would ¨C or should ¨C normally give to a person. Not unless you trust them implicitly." She sounded awkward, like she was uncertain of something herself. To be fair it wasn''t just that I didn''t know revealing levels was well, rude¡­ among the Labour Caste it absolutely wasn''t. You could give your Level to the person across the street as easily as you could exchange greetings. She must have seen my confusion. "Consider it like this. A person''s Level determines their strength in many regards, so giving it away is basically letting another person know if they can easily defeat you. Even if you''re a higher Level, it then comes across as you trying to intimidate them."


    "I see¡­" Maybe it was a Hero thing then, since it wasn''t like any normal people would go around fighting one another. "Thanks for letting me know. You don''t have to tell me your Level then," I shrugged, "Forget I asked."


    She opened her mouth for a second, then paused. Her brows drew together before Pyrrha let out a quick sigh. "Fair is fair, and I suppose there''s no harm in it. I''m Level Twenty-one."


    I wished I''d never asked. Twenty-one? Twenty-One!? That was only a little lower than my father and she had to be half his age ¨C probably less! It was a number I''d never even considered reaching ¨C a pinnacle I had long thought impossible. My breath caught in my throat, even as a deep feeling of dread settled down below. How was I supposed to compete against people like that?


    "Don''t worry though," she''d seen my terror ¨C who could have missed it? "I hear the average for Beacon is actually sixteen or seventeen."


    That was still four or five levels higher than me. Though not the devastating nine of Pyrrha. If my earlier thoughts hadn''t already, then this cemented it. I had to find somebody to help me in the upcoming Quest. Or failure was going to be the least of my concerns ¨C I''d be killed!


    "Really, don''t worry about it," oh, she was still talking? If so then I''d missed a lot of what she''d said, lost in my own nauseating thoughts. "Levels don''t make the Hero and you''ll catch up soon enough. If you''ve gotten this far then you can go the whole way. Even getting to Level twelve in an NPC village, that''s an achievement in itself, right?" She''d fallen back into saying NPC, though I couldn''t bring myself to correct her. No doubt she thought I''d done training to get the levels, or fought wild Grimm in the wilderness. After all, how else could a Knight generate Exp? It wasn''t like they could spend their time in a forge smithing things, was it? Was it!?


    "Su-Sure," I coughed. No, wheezed. "I''ll just¡­ if you''ll excuse me¡­ I need to find some people to group up with."


    "Well actually, how about you and I-?"


    "I''ll see you later Pyrrha," I hope. If I made it into Beacon. Hell, if I even made it out of this alive. Twenty-one¡­ that was insane, she was insane - I was insane. Was everybody here that strong? Were the Grimm that strong?


    The group of robed figures striding from the Academy, led by the stern woman from earlier, told me that I''d soon find out. "All prospective students," she called ¨C and now I could see the words over her head more clearly. Her name was Glynda, though the Headmaster had referred to her as Goodwitch. The words below read clearly, Warlock. "If you will step forward we will begin the ritual to transfer you to the outskirts of the ruined village."


    Time up¡­ and I hadn''t managed to find a single person to agree to go with me. I could back out¡­ if I told them I had second thoughts then they''d no doubt let me go. I could say I wanted to visit my family before joining the military ¨C then dump the amulet in a ditch somewhere. Back to being Jaune the Blacksmith, learning the family trade.


    My hands clenched into fists. I refuse. That was not ¨C could not ¨C be my fate. I wanted to prove that I could be more than that, more than what my god damned Class told me I had to be. The leather handle of Crocea Mors was warm. A part of me liked to imagine she hummed with anticipation¡­ but it was probably the sweat on my palms making it feel so.


    A great, purple pool of distorted light erupted into the air between the chanting figures. It coalesced slowly, like some thick, syrupy pudding slowly spreading out across a table. Before with a snapping sound it reached the edges of the circle, where it seemed to become tethered to robed figures. New light flickered in the middle, greens, greys and browns coming into focus as the hazy figure of some squat and ruined settlement came into view.


    "If you desire to flee then return to the portal at any time," the woman shouted ¨C voice raised over the frantic whispers of the assembled teens. "You will be on your own out there. Pay attention to your reserves, be careful, and above all, fight as the Heroes you claim to be!"


    The crowd cheered. I didn''t cheer along with them. But I did move, more because of the weight of bodies that pushed behind me, taking me with them as they filed into the mysterious portal. I gave in and walked with them, closing my eyes as we approached.


    It was like being pushed into an ice-cold shower. Even as we touched and travelled through it, there was nothing to actually touch or feel in a tangible sense. Just a sudden rush of wind that threatened to knock me down. As my eyes opened, I realised it was the weather on the other side, no doubt causing problems where it interacted with the still breeze of Beacon. And then I was through, proper¡­ pushed a distance away from the portal and towards the ruin itself.


    More streamed behind, but some had already gone on ahead. The brave, the eager ¨C or maybe just the competent. I was neither of those things. And as I drew Crocea Mors, almost stumbling at the unfamiliar weight, I realised that I still had no idea what made a Hero.


    Maybe the answer lay within this place.


    Okay, so as we can see, some things are different ¨C others, the same. This will be a recurring theme for the story in a sense. Don''t expect the exact same rules or situations to apply from canon Remnant to this one. Yes Weiss and Pyrrha still meet, but this time there is no overnight initiation and Jaune meets no one else as of yet.


    The numbers are different too, as is the task and the attitude towards it. And that makes sense, because the world itself is different. Different world, different rules. The plot will also be different, so expect a new adventure in a sense ¨C even if we''ll still undoubtedly see our usual favourite characters.


    You can no doubt see where my worry about the Log issue came from. Jaune is an NPC trying to become a Hero, but the point I tried to make clear is that it isn''t the same thing. NPC is a different acronym; it doesn''t refer to playable characters or AI. It''s just a term for the social hierarchy section Jaune is within.

 Chapter 108 - My SI Stash #8 - Living The Dream by Nerva Claudius (Fairy Tail)

    -Recently published SI Fairy tail fic~ I got a feeling this one will be lengthy in no time, SI as Rustyrose!


    Sypnosis: When I died, I didn''t expect to be reborn in a world of magic. Well technically, I didn''t expect anything to happen after I died, so you can imagine my surprise when I find myself reincarnated as a familiar somebody who''s been stuck in his chunnibyou phase all his life. SI reincarnated as Rustyrose, rated M just in case.


    Rated: M


    Words: 10K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13477887/1/Living-the-Dream (Nerva Claudius)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    There comes a point in life where everything you are, everything you ever have been or will be, becomes a moot point. It doesn''t matter how much of a kind person you were, or how much potential you held within yourself. At some point, all of that will disappear and be forgotten.


    I came to this realisation when I found myself in the body of a baby, wrapped up in a bundle of blankets and held by a pair of giant hands. See what I mean? All those years of hard work, of working extra shifts, of studying more hours. All of it was gone in an instant.


    Not long ago, I was walking home from college after a long day when something-I don''t know what, probably a brick-hit me on the head. Really hard. I blacked out almost instantly and after what felt like a couple of weeks, I found myself surrounded by giants.


    The first thing I did was check for my s.e.x and as soon as I confirmed that I was a healthy male, I began to cry for a whole other reason. There''s nothing wrong with being a girl but I would just prefer if I kept my original gender.


    Translation: I don''t want periods.


    It didn''t take long for me to realise that this was the standard reincarnation trope that I''ve read about before. It took a bit longer for me to realise that I had been reincarnated into the world of Fairy Tail.


    The first sign was when I overheard the date on which I was born: X763. First time I heard it, I felt like I was missing something. It was on the tip of my tongue and I knew that if I was given a little bit more information, I could make some sense of where I had found myself.


    I was able to reach a suitable conclusion when I was given the name Rusty Rose, prompting me to just go crazy where I was. I cried, I screamed and I let the whole world know that I was pretty pissed off.


    I have somehow found myself in the world of Fairy Tail, reincarnated as the pompadour asshole with the most broken magic in the series. Or at least, he would have been a pompadour asshole with the most broken magic in the series, if I hadn''t taken his place.


    Anyways, it''s been a year since I was born, making me the one-year-old son of Elias and Seraphina Rose. We live in a nice place known as Tarrin village, in the Fiore Kingdom, so that''s nice I guess. It''s pretty big for a village and is known for its steelworks and large amount of blacksmiths.


    Elias Rose is a middle-aged man who resembles a bear thanks to the gruff aura he always exudes, coupled with his super buffed body figure which is at the peak of manliness; a level that I hope to achieve in the future. His hair is a natural silver and cut pretty short, and his eyes are a steel-like grey. He got his large figure from years of physical labour and exercise when he was younger. Contrary to his intimidating appearance, he''s actually a softie.


    My Mum, Seraphina Rose, is the complete opposite of my Dad. She''s a damn lovely lady who made everyone feel happy just by existing; it was hard to be angry at anything when you were near her, she just has that effect on people. She has chocolate-brown hair that falls down her back and pale-green eyes. I think that the nicest way to describe her is as a light airhead, though that wasn''t so bad; it just made her that much more likeable.


    Then you have me: Rusty Rose. I was the child who always has far too much energy for anyone to handle. According to my Mum, having inherited my Dads hair and eye colour, I looked like a mini Elias running around the house in my diapers. Speaking of appearances, I am one adorable baby. Like seriously, I almost cooed from my own reflection. I have the same silver hair and grey eyes as my Dad but the features of my Mum. When combined, my face is like the amalgamation of all things cute and fluffy.


    Call me a narcissist but only after you''ve actually met me face to face.


    Moving on, I have no idea where exactly in Fiore Tarrin village is located but it''s not far from one of the larger towns of Fiore: Calister town is the name. It also has a mage guild residing in said town so we shouldn''t be in any danger when it comes to bandit attacks.


    Speaking of magic, there''s a big difference between seeing it on a screen and seeing it in real life. Since we''re nearby Calister town, we get a lot of mages coming through here from time to time. Tarrin village also has a lot of magic tools that are mainly used for daily life thanks to said mages.


    Hopefully, I''ll get the opportunity to learn magic, but that''s in the future. For now, I would rather just enjoy myself for a couple of years before starting my shounen training montage.


    I love my current life. Really, I do, but if I had one problem, it was that my Dad and I were always competing for Mum''s attention. I was a baby and felt the need to be near her at all times, so I was covered, but my Dad? That man has no excuses, he''s a grown ass a.d.u.l.t for gods sake.


    Yes, I know that I''m technically an a.d.u.l.t as well but I can''t help it. I crave the attention, revel in it even. I was an orphan in my previous life so all of this attention is a first for me. I''m willing to wrestle both Acnologia and Zeref luchador style if it means that I can spend a little more time being pampered by my Mum.


    In fact, I was watching as he slept on the couch after coming home from work. He had a long day today and just wanted to rest. Mum was tending to his every needs, trying to make him feel as comfortable as possible.


    Look at that goofy smile on his face, so relaxed and happy that I could see the sunshine and rainbows surrounding him.


    I watched from my side of the living room, surrounded by all sorts of toys that other children could only dream of. However, my attention wasn''t focused on any of those. I narrowed my eyes at soon as Mum left the room.


    That should have been me.


    Unforgivable.


    With practised ease, I crawled up the couch and onto the arm rest, watching his peaceful smile as he continued to sleep without a care. No words needed to be said as I bent my knees, willed all the strength I could muster into my legs and leapt, flying through the air with a war cry.


    "Haa!" I cried out as I tucked my body into a ball, landing directly onto his stomach.


    "Oof!" I cackled as his body lurched forward, the air having been forcefully exhaled from his lungs. I giggled and clapped my hands and did anything I could while moving about in a way to make him feel more uncomfortable, throwing out a couples of "Dada''s" every now and again.


    "Why? Why do you always do this, Rusty?" he cried as he lifted me from his stomach, greedily sucking in the oxygen that I robbed from him, "I just got home from work, can''t you just give me this one time?" he pleaded. I answered his question with a snort before proceeding to give him a smack to the forehead, eliciting another groan from the tired man.


    What''s that you say? I''m acting like a child? Go back a couple of paragraphs and you''ll see that, technically, I am a child.


    He looked down at me, his face scrunching up in mild annoyance. "Are you doing this on purpose? I feel like you''re doing this on purpose." he groused as he lifted me off his body, sitting me down on his side.


    "Dah." I replied with another smack on his face.


    Mum chose to walk in at that moment and watched the scene that played out in front of her with a smile, laughing when Dad began to poke me with one hand and ruffle my hair with the other as I fought his arms off.


    It was just another normal day in the Rose household.


    [X766: Tarrin village - Rose Household]


    It''s been three years since I was reincarnated and I have come to the final conclusion that being a child is the most horrible thing in the world and I want to die again.


    What''s that you say? I''m overreacting? It can''t be that bad? You poor confused baby chickens, let me tell you something about us children. We kids are creatures that stand at the pinnacle of adorableness, along with puppies, kittens and baby weasels. That means that when blessed with our most esteemed presence, nobody can control themselves.


    Do you know what exactly that entails to?


    "Aww~! He looks so adorable~!"


    "Come on Rusty, you can do it! Smile for mommy!"


    It means that we''re forced to play dress up.


    I stayed as quiet as I could, barely able to restrain myself as Mum and her housewife friends were all squealing over me. Mum was holding another one of those accursed outfits in her hands, one of the many that I''m being forced to wear.


    Just because I''m a cute little baby does not mean that I want to be dressed up like a little doll! I am a boy! I am not a doll, I am not a girl and I am most certainly not a ''pretty princess!''


    Seeing as how there''s no way for me to escape this hell, all I can do now is pray to Ankhseram and steel my nerves. If I was able to watch the entire Conjuring series without flinching once, then I can definitely get through this!


    ~Five minutes later~


    Just kill me... Someone kill me right now...


    "You look so adorable! I knew pink frills were the right choice after all!" Mum squealed as she glomped me for what felt like the hundredth time, the rest of the women nodding in agreement. None of them seemed to notice how dead my eyes were at the moment.


    I cried mentally as my Mum continued to gush, taking pictures of me from multiple angles. My hands were tensed as I gripped the hem of my dress, barely able to hold back the vile curses that I wanted to spew at the world.


    I have never felt so much shame in my entire life before, I just want to crawl under a rock and never come out again. Please, I don''t care about living my second life anymore. Rather, just kill me now and free me from this nightmare.


    This had better not become a habit in the future; I was clearly reborn in this world with a purpose in mind from a higher being, and not to awaken my hidden trap.


    Oi. You had better stop laughing, you piece of shit dad. You''re the reason I''m in this mess in the first place. You think this is a joke? You wanna see a better joke because I can show you a better joke.


    "F.u.c.k you!" I practically screamed, pointing at Dad who might I add, was currently coughing out his tea.


    As soon as the word left my mouth, there was absolute silence. Every single mother who was treating me as their barbie doll just straight up shut their mouths. The boys who were laughing at me closed their mouths instantly. Even Dad looked at me with surprise. Not a single peep was coming from any one of them; hell, I think I might have even heard the animals in the forest pause in their tracks.


    "F.u.c.k you!" I repeated for a stronger effect.


    I turned to face Mum whose face was stone-cold. Her green eyes regarded me for a second before, amazingly, narrowing even further.


    "Rusty. Who taught you that word?" she asked-no, commanded.


    My eyes darted to Dad, who seemed to notice the stare coming his way. Realisation slowly began to dawn onto him as his eyes suddenly widened, a barely hidden fear found in there. He knows what I''m about to do. He knows that there''s nothing he can do to save himself.


    It was with great pleasure that I raised my hand and pointed at the man in question. The dark gleam in my eyes were professionally hidden by the innocent smile on my face, the greatest weapon a child could own.


    "Dad!"


    Get rekt, m8.


    [X767: Tarrin village - Outskirts]


    Most people consider childhood to be the best part of your life. I am not one of those people.


    I mean yeah, it''s nice having parents and being pampered but everyone likes that, a.d.u.l.t or not. As your average, everyday reincarnator, it isn''t easy getting along with other children. Especially when all they want to do is play tag or something.


    "Come on slowpoke!"


    It''s definitely because I can''t catch this snot-nosed brat. No sir, not at all.


    "Hey look! It''s a rainbow!" I cried out, pointing towards the empty sky. Just as I predicted, my target turned around almost instantly with a crazed look in her eyes.


    You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! Without wasting anymore time, I leapt forward and smacked my hand against her hand, slightly pushing her forward in the process. She seemed to realise what was happening as soon as I tagged her. Such a shame she reacted a second too late.


    "Ah! That''s not fair! You tricked me!" she accused with her finger pointed at me.


    "There are no rules in Tag which means that anything''s fair." I deigned her accusation with a snort. If she want''s to use her child logic against me, then I''ll just retaliate with child logic as well.


    "Yes there are! You''re not allowed to cheat!" Emily denied my statement as she shook her head from side to side, swinging her black hair around in the air. "You... You''re a cheater!"


    Emily Cross, or Emi for short, is one of the older children from Tarrin village and my elder by one year. She''s also the only one that can somehow put up with my attitude.


    I wasn''t really the one for running around and playing like the other town children. It might be strange for the villagers but they don''t know that I''m a literal man-child. Rather than force myself into a role I find uncomfortable, I much prefer just laying around and doing nothing, or reading books. It''s all I can do since there''s nothing else for me to do.


    But Emily, it seems, doesn''t share that sentiment and takes every opportunity to drag me out my home to run around and play and all that normal child stuff.


    It would be easy to refuse her, like I''ve done to every other child in the town, but the problem is that if I didn''t, she starts tearing up and the guilt I felt just forces me to go along with whatever she wants.


    Like right now. She''s starting to tear up. Again.


    "Alright, I''m sorry." I apologised as I made my way forward. "You were right. I was cheating, which means that I''m a cheater. I won''t do it again so can you please stop-guh!"


    The air was knocked out of my lungs when she tackled me as soon as I was in her range. Before I could even blink, she wraps her arms around my midsection and brings me in with a tight hug.


    I look up at her with a tired glare as she gets comfortable on my chest. She looks down at me with a mischievous smile, her amber eyes shining with a barely concealed mirth.


    "Ehehe, got you!" She giggles as she rubs her head on my chest.


    "You were faking it, weren''t you Emi?" I narrowed my eyes.


    "Mhmmm!" She admits easily, looking down at me with that annoying grin on her face, "And you fell for it again!"


    I let out a sigh as my head fell back on the ground with a soft thud. I tried moving about but found that she held my body with a vice grip, refusing to allow me to run away again. She managed to trick me, an a.d.u.l.t. I have no excuses that will make me feel better about myself.


    After what felt like five minutes, I raised my head once more. Since I couldn''t use my arms at the moment, I opted to get her attention by prodding at her head with my chin.


    "So," I began, "can you let go of me now?"


    "Nope!"


    Another sigh.


    "Ehehehe¡­" Emily carries on giggling and leans down to rub her cheek against my chest, her legs kicking the air behind her. Oi, what do you think I am? I''m Rusty Rose, not your glorified body pillow. I should teach her a lesson to respect other people''s boundaries and-


    "Besides, I enjoy cuddling with Rusty.", Emily smiled as she said this, "Rusty is really warm, and always nice to me, so I like it when I''m with you."


    ...


    Well f.u.c.k. I can''t do anything about it now, can I?


    In the end, I resigned myself to the fate of being her glorified body warmer.


    "Rusty! Come over here, I have a surprise for you!"


    "Mum, I can see the dress behind you."


    "..."


    "..."


    I ran before she could grab me.


    "Emi. Tell me who is was that hurt you."


    "I-it...it was t-that one..."


    "That fat kid with the big nose?"


    "Y-yeah."


    "Hold my orange juice, I''ll be right back."


    "Hey Dad, do you think I can eat all this chocolate before feeling sick?"


    "Rusty, no."


    "Is that a challenge I hear?"


    "Rusty, I said no."


    [X768: Tarrin village]


    "Rusty! Could you bring your lunch to your father?"


    "On it!"


    I quickly put on my shoes and coat before picking up Dad''s lunch. Mum saw me off as I left the house before going back in, not wanting to let the cold air inside. She trusted me with this job and Dad''s workplace wasn''t that far away, so she didn''t need to worry about me.


    It''s been five years since I was born in this world. Five whole years of pure bliss that flew by faster than I could say potato. Why potato? It was the first thing that came to mind for some reason.


    I''ve honestly enjoyed the time I''ve spent as a child, mainly because I got to go through a proper childhood, rather than that trash orphanage I lived in before I was reincarnated. I have a loving mother and father, an adorable older-sister figure and live in a nice town.


    And the magic. Can''t forget about all the sweet as f.u.c.k magic.


    "Good morning, Rusty! Off to see your father?" an old man called out as I ran past him.


    "Yeah! He forgot his lunch again!", I replied, "And don''t forget to take your medication, Mr Brown!" I added.


    It didn''t take long for me to reach Dad''s workplace; he works at one of the town''s many forges as a blacksmith. Rather than weapons, he basically forges anything related to iron and steel, so I found myself surrounded by all sorts of items. I walked past a range of different utensils and passed a stack of iron swords as I made my way towards the counter, meeting up with the familiar face of the cashier.


    Marcus Bastion is a part-timer at my Dad''s store who was hired last year. He''s only working on the side as he continues his studies, hoping to get into the University of Crocus, one of the biggest universities to get into. He''s a pretty cool guy once you get to know him, though I know better than to ask why he knows how to create a magic-fuel bomb using a napkin, some glue, a broken Lacrima shard and a mitten.


    "Ah, Rusty. You here to see your father?" he asked, looking down at me from where he was stood. It''s times like these that I really hate this child body of mine.


    "He forgot his lunch. Again." to ill.u.s.trate my point, I lifted the packed lunch Mum made for Dad. It was wrapped nicely in a green cloth, kind of heavy as well. How much food did Mum make, I wonder?


    Marcus released a sigh as he opened the latch on the small gate, letting me through, "He''s in the back. Be careful you don''t hurt yourself, we got a pretty big order of swords from a noble." he warned as I passed him.


    "Got it." I replied as I entered the forge. Dad was sitting on a small bench, hunched over as he hammered a sword in the making. On his side was a small pile of swords, numbering five longswords.


    "Dad!" I called out, getting his attention, "You left your lunch at home again. How many times does this make it now?" I chastised as I placed his lunch nearby. At least he had the decency to look a little embarrassed at his mistake.


    "Sorry about that, but I have a proper excuse this time! I promise." I raised an eyebrow, drawing a sigh from the man as he began hammering the disfigured steel on the anvil, "I managed to get my hands on a magic tome today, though the only problem is that I can''t read it."


    "Can''t read it? Dad, you''re not illiterate." I shook my head before pausing and looking back at him. "Are you?"


    "Of course I''m not.", Dad snorted as he grabbed the newly-forged sword with a pair of tongs and shoved it into a bucket of water, "The problem is that the tome is faulty. You can''t learn the magic in that book, making it practically worthless."


    "So... You got scammed?"


    "I got scammed." he admitted shamelessly. He turned towards me, a little bit of fear on his face, "Uh... You''re not going to tell your mother about this... are you?"


    I could already feel the grin on my face.


    "Hmm... I don''t know..." I mused, a hand on my chin as I thought to myself, "I mean, I want to help you but I also don''t want to lie to Mum... Decisions, decisions..."


    "N-now, let''s not get hasty son.", Dad stammered, "You don''t want to see your old man get hurt, do you?"


    "On one condition." I shot back. He raised an eyebrow but prompted for me to continue, "I want to see that magic book you were scammed into buying." He looked a little surprised at the condition he was given.


    "That''s it?", he asked incredulously before shaking his head, "No, no, if that''s what you want then who am I to say no? It''s on the shelves behind the counter, just ask Marcus to bring it down for you."


    "Thanks Dad!" I called out one last time before running back towards the main section of the store. Marcus was in the middle of trying to sell one of the wares to a hesitant customer. They were close to the end of their conversation so I just decided to wait at the register.


    I didn''t have to wait that long, seeing as how Marcus is really good at what he does. He managed to get the customer to buy a set of cutlery, some kitchen knives, an entire bathtub and, somehow, a battle-axe.


    "Oh, Rusty. I didn''t see you there." Marcus said as he made his way back behind the counter. "Is there something you need?"


    "Yeah", I pointed up at the shelf holding the tome, "Can you bring that tome down for me? I can''t reach it."


    Marcus stretched his arms, standing on his toes as he managed to reach the tome. He was slowly pulling it back with the tip of his fingers, complaining during the entire process, when he pulled too hard and the tome fell off the shelf. It landed upright on the floor and opened due to the impact, displaying the contents for the whole world to see.


    "Isn''t that a magic tome?" Marcus asked, eyebrows furrowing as he tried to make what he could from the book, "I can''t read this at all. It just looks like a kid scribbled all over the pages. Did your father get scammed again or something?" he asked.


    I wasn''t listening. I was too busy staring at the book in open surprise.


    The text... Isn''t it just normal English?


    I began flipping the pages only to find that the entire book is written in English. Dad wasn''t able to read it but I can make out the text clearly. Even the mage who sold it couldn''t read it, so why can I?


    Argh! So many questions, so little time! I have to get back home or Mum will be worried!


    "Sorry Marcus, but I''m taking this home with me." I got up, magic tome in my arms as I prepared to leave. I saw the worried look on his face but eased his worries, "Don''t worry. I''ll hide it from Mum so Dad won''t get in trouble."


    He looked considerably calmer after that. I can understand why; if Dad is killed by Mum, he won''t get paid anymore.


    I closed the door behind me and began to run back home; if I was late, Mum would begin to get worried. I managed to get home faster than I got to the store, mainly due to the adrenaline I felt rushing through my body at the prospect of learning magic.


    If it goes well, maybe I could join a guild? It sounds like it would be fun, and the pay is amazing depending on what job I take. I could use the money to make sure that Mum and Dad can just relax for the rest of their lives.


    Yeah, that sounds nice.


    As soon as I arrived home, I let Mum know that I was back before rushing to my room. I closed the door behind me and jumped on my bed, magic tome in hand. It was old and worn out, and the corners of the tome were starting to break apart. I give this tome a couple of more years before it becomes unusable.


    Placing my hand on the cover of the book, I began to wipe the dirt that was masking the title from me. Just a little bit more and...


    And...


    ...


    Oh. Oh my.


    "Arc of Embodiment - The Power of Dreams"


    F.u.c.k. Me. Sideways.


    A/N:


    This story is something that I''ve had on my mind for a while now but never got around to it. The main reason for writing this fanfiction is simple: Rusty was a wasted character. The man literally has the power of imagination but he used it to create a weird tentacle-sword, a golden shield, winged boots, a couple of weird monsters and ghosts that force themselves all over you. The Tower of Dingir was the only spell I could call useful, and he only used it like, what, three times in the entire series?


    So yeah, that''s why I''m writing this story. Hopefully, we''ll be seeing a completely different Rusty in this story. Of course, I''ll be placing several limitations and restrictions on his magic because he would be way to overpowered if he could just imagine anything into existence. I''m pretty sure that Canon!Rusty has already confirmed that his magic has several limitations placed on it.


    While it was stated that Hades taught every member of the 7 Kin of Purgatory magic, it was never stated that they had already knew how to use magic before they met Hades. Thus, Rusty managed to get his hands on the AoE tome. Of course, he''ll be having problems without Hades helping him so don''t expect an overpowered Rusty next chapter.


    Anyways, I''m not entirely confident in my ability to update regularly. I''m in the middle of studying and my timetable is pretty strict on me, so updates will most likely be slow. Sorry about that.


    With that said, don''t hesitate to leave your thoughts in the review section and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.

 Chapter 109 - My SI Stash #9 - A Galactic Balancing Act by Vergil1989 Crossover King (Star Wars)

    -SI as the Sheev Palpatine, the key player that shaped the original trilogy. Butterfly Effect start!


    ¦×(£à?¡ä)¦×


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 110K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/a-galactic-balancing-act-star-wars-palpatine-si-story.11031/ (Vergil1989 Crossover King)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1.1-1.3


    An Unexpected Development


    =====?


    Let''s get this out of the way now.


    Waking up in another body is weirder than people realize. Waking up in another body, with an entire slew of memories that could''ve come out of Hitler''s darkest nightmares, is much, much worse. Thankfully the screams and cries for mercy as a figure wielding a crimson blade of energy cuts them down end almost as quickly as I sit up at a metallic desk with a start. So imagine my surprise when I see that I''m not in my house in Chicago, Illinois, a city with a reputation all its own which, in some circles is understandably not all that savory, a reputation well earned no less, to...well, quite the view outside my bedroom window.


    "Oh...crap." I whisper, too stunned to dare anything above a whisper as a transport flies by my impressively huge floor to ceiling wall window, promptly followed by several other vehicles of various sizes, models, and styles, their drivers just as varied, and of far more interest to me, alien. The scarier part to me is that I could name most of them. Twi''lek, zabrak, togruta, bith, bothan, wookie, munn, the list went on and on as more vehicles buzzed by, some so close I could see the whites of their eyes, so to speak, and not in some cases, literal since the more bug like, concave eyes of some, the strange, uniform eye stalks of others, made that saying rather redundant.


    I know where I am as a name comes to the surface, the knowledge as easy to access as is the identity of the body I''m now in when I scramble to my suite''s private bathroom, which is just as upscale as the rest of the apartment, not that I was thinking about that at that moment. The warm, almost grandfatherly visage that stares back at me, eyes slightly sunken into my otherwise handsome face, has my now deep brown eyes wide with alarm before I remember a few calming, meditative techniques which spring up with the same ease as everything else has so far, and I use the metallic sink''s edge to steady myself as I stare at my reflection. I wouldn''t look away, because if I did, I''d never be able to face myself again, and that would not be good for me. So I breathe slowly through my mouth, and with the same slowness, force the breath out through my nose. Like the waves of an ocean against some stony shore, I breathe out the anxiety, the fear, terror if I''m being honest, as well as the shock at who and what I am in this new reality that''s far, far away from the world I used to know.


    "Okay...okay" I mutter in a voice that, even coming out of my own mouth, still has the effect it did when I was on the other side of the screen, "I''m Sheev Palpatine."


    Just saying the name, acknowledging the reality of it, led to me remembering a few key elements, mainly that I''m not the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, yet. That I''ve at least met the future Darth Maul, and that I absolutely hate Plageius, or at least Sheev does, did? Meh, the Munn is my problem now, as is the cl.u.s.terf.u.c.k that''s already been set into motion by the Sith, of which I''m now a part of. Shit....this could go horribly wrong real quick if Sheev''s master figures out the truth, that I''m no longer his apprentice, not that Palpatine would let him live long anyway. Still, despite the mess I''m in, I can''t help but smile as I glance down at my right hand and conjure up a little lightning between my fingers. I could get used to this.


    No! Bad Palpy, no UNLIMITED POWAH for you!


    Dark side, right, forgot about that part for a second. Then again, with how effective Palpatine in canon was in disguising his true nature, his efforts, set into motion by the Sith that''d come before, I was fairly sure that I could get a handle on this so long as I was careful. It helped I could recall a great deal of the events to come from too many hours spent on the Star Wars wiki, as well as looking through various EU articles and the various books of course, let alone the better shows and movies. That meant, even if I ripped canon apart, and I fully intended to do so, I had a pretty solid grasp of what to expect here. It also helped that, even as a Senator of Naboo, with secret ties to the Sith''s grand plan and the network of allies, I had unimaginable resources and the means to effect truly great change against the future that was coming unless properly avoided. Because while some of the ideals for the Galactic Empire were actually good in preparing the galaxy for threats like the Yuuzhan Vong, the execution of those ideals were...to be frank, nearly as corrupt and morally bankrupt as Palpatine himself.


    I didn''t want to be the mad dictator of a galaxy spanning Empire that grew fat and decadent on the backs of countless innocent beings, fostering an era of fear, paranoia, and worse. That said, the Jedi were a problem as they were, and how they conducted their affairs needed to change lest they inevitably become that which they purport to stand against. As it were, they were already resented and hated by more than a few people with how they went around taking children, breaking apart families, and using their powers and lightsabers to solve almost every problem they came up against. So it was with a push away from the sink that I adjust my warm, long, stately black robes, a long red sash hanging from my shoulders, and put on my best, grandfatherly smile before going to my personal terminal to start making those promised changes.


    My first order of business? Well...I first needed an accounting of my current schedule, an easy enough thing to figure out, but the sheer scope of what lay ahead of me now had me wondering if I was going to regret this into the first hour, let alone the first day. The sheer, monumental scale of the events to come would be impossibly intricate, a balancing act that only a true grandmaster could ever hope to carry out to their end.


    In my past life, I was a college dropout with very little confidence in myself. Thankfully, Palpatine had more than enough self confidence and willpower, as well as arrogance, for any ten people, and while my old life felt like a dream already, a bad one in many respects, I knew this much as I effortlessly navigated my way through Palpy''s personal terminal. I wasn''t weak anymore, I wasn''t helpless, far from it in fact, but of far more importance, I understood the value of power, having never had any before now. I also understood mercy, compassion, empathy, genuine and absolute, where the future Emperor if things went according to canon, had only hatred and worse for any and all he lay his eyes on.


    I would strive to be better. I needed to be better.


    ===============?


    I can''t help but feel glad that I don''t have to meet with Hego Damask for at least a few days, because I''ve realized that I need time to calm my racing thoughts. Meditating, something I''ve never done, comes far too easily now, as all of Palpatine''s skills have so far, his vast intellect, and his near endless rage and power. For all intents and purposes to an outside observer, I''ve fallen asleep at my desk, eyes closed, breath slow and even, body utterly relaxed, but the reality is very different. Because in truth, I''m intimately aware of everything around me. Of the billions of lifeforms on Coruscant, both high in orbit, and far, far below the cloud layer, where the labyrinthine Undercity spans across the entirety of the planet''s surface. Just thinking about the Undercity has my expanding senses and mind zeroing in on the area immediately, if far, beneath my home in the Upper City, at the literal and metaphorical top of the world, where I can sense the suffering and impotent rage of hundreds thousand of individuals.


    The cold, dark emotions associated with the Dark Side are a familiar comfort, even as it threatens to consume me like the cancer it is, while at the same time feeling utterly foreign and terrifying in a way I thought I''d never feel again. Certainly not since my dad from my past life, a cowardly yet verbally abusive, emotionally manipulative excuse of a man, tried to break into my mom''s house in a blind rage brought on by the fact what control he''d had over his three children, with me as the oldest and thus the one to call the police while my mom kept him out as best she could, had been lost, utterly and completely.


    I immediately pull back before I can dwell on my own traumatic childhood too much during such a dangerous moment for my future sanity, my old life in some ways mirroring Palpatine''s, but I grit my teeth, remembering who I am now, and calm my fear of the Dark Side, acknowledging its existence, its wrongness, but I don''t dismiss it as the Jedi do. It whispers, promises so much to me, but I tune it out for now, my mind drifting through the city''s Undercity, familiarizing myself with the countless points of light that appear in my mind''s eye. Thoughts, feelings, not all of them negative despite the vast majority being lost in the darkened corridors with no way out, either imagined or otherwise, all of it fills me and passes through me.


    It''s the most beautiful sight, the most euphoric, that I can ever recall before I woke up in this place. Is it any wonder then that both Jedi and Sith alike, those who hadn''t already given completely to their passions, found it so easy to get lost to the power of the Force? Luckily for me, I don''t have that problem as I remember myself, and start to pull my mind back into my physical shell. No easy feat I''ll admit, since a part of me wants to remain out there, seeing just how far my mind can reach, how many lifeforms I can touch, but with a force of will I force myself to look away. When I return to myself, I feel much better about things as a whole.


    Now that I know I can do this, that I believe it possible at all, I can expand upon my skills from there, delving ever deeper into the Force, the whole of it rather than the parts that the Sith foolishly try to make their bitch, so to speak. Crude as the thought might be, it''s not inaccurate since most Sith, certainly Palpatine...me, and his master Plagueis, consider the Force nothing more than a tool to be used with no thought to the consequence. First though, I see I have a priority alert from someone. I frown thoughtfully, open up the message, and read its contents. When I''m done, I can''t help but sigh as I realize exactly where in the timeline I am when the news that Queen Amidala, rather her decoy, wishes to meet with me. I type up a quick reply, and prepare for the inevitability of what''s to come.


    It looked like I''d have to make a trip to Naboo with my sovereign....not that she needed to know that, nor her two Jedi protectors, soon to be one if Maul was able to kill Qui-Gon Jinn, which left me with my first puzzle. Do I destroy canon sooner rather than later, stop Maul before he can deal the Jedi Knight, Obi-wan''s master, a fatal blow? Or do I let it happen, and clean up the mess after the fact? The trip to Naboo in my own vessel would give me time to consider my options in either event, but I had every intention of being there for at least the aftermath if nothing else since Maul, I had decided already, needed to stay dead regardless of the outcome. Plagieus would order his death if he hadn''t already anyway, so it was a good excuse to see to it myself. Something he''d likely praise me on, only furthering the lie in a way.


    The only problem is that I, myself, have never killed another sapient being before.


    And then another thought springs up, and I realize I have a far more immediate problem, mainly Hego Damask himself. I didn''t have the luxury to wait and pop my murder cherry, as it were, on Darth Maul, bestial assassin that he is. I''d have to deal with Hego now, while he was flush with my victory in being named the future Chancellor to the rotted carcass that''s the current Republic. Slogged in corruption, some of which having been encouraged by the Sith aside, trying to clean up the mess would take a large amount of money, resources, and manpower, all of which I could acquire with Hego''s vast fortunes. Of far more personal importance to me however, Hego Damask was the epitome of a mad scientist, a diabolical researcher that had no regard for life outside of how he could manipulate it to extend his own existence. Every minute I left him be, gave him more of a chance to regenerate himself, something even Palpatine had never achieved at his height.


    That thought led to another, the simple fact that Hego was becoming stronger as I sat here, making my plans to steer the galaxy down a far better path, one that hopefully wouldn''t require the Death Star, let alone the terror and systems of control instigated by the Galactic Empire, wouldn''t leave me. If left alone, Hego would be next to impossible to kill since he was close to achieving his ultimate goal of cheating death itself through the use of his unparalleled knowledge of biomancy, at least that''s what I''m calling it until I can recall the actual name. Thankfully, I already knew how I was going to deal with Hego as I glance towards the mini bar on the far side of Palp-...my apartment. Turning to my computer terminal once more, I make it a point to ensure I''ve ordered a number of bottles of my master''s favorite drink to celebrate my impending victory.


    Before the night was over, Hego Damask would die.


    That was the hope anyway...


    ?


    ==========?


    End Notes: So yep, the SI is Sheev Palpatine, and in case anyone''s curious, my real life dad did indeed tried to break into my mom''s house several years ago. It wasn''t until I started giving this idea some serious thought that I realized I had a little more in common with Palpatine than I felt comfortable with since he too had a rather unhealthy relationship with his own father, but unlike him, I didn''t nor would I ever actually commit patricide. That said, I can certainly sympathize with the desire, but all that aside, I hope you all enjoy the show and that this gets at least some positive feedback and active discussion. And make no mistake, I WANT constructive discussion and criticism, but I will not tolerate disparaging and disruptive arguments of the like that made Ashali quit writing their own story for months on end. Other than that, have at thee I say! :D Lol but seriously, enjoy the story, and as ever, may the Force be with you all.?


    Chapter 1.2


    The Rule of Two


    ======?


    Even without my direct access to the Wookiepedia from my old life, I know the Rule of Two, and while it was made by the egotistical mind of Darth Bane, arguably one of the most innovative Sith to ever exist, it made more sense than I''d like to consider given my current situation. To quote Grandmaster Yoda, "always two, there are. No more, no less.", because anything more would not only draw the unwanted gaze of the Jedi as feuding Sith turned on each other, an almost certain inevitability due to their natural paranoia and distrust of each other, but also because the Dark Side had a tendency to make itself known if too much of it gathered in one place for too long. True, the ancient Sith aligned nexus beneath the Jedi Temple had had an instrumental role in blinding the Jedi, of weakening their ranks for decades, but secrecy had ensured the Sith survived their last near complete extinction, largely done by their own hand, and it would serve me for now as well.


    My concern is in working up the nerve to kill my master, Hego Damask, but it''s something I find startlingly easy to muster up as I meditate on the path ahead of me. Again I find it far too easy to sink into a trance, to meld myself with the all connecting, all powerful Force, and while it takes me aback to feel the Dark Side''s cancerous touch on my psyche and soul alike, it''s not the shock it''d been the first time as I let it pass through me without allowing it to find a weakness to exploit. I know I''ll dip into it, even dive headfirst into its intoxicating power, but I''m resolved to never become the Emperor, to never allow Palpatine to destroy the galaxy at every turn, and I counter the darkness with my love for life, my capacity for compassion, empathy, even for the Dark Side, since I refuse to deny it or the emotions often associated with it, having felt them all at some point or another, and open myself to everything around me in an effort to see what my master cannot. When I come back to myself, I''m assured that I''m on the right course, having seen the ever changing future so clearly I could''ve touched it.


    "Game on then." I mutter to myself, my previous life''s memories of being a gamer surfacing for a moment, and stand from my desk to prepare for this fated moment.


    ========?


    The Munn is every bit the monster in person, despite his seemingly frail appearance thanks to the recent addition of the breathing apparatus affixed to his face due to a previous injury, as I remember him being in the book I now know to be reality. For a thankfully very brief moment, the unnatural hiss of the breathing machine makes me think that Darth Vader was approaching my apartment, but the illusion is just as quickly dispelled as I see the man as he makes his way towards me. Yet for all of Palpa-...my fear and hatred of the man, of his power over life itself, I also know how to destroy him as I smile openly, a genuflect soon to follow as it always had before I''d taken over in Palpatine''s stead. "Good evening Master." With a dismissive gesture, I stand per Hego''s silent order, the quiet glee palpable in the older man''s stance even without my Force attuned senses.


    "You look well, my apprentice." Hego replies with a minute nod of his hairless, pale skinned head, his unusually flat nose visibly twitching as he inhales vital oxygen through the sophisticated machinery that conceals most of his mouth.


    "I feel well." I reply as I chuckle openly, and as much as the thought still unnerves me, I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t looking forward to my time as the Chancellor. In that much at least, I can admit to as I pour my master a drink before serving myself. Hego doesn''t think anything of my cheer, assuming, rightly to some degree, that I''m just as happy over recent developments as I am, as he picks up the finely wrought crystal glass, before all but inhaling its contents, while I take a far more measured sip. I needed to drink to keep up appearances, more so than canon Palpatine likely did, but I still needed my senses to be clear. "Your long years of planning have finally born fruit my old friend."


    "Indeed." Hego agrees, having picked up the next glass once I''d poured for him. "Our partnership has come a long way Sheev. You''ve come a long way."


    I''m glad that I''m in the middle of another sip because I might''ve snorted otherwise. As it is I ''cough'', put a hand to my chest, and mutter an apology which Hego doesn''t even acknowledge. And so it goes as more of the drinks are poured, with me barely getting through a single bottle, while Hego has gone through several. It''s only when I''m absolutely certain that Hego is dead, falling down drunk, do I dare to stand, my smile having long since become strained, not that Hego ever noticed nor suspected. Because I''ve seen this kind of drunken stupor before one too many times in my past life. I''ve seen what sometimes comes of it if my own dad was disturbed after drinking himself into such a near comatose state. The worst part of my own father''s failings is that he only ever got so drunk when he''d done something he felt incredibly guilty over, such as cheating on his wife, my mother, with another woman. And when he felt guilty and he''d been able to peel himself off whatever surface he''d fallen on in said state, he''d become a torment I wouldn''t wish on almost anyone around us.


    Couple that with the fact Hego is a far more greater threat, and a torment to Palpatine on a scale and magnitude far more potent than anything my dad could ever be even when he tried to kill me, my mother, and my two brothers the day he tried to break into the house, and it''s shockingly easy for me to see Hego''s Munn visage replaced by my own father''s. Everything I ever hated about him, atop of Palpatine''s hatred for Hego, I allow to push me towards what I need to do now to ensure not only my own survival, but those lives that would come later. Thus, I wait even as I stand, swirl the long black robes that I had hung on the back of my chair over my form, slide my arms into the long, billowing sleeves, and grasp hold of the twin lightsaber hilts that are secured to the inside of said sleeves in one fluid motion. Hego doesn''t stir an inch, his eyes closed, breath even, body relaxed.


    If I didn''t know any better, I''d have said he was meditating, but I don''t let that stop me.


    Killing a man in his sleep is cowardice at its worst, I''d have preferred to look anyone else in the eye so they knew it was me out of respect rather than sadistic glee in Palpatine''s case. In Hego''s case, I can''t risk such sentimentality, and I don''t allow my thoughts to wander further as I point my weapons'' towards the Munn''s forehead, the other leveled for the right of his chest. The snap hiss that followers is promptly followed by a masterful slash through all three of Hego''s hearts, while the other allows a crimson blade to erupt through the Darth''s skull, and out the other side. I take a shuddering breath even as I go the extra step to sever Hego''s head from his neck for good measure, feeling...relief, satisfaction even as his corpse falls to the side from his chair without a clue as to what''s just happened to him.


    It''s only when I turn to Hego''s old droid, a culprit as much as anyone in the Munn''s vile experiments, that I give myself a moment to calm down now that this is done. "Are you going to be a problem?" I ask, knowing even as I ask the question, that I''ll likely have to have Hego''s droid destroyed. Chances were better that the droid, a longtime lab assistant to Hego, would attempt to gain some measure of programmed revenge against me by waiting until I was asleep, only to sedate me, drag me off to the lab, before proceeding to take its time in cutting me apart. I might be new to this whole SI shtick, but I''ve played far too many video games, watched too many movies, and read too many books, to know that leaving such a cold blooded mechanical at my back to plot my drawn out demise, is downright stupid. But I have more immediate concerns, mainly, I have to deal with the shredded remains of my now dead master. Getting the bloodstains out of the carpet without anyone being the wiser would be the more difficult, but as in everything, Palpatine has contingencies in place for this too.


    ==========?


    I have the droid taken away for now, fitted with a restraining bolt so it can''t get any ideas, and ensure that it can''t erase its own data archives before I can have everything downloaded onto a private terminal for future perusal. As vile and disgusting Hego Damask''s experiments are, the knowledge he''s managed to gather would be incredibly valuable to me, and if there''s one other thing I share with my host body, is that we share a thirst for knowledge. The difference, as in all things with my host, is that I have mere curiosity guiding me in my consumption in any subject I strike a fancy for, whereas Palpatine is an unrepentant glutton in every conceivable fashion, his hunger for material wealth matched only by his sadistic tendencies.


    Breathing out the last of my previous rage, hatred, and pain from killing Hego Damask, I gingerly grasp the controls of the vessel, which in turn is hooked up to a hyperspace ring. As for Hego''s corpse, his personal vessel, its disposal I was watching even as I left Coruscant''s orbit, had been set on an ill fated course towards the nearby sun, where it''d inexplicably explode due to a mechanical malfunction before whatever was left wound up being consumed by the sun before anyone could mount a salvage operation. The ease which all this had been arranged made me feel dizzy, and not in a good way. I''d just gotten away with murder, the only people with any knowledge of the deed already planning to scatter to the far reaches of the galaxy, their accounts noticeably fatter, but not so much they''d draw undue attention. Not only that, but gaining control of Hego''s vast fortunes, I realized once I''d started to do just that before setting off, had been even easier.


    Once I was sure the job was done to my satisfaction as Hego''s ship exploded just on the edge of my vision, mindful of the array of sensors meant to monitor traffic to and from the capital planet, only then do I make the jump to light speed.


    I won''t make it to Naboo before the Jedi or Padme make it to the planet, but it''d take time for them to find the Gungans, let alone to organize their efforts to take back the capital from Nute Gunray. I wouldn''t have long to get in touch with Maul, to stop him from killing Qui-Gon Jinn, having decided he''d be the better choice for Anakin over Obi-Wan, as much as I otherwise loved the guy, but I had to hope my new understanding of the Force, of the future that had yet to be unveiled, would provide me the means to do all that I''d set out to achieve. To that end, I ate, drank, slept, and meditated when I wasn''t busy going over what I knew of Palpatine and his vast achievements already. A trail of blackmail, corruption, murder, and worse were already at my back, or had been perpetrated by Hego, but such was the price I suppose of dealing with the likes of such a twisted individual as the one I now inhabited.


    Still, I let the hum of the ship guide my mind''s efforts, giving me the means to achieve peaceful serenity despite the recent murder I''ve committed. The pain and anger I had allowed to take hold is still there, but it''s much easier to deal with, to make my own as I subsume it with the peace I''d felt at having excised my personal demons in both lives in one move, nurturing the light that''s only recently been allowed to grow in Palpatine''s black heart, with the realization I''ve already started on the path to making the galaxy a better, gentler place for all of its inhabitants, not just those that were deemed ''valuable'' to the Empire. My vow to be better, marred somewhat by my recent misdeeds aside, still stands. I''m aware of course how dangerous obsession, passionate or otherwise, can be, and do my best to keep my head on the entire affair. It''s not a simple task, but the trip to Naboo gives me the time I need to do it.


    I do however allow myself some dark glee when I make contact with the Trade Federation ship''s crew, my hood pulled low, the menacing growl in my voice doing all the work as I demand safe passage through the blockade, such as it is with only one Lucrehulk starship still in orbit above the beautiful, verdant, resource rich world that stretches out before me. I don''t contact Darth Maul, not yet, as I set down within Theed''s royal palace, mindful of the rising sun. The anticipation, the tension I can sense in the air, it echoes what I know is already on the horizon, but I haven''t told the Neimoidians about the impending attack. It wouldn''t change anything in this late hour anyway, outside of a few, negligible details. What I intended would effect so much more.


    That said, seeing the royal palace of Theed in person is...awe inspiring. CGI and practical applications made Theed visibly striking in a beautiful, sweeping sense, like looking upon the Sistine Chapel with their domed rooftops and cream colored stonework, disguising the metallic interiors of their hangar, their power generation, and the other vital systems. To make it better, I can see how the Naboo people have done their best to keep the natural beauty of their world protected, working to keep their influence to a minimum where possible, thus offering a truly breathtaking view to me even though I give it only a cursory glance for the time being. I have a far more pressing matter to contend with as I feel a broiling cloud of rage mixed with curiosity coming my way.


    I don''t contact Maul, because I don''t have to as I sense his approach long before he makes his appearance just outside the royal palace''s hangar. The power generator chamber where he''ll have his fated duel with Obi-wan and Qui-Gon is just a short walk away from where we are, but I have a better idea as I stop just before one of the great falls that emanate from the palace grounds, on a cream colored, stony balcony, my arms at their sides in a relaxed, easy posture. I don''t respond to Maul as the bestial zabrak kneels with the expected greeting of, "My master, what brings you to Naboo so unexpectedly?"


    "Your forseen failure." I growl, mid spin towards him in a blur, my lightsabers snapping to life yet again. To his credit, Maul manages to roll back and away, the tip of a horn being cut away while one arm is singed, but he can barely grasp the impossibility that I''ve just turned on him like this before I casually wave a hand. He goes flying back hard, slamming into a stone pillar with bone jarring force before I just as quickly pull him towards me with the same ease. His startled cry is cut short as I sever his legs from the rest of his body as he passes by, my sabers crossing at the perfect moment. I don''t let his upper half fall off the balcony however even as I effortlessly fling his legs over the balcony, I instead impale him through the chest. "You will not harm anyone again." I hiss into his ear as the life leaves his body. I can feel the moment when he returns to the Force, but by then I''ve let what''s left of him to tumble over the edge, into the water far below us.


    And like that, I leave, having concluded my business, but I don''t intend to go back to Coruscant just yet.


    I have another destination in mind first.


    =============?


    End Notes: Holy shit guys, all that feedback''s pretty awesome and this hasn''t been up for long at all. Having said that, I know all too well how beloved Star Wars is, to myself included, so I sincerely hope I don''t screw this up as badly as JJ Abrams and the rest of Disney has. (The ''new trilogy'' is not my Star Wars...) That aside, things will slow down now that the immediate crisis has been averted, with canon otherwise progressing unimpeded for the most part, outside of the obvious changes of course. :D At any rate, I hope this meets with the same joy and acceptance as the previous chapter''s been so far. And MadGreenSon, feel free to hit me with more corrections, edits, etc at any point my friend. I''ll try to get to them when I''m not half asleep at my desk. :p In any event guys and gals, may the Force be with you all, and I hope this is a good start to the madness soon to follow. Adios!


    P.S. I''m all for receiving Omakes and the like, just throwing that out there. :D


    Chapter 1.3


    Walking On Sandy Skies


    =======?


    It turns out refueling a hyperspace ring is harder than you''d think. Thankfully it''s not so difficult that it can''t be regulated to droids and a transport crew that passes my sleek vessel once I make contact with the nearest spaceport as I navigate my way down to a landing pad in short order. I have far too much to do once I get back to Coruscant, damage control with Hego''s recent death among them, explaining why I left my office at all, but I haven''t been sworn into my new office, so my time, while limited, is still mine for the immediate future. It takes time for any office to change hands after all, few most of all as the Chancellor of the Republic, but not so much I could afford to dawdle.


    Keeping my hood pulled low as I make my way through Mos Espa, the buildings and houses on every side sandblasted, dull, gray, an air of oppressiveness thick enough to dull a vibroblade, the people too hunched into themselves, I do my best to quietly make my way to my destination. I see now that I''m here for myself why Anakin hated Tattoonie, why he hated sand as a whole, because by the time I find my way to a certain junk dealer''s shop, the almost constant breeze passing through the area has kicked up sand into places I''d rather not think about. Thankfully my long black, encompassing robes diverts most of it to either side without incident, but what it doesn''t block manages to find passage to my neck, face, and upper chest, making them irritated to varying degrees. I cannot get off this dustball fast enough, but my business will take at least two hours, perhaps more if I run into any trouble.


    Watto, the Toydarian I''ve come to see, perks up when the sensor above his open door chimes pleasantly, alerting him to my presence. I don''t meet his gaze as the alien, a cloud of avarice and greed as thick as the literal noxious stench and black flies I can sense already, follows him as he flies towards me. "Greetings stranger. To what do I owe the pleasure, eh? Hehehehehe." He cackles, as if privy to a joke only he knows.


    He stops laughing when I raise a hand, and he ends up pinned to the ceiling, his wings bent at unnatural angles against his back. "The control chip belonging to Shmi Skywalker, where is the deactivation transponder?" I ask coolly without looking up to regard the alien''s terrified visage. While it''s dangerous to do, I''ve always had a bit of a hate boner for Watto since it''s strongly implied the junk dealer was physically and emotionally abusive to some extent to his charges. Seeing him up close, sensing his presence in the Force, I can safely say that the implications were just another harsh reality of this place I''m now a part of.


    "Wh-what are you?! The Hutts-" I don''t move my hand, I simply clamp his throat shut, silencing him even as I slowly choke the life out of him.


    "Where...and how do I free Shmi Skywalker? You have about two minutes of air Watto, I suggest you don''t keep me waiting." I don''t intend to let him live past today, but he doesn''t know that as I let up on the hold I have on him. I even go so far as to let him drop to the floor in a heap at my feet. Wheezing, gasping for breath, I let my presence become all Watto can focus on as he pushes himself back towards his counter, eyes wide in all abject terror. He scrambles away on his back, crab walking backwards with surprising alacrity for such a rotund, disgusting creature, but I sigh in disappointment when he pops over the counter, a holdout blaster in hand. "Really?" I ask, exasperated by this futile effort as I stalk forward, bending to the side as a red laser bolt flies over my shoulder. Ten feet, five, I lazily dodge two more shots, one of which ends up slamming into a repair droid, which promptly falls over, its singular optic sensor glass, and the delicate circuitry beneath its domed head, bursting into so much useless scrap. I don''t bother taking his weapon when I''m within melee range, I simply freeze his hand so he can''t pull the trigger anymore.


    Understanding just how clearly outmatched he is, Watto''s free hand goes for something under his desk. He slams down a box onto the countertop, which I make him open, but not before I force his blaster, fingers still locked around the stock, one on the hair trigger, so that its pointed at his own skull. "You won''t get away with this outlander!" The words would be more intimidating if Watto hadn''t soiled himself in terror by this point. As it is, his voice is a shrill whimper.


    "You''d be surprised what I plan to get away with." I reply with such casual disregard, that even I am a little chilled by how routine this has already started to become. I''ve since started out of Watto''s shop, towards the back where I''m sure I''ll find his hidden treasury, not that I actually need it anymore, but I pull the trigger on the blaster before I leave. The few droids about the establishment I take the time to short circuit with a liberal application of some Force lightning, but I otherwise make my way towards where I suspect Watto lays his head.


    The stench gives his den away long before anything else does, but thankfully I don''t have to do much more than wave a hand to pull aside the pile of soiled linens and detritus, revealing an encoded and locked chest partially buried in the dirt and sand beneath the otherwise unremarkable sand blasted hut within the scrap yard''s confines. Judging by the size and the weight of it that I can sense when I stretch out my mind, it''s filled with every ill begotten cent he''s ever earned. This will make a fine gift when the time comes.


    I however, have one more stop to make before I can leave this dust ball.


    ========?


    I arrived at Watto''s shop in the early morning hours, with the planet''s two suns, because for some reason one sun just isn''t enough for some people, only just beginning to rise. I arrive, after a few friendly conversations with the locals, including the same old woman who had warned Anakin of a sandstorm coming their way, who greets me quite warmly indeed as I ask for directions, to Shmi Skywalker''s home just before mid afternoon with both suns beating down upon me. It''s hot, near to the point of being unbearable, but the natives I''m annoyed to note, seem largely unaffected by the oppressive heat. Then again, my past self was used to the bipolar weather of the American Mideast, specifically Illinois, where in the morning it might be spring, and by the same afternoon you''re walking through a blizzard.


    As for Watto''s money and the transponder box I''d taken, the former I''d already delivered to my ship, hiding it away for the time being, while the other was securely tucked away in the new cloak and robe I''ve thrown on, this one a far more mundane brown. I was Sheev Palpatine now, rather than the Sith Lord, and for as long as I was able to keep up the illusion, that was all Shmi Skywalker would ever know about me until much, much later in life, assuming I told her the truth at all. Besides, I''ve murdered at least three people in a day and a half, if not longer by now, I''ve sated my bloodl.u.s.t well enough for the foreseeable future. Now, it was time to balance the scales in the other direction, to remember my ultimate purpose for being here in this galaxy, let alone on this planet.


    Pernilia August was hard not to notice the few moments she''s on screen during the Prequel movies. Even beaten and battered by Tuskan Raiders during Attack of the Clones, a group I very much intend to pay a visit to, someday, I thoroughly believed that Anakin''s mother was probably one of the more striking of the characters due to her quiet strength and resilience that the viewer can''t help but notice. So when I gently knock on her door, hood thrown back, a warm, genial smile on my face, I can''t help but be a little giddy although to look at me, I''m the picture of warm tranquility.


    That and while I''m currently ten years Shmi''s senior, I''d had the opportunity to check, and I can safely say I don''t have an old man''s shriveled up p.e.n.i.s between my legs. Whether it''s because of all of the training under Hego I''ve suffered through, or because humans in this galaxy live reasonably healthier, longer lives, I couldn''t say. I''m just glad I''m surprisingly robust and hearty for a guy pushing fifty. Not that the reason really matters, I didn''t intend to take s.e.x.u.a.l advantage of Shmi Skywalker anytime soon, not when she likely needed years of therapy and rehabilitation from having been a slave for most of her life. Really both her and her son could probably benefit from sessions with a licensed professional. I know I''d benefited from such sessions in my past life after everything with my dad had been said and done. And despite what some would say to the contrary, admitting you need help of any kind, especially mental health, is nothing to be ashamed of.


    My thoughts are brought short, a first for me since waking up as Sheev of all people, when Shmi opens the door, and regards me with understandable suspicion, and an unfortunate helping of dread. "Yes?"


    "I''m truly sorry to bother you, but are you Shmi Skywalker?" I ask, my voice a gentle tenor that I''m relieved to note makes the woman relax slightly even as she continues to regard me with veiled suspicion. There''s only so many reasons why a man like me would ever visit a slave after all, and she has no reason to hope or even assume I''m here for her freedom.


    "I am..." She trails off, giving me a chance to introduce myself.


    "Sheev Palpatine, a Senator...well, honestly soon to be named Supreme Chancellor to the Galactic Republic." I chuckle, embarrassed or so she assumes as I humbly dip my head at the admission. "I know that seems rather farfetched, but I have it on good authority your son has aided in the liberation of my home planet of Naboo." That gets the reaction I''d hoped for as Shmi''s chocolate brown eyes, set in a face that looks even more striking up close like this, and she takes in a shaky breath at the news.


    "He''s...doing well then?" She asks, scarcely able to process what I''ve just told her.


    I smile more openly now, no theatrics necessary anymore as I gesture for her to invite me in if she wishes. When she moves aside, still in a mild state of shock, I gently brush past her, shutting the door before she can do so. "He is, and if I''m any judge," I begin, setting the transponder box down on the table in Shmi''s living room, rather what passes for it, "I imagine a mutual friend of ours, Master Qui-Gon Jinn, will assure you he''s to be trained as a Jedi after Anakin aided the liberation effort of Naboo''s people from the grasp of the Trade Federation." I''ve since moved to the kitchen to pour her a glass of water just as she manages to jar herself out of her mental paralysis. She starts to say something to the effect I don''t have to trouble myself, but I gently shake my head at her refusal. "It''s truly no trouble, but as you''ve no doubt guessed by now, I didn''t come here just to congratulate you on raising such a fine young man, Shmi Skywalker."


    "Then why did you come here?" She asks as she reluctantly accepts the glass of water, her eyes finally darting towards the box on her low sitting table between two equally shabby looking chairs. Despite her suspicions, I''m relieved that she drinks up, no doubt needing the cool, precious liquid after the shock I''ve just dropped on her lap.


    The budding, slowly forming hope I can sense from her makes this next part all the more joyous for me. "To take you away from all this, not as a slave, but as a free woman." She doesn''t see it, but I quickly pull the closer of the two chairs out with a very subtle wave of my hand just as I feel her legs start to give out on her once she actually hears what I''ve just said.


    I''d say I''ve done my good deed for the day, wouldn''t you?


    ?


    ========?


    Even though it''s difficult to sleep on the way back to Naboo, mainly because I can sense Shmi''s swirling emotions all too clearly in the comfortable if tight confines of my personal vessel, I wake up just as we drop out of hyperspace above Naboo, feeling refreshed and ready for the celebrations that are surely about to begin not long after we land. A fear that they might''ve failed, that we''re flying into a trap, is quickly dispelled when we pass by what''s left of the Trade Federation droid control ship, Anakin''s handiwork in all its glory. As with Shmi, seeing the wreckage of the Lucrehulk up close is something else entirely as I do my best to avoid as much of it as possible while maintaining our course towards the planet''s surface.


    "He did that." I hear Shmi whisper from the copilot''s chair, astonishment and awe audible to my ears.


    "He saved so many people with that singular action." I assure her, again needing none of Palpatine''s acting skills to convey my genuine gratitude for what her son has done for my home world, my people. It''s soon after that I make contact with the ground, and I''m assured that it''s safe to land despite having seen the evidence of this for myself. Once more, the verdant beauty of Naboo soon fills the c.o.c.kpit window, and I don''t have to look toward Shmi to know she''s utterly transfixed by the view. I was ''born'' here, and I too can only marvel at the panoramic vista that stretches out before us as I make ready to land at the Royal Palace once more, this time as an honored guest. That and I know there''s no record of my having been once already, having established the protocol to erase any and all evidence of my comings and goings when on Separatist business as I''d been previously, so for all anyone knows, this is the first time I''ve been home for some time.


    I''m not surprised to find the Queen, the real Queen, her decoy standing behind her, along with a number of her retainers and guards, awaiting my arrival when I start down the boarding ramp. "Your Highness." I offer warmly and gladly, and while my gaze is on the decoy, my words are meant for Padme. "I see that congratulations are in order."


    "Ours is not the only victory we have cause to celebrate Chancellor Palpatine." Sabe ''Amidala'' replies, while a far more plainly dressed Padme darts her eyes from me to the last person she expects to see behind me, still at the top of the ramp.


    "Shmi?" She gapes, before recovering her composure, putting her skill as an elected official to good use.


    "Padme?" Shmi asks in turn, much to my quiet amus.e.m.e.nt as Lady Skywalker slowly descends the ramp.


    "Anakin''s going to be overjoyed to see you again." Padme adds before she turns to regard me, all pretense and facades forgotten. "You did this." She states rather than asks, already suspecting the answer.


    "I did." I reply. "But come, there''s much to discuss my friends, and much more to celebrate." Needing no further prompting, Padme, Sabe, and the rest of the entourage are all too happy to head towards the palace''s royal dining hall, where a feast has already been arrayed for the victorious heroes of the Republic.


    It''s here that Shmi forgets she''s surrounded by dignitaries, state officials, and royalty alike when she takes one look at the dinner guests just as a blonde haired boy that barely comes up to my waist spins around in his seat. In a burst of speed that would''ve put Hego to shame, Anakin is out of his chair and running towards his mother as fast as his little legs can carry him just as Shmi meets him halfway across the polished stone floor. The tearful reunion between them is a sight I''ll hold onto for as long as I live, and to make it better, it''s met with thunderous applause by those who are there to witness such a truly joyous moment. Even Obi-wan and Qui-Gon Jinn are smiling openly, the former joining in the round of applause while the other simply gives me a firm nod of abject respect for what I''ve just done.


    The galaxy has just become a much brighter place from where I''m standing.


    ?


    =========?


    End Notes: So the body count so far stands at three. Hego Damask, Maul, and Watto. Yet I''ve just reunited Shmi with her son after freeing her, albeit ''illegally'' since the Hutts will no doubt hear about this eventually, giving Anakin hope and the only family he''s got back, and to top it off, both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are alive and well. I do believe I''m doing pretty well for the first few days of being everyone''s favorite psychopathic Emperor, wouldn''t you agree? :D?

 Chapter 110 - My OC Stash #10 - Purple Days by baurus (A song of Ice and Fire)

    -We''ll be seeing Joffery die over and over again ala Groundhog Day till he git gud. Very cathartic fic~


    Sypnosis: From one day to the other, Joffrey Baratheon wakes up a changed man. Far from the spoiled boy-child known to the court of King''s Landing, the Joffrey that comes out of his room three days after the death of John Arryn walks with the stride of a veteran commander and leader of men. A scholar, a sea-captain, a general, a lover. This is the story of how he became that man, and how he came to know his purpose through a cycle of endless death and rebirth that saw him explore both his self and the known world from Braavos to Sothoryios and from Old Town to Yi-Ti... and beyond. (Character Development, Adventure, Worldbuilding, Mystery & Suspense, Romance, Action). (Turtledove 2017 winner!).


    Rated: M


    Words: 680K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/purple-days-asoiaf-joffrey-timeloop-au.450894/page-2#post-27640680 (baurus)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    Sandor "the hound" Clegane had the shittiest job in Kings Landing if you asked him. Watching the arrogant little shit tormenting his little brothers, acting like he was already the godsdamned king already and mewling back to his mother at the first sign of trouble. Not that he really minded, it was more of an annoyance for him. After all, his prospects serving the Lannisters were good, the killing was good, and one day the little shit would be King.


    And, it wasn''t as if this job didn''t have its benefits. As Prince Joffrey''s Sworn Shield, it was his duty to follow him everywhere, which had let him enjoy the sight of the little shit being chastised and punished for acting like an idiot. It had been yesterday, 3 days after Jon Arryn''s death. Joffrey had refused to go to the North, shouting something about "Not wanting to even touch the northern savages", and things had only degenerated from there. Robert had been ready to strike the Prince, but a warning glare from Cercei had stopped him, instead throwing his cup of wine angrily to the floor and ordering Sandor to take Joffrey back to his room without supper. And so he had grabbed the little shit and dragged him back to his room, kicking and screaming at the "Injustice".


    Maybe the prospect of him being King one day was not a good idea after all¡­


    Sandor was about to continue with his internal ramblings, basking in the morning sunlight from the nearby window when a sudden, muffled scream reached him through the door¡­ from prince Joffreys room. He was probably screaming in rage at someone or something yet again¡­ though it was rare for him to do it in the morning¡­ Sandor didn''t even doubt for a moment his course of action, he was no Knight, no Lord, but he did still take his duty seriously.


    He busted into the room, drawing his sword and looking for assassins when he spotted Joffrey on the floor, breathing heavily, clutching his throat while he vomited bile over the floor.


    Must be poison, thought the hound, though it was strange, the prince had not eaten anything last night, and he had seen no servants going through the door. He quickly sheathed his sword as he helped Joffrey up, ready to take him to a Maester.


    In retrospect, it was then when things really stopped making sense to the Hound.


    "I''m okay Sandor, I''m okay" he said as he sat on his bed, taking deep breaths. The prince''s face was filled with despair, anger, sadness, loss and self-loathing all in quick succession. He grabbed his head, and took one last deep breath. "You''d think I would get used to this by now¡­ but it never gets any better" He snorted. "Not that I don''t deserve it¡­"


    The Hound''s stared at him, confused. He never calls me Sandor, he thought. Whatever indigestion had the Prince in this state, he didn''t want to touch it with a ten foot pole. Joffrey finally snapped out of his trance, letting his hands fall to his lap. "Clegane" He said as he nodded to him, "We''ve got work to do."


    With that said, he quickly stepped to his wardrobe, impatiently searching between all the fine robes and princely attires, finally getting out what he wanted. It was a set of riding leathers, hardy and confortable, but without any of the jewels and lions the Prince always favored. Without even calling for his servants as was his want, he quickly dressed himself, and strolled outside, only barely pausing by his bed chest and taking his dagger. He doesn''t even know how to use the godsdamned thing, thought the hound. Oblivious of his thoughts, Joffrey strapped the leather belt and sheath to his waist, quick as lightning and with no conscious thought, like a veteran.


    "Come on Hound" he said, with none of the usual viscous pettiness he so constantly used when referring to lesser people (which in his mind was all of them but his mother) as he walked out into the hallway.


    Suddenly left alone in the little shits room, Sandor quickly snapped out of his befuddlement and raced out, taking his place to Joffreys South-East. Watching the Prince was like watching another boy¡­ no, another man. He walked erect, with a confident stride that spoke of victory, but also of the struggle and loss that accompanied it¡­ It was no longer the arrogant strutting. Sandor didn''t know how to put it exactly, but, in a word, the Prince had overnight, somehow become a man.


    He strode briskly, like a man with a mission, briefly acknowledging the servants as he passed by them, full of trays of food or bundles of fresh clothes. Trays of food and bundles of clothes that barely managed not to hit the floor in a scandalous manner when the prince actually addressed the servants.


    "Arrel, Darrik" Said Joffrey, giving the befuddled servants carrying a large bucket of water a nod and a small smile, he didn''t even notice their confusion as he strode on, mind driven by some bizarre and obscure objective.


    Strange Joffrey, as Sandor was calling him in his head, had a plan. That much the Hound knew. He briefly stopped at intersections of hallways in the Red Keep, looking at each hallway, thinking as if trying to remember something, then continuing on. "Darrin" He muttered distantly as he acknowledged the queens chamber boy, deep in thought at yet another intersection. The Hound quickly reached out and prevented the chamber boy from falling over from the shock and more than a little fear. Usually, when the prince acknowledged your existence it was not a good omen. That, the smallfolk servants of the red keep had agreed unanimously years ago.


    Yet again, Joffrey didn''t even seem to notice that anything regarding his actions was supremely uncommon, and Sandor didn''t think this was all part of a deliberate cruel joke¡­ the little shit didn''t have the patience for it.


    After a minute standing in the hallway, way longer than at the other intersections, Joffrey finally decided and headed West. "This one, I think" he muttered. What he found however, was clearly not part of "The Plan" (It had acquired Capital Letters in Sandors head after the fourth hallway.)


    In front of Joffrey, was Princess Myrcella, eying him with a deep wariness and suspicion arising from years of torment. Joffrey didn''t seem to notice though; he seemed to be shaking slightly. "Myrcella" he whispered, a strangled, sad sound that Sandor didn''t think she heard. What happened next shocked the Hound again, even more so than all the other strange things happening today. Joffrey stepped forward and actually hugged Myrcella, clinging to her like a drowning sailor hugs some flotsam. Now, Sandor was no expert in family relations, he admitted that much to himself, but Joffrey seemed genuinely shaken and happy, maybe even joyful to see her. "I''m sorry, I''m so sorry¡­" He said, his mumbling muffled by his sisters hair.


    Myrcella however, didn''t have Sandor''s iron proof fa?ade. She was pale and shacken, white as pigeon drops and stiff as a board. She was probably expecting the other shoe to drop now, so to speak. Joffrey at last seemed to realize what was going on, and haltingly, almost against his will, separated from her. He looked at her face, then looked back towards Sandor, and slowly shook his head, as if to clear it. "My pardon Sister, I confused you with someone else" he said, trying and failing to sound cruel and disdainful, pulling a sad facsimile of his usual cruel and arrogant smirk.


    It didn''t fool Sandor, and it seemed neither did Myrcella. For Sandor that weak acting only served to permanently seal the idea in his head that SOMETHING was definitely WRONG. He had to fight the urge to draw his sword, his danger sense screaming at him at the sheer uncanniness of it all.


    The thing that stopped him for now was the Prince''s eyes, full of loss and self-loathing. He quickly continued on down the hallway, frequently wiping his eyes with his sleeve. Sandor could see they were wet.


    "We took a wrong turn Clegane, it was to the right" He said, more to himself than to the Hound as they reached another intersection and turned right this time. Sandor just followed him, mute and with his sword hand in the pommel. They finally stopped right besides the next intersection. Here, Joffrey peeked down the hallway, only to quickly retract his head and take a deep breath. It looked like he was psyching himself up for something. Finally, after about 4 minutes of this, he finally looked at the hound and looked at him in the eyes, "Clegane, whatever I say, don''t do or say anything, understood?" He said it with such a force of will, as if he expected no other answer, that dumbly nodding was the only thing the Hound could do. "This is a terrifying glimpse of the king he could be" The hound thought to himself.


    Then, Joffrey let out a long sight, and breathed for a final time. He then took off to the hallway, arrogantly strutting through it. Sandor followed him as he desperately tried to remember where they were on the Red Keep after all the turns. Almost as they reached the corner, Joffrey bumped with Lord Baelish. "Watch where you''re going!!" he screeched, and then stopped when he saw who he was talking to. "Ah! Lord Baelish, I was looking for my uncle Renly but maybe I can trust you too" Joffrey said as he looked up at Baelish.


    Baelish looked at Joffrey, a benevolent and curious smile adorning his face. "Trust me with what, my Prince?" he asked. "Arresting Varys of course! I want the traitorous bastard in the black cells now, he poisoned Lord Arryn!" he told him with his distinctly annoying twang, or at least tried too. It was a decent performance at non strange Joffrey, but he could see his heart was not in it. He gave the acting 6 out of 10.


    Lord Baelish looked frozen for a brief moment, then he recovered and unleashed his signature smile. "Ah, an interesting theory my Prince, but we can''t move against the Master of Whispers without evidence to back up your claim."


    Joffrey looked between annoyed and doubtful, and he seemed to think for a bit before he said "I will trust you with this Baelish, but don''t you dare betray me with this or I will have you executed." He said it not as a threat, but as a fact. He had started with the bl.u.s.ter but had naturally, towards the end become a simple statement of intent, something that apparently Joffrey didn''t want as Baelish was suddenly looking a bit doubtful with this whole endeavor, inspecting Joffrey more seriously this time.


    Strange Joffrey seemed to sense that Baelish was doubting his act with this faux pass, and quickly added "I have the evidence, and if you help me my Grandfather will shower you with gold" he said, reinforcing it with his nasal twang. It had looked a little forced, he didn''t know if Baelish would buy it.


    The na?ve statement didn''t seem to affect Lord Balish''s chain of thought, though it did serve to relax him somewhat to the boy. "He''s acting you idiot, he''s planning something" The hound thought to himself, but didn''t say anything. Baelish seemed to be struggling with himself, thinking about the possibilities and the outcomes and looking shrewdly at the Prince. Joffrey on the other hand looked totally like his usual self, looking back at the Mockingbird with a disdainful expression and a mounting incredulity that he wouldn''t be obeyed.


    Finally, it seemed the chance was too good for whatever schemes Baelish had planning, and finally nodded. "Can you show me the evidence? If its good we can get rid of Varys¡­ permanently" Said Baelish, struggling to contain a predatory grin at the sudden opportunity.


    Joffrey only seemed to think about it for a second before he nodded. "Where?" he simply asked. "I have a place where even Vary''s Little Birds won''t see us¡­ there''s a passage below the Royal library, past the cupboard that gives way to the red keep''s southern cliff, we can meet there."


    "Then do so" The Prince mewed more than commanded as he turned around and continued strutting down the hallway, Sandor in tow. He was liking this less and less¡­


    It was a brief journey to the Library, where Joffrey seemed to take a random, blank scroll from Grand Maester Pycell unoccupied study. He rolled it up and proceeded all the way down towards a hidden passage below the library, just as Baelish had predicted. Strange Joffrey hadn''t uttered a word to Clegane as he walked down the humid cave, towards the sound of the sea. He could already see the distant waves crashing downwards in a swirling vortex of fury. It was a long way down.


    There, finally, he turned around to face Sandor. "Clegane, stay in the shadows and watch that Baelish doesn''t bring any men. Unless he does, do nothing." He commanded. He mutely nodded again, despite his gut telling him to just get out of this.


    So, as Sandor settled himself on the side of the cave, beneath its great shadows, Joffrey stood at the cliffs edge, watching the waves. When he heard footseps down the path, Joffrey turned around and sneered. "Baelish, what took you so long!" he mewled.


    Lord Baelish smoothly reached him, offering his all-knowing smirk again. "I came as fast as I could after verifying the Eunuch''s whereabaouts, my prince. It seems he has not fled the Red Keep yet" he told him. "Good" Said Joffrey as he gave him the blank scroll "Here''s your evidence".


    Baelish took another step forward so that he could read it with the light of the day that filtered through the cave''s opening. He quickly lowered it however. "Whats --UGH" he grunted, as¡­ Joffrey extracted the dagger he had stabbed in Lord Baelish''s stomach. He barely had time to grunt again as a second after it had gone out, it came back in as Joffrey stabbed him again and again, each time with more fury and relish. "Fifty-fity Littlef.u.c.ker, its always fifty fifty with you. Luckily, this time Fate has smiled upon me." He told him as he kept stabbing him in the gut again and again. Baelish seemed transfixed at what was happening. He opened his mouth to say something but found he couldn''t. Hell, Sandor knew something shady was going to happen, but he hadn''t been prepared for this. "You just can''t seem to resist the temptation of your greatest rival in the game gone" Joffrey said as he cleaned his knife on Lord Baelish''s thigh, who was now on his knees. "Goodby Petyr" Said Joffrey as he kicked him and sent him over the edge of the cliff, down towards the turbulent Narrow Sea.


    Joffrey looked downward, making sure Baelish was dead, then, slowly, the fury and relish that had taken him as he stabbed Baelish time and again seemed to seep out of him. He looked at his hands, which weren''t even trembling. He seemed to be eying them with a resigned disgust, and, Sandor suspected, a burst of self-loathing so hard he was surprised the Prince wasn''t vomiting again.


    He approached Sandor from the spot of the murder, sheathing his now clean dagger. "Its okay Clegane, he was the one who really poisoned Lord Arryn, or so involved in the plot it makes no difference. He was a wild dog--" he paused for a second "¡ªno offence intended. And a danger to the Realm. We shall all be better for it" he said as he stepped ever closer to him.


    Sandor kept his grip on the pommel. He couldn''t care less about the "Littlef.u.c.ker" as Strange Joffrey had called him. He was wary not because of his murder, but because it was now apparent that Joffrey was not the same person that had gone to sleep last night. And now, looking at his eyes, he thought the boy had aged a thousand years on his sleep.


    If he was going to do anything about it, it would have to be now. He had just been witness to the murder of a Lord, and there was no telling what Strange Joffrey would do now. Sandor thought for a few moments, and Joffrey seemed content to let him.


    Finally, he grunted. "You try any shite like that again without telling me first and I''ll go straight to Robert, and screw all the gold in the Westerlands."


    Joffrey seemed satisfied with that answer, and nodded as if he was expecting it. "Good, thank you Sandor." He said while he walked away, back towards the Red Keep.


    The hound just shook his head. "Something tells me this is only the beginning".


    --PD¡ª


    Strange Joffrey had helped his servants stowing his stuff on board the chests and then on top the carriages. In truth Joffrey had done more to pack his stuff than the rest of the servants combined. They had been too shocked at the changed entity that was Joffrey, and had ended up packing less than a third themselves, which had of course made them even more scared in fear of retribution by the until last night cruel prince. Sandor wasn''t surprised though, not after the shit he had seen inside that cave. Sandor had resigned himself from it all, and had decided to watch everything as if it was all an incredibly interesting and insane mummers show.


    Strange Joffrey''s reaction to the King and Queen were interesting. With the Queen there was no sight of his usual mewlings, and he seemed unresponsive to her spoiling him. He did smile at her and the affection behind his hug had been both simple and real, which had left Cercei slightly disconcerted. His reaction to the King however, was even more different from the usual. Before today, and for the last years, King Robert and his Son had barely spoken to each other, considering they were family. Now though, he found them idly chatting about different types of warhammers and how to use them, a subject Strange Joffrey seemed to know about a lot, to his Father''s surprise. There was a distance however. Joffrey''s smile didn''t seem to reach his eyes, and he always looked a bit sad and disappointed after a small chat with Robert, which anyway were not quite so frequent.


    The preparations took three more days before the whole caravan was finally ready to depart Kings Landing, and 3 more because of the search for Lord Baelish. In that time, Strange Joffrey acted (for his now changed personality) relatively normal. However, on the eve of the third day, Sandor had accompanied him to the Royal Armory.


    The guards on duty had been surprised to see him there, as Joffrey generally didn''t bother them besides coming in here once a year to mess with a crossbow. They were even more surprised when Joffrey saluted them like old friends, names and all. They quickly unlocked the door and one of them accompanied the prince toward the weapon racks. Sandor thought he would have stopped by the crossbows¡­ he should have known better. He made a beeline for an arming sword that seemed to suit his height perfectly, and then took a well-crafted one handed axe, which he put on his belt. "You know how to use that thing?" Sandor asked, against his better judgment. Joffrey seemed to take it in good humour. "Want to test them out in the yard later?" he asked him with a knowing smile. Sandor could only nod and curse his big mouth.


    Finally, Joffrey led him and the guard towards a door in the back of the room, were several odd knickknacks that didn''t fit in the other categories were stowed. "I wouldn''t worry with this one''s m''prince, these haven''t been catalogued by the Master-at-Arms since the Mad King." Said the guard, eying the rusted morning stars and a couple of weird, broken, curbed swords.


    "Exactly, Theo. Imagine the treasures that could be buried in here!" Said Joffrey, amused as he dove right into the huge pile of junk. Sandor had the sinking suspicion the Prince knew exactly what was in that pile. After more than 10 minutes of searching, in which Joffrey repeatedly denied the guards offer to summon some servants to help with the task, he finally found what he was looking for.


    It was 2 sets each of 6¡­ throwing blades? Joffrey seemed happy, but not surprised to have found them, strapping the 2 sets to his riding leathers, one on his left side, and one on his right. "Did you know a Qohorik Merchant gifted this set to the Mad King, only for him to toss the poor sod into the black cells? Kings can be very fickle¡­" he said the last part mostly to himself, rubbing his face again before diving again in the pile of junk. Sandor would have asked him if he knew how to use the throwing knives, but then again had no intention in being a target for a "demonstration".


    Then, to everyone''s surprise, after 2 more minutes of searching, took out a Valyrian steel dagger. He promptly took its sheath and placed it on his belt, below his left throwing set and opposite to his axe. The arming sword he strapped it across his back.


    Sandor would have expected the sight of Prince Joffrey armed to the teeth and spoiling for battle an amusing one. It was not. Joffrey walked back and forth, tensing his muscles, accommodating the whole set as if he knew what he was doing. Finally, he nodded to himself. "I''m good, let''s go Clegane. Thank you Theo". He said, handing the guard a silver stag and promptly exiting the room.


    The guard stared at Sandor, incredulous. "Don''t ask me" he huffed, hurrying after his prince.


    -PD-


    Joffrey made good on his promise. They squared off in the training yard the next morning, clegane using a tourney sword instead of a training one to Joffreys insistence. He was armed with tourney arming sword.


    At the Master-At-Arms signal they charged. Sandor initially went at it slow, not wanting to leave the prince a cripple and his head on a pike above Maegor''s holdfast.


    That had been a mistake. In two moves Joffrey had him at his feet. "Come on Clegane, I promise not to maim myself." He said, reading his thoughts. With a grunt and a huff, the hound was back up, and he was not going to hold off now. At the signal, they clashed again, and to Sandor''s mounting disbelief, Joffrey was holding his own against him. He appeared to weave back and forth, attacking the joints in his armor with his arming sword, leaving painful bruises, attacking like lighting, not leaving room for Sandor to think. After withstanding the hurricane for hours, or it could have been minutes, the attacks started to come in slower as the prince''s body simply wasn''t used to this kind of punishment. Sandor was winning 5 bouts to 4, until the prince locked his blade with his in closed combat, jamming it with his own blade while he stomped hard on Cleganes feet. The entire maneuver took him by surprise, and his sword was snatched away from him, giving Strange Joffrey his victory. In the end it was a draw, 5 to 5.


    Prince Joffrey was a mess of sweat, ample bruises and hard breathing, but had an uncharacteristic smile on his face. "Ah Sandor, you''re always the best for getting back in shape" he gasped beteween breaths. One of his eyes was slowly growing smaller, pressed by the bruises around him, and he was bleeding from his sheen. Sandor cursed himself at the sight of blood.


    Joffrey however could have cared less, in fact it seemed he hadn''t even noticed it. He took a big gulp of water from his waterskin, "AAAAhhhh, A good fight Clegane, I really needed that." He told him. "I didn''t know you were so good" Sandor huffed, himself tired after the intense beating. It was strange, there were several moments that Joffrey should have pressed his advantage to win several of the bouts he had eventually lost. That could easily be attributed to lack of skill to detect them, but Sandor had seen Joffreys eyes. They had been looking straight at the spot that would have guaranteed him a victory, but he hadn''t taken them. Had he thrown some of the bouts? Why?


    The mystery that was Strange Joffrey seemed to intensify by the day, and the next events only made it grew.


    "JOFFREY!!" Screamed a female voice as a red figure dashed through the courtyard, and started calling for a Maester. It was Cercei.


    Shit. I''m dead. Was the only thought that crossed through Sandors head when the Queen looked at him with infinite rage. "Arrest him now!" she screamed as she pointed at him. Several of the redclokes that had been entranced watching the fight suddenly snapped out of it and moved towards Clegane, following their Queens orders.


    "Absolutely not! GUARDS, HOLD!" Shouted Joffrey. His voice carried across the courtyard like thunder, absolutely devoid of the old nasal twang and mewliness that had been so natural from the little shit. It was a command issued as if in the battlefield, the tone perfect for carrying itself through the song of steel and death.


    The guards stopped in their tracks. Technically the Queen outranked the Prince, but all their instincts were telling them to OBEY. That gave Joffrey the time he needed. "Mother" he said as he turned to face her. "I''m completely fine, I was just having a friendly bout with the Hound."


    "Friendly Bout?! You''re bleeding!" She said as she looked at his sheen. "Oh" Said Joffrey as he looked downwards, "Its just a scratch" He said. Cercei seemed dumbfounded, and Joffrey took the opportunity to lean closely and whisper something into her ear. It couldn''t have been more than two sentences, but the Queens expression went from enraged to considering, then a slowly building pride. "Well said my son" she said as she stood up. "But this is enough for today, and I still want Grand Maester Pycell to check that wound" she said as she, with one final glare towards the hound, left. "As you were" she ordered from the red keeps main gate, almost as an afterthought. The redcloakes visibly relaxed and backed off, eager not to tangle with the Hound and for a bad reason too¡­ besides, they had been having just too much fun with the bouts.


    -.PD.-


    When the search for Lord Baelish was called off, the caravan finally set out of Kings Landing, heading North. The rescue parties had started looking more like hunting parties, fueled by recent rumors about Lord Baelish''s involvement in the death of John Arryn. Rumors that coincidentally started amongst the Prince''s serving staff, Sandor noted wrily.


    The Prince had been busy those days. He had asked permission from his Mother to gather an official retinue for his to command. He didn''t know what he had said to her, but it had worked. The prince barely had permission when he stormed through the red keep, searching for a few servants by name, about 3 or so. He then did the same in the barracks and got a hold of 6 red cloaks. None of them had known the Prince, but you wouldn''t have known that from him. He greeted them as old friends and made it clear that he just expected all of them to do their duties as to the best of their abilities.


    The caravan settled into a steady routine as they journeyed north. The Prince and him would train in the morning, though never as hard as the first time, mainly focusing on fitness training as Strange Joffrey''s technique was excellent and somewhat unpredictable. It appeared to rely more on speed, agility and endurance than raw power, and it seemed to combine elements from regular knightly combat, water dancing, street brawling, and other influences he could not really pin point¡­ excluding one: His own. That particular revelation was like a brick to Sandors head. Joffreys footing seemed somewhat grounded in the Hounds own style, and his fighting style was liberally peppered with dirty moves that Clegane had thought up himself.


    He had taken more wine than usual that night¡­


    The subject of the Prince''s change in demenour had basically dominated the rumor mills amongst the soldiers and servants, and especially, to the Queens amusing disapproval, the imp. After training they would help his retinue packing everything and ride out. The Prince seemed to dislike the carriage, though somedays he would ride there with the Queen and his brother and sister. He rarely came out of it very happy. Sandor supposed it was because of the weariness with which his brother and sister regarded him, though that started to decrease by the time they crossed the neck. 3 weeks into the journey Joffrey would often ride his horse alongside the carriage, jesting and teasing Myrcella and often Tommen too, but with not a hint of cruelness, and even sometimes playing games with them on the stops.


    But that was later. The first week of travel Joffrey mainly rode with Tyrion, debating ideas and concepts that were admittedly beyond the Hounds understanding. He still remembered the imp''s first interaction with Strange Joffrey.


    "Uncle! Good to see you haven''t started your drinking binge without me!" he said as he just strolled into the imps tent the first day of the trip.


    "Nephew!" The imp smiled, though it didn''t reach his eyes. "I''ve got plenty of arbor gold here if you want to join in." he said, hefting a gold-yellow bottle. The imp eyed Joffrey warily but disguised it much better than Myrcella had a week ago. Joffrey didn''t know or didn''t care, as usual. He sat on a nearby stool as the imp served him some arbor gold in a cup. "Thank you Uncle. Robert won''t let me drink more than one cup, more than a little hypocritical if you ask me" He said, not gulping but slowly savoring the fine vintage "Clegane, don''t just stand there, grab a stool and get some wine" the prince ordered him.


    "I''m glad you like it. So, what can I do for you Nephew" Said the Imp as he handed a cup to Sandor. That seemed to take a bit of wind from Joffrey''s sails. He gave an uncanny self-depreciating smile, and snorted a short laugh. "Everyone reacts the same¡­" He said as he downed the cup with one gulp. As Tyrion refilled it, he continued. "What if I don''t want anything¡­ What if I just want some conversation with the smartest man in Westeros?". There was silence as Tyrions surprise manifested itself on the jug, spilling some of the wine in the prince''s boot. He didn''t seem to mind though. "Ah, where are my manners. Tyrion, for being a little shit towards you, I gift you this." He simply said, handing him a boxy looking bundle after he downed the refill in one go again.


    Tyrion was mute as he opened the package, not that Sandor blamed him. It was very amusing to see different people''s reactions to Strange Joffrey. "Into the Dragonpit: My experiences tending the Targeryen Dragons, by Grand Maester Mellos." The imp read out loud. "I believe you have been searching for that tome for quite some time uncle." Said Joffrey, sipping from his cup.


    "I¡­ I did nephew. You have my thanks for this. It must be the first time in a hundred years this book''s been read" he said as he stowed it away in his travel trunk. Joffrey snorted, "More like two days". The imp looked up in sheer disbelief "You''ve red it?"


    "Aye, my favorite part is when he talks about cleaning the scales themselves. Did you know they used specially made copper implements for it?" Joffrey said, extending his cup for a refill. "No, no I didn''t" Said Tyrion, more to himself than his audience as he absentmindedly poured some more wine into the Princes cup.


    Sandor looked down into his cup.


    It was already empty.


    "Ah, f.u.c.k it. Might as well" He thought as he motioned the imp with his cup.


    -.PD.-


    So, after training the caravan moved on, stopped for lunch where the prince dined with his family, then it was on the road again. In the evening the prince would talk with the imp about all manner of things, from books and tactics to rumors and politics. The prince seemed to genuinely enjoy the conversation, mostly letting Tyrion talk but adding insightful comments from time to time. The imp started enjoying it too, after the ice had been broken.


    It was by the fifth day of the first week however, that something that was definitely part of "The Plan" occurred. They had passed the Ivy Inn a day before, and the caravan was still somewhat settling itself on its rhythm. Joffrey had not started with training that morning, however.


    "Wake up Clegane, we''ve got a long day before us" he said as he shook the hound awake. Sandor didn''t know what hour it was, but the sun wasn''t even peeking through the horizon. He rubbed his eyes and almost batted away the Prince when something hot touched his hand. "Calm down Clegane, its just hot tea. He said as he went out of the tent. Clegane just shook his head and gulped the entire burning liquid in one swoop. He was instantly awake.


    He followed Joffrey out, were he had already saddled up both their horses. "Mount up and follow me" he said he passed the camp sentries and rode into the night. Cursing, Clegane mounted his horse and bolted after him.


    They rode through a small dirt path for a couple of hours before arriving at a sleepy village next to the God''s eye lake. Joffrey effortlessly navigated between the alleyways and stopped at the dock, securing his horse and jumping on a nearby row boat. "Come on Clegane! We haven''t got all day!... or night¡­ whatever." He said. Sandor just got in as fast as he could, curse the kid.


    As soon as he was in they set out, Joffrey manning both paddles. He offered a switch but Joffrey would have none of it. "Clegane, my endurance is so bad that if we had a battle tomorrow I would probably die. So I''ll take whatever exercise I can get!" he said with a snort of dark humor.


    Against his better wishes, the hound found himself talking "Probably" he said. Joffrey harrumphed "Not probably, definitively". They spent some time like that, rowing in a somewhat companionable silence interspread with small, sarcastic banter. "I guess we are not going fishing. So were exactly are you taking us¡­ Joffrey" (He insisted he called him like that.) "I''m awful at fishing" Joffrey said, shaking his head. "No, we are going to the isle of faces." At that, Clegane remained silent. Why here? As with all questions regarding Strange Joffrey, the questions only led to more questions.


    When they made landfall, Joffrey tied the boat to a conveniently placed tree, and set out, Clegane following him.


    They found a small dirt trail that let them deeper into the island. With each step Sandor took, the moonlight was harder to see. The foliage seemed to grow from all around them and weirwood trunks the size of horses dotted the pathway, each of them with its own face. Angry, sad, joyful, prideful, scared, happy. All possible human emotions had been painstakingly carved into them, tree after tree, the faces watched them. Sandor suddenly stopped. "Joffrey, we are being followed." He said, his hand slowly finding his way to his swords pommel. Joffrey seemed unconcerned however. "I know" he said as he set out again.


    They walked like that for another 10 minutes before they were finally stopped. A group of men was barring the way. They had long wooden staffs and wore ragged cloaks made of leaves. "What do you seek, stranger." Said the one in front. Sandor had been ready to draw his sword by now, but Joffrey put a hand on it and gave him a warning glance. He then took a step forward and nodded towards the speaker. "I am Prince Joffrey of houses Baratheon and Lannister. I come to speak with the keeper." He said.


    The men seemed to confer between themselves before they all nodded in unison, and made a tunnel between themselves. "Then go, Prince Joffrey of houses Baratheon and Lannister". The prince didn''t wait, with a curt nod a whispered thank you, he was through, Clegane in toe. He almost expected to have to say some bullshit like Sandor of house clegane or something, but without a word he was through.


    When they passed the men, they reached a clearing where a monstrous weirwood stood, its face simply indescribable. In front of its face stood a small man, maybe even a boy or a girl. When her face turned to them and caught a stray ray of moonlight, Clegane froze.


    It was a girl alright. It was f.u.c.k.i.n.g children of the forest. Her features were very rounded, and her eyes were comparatively big and expressive, they stood further apart than a humans.


    As Clegane froze, Joffrey kept walking like he was just getting some extra bread from the kitchens. Eventually he stopped at about 7 meters from it. She said something in a raspy language he couldn''t understand. He knew it definitely wasn''t valyrian or its descendant branches though, that he knew for sure.


    He knew he had to stop being surprised, but he coudnt avoid his jaw falling off when Joffrey knelt and said something in the very language the Children had spoken. He said it very slow, it was almost solemn. The Children seemed vaguely surprised when he was done, and she nodded towards the men behind them, who quickly took off in three different directions.


    Joffrey and the Children spoke for about half an hour, and then she was gone, calmly walking through the shrubbery and underbrush as it if was nothing. Joffrey then spent some time alone, touching the great heart tree with his bare hand. He seemed to be breathing very slowly, and when he opened his eyes he looked like he had shed a hundred years. He had a relaxed smile as he sat on one of the branches and motioned Clegane to sit with him.


    "Did you know that the Greenseers could talk with each other through the heart trees of weirwood forests?" He asked him. Clegane just shook his head "Where you talking with someone right now?" he asked him, willing to believe anything by now. The question seemed to take Joffrey by surprised as he suppressed a snort and a laugh "Unfortunately I''m no Greenseer, Clegane. It would make things much easier though." He said as he looked up towards the first rays of sunlight. "No, I just like the sound of the trees and leaves scuttling about with the wind. The small warmth of the weirwood trunks, the way even the animals of the forest somehow stay quiet around them¡­ I find they help¡­ center me." he closed his eyes then. "The Northmen say you can hear the voices of the old gods near the heart trees. Do you feel them Clegane?" he asked him without looking. Sandor closed his eyes, trying to listen to what the prince had said. The silence was kind of eerie, the way a slow, barely perceptible wind flowed through the clearing, the slow beating of the branches swaying. The weirwood tree branch he sat upon was oddly warm too. The wind sometimes took up speed, sometimes slowed down¡­ it was almost like¡­ someone was¡­--


    A loud thunk snapped him out of his pseudo-trance as he jumped up in alarm, only to find the men from before in three groups, each lowering an old but big, worn looking chest to the ground. Joffrey only opened his eyes once all three chests were on the ground. "Thank you" he told them as they nodded in return and went back to the forest.


    Sandor had just had enough. "Joffrey, what the hell did you tell the¡­ Children?!" he asked him with a glare. Joffrey seemed to think for a second or two before he nodded.


    He spoke as he stood up and went to the closest chest. "Keeper, I am Joffrey of Clan Lannister. The ancient enemy awakens once more. Keeper, in the name of the realms of men, I ask you to honor the pact."


    He stood in front of one of the chests as Sandor cleared his now dry throat. "What enemy?" he managed to get out.


    "The White Walkers" he said as he opened the chest. It was full of dragonglass weaponry, carved with the runes of the first men.


    -.PD.-


    After three trips, the hound and Joffrey had managed to carry all three chests towards their carriage. Just in time too, the caravan had been ready to go when they arrived with the third chest. When they had just finished loading, Tyrion had come around from behind the carriage, looking at the chests curiously. "Just what did you find in the forest, nephew?" he asked Joffrey. "Dragonglass weaponry capable of killing White Walkers, uncle." He told him as a matter of fact, not missing a beat and not even looking from the ropes he was tying around them. "Ha! I''m sure they''ll work on grumpkins and snarks too" Said Tyrion, though the jest sounded a bit shaken to Sandor''s ears.


    "Not that I could judge" Thought Sandor despairingly as he took a big gulp from his wineskin.


    -.PD.-


    The rest of the Journey North had been quite ordinary compared to that. At one point past Darry Robert had heard rumors of bandits and had taken a full 3 days to "hunt" them down. To his surprise Joffrey had accompanied him the full 3 days, but instead of talking with the king, he constantly looked at his uncle the Kingslayer, as if deciding whether to speak to him or not. In the end there were no bandits, only scared peasants, and the only conversation between the kingslayer and Joffrey was when both of them had been trying to fix the queens carriage, which broke down often.


    About three weeks later, they had reached Winterfell .


    -.PD.-


    As soon as Winterfell was within sight, the King and his party broke into a gallop, leaving the Queens wheel house and the rest of the convoy behind. Joffrey took after him in his own horse, Sandor hard behind him. When they reached Winterfells gate King Robert, who was already greeting Lord Stark''s household, turned back in surprise. "Ah, and this is my son Joffrey, Ned. Come on boy! This is the man who helped me win the rebellion, show him respect!" Robert bellowed. If Joffrey had offered some of his usual pettiness in that moment Sandor though Robert would have smashed him. He shouldn''t had to worry. Clegane had been living more than a month in the constant presence of Strange Joffrey, and he prided in the fact he could discern his expression better than anyone here. What happened next was definitely interesting.


    Joffrey got off his horse and greeted Stark, grabbing his forearm and nodding with a deeper respect and admiration he had ever shown his father, or in fact anyone Sandor knew. "Lord Eddard" he said, his voice strange.


    Lord Stark had looked a bit nonplussed at this, but greeted him back all the same. Joffrey saluted Lady Stark and then moved down the line of assembled Stark children, greeting each one of them in a different way, noted Clegane. Lord Starks first born, Robb, he shook his hand with respect, briefly exchanging a word or two Sandor couldn''t hear from where he was. At the sight of the beautiful redhead however, Joffrey''s features lightened up considerably, his smile reaching the relaxed state he had only otherwise seen in the weirwood grove. Lady Sansa was already turning a shade of red that complemented her hair, and it only deepened when Joffrey took her hand and gently kissed it. Lady Sansa seemed ready to faint at this, and fortunately the prince moved on to the next in line. Silly bird, thought Sandor, though Joffrey''s expression had been too genuine to be faked, he was sure of that.


    The next one was quite curious indeed. Joffrey seemed to eye the smaller girl with a mix of amus.e.m.e.nt and respect, before quickly taking her hand, kissing it, muttering "Lady Arya" before quickly moving to the next in line. Quite curious.


    The smaller kid he mushed his head and told him some kind of jape, which made the little one laugh, Rickon, if Sandor was not mistaken, something about a fleeing animal that just couldn''t get it in his head to run in a zig zag pattern.


    The other brother, Bran, he greeted amicably enough, with only a flash of ¡­guilt? Lingering in his features before he smoothed his face once again.


    The rest of the party was just now reaching the gates. It was going to be a long day, thought Sandor.


    -.PD.-


    The next week in Winterfell was an interesting environment for the study of Strange Joffreyness.


    With Lord Stark he frequently discussed about the old gods, sometimes inviting the Imp with him. Though often times Joffrey would walk alone with Lord Stark into the godswood of winterfell, pointing at the branches and speaking solemn words. With Bran and Rickon he didn''t interact too much beyond always scolding the first if he saw him climbing, and one time convincing him to let him teach the kid how to use throwing knives instead of continuing on one of his climbs.


    The spars in the training yard would often be against Rob or even Lord Starks bastard Jon Snow, who Joffrey frequently insisted accompanied them whenever they did anything. At the feast of the first night Joffrey had remarked aloud that it was strange he couldn''t spot Lord Stark''s second son, Jon. In the subsequent awkward silence Lady Catelyn had explained he was actually outside, preferring the fresh air. To that Joffrey had exclaimed that Jon must be a damn fool for missing such a great feast, and proceeded to go outside and somehow manhandle the Stark bastard inside, seating him beside him and continue eating and speaking as if nothing had been wrong, mostly talking to Jon about swords. Everyone else had been silent for about ten seconds, after which King Robert had exploded with laughter and shouted "MORE WINE!" after which things continued on as normal and angry Cercei found a kindred soul within angry Catelyn. Sometimes Joffrey collected Tyrion so that Jon and him could both speak to the imp between bouts in the yard. "The Broken Knights" Joffrey called the trio, to his great amusment.


    Robb he treated pretty much as Jon but without the closer familiarity. The most interesting ones were the sisters however. Whenever Strange Joffrey started to get too tense, he would walk Sansa through the castle and the forest. Whenever he was with her the relaxed smile from the isle of Faces would return, he would hold her hand like a lifeline and let her do most of the talking, with him gently interrupting from time to time, but mostly just going with the flow.


    More questions, par for the course with Strange Joffrey.


    -.PD.-


    Joffrey had made a bold announcement a couple of nights before the caravan was due back south. He had marched up to Lord Stark in the middle of a feast, me and the rest of his retinue carrying the three chests behind us.


    "Lord Stark, If I could? This will be short." He said. Lord Stark looked bewildered by the sudden appearance of the chests, but gave the go ahead all the same. The dining hall was quiet as Joffrey projected his voice to carry.


    "The men of the Nights Watch and the entire North have for millennia defended the northern frontiers of our 7 kingdoms. It has been a long watch, spanning thousands of years, yet with little gratitude from us Southrons."


    He stepped down from the dais and opened one of the chests. "It is because of this, and as a token of my appreciation, and really the appreciation of the whole South, that I''d like to give each Lord and Lady of the North, their sons and daughters, and the men from the Nights watch, a ceremonial dragonglass weapon." There where quiet, if somewhat approving murmurs at this. He continued as he shrewdly took a dragonglass dagger and let it shine beneath the light of the torches. His voice acquired a hard edge, a distinctive force, as he said his last piece. "Legends and Myths tells us these where one of the few weapons that could even hurt the dreaded white walkers, and that means the Watchers and Northmen of the Age of Heroes carried this hallowed blades with them. It would be an honor for all our Kingdoms if they were to return to such ancient tradition."


    "Lord Stark, would you accept this gift in the name of the North?" He asked him as sudden silence fell before the great feast.


    Lord Stark seemed to have a hard time repressing an approving smile as he stood up and proclaimed in a booming voice "I Lord Eddard Stark, Warden and Lord Paramount of the North, accept this beautiful gift in the name of all Northmen" He solemnly proclaimed.


    The crowd in the feasting hall barely waited a second after Lord Eddard accepted before breaking in wild cheers and applaus, mostly from the Northern hosts. All their starks and, really all the inhabitants of Winterfell were applauding madly, most of all little Arya, which, it seemed would now technically own her own dragonglass dagger.


    On the southern side, however, the reception was more contested. It was a mix of befuddlement and indifference, with exceptions like King Robert clapping wildly and proudly looking at his son, and Cercei''s demure clapping that didn''t hide a vaguely disapproving frown.


    Sandor just smiled, not even shaking his head, and clapped like any Northman. Being around Strange Joffrey guaranteed you something. You were never bored.


    And best of all, Joffrey was to have one of his walks with Lord Stark tomorrow morning, so he wouldn''t be needed. He thought about that for a while before downing his ale and shouting for another one.


    He shouldn''t have bothered, the Northman beside him practically chugged his own ale at Sandor, while heartily palming his back.


    Strange Joffrey, never go away.


    -.PD.-


    It happened when I least expected it, of course. So many things run like clockwork, time and again, both in Westeros and Essos.


    Wildlings were not one of them.


    "RAIDERS!!!" Shouted one of the Stark guards before he took an arrow to the throat.


    Ned and I had been "scouting" the wolfswood, talking about the old gods how they spoke to one in the heart trees if one just strained to listen. This time Ned had taken me for "the walk" way earlier than usual. Usually, getting Ned to defrost around me was the Others own task, sometimes literally, but in this life, Ned had quickly gotten used to his idea of walking about the wolfswood, trading ideas about ruler ship and duty, stories about the war, tips about raising children. Anything and everything. Mostly though, they walked in silence, playing the game of listening for the sounds of the wildlife, though not their presence, rather, their absence. When the forest was quiet, it usually meant there was a weirwood heart tree nearby. When that happened, they would find it, and try to listen to the old gods. Ned, as always, had found it a good idea and a profound spiritual journey.


    They had been alone, save for 3 winterfell men-at-arms and 2 of his redcloak retinue, Barret and Orland. The possibility of a wilding raid this far south had been negligle¡­


    They had stopped, noting the lack of sound. "Must be one nearby" said Ned, quietly as was his want. "I''m not so sure" I said, working through my staggering memories, searching for this location in the wolfswood. We were about 40 minutes walking distance to the north west¡­ past the great tree to the south¡­ then¡­


    I was sure.


    There wasn''t supposed to be any Heart trees around here.


    "RAIDERS!!!" Shouted one of the Stark guards before he took an arrow to the throat.


    A chorus of wilding screams erupted all around us as more than a dozen wildings rose from the floor and charged right at us. There was barely time to get our weapons out before they were upon us, and barely any time to think.


    "FOR WINTERFELL!!!" Roared Ned, taking out his longsword as he cut down one of the widlings.


    "FOR THE LIVING!!!!" I Roared as I took my hand axe and Whitebane, the perfect combination for a wight and White Walker attack. However, they would serve just fine against unarmored wildlings. I quickly gave myself to the frenzy as I parried blows with the long, beautiful valyrian steel dagger that was Whitebane, sometimes even cutting the wildling weapons in half. They never saw the steel axe that cleaved their skulls, so concerned and greedy they were over whitebane''s glossy white shine.


    For the Living, I thought, amused. I have been fighting the godsdamned white walkers too much time for my sanity. The wild melee quickly sorted itself out, with everyone except Nedd and me dead.


    "I think that was the last of them" Said Ned as he took deep breaths, looking shaken. I had been about to respond when I saw an archer behind Ned. "NED WATCH OUT!" I shouted tossing him to the ground at the same time a loud THUNG broke the silence of the forest.


    "Ow" I said, dumbly staring at the shaft protruding from my chest. I quickly snapped out of it as the archer took another arrow from the quiver. "No" I said as I grabbed a throwing knife from the only set I was carrying.


    The second arrow pinned my hand to my chest, only millimeters away from the throwing knive. "You''ve got to be kidding me" I muttered. It had to be a lucky shot. I looked back to the archer, he was staring dumbly at me before snapping out of it and going for another arrow. I grunted as I grabbed a throwing knive with my other hand and threw it towards the bastard. He barely managed to fire a third arrow before the knife flew true and took him in the eye.


    The third arrow got to me a millisecond after he went down. It impacted with a loud thud, though it curiously didn''t hurt as much as the others. Hmm, how about that.


    I fell on my knees, my blood pooling around me. I was about to fall chest first on top of the ground when Ned grabbed me. My head felt numb and wobbly, and some strange sort of buzz surrounded my extremities. "Hold on your grace!" said Ned as he slowly reclined me on the ground.


    The buzz was now quite loud, though not annoying, more like soothing. "Hold on Prince Joffrey" Ned seemed desperate, he must have figured out the wounds were fatal.


    "Oh.. Ned¡­ Must you¡­ always¡­ be so.. for..mal.." I struggled to say. I had to spit the blood that had been blocking my airways to speak well again.


    I needed to say something to Ned, something very important¡­ what was it..?


    "Ned¡­ Ned¡­ you''ve been.. like a Father to me" I coughed more blood. The purple would be coming for me soon. I had to be quick, I didn''t know why it was so important, but I had to say it. "I.. would have gone insane¡­ if after all this time¡­ you hadn''t been there¡­" the buzz was so loud I couldn''t hear his voice anymore. He seemed confused¡­ why? It was all so obvious¡­ "What I''m trying¡­ what ¡­ I ¡­loved you like a father that.. unlike him.. you where there¡­ for.... me¡­..."


    Old gods please... old gods please let me die¡­


    There was only darkness, but I could already feel the sour, pungent smell of the Strangler coming for me.


    I''ve paid for my sins a thousand times over¡­ There''s nothing else I can do.... I cant beat them¡­


    I started to choke. It was always the same, always the same. I could remember my second life, gods, how stupid and naive I had been¡­..


    Gasping for air in the darkness, I remembered¡­ I remembered my second life.


    -.PD.-


    He gasped, trying to claw his throat, purple filling his entire vision, as his throat crunched and collapsed upon itself. He needed air. He needed air. He NEEDED AIIIIRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP.


    I slid down the floor and vomited, the stench of disgusting vile clogging my airways. Taking deep breaths I tried to stand up as someone steadied me¡­


    I had died.


    My traitorous uncle had poisoned me in my own wedding! THE F.U.C.K.I.N.G TRAITOR.


    As my mysterius helper took me up, I looked at who he really was. The f.u.c.k.i.n.g Hound! Another f.u.c.k.i.n.g traitor that had abandoned me in my hour of need. They were specters, coming to torment me in the afterlife! I shoveled him as I run and run and run. I didn''t see were I was going until I bursted into the courtyard, were my Father---


    What.


    My Father was out in the courtyard, mounting his horse, ready to go on one of his stupid hunts.


    Beside him were people.. people that should be dead¡­


    There was a small patch of water on the courtyard, probably remnants from some rain. I took steps towards it, hesitantly, until I saw my face in the reflection. I was younger¡­ I ¡­had somehow come back in time¡­


    The reality of the situation was overwhelming.


    Then, I started laughing. And laughing. And laughing. I cackled like a maniac in front of the entire courtyard.


    I knew what was to come, and the TRAITOURS would f.u.c.k.i.n.g PAY!!! I WILL have ALL their HEADS!!!!!!!


    -.PD.-


    Hello SB! You may be familiar with the basic premise of this from Duesal_bladesinger''s excellent "Return of the King". I came up with the idea independently but never got around to write anything with it until I saw his take on it and inspired me, so kudos to him! Read it if you haven''t!


    Joffrey is in some deep shit, he just doesent know it. To eventually save the world it will take cunning, strength, carisma, skill, sheer force of will and MOST OF ALL a SHIT TONNE of character development.


    Chapter 2


    Joffrey had been escorted out to his room, despite his strident orders and incessant mewlings, and had finally been sedated by Grand Maester Pycell with milk of the poppy.


    When Joffrey had awoken he hadn''t been pleased to say the least, but he had decided to bide his time for the day¡­ and plan.


    There were two traitors that had ensured the downfall of Joffreys righteous reign. His evil uncle, Tyrion, and the Starks, particularly the wolf barbarian Robb Stark. The Arch-traitor Eddard Stark would die anyway at his command, but Robb Stark had made a mokery of his reign, winning victory after victory against the incompetent commanders of his family. Take those two out, and his Baratheon uncles would waste each other, leaving him to pick apart the winner like last time, and his reign would be unchallenged.


    Easy.


    But now he had to deal with the closest traitor, the freaking imp.


    Plan decided, the next day Joffrey went to Pycell''s study and found the doddering fool reading from some parchments. "Grand Maester" He commanded his attention.


    Pycell took an eternity lifting his chin to face him "Ahh, My Prince, I trust you are feeling better today?" He asked haltingly and almost in a whisper. How could someone so weak and frail hold the position of Grand Maester?


    "Yes yes, but that''s not what I''m here for today. You see Pycell, I was reading a story the other day about a man who got poisoned, and I''d like to know the poisons name. Its effects were like having one''s throat¡­" Here Joffrey staggered a bit. "Crushed, it wouldn''t let him breath¡­" Joffrey took some deep breaths before continuing "Do you understand?"


    Pycell looked at him vacantly, until he finally nodded. "Aye, It sounds like The Strangler, my prince."


    The Strangler.


    A shudder crossed Joffrey body. So that was its name¡­ the name of his killer.


    "Show it to me" He commanded. If he didn''t know any better he would a sworn Pycell was staring at him shrewdly, but the moment passed and his face deflated once more. "Of course my prince" he said as he stood up, went to a nearby cupboard and took out a small vial with a black-prurplish liquid. "This is it. Skilled alchemists in Essos can even make it in a solid, inactive state." He said as he showed him the vial.


    Joffrey eyed the vial greedily. But he wouldn''t take it now, that would be obvious. "Thank you Maester" He said as he took off, hiding his sadistic grin.


    -.PD.-


    The wait was almost too much for Joffrey, but he made it to the night, savoring the eventual, ironic death of the imp in his mind time and again. Finally at midnight, he got off his bed, still clothed, and took off in direction of the Grand Maester study. His unfaithful hound followed him. He would have ordered him killed already because of his betrayal, if he wasn''t so useful as a sworn shield¡­ for now.


    They got up to the tower and right to the Maesters study. There was only one problem.


    It was locked.


    Joffrey gave it a kick with all his force, only for him to rebound off and crash into the floor, clutching his knee and barely managing not to sob. "Hound.. I¡­ Take down the door!" He commanded.


    His unfaithful hound looked at him askance. "DO IT! Your Prince commands it!" he commanded once more. He would have the rabid dog flogged if he didn''t comply, but that would delay his plans for the imp¡­


    The hound snorted. "Fine, on your head be it." He said, resigned as he shouldered the heavy door. It took 3 times to finally break the lock, and the rightful King was in. Joffrey quickly went to the cupboard Pycell had shown him, and took the flask. "You''ll die like you wanted me to, treacherous imp" he muttered as he came down the stairs.


    They found two guards jogging up, probably to see what the noise was all about. "Return to your posts" he commanded them. The two guards looked between them, then back to their rightful King. "But m''prince, we heard¡ª" "I COMMAND you get back to your posts! Do I have to flog you to make you understand?!" Joffrey almost yelled at them. The guards seem to look at each other, probably cowering in fear, before excusing themselves and going back down.


    Joffrey kept going, straight to the Imp''s solar. "Wait outside Hound." He said as he entered without knocking, hoping to startle the traitor.


    "Nephew?" asked Tyrion, clearly startled. He was comfortably laying in a long chair in front of his desk, reading a book like always, surrounded by candles and a half full bottle of Dornish red. "Uncle" Said Joffrey, briefly savouring Tyrions surprise before taking a seat opposite to him. Oh if only he knew...


    "What can I do for you at this late hour? Shouldn''t you be in bed?" Tyrion asked him. Joffrey seethed with anger. He dares to insult his future king!?. He had to take deep breathes again to hold himself in check. Only the prospect of imminent revenge served to sooth him. "I''ve decided you shall keep me company now, uncle." He told him.


    The imp seemed a bit wary at this, eying him carefully. There was a minute or two of uncomfortable silence in which Joffrey twirled his fingers, trying to think something to say. Finally, the imp spoke. "Well then, I guess I better give you a cup, you didn''t take it from me though." He said as he refilled both his cup and an empty one.


    Perfect.


    They drunk from their cups, the silence heavier with each passing moment. Finally Joffrey made his move. "Uncle, what are those books?" He asked him. The imp seemed startled by the question, turning back to his small library behind him. Joffrey fumbled with the vial, trying to leave only a few drops, but his clumsiness ensured the whole contents of it were spilled on the cup. He sat back up quickly. "Well, yes¡­ they are books¡­ where you thinking about one in particular?" asked his uncle as he turned back towards him. "Uhh, No." He said. The imp raised an eyebrow, and grabbed his cup, looking at it curiusly. He then gave him a suspicious look after settling it down. The imp suddenly looked behind Joffrey, "Did you bring more people Nephew?" he asked puzzled.


    No no no if someone else came the plan would be ruined! He looked backwards, but spotted no one, the door was still closed. He sighed with relief as he turned back to the imp. "There''s no one there uncle, but enough of this!" It was time to end this. "A toast, for the Lannisters!".


    The imp was staring at him incredulous, before downing his cup in one fell swoop. "Aye, for the Lannisters¡­ Nephew".


    YEEESSS!!! Joffrey downed his cup too, though the wine was remarkably sour for his taste, he couldn''t care less, the traitor would die and he would see it with his own eyes. He could already fel the excitement take him, the same kind of excitement that seem to fulfill him, propel him when he dissected small rats, or later when he practiced his aim on the crossbow with the smallfolk.


    His uncle was staring at him, bemused. Joffrey let his cruel smile break out as he savored the moment.


    The Imp eyed him carefully as Joffrey coughed once, then twice, three times.


    "I know this flavor" He thought in mounting horror. He started grasping his throat, trying to get some air, but failing as his throat started to collapse upon itself.


    The imp''s bemused smirk seemed to seep out of him like rainwater. "Just what the hells were you going to feed me?!" He asked in a panic as he got from his seat.


    Joffrey couldn''t answer, he slid down his chair, convulsing on the floor, his hands tearing at his throat.


    "Oh no oh no oh no" Said Tyrion as he run towards Joffrey grabbing at his throat but clearly not knowing what to do.


    "HELP! Someone call the Grand Maester!" Tyrion shouted in a panic.


    Joffrey''s vision was turning black, but the pain was not like last time, last time when all was near black, the pain had started to fade away¡­ but here it was only growing stronger, it was as if his throat was a snake coiling upon itself, shredding his neck.


    The last thing he saw was the hound bursting into the room, trying to help the imp before shaking his head.


    "Shit... The Queen will have your head for this, imp."


    "But¡ªbut¡ªJoffrey was the one ---I--¡­" The imps panicky defense was the last thing he heard.


    Darkness


    Purple


    Pain


    Please¡­ AAAAAIIIIIIRRRRRR


    Joffrey had never felt such pain in his life.


    Help¡­


    -.PD.-


    He was throwing up on the floor¡­ again?


    He struggled as the Hound helped him up, and sat him on his bed. Joffrey shook his head, looking at his hands. He was¡­ alive again..? He had been killed and resurrected again?!


    Joffrey let that thought percolate throughout his head for a while. As the Hound arrived again, this time with the Grand Maester in tow, one thought dominated Joffrey''s mind.


    I''m Immortal.


    I''m f.u.c.k.i.n.g Immortal.


    He didn''t see it, but both the Grand Maester and the Hound were looking at his sadistic smile with differing levels of wariness.


    -.PD.-


    Joffrey didn''t know why, but it seemed he had all the time in the world. If he was killed he would just come back again, and kill the ones that killed him, simple.


    With that in mind, Joffrey sat on his bed, pondering his plans. Trying to kill the Imp in such a convoluted way had been¡­ not the best idea he''d ever had. Besides, he could just wait until he was king, then he could just order him behead, or better yet, force fed the Strangler.


    Joffrey''s chain of thought was interrupted by an unwonted shiver.


    Well he would see how the imp would die, but that would come later. There was one person however who wouldn''t be in his grasp when he was crowned. The Arch-Traitor''s son, Robb.


    His last plan had failed because it was too complicated, he would go at it simple this time. He could hardly wait for the caravan to depart North¡­


    -.PD.-


    The journey North had been as boring and tedious as he remembered, possibly even more so. By the Neck, he could hardly restrain himself, wanting to shoot at every smallfolk farmer they passed. As it was he had quietly sneaked away at night and dissected a few rabbits he had managed to "acquire" from a nearby farm. It had worked, a little.


    When they reached Winterfell his fat Father had already gone to the wolf bitch''s tomb or whatever, and the Lady Catelyn was introducing her children to the rest of the Lannisters.


    Joffrey barely managed not to slap the traitors useless daughter, Sansa. To think that he would be required to act the "courting prince" again made his stomach curl. But he would bear it, all for the revenge. After all, it wasn''t too far now.


    The spineless bitch had been the same as last time, wooing and cooing at whatever fake flattery left Joffrey''s mouth. Margaerey had been a much better at pleasing him, her words always the right ones, praising him as was her duty. She was even more beautiful than the Northern whore. If she imagined Sansa was Maergery it made his duty a tiny bit more bearable. In truth he could hardly wait until the Tyrells smashed Stannis forces and brought him his prize.


    He had not been as¡­ hostile Joffrey guessed was the word, this time around. He had kept up to his good graces and acted like Mother had wanted him to, though it had been hard, and maybe a few of the northerns doubted something¡­


    In any case, it had been worth it. He had been watching Robb and his bastard brother Jon in the training yard. He watched as the bout ended, surprisingly, in the bastards favour. The boys heartily shook each other''s hands, jesting and laughing. A sudden stab completely unexpected pain seemed to claw at Joffreys heart for a second. Why couldn''t he have a family like that?


    Bewildered, Joffrey shook his head. Just as it had come, the feeling was gone. It was time.


    Robb entered the armory a few meters away from the training yard. Jon was following close behind, but Joffrey got to Jon before he entered. "Jon¡­ Your Father wishes to speak to you" He told him. The bastard looked at him a bit confused. Belatedly, Joffrey realized he hadn''t spoken to him before¡­ ever. Seeing Jon''s doubt, Joffrey insisted. "He said it was urgent, something about¡­" think think "Arya, I think was her name?". At this Jon was instantly alert "Has something happened to her?!" he asked Joffrey, shaken. At his shrug Jon took off in the main keeps direction.


    Joffrey nodded to himself, grabbing the crossbow he had left stashed right next to the door.


    Inside, Robb had already removed his armor and was cleaning his sword. "I''ll get you next time Jon, you''ll see" Said Robb, still giving him his back as he continued to clean his sword. Joffrey checked around the armoury¡­ there was no one. The crossbow was already c.o.c.ked, and he carefully aimed it at Robb as he slowly walked forward.


    Don''t screw this up, don''t screw this up. He thought as he steadily got closer. 8 meters. 7 meters¡­ 6 meters¡­


    "Whats going on Jon? Intimidated?" Laughed Robb as he stood up and turned around, freezing at the sight of Joffrey with a crossbow aimed at his heart.


    Robb looked at Joffrey.


    Joffrey looked at Robb.


    The distance was 5 meters.


    THUNG


    The Bolt impacted Robb just above the heart, sending him crashing down against the sword racks behind him. Sudden sadistical elation filled Joffrey to the core of his being as he reloaded.


    "You really thought you could plan your treason just like that? Young Wolf" He said his name with all the sneer he could muster. Robb was trying to speak, but no sound would come out of his mouth.


    "Die Traitor!" Whispered Joffrey with all his being as he fired again, this time the bolt hitting Robbs head, leaving it a bloody mess.


    "ROBB NOOOOOO!!!!" Someone screamed. Startled, Joffrey turned around to see the bastard of Winterfell staring at Robb''s body, then at Joffrey.


    Jon roared as he took a sword from the racks and charged him.


    "I command you to stop!!!" Joffrey shouted, to no effect.


    "I-I-Im the prince!!!" He screamed as he dropped the crossbow and fumbled for a sword. He would have to hold until the Hound found him!


    Jon reached him just as Joffrey took a sword. He parried the first blow. The second blow chopped off his sword hand.


    Joffrey stared in mild incomprehension as the stump squirted blood everywhere. He looked at it for maybe 2 seconds before the bastard rammed his sword through his chest. He tried spitting at him, but his body was unresponsive¡­. He had been defeated like an infant.


    He could hear distant screams as the darkness seem to take him¡­ and a pungent, sour smell seemed to take a hold of senses.


    No¡­ no¡­


    He hadn''t even died by the Strangler this time, but he could feel its effects, crushing his windpipe and twisting his neck like a coiled snake. Air burned in his lungs as he drowned again, the piercing, jagged pieces of his traquea stabbing him from the inside.


    PAIN.


    UNBEARABLE PAIN.


    The purple consumed him.


    -.PD.-

 Chapter 111 - My SI Stash #11 - Magical Trickster DxD by SocialistBukharin (DxD)

    -This is pretty much "Start By Becoming A Mangaka" but better, it has that universe with some characters from different animes. (Rosario,


    Baki, Shinmai Maou etc...)


    Sypnosis: I would have preferred to keep away from the main story but... fate is not having any of it. (OC-SI) (Mostly Canon Pairings) (Some Magic World-Building) (FLUFF here and there) (Also some X-Overing)


    Rated: M


    Words: 365K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13387737/1/Magical-Trickster-DxD (SocialistBukharin)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    As a renowned establishment for students seeking high-grade education, Kuoh Academy did make its good figure with its ill.u.s.trious teacher staff and model rule-book.


    Once an All-Girl school, the decision to switch to a co-ed system was agreed unanimously by the past school board after the large increase of funds received years ago, the money allowing the construction of a prominent complex of buildings styled after a mix of Japanese and European unique tones.


    A prestigious place of culture that only had a simple but persistent issue that gave to the whole Academy a less than pleasant reputation: the Perverted Trio.


    While perverts were a glaring problem back when the decision of opening to male students was approved, the stern rules that were applied at the time managed to destroy most of the pests studying at the high school.


    The Trio was a special case as the female population did see them as a threat to deal with personally, feeling quite attacked by their lecherous ways.


    At least that was the known part of the story.


    There was another deterrent the Trio was supposed to deal with all those times they tried to lewd after innocent, but very violent, girls.


    It was during an hour after the end of the school day when the first burst of girly shrieks reached my years and, having been doing this for months now, I knew that the owner of such shrieks wasn''t female at all.


    "Motohama! You better not be hiding in the Girl''s storage room again!" I shouted as I slowly patrolled the area, sweating a little after the brief chase I was previously engaged in trying to find the last of the two present perverts today.


    While his comrade has fallen to the ''kindness'' the girls leaving from the volleyball practice wanted to return after some caught the two while they were peeping on them, the glass-wearing fiend managed to avoid being given a beating of the pervert-kind.


    No honor among idiots, I thought tiredly as I continued for my little game of hide and seek with the young teen.


    "Man, this isn''t the first time we do this and you know that making things harder will not get you out of this situation."


    There was some noises now erupting from the storage room, a familiar pervert slamming the doors open while trying to make a run for it, failing to remember I was far too close for him to avoid being tackled.


    Slamming head first, the boy groaned under my weight and soon I had him pulled up.


    "C-Can we talk about this, H-Hoitsu-kun?" He let out a quick, nervous chuckle which I replied with a sigh.


    "We can chat about the nice weather and how is school, but sadly I cannot have you skip righteous punishment;" I stated quietly, ignoring the panic surging from my words.


    He squirmed as we started to slowly walk towards the girl approaching us.


    Long straight black hair that reached down to her knees split into several bangs and heterochromatic eyes, one a soft violet while the other with a pleasant chocolate shade, Tsubaki Shinra was a gorgeous young woman. The Vice-president of the Student Council and my ''Second'' Boss, the bespectacled lady was someone with an admirable sense of duty for her work.


    She nodded at once she was close enough to understand the predicament she was staring at.


    "Motohama-san and Matsuda-san caused chaos once again?" Tsubaki asked in a rhetorical voice before sighing. "I would have thought you two would have learned from getting beaten so harshly last time."


    Surprisingly enough the glass-wearing pervert huffed. "The girls were violent a-and the council shouldn''t condone this kind of viole-Eeck!" The boy tried to pull away from my grasp, noticing almost instantly the glare the girl was giving to him.


    "Violence that is caused by your unbecoming acts, pervert." She scolded sternly, earning another whimper from the teen as we escorted him to the teacher lounge.


    As one of the senseis picked the boy out of our jurisdiction to deal with him, I started to walk back toward the student council''s room with Tsubaki.


    "Those three are incredibly resilient to the ministrations of the strongest females in this school. I do reckon that-"


    "N-Now that I remember about it- Sorry, Hoitsu-san, I didn''t want to interrupt you but..." The girl sighed and continued. "Sona-buchou said that today''s session will not happen. Momo and Tomoe were busy with some important appointments and couldn''t participate, thus it has been de-"


    "-layed." I interrupted with a small smile, Tsubaki blushing a little. "There is no need to make this kind of news this much developed. Still, thank you for the warning, Tsubaki-san."


    She nodded happily as we parted ways, I didn''t have now a reason to go to the council''s room and thus decided to walk back home.


    Homework wasn''t going to be done without my input and today Math-sensei did leave quite the heavy work to see completed for tomorrow.


    Yawning quietly, I paced through the halls of the school to reach the main entrance, a large corridor that led right to the glass doors that divided the school building from the outside courtyard.


    I was about to reach out for one of the doors'' handles when I heard footsteps approaching me. Blinking, I turned around and I was found myself greeted by a smiling brunet which I was familiar to, much to my dismay.


    "Issei-kun?" I muttered curiously as this was the first time he didn''t waste time around the other two perverts and¡­ didn''t he disappear for most of the school time?


    "Hoitsu-senpai, can I walk with you back home? I need to tell you about some epic news and-"


    I sighed tiredly at the cheerful tone, dreading at what ''epic'' things the younger teen had done today. There were so many terrible things I could be hearing once we were out of the building and¡­


    I think I was seeing that part of the story, the beginning of DxD and¡­ how did I miss Raynare?!


    "Rias-buchou is awesome, senpai." The brunet continued to tell about accepting the invitation to the Occult Club led by the redhead beauty, Rias Gremory.


    My name is Hoitsu Sakakibara¡­ or is it Sakakibara Hoitsu? Japanese styling of names and all... Anyway! I''m what many would call a Self-Insert, someone from the ''original world'' that is either moved to a different universe or replaces a determined character, important (and known) or secondary (and particularly unknown).


    "...a-and then there was this shower built inside and¡­"


    My situation is a replacement of a character I''m fairly sure is a¡­ OC, a person that within the ''Canon'' version of this universe shouldn''t be existing.


    "...Oppai!¡­"


    I woke up a few months ago, way earlier than the beginning of the plot. I was already enlisted to Kuoh Academy by the time I found myself in this world of Devils, Fallen Angels, and True Angels, but the preparation I have planned to avoid some of the more ''unpleasant notes'' of this series have yet to be completed.


    "...Koneko-chan is adorable!¡­"


    I wormed myself in the Student Council, obtaining the rule as a serious treasurer under Sona''s leadership. The role came as a surprise as I expected that, even with the elections that saw me appointed to the position, Sona would have meddled with the results.


    "...Akeno-senpai is so nice and-¡­"


    Still, I didn''t show any wrong reaction in accepting the charge, showing merely happiness at the ''results of my hard work''. I knew I did more than enough to conquer the place, but the doubt of losing that seat of power because of favoritism regarding her peerage? That was a legitimate fear of mine.


    "...Kiba looks like a jerk¡­"


    And while I consolidated myself at school, I actually managed to find some magic books a few weeks ago. The pace of learning and training the Arcane Arts only delayed by the duties at school and the nagging of my new parents regarding my grades at school.


    I was doing pretty well with exams but I ended up with a man and a woman that wished for their son to strive and reach the highest point in society. A big objective that I hardly considered to achieve, since there were more important situation to deal with first-


    "Ne, senpai. Are you ignoring me¡­ again?"


    I blinked back to reality as I caught Issei''s words, glancing quickly at him and shrugging sheepishly. "Sorry, Ise. Dealing with stuff with the council and-"


    "Oh? Is it Sona-senpai or Tsubaki-senpai the ''stuff'' that you are dealing with?"


    The lewd tone, I didn''t like. Thus I proceeded to land a quick karate chop on his head and, while this might have caused a reaction with little strength, I decided to add a little more as I knew that the boy wasn''t human anymore.


    The hit did work miracle as the teen recoiled at the quick punishment, huffing at the ''treacherous tone'' I had around the Perverted Trio. "S-Senpai, this is unfair! You have many gorgeous women around and you refuse the accept the idea of having a harem-"


    "Because it is a flawed idea of making everyone happy, Ise." I replied quickly, this bickering not the first regarding this very topic. "A man can''t give equal love to more than a woman. The relationship would be unhealthy and get very unstable after some time."


    He pouted but, like always, decided to not continue the losing battle.


    "Still, to be invited to the Occult Club by Rias-san herself?" I chose to bring some little relief in that defeat of his. "You have to have caught her eye with whatever you did¡­ that wasn''t perverted."


    He blinked, his cheek reddening in embarrassment. "J-Just being normal but trustworthy-" Issei''s eyes blinked as he found himself staring at the ground. "I¡­ Senpai?"


    "Mhh?" Now that was a quick change of personality.


    "D-Do you believe me about¡­ Yuuma-chan?"


    I blinked in surprise at that question. I did kind of forget that this little thing was a reason for Issei to doubt himself and¡­


    I sighed. "I don''t believe that." At hearing my words he deflated immensely. "No, I know that there was a girl that asked you out."


    ¡­ "Eh?!"


    "Ise, you were shouting about this yesterday, bragging how a ''connoisseur of the fine female body'' can get a girlfriend."


    He had the decency to blush again. "I-It wasn''t that bad and-"


    The new Devil stopped, eyes widening as he looked up in the sky and I frowned as I realized where we were right now.


    I could recognize the fountain and the benches, I could recognize the trees near the free paths of this¡­ park. The sky looked as if it had been painted by someone suffering from some heavy LSDs influence and I tensed as I felt someone walking right behind us.


    "To think I would end up encountering a human and a Devil this late in the day." We turned to see a man wearing a trenchcoat and a hat, both apparels hiding his appearance from us but¡­ I knew who we were looking at.


    Dohnaseek, one of the few Fallen Angels that joined Raynare and Kokabiel in their little rebellion against Azazel.


    Issei looked scared, possibly comparing this very situation to the one that saw him dying against the backstabbing lady that had him on a date. He looked ready to run away but he stood quiet as he noticed that I wasn''t particularly fearful of the predicament.


    "S-Senpai-"


    "I know, Ise." I said quickly, understanding his concerns but¡­ feeling quite ready to face someone of his caliber. "But I have a plan."


    The middle-aged man chuckled. "''A plan''? Do you seriously think anything you could come up with would work on me?"


    I smiled widely. "I can assure you that my plan is the best plan possible and¡­ you should have expected guests." My finger pointed right behind him and he turned to look, trying to find any intruders he had not detected and¡­


    ¡­


    There was no one.


    He turned around, mouth open and ready to call out my bluff but he stopped at what I was trying to pull.


    Pumping energy the moment he had turned around, I grabbed Issei close and turned around myself, leg moving quickly and swiftly as I muttered a grand hero''s true strategy out-loud.


    "Nigerundayo, Ise!"


    ¡­ "WHAT?" The brunet yelled under my arm, squirming a little as I rushed deeper into the foliage.


    "You little shits!" Dohnaseek looked absolutely pissed and tried to pull his flight to try and intercept us-


    BAM


    -Ending up slamming on some tree branches in the process. Face bleeding and his mind completely gone because of the humiliation and the injury, the Fallen Angel didn''t stop in his pursuit and continued to give chase.


    I sighed as I decided that the distance we got over him was enough to start laying down a new plan. Turning some of the corners, I jumped on a bush, Issei yelping as he took most of the fall damage in the process.


    "S-Senpai, what are you-"


    "Be quiet, Ise." I stated with a stern tone, hands glowing as I started to place some magical signs all over the trees... "This is my real plan."


    The lights coming from the seals dimmed and soon disappeared as nothing had happened.


    "Now you stay here as I deal with this annoyance, ok?"


    "S-Senpai, don''t-" But despite his best attempt to keep me from leaving the hideout, I yawned as I walked on the clearing and waited to be spotted by the Fallen Angel.


    "There you are!" Launching in a burst of speed, the middle-aged man gave off an animalistic glare, akin to a predator finally catching its prey and then- WHIP


    Eyes widening, Dohnaseek dropped the Light Spear he had created while rushing towards me, several silver-colored strings keeping him stuck still.


    "For being someone that pride himself as one of the ''strongest'', you sure suck in keeping yourself out of an ambush, Dohnaseek-san."


    He tensed at his real name being mentioned. "Y-You bastard-UGH!" The strings started to squeeze at him and I sighed.


    "To think that a simple spell like the ''Silver Lining'' one can give you this much trouble and¡­" I crouched to pick the still-present Spear, humming at its magical composition. "What an interesting conjuration¡­"


    "You pitiful human! Once your Magical Coils go empty, your life is forfei- STAB - !"


    The previously clean spear was now stained with blood, the man looking down as I continued to push it deeper inside his torso. Trembling in pain and fear, the Fallen Angel seemed to have understood that this wasn''t going to be a warning for his group.


    There wouldn''t be any warning for traitors. I sighed again this time showing a curt smile. "Your little rebellion is going to end very soon. Kokabiel isn''t the sharpest planner, isn''t he?"


    His eyes widened even more at the mentioning of his boss but his attention was mostly diverted in trying to live through the painful experience but-


    STAB


    The spear was pulled out almost instantly and pushed once more in his body, the damaged part being¡­ his heart.


    There was an instance of inner realization that his life was dimming and slowly he slouched over the strings of platinum. I waited a few more moments before pulling the spear out, letting the weapon collapse and release its energy, letting it seep in my reserves for further study.


    "S-Senpai?!"


    I blinked and turned around to see a shell-shocked Issei, glancing back and forth between me and the dying Dohnaseek.


    "I will explain what is going on tomorrow, Ise." I stated without leaving much room for protests and patted his shoulders as I went towards him. He looked confused, frightened at the scene I left behind as the strings finally faded away, letting the man''s corpse hit the ground.


    "Right now¡­ you should back to the fountain. I think Rias-san should be there and¡­ Do keep quiet about me." I squeezed his shoulders again. "I am serious, do try and keep quiet about what has happened here, say that you managed to out-run the Fallen Angel and¡­ I will be thankful."


    He relaxed a little, his shoulders sagging as he nodded at my request. "B-But why are-"


    "I know that secrecy sucks but¡­ I need to avoid being noticed by some people. You do me this favor, buddy, and I will tell you about the answers you have and that your boss didn''t even mention to tell you about. Capisce?"


    He nodded and I sighed. "Good, then go and¡­ have a good day."


    I started to quickly pace towards the exit of the park, avoiding the normally-used paths that could be easily monitored and managed to get out of the area without being noticed.


    This night? I consider it a failure as now I will have to act more directly towards the plot from now on¡­


    Chapter 2


    This wasn''t going to be an easy morning.


    Yawning tiredly, I managed to pick myself off the bed, surprisingly avoiding once more getting ensnared by the alluring craving for more sleep.


    Dohnaseek''s words about my coils echoed in my brain, pointing out how I was still fairly new with the whole Magic sthick. My entire body was still recovering from the straining encounter of the previous night and I would be lying in saying I didn''t have a certain inner whining about more sleep.


    If it hadn''t been that I did have something important today, I would have considered the notion, weighting if skipping a day would or not spark the suspicions of Rias.


    Sure, I knew that Sona was too much busy with her own problems regarding the school and her situation in Hell, but the Gremory was the one that keeps an eye open for any possible threat in their fiefs.


    While I was still a noob, I was a Magician in the making in everyone''s book. The Silver Lining was a good proof that I knew few things about the basics, being able to turn a ''Containment Spell'' from the Japanese Spellcraft in something useful for the predicament I had to deal the day before.


    The death of the Fallen Angel was going to have the dual effect of bringing more attention to the presence of curious individuals near the school and making Raynare a little nervous over the current pace of their operations.


    If I played my cards well, I could easily catch Asia before she can even consider approaching the rebelling Fallen Angels and gaining an ally in the process, which I would more than happily assign to live at the Hyoudou residence.


    Why that place and not my home? The first reason was that my new parents were no-nonsense kind of people and would turn down politely any offer of housing the nun; the second reason was that I would then gain some respect from Issei, the boy understanding that I was putting some trust about his capacity to not cause any perverted act around the naive girl.


    While I was perfectly sure that he would eventually end up doing some unconscious lecherous acts, those were partly-acceptable as¡­ they weren''t planned.


    Plus if the situation evolved accordingly to Canon, Asia would manage to mitigate the perverted nature of Issei¡­ which was a good thing for him and my plan.


    Standing up from the bed, I glanced at my PC and smiled as I remembered the little idea I had about keeping ''suspicious'' books in my room.


    Two weeks of afternoons spent writing down the content of the books in some doc.u.ments within the computer, taking photos of all the signs that couldn''t be reproduced with the keyboard, I had two whole books regarding Japanese Spellcraft and basic healing techniques saved in a safe folder hidden by two passwords.


    A very complex scheme that became a necessity with the possibility of being eventually tailed around by people or getting my room violated by unwanted intruders.


    Speaking of ''people'', before going to catch some rest I did spend some time browsing around in search of a very important contact''s details.


    With the plans of Kokabiel entering in motion in mere months, it became a must to inform Azazel of what was going to happen Kuoh Town. The man might have some limited interest in Issei, but I was fairly unsure if said interest did span to a level of keeping the brunet under constant surveillance, excluding Raynare''s missed duty.


    It was a long guess, but if I managed to pass on him the memo that someone was planning to start another Great War while also trying to cause problems within Grigori and gave him some proof of these possibilities, I could easily get some indirect help from him.


    Setting up an untraceable post within my PC was something that drained even more of my free time but also part of my available funds, either from pocket money or small rewards from odd jobs around the city.


    It was enough to get me to send a lengthy message to the Governor-General, a message that contained pictures with dates and the place where these were taken, and peculiar bank transactions visible that were gained by browsing within some Grigori-owned branches without being spotted by the efficient security system enforced by the former Fifth-Heaven-led organization.


    As I finished putting on my school uniform, I noticed that my right hand, the one that had absorbed the ''Heavenly Energy'' from Dohnaseek''s final Light Spear, was still suffering some irritation from the minor adjustment to the coils contained within it.


    Creating a separate section of my Magical Core meant to be used to acc.u.mulate holy energy was a blunder I conceptualized from some theories alluded within the Healing Book I had yet to finish to study about.


    A Magical Core was something unique that was present within all living beings, the main reactor for everyone''s life but only a minor percentage of people could really tap into it and do spells.


    Its general purpose was to sustain only a single type of energy, rarely two if the being was something close or a hybrid, most of the cases being Fallen Angels that were born by pure Fallen Angels and humans.


    Since my body couldn''t hope to survive a sudden injection of holy energy with my ''Mundane'' type, I decided to try and test if the Mithridates'' method could be used in this specific situation.


    Mithridatism was usually applied about building some immunity to poison by ingesting a small and gradual quantity of non-lethal poison. In this predicament of mine, by slowly filtering the Holy energy within my core without causing any major issues with my current biology.


    Some sickness was expected, some minor aching and a partial sensation that was akin to drugs'' withdrawal were partly possible, but the worst, which was a complete rejection of the new energy, was nigh-impossible to happen as I wasn''t a Devil.


    A Devil was incredibly weak against Holy energy which made ''energy transfusion'' of said type of energy within a Devil''s body a known failure and death of the subject.


    Putting on some bandages over the hand, I decided to also wear a glove with some minor runes that hid the energy pattern contained within it, keeping an extra layer of disguise from any Devil specialized in energy-detection.


    It wasn''t much, but I was going to have an easier time at school today.


    Walking downstairs, I was greeted by a steamy plate of bacon and scrambled eggs and a small paper sitting right beside the food on the table.


    I blinked, curiosity deciding to peek out as I started to read quietly the content of the small thing.


    We will be working overtime and will be home later than usual.


    Simple, curt and very positive. This message did offer some more opportunity to further study and expand from the books available and see if I could get some more texts I could learn from.


    With general happiness plastered in my face, I walked out of my house with a satisfied belly and an intriguing possibility to deal after a normal day at school.


    I yawned, my attention keeping fixed on the teacher as I continued to half-listen to today''s lesson about Japanese literature.


    I admit I didn''t expect the subject to hold this level of difficulty, with its deep poetry and narration of the various periods, detailing the Shoguns and the Daimyos. Still, it wasn''t worse by any mean to European literature, managing to get close but also¡­ not close enough to make my head hurts every single lesson.


    Part of my focus was also split between looking at Akeno and Rias, both girls being in the same class as I was, the two girls were the favorites of the school by both teachers and students.


    Beautiful, smart and morally graceful. Those two were quite the grand rewards for many young men, respectfully holding a similar kind of appeal that made them popular while also lovable.


    A position that many women would envy but was actually praised and quickly accepted by all girls, which showed that their reputation was way above than the kind that air-headed divas would have in a normal school-centered scenario.


    I continued to keep a good composure for the rest of the hour, quickly walking out of the classroom the moment the teacher confirmed the end of the class and allowed the students to leave the room.


    A minor pause of ten minutes would ensue, brief but good enough to approach Issei and give him some more details about our future little chat.


    Finding the brunet turned out to be quite simple as the boy was usually wandering around the entrance of his classroom during the pauses and, a few moments later, I was patting his shoulder with a small smile much to his panic and surprise.


    A little yelp left his mouth but he stopped himself from letting out anything remotely girly the moment his eyes noticed my figure and recognized me. "O-Oh, Hoitsu-senpai."


    "Good morning, Ise-kohai. Might I remind you about our discussion about Drag So-Ball?"


    He blinked in confusion, then a flash of recognition washed on his face. "R-Right, almost forgot about it¡­ it should be in-"


    "The thirty-minutes pause after our third lesson. We shall catch up on the roof to discuss the latest episode."


    His eyes glowed a little as I knew he was a fan of the Dragon Ball''s rip-off. "You mean the Super Dragon 3 transformation and Satoru going against Mango Belus? That was-"


    "Incredible, I know!" I smiled widely as I did catch some glimpses of the episode as¡­


    I missed watching Dragon Ball and what was available in this dimension did make a good figure compared to the legendary anime.


    "Still I wonder, what do you think of the let-down of Sora? He managed to beat Terminator X and seemed to be ready to become the new protagonist-"


    "But they make him go out so easily..." The new Devil replied with a gloomy face, showing annoyance about the producers'' decision. "It''s kind of sad but I guess Satoru is kind of more popular, it wouldn''t have done him justice if he lost his importance."


    "I guess you are right." I nodded in agreement, finding the parallelism between Gohan and Sora quite... identical in certain points. "Then I suppose we can continue later- and remember to not do anything ''weird'' in the meantime. I would hate to have to pick you up and personally have you sent to deal with a teacher''s lecture."


    Issei bowed his head in embarrassment, yet his eyes hardly kept still while he spoke. "I-I will make sure to not cause trouble, senpai."


    I patted his shoulder once, sporting a small smile... "Good! Then we will see each other later, kohai."


    Turning around, I started to walk away from the boy, ignoring the mutterings of some students at the fact I did speak with a junior student. I was part of the Student Council and it had to be quite confusing to see me talk so calmly with a member of the Perverted Trio, no shades being thrown and all.


    I guess I could have approached him in another way, but the rumors were hardly going to escalate without any further situation that might spark some unpleasant theories.


    With a small sigh, I returned back to class and continued with today''s lessons, ready to deal with two sessions of Math and one of Biology.


    Three hours later and I found myself limping on my way to reach the roof.


    The expected symptoms were starting to show in the form of severe pain going through my left leg and some minor itching by the chest''s area.


    I also felt feverish but still capable of formulating some logical thoughts and, after informing Sona herself that I wouldn''t be able to participate the council session because of health problems, I decided to make my chat with Issei the last thing to do at school today, taking an early leave to return back home.


    I completely miscalculated the time it would take for me to recover and only the Gods know how much I would have to rest before being able to experiment around with my magic.


    At least I wasn''t going to die, I mused darkly as I finally reached for the handle that led outside to the roof.


    As the sudden light from the sun started to dim a little and my eyes slowly adjusted to it, I found myself staring at two individuals rather than the one I was expecting. Issei looked partly guilty as he shifted nervously from a seat quite distant from the smiling blond that was Kiba Yuuto standing near the only entrance to this place.


    "Sakakibara-senpai, I''m sorry if I''m intruding but-" He turned to the nervous-looking brunet with a small smile. "Issei-kun told me that you were going to discuss Drag So-Ball and I am kind of¡­ a fan of it." He winked my way and I restrained myself from sighing at the pretty boy''s fake attempt to infiltrate the discussion.


    I should have considered the fact both King and Queen of the Gremory''s peerage would have avoided giving up some hints to any actions directed at me, maybe they knew that I was spotted leaving with Issei for the park when they ''rescued'' him yesterday.


    But still, the lack of a direct and more invasive confrontation from the redhead confirmed that Issei did keep his mouth shut about my role in killing Dohnaseek. That also meant I could give some respect to the usually pervy boy for not letting that secret go by a possible boob attack.


    "Sure." I smiled widely, deciding to hide my minor annoyance as I knew what was happening anytime soon now. "Then I guess we should begin."


    The two boys nodded, Kiba smiled happily while the other teen seemed to have taken a bite out of some lemon from how annoyed he looked. Such was the terrible thing known as ''aggressive intrusion''.


    But I guess I have to explain why I had to go along with this ploy and not call out the pretty boy out of his silly act.


    If I did urge him to leave, either diplomatically or violently, this action would be taken as evidence for further investigation and, frankly speaking, I did want to deal with Rias anytime soon. Especially without some power to protect me from an eventual ''unkind'' reaction from hers.


    So the discussion did happen, but it was only about the anime which only Issei and I knew about. Kiba didn''t try to hide his lack of familiarity with the show, but he still tried to downplay it as some mere forgetfulness, a lie that was easily caught by both the brunet and me.


    It was an odd situation that continued for about two more hours. My health deteriorated a little more but nothing alarming yet and, seeing that it was starting to get dark, I decided to conclude this chat with a few words for the poor Devil.


    "Ise-kohai, I almost forgot. Can I ask you a favor?" I quietly asked.


    The boy blinked and nodded, the blonde looking curious. "Sure, what do you need, senpai?"


    "Tomorrow I might have to skip school," I said with a pained smile, my face has to be quite pale by now. "You see, yesterday I got a deep cut while preparing dinner and the medicines I had to use aren''t particularly sitting well with my body. If it''s not asking too much, could you make an effort to get a copy of the homework of tomorrow from Tsubaki-san-"


    He tensed at hearing the stern woman but I was quick to assure his safety. "I- I will call her to tell about the situation. I-If you avoid any issues tomorrow she will be less prone to lecture you and get you some detention."


    The teen nodded slowly and accepted the request. "I will do what I can, senpai."


    "G-Good." I nodded too, my lips twitching in a brief situation of shivers. "Then I-I can give you my address so you can pass around tomorrow."


    I took a small piece of paper and wrote down the address to my house, the boy nodding while storing it in one of his pockets. "Understood."


    "T-Then I go as I think I will need some p-power nap after this little situation."


    As I went towards the door, I saw Kiba walking by. "Do you need some help, senpai? You do seem quite¡­"


    "I-I can hold until back home, Kiba-san." I nodded thankful at him, while I tried to dodge the little bullet there. "A-Also I don''t want to get some r-rumors going about our current situation here."


    He blinked innocently. "What rumors, senpai?"


    I looked back at Issei and the brunet didn''t deign to look back much to my disappointment. "S-Something about your romantic inclinations. Don''t wish for the rumor mill to hit us about that."


    "That sounds completely silly, senpai. No one would-"


    "Did y-you know that girls are shipping you with Issei?" His confusion turned in dread. "I hope you will make sure to clarify the s-situation or the rumors will only end up getting w-worse."


    He nodded and I was granted the chance of leaving that place of dread behind as I ventured out of the school and towards home.


    Reaching the modest-looking house, I sighed as I let my body hit the couch, the coziness almost taking my consciousness out as I tried to deal with the growing aches of the process, my stomach starting to softly groan at the terrible suffering it was subjected.


    For the interest of everyone, I decided to avoid eating anything at lunch, knowing that it was now a matter of time before I would have to go to the bathroom and throw up what was left of my breakfast.


    A pity that I couldn''t do anything with the extra hours of being alone but dealing with the regret coming from the results of my poorly-made choices.


    I was about to close my eyes and let my sore brain drift away from that reality of pain when I heard a familiar and unholy sound reach out for me.


    Ding Dong~


    God-frigging-dangit!


    I groaned on my pillow before slowly pulling myself out of that delightful place of comfort and back to the ever-aching situation of walking around. It was my sheer determination that got me towards the door and as I slowly opened it to see who was daring to disturb me in my moment of sorrow, my eyes were greeted back by a pair of golden ones. Then I stared up and I saw silver-hair and¡­


    Why was Koneko here?


    She had some books in her hands, grasping them softly as she looked a little bit nervous through her ''blank'' mask. "I''m sorry if I''m here without notice¡­ but I need your help, senpai."


    ¡­ "W-What?"


    "I¡­ I have a Math exam tomorrow and Issei-san said that you were good at it. C-Can you help me with that?"


    I knew that her tone was as fake as her current attempt of pulling a nervous expression, her act another attempt to investigate my presence at the park the night before and, as much as I wanted to kick her out for the sake I was in a world of pain already as I was now, I¡­ decided to let her in.


    "S-Sure."


    She nodded and walked inside, eyes scanning inquisitively before settling to the living room table and placing the books there. The girl looked back, a patient glance while I slowly made my way towards the chair the opposite she was currently sitting on and I prepared myself to deal with possibly the last issue of today.


    Gods, I hope I am not going to need to throw up to the bathroom now with a cute but dangerous character in my house.


    AN


    First chibi is in and¡­ Koneko is going to be kind of fun to ''write'' next time.


    The sweet-toothed Nekomata will have her main mission to find any evidence of our MC being implicated with the debacle of the day before¡­ but will end up with something else. No, I don''t plan to make something ''that'' disgusting regarding the last bit of the chapter. I am not that cruel towards lil'' chibis.


    Also another thing, I might add ''one'' big-boobed character to go after our MC, but it will happen much, much after, when there will be ''a reason'' for the two to meet.


    EDIT: Another chapter fully-corrected!


    P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin


    REVIEW Q&A!


    Reader0007: The character I planned for is partly ''Harem-stolen'' but she has little connection with Ise if not for a minor but important reason so¡­ yeah.

 Chapter 112 - My SI Stash #12 - Voleur Dame by Twubs (Harry Potter)

    -SI HP Fic for Siddharth_sirsate~ SI as Ron Weasley, he''ll be dealing with a more scary and eccentric Dumbledore! Oh and also some angst


    (o?v?)¥Î


    Sypnosis: A soul from our world is thrown into the body of Ron Weasley in the exact moment that Harry''s name comes out of the Goblet of Fire. Teenage hormones, dark lords, and missing memories is a hell of a combination. SI


    Rated: M


    Words: 100K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13356023/1/Voleur-D-%C3%A2me (Twubs)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    Everyone in the great hall sat wide-eyed and slack-jawed as the Goblet of Fire spit out a fourth piece of parchment.


    Dumbledore plucked it out of the air, and at the same time, Ronald Billius Weasley had twenty-four years worth of memories shoved into his brain.


    "Harry Potter." Dumbledore said reading the name on the paper.


    The hall quieted immediately and all eyes were trained on the boy-who-lived. No one noticed the red-head who sat beside him with his head down. If they were able to see they would notice that only the white of his eyes were showing.


    The rare few who could sense magic would have felt a dramatic spike in the direction of Harry Potter, the sort that normally resulted in accidental magic. They would toss it up to his reaction at hearing his name coming out of the Goblet of Fire, not knowing that it was actually the person to his right that was the cause of the chaotic magic.


    I didn''t snap out of my trance until Harry was already walking to join the other champions. If anyone would have paid attention they would have noticed a look of recognition followed by a myriad of emotions ranging from horror to excitement on my face.


    I tried to think about what just happened and found it hard to grasp. I just merged? with another person from a completely different universe, or maybe dimension would be a better description.


    My name is Ron Billius Weasley, but I have gone by another, in another life.


    I can''t remember my name. My brain supplied after trying to remember for a few seconds.


    I can remember almost everything else, my sense of self, my personality, the faces of family and friends, grade school, college, a.d.u.l.t life, love, loss, a whole other life of memories. But no names, only feelings, it was ...frustrating.


    I was brought out of my self reflection by everyone getting up from their seats and heading towards the door.


    "Can you believe the git?" "How did he do it?" "Glory hog."


    Everyone seemed to be talking about Harry''s name coming out of the cup.


    "How do you think he did it?" I heard next to me as I was walking. Hermione.


    "You think he did?" I answered almost immediately.


    Her face scrunched up, obviously not considering the possibility that he hadn''t. "You don''t think he did?" She asked finally.


    "No I don''t. The age line was drawn by Dumbledore himself." I said in response.


    "Then how did his name come out of the cup?" She supplied immediately giving me a ''if you know so much'' look and tone.


    "Maybe someone tricked the Goblet into choose him as a fourth school, that seems the likeliest. The question isn''t if he put his name in or not, the question is who would have wanted him to be chosen." I responded.


    Hermione looked at me as if I had grown a second head. Oops I forgot to act like a bull headed idiot. I thought. Oh well, too late now.


    "Voldemort."


    "Amongst others." I said as years of fanfiction and Dumbledore bashing influenced my thought process.


    Walking into the Gryffindor common room marked the end of the conversation as she went to gossip with the other girls in the house, no doubt to get others opinions.


    I found a nice quiet corner to think but it didn''t last long because soon enough the man of the hour walked in and everyone screamed in celebration. When did everyone get butterbeer? I thought as everyone started partying, I even noticed glasses of firewhiskey in some of the older students hands, the twins included.


    Harry walked around for a little and managed the questions about as normal as you would expect. Eventually he found me sitting alone at the top of the stairs people watching and approached.


    He didn''t say anything as he sat next to me and completely blocked the way if anyone wanted to use the stairs.


    He didn''t say anything, so I decided to start. "Everyone thinks you did it. They celebrate but not for you I don''t think."


    "I didn''t do it!" He snapped.


    I didn''t respond for a moment, instead I decided to finally meet his eyes and said. "I know."


    He visibly sagged at that, obviously relieved that someone believed him.


    We sat there for a moment before I realized we had some essays that were due soon. I won''t procrastinate in this life, not again. I thought as I remembered my past education.


    I''m not sure anyone from my old world would when it involves magic.


    "Want to go work on our essay''s?" I asked completely serious.


    He laughed at first until he saw my face. "You''re sirous?"


    It was my turn to smile. "No I''m Ron."


    That was the start of his laughing fit that didn''t end for a few minutes. It was obvious that he released a lot of the pent up stress from the night.


    "Sure, I need help on the transfiguration anyway."


    The night ended and we caught up on all of our assignments. I woke up the next day to the sound of Harry m.o.a.ning something in his sleep while tossing and turning.


    Without thinking and half-asleep I grabbed my wand and cast a quick ''tempus'', it was 6:45 in the morning. It was barely registered as I sat up completely alert with a couple of revelations. The first was the realization that I could use magic and did it so casually. The second was that casting the spell barely worked, it felt like I had to force my magic through the wand. The usual feeling of warmth that accompanies grabbing a compatible wand wasn''t there, instead it felt ...cold.


    The ''merge''. I thought to myself as I realized what had happened. My magic went through a drastic change, enough of a change to make my personality, soul, mind, everything incompatible with my wand.


    Well that will have to be remedied. Oh wait I''m poor ...I could ask Harry for the money, no. The Room of Requirement might have some loose change laying around, hopefully at least seven galleons.


    All of this went through my head as I started getting dressed and going through his normal routine. Unfortunately today was a Tuesday, the 1st of November, and they still had classes, History of Magic in the morning and Potions in the evening. Maybe McGonagall will let me dip off to Diagon Alley before classes start, or maybe during break? First I need money.


    At the last thought he grabbed his books needed for the lessons that day and headed to the Room of Requirement to see if he could scrounge up some money. I didn''t even bother being stealthy, instead deciding to run up the stairs to the seventh floor, luckily the changing stairs took pity on me and I didn''t have to wait that much.


    Ok, it''s in the left corridor right? And then across a portrait of trolls or something.


    Soon enough I saw the painting of Barnabus the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet. I turned around and saw the blank wall where I knew the room would appear at.


    Pace three times, picture clearly what you want, aaannnddd score!


    The door melted out of the wall as my needs were recognized and I rushed inside. As I entered the room, I realized I was inside of a typical muggle vault and on a raised pedestal in the middle of the vault sat around 5 different pouches that no doubt held what I was looking for.


    I approached and realized that these were a type of moleskin pouch designed specifically for holding currency. I grabbed the one in the middle and poured it out. Isn''t this supposed to be keyed into a wizards magic? Oh the enchantments have worn off. These pouches had obviously been lost at least a decade ago, as that was when enchantments normally started failing on cloth. Luckily the space enlargement charm lasts much longer, otherwise these may have been lost for good.


    The galleons seemed to keep falling and falling, there were no doubt fifty galleons coming out already. Soon it stopped and instead of counting I decided to pour out the rest of the pouches.


    I can''t believe my luck. I thought as I finished counting out the galleons. 302 Galleons, No more no less. Enough to afford school supplies and robes for the last few years of school if I stretched it out.


    Grabbing one of the pouches that looked the newest I deposited my stash into it, put it in a pocket in my robes that was specifically for money, and ran out the door and back down the stairs.


    It was 7:22 when I ran into the great hall and the students would be getting ready soon and heading down to breakfast soon. I found my target and ran straight up to her.


    "Professor can I speak to you for a moment." I said taking in gulps of air.


    "Mr. Weasley, how can I help you?" She responded looking me up and down suspiciously. We walked away from the professor''s table before I answered so I could have some privacy.


    "I must have damaged my wand last night or something because it isn''t working properly, I was wondering if you would let me use your floo to run to Diagon Alley before classes began." I asked sincerely as possible while also lying to her.


    "We are not allowed to just let students leave Hogwarts grounds Mr. Weasley, you should know this by now."


    I visibly deflated at this. "We can however, contact your parents and they can sign you out of class and take you."


    My face paled. "No!"


    She looked at me sharply then. I continued before she could speak. "It''s just that I don''t want to bother them with this, you know that we''re uhhh.." I looked around to make a show of it before leaning in mumbling. "...poor."


    I paused a second and I could see her eyes soften, then I continued. "And I kind of asked Harry for his help you see¡­and father wouldn''t be happy about that." I said as I released eye contact and looked down to the ground like a scolded child.


    There was silence for a good five minutes and I had yet to look up at her, whoever spoke first lost and I could tell she was having an internal battle.


    "I can not let you go to Diagon Alley." She said finally. "Alone." and continued dramatically.


    I know she only did that to see the expression on my face go from disappointment to joy.


    "Go get a quick bite to eat Mr. Weasley, I have classes this morning, but I can make arrangements to have you accompanied."


    "Yes mam. Thank you so much." I said as I rushed off to the Gryffindor table and wolfed down a quick plate of sausage, eggs, bacon, and potatoes.


    I was done in less than five minutes. I walked over to the professors table again.


    "Mr. Weasley, I have called in a favor from Professor Snape, he will accompany you to Diagon Alley. I trust you will be respectful." She told me as I approached.


    "Yes mam. Thank you professor." I said respectfully to Snape.


    The entire table turned to look at me, most of their jaws were on the ground at my respectfulness towards him. Was I that bad? Stupid teenagers and their problems with authority.


    He didn''t say anything, instead his eyes bore into mine. He turned around and started walking abruptly. "Follow me."


    I did as I was told and eventually I noticed the direction we were traveling, the dungeons. We continued on in silence and neither of us seemed to want to break it.


    We walked through a doorway that leads to a study with a fireplace on one end. Two doors led to other sections of her quarters but they weren''t visible from where he stood.


    "I assume you know how to use the floo?" I nodded in response. "Good."


    I didn''t waste anymore time and grabbed a handful of the floor powder and enunciated clearly. "Diagon Alley."


    I remember to keep my body relaxed and to just continue walking. My foot found the floor of the alley and I stepped out of the green fire dusting off some of the soot. Snape was right behind me and we immediately set out, determined to make the trip faster.


    The alley was almost deserted, only workers and owners of the various shops could be seen setting up and getting ready for the day.


    Finally we arrived at the wandmakers shop, I tried to open it but it was locked. Not open yet.


    Luckily we could see Ollivandor moving around behind the counter and he waved wand and the distinct sound of unlocking hit my ears. I tried again and the door gave way.


    "I have some errands to run, I will meet you back here when I am done." The professor stated as I walked in.


    I was met with the smell of wand oil and fresh cut wood, along with a fair bit of pine. The shop was just as described in the books and I couldn''t help but look around smiling at the shelves full of boxes that no doubt held wands in them.


    "Ron Weasley, 14" Willow and Unicorn hair, slightly rigid. Brand new at the time of purchase no more than two years ago." Ollivander said as he took in my appearance.


    "And now it is apparently incompatible with me." I answered trying to hurry the process along.


    "Ah, that would be interesting. Could you show me?" He asked.


    I did as I was told and drew my wand out of my robes, once again the distant and cold feeling emanated from it, no sparks, no warmth, nothing.


    "Hmmm very peculiar, may I?"


    I handed him the wand for inspection and he took it from me, took one look at it and confirmed. "Yes yes, this wand doesn''t seem to like you at all. A complete mismatch, I will not pry Mr. Weasley but something must have happened. You need a new wand."


    No shit Sherlock. I said slightly hurt that the wand was acting that way.


    He wasted no time in going about his normal routine and started grabbing boxes from the shelves. Eventually he returned and started handing me wands.


    "Here, here. Ebony and Unicorn tail."


    As soon as I touched the wand I could tell it wasn''t for me, I didn''t even bother casting a spell before I handed it back.


    "No, no. Maybe this one.." he muttered in response.


    It continued this way for a good while before finally he pulled one off that looked finely made. It was a light colored wood with a raised handle and a straight shaft shooting out of it. The handle had some black aesthetic rings etched into it, the shaft had an obviously etched black line swirling around the wand until it reached the tip. It was a beautifully crafted wand.


    The moment it made contact with my skin, something within me sang. It felt infinitely more compatible than my other wand ever did. My magic seemed to click and fall into place.


    "Blackthorn and Phoenix feather 14", very supple. A particularly fine-tuned and sentient wand wood coupled with the most picky of cores." Olivander said as he looked me up and down, no doubt gaining insight into my personality through the wand.


    "A powerful and versatile wand, you''ll find that the wand won''t truly bond to you until you pass through some hardship with it... Very interesting Mr. Weasley. Normally that would be 7 galleons, but since you have returned this one in such good shape, I will allow an exchange."


    "Actually I was hoping I could keep it as a spare." I said digesting the information about my new wand.


    I was very tempted to ask him more about the wand but instead I pulled out 7 galleons and paid him. He handed me both of my wands and I turned to walk out but then remembered something important.


    "Do you have any wand holsters?" I said facing him again.


    A grin split his face. "Yes, dragon skin I presume?" He continued at my nod.


    "I need two."


    "Another 8 galleons. This particular holster will fit itself to your wrist, hold it out for me." He motioned me as he returned with the holsters. "It also has two wand slots in the one holster. I assume this other one is a gift?" At my nod he continued. "Repeat the process for whoever this one is for."


    I did as I was told and he dropped it onto my arm. It gripped my forearm fairly tight and then there was a crawling sensation as it adjusted and found it''s rightful place on my wrist. He then showed me how to sheathe the wands and call them into my hand, it will take practice to make the process faster.


    "I feel as if I need to warn you Mr. Weasley. That wand still has the trace."


    "Thank you Mr. Ollivander." I''ll have to find out a way to fix that. I thought as I turned around and walked out of the shop.


    Professor Snape was waiting for me outside. "If we hurry, you can make it back before class."


    He was right, I ran into the classroom as soon as the lesson began. Snape didn''t see any reason to give me a note so I had to run.


    The day went by extremely slow and he had all of his assignments completed by the end of the class and Potions didn''t even have an assignment. F.u.c.k.i.n.g useless class, bloody uselss class? Whatever, same thing, stupid dialects. I thought thinking about how boring History of Magic is.


    Hermione was, no doubt, in the library doing her work while Harry and me headed back to the common room. It would take her a few hours to perfect her work and then she would prep for the next day.


    I had other plans for the afternoon but first I had to give Harry his present.


    He sat down to begin his assignments as I walked up to him. "Hold out your arm for me."


    "What?" He eloquently responded.


    "Your arm. Hold it out." I repeated.


    He finally did as I said and I pulled out the wand holster that I bought from Ollivanders. I pulled his sleeve back and dropped it onto his arm, where it adjusted to fit him.


    "What is this?" He asked.


    "It''s a wand holster, mainly used in dueling tournaments and by Auror''s. Makes easy access for your wand." I flicked my wrist as I finished and my wand found its way into my hand, faster than he could track.


    "Wicked."


    "Blackthorn wands are a very unusual wand, almost as rare as yew you see. In my experience, warriors bond with the wood more often than not. It is most peculiar that the wand will never truly bond with the wizard it has chosen unless they have passed through some hardship together, Auror''s will tell me it''s their first successful raid. Dueling champions say its after their first title, ordinary wizards or witches ...well typically after taking a life in a duel to the death. Some argue that if you stray from hardship and you own a blackthorn wand, it will arrange hardship for you, a warning for the owners of such powerful wands."


    Wand Lore for the Overly Curious - Garrick Ollivander


    Ron sighed as he finished reading the description of his new wand. We are going to get in a lot of trouble together aren''t we?


    I could have turned to the section about phoenix feather wands and their properties but I already knew most of the information already. A part of me wondered if it was a feather from Fawkes. Phoenix feathers are the pickiest wand cores to choose wizards, it was seen as a good omen to be chosen by one. I beg to differ, wouldn''t you Tom?


    They are also said to be extremely versatile in the types of magic they can cast, although fire came easiest than the other elemental spells. This type of wand core coupled with a blackthorn wood, well it was a powerhouse. Blackthorn was notorious for the amount of power you could channel through it.


    Although I doubt it could stack up against the Elder Wand. My thoughts provided as I gazed down at my newest and possibly most prized possession.


    I was currently sitting in a very comfortable chair behind a desk that was just the perfect height for me to read and study. To my right was a wall with a beautifully designed window that overlooked the great lake and a lot of the land past Hogwarts, a spectacular view. Directly in front of me was a wall full of bookshelves packed tightly with books. To my left, the room elongated and formed what I would think a wizarding dueling room or rang would look like, there were multiple mannequins at varying distances. Behind me was another wall full of books.


    The Room of Requirement is amazing. I thought as I took in the sights of what I viewed as a perfect place to learn magic. Time to get to work.


    I looked down to the desk and saw a book without a cover. That wasn''t there before. I thought as I opened it, A Beginners Guide to Casting For the Learned, it had no author that I could find. I decided to try the first chapter out to see what it was about, as if the title didn''t give it away.


    Most make the common mistake of never revisiting the basics after finishing their basic education, content with what they have learned. First we should start with, forget everything you think you know about casting. You were taught the best ways to learn for a child, if you are reading this then we will assume you are not, if you are¡­ leave.


    Great way to start a book. I couldn''t help but think. This is exactly what I need, did the room adjust to my needs without me even trying?


    You were taught that verbal shouting and wand movements were necessary to enact your will upon the world. That is only partly true. It will undeniably help the average person, the sensible ones will realize that it is a foolish notion. The most famous wizards and witches of all time knew that it was unnecessary to yell at the top of their lungs, and once the reasoning behind wand movements are memorized, they too become unnecessary. Wand movements are what is most important if you want to build a solid foundation for truly marvelous casting, because they are rooted in Arithmancy. The more the movement the more specific the spell is, just like the longer the number, the more detailed it gets. Eventually your magic gets used to the way the spell affects the world and this is how it becomes obsolete. Mastering these opening wand movements will make it infinitely easier for you to advance in the realm of casting.


    Holy shit this is gold. I thought to myself as I immediately became engrossed in the book.


    The first two chapters covered basic wand movements and even had pictures with comments beneath them. The next few chapters were some advanced wand movements while the rest of the book went into the mindset needed to cast in each of the main branches of magic: Transfiguration, Charms, Curses, Defense, etc. Then it had ways to practice everything to make it second nature.


    Three hours later I had finished the book but I knew that I wasn''t done with it. I took a break to enjoy the sights and give my eyes the necessary time to readjust to the world, and panicked once I realized it was after nine o''clock at night. Oh well guess I''m staying here for tonight, no way I''m getting caught in the corridors and getting detention.


    Eventually I decided that I could stay up a little longer and memorized the list of the introductory wand movements for all the main branches of magic, and even going a little more advanced with transfiguration, easily the most interesting to me. It was what allowed Dumbledore to write his name in history as one of the most powerful wizards, next to Merlin, the founding four, and others. I wanted that. It was also, arguably, the most versatile branch of magic out there, it could attack, defend, be used for convenience, everything, and I would make it my bitch.


    Around eleven o''clock at night, I discovered that the room had switched everything around. Instead of a study, there was a bedroom with a bathroom that had a standing shower designed like one from my previous world. After a quick shower I melted into the bed, told the room to wake me at seven and passed out.


    I f.u.c.k.i.n.g love this room.


    A/N: Boom! The first chapter.


    What did you guys think about the ''merge''? Good? Terrible?


    Thoughts on the wand? What about my explanation for wand movements and the book?


    I want to hear it all in the reviews! Thanks


    Chapter 2


    Another boring day in classes. I guess my interest in lectures is the same across dimensions. I thought to myself as I sat in the Room of Requirement finishing up my essay for Charms. Care of Magical Creatures was held in the afternoon but Hagrid didn''t assign any work.


    It was after dinner, most of my classmates would be in their common rooms finishing up their homework also but I was determined to get something done tonight. I want to write out all the books and all of the plot points I could remember so that I could start planning on what needed to change and what needed to stay the same.


    It would be a late night because tonight, Astrology was held at 10 p.m. for fourth years, so I was stuck with plotting and practicing for a few hours before I had to attend.


    I finally put the finishing touches on the Charms essay and another piece of parchment appeared. Once again, I f.u.c.k.i.n.g love this room.


    I started on my task of writing everything out and eventually I got through the end of this year and reviewed on what I knew.


    The good news is that we can stop Voldemort''s resurrection from ever happening and stop the war from ever breaking out.


    How did he survive again? Something about a¡­ a sharp pain racked my skull as I tried to remember how he survived. Panic overtook me and I continued my task of writing out the rest of the books.


    After I finished I found out some very interesting information. I had a gap missing in my memories, some of it being in The Half-Blood Prince but a lot of the The Deathly Hallows was blank.


    I couldn''t remember why Dumbledore started pulling Harry into his office, I could remember most of Tom''s backstory but there were also missing pieces about the ''why'' Dumbledore was telling Harry all of this. Is it so he can know his enemy?


    Why didn''t we go back to school in our seventh year? What were we hunting for?


    F.u.c.k! BLOODY F.U.C.K! I thought having a temper tantrum. What is happening?


    Pretty much all of the Order of the Phoenix was there, even the full prophecy. Whatever it is, someone or something doesn''t want me knowing. My brain supplied. And it''s obviously important, like literally the reason Voldemort was defeated important.


    I sat back and collapsed into the chair as I digested all of the information. There was no other option. I have to get more powerful for it not to matter, blackthorn is a warriors wand? That is what I''ll become.


    A warrior capable of standing against Voldemort¡­ and Dumbledore if necessary. Stupid fanfiction.


    I sat up after that revelation and brought the pen to paper, a basic plan.


    Train your ass off. Learn magic/dueling/everything. Get back into shape


    Remove the trace.


    Moody.


    Stop Voldemort''s resurrection.


    ¡­.The Yule ball


    I could worry about everything else later, the plan could change but that''s what is immediately pressing.


    Wait the Yule ball? Bloody teenage hormones. I thought as I continued looking at the list, knowing that eventually it would get longer and more detailed.


    Numbers one, two, three, and four are all long term goals. Five can be solved almost immediately.


    I won''t be taking anyone to the ball. There was a war going on inside of me, a moral war. I have lived over thirty-eight years combined and all the people around me are teenagers. My mind didn''t feel thirty-eight, in fact it felt somewhere between nineteen and twenty-two. I refuse to enter into a relationship with anyone my age, it''s as simple as that. As long as they''re of a.d.u.l.t age then that is a different story but what a.d.u.l.t would accompany a fourteen year old.


    In short, I will be going to the ball alone.


    With number five marked off of the list I can now concentrate on the rest. I had no clue about how to remove the trace from my wand.


    The Room of Requirement took that time to slam two books on the desk of the studies. Neither of them had names on the covers.


    "Ohhhhkkkkaayyyy." I said aloud not worried about a room reading my mind constantly.


    I flipped through the first few pages and it was a journal of sorts. Not wanting to waste any time, I started.


    "The ministry approached me today, they asked me about ways to ''trace'' underage magic from young wizards and witches. I immediately denied them but they have threatened my job here at the school, one of them is on the board.


    I have already thought of several ideas but they will need to be tested¡­"


    The journal continued a recap of the day but nothing about the trace. I continued to turn the pages and skim for any information regarding it. Eventually I found it about halfway through the journal.


    "I finally figured it out, a way to trace underage wizards. It has been a guilty pleasure of mine to figure out the magic of this magnitude, even if I don''t like spying on children.


    I have enchanted a book, the book itself has been enchanted to have neverending pages, to act as a sort of home base. This ''home base'' can have other things, anything would work, keyed into the enchantments. These ''keys'' will act as beacons, they are enchanted with a ward that is the most basic of detection wards. It will scan any wizard within its range to determine the age, if it finds your magic under seventeen years old then it will ''mark'' you. So faint and so soft that it would take a ritual to detect it, but since those have been banned and information about them purged, no one will ever know how to take it off.


    The idea is to litter the magical outposts with these ''keys''. Originally I thought we could dot the countryside with these ''keys'' but there is the possibility of the Muggles finding and moving them, so the magical places in the world will have to suffice, a brick in every building maybe? Anyway every wizard or witch will need to visit Diagon Alley''s and Hogsmeade''s of the world eventually. That is when they will be marked with the ''trace''. Once marked, the ''key'' sends back the information of the wizard it''s marked and logs it. Once the wizard uses magic, the book knows instantly.


    I do not feel good about this, but I do feel a slight sense of accomplishment. I have acc.u.mulated the best ways to counter the ''trace'' on the page following this one. Unfortunately it will be the last entry.


    I will have to lose this journal, I''ll have a house elf dispose of it.


    If anyone ever finds this, my apologies.


    -Anonymous Professor of Hogwarts 1870."


    I couldn''t believe how lucky I was. Holy f.u.c.k.i.n.g shit. Summed up my reaction to figuring out how exactly the trace in the Harry Potter world was implemented and who did it.


    It made sense too, why wouldn''t the ministry approach a professor to carry out this task, professors at Hogwarts were some of the most accomplished in their fields. It was most likely the Charms or Arithmancy professor of the time. A part of me wanted to research it to find out but it also didn''t matter at all.


    I flipped the page and saw the ways the author had to counter the trace.


    The first was the easiest way to counter the trace. It was an enchantment that was supposed to be cast on a piece of jewelry or something that I would wear everyday. The best part was that you could also cast other enchantments on top of it and it would cooperate. My mind was already racing with the possibilities.


    The second was a little bit harder. It was purely theoretical, it proposed a ritual that was designed to conceal your magic from others. The way the professor worded it was ''to ward your own magic from others''. It didn''t actually give any instructions on the ritual.


    My eyes fell on one of the other books that occupied the desk, the second that fell when the journal was provided by the Room of Requirement.


    Setting the journal aside I grabbed the book and once again there was no title to it. I opened the front page and was met with a fairly basic title.


    "Rowena Ravenclaw''s Collection of Rituals." I read aloud.


    I think I experienced a mind orgasm at the discovery that this was one of the legendary founders.


    I carefully opened the book to the first page.


    "If you have managed to open the book to this page then congratulations, you have been deemed worthy of the knowledge.


    This is an acc.u.mulation of all of the rituals that I have managed to gain access to in my travels. The creators, or at the very least the owners of the rituals, have all added the theory and mindset behind the ritual as well as what it is supposed to accomplish.


    Anything past page one hundred and seventy-four is theory about possible rituals that have not been completed, try at own risk."


    -Rowena Ravenclaw


    I looked up from the book as my mind melted to mush at everything the world was supplying me with right now. My luck couldn''t get any better.


    My head shot up, a flick of the wrist and my wand was in my hand. "Tempus. Nine fifty-six o''clock at night." Five minutes to make it to the astronomy tower. "F.u.c.k!" I yelled as I scrambled to put everything up and realized I would have to run to make it.


    I woke up in the dorm to the sound of the seven thirty bell signaling breakfast was starting, it was the latest I had slept since the ''merge''. No one was up and ready yet. Oh yea, we''re all teenagers.


    I got up and quickly went through my morning routine, which only consisted of showering, brushing my teeth, and dressing. My hair was still an ugly red waterfall falling down to my shoulders, I haven''t decided on what to do with it yet.


    After everything was finished, I decided to take a good look at my appearance. Freckles dotted my pale skin, I was clean shaven but my hair fell down to my shoulders just like in the movies. However, I did not look like Rupert Grint. I had some baby fat clinging on to my cheeks and jaw while my cheek bones weren''t as defined as in my last life. A longer than average nose poked out of my face, but that was familiar. All in all, I wasn''t the most handsome face in the school, nor was I the ugliest. One things for sure, I looked completely different than in my last life. I miss my high and sharp cheekbones, and my fit body. I hate the American culture for making me so f.u.c.k.i.n.g vain.


    On the bright side, I am already taller at 14 than I was fully matured in my last life, standing at about five foot seven. I knew that I would eventually stand at about six feet even if the books were to be believed.


    I decided to end that line of thinking and got dressed. Soon enough I was walking down to breakfast with Harry enjoying the silence, that is until Hermione joined up with us.


    "Hello boys, have you finished your essays for Transfiguration and Defense?" Hermione asked as we walked into the great hall.


    I didn''t answer at first, instead I steered us to the Gryffindor table. I forgot she normally proof reads our essays. "Yea we finished it after the announcements of the champions." I stated after we sat down.


    I started piling my plate full of meats and vegetables, avoiding anything with carbs and ignoring the sugary jams. Orange juice filled my glace instead of chocolate milk. It was time to start eating healthily again. I would need it for the workouts I was about to start again. It''s going to be fun starting over.


    "Well? Let''s see it then." Hermione demanded after a few moments.


    I obliged and offered the parchment over to her, Harry did the same. I focused completely on my task of eating enough food to satisfy an elephant, although I did it with much more class than I used to.


    It took her a couple of minutes to read over mine but at the end she scrunched her brow and mouthed something to herself. Then she set mine to the side and looked over Harry''s, her frown became even more pronounced.


    "Ron, who wrote this?" She asked holding my paper up.


    "I did, why?" I answered truthfully.


    "It''s really, really good."


    "Thanks." I said grabbing it back from her and neatly placing it in my bag.


    She looked at me suspiciously but didn''t say anything, instead she turned her attention to Harry who was on the opposite side of her and went over his.


    My attention was suddenly grabbed when the hall quieted. I looked around to figure out the disturbance and found that almost all of the male population of the hall was staring at the entrance with glassy eyes. Fleur Delacor was walking in with her posse to start their breakfast.


    They normally don''t eat here, must be low on supplies or something. I thought before remembering an important detail. Or broadcasting themselves as available for the ball, trying to catch a date.


    Either way it doesn''t matter to me. Oh that reminds me.


    "Harry!" I called to him from across Hermione, my raised voice carried across the hall and a certain silver haired girl whipped her head this way, although I didn''t see it.


    "What?" He said with a mouth full of biscuits.


    "Don''t let me forget to tell you something when we''re in private." I said a bit quieter than earlier, thinking about the first task.


    It took us another fifteen minutes before we walked out but as that was happening I noticed a certain veela looking our direction. Naturally our eyes met and using the experience of a twenty-four year old bachelor, I didn''t break eye contact, neither did she. Women don''t want meek men. I thought as I held her gaze. Gryffindor courage combined with years of studying psychology kicked in.


    Then a thought popped up in my mind, that I would later realized was hormone driven. What if no one warns her about the dragons.


    And that is why I broke off from the other two of my party members and walked over to her, eye contact the whole time.


    I leaned down and tapped my ear to let her know of my intentions, she moved her head to the side as I whispered in her ear.


    It was low enough that no one else could hear but us two. Her face was stony, no visible reaction besides furrowing her brows. I didn''t wait for a response and turned around to join my friends.


    "Wait!" She said and I turned back to face her. "What is your name?" She asked in her s.e.xy accent.


    Hook, line, sinker. "Ron Weasley." I enunciated as properly as possible to make sure she caught it. I turned to my friends once again to join them and noticed that almost the entirety of the great hall was listening and watching me. I took one look at the crowd and then walked out.


    "What was that mate?" Harry asked as we made it into the hall.


    "I told her what I''m about to tell you." I said as I pulled the two close, made sure no one was around, and whispered. "The first task is dragons Harry."


    A few words about how Charlie sent me a note about the dragons solidified my knowing of the task and Harry never asked again. The next week flew by in a blur and I established a routine. Every morning I would wake up at seven a.m. and then I would drag Harry to breakfast where we would eat and review the previous class'' work before we would turn it in.


    Then we would go to class and in the breaks we would hang out with Hermione and the rest of our classmates and also finish some assignments. At the end of the day we would eat dinner together around six and then we would all vanish to go do our own things. I went to the Room of Requirement, Hermione went to the library, Harry spent most of his time at the library stubbornly refusing help from us, determined to figure out the tasks alone.


    I wasn''t sure why but the only thing I could think about was the propaganda Malfoy and the slytherins were spreading about how he needed me and Hermione to bail him out of everything. None of it was true, obviously we all brought something to the table but I think it hit him hard. I knew he would come up with a shitty plan but everything would be alright, at least I hoped so.


    I was too busy catching up on previous years magic, which I finally did in under a week. I could cast the entire first three years worth of magic silently, although it took some concentration and wasn''t seamless yet. I was quite proud of the fact that I mastered three years of work in a week. It helped that I had already done it before and I approached it with the mindset of an a.d.u.l.t with a little help from a very good book.


    My left hand had a new addition, a basic silver ring adorned my index finger. The ring was enchanted to interrupt any type of tracking charms placed on my magic. It was actually a well known enchantment that used to be commonplace for the children of prominent families, more specifically the heir and the heir rings. It is most likely still apart of the enchantments on the heir rings but considering no one wore them anymore, they were useless. Even the Weasley family heir ring was lost, possibly pawned, a long time ago.


    A quick thought and the room had provided multiple rings with which to cast the spell. The spell needed to cast the enchantment was actually fairly simple, there weren''t any complex wand movements and the mindset was easy to grasp. It only took me four tries to successfully cast it. At least I think it was successful, we''ll find out this summer I guess.


    My research into rituals was also fruitful, I already had a few planned but only one could be done with my current funds and I haven''t decided on which one to do yet, the ingredients were quite expensive.


    The theory behind the rituals also put them into a new light, they weren''t dark, nor did they even require any blood. None of my blood at least. Most of them were just ways to make what potions can do, permanent. Although there were a few that I knew a potion couldn''t achieve, like the one that I was leaning towards performing immediately.


    It didn''t have a name but it was one that Rowena, Salazar, and Helga had done. It basically enhances your mind slightly, nothing drastic. It takes away anything that you didn''t want, absent mindedness, ADHD, things like that. A way to improve the foundations of your mind and make you more focused is the best description I can think of.


    The ritual is supposed to be performed before any type of Occlumency is learned. It''s a very subtle way of increasing your intelligence. After Occlumency is mastered, you''re memory is boosted and it stacks on the ritual. If Occlumency was mastered before hand, the effects would be lessened.


    It''s very hard for me to explain, but the way that I understand it goes like this. Occlumency is the art of ''organizing your mind'', but the kicker is that magic is supposed to be circulated to the mind while doing this. Magic helps the electrical currents of the neurons in the mind solidify and not stray often. The ritual does the same thing but when Occlumency is already known, the electrical currents in the neurons are already solidified by magic and don''t want to change to the way the ritual wants it. But if you do the ritual first and then build upon that foundation, it would take you farther.


    I would need this if I was going to go toe to toe with Tom. Something in the back of my mind told me that Voldemort already performed that ritual on himself also. There were a lot of small rituals that focused on little things like fixing eyesight or changing hair color. The heavy hitters were designed to improve the functions of the body, mind, or magic while leaving everything else in tact, they were very detailed. In theory there was nothing you couldn''t achieve with rituals as long as you had the supplies needed and the power to make the change.


    Astrology was also a major factor in the success of the ritual, some required there to be a new moon, some a waxing gibbous, etc.


    I had already priced out the first ritual and what the ingredients cost and it would set me back one hundred galleons, almost a third of what I found in the Room of Requirements. It turns the twins were very knowledgeable on the prices of supplies, it made sense really, they were constantly brewing or making things for their pranks. I always wondered where the money they made from running a gambling ring went to.


    That is why he was hunting down Harry two weeks before the first task. Finally he found him in a nice isolated corner of the library.


    He never even looked at me until I plopped down beside him, only then did his emerald orbs meet my sky blue.


    "What''s up mate?" I asked casually.


    "Oh just getting over my latest panic attack. You?" He casually said back.


    I couldn''t help but laugh, I wanted to tell him that muggles did that without a looming task hanging over their heads but I didn''t.


    "I have a way to help you and take your mind off of the task, come on." I said as I stood up.


    "I can''t Ron I¡­"


    "Get up, or I''ll drag you out of here. We both know you''re not actually reading that book." I said as I grabbed his arm and lifted him up.


    It took him a minute to put all of the books back in the library but soon enough we were wandering the halls.


    It didn''t take us long to get to the girls bathroom on the second floor and Harry soon found out why we were here.


    "We''re going exploring!" I said as I raised my arms up dramatically.


    "You want to go into the chamber?" Harry said and gave me the ''are you stupid look''.


    "Yep." I said giving him the same look back. "Now open it."


    He didn''t argue, instead he concentrated on the snake emblem before speaking. I have heard him speak parseltongue before but I could definitely understand how people got creeped out by it.


    Soon enough the entrance was revealed and before he could jump in I decided to test a theory of all fanfictions. "Ask for stairs, see if it works."


    Another hissing sound and the stone moved again as stairs appeared before us.


    "How did you know about that?" He said shocked.


    "I honestly didn''t expect that to work."


    Nothing else was said between us as I went down first. There were quite a lot of stairs but eventually we made it to the bottom and continued on. Neither of us said anything until we came to the place where Lockhart tried to obliviate us.


    "Good memories." I said aloud as we saw the spot.


    "Yea but wasn''t this caved in the last time we were here." He responded ignoring my comment.


    "Oh yeah¡­" I said eloquently as I whipped out my wand as prepared myself to run into someone or something. He was right, there should be rocks littered around this area, I cleaned out a path for Harry and Ginny in second year but it was only enough for someone to squeeze through, not spotless like it was now.


    Harry did the same after he noticed me. "Nice." I said noticing his flawless flick of the wrist. I only got a nod in return.


    "Maybe the chamber is warded to fix itself?" I continued.


    He didn''t respond immediately but eventually croaked out. "Doubt it."


    We continued walking and didn''t speak until we came upon the chamber. I hadn''t actually seen the basilisk before, and let me tell you, it was f.u.c.k.i.n.g huge.


    It also hasn''t decayed at all since the last time they were down here. Is fanfiction always right? What the f.u.c.k, thats like three in a row. Dumbledore better not be evil. I thought as I took in the sight of the beast


    "It hasn''t decayed at all. Incredible." I said not even paying attention to Harry. "The body has got to be worth a fortune." I said planting the seed in his head.


    "Really?" He asked as he approached the beast.


    "The venom is the deadliest in the world right? And the hide is extremely magic resistant, not to mention the rarity. You could name your price." I finished.


    "How would we harvest it?" He asked obviously interested.


    "You could probably hire Gringotts to do it. They would take a cut but they also have the contacts to sell it. Better than letting it rot here." I told him taking a gamble on another fanfiction trope.


    When did he become fond of long silences. I thought as he ignored me.


    "Let''s take a look around, you didn''t have the chance to explore last time right?" I continued.


    "No, but I don''t see any doorways either."


    "Maybe try hissing again?" I said jokingly.


    Finally he started laughing and then he started speaking in parseltongue again, but this time it was much longer. Speak to me the greatest of the Hogwarts four? I guessed randomly in my head.


    The mouth of the statue at the end of the chamber opened up with the sound of stone on stone grinding. We both approached it and looked inside, there was no hidden study, only a pipe that descended.


    I flicked my wand in a basic motion and a light appeared at the end of it and lowered.


    Harry looked at me shocked. "You did that without the incantation?" He asked.


    "Yes. It''s only a first year spell, you could probably do it on the first try." I said as my concentration broke and the light hovered.


    I couldn''t see anything other than pipes the deeper it got, eventually it got useless.


    "Ron, look at this." Harry said from around the back side of the statue.


    I walked around to look at what he was talking about and on the side of the statue there was a snake emblem, the same as on the front of the entrance to the chamber.


    "Say whatever you say in the girls bathroom, maybe it''s the same password." I said taking a guess.


    Sure enough another set of stairs rose from the ground, they twisted in the same way that Dumbledore''s gargoyle did. I could tell from the depth of the statue that the stairs ran along the opposite side of the pipes. We squeezed beside each other on the stairs as he hissed another command and it lowered us down further into the chamber.


    My wand was trained and ready as we descended and soon enough we were met with the site of a study. The lanterns on the walls immediately lit up. "Proximity wards are still active, that means others could be too." I said warning Harry of the danger.


    I walked forward first and took in the sight of the room. Immediately when you stepped out of the staircase, there was a table with a few chairs around it, four to be exact. Further into the room seemed to be designed similar to what Dumbledore''s office was in the movies. There were two staircases that ran alongside the walls and led to a raised office. Along the walls were bookshelves filled with perfectly intact books. The middle of the room was decorated with another statue instead of a desk like in the headmasters office. The statue was of an extremely beautiful witch and was standing as if casting a spell, her robes billowed around her. It was an amazing sculpture.


    Harry and I silently moved through the room and we both crept up both of the staircases and paused before we entered the study. I counted down from three with my fingers and we jumped out prepared to curse the first person we saw.


    No one.


    We found a marvelous mahogany desk with a very comfortable looking chair behind it. Behind that was a wall that had multiple windows on it depicting the great lake from the depths, fish swam along it frequently. More books filled the shelves in the walls.


    We both relaxed and put away our wands.


    "What is this place?" Harry asked as we looked around, he grabbed the nearest book off the shelves and stuck his head in it.


    "If I were to guess, this is the real Chamber of Secrets." I answered walking around.


    "Natural magic theory by¡­ no author." Harry read aloud from the book. "What is natural magic?"


    I was quick to look in all of the corners for more symbols of snakes and didn''t find a single one. Good I can''t take another hidden room. I''m starting to hate my knowledge of tropes.


    "I honestly have no idea, maybe how magic appears in nature?" I said in response.


    I continued after I pulled a book off of a shelf and opened it. "This is a perfect place to practice magic ...for you." I answered as I pulled a book off of the shelves and opened it.


    "Why only for me?" Harry asked as he appeared in my line of sight again.


    "Because these books are blank." I said as I looked up and met Harry''s gaze.


    A frown broke across his face as he walked over to me. It didn''t take him long to open the book and reply. "No they aren''t."


    A look of realization appeared on my face mirroring my mind. "You can read them?"


    "Yea, you can''t?"


    Is it the connection with Voldemort that Dumbledore spoke about many times? Or maybe because of his heritage with the Peverell''s, it was definitely mentioned that he was distantly related to Voldemort, who was the heir of Slytherin.


    "No, they must be enchanted to only let parseltongues read them." I lied, unable to think of a way to justify my knowledge of the bloodlines. It might be the truth.


    I could tell that he really didn''t know what to say to that. He had a look of guilt on his face so I decided to put that to rest.


    "It''s alright mate, you have your hidden room ...and I''ve got mine." I said with a grin.


    A/N: Another chapter in the books.


    Thoughts about the rituals? Chamber of Secrets and the hidden room ?


    What do you guys think is the best way to justify Harry being able to see the information in the books? Horcrux? Or distant relation to Slytherin?


    Let me know everything in the reviews!

 Chapter 113 - My CO Stash #13 - A Third Path to the Future by Vimesenthusiast (HarryPotterXMarvel)

    -More Marvel fics for BlazeNirvana~ This fic singlehandedly beats all of the fics in the stash length wise lol. Have fun reading!


    *Harry Potter gets Isekai''d to the Negative Zone but then gets rescued by the Fantastic Four. He''ll be teaching students in Xavier''s School. Quite the badass MC too.


    Sypnosis: Rescued from the Negative Zone by the Fantastic Four, Harry Potter discovers he is a mutant and decides to take up the cause of equality between mutants and humans (among other causes). How will a dimensionally displaced Harry Potter, one who is extremely intelligent, proactive and not afraid to get his hands dirty effect the marvel universe? Pairings: Harry/Jean/Ororo/others pos.


    Rated: M


    Words: 1789K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/9443327/1/A-Third-Path-to-the-Future (Vimesenthusiast)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Susan Richards, AKA the Invisible Woman, normally one of the most level-headed and calm individuals one could ever hope to meet, was at this moment not calm at all. Instead she was irritated, angry, beside herself with worry, and oscillating wildly between wanting to fall down into a sobbing wreck or grabbing her husband to see if she could somehow choke a rubber man. "Reed, why is this taking so long? You had this all set up before those bastards took Franklin! Why is it so difficult to set up again! It''s been three hours since we got home, and he''s been gone for even longer!"


    Those three hours had been the worst in Susan Storm''s life, beating out anything that had happened since the two of them, her brother and Ben Grimm had become the world''s first hero team, the Fantastic Four. That was because her son, Franklin Richards, a healthy, happy, little baby boy had been taken from his cradle by some monster out of the Negative Zone.


    Reed and Susan had gone out on an evening date while Johnny and Ben had both gone out on their own respective dates, leaving Agatha Harkness and Wyatt Wingfoot to mind the store as it were. This should have been overkill, Agatha was a witch of considerable power and Wyatt was a master marksman plus a hand to hand combat expert. Imagine their shock when they came home to find both of their friends unconscious and heavily injured with their baby Franklin missing from his crib.


    Agatha seemed to have succ.u.mbed to some kind of gas, collapsing and smacking her head against a shelf, while Wyatt had simply been pummeled into submission. He had woken up briefly when Johnny found him, informing them that beasts, which he described as winged green things, had come from and escaped back through Reed''s workshop where the dimensional portal was housed.


    Researching the Negative Zone was one of Reed''s ongoing scientific projects and to say it had been a mixed bag was putting it mildly. Apparently the Negative Zone was a universe that lay parallel to their own, not connected to but overlying their own in strange ways, with some similarities and quite a lot of incredibly odd differences. Some of which were, Reed conjectured, that the Big Bang was being reversed in that universe already and that despite the entire Negative Zone being filled with breathable air, the number of actual life forms within was incredibly low. That life was there was not in doubt, just the amount.


    Indeed, the Fantastic family had run afoul of one such being named Annihilus when they were searching for a cosmic control rod to negate the effect of the cosmic impulses of living energy that were interfering with Susan''s pregnancy with their now kidnapped son. Who knew what else the Negative Zone held that Reed had simply not found yet?


    The fact that Reed hadn''t installed any warning devices on the portal to let him know if it activated irritated Susan, but she knew that her husband was sometimes pretty much the poster child of the absent-minded professor. The time he was taking to make certain that the machine was still working was pushing it though, quite a lot.


    In stark contrast to his wife''s current mood, Reed Richards was the epitome of phlegmatic calm. "Susan, it won''t help us or Franklin if we enter the Negative Zone too far away from him to find him quickly. I need to at least roughly calculate the area where the being who took him went. Somehow the machine was used from the other side without any kind of controls in place for said use, and the coordinates changed dramatically from where I had placed them. Quite fascinating, really, how such a remote control could be achieved."


    "Yeah, well it''s a pity that that fascinating discovery of yours has come with my nephew being abducted!" Johnny Storm, Susan''s much younger kid brother said, unconsciously turning on and off his flame power around his fists as he paced around the Baxter building''s lab fifteen. "I really don''t care what they want him for, I''m gonna flamb¨¦ them for taking Franklin."


    "You said it Flame-head," said the family friend Ben Grimm. Ben had been their pilot during the accident that had given the Fantastic Four their powers but had been their friend for far longer. He was the most physically changed of them all, being unable to turn on or off his powers having been transformed into a monstrous orange rock covered Thing, thus his codename.


    "Just another couple more minutes guys, I''ve calculated the position, now I''m creating a tracker so we can follow whoever took our baby."


    "''Whoever took''¡­ Oh come on Reed!" Johnny exclaimed, "It''s Annihilus! He''s probably still got it in for us because of how we stole his cosmic control rod, even if we did return it. Hell even Wyatt''s description matches those of his troops."


    "Extrapolating an answer from limited data does no one any good Johnny." Reed answered. "We''ve only been able to map a very limited area of the Negative Zone, who knows what we will find as we continue to research it."


    Susan growled. "We''re not going to continue researching it, Reed! Or are two injured friends and our missing baby", she emphasized, "not enough to warn you it''s dangerous!"


    For a moment Reed looked fl.u.s.tered, but after a few seconds thought he answered readily. "And that is precisely why we should continue to research it, because we don''t know if it can be a source of help or danger, and may I remind you all if we hadn''t found and explored the negative zone to find the cosmic control rod Franklin might have died stillborn."


    "I''ll admit, however," he said after a moment, "that I needed to take more precautions. I''ll install a heavy security system on both the portal and the lab itself as soon as we get back."


    He turned back to his devices and after a moment he said, "and done."


    With a loud electrical hum the device turned on and a moment later the portal to the negative zone opened in its cradle, the three claw-like nacelles hummed and vibrated as they poured power into the portal. "I wasn''t able to find the exact position where Franklin appeared on the other side, but we are within at least two miles of it. Ben you lead off, the rest of us will follow. Remember, the negative zone is practically empty of most matter as we define the term, so it will be like being in midair. You''ll need to use your rocket packs to move. Our mobility and speed will be limited in space without them."


    Johnny grinned, flaming to full power. "You slowpokes might need those things but not this hero, later guys!" And with that he flew off the floor and sped through the portal.


    The Thing grunted and followed after, the seriousness of the current crisis making him unable to even come up with a witty comeback to the flame-brain. Susan and Reed followed quickly, leaving a barely mobile Wyatt behind to watch the controls.


    Reed''s estimate of the time it would take them to follow the trail was off by quite a bit. Slowed down by their reliance on their thrusters, the Fantastic Foursome had been traveling through the negative zone following Reed with his scanner for what seemed like two or maybe even three hours without seeing anything of their target. It was just as Susan was about to lose her temper that they came upon a body.


    It was very definitely a body, there was no way a person, even a being with green scales and fangs could live with a large piece of what looked like granite stuck straight through their chest and out their back. Johnny, who had taken to ranging all around the slower trio, was hovering next to the corpse waiting for them to catch up. "I think we can definitely say that it was Annihilus who took Frankie now, can''t we?"


    Reed sighed and nodded. "Yes, his followers were a part of this. Pity I thought he was a more cautious sort. Trying to attack us like this doesn''t seem his style." Unless what he had to gain overrode his caution, Reed mused. "I wonder if Annihilus himself is involved as well. With his cosmic control rod, he is a formidable threat."


    "Quit your jawing and let''s get moving." The Thing grunted. "If we have to throw down with Annihilus because of this, then he''ll learn what ''clobberin'' time'' really means!"


    Susan forged ahead silently, wondering what the death of the creature meant for her Franklin.


    It was another hour and the debris field had started to close up, giving them more camouflage against prying eyes but slowing them down. About fifteen to twenty minutes later, it was hard to tell in the Negative Zone, the four began to hear the mutter of voices ahead of them, or at least a voice. The voice was speaking, oddly enough, in a clipped British accent. The foursome paused as the words became intelligible, struck dumb by the incongruence of such a strangely soothing and normal sound against the backdrop of the Negative Zone.


    "And that''s the last of them, little mate. I wonder what old green skin wants with you so bad to send out so many of his troops against me of all people. I thought I''d bloody well taught him better than that! Oh, well needs must."


    The next noise they heard was a happy baby gurgle, again a strange sound against the backdrop all around them, but this time it sparked a movement from all four. Susan took the lead despite her husband trying to grab her, shooting around the asteroid they had been hiding behind. The sight that greeted her was so wonderful she almost cried.


    Standing on top of an oddly shaped rock formation hanging in the middle of a floating field of broken bodies and debris, was a young man dressed in a black body suit from the neck down with bright, almost luminous green eyes and wild black hair. One hand was loose at his side while the other was waggling his fingers at the object that held her attention. Her baby Franklin was laying on his head and the baby was cooing and pulling at the young man''s hair. From where she was moving towards them, she couldn''t even see a single mark on Franklin. Frantic relief stopped her throat for a moment and she simply jetted forward, with the others after her.


    The man hadn''t noticed their presence yet still speaking to the baby on his head. "And can I say again what a wonderful presence you''ve been in my life for the past week? It was such a bore not having an audience that would appreciate my sense of humor and technique. Though if I didn''t know the spells to dispose of waste it would be a different story and we''d be having a much different conversation, little mate."


    The baby noticed the approaching foursome first and started cooing and waving his fat little hands frantically from his perch. The young man looked around as Susan finally got control of her voice and shouted "My baby, Frankie you''re all right!"


    The man''s eyes widened momentarily and then he smirked a little. "Well I have to say I didn''t expect anyone to be able to come after the little tyke. You must be his mother, Madame." And he bowed in a slightly formal manner towards the blonde woman, not bothering to remove the baby from his head as he seemed to be stuck there by some force. As she came closer he took a moment to assess her, and very purposefully bit his tongue. In his opinion she was a MILF but he wasn''t going to comment on it out loud. Even after five years alone in this place he had slightly more sense than that. Not a lot more sense, but some. Now if she turns out not to be married to any of the blokes behind her that''ll be a different story.


    As Susan came forward the young man undid whatever was holding Franklin in place on his head then held out the baby to her whereupon she grasped Franklin and pulled him to her in a grateful embrace. The other three came forward as Susan started to ignore her surroundings to check on her baby and just generally cuddle with him in relief, with the baby responding enthusiastically in return apparently none the worse for his adventure.


    Reed took a moment to take in what had obviously been a battlefield not too long ago. There seemed to be fifteen of Annihilus''s followers scattered, and he used the word with feeling, around. He could literally not tell how many of them there had been originally, there were far too many pieces. A few seemed to have been somehow converted to other things, somehow transfigured from living to nonliving matter. The outcrop of spinning rock that the young man was standing on seemed to be one such.


    Some of them had been turned to glass then shattered others had been impaled or simply exploded. One, oddly enough, looked as if it had been dressed in a clown outfit then crucified onto another that had been transformed into wood formed into a crucifix shape. He wondered what kind of ability the young man had that could have done all this. Perhaps he is a mutant like Xavier or some of the others we have met in the past two years. I wonder how he arrived in the Negative Zone?


    The young man looked at the trio and his smirk if anything widened after taking in their odd appearance, showing little to no surprise at any of them. "If you don''t mind me saying so I think I''ll let you," he pointed at Ben, "take out the next group that shows up old boy. They''re a bit more in your weight class than mine and I could do with a break."


    Ben grinned, liking this kid already. "Sure thing. Thanks fer finding and looking after our little guy there."


    "I''ll help!" Johnny said, a little miffed that his own appearance didn''t cause some kind of reaction from the other young man. He was, y''know, on fire after all! In fact, the other man looked so calm and accepting of their appearance that it was a little weird.


    "And if I ever need to start a fire, I''ll know where to go", the green eyed man said, waving his fingers a little.


    Johnny looks down at himself and realized that he wasn''t on fire anymore, and he floundered in midair having lost all propulsion. "What did you do?"


    "Just a little flame freeze charm, my friend. After all," he said sententiously "secondhand smoke is bad for babies." Johnny growled a little and the green eyed man shrugged. "Sorry chum, but I''ve got a thing against blond pretty boys and unfortunately you look like their poster child. This will be the first of many pranks, I warn you."


    Ben broke out into loud guffaws as Susan recovered enough of her presence to join Reed in thanking the young man. He simply smiled and held up a hand. "No thanks necessary, after all I didn''t think he was one of them when I saw Annihilus'' boys carting him off, wrong color and species for that. Besides, he''s been quite the pleasant company for the past week. After five years trapped in this zone it''s become a bit boring, don''t you know."


    "Five years!", Susan gasped then paused. "A week! It''s only been a few hours, maximum of twelve, since he was taken!"


    The young man and Reed answered at the same time. "Time moves differently in the negative zone." Then they looked at each other and the young man grinned. "I don''t suppose I could catch a lift to the old sandbox can I? And how did you lot get in here anyway?"


    "The portal is one of my inventions, and I''ve been researching the Negative Zone for some time, though I''m sorry to say I never saw evidence there was a human trapped here." Reed replied.


    "Portal and you said the heathen word ''research''," the black haired man mused aloud, "so that means you''re not wizards. Don''t suppose I could ask you to give me the year and the date could I?"


    "It''s the year 19**. We came through from San Francisco where the Baxter Building, our home is located," Susan answered. "But what do you mean when you say wizards?" Agatha was a witch and they knew about magic, but she didn''t use any spells that could account for the variety of wreckage around them.


    "I should''ve expected you were Yanks by your accents. And as for magic, that''s how I got here, and trust me, where I''m from I could count the number of magic users on one hand that knew what the scientific method was. I suppose you could call me a victim of a dishonest government and the media it controlled. There was a civil war and I decided to ''gasp'' actually fight it rather than simply assume that the corrupt government that the narcissistic bigots I was fighting controlled would actually put prosecute them after they were caught."


    "But after the big baddy was put down the bloody bastards in power decided they had no need of me. Before they could decide to have me killed in any of the esoteric ways they had access to I decided to take a leap of faith and go through what they called the Veil of Death. But either it wasn''t that way for me personally, which wouldn''t be the first time I''ve broken the rules of magic, they''re not so much rules you understand as guidelines, or they were just wrong, wouldn''t be the first time for that either."


    As Reed was wondering about their new acquaintances psychological state Susan suddenly brought her hand up to her mouth. "Oh, I''m sorry we haven''t even introduced ourselves. This is Franklin, who you''ve already met obviously. I''m Susan, this is my husband Reed, that is our friend Ben, and my brother Johnny. And yes, I''m sure we can give you a lift back to Earth. Though I have to say that what you''re describing doesn''t sound at all familiar."


    "Yes, well, it probably wouldn''t. The odds of you coming from the same Earth I''m from are¡­." the boy looked to the distance for a moment as he tried to calculate the odds.


    Reed beat him to the punch however by simply stating "One to the 10,000 percentile. The Negative Zone interacts with and overlaps nearly all ''real'' realities. You''re probably just from one of the others, which means that whatever crimes you committed, they wouldn''t have any impact on your living on our Earth. You will have to explain those in depth later, If not to us then to Agatha Harkness, she''s our nanny for Franklin and a sorceress, so she knows about magical things."


    "An excellent thought!", the man said. "Oh, you asked who I am. My name''s Harry Potter, formerly known as the ''destined one'' by people whose brains were much smaller than a match box. Pleased to meet you."


    Warning, Prepare for an Info dump! Those who don''t care about Harry''s background need not read ¨C fandom clich¨¦s galore


    From the moment he returned to it, Harry Potter was never what anyone in the wizarding world expected him to be. But it was thought by those that survived the Civil War and had known him at all, that it was Hermione Granger''s death that truly threw him round the twist.


    Harry was not a brave dauntless Gryffindor or even a loyal Hufflepuff, savior of the light. For one thing, Harry was intelligent, as in very intelligent. After he had made an agreement with the teachers to never share his grades with his relatives, who did not need another reason to hate him (they could made up reasons all on their own, thank you very much) he routinely scored in the upper one percentile in the nation on every test he took in school. It was only the need for parental permission that stopped him from skipping several grades, but this did not stop him learning.


    Harry spent as much time as possible in the library learning and as such was known as the brightest kid in the school by every teacher that taught him, but the secret was well kept from his relatives. It almost became like a conspiracy of silence in direct retaliation to what the teachers assumed was a conspiracy somewhere else. A few of the teachers had previously tried to help young Harry when they noticed fresh bruises and other marks on his body when he moved around. Some of them had even noticed how underfed he always looked. They soon found however that for some reason something or other was protecting his relatives from prosecution.


    One of the teachers in fact had gone to two different social workers, and found out later that both had been moved to different districts. The teacher himself would have forgotten about the entire thing if he hadn''t found his notes on the abuse he had made over the school year on his computer. Another civil worker had it much worse however and it was what happened to Mr. Palancy that really told Harry someone was out to keep him down.


    Mr. Palancy was a civil worker who lived in the area and he tried several dozen times to do something about Harry. He would start proceedings against his guardians and even sometimes get Harry away from his relatives for a short time. Then something would happen, and he would be left with nothing but his computerized notes of the events. As he kept on trying, the memory loss grew worse and he was driven slowly insane.


    Harry would later learn that this was done by Albus Dumbledore because he felt that the protection that living with his blood relative gave the young boy was worth any price. When he found out about this, Harry disagreed, he disagreed most vehemently.


    So, Harry came into the wizarding world knowing not only that he had an enemy out there that was using magic, but also about magic itself. After all, you can only spend so much time in a library until you figure out that the strange occurrences happening around you all the time (bones healing in a night, cuts healing a little faster, living through having your head smashed by a frying pan, and teleporting away from your cousin when he''s playing his favorite game of Harry hunting with his mates) before you realize that what is happening is magical.


    From there it was a small step to trying to control what he could do with magic. Two years and more of controlling his magic and researching the effects had an effect; later he was almost always able to perform spells wandless after a bit of practice.


    But more than his magical ability what really changed him was his relationship with the local librarian and those teachers who were in the know about what was going on. His teachers became his friends, the librarian his confidant, and his intelligence their secret pleasure to cultivate.


    Yet for all this, it was the events on the Hogwarts express showed the wizarding world the mind that Harry had thus developed. Because it was here he met his first friend his own age in the person of Hermione Granger.


    Harry knew of Hermione from their scholastic records, they routinely fought over the first position score in their grades in the country. Thankfully it was a friendly competition and their recently begun correspondence had hinted that they would be meeting at Hogwarts, though of course neither of them had come out and said it. Their "So what is magic" conversation, however, showed how analytical their minds were and eventually dragged in several dozen Ravenclaws who overheard their discussion.


    One Ronald Weasley and one Draco Malfoy attempted to enter their compartment intending to become friends or otherwise influence Harry Potter only to be scared away by some of the terms the two were exchanging such as ''mass exchange'', ''energy to matter'' and ''matter to matter conversion'', and ''conservation'' of said items as well as ''atoms'' and ''quantum''. When ''quantum'' is mentioned most people run for the hills.


    Their conversation continued all the way up until Hermione had to put on the hat and with it still in her mind there was no way in hell the hat would put her anywhere but in Ravenclaw. Hermione was a little disappointed by this hoping to have gone into the same house as Dumbledore, but her disappointment didn''t last long as Harry was sorted in with her.


    Thus the plans of Albus Dumbledore and Voldermort were both thrown for a loop. They were not faced with an adventurous, courageous and above all headstrong Gryffindor. They were faced with an affable, incredibly intelligent, inquisitive, and very determined young man who knew that he could not trust anyone in authority in the magic world until he figured out who his enemies were.


    When classes began, both Harry and Hermione were disappointed at the speed the classes were supposed to go. After all both mastered the spells involved in the classroom within ten minutes of being allowed to attempt them, and thus thought that others should be able to master them that quickly. Helping their fellows became second nature and their rewards in points would make Ravenclaw the winner of the house cup the next three years.


    Harry also took it upon himself to keep a record of every abuse of power, malicious insult, and bullying that any student or teacher did in his time in his first year there. Over that summer this list, anonymously sent out to parents and to the Wizarding Examinations Authority, forced Albus Dumbledore to use a lot of his political capital with the light aligned families to keep Severus Snape as a teacher and drove an even larger wedge between him and the neutrals. By all rights the evidence Harry had collected, including written testimonies from some of the upper years as well as his own year from every house save Slytherin, should''ve gotten Severus Snape put in jail for child abuse/endangerment, but that would not serve Albus Dumbledore''s purpose and so could not be allowed.


    The year''s disappointments for Albus did not stop with Harry being sorted into Ravenclaw. The invisibility cloak he''d hoped to use to keep track of the boy, via the tracking charm he placed with extreme difficulty on it, sat unused in the boy''s specially created library trunk for as long as Harry was in school. At least it sat there as far as he knew, because in his third year, Harry learned how to move the tracking spell and put it on a book in his library, enabling him to use the cloak to his advantage. But that would happen later.


    That first year there were no adventures, no Gryffindor charging forward, only slow, methodical gathering of information and knowledge, as Harry began to build up his knowledge base of the magical world in order to find out who had placed him with people who wanted him dead or, at best, broken, which would have succeeded were it not for his teachers and the public librarian. There was a troll incident, but it occurred to other students, not Harry or Hermione, who were sitting silent vigil for his parents in the Ravenclaw dorms. Thus Albus was forced to fight Voldemort himself, who had no way of knowing of the power that Harry still possessed.


    It was in second year, a year filled with Dobby created danger, as Harry had joined the Quidditch team making him an easy target for Dobby''s ill-conceived plans to get him to leave Hogwarts, when the rest of the school realized that Harry really was different from anything that they are expected. When Gilderoy Lockhart who, despite Harry, Hermione and several other Ravenclaws (mostly boys admittedly) finding disconcerting evidence of fabrication in his stories, was still a teacher, hosted a dueling completion things got out of hand. A snake was summoned by Draco Malfoy which then tried to bite a nearby student. Harry, who honestly had come to laugh at everyone else, saved the boy by speaking to the snake in parseltongue. This immediately caused him to be labeled Dark (whatever the hell that was, Harry did not like generalities, and he liked oversimplification even less) by more than half the school.


    Later he was accused to his face of being the much thought of and feared Heir of Slytherin, who had used his ''fell powers'' to assault Mr. Flitch and his cat. In Harry''s opinion this was simply the removal of one bully from the school. There were still several that had to be removed to make it an actual school rather than a giant sociological experiment run by the man in the disturbing robes.


    In point of fact he had attempted to go to a different school of magic over the summer, but as one was known for teaching only purebloods (and he wasn''t leaving Hermione behind), another was in North America and he couldn''t get a passport, and the third was French he had unfortunately been forced to continue attending Hogwarts. His campaign to have Severus Snape removed as a teacher however, had produced a result; he no longer personally had to take classes with him. That didn''t bother the rest of the sheep of the school so much as when he laughed at them when some of them called him the Heir of Slytherin.


    It wasn''t a malicious laugh or a laugh of contempt it was simply a full blown belly laugh, like they had said the funniest or stupidest thing he''d ever heard. When he recovered himself enough to respond he simply pointed and said, "This is my best friend. Perhaps you haven''t noticed." Hermione Granger blushed at the attention, but grinned at the sentiment as well as the faces of the onlookers.


    "Who. Is. A. Muggleborn" Harry went on slowly and succinctly. When no one responded he walked off with Hermione still laughing leaving the rest of the school feeling rather silly about the whole affair.


    Harry however, did notice that none of the teachers had even attempted to quell the rumors or control it in the first place. That put another checkmark alongside his ''don''t trust anybody in power'' rule. As did the school remaining open when Hermione and several others were found petrified outside the library weeks later. It would take him days of sitting by her still form in a silent vigil to notice the small scrap of paper in her head, something that he later castigated himself over most severely.


    When the Heir of Slytherin struck again, dragging Ginny Weasley, a Gryffindor (though for some reason that had angered her a lot when she was sorted), into the Chamber of Secrets the school learned that Harry also had quite a bit of courage. Why else would he attempt to fight a twenty meter long basilisk armed only with his wand and a sword rather than go and tell the teachers?


    Of course he didn''t trust the teachers at all at this point, not even professors Flitwick and McGonagall, who had gone out of their way to help Harry and Hermione along in their studies of advanced magic. (It could also have been because he thought the heir would have put up a ward against anyone who couldn''t speak parseltongue; that was what he would have done after all.)


    A normal second year student could never have defeated a basilisk whatever he was armed with. Harry however, was very intelligent with a very good knowledge of spells and chemistry. Studying chemistry and mechanics were his dreams for the future, magic had really quite lost its l.u.s.ter for him, and Hermione wanted to be a physics major with a minor in engineering.


    Therefore he entered armed with one wand and one homemade hand grenade, made by careful transfiguration and several kitchen ingredients he''d asked the house elves for. However, once the beast appeared after the obligatory boasting, the hand grenade didn''t do much other than blind the beast. But that enabled him enough time to reach the sorting hat, dropped by a helpful Fawkes who then finished off the basilisks eyes, and pull out the Sword of Gryffindor that he had known was in there since talking to the hat at his sorting.


    The Heir of Gryffindor after all should know where his sword was, especially if he already had an enemy to hunt down. The beast could still smell him however, and Harry had never made a study of snakes. The beast charged forward and even though he dodged, bit him in the arm. Harry struck at the same time, plunging the Sword of Gryffindor into the roof of the snake''s mouth and hence into its brain box.


    Harry collapsed from the pain but during the gloating, Harry simply summoned the cursed diary to him and stabbed it with the sword, which had absorbed the poison from the basilisk''s mouth, making it one of the deadliest weapons in the world. On a whim, he also cast a spell he had read about in a book in the library, Praedia Bellica.


    Despite it being used on a spirit, it worked. The shades magical power and spell knowledge became his. He now knew the man who killed his parents was still alive and more about the process than he really wanted to know. It would take him months to sort through all the memories and realize this however.


    A few Phoenix tears later, and he was well enough to levitate Ginny into the air and carry her out of the Chamber of Secrets. He rebuffed all offers of aid, simply pointing back over his shoulder where the chamber lay open for all to see, wanting everyone to know what the danger had been and that it was over.


    Albus Dumbledore later attempted to control the rumors, but in the end Harry was lauded as a savior by nearly everyone in the magical world. The teachers all came under severe criticism for not having solved the problem or even found out what it was. Albus himself was saved from this by fortuitously being away from the school thanks to Malfoy Sr.''s machinations. It still took him the entire summer to get things back to normal.


    Third year was little better from the so-called ''leader of light''s'' position. First, Harry rebuffed all attempts from Remus Lupin to get close to him, citing that any person who would''ve abandoned the child of his best friend regardless of extenuating circ.u.mstances was not someone he wanted in his life. Harry was very much a one strike you''re out sort of person, at least with a.d.u.l.ts. He tended to be more lenient with children, who in his opinion, were immature and thus could still learn from their mistakes. Not even offering to help Harry learn the Patronus spell helped, as Harry and Hermione had already learned it after encountering the dementors on the train.


    He knew about Remus from a certain large black dog he had befriended after it had scared off his cousin when he and his crew was out ''Harry hunting''. This and the trust it built for the man in that form allowed him to befriend Sirius Black before school even began, and between the two of them they were able to out Peter Pettigrew without Remus Lupin''s involvement at all. Severus Snape, in what would be his final act as a Hogwarts teacher, burst in on the scene in the empty classroom to, in his own words ''save the idiotic Gryffindor Ravenclaw'' from his own stupidity''.


    The fact that this allowed Peter Pettigrew to escape was a final straw for Harry. This time he went straight to Madam Bones of the DMLE and the Daily Prophet with everything he had collected about Severus Snape and the other bullies at Hogwarts. Severus Snape was soon not only canned but in jail despite Dumbledore''s best efforts to save his spy.


    The point he had made about Severus purposefully failing anyone outside of Slytherin who wanted to pass the potions NEWT, which was a prerequisite of becoming an Auror had been the deciding factor. Even Fudge, as spineless a politico as there ever was, would not budge on his removal after that came out. After all, corrupt the Ministry may be, but it still needed a police force.


    Amidst this circus Remus Lupin proved Harry right not to trust him by slinking back away when the Prophet, doing an expose on Hogwarts, revealed him to be a werewolf. He dis this without making any attempt to reconcile with Harry beyond the first time. This act of cowardice forever ended any chance of reconciliation between the Marauders.


    Next year worked out much more satisfactorily for all the key players but Harry. Despite not even being in the hall when the goblet was lit, Harry was chosen as a champion. (If you must know he was making out with Hermione, the girl having just agreed to be his girlfriend.) To say he was miffed at having his plans for a normal year disrupted is an understatement. His swift and public denouncement of his placement in the tournament along with the magical oath proving his innocence kept most of the sheeple on his side however.


    The contests continued apace, and Moody was oddly helpful year round, something that made Harry distrust him all the more. Harry did not go out of his way to rub his superiority in his opponent''s nose, having gotten to know Fleur and the others and not wanting to let anyone know that his studies in all types of magic had continued at an even faster clip with Sirius''s assistance. (Sirius was by this point living in a specially warded trunk that connected to Harry''s library trunk and to Potterstead, the ancestral home of the Potters. It had taken Harry, Sirius and Hermione weeks to make.)


    At this point Harry confided in Sirius and Hermione what he had found out from Riddle''s shade in second year. Sirius explained what a horcrux was, how to detect them and, more importantly how to destroy them. The Black family library was quite extensive when it came to Dark Arts. While the kids were in school he returned to his ancestral home and to his shock found a horcrux there, possessed by the elf Kreacher. A visit to an empty lot and a barely controlled fiendfyre spell later, Riddle was down a second horcrux.


    During the last event Cedric offered to share the cup with Harry. He was touched and agreed, which led to Cedric''s death and Voldemort''s resurrection. That Harry was able to capture Peter Pettigrew and escape thanks to a flash bang and specially ensorcelled contact lenses was no consolation. Harry didn''t even bother trying to get anyone to believe Riddle was back, merely saying they had been ambushed by someone who wanted to restart Voldemort''s war. Dumbledore tried to get him to say that it was Voldemort, but he refused, citing the panic of Fudge at what he had already said.


    The fact that everyone from Dumbledore on down wanted to question him about what happened but that he wasn''t even offered counseling for witnessing his friend''s death further hardened Harry and Hermione''s views of the wizarding world. It was during that summer however, that both Dumbledore and Voldemort would make their most serious mistake.


    Through all of his studies and adventures Hermione Granger had been Harry''s constant companion. Indeed, throughout their time in Hogwarts the teachers who knew his parents looked upon the pair with smiles and growing delight at what they saw as the new James and Lily as their friendship blossomed into romance. Together, they broke down house barriers as easily as scholastic records, and were very, very dangerous. This was why she was targeted by Voldemort, who wanted to send a message to Harry that he may have snatched a small victory from defeat but he was still vulnerable in other ways.


    It is also why Dumbledore, warned ahead of time by his newly freed spy Severus, that the assault was going to occur allowed it to go forward without any defense. He had no control on Harry because of his seeming happiness with his family life, nor could Dumbledore see what the boy was thinking. Harry had learned an odd mode of occlumency, which was simply organizing his brain into a library trunk like the one he owned then covering it with a mental invisibility cloak. Dumbledore couldn''t even find his mind let alone see inside it, and looking into Hermione''s mind was even worse as she had used the image of a computer and computer files to organize her mind.


    Dumbledore needed a handle on Harry and without Hermione''s support, who was just a mudblood when all was said and done, he hoped the boy would turn to him, who Harry had always been respectful but not subservient to. Thus it was that mere days into the summer before what would have been their fifth year Hermione Granger died at the hands of Draco Malfoy, new inductee of the Death Eaters, and Severus Snape, who had previously enjoyed himself with her imperiused mother.


    It was after he came upon this traumatic scene that Harry Potter decided that if no one else was going to play by the rules that he sure as hell wasn''t either. The first thing he did was get in touch with his friends, informing them of what had happened and asking them to meet him in mundane London.


    His group was quite eclectic, but very close knit. They included Neville Longbottom, the Weasley twins, Daphne Greengrass and her girlfriend Tracy Davis as well as her cover wizard Blaize who was actually engaged to a witch in Italy. The Patil sisters and the most quirky blonde to ever attend Hogwarts, Luna Lovegood had joined the group in their third year. He informed them of what happened, that Voldemort was back and what happened to Hermione. He told them that he was going to take the fight to him in as many ways as possible. They asked where they could sign up.


    Sirius Black, who thanks to Peter Pettigrew''s Veritaserum induced confession was cleared of all charges, had a title of nobility in the mundane world. He used it to get an audience with the Queen, who was, despite never using her power, technically still the head of the magical government. After that meeting he and his godson''s friends received all the help they wanted in the way to training. The new Marauders received training in tactics and strategy by squibs who had gone into the military plus SAS specialists that taught them how to use guns, knives and other weapons.


    Harry proved a master at it, his defense against the dark arts grades had been excellent as had his transformation, and he had kept in shape his entire life. The others had some problems, but not many. Learning all this and preparing a few creations he and Hermione had thought up using runes and mundane inventions took some time to prepare but after eight weeks of training they were ready.


    One of their first missions was the capture of Severus Snape, who would be their only prisoner to be used at a later date against his masters. The group, wearing mundane Halloween masks of different creatures targeted several other death eaters who had recently escaped from Azkaban, including Sirius''s own cousin and her husband when they went back to the Lestrange manor. The news of this vigilante group taking down escaped prisoners with lethal force spread and garnered mixed reviews.


    Dumbledore for one began a public campaign against the group that stated they were Dark, and it was merely a power struggle between two Dark groups. As he had no evidence that Harry, still technically living with the Dursleys, it was a general attack on the group.


    Harry publicly responded in the Daily Prophet via a note that had been in ensorcelled to be unchangeable and would self-destruct if they attempted to tamper with it. The manager of the Daily Prophet decided that the boost in sales was worth it and ran it despite the fact that it basically ripped apart Albus Dumbledore and the ''Greater Good''.


    "Justice", Harry said, in his persona of the Falcon, the leader of the New Marauders, "is blind but it is neither kind nor forgiving of all sins. If one does wrong and is sorry for it that is one thing, but if one does wrong and is forgiven without feeling sorrow or showing regret that is not justice. You are merely enabling the perpetrator to continue his or her crimes."


    Unfortunately Harry''s point was not well received by the majority of people who thought that Albus Dumbledore could walk on water. Worse, it was not well thought of by the Ministry in general, who knew they were corrupt and didn''t care. From its inception the ministry had been corrupt, made to only serve the interests of those already in power and very little had changed since.


    Voldemort, still desiring anonymity for now, used a pack of werewolves and a few expendable death eaters on several attacks on key targets. Madam Bones died with her niece in an assault on their manor, leaving the corrupt Fudge unchallenged in the ministry. Other families, mostly muggleborn or halfbloods were also targeted. Harry and his group did what they could but could only be in one place at a time, not wanting to split their group up in case of trouble.


    Dumbledore''s group always arrived too late to help, damaging his standing with the muggleborns, and this began an exodus of said group from the magical world that continued for several years. No one in power cared though, and it went unremarked as Fudge''s propaganda machine shut down any mention of the attacks, stifling Dumbledore who wanted people to realize that Voldemort was back.


    Harry and his group responded to these attacks by taking out the entire Malfoy family and casting Praedia Bellica while doing so. Harry and Sirius attacked them when they went to Gringotts for a meeting dealing with the Black gold, while the rest of the New Marauders kept the aurors busy. Harry avenged his lady, then spent the rest of the day getting drunk and remembering the good times they had.


    Next Harry tried again to destroy Dumbledore''s public support by walking into the Wizarding Wireless tower and interviewing via Veritaserum the bound Severus Snape about his involvement with in Hermione''s death, the Death Eaters, and Dumbledore. It was at that point that Harry was forced to flee from arriving aurors under Minster Fudge''s orders to arrest him. It was enough however to get Dumbledore removed from Hogwarts as well as Head of the Wizengamot.


    With Dumbledore gone, Fudge worked to quell and contain the panic, saying that Harry was wrong, that it was only someone pretending to be Voldemort. The purebloods despite the evidence to the contrary believed him. The muggleborns and halfbloods, however, began to flee the magical world in droves.


    Despite having no evidence, Dumbledore became convinced at this point that Harry was somehow involved and determined to get some answers he tried the direct approach, attacking Harry near the library that had become his home after his first year (no way was Harry going to stay with the Dursleys any longer than he had to, but he still needed to be in the area so Dumbledore didn''t realize he wasn''t). When he did he ran into something Hermione and Harry had devised, a high tech polymer and Kevlar bodysuit that was enhanced by runic protections and various magically powered enhancements.


    When Albus tried to stun Harry to transport him somewhere else the spell did nothing but alert Harry to his presence. Astonished at the failure of his assault Dumbledore didn''t even try to dodge Harry''s attack, and thus Harry acquired an extra wand. He left Dumbledore there to be arrested later for loitering.


    A few days later Snape died in prison, tortured to death by a fellow death Eater for betraying his master''s secrets.


    Despite all this Harry and his group was forced by magically enforced law to go back to Hogwarts, and they decided to go along to keep their anonymity for a few months longer. Thankfully with Dumbledore and Snape no longer there it was a far better school with McGonagall as head mistress, even with several suspected Death Eaters among the students there.


    Harry devoted himself to his studies once more, but his friends wouldn''t let him disappear into his books. Daphne Greengrass, who had become Hermione''s best female friend and academic rival, was determined to make Harry remember there was more to life than fighting, and dragged Harry into the social life of Hogwarts. She pushed him to date and hang out with his friends rather than brood and study. His other friends, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom and Padma and Parvati Patil joined in the effort wholeheartedly.


    All of them pointed out to him that Hermione would want him to move on with his life, and dating was a part of that. It helped that he was among the most fanciable boys in the school, and that both Padma and Luna wanted to see what would happen if they dated him. The result was that Harry changed from a broody dangerous boy back to his somewhat normal self, with the addition of hormones. Harry had a lot of fun and a lot of kisses and dates for a few months while Sirius and his one remaining cousin and her family spent their time battling with Gringotts'' lawyers, eventually getting access to the Lestrange vault, where they found and destroyed another horcrux.


    A few months later Harry found a convenient room for his dates that the elves called the Come and Go room. Any room he or his current date wanted, it could create. Imagine his surprise when he found a room with countless old magical objects for him to study. When he came upon a diadem that made his scar hurt however, he knew what to do. He called for the sword of Gryffindor and slashed the thing in two.


    The only hiccup to Harry''s first two semesters back at Hogwarts came when someone tried to poison him (Pansy Parkinson, a true Slytherin used an imperiused Hufflepuff first year to poison Harry''s food to avenge her Drakky). She, in fact, succeeded and Harry died, for a given value of dead. Thanks to the horcrux in his scar, he was stuck in limbo and there given a choice.


    He was able to see Hermione, who told him to move on with his life and to live for both of them, and ''by Morgana Harry Potter, find something to do with your life that doesn''t involve fighting!'' After this Harry felt his magical power quadruple as the limiters Dumbledore placed on him as a baby faded upon his ''death''. Harry was now one of the most powerful wizards on the planet, though he didn''t advertise the fact.


    Unfortunately the war continued despite the government''s continued assurance that it wasn''t actually happening. With the ministry so incompetent, Voldemort decided to go after his other enemies. The Order of the Plucked Chicken began to die. Dumbledore, having been badly cursed when he destroyed one horcrux, without the elder wand and outside the protection of Hogwarts was easy meat for Riddle.


    Riddle after that began his campaign of terror anew, and with the ministry desperate to cover it up nothing was done to fight back, leaving Harry and his friends to once more take to the field. Unfortunately Riddle was expecting them. When the group responded to an attack on Hogsmeade they were ambushed with nearly all of Riddle''s forces, his wizards, giants, and werewolves. The dementors were elsewhere, sowing terror among the muggles, who had no defense against their aura.


    The battle was fierce, violent, and deadly for both sides, neither one taking prisoners, but with Harry having taught them all tactics and above all teamwork, his side was slowly able to retreat until Riddle did the unthinkable.


    This ambush had been an all or nothing gamble, with Voldemort out in the open for the first time, and wanting to sow the most terror he could, so that he could then take over without a fight. But if his enemies escaped, he would be seen as fallible, as something others could fight. Seeing Harry and his friends retreating in good order out of the anti-apparition zone he had placed around the town and knowing he had to end them now before they could rally the rest of the magical world against him, he did what no other Dark Lord had ever done.


    Slaying two nearby students he pulled their dead bodies to him and used their blood in a ritual to open a gateway to the demon realm. Demons poured out and began to rip into the new Marauders from behind. Harry aghast, watched as his friends and teachers died around him and something inside him snapped. He began to attack the demons not with spells but raw magic, forcing them back, slaying and killing demon and enemy alike as he came. He never even noticed when one of his magic bolts struck and slew Voldemort at last, his snake Nagini having been killed by Sirius earlier in the battle.


    He continued to fight until the demons Voldemort summoned all lay dead or had retreated screaming back into the portal, closing it behind them. Harry stood alone on a battlefield with the dead and the dying. Not one of his friends lived through the demon assault, yet around him the townsfolk who had hidden themselves as the fight began came out of hiding, awestruck at the carnage. Some of them even began to clap or cheer, but Harry''s glare, seen clearly now as his mask had been sliced off his face during the battle, stopped them.


    Harry then went about caring for the dead and preparing them for burial, or cremation if there wasn''t enough left. This broke him inside, and once his grisly task was accomplished, Harry went to the headmaster''s tower intending to throw himself from the window, his will to live gone with his friends. He was stopped by the sight of Fawkes waiting for him in full splendor, bearing a ring.


    Wearily, he put it on and Fawkes alighted on his shoulder. Somehow understanding what the bird wanted, Harry poured his power into the ring, and was astonished to see the ghosts of all his departed friends appear before him. None of them wanted him to join him just yet, and all of them wanted him to find a new life for himself. When he replied he couldn''t stay here, they informed him that in that case, he should find someplace else to go.


    It took him several weeks to recover enough to think of anything but joining his friends; yet with their remonstrations ringing in his ears, that was no longer an option. Yet, Harry knew that no matter where he went in either the muggle or wizarding world, he would never be left alone. In the time it took him to recover the ''Daily Propaganda'' had quickly gone to work, saying that the battle hadn''t been between a light group and a Dark, but between two Dark forces because of the deaths both sides had caused.


    The ministry would not allow for someone as powerful as he was to not be under their control and the public, which feared the cure as much as the disease, called for his exile or incarceration. There were numerous calls for the Dark Lord Potter to be arrested already, and they would only grow once the purebloods in power learned how powerful he was magically and monetarily thanks to taking over the Black and Malfoy fortunes.


    Harry then decided to leave it to chance, whether he would go to some other world/dimension or die. He had heard of the Veil of Death hidden in the ministry, and read a treatise by one of his ancestors that said the Veil might not be to the land of death but a doorway to another dimension. Harry decided that that would be what would decide his fate, but he would prepare as if anything could happen.


    It took him months to prepare, and his sixteenth birthday came and went as he did. He went through all his family heirlooms and decided which he wanted to take. He took a month to gather potions and other supplies. He then took all of his family''s gold from Gringotts and all of his books, all of his notes on runes and wards and placed it all in a storage trunk (his library trunk having been destroyed in his pocket saving him from a magical blast in the last battle), which he shrunk and put it in a pocket inside his body armor ensorcelled to have a permanent notice-me-not aura.


    He then tried to say goodbye to Hedwig, but she was having none of it. She would follow her human come what may. Harry didn''t have the heart to try and leave her or knock her out, which he''d have to do if he tried to leave her. Defeated he allowed her to sit on his shoulder and they were off.


    Harry then walked calmly into the Ministry. With his special suit repaired and his defenses on full power they couldn''t do anything to stop him and soon a huge crowd gathered, following him around as he descended into the Department of Mysteries. Some still tried to stop him, but his defenses ate their spells and he simply walked on. The crowd halted in the room that held the Veil and looked on awed as Harry, not even slowing, walked up to it. He stared into it for a moment then turned and looked at everyone who had gathered around to watch him. He looked at their faces, at their fear of him and shook his head, then without a word walked through.


    Harry didn''t really know whether or not to be disappointed when he found himself floating in a strange dimension with red light and nothing around him rather than being dead, but it was a surprise. Having nothing better to do he started to explore.


    For the next five years, he traversed the Negative Zone, always trying to find out where he was. Other than that, he wandered aimlessly. His magic sustained him, renewing his body without the need of food, which was a good thing as nothing in the universe he found himself in was edible. He began to make a name for himself with his odd powers and combative nature. The denizens of the realm soon learned to flee at the sight of him either because of his power, his pranks, or his attitude to what they considered rational practice (the strong controlling the weak).


    Being unable to communicate with any of the inhabitants, he began to talk to himself and the isolation drove him slowly but surely insane, until a flight of Annihilius''s soldiers passed by his temporary hiding place carrying a little human baby. The baby and talking to said baby started to bring him back to sanity, although he wasn''t quite all there yet when the baby''s family showed up to rescue him.


    End chapter


    Author''s Notes:


    As you can see from the above I went with manipulative pureblood approving Dumbledore, as well as evil Snape, and very evil Voldemort, though in the end it was the government''s corruption that really was the most to blame for both Harry''s predicament and how badly the war went for so long. Don''t ask for me to bulk this out more, as with most of my prologues they are short because I want to get to the good stuff. Harry has had five years to get over what happened and has moved on somewhat, though not entirely. It still haunts him from time to time, but he''ll be mostly ''normal'' emotionally.


    Writing that portion was tortuous, so don''t ask me to go back and add more. The point of it was to give a outline of Harry''s personality and what shaped it, not to have it be a major part of the story. JKR''s realm will not be effecting the story from here on.


    If you are looking for accuracy in regards to the Marvel universe go elsewhere, as I have literally forgotten most of what I once knew about the universe''s first ten plus years and I haven''t read any of it since the civil war began (f*&k if I wanted dark shit I''d watch the news) . For example the only mission from the original X-Men comics I can remember is the one with Mimic in it. To that end I will be setting out to merge Fantastic Four with X-Men Evolution (which I can remember ), Avengers, the movie series (not the X-Men movies thought) X-Calibur and others.


    As this is a harem there will be cliches: Powerful Harry, Genius! Harry, magical power = s.e.x.u.a.l stamina (I''ve seen this so often it''s become normal), oh and slightly insane Harry at first. Well not insane really. Just, he won''t be able to control his mouth so well, will have some moods swings that could worry people, and will be slightly off the wall in what he says and does.


    The pairings will be:


    Definite: Harry/Jean Grey/Ororo(yes the same age as in evolution)/Emma Frost/undecided/

 Chapter 114 - My SI Stash #14 - I Am Mr Five by Sir Lucifer Morningstar (One Piece)

    -The only SI One Piece fic I know that has the MC VS Straw Hats instead of canon rehash +1.


    *SI as Mr Five but with damn absurd potential~


    ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)


    Sypnosis: In one world, a villain whose powers should have made him a renowned world terrorist fades into obscurity after suffering defeat by the Straw Hats. In this world, someone else takes the reins earlier and brings about an age of pirates that has absolutely nothing to do with adventure and nakamaship. "****. Pillage. Burn. T''is a pirate''s life for me, savvy?" SI-OC as Mr. Five.


    Rated: M


    Words: 30K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13174853/1/I-Am-Mr-Five (Sir Lucifer Morningstar)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    "I can create explosions from any part of my body¡­"


    "Yes, we''ve gone over this Mr. 5." A woman said, irritation and exasperation thick in her voice.


    "And I''m immune to all forms of explosions." I continued, ignoring her exasperation.


    "Yes." She said, gritting her teeth, before shaking her head. "You''re also an elite bounty hunter working for Baroque Works, and you''ve never failed a mission before. Now ¨C we have a mission from Mr. 0 ¨C and I don''t want to be the one to explain that we failed our mission because you somehow lost your memory by hitting your head on the mast and falling into the ocean."


    I frowned, rubbing the side of my head with my middle and index fingers slowly. The swaying back and forth of the ship was doing very little to help my growing nausea and confusion, nor were the cold, harsh night winds. The woman in front of me helped though, to an extent. With bright short blonde hair and bright green eyes, wearing a yellow and orange hat, as well as a short yellow dress with lemon-like patterns, lemon earrings and white high-heeled shoes ¨C I stared at her for a long time, trying to find a way not to be confused, as well as to find something to say that wasn''t ''damn you''re hot. Wanna f.u.c.k?''


    "And you are¡­?"


    "Miss Valentine. Your partner."


    I blinked. "Whoa. Sweet. How did I bang a hottie like you?"


    "Not like that!" She yelled, "Your business partner. Your work partner. Strictly."


    "Uh-huh." I nodded. "And what work is it that we do again?"


    She gave a ''sweet'' smile that wasn''t fooling me for a second. "We work for Baroque Works, which is, at the surface, a legitimate business. We''re bounty hunters ¨C meaning, we kill pirates and turn in their bounties."


    "Whoa whoa whoa ¨C" I stopped her, waving my hands "We kill people?"


    Her smile seemed to strain. "Yes ¨C"


    "And we can do this legally? I mean ¨C we won''t go to jail and shit for killing people ¨C"


    "Jail? What? No ¨C we kill them and turn in their bounties for beli. Why would we go to jail? The people we kill are declared criminals."


    "Beli?" I asked, frowning, "Isn''t that the currency of ¨C"


    Wait¡­ Beli¡­ Beli ¨C Mr. Five, Miss Valentine, and did she say ¨C


    "Did you say, Baroque Works?"


    Miss Valentine looked at me, seemingly satisfied with the recognition in my voice. "Yes. Is it finally coming back to you?"


    Baroque Works ¨C Beli ¨C Miss Valentine and Mr. 5 ¨C didn''t it sound like ¨C


    "My powers¡­ did I get them from eating a¡­ a Devil Fruit?"


    "How else would you have gotten them?"


    Devil Fruits. Shit. It confirmed what I was thinking ¨C and that wasn''t a good thing in the slightest. Devil Fruits meant One Piece ¨C the grand pirate adventure and all that f.u.c.k. I hadn''t watched or read One Piece in years ¨C and the last thing I remembered about the series was them fighting some guy called Caesar or something¡­


    But, wait ¨C how the f.u.c.k did I even get here? I was ¨C I was ¨C


    Oh. Yeah. I was on a yacht. During a storm. And I fell into the water.


    Shit¡­ did I die?


    How''d I end up in this guy''s body then? Mr. Five?


    "You better get it together, we''ll soon be arriving at Whiskey Peak." Miss Valentine said, "And failing this mission is not an option."


    Whiskey Peak ¨C Whiskey Peak ¨C damn, I couldn''t remember. One Piece was such a damn large world with so many characters and locations and events that I could barely remember half of them. I wasn''t a major hardcore fan of the series, I didn''t know much about it''s lore or history or shit ¨C and I only remembered few important moments. Like Ace dying ¨C Whitebeard dying ¨C oh and Enel, cause the guy was modelled after Eminem. I didn''t even remember why Ace died ¨C


    But¡­ I did remember Crocodile¡­ and the¡­ Eleabast Arc? Realbastard Arc? Arabeaster Arc? Whatever. I remembered Luffy getting his ass handed to him by Croc at least three times. Why were they even fighting? Some typical villain shit ¨C but I knew that Vivi had something to do with it ¨C


    "Vivi¡­" I muttered.


    "So you do remember our mission." Miss Valentine sounded pleased. She reached into her bag, bringing out two photographs. "The boss said, ''someone knows his secret'' and we figured out it''s these two ¨C Mr. 8 and Miss Wednesday ¨C they are Igaram and Princess Nefeltari Vivi of the Alabasta Kingdom."


    It was coming back to me, slowly. I rose to my feet, swaying slightly on the ship and placing my hand on my head.


    "Well, do you remember now?" she said, tapping her foot impatiently.


    I wagered my options quickly. The first was to tell her that I didn''t remember, not really, and that I was actually a guy who came from earth and had no f.u.c.k.i.n.g clue how I entered this mook''s body. Except, that wouldn''t end well in the f.u.c.k.i.n.g slightest for me ¨C and I didn''t like her tone all that much. God knows what she''d do if I said that.


    The second option, was to bullshit my way through it all, and hope I remembered the important stuff quickly enough so I wouldn''t get killed. I couldn''t go telling people where I was from without looking like a f.u.c.k.i.n.g maniac¡­ and I had no bloody clue how I would even get back. Maybe that scientist guy who was popular and made those bear robots could help me? What was his name again? Dr. New Vegas I think ¨C


    Gah, why would he even want to help me? He''d be better off dissecting me like some lab rat or trying to prod ideas about how to build nukes from my brain¡­


    "Well?"


    Shit ¨C I was stalling and she was looking mighty pissed. How was I supposed to act again? Mr. 5¡­ he was one of those silent-but-deadly mook types wasn''t he? So¡­ talk as though I''m a cold professional assassin ¨C like Kiritsugu or Agent 47 ¨C right? So¡­


    "Watch your tone, Valentine." I said. "I remember enough to know that I could as much as touch you and leave you missing a limb. Don''t test me."


    Damn even I felt that was cold. Miss Valentine flinched back in shock, suddenly looking at me far more warily than before. Her eyes tried their best to avoid mine, and I breathed an inward sigh of relief.


    I talked big but I had no bloody clue how to even use my powers. Shit. Shit. Shit. I''d be f.u.c.k.i.e.d when it came to actual fighting ¨C or to battle.


    Come on brain, remember ¨C remember ¨C how the hell did this guy use his devil fruit powers? The only thing that came to mind was digging my nose for boogers and then flicking it ¨C but there was no way that was right. My mind was f.u.c.k.i.n.g with me if it expected me to believe that''s how a guy who could make his body explode used his powers.


    "How long till we reach Whiskey Peak?" I asked, doing my best to put an emotionless quality to my voice.


    Remember¡­ like an assassin, like a hitman ¨C


    "Twenty-five minutes." Miss Valentine said, sounding slightly more demure than before.


    I nodded. Like an assassin. Be a cool-headed, silent hitman. "Miss Wednesday and Mr 8 are the targets. We waste no time bantering with them. We waste no time entertaining them. We do not even inform them of the fact that they are our targets. We engage them, we eliminate them, and we leave. Is that clear?"


    The blonde woman bristled. "In case you''ve forgotten we''re partners, and I''m not your lackey ¨C I don''t take orders from you."


    Ahh¡­ shit what to do? I''m a bad guy right? What would a bad guy do in this situation?


    I spun around, grabbing the woman by the neck ¨C damn she was light ¨C and I held her in the air, feeling my hand squeeze slowly and tightly against her throat. It felt almost effortless, actually, it was effortless, I never remembered being this strong before, being this¡­ powerful.


    "That was the old me," I said. "The new me has little patience, and a slowly developing urge to no longer require a partner."


    Was I going overboard? Was this too much? I didn''t know ¨C I wasn''t sure ¨C all I knew was that I was f.u.c.k.i.e.d in this situation one way or another. This world, the One Piece world ¨C it was a f.u.c.k.i.n.g crazy place ¨C the only way to survive was if you were strong. I couldn''t afford to be a pansy ¨C I couldn''t afford to be seen as weak, I couldn''t afford to be weak ¨C


    Er ¨C wait ¨C was she growing heavier? I snapped my attention to the woman held in my hand, and I realized it wasn''t my imagination, she was getting heavier ¨C damn ¨C it felt like I was holding a massive set of dumbbells ¨C what the f.u.c.k ¨C


    I felt my arm straining to keep her in the air. Nope ¨C nope ¨C nope ¨C no f.u.c.k.i.n.g way, heavy ¨C she was f.u.c.k.i.n.g heavy ¨C


    I let her go, watching as she dropped to the deck of the ship, the impact leaving a large enough dent in the wood for her right leg to go through. She coughed and hacked, taking in deep breaths of air as her right hand slowly rubbed her throat, her throat which now had a clear visible bruise in the shape of my hand.


    I almost winced at the sight ¨C shit ¨C had I overdone it?


    Did I really have to be a bad guy? I mean, sure, I was in the body of one of the bad guys, but did that mean I had to be one? But ¨C who were the good guys in this world anyway? The pirates? Luffy''s crew?


    I didn''t want to join Luffy''s crew. Luffy would irritate the f.u.c.k out of me with his stupidity and his tendency to never grow. Nami''s money-grubbing antics and loud voice would get on my nerves pretty quick, and I only liked her because she was hot. Sanji would piss me off to no end ¨C Usopp was just laughable ¨C and I didn''t know what to think about Franky. The only ones there I''d chill with would be Zoro, Robin and Brook ¨C but Zoro was absolutely loyal to Luffy, so that was out. Robin was all too mysterious and wayyy to perceptive, so she''d see through me and any secrets I had with ease. Brook was cool because he was a singing skeleton. Nuff'' said.


    Then there was Chopper¡­ cute¡­ but too na?ve to understand dark humour or s.e.x.u.a.l jokes. He''d be a horrible drinking buddy.


    F.u.c.k. I wouldn''t fit in with the Straw Hats at all. And the Straw Hats were the major ''good guys'' of the world. Who else was left? Who else could I join? I didn''t know ¨C I didn''t remember.


    Shit. Shit. Shit. The more I thought this over, the more my stomach filled with dread. I''m gonna die again. That was the thought in my head. I''m gonna die ¨C I''m gonna die ¨C I''m gonna die ¨C


    I didn''t know how to sail or navigate for shit.


    I had no clue about basic survival needs when sailing the oceans.


    I knew jack shit about the geography of this world.


    And, I was a bounty hunter belonging to a criminal organization¡­ meaning I''d most likely killed a shit ton of people, and would be required to keep killing people if I didn''t want to be "terminated."


    I''d have laughed if it wasn''t so f.u.c.k.i.n.g terrifying. The odds of me surviving the One Piece world on my own were so f.u.c.k.i.n.g low, it wasn''t funny.


    Oi idiot ¨C you just threatened to kill the one person who might have actually helped you out.


    And that thought came to me with a large grimace.


    F.u.c.k. What the f.u.c.k.i.n.g hell am I doing?


    Miss Valentine was still rubbing her throat, and I was still standing around like a jackass. I realized my hands were shaking ¨C they were shaking and shivering like I''d come down with the worst cold of the century. Worst of all, Miss Valentine saw it ¨C she saw how bad they were shaking. No ¨C not just my hands ¨C my legs as well.


    "Y-you''re... scared?"


    "Shut up!" I snapped, gritting my teeth as I tried to get my legs and hands to stop shaking.


    Stop shaking damn it!


    Stop f.u.c.k.i.n.g shaking damn it!


    I could tell that my breathing was getting louder, harsher, and I grit my teeth as I tried to stop it. My palms felt freezing cold, and a small line of sweat appeared on my brow. I moved my hand across it, wiping it ¨C


    "Wait! NO!"


    She shouted, slapping my hand upwards ¨C


    BOOM!


    I winced slightly from the sound, but other than that ¨C the heat, the pressure and the shockwave passed over my skin like a layer of warm water. I stared at the portion of the ship''s mast that had been blown clean off ¨C the sheer size of the explosion making my eyes widen in disbelief.


    I¡­ did that?


    There wasn''t even any debris from the explosion. No chunks of burning wood falling from the sky ¨C just bits and pieces of ash that were blown away by the wind. How powerful did the blasts have to be for something like that¡­?


    "What part of you can create explosions from any part of your body didn''t you understand?!"


    I blinked. "Any part? Even liquids?''


    "Even that!"


    A thought came to me. "Wait, so if I ejaculate into a woman ¨C"


    Miss Valentine''s face turned red. "I don''t know! Why would you ask something like that?"


    "Hey, it''s an important question. I want to know if I give a whole new meaning to the term ''explosive s.e.x.''"


    Her face went even redder. "You ¨C I can''t believe it. You don''t remember at all do you? You don''t remember anything!" She grit her teeth, veins bulging. "You don''t even act like Mr. Five - because he''d never have asked such a stupid question, and he''d have known better than to try and wipe his sweat like that!"


    I sighed, realizing that my hands and legs weren''t shaking as bad as before. "Alright ¨C you caught me. I don''t remember ¨C I don''t remember my name, I don''t remember being a Baroque Works Agent, I don''t remember a lot of things ¨C I just remember a few here and there." I turned to her, grimacing at her neck.


    "I''m¡­ sorry about that. I was trying to ¨C well ¨C shit, I don''t even really know what I was trying to do. I guess I just didn''t want you to underestimate me or something ¨C you''re an elite agent and bounty hunter ¨C you didn''t sign up to babysit an amnesiac. So I wanted to try and¡­ you know¡­"


    "Act like a douchebag?"


    I nodded. "Not the words I''d use¡­ but yeah."


    She rolled her eyes. "I''m your partner. I''m not just going to turn around and slit your throat while you sleep just because you lost your memory¡­ no matter how convenient it may be."


    "Wow. That''s¡­ probably the nicest thing I''ve heard in the brief while that I''ve had memories."


    "Also because it''d get out that I killed my partner and I won''t have any partners anymore, because people will think I''m a turncoat ¨C which will lead to someone coming for my head."


    "And suddenly, not so nice anymore." I said dryly, rolling my eyes at the woman''s ''smile.''


    "Also, if we fail this mission, our superiors will probably kill us either way, because they won''t care if you lost your memories, or if you lost your arm." Her smile continued, and it was slowly getting creepy.


    "What type of shitty organization kills its members just because they fail a mission?"


    "Baroque Works." She replied succinctly. "Also, this is an important mission. Mr. 0''s identity is at stake ¨C we can''t afford to fail¡­ because I like living."


    "I can''t argue with that. I like you living too."


    She blinked. Once. Twice. Three times.


    "Er¡­ shit. What I meant to say was ¨C you know, with you, being alive ¨C and me¡­ it''d be great and all ¨C and er ¨C you know you''re¡­ and I''m¡­"


    What the hell was I saying?


    I palmed my face.


    "¡­.F.u.c.k it. I think you''re hot and I''d like to bang you. Multiple times, if possible."


    She stared at me.


    "I''m not hearing a no¡­?"


    "Okay."


    Wait¡­ wha?


    "Wait¡­ for real?"


    "If ¨C" she interrupted, still smiling "You somehow manage to get it together, and be the Officer Agent I need you to be, completing our mission by killing the spies, and not getting us killed."


    This woman clearly underestimated the power of a guy who wanted to get laid.


    "Deal." I said immediately. "You can most certainly count on me."


    She rubbed her nose in irritation, before sighing. "Something tells me I''m going to regret this."


    Xx I am Mr. Five xX


    Whiskey Peak


    Despite the damage done to the mast of our ship, we were still able to arrive at Whiskey Peak in relatively safe condition. Miss Valentine made some comments about how the sh.i.p.s were generally built to withstand such damage, in the advent of an enemy attack and what not, it would be able to sail for a long while until it arrived at a place where repairs could be done. I could understand that, considering more than 70% of this world was filled with water, and naval voyages were the only way a person could get from Point A to Point B. It''d make sense for their sh.i.p.s to be built of stronger stuff than what I knew of back home on earth.


    What was this planet even called anyway? I''d have to find out.


    Though, as it was, I was remembering more and more stuff the more I looked at sceneries, and the more some stuff was mentioned. I remembered about Seastone when she brought up the topic of sh.i.p.s, and I think marine vessels used the stuff at the bottom of their sh.i.p.s when passing the Calm Seas ¨C I think that was what it was called. Seas filled with monsters that were humungous, and seas that had no wind.


    The more I remembered, the more it helped, as we made our way from the docks over to the center of the town ¨C we could hear the sounds of what sounded like battle going on.


    "Whiskey Peak¡­" a thought occurred to me, and I snapped my attention to Miss Valentine "¡­isn''t this the place filled with people who celebrate pirates when they arrive, then wait till they''re drunk and asleep before killing or capturing them for their bounties?"


    "You remember." She nodded. "It''s a front for the billions ¨C the lower ranked members of Baroque Works."


    ¡­Shit.


    Didn''t that mean ¨C weren''t Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine introduced when¡­


    When the Straw Hat crew was here?


    F.u.c.k.


    I didn''t have any delusions in my mind about taking down the Straw Hats on my own. Nami and Usopp would be no problem, I think, but Luffy, Zoro and even Sanji ¨C those guys were out of my league.


    Worse, assuming I was stronger than them, I still couldn''t killany of them.


    Killing Luffy would be a death sentence. If Garp didn''t come charging for me, Shanks would. If Shanks didn''t, then Ace would. If Ace didn''t, then Dragon would. Someone would come for my head if it got out that I killed Luffy. Someone who would kill me ¨C no ifs, buts, or maybes.


    Killing any of Luffy''s ''Nakama'' would essentially be the same thing. Luffy would hunt me down for the rest of my living days, for as long as I was alive. He would never rest ¨C he would never give up.


    Then, there was Vivi. Wasn''t she important to the plot? She became a temporary member of the Straw Hats¡­ didn''t she? They did the whole ''save the princess'' thing didn''t they? What''d happen if I killed her here? Did that mean¡­ Crocodile won? Crocodile gained complete control over her country?


    Why did I care?


    So what if Vivi died and Croc won¡­ why should it matter to me? If anything, I''d be a high-ranking member in Croc''s new world. That is, assuming he didn''t decide to go super-evil villain and kill off every Baroque Works member in order to keep his secret¡­


    Who was I kidding? That was exactly what Crocodile would do. Once he was done with us ¨C he''d discard us or eliminate us to tie up loose ends.


    F.u.c.k.


    Damned if I do, damned if I don''t.


    The problem was ¨C there needed to be a catalyst for Luffy and crew to help Vivi and stop Crocodile, that catalyst was my arrival, me and Miss Valentine, being Officer Agents too strong to handle ¨C Igaram would beg Zoro to protect Vivi, and Nami would overhear that Vivi was a princess, and ask for a billion beli in order to aid her¡­


    How do I remember all this?


    The more I thought about the situation, the more I realized that I remembered the events with far sharper clarity than I should ¨C it was an episode I watched more than eight to ten years ago ¨C yet, I still remembered the procession of events as though it happened yesterday ¨C


    "Mr. 5, look alive."


    I resisted the urge to jerk up at the sound of my title, instead, I turned my gaze down the road. There, I spotted an otter and a vulture ¨C sitting on a sign post, opposite them, there seemed to be members of the billions, fleeing.


    "T-the Unluckies!"


    "W-we weren''t running away! We ¨C we were just ¨C"


    "P-please don''t report us to the boss!"


    Miss Valentine turned to me, irritation in her voice. "Pathetic. So much for the Billions ¨C running away from a bunch of measly pirates. We should take care of them."


    Somehow, when she said ''we'' I had a feeling she meant ''me.''


    "Well?" She said, "Are you going to be the Agent I need you to be, or¡­?"


    The or went unsaid ¨C and a part of me that had self-respect and pride was about to tell her to f.u.c.k off if she thought she could bait me around with the promise of s.e.x ¨C of course, that part of me also remembered how long it''s been since I''d been laid, and realized that one way or another, Miss Valentine was my best shot at surviving this world.


    Alright¡­ enabling Douchebag mode.


    The sunglasses wearing otter and vulture (which was far more surreal than it sounded) leaped into the air, seemingly ready to tear a new one to the fleeing members of Baroque works, before I took a deep breath.


    "Wait."


    My voice carried out across to them. The duo stopped their attack cold, and I stalked forward, doing my best to act as natural and as intimidating as possible. Thankfully, there were a pair of shades in my pocket, and with them on, I didn''t have to worry about anyone seeing my eyes and fully reading my expression.


    Drama Class Electives ¨C don''t fail me now.


    "To think that there are such cowards in Baroque Works¡­" I muttered, putting as much focus as I could on making it sound as irritated as possible.


    "M-M-Mr. 5?"


    The only long range attack that I could remember this guy having was flicking his booger. It was a disgusting tactic, but it was one which worked, considering the speed and effectiveness of the explosion. Yet, it was something I did not feel too comfortable using¡­ instead¡­


    Please don''t fail, please don''t fail, please don''t fail ¨C I REALLY don''t want to look like an idiot here ¨C


    "Wastes of space such as yourself," My palms were sweaty, and I closed my eyes and focused on that sweat "Should simply just vanish."


    Ignite!


    BOOM!


    I was immune to explosions, which, I realized easily enough. However, I was not immune to the sheer kinetic force generated by them. In the same way that Luffy, using his rubber arms, could slingshot himself ¨C


    I could propel myself forward using my explosions.


    The burst of speed was fast, too too fast ¨C slow down slow down slow down ¨C


    I ended up barreling past the Unluckies and straight into one of the three men that had been attempting to flee, and I brought up my right foot in an attempt to stop myself ¨C


    BOOM!


    Blood. Blood and guts and gore.


    It took every last ounce of my willpower not to throw up from the sight of what was left of the man I kicked by accident. What was left of the other two in the surrounding area. The blood didn''t even splatter on me ¨C all of it escaped in an arc outward from the point of impact, my foot to the man''s stomach.


    There was a crater in the ground surrounding the impact point, and more than that, the other two men had been caught in it. They weren''t completely blown up ¨C but ¨C but ¨C


    The human neck was not meant to bend 360 degrees. Nor were the arms designed to snap backwards ¨C


    They were covered with massive third-degree burns, and the entire area was filled with the thick, nauseating smell of burnt flesh and meat.


    I was still standing, my right foot extended outward, even as the dust and smoke began to clear. Slowly, I put my foot down, and I put my hands in my pockets, playing it off as though my massacre of the three men had been intentional. I resisted the bile slowly rising in my throat from the smell of burnt flesh that would forever be stuck in my mind. The smell clung to my outfit in a way I wanted to wash off. I wanted to wash it off badly.


    Instead, I turned around, gazing at the Unluckies, who seemed to be shell-shocked, unable to move, their eyes bulging and their mouths hung low.


    "Tell Mr. 0 ¨C the situation will be handled."


    They couldn''t argue, they couldn''t say anything ¨C instead, the otter got on the back of the vulture and they flew away from the scene of the massacre as quickly as they could. I watched them leave, and a part of me told me it would be wiser for me to take them down now ¨C but I didn''t trust my body to move. I didn''t trust my hands not to shake or quaver.


    Instead, I walked back to Miss Valentine. My hands in my pockets, my mind replaying the kick slowly, over and over again with unbelievable clarity ¨C the force of the explosion ¨C


    "Was that Officer Agent enough for you?" I asked, calmly. She didn''t respond. She tried to pretend as though it didn''t bother her, but it was clear on her face ¨C it did. Still, she nodded.


    "T-that¡­ was good enough."


    I resisted the urge to snort. I resisted the urge to say something sarcastic, something like, I just massacred three men so I can get in your pants. Hope that really turns you on. Except, I knew the blame wasn''t necessarily hers ¨C it was mine. I didn''t have to do it ¨C but I did.


    Somehow, I thought they wouldn''t die. Thought that they''d be immune. I mean ¨C this was the One Piece world filled with all sorts of monsters ¨C surely, explosions created by devil fruits would not be that powerful? And¡­ in canon, in the anime and manga ¨C no one had actually ever died from an explosion¡­ had they? People were hit by explosions all the time and they shrugged it off¡­ didn''t they?


    The problem was, I wasn''t in an anime, or in a manga. Here, there was no board of censors preventing deadly explosions from causing massive amounts of gore.


    What was I thinking? My power was to create explosions. Explosions ¨C you know, the thing that a certain group of humans used when screaming ''Allah Akbar'' and performing grand acts of terrorism. The things that could cause massive amounts of damage in a battlefield, massive amount of casualties to people participating in said battlefield ¨C the thing that had once been dropped over two cities and led to the deaths of hundreds and thousands of lives ¨C


    Can I create nuclear level explosions?


    The thought was terrifying. The sheer level of power I would wield ¨C


    How was it, that the moron using this power had never tested the limits? How was he not on the level of the Shichibukai or Yonko? He could create explosions on any part of his body, and he was immune to them ¨C he was the ultimate wet dream of every Suicide Bomber.


    I could Suicide Bomb people without dying or feeling the repercussions. Over and over and over¡­


    "Heh¡­ heh heh¡­ heheheheheheheheh."


    "Mr¡­ Five?" Miss Valentine called out my name with clear concern on her face.


    I paid no heed to her, and rose my hands up, now basking in their sweatiness and the realization that my body was the equivalent of a nitroglycerin, dynamite, C4 and TNT factory. But at the same time, it was much, much more.


    Explosions were more than just heat and fire. There was also pressure. Shockwaves. The center of an explosion detonated shockwaves of air which rushed out and dealt damage to objects even before the heat and flames did. It was why explosions could shatter glass from far away, even though the actual ''explosion'' did not touch the glass in question.


    Shockwaves, with enough force, could rupture organs and shatter bones. Unless you were a logia-wielder, you would be dealt massive amounts of internal damage from shockwaves and pressure.


    Which meant¡­


    "Miss Valentine," I spoke up, "Let''s complete our mission."


    Chapter 2


    She had gotten accustomed to killing.


    "Miss Valentine," the sound of his voice sent a shudder down her spine. "Let''s complete our mission."


    She didn''t trust her voice to not waver, and hence, she allowed her head speak for her. A swift bob, twice, as her heart beat faster and she did what she could to make sure her face didn''t show any discomfort.


    She had gotten accustomed to killing, but not to¡­ to¡­ butchering.


    She wanted to throw up. To vomit badly at the sight and the smell of the carnage that lay before her. She could still see the entrails and blackened small intestines of one of the men, lounging around the floor next to a partially-charred eyeball and a splatter of steaming grey-matter ¨C


    She swallowed the bile building up in her throat as hard as she could. She couldn''t afford to show weakness. Not here. Not now. Mr. 5 didn''t have his memories, he didn''t even remember that they were partners with a flawless mission record, didn''t remember who he was or what his ability did, didn''t remember that he usually never used explosions of such sheer caliber before ¨C


    Or, rather, was it that he couldn''t?


    She didn''t know. All she knew, was that she''d never seen him utilize his Devil Fruit in that manner before. Usually, she was the one propelled into the air, riding on the updraft of his explosions, but she''d never seen him shoot himself forward with explosions before. She didn''t even know he could ¨C


    More terrifying than his power, was his reaction. She''d seen it, the momentary second where he contemplated what he''d done, and rather than grief or rage or fear at his own power, something else flickered in his expression.


    Glee.


    He was pleased with himself. His lips had upturned into a brilliant smirk, and his teeth showed for just a fraction of a second, and if she had not known better, she would have claimed that he was about to let out a maniacal laugh of satisfaction.


    And then he did.


    He''d laughed.


    Chuckled.


    A thick, lax, spew of amused contentment.


    She''d shuddered at the laugh, giving him momentary glances of worry.


    She knew that type of laugh.


    It was the laughter of a certain type of person on the Grand Line. A type of man whose name was often spoken of in dread or utter and absolute fear. That kind of laugh.


    She was terrified.


    Miss Valentine would admit it easily that that she was absolutely terrified of this new Mr. 5.


    "Miss Valentine."


    She resisted the urge to straighten up and respond with a ''yes sir?'' by biting down on her lip before the instinct overwhelmed her.


    "What is it?"


    Under the moonlight, the jacketed, sunglasses-wearing dark-skinned explosion man turned to give her a glance. Her heart beat faster. She couldn''t tell what he was thinking with those glasses on and with his expression so neutral. His hands were in the pockets of his Mr. 5 jacket, and it was at that moment she realized that she''d subconsciously been following behind him, rather than beside him.


    Her mind had unknowingly changed the status quo. They weren''t equals. How could they be? Not with that sheer destructive power at his fingertips. No ¨C he was superior to her, and if he wanted to kill her, all he''d need to do was touch her.


    "You''re quiet."


    Was she? Damn it ¨C


    "We''re on a mission."


    He stared at her for even longer, and she could feel her heart beating even faster than before. Was she going to have to use her Kilo-Kilo no Mi to escape?


    "I''m not going to kill you."


    She recoiled at the comment, cursing herself for the action. "Don''t think so highly of yourself. I''m not scared of you, Mr. 5."


    "Oh, really?"


    Boom!


    He was in front of her, directly in front of her, in a single moment. Her eyes went wide as she realized she never saw him move. If it wasn''t for the sound of the explosion and the shockwave it made, she''d never have noticed that he''d moved.


    His right hand lay shamelessly over her left b.r.e.a.s.t, her heart, and her motion stilled as she didn''t dare to so much as breathe. She realized, that her legs were shaking, quivering, and despite the relatively cool night, sweat ran down her spine and collected over her brow.


    "Boom."


    KA ¨C BOOM!


    XXXXXX


    The moment I knew my prank had gone too far was the moment Miss Valentine dropped to the floor, shaking like a leaf, and wheezing as though she''d ran a marathon.


    I hadn''t actually exploded her heart ¨C but I''d exploded my feet and made it seem like I was going to explode her heart. I mean, I wouldn''t kill her for no reason after all.


    But she didn''t know that.


    The sight of the wheezing, sharply breathing, terrified woman who was supposed to be my partner made me wince a bit at that realization.


    Ah¡­ oops?


    What I''d done was essentially the same as playing an unwilling game of Russian Roulette. I was a gun, propped up against her skull, but with unknown odds about whether or not the gun was loaded.


    She probably fully expected herself to die in that moment. Enough so that once her brain caught up with the realization that the explosion had not harmed her, her body was already in shock.


    Shit¡­ what exactly do I do now?


    Should I play up the good guy angle? Apologize? Tell her it was just a joke?


    Threatening to blow up your heart was just a prank bro! Calm down bro! It''s just a joke!


    ¡­That probably wouldn''t end well. I''d be like one of those sc.u.mmy pranksters who did shitty stuff under the excuses of ''pranking.'' Not to mention it''d make me look a bit unstable if that was my idea of a joke.


    Well it was, but¡­ you know.


    Should I play up the bad guy angle instead? Mouth off something? Brag? Piss on her to show dominance?


    ¡­ Ignoring that stupid last stray thought, I still wasn''t seeing how it would help. As it stood, there was no way we could go back to being "partners." The power dynamic was heavily skewed in my favor. I couldn''t see her as someone who was my equal, just as she would never be able to see the guy who brought her to her knees with threats as her equal. Essentially the same as school-yard politics where the nerd who got the shit beat out of him by his bully would fantasize about beating up his bully and gaining the upper hand, but in reality, would always know where he was on the pecking order.


    And I''d actually wanted us to be partners really. But¡­ it couldn''t work. The gap in knowledge and power was too wide for us to have been considered partners.


    Ah, well.


    A Secretary was fine too.


    XXXXXX


    She could still hear the sound of blood rushing tremendously in her ears. Her body was frozen. Despite her best efforts to move, and despite the complete and utter indignation from the realization that she''d been scared enough to almost wet herself, she couldn''t bring it in her to so much as move.


    I ¨C I''m a-a-alive?


    She could have sworn she felt a blinding pain in her chest when that explosion went off. Or was it her mind playing tricks on her? Her gaze managed to flicker down a bit, and noticed that her chest was perfectly unharmed. So no, she hadn''t died. She wasn''t even injured.


    "So. Yeah. You''re definitely scared of me." Mr. 5 rubbed his hand through his hair. "That''s funny. The first friend I make and she''s terrified that I''m going to blow her to chunky steaming pieces of flesh."


    She didn''t trust herself to speak. Still, she forced her lips to ask. "A-aren''t you?"


    "Well no," he responded dryly. "We haven''t had s.e.x yet."


    The ridiculous statement was jarring enough to obliterate most of her fear. "W-w-what?"


    "I said ¨C"


    "I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID!" she yelled. "I can''t believe you were actually serious ¨C"


    "Wait, weren''t you?"


    "NO!"


    Reward him with s.e.x for doing his job? Did he think she was some kind of cheap hooker? He''d actually thought that she''d ¨C


    "Not even a blowjob?"


    Heat filled up her cheeks. "NO!"


    He frowned a bit. "Okay, what if I''m the one giving you a ¨C"


    She almost tore out her hair in frustration. "I can''t believe this is what you''ve become! We''re not, never having any kind of s.e.x.u.a.l relationship! We are work partners, strictly!"


    "Then I suppose I don''t have any need for you."


    And like that, her breath hitched, and her fear returned.


    "W-wait ¨C you can''t, we''re partners ¨C"


    "How do you use your powers in a fight?"


    The non-sequitur threw her off.


    "What bits of memory I have tell me that you ride on the coattails and wind provided by my explosions, go up into the air, and then turn heavy and crash down on enemies. Is that right?"


    She nodded rapidly. "Y-ye ¨C"


    "And how exactly do I benefit in combat from your powers?"


    She opened her mouth to say something, racking her brain to think of something sharply. Something other than, ''you don''t.''


    "That''s not partnership. That''s parasitism. One person leeching off the other with no benefits granted. I don''t need you by my side, but you need me to be even half as effective."


    His palm slowly out stretched until two of his gloved fingers grasped softly against her skull.


    "So, combat wise, you''re useless to me. What other uses do you have? Information and navigation would be one, to help fill in the gaps in my memory. But ¨C I don''t necessarily need you for that. The Millions are here, and I''m an Officer Agent. I could simply ask for the best navigators on this island and assemble a halfway competent crew in less than an hour."


    He could. He could, and they would listen. Well, they would listen because they feared and respected him, because he was Mr. 5, and his power and authority wasn''t to be questioned.


    Dread began to fill up her stomach as she contemplated how it was possible that she never once entertained the possibility that she could be discarded so easily. Honestly, even before Mr. 5 lost his memory and suddenly gained perspective on things, she was not actually bringing much to the table. They''d never failed a mission till date, but there was no denying that it was him who did the brunt of the heavy work. Falling on people could only be useful if they were too damaged to move. If they were healthy, they could effortlessly dodge her attacks again and again and again. Mr. 5 was the one who rendered them immobile with his explosions, and she delivered the finishing touches.


    That¡­ that brought up his point. If he was the one doing most of the work, and she shared in the credit with him¡­ could it really have been called a partnership?


    "You''re not my partner. You''re my lackey."


    Mr. 5 had always been hot-tempered. There was rumor amongst devil fruit wielders that the devil fruit ability you gained tended to affect your personality and temperament, but it was never proven as anything more than an old wives'' tale. She had always considered Mr. 5 as proof that the tale had some truth to it, although, his temper was never directed straight at her. He''d treated her with some sort of respect and professionalism, albeit limited, and she''d followed him because she liked the amicable feeling he had.


    But this ¨C this man in front of her, with all five of his fingers pressing against her temple in a thinly veiled threat to explode her skull ¨C he didn''t have any of that same sentiment. His eyes were obscured behind his shades, but there was a ruthless, almost absolutely potent air about him. An air that reeked of a form of self-assuredness and confidence she didn''t believe he''d possessed. He''d gone from shaking in fear and confusion on their boat¡­ to this?


    Is this what power does to a man?


    "Do you understand what this means, Miss Valentine?"


    She couldn''t even fight back against him. Hitting him was a suicide move. Trying to struggle could set him off accidentally and she''d end up killing herself in vain. A more idealistic, foolish person would have claimed that attempt to fight back and die fighting was worth it ¨C but, she wasn''t such a person. She liked living. She liked the easy life. Being paid a decent salary and given respect all for being a member of some organization. She wasn''t about to throw it all away in some misguided notion of pride.


    "Y-yes."


    "Good."


    The pressure against her skull eased itself, and Mr. 5 casually patted her on the cheeks like she was a pet.


    "Be a good little secretary, and you''ll live and be the happiest woman in the world."


    Then, he turned around and continued walking as though he had not just completely and utterly shattered whatever self-worth she had.


    XXXXXXX


    Not exactly how I''d have liked things to go, but I didn''t have charisma for shit, and I could only rely on the basics of drama class and acting that I''d remembered from my time in college.


    As much as I liked Miss Valentine, there was still no denying the fact that she was canonically rather very, very useless. The more I remembered about the situation, the more I felt that relegating her to lackey role wasn''t a bad decision.


    She was ultimately beaten by Vivi and Nami.


    Vivi and Nami.


    Someone with a Devil Fruit was beaten by a princess and a thief who both had little combat experience.


    If she lost to them of all people, there was no way in the world she could survive on the Grand Line on her own. Hell, how in the world would she survive in East Blue? Someone like Don Krieg or Arlong or Kuro would turn her into mincemeat and force her to become a serviceable minion. Any halfway competent pirate crew on the Grand Line could beat her, and this was the Paradise part of the Grand Line. In the New World?


    HAH.


    She''d be dead in seconds.


    ¡­I probably would have felt the same way about myself, but there was no denying the fact that I felt drunk on power right now. Every muscle and every single fiber of my being sung with potential for explosions of catastrophic capabilities. I wanted to know what the max kiloton yield I could put out was. Hell, I wanted to know what the max megaton yield I could put out was. Could I nuke an entire city with a full body explosion? An entire island? An entire country?


    More interestingly, where did my ability as a "Bomb-Human" end? Could I add effects to my explosions? Could I make Ice Bombs or different types of ''bombs'' that possessed varying effects?


    There was so much to do, so much to experiment with.


    Of course, there was also the problem of deciding what to do about¡­ canon.


    We''d almost reached the center stage where the Millions had fought against Zoro and lost horribly, and I was slightly conflicted about what to do in this situation. If I let everything play out exactly like it had in canon, that would mean letting myself get my ass kicked after standing around blabbing my intentions like a third-rate mook. None of which were things that I found even remotely interesting to do.


    Option B was to try and steer things in a similar vein to canon. Ensure Vivi followed the Straw Hat Pirates, ensure they got to Little Garden, ensure Nami gets sick and goes to Drum Island to recruit Chopper, ensure they fight Crocodile and have Nico Robin join their crew.


    Except, I didn''t want to do that. That was¡­ stressful, boring, trying to do my best to make sure things worked out exactly as they had before? Why? What did I have to gain except to ''retain'' knowledge of the future? Why would I even waste so much effort trying to get these people to meet and making things remain as they had?


    Nope. No way.


    The name of the show was One Piece, not Luffy and Friends'' Glorious Adventures.


    If my interference changed events¡­ so f.u.c.k.i.n.g be it.


    So, what exactly am I going to do?


    As of now, Mr. 5 was a relative nobody. I wasn''t even sure if I had a bounty yet. I could choose to remain as a Bounty Hunter, get fame and money that way by hunting down notorious pirates. I could choose to join the Marines, probably work my way up to Vice-Admiral. Or, I could choose to go down the life of piracy.


    Bounty Hunting would get me money, but it would mean constantly engaging in life-or-death duels with dangerous opponents just to earn a paycheck. Even worse, the higher the bounty, the more dangerous the opponent. I might be a bomb-man, but I wasn''t a suicidal one.


    Being a Marine would suck because I was not down for a militaristic lifestyle, nor did I entertain the thought of being a lackey at someone''s beck-and-call.


    As a Pirate, however, my major concerns would be fighting off Bounty Hunters and Marines¡­ and other enemy Pirates. Benefits, of course, included the freedom to steal and pillage and ransack as much as I wanted and live as bullshittingly frivolous as possible. No one to tell me what to do, where to go, who to work for, or anything of the sort. I''d just¡­ be doing whatever I wanted.


    Like a bloody maniac.


    The freedom of the sea¡­


    Just the promise of freedom alone was enough to make me go for that option. It was something I''d had very little of in my life. Working a tireless 9-5 job as a lackey for the CEO of my company''s spoilt brat of a son. Going back to a small apartment and scrounging myself something half decent to eat from the fridge or ordering takeout. Sitting down and streaming anime, reading manga or playing FPS and RPG Games through the night, before waking up the following morning to do it all over again.


    I hadn''t contacted my friends since we graduated college and went our separate ways. I had a few work acquaintances, but they wouldn''t go into a depressed state if I suddenly went missing. I hadn''t had a girlfriend since college, almost five f.u.c.k.i.n.g years ago, and hadn''t gotten laid in over three¡­ four years now?


    To go from living the life of a cog-in-the-machine to suddenly finding myself in a world that emphasized freedom via the fast f.u.c.k.i.n.g ocean and legions of pirates¡­


    It was too good to be true.


    A part of me wanted to thank the bastard that was my boss for letting me follow him unto that yacht for his birthday celebration. If I''d never fallen into the ocean, I doubted I''d be here. Assuming, of course, here is real, and I hadn''t somehow found myself in my own weird, twisted version of the afterlife.


    If this was the afterlife, would this be considered hell, or heaven?


    "Mr. 5."


    I was drawn from my thoughts by Miss Valentine''s voice, and it only now occurred to me that I was heading in a different direction from where I was supposed to go.


    "Yes, Miss Valentine?"


    "Our target is ¨C"


    "In that direction." I nodded. "I am aware."


    "But we''re ¨C"


    "Scouting." I said simply. I turned to face her, blonde hair and green eyes and all, and I was glad for my shades which obscured my eyes otherwise she''d have noticed my eyes trailing over her form. Her gown was a bit on the short side, but I wasn''t complaining.


    There were no ''nudity-standards'' in this world. No oppressive religion shoving down rules of ''decency'' and ''modesty'' down people''s throats, and very little cultural biases towards the showing of skin. I also wondered how s.e.xist or uns.e.xist this world was when it came to women''s roles.


    "Lift yourself into the air, high enough to scout over the town and tell me what you see."


    She gave me an odd look, but didn''t complain as she opened her umbrella ¨C parasol? ¨C and leapt into the air. I clapped my palms together, generating a small explosion of thick smoke and fire that echoed with the ring of a gunshot, and the winds sent Miss Valentine soaring higher and higher into the sky.


    "¡­ Does she know I can see her underwear from here?"


    Probably not. I sighed. Really, the one attack and move you could think of to use with your Devil Fruit¡­ and it flashes everyone who looks up at you. Maybe she didn''t care? Did she? I mean, in a world filled with giant monsters, vicious pirates, a crazy, erratically-changing ocean, a corrupt Marine force, and ''Celestial Dragons'' who supported and partook in institutionalized slavery, what was a little flashing of some underwear?


    ¡­ Now that I thought about it, if I''d been born here or reincarnated here as a normal human being¡­ then yes, this would be hell. Definitely hell. Christ, there were so many damned things here out to kill you, and the ''good guys'' weren''t actually the good guys, and more or less "morally-grey/ambiguous guys."


    Miss Valentine landed back on the ground without so much as a sound and without remotely disturbing the earth. I took note of that. Her power was to either increase or decrease her weight at will, wasn''t it?


    "It''s pathetic. The Millions are scattered around everywhere. Many of them are dead, others are bleeding out from sword wounds. ''Miss Wednesday'' and ''Mr. 8'' are down as well."


    So, it was the moment then. This was the moment Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine were supposed to make their debut.


    "I also noticed¡­" Miss Valentine continued. "The Swordsman is sitting on a roof, drinking, and there is a girl skulking around, hiding behind a wall."


    Zoro and Nami. Yep.


    I took in a deep breath.


    Meet them, don''t meet them, meet them, don''t meet them ¨C


    Ah f.u.c.k it.


    "Miss Valentine," I said simply. "We''re going to make a nice entrance."


    XXXXXX


    The Swordsman was stronger than they expected.


    Too strong.


    What sort of monster could take on a hundred men on his lonesome without so much as to stop in hesitation? What sort of person could handle their best attacks and shrug them off without care?


    She''d always known that the Grand Line was host to different varying types of monster wearing the thin veneer of men, but she had no idea that such things were capable. Throughout her entire operation instigating herself into the folds of Baroque Works, her journeys and missions had not crossed her against the path of such monsters.


    Worse, there were probably monsters stronger than this swordsman in Baroque Works. None of the members knew anything truly about each other, but, she knew, the Officer Agents from rank number 5 and up were truly disastrous. Rumors about their abilities and strength were exaggerated enough that it was hard to tell which was true and which wasn''t.


    She however, did not expect, that they would be capable of something like¡­ this.


    He came from the sky. Dropping straight and center into the alleyway like a bird diving into water. His landing brought along with it a shockwave of air and pressure and an echoing boom that made her eardrums ring from the sound. The ground where he landed on was reduced to a small, smoldering crater, even as the tall, dark-skinned, sunglasses wearing man landed in a soft crouch, his knees bent, and his head bent low.


    She noticed, there was a woman lying comfortably on his shoulders, as though she weighed very little, and it was only until the thick, echo of cracking bones rung out from his body that the woman shifted off, moving to his right side, and the man straightened, his visage a calm, stony one as his thick shades obscured his eyes.


    Even with the glasses, she could tell that he was looking straight at her.


    "M-Mr. 5! M-Miss Valentine!" she heard Mr. 9 exclaim in shock. She could not blame him. Officer Agents, here? In Whiskey Peak? In the Front Lines? It was unusual.


    A slow dread filled up her stomach.


    Do they know?


    "T-the swordsman ¨C"


    "Shhh."


    The cold, shushing voice of Mr. 5 cut off Mr. 9 effortlessly. Shivers ran down her spine as she took in the appearance of Mr. 5. His posture, his look, his air.


    Dangerous.


    Every single thing about him spoke of danger. Strength. Power.


    Miss Valentine didn''t give off that same vibe. No, if anything, the blonde woman was submerged in Mr. 5''s intimidating aura. She seemed small, standing beside him, in more than just the physical sense. Her posture and stance did not speak of people who were equals and partners as per the rule of Officer Agents being assigned a female partner. No, she was a subordinate.


    Mr. 5 hadn''t spoken, he hadn''t made any threatening moves or gestures, and he had done nothing other than shush Mr. 9, but she could feel sweat building up in her palms and her heartbeat getting faster. She noticed she wasn''t the only one who was unnerved by the man''s stoic expression and silence. After appearing from the sky in such a manner, only to stand and stare at them ¨C


    "Miss Wednesday."


    She went ramrod stiff at hearing her codename being called out. "Y-y-yes? Mr. 5?"


    "Mr. 8."


    At hearing Igaram''s codename, she knew that they''d been exposed.


    "Y-y-yes?"


    "Mr. 0 has a task for you both."


    He knows. He knows ¨C


    Igaram''s gaze turned to her, a look on his face that she knew. No, don''t ¨C you''ll ¨C


    "W-what about the Swordsman, and the p-pirates?" he was trying to buy them time.


    Mr. 5 tilted his head slowly. "I have no business with them."


    "B-b-but, one of them has a Thirty Million Beli Bounty, and the s-swordsman ¨C"


    "Are you refusing a direct order? Mr. 8?"


    Igaram wavered. "No ¨C of course not, I''m only saying, he ¨C he knows about Baroque Works, the swordsman, and secrecy is our ¨C"


    "Miss Valentine." Mr. 5 called out suddenly.


    "Y-yes?"


    "Kindly silence Mr. 8."


    Silence?


    She grit her teeth as she wondered how Miss Valentine would ¨C


    The woman began floating up into the air, only for her to stop when Mr. 5''s hand outstretched and grabbed her ankle. Vivi noticed how Miss Valentine seemed to freeze and go white and the action.


    "Not in your usual flashy manner." Mr. 5 said. "I said silence, not obliterate."


    Vivi shuddered at that tone. Was she that powerful?


    "A-ah, yes," Miss Valentine dropped to the ground. "I''ll ¨C"


    "Ensure your hands aren''t too heavy. I don''t want him dying by mistake."


    Her hands?


    "M-my hands?"


    "Yes. Just your hands." Mr. 5 said. "I know it''s one of your weaker techniques, but we don''t need to go all out on small fry."


    The fact that Mr. 5 seemed to be the one giving all the orders didn''t instill Vivi with any confidence. Even more so, she was less confident when Miss Valentine strode forward, moving in front of the prone Igaram ¨C


    "W-wait, I''m ¨C GAH!"


    She punched him.


    Except, it didn''t look so much as though he''d been punched, and more as though she struck him with a heavy iron club, straight to the side of his head.


    "IGARAM!"


    He was knocked unconscious in one blow.


    Miss Valentine momentarily stared at her palms, as though seeing them for the first time, causing Vivi to wonder if the woman miscalculated how much power she''d used into the blow. The Princess of Alabaster desperately hoped the woman had used too much, rather than too little.


    "How much was that?" Mr. 5 asked the woman.


    "O-one thousand kilograms." She said, sounding breathless.


    "Ah. So you held back. That''s good."


    That was holding back? Vivi grit her teeth as she forced herself to stand to her feet. She couldn''t die here ¨C and ¨C and she couldn''t leave Igaram here either ¨C


    "CARUE!" she called.


    "SQUAAACK!"


    In a blur, the animal appeared by her side, giving her enough time to climb onto it, as she stared down Mr. 5.


    "He sent you didn''t he?! He sent you to kill me, Mr. 0!"


    Mr. 5 tilted his head. "Do you really have to ask such an obvious question?"


    She grit her teeth at the response. "You ¨C do you even ¨C"


    "Shhhhhh."


    He shushed her.


    "At this juncture, a lesser man would mock you. Insult your pride and purpose. Demean your existence. Gloat about his superiority. State the futility of your struggle." Mr. 5 said in a bland tone. "I''m not a lesser man."


    Again, she shuddered. Heat, scorching heat seemed to emit from Mr. 5''s form in such a manner that defied explanation.


    "Attempt to run or attempt to fight, and you will die. That is all."


    The words held so much conviction in them, that she believed it.


    Mr. 5 was not like the rest of Baroque Works. He was a consummate professional. He wasn''t here to joke, or to waste time, or to brag or gloat or do things which Vivi had long since associated with those who were deluded in their power. There was an eerie, unnatural conviction about him that evocated a sense of danger and authority.


    Regardless of what it was about him that made him so dangerous, she knew that she would die if she remained here. She would die if she attempted to run. She would definitely die if she fought against him. Against such odds, the least she could do was try.


    "Wait, I don''t understand, Miss Wednesday, why are they trying to kill you? What is going on?!"


    Mr. 9 spoke up, confusion adamant on his face. Vivi had almost forgotten about him, in lieu of Mr. 5''s appearance.


    "Miss Valentine. Kindly silence Mr. 9."


    Mt. 9''s eyes bulged. "W-wait! S-silence me? Why would you ¨C "


    Miss Valentine was upon him instantly, her ferocious right hand slamming against his cheek and echoing with the sound of breaking bones before he crumpled to the ground in a defeated heap.


    "Mr. 9!"


    "Can I silence her as well? She''s starting to become an annoyance." Miss Valentine asked, a large smile on her face.


    Mr. 5 casually shrugged. "As you will."


    Miss Valentine rushed towards her, and she grit her teeth as she bucked her h.i.p.s, gesturing to Carue. "We need to save Igaram! Hurry!"


    "QUAAA!"


    He blurred past Miss Valentine, moving closer and closer to Igaram''s prone form ¨C


    "Allah Akbar."


    The horizon went white.


    XXXXXX


    Here''s an interesting question. There''s a man whose boogers are capable of creating massive explosions that can leave a wake of devastation through buildings and solid rock, destroying them in seconds. His breath can be blown into a gun and shot out with the equivalent force of numerous simultaneous hand-grenade explosions. His kicks are explosive enough to utterly wipe out three men within close vicinity, and leave their bodies as charred remnants of meat and flesh, with the residue of the explosion being a crater the size of an Olympic swimming pool.


    What happens when this man decides to simultaneously explode his entire body?


    The answer would normally be the complete and utter carnage of every living and non-living thing in the vicinity.


    Normally, however, because this man is also capable of controlling his explosions, and, hence, is capable of making an explosion within an explosion. The first, being an explosion of nothing but pure shockwaves and concussive force, sending objects and people soaring away like as though they''d been FUS ROH DAH''d. Then, the second, main explosion, being all the good stuff, like the wall of sheer heat and fire.


    I''d been standing on an island before. A nice, large island, and I''d been on a street, a nice, cool street, filled with dozens and dozens and dozens of houses. Now?


    Now, I was standing in a smoky plain. A savannah of smoldering ash and thick debris. A nice grassland with neither grass nor land, and no building in sight, literally, with no building within my range of sight.


    Being at the epicenter, I was, of course, in a bit of a rather large crater, kind of like the ones we see in pictures of mars or the moon. I couldn''t even begin to estimate its size, but if I were, I''d wager about a dozen soccer fields¡­ somewhere close to one or two f.u.c.k.i.n.g kilometers.


    The best part of it?


    It didn''t feel like my maximum output.


    I wasn''t really focusing.


    Trying.


    I''d used more effort clenching my butt-cheeks or making my d.i.c.k dance while it was erect than I''d used to make that explosion.


    I stood in the middle of the crater, patting myself, and ensuring, that there wasn''t a single hair out of place on my body.


    ¡­Actually, there wasn''t anything out of place on my body. How had I not noticed this before?


    Why didn''t my clothes blow up?


    Come to think of it, devil fruit wielders never went n.a.k.e.d when using their powers, otherwise fangirls would have squealed whenever Ace got fired up, because his clothes would be gone when he went back to normal.


    Oh ¨C oh ¨C this has potential.


    My gaze flickered upwards, to the sight of someone floating down softly with a yellow parasol ¨C umbrella? ¨C and I blinked at the realization that she was still alive.


    I took it back. My powers worked excellently with Miss Valentine''s. Reducing her mass and floating like the breeze, she could and would always be able to get out of the truly devastating effects and ranges of my blasts without much harm. No one else, short of some logia-wielders, would be capable of doing the same.


    Of course, I wasn''t exactly endearing her to me, and no doubt, from high up, she''d have a truly unique view and scale of the carnage¡­ and if she was terrified of me before¡­


    The truth was, I hadn''t known or expected my full body explosion to have that much power. Like I said, it was almost effortless. Somehow, a full-body explosion felt more effortless than blowing up individual body parts or focusing on my sweat or feet.


    Was it this way with all devil fruits? Using your fruit abilities on your whole body at once being natural and easier than focusing it on other parts or other functions? If so, it would explain why Miss Valentine seemed to have preferred to simply just focus on using her devil fruit ability to modify her weight and not her arms or legs. It was just¡­ easier.


    Miss Valentine eventually landed beside me, and she was definitely more terrified of me now than she was not too long ago.


    "Our mission is complete." I said to her simply. "We''re heading back."


    She didn''t have it in her to complain, and she merely nodded her head sharply. No doubt, she thought that Vivi, Igaram, and the Straw Hats (along with everyone else on this island) were dead by now.


    It was a possibility, but I knew for certain that Luffy would still be alive. Rubber doesn''t explode very well. Zoro, through sheer grit would probably survive. Nami ¨C not so much, but, there wasn''t really much I could do in that aspect. Seducing her would have taken too much effort, and kidnapping her would have made me too much enemies.


    Vivi however?


    The odds were 50-50 to her survival. Another shame, such a damn fine woman gone to waste, but ¨C when you''re an indiscriminate bomber, these things tend to happen.


    I placed my hand casually in my pocket and began a slow march for wherever the sea was, and wherever our ship was docked.


    For now, I was a loyal employee of Baroque Works. Right up until Crocodile''s plans paid fruition, in which case, if I didn''t like what was being offered, I''d grill a croc, nab a flower, and find myself with a kingdom of my own.


    Not bad at all for a serial suicide bomber.


    "E-erm, M-M-Mr. 5¡­"


    "Hmm?"


    "O-o-our ship is the other way."


    "Oh." I said simply. "Thank you."


    "Yes, sir. N-not a problem."


    "Sir?"I asked, turning to look at her. She froze up.


    "I-if you don''t like it, I''ll ¨C"


    "No, no," I shook my head. "I like it just fine. But, when we''re alone, you can call me something a bit more casual."


    "W-what do I call you?"


    I tilted my head a bit, before smiling.


    "You can call me¡­ V."

 Chapter 115 - My SI Stash #15 - Golden Wind by Cherico (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

    -A SI Airbender fic recommended by cade2065~ He''s apparently quite the badass (¡«£þ¨Œ£þ)¡«


    *QuestionableQuesting story, so you need to have an account to get access to it! Have a good day~


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 190K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/golden-wind.10596/ (Cherico)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    "Kin Kaze¡­"


    I got up from my chair. I was short, too f.u.c.k.i.n.g short, and it had taken me seven god damned years to get here to this point. The firebender looked at me and shook his head. I knelt down before him as he studied me.


    "You have potential, you have proven your skills."


    My hands clenched, was I about to pull this off?


    "But the prince...the prince is being exiled, this is a fool''s errand."


    "I wish to stand by the prince sir."


    "I recommend that you go to school, that you study medicine in the royal academy for boys."


    "The prince needs people who are willing to stand by him even in exile sir."


    The man shook his head.


    "I...."


    A door opened and General Iroh walked in.


    "This is the volunteer?"


    "Yes, but he''s too young, and while he has some medical training."


    I smiled.


    "He''s more of an alchemist than a true healer."


    The older fatter man studied me.


    "Do we have any other volunteers?"


    "No, I''m sorry but no one wants to destroy their medical career by working with an exile...no offense."


    "Well then it''s better to have the next best thing to a healer than no healer at all. Are you willing to study hard?"


    "Yes sir."


    He smiled.


    "Wonderful. Well, come with me."


    Seven years...Seven years of wandering the fire country, of hunting and begging and using whatever abilities I have to survive. Two god damned years of doing whatever I could to get just a little bit stronger. All for this moment. I tried to control my face, my emotions.


    "Zuko is going through a rough time right now, he could use a friend."


    General rule of thumb when you''ve been chased by an eldritch abomination, gifted powers for surviving the night and then sent to another world aged down to a six years old body? Look for the familiar. Since I was in fire country that meant finding Zuko. I guess I should be glad that I arrived as early as I did, that I was given the advantages that I had. That I was able to grow my powers by fishing, hunting and helping out in various hospitals.


    My black and purple outfit was clean, my alchemist materials were strapped to my back and I had a letter of introduction from the hospital that I volunteered slash apprenticed to. I was walked onto an older ship.


    "I just want to thank you um."


    "Kaze."


    "Kaze, do you play Pai sho?"


    I grimaced.


    "I only know a little bit. If we played I think it would be best if we play in private I''m embarassingly bad at it."


    Iroh laughed.


    "Don''t worry I would be glad to teach you."


    We went down into the ship and I checked to make sure my hat kept my hair completely covered. I was nervous, I was pretty sure I could trust Iroh but my records were shoddy. He would look into things, he had to. The ship was mostly empty, it looked like it had a skeleton crew barely enough to keep it functional. I was led to a room.


    "The ship''s doctor''s quarters."


    "I will need space to make medicine, and better equipment, and ingredients...I believe I could in time make a profit if money is."


    "Don''t."


    He smiled.


    "A ship''s doctor is always provided what he needs, to do otherwise would be foolish."


    "Of course."


    "Zuko will be aboard soon, then we will leave. Thank you for coming here, having a healer around really makes a difference."


    With that he left, I gathered what few possessions I had and put them away. The ship was old but the equipment was good, better then what I was normally stuck with. I could work with this. I tried to catalogue what was here, what I could work with. Bells clanged and I put myself together. I rushed to the ship''s deck and stood ramrod straight as the prince walked on deck. And looked us over, most of the people here were middle aged or elderly. People who had served with Iroh directly and were here out of personal loyalty or people who screwed up bad and me.


    "Great."


    He stopped at me.


    "You...what do you do?"


    "This is the ship''s doctor, Kaze."


    "but he''s my age."


    "Kaze is very smart for his age."


    Zuko sighed, tired and defeated.


    "Lets go."


    There were no further introductions, Zuko didn''t seem like he was up to it, and so as the sun set we left the fire country and I felt myself relax a little. I went back to my quarters and cleaned, it was important that my infirmary remained clean, that my instruments were clean. I had a gift for cleaning, something I received for surviving my personal nightmare. I took a breath and concentrated on my cover. I heard a knock and opened the door. Iroh smiled, holding a board.


    "A game?"


    "Mind if I set it up?"


    "Sure."


    I took a breath and locked the door, my heart pounded and my hands shook as I set up the pieces on the board. Iroh raised an eyebrow as the design took shape ,when I was finished he looked at it.


    "I was told you could help me."


    He looked at me as I took off my hat, my blond hair falling down.


    "Help you with what?"


    I shook, this was it. I might die here and now.


    "Have you ever heard of Guru Laghima?"


    "I have heard of some of his."


    I started floating in the air, wind rushing in my hands, Iroh''s eyes opened in shock as the wind blew gently onto his body, then I landed on my feet. The two of us were silent, Iroh''s face was filled with a kind of trepidation.


    "I..I think I''m the only one left. My parents are dead, my sisters are dead, my aunts, uncles, grandparents... every one''s dead. You''re my last option."


    Iroh''s face was filled with guilt, was this the moment of truth? I clenched my hands and closed my eyes and prepared myself for everything to go sideways.


    "Accomodations will be made."


    I opened my eyes.


    "Certain things will have to be kept discreet."


    I bowed.


    "I understand Prince Iroh, I will try to keep my condition discreet."


    "It''s not...."


    His face was etched with guilt and he looked away.


    "It''s not some thing you should be ashamed of, but these are not good times."


    With that he left. My heart slowed down and I flopped down on a bed, that could have gone a lot worse.


    Chapter 2


    Kin Kaze


    Spirit touched.


    Those two words are a double edged sword. Want to explain why you have some unnatural ability? Spirit touched. You''re the only blond on the entire planet? Spirit touched. You have unnatural skills? Spirit touched! It was a go to excuse that gave me a license to be weird, but at the same time...people really don''t want to be around you. Which, for me, was good and bad. On the one hand I never had to worry about being forced to go to a Fire nation school, because parents didn''t want their children around someone who was Spirit touched. Orphanages were the same way. On the other hand there was a century long war going on.


    The Fire nation wasn''t left unaffected by it, really it could not be unaffected by it.


    You saw it in the gender disparity. The numbers of women and men were relatively even until recruitment age, then the number of men dropped. Some of the towns I''ve been to, women outnumbered men three to one. People with medical skills were rare and, if you were spirit touched and were willing to show people that your potions worked well, people gave you a chance.


    When they actually did work? You got a place to live, money in your pockets, respect, books and training from the elderly people who remained to help the villagers. But this was only temporary. When enough burns were healed, when enough injuries were fixed... Well then people started getting ansty, they started getting meaner and the superstitious blamed you for their bad luck.


    And then it was time to leave. Just ask for a couple references, say that your work is done and go to the next town over in the dead of night. Always keep moving, never stay in a place too long. The Fire nation wasn''t a cruel place, the people weren''t evil, but I was an outsider and I would never belong there. I yawned as there was a knock on my door. I put on my coat, and looked at the Fire nation soldier.


    "Is there anyway I can help you sir?"


    "Was told you could fix burns."


    "I have some experience with them."


    A drastic understatement. Number one injury in the Fire nation? Some one got burned. He handed me a note and I read it.


    "Really?"


    "Fire lord''s orders, the prince''s Agni kai injury remains in place."


    He looked at me and sighed.


    "I don''t like it either, the prince has already been informed."


    And just when you think Zuko''s father couldn''t be any more of a shit.


    "I understand."


    "Also it''s breakfast time, food is....acceptable."


    With that said I walked to the chow hall, Fire nation food was in my opinion too spicy but, as long as you stayed away from the red stuff, it was acceptable if bland. Breakfast was some kind of noodle dish, bland but filling. I''ve eaten worse since I''ve come here. I stayed silent, the men looked at me and stared.


    "Spirit touched."


    They blinked at my statement.


    "Happened on the sea, after the pirates killed my family and left me for dead...."


    They grimaced, one of them decided to talk.


    "Who did it?"


    "Water tribe, we were civilians but hey easier to fight a bunch of defenseless civilians than Fire nation soldiers who can fight back, right?"


    The man took a breath. I could see his anger.


    "Your family?"


    "Every one died. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings and cousins. Every one."


    I took a cup of tea.


    "Wow um damned so?"


    "So they sunk the ship and left us for dead, one by one I watched my family sink under the sea then I was the only one left. That''s when I met it."


    I stared at my tea cup.


    "Some people worship spirits, not a good idea. There are nasty ones out there. I escaped, I lived and then it caught me and decided to change me as a reward for surviving its little game."


    I shook my hair.


    "And that''s when I landed on shore. Overall I rate the entire experience 1 out of 10, I don''t recommend it."


    I shrugged and sipped the tea. I missed coffee, I missed it so much.


    "That''s rough, buddy."


    I shrugged.


    "One of the reasons I came, heard this ship was full of misfits, wondered if there was room for one more."


    The men laughed and Iroh smiled, I was asked to bring some food to the Prince. I took a bowl and knocked.


    "Breakfast."


    "Ugh, who''s there."


    "Kaze, the ship''s doctor."


    "I''m not hungry."


    "Do you really think you will be able to defeat the master of four elements on an empty stomach?"


    The door opened and Zuko took the offered food, then the door slammed in my face. I shrugged and walked back to my room, I had potions to brew, medical books to read and other work that needed to be done.

 Chapter 116 - My SI Stash #16 - Stranglevine by Timthecarp (Young Justice)

    -Recently published, SI as the son of Poison Ivy and Batman. Also Joker as a babysitter~


    *NSFW SI Young Justice fic on QQ, you''ll have to make an account to get access to the story!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 13K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/stranglevine-young-justice-si.11081/page-7#post-3063086 (Timthecarp)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    Have you ever had a bad day? Rain ruining a barbeque, some jackass keys your car, your dog runs away, hell maybe your wife leaves you and never comes back. Broken bones, moldy bread, not getting sleep, hard tests, and a friend who stabs you in the back and twists the knife only because they can.


    And you think about it, you sit and put your hands into your hair and really think about it and come to the only conclusion that someone who lives for long enough could have ever made. Of course you''ve had bad days, but like everyone else struggling along on this ball of shit and piss that is the earth you move on and live your life. Because what else could you do? Life isn''t a game where your home town gets destroyed by the big bad you''ll then have to go on an epic journey to defeat. Not a grand comic book origin story where that one event defines you for the rest of your life, where it pushes you to cripple criminals after your parents get murdered in front of you. Maybe things would be simpler if it was.


    Life is a series of good and bad days, but all it takes is one bad day to ruin everything you''ve ever worked to achieve. One exceptionally bad day where a log falls off a big ass truck and destroys your upper torso, like in Final Destination. Or maybe you get covered in some weird pseudoscience chemical that turns your skin green and gives you legs that just don''t quit.


    Well, that last one seems more like a positive, but whatever. I never said the analogy was perfect. It''s hard to come up with something clever as your guts spill out into the street, I''m sure you wouldn''t be able to do any better.


    Anyway, this is my ''One Bad Day''. Stomach cut open by a pathetic fedora wearing, neckbeard having, weeb incel NEET wielding the dumbest katana ever devised by man. For God''s sake, the pommel and hilt were pink and yellow and the blade had some anime dragon bullshit engraved into it. Such an embarrassing way to die, and so so pointless. I don''t know why he thought that going on a rampage in rural Texas with a katana was a good idea, even now as my hearing dulls and the world loses color I can hear the faint bangs and pops of weaponry. Then the meaty thump of his fat lardass smacking against the pavement as he''s presumably riddled with lead.


    Good, at least I was avenged in the end.


    Some faint screaming and crying hits my senses, the pounding of boots on pavement, the feeling of someone trying to shove my guts back into my abdominal cavity. All so pointless, by this point I''ve lost so much blood. Some wet drops hit my face, drawing me out of my monologue and into the real world. Some random woman yelling at me, yelling something I can''t really understand. Probably to stay awake or some clich¨¦ shit like that.


    Let me tell you some advice, people in my head. Telling someone to stay awake doesn''t really help when most of their blood is painting the sidewalk like a 5th grader''s abstract art project.


    Ah... shit... what was I talking about again? Oh well. I need a blanket or something.


    "It''s s-so c-cold. Someone k-kick Jack Frost''s ass, he''s t-too chill."


    And then the sun dims and goes out, and all I knew were dreams.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Some hot goth girl whispering softly into my ear, a gimp with a bat theme, some flying man dressed in red and blue delivering me cookies. And then green everywhere with a dash of red hair that would make any Irishman jealous. Flashes of nonsense and bright shifting color. It goes on forever, or what feels like forever, before everything goes black again.


    Whatever insane nonsensical dream I''m in now, I can at least thank God that it''s calm and relatively inoffensive. I mean sure, there''s an ever present ''thu-thump-thu-thump'' noise that''s pretty annoying, and it''s kinda gross feeling in here, and I can''t really move my limbs, and I can''t breathe, and-


    Well I''m sure you head-people get the picture, but at least I have limbs, at least I can feel things, and I don''t have to watch a Turkey-man get blasted up the ass with a baster filled with a white liquid. And that''s one of the ones that wasn''t even that bad compared to the soul raping noise of a few dreams that momentarily made me insane. But it''s all fine! I just had to go insane enough that I went right back around the bend.


    Admittedly, my definition of sane might be a teeny tiny bit different from yours. But you''re head-people, your opinion doesn''t matter! Still, I don''t know what I''d do without you head-people. You''re my bestest fwiends fowever~!


    ...the Silent Treatment huh? How typical of you, your passive aggressive silence almost makes me miss that whatever place I''m in now is getting really cramped. Oh shit! Oh f.u.c.k gross gross gross gross-


    The slimy walls of the room flex and ripple, pulling me forwards towards a blindingly bright light. Then moments later I''m free, held in the hands of what feels like a giant before I''m promptly turned over and smacked on the ass with their giant meaty hand. Then I start to cry like a f.u.c.k.i.n.g baby, because f.u.c.k.i.n.g owww! Have you ever been slapped on your right asscheek by a giant? Of course not, because in what world do ass-slapping giants exist in?!


    Then I open my eyes, trying to get a glimpse of the person who hit me, and see multiple things that floor me. Firstly, the huge man''s eyes are glassy and dull, looking more at home on a build-a-bear than a man. Secondly, I''m a damn baby, with motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g green skin. Thirdly, the woman who''s cunt I just got pulled out of has green skin, blood red hair, and admittedly some really nice tits, and is currently laying on a bed made out of plants. Said sweat drenched woman looks at me with eyes filled with some emotion I couldn''t even begin to describe, then she opens her mouth.


    "Bri- Bring my baby boy over here would you?"


    I barely register the robotic ''Yes Mistress'' from the man, or his janky movement as he brings me over to the veritable goddess lying on the plant-based table. All I could think about in that moment was her voice, like the singing of God''s personal choir, like the chirping of birds on a mid-summers afternoon, like-like the voice of an angel.


    Wait. Oh f.u.c.k, that''s Poison Ivy. She''s my mother. The Eco-Terrorist. The mind control pheremone emitting, man seducing, batman hating, Poison f.u.c.k.i.n.g Ivy.


    As I grow closer to her I kinda¡­ flop around, trying to get away. It, of course, doesn''t work because I''m a literal newborn baby with almost no muscle strength to speak of. So I start to... well, you know... It''s not my proudest moment and it''s really embarrassing, but I start to bawl like I''m being carried to the electric chair. Because I was only just born and her mind control shit''s already affecting me, it''s terrifying to feel myself fall head over heels in love with someone like that at the drop of a pin. I mean sure, she has huge tits, thicc thighs, a muscle tone over her whole visible body that would make models the world over scream in rage filled jealousy, and though I can''t see her ass it''s probably perfect too- see!? Mind control is the only explanation for my i.n.c.e.s.tuous feelings! Even if she''s my type, I can''t be attracted to my mom! That''s gross!


    Wrapped up in my conflicted thoughts as I am, it comes as a surprise when I feel my right cheek hit n.i.p.p.l.e.


    Oh, he handed me over.


    Then Ivy slowly rocks me back and fourth, then starts to speak in that voice parents use around infants.


    "Oooh, what''s the matter? It''s alright, momma''s right here, everything''s going to be alright. Are you hungry? Here you go~"


    And then she shoves her n.i.p.p.l.e into my mouth. I then promptly stop crying and start sucking, because holy f.u.c.k this is the opportunity of a lifetime and I''m not wasting it by being a little bitch. Things go like this for a few minutes, I suck, she coos and makes baby noises while the brainwashed guy stands blankly in the corner of the room made of plants. You know, nothing out of the ordinary here, no sir just a normal every day birth.


    Then, and follow me here, a female clown stripper strides into the room. Blonde hair, twintails dyed red and blue, a shirt with a boob window, a skirt that''s probably too short and some fishnet stockings ending in black high heeled boots, white facepaint and glossy red lipstick on puffy d.i.c.k sucking lips. The usual clown stripper attire.


    "Ya done in here Red? I wanna see the baby already, you''ve been screaming for hours!"


    Ivy flinches, muttering something about bats, condoms, and ''never again'' before brightly smiling at the clown person.


    "Here he is Harley, isn''t he adorable!? Look at his cheeks, his hair, his eyes. Isn''t he absolutely perfect!?"


    Who I guess is Harley Quinn walks over and bends down to get a closer look, eyes filled with skepticism and mouth drawn into a slight pout.


    "Sure, he''s pretty cute I guess. I don''t really see the appe-"


    Her harsh words are cut off by me unlatching from Ivy''s n.i.p.p.l.e and giving out a tiny burp. Harley''s previously unexcited face suddenly lights up at my spontaneous cuteness. You could almost see her pupils turn into hearts! Her resulting squeal could probably be heard all the way to Mars!


    "EEEEeee! He''s so cute! Who''s a widdle baby? That''s right, it''s you! Let auntie Harls pinch your itty bitty widdle cheek~"


    Yeeeeeesssss, ALL SHALL BOW TO MY CUTENESS! MUHUHAHAHAHA-ow! Quitit!


    My smug reign of cute baby terror was cut short by her reaching out and pinching my cheek just hard enough to be uncomfortable. Still pinching my cheek, she turns her head to look at Mo-Ivy.


    "I can''t believe B-man helped make something so precious!"


    Ivy grimaces again. "Ugh, I know. I can''t believe it either. I guess it''s my fault for not bringing my own contraceptives, but why didn''t he bring bat-condoms or something!?"


    Oh shit, my dad is Bruce Wayne. My dad is Batman.


    That lucky f.u.c.k! He did it raw! I want to do it raw! I bet he doesn''t even pay bat-child support! Why can''t I pay bat-child support!?


    Wait-


    They talk back and fourth, complaining about batman and how he punched Joker in the face hard enough to make him lose a tooth. I mutely follow along for a while before I notice a head poke through the doorway. The Joker and I lock eyes and stare at each other for what feels like minutes before he grins at me in the way only a lunatic can, winks at me, and then walks away.


    Well, that was a thing.


    Refocusing back on to Ivy and Harley I idly reach back for Ivy''s tit. I am still kinda hungry, and whatever weird plant milk coming from her b.r.e.a.s.ts tastes pretty nice. Suckling on her boob, I feel like everything is going to turn out okay.


    Oh dammnit I jinxed myse-


    Chapter 2


    My new life went how you would generally expect for a newborn baby, you know the deal. Eat, sleep, drink, shit, and piss. Utterly boring and tedious in the extreme, the only thing that occasionally saved me from the usual monotony were visits from Aunt Harley and Uncle Jay. They''d come in on random days, at random hours, occasionally looking like they''d just come from a life threatening confrontation, clothes damaged in some way, bodies littered with another injury or another. But no matter their condition they were all smiles and laughter, a source of such eternal enduring joy it was almost pathetically easy for me to forget that they were crazy mass murdering lunatics. Somehow the thought of people getting hurt didn''t bother me in the slightest.


    With my mom things were¡­ not so great. Sometimes there would be weeks where she didn''t leave my side for anything, and then she''d completely vanish into the ether on others. During these long periods of absence I would be babysat by Auntie, with some special occasions with Joker taking the wheel.


    Now, I know what you''re thinking.


    "Oh god what did he do to you!?"


    Well head-people, I am happy to say that he did absolutely nothing to me. No bad words, no errant slaps, as a babysitter his only ''bad'' quality would be his constant insistence on teaching me things. How to mix certain chemicals to make Smilex, how to assemble gag props, how to best psychologically tear down your opponents (that one had a puppet show!), generally it was all mostly practical knowledge with a fun twist to keep my attention.


    Harley on the other tiny baby hand was a source of general entertainment with a few life lessons thrown into the mix. When it''s okay to break a rude minion''s kneecaps (It''s always okay to do that, duh), Sock puppet shows usually ending with batman getting beaten up into a pulp by cute sock versions of all his rogues, how to best pop an arm or leg back into place, and so on.


    My first few months of life consisted of this constant cycle of overbearing love-filled smothering, and then absence. Though I really had no idea what on earth she was doing during these ''trips'', I could guess that it probably involved super-villainy and getting punched in the face by a gimp with a fetish for bats, and his child assistant. And while I didn''t exactly appreciate that my mom was getting hurt constantly, it''s not like there was anything I could really do about it other than sit in my plant crib and shit myself.


    So I sit and drink the same shit I drink everyday, from the tit or from the bottle. That''s right, it''s f.u.c.k.i.n.g plant b.r.e.a.s.t milk, and let me tell you something, it tastes pretty alright. Now while it tastes good, it sure as shit isn''t normal milk. I''ve tasted normal milk, you''ve probably tasted normal milk, this shit tastes like fruit juice except I can''t tell from what kind of fruit. Now if it was only the taste I wouldn''t care that much about the difference, but I swear this has something in it that shouldn''t be in it. Why do I think it has some kind of pseudoscience bullshit chemical in it? Well, it''s the fact that I look like a f.u.c.k.i.n.g goddamn eight year old kid when it''s only been four months. So it''s either the milk that''s making me mature faster, or it''s the fact that I''m a freaky plant person. Maybe even both, I don''t know.


    Part of me wants to eat something else, anything else, but when I ask mom all I get is "It''s good for you, you don''t need anything else!" and when I ask Auntie and Uncle they just give each other a look and refuse with some weak excuse littered with even weaker apologies. So that''s¡­ something mildly worrying at the very least. Though I noticed the flavor change every so often, so I suppose my complaint was taken into account. Ah, oh well. I suppose that I''ll have to be a big boy and just deal with it.


    I''m thrown out of my bi-weekly report to the College of Head-people when mommy walks into the room, some of her newest mind controlled servants following meekly behind her as she approaches my kingdom of wooden toys. She bends down and gives me a hug, putting my head between her bodacious b.r.e.a.s.ts, then smiling warmly, she starts to deliver the same bad news as six weeks ago.


    "Sweety? Mommy needs to go on a¡­ trip again. Your aunt and uncle will come by sometime today, just play with your toys until they come by, alright?"


    Snuggling up to her, I pout a little.


    "Okay mommy, just come back soon okay? Auntie and Uncle get weird when they stay here for too long."


    She hugs me tightly for a few moments, and although I can''t see her face I imagine she looks conflicted. Bringing my face into her hands, she bends down and kisses me on the cheek.


    "Alright Buttercup, I can cut my trip a little short if you want. Maybe when I get back we can start working on your powers again?"


    My face lights up, a smile that would do Uncle proud stretching across my visage at the good news.


    "Can we!? Yes yes YES!"


    I bodily launch myself at Ivy, latching onto her front like the dreaded Australian Drop Bear. And if my hands wandered off in some inappropriate directions it''s not my fault, it''s ''accidental''. After all, in the words of Harley, I''m just a ''cute little puddin pop''.


    Ivy smirks and rolls her eyes before rubbing my back in small circles, then, moving her mouth to my ear she huskily whispers "Do you want to get off yourself, or do I have to help you."


    Sensing that I had perhaps overplayed my hand, I swiftly dropped down. Finally free of my constricting grip, my mother stands back upright. With a minute gesture her brainwashed servants quickly exit the room while she slowly walks towards the doorway, her full curvaceous ass looking enticing as it jiggles with each exaggerated motion. When she crosses the threshold of the doorway she turns back slightly, then winks and blows a kiss.


    "Bye, dear. Harley and Jay should be here any minute now, I trust that you won''t get in any trouble before they get here?"


    Gulping down a mouth full of saliva, I shakily reply while sweat rolls down my brow and drips onto my chest.


    "A-Ah y-yeah, no trouble here, nothi-nothing at all. Hahaha..."


    Her resulting smile shone brighter than the sun, it''s warmth far surpassing anything that came before it, despite looking the exact same as every other time she had smiled at me in that manner. Then, as her smile faded into wondrous memory, she was gone.


    Plopping myself onto the grassy carpet, I stared holes into my hands. After a few ponderous moments I covered my face with my grubby little mitts and sighed deeply. Christ, I had it bad, didn''t I? Stupid stupid stupid, risking my relationship with Ivy, with my own mother, all because I couldn''t keep it in my damn pants. This isn''t even the first time something like this has happened either, me wildly falling out of my depth and losing my goddamn f.u.c.k.i.n.g mind. She just has that effect on me, that aura of raw sensuality and s.e.x appeal that drives my newly acquired instincts mad. That drives me to grope and squeeze and even lick and suck if I think I can get away with it at the time.


    Except I don''t get away with it. I haven''t gotten away with it after the first few times, after that, she''s always cottoned on to the fact that there''s something weird and wrong with me. She never looks at me in shock, or disgust, she just calmly indulges me while remaining in complete utter control the entire time, always getting the last laugh and inflaming my l.u.s.t to greater heights. Goading me on, probably trying to see how bad the damage is.


    And I loath myself for it, this bottomless pit that is my libido. This great gnawing beast that stokes the fire in my b.r.e.a.s.t and gives me the courage of a thousand, nay, a million men. I loath the way I lose control of myself, the way I disregard reality in the moment until it all comes crashing back down on me afterward. Already I am only four months old and I understand this basic fact, this central part of the new person I''ve become. I am a bad son. A son who l.u.s.ts after his mother like a man lost in the desert who suddenly discovers an oasis paradise, no matter what that man does he can''t help but take drink after drink. Eventually he''ll drown himself in it, that splendid dreamlike paradise, just like I am now.


    Hhhaaaggghhhh, don''t think about it. Think about something else.


    Already I can think of a few topics besides that, that dreadful dreary c.u.mbersome thing. My appearance for one, my abilities as they stand now are another.


    Thankfully, Ivy allows some man made objects into our secluded home, if only out of convenience if nothing else. Organic hygiene products, some few electronic devices like a landline phone and a television set, and the item most relevant to my current needs. A mirror, set inside a frame surrounded by exotic and mutated flowers of my mother''s own creation.


    As has become my ritual for when I needed to run away from my problems, I gaze inside the mirror and see what I usually see. A young lad of what appears to be seven or eight years gazes back at me, his skin a vibrant glowing emerald, his lower body covered in tastefully crafted leaves, eyes a chilling blue, hair appearing as if it was on fire, and the one thing that stuck out the most. The long jagged birthmark on his stomach, on my stomach. A reminder of the man I used to be, the person I can never be again.


    I sense myself beginning to mope again and draw my attention to a doorway across the room. The training room, a place where I could go all out at my current strength and not be able to permanently damage anything. I almost sprint inside, ever more eager to take my mind off thinking. So, my powers¡­ where to begin? Perhaps with the simplest thing in my ever expanding tool belt, my pheromones. They''re not all that strong, certainly not even anywhere near the mastery my mother shows with hers, but they''re mine. With them I can make tiny suggestions and expect most people to follow through with them, that is, if they can justify it to themselves in their head. Something like "Look to the left" is a hell of a lot easier than "Do the robot while n.a.k.e.d".


    The more out of place it is for that person to do, the harder I have to work my body to produce more and stronger pheromones. As I am now, there''s absolutely no way for me to brainwash or mind control someone without straining myself to the point of bone deep exhaustion and beyond.


    As for the other things I can do, there''s plant manipulation, which includes genetically modifying plants and ordering them around. The modifications I can make aren''t too fantastical, mostly limited to things found in nature, but¡­


    Snapping my fingers, a thick vine peels off the wall, quickly growing thick thorns. Soon after a bright red bulb dotted in white appears on the tip, growing to near human size in around thirty seconds before splitting down the middle, revealing rows of sharp green faux teeth with a wiggling worm like ''tongue'' coming from the back of the acid filled mouth.


    See head-people? I can make a near sapient real life piranha plant with stuff naturally found in plants around the world. All those teeth? Modified rose thorns. The acid? Stuff already found in carnivorous plants, just beefed up like everything else I can make. The ''tongue'' is how it sees and smells things, also taken from plants. Because plants are bullshit anyway, It doesn''t matter if I can''t make shit up from nothing yet, I can just find something almost as good naturally.


    Now the drawback with this kind of this thing is I can''t just make huge sweeping changes like this in a respectable time frame normally, the only reason this didn''t take hours is because the training room is packed to the brim with stored nutrients to accelerate plant growth, and to keep the things I make alive. If I wanted to make this out in the real world I''d have to increase how large the roots and leaves are, and be prepared to wait a good while for my minions to grow. The more severe the modification, the longer it takes to make and the more nutrients they require.


    Now, while this last one doesn''t sound that amazing compared to the other things I can do, I hear plants sort of¡­ ''speak'' for a lack of a better term. They don''t ''talk'' through sounds, or motion, or even pheromones. It''s a deeper, almost magical connection, the shine of their combined overwhelming will telling me the want and whim of a thousand thousand different plants, each offering suggestions and advice on how to best help them through their limited perspectives.


    Honestly, I can see why mom is so insistent on the rights of plants. When you can ''talk'' to them, listen to their problems, feel their suffering through the connection, no matter how faint, I''d probably be pissed if I saw someone stomp all over a single flower, much less an entire forest or what have you. It''s like seeing some prick stomp a kitten to death, a stupid, not at all sentient kitten. But it''s still a kitten getting hurt in front of you, how would that make you feel?


    As I think to myself, I guide and order the various plants in the room around, vines twist and snake through the air like eastern dragons, grass grows wildly, alternating between a soft silky carpet, and a field of deadly spikes. Some plants I even form from what seems to be nothing, in reality just random miscellaneous seeds changed into the currently desired plant. And with a stray thought every surface of the room is covered in flowers of every species I could think of, and even some I couldn''t.


    Finally, soaked in sweat and panting in exhaustion, I lay down on the soft grass. Moments like this make me feel alive, they fill me with a kind of energy nothing else can. Without even having to ask, a stray vine sn.a.k.e.d out of the room and across the house, into the only room absent of any foliage. It grabs a few towels and a large bucket of water that it filled, bringing the back to the training room. Then it dunked the towel in the cool water and got to work on wiping all over my body.


    "Ooohhh that''s nice."


    It''s times like this that remind me that I''ve hit the superpower lottery. Sure, I''m no superman, but I have no major weaknesses other than the cold and fire, but most people with powers are vulnerable to those in some way. I''m probably immune to most poisons, considering the fact that I''m a plant person, but I''m sure as hell not going to test it out unless I really need to.


    I lay sprawled spread eagle on the comforting grass until Auntie and Uncle arrive thirty minutes later, the roaring of a large vehicle alerting me to their arrival.


    Initially I''m unconcerned, they arrive in getaway vehicles like this whenever some harebrained scheme doesn''t work out and they manage to slip away from Batd.i.c.k, but this time my concern is raised when the vehicle doesn''t turn off and I hear the front door slam open. By the time the frantic stomping reaches the training room I''m already upright, backing away from the door while my chlorophyll filled minions crowded around the entrance.


    I needn''t have bothered, Harley came in looking battered, her clothes torn and her skin slightly bruised. Even in her battered state she was able to flip and slide past any defense I could have constructed, and before I could blink I was held in a death grip and she was sprinting back out of the room. I could sense my minions trying to follow before I sent an order for them to fall back, then I looked at Harley''s face, only to be met with a face filled with fright.


    "Auntie, what''s going on!? Where are we going!?"


    Harley looks down at me as we swiftly exit the house, giving me a view of the outside world for the first time in this new life, Ivy too paranoid to allow me so much as a glimpse outside a window, perhaps fearful someone would see me. What I see isn''t too surprising, an apartment building in a shitty neighborhood with boarded up windows, the only lights coming from the building shining from the bottom floor which I lived on.


    As we enter the back of a sleek black van and sit down on some rather comfy seats, my ass planted firmly in her lap, she finally answers me with a whisper.


    "A bad evil man found out where you live sweetness. Red- Ivy¡­ let it slip that you¡­ existed, in a moment of¡­ passion. She was mad, steaming, she wanted to make the bad guy angry."


    She kissed me on the top of my head and snuggled me deeper before continuing.


    "I¡­ I''m sorry cutie, she''s been put in Arkham."


    In that moment it feels like my heart drops all the way to my feet, sweat starts to form on my brow as I start to breath faster and deeper, trying to stay calm. Harley''s solemn voice fades as my vision goes red and starts to blur with unshed tears.


    "W-What!? How- Why did this-"


    My panicked exclamation is cut off by the sound of a loud thunderous roar coming from behind us, the screeching of tires sounding out, echoing in the quiet streets of Gothham. Auntie freezes up, her face screwing up with worry before she yells loudly up to the front seat.


    "We have to go fastah Mistah J!"


    Uncle''s exhausted voice comes from the front seat, filled with a sense of defeat, with frustration and anger.


    "I''m already going as fast as this hunk of junk can! It can''t go any faster!"


    Harley looks ready to break out into wild sobs, only holding herself back because she''s in my presence.


    "I-It''s going to be okay puddin, we''ll get out of this, mean ol'' Batman isn''t going to get his hands on you!"


    And then the back tires pop, the screech of metal on pavement announcing their loss for all to hear. Moments later what looks like a harpoon spears through the back doors, and with a lurch the van slows down immensely. The ensuing tug of war ends with the van''s defeat, the engine unable to stand up to the over engineered might of what I presume to be the Batmobile. Silence follows while Harley sits me gently down on the seat and she stands up, preparing her hammer for a confrontation.


    She moves slowly to the door s and opens them, peering out into the dark street and at the intimidating form of a silent Batmobile. Suddenly, a pair of dark hands grabs her from above, dragging her away screaming onto the car roof! I hear a loud slam come from above, a slight indent appearing in the metal roof. Joker looks back at you, sadness filling his eyes.


    "When I tell you to run, run. Okay kid?"


    I just nod at him, my eyes stinging from the tears that begin to fall down my cheeks. Uncle Jay gets out of the car, shouting and hollering.


    "Come out Bats! I know you''re around! You can''t hide in the dark forever!"


    I hear a whoosh from outside, followed by the mad laughter of my uncle. I hear the sound of gloved fists pounding against flesh, pained wheezing following after each blow.


    "GO! RUN! DON''T LOOK BA-gagh!"


    I do as he says and try to run out of the back of the van, only to run straight into firm muscled chest and fall backwards onto my ass. I look up slowly, and see the figure that would feature prominently in my nightmares for the rest of my days.


    Batman''s steely gaze meets mine, his five o'' clock shadow the only indication of his humanity. His face softens slightly as he reaches down towards me, but, I crawl backwards frantically until my back hits the cool metal of the van. Tears stream down my cheeks as my mind goes from panic into full-blown hysteria. He comes closer, and closer, and closer.


    "N-NO! S-STAY AWAY! GO AWAY!"


    When he comes close to me and an outstretched hand grabs my arm, my eyes roll into the back of my head, fear overwhelming me and knocking me unconscious.


    The next time I would wake up, would mark the beginning of the rest of my life.

 Chapter 117 - My SI Stash #17 - OH C’MON by forcespeed41 (Multicross&Baki/Kenganverse)

    -As "Another Hanma in a World of Martial Arts Anime" is still on hiatus, this fic kind of became my alternative. It''s quite fast paced, the grammar is meh but it''s fun enough.


    *SI as a Gamer, it''s a multi cross fic, starts in Baki/Kengan verse.


    Sypnosis: A lot of people have read or watched isekai anime or manga. Heck some even read fanfictions about it even a self insert. We all dreamed about cruising across the multiverse as an OP mc. Too bad the multiverse wants me dead. At least I got the Gamer...


    Rated: M


    Words: 23K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13457218/1/OH-C-MON (forcespeed41)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    High I''m new to this and this is my first fanfiction so I will do my very best to make it good.


    I do not own the Gamer or any franchise, movies or anime.


    so uhh... enjoy.


    He had been in many weird situations but the one thing that made him wonder was what the hell did he do deserve this!?


    Seriously what did he do? When he was born an earthquake of 8.5 magnitude struck the hospital he was born. By the time he was five he got trapped under a pile of logs. When he was ten, he was chased by dogs throughout the neighborhood. When he was fifteen he almost got struck by lightning twice!


    Some would say that is ridiculous or made up. He has answer for them. Check his medical records.


    The only silver lining was that as soon as he is about to die, something or by some divine intervention something or someone is always there to save him. Didn''t mean he got away without a scratch.


    However now he is twenty one this just takes the cake.


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    YOU ARE ONE OF THE FEW MORTALS TO RECIEVE THE GIFT OF GAMER!:-)


    COQUER THE MULTIVERSE, GET THE DAMES, BE A BENEVOLENT BEING OR AN EVIL TYRANT IT IS YOUR CHOICE. THE WORLD IS YOURS FOR THE TAKING. ;-)


    Uuuuh... Okay? how do you react when something you read or watch is literally happening to you.


    He took a deep a breath before punching his nuts. "Gah!" Okay some would say that was dumb when he could have just pinched himself but due ''misfortune'' his pain tolerance had skyrocketed to the point even having knife stabbed to his back didn''t even hurt like it would. Oh he can feel pain but it would be the equivalent of an ant bite. Except the nuts. Thank goodness for the small mercies.


    After recovering the young man stared at the screen. He remembered waking up, eating breakfast, finishing the questions for his thesis but... why can''t he remember anything after that he was sure that he hadn''t left room.


    Shaking his head, He quickly focused back on the screen he''ll figure it out later for now he before swiping his right hand to the left. Like a holagram the screen quickly changed.


    Would you like a tutorial? (Y/N)


    Did this really need to ask? Of course it''s a YES! it''s the basic of basics even if the game functions on a similar manner the difference is still existent. Even if his Gamer power works in a similar there had to be a ''flaw'' in it. Even the ''observe'' could be limited to only telling the obvious things with a slight hint that he could capitalise on combat or it could just give a general idea of how stong his enemy is.


    An excellent choice. Let''s begin.


    Observe skill: Don''t leave home without it. This skill is every gamers best friend. The higher you go to level up the more secrets you see.


    Okay so it''s the same thing onto the next one.


    Insta-genious skill (locked) (requirements:?): This skill will let you learn anything be it skill or language you see with a temporary drawback of 50% debuff of said skill or language.


    Huh? that''s new so that means he could be like Majin buu except whatever he learns is the skill mainly let''s him learn it but never understand it but if he used Observe then that could give him a little bit leeway to learning things since the skill would give him an idea of it. At the same time he could use Observe to solving riddles maybe even puzzles if he could actually increase it with that method.


    Testing his theory , the young man remembered a riddle of a crime on how the victim was able to call for help without the culprit knowing when he was forced to answer a telephone.


    "Observe." he muttered. For a moment he was silent before his eyes narrowed. "the phone is the clue so the next question is how?" the young man muttered as he used Observe before his eyes blinked in realization. "The mute button..." Of course the answer was the mute button the victim was pressing it in certain words.


    Now if he combined Observe and Insta-genius then maybe just maybe he could bypass the drawback and reap the benifits. Suddenly he hears multiple pings.


    Due to your analysis and planning you have gained 3 points of wisdom and 2 points on cunning.


    Due to solving the riddle that has plague your life you have gained 5 points on intelligence and wisdom.


    Oh yeah stats... he actually forgot it was a thing. Wait a second did that thing just insulted him? the notification then disappeared pn it''s own as if it just heard his thoughts.


    Autopilot Skill: Due to your previous conditions. You have develop a skill that enhances your senses including the sixth and seventh senses. You are capable of redirecting, Dodging and in some cases counter attacks so long as the threat is not greater than you can handle.


    Instant Recovery: Don''t do the crime if you can''t do the time. Just because you got healing items doesn''t mean you should use it 24/7. Get nice good rest and reap the benefits. Saves a lot of band aids too.


    Just like the rest of the usual gamers. Though the former was something that took him by surprise.


    Username: Russell


    Str: 30


    Int: 40


    Wis:35


    Dex:90


    End:90


    STMN:50


    Luck:?


    Russell blinked at the screen. Why does have question mark on his luck stat and what the hell does that even mean? was his luck so low that even the game can''t even read it!


    "Well that explains a lot..." He muttered. If his luck is that bad then no wonder why he was always getting into trouble. Onto the next one.


    Achievements/Titles:


    Iron man: No silly, your not being reincarnated into the MCU. Due to your previous life you have earned this title. multiplies dexterity by 10.


    Iron will: Steel is my body, Fire is my mind. Due to your circ.u.mstances your mind has been conquered allowing you to power through the pain and agony.


    No pain? No Gain!: Haaard work! work! This skill allows you to gain exp and increasing your stats a lot easier. The greater the risk, the more points you get. Don''t spend it all in one place though.


    The Unpredictable: Seriously, who uses a stapler as a weapon? You use everything at your disposal, you see everything as weapon even your pillow.


    Junior detective: You ain''t batman but it never hurts to be one. Increases points on Wis and Int depending on difficulty.


    Seeing that he had no other achievements. He quickly swipes the screen.


    Hint: some skills are hidden and can only be revealed if the hidden requirements are met.


    How is he going to know the requirements if it''s hidden in the first place. It''s like the overlord anime where trash items have hidden feature. The young man sighed before dismissing the message. Now then where shou- A ping interrupted his thoughts. Blinking he read the notification.


    The first universe is a complete random. No you can''t choose which universe you can enter until the second one and so on. Wouldn''t be much of a game if you just steamrolled everything.


    "You gotta be kidding me!" The young man screamed. what if he ended up in dbz, he wouldn''t even last a second there! unless he grinded day in and day out.


    But there was a chance he could end up somewhere safer. It took him hours or at least it felt like one before he accepted it, his vision was filled with colors and glimpses of events like naruto slamming a rasengan, ichigo dragging aizen and many it was gone, the young man shook his head to shrug off the a ping. He looked at the notification.


    Welcome to Baki/Kengan Asura!


    OH C''MON!


    Chapter 2


    As soon as he saw the message, Russell could only cry. Not only was stuck in an anime filled with the philosophy of "survival of the fittest." He was in a crossover of two of the manliest anime! in his opinion.


    Quest: THE ONE


    Description: The first day of your adventure and your stuck in a war zone. Train to be at the top become the one!


    Time limit: NONE


    Success reward: 3000 exp, 200 gold and unlocking a new skill. New items.


    Failure: Death


    Optional Quest:


    Niko Style: Find Tokita Niko and learn the Niko style.


    KUNG FU FIGHTING~: Find the Kaioh and learn some Kung Fu.


    The Karate Kid: Head to the Orochi Dojo and be a badass Karate master under the tutelage of Katsumi Orochi and Doppo Orochi.


    The Founder: Make your own martial art and prove it''s the best.


    He blinked before humming in thought. He had three options the easiest and safest one would be learning under Katsumi until the prisoners arc. Next would be making his own martial art since he took some basics from Karate, Judo, Taekwando and boxing.


    Finding Niko on the other hand was next to impossible since Ohma''s teacher didn''t have a real name so that meant he had to find Ohma first before Niko.


    The Kaiohs well they probably wouldn''t mind if he asked, there could be a price but Dorian was the first foreigner to learn and earn thhe title Kaioh so maybe he could do it too.


    "Okay first find the Orochi and then lean Karate. Next find Ohma and learn the Niko as fast I can. Next would be the Kaiohs learn the Shaori and everything else." Russell muttered. Now if he remembered correctly the Dojo had a tiger bulletin board. Maybe if he asked the locals he might find them.


    He nodded his head before looking around. So far he was surrounded by trees. That meant he was either in a forest or a park.


    "Well better get moving." He said to himself before walking towards north or at least what he thought was north.


    Ten minutes later he was out of the trees and saw several buildings with signs in Kanji.


    "So I''m in Japan." He muttered. Before looking at street sign. The kanji then began to morphe english and back into kanji.


    Confused, the young man focused on the sign and the kanji began to glitch before stopping.


    SUBWAY STATION.


    Did he just learn how to read japanese. looking around he just realize something why did he feel shorter?


    Walking towards a parked car and what he saw made him blink.


    He wasn''t shorter, He was younger! He had de-aged back to a six year old child. Oh c''mon, his already in a world filled with dangerous monsters in human skin and now his a kid!


    His black hair that had a hint gray patch that was similar to a tiger was now gone replaced with pure black. His brown eyes were sharper than he remembered.


    His skin was tan and under his left brown eye were three moles. Also his appearance was now anime yet whenever he looked at his hands they were completely normal,not anime... ish... to save whatever sanity he had, the young man just muttered "just roll with it me."


    Sighing he began to ask around at first he got ignored or got some awkward answer when they spoke english.


    Thankfully he figured out the requirements for "insta-genius" turns out if he wanted to use the skill on how to speak certain languages he had to hear the locals saying a sentence, if it''s in written form then he had to see the letters in a sentence. Of course he had to spam "observe" to figure it out. The drawback was that there would be misunderstandings like when he asked for a restroom he ended up saying bedroom. When he practiced hand writing and asked someone to read it, they couldn''t make heads and tails.


    Note to self get a damn tutor.


    Not to mention he had to act like a kid, not twenty-one year old.


    The actor skill (lv.1/3)


    Did he also mention he had ran away whenever the cops show up because someone reported a lost child. No? well now you know.


    At least his stamina is 70 and got a new skill "Presence Concealment" from the constant chases.


    Finally he got the right direction. Now he just had to turn left and -


    "Get back here you little shit!"


    Confused, he turned and was surprised to what he saw.


    "Oh C''mon! I just got here!" He thought.


    There a few feet away from him was Ohma trying to escape two grown men. The sight of Ohma had been enough to short circuit his brain at the sheer ridiculousness that he didn''t realize that they just passed him.


    Now he had two options first would be continuing what he was doing and lose his only lead to learning the niko style or chase after them.


    Once they were gone only then did he nodded his head like hell was he going to lose his chance in learning niko style. "Well I could just learn karate after I master niko style." He muttered as he began to chase after them.


    By the time he managed to catch up to them, they already cornered kid.


    "Nowhere to run this time runt." One of the two said while cracking his knuckles. "That dime was worth a lot of cash kid, ya better have something on ya cause if ya dont..."


    "We''ll be taking something else." The other man finished while raising a pocket knife.


    "F.u.c.k you assholes! It''s your fault in the place!" Ohma yelled. All he did was steal some meal before turning into a corner and running into these two. Which resulted to them losing their grip on the bags filled with jewelry and having to ditched their loot since the cops were catching up to them. How was he supposed to know someone was robbing a jewelry store.


    "Ho this kids had some bark. Let''s see if he can keep it up." The man said.


    The two started to approach him around but all they saw was Ohma, pain and darkness.


    Ohma on the other hand could only watch as the two men fall while clutching their throats as blood began to spurt out. A shard of glass lodged at the backbof their throats.


    Before him was a kid, a bit younger than him, standing behind the two, both hands wrapped in clothes.


    Russell was really glad he had Observe or else he wouldn''t have spotted the broken window or the abandoned clothes.


    He had only one shot in taking them both out. Hence why he had to take the stealthy approach. He knew the risk but if he needed to survive the oncoming events then Ohma had to live.


    Presence concealment. Become one with the shadows, blend in with the crowd. Your enemies won''t see you coming.


    Presence concealment (lv.1/3)


    Well at least got an upgrade. He was lucky he got a skill.


    What was weird was that when he killed those two he had no signs of hesitation.


    Probably it was the Gamer suppressing his emotions.


    Emotion Suppression skill: In a certain fight or flight scenario this skill will activate itself to give the player a temporary or permanent control over their emotions to think rationally.


    And he was right. Looking at Ohma, He raised clothed hand "Sup, you alright?" He asked.


    "I didn''t need your help!" Ohma yelled. "I could have handled them!"


    "Sure, sure." Russell said while looking at Ohma. "Look I''m looking for someone and your my only lead. Not to mention I''m completely lost... So is it okay to stay with you?" He asked awkwardly and approached the future Asura.


    "No! leave me alone!" The ten year old yelled before pushing him away and left.


    "I saw that a mile away." Russell whispered to himself before using Presence Concealment. Maybe he should have gone easy on him instead of being blunt.


    It had already been minutes since Ohma had left the strange kid but couldn''t shake the feeling that he was followed.


    He was so enraptured by the sensation that he hadn''t noticed that the stop sign was red.


    Just as he was about to cross the road someone grabbed his shirt and pulled just as a speeding car passed him.


    "Can''t afford to get yourself killed now can we?" A joking voice said. The same voice he heard from the alley.


    "YOU!" He yelled. "Yup it''s a-me." Russell said while his voice was now Mario.


    "Let go!"


    Without a complain the now six year old did as he was told. "What do you want? I already said no." He said calmly.


    "And frankly I don''t care. Even if you say no a thousand times. I''m always one step behind you." Russell said coldly.


    Ohma could only shiver as he heard Russell. Hell those eyes already freaked him out. What he didn''t know was that Russell was lying about not caring if Ohma rejected him three times then he would leave him alone.


    "Tch... fine." Ohma growled earning a relief sigh from the strange kid.


    "Thank you. " Russell said before seeing Ohma was already walking. "Wait up dude." He said but was ignored.


    After hours of walking and an awkward silence the two entered a junkyard.


    Russell had to admit though Ohma was a fighter and survivor to live in such conditions.


    Seeing Ohma had fallen asleep on a broken car with the back seat in tact, he began to pick on what he was to sleep on.


    So far the only thing he could use as a makeshift bed was the couch with a broken stand.


    "Well beggars can''t be choosers." he muttered before dragging the sofa to his preferred spot.


    "Hey what''s your name?" Ohma suddenly asked, surprising him.


    "Russell." He said before laying on the sofa. Before calling upon is he Menu. "I wonder if I have some gold right now?" He muttered.


    GOLD: 999,999,999


    Son of a -


    And that all for now folks.


    So what do you think?

 Chapter 118 - My SI Stash #18 - Joker’s Wild by NotAHero (One Piece)

    -SI as Doffy. Chaotic MC, you''re in for a ride~


    ¦×(£à?¡ä)¦×


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 23K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/jokers-wild-one-piece-si.800560/#post-62455924 (NotAHero)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    ''Pft-'' I barely held in the urge to snort, knowing full well, the moment I let it out, the cackles would follow before eventually, for whatever reason, ending in full-blown laughter.


    The sound of bullets flying, and more often than not, landing in flesh filled the air as swords clashed and bodies dropped. I''d segrated myself towards the back, slowly but surely moving closer to the main attraction, a grin forming on my face. Of course, given my, status, no one was really in the mood to tell me otherwise, the pirates even less so.


    I''ve been in this world for... I''d say maybe an hour? The war itself''s raged on for far less... Yet, every scenario I played through my head, generally ended one way...


    On the other side against a certified protagonist. And that was only guaranteed to end one way.


    Hell, I''d already tried to throw a haki-infused attack at the bastard yet somehow that ended with me having to dodge for my life.


    Freaking Hawk-eyed bastard playing both sides... Still, I''ll admit, I was a little surprised at how... easy it was to use this man''s powers.


    Regardless, given the main characters unanimous win record, that meant my best shot at avoiding impel down was...


    I minutely eyed the scaffolding behind me, a full-blown grin on my face, my sunglasses reflecting the light hitting them. I gripped my hand hard enough to draw blood out as the urge to laugh suddenly became too high and with a flourish I spread my arms wide, my cackles immediately coming out and promptly awakened my devil fruit, every kind of haki infusing itself almost instinctively as I threw everything into the one attack.


    And promptly shattered the scaffolding, one single string latching onto the shocked Whitebeard prisoner, sending him rocketing across to the other side of the field while my strings busied themselves ravaging every marine and other pirate in sight, my laughter growing over the sheer destruction caused. If my strings didn''t hit them, my Conqueror''s haki certainly did.


    "What the hell are you doing!?" Akainu''s voice suddenly growled out from the other side, a livid look on his face at what he''d witnessed.


    I simply kept my cackle up and ignored him.


    "There will be consequences to pay for this Mingo!" Another marine called out, one who''d had the willpower to atleast stay standing. The magma admiral himself already in a rage as he launched himself across to where Ace''s body had been flung. Mass disarray and chaos filling the barely held together ice-rink.


    What I''d give to see Whitebeards face right now!


    "Dressrosa-" Another marine started, likely about to go on a tangent, before I''d promptly had enough and released another Conquerors attack, oddly enough the wave coming out even stronger then before as I watched Vice-admirals take a knee.


    Government won''t like that at all!


    With that said and done, I promptly started walking away towards the other side of the war, the grin still present on my face.


    "F.u.c.k Dressrosa," I stated calmly, reaching a hand out towards the sky, even as the Fleet Admiral''s form grew behind me.


    Latching a single string to one of the clouds, I promptly grappled onto it and flew. My instincts driving me towards what I assumed was the aforementioned island. Not like they''ll be able to launch an attack anytime soon... And by the time they do... Well.


    It ain''t going to be no regular Dressrosa waiting for them, that''s for damn sure.


    Still, given Ace''s early release and the fact Whitebeard seemed to be contemplating outright retreating given his commander was, well not safe, but no longer in enemy hands...


    What will happen now?


    Who knows. He could decide to stay and lose? Or even win?


    Hell Ace might still end up dying for all I know... I wasn''t planning to stick around to find out. As far as I am concerned, Luffy, Whitebeard and his crew and of course Ace himself, owe me. That''s all that matters.


    Regardless of whatever happens, the only thing I am certain of right now is that-


    It''s going to be absolutely hilarious.


    ...


    Chapter 1


    It didn''t actually take all that long for me to reach Dressrosa, though given the speed I''d been moving at it shouldn''t be too much of a surprise, unless I''d simply lost track of time...


    Not to say I haven''t moved faster than this but for this world''s standards?


    Doflamingo was overpowered.


    Still, just because I could move at the speed didn''t mean I could actually handle the exertion.


    ...


    I dropped down, the string cutting with a pop of all things, my hands flailing the slightest as I eyed the approaching ground, my feet quickly cracking it, spawning a spider pattern as my body held up without a wince. Snapping my gaze around, I released a sigh at the sight of civilisation. For a moment there I''d worried I''d missed.


    I made to move forward, at a more humane pace, mostly due to my burning lungs- I promptly blinked, though the sunglasses hid my expression, at the sight of the large screen in the middle of what looked like the town square? I don''t remember this being in Dressrosa.


    From the looks of it, the war was still going on, and Marineford was still losing... Though... The angle of the view makes-


    Whiteboard brought his own recording equipment...


    I wasn''t sure what to think of that. Still, I''d missed a good deal having flown here, I quickly turned towards the nearest civilian, a blue-haired bartender currently sweeping the outside of his workplace.


    "Peasant!" My voice rang out, the words slipping in naturally, earning an internal sigh. "What''s happened with the war so far?"


    The man''s eyes darkened as he looked up towards me, his free hand suddenly gripping the broom two-handedly. His gaze minutely turning to the side, as he grit his teeth before answering. "You flipped off the World Government... Then you flipped us off. Your majesty," The man spat the last word.


    I didn''t skip a beat.


    "I know, I want to know what happened after,"


    The shopkeeper''s eyes quickly filled with a look I''d recognised on spot, as a chuckle escaped me.


    "Whatever it is you''re thinking... Just understand..." I remarked quietly, though I know he''d heard me. My body had slowly started walking towards the man, the determination in his eyes slowly dying out at the looming aura.


    "I am both, a king and a pirate," My words quickly causing the masses to stiffen. "And do you want to know what those two symbols have in common?" I regarded him and the audience I''d gathered coolly. My gaze going over each person surrounding me.


    "They both tend to overreact..." My words were promptly followed by a chuckle.


    I promptly turned back towards the frozen bartender. "You haven''t answered my question," I remarked, with disinterest. My gaze slowly raising itself towards the castle in the distance behind him.


    ...


    Turns out the bartender hadn''t actually been keeping track of the war following my proclamations. Regardless, deeming my current plans as a bigger priority, I''d promptly made my way to the castle.


    And no I didn''t not slingshot myself and crash in for my first appearance...


    Which brings me here. Currently seated on Doflamingo''s throne surrounded by three out of four of his commanders.


    None of them had dared to say anything yet, all of them waiting for me to start speaking, which was frankly perfect for me! And no it had absolutely nothing with the fact I was using my strings to keep them frozen. Though given their devil fruits, you''d think it wouldn''t have any effect on them... Unless they were humouring me-


    "Young Master..." Trebol sniffed, his body suddenly twisting as it ignored my strings. And though he''d started, it seemed the words had simply left him. "Why...?" His dumbfounded tone almost sending me into a cackle.


    I simply smiled.


    "Trebol," I started, my voice holding a certain edge of steel to it. "I am going to need you to do something for me..." I remarked as I leaned on one arm.


    Trebol''s face seemed to light up at the words, while a sigh of relief seemed to escape Diamante.


    "What is it Young Master? Does it have somethin-" I raised a hand cutting the man off.


    "I just need you... To send an invitation..." My grin grew in size, "To each and every single Slave trader that directly deals with the Celestial Dragons."


    Trebol''s face quickly drained of colour at the words, his eyes panicking the slightest.


    "That... That wouldn''t be easy to arrang-"


    "Tell them I am opening this country to sell, " My words immediately dropped the room temperature as my commanders froze.


    "Bring them all. The sooner the better. Don''t send invitations to the Celestial Dragon''s themselves, don''t need them getting offended... If they find out by themselves and decide to show though..." I snorted.


    Trebol''s gaze seemed to snap between the others though none of them looked as if they had any intention of speaking up.


    "Doffy..." Trebol suddenly called me by name raising a red flag quickly.


    I raised an eyebrow at the man, finding a conflicted expression on his face.


    "Do you truly intend to sell-"Though whatever he''d been about to say died out as I promptly snorted.


    "Tell me, what do you think would happen, if the very men that provided the slaves to those creatures were Sugar''d?"


    The strange term no doubt caught him off-guard though the moment he understood what I meant, his eyes seemed to widen exponentially as he sucked in a breath.


    My eyes glinted in the sunlight from outside, my grin ever present as I turned upwards.


    "And if they''re stupid enough to show themselves... I''ll have to start a collection..." I added on, my cackle coming out in spades. I promptly straightened myself as my gaze locked with each pirate in the room.


    Taking in a deep breath, I quickly got up off the comfortable throne, one hand pushing back the sunglasses onto my nose.


    "Let''s clip The Dragon''s wings..."


    Celestials losing their shit over non-existent receipts = the World Government won''t have time to go after me!


    But they don''t need to know that...


    ...


    Hope you enjoyed, don''t forget feedback!

 Chapter 120 - My SI Stash #20 - Sound Of Heroes by BANIX (My Hero Academia)

    -SI as Nejire''s Cousin. Author took inspiration from Hamatora''s powers for his MC''s quirk~ Yui Paring


    Sypnosis: I have no clue what I had gotten myself into when I decided to be a hero. I don''t even know if I even like the sound of being a hero. All I know is that I want to make the most out of my second life in a world I barely had any knowledge about. (Reincarnated OC)


    Rated: M


    Words: 46K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13435926/1/Sound-of-Heroes (BANIX)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I will go straight to the point.


    One, I have been reincarnated.


    Two, this is the world of My Hero Academia.


    Three, my new identity here is now Onpa Hibiki.


    And I don''t know what to expect in the future.


    This is a world where having superpowers is normal. This is a world which is supposed to be fiction.


    This is a world where I only bothered to browsed through only the first arc or two in my previous life before I dropped it. I have close to no idea what will happen in the future.


    Should I be a hero?


    In all fairness, my second life isn''t that bad. I have a loving family, complete with loving parents, a doting older brother, and a cute younger sister. I am the middle child, not that I minded much about the problems that comes with being a middle child.


    And our family is freaking loaded, which is a plus.


    The Onpa family which I now belong to owns a huge network of businesses and corporations that mainly deals with anything related to audio electronics. Speakers, earpieces, headphones, as long as it has anything to do with sound, you can be sure that our family is involved in it one way or another.


    Not gonna lie, it feels good to be a part of a rich family. I have it a lot easier than most.


    I can choose the easy way out. Be the good boy that I am, do well in my studies, help run the family business and be filthy rich and subsequently comfortably set for life.


    The drawback? That kind of life is definitely a life that is going to be boring as hell.


    My older brother, Hideo, used to be a hero for a short while before he was forced to retire. He is older than me by a good 15 years (I''m thinking that my birth was seriously an accident due to a lack of protection). My brother didn''t go into the specifics when I asked, but I knew enough to know that his spine had been injured on a mission gone wrong and that it is too dangerous for him to continue to be a hero with that kind of permanent injury. My brother then chose to retire and help my parents run the family business. He is most likely going to be the one to take over the family business.


    My younger sister, Hoshi, is a cute two-year-old girl that follows me everywhere. My parents and older brother are often not at home during the day, so it is up to me and the servants to care for her and keep her company. We all love her to bits.


    I am a five-year-old boy that had just awoken his quirk. A five-year-old boy with the soul of an a.d.u.l.t, but I don''t think anyone is interested in that. People would be more interested in what my quirk is.


    It is Sound Wave Manipulation, but my family and I call it Sound Wave for short.


    I guess it makes sense for me to have such a quirk considering the family I was born into. My family has been in the audio business for generations. My father has a quirk that allows him to change his voice into any sound he wants. My mother has a mutant type quirk that gives her bat wings and bat ears. My brother has a quirk that allows him to use his voice to lull people to sleep. It came as no surprise that his hero name used to be ''Jigglypuff'' (Yes, the Pokemon franchise is a thing here). My sister is still too young for her quirk to manifest, but we have no doubt that it will be related to sound one way or another.


    I laughed at my brother''s alias for a good whole 15 minutes when I first learnt about it.


    I guess my quirk is a lot more versatile when compared to my family. I don''t just manipulate sound itself. I can manipulate sound waves to do all sort of different things. I can utilise echolocation like my mother can. I can amplify and reduce sounds at a whim. I can change the frequency, pitch, timbre, pressure, or whatever factors that affects sound itself with enough training.


    I am only five this year.


    I know sonic weapons are a thing. I am a living sonic weapon if I ever chose to use my quirk for less than stellar purposes. And ain''t that a scary thought? Such powers held in the hands of a child that cannot tell right from wrong at this age?


    Tells you a lot about the danger lurking about in the society we live in.


    I have very limited knowledge of canon but if what I suspect is right, my current age range is very close to the canon characters, close enough for me to get dragged into the shitstorm of a mess that is canon should I ever decide to be a hero in U.A. High.


    Should I become one? Do I even want to become one?


    I don''t know, but I sure as hell don''t want to live a boring life. Especially so when I have been fortunate enough to be given a second chance.


    So, I decide to take the option that can give me a little more excitement.


    I don''t think there is a point in trying to stick to canon since heck, most of my knowledge of it is non-existent. I will just do whatever I want.


    Hopefully, people that shouldn''t die won''t die from my appearance in this world.


    Not like I would know since I have so little knowledge about canon anyway.


    Elementary school sucks.


    I hate studying.


    I hate being stuck with noisy brats.


    I hate being stuck with noisy brats that just won''t stop harping my ears off and trying to be friends with me simply because I am an Onpa.


    My family is just that famous and influential.


    Problem is, one characteristic of my quirk is that I have superhuman hearing. My ears are extremely sensitive to noise, to the point that I have to constantly wear ear mufflers tailored to my specific needs at all times. Even then, it does not guarantee that my ears will always be protected. Without the mufflers, everything is a loud mess that hurts my head to the point I will just curl up on the floor and scream from the pain. I can somewhat control the explosion of audio input to an extent, but I am not that proficient in controlling my quirk yet.


    My mufflers definitely do not protect me from a hoard of screaming banshees known as elementary school children.


    It''s not like these children want to befriend me out of the goodness of their hearts. Either their parents told them to, or they did it to be with the ''cool'' kids in class in order to elevate their ''status''.


    Just let me out of here.


    It came as no surprise that I chose to be a quiet person in school. As much as I want to tell these children to f.u.c.k off, I do have an image to uphold since I am an Onpa. So, all I can do is to plaster a polite smile on my face, give some subtle or maybe not so subtle hints for them to leave me alone and please stop screaming like banshees, and then cross my fingers and hope for the best.


    And when the recess bell rings, I would always be the first to disappear before anyone can rope me into any of their stupid childish activities in order for them to "get to know Hibiki-sama better".


    God, how did my older brother survive his elementary school days?


    I don''t want to be swamped by people who sees me as nothing more but the son of my father. I just want my temporary peace and quiet. Hence, I never once visited the cafeteria to buy and eat my meals. I always pack my meals which my mother prepares for me and then eat it quietly on the rooftops, enjoying the temporary silence.


    Obviously, the rooftops are out of bounds to all students. Then again, it is precisely because of that which made the rooftops my sanctuary. No one will think of looking for me here, and I am good enough in lockpicking to enter and exit the rooftops without anyone the wiser. Seriously, they should change the lock that gave people access to the rooftops if they really want to keep people out of it. That lock belonged to the museum.


    It was also on the rooftops that I would meet the person who would eventually be a very large part of my (second) life, even if I didn''t know it at that time.


    She is a girl with fair skin and cerulean eyes. Her black hair is styled in a bob that reach her shoulders. Looking back, I don''t think I ever saw her in a different hairstyle before.


    I still remembered quietly picking the lock as usual and after a soft click that signalled my successful lockpicking, I silently slipped to the rooftops to enjoy my half an hour of peace and quiet before lessons resume again. I closed the metal door behind me gently, turned around, only to find that my favourite spot was already occupied.


    We simply stared at each other.


    She just stared at me and made no moves to talk, and after approximately five seconds of silence on both our parts, I chose to ignore her and chose another corner for myself instead. If she left me alone, I would leave her alone too.


    At least she''s quiet. I just want my peace and quiet. If she can give me that, she is more than welcome to stay.


    I saw her again during recess the next day, and the day after next, and the day after that. I keep seeing her at the same spot at the same time for the whole of the next week. We never talked to each other, merely gave each other discreet glances when we thought the other wasn''t looking. She would always arrive first and be the first among us to leave. I would always arrive second and left after she had exited the rooftops, leaving me to lock the rooftop access so that no one would find out about our secret spot.


    It was when the second week came around that she made the first move.


    "Yui."


    I remembered nearly choking on the onigiri that my mother had made from me when I first heard her voice. If it wasn''t for my superhuman hearing, I might have missed it. Her voice was just that soft.


    I also remembered thinking that her voice was nice. That was my very first impression of her voice.


    "What?"


    I remembered turning my head to look at her. By then, we had gotten comfortable enough to sit somewhat close enough to each other so that we can both look over the view of the city from the school''s rooftops. It is a stark contrast from how we would sit at opposite corners when we first met each other.


    "Kodai Yui. That''s my name."


    She didn''t look at me. Her face was determinedly facing straight ahead but her eyes glancing in the opposite direction from where I was sitting beside her. She seemed tense for some reason.


    And I felt kinda bad for making her feel that way. Am I a very intimidating person?


    "¡­Hibiki. Onpa Hibiki. Just call me by my first name, or call me Biki. That works too."


    I have no idea why I offered her the choice to use the nickname that I only allow my family to call me by. I think it was because I felt bad that I made a child not even ten years of age afraid of me for reasons unknown.


    I can see her twiddling her fingers nervously and I remembered scolding myself. I am an a.d.u.l.t, at least mentally, and I don''t even know how to deal with a child that I somehow made her feel a great sense of unease.


    "Can we¡­ be friends?"


    The way she said ''friends'' was of such uncertainty that I am certain that she thought I would undoubtedly reject her offer.


    And I really felt like a piece of shit for making her feel that way. It wasn''t my intention.


    "As long as you don''t act like those banshees in our school, then okay."


    The way her face brightened up slightly made me realised that she is not one to readily show her emotions. She was obviously trying very hard to control her excitement.


    I decided that since she had taken the initiative to speak to me, I should take the initiative to close the distance. It is only right.


    So, I moved myself closer to her, and I can see how she practically buzzed with excitement at the thought of having a new friend even if she is doing a great job of hiding it.


    "So¡­ uh¡­ what class are you from?"


    "1-A."


    Now I felt really bad. She is from my class and yet I don''t recognise her at all.


    Yui''s personality can be summarised in two words. Namely, ''silent'' and ''expressionless''. She does have her quirky sides that makes her, her. It wasn''t long before we started to open up and share more about ourselves. By the time we had known each other for a month, I had found out that her favourite food is tomatoes, and she has a habit of saying "Mm!" whenever she''s happy.


    She showed me her quirk, Size. She can alter the size of objects she interacts with by pressing five of her fingertips together. I had a great sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu when I first saw it, because it looks extremely familiar to the point that I am wondering if Yui is a canon character.


    I couldn''t remember if there was such a character in canon.


    I told her that I wanted to be a hero because I don''t want to lead a boring life. She told me that being a hero is her dream too.


    When our seats in class were finally shuffled, I took this chance to do some secret meddling on my part that made us desk mates. This arrangement is a relief for my ears. My previous desk mates talked non-stop and it was really grating on my sensitive ears. I know Yui won''t hurt my ears since she is so quiet.


    Yui and I are somehow able to communicate with minimal words, which, hey, I am totally cool with it. We are the loners that prefer to sit at the back of the class and pray that the spotlight don''t fall on us. I know Yui is fine in being in the spotlight, she''s just not as expressive as your average Joe. I may be quiet in school, but that is what I chose to portray myself as in school. My behaviour at home is an entirely different story. I have no problems being the goofy son and brother if it means bringing smiles to my family. I am forever grateful to them for loving me, even if there will always be a nagging thought that I am a body snatcher and not their real son.


    I don''t care. I will be the best son and brother to my family.


    The chatty and goofy side of me is only reserved for my family. In school, I am the polite and quiet Onpa heir with a ton of fanboys and fangirls that fawn over me for the wrong reasons.


    People soon noticed the closeness between Yui and I, and there were some who gave her flak for it. I dealt with the situation promptly through polite but thinly veiled threats. There are pros in being the most popular guy in school simply because you are the son of one of the most affluent families in Japan.


    Yui sees me as Hibiki, me for who I am. In this day and age where our society is polluted with materialism, the quiet girl is more than what I could ever ask for in a friend.


    Yui made schooling bearable, and it wasn''t long before we became inseparable. We often go and left school together. Both our houses are within walking distance from the school and our city is relatively safer as compared to most. Even my paranoid parents felt assured enough in our city''s security to let me walk to school and back by myself.


    Naturally, Yui and I visited each other''s houses enough times to the point that we both know each other''s family extremely well. I often brought my sister, Hoshi, along as well whenever I visit her house since I know Hoshi can be extremely bored playing by herself. Yui is also very fond of Hoshi, so that is a plus.


    My childhood wasn''t exciting, but it was pleasant.


    As with all childhoods, time passed in the blink of an eye. Yui and I did extremely well in our leaving examinations and we both decide to enrol in the same Junior High school.


    Our end goal is to make the cut to be enrolled in U.A. High after completing Junior High. For that end, we trained relentlessly.


    I don''t know where this life will take me. Still, I''m glad that I have people in this world who are important to me and who love me for who I am. Even if it''s just one person, I''m glad that I had made a friend. I''m glad that I had made a true friend that sees me for who I truly am.


    My name is Onpa Hibiki, and this is the start of my story to be a hero.


    AN: I really shouldn''t be writing any new stories, especially when my finals are near. I want to blame the good BnHA fanfics that I had read for this but I know it is not anybody''s fault but my own. In any case, I really need to get this plot bunny out of my mind before I can really concentrate on my studies or it will be stuck there until something is done about it.


    The last time I read the manga was like two or so years ago. I don''t even remember most of the characters'' names other than the few which keeps popping up in BnHA fanfics and even then I am too lazy to check one by one to match the names with a face. If I got some facts wrong, well, just accept it as an AU and move on.


    This fic will most likely have very slow updates, seeing as the only reason why it is here is because I just really want to get this out of my mind.


    In any case, hope you enjoy the stories

 Chapter 125 - My SI Stash #25 - Speaking of Cao Cao by Aardwark Second (DxD)

    -Andd we''re back to DxD SI fics~ Recommended by tyrantmax, SI as Cao Cao, comedy sometimes but still NSFW.


    *QuestionableQuesting fic needs you to have an account to get access to the story~


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 120K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/speak-of-cao-cao-dxd-si.10218/ (Aardwark Second)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+3 (exceptional)


    It was a solemn, dark room, like the type aristocratic villains are supposed to hold secret conferences in. A low, yellow lamplight increased the overall feeling of gloominess. Around a black roundtable, a bunch of figures wearing dark hoods are seated in silence.


    In the middle of the seated figures, the leader gave a soft cough, foreshadowing the beginning of his speech.


    However¡­


    "Cao Cao, if anyone saw us, we would really seem like a bunch of villains plotting, wouldn''t we?" An amused voice broke though the silence. Goddamnit Kuroka, don''t destroy the atmosphere I worked so hard to create!


    "¡­Certainly not! We are heroes in the shadows, and our great endeavor is for the salvation of humanity!" My, Cao Cao''s, words bring forth an awed silence.


    ¡­Well, nobody speaks, but the snorts and light laughs from my subordinates give a different story.


    Just then, the soft sound of footsteps is heard and everyone goes silent. A little girl walks in.


    "The great endeavor of the Khaos Brigade is to drive off Great Red from the Dimensional Gap, and with that, bring back the silence of the void that has been replaced by the cacophonic dream. All other goals are secondary. Do remember that."


    Her sound brings back the somber feeling that I had worked so hard to set up. That said, I am sure that everyone seated is laughing even harder in their hearts. Nobody in the Khaos Brigade is seriously thinking of bringing the fight to Great Red ¨C that f.u.c.koff huge dragon can probably vaporize us with a thought.


    "Certainly boss, the main goal of our endeavor is to take back your territory! But our Hero Faction is comprised of heroes of humanity and our greatest desire is to protect our brethren from being oppressed! But don''t worry, our desires will always take a backseat to your wish! You can rest assured, boss!" With the ''angry customer pacification skill'' honed from ten years of tempering in horrid part-time jobs, I pacified Ophis.


    "Is that so. Well then, you can carry on with your meeting. As long as you know your priorities¡­" Saying this, Ophis turned away.


    "Boss, could you wait for a moment? The ''salvation of humanity'' thing I was talking about, well, it isn''t a goal to be completed in the distant future. There is a clear and present ''threat to humanity'', and the world can be saved by taking care of it." Hearing my words, Ophis hums a bit, before walking to my side. A kiddy chair that you could find in a kindergarden appears and she seats herself.


    "Speak." There is a certain charisma, a certain gravitas in her one word. I have never seen a god before, but if I had, that god would surely pale before the little girl sitting by my side. A desire to prostrate and worship her takes birth within me ¨C and is quelled the moment it is born.


    I am terrified. This little girl is terrifying, just like Great Red in the Dimensional Gap. But unlike Great Red, she is sitting right beside me¡­


    "Well, to begin with, calling it a ''threat to humanity'' might be underselling it. It is certainly capable of killing everyone here apart from boss, blowing up continents and tearing apart Heaven and Hell. It can give boss a decent fight and naturally, it is capable of fighting Great Red as well." I haven''t gone catatonic ¨C I am even hyping up stuff for Ophis. And that isn''t without fruit, for I can feel Ophis'' anticipation.


    "Everyone, you all know the truth about God. So then, have you heard of [666]?" At my question, my subordinates are wordless. However, Ophis shakes her head with a pitying expression.


    "You are speaking about that Beast, huh? Certainly, that uncontrollable animal is capable of matching me and Great Red ¨C perhaps even surpassing us. However, it has been sealed and shall probably not awaken until the end of time¡­" Hearing Ophis say this, those among my subordinates who hadn''t figured out what I was going on about understand.


    "Well, my Sacred Gear has warned me of the coming future ¨C a madman shall tear apart the seal to bring about the end of times." At my reply, the temperature of the room suddenly grows colder.


    "From what I have foreseen, the madman will seize control of the Khaos Brigade and use his strength to bring chaos in the world."


    "Oh?" At this, Ophis raises an eyebrow. "So this person must have found a method to handle me, huh?"


    "Naturally." Without elaborating, I continue. "I have knowledge of this madman''s name, but speaking it might alert him ¨C the saying ''speak of the Devil'' isn''t entirely false. That said, I do know a few things about him.


    First things first, he is a male Devil. I believe his strength would match the current Lucifer''s.


    Next, has the ability to nullify Sacred Gears. That ability directly counters our Hero Faction.


    Finally, his scheming and calculation ability is quite something. As a Devil, his ability to control the hearts of people is astounding."


    "Interesting. And what should be our plan against him?" Ophis asked with her usual tone, that of an uncaring child.


    "All I can do is focus on finding his location. After that, short of having you act against him, I have no offensive options. After all, the power of a Super Devil is unfathomable¡­"


    "Hmph, I forgot how weak humans are. Naturally, since a threat capable of challenging me has come, I''ll crush him as soon as he appears. You don''t have to worry on that end." Saying this, Ophis got up from her chair and left.


    ''So scary.'' Only this thought filled my mind as I left. I always thought about why Cao Cao betrayed Ophis, who should have been the perfect person to work under, powerful enough to back him while being na?ve enough to be easily manipulated.


    Now I understood. She was too powerful. So powerful that her naivety became an afterthought.


    Even though I had knowledge of the LNs where she became a fanservice cute loli, this was reality and I wasn''t the protagonist.


    But that exact reason was why betraying her was retarded. She was too strong for that shit, after all.


    +++


    "As usual, boss''s aura is too overpowering. Well then, the main point to be discussed has been concluded. So now, let''s talk about the side points¡­" Naturally, Ophis''s departure didn''t end the meeting.


    So everyone, let''s continue with our meeting. What are your thoughts about Dungeon Create?" Since my transmigration a week ago, I''ve experienced many things as Cao Cao.


    Apart from my five-man squad of Georg, Siegfried, Heracles, Jeanne and Leonardo, the Vali''s Team ¨C Bikou, Kuroka, Arthur and LeFay Pendragon are there as well.


    Well then, apart from the little problem of not being able to call on my Longinus, everything else has been going swimmingly. Since there weren''t any missions to do and everyone was training like meatheads, I decided to try and spice things up.


    I stole the idea from a discussion forum ¨C basically, since we have two high tiered Longinus capable of manipulating dimensions and creating life ¨C Dimension Lost and Annihilation Maker, how about we fuse them together to create a dimension where monsters spawn?


    Unexpectedly, Dungeon Create worked well enough.


    "It''s great."


    "Getting resources while training, really nice."


    "We should do this everyday."


    "¡­" Unexpectedly, there weren''t any complaints about overworking and exhaustion either¡­


    Wait, there were two people who would have complaints from that end¡­


    "Georg, Leonardo. What are your opinions on that end? Are you capable of using Dungeon Create daily?"


    "Don''t underestimate us."


    "Yeah, it''s alright."


    The spectacled Georg said this while lightly rubbing Leonardo on the head.


    "¡­Alright then, we''ll make it a daily activity." I said this with a sigh. I got tired of it the day we used Dungeon Create the first time, and everyone else will soon enough.


    After that came smaller issues. Like how we really should start recruiting, and needing commanders for new recruits. Jeanne, Arthur and Bikou should have commanding ability due to their lineages¡­ and so, they should get study up on commanding a squad a little beforehand.


    And finally¡­


    "I need to get to Kuoh City. There is a promising recruit there." Hearing this, Kuroka gave me a look.


    "That''s a hotbed of Devils. Two Pillar Heiresses are there. Do you think you can sneak that recruit out unnoticed?"


    "I''ll have to at least try ¨C he is way too promising." He is the goddamn protagonist.


    "Anyway, from what I''ve gathered, he is completely unexposed to the supernatural. Meanwhile, his greatest desire seems to be a harem. That''s why, to increase the chances of recruiting him, I need to show myself off as a guy with a harem¡­" I give off a sheepish expression.


    "Let me guess, you have no idea how a harem runs, huh?" Kuroka''s question had me nod.


    "Alright, that''s simple enough. Me, LeFay and Jeanne¡­ we''ll be your haremettes for the next few days. Please take care of us." With a amused smile, Kuroka bowed to me.


    "Hey, I didn''t agree to that!"


    "Joining a harem¡­ uh, just like that?!"


    Behind her, the unamused voices of LeFay and Jeanne resounded.


    Chapter 2


    "Barrier setup complete."


    "Dimension stabilization complete."


    "Mana stabilization complete."


    "Dungeon Creation¡­ complete!"


    Adjusting his glasses, Georg completed the spell and brought forth the dimensional barrier that was the Dungeon. Leonardo was within the barrier, setting up his Sacred Gear to manufacture monsters for the raid.


    Next, it came the time to bring the explorers into the dungeon. "Now everyone, ease yourself and get ready to be teleported into my creation! Extinction Fog, start teleportation!"


    Kuroka was licking her lips in anticipation, while Jeanne had drawn her rapier and was waiting anxiously. LeFay was confident, seated on her floating broomstick.


    My ''harem'' seemed to have settled the confusion amongst themselves, thankfully.


    On the other side, Siegfried, Hercules, Bikou and Arthur were standing calmly, their waiting postures. Their heroic figures could be sculpted into masterpieces.


    As for myself¡­ Well, while I do look valiant enough, I am even more of a pretty boy. I am more suited to anime figurines¡­


    My self-depreciative thoughts disappeared when Georg unleashed the fog of teleportation. Along with the rest of my squad, I found myself in a vast, deserted grassy field.


    Immediately, a black wave of a waterish substance sweeped through the field and a veritable sea of monsters came to face us. Everyone separated, bracing themselves for battle.


    Facing a pack of wolves, Kuroka waved her hands. Black light flowed like as she drew runes with her fingers. Adeptly using Youjutsu, she applied a chain of curses in a ranged attack. Demonic Power flickered on her fingers as she fired in range.


    Jeanne promptly used Sword Birth to skewer the monsters with an array of swords. Having reduced the number of opponents, her rapier flashed to cut down the remaining enemies.


    LeFay wasn''t content with staying on the ground, flying up in the skies to hunt down a wyvern. Magic runes appeared around her in a blink and ice and fire came forth at her command to smite down the flying wyrms. Her skill in magic was evident, using flashy attacks that could compare to Devils, matching their natural talent with hard-earned skill.


    Siegfried and Arthur drew swords to fight their opponents, one with beastly savagery and the other with knightly grace. Heracles fought with the power of his fist and Sacred Gear ¨C but sadly, it wasn''t the style of a berserker. Bikou though, he was sight to see, his Ruyi Jingu-Bang smashing through everything with a wave.


    Naturally speaking of Georg and Leonardo, they were working in coordination to adjust the barriers and the created monsters, controlling their overall level of fighting ability so that it was just enough of a challenge for training.


    As for myself? Well, I was just watching the spectacle. The current level of monsters was enough for my squad to improve their skills, but as for me¡­ It would require the two using their Longinuses with earnestness to have me break a sweat.


    I could only describe Cao Cao''s skill with the spear as inhuman. Now that I had inherited it, I was in a realm unmatched by humans.


    That said, there were probably hundreds of Devils and Angels who could whoop my ass in skill ¨C and naturally, there were tens of thousands of Devils and Angels who could whoop my ass with sheer power.


    I need my Longinus and I need it yesterday.


    Meanwhile, everyone had started using their trump cards and going all out without holding back. Giant spell formations and magic circles appeared, giant beams of light flew and special technique names were screamed out.


    Facing the wave-clearing skills as everyone went ham, the monsters were easily sweeped clear. Naturally, the materials that were supposed to be harvested were ruined¡­ Well, everyone had harvested a decent amount beforehand so that could be forgiven.


    With that, the Dungeon exploration session ended. Everyone carried out their farmed materials. Among us, only two figures were capable of using them - Bikou could use Chinese alchemy and LeFay could use Western alchemy. Kuroka probably had some skills, while I myself was capable of learning Bikou''s skills as well.


    But f.u.c.k crafting, I am nearing cannon-fodder level in fighting ability, I''ll surely end up a cannon-fodder myself if I dare to divert my focus.


    Why couldn''t I be reborn as an infant? Lacking the most precious resource of time, I hate having to scramble for every chance to get power.


    +++


    "Everyone, good job. I didn''t expect for this team activity to be so successful. Watching everyone go all out with their skills is always so fun to watch. Most importantly, I want to thank Georg and Leonardo for creating this barrier and making this training system possible¡­" I gave a brief thanks to end the session. Of course, I gave a thorough criticism before this, nitpicking on even the minutest flaws in everyone''s fighting skills.


    As good shonen characters, they are taking my advice to heart as they train to whoop my ass in the future. Or they are plotting to ambush me and whoop my ass in the present. How unfortunate that both these avenues will lead to failure.


    Facing Devils, I am cannon fodder. Facing humans, I can solo them. Oh wait, Kuroka is a Devil¡­ but I can solo her as well, how sad (not).


    "Thanks, boss! That said, why didn''t you participate in the Dungeon raid today as well? Even though you gave us the idea to create the Dungeon, not having you join in the fun is disheartening¡­" This time, Georg was the one persuading me as Leonardo gave me puppy eyes. Unexpectedly, the shota gaze was persuasive.


    "Honestly, the monsters aren''t enough for me to be challenged. To give me a challenge, you two will probably end up exhausting yourself. It isn''t worth the candle¡­" I gave the same answer as usual.


    "Boss, I think you are underestimating us. If we actually end up exhausting ourselves, that would be beneficial towards our training ¨C that said, I don''t think that''s possible. Do you care about changing our minds?" Georg gave a smug grin.


    "Alright, I''ll show you my strength. That said, don''t tell me I didn''t warn you." At my acceptance of his challenge, I was covered by the fog and promptly teleported.


    What appeared before me was a sea of fog. Giant Cyclops wielding clubs roamed the ground, ferocious wyverns covered the skies and all manners of gigantified beasts roamed everywhere.


    Appearance without substance. As long as I had my spear, I had nothing to fear.


    Drawing my weapon, I began my hunt.


    +++


    Thanks for the comments, Magireco Event Grinding so can''t reply for now. Tomorrow, I''ll reply to everyone.


    Chapter 3


    The dimension that the Dungeon Create spell has sent me into is the same as before. Blue skies, green grass and nothing else. Efficiency in creating temporary dimensions is good and all, but it is a bit galling that the dimensions created for Rating Games look so much better while being temporary as well.


    The white spear in my hand thrusts out to pierce through a wolf. It isn''t Sacred Gear tier but it is a good magical artifact regardless. It can freely change shape as mana is poured, up to and including duplication, has good durability and is pretty handy to use.


    Bikou''s Ruyi Jingu Bang can be called its sister weapon. While incomparable to the Longinus, it''s utility beats most weapon-type Sacred Gears.


    As I walk with spear in hand, I can''t help but dwell on my thoughts. First things first, my failure in bringing forth my Longinus is depressing.


    Imagine the strongest thing you can think of. Kamehameha, Super Saiyan, nukes¡­ that''s a wide variety of thing to think about. But there is a certain person who beats them all in strength.


    Ophis. As you would expect, thinking about that loli hasn''t been helping me to break out my strength. That''s why, I am thinking of approaching it from another angle.


    Rather than the strongest strength I can think of, I am going to bring forth the strongest strength I can produce myself.


    But the tigers and lions that pounce can''t take my blows. That''s too bad. The grasslands that stretch on and on are worse. Green, static green everywhere!


    I should really take Georg along to spectate a Rating Game. The current Khaos Brigade isn''t as much a terrorist group but rather the defeated dogs of the Old Satan Faction bandying together under Ophis, a group that has banded together for the common goal of not getting nuked by the Maous.


    Getting an invite for a few Rating Games should be easy enough. Tickets for the ones with good dimensional creation would be costly though¡­


    Thinking this, I casually stab at a few wolves who approach me. Splat, splat, blood comes out with every spear thrust.


    Annihilation Maker is really amazing. While it would seem that it can create powerful beasts out of shadows, it isn''t actually that cheap. It creates actual biological lifeforms - they bleed when cut and eating them provides actual nutrition, not magical energy.


    Leonardo is still probably the most unskilled combatant among us though. It might be due to him being young, but he really needs some training to complement his summoning skill. Mages are squishy, summoners especially so.


    With many thoughts in my head, my path through the grasslands is nevertheless a cakewalk. Everything that attacks me dies. I kill everything by stabbing it, harvest a few materials on the side and walk along.


    Just as I am thinking that it will be a cakewalk through and through, I am attacked from behind by a wyvern. Its flight is silent and the divebomb is flawless.


    I look up at the false dragon. The horned head, the scaly armor and the razor tail. As it descends, I raise my hand to touch the horn that would spear through me.


    The wyvern is dead before it knows it, and I flicker away as the untouched corpse falls on the ground with a thud. I take out my knife and start extracting materials. Every part of a dragon is treasure, but this wyvern isn''t that cheap either.


    My, Cao Cao''s skills are few, but they have all reached absolute mastery. Spear technique doesn''t need to be mentioned. Complementing it is my skill in Senjutsu.


    Senjutsu (well, Cao Cao calls it ''Qi'') is the power of lifeforce. My training of it has doubled my lifespan and youthfulness. With it, I can directly control the flow of lifeforce in myself and anyone else ¨C naturally, ''kill with a touch'' type of bullshit can be done as well. As suspected, newly manufactured lifeforms lack resistance ¨C though Leonardo would be pretty incompetent if he couldn''t set up resistance for this trick.


    Naturally, I can use Touki (or Battle Qi) for general utility attack force, defense force and speed as well. I haven''t used it until now though, my natural stats are good enough to do the job.


    At that moment, a black wave sweeps through the grasslands and the horde of beasts return back to the shadows. Just then, a two projections appear before me.


    "Boss, you are really good ¨C normal waves really have no effect against you. Me and Leonardo are going all-out now ¨C Balance Breakers together!" Having said his piece, Georg began emitting waves of magical energy as Leonardo only gave a piercing glare.


    "Dimension Create!"


    "Bandersnatch and Jabberwocky!"


    +++


    A sea of purple mist covers everything. Waves of mana are emitted from the sea as two giant figures come into being.


    And as the mist clears away, two giant figures are revealed.


    A giant humanoid figure, about ten meters long and wielding a giant blade to match ¨C Jabberwocky.


    A five meter long figure like an oversized feline predator, comically oversized teeth and a tail that swept to and fro like a cat''s ¨C Bandersnatch.


    Both of them are incomparable to what Leonardo unleashes later on in canon, hundred meter tall giant beasts that tank all attacks with regeneration as they wreck apocalyptic havoc.


    But they are challenging enough for me. Well then, it can''t be helped.


    My spear is ready. First, I''ll kill the Bandersnatch ¨C it was the weaker one in canon.


    One, two, three ¨C a series of thrusts flash. Touki flares out as my lifeforce circulates as a stream.


    The first thrust is to build up force. The second is to concentrate strength. The third is wholehearted and pure.


    The celebrated hero of the divine spear ¨C Li Shuwen. His peerless skill was learnt by Cao Cao as well.


    No Second Strike. The lion-like beast is battered into meatpaste in a blink. This is only the beginning.


    Force turns into momentum as I launch myself at the Jabberwocky. The black monster raises his sword and attacks. My spear strikes the sword, and I launch myself into the air with the force.


    Now, the touki pours into my spear and three copies are created. One with hand and one with foot, I throw two at the monster. Grabbing the original and the remaining copy with my two hands, I grasp the spears with a dual wield stance and descend to the earth like furious rain.


    My fall is perfectly aimed. My twin spears are like meteors, aimed for the Jabberwocky''s eyes. My feet are like falling leaves, homing onto the giant''s head. Thrust and thrust, a perfect blinding strike.


    With a savage tear, my spears tear through the giant''s brains.


    Jumping off the monster, I give it a look. This thing is created from mana ¨C it is unlike the lifeforms that Annihilation Maker creates. That''s why its regeneration is so fast ¨C the mana of the world gathers to heal it. The eyes are still blinded stumps but it is functional for battle yet again.


    Alright then. In the dual wield stance, I keep my distance while battering it with thrusts. Li Shuwen''s style will be ineffective ¨C it is too tanky to be taken down in few hits.


    So I go for the opposite end ¨C hundreds of hits to slowly batter it to death.


    One strike. The monster screams out, it''s sword cleaving through the air. It will never reach me.


    Ten strikes. The monster is incapable of feeling pain, but the continuous rain of attacks will surely tear it apart.


    Hundred strikes. Facing my twin spears that rain down thrusts without mercy, it can only be continuously be battered.


    Overpowering strength and matchless momentum. The end of this battle isn''t coming though ¨C it regenerates again and again. But my strength isn''t infinite. I''ll lose when I run out of juice.


    Well, it isn''t bad to lose once in a while. I''ll still try to kill it before it kills me. One two three, thrust thrust thrust¡­


    And, it''s gone. There isn''t an ounce of force I can bring forth. Exhausted, I stare at the Jabberwocky as it attacks with its sword unable to raise my spear¡­


    And then, an unexpected force comes forth from within me. A shining light blasts out, a power that Cao Cao never used.


    A blast of light tears through the Jabberwocky and reaches the roof of the purple sky, tearing through dimensions.


    And, I am back in the field with my squad. All of them surprised to see me, engrossed in watching a giant screen as they are. Oh, they were watching me fight. Hope they enjoyed the show.


    "¡­Boss, that was great." Georg''s tone is exhausted but he still smiles. On his side, Leonardo is unconscious.


    They have worked hard. Well, it isn''t like I was slacking off either, I brought forth all I could in that fight. But I don''t look worse for the wear, healed by that energy as I am.


    Mmm... I think I can contact the Longinus now, good.


    Continue to QQ~~!

 Chapter 126 - My SI Stash #26 - F.u.c.k.i.n.g Magic by Ashali (Harry Potter)

    -A SI Harry Potter fic with a shotacon type beat. Another NSFW QuestionableQuesting fic~ Make an account to get access!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 41K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/f.u.c.k.i.n.g-magic-harry-potter-si.10714/#post-2929726 (Ashali)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0-2 (exceptional)


    So we have yet another story thread. The premise is that I awakened as Harry Potter significantly before canon, and f.u.c.k.i.e.d right off from the Dursley family. Though, the story begins at the beginning of Hogwarts.


    We''re going to wave brightly at the stations of canon as the railroad tracks dive right off a cliff and the train starts to fly away, and Harry is a gigantic pervert that refuses to not take advantage of all the lewd opportunities that can be found in a boarding school full of magic.


    Chapter 1


    When the letter addressed from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry arrives in the mail, I''m happily reading a book at a table in the orphanage that''s been taking care of me in London on my eleventh birthday. It''s something of a surprise for several reasons, even though I''d been half expecting it to find its way to me.


    When I''d awoken as Harry Potter in the home of the Dursley family at the ripe old age of six, I''d immediately endeavoured to get as far away from them as possible. They''d truly been a horrible family, being willing to withhold meals and go so far as to take "discipline" to just-about abusive levels, and after making a token effort to get them to act like responsible a.d.u.l.ts, I''d walked out. Considering that I''d never really been outside as a child, given the Dursleys'' attempts to pretend that I didn''t exist to their neighbors going rather well up to that point, my actual disappearance had gone unnoted, though I was certain they were absolutely furious that I''d stolen their stash of reserve cash. In any case, I''d taken a train to London proper, walked straight into an orphanage and announced that I was an orphan, and spent a harrowing week talking to government workers about my non-existence in the census.


    Apparently, the Dursleys hadn''t even registered that I existed to the government, since they wanted to do their best to pretend that I didn''t exist until they absolutely had to. They didn''t even take the time or effort to get registered for government money for taking in an orphan, the disgusting lackwits.


    Regardless, the workers at the orphanage, despite being somewhat overworked and a little more strict than absolutely necessary at times, were decent people, and I''d gotten along with them just fine. Especially since I was "a very studious, quiet boy," and whenever people took the time to consider my grades or look at the books I was going through to keep from getting too bored, they wondered at my genius. After all, when a child not even ten years old is studying through advanced post-calculus material from the local library when his nose isn''t in some book of fiction or other, well¡­


    It''s not like you would expect that a child of that age to actually be someone that has completed university studies before.


    My strong desire to be hidden may have manifested itself through my magic in my anxious escape from the Dursleys, because my apparent genius didn''t get much remarked upon except when I was directly being considered for advancing through schooling and such. Nobody I''d met had really looked at me like they actually acknowledged my existence, which was rather lonely, but I had books. Wonderful, wonderful books. More importantly, I hadn''t seen hide nor hair of any of the magical people that ought to have been looking for me after my vanishing act.


    In any case, I thank the orphanage worker for the letter, and put down my book to open it up.


    The letter contains exactly what I expect, signed by Minerva McGonagall as the deputy headmistress and as I read it, I briefly feel something from the letter before the sensation passes. Nothing happens, so assuming that it may have been some kind of magic that confirms that the intended recipient has read their letter, I return to my book, doing my best to try to flip pages with my mind while moving my hand close to the page as if I''m using my hands.


    Like Tom Riddle before me, I''d figured out how to do small things by just wanting them hard enough and gesturing. Lighting candles, minor telekinesis, and other such cantrips. They''re fun and interesting, and I continue to marvel at how they break physics every day.


    Regardless, with no way to actually do anything or get the stuff from the shopping list that Hogwarts sent me, I return to my books and spend the rest of the day between fiction and nonfiction.


    -----


    It''s the morning of the very next day after I''d read my letter from Hogwarts when I hear a loud crack from outside the orphanage. Considering that the sound of people messing up the manual transmission of their vehicles is a common sound, I don''t really pay much attention to it until the orphanage''s matron walks in my open door with a visitor.


    I look up from the book I''m reading on my bed and blink at them. "Good morning, ma''am."


    The matron wrinkles her nose at me, but doesn''t find anything to complain about, considering that I''m both dressed and on top of the sheets. "Good morning, Harry. This is miss McGonagall, and she said that you ought to have received a letter offering you a place in a rather prestigious boarding school. It seems you''ve been noticed, boy. I''m happy for you."


    "Thank you, ma''am," I reply politely as I put my book down and sit up.


    "I''m certain you''ll tell me if there''s anything I need to know," she says with a wink. "Such as if you''ll be accepting their invitation."


    "Of course," I smile.


    "You''re such a good boy, unlike some of those miscreants," she smiles back. Then she frowns. "Now, I''d best be making sure they aren''t making a nuisance of themselves. Just call if there''s any trouble, Harry."


    "I will."


    She nods at me and walks back out of my small room. McGonagall, for her part, was looking at me rather intensely with a furrowed brow, but as the matron leaves, her look softens. "Hello, Harry. Have you read the letter you ought to have received from Hogwarts?"


    "I have," I answer with a nod. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Is the name a play on words, regarding sleight of hand, or are you talking genuine magic? Considering the reading list, it''s either a great prank, or the latter¡­?"


    Mcgonagall nods. "I can assure you that we teach genuine magic to our students." At my lack of reaction, she tilts her head slightly. "Would you care for a demonstration?"


    "Yes, please!" I can''t help but grin.


    "Very well," She replies, pulling out a wand from a fold in her robes. A gesture and mutter has the door closing by itself, and then she transforms the lamp in the room into a teacup. She then makes the few things I have in here dance about in the air, before returning them back whence they came and restoring the lamp. To top it all off, she transforms into a cat that has light rims around her eyes, before leaping back off of my bed and changing back. Minerva looks at me, still not smiling, but looking like she enjoyed it. "Are you convinced?"


    I clap. "Yes, I am! I''d managed to make small things move just by wanting it hard enough, but that was great!" I pause. "...Do you sometimes turn into a cat like that to have people pet you?"


    The old lady chokes, then gives me a stern look. "I most certainly do not."


    "Oh, okay."


    "Ahem," She clears her throat, looking a little guilty for a moment. "In any case, you''re a young wizard, and as such, you''ll need to go to Hogwarts to learn magic. Have you had strange things happen around you?"


    "Ever since I ran away, people have had trouble actually really noticing me," I reply after a moment.


    "Hm?" Her eyebrows rise, and then she peers at me. A moment later, she murmurs something and waves her wand in my direction. "Oh. No wonder you seem so unremarkable. Finite."


    The air shimmers around me, and then Mcgonagall suddenly sucks in a breath. A moment later, she''s muttering something to herself about Dumbledore. Then she shakes her head and returns her attention back to me, schooling her expression. "Much better. Now then, do you think you''ll like to be joining us at Hogwarts, Harry? Your parents both attended, I''ll have you know."


    "Very much. Did you know them?" I agree, then ask. After all, it''s the only real way for me to get into the magical world and actually learn magic without getting sniped by one of Voldemort''s minions.


    "Excellent. I did know them: James and Lily Potter. A fine witch and wizard, they were. It''s a shame that they''re no longer with us," Mcgonagall frowns sadly, then cracks a smile for the first time. "Now then, did you read the list of school supplies that came with your letter?"


    "I did, and I still have it," I reach over to the small nightstand next to my table and grab the folded paper.


    "I see," she says, then turns to gesture towards the door. "As you want to join us at Hogwarts, I''ll take you to get your school supplies, and don''t worry about needing money to buy them."


    I scoot off of the bed, put my book down, and follow her out of the room and the orphanage. Outside, she pulls out her wand again, casts something on us, and then offers me a hand. "Please, mister Potter, take my hand and hold tight."


    I do so, carefully, and then, with a muffled crack and my stomach feeling like it''s going to upend itself, we find ourselves on a twisting, turning street, filled with all kinds of magical shops. As my stomach settles and nobody bothers looking our way, I brush my bangs down to the right to hide the lightning-bolt scar on my forehead, and prepare to follow the deputy headmistress around what is quite obviously¡­


    Diagon Alley.


    -----


    The deputy headmistress keeps things on track, and we go through the goblin bank and several stores at a near-breakneck pace. Even Ollivander, who attempted to be dramatic, was cowed into compliance by the no-nonsense woman.


    Thus, the only time we actually manage to slow down is when I absolutely insist on stopping our whirlwind shopping trip in the book store. So many of the books are interesting that I have to look at them all and try to get them. The professor offers very good advice on which books are useful and which won''t be, but I want them all.


    Eventually, we compromise with the entire Hogwarts course, as well as some additions on wand motions, magic theory, and transfiguration and potions, since I''d shown quite a lot of interest in them when she was explaining the school and classes earlier in the day.


    It''s with a massive pile of floating books that we return to the front counter. Upon turning the last corner in the many large bookshelves of the store to the path down to the counter, I bump into a grinning girl with brown hair, and we catch ourselves, keeping the books in our arms safe.


    "I''m sorry, I was hurrying around the corner-" I begin apologizing.


    "No, no, we''re getting so many books that my heads were in the clouds," She says quickly. "I can''t wait to-"


    "You too?" I ask, as a plump-looking woman with graying hair moves up beside her, with a large number of floating books next to her. Behind the lady, a brown-haired man and black-haired woman come to a halt.


    "Now, now, you two," She says. "Quiet down a little. As long as both you and the books are fine, everything is quite all right, yes?"


    Mcgonagall walks around the corner behind me, then notices the woman. "Ah, Pomona. How has the shopping been going for miss¡­?"


    "Granger," the girl introduces herself, and I realize that this is Hermione. "Hermione Granger."


    "A pleasure to meet you, Hermione," Mcgonagall says, then she nods to the parents hovering behind Pomona. "Mrs and Mr Granger, a pleasure to meet you, but we have quite the haul of books to purchase for my young charge here."


    "Ah," Pomona hums in agreement. "Hermione here couldn''t help but want every book in the store."


    "Neither could young Harry," Mcgonagall sighs in commiseration with the other professor. Then, as Pomona sucks in a breath. "Nyup! Not a word, Pomona. For right now, young Harry Potter is just like any other muggleborn student, looking for his school supplies."


    "Oh!" Pomona exhales with delight. "Of course, of course, dear Minerva. I''ll still hope that he''ll be sorted into my House, of course."


    Underneath the chatter of the professors, I lean over towards Hermione. "You love books too, huh?"


    "Yes!" Hermione exclaims in a whisper back.


    "When school starts, do you want to study together?" I ask.


    Hermione beams at me. "Absolutely!"


    "What are you two whispering about over there?" Her dad butts in.


    "Oh, he was just asking if we wanted to study together once school starts!" Hermione answers him brightly.


    I nod, smiling, and the man glowers at me until his wife pats his arm. "Now, now, dear, they''re hardly old enough for the boy to mean that sort of studying. Anyway, we appear to be taking up the entire path between the back and front of the store, so..."


    Oh, you poor, poor woman. I mean that sort of studying too, if I can swing it. I don''t intend on dying a v.i.r.g.i.n again, damn it! And with things like ageing potions, I don''t need to wait!


    "Hmph," Hermione''s dad grunts, but his look softens.


    We start shuffling down towards the counter, but I can''t help but grin at Hermione. "I''m going to read all of the year one books cover to cover before the semester starts."


    "Me too," Hermione says, then she narrows her eyes at me. "Bet I''ll learn more magic than you by then."


    "You''re on," I answer her, then we both break out into giggling laughter.


    "Calm down, children," Mcgonagall says. "You''ll only be allowed to use magic at your homes, under the supervision of your parents." She nods at me. "In your case, Harry, in your room, where nobody can see, understand?"


    "No need to be so strict on the children, Minerva, even if it is rules," Pomona says, then she leans towards us and whispers. "Just don''t let any muggles-- non-magical people-- that aren''t your family, see you use magic, and everything will be fine. I recommend starting with the repairing spell, reparo, so you can fix any minor mistakes."


    We continue chatting until we reach the counter, and talk until our purchases are complete and we have to part ways.


    Oh, I''m so looking forward to this month before the Hogwarts school semester begins!


    Chapter 2


    With one last glance at King''s Cross station, I wade through the concrete barrier between platforms nine and ten, and emerge with a slightly icy sensation onto platform nine and three quarters. Despite coming a bit early, the platform is packed with parents and children, and dozens of cats and owls are wandering about.


    Without gawking too much, I step around a crowd of students and work my way over to the train. I catch sight of the curly, frizzy hair of what appears to be Hermione lifting a trunk into the train, and I hasten my steps. We''d shared a letter or two about our magical studies over the past month, including things like reading about ''The Boy Who Lived'' in books like A Modern Magical History, and I''ve been looking forward to seeing her again. As I near, I raise my voice over the crowd. "Hermione!"


    The girl pauses, then peeks back around the edge of the train and grins at me. "Harry!"


    I reach her, and pull my wheeled space-expanded trunk inside, lifting it over the lip with a grunt of effort.


    "Have you already got a compartment?" I ask.


    "No, but we''re rather early, aren''t we?" She replies. "It shouldn''t be too hard to get one to ourselves, I''d say."


    "Mmhm," I agree, and we start walking down the hall with our trunks.


    The first door we come across is cracked open because someone didn''t latch it properly, and after Hermione peeks inside, she eeps and rears back.


    "What''s wrong?" I ask, leaning over.


    "N-nothing, this one''s taken," She swiftly answers, then starts hauling off down the hallway.


    I follow after her for a step¡­ then my curiosity overcomes me and I peek inside¡­ only to see an older girl giving head to a guy.


    Nice.


    I rap on the edge of the door a few times. They glance up after a few seconds, see me through the crack in the door, and I clear my throat. "Not to embarrass you, but you may want to latch the door properly."


    It''s not a lock, but I assume that they could make it actually lock with magic if they thought about it before they started doing anything. Heh.


    Then, before they can do anything, I walk off with my trunk after Hermione at a swift pace to catch up. She''s waiting in the doorway to the cabin two doors down, and I smile at her flushed face as she steps inside. Hermione scowls as I close and latch our cabin door.


    "The-the nerve of those two," Hermione scowls as I stow my trunk under one of the seats. "To be doing something like, like that in broad daylight, where anyone could see!"


    I can''t help but chuckle a little as I take the seat across from her. "I can''t blame them for enjoying themselves," I say, and then swiftly continue before Hermione can reply with whatever embarrassed outrage she wants to reply with. "But I can blame them for not making sure their door was shut."


    Hermione stares at me, closes her mouth with a clack, and then glowers for a moment at the wall.


    I try not to huff another laugh, and Hermione glares at me for a moment before exhaling and turning back to smiling. "So Harry, do you think we''ll be good enough to pass all our classes? I mean, I''ve memorized all the books already, and I''ve got a few spells working, but..."


    This time, I do laugh, and I quickly raise my hands in supplication at Hermione as she gives me a frown. "We''ll be fine, Hermione! We''ve already got a few spells to work, right? That''s more than most of the first-years will have done. We''ll be the top of the class, easy."


    She reaches up to nervously twirl at her hair. "But we''re not from the magical world, they must be so far ahead of us. I can just imagine that we''ll have so much to catch up on."


    I lean to the side, putting my elbow on the window of the room as I think. After a moment, I answer her. "Did other kids study as hard as you, or even me, when we were in ''muggle'' school?"


    "I¡­" Hermione pauses. "No, but this is magic."


    "To them, it''s normal," I sigh. "And more importantly, it''s school."


    "But they''ve had magic all their lives," She retorts. "They probably know a lot more about using it, I''d say."


    "We''ll see," I shrug. "But I doubt it. Anyways, what spells did you manage to get working over the summer, Hermione? You didn''t say much about what you did and used it for in your letters."


    Though I hadn''t told her in my letters that Mcgonagall had returned to the orphanage a few days after we''d first met with Professor Flitwick to ward the orphanage. I''d been surprised that Dumbledore himself hadn''t come, but¡­ Maybe the man was beating himself up after ''losing'' me when I ran away, perhaps? From what I recalled, he was that sort of person. Eh, details.


    "Oh," Hermione brightens. "I got Lumos working, of course. It''s far easier on the eyes than reading by lamplight, did you know? And my parents were quite happy once I started figuring out how to fix things with the repairing spell."


    "I managed to fix my glasses," I say with tap at the rims. "It was a little crooked, before. It''s an incredible spell."


    "Isn''t it?" Hermione giggles. "Mum and dad got a bit angry when I was trying out the fire-making spell, so I''ve been reading about bluebell flames. Haven''t quite got it working, yet."


    "I read about it, but haven''t tried it," I admit. "I''ve been working on the various telekinesis spells, like the levitation and hover charms¡­ and locking and unlocking spells."


    "Oh!" Hermione gasps, then pulls out her wand. "Show me yours and I''ll show you mine!"


    I pause, then give her a lidded look. "Phrasing."


    Hermione freezes in place for a moment, then turns bright red as I stand and move across the cabin, pulling out my own wand as I sit next to her. She then bops my shoulder twice. "I didn''t mean it like that, you, you-"


    "If we''re going to be friends," I sniff, raising my nose in the air mock-pridefully. "You''ll have to get used to innuendo and perversion."


    Hermione stares at me for a moment, and I chuckle. Then she elbows me. "Shall we show each other¡­ our spells, Harry?"


    "Of course, of course," I chuckle again.


    "Hmph," She scowls, then raises her wand towards the empty side of the room and takes a breath. "Incendio."


    A jet of flame shoots out of her wand, but she controls it, and the spray of flames shrinks before it can set anything alight. She waves the flame spray around a little, then extinguishes it and turns to me. "Your turn."


    "Yes, my mistress Hermione," I hiss, earning another swat for my troubles. Grinning, I turn to the door and make the sharp, nearly square gestures of the locking spell. "Colloportus."


    The door shuts a little tighter, and the latch locks in place. I stand up and give it a few tugs, my efforts doing nothing more than rattling it on its hinges. With a short bow, I return to my seat next to Hermione, who then uses a variation on Lumos to create a ray of light. After several minutes of showing off to one another, the two of us spend the rest of the train ride practicing the motions of spells and talking about magic¡­ interspersed with the occasional innuendo I slip into the conversation, and instead of getting involved with any of the other students.


    Hermione gets used to the innuendo¡­ eventually.


    Continue to QQ~~

 Chapter 127 - My SI Stash #27 - Power Corrupts by Ideas-Guy (Gamer Multicross)

    -If you liked The Dark Wolf Shir¨­ fics you''ll most likely be in to this as well! Well written and lengthy SI multiverse story~


    *SI starts in Danmachi


    *QuestionableQuesting story, so make sure to have an account, also verify your email once you''ve created one. I suggest typing the link in word by word if you''re not able to copy/paste.


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 140K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/power-corrupts-gamer-si.10700/ (Ideas-Guy)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (*¡ä©`£à*)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1 - Making the Best Me


    Dying really didn''t feel like I thought it would. Maybe I just watched too many movies where the protagonist/love interest/best friend/redeemed villain and so on got to say a few dramatic words before they died, but I always thought I would get to say...something. Something beyond ''oh shit'' before truck-kun crossed three lanes, rounding on me like I owed him money then splattering my brains over his front bumper.


    You are dead! Would you like to start a new game?


    "...yeah, I figured that out. Thanks, though?" I tried, eyeing the words in a floating text box warily. Because, you know, floating text box. Then my eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Did I just get isekai''d? Am I the gamer now?"


    Yes! Since you are familiar with the concept, would you like to skip to the world selector?


    I scratched at an unshaven cheek, taking in a bracing breath. I feel like I shouldn''t be handling this so well. Gamer Mind? Or did I just desensitize myself by reading so many self-inserts before my untimely demise? At this point, it could be either. Regardless, I was glad that I wasn''t if only because it made moving on that much simpler.


    "Yeah, let''s do that." I agreed. I was the Gamer and I was about to be isekai''d. And you know what? I''m pretty okay with that.


    Please select your starting world!


    RWBY


    Danmachi


    Fallout


    Halo


    Mass Effect


    One Piece


    Tokyo Ghoul


    Evangelion


    Attack on Titan


    (additional worlds will be unlocked as you progress)


    Eyeing my choices, I immediately tossed Attack on Titan, Mass Effect and Halo out. I loved the worlds, but I don''t want to start out on the losing side of a genocidal war. Mikasa''s abs weren''t worth it. The same for Tokyo Ghoul, Evangelion, and Fallout -- Craving human flesh, dealing with madmen playing god, or living in a post-apocalyptic hellhole weren''t worth the waifus they offered.


    "That leaves RWBY, Danmachi, and One Piece." I mused, frowning at my choices. RWBY was technically a post-apocalyptic world, even if they never really showed it...so it was out. Danmachi or One Piece... if I had the power of the Gamer, I needed to think about what kind of soft level cap there was. What did the endgame look like? And what was I looking at in terms of midgame?


    One Piece had people cutting mountains in half, able to jump from orbit head first and be totally fine, and power that treated the laws of physics as a suggestion. Early and mid-game would be determined by pirates I could fight, if I could find a decent teacher and failing that, being self-taught.


    Danamchi... had a lot more structure. The Dungeon offered more stable sources of exp, what''s more, it was set up in a way that I always had an idea of what I would be facing. If I found an established familia then I would have a support structure. Endgame was able to blow up mountains and wipe out armies, but those were a lot fewer than One Piece. And¡­


    I was totally biased.


    I pressed Danmachi then another list appeared.


    You have selected Danmachi. You can now proceed to the character creator.


    Previous game data has been analyzed. You earned: 2000 points during your last game!


    The great nothingness that surrounded me began to shift until I found myself in the Sims character creator. Standing on a platform was me, or a creepily accurate doll of me. I looked at myself for a moment -- truth be told, I wasn''t horrible looking. My hairline started to recced already, I had a bit of a stomach since I hadn''t worked out in some times but I was hardly fat...I supported the whole body acceptance thing mostly because I didn''t really care about it. But now I had a chance to give myself the body of adonis? Yes, please.


    My eye caught a tab labeled Races. Clicking it, another list appeared.


    Human: (Race already purchased)


    Amazon: 250 (Female player models only)


    Demi-human: 150 (Click here to see subcategories)


    Pallum: 100


    Elf: 300


    Dwarf: 250


    Spirit: 100,000,000


    God: 1,000,000,000


    Xeno: 50 (Warning: monsters, mortals and gods will want to kill you.)


    As boring as it was, I stuck with the human race. It was what I knew.


    I made the changes, then pausing to admire my work. I handcrafted the best looking version of myself. Well muscled, handsome and...my lips pressed into a thin line, tilting my head as I looked at my best reflection. It was me. Maybe if I made myself a little taller¡­?


    Giving myself an extra inch, I finally broke the six-foot barrier. Then I gave myself a few more inches. Then a foot. Then one more inch. And another inch. And one more just to be sure until the doll in front of me became a 7''5 giant of a man. Fiddling with the skinny/fat/muscular window, I maxed out muscular, all the muscles bulging out almost comically, so I scaled it back just a little.


    "Hmm¡­" I should give myself a tan. I was Irish, so the sun burned me and nothing else. Looking at my work now, I saw that my face really didn''t suit the mountain of man standing in front of me. I squared my jaw a little bit, keeping my stubborn chin...yeah, it was better, only now my hairstyle looked completely out of place. Cycling through the presets, I eventually found a wild mane of hair that looked-


    "..." Huh. I looked like Conan the Barbarian. Or Broly. Since I was going to an anime world, I was going to say I more or less looked like Broly.


    And you know what? I was pretty okay with that too.


    "I''m done," I said aloud, not seeing a Next icon.


    Please select your start:


    Wannabe adventurer: 350 p


    Rookie Adventure: 100 base p. Additional cost included: (dependent on God chosen) Rank S: 10000. Rank A:5000p, Rank B:4000, Rank C:3000, Rank D: 2500, Rank E: 2000, Rank F: 1500, Rank G: 1000, Rank H: 500, Rank I: 350


    Novice mage: 1000 (Start with magic with one spell slot filled)


    Novice Blacksmith: 500 (start with level 5 in blacksmithing)


    ¡­


    The list went on for some time, listing out various crafting starts. I skimmed them over for a long minute before I pressed Novice Mage. It was magic, how could I possibly resist? A giant warrior man flinging lightning from my fingertips...I couldn''t wait. I could even up with Danmachi''s necessary chants to use magic.


    Please purchase your perks. Points remaining: 1000


    Strong: (250) All strength exp is increased by 5%


    Weak: (+125) All strength exp is decreased by 5%


    Natural deodorant: (100) Natural musk never smelled this good.


    Reek: (+50) A bath and soap won''t wash that smell away


    Song bird: (100) Angels wish they sounded as good as you


    Annoying voice: (+50) Your voice has a habit of getting on people''s nerves


    Limber: (250) All dexterity exp is increased by 5%


    Stiff as a board: (+125) All Dexterity exp is decreased by 5%


    Perfect memory: (500) Every moment of every day is perfectly recalled at any time


    Great memory: (250) You can recall most things with a passing glance


    Fast learner: (500) General exp gain increased by 5%


    Forgetful: (+150) Where are my car keys?


    Warrior: (250) All endurance exp increased by 5%


    Wimp: (+125) All endurance exp decreased by 5%


    Super immune: (200) Great resistance to Disease and Toxins


    Sickly: (+500) Max HP is halved with greatly decreased resistance to Diseases and Toxins


    Durable: (500) Physical damage reduced by 5%


    Frail: (+300) Physical damage increased by 10%


    What kind of build was I going with? I was built like a mammoth, so definitely a warrior build. Up close and personal combat. Strong and Fast Learner for exp gains, leaving me with 250 points. Then I pressed Limber since the only thing better than being big and strong was being big, strong and dexterous. Bringing my total to zero.


    Despite myself, I found myself lingering on Natural Deodorant. I was going to be doing a lot of fighting, a lot of killing and I wasn''t sure what Danmachi''s hygiene situation was. Did they have modern showers there? I recalled Hestia and Bell having to use some kind of brush. Not to mention the days I would end up spending in the Dungeon without a convenient way to bathe.


    "This is dumb," I told myself, going back to the previous tab to reselect my Start. Should I pick a few bad traits? No, I don''t want to if I can avoid it. The negative traits were a little too harsh one way or the other, and they only gave me half of the points I bought the positive one with.


    I pressed Wannabe Adventurer since it was the cheapest, bringing my total up to 650 points. I could always learn magic later, but who knew when I would get this chance again? With that, I made pressed Natural Deodorant, my final total being 550. Naturally, I made one final choice of Durable, since any reduced damage as a warrior was a must, leaving me with 50 points left.


    Clicking Next, another list appeared only this one was long and broken up into countless tabs. Weapon types, armor, potions, spells, materials and so on. Hundreds of thousands of choices, maybe even a million. Out of curiosity, I went to the bottom of the swords list before quickly scrolling back up, wincing internally at the billions it would cost to buy a diamond enchanted sword possessed by the soul of an ancient evil god.


    "Warrior type build," I muttered, planning out my goto build in RPGs. High Strength, high Endurance, Dexterity lagging behind with Intelligence being my dump stat. So, I needed armor and weapons. I eyed my total, wondering if I should go back to pick a bad trait or two to get some more points.


    I needed to prioritize. What did I need? Armor first. I searched for something that was cheap and would cover my torso. My arms and legs would have to be left bare for now, it was more important that my insides stayed inside. I found a steel set of armor, blackened with a piece of metal jutting up at the front to protect my neck. The layered plates should make sure that I had full range of movement. 20 points left.


    Weapons... I was pretty big. Huge, really. My reach was long already. As much as I wanted a humongous sword, they were too expensive. I found something that would suit me, a steel longsword. It would look out of place, but it would do. I could always make money and buy a better one. This was just to make sure I had some starter gear without taking any loans.


    That cleared me out except for a few points. Not knowing what else to do with them, I changed them out for some valis, the currency in Danmachi. I don''t know if 1,000 valis was a lot, but it was better than nothing.


    "Neat," I said, satisfied with my choice. Perhaps it wasn''t the best build for Danmachi, but when in doubt, go with what you know. And I knew warrior characters from over a decade of DnD and RPGs.


    Are you satisfied with your choices?


    "I am," I said with a nod. I took my time with it, so there was no point in second-guessing myself.


    Game system reformatting to sync with world...enjoy your game!


    And, just like that, I found myself standing in a busy street filled with all kinds of people. Demi-humans, amazons, elves, dwarves...oh, and humans. The smell wasn''t exactly pleasant, but it wasn''t the typical stench I associated with a big city. Not everyone wore armor like I was, all the things that I bought on my new body, they wore brightly colored dresses or fur or pretty much anything that wasn''t modern attire.


    For a long minute, I just took the city in. Slowly, my gaze drifted upwards, spotting the white spire that stretched over the city, piercing the sky until it touched the clouds. The Tower of Babel. Inhabited by gods, actual gods.


    "..." Right. Speaking of gods, let''s go find Hestia and become an adventurer. With that thought in mind, I started walking, watching the people as I went. I saw girls with cat ears, dog ears, pointed ears and so on. The city felt like a giant melting pot of cultures, I noticed as I walked by a stall selling rice-based food next to something that looked like lasagna. There was a smell of spices in the air as I wound up wandering further into a food district, towards the Tower of Babel.


    I wandered the streets, the food eventually giving way to shops that lined the street filled with more adventure-oriented supplies. The closer I got to the tower, the more common they became. Potion shops, arms, and armor, tailors and so on.


    I kept my eyes peeled for the goddess of hearth, only to find no trace of her. It was surprisingly easy since I towered over everyone, having over a foot on the biggest people around. More than a few stopped to look at me, gaping at my new height. Making myself this big might not have been the best idea, but I was going to make the most of this second lease on life and that meant indulging myself.


    The anime never gave a hint exactly where her stall was located, so I was left searching for a needle in a haystack. Which was fine for now, I guess. It gave me time to get a lay of the land, so to speak.


    Eventually, I made my way towards the Tower of Babel, seeing a long set of stairs leading to it while the entrance was richly decorated. It was easy to forget that there was a vast sprawling dungeon beneath my feet teaming with monsters that wanted to kill everything that wasn''t a monster. And some monsters that were monsters. If anything, it reminded me of a bank.


    An idea struck me, driving me to cross a busy street into a large plaza filled to the absolute brim with people dressed exactly like me. Some had much finer armor, weapons and clothing, I noted, eyeing a group of seasoned adventurers that I didn''t recognize. Others had worse armor, I saw, spotting a lone elf limping his way out of the tower, his iron armor battered and bent.


    I made my way into the tower, stepping foot into the Guild, the organization that made its profit by exchanging magic stones for money. Stepping inside, I was struck with familiarity. It looked like a bank lobby. Complete with a front service desk, an exchange off to the side, with a sitting area on the other. A few doors marked different hallways, but my gaze was drawn to a seemingly inconspicuous staircase. Nothing stood out about it other than it went down.


    Down into the Dungeon.


    I searched the adventures for a familiar face, only to find none. The main cast was rather small in the grand scheme of things, so maybe I just missed them. Or maybe I was at the start of canon or a little before. Striking out on the adventures, I turned to the sharply dressed Guild employes.


    I didn''t see Enia, the Guild advisor that helped Bell out in canon, unfortunately. From what I understood, she was the type to go above and beyond for those shes advising. Instead, I caught a glimpse of strawberry pink hair, a petite girl dressed in black business slacks, a button-down white shirt, and a black vest. It really shouldn''t work, but she made it work for her. More importantly, I recognized her even if I didn''t remember her name.


    Walking over, she looked up to catch me approaching. Instantly, she put on a well-practiced smile, one that I recognized after working a few years in retail. "Good afternoon, how can I help you?"


    "Uh," I started intelligently, "I was hoping to become an adventure, and I was wondering if, uh, there was a familia recruiting? Hestia, she should have descended from Heaven not that long ago?" I asked, heat rushing to my face as she gave me a well-practiced patient look.


    Her light brown eyes dipped down to rack over my body, probably thinking that my appearance and personality didn''t match, I would imagine. "There''s a notice board over there that gods sometimes post on if they''re looking for a new child that has certain characteristics, like being an elf or really tall." She tapped her chin, tilting her head in thought. "I don''t think a goddess named Hestia made a notice, but I remember hearing some rumors about her."


    "Oh?" So I wasn''t something like a decade before the start of canon. That was great. As much as I could use the time to get some gains, I came to this world with a very specific purpose in mind.


    Misha winced, "w-well, maybe you should consider another god?" She tried to nudge me off my chosen path. "From the looks of you, most familias would be willing to take you in," she said gesturing to my...everything. I guess I looked the part, giving the impression of experience even though the closest thing I have ever been to a fight was that time I got punched in the face for skipping in line for wiffle ball. I was six.


    I shook my head, "sorry, but if you know anything about Hestia, could you tell me? I, ah, made a promise," I said, heat crawling up my neck to my cheeks. Apparently, after dealing with adventurers and heroes all day as her job, she accepted the vague motivation with a nod of her head. Though, technically, I did make a promise. It was just to myself.


    The girl nodded, a look of resignation on her face. "Lady Hestia works at a jagamarukun stall on by Spirits Cross, just off the main road. Short, black hair, blue eyes, bells in her hair. You won''t be able to miss her," she explained, offering up fairly detailed information. Most of it I already knew, but now I had a lead.


    "Thanks," I said, giving her a smile.


    "I hope to see you again. Good luck!" She said, giving me a wave as I walked away. I waved back, making it a couple of steps before I realized that those directions didn''t do me a lot of good because I had absolutely no idea where Spirits Cross was or the main road.


    I didn''t turn back, though. It would be too embarrassing to ask for more help after I already walked away. If I had to guess, the main road would be the one that leads to the Tower of Babel. So, if I just went straight then I should eventually find her stall. With that thought in mind, I resumed my blind wandering through the city, taking in the sights. All around the tower, the Dungeon rather, were all kinds of shops. In the central plaza, stalls of all kinds could be found.


    Double-checking the heavy coin purse tied to my belt, I felt it''s reassuring weight. Should...I buy something? Was there a process of joining a familia? Or was it good to just show up and ask? Hestia in canon was cool with it because she was desperate...was Bell already apart of the familia? I didn''t know. Better to be on the safe side.


    I bought a bouquet of flowers from a flower shop run by an elderly couple, making me twenty-five valis poorer. They looked nice, the lavender would bring out the white in her dress while the lilies would bring out the blues of her eyes and ribbon boob holder thing. So, with that, I continued to explore the main road, looking for a sign to give me a hint that I was going the right way.


    Eventually, I saw Spirit Cross written on a sign. Finally. Looking down both ways, my gaze was drawn to the left as if they were pulled by a magnet. The magnet was a girl wearing a stark white dress, bells in her hair that was done in long pigtails, a light pink apron over her dress with ping-pong antennas bouncing with every movement she made. As ridiculous as they were, they couldn''t detract from the presence that she had as she helped a long line of customers.


    A god. I was looking at a god.


    A wide smile was on her face, showing off perfect white teeth, as she took the change after handing over a fried potato looking thing, a jagamarukun I would assume based on the sign. She bowed slightly, the antennas bouncing wildly as the bells jingled. Her face was shaped like a heart, her large blue eyes were wide and expressive, displaying an earnest joy for all the others to see.


    Yup. I made the right choice.


    Eyeing the line, I decided to sit on a nearby bench, waiting for it to die down before asking. It would be a little awkward for me to ask, she says yes, then have to finish serving customers. So, I waited. And waited. And waited. And waited some more. Each time the line began to die down, more would rush to it.


    Slowly, the sun began to make its way across the sky, from hanging directly above to dipping towards the horizon. I must have waited hours for the line to die down, only to end up inadvertently waiting for her shift to end. Another girl dressed the same way as Hestia took her place behind the stall.


    I stood at the same time that Hestia grabbed a cloth bag filled with leftover potato puffs. The hours had worn her bright smile down, but she walked with a pep in her step, her uniform in hand. Right. It was time.


    Walking up towards her, I opened my mouth to say something, only to realize I had absolutely no idea how to begin. Do you know what would have been really smart? Using the past few hours to think of what I should say.


    "Excuse me?" I tried, falling on old habits of being overly polite to cover my awkwardness. Hestia came to a stop, looking at me with bright blue eyes. Right. It wouldn''t have mattered if I did prepare what I was going to say, because I would have forgotten it right then. "Um, my name is Jericho and I heard that you were recruiting familia members¡­?" There. Nailed it.


    Hestia blinked slowly at me, her bright blue eyes racking over my body, having to crane her head back to look at my face because she only barely reached the center of my stomach. Then she looked to her sides, then behind her when she didn''t find whatever she was looking for. The silence between us stretched on for a few seconds, but they felt like hours.


    "Are...you talking to me¡­?" Hestia asked, looking back at me with a dull expression. This...really wasn''t going how I thought it was.


    "Er, yes?" I answered, shifting from foot to foot.


    "You want to join my familia?" She questioned, trying to make sure. I nodded, feeling a little more confident by the lack of a no.


    "I do. If you''ll have me," I added. A lack of a no wasn''t a yes, after all.


    Hestia stared at me for a long second. Long enough that I shifted from foot to foot again before blinking. I held out the flowers to her, making her look down at them with dull shock. "These are for you. Figured they''d help make a good impression?" I said, trying to sound smooth but the words came out like a question.


    Hestia took them, slowly looking back up at me. "You want to join my familia?" She repeated, her bottom lip starting to quiver. Then it started to quiver really bad, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. I found myself smiling lightly at the sight, a coil of tension that I hadn''t known was there vanishing.


    "If you''ll have me," I said, causing the dam to break. Hestia shot towards me like a speeding bullet, slamming her face against my armor hard enough that it must have hurt. That wasn''t why she burst out crying, though as she wrapped her arms around me, squeezing me until the steel creaked.


    We got some odd looks from those that passed by, but I didn''t let that stop me from hugging her back.


    ¡­


    Hestia had dreamed of this moment since she first stepped foot on the lower world. Sure, she got distracted with...pretty much everything when she actually arrived, but the dream itself never changed. She would start a familia filled with children of the lower world, they would go on adventures worthy of legends that would be told for another thousand years, while each day will be filled with joy and laughter.


    After two long weeks of searching, seeking the first member of familia only to be rejected so many times it made her heart ache just thinking about it, she finally stood in the bookstore she frequented so often. Surrounded by stories, fables and legends, real and imaginary. Her first child''s story would start surrounded by those that will one day be his peers.


    A giddy giggle escaped her, her face sore from all the smiling she was doing. It was funny that her first child, after weeks of searching and failure, would walk up to her out of the blue and ask to join. Her eyes darted to him, standing a head and shoulders and then some taller than her, watching him as he looked over titles of books. He was so big. It was impossible to not notice it, but he dwarfed everything around him, and he wasn''t just tall, but wide too. His shoulders were broad enough that Hestia was certain it would take two of her standing shoulder to shoulder to match him.


    "So, how do we do this?" Jericho asked, turning to face her, earning a small eek from her when she was caught staring. Looking everywhere but at him, Hestia gestured wildly to a couch in the center of the room.


    "Take your armor and shirt off so I can apply my falna," she instructed, feeling butterflies fly free in her stomach. It was happening! It was finally happening! She was going to form a familia! Another giggle escaped her, rocking from the heels of her feet to her tippy toes. She felt so light she could fly away.


    The sound of Jericho fumbling with his armor brought her back down. Looking over, she saw him struggle to undo a leather strap, blushing when he caught her looking. So, he didn''t have much experience putting in on and off. Maybe he was less experienced than she thought?


    "Er, sorry, but, uh, could you help me a little?" He asked, going beet red when she skipped over to help him. "Thanks," he muttered when he shrugged off the armor.


    "It looks new," Hestia commented, eager to learn more about her first child. Maybe it was a bad idea to say yes to the first person to ask -- Hephaestus had a long, drawn-out process to pick the best smiths for her familia, but Hestia couldn''t afford that. Not to mention he bought her flowers! There was no way he was secretly evil or planning to abandon her the first chance he got when another familia made an offer-


    "It is. I kinda spent my life savings on it. Figured if I was going to become an adventurer then I should invest in good armor to make sure my insides didn''t become outsides." Jericho explained, taking off his arm guards, revealing a white dress shirt underneath. Hestia twitched at the reminder of the fatality rates for adventurers.


    The Dungeon was alive in its own way and it desired the death of all those that walked its halls. Thanks to Ouranos, it had its rules that it followed. Certain monsters could only spawn on certain floors, they only got stronger the further you went down, it couldn''t just collapse a tunnel on an adventurer whenever it felt like...it had rules, but even if it didn''t break them, that didn''t mean they weren''t bent. It wasn''t uncommon for experienced adventurers to find their ends in the Dungeon.


    That took the edge off her undiluted joy. She watched Jericho unbutton his shirt, revealing a tank top underneath- oh. Oh. Heat rushed to her face until she swore steam was about to erupt from her ears, torn between looking away and gaping. Muscles clung to his frame, each movement making them ripple, straining the tanned flesh that contained them until she worried they might break free.


    "Now what?" He asked, breaking her free of her hypnotized state. Blushing even harder, she gestured to the couch again.


    "L-lay down on your stomach," she instructed, swallowing thickly. He was going to be an adventurer, so of course, he was going to be all muscley. Once he obeyed, laying flat on his stomach, Hestia climbed on top of him, straddling his back. It was here. The moment she had been waiting for so long. Before she set foot on the lower world. For hundreds of years, she waited for this moment.


    And yet¡­


    "Are...you sure you want to do this?" Hestia asked in a small voice, eyeing the small pin that she would use to prick her finger. "It''ll just be the two of us, and I don''t really have much I can do to support you. You''d...you''d be better off finding a bigger familia, you know." She knew it was true. She lived in a dilapidated church bas.e.m.e.nt, she was forced to work at a sweets stall to make ends meet and even then she was scraping by.


    Hestia knew when compared to other familias, who could buy potions and armor and weapons for their children, she was lacking. As much as it made her heart ache, she understood why she was rejected all those times. Mortals supported their god in exchange for their blessing, but a good god supported their familia just as much. And she couldn''t do that.


    "Hmmm. Maybe," Jericho began, making her heart plummeting to her stomach. "But I don''t want to be in another familia. I want to be in yours, goddess of hearth. Plus, so what if we start at the bottom? Just means we can only go up."


    ...She wouldn''t cry. She definitely, totally wouldn''t cry. Her sniffling and her eyes blurring were just because of the dust -- the owner really should do something about that. After wiping her nose on her sleeve, she swallowed thickly before giving him a shaky nod. "Yeah. That''s exactly right. Alright, I''m going to begin."


    Taking the needle, she poked her finger with it. A bead of blood welled up that she held over Jericho''s back. She summoned upon her arcanum, proof of her godhood, and blessed the droplet as it fell from her finger. It sunk into his back, light rippling like water where it landed. Her falna formed on his back, a cauldron lite with a flame, text written in the language of the gods...forming...uh¡­


    Did she screw up? Hestia thought, her eyes slowly growing wide enough they could fall out of her head.


    Jericho


    Level: 1


    Progress to level 2: 0/1,000,000


    Strength: 0


    Endurance: 0


    Dexterity: 0


    Agility: 0


    Intelligence: 0


    Sense: 0


    Skills:


    Gamer Body: The user''s body is that of a video game


    Hestia stared with growing horror. She screwed up. She totally screwed up! Intelligence, and Sense?! Those weren''t supposed to be there! Progress to level 2? What?! What did mean a million exp? He already had a skill? What was a video game?! What?


    "What did I do¡­?" Hestia whined, at a complete loss. She was so sure she did everything right! It was just a blessing, she learned how to do it back in Heaven and she managed it fine there. Did...did she accidentally use her arcanum? No, if she had then she would have instantly been booted back to Heaven. What did she do wrong then? This wasn''t the normal blessing that everyone else got!


    "Is everything okay?" Jericho asked, starting to turn over to look at her, only to stop when she slapped his back, keeping him down.


    "Nothing''s wrong!" She lied through her teeth. Okay. She had absolutely no idea what she did wrong. The better question was what she could do about it now. She could...go to Hephaestus! And...get yelled at...a lot. She could practically hear her friend already ''what? You couldn''t even manage a simple blessing? You really are helpless.''


    Hestia shook her head hard enough that her bells jingled, filling the small room with the sweet sound. A pity she couldn''t hear it over the sound of her heartbeat in her ears. That option was out. Hestia promised herself that she wouldn''t rely on Hephaestus anymore. No, it was up to her to do something about this.


    And that was...to cover her tracks!


    Grabbing a slip of paper, she pressed it to his back, tracing a circle on it as his status was copied to it. Peeling it off, Hestia saw that she managed to do that right, at least. "Here, let me show you your status." She said, climbing off of him.


    Jericho twisted into a sitting position next to her, looking over his first status, right next to her. He smelled like spices and oranges. Forcing her attention back on track, Hestia pointed to his status, "these are all of your stats. You can increase them through physical training, but the best way is through experience."


    Words of admittance about her mistake weighed heavily on her tongue but refused to leave her mouth. He was her first child. He picked her knowing that she had nothing to offer him, that he would fight in the Dungeon alone, without any kind of support. Even still, he picked her. And the very first thing she did to repay his faith in her was to mess up his falna.


    Hestia wanted to admit it, but fear overpowered desire. Fear that he would leave as soon as he joined her familia. It was one thing to stick with a useless goddess that couldn''t do anything for her children, but choosing to stay with a goddess that couldn''t even give her blessing right? If he left then, Hestia couldn''t blame him. And she would be all alone. Again.


    "That tells you how close you are to leveling up," Hestia said, hastily moving on before he asked questions she didn''t have the answer to. "And this is your first Skill! I heard stories that some children start off with a Skill when they get their falna because of previous life experiences, but I never thought my first child would have one! This is really rare, you know."


    Even more so because she never heard of it before. There were plenty of Skills -- Berserk, Diver, Artel Assist and so on. Any one of them appearing at on a level 1 would have most gods trying to poach him. Rarer Skills like Mystery, which allowed the user to create items that far surpassed enchantments of normal development abilities like Blacksmith or Mixing could make, would have all gods fighting over who got him. A skill that had never been heard of before?


    Whether he wanted to stay or not, one of the stronger familias would take him. Most likely Loki or Freyja. There would be nothing she could do to stop them.


    Hestia''s expression turned grave, "which is why you can''t ever, under any circ.u.mstances, reveal that you have a skill even though you''re level one. Or your status in general, okay? This is really, really, really important!" She stressed, leaning in close. Jericho leaned away slightly, looking down at his status before giving a shallow nod.


    "Because other gods would get interested?" He guessed, getting it half right. The gods came down to the lower world not to save it from troubled times it found itself in, but to entertain themselves. Words like unique or interesting were synonyms for fun and entertaining. The other part was...well...if he didn''t know if his stats weird then, with the natural secrecy about status, he would be in the dark long enough that she could think of a way to fix it.


    "Exactly. They''re like bloodhounds when it comes to these kinds of things, they''ll be all over you and try to take you away," she explained, her chest clenching at the idea.


    "Well, we wouldn''t want that. My lips are sealed," he said, giving her a lopsided grin. Hestia found herself beaming at him in response. She spent thousands of years doing little more than reading, but not even she had the words to describe the sheer relief she felt at his words. He was going to stay. He wasn''t going to leave her alone. Even better, he didn''t want to leave her alone.


    "Hm!" Hestia nodded, savoring the feeling.


    ¡­


    After getting my falna, Hestia lead me to one of the seedier parts of town. It wasn''t the ghetto, but it was a long time since anyone thought to do any kind of maintenance in this part of the city. The stone slab road was cracked and broken, weeds growing in between the spaces or flat out overgrowing in some places. Eventually, she brought me to a rundown looking church.


    The stained glass was broken, a door knocked in with another leaning on rusted hinges. The interior wasn''t much better, the wooden pews rotting from time and exposure, weeds growing between the stone slabs with vines crawling on the walls.


    "I know it doesn''t look like much, but that''s just for now!" Hestia blurted as she walked through the church, her ears burning. "One day soon enough, we''ll be living in one of those apartments in the Tower of Babel!" She declared, walking towards a door up on the platform where the ceremonies would be performed.


    "This is just our start," I agreed, getting another beaming smile from Hestia as she threw open a door, revealing a staircase. Walking down, a turn revealed a small bas.e.m.e.nt area. An old green couch that saw its best days a long time ago, a small table that looked like it was salvaged. A bed dominated the small room, taking up almost a third of the space. At least it looked nice. To the right was a curtain that separated a wooden tub to do our washing.


    Somehow, it looked more cramped than it did in the anime. And it wasn''t just because I had to crouch down to enter the room.


    "It looks homey," I said, knowing that Hestia was waiting for me to say something.


    "Thanks," she muttered shyly. "Hephaestus helped me find it after I came down from Heaven a couple of weeks ago." She explained, leaving out the parts where she mooched off her for a couple of months, but I wasn''t going to say anything about that.


    "She''s the goddess of smiths, right?" I asked, setting my armor and weapon in a corner, leaving me in the clothes that I died in. At least there wasn''t any blood on them.


    "She is. Hephaestus is the best! Her familia is really big and they make all kinds of amazing stuff," Hestia said, from the sound of it there were no hard feelings on her side about getting kicked out. If anything, she sounded happy at the opportunity to brag about her friend. Though, that did bring me to a topic that needed to be discussed.


    "So," I started, taking a seat on the couch, Hestia quickly sitting next to me, managing to almost reach my shoulder now. "Since our familia is just starting, do you have any kind of ideas of what kind you want us to be?"


    "Er," Hestia winced, a hand going to one of the jagamarukuns.


    "Because there are all kinds of types, right? I mean, do you want me to try to aim for a particular development ability like Mixing or Blacksmith?" With one of those, I could craft potent potions items or weapons, far beyond what I could manage with the Skills. Though, since I had a different variation of the gamer system, I would have to find out how easily I could gain them. "Since you like books, we could do something with that."


    "...What do you want to do?" Hestia asked, deflecting the question.


    That was a good question. "I think I want to dive into the Dungeon. It''ll be dangerous doing it solo, but I think it''s worth the risk." If only to find out exactly how my system worked. Gamer Body gave me some hints, but I needed to find out the specifics as soon as I could. Hopefully, I could get the stupidly fast strength gains that gamers typically had. Ideally, it would be comparable to the insane jumps in growth that Bell had because of Realis Phrase.


    "Okay," Hestia nodded, not exactly sounding enthused about the prospect. I gave her a lopsided smile, reaching out to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.


    "I''ll be fine. Between my armor and my height, the goblins won''t be any trouble," I said, having absolutely no idea if I was lying. I must not have since Hestia looked reassured, my words not tripping a built-in lie detector that all gods had.


    "You won''t go past the first floor?" Hestia asked though it sounded much more like a request.


    "I won''t go past the first floor," I promised, giving her shoulder a squeeze. She gave me a slight smile in return, reassured. That was good. The last thing I wanted was to accidentally trip on an emotional landmine and have her forbid me from entering. She was too new at this, and so was I even if I had a decent idea of what I was doing. In theory, at least.


    The touching moment was ruined by Hestia''s stomach growling. Loudly. She eeped, clutching her stomach while I just looked amused. Heat rushed to her face as she stammered out, "i-its because I had to skip my lunch break!" She explained, making my eyes dip down to what served as her dinner. A potato thing and some kind of paste.


    "You can still have some, though!" She said, mistaking my glance for hunger. "I-"


    "Thank you, but I can always get myself something latter. Actually, would you want me to get something for both of us?" Something that actually had some nutritional value, maybe? However, Hestia shook her head so hard that I spared a worry that she was going to give herself whiplash.


    "It''s fine!" She said too hastily, still clutching at her empty stomach. "You don''t have to do that," she decided, looking longingly at the food before her. I don''t think it was possible for someone''s words and actions to be more at odds. She was practically drooling.


    "I do, actually," I said, grabbing the potato thing and holding it out to her. She looked at it, then at me with confusion. "You''re my goddess. It''s my job to support you." That was a good line. I''m mildly impressed with myself. Pressing the potato thing towards her, Hestia gingerly took it. "For example, before I asked to join your familia, I was watching you work." And it looks like I used up my quota of suave social skills and made myself look like a stalker.


    "You skipped your lunch, didn''t get a break and they never stopped coming," I said, earning a nod as Hestia began nibbling the potato thing. I knew exactly how much that sucked. Worse, the slippers she was wearing wouldn''t offer any lumbar support. "Your back and legs must be killing you."


    Hestia looked surprised, "how''d you know that?" She admitted, finishing off the potato thing. She looked honestly shocked, it was enough to get a laugh out of me.


    "Because I used to work at a store like yours, and it never stopped. I''m actually surprised you had the energy to give me your blessing, I would have dropped into bed after a day like you had." I complimented, gesturing to the potato puffs for her to have.


    Hestia huffed a laugh, "of course I did! I was scared that I wasn''t ever going to get a familia." She said, grabbing the potato puffs, and after making one last offer for me to take one that I refused, she swallowed them down so fast I doubt she chewed.


    "So, let me support you," I murmured, gesturing to her legs. She gave me a confused look in response. With a slight grin, I explained, "you said your feet hurt, right? Let me take care of that for you."


    For a split second, I worried that I might have pressed too far when a hesitant expression appeared on her face. Prompting me to continue with, "I''m trying to impress you, Hestia." I admitted, "I have no idea what I''m doing and I want to make sure that we get along." In my experience, blunt honesty was always the way to go when you had no idea if your flirting was working. Either it worked great, or let you know you were wasting your time and making someone uncomfortable.


    Hestia lite up, a giggle bubbling out of her. "So am I," she admitted, raising a leg so I could grab her foot. Cupping it, I pressed my thumb into the center of her foot, getting a startled groan from Hestia. She gave me a wide-eyed, embarrassed look, but I just smiled in response and got to work.


    My technique was nothing to write home about, but sometimes that didn''t matter as much as letting the tension ease out of you. Before long, Hestia was laying on the couch, one leg in my lap as I gave her a foot rub.


    "Jericho?" Hestia whispered softly, her eyes closed as her aches and pains were steadily rubbed away.


    "Hm?"


    "I''m really glad you joined my familia," she said so earnestly that it gave me pause. My eyes glanced at her face, trailing down her skin tight dress, her cleavage threatening to spill out of her neckline, then to her waist. I always thought the white underskirt was either a pair of shorts or part of the dress, but I was surprised to see that they were a pair of white panties with a small blue bow on the front. All of it was revealed to me from how short her dress was and the angle I was giving her the foot rub.


    Then I smiled, continuing to massage her.


    "I am too."


    ...


    The next chapter is currently available on my *******, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. I hope you enjoyed!

 Chapter 128 - My SI Stash #28 - DxD: V?lsunga by Nerva Claudius (DxD)

    -Another SI DxD fic, this time SI as Siegfried~ Man, I think the authors are planning on doing a SI of every character, LMK if you find a SI as Issei''s dad!


    *I coulnd''t post as much today, I was fully focused on my exams but it was all worth it though as I just aced most of them!! EPIC WIN


    Sypnosis: When I was murdered by Truck-kun, I never expected to find myself in a world where might makes right and b.o.o.b.s defy the laws of gravity. Watch as I aim to live a quiet life where I can ignore the plot and-wait, I was reincarnated as who? SI reincarnated as Siegfried. Rated M because it''s Highschool DxD.


    Rated: M


    Words: 40K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13399064/1/DxD-V%C3%B6lsunga (Nerva Claudius)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    There are a lot of things that I hate with a passion.


    I hate having to watch two advertis.e.m.e.nts in a row on YouTube.


    I hate being interrupted by my friend whenever i''m telling a story, only for him to try and guess what happens next.


    I hate any television show where I have to "just make it through the first two seasons before it gets better".


    I hate names that are spelt without any regards of phonics.


    I hate Restaurants that don''t title their restrooms Ladies and Gentlemen, but instead use some sort of ambiguous, clever name that takes you way too long to figure out which one is for you.


    Basically, I hate a lot of things.


    But now?


    I have never felt this much raw hatred in my entire life.


    I can''t move my body no matter how much I try. I can''t open my eyes without being subjected to the fury of a thousand suns worth of light, not even long enough for me to see where I am. I keep hearing voices around me, constantly cooing at me as if I were a baby.


    Sometimes I would feel a large hand touch my tiny little hand or stroke my head, and the only thing I can do is cry in retaliation. It doesn''t help that my mind and body feel so fragile that I would probably cry if the air so much as vibrated in my direction.


    And let''s not forget the constant feeling of irritation I feel originating from my crotch and ass, begging to be released from its confines.


    With all the evidence having been thrown in my face, it didn''t take long for me to arrive at the conclusion that I have been reincarnated as a baby.


    Since we''re on the topic, do any of you believe in the idea of reincarnation?


    Supposedly, the physical container that is the body will perish while the soul moves on and inhabits a new body. When you first hear about it, you''re going to have some doubts about it. After all, if one was to have a soul then does that mean the afterlife exists? It just leads to more even unanswered questions.


    I didn''t believe any of it. Hell, how do we know that we even have a soul? It was too much trouble to start proving people wrong so I just kept my thoughts to myself.


    At least, that was what I used to believe.


    Before I was reincarnated that is.


    It''s not very comfortable being able to remember your own death.


    I didn''t die a grand death or anything, not at all. It was a simple road accident and I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Really now, my bad luck just had to come through for me at the worst possible moment.


    At least it was an instant death; Truck-kun slammed into my body at full force and I didn''t even get to blink before I died.


    I remember floating in a black void, succ.u.mbing to the sweet whispers of death when I realised that I had still retained my awareness, and as soon as I opened my eyes I found myself unable to have any basic control over my own body.


    That and the strangers that keep showing up and playing with me.


    It''s been a week since I was reincarnated all over again as a baby. It wasn''t hard to figure out my new name when everyone keeps repeating it; Number 3. What the hell is up with that kind of name? I want to have a talk with whoever named me! Let me see your manager!


    There isn''t much I know about where I was reincarnated-spending every day being unable to move tends to do that-though everyone has been speaking Italian so far, something i''m not very much grateful for.


    I would get lots of strangers coming to watch over me with most of them being children, meaning that I might currently be in an orphanage. Of course, I could also have been reincarnated into a really large family, I don''t really know much about where I am.


    "Why does Number 3 always look so angry?" a female voice asked right next to me, watching as I continued to wave my limbs around like a madman. Of course, I have no idea what they''re saying so I just continue to struggle and make ugly faces, "There''s always a frown on his face."


    "That''s true, but it doesn''t really matter. Don''t you think that it just makes him look even more cuter?" another voice, another female one, answered with a sigh before cooing once again, much to my annoyance. I felt the air in front of me shift, no doubt she was about to place her hands all over my body again. Not if I have anything to say about it.


    I call upon all the stamina and energy inside me! Aid me in vanquishing my foe! With that said, I raised my arm and swatted her hand away. I heard a gasp from her and basked in my small victory, only to scrunch up my face in annoyance when I heard her squeals of happiness.


    "That was so adorable! Look at how he tried reaching out to me! Oh my god!"


    Argh! And I have to put up with this kind of stuff for the next couple of years!? I would have screamed at my misfortune but I was feeling too tired at the moment, I must have used up all my energy during my awe-inspiring counterattack. I guess i''ll just sleep for a couple of seconds...


    [Four Months Later]


    My god, this has been the worst four months of my life.


    Over the last four months, I was forced to watch as I had no control over my basic bodily functions. Every day. Do you know how it feels? Having to piss yourself knowing that there''s nothing you can do about it? Within that period of wetting myself, crying over the slightest vibration in the air directed towards me and just having no basic control over my body emotions, I felt that I had truly become a baby.


    And don''t even get me started on the other babies. They''re cute, they really are, but they are just so exhausting. It would obviously be weird if a baby wasn''t being a baby so I was forced to act the part. My mask is perfect, the a.d.u.l.ts don''t suspect a thing, but the babies-oh the babies-can somehow tell that i''m different, unique.


    And babies sure do love unique things.


    I don''t get to do anything anymore without being followed by my entourage of diaper-wearing babies. It makes for an adorable sight to the a.d.u.l.ts, and even for me, but at some point, it just got annoying. There are moments where I just want to be alone, you know? They''re not making that easy for me.


    But every time I see the look in their eyes, I can''t find it in myself to get rid of them! Dammit, why do they have to be so cute!


    Argh! Forget it! I''m keeping them!


    [Two months Later]


    Six months in and teething has been a shit show.


    Actually, scratch that. Teething has been, and pardon my french, an absolute bitch.


    There''s a constant itch in my mouth that''s dying to hurt something-someone. I felt the need to just bite the first thing that moved in my line of vision. Snacks, toys, clothes, a.d.u.l.ts. Nothing was-nothing is-safe from my slobbering assault.


    At this point, i''ve come to respect babies for being able to put up with all of this bullshit, and i''ve come to respect a.d.u.l.ts for being able to put up with our bullshit. Seriously, it takes a lot of restraint and patience to not strangle me when i''ve vomited all over your shirt like what, four times?


    Anyways, from what i''ve seen so far I can easily tell that this place isn''t an orphanage; it''s more of a facility, what with all the scientists walking around and every single child here wearing the same outfit. If that isn''t enough, then maybe the fact that the younger children are given numbers will help attest to that fact.


    Some of them even have the same features; red eyes and white hair. Every single child share the same red eyes but different hair colours, though most of them are black. Of course, I also have red eyes, reminiscent to that of a ruby in my own opinion, coupled with black hair.


    Kind of edgy, like anime characters.


    Anyways, forget about that for a moment. Today is going to be a very important day for me. Why you ask? Because it''s time for me to speak my first words! I''ve been practicing my Italian for ages now and already learnt the basic vocabulary. I can also understand simple sentences at this point, though it''s not perfect. All that''s left now is to wait for an opportunity-


    Well speak of the Devil and he shall arrive! A nun just walked into the playroom to switch with our caretaker. The caretaker''s are always switching so there isn''t much lost love with this development. They don''t interact with us that much either, they usually just watch over us to make sure we don''t do anything stupid because we babies are pretty stupid.


    Hmm? She''s looking at me. Was I staring at her for too long? Oh well, it''s not like they''ll do anything about it-WOAH!


    Hey lady! Put me down right now!


    "You should be asleep right now, young man." she whispered, not wanting to disturb the other children, though there wasn''t much heat in her voice and she had a playful smile. I didn''t get enough time to reply as she pressed me against her chest and began to rock me back and forth-oh boy this is working far too well for my liking.


    "That''s it, go back to sleep now." she spoke softly. Damn lady, you are really good at this. Why can''t she be our caretaker? "Honestly, why can''t Xenovia be as calm as you...Siegfried, is it?"


    Wait a minute. Wait a goddamn minute. Hold the f.u.c.k.i.n.g phone. Apetta un minuto. Chottomatte.


    Xenovia? I know that goddamn name from anywhere...


    No, that just had to be a coincidence. There''s no way that I was reincarnated into THAT world, right? I mean, it''s an anime world. There''s no way that I could have been reborn in it, right?


    "Sister Quarta, you can''t come in here without clearance." a male voice interrupted my thoughts. Sister Quarta? Oh my-"What would the others think if one of our high-ranking members of the Church was to just do whatever they pleased? You need to set an example to the lower-ranking members..."


    I tuned out whatever he happened to say next, my mind was still reeling back. I was reincarnated into the DxDverse. The universe where might is right and b.o.o.b.s are the ticket to winning every single fight. The world where nowhere was safe for humans from the various races and mythologies that existed here. The world where you had a higher chance of bumping into a God than winning the lottery.


    And if I was reincarnated into the DxDverse, then that also answers the question of what exactly this place is. White hair, red eyes. Church members. Griselda Quarta. I''m in the goddamn Sigurd Institute, the same place that created that sick f.u.c.k Freed Sellzen and "I have a boner for swordsmen" Siegfried.


    Hold up.


    She called me Siegfried.


    Why would she call me Siegfried-oh my sweet merciful lord in Heaven.


    I''m the "I have a boner for swordsmen" Siegfried!


    I was confused, I was tired as hell and I was downright terrified. I was planning on using my first words on her but as soon as I looked further down, all I could see were her bountiful b.r.e.a.s.ts hiding behind her nun outfit and-


    "Anime titties." wait, what the f.u.c.k. That wasn''t what I was going to-and now she''s looking at me.


    Luckily, it seemed that the situation was too much for me to handle right before I blacked out. Was it exhaustion? Was it fear? I don''t know, I don''t think i''ll ever know, but i''m glad I wasn''t awake otherwise I would have seen the way Griselda Quarta''s face darkened.


    [Six Months Later]


    It''s been a year since I was reincarnated into the world of DxD. I''ve had some time to come to terms with it and, in my opinion, i''m doing a lot better right now. Being surrounded by all this fluff (read little kids) tends to do that to you.


    But still, Highschool DxD. Of all the worlds to reincarnate into, it just had to be this one.


    Well at least it wasn''t the Narutoverse, but this world still has its own problems.


    This world is filled with beings that can destroy me with nothing but a thought. Just look at the Four Satans; hell, two of them are one of the ten strongest beings in the world. Then there''s Indra, Crom Cruach, Rizevim and the other members of the Pantheons. And don''t even get me started on Ophis, Great Red and Trihexa.


    And i''ve been reincarnated as a character that ends up dying later in the plot. Well, he would have died regardless due to the overuse of all his Demon swords-wait a minute, doesn''t that mean that i''m going to have my lifespan sapped away? Ah, i''ll just stick to light swords and guns or something.


    Damn it Ishibumi, do you even know what kind of world you''ve created? It may seem all nice at first but that''s only because it focused on Issei''s point of view. Every day, there are humans who are attacked without being able to defend themselves. Anyone who''s born with a Sacred Gear will have their normal lives thrown out the window and forcefully shoved into the Supernatural world. It''s a strong eat weak world and without power, you can''t do anything.


    Basically, i''m going to have to work pretty damn hard if I want to survive in the future. And what place better than the Sigurd Institute? I mean, sure, i''m not too happy to find out that I was reincarnated as an experiment in the Sigurd Institute. I''m even less happy knowing that I''m nothing more than an over glorified lap dog for the Church. They can always just make more loyal soldiers; in the end, we''re just expandable.


    But at the same time, I have all the resources I need to make sure I become strong enough so that I at least have a fighting chance. I also have knowledge of future events and characters so that should be able to help somewhat as well. Couple them together and I should do fine so long as I don''t stop training myself.


    That''s why i''ve decided to start training my body early. I started crawling recently and to build up my stamina, I would just crawl everywhere I could. It may seem small now but it''ll give me a head start compared to the rest of my siblings here. That and you can just crawl away from your problems.


    You want to b.r.e.a.s.tfeed me again? Hmm, I don''t think you will. What''s that you say? I''m going to the timeout corner? I think the f.u.c.k not! It''s time for more experiments? No it f.u.c.k.i.n.g isn''t!


    You''d be amazed at how easy it is to crawl away from all sorts of bullshit.


    And the best part is that it''s working! I can crawl faster than all the other kids and have far more stamina. If I keep this up, I might even become a stamina monster.


    Ever since I recently learnt how to walk, I began to run around everywhere as well. It was bad enough the caretakers couldn''t catch me when I crawled, now I can walk? You should have seen the look on my caretakers face when I stood up for the first time, it was priceless.


    For some reason, the rest of my fellow children decided to follow my example and, oh boy, did we ruin our caretakers day.


    I''m proud of those kids, you know? I really am. With the amount of time i''ve spent with them, they''ve all but grown on me. I mean sure, most of the unfaithful ones have already left me for the next shiny thing but the kids that stayed made me feel something.


    You hear that my siblings? You''ll always have a special place in my heart, especially you number 24, you little rascal you.


    ...


    And then there''s Griselda.


    Oh boy, Griselda.


    I just want to start by expressing how grateful I am towards my caretakers for taking the blame. Apparently, Griselda blames the caretakers for my use of "foul language" and proceeded to complain to the staff about taking a more active role in raising the next generation.


    Which means that she''ll be teaching us from here on out. While the Sigurd Institute is a place where Homunculi are created, it also acts as a training facility for the Exorcists in training. There are multiple facilities that branch out depending on where your talents lie; the current facility is used to train Exorcists while mainly focusing on those who are talented with a sword.


    I''m not complaining, this just means we have a better curriculum now. Hence my rate of surviving goes up. Of course, my siblings will also be involved; I don''t really want them to die in the future.


    But.


    Judging from Xenovia and Irina''s fear towards the nun in question, I can''t help but be afraid for my future. This world is based on an anime so I should be expecting some hellish training.


    ...


    Welp, at least I can take solace in the fact that my life will be easier considering I have the knowledge of an a.d.u.l.t within me; studies are going to be a cinch.


    Nevertheless, I have nothing else to do right now except for play the part of a child. I don''t know about any of you but I quite like the idea of being able to take naps wherever I want.


    [Four Years Later]


    Finally five years old, meaning that the Institute has finally decided to begin teaching us.


    It''s nothing too serious, just some simple training and basic studies like maths and English that everyone is required to take. They''re also teaching us about the history of the world as well as the various factions.


    While I have no problems with the curriculum, what I don''t like is their attempts at practically brainwashing us to remain faithful to the Church. It''s clearly not working on me but I can''t say the same about the rest of my siblings.


    Summed up, It sounds something like this: everyone that isn''t human is the enemy, we need to follow God''s words, the Church is number 1, go away heretics, etc.


    And then there are the Devils. We''re taught that they only want to take your soul from you and will do anything to get it. They are the enemy and must be killed on sight to protect humanity.


    Of course, on sight directly translates to inside our territory. If there are any humans living in another faction''s territory, the Church won''t lift a finger.


    How noble.


    Anyways, their brainwashing clearly isn''t working on me but I can''t say the same for my siblings. I don''t take kindly to my family being brainwashed like that; nothing a little bit of therapy from this amazing Number 3 can''t fix.


    In my spare time, I decide to tell them about everything else regarding Devils that they leave out in our education; how they aren''t always after your soul is the main one. I don''t want my entourage to poke whatever reeks of Devils with their swords in the future, that''s like the quickest way to die.


    Well, at this point they''re more my minions than entourage. Seriously, they listen to my every one of my words with the kind of loyalty you would only find in zealots, always looking to be praised.


    Hmm, I don''t know if I should be worried about their devotion-nah. They''re kids and they''re cute, so it''s fine. Cute is justice after all.


    Besides, it''s always nice to have someone close to you.


    Anyways, as for training i''m clearly at the top of my class. All those small exercises, as well as the a.d.u.l.t mind i''m packing in spades, have clearly given me an unfair advantage.


    Every exercise I participate in with my siblings results in my win, though Number 15 has been getting better. Scratch that, he''s been getting really good lately. The last time we had a race, he almost managed to keep up with me.


    Another thing is that i''ve tried summoning my Sacred Gear but nothings come up. Canon!Siegfried had a Twice Critical whose Balance Breaker gave him four extra arms, as well as doubling his power for each arm. After a couple of tries, I came to the conclusion that I don''t have a Sacred Gear anymore.


    We went over Sacred Gears during our studies and, from what I remember, Sacred Gears are bestowed to humans by God placing it directly into their souls. Since I have a different soul from canon!Siegfried, I guess that means I don''t have it anymore. It''s a shame really, but i''ll manage without it.


    Anyways, I would be lying if I said I hate it here right now. Life''s been pretty slow-studying and exercise is pretty much all we do-but it''s also peaceful. No having to fight the other races, no politics, no bullshit. Just me and my small family of sorts.


    Life is good.

 Chapter 130 - My CO Stash #30 - Justice by Black’ Victor Cachat (OnePieceXDCU)

    -A crossover of One Piece and Justice League~


    *DC characters will grow tired of the Straw Hats shenanigans real quick. Weirdos they say.


    Sypnosis: Dealing with villains is all part of being a superhero, the Justice League knows this. So how do they handle the new supervillain gang that can''t decide whether they''re good or evil? And said gang, the Straw Hat Pirates, are just desperate to get home to fulfil their dreams, whatever it takes. And they have no problems with fighting more believers in ''Justice'' along the way.


    Rated: T


    Words: 179K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12573816/1/Justice (Black'' Victor Cachat)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    Unlike my previous crossovers, this story is meant to be serious, and not a crackfic.


    I got this idea from watching some One Piece where the CP9 people and marines were yelling about striving to bring about "justice," and I was thinking about how the World Government uses that word to rationalize everything they do, and I started thinking about how the Straw Hats would actually react to meeting more people who honestly believed in justice. Note that in the Navy, marines who both have noteworthy clout and scruples are in the minority, like Smoker for example.


    -0-0-0-


    "So why''re we both here, Perry?" Lois Lane demanded as soon as she stepped into her editor''s office.


    Truthfully, Clark Kent, her fellow reporter for the Daily Planet newspaper, was a little nervous about her coming along. Unlike her, he had a better idea of what they were about to get into, and there were still a few mysteries about this upcoming assignment that bothered him. Still, he trusted Batman''s intel, and while Lois was smart and resourceful on her own, he would be there to protect her if necessary.


    Having Clark Kent alongside the tough-minded and fiery woman seemed far from reassuring to most, except Clark went to a lot of effort to make people underestimate him. Clothing always slight wrinkled, a habitual slouch that made him appear smaller and slightly overweight, dull glasses that slightly changed the tint of his eyes, and a carefully cultivated air that made people ignore him unless he was firing off piercing and insightful questions as a reporter. Yet underneath that well-made yet unimaginative suit was the red and blue uniform of Superman, the world''s mightiest hero.


    Gruffly, Editor-in-Chief Perry White put down some papers he was holding to explain. "I want the two of you to check out a new company that''s come out in the last year: Cherry Blossom Medical. The reason I want the two of you is because Kent''s sources have brought up a few questions."


    Lois frowned in thought at the name. "I''ve been hearing about them a lot lately, now that I think about it. They''re making a lot of breakthroughs in medicine, aren''t they? Weird logo for a medical company though, a skull and crossbones with pink blossoms all over it."


    Adjusting his glasses, Clark nodded. "Yes, but despite that marketing issue, they''re getting huge business thanks to their developments all across the medical field. Especially in terms of surgery, pharmacology, vaccinations, and salves that cure regular injuries at a staggering rate. According to my sources," a.k.a. Batman, "they''re also selling their products at less than most companies would, despite how people would be willing to pay a lot more for them. Of course, since it''s so popular and cheap, they''re still making a lot of money, and growing very fast."


    "Alright," and then she smiled at Clark, "so what''s the catch, Smallsville? What''re they hiding?"


    "That''s what you''re going to find out," Perry declared, "especially with what else Kent has to say."


    Lois stopped for a moment in thought. "It''s something to do with Lex Luthor, isn''t it? That many advances from one company, and being so charitable and all."


    "Try to be more objective, Lane," Perry warned. "Luthor''s not responsible for everything. But no, and in a way it''s actually even more suspicious because of that."


    "Lots of companies, including both Wayne Enterprises and LexCorp, have been trying to buy the company," Clark explained, "except none of them have been successful."


    "Alright," Lois agreed with raised eyebrows, "that is suspicious. I know Bruce Wayne''s smart and got good people working for him, and if they think it would be a good deal, they''d do all they could to get a hold of Cherry Blossom. Just legally. But keeping Lex out!? How''re they doing that!?"


    Unspoken between Lois and Clark was the knowledge, loathe as they were to admit it, that Lex was absolutely brilliant, and if the multi-billionaire thought Cherry Blossom was a good deal, then they should probably think of investing in stock themselves. But what was very surprising was the megalomaniac had failed. The man was very skilled at convincing people that they should ''cooperate'' with him. He would use bribery, blackmail, threats, violence, whatever it took to get them where they were vulnerable.


    Not that they had ever proven anything.


    "We''ll find out whatever it is, Chief," Lois promised.


    "See that you do."


    "But why isn''t Jimmy," their main photographer, "here?"


    The older man coughed awkwardly at that. "There''s some other photos I want him to catch, yet I also thought it would be best not to have pictures this time, might distract from the Daily Planet''s image," he explained as he hunted for a particular piece of paper. "The main staff don''t get out in public much, but here''s a photo of Dr. Nami Mikan," and he showed Lois the image.


    "¡­No way those are real."


    !JUSTICE!


    It was an almost surreal sight.


    The sun was bearing down on an unusually hot day, traffic was backed up for blocks to get onto the bridge, but everyone was patiently waiting. Some of the cars just joining the line started angrily honking their horns, until those ahead of them popped their heads out of the window to calmly explain and/or point at a distinctive green glow that would settle everyone down as they realized who was responsible for the delay.


    They trusted the hero to have a good reason, and know what he was doing.


    John Stewart, or as he was more commonly known, Green Lantern, flew back a few more meters to survey his work. The African-American ex-marine turned space cop had been flying home, wanting nothing more than his bed, when out of the corner of the eye he had caught something wrong with the bridge. A quick inspection revealed that one side of it over the water, blocked from most viewpoints by trees or from facing the ocean, was starting to look a little unstable. Maybe it would have been safe to wait a few more hours, except it would have been criminal to take the risk. Never mind supervillains or alien invasions destabilizing it, what if an earthquake happened?


    A little work via his power ring, creating green constructs to act as the necessary tools, and it was looking much better now. He waved to the people watching in their cars (he had blocked traffic from getting on for a few minutes to be safe, but none of them seemed to mind) and flew off. I''ll find out who''s responsible for this and let them know exactly what I did so they can double-check tomorrow. They were probably sending someone any day now, but this is safer and saves tax payers money. And if they weren''t on the ball after all, then it''ll serve as a polite wake-up call. I''ll still check them out later, and get Batman to help me go through their records to make sure this isn''t the result of shoddy work to pay off any kickbacks, he grimly promised.


    !JUSTICE!


    From the very start Clark was nervous, and glad he had his Superman costume on underneath his suit.


    "Doesn''t look like much," Lois noted, taking in the generic, yet newly constructed building. "For an up and coming company, they sure aren''t worried about public image."


    No, Clark thought, but I''d say they are worried about people spying on them, given how the walls are lined with lead. His X-ray vision was useless here.


    They went in to see the receptionist, who verified that they had an appointment, although then the pretty woman took a furtive glance around before leaning towards Lois. "The CEO, he''s just all talk, alright? Never touches anyone, and will back off if you tell him to." Before they could ask any questions, she called the CEO to say that two reporters from the Daily Planet were here, and the cheerful voice told them to come right in.


    "Well helloooooo~! It''s such a pleasure to graced by the enchanting presence of the Lois Lane~!" the man behind the desk cried out, before swooping out to appear before her with a variety of cups on a tray, extended with an exaggerated flourish. "Something to drink~?"


    Despite the tantalizing aromas, Lois tightly refused. The way the man looked her over making her feel slimy.


    "Uhm, I''d¡ª" Clark began.


    "I wasn''t talking to you!" the blonde man snapped, grinding on his cigarette, before throwing a l.u.s.tful look back at Lois. "Can we start the interview please?" she coldly asked.


    "Why of course~!" and the supposed CEO all but danced backwards to pull out a seat for Lois. There was none for Clark.


    "We''ll stand and you can sit," she told him, and he agreeably took a seat behind his desk. "Sanji Kuroashi at your service. You can call me Sanji, Lois~!" he beamed, before glowering at Clark. "Mr. Kuroashi for you, and don''t forget it!"


    Unbelievable, Lois thought. This guy can''t be in charge! They''d never get anything done. . . . No, alright, calm down. It could be an act. Maybe even probably, given how over-the-top it is. If I have to, I''ll just turn on the charm with him, telling Smallsville to give us some space. If all else fails, I hit him and scream while Clark gets the police to lock this creep up.


    Privately, Clark was vowing to never leave this man alone with Lois, no matter what she said. He was far too dangerous, and not in the way she was probably thinking.


    At first glance, Mr. Kuroashi, if that was his real name, had a thin yet wiry build which implied he kept himself in shape, if only casually. Kryptonian X-ray vision however revealed that like his friend Bruce, the Batman, there was more here than met the eye, but on a greater scale. There was a staggering physique compacted under that skin.


    Powerful, wiry muscles that were beyond anything a human could naturally develop. The more that he examined them, the more Clark felt they were more like his own in terms of scale, especially the leg muscles. He had only seen such development in the Flash. No, there was no doubt that Kuroashi was a meta-human, and one with incredible strength.


    Given the hints of secrecy and his behaviour, it was very possible Kuroashi was also a dangerous meta-human.


    "I can''t place your accent," Lois began, deciding to lead with some easy questions. "I''d almost swear it was Japanese, but I''m not sure. Where are you from?" Especially since the man sported clearly Caucasian features and hair colour.


    "Wherever you want me to be from," Kuroashi said with transparent effort to appear seductive. He then paused to pull out another cigarette to light it.


    "You smoke that inside?" Lois noted with some surprise. While she was not one to judge on such a thing, it was something generally considered as unprofessional. Although what about him is professional? Except for that suit. I admit it is pretty classy. Just about the only good thing about him.


    "Why not?" he shrugged while retaining his ''suave'' smile, his blond hair still covering his right eye. "I''m the boss here after all."


    "Your name, ''Kuroashi,'' that''s Japanese for ''Black Leg'' or ''Black Foot,'' isn''t it?" Clark said, having picked up a little of the language.


    "Maybe, what''s it matter?" Kuroashi growled.


    Deciding that beating around the bush was getting nowhere, Lois switched to the offensive. "It''s really amazing what you''ve done with this company, Sanji," she said with the slightest flutter of her eyelashes. Surprisingly, the man became more serious.


    "I''m just handling the business side of things, and part time at that. This is really a favour for my friend, who''s the real expert. His dream is to find a cure for all of the world''s illnesses."


    "So you''re doing it to make the world a better place?" Lois sweetly asked, noting how the CEO had said "his dream," while Dr. Mikan was a woman.


    "Well, it''s good publicity, and keeping prices low makes it more appealing for most people," the CEO countered with a small grin. Surprisingly, once he was focused on this new topic, he almost seemed suave. "That means people are more willing to try our products out, and then find out how superior we are. Give us enough time," his smile turning into a smirk, "we''ll put all of the other companies out of business, and be able to expand our operations further."


    "And then you''ll raise your prices?" Lois accused.


    "Oh no, Lois!" he cried out, looking both horrified at upsetting her and infatuated. "I''d never do something like that if it''d offend you! Our prices will continue to remain low!"


    "But how did you achieve such breakthroughs," Clark interjected, hoping to rile the man up by ''interfering'' between him and Lois again. It made people sloppy. Contrarily, the blonde kept his cool, his smile widening out of pride.


    "That''s because we''ve got the best doctor in whole world working here."


    He answered a few more questions in a calm, comfortable manner, yet the veteran reporters were not fooled. Not only was he carefully avoiding giving any more solid details, there was an air of rehearsal to this. As if he were playing a role he had practiced for, as opposed to genuinely being a CEO. Granted, he had said he was not really into this, but given the massive amount of money the company was making, and his wannabe-playboy demeanor, such altruism was harder to swallow.


    However, Lois also realized he was procrastinating. "Could we perhaps meet with Dr. Mikan?"


    "Certainly!" and the maniac edge had returned to Sanji Kuroashi. Pushing a speed-dial button on his desk phone, he quickly crooned out, "Nami-swaaaaan~! Those reporters would like to speak with you~!"


    "Be there in a minute!" a bright young voice answered back, yet Clark caught the same accent. Japanese too. Hmm, ''mikan'' means ''tangerine,'' right?


    !JUSTICE!


    As much as she wanted to make them suffer, Princess Diana, Wonder Woman, kept herself in check as she tied the sc.u.m up to a handy pole with strips of metal she casually bent in her hands.


    Some of those girls aren''t even ten! she silently snarled to herself as she struggled to keep her face a mask.


    Hollow-eyed, they were huddled behind her, desperately trying to make themselves small enough that she might not see them. Afraid that this violent newcomer was but one more in a chain of abusers. Violators. Owners.


    It was the ones with rage and pain in their eyes that concerned Diana however.


    They know they''re being rescued, and want to use this chance to hurt their captors. Not just kill them, hurt them. Torture them to make them feel the sort of pain they''ve been forced through. But if I let them do that, let them give in to that sort of violence, it''ll only be harder for them to come back.


    They might think it''ll give them closure, but that''s not what we can allow ourselves to teach the children. The ones who will inherit this world.


    Millennia ago, before isolating themselves from the world and guarding the gate to Tartarus, Diana''s mother and sister Amazons had been subjected to enslavement, ****, murder, and torment at the hands of men, and it was on days like this she wondered if anything had really changed in Man''s World. But it must, because there is so much potential for good in all of them. That''s why it''s up to us to protect them from the monsters, and help them heal from the violations and sufferings inflicted upon them, by those who think they can do whatever they wish.


    No matter how much it pained Diana to hold back against these human traffickers. Suppressing her own desire to wreak vengeance in the girls'' place. And yes, her own mother and sisters had rebelled and killed their own enslavers, except that was a different time, and not the world she was trying to help build here and now; not only one where this sort of thing did not happen, but one where death was not answered by death. Yes, sometimes it was the only solution, yet that did not mean she wanted to teach it to a bunch of young girls. It became a trap that was too easy to fall into¡­


    For if we want to change the world, then we''ve got to hold ourselves to that same standard, to prove that change is possible. Or as my mother always said, ''Lead by example, or they will not follow.''


    !JUSTICE!


    While an attractive, smart, and independent woman in her own right, Lois Lane was finding herself having a tough time believing the same of Dr. Nami Mikan from the moment she sauntered into the room. And no, Lois did not miss how Smallsville''s gaze snapped to the woman''s oversized bust.


    It was not jealousy or disbelief that any woman could be both a brilliant scientist and attractive; the veteran reporter simply had a hard time believing that this vision of beauty spent any time doing hard work of any kind. Her waist-length fiery red hair shone with a healthy gleam that bespoke meticulous and time consuming care. While she wore a lab coat over everything, Lois found it hard to believe that someone supposedly working with chemicals and medical instruments would wear a very high skirt, and her very low and exposing frilled dark blouse was open nearly all the way, displaying her massive and obviously silicone cleavage. Does she even have a bra on!?


    Then she caught the woman''s eyes, and recognized them from her own reflection.


    No, Lois knew. She might be a fraud ¨Cwhat kind of self-respecting scientist would dress like that!?¡ª but she''s not just some vapid exhibitionist. Dr. Mikan gave her and Clark a quick once-over, but in a way that Lois knew was to judge their own reactions. Subtle calculations directed towards deciphering the reporters'' own intentions, and not in a cynical manner either. This was not a woman who dressed herself up for the sake of the men in her life, nor for their attention. She dressed as she wanted, because it was her body and she looked glorious like this.


    This is a woman who''s used to getting what she wants, and isn''t afraid to do whatever it takes to get it. For all that she dresses like that, I doubt she''s into casual romance. I''m still going to chew Clark up for staring at her chest however. Ugh, he''s still glued to it.


    !JUSTICE!


    Dr. Jonathan fiddled with his sleeve as he prepared to begin his rounds, looking forward to his newest shift. There were always patients to help at Central City Hospital, but things here were a lot calmer these days, without anything truly serious for a while.


    Then he was hauled off his feet and his surroundings blurred around him. Blinking he found himself suddenly in the emergency room, a pair of children stretched out before him, heavily burnt and¡ª a quick check confirmed they were not breathing.


    Leaping into action, the doctor raced to save them, assistants and medical instruments appearing around him in flashes of red.


    An eternity later, the exhausted medical doctor walked out of the room, finding a man in a full-body skintight red suit anxiously tapping his foot. "They''re going to be okay, Flash. You got them the help they needed just in time," he addressed Central City''s beloved hero.


    With a sigh of relief, the Flash, secretly Wally West, allowed himself to relax. While many called him the ''Fastest Man Alive,'' Dr. Jonathan had always privately referred to him as the ''Friendliest Man Alive,'' always looking out to help people, and connect with them. "There''s new treatments we''ve started by Cherry Blossom Medical that should keep them from getting any scars. But what happened to them?"


    "Big fire in an apartment complex," Flash explained, while an orderly diligently came up with a cart laden down with food. Brightening up a little, the speedster immediately began shovelling down food to appease his hyper metabolism. Continuing, "I think it was someone smoking indoors or something, and it got out of control." Wiping his face, Flash finished off the massive meal, and started towards the door with a determined stride.


    "The children''ll want to thank you when they come to," Jonathan called after him.


    "I''ll be back later, I''ve got to take care of something else first."


    "What?"


    Preparing for a massive run, the Flash shot a look back. "Putting smoke alarms in every household and apartment in the city, and checking the batteries of those that''re already there."


    "Wait!"


    Braking, Flash stumbled for a moment, before turning back to see the doctor and orderly pulling out their wallets. "The fire department will probably cover the expense, but here''s some to help pay for it all," Jonathan grimly yet sincerely offered.


    Seeing the speedster smile again was infectious for the whole hospital.


    !JUSTICE!


    Clark could not take his x-ray vision off Dr. Mikan''s b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    First of all, he had discovered that despite how oversized they were, particularly for someone whose waistline was so thin, they were ¨Csomehow¡ª indeed 100% natural.


    Second, like the rest of her body, they were still hiding stuff.


    Specifically, crammed between the massive pair was a baton made up of strange and unrecognizable technology, as well as an assortment of other objects.


    Moreover, while nowhere in the same class as Sanji Kuroashi, her seemingly flawless body concealed a coiled physique that would put a Navy SEAL to shame.


    While she might present herself as a beautiful scientist, this woman could doubtlessly run faster and hit harder than any non-Amazonian Human woman Clark had ever met. Instinctively he knew that this was the result of hard training, born from a desire to survive whatever the world could throw at her. What made such a woman feel the need to develop a body like that?


    I don''t want to leave either of these people alone with Lois, each of whom had discrete ear pieces hidden by their hair, but if we leave now, we might tip them off. Not to mention I''ll never be able to convince her to get out of here! Her courage, despite being so fragile, was one of the things he so loved about Lois. And while it was not a reckless, foolhardy courage, there was nothing he could use to justify why he thought she was in danger.


    These people are more than they seem, and they''re both fighters. How far would they go to protect their secrets?


    Clark glanced at Kuroashi and gave a gulp that was only half-faked. The man was evidently trying to set the reporter on fire with his eyes, visibly struggling to resist the urge to say something or attack. He''s jealous? But while he''s also treating Lois that way? Clark let a hint of contempt show in his eyes. Shameful.


    !JUSTICE!


    Shayera Hol, known to the people of Earth as Hawkgirl, gently laid the kitten into the arms of elderly woman. "Hopefully he''s learned not to climb trees anymore," she smiled. Then she gently spreading the feathered wings on her back to take off, making sure to not disturb the grateful senior with a gust of wind.


    While still vigilantly keeping an eye out as she performed a random patrol, Shayera took a moment to breath in the peace of this planet. A peace that her fellow Thangarians had not known for far too long. And it''ll stay that way! she vowed. These people will never have to grow up knowing threats like the Gordanians!


    That was why she was here after all. Why High Command had sent such a skilled lieutenant and former instructor in espionage to infiltrate this world with the mission of determining Earth''s weaknesses in case the Gordanians attacked them. When she had first arrived, so far away from the front lines of the seemingly endless war and its atrocities, she had been skeptical that the fighting would reach here. As time had passed, and particularly after joining with her fellow defenders and heroes to repel the Imperium Invasion, she had discovered many things that might attract the Gordanians and their depravity.


    Technology and people with powers to fuel their war machines. Innocents that the Gordanians would torture for the sheer joy of it.


    Yet as Hawkgirl, she was also finding a sense of peace that she had never known growing up on a world geared for a seemingly endless war. As a hero, she struck out with her Nth-mace to capture, not to kill. She worked to help the weak that the cold practicalities of warfare had often forced her to reluctantly overlook. With the Justice League she had found friends she could trust and depend on.


    Despite the lies she had to tell, it was her personal pride and pleasure to serve these people and protect them. Even better, as a member of the Justice League she was in the perfect position to do so. Either from the villains of this world, or from the Gordanians should they ever appear.


    !JUSTICE!


    Lois and Dr. Mikan ignored Clark who was following behind them for the tour, with Mr. Kuroashi picking up the rear. "How do you stand working with that guy?" Lois bit off, hoping to provoke a reaction. Plus, she was genuinely curious as to why this sharp-eyed woman endured all of that depraved attention. . . . She probably abuses it to get whatever she wants.


    "Sanji''s not so bad," Dr. Mikan lightly defended. So, on first name''s basis, Lois noted. "For all that he acts, he''s a gentleman to the core," the redhead continued. "Mostly. At the very least, a lady can always feel safe around him. Which is more than you can say about most men."


    The incredulously raised eyebrow Lois gave was ignored, and Dr. Mikan went on to explain her work and what her current projects were. While it did not seem rehearsed like Kuroashi''s commentary, it was still hard for the reporter to swallow, unless . . . "You use the treatments yourself, don''t you?" she asked.


    "You''re a smart one, aren''t you," winked Dr. Mikan, while holding up one flawless hand. "Otherwise I''d have a lot more scars and weathered skin. It''s really a miracle worker!"


    "Is that why you invented them?"


    "No," the scientist reassured her, before acting more serious. "There was a doctor a while back, everyone thought he was a quack for all of his experiments, but he genuinely wanted to heal all of the world''s illnesses." She gestured around. "He''s the inspiration for this place. The cosmetic applications were solely intended for mental health. For people to feel better about themselves."


    Mollified, Lois asked some more questions, but could not shake the feeling that she was missing something. Something big. Perhaps related to why Clark seemed edgier than usual . . .


    !JUSTICE!


    Later that afternoon


    "Well?" Batman bluntly asked once he sensed Superman behind him, the darkness of the Batcave enfolding around them.


    Unfazed at being detected despite his silent flight over to the Batcomputer, Clark had already removed his glasses and donned his superhero costume. He gave a small smile to his friend, the billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, but really the fearsome Batman. "And hello to you too."


    "Out with it, Clark," Batman snapped, noting the slight hints of concern in his frie¡ªteammate. Teammate was the word.


    "The entire building''s laced with lead," much like the Batcave for that matter, "so they''re definitely hiding something. Especially the top people there."


    He went on to give his report.


    Finally, "So what got you so interested in them that you sent me and Lois to look at them in the first place? Why haven''t you gone yourself? Is there something illegal or dangerous in the drugs and medicine they''re selling?"


    "Nothing so straightforward," his friend denied, except Clark could hear the slight touch of annoyance. "Their company is selling multiple ground breaking advances that cover the entire medical field. Experts have also confirmed that they are selling them at less than they could actually charge if they wanted too."


    He''s frustrated that he can''t figure it out, especially not on his own, Clark concluded. "And it really is ground breaking? Nothing sinister with the medicine itself?"


    "I have some in the cave myself." Which, from the posterchild of paranoia, was high praise indeed.


    Clark took a moment to think about it a little bit more. "Alright, and you got suspicious when Lex Luthor couldn''t make them knuckle under?"


    "Partially," the detective conceded, "but at first that was easy enough to explain. They are making enough money already that they might not feel tempted to be bought out. Also, there is little known about the CEO or Dr. Mikan for someone to dig up any dirt," Clark raised an eyebrow at this curious detail. The man known by some as The Detective had not found anything?


    "They have no known acquaintances to coerce, and the level of security they maintain would make them difficult to intimidate. So Luthor''s failings so far were understandable."


    "No details whatsoever?"


    "Nothing useful. Even ''Doctor'' Mikan''s credentials are faked, appearing only on record. No one from her supposed graduation remembers her." And a woman like that they certainly would have. The men at least. "However, that did not change the fact the work they are doing is beneficial."


    And his own father was a billionaire who wanted nothing more than to be a family man and a doctor, Clark knew. Then something finally clicked into place. "If what they''re hiding is nothing too serious, you''re wondering about the possibility of the League working with them. Working to help improve their medical innovations with our own technology, and distributing it to the places around the world that need it more." Then he scowled. "You sent Lois in because you wanted the CEO off-guard," Batman was unrepentant, "and you wanted my original and unbiased impressions of them, so I could get a feel for them, while you do your own quiet investigation."


    "More or less," the World''s Greatest Detective said with a touch of approval at the deduction his teammate had accomplished. "But yes," straight to business. "I wanted your assessment of them before Superman approached them. People trust you more."


    You wanted to help us develop a good relationship with them, to help so many more people, but you can''t just say it, can you Bruce? Clark ruefully thought. You''re paranoid as they come, but you''ve got a reason to be, with what we deal with. Yet despite it all, you wouldn''t be wearing that cowl if you didn''t believe in a better world. If you weren''t still capable of seeing the good in it.


    Then something else occurred to him. "But you didn''t know the CEO was a meta, did you? So then what was it that made you concerned enough to send me in as an investigator, and not Superman? Or with the rest of the League?"


    "Before I found out that they''re lying about who they are, Fox and the lawyers at Wayne Enterprises brought to my attention that there are discrepancies in their finances," Batman growled. "A lot of their profits go back into safe investments, including building up their own business more so they can produce more and make more money, with only a fraction of those profits going unaccounted for. But given how widespread and popular their products are, they are raking in a lot of cash, so that small fraction is still worth a lot. Money even I can''t trace."


    He pulled up a spreadsheet, and when Clark saw the total sum of profits, his eyebrows raised at the number of digits making up the total amount of money that was missing. "I see what you mean. So you''re worried the company is hiding something darker?"


    "Exactly. Alfred suggested it might be for some medical project they want to keep secret from their competitors," which meant that a small part of Bruce had also hoped that if he had brought it up, "but now we know they''re likely experimenting on manufacturing meta-humans!"


    !JUSTICE!


    J''onn J''onzz, the last surviving Martian and now the Martian Manhunter of the Justice League strode along the monitor room of the Watchtower, the Justice League''s headquarters orbiting the Earth.


    It is a fine team we''ve assembled, and we''ve already accomplished so much together.


    Some days they seemed to just spend their time up to their necks in pointless violence, dealing with those consumed by greed, violence, or both. Yet J''onn swore to never falter in protecting his newfound home from devastation. Never again.


    Moreover, there were so many wonders to discover, like the mission they had just finished where they had discovered an invisible and technologically advanced city run by intelligent gorillas. Despite the danger they had faced ¨Cor the beating J''onn had endured by the misguided locals¡ªthat had been a fascinating experience, and the celebrations once the city had been saved had been very pleasant.


    No, J''onn was proud to be a defender of humanity and all other inhabitants of Earth, and had been ever since they had first all assembled at his telepathic summons a little over a year ago.


    Superman. The alien with the powers of a god, but at heart remained a farm boy from Kansas, ready to do anything for the world he loved.


    Batman. The man who had turned his pain and grief into a fire that had forged him to the peak of human ability, dedicated to ensuring that no one else would die on his watch.


    Hawkgirl. The winged police officer who had been transported to Earth against her will. While she might tend to resort to hitting first and asking questions later (or leaving it to Batman to do the latter), she was relentless and uncompromising in her defence of the innocent.


    Wonder Woman. The privileged princess who had refused to abandon the rest of humanity in its hour of need.


    The Flash. The speedster who appeared to be an immature goofball, until you saw the purity that had led him to use his powers for the sake of others.


    Green Lantern. The space cop, armed with what was regarded as the most powerful weapon in the universe. Unflinching in his resolve to uphold the law, even at personal cost.


    The sun peeked over the horizon as the Earth continued to revolve, and J''onn smiled at the sight. Today is a good day.


    !JUSTICE!


    Clark made his way through a few more of Bruce''s investigative reports, finding the information fascinating, while searching for a less sinister motive for what appeared to be such a charitable company. "It''s not like making meta-humans is specifically illegal," he reasoned. "It''s more a matter of human rights, and Kuroashi and Mikan could have gotten theirs some other way."


    "If they''re working in secret, it''s probably not for any reason we''ll appreciate," Bruce snapped. "And they''re people with super-powers delving into human biology. We''ve got to confirm what they''re up to, or else we might find ourselves dealing with all manner of trouble. Crime bosses trying to buy powers, or some overzealous military general wanting to ''make America strong again'' or something worse."


    Looking through the list of the company''s products and their benefits, Clark paused as something occurred to him. "If they''re making multiple advances throughout the entire medical field, where are they getting this sort of knowledge? Is it actual research, or are they getting it from another source? Although, if it was that, they wouldn''t want to advertise it with huge, public company like they''re doing."


    With a sour grunt, Batman addressed those issues. "Yes, and they''re particularly making progress in terms of surgery, pharmacology, vaccinations, and salves that cure regular injuries at a staggering rate. Even cosmetics that make scars fade away. If they''re doing research, it would be incredibly expensive to cover such a diverse range, so it must be multiple large projects, and they need lots of funding, except off the books. Or they found some source of knowledge from an advanced alien race or something," while Clark had initially been confident the two he had seen were human, suddenly he was not so sure, "and just got greedy."


    "No, they still wouldn''t want to advertise what they''ve got if they have an ulterior motive," Clark argued. "If it''s some medical databank or something, it''s possible they''re just using it to enhance themselves, and they need the money to uncover more secrets."


    In their world, an uncovered alien database was far from an unreasonable theory.


    "And none of this explains why they are selling for such a reduced cost. If it was pure research, they could''ve approached any number of backers, including Lex. Instead, they''re keeping it to themselves while still working to help people. Why?"


    "That''s what I''m going to find out tonight," Bruce growled as he pulled the cowl over his face. "I''m going to their headquarters to get some answers."


    "Not without back-up you''re not," Superman declared, stepping in his friend''s way.


    "The building is lead lined. You''ll be a worthless spy."


    "Humor me. Besides, if they really are a threat to the people they claim to be helping, I want to be the one to punch Mr. Kuroashi after the way he treated Lois."


    Batman just grunted, but Clark interpreted it as agreement. Neither of them said anything of how they both knew it would be necessary for the Dark Knight to have some more muscle around if the people protecting the building were more than he could handle.


    !JUSTICE!


    Getting past the first layer of security had been harder than it should have been for a mere corporate building. Obviously someone''s personally gone around covering up whatever holes in the system they can find, Batman''s practiced eye assessed. It''s like breaking into LexCorp. And just like with Luthor''s company, it was critical he went unseen. Besides, if these people were actually on the level, there was no need to breed mistrust between them.


    Batman made his way inside. Dodging guards, and hacking door codes, he made it to the main lab. It was suspiciously clean of anything incriminating, which was unsurprising. In Batman''s experience, even the legitimate scientists had little, harmless things they kept quiet. Here, there was nothing to show it had ever really been used. Just props so it looked like this was the place where the medical magic happened.


    Doubling back, he slipped into the security room to study where the cameras were and were not focused on. Wherever they were hiding their secrets, the CEO and Dr. Mikan would want a location that surveillance would pick up someone approaching the entrance. At the same time, they would want their real lab placed in a blindspot where no one would see anything incriminating.


    After he had determined where that was, it was the work of a moment to cause a momentary ''technical problem'' to the relevant cameras. He slipped by them, and found the concealed elevator to take a ride down. After of course he disabled the alarm that would notify whomever was below that there was an unexpected arrival.


    The next levels of security, getting into the sealed off bas.e.m.e.nt, were far, far harder. Whoever had done so was obviously the careful sort with the level of steps taken ¨Cthe kind that made others call Batman ''paranoid'' when he did it, even though it was so obvious that people were out to get him¡ª to keep people out. Going right through the door was too risky, and he was wary about the other alarms on the door, as if a secondary access code was needed to get out, and this one was too secure to readily hotwire.


    Still, this was the Dark Knight they were dealing with.


    Slipping out of the roof hatch, his miniature laser quickly burned a hole through the wall above the elevator, discreetly avoiding the alarms there. A little cosmetic work while sealing it back up, and only a close inspection would reveal what had happened. Then he cut and dug his way through the wall and dirt to the side of the elevator shaft until he found the ventilation system. An independent system right within their inner compound, ''safely'' behind all of the other defenses, so they didn''t see any point in putting security in here, he mentally chastised as one professional to another. The Batcave was far more secure.


    Looking through the air vents, he determined that what appeared to be the real main lab was empty. Soundlessly, he dropped down to investigate.


    He took in the large room that was decidedly not on the blueprints, the reinforced ceiling, and all of the expensive equipment, and smirked.


    I could arrest them all just for illegal construction.


    !JUSTICE!


    "So how''re they really doing," asked a concerned Flash, back in Central City Hospital, gesturing towards the room where the two kids from yesterday were sleeping after a visit from their rescuer.


    "They''ll be fine," she assured him. "They''re responding well, and that new medicine is already taking care of the scars. With a little luck, they''ll never even know they had them."


    "Alright! Great! Thanks!" and with a skip to his feet, he started off down the hallway.


    "Oh, and Flash!" the nurse called after him.


    "Yeah?" he said, shooting the pretty lady a bright smile.


    "Thanks for the smoke detector."


    !JUSTICE!


    Strange, Batman thought as he looked over the current project in what appeared to be the real medical lab for this place.


    It appeared to be a variant of the company''s medical compounds to stop internal bleeding while promoting recovery, except that according to the notes it appeared to be a far stronger version. In fact, the amount of trauma needed to require something like this would kill a normal man twenty times over. For super-soldiers maybe? But then he turned to what was truly perplexing about the lab setup: whomever it was for, they were too small.


    Table and chair height, location of the various instruments, etcetera. Batman had trouble believing that whoever was creating all of these ground-breaking medical discoveries was taller than his knee. Still, in this world that isn''t that unusual. And it does confirm that ''Doctor'' Mikan is not the one behind all of this.


    Quietly he took out a miniature camera from his utility belt to copy everythi¡ª


    His shoulder cracked as he flew into the far wall, his other arm clutching his screaming ribs.


    "I don''t remember giving you an invitation," someone politely noted.


    Batman forced his head up to see the CEO lowering his leg, having evidently kicked him all the way over. "Mr. Sanji Kuroashi," he grunted, stalling for time. Too strong, and I never heard him coming. That fast, or that stealthy?


    "I prefer Black Foot Sanji," the man corrected, casually making his way over.


    From another room, three more figures emerged: Dr. Mikan, still in what was evidently her costume, and a long-nosed young man with thick, curly hair. The third newcomer was clearly a meta, alien, or engineered animal. A head taller than Batman, a squat body, a wide head and no neck, giving the overall impression of looking like a pill. There were small antlers on its head, and hooves on its short but clearly muscular arms and legs, giving a clear impression that the strange creature meant business. Yet all of them clearly deferred to ''Black Foot Sanji,'' who continued to advance and talk. "Mind telling us what you''re doing here?"


    "I wanted to see if this place was too good to be true," Batman growled. "Guess it is."


    Shrugging, Black Foot pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a lighter. "Sorry, but yeah, we''re not just a medical facility."


    "So I figured. Nice skull and crossbones," and Batman gestured with his chin at the wall visible through the doorway behind the newcomers, ignoring the screams of pain his body was sending him.


    "It''s a copy of our Jolly Roger!" the furry one yelled indignantly. "Our Pirate Flag! We''re the Straw Hat Pirates, and you''d better not have messed with my work!"


    "Pirates, you say?" Batman said conversationally, his fingers having finished inching towards a certain device on his belt. Still, if they were willing to be so talkative, and thought him helpless . . . "I must say, I''m impressed, I would not have expected such brilliant work from pirates. Which one of you is the one actually responsible for your medical work?"


    "Oh!" cried the animal-like one, wiggling its body in some sort of dance while visibly blushing beneath its (male? His?) thick fur. "Don''t think I''ll forgive you for breaking in here if you call me brilliant! Idiot! Loser!"


    "Uhm, we really don''t want him breaking in here," the long-nosed one deadpanned, while the other two gave small sighs of exasperation. Catching the steely looks on the faces of ''Dr. Mikan'' and Black Foot, Batman decided they were too clever for him to risk stalling any longer.


    !JUSTICE!


    Carefully Superman swept his enhanced senses over the building, looking for the slightest change.


    As frustrating as it was, he knew that Bruce was right that he should go in alone, given the precautions these people had taken against Clark''s powers. Fortunately, his friend had agreed to take a distress beacon that would send a high-pitch alert through even all that metal. Or a "call for assistance if evidence is in danger of being destroyed while I handle business," as the man had insisted. He''s really loosening up, the Man of Steel smiled. Guess this League is working after all.


    Suddenly a familiar sharp sound hit his sensitive ears, and faster than a bullet he was tearing down through the ground towards the source.


    !JUSTICE!


    Even as Superman finished smashing his way inside the underground lab, he never took his eyes off the enemy. How they maintained their cool as the debris came hammering at them, casually avoiding it or knocking it aside. Even when they recognized who had come, and everyone but the CEO seemed nervous, they maintained their determined posture; ready to fight if necessary.


    Mikan pulled out an object from between her b.r.e.a.s.ts that expanded into a staff, the long-nosed one took a strange slingshot out of his shoulder-bag, and the furry one took up what resembled a martial arts stance. Kuroashi appeared completely disinterested, but Superman knew he was a coiled spring ready to strike.


    Sparing a quick glance at Batman to be sure he was okay, Superman turned to look at the others. "Surrender now, this doesn''t have to go any further," his voice and gaze confident and sure as he stared them down. Making it clear that while he was not going to kill them, if they wanted a fight before they were hauled off to jail, they would regret it.


    Not a lick of doubt on what the final outcome would be.


    Kuroashi seemed to be thinking the exact same thing, except that he would be the one victorious. The others never flinched, and Batman knew that they were not going to back down.


    "Sorry," Dr. Mikan smiled, despite the beads of sweat on her forehead, "can''t do that."


    "Still, we don''t have to fight him today, and the rest of the League might be on its way," the long-nosed one warned. "Chopper, you don''t really need any of those notes, do you?"


    "No," the furry one agreed, sounding a little confused.


    "I''m more worried about where we''re standing," Dr. Mikan added, as the dust specks from the ceiling kept falling down in front of them. "He took out a support beam or two," in Superman''s rush to respond to the emergency distress call, and his inability to examine the lead-lined walls in detail as he tunneled in. "So this whole place might collapse if we stay."


    "Alright then," and the young man shot at Superman with his slingshot.


    Not taking any chances, and familiar with the nasty surprises Batman packed into his baterangs, Superman dodged it, but the projectile exploded mid-air, covering the room in grey smoke.


    Playing it cautious, Superman quickly made his way to Batman who ¨Con the same wave-length¡ª popped open one of belt pouches for Superman to pull out two miniature breathers. They barely managed to slip them on before the weird cloud could get into their lungs.


    Throughout this, Batman dimly made out the sounds of people running away, while Superman advanced through the smoke. However, a few minute later the Man of Steel walked back to him. Answering the unspoken question, "Lead lined smoke, and too many possible exits they could''ve taken. Besides, your health is more important if they''re only running away."


    Hmm, even I and Luthor haven''t managed something like that, Batman pondered. "You should''ve still gone after them!" he snapped. "Use your super-hearing and find them!"


    "No, there''s also too many echoes in all the tunnels. Plus, they''re moving too fast and they''re right, this whole place is unstable." Gently Superman picked up his friend and flew off.


    "We''ll get them next time," Superman said as he slipped out of the underground base. He knew that Batman was upset because of how severely he had underestimated their quarry. "I''ll come back after we''ve gotten you patched up at the Batcave."


    Flying quietly but quickly, they were nearly back at Gotham City when Superman finally voiced what had been bothering them both. "They didn''t really retreat because they were afraid of fighting us, only because they thought it unnecessary."


    ". . . Yes," Batman confessed, voicing his own concerns. "Except for Black Foot, I think he did it because he decided there was too much risk of the building coming down on his associates, who are apparently weaker than him. If not for that situation however, they were sure they''d still be able to win."


    The Dark Knight took a deep yet decisive breath. "This isn''t over."


    "Did they tell you anything useful?"


    "Apparently they''re called the Straw Hat Pirates . . . "


    !JUSTICE!


    Author Notes:


    In regards to Sanji vs. Superman, it was at least a fight the former thought he could win. He is not one to back down from a fight after all, but he is also more willing to run away to fight another day than Luffy or Zoro.


    .


    To head off any questions, this will be firmly set in the DCAU universe; that is, the animated version of the Justice League. I have done this in no small part because it greatly simplifies the existing threats, the cast, and a thousand other details. Some parts of the comics will leak through however, like the part about the Flash and the fire is inspired from an arc on the failures that the heroes have to bear during the job. In that case, there was a smoke alarm, but the batteries had died and the kids did not survive :-(


    -0-


    Next Chapter: "The Pirates," where their perspective is examined.

 Chapter 131 - My SI Stash #31 - The Conquering of Runeterra by Cambrian (League Of Legends)

    -A NSFW SI League Of Legends fic


    *A gamer(not the system just the- you know irl gamer) sent to Runeterra with runes as his powers. Also, there are Humanized Yordles~


    *Type the link in word by word, make a QQ account, verify your email and log in, done.


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 66K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/the-conquering-of-runeterra-league-of-legends.8367/ (Cambrian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    A/N: Someone finally had me write for League, lol. This is going to be a multi-chapter commission covering many of the female Champions from LoL. Themes will be focused on humiliation, mind break, and Master/Slave, so just be warned!


    Here we go~


    -x-X-x-


    Its as if his world is a bright, blinding light. There''s nothing else¡­ until quite suddenly, there is. Jason''s eyes go wide as he sits up and takes a deep breath, like it''s the first time he''s ever done so. He finds himself sitting under the shade of a large tree, with glimpses of sunlight slipping down through the branches to cover both him and the ground in spots of the stuff.


    The last thing he remembered was sitting at his computer, playing League of Legends. He''d just eaten a very late-night snack, the only dinner he''d had really, even if it had been at around ten o''clock at night. Jason had been preparing to settle down for another marathon session of the world''s most well-known MOBA, intending to play for several hours more. It wasn''t that he was a neckbeard or anything like that, he just didn''t have work tomorrow, so he was splurging and enjoying himself doing so.


    Still, his memory is somewhat fuzzy, like he''s missing something. But then, of course he is. He HAS to be missing something, to have gone from there to here. Where even IS here? He''s in a forest of some sort, right? As he takes stock of his surroundings, a glint from his arm catches Jason''s eye, and the young man lets out an exclamation as he finds glowing symbols covering his skin. No, not just symbols¡­ runes.


    He''d recognize them anywhere, having put thousands upon thousands of hours into League. These are most definitely the runes from the game, runes he''d stared at on a computer screen for so many years. Placing one hand over one of the runes on his arm, Jason blinks as the glow goes right through his hand. Slowly, Jason stands up. Slowly, he actually takes the time to look around a bit more. It doesn''t take him long to locate the dirt path to his right¡­ nor to see the towers upon it, facing off across from one another with a couple hundred feet between them.


    Jason gapes. It can''t be real. How can that be real? Those¡­ those are the towers from the game, undoubtedly. Those are the turrets that have long been one of the core components of League of Legends. Except¡­ neither are alive. They''re dark, dead, depleted. The blue and red glow that marked them as enemies, that placed them on opposite sides¡­ its strangely absent. Ominous.


    Swallowing thickly, Jason looks down at the runes on his skin again. Those aren''t absent, nor are they ''depleted''. What does it mean? Is this¡­ some kind of prank? One big practical joke? While Jason wouldn''t put it past any of his League friends to try to pull something like this if they had the resources, the sad fact was, none of them DID. They were all just as poor, just as ''barely getting by'' as he was. So yeah, the likelihood of this being one massive prank was extremely low.


    On top of that¡­ there was something calling to him. Slowly, Jason''s head turns away from the towers, all the way around until he''s looking to his right. The forest, or the jungle, or whatever one might have called it¡­ something is calling to him out of the underbrush. It looks much more foreboding and terrifying then it did on a computer screen, but Jason can''t help but take a step deeper into the foliage anyways, moving away from the darkened towers and the main dirt path that would have taken him to one of the team''s bases, and deeper into the forest. Or jungle. He still wasn''t sure what.


    Of course, glowing runes on one''s skin don''t do much to light the way when one is walking through a very dark patch of plant-life. It helped a little bit, stopping him from running into trees, but it didn''t stop him from basically stumbling along in dazed confusion as he tripped over root after root, pushing through underbrush and tall grass that was a lot denser and a lot more resistant to his efforts than he remembered it being in the actual game.


    None of his extensive knowledge of League''s ''jungle'' was helping Jason here, but then it was a lot to expect a top down memory of an area to translate into actually BEING in the area in real time. On top of that, even when he thought he did recognize a landmark, there was barely anything left of it, the groves that had once held monsters and beasts and golems completely overgrown with foliage instead, long abandoned.


    Where was he? And if he was where he thought he was, HOW was he here? What was with the runes on his arm? Before Jason can contemplate his situation further, or find answers of any sort, something hits the young man in the back of the head, and he goes down like a sack of potatoes, knocked unconscious by the blow in an instant. Finding out the truth of these things would have to wait until he woke up again. If he woke up again.


    -x-X-x-


    Luckily, he does. Even more luckily, this time Jason finds himself waking up to a roof over his head, even if the house, illuminated solely by candlelight, is completely unfamiliar to him. A glance to his left shows him the wooden walls of a cottage, as well as a flickering candle of glowing blue light. That''s not normal at all, but then nothing about his experience so far has been, now has it?


    Turning his head to his right, Jason finds himself staring into the eyes of a girl who is less than an inch away. So of course, he does the sensible thing and screams.


    "AHHH!!!"


    This in turn causes the girl to leap back and scream as well.


    "AHHH!!!"


    They both scream for what feels like an eternity, but is only a few seconds, until each realizes that the other really isn''t doing anything but being frightened in return. Slowly, the two calm down, Jason flushed with embarrassment at his reaction and the girl fidgeting under his gaze. But then, its hard not to look at her. With her purple skin and the way she''s dressed, he can almost put a name to her. She looks just like-


    "H-Hello. Sorry for startling you. Um, I found you out in the jungle¡­ I''m Lulu."


    Wait, what. Jason does a double take, and another up-down glance over of the girl. Its rude, sure, but he can''t help his surprise, even if she blushes a bit under his gaze. She''s definitely purple-skinned, and definitely wearing the familiar hat and outfit that he remembers. On top of that, she even has the gnarled staff in hand that the League Champion uses to cast her spells.


    That''s where the similarities end though. This is not a Yordle, at least not as Jason remembers them. This Lulu is not three feet tall, though as Jason looks at her, he does realize she''s shorter than most human girls would be. Probably only around five feet or so¡­ but then, she''s ALL woman when it comes to her curves. With a bust and h.i.p.s and an ass torn straight from the measurements of the main girl of most harem anime, this Lulu was positively fine¡­ even if she seemed absurdly shy about her beauty, or at least at the prospect of him staring at her.


    Finally realizing just how long he''s been staring, Jason swallows and licks his lips before speaking.


    "U-Uh, sorry¡­ it''s just¡­ are you the one they call the Fae Sorceress?"


    Lulu brightens up at that, a smile taking over for the indecisive frown as she nods happily.


    "Yes! That''s me! You''ve heard of me?"


    Jason chuckles and rubs a hand through the back of his head, only to hiss at the bump he feels there. Something had hit him HARD when it''d knocked him out. Slowly sitting up, the young man nods as he stares at the physical embodiment of one of the fictional characters from the game he''d spent so many years of his life playing. Even if she wasn''t exactly how he remembered her, it was still quite the trip to see her in the flesh, standing only a few feet away from him.


    Though, her appearance did bring to mind one question.


    "I don''t mean to offend, but I''m curious¡­ are you uh, of standard appearance for a Yordle?"


    Blinking in confusion, Lulu frowns again, furrowing her brow as she clutches at her gnarled staff a little more tightly. She''s almost holding the thing right between her b.o.o.b.s with how she has it pressed against her front, as if it''ll help her ward him off should he prove to be a bad guy. But then, Jason knows exactly what Lulu is capable of doing with that gnarled wood in her hands. She very likely could ward him off with it if he tried anything. She wasn''t nearly as helpless as she appeared.


    "Well¡­ yes. Though I do try to do my own thing, you know?"


    Huh, so there was confirmation of that little idea. Yordles were more humanoid than gnomish in this world. Cool. With that factoid figured out, Jason licks his lips and asks the next obvious question.


    "We''re on Runeterra, aren''t we?"


    Here, Lulu visibly droops.


    "Y-Yes¡­ I''d been afraid of this."


    Its Jason''s turn to blink in confusion.


    "Afraid? Afraid of what?"


    Sitting down in a nearby chair, Lulu looks him in the eye, even as she continues to clutch at her staff.


    "You''re not from around here, are you? I can just tell¡­ you''re not from Runeterra."


    Huh, she was a smart cookie then. He''d kind of already known that, but to have her prove it was nice.


    "Well¡­ no, I''m not from Runeterra. Is that a bad thing?"


    It might be. She didn''t seem hostile yet, just distraught and despondent, but if she became aggressive, Jason wasn''t sure what he would have to do to stop her from hurting him. Luckily, he doesn''t have to find out, as Lulu doesn''t get angry at his confirmation, just sadder.


    "Yes, stranger. Yes, it is. Because, out of all the places you could come to, Runeterra is the worst."


    Jason opens his mouth to ask exactly what she means by that, but before he can do so, his stomach suddenly growls, cutting right through the tension building in the room and leaving them both staring down at it as if to ask ''really?''. After a moment though, Lulu giggles and then hops to her feet!


    "R-Right! What sort of hostess am I being? You MUST be hungry! I was gonna do dinner when I got home from collecting herbs anyways, so let''s eat!"


    What follows is rather fast food prep, Jason sort of just watching as Lulu hurried around her cottage''s small kitchen, using her magic here and there to help her prepare their meals. Its only further proof that he''s not in some kind of mad prank show or something like that. Its too real, too impossible to be faked. Lulu is the Fae Sorceress, and she''s very much capable of casting magical spells with that staff of hers.


    When the buxom young woman sets their meals down at her little wood table, Jason finally rises from his bed and moves to sit with her, easing himself into the chair, even as the throbbing in the back of his head slowly recedes, fading faster than he was expecting. Not that he was complaining about that by any stretch of the imagination. Yay for less pain and all that rot.


    Still, Jason was too curious to let the elephant in the room lie. As they both dig in, he speaks up between bites.


    "What happened, Lulu? Why is Runeterra ''the worst'' place for someone like me to come to?"


    Lulu''s ears, pointy and protruding from her large hat, droop a little, even as she pokes at her own food for a moment before responding.


    "W-Well¡­ I don''t know how much you know about this place. But we used to have a League, of sorts. And then¡­ it closed. And it was really important, for all of us here on Runeterra. Without it, everyone is at each other''s throats, everyone is ready to go to war and kill thousands just to prove themselves better. Before, we had Champions. Now, we just have¡­ darkness. Most of us are afraid to leave our homes now."


    Jason considers this as he chews. He knew Runeterra was divided into countries and provinces and kingdoms and the like. While the game never really got into the specifics, there was a vast amount of lore just waiting for anyone who wanted to delve deeper. He''d done so more than once across the years, learning about places like Noxus and Demacia, Bilgewater and Ionia.


    It did lead him to wonder why exactly Lulu was out here in what appeared to be Summoner''s Rift, rather than Bandle City. Or¡­ well, there were rumors and claims that to get to the home of the yordles, one had to travel through unseen portals. Was it possible he''d done exactly that without realizing it while back in the jungle? Or, equally possible, had Lulu come FROM Bandle City and picked him up while foraging, as she said?


    Was he now in the Mythical Land of Curious Enchantment, surrounded by yordles? Well, if they were all as gorgeous as Lulu was like she''d insinuated by saying she wasn''t anything too different, then¡­ that wasn''t such a bad thing. Lost in his thoughts, Jason very nearly chokes on a bite of food, just managing to get it down without making too much of a scene. Of course, Lulu still notices, gasping as she once again stands up.


    "W-Water! I forgot the water!"


    The Fae Sorceress darts away from the table, and as she goes, she leaves her staff behind, leaned up against the wall. At the same time, Jason''s eyes end up following Lulu''s ass, her heart-shaped rump greatly appealing and quick to attract the eye. That''s when the world almost seems to freeze up, and he hears the voice for the first time.


    Take her.


    Wait, what? Even as the voice seems to both whisper and shout at the same time, Jason feels a strange strength filling his muscles, while at the same time, an innate NEED to f.u.c.k Lulu fills his mind.


    Take her and make her yours, or you will die.


    Die?! What the f.u.c.k was going on here?! As if to answer his unspoken question, the voice explains.


    You are an unnatural presence on this world. Your life is not your own and your energy is fading fast. You are little more than a parasite upon this reality. If you wish to survive, if you wish to continue your existence beyond the next few hours, you will have to force others to submit to your will. The female champions of Runeterra that you have l.u.s.ted after for so long will do nicely enough.


    Jason''s eyes are as wide as saucers¡­ and still affixed on Lulu''s behind as the short-stack reaches for the top shelf of her cupboard ever so slowly, pulling down two cups and showing off every inch of her stretched out body. Its then that Jason realizes time isn''t frozen or even slowed down, its merely his perception of time that''s been sped up.


    Mouth dry, Jason considers what the voice has said, even as it continues to whisper-shout into his thoughts.


    If you do as I say, you will have power beyond your wildest dreams. Is this truly that much of a hardship? All I suggest is that you submit to your own perverse desires. Is this not what you''ve fantasized about all your life?


    Swallowing thickly, Jason can''t deny that the voice is right. He was a perverted sort of individual, depraved and debauched. He didn''t shy away from that, but he also didn''t engage in any of the things he fantasized about, not in real life. To be fair though, he''d long felt that fictional females were just more attractive than real women. Whether that made him pathetic or not¡­ he didn''t care. He''d been happy with who he was as a person, even if he hadn''t been entirely happy with how his life had been going.


    The thing was, society and rules and the like had kept him civilized back in his old world. Basic human decency was the bedrock of civilization after all, and Jason had always understood that. You didn''t go around treating women like objects to be used and abused to your heart''s content. He''d known and accepted that, and ultimately kept his perverse desires towards fiction and fantasy alone.


    But what was he to do when the fiction and the fantasy became his reality? Here he was in a world that by all rights shouldn''t have existed, staring at the shapely backside of a gorgeous woman who by all rights should have been fictional, not real and alive and right in front of him. Sure, the original version of yordles from the actual game wouldn''t have been Jason''s first choice, but this s.e.xy humanized version of them was definitely hot and beautiful and¡­ well yeah, he did want to f.u.c.k Lulu. He wanted to f.u.c.k Lulu quite a bit.


    Then do it. Take her. Take what you want and make her your own.


    Slowly, Jason rises from the table as his perception of time regularizes and Lulu begins to ''speed up'' again before his eyes. He''s still halfway across the room before she can do much more than reach for her sink, and even as she goes to turn it on and fill up the cups with water for the both of them, Jason is grabbing hold of her, the strength flowing through his body leaving him capable of great feats as he drags Lulu away from the sink and spins her around, pinning her up against the nearby wall.


    "A-Ah! What are you d-doing?!"


    Jason just gives the blushing purple-skinned sorceress a wicked grin as he transfers her thin wrists to only one hand, using his other hand to slide up under her top, exploring her chest for a moment before just outright tearing her short dress-like top away. This leaves her in nothing but her hat and her black leggings, her tits bouncing free as Lulu gasps and screams for him to cease his depravations.


    "S-STOP IT!"


    Even as Jason begins to maul her b.r.e.a.s.ts, Lulu points her fingers at him and casts a familiar spell, proving she''s not completely helpless without her staff. But though the Glitterlance strikes him in the face, it merely glances off his cheek, turning Jason''s head ever so slightly to the side and not so much as leaving a mark as he turns his head back around and stares at her.


    Lulu can only stare back with wide-eyed fright, squirming helplessly but also completely ineffectually in his grip. Seeing her magic fail so utterly causes much of her resistance to crumble, but she doesn''t completely give up. Not until he stops kneading and groping her b.r.e.a.s.ts like a savage, and instead forces her down to her knees right there in her own home, pinning her against the wall and dragging his c.o.c.k out of the confines of his pants.


    As his raging erection slaps Lulu in the face, she gasps and then whines in abject disgust, turning her head to the side, revulsion and distaste evident on her face. If anything though, this only spurs Jason on further. Something inside him tells him he needs to make her see. He needs her to understand her new place in life¡­ her new place as HIS.


    With a growl, Jason smacks his meaty c.o.c.k across the humanized yordle''s purple face a few times, before ultimately pushing the head of his length down into her cleavage. He lets go of her wrists finally and gives Lulu a command.


    "Wrap your tits around them. Make me feel good, and I won''t hurt you."


    Trembling, Lulu looks up at his face and then down at his c.o.c.k and her b.r.e.a.s.ts. Her lower lip wobbles, and her eyes water with unshed tears. In the end though, she reaches up and does as she''s told, grabbing hold of her full bust and wrapping her purple tits around his length. Jason groans as he crouches a little to put himself at proper level for the humanized yordle to give him a proper titjob.


    Lulu turns her head to the side as his c.o.c.k begins to push up from the top of her cleavage, nearly smacking her in the chin again and again. Not liking this, Jason reaches out and squishes her hat down atop her skull, gripping Lulu''s head through the tall sorceress'' hat and forcing her to turn back around.


    "Open up."


    Her eyes are filled with fear as they flicker between him and his c.o.c.k again, but once more, she obeys. Her lips open and Jason starts to push his tip into her mouth each time it slides out from between her gorgeous, purple tits. Groaning, the young man thoroughly enjoys the experience, even as tears finally begin to streak down Lulu''s face, rolling across her cheeks.


    The humanized yordle sobs in abject humiliation and dejected submission, even as Jason has the time of his life making her into his plaything. He''s so strong right now, so powerful¡­ he can do anything, can''t he?


    No. You are only this powerful because I have taken pity on you and granted you this temporary boost of strength. Take her, Jason. Conquer the yordle and make her yours, before I rescind my offering.


    Jason freezes up for a moment as the voice fills his mind again, but as soon as he''s processed what it''s said, he''s taking action. With a growl, Jason forces Lulu up and down the first few inches of his c.o.c.k, his grip on her head leaving the beautiful humanized yordle to bob back and forth as she continues to use her own hands to wrap her tits along the lower half of his length.


    Soon enough, he''s c.u.m.m.i.n.g. He was already close, and the sense of urgency instilled upon him by the voice, as well as the pleasure that came from thrusting into Lulu''s tits and mouth, send Jason right over the edge. The young man groans, even as Lulu squeals in his grasp and around his c.o.c.khead, more than a fair amount of his seed ending up squirting straight down her throat before he lets go of her hat and head and she falls back, the rest of Jason''s load spraying all over her face and tits.


    For a moment, the two of them are left panting¡­ but as the young man recovers, he notices a change coming over Lulu. The pain, the tears, the revulsion, the disgust¡­ it all fades right before his eyes as the purple-skinned woman stares at his c.o.c.k in a new light, growing more and more flushed by the second, her breathing suddenly shallow. She''s not panting to catch her breath, not anymore. Jason knows this, because he''s long since gotten his own breathing under control.


    Reaching down, the young man grabs Lulu by her hair and drags her to her feet, once again pinning the short-stack up against the wall as she squirms in his grasp. The squirming is different now though, and she''s not even trying to get away. Does she realize that? Eager to confirm his suspicions, Jason shoves a hand down the front of Lulu''s black leggings, causing her to squeal and squirm all the harder as he cups her mound and grinds the heel of his palm into her clit and slit.


    "You''re wet, sorceress."


    Lulu freezes up at that accusation, meeting Jason''s gaze with a wide-eyed gaze of her own, before rapidly shaking her head back and forth in whimpering denial. Jason''s lips slowly curl into a wide, wicked grin as he nods in response, his fingers now running back and forth across Lulu''s dripping slit.


    "Oh yes you are. You''re wet, you needy little s.l.u.t. You filthy yordle whore. You made such a show of not wanting this, of hating it¡­ but at the end of the day, you LOVE it, don''t you?!"


    "N-No! I-aahh!!!"


    Jason viciously thrusts two fingers up into Lulu''s clenching cunt, cutting off her denial as he begins to roughly finger her right there on the spot.


    "Your upper lips might say no, but your lower lips say yes, yes, YES! Don''t try to deny it, bitch! Don''t try to deny that your true nature is that of a f.u.c.k.i.n.g c.o.c.ksleeve! You want this d.i.c.k inside of you, you want me to replace my fingers with a big, hard C.O.C.K!"


    Lulu whines and whimpers, biting her lower lip instead of trying to refute him again with words. Its clear she doesn''t trust herself to speak at this point, though she''s still shaking her head back and forth, trying to deny it. That doesn''t mean much though, especially not when she ends up c.u.m.m.i.n.g only moments later, a fresh flood of p.u.s.s.y juices exiting her cunt and spraying across his hand right as a fresh squeal of ecstasy leaves her throat.


    Jason just grins as he holds the short-stack up against the wall, the humanized yordle in turn panting heavily, once again left trying to catch her breath. Pulling his fingers out of her leggings, he brings the hand to her lips, smearing it across her cheeks and her face.


    "Open up and clean your mess off, s.l.u.t. Then we''ll continue."


    Despite the promise that he would continue to do depraved things to her if she obeyed, Lulu nevertheless opens up, blushing up a storm in a way that only a purple-skinned nonhuman can as she licks his fingers and his palm clean. There''s no way for her to NOT do so in a lewd, perverted manner, and by the time she''s done, Jason is more than ready for Round Three. Not that he ever actually went soft, what with all this power rushing through every inch of his body, but his erection is positively throbbing as he drags Lulu away from the wall, across the small cottage, and to the bed she''d put him up in just a little while before.


    Finding cloth to tie her up with takes a little bit more time, but once he has it, Jason wastes no time at all in binding Lulu in place. Her wrists get restrained to the bedposts, and her ankles get tied to her wrists. The humanized Fae Sorceress proves quite flexible indeed as he forces her to spread her legs in this manner, her lower holes completely and utterly exposed to his eyes¡­ well, if not for the black leggings in the way.


    Reaching down as he kneels on the bed before her bound form, Jason takes a certain sadistic glee in tearing a nice big hole in Lulu''s leggings, exposing her purple thighs and her gushing wet p.u.s.s.y lips to his gaze¡­ and more importantly, to his c.o.c.k. Stroking his member, the young man brings the tip of his length to Lulu''s entrance, rubbing it back and forth across her slit as she mewls pathetically. But then, there''s a reason he didn''t bother gagging the bitch.


    "Hear that, Lulu? Sounds like honesty to me. You want this, don''t you? Come on, give me a m.o.a.n¡­"


    Even as she continues to try to shake her head back and forth in the negative, a m.o.a.n is indeed drawn from her throat. She tries to clamp down on it, but Jason''s hand snaps out and he grabs hold of the humanized yordle''s jaw in a rather painful, rough way, forcing her to look at him as he continues to tease her entrance with the head of his big, fat d.i.c.k.


    She m.o.a.ns then, against her will, completely involuntarily, but she m.o.a.ns. And as she m.o.a.ns, Jason can see even more of her last bits of resistance crumbling before his eyes, her own eyes filled with not just despair and fear, but also pleasure and l.u.s.t and arousal. She wanted this, even if she wouldn''t likely admit it until he was done with her. Done with her¡­ Jason had a pretty good idea of what that meant. He had a pretty good idea of just what he needed to do to ''conquer Lulu'' and ''make her his''.


    So, he thrusts forward. He thrusts forward, and he ignores Lulu''s loud cry as he grips her face with one hand, her inner thigh with the other, and f.u.c.ks into Lulu''s tied, spread-eagled body with all his might. He pounds into her again and again and again He luxuriates in the almost-too-tight feel of her cunt, the way her inner walls cling to him and clench down around him, trying in vain to push him out or hold him in place or just to do anything that stops his relentless onslaught.


    But Lulu isn''t strong enough. At this stage, with Jason in the state he is, he doubts anyone would be. At the same time, the voice''s last words to him are still incredibly poignant. This was a one-off deal, more than likely. This power, this energy, this strength¡­ it wouldn''t last. He had to make Lulu his, he had to conquer her, or he might just fade from existence altogether.


    That thought spurs him on. He''s always been a selfish individual, at heart. But then, who wouldn''t be? Most humans, put in his situation, would do what it took to survive, right? Of course, at the end of the day it helped that he quite enjoyed doing this to survive. F.u.c.k.i.n.g Lulu against her will, raping her in her own home, tying her up to her own bed¡­ and slowly watching as she grew to love it more and more.


    Because that was the trick, wasn''t it? F.u.c.k.i.n.g her, making her c.u.m¡­ it seemed to slowly make her enjoy it. It would probably work the same way with any other female League Champion, and Jason''s mind is already whirling with the possibilities, even as he extracts orgasm after orgasm and climax after climax from Lulu''s poor, bound body. The purple skinned short-stack can do nothing but take it as she currently is, and the more he f.u.c.ks her and the more she c.u.ms, the less she WANTS to do but take it.


    Leaning forward, Jason sneers into Lulu''s flushed m.o.a.ning face, even as he transitions his grip on her jaw to one where he thrusts his fingers into her mouth, gagging her on his hand.


    "See? Told you that you were nothing but a s.l.u.t. Don''t worry though, bitch. You''ll be MY s.l.u.t from now on. Just give in. Give in and become my c.o.c.k-hungry c.u.m dump of a whore. Come on¡­ come ON!"


    Rather than try to deny it, Lulu''s eyes roll back in her head as her tongue writhes all over his fingers. At the same time, her p.u.s.s.y walls clench down HARD around his pistoning prick, harder than they ever have before. The purple-skinned short-stack experiences an explosive orgasm that milks Jason of his release, sending him right over the edge. His seed fills Lulu''s w.o.m.b this time, pumping her to the brim as he c.u.ms and c.u.ms and c.u.ms inside of her.


    Groaning, tilting his head back, Jason luxuriates in the feeling of seeding the humanized yordle. It just feels RIGHT, like its what he needed to do, like it''s all he ever wanted. Pumping his load into Lulu is pure and utter bliss, ecstasy and euphoria mixed together in their purest form. It takes him a while to come down from cloud nine, but once he does, Jason looks down to see a change has come over the Fae Sorceress. Both physically, and mentally.


    There''s a rune now, on her navel. It''s right above her drooling quim, placed atop her clit. Jason doesn''t have to really know any of the specifics to understand what it does and why it''s there, almost as if the knowledge is instinctive. Lulu is HIS now, and she''ll never be anything but. That''s more than obvious, given the f.u.c.k.i.e.d silly expression on her face, her eyes rolled up in her head and her tongue lolling out of her mouth even after he pulls his fingers from between her lips.


    Drawing his c.o.c.k out of the humanized yordle''s well-f.u.c.k.i.e.d, utterly creampied cunt, Jason suddenly feels immensely tired. He just barely manages to undo the bindings on her wrists and ankles, allowing Lulu to land back onto the bed in a more realistic and comfortable position, before he too slumps over beside her, falling into a deep, deep slumber.


    Just¡­ just needed a nap. Yeah, that was it.


    -x-X-x-


    Greetings, Jason. It is good to meet you face-to-face, so to speak.


    Eyes wide, Jason finds himself sitting in a warm, comfortable armchair. There''s a nice, roaring fire nearby, and Lulu¡­ Lulu is acting as his foot rest of all things, the freshly conquered yordle currently on her hands and knees, fingering herself and stifling her m.o.a.ns as his feet rest on her ass and lower back. Across from them is another armchair, and in it sits a figure dressed all in black, almost as if they aren''t really there, or if their presence is muted or obfuscated so Jason can''t truly see them.


    "Where¡­ where are we?"


    Your dreams. Its easier for me to contact you here, rather than in the waking world. Earlier was something special. Consider it a one-time thing. If we talk again, it will be here, while you sleep. Of course, now that dear Lulu is so thoroughly connected to you, she will be drawn into your dreams to service you however she can, so long as the two of you are sleeping at the same time.


    Wait, so this really was Lulu? Or at least, Lulu''s mind, pulled into his dreams? Damn, that was wild. And also, super cool. Jason can''t help smiling a little, even as he grinds the heel of one of his shoes into Lulu''s fat, purple butt. The short-stack m.o.a.ns in response, humping her fingers all the more roughly. For a moment, Jason is completely distracted¡­ but then the figure snaps his fingers and Lulu is gagged, her noises completely muffled as she chokes on the thick plastic phallus now inserted into her throat.


    Message received, Jason turns his attention back to the figure, asking the obvious.


    "Who are you? Why me?"


    You show intelligence in discerning the fact that those questions are tied closely together, Jason. I am your Guardian Angel, I suppose you could say. I am the one who gave you power and brought you here, to Runeterra. I am the one who is helping you fulfill your wildest dreams.


    Digesting that, Jason slowly nods. But even still¡­


    "Why though? Why bring me here?"


    Runeterra is dying. This world, this realm, is returning to dust. Its inhabitants cannot do anything to combat this, as it is a problem outside of their understanding of everything. What Runeterra needs is newer and stronger blood. It needs a new sort of magic and a new sort of thinking transfused into it. Hence, you.


    Jason sits, wide-eyed, taking that in, even as the figure continues.


    You are my Champion now, Jason. The runes that glow across your flesh are not the runes you were familiar with from your old world, even if they look similar. Your power is nigh-limitless¡­ but you will have to unlock most of it through doing what you did today, to Lulu.


    "¡­ You called me a parasite."


    Indeed. You are like a parasite to this realm, but you are a parasite it needs. I have made you into a source of extreme magical power, but you do not have the soul to sustain it.


    "Wait, what?! I don''t have a soul?!"


    There''s a pause, and then the figure seems to almost chuckle in response. Of course, he doesn''t actually laugh out loud, instead the idea of amus.e.m.e.nt is transmitted to Jason''s mind, as all of the ''speech'' so far has been.


    The journey from your old world to this one stripped you of it, I''m afraid. You are nothing but the sum collection of your memories and your desires now.


    For a moment, Jason contemplates that. Then, he very forcibly shoves it aside. If he honestly, truly thinks about what he''s just been told for too long, he''ll go insane. He knows this intrinsically, knows he''s just one long think away from breaking down and going mad. So instead, he focuses on something else, something less mind-breaking.


    "What¡­ what am I supposed to do then?"


    I would think that''s obvious, by now. By ensuring that powerful women, those you know as female Champions from your old world, are marked with the Slave''s Mark like dear Lulu now has on her navel, you will not only ensure that the magical power I''ve given you won''t kill you, you''ll also unlock access and control over more and more of it. This will give you new abilities, new power, new¡­ potential.


    That last word is followed by a vision. As ''potential'' rings through Jason''s mind, he''s treated to a hyper-realistic hallucination of him and pretty much every female champion he could think of. The lot of them were having a massive orgy, and for a second, Jason can smell the scent of sweat and arousal and s.e.x.u.a.l fluids, he can feel their skin pressed against his.


    But then it''s gone as quickly as it appears, and he''s back with the figure as it c.o.c.ks its head to the side, once again projecting amus.e.m.e.nt.


    I have but one command for you, Jason. Be fruitful and multiply. Spread across this world, sow your seed where ever you go. Conquer Runeterra¡­ to save Runeterra. And most of all? Have fun doing it.


    The dream ends then, and Jason finds himself abruptly waking up in Lulu''s bed, the humanized yordle in his arms still, slowly waking as well. Her eyes blink as she turns her gaze up towards him. For a moment, they just stare at each other. Her gaze is filled with adoration and devotion, a need to please him and a desire to do whatever he wanted her to do, to BE whatever he needed her to be.


    She was HIS now, and that was¡­ amazing. Grinning as he takes in every bit of Lulu''s gorgeous face, Jason slowly reaches up and laces his fingers through the purple-skinned sorceress'' hair. He grips tightly, and firmly guides her head down to his crotch. She goes quite willingly, not resisting even one bit as her tongue slips out from between her lips and traces up and down his c.o.c.k, returning life to it, blood flowing into his soft member and quickly hardening it up as Lulu enthusiastically and eagerly begins to suck him off.


    Once she has his hard c.o.c.k fully in her mouth and is bobbing up and down on his d.i.c.k fully of her own accord, Jason lets go of the s.l.u.tty yordle''s head and laces his fingers together behind his own, laying back and simply enjoying the blowjob for what it was, as well as his circ.u.mstances. There was of course the possibility that his ''Guardian Angel'' wasn''t completely on the up and up, of course. There was a DISTINCT possibility that some of that had been a lie.


    But at the same time, what other choice did Jason have? Was he going to rail against an unknown power and try to defy the being that held his life in its hands? To what end? So that he WOULDN''T get to engage in rough, dominating, enslaving s.e.x with all of the most gorgeous women in Runeterra? Hah! Fat chance!


    Sure, this might all be a trap, and there might be a bad end waiting for him at the end of all of this. Jason would meet that challenge, and any other challenges that arose, when they did so. For now¡­ he was going to enjoy himself by making THOROUGH use of his new pet. Reaching out again, Jason grabs hold of Lulu''s head once more, this time with both hands as he begins to thrust upwards into her throat at the same time that he forces her head down his c.o.c.k.


    "Gagkh! Gagkh! Gagkh!"


    Skull-f.u.c.k.i.n.g the humanized yordle as she in turn eagerly helps him along brings a nice, wide smile to Jason''s face. This? This was going to be fun.

 Chapter 132 - My SI Stash #32 - Magic and How to steal it by Bladedhc (World of Warcraft)

    -SI to World of Warcraft as Felendren the Banished. Of course a less crazy and more level headed Felendren is quite interesting~


    *If you find the author''s name familliar it''s probably because you''ve read some of his works like Becoming A Monster (A SI as Freeza''s cannon fodder), I do also recommend checking out the sequel of the DBZ fic~


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 64K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/magic-and-how-to-steal-it-wow-insert.9755/ (Bladedhc)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    I got a shit deal. When most people die in stories like this they find themselves in the body of someone important, some king or hero with all the skills and abilities they could ever need to make the world however they wanted.


    They would find their minds melded with a true prodigy of the arts of war and magic, using a combination of meta-knowledge and actual skill to pull themselves to the top, surrounded by beautiful, busty women who see to their every want and need.


    I really would have liked to be in the bodies of one of those guys.


    Yet here I am, nothing more than a magical crack-head ready to get murdered by passing early level adventurers.


    I could have been Arthas, I could have been Thrall, Kel-thuzad, or any number of interesting people, but I wasn''t.


    I was Felendren the banished, I was Rick the nerd. Together our minds make a somewhat more ambitious being.


    I currently sit atop the uppermost spire of Falthrien Acadamy, a beginners academy for magic among the elves.


    The academy itself was an odd group of floating magical buildings, they had no walls, as the weather around this place was artificially perfect for elves, and they all were topped with a curved red roof. The individual buildings were covered in pillows were the students would sit and listen to their instructors.


    Each of the buildings were patrolled by shoddily summoned mana wraiths I currently had under my control, weaker creatures summoned of mana and the raw energy of the twisting nether. I had dozens of them under my control, using stolen arcane silver from the old instructors here.


    Before we merged Felendren was the son of a magister, and a talented one at that, but like many children, he used his talents to avoid studying over actually becoming a powerful mage like he should have been.


    I would never understand how someone could be so lazy about making reality bend to your will. The first time Felendren had any sort of ambition or initiative had been when the Sunwell was destroyed by Arthas, and he was denied easy access to magic for the first time.


    Like any person denied the source of his addiction he sought ways to get his next fix, consuming all magic he could all at once, corrupting his form into the figure I am now, a hunched being of deathly pallor known to the rest of my kind as one of the wretched.


    I was considered a parasite on good Elven society, and they weren''t wrong about me, I would kill and steal to get ahead in life, to acquire magic for myself.


    The only difference was now I had goals aside from stabbing people for their mana.


    Now I would stab them for their mana and their knowledge of magic. Felendren was once a prodigy after all, and I was eager to see what he would be capable of with me in control.


    As an addicted madman, he murdered every experienced mage in a magical academy, and then made the magical help his own personal soldiers.


    With me, in his head, we might just raise some hell and get the knowledge to be something worth the fear of what was once our people.


    I had roughly forty mana wraiths and the ability to assault being minds with a spell known as mind-flay.


    I also had the knowledge to make more mana wraiths and where to go to get myself some more power.


    I got a bad deal, but as a being with infinite time to learn magic, and infinite ways to exploit my foreknowledge I think Ill be able to put myself ahead of the so-called heroes and kings of this world.


    It was time to f.u.c.k shit up.


    POV change (Well watcher Solonian)


    "What do you mean it isn''t there!" Solonian was a mage and elf of some power, a well watcher tasked to study ways to fix the destroyed Sunwell, the heart of his people.


    He had tasked a few aspiring adventurers with acquiring his lost items, His scroll of dark magic, his scrying orb, and his personal notes on scourge magic.


    He had left them in his hurry to tend to the madness Felendren had risen, corrupting the treants, stealing the mana wraiths and killing several of his instructors.


    "Well sir we checked the places your possessions were supposed to be and they weren''t there."


    "Well look harder you fools, no-one would steal th- wait." The Well watcher froze, thinking on all the madness that had taken place in the last hours, and of the one who caused it all.


    "Felendren!" "Ill stalk you to the ends of the earth for what you stole from me!"


    POV change (Felendren)


    I have no clue why any self-respecting mage would leave magical artifacts and knowledge about a forest filled with magical addicts, but I wasn''t complaining either. I remember the questline quite well, and that bastard Solonian just gave me all I needed to get started on improving upon my currently shitty magical talents.


    I took the wraiths from the academy and decided to bug out before they could send someone to kill me, at the very least they would have to do it in a harder place to find than a group of floating buildings.


    The only real issue in leaving was that the only way off the isle aside from swimming my way through was walking through the ruins of Silvermoon, a place filled with guards and magical addicts like me.


    Hopefully, leveling wasn''t actually a thing or the elementals I brought wouldn''t count for shit.


    Thought this would be interesting, what do you think?


    Chapter 2


    As I stumbled my ugly ass down the road I thought on how Felendren became one of the wretched.


    He had been as pretty and well formed as all elves where before the Sunwell was destroyed by the undead Scourge, Its arcane energies once flowed through all of the high-born.


    Like many of his people, Felendren was taught to absorb magic from his environment.


    Animals, weapons and even other people where all easy sources of mana to draw upon. Doing so sated the addiction, but it was a far weaker alternative to the great font of power that we once held.


    Many overdrew on the paltry substitute stealing magic was, warping their forms for a temporary stop to the hunger they felt. Felendren did not have the will nor the desire to hold himself back from taking all the energy he could, wracked with grief over his father and his mothers death, caused by the sudden disconnection to the font of energy his people once used to survive he fed on all he could, just to feel a shadow of ecstasy as he drew magic from his surroundings.


    I couldn''t really blame him for what he did, but I wasn''t happy about being the guy who had to deal with it. Taking control of the addiction wouldn''t help me anyway, my body was already f.u.c.k.i.e.d. My best option was finding a magical means of changing my body or taking someone else''s.


    My best bet was to go around taking peoples magical books, and parcing together a way to make a change while I learned from the stolen knowledge. I had Solonian''s book on necromantic scourge magic and his notes on how it was affecting the land. They would be a start in improving my abilities as a magic user.


    That said I had a plan based on stealing magic from all available sources, mages, warlocks, and necromancers everywhere now had to worry about me taking their shit. If I could I would also take the more esoteric kinds of magic available Blood magic, Void magic, hell I even wanted to take a try at Voodoo.


    Voodoo was actually my next objective, at least partially. The Amani trolls who have been raiding into my lands had several interesting forms of magic I wanted to study, Felendrens experience with lower teir magic told me it was different than most, but had some real oomph to it.


    I had my little war party stop in its place, A guard patrolling the entrance to the ruins of Silvermoon City was just ahead of me, He had noticed me, but the mana wraiths were out of sight, floating behind me as I stood at the top of a hill. The grin that crossed his face told me this would be a fight.


    I was worried about my prospects, to be honest, elven guards in the game were 5 levels over the max and stood as elite units. Only a raid tier max level player would be able to take them, I hoped level standards didn''t exist in real life as they did in the game, it would be awful to get slaughtered this early on in my quest for power.


    "Felendren the banished, I''ve heard about you, there''s a bounty of twenty silvers on your head to any guard who takes it. You''ve just earned me an easy meal."


    The guard charged forward, crossing the distance between us with Elven grace and supreme ease. I attacked with the only offensive spell Felendren ever bothered to learn, Mind Flay.


    A purple stream of energy emerged from my outstretched hand, hitting the guard in the face and slowing his approach, he screamed in pain before gritting his teeth and stomping forward. I was growing worried about his proximity before I remembered my minions.


    With a mental command 40 ghostly figures floated over the hill and to the guard, his eyes widened as several dozen clawed spectral hands brought him to the ground. They honestly weren''t very affective on their own, but they seemed a scary foe in a small horde.


    As the guard was screaming on the ground, Covered in blood and claw marks, I approached him and placed my hand over his head. His eyes widened and glowed, before he screamed as I pulled the magic from his form, draining every last drop of mana.


    It felt as if I could kill gods when I drew away, the power at my fingertips at that moment felt glorious before it mostly faded instantly. I wanted more.


    When I pulled away he was shivering and gasping, he would be like me soon, being drained of mana completely would force most elves into drawing far too much magic at once and being driven mad by it. I had the mana wraiths finish him off before I led them further into the ruins of the once great city.


    As we stepped into the gates I noticed several civilians scatter before my approach, hoping I wouldn''t kill them for their mana. I probably would have if I wasn''t looking to get through the city and into Eversong woods beyond before the guards brutally murdered me.


    Before me was the ruined remains of an elven city, once beautiful architecture lay in shattered ruins, within destroyed palaces I could see other wretched glaring at me as I strode past, they wanted my mana, but I wanted out.


    Several unstable Arcane guardians strode past me, under the wretched control they were able to hold off most guards from clearing out the city, they were great lumbering golems, golden stone floating together in the vague shape of a humanoid, powered by a crystal at its center.


    They seemed unable to tell I wasn''t with the local gangs and allowed me to pass them by. After a few minutes more of walking, I finally saw the gate into Eversong. A small section of the city near the gate remainder under Blood-Elven control guards patrolled in pairs along the street, somber civilians made sad attempts at selling things and offering services to eke out some small living.


    One desperate civilian even tried selling cheese to the guards from a makeshift stand. How far had we fallen?


    I counted at least twenty guards along the street, protecting the small holdout with double-sided blades and towering shields. My minions were unlikely to win such a battle, they were made to sweep the floors of an academy, not fight. A mana wraith could only move slightly faster than a brisk walk and could only strike lightly with the strength of a sad old man.


    The claws are surprisingly effective, but only in large numbers against a single target.


    Thankfully I only needed them to distract the guards, I could always make more in the future. With a gesture of my hands, they fell upon two of the guards, killing them before they could react properly. I quickly hid behind some barrels as the rest of the guards jumped in, killing them with single blows of the blades they carried. It was a slaughter.


    Which gave me the time to run past them and into the woods, where I would begin my magical journey.


    Chapter 3


    I rushed out of the gates, none of the guards noticed my passing. I witnessed the beauty of the Eversong woods for the first time. Golden rays of sunshine peeked through the treeline, illuminating flocks of peaceful dragonhawks, treants and more in a display of innocence and wonder that frankly would have made me want to hurl if I didn''t know all the darkness behind it.


    This place was artificially created to be the place of wonder it is, elven magic forced through standard forests that looked much more mundane than this, creating a golden land seemingly perpetually between spring and autumn. Behind me a massive golden and red city stood, divided by a great black scar cutting through the woods, filled with gibbering hordes of the undead, silently marching to put the final nail in the coffin of my once great people. They were matched by a small gathering of tired rangers, preventing them from reaching the ruins of the city.


    I could feel the death magic seeping into the land, corrupting the soil and trying to spread outward. The magic sought to perpetuate itself.


    I would be studying into that soon enough.


    With that happy thought in mind, I made my way down the road, careful to avoid any contact with patrolling guards. I didn''t have a horde of minions anymore, so fighting them seemed a poor decision. I began to travel towards the Troll owned territory in the woods. If I remembered correctly it was known as Tor''Watha.


    I would hide out there for a while, the trolls didn''t have strong enough presence to stop me, and the blood elves were stretched far too thin to wipe them out so soon after the crippling blow the Scourge dealt us. It had only been a few months after all.


    I snuck my way through bushes and trees, ducking past guards and rangers as they went about their business. I passed the base of the local rangers, the Farstriders, a few hours later. Troll territory was in my sight just as night fell over the woods and the crickets began chirping.


    I avoided a number of crazed treants along the way, man-sized trees walking upon cl.u.s.ters of roots, the only thing marking them as different from regular trees being the faces they had and the relatively small size of them. The tainted magic of the land turned them from helpful nature spirits to crazed predators seeking to destroy local wildlife.


    When I finally saw the odd huts and building unique to the trolls I knew I was in the right place. With their position confirmed I climbed my way up a nearby tree and kept an eye on the comings and goings, learning what little I could before falling asleep.


    With the waking world came the opportunity to investigate my recently aquired magical tome, a book on necromancy and how it worked. It seemed to have been taken from a necromancer of some power, probably one of the necromancers who attacked us among the Scourge.


    Reading through its complex rituals and formulas would have been an issue if Felendren didn''t already have a somewhat acceptable knowledge of the basics of magic. I still couldn''t really understand the more complex spells and rituals, but the basics seemed within the realm of possibility.


    The first spell I wanted to make an effort towards was deathbolt, a concentrated bolt of death magic sent by the user towards a foe, causing instant decay along the body. Its power would increase as I put more raw mana into it.


    After some time reading the necessary shaping of the magic I decided I knew enough to attempt it upon a nearby tree. The magic was difficult to shape in my hands, and I could feel my natural capacity towards the more natural arcane works of magic being shaded by dark.


    Even with new enthusiasm towards magic, it took hours of trying before I could form what seemed to be a proper bolt. It took another hour after that for me to make one that would last long enough to actually reach the tree, but when it did the effect was immediate. A black mark spread across the tree from where I struck it. It was working!


    With a new purpose, I stalked from the tree with a grace I hadn''t had as a human, before stalking towards the treants I put so much effort into avoiding earlier. They would prove good practice if nothing else.


    I made sure to find one separated from its fellows, there was no need to fight a horde of angry tree monsters. It was a smaller one, just out of its sapling stage. It screeched as the shadow flowed over it, melting its roots away.


    The creature screeched pitifully for a moment before I decided to throw another at it to speed the process. The creature silenced immediately. I grinned at my hand, sparking with dark magic.


    This was a good day. I was sure of it.


    I still wasn''t comfortable traveling without proper meatshields, and with my current mastery, it would be at least two weeks before I could raise even a bunny from death. It was time to gather up a few more Arcane wraiths, without the help of the tower I would need to use dark magic to summon them. The kind of magic that needs a proper sacrifice to generate the power to summon even a weak being from the twisting nether.


    I smiled as I readied my self for my first act of pseudo necromancy. I looked into the woods where the other treants resided, deciding they would do.


    I quickly snuck through the woods, finding a few treants cl.u.s.tered together, digging their roots into a dying dragon hawk. This was my moment. I quickly tossed a Deathbolt at the closest treant, making it howl as rot spread across its barky hide.


    The three others turned to me before charging with surprising speed. I was able to put two more bolts into the one I already wounded as I backed away, bringing it to the ground but not killing it.


    I managed to put several more into another before I ran from the remaining two, breaking my concentration and sprinting across the field. The things had surprising speed, but not enough to match a desperate elf.


    When I turned I quickly threw more bolts around, unfortunately fully killing one before the last reached me. It tried to strike at me, scoring a glancing hit before I stepped forward and drained the magic from it.


    My now bleeding shoulder throbbed at me, but I ignored it as I approached the first dying treant. I quickly conducted the ritual around the creature, drawing magic from its form and using it as a catalyst to pull at the home of the mana wraiths.


    Within a couple of moments the shadowed form of a mana wraith, tainted by dark magic appeared before me, its eyes glowing black against the purple and blue of its ghostly and vague form. I had to substitute dark magic and a sacrifce into the ritual to summon and controll the creature without arcane silver, but it worked well enough.


    I repeated the same process two more times, using the dragon hawk for one of them. I took three new minions with me further into the forest.


    I would have to summon quite a few for what I have in mind.

 Chapter 133 - My SI Stash #33 - Technomage by Delkatar (DCUXWorm)

    -Now this is just a SI-ception. A SI in DCU that got SI to Worm~ Recently revived fic, (was dead for 2 years!)


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 88K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/technomage-dc-worm-crossover-si.367786/#post-20045469 (Delkatar)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Prologue 1-6


    Part 1: A new beginning


    =TM=?


    May 27, 2014


    Location Classified


    Earth Bet


    "You promised to tell me the truth!" the blonde teen confined to a hospital bed pouted at me.


    "It''s a long story." I muttered.


    "So? It''s not like either of us is going out of here anytime soon. Unless they let me fix us?" she fluttered her eyelashes at the camera in the upper left corner of the room.


    "Nope. Making puppy eyes won''t help. No matter how good you''ve become at it." A pleasant woman''s voice came from speakers masterfully concealed in the walls. "Until we are sure you aren''t compromised neither of you is going to be doing anything funny."


    "You are no fun." Riley pouted. "Plweease?" Her lower lip trembled, giving her an adorable look that should be classified as a Master effect.


    "On the contrary, dear. I''m lots of fun. And the answer is still no." The woman on the screen chided gently.


    "What did I do to deserve this?" I whispered.


    "Don''t get me started. Besides, you promised me explanation too. So start. I have whole day."


    "Yeah. The joys of multitasking."


    "That''s on your head too." Came the smug response.


    "Enough mister!" Riley glared at me. "You promised!"


    "I know when I''m outnumbered."


    "Good." another woman''s voice sounded from the walls.


    "Ah. You too, dear. This is unfair." Really, what did I do to deserve this inquisition?!


    "Now, dear, don''t be cotrire and start talking." The second woman said in that deceptively sweet voice I''ve learned to be wary of.


    Smiling at the camera, I conjured a white flag and waved. "I surrender! Where do you want me to start?"


    "The fun parts!" that was Riley, naturally.


    "At the beginning!" two voices came simultanieously from the speakers.


    "You are clearly outvoted." I smirked at Riley who threw one of her pillows at me. "OK, the beginning. It wasn''t glamorous. At least from my point of view. Though I later learned that the fella who engineered the whole thing had a much more exciting time, the bastard."


    "Language!"


    "Yes, dear. Now where was I?"


    =TM=?


    02:50, December 9, 2015


    My apartment


    How it all began, you ask? Well I didn''t really know. Not at that time anyway. First, let me tell you my side of the story. It all began on what appeared to be a normal December''s night. Rather cool, with a lot of fog outside. I couldn''t see the other side of the street from my bedroom''s windows and that was less than fifteen meters away. At least there was no snow, yet.


    Why that''s important? Well, it was at the time. You see, the local government tended to be rather surprised by the snow. Every damn year and rather slow on the uptake with cleaning up the streets when nature inevitably surprised them. Before I got a flat near a metro station, sometimes during the winter it''s been impossible to reach work on the first couple of days after it started snowing. But, I''m starting to ramble. Don''t mind me, I got nostalgic for a moment. Where was I?


    Ah. I fell asleep early and awoke a bit after midnight. After surfing the net for a bit and checking for a MMO to try, I decided on DC Universe online. So I set it up to start downloading and went to take a shower and shave. Just ordinary stuff, you see.


    No, sweetie, no need to make such a face. As I said, it was a perfectly normal night as far as I knew. Yeah, go on. Giggle at my expense. I don''t know what I''d do if you weren''t so adorable, munchkin.


    Yes, the story. I shaved and was about to prepare for a hot shower, when my normal night became anything but. My first clue was tingling all over my skin. It was like static electricity, but not quite. I couldn''t explain it at the time. After all, it wasn''t like I had felt magic before. The hairs on my skin stood up and I felt a buzz in the back of my head.


    The next thing I knew I was falling through a formless void...


    =TM=?


    Time: It has no meaning here


    Location: Somewhere between the universes


    I screamed. It took me at least few minutes to figure out that I wasn''t about to go splat right now. It didn''t help much. Did I mention that I had fear of heights?


    It was cold, but at least there was no wind. No real air resistance either, though I figured that much later. Just the head rush of falling, of gravity pulling you down. It was both awesome and terrifying. The fact I expected to end as a stain on the ground once I reached the bottom wasn''t helping my mental state. My heart was hammering within my chest so fast I wondered if I was going to get a heart attack as a bonus. Before you know, becoming a pancake.


    I lost track of time and just tumbled through the void.


    What I remember from that journey... Even now I shudder. They say that if you stare at the abyss for long enough, it looks back. Curiously no one even whispers about what happens when you fall through it, and the beings there look at you. Being in that... place, it alters you on the fundamental level. Both body, but more importantly, Soul.


    You could say that the middle aged man who fell in the crack between dimensions back on my Earth and the one who appeared on that spaceship, they were radically different beings. Oh, mentally I was mostly the same. For the time being anyway. My mind was my own, so if I met someone I knew, they wouldn''t consider me a stranger after chatting for a bit.


    I know, it''s not a good comparison, especially with all the ways to mind-controll or inpersonate someone.


    I knew nothing of that at the time. That''s it, until I landed.


    The Void shifted. A light formed below me and I was rushing towards it at terminal velocity. I saw a portal, a rift in the Void. That was the source of the light, a clear circle cut into the nothingness, showing a dull, metal floor.


    "Oh. Fuuuu..."


    =TM=?


    03:33, December 9, 2015


    Unit 531


    High Orbit over Earth


    "Well, this is new. I must be dreaming. Yeah. The alternative..." Nonono. Nope. It''s not happening. ROBs, Space Bats and other such things, if they are real, must have no interest in little old me. None whatsoever. Nuh, uh.


    Its a dream. Right. A dream. Otherwise, I would be a stain on the floor right now. Right?


    I took a deep breath, trying to calm down my heart, which was doing its best to tear a hole in my chest and run away. At least I was dreaming. That was the logical explanation. A vivid, dream but dream nonetheless. People didn''t just fall through a suddenly appeared hole in their bathroom, straight through a formless Void that stares at you and then through a circle leading into a weirdly designed metal room! Not in the real world!


    I patted myself on the back. Bloody dream, it nearly gave me a heart attack! Ah, denial. Sometimes I wished it would have lasted longer...


    At least now that I was aware, I could have a bit of fun before awaking, right? I smiled and looked around. I was in a rather big room, made of orange tinted metal. There were some kind of consoles flashing alien symbols. So I imagined being on a space ship of some sort. Plus flying, or floating above the ground to be more precise. There was a door to the left, what you could imagine for a sci-fi setting. All glowing metal and it looked like that it folded in the walls.


    Hmm¡­ It was familiar. Ah, DC Universe online. The game I left downloading before ending here. Huh, I must have fallen asleep while browsing the Space Battles forums. No matter, let''s see where this dream goes.


    I looked at myself. I was wearing a costume, black and forest green, mostly green. I had a cape too. Green with midnight black trim. A hood, which should have been obvious, but I guess my mind wasn''t particularly sharpish while I slept. Gloves and boots in the same motif, rather comfortable ones too. My pants were black with some strange arcane symbols overlaid upon them. Huh. I almost recognized them.


    The door slid open with barely a hiss, revealing a single robot, which stalked towards me. Cool!


    I tilted my head looking it all over. The detail was incredible. Further it wasn''t like what I''ve seen from the game. Instead, the way it looked, the texture¡­ It was rather lifelike instead a computer generated model.


    The machine looked at me and I could swear that its crimson eyes glared at me. Was I expected to fight it or something?


    Then I was on the ground and my jaw hurt. The robot was striding towards me, murder shining in its eyes.


    "The hell?!" I exclaimed, scampering backwards.


    This was a dream! It wasn''t supposed to hurt, damn it!


    The accursed machine tried to cave in my ribs with a kick, but I was able to roll away in the last moment. What the hell was happening?!


    "Can we talk about this?!" I shouted.


    F.u.c.k. I rolled straight into a corner. The machine came at me c.o.c.king a metal fist. "Hold on! This is some kind of mistake!" I raised my hands in the stop gesture. The robot swung my way then two blue energy beams emanated from my palms and promptly blasted the machine away from me.


    The android hit the floor hard, tumbling few times before stopping at the far end of the room. I glared at it. Of course it landed in front of the door. And to no one''s surprise it wasn''t down for the count. Then it hit me. I just used some kind of energy attack! I looked at my palms, being careful not to point them at my face. There were circular indentations in the fabric of the gloves, looking suspiciously like the repulsors build in Iron Man''s suit.


    The robot stood up shakily. There were two deep gorges in it''s chest plate and they were glowing slightly. Wow, I melted whatever it was made of. Wasn''t that cool?!


    It started shambling my way, obviously the damage was worse than appeared. Now how the hell I shoot it again?! I punched in it''s direction with open palm.


    Nothing happened. I did it again and again as the robot came towards me. He was nearly in grappling range when another blast of light struck it, this time grazing its head and melting half its face. It gave a loud electronic shriek, making me cover my ears, before crumbling to the ground.


    I starred at the pile of scrap, willing myself to awake, though I didn''t harbor much hope that it would work. Not after that punch. Damn, it was starting to dawn on me that I was the newest plaything of some kind of omnipotent being. F.u.c.k it all!


    =TM=?


    A short time later, after I most certainly didn''t freak out, I was thinking constructively again...


    If this really wasn''t a weird nightmare, I needed to get out of here. Now.


    At least the door wasn''t sealed. It neatly folded in the walls, letting me leave the room without any fuss. I made my way down the corridor, trying to be sneaky. Then shook myself for an idiot. As if I could sneak past robots. Who knew what kind of sensors those things had not to mention that I was sure that there were cameras tracking my movement.


    Soon I reached the end of the corridor, a corner leading left. Well, let''s hope that there isn''t someone ready to blast my stupid head away. I carefully leaned around the corner and glanced down the hall. Ah. Shit. There were three more robots and few big metal boxes in front of the only door I could see.


    This was going to suck. There goes nothing. I walked around the corner, my hands extended in front of me. The machines were already sprinting my way.


    "Shoot damn it!" I exclaimed. In the next moment whatever weapon was integrated in my gloves activated. Bright azure light shone from my palms and I could hear a pair of loud clangs indicating I hit something.


    A second later, a freight train collided with my chest and threw me on the metal floor. The impact drove the air out of my lungs. There was something straddling me. My eyes focused just in time to see a metal fist flying at my face.


    =TM=


    Part 2: Awakening?


    03:41, December 9, 2015


    Unit 531


    High Orbit over Earth


    "F.u.c.k!" Smash. "Damn it!" Punch. Slam.


    Each strike rattled my teeth. By now my brain should have been turned into mush. Strike that, my head should have caved in. This was a robot punching me in the face after all.


    The damn machine was doing its best to smash my head through the floor. It''s punches bloody hurt¡­ Though not as much as expected. By all rights the machine should have killed me already. Hell, the fist robot that hit me in the face should have let me with a broken jaw at the very least, damn it! Instead, it had my right hand in a hold, keeping my palm away from itself and my left was on my chest under its pelvis.


    All the while, it was using its free hand to try bashing my head in. It f.u.c.k.i.n.g hurt. It struck me again and again.


    I was helpless, unable to use my weapons on it. I was going to die here¡­


    NO! F.u.c.k this whole f.u.c.k.i.n.g situation and the horse it rode on! The god damned thing that sent me here too! I won''t die here, murdered by a f.u.c.k.i.n.g tin can! Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I struggled to point a weapon at the robot. He ignored me and raised a fist for another strike, when we both heard metal screeching. It tilted its head and looked at this left arm. The elbow joint was slowly grinding away from its socket as I forced its hand away.


    Under different circ.u.mstance I would have been amazed at the feat. There should have been no way for mere flesh and blood to overpower the machine. Instead, I grinned when my palm aligned with the robot''s face.


    "Go to hell!" I roared.


    A rod of azure light blazed from my hand and the machine froze.


    When my eyes readjusted few seconds later, the headless body of the robot stood still, its right fist raised for a blow that never came.


    Getting out from under it proved a bit of a challenge, because the machine had locked the moment its head was gone. It took me couple of minutes to worm my way out. The first thing I did after I was back on my feet was to check my face. My lips were a bloody mess and so were my cheeks if what I could feel with my fingers was any indication. The only surprise was that My whole face wasn''t wasn''t bleeding. I shrugged. It was a problem for later. I needed to get away.


    =TM=?


    Naturally, my woes were far from over. Mr. Murphy was acting strong tonight. First, it appeared that I might make it out. I faced few scattered robots, but got lucky and shot them before any of the machines could get into range. I should have known better.


    My only way forward led to a large, semi open area. It was a junction with at least half a dozen doors leading in different directions. There were many consoles, all of them running either what appeared to be LCD displays or honest to god holograms, as well as a lot of the metal containers I saw earlier. They were stacked near two rows of half a dozen columns.


    Then there was IT. Some kind on unholy hybrid of a Giant, with capital G, brain and insectoid robotic body. When I entered, it was skittering towards the far end of the compartment, but it immediately turned around and charged me.


    Well, f.u.c.k. I jumped away, just in tame to avoid being squashed by the damn thing. The moment I was back on my feet, I snapped a hand its way, sending an energy blast at it. It was good that I already figured out how my weapons worked. There was some kind of mental component combined with a motion that triggered them. Probably a safe feature so the wearer won''t shoot himself by accident.


    That left the question who made them and gave them to me. No to mention my bizarre costume. However, none of that mattered until I was somewhere safe. Besides, it wasn''t like I had much time for pondering. The supper bug screeched as I shot it, leaving an angry scar at its side. The damned thing was tougher than it looked like.


    It charged me again. I rolled away with ease. My body was responding much better than I was accustomed to ¨C I wasn''t particularly athletic before ending up here. Another thing to shelve for a latter examination. And why did my mind go on a tangent again and again while I was roleplaying a matador while a bizzaro brain-bug tried to squash me?!


    This time I didn''t bother standing up and blasted it from my prone position. The two beams criss-crossed it''s side, leaving lines of half molten metal in their wake. The beastie tried to turn around and slipped, because one of its legs wasn''t working properly.


    Neat. Before it could recover, I rained shot after shot at it. Aiming at its apparently vulnerable legs. Thirty or so blasts later, it was crippled and unable to move. During my bombardment I noticed that some kind of shield protected its main body. It became visible only when one of my beams was visible and it was apparent that my shots weren''t particularly effective on the force field. Oh, they could punch through but the damage that they caused on the main body was more or less comsmetic. I frowned at the cyber monster. I wanted the damn thing dead. It tried to kill me, just as everything I met ever since stepping foot in here. Wherever this place was. Unfortunately my only weapon was far from effective.


    I frowned wondering how to take it out. I didn''t want to leave it behind. For all I knew it could repair itself and come after me. In the worst possible moment of course. Damn, I needed stronger blasts.


    When I thought that, my hands snapped on their own volition. My thumbs and index fingers touched each other and I spread my palms. Blue light flashed between my hands and a single, much thicker beam lanced at the crippled cyborg. It speared through it''s shields and bore a hole into its body. The hybrid twitched a few times while I was too busy gagging at the smell of cooking flesh.


    At least that thing was gone.


    =TM=?


    May 27, 2014


    Location Classified


    Earth Bet


    "That''s all very interesting, but how did you get here in the first place?!" Riley exclaimed.


    "Well, I''m not a hundred percent sure. Let me tell you, it was an accident."


    "I''m not surprised. Just to be clear, no more experimenting in the bas.e.m.e.nt. Like ever."


    "Nothing dangerous, I promise! Just the odd..."


    "NO! Or once you are out of quarantine, you''ll be sleeping on the couch."


    I grinned. I had goood memories of that place. Hell, the first time we...


    "Alone."


    Ah. Right. "No experiments in the bas.e.m.e.nt or anywhere near home. I hear you loud and clear, dear."


    "You are so whipped." Riley giggled.


    "Shush, you."


    "That goes double for you, young lady. Do you think I don''t know about your lab?!"


    "That''s not fair!" Riley shrieked.


    "Fine. Let''s see. My ill.u.s.trious arrival in Brockton Bay. And I thought that Metropolis and Gotham were bad..."


    =TM=?


    22:41, January 11, 2011


    Winslow High School


    Brockton Bay


    This time I found myself face full with tiled floor. Well, pieces of shattered tiles if you want to be punctual. I rolled on my back and whistled. There was a hole in the ceiling above me. In the one above it too, all the way up through the roof. I could see the stars twinkling merrily through my makeshift entrance.


    "Ouch." I muttered. If it wasn''t for my supernatural durability, I''d be dead right now, smeared all over the rooftop. Instead, I was down here.


    I looked around, wincing as my neck clicked. I was all right. If you discount that I felt like a giant bruise. Again.


    My surroundings were dark, something I solved by calling a ball of eldrich light to float above my head. Huh. Tiled floor, empty hallway, and a row of lockers down the corridor. Going by just that, I could be anywhere. From a military base, to hospital, factory or even school. Though the fact that there were no alarms or cries of distress, first couple of options were likely to be out. I stood up, groaning. I extended my senses, both arcane and technological, trying to figure out where was I. Huh. There was the tiniest spark of magic coming from the lockers.


    Part 3: Shattered skies


    =TM=?


    22:43, January 11, 2011


    Winslow High School


    Brockton Bay


    I don''t believe in coincidences. Ending in a building containing something magical after the accident that brought me here, no matter where here was, made me wary. So the first thing I did was to manifest my dual shields, both the tech one and the arcane. Next on the list was accessing my storage pocket dimension. All it took was tapping one of the crystals embedded in my left glove and feeding it a bit of energy with particular frequency. Plus the mental component that made magic do what you wanted. The space over my left shoulder warped and my multipurpose drone was there, hovering on its anti-gravity drive.


    "What''s up, boss?" the Ana, it''s AI asked.


    "Get me a broadband scan on the area and tap any wireless networks and comm channels you can. I want to know where we are."


    "On it."


    Her sensors lit up, their energy washing over my arcane senses. While she was doing as instructed, my attention was focused on the locker in question. A simple spell later and I got some more information, that made me frown. One human life sign, rapidly fading away. That and a lot of much smaller ones, probably insects. I strode towards the locker, dreading what I was going to find inside.


    However, that didn''t stop me from scanning for traps or ambushes. This whole thing felt off.


    "Well boss, what do you want first? The good news, the bad one or the worst?" Ana chirped. It wasn''t in her usually cheerful tone either.


    I felt a shiver of cold running up my spine.


    "I''m not going to like it, am I?" What mess did I find myself in this time?!


    "Nope. So what''s going to be?"


    "Give me the good news first. I think I''m going to need it."


    "We are in the States, Eastern seaboard, a town near Boston, one I have no information about in my databanks." Ana informed me.


    I waited for the other shoe to drop. "The name of this mysterious town?"


    "Brockton Bay."


    "Bugger me sideways." I knew that name. I couldn''t be that unlucky, surely?


    "You are not my type, boss. Besides it would be icky." My AI companion chirped.


    "Cheeky brat. We are in deep this time if this is the same place I think it is." I muttered. Brockton Bay. F.u.c.k.i.n.g Worm, and I thought that the DC universe was bad with all it''s cosmic horrors. At least back there, well we had the people with enough raw power to stand up to almost anything that came at us. Not to mention that when the Heroes finally got their heads out of their collective posteriors, the world finally started becoming decent place. All it took was the latest alien invasion and few notable Villains going out of all bounds to force everyone''s hands.


    "So, a mostly empty building. One life sign in a locker. In Brockton Bay. Bloody hell, why do I always end in such situations?!"


    "Boss, you aren''t making much sense." The drone turned so its weapons were pointing my way. "You aren''t going to go on the deep end again, right?"


    "The local date." I bit off.


    "January eleventh, 2011. 22:43. Huh. We are back in time, too."


    "And few dimensions away. Is 911 still the emergency number here? If so patch us up." I sighed. Worm. F.u.c.k.i.n.g worm, god damn it!


    "I''ll need a bit of time to establish connection." There was a frown in Ana''s voice. Hardware incompatibility?


    I headed for the lockers now aware what I was going to find. I wasn''t going to admit it to anyone, but finding myself here after the accident? It didn''t pass my smell test. Was this what she meant when she told me I might eventually find redemption after what happened? A chance to save this hellhole of a world, to do a difference, after I almost caused the apocalypse?


    I shook my head. That was food for later thought.


    When I got near, the first thing that hit me was the smell. There was no way in Hell that it went unnoticed. Oh, I had much stronger senses than baseline human, but that stench? Anyone with working nose passing through here should have been nauseous. This was beyond simple negligence.


    I frowned. As far as I was aware, Taylor didn''t spent that much time in there at least in the original story. So I couldn''t just assume that this was canon Worm. That by itself wasn''t much of a shock ¨C I knew that multiple alternatives of any world existed. The downer was the simple fact that my knowledge of the place was now suspect until proven otherwise. Joy.


    Channeling my power through my left hand, I manifested five tendrils of purple energy and used them to rip off the locker''s door. A small, filth covered body fell out and I caught it with my magic, gently laying it on the floor. My magelight was enough to see the mess.


    Huh. She was shorter than I imagined, probably would barely reach my shoulders without heels. She was wearing jeans and dark green jumpers, which were torn in places and soaked with both blood and a lot of filth. She was covered with ripe film of filth from the crown of her shoulder length brown hair down to her shoes.


    So, beyond the given mental trauma she was guaranteed to have a whole list of nasty infections too. But that wasn''t what got my attention in the fist place. I could feel it clearly now. There was a spark of magic in this girl. It was draining off her, even faster than her life force and that wasn''t right.


    Not knowing what was causing it I decided not to risk healing her with my power. Instead, I placed a stasis field over her, freezing her as she was.


    "Ana, now it would be good time for that call to go through."


    "Yep. And I''m ready."


    "911, what is the nature of your emergency?" a cool woman''s voice sounded from the drone.


    "I found an injured girl who needs immediate medical attention. I''m not sure of the location, some kind of school I think."


    "Sir, I am tracing the call. Please give me more information."


    "She is covered with infected wounds, mainly on her hands and legs. Someone apparently stuffed her in a locker filled with filth. Used female tampons and other assorted garbage. I have no idea how long she''s been inside. I placed her in suspended animation until help could arrive."


    There was a pause.


    "Sir, are you a Cape?"


    "Cape? You mean do I have powers, right? Then yes."


    "That''s fine." her voice became soothing. As if trying not to provoke the unknown meta human. "I''ll inform the PRT immediately so they dispatch a team. I''m forwarding you to their line sir. It will be just a moment."


    "The kid needs an ambulance first. I''m unsure how long I can keep her under stasis." I could see why they would want to sent someone qualified to deal with metahumans before the ambulance just in case I was a villain or something, though it was irritating. This was bloody Brockton bay after all.


    "I''ll see what I can do." there was a digital tone and a new voice joined the conversation. "Hi. I''m Vista. What''s the problem?" a young and full with energy voice sounded over the com. While the 911 operator filled her in, I wondered who in their right mind, let a kid, how old was she again, twelve or thirteen be on the hot line. Oh yeah. PR reps. I shook my head in exasperation.


    "That''s terrible." Vista muttered.


    I could hear her taking a deep breath before remembering her training. At least I hope she had received some.


    "Can you tell me how you found her? And if it''s not terribly imposing please tell my your name. Oh. Your Cape name I mean!" She stammered the last sentence in super speed.


    "Ah. I suffered an accident while working on a teleportation array. The next thing I knew I was on the floor after apparently crashing through the roof of this building." I smiled sheepishly though I knew she couldn''t see me.


    "Then what happened?"


    "I used my sensors to try figuring out where I was, when I detected a human life sign."


    "I see. We traced your location to the Winslow High School. Police and ambulance are on the way as well as a PRT team. The first responders should arrive in a few minutes. Please could you stay on the line until then?" Vista asked.


    "Sure. I''ll need to keep her in stasis anyway. She''s in a bad way."


    I glanced at Ana. "Your job I gather?" I asked, sub-vocalizing.


    "Yeah. I made sure that they could trace the call. That was your intent, right?"


    "Indeed. You are getting better at it." Despite spending a lot of time as an emergency backup stuck in a drone in my pocket dimension, this instance of my AI was demonstrating a bit more developed behaviour than expected. Then again, she did have a lot of data to play with and enough processing power and storage to build herself a not too small digital world not to get bored.


    The drone bounced a few times in the air showing her excitement.


    "Is your Cape identity too much to ask?" Vista''s voice chirped over the speakers. Ah to be so young and full with energy.


    "That''s the second time one of you ladies mentioned Capes in respect of super powered humans. What''s with that term? Last I checked everyone was still using metahumans." I played dumb. This wasn''t either the time or place to show that I was familiar with this world. Plus being truthful about my origins¡­ It opened some possibilities. And problems depending how Cauldron would react upon learning about me.


    I shrugged. It wasn''t like I intended to lay low.


    My only answer was eloquent silence from the other side of the line.


    "You are pulling my chain, right?" Vista groused.


    "Nope. I have no idea what Capes are. Where I''m from, that''s not how metahumans are called."


    "Oh, my. You aren''t joking are you? I''m redirecting additional Protectorate personnel to your position. She''ll explain. Eta about fifteen to twenty minutes."


    "I''ll be here, waiting."


    =TM=?


    23:05, January 11, 2011


    Winslow High School


    Brockton Bay


    First to arrive was a pair of cops, who wore uniforms not dissimilar from what I was familiar back from my original world. It was a far cry from the gear that I knew from my home for the last few years. No carapace armor or bulky energy weapons, nor the high tech gadgets that were a standard kit for even the rank and file. Just what you''d expect from normal cops back in my original dimension: dark blue uniforms, with flimsy looking bulletproof vests on top. Holstered guns, batons, cuffs and radios. One of them had a taser too. Nothing out of the ordinary. And nothing that could even slow down most metahumans.


    That probably explained the wary looks they were giving me, or the way the younger one was glancing at my drone. Well, Ana''s guns probably had something to do with that.


    "I would like to say that it''s a good to see you, but considering the circ.u.mstances..." I nodded at the girl who most likely was Taylor.


    The senior, who was in his mid forties and had sergeant stripes on his uniform gave me a sharp nod and looked at the girl.


    "What the hell happened in here? And what''s with the shimmering?"


    "That''s something I would like to know too." I muttered. "I''ve put her in stasis so she won''t get worse before the paramedics arrive."


    "That''s useful." said the sergeant. He glanced at the locker''s door. "Your work?"


    I shrugged. "It was in the way."


    "I haven''t seen you on the news. You a new Cape?"


    "New around here it seems."


    What followed was typical, even if the procedures were a bit different from what I was accustomed to. They took my statement while we waited for the paramedics to arrive. Soon enough, the girl, who might or might not be Taylor,(there was no name on the locker''s door and considering the filth that was inside I wasn''t inclined to check for a name tag or something else in there), was in the hands of the local paramedics. That left me staring at a squad of armored troopers, armed with assault rifles and SMG''s. The PRT''s first response team, who were eying me warily. At least I thought so. It was hard to tell thanks to their fully enclosed helmets and I decided not to probe with magic nor my sensors. It was good to see that someone around here was acting professional. It raised a bit my hopes for this world.


    There was no posturing or anything that might provoke a reasonable new cape. Then again, they weren''t Armsmaster. Meeting that Tinker would be interesting. Or pain in the ass. At least he wasn''t the one we were waiting for. Vista said that a woman was on the way. That was a limited pool as far as my prior knowledge went. Velocity, Battery and Miss Militia were the only female Protectorate members in this town. I think. I was sure about Battery and obviously Militia. Velocity? Eh.


    That particular question was answered couple of minutes later when a woman clad in military fatigues strode in. She had the US flag as a scarf over the lower part of her face, leaving only her eyes and cheekbones to be seen.


    She glanced at the mess that was the locker and her eyes narrowed with disgust. Then Miss Militia turned her attention to me.


    Part 4?


    01:27, January 12, 2011


    PRT Headquarters


    Brockton Bay


    "That''s a bold claim, Mr. Veil." the Director of the local Protectorate''s branch glared at me.


    As if it was my fault I ended up here. Oops. It actually was. I shrugged.


    "What can I say? I probably zigged when I had to go zag during one of my experiments."


    Ana turned her body so her main camera was starring at me. "You weren''t supposed to do those experiments without supervision."


    Great. Now she was glaring at me too. This wasn''t one of my finest days. I wondered why the hell I got out of bed this morning.


    "Yes, that too." she pointed at Ana''s body. "You have a drone armed with military grade weaponry and controlled by an AI."


    "Hey! He does not own me!" Ana exclaimed.


    "What she said. While I created her, she is her own person with all rights as per the Sentient Rights Convention. Though considering that we are not in out own dimension I don''t know how much weight that has."


    "Director, let''s not antagonize the heavily armed AI in the room." Miss Militia''s eyes crinked in a smile.


    "Do you have any way to prove you aren''t just a Tinker with fancy tech and delusions?" Piggot asked and rubbed the bridge of her nose.


    "Dunno. Does the few hundred petabytes of information about our world in Ana''s databanks constitute proof?"


    "That might work." Director Piggot agreed. "Once our Thinkers confirm its genuine."


    "Fine. But you aren''t getting any sensitive data from me!" the AI huffed, her body wobbing in the air.


    "That''s all right, hon." Miss Militia beamed at Ana''s antics.


    "That leaves the obvious question. What are we going to do about you two?" Piggot gave us a tired look.


    "I''ve thought about that. If I''m to have any chance of locating our dimension, much less creating a safe way to go back, I''ll need resources and a lab." I offered.


    "Careful and close supervision too. I don''t want a repeat of the New York incident." Ana grumbled.


    "That wasn''t my fault."


    "Do I want to know?" Piggot groaned.


    "Not at all." I shook my head and gave them my best innocent smile.


    "Yes." Ana added her two cents.


    "Traitor." I muttered.


    I swear to god she started to float smugly.


    "An experiment to harness zero point energy went out of control." Ana started.


    "Just a little. And it was promptly contained, no thanks to Luthor''s damn saboteurs." I added.


    "It wiped everything in five mile radius!"


    "As I said it was contained."


    "No experiments without a.d.u.l.t supervision." Piggot growled while Miss Militia was nodding emphatically.


    "Tyrants. All of you."


    "With that out of the way, I would like to extend you two an invitation to the Protectorate''s ranks. We can always use more Capes and as a Tinker, your could make some useful contributions. Not to mention that we will provide you with a lab, resources and monthly stipend and we would facilitate the way for any inventions you produce. Though in exchange we get first rights to purchaise."


    "I''ve heard that term used before by you people. What exactly is a Tinker?"


    "A Parahuman with the power to build advanced technology. Usually their creations are one offs and very hard to reproduce or maintain."


    "I see." I smiled. "Then I''m not a Tinker in your jargon. I''m a scientist and engineer. Our tech," I waved at Ana, "can be readily mass produced given the necessary industrial base."


    Piggot''s eyes widened at my declaration.


    "That''s interesting." the Director was unable to hide the gleam in her eyes. "I would like a demonstration," she looked at her watch. "But that can wait. Would you like to join the Protectorate?"


    "What exactly will be my duties and responsibilities? What restrictions would be imposed upon us?"


    "How much are we getting paid? My body is high maintenance." Ana quipped.


    "The pay is decent." Miss Militia said.


    "However, there are few points that might be problematic. We usually don''t let our members run around with military grade weaponry. Not to mention AI''s."


    "That''s not an issue. I have a diversive non lethal arsenal! Anything from sound based up through microwave and low intensity taser! However, what about me being an AI is concerning you?"


    "You are an out of context problem. At the moment we don''t have laws governing the use or potential rights of AI''s." Piggot mussed.


    "Do you even have any operational?" I asked.


    "As far as I know, none." Piggot stated.


    "Well that might be a problem. Ana is a person, not a thing. If someone wants her, they will have to go through me first." I glared at my hosts.


    "I''ll make some calls and see what we can do."


    "As long as Ana is treated as a human. So, about those duties?"


    "I''ll let Miss Militia brief you. She can do it while arranging a place for you two to stay." Piggot stood up and headed towards the exit.


    "So where am I supposed to crash for the night? It''s been a long day and I could use a nap."


    "Probably in one of the free apartments on base. We''ll see about tomorrow. Or I can book you in a hotel, though I have to advise against that option. Unless Ana makes herself much less conspicuous, anyone who sees you would take you for a tinker. Before the sun rises the local gangs will know that there is a new tinker in town and start planning your forceful recruitment."


    "Let them come!" Ana shook with anticipation.


    "Once you are part of the Protectorate, that won''t be an issue. Until then, you will be vulnerable."


    "Thanks for the advise. While I believe we can handle ourselves..."


    "Damn right!"


    "Let''s avoid entanglements with the local low life for now. So how is being a Hero around here?"


    Miss Militia smiled and started filling me in while we walked towards the barracks.


    Part 5: Origins I


    =TM=?


    12:19, December 11, 2015


    Metropolis


    DC Earth


    Couple of days. That''s how long I''ve been here. A world of Super Heroes and Villains. The home of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman among many others.


    A world that should have been confined to harmless comics and movies, damn it! Instead, it was all too real. I could feel it, touch it, taste it. Any hope I had that it was all a feverish, in ordinary realistic dream, was now gone. I''ve been here for two days. I had to fight my way out of that accursed space ship and barely made my way out before it was destroyed.


    All thanks to Wonder Woman no less. Also, known as Diana, the Amazon Princess. The lass who saved my bacon and recruited me.


    Ah, yeah. About that¡­ As it turned out I''m a Mage. Yeah. Magic is real here too. So I got volunteered to be apprentice under Diana''s supervision. Let me tell you, when a warrior princes who just wiped the floor with nearly a battalion of killer robots tells you to be her disciple, you smile, nod and go away for the ride.


    What followed was brief explanation on arcane theory, some pointers on how to access my powers at will and you guessed it. I got my first mission. Which was a bloody mess of epic proportions. I only survived thanks to my unnatural durability. Had to help a local Mage, one Zatanna, stop Faust. Yeah, that Faust, deal with demons, sold his soul etc¡­ At least the gal I helped was easy on the eyes with a quite fetching costume too.


    In the end we somehow stopped Faust. Don''t ask me for a detailed account. All I remember is flashes. Using my new found magic to stun and weaken enemies so we could pound them into the ground, destroying soul binding containers to release the captives¡­ And the final confrontation with Faust. That was a whirlwind.


    And I got a minion. Yes. You heard me right. A minion summoned from who knows where. A short, spiky bugger who was made off some kind of living rock. Useful too, not like the usual movie minions.


    But I digress. That was all yesterday evening. After some well deserved rest, I was conscripted into your standard suicide mission. Go forth and stop Trigon. Yeah that Trigon. The bloody Daemon Lord that wants to bring hell on earth.


    Why me, you ask? Because all real heroes are too busy dealing with the alien invasion. Besides, I was a mage, so I was apparently qualified to deal with this mess. Lucky me.


    So that''s how I found myself at the front gates of the Science Police''s Eight Precinct, after flying over a half destroyed part of Chinatown. During my flight I saw both police and national guard ducking it out with pockets of killer robots. In the skies above fighters were dueling for air superiority with their alien counterpart all the while the occasional bomber wing from either side managed to raid the city, striking targets of opportunity. Naturally half the villains decided that this was a great time to play too. Though I had to admit that some of them were actually more helpful than harmful during the invasion.


    Well, the time for idle thoughts was over. I landed in front of the science police building. What can I say about it? It had multiple wings, looked impressive and it was under siege. There were a pair of police cruisers blocking the main entrance, which were used by a squad of heavily armed and armored officers as cover. They were taking potshots at the madhouse that was the Precinct courtyard.


    I ducked next to the Sigma operatives (as the science police members were generally known around here), avoiding a purple blast of energy.


    "What''s the situation?"


    "God damned mess!" a man with sergeant''s stripes on his shoulders grumbled before popping out of his cover and sending a burst of laser fire downrange before ducking back.


    "I can see that." I deadpanned.


    He glanced my way.


    "You new? Do you have any idea what are you doing kid? We''ve had a bunch of newbies popping around ever since that maniac appeared in orbit. Most of them have no idea what they are doing or how to really use their powers."


    "Nope. But I''m apparently all the backup you are getting."


    "Murphy at his best. It has to be!" one of the Sigmas quipped.


    "I''m intimately familiar with the notion." I muttered.


    "What''s the plan?"


    "We need to secure the courtyard. There are pockets of our people there under siege, some of them medics."


    "I''ll see what I can do. Give me some cover fire."


    The first thing I did was to summon Spikey, my minion. He appeared in a burst of purple flames and almost got shot.


    "F.u.c.k! What''s that?" exclaimed one of the officers, a young kid probably just out of the academy.


    "What? I''m at least not ugly like some people I can mention!" Spikey grumbled.


    Did I mention that the lovable little ball of mayhem was sentient too?


    He jumped on the nearest cruiser and looked around.


    "Boss, you are great! You bring me to the nicest of places! I want to punch something!"


    "Knock yourself out." I waved at the horn covered daemons rampaging around the courtyard.


    Spikey roared and charged in the fray.


    "Where did you found him and can I get one too?" asked the sergeant.


    I''m surrounded by maniacs, I tell ya.


    "About that covering fire. Now it would be a good time." I called my power and used it to form shields around myself and the Sigmas. Then I did something quite stupid. I followed Spikey in the melee, blasting any of the monstrosities that came into range. At least I was finally getting the hang of using my hand-blasters.


    =TM=?


    It actually worked. With most of the daemons concentrating their attention on Spikey and me, the Sigmas rallied and counterattacked, shooting the bastards to pieces. Even better, my shields actually held if barely.


    In other words I got lucky not to get my stupid head blasted away or my entrails gutted. And I was barely trembling. That only goes on to tell you how crazy the wast couple of days have been.


    The Sergeant, one Jacob Mills, turned out to be the highest ranking Sigma operative on the scene. He wasted no time and started organizing his people.


    "OK, folks. This is what we are going to do. Jefferson and Mikels. Get your squads and cover the medics. I want all wounded evacuated yesterday. The rest of you, check your ammo and gear. We are going in and securing our god damned Precinct! Is that clear!" He turned his attention to me. "Not bad for a rookie. Though don''t go out doing such stunts again unless you are mini Superman. That was a great way to get yourself killed, though I can''t really argue with results."


    "I noticed, believe me." At least the trembling was dying down.


    "Now, I want you to do it again." Mills grinned at me.


    "What am I? A live meat shield?"


    "It works." he shrugged.


    "I''m starting to hate you."


    "I''m sergeant. That''s part of the job description."


    "Is everyone on this world mental or something?"


    "Beat''s me boss. I''m not from around here as you very well know."


    "I actually don''t. Where are you from Spikey?"


    "Your loss, meatbag."


    "Cheeky bastard."


    "And I''m proud of it. Mum was a volcano. No idea who dad was."


    "I''m surrounded by clowns."


    "We are breaching in five. As per the last report we got, the lobby has been overrun and we lost contact with the garage few minutes before you showed up."


    "Which way are we going?"


    "Hudson here and his team are going to lead a spoiling attack on the Lobby, while we storm through the garage."


    A bulky man who looked like a tiny Space Marine in his armor nodded and waved a five man team to follow him.


    "You ready?" Mills asked me.


    "Hell no. But I''m coming anyway."


    "That''s the spirit."


    =TM=


    ?


    Getting into the garage proved to be harder than anticipated. None of the officers on scene had breaching charges and the place was build to withstand a siege. In the end it was up to me to make an entrance.


    "Here goes nothing." I concentrated the way Diana showed me and connected deeply with my magic. I could feel it more acutely than ever. Not that was saying something considering that I''ve had it for less than two days.


    It felt like boundless well, waiting to be tamed. I felt that it wanted to be used, not to just lay dormant. Almost as if it was alive, waiting. I took a deep breath and tugged it, making it pour slowly into my veins. I could feel myself getting stronger. My senses sharpened and the world around slowed down.


    The magic was surrounding me and it was ready to be directed. I wanted, I needed to make a way. To open a breach so we can retake the building. My magic responded, purple tentacles forming around my hands. They slashed this way and that before calming and gently swaying in the air.


    It was freaky. I could feel them as if they were another pair of arms. It took me a bit of trial and error but it turned out I could use them almost as well as my own hands. I smiled and grabbed the armored shutters that were sealing the garage. The tentacles actually pierced the metal and I pulled up, barely feeling the strain as the shutters moved up with and awful grinding sound.


    Mills threw a flash-bang into the opening. Moments later just as it exploded, he charged into the breach, with the rest of the Sigmas hot on his heels.


    Part 6: Origins II?


    12:47, December 11, 2015


    Science Police Eight Prescint


    Metropolis


    DC Earth


    To our pleasant surprise, the garage hadn''t fallen yet. There was a cl.u.s.ter of Sigmas using a SWAT van and the weaponry it contained to make a strong point and keep the daemons away. However, that hadn''t helped much for the mechanics who were in the garage when the assault began. Their ripped corpses laid all over the floor. Mostly in bloody chunks of barely recognizable meat. So much for this being like any DC comics I''ve read. Damn it!


    Our counterattack caught the daemons in the garage by surprise. Who knew, flash bangs were effective against the ugly buggers. Which meant that the Sigmas had a swell time shooting up the bastards while they were disoriented.


    We found the first still alive officer in there too. A Lt in his mid thirties was a part of the men taking cover near the SWAT van. He was in a bad way, a magic beam had ripped his left shoulder and some kind of miasma was spreading through his veins, slowly killing him. By the time we secured the garage, he was already delirious.


    "Damn it. I liked that kid. Is there something you can do for him?" Mills asked once he was apprised of the situation.


    While we were talking, Sigmas were staging ready to breach the doors leading deeper in the building. Now they had breaching charges after looting what was left in the SWAT van.


    "I have no idea." I shrugged and went to check up on the man. Diana didn''t have the time to tutor me on healing with my power but she mentioned that it was indeed possible to do so. Magic was supposedly versatile like that. In other words it was a bullshit, grab bag kind of power. With my luck it had a lot of nasty draw backs and strings attached.


    I had no idea at the time how right that thought was.


    Linda Flores, the Lt in question was a small woman with shoulder length curly, brown hair. Probably was quite beautiful too before being hit with that magic. Right now she looked like a corpse warmed twice over and getting worse by the minute. Her shoulder and right arm were a lost cause, the virulent magic was on its way of dissolving them. The bandage and whatever meds the Sigma''s had tried on her apparently had no effect. I frowned. That was a nasty way to go.


    I placed a hand on her chest and closed my eyes. I could barely sense the magic ravaging her. It had foul, unpleasant stench. Yet, it was somehow familiar. As if I''ve felt it before. I shrugged. Probably it was all those blasts that hit my shield while we were retaking the courtyard, though I though that they were more akin to an ordinary energy weapons than whatever did this.


    Which was all irrelevant right now. The simple truth was that I didn''t know enough to help Fores. I couldn''t simply create a spell on the fly, could I? But perhaps I didn''t need to. Besides unless I did something she was going to be dead before help could arrive.


    So I decided to brute force it. Concentrating on my magic, I started channeling it through my hand straight into her chest. The Lt gasped and started feebly struggling. My magic and whatever was in the woman, touched each other and she shrieked. I could feel the two energies fighting each other so I poured even more of my power in the woman. She screamed as the energies fought within her. The dark miasma halted its spread but refused to yield even a millimeter of ground.


    I groaned with the strain of channeling so much magic, yet I refused to let it go. My body felt on fire, as if a ravenous furnace was attempting to consume me from the inside. It got worse, of course. The pain hit me, it was like countless white hot knives were coursing through my veins, cutting and searing everything in their path. I screamed amidst the pain, agony searing my lungs. It was during that self inflicted torture, when something changed. There was a shift in the feel of my magic, one I could acutely feel even with all my nerves on fire. My power, it became hotter than freshly spilled magma, yet it cooled my veins as it flowed through me. I tasted a bit of ashes and something else, spicy and pleasant. It felt just like home¡­


    Linda shrieked as my altered magic slammed into her, petite body thrashing on the ground. The supernatural sickness consuming her recoiled. It tired to avoid my magic to no avail. It was washed away by a torrent of liquid fire, leaving healthy flesh behind. Flores m.o.a.ned and fell back like a puppet with slashed strings. The ruin of her shoulder healed before my eyes, but the new flesh was wrong. It was dark red, almost black, resembling long dried blood instead of healthy human skin.


    "Well, that''s new..." Mills muttered over my shoulder.


    I looked at him and saw that we were surrounded by a semi circle of troubled looking Sigmas. Half of them were fingering their weapons and glancing warily at me.


    "She''ll live. I think." my words were barely a whisper. My throat was raw and felt like parchment.


    "Hmm¡­ For a moment there it looked like neither of you were going to make it."


    "Believe me, it felt worse on my way." I rasped.


    One of the troopers handed me a half full bottle of mineral water. I gulped it like I''ve been thirsting for ages. It was the sweetest thing I''ve ever tasted. The cool liquid soothed my parched throat and washed the tang of ashes from my mouth.


    "That''s much better. Thanks." my voice resembled a human one again.


    "We still need to secure the building. Are you up to the task?" Mills asked.


    I gave him a curt nod and stood up. At least my magic felt normal again.

 Chapter 134 - My CO Stash #34 - Ben 10: Justice Incarnate by Firestorm808 (Ben10XDCU)

    -A crossover of Ben 10 & Young Justice. A fun fic with Ben being more understanding and mature~


    Sypnosis: Stranded in an unknown world, Ben must fulfill his destiny here and change history for the better. Cover image from Promsien. Not a suicidal Ben introduction! Actually logical!


    Rated: T


    Words: 58K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/11856866/1/Ben-10-Justice-Incarnate (Firestorm808)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    It had been five years since the incident with Diagon, Vilgax, Sir George, and the war between the Forever Knights and the Esoterica. At the time, Ben had proven his development into a proper young a.d.u.l.t. As a sign of approval, Azmuth had gifted Ben with a brand new Omnitrix. The Ultimatix was, in Azmuth''s word''s, "an inferior copy." Instead of a gauntlet, the new Omnitrix was back to a wristwatch. Its faceplate was now square instead of round and had a white and green color scheme. The faceplate was black with two green stripes forming an outline for the hourglass of the intergalactic peace symbol. When the faceplate slid back, the Omnitrix revealed the core. Ben was ecstatic that Azmuth trusted him with the final product. This was a new dawn in his hero career.


    Five years have passed since that day. Ben continued to fulfill all of his social roles as a family member, friend, and boyfriend. The cousins graduated from their respective high schools thanks to a mutual understanding of the duo''s responsibilities. Max made sure that Ben and Gwen were only brought in only when necessary, and both of their parents made sure that they were not skipping out on schoolwork. The parents knew they were heroes, but they didn''t want them to be high school dropouts. Gwen graduated with honors, and Ben graduated within the top twenty. Soon after, they went to different colleges. Ben wanted to continue hero work, but he promised his parents that he would make it into his full career after graduating from college. He attended a local university to at least get his Criminal Justice degree. Gwen, on the other hand, fulfilled her childhood goal of attending an Ivy League school. Friedkin University was where Gwen studies the mystic arts. It was located east of Bellwood, and it was the best Ivy League college among all the colleges around Bellwood. Given the fact that Ben 10,000 was able to perform some magic, Ben had asked Gwen to help him in that area.


    Ben had also spent the last five years doing some part-time Plumber work with his new partner Rook during breaks. After many exciting adventures, he unlocked new aliens and sharpened his combat and mental skills at the Plumber Academy. In honor of Ben''s eighteenth birthday, Azmuth gave a software update to his Omnitrix. This added new features and improved old ones. Initially, Azmuth believed that the evolutionary function that Albedo previously developed was asking for trouble. Then again, he made a sword and a watch that could allow a being to conquer galaxies. In the end, it all comes down to how power was used and how stable the power is. Azmuth was well-regarded as the smartest being in the universe. He was often referred to by his Galvan peers as the "First Thinker." Along with his intelligence, Azmuth was gifted with years of experience and knowledge. It was evident that if anyone could improve the evolutionary function, it would be Azmuth, and he did.


    One of the initial problems of the evolutionary function was the lack of safeguards in the evolutionary process. Previously, the ultimate forms in the Omnitrix became unstable and conscious, and they tried to escape while possibly trying to kill Ben in the process. Another problem was the issue of a stable mental state. The evolution feature worked by placing the selected species in a simulation, right down to the DNA, for an extended period, about a million years or so, in what was described as a "worst-case scenario"; the actual DNA was then modified to match the new DNA. This survival of the fittest routine explains why the evolutions are more combat-centered than their standard forms. One would assume that a species spending a million years in ''hell'' could cause possible mental problems. The new safeguards Azmuth placed in would slow the development of evolved DNA. Each genome would be analyzed to meet Azmuth''s requirements before the form would be allowed for use.


    Earth had changed a lot in the last several years. Things had finally calmed down not only on Earth but throughout most of the universe. The Plumbers, an intergalactic police force dedicated to preserving peace throughout the cosmos, had been granted powerful new technologies developed by the Galvan.


    New weapons, new armor; basically, everything they needed to combat threats that previously required the aid of Ben and his team. Azmuth made sure to regulate the level of technology that was distributed in the organization; in fact, he was made the leader of research and development. The Plumbers would be well equipped to handle low to mid-level threats, but the Tennyson family would be on call whenever extreme danger arrived, which was not often.


    Ben was mature enough to know this change was a good thing. There was peace, crime was down, and life was good. But still, there was a part of him that missed turning into an alien every day and fighting some criminal or giant monster. He didn''t do any of his heroics for the fame; or at least, not anymore he didn''t. He enjoys the feeling of helping others. Ben even got back into soccer along with other hobbies.


    With the new-found peace, Ben was better able to strengthen his social bonds. He kept close ties with his best friend Kevin and his family. His relationship with Julie Yamamoto only strengthened thanks to the peace. They were finally able to spend quality time together without the worry of danger. Both of them attended university together. Ben and Julie moved in together in an apartment not far from campus. Luckily, they were still able to keep Ship as their pet. Julie continued to pursue a career as a professional tennis player, and Ben fully supported her. He did anything he could to keep her happy. After the situation with Esoterica, Ben knew that he had to be more supportive, considerate, and understanding. They shared a very loving and intimate relationship. All in all, life was good.


    Five years after Diagon


    Women''s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour Finals


    Ben, Kevin, Gwen, Ship, and Zed are currently spectating Julie in the last match of the tournament. Ship was lying on Ben''s lap while Zed was curled up against Kevin''s leg. Winning this tournament would be a big step in Julie''s career. The final match was between Julie Yamamoto and Donna Vekic. So far, the first two sets have led to a tie, and the score had Julie at an advantage. To win the match, Julie had to score one more point.


    "The game is cutting close. Do you think Julie can win Ben?" Gwen asked.


    "She''s been practicing for months. I know she can do this. I have faith in her." His eyes were full of confidence toward Julie.


    "Ship, Ship," Ship ''said.''


    "That''s nice to hear coming from you Tennyson," Kevin commented.


    "I''m not the same guy as before, and today is gonna be a big milestone for us," Ben said as he kept watching the match.


    "I know. It''s so sweet that you guys have been together for four years today," Gwen commented.


    "I have you to thank for all this, Gwen. You made this all possible when you helped me ask her out to the pier."


    "Which you ended up wrecking," Kevin remarked.


    "Ship¡­" Ship ''said'' in a much lower and embarrassed tone.


    Ben cringed at that memory of the date, sighed, and smiled. "I''ll be honest. It could have gone better, but it all worked out in the end. An alien was saved, we met Ship, and Julie and I walked home safe and sound." He began to stroke Ship''s head as Ship purred.


    "Even though walking a few miles home isn''t the most romantic, it did let you two get closer. I saw you two walk past my house holding hands," Gwen replied with a slightly teasing smile.


    Ben blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I remember that. When I escorted her to her house, her dad gave me a menacing glare for bringing her home the next morning. I ended up getting interrogated to find out what exactly happened. Luckily, Julie was there to confirm my lie that the car broke down, and we got lost. He was suspicious, but in the end, all he cared about was that Julie was safe. When I got home, I ended up having an awkward conversation about my innocence, ''feelings'' with girls, and safety." He let out a sigh on that memory.


    Kevin tried to hold in his laugh until Gwen elbowed her boyfriend to get him to stop, and she pointed toward the court.


    It was Julie''s turn to serve, and Donna was on the other side in a ready stance. Julie bounced the tennis ball twice, threw the ball up, and swung an overhand serve. The ball soared to the other side as Donna made her move. The ball bounced once, and just as it was going to make its second bounce, Donna stretched her racket arm in time to underhand swing the ball back to Julie''s court. The awkward body movement made her stumble a bit. Julie was prepared for that, and she quickly knocked the ball to the opposite end of the court. It landed just before the line, and Donna couldn''t make it in time, scoring the winning point for Julie.


    "The tournament is over, and we have a winner! A first-time winner, Julie Yamamoto. Congratulations on your victory." Yelled the announcer.


    Julie walked toward Donna and shook her hand. "Good game."


    Donna took a deep breath. "You too." She said while also giving a congratulatory hug.


    Julie beamed a smile toward the crowd, taking in her hard-earned victory. The announcer walked up to Julie and said, "Julie, you are now the new WTA champion. What do you have to say to everyone out there."


    "I want to thank all of my friends and family. I especially want to thank my boyfriend of four years, Ben Tennyson. He supported me in my dream. Meeting him is one of the best moments of my life. I love you."


    Ben jumped from the stands and ran to his girlfriend and the announcer. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her tender lips. They both had a blush, but Ben continued. "I love you too, Julie. Congratulations on winning. I knew you could do it."


    "You were with me every step of the way. I could always count on you."


    "Thanks, but there''s something important that I have to ask you."


    "Anything Ben."


    The announcer stepped off to the side while still maintaining the camera view and audio of the conversation.


    Ben got down on one knee.


    Julie, Gwen, the announcer, and all the women in the crowded covered their mouths in expectation.


    "The life of a superhero is filled with danger, adventure, and excitement; however, I want to spend every moment of it with you by my side." He proceeds to pull out a small black box from his back pocket. He holds it in one hand and opens it with the other, revealing a gold ring with a sizeable taydenite gem in the center. "Will you marry me?"


    The crowd swooned at the proposal.


    "Oh my god!" Julie immediately broke into tears of joy at what was happening to her.


    Gwen was jumping up and down squealing in excitement while latching onto Kevin.


    "We have it here first folks. The hero of Earth, Ben 10, has officially proposed to his longtime girlfriend," the announcer said to the camera.


    ''While I''m happy for you bro, you raised Gwen''s expectations for me." He gave his best friend a big smile with a small sweatdrop.


    "Ben! I can''t believe this is happening!" She exclaimed with such enthusiasm and excitement.


    "The world is waiting for your answer, Julie," the announcer stated.


    She takes a deep breath to calm her nerves. She opens her mouth, and just as she was about to give the obvious answer,


    BTOOOM, a massive explosion occurred in the background.


    While all of the civilians screamed in shock at the development, Ben had a different reaction.


    Ben groaned in irritation and anger. "Why! Why! Why! Why now! Can''t the universe see that I''m busy here!" He screamed into the sky. He sighed and looked at his love. "I''ll be right back for your answer, honey. I want this moment to be free of any more distractions." He turned toward the cameraman. "Keep the camera rolling, this would make an interesting family video in the future."


    Julie blushed at what that statement implied. The thought of them together at home with a young baby sleeping her arms caused her to go completely red.


    "Gwen, Kevin, I''ll meet you there!" The two and Zed ran toward the site. The faceplate of the Omnitrix opened, and Ben began scrolling through his aliens. He found the right one. "It''s hero time!" He slammed down on the core, instantly transforming him in a flash of emerald green light. What replaced him was a blue-skinned, green-eyed, semi-armored Velociraptor wearing a helmet that was black, long, elliptical, and pointed at the top. The creature had black wheels on his feet, five blue stripes on his tail, arms that ended in three-fingered hands, black lips, black facial markings, black rings around their eyes, and had the Omnitrix symbol on its chest. "XLR8!"


    He looked at the camera and stated, "Gotta go fast!" and he proceeded to run to the battle. ''Always wanted to say that.''


    Downtown Bellwood


    XLR8 finally reached the area which turned out to be the Plumber outpost downtown. Gwen, Kevin, and Zed were currently assisting civilians outside of the danger zone. He zipped toward Gwen and Kevin and asked, "What''s the current situation?"


    Gwen turned to him and replied. "The civilians have all been moved, but the intruder is still inside."


    XLR8 acknowledged. "Kevin and I will take point while you take our six and give support." Both nodded, and the trio headed toward the outpost entrance. Ben pressed his Omnitrix symbol and released another burst of emerald light. XLR8 was replaced with a humanoid crystalline-rock being wearing a green and black jumpsuit with an Omnitrix belt buckle.


    "Diamondhead. Not holding back, huh." Diamondhead was one of the first aliens that Ben transformed into, and the form had become one of his favorites.


    With a hint of anger and annoyance, he gave a devilish grin. "Whoever interrupted my marriage proposal is so going to pay for that." ''The world can interrupt my first date. It can ruin prom night. It can even crash my high school graduation. But interrupting a milestone in my life such as this crosses the line. "You guys ready?"


    Gwen placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We''re a family Ben. We stick together, no matter what."


    "Consider this your early wedding gift from us," Kevin remarked and received another blow to his side.


    "Don''t worry, Ben. After this is all over, I''ll be picking out the present. Kevin will just be paying for it. Isn''t that right babe?" Gwen gleamed a look to her boyfriend for approval. Kevin was such a softie for Gwen that even if he were in charge of the relationship, Gwen would tell him when to put it on. Kevin nodded nervously.


    ''There''s nothing worse than a woman scorned, especially if she''s an Anodite.'' Kevin remembered the time when he almost forgot their anniversary. Luckily, Ben was able to distract her long enough for Kevin to prepare everything. Kevin shook his head of these thoughts as he genuinely loved Gwen, and he would go through a lot to be with her, even the fallout from his mistakes.


    "Thanks. You guys are the best. Let''s move out."


    "Zed, stay. We''ll take it from here." Kevin ordered.


    "Bark."


    Plumber Outpost


    The hallways to the facility were significantly dimmed. "Whoever broke in cut off all the power except the auxiliary." Gwen proceeded to raise the palm of her hand, creating three purple glowing orbs of mana. She had the spheres lead the way about 10 feet ahead.


    Kevin gave his thoughts on the situation. "If I remember correctly, the only systems that should be on right now are emergency lighting, life support, and high-level security. Many of the Plumbers stationed here escaped with minor to moderate injuries. The baddy is hostile. Does anyone know what this section housed? It might give us a clue on who we''re dealing with." The other two shrugged as both had no clue. Most of the time, they had to deal with off-planet issues. It was more comfortable to allow the Earth Plumbers to manage the local stations. The group came across a computer terminal in what appeared to be the receptionist area. Kevin logged in with his Plumber authorization. "From the looks of it, this facility was in charge of storing confiscated items until disposal transport."


    "I have a bad feeling that today is going to be one of those days." Gwen resigned.


    Ben let out a sigh. "Great just what I need. Even more drama with the possibility of big explosions."


    5 Minutes Later


    They heard a loud crash, and Diamondhead''s hulking crystal figure speed up to the sound, with Gwen and Kevin following. Diamondhead reached a level 8 security door with a giant hole cut out. Alarms were going off signaling said break-in. He whistled at the sight. Gwen and Kevin caught up and gave a similar response.


    Kevin stepped forward and examined the metal door. "It''s coltan. Whoever did this was able to heat this to the melting point at about 3000 degrees Celsius."


    Diamondhead replied."We''re getting close. Keep an eye out." After they went through the hole in the security door, they saw that the walls lined with security boxes. "Wow. Look at all this. These must have been here for years."


    Kevin explained. "Due to the amount of paperwork, Plumbers tend to keep them in storage for much longer than intended."


    Gwen stopped. "Wait. Do you hear that?"


    "Yeah. It''s this way!" Kevin exclaimed as he ran toward the source.


    BTOOOM


    A door flew off of its hinges, revealing a helmeted figure in a black cloak with purple lining.


    "Well, if it isn''t the pest, himself: Ben Tennyson and company. What an unpleasant surprise."


    "Yeah, and it''s all cinnamon and spice for us seeing you, Eon," Diamondhead stated sarcastically.


    "What are you even doing here?" Gwen demanded.


    "Uh... isn''t he stealing confiscated alien tech?" Kevin whispered to his girlfriend. Gwen sweatdropped as the answer to her question was pretty obvious.


    In an attempt to salvage herself, she whispered, "It was a rhetorical question."


    "What could you possibly want from here anyway?" Diamondhead cut in.


    "Ah, but telling you would be too easy. As people say, it''s for me to know and for you to find out. Now it''s time that I get going." Eon reached into his pocket, grabbed a remote, and pressed a button. "Why don''t I introduce you to my entourage while I continue with without you people in the way?" Eon stepped aside, revealing approaching figures. As they left the shadows, it was clear who the enemies were: Techadon robots. "These five have been custom made to hold you off. Ta ta." The Techadons jumped and landed in front of the team.


    The Alien Force took their battle stances, and Ben looked towards the retreating figure and said, "Once we finish these tin cans, I''ll be coming after you."


    "Yes. Yes. Whatever you say. I have much work to do" Eon ran off into the shadows.


    "Let''s get this over with." Kevin absorbed the steel from a support beam, and Gwen charged up her hands.


    The room turned into an all-out brawl. It didn''t take long for the trio to breakthrough several walls to bring the fight outside.


    Diamond held off the machine and glanced at the others. Gwen and Kevin were doing well holding off one Techadon each, but the two extras were pushing them back. "Looks like we''re gonna have to even the odds." Diamondhead punched the machine straight at the chest, pushing it back about 20 feet. Diamond pressed the Omnitrix symbol on his cheek, and he was once again engulfed in emerald light. When the light show ended, a small white humanoid stood. One of his most noticeable features was a square appendage resembling an MP3 player behind his back with a port on it. The alien appeared to have cassette tapes on his lower legs. He wore a pair of headphones around his head, and he had green circle-shaped indents on the back of his hands. The inside of his mouth was green with lines that give it the appearance of an amplifier. "ECHO ECHO!" His voice sounded high-pitched and electronic.


    He immediately split into three copies. "Help them."


    "Got it." the two said in sync and ran off.


    Echo Echo faced the staggering robot and glared. "Wall¡­." He split into three copies. "of¡­" The three turned into nine. "Sound!" All nine copies reverberated the last word in sync of one another. The sound waves amplified each other into a single devastating blow through constructive interference. The Techadon was still standing, but it was sparking in places. ''Thank you, physics.'' Echo Echo thought.


    Meanwhile


    "Lay off the family, rust buckets!" The two Echo Echos attracted the attention of the two extra Techadons. The two Echo Echos nodded at each other and stood at opposite sides of the robots. "Echo Chamber!" In a flash, the two robots were surrounded by copies, bearing down the force of multiple amplified sonic attacks and sparking like the others.


    Suddenly, the Techadons grabbed Gwen and Kevin and pinned them down. The remaining three grabbed onto the Echos. "Ben!"


    "Hey, let us go you oversized action figures!" They yelled in unison.


    "Yes. Thank you for the distraction, my minions. I have finally completed the device."


    "What''s it going to do? Destroy me? Just like every other time, someone tried that on me?" Echo Echo said sarcastically.


    "As much as I would love to destroy you, I believe that I have found a much better solution to prevent your further hindrance." A machine with a large ring was wheeled into view. "Through my many travels, I had seen many alternate timelines when I battled the Tennysons and the Omnitrix." His eye made a glance at Gwen before turning his attention back to Ben


    Echo Echo didn''t know why he used his family name, so he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. "So? That means I''ll always be there to kick your butt one way or another." He replied in a mocking tone.


    "That''s where you''re wrong. I know that I can''t kill you." He looked at the Omnitrix symbol remembering the Omniverse timeline. Echo Echo gave a confused look. "Since I can''t do that, I''ll just have to move you." Eon pressed a button on his wrist, and the device lit up and activated. Inside the ring was a distortion of colors. "It brings me great pleasure that I have the opportunity to cast you out, forever lost within the expanding multiverse."


    "What!?" Gwen and Kevin called out.


    "How is that even possible for you? I thought you could only move through time." Gwen still struggling to get free.


    "Ah. Yes. I still haven''t gotten to that part yet." He turned back to Ben and asked, "Do you remember that interview you had a few years ago?"


    Echo Echo thought back and remembered. He hoped he wasn''t right. "Yes," he said reluctantly.


    "You disappeared on national television, so it was obvious for me to find out about your...predicament."


    "What did you do?!" Echo Echo shouted. Ben knew Eon was referring to the time he went into Rex''s Earth, but what happened while he was gone.


    "While you were on the other side of that thing doing who knows what, I decided to do a little digging. That little light show that appeared was an event horizon. The energy particles were able to tear through the boundaries of the multiverse. I tried to close the anomaly before you could return to no avail. That was when I realized that this was my opportunity to get rid of you. I just needed to bide my time to get the necessary equipment and set the trap."


    The three Echo Echos struggled to get free from the robotic grips, but their small form didn''t give them the necessary strength. "Don''t make me do something I might regret Eon. Surrender now and maybe I won''t punch you in the face."


    Eon scoffed. "A tempting offer, but I must get started." He turned around to run some diagnostic checks.


    The three Echo Echos looked at each other and nodded. 3...2...1


    SCHREEEEEEECH


    Each Echo aimed at a different target. Two aimed at the two Techadons holding down Gwen and Kevin, and One was aimed right at Eon and the control panel.


    "AAAAAHHHHHHH" Eon yelled in pain. He needed to get out of range, so he jumped away to safety as the console began to spark and the machine shutting down.


    Gwen and Kevin were able to break free from the Techadon''s holds, and they proceeded to bash their helmets.


    The three Echo Echos tried to blast sound waves at their captors, but they were able to shut him up. How? They shoved their fists into his mouths. Gross.


    With Ben incapacitated and Gwen and Kevin still distracted, Eon needed to act fast. He ran to the console and pulled the manual override activating the machine once again. "I need you gone now!" The device powered on, but something was off. It was too unstable, and it began to pull in the surroundings. "Goodbye, Ben. I''ll see you never." In an instant, Eon jumped out of the current timeline.


    This was bad. The Techadons were still holding onto Ben, and he needed to get out. He never tried this move before, but now was a good time as any. The three Echo Echos closed their eyes and focused. Suddenly all three exploded into multiple clones, causing the robots to lose their grip.


    The multiple clones unleashed multiple sonic attacks shattering the three robots to scrap. What the clones didn''t know was that the pull of the machine was getting stronger. The Echos tried to run for it, but the pull was too strong. Some recombined, and then they became a line of 5 clones each hanging on to the other with one hanging onto a nearby railing.


    "Somebody, stop this crazy thing!" all five of them screamed in sync. The duplicates couldn''t focus enough to recombine.


    "I''m slipping," the one in the far end yelled.


    "Just hold on a little longer" the one-fourth in line yelled back.


    Number five looked ahead to the struggling Echo slowly losing his grip on the railing. He looked back to copy number 4 "If the original is going to survive this and get married, we need to let go."


    "Are you crazy? We can''t do that. We don''t know what''s on the other side."


    "We can''t wait for the others any longer, and the pull is getting stronger."


    "I don''t want Julie to be a widow before she even gets married. I know I''m going to regret this but fine. The original is the priority."


    "Follow my lead." Both clones let go allowing Echo Prime to reaffirm his grip. The two flew through the air toward the hole. Five gave a hard look at 4, and they both nodded. Both opened their mouths and unleashed a combined sonic attack at the ring. The machine began to break down, and the hole started to shrink slowly. Unfortunately, the pull was still active. "Hopefully, I''ll see you on the other side. Stay safe" 5 saluted to 4.


    "Who knows? Maybe we''ll make it back home." Four replied. They both smiled at each other as they both flew into the tear.


    Seconds later, the tear closed, and Echo Echo Prime was finally able to let go and recombine. Gwen and Kevin made it back to Ben and saw the broken robots at the destroyed machine.


    "What happened here, Ben?" Gwen asked.


    Echo Echo pressed the symbol on his chest and reverted into Ben. Ge had a somber expression. "I couldn''t recombine, and I couldn''t hold onto all five of us. 2 of my clones decided to let go so I could live." He sat down to absorb today''s events.


    Gwen placed a hand on Ben''s shoulder. "Ben, we can mourn for their loss later. Don''t let their sacrifice be in vain. You still haven''t heard Julie''s answer yet." Ben''s expression perked up at the mention of Julie. They began walking back to the tournament to find Julie.


    Kevin took his other shoulder. "Don''t worry Ben. I''m sure they''re in a better place."


    Elsewhere


    Echo Echo opened his eyes as he felt a massive gust of wind blowing on his face. That''s when he realized he was falling from the sky.


    "Oh, geez! What the¨C?!" Echo Echo tried to say as he kept falling. He immediately slapped the Omnitrix symbol once again transformed. In place was a hulking, broad-shouldered alien covered in natural, yellow armor plating on his back, shoulders, and the backs of his arms. The alien was mostly white, with four claws on both of his hands. This was Cannonbolt.


    He rolled up into a ball and crashed on the ground, creating a sizable crater. He turns back to human form and lies down on the same hole. "Ow..." He muttered.


    If any of you have any thoughts, please leave it in a review.


    Recently, I opened a Pat reon for those who want to support me and my writing. First and foremost, I will never hold my stories hostage for donations. I will continue to write when I can. If you want to donate towards me as thanks for my fanfiction, then that is very kind of you.


    pat reon.


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    Omnitrix DNA Entry:


    Name: XLR8


    Species: Kineceleran


    Home World: Kinet


    Powers and Abilities:


    Kinecelerans can manipulate friction to reach speeds of 500 mph within two seconds. No top speed has been recorded as of yet. This species can accelerate so quickly that time appears to completely stop. They also seem to think, act and react at superhuman speed as well, as he was able to think of a million combinations in a few seconds. They can deliver speed-enhanced attacks rapidly, such as excessively kicking or stabbing enemies with great speed and strength. This species has enhanced speed, agility, jumping, reflexes, recovery, strength, dexterity, and durability. They have sharp claws and a prehensile tail. They can also wall and water run, and create vortexes.


    Name: Diamondhead


    Species: Petrosapien


    Home World: Petropia


    Powers and Abilities:


    Petrosapiens are composed of extremely thick organic green crystals. They have the ability to manipulate the atomic structure of their physiology at will and can control all crystals they generate. Being living prisms, Petrosapiens can refract light and beam-based weaponry, channeling them through their bodies and projecting them back at their source. Due to the natural density of crystal, Petrosapiens are extremely durable to physical impacts. Because of Petrosapiens are made out of organic crystals, Petrosapiens are immune to aging and time rays, as crystals do not age.


    Name: Echo Echo


    Species: Sonosarian


    Home World: Sonosaria


    Powers and Abilities:


    Sonosarians are small, white aliens whose bodies are living amplifiers. They are actually living sonic waves contained in a suit made of silicon. Sonorosians can emit sonic screams that range from audible to ultrasonic frequencies. Sonorosians can duplicate themselves, like the Splixsons, but different in that the clones aren''t linked in any way, allowing entire groups to be knocked out without harming the rest. Using their sonic screams, Sonorosians can use echolocation.


    Name: Cannonbolt


    Species: Arburian Pelarota


    Home World: Arburia (destroyed)


    Powers and Abilities:


    Arburian Pelarotas have the ability to curl into a ball and, like a motorized wheel, roll at high speeds, ricochet, and bounce. This shell is highly durable, able to resist corrosive chemicals. Arburian Pelarotas have a high sense of balance. Arburian Pelarotas can contain fairly large objects within their spheroid form. An Arburian Pelarota''s shell is resistant to acids and lava, and can refract lasers. While rolled up, Arburian Pelarotas can survive a drop from space to Earth, with just minor amounts of pain from the impact received. Arburian Pelarotas are capable of rolling in a circular pattern to damage enemies, compressing themselves tightly and then releasing the pressure to create a sonic blast. Arburian Pelarotas are able to flop onto the ground to create a shockwave, as well as rotate quickly to generate a miniature tornado.


    A/N:


    I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you did, please favorite, follow, and review. See you guys next chapter. Before we get to the story, I want to let off some steam about most of the Ben 10 and JL/YJ crossovers I have seen. I am sick and tired of the whole "I lost my family, so now I''m gonna kill myself" BS. It''s been done to death. At least with Ben 10,000 Returns by Ashton Knight, Ben grows a pair and does something productive with his life. Ashton even offers a timeline and explanation since he or she made both series occur in the same universe. The only completed story that I can truly compliment for the "I lost my family, so now I''m gonna kill myself" scenario is Ben 10: Unlimited by The Incredible Muffin. It was your story that made me love the idea of this particular crossover.


    For the record black holes do not lead to other worlds. Black holes are very large concentrations of matter with such a high gravity that light cannot escape it. It has an ever-increasing mass and can reach a near zero volume. What authors should be referring to as a tear in space and time is a wormhole.


    On a different note, there is so much plagiarism in the Ben 10 JL/YJ crossovers. Two stories had the same scenario with Wonder Girl, and one pretty much stole a kiss scene with Chesire from a DBZ/YJ crossover. For god sake people, if you are going to copy, at least cite the original work.


    This Ben takes place in an alternate timeline to the canon Ben. Events from Omniverse will be used at my discretion. I mean really... Ben and Julie broke up over a video game phone call, and Ben became less mature than before. In addition, the retcon of Plumber''s kids and Kevin sucked. For the record, character designs will be determined at my discretion. Some of the omniverse character redesigns are friggin ugly. Why does NRG have a damn handle on his head? Why does Echo Echo look like a deformed troll? I believe that using more pleasant character descriptions will help visualize the story better.


    Since I plan on making the two series originally separate, I wanted to use an adapted version of the intro from RWBBYVerse: Clash of Heroes by bcarandang1


    Chapter 2


    4:36 pm


    "Wake up Tennyson." A voice said.


    "No, Mom. I don''t want to go to school today. I want to stay home and bake cookies with you.


    "Ugh¡­ Benjamin K. Tennyson, you wake up this instant!" It yelled in annoyance.


    "Aaaah." Ben woke up instantly to the yell.


    "Finally," it said in relief.


    Ben looked around for the source of the voice but found none. "Who said that?"


    "I did," the voice replied.


    Ben looked at the Omnitrix in confusion. "What?" Suddenly, the faceplate opened up and projected a hologram of a small frog-like being.


    "I''ve been trying to wake you for about an hour now." It sighed in relief.


    Ben raised an eyebrow. "Azmuth? What are you doing here?"


    "I''m not Azmuth. I''m the AI that runs the Omnitrix. Azmuth 10. Who do you think says all those indications to you?"


    Ben just blinked. "I''m surprised about seeing an AI besides Eunice."


    Azmuth 10 decided to explain. "The Omnitrix uses quantum computing to analyze all the DNA stored within along with monitoring the various functions. Azmuth couldn''t trust any AI except one he made himself."


    "So why are you here now? You haven''t shown up before."


    "I was given this feature with the latest update you received. Whenever you lost connection to Primus, things tend to go poorly, so he allowed me to speak to you in such cases."


    "Well, that''s good because I happen to be in a bit of a pickle."


    Azmuth sighed in annoyance. "What happened this time?"


    Ben relayed the events before his arrival here.


    "So you''re one of the Sonosarian clones. Interesting."


    "Interesting? What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "Remember when you split yourself using the Sonosarian DNA a while back."


    "Yeah. I ended up causing trouble because of the different personalities."


    "After you told me that, I was programmed to reduce mental side effects. At the moment, your mental state should be about equal to the originals. "


    "Well, that sounds good. If we''re able to get back home, do you think that we could recombine."


    "I''m not so sure about that."


    "Why?"


    "Do you know how Sonosarians reproduce?"


    Ben thought about Echo Echo. "Isn''t the species just living sound in a suit?"


    "Exactly. When Sonosarian clones separate for long periods, their brain waves come out of sync. The clone becomes its distinct consciousness. That''s how they reproduce."


    "So if I don''t get home soon, I won''t be able to recombine with the original Ben."


    Azmuth nodded, "That is correct."


    Ben sighed in relief. "That''s not too bad. I''m alive. He''s alive. Not the worse thing to happen."


    Azmuth smirked at the response. "I''m glad to see such optimism in our current situation."


    Ben shrugged. "Since we''re pretty much stuck here with no way back, we should probably look for civilization."


    "Indeed. I may be able to help you in that regard. Raise the Omnitrix above your head." Ben did as requested. The hologram turned off, and energy emitted.


    Confused, Ben asked. "What was that?"


    Azmuth began to explain. "I used a small pulse to locate large concentrations of sentient life. There appears to be a city a few miles North just through that swamp. I wouldn''t recommend flying there as we don''t know if this Earth is hostile to new life forms flying. On a side note, there is a signature in the swamp, so you might want to transform before your departure."


    Ben nodded. "Thanks for the help."


    "It''s what I was made to do. Call me again if you need further assistance."


    "No problem." Azmuth closed the hologram function. ''Since we''re going through a swamp, I know who to be.''


    He scrolled through the watch and pressed the core. In a green flash, he became a humanoid plant-like alien with a green and black colored body with root-like feet, seemingly holding rocks. The shoulders and head had red and yellow petals.


    "SWAMPFIRE!" ''Take that, damn mosquitoes. It will be a long walk¡­'' "Engage Lifeform lock."


    "Lifeform Lock Engaged"


    ''Better get a move on.''


    8:14 pm


    Swampfire was in the middle of the swamp. ''Sheesh, how big is this place? Huh?'' He came to a small clearing with a strange plant-like house near the swamp water. ''Must be that signature Azmuth told me earlier. I should approach carefully.''


    "Hello! Is anyone inside? I''m just passing through. I mean no harm. I''m just heading to the nearest city." A minute passed, and there was no response. "I guess no one''s home."


    "Who are you?"


    Ben turned to the direction of the voice. A shadowy figure stepped into the light of the clearing. What Ben saw surprised him. ''Is he an alien?''


    The creature eyed him warily. "What are you doing here?"


    "I mean no harm. My name is Swampfire. I''m just passing through."


    "Hmm." The creature looked at Swampfire once more. "...Very well. You may call me Alec. The Swamp seems to confirm your words. I will trust you for now." He gave an immense glare and looked to the sky. "It is getting late to continue on foot. I permit you to stay for the night."


    "Uh...Thanks. I appreciate the hospitality."


    10:13 pm


    The two were gathered around a fire cooking some gator that they caught earlier. They ate in awkward silence until Ben decided to break it. "So¡­what are you?"


    "What do you mean? Are we not of the same origin."


    Swampfire raised his nonexistent eyebrow. "You''re an alien too?


    It was Alec''s turn to be confused. "I am confused. Are you not a product of the Swamplands? You are an alien?"


    Ben could feel the awkwardness in the air. "Well...yeah."


    Alec eyed him top to bottom, trying to get a read on him. "So, you''re like that Superman guy but a plant... How is that possible?"


    ''Superman? I guess he''s a known alien here then.'' "Uh. I come from a planet where plants evolved into sapient life." It wasn''t a total lie. That is what happened for this species but not him personally. "What about you?"


    "At the moment, I am not sure. I used to be human, studying these very same Swamplands, but there was an accident."


    ''Well... that''s a new one to add to the origin books.'' "I''m sorry to hear that." He wasn''t sure about what else to say.


    "Don''t worry about me. I have come to terms with my new life a long time ago. The Green, it comforts me, guides me.


    "The Green?" Ben asked.


    "I don''t fully comprehend it myself, but it resides and connects with all plant-life all around us. It is within me. I can even sense it within you."


    Swampfire placed a hand to his chest. "Woah. That''s heavy. Although, I think I know someone who can clarify."


    Alec tilted his head in confusion.


    "Hey Azmuth, I think I found something you might want to look at."


    From the Omnitrix symbol came the Azmuth AI.


    "Yes, what seems to be the¡­" He cut himself off at the sight of him. "Fascinating, sentient plant life on Earth."


    Alec blinked at the hologram. "Who and what is he?"


    Swampfire paused to come up with an answer and shrugged "He''s my guide of sorts. He''s brilliant, so don''t judge him before you get to know him."


    Alec continued to stare at the little frog thing. "I see."


    A yellow light panned over Alec. Azmuth put a hand to his chin. "From my analysis, I can see that you are perfectly fine. Although you aren''t an evolved life form such as Swampfire here, your consciousness and plant body are bonded together because of the Earth''s mana.


    Alec''s confusion on the current situation grew, raising an eyebrow. "Mana?"


    Swampfire decided to step in and explain. "To me, Mana is considered life energy. It is in all lifeforms and planetary bodies. Doesn''t sound too far off from the Green you mentioned."


    Alec looked at his hands and then to the surrounding swamp. "Fascinating. But, why me?"


    Azmuth nodded. "That''s the question we all ask ourselves. Whether this Green has a conscious or not, it saw something in you before you perished."


    "The Green. It has shown me many things in this Swamp. As there is a light, there is also darkness?"


    Swampfire frowned. "Darkness?"


    Alec pointed into the distance. "Just as the Green is a balance of life and death, there is an imbalance out there, only bringing death, a Rot if you will"


    "That doesn''t sound good at all."


    "I know. It is not a lie to say that the land of the Rot had been abused."


    Swampfire nodded solemnly. "This Green, it''s trying to find balance again, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Tell me. How can I help you get rid of this Rot."


    "The Rot goes beyond conventional biology. I listen to the Green, and they tell me what is needed."


    "You said that you sense the Green within me. Can you teach me?"


    "I would be happy to."


    "Thank you for your help and for talking to me about all this. Maybe in return, we can exchange tips on controlling plants. I''m pretty sure you grew that house that way."


    Alec chuckled before walking toward a tree. "Perhaps. Now, place your hand on this trunk. Close your eyes, and let the Green flow through you."


    For the next hour, Swampfire felt more connected to the world than ever.


    7:16 am


    Both of them had woken up at the crack of dawn. The two were standing outside of the camp seeing each other off.


    "Good luck on your journey. I hope you find what you are looking for." Alec held out his hand toward Swampfire.


    Swampfire took his hand and gave a firm shake, confirming their friendship. "Thanks for everything. Goodbye. I''ll come by and visit sometime." He began walking North.


    Alec waved at the shrinking figure. "Farewell!"


    Swampfire waved back without looking, continuing his journey toward the city.


    A/N:


    If any of you have any thoughts, please leave it in a review.


    Recently, I opened a Pat reon for those who want to support me and my writing. First and foremost, I will never hold my stories hostage for donations. I will continue to write when I can. If you want to donate towards me as thanks for my fanfiction, then that is very kind of you.


    pat reon.


    com/firestorm808


    Omnitrix DNA Entry:


    Name: Swampfire


    Species: Methanosian


    Home World: Methanos


    Powers and Abilities:


    Methanosians have a wide array of powers, such as regeneration powers, the ability to slip through tight spaces, enhanced strength, chlorokinesis, stretching, and the ability to alter their body. They can generate and blast flames of various amounts of heat and intensity through their hands and mouths via igniting the methane in their bodies, with enough precision to melt a metal cage without harming the people inside. Methanosians can reattach detached body parts by manipulating their vine-like "veins" to reach out and meld with the insides of the detached limb. Methanosians could instead regenerate a lost limb or reform if destroyed and their body parts are close enough.


    Reviews:


    blackmoon FierceGods


    Dude, awesome story. I can''t wait for the next chapter, and is he really going to be paired with Julie because I think it would be better if he was paired with someone from the Young Justice universe? So, good job, and I can''t wait for the next chapter. Write soon. Later.


    Reply: The answer to your question will be in this chapter.


    timijaf


    Seems Interesting so I think you are going to have been run so fast he runs into another dimension and this is your story but you don''t have to do this but I never really like it when they have him go to the cave at the start maybe he lands in central city or maybe Starling iCty or Gotham


    Reply: How he gets there will be answered in this chapter. Don''t worry about where he ends up. I plan to be original.


    OmniNinja


    I think it is a great chapter. I can''t wait for the next one. I hope this story works out and Ben is able to return and finish his proposal to Julie. See you next time.


    Reply: Thank you. In addition, I found a way to make both sides happy.


    TerrorKing10


    Okay, you''ve got my attention, now I want to see where this goes. I think Ben should be paired with one of the girls from the dc universe. My top 3 candidates are Miss Martian, Artemis, and Zatanna. You could also add villains who didn''t appear in the show like Metallo, Giganta, Star Sapphire, Toyman and whoever might interest you. Also can Ben''s Ultimatrix scan Superman, Martian Manhunter and whatever other aliens Ben will meet? Update soon.


    Reply: I want to explore the list of available heroines first before I dive into the romance aspect. I want to flesh out characters and allow them to develop. I also want to include storylines outside of the show to assist in the development of characters. Do I plan on scanning aliens? Yes.


    WolfoftheMoonStorm


    This is a really good first chapter. There was a lot of backstory to go through, but it doesn''t feel like too much of an information dump. I''m really curious to see where you''ll go with this story, as most others are never completed.


    Reply: Thank you for the compliment.


    Ben 10 Reader


    I think most of the crossovers in this and the JL section use sandman7734''s Justice League: Ultimate Hero and its reboot as a base (Which kinda pisses me off because there are SO MANY SCENES which were just copied and then changed. A little. Like, only the names. And sometimes even they didn''t get changed). Even Ben 10: Unlimited by The Incredible Muffin was based on sandman773''s story (which was inspired/a bit based on a JL/Spiderman crossover). I read both and while Incredible Muffin''s is complete, it just didn''t pull me in like Justice League: Ultimate Hero. I really hope this one will end up better than both.


    Just, please, don''t overdo it with the romance if you are going to include any. It''s the main thing which made me dislike Ben 10: Unlimited. While I don''t hate romance, it''s pretty much all you can find for Ben 10. *cries*


    Reply: Don''t worry about the story. I plan on using the episodes as pillars of some events with original fillers to add more depth to the story. I love romance as much as the next guy, but love takes time to develop. There may be infatuation or a crush, but that''s not love. I plan on a slow burn type.


    Rider''s Light


    You have a very good, start. Character development is good, and there is enough information to keep the readers up to date with the story, yet they don''t feel as if they are only reading background info. You are not basing the opening off of Sandman (which despite being good is frankly overused), and that separates your story from many others.


    You have caught my attention, and I am eager to see where this story goes.


    Good Job~


    Rider''s Light


    Reply: Thank you for the compliment.

 Chapter 135 - My SI Stash #35 - Chaotic Good by Mister Grin (OverlordXFateElements)

    -An Overlord Munchskin SI fic recommended by venomwave~ It will contain some Fate Elements. And also the MC becomes a dragon.


    *Munchskinry usually refers to abusing loopholes in a given set of rules, in creative and interesting ways


    Sypnosis: The story of a man who just really wishes death would let him be. He tried once. Lived a wonderful life, died at a ripe old age. Yet once more he lives in the body of a young child. Time has torn his life''s work away, and his only skills are ones from a time long past. Lost, he stumbles upon a game he recognizes. He asks himself¡­ why be a King when you can be a God? (Contains smut)


    Rated: M


    Words: 156K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13351069/1/Chaotic-Good (Mister Grin)


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    Chapter 0+1


    Prologue


    To all who have made it this far, and to those who are joining us for the first time, enjoy.


    I woke up.


    Now, ordinarily, this would be a common occurrence. But for someone who just celebrated his seventy-sixth birthday, it was quite the achievement. I had lived a good life, though I had never married due to my job. By the time I retired, I was well past my prime and had no desire to find love. So I continued to live, doing the things I loved. Watching the new anime, reading light novels, keeping up with the otaku culture. It might not be what you think an old man should be doing, but I never cared about those kinds of stereotypes. I might not''ve been the perfect role model, but at least I spent my life as I pleased.


    Which made my current situation a bit of a slap to the face.


    I sat up, blinking. My joints didn''t ache as I moved, a pleasant surprise. My limbs didn''t creak softly as I took my first steps. In fact, I felt younger than I had in years. I reached for my glasses, blinking blearily, only to find the nightstand by my bed to be suspiciously absent. I rubbed my eyes, glancing down at where my glasses should''ve been, only to see an empty floor. An empty floor, viewed with crystal clarity.


    I blinked. Twice.


    ''Did someone give me glasses or something while I slept? That would explain the room. Am I in a hospital?'' I glanced about, immediately discounting the theory. This was a small bedroom, not a hospital room. The design seemed Japanese, with bamboo sliding doors and a simple futon rather than a bed. I didn''t know how I missed that bit, with the futon being much closer to the ground than my own four-poster bed.


    I stumbled towards the dresser beside me, my hands reaching for something. I pulled out a mirror, examining my face. Sharp features, pale skin, black hair. Asian, to be sure. The odd slant of the eyes was my last clue, tipping me off to my new ethnicity.


    I sighed, finally accepting the inevitable. I had died in my sleep. I was in an unfamiliar child''s body, so I must''ve been reincarnated. Some god somewhere must be laughing their ass off at the irony of reincarnating me as a Japanese child.


    "I''m not a weeaboo." I mumbled automatically. "I''m an otaku."


    All of this was spoken in perfect Japanese.


    "¡­Dammit, I really am a weeaboo. F.u.c.k.i.n.g Kami¡­" I felt dead tired for some reason. I joked, sure, but deep down I knew this feeling of exhaustion. I wasn''t meant to be here, in this time. And I doubted I ever would be.


    Old memories rose to my mind, familiar despite their strangeness. They were like an old set of keys¡ªthey had always been there, all I had to do was reach for them. I hesitantly accepted them, and had the disorienting experience of living someone else''s life.


    Keirou. Kitsugiru Keirou. That was my new name. Orphaned at three, taken to an orphanage, left for seven years.


    Damn.


    I mentally adjusted my age to ''over eighty'', slightly amused by the jump. I was surprisingly okay with taking over the kid''s life, since the kid didn''t really have any dreams or aspirations. He just lived. I, on the other hand, had the benefit of a whole life of work. I was easily one of the best programmers back at my old job, so I should be able to have some sort of head start.


    My mind froze as one last detail registered.


    Kitsugiru Keirou was born on January 3, 2116.


    ¡­F.u.c.k.


    ''Are you kidding me? Here I was thinking that I had some kind of head start! Shit! Why can''t it just work like in anime and let me reincarnate in the modern age? Now I have no f.u.c.k.i.n.g clue how much programming has changed since I worked at M**ros*ft!''


    I groaned, slamming my head against the dresser. Something bounced off the top, hitting me squarely on the head. I grimaced, reaching up to pick it up. Upon investigating, I realized it was a headset of some sort. Memories clicked, and I smiled.


    This was the Dive Gear given to me for my tenth birthday, only days ago. I hadn''t gotten the chance to try it out yet, being too busy with homework, but now that I had the mind of an a.d.u.l.t¡­ well.


    My smile became a smirk. The tedious problems that had been hindering young Keirou was hardly a challenge for me. I decided to skip it for now, walking over to my futon next to the wall and picked up a black power cable, which was connected to an outlet. I removed the protective plastic covering on one end of the plug, revealing a plug that was roughly three centimeters across. A silver gleam blended with the liquid glittering of the slippery protective fluid.


    I held the cable in one hand and lifted up the hair on the back of my neck with the other. The subdued glint there came from the man-made object embedded in the nape of my neck. With a practiced ease I never before had, I opened the roughly-three-centimeter cover over the data port. The sliding motion exposed the socket hidden beneath it. I pressed the plug home without any hesitation.


    I exhaled, closing my eyes. I could feel light moving through my body, as though my blood vessels were filled with radiance. The room hadn''t changed, but my field of vision was different now. Several windows popped up within my line of sight, showing me the information flowing into the processor within my brain. I began operating the CPU.


    I picked up the helmet that almost covered my entire head as mandated by the computer laws, connected another wire to my neck and linked it to the helmet, then put it over my head. Although it was a full-face helmet, the camera mounted on the outside would transmit its video signal directly to the brain, so my field of vision was still clear.


    This helmet included a system that would automatically record everything which went on in the virtual world. As an aside, it would retain footage for a month, automatically deleting it after that. A lot of people wanted to avoid wearing this helmet. It was only natural, since putting it on was something like giving up one''s privacy. Yet, almost everyone wore these helmets. It was not just because of the law. It was because it protected people.


    The neural nano-interface was a human brain augmentation which allowed it to function as a super high-performance personal computer. It was essential for daily life, but sometimes they were used in crimes as well. Some hackers would use the brains of others as a springboard to commit fraud.


    Because of that, helmets like these could prove one''s innocence if the wearer was implicated in a crime. One could say this was the safety net of the computing world. In contrast, not having one of these greatly increased the chances that one might be charged when involved in a crime, so only a handful of people chose not to wear them.


    I noted the words that said recording had begun, and then operated the console window floating near my hand. I opened several new windows nearby, then brought one of them near my hand and touched it.


    I was greeted by a menu screen a moment later, a finely textured wooden wall behind it. It was quite impressive, really. I belatedly realized that these days every game was downloaded from online, reaching out and tapping the ''shop'' icon.


    Instantly, a gleaming banner stole my attention. I ignored all the thousands of icons, all the beginner games, the anime-based RPGs that I would''ve loved in my past life. My focus was entirely on a small advertis.e.m.e.nt.


    SYSCON, the world-famous gaming tycoon, has finally released its newest masterpiece in an open beta!


    The icon below it was a simple one, a large tree with nine orbs surrounding it. It was the name of the game that made me pause, staring at the ludicrously cheap price.


    YGGDRASIL.


    I tapped it, bringing up an info screen about an immersive gameplay experience and a variety of customizable features. The game was still in its'' infancy, so all players would be offered the chance to beta-test new features.


    I immediately connected Keirou''s bank account, containing seven years of allowance. The smallest bit would do, so I transferred the funds to pay for the purchase. The game started downloading, and I was left to ponder the implications.


    There were two possibilities, here. First, I just spent under five dollars on a game that would let me beta new features, something most players would kill for. Or second¡­ I had just bought myself a ticket into the world of Overlord.


    Not bad. Not bad at all. It would take time for me to discover which of the explanations fit best, but for now¡­


    I clicked the now-loaded game tile, watching as it took me to an avatar design screen.


    It''s time to play.


    ¡ªThe world changed.


    My cerebral nanomachines began their computations, disrupting my field of vision and taking control of my voluntary nervous system, and everything changed. Countless lines of algorithms swept across my vision, and they vanished in an instant. They seemed to have some significance, but since I knew nothing about them, they were meaningless to me. Definitely a subject for later study.


    An empty void extended in all directions¡ªno, there were things sparkling in the darkness like stars¡ªlike space. Among them floated a gigantic tree that seemed to encompass everything.


    ¡ªBeginning entry.


    This was my chance. My one shot at getting all I ever wanted. At finding my way into a world that I had full control over.


    Sorry, Momonga, I might be crashing your game.


    ¡ªPlease stand by.


    Part of my visual field flickered, and as I tilted his head to the side, I could see something. An Avatar creation field.


    I grinned.


    Showtime.


    Chapter 1


    Act I: Breaking the Game for Fun and Profit


    Chapter 1¡ªWhat Could Possibly Go Wrong?


    Year: 2126 AD


    I hummed to myself, flexing my wings experimentally. "Interesting." I mused, twisting midair. "I can almost feel the wind on my face."


    Cool, isn''t it? A chat message floated past my face.


    "Yeah, it really is." I agreed. "But really, you didn''t have to go so far as to design an entirely new race just because I helped out a bit."


    You gave us advice that helped stabilize the server and decrease data usage by fifty percent. It was the least we could do.


    I hid my smirk. What they had been using wasn''t too bad for the indie platform they were, but it still had tons of room for improvement. "I still think creating a Dragon for me to fly in is too far, though."


    It was a simple matter of pulling the textures and avatar shape off an unused Boss. The message dismissed. All things considered, you asked for very little. Most players would''ve asked for a sword with infinity plus one damage or something.


    I raised a scaled eyebrow. "And what purpose would that serve? All I''m doing is enjoying myself, after all. You haven''t added any Raid Bosses yet, so I''ve just been grinding my Skill Levels."


    You''d be surprised how few people care about ''purpose''. Most players would''ve asked for the sword just to kill other players.


    "That would get boring fast."


    ¡­We''re getting off topic. How does the flight simulation feel? Is it too rough?


    I flapped my leathery wings once more. "Not really¡­ if anything, it''s too smooth. If you''re going for realism, I''d suggest adding a dip in flight between wingbeats. Especially if you''re planning on adding this kind of mechanic for humanoid Races."


    That was the core of today''s little exercise. As a programmer, even a ''retired'' one, I quickly became the Developers'' best beta-tester. I actually had experience with coding, so I knew what was and wasn''t possible. It had taken a while for me to get familiar with the new lingo and capabilities of the software, but I soon found that it wasn''t all that different than what I was used to.


    Today I was testing a flight mechanic in a test world. The Developers were considering adding such a mechanic to simulate the Angelic and Demonic races, so they needed to know how it worked before they could release it. After I had helped them a few dozen times, they had pretty much given me a free request as a thank-you.


    So, knowing how awesome it would be, I jokingly suggested that they turn me into a Dragon and give me a maiden to guard.


    To my eternal shock, they had taken me at my word and turned an unused Boss into an in-game Avatar. They let me customize it up the wazoo, even kept its'' Stats as the new Race''s starting quota. They eventually lowered the rate of experience gained after they realized how overpowered it would be otherwise, but they insisted I keep the Avatar.


    So here I am. Testing a Dragon''s flight abilities in a test world.


    "I think you should add drag as well." I tried to slow myself by tilting my wings, but my speed didn''t change. "Use a basic algorithm to start with, then build off that. I''d suggest teaching a few people how to use a Unity platform if you need help on those kinds of things. The basic download package comes with a sample of a car on a race track that uses the concept of speed pretty well."


    Noted. There was a slight pause. Unity, you said? That''s some pretty old-school stuff.


    I rolled my eyes. Not that my Avatar copied the gesture, of course, but it was the thought that counted. "It''s what I used back in the day. Don''t diss the old stuff, it still works just fine. Unity was the best 3D rendering software for beginners back when I was in my prime, and if it worked for us, it''ll work for you."


    Yeah, yeah, keep your pants on old geezer.


    I twitched. "Watch it, brat. I might be old, but I can still whup your ass."


    ¡­Old codger.


    "Shitty dev."


    Fossil.


    "Greenhorn."


    Outdated otaku.


    I smirked to myself, coasting down to the featureless ground. "Damn straight, kid."


    Heh.


    I shifted my stance, eyeing how my form seemed to merge into the ground slightly. "You really should figure out those solidity mechanics."


    You really should accept a paycheck for once. You''re acting as a professional, so you might as well get paid as one.


    I winced slightly. Physically I was still a kid, so getting multiple thousand-dollar deposits into my account would raise more than a few eyebrows.


    Unless¡­


    "I''ve been thinking about that, actually." I shifted again, watching my shadow ripple. At least they had gotten that right. "I don''t need the money, but would you mind opening an in-game account and adding some currency to pay for cash items with? I probably won''t use it much, but it would make for an excellent backup fund if things ever go sideways. Get what I''m saying?"


    An odd request, to be sure, but I''ll talk with my boss about it. There shouldn''t be an issue with that kind of thing, and I''m sure it will come in useful one day.


    "That it will."


    Well, the number crunchers have finished running the stats. I think that''s it for today, see you later Miyagi-san.


    I chuckled, amused as always to see my pseudonym typed out so seriously. "See you, Karate Kid."


    ¡­I never get your references.


    "Good. It means you''re young." I stretched. "Well, I''ll be in Midgard if you need me. See you."


    I swiped downwards with a claw, watching the menu scroll down. I clicked the ''log out'' button, and my surroundings turned black. I tapped the YGGDRASIL icon once more, and the game loaded into an entirely different world.


    The world of darkness filled with light.


    It was a strange feeling. Though I closed my eyes, it felt like they were still open. The brief disorientation I felt as my mind switched over to a fictional world quickly faded away.


    I found myself within the depths of a jungle, sunlight streaming through the branches and creating dappled patches of warmth below. I stretched, enjoying the muted sensation of heat. Even if it was primitive, the system still allowed for a light sense of touch. I wasn''t sure if that would ever be improved, but the chances were slim. You never really knew in this game, though.


    The most distinctive feature of YGGDRASIL was its flexible system to allow players to freely make choices. Players could select numerous Races, Jobs and various Tools, allowing for customization in the game. There are special Classes, Items, and more that Players could find and obtain through adventures, some focusing on certain Skills like instant death Spells and others on obtaining Prismatic Ores that are of the highest purities in YGGDRASIL.


    I never really felt bad for getting a custom Race like this, not when I had spent so much time researching modern game structure just to be useful. I worked my ass off to get this far, so it was only right that I got something from it. The Developers balanced it fairly evenly anyway, making it almost impossible to play for the first fifty levels. After that it would be one of the most badass Races in the whole damn game, sure, but until then I would be fighting an uphill battle.


    It was technically possible for any Player to become a Dragon, but doing so required one to fully level a character to 100, only to sacrifice it and all its'' gear upon facing one particularly difficult hidden Boss. Since YGGDRASIL only allowed one character per Player, that wasn''t a sacrifice many would be willing to make even if they managed to meet the nigh-impossible odds to reach it. I did so in under a week as soon as the Devs told me about the Quest, even though they offered to let me skip it entirely.


    I wasn''t going to skip any steps to reaching my goal.


    I started out as a Brawler, not bothering to pick up the specialized gear required to become a different Class. From there I just grinded through the game until I hit Level 100 then beat the secret Boss to death with my fists. It was hard, sure, but damn was it satisfying.


    Unfortunately, resetting my character to become a different Race had its'' drawbacks, too. Namely that I was suddenly stuck at Level 1 in a Race of Heteromorphs that had such steep EXP requirements to reach even a single Level that it was bordering on ridiculous to even make it past the first ten.


    Fortunately, I had long since tracked down a few people to help me while I was stuck as a bottom-feeder.


    "Oi, Ancient One!" A friendly voice called.


    I turned, enjoying the sinuous movement of my Draconic form. "Ah, Touch Me. Glad to see you could make it."


    "We were wondering when you would show up." Another voice, this one much lower.


    "Ulbert." I hummed to myself, flapping up to roost on a low-hanging branch. "How are you two doing?"


    "Fantastic!" Touch Me struck a pose. "The fires of Justice light our souls from within, never to be extinguished!"


    "Shut up, numbskull."


    "I will not be silenced!"


    "You sure about that? Because if you keep spouting off ''justice'' lines and puns, I might try."


    "Hah, I''d love to see that."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    I watched the two bicker with a small smile on my face.


    The two would one day both be a part of a certain Clan, the mechanics of which hadn''t even been added to the game yet. Nine''s Own Goal, the Clan that would one day become Ainz Ooal Gown, hadn''t been formed and wouldn''t be for some time. All I had was a few friends who I knew well enough to trust.


    In the original world, the founding members of Nine''s Own Goal were Players named Momonga, Touch Me, Nishiki Enrai, Wish III, Warrior Takemikazuchi, Ancient One, Flatfoot, and Amanomahitotsu. I shamelessly sniped one of their names to take as my own in the early days of the game, not knowing if it would help but figuring it couldn''t hurt. So far the game''s ''search by name'' function had only registered around half of the future Clan members'' names as present, meaning the fated gathering was a while off still.


    The two Players with me are two future members of Ainz Ooal Gown, not that they know it yet. Touch Me is to be the inspiration for Momonga, a mentor to the young skeleton. Ulbert will join eventually too, though for reasons I don''t know he isn''t one of the founders.


    For now? They''re just a couple of Level 15 scrubs I met back when I was topping Level 90. One an Insectoid, the other a Demon.


    Admittedly it''s quite funny to see Players who will one day top the rankings proudly wearing such trashy gear, but I''ll keep the blackmail photos to myself until we actually become a Guild.


    "I take it you finally hit Level 20, Ulbert-san?" I tilted my head, enjoying the feeling of gazing down on the goat-like Demon. "That''s a pretty snazzy cape you''ve got there."


    Touch Me turned, a surprised emote appearing above his character''s head. "Oh, I hadn''t noticed! That''s incredible, Ulbert-san!"


    The goat preened, swishing the red cape proudly.


    "Speaking of Levels¡­" Touch Me''s voice had gained a mischievous edge. Touch Me''s hand darted out and plucked me off my branch, making me squawk in indignation. "What Level are you now, anyway?"


    I scowled.


    As cool as being a Dragon was, the Devs are still complete trolls. I asked for something that would grow along with me, and they took me at my word. A game-balancing Racial Trait, they called it.


    [Natural Growth].


    A simple idea, though one that was extremely irritating. Simply put, my size was based off my Level. For every Level I had, I grew. So, hypothetically, I would be at 100% growth or ''full size'' at Level 10 and the size of a small mountain at Level 50. While I agreed at the time that it would be an excellent idea, I really didn''t think it through that much.


    Then they started basing the rest of my Traits off of that as well, scaling based on my size. My scales would grant increased defenses based on how ''thick'' they were, my breath weapon grew in AoE and damage, my physical attacks would gain a boost¡­ it all sounded amazing, really. But like a complete fool, I never pictured what it would be like at the Level I started out at.


    After all, this game is brutal to low-Leveled players.


    "Level 2." I grumbled, winding around to perch more comfortably on the Insectoid''s wrist.


    Touch Me burst out laughing. I ignored him, indignantly rustling my scales. I was only about a meter from tail to snout at the moment, which only translated to about forty centimeters of height while I was on four legs. Sure, I had been told I''d be ''fully grown'' to the size of an a.d.u.l.t Dragon at Level Ten, but that meant right now I was at a decimal number of that. All of my scaling buffs based themselves off that one Trait, which meant that they were all multiplied on a friggin'' decimal.


    My total AoE, defense, and general effectiveness as a player were all divided by ten.


    That''s right. Not only am I a total shrimp, but literally everything can one-shot me.


    F.u.c.k my life.


    "At least I can fly." I tried, rustling my wings. "I''m totally epic in that sense."


    "Congratulations." Ulbert said smugly. "You can perform the same duties as an NPC summon. You must feel proud."


    "F.u.c.k off." I may have sulked a bit at that, but I felt well within my rights to do so. "You just keep dragging me into Level 10 zones. We might be in a Party, but I still get an EXP penalty from it.


    "Cheer up, little lizard." Ulbert reached into his Inventory, pulling out a tiny piece of meat. "I found one of those rare temporary Stat-boosting Recovery Items. It should give you enough to take on a Level 5 dungeon once or twice."


    I sighed again, head darting out to snatch the piece of meat. As soon as my jaws closed around it it dissolved into a stream of light, a new icon popping into existence in the top right of my screen. "Not that it''ll help much." I grumbled, settling back. "The amount of EXP required for a single Level in this Race is over six times what anything else needs."


    "Your fault when you chose to give up your Levels to get a different Race." Ulbert said smugly. "I warned you to stay as a Brawler, and now look at you."


    "Yes, yes, you told me so." I snapped. "Now can we get to the fighting? I want to get to Level 10 as soon as possible."


    "Calm down, Ancient-san." Touch Me intervened, voice amused. "Ulbert, stop provoking him. He doesn''t have much control over his character right now, but he expected that. That''s why he started looking for those World Items back when he was at the top."


    I nodded in agreement.


    It was well-known from my time as a high-ranker that my dream was to track down one of the World Items capable of allowing direct requests of the Developers. They were only spoken of in quiet whispers, rumors rather than concrete fact. The Devs had spoken about such items on their site so people knew they existed, but one had yet to be found.


    But since when did I care about something pointless like that? I already knew everything about the things. Just because the timeline hadn''t caught up didn''t mean that I couldn''t beat the timeline. I knew all about the World Items described in the Light Novels of this very world. And from that knowledge I could plot my moves.


    My goal was a simple one. No Spell or Skill allowed a Player to change between Races at will, no matter how high-leveled you got. The Devs had confirmed it with me personally when I asked about it. Since it was part of the existing system before I got there I couldn''t exactly ask them politely to change it, so I went for the next best thing. I was going to hunt down two of what would be called ''the Twenty''. Two extraordinarily powerful one-use World Items. One named Five Elements Overcoming, the other named Ouroboros.


    Five Elements Overcoming has the power to request the game Developers to change part of the game''s Magic system in YGGDRASIL. For instance, according to Suzuki Satoru, while Wands could not contain such a 9th tier Spell like Perfect Unknowable, it was possible with this said World Item. If he wanted a Wand that is Magically enchanted with that kind of Spell, he would need this World Item or Ouroboros which can allow him to make a request of the Developers about it.


    As for Ouroboros¡­ well, that one is one that I''m going to be hunting in secret. A sort of long-term goal, if you will. Ouroboros possesses a power which is said to be a superior version of the Super-Tier Magic [Wish Upon A Star]. It can directly contact the Developers and request one wish the holder of Ouroboros wants to be granted from them.


    Yes, yes, I know what you''re saying now. Why not just ask the Developers to do it for me now? Well, the answer to that is quite simple. I''m trying to keep my relationship with them cordial, and that means I can''t really ask them to do anything for me. Sure, I got this sweet Avatar off of them, but that was contingent on me helping them with flight mechanics. If I started making ridiculous requests, in their eyes I''d just become another asshole who wants something from them. No, if I want them to do something for me, I need to do it the proper way. And that means a lot of hunting.


    While I was grinding those last grueling Levels to reach 100 in my human Avatar, I made it known that I would pay handsomely for information regarding the location of World Items. I had quite the nest egg built up from constantly running high-tier locations and gathering the loot they dropped. But I wasn''t counting on that to work, here in YGGDRASIL information was more valuable than gold. All I really wanted out of that was to give myself an excuse to gather as many World Items as I could while being able to explain my horde away as purchasing from other Players.


    How did I plan get the two specific World Items I wanted? The Light Novel never said where they dropped or how they were found, so it should be impossible to retrace those steps, right? So how did I plan to do it?


    Simple. By going through as many dungeons as possible.


    There''s a hidden function in the game, one that literally no one but me knows. I learned it from reading an Extra of the Light Novel telling of how the Guild was first formed. They learned in that Extra that clearing a dungeon on the first try gave special rewards based on the difficulty and type of dungeon. They then proceeded to use this knowledge to become the Guild that held the largest stock of World-Class Items in all of YGGDRASIL. For me to get the Items I wanted, I would have to clear a dungeon with a recommended Level of 80+ on the first try with a party of less than eight members.


    If all went well, I would be able to do it with one.


    I planned on being the most powerful solo player in this game, just in case things went sideways. When The End comes, I might get separated from Nazerick and have to survive until Momonga gets there. It was clearly stated that several Players arrived before my as-of-yet unfound skeleton friend, which meant it was entirely possible for us to get pulled into two different times.


    In the future I''ll be a powerhouse, capable of running the dungeons I needed all by myself. I''d be able to contact the Devs, create the Spell or Skill needed to transform oneself into a humanoid race. Who knows, I might even make a tidy profit off doing it.


    Unfortunately, that time isn''t now.


    I glanced at the timer remaining on the ''Goblin''s Strength'' buff. Less than three hours, it seemed like. "Looks like we have plenty of work to do." I stretched, shaking myself off. There was no dust here, but the compulsion remained. It felt odd to have scales. "It''ll become easier as I Level, so hopefully by the time we''re done tonight I''ll be a decent Player again. I have a few spots ideal for small groups to grind in if you''re interested."


    Both Players perked up. Though they never admitted it, this was exactly the reason they stuck around me. I was practically a gold mine of information about the ideal places to just camp and slaughter mobs. I had spent over a hundred hours just exploring the game''s Nine Worlds, after all, and my ascent to 100 the first time had practically gone down in legend. Most people figured I knew some cheat, but the truth was that was just good at guessing where to look.


    "What Level is the area?" Touch Me asked, pulling up a map.


    I chuckled. "Level 20. Functionally only half that. It still gives EXP like a Level 20 area, but the mobs are so wimpy and have such terrible Attack Stats that a well-geared pair of Level 4s could take them on." My eyes gleamed. "The best part? It''s a bugged area that I never bothered to report to the shitty Devs. You just activate two conflicting Questlines and the game bugs out. Monsters spawn infinitely until you either die or log out."


    Ulbert cackled. "Dragon man, you are an evil genius."


    I shrugged modestly. "Hey, if the shitty Devs are going to give me a times six EXP penalty, then I feel well within my rights to keep some things to myself." I paused, tone becoming serious. "But you guys really need to keep this quiet. If all the Players start using it at once, it''ll crash the server and alert them to the problem. And if you die there, you have no chance of picking your gear back up due to the bug."


    "Not a problem, Ancient-san!" Touch Me chirped carelessly, placing me on his head. "Just point the way and we''ll be off!"


    "So you two are ready right now?" I glanced pointedly at Ulbert''s fancy new cape. "You won''t be able to enter or leave the location once it starts."


    "No problem." A smirk emote appeared above the goat''s head. "I have a cape just like this one in my storage. This one just has slightly better Stats."


    "And you, Touch Me? Last chance."


    The Knight puffed up in pride and reached for his sword. "A Warrior of Justice never backs down from a challenge! I shall meet it head-on with my blade!"


    I sighed, opening my Inventory and giving it a once-over. "I have everything valuable stored in my Storage anyway, so the only thing I''d be losing is junk." I shut the window. "Seems everything is in order, then."


    "So where are we going?" Ulbert repeated Touch Me''s previous question.


    I smiled innocently, not that they could see it. "See, that''s the thing. One has to activate two very specific Quests and leave them unfinished at a very specific point. You then need to log out at one spot for long enough for the area to reset, then log in again at that exact spot. And even then, it takes a while for the bug to activate."


    "How long?"


    "Oh¡­ I''d say about as long as we''ve been talking." My voice practically oozed mirth.


    There was a very distinct pause as the penny dropped.


    "Ancient One, you son of a bitch." The goat-man whirled, pulling out his staff and beginning to channel for an AoE Spell.


    As if on cue, a screeching monkey dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. More fell from the trees, filling the clearing in an instant. Before Ulbert could launch his Spell, however, I tossed the Item I had palmed while glancing through my Inventory. It landed and spontaneously combusted, exploding and covering everyone in the clearing with flammable liquid.


    Handy fact about all three of our Races. We were all fireproof. The monkeys were not.


    "Ah, beautiful." I sighed, lifting to the skies. "The sound of screaming, and then silence."


    "You''re f.u.c.k.i.n.g insane!" Ulbert shouted.


    I swooped lazily down to knock a survivor into data pixels. "We all are, flamebrain, so you might as well enjoy it."


    Then the world jerked, and a second wave of monkeys arrived. Then a third. Then a fourth.


    "Look alive, folks!" I cheered, activating my breath weapon with great relish.


    The shouts and choice words of my companions as they were swarmed with monkeys were promptly ignored. It wasn''t my fault they couldn''t fly.


    Suckers.


    "[Rabbit Foot]." I chanted, my speed increasing slightly as I began setting random monkeys ablaze with bursts of my flame.


    "[Shock Wave]!" Ulbert finally finished, knocking back the enemies around them.


    "[Thunderlance]!" Touch Me added, a crackling bolt of electricity frying a line of monkeys.


    ...Technically, there was no need to speak when casting Spells, but one''s friends couldn''t know what was going on if nothing was said. thus, it was considered polite to announce Spell names as a sort of courtesy. After all, it wouldn''t do to have others charge headfirst into friendly fire, would it?


    As the battle wore on, I was acutely aware of how little I was really doing. Sure I was gaining tons of EXP, but I was a Level 2 against a horde of Level 20s. At most I debuffed a few of the monkeys, but most of the damage was being done by my companions.


    I couldn''t really find it in me to care, though.


    I hummed in satisfaction, tossing assorted First Tier Spells at the horde from my spot on a branch. The branch abruptly began to creak as I felt my form shift, the Level-up taking instant effect. "Hey guys, I''m Level 3 now!" I cheered.


    "F.u.c.k off!" Ulbert shouted back, bashing a monkey. "[Shock Wave]! Can''t you bloody help?"


    I shrugged, smirking internally. "I dunno, you two seem like you''re handling it."


    "Asshole!"


    "Fine, fine." I sighed, pulling an Item from my Inventory. It sailed into the midst of the horde, activating and sending all of them within radius into a deep sleep.


    Even the polite Touch Me gave me an offended look at that one. Ulbert growled, sending a bolt of fire to incinerate them all. "You could''ve done that¡­ the whole time."


    "Oh, yes, of course." I could feel smugness dripping from my scaled snout. "I''m an expert in area clears against hordes. How do you think I did so many dungeons on my own back in the day?"


    I dodged a well-deserved [Thunderlance], cackling. It was almost adorable to see noobs suffering like this. "Don''t waste too much Mana on meee~!" I sang, diving back into the fray.


    The next wave hit, and the two were buried in monkeys once more.


    I stretched, thoroughly enjoying my eighteen-meter-long form. I hadn''t quite made it to Level 13 before we had to leave the area, but I was pretty close. Pretty nice for the first run. "I think that went rather well." I said brightly.


    "Asshole."


    "Oh, calm down." I straightened, examining my blue scales. No obvious glitches in the texture quite yet, it''d seem. "You probably netted at least five Levels off that, no?"


    "I used all of my potions and had to fight off rabid monkeys for three hours." Ulbert snapped. "I think a little righteous fury is deserved."


    I sighed, turning around. "All right, then we''ll see if this will change your mind. Follow me."


    I stepped forward, ignoring the startled shouts of my companions. The brief loading screen flashed, then I was back.


    I entered into the clearing that had been the site of our three-hour grindfest, smugly amused at the sight of what lay within. The instance change had fixed the bug, and now that the encounter had finished I would have to wait another two hours before beginning again. I could endlessly repeat the exploit until I completed one of the Quests, not that I was planning on telling my friends that. Now that I was big enough, I would be able to grind to at least Level 30 on my own on this very spot.


    Ulbert and Touch Me entered behind me, relaxing once they realized there were no monkey swarms to make their lives a living hell. No gold or Data Crystals littered the ground, that all would''ve disappeared once we left had I not collected it first. No, something else was left sitting on the ground. Something odd.


    Ulbert spoke up first, leaning down to poke at a pile of silver. "What''s this?"


    There was a pause as Touch Me and I looked over at the stacks of silvery substance. "Oh, that." I said lightly. "That''s an extremely rare item that was the object of a Quest. We''re supposed to deliver it to the King of Aren, the Queen of Shiba, or the Duke of Yore. They all give us a shitload of EXP and a permanent Stat boost if we bring it to them, or we could sell it to a vendor for a ton of gold."


    Another pause. "But there''s stacks of them." Ulbert stated.


    I shrugged. "Well, each of the potential benefactors gives different rewards. Aren gives one percent of Life Regenerated per second, two percent additional Physical Defense, and twenty percent increased Physical Damage. Shiba gives five percent Mana Regenerated per second, plus twenty percent to Global Critical Strike Multiplier, and plus fifteen percent to all Elemental Resistances to a max of seventy-five percent. Yore offers six percent increased Attack and Cast Speed, an extra three percent chance to dodge attacks, and six percent increased Movement Speed."


    "So you''re saying we can get all of that?" Touch Me asked incredulously.


    "No," I corrected, "I''m saying we can get all of those rewards multiple times. You have to drag the item into their item box in order to get the reward, and sixteen of those items fit in that box."


    "Bullshit." Ulbert said, still staring at the piles of silver necklaces. "There''s no way the Devs would leave something like that in."


    "Oh, definitely not." I agreed smugly. "But a single Player can only do the Quest once, and I''m the only one who would think to exploit the game this way. I won''t tell if you won''t."


    It was a moot point anyway. You had to have two different Quests at a specific point in order to get the bug, and I had been careful not to tell them which other one was needed. The one that gave necklaces was well-known, though, so I would have to reveal that one at least.


    Ulbert picked up one of the silver necklaces. "The Stat gains on this are shit." He muttered.


    I shrugged. "Hey, you''re not meant to keep it. You''re meant to give it to one of the three. Hence the name of the Quest."


    "''Deal with Royalty''. I''ve heard of this one." Touch Me remarked, picking up a necklace of his own. "You''re saying we can boost ourselves multiple times with these?"


    "For sure. Unfortunately it only works sixteen times, so the rest of them are just free gold." I waved towards the stacks, subtly beginning to pile some into my Inventory. "You can only hold so many, though, and this place will despawn after we''ve been gone for five minutes. So carry what you can now and hope for the best."


    "These necklaces take up four Item Slots in my Inventory." Ulbert noted, bemused.


    "We weren''t exactly meant to carry a ton of them." I snarked back.


    "Fair point." The Demon sighed, beginning to scoop up silver strands with his clawed hands. "I hate to admit it, but that suicide run might''ve actually been worth it."


    I chuckled darkly, rubbing my claws together. "Oh, buddy, you have no idea."


    I scrolled smugly through my Stat Screen, feeling completely vindicated for the fifty-some hours I had poured into it thus far. I would have to take fifteen Racial Levels in Scale Knight, another fifteen in Serpent Mage and a final ten in Snake Priest before I could finally start learning the Dragon Race''s truly overpowered Skills, but this was a good start. It was a long climb that ensured I had plenty of work to do, but it offered a lot of juicy rewards in the form of various Skills. Not to mention the Movement, Attack, and Cast Speed bonuses I picked up from giving the necklaces to the Duke of Yore.


    The Skills I got for finishing Scale Knight''s Racial Levels were almost all defense-oriented, allowing the use of passives that blocked a lot of Physical Damage before it could reach me. I was still incredibly vulnerable, but I stood a much better chance against the rest of the world.


    ¡­Full disclosure, though, I died at least twice trying to grind for these damn Levels. Dragons are weak as shit for their Level until they hit 50. I needed to learn a shrinking Spell to avoid alerting PKers, and fast.


    ''Fuggin'' madmen will try anything for EXP¡­''


    I studiously ignored the hypocrisy of that thought. I did what I did for the sake of eternal Godhood. They did what they did because they were complete d.i.c.ks. They killed for laughs and loot, nothing else.


    To be perfectly honest I could have gone completely solo. I could''ve done all this by myself, conquering a Guild Base for me alone and stuffing it with NPCs of my own make. But I had one issue with that. No, two, really. First¡­ if I made an army of Level 100 girls who adored me and fawned on my every wish, would any of them be truly special? No. I would tire of that sort of life, leaving me in an eternity of boredom. Second, who would I talk to until the server shutdown? I still have years to go, what am I going to do until then? Make more NPCs? Hoard loads of treasure?


    No. It''ll be a lot more amusing in the long run to throw my lot in with Nazerick. If nothing else, I can make it my life''s goal to get poor Momonga laid. He might have literally nothing down there, but if I can get the World Item that might allow me to create a human transformation Spell, well. I suppose I might just have to pop me some popcorn and enjoy a show full of Momonga getting periodically jumped by thirsty women.


    Mehehehehe.


    In a battle between him and thirsty women¡­ poor skellibones doesn''t stand a chance.


    "Are you certain this is a good idea, Ancient One-san? I''m an assassin build, and you don''t really have much gear on."


    I sighed. "It''ll be fine, Flatfoot. I just need you to scout for me. I have enough Racial Skills blocking Physical Damage that this place isn''t really a problem.


    Flatfoot, another of the original nine members of the fledgling Clan. Even if said Clan hadn''t even been formed yet. He was referring to my Race''s main flaw, which not too many Players knew about. In return for incredible natural defenses, Dragons were incapable of equipping most items. Rings and amulets were pretty much the limit of what I could wear, which wasn''t exactly the best news for someone hoping for a stealth run. With my tremendous bulk, I''d have to have some insane armor to get enough of a bonus to conceal me from monsters.


    Of course, I had a bit of a trick up my proverbial sleeve.


    "[Size Down]." I mumbled. The Spell was a buff that made one''s evasion rating skyrocket, but it had the side-effect of shrinking them. I made it my personal mission to abuse that mechanic well enough to let me fit through doors.


    Seriously, though. F.u.c.k doors. Damn Developers never bothered to make the things Dragon-sized. I tried to get them to help, but they seemed to find the problem more funny than anything.


    Believe me. Doors are no laughing matter when you''re a thirty-meter-tall quadruped.


    "You ready, Flatfoot?"


    The assassin raised Tsururinpettan, his custom weapon. "Whenever you are."


    We slipped into the mineshaft, me trailing in his wake.


    We spent some time wandering, avoiding monsters and working our way steadily downward. Dead end after dead end, monster den after monster den. Without Flatfoot, I would''ve been long dead before we finally found what we were looking for.


    "I¡­ don''t get it." Flatfoot deadpanned. "A bunch of rocks?"


    Correction. What I was looking for. "It''s a very special crafting material." I muttered, eyeing it excitedly.


    "How much is it worth?" He glanced around. "Because from the looks of it, there''s nothing else down here."


    I held back a laugh. "Not much unless you''re planning to make a Golem. But I''ll tell you what. If you keep quiet and watch for trouble while I mine all this, I''ll pay you five gold per Inventory stack of the stuff you get me."


    He visibly perked up at that. "Hey, you have yourself a deal."


    Free gold for standing guard? He was sold. More importantly, though, I had access to an untapped vein of the Prismatic Ore Celestial Uranium years before Players discovered its'' uses. No uber-powerful Golems for me, though. No, I wanted it for something else. Something better. See, Celestial Uranium is the main component in a recipe to make a World Item known as Caloric Stone.


    And if I remembered correctly¡­ this stuff was the shit.


    For starters, it could be used to create a Golem''s core. Nice, but not too useful to me. In addition to that, though, the World Item was said to enhance the likes of weapons or armors. Very useful for when I eventually get my own humanoid form and gain the ability to use such things. And finally, similar to Ouroboros and Five Elements Overcoming, it''s one of the Items that allows the holder to make requests to the game developers.


    I''m not quite sure what kind of requests, but I''ll iron that out once I''ve stripped all of the Seven Hidden Mines. After all, this is an entirely undiscovered location in YGGDRASIL, and the Mines would slowly recover and be ready for further harvesting by the time anyone found the place.


    Flatfoot walked away that day a happy man, but I walked away with a priceless treasure.


    "He''s over here!" A loud voice shouted.


    I sighed. I had been relying the [Size Down] buff thus far, but evidently my luck had run out. "No shit, sherlock." I grumbled, spreading my wings for extra stability.


    Seventeen Players charged into the clearing, all armed to the teeth. I raised an eyebrow. "Aaand you brought friends. Lovely."


    "See, I told you there was a Player who actually had a Dragon Avatar!" One said smugly.


    "Yeah, it would almost be cool if it didn''t stick out like a sore thumb."


    I twitched. "Oi. Do you have any idea how hard this thing was to get? Show some respect, will you?"


    Predictably, they ignored me. "I''ve got the place surrounded with my Summons. You guys corner him, I''ll close the circle."


    I sighed, preparing for a fight.


    I wish I could tell you that I stood a chance against a mob of Players determined to kill me. I wish I could say that I nobly stood my ground, fighting them off against all odds.


    Unfortunately, video games don''t work like that, no matter what SAO might have told you. Any given build has at least one flaw, which usually can''t be fixed until you get to the endgame content.


    My Dragon Avatar was lovely, but I had optimized it for clear speed rather than actual combat against other Players. Sure, I might be able to fight off a Boss or two, but Players were a different issue entirely. I tended to stay out of the human realms if at all possible, but sometimes it was unavoidable. I had numerous goals to achieve while I was still in the game, many of which not possible without venturing out on occasion.


    Like exploring the map, or finding new dungeons with handy exploits. Little things like that. I did have the long-term goal to explore the entire map of YGGDRASIL, but at this point I''d settle for a handy dungeon to duck into.


    No such luck.


    "[Penetrate Magic: Slow]." I cast in their general direction, spreading my wings and lifting off. Hopefully that would give me a chance to get the hell out of dodge while they were still debuffed.


    "Hey, he''s getting away!"


    "Is he flying? How is that possible?"


    "Uaah! Did those shitty Devs give him flight before the rest of us!"


    "Dammit, this isn''t the time! Everyone, at once! [Scorching Ray]!"


    "[Scorching Ray]!"


    "[Scorching Ray]!"


    My HP dropped like a stone as no less than twelve laser beams caught me in their crosshairs.


    "Shitshitshitshit¡ª" I blurted, flapping backwards. It was times like this that I wished that [Teleportation] wasn''t so high Tier of a Spell. "[Dimensional Move]." I tried instead.


    The world shimmered, and suddenly I was a good half a kilometer away. To most low-Tier casters, this was an extremely handy escape Spell used to put distance between themselves and their adversaries.


    Unfortunately, unlike Bosses, Players could prepare for this sort of thing.


    Several shimmers signaled the arrival of the same Players as before, making me swear colorfully. They had likely used [Lopsided Duel], a Third-Tier Spell that bound the caster to the target such that whenever the target tried to flee by teleportation, both caster and target would appear in the same place.


    F.u.c.kers.


    "Is this absolutely necessary?" I shouted, taking to the sky once more. "Seriously, I''m exploring for God''s sake. I''m not carrying anything worth a damn in case I run into a strong Boss or something. Killing me won''t do you any good."


    "You''re a Heteromorph who walked into Asgard. The hell were you expecting?" Another Player called.


    I winced. ''Well, with any luck, a nice place to camp and grind EXP¡­ but it seems that''s not happening anytime soon.'' "[Freeze]!" I tried, a biting wind flowing from beneath my wings. "[Stoneskin]!"


    A chorus of laughter from the gathered PKers. "Does he think we''re a bunch of mobs?" One snickered to another.


    "I know, right? Doesn''t he have anything we aren''t immune to?"


    ''No, debuff Spells are all I have at this Level and I already used up most of my Skills for the day.'' I grumbled to myself.


    I knew I was dead. They knew I was dead. The only factor was how hard I made them work for it.


    I felt something puncture my neck, and my already dangerously low HP plummeted. With my last second of life, I made a choice. "[Storm of Vengance]!" I bellowed, burning all of my remaining Mana at once.


    My Life hit zero, and I died.


    You have died.


    ''Yeah, no shit.''


    Would you like to respawn at the nearest checkpoint?


    ''No. I would like to be an unstoppable killing machine. But that doesn''t seem to be happening, does it?''


    Answer not recognized.


    ''Oh, sod off. I''m bitching about my death, here, it''s a tradition amongst gamers. What''s the point of dying if you don''t get to complain about it?''


    Answer not¡ª


    ''Fine. Sure. Respawn me.''


    Respawning in: 00:01:00.


    ''Oh, lovely. And apparently there''s a respawn timer in Asgard for Heteromorphs. Note to self: don''t come back here until you''re at least Level 90. Then hopefully I can find a way to burn it to the ground.''


    You have gained 14903 EXP!


    I grinned, satisfied. At least my dying Spell had killed the f.u.c.kers, so I no longer had to swear vengeance against them and their entire family line.


    They''re still going on my shit list, though. Them, the lawyer who screwed my sister over last life, and Chad Bradley. Because f.u.c.k Chad Bradley.


    I guess now that the option of exploration is out, I should check on my hidden supply of Celestial Uranium. With any luck, it''s been long enough for it to become Caloric Stone.


    Respawn complete.


    Alert! For violating the law against Player Killing, you have lost five levels!


    "Oh fffff¡ª"


    "Oi, Ancient One-san! I want to introduce you to someone!"


    I woke with a start, giving a jaw-cracking yawn. I could do that in this world, at least. "Come on in, Touch Me."


    The door to the cave swung open, admitting an Insectoid Knight and¡­ a small skeleton? Oh my, it would seem that canon is progressing faster than I thought.


    "Hello little one." I greeted, leaning down to peer at Momonga. "And who might you be?"


    "Touch Me-san, did that mob just talk?" The startled salaryman whispered.


    I chuckled to myself. Noob Players like him always reminded me of tiny spooked squirrels. "Yes, he did. I completed a Quest line at Level 100 that allowed me to become what you see now." I shifted smugly. "I don''t regret a moment of it."


    "Oh? I could''ve sworn I heard you cussing up a storm in chat when you were just a wimpy little¡ªgurk!" I slapped the Knight upside the head with my tail, glowering.


    ''Asshole better wait until I trot out the pictures of him in starter gear. We''ll see who''s laughing then.''


    "Aha, I suppose I deserved that." Touch Me admitted, rubbing the back of his helmet sheepishly. "Anyway. Momonga-san, this is Ancient One-san. He''s a very old player from the beta days. If you ever need advice on where to power-level, ask him. He knows all of YGGDRASIL like the back of his hand." He paused awkwardly. "Er, claw. The back of his claw."


    "Really?" The skeleton ignored the confused stumble, tilting his head to look up at my towering forty-meter-tall form. "I thought most of it was unexplored."


    "It is, but I like to think myself an expert at flyovers." I said, spreading my wings in demonstration.


    "You should ask around sometime, hear all he''s done. He made it to Level 100 in a week one time, you know." Touch Me boasted.


    "That''s incredible!"


    "I know, right? I don''t know why Ulbert-san doesn''t like his advice, it''s always amazing!"


    "Probably because my advice is largely suicidal." I said drily, my tail swishing in a lazy rasp of scale on stone. "I may have made it to 100 in a week, but no one mentions how many times I died to get there. I think you guys are better off not trying my approach."


    "Fair enough." Touch Me relented.


    "Um, Ancient-san¡­ if I might ask¡­ why are you laying on a pile of rocks?" Momonga asked, pointing.


    I glanced down. "Because they''re divinely radioactive and I''m waiting for them to turn into treasure."


    "What?" If a skeleton could look confused without expressions, Momonga nailed the image perfectly.


    I chuckled. "You''ll understand one day. Let''s just say I have a knack for finding bizarre loopholes in the game and leave it at that. Besides." I puffed out my chest. "I''m a Dragon, aren''t I? It''s only right that I hoard treasure."


    "Weren''t you planning to go mapping today?" Touch Me prodded jokingly.


    I huffed at him. "I''ll have you know that someone else is there already and it''s annoying to have to fight over a dungeon. I''m waiting a few minutes for a new instance of the dungeon to open up when the reset timer runs down."


    "Ah, Ancient-san," Momonga interrupted before we could begin to fight in earnest. "If you''re going EXP hunting, could we tag along? Touch Me-san needs one more Level to equip a piece of gear he likes, and I need to get strong enough to survive PKers on my own."


    I snorted a plume of smoke at him. "Just call me Ancient One, everyone does. And I''d be more than happy to bring you along. I''ll start up a Split Party, it should evenly distribute EXP regardless of the gap. Just leave the clearing to me and Touch Me, it should all be over fairly quickly."


    The salaryman nodded. "I''m a Skeleton Mage at the moment, if it helps. I''m grinding to become an Elder Lich."


    "Fantastic." I shook myself off, rising. "Just let me set a few Spells to guard this place, then we''ll be off."


    The two waited patiently for me to rattle off a long and paranoid list of Spells. In my mind, it still wasn''t enough, but I had nothing worth stealing in the eyes of today''s YGGDRASIL. I reluctantly left it alone, and we took to the skies.


    Side note, these days I can fly at breakneck speeds faster than most people can stand. Momonga learned that today, all the while screaming at the top of his nonexistent lungs. Touch Me had been wise enough to learn Fly as soon as it came out a month ago for this very reason.


    I snickered.


    Totally worth convincing the Devs to add flight in early. Really brings the experience together.


    I landed at the mouth of a gorge a short while later, slowing to a halt. Touch Me glided down beside, and a shaken Momonga dropped off my back. No words were spoken while the Skeleton Mage soundlessly kissed the ground. He straightened, and we all pretended I hadn''t just scared the man half to death.


    "This place is actually a Level 80 dungeon." I began, spreading my wings. "So in ordinary circ.u.mstances, we would be screwed beyond measure. But the creatures here are all Stone Golems of some sort. I can run this place backwards in my sleep with a few frost-based Spells. They''re slow as sin, and if you defeat the Boss it counts as a win even if you never kill a single other mob."


    Momonga tilted his head. A question mark emote popped up above his head. "Wait, what? Why would you want to only defeat the Boss?"


    I smiled. "Because the Boss has the best loot, of course." I shook my head, forestalling his response. "We are actually going to be killing the Golems as we come across them. But because of how big the Level gap between us and the recommended Level, the EXP is going to be much smaller than one might expect. You might get five Levels or so, but beyond that I don''t know."


    The mage took a deep breath, shifting his grip on a wooden staff. "All right. Freezing Spells. Let''s go."


    I turned, chuckling, and entered the dungeon.


    Now, this game is not one meant to be played solo. In fact, it would be considered downright suicidal for me to march into a normal Level 80 area at my current Level. But this place? Please. Stone Golems are extremely weak to frost-based status effects, so if one just hammers them with enough Freezing Spells, they can remove all their defenses and kill them with one blow. And while normal dungeons have a variety of monsters to challenge players, the Devs thought an army of Level 80 Stone Golems was challenging enough as it was.


    Fools.


    I cackled madly as I shattered Golem after Golem like sugar glass, my high Physical Attack combined with their Frozen status killing them instantly. I suspected the Devs might fix the area''s obvious exploit sooner rather than later at the rate I had been grinding the dungeon, but hey. I wasn''t complaining right now.


    Momonga, on the other hand¡­ well. He wasn''t looking too hot. A bit terrified, actually. He had died twice on our way here, rejoining a moment later to pick up his stuff and chase after us. Touch Me was laughing as loudly as I was, leaving the Mage as the only sane member of our Party.


    I wasn''t too worried. He would crack eventually. They all did.


    We finally reached the Boss room, not bothering to go around cleaning up like we normally would. Touch Me had backed me enough times to know I prioritized the Boss above all, even if he had no idea why.


    With any luck, he would learn today.


    I braced my four-legged bulk against the door and heaved, my Racial Levels allowing me to push open a door one might need Level 80 Stats to open ordinarily. Inside was a small mountain of boulders.


    "Look alive." I ground out, moving into a combat stance. Wings spread, tail lashing, Mana gathering. "This is going to get ugly."


    The stones rumbled together, slowly forming a larger behemoth. It groaned, a haunting noise that always sent chills down my spine. The combat began, his HP bar filling up above his head. "[Sheer Cold]." I barked instantly. "[Frost Breath]. [Purity of Ice]."


    Crystals grew across the construct, slowing it to a shuddering halt. "GO!" I barked, tackling it. It reformed around me as I began to wail on it, my heavy limbs becoming battering rams. It was taking more damage from the wall I was beating it into than me, but that was expected. It was always like this.


    No one ever said beating a Boss a solid fifteen Levels above you was easy. But even if my build was shit at PvP, it was second to none at Bossing.


    As far as different runs went, it wasn''t the quickest. Momonga''s Mana ran out three quarters of the way through, which left me to tank half my HP in pure Physical Damage. Fortunately I had long since learned that the Resist Stat did more for mitigating damage than any of my Defenses and had tracked down an amulet that converted half of both my Magic and Physical Defenses into pure Resist, giving me Resist that Exceeded Limits. I probably would''ve been one-shot when it broke through the second time, the half-health Damage boost all Bosses got kicking in at the worst possible time.


    I never claimed my build was the best, merely that it let me challenge dungeons a good twenty-five Levels above mine. And that was with good solid tactics, ignoring the possibility of lucky hits.


    I survived the blow, my solid bulk working in my advantage and keeping me from taking the Knockback damage a smaller creature would''ve. Touch Me took on the leading role for a bit while I recovered, spamming combos while I debuffed the giant Golem.


    The Boss died at last after a solid twenty minutes of Freeze-hit tactics. It fell with a mighty crash, shaking the ground below us and making the cave rumble dangerously. We mostly ignored the Boss''s lengthy death animation, knowing it was pointless to watch. We had already gotten the EXP and now we just needed to wait for the animation to finish in order to get our reward.


    "I-I Leveled eight times!" Momonga shouted in surprise.


    I raised an eyebrow, stretching. "Yeah. That''s kinda what happens when you kill a high-Level Boss. You would''ve Leveled a hell of a lot more if the Devs didn''t make an EXP penalty for being too high or too low Leveled for a certain dungeon."


    "Huh." The Skeleton Mage blinked down at the Level notifications. "I never knew that."


    "Most sane Players don''t." Touch Me said in a moment of rare cynicism.


    ¡­He may still be holding a grudge about the monkey thing.


    "It''s a complicated equation that creates a huge curve in the Level spectrum. The higher-Leveled you get, the harder it is to find dungeons that still grant 100% EXP. I don''t even bother, instead going for quantity over quality. I could run one dungeon at my Level for 100% EXP, but it''s ten times as profitable to run this dungeon four times at 25% EXP. You get what I''m saying?"


    Momonga nodded, glancing to the side. "Hey, it looks like the death animation is almost up."


    I followed his gaze. Sure enough, the stones composing the Boss had almost completely dissolved into sand. A marble plinth rose up, and the long-awaited drops fell from seemingly nowhere. Gold, Data Crystals, a few weapons, a few potions¡­


    A message window appeared before me, accompanied by a soft chorus in the background. I broke into a wide grin, ignoring the drops in favor of reading it.


    Congratulations! By completing a dungeon with a recommended Level 81 on the first try with a party of less than 8 members, you have received the World Item [Five Elements Overcoming]!


    I began to laugh. After all this time farming this Boss, it finally drops a World Item. And not only that, but the exact one I''ve been looking for this whole time. Sure I''ve gotten four others this through other Bosses, but I couldn''t equip any weapons or armors as a Dragon, so those particular Items were useless to me. This dungeon has never before granted me its'' bounty¡­ but now it''s mine.


    The World Item appeared midair and floated softly down into my outstretched claw, gleaming in the light. It was a five-pointed star, woven from multiple shades of glass. One for each element represented in Taoism, my mind noted absently. A little detail told by the Item''s flavor text.


    "What is it?" Momonga whispered.


    "This," I rumbled, tucking the Item into my Inventory, "is exactly what I have been looking for." I turned my head to look at the two of them. "How would you two like to be able to disguise yourselves as one of the Human Races?"


    A/N:


    The time-skips might be a bit disorienting now, but they''ll get much more readable in the future. YGGDRASIL was released 2126 AD and went on until 2138 AD, so I have to stuff twelve years worth of gameplay into a few chapters while still maintaining some form of cohesion. This chapter summarizes the first year or so of gameplay, though I elected to leave some of it out due to it being fairly boring to read.


    I''m releasing this chapter a bit early. The first one was pretty well-recieved so I decided to give this one a shot. I hope you all enjoyed!

 Chapter 136 - My SI Stash #36 - Suspicious Minds by Cherico (RWBY)

    -Same author as "Golden wind". This is his latest work, a SI RWBY fic~


    *MC''s quite loaded with powers. One of his reoccurring power will be a modified DxD Evil Piece system! Check it out~


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 71K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/suspicious-minds.11040/ (Cherico)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-4 (exceptional


    Utah Urban


    I sighed as I walked next to the floating creature.


    "So...name....I know your name."


    I sighed.


    "But I need a name too, something with a U would be ideal... has to be allative, something that rolls off the tongue. Utah."


    I paused, the creature didn''t speak.


    "Well I think it''s a decent name but maybe something else? United? Urban? Utah Urban... sounds alright."


    I rolled my eyes as I heard a rustle in the bushes, the beowolves roared.


    "Suspicious minds, you got this?"


    The stand moved, ripping the beowolves apart with its hands. The things moved fast but it wasn''t muda fast, I took a breath and flew into the air and froze as if anchored to the ground. I used the mobility to try to keep out of the way as my stand took care of the actual fighting. Was it brave? Hell no but I was tired, hungry and irritable. Just three of them... I landed on the ground.


    "So I do appreciate the ''second chance at life'' thing and, f.u.c.k, this beats Worm. But the clothing?"


    I shivered.


    "Who the hell decided it was a good idea to purposefully put a bunch of holes into an outfit! I mean I''m thankful to not be dropped here completely n.a.k.e.d but did they have to give me this outfit? I mean I could handle Speedwagon''s outfit and Jotaro''s outfit was awesome. I''d even take Dio''s outfit, and I look horrible in yellow, at least it would be warm."


    I continued to walk onwards.


    "A new outfit. First thing we do when I can afford it, a new outfit."


    My stand floated onward.


    "I''m not kidding, this outfit is terrible. I mean you can''t possibly think that a criminal would wear this and expect to be taken seriously. Even Italian gangsters would say this looks horrible."


    I smiled as I saw a community, the people looked at me and grimaced at my outfit.


    "Um, son? What happened to your clothes?"


    I bit down on my lip and cried.


    "Grim killed my parents."


    There were looks of sympathy. I knew what world I was on, I just needed to find out where I was and when I was. Once I did that, I would be all right.


    Chapter 2


    Utah Urban


    Asbec


    It''s a small rural farming and logging village that also does some mining.


    It''s large enough to be sustainable, rich enough to afford a few hunters. There are maybe 50,000 people here, tops, with most of them near the mountain.


    "Thanks, Utah."


    It''s a stepping stone for me, a place to learn about what I''m dealing with, get some lien and figure out what I can do.


    "You''re welcome, um."


    "Of course."


    The mine foreman gives me some money, it''s maybe half what an actual engineer would get to fix equipment but it gives me money. So what have I figured out? I''m a f.u.c.k.i.n.g child again, I have no family ans no friends but I have powers. I have an aura and I know how to use it, My semblance gives me the power to fly, I have a stand and I just get how the tech works here. That last part is important because being able to fix things gives you the ability to earn money.


    I took the lien and flew over to the bank where I took out enough to pay rent on my shack. Old man Henderson was odd but he let me use the fully furnished playhouse he had built with his son before he moved out. As for education Remnant let people test out because all hands were needed and I was more useful fixing stuff around town than in the one room schoolhouse. I knocked on the door and the man looked out, I put the money into his hands.


    "Rent."


    "Hmm. Good."


    He counted the money and shut the door. With that done, I went out into the forest to hunt grim. It was a simple life, get up fix things around town and collect money, eat, go fight grim, mostly the wolves. People didn''t stop me, I was an orphan and people had to care about their own families. The attitude tended to be that if I came back alive that was great, it I killed grim great there was less grim but If I died... well it''s not like I was family.


    And I have been doing this and surviving for what... 3 months now? I should be fine. I flew over fast, going through the trees with minds following me, and I saw the wolves ahead.


    "Strike!"


    They never knew what hit them, and then I heard a bell-like click in my head. I decided to fly back to town, it was getting dark and I wanted to figure out what was going on. When I got to my shack I cooked up some mixed can vegetables and took deep breaths. While my food finished cooking I sat down and closed my eyes.


    I saw a book with two names, mine and Minds. I also saw white chess pieces.


    "King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, rook, Pawn."


    I looked up the information, all of them had costs associated with them and abilities.


    The king could increase an attribute by 9 times and had 13 improvement slots. A queen could increase an attribute by 28 and had 11 improvement slots, a bishop could increase an attribute by 14 times and had 7 slots. A knight could increase an attribute by 9 times and had 5 slots, a rook could increase an attribute by 15 times but only had 3 slots and a pawn could only double an attribute and only had 2 slots.


    I had a maximum of 1 king, 1 queen, 2 bishops, 2 knights, 2 rooks 8 permanent pawns and 8 temporary ones. The temps could be lent out for 24 hours before the powers vanished but once I gave out or used a piece that was it, I couldn''t get another.


    My food smelled bad, and I looked up special abilities.


    Kings had the power to command other pieces, queens were just power houses in general, Bishops had the power of holy which essentially made them nighmares against grim while knights gained the skills and abilities of a real knight and a spiritual armor that protected the wielder after their aura was used up. Lastly rooks gained the power to turn invisible and Pawns just kind of sucked.


    I looked at the list. It seemed that in order to get anything it would cost grim. Having killed 400 of them I could now buy a pawn, temporary or permanent.


    Pawns cost 400 dead grim to buy, rooks cost 1800 dead grim, knights 1500 dead grim, bishops 2100 dead grim, a queen cost 3900 dead grim, and a king cost 2200 dead grim. Increasing attributes also cost dead grim, buying slots cost dead grim. Essentially, in order to get power, I had to go out and fight grim. I steadied myself. What did I want? Remnant was over all just a shitty world In general but what it did have was smoking hot women.


    Waifus as it were....


    I looked at the map, I didn''t know where I was in time but I knew where Patch was... I would tell people I wanted to become a hunter to avenge my family. Lots of people had that story, what was one more? Now all I had to do was get there.


    I put my first grim points into the king piece and started my journey, remembering the moto: first the money, then the power, then the women.


    Chapter 3


    Utah


    800 questions, four sections of 200 questions, and seven hours to complete the test. It cost me 50 lien to take this test and I waited nervously. The proctor came out, looked at me as if appraising me, and then frowned at my outfit.


    "What happened?"


    "Grim."


    You would think it would be easy to find children''s clothing that fits in Remnant but that wasn''t the case and my other stuff was still drying.


    "And?"


    "And if my aura didn''t decide to activate I would be dead, instead of just badly dressed."


    The man shrugged.


    "Well the good news is that you passed. You did incredibly well on the math and did well enough to pass the rest of it, we will just update your profile and that will be it."


    The general education test, with so many starting villages or isolated farmsteads... Well things go south and you end up with refugees and orphans, so Vale and other kingdoms have tests. If you pass them, great: less resources they have to waste on your education. For actual orphans and children the lack of care and sympathy is actually pretty horrific, but for me it''s pretty much ideal.


    "So what now?"


    "Thinking about heading to Patch, they have a hunter school there and well... I really hate Grim."


    The man shrugs.


    "Wish you luck with that."


    And leaves. I don''t take it personally, it''s only been a year while most people have lived here their entire lives, and other than being known as the tinker kid people are not to attached to me. That said I did what I set out to do: I got my information into the system, bought some tools, got some clothing, made a gun, and have money in the bank. I walked home and sat down and meditated. The book opened and I smiled.


    "Bingo."


    I grasped the king. There was no undoing this, no going back.


    "Spend it all."


    I smiled, eagerly expecting a surge of power. Instead I got nothing, I tapped the image and saw 13 slots. I looked at Minds.


    "It''s a start."


    I looked at my clothing and put it on and then packed my possessions into a backpack. I walked outside and old man Henderson looked at me.


    "Leaving?"


    "Got my accreditations and got money in the bank, it''s time to be moving on."


    The old man shook his head.


    "You could make a life here, folk are slowly warming up to ya and you''re a smart kid, a good kid."


    "Want to kill grim, lots of em. Patch has a school that''s pretty good at teaching people how to do that."


    "World needs more hunters, I guess."


    He nodded and I went to the city''s bus stop. I paid my lien and watched as the heavily armored bus slowly made its way through the long road, hunters sat on the roof manning the guns and waiting for trouble. I leaned against the window and fell asleep.


    Chapter 4


    Qrow


    "So how''s the boy settling in?"


    Madame Mallari sipped her tea.


    "Stubborn, reminds me of my former husband god of light bless his soul."


    I nodded at her.


    "Explain?"


    "Best to show you, boy''s out about town doing some repairs."


    She got up and walked I followed her and she led me to an old barn.


    "So?"


    "Boy wanted his independence and offered to pay me rent for it, 1000 lien a month."


    Not a lot of money, but for an old barn not a bad amount, she put a key into the door and opened it I looked around.


    "So?"


    "You''ve been gone for three months, Qrow. What do you see?"


    "Concrete floor, a workshop in the corner, some kind of bathroom, lights, looks like a house. So what? Let me guess, husband used this place to tinker before he passed away?"


    "None of this was here. The boy hired a crew for some of it, but he did a lot of work himself."


    "Any friends?"


    "Keeps mostly to himself, does the occasional odd job around town, seems to make most of his money from his apps."


    "Hacker?"


    "No, legit. Had the cops look into it, apparently he made a few games and put them online."


    "Anything else?"


    "Worried about him?"


    "Kid gives me a bad feeling?"


    "He sneaks out into the forest to hunt grim."


    "And that''s it?"


    "As far as I know, yes. Look his story is common enough to be clich¨¦: some yahoo moves into the wilderness, gets killed by grim but his kid escapes and wants to become a hunter. I''ve met at least 30 people here with the same background so what has this boy in your bad books."


    I sighed.


    "Nothing, there''s just something off about him and I don''t trust it."


    "He''s a smart kid who is way too stuborn and has issues, you''re being paranoid."


    "I don''t trust him."


    "Probably because he reminds you of yourself."


    I glared at her.


    "You know its true you dusty crow, you were that stubborn malcontent yourself once."


    I sighed.


    "Maybe that''s true."


    Maybe I was just being paranoid, maybe he was just some kid raised by some crazy engineer father who went off his rocker, but I still didn''t trust him.

 Chapter 138 - My SI Stash #38 - In The Shadows by Some Guy In An Ambulance (One Piece)

    -This is a literal Villain SI~ A Random gets SI as Gecko Moria, one of the underrated villains on the story. He''ll be using his powers like a real weeb (copying off Shikahamaru''s jutsu etc...)


    ¦·(£þ?£þ)¦·


    Sypnosis: Gecko Moria managed to be the weakest Shichibukai despite having such a broken ability. Let''s see what the "Ruler of Shadows" can really do. (Villain SI)


    Rated: M


    Words: 63K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13282376/1/In-the-Shadows (Some Guy In An Ambulance)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I was having a strange dream. Everything appeared much smaller than me, my neck felt much longer, and three rejects from the Nightmare Before Christmas were standing before me. Munchkins like Oogie Boogies minions.


    "Aaahhh, what a bad dream."


    "Greetings master!" said the red minion.


    "That''s marvelous master!" bowed the blue minion.


    "Master has the best sleep! I''m so jealous!" the yellow minion bowed from his knees like someone out of a Japanese anime.


    Three chipmunk like voices quickly greeted me rapid fire and in quick succession. Each trying to out due the last in sucking up to me? What kind of dream gives you such ugly servants?


    "Since the last Night Attack." Red picked up where yellow stopped.


    "It''s been four days, and you''ve been asleep that time." Blue quickly followed.


    "So, you have four days'' worth of meals, Moria-sama." Yellow finished.


    ''Moria-sama?!'' Like that big ugly pale guy from One Piece who got his ass kicked after the water seven arc? I put my hands to my face in wonder. Gloved claws reached up, and I gave a tentative tug on my horns. Looking down, I can see the massive round mass that is now my flesh. Strange that I didn''t have a hard time breathing or moving considering all my fat.


    Keeping up with their strange manner of talking, the three interrupted my quickly panicking thoughts.


    "Our target this time is spirited!"


    "They''re the talk of the world after taking down Enies Lobby."


    "I''m sure they will be of use for us Moria-sama!"


    I tried to calm down while eating the food they served me, wracking my brain for ideas. Ignoring the fact that I was served a hunk of meat larger than my arm. I began to talk out loud to center my thoughts. "Luffy is on this island to kick my ass, and recover Brook''s shadow. Why God, why? Focus! Gotta get my priorities straight. Let''s create a list. I just woke up as Gecko Moria, the Shichibukai, owner of the Kage Kage no Mi. Moria has a Paramecia that lets him manifest and manipulate shadows, create zombies, and swap with his near invulnerable doppleman. Okay, I can work with this."


    The first attack that came to mind was to copy Shikimaru from Naruto. Willing my shadow to strike out, I commanded one of the giant stuffed toys in the room to move as I moved. "This would be a good technique to use if I had a gun." Next, I sn.a.k.e.d my shadow around the stuffed animal''s neck, and twisted it off. It''s a good thing the shadows I control don''t follow the same pesky rules that hold the Nara clan style jutsu back.


    Next, I tried forming doppleman, and he appeared before me, just like in the show. I directed a bit of my will, and he split up into hundreds of bat shaped balls with wings and fangs. Directing them all to attack a pillar, they chewed through it in seconds.


    Hmm, controlling this swarm is kind of like an RTS game. Directing your attention with a large number of units. It will take some practice to accurately control a group of shadows in a 1 vs many scenario. For now, this will have to do for offensive attacks. What I really need to practice is switching places with doppleman before-


    "Good news master!" Genuflected Red.


    "Prisoners great shadow khan!" Blue raised his hands in excitement.


    "Good news- Prisoners great-" Yellow stuttered, his pallor turning a sickly shade of green.


    Red and Blue looked as if they''d seen a ghost, they quaked where they stood.


    Clearly shaken, Yellow began to speak "Moria-sama," but was interrupted by a loud voice.


    "Here''s the prisoners Moria-sama." In walked a giant spider monkey dragging two heavily depressed men trapped in webbing. The head and arms of a monkey with the body of a spider, I''m not even shocked anymore. That begs the question, why did it bring in two depressed guys to see me? Oh. Oh no! That''s Zoro and Sanji!


    Somewhere in the distance, a straw hat wearing individual shouts out "Oh yeah!"


    Sweat poured in endless torrents down my back as I paced Moria''s, dance chamber turned bedroom turned throne room. I''d done it. I''d taken their shadows, and placed each shadow in a corpse. A mad cackle escaped my lips, I barely noticed the small squeak from Yellow, I was so engrossed in my worry.


    I tried to rationalize it. If I didn''t take those shadows putting them into a brief coma, they would''ve woken from the pain, and kicked my ass. Do I kill them now? No, that''s foolish, Luffy would probably literally murder me if I did that. And when my minions capture Luffy¡­I can''t kill him either! Garp would kill me in one fist, not to mention Dragon.


    Maybe I don''t have to fight Luffy? Yes. Yes! This plan will be perfect.


    "Quick Red, summon my Generals to me! Blue and Yellow, wrap these two in chains so tight they have no wiggle room. Cover their mouths with a gag, and place them within a cage." I commanded. A genuine smile broke upon my face. Perhaps I''m not doomed after all.


    While waiting for Doctor Hogback, Absalom, and Perona, I reclined upon my throne. The lazy SOB that Moria is, my "throne" was a giant bean bag. Have to hand it to the guy, at least he knew how to relax. I played with my shadow, forming shapes, and intricate sceneries, on a whim, I decided to play with the shadows created by the candles on the walls. I suddenly stopped; my mouth agape. Moria is such an idiot, he''s the ''Ruler of Shadows'' and he never used the shadows of an inanimate object to attack!? I facepalmed out of sheer stupidity.


    As I pondered the newfound uses for my power, I was interrupted. Again. Seriously, I''m the boss, the villain, when I want to monologue, I.


    "Oi, untie this rope, you huge leek!" An enraged Straw Hat Luffy shouted at me.


    My ire escaped me and it was as if a bucket of ice water was dumped on my back. Shocked out of my stupor, I eyed a small man in golden armor. He sat before me in a cage and covered in webbing. Black hair, a scar beneath the left eye, and that voice. There''s no mistaking it. That''s Straw Hat Luffy. How did Moria''s second rate crew capture this guy? No. I''ll leave explaining how Moria''s crew captured him to Oda, for now I have to focus.


    "Give Usopp, Nami, Chopper, Sanji, and Zoro back to me! Where have you taken them?! His voice rang out in anger.


    Those eyes. There''s so much determination in them, I can''t help but tremble for a second. No, I must maintain this fa?ade if I''m to succeed. Time to break from cannon, God Usopp, don''t fail me now.


    "Ki shi shi shi shi! So, you''re Straw Hat Luffy? Excellent! Simply wonderful! The man who challenged Enies Lobby, rescued Nico Robin from the clutches of the World Government, and defeated the Shichibukai Crocodile. You have my respect!"


    "Then let my friends go! And give me back Brook''s shadow!"


    "Not so fast Straw Hat. It''s the pirate''s rule to take whatever they want, to live free on the sea." I answered in a patronizingly bored tone, as if I was lecturing him.


    As he was about to do something I''d regret, like chew through the bars, I quickly interrupted any action he was about to take.


    "I said I respect you Straw Hat, what you did to the World Government took guts. I''ll give you your friends back, and let you sail free. However, that one you call Brook, his shadow is mine. It has been for the last five years. If you want it, I propose we make a wager." I kept the same cheesy grin on my face during the entire exchange. Please accept, please accept, please accept.


    "What kind of wager?" Luffy now looked at me with a suspicious, yet curious glint in his eye.


    "Simple! I have a swordsman, and the fame of Rurono Zoro as an up and coming pirate is well known. I challenge your Straw Hat Pirates to a swordsman vs swordsman duel! If you win, you get Brook''s shadow. If I win, I keep it. Simple, no?"


    He seemed to think about it for a second. I tried a different approach.


    "Wouldn''t it be cool to have two crews settle an issue with their top expert swordsman?" I said with a sly grin.


    My palms started to sweat a bit as I saw his face darken. This is my final attack, if this doesn''t work, I''ll have to fight him for real. "And the winner will have a feast in his name!"


    "UOOOHHHH! You''ve got a deal Mory! Zoro will kick whoever you send out''s ass!"


    (End Chapter)

 Chapter 139 - My SI Stash #39 - New Game, New Life by Adudefromthesea (Ranma&AnimeXovers)

    -Well, I finally found a SI Anime World fic like "Start by Becoming a Mangaka" but it''s recently been published so not a lot of chapters. It has Ranma, Sailor Moon, Taimanin and probably lots more.


    *SI starts as a Gamer in Furinkan High. Seems to be a slow fic~


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 22K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/new-game-new-life-ranma-1-2-multicross-gamer-si.11354/ (Adudefromthesea)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Once you find yourself trapped inside an out of control crazy train, all you can do is enjoy the ride. That was the sentiment that was carrying me throughout the day.


    "Ahh, where is it? I swear I put it somewhere around¡­"


    The small, porky vice-principal was rummaging through his messy officer desk in search of my application. He looked as unprepared to deal with me as I was to deal with my day¡­ almost if my and my family''s entire existence was suddenly inserted into this new reality, and now the innocent people just following their ordinary fates were getting confused as f.u.c.k every time I get too close.


    Oh, and of course, just to crown things out, there were words flouting above his balding head.


    Ishiyama Daisuke


    Furinkan High''s overworked vice principal.


    Level: 08


    Gamer powers, because why not?


    "Meehh, there it is, ah, ¨­e-kun." He says, reading from some doc.u.ments I''m sure didn''t exist until today, "I''m so very sorry for the delay. You have come in an awfully busy time I''m afraid, haha." He tried to laugh it off.


    By the state of his office, I reckon every day is an ''awfully busy day'' for this guy¡­


    I sighed, halting this thought process, no use taking on a guy who was just trying to do his job.


    "Yes, Ishiyama-vice principal, I understand and apologize for my family''s unreasonable request," I say, letting the instinctual Japanese politeness that came packed in this new body slip through.


    "No, no, it was no problem at all! In fact, everything seems to be in order." He places down the doc.u.ments without more than a passing glance, but I was expecting something like this. It was for the same reason the vice presided himself was greeting me; the ¨­es, this mysterious family I was now part of, were apparently filthy rich. "Now, now ¨­e-kun, I''m happy to inform you your application has been accepted. Welcome to the Furinkan family!"


    "Thank you very much, Ishiyama-vice principal."


    He smiled at my politeness, probably thinking I would be no trouble at all. Boy, he could not be more wrong; I am a Gamer sponsored by a ROB and now a resident of Tokyo''s Nerima ward of anime Japan in the early nineties. I dread to think about the amount of trouble I''ll cause by merely existing.


    Nevertheless, it doesn''t hurt being polite. Vice-principal certainly seems to think so by the way he enthusiastically bounced up from his chair.


    "Wonderful! Now, if you would follow me, I''ll escort to your classroom."


    And quietly explain my presence to the confuse teacher, no doubt.


    We were about a few steps into the corridor when he abruptly stops, the back of his neck suddenly dripping beads of sweat, body paralyzed mid-stride, and looking as tense as he could ever get. As if he has just remembered something horrible and has also just f.u.c.k something up.


    And that was about the time the distant shouts started.


    "TENDO AKANE! PLEASE GO OUT WITH ME!"


    "LET''S US MAKE A STRIKE OF LOVE!"


    "LET''S DANCE THE BOULEVARD OF PASSION!"


    The shouts continued, but now they were accompanied by the sorrowful noise of flesh bruising, bone-breaking, and hearts shattering.


    I lean into the window, watching the admittedly impressive sight of a short, blue-haired girl mowing down an entire crowd of fit guys like she was the star of a bad kung fu flick.


    "¡­ Ah." There is nothing to say. I was suspecting something like that would happen ever since I figure out where I was, but to see it first hand was¡­ an experience. "She''s good?" I commented, also catching the distant sight of the boy in a red chinese shirt gopnik squatting on the wall. Of course, he would be there too. "Does this happen often?"


    "Ahhnn." He m.o.a.ned nasally, Japanese bowing in my way. "I''m so so very sorry."


    Then Tatewaki Kuno appeared, the sky darkened, and the world became a little crazier.


    I got a feeling I''ll be saying that a lot.


    -0-0-0-


    There was something to be said about this reincarnation. I mean, I''m a squishy human now, but with the Gamer that could easily change, yet there is no¡­ overall thread I would need the gamer to deal with. This might feel presumptuous, but I think being the Gamer in a universe that was basically a slapstick comedy was kind of a waste.


    The students of Class 1-F stared at us, probably marveling at the oddity of not one but two transfer students getting in their class at the same time¡­ or marveling at Ranma Saotome''s muscles. Say what you will about the boy, but he was built like a lean warmachine, and it showed.


    I wanted to sigh. My poor inferior muscles, I was so happy you were at least there this morning. Outclassed by the protagonist.


    "It seems we have two new students today." The forgettable teacher stated in case there''s still any doubt. "Their names are Saotome Ranma-kun and ¨­e Hiroshi-kun, and it seems that Ranma has just returned from a trip to China, so let''s all be sure to give him a big ''Nihao'' now." He laughed at his own joke without even changing the tone of his voice.


    Every single person in this room, including Ranma and me, engaged in the obligatory reaction to any and all teachers joke: staring blankly ahead until he finished laughing and making us sad.


    "Hehehehehe¡­Ahn, well, maybe be not¡­" You think? "Be that as it may, it doesn''t excuse the fact that he and Akane were late, so go stand in the hall you two. Ah, ¨­e-kun, you may sit at the free seat near the window."


    It was easy to see who Akane was, even among Anime Japan''s more diverse hair colors blue still stand out a lot, that and the fact that she was one of the most attractive girls in the class. I could her features trembling in anger, but it quickly disappeared as she reins her feelings back in. Ranma just shrugged; in fact, he even seems happy for not having to stay in a classroom.


    I sat on my protagonist chair and let my thoughts wander off from the protagonists for a bit, mostly because I had¡­ other things to worry about.


    My eyes slid to the right.


    Fujimori Yuka


    Yakuza Princess


    Level: 05


    Himiko Kenji


    Vegan Werewolf


    Level: 09


    Tomo Sakura


    Budding witch


    Level: 08


    Gosunkugi Hikaru


    Voodoo enthusiast


    Level: 02


    My eyes slid forward.


    Katagiri Sayuri


    Closed Masochist


    Level: 05


    Kuroba Daisuke


    Aspiring Superhero


    Level: 07


    Koba Satoru


    Evil Genius


    Level: 07


    Koike Miiko


    Murderous Yandere


    Level: 10


    Finally, I sneak a look at the chubby boy sitting behind me.


    Onigiri Kouki


    Furry


    Level: 01


    Dear god¡­


    There isn''t anyone in this class that isn''t a freak in some way!


    New Quest: Memories of youth.


    Your class is full of new and interesting people. Get involved in their lives and make precious memories along the way.


    Reward:


    100.000 exp.


    Increase relationship with every member of class 1-F.


    Failure:


    Become a social outcast.


    Deadline: Until next the school year.


    Accept/Refuse.


    So there you are quest system, where were you when I was doing the dishes or cleaning the apartment, you know, easy shit to start the game with! But noooo, f.u.c.k tutorial! Let''s give this f.u.c.ker a year-long quest that requires him to dive headfirst into Nerima madness, and let''s tempt him with a shit load of exp to his level 01 ass while at it.


    Whatever, the exp is not that tempting.


    ¡­ I''m in control, damn it!


    Quest accepted!


    Don''t judge me!


    "Ranma Saotome!" A strong, prideful voice could be heard from the corridor, hell, it could be heard from the other side of the school even. It was easily able to overtake the droning lecture from the teacher. "I won''t allow it!"


    "This engagement of your to Tendo Akane. I, TATEWAKI KUNO, SHALL NEVER, EVER ALLOW IT!!!"


    There was a moment of silence so the appropriate pin could drop. Then a stampede of hormonal, drama-deprived, Japanese teenagers trampled their way to the classroom''s windows and partially tore it open to woe, curse and generally shout at the new couple and the crazy samurai outside.


    "Ahh! C-Calm down, Calm down, we''re still in class!" The teacher tried to plead to the crowd, but his monotonous voice was lost in the screaming commotion.


    The only ones not by the windows were me, who was still sitting on my chair, and Gosunkugi Hikaru, who was twitching on the ground after being trampled half to death.


    I sighed.


    Gosunkugi twitched.


    Well, at least Ramna is doing a good job keeping the budding Nerima bullshit from spilling out on me.


    ¡­ And of course, that was the time my body decided to shiver as a sensation I''d never felt before drew my attention to a specific direction.


    Skill created: Spiritual Senses, level 01.


    A skill shared by people sensitive to exoteric energy, allows you to detect supernatural creatures and phenomenon in your vicinity.


    The f.u.c.k?


    New Quest: Like, onmyoji and shit¡­


    A mischievous Yokai has entered the premises, do something about it!


    Rewards:


    500 exp.


    Failure:


    A wave of misfortune cast over Furinkan High''s student population.


    Possible injury or death.


    Three girls traumatized for life.


    Deadline: Until the end of the school day.


    Accept/Refuse.


    I slowly placed a hand over my face and groaned. Of course, even thinking like that would provoke the universe; this is goddamn Nerima after all.


    Fine! Ok! I''m already ass deep in bullshit anyway, what a few more centimeters gonna do.


    -0-0-0-


    It was easy to sneak away while the whole school was distracted with Ranma ? shenanigans, it was even easier to find the equipment shed and help myself in. Soon I was exiting it with a nice aluminum baseball bat, and a bulky nailgun.


    The rest was simply following this new¡­ sense. It was like a little bird chirping in the back of your head, or an annoying bee buzzing in your ear, I couldn''t shut it down, and it was distracting as f.u.c.k, but at least I had a general feel of where to go.


    Spiritual Senses leveled up!


    Yeah yeah.


    My new skill led me to a fire staircase discretely positioned beside the building, away from the front entrance and a short distance from where Ranma and Kuno were going at it if the giant pillar of water was any indication. There was a bubble of distorted reality in the middle.


    Seriously, it was like a giant, man-sized glass ball that was distorting the light around it, the images of a continuing stairway contracting and expanding inside its transparent form. I poked it with my baseball bat, causing ripples of distortion to softly traverse the surface.


    Alright then, here it goes nothing.


    You have entered an Illusion Barrier.


    The first thing that was apparent was the sound, or rather, the lack of it. People really take for granted the small sounds that make up the background noise of their life. The chirps of birds, buzzing of insects, breathing of other people, even the distant urban noises of a moving city were all components of what people would consider an average hearing experience. Pieces so familiar that they fell out of conscious thought in favor of more immediate noise.


    But take that away, and it''s impossible not to notice. It was unnatural, unbalancing, and just plain creepy.


    I stood on the next step of the stair I would have taken in the ''real'' world. Existing on a Furinkan high school of another, empty, reality. With my new annoying senses bearing down on me from every direction.


    I had to grab the rails of the stair for support, trying to steady my unbalancing legs, my eyes closed as I pushed the wrongness of the lack of noise to the side while I tried to make sense of the new storm that was my supernatural senses.


    It''s twigging like mad because I''m inside a supernatural phenomenon, but it can''t help me like this.


    I spend a few minutes just focusing on breathing, calming the body and mind just enough so I could function.


    Spiritual Senses leveled up!


    Spiritual Senses leveled up!


    That''s better.


    Pushing through the wave, I took my first steps and made my way through the empty school.


    Not so empty school apparently, but not in any way that would lessen the creepy factor. There were¡­ images? Impressions? Ghost of students walking through the corridors, talking animatedly in voices only they could hear, conglomerating on the windows to watch the fight, or make sense of the aftermath now.


    It was on the first floor, the third years'' floor for some reason, that I found the ''yokai''.


    "Kiki! Ki ki KI!" The tiny creature cried enthusiastically as it knuckled it''s way behind a female image and looked up her skirt.


    Whatever I was expecting from the yokai, it wasn''t this. Hell, it looked more like an ugly pokemon than it did a monster of Japanese legend, and it also wore a white buddhist monk uniform for some reason.


    Infant Satori


    Vagrant Yokai


    Level 05


    You got to be kidding me, right? The thing''s the size of a rat. It''s a hairy monkey the size of a rat! F.u.c.k, I thought it would be a tiger monster or something.


    The creature, a Satori apparently, followed behind the class as they got into their seats, for a moment I was creeped out by the vision of a ghostly classroom before focusing back on the little creature.


    I followed behind the Satori as it flipped beneath the desks and made a few ghostly images flinch.


    That makes me raise an eyebrow. It can interact with the ghost? I can''t do that.


    "F.u.c.k." I cursed as I lost sight of the thing in one of its dashes, now I have to crouch and look beneath each desk.


    I did that¡­ and frankly, I don''t understand what the monkey''s excitement was all about, it just looked like a blue-ish outline between the girl''s legs for me, like the kind you''d find in a n.a.k.e.d Barbie doll or something. But then again, I don''t understand the japaneses'' obsession with panties in general. I was always much more interested in what they hid.


    Thankfully, it didn''t take long to find the¡­


    The ghost of the girl was slowly curling over herself, her notebook raised to hide the expression she was making, and by the hand on her mouth, the sounds she was letting out. Her other hand was crunching her skirt, trying to set it down while the monkey creature lodged it''s head deep between her legs.


    Ok, that''s just not right.


    "Hey! Cut that out!" I said harshly, maneuvering my baseball bat through the girl''s ghostly h.i.p.s and peeled the thing out of her.


    "KiKI! KikikiKIIII!!" It screeched loudly as it fell to the floor and started to throw a tantrum. I was about to kick it in annoyance when it suddenly snapped a murderous glare in my direction.


    Hoh, it wants a go?


    I tightened my grip and readied my bat, let''s do this!


    -0-0-0-


    "THIS IS NOT HOW IT SUPPOSE TO GO!"


    "KIKIKIIIIIII!!!"


    I ran/hopped away from the little devil. Reaching and throwing my body hard against a window, it promptly shattered all over me and left fun little wounds as I made a bad landing on the other side, I didn''t care about that as I force myself to my feet and continued to run.


    Humans can ignore an amazing amount of pain when they are trying to stay alive, but I''ve got to say the wound in my inner thigh, where a piece of me has been bitten off was really starting to bug me.


    I have Gamer body, why the f.u.c.k I''m getting all bloody-UFF!


    "KIKI!" Screeched the hairy cannonball as it threw us to the floor and sank its fangs in my shoulder


    "AH!" I screamed as I practically hear the flesh tearing more than I felt, probably shook and adrenaline working its magic. I twisted, trying to pin the monster with my weight only to cry out as it crawled away, making me brush my new wound on the dirt.


    I moved, thrashing about was the creature roamed all over me like a squirrel hooked on caffeine, biting and scratching and making me bleed.


    Like with the baseball bat, it managed to slip around every single one of my strikes like it was reading my damn mind, my every attempt to get rid of it was met only with blood and pain.


    Only my quick thinking kept me alive, and by that, I mean I blocked its access to my neck with my arm and hand, but it left practically everything else the open.


    "GET OFF!"


    "KIKIKIIII!"


    I can''t. I couldn''t.


    We rolled around like crazy, each moment the monkey causing more painful injuries sinking its fangs a bit deeper.


    "NONONO!!"


    It wasn''t supposed to be this way. I was the goddamn gamer! I''m a Gamer in a possible self-insert story! I can''t-


    "KIKIIII!!"


    I can die like this-ITS IN MY FACE GODDAMN IT''S IN MY FACE!!


    I shook my head madly, the monkey screamed and thrashed with me. Overwhelming pain exploded from my left side; I could feel the blood dripping down madly over my cheek and ear, it''s metallic scent mixing with the monkey''s reek.


    I screamed.


    It was hurting me. It was killing me. It was freaking eating me!


    "NO NO F.U.C.K GET ME AWAY FROM IT HELP HELP GET ME AWAY!"


    Skill created: Illusion barrier escape lvl 01.


    Allow you to escape from Illusion Barriers that are empty or only have low-level monsters.


    And suddenly, it was no more. I lay there, on Furikan high''s grass field, catching my breaths and looking at the blue sky with a single eye, my ears blasting with the wonderful noise of the world in full movement.


    It felt like an eternity before I moved again, slowly raising my arm towards my mangled face and over my eye.


    ¡­ I didn''t cry, I just¡­ gather my bearing for a while¡­


    Skill created: Meditation lvl 01.


    Raises your mental focus and increase your Hp and Mp regeneration as long as you don''t move.


    -0-0-0-


    Turn out I did have the f.u.c.k.i.n.g Gamer Body. I mean, I knew that as I had read it before, but only now it decided to appear.


    In all seriousness, it seems I have a more ''realistic'' version of the Gamer body; my health is regulated by my HP, but my ''apparent damage'' is also tied to it, meaning I would really experience every wound as it dipped by HP down, and feel every pain that it entails.


    It was not all glom and doom; it was still The Gamer Body, so it was still bullshit: All my fatigue utterly vanished after a short rest, and my HP regenerated from red to full health in about twenty minutes. And because my ''apparent damage'' is tied to my HP, I was now good as new, complete with a brand new eye and everything.


    So, slightly less bullshit than the usual Gamer, but still Bullshit.


    I used my baseball bat to prompt me up, how I managed to keep a hold of the thing only god knew. I had dropped the nailgun though, but it was bulky and heavy and practically useless when your target is a tiny monkey that could move like a pinball.


    My uniform was bloody and in tatters, even if the body beneath was clean and pristine. I looked over the gaps in the fabric and the bloody scratch holes and trembled.


    Something tried to eat me. There was a sort of primordial fear in that.


    It''s time to¡­ retreat.


    No way I''m fighting that thing again. No, I shouldn''t have been fighting it in the first place. I mean, I just got into a fight a genuine monster with a baseball bat and no training, just¡­ what the f.u.c.k was I thinking!? The difference in levels alone should have been enough to tell me how much of a bad idea it was¡­ Yeah, No, just no, I''ll search for something to kill that is more around my level, get stronger first before throwing myself into crazy shit like that again.


    With this resolve in mind, I start walking, no use going back to class with my uniform in this state, I''ll just have to bear with the teachers'' disappointment for now.


    As I walked, I started to¡­ recall the ''fight'', I was doing good really, just with one or two fearful shudders, nothing to write home about, but yeah, not putting myself in a situation like that ever again.


    But then I remember¡­ the text about the consequences of failure¡­ and what the monkey was doing with the girl.


    I stopped ¡ª the wind rustling like a dramatic scene from an overacted Japanese soap opera.


    F.u.c.k¡­ I¡­ I don''t really have a choice, do I?


    "CHE! ''Go find water on your own!'' Why!? All I did was give her some pointers! Tsk, that¡­ uncute tomboy!"


    And just like that, a raspy but not at all unpleasant to hear female voice echoed in the distance, getting closer.


    I sighed, surrendering to this destiny with the corner of my mouth curling just a tiny bit. I should have known¡­


    I looked up and saw the very attractive red-hair walking and grumbling on the path opposite to mine. Her red Chinese shirt was damp and molding over an impressive bust that looked even bigger due to her short stature. She had her pants dr.a.p.ed over her shoulder for some reason, leaving her gleaming, sculptured legs free to all leering eyes. Bits of male underwear showed itself from under the hem of her shirt in each step.


    Saotome Ranma


    Cursed martial artist


    Level: 25


    She, He?... f.u.c.k it, she paused when our ways inevitably crossed, her eyebrows raising at the state of my uniform. "The hell happened to you?" Were her first words to me.


    "I''m having a really, really shitty day." I explained slowly, and that earned me a sympathetic snort; "You''re Saotome Ranma, right?"


    "Yeah-I mean!" The martial artist suddenly twisted her body into an innocent stance, her big blue eyes blinking in adorable confusion. "Saotome Ranma? I don''t know who that is, mister~."


    I shook my head. "I''m familiar with magic, kinda. And I saw what happened after you fell in that pool earlier." Well, not personally, but I had seen this very event on my tv about seventeen years ago.


    She held on to the fa?ade for a few more seconds before she clicked her tongue annoyingly. "Agh! If I''d know I was already busted to the whole school I''d have kicked that damn samurai way harder."


    "To be fair, I don''t think people made the connection yet." I shifted my weight between my feet, resting my baseball bat on my shoulder. "Say¡­ are you up to hunting a yokai that''s haunting the school?"


    Because if siccing the highest-level person in the region on the monkey''s ass didn''t work, I don''t know what would.


    "Eh? Yokai?" She blinked.


    "You know, like the legends-"


    "Yeah, yeah, I know what a Yokai is. Just never fought one before." Then she smiled and whoa, I could see why so many characters became smitten by this form. "Tell you what! You get me some warm water, and I''ll help you out."


    -0-0-0-


    "This is fun!" Saotome Ranma, now a handsome teenage boy wearing pants, punched the thick wall of concrete, drilling his entire arm into it. Then, with an additional effort, he purposefully yanked his arm to the side, increasing the gap of destruction even more before pulling out.


    I couldn''t do anything but gawk at the martial artist''s propensity for destruction, in a way it was a fascinating thing to see; the way a solid, unmoving object just crumbled away under the power of pure human strength, and how deep and fast the cracks could spread out across a construction. In another, it was really worrying that Ranma''s first instinct after realizing he was in a pocket dimension was to ''test it out'' by trying to bring down the school.


    "Hey, Hiroshi!" The Japanese part of my brain frowned by the free use of first names. The rest didn''t give a f.u.c.k. "You''re sure nothing that happens to this school is going to happen to the real one, right!?" He asked for the third time.


    "Pretty sure, I broke a few chairs and windows last time I was here, nothing was translated to the order side."


    All and all, Ranma was taking this whole ''whisk away to a pocket dimension'' remarkably well¡­ maybe a little too much to be honest.


    I sighed.


    "Hey Ranma, I don''t want like a stick in the mud here, but we really need to get going, the yokai monster still around!"


    "Right! Sorry sorry." He twisted and delivered one last kick at some of the still-standing debris, completing the structural damage he has caused on the main school building. It looked like what would happen if a truck invaded the school and isekai''ed an entire classroom, or if a wrecking ball decided to visit, or both.


    "So, how we''re gonna do this." He says, loosening his shoulders.


    I closed my eyes, focusing on activating my new senses to discern between-


    OH SHIT!


    "ABOVE!" I shouted suddenly, fear gripping my heart as I threw myself to the side and out of the trajectory of that damn Satori.


    "KIKIKIIIIIII!!!"


    Not gonna lie, that sound almost made me lose control of my bowels.


    But suddenly, the monkey noise from hell ended in a gurgling gasp and a meaty smack. I snapped my head from my new position on the ground, watching the tiny yokai bounce on the concrete floor in the distance and crash against the school''s front gate.


    "Is that the thing that was giving you so much trouble?" Ranma had his right leg casually raised in a 180-degree angle. "Man, you''re kind of a wimp, you know that?"


    I don''t want to hear this from you, mister level 25.


    "K¡­i¡­Ki¡­KIKI!" The tiny monkey yokai jumped back to its feet with a cry, spat a gobble of blood to the side, and entered in an honest-to-god kung fu stance. "Kiki." It declared with a deep resolute-sounding tone.


    "Ooh, it still wants to fight," Ranma answered by entering a stance of his own.


    For the second time today, I bore witness to a scene right out of a kung-fu movie, only this time it was closer, faster, and a whole lot more impressive.


    Seriously, I had always thought that those Chinese wuxia flicks where the actors hang by a rope to ''fly'' around and fight looked silly as hell. But Ranma and the monkey yokai taught me what true areal combat looked like; I had no other word to describe it other than awesome.


    "HYAHH!!"


    "KIKIIII!!"


    Still, even for me, it was clear who was winning; the Satori has received a direct hit from Ranma early and has apparently decided it wants nothing to do with that again; it was weaving and dodging his attacks while desperately trying to land one of its own. To its credit, it was doing an impressive job at that, especially against someone 20 levels above it. But it was clear it couldn''t handle another hit.


    "Stay still you freaking chimp!"


    "KIKIIII!"


    However, I could see how it was using Ranma''s impatience against him.


    The battle moved close to the school building, now the combatants weren''t even touching the ground, preferring to meet in the air and somehow hop on the side of the building to keep altitude, concrete was cracking and glass was shattering everywhere.


    I continued to watch all of that and progressively felt more and more useless.


    I mean, is that what I wanted to do with myself? Watch by the sideline? It was a silly thought I know, and part of me wanted to blame on my new teenage brain but I knew better. I was doing the logical thing, hell the right thing even, but¡­ F.u.c.k, I didn''t think my gamer adventure would start by me cheering on the sideline while the hero saved the day.


    It¡­ pissed me off a little.


    So much so that I didn''t even realize when my legs started to move and only came back to myself when I crossed the last steps of the school stairs, getting closer to the fight form inside the building.


    What was I doing!? F.u.c.k, I don''t know, I don''t know but¡­


    "Ranma!" I stick my head out of the window and shouted. The really close, really dangerous fight continued, of course- no it changed slightly, I don''t know how but I can kinda follow¡­


    Skill created: Battle eye lvl:01.


    Lets you seen the pattern of a fight and increase your field awareness.


    I see it! Ranma was leading it here!


    My bat rose horizontally, I kept it in a 90-degree angle, both of my hands tightened around the handle and my back muscles tensed in preparation. My eyes never left the fighters; their movements were a blur, but the direction they were moving¡­


    Battle eye leveled up!


    Five seconds!


    Four.


    Three.


    My bat trembled by the tension.


    Two.


    ONE!


    "ARGHHH!" I shouted as I swung the bat with all my strength. It''s aluminum length flew past the window frame in the apex of its arch, perfectly meeting the back of the furry form that happened to be leaping back on that exact moment. The yokai let out a yelp of pain that was so damn satisfying to hear and was launched forwards like a furry ball, only to have its ugly mutt squashed by Ranma''s knee.


    That brought it down.


    I stood that breathing hard as Ranma finally stop edging gravity and let it do its work. Now alone in the corridor, I couldn''t help but grin at the trembling waves that were assaulting my arms and the drops of blood that now painted my baseball bat.


    Hot damn, that was a rush!


    Remembering where I was, I wiped down some sweat over my brow and proceeded to rush back down the stairs.


    Ranma was gopnik squatting in the middle of the courtyard when I emerged from the school building.


    "Did you finish it?" I asked, rushing over¡­ and finding the thing.


    The Satori was¡­ thrashing on the ground screeching and screaming madly, like it was having an epileptic attack. I could see droplets of blood spilling from the wound of its head, and for a moment I wondered if I knocked something important there.


    "What''s happening?" I asked out loud, Ranma shrugged on the side.


    Then the noise it was making started to quiet down, and I don''t mean it was stopping, I meant the volume of the screams was literally lowering. And then its body started fading away until it was gone.


    It¡­ left something behind.


    "The hell?" Ranma comment as I walked closer to see what it was.


    A sharp little fang with a cord tied to it, mean to be used as a collar, and 2.500 yen.


    Heh, my monsters leave loot.


    "Is that cash!?" Exclaimed the martial artist, seeing the notes in my hand, "Do yokais leave cash!?"


    "Don''t know, this was the first yokai I''ve seen."


    "Wait, seriously?"


    I looked at the loot, easily reaching a decision.


    I pocked the collar and handed Ranma the money. Wasn''t really scrapping for money right now and knowing the bullshit that Ranma goes through, or will go through, he needs it more than me.


    "Here."


    "Sweeeet."


    He didn''t even question¡­ I guess his father raised him well?


    "Thanks for the help," I say.


    "Hum?" He looked up from money and blinked. It took a few seconds for him to process what I had said. "Oh! Sure man, you''re welcome." He beamed. "It was fun!"


    Chuckling at the guy''s simple joy, I directed my attention to the pop-ups that were clogging my vision.


    Quest completed: +500 exp.


    Level up!


    You damn right I did.


    Unable to contain my curiosity, I pulled up another mental command and thanked the gods my version of the Gamer could be interacted mentally; otherwise, I would look like a crazy person.


    ¨­e Hiroshi


    The Gamer


    Level 02


    Hp: 110/110.


    Mp: 360/360


    Str: 07


    End: 09


    Dex: 13


    Agi: 09


    Int: 05 (+30)


    Wis: 05 (+30)


    Cha: 19 (+20)


    Points available: 10


    Core Trait: Reincarnated soul.


    Hum, ok, so leveling up work on base 10. I get 10 new points to spend and 10 more points on HP and MP, that''s¡­ actually sounds pretty good escalation-wise. I could, for example, suddenly increase a particular stat 10 points if I''m in a pinch. But I''d prefer if I had a point of reference for the stats before I declare anything.


    "Hey, Hiroshi."


    "Hum?" I looked at the martial artist.


    "Do you know how we get out of this place?" He grinned and waved the money he earned. "I''m up for some Takoyaki, what do you say?"


    Was he inviting me? I smiled. "We still have classes, you know?"


    "Ugh! Then let''s stay here. Hey, wanna bet how quickly I can bring this building down?"


    I chuckled, fumbling around with the felling of my Illusion barrier escape skill.


    Skill created: Illusion Barrier Erase.


    Lets you erase Illusion Barriers that are empty or have monsters that have lower levels than you.


    -0-0-0-


    Thankfully, the rest of my fragmented school day went pretty normally. I even managed to d.i.c.k around with some game system like Inventory and Equipment, and managed to figure out that I could mentally use the two to change clothes in a flash. Now I was walking back across the darkening streets of Nerima on the way to my new apartment.


    The apartment I''ve woke up in and had the biggest freak out of my life. At the start of the day, I was dreading doing just about anything, but now I only wanted to go back there, marinate in the small tub for a while, and go to f.u.c.k.i.n.g sleep. Funny how things change in a single day.


    It was nothing to write home about, definitely not a big ten plus stores building with large apartments or anything, just a well put together two stores building with exposed metal staircases, run by a kind, near deaf old woman who lived in the number one. Not at all where people would imagine the direct heir of a wealthy family would live.


    Well, the ¨­es, which I still know nothing about, apparently had a ''rite of passage'' of short: An ¨­e child is to spend their high school years fending for themselves, with only tangential support from the family wealth and connections. It''s supposed to be a rite of manhood or something I wasn''t paying attention to the call I got from the head of the family lawyer team. I got to admit this is not a bad custom to have, putting a kid against the world young to make him grow up faster and tougher, but still, I would like some more parent involvement rather than a mother shopping in Paris and an eccentric father doing god know what in god knows where.


    It works for me. In fact, it''s ingenious; I get a place to stay, some support but not too much, parents too rich to bother with their child, and a family tradition that put some distance between me and the Japanese elites'' social tango for a couple of years. Perfect place to be inserted into, eh ROB?


    I sighed, climbing the metal stair to the second floor.


    Gamer powers, Ranma 1/2, freaking Nerima, it still feels unreal, and not without reason. But what I''ve experienced today was terrible¡­ and awesome.


    I''m¡­ kinda glad this is happening, I wanna see how far can I go with this, and this is a fun universe to live in, even if I don''t remember much about the show.


    But all that rumination wouldn''t fill my stomach or take care of my tired bones, so warm bath and food here I goooo¡­


    Of course Nerima wouldn''t let my day end peacefully.


    There was something- no, someone lying on the ground right in front of the door to my apartment. They were a tangle of limbs awkwardly sprawling out in uncomfortable directions hidden under layers of thick, puffy clothes that made them look like a homeless person. Their extremely long, straight black hair was tangled all over their prone body like a horror movie, and their face was lying in a puddle of vomit.


    To complete the picture there was a discarded bottle of hard sake close by, because the universe thought I''ve never seen a drunk person before and wanted to make sure.


    I sighed, getting close¡­ and deciding that the figure was either a woman or a trap because her h.i.p.s were comically stuck high in the air and the thick fabric of the long skirt was molding over an ass so magnificent I refuse to believe it was attached to a man.


    Now, the gamer power gives me another form of identification¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­What?


    Uehara Rin


    The Sparkling Taimanin


    Level: ??


    Tai¡­ Taimanin!?


    What!?


    New quest: Taking care of the depressed Taimanin.


    A smoking hot woman is at your door, drunk, miserable, unconscious, and all-around vulnerable; you know what to do.... Be a captain save a hoe a gentleman and take care of her for the night.


    Rewards:


    200 exp.


    Vastly increase closeness with Uehara Rin


    ????????????????


    ????????????????


    Failure:


    Uehara Rin becomes suicidal


    ??????????????


    ?????????????


    Accept/Refuse.


    WHAT!?

 Chapter 140 - My CO Stash #40 - Who’s This White Kid by Flameraiser (HarryPotterXMCU)

    -Not a SI fic but a CO fic~ Post Harry Potter seemingly de-aged and tossed to the MCU, precisely to a forest near Wakanda!


    (¡ä?£à*)


    Sypnosis: Harry wakes up in a strange jungle seemingly de-aged and without his wand. He has to figure out how to live in this whole new environment that he has seemingly warped to. And what the hell is a Wakanda? First few chapters will be about entry into the world and not much else. Obviously takes place in the Avengers universe. Will primarily use the MCU as a reference.


    Rated: M


    Words: 56K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13095858/1/Who-s-This-White-Kid (Flameraiser)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "What the f.u.c.k?"


    Harry looked down at his body. His hands look extremely small. In fact, his hands looked like a child''s hands. Upon further investigation, he discovered the rest of his body was also suffering from this optical phenomenon. It would also appear that he was not wearing any clothes, which was a tad concerning.


    He reached his hand back and scratched his head in thought. Was this a spell, or perhaps a result of some magical experiment gone wrong? He would almost believe this was some sort of prank from George if he hadn''t been on a separate continent from the man for several years now.


    As he looked, he finally processed that he seemed to be in some type of jungle. This was not so worrying, he had been in several jungles over the last decade since his departure from Britain. What was concerning was the fact that he didn''t recognize this one. If he were a betting man, he might say Africa but he wasn''t exactly an expert on herbology and the foliage around him wasn''t helping.


    Harry''s eyes widened as they snapped to his right arm. Seeing it bare confirmed his suspicions, the elder wand was gone.


    He immediately got to his knees as he started to move around the scattered leaves and vines to try and see if it was around him. After a few moments he started to panic. The Elder Wand being stolen was a major deal, not necessarily for what it could do against him since he was rather unkillable these days but to others for sure.


    "Shit, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, shit, f.u.c.k.i.n.g shit, motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g shitty shit. Ok think Harry, what''s the last thing you can remember?" He said out loud. He remembered yesterday rather well. He had been relaxing in small town in Montana if he was remembering his states correctly. He had gone out for a drink but had only been slightly buzzed when he went back to his motel. He fell asleep peacefully on his bed with no interruptions. There hadn''t been a peep from his wards and he trusted his work immensely.


    Despite not remembering anything, something must have happened as he was now in a four-year-old body with no goddamn clothes in the ass crack of nowhere! He thought as hard as he could about what happened while he slept.


    He did remember having a rather strange dream about a strange red light reaching out to him but nothing other than that. Could that be a clue perhaps? Did someone manage to get through his wards and cast a spell on him. That was a scary thought. Dumbledore, the old bastard, himself wouldn''t have been able to get past what he had put down for protection last night, especially not silently.


    A light ray from the sun hit his eyes causing him to shut them slightly to block it out. This brought him back to the present and reminded him that he was wasting light as he stood here thinking. He sighed and looked around. It was time to get on the move. He looked at a pile of leaves on the ground and waved his hand at him. He had some ability when it came to wandless magic, transfiguring some clothes shouldn''t be a problem.


    A moment passed and Harry frowned in annoyance. Nothing happened, the pile of leaves didn''t so much as twitch. Harry took a deep breath and reached deep inside himself as he had trained himself to do and tried once more. Once more, nothing seemed to happen.


    Harry opened his eyes and slowly put his arms down as he looked in shock at the pile of leaves. He looked down at his hands. His magic wasn''t responding the way he wanted. It was frozen and unresponsive, almost like a¡­ oh god. Was he actually a goddamn child? How was that even possible? Even aging potions couldn''t pull something like this! Being able to not only deage a wizard''s body but also his magic to such a state shouldn''t be possible. Magical manipulation to that level shouldn''t be possible.


    Harry looked around the jungle with a new sense of caution. With no magic he would now have to navigate this jungle without food, water, or clothes. A morbid sense settled in his chest before took a few breathes to calm himself down.


    ''Ok, this is bad but let''s just analyze this and figure out how to get out of this. Let''s see. I know the sun rises in the east and sets in the west which means¡­ this way is North." Harry thought as he turned his body to match his thoughts and stared in a direction, ''Great. I''ll just head in this direction until I run into something. I have to hit some form of civilization at some point.''


    With that, Harry steeled himself and started walking into the direction he believed was North.


    The jungle was¡­ not as terrible as it could have been he supposed. He walked for hours and didn''t seem to run into a single predator which was good. He did occasionally see something swinging around in the trees which he assumed were monkeys though they were to high up to be sure.


    Sadly, that''s where the good things ended. Harry was not used to walking without shoes so his feet were taking a real beating from the jungle floor which had all sorts of sharp objects that loved to get stuck in his baby feet.


    To add to the pain of his feet, it was extremely hot forcing him to sweat profusely. After a few hours of walking, Harry was already starting to get thirsty. He tried once more to get some handle on his magic to summon water but it was to no avail. He tried once more to use some magic to summon just a little water but his magic refused to respond to him properly. He growled in anger when he saw that but kept moving. If he was lucky he might be able to find some sort of stream to drink from. Even without control over it, his magic should still be strong enough to protect him from most sicknesses in unfiltered water.


    Again, it would seem luck was not with him as he finished the day exhausted and without finding a single source of water. Now he was hungry as well and he had literally no idea how to hunt. He knew the concept of hunting and laying traps but that meant nothing out here in the actual wild. He briefly thought about trying to kill something but his size meant he wasn''t likely to catch nor overpower anything that lived in these trees.


    As night approached, he started looking for a place to sleep for the night. He sort of remembered something about how you weren''t supposed to sleep on the ground in jungles though perhaps he was mistaken and was thinking of another eco system.


    After an hour of searching, Harry finally found a suitably thick branched tree. He struggled to climb up It but did manage it with only a few dozen splinters gotten in the process. He sat on the branch with his back against the trunk and sighed. He was no stranger to sleeping in uncomfortable places, he had slept in a tiny cupboard for the first eleven years of his life even when he could almost literally not fit in it. Still, this probably took the cake.


    After a few minutes, his exhaustion from the day took hold of him and allowed him to drift off into the land of dreams. Sadly, his dreams offered no release from the torture. He dreamt himself at a caf¨¦ ordering a nice cup of tea in Britain from a rather attractive waitress. He waited until it finally arrived before gratefully taking it. He brought the cup to his mouth with great anticipation until It touched his lips. As soon as it did the cup disappeared from his hand and the dream dissolved right through his fingers.


    Harry groaned softly as he awoke, partly from the dream and partly from the aching pain in his back from the way he slept. God he would kill for even just a basic numbing charm right now. He opened his eyes and seemed to be looking at two orange gems surrounded by darkness. Harry processed that for a moment in his still waking brain before the confusion set in.


    He blinked rapidly to get the sleep out of his eyes before trying to look in front of him again. He immediately regretted his decision to not stay willfully ignorant.


    As it turned out, those orange gems were actually rather large eyes staring intently at him. Surrounding the eyes was a black body made of fur that stretched over what was clearly thick muscles. The creature was a large cat clearly judging from its small snout, long body, and almost equally long tail resting behind it.


    Harry froze for a moment as his mind processed what the creature was and how it would affect Harry considering they were currently on the same tree branch and it was staring at him intently. Harry immediately panicked and jumped into action. Unfortunately, he was not quite used to this body as instead of swinging his leg and jumping down from the tree and landing in a controlled roll as he planned, his leg caught and he just fell belly first and hit the ground painfully.


    Harry groaned in pain as he slowly rolled onto his back and looked back as he held his arm which he had injured from the six-foot drop. The panther hadn''t moved from its position lounging in the tree though it was still looking at him.


    Harry wasn''t the smartest when it came to animals but he once owned one of what he was convinced was the most intelligent owls in the world. It was this experience that led him to understand that the look the panther was giving him was not the typical, ''I''m hungry and you''re my next meal look,'' but more of a, ''Are you messed up in the head?'' sort of look.


    "F.u.c.k.i.n.g hell, you scared the shit out of me you big ass cat. I thought you were trying to eat me." Harry said to the panther feeling in less danger than when he woke up. The panther just looked back at him with a small twitch of its tail and a deadpan look that clearly spoke of how unimpressed it was with Harry. Harry sighed as he realized how quick he fell into talking with the creature.


    He and Hedwig could once hold entire conversations between each other despite not being able to speak anything close to a similar language. Even after her death he sometimes he would get caught talking to animals as if they could understand him. It was embarrassing to say the least.


    He peered back up at the panther for a moment. As he looked at him the panther looked right back at him unmoving and looking relaxed as ever, as if he hadn''t just scared a human enough to fall out of a tree. Harry was sure he could see something else in those eyes, an intelligence that contrasted with it''s cat body.


    "I don''t suppose you can understand me, can you?" Harry asked after a moment. The panther did nothing but its tail twitched once more when presented with the question. Harry waited but it did nothing else. He still wasn''t quite sure if it could or not and was just purposefully trying to piss him off.


    "Alright then¡­ You have any idea where I could find some water? I''m not exactly sure how long I can last without it but I''m probably approaching the limit considering it''s still hot out and I am no longer sweating." Harry asked as he looked over himself. He was downplaying it when in truth his insides felt like there were trying to consume themselves. It was extremely painful but he hadn''t broken under hours of the Cruciatus and even as a child he wouldn''t let this break him.


    The panther said nothing in response not that he really expected it too. Actually, he still wasn''t quite sure what he was expecting to happen from this situation. He might be going slightly crazy from the lack of water. Could a crazy person recognize that they were going crazy? Bellatrix had been able to recognize her own insanity but she embraced it to the extreme.


    He shivered as he realized he had just compared himself to possibly one of the worst people that had lived in the past century. So consumed in his thoughts, he didn''t notice when the panther dropped down from the tree branch and started walking away. He didn''t notice until he heard an audible growl which broke him from his thoughts immediately as he tensed.


    He looked back up and finally noticed the panther, now a small distance away from him and looking back at him. It was giving him a slight snarl until their eyes met. Once it had Harry''s attention, it turned its head back forward and continued to walk away. Harry stared at it walk away for a few moments before shrugging.


    ''No idea where I am going anyway.'' Harry thought before setting out behind the big cat. He wasn''t sure if the panther even realized he was following it. It must have, it''s not like Harry was being quiet and he was much too weak to even attempt to be light footed.


    Harry wasn''t sure how long he was following but soon he could start to feel his own heartbeat. Along with that and his breath was starting to become uneven and rapid. The further they walked and the worse it got. Soon his vision was starting to get fuzzy that he almost ran into multiple trees. He grit his teeth and kept moving despite the pain and his body clearly showing signs of shutting down. There was a roaring that started in his ears that might have been his own blood but he couldn''t be sure. Soon the world started to seem to get darker at the corner of his vision.


    "If¡­ if I die you better¡­ you better eat me." Harry said out to his companion who he was now having trouble seeing in front of him. Damn this child body. A grown a.d.u.l.t would have been able to go at least another day but he was stuck as something little better than a toddler. He wasn''t actually sure if he would die or not. With the older body and the deathly hallows he had been unkillable. In this young form though, he had no idea what would happen. If he did die though, he hoped his new panther friend would at least get a meal out of it. He had no problem being part of the circle of life.


    Harry wasn''t sure when it happened but at some point, he must have fallen down to the floor as he now had a face full of leaves. Despite that, the next time he opened his blurry eyes, he was on something soft and moving. He used all the energy he could to look up to see what appeared to be the back of the panther which he was now riding on.


    Harry couldn''t help himself, he let out a delirious chuckle at the situation. He was riding a panther through the jungle to god knows where¡­ or he was hallucinating and really just dying on the jungle floor somewhere.


    "You should have just eaten me. Would have been easier on your back." Harry told the panther. He heard a rumble from its chest that he could easily believe to be agreement in his delirious state. With that he closed his eyes again.


    Harry felt darkness once more. He briefly wondered if he would see his parents this time. He had spent years after the war coming to terms with the fact that he wouldn''t be able to due to the hallows. If he got to see them again and Sirius too then this whole little forest fiasco would be worth it.


    After his parents, his thoughts drifted to his friends. Ron and Hermione were still together as far as he knew. He had honestly thought they wouldn''t last but they had both stuck it through even when times got tough. Harry had literally watched Ron''s maturity kick in during that relationship. He had been happy for them but did admittedly feel like a third wheel. Ginny¡­ well he would rather not think of Ginny right now.


    He hoped he got to meet Dumbledore on the other side as well. He wanted to kick the man in the balls as hard as he could. Hearing the man, he had trusted from day one practically in the magical world had set him up had been tough. Granted he couldn''t say he would have been able to come up with a better plan than the man but still. It was the principle that mattered to Harry, he hated being set up.


    It was strange though. It suddenly was very cold all-around Harry. Not only that it felt like something was moving all around him upwards. Mixed with all that, there was this weird spec in the middle of his vision that seemed to get brighter and brighter, or maybe closer? Hmm, was this death?


    Harry gasped as he sat up straight with more energy than he had been able to in hours. He looked around him in confusion before his eyes shot open in clarity. Water, everywhere, lots of it!


    Harry dove his head back under and started chugging. He chugged and enjoyed the cold feeling spreading into his chest and then through the rest of his body. It felt like heaven! After a few moments, Harry''s mental functions began to boot up enough for him to remember that when someone was extremely dehydrated you couldn''t keep letting them chug down water or they would drown themselves. So, with great reluctance, he pulled his face away from the water with a great gasp. He let oxygen reenter his lungs as he finally looked around. He was in a river near the bank but deep enough that he could submerge himself if he sat down.


    At the bank sat a familiar figure. His panther companion sat back on its hindlegs as it seemed to watch him with what looked like a bored expression. Its tail moved slightly back and forth behind it for some reason.


    Harry dragged himself through the water and over to the panther. He pulled himself to bank with great energy before finally pulling himself next to the giant cat. The cat looked to its right and down at him. Harry might have imagined it but the looked seemed to ask ''Satisfied?''


    "I am, thanks to you. Thank you. I suppose that means I was right and you are intelligent after all." Harry told it. It gave him a look that was clearly, ''Obviously you idiot.''


    "You''re quite mean to the person you put so much effort into rescuing¡­ Did I ask you to eat me earlier?" Harry asked. His memory for the past few hours was a blur. If a panther could smirk then this one definitely was. It didn''t answer the question though, it did however get down on all legs so it could lay down.


    "I suppose your tired from carrying my weak ass around for the past few hours. Looks like it''s already getting dark. Think we should find shelter soon? I should probably also find something to eat. I''m not very good at hunting. Think you could give me some tips?" Harry asked.


    Again, the panther didn''t say anything, instead, it got to its feet and started wading through the river current. Harry wondered if he should get up and follow but the panther stopped and seemed to freeze. Harry looked on in confusion before the panther buried its head in the water before rapidly bringing it back up. In it''s jaws was something metallic looking and flapping uncontrollably. With that, the panther waded back out of the water and up to him. With a single motion it spat the object out of it''s mouth and into Harry''s lap.


    Harry looked down at his lap and stared at the now dead fish. He looked back at the panther that was now back to laying down as if nothing happened.


    "You show off." Harry finally said as a small smile grew on his face. The panther said nothing but it almost looked as if it preened at his words. He looked back down at the fish and almost drooled as he looked at it. He hadn''t been this hungry in years. He didn''t know how to make a fire which meant he would have to eat it raw. At this point though, he was just glad to have something in his mouth that he could swallow.


    He bit into the fish and tasted the flavor of its guts. It didn''t taste as bad as he thought it would which shouldn''t be that surprising. Plenty of people around the world had eaten raw forms of fish. Of course, even with his magic not working, he should still be okay from getting any sickness from eating the raw fish. He bit into it again and again. He would sometimes have to spit out the thin bones but didn''t let that stop him. Soon enough, the fish was mostly picked clean and he looked back at his companion who was now laying on its side.


    "So¡­ are you a boy panther or a girl panther?" Harry asked the creature. The panther lifted its head and eyed him like, ''Really?''


    "I''m just curious is all. I don''t want to keep referring to you as it in my head." Harry explained as he tried to look in between its legs to get an idea. After a moment, Harry found what he was looking for, sadly the now identified she seemed to notice what he had been doing and got up with a threatening growl. Harry froze a little at that. She got on her hindlegs again and glared at him before then looking down at his waist. Harry stared at her in confusion before following her gaze. Suddenly he felt very embarrassed.


    "Ack! Stop, stop, stop! Okay, I get the point. No more staring at each other''s junk, message received." Harry yelled as he moved to cover his crotch suddenly reminded of his n.a.k.e.dness. Suddenly she was back to looking smug. She then moved on to give him a patronizing look. Harry didn''t have to guess what that look was about.


    "Leave me alone. I''m apparently four so I''m going to have four-year-old equipment. Trust me, one day I will have no problem finding a mate and you''ll know how impressive I am as a human¡­ god I''m bragging to a panther, a female panther, on how impressive my junk will one day be. Somethings probably wrong with me." Harry trailed off. The panther seemed to almost nod in agreement as it looked back out at the river. Harry joined her in silence for a few moments before breaking it.


    "You''ll need a name. Any ideas?" Harry asked her. The panther made what Harry assumed was a snort but gave no other sign it was listening.


    "What if I just list a few and you can tell me if you like one?" Harry asked her. The panther made no movement in response.


    "I shall take your silence as a yes." Harry told her boldly before thinking of some names.


    "Hmm, I''m not good at thinking of African names I am afraid. How about¡­ Amara?" he asked her. She growled at that so, Harry took it as a no.


    "Don''t like that one then¡­ Hmmm, how about Zana? No, I don''t think that quite fits either¡­ Oh how about Nala? She''s my favorite character from the Lion King. Granted she was a lion but still. She was this bad ass cat and you''re a bad ass cat so what do you think. I think it fits rather well." Harry told her. The panther opened and eye and looked at him with a bored expression before closing it again. Harry smiled.


    "I''ll take that as a yes. Nala it is then. So Nala, I am completely and utterly lost so you''ll have to lead the way from now on. I would prefer to get to civilization if possible but I am not sure how exactly to get there. Not exactly sure how far panthers normally stray from their territory but do you think you can help me?" Harry questioned. He couldn''t exactly take care for himself out here so staying near Nala was kind of vital so if she couldn''t help, he might just be screwed.


    Nala said nothing and after a moment realized the large cat was actually snoring softly. He sighed before taking a deep breath. He was about to fall asleep when he heard something in the brush behind him. He admittedly made a beeline to Nala''s side and nervously looked around. He couldn''t see anything but didn''t mean nothing was there. He looked back at Nala and saw her awake again and looking at him amus.e.m.e.nt. Harry''s eyes narrowed.


    "I''m small and helpless, give me a break already." Harry told her in a whisper though if the ear twitch was any indication then she definitely heard him. Harry idly realized this is the first time he had willingly been so close to Nala. He knew she carried him on her back to the river somehow but he had been a step from death then so that didn''t count.


    Without really thinking about it, Harry raised and slowly moved it to her side. He finally pressed it into her soft fur. He always imagined animals in the wild had much more of a coarse feel to the fur but Nala''s felt as if she had been professionally groomed. He looked to her head to see if she minded him touching her fur but her eyes were closed so he took that to mean she didn''t. He started rubbing her side in the same way he might with a house cat just to see if she liked it. Soon a noise emitted from her throat. Harry almost stopped thinking it was a growl but quickly realized that she was actually purring but it sounded deeper due to her size.


    He laid his head against her side and stroked her side until he drifted off once more to the land of dreams, uncertain what was next for him but certain that he at least had a friend with him to face it. Harry once fought a war with only two friends at his side. Imagine what he could accomplish with a panther.

 Chapter 144 - My SI Stash #44 - The Shinobi Seeking Immortality by Seeker Of Immortality (Naruto)

    -A man from our world gets SI to Naruto as the son of Kuro Uchiha & Aka Uzumaki~ Dark/selfish MC, Also he''s got Owls as his summons!


    (¡Ñ_¡Ñ)


    Sypnosis: A modern man with dreams of an eternal life. Upon his death, he finds himself presented with the opportunity to achieve his dream in a new world. Witness Akakiryu Uchiha achieve greatness in the world of Naruto. Eventually God-like OC, but reasonable progression. OC-Centered. Pairings undecided. Rated M for language, violence, and possibly s.e.x.u.a.l content.


    Rated: M


    Words: 52K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/12953617/1/The-Shinobi-Seeking-Immortality (Seeker of Immortality)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2


    Earth in the time of the modern world has reached a state of overall peace. Hardship stills runs rampant in small parts of our world, but largely we''ve reached peace. The world is interconnected; countries communicate constantly between each other; cultures are shared.


    But it''s mundane.


    One day after the other. Most people are just sitting behind a cubicle achieving nothing but the goals of their company, yet they do it only for the sake of a meager salary that lets them live. Only to go home, sleep, and do it again.


    That''s an awfully terrible way to look at it, but from a realistic perspective, that''s kind of how it is.


    I''ve always wanted more.


    I lived through years of school, met one person after another, made relationsh.i.p.s only to watch them drift away, and at the end of it all, I''m going to turn to dust.


    That''s pretty lame.


    I want to live forever and to have the power to live that eternal life comfortably. I''m not saying that I''m willing to sacrifice a million people and three goats to Satan just so I can live forever, but I''m more than willing to work my ass off so that I can coast off into the glory of an infinite life.


    Too bad that''s unachievable in this day and age. The best that I can do is exercise and eat healthily, but that will only grant me a few more years tacked on to the end of my life. That''s not really worth it.


    Therefore, all I can really do is live out life as happy I can hope to be.


    Life has been easy living in a first-world country on earth. I come from a middle-class family, I''ve been gifted with a smart head on my shoulders, and I''m pretty good looking too. Life is good for me. It isn''t the best, but it''s pretty good.


    But that will end.


    And I didn''t think it would happen so soon.


    All it took was me being a selfless idiot trying to throw an ignorant kid out of the way of a charging bus.


    Pfft, so much for eternal life.


    All I can see now is my crimson blood pooling around me as horrified spectators gather around to watch my last breath slip away from me. And clearly, no one''s a god damn doctor either.


    Ugh.


    Well, you win some, you lose some. Am I right?


    *Cough*


    Ah, more blood.


    You know, I figured this would be more painful, but I guess that''s just the lack of oxygen speaking. That would also explain why my vision has gone dark and I can only hear buzzes.


    Well, no more buzzes.


    Just eternal darkness. I guess I finally got something that''s eternal. Does this count as eternal life? My drifting soul stuck in an unknown abyss of time and space? Wait so this is the afterlife?


    It kinda sucks. I was expecting a bit more¡­ I don''t know? Oomph.


    At least I can maintain conscient thought. Does this happen to everyone? Or do I just have enough lingering thoughts to prevent my soul from dissipating? At least I have stuff to think about for the duration of my stay in god knows where this f.u.c.k.i.n.g place is.


    At least souls are a proven theory. It would be a damn shame if I just poofed out of existence.


    ¡­


    Why is it warm?


    It''s a welcome change and all, but it feels pretty weird. Wait¡­ feels?


    Why can I feel?


    Better question, why do I hear people?


    I''m surrounded by panicked voices in Japanese, and last time I checked I wasn''t anywhere near Japan when I died. So I''m not a ghost nearby Japan or some shit. I''m pretty fluent in the language, so it''s not inconvenient or anything, but when a man was previously dead and is suddenly surrounded by voices, it raises a couple questions.


    Now I''m starting to feel a crushing pressure that wants to take me away from this warmth, and it''s starting to piss me off.


    It feels like I''m stuck in a slimy sleeping bag and my friend is trying to drag me out of it.


    Not pleasant, not at all.


    Konoha''s general hospital


    In a patient''s room cursed with the sterile smell of a medical facility, the room is filled with doctors and nurses each in outfits as white as the room itself. All except for two people, one of which is an a.d.u.l.t male with raven black hair in the standard leaf jonin flak-jacket holding the hand of the last person, a crimson-haired woman in a pink patient''s gown laying spread-eagle on the hospital bed.


    The woman herself was busy yelling at the man holding her hand, "HOLY F.U.C.K THIS BABY BETTER BE WORTH IT YOU ASSHOLEEEEEEEEEEE!" Her face contorted in the pain associated with childbirth.


    The man looked both panicked at the shout and pained from her crushing his hand. He wanted to yell back but wisely chose to vent his frustrations at another outlet, "Hey, Docter! You''re the expert here, help my wife!"


    The doctor turns blind eye at this, for he''s experienced such attitudes many times in his career. He chose to continue calmly encouraging the woman instead, "Uzumaki-san, please just keep taking deep breaths and push."


    The woman''s hair seemed to float at that remark and her eyes turned aflame, "I''VE HEARD YOU SAY THAT SAME SHIT A THOUSAND TIMES ALREADY AND IT''S NOT GETTING ANY BETTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"


    Yet again, the doctor turned a blind eye to this and continued speaking, "That''s good Uzumaki-san, you''re almost there."


    Sure enough, as the doctor foretold, a baby soon arrived in a few moments.


    Crimson hair like his mother, and curious black orbs that searched for the light around him. Eyes like his father.


    A hospital room comes into view after I lose the warmth that previously encompassed me.


    I think I know how this goes.


    Let me guess, I''m reincarnated into the past and soon I''ll be able to use my knowledge of the future to become a multibillionaire right? HAHA I WIN THIS TIME F.U.C.KERS!


    But god damn, it''s cold.


    I mean really cold.


    Like I know why babies cry when they''re born because it''s F.U.C.K.I.N.G COLD COLD COLD COLD!


    "Haha! It''s a healthy baby boy, Uzumaki-san and Uchiha-san!" said the dude with the Doctor''s coat.


    I''m quickly wiped down and wrapped in a blanket by one of the nurses. Ah, much better.


    Wait, are my parents Naruto cosplayers or some shit? Aw, does this mean I''m not in the future? I was totally going to run Apple and call it Mango just so that I could laugh every time someone asked me if I was the CEO of Mango. Haha, gets me every time.


    Wow, that dude is really dedicated to his role, he''s even wearing the headband and everything. Soon he''s talking too, "My son! He''s going to be a genius and a proud Uchiha just like his cousin Shisui!"


    Damn, will I have Uchiha as my last name? That''s going be embarrassing. I''m going to be bullied for having otakus for parents. Oh well, it''s still pretty cool sounding. Pfft, they even named my cousin Shisui.


    The lady on the bed seems to have something to say too, "Shut up and hand me my son, I''m the one that almost tore my body apart letting him into this world."


    The man that''s apparently my Dad was quick to hand me over to my new mom.


    She cradled me in her arms and held me close to her b.r.e.a.s.t. She whispered under her breathe in the most gentle voice I''ve heard all day, "My son, my little Akakiryu."


    My Dad looked at us with his black eyes shining with a gentle light.


    But then his eyes morphed. A three tomoe sharingan quickly appeared in my father''s eyes as he gazed upon my mother holding me. As if he wanted to capture the image forever.


    I''m pretty sure contact lenses don''t let you do that.


    ¡­


    HAHA I''M IN THE NARUTO WORLD! AND I''M A F.U.C.K.I.N.G UCHIHA AND AN UZUMAKI!


    I WAS F.U.C.K.I.N.G BORN TO BE GREAT! HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH


    Wait.


    I''m forgetting something here.


    All the death, the suffering, endless pain and horrors that encompasses the life of a shinobi.


    Oh boy, this is going to be a bitch.


    But¡­


    I can do it. And I have the chance to achieve what I''ve always wanted.


    Immortality.


    AN: This is my first fanfic, but it won''t be half-assed. I''ve got it planned out for the most part, but I will still be taking opinions from the readers. It won''t be YAOI, so please stay away from recommending that Akakiryu f.u.c.ks Neji or something like that. Pairings are undecided so I''m up for hearing any opinions on that. I hope you''ll like my story and that you will support me in my endeavors of creating a MaleOC story in the world of Naruto.


    Chapter 2


    It turns out that I was definitely right. I am totally in the world of Naruto. I''m not sure if it''s totally canon Naruto though, since I have parents that shouldn''t exist. I don''t know about my father, but I''m pretty confident that my mother shouldn''t exist. I definitely shouldn''t exist.


    But I can''t really be bothered to wonder about that since the butterfly effect would likely f.u.c.k up most of the events that might occur in the future anyway. I know for a fact that Orochimaru that pedophile would definitely want my body over Sasuke''s. Actually, I don''t know about that, now that I think about it. The whole point of Orochimaru wanting Sasuke''s body was for his sharingan and the fact that he was Itachi''s brother.


    Can you imagine possessing a dude''s brother and then killing that dude? Man, that''s hardcore.


    Anyways, I don''t have to worry about that now. I don''t really know WHEN I''ll have to worry about that.


    I''ve established that the fourth Hokage is still alive right now. I figured that out when HE CAME TO MY F.U.C.K.I.N.G HOUSE.


    Man, that was super exciting. It was like looking at a living legend. Apparently, my mom was Kushina''s cousin that managed to not be a part of the destruction of Uzushiogakure by meeting my Dad on a mission and moving to Konoha to live with him. Pretty crazy.


    My parents like to show me off since I showed off a little bit of my genius.


    I was crawling at 2 months and walking at 4 months, so they were pretty full of themselves. They like to call me their "little genius" or their "little dragon."


    When I was only 5 months old and said "Hi mom and dad," they lost their minds.


    I know I''m supposed to be a baby, but my good genes allow me to be pretty physical. That doesn''t mean that I''m working out, but it''s been a year and I''ve been running around the house since I was 6 months old.


    I don''t want to start reading until a couple months later, since I don''t want to cause a scene, but I''ve pretty sneaking peeks at my parents'' library when I can.


    The most of my time has been spent playing around with my chakra, which has been so much f.u.c.k.i.n.g fun. I thought that I was supposed to unlock my chakra or something, but I''ve been able to use it since birth. It must be my good genes, I guess.


    I have already pretty much figured out my plan for immortality, and I''m not doing it Kaguya style and f.u.c.k.i.n.g up the whole world. No, I plan to have so much chakra I can''t die.


    Tailed beasts are made of chakra. They''re literally just a soul with chakra that takes up a physical form. And that''s basically my goal.


    Theoretically, if I infuse every cell in my body with an overwhelming amount of chakra, then I could become as immortal as a tailed-beast. I doubt I could reform after death like they could, but theoretically, I could live for a long time, if not forever.


    Therefore, I''ve been working my ass off with growing and controlling my chakra.


    Thanks to my Uzumaki and Uchiha heritage, I''m basically swimming in the stuff. I''m only a year old, and I already have genin-level reserves.


    My daily routine is basically to just use my chakra until I run out. I''m pretty sure I can only do ridiculous chakra exhausting like this due to my Uzumaki blood, but it''s working super well since each time I run out and refill, I''m increasing my limit.


    I''m a bit limited in the extent of how much I play around with my chakra, since there''s a limit to how much of a genius I can be.


    I''ve shown off that I can hold stuff with my chakra, but that''s it.


    The look on their faces was priceless. Them seeing their son run around with toys stuck to his body was hilarious. It was fun for me too.


    I know that I''m going to have ridiculous chakra reserves in the future, so I''ve been trying to scale my chakra control alongside it. I need both the reserves and the control for my plan.


    As such, I''ve spent my night-times holding toys on chakra strings as I walk around on my ceiling. And parents have been none-the-wiser for it. They just think that I''m a heavy sleeper since I spend most of my daytime taking naps to recover the sleep I didn''t have at nighttime.


    Things have been going really well, and I don''t think this routine will change very much anytime soon.


    Woops, I might have jinxed that. I just heard a loud roar that doesn''t sound friendly and I can feel enough killing intent that I don''t feel very safe.


    Aka Uzumaki and her husband, Kuro Uchiha, were startled awake by the roar of the Kyubi. They immediately scattered to gather their gear and ninja tools. Their gear and tools were always prepared out of habit, due to years of war and bloodshed.


    Aka immediately had a bad thought, ''The Kyubi? Kushina!'' Aka knew what happens when a tailed beast is extracted from a jinchuriki and she feared for her cousin. She turned to her husband, "Kuro, take Akakiryu to the shelter and then join the fight against the Kyubi. I''m going to help push the Kyubi back."


    Kuro didn''t argue with his wife. He knew that her skill set was much better suited for a fight against a giant beast like the Kyubi. He just nodded and ran to Akakiryu''s room as his wife Body-Flickered away to fight.


    When he entered his son''s room, he was almost surprised at how calm his son was. He was shaken, but not what one would expect of a child facing the killing intent of the strongest tailed beast.


    Akakiryu turned to his father and said, "Dad, what''s going on?"


    Kuro just picked his son up as fast as he could and said to him, "Son, your mom went to go fight a big fox that''s attacking the village. We need to get you somewhere safe before Dad can go help Mom." Kuro said no more as he Body-Flickered to the village shelter. The family lived in the village rather than the Uchiha compound, so they couldn''t go to the Uchiha''s shelter.


    The shelter was already flooding with civilians crying out with panicked shouts.


    "Tou-san! Kaa-san! Where are you!"


    "Where''s my son! MY SON DAMNIT!"


    The genins in charge of evacuation were trying to keep everyone calm.


    "Everyone just go into the shelter as calmly and orderly as possible! Don''t stop at any point, you have to make room for the people behind you!"


    Kuro had to join the battle as soon as possible, so he handed Akakiryu off to a genin he was familiar with and instructed him, "Keep my son safe, I need to join the battle so I''ll be back for him when this is all over." The genin just nodded silently as Kuro turned to Akakiryu and spoke to him, "Son, you need to be strong while Mom and Dad are away. Be a good boy for the shinobi-sans and just wait for Mom and Dad to come and get you. Do you understand?"


    Akakiryu was busy thinking all this time, but he managed to nod in time to respond. That was good enough for his father, as he Body-Flickered to join the battle.


    Oh f.u.c.k oh f.u.c.k oh f.u.c.k


    I''m an Uchiha and I don''t have enough time. The Kyubi attack just happened, which means I have at most 5 or 6 years until the God of Death that is Itachi comes upon me.


    Wait, that doesn''t matter now. My parents are risking their lives right now.


    I know I''m basically a 19-year-old young man stuck in the body of a child, but I still acknowledge those two maniacs as my parents. They''ve grown on me. And when you suck on the b.r.e.a.s.t of a woman for sustenance, she starts to feel like a mother to you. Not to mention all the times they wiped my ass for me. That takes dedication.


    But now they''re fighting a giant f.u.c.k.i.n.g fox of death. And I don''t think that''s the healthiest lifestyle choice.


    Things are not looking too bright for the future of Akakiryu Uchiha right now.


    AN: The timeframe that Akakiryu lives in has officially been established. He''s the same age as Neji, Lee, and Tenten, so he''ll be in their class rather than the Rookie 9. That doesn''t mean that he''ll stay in their class, just that that is the class he''ll be in initially. Akakiryu has been given a wake-up call with the realization of the exact place he holds in the storyline, so just wait and see how he plans out his near-future after the events of the Kyubi.


    I''m still taking suggestions for pairings, and I need another idea for one of his Mangekyo abilities. I''ve already got one of them figured out though. It can''t be too OP, or it at least needs limitations. I don''t want him having instant teleportation or any of that bullshit, that''s going to be endgame stuff. I''ve already got his summons decided upon, so I won''t take suggestions for that. Sorry friends.


    I also just figured out line breaks, so hopefully it''s cleaner.


    Till next time,


    ~ Seeker


    Continue to FF.net~!

 Chapter 145 - My OC Stash #45 - Not So Solo After All by Cambrian (Solo Leveling)

    -Not a SI, Jin Woo finds out he can grind XP from having intercourse.


    *First Solo Leveling fic in the stash and it''s written by one of me fav NSFW authors~


    **QuestionableQuesting fic so you need to make an account and also verify email to get access


    ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)


    Sypnosis: In which Han Song-I decides to pay Song Jin Woo back for all the easy work she got because of him. After all is said and done, Jin Woo makes a startling discovery... namely, he gains experience points towards his next level from having s.e.x.


    Rated: M


    Words: 21K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/not-so-solo-after-all-solo-leveling.11014/ (Cambrian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Coming to a stop outside of Han Song-I''s home, Jin Woo raises a hand and casually knocks, a crisp clean knock with a smidgen of his strength behind it to give it some oomph and actual sound. It''s still a little bit startling even for him, just how much he''s changed since¡­ well, since his entire life became something of a game.


    Before becoming a Player, Jin-Woo had been a young man of average height with messy black hair and an altogether frail build. Despite being stronger than any normal human, he was the weakest among Hunters, the portion of humanity that possessed magical abilities and the power to actually fight back against the monsters that plagued the Earth, as well as the portals they came out of.


    Afterwards, Jin Woo was able to grow stronger by increasing his level and thus his stats, and this had directly translated into a change in physical appearance. Where before he''d been distinctly average in every way, these days he was several inches taller, with sharper facial features and a muscular, albeit-still fairly lean build. Along with the increase in power had come a personality that Jin Woo was pretty sure could be fairly intimidating, though he tried not to be.


    Still, when it felt like there were so many forces at work trying to kill him, what else was he supposed to do, at the end of the day? Heh, ultimately, he had to fight to survive, and that''s what he''d been doing ever since he reawakened as a player. He was-


    Jin Woo''s thoughts are cut off by the door before him opening. On the other side of it stands Han Song-I. As usual, the E-Ranked Hunter is wearing her hoodie, and she stands there for a moment, staring out at him from under the fringe of her hair in surprise, before finally seeming to realize he was waiting for her to speak.


    "A-Ah! Sung Jin Woo, you came¡­ please, come in."


    He supposed he shouldn''t be all that surprised by her shock. After all, how long had it been sing Song-I asked him to stop by her place at his earliest convenience? Maybe weeks, at this point. But to be fair, he was a very busy man. He had to be, to stay ahead of everything that was nipping at his heels. And maybe, just maybe¡­ he kind of liked it. It being the power ups. He liked getting stronger. He liked leveling. He liked becoming more and more powerful as he put in the effort.


    After spending so much of his life as the weakest among the strong, as an E-Ranked Hunter with absolutely no real prospects, stuck in a rut and forced to just try and get by as best he could, suddenly being able to control his own fate and destiny¡­ was it any wonder that Sung Jin Woo spent practically every waking moment fighting to get stronger now?


    Still, it was rude to ignore people for long, which was why he was here now, to find out what Han Song-I wanted. Though it seemed she was a little nervous, given the way she was trying to draw things out.


    "Ah¡­ do you need anything to drink?"


    He c.o.c.ks his head to the side for a moment before shaking it.


    "No, I''m fine. What''s up, Song-I?"


    "Right to business then¡­"


    Hesitating for a moment more as she turns to face him, Song-I seems to be trying to figure something out. She peers up at him searchingly for a long moment, and then suddenly lunges forward, pushing herself up on her tiptoes in order to kiss him right on the lips. Blinking in surprise, Jin Woo senses no threat in her movements, so he doesn''t stop her. Instead, he finds himself engaging in a short makeout session with the young woman, as she kisses him, and he kisses her back.


    As with everything in his life recently however, Jin Woo quickly finds himself taking over and dominating the exchange, his hands clasping Song-I''s arms as he tilts his head forward and kisses her even more deeply, his tongue exploring her nonresistant mouth. Eventually they do pull apart for air, but even then Jin Woo doesn''t let go of Song-I, keeping ahold of her as he c.o.c.ks his head questioningly.


    Blushing, the young woman averts her gaze for a moment before looking back up at him.


    "I want¡­ I wished to thank you for everything. Even if the raids are over now, you''ve basically set me up for months thanks to the money I made during that time. S-So even if it''s been a little while past that¡­ please let me thank you properly."


    Jin Woo isn''t quite sure how to respond to that, and when Song-I pulls out of his grasp only to sink to her knees, he stays where he is, still as a statue. Glancing between his crotch and his face, Song-I blushes in embarrassment, but that doesn''t stop her from reaching up and beginning to unbuckle his belt and then unbutton and unzip his pants.


    She slips a hand into his boxers and grabs hold of his c.o.c.k, not having to fish around for long to find his member. As she pulls it out, Song-I lets out a sharp exhale at the size of the throbbing, pulsating member, which even now is growing thicker and larger by the second in the face of her touch, in the face of her interest.


    Still Jin Woo does not stop her. He has to admit, he''s growing turned on now, and he''s curious where this is going to go¡­ if this is how she wants to repay him, then very well¡­ he''ll allow it. Seeing nothing in the way of negativity on his face, Song-I takes hold of his c.o.c.k with both hands and then opens her lips, letting her tongue trail out as she begins to lick and lap at his c.o.c.khead, all while stroking his member up and down with silky smooth palms.


    This ultimately escalates with no input from Jin Woo. Eventually, Song-I takes his c.o.c.khead into her mouth, and then more and more of his member. She stops at hitting the back of her throat and settles for sucking on just the first third of his length, while giving a handie to the rest of his c.o.c.k. Part of Jin Woo thinks that she could do better, that she could do more¡­ but he''s not going to push her, not going to force her. This is Song-I''s way of saying thanks, after all.


    Eventually though, she pulls back, looking somewhat¡­ disappointed? Jin Woo just continues watching as Song-I bites her lower lip again, glancing between his throbbing, glistening erection and his face for a little bit, before suddenly letting go of his c.o.c.k and standing up. Was she done? He actually might be upset with her if she was¡­ she didn''t finish the job, after all.


    But no, Song-I isn''t done, as evidenced when she begins to shuck off her hoodie and strip out of her clothing.


    "J-jaw is getting sore¡­ s-so this is fine too¡­"


    She won''t meet his gaze as she offers up her excuses, but Jin Woo doesn''t mind all that much, he''s too busy enjoying the sight of her nubile body. She''s still a young woman, but she has a good set of tits and the feminine curves that entice Jin Woo all the more. Once she''s n.a.k.e.d, Song-I hesitates for a second, fidgeting under his gaze, and then she turns towards the kitchen island behind her and bends over it, planting her hands on it as she juts her ass back in his direction.


    Reaching down between her legs with one hand, Song-I spreads herself apart quite blatantly, offering herself up to him as she looks back over her shoulder at Jin Woo.


    "Please¡­ go ahead¡­"


    She speaks softly to him even as she offers her cunt. Jin Woo doesn''t hesitate though, his c.o.c.k is throbbing with need, and he''s not going to stop now when the job is half done and there''s a willing woman right in front of him. Stepping up behind Song-I, Jin Woo takes hold of his c.o.c.k and brings it up to her spread p.u.s.s.y lips, running it along her slit for a second to get it nice and lodged within her. Once he''s got his c.o.c.khead pressed in, Jin Woo grabs hold of Song-I by her h.i.p.s¡­ and thrusts forward.


    There''s a sharp cry from the female Hunter as Jin Woo feels something tear, and for a moment he''s worried that he''s hurt her. But she hastily tells him to keep going when he slows to a stop, and so Jin Woo does, pushing in deeper and then pulling out again when he bottoms out, only to thrust in once more. It feels¡­ good. Undeniably good, in fact, even better than Song-I''s mouth.


    Jin Woo groans as he fills Song-I to the brim with his c.o.c.k and her inner walls tighten around his length. Song-I m.o.a.ns, tossing her head back and clutching at the kitchen counter in front of her for support. As he thrusts in and out of her, Jin Woo can''t help but wonder why he''s never done this before. Because yes, before this, he too was a v.i.r.g.i.n. It wasn''t like he didn''t know how s.e.x worked. He wasn''t an idiot. But at the same time, he''d never¡­ well, he''d never had much of a libido before his reawakening.


    Now though, buried deep inside of Song-I, it was like his libido was the one having a reawakening. He finds himself moving faster and faster, thrusting away deeper and harder, slamming up against Song-I''s cervix again and again. In the meantime, the n.a.k.e.d young woman is m.o.a.ning wantonly as she gets plowed up against the kitchen counter.


    Jin Woo wants more though, so he pulls out and spins her around, lifting her up into the air. Song-I lets out a sharp yelp, but quickly wraps her limbs around him, her arms going around his neck and her legs going around his waist as he grasps at her ass for support, plunging into her depths once more and now f.u.c.k.i.n.g up into her even harder.


    At the same time, he kisses her briefly, his tongue slipping into her mouth, but it''s not long before he goes after his true target¡­ her b.r.e.a.s.ts. Dipping his head down and at the same time lifting Song-I up, Jin Woo feasts upon her tits, all while still continuing to thrust up into her from below, bouncing her up and down on his c.o.c.k again and again.


    Tossing her head back, Song-I m.o.a.ns in wanton delight, and her p.u.s.s.y walls tighten around his pistoning member as she climaxes along his length. It''s not the last time she c.u.ms either, as Jin Woo continues to f.u.c.k her without stopping, without rest, for longer than would ever be natural. But then, he''s not natural anymore, and he knows that very well. He''s beyond natural, beyond strong¡­ and his endurance translates over to this it seems, because he f.u.c.ks Song-I for what feels like hours.


    They do eventually move to the bedroom, where Jin Woo takes her on her back, f.u.c.k.i.n.g into her as her eyes roll back in her head and her mouth opens in a continuous m.o.a.n. He''s getting close now, his c.o.c.k buried deep inside of her drooling quim, and he doesn''t bother holding back, not when it''s taken him so long to reach his release in the first place. He fills her with his seed, pumping a nice thick load of c.u.m right into her w.o.m.b¡­ and then it happens.


    Jin Woo blinks as a small little pop up displays in the corner of his vision. It''s a sort of pop up he''s only really used to seeing when he''s fighting monsters. The kind of pop up that¡­ that means he''s gained some more experience towards his next level. But Song-I isn''t a monster, and he''s not been fighting her, he''s been f.u.c.k.i.n.g her.


    Pulling out, Jin Woo brings up his screen even as Song-I lays beneath him, freshly f.u.c.k.i.e.d and completely out of her mind with pleasure. A quick check shows that he wasn''t just seeing things¡­ f.u.c.k.i.n.g Song-I HAD given him more experience towards his next level. That was¡­ huh, that was certainly something. So, he could level up through s.e.x?


    Jin Woo would never have guessed that such a thing would be possible. What sort of game had his life become here, exactly? Frowning, Jin Woo looks down at Song-I''s exhausted looking form¡­ to be honest, he sort of wished the exp gain wasn''t good enough, but that was just it¡­ it was. It was more than worth it to carve off some time to relax and have s.e.x, rather than fighting all the time, now that he knew s.e.x gave experience as well.


    And, he had a willing woman right here too, one who was grateful to him and willing to satisfy him in this manner in order to repay him for all he''d done for her. A small smile forms on Sung Jin Woo''s face. This¡­ he could work with this.

 Chapter 146 - My SI Stash #46 - Resident Evil: Waking Death by Blade8821 (Resident Evil)

    -I remember reading a RE fic on this site but I ended up dropping it cause the grammar was just painfully bad. Well luckily I found a better SI fic~ Child soldier isekai''d to the world of RE!


    (???????)


    Sypnosis: Waking Death has been rewritten... Again. Third time charm. This is the story of one unfortunate soul who finds himself in the world of Resident Evil, on the night of July 23, 1998. When confronted with the horrors of this frightful new world, what is a lowly gamer bored with reality to do? Enter the world of survival horror... If you dare.


    Rated: M


    Words: 100K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/9874550/1/Resident-Evil-Waking-Death (Blade8821)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    This, is the story of a young man named Roy, who unexpectedly finds himself in the world of Resident Evil. What you are about to see is one man''s struggle to hold onto his own humanity.


    For my dedicated readers who have followed this story since its infancy, I thank you from the bottom of my cold, unfeeling heart. I ask that you refrain from spoiling what you think you know for the new readers. Many things have changed; I hope each and every one of you will enjoy the horror-filled adventure that awaits you.


    There are a few things you need to know about our protagonist before reading further.


    A) His name is Roy, no known surname, age 17. Between 5''10 and 5''11, fit/athletic build, dark brunette hair, blue-green eyes.


    B) He was a child soldier, genetically engineered to be the "perfect killer," a supersoldier gifted with impressive physical strength and stamina, as well as inhuman reaction speeds.


    C) Of all his brothers, he is the most dangerous. Think John Wick... On steroids and crack cocaine.


    D) And finally... He isn''t entirely sane.


    There are a few more notes about him at the end of the chapter.


    ~~Badadumdunbum~~


    #1 REwriting History


    ~~Badadumdunbum~~


    The door to safety has shut tight. There is no turning back.


    Ugh, dear Lord, my head...


    "Augh..."


    I could faintly hear someone groaning. After a moment, I realized it was me. Lovely, just the way I love to start my day; lying facedown in what''s probably a puddle of my own blood, not remembering anything from the past week. How many times am I up to, now? Seven? Or was it seventeen? I''ve lost track. But I know it had a seven in there somewhere.


    ''Wha-?''


    I blearily opened my eyes, feeling drowsy as all hell. Vision fuzzy, head pounding and limbs numb, the only thing that came to mind was, ''Just how the f.u.c.k do I get myself into these messes?''


    Move. C''mon, get up, not dead yet. I forced my arms to move, blinking back the haze clouding my eyes. I was lying facedown on a carpeted floor,(No blood or puke, thankfully) with a foul smell lingering all around; the stench of rot, death, and decay. Not me, I hope. After several moments of struggling, I could see-


    . . .


    A pair of boots, with feet in them; light cream-colored ankles sticking out the tops, leading to the rolled-up cuffs of light green capris. A belt holding them up carried several pouches, notably one with a red cross on it. Above them, a flat belly covered by a green shirt and white kevlar vest, betraying an ample chest, all the way up to a cute, pixie-like face with short brunette hair and bright, curious green eyes.


    Human. Female. Age sixteen to twenty-four, armored; light kevlar vest, level 2 protection, carrying medical equipment. Armed, Beretta 92 in her right hand, not aimed at me.


    ...Safety''s on, dumbass. Looks like a medic, and a fairly familiar one, too. "Are you alright, sir?" She warily asked, her voice sounding just as cute as she looked. If not for my pounding head and mushy muscles, I''d probably be imaging her n.a.k.e.d, sprawled out over an unmade bed.


    Blinking back those thoughts, I pushed myself up, getting a leg under me. "Dunno. You here to use that weapon on me?" My voice didn''t crack, thankfully, but my throat was dry; side-effect of whatever drug had been used on me, I suppose. Don''t think it was liquor, I''m not feeling queasy enough for alcohol poisoning.


    "Not if I don''t have to. My name''s Rebecca, do you know what happened here?" Huh. Thought she looked like Rebecca Chambers. What was it? Resident Evil, I think. Some lame-ass prequal.


    She offered a hand and I took it, pushing more than pulling myself up. She still tottered a bit. Just a bit.


    "Name''s Roy. The answer to that entirely depends on what''s going on, but before that, just where the hell am I?" I glanced around the room, still trying to get my bearings.


    Small cabin, bunk beds on my right side with a body in the lower one. Aha, so that''s the smell. Eugh.(I hate hate haaaate the stench of a rotting body. Makes me wanna heave, no matter how often I run into it. If you think roadkill stinks, you need to speak with your local crime scene techs. They''ll set you straight)


    "A train in Raccoon Forest, and all these people are just- Dead. I didn''t see any lethal injuries on them, but..." She shuddered, her gaze avoiding the body in the room. "You''re the first person I''ve found who wasn''t dead, or trying to kill me."


    Eh?


    Raccoon-?


    ''You''ve really stepped in it this time, skipper.''


    "Okay, wait wait wait. What''s with the cosplay, for one? Two, what the hell? This is too far for a joke." I was just kinda irritated by now, what with my headache and dealing with some cosplay chick who was just waaay too into her role. I don''t mind the girl dressing up for some kinky roleplay, but that''s just not my thing. Seriously. Besides, that gun and kevlar are real; lotta money to blow on a costume. Too much.


    She tilted her head, eyebrow quirked, parroting, "Cosplay...? Hey! I''m an officer of the law! And these people are dead, how can you call that a joke?!" She squeaked, indignant.


    How can I call that a joke? Easily, I''ve woken up with a dead body on top of me a la my so-called ''coworkers'' who thought it would be a funny prank. Assholes.


    I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. I was not in the mood to deal with this. (I just woke up with the hangover of the century, damnit! If she ain''t stripping, I don''t wanna hear it) "Fine, whatever you say, princess." This is one seriously f.u.c.k.i.e.d-up flaming bag of shit. Why did I have to go and step on it?


    She scowled, grumbling as she turned and opened the door, stomping out.


    Heh, y''know, she looked much cuter like that, for some reason. Must be ''cuz her ass is just out of this world.


    Or out of my world, anyway.


    ~~Badadumdunbum~~


    Well, I''m lost. Outside the nearest window I saw a forest, and that this was, indeed, a train. From there, I have no f.u.c.k.i.n.g clue as to what is going on, so- Welp, f.u.c.kit. Got nothing better to do while my head catches up to my ass, so I decided to tag along with the cosplay girl.


    Lovely.


    I followed behind her, ignoring the angry muttering I heard. Something about handcuffs, a sharpie, and revenge. Eh, I''ve had worse.


    Out the door, to the right, and down a hall. Eesh, this is all looking mighty familiar. At the end of said hallway, was an electronically locked door. Next to it, was the body of a man that looked like he''d been torn apart by something.


    I heard a sharp intake of breath from the girl next to me, before she swallowed and knelt, slowly, carefully edging her hand closer to the body, gently plucking a key from its hand. Eheheh, I was tempted to shout ''BOO!'' just to see how she reacted.


    But I''m not that cruel. Wait.


    Hm? What''s-?


    Footsteps behind us, approaching. Heavy, but soft.


    I waited several moments, and just as those footsteps got within four feet I spun, dashed straight at the guy, noting his stunned expression as I drove a fist in his gut, off-hand grabbing the back of his neck and pulling as I side-stepped out of the way, kicking his feet out from under him before driving a knee into the small of his back on the way down.


    Within the space of an eyeblink, he was on the floor with my hand on his neck, the other restraining his right arm, and my knee digging into the small of his back.


    "UWAH-!" He let out a surprised yelp, startling Rebecca and making her jump.


    "Didn''t anyone ever tell you not to sneak up on strangers?" Keeping my tone neutral is a habit; sounding emotionless scares people a lot more than sounding angry.


    I finally got a good look at the guy; big, muscled, tattoo on his right arm(Tribal. How original) and-


    And a f.u.c.k.i.n.g mullet. Are you kidding me?


    Rebecca gave a start. "Lieutenant William Coen!"


    My captive looked up, scowling. "Well, at least someone''s heard of me. I''d ask if you''ve been fantasizing about me, but I get the feeling your boyfriend might get a little angry."


    The hell?


    Billy Coen.


    First Rebecca, now Billy, and I''m on a train. Someone, somewhere, has a really f.u.c.k.i.e.d-up sense of humor.


    ~~Badadumdunbum~~


    Somewhere, we see someone in a dark room. The author, sitting in a beanbag chair n.a.k.e.d eating cheetos.


    "Mwahahahahahaaa, all too right, my friend... All too right. *Munch, crunch*"


    ~~Badadumdunbum~~


    Back with Roy, Rebecca and Mr Mullet Warfare.


    With a groan, I released Billy, stepping back and once again pinching the bridge of my nose. This is NOT how I imagined this night going down. Damned bitch must''ve slipped something into my drink.


    Scratch that, several somethings. I''m tripping balls, man.


    After dusting himself off, Mulletman turned and waltzed away, grumbling and rubbing his shoulder. I think he said something about hating cops. Anyway, Rebecca was about to go running after him when I caught her by the back of her vest and said, "Leave him."


    "What?! But he''s a wanted criminal! He''s a murderer!" Her protests fell on deaf ears.


    "I call bullshit on that. He was armed; if he was a murderer, he would''ve tried to shoot us in the back. And beyond that, he doesn''t have the eyes of a killer. Let the Marines worry about him, he''s out of your jurisdiction." Fuming, she pulled out of my grasp, stomping down the hall. I simply rolled my eyes, trailing along behind her.


    With a sigh, I wondered, ''How in the hell did I get myself into this shit?''


    There''s no way I''m in a bloody video game. No way, not possible. But if I am, then the next thing to happen-


    *CRASH!-Thum-Thumpka!*


    "EDWARD!" Rebecca screamed, dashing over to a figure that had just dived through one of the windows, and was now resting against one of the walls below said window.


    I blinked, snarking to myself, ''I just HAD to go and open my big damn mouth.''


    With a sigh, I moved over to the two of them, just missing Edward''s last words. Something about monsters.


    His head lolled forward, just as he stopped breathing. Rebecca grabbed his shoulders, shaking him, feeling his neck for a pulse. "...Edward? Edward! C''mon, wake up! Ah- I can''t-"


    Quite suddenly,


    *CRASH!*


    Through the window I''d juuust stepped away from, a half-decomposed dog jumped through, landing on its feet, growling at us.


    *Cra-CRASHK!* Followed by two more, on the other side. F.u.c.k me running.


    Rebecca jumped to her feet, pointing her gun at the nearest dog, arms shaking. "S-stay away! Stay back!"


    ''Yeah, she''s green as grass. Just my luck, stuck with the rookie in a horror movie.''


    Just as the dog leaped forward, jaws gaping, I felt my heart give a start, beating faster and faster.


    ''Not happening.''


    My temples throbbed, heart quickened, lungs filled.


    In that instant, everything slowed to a crawl, the edges of my vision turning grey as the rest of it took on an extra-bright hue.


    I pulled the gun from Rebecca''s hand, a quick spin ''round the trigger guard, righting it in my hand as I levelled the sights on the beast.


    *Bang!*


    One.


    Turn, set the front sight.


    *Pow! Baloom!*


    A double-tap in the second, which fell limp to the floor, whereas the third was already in the air, too close.


    I fell back onto instinct, reaching out and catching it by the throat. Just as time seemed to catch up, I jammed the barrel of that 92 between the f.u.c.ker''s teeth. It had only the time to blink, when I pulled the trigger.


    ~~Badadumdunbum~~


    "Play dead." Dropping the body, I turned back to look at Rebecca, who was wide-eyed, lips moving, but with no words coming out.(Kinda arousing, that. I was imagining those lovely lips working something else)


    I flipped the gun, holding it out to her. "If you intend to live, then when you point this at something, never hesitate to pull the trigger. Hesitation will get you killed, Rebecca."


    Still shaking, she retook it without a word, swallowing. Hmph. Rebecca''s too weak to go through this. She lacks the killing intent needed to survive such a nightmare. Sighing, I resigned myself to at least help her get through this night alive. Might even get some answers as to how the hell I wound up here.


    But in order to do that-


    I did a quick check of my pockets, finding that I had my knife on my belt, my lockpick set,(Hey, they''re useful if I lock my keys in my car) and flashlight. Lighter and boot knife, too, but that''s about it. Damnit, really wishing I had my Glock right about now.


    But.


    I turned my gaze to the dead guy, Edward. Hmm. Well, best not to look a gift corpse in the mouth.


    Taking a knee, I felt the guy''s neck. No pulse, no breathing. Eyes are open, no movement, no dilation.


    He''s dead, with several scratches and bite marks over his body. Reaching back, I drew my knife and slammed it through his temple, twisting once and drawing it out, flicking off the bits left on the blade before sheathing it.


    "W-w-What the hell are you doing?!" Ignoring her, I undid Edward''s belt, pulling off the pouches on it, setting them aside.


    There''s what I''m after.


    His sidearm, a customized Beretta 92FS. Think they called it the Samurai Edge. I removed his holster and everything else he''d had on his belt, before checking through the pockets on his vest.


    Anything useful? C''mon, useful.


    Aha!


    Another pair of Beretta magazines, loaded. I dropped them next to the pouches and looked a bit more, finding a wallet and a few other odds and ends. Handcuffs, handcuff keys, folding baton, pepper spray, picture of a woman.


    Eh.


    Some useful items, but most of it''s bunk.


    Ditched the picture and spray, laying out the rest of the stuff.


    Hm. I undid my instructor belt, setting the different pouches and packs on it in my prefered places, leaving my knife where it was; after about a minute, I had everything in place. Pistol on my 3-30, ammo on my 10, various utility stuff here and there.


    Yep, I''m good to go. I stood, drawing my new gun.


    Pull the mag, glance, load. Fourteen rounds. Pull slide, check chamber; one in the pipe, so that''s all fifteen, plus the spares.


    Two in my pocket, three more on belt. Total of 90 rounds, 9mm JHP. Got roughly forty .308 rounds; guess Eddy here was a DM. Too bad he didn''t have his rifle.(He must''ve dropped it, just like another dumbass we all know)


    Well, better than nothing. There was one last thing I needed; reaching down, I pulled Edward''s nametag off his vest, and then the STARS patch from his shoulder, pocketing them.


    Straightening up, I looked back to where Rebecca was standing, glaring at me. "He doesn''t need these anymore and I''d rather not go around armed with only a knife, seeing as you said the dead were attacking." A beat later, and she exploded.


    "You didn''t have to be so calm about it! He-! He''s dead! So show some respect!" She had tears in her eyes, looking on the verge of breaking down crying.


    Damnit, I need her stable, not whining.


    But, I can''t just dress her down like I would a soldier that was losing it; she''s too fragile for that.(That wasn''t my actual reason; I noted and admitted that later, but at the time I was making an excuse for myself to be gentle about it. I''m a real pushover)


    I placed a hand on her shoulder, the other raising her chin to look me in the eye. "Rebecca. I know it hurts to lose a friend, but right now, we can''t afford to let emotions override our judgement. The only thing we can do for him now, is survive. And I''ll respect him by doing everything in my power to keep you alive." Keeping my voice calm, solemn, and kind, I reassured her the best way I knew how. Dealing with people is, not my strong suit.


    She heaved in a shaky breath, suppressing a sob. "*Sniff* O- Okay. Thanks..." Smiling tranquilly, I patted her shoulder, trying my best not to look creepy and/or macabre.(Or perverted, though that''s how I felt right about then)


    Yeah, I''ve got a problem looking normal, eheheh. "C''mon, let''s get moving." She nodded, gathering herself as I lead the way back into the main passenger compartment.


    ~~Badadumdunbum~~


    Inside, I spotted several bodies lying around.


    Seeing two lying facedown in the aisle, I asked, "Rebecca, how did you put those things down?"


    Seeing them, she shivered. "I- I just shot them. They wouldn''t stop, and-"


    I nodded, cutting her off. "Very well. From now on, any of those things, zombies, whatever you want to call them, are to be shot in the head. If you can''t hit the head, aim for the legs, then put one through their skull. Anything less than a clean headshot is a waste of ammo."


    Moving forward, I drew my knife, dropping into a crouch as I took hold of the nearest one''s neck, stabbing it the same way I had Edward''s corpse; through the temple, twist, extract, rinse and repeat.


    Once done, I glanced back to the girl. Her face was pale, eyes wide. "W-why did you-?"


    "If this is what I think it is, then nothing short of the destruction of the brain or cerebral cortex will put them down for good. In layman''s terms, shoot ''em in the head, break the neck, or remove the head. Forcefully." I looked back towards the other end of the car, reaching for my handgun.


    "Then... Just what is it?" She asked, still slightly shaken.


    "The Tyrant virus, a bio-chemical weapon developed by the Umbrella corporation. It essentially reanimates recently deceased bioforms, mutating them into hideous creatures retaining only the most basic of urges; the need to feed. The infection is spread through bites, scratches and fluids; only one in ten million are genetically immune to it, so unless you''re feeling lucky, I suggest you keep your distance from the infected. And before you ask, no, there isn''t any cure that I am aware of. Once infected, you''re as good as dead."


    Turning, I started for the other door when she called after me. "How do you know all this? And how are you so sure?"


    I stopped. "That, I cannot say. There is much I wish to tell you, but not just yet. Once we''re back in the city. You''re going to have to trust me until then, I''m afraid. As to your other question, there is only one thing I know of that can turn the dead into flesh-eating monsters, and that''s the T-virus. Now c''mon, lets get moving before one of the other deadheads wakes up with the munchies." Moving again, I got to the door, grasping the handle.


    Rebecca caught up, key in hand when she asked, "Can you at least tell me why you''re helping me?"


    Hmph. Ack, f.u.c.k it, why not.


    "As Edward said, there are various other monsters lurking in the forest, looking for someone tasty to chow down on. I don''t fancy my chances of outrunning packs of dogs, either.(I was completely serious, too) And to be honest, you remind me of someone I once knew. Beyond that? Well, it''s raining and I''ve got nothing better to do, so why the hell not." I shrugged, as she shook her head and I opened the door.


    ~~Badadumdunbum~~


    Stepping through, I raised my gun, checking left and right.


    Dark in here, lights are off.


    I was moving ahead towards the other door, when the crackling of static filled the air. Rebecca pulled her radio from her belt, responding, "This is Rebecca, over."


    "Krsshhhhrr...Ecca...is...Nrico."


    Blinking, she called back, "Enrico? Hello! Enrico, do you read me? Please respond!"


    After fiddling with the channels for a moment, the Bravo team Captain came back over the radio. "I can hear you, Rebecca. Now listen up. We''ve found detailed information on the fugitive, William Coen. He has been convicted of killing as many as twenty-three people."


    Looking startled, Rebecca murmurred to herself, "T-twenty-three people?" I merely shook my head at the stupidity of this. They''re stranded in the forest, radios are mucking around,(Or he''s crinkling some tinfoil just to f.u.c.k with the rookie. Seems about par for the course, what with the incompetance of everything else) there''s a cult of cannibal serial(Mass) killers around, and they''re worried about a Marine that''s on the run and likely has a several-hour headstart?


    What the f.u.c.k.


    "We''ve also confirmed that he was institutionalized, so keep your guard up."


    "Captain, I''ve found a civillian on-board a train, the Ecliptic Express. I''ve... Also confirmed the death of Edward Dewey." But something was wrong.(Very wrong)


    All that came back through the radio was static. "Captain? Enrico, are you there? Enrico!"


    Nothing but static.


    She shook her head, looking troubled.


    Well, I better cheer her up a little. "Am I the only one feeling like we''re in some cheap B-rated horror movie?" She looked up at my smirking features, a small smile dawning in her own pixie-like face.


    "It''s starting to feel that way."


    Grinning like a crazy bastard, I chuckled, snarking, "Well, at least you''re not blonde and I''m not black, so we should be good."(Seriously. It''s always either the hot, busty dumbass blonde or the unfortunate token black guy that dies first. What the hell?)


    After a moment of futile resistance, she cracked up giggling, shaking her head. "You''re awful."


    ~~Badadumdunbum~~


    Rebecca opened the door and I stepped through, gun raised, old habits taking over.


    Clear. Stairs on left, sliding door to the kitchen straight ahead. We entered, shutting the door behind us. I was moving towards the stairs, expecting it when the door behind us opened once more, and a certain mullet-bearing former Marine entered, looking between the two of us.


    When he didn''t immediately turn and scamper off, I said, "I take it you''ve figured out that we''re better off working together, too?"


    He looked startled for half a second, before nodding. "Yeah. If the dead are coming back with the munchies, we''ll stand a better chance of surviving if we cooperate."


    "WHAT?! I''m not cooperating with a-" Just as Rebecca was starting to have her little freakout, my arm snapped out and gibsmacked her.


    "OW! What was that for?!" She was rubbing a sore spot on the back of her head, scowling.


    Coincidentally, it was right where I smacked her. Go figure.


    "For not listening, and for being a gullible idiot. Tell me, did you see the court doc.u.ments on Mr Coen, here?" Okay, time to bullshit my way outta this.


    "Huh? Yeah, so what? He was tried and convicted of murdering twenty-three people!"


    I nodded sagely. "And how long did it take for them to convict him? Scratch that, how long did it take from the conviction, to the execution date?"


    She blinked, thinking back to that paper she''d read.


    As she thought on that and her expression changed to that of dawning comprehension, I patted her shoulder. "Now you''re getting it, Becs. Whenever a trial is sped up and done with minimal publicity, especially something like a good Marine killing civillians, then somewhere along the way, there''s a cover-up going on. Even more so when the punishment for it is an execution. And whenever they schedual an execution within a month of the conviction, there is most definitely some illegal backroom deals going on. Isn''t that right, Lieutenant?"


    I looked back to the subject of our conversation, who looked entirely stunned.(Surprising. Kinda hard to pull off ''stunned'' with a mullet)


    "How-?"


    Beaming, I sniped, "You don''t have the eyes of a cold-blooded killer, Billy. Besides, no good murderer would be caught dead with a mullet like that."


    . . .


    Oh, the look on his face was just priceless as Rebecca and I both busted out laughing. We both shared a good laugh at the former Marine''s expense.


    Heheh. Anyway. Chuckling aside, I started up the stairs, my two compatriots reluctantly following close behind.


    ~~Badadumdunbum~~


    Up topside, we were in the dining room; several fires had broken out, still burning through tableclothes and drywall. On the far side of the room was a lone, elderly man, sitting at a burning table. I remember this.


    Resident Evil 0 wasn''t my favorite game of the series, but I played it once, one friggin'' long-assed time ago, damnit. ONCE!


    F.u.c.k!


    C''mon, think. The leaches fear fire, right?


    Wait.


    Burning?


    Aha!


    On the bar next to us was a box of 9mm rounds, which I passed on to the others before plucking a random bottle of alchohol from behind it. "Bacardi? Agh, damnit. Why is it always the Bacardi?" I was muttering, dreading what I was about to do. I hate to waste good rum.


    Popping the cork, I grabbed the nearest tablecloth, just as I noticed-


    JASHIN DAMNIT!


    I grabbed the back of Rebecca''s vest, yanking her back again, fiercely whispering in her ear, "What''re you, retarded?!"


    Of course, she gave me an indignant/puzzled/pissed-off look.(Or some combination of all three. I''d also like to note the very l.u.s.ty gaze she set on the crotch of my trousers. Or at least, I wish) "What the hell are you talking about?"


    I blinked, remembering that they don''t know that the Marcus lookalike is a leech zombie.


    "That- That thing, over there isn''t human. Just keep your distance and watch." I held the molotov in one hand, and pulled off the nearest burning tablecloth in the other, stalking closer to the disguised monster.


    C''mon.


    C''mon.


    I got real close, before lighting the molotov on the burning cloth, and then flung it over the leech zombie, covering it with the burning tablecloth.


    Suddenly, an inhuman wailing filled the air, as the stench of burning flesh filled my nostrils.


    I hopped well back, carefully watching as the figure of the man broke down into dozens, hundres of leeches. That''s when I threw the homemade explosive, turning and tear-assing back to the others. The instant I was next to them, I drew my handgun, spinning and dropping to one knee, taking aim in that very same instant.


    Eyes wide, heart pounding, I watched as the leeches burned, and burned.


    And burned.


    ~~Badadumdunbum~~


    Rebecca watched on in horror, as the old man she''d been about to help burst into hundreds of leeches. ''Disgusting!'' She shivered, thankful that Roy had stopped her from making that mistake.


    And then the man she''d met only minutes ago had made a molotov c.o.c.ktail, burning the things alive. He knew. He knew that thing wasn''t human.


    But how?


    "Burn, motherf.u.c.ker, burn." Roy muttered, eyes entranced by the flames.


    "Eugh, nasty. How''d you know about that, anyway?" Billy was puzzled, covering his nose, looking oddly at the man.


    Before he could answer, there was-


    Something?


    "Awwwuuhhhaaaahhhh..." Opera singing?


    Glancing out the window, she saw a figure atop a hill in the distance, wearing a white gown with long, dark hair.


    Roy was on his feet, taking aim when the train gave a jolt, and started to move. "F.u.c.k," He cursed, holstering his weapon with a scowl.


    "What the hell? Who started the train?" The former Marine asked, looking back down the stairs.


    "Umbrella, or Marcus. Either way." Roy shook his head as he muttered something under his breath, looking like he was under pressure, planning something. "Alright. Both of you, on me. First we''ll check the kitchenette, then we''ll head down below and go car-by-car. We stick together, no matter what. No one goes alone. Understood?"


    His tone brokered no arguement, betraying what would happen if either of them disagreed.(Rebecca wasn''t eager to wind up like those zombies from before)


    He may not be bigger than Billy, but he looked far more dangerous. For some reason, his eyes sent a shiver down Rebecca''s spine; a piercing gaze that reminded her of Captain Wesker, but-


    Roy''s wasn''t cold; behind those dull turquoise stones was a raging hellfire that threatened to destroy whatever stood in his way.


    ''Or whoever,'' She thought with a shudder.


    It was unsettling, to say the least. He hides those feelings well, but Rebecca''s always had a good feel for people. Even her psychology instructor had said as much, back in college.


    If she had to guess, that fire is fueled by pain that he refuses to show. The other thing that she noticed was that whenever his gaze settled on her, those fires seemed to fade and die out, replaced by something softer she couldn''t quite recognize. Is that what he meant, when he said she reminded him of someone he once knew?


    ~~Badadumdunbum~~


    Back to Roy''s POV.(Point of view. Also a type of p.o.r.n, if you''re so inclined)


    Moving quickly, I went over to the door to the mini-kitchen, punching a gloved fist(SKD tactical PIG gloves. Very comfortable, still provides adequite protection against cuts and grazes) through the glass window, reaching down and twisting the handle hard. I felt something inside it give and snap, before I shoved the thing open, brushing shards of glass off my sleeve.(Underarmor long-sleeve, high-collar compression shirt. The ladies looove the pecs and six pack)


    Whatta we got?


    Handgun rounds, green herbs,(The hell IS a green herb, exactly? I don''t recognize it from any botany journals I''ve read) first aid spray, and a key.


    Hm.


    I gathered the different items, walking out and nearly into the others as I handed them the different objects, aside from the key.


    Billy had an M9; military version of the Beretta 92FS. Decent firearm, but I didn''t care all that much for it. When you can only use FMJ rounds, then stick to a larger calibur, ie 45ACP or 40S&W. That way you don''t need to put five or six rounds in a target to put him on the ground. Not to mention, such an open design isn''t meant for hard use in harsh enviornments. Sand, mud, dirt and grit gets right into the action, f.u.c.ks up the whole gun. I prefer the old short-recoil 1911; much better design. Simple, accurate, easy to work on and very, very reliable if you don''t f.u.c.k with it.


    FMJ and service mags, people. You don''t need a match barrel unless you want 2 inch groups at fifty yards and regular springs are perfectly fine. If it ain''t broke, don''t f.u.c.k, er, ''fix'' it.


    Anyway, pet peevs aside.


    He only had a few mags worth, so I passed him the ammo box.(50 rounds. Rebecca had gotten most of the last box) Rebecca had the med kit, so she got the herb and spray.(Didn''t feel like carrying them, myself)


    The key I kept in-hand as I trotted down the stairs and through the door, leading the way as my toadies trailed along behind me. In the next car-


    Three targets!


    I drew my gun, taking aim without breaking pace. Two in the aisle; first shot through his forehead, second clocked the guy behind him right between the eyes. Turn, one O''clock. Last shot dropped the final Z-boy, who was standing up from a seat; all three of them dropped to the floor within moments of each other.


    Gun up, I moved straight to the other door, carefully hopping over the fallen bodies as I went. Tugging it open, I had turned just in time to see Billy trip over one and fall flat on his face.


    "Real smooth, Mr Mullet Warfare."


    . . .


    "Oh, so you''re a comedian, huh?" He grumbled, getting back to his feet.


    "I''m a jackass of many talents. And just so you know, if you''re going to shoot any of the undead wandering around, aim for the head. Body shots are just wasting brass." When I finished giving him that bit of info, I tugged the door open, stepping through with my gun raised.


    Clear. Moving swiftly, I crossed the car and got to the door just as they were crossing the midway point. I let them through and pulled up the rear, shutting the door behind us. Rebecca looked a little anxious, but said nothing. Hmph.


    ''Keep it together, police girl.''


    I moved past them, down the hall and around the bend, just past the stiff. Second-to-last door of the area; Conductor''s cabin. Those two caught up with me, the girl edging warily past her dead coworker, her gaze avoiding his corpse. Ah; she felt guilty, I suppose. Hm.


    Pulling the key from my pocket, I unlocked the door and opened it, stepping through with my gun raised.


    No surprises in here, not yet, anyway.


    "Clear." I heard the others stepping inside, shutting the door. A quick glance around revealed everything we needed. Pistol and shotgun rounds, a first aid spray, map of the train, button on the wall, and of course, a barely-concealed briefcase that held our ticket outta here.


    "Huh... Now all we need''s a shotgun. Great." The former-Marine sniped, rolling his eyes.


    "Perhaps," I took up the shells, getting a quick count. 25 in the case, hell yeah.


    Sweet. Opening it, I dropped the 00 Buck rounds into the two empty cases on my belt, the rest falling in alongside the 7.62 ammo. Good to go. I ditched the case, passing the pistol rounds to the other two. They''ll need it more than I will.


    Now.


    I opened the closet and nabbed the briefcase, looking it over. Fairly simple but elegant affair, very well-crafted. Probably very expensive, as well.


    "Either of you care to bet there''s something useful inside?"


    Billy just shrugged. "Go for it."


    "Don''t know. Maybe?" Rebecca mimicked his Air Force salute before they shared a glance, and she turned away with just a leeeetle huff. Heheh, cute.


    Pulling my knife as I holstered my sidearm, I sliced through the side bellowing and reached inside, fingers searching.


    Aha! Got it. Keycard to the lead car. Alright, just skipped a good fifteen minutes of d.i.c.king around. Now to figure this out; should we head straight to the engine, and possibly stop before the canon, or go and f.u.c.k off for a few minutes, possibly risking an even worse crash than the game detailed?


    The decision you make here... Will forever change your life as you knew it.


    ~~Badadumdunbum~~


    Yo. Added some new stuff, a better intro to our anti-hero. Adding new content based on the new RE2 remake.


    Someone asked me about Roy. He''s definitely inspired by Deadpool, essentially being a superhuman psycho. Not quite completely insane, but definitely walking a razor''s edge between sane and insane. His personality, while rather unstable at times, reflects several shades of Nathan Filion; his sense of humor and wit, his casual and irreverent demeanor, etc.


    If it helps, you can imagine Nathan voicing him. If that completely ruins your mental image of Roy...


    Too bad. Mwahahahahaha.


    ~~Badadumdunbum~~


    There is a shout-out to one of my all-time favorite authors on here, a certain miss Tani2. She has one of the single greatest Resident Evil fics I have ever read: "Leon? A word please"


    That, is the best fic you''ll find. Period, end of report. No offense to any other writer or hopeful writer, but if you want to learn a thing or two, go and read her story. Unfortunately, she has not updated the sequel to her RE fic, so we''re SOL for now. At least until she remembers that she has an account on here.(Wishful thinking, I know)


    Ahem. Even if you''re not a fan of romance stories, you''ll find more than enough humor in Tani2''s works to make it worth the read. I guarantee it. Now, if you want to find out just what the reference was, you''ll need to go read her RE story to find out. Mwahahaha.


    There''s also one from COD Black Ops 2,


    Anyway, thanks for reading. I''m not sure how often I''ll be able to update this, but rest assured I''ll be working on it.

 Chapter 147 - My SI Stash #47 - Birth and Re-Death by ThreeDollarBratwurst (Fire Emblem)

    -SI as a Healer in the world of Fire Emblem. Ala Re: Zero; our protagonist keeps respawning after his untimely death(s)~


    *I fell in love with Fire Emblem chars after my friends forcing me to play Smash with em, and also cause I love spamming Chrom/Ike~


    ¦×(£à?¡ä)¦×


    Sypnosis: I swear, every time I turn around, someone else has got a clever idea to get me killed. And it usually works. Death doesn''t seem too keen on sticking with me, though, so I guess I can get over it. Self-insert. Playfully testing the limits of what Rated T means. Cover image by Xcell


    Rated: T


    Words: 403K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12528832/1/Birth-and-Re-Death (ThreeDollarBratwurst)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1: At Least the Robe Is Cool


    When I wake up, I am surprised to find myself slumped over in a wildly uncomfortable barstool. Everything is exceedingly hazy, but through the haze I feel an ache through each of my poor vertebrae. How on earth had I fallen asleep in that position?


    "How on earth did I fall asleep in that position?" I ask out loud as my vision comes into focus. I am indeed seated at a bar, and a pretty old-timey looking one at that. The bartender gives me a disgruntled snort. He is very large, and very mustachioed.


    "Hell if I know. Yeh came in as soon as I opened the place, ordered one drink, and were asleep before I could pour it," he says, his voice sounding like he gargles pebbles for fun.


    I don''t remember that at all. I don''t know this bar, or why I would have started day-drinking. That doesn''t sound like me. "Did I say anything aside from that?" I ask, a little mumbly from the lingering tiredness.


    "Not a word. Well, unless you count the snoring," the bartender replies. Right. Perfect.


    "Okay, next, and there''s no way to ask this without shaming myself: where is this exactly?" I ask.


    "Hah, you''re pretty messed in the head," the bartender chuckles. "Southeast side of town, near the river."


    What river? What town? I''m very confused. "I''m very confused," I admit shamefully.


    The bartender sighs. "You don''t look like a local. Maybe you''re from out of town. You''re in Southtown."


    "Southtown...where?"


    "What?"


    "I''ve never heard of Southtown. What state are we in?" Did I really go that far from home? My head hurts.


    "State? Well, I''m in pretty good shape, but I''m not so sure about you," he replies. Oh ha ha. A comedian. Nice.


    "Fine, you don''t wanna help, I''ll just-" I stop mid-sentence, as I reach down and find my phone isn''t in my pocket. Also, these pants feel weird. I look down at myself. "Waaaah!"


    "What? What? Did you get sick in your lap or something?" the bartender asks.


    "When did I change into goddamn Renfest clothes?" I ask nobody in particular.


    "What''s a Renfest?" he asks, c.o.c.king his head slightly. I spring out of my seat, turning around a few times to get a better look at myself. Something is definitely up.


    I am not supposed to be this tall. I won''t complain, of course, but I am definitely like four or five inches taller than I''m meant to be. And holy hell, but I seem to have lost a strange amount of weight. I''d say my waist looks downright average, which is a marked improvement. Is this just lingering drunken confidence?


    My clothes are also quite different than anything I remember owning. I am wearing robes, honest to god robes, and they''re honestly pretty fancy. Black for a base, with dark blue trim and accents. There''s a small shoulder shroud, also black with blue trim. The black leather belt matches my boots. I''m not gonna lie; this getup looks pretty sweet.


    Not that it wasn''t raising dozens of questions by the minute. I shoved as many into the back of my head as I could. "So, uh, did I come in with anything else?" I finally settle on asking. Maybe my phone is in my bag or something and I can get a grip on what''s going on.


    "Yeah, here," he says, disappearing below the bar for a moment and returning with a canvas sack and what appears to be a staff. Like, a full-size staff, a much better-looking prop than I''d ever pay for sober. Was I drunk cosplaying or something? I look through the sack and find, weirdly, a bunch of camping supplies. Am I on a trip or something? That doesn''t sound right. I repack the sack and sling it over my shoulder for now.


    "So, I didn''t say anything to you as I came in?" I ask once more. He shakes his head as I pick up the staff. It''s heavier than I thought it would be. Is this made of actual metal? It also feels kinda like it''s vibrating in my hand as I hold it, but so faintly that it''s more like a vague tingling sensation. Also, the orb-looking thing on top of it had a small light shining in it. This really was an expensive prop. "I think I''m gonna try and get my bearings outside a little bit. Thanks," I say. He grunts a farewell as I open the door and step outside.


    Oh.


    I think I''m starting to get it.


    "So when he said Southtown, he meant¡­" I say to myself as I take in the scene before me. True to his word, we are near a babbling river, on the other side of which are a multitude of townsfolk. But these weren''t the kind of folk I''m used to. This is an honest-to-god medieval town, with horse-drawn carriages and a big well and everything. "But that would¡­" My brain moves in so many directions that it simply cancels out for a while, and I stand there stupidly while my psyche catches up.


    The question of "why?" comes up a few times, but gets quickly dismissed on the grounds that I have no way of figuring that out. I eventually decide to settle on what I know before getting into anything I don''t.


    This really does look like Southtown as I remember it, which suggests this really is Ylisse.


    I am in what I have been led to believe is a fictional town.


    It is very much not a fictional town anymore, as I am standing in it.


    Holy shit! I''m in a Fire Emblem town!


    I don''t look like I normally do, and my clothes have definitely changed.


    However, I maintain the self-awareness to know I don''t normally belong here.


    This is starting to feel a little bit cliched. I hope the feeling doesn''t last.


    I have what I have now decided is a real healing staff.


    I woke up a healer? Lame.


    Whenever I thought about what I would wanna do as an FE character, I always figured I''d be a merc. Good all-around stats, some of the game''s best skills, and they get swords. Sign me the hell up.


    I let myself get distracted for a while, thinking on that, when a new thought hits me. When is this? The town looks intact, which means we aren''t under attack yet. But is that because this is early, or much later after rebuilding?


    My question is answered when I hear a scream from somewhere on the other side of the river. A building starts to smoke and within moments is up in open flames. My legs don''t know what to do. About a minute later, I see a few men with axes storming up the street, chasing a small crowd of townsfolk to the north side of town. Before I have time to process what''s going on, I hear another crash to my left as more bandits enter from the southeast.


    My legs decide what to do. I run as quickly as I can up the road, crossing the bridge and trying to draw as little attention as possible. As I do so, I start to realize what their idea seems to be. They''re funneling everyone into the large church on the north side of town, probably to keep them-


    My thoughts were interrupted by a villager in front of my being shredded with wind magic. Crap, I forgot they have mages. That''s also a lot more blood than I was expecting. The same mage sends a blast at me. Before I can move, it hits me. However, I''m surprised to find that although I stagger a little, and my face gets a small cut or two, it doesn''t really hurt that much. Certainly not enough to slice and dice me like this poor guy in front of me.


    "Haha, that''s right! Healers get super resistance!" I cheer, more to myself than anyone. Annoyed, he levels another wind blade in my direction. It too catches me, stinging a little but not putting me in real danger. Without thinking, I stalk over to him as he prepares another blast and, turning my staff over in my hands, hit him upside the head with the bottom end. Ooo, right in the temple. Yeah, he''s down. Probably alive, but not feeling too good. I didn''t know that was allowed, though. Did I break some rule by hitting him back? I don''t think healers are supposed to hit back.


    Shrugging, I decide it''s probably best to hide until the Shepherds arrive. Aaaah, am I going to meet the Shepherds? I take refuge behind a small retaining wall and watch cautiously as the overrunning of the town progresses. I consider trying to help the townsfolk, but decide I''m not much of a match for a large band of thieves just yet.


    By the time the Shepherds arrive, the streets are mostly empty, with most of the townsfolk having been forced into the church to be presumably held hostage or sold or something. But arrive they do, and quickly make it clear they''re a force to be reckoned with. Seconds after Chrom comes into view, he relieves an unwary bandit of his head and continues to charge in.


    "Oh," I say out loud. "That''s not rated T at all." The Shepherds fan out, with Frederick expertly corralling the bandits with his formidable lance into the central square, while Chrom stands ready to receive them with his gleaming blade and Robin provides covering fire with her Thunder tome. She looks pretty much like the default female model, far as I can tell. Wow, that hair is white.


    I realize that this strategy puts a lot of faith in Chrom''s ability to take them down as they come to avoid getting overwhelmed. However, whenever Chrom doesn''t take one down right away, Robin is waiting in the wings to finish the job (no doubt hogging all the exp while she does so. I know I''m guilty of overpowering my Robin in the early game). I imagine that''s what a pair-up looks like in real life.


    I reflect for a second on the use of the phrase ''real life'' in describing what''s going on before me. My head still kind of hurts when I do that.


    It looks like the fight is going well without me, but then a bandit slips past Frederick''s horse and moves to charge at Lissa, waiting in the wings to provide healing. I realize too late that he is going to get her before the others can stop him. I start running toward her, but he''s already getting ready to swing.


    "Lissa, look out!" I cry as I sprint toward her. She turns toward me for a moment, searching for the source of the shout, but seeing me pointing behind her, turns just in time to raise her staff and almost block the strike. His axe is slowed but far from stopped, and she still receives a glancing blow on her shoulder. She cries out in pain, but in an instant Robin is there, stabbing the man through the abdomen.


    Robin turns to me. "Who are you?" she asks.


    I ponder for a moment. "A friend," I eventually say. "Let me see her." Lissa turns to me, and taking a closer look, her eyes light up.


    "Oh, good. Another healer. It''s pretty stressful doing this on my own," she says, wincing every few seconds at the pain of her shoulder wound but taking it generally like a trooper. She looks from me to the wound and back to me, an expectant look on her face.


    I realize I don''t know how staves work. I hope it just kind of comes naturally. I hold the staff aloft, like I remember healers doing in-game, and mentally ask the staff to obey my commands, please. By a massive stroke of luck, it seems to react, with the orb shining and a soft ringing sound emitting from it. The faint tingling vibration intensifies, and somehow I know to point the staff at Lissa''s shoulder. I feel almost as though I am pushing the light out of the staff somehow; it''s pretty hard to explain. The light from the staff bounds out of the orb and encircles her, and after a few seconds it dissipates.


    She grins at me. "Thanks!" she says, and we return to battle. Robin and Chrom seem totally unperturbed by my joining. I wonder if Robin thinks I know the rest of them. Now that there are two healers with the Shepherds, the battle becomes much easier. Each of us focuses on healing one of the pair, with Lissa handling Chrom''s wounds and me handling Robin''s. Frederick needs no help. He''s Frederick. With everyone at full fighting strength, no more of the enemy''s fighters break through the ranks until we reach the massive bridge at the center of town.


    A large group of bandits stand together on the bridge, bracing for the Shepherds to meet them. A few myrmidons, a few fighters, and is that-


    "Mage!" Robin calls too late as a blade of wind blasts toward us from behind the wall of bandits. I''ve only got a fraction of a second to act, but I manage just barely to jump headlong into the blast, allowing it to hit me and throw me backwards. Chrom and Lissa yell in surprise and alarm, but I quickly get up, with only a couple tiny cuts to show for it. High resistance is awesome.


    Upon establishing I am okay, the group swiftly springs into action. Robin starts laying down lightning bolts across the line to throw the group in disarray and force them to break ranks, while Chrom and Frederick take advantage of the chaos by picking them off, one by one as they break away from the pack. Soon, we are down to the leader.


    He proves a great deal tougher than his lackeys, dodging back and forth between both Frederick''s lunges and Chrom''s heavy swiping attacks. Wherever there''s an opening, Robin throws a Thunder bolt into the mix, but this guy proves surprisingly tough. I wonder faintly if we are in a Lunatic playthrough.


    Suddenly, he rears back and flings his axe at Robin. I remember too late that he''s packing handaxes, and before I can react, it''s burrowed into her collarbone. My mind goes into overdrive, and I automatically sprint over to her, wrench out the axe, and point my staff at the wound. I''m lucky that healing comes naturally to me apparently, because even though I heal her quickly, that is still a lot of blood.


    "Are you alright?" I ask, a little bit panicked.


    She smirks. "Been better." I decide that if she has the strength to snark, she''ll be fine. While she carefully gets to her feet, my arms are outstretched in case she falls from dizziness; she looks a little pale from here. As she steadies herself, she flashes a brief, grateful smile. She turns back to the fight, readying her tome. I watch her eyes widen-


    "Look out!"


    I cannot describe to you what it sounds like to me. To everyone else, it probably sounds like a THWACK or a guttural GHRACK. To me, it goes beyond sound. I could swear I feel my brain squelch a little as it parts to make way for the axe now buried in it. It doesn''t hurt as much as I figured it might.


    My left hand drifts up to the side of my head, gingerly touching the handle of the axe, probing to see how deeply it dug in. I realize my eyes aren''t doing what I want them to do anymore. I think one of them has shut off. My remaining eye tries to focus on Robin, but she''s moving too much.


    "W-what¡­?" my mouth asks as my limbs stop obeying and I crumple to the ground. I always assumed a headshot meant instant death, but this is taking a while. I hear what I''m pretty sure are voices, but I can''t tell anymore. I decide to close the eye that I still control, maybe if I sleep a little bit this will all make sense.


    When I wake up, I am surprised to find myself slumped over in a wildly uncomfortable barstool. Everything is exceedingly hazy, but through the haze I feel an ache through each of my poor vertebrae. How on earth had I fallen asleep in that position?


    "How on earth did I¡­?"


    Wait. Wait wait wait.


    "How on earth did you what?" the bartender asks, cleaning a glass absently.


    "I''ve¡­been here before¡­" I say slowly. I get up, and my spine pops and cracks as it stretches out.


    "Have you? First time I''ve seen you in here, I''m fairly sure. You don''t look local," the bartender replies. "Feeling better after your little snooze?"


    What the hell? "Uh, yeah I guess. I came here with some supplies, didn''t I?" I ask. He nods, and ducks below the bar to hand me my supplies for the second time. "Thanks. I think I''m gonna...step out for a minute," I say a little robotically.


    I step outside and take a look around. Everything as it was. No overturned or destroyed stands. No burning buildings. No bandits. My hand drifts again to the side of my head. No wound.


    Am I back in time? That seems to be the most reasonable solution. Which means¡­


    Oh, shit. The bandits are still coming. Like, soon.


    I sprint off toward the south, thinking I can hopefully get ahold of the Shepherds a little bit earlier and mitigate some of the damage I witnessed before. I remember the poor guy that got lacerated by the wind mage''s spell. If I can play a role in stopping that, I want to try.


    I''ve passed by a few buildings, running as fast as this robe and my frankly-pretty-heavy pack allow, when I hear a voice call out after me.


    "Hold up, there!" I try to ignore it and keep going, but as I round the corner of a building I suddenly find myself face-to-face with a massive, twitchy wall of a man. He pushes me backwards, and I trip on an uneven cobblestone and fall on my ass. "I said, hold up. Didn''tcha hear me?" the voice says. I turn my head to face him and find myself looking at the point of a myrmidon''s sword. "I asked you a question."


    "W-well, to be honest, I didn''t think you meant me," I say. "I don''t know you, so I figured-" the blade shifts an inch closer to my face and I stop talking.


    "And here I was hoping we could be friends. Don''tcha wanna be friends?" the myrmidon asks, and the four or so bandits with him all chuckle.


    I consider for a moment. There''s not really a way out either way. I think briefly about the axe. What I felt before as I¡­


    I don''t wanna do that again. I really don''t. That was awful. "Sure!" I say a little too loudly. "I mean, what do your friends do?"


    The myrmidon squats, getting his face right up in mine. "They drop all their gods-damned valuables and do what they''re told," he says quietly.


    My stomach drops a little, I am ashamed to admit. This guy''s like what, level 1? Maybe 2? And I''m getting schooled here. "I don''t know that I have much in the way of value," I say.


    "The staff will do," he replies, standing up again. I feel the faint tingling of the staff in my hand. It''s my lifeline here. This is how I am going to get in with the Shepherds, I can tell. Without this, I don''t have much going for me right now. I can''t lose this staff.


    But if I don''t give it up, I''m going to die. Again. The seconds I spend considering it feel like an eternity.


    "...I think I''d rather bump uglies with an anthill," I say, looking him in the eye and starting to get up. I don''t make it very far before I am shoved back down by Big n'' Twitchy. The myrmidon is startled; I can tell he isn''t used to being contradicted. Putting on the bravest grin I can manage, I flick up the back end of the staff and give a whack to the big guy''s groin. As he doubles over in pain, the other three are on me instantly, kicking and stomping.


    Holy hell this is so much worse than the first time. This isn''t quick. This hurts more than I figured it would. One of them stomps on my hand and I feel my fingers give way under his boot. My ribs and legs take kick after kick, and it''s coming from so many directions at once that I can''t even register where they are. Especially after one of them kicks the back of my head so hard that my vision mostly cuts out. Soon I lose track of time. The only thing that''s real is feeling my limbs and torso get crushed with blow after blow.


    After some amount of time (was it a minute? 5? 20?), they stop. It almost gets worse when they stop, because my brain can''t help but start cataloguing the damage, and hoo boy does it find a lot to take note of.


    "See you in hell, pal," a voice says, and I feel my throat get opened up by a quick slice. Everything starts fading pretty fast after that.


    When I wake up, I am unsurprised to find myself slumped over in a wildly uncomfortable barstool. Everything is exceedingly hazy, but through the haze I feel an ache through each of my poor vertebrae. How on earth had I fallen asleep in that position?


    I slowly stand up, stretch a little, and sigh.


    "This is gonna be my whole day, isn''t it?" I ask the bartender, who looks at me like I''m crazy. Eh, I probably will be soon enough.


    My first attempt at a self-insert, hoping it holds up despite the perhaps played-out genre. I''ve got some ideas in mind to make this a fun one. As always, comments and critiques are welcome. See you next time!

 Chapter 149 - My OC Stash #49 - Killing Your Dark Future by JTZ29 (Akame Ga Kill)

    -Not a SI~ Author hated the Akame ga Kill ending so bad he went and write a fic about Tatsumi having a premonition of the shit future on their way! Check it out


    (¡ã¨Œ¡ã)


    Sypnosis: While on his journey to the capital, Tatsumi has a vision of what appears to be his future. Haunted by the images he sees, Tatsumi now aims to change his dark future. This fic will follow the canon plot with my own spin on the story, with some anime moments thrown in as well. Pairing will be Tatsumi x Harem with lemons later in the story. Slightly stronger Tatsumi, but not OP.


    Rated: M


    Words: 268K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/11634797/1/ (JTZ29)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    (Imperial Year 1024; Five Miles Away from the Capital)


    "*Sigh* I hate sleeping outside." Tatsumi groaned, as he wrapped himself in his winter coat. The young man had been traveling for days to reach the nation''s capital. He had left his home village in the countryside, with two of his friends, so that they could join the military together and send money back to their home village. But along the way bandits had separated the three of them. Now Tatsumi was all alone, and he had no idea where his friends were or if they were safe. "If I''m lucky I''ll reach the capital tomorrow afternoon. Maybe then I''ll finally be able to sleep in a real bed, instead of leaning against a tree." Tatsumi shifted around so that he could get comfortable against the hard ground. Once he found a suitable position, Tatsumi''s eyelids began to droop as sleep overtook him. "Sayo, Ieyasu I hope you''re both alright."


    (Tatsumi''s Dream)


    Tatsumi didn''t know where he was. All that surrounded him was an endless sea of darkness. Picking a random direction, Tatsumi began to walk through the never-ending blackness.


    "Where the hell am I?" Tatsumi mumbled to himself, peering into the darkness surrounding him. "This place is really starting to creep me out..." However Tatsumi stopped when he small beam of light in front of him. Racing towards the beacon of light, Tatsumi was surprised to find a shimmering cloud of what appeared to be mist. "What is this stuff?" Reaching out, Tatsumi touched the mistlike substance. Tatsumi immidiately recoiled his hand when the mist began to glow brightly. The young man stood stunned, as the mist began to replay images from his life. "Woah, this is really trippy. I wonder if it can show me memories of Sayo and Ieyasu?" Almost instantly the mist began to show past memories of Tatsumi, Sayo, and Ieyasu training for their journey to the capital. Tatsumi smiled, as he relived the precious moments with his friends. As Tatsumi watched the memories roll by an idea popped into his head. "I wonder..." Tatsumi reached out and touched the mist again. "...Can you show me what lies in my future?"


    The mist began to glow a deep shade of blood red, and a low grumbling sound echoed throughout the empty void. Suddenly a new series of images began to appear. What first appeared nearly made Tatsumi vomit. To Tatsumi''s utter horror and disgust the first images were of an auburn-haired girl''s decapitated head impaled on a large pole. A small crowd of people had gathered around the pole to gawk at the grisly display.


    "OH GOD! Please show me something else! Change it now!" Tatsumi yelled, as he tried to avert his eyes. However something was drawing Tatsumi to look at the grotesque images, he couldn''t seem to tear his eyes away. Tatsumi let out a sigh of relief when the mist began to shimmer, as it prepared to show another set of pictures. However what the mistlike substance showed next was no less gruesome. The next set images were of a busty blonde-haired woman who was lying in a pool of her own blood. Tatsumi nearly gagged when he saw that the woman''s stomach was littered with over a dozen bullet holes. "W-What the hell is t-this? Why a-are you showing m-me this?"


    "You wished to see your future boy, and that''s what I''m showing you." A demonic voice echoed from within the mist. "You will watch what your future entails."


    "N-No! Stop this!" Tatsumi shouted, as he tried to close his eyes. But an unseen force was keeping Tatsumi''s gaze locked onto the mist. "P-Please let me go!"


    "You must witness these events child. Learn from them, and you may just be able to change your dark future for the better." The demonic voice said, as another series of images appeared in the mist. This time the images showed a green-haired boy being cut in half down the middle by an unseen assailant''s sword.


    "What the f.u.c.k?!" Tatsumi exclaimed, feeling bile rise in his throat. Forcing down his vomit, Tatsumi prepared for the next barrage of pictures. However what appeared next was very different from what had previously been shown. The mist now showed Tatsumi holding onto a petite pink-haired girl. The pink-haired girl appeared to be talking to Tatsumi, as he held her hand.


    "Don''t die. Don''t you dare die." Tatsumi said in a pained voice, as the pink-haired girl cupped his cheek. "You''re gonna stand on the winning side, aren''t you?"


    "What are you saying? I''m already on the winning side." The pink-haired girl said, before she leaned forward and kissed Tatsumi gently on the lips. "I love you." Moments later the girl''s eyes closed, and she went limp in Tatsumi''s arm. The images quickly began to fade, as Tatsumi let out a pained scream; tears pouring from his eyes.


    "Oh God..." Tatsumi breathed out, feeling a few tears escape his own eyes as well.


    "This is the last memory that I''m going to show you boy." The demonic voice said, as the mist began to morph and change once again. "You best watch closely and learn from this." Once the mist had finished changing it began to broadcast the last set images. Tatsumi''s eyes widened when he saw himself dressed in elaborate dragon-like armor. His entire body was covered in blood, and it looked like he could barely stand. Next the mist showed a dark-haired girl with red eyes approaching.


    "I''m sorry." Tatsumi said to the girl, forcing a pained smile onto his face. "Looks like I couldn''t keep my promise..." The girl rushed forward, and she caught Tatsumi in her arms before he fell over. She embraced Tatsumi tightly, as he seemingly died in her arms.


    "You promised me! You said you''d survive!" The red-eyed girl screamed, her voice laden with sadness and grief. Tears began to pour from her eyes, and she began to shake slightly as she held Tatsumi close. "Tatsumi...I...I...never got to tell you my feelings."


    With that the last images faded away, leaving Tatsumi visibly shaken. The young man didn''t know what to make of what he saw, he merely stood still in complete shock. There was no way those images could have actually been from his future, right? Surely he was just exhausted, and was just having strange dreams and hallucinations. Yeah that had to be it.


    "Well you''ve seen some of what your future holds." The demonic voice said, as the mist began to fade away. "Due what you please with this information. For your sake, I hope you can learn from this and change your cursed future." With a blinding flash of light, Tatsumi felt himself forced out of his dreams.


    (Back in the Real World)


    "GAH!" Tatsumi exclaimed, as he shot up off the ground. The young man was covered in a cold sweat, and his breathing was labored and ragged. Tatsumi''s head throbbed, as memories of his dream plagued his thoughts. "T-There was no way any of that was real. I was just having some sort of f.u.c.k.i.e.d up dream. None of that is actually going to happen." Tatsumi ran his hands through his hair, as he gazed at the forest surrounding him. He was surprised to see that it appeared to be early in the morning already. "Well I better get going. I should be able to reach the capital later today." As Tatsumi began to pack his belongings an overwhelming sense on uneasiness overcame. He once again began to see images of his previous night''s dream.


    "There was no way any of that was true...but just in case I''ll keep my eyes open." Tatsumi thought, as he slung his pack over his shoulder. With a light sigh, Tatsumi began to make his way through the forest. Once Tatsumi was back on the path leading towards the capital, he pulled a map out of his pack. "Hmm, looks like I''m only about two miles away from the capital now. If I keep up this pace, I should be able to get there a little past noon." However, Tatsumi was shaken from his thoughts when a scream echoed out from the path ahead.


    "AH! It''s an Earth Dragon!"


    "Shit! I didn''t know they came out to main roads like this!"


    "Heh, looks like I''ll be able to get some danger beast hunting in before I reach the capital." Tatsumi said with a grin, racing towards where the screams had come from. As Tatsumi ran down the path, he finally caught a glimpse of the danger beast. The Earth Dragon was a massive c.o.c.kroach-like monster with long antennae, large claws, and blood red eyes. Tatsumi then spotted two men running away from the massive danger beast.


    "Get the hell out of here!" One of the men yelled, as he ran away from his carriage.


    "Looks like I''ll be able to save people, and make my name know." Tatsumi said with a grin, unsheathing his sword. Closing the distance, Tatsumi leaped into the air and slashed his sword across the danger beast''s chest. The monster howled in pain, as blood sprayed from its open wound. Tatsumi came to a skidding stop in front of the beast. "A class-one danger beast, Earth Dragon huh...A worthy opponent." The danger beast let out a mighty roar, causing a smirk to spread across across Tatsumi''s face. "Looks like I really pissed you off." Letting out another roar, the Earth Dragon smashed its fist into the ground where Tatsumi had been standing. However Tatsumi had been prepared for this, and had jumped into the air; dodging the monster''s attack. Tatsumi landed on the beast''s giant arm, and sprinted towards its head. "It''s over now!" With several precise slashes of his sword, Tatsumi had decapitated the colossal danger beast.


    "H-Holy shit..." One of the men breathed out in shock, as he watched the headless danger beast crash into the ground.


    "That was amazing kid!" The other man cheered, as he ran towards Tatsumi.


    "I can''t believe you took out that danger beast all by yourself." The first man exclaimed, following behind his friend.


    "But of course." Tatsumi said with a c.o.c.ky smile. "Something like that is a piece of cake for me." Tatsumi never noticed the men''s deadpanned looks, as he continued to gloat. "My name''s Tatsumi by the way. Better remember my name, because it''s gonna become real famous in the capital soon enough."


    "I guess that means you''re trying to make a name for yourself in the capital then?" The first man questioned, quirking an eyebrow.


    "You got it!" Tatsumi exclaimed with a wide grin. "I''m going to make it big in the capital! That''s the dream of any country boy!" Tatsumi was surprised to see the two men share a skeptical look. "What?"


    "The capital...isn''t the shining jewel you think it is..." The second man answered in a serious tone. "It''s lively for sure, but it''s full of monsters even more grotesque than that Earth Dragon."


    "What...so danger beasts come into the city too?" Tatsumi asked in a confused tone.


    "I''m taking about the people." The second man explained, unconsciously clenching his fists. "People with the hearts of monsters...that''s all you''ll find in the capital." Tatsumi flinched slightly, as a barrage of images from his dream flashed into his mind. "Hey, are you okay kid?"


    "Yeah...yeah I''m fine." Tatsumi replied, as he scratched the back of his head. Neither man noticed the subtle uneasiness in Tatsumi''s voice. "Well I appreciate your warning, but there''s no way I can turn around now. I...We...Are going to make money in the capital to help save our village. Well I better get going." With one last wave, Tatsumi continued on down the path towards the capital.


    "That kid doesn''t know what he''s getting himself into." The first man said with a frown on his face.


    "I give him three more days tops before he''s killed." The second man said, beginning to walk back towards the carriage.


    "I don''t know. That kid has got some serious skills. He just might be able to make it in the capital." The first man said, sitting down in the carriage. "Now come on. We have to get these supplies to Lubbock at Night Raid''s hidden base."


    (30 Minutes Later; Entrance to the Capital)


    "WOW! This place is amazing!" Tatsumi exclaimed, as he gazed at the expansive city before him with wonder in his eyes. "So this is the capital." Tatsumi grinned like a child, as he began to walk through the city streets. "If I do well here I might be able to buy the whole village. Better find the military barracks quick."


    As Tatsumi walked past a small cafe, he never noticed a busty blonde-haired woman sipping her tea. The woman had been listening to Tatsumi the whole time, and she couldn''t help but sigh as she set down her cup.


    "Hmm, so another country boy has been lured in by the capital''s charms." The woman said, as a hidden smirk spread across her face. "Maybe I should have some fun with him."


    After asking for directions, Tatsumi finely found himself at the capital''s military barracks. Noticing the large line, Tatsumi patiently waited his turn. After waiting for almost two hours, Tatsumi finally found himself at the front of the line.


    "So...you want to join the ranks too..." A rather bored looking officer asked, handing Tatsumi a form. "Then fill out this form and give it back to me."


    "Does this mean I''ll start off as a grunt?" Tatsumi asked, earning a groan from the officer.


    "What the hell do you think?" The officer asked in an annoyed tone. "You''ll likely be sent off to a remote region for your first assignment."


    "I don''t have time for that!" Tatsumi shouted, as he slammed his fist down onto the officer''s desk. "See what I can do!" Tatsumi unsheathed his sword, and performed several flashy moves. Thrusting the sword, and twirling it in his hands. "If you think you can use my skills, then enlist me starting as a captain." Before Tatsumi had time to react, the officer shot out of his seat and threw Tatsumi out of the barracks. Tatsumi growled as he turned to glare at the officer. "What the f.u.c.k!? You can''t even give me a chance!?"


    "Get real you f.u.c.k.i.n.g brat!" The officer shouted in an angry tone. "You have to enter a lottery before you can even become a soldier!" A tic mark formed on the officer''s head, as he angrily pointed at Tatsumi. "Ever since this recession started we''ve been flooded with applicants! I can''t go around testing each and every one of you! And there''s only so many spots we''re allowed to fill!"


    "Oh...is that so?" Tatsumi asked with a sweatdrop.


    "If you''ve got all that scram you little shit!" The officer screamed, slamming the door shut behind him.


    "Maybe I could make myself know by causing some trouble." Tatsumi thought, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "But then I might get arrested...Hmm, what to do..."


    "Hey there~" A sultry female voice said from behind Tatsumi. "You seem to be in tough spot kid. Can I lend you a hand?" Tatsumi''s leaned his head back to get a better look at the woman behind him. The first thing Tatsumi spotted was the woman''s large b.r.e.a.s.ts; which were barely being held in place by her black tube top. However Tatsumi''s eyes widened when he got a look at the girl''s face. She was the woman he had seen dying in a pool of her own blood from his dream.


    "GAH!" Tatsumi screamed, as he quickly backed away from the busty blonde. "There''s no way! This can''t be real! That was just some crazy dream! This has to be some kind of huge coincidence!"


    "Oi, you okay kid?" The woman asked, giving Tatsumi a confused look. "You look live you''ve seen a ghost or something."


    "H-Have we met before?" Tatsumi asked, as he felt his heart beat rapidly in his chest.


    "Hmm..." The girl hummed, as she scanned Tatsumi up and down. "Nope, I''ve never seen you before."


    "Shit...maybe...maybe...that wasn''t just a dream. This woman is definitely one of the people I saw in the images from my future, there''s no doubt about that. She must be connected to my futurein some way...And it seems like she wants to help me." Tatsumi thought, as his mind began to race.


    "So...what''s your story?" The blonde woman asked, snapping Tatsumi out of his thoughts. Tatsumi simply gave the woman a blank look in response. "Let me guess...You''ve came from the country to follow your dream in the capital, right?"


    "H-How did you know that?" Tatsumi asked in a shocked tone.


    "When you''ve lived the capital as long as I have, you can spot country boys from a mile away." The woman replied, placing her hands on her h.i.p.s. "So...I know a way to get you into the military real quick."


    "Really!?" Tatsumi exclaimed, as his lit up in excitement.


    "You want me to tell you?" The blonde asked, earning several rapid nods from Tatsumi. "If that''s so...then treat me to a nice meal." The blonde woman flashed Tatsumi a smile that made his heart beat even faster than before.


    "S-She''s beautiful." Tatsumi thought, as a slight blush spread across his face. "I guess I can buy her lunch if she''s willing to help me."


    (Five Minutes Later; Bar Down the Street)


    "Aw man!" The blonde cheered, as she slammed her empty mug of beer down onto the table. A ruddy red blush covered the buzzed woman''s face. "Having a drink in the middle of the day is the best!"


    "I think you might be overdoing it just a little." Tatsumi said, observing the bottles of alcohol that were littered across the table.


    "Drink up kid!" The blonde exclaimed, leaning forward in her seat; giving Tatsumi a very generous view of her exposed cleavage. "Let''s live it up a little!"


    "*Gulp* S-So you mentioned a way to get me into the military." Tatsumi said, as he tried to control his raging blush.


    "Oh right...that." The woman said, as she poured herself another drink. "For that you''ll need money and connections."


    "Money?" Tatsumi repeated, raising an eyebrow.


    "I''ve got a buddy in the army." The blonde explained, stopping to take a sip of her drink. "Grease his palms a little, and you''ll be in the army in no time."


    "I see..." Tatsumi said, as he began to root through his bag. The blonde woman''s eyes widened considerably when Tatsumi dropped a large bag of money onto the table. "Will this be enough."


    "Oh, that''s way more than enough." The woman said, her eyes seeming to change into dollar signs. "You''ve got a ton of cash on you."


    "Well I''ve been collecting rewards for the danger beasts I''ve killed on the way here." Tatsumi explained, showing the woman his sword.


    "Hmm, you must be pretty strong then." The blonde said, grabbing ahold of Tatsumi''s money. "With this cash you''ll be a captain in no time."


    "Oh thanks!" Tatsumi cheered in a happy tone.


    "Four-fifths of this should do it, I think." The blonde woman said, making her way towards the bar''s exit. As the blonde walked, she put a considerable sway in her h.i.p.s. "I think you''ll learn a lot from meeting me kid. Bye now. I''ll go talk to him now. You just wait right here." The woman gave Tatsumi a sultry wink before she walked out of the bar. "Maybe when I get back we can continue our fun in some place a little more ''private.''


    "O-Okay." Tatsumi managed to say in an infatuated tone, as he waved to the leaving woman. "I see. So connections are important here." As Tatsumi sat at the table, he didn''t notice the bartender shaking his head in disappointment.


    "That kid was quite the looker, but he won''t last another day in this city." The woman thought, as she walked out of the bar; with Tatsumi''s money slung over her shoulder.


    (Ten Hours Later)


    "Hey kid, we''re gonna be closing soon." The bartender said, as he finished wiping down a table.


    "Oh, it''s fine I''m just waiting for someone." Tatsumi said, turning to face the bartender.


    "Yeah I saw that." The bartender said, as he walked up to Tatsumi. "I hate to break this to ya kid, but that woman''s not coming back."


    "WHAT?!" Tatsumi roared, shooting out of his seat.


    "I honestly can''t believe someone would be so trusting in the capital these days." The bartender said with a shrug of his shoulders.


    "S-She was a fraud!" Tatsumi exclaimed, as gathered up his belongings. "I''ll just report her to the police!"


    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you." The bartender said, stopping Tatsumi in his tracks. "It''s technically your fault for falling for that woman''s tricks."


    "Son of a bitch!" Tatsumi thought, as he angrily slammed the money he owed for the drinks onto the table. After paying, Tatsumi stormed out of the bar back onto the capital''s streets. "SHIT! After paying for that meal I''m completely broke!" Tatsumi growled, as he crumpled up his empty coin bag. "That big boobed...I mean that woman! This is probably what she meant by learning something from her!" However Tatsumi''s anger started to ebb away when he remembered the images of the blonde woman shot to death. "*Sigh* Even if she robbed me, I don''t want that to happen to her. I hope she''s alright." As Tatsumi continued to walk through the streets, he was spotted by two men.


    "Look, it''s a country bumpkin walking down the road with a sword over his shoulder." The smaller man said with an evil smirk.


    "Hand it over now." The larger man demanded, holding out his hand. "That''s an order."


    Tatsumi paid the bandits little mind. He simply unsheathed his sword, and quickly smashed upside them head with the hilt. When the bandits fell over unconscious, Tatsumi sighed and resheathed his sword.


    "What''s wrong with everyone in this city..." Tatsumi said, stopping to stare at the palace that towered over the rest of the capital. "I wonder how Sayo and Ieyasu are doing...Have they reached the capital yet?" A few moments later, Tatsumi leaned against a wall and slumped to the ground. With an annoyed huff, Tatsumi pulled out his winter jacket. "Damn it, I guess I have to sleep outside again." However, before Tatsumi even closed his eyes a carriage came to a halt in front of him. Tatsumi eyed the carriage suspiciously, as a blonde girl around his age stepped out. The young girl obviously came from a rich family if her clothing was any indication.


    "I don''t think that boy has a place to stay...the poor thing." The girl said to one of her guards.


    "Again miss?" The guard asked, avoiding the young girls gaze.


    "I can''t help it. It''s just my nature." The girl said, as she walked up to Tatsumi. "Did you come from the country?"


    "Yeah..." Tatsumi replied, getting a strange vibe from the girl.


    "If you don''t have a place to stay...you can sleep at my house." The girl offered with a warm smile.


    After dealing with the busty blonde woman from earlier, Tatsumi was a little apprehensive to take the girl up on her offer. "I don''t have any money, miss."


    "Well if you did, you wouldn''t be sleeping out here silly." The girl said with a short giggle.


    "Miss Aria can''t leave a poor boy like you out here to freeze." The first guard said, placing his hands on his h.i.p.s.


    "You best accept her offer." The second guard said, as he felt a chill run down his spine. "If this kid knew what was in store for him, he''d run like a bat out hell."


    "Well..." Tatsumi said, as he rubbed his chin. The girl seemed nice enough, but so did the woman from earlier. But she was offering him a place to sleep, and the thought of a bed to sleep in was too tempting. "It''s better than sleeping outside."


    "Then it''s settled." Aria said, helping Tatsumi onto his feet. "Step into my carriage, and we''ll take you to my home."


    (10 Minutes Later)


    "W-Wow." Tatsumi knew that the girl probably came from a wealthy family. But the young man was blow away when he stepped into Aria''s home; it was more a mansion then a home. The foyer alone was massive enough to fit a normal sized house inside it. Tatsumi was blown away by all the priceless items scattered throughout the house.


    "Ah, looks like Aria has brought home another guest." Aria''s father said, turning to look at Tatsumi.


    "Well it''s her way." Aria''s mother said with a warm smile. "How many does this make it now?"


    "Those older guards must be must be really strong..." Tatsumi thought, as he observed the guards stationed around the large manor. "They could only be kind to complete strangers like because they have experienced guards." Tatsumi smiled and let out a sigh of relief. "This at least proves that there are good people in the capital."


    "Thank you so much for taking me in!" Tatsumi exclaimed, bowing to show his appreciation.


    "Oh, it''s quite alright. Please make yourself feel at home." Aria said with a smile.


    "Yes ma''am!" Tatsumi said, continuing to bow to his hosts. "I...uh actually have a favor to ask you."


    "Well what is it my boy?" Aria''s father asked, gesturing for Tatsumi to take a seat across from him. After Tatsumi explained his situation, Aria''s father leaned back in his seat. "I see. You want to join the army to help save your village."


    "Yes." Tatsumi said, nodding his head.


    "What a wonderful dream." Aria said with a small smile.


    "However...you should know. Though the capital is peaceful, three sides of this country are flanked by hostile tribes. You will likely be sent to the border to fight them." Aria''s father explained, clasping his hands in his lap.


    "I''m prepared for that." Tatsumi said, clenching his fists.


    "I must say I admire your courage young man. That''s youth for you." Aria''s father said with a smile.


    "Did you come from village alone, Tatsumi?" Aria asked, causing Tatsumi to gaze at the floor.


    "Actually, I left the village with two of my friends, Sayo and Ieyasu." Tatsumi replied, as his hand wandered towards the gift the village chief had given him before the left. The chief had said the idol would grant him God''s protection. "We trained for months, and were ready to all join the army together. But we were separated on they way here. I haven''t seen them in a while."


    "Oh my, that''s awful." Aria''s mother said, as she gasped slightly.


    "They''re both strong, so I''m not too worried." Tatsumi said, his hand tightening around the idol in his shirt pocket. "It''s just that Ieyasu is simply awful with directions, so I don''t know if he''ll be able to find where we all agreed to meet up."


    "I see!" Aria''s father said, as he slapped his knee. "I''ll have a chat with one of my friends in the military. Then we''ll try our best to find your friends."


    "Thank you so much!" Tatsumi exclaimed, standing up and bowing once again.


    "My hunches are usually pretty spot on." Aria said with a warm smile, causing Tatsumi to turn and look at her. "I''m sure you''ll be reunited with your friends very soon."


    "Miss Aria..." Tatsumi said with a slight blush dusting across his face.


    "Alright..." Aria''s father said, as he stood up from his seat. "Why don''t we call it a night."


    "Uh...is there anything I can help with while I''m here?" Tatsumi asked, causing Aria to clap her hands excitedly.


    "Oh! You can be my bodyguard tomorrow, along with there others!" Aria cheered.


    "That sounds good to me." Aria''s father said, turning to a nearby guard. "Gauri, I''ll leave this to you."


    "Understood sir." Gauri said with a salute.


    "You for everything you''ve done for me today!" Tatsumi exclaimed, earning a smile from Aria''s mother.


    "We''re happy to help. Now you pay it forward to some else too." Aria''s mother said with an almost creepy smile.


    "I sure will!" Tatsumi said, just as one of the guards arrived to escort him towards his room. Once Tatsumi found his room, he quickly climbed into bed. "I''m so lucky. I got saved by a some good people. Next I need to find Sayo and Ieyasu. I just hope both of them made it to the capital safely."


    (The Next Afternoon; Capital''s Shopping District)


    "Hurry! Let''s go the next shop!" Aria cheered, pointing out another store just up ahead.


    "Please wait Miss Aria!" The guards, who were carrying her numerous purchases, exclaimed as they lagged behind.


    "Tch, looks like we''ll be staying home next time." The guard standing next to Tatsumi said.


    "Aria sure bought a lot..." Tatsumi said, as he stared at the mountain of boxes with wide eyes. "The amount is utterly ridiculous."


    "It''s not just Miss Aria." The guard explained, watching Aria enter another store. "All young girls are like this."


    "Really? The ones I know pick out their clothes right away." Tatsumi said in a confused tone.


    "Never mind that. Look up." The guard said, gesturing towards the palace that towered over them. "It''s the royal palace."


    "It''s freaking huge!" Tatsumi exclaimed, finally getting a good look of the imposing building. "That''s where the emperor lives?!"


    "No..." The guard said, causing Tatsumi to raise an eyebrow in confusion. "Not quite...True, the emperor lives in the palace, but he is but a child. He is being manipulated from the shadows by the minister. He''s the one responsible for all the corruption and decay of this once great country." The guard''s eyes shifted around to make sure no one was watching. "You best watch what you say around here. They''d have our heads if they heard us talking like this."


    "Then..." Tatsumi said through grit teeth, as he tightly clenched his fists. "The heavy taxes that are plaguing my village are also..."


    "Are common knowledge in the capital..." The guard, as he pointed over towards a nearby wall. "There''s also those guys we have to worry about." Tatsumi''s eyes followed where the guard was pointing. Attached to a nearby brick wall were several wanted posters. Tatsumi''s eyes widened when he saw one of the posters for a girl named Akame. The girl looked eerily to the red eyed girl from his dream. Tatsumi broke out into a cold sweat, as he scanned over the wanted posters.


    "Night Raid?" Tatsumi asked, turning to face the guard he was with.


    "They''re a group of assassins who have been terrorizing the capital." The guard explained, as he grabbed one of the posters. "As the name suggests they mainly attack at night. They target high ranking government officials and wealthy families. So you best be on your guard."


    "N-No problem." Tatsumi said, trying his best to sound confident and determined. "I have feeling I''ll run into this Akame girl and Night Raid very soon."


    "One more thing..." The guard said, as he tapped Tatsumi''s shoulder. "You''re helping with that." Tatsumi turned around to see the other two guards struggling to hold up a massive box.


    "What the hell kind of training is this?!" Tatsumi exclaimed in an annoyed tone.


    (Several Hours Later)


    Night had once again descended upon the capital, and almost everyone in Aria''s home was fast asleep. Everyone but Aria''s mother. The older woman hummed to herself, as she walked through one of the manor''s hallways.


    "Now then...time to write today''s journal entry." Aria''s mother said, as she held her small journal close to her chest. "Heh, I just can''t seem to quite this hobby..." Before the woman could say another word, her entire world turned upside down and immense pain coursed through her body. "Huh?" In that instant Aria''s mother saw that she had been cut clean in half at her midsection. Blood sprayed from her severed torso, coating the walls and her unknown attacker. The older woman died before the top half of her body even hit the ground.


    The assassin, revealed to be a busty purple-haired woman, swiped her large scissor like weapon; spreading the blood that coated it across the hallway. "I''m terribly sorry." The purple-haired woman said, as she bowed her head.


    It was at this moment that Tatsumi shot up in his bed. A chill ran up the young man''s spine, as quickly scrambled out of the bed. "What the? There''s an intense sense of bloodl.u.s.t in the air..." Tatsumi rushed to get dressed, grabbing his sword as he bolted out of his room. As Tatsumi raced through the mansion''s halls, the guard''s words about Night Raid echoed in his mind. "I didn''t think I''d run into them this quickly!" Tatsumi came to a skidding stop when he spotted several shadowy figures, standing on what appeared to be wire threads, outside one of the manor''s windows. "There''s no doubt. That has to be Night Raid!" Tatsumi clenched his fists, as he stared at the silhouetted assassins. "Are they targeting this family just because they''re rich?" When Tatsumi lowered his gaze, he spotted several guards running out to face the assassins. "What do I do? Help them...or guard the family?!"


    "Heh, three guards. They''re our targets as well." A green-haired man said with grin. "Akame, they''re all yours."


    "I will eliminate them all." Akame said, as she leaped off the wires she was standing on. The dark-haired girl crashed into the ground a few feet in front of the three guards; her hand immidiately reaching the hilt of her sword.


    "Okay guys...whatever you do don''t let her sword touch you, no matter what!" The head guard yelled, as he lead the other two guards in a charge towards Akame.


    "Eliminate." Akame muttered, before she shot forward at a blinding speed. In the blink of an eye, Akame had unsheathed her sword and slashed the lead guard''s throat; blood spraying from his wound. Before the next guard had a chance to react a large spear punctured his chest. A large armored assassin walked up to the guard, and withdrew the spear from his chest.


    "This...is what I deserve..." The lead guard managed to say, as he felt poison race through his body. As the poison spread, ink black marking spread across the guard''s body. "For having a...rotten soul..." The guard collapsed as the poison reached his heart, causing it to instantly shut down.


    "W-What th-the..." The last guard said, looking in horror. Deciding that fighting wasn''t a possibility, the guard turned tail and started to run away. "F.u.c.k this! These guys are way worse than any monster!" The man didn''t make it three steps before he was shot in the back of the head.


    "Pathetic." A petite pink-haired girl said, as she lowered her still smoking gun. The girl''s eyes were hard, as she glared at the dead guard. "Deserting your comrades under enemy fire."


    "Ah, I think that was just plain old running away." The green-haired man said with a sweatdrop.


    "T-They were all massacred...in seconds!" Tatsumi thought, as he stared at the carnage before him with disbelieving eyes. Gritting his teeth, Tatsumi tore his eyes away and took off down the hallway once more. "I''ve got to at least protect Miss Aria!"


    In another part of the mansion, another assassin was finishing off her target. The busty blonde-haired woman Tatsumi had met the previous day was holding up Aria''s father by his throat. However now the woman''s hair had elongated, she had catlike ears on top of her head, a tail swayed from side to side behind her, and her hands had become covered in fur with sharp claws; her grip slowly tightening around the man''s neck as the seconds ticked by.


    "S-Spare me...P-Please...I-I have a daughter..." Aria''s father struggled to say, as the blonde woman''s grip continued to tighten around his neck.


    "Don''t worry. You''ll be meeting her in hell soon enough." The woman said, raising her head to reveal slitted golden eyes.


    "Not my daughter too...have you no mercy?" Aria''s father asked, just as the blonde woman snapped his neck with her bare hand.


    "Mercy?" The blonde parroted with a sadistic glint in her golden eyes. "That''s a word I''ve never heard before. You''ll have to explain what it means when I see you in hell some day."


    (Storage Shed; Just Outside of the Mansion)


    "Miss this way!" A guard yelled, as he pulled Aria towards the storage shed.


    "W-What''s going on?" Aria asked in a frightened tone.


    "We must get you inside the storage shed, you''ll be safe inside there!" The guard exclaimed, as the shed came into view.


    "Miss Aria, I finally found you!" The guard and Aria turned around to see Tatsumi behind them; panting heavily from running the whole way there.


    "Tatsumi!" Aria exclaimed, as a look of relief spread across her face.


    "Perfect timing!" The guard shouted, pointing at Tatsumi. "We''ll seek shelter in the storage shed, and you stay out here and hold the enemy until the authorities arrive."


    "That''s the worst f.u.c.k.i.n.g idea I''ve ever he-" Tatsumi was cut off when he heard someone land directly behind him. Spinning around, Tatsumi''s eyes widened when saw the dark-haired girl with red eyes from his dream. "...Oh f.u.c.k me." The girl, who now knew was named Akame, unsheathed her sword and shot forward. "I guess I have no choice!" Tatsumi yelled, as he too took out his sword. But as Tatsumi prepared to attack, the images from his dream replayed in his mind.


    "You promised me! You said you''d survive! Tatsumi...I...I never got to tell you my feelings." Tatsumi''s stance faltered when he remembered the pain in Akame''s voice, the tears pouring from her eyes. She looked absolutely devastated that he had died. This girl obviously was very precious to him, as he was to her, and he couldn''t bring himself to hurt her.


    "Not a target." Akame''s monotone voice snapped Tatsumi from his thoughts. The dark-haired girl leaped into the air, looking like an angel of death, and used Tatsumi''s back as a springboard. Tatsumi quickly spun around, and saw Akame sprinting towards the guard and Aria.


    "Shit! She''s coming this way!" The guard yelled, as he pulled out his gun. Loading a fresh clip into the weapon, the guard opened fire on Akame. However the guard could only stare with wide eyes as he watched Akame dodge all of his bullets.


    "I will eliminate..." Time seemed to slow down for Akame, as she approached her targets. She quickly ducked and dodged the speeding bullets being fired at her. Once she was close enough, Akame horizontally slashed her sword; decapitating the guard protecting Aria. "...all targets." Aria could only cower away, as Akame approached her. "You will be buried as well." Tears formed in Aria''s eyes, as she prepared for the finishing blow.


    "Wait!" Tatsumi yelled, slashing at Akame with his sword. He didn''t want to hurt the girl, but he had to keep her away from Aria some how.


    "You''re not one of my targets, so there''s no reason to go out of my way and kill you too." Akame said with a deadpanned look.


    "But you want to kill this girl right?!" Tatsumi asked, protectively stepping in front of Aria.


    "Yep." Akame simply said.


    "Yep?!" Tatsumi repeated in a shocked tone. The young man continued to stare Akame down, as the air filled with tension. Tatsumi didn''t want to hurt this girl, maybe he could convince her to leave Aria alone. "Listen Akame..."


    "How do you know my name?" Akame demanded, as she glared at Tatsumi. The dark-haired girl tightened her grip on her sword, as she leveled it on Tatsumi.


    "There''s wanted posters of you spread all over the city." Tatsumi replied, earning a nod from Akame. "H-Have we ever met before, because I swear I''ve seen you before."


    "No, we''ve never met." Akame said, her tone emotionless. "Like you said, the city is littered with wanted posters with my image on them. That''s likely where you''ve seen me before."


    "No...no...I''m talking about before I came to the capital." Tatsumi explained, lowering his sword slightly.


    "Hmm, like I said I''ve never seen you before." Akame said, her sword never moving. "However I did notice that you faltered slightly when I first arrived. Was that because you believed we had met before?"


    "Kinda..." Tatsumi replied, in a confused tone. "It''s hard to explain really...I don''t fully understand it myself either..."


    "Listen." Akame suddenly said, cutting Tatsumi off. "If you don''t move out of my way, I''ll just have to kill you too."


    "I don''t want to hurt you Akame, but I can''t run away now!" Tatsumi exclaimed, as he raised his sword again.


    "I see..." Akame said, her eyes hardening. "Then I will bury you as well."


    "I''m so f.u.c.k.i.e.d." Tatsumi thought, gulping audibly.


    As Tatsumi and Akame continued to stare each other down, the busty blonde exited the mansion. She shook her hands to try and get the blood off them however. However the blonde stopped when she saw Akame staring down one of her opponents.


    "That''s odd...it''s not like Akame to not be finished yet." The blonde said in a confused tone, as she continued to approach Akame. Her eyes widened when she saw who Akame was fighting. The blonde face palmed when she saw that the boy she had swindled money from the other day was fighting Akame. "Are you serious? Shit, that kid has some seriously bad luck."


    "After what I saw earlier...there''s absolutely no way I can beat her." Tatsumi thought, his grip on his sword tightening. "But I can''t worry about that now...If I can''t save this little girl..." Tatsumi and Akame both sprinted forward at the same time. Their swords clashing when they met int the middle. Tatsumi grit his teeth, as he struggled against Akame''s strength. Sparks flew off the clashing swords, as they grinded against each other. "There''s no way I can save a whole village." The two fighters broke away, and almost immidiately clashed swords again. Tatsumi was stunned by Akame''s incredible speed, he was having a hard time tracking her movements. Seeing a possible opening, Tatsumi slashed horizontally at Akame.


    However Akame was prepared for this. She jumped over Tatsumi''s attack, and kicked him in the chest. The young men went sliding back from the force of Akame''s kick. Before Tatsumi could fully recover, Akame was on top of his again. Reacting quickly, Tatsumi rolled out of the way and tried to kick Akame''s legs out. But again, Akame was ready and dodged Tatsumi''s attack. Knowing the Akame would dodged, Tatsumi tried catch Akame off guard with a punch. However Tatsumi''s eyes widened when Akame spun around in the air, and grabbed ahold of his fist. With a grunt, Akame hurled Tatsumi back towards Aria.


    "Hmm, he''s not too bad." Akame thought, as she landed back on her feet. "Most opponents would have fallen already. But I must end this quickly." Readying her blade, Akame shot forward. Tatsumi was still recovering from being thrown, so he had no time to defend himself. The young man gasped when he felt Akame''s blade strike his chest.


    "Tatsumi!" Aria yelled, as she watched Tatsumi collapse to the group. However Akame kept her distance from Tatsumi.


    "Heh." Tatsumi laughed, as he slowly got back onto his feet. The young man smirked when he saw Akame standing several feet away from him. "So you won''t approach me even if I''ve dropped my guard."


    "I didn''t feel my blade bite flesh." Akame said, as she watched Tatsumi reached into his shirt.


    "My friends from the village have protected me." Tatsumi said, pulling out the idol that the chief had given had idol was almost completely broken after being struck with Akame''s sword.


    "Hmm, that kid is facing Akame and her blade and is still alive." The busty blonde thought, as she watched the fight unfold. "That kid sure can hold his own. Maybe it''s time I jump in, and repay this kid."


    "Rest in pieces." Akame said, as she ran forward with her sword prepared to strike Tatsumi down.


    "Wait a minute, Akame!" Tatsumi shouted, waving his hands defensively. "If it''s money you guys are after, let the girl go. This isn''t some battlefield, so don''t kill an innocent girl!" However, Tatsumi''s words fell upon deaf ears as Akame prepared to go in for the kill. "It''s no use! She''s not listening to a word I say!"


    "Hold it." Tatsumi''s eyes widened when he saw a blonde woman grab ahold of Akame. "Cool your jets Akame."


    "What are you doing, Leone?" Akame asked, leaning her head back to look at Leone.


    "We still have some spare time, don''t we?" Leone asked, looking up to smile at Tatsumi. "Besides I owe this kid. So let me pay him back."


    "HEY! Your that big titted-" Tatsumi yelled when he recognized who the blonde woman was.


    "Yes, I''m that pretty lady you met the other day." Leone said with a sickly sweet smile. The blonde woman let go of Akame, and walked towards the storage shed. "Listen kid. You were worried about us hurting an innocent girl..." When Leone reached the storage shed''s locked door, she swiftly kicked it open. "...I wonder if you can still say that after seeing this." Leone stepped aside, so that Tatsumi could look into the opened storage shed. "Take a good hard look." Tatsumi walked up to the storage shed, and gazed inside...It was an action he immediately regretted. The storage shed was filled with mutilated human bodies, most of them hanging from the ceiling and missing limbs. The entire building reeked of decaying bodies and human waste. "This is the dark side of the capital."


    "Wha-What the hell is this?!" Tatsumi said, almost to stunned and disturbed to speak. Like with the mist in his dream, Tatsumi couldn''t seem to tear his eyes away from the disgusting display before him.


    "These people would invite in no name people from the countryside with their sweet offers...and then play with them by torturing them to death." Leone explained, crossing her arm underneath her chest. "This is the true nature of those ''innocent'' people you wanted to defend."


    It was then that Tatsumi saw something that knocked all of the breath from his lungs. Hanging amongst the mass of bodies was Sayo. The girl was n.a.k.e.d and covered in blood. Numerous cuts and bruises littered her body, and one of her legs was even but off. "S-Sayo? Is..Is that you Sayo?" When he didn''t get a response, Tatsumi felt his heart drop. "...Sayo!"


    "So one of them was your friend." Leone asked, just as Aria tried to sneak away into the woods. "Where do you think you''re going? You''re asking for way too much if you think you can run away, little missy."


    "The family that lives here did this?" Tatsumi asked in an emotionless tone.


    "Yes. And their guards kept silent about it, so they''re just as guilty." Leone said, as she held onto Aria to keep her from escaping.


    "S-She''s obviously lying!" Aria pleaded, struggling against Leone''s grasp. "I never even knew this place was here. Are you going to believe me, the one who saved you, or them, Tatsumi?!"


    "Ta..tsu...mi..." A weak voice called out from a cell to Tatsumi''s left. "It...really is...you...isn''t it..." Tatsumi''s eyes widened when he saw his other friend Ieyasu locked in the cage. The boy''s body was covered in blood and sores.


    "Ieyasu!?" Tatsumi exclaimed in a shocked tone.


    "That girl approached me and Sayo...and she led us back to her home." Ieyasu explained, as he glared at Aria. "We passed out after eating a meal she gave us. When we woke up, we were in here." Ieyasu grabbed ahold of the bars of his cell, and grit his teeth. "T-That bitch... would torture Sayo for hours!"


    "And what the hell is wrong with that?!" Aria shouted, slapping Leone''s hand away. "You were all just useless country bumpkins! You''re no better than livestock! I can treat you any way I want!" Aria had an almost demonic look on her face, as she continued her rant. "And for a farm animal, that girl had such beautiful hair and way too much attitude! While I have to suffer with this unruly hair of mine. So I made her pay for it! You should thank me for how thorough I was with her!"


    "They were just demons disguised as humans." Leone said, snarling slightly at Aria. "Sorry I stopped you Akame."


    "I will end her slowly, like she did with her victims." Akame said, as she raised her sword.


    "Wait." Tatsumi said, his hair hiding his eyes.


    "Please don''t tell me you''re still going to defend this girl?" Leone asked in an annoyed tone.


    "No..." Tatsumi said, unsheathing his sword. With a single slash, Tatsumi bisected the girl at her waist. "I''ll be the one to kill her." Tatsumi''s eyes were emotionless, as Aria''s blood stained his shirt and his blade.


    "I know she was a despicable person...but to cut her down without hesitation." Leone thought, as she rubbed her chin.


    "Heh, heh...that''s my Tatsumi..." Ieyasu said with a toothy grin. "I''m happy to see that bitch go." However Ieyasu stopped suddenly when he threw up some blood.


    "What is it Ieyasu?!" Tatsumi exclaimed, as he threw the cage door open and held Ieyasu in his arms.


    "He''s in the final stages of Rubola disease." Akame explained, as she walked up to Tatsumi. "The wife of the house enjoyed injecting her victims with drugs, and recording the symptoms in her journal...I''m sorry Tatsumi, but there''s no saving him."


    "Ta-Tatsumi..." Ieyasu struggles to say; his voice was extremely weak and labored. "Sayo...never gave into that bitch...You should have see the way she stood up to her...So I also want to make you proud." A large smile spread across Ieyasu''s face, as he clenched his fist. "Up to my last moments."


    "It was sheer willpower keeping him alive this whole time." Akame observed, as she gave Tatsumi a brief sympathetic look.


    "W-What''s happened to the capital?" Tatsumi asked himself, as he held Ieyasu close.


    "Let''s go, Leone." Akame said, turning to leave.


    "Say, why don''t we take the kid with us?" Leone asked, as she walked up to Tatsumi. "Homebase is always short staffed." Leone grabbed the back of Tatsumi''s shirt, and began to drag him off. "He''s lucky, brave, and you must agree that he''d got talent."


    "I will agree that he is a skilled fighter." Akame said, glancing back at the kicking and screaming Tatsumi.


    "Let me go! I have to bury them!" Tatsumi screamed, as he struggles against Leone''s grasp.


    "Tatsumi...please...help me...don''t...leave me here..."


    Tatsumi''s eyes widened when he heard the soft voice. It was weak and barely above a whisper, but he knew he had heard it. There was no doubt it was Sayo. She wasn''t dead!


    "LET ME GO!" Tatsumi roared, before he bit into Leone''s hand.


    "God damn it!" Leone shouted, releasing Tatsumi from her grasp. Free from the blonde''s grip, Tatsumi raced back towards the storage shed. "That little shit bit me!" Leone''s eyes widened, as the words left her mouth. The blonde gazed down at her bleeding hand. "H-He bit me. Does he know what he just did? He just marked me."


    "Let''s just leave him." Akame suggested, as she watched Tatsumi run off.


    "No..." Leone huskily breathed out, as she followed after Tatsumi. "He''s seen my face, so we can''t let him get away."


    "SAYO!" Tatsumi yelled, as he burst back into the storage shed. The young man''s eyes widened when he saw that Sayo was indeed conscious. Tears began to pour from her eyes when she saw Tatsumi.


    "I...I knew...you''d come back for me...Tatsumi...I knew...my voice...would reach you..." Sayo said weakly. "P-Please help m-me."


    "Don''t worry Sayo, I''ll get you down!" Tatsumi quickly unsheathed his sword, and cut Sayo down. Getting a good hold on the girl, and being careful around her missing leg, Tatsumi gently lowered Sayo to the ground.


    "T-Thank you...Tatsumi..." Sayo said, before her eyes closed once again.


    "Sayo...Sayo! SAYO!" Tatsumi shouted, fearing that Sayo had died before he had a chance to help her.


    "Step aside." Tatsumi turned his head to see Leone standing over him. Doing as he was told, Tatsumi moved away from Sayo. Leone pressed her ear against Sayo''s chest. It was extremely faint, but she could still hear a heartbeat. "She''s still alive, but she''s fallen unconscious. If we don''t get her help, she will die soon."


    "If you help Sayo, I''ll come with you freely!" Tatsumi pleaded, practically begging Leone. "PLEASE! She''s a skilled fighter like me! She can help too!" Leone''s eyes softened when she saw tears form in Tatsumi''s eyes. "Please, help her."


    "Fine, we can have a doctor try to save her when we get back to base." Leone said, as she hoisted Sayo''s unconscious form over her shoulder. "But we have to hurry, do you understand?"


    "Yes! Let''s get moving!" Tatsumi exclaimed, shooting to his feet.


    "Good then follow me." Leone said, as she raced back towards where her comrades were with Tatsumi in tow.


    (Two Minutes Later)


    "You''re finally back." The armored assassin commented, as Leone and Tatsumi approached.


    "We better get out of here soon." The green-haired boy said, as he held up a watch.


    "You''re both late!" The pink-haired girl shouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "What the hell were you doing?!" However the pink-haired girl quirked an eyebrow when she saw Tatsumi and Sayo. "Who the hell are they?"


    "We don''t have much time to explain, but he''s our newest comrade." Leone said, causing the pink-haired girl''s eyes to widen. "And if we can save this girl, she''ll be joining us too. But she needs a doctor fast, so we have to really put the petal to the metal. Bulat, you''ll have to carry Tatsumi so he can keep up with us."


    "Don''t worry, everything will be better soon." Bulat said, as he picked Tatsumi up.


    "Operation complete. Let''s return to base on the double! We have a life to save for once!" Akame exclaimed, as she raced across the rooftops with the rest of Night Raid behind her.


    "What a turn of events. I wonder what''s going to happen to me." Tatsumi thought, as he felt the cool air rush over his body. As Tatsumi was carried across the capital''s rooftops towards Night Raid''s base, he couldn''t help but feel that his dark future had gotten just a little bit brighter.


    And done! That''s the end of the first chapter for this fic. Will Sayo live? Or will she still die? We''ll find out next chapter. So what did you guys think? Please remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK, and PM me any ideas you have for this fic. Just as a reminder the pairing for this fic will be Tatsumi x Akame x Leone x Chelsea x Mine and possibly Esdeath. I have no idea when the next chapter for this fic will be out, because I have three other fics to write and I''m in college and I work. So please just be patient, the next chapter will be out eventually.


    P.S. Please check out my other fics if you get the chance.


    So until next time, I''m outta here.

 Chapter 152 - My SI Stash #52 - A Gamers Guide to Power by Vsauce-Here (MyHeroAcademiaXMulticross)

    -The Dark Wolf Shiro himself recommended this new fic, it''s got the same concept as his works except the SI starts in MHA! Check it out~


    Sypnosis: The powers of The Game are truly extraordinary but when you put it in the hands of a serious pyromaniac it gets a bit weird. Aka is just trying to live his life as a pyromaniac with the powers of The Game while saving the occasional girl and whatnot. Eventually will branch out to more worlds than just MHA. Neutral MC and Gamer MC.


    Rated: M


    Words: 11K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13490785/1/ (Vsauce-Here)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Darkness. Darkness was all that surrounded me, at this point I found the darkness to be almost comforting. I didn''t know how long I''d spent in the vacant expanse of darkness. All I knew at this point was that I died, I died in a car crash. The reasoning for my death was simplistic, but I also knew that I wasn''t the one driving the car at the time of its crashing. I found it strange that I could associate so many words with different emotions, but I couldn''t associate them with memories. Mom, a feeling of protection and happiness. Dad, a feeling of excitement. All I could think about while floating around in the darkness were these words, wondering why I felt these emotions when thinking about them and how I came to associate the words with those emotions.


    Ping!


    A loud bell-like sound interrupted me from my musings. Light flooded my vision and text started to appear in front of my face. The text seemed to be inside of a floating glass panel and with how the words appeared on the screen it seemed like someone was typing them out. Either from the panel itself or from somewhere behind it light was being shone. The panel confused me, after spending such a long time in the darkness I thought that death was just like that, but suddenly I learned that for some reason there were glass panels with text on them after death. It was only after I read the words on the glass panel that I realized how wrong I was.


    Congrats! You have completed the tutorial. You are now ready to experience the full version of The Game!


    The tutorial? I assumed that by the tutorial this ''Game'' meant my life, but that didn''t make any sense. I started to remember things now, in every game I''ve ever played I would always know that I was in a game while in the tutorial, but I guess that even in those video games some features were locked off. If I had to guess the conditions for completing the tutorial were dying.


    Ping!


    Another ping sounded out, I guess that whenever ''The Game'' wanted to send a message of sorts it would start with the sound of a bell.


    The Game is an interactive system that gives the power of The Game to a select candidate, The Gamer. You are the newest Gamer. Multiple other Gamers are floating around, but you won''t have to worry about them. Using the power of The Game you, The Gamer, will travel to different worlds from different source materials, such as books and anime, in these worlds you will do what you do in every game, beat them.


    Beat them? Wait¡­ why am I not even questioning the validity of these messages? Why am I not freaking out? I am almost 100% sure that if I was still alive then I''d probably be having a panic attack.


    Congrats! Skill(s) discovered


    [Gamer''s Mind] (Passive)


    Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through.


    Allows peaceful state of mind,


    Grants immunity to psychological effects.


    Alright¡­ that''s certainly interesting. Do I have any other skills?


    Skill(s) Gained


    [Gamer''s Body] (Passive)


    Grants a body that allows for the user to live real life like a game.


    [Observe] (Active)


    Provides information on target.


    Well, I guess that answers that question, if what Gamer''s Body description said was true then that would technically mean that I wouldn''t need any sleep or need to eat food, though maybe if I became a vampire or something I would need the blood. If I used Skyrim as an example then I would be able to discern that I wouldn''t necessarily need to eat or sleep, but if I became a vampire somehow then I would still need blood to survive.


    Please select world.


    World? My mind flashes back to when ''The Game'' said that I would need to beat worlds from certain anime or books, but I wasn''t aware that I''d be able to choose the world that I''d want to go to.


    Don''t get the wrong idea, your first selection of worlds is limited and gets even more limited as time goes on.


    Well, that''s just great, would''ve been great to just be able to go to Medaka''s Box and gain extremely op powers. I guess it''s meant to be so that I don''t start extremely overpowered or something.


    My Hero Academia: Ever wanted to be a goody-two-shoes superhero or the big bad villain? Then this would be one of the many worlds for you. In a world where nearly all the population of the world has a special power called a quirk, you must stand out and make a name for yourself along with the main cast of the show.


    Game of Thrones: Ever wanted to take your shot and see if you could sit on the Iron Throne? Then this would be your chance, be in a world where it is weirdly both realistic and fantasy-like. Do you want to eventually sit on the throne or stay on the sidelines and guide everyone? The choice is yours.


    Naruto: Become a kick-ass ninja and gain the powers of chakra. Cool right? Have the choice to choose between whatever village you want and become a shinobi. [Perk: Plot Armor] available.


    Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Take on the life of a demigod and try your best to live in the monster-infested world of Percy Jackson. Choose to go to Camp Jupiter or Camp Half-blood, or just do your own thing and avoid all that drama. [Perk: Plot Armor] available.


    That''s not a lot of choices, I truly wonder how it could go down from four, I''d imagine that The Game would eventually need to expand on the list of worlds, or it would just want me to complete the first four worlds before moving on. Anyways, whats this ''Plot Armor'' perk?


    Perk


    [Plot Armor]


    Take over the role of the main character and gain their plot armor, at the cost of losing memories of major plot points in the story.


    Ok¡­ while it does sound useful in a few scenarios I doubt that I''d ever want to use the title, it just didn''t sound like something I''d want. Now I need to decide which world I wanted to go to, Game of Thrones was obviously off the list first, I did not want to deal with that drama, and my knowledge of the series wasn''t that good. I wouldn''t mind going to the world of Percy Jackson but I wouldn''t want to be held down by a camp so I''d have to wait till I get stronger so I''d be able to stay on my own and not have to rely on a camp. Now Naruto¡­ the one that I hold the most knowledge of out of the four but also the one that I''m the most scared of. While the other worlds were straight forward (besides Game of Thrones) Naruto was weird¡­ I knew how to perfectly cheese the ''flawless'' system of Naruto, I just needed a Sharingan and my work would be done. Well, maybe I''d wait a little while longer until I became strong enough to rip a Sharingan out of some Uchiha, or maybe even become Orochimaru and steal an Uchiha''s body. Well, all that was left was My Hero Academia, it was still a pretty strong world but like Percy Jackson, it had places that could train me, like UA or some other Hero School. Unlike Percy Jackson though I wouldn''t mind attending UA, like come on, did you see those hot girls? The hot girls at UA aren''t the entire reason why I''d want to go to My Hero Academia it''s because of¡­. well it is mainly because of the girls but I wanted to become a hero or villain, either would be good.


    Are you sure?


    Y/N


    After pressing down on My Hero Academia another message appeared asking for confirmation. I clicked Y.


    Select Race:


    [Human] (Quirkless)


    [Human] (Quirk)


    Well, this is obvious. I pressed down on ''Human (Quirk)''.


    [Human] (Quirk)


    You are a human¡­ with a bit more spice.


    You are born with a quirk and given a free skill at birth. Said skill is randomized and can either be god-like or absolute dogshit.


    Gain 25% bonus class EXP.


    Well, that''s reassuring, especially the port where my quirk could be absolute dogshit or god-like, I was personally hoping for closer to the god-like side of things, but you never know.


    Please select a class.


    [Fighter][Archer][Mage][Healer][Rogue]


    Looking over my choices the only ones that stuck out to me were Fighter and Mage, no matter how much I''d love to be a fighter I knew that killing wasn''t widely accepted and carrying a sword around wasn''t that reassuring to the general populace. So, I pressed down on Mage.


    Please select a specialization.


    [Elemental Mage][Illusionist][Enchanter[Summoner][Necromancer]


    Well really, I wanted to be in the fight so the only one that fitted what I wanted from myself was Elemental Mage. Though eventually, I''d want to become a spell sword or something along the lines of that.


    Class Gained


    [Elemental Mage] ¨C LVL 1/100 [0%]


    Gain 5 INT and WIS every level.


    Please select first and primary element.


    [Fire][Water][Earth][Wind]


    I look over the four options, the only one that I wouldn''t jump to get would be Earth, though the only reason I''d want water is that most of blood is made from water. Though I guess since it said ''first element'' then I''d be able to eventually choose a second element. I am left between the choice of Fire and Wind, of course, I choose Fire because who isn''t a bit of a pyromaniac?


    Skill Gained


    [Pyrokinesis] ¨C LVL 1/100 [0%]


    The general control of fire and its uses. Higher-level = greater control/stronger


    Skill Gained


    [Fireball] ¨C LVL 1/50 [0%]


    Breathe out a fireball and shoot it out in a general direction. Chance to give Burning effect to target.


    Cost ¨C 50 MP


    Damage ¨C 15


    Ok¡­ that skill isn''t that noteworthy, but I will make it work. Ok, now I think there is more than just getting my class situation handled.


    Type in your name of choosing


    Oh¡­ OH, I guess I''d have to choose a Japanese name of sorts because I''d be going to a world inside of Japan, besides I can always change my name¡­ I think.


    Your name is: Aka


    Are you sure? Y/N


    Yes, I''m sure about the name I wouldn''t have typed it in if I wasn''t sure about it. Though admittedly making my name ''red'' in Japanese was uncreative.


    Aka


    Level ¨C 1


    Class ¨C Elemental Mage ¨C LVL 1 [0%]


    Race ¨C Human (Quirk)


    Rank ¨C Mortal


    Alignment ¨C True Neutral


    HP ¨C 100 [20 HP per minute]


    MP ¨C 100 [20 MP per 30 seconds]


    SP ¨C 100 [20 SP per 30 seconds]


    STR ¨C 10


    END ¨C 10


    DEX ¨C 10


    INT ¨C 10


    WIS ¨C 10


    CHA ¨C 10


    LCK ¨C 10


    MP Regen = WIS X 2


    MP = INT X 10


    SP/Health Regen = END X 2


    Health = END x 10


    SP = END X 10


    So basically, I''m an absolute normie, great, well I guess it''s a starting point, a bad one, but a starting point, nonetheless.


    As an optional choice, you can choose to take random flaws.


    For every random flaw, a bonus will be granted.


    Would you like to participate: Y/N?


    Hell yeah! Gambling is always the right choice.


    Trait Gained


    [Pyromaniac]


    You like setting things on a fire¡­ a bit too much.


    Perk Gained


    [Daily Gacha Coins]


    Test your luck in the ultimate gambling game, but here''s the thing you don''t lose anything!


    Yea remember when I said everyone is a bit of a pyromaniac. Yea I can neither say that I am or am not regretting that.


    Would you like to go again: Y/N?


    Sure, why the hell not?


    Trait Gained


    [Lack of Empathy]


    You generally have a lack of empathy and only truly care about people you know.


    Perk Gained


    [Prodigy]


    Every skill/class you gain is 50% easier to level up.


    Would you like to go again: Y/N?


    Well¡­ that trait sucks but the perk is relatively good, but it''s going to be a bit harder being a pro hero, but it doesn''t matter much in the long run. I decided to not go again after that.


    You are now prepared to enter the world of My Hero Academia.


    In


    5


    4


    3


    2


    1


    Where am I? One second The Game is counting down and the next I''m in a bedroom, I guess I got teleported here. My alarm starts to ring after I come to that revelation, I guess either I have a job or need to go to work, I hate that I''m saying this, but I hope its school. "Aka! It''s your first day at the new school!" A voice calls down from somewhere downstairs, my mind provides the information that it is my mother.


    "I know mom! I just woke up!" I yell back, the word mom feels weird on my tongue, if not a bit wrong.


    Ok first things first, where is the school that I''m going to? Aldera Junior High, the words of the school appear in my mind, honestly, it''s a bit weird, I''m guessing that I don''t remember my past life, but the information will be provided to me if I need it. If I remember correctly then I must wear a Gakuran while at school, it really sucks. After putting on the Gakuran I head downstairs, my mother waiting for me. I decide to use the [Observe] skill on her.


    Nise Kuku


    Your Mother


    Level ¨C 5


    Race ¨C Human (Quirk)


    Quirk ¨C Magnetism ¨C The ability to cause any two objects weighing under 10 pounds to stick together.


    STR ¨C 7


    END ¨C 5


    DEX ¨C 8


    INT ¨C 20


    WIS ¨C 16


    CHA ¨C 24


    LCK ¨C 5


    Thoughts about you ¨C Love


    Ok¡­ imma just say it, my mother is a total milf, I would f.u.c.k her, but I doubt that she would reciprocating of that. "Alright mom, I''m ready to go." I say calmly tugging at my collar, "I honestly hate this outfit."


    My mother giggles at that and gives me a hug, "do you want me to drive you there? You can''t use your quirk in public, so I don''t want you to get in trouble."


    Oh yea, I have a quirk, I''ll have to investigate that later. "I''m fine, besides I never get in trouble." How did I know that? Don''t ask because I don''t know.


    My mother nods and shoos me out the door while telling me to have a fun time. Walking to the school my mind is clouded in though, if I had to guess the anime starts towards the beginning of the school year, y''know with the teacher asking the students what they want to be or something like that. I don''t really have a lot of time to work with but if I want to gain OFA, and I do, then I''ll A. Kill Izuku (very morbid) B. Somehow steal the spotlight from Izuku C. Distract Izuku somehow. Two of my option relied on ''somehow'' but the first option wasn''t a somehow, and since this is a game then I''m guessing I have an inventory. As soon as I thought about an inventory a screen popped up in front of my with squares in it, in the first square there was a book. I didn''t put a book in there so might as well check it out.


    Skill Book: ID Create/Escape


    Would you like to learn this skill? Warning: Upon learning this skill the book will be destroyed.


    Sure, why not?


    Skill added


    [ID Create] ¨C LV 1/EX [0%]


    Create dungeons for you to explore and defeat enemies.


    Current IDs:


    Wolves


    Skill Added


    [ID Escape] ¨C LV 1/EX [0%] (Levels with [ID Create])


    Escape current ID


    Well that''s cool, so will time be frozen when I go into the ID?


    Yes.


    Ok, thanks totally awesome game. Now that I know that time will be frozen, I guess I need to grind. Wait, if I want to convince All Might to give me OFA then I need to look weak, Status.


    Aka Kuku


    Level ¨C 1


    Class ¨C Elemental Mage ¨C LVL 1 [0%]


    Race ¨C Human (Quirk)


    Quirk ¨C Umbrakinesis ¨C The ability to manipulate shadows


    Alignment ¨C True Neutral


    HP ¨C 100


    MP ¨C 100


    SP ¨C 100


    STR ¨C 10


    END ¨C 10


    DEX ¨C 10


    INT ¨C 10


    WIS ¨C 10


    CHA ¨C 10


    LCK ¨C 10


    Skill Added


    [Umbrakinesis] ¨C LV 1/50 [0%]


    The control of shadows higher level = easier to control/stronger


    Skill Added


    [Dark Spike]


    Cost ¨C 50 MP


    Damage ¨C 30 HP


    I kinda like the fact that my Quirk is just shadow control, even if its sorta edgy. Anyways, why does Dark Spike do more damage than my Fireball? Now that I think about it, the description for the perk did say it had a chance to inflict burning effect so maybe it balances the damage out. Anyways my Quirk right now is absolute dogshit, I need to level it up, especially if I want to become a villain or a hero.


    -5 HP


    What? Suddenly I''m aware of the fact that I walked into someone and I am now atop of them. Getting up I look at who I walked into, seeing green hair I immediately knew who it was, Izuku Midoriya.


    Izuku Midoriya


    Deku


    Level ¨C 3


    Race ¨C Human (Quirkless)


    STR ¨C 3


    END ¨C 5


    DEX ¨C 6


    INT ¨C 27


    WIS ¨C 18


    CHA ¨C 7


    LCK ¨C 16


    Thoughts about you ¨C He doesn''t know you


    "You ok? Sorry I wasn''t really paying attention." Honestly after seeing two people''s stats I know that I have a pretty good start with 10s in every stat. I offer my hand to Izuku.


    Grabbing onto my hand Izuku pulls himself up, "ah i-it''s fine."


    I nod, "I''m Aka by the way."


    He nods meekly, "I''m Izuku, you''re the new exchange student, right? You speak really good Japanese for an American."


    Now it is my turn to nod, it seems I am learning more about myself without even trying to. "Yea, my dad''s Japanese so I primarily spoke Japenese with him." It seems that my mom met my dad in America, they got married blah blah blah then they moved here and my dad''s on a work trip.


    Izuku nods, "I see, so do you know the way to the school?"


    I shake my head, "nope, I was just walking hoping that I''d eventually find myself at the entrance."


    "I can lead you to the school if you want," Izuku offers.


    "Sure, it would help me out a lot." I respond, Izuku nods and starts walking ahead of me and towards the direction of what I''m assuming is the school.


    Eventually both Izuku and I arrive at the school, the school is smaller than I expected, but that doesn''t really matter. "Thanks for leading me to the school Izuku, you''re in my grade, right?"


    Izuku nods, "mhm, and with how this school works we are in the same class, and I happen to know where that class is, want me to show you?"


    I nod and don''t give any vocal response. Following after Izuku, we''re suddenly interrupted by someone grabbing onto Izuku. "Yo Deku!" the kid who was holding onto him yelled out, he had ash blond hair, and I recognized it.


    Katsuki Bakugo


    Kaachan


    Level ¨C 18


    Race ¨C Human (Quirk)


    Quirk ¨C Explosion ¨C Gives the user the ability to excrete sweat like nitroglycerin from their palms and ignite it at will to create explosions.


    STR ¨C 28


    END ¨C 43


    DEX ¨C 26


    INT ¨C 23


    WIS ¨C 12


    CHA ¨C 14


    LCK ¨C 9


    Thoughts about you ¨C You''re the new kid


    Well shit, guess I really only compare to people who either don''t have a quirk or their quirk is useless, or people who just don''t train. Let''s do quick math, if my HP is END X 10 then Katsuki''s HP would be 430, but I doubt that would be the case, his quirk causes explosions and as far as I know he isn''t immune to the recoil from them, so why is his health at that?


    Note: Certain Quirks give the user certain boost to certain stats, HP, MP, SP, or skills. You now have this boost as well.


    Due to [Quirk: Umbrakinesis] you now hav level in [Sneak] skill and Mana gained via intelligence is doubled


    Skill Added


    [Sneak] ¨C LV 1/100 [0%] (Due to quirk LV X 2 = 1)


    1% chance of not getting caught more or less depending on environment and/or person


    So basically, everyone with a quirk has a little cheat, well I can''t say that I''m complaining even if [Sneak] is useless to me right now. "H-hi Kaachan, you ready for the school year?" I am interrupted from my musings by Izuku who responds to Katsuki.


    "Of course, next year I''ll get into UA, just stay out of my way Deku." Katsuki of course ignores me and starts to walk ahead after that brief message.


    Izuku blushes red in embarrassment, "that was Katsuki Bakugo, we''ve known each other since we were kids but after he got his quirk he changed, and well I didn''t get mine."


    "Wait you don''t have a quirk?" I try to play it off as if I didn''t already know that he didn''t have a quirk.


    "Yea, I just never manifested one, sorry if it makes you think any differently of me." Izuku looks away from as if expecting me to suddenly start hating him because of his Quirkless status.


    "Nah, I understand that there''s not a 100% chance of manifesting a quirk so there''s no harm in you being Quirkless." I say quickly.


    Izuku nods, "thanks for understanding."


    "Of course, I''d understand, besides my own quirk would typically be seen as something a villain would have or as something that''s dark." I silently snicker to myself at the little pun at the end, even if Izuku doesn''t understand the pun.


    "Oh, whats your quirk then?" A light sparks in Izuku''s eyes, the enthusiasm in his voice reminds me of the fact that he likes to take notes on people''s quirks.


    "It''s Umbrakinesis, allows me to control shadows and what not." To demonstrate my ability, I try to summon a bit of shadow, but a ping sounds and reading it reveals that I don''t have enough levels in the skill to manifest shadows.


    "Oh. OH! Haha, that was a really bad joke you made back then, with it being dark and all, you weren''t lying though about it being something a villain would have." Izuku says after laughing a bit from realizing the joke I made.


    "Anyways I think this is our class." I say pointing at the classroom.


    Izuku nods in confirmation, "yea it is, so let''s go in."


    As we enter the classroom the sound of people talking immediately stops, and everyone moves their heads to look at Izuku and I. I guess that being a new kid in a school where most of the people now each other is strange. The teacher was the first to recover and waved me over to him, "why don''t you introduce yourself to the class."


    I look at the class recognizing only two people, Izuku and Katsuki. I don''t care about the fodder characters, so I don''t bother using observe on them. "Yo, I''m Aka Kuku and I''m the exchange student from America."


    The teacher nods along, "good good, I''m sure you can guess where your desk is, or do you need help?"


    I glare lightly at him, of course its obvious theres only one empty desk, f.u.c.k.i.n.g asshole. Thankfully the desk I''ll be sitting at is right next to Izuku''s. Once I sat down the teacher grabbed a stack of papers and started to hand them out. It was asking about my desired life-course. "Now class I understand that all of you want to be heroes," the class starts to yell out displaying their quirks, "now class you have to remember that using your quirks in school is against the rules." The teacher looked like he was going to continue his little speech but was interrupted by Katsuki.


    "Don''t group my up with all of these fodder characters teach." Katsuki snarls while saying it, and snarls even more when the class starts to yell at him. "Shut up!" Katsuki claps his hands together forming an explosion causing the class to quiet down.


    "I''ve already aced the mock test at UA, I''m not aiming for useless office jobs like the rest of you fodder, I''m aiming for a spot even higher than All Might." The class nods along, not wanting to make Katsuki mad.


    "Ah yes if I remember correctly Izuku and Aka both want to go to UA." The teacher says offhandedly causing the class to start laughing at Izuku and I.


    Multiple people in the class told Izuku that he couldn''t get into UA with just studying, most of them don''t even make it fully through the sentence without breaking into a fit of laughter. Katsuki finally deciding to show himself fired off an explosion in the direction of Izuku and I. "You think that you, a Quirkless idiot can get into UA? Don''t put yourself on my level Izuku." Izuku shrinks into his chair after Katsuki tells him that, "and you, a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Yankee thinking they can enter into UA, the best hero school in the country? Don''t make me laugh." Damn, that was something, I''m not a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Yankee though.


    "I''m not a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Yankee, best remember that." I get up from my desk and walk over to Katsuki, honestly, he f.u.c.k.i.n.g annoys me, "and I will beat your ass in the UA exams."


    Katsuki''s snarl grows, "meet me tomorrow at Dagobah beach and we will settle who''s better there."


    Quest Added


    Objective: Meet Katsuki at Dagobah beach then kill him


    Reward(s): Explosion Quirk and Villain Questline added


    Penalties: OFA Questline locked and Hero questline locked


    Accept: Y/N?


    Why do I have to kill him? Oh hell, what am I saying? Of course, I''d kill him if I actually met him at Dagobah. The questions is if I want to actually do this, if I become a villain I could get close to All For One and get some more quirks but I could do the same if I was a Hero, but by close I mean I would kill him if I was a hero then hopefully gain All For One. The cons outweigh the benefits, so I guess I''ll have to deny this quest. "No, we can prove who''s better at the UA exams." Damn, guess my dreams of being a kickass villain were gone.


    Katsuki snarled and sat back down, I sat back down as well, staring ahead waiting for class to just end. Throughout class Izuku kept on glancing at me as if wanting to say something but when I''d look at him, he would turn red and quickly look away. Eventually we have a break and I decide to ask him why he keeps looking at me. "It''s because Katsuki isn''t used to being said no to so you kinda knocked him down a peg, if only a little bit." Izuku says, I nod at it but don''t actually say anything in response.


    Finally, after what seemed forever the final bell rang, and everyone started to leave the class. I stay behind with Izuku because I know that Izuku would look at his phone and see the news about the sludge villain attack and try to write about it in his notebook. As if on cue Izuku looks at his phone, sees the news report, and pulls out his notebook. "Yo Izuku whats that?" I ask pointing at the notebook.


    "Oh, it''s a notebook that I write in when I see or read about someone''s quirk, I basically just write about potential abilities and already known abilities." Izuku responds.


    I nod, "sounds interesting Izuku." I look up seeing Katsuki walking over to us, I stare at him for a second before he starts walking into a different direction, I guess me saying no to him really had an effect on him.


    "Anyways, you can go on ahead if you want, I think I''ll stay here for a bit and write about the recent villain attack." Izuku tells me, I nod and walk out of the classroom.


    That was different from canon, in canon he goes home and while walking he gets attacked, guess someone is pulling the strings to allow me to get attacked and gain One for All. Well, it isn''t important guess I should start walking. I already know whats going to happen to me if I use the same route that Izuku did to get to the school so there''s no worries there. Now I just have to play the waiting game so see when the sludge villain would attack me.


    A few seconds later I find myself regretting the fact that I wanted the sludge villain to attack me. Basically, the sludge villain was now suffocating me and being how weak I am, I couldn''t do anything about it.


    [Suffocating] Effect added


    -2 HP every second


    It honestly sucks, and even though I know that I''m going to be saved it doesn''t change how scared I am. I''m desperately pulling at the sludge villain''s body, at least I think it''s his body. Thankfully [Gamer''s Mind] prevents me from freaking out but it doesn''t stop me from desperately trying to survive. I think the sludge thing said something, but I don''t hear it and the next second a strong wind pushes into me separating me from the sludge villain and destroying the sludge villain. I hate to say it, but I pass out after that, but I know it was All Might that saved me.


    I wake up a bit later to find All Might looking at me, big shocker. "Are you alright young man?" He asks, I nod in response, "I think I''m fine."


    All Might nods, "alright then, my job is now done."


    All Might gets ready to jump but I know that if I want One for All then I need to grab onto him. "Wait!" I yell out, of course All Might doesn''t hear me and then he starts to jump.


    I grab onto him and in the process accidentally knock the bottle of sludge from his pants. "Let go kid!" All Might yells at me, "I can''t! If I do, I''ll die!" I yell back. All Might grits his teeth and coughs, a bit of blood coming out of his mouth.


    All Might lands at the next building we pass over, I let go of him dazed from the short flight, "so kid what was so important that you had to grab onto me?" All Might asks.


    "Well, I wanted to ask you if it''s possible for me to become a hero even if my quirk is something that people would assume a villain would have." I really have to try to act like I''m distraught so that All Might believes me, and I think it''s working.


    "Look kid, if you truly want to be a hero then you shouldn''t care about how others will view it, anyways I need to give the sludge to the police stat-" All Might abruptly stops and erupts into a coughing fit and smoke starts to cover him, and once the smoke cleared it revealed a lanky man in the place of the muscular man.


    "What the f.u.c.k?" I already knew this was his true form, but I still had to play the part of a clueless teen talking to his idol.


    "Shit. I guess I can''t make an excuse for this, can I? You see my quirk just allows me to transform into the muscular body that everyone knows me by. I used to be able to use my quirk 24/7 but after a wound I got five years back I haven''t been able to use it constantly." He lifts up his shirt to show the wound, in person it looks much worse compared to the anime.


    "Why don''t you show the public?" I ask curiously, I was actually pretty curious as to why he didn''t show the public his true form.


    "It''s because I need to keep up the persona of the Symbol of Peace and not let anyone know how weak I am without my quirk. Anyways kid I have to return this sludg¡­ where did it go? It must''ve slipped out when you grabbed onto me, well I can''t do anything about it now." All Might sighs and starts to walk towards the stairs.


    "Wait, it was my fault the villain got out! I''ve got to go help!" I run ahead of All Might and ignore his protests at my idea. Running down the stairs I mentally sigh, it seems that I''ll need to save Katsuki now.


    Author''s Note: Honestly, I''ve been planning on writing this for the longest time, but only recently did I decide to stop being a coward and write it. Also, I''m using most of ''The Game'' mechanics from the author ''The Dark Wolf Shiro'' his/her fanfictions are what made me want to write this. I will admit though that this was originally just a random idea that I developed upon in algebra, no wonder my grade is so low. If you can, please leave a review, that is what shows me that you readers are enjoying what I am writing.

 Chapter 153 - My SI Stash #53 - A King Needs Waifus by StreaminggViking (DCXMarvel)

    -Here''s a DC/Marvel SI NSFW fic for Ura~ Recently published so not a lot of chapters but it''s started off pretty well!


    *SI as Kid Gilgamesh in DC/Marvel, with Rule34 Economy CYOA elements.


    ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 9.1K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/a-king-needs-waifus-dc-marvel-r34-economy-cyoa.11315/ (StreamingViking)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    A/N: I have a problem, but this is my better version of the snippets I had written in my snippet thread and almost just as long as the three chapters.


    xxx


    "Argh f.u.c.k what happened?" I groaned as I raised myself from my laying position, my head was pounding, but it didn''t feel like a typical headache more like the headache you got after having been punched in the face.


    And I knew what that felt like. Thanks, school bullies.


    My eyes blinked open and¡­ This isn''t my room, and this isn''t my bed. I thought as I looked around my surroundings and saw that this was very much not my one-room with a sizeable closed balcony.


    This was not that, this looked like one of those bedchambers made for Royalty and that I was most certainly not.


    What the f.u.c.k happened? I thought to myself this time instead of speaking out loud as my voice hadn''t sounded quite right. My head went up to my hair, and I began to pull on my hair like I usually did, then I was frustrated. Pulling it down over my eyes.


    And I saw my golden hair.


    And there was a problem with that.


    I didn''t have golden hair, mine was brown bordering on black.


    Something was definitely wrong here.


    I exited the bed, and I quickly discovered two more things that were very wrong with me.


    The first thing was that I was a lot smaller now like I was a standard rulers length away from having lost fifty centimeters of height.


    The second was my d.i.c.k, it was now seemingly massively oversized as it hung half-erect from my crotch. The best way to describe it was that it looked like d.i.c.k drawn Eigaka or Metal Owl, or maybe what Miss Club President had. That with it being so thick, veiny, and having pre-c.u.m leak from the tip in a consistency that rivaled an ordinary human''s ejaculation.


    And beneath it hung a pair of balls that swollen with a tremendous amount of c.u.m ready to be unleashed to the point that my hands couldn''t cup one. And I knew that as my left hand was fondling my sack while my right was now stroking my brand new d.i.c.k, pre-c.u.m flowing from the top and down my length coating it and making it easier to stroke.


    L.u.s.t filled my changed my body the moment I had taken notice of it, as if the acknowledgment of my massively enhanced member opened the hormonal floodgates, as I felt my body burn from the pleasure my sensitive d.i.c.k.


    Despite its new size, sensitivity had scaled up to match, and so I lasted as long as I usually did, then I masturbated after jerking my foreskin around my rather sensitive c.o.c.khead.


    Though this time instead of a slight spurt. I released liters of sludge onto the wall and floor near the bed where I had awoken.


    It was indeed an Eigaka style c.o.c.k that could turn a woman into an exercise ball in a few short seconds.


    Unfortunately, however, or fortunately, depending on how you looked it. The pleasure of the massive amount of c.u.m, forcing its way through my fat meat tube and out of the slit at the end. Caused my neurons to be fired all at once.


    Which caused me to remember how this had come about, which immediately killed my boner, leaving it to drip c.u.m as it and my now thankfully empty balls shrunk to a much more appropriate size that could be tucked away in a pair of boxers.


    Now, as for how this happened? It had all started with Truck-kun coming out of nowhere, and slamming into me, which had resulted in my death. Then I woke up in front of a ROB that had chosen to take on the pleasant form of Grail-kun.


    Though I was not very upset by that as I probably should be, which just point to Grail-kun f.u.c.k.i.n.g with my mind to accept my new situation. As to not cause unnecessary complications in whatever entertainment he would derive from me.


    He then had me gave two CYOA''s one of which was the R34 Economy one, and the other was Essene, which I could choose four options from. I went with the obvious combo of Binder and Breeder for s.e.xy stuff as demonstrated b my Eigaka style d.i.c.k. The other two were Heroic Spirit Essence, though heavily nerfed as I could only get one Heroic Spirit''s power; I had chosen Gilgamesh for obvious reasons. Though going by my body, I had been demoted to Kid Gil. The last had been summoner to compliment the Gate of Babylon. As well as getting access to summons FF and SMT style along with more.


    "And I guess this is the Home I got with Economy?" I said to myself as I licked off the c.u.m that stuck to my hands, it had a sweet and salty taste to it.


    Honestly, this had been one of my desired s.e.x.u.a.l fantasies, to just guzzle up a tremendous amount of my own c.u.m. I could probably give myself auto-felatio if I so wanted.


    But that was going to have to wait for later.


    "But if I have the home, shouldn''t the body perk?" I asked myself as I had taken the body perk, which should have forced me into a 190cm tall body. But at that, a mental switch became visible in my mind, and I could see that modified a.d.u.l.t Gilgamesh body. I could turn into that, but it was more of a time-limited combat for fighting in close combat instead of being stuck as a shota.


    But I was going to be spending pretty much all of my time as a pure shota, but still, it was something nice to have for then a fight happened.


    "I should probably find a bathroom or something to clean myself up," I muttered as I was still covered in c.u.m, and thankfully now that my memories had returned, I could control my erection now thanks to Breeder, I would only go fully erect if I let it. But I would still feel blood trying to make it erect, and that was beating against my control of it and to just let it go. Though those thoughts quickly faded after.


    Xxx


    "The mansion is somewhat sentient and can adapt to one''s need and take one whatever room they want by going through any door if one so chooses. The pocket dimension has a volume of 3000km, the area itself is 2000 square km with the mansion being 1000m and several stories tall alongside a few bas.e.m.e.nt levels," I muttered to myself as I sat now clothed outside on the veranda which lead out to the mansion''s massive garden. One of the many Bios that the pocket dimension possesses, there were forests, mountains, lakes, a dessert, and even an ocean with a beach. All of it maintained magics that my newly gained clairvoyance couldn''t decipher. "There is also a fake ''sun'' and ''moon.'' It is something close to the artificial sky that Hueco Mundo possesses. It is also capable of generating a stable food supply, but I can''t access any of it or use the portal chamber." Which contained a numerous amount of doors which probably lead to different worlds.


    "I probably have to summon one person, but how do I go about that? My Essence of Summon didn''t come with the waifu catalog," I stated as I tried to come up with a plan before I starved to death, for the Gate didn''t have a lot of real food options, wines, and candies yes. But now, actual food. Summon couldn''t manifest food. Maybe I had a Noble Phantasm that could? Yeah, there was that carpet wasn''t there?


    "Oh, you''re hopeless, aren''t you Anders-kun," Came the voice of the f.u.c.ker who had engined this situation, and I turned my head to see the very disturbing image of Grail-kun standing to the left side of the table I was sitting at. "To leave you indeed have to summon your lovely waifus, and to do that, I bring you this." He leaned over the table, and out of his mouth, landed a phone.


    My phone, the phone I had in my¡­ previous life yeah, I go with that. "And it now has unlimited batteries and now has the friend summoning app, now you can summon lots of girls to be with Anders-kun."


    "And what if I don''t go along with this?" I asked. "Hypothetically, of course."


    "Oh, silly, hopeless Anders-kun," Grail-kun''s voice went from childishly annoying to demonly distorted in the span of a single breath. "IF YOU DON''T, I WILL TURN YOU INTO A GIRL AND THROW YOU INTO MARETH WHERE YOU WILL BE TURNED IN TO A DEMON''S BREEDING BITCH FOR IMPS. IS THAT UNDERSTANDABLE?"


    "I hear you loud and clear," I said as I took my phone and opened it though none of my games were on it, so no FGO for me sadly. But I could clearly see a larger than usual app labeled Waifu Catalog portrayed by the letters WC as image.


    I opened it and saw that it was divided into various categories based on franchises, alongside a separate R63 option. I scrolled through a list, and saw a lewd picture of each girl, alongside their name and cost.


    But I couldn''t select any of them as they were grey out.


    "Go to Summon, Anders-kun," Grail-kun said as I eyed him. His voice back to its goofy self. I tapped and saw nine girls on the list and how much ''money'' I had.


    150.


    "You have to summon those nine first before you can buy more Anders-kun, you can summon them all at the same time or one at the time. But if you don''t call up or capture a new girl at least every two weeks, or else you know what will happen, Anders-kun," Grail-kun threatened me, and I just narrowed my eyes.


    "Do you just plan to drown me in girls?" My voice was filled with annoyance


    "Of course, how do you think I will get my jollies of silly Anders-kun."


    "Aren''t you like Omnipotent, why would you-." I tried to speak, but I was cut off by the sadistic ROB.


    "You really are hopeless, aren''t you Anders, true omnipotence doesn''t exist, it is a paradox, I am just powerful enough to do this and get away with, and don''t think you''re the only one I did this to Ander-kun, I like to channel surf. Now summon and leave. And then you do food, and that stuff will be available here." He tipped his head to the side. "Almost forgot this, here is your Friend Maker." A tentacle shut out from his body and hit my hand, and dark tattoos grew from the spot and up my arm.


    And he had just activated the Binder Essence.


    And at that, Grail-kun disappeared from my side and took his creepy ass smile with him.


    "Better get to it then," I muttered as I decided on who to summon first. All of them, except for one, wouldn''t immediately try to kill me if they were summoned while conscious. I could easily deal, but I just didn''t want to bother with that. Honestly, I had no idea why I had chosen Es''freaking''death of all people. The girl was a psychopathic Yandere, though, with Binder, that would probably convert into a fanatical loyalty and would do anything to please me.


    Yeah, I understood now why I might have picked her.


    But I was still struck by indecision I didn''t want to summon all of them at once that would just end in disaster.


    "Argh f.u.c.k it V it is," I said as I pressed the button to call upon the genderbend human half of Vergil.


    She disappeared from the screen, and then in a flash of light, she appeared on the grass, and her body looked like it was going to fall apart any second now. She looked like what male V had then they gone after Urizen.


    It was starting to crumpling further.


    "Oh shit, oh shit," I muttered as I quickly made my way over to her and placed my hand down on her stomach and activated Binder, the tattoos flowed onto her body flowing in between the ones created by her familiars then they weren''t in use.


    And within seconds, the perks I had bought and Breeder did their magic as they fixed V''s body up to the best it could be. It fixed her existence, and now she was genuinely independent from Vergil.


    And of course, her figure was enhanced a little bit but not by much just tightening it up and expanding somethings. Though her n.i.p.p.l.es and cameltoe were now much more highlighted for one to see.


    I picked V up, and thanks to my new Reverse Demi-Servant body, it was not straining on my part. I sat her down in one of the chairs by the outdoor table, and sat down in my chair once again.


    Now I just had to wait for Mr¡­ No Miss Poetry to wake up.


    Hopefully, that was soon as I could feel my stomach growling.


    Thankfully I saw her eyes flicker open a minute later.


    Xxx


    "Argh," A groan left her throat, and V felt her eyes flutter open.


    Which shouldn''t have been possible? She should be very much dead currently. She had fused with her other half, she knew that. V knew that she had merged with Urizen and become Vergil once more.


    The second Son of Sparda.


    Yet she was here in this place.


    And V knew that she was alive she could very much feel that was the case, and that this was not some sort of afterlife. But strangely enough, she felt better than ever enough, V no longer felt like she was turning into a pile of dust by the second.


    It was like she was a complete person and no longer the parts that her previous self had discarded and thrown away. Humanity, emotions, compassion, and any form of weakness, including any feminine aspect of his being. Which was why she was a woman and not a man.


    "But how am I alive now?" She asked as she almost entirely returned to a state of consciousness.


    "You have me to thank for that," A young voice spoke, and at that V became fully awake, her eyes open and looking straight at a young boy around the age of twelve? She would say. Who was looking straight at her with a smile on his face? Slit crimson eyes seemingly looking through her?


    But despite his looks, V had to question the fact that he was a child, for she could feel his power, and his eyes looked like they had experienced a decade extra of life at most.


    "That is because I have, I''m twenty-two just so you know," He spoke, and V''s eyes became wider.


    "Did, you?" She asked.


    "No, I didn''t read your thoughts; I just well it''s more like piercing someone''s internal narration," He answered, but V did not quite believe him.


    "So, who are you, and how did I get here?" She asked. She wanted answers first and foremost before she did anything drastic. And thankfully, she could still feel Shadow''s, Griffon''s, and Nightmare''s presence they were just asleep at the moment. But they would wake the moment she called on them. What she would do depended on this ''child'' before her.


    "Well, that V is a concise and complicated story," He spoke her name, but she knew she had not mentioned it unless he had read from her mind. "But first off, my name is Anders, Anders Anderson."


    Xxx


    "And then we arrive here, you sitting in front of me," I finished my explanation of events that lead to our current situation. Starting with me having introduced myself as Anders, as that was my name. For even if I looked and sounded like Gilgamesh and even gotten a few of his personality traits, going by me doing the piercing of internal dialogue without meaning to do so, it had just come naturally to do so and freak V out a bit.


    I was not Gilgamesh.


    I was Anders. I could save calling myself Gil for a superhero world use it as my code name. And also doing so was Chuuni as all f.u.c.k.


    I turned my attention back to V and saw that she was mulling over the information I had given her. And speaking of her, she had not once asked why she was a girl. So it was safe to assume that this V had emerged from Vergil as a girl. Which made sense, kinda. As one of the original concepts for DMC, V had V as a girl. Probably a lot more literal splitting of everything Vergil hated about himself had happened in that timeline.


    More than it already was.


    "So you''ve become the players of demented god''s show? I sympathize with your plight," She said, and I nodded yeah V would know as she was once Vergil, and the part that carried the memories of his time as Nelo Angelo. As Mundus''d little puppet.


    "Well, I appreciate the concern, V," I said in response to her sympathies.


    "And if you don''t keep summoning more women like you did me, you will."


    "End up in a world of **** as a girl, probably without any of my newfound abilities," I finished. "But that just seems to concern me, you can do whatever you want from here on out. The portal room is inside the mansion, and you can just leave for the connected world. I am not forcing you to stay," I said going against my own feelings on the matter, for I wanted her to stay I didn''t want to be alone here. But now I was actually here; the whole branding thing was actually squicking me out a little bit. But I was sure that was just a temporary feeling, and soon enough, I wouldn''t care that the girls I summoned would be made to love me. And I had only really branded V as at the moment that was the only thing I could think of that could save her crumpling body.


    Silenced rained for what felt like an eternity to my senses before V responded.


    "No, I think I will stay with you for a while, as you were the one who saved my existence. While I knew I would have to return and fuze with Urizen, a part of me. A piece that had come to identify itself as V, wanted to live on. And you Anders you granted that wish. So, I should pay you back for that. So I will be sticking with you for a while at least until I know more."


    "Ah, thank you, V. I''m glad to hear that," I responded.


    "Though before we go anywhere, I have to ask how is it you know who I am? For I have not mentioned my name at any point during our little talk." Ah, I knew that this would be brought up, but thankfully, I had a good excuse as I now had the powers of the King of Heroes.


    "I got a bit of clairvoyance when I got this body, and I took a look at your Universe while you were out. And your name was next to your picture on the summoning app," I said with a slight grin.


    And she is adorable when embarrassed. I thought as I looked at her reddening face. "Right, of course, it would be. I apologize I am still a little frazzled," V apologized as she tried to kill the blush on her face.


    "It is fine¡­ So are you hungry cause I am?" I asked.


    "Paradise lost for just a taste of being on top. Yes, I am rather famished," V answered with a smile as she stood up, but quickly stumed a bit as she tried to lean on a cane that wasn''t there. "It seems that my weapon wasn''t brought along," She said in a somewhat disappointed tone as she looked at her empty hand.


    "Give me a second," I said as I held out my hand a golden manifesting out of it, and a second later, a cane landed in it.


    And I quickly thew it over to V. "Got a hidden blade inside for cutting, the sheath is for blunt damage. Hard to break and basically indestructible, then demonic energy is channeled through it and can fire in beams. Basically, your old one but even better," I explained.


    "Thank you, Anders," She responded with a smile as she leaned on her cane. While her body was healthy now and she didn''t need to use it for support anymore, it had been a habit ingrained into her over the few months she had used it.


    "Now, let''s see if the portal room is usable like Grail-kun promised," I said, but before we removed ourselves from the veranda.


    A new voice spoke up. "Yo, V what is happening how are we still alive? And who is the pipsqueak?" Griffon asked as he popped out of her shoulder.


    "Just view my memories of the last few minutes," She told the familiar, and the nightmare quickly gained a look of understanding. "Well, thanks, kid, for that, it sucks to be you, but better than being dead because dying is whack yo," He said as he became one of V''s tattoos.


    "Sorry about that; he has a habit of popping up at the most inopportune times."


    "It''s fine. Let us just see if we can leave if not, well we might be a bit screwed," I said as we made our way to the portal room/area, and honestly, it reminded me of the portal device from Treasure Planet in terms of design.


    "Let''s see here access panel, possible worlds just one so far, probably have to summon a few more or accomplish a few goals. Connected to it, meaning that time is synced up, so if we sync up with another one, then we reconnect no time will have passed. Rather useful if I must say so," I muttered as I utilized my clairvoyance and perks to understand the mechanics behind the device. Though most of it had been blacklisted by Grail-kun.


    "How do we use it?" V asked as from her position, observing what I was doing with the device.


    "The screen here allows us to operate it from here, and to return here, we just¡­ ah, there it is," I said as, from the control panel, I pulled out something that looked like a wireless garage key. Which seemed appropriate.


    "Those who desire but do not act breeds pestilence, shall we leave?" She asked, and V was as, melodramatic as ever.


    "Well, ladies first," I said as I did a small bow.


    "Well, at least you''re a gentleman Anders," She shot back as she went through the portal I had opened, and I quickly followed her.


    Where we ended up looked like ever single back alley seen in every single movie that featured such a back alley.


    At least we didn''t pop out in the middle of the.


    "Perhaps we should have looked before exiting, yes?" V asked as she pinched her nose as the smell of garbage was somewhat extreme.


    "Yeah, let''s get out before the stink clings to our clothes," I responded, and we entered exited out to a proper street.


    The place definitely looked like New York, but the building right at the end of the street confirmed otherwise.


    The Daily Planet.


    A small smile actually appeared on my lips at that.


    At least it wasn''t Worm, for now, I remembered that this one of the three options that I had chosen.


    "Anders?" V asked, bringing my attention to her as she adjusted her corset, which brought a few stares, but people mostly ignored her. Probably used to people dressing weirdly


    "What is it?"


    "I just realized that we lack funds to go eat, do we not?"


    ¡­oh yeah, I completely forgot about that. "Let''s go an find a pawn shop or," We could figure out how, bullshit Gilgamesh''s or rather my luck was now. "No, we won''t need it. I think we be fine." I said with a smile as I began walking.


    V following asking what I meant by that.


    But our walk was quickly interrupted by us passing an electronics-shop which had subtitled news featured on the screen.


    Which featured one Tony Stark and his latest escapade as Iron Man.


    F.u.c.k you, Grail-kun. I cursed as I knew the thing would f.u.c.k with me somehow. Food first, thinking about all the bullshit later.


    Xxx


    A/N:


    Cyoa''s Economy and Essence


    Essences: Heroic Spirit(Gilgamesh), Bredder, Binding, Summoner.


    Economy: Starting world DC gives 1200


    Home -50


    Body, Soul, and Mind -60


    9 Pre-selected girls ¨C 2B(-20), V(-100), Zero Two(-100), Maka Albarn(-50), Kushina Uzumaki(-20), Aqua(-500), Korra(-50), Esdeath(-100.), Joker/Akira/Ren(-50)


    Points remaining: 150


    If you like this or any other of my stories, you can donate to my P A Treon. com (slash) StreamingViking and read commissioned stories

 Chapter 154 - My SI Stash #54 - We need more paper! by SocialistBukharin (Re:Zero)

    -Here''s a SI Re:Zero fic, as the Season 2 of Re:Zero is approaching~ (airs on April 2020)


    *SI as the Mayor of Erindor~ Check it out!


    Sypnosis: Summoned in Lugnica? Check. No RtD and Witch trying to kill me? Check. Being ushered to become an entire city''s mayor? Che- Wait, what? Indeed, it would seem that this esteemed member of society had been yanked into a glorified desk job. It is expected to keep a low profile but... we are in another world where peace is a short abstraction and shenanigans ensue pretty quickly.


    Rated: T


    Words: 46K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13329963/1/ (SocialistBukharin)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    Erindor, Lugnica, 422 APF (After Flugel''s Passing)


    I should seriously stop listening people and their life advices.


    Twenty minutes of whining from my sister, as she went on some verbal crusade to glorify the need to have some trip to the countryside once in a while to get some fresh air compared to the polluted one of the city, wouldn''t have been enough to force me out from my pleasantly comfy chair and away from the computer in a normal situation.


    But I had been quite happy for job-related reasons and I was less prone to reject the very dislikeable idea as I had just started my summer holidays.


    Plus by doing a trip this early on the period of three months I was going to enjoy away from work, I would have a good excuse to skip any other silly proposal from my foolishly extrovert sibling.


    Preparing my stuff for the short trip was a simple thing, having always kept some old schoolbags around that I would generally use as a backpack for ''natural trips'' and having already gone camping once in the recent past: A pair of toothbrushes, several tubes of toothpaste, an indefinite number of snacks for quick meals, two pairs of clothes and a First Aid Kit.


    ...Okay maybe I should have packed a lot more, but I was kind of expecting this all to last about one or two days, just enough for my sister to accept the fact I was doing all of this ''against my will''.


    My plans were foolproof against conventional issues... but were quite inefficient to deal supernatural threats.


    An hour or so after delving deeper in the small forest few kilometers away from my hometown, I was ready to set up my newly-bought tent in the nice spot I had found. The ground was flat and the trees weren''t as dense as the other areas I had explored until now, thus I decided to pick this section of the forest.


    And now I have to bring everything to a halt as I think the following part of this ridiculous tale is surely going to make some head twirls at the insanity that is there to unravel before my eyes.


    I am a very scrawny dude, doing some physical exercises once in a while and eating moderately for the sake of keeping up with my lacking training regime. I was also average height-wise, 5''8 being the prime result of years of... lazying around.


    I have also never experienced much violence, maybe getting bullied once or twice by the stereotypical kid bully that is always there in elementary schools, so I was pretty much useless in fighting.


    Now imagine my reaction, a simple young man trying to set up a camp, blinking away from the natural reality that was the forest and finding myself in the craziest pickle ever.


    I blinked again, this time my eyes moving to look around the enclosed space I was now in. The first thing that jumped to my attention was the material used to make the room, if not the entire building.


    It was stone, no visible cement between the pieces of rock. Actually those looked ot have been worked to fit best in the carefully-studied pattern to keep it all up and not crumbling on everyone''s head.


    There was a large tapestry hanging from one of the walls, showing several human-like individuals and... a dragon(?) facing off something darkened in the cloth.


    The furnitures were of simple wood, but having seen too much IKEA in my life, I knew that those were all made by craftsmen and not by mass-producing machines in some factory in China.


    Finally I glanced at the... people gawking in my general direction as they continued to stare at me with shock and awe.


    Obviously I was kind of intimidated by this sudden... development and- OH MY GOD, WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE?!


    One moment I was enjoying the simplicity of nature and now POOF I was somewhere else with unknown people and-


    "IT WORKED!" I jumped as I was startled by the overly-joyful reaction coming from a¡­ Gandalf?


    I mean, he was shorter and kind of a beggar ripoff version of the grand wizard from Lord of the Rings¡­ but he had a glowing staff!


    Speaking of magical compensating sticks, I was kind of confused about why people would go this far to pull a prank on me.


    I mean, sure I was kind of touched by the fact someone this old would learn how to speak few words of English with this fluent tone, but I couldn''t see why a bunch of unknowns would go this ''far'' from tricking me.


    There was no way in Goddang hell that this WASN''T a prank.


    I was about to call out this stupid joke off when I saw something¡­ strange. Scratch that, what I saw was utterly impossible!


    One of the better-dressed individuals in the room finally snorted at the celebrating old man and his loud exclamation, picking out a wand(?) out of his inner pockets and pointing it at him.


    A quick, unreachable whisper but the effect was the clearest possible.


    The cheerful elder was immediately turned into a living popsicle, ice completely freezing him on the spot.


    My eyes widened. This wasn''t a prank.


    I blinked. This wasn''t a prank! OH MY GOD THIS WASN''T A-


    "I wish to apologize for the ill-mannered fool." The man responsible for the magical act started, his stare lowered as he bowed slightly in my direction. "He has always been this¡­ quirky with his lucky moment of magic."


    I was speechless as my mind was slowly building up what was going to happen next.


    If this was the classic Isekai scenario, I was going to become a hero! One of those badasses that flaunted cool swords and ended up becoming the greatest in the world!-


    "Now I assume you would want to know the reason behind your summoning, Young Sir." I nodded at his implicit question and the man continued. "This village has been afflicted by a terrible evil and¡­ we need your help, Young Sir."


    My smiled widened, I could already taste the glory and¡­ it tasted just like the delicious breakfast I had consumed two hours ago!


    "We need you..."


    As the greatest hero of this land!-


    "As our new mayor."


    ¡­


    Thud


    Chapter 1


    Erindor, Lugnica, 422 APF


    This was bad. This was soooooooooooo bad.


    I know I shouldn''t be whining about having been summoned to fill up a well-paid desk job but¡­ I was and I was doing it so shamelessly.


    Of the many opportunities, of the many jobs I could have been ''forced into'' that could by any case be connected to heroism and badassery, I was ''lucky'' enough to get coerced into something as dull as ruling a single town.


    Maybe I was exaggerating a little in my crankiness, but I was incredibly bummed at the prospect of being stuck in a new, magical world and the only thing I could do is doing paperwork and administering this city, Erindor.


    Speaking of the city and the Kingdom it was part of, I admit I was quite elated at the prospect of being in the Re:Zero universe, as I knew most of the known lore about it.


    The enthusiasm vanished at the mere possibility that I was merely replacing Subaru in the canon, thought soon banished by the means of summoning that brought me here.


    The beggar wizard, Egubert, was the prime responsible of my current predicament as he had more than once bragged about his most successful spell capable of bringing out the best candidates to mayor of the city.


    Part of me wondered why this kind of spell had not been used to help out for the Royal Elections in Canon and the answer to that simple dilemma was given out by my new¡­ advisor.


    Orestes de Lis was a former commandant of the Royal Army back during the Demi-Human War and had been a trustworthy administrator for the city in the period in which the several mayors of the town had been unable to rule.


    Oh right, I almost forgot¡­ the mayors here died frequently. If I had to pick out a funny reference, I would say that the job was cursed as much as the DADA post in Harry Potter.


    So not only I had to deal with a job I was only theoretically prepared for, but I had to be careful because¡­ it was cursed?


    Maybe my predecessors were only dumb enough to die, or maybe it was because this world was kind of RWBY-level kind of dangerous.


    Instead of the Grimm, we got the Demon Beasts. Instead of Salem, we got the Witch of Envy-!


    Holy cow, I had never made that kind of connection. Sure, there weren''t Huntsmen and there weren''t Relic from some old deities, but Flugel''s mysteriousness does remind a lot of Ozma-


    But let us not digress further in mad rambling and let us digress further in ''mad rambling''.


    As I woke up in my newest quarters, a minor upgrade compared to my former room (minus Computer or any electric devices), the first thing I notice was the books left by the bedside.


    ''History of Lugnica'' was what enlightened me about my current whereabouts while also expanding a little more on the little detailed lore of the Royal Family.


    While it was true that Emerada Lugnica had been denied a state funeral for alleged connections to the Witch''s cult, the driving force behind the opposition to her proper funeral was fueled by her inherent cruelty towards the people living in her fief.


    From the general insanity to over-zealous following of some of the precepts of the Church of Volcanica, this woman reminded me a little of some other Bloody woman back in England and boy I was happy that she was long deceased in this time and period.


    My quick read of the recent history of the kingdom was interrupted by the arrival of the Grand Healer of the city to the doorstep of my new room.


    The equivalent of a Chief Physician was surprisingly humble in his manners, seemingly concerned on my well-being as he asked me about my medical information, at least a summarized, feudalized version of it.


    I was healthy and a quick checkup proved me right, but I used this opportunity to entertain a chat with the influential ''doctor''.


    While I was an utter inept in medical science, I still was knowing of some interesting basis that Feudal society would benefit from, especially the poor.


    Concepts like sterilization and clean hands were going to become a must under my rule, especially if I wanted to live a long life.


    As the elder left the room with an intrigued look plastered in his face, I was interrupted once more by the gaunt-looking man that was Orestes.


    "Mayor Bukharin, the Grand Healer said that you were well and-"


    I nodded, groaning a little as I picked myself out of the bed. While it wasn''t as comfy as the one back home, it was still something capable of putting me to sleep if I lied on it a little more.


    "And I need to get at work, I suppose." The serious man nodded and proceeded to led me through the large hallway in the modest mansion that was now mine to live in.


    The office that came with it was absolutely what one would expect to find in a lawyer''s room, not a mayor, but I found it surprisingly fitting with what I needed out from an office of mine.


    A massive library of books I needed in a daily basis, several maps lying on the desk and the amble wooden furniture that was capable of holding both the maps and the stack of paperwork already there for me to check and sign (or not).


    "Ser Orestes, I know that this task might sound a little underwhelming for a man of your stature..." I paused, thinking if it was something I should genuinely ask to a Knight of that rank. "But I would require the service of part of the city''s garrison in creating a basic census."


    He blinked at the word. "A ''census'', Mayor Bukharin?" I nodded at him and took a simple piece of paper that had yet to be stained by ink.


    "I need those who usually are responsible of writing down the equipment of the army and the resources available to the city to team up in writing down the names, ages and family groups of the people living in Erindor." I wrote down on the paper my name, my age and repeated my surname to represent my family as an example of the task. "This would help a lot in improving the taxation system and maybe improve everything else too."


    He picked the paper, his confusion had yet to falter even through he seemed to understand my explanation.


    "I will¡­ make sure to do as you command, Mayor Bukharin-" He paused just a moment. "I would also ask you to consider the possibility of expanding the current militia-"


    "Oh, it will be done." I interrupted and kind of panicked a little as I noticed him frown at my quick reply.


    "I-I mean, I have already thought of expanding the current garrison with the ever-growing monster issues in the available paths to Erindor." I tried to explain as simply as possible. "But I cannot guarantee an immediate source of good soldiers."


    "And what do you have in mind.. if I may ask?" I nodded my permission and voiced my thoughts over the necessity of a proper security force.


    "I was thinking of having a training system set for every, able-bodied man in the town to have a proper reaction force." I paused a moment, frowning at how funny I was thinking of the very option my own country had abolished not even two decades ago. "Compulsory military service for six months, every three years."


    The idea would have been nuked the moment it would have been brought up to a sensible society¡­ but I was stuck in a medieval-like period and¡­ we needed the manpower to survive in this dangerous environment.


    "It..." Orestes blinked, awed by my deduction. "It would work. But how are you going to convince people to-"


    "By reducing the taxes and giving bonuses to those who did exceptionally well during the military service, I could entice the young unemployed generation to give it a try and make some bones out of the experience."


    "And it would bring them some honor if they do well in their work." The knight added up with the ghost of a smile in his wrinkly face. "It is a most excellent idea, Mayor Bukharin."


    I merely nodded, silently gesturing him to leave me with the paperwork and, once I was alone, I sighed tiredly.


    My projects sounded all so nice in my head, but it was life itself that was going to impartially judge those as they are applied.


    Hopefully I wasn''t going to get some bad reputation with the sudden militarization.

 Chapter 155 - My SI Stash #55 - Living The Dream! by Leekz01 (MultiCross)

    -Well I just found another Multicross fic~ This one''s a bloody mess with 10 anime/game characters living in the SI''s head like Sasuke, Laharl, Tsunayoshi, Killua and more. They also grant him different skillsets and the MC of course has game mechanics. Check it out~


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 54K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/living-the-dream-semi-si-multicross.10480/ (Leekz01)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2


    You know how most stories involving normal people getting sent to another world usually begin with the protagonist being run over by a truck and dying? That''s how the legend of ''Truck-kun'' was born, telling of an incredible and amazing vehicle capable of sending you to another world with a cheat power and the assured promise of a ''sweet love-love harem life'' if you let it run you over.


    I always thought that legend resulted in a few desperate Japanese shut-ins searching for a truck to jump in front of, only to be extremely disappointed when the driver stop in time or they wake up in the hospital later on, every year.


    Me? One day I simply went to bed late after spending some time checking the links to my favorite fanfics for updates, only to wake up the next morning inside a different bedroom. A bedroom that was, I must stress because this is important, both unknown and for some reason completely familiar to me.


    "The f.u.c.k?" I swore as I quickly threw away the sheets and sit up. I was quite understandably freaked out by the fact I didn''t wake up in the same place where I went to sleep, but not as much as when I realized I just spoke with a voice that was not mine. I slapped a hand over my mouth, briskly pushed aside the realization my hand felt smaller than I remembered because there was only so much weirdness I could deal with at once, and looked around the room in search of anything that could explain what was going on.


    Window next to bed. Same as before, but different curtains.


    Desk with computer, manga and some games. Different position and PC''s model, I was pretty sure that type of computer fell out of production seven or eight years ago. And the manga were... in Japanese? And somehow I understood the language as if it was second nature? Weirdness levels were rising, along with a few alarm bells because I know my tropes and the situation was hitting too many of them.


    Another desk, this one with books, pens and other school materials on it. I knew I didn''t have more than one in my room, yet I could distinctly remember doing most of my homework on it. Which is bullshit because I finished studying a long time ago, but also not?


    A soccer ball. Something normal, when was the last time I-last saturday, when I spent most of the afternoon playing with Kenichi and the others.


    Who the Hell was Kenichi?


    Kenichi Saruyama, my only real male friend. We go to the same class. He is quite perverted and utterly without shame, but he''s a good guy at heart.


    That confirmed it: I have been Isekai''ed. With the body of someone else and his memories. In a Japanese setting.


    F.u.c.k.


    No. No. I needed to calm down. Considering the current situation and its implications panicking was perfectly understandable, but right now that would do more harm than good. I could freak out about identity crisis once I was alone and sure no-one would disturb me. What I needed to do now was to remain calm and think rationally.


    It was not going to be easy. Nowhere near it. But I was confident I could hold up for a little while, which hopefully would be enough time to avoid unfortunate questions.


    First thing first: I needed a good look at my current face. I stood up from the bed, which to my dismay confirmed I lost not only a few years but also a few inches of height, and made my way to the first reflective surface within reach: the screen of the computer. I just needed to find the right angle for the light to reflect on and-


    The face of an average-looking Japanese boy with unrealistic spiky brown hair and golden-brown eyes stared back at me with a panicked and dumbfounded expression. I raised a trembling hand and poked my cheek. The boy did the same.


    I... I knew that boy. No, I knew who I have been Isekai''ed at: Yuki Rito, the main protagonist of the manga ''To Love-Ru''.


    "You know, that my life was an ecchi comedy manga don''t surprise me. It explains so much."


    The sudden voice out of nowhere startled me, but it didn''t take me long to recognize it. "Yuki... Rito?" I softly asked with an identical voice.


    "Yes, that''s me. Lee, right? Sorry for not speaking before, I had no idea why I was back in my old room with someone else holding the reins, so to speak. I tried moving but it seems I need your permission first."


    "Oh... Okay." Being in the body of someone I once thought was just a fictional character, with said fictional character speaking directly in my mind was beyond strange, but at least I wasn''t mistaken for a body-stealing parasite or something. "Do you know what''s going on?"


    "Not a clue. I don''t have access to your memories, just your immediate thoughts. My best guess is some kind of time or dimensional travel travel mishap, it would explain why I''m-sorry, why we are a teenager again."


    Dimensional travel? Zelretch? God I hoped not, almost all fanfics have him being a troll of epic proportions. I didn''t need an immensely powerful and bored vampire constantly messing with my life just for fun.


    Then something Rito said caught my attention. "Why we''re a teenager again?" I asked while sitting back on the bed. "You also mentioned this being your old room..."


    "Well, this may come as a shock but the last thing I remember before waking up here is dying." My eyes widened. "Of old age, don''t worry. 87 years and I was still in good health, if I can say so myself. That''s why I think I either traveled back in time or ended up in an alternate dimension."


    An old Yuki Rito? I almost couldn''t picture it, but it explained why he was relatively calm.


    "Not to make you panic even more, but do you think this is some sort of really weird afterlife?"


    I hoped not. Even if I couldn''t remember how I ended up here, I think I would remember something as traumatic as my own death, especially since I was still young and couldn''t have died of natural causes.


    "Do you mind checking the calendar?" Rito then asked. "It''s on the left side of my work desk, the one with school books."


    That''s right, knowing when I was in the timeline was very important. I stood up and approached the desk, picking up the small handheld calendar lying face-down. Turning it around I confirmed it was May of the year 2006, with the last day checked being the 3rd.


    "May 3rd 2006... That''s right, Lala appeared in my bathtub the 10th! Man, that was an event I could never forget... for a large number of reasons."


    I found myself grinning. "First time seeing a live chick n.a.k.e.d does that to people."


    "Don''t I know it..."


    The small alarm clock I haven''t noticed until now chose that moment to ring. Turning my head around I saw it was eight in the morning.


    "You should probably start preparing: today it''s a school day after all."


    School... day? Oh, that''s right: the Rito of now was still a high-school student. And so I was, I realized with a small amount of dread. "But I haven''t gone to school for years!" I complained with what most certainly wasn''t a whine.


    "Neither do I, but I don''t think we have much of a choice. You could school skip today I guess, but as someone who in the eyes of society is still a fifteen years old boy you must go to school. Unless of course you want to deal with people and especially the police asking questions, in that case I''m glad I''m just a spectator."


    I hated that line of reasoning, especially since he was right. "I don''t remember you being so witty, Rito."


    "I''m eighty-seven years old, boy." He replied with a chuckle. "People change as they age, plus everyone is an idiot to one degree or another when they''re fifteen."


    "And you were a spectacular one."


    "Touch¨¨. Anyway, I think you have my memories of this time period? If you follow them you should be fine: just go wash up and have breakfast with Mikan for now, we can worry about the rest later on."


    Oh. I was so caught up in the situation I forgot I was not the only person currently living in this house. How shameful, how could I forget about Best Lil Sis?


    "Treat her well or I''m gonna get mad."


    "Yes, yes. I''ll be the best big brother ever." I replied with a grin while doing some stretching to iron out the kinks in my body.


    Afterwards I did as Rito said and tried to willingly summon the memories of him as a student. It went surprisingly well, as if they were events that happened only recently. Once inside the bath I let habitual instincts take over and perform my daily ablutions before drying myself and walk down the stairs to the ground floor, where I was greeted by a delicious smell: Mikan was supposed to be an excellent cook, and now that I had the proof right before me I could say it was completely true.


    Said girl was already seated when I entered the kitchen, quietly eating the food laid down on the small table. There was steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, pickles and a green salad. A small part of me wished for a more western breakfast, but everything smelled so good I couldn''t find the strength to complain.


    "Good morning Rito." The very cute twelve years old girl greeted me in a calm manner before going back to eating, hopefully missing how I completely frozen up, stunned at the sight of one of my favorite characters. I mean I saw a few realistic cosplay in the past, but this was the real deal: Yuki Mikan in the flesh.


    Though that was not the time to fanboying over her, even if I really wanted to do that. "Good morning Mikan." I replied with a smile before sitting down in front of her. Now, Japanese people are really big on good manners and the like, right? I should probably start practicing getting into the proper mindset early to avoid making an ass out of myself, hopefully Rito''s memories and assistance will be enough. "Thanks for the meal." I said while putting my hands together, I seemed to recall clapping is considered rude so I should refrain from doing it. Then I picked up my chopsticks and began moving portions of the food from the shared dishes on my own dish: it wasn''t my first time eating Japanese, so I knew at least that much. Though I admit Rito''s muscle memory was a great help when using the chopsticks.


    "Mmh! This is really good!" I couldn''t help exclaiming after taking a few bites. Rito you lucky bastard, you got to eat this every day? Somehow I knew he was grinning at me. "You''re incredible Mikan!"


    She blinked in slight confusion before smiling smugly, though in my eyes she still looked rather adorable. "Took you long enough to recognize my skills. That''s right, praise me more."


    "And in exchange I get to eat like this every day? You have a deal!" I cleared my throat before continuing with a purposely pompous tone. "My little sister Mikan is the best sister in the world. Not only she''s cute and spunky, she''s also an excellent cook too! Despite her young age she''s very mature, if you are troubled she will always find time to offer advice-"


    "Wait what?! Stop!" She yelped before pouting, a little bit of rosy pink coloring her cheeks. "Don''t tease me like that! Geez, what happened to you Rito? You''re acting weird today."


    "Uhm. Well, you could say I woke up in a particular mood today." I cupped my chin while nodding, eyes closed and a smile stamped on my lips. It was even the truth from a certain point of view.


    Meanwhile Rito was laughing.


    ====


    After the frankly delicious breakfast (I''ll say it again: you''re a lucky bastard Rito) I got dressed in the Sainan uniform, picked up my school bag and, after saying goodbye to Mikan, left the house. It turned out the school wasn''t located very far from the Yuki family house, but unless I ran it was still going to take a little while to reach it before the bell rang.


    So I used the time to talk more with Rito. With some experimentation we discovered that not only I could access the memories of the Rito of this time period, but if I willed it I could let him access my own memories before the change. They were not exciting like his own memories, basically I was just a regular guy who had a average job and hobbies of playing games, reading manga and watching anime, but I felt it was an important step to build a rapport of trust. He treated me well despite having basically hijacked the body of his younger self, so it was only fair I paid him back the say way.


    And then we reached my large mental library of hentai and smut.


    "Oh come on! I know people make p.o.r.n out of basically anything, my dad was a manga artist, but this-even my female self?! Eew! No. No. No way. No siree. Do not want, send it back."


    ''Don''t be like that.'' I said in my mind to avoid being seen as a loon by the other passerbys. I didn''t know if I was successfully concealing my amus.e.m.e.nt, though. ''You were really cute as a girl. In a [girl next door] way.''


    "Please stop, I can physically feel my inner pride as a man shriveling up."


    ''Fine, fine.'' I snickered. ''So, you were saying that in the future you married both Lala and Haruna? What happened to the Harem Plan?''


    "Eh, it was too much for me. Blame my Japanese upbringing or whatnot if you want. Plus the way Momo tried to push it was honestly a bit creepy, she didn''t really manage to endear myself to it. Though, I confess some times I wondered how things would have went if I did go with her plan... Nah, forget this old man''s ramblings."


    ''No, no. It''s perfectly normal to wonder about what-ifs.'' It wasn''t like I didn''t often think about what I would do if I was in another character''s shoes. And now that it really happened... but maybe this was not a conversation to have while walking to school. ''What about the whole [Emperor of the Galaxy] business? Did you succeed Gid?''


    "No, I was just Lala''s consort. Though I ended up helping Miss Sephie as an official job: you wouldn''t believe the amount of paperwork involved with ruling the whole galaxy. We had to do a lot of decentralizing to reduce everything to manageable levels."


    I winced: that sounded honestly bad. I knew Gid ran away from most of his responsibilities, but it seemed there was more to it that just him being spoiled and perverted. Still, I couldn''t say that becoming king of the whole galaxy didn''t sound appealing to me, workload notwithstanding. But having the title handed to me just because of marriage didn''t exactly sit well with me: it sounded too easy. If possible I would like to earn it fair and square... but that would likely involve defeating Gid Deviluke in a fight, and that was not something possible for me even with knowledge of the future.


    A shame, really. If only I or Rito had some kind of incredible power-


    BA-THUMP


    "Uh?"


    "Uh?"


    I said together with Rito, both of us startled. "Lee, was it my imagination or did I really hear a second, much louder heartbeat within our chest?"


    ''No, I heard it too!'' I put a hand over my chest, but all I could feel was the slightly fast but still normal beating of my sole heart. That, that was strange: I had no idea what just happened, but I knew something like hearing a second heartbeat wasn''t normal. Then again, nor was waking up one day in the body of someone I only recently considered mere fiction: so for all I knew this was normal, but I had no way to confirm it.


    "Yo Rito!" My thoughts came to a screeching halt when I felt someone slung one arm around my shoulders. Looking to the culprit I came face to face with a grinning Saruyama Kenichi. "How are you today buddy?"


    "Ah, Kenichi: if there even was a pillar of normality in my teenage life that was you. As paradoxically as it sounds."


    ''Did you ever tell him the truth about [Riko]?''


    "When we became university students: afterward there was a lot of awkwardness, a fistifight and alcoholic drinks involved. Eventually we both laughed about it and renewed our friendship, even if the rampaging hormones made him even less bearable."


    Oh oh, now that was a story I wanted to hear. "Pretty good, thanks." I replied to Kenichi before the pause between question and answer could grow awkward. "Remind me again what we have in program today? My brain has yet to fully boot up."


    "I feel ya, man! I stood up until late reading, so I barely had the energy to get out of bed this morning." He chuckled. "Don''t worry, today the worst we''ll have to deal with is the usual sleepy lesson of Honekawa-sensei." His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, his lips turning up into a mischievous smirk. "You''ll have plenty of time to stalk your beloved Haruna-chan."


    "Jerk. Even if he''s not wrong: damn my idiotic teenager self..."


    I agreed with him there: even if I knew Rito''s intentions were innocent spying on another person while hidden is definitely stalking. Than again, I supposed such a behavior wasn''t uncommon among boys experiencing their first crush.


    "Who the hell are you calling a stalker?" I feigned irritation and pushed Kenichi away. Time to use one of the excuses I came up to explain my gradual change in personality. "Today it''s not like other days! I have decided!" I pointed a thumb at myself while looking confident. "I''m gonna build up my confidence with the ladies! That way I''ll be able to properly confess to Haruna-chan!"


    That''s right: teenhood is a delicate stage of an individual''s life where both the body and mind undergo great changes. So if you say [I''m going to change myself], then people around you will think that the following changes are the result of both natural growth and you making an effort to behave in a way you feel is more appropriate.


    I was such a genius!


    "As long as we don''t constantly get chased around by jealous boys I''m fine with it. Seriously, do you know how long tales of all those perverted incidents haunted me? All my life!"


    Truly, being Yuki Rito was suffering.


    "I can recognize sarcasm now."


    I knew.


    Upon hearing my proclamation Kenichi stopped and tilted his head, a puzzled look on his face. "And how are you going to do that?"


    "...I''ll think up of something." I replied lamely. Can''t have the changes happen too fast or they''ll be back to being suspicious.


    ====


    I''m not gonna lie, while I read about Japanese school-life experiencing it for myself was something else. I was a western guy after all, so even with the help of Rito''s memories the differences between it and my old school life were quite surprising.


    For example, changing shoes before entering the school building proper: I almost walked past the lockers without changing before Rito called me out to remind me of it. That was a bit embarrassing, especially since I properly put my shoes before leaving home. Then there was washing my hands before entering the classroom and, when the first teacher entered, standing up and bowing in unison with the other students for the daily ritual greeting. It got glossed over in the manga and anime by all the bizarre hijinks, but Sainan High was supposed to be a proper, if unremarkable, Japanese school.


    Except for the principal. Seriously, what was up with him?


    "You''re asking me? Back then there was not a day I didn''t wonder how that guy constantly managed to avoid getting fired, arrested or killed from all the crap he pulled. He even survived getting beaten by Yami, and she once confessed to me she never held back!"


    ''Is that guy even human?!'' I exclaimed in shock within my mind. I could afford to ignore the lesson currently going on, it was all stuff I already knew. ''Wait, what if he''s an alien in disguise like Ryoko Mikado?''


    "I thought the same, but after graduation I didn''t have to see him anymore so any thought of investigation kind of fell to the side... Do you want to look into it?"


    ''Absolutely!'' Maybe I could discover he had some dirty secret and blackmail him into being less of a creep-that suddenly sounded like an hopeless endeavour, why is that? But I must persevere! For truth, justice and Mikan!


    "While I agree with all three points, especially the latter one, I can''t but feel a little concerned..."


    ====


    Six. And a half. Hours of lessons. With just a small pause for lunch.


    Japanese schools are insane!


    "Those who attend a club or cram school stay even longer."


    "Quiet you." I hissed as I walked away from the hateful palace of torture, thoroughly drained in both mind and body. The thought that I had to repeat it six days out of seven for the next few years was almost enough to drive me to tears: they never mentioned Japanese school-life was so hard for a western guy like me in all the isekai and self-insert stories I read! That was unfair, that''s what it was! "And stop laughing!"


    Since I, as Yuki Rito, had neither clubs nor cram school to attend to I decided to simply wander around, distracting myself by taking in the sights of the city. Sainan Town looked just like I remembered from the anime and manga, but now that I was physically walking through its streets I realized it was a lot bigger than I once thought, with hundreds of people and dozens of vehicles moving around me. From Rito I also learned Sainan was located on the island of Shikoku, though to properly visualize it I also needed to receive a quick lesson about the geography of Japan.


    Once I grew tired I stopped by a park and sat down on the first free bench. There were few other people around at the moment and the bench was somewhat hidden by a file of trees, so for now I could enjoy some quiet and privacy.


    "So Lee, have you thought what you''re going to do now?" Rito asked after a few minutes of rest. "I mean, yes we both have knowledge of the future but for all we knew this is an alternate universe and events are going to play differently. Not to mention there are some messes in the future I would like to avoid, so I don''t want to just follow the stations of canon."


    "Don''t worry Rito, that was never my intention." I reassured him. He was right of course, there was no reason for me to just follow the script and hope for the best. I needed to plan ahead and prepare contingencies, or I would get completely blindsided by the first unexpected occurrence.


    Again, things would be so much easier if I had some kind of superpower.


    BA-THUMP


    I stiffened. There it was again, the mysterious second heartbeat. "Rito?"


    "I heard it."


    BA-THUMP BA-THUMP


    And now there were three of them!


    BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP!!!


    Four, five, six... Ten additional heartbeats!? What the hell was going on here?!


    "WHERE THE HELL AM I??!" A voice very different from Rito suddenly shouted within my mind. Then it was followed by other voices, all of them also shouting at the top of their lungs, which gave birth to an absolute bedlam right inside my own skull.


    "Oh man, what is it now?"


    "Who are you? Answer me or I''ll kill you."


    "If you really think you can intimidate me with a parlor trick then you''re a fool."


    "Alright, where I am and who do I need to blame this time?"


    The last thing I remembered thinking before fainting is that I was glad no one was there to see me.


    ====


    "Lee, wake up. You really need to wake up."


    For the second time in less than twelve hours I woke up with no idea about what was going on, though this time I was greeted by a voice I recently became familiar with. "Uh, my head..." I complained while sitting up, only for my eyes to shot wide open when I realized I was speaking with my old voice.


    And were those explosions I was hearing in the background? What the f.u.c.k happened while I was knocked out?


    "Good, you''re awake." I felt a hand land on my shoulder, and it was with understandable confusion that I realized its owner was none other than Yuki Rito himself, back in his old body and wearing the Sainan male uniform. Though his current expression was that of a grandfather who need to deal with a bunch of rowdy kids and seriously require help. "Now we can hopefully find a way to calm down the others."


    "Preferably before they manage to kill both us and each other." Another voice said from the side. I turned my head, and the sight that greeted my eyes was so surprising I felt my mouth hanging wide open.


    Minato Sahashi, Tsunayoshi Sawada and Rin Tsuchimi. The protagonists of two manga and one visual novel I knew very well were standing before me: the first two looked clearly worried, while the third was exuding the calm and confidence of Future Tsuna despite being fourteen years old.


    My day had just reached a completely new level of weirdness.


    "Alright, let me begin by saying I know who each one of you is. What I don''t know is what happened after I blacked out." I stood back up on my feet and looked around. "And where we are right now."


    We were in the middle of a decorated hall straight out of a fantasy castle, but one so wide it could have held a whole army. The ceiling stretched so far above it was hidden by clouds, as far as I knew it didn''t even exist and the pillars as big as skyscr.a.p.ers rising up from the floor and disappearing into the clouds were not holding up anything. I could see walls in the distance, and what looked like giant doors.


    "Good question." Tsuna replied, eyes briefly flashing with the orange of Sky Flames. "This place doesn''t feel real, but it''s not an illusion. I believe this is an inner world created within a mind or a soul. It would explain how we''re able to meet and interact with each other since I feel none of us are currently occupying a physical body."


    Was that the famous [Vongola Hyper Intuition] at work? Neat.


    "Before you woke up mister Yuki explained to us about the events that preceded our meeting." Tsuna gestured to Rito. "The circ.u.mstances of mister Sahashi, mister Tsuchimi and myself are identical: we arrived here after dying of old age, and from your earlier words I guess our respective lives were also portrayed as a fictional work of art in the world you came from, mister Lee."


    "Just Lee is fine. At this point it''s easier if we use each other''s name." Something blew up in the distance. "Now, what about the explosions?"


    "That would be the six other people that appeared here with us." Minato grimaced. "They jumped straight to violence."


    "Since all hints point to this inner world belonging to you we were hoping you can do something to calm them down." Rin continued.


    A beam of flames rose into the distance, followed by some kind of wave that cut straight through a pillar.


    I winced. "How strong are we talking about?"


    "Making a comparison with Dragon Ball..." Rito assumed a thinking pose. "Two of them can fit in the Z series, though I have no idea if they''re still holding back or not. The other four are more end of the first series."


    I winced again. "Dude, needing to use Dragon Ball as a measuring stick is already terrifying on its own. No need to pour salt into the wounds. Do you recognize any of them?"


    "Two of them are fictional characters in my world too... But it''s probably better if you see it for yourself." Rito pointed a thumb behind himself, where the sounds of conflict where coming from. "It''s a scene straight out of Jump Super Stars."


    "Of what?" I asked, having never heard of it.


    "The Jump Stars games were never serialized outside of Japan." Minato added. "Basically it''s a fighting game featuring popular characters that appeared on Shonen Jump."


    "Oh, I see." I nodded in understanding. "Well, let''s go: hopefully I can really do something."


    ====


    We approached the battlefield while using the pillars as cover, though once I was close enough to see all six fighters I realized they were too busy with each others to pay attention to their surroundings.


    Up in the air Laharl from the first Disgaea game was fighting someone in red armor I recognized as the Scale Mail form of Boosted Gear, which probably made that person Issei Hyodou.


    On the ground, meanwhile, Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto was fighting Killua Zoldyck from Hunter X Hunter, the two boys firing lightning bolts at each other like they were going out of style.


    Finally, also on the ground but a little to the side, Riku from Kingdom Hearts and Ranma from Ranma ? were jumping around like crazy grasshoppers while exchanging blows of various nature.


    I was seriously starting to question my sanity.


    Chapter 2


    "I-I recognize all of them." I stammered, almost overwhelmed by the unbelievable sight in front of me. Like Rito said it was like watching characters from a multicrossover story duking it out, except it was real and not an animation. I was actually having some trouble following their movements, and the noise produced by their clashing was almost deafening. Was this what a real battle was like? "Which ones do you recognize Rito?"


    "Sasuke and Ranma. I mean, who has never heard of Naruto and Ranma 1/2?" He scratched his head. "Though it has been years since I last read manga in general, so I don''t really remember the details..."


    "I also recognize Killua from Hunter X Hunter, Yukari was very fond of that manga. Well, of all shonen ones to be honest." Minato mused.


    "Sorry, manga in my world were quite different so I can''t help you here." Rin shrugged. "The introduction of real gods and devils must have caused, what was the expression, butterfly changes?"


    "Alright, so some of the people present here were fictional characters in other worlds too, not just mine." I didn''t know why, it seemed almost arbitrary, but it wasn''t a mystery I was keen to investigate right now. "In terms of raw power the two in the air are the strongest, but the others all have special abilities that will hurt a lot if they hit, so trying to subdue them by force is definitely out of the question."


    "That may not be as much of a problem as you think." Tsuna suddenly said, eyes locked on the fighters. "It happens very quickly, but all six of them heal back from whatever damage they suffer. Not only it happens the same way for everyone, but although they concealed it to different degrees they all were surprised the first time it happened. At such it may be a property of this world rather than an ability they possessed before coming here."


    I blinked in surprise. "Like, this is a world where only souls or minds can enter and none of us has a physical body, so we can''t really hurt each other?" It wasn''t an entirely foreign concept, I remembered seeing it used in various media. But... "What about abilities that affect the mind or soul?"


    "I have considered it." Tsuna nodded. "Do you remember if any of those people have such an ability?"


    Sasuke. He has the Sharingan after all, and if like the others he died after living to old age then he must have a crapton of skills and experience using those hax eyes... But then, why is he fighting Killua with Raiton instead of using a Genjutsu? Tsukuyomi would put the young killer out of commission very quickly, and family of super-assassins or not I doubted the white-haired boy had a hard-counter to such a powerful illusion. Yes the world of Hunter X Hunter is pretty crazy, but so is the one of Naruto.


    Maybe there just was something I wasn''t seeing yet? Some kind of detail in the background?


    There was also Riku to consider: he had a Keyblade, and from what I remembered of the games it was implied that he followed Sora to wherever they ended up after the third game. Probably some kind of wacky adventure or several of them. The point is, going by the lore a Keyblade is crazy powerful so if Riku had the time to master his own he is bound to have a lot of special abilities that affect the Heart, which in context is likely something close to either the mind or the soul, maybe both.


    "One for sure, and another is very likely to have one such ability." I answered slowly. "But then, why haven''t they used them yet? If they have noticed their regeneration and still insist on using attacks of a physical nature..."


    "Are they fighting just because they can?" Minato finished, a disgruntled look on his face. "How wonderful, we''re dealing with battle maniacs."


    "Oh, I wouldn''t say it''s the case for all of them." Tsuna tossed a brief glance at Laharl and Ranma. I was sure he didn''t need his Hyper Intuition to pick up on it. "But there''s definitely that, and maybe testing their suddenly rejuvenated bodies." He opened and closed his right hand a few times. "While I miss my height, I can say being young again is definitely a good feeling."


    "Guys we''re getting off tracks here." Rito warned us. "Lee, why don''t you start with Ranma? Of those I know he''s the one more likely to see reason."


    That was true: Ranma was a bit of a jerk, true, but he also had a lot of honor and would never attack someone who isn''t even defending himself. Riku was a bit more of a grey area, I knew he matured greatly during the various games, but outside of his friends he always acted a bit cold. Still, compared to the pair of demons and the one of assassins they certainly were the best choice to start with.


    That said, I wasn''t above preparing some insurance. "I''ll start with him and his opponent, Riku. Tsuna, could you come with me in case things go south?"


    "Of course. I have a lot of experience as a peacemaker after all, and even if right now said role is more suited to be played by you I hope you''ll accept an old man''s wisdom." He said with a grin that didn''t quite fit his boyish features. Uh, I needed to remind myself that despite their young looks those were my favorite characters after they became old men: it was a bit disquieting, but I felt like I could rely on them even more.


    "Good, we have a plan. Go for it, us normies will wait here until the ultra-violence is over and we can talk like normal people." Rito nodded several times, eyes closed and arms crossed while sitting cross-legged. Minato and Rin quickly imitated him.


    I narrowed my eyes. "...Weren''t you the kind of guys who''d jump into the fray even if there''s realistically no way for you to make a difference if it mean helping a friend?"


    "Of course I will! When you''re in danger!" Rito waved a hand while smiling.


    "I will shout encouragements. I have gotten very good at it." Minato proudly stated.


    "Don''t worry: everything will be alright." Rin said with a polite smile.


    Those guys! They were among my favorite characters, the least they could do was giving me a thumb-up and telling me a cool one-liner like ''Don''t worry: leave it to me'', not toss me to the wolves!


    I felt a hand on my shoulder, which belonged to none other than Tsuna. "They have their own pride: don''t begrudge them for it." He told me with a kind, understanding tone. It took me a few seconds to understand what he meant, but then I realized that Rito, Minato and Rin had something in common: they spent the majority of their lives along people much stronger than themselves, and were forced to come to terms with the fact they couldn''t directly help those people when there was a need to fight.


    And it was odd in hindsight but at that moment I could really understand what was like, not just on an intellectual level. As if my capacity to empathize with others just shot through the roof... maybe it was because they were in one form of another all idols of my childhood days and I knew what they went through.


    Or maybe Tsuna was just doing something with his Sky Flames. Could be either way. It was useful, yes, but in the future I would have to set down some hard rules concerning the use of mind-affecting powers, especially when the target was myself.


    I sighed. "Let''s, let''s just go." I rolled my shoulders before approaching the martial artist and the dimensional traveler, the tiny mafia boss on my heels. What was the best way to approach it? Obviously body language played a big part, it wouldn''t do to give the impression I was looking for a fight. I guessed acting natural was the best choice, it worked the previous times I had to play peacemaker in my old life. The part I had to be careful with was my words: showing I knew about topics Ranma and Riku considered private would upset them, at least until I had the time to properly explain how I knew about them. Before I discovered I could show Rito my memories, but I didn''t know if I could do the same with the others.


    Well, if I could I knew exactly what to show them in case things started to escalate.


    "U-Uhm!" I began, stopping at what I judged to be a safe distance: close enough to be heard, but distant enough that Tsuna would be able to react. How I knew it? Because Tsuna started slowing down when we approached i, and I could take a hint. Seeing I was ignored I slightly raised my voice. "Please, can you stop fighting?! You saw it, we can''t hurt each other! This is not a trap! If you want answers I have... some..." Finally Ranma and Riku jumped away from each other before stopping, looking at me with neutral stares. "But not all... Sorry?"


    There were a few moments of silence before Ranma snorted. "Well, an incomplete explanation is better than none at all." He folded together his fingers before stretching his arms above his head. "Beside that was the best workout I had in years, so I''m actually in a good mood."


    Riku snorted, Keyblade resting on his right shoulder. Now that I was close I could see he looked like he did in Kingdom Hearts III, and his Keyblade was the Braveheart. AKA, the giant pin tumbler lock key. "You enjoyed it."


    "Aren''t denying it. This the first time I fought someone using a giant key as a weapon, it was a novel experience." He put a hand on his chin and assumed a thinking pose. "Well, unless you include that guy from Sendai but they were smaller, had an actual edge and he used them like shurikens."


    And now I was reminded that everything in Ranma''s world could be turned into a martial art. Everything.


    "Sounds like a loon." Riku raised an eyebrow before turning to me and Tsuna. "So, do you have names or should I call you Glasses and Shorty?"


    Glasses? But I didn''t wear gla-my hand, which instinctively came up to me face at the comment, stopped when the tips of my fingers touched the unmistakable metal frame of a pair of glasses perched on my nose. It wasn''t blurry at the edges of my vision so my sight didn''t worsen and those glasses were probably just ornamental, but what really threw me off was realizing the skin color of my own hand was much darker than it should be. "My name is Lee." I replied to Riku in a distracted tone before looking down at myself for the first time since I arrived in this strange world: black shoes, black pants and a white shirt. All normal things I owned, except for the black coat with a fur-lined collar and orange-bronze linings covering my upper body: that, I never owned.


    But I once used it for a certain design.


    "And I''m Tsunayoshi, but you can call Tsuna for short." The brown-haired boy then added under his breath. "Really missing my height."


    "Give us a few moments please." I told Riku and Ranma before leaving towards the mafia boss and whispering. "Tsuna this is important, please quickly tell me my hair and eyes color!"


    One of his eyebrows slightly raised in response, but he nonetheless answered. "You have orange eyes and silver hair."


    That confirmed it: I had my old voice, but looked like the character I once made for the mmo Mabinogi. Why I had no idea, but it sounded like the kind of things a bored ROB would do.


    Or, since I sure as hell didn''t have the powers of my Mabinogi character, I had this appearance simply because deep down I thought looking like my character would be really cool and my inner world granted my wish.


    Right. Important conversation later, fashion reasons later. "I already know who you two are, Riku and Ranma Saotome, but how I do would sound unbelievable to you without proof and I''m not really able to provide them at the moment. But rest assured I am too a victim of an unexpected occurrence." I explained. "Just to confirm if is this is indeed a recurring theme: did you also found yourself here after peacefully dying of old age, back in the body of your younger selves?"


    "Peacefully my ass, it was winter and my back hurt like a motherf.u.c.ker." Ranma grumbled, making me raise both eyebrows in response. "What? The method to live as long as the old bat and the old pervert did would have turned me into a midget like them, so I refused to go through with it. I had my dignity, you know?"


    More like narcissism, but I was expecting as such from Ranma Saotome: ''Jerk with a Heart of Gold'' was a trope made for him, even if every now and then he needed a good walloping to put him back on the right track. I wondered how reaching a.d.u.l.thood and then old age changed him.


    "...Yes, I ended here after dying of old age. That''s all I will say about the matter." Riku said with a tone that suggested he considered the matter closed. "I suppose this is not the afterlife? Because I don''t see Hades anywhere, and I know that hot-head would not miss the chance to brag despite being unable to do anything else."


    That''s right, Hades from Kingdom Hearts was the Lord of the Dead and ruler of the Greek Underworld. Him being able to meet and talk with the souls of dead people made sense, and so was him being able to travel to different afterlives, although I supposed his strength outside of his own realm was limited.


    "No. Well, I hope it''s not the afterlife." I shook my head. "It''s just a hypothesis for now, but this place seems to be an inner world inside my soul. I''m the only one that didn''t arrive here after dying, though I must point out I have absolutely no idea how I ended here. I actually woke up a few hours ago in the younger body of one of the other people present... Uuh I know that sounds bad but I didn''t do it intentionally. We talked and came to an understanding! He''s alright with it, honest!" I looked down in embarrassment, one hand rubbing the top of my head. "Uhm... We think this is the result of a time or dimensional travel mishap...?"


    "Mmmh..." Ranma was rubbing his chin. "I met my fair share of body-snatching spirits in the past and you don''t give off the same feeling as them, so I''m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, Lee-san. Just don''t start kidnapping people or suddenly pulling out marriage contracts, alright?"


    Both Riku and Tsuna blinked. "Marriage contracts?"


    The martial artist shrugged. "Pops was a bastard."


    "Aah." Tsuna nodded in understanding. How was the relation between him and his father, Iemitsu? I didn''t remember that part very well.


    "Once again I''m surrounded by the crazy and the absurd." Riku massaged the space between his eyebrows. Just what happened during the time he disappeared along Sora? "Fine, I''ll also give you the benefit of the doubt for now. My Keyblade is picking up some strange stuff, and I need to see more to make sense of it."


    "What kind of... strange stuff?" I asked, but all I got in return was silence. Guess he had not completely warmed up to us, which was understandable. Still: I was not Sora or Kairi, but I was confident that, given time, I could gain some trust from Riku.


    "So, what now?" Ranma questioned, one hand in his pocket and the other hanging freely. "In case you haven''t noticed we weren''t the only ones fighting." He jabbed a thumb towards the other two battles. "Those guys are intense: anything we need to know about?"


    "Those flying are demons. Well, a demon and a devil." I specified. "The other two are a ninja and an assassin. Oh, but they''re all good guys ar heart... If you look deep enough. The only exception is the giant pervert: you can see it immediately if you just ignore his passionate speeches about b.o.o.b.s."


    There was absolute silence (beside the distant sounds of fighting) for a few seconds before both Riku and Ranma facepalmed. "This is painfully familiar."


    "Same here."


    ====


    After that I took the time to introduce Riku and Ranma to the others before approaching what I judged to be the most difficult task ahead.


    Persuading Sasuke Uchiha and Killua Zoldyck to be reasonable people and listen to common sense.


    Alright, so maybe I was blowing it out of proportion: they weren''t the fanon versions of themselves (God I hoped they weren''t), and surely not two-dimensional characters, otherwise I would hear a long-winded speech about revenge and hate and... well, and everything else that makes the Naruto fandom such a shithole with just a few hidden gems.


    Yes I had bad experiences with shitty Naruto fanfics. Sue me.


    Thing is, I knew very well both of them were taught how to kill and fight to the death since a young age. Killua started hating killing, especially after meeting Gon, but he never hesitated doing it if he thought it was necessary. In Sasuke''s case, I guessed he reminded Killua too much of a fellow assassin so all it would take were a few badly chosen words to start hostilities. Same with Sasuke, who most likely thought Killua was a fellow ninja.


    Which left me with the monumental task of de-escalating things and persuading the two paranoid boys their logical suspicions and suppositions were wrong.


    Yay. Ganbatte me, you can do it.


    "Having doubts?" Tsuna asked with an understanding tone, to which I could only answer with an awkward nod. Nonetheless the kind smile on his lips and his following words managed to put me more at ease. "Among us you''re the one with the best chances to do it, and we''ll be right beside you to help in any way we can."


    Ah, so it was true: the Sky envelops and accepts everything. I didn''t know what I would do to be able to do the same.


    BA-THUMP


    I stiffened, a gesture that was imitated by the other six guys. "You too?"


    "A second heartbeat? Yes." Tsuna tapped his chest with an intrigued expression. "Mister Riku, if I understood it right you''re an expert of Hearts. Is there anything you would like to share?"


    The silver-haired boy was silent, switching his gaze between his chest and the Keyblade in his hand. Then, finally, he spoke. "Our Hearts. The Hearts of everyone here and even those four other jokers... they''re connected. There should be no bond or memory tying them together, but they''re linked all the same."


    "For Heart, you mean the soul?" Minato asked.


    "No. Where I came from a living being is composed of three parts: the Body, the Heart and the Soul." He explained. "To put it simply the Soul is the will, the Hearts the emotions and the Body the vessel to hold them. Research into it caused a lot of problems so I don''t have definite answers beside what I learned during my travels, but I know our Hearts are connected in a way I only saw in close-bound friends before."


    Crossing his arms he tapped a finger on his lips while giving me a penetrating look, though there was no hostility in it. "Whatever''s going on here is strange but not malicious. And you seem to be the linchpin of it, Lee."


    "Me?" I pointed a finger at myself in disbelief. "I know about what''s going on even less than you, how can I be the cause? Alright I admit there are a few holes in my memories, but I have never been able to do something like this before. Hell, I once thought magic and other supernatural stuff was just fiction."


    "I''m not saying you''re the cause of this all, merely that it''s centered around you." He shook his head. "But let''s wait before everyone have calmed down and is on board before making theories. Time may flow differently within the soul, but if you fainted in the middle of a park there''s no telling what may happen to you if we waste too much time."


    Like what? Someone finding me and calling an ambulance, which ends up worrying Mikan and Rito''s parents? A stray dog pissing on me?


    ....


    "Let''s get going already."


    ====


    Since my first approach towards Riku and Ranma worked I thought to replicate it for Sasuke and Killua.


    Except the moment I mentioned I had answers Sasuke disengaged from Killua and shot towards our group without letting me finish. There was a blur and before I knew it I had a blade made out of electricity worryingly close to my neck, while what I assumed were Shadow Clones were keeping Tsuna and the others busy. "Start talking." The Sasuke holding me at sword-point said with a voice cold enough to freeze water. "Lie to me and I''ll show you immortality means nothing if you can still feel pain." As if stressing his point a few sparks jumped out of his sword and fell on my collarbone. I winced by reflex.


    Except... there was no pain?


    Sasuke twitched, his free hand coming up to rest on his own collarbone as if he was the one being hit. Eyes widening in surprise he jumped away while dismissing his clones, allowing me to look down at my shoulder and see there was no damage: no burnt skin, no damaged clothes, nothing.


    What the hell?! Had Sasuke Uchiha just attacked me? That hurt a little, despite his flaws I actually liked Sasuke so being threatened with violence by one of my favorite anime characters was quite shocking. Alright I understood why he was so much on edge, but what kind of prick threaten the messenger waving the metaphorical white flag?


    Then I remembered that Sasuke Uchiha is a prick and everything made sense. I was not Naruto, Kakashi or Sakura but suddenly I felt the urge to smack some sense into his thick head.


    "Tch, so the feeling of pain is redirected back at the attacker?" Sasuke swore under his breath, hands forming a seal as his eyes switch to the red of the Sharingan. "Then I-"


    "WILL YOU CALM THE F.U.C.K DOWN AND LISTEN!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, surprising even myself at the strength behind my voice. "I came to help you and this is what I get? Where are your manners? Did you lose them while going all ''Lone Wanderer'' through Kaguya''s dimensions or do you think it''s okay to be as rude as you want if you''re the strongest person around? Well I have big news for you, Sasuke Uchiha!" A distant part of my mind was equally amused and befuddled by the shocked look on the ninja''s face, and if he was still a child and just got caught doing something naughty be his father. "Bad boys get punished!"


    Before I could properly reflect on the consequences of my actions I summoned every memory of every Naruto Yaoi doujinshi I have ever read and, just like I did with Rito, willed the whole lot of them to go into Sasuke''s mind!


    I''m a horrible person and yet I had no regrets~!


    Sasuke''s face shifted through a multitude of expressions, many of which I never saw before, faster than the speed of sound as the color of his skin turned first deadly pale, then purple and finally green. The incredible spectacle came to an end when he slapped both hands over his mouth and jumped behind a broken pillar, which was followed by loud sounds of retching.


    I really, really had no regrets~!


    "Wow." Ranma commented. "What did you do to him?"


    "Filled his head with yaoi doujinshi starring him." My grin widened when the others all winced at the same time.


    "That was evil. Like, really evil. I approve." Killua commented as he finally approached us, having so far watched the whole thing from a distance. "So, I assume you want to gather everyone present in order to search together for the cause of our current predicament?"


    "Pretty much, yeah." I nodded. "And before you ask: no, I don''t think this is the afterlife."


    "Given I expected to burn in Hell for eternity after kicking the bucket I''m not complaining." Killua shrugged before perking up. "You wouldn''t happen to have chocolate or some other sweet, do you?"


    "Sorry, no."


    "Damn. So this may be Hell after all."


    Right, Killua had a massive sweet tooth. And also some kind of gambling problem... I thought so at least: it happened only once to my knowledge, I don''t have eidetic memory.


    "Have you peasants finished doing peasant things?!" A loud, boatful voice exclaimed from above. Looking up I saw Laharl was hovering above us, both ends of his scarf working as wings. Beside that he looked exactly like he did in Hour of Darkness, and in his right hand he was holding... was that the Yoshitsuna?! Holy shit! That was endgame equipment!


    "Actually we were planning to approach you after getting those two onboard." Tsuna explained. A glance to the side revealed Issei hasn''t moved, though I could felt his gaze on us. "But it seems our intervention is not necessary anymore."


    "I got tired of waiting! If the plot would not come to the great Laharl, then I have no choice but to go there myself and beat it half to death as punishment for showing disrespect! Ahahahahaha!!" The young Overlord laughed after declaring something in the unreasonable logic only an ego as big as the moon could follow.


    "Right, the plot." I slapped a hand on my face. I kind of forgot Disgaea characters don''t just break the fourth wall, they perform parkour all over it. "Laharl, do you mind fetching the red armored guy you were fighting until now? We''ll do the same with the last dude and then gather everyone together so we can share what we know."


    "Nobody can order me, the Overlord, around!" He declared imperiously, crossing his arms as the Yoshitsuna vanished into motes of light. "However, just this once I''ll be magnanimous and offer you an helping hand. Don''t expect this to be a regular thing!" He warned before flying towards Issei."


    "That guy thinks too highly of himself for my tastes." Ranma commented.


    "What was that expression...? Ah, right." Riku tilted his head towards Ranma. "The pot calling the kettle back."


    "Hey! I resent that! I''ll have you know each and every one of my boasts is fully justified!"


    I had the feeling I would have to get used to those guys butting heads on a daily basis. It couldn''t be helped I supposed, their personalities were just too strong to do otherwise.


    Together with Tsuna and Killua, who has decided to tag along on his own accord, I approached the place where Sasuke was still puking, though by that point it was mostly dry heaving. "You... You''re a sick monster..." He gasped when he saw us.


    "You know, that''s funny coming from you." I raised an eyebrow. "In case you''re wondering I didn''t make those comics, I just read them: I don''t have that much imagination." Nor could I draw like a professional manga artist, but that was beside the point. "And it''s not even all the material I have-"


    "No. Just, just no." What was showing up on Sasuke''s face was less a grimace and more a rictus of unending, mind-scarring horror. "I''ll listen to what you have to say if you promise to never do that again."


    "Mmh... Alright then: you have a deal!" I grinned, already planning a few ways to bypass that promise, and extended a hand. "Name''s Lee."


    He looked me up and down, silently mouthing something about ''eyebrows'' before reluctantly taking my hand. "Sasuke Uchiha, but you already know it."


    I was shaking hands with Sasuke Uchiha! Weeee!!!


    ====


    "Before we begin let me ask something!" Issei began once we were all gathered together. He was wearing the Kuoh school uniform, Boosted Gear encasing his left hand. There were also tears around his eyes, though I couldn''t fathom why. "What did I do to deserve going to Hell?!" A small pause. "Beside being a Devil, I mean?"


    I blinked in confusion. "Why do you think this is Hell?"


    "Are you kidding me? Have you looked around?" He waved his arms. "There are nothing but dudes in this place, without even a single chick in sight! What can this be but Hell?"


    ...Why was I not surprised? I stared at Issei for a few seconds, making sure to express my current thoughts on the matter with an appropriately blank look, before facepalming.


    "Let me guess." Ranma pointed a thumb at Issei while looking at me. "Is he a moron?"


    "More like an idiot." Killua added.


    "Hey! My reasoning is perfectly valid!"


    "In which universe? Because it''s sure as heck not this one."


    "Look, can we just calm down for a moment? Arguing will get us nowhere." I sighed before trying to appear as serious as I could. "So, to recap: all of you ended up here after dying of old age. The only exception is me, which initially woke up in the body of Rito-" I pointed at the brown-haired boy, who nodded. "-Without any explanation or memory to explain it. Not only that, I currently am in the past of his world, though it could also be an alternate dimension. We all came from different worlds. All of you are considered fictional characters in my world, and in some of the other worlds too. This is explained by the multiverse theory, which infers everything that can possibly happen does so somewhere. If you don''t fully get it think of it as a series of bizarre and improbable coincidences happening for real."


    "That''s dumb. This is obviously a multicrossover story." Laharl declared before holding out an open palm. "You''re clearly incompetent, so hand over the role of Protagonist to me! I''ll make a much better use out of it than you!"


    "...And what make you think I''m the protagonist?" Riku had said I was the linchpin of everything, but to say I was the protagonist was a bit of a stretch. And beside, if this really followed the most common tropes where was my MC-tier special ability, uh?


    "Simple!" He pointed a finger at me. "Your special ability!"


    ...


    .... "Come again?"


    "What, don''t you even know how to access your Status Screen? Be grateful: I, the great Laharl, will show you how! Ahahahahaha!!" After laughing again Laharl raised a hand, grabbing something and flipping it around.


    And just like that I could see a translucent blue screen in front of me.


    [Name: Lee


    Title: In The Shadows Of Giants I Walk


    Level: [REDACTED]


    ?


    Skills:


    [Utopia Di Anima Leggendaria] Through #%##%%###%% and the intercession of #$()#*$#%#% you have awakened a power that surpass fantasy itself.?


    ...Uh.

 Chapter 156 - My SI Stash #56 - The Warcrafter by RHJunior (WormXWorldofWarcraft)

    -Another SI Multicross fic~ MC starts in Worm with plans of saving Worlds as a druid/werewolf. Next being Azeroth!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: ???


    Words: 270K


    Posted on: forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/the-warcrafter.54360/ (RHJunior)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    He floated, inert, aware but without any measurable sensation. No sight, sound, scent, texture. He couldn''t even feel his own anatomy; his proprioception was completely gone. He couldn''t even tell if he had arms or legs anymore. He was an amorphous shape, if that, housing a spark of consciousness.


    Hello, Adrian.


    "What? Who''s there?" he said in alarm. Even as he spoke he felt a surge of satisfaction that he could speak.


    Allow me to introduce myself. I am¡­. The voice paused, as if searching for words. I suppose an approximation of my name is necessary, your language sort of lacks the nuances for my full name. Call me.. hmm¡­ call me Agent.


    "Agent¡­ right." That wasn''t a comforting nomenclature, all things considered. "Where am I? Why can''t I see?"


    To answer the latter first, you are in a semi-amorphous state which has, er, left you without sensory apparatus for your environment. You sense nothing because you have nothing at the moment to sense it with. Agent sounded a little embarrassed at this. I apologize, I''m sure it''s not comfortable. But you really don''t have any sensory approximates for the environment you are currently in; you wouldn''t understand what you were "seeing" if you could¡­


    Here, let me adjust a few things. The ''nothingness'' faded¡­ or rather Something faded in: a misty, featureless plain under a twilit sky. Adrian found himself looking at/addressing/facing a soft misty cloud of light hovering over that plain; he realized in the next moment that he himself was an identical cloud of light-- though how he could tell he couldn''t say; he certainly couldn''t crane his neck to look himself over. There, I hope that''s better. It''s all illusory but at least it gives you an avatar of sorts to communicate with.


    "Yeah, great." Why wasn''t he panicking? Wait. No adrenal glands, no fight-or-flight response. Of course. Interestingly enough he was still capable of getting agitated at his situation. "Okay. So my first question? Where the heck AM I? And let me throw in "WHY" while I''m at it?"


    You are in my native environment. An existential plane. Call it the Between.


    "Between what?"


    Everything.


    That gave him pause, for sure.


    As to what or who I am, I am an extradimensional hyper-advanced¡­ though "advanced" isn''t quite the right term¡­ well, you''d call me a "cosmic entity." And I have brought you here because I wish to make a deal.


    "A¡­ deal?"


    An agreement, yes, an exchange of services.


    And that kicked Adrian''s bump of skepticism right in. Cosmic beings snapping up random individuals and offering them deals¡­ superhuman powers, or magic green rings, for example¡­ it was a cliche'' in ninety percent of the fanfics he''d read. And more than a couple he''d written.


    Yes, you are familiar with the concept.


    Adrian squinted suspiciously, or at least thought really hard about squinting suspiciously at the amorphous cloud of light before him. "Okay, why me?"


    Why not you? Agent pointed out reasonably. You are well within acceptable averages for the necessary attributes. At the very least, you are familiar with the concept, and seemed agreeably inclined to the idea. Missing fight-or-flight glands or no, you would be surprised at the percentage of three-dimensional entities such as yourself who would go into either screaming hysterics or a catatonic fugue by this point.


    Adrian gave a mental snort. At least it wasn''t trying to pass him off as "the Chosen One" or the like. If this was a dream or a hallucination it wasn''t offending his literary sensibilities yet, at least. Of course if he was lying in a hospital drugged to the hairline then all this was coming from his own mind, so it wouldn''t seem excessively ridiculous then either would it? "SO¡­ this deal?"


    Let me begin at the beginning. As you can guess I am not the only one of my kind. We live in the interstices between the universes and planes of reality. We''re timeless, eternal, immortal, vastly powerful¡­ and rather BORED.


    Ah, here it comes, Adrian thought. The old Bored Cosmic Entity Wants to Play routine. Poker Night of the Gods. Oh well, there were worse cliches.


    To alleviate our ennui, we organized a series of contests and games. Each round, every participant-- each Agent-- chooses an Avatar from the more finite races, such as yourself, from one of the three dimensional universes. We spend¡­ I''m picking up the word "quatloos" from your mind?¡­ ah, no, a better word there off to the side in your vocabulary, "ch.i.p.s." Yes, a limited pool of points or "ch.i.p.s" on empowering and equipping the Avatar. Then we place them in a different universe, with a stated mission. If they succeed, they are rewarded, and their Agent moves up in the next round and chooses a new Avatar.


    "And if they fail?"


    Then the Agent is moved down in ranking.


    "And the Avatar?"


    Agent seemed reticent. There is no punishment for failure. We do not work like that. But the missions assigned are often¡­ hazardous. The consequences for failure are... self-explanatory.


    "Uh¡­ huh." So it was pass or fail, with a probably lethal "fail" option.


    You must understand something, Adrian. Our "game" is about creating and endowing HEROES. The quests they are set on are consequent¡­ to save a person, a family, a tribe, a nation, a world, from some imminent catastrophe. To battle an evil empire, or an overlord, or an alien horde¡­ or just to fight for a humble cause. Any and all of those are dangerous pursuits in places of crisis, even for those endowed with extraordinary gifts they are dangerous. Failure is often fatal.


    "Kind of high stakes for a GAME," Adrian said.


    We wish to make the universes a better place, Agent replied. You can''t do that playing tiddly winks.


    "Well, why don''t you go into these, these places in crisis and intervene yourself?"


    Agent gave what had to be the approximation of a heaving sigh. Adrian, we are a race of super-advanced cosmic entities. We number in the trillions. Does it not follow that we have powers, governances, authorities, laws, codes of conduct that restrain us as well? Our civilization is so complex and intricate it makes the operation of your own world''s governments look like the internal politicking of an aboriginal tribe over who gets the biggest share of animal pelts. It would take years to explain the codes of conduct that restrict our behavior interacting with the baryonic, euclidean universes, and most of it still wouldn''t make sense to you. He grumbled a bit. They often don''t make sense to US.


    The Game is, for reasons too complex for you to fathom, one of the few legal, safe, legitimate ways in which we can intervene with the fates of other worlds, even for their own good. Because in part it places the power in the hands of mere mortals to determine their fates themselves . It''s THE RULES.


    There''s a world out there where somebody''s in trouble. I am asking you to help me, to help them, and to help yourself. Will you accept?


    "My reward?" he asked.


    Your primary choice of reward will be: You will be returned home¡­ or allowed to make your home in your new universe¡­ or even pick a third¡­ in any regard, with all your powers intact. There are other, lesser options, but those are the prime rate ones.


    Adrian thought it over. Great power. Be a hero. But risking it all¡­ maybe even his life. No guarantee of success, and who knows how much suffering and hardship.


    But wasn''t that what made the effort worthwhile.


    "I accept."


    He could feel Agent practically beaming with satisfaction. Excellent. The contract is sealed, let us begin. The planescape swirled dizzyingly, and Adrian found himself hovering before a massive, and very familiar opening screen.


    WORLD OF WARCRAFT


    Begin Character Creation


    "I''m going to AZEROTH?" He yelped. No way in hell¡­ it was his favorite online game ever, but that world and its lore were messed up three ways from Sunday, and it had at least a dozen Doomsday scenarios waiting in the wings to do it in at any given moment, with Lovecraftian Old Gods being the LOWEST ranked world-ending threats. If the literal armies of superhuman wizards, warriors, paladins and whatnot couldn''t handle it, adding one more dink with a plus-one sword to the mess would do nothing. Agent would just end up with his Avatar a greasy stain on an ogre''s foot.


    No, absolutely not.


    Adrian sighed in relief.


    You''re getting your power set from there.


    "What?" Okay, that was better. A guy with a World of Warcraft character''s powers and skills could hold up fairly well in most "fictional" universes he could think of¡­. "Wait. Where AM I going? That''s sort of an important question before I pick my powers."


    There was a sound of shuffling papers. I''m not really supposed to tell you your destination, if at all, until AFTER you have selected your powerset.


    Of all the¡­ "But that''s not remotely fair!" Adrian sputtered.


    This is really not how we normally proceed, Agent said.


    "Oh, don''t try that. That''s a load and you know it! A choice made without any information isn''t a choice at all. It might as well be made with a flip of a coin!"


    Agent''s body language-- it really was adapting quickly to having a humanoid form-- was hesitant, so Adrian pressed his argument. "Look, you talked about your society having law, and an entertainment industry, and, and mediums of exchange. That implies a marketplace of some sort. And one of the fundamentals of a marketplace is that there are certain ethical principles that have to be observed for it to function. The real biggie is that all exchanges have to be voluntary and informed to be legitimate. Making me make an irrevocable choice while denying me the information needed to make that choice? Not what I would call ''super-advanced,'' or even moral."


    Agent said nothing; he simply contracted into a ball of swirling, pulsing motes. Adrian somehow got the impression that he''d been put on hold while Agent argued with someone else over his metaphorical shoulder. After a moment Agent reformed into a human-shaped cloud and addressed him. You argue persuasively, he said. It''s been agreed that it would be unethical to not give you SOME information about your destination. I''ve been informed that I may disclose a BIT more than I have.


    "Like my destination?" Adrian said.


    ...Um.... I can at least let you know beforehand that the Earth we are sending you to is a Superhero world.


    "A superhero world?" Adrian repeated. "Anything else?"


    Agent mumbled a bit and shrugged expressively. Sorry.


    There was an awkward silence. "Not your fault I suppose," Adrian finally muttered. "Better than nothing I suppose... " Superhero world. Adrian chewed his lip nervously. That was still a lot of variability. It could mean anything from Justice League to Watchmen.


    Agent made a staticky noise that might have passed for a sigh. For the record, we are not in the habit of forcing people to make utterly blind choices. It''s just that most of the entities we negotiate with are normally brought here in the midst of... a cataclysmic moment of some sort. Usually something that would or should have resulted in their deaths. They tend to arrive here... disoriented. In a fugue, or dreamlike state, or other state of not-quite-compos-mentis. It''s often rather like trying to get someone in an ER after a gruesome traffic accident to fill out hospital paperwork. Some form of assent is needed, so we resort to broad brushstrokes and vague entreaties and explanations... and our procedures have evolved accordingly.


    Adrian nodded. He could understand, somewhat. He had a mental image of the scene in Disney''s Aladdin where the Genie was desperately trying to get an official wish from Aladdin even as Aladdin was drowning. The Entity gave a Gallic shrug. I apologize for my earlier reticence. I''m not some Jerkass Genie, Adrian. I''m not going to trick you into becoming a woman, or turning into a black man and drop you into the middle of a Nazi rally. I want to win this as badly as you do, so I''m going to do everything to make sure you get the best deal possible. I will try to... be more forthcoming from here on out. Forgive an old Being his bad habits.


    "...Right. Sorry," Adrian apologized. "I do get that there has to be some element of chance or risk. I just want to know what lotto ticket I was writing the numbers on." He looked the Entity over. "You know, you''re sounding a lot more human than when this conversation started."


    A cosmic entity with nigh infinite resources and control over time and space, learning things quickly. Imagine that.


    "Touche`." Chastened, Adrian turned back to the screen and proceeded with his dicey choice. He flipped through the options-- he had hands!--- and watched as the screen flickered between races, classes, appearances¡­


    If it helps, Agent hinted, most of the¡­ limitations, I''d suppose you''d call them¡­ on the various races, classes and such you recall from the game are not in effect. Those are the products of gameplay-- programmers putting in things for the sake of design and balance, not the actuality of how such powers work in Azeroth.


    "Really."


    Yes. Think, do you think in real life that a gnome would run as fast as human? Or a human would be as physically strong as an orc? Or that a worgen, after the cutscreen, is suddenly unable to claw or bite anymore? Many of the limitations found in gameplay, you can disregard.


    "Well you''d better baby-walk me through it then. I don''t want to miss an advantage I overlooked because some programming doink in Blizzard thought it wouldn''t make for good ''game balance.'' "


    Very well. Oh, and you''ll be starting out at maximum level, so to speak. So don''t worry about learning curves for skills or talents. Thanks to the implanted memories, though you may need to practice a bit with your skills and abilities, your knowledge base will be fully updated from the start, so it will be more akin to brushing the dust off old skills than struggling to learn new ones. Also, you will be in peak physical condition, akin to your species'' version of an Olympiad. And you''ll find that maintaining that state will be nearly effortless.


    "Seems overly generous..."


    Fair''s fair. You''re getting dumped into a superhero ''verse, where a ridiculous percentage of the natives have the physique of Greek gods.


    Adrian mulled over the screen. He hemmed and hawed, but the choice was inevitable. "Species: Worgen." he clicked.


    May I ask your reasoning why? Agent was looking more and more humanoid; he tipped his ersatz eyeglasses in Adrian''s direction.


    "Innate abilites. Stronger than human, faster, presumably accelerated recuperation and healing from the metamorphic ability, both bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion, natural weapons, and going by the cut scenes, incredible leaping and climbing ability. The ability to change back and forth to a human form means an instant disguise option, too. Even a baseline worgen will be pretty kickass." Adrian shrugged his ghostly shoulders. "Plus werewolves are cool."


    A good choice, and good reasoning. Two notes: contrary to game lore, your worgen "curse" is not contagious. It is innately genetic. As if the night elves would be so foolish as to leave INTELLIGENT werewolves with a contagious curse, he muttered in an aside. All it would take is one contagious sociopath and Azeroth would end up like the final reel of the Omega Man...


    Anyhow, this does however mean that your Worgen form is your default form, the human one is essentially a shapeshifted disguise. If you violently lose consciousness -- say you are drugged or concussed-- you will revert to your ''natural,'' that is your Worgen, form. Try to avoid such circ.u.mstances when among hostile entities.


    "Yeah, important safety note. Thanks."


    Agent waved his hand. The screen filled with a side-by-side image: to the left, a young, dark haired, athletic man, caucasian with some hints of something exotic, about sixteen or so if Adrian judged correctly. To the right, a black-furred wolf-man, powerfully built, sleek and deadly. "So that''s me?" Adrian asked.


    Yes. Acceptable?


    "Better believe it. I haven''t had abs like that since never."


    And now¡­ class?


    Adrian browsed the options. "No warlocks or Demonhunters, I see."


    Certainly not. Agent''s voice had a shudder of profound revulsion in it. One of the differences between the gameplay version of Azeroth and the real one is that you will find no collaborators with demons or demonic powers among those of the Good. Warlocks are hunted like the vile traitors they are, and absolutely noone outside of the most desperate or depraved is mad enough to think they can use a Demon''s powers against him... those that were fool enough to try did not become some dark charismatic antihero with diabolic powers-- instead they almost instantly ended up as some Demon''s lickspittle. Trying to use a Demon''s power for anything other than what the DEMON wants is the equivalent of trying to beat mice to death with a live cobra. It''s not going to end well.


    Adrian shuddered. "Kind of glad to hear that, actually. I get kind of sick of the edgelord ''evil is kewl'' kiddies." Adrian looked over the screen. "Druid." He clicked. The two figures were now carrying staves and wearing Celtic-looking robes¡­ an odd change from the original game''s raven-wing-pauldron "druid look," but he could roll with it.


    Ah. And again, why this and not any of the others?


    Adrian had the strangest suspicion that Agent already knew why, and that it pleased him. "Flexibility. Dunno where I''m going or how I''m going to arrive, so I''d better pick the powerset with the most options. Azeroth druids have that in spades. Multiple forms for land, sea and air, and they can opt for melee, ranged attack, defensive, stealth or support. I figure whatever you hit me with, a Warcraft druid will have an option that can cope with it."


    Agent nodded. Definitely pleased. Coincidentally, you get full access to your classes'' specializations, including all the druid forms. Another little plus I spent ch.i.p.s on.


    "Even the owl and the treant?"


    Even the owl and the treant. And now for skills-- or crafts, professions, however you might call it. Coincidentally, you get all the gathering skills as a freebie, regardless. Along with fishing, cooking, first aid, and archaeology. He peered at the screen, seeming to squint. What an odd amalgamation of skills, he noted.


    "Engineer," Adrian said without hesitation, clicking the appropriate box. "And Enchanting."


    Be warned, the skills won''t work like they do in the game, Agent said. You won''t be able to take a handful of copper bolts and some sheepskin and make a helicopter. And some of the materials needed, while they do exist-- you will find creating or finding the more exotic ones to be difficult.


    "I didn''t figure they''d have bars of Adamantine down at the corner drugstore," Adrian said. "But I figure that at the very worst most of the skills and knowledge in Engineering would apply in the real world-- er, my real world-- as to be useful anyway."


    And enchanting?


    Adrian grinned. "You basically admitted that it worked just fine on Azeroth. I figure wherever I''m going has to be similar enough to both Azeroth and my own reality to make it work and for me to be functional."


    Agent c.o.c.ked an eyebrow. Yes, his appearance was coming right along. Clever boy. It is true: all three universes operate under the same thirteen cosmic forces as every other. Still, you may find it difficult to obtain ingredients like Strange Dust and Astral Essence, even with your Disenchanting ability.


    "And ain''t it interesting how many Engineering projects can be ''disenchanted'' for ingredients?" Adrian grinned even wider. He paused. "Thirteen forces? I thought there were only four."


    Agent''s head was still only a blank white shape, but Adrian got the distinct impression of a knowing smirk. So young and so much to learn.


    Adrian shrugged that off. "Anyway, Alchemy would be even dicier about ingredients¡­ I mean, when the nearest source for peacebloom is Azeroth, it''s a bad idea to take Alchemy as a profession. Besides which people are antsy about taking "home remedies" someone whipped up with back yard plants. Tailoring is too limited, as is leatherworking¡­ even the toughest armor you can make from those is like tissue paper next to chain or plate. Blacksmithing? You could make a Venn diagram of the "mining" skill-- which includes smelting, making ores and other metallurgy-- and engineering, and the overlap would be Blacksmithing.


    "Plus Enchanting and Engineering come with their own salvaging skills, in addition to the three basics."


    Agent smiled--- the mouth suddenly appearing on that blank bespectacled face was a touch alarming. Very good. Very very good. You might just stand a chance. He gestured to the screen. And now a name? The blank box blinked, waiting for an answer.


    Adrian only hesitated a moment. "Bayleaf." He looked at Agent. "My old World of Warcraft handle." he shrugged. "It''s also a healing herb. I considered "WarCrafter," but that sounded too¡­ aggressive. I want people to know I''m not just there to run around getting in fights-- I''m there to help."


    Agent nodded. Done and done. The choices on the giant screen vanished, leaving the worgen character standing in a battle ready pose. Below him blinked a single option:


    ENTER WORLD


    Adrian looked over at Agent. "Well?" he said, a little nervous. "So where''s my big debut gonna be?"


    A world almost exactly like your own¡­ within 99.9999 percent actually. He grimaced, obviously unhappy to disclose the rest. But that ten thousandth of a percent difference is a doozy. Agent waved. The image on the screen faded, to be replaced by an aerial view of a coastal city. An American one to judge by the flags waving on some of the buildings. This is Brockton Bay.


    Adrian felt the nonexistent blood drain from his face. "Worm? You''re sending me into Worm??" he floated there, listless with shock. Had he been truly solid he would have hit the ground with a thump.


    Yes. Or rather, it is one of a multiplicity of universes in this local brane where this timeline is, has, or will play out. So you are familiar with this particular panverse. Agent cleared his throat nervously.


    "Oh yeah, you might say that," Adrian laughed bleakly. "Worm? The Wildbow-verse? One of the most famous superhero genre online fiction worlds, and one of the most notorious? Oh yeah, I know about it. It''s a superhero deconstruction-- if you can call someone violently smashing a basket full of puppies with a sledgehammer "deconstruction." The storyline is like a cross between a demolition derby and a head-on train collision stuck on instant repeat, with someone standing off to the side pushing toddlers into the middle. It starts with a teenage girl being tortured into a psychotic breakdown and ends with an APOCALYPSE by a MAD OMNIPOTENT COSMIC SPACE WHALE DEMIGOD. It''s so grimdark it shits BATS!


    "I''m supposed to fix THIS? Stop SCION from destroying a couple dozen parallel worlds? With nothing but some werewolf druid powers? The entire Justice league backed by the Avengers, Optimus Prime and Chuck Norris couldn''t hack this!"


    Godlike powers are not what is needed here, Adrian, Agent said gently. You know that in the original timeline, that--


    "That Taylor Hebert ends up saving the world? Or what''s left of it, anyway?" Adrian said. He scowled in anger and suspicion. "So why not let her do it again?"


    Because the price paid, even if she wins¡ªby countless billions of innocents, including one poor innocent girl-- is too terrible.


    "If she wins?"


    As the unaltered ''verse plays out, the margins between victory and defeat are far narrower even than they look. Agent looked away, his white eyes staring at the endless plain around them. Far more often than not, when the original events are allowed to play out in yet another universe¡­ Taylor Hebert loses.


    "...well ain''t that just a ray of sunshine," Adrian muttered, his veins ice cold.


    Adrian, I am, in Agent terms, normally a "low roller." These are the highest stakes I have ever played for. But every universe in this particular panverse of this particular brane has been labeled as being at high risk. The need is so great that I was able to barter for more intervention-ch.i.p.s than all my previous rounds of the Game combined-- and I have spent nearly all of them just to find a champion, prepare them, and inform them in such great and terrible detail. He hesitated, then placed a spectral hand on a spectral shoulder. Even so, if you wish to withdraw, you can--


    Adrian shook his hand off. "No," he muttered. "No, I''m not gonna quit. How can I? If it was one person I was saving, I wouldn''t. But with a whole world? A whole multi-world of people in danger? I can''t back out¡­ I''d never be able to sleep again.


    "It''s just¡­ what can I do? Taylor had¡­ has¡­ will have insane-level powers that will put her BARELY on toe-to-toe basis with one of the Space Whales. What can I contribute in the face of that?"


    Often the fate of worlds hinges not on the most powerful, but on the least, Adrian said gently. Throwing overwhelming power into the mix won''t save the day here. I didn''t pick you to save the whole world in one swoop; I picked you because I wanted someone to go there and do the right thing. The little things. Maybe you won''t even be in the final battle--- but even the smallest good deed in the right place can change everything.


    Adrian sniffed. "Save the girl, save the world?"


    Something like that.


    He got to his feet. "So let''s do this then."


    Agent gestured to the screen. "Bayleaf" had reappeared, floating in the foreground over the skyline of Brockton Bay. Just walk through the screen.


    "When and where--?"


    Somewhere in the Brockton Bay area, I cannot be more precise. And late September, several months before--


    "Several months before the locker incident," Adrian-- Bayleaf-- said grimly. He was already imagining what he''d do if he got his hands around Sophia''s neck.


    I was unable to secure you identity papers, he said regretfully. I did not have sufficient ch.i.p.s for that level of direct involvement. It would have involved either mass memory editing, time travel, or somehow creating a false identity and paper trail sufficient to fool the resident tinkers, hackers, and Dragon herself. I recommend you pass yourself as a refugee from one of the cities destroyed by Endbringer activity or the like. Secure yourself some finances, obtain a residence and submit yourself to the authorities as an emancipated youth to be enrolled in Winslow High¡­ they have streamlined that process due to the number of young people rendered orphaned and homeless by superhuman catastrophe.


    "Urgh. Not even a driver''s license, maybe?"


    I spent all those points on concealing you from more important threats, Agent said drily. While your powers are in no way derived from the Entities or their Shards, you will be imbued with a false Gemma and Corona Pollenta that will trick most medical scans, and even most psions.


    "I can see why that''s important. A cape without a Gemma or Pollenta? That''ll attract attention nobody wants. What about Contessa? Or the Simurgh?"


    Agent gave him an evil smile. Due to the combination of your alien powers, your nature as a being from outside their timespace continuity, and the¡­ well think of it as a "holographic" Shard projected by your false Gemma and Pollenta¡­. you will be a rather large blind spot for the lot of them. In the truest sense of the word; much as your brain ''paints over'' the blind spot in your own vision, you will be a blind spot they aren''t even aware they have.


    "Ohoho. I can see why that cost a lot of ch.i.p.s."


    Worth every one. Especially for Contessa and her Cheat Code Mary Sue ''path to victory'' power. She''s in for a hell of a surprise if your paths cross. If you see her, punch her smug head up into that stupid little hat, would you?


    "I sense a backstory."


    No, I just despise her existence on principle. Her overriding influence makes things WORSE, by ERASING potential options from the board before they can even be considered. And considering the shitty nature of the ''victory'' her Path leads to¡­


    "Not a friend of the Agents, yeah."


    Or anyone. Nothing causes more Hells on Earth than people like Contessa or Doctor Mother, who think Mother Knows Best. He closed the folder with a snap, it disappeared in a cloud of sparkles. And that is it for pre-flight checkup , he said with a hint of amus.e.m.e.nt. Ready?


    Adrian nodded. "Let''s do this."


    Just step forward into the screen, Agent said. Be warned, you''re going to get one hell of a download of knowledge and neural information, in addition to having your body dramatically metamorphosed. You''re going to get knocked out¡­ and your recollection of your "time" here may be a bit fuzzy for a while. Just remember: your first step is to get into Winslow and help Taylor Hebert. Beyond that¡­ you''ll have to improvise.


    Adrian nodded and straightened his shoulders. Maybe he couldn''t save this world. Or any world. But on the other side of that screen there was a little girl who was going to be kidnapped and enslaved by a supervillain. There was a group of teenagers who were going to be railroaded into villainy. There was a miracle healer who was going to utterly destroy her own life with one terrible mistake. There were countless innocent people who were going to be destroyed in the crossfire between gangsters, drug dealers, and Nazi lunatics. There was one young woman on whom the entire world''s fate hinged, who was going to be put through utter Hell on Earth for no good reason.


    Maybe he couldn''t save them all, but if he could save one, he was going to damned well do it.


    Remember, Adrian: you are not as limited as you think.


    He stepped through the screen and the world went dark.


    In the realm he just left behind, the screen winked out. The endless twilit plain disappeared, and all detail faded away till there was nothing but a vaguely humanoid figure of glowing smoke floating in the void. Agent clung to the shape for a little while longer; he found it-- appealing for some reason.


    Another glowing amorphous shape appeared. That seemed to go well.


    Indeed it did, Agent agreed. Hello, Oversight.


    --for a given value of well. Your stratagem in this round¡­ eludes me, ''Agent.'' Most would regard it as incredibly unwise to reveal so much to their Avatar beforehand. Especially of our own inner workings.


    Revealing the Game?


    Revealing-- or at least hinting-- at just how far you have gone, Oversight said. He knows that you are gambling on his future. What will it do to his chances, I speculate, when he realizes just how reckless a gambler you are?


    To win big, one must risk big, Agent retorted. As risky as my past stakes have been, have I not produced victories like any other Agent? Innocents spared, lives rescued, worlds saved, futures changed for the better?


    And each time, you have spent more..."ch.i.p.s"¡­. Than you have gained, Oversight said, his voice heavy with chastis.e.m.e.nt. You have been running at a loss for cycle after cycle. One more "victory" like that and you will be destitute. And now you spend your last few Quatloos on a desperate gamble-- on not one world, but multiple parallel worlds in peril, and a single lone Avatar to try and stem the tide?


    And if he achieves one small good deed, I will weigh it as worth the cost, Agent retorted. You and I have different value judgments on what constitutes a profit, Oversight.


    How did a spendthrift like you persuade the Exchequer to even loan you as little as he did? Oversight said scornfully.


    Agent indulged himself and let a slow, genuine, visible smirk spread across his illusion of a face. Because I ill.u.s.trated to him that I am playing a longer game than it looks, he said. I do not intend to save one panverse world¡­ but two.


    Oversight''s regard-- what a material being would have called a puzzled look-- passed over Agent. Then came a moment of comprehension. Azeroth, he said. You have somehow incorporated Azeroth into your gamble. He "glared" suspiciously. How?


    Consider the fate of Azeroth, Agent said. Their technology, their thaumaturgic sciences, have been barely sufficient to save them from catastrophe over and over again. And each cataclysm has been worse than the last...while their sciences have barely progressed a few short, halting steps in thousands of years. Do you know why?


    He didn''t wait for Oversight to reply. Because they have continually failed to unify their theories. Paladin powers, arcanist abilities, druidic "nature" magic, gnomish and goblin technology--- all of it operates under the same scientific laws; it''s all a continuum. Yet their various ''schools'' remain divided-- in part by the conspiracy of outside forces but also by politics, by ideology, by terminology, by symbology-- they even use different maths for each; one works in base eight while another works in base ten!


    The closest any of them have come in tens of thousands of years to a grand unification theory have been the druids. Their world philosophy is about both diversity and balance, and they subsequently have hodgepodged bits and pieces from all the separate disciplines and have, miraculously, made them work together, discovered which ones were all but identical under the trappings¡­


    And you have just sent out a Druid, Oversight said suddenly.


    A druid, and an engineer, and an enchanter, Agent said. From a world whose scholastic philosophy is entirely about unification and finding a single grand underlying theory for Everything and More. Into a world full of artifactors and devisors and ur-scientists. When he starts trying out his new powers, flexing his new skills, if he starts digging deeper, if he begins cooperating with the natives of similar mind-- he will begin discovering parallels and synergies that will be staggering in their implications. Staggering enough to trigger discovery of the true Grand Unification Theory¡­ and a new model of the universe that will give both Earth Bet and Azeroth--- which he shall surely be drawn to visit next-- the tools to overcome.


    IF. The single word from Oversight was enough to weigh like mountains.


    That is where the risk comes in, Agent agreed . But it is the risk that makes it all worthwhile.


    Adrian woke with a start, the icy wind rushing past him snapping him to consciousness. He rattled his head, utterly disoriented. Weird images, some strange dream-- a glowing man, an Agent of some great cause, or ¡­ a game contestant/host¡­ offering him the deal of a lifetime¡­ what?


    He raised his hand to rub his eyes-- and a massive clawed paw groped at his face. He yelped before he realized the clawed, hairy hand was his own. As was the hairy, muscular arm it was attached to¡­


    "HOLY--!" He felt himself over (not like that, you freaks.) In a mere second he had stock of himself: massive hands with semi-retractable claws; seriously hairy chest rippling with muscle, arms like fur stockings stuffed with footballs, powerful digitigrade legs with padded clawed pawed feet, wolfen skull and muzzle, pointed ears, wet nose-- no tail though-- coal-black fur over everything-- He was clothed in a loose cotton tunic and trousers that hung loose on even his massive form and flapped madly in the upward rushing wind.


    "Holy crap, it was real," he said to himself. "Then that means..." He looked up.


    Spread out below him was a city-- a city that HAD to be Brockton Bay. It hugged the coastline and curled around an enormous harbor. He could see-- that had to be the PRT building. Or maybe it was Medhall? He couldn''t remember a description. But there, that over there had to be the Protectorate base, floating out in the water, oh wow, he could see the glittering dome of the forcefield, wow a real forcefield¡­ He could see everything up here, he was out over the middle of the bay--


    He was over the bay--


    Over-- the bay--


    Slowly, the rusted gears of cognition clunked into alignment.


    "HOLY CRAAaaaAAAaaaaAAP!!!" he began flailing wildly, which only started him tumbling, as he suddenly realized he was thousands of feet in the air without a plane. "AGENT, YOU RETARD!"


    He indulged in a couple seconds panic (he was really high up) before he realized he''d better get a grip or he was going to say hello to Earth Bet in a really sudden and final way. He gasped for air as he lay out spreadeagled, slowing his plummet. "Okay, breathe breathe breathe, remember, you''re a worgen¡ªWorgen can''t fly!!- no, but worgen druids can, come on, change into your flight form, bird bird birdbirdbird come on OWL OWL OWL--!!"


    He felt a massive, sort of internal twisting and folding, and suddenly where there had been a plummeting, panicking Worgen, there was now a plummeting, panicking, giant owl. It was several long eternities before he managed to right himself and began turning his demented flailing into at least an effort at flapping. Finally, his long dive began to turn into a swooping glide. He leveled out mere feet above the waves and flew, wings spread wide, hooting in victory¡­


    "hooo Hooo HOOOO.."


    And plowed into a whitecap a few yards from shore.


    A wheezing, waterlogged Worgen sloshed his way to shore a few moments later. Once the waves were no longer lapping at his ankles, he bent over and shook. What had to be a gallon of water sprayed over the sand. He stood up, relieved and feeling a good bit lighter, if not precisely drier. He shook the last of the water out of his ears in time to pick up the high pitched whine of¡­ was that an electric turbine?


    Around the end of one of the derelict sh.i.p.s came a low, sleek motorcycle. It looked, Adrian thought, rather like someone had crossbred a lightcycle from Tron with a particularly old school Harley. The rider looked to be wearing a full suit of futuristic armor, with only his bearded chin showing from underneath the visor on his helmet.


    Of course, Adrian thought. With disgust. Armsmaster. It would be the egotistical wannabe Iron Man who''d find him first. What were the odds? Of course they probably had all sorts of futuristic radar out on that floating base looking for incoming flying threats. He wondered what radar profile a wolfman plummeting from 10,000 feet left behind¡­


    The armored hero pulled to a halt in a spray of sand a few yards away. He dismounted quickly, pulling out a collapsing rod that folded out into a six foot staff, a shimmering blade snapping into existence at the end. He planted one end in the sand and struck a commanding pose. "Stand where you are, don''t-- WHOAAH!"


    Apparantly whatever Armsmaster had been expecting to see, it hadn''t been a sodden, bedraggled, seven foot tall wolf-man. He actually staggered back a step in surprise at the sight of him. Then, obviously miffed at his faux pas, he whipped his halberd down into the ''armed and ready'' pose, the blade pointed at Adrian''s chest, his thumb on some button or other on the haft.


    "Uh, Hi," Bayleaf said, grinning sheepishly and waving.


    In retrospect, smiling at an armed and armored man with a mouthful of fangs was probably a bad idea. But really, the taser dart had been a bit much...

 Chapter 158 - My SI Stash #58 - Outsider on Remnant: Canon Breaker by AngelofDeath4250 (RWBY)

    -A SI RWBY fic~ MC with a D&D Game System, check it out!


    Sypnosis: OC/SI One day I, a D&D playing nerd, was reborn into another world. Yeah like one of those isekai "trash" novels. Except when I go to question my sanity I see a 5e character sheet. I get strange dreams where a voice from the darkness gives me orders. Of course isekai protagonists usually get OP powers and I''m no exception. My class? Gamer. Best/worst part? I''m on Remnant.


    Rated: M


    Words: 25K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13482225/1/Outsider-on-Remnant-Canon-Breaker (AngelOfDeath4250)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Author Note: Hey, thanks for the interest. This started off as I picked up RWBY for the first time about a year ago and thought the setting was pretty neat. I''ve always been interested in world-building and TRPG''s so this blend of sci-fi and fantasy gave me some ideas. I''ll admit I''m a bit lazy so I decided to just see if there was a good RWBY TRPG out there, but the ones I did find were...well they just weren''t for me. That and I don''t really have a schedule that meshes with anyone else willing to game with me where I live so I got my 5e D&D books, some solo D&D material and stole the setting and characters of RWBY as an excuse to test solo gaming. Then I decided to take notes of my campaign to solidify it in my mind and I suddenly got here, brushing up on my writing skills. I can''t say I''m good and writing the results of the game as I''m playing it has changed my style but I figured I should get around to sharing my work anyway. I''m open to criticism and if there''s something you don''t understand just ask. I''ll try to respond promptly and I''m looking to refine my style. I intend to not have any more notes like this, but would like to know whether I should put my character stats on a separate doc.u.ment. I''m not sure if that would make for a better experience so if a majority of people are interested in those details then by all means let me know. Alright I''ll get out of your hair now. Hope you enjoy this bizarre adventure!


    I awoke looking at an unfamiliar ceiling. Looking around I saw a man and woman gazing at me, looking at me with worry on their faces for some reason. I blinked, realizing that my body felt rather strange as well. Hoping that I wasn''t drugged, I raised my hand and gazed at it. It''s so small, like a baby''s...wait a damn minute.


    I''m laying in a crib, I''m small...I''m a f.u.c.k.i.n.g baby! But last I remember...well, it''s vague...I recall some foggy moments of my life, years of spending time with family, going to school, entering college, slacking off at said college, working, etc. I could still feel the regret of spending years wasting my damn time while my family suffered. But I couldn''t remember faces, specifics, and I can''t even remember the last few weeks. What the hell is going on?


    Did I reincarnate like in those light novels I started reading in high school? If not, how the hell did I go from a young a.d.u.l.t body to...this? And why does my body still feel so strong? It''s not like a baby should feel like they were stronger, healthier and smarter than a damn a.d.u.l.t, and yet I feel so much...more than I did before. Just what the hell is going on?!


    "My dear little Set, are you doing okay?" The woman asked. Phew, glad I still understand the language. Wait how did she know my name? Did I reincarnate in some baby''s body since it shared a name with me? Not that I would know how reincarnation works. I''m just glad I don''t remember my birth, even if I have to deal with the hell of childhood again.


    These people though...my mother I assume has got light brown skin, red eyes and black hair with a thin figure and the man beside her is a tall tan skinned man with blond hair and green eyes with a figure reminiscent to old Roman or Greek statues. Dude''s built like a damn tank, and he''s wearing half-plate armor. Just what did I get myself into?


    The woman picked me up and I realized that she might be worried due to the way I started acting. Babies usually wear their emotions on their sleeves right? I was always a rather calm person, but I gotta play up to their expectations so they don''t start putting me in some therapy shit, or worse if this world is like I imagine. Medieval times didn''t necessarily treat mental illness very well at all. I giggled and waved my arms while gazing at her face. The man sighed in relief and the woman holding me cooed to me.


    "As much as I would like to stay I have to head off. The bullhead to Atlas is leaving soon and if I don''t leave today I won''t make the meeting with that Schnee bastard come morning."


    Wait...bullhead? Atlas? Schnee?! I''m on f.u.c.k.i.n.g Remnant?! This has got to be some sick joke, a coma dream, something!


    "But you just got back¡­" My implied mother replied. "I don''t like it either, but after all these years we''ve finally got more of an idea of why Dust can''t work outside the atmosphere. The paranoid fool wouldn''t just let me upload the findings thinking they might be seen by unwanted eyes. But he''ll guarantee funds for the rest of our lives and more after this I''m sure. As much as I''d love to spend time with the love of my life and our adorable son," he poked my nose gently at that confirming my parent theory, "I have to go." He kissed my mother for what seemed like forever. Ugh, just put me down already, I want to go back to sleep.


    "Mm, let me put our Set down. Sure you don''t have a bit more time for¡­" Alright, I have to drop focus on that right now. Finally they parted and set me down, leaving the room. I shook my head as I heard what I didn''t want to hear through the walls and fell into slumber.


    In my dream I was staring into a black void. Real fun start. "Adventurer, hear my voice." I looked all around, not knowing where the voice was coming from. It was my own voice I recalled, not that I tried to talk as a baby to confirm my voice in my new body. Except this voice was deeper, echoing in my ears. "You are to embark on a quest in my name. There will be many trials in the future, but you must make your name known throughout the coming days. Fulfill the destiny I have given you and one day you may return to your own. Go now my child, and I will make you a vessel for power befitting your duty."


    My eyes opened once again to view the ceiling. What exactly am I getting into? I don''t want to get myself killed working for some higher power that doesn''t even let me voice my thoughts on the matter! Just why exactly did I get thrust into this mess?! I sighed.


    In any case, I always wanted power like the heroes in the stories I read, the games I played. I never amounted to much on Earth, never got the opportunity to make a difference and stagnated due to the loss of willpower due to that. I was a victim of my birth, same as everyone else.


    What exactly did that being mean by vessel for power? It wasn''t just a normal dream...right? That''s when it hit me, knowledge flooding my brain, a character sheet appeared in my mind. It gave me the powers of a D&D character! I was now a level 1 Warlock as the class features would lead me to believe, but the class name was simply called Gamer. It didn''t have a level next to it like I would have expected either.


    Further down the page I had an XP Pool, which had the 12 classes listed with 0''s nearby. I focused on XP Pool and it was as if another window popped up on a computer. It said I had to have 100 xp to get level 1 in other classes unless I filled special requirements. Wow. This has to be the most broken way to multiclass.


    I focused on the word experience and another pop-up filled my "vision." This one told me that it was a measure of my achievements that would prompt my patron to give me more power. Granted, I was paraphrasing. I could get that experience by killing things, achieving certain goals or training. Wait, training to get XP? I wonder how long it takes.


    Now what can I do to train that won''t make my parents suspicious? I can''t just get out of the crib and start exercising. I shouldn''t even be able to walk yet, but I can feel a strength that shouldn''t be bound to the body of a baby. That was because...f.u.c.k, all my ability scores are 30! That''s broken as all hell but I''ll take it! I guess it makes sense that training would up my XP instead then, but I wonder what exactly is considered training.


    Part of the knowledge that flooded my brain was how to cast certain spells and cantrips...maybe if I cast those? Or at least focus my magic. By meditating? Or something similar. I was just doing what felt right while keeping up a baby facade when my mother entered the room. I had to make sure that I fit what was considered normal, and the stuff I learned throughout my life that I just took for granted and then some came in handy. Gotta thank those ability scores, I''m pretty much superhuman with just those! If I had that in my past life I wouldn''t have had any trouble accomplishing my goals!


    Time lost almost all its meaning to me after a while. I just watched the sunlight through the windows and counted days. In that time I have been focusing my magic, casting cantrips, etc, and had finally gained some XP! Kinda slow, but I wasn''t short on time. I quickly realized that I didn''t need to sleep often at all, I hadn''t even slept since my patron talked to me in that "dream." That got me many more hours to gain XP, and found that different types of training got me XP all the same. Focusing my magic, exercising sparingly while making sure I wasn''t seen, meditating, etc.


    After about 30 rises and falls of the sun I started to feel tired, sleepy anyway. Mental fatigue went away with a bit of rest as well as physical fatigue, but this was what being tired felt like. I drifted off to sleep and woke up feeling refreshed to go back to training.


    I went on that way for a little over 4 years, my mother looking after me and my father coming and going throughout that time. My mother realized teaching me how to read that I was a genius, and my father was there for all the important milestones like learning to talk and walk. Every time I would see the stress wash off his face and he would smile, but it would all return as he told mom about his work.


    Eavesdropping know and again I learned that my father was a huntsman, though after a decade of missions he turned to delving into ruins and mines to research ancient civilizations. They were mainly looking for what they knew of Dust, as some historians found that primitive civilizations had better knowledge on how Dust could be used to augment the body, or clothing. His employer was using his strength and knowledge of Dust use to try and find clues as to why Dust wouldn''t work outside the atmosphere, but any new findings were useful.


    When it came to my 4th birthday my father wasn''t there. That wasn''t the first thing he missed, but it was surprising. He hadn''t missed the others. I could see the disappointment on mom''s face but we celebrated nonetheless. Granted, we were a rather solitary bunch. My mom rarely let me leave the small house we had since Vacuo wasn''t the safest place. I had to learn that the hard way unfortunately. Two weeks later my mom came into my room crying. My father wasn''t coming home. He and the others he were with went radio silent, and when a team of huntsmen passed by the ruins they were at and found what was left of them. I was never told what exactly happened, but I suppose specifics didn''t matter.


    My mother had to find a job after that. We weren''t wealthy by any means, but we weren''t exactly poor. She had to keep it that way though since we wouldn''t have money from my father''s work anymore. I''d miss the guy. I don''t know exactly what she did, but she wasn''t a huntress like dad was. While she was out I could continue my training freely. I had 100 XP in just about every class, save for Barbarian, Bard and Warlock since that was unlocked already.


    My mother came home late in the night every night, but...she hasn''t come back in two nights either. I could take care of myself, of course, but this wasn''t normal. I...I should feel more torn up over this. I know that they both truly cared about me. They raised me, this me anyway, as their own.


    But in Vacuo only the strong truly survives, and I''m not exactly strong yet. Not strong enough for everything the streets would have to offer. But I don''t really have a choice do I? Robbers will come soon enough. I gathered all the items that would be useful for me, some of my father''s old weapons, a backup scroll my mother had, some clothes, etc and packed a bag I could carry and took it with me.


    I sold some items, using my Persuasion skill to get a better deal. I really only had to do it as I was a child and merchants still don''t want to take in what was likely stolen goods if they didn''t have to. I had some Lien that was spread around the house before, adding this I was able to get an Herbalism Kit and some Smith''s Tools.


    For the next few days I was sneaking about the city, selling various items to different merchants and buying materials to make the stuff I needed. Once I saw that people were coming to take me away, be it authorities or criminals, I took my necessities and left my old house for good.


    I''d have to find some way to make money and stay on the down low since I don''t want to get taken to an orphanage. Nor do I want to attract any attention. Best thing I could hope for was to get taken in by a nomadic tribe while they''re visiting Vacuo, but many others are likely hoping for the same. So I started roaming around, casting Disguise Self and performing on the street. I made some money and did so well that after 3 weeks the Lien in tips poured in. I guess I got some admirers heh.


    There were weeks where things went wrong. Money would trickle down to nothing sometimes. Three months in I was discovered by a gang who wanted my money. I was nearly followed back to my home and had to move my place of stay to be sure. 5 months in and another performer got into a spat with me. Apparently he''d been a part of a crew and they were affecting my rep. I stopped performing there and adopted a new working identity.


    I had to do that once more 6 months later. Almost a month after that I didn''t notice some thugs sneaking up on me during a performance and they gave me an ultimatum; money or life. I ran of course, no need to fight if I can avoid it. A few more weeks and I had a sizable amount of Lien. I had just turned 7, and the XP I gained over time helped me as well.


    I was thinking about doing this another year. More money to fund my adventures would be useful, and it would get me enough XP to get me a level in the last class I didn''t have one in; Bard. Then again, I don''t think I will be able to use its class features often since I''m solo right now. Besides, I found the reason my mother never came back.


    Supposedly she was robbed and killed trying to defend herself, though her body was never recovered. I can thank a lack of authority figures for that. I was really tempted to get revenge...but why do that? I don''t think she would have wanted me to do that, and it''s not as if I could stop all the crime in Vacuo.


    Then again, if I deal with this criminal, that would prevent them from taking future victims...but there''s no real law here save for Shade academy. Wait...there was a prison in Coquina. I''m sure there are others too, but I don''t really have a way to get my hands on any hacking tools right now...and even if I could find a subsidiary CCT tower I don''t think I could get away very easily.


    As time went on I decided to at least figure out the identities of those involved and decide how to deal with it later. Over time I was able to find out who they were; Carmine Esclados and Bertalik Celadon. Luckily I was able to keep my identity hidden with Disguise Self, because those are some badasses I didn''t want to come across. I likely wouldn''t be able to do much about them right now, and even if I were able to confront them I wouldn''t have a way to get them into the hands of any hunters. That would require some luck. Or...I suppose I would just have to get into contact with some hunters, post an anonymous tip with their locations and watch.


    Agh dammit! My mom''s likely been abducted, even if she wasn''t one of my first life''s parents she took care of me for years! I can''t just let these people get away with what they did! But if I mess up then I won''t be able to do anything about Salem and her plans...I sighed, dropping that idea.


    They''re relatively small characters. I don''t know enough about these characters to say that if they''re dealt with now it would attract the attention of Salem and her forces. I can only assume that Salem and her lackeys are well aware of the various criminal elements of Remnant and might investigate the origins of a random vigilante who shook things up.


    So I''m not going to shake things up.


    Last thing I need is to have to deal with Tyrian, Hazel or Cinder. It''s not like I have the power to take them on either. Wait a minute, when in the timeline am I anyway? I guess I could go to Vale and see its student body. Or I could go to Mistral and ask about the Nikos family. That could give me an idea of when I was reincarnated here.


    Either way the method of training I have isn''t going to cut it anymore. I need to get strong fast, and getting 1 xp per 3 days of non-stop training doesn''t make me lien nor is it quick. I know there''s no way I could do huntsman work yet, but I''d rather fight the Grimm than people right now. Just have to make sure there aren''t any Seers nearby when I find and kill Grimm.


    Don''t want Salem to investigate a surprisingly strong child after all. Especially if I start using magic in my fights.


    I suppose I could go ahead and hitch a ride to Mistral. I don''t really have anything tying me down here anymore ever since the house has been declared vacant and me missing. Some huntsmen-in-training came looking, but they''re not going to keep them on one mission for that long. I feel sorry for their grades, but I don''t have time for foster care.


    So there I was, walking down an alley wondering what to do on my way home around sundown, when I suddenly noticed a hand slightly brush against my waist. Turning quickly I grab the offender by the wrist and twist it behind their back. "Ow ow ow, okay I''m sorry! Let me go man!"


    The person who tried to pick my pocket looked a bit younger than me, a head of short blond hair in a ratty light brown shirt, white pancho stained with sweat and torn in several places, and baggy pants. Rough life indeed. That''s when I felt a tail with blond fur wrap around my wrist and tug at my grip, though I kept it there for another moment before pulling a pouch he lifted from my belt and retied it after I let go of him. He shook his wrist while turning back toward me.


    "Damn you''re good. But I stole that fair and square!" The boy charged me once again, scooping up a block of wood that lay on the ground nearby with his tail and catching it in his hands before swinging it at me. I side-stepped his swing by a hair, whistling at the power in it, before stepping in and going for a left body blow. My fist busted through what felt like a thin barrier before slamming into his stomach. He doubled over and dropped the 2x4.


    "Agh okay, you can keep it. You''re one tough guy! Ugh..." He tried to back up with his hands up but stumbled. I went to catch him which I regretted immediately because he turned to flee before falling onto his face. "Man...I can''t catch a damn break."


    That''s when I heard a loud growl. Looking around I noticed that all the people nearby had already made a break for it, then I saw three sets of eyes glistening light from the darkness to our right.


    Yeah those dogs don''t look too friendly. I turned to the faunus kid still laying on the ground. "Get up and run kid!" "I-I twisted my ankle!" Shit.


    The dogs charged us, and I ran to intercept them as they went to swarm the kid I laid out. The first dog tried to charge past me, but I kicked its midsection. It tumbled off to the side while another dog bit at my left arm. It latched on, trying to pull me down. I shook it off before the last dog, one much larger than the others, pounced me. I flung the 2x4 that the kid dropped up with my foot, caught it and shoved it into its mouth. It tugged at it, trying to snap it with its jaws. I pulled the 2x4 so the alpha''s neck was exposed then slammed a knee into it, then as it reeled from the blow punched it in the side.


    The dogs then fled, seeing as their prey had more fight in them than they bargained for. I frowned and looked at my arm. I got lucky, the bite wasn''t deep. I ripped my sleeve and bandaged the wound, not wanting to show off my healing abilities.


    "Whew, that was close. Thanks man. I''m sorry for trying to rob you." The faunus got up, favoring his left foot slightly. I sighed. "I get it. Times are tough." I turned to walk away then heard another growl before quickly turning back toward the sound.


    The faunus chuckled and scratched the back of his head while clutching at his stomach with his other hand. "Sorry, that one was me." I blinked twice, then shook my head with a chuckle. "Let''s go get something to eat. I''m pretty hungry myself."


    After dropping into a decent cafe the faunus and I were left to examine our menus. We got the occasional worried glances but I waved a few high value lien at the waiter to show I didn''t have to dine and dash. Granted, we were still just a couple of kids, one with a bloody makeshift bandage and another who was obviously poor, so we were still getting gawked at by tourists and other people not yet acquainted with Vacuo''s streets.


    "You sure this is okay? You saved me, I should be treating you¡­" The faunus kid hesitated looking at the menu. "It''s fine, I''ve been where you''re at. Feel free to get what you want." The kid''s face brightened with a wide smile. "Don''t regret this!"


    We got our food which the kid scarfed down, and I dug in as well. It''d been a while since I had a good meal like this. I''d mainly been buying cheap to save what funds I could, sleeping only occasionally in spaces I would rent for a day or two to keep myself hard to place. Probably being overly paranoid, but I''d rather be safe than sorry.


    "Ohh man, I''m stuffed. Been too long since I ate my fill." The kid pat his stomach while leaning back in his chair. I chuckled. "I''m Set. What''s your name?" I held my hand out and he shook it. "Sun Wukong, greatest thief to grace the streets!"


    Wait, what?! Sun?!


    I reined in my surprise, which he didn''t seem to catch. "Pretty sure the greatest thief wouldn''t have been caught picking pockets." He deflated, slumped over while nearly dropping the cup he was holding with his tail. "Uhh, I guess you''re right. But then again you''re weird!" He pointed at me while leaning in dramatically.


    "Just how did you break my aura in one go? You weren''t even able to block that dog! I know I''m no good with aura control, but even I know how to take a hit!" Yeah, I guessed he already had his aura. I want to know how he''s already unlocked it, but I feel like that might be a rough story to hear, let alone tell. "You sure about that? I did take you out in one hit."


    He sighed. "I...guess you''re right there. But you hit like a damn truck! What, did you use all of your aura to hit me?!" I shook my head reflexively. Shit, I shouldn''t have! "But then¡­" Sun''s eyes widened then he leaned in closer, whispering. "Wait, do you even have aura?" I sighed, looking slightly to the side. "No way!"


    Sun reeled back in his seat. "You''ve GOT to be kidding me. I got one shot by a kid with no aura...I know I hadn''t eaten in three days but still..." I exhaled there. Yeah I guess that would weaken you. "Anyway, you''re still real strong. And I won''t forget that you saved me back there. If there''s anything I can do for you just let me know." Sun gave me a thumbs up with a toothy grin.


    "There is one thing. What were you going to do with my lien? Besides eat." "Huh? Oh...well it''s not just me. The orphanage never has enough to go around and a couple of us kids have to help out. How come I''ve never seen you before anyway?!" I frowned. I never really thought about that side of things. I could have been helping these kids.


    But...I can''t be tied down. I need to have control over my own future. I can achieve my goals better that way...right? Yeah, of course, no self-doubt here.


    "I...well let''s just say I was heading out soon. I''m going to become a huntsman and I''m travelling as part of my training." Which is true for the most part. "For real?! But wait...without aura...ain''t that bad?" What? Ryuji is that you?! I shrugged.


    "I don''t really have much of a choice. I don''t have the funds or connections for a combat school, so I''ve got to learn from the school of hard knocks." I grinned. "Man, you''re one brave kid. Or stupid. But I guess we''re not much different. Neither of us have much choice huh?" Sun frowned. Yikes, what a downer of a conversation.


    "Well I''m strong and you''ve got aura, so we''re a lot better off than we could be. Cheer up." I smiled and kept munching on my plate. Sun seemed to be contemplating for a bit before looking back into my eyes. "Why do you want to be a huntsman so bad? Aren''t they basically monster hunters?"


    "Well, why do you want to steal?" Sun scoffed. "I don''t want to, I have to! It''s not just me dude, I have to help my friends at the orphanage! The older kids did it for me so I have to return the favor you know?"


    I let him breathe a moment after that outburst. "Well it''s like that for me, just...on a larger scale." Sun''s eyes widened, and he blinked a few times before responding."I...I think I get it. But going it alone is kinda¡­" I nodded. "Yeah, it''s going to be tough. But I have to."


    "Well I can help!" Sun pushed a closed fist against his chest, over his heart. "I uh, don''t know how to unlock someone''s aura, mine came when...well, that doesn''t matter. But I''ll spar with you! Wait, don''t tell me you''re leaving soon." Sun deflated a bit. "No, I planned on staying in Vacuo a little longer. I''ve got some more preparations to make. So I''ll be taking you up on that offer. I could work on some techniques. You''d better not regret it." I smiled, and he gave me a toothy grin. "Hey, for all you''ve done for me today it''s the least I could do."


    "Ugh, why did I let you rope me into this?" Sun said while laying face-first on the ground. "I gotta admit, that aura of yours sure is something. Makes you stronger, faster and more durable. Still, you learned to fight with that as a crutch. Then again, I had a couple more years of practice without it. Come on man, keep pushing." It had been around six months since the evening we met. Every day we would meet up and spar, I would give Sun a few pointers on hand-to-hand combat, strength training and some lien each week and he would help me get a feel for live combat.


    I had never really been in a fight before reincarnating here and while my ability scores and proficiencies seemed to lead me naturally to the best solution I was sure there would be times where I would doubt myself and hesitate. While it wasn''t in any real danger I was still getting more xp as well. I also found that I couldn''t spend xp gained through combat without taking a long rest, so I had gained a new found appreciation for sleep even though I didn''t quite need it as often as normal.


    "Well, I guess I can''t complain. I''ve gotten stronger and you''ve been paying real well. I haven''t had to steal and the whole orphanage is eating well." Sun rolled over and started doing crunches. "Hell, my aura''s gotten larger too. Though I was told that came with age, I think it''s both."


    I shrugged and responded with, "I wouldn''t know." Sun snorted. "Yeah, sorry, the other kids with aura in the orphanage don''t know anyone who can unlock auras either. They all just...got it when they needed it."


    "It''s no big deal. I''ve just gotta keep pushing myself to make up for that." Sun got up after finishing his last set. "That''s what I don''t get. I mean sure, your training is hardcore, but how you can keep up with me? Even though you''re older and have been training longer? You don''t have aura, and it''s a...I don''t...a force multi...um¡­"


    "Force multiplier?" "Yeah that! One of the older kids said somebody from Shade told him that. That''s why a somewhere around 6 or 7 year old kid like me can fight." Sun pointed finger guns at me. "There are always exceptions." "Excep...what?" "Something not normal." "So you admit it!" Sun gave me finger guns again. I nodded.


    "In a good way though." Sun shrugged. "Well you got me there. Wanna spar now? One last go before we part ways?" "I wasn''t going to let you go without it." I shot him a grin.


    "I''m going to go all out!" Sun grabbed a bo staff I had fashioned for him. Hand-to-hand wasn''t the only thing I taught him, and he took to this just as well. Makes sense considering the show. I also grabbed a staff and readied myself. "Don''t you always go all out?" I raised one eyebrow. "I''m taking you down a notch this time!"


    Sun charged toward me and pushed off the ground with one end of his staff. Dodging one swing he made toward my back in mid-air I raised my staff to block another horizontal strike as his feet hit the ground. I stepped forward to push one end into his stomach but he jumped back, extending his staff further and swinging toward my head in the other direction. Wow he''s gotten faster!


    I dropped under the strike flung a dart toward him, which he deflected with the short end of his staff. Using that as a distraction I lunged forward once more, feinting another thrust before spinning and kicking the side of his head. He rolled with the momentum after his aura caught my strike and cartwheeled back onto his feet without touching the ground. Damn, like those old kung-fu movies with the wires and everything!


    He sent two more strikes to each of my sides before stepping in and slamming his forehead into my nose. I reeled from the strong blow, then used a ki point to hit him with a flurry of blows. One staff strike from below pushed through his block before being thrust into his hip. He stumbled backward while I continued my pursuit, spinning my staff quickly around my body to distract him while I kicked off of a nearby wall before slamming one kick into his shoulder and landing a heel kick into his stomach. He flew back a couple of feet before slamming into the ground on his back, aura flickering.


    "Ow ow ow ow ow!" Sun complained. I walked up and reached a hand out to help him up. "You okay man? I may have gone a bit too far out of reflex."


    "Mmnn, did you get the license on that truck?" "Yeah, BADMOFO." Sun laughed as I helped him up.


    "Well I guess if someone busted me in my nose while I was out of aura I''d be pretty mad too! But man, it''s crazy how much we''ve improved, and you don''t even have aura at all!" It still amazes me how happy he is even after taking heavy hits like that. I hope I didn''t mess anything up in that head of his.


    "Well like I said before I''ve gotta try even harder to make up for it. If I get taken out by a Grimm before I even get a chance to become a Huntsman then my parents would roll in their graves." Sun frowned. "Yeah...you know...I think I want to become a huntsman now too."


    My eyes widened in surprise before I reined in my emotions. "Really? I think that''s a great idea. But you''re not just doing it because you think it''s cool...right?" Sun shook his head. "No...my family...we were separated...I only know what my mother told me before she died but¡­" Sun sat down by my bag and I followed suit. He looked down and away, hiding his face.


    "Our family was captured by some assholes who sold us to some miners. My older brother was the only one suited for work, so he went to some other camp. My dad tracked us down and broke us free but he...he never came back to get my brother after he saved us. I only know them by description but...I''ve gotta find my brother and graduating Shade and making a lot of money hunting Grimm is likely the only way I''m going to be able to have the freedom to find him. Even if it turns out he...I have to find him no matter what." Damn...that''s different. I shouldn''t just follow my knowledge from the show.


    I put a hand on his shoulder, which prompted him to turn to match my gaze. He was tearing up, liquid leaking from his eyes and one of his nostrils. I handed him a rag and tried to think of some way to cheer him up. "I get it, I do. That''s a good goal. I was worried you were just going to follow my example." I smiled, which earned me an eye roll.


    I took the opportunity to continue the conversation. "I''ll do what I can to help. Tell me what he looks like." "Well...he''s a bull faunus with horns like my mom. Blue eyes like me, red hair like my dad. He''s five years older than me. I...don''t really have much to go on to be frank."


    I...wow, I think I know who it is. And I have an idea of where he might be. Not specifically, but it''s gotta be with the SDC. I know he was treated so rough that he became a monster, but if I can help steer him down a different path...I shouldn''t worry about changing things too much from canon at this point. There are too many people to help.


    Besides, there''s no telling what else is different from the show at this point. Sun''s backstory is a lot more detailed than in the show, and even though it was far from over I highly doubt they were going for something like this. I just have to do what comes natural, canon be damned. Gotta do what I can to make it in this death world.


    "Well...I can''t say I have a clear idea of where he is but...I might run into him. I''m planning on heading to Mistral and later on Atlas before settling in Vale. If I''m right...he''ll be somewhere in Atlas." Sun looked me in the eye. "So...you''re really planning on heading out alone?" I nodded.


    "Like I said, it''s gonna be tough but I gotta do it. I''ve got too much on my shoulders to be tied down to one place right now." Sun exhaled, and I could hear the disbelief in his voice. "You''re talkin'' like some cartoon character¡­" I shrugged. "Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction." Hell, I fully believed my situation was some fantastical scenario that could never happen. I''m still not wholly convinced this isn''t some coma dream¡­


    "That''s the thing though...you say stuff like...like the a.d.u.l.ts from the orphanage. I know most of us kids grew up faster than we had to...but I don''t know, I''m not really sure what I''m trying to say here. But a lot of those a.d.u.l.ts...a lot of them never came back either¡­like dad..." Sun sniffed loudly. I sighed.


    "I can''t say I''ll come back. I can''t guarantee I''ll live that long. Fighting''s dangerous, but so is just about everything on Remnant." Sun rolled his eyes. "You don''t have to tell me that¡­" "So don''t worry about it too much man. Just live your life the way you see fit and you''ll be fine." Sun sighed, then nodded. "Yeah...I''ll do that. Thanks. For everything." Sun got up and left. I leave first thing in the morning, so that may just be the last time I see him.


    Cool kid. I just might miss sparring with him.

 Chapter 159 - My SI Stash #59 - Awesome Is My Middle Name by GodsWorld (Harry Potter)

    -SI as Harry Potter~ Wish fulfillment fic of course, just like any SI fics in general lol


    Sypnosis: Getting myself killed and waking up as the boy who lived. Check .Get ready Hogwarts now a man reincarnated as Harry Potter will leave his mark onto the wizarding world be it for the Greater Good. Reincarnation, SI!Harry, Harry/Hermione/Narcissa/Fleur, Nice Petunia


    Rated: T


    Words: 43K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13479326/1/Awesome-Is-My-Middle-Name (GodsWorld)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I got reincarnated.


    How did I get reincarnated you ask?


    Well, I don''t have an answer to that.


    And who did I get reincarnated into?


    Well, I got reincarnated into a boy who has messy black hair, green eyes and a lightning shaped scar in his forehead.


    That''s right, Ladies and gentlemen, I am motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g Harry potter who is currently 5 years old and is scrawny as hell.


    I was a 25 year old American young man and had a job where I worked as a supervisor and tech consultant on a mobile manufacturing company. I went to a party celebrating a promotions of one of my friends and coworker. I got drunk late night and passed out waking up in the cupboard under the stair while Petunia Dursley was bashing the bloody door of the cupboard with her fist also screeching at me to wake up and make breakfast.


    At first, I thought I was having hallucinations and was having a nasty hangover, those thoughts ended quickly due to Petunia opening the door and violently grabbing my arm to drag me out of the cupboard.


    While cooking breakfast I concluded that I somehow got myself killed from drinking too much alcohol and my soul travelled to an alternate reality where ones fiction is another''s reality. Great!


    ''Well'' I thought, I guess I shall play this role for now before having the time to think what to do next.


    =====3 YEARS LATER=====


    I easily adapted to play the role of Harry potter and changed a few things along the way. With my mentality being that of a 28 year old, I aced all of my test and exams from elementary to high school level education in the age of eight while having physical training to be athletic and get a better figure built for myself. I goti proclaimed as a bloody genius. I made it private with my tutors so anyone from the wizarding world would not just find out about me just from my goddamn name by giving excuses that I hated any sort of publicity. I learnt that I have eidetic memory and have extremely sharp senses. I can probably hear the noise from a gust of wind 100 meters away from me.


    My relationship with my aunt grew complicated. Aunt Petunia was a bitch at first glance but after me taking care of her and doing the household work when she was sick while the rest of the Dursley didn''t even bothered to check up on her created a special place for me in her bitter heart going so far to even apologize to me saying that she will do her best to take care of me and will treat me like her son also telling the truth about my parents, magic and everything related to it. while having some resentment with the rest of her family.


    Dudley Dursley is somewhat jealous of me for being more smart and athletic than him and hated me for grabbing his mother''s attention for myself. Vernon Dursley is the only one from Dursley except for Aunt Marge who hates my guts to the extreme and is always skeptical of me, even going so far to keep a bloody rifle under his bed if I dared to do something ''abnormal'' around him. (Well F.u.c.k you too buddy)


    Unknowingly, to all of them I am always practicing my control over my magic to get better results when I finally get myself a wand from Ollivander. I started to do magic I knew you probably could do wandlessly such as Occlumency, Legilimency, Apparition and obviously Animagus form. Only getting success in Occlumency and Apparition even though It hurts like hell to get squished around before emptying my stomach. I know it is supposed to be hard or something but by reading the novels and lore behind the wizarding world, I could somewhat understand the working of magic that is portrayed in the wizarding world and because I am Harry F.u.c.kin Potter, The boy who lived and all that jazz and stuff. I also discovered that I am an empath and can feel the emotion of other individuals.


    I now basically have a routine of studying everything no-magic related such as medicine, engineering, commerce and many other courses of university level because If you have a chance to live again why not go all out and don''t regret a single thing because you left something out of your life while I also secretly try to uncover how magic works from all perspective


    ======3 YEARS LATER=====


    Currently 11 years old, I succeeded in everything I was trying to do from getting masters in various courses without going public, Learning wandless magic such as Occlumency which got my mind organized to the point where I can control each and every emotion I have and also having a giant library for my mindscape. I also become an expert in Legilimency to the point where I can hear thoughts from many people at once like Charles Xavier (Professor X) but can easily control it to the point where I can hear nothing because hearing people''s thought with sharp senses can get bloody annoying and nauseous at times


    I also learned to master Apparition where I can travel from Surrey to Tokyo undetected and finally Animagus form which was the hardest to do but so worth it, It was exhilarating when I first transformed and ran around the nearby forests sneakily and did what everyone in my position would have done, I howled. I transformed into an awesome looking direwolf that has grey fur and is probably half the size of my bloody room.


    The project that I am most proud of is a smartphone. The only smartphone that is available of this era. Since I used to work in a mobile manufacturing company I know the components and the structure of many flagsh.i.p.s such as the IPhone or major Android phone While took months to get all the raw material and getting tools to turn them into the required components. I finally assembled a phone with its own OS which I proudly called Dragon Mark l. The whole purpose of the phone was for me to record data that I collect from the books of the wizarding world as well as from the muggle world that I collect in my own personal library.


    ====Scene Break====


    It is Dudley''s Birthday and the Dursley decided to celebrate by going to the zoo. I was also invited due to Aunt Petunia who at this point of time loved me the most out of her family. She changed honestly for the better and become what everyone would call a perfect housewife/mother.


    The rest of the Dursley grew even worse to the point where Dudley is now just a bloody hooligan now and Vernon got himself addicted to alcohol and terribly trying to hide it. (Petunia is now genuinely thinking for a divorce hating Vernon and Dudley more by the second)


    I believed that my magic secretly influenced the Dursley on the basis of how I feel about them to the point where those I liked such as Petunia became better as a person, while those I disliked or somewhat hated became worse than they were before.


    Dudley who is now a wider than a door and has a brain that is only the size of peanuts acted like a childlike manner and threw a temper tantrum for me to not go there.


    "Why should he go there? Its my birthday and I don''t want that freak anywhere near me" Dudley said in the most annoying voice possible in which I just rolled my eyes while Petunia just wanted to strangle him and if glares could kill Dudley would have been ten times dead.


    Petunia said with a sharp edge in her voice "Don''t you ever call him that you brat or there will be consequences and If he wants to he will go to the zoo whether you like it or not"


    She turns her head to me and her gaze change from loathing to almost loving "Harry dear do you want to see the animals in the zoo"


    I responded in a similar manner "If you want me to come with you than we should go mom"


    Me and Aunt Petunia loved each other to bits. I loved her because she is awesome honestly I thought she was a bitch like she was portrayed in the novels and movies but after changing her attitude she is that super beautiful aunt of yours who makes your favorite food every time you ask her for snacks or buy the best presents without you even knowing. I call her mom because she forced me into it and I always love to say it to her.


    Dudley tried to argue "But¡ª"


    "No Buts, Harry will go there if he wants to. You don''t have any say on this matter" Interrupted Aunt Petunia with a stern face at Dudley who already whimpering at the kitchen table now rushed out the kitchen probably towards Vernon to complain.


    "Thanks mom! He was giving me a headache with all that yelling" I replied while going to the near the counter to help her make breakfast.


    She sighed "I know dear, Vernon spoiled him too much and even that is an understatement. He personally expects me to give him 10 to 15 presents like a bloody slave. Even if I did he would just try to show it of to you not realizing that you are to mature for that sort of drama"


    I also rubbed my head with my hand and said "I know that but it always grates my nerve when he starts to drive you nuts with all his ''manly'' attitude. I swear he is going to be goddamn drug addict at the end of the decade"


    "I would try to deny that but even I think the same is going to happen" she responded in a bitter tone.


    "Don''t be sad Mom. Well at least you have me for you" I reassured her.


    She looks at me fondly, comes near me and rubs my hair saying "I know sweetheart. I know that you will always be there for me but sooner or later that damn Hogwarts letter will come and you will leave me all alone with them" She ended that sentence with a hint of contempt.


    I almost forgot that Aunt Petunia still hates magic saying that it was the thing that drove Lily away from her. In my first life, I was raised in an orphanage since birth so I never really felt any of that parental love until in my second life, I met Aunt Petunia who came along and became a mother figure for me. She is really special to me and if someone do any sort of harm to her then they should prey to God to not encounter me.


    "Mom, you know if you want me to write letters to you daily then perhaps you should tell me that in the first place and don''t forget that you are my most favorite person in the world, I would never ever forget about you" I told her reassuringly and snapping her of that ''Magic Is terrible'' thoughts from her mind


    She sheepishly said "Oh Sorry! I know you keep your word but its just I don''t want you to end up like your mother when she just didn''t know me anymore considering me as just another muggle and keeping herself busy with magic all the time to not even bother who her own sister was anymore"


    Quick history lesson, turns out that after Petunia called Lily a freak when they were young, she later wanted to apologize to her but Lily just started to avoid her and with magic subtlety helping her not to be noticed, it was basically impossible for Petunia to apologize. Lily impression of her sister didn''t change over the years and that was the reason that Petunia resented Lily and in extension the wizarding world and magic altogether.


    "Mom, I am your son for a long time and even if there is magic in my life I wouldn''t forget about you, you know that I would never to that to anyone especially you" saying to her to make her feel better about herself.


    Petunia slightly blushed saying "Oh my! The one thing that I am always glad that you inherited from your parents was Lily''s wits and James charms. My gods you are going to have witches around you trying to take you for themselves"


    Now is my time to blush saying "That wouldn''t ha-happen a-an-anytime soon. You know that" embarrassed that I stuttered a bit. (I always keep my emotions open to my Aunt because seriously would you ever be cold to your own mother)


    My Aunt slightly laughs at my embarrassment saying "It''s okay to be embarrassed Harry well you should get ready I think Vernon already ready to go and knowing him, there will be another argument about you that might last a while"


    "Sorry mom, I know it is always hard for you to stand up to him" I said angry at myself for not always being there for her.


    "I should be the one to apologize Harry. I wished I could have given you a better life than a life where people ridiculing you that were meant to raise you. I wish I just wish I wasn''t such a bitch to you when you were just a young babe placed outside my front door" said Aunt Petunia who was now just almost about to cry.


    I rushed towards her to give her a hug saying "Never ever call yourself that and I don''t care anything about the past. I would always love you for who you are to me. You are my mom"


    "Oh sorry Harry, you know I am the emotional one out of the both of us" Petunia lightheartedly replied also hugging me very tightly.


    The moment ended when Vernon entered the kitchen not happy at seeing me with my Aunt meanwhile Aunt quickly releases me from her hug and glares at Vernon saying to him "Don''t you start now Vernon, he will go and that is final" she looks to me "Dear, why don''t you wait for us at the car while me and your uncle have a quick chat" saying in a very sweet tone that gave Vernon and even me chills through our body.


    ''Nope, this is a disaster in the making. Even I have to pity you Vernon you pissed her of big time'' I thought rushing out of the house to the car giving Dudley and his friend who were sitting in the backseat my patented ''Talk and you will suffer'' glare to shut both of them up before they say something stupid.


    After 20 minute of screaming, shouting and a THUMP! sound that actually made both Dudley, his friend and even me jump from our seats came Aunt Petunia who was smiling at me and Uncle Vernon who had a lump in his forehead


    ''Did she just whacked him with the frying pan?'' thought all of us sitting in the car at the same time.


    Petunia opened the car door and said "Well now that we are ready. I would like to remind all of you that I don''t want any sort of misbehavior from any of you even you Vernon and if any you complain I will be the one to bash your heads with what I consider women''s greatest weapon"


    Nobody dared to argue even Dudley who personally had a taste of the ''women''s greatest weapon'' multiple times.


    ''Well, Only you Mom can control these animals to behave decently'' I thought knowing that my Aunt is amazing.


    .Chapter 2: Harry James Evans


    We drove to the zoo. The ride was actually kind of awkward for all of us because it was just that silent. I sighed in relief when I saw the gate of the zoo near us.


    Dudley ran of with his friend/minion followed by Vernon who just wanted an excuse to stay away from me.


    Petunia took my hand and we roamed across the zoo looking for anything interesting. She asked "Which animal would you like to see Harry?"


    "Giraffe" I quickly replied knowing that it was her favorite animal and the only thing I want to see today was my Aunt smile


    She beamed at me "Well what are we waiting for?"


    We visited the animals all over the zoo taking pictures of us with the animals. We both loved that people complimented us on being the best mother and son combo. It was always a delight that me and my aunt were considered a little family of our own by the people. Even when we are together with the rest of the Dursleys, everybody is extremely quick to the assumption that the rest of the Dursleys are just really terrible neighbors. Even Petunia is in on the joke taking her maiden name ''Evans'' whenever we are seen together.


    We saw Dudley trying to wake a bloody snake and doesn''t realizes that the snake tail was twitching madly all around the other side of the glass pane. Petunia just rubs her eyes sighing "That fool is going to be the death of me and where is that oaf?" looking around for her bastard of a husband, even I started to look grudgingly impressed that the fatass can hide even with all that fat on his belly.


    Dudley now tired of bothering the snake now goes to mess around the gorillas. I now having an opportunity to speak parseltongue with the snake talked to it (Hey! If you have a gift then you damn well use that gift because its worth it)


    "Hello Friend" I hissed to the snake who now wakes up comes towards me looking at me as a subject of interest.


    "You Speak" It hissed back displaying his shock on a human speaking snake tongue


    "I can. I have a question for you friend. Have you seen a human swine who reeks of whiskey and wears a mustache with more bits of food than hair?" I asked giving a perfect non-biased description of Vernon.


    The snake scowled for a moment then answered "Oh I have witnessed him and his image makes my skin crawl. I believe he is near the lions den" I pitied the snake as I also understood the pain of seeing the disgusting image of Vernon daily.


    Now knowing where that bastard is, I neared the lions cages that I saw Petunia horror-stricken putting her hand over her mouth. I immediately look towards where she was looking and I understood why she reacted like that. Vernon Dursley was drunk in a narrow alley around a shed in the zoo trying to s.e.x.u.a.lly assault a 11 year old young girl who was so terrified that she couldn''t scream. I knew he was a bastard but this was step too far even for him. I went towards him grabbing the nearest thing I could find which ended up being a shovel, raised it above my head and BAM!


    Vernon fell and was knocked out by the hit. The girl screamed thinking she was about to get r.a.p.ed or something like that, After opening her eyes she saw the bastard knocked out and saw me holding the shovel. She jumped at me saying thank you over and over again. Finally looking at her I realized that she has light skin, bright brown eyes, lots of bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth.


    Wait. The girl in my arm is the brains and beauty of the golden trio Hermione Granger Herself. Couldn''t have gotten any more luckier than that as now I have a companion with me for the Hogwarts Express. (Woohoo plus for Plot convenience)


    A dull sound was heard which led to me and Hermione looking towards Petunia who was now drilling her heels on Vernon''s groin. (Ironic since Vernon as the Director of Grunnings which is a drill-making company)


    "That''s it! I have enough of you and Dudley to the point where I am now sick of both of you. Vernon, I was giving you a final chance to let this grudge against Harry leave you but now after what you just did I don''t care anymore" She angrily threw her wedding ring towards an unconscious Vernon and walks towards me.


    "I am so proud of you Harry and I am so sorry Dear about that bad man, I will make sure that he ends up in a prison for that stunt of his. Dear, would you like to tell me your name" said Petunia in a polite manner trying to control her rage.


    "Her-Hermione Granger, Miss" said Hermione obviously scared.


    "HERMIONE" shouted a man who was rushing towards her. I assumed he was Hermione''s father.


    "DAD!" exclaimed Hermione obviously relieved to see him, confirming my assumption.


    "Hello Sir, Are you the girl''s father" asked Petunia. When the man nodded, she explained what happened to Hermione and the bastard who tried to assault her.


    Her father went from horrified to extremely livid at seconds. I wouldn''t have blame him if he had killed Vernon right there and then


    Instead he calls for the law enforcement to handle the unconscious Vernon. The police came in arresting him on the spot, Dudley was also taken in because Petunia didn''t want anything to do with the Dursley anymore.


    They interrogated Hermione in a caring manner trying not to scare her even more than she already was. Surprisingly, Hermione calmly and thoroughly recited the event to the shock of the detective who moments ago founded Hermione with her dad scared as hell


    They found out how he was knocked out and then the Officer told me he was proud of me that I protected Hermione from any harm and also gave me a warning to not put myself in any sort of danger


    Mr. Granger expressed his gratitude towards me as well as Hermione who shyly gave me a peck in the cheek whispering "you are my hero you know that", much to my aunt''s amus.e.m.e.nt and my embarrassment.


    Well knowing that my aunt is now going to a solicitor to officially be divorced. I quickly followed her and bade farewell to the Granger, much to Hermione''s disappointment


    I assured her that we will probably meet again, in which she smiled beautifully toward me.


    A week later, Petunia Dursley officially divorced Vernon Dursley and took her maiden name Petunia Evans. I don''t know the legal work behind what occurred but Vernon Dursley was sentenced 3 years in prison for s.e.x.u.a.l assault and Public Indecency. Dudley was given custody to Marge Dursley who shouted curses at Petunia in the courtroom. I later heard from Petunia herself that the bailiffs had to drag her out of court because she was trying to order her dog Ripper to bite Petunia''s legs off. Not that she succeeded, Even I know that the dog is a coward and in a room filled with people it wouldn''t even dare to move.


    The best thing about that fiasco was that now I am officially adopted to Mom (Aunt Petunia) and my named was changed from Harry James Potter to Harry James Evans. We also moved from 4 Privet Drive (The Dursleys House) to a house in Heathgate, Hampstead where I found out that the Grangers are now my neighbors.


    Hermione was almost jumping around in joy and shock when she found that I and her will be living near each other. We went to her favorite places which ended up being the Public Library.


    Hermione''s parents were happy as Hermione has her first real friend. My mom was also happy with Hermione also being my first friend.


    Mom and Hermione''s parents became extremely good friends much to my and Hermione''s joy as we didnt wanted to have any trouble being friends.


    Mom with her savings and her consolation money started a small company named ''Swans Wings'' which produces undergarment for male and female as well as baby products.


    Now one morning, there came a letter that was signed in green ink, If that wasn''t interesting to anyone then probably whats written will be


    To Harry James Evan,


    Second Bedroom, 4 Heathgate,


    Hampstead, England.


    HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY


    Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore


    (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)


    Dear Mr. Evans,


    We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.


    Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.


    Yours sincerely,


    Minerva McGonagall


    Deputy Headmistress


    Now will be the time for the adventures of one amazing fellow that will change the course of history of magic.


    Author Note:


    Hello Everybody, My name is Godsworld


    This is my first fanfic and this is not meant to be taken seriously


    I hope you all like what you may read

 Chapter 161 - My SI Stash #61 - Unscarred by TroyX (Harry Potter)

    -For the No Valentine peeps out there~ Here''s a NSFW SI Harry Potter Fix-fic!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 160K


    Posted: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/unscarred-harry-potter-au-si-fix-fic.6858/ (TroyX)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    I startled awake, bellowing as I blew my load.


    After about half a minute, my breathing began to slow, and I blinked the stars out of my eyes, only to jerk in shock at the sight that greeted me.


    Emma Watson was kneeling between my legs, licking my c.u.m from her lips as she stroked my softening d.i.c.k. "Hello, handsome!" she said, in a voice far too sultry to actually be Emma Watson''s. "I know your name of course, but trust me, you don''t know mine. You see, I''m not actually Emma Watson--"


    "Clearly," I mumble, as this is obviously a dream.


    "--but am a being far beyond your comprehension- Wait, what? What do you mean, clearly?" She breaks herself off in a huff. God, who knew Emma Watson''s face looked that good when sulking? "Oh, right, you think this is a dream. Well, that''s enough of that!"


    And just like that, I knew it wasn''t a dream. Some change came over my mindset right then, and I somehow knew this was real. "Uh... wait, don''t tell me, are you a Random Omnipotent Bitch-- er, Being?"


    Not!Emma tittered. "Don''t be shy, babe, I''m mostly definitely a bitch. I''m your bitch, and don''t you want to rut your horny bitch in heat?" I stammered incoherently, but my d.i.c.k shot back up to full hardness as she propped herself up on her elbows, revealing heavy jugs with hard, fat n.i.p.p.l.es poking at me. "That''s what I thought! First, let''s make this a little more fun."


    She held up her hand, and there was a dramatic flash as a wand straight out of Harry Potter appeared in her grasp. She touched the tip to my d.i.c.k and said, "D.i.c.kARDium, BiggeroSA!"


    Nothing happened. Despite myself, I said, "It''s BiggerOsa, not BiggeroSA." Her gaze turned sharply from my d.i.c.k to my face, and I immediately regretted my speaking.


    But Not!Emma trilled in laughter again. "Haha! I knew there was a reason I liked you! D.i.c.kARDium BiggerOsa!"


    Amazingly, my hard-on expanded, lengthening and thickening, rearing up from between my thighs as it strained towards the darkness-shrouded ceiling. The experience was extremely pleasurable, but also extremely gratifying to watch. My d.i.c.k was now a massive curved pillar that had to be about a foot and a half long, and definitely thick around as a soda can, at least. Prec.u.m bubbled from the tip liberally, running down the pulsing shaft.


    Not!Emma purred delightedly and licked up and down my shaft kittenishly as I groaned bestially. The pleasure my d.i.c.k was experiencing now was many times more than what I used to feel from stimulation. Running her tongue back up to my swollen, fist-sized glans, she opened her mouth and sucked my knob between her cheeks. I threw my head back, almost banging it into my headboard, crying out in bliss as she nursed.


    "Mmmm, tasty!" she said a few seconds later, after pulling off. "Now, I know you''d like the full-body treatment, amirite?" She began running her hands all over my chest, stroking and massaging gently, and miraculously, my flesh rippled and changed under her touch. Shapeless torso became bulging muscles, and I literally felt my feet sliding down the bed as I grew taller. I felt a great weight between my thighs now, as my nuts swelled in size, and then I felt long curls of hair falling upon my shoulders.


    "Oh, hell yes!" I half-grinned, half-gaped. I paused. "I hope this comes with all the p.o.r.n physics I could ever need... right?"


    "Of course!" Not!Emma smirked roguishly at me. "In fact, I''ll demonstrate." She literally floated off the bed, up until she was hovering over my crotch. Without her nuzzling it, my d.i.c.k snapped back to thrust out more or less parallel to my torso, the apple-sized c.o.c.khead dripping hot sticky prec.u.m six inches down onto my pecs. I gripped my fat shaft, m.o.a.ning slightly at the exquisite pleasure just that light touch stimulated, and marveled for a minute at how thick and meaty my c.o.c.k was now. My fingers, even though my hand was clearly broader to match my increased musculature and height, couldn''t quite meet around it.


    But I only marveled for a moment, before pushing my slab up to point directly at Not!Emma''s slick, glistening p.u.s.s.y. She mewled, and lowered until my knob was teasing the entrance to her puffy cunt, and we both m.o.a.ned. Then she hurled herself down on me. I screamed out in delirious rapture as my c.o.c.k split her open, driving deep inside her slippery, heated silk passage, and Not!Emma''s near-orgasmic cry was just as loud, if shriller.


    As soon as she hilted my tremendous shlong inside her, a feral instinct took over me. I seized her waist and rolled us over so that I was lying on top of her. She cried out in surprised delight, and then her shrieks broke up into a staccato chorus of ecstasy as I began pummeling her juicy cunt. Loud fleshy slaps filled the air, rapidly becoming obscenely squelchy, as we f.u.c.k.i.e.d, Not!Emma bucking her h.i.p.s up into my pounding thrusts.


    I was in absolute heaven, barely aware of my surroundings and unable to even fully appreciate the astonishing changes that had happened to me. Instead, intense rapture was crashing over me in tidal waves; the act of f.u.c.k.i.n.g itself felt ten times as good as a full orgasm once had for me. I could feel her hot tight f.u.c.ksleeve gripping me tightly, my every pulsing vein imprinted into her soaked inner walls, as we slipped and slid together.


    Not!Emma seemed almost surprised by how rapidly and forcefully her first climax overtook her, but she had only her own handiwork - in morphing me - to thank. Her body flopped and writhed beneath mine, but I kept jackhammering away. I wasn''t even breathing hard, just a steady, harsh pant of l.u.s.t as I went to town on her spasming cunt. I''m not sure how many times she c.u.mmed before I did, nor am I sure how long I pounded her before letting myself c.u.m. And that was just it...I let myself c.u.m. I could have held it back longer, perhaps even indefinitely.


    But when I c.u.mmed...damn, did I ever c.u.m. I swear it felt like my d.i.c.k was swelling even fatter with each massive pulse of jizz I felt surging up my enormous shaft before splurting deep inside her hammerspace p.u.s.s.y. (Well, it wasn''t so much that her p.u.s.s.y was hammerspace, but that my d.i.c.k could make orifices into temporary hammerspaces, going by what she''d said about giving me p.o.r.n physics.)


    My orgasm just keep going and going and going, like I was the Energizer Bunny. That comment about p.o.r.n physics was no joke, it seemed. My mind was blanked with the incredible bliss that wracked my muscular form, until at last my massive babymaker guttered its last dozen jizz-jets, and I groaned out a final time as I relaxed, letting my weight rest fully atop her.


    Not!Emma m.o.a.ned deliriously in barely coherent pleasure as she felt my still-hard c.o.c.k twitching inside her, and instinctively pressed sweet kisses to my muscular pecs. Given my increased height now, her head only came up to my chest when we were joined, it seemed.


    "Wow," I said, and repeated that a few times. It wasn''t sufficient of course, but what else could I say?


    Eventually, Not!Emma came around, and beamed at me. "I knew I picked the right guy for this! So, you know what else I like besides s.e.x?"


    "More s.e.x?" I offered, and the ROBitch guffawed.


    "That too! But also Harry Potter." At the expression on my face, she guffawed again. "Not the guy himself!"


    "Don''t tell me you''re a Draco fangirl," I said dryly.


    She giggled. "Nah. I don''t do MMF threesomes, hon, no worries about that. It''s the Harry Potter story, or more correctly, the setting, that I love. And I know you love it, too. So I''m sending you to that world!"


    "Wait, what?" I said.


    "Yeah!" she enthused. "Can''t wait to see you have fun with magic, and bone all those hot chicks. After we fix things, of course."


    "Fix things?" I echoed.


    "Fine, you caught me. After you fix things," she said, and I blinked again. "I''m gonna divinely instill in you magic aptitude more than double the strength of Voldemort and Dumbledore combined, plus automatic training in using them, as though you''ve had decades of experience and education. Then! You are going to the year 1981. In the Harry Potter world. An alternate Harry Potter world, I might add, and not only because you''ll be changing things...but you''ll see what I mean in a bit. Now then, off you go!"


    I felt my body tingling as the world vanished from my view, and before I could object, both my bedroom and the ROBitch were gone. It occurred to me that I didn''t even know her name.


    As the world began solidifying around me again, I heard her voice in my mind. Not!Emma works great, babe...


    Note: As always, in all my stories, all characters are 18+


    Chapter 2


    As Not!Emma''s last words faded from my mind, the world finally snapped into focus. I was standing on a narrow street of foreboding homes, that I didn''t recognize.


    And moreover, I was n.a.k.e.d.


    My tall, muscular form was sheened in sweat, and the moonlight glistened from my juice-coated d.i.c.k, which swayed gently between my knees. I instinctively tried to cover myself, but fortunately there was no one about. I belatedly noticed that, despite standing on cobblestones with lots of strewn pebbles and dirt, the soles of my feet weren''t at all uncomfortable. A nice side effect of Not!Emma''s p.o.r.n physics, I presumed.


    The other big thing was the wand in my hand. It was a long thing, though not quite as long as my d.i.c.k. Well, okay, it was longer than my flaccid d.i.c.k, which hung "only" to my knees. Certainly nowhere near as thick.


    Wood of pear, core of dragon heartstring, 16 inches, springy rather than rigid.


    I jerked slightly as the knowledge floated out of my memory. And it was memory - the training that Not!Emma had instilled in me, apparently. I realized that I knew hundreds of spells now, and could sense a sort of...vigor inside me. That must be what powerful internal magic felt like. Maybe not mana, since Harry Potter wizards apparently didn''t have mana, from what I knew.


    Well, first things first, let''s conjure me some clothes. I flicked my wand in what was somehow a very practiced and able gesture, and opened my mouth--


    Only to realize that I didn''t know a charm for conjuring clothes. Really? For Not!Emma to give me all this power and aptitude, but not to include what must be a fairly basic application--


    I didn''t forget, baby. But it''s really more FUN without it, you''ll see!


    Her voice floated across my mind, and despite myself, I grinned. Alright, fine. I''ll get some clothes later. But for now--


    I abruptly realized that the line of low lights up and down the street weren''t streetlamps, but jack-o''lanterns. It was Halloween! And...


    Oh god. It was 1981. That''s what Not!Emma had said. My Harry Potter lore was a bit rusty, but I definitely remembered that. Godric''s Hollow is where I needed to be, right?


    Not till tomorrow, babe. It''s the 30th.


    So I have 24 hours, then. Was she just going to magically tell me stuff any time I needed it? That would be...handy, at least.


    Her lack of reply told me otherwise, and I rolled my eyes, chuckling despite myself. So a day, huh? Was I supposed to find a hot witch to bone or something? My eyes scanned the street, which was still curiously empty, and then I froze in place, as I saw the address right in front of me.


    12 Grimmauld Place.


    The House of Black. Weren''t the Blacks all dark wizards? Other than Sirius and the other one, what was his name, Regulus. Like Bellatrix. She was a Black. And there were dim lights on in the windows. If Bellatrix was in there - that meant she could be stopped, before she tortured the Longbottoms into insanity.


    It was astonishing really, how my mind was just realizing all this with utmost clarity. Not!Emma had a game plan in mind, and was making sure I could easily get it.


    "Aberto," I said, swishing my wand at the door, which clicked open. You''d think the House of Black would be better protected than that, but then, I was extremely powerful. With a gifted wand, too. I strode inside; I could hardly sneak around, given the new vigor and confidence surging through my alpha frame.


    A screech of anger greeted me, and I saw what could be Kreacher glaring at me before vanishing. I shortly heard his voice from upstairs, yelling of a barbarian invading the home. I instantly Apparated, just as three figures Apparated downstairs around where I had just been. I reappeared in the next room, where I pointed my wand at my eyes and muttered, "Revalo!" The wall become transparent to my sight, and I saw the three Death Eaters frowning as they looked around. One was obviously Bellatrix, and Not!Emma''s implanted knowledge told me the others were her husband and brother-in-law, her two co-conspirators in torturing the Longbottoms (although that hadn''t happened yet, and wouldn''t if I had anything to say about it.)


    I gave them no further time to react, but pointed my wand directly at them. A blast of immense force toppled the wall and smashed into the Dark Wizards. Rodolphus and Rabastan fell back, their winds flying out of their hands as rubble weighed down on them, but Bellatrix was not one of Voldemort''s most feared followers for no reason. In mid-fall, she Apparated.


    I turned and whipped my wand through the air to conjure a glimmering shield of silver force as the woman appeared behind me and launched a curse at me. She looked dumbstruck, first because I easily deflected one of her strongest spells, and secondly cuz I was stark n.a.k.e.d. A stark n.a.k.e.d hunk.


    And she''s not bad looking herself, is she, babe?


    I scowled. She was somewhat attractive, but she''s also an evil-as-f.u.c.k sadistic bitch. I am not boning that.


    "Avada Kedavra!" I reacted instantly, and Bellatrix barely had time to look even more surprised, before green light swallowed her life force, and she slumped to the floor.


    Yells of fury alerted me to the fact that the other two were recovering and saw what had happened, and I Apparated again, even as green light flew through the spot I had previously been. "Sectumsempra!" I cried from my new vantage point, and was satisfied to see both men collapse as deep cuts scoured their flesh. "Expelliarmus!" Rabastan''s wand went flying end over end, while Rodolphus had already dropped his wand, but was grasping weakly for it, before it too was blown far out of his reach.


    I conjured another silver shield to deflect a shockingly potent attack from Kreacher, who howled in rage as he appeared next to me, but I sn.a.k.e.d my free hand out and grasped his throat, lifting him bodily. "Silencio," I muted him, and while that normally wouldn''t stop a house-elf''s magic, my spell was strong enough to totally dampen his spells for a short time. Still holding the pathetic creature, I turned back to the men, and wasted no time in finishing them off.


    I stood there, breathing heavily, as Kreacher squealed and struggled in my grip. I was at peak human strength thanks to Not!Emma''s transformation of me, but my muscles were further reinforced with magic at the moment. "Regulus Black," was all I said.


    Instantly, Kreacher went still, and looked slyly at me - and almost murderously. I took immediate advantage and followed up with, "I know he wanted you to destroy the locket. I know how. If you show me where it was, I will help you fulfill your master''s last order."


    Kreacher went rigid, his eyes widening in shock, before he closed his eyes for a few moments, and nodded. I set him down, and he looked at me skittishly, before rushing through the house. He clearly wasn''t running away, merely going to the locket''s location, so I followed him at a somewhat slower stride, to the drawing room.


    The pitiful house-elf said nothing, but gestured to a glass case. "Thank you, Kreacher," I said. I flicked my wand at the case, and softly said, "Cistem aperio." A burst of white light opened the case, but didn''t damage it, as it wasn''t warded. Without preamble, I pointed my wand directly at the unassuming locket that had once belonged to one of history''s most legendary and notorious wizards.


    My incantation was drowned out by the instant gout of purplish flame that flew eagerly from my wand to engulf the entire case. The locket disintegrated, and then the case. I insistently twirled my wand about and forced the Fiendfyre to dissolve after that. My wand didn''t much like the spell, and I couldn''t blame it, but it was necessary to destroy the Horcrux. Even for me, snuffing my own Fiendfyre spell had required some effort. That was a hungry fire, indeed.


    "Nasty n.a.k.e.d man kills mistress, kills masters. But nasty n.a.k.e.d man also is friend to good master Regulus." Kreacher finally spoke, turning the words over in his mouth, trying to understand.


    "Good master Regulus was not a friend to Bellatrix, Rabastan, or Rodolphus," I said softly, before Apparating away.


    ***


    I spent the next 24 hours hunting down all the Horcruxes, and using Fiendfyre to destroy them. Every time I thought about taking a break to scrounge up some clothes, Not!Emma''s voice urged me onwards. I had to admit there was certainly a thrill in being n.a.k.e.d publicly, and besides, it''s not like there was anyone around to see me.


    But the last step, after the Horcruxes were disintegrated, was to end Voldemort himself. Only Not!Emma''s helpful subconscious-level information guided me to where I needed to go next, and I appeared in some house I didn''t recognize, with my target before me.


    Peter Pettigrew had highly refined survival instincts, and immediately was in rat form and scurrying away as soon as the pop of displaced air signaled my arrival. He had no idea who or what I was, of course, but cowardice is a useful trait for avoiding danger.


    "Accio Peter Pettigrew!" It was almost comical, the way the rat squeaked as it flew through the air to land in my hand, where I firmly grasped it. "You," I said darkly, "are a terrible friend. You''ve known James Potter almost your whole life, how could you possibly be planning to go tell Voldemort where they..."


    I trailed off at something in the rat''s eyes. A growing sense of apprehension crept its way up my spine, and I tossed him down to the floor, instantly chanting, "Homorphio!" The rat was forcibly transformed back into a man, crawling pitifully on the ground, and I spat at him, "Petrificus Totalus!" Pettigrew''s limbs locked up, and I suppressed a wince as his head banged against the dingy floor. He groaned in pain, but I gave him no time to recover. "You already told Voldemort. Didn''t you? Tell me!"


    Pettigrew nodded quickly, fear for his life inspiring truthfulness in him. And I could tell, somehow, that he wasn''t lying. "F.u.c.k!" I swore. No time to deal further with Pettigrew, and without friends to betray or a master to restore, he was powerless.


    He no longer had information to betray, and after tonight, he would have no master to restore either.


    ***


    I Apparated into Godric''s Hollow, and beat feet to the Potters'' house. Without knowing their Secret, I couldn''t see the house, but I knew roughly where it was located - thanks, Not!Emma - and hoped I could beat Voldemort there. Sure enough, there was a figure in a dark, hooded cloak stalking sinisterly down the lane.


    "Voldemort!" I called out, perhaps not terribly wisely. The figure drew up short and turned, wand already raising.


    He was forced to react with a silver shield as my forceful spell hurtled towards him. Trees bent behind him from the blast. He laughed, throwing back his hood to reveal his snakelike visage. "I know not who you are, uncovered fool, but if you are not willing to kill me, then you have no hope of defeating me...not that you would to begin with. Avada kedavra!"


    I leapt out of the way - having reinforced my speed and reflexes as soon as Apparating to this street - as the deadly green light (far more vivid and bright than the Blacks'' had been) zipped past me, leaving a chill in its wake. I conjured a lasso of fire, and whipped it about, forming a wall of flames around Voldemort. The Dark Lord only laughed, and stepped through the flames. I dodged another green bolt, and Apparated behind him.


    He turned and yelled, "Avada Kedavra!" triumphantly. And I saw his vicious snarl of exultation as his killing curse hit home, splashing green light over me.


    Or rather, what he thought was me. The power level Not!Emma had gifted me with was sufficient to Apparate and conjure an illusion of myself at the same time. Even as Voldemort was smirking at my illusory corpse, a horizontal geyser of Fiendfyre devoured him. He barely had time to scream before turning to ash. It was harder to arrest the Fiendfyre this time, but I did it, leaving a wide smoking crater in the street. I stood there, panting heavily. This was all so surreal.


    Then a house suddenly appeared between two others, and a man - with a very familiar mop of dark hair - came rushing out, wand in hand. He lurched to a stop as he saw the crater and me.


    "You and your wife are safe, Mr. Potter," I said, still panting a bit. "Voldemort is dead. Forever."


    "What--" James'' face went white as he realized that Peter Pettigrew must have betrayed them. "You got him by yourself? Where are all the rest of you?"


    I paused. "Well, I''m all, but--"


    "Albus?" James sputtered. "As in Dumbledore? I never knew he had a son! I am indebted to you. All the world is."


    I opened my mouth to object, but then the world vanished from my sight once more, as Not!Emma spirited me away.

 Chapter 162 - My SI Stash #62 - A Subtle Knife by industrious (Worm/DCU)

    -A man from our World gets SI to Gotham with Jack Slash''s powers~ (meaning he can slash your throat from across the room or several blocks away, needs proper aim though) Check it out!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: ???


    Words: 330K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/a-subtle-knife-worm-yj-si.342043/page-6#post-17666169 (industrious)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1.1-1.4


    July 3rd, 2011, Early AM:


    Hangovers are a special kind of hell.


    It''s more than the constant feeling like your stomach is six inches too high, more than the steady throb at the temples, a regular beat of dizziness and pain, more than the limbs which just don''t shake. It''s also the knowledge that the next one (and there will be a next one, you know, even as you mumble that it''ll *never happen again*) will be even worse - you aren''t getting any younger, after all.


    What was I even thinking, trying to go drink for drink with Chris? We weren''t in college anymore, and he had eight inches and a like a hundred pounds on me.


    I kept my eyes clenched shut against the blinding light, tried to think calming thoughts. My skull decided to play percussion anyway.


    In the end, though, I had to get up. I had been lying on what felt like a lumpy beanbag chair; one of my nails or something must have slipped, because a foul, redolent smell the likes of which I had only encountered when I accidentally left some potatoes out to rot metaphorically grabbed my nostrils and began to beat me across the face with them.


    "Oh, f.u.c.k me¡­"


    ...and there went this set of clothes. Five minutes into consciousness and you''re already making the greatest life choices.


    Shut up, me. Only way to go from here is up. Positive thoughts, my friend. Positive thoughts.


    Step One: Get off the ripped bag of garbage you''ve been lying on since last night''s bender.


    My feet and legs felt like the jelly stuck to the sides of a jar - I was upright, seemingly in defiance of all laws of physics. At least, until they started to quiver, and I had to lean against what felt like a nearby brick wall to steady myself.


    Step Two: Open eyes.


    It was hard to do, given the sheer amount of muta crusting them shut, but I wasn''t about to rub my dirty, garbage-touched hands on my eyes, no sir. But with an effort of what felt like supreme will at the time, I got them open, bleary, probably red-rimmed, unfocused.


    ...Yup, it was an alley. Probably the most stereotypical, straight-from-the-pictures alley you could find. The sort of alley that you wouldn''t want to meet people you wouldn''t want to meet in a dark alley in. And yes, that was a trash bag, how wonderful to find out.


    "Thanks, Chris," I mumble to myself, walking towards the nearest street. "Ditch me in the sketchiest alley in New Orleans you can find when I come down to visit."


    I blink, and keep blinking to get my vision restored, before I remember that I don''t have my contacts in. I fumble around in my pockets for my glasses before putting them on - they''re filthy grimy what with the barhopping and sleeping in an alley, but I can at least start to have some detail in my vision¡­


    This isn''t New Orleans.


    My heart pounds in my chest as I take in the skyscr.a.p.ers around me. Even the business district of the Big Easy is modern; these look ancient. Weathered old turn-of-the 20th century buildings with Art Deco facades, with tier upon tier of gargoyles gasp downward at the city below. The streetlights look like hangman''s nooses, and I stand there, mouth open like an idiot as I see the license plate of a parked car.


    No way.


    This can''t be happening. How could this be happening?


    Gotham isn''t real.


    No way. This has to be a dream or something, except my head still feels like someone''s stuffed it full of brain and its beating at the door trying to get out and that was a mixed metaphor, wasn''t it?


    The people on the street are deliberately moving around me, and I realize how I must look. What had been a dressy tan shirt and jeans was smeared with garbage juice and vomit; still hungover, I had been swaying and staggering from side to side, and...I had been mumbling this can''t be real to myself over and over.


    I''d like to say that that realization let me snap to more attention. Honestly, though, what did it was the call of nature; I forced back the pounding and fuzz of the previous night''s revelry, and ducked into another nearby alley, shaking my head in a vague attempt to clear it.


    "I''m...in Gotham," I said to the empty alley.


    "I''m Gotham! With the crime, and the..everything, and...wow."


    I was a grown man, and I was not going to squee like some fangirl.


    Nervous, yet somehow jubilant fanboyish giggling, however seemed completely appropriate. Or at least, uncontrollable. I must have looked like a ridiculous sight, my fly down, facing the alley wall.


    And because someone up there seemed to have it in for me, just as I''m about to zip back up, someone grabs the back of my head and slams it against the alley wall.


    "This is my alley! Mine!"


    My ears are ringing, and I''m dazed and holycrapi''mingothami''mgettingmugged.


    Can''t get killed by a mugger. That would just be embarrassing.


    I reach out with my right arm, try to drag myself away, but a boot stomps on my hand and my vision goes all white for a second and I hear the sound of tongue smacking against lips above me.


    My other hand fumbles for something, anything to hit him with, to get free, to daze him, to run. I feel the cold glass of a longneck, grab it.


    A hand forces its way into my back pocket, scrabbling for my wallet, and I rock myself onto my side, shouting something loud and incomprehensible, and slashing with the oddly light beer bottle and¡­


    Oh my.


    My attacker was the sort of bearded, filthy, coat-held-together-by-grime, fingerless-gloves-worn-unironically sort of homeless man that you see in the bad parts of cities, but don''t ever look directly in the eye. Was, because there was a long, angry red jagged road across his chest, and his eyes were wide and unfocused and as he collapses I scrabble back as he hits the pavement and the red begins to pool beneath him and and¡­


    The longneck in my hand wasn''t a whole bottle, just the jagged remains of one - I hadn''t come anywhere near his flesh, hadn''t felt any resistance as I slashed.


    My eyes wide but not nearly as wide as the dying man in front of me, I throw the broken bottle against the side of the alley and turn around to flee¡­


    He is there. Of course he is. It''s Gotham.


    He looks like a giant, a shadow, a creature of the night. I would recognize him anywhere, and somewhere, I dimly appreciate the fear in my veins at his appearance. At the grey body armor, and the black symbol every boy dreams of donning at least once in his life. At that expressionless, pitiless expression on his face; the white lenses (they don''t look like lenses in person, they look like inhuman, glowing eyes) that stare through you. I stop short, mouth open in wordless horror.


    I don''t see how he knocks me out. I just feel pain, and then blackness.


    Chapter 1.2


    July 3rd, 2011


    Whoosy.


    In and out.


    Blurred.


    "...John Doe¡­"


    "...severe bruising¡­"


    Fuzzy¡­


    July 4th, 2011


    Waking up the second? third? time is much better than either of the previous ones. The patch of medical tape on my forearm is a big hint as to why. One of my fraternity brothers had told me that IVs were the best cure for a hangover. Apparently, he had gotten absolutely smashed with some friends in the army and had gotten IVs from the base after long night - or so he claimed, anyway. I know that some places offer IVs for hangovers and figured they were just ripping off people with more money than sense but...wow. My mind feels a lot more clear than when I...woke up...in an alley...in...Gotham¡­


    No, V.i.r.g.i.nia, this is not a dream. Though there may well be a Santa Claus, given that I''m in Gotham. Less than half an hour of consciousness in the city, and I had already gotten assaulted by a hobo and knocked out by Batman. You really can''t get more Gotham than¡­


    Yeah, this sort of fond reminiscence isn''t going to distract me from the fact that I''m in a jail cell. For the first time, ever. Thankfully, I''m alone in this cell, and from the silence, I don''t think anyone else is on this block. I''d wonder why I was put all alone, but...Gotham. They probably have wings of normally empty cell blocks that go unused until there''s another crime wave or gang war every few weeks.


    I hope that my isolation is because they''re being charitable, that they don''t think I''m a threat. And, let''s be honest here, I don''t really look like one. Being shorter than your average human will do that to you; I blame my mother, and the fact that I''d spend most mealtimes with a book in one hand and a fork in the other. And while I had been rail thin throughout childhood and college as a result, my entry into the working world had given me that worst of all builds, that dread combination of "skinny, but has a bit of a belly, and no muscle." I swear, I''m going to the gym this weekend. Maybe Tuesday. Honest


    Only...let''s be honest again here. I am a threat, whether or not the GCPD knows it. I don''t know if they''ll be able to forensics that bottle, but I know there wasn''t any blood on it, despite seeing up close (notgoingtopuke, notgoingtopuke) what it did to my would-be attacker. I wasn''t anywhere near close enough to actually hit him.


    No, I''m not going to say it. This is a jail cell, and you were taken here presumably by Batman, and there is probably a camera, a mic, and several bat-shaped other mics in the cell with you.


    I really want to say it, though.


    I settle for screaming it mentally, as loud as possible.


    I''ve got superpowers!


    This thought is swiftly followed up by a reminder as to whose powers I presumably have. And then a reminder that I should probably test things to be sure.


    The bench I''m seated on is made of concrete; I lie belly-down on it, resting my head on crossed forearms. I''ve been on vacation the past few days; my nails have grown out, slightly. Slowly, deliberately, I keep my index finger about an inch above the surface, drag it up and down. And then side to side. And in circles. And finally, in a odd squiggle that I''ve played around with since I was about 9 that originally might have been the letter "r" in...one of the Elvishes in Tolkein.


    Five minutes later, when I''ve stopped hyperventilating, I have my thoughts mostly in order.


    First, I''m in Gotham, presumably somewhere in a DC Continuity. Given I have superpowers, I can assume it''s not the Nolan one.


    Second, I...have Jack Slash''s power. At least, I have one of his powers. The obvious one. Batman isn''t superhuman, so the other one wouldn''t work on him. Would it work on any DC characters, then?


    At this point, I am quietly furious that of all the powers to get, I had to get one of the worst, least-heroic powers of them all. Will had loved Jack''s power - his full powerset, mind you - but if I had to choose one power to be stuck with, I''d have gone with Harbinger''s. I had made plans for getting intuitive mathematics one day. I had even played as a Number Man expy in that Sentinels of the Multiverse game¡­Santa''s a jerk.


    Shaking my head, I stop that sort of thinking immediately. It wasn''t productive, thinking about my friends wasn''t going to do anything for my state of mind, and I had to accept that I...had the powers of Earth Bet''s most infamous murderhobo. Probably. I still didn''t know if I had the really important power, the one that made Jack Slash a name to be feared.


    Having temporarily exhausted this line of reasoning, I examine myself more closely. The GCPD has confiscated my stuff, put me in the an orange jumpsuit with the name "John Doe" on it. Which, given that my wallet is now with them, means that either my various IDs are missing, or this is a generic prisoner''s jumpsuit. Probably the latter, since they can''t just make custom made nametags for every prisoner, even one with a name as common as


    I try to say my name, out loud. It should come automatically, a reflex, no thought or effort whatsoever.


    I''m not stunned or anything. There isn''t any physical reaction. No blackouts. It''s as if someone had come in with a pair of psychic scissors and neatly cut my name out from my headspace.


    ...I hope that my vocabulary hasn''t turned into Wormverse slang. I don''t even like the sound of the word "copacetic."


    If I can''t say or think my birth name, what about¡­


    "Pac-Man."


    At least I could use my old fraternity name. Though for obvious reasons, it would be a terrible nickname, and I''d probably be sued if I tried to make it a superhero name. Assuming Pac-Man was actually a thing in this universe.


    My musings on interdimensional copyright law is broken up by the sound of the cell block door opening. I stand up, stick my nose between the bars to take a look.


    As the slightly blue-skinned man in the refrigerated suit takes slow, plodding steps towards the cell opposite me, almost comically large chains at his wrists and ankles, and flanked on either side by two guards with very large and intimidating-looking shotguns, I figure I''m going to know if I have Jack Slash''s powers sooner rather than later.


    Chapter 1.3


    July 4th, Early PM


    My high school English teacher was, among other things, a volunteer chaplain at a prison. If we were insightful or ahead of the curriculum, or if he just wasn''t feeling like teaching, he tell us about it.


    "In the movies, people always ask ''what''re you in for''," he say. "But in prison, nobody talks that way. People don''t talk about why they got inside. A lot of them are just trying to serve their time in peace."


    With this in mind, I nod a polite yet vague greeting at the supervillain right across my cell. His eyes narrow as my head bobs.


    "So."


    His voice has that robo-distortion that always spooked me as a kid. This version of Mr. Freeze doesn''t have the pink gloves, though, so it''s probably not the DCAU. Though I know he changed suits at least once after the Animated Series.


    "What are you doing in this wing?"


    ...I guess that my English teacher''s advice didn''t apply to supercriminals.


    "For the same reasons you''re being kept here," I say. "A simultaneous excess and insufficiency of ability."


    ...What am I even saying? I didn''t mean to say that - really. I mean, it was better than what I was thinking of saying, which involved stammering, avoiding eye contact, and managing to mumble something when all was said and done, but


    Whatever I said, it seems to placate Mr. Freeze; he returns my nod at least.


    ...And Jack Slash powers, confirmed. Mr. Freeze is accepting my words here. Which came naturally.


    Jack Slash had the power to intuitively sense and get information from other parahumans; he knew, at least subconsciously, what they were going to do to him and his. What made them tick.


    How to manipulate them.


    This is probably going to be really bad for my mental health, but I''m going to need to think of this conversation like he did. Like a game, with carrots and sticks, and a goal to move towards. Limitations to ensure creative solutions. This is already sounding like a terrible idea, but it''s better than any other option that comes to mind.


    So, what do I want out of this conversation? I''d like Mr. Freeze to...not kill me. While we''re in jail. I don''t remember him being a violent prisoner, at least, so I think my first comment took care of that. I don''t think I can convince him to turn away from villainy in a single conversation, so that''s out¡­


    No, what I need is information. About Gotham. About which version of the DCU I''m in. And when in the timeline I''m in.


    Limitations? Well, this whole cell block is probably wired for sound. I don''t want to come off like a fellow supervillain to the police. At the same time, I don''t want to alienate Mr. Freeze too badly, especially since he''s seen my face, so¡­


    The glass dome keeping his head cool is cracked.


    "The Bat," I say, half-question, half-statement. A neutral statement for him to interpret as he wants.


    "And his Boy Wonder."


    Now that''s interesting. Not "the latest Boy Wonder," but at the same time, we have ourselves a Dynamic Duo. No mention of a Batgirl, but if there is one, she''s probably a redhead.


    I shrug.


    "It could have been worse."


    "Oh?" Seeing a raised eyebrow without any hair is strange.


    I can''t keep up this conversation, not while we''re probably bugged. Even what I''ve already said probably makes has me looking more and more suspicious.


    I keep my tone light, and playful, with my eyes partially closed. This is meant to seem an idle thought...


    "There could have been more of them."


    He scoffs. "The Batman does not appreciate having the rest of the Justice League in his city."


    ...And we have a Justice League. This isn''t the really early days, then. There''s already a community of heroes (and villains), and I...I''m feeling better about my state of affairs already. Sure, I''m in a jail cell and...killed...someone, but I have social-fu. Jack Slash on his own was never an enormous threat; what made him truly terrifying were the people he convinced to join him. Not that I''m planning to follow the Dao of the Murderhobo or anything.


    "And The Batman shouldn''t have been here to begin with! He was scheduled to make an announcement this morning in Washington, and my plan would have succeeded¡­"


    Enter megalomaniacal rant. Don''t get me wrong, I get them, or at least this type of rant. This is the "I should have succeeded, the world is against me, this is totally not my fault or the result of my actions or my responsibility" sort of spiel that seems to accompany any great failure. It''s a self-esteem sort of thing. I''ve even indulged in a few myself. About more mundane things, obviously.


    Honestly, this one seems a bit canned. He''s probably used to them by now. Get caught, rant, be thrown into Arkham. Break out, do something stupidly villainous, get caught¡­ It''s no wonder why his heart isn''t in it.


    I become less of a participant and more of an enraptured audience member, nodding and agreeing at appropriate times, because what else can you do when such a luminary as Mr. Freeze decides to impart such wisdom to your ears? He''s enjoying having a captive (ha!) audience, and I''m playing my part perfectly.


    It''s almost a relief when the doors to the cell block slide open again.


    "Place your hands through the bars."


    I comply as they cuff me, taking deep breaths as I do so. Calm, cool, not panicking at being detained at all is me.


    "Thought we''d have a little chat" the officer says as he unlocks my cell door, his partner behind him. He''s far enough from the other side of the cell blcok that Freeze wouldn''t be able to touch him, a hand right against his holstered weapon.


    I guess they weren''t being charitable after all. At least they''re being polite about it. Well. Relatively polite.


    I nod to the supervillain as I leave, and note that he nods back.


    "Made a new friend?" one of the cops sneers, shoving me forward.


    And there goes whatever veneer of politeness I had been hoping for. I know better than to answer, of course.


    As we exit the cell block, I wonder who''ll be doing the interrogation. Questioning. Whatever the proper term would be. I haven''t been read any Miranda rights, so I don''t think it''s admissable, but my knowledge of law comes from cultural osmosis and a few law blogs written about how crappy our police system is and what to do if you''re pulled over without cause.


    Somehow, I don''t think asking "am I free to go" is going to help my situation here.


    The interrogation room looks just like it does in the shows; bare concrete walls and floor, one light, a cheap metal table bolted to the floor and chairs. A stenography device lies close to one side; a metal U-loop fused to the table on the other. And of course, the one way glass. Can''t forget about that.


    My stomach rumbles, and I realize I haven''t eaten since...well, since I came to this universe. I think I had buffalo wings in Charlotte, but those are long, long gone.


    My escorts lead me to the far chair, closing the door behind me - I wonder how they''re going to cuff me to the table without uncuffing me...ah. The loop is itself a lock on the table. They raise the loops, move the chain between the cuffs (and therefore my wrists) between the loop and


    "...I haven''t eaten since I woke up. Can...I get a doughnut? Or something?"


    It''s probably a bad idea to ask. Something to do with dominance games and power plays and this is Gotham and


    Everything goes white and then fuzzy, as if the world was reverting from hyperspace one glimmering pixel at a time.My head lolls. I think there was some sort of m.o.a.n or grunt, but I''m not really sure.


    The back of my head feels like someone''s cracked an egg on it. It''s sizzling happily as the yolk and whites run down my neck and I''m pretty sure I just lost my metaphor. Simile.


    Head injuries are absolutely terrible for one''s lucidity. This empirical data was brought to you courtesy of the GCPD.


    "...up."


    And now I''ve fallen down some stairs - okay, one stair, let''s not exaggerate - in Gotham as well. I really am getting the full tour.


    "Oy! Bendejo!"


    The door to the interrogation room slams open, and I wince at the sound. In the doorway is a very angry-looking Latina woman in a leather jacket and white top. Her hair''s in a ponytail, and her eyes are narrowed at my two goons.


    Much more important to my stomach is the white paper bag that smells impossibly delicious in her left hand.


    "Quit roughing the poor man up! Now get outta my interview room, pronto."


    They don''t look back as they rush for the exit, and I find myself alone with Detective Renee Montoya.


    Chapter 1.4


    July 4th, Early PM


    I open my mouth, and Renee Montoya feeds me another bite of the most delicious doughnut I''ve ever tasted. It probably isn''t, objectively speaking. I''m just that hungry, and cuffed to the table as I am, each bit is only possible due to her kindness. She told me that the setup was standard procedure for metahumans; Batman must have told them...something. I don''t know what they think they know.


    Being fed by her, a toned, athletic woman in her prime, is intimate, personal, and it''s obvious enough that I can see what it''s intended to do. It also helps that I know is absolutely impossible that Renee Montoya would ever have any romantic interest in me. No, this is classic good cop, bad cop, right down to the good cop coming to my rescue. She was watching through that one way glass, and I''ll eat my socks if Harvey Bullock isn''t there on the other side right now.


    Yes, I''m being cynical. And yet...this is Renee Montoya. I know - know, from hundreds of pages poured over, writings by Rucka and I-forget-who-else devoured. I know her story, and I know that for whatever faults she has, the detective is still a good person at heart. She''s a good cop, even if she''s currently just playing one.


    They don''t know, Detective, I think as I smile, crumbs and powdered sugar dropping from the corner of my mouth. Do you hate playing this role, this forced closeness? She returns my expression, dabbing at the remaining crumbs with a napkin. Are we both smiling even as we''re both trapped in this situation?


    "Feeling better?"


    "Yes. Thank you, detective. Thank you."


    I give her another sheepish smile.


    "Sorry about the mess."


    She moves back to her side of the table, and doesn''t press a button on the recording device. It isn''t blinking or beeping or flashing, but I figure she turned it on while I was eating or even before. Or it''s not even a stenography device, meant to be there and explicitly be turned off to help me relax, and the real recorder is on the other side of the glass. Her voice is gentle, low and kind, and probably meant to get me to open up.


    "Now, I know you''re probably scared by all the precautions we had to take, and I get that this hasn''t been the best few days. But I''d like you to relax, and we can talk, just the two of us, and we won''t need to be all formal and procedural, okay? The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can get out."


    Thanks, Detective. This is exactly the situation all the law blogs told me to avoid. Get a lawyer, shut up until they''ve arrived, don''t say anything. No good can come of talking to cops.


    Normally, they''d be right, too. Thankfully, I have an ironclad defense, and no sane lawyer would dare try to mount it.


    I nod in agreement.


    "Sounds good, detective."


    ...Wait. This is the DCU. The Joker or some other supervillain probably use a variant all the time.


    Ohwelltoolatenow.


    There was a manilla folder on her side of the table, loose-leaf clipped to the inside. A soft lead pencil, its edge blunted is in her hand. She writes a few words, puts the pencil down..


    "I''m sorry - I haven''t even asked for your name."


    "Oh, it''s no problem. My name is"


    There it was again. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.


    "My name is"


    "My name"


    "My name"


    I wasn''t faking the panic, the heavy breathing, the frenzy of futile movement. Our names are a constant presence in our lives; they''re what allow others to define us,and through their definition our own selves.


    I knew that I couldn''t say or think my name. It was still psychologically terrifying.


    "Hey," she places a hand on top of mine. "Hey. It''s going to be okay. You''re going to be fine."


    "...I hit my head. He came and smashed it against the wall and"


    "I know. It''s okay. Do you know what day it is?"


    "The third?"


    "The fourth. You spent most of yesterday in the hospital. Heavy bruising, mostly; injuries to your head and right hand. You''re lucky that you didn''t get a concussion, or any broken bones."


    "I...I¡­"


    "...I''m sorry."


    "My wallet?"


    "No ID. Maybe 80 bucks in cash, a pair of coffee shop frequent buyer cards from New York, and a gift card for some store called ''Target.''"


    "...Oh."


    I mean, it''s not like my bank accounts exist in another dimension. I didn''t really expect to have my credit card, or my corporate card, but not having them still hurt.


    Whoever did this to me did a real number on my identity.


    "...Is there any name you feel any sort of connection to?"


    "Jack"


    Dammit!


    "''Jack,'' it is. Can you tell me what you remember, Jack?"


    I start with waking up - not talking about alternate dimensions and fictional characters was just common sense. Montoya is there with me at each sentence, asking questions, clarifying details. She''s good at this; she''s gone through several pages of notes already.


    "...and then, he''s on top of me, and I try to slash him with the bottle, and¡­"


    I trail off.


    "I killed him, didn''t I? I. killed. someone."


    I should have said that out loud. Admitting homicide to a police detective, in a police station, in an interrogation room is pretty much The Worst Thing You Can Do.


    But I hadn''t really let it sink in, yet. I had thought about it, but there had been an ethereal, ephemeral quality to that knowledge. It hadn''t been real, hadn''t been tangible until it was said out loud.


    "Jack, listen to me. Jack!"


    My eyes snap towards hers. Her hand hasn''t left mine.


    "You spent the past day in the hospital. You had injuries consistent with self-defense, and the guy had a prior. You aren''t going to be charged for killing him."


    My vision blurs with tears; I can''t stop them, can''t dab at them. They just fall down my face, dripping onto the table in a steady drip, drip, drip. She still hasn''t let go.


    "Thank you," I gasp again, breath shuddering with the roller coaster of emotion. With the teacup saucer ride of emotion, really.


    "Jack, I just have a few more questions, and you''ll be free to go, okay?"


    I nod, mute, still blinking away tears.


    She moves some papers around in the folder, presses a photograph face-down into my hands.


    "Can you turn this over and tell me what you see?"


    It looks like a still life, an idle moment caught on film. Pretty woman in sweatpants and a loose top on top of a bed, reading a book. Neil Stephenson.


    "Any further detail."


    Oh god. Her throat...it''s been...and then sewed...and she''s¡­


    "Stop shaking, Jack. You''re rattling the table, Jack, it''s okay. Look at me, Jack! Look at me!"


    I tear my eyes away from the photograph, back towards Renee Montoya''s.


    "Do you recognize her? Have you ever seen her before?"


    I shake my head. I''m not lying.


    I know who did this though, even if the GCPD doesn''t. I can give them a name, and they have the resources to track him down, them or the Batman. I can stop more victims of the man they thought I was from happening. I can open my mouth, and say Victor Zsasz and they will find him, I know it.


    But I can''t tell them how I know. And I''ve already implied that I don''t know anything at all, that my memory is tabula rasa, or mostly so.


    I can''t afford to give them that name. They already thought I was responsible for this, that I killed that woman and posed her. That''s why they kept me in that cell. That''s why they took me out of the hospital and put me there. That''s the reason for the rough treatment and all the paranoia.


    I can''t have any more suspicion on me. I''m sorry. I''m so sorry.


    "Okay, Jack. I don''t think I have any more questions."


    "...Where do I go?"


    I have eighty bucks to my name. No ID, no phone - because they''d tell me if I had one when I was found, nothing but that and the clothes off my back.


    "There a Wayne Foundation shelter you can stay at, at least for a little while. I can get you a ride there, and they can help you recover, fill out paperwork to rebuild what was lost. I''m sorry about what happened to you, Jack. I can give you my card, and you can feel free to call me if you''re having any trouble. This city...it can eat people up. I''d hate to see it get to you.


    She twists something under the table, and the loop my cuffs are fixed to springs open.


    "Thank you, Detective Montoya."


    A/N any feedback is highly appreciated.

 Chapter 164 - My SI Stash #64 - And Thus I Shaped History by Akallas von Aerok (MyHeroAcademiaXWorm)

    -SI to MHAverse before Izuku is even born, of course there''ll be time skips, it''s also got quite the OPMC~! (he''s got the same power sets of different Worm characters)


    £Ü£Ü\?(?`^¡ä?)?//£¯£¯


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: ???


    Words: 23K


    Posted: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/and-thus-i-shaped-history-my-hero-academia-si.776800/ (Akallas von Aerok)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    My beginning was ¡­


    It felt like a joke and I hate it now. All of the things I''ve done, all of the things I would do.


    And it started as a joke?


    Don''t make me laugh or laugh yourself.


    [Congratulations on winning the MultiUniversal Self-insert Experience!]


    I and my only customer in the store looked up. "What the-?"


    [You will now be given a power and transported to a world of our choosing? Are you ready?]


    Suddenly, I was freed from the grasp of gravity and floated up.


    "Wait, wait-!"


    [Then off we go to a new world!]


    The last thing I saw of my homeworld was a dumbstruck ice cream customer gawking at me as I disappeared in a blink of light.


    [Don''t worry, you will get an entire mental manual given to you before you arrive at your destination. Please give us a five star review after you die at your destination!]


    "What the f.u.c.k," I muttered to myself as I woke up. Groaning as I felt my muscles complain to me, I slowly got up. Here, I realized why my muscles were sore: I slept on concrete floor. I looked around and saw signs, some wooden and many neon, with tons of wires going whichever way between the buildings I was surrounded by. I looked around and saw ¡­


    "Is that a dinosaur?"


    Sometime later, I realized that I was without any kind of identification in Tokyo, Japan.


    Mind you, Japan was the last place someone like me wanted to be. It was, unfortunately, a land of racism. "... I don''t even speak Japanese," I grumbled to myself as I walked the streets of Tokyo.


    Being a foreigner in a foreign country was not a new experience, but one I never liked. Last time I had this experience was when I was a little kid immigrating to the USA.


    F.u.c.k, I would rather be a poor f.u.c.ker from Gutemala in Mexico than a rich Korean who couldn''t speak Japanese in Japan. And I wasn''t even rich!


    I was a goddamn illegal immigrant (which I wasn''t because I was forced here, but would the authorities care?)!


    On top of that¡­


    This was the "My Hero Academia" universe, where superpowers were the norm and strong powers brought strong attention.


    And my power¡­


    Gah.


    I didn''t want to think about it.


    "What the hell am I supposed to do?" I muttered to myself in English. Some of the people around me glanced at me before moving on.


    I sighed before looking at a police station.


    "... Alright, what''s the worst that could happen?"


    As I slept, I dreamed of myself, my power, and my new-self.


    2 hours later¡­


    Sitting inside a jail cell, I mumbled to myself angrily. "I suppose I can get jailed." After a while, I just slept.


    When I woke up after a while, it was done so at the incessant banging of the jail cell by someone. Groggily, I sat up from the only cot in the cell and looked up.


    "A lizard?" I uttered in shock.


    "That is Lieutenant Matori for you, foreigner," the lizard said, and he was right. He wore the police uniform with just a bit more stars and stripes attached. He also did not look happy to see me even before I called him a lizard.


    "... You''re speaking English," I grunted. "Finally got someone who could translate, huh?"


    "Yes," he said before pulling out keys. "You''re getting deported."


    I just blinked before smiling. "Perfect! Where to?"


    He paused and stared at me. "Normally, when people hear that they are getting deported¡­"


    I waved my hand. "You''re doing me a favor here, buddy!" I said with a laugh. "I got dropped in Tokyo against my will. You''re doing me a favor putting me back in either Korea or America!"


    He grimaced. "Korea? That warzone?"


    I blinked.


    "What warzone?"


    "... Where are you from, really?" he asked and stopped opening the door. "Everyone knows what happened in Korea."


    "... No, seriously. What happened to Korea?"


    As much as I loved America, there was still a connection that I felt when it came to Korea (South). It was where I was born. Its food was what I was raised on. Its culture, while I disliked it very much on many levels and liked only very few aspects of it, was what was familiar to me. Even if I knew that this was not my Earth (lizard people!), Korea was still my birthplace.


    And to hear that it was a warzone?


    He looked perturbed.


    "You do not know," he stated, not asked. He must have been able to see it on my face or something.


    -AKA-


    Lieutenant Matori Karuha


    When his superior pulled him away from his cushy desk job, he expected to use his Quirk on some idiot who tried to fool a police officer.


    Instead, he was faced with an illiterate foreigner who "turned" himself into a police station.


    Karuha thought then that he was pulled because he spoke the most fluent English.


    From his superiorr''s perspective, Karuha''s thoughts were indeed correct; he was put on this job for his ability to speak English fluently.


    But when he began to talk with the person in question¡­


    There was something wrong.


    Feeling pity for the fool, he talked about Korea''s state of being.


    Or rather, the lack of state.


    How North Korea broke under the strain of quirk rebellions, how that rebellion spread to anti-quirk South Korea, and how bigger neighbors, including Japan, had jumped into the chaos.


    What he did not expect from this exchange was how the man responded.


    "Guess I''ll head there. I don''t have time for boats and bureaucracy either."


    "Huh?" Karuha uttered to himself as the unknown man stood up with hard eyes and clenched jaws. "You don''t-" he stood up and pushed the man back. He succeeded, but the man gave him a look before dismissing him.


    "Glory Girl," the man whispered.


    And suddenly, Karuha was being pushed back instead. He pushed but he found himself pushed back as if he wasn''t there. He crashed into the cell, and he struggled ineffectually.


    The man pushed him aside gently, and grabbed the bars with both of his hands.


    And tore them apart.


    Karuha quickly pulled his radio up and spoke in Japanese. "We have a rampager!" he shouted and heard the police sirens turn on soon. "Stand down, foreigner!"


    The man looked back at him before shrugging and walking forward.


    "Wait, where are you going?!"


    The man replied without looking back and using the doors to exit like a normal man. "To Korea."


    That man would go on to become someone the world would know as Eidolon. At the start of it all, he was questioned by journalists in Busan after he successfully took over the entire city by himself. When asked about himself, he called himself a powerful fool with his own name a tribute to a fool he only knew of and doing only knows what he knew best.


    Eidolon would go onto assemble an army of quirk users with him at the head of it. With numerous quirk users at his side on top of his own seemingly infinite number of quirks (some too frightful to be mentioned again), he would start what the Koreans later called "Dae-Han-Ban-Do Tobul," or Great Korean Peninsula Subjugation Campaign.


    In the span of three years, Eidolon would end the meaningless chaos that had devastated an entire peninsula. Once he put an end to that war, he would stay just long enough to ensure that a proper government rose up.


    And on the day he left, he left a single message for not just the Koreans who he''d become the savior of but also the world.


    "Don''t make me come back."


    To his dying day, Captain Karuha wondered if things would have turned out differently if he hadn''t told that man what happened to his birthplace.


    Matori Karuha wondered even on his deathbed whether or not he could have stopped that foreigner from becoming a killer of a hundred thousand, the mountain shaper, the horror maker, the ruthless warlord¡­


    He wondered as he closed his eyes if he could have prevented the creation of ...


    Eidolon the Butcher.


    -AKA-


    Chapter 1


    2219.8.19 (30 years before Izuku enters UA)


    I sighed as I put the finishing touches on my newest farm plot.


    Living here in California had the advantages that Korea didn''t have. For one, it was always planting season in California. So what if it got a little cold? Plant some Tomatoes. It''s hot? Tomatoes. It''s hotter? Tomatoes! It just got colder? MORE TOMATOES!


    Seriously, it''s like in California, tomatoes grow whether you want them to or not. "Hmm," I hummed to myself. "What should I plant on this plot?" I asked myself while staring at the untouched and unplanted farm plot. It was right next to my six year old asparagus and strawberry mix plot and my squash plot.


    ¡­


    I should plant more tomatoes, right?


    Then he noticed someone in the periphery of his vision. He looked up and left. There, someone just entered his land some half a kilometer away. He also wore business suits and had a suitcase. Was this a business visit?


    I thought about it before raising an eyebrow and muttered to myself. "That''s weird. I shouldn''t have anyone coming in for business."


    The man paused for a second while looking at him and started approaching again.


    "Tattletale," I muttered to himself.


    Immediately, I was hit with a small wave of information.


    Asian. Tall. One-hundred eighty-two centimeters tall (5.97 foot). Superior quality business suit, price range over a fifty-thousand dollar for the whole set. Aware of who I am. Form is familiar.


    Memories? Yes. International news from some time ago.


    Body language is confident. Can easily shift into combat stances if necessary. Trained in martial arts, but not a pursuant of it for the sake of it. Training was necessary for real life combat. Hands are not extremely calloused. High end manager? Not military. Level of discipline shown in military officers are lacking. Private security? Unlikely. Hero association? Unlikely.


    Villain?


    ¡­ Possible.


    No more need for that, then.


    I pushed Tattletale''s power down, and then -. "Lung."


    I felt nothing at first.


    "What do you want, stranger?" I asked the man while still sitting on my tree stump-chair. "You don''t look like a produce rep to a farmer like me."


    "... You haven''t aged a bit," the man said. "Not one bit since I saw you all those years ago."


    Now, I was curious. I met this guy before?


    "And you are¡­?"


    "Shigaraki."


    "Hmm. And you are here because?"


    "I finally found your location. I thought I would pay my respect to the greatest villain that ever lived. Someone whose infamy keeps the greatest nations around the world leashed to a single sentence you said as you walked out of the limelight."


    I paused and then stared at him.


    "The way you say those things already puts you on my crosshair, boy. There''s a reason not many choose to seek me out. Or live to tell the tale."


    "Yes, but I think you''ll let me go."


    "Hmm. Grab a pair of gloves and roll up your sleeves, boy."


    "... Huh?"


    "If you want to talk, then you will talk while working. I need to plant my seeds here, and I''m not going to stop to listen to you."


    "... Alright then."


    "And no quirks."


    Shigaraki guy (name was familiar) went about finding one of the plastic trowels laying about and came to his side.


    "Start digging a shallow hole, no more than half an inch, every six inches along the plot. I''ll be dropping the seed as you go."


    Shigaraki seemed exasperated and a little perplexed before he did as I told him to.


    "So, what made you come here?" I asked. "If you searched for me, then you must know who I am."


    "I do. You are Eidolon."


    "Yes. Go on."


    "You are the man who shaped an entire region''s international politics with sheer might, and then you disappeared. Oh, everyone knows you''re still around. You remind them of that occasionally."


    I smirked. "Like what?"


    "The quirk you call Purity. You blast it off."


    "Mosquitos annoyed me too much sometimes."


    "... You use a quirk comparable to rapidfire tactical ballistic missile as a mosquito killer?"


    "Hey, it works. Don''t diss it."


    "... Perhaps it is best you aren''t ruling anything. Such brute force is unnecessary."


    "Just like how I shaped those politics with my brute force, hmm?"


    "You are, when you want to be, a force of nature."


    "Anything else?"


    "I am curious. You finally united the peninsula that had fallen to civil war and chaos for so long and after standing where you could mold that land, the people, into your image¡­ you leave."


    I paused as I dropped the eighth seed.


    Shigaraki, where have I heard that name before¡­?


    "Because I am a fool."


    Shigaraki didn''t say anything, waiting for me to continue. His hands kept on moving, though. Smart lad. I dropped another seed into the shallow hole he made.


    "I have the brain for planning and quirks that allow me to think far better than anyone on this planet. I can think faster than most supercomputers, plan efficiency into all plans, and make a plan to keep the entire world from starving, and I also have the power to enforce all of those plans. Yet I didn''t. I stopped at ending the chaos. Can you guess why?"


    Shigaraki seemed to think of it.


    "The people?"


    "No. Change."


    He paused.


    "Change?"


    "I love who I am. I am not perfect but it is because I am who I am that I love myself. You understand that, yes?"


    "Everyone loves themselves, whether they admit it or know it."


    "Exactly. Perhaps my dead parents knew more about me than I do, but on this planet, I know myself more than anyone else. Had I stayed, however, I would have changed. Perhaps I would use my authority and power to make a harem. Maybe even force myself on some poor girls. Power tends to drive people that way."


    Hmm¡­ Tomura. No, too old to be-.


    "It does."


    "So I left at the end of what I considered where I would not change myself further. I saw who I was and I loved it. Had I stayed, I might have gone to paths that might leave me ¡­ unhappy."


    "Personal happiness? That is why you left?"


    "A little. One man also cannot hold all of the power. I can be the back-up''s back-up plan but never the back-up or the thing that rules publicly. Do you know why?"


    "... Stagnation and rebellion."


    "You understand. You are smart and educated, aren''t you?"


    "Yes."


    I laughed. "So serious." Then I let my laughter die off as I confirmed with a quick change to Tattletale and then back to Lung. "So, All for One-" He lurched. "-You have your answer. What will you do?"


    He stopped.


    "Oh, and just a bit of note. You can try to steal some of my quirks and I would lose them forever, but that''s because you would be dead. And you know what I can do with the dead."


    "Your most feared power, the Necromancer."


    I groaned. "It''s called the Fairy Queen."


    "But no one else cares. You are a man who raises the dead as phantoms and use their powers. Necromancer fits far more than the Fairy Queen in gender and form."


    "Fine, be that way. You can go now."


    He stood up, bowed like a polite man he liked to portray himself to be, and left.


    I finished setting up the potato plot.


    "Now, time to water the entire plot. Sploosh," I said, taking on an obscure Worm cape''s power.


    Using power to water my farm? Part of my daily chore.


    Might have to set up an irrigation system so that water still goes to all of the plants if I ever have to go away. Maybe even leave a clone behind to take care of the veggies and sell them at the market....

 Chapter 166 - My SI Stash #66 - Harry Potter: Lost Son by psychopath556 (HarryPotter)

    -More SI HP Fic~ SI as the lost son of Regulus Black, seems to be a slow fic!


    Sypnosis: A Harry Potter fan has been reincarnated into the Harry Potter universe and will be attending Hogwarts, but he hasn''t been reincarnated into the Boy-Who-Lived, oh no he is the lost son of another Ancient and Most Nobel house, and with his knowledge of future events and his perspective on how things have come to pass, you can just bet that he is going to make one hell of a splash


    Rated: M


    Words: 101K


    Posted: m.fanfiction.net/s/12790082/1/Harry-Potter-Lost-Son (psychopath556)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    You ever have one of those mornings where you really don''t want to get out of bed? Not because it felt so nice just to continue to lie on, but because you just couldn''t be bothered to get up and do anything because your head felt like someone had beat it to a pulp with a nine iron?


    Well if you have you''ll be familiar with how I''m feeling right about now. My head''s splitting but I don''t remember drinking last night. In fact, I haven''t had a drink that would cause this kind of a headache since that poker night the guys and I had a few weeks back, man that was a night. Right now I just want to curl up in my sheets and¡­ wait these aren''t my sheets, they don''t feel right.


    Forcing my eyes to open, I look at the bed covers and blink seeing they were red. Okay that wasn''t right. My sheets are black and grey, something''s not right here. Pulling the covers down I sit up in the bed that wasn''t mine, it was wooden and not my leather frame. It was a four post instead of my base and headboard, this was not my bed.


    Looking around as my eyes adjust to the lighting I can see I was in an old room that felt oddly familiar. The walls were plastered over with an old pale and brown wallpaper that looks to have faded over the years. The floor was wooden boards that looked just as old as the rest of the room. There was a wardrobe, a dresser and a desk in the room but not much else. I could see the door with was opposite a window, both looked just as old and worn as the room.


    The more I looked around the more I felt I recognised this place but I couldn''t put my finger on it. But the questions on my mind was, where the hell was I, and how did I get here? I bring my hand up to rub the bridge between my eyes to try and soothe my headache but when I saw my hand I stopped.


    It was smaller, not the hand of a twenty-three-year-old but the hand of a young child. It had none of the scars I got in my teen years but felt so familiar. I turned my head and my eyes bulged as I looked to the dresser mirror and my eyes widened as I saw the reflection that I hadn''t been paying attention to. It was me that I saw but not the twenty-three year old me that was staring back, rather it was an eleven or twelve-year-old me looking back at me.


    My black hair was short like my mother used to keep it instead of my shoulder length hair that I grew out during my college years. I looked down at myself to see I wasn''t seeing things as I threw the covers off me to see I was in a pair of grey long sleeves pyjamas. Getting out of the bed I stumbled a bit, not used to this body. I made my way over to the dresser, my eyes wide as I looked myself over. I looked exactly the same as I did when I was younger, except my brown eyes were grey now and my cheekbones were a little higher.


    Taking a deep breath I tried to remember what had happened but the last thing I remember was that I went to bed after a long night of gaming like I usually did. I couldn''t remember coming here at all, wherever here was.


    Looking in the mirror something white caught my eye. On the bedside table there were two letters. Walking over I looked at them, they both looked strange. The paper was thicker than normal and the first had the words "read me" written on its front. While the second one had already been opened, its wax seal already pulled free from the lower half of the envelope.


    I opened the first and took out the thick paper inside and started to read which only confused me more and first.


    "Hello Magnus,


    I suppose you''re wondering where you are and how you got here. And why you look like your eleven-year-old self again.


    Well, the answer is simple, Magic. Your old life had come to an end, rather abruptly as it turns out. So you''ve been reincarnated into a new world. Most think reincarnation happens from the moment you die and then you begin a new life. That is the way it normally is but there is the odd occasion when it can happen in the first eleven years of a person''s life so that way the souls can merge into one and there aren''t a lot of memories to interweave with the new soul. Some of them will start filtering in a few minutes once you''ve finished reading this and your new world will become very much recognisable to you, if it hasn''t already. From there it''ll be up to you on how you want to proceed, the world will be at your fingertips to enjoy.


    But I''ll just give you a quick rundown of your new self so you know what to expect. You''re human obviously. You''re eleven years old. Your birthday is the same as your last life. Your name is the same, except for your last name that will come later, and you are a wizard.


    Yes you read right you''re a wizard, magic exists in this world and the second you read the next letter you''ll realise just where you are, and I know it will blow your mind with the possibilities that are open for you to enjoy, have fun."


    I sat down on the bed as I finished reading as I tried to process the information. I¡­ died, I just died then, and now I''ve been reincarnated. This is just too weird. I can''t really think of any way to dispute what the letter is telling me. I mean, I was twenty-three before I went to sleep and now I''m eleven, this is just too insane not to be real.


    As I read the letter again I felt myself swallow slightly. So I''m a wizard, that''s cool I guess an eleven-year-old wizard that sounds so familiar in some way. Turning over the other letter I looked at it again and froze seeing the wax seal, it was a shield with four animals on it, a lion, a snake, a badger and an eagle, is that the crest I''m thinking of, it couldn''t be¡­ but it fits, am I in that world.


    I quickly opened the letter and took out the thick sheet of paper inside, parchment that''s what it was called, this type of paper. I unfolded it and read the starting line that any fan of the series has been wanting to read since reading the books and watching the movies.


    "We are pleased to inform you, you have been accepted at Hogwarts School, for witchcraft and wizardry¡­ holy shit, I''m in the world of Harry Potter." I said as I read the line out loud not actually believing it the first time. But the second I did I felt like my head was being squeezed as images flashed before my eyes, memories, but these weren''t mine they were the soul''s that mine joined with, it was the life that was lead before I took over.


    Memories of growing up in an orphanage, of having small accidental bouts of magic that made other children stay away from me. That made the caretaker of the orphanage keep me at a distance. Memories of receiving my letter, of being met by Professor McGonagall and being told about magic. Being brought here, to the leaky cauldron in London and given instructions on what to do. I could remember it like I actually lived it, weird.


    Folding the letter back up and put it away. I could remember what it said already having already read it once apparently. I couldn''t help but smile like a kid, which I guess I am again. An actual Hogwarts acceptance letter, talk about a strange feeling. And these memories. I''m an orphan whose mother died in childbirth, my father was never in the picture for some reason and I grew up never feeling that I belonged with the other children in the orphanage. Well I could certainly see why now.


    Looking at the letter I was excited by it. The idea of going to Hogwarts was something that anyone would be excited about¡­ but then it hit me what this actually meant. I was in Magical Britain, not ten years ago they had been embroiled in a civil war with Voldemort, who''s set to return in four years from now in the final stage of the tri-wizard tournament. War was only four years away and I''m going to be thrown headlong into the middle of it by attending Hogwarts.


    Shit, how the hell am I meant to deal with this? I get a new life only to realise that I have only a few years until I have to fight for my life. If I''m a half-blood or a muggle born then I''m really in the shit, which is the only options I can think of right now. I''ll be fair game to death eaters when the war starts.


    Wait¡­do I have to go to Hogwarts, surely there could be other magical schools in Britain that I could try. With the number of witches and wizards in Britain, even after the war, surely one school wouldn''t be able to support the entire populace for magical education. There was barely seven hundred students in it in the movies there has to be more. But then it''s probably the largest and the most well-known, but it just doesn''t add up¡­ now that I think of it not much in the Harry Potter books do.


    The war ten years ago. How could one man have caused magical Britain so much chaos? Sure he had a couple hundred death eaters, at most, and then a mix match of other dark creatures around him. But there was no way they outnumbered the rest of magical Britain if they all stood against him he wouldn''t have lasted the week, horcrux''s or not. It only took one deflected killing curse to destroy his body, did no one think to actually use one on him in the first place.


    But then with Dumbledore and his order, plus the corrupt ministry, I would think that none of them would condone using a so called unforgiveable even if it was to end a war. It''s ridiculous if you ask me, labelling magic as light or dark. Their whole system is flawed, a hammer is a tool but it can be used to kill a man, the same can be done with magic it''s the intent behind its use. Magical Britain is just so stagnant that they just can''t see it, they''re stuck in the eighteen hundreds for Christ sake. They need a wakeup call.


    Voldemort may have been a murderous bastard, but he had it right in the first book when he spoke on the matter, "There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it".


    Sure there were lines that a guy shouldn''t cross with magic that crosses over into evil, but used right magic wasn''t good or evil it was just magic. But if the ends justify the means, using dark magic to kill a so-called dark lord, who would kill countless, I''m pretty sure that justifies it. The same as using dark magic to protect yourself and others, it''s justified, not evil.


    There was just so much about magical Britain''s logic that didn''t make sense, at least to me. Hogwarts was the main example of this looking at the school from a serious point of view it was a complete joke. There was an entire castle to used, filled with hundreds of rooms, but there was only nine maybe ten core subjects taught, with a further seven in the elective years after third year, and only a handful of extracurricular subject to choose from. That was at most thirty rooms'' worth of classes, and how can one professor per subject possibly teach seven hundred students. High schools with the same number of students need at least four or five, and even if each class used two classrooms each there would still be loads of rooms unused. That was probably why Dumbledore was able to justify making an entire half floor of the school out of bounds in the first book for his little philosopher stone test.


    On top of all this, there was just no way, that Hogwarts was able to teach all aspects of magic with such a limited staff and extremely short curriculum list. Seventeen classes in seven years, what a joke. What about conjuration, alchemy, enchanting, Wizard law, magical healing, and I''m sure there are loads more subjects that Hogwarts probably doesn''t even touch on. So how was it the best wizarding school in Britain, unless all the others were even worse than this?


    Shaking my head I set the letters down as I resolved to think about the flaws of magical Britain another time. If I continued now I''d never stop and I could probably write another series of books on the matter on just the flaws alone. Right now I had to focus. There were things I had to do now that I remembered what was going on.


    I had to get my school stuff gathered up, but before that I had to go to Gringotts first. I remember professor McGonagall mention something about a student strip end for orphans attending Hogwarts. Maybe that was the reason I had to go there that Hogwarts was the only school that was able to take orphaned magical children, it would make sense in a way.


    I quickly moved to get dressed as I saw my bag at the end of the bed with a couple of sets of spare clothes. I''d get breakfast after my business in the alley was done.


    Once I was dressed in my jeans, t-shirt and jacket, I went to lift my Hogwarts letter, I blinked seeing that it was on its own, the other letter had disappeared. I guess it wasn''t going to stay, it would be kind of hard to explain if someone found it. It''s not exactly a fact I want people to know, if people knew I know what''s going to happen in the future it could be very bad for me best to keep that fact on the down low.


    With my letter in hand I headed over to the door out of my rented room. I knew the way down and out and my destination and I couldn''t help but feel giddy with excitement as I walked down the corridor and the stairs as I thought about where I was actually going.


    Stepping out the back door my eyes widened seeing a group of other people standing there as the wall parted. It was just as cool as in the movies watching the bricks part creating the doorway into the alley.


    I walked through the gateway and into the alley after the people in front of me and I had to fight to keep my jaw from dropping. It was as amazing as I thought it would be, the alley was bustling with activity not as busy as in the movie but still very busy. I had to keep my head down as I made my way down the narrowed alley through the crowd.


    This was something else that confused me about magical Britain. Surely there were other places to shop in the country other than the alley. This couldn''t be the only place that catered to the magicals of Britain. There would be no way it could accommodate everyone. Maybe there were smaller places hidden out in other locations the books and movies just didn''t touch on? That had to be the case, just like other magical schools, they weren''t brought up till the tri-wizard tournament there were bound to be others.


    Finally, after about ten minutes of weaving in and out of the crowded alley I made it to the steps of Gringotts bank and sighed a breath of relief after the rather annoying task, before straightening myself out and starting up the steps. My Hogwarts letter still in hand as I made my way inside.


    Stepping inside I looked around in slightly awe at the size of the place. It was much larger inside than it was out and I quickly remembered the reason, magical size enchantments like on the tents that were used at the Quidditch world cup and Hermione''s bag. One of those, or something similar, those could come in handy in the future.


    As I made my way through the room I saw all the goblins moving around and some other wizards and witches speaking with different tellers at their benches. I didn''t know the proper protocols to follow at this time though I had some ideas on things from reading fanfictions. But I didn''t know if they counted, and the Wiki didn''t really give much more than the basics and so I decided to just wing it for now and hope for the best.


    Walking right up to the head teller at the tallest desk I cleared my throat, "Excuse me, my deepest apologies for disturbing you but I need some help." I spoke keeping my tone as strong as I could which wasn''t much given I was eleven years old.


    The small goblin stopped his scribbling and looked down at me with a raised eyebrow, "A young wizard with manners? Now this is a rare sight. What business does a child have with Gringotts bank, and be quick, less my sword find your throat. Time is gold." he spoke with an amused yet annoyed voice, likely trying to scare me, it didn''t work.


    I held up my letter to the goblin, "I was told to come to Gringotts to get my school funds to buy my supplies for Hogwarts, I was hoping you could help me." I stated plainly my voice solid.


    The goblin took my letter giving me a curious look, likely because of my not reacting to his threat, and read through it quickly he nodded, "I see, very well, you will need to undergo an inherency test first, to check that you are indeed legible for the funds. If you have magical relatives they or your house would be required to pay for your schooling." he said as he waved his hand to another goblin who came over.


    I heard them speak in some kind of language which I remembered was called goblin speak from the Wiki and before my letter was handed back to me, "This goblin will show you to a meeting room where you shall have your blood tested. If you are not part of any house you shall be given the key to a Hogwarts student vault with your funds inside." he said in dismissal.


    I nodded and turned to follow the goblin who lead me to a set of double doors where I was lead inside, "Wait here" the goblin said gruffly before leaving.


    Looking around the room I could see there was decorated rather nicely, though it could do with a clean. There was a solid wood desk and two chairs in the middle of the room where I assumed I was to wait and so sat down in the chair facing the door to wait to be met.


    After a minute or so the doors opened and a goblin came in pulling a large wooden box on wheels, he looked to me before grinning, "Are you the to-be-student, who''s here for an inherency test?" he asked.


    I nodded my head stiffly, "I am." I replied as I watched the goblin approach the desk before stopping to open the wooden box and taking out a stone bowl that had a number of carved runes on its rim with a red ruby in its centre, and a curved knife with similar runes.


    "I need your blood boy." the goblin said with a grin as he sat at the desk and placed the bowl in front of me.


    I looked at the bowl before speaking, "How much do you need for the test?" I asked straight.


    That seemed to take the goblin back for a moment at my unflinching, it would appear some of the fanfictions were right, goblins did like to make wizards squirm. Well I must have been a bit of a shock for them.


    Shaking the shock off, the goblin cleared his throat, "Five drops will be sufficient," he said before handing me the knife.


    I nodded back taking the knife and pressing the tip to the tip of my index finger and pressing hard enough to break the skin before holding it over the bowl and letting five drops fall in before taking my hand away.


    I watch on with slight awe as I watched the cut close up as the same time as the runes on the blade glowed. So that''s what they were for. I handing the knife back to the goblin.


    As the goblin took the bowl back I watched on as he tapped the runes in a sequence as they light up and my blood was soaked into the ruby in the centre of the bowl. Seconds before a thick black smoke started to poor out of it, floating up and forming a shield.


    My eyes widened as I recognised it from the wiki, I had seen it a number of times and I couldn''t believe what I was seeing. It was a shield divided into two, the top half with an armoured arm holding a sword and the bottom part with three birds, ravens or crows, I felt my mouth open seeing it before I looked at the goblin who looked to be just as shocked as I before he cleared his throat.


    "Well this is most surprising, it would appear child that you are a lost son of the most ancient and most noble house of Black." the goblin spoke as I looked back up at the crest as it faded away.


    I was a Black, like Sirius, but¡­. But¡­ "How?" I asked openly not understanding how this could be, I knew that Sirius didn''t have any kids, unless he did and I was him. I just couldn''t think how else this would be possible.


    The goblin grinned, "Let''s find out, shall we," he said as he moved to the box and took out a quill and a sheet of parchment. "I will need some more of your blood," the goblin explained handing the bowl and knife back to me, "ten drops this time. Once it''s done I will use the quill to trace back your magical family lines for three generations on either family side. After that I''m required to hand you over to your families account manager, I believe he will have a number of things to discuss with you now that you have been identified as a son of the house of Black."


    I nodded taking the knife and once again cutting my finger and giving the required blood into the bowl. The same thing happened as before as I watched the cut on my finger heal before I passed the bowl over.


    The goblin place the quill in the blood and in a couple of seconds it soaked it all in before he placed it on the parchment and we watched the magic take effect. The quill lifted up into the air and then proceeded to write, starting with my name and then going backwards. I watched with wide eyes as I saw my birth father''s name written next to Sirius and my eyes were fixed on it.


    "Regulus Arcturus Black is¡­ my father?" I said in awe watching as the quill writes three generations backwards of the Black line before it started on my mother''s side, "And, Alisha Parker, was my mother?" I said looking on as I saw the quill scroll back three generations of the Parker family before stopping and falling still on the parchment.


    The goblin quickly took the parchment and looked it over, "Yes it would seem that your mother was a third generation witch, born to a lower power magical family but with three generations in her. She would be seen by most wizards to be better than most born from muggles, though not by much. But enough to make you the equivalent of a pure blood being both her child and the son of a pure blooded house with such lineage as the house of Black." he said before rolling the parchment up. "I will take this to the account manager for your new house so that he can confirm it. He will be with you momentarily to continue your business with Gringotts." before moving to collect the other items back into the wooden box and dragging it behind him as he left the room.


    I sat there as I tried to contemplate just what this meant. I was a Black¡­ I was the son Regulus Black¡­that would make Sirius Black¡­ my uncle. But if Sirius was removed from the Black family that would make me the last one of the Black family wouldn''t it?


    As I sat there trying to contemplate just what was happening the doors to the meeting room opened once again and another goblin came in this one wearing an all-black suit looking older than the last. I noticed he had the Black''s house crest on a black sash over his coat, he immediately walked up to the table and looked at me with a somewhat hard gaze for a moment before speaking.


    "Master Black, My name is Ironclaw, I am the account manager for the ancient and most noble house of Black. It is an honour to meet you, and a relief to know that the house of Black has once again been revived with your discovery." he spoke with respect to me.


    I had absolutely no idea where to begin right now. All this information in my head I didn''t know where to start so until I had time to sit down and make a plan the best thing to do would be to go with the flow of things.


    I steeled myself and nodded, "Thank you, Account Manager Ironclaw, your words are most welcome. However I''m slightly uninformed at the moment being raised outside of the wizarding world, and behind on some things¡­ I would seek your council as to how I should proceed from here. As you are no doubt loyal to my apparent house I believe I should trust your advice on things." I replied knowing it could be taken one of two ways, luckily it went the better way. He grinned.


    "Well I can see that you are quite wise seeking the help of others Master Black, and yes you are right, I and those of my clan have been loyal to the house of Black for close to two hundred years. It would be my honour to aid you until you can keep your own council." he said giving me a toothy grin, "Now, as you said you are just now re-joining the magical world I would ask if you have had your inoculations as of yet."


    I paused for a minute before speaking, "I have had my inoculations for mundane diseases but if I am to go by what you are suggesting then there are others I am in need of¡­ for the magical kind?" I asked.


    Ironclaw nodded, "Yes, young master there are. Normally I would send any common wizard to the wizarding hospital St Mungo''s for theirs but for the last son of the house of black I would recommend seeing a Goblin healer for such as it would be faster and we can also offer a full magical scan to gauge any other latent magical abilities you have, house Black had a few in generations past, it could be possible that they reawakened in you." he added. "Our healers are trained in both wizard and goblin treatment. Given that Gringotts employs a number of wizards for various tasks. It is beneficial to be able to treat them in-house, should something go wrong on a job, rather than send them to be treated at a wizard hospital."


    I thought for a moment as I seemed to recall some mentions of magical diseases in the books, dragon pox and the like, I nodded, "Yes thank you Ironclaw. I believe I will take you up on that offer." I said with a bow of my head.


    Ironclaw bowed back, "Of course Young master. Please follow me and I will see you to our healers personally."


    Following Ironclaw, the goblin lead me from the meeting room and deeper into the bank and the through serval more doors until we came to a set of larger white doors. Passing through we came into what looked like an examination room and to the side sat a goblin in a white suit who turned to us as we entered. Ironclaw immediately approached him and the two conversed in goblin speak as I looked over the room.


    There was a metal table with a thin cloth over it with a moveable curtain to provide privacy. In the display cases on the walls, there were jars that looked to be filled with different things ranging eyeballs of different animals to various fungi.


    Hearing the talking stop I turned to the goblin pair as they approached me.


    "Master Black, it is an honour to be able to provide aid to one of such an honourable and old house such as yours." the goblin stated giving a bow, "My name is Healer Bolgrif, and your Account manager informs me that you require Gringotts services in a medical review at this time and inoculations for diseases of the magical variety."


    I nodded, "Yes that is true Healer Bolgrif. I have just recently re-joined the magical world and find myself unprepared in such matters so I asked my account manager to aid me in such, and here we are." I stated


    Bolgrif nodded, "Indeed. Well if you would like to have a seat on the table I will retrieve the potions for you to take and I will then perform a magical medial scan in order to see if there is anything else I can aid you with before we move on to your magical check."


    I nodded and moved to sit down on the table as instructed and waited a few moments as the goblin leaves the room for a few minutes only to return with a wooden box with a number of phials. He then set it on the table beside me, "Drink these Master Black, they will inoculate you from all known magical diseases." he instructed.


    I nodded and took up one of the phials and uncorked it giving a wince as I caught the scent, it was revolting, like someone had put three week old socks in a blender and put it on high, all I could do was hold my breath as I swallowed down each phial and try not to gag as each one tasted worse than the last.


    As I set the last empty phial down I blanched, "That was probably the single most disgusting experience of my life." I said trying not to throw up from the aftertaste.


    Bolgrif and Ironclaw gave a chuckle at my expense as Bolgrif stepped forward and raised a small wand and started to wave it in front of me, "Yes most say that. But better the taste than the diseases they protect against." he said before he started to chant as the tip of his wand glowed and I felt the magic wash over me like a tingling sensation against my skin.


    I sat up and let him continue his scan for a few minutes more before he stopped and nodded, "Master Black, I can find no other ailments on yourself at this time that will not naturally fix themselves on their own as you age and grow. With your permission I would begin your magical scan to test your magical core and check for any latent magical abilities." he asked politely.


    I swallowed slightly, a little nervous and nodded, "Yes please continue healer Bolgrif." I instructed as politely as I could back.


    Bolgrif nodded back and raised his wand as he started to chant again. This time his wand tip glowing a bright blue instead of the white glow from before, and slowly as he continued the glow separated and small orbs of light broke off and changed colour for reasons I couldn''t identify. Although apparently they were important as with each one Bolgrif raised an eyebrow and looked a little more excited as he continued. By the end there were three small lights in front of me, one a bright blue, the other a bright silver and a third a bright green.


    Lowering his wand Bolgrif grinned, "Well this is certainly a welcome surprise." he stated looking to my account manager, "It would seem you were right. Some of the Black family abilities have resurfaced." he stated.


    After a moment I cleared my throat, "Would someone please tell me what these lights mean?" I asked as politely as I could. I was getting a little annoyed about being left in the dark here.


    Bolgrif turned back to me with a toothy grin, "Of course master Black, my apologies." he stated before indicating to the light blue light, "This orb represents your magical cores state. It is healthy and a good size for someone your age, indicating you will be magically powerful as you grow older." he explained before moving on to the silver orb.


    "This one is a latent magical ability that was thought lost to the Black family line, but it would appear with the addition of new blood and magic to the line has been enough to awaken it once more, if partially. Possessors of this ability can change their appearance at will with practice. Those with this skill are called Metamorphmagus. Though only partially awakened you will now have the range of abilities as a full user would have. You will still be able to do minor changes, Congratulations" he said giving me a toothy grin before moving on to the last,


    "And this green orb represents another ability this one a full ability that you will be able to learn. Some wizards learn how to transform into different animals. This ability is called being an Animagus. Some are born with the ability to use this more easily than others, once you have learned what form you can take on you will find it easier than your peers should any of them try to achieve such transformations." he finished.


    I sat there in shock hearing this as I tried to comprehend what I was being told. Not only was I magical but I possessed two kick-ass skills, that I could learn and use. This was getting better by the minute, wait¡­ Metamortphmagus¡­ isn''t that what Tonks is. Holy shit I''m related to Tonks¡­ and ¡­ Bellatrix, Draco¡­ er, not sure how I feel about those last two. I felt like an idiot now that I heard about my skills. I remember reading about such on the Wiki and the fanfictions, it was obvious.


    Quickly snapping back to reality I blinked, "Cool." I said plainly not really sure how else to react to the news openly. I didn''t want to give away anything like how I already knew about all this when I wasn''t meant to.


    Ironclaw nodded, "Indeed Master Black now if you would follow me to my office. You need to don your heir ring before we can continue with any further business you have today." he said before gesturing to the door.


    I nodded and got off the table, before looking to the other goblin, "Thank you for your assistance Healer Bolgrif, your help has been most appreciated." I said giving a bow of my head.


    Bolgrif smile back at me, "It was my pleasure to aid the house of Black, young master." he returned before both I and Ironclaw left the room and started back down the corridor.


    As we walked my mind was racing a mile a minute as I tried to think what all this meant now, there was so much happening and so fast. I needed to prioritise. If the heir ring was like I had read about in fan fictions before it was going to make me next in line for the title of Lord Black, when I came of age, whenever that would be. I clearly needed more information.


    "Account manager Ironclaw?" I spoke curiously, "What is this ring you spoke of earlier, and what is an heir?" I asked doing my best to sound like a curious child.


    Ironclaw glanced over his shoulders towards me as he spoke, "As you are the last Son of a Son of the house of Black, the line of inherency falls to you making you the heir apparent of the House of Black, the Ring signifies this. When you reach your majority at sixteen you will become Lord Black unless emancipated before such when you can take up your title earlier."


    "Emancipated?" I asked still using my best curious tone.


    Ironclaw nodded, "It means you would be recognised as an a.d.u.l.t and not as a child. Such automatically happens when you reach your majority." he explained as we neared his office.


    Okay, that was yet another thing I would have to research when I had time. While I had read a number of fictions that involved the taking up of lordship where the character was emancipated. I wasn''t sure if it was a good idea yet. I had no clue on what was fact and what was fiction so I would be better to hold off on that until I got a proper lay of the land as it were.


    As we arrived back in his office I noted it was well kept and furnished much like the rest of the bank. Account managers must all get their own offices for some reason or another likely so they can manage more important accounts who would like their finances kept secret. I could understand that much.


    As we entered I was gestured to wait as Ironclaw made his way over to the large vault within his office. I watched on as he ran his finger down the middle of the door as I heard the sounds of the internal mechanics clicking open before he opened it, retrieving an ornate wooden box form inside before returning to me and opening it.


    Inside laid on the black cloth interior was cameo styled ring sitting with its circular head pointed towards me. The black sapphire gem flashed with the house black crest for a moment before fading to leave only the sapphire.


    I took a moment to look at it before reaching out and taking it. The gold of the ring felt cold to the touch and it was rather large. I knew that I wouldn''t be able to wear it. But no sooner had I put it on my finger than I saw the gold flash and then the band shrunk to match my finger width before there was a rush of what I can only describe as something cold rushing through my veins for several moments before it faded and I let out a gasp and panted slightly suddenly feeling very drained.


    "W-What was that?" I asked as I tried to get my breath back.


    Ironclaw only smiled at me as he closed the lid of the box. "That was the final confirmation that you ae indeed the heir black. It was the heir ring confirming you were worthy to wear the ring and as such worthy to be the Black heir and then the next Lord Black. My apologies for not telling you about it but it was not my place to do so." he said with a bow of his head before he turned to take the box back to his vault and close the door without another word.


    I took several deep breaths trying to get my breathing back under control. I looked at the ring before I spoke, "and if it didn''t judge me worthy to be the heir and I put it on?" I asked not sure I wanted to know.


    Ironclaw gave me a grin, "That would depend on if you weren''t a Black. If you weren''t then the family magic in the ring would have simply killed you, very slowly. As you are a Black you would have only been in a lot of pain until you passed out. then the ring would have removed itself from your finger by shrinking so much that it cut it off." he said as if it was common knowledge.


    I did my best not to gulp hearing that and thanked whatever deity there was looking out for me. I forgot that house Black was a rather dark house, of course, their heir ring would be cursed to do something like that to discourage any who wasn''t the heir.


    Ironclaw then cleared his throat, "Congratulations heir Black. Now if it pleases you I can take you down to your family vault for you to collect any gold you may need as well as browse you''re other belongings."


    I thought for a moment on that. I did need to gather some gold for my school supplies, but I was also curious just what else was in the vault. Part of me was wary of them, given the Black''s history. I''d just have to be careful this was too good an opportunity to pass up. Who knows what I could find down there to help me. I nodded, "Lead the way."


    Ironclaw nodded and we soon departed his office heading for the carts.


    Scene break


    That was intense. The books and the movies don''t do the cart system justice. It was completely mind-blowing and thrilling, and I''m not ashamed to admit I screamed a couple of times when I nearly fell out when we went down a very sharp dip that I hadn''t seen coming.


    Staggering out of the cart once we came to a stop. I was a little unsteady on my feet after that experience. It might take me a couple goes to get used to the ride. Ironclaw just smirked as he watched me stagger my way to the door as he waited for me.


    "What a ride," I said as I steadied myself on the wall beside the vault door.


    Ironclaw gave me a grin, "Indeed. Many young wizards say so their first time. Now to business. Please place your right hand on the vault door heir Black. The magic upon it will recognise you as the heir Black and will permit you entry."


    I nodded as I straightened up and after a moment to prepare myself, I placed my right hand on the door as Ironclaw had told me. I could feel the faint hum below my fingertips, it was nothing like the feeling I had when I put on the heir ring it was much less potent. It faded away seconds later and I heard the loud clicks of the inner door workings moments later as the door began to open and I couldn''t keep the shock off my face when I looked inside. To say the inside of the vault was huge does not do it justice.


    The inner ceiling was at least two floors high and it went in at least a hundred meters from the entrance corridor. Towards the back, I could see shelves filled with tombs and books and to the side were various other shelves with doesn''t of items on each.


    Trunks stacked up in multiple stacks made of various fabrics filled one section of the wall. In the centre of the room was a huge mound of gold galleons that was at stretched back at least sixty meters and was nearly touching the ceiling, there was just so much.


    Ironclaw bowed his head to me slightly, "I shall wait here for your return, call if you need me."


    I nodded my head in response before I started forward down the small entrance corridor and into the main vault.


    Walking in I let my eyes roam around I didn''t know where to start when suddenly I jumped when a male voice spoke. "Who are you and what are you doing here!"


    I jumped and swerved to find the source of the voice and my eyes widened as they settled on the source. Along the back wall of the vault were paintings a large number of them which I hadn''t seen from the entrance hall, and the voice had come from the second to last one.


    The painting was a man with long black hair and hard-features, and piercing grey eyes, dressed in rich looking black robes who was watching me with his hard gaze. My eyes flickered to the golden nameplate and my eyes widened,


    "Orion Black," I said as I realized looking at the portrait of just who it was, Sirius and Regulus''s father, my grandfather.


    "I will not ask again boy, who are you? And what are you doing in here," Orion said his tone hard as he looked at me with his hard gaze.


    I straightened slightly and my shoulders set as I turned fully to look at the portrait before I spoke. "My name is Magnus Roark Black, and am the newly named heir to the ancient and most noble house of Black."


    Orion''s eyes grew a fraction wider when he heard this as he seemed to take in my appearance more as he looked me over. "How is this possible?" he spoke his tone somewhat lighter, "The only way you could be heir Black at your age would be if you were born of the family," he said as he narrowed his eyes once more, "Who is your father boy?"


    I didn''t falter as he questioned me, nor as I replied. "I am the firstborn of your second born, Regulus Arcturus Black, the lost son of the house of Black, now found." I blinked, why had I just said that¡­ it was like something was telling me it was the correct thing to say.


    Orion''s eyes definitely did widen when I said that and it looked as if someone had smacked him across the face. His eyes then darted down to my hand and the heir ring and he seemed to let out a breath before swallowing. "I see, I had thought that¡­. That the house was all but lost when I was told of my son''s¡­ your father''s death. I am glad to see that the Black blood still flows strong." he said as he nodded his head to me, "You are most welcome here heir Black. I am sorry but your father never had his portrait made. So you will not be able to speak to him, but I and my wife Walburga, will assist you with anything you need." he said respectfully, "If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask us".


    I nodded, "Thank you, grandfather, I will do that. But I fear that I may do so quite often, I was raised outside of the wizarding world. Until recently I was in an orphanage and until not half an hour ago I did not know I had any family at all." I said before gesturing around me, "All of this is completely new to me."


    Orion nodded to my words, "I see. Yes, you do have a lot to learn then. But at least you seem to possess a strong fortitude, which is good. You will need that if you want to be the next Lord Black. Knowledge can be learned, but it takes a certain fortitude and strength to be a Lord, I think you will do nicely. If you will wait a moment I will fetch your grandmother from her portrait at Black Manor, she will want to speak with you now that you have been found."


    I suppressed a wince at that as I watched him walk out of his frame. From what I can remember in the books and movies about Walburga Black she wasn''t exactly the most pleasant of people. I didn''t know if I wanted to meet her, but it was unavoidable at this point.


    As I waited I turned and looked around once more waiting and I blinked when I saw the other side of the vault. While one side had books and what looked like a number of heirlooms as such. The other had shelves that were filled with what looked like various potion ingredients, a large number of them, and from just a quick glance the collection was very extensive.


    But my attention was quickly drawn back to the portraits when I hear movement and I turned only to meet the gaze of Walburga Black. She was an older woman, in her mid-forties at least, with wild black hair and pale skin but was rather beautiful. Her gaze that of a woman that demanded respect and would raise hell if not given it.


    I immediately felt my back straighten and set my shoulders as though I had just been challenged to a fight. I could tell that her gaze was a test to see my reaction, a test I was not going to fail.


    After a moment her gaze seemed to soften if slightly as she sat back in her portrait in the chair in it and she nodded to me, "I see what you mean dear, he does at least have a spine." she said as I heard Orion chuckle from his Portrait.


    "He does indeed." Orion agreed, "He will make a fine lord when he comes of age, once he has learned of his duties."


    Walburga snorted, "That remains to be seen. Just because he wears the ring does not mean he will survive to become Lord Black." she stated rather amusingly.


    I shot her a look at that comment, "And just what is that supposed to mean? You think just because I am a child that I will let another take what is mine. I am not something for your amus.e.m.e.nt!"


    Walburga''s eyes widened at my words and Orion burst into laughter, "Ha-ha, well said. You see dear he will make a fine lord." he said with a smile, "Neither of our sons had the nerve to downright defy you at that age, portrait or not. The lad has spirit."


    Walburga snorted again, "Spirit means nothing when his age, it only means he''s brash and foolhardy. He''s already admitted he knows little of our world how does he expect to last when he doesn''t know what to expect?"


    I clenched my fists and took a breath, as expected she was proving to be just as stubborn a woman as she was in the books and movies, "By using what I do know. Learning as much as I can as fast as I can, and playing it safe until I know who I can trust. As grandfather said not five minutes ago to me: Knowledge can be learned, but it takes the right person to be a lord. If the Black Lordship is my right I will excel and claim it."


    Walburga seemed to look at me a little differently at that and Orion nodded and gave me a pleased-looking smile before glancing at Walburga''s painting once more, "What say you now dear? Does he meet your standards?"


    Walburga continued to look at me for another several seconds after that but nodded, "He does," before bowing her head to me. "I am at your service heir Black. It has been many years since the house of Black had an heir worthy such as you. Should you have any need of me you have but to ask."


    I nodded my head doing my best not to exhale a sigh of relief, "Thank you, grandmother, grandfather, but please, call me Magnus. We''re family after all." I said with a small smile.


    Both seemed to smile at that and nodded to me in acceptance and I nodded back. I then gesturing to the rest of the vault, "Is there anything in here that you can think of that would help me in my studies, or would be of an advantage for me to have at Hogwarts?" I asked plainly.


    Orion nodded, "There are many books and tombs on the far shelves that may prove interesting, although some may be too advanced until you are older, but there may prove to be something there you can learn from. I know that Hogwarts library doesn''t stock many of these tombs as some could be considered¡­ questionable in nature. But their contents are none the less useful." he explained


    "As for aiding you in your studies, I would suggest you browse the heirlooms. Those trunks are all multi-compartmental trunks, each with the space of a medium size house inside with various other features. Such would be advantageous to have at Hogwarts to have a private place to study away from prying eyes." Orion continued


    I nodded hearing that, those did sound very useful, "Thank you grandfather, is there anything else?"


    Orion thought for a minute and nodded, "Yes now that you mention it. In the heirlooms you might find an old pocket watch, gold casing and chain with a black sapphire on its casing. Similar to your heir ring, it was enchanted many years ago and its effects may prove useful."


    I looked at him waiting for him to continue but he didn''t so I only nodded, "I will keep an eye out, thank you once again grandfather." I said before turning and starting towards the stacked trunks.


    Reaching the wall of trunks I was about to start taking one down one at a time and give each a once over till I found the one that had the best insides when I stopped to look again. Each had a folded up piece of parchment on the lid with a drawn map and a list of rooms inside, along with a list the additional charms and features each had, this would prove to be quicker than I thought.


    Scene break


    Twenty minutes later I had gone through each of the trunks and chosen the best one I could find. It was large with a thick dragon skin finish and came with a number of features. It was both fire and water proof, had a deterrent charm so people would stay clear of it, a weightless charm so that it would be easy to carry, a security charm linked to my own magic which was linked to a penalty charm that would stun anyone who tried to open it who wasn''t me, a concealment charm that kept the interior and its contents invisible to anyone when active so I wasn''t worried about someone seeing what was inside it when I wasn''t around. It also had a self-shrinking charm on it so I could shrink it to the size of a match box and put it in my pocket.


    The reason I chose it was because not only did it offer the most space but it also had a number of rooms I knew I would find useful. A potions lab with a large ingredients store, a huge training room with a build in duelling ring, a combined large library and office space, on top of living quarters with a kitchen and pantry, and a master bedroom with bathroom and large closet space. It was practically a house on wheels.


    With my trunk shrank and in my pocket I had started to browse through the heirlooms, keeping my hands to myself as I did so. I didn''t want to risk touching anything knowing how nefarious and dangerous some of the items might be, and last thing I wanted was to be cursed by touching the wrong thing.


    I was looking for the pocket watch that Orion had told me about and it was proving difficult to find. Only when I came into the jewellery area did I finally come across it, it was in a display case along with a number of other pieces, broaches and necklaces, and other pieces that looked expensive. I noticed they were all tagged with different labels and before I picked up the watch I took a quick glance at its label and my eyes widened, "Time dilation pocket watch".


    My mind started to race thinking just what that meant. Was this something similar to a time turner? I wasn''t sure I wanted to mess with that kind of thing. But all the same, it would be a waste to pass up something that could aid me. Hermione had used such magic to advance her education in her third year, or she would, surely this could do the same for me.


    With a nod, I lifted the pocket watch and placed it in my pocket, but before I closed the lid I stopped to browse some of the other tags to see what the other pieces were capable of. Getting to a pendant necklace I read over the tag and my eyebrows shot up, "Legilimency barrier pendant".


    Once again my mind had started to race with all the possibilities I had read in the past. How could I have forgotten about one of the most invasive magics in the wizarding world? If someone was to read my mind with legitimacy, they would know everything I would know in seconds, and I would be helpless to stop them. I would have to learn to defend myself from such things, but for now this ring would be the best place to start to at least give me advanced warning about such an attack.


    Taking up the pendant I looked it over, it was a black sapphire same as that of my ring, but only this one was cut into the shape of a shield with a number of small ruins etched into it. It looked very impressive as it hung from the silver chain. I quickly put it on myself and took a final glance over the other things there stopping finally on a ring that was a plain silver with three diamonds in it and reading the tag I paused for thought as I read it, "Detection ring, potions, curses, charms- Self-sizing".


    Nodding to myself once more I lifted the ring out and slipped it onto my middle finger next to my heir ring. I can''t count the number of times that I''ve read fanfictions where people were slipped love potions or food with some magical alteration effect. I knew it was better to be safe than sorry as I watched the ring sized itself to my finger. I would have to ask my grandparents portraits how these work later.


    After I finished looking through the enchanted jewellery I move on to the book shelves to see if I could find anything that would peek my interest. I knew of a couple of topics that I wanted to learn already and I had several books stacked out on various subjects that caught my eye ranging from rituals, warding, ruins, battle transmutation, curses, Occlumency and potions, as well as three books that I could find on Metamorphmagus. While I could have browsed the topics here forever I was quite wary to touch the older looking books. When I held my hand over some of them I could feel a buzz in the air and the far right diamond on my detection ring turned black. I didn''t know what that meant but I didn''t want to risk looking anymore in case I touched something that I shouldn''t, until I knew more.


    There hadn''t been any books on heirsh.i.p.s or lordsh.i.p.s or anything like that. I could only assume such books were at Black manor. I would just have to buy my own copies when I went shopping later.


    With the books taken care of I made my way to the potions area to look at the ingredients just out of curiosity. I didn''t plan on taking any, not this time as I didn''t know if there was anything that the ministry would label dark here. The last thing I wanted to do was to was take something like that with me and have it found on me, that would only get me in trouble, so I would just wait till I knew more about that field before taking any of them out.


    With a final glance around I started back to my grandparents portraits having put my books into my trunk the only things left that I needed were the galleons, but I didn''t know how much to take so I thought I had better ask. While I could just shovel a pile of them into my pocket and hope for the best I just knew there had to be another way about it, like I had read in the fan fictions. Coming back to my vault every time I needed gold was just too tedious, there had to be another way.


    "Finished grandfather. All I need now are the funds for my other school supplies. How much should I take?" I asked Orion''s portrait.


    The man smirked and pointed to a number of small sacks handing from hooks on one of the pillars next to the Galleons, "You don''t need to take galleons from the vault. Those sacks are linked to the vault, simply take one with you, think about how many galleons you want and the bag will fill for you. It''s bottomless and charmed to be weightless so you can use it for all number of charges, and they are like the vault doors only your magic can use it to pull funds from the vault."


    I nodded, just as I thought. "Thank you grandfather." before walking over and lifting one of the sacks.


    Orion nodded to me, "If you spotted anything in here that you can''t take with you, simply call the manors house elf. His name is Kreacher. Now that you are heir Black he will answer your call, you can have him bring you anything from the vault that is too big for you to carry out."


    I nodded my head to his suggestion in part recognition and thanks. I had thought about Kreacher as I had been looking through the heirlooms. I had spotted a couple of things that might be useful to me later but I had decided against calling Kreacher. Given that I knew if I did I would be questioned as to how I had known about him and that would have me answering some questions that I didn''t want to answer. I had to be careful.


    Walburga nodded as well, "I''m sorry to say that Black manor has fallen into a bit of a mess since my death. I have attempted to keep Kreacher cleaning but I cannot see beyond what my portrait will permit me so the manor needs a thorough going through. I will instruct Kreacher to begin such while you are collecting your school things. If need be you can call him to take your things back to the manor. I shall have him prepare a room for you before he begins cleaning."


    I nodded again, "Thank you grandmother, but I do not know where Black manor is how¡­" As I began to say it my mind flooded with information and I felt something click inside my head and I realised what it had been, I had known where Black manor was before, but arriving here had locked the information away from me because of the secret keeper charm placed on the manor, but now I could remember, I staggered slightly, "¡­Whoa¡­. What¡­. How do I know this?"


    Orion gave me a smirk, "It is the heir ring. It and the lord''s rings are keyed to a special magic that hides Black manor from the rest of the world. It permits you and the Lord Black to tell others where the manor is but because of the charm no one can tell others. Nor will anyone simply happen upon the manor, looking for it or not. It was your interest in Black manor that let the ring fill in the blanks as it were. Have you not noticed it subtly telling you the correct things to say as well when addressed? It is meant to do so as an aid for younger or uninformed heirs like yourself."


    I nodded and looked at the heir ring on my hand and gave a small smirk. I should have guessed there was more to this ring than just that bit of magic from before.


    Orion seemed to look at me with interest and smirked, "I see you happened upon the detection ring, a handy piece of jewellery to have."


    I looked to him with a bit of a smile, "Yes I found it when I was looking for the pocket watch you told me about. But there were no instructions on how it works, nor on what the watch does. Though I take it from its name that it does something with time?"


    Orion nodded, "Yes the pocket watch creates a sort of time dilation bubble in a three feet radius in every direction. Inside time moves three times faster than outside it but it will only last for an hour a day, before it needs to recover its magic from the user while it is kept in their position. With it one hour becomes three which proves quite handy for studying and doing parchment work when you are a lord, or homework as a student." he smirked.


    I slowly nodded my head. While it was by no means a time turner, I couldn''t deny that such an item would come in very handy. It would give me more time to study what I want to in private, and it would allow me to get any homework done in record time when I''m at Hogwarts. Very handy indeed.


    Orion cleared his throat and continued. "As for the ring. Well the three gems are the indicators to watch. It''s useful for checking food, mail or any gifts given to you. Simply wave it over an item and watch the gems. Black means there is a curse or hex on the object, blue means some sort of harmful or invasive charms are at work, or purple means there is a potion involved, if purple turns to pink it means there''s a love potion, if purple turns to yellow it means there''s a mind altering element, or if black it means poison of some sort"


    I looked at the ring and gave a low whistle. This was going to come in very handy in making sure that everything I ate or touch was safe to do so. I knew I was likely sounding a bit like Mad Eye Moody when I thought it but given the route I was thinking about it would be better to have this and not need it than get caught out and eat something that would mess with my mind or kill me.


    I looked at my grandparent''s portraits and smiled, "Well it''s time for me to go now. I still have my shopping to do, after all, lots to do."


    Walburga nodded, "Once you are done Magnus, call for Kreacher. He can take you to outside Black manor, you will have to unlock the front with your ring. It will tell you how."


    I nodded my head once more and started out of the Vault turning to Ironclaw as the doors shut behind me, "I believe that concludes my business today with Gringotts unless you have other business to discuss with me?"


    Ironclaw shook his head, "No that is all heir Black. If there is anything that comes to my attention I will owl you to inform you of it."


    Once more I nodded my head, "Thank you for your assistance today Ironclaw. You have been of aid to house Black and it will not be forgotten. Now if you will kindly see me out of these caverns I believe that I have my school shopping to do."


    Ironclaw nodded in response and we both started back to the cart to leave the vaults. I absentmindedly rubbed my heir ring and smiled. Things were going to be interesting with all that''s at my disposal. While I still had to stop and make plans it was good to know I had a lot to work with. But what to do with it all is the question, so many possibilities and so much fun to be had. I was really looking forward to Hogwarts now, things were getting better by the moment.

 Chapter 168 - My OC Stash #68 - Gaias little helper by Pef (The Gamer)

    -An OC Gamer story that reads like a SI~ It''s quite fast paced and it''s luckily an OP MC, for the abyss of course. Check it out!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 49K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/gaias-little-helper.10292/ (Pef)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Music can be dangerous.


    Pef was strolling back home, happily humming his preferred song, called "Twilight of the Thunder God", his left hand keeping pace with the rapid drumming. Luckily the side walk was rather empty, so public opprobrium was at a minimum today.


    His headphones were also blaring the Sabaton version of the song at maximum volume, and thus he never heard the yell warnings, and the tell-tale sounds of an object reaching terminal velocity while scraping the side of the building.


    *******


    *You have slept in a hospital bed. HP and MP restored.


    *You have been hit by a falling piano. You gain the perk: Mozart.


    *Regeneration tree unlocked. Regeneration has reached level 4.


    *Gamer''s Mind prevents you from experiencing panic and anxiety. Gamer''s Mind has reached lvl 2.


    "Mozart ?!?" Pef muttered in disbelief.


    The window screen shifted to print the new information.


    *The perk Mozart grants those lucky enough to trigger it the following boons: Luck increases by 1. Charisma increases by 9. All seduction rolls gain +10 percent bonus while playing a piano, and 10 seconds after.


    *Piano playing skill has reached level 9. Music theory has reached lvl 2.


    ''Hmmm. A VR interface. Skills and stats like in a game. But all games have a win condition...'' Pef thought in silence, while glancing around the hospital room. High class hospital, going by the luxurious apparatus and furniture.


    "Location?" he asked in a whisper.


    *The Gamer has been relocated to Saint George Reconstructive Hospital-4th floor, Valletta, Malta.


    *The Gamer has received a new quest: SERE.


    Primary objective: Escape the facility and the island.


    -???


    -???


    -???


    -???


    -???


    -???


    Rewards: Allies, Money, Skills, Enemies.


    Do you choose to: - Accept quest.


    - Die right now.


    - Die under constant torture, 900 days from now.


    - Humanity ends. Game over.


    Pef read the quest in disbelief.


    Who in the right mind wrote those choices?


    Why was he in Malta?


    Who were these enemies?


    Still, in less than a second his mind focused back on the task. A flick of his finger and the quest was accepted.


    "Bond. Pef Bond." he muttered softly while he searched the room for clothes or weapons.


    Sadly, there were no clothes anywhere. With a sigh, Pef begun dismantling the bed covers for a makeshift Roman toga. Malta was a former Roman Province, right? And when in Rome, do as Romans do.


    A few minutes later, he gently tapped the room''s door. A sturdy steel door and locked.


    Perhaps escaping this torture facility wasn''t that easy, after all.


    He drew the thick velvet curtains. Armored glass window, with no joints or handle for opening.


    A prison room then, and rather well-made.


    He glanced up, searching for a convenient air vent. Only an air conditioning machine.


    Escape seemed a bit more impossible now. He looked around the room, now a dozen times more careful. Dying under torture wasn''t a pleasant prospect.


    *Ding! You have unlocked Observe!


    *You have found a medical electrode. You have found a medical suction cup. You have found a magnetized iron needle. Attempt to combine into an electromagnetic lockpick? Yes/Later


    Pef piled the loot on the bed, and sighed a bit at the too obvious clue. It seemed the only way out was with this lockpick.


    With the new Observe skill, every object in the room gained a tiny explanation window, telling him the name of the object. This was promising. If the skill could be leveled up, to gain more information, perhaps even about people...


    *Ding. You have flexed your brain muscles and increased your common sense. Mind gains +1 attribute.


    An eyebrow rose at the news. Flexing muscles...this game was actually trying to give him clues?


    He dropped to the floor and began pumping push-ups.


    40 push-ups! He should have been sweating by now. 45, 50, 60! Not even tired.


    Pef kept going. 100, 150, 200. Almost no strain, even after breaking all his personal bests.


    300, 400, 500. Still nothing!


    What was the highest recorded number of push-ups? 6000 or so? He had a goal in mind now.


    Pef sped up, flexing those muscles. 4000, 5000, 6000!


    *Gamer''s Body has prevented muscle fatigue. Gamer''s Body has reached level 2.


    *Ding. You have consumed all available Stamina. Strength gains +1 attribute. Constitution gains +1 attribute.


    Stretching gently, Pef rose up and slowly rotated his shoulders. 6000 push-ups and he only felt tired. That Gamer Body was certainly a cheat.


    Pef didn''t need a menu to explain what a Gamer''s Body was. He had played thousands of hours, of many games.


    But a game over here was not the same, the stakes were too high.


    Also, the stats and skills could be grown by repetition and exercise. That tingled a gamer streak in his mind, urging him to grind and exploit, and become a mountain shattering god.


    "Perhaps later. Right now, SERE. Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape. The first goal is always to survive. Escape is only the last part. Let''s make sure I do survive." he muttered inward, while appraising and discarding dozens of objects in the room.


    He ultimately decided on a small table bolted to the floor. With brusque pushes, he began shaking the table leg. The metal bolts groaned in pain. Pef kept flexing the metal joints a thousand times, until metal fatigue and heat sheared the bolts, clean off the floor.


    *You have crafted an Improvised steel mace(Common quality). Useful to bash cultists over the head.


    *Agility has gain + 1 Attribute due to first time crafting. Next time, use the forge Pef!


    Pef smiled at the familiar description. Crafting seemed a great skill to get.


    He returned to the hospital bed and began assembling an electromagnet from various medical machines.


    About an hour later he heard the familiar Ding!


    *Crafting successful! You have crafted a Primitive electromagnetic lockpick(Uncommon quality). Still no forge?


    Pef sighed in annoyance. The snarking interface wasn''t as funny as it thought it was.


    Well. It was a bit funny, just not when under pressure of getting caught and tortured to death.


    He placed the steel table leg next to the door and plugged in the lockpick. A steady hum of electronics was heard as the device began to charge.


    Pef placed the suction cup on the metal door, and waited. A minute later, the hum reached a high pitch, and the suction cup began flaring with magnetic pulses.


    The door''s lock started rattling on the inside. Then, Pef slid the machine back, along the door. The door''s lock clicked open as the magnet dragged the mechanism backwards.


    With a cautious glance, Pef peered into the corridor. A dozen similar metal doors lined the hallway.


    ''Allies. Or maybe enemies. Can''t be certain anyone I rescue will not stab me in the back...'' Pef thought while thinking at his quest.


    Voices and footsteps could be heard down the corridor. A young female and several men.


    "Subject 4078 has been delivered into the custody, room 478. Standard lead and cold iron manacles will suffice as containment. These Chinese mystics are too easy." the man said in a derisive voice, then a metal door slammed closed.


    Another voice commented in sad tone. "Poor girl. They''ll drain her dry of mana, then use her blood for another ritual."


    His interlocutor hummed in response. " She''s lucky. If she got to the breeding pens, we could have known her a lot better."


    "Oh yes. Too bad her traits do no pass onto children..." the first voice said in a sad tone, as he walked away.


    Pef clenched his fist, and drew a deep breath. Somehow survival wasn''t the first objective anymore.


    Chapter 2


    N.a.k.e.d feet slapping on the cold tiles, Pef sprinted towards the men he had just heard.


    With each step his speed increased as his hand gripped the metal mace with white-clenched fingers.


    A tight curve forced him to run on the side of the corridor for a second, before landing back. A group of three men came into view, one of them already drawing out a weapon.


    Pef jumped and kicked, catching one man into the back of his neck. A crunchy sound followed.


    *First kill, using a Yoko Tobi Geri foot strike.


    *Martial arts gains 1 level.


    Pef ducked low, as a black pistol was pointed at his face, and struck with his metal mace.


    Blinding pain followed an explosion of noise. His target was down, hands covering the crushed knee. Pef followed up, bashing the cultist in the head.


    His head snapped back, as another bullet hit his forehead. Pef dove back, and threw his mace like a spear at the shooter.


    *Damage mitigation has been acquired.


    A muffled cry let him know he had caused some damage.


    A few more gunshots followed, and everything went dark.


    *Regeneration has reached level 5. You have stopped leaking grey matter.


    *You have been shot in the head 7 times, in less than 7 minutes. Do to being lucky enough to trigger it, you have gained the perk Headshot: You gain 7 Kharma. Your headshots with any weapon have 10 percent chance more for a critical strike.


    Pef read the new messages with the beginning of a headache. He looked around, taking note of his victims, lying dead around him. The last guy was still leaking guts and undigested food through the empty pipe embedded in his belly.


    Then he patted his head, plucking out the few bullets stuck into his skull.


    He had so many questions, but it wasn''t yet the time to ask them.


    Dragging the bodies after him, he reached the room marked 478. One guard had a metal ring with many plastic keycards on it.


    Pef just waved the ring over the door''s scanner till one key fit and the door clicked open.


    He dragged the bodies inside, and smiled a bit shyly at the asian woman handcuffed to the bed.


    "Nice place you have here." he said politely.


    The woman grinned sagely and muttered something sounding like ''Ni hao''.


    *You have learned Chinese. You don''t need to focus your attention to speak it.


    ''Huh, that''s really convenient game'' Pef whispered to himself.


    "I am Pef, your neighbor from across the hall. Wanna join forces and murder a few cultists with me?" he asked in a pleasant tone.


    "Ah, I thought you were a barbarian...but that must have been all that blood and brains you wear." the chinese woman replied, possibly sarcastically.


    Pef measured her n.a.k.e.d body with a frown. Her crouched stance implied internal injuries. Observe!


    *Miya Chen Sung, age 19.


    Ectomancer lvl 4, Spiritist lvl 1, Martial artist lvl 1


    Status: 2 broken ribs, thirsty, in pain.


    HIs eyes darted back to the dead men he had dragged into the room, and he began stripping them of uniforms and weapons, then other personal belongings.


    A flagon of ibuprofen and a can of Red bull stood out.


    "Here, painkillers and an energizant drink." he offered with a warm tone.


    A shaky hand took the flagon and strained to open it. Pef grit his teeth.


    If she was too weak to even medicate herself...he might have to leave her behind.


    With a sigh, he opened the can and helped her drink some juice, then swallow a few painkillers.


    Then he focused on the metallic wrist manacles.


    *Standard Abyss restraints. Their main purpose is to block Magic and make magicians easy to subdue as weak humans.


    Problem was, there were no keyholes or joints. The whole thing was one piece of metal.


    "How do you take them off?" he asked a bit confused.


    "You speak the magic password." the injured woman replied with a sad voice.


    Pef sighed and nodded sagely. Of course his first quest wouldn''t be that easy.


    Not even a tutorial level or an acclimation period. Directly into magic puzzles and end of the world quests.


    *Observe has leveled up! Observe has reached level 2.


    *The password for this particular pair of restraints is Fus Ro Dah.


    "Fus Ro Dah?" Pef said with incredulity. The manacles split apart and fell to the floor.


    The woman flared with a blue gaseous light for a second, before measuring Pef with confused eyes. A pair of ectoplasmic hands flew out from her armpits and picked out a few clothing items from the floor.


    "Great idea. We should get dressed..." Pef muttered a bit unhappy. The woman was rather nice to look at.


    He drew on a pair of black pants with only a few blood stains on them.


    Then he began arming himself with looted firearms and a taser.


    "Pistol? You don''t need guns, Mister Pef. Not while I''m here." the woman said confidently.


    He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, then towards the open manacles.


    The woman grimaced visibly, then flared into blue light again. "My magic is back now. Name is Chen."


    Pef measured her again, using his Observe skill.


    The ribs were only cracked now. A few more blue flares and she would be completely healed.


    "Take it easy Miss Chen. You''re not fully healed." he said gently while practicing with the new weapons, loading and unloading the magazine, flicking the safety and so on. Sadly, no skill for using firearms appeared.


    "So, you have Mystic eyes?" she asked with a curious stare at his face.


    "Yes, some kind of special eyes" Pef answered with a shrug. Or something like that anyway.


    She measured him from head to toe, in an appraising manner. "You can have a harem, of beautiful women from any sect you want. Mystic eyes are passed onto children." the woman said with a wistful voice.


    "That''s...not a bad idea, in fact. Sounds really pleasant." He admitted with a smile.


    Chen smiled awkwardly. "Stupid man." she muttered as she finished dressing herself. Another blue flare and she began poking her sides without winching.


    Pef opened the door and peered out. The hallway was still empty.


    He ran towards the next door and began testing keycards. A minute later, the metal door opened and Pef peeked into the room.


    The bed held a desiccated woman, while tubes stuck into her veins led to a few glass containers.


    He moved towards the next room, where he found a similar sight.


    Another room, then another. Only dead people, sucked dry of blood.


    At the end of the corridor, Pef stopped to observe the city through another armored window. Old medieval houses and forts, now serving as tourist attractions instead of critical defense structures.


    The EU flag flew above some taller buildings.


    The harbor extended all around, full of thousands of small boats and yachts. Leaving the island wouldn''t be much of problem.


    Chen patted his arm. "We are in Europe?" she asked a bit amazed. Medieval European towns were kinda easy to recognize though.


    "Malta. Near Italy." Pef explained curtly.


    "Saint John Templars! We have to run." she exclaimed in a fit of panic.


    "Go then. I''m not leaving yet. More people to kill and others to liberate." he replied with a sterner voice, while patting his holster.


    "Your gun won''t be of any use! They have magic barriers. And water elementals." Chen said with a shudder.


    Pef punched the window in reply. The armored glass cracked a bit. Then alarms blared with loud sirens.


    He sped up, running towards the stair well. The keyring opened the metal door of the stairs too.


    Chen arrived at his shoulder. "They''ll have many guards near the entrance." she advised him.


    Pef nodded and ran up the stairs, and opened the roof''s armored door.


    As Chen ran onto the roof, he close the door and kicked off the handle, snapping it at the hilt. That should slow down pursuit.


    Pef looked down, over the hospital''s roof edge. He could jump and survive the fall, especially if he hit a house roof, but the woman couldn''t.


    "Here!" she yelled from another corner of the roof.


    Pef ran towards her and looked down. Some 20 meters away from the base of the hospital, there was a water channel with a few small boats.


    "Don''t leave directly from Valletta. Swim to another port first." Pef whispered to her as he spun Chen around, then threw her over the edge. A small splash announced her escape.


    Pef ran towards the opposite edge and jumped off, just as the steel door of the roof bulged and exploded under a torrent of water. Pef flipped around to look back. A mage dressed in a long duster with golden crosses stared after him.


    He drew a pistol and fired 8 shots at the mage, only to see the bullets stop in midair, held by water drops.


    Two guards near the entrance glanced up at the flying man. Pef shot them in the face, before crashing into a wooden roof below.


    *Firearms skill acquired. Firearms has reached level 2.


    *Acrobatics has reached level 2.


    *Athletics has reached level 2.


    *Jumping has reached level 2.


    *Landing skill has been acquired.


    *Damage mitigation has reached level 2.


    *Regeneration has reached level 6.


    *You have Adapted to Pain. Adaptation level 1.


    * SERE quest update:


    *The Gamer has escaped the Saint George hospital. Reward: 10 000 exp.


    *The Gamer gains 5 levels. The Gamer has reached level 6.


    *The Gamer has allied with Chen Sung. She will reward you herself.


    *Relationsh.i.p.s mode open. Chen Sung sees you as a charming hero. +34 points (Honored).


    *You have killed 5 Templar guards. Status with all Templar Orders set as Enemy. -55 points (Hated).


    Pef waved off the window screen and ran off, still plucking out bits of wood and tile from his side.


    A minute later, he dove into the nearest canal.


    Chapter 3


    *Swimming has reached lvl 5.


    *Adapted to cold water. Adapted to lack of air. Adaptation has reached lvl 2.


    Pef drew a deep breath and dove under water again.


    So far, the quest to evade recapture by these Templar cultists was going great. Also, his efforts at staying mostly under water forced him to adapt and thus benefit even more.


    The sun was about to set soon. He could start crossing the island during night, and head towards a distant village, outside the Templar surveillance. It was certain they would keep the capital under watch, and perhaps all the bigger towns.


    But they couldn''t watch every single village and boat.


    Or so Pef hoped. In truth, these Templar guys were here in Malta for 500 years. Time enough to build contacts and spy networks in every village.


    He drew under a wooden boat and placed his ear on the hull.


    "The Grand Master has ordered everyone on the lookout for a blonde guy and some asian girl. If you see them, call the Knights or the Hunters..." the voices spoke in a distant tone.


    "... We''ll not get involved in another Hunt, husband. Remember those burned boats two years ago?" a woman voice berated someone.


    "But, the Master..."


    Pef dove away, and climbed onto the rocky shore just as the dark covered the sky.


    He began running, his new body making all effort seem simple and graceful. One hour later, he arrived at the other side of the island, and took in the sight of Mediterranean under moonlight.


    A flutter of fabric in the sea breeze, drew his attention towards a huge tent.


    He began walking when a cold sensation enveloped him.


    *You have entered an Instant Dungeon. This Dungeon is called Megalithic Mnajdra.


    *You have learned ID create. Empty Dungeons cost 100 MP to create. Cannot Create when in combat.


    *You have learned ID dispel. Dispelling Dungeons cost 100 MP. Cannot Dispel when in combat.


    Pef looked up, where the moon had changed and looked blood-red and twice as close.


    A m.o.a.n alerted him of a closing enemy.


    Then a shambling zombie, still wearing a bronze helmet and b.r.e.a.s.tplate began heading towards him.


    "Observe!" Pef muttered.


    *?gantija zombie


    -Level 5.


    - Status: slow, poisoned, infectious.


    "ID Dispel!" Pef yelled with some worry.


    *Your MP is not sufficient. Command failed.


    "What? Why not?" he asked while shooting the zombie in the head.


    *Magic attribute too low.


    *Zombie killed. 15 Exp. Drop: 1 lesser soul fragment.


    Pef drew back a little, while keeping a wary eye for more zombies. He didn''t have unlimited ammo.


    "Tell me about all the attributes" he asked his game.


    "Attributes are how the Gamer interacts with the world:


    Strength: - Muscle lifting or pulling power. Also, punching power.


    - Endurance : how many repetitions, or days the body can go on without rest.


    - Resilience : so your bones and tendons or skin do not break when you flex those muscles. Also, punching through concrete is less fun if you pulverize your hand.


    Constitution - how your body reacts to stressors.


    Regeneration - natural healing, regrowing limbs, eyes or even your brain.


    Immunities - pain, microbes, toxins and poisons, radiation.


    Adaptations - to lack of: heat, air, water, sleep, food, company.


    Damage mitigation ability(telekinetic field)


    Agility - movement speed. Also, attack speed.


    - Dexterity : learned movements that become automatic. Acrobatics, sword skills, blacksmithing etc.


    - Reflexes: moving too fast won''t make you crash into trees or buildings. Dodging too.


    - Perception : see fast moving objects, or farther away, infrared etc. Also, danger senses.


    Magic - magic strength. Also, spell power.


    - mana reserves.


    - mana control and shaping speed.


    - Magic Intellect : how fast you can learn/create new magic


    - Affinities and magic trees. (Fire, Ice, Holy etc)


    Mind - wisdom and common sense


    - memory and recall


    - thinking speed and deduction/inference.


    - willpower and mind resist.


    Charisma - social presence, how you interact with people.


    - charm abilities. (pheromones, also body shape and beauty)


    - leadership and management.


    - diplomacy and negotiation.


    - Fame, influence, respect, fear, intimidation.


    Kharma - includes your luck. Also, critical hits and better drops


    - fated encounters or events.


    - ancient artifact bound to you (can also be spirit, old cultivator, imprisoned dragon)


    - prophecy or warning dreams


    - a god''s blessing or quest


    - reincarnation, resurrection, planewalker or other outside help.


    Pef read through the attribute descriptions at speed. They made more sense than using Intelligence for magic, and then having super genius magi obliterate the planet at their whim.


    "Can I see my own status?" he asked with some trepidation.


    *Pef the Gamer


    Level 6, HP 140, MP 10


    Attributes:15


    Str: 11


    Con: 11


    Agi: 11


    Magic: 1


    Mind: 15


    Charisma: 11


    Kharma: 9


    Pef read his status with concern. "You mean to say my Luck was 1 before I got this new gig?"


    *Indeed. If a million pianos fell from the sky one day, at least a thousand would have hit you. And one did." a soft woman''s voice replied instead.


    "And getting shot in the head?" Pef asked a bit amused.


    "Same. You brought a metal table leg to a gunfight. What did you expect would happen?" the woman said with a giggle.


    "Right. And stumbling into an ancient dungeon that I have no means to escape from?" Pef asked rhetorically.


    *Attribute points not distributed: 15


    *The Gamer receives 3 attribute points per lvl up.


    *The Gamer has received the Blessing of a Goddess. Seduction rolls gain +10 percent chances.


    *Kharma gains +1 attribute.


    Pef rolled his eyes at the blatant display of favoritism.


    "Send 10 points to Magic and 5 to Agility." he spoke out loud.


    *Magic attribute increased by +10


    *Agility attribute increased by +5


    "Okay, you can leave now. But I advise you to stay. You''ll need to loot that drops here." the Goddess spoke with a breathy voice.


    "I will need bullets. Tonnes of bullets." Pef whispered to himself.


    A Dacian two-handed falx fell from the sky and embedded itself into the ground, next to his leg. Pef poked the weapon curious.


    *The Gamer has acquired a rare weapon. Bloody Dacian Falx (Rare quality). Special attribute: Repairs itself with the blood of your enemies. Durability 90/100


    With a grin on his face, Pef grabbed the polearm and ran ahead, demolishing bronze age zombies with ease.


    "Set your Inventory to auto-loot." the goddess advised him as he spun among zombies, cutting three at once.


    "Auto-loot" Pef said, while bashing a zombie''s head with the iron pommel on the other end.


    *Loot set to auto.


    *The Gamer has learned Polearm skill.


    *Martial arts has reached level 3.


    Hours passed, while Pef haunted the old dungeon, hunting zombies and collecting soul fragments.


    Without getting tired, the fighting was actually pleasant, not to mention raising his skills.


    Alas, it was not meant to last.


    *You have killed 1000 zombies. You gained Gravedigger perk: +1 Constitution. Adapted to zombie virus.


    *The zombies are not happy at being crushed. The name ?gantija, means ''Giants'' tower. And you''ll now find out why.


    To Pef''s surprise, the remaining zombies in the field began coalescing into a pulsating mass of organs and limbs.


    With m.o.a.ns and squelching sounds, the dead biomass rose, like a towering super zombie, at least 50 meters tall.


    Pef sped up, and slashed at the giant zombie''s leg. There was a cut, but much shallower than expected.


    Then the giant stomped, and Pef had to flee or be crushed between two slabs of rock.


    He threw a look behind him, and dodged a huge rock thrown much too far.


    "Observe!" he yell, while diving in for another run.


    *Observe has reached level 3.


    *Zombie Giant


    Level 50. 25000 HP, 0MP.


    Status: slow, diseased, angry.


    Pef began strafing and slashing at a leg, trying to create a deep enough cut to hobble the giant. But as fast as he was with the polearm, the Giant was also regenerating.


    Then a mighty hand descended and slapped Pef away, sending him flying into the distance.


    -100 HP


    *Damage mitigation has reached level 3.


    *Regeneration has reached level 7.


    Pef glanced at his own status with a frown. A single hit almost killed him.


    *Danger sense acquired.


    With a snort, Pef returned to the fight, this time more careful. Two falx slashes, then change location, three more hits, dodge again.


    Slowly, the hits began piling up, overwhelming the zombie regeneration.


    An hour later, the leg fell off and the giant had to kneel in order to keep fighting.


    Pef switched targets to the other leg, and after a long fight managed to chop it off as well.


    The giant zombie fell on his chin, arms slashing left and right in desperation.


    Pef shrugged, running away and coming from behind.


    A few jumps placed him on the giants back. He started slashing at a shoulder.


    A few hours later, the zombie lay dismembered under his feet.


    "Can I store the falx in inventory?" Pef asked curious.


    *BDF stored.


    It was here that Pef wanted to reach.


    Flexing his magic muscles, Pef aimed his palm at the zombie''s head.


    "Shoot lightning!" he yelled heroically.


    "Fireball!" he tried again.


    "Turn Undead?" he tried in desperation.


    It didn''t work. Angrily, Pef punched downwards with his magic held in his fist.


    *You have created Aura Fist. Costs 10MP per use. You grab your precious soul in your fist and punch the enemy in his dirty soul. Most magicians would die at first try. I wonder how many times it will take you.


    *Your Aura Fist inflicts 900 damage on the Giant Zombie. Its soul crumbles. Gain 5000 Exp.


    *You have defeated the Megalithic Mnajdra Dungeon. You gain 10000 Exp.


    *You have killed 1000 zombies. Gain 15000 Exp.


    *You have received Drain Life Manual. You have received Greater soul fragment. You have received Bronze B.r.e.a.s.tplate(Uncommon quality), You have received Bronze Helmet(Rare quality).


    *You killed an enemy of level 50. You gain the perk Five-O: +50 HP


    *The Gamer has reached level 8.


    *Free attribute points: 6


    Pef pocked the manual with curiosity.


    *Learn Drain Life? Yes/Later.


    With a smile, Pef pressed Yes, igniting the manual and imprinting the details of this spell into his Magic.


    *Drain Life acquired. Range 5 meters. Cause target to lose 10 HP and transfer it to the caster. Cost 10 MP. Can damage immaterial or dead enemies.


    *Pef the Gamer


    Level 8, HP 200, MP 110


    Attributes: free = 6


    Str: 11


    Con: 12


    Agi: 16


    Magic: 11


    Mind: 15


    Charisma: 11


    Kharma: 10

 Chapter 169 - My OC Stash #69 - But Doctor, I Am Pagliacci by Acyl (DCU)

    -Recommended by Denzel_theking & chiller~ It''s quite an interesting fic with a level-headed Joker trying to figure out the mystery of Batman not existing at all. But then big twist, we have this more sane Joker becoming this world''s Batman, check it out!


    (¡å¥í©a)


    Sypnosis: Jack Napier, a.k.a. the Joker. After years of madness, he''s finally sane. But there''s something wrong. Something''s not right. According to his psychiatrist, there''s no Bat. Nobody in Gotham City has heard of a superhero named Batman. The Justice League doesn''t have a guy who dresses like a bat.


    And that''s wrong. That can''t be. Because if there''s one thing that Jack knows, it''s that there can''t be a Joker without a Batman.


    Rated: T


    Words 100K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/but-doctor-i-am-pagliacci-dc-joker-au.808805/#post-63241049 (Acyl)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    "That can''t be," Jack whispered.


    The doctor looked at him. Her expression was sympathetic. Empathetic. Jack was getting vaguely sick of seeing that expression on people''s faces. He understood why, of course. But it didn''t make things any better.


    "Forced visual hallucinations aren''t unheard of," the doctor murmured. "And I guess you could have seen some kind of figure that¡­ "


    As she spoke, the doctor spun her pen between her fingers. The ballpoint moved back and forth, the blue plastic contrasting with the red of her nail polish. Jack had noticed the nervous tic. It was one of Doc Quinzel''s many tells.


    Perhaps it was wrong of him to expect a psychiatric professional to have better control over her own body language. She was a doctor, not a machine. Whatever the case, Quinzel was an expressive woman. It was easy for Jack to read her mood. He knew what she was thinking.


    "Look," Jack tried again, leaning forward slightly in his chair. "Sure, you think I''m crazy. Because, yeah, I was. Crazy. Totally cray-cray. But I''m not making this up, okay? Batman, you know? Superhero? Guy in a bat outfit with pointy ears? The Dark Knight? Protector of Gotham City? Am I ringing any bells here?"


    "Well," Quinzel said, carefully, "there is a guy with a knight theme. Maybe you''re thinking of Azrael?"


    Jack made a face. Then he covered his face with one hand.


    "No," Jack stated, flatly.


    "I don''t know what to tell you, Jack," Quinzel said, shrugging her shoulders. "The local superheroes are the Creeper and Ragman. I''ve never heard of this Batman, or anyone called Robin."


    Jack sighed. "No offence, doc, but unless you really follow the cape-and-tights set, is there maybe, just possibly, a chance that you haven''t heard of Batman because¡­ "


    Quinzel bit her lip. She tapped her ballpoint pen against her notepad, the nib moving aimlessly across the paper. At least, it didn''t seem to Jack like she was actually writing something.


    Finally, Quinzel spoke again. "I''m accredited with the Justice League."


    Jack blinked. "What?"


    "The Justice League has a programme that¡­ it''s not important," Quinzel said. "The point is that I did check the League''s database. There isn''t anyone on their public roster that fits your description."


    Jack thought quickly, his mind going over what the doctor had said. "Public roster. Key word, ''public''. The Bat doesn''t exactly do high profile. What if¡­ "


    Quinzel closed her eyes for a second, her brow furrowing. "That''s possible, I suppose. But, Jack, there''s nothing in your case file that talks about a¡­ Batman. That is the kind of thing which is included in, ah, supervillain case doc.u.mentation. They want us to know who to call in case of an emergency, if nothing else."


    Jack inhaled, sharply. He held his breath, counted slowly in his head, then exhaled in a rush. There was no point in getting angry. He wouldn''t gain anything from losing his temper. Doc Quinzel was trying to help. She wasn''t his enemy.


    No. The Batman was.


    Except¡­ if she was right, the Batman didn''t exist.


    "There was that time," Jack said, "I took over damn near every radio in Gotham City. Had one hell of a transmitter, pumped a ton of power. Taunted the cops. Then Batman stopped me. Unless you''re telling me that never happened, and I imagined the whole thing."


    "That happened," Quinzel replied, reaching for the thick binder on her desk, before stopping herself, and letting her hand fall. "I wasn''t at Arkham then, but it was another, er, criminal that turned you over to the police. Brute Nelson."


    Jack frowned. "Nelson? No, I¡­ "


    "That''s what I read," Quinzel said, almost apologetically.


    Jack shook his head. "Alright. Fine. Then there was the time I went to New York and tried to¡­ "


    He winced. He didn''t like dredging up the memories. But he also couldn''t run away from everything he''d done.


    He forced himself to finish the statement. "Tried to gas the entire UN General Assembly. Because I fancied myself a terrorist, or something. Then Batman and Superman arrived, and¡­ "


    "Superman did," Quinzel interrupted, quietly. "Just Superman."


    Jack started to protest. But the words died in his throat.


    "The whole incident was televised," Quinzel continued. "It was the UN building, and they were in session. Superman came in, and, well¡­ "


    Jack clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palms.


    "The fish," he said, desperately.


    Quinzel''s eyebrows went up. "I''m sorry? Excuse me?"


    "The Joker Fish," Jack clarified. He suppressed the urge to groan at his own insanity, and carried on. "I injected fish with¡­ mutated them to, er, look all¡­ "


    He lifted a hand to his face, and mimed an exaggerated smile with two fingers.


    "Oh, yes," Quinzel said. "The fish incident, yes."


    "Right," Jack muttered.


    He wasn''t really smiling, of course. No, the expression on his face was a scowl, by now.


    "I guess," Jack said, "you''re gonna tell me that Batman didn''t save the day? Batman didn''t turn up to foil my evil seafood plot? Who was it, then? Aquaman?"


    This time, Quinzel did open her binder, leafing through the pages. It took her a few moments to find what she was looking for.


    "The United States Fish and Wildlife Service," Quinzel said.


    Jack''s frown deepened. "Wait, seriously?"


    "That''s what it says here," Quinzel replied.


    Jack opened his mouth, then closed it again. He didn''t know what to say.


    Chapter 2


    They considered him low-risk. These days, anyway. His old self would have probably been deeply insulted by that, perhaps considering it an unforgivable slight against his honour. But then again, he wasn''t the Clown Prince of Crime anymore.


    No. He wasn''t the Joker. Not anymore.


    So it was understandable that there were only two guards escorting him back to his room.


    Jack considered the situation, as they moved down the corridor. The staff liked to use different paths through the building, but it wasn''t all that much of a precaution. He still had a fairly good idea where they were.


    He''d had years to build a mental map of Arkham, after all. And he''d always had a good memory, even through all those years when his brain had been fogged with madness.


    The thing about comedy was¡­ it wasn''t all improvisation. Sure, some people did ad-lib on stage. But most stand-up comics had a script. One they''d long since committed to memory. Lines and timing.


    When you did a show, be it just five minutes, ten, or a longer gig, you were working with prepared material. Sure, there was always some room for variation, dealing with hecklers and all that. But much of it was memorisation.


    "Hey," Jack said, dragging his feet and lightly nudging one of the guards. The left one.


    He didn''t know what either man was called, and the Arkham guards were clever enough to not conveniently identify themselves with name tape.


    Internally, he chose to call the guy ''Curly'', because that was how the man''s hair looked.


    Curly frowned at him. "Keep moving, Napier."


    "I gotta pee," Jack shot back.


    "There''s a toilet in your cell," the other guard stated.


    Seeing as how the man''s partner was ''Curly'', Jack decided that made the right-hand guard ''Moe'' by default. He didn''t look much like one of the Stooges, seeing as how Moe was tanned and built more like a piece of architecture rather than a regular human being.


    "Yeah," Jack replied, "but it stinks. Literally."


    "That''s your problem," Curly drawled.


    "Look, man," Jack complained, "the anti-psychotic meds give me the runs, okay?"


    "Like I said," Curly continued, remorselessly. "Your problem."


    "Come on," Jack said. "There''s a men''s room over there, can''t I just, you know¡­ "


    "Doc said to walk him back," Moe interrupted.


    Curly frowned.


    "Come on," Jack pleaded. "You guys can walk me in, like you do."


    "Not seeing how that''s convincing me," Curly growled. "Ain''t nobody wants to see your pasty white d.i.c.k, Napier."


    Moe made a warning sound. "Professionalism, man."


    "He''s the Joker," Curly hissed.


    "He''s an inmate," Moe corrected, firmly.


    Curly ground his teeth together. The man clamped his hand tighter around Jack''s upper arm, all but hauling him to one side. "Fine. You wanna piss, Napier? You got one minute."


    Jack resisted the urge to smile. He kept his face studiously neutral, right until they passed through the bathroom door.


    Then, and only then, did he move.


    The door was narrow. Which meant the guards had to split up, even if they both were trying to follow him in.


    Jack spun, sending an open palm strike straight up, into the underside of Curly''s chin. It felt more like the man''s jaw was made of concrete, rather than glass. But Curly went down all the same.


    Because he was feeling courteous, and because Curly hadn''t really done anything to warrant serious head injury, Jack took the brief moment he needed to slow Curly''s descent.


    He didn''t want the guy to crack his skull open on the bathroom floor. Especially since the floor smelt of excessive chemical cleaning products, and who knew what else.


    Moe shouted something. It didn''t sound like an articulate word in any language Jack knew. As it turned out, despite his size, Moe was fast. Unfortunately for Moe, Jack was even faster.


    There wasn''t truly any completely safe way to render someone unconscious. A chokehold was better than clobbering someone on the head and hoping for the best, but even then there were too many ways it could go wrong.


    And even if it worked right, it wouldn''t keep either man down for long. Jack knew that. But he didn''t need them unconscious forever, just long enough for Jack to pull the plastic restraints off the guards'' belts, and slap them on their wrists and ankles.


    The high-tech plastic cuffs all but tightened on their own accord. They were easy to use, which was sort of the point.


    He''d watched the staff use them on Tetch, when the guy had kicked up a fuss in the asylum cafeteria. Screaming something about tea parties and Alice.


    Absently, Jack noted one small detail that he hadn''t noticed earlier. The little plastic restraint devices did have a manufacturer''s logo on them. LexCorp.


    A part of him had expected them to be¡­ WayneTech, or something. Of course, Doc Quinzel had repeatedly told him there was no such thing as the Wayne Group of Companies. No WayneTech. No Wayne Industries. No Wayne Capital. No Wayne Financial Services.


    No Bruce Wayne.


    Leaving the bound guards lying on the bathroom floor, Jack crossed the room, hauled himself up and above a urinal, and gripped the window.


    The window was more for ventilation than any sort of scenic view. It would be a hell of a squeeze, and likely he''d damn near tear something cramming himself through.


    But it would get him outside.


    And that was step one.

 Chapter 170 - My SI Stash #70 - You had your chance by XLUFERX (Naruto)

    -SI as Sasuke Uchiha(just after killing Orochimaru)~ Recently published fic, start seems good!


    Sypnosis: Having to go through the edgy teenager phase once was enough, but having to go through it again as the physical manifestation of edginess might be a little too much to handle. At least will people admire me and do not cringe like before. (VERY AU!) (SI-Sasuke!)


    Rated: M


    Words 14K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13444346/1/You-had-your-chance (XLUFERX)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    How to react the moment you open your eyes and find yourself standing in a room, a very simple wooden room with a single messy white bed. Usually would be confusing the first emotion but after the initial look, my head registered more gruesome details that omitted before.


    Like a bleeding body next to the bed and a large scaly maimed body spread all over the floor, the warm blood flowing like a river touching my toes.


    It was no surprise that my legs gave out.


    But that made matters even worse.


    My body and clothes got drenched with all that river of death, my hands could tell the texture of the blood as it lost temperature and going through the process of solidification on my skin.


    I brought up both hands and stared at the pure red dripping on my legs.


    I didn''t have any voice left in me, I could only look in a mixture of disbelief and shock. Hearing my heartbeat pounding my chest like a drum, and forming a tight knot around my throat preventing me to refresh my lungs which demanded air.


    But my torture didn''t end and when pain invaded my head the knot was loosened allowing me to scream everything that I had been bottling up inside me for a while. Even with the absurd amount of agony I could understand something, I could somehow see through my agony how my mind was being forced images after images reason why the pain was so barely passable.


    But my body, myself, had a limit.


    And my vision finally went dark, yet even in the darkness that engulfed me, I felt warm, a warm feeling that gave comfort as if I was inside a bed about to sleep.


    And it was nice.


    However, that was a very short-lived moment.


    Or perhaps it wasn''t, waking up from unconsciousness in the afflicted perspective felt like a blink.


    The light in my eyes returned but not immediately, first everything was blurry and there was resistance from them fully open, moments later they adapted and I found myself staring at the monotone grey ceiling barely illuminated by a lamp for a long while.


    The surface where I was laying felt different from before, it was no longer warm but sticky and every time I tried to move I felt like I was glued to it and the worst part was not even a couple of minutes before being attacked again the same headache that caused me to lose consciousness.


    My hands wanted me to rip apart my head and skull to somehow stop the agony that was happening inside.


    Before I endured, but now I was openly crying my hands drenched with my tears of impotence because there was so much a person could endure before succ.u.mbing to despair.


    If living was going to be eternal suffering then why live in the first place?


    Despite being perfectly aware that suicidal thoughts aren''t healthy I couldn''t care less, that pain was just that horrible until it was gone.


    I didn''t understand at first how it was gone but with the pain no longer making me go suicidal my mind could get some clarity to understand, to grasp my reality around me again.


    And noticed a man above me with long silver hair was looking down at me through his round glasses, his hand was glowing; that hand was touching my forehead. Somehow I could understand, with all my thoughts in disarray I could understand that it was thanks to him that I was no longer in pain.


    "Kabuto¡­" I muttered, I did recognize him and knew about him in so many aspects but that didn''t matter because the true question to ask, what was I doing next to him?


    How could he even exist?


    "Who am I talking to?" He asked.


    However, I did not answer him instead I grabbed his wrist stopping him from what was he doing and almost immediately the pain returned but with a lot less intensity, it was bearable and I could compare it with a hangover at most.


    "Who are you?" He insisted.


    I was getting the picture, understanding what was happening to me and I knew what I needed to say next to that man.


    "I''m myself and nobody else."


    "Is...is he dead?" His voice failed him as he looked at me with wide eyes filled with despair.


    I slowly pulled myself up from the floor and tried to shake the dust from my clothes but dried blood was outright impossible, despite the shitty situation I managed to form a smile when our eyes connected.


    "Isn''t that obvious?" My reply sent Kabuto on his knees in an instant, his eyes became empty and his body lost his soul with all the support that could drive him forward in life.


    I examined him while I circled him, he was indeed Kabuto Yakushi.


    My mind was assaulted again by the headache accompanied by distorted images but there was one thing that sticks from the rest.


    I couldn''t tell but my hands went to my waist and grabbed a handle and pulled, my hands unconsciously acted according to that particular idea, revealing a blade in all of its glory.


    A quite beautiful crafted katana.


    I looked at my weapon and then to the pathetic form of Kabuto one more time before my muscles moved and delivered a swift slash towards his neck.


    He didn''t move or even react.


    One swift and clean cut that send his head flying with a trail of blood following, his body collapsing on the floor as blood flowed like a river repainting the area of red once again.


    I executed him.


    But I wasn''t feeling different, much to my utter confusion soon turned into fear because I couldn''t understand myself.


    I sat there on the spot alone.


    Drowned in my thoughts who knows how long I spent inside that room with the stench of the dead becoming stronger by the minute after the addition of a new fresh body.


    But at that time I could finally organize everything to some degree for my better understanding, but I needed confirmation anything would do to satisfy my doubts. But after another look at my surroundings, I didn''t find anything that could be used as a mirror.


    Until I remember my katana on my waist, without thinking it twice I unsheathed it again and cleaned it with my robes and tried to see my reflection but it was too dark. There were two lamps, one next to the humanoid body of Orochimaru and the other was above me.


    I stood up and walked towards the bed but I stopped right next to it when I noticed that the corpse was giving me creeps. I had to drag the body next to Kabuto''s before I returned to the bed and take a seat, the illumination was different.


    And when I brought up the katana again I could see the reflection of my body without issue, so without wasting more time I shifted the position of my blade so I could finally see my face.


    In front of me, a pair of onyx eyes stared back to me, a black spiky with bangs that hang on both sides of my fair-skinned face that roughly frame my cheeks.


    I could only recall those exacts physical characteristics from one particular character.


    But how in the world did I end up as Sasuke Uchiha?


    More questions that require an immediate answer but with all those memories finally settling down, the whole scenario started to make a lot of sense.


    Orochimaru has been physically killed and spiritually defeated by Sasuke, me.


    The next thing to do was to look for my future Team who I would use to track down Itachi and then kill him.


    While it sounded easy enough the execution would be complicated to say at least, starting with those 3 who might notice something amiss.


    And Itachi would notice it right away.


    In other words, I would be in deep shit.


    I needed to adapt fast and recover before trying anything, the killer headache was a prominent problem but not understanding my body new functions such as chakra was a more serious issue.


    I didn''t know any place where I could properly recover, Orochimaru hideouts weren''t an option since he was dead and sooner or later others would come to raid and ransack the locations.


    Towns would draw unnecessary attention.


    And ninja villages would be problematic to deal with.


    However, Konoha wanted me back.


    Such a simple fact gave me enough foundation to work on.


    Besides, Naruto was stupidly obsessed with me about being his best friend so he would do everything in his power to help me re-integrate the village as smooth as possible, along with Sakura.


    Once there I could solve a couple of my problems and get some proper rest, and hopefully, I could get Tsunade to heal my headache.


    It was a rather good plan and the execution was simple as well but it all depended on a chance, a possibility of how they would react about my sudden arrival even with Naruto''s help it all would depend on Tsunade herself.


    But honestly speaking?


    I had no other idea of what to do.


    I was still confused about waking up and hijacked Sasuke''s body, if it wasn''t such a violent awakening and suffering then I probably would have been excited about the whole thing.


    I laid down on the messy bed and stretched my arms soon realizing how tired I actually felt after the whole ordeal, even if there were literally corpses next to me my mind didn''t seem to care or be bothered about those grim facts, I only wanted a quick rest before going forward about what I wanted to do next.


    But I was sure of one thing, I was not going to waste such a chance.


    Who knew what was laying ahead of me?


    I was intrigued to say at least.

 Chapter 171 - My SI Stash #71 - Bugs {Naruto Aburame SI} by The Propa Orky Reda (Naruto)

    -Fairly new fic with a serious Aburame SI~ Power hungry MC!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: ???


    Words 20K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/bugs-naruto-aburame-si.787270/ (The Propa Orky Reda)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    My name is Hiroshi Aburame. I was once known by another name but I suppose that person is dead, isn''t he? That must be true if I am alive, after all. I remember back when I was born into this world that I looked at the happy eyes of the bug users who were my genetic donors, feeling nothing but detachment. I mean, sure, they were taking care of me, but as I stared at them, all I knew was that these people were not my parents and they never would be.


    I don''t know how I died but I feel like it wasn''t a bad way to die... I think. I can''t really tell; it''s just a blur of fuzzy emotions at best. I had lived a pretty average life with average everything, so even though I missed the comforts of my old world like WiFi and such, I was already beginning to like it here. I was already starting to love living in this world and excitement bubbles up inside of me with each day that passes.


    I can''t tell why, but I felt eager to face the risk of this world. To face the harsh challenges ahead till they pushed me higher or simply killed me. Why should I care for preserving a plot I didn''t fully know? In all the stories I have read, there is always a butterfly effect of some sort caused simply by the newcomers'' presence in a world they weren''t meant to exist, thus I must attain strength above all else. Strength to ensure that anyone who stands against me will perish but that brought me to a new question. Why did I want this?


    Why did I want to live in a world where there was no true goal for me? The answer to that was how interesting this world was. What kinds of philosophies were born out of lands bathed in blood? Why is technology so scattered? How does chakra affect the very nature of reality and by what means does it interact with our thoughts and soul? So many questions were brimming at the edges of my mind agitating my swarm to frantically buzz.


    They were also interesting, as I did not get to choose my swarm like the others did, but I believe what I was given was worthwhile. Illogically if not impossibly small bugs called the Rinkaichu. Apparently my genetic donors were a part of a caste in the Aburame clan that were the best at wielding these small bugs. I could imagine so many uses for them, ranging from slipping them into the mouth of a target and utterly destroying a their lungs or killing high priority targets from a distance.


    Ah! That will be my goal then. My goal is the pursuit of knowledge in this world, although I refuse to sink to Orochimaru levels of depravity to follow the path of knowledge. He was foolish, much like a pig feasting, when he chose to go after the children of Konoha. It would have been far more effective to use ROOT to gather enemy nin or various children from the border villages. Perhaps I will get lucky and find one of the snakes little dens. Perhaps I could modify my bugs one day? That would be interesting, if nothing else.


    Even now I felt the bugs move their way through my flesh. Workers gathering food and resources from my stomach and chakra from somewhere near my heart. I would have to ensure I added other strains of bugs to my collection and hive, but for now these little menaces would do. Although my genetic donors in this world seem to be gone almost all the time, I am quite happy, since I am fed and clothed. I do not need much else, besides books.


    As I kneel in silence I can feel excitement running through my veins at how much could I learn from this world! Was the god of death an actual thing? Although I would never want to grab immortality like Orochimaru, as that would be something more akin to a curse for me. Either way, as I simply sit with a smile across my face, in this young and weak body, I know I will begin clan training soon. That reminds me how will I deal with all of these challenges while I am still young?


    Well, firstly, the most glaring and dangerous would be the attack by the Sand village. Hmmmm... I won''t lie but I do prefer the Leaf village over any other due to my own biases. In the end, to deal with Gaara, it may be best to drop a hint to Jiraiya, then kill the psychotic boy in his sleep. There has got to be a baby or something in the village to seal the one tails in. Oh! How would my bugs react if they eat the flesh of a tailed beast? Mutation of some sort? Maybe tailed beast chakra caused mutations to the soul and body? God, I am so curious and so eager to test it out despite how long it will be. I am only five yet I have such huge dreams.


    Although I had tried chakra exercises, my genetic donors had quickly noticed and brought me to the clans doctor. Yet nothing came from this besides a few days of concerned watching. I had discovered, simply by eavesdropping, that trying such exercises could be dangerous at my young age with my colony still developing¡­ I wonder if I can give my nano bugs elements? I can see my "Father" flinch at the look in my eye as I eat dinner. This is not my world. They are not my true mother and father, but I still find myself enjoying being stuck here. For in its anomalous nature some truly interesting things have sprung up. My mind never stops moving as I begin to ponder how I would deal with Sasuke if Naruto failed to prove strong enough to bring the edgy f.u.c.ker back? Those eyes are very interesting after all.


    Chapter 2


    It''s interesting to be six again. I was only two years away from finally enrolling in the academy yet I still had so much more to learn. I was hoping for that delicious prodigy title that tended to earn you some special privileges. Which of course makes sense doesn''t it? The stronger you are and more useful you can be more privileges are granted. It makes sense considering that a single S-Class Ninja would pose a threat to entire villages. Although I do understand why the Akatsuki never fully invaded a village until they grew desperate.


    The more I become accustomed to this world I realize that Pain isn''t the first of his kind to attack a village head-on. Apparently, during the Third-Hokage''s original term in office, there was an event in Kirigakure where a single powerful ninja with a potent bloodline flood a good chunk of their village beyond repair. Apparently, despite the strained tensions the Kage''s of that time still delt with him without mercy. The books I''ve read claim unaffiliated groups worked in unison to take this target out but it hints that these groups may be connected to the hidden villages.


    I ponder if Root and its Earth and Cloud are the organizations that took him out. Although once I''m older and have the clearance maybe I can look into it as a little bit of a hobby on the side. The book was simply called, "The cost of broken chains" and it was interesting. But I could say that for all the books I''ve been reading and absorbing. My gene-donors gladly buy me more books each time I ask perhaps out of some hope buying them would strengthen their connection between me and them or if they''re trying to raise me into a prodigy. They had even let me begin to wander the clan grounds alone.


    In these little adventures, I go on I watch in silence. I watch how there is almost no expression in their faces or body as they talk in such emotionless tones. Each time it was the same until I started turning my attention to their eyes and hands. It seemed that my clan didn''t express emotional signs as most others did? Something along those lines I''d need to look into it after I finish trying to find some non-propaganda filled history books. Something which was a bitch to do. Apparently our clan expressed themselves through their hands and face more so than anything else it the main reason why alot of them wore gloves, long sleeves or glasses. Perhaps a byproduct of our bloodline? Maybe Orochimaru would know. I''d have to ask him in the forest of death.


    Apparently Shino''s eyes and hands would be the key to reading him. I''ve yet to find Shino but Im sure I''ll stumble across him sooner or later. Right now though I turn my attention back to the dead rat laying across my desk. I gently put my finger on the creature''s tail so my Rinkaichu can spread. I order them with a simple mental command. They gently infect and posion the tail allowing me to easily rip the rat''s tail off and inspect the clean-cut. I am somewhat surprised to see how clean this was... I really wish I was seven so I could try out some Chakra exercises.


    I would love to coat my bugs in Chakra and see if they can clot up wounds or act as a sealant. It would allow enemys to live longer so I can extract information from them. But for now, I simply scribble down that idea to try when my colony finally finishes developing. Most other kids my age had already begun their training due to their own colony already finish developing around four or five. Once again a drawback to wielding Rinkaichu instead one of the other strains but a minor one for me. Finally, I pick up the tail and take a piece of white cloth and use the blood from the tail to drench and stain this white cloth. I wait for the blood to settle in the cloth as then touch the rat letting the rest of my bugs pour inside of the rat''s body and begin turning its flesh purple.


    I then tap the blood watching carefully as the bugs spread across the red-stained cloth turning it from red to purple. Watching as they consume and infect the blood before recalling themselves into me. I smile noting mentally how useful for evidence removal this would be. The door opens slightly as my father stands there gently calling, "Hiroshi? We''re about to go out for dinner so let me gift you this." He says calmly his eyes covered by those goggles of his as he hands me a pair of gloves. I simply raise an eyebrow as he says, "You must always wear those otherwise you pose a threat to those around you¡­ You will also be refrained from attending the academy to prevent accidents." I feel something in my heart shift at the Idea I would be confined within these walls.


    I dawn these gloves as I ask softly, "I understand. But I would like to ask just in case but¡­ If I were to find a way to prevent my Rinkaichu from spreading on contact would I be allowed to go?" My father pauses as I flex my hands nothing that I could still see faint traces of purple around my wrist. Close-Combat would have to be my specialty then which I wasn''t complaining


    "You can ask the Clan-Head later for we''re about to have a formal dinner with him and the other Rinkaichu hosts. Although it is not unheard of it is difficult for someone so young." I am faintly surprised by this pausing as I smile slightly. My father''s fingers twitch at that slightly at that but he simply leaves to prepare dinner. At least he gave me a heads-up and a direction to go tomorrow. For tonight I was interested in meeting Shino and his family. As I get dressed and prepare I am reminded as I dawn my shirt that I couldn''t kill Garaa could I? His sand defense was rather scary and I couldn''t touch his flesh unless I had alot of water or strength. I would need more flesh and creatures to test my bugs on. History would have to take the back burner for now I was going to focus on getting into the Academy.

 Chapter 172 - My SI Stash #72 - DxD: Codex Of The Universe by flameclawsxx (DxDXMyHeroAcademia)

    -This has quite the funny SI in DxD/MHA fic with some Jojo''s references and Igris. Yes the author just yoinked Igris from Solo Leveling! Check it out


    Sypnosis: Tomas is your average, everyday, human, or, he was until he was Rob''d and tossed into another universe with the horribly broken ''The Gamer'' ability and placed into the body of a child! now, stuck in another universe, as a child, living in a junkyard, with really op abilities, Tomas must find a way to survive the plot, and get some plot if you know what i''m saying.(Si Oc)(Gamer Fic)


    Rated: M


    Words 46K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13304386/1/Dxd-Codex-Of-The-Universe (flameclawsxx)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2


    *Ping*


    ''who''s sending a text this early?''


    I open my eyes and sit up.


    "¡­"


    ''this isn''t my f.u.c.k.i.n.g room!''


    Greetings Gamer


    A blue textbox is floating in front of my eyes.


    "¡­"


    "I''ve been f.u.c.k.i.n.g R.O.B.''d haven''t I?"


    For making a correct assumption you have gained +1 intelligence.


    I let out a sigh and shake my head taking a quick look at my surroundings.


    I am in the middle of some sort of junk yard, on all sides but one are massive mountains of scrap, crushed cars, rubble, rubber, plastic, and other trash.


    Welcome to the world of Dxd!


    ''Dxd? The hentai anime?''


    With Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels, correct!


    I just let out another sigh and stand up.


    ''where am I now?''


    You are currently located the town of Kuoh, in a junkyard along the outskirts, this space has been warded and blocked off from normal human perception, this is your workshop, do what you will here.


    ''Time?''


    Before canon, but just how much? You will just have to figure that out yourself, but, you have been de-aged so you will be around the same age as the ''main cast''


    Now, go out and get stronger to survive the chaotic events that are seemingly attracted to this town.


    ''¡­''


    I just walk down the path without saying a word, find a small trailer home, then walk inside and shut the door behind me where I take a seat at the kitchen table.


    ''you gamey bastards are lucky I am an otaku who has dreamed about this shit for eons, otherwise I would spend a good week or so sulking.''


    ''status''


    Name: Tomas Jones


    Title: The Gamer


    Race: Human


    Level 1: 0.0%


    125/125 Hp


    125/125 Sp


    130/130 Mp


    HPR: 1.2 Every 60 Seconds


    SPR: 1.2 Every 60 Seconds


    MPR: 1.3 Every 60 Seconds


    Stats:


    Strength: 5


    Dexterity: 5


    Vitality: 5


    Intelligence: 6


    Wisdom: 5


    Luck: 5


    Points: 30


    ''what is ''Sp''?''


    Sp stands for stamina points, it is expended when you want to use ''special attacks'' that don''t involve magic in any way, for example, an iaijitsu strike with a sword.


    Sp is increased by 5 for every 1 point of Vitality you gain, and the Spr rate is increased for every 40 points of vitality you gain. (By 1 percent per minute until you get a skill that lowers the regen time)


    ''titles?''


    Titles:


    The Gamer:


    does nothing


    ''skills.''


    Skills:


    Passive:


    Gamer''s Mind: (Passive) (Level MAX) Allows you to be calm in the most dire situations and gain Immunity to psychological effects.


    Gamer''s Body: (Passive) (Level MAX) sleeping in a bed restores HP, MP, and removes all Status Effects, please note, this isn''t your TRADITIONAL gamer''s body... you still feel pain, bleed, and can be disARMed... pun fully intended... but your arms will grow back, or re-attach if you manage to pick it up and place it back on the wound, when you regenerate hp.


    Active:


    None


    ''quests?''


    Quests:


    None


    ''inventory.''


    Inventory:


    Item Roulette Tokens x3


    Skill Roulette Tokens x3


    I repeatedly tap on the tokens.


    Item Roulette Token: (Rare) x3


    morphs into a random item when activated.


    Would you like to activate one? [Yes/No]


    I tap ''yes''


    You have gained a crowbar


    Crowbar: (Common) x1


    Allows you to pry open certain objects and can be used as a make-shift weapon when needed.


    Requires 15 Str to use affectively in combat.


    I continue onto the next token.


    You have gained a light sword


    Light Sword: (Uncommon) x1


    A mass-produced exorcizing utensil used by any self-respecting exorcist from here to Canada, the fact that it uses light as its main blade means that it is really light (Huehue) allowing even a child to swing it easily, not that they should though! sadly, however, because of its weight, most can''t really put much of their strength behind it.


    Deals 50+? of Str per successful attack.


    Deals x3 damage to unholy creatures.


    Inflicts ''Least Light Poisoning'' to unholy creatures when they are successfully cut.


    Least Light Poisoning: Target takes 1 damage per second for the next 30 seconds. (Stacks up to 3 times)


    ''NICE!''


    I take a brief pause.


    ''¡­''


    ''child?''


    I hop up and sprint into the small bathroom.


    "F.U.C.K!"


    I stare into the mirror at a short pre-teen with black hair and blue eyes, he doesn''t even look over TWELVE!


    I let out a really long sigh. ''oh well, at least once I go through that hell known as puberty, I''ll be hot as shit~.''


    I examine my pale face some more.


    ''hmm I''m pretty cute... damn son- no! Snap out of it! I have random skills and items to gain!''


    I tap on the last item token and tap ''yes.''


    You have gained a Materials Package.


    Materials Package: Steel Plates (Uncommon) x1


    Contains 500 thin plates made of steel.


    Would you like to unbox this item? [Yes/No]


    I tap no.


    ''and now for skills... this will singlehandedly decide if I am going to be op as hell, or just a weak boi for a month or two...''


    You have rolled a common skill: Manabolt


    Manabolt: (Active) (Level 1: 0.0%) (Cost: 100 Mp) (Common)


    Allows you to project your magical energy into a weak attack that deals (5+? Int) damage


    You have rolled a legendary skill: Runic Magic: (A/n I actually rolled this using wheel decide, this was a 1/63 chance and I somehow got it on the one thing that matters.)


    I choke slightly as I abruptly swallow.


    ''u-uh, system... how are tiers like ''legendary'' calculated?''


    Items and skills are split into 6 groups,


    Common - Uncommon - Rare - Epic - Exotic - Legendary


    Common skills and items are thing that you can nonchalantly find or figure out, much like buying a knife from a store, or figuring out how to swing something REALLY REALLY hard, or, in your case, project mana into a bullet that currently deals less damage than your normal punch!


    Uncommon items are, basically the same thing! But for ''magical items'', such as mass-produced magic weapons, like a light gun or light sword, simple spells that ACTUALLY deal damage or has a separate affect besides dealing damage, some examples of spells in this category would be Firebolt, Acid Arrow, Spark, and some minor resistance spells.


    Rare items and skills are a bit ''rarer'', Rare items tend to be things such as ''phoenix tears'' or lesser magic swords that have their own affects, like the blade catching on fire because it was enchanted to do so instead of the blade burning things BECAUSE it was made of fire, basically, anything that is created by someone with Sword Birth or Blade Blacksmith is at least a ''Rare'' item, Spells on the other hand just get more and more powerful, Explosive Fireballs, Lightning Bolts, and Petty Heal, the weakest healing spell.


    Epic items are a bit harder to come by, really weak sacred gears such as a ''Twice Critical'' would be in this category, considering you need to actually TEAR IT OUT OF SOMEBODY, killing them.


    Magics or skills in this list are things like Touki, barrier spells, and Senjutsu.


    Exotic items take the form of some of the weaker ''one of a kind swords'', or most sacred gears stronger than Twilight Healing, Spells in this category are much more powerful than normal spells, an example would be ''Explosion Magic'' when compared to ''Fire Magic''


    Legendary items are powerful one of a kind artifacts like Durendal, Ascalon, a Longinus sacred gear that the user was foolish enough to allow it to be torn out of them, on the skill side however, are special things like devil ''clan traits'', one of a kind magical abilities, lost magics and other powerful abilities limited to a single person or a small group of people.


    I slowly nod and look at my new skill.


    Runic Magic: (Active) (Level 1: 0.0%) (Cost: Dependent) (Legendary)


    Runic magic, known as ''the code of the universe'' to some who still remember it, is a long-lost magic that allows you to ''bend the rules'' slightly on anything you cast it at, simple uses of Runic Magic allow you to turn metal red-hot with but a single word, cause a tree or animal to grow faster, animate an army of constructs to take over the world, it is truly up to you.


    I silently tap on the last token:


    You have rolled a Rare skill: Fireball


    Fireball: (Active) (Level 1: 0.0%) (Cost: 2500 Mp) (Rare)


    Unleash a small speck of fire that expands rapidly on contact with a solid object.


    Deals 800+(Int+1400%)


    Blast Radius: 5 Foot Diameter


    I let out a content sigh. ''items can be replaced, the starter skills would have been a bit harder, but I REALLY lucked out here... a lost magic on DAY ONE of being a ''the gamer''¡­ too bad I am still level one and my mana capacity is garbage... so I probably won''t even be able to use it.''


    I walk outside and raise my hand.


    "Id: Create"


    Nothing happens.


    "¡­"


    I pulse my mana through my hand.


    "Id: Create?"


    Still nothing happens.


    "Hrm..."


    You require 20 Intelligence to create this skill.


    ''tch, fine, take it you filthy vultures, actually leveling beyond the first level will help me more than those fourteen points ever will.''


    By making a good decision, you have gained +2 Wisdom


    You have gained a skill:


    Create/Destroy Id: (Active) (Level 1: 0.0%) (Cost: 100 Mp) (Legendary)


    Allows you to create a separate space with soulless enemies to slaughter to fuel your endless l.u.s.t for power.


    Current Instant Dungeons Available:


    Empty: (Lv 0)


    Zombie: (Lv 5)


    "¡­"


    ''level... five? I should be able to take it, right?''


    I pull out my light sword.


    ''two kids gonna die tonight!''


    I appear in the world of my instant dungeon to find... it is the exact f.u.c.k.i.n.g same as the outside worlds... but I guess there are a couple of shambling brain-eaters now, so that''s different.


    I look out my window and count twenty- no, twenty-one zombies shambling around in my front yard.


    Zombie Level 5


    562/562 Hp


    375/375 Sp


    -/- Mp


    Str 15


    Dex 5


    Vit 25


    Int 0


    Wis 0


    Luc 0


    ''these look... surprisingly easy to kill... probably because of my rare weapon...''


    I crouch and slowly open my door.


    *Creeeeeeaaak*


    Two of the zombies turn their heads to look at the now open door, I had to fling myself to the side to avoid detection.


    "Guuuuuuhhhh" one of the zombies m.o.a.ns as they both slowly walk forwards towards the open door.


    I turn the light sword on and wait.


    "Grrr" the second growls as the first walks through the doorway-


    *Schlick*


    Critical hit (x2 damage)


    Only to have one of its arms cleaved off by a blade of light.


    "Graaaa!" It m.o.a.ns as it swings its second arm towards me, only for it to fall off as I swing the blade at the other arm.


    Zombie Level 5 #1


    101/562 Hp


    375/375 Sp


    -/- Mp


    Light Poisoning (2) 29


    I quickly kill it with a final attack that stabs it through the chest as the second zombie doubles its dexterity stat and SPRINTS at me.


    ''ohf.u.c.kohf.u.c.k''


    You have leveled up x2


    Your Hp/Sp/Mp has been refilled.


    I slash at it as it gets closer and backpedal into the trailer, it follows shortly behind and swings one of its arms at me and slams its fist into a cupboard as I move out of the way, showing signs of quite a bit of damage as it tugs its hand back.


    I slash it across the leg, fully severing it from its body.


    Vital Strike (*1.5 Damage)


    It tries to fall towards me, but I hold out a hand and unleash 3 mana bolts into its chest, causing it to fall backwards.


    Zombie Level 5 #1


    120/562 Hp


    300/375 Sp


    -/- Mp


    Light Poisoning (2) 25


    I stab it through the chest as it tries to sit up, killing this one like the last.


    Through Strenuous Action, (for how low your stats are) Your Strength and Vitality Have Increased By 1


    Manabolt Has Leveled Up x2


    I let out a sigh. ''mental note: they can sprint at you by expending their stamina...''


    You have leveled up x2


    You Have Gained 500 Yen


    ''status.''


    Name: Tomas Jones


    Title: The Gamer


    Race: Human


    Level 5: 0.0%


    530/530 Hp


    530/530 Sp


    600/600 Mp


    HPR: 5.3 Every 60 Seconds


    SPR: 5.3 Every 60 Seconds


    MPR: 6.0 Every 60 Seconds


    Stats:


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 5


    Vitality: 6


    Intelligence: 20


    Wisdom: 7


    Luck: 5


    Points: 35


    I briefly take a peek out the blinds to see about 5 more zombies making their way towards my open door.


    ''im going to hard pass on that one...''


    "Id: Destroy"


    Create/Destroy Id Has Leveled Up.


    The slightly darker and less colorful world shatters around me taking the zombies with it, fixing the broken cabinet and closing the door like I never foolishly opened it in the first place.


    I decide to lay down on the couch for a bit.


    ''what did leveling up change?''


    Create/Destroy Id: (Active) (Level 2: 0.0%) (Cost: 95 Mp) (Legendary)


    Allows you to create a separate space with soulless enemies to slaughter to fuel your endless l.u.s.t for power.


    Current Instant Dungeons Available:


    Empty: (Lv 0)


    Zombie: (Lv 5)


    ''nothing! It just costs slightly less now, same with manabolt, but it changed to ninety mana instead of ninety-five''


    I glance up to the box tv and lay down, grabbing the remote from the small table in front of me.


    *Click*


    Then, I realize a huge glaring flaw in my general existence.


    "¡­"


    "I don''t speak Japanese..."


    I''m back in the zombie ID, hiding under the trailer I call my home.


    "Hmmm..."


    I point a finger towards one of the zombies on the outskirts of the small horde slowly meandering past my home.


    A small blue orb arcs from my finger and hits the side of its head, causing it stumble slightly and slowly turn and walk in my direction, it isn''t sprinting, so it hasn''t seen me yet, and the attack was quiet enough that it also isn''t bringing any extra zombies with it.


    It bumps into the side of the trailer and slowly lowers onto its hands and knees.


    *Schlick*


    I stab it in between the eyes.


    Super Crit (*3 Damage)


    Then I abruptly and messily rip the light blade out of the side of its head, killing it.


    You have leveled up


    I continue this process twenty-four more times, to the point that the entire horde was wiped out.


    You have leveled up x8


    Name: Tomas Jones


    Title: The Gamer


    Race: Human


    Level 13: 87.5%


    1330/1330 Hp


    1330/1330 Sp


    1400/1400 Mp


    HPR: 13.3 Every 60 Seconds


    SPR: 13.3 Every 60 Seconds


    MPR: 14.0 Every 60 Seconds


    Stats:


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 5


    Vitality: 6


    Intelligence: 20


    Wisdom: 7


    Luck: 5


    Points: 75


    A Mini Boss has been summoned


    "¡­"


    I watch as a tall armor-wearing figure walks into the clearing, dragging a large zweihander in a single hand behind him.


    Griffard Level 15


    1725/1725 Hp


    900/900 Sp


    -/- Mp


    Str 20


    Dex 30


    Vit 30


    Int 5


    Wis 5


    Luc 0


    "Id: Escape" I whisper.


    You cannot escape while a boss or mini-boss are alive.


    "¡­"


    ''then let''s just kill it in a single attack, shall we?''


    I put every single free point I have into intelligence.


    You have gained a skill by raising your Int above 50:


    Mana Novice: (Passive) (Level: Max)


    Your maximum mana capacity is increased by 50% and all spells you cast are 20% more powerful.


    I smirk lightly.


    Name: Tomas Jones


    Level 13


    1330/1330 Hp


    1330/1330 Sp


    2662/2662 Mp


    Strength: 6


    Dexterity: 5


    Vitality: 6


    Intelligence: 95


    Wisdom: 7


    Luck: 5


    I point a single finger towards the armored knight and create a small bead of fire on the tip of my finger.


    ''as a smol loli pyromaniac would say, ''EXPLOOOOOSION!''.''


    The bead launches at the knight and its head suddenly snaps around, but it is too late as the bead touches the ground in front of it.


    *BOOOOOM*


    The ground rumbles slightly as the marble expands and consumes the area in a bath of fire.


    The large ball of fire disappears revealing nothing left behind in the large molten crater it made.


    You have leveled up.


    Fireball Has Leveled Up


    "Id: Destroy!"


    Create/Destroy Id Has Leveled Up.


    The world shatters and I find myself under my small trailer home.


    "¡­"


    You have gained: 11250 Yen, 7 Zombie Teeth, 1 Zombie Flesh


    ''gross...''


    I dust myself off and go out into the open, raising my int up to a nice even one hundred.


    ''I''m unbalanced as hell... so if I can''t one-shot it or it gets the jump on me, IM F.U.C.K.I.E.D.''


    You have gained a skill by raising your Int above 100:


    Mana Apprentice: (Passive) (Level: Max)


    Your maximum mana capacity is increased by an Additional 50% and all spells you cast are an extra 20% more powerful. (Stacks with Mana Novice)


    ''well, I have nearly four-thousand mana, let''s see if I can use my runic magic.''


    I hold out my hand and activate it.


    Three symbols appear in front of me and fly towards a crushed car cube I transported with my inventory.


    They hit the cube and white ring appears around the middle with the three symbols over and over again.


    Nothing seems to happen.


    "Uhhh?"


    I touch it with a piece of paper causing the part that touched the block to blacken and char slightly.


    ''it worked...''


    Those three symbols were the letters for ''Hot'', and they did exactly what the word implies, they made that block pretty freaking hot.


    I wave my hand, dispelling the runes.


    ''how can I make this work... better?''


    I glance to the side to see that my mana is basically at zero.


    ''Questions for tomorrow''


    Alert: the parameter has been breached


    I quickly sit up and sneak my way outside.


    A Quest Has Been Received:


    Path to Badassery 1:


    Summary: You have been awakened in the middle of the night, apparently something has entered your domain, or, that''s what the system tells you at least. Survive.


    Objectives:


    Survive/Escape [ ]


    Bonus Objectives:


    ? [ ]


    ? [ ]


    Rewards: 4000 Exp, 12000 Yen, Firebolt Skill book.


    Bonus rewards:


    ?, ?


    ?


    I quickly scan my surroundings, the slowly rising sun at least having a little worth.


    "Keheheh, a little human, how gross... hmm... he smells a little sweet~"


    I slowly turn my head.


    Stray Devil Level 25


    6500/6500 Hp


    3000/3000 Sp


    2600/2600 Mp


    Str 80+50% (120)


    Dex 30


    Vit 100+50% (150)


    Int 20


    Wis 20


    Luc 10


    Standing behind me is a large... man? If you could even call him that anymore, his arms are replaced by scorpion claws and his lower half is the body of some sort of giant... rat? But the tail has a spiky ball near the end probably for bludgeoning.


    He reaches out to snip me with his arms.


    I point my finger at him and unleash a fireball point-blank


    "YRAAAAGH-" he shrieks in agony as it leans back covering his torso.


    Stray Devil Level 25


    3280/6500 Hp


    3000/3000 Sp


    2600/2600 Mp


    "Pleb." I scoff as I raise my hand above my head.


    "Id Create: Empty."


    I disappear.


    After waiting 30 minutes and gaining two new skills, I think now would be a good time to appear back in the real world.


    I crawl under my trailer and examine my new skills.


    Suppress Magical Power: (Active) (Level 7: 63.1%) (Cost: None) (Common)


    Allows you to appear as if your magical power is locked, but it does nothing to hide just how adept you "could be" (Are) at magic.


    Meditation: (Passive/Active) (Level 10: 14.5%) (Cost: None) (Common)


    Allows you to regain mana at a quickened pace, increasing your Mpr by 190% when this skill is active and 19% when it isn''t


    ''let''s do this...''


    I appear back in the ''mortal realm''


    "THERE YOU ARE- GAAAAAAH-"


    I immediately roast the scorpion as I re-appear before he can charge towards me.


    I point my hands towards the smoke cloud, my fingers mimicking a pistol.


    "Bang."


    I unleash magical orb after magical orb from my fingertips until I run out of mana


    The smoke clears revealing a roasted scorpion with several ''bullet'' holes in his body.


    You have leveled up x3


    A Quest Has Been Completed:


    Path to Badassery 1:


    Objectives:


    Survive/Escape [x]


    Bonus Objectives:


    Kill The Stray Devil [x]


    Don''t Take Even A Single Point Of Damage [x]


    Rewards: 4000 Exp, 12000 Yen, Firebolt Skill book.


    Bonus rewards:


    3000 Exp, Lesser Exorcist Title.


    +5 In all Stats, 2 Item Roulette Tokens, 2 Skill Roulette Tokens.


    You have leveled up x2


    Lesser Exorcist:


    Deal an addition 5% Damage to any unholy creatures, take 10% less damage from unholy creatures.


    Firebolt: (Active) (Level 1: 0.0%) (Cost: 800 Mp) (Uncommon)


    Create a small sphere of fire to attack foes.


    Deals 100+(Int+400%) to a single foe.


    You have gained: 10000 Yen, 3 Vials of Corrupted Devil Blood, Shattered Pawn Piece.


    Shattered Pawn Piece: (Uncommon) (x1)


    A shard of a red chess piece, too fractured to be functional, but it still has some demonic power left in it.


    Corrupted Devil Blood: (Uncommon) (x3)


    When injected or consumed, grants the wielder a 15% increase to all physical stats, but at a cost, there is a 25% chance the consumer will be horribly mutated and have their mind twisted to that of a beast.


    (The secondary affects are canceled out by Gamer''s Mind and Gamer''s Body)


    "¡­"


    "Neat."


    I quickly activate my four roulette tokens as I walk back inside.


    You have gained a Pistol:


    Pistol: (Common) (x1)


    Just your every day, average pistol, you only have 12 bullets though...


    Deals 75 Damage per successful hit.


    You have gained ''Blitzkrieg'':


    Blitzkrieg: (Rare) (x1)


    A magical longsword that is coated in electricity when in use.


    Requires 40 Str in order to be used properly in combat.


    You have rolled a Rare skill: Petty Heal


    Petty Heal (Active) (Level 1: 0.0%) (Cost: 1000 Mp every 10 seconds) (Rare)


    the worst healing spell available.


    Heals 5+(1/10 Int) every second.


    You have rolled an Uncommon skill: Fortify Strength


    Fortify Strength (Active) (Level 1: 0.0%) (Cost: 1000 Mp every Minute) (Uncommon)


    Allows you to target yourself or an ally to briefly make them stronger.


    Increases Strength by 5% while cast


    "meh." I shrug as I grab my light sword from my inventory.


    ''hmm... I kind of wanted to do some runic magic, but I think I might just go grind a few more levels in the zombie Id...''


    Would you like to alter the light sword with your Runic Magic? [Yes/No]


    ''¡­''


    "Yes?"


    Light Sword: (Uncommon) x1


    Deals 50+? of Str per successful attack.


    Deals x3 damage to unholy creatures.


    Inflicts ''Least Light Poisoning'' to unholy creatures when they are successfully cut.


    Least Light Poisoning: Target takes 1 damage per second for the next 30 seconds. (Stacks up to 3 times)


    The description of the sword is mostly the same, but the effects of the weapon grow a bright orange.


    What would you like to change?


    I shift around the wording slightly on some of the effects.


    Light Sword (Augmented): (Rare) x1


    Deals 50+Str per successful attack.


    Deals 3 and ? times the damage to unholy creatures.


    Inflicts ''Least Light Poisoning'' to unholy creatures when they are successfully cut.


    Least Light Poisoning: Target takes 30 damage per second for the next 3 second. (Stacks up to 1 time)


    I feel the sword get slightly heavier and the blade glows much brighter than before as several white runes appear around the hilt that sink into the handle and seemingly coil around it, then they fade to a dull grey, changing to look as if it was simply painted on the handle.


    I wipe my brow. ''alright, I can add simple words like ''and'' or ''the'', but changing the wording from one ''segment'' to another is really tiring, like when I removed the one-fourth strength and added it as additional damage to unholy creatures.''


    I glance to my bars to see that my mana is at a low eight-hundred.


    Runic Magic Has Leveled Up x4


    ''dear god runic magic is so f.u.c.k.i.n.g op! Like, can I shift effects between items, like make my new sword- that I can''t use- deal x3 damage to devils? Or maybe even change SKILLS?!''


    Runic Magic''s level is not high enough to shift abilities between items.


    Runic Magic''s level is not high enough to change skills.


    ''it says ''not high enough'' so it means that it CAN do these things...''


    "heheheh!" I chuckle. "AHAHAHAHAH!"


    The zombie lunges for me, but I take a step back and slash it through the chest, causing one of its arms to fall limply to the side as I sever whatever muscle assisted in its movement, then I turn and slash through the leg of a second zombie and watch as they wither rapidly, then I nick each of them once more and turn my attention to a third zombie, ignoring the two quickly dying zombies that quickly wither to dust after three seconds pass.


    With my offhand I shoot a small blue bullet of mana through its chest, the attack only briefly staggering it allowing me to cut it in half with my next attack.


    Critical Hit (*2 Damage)


    ''I stopped getting exp from these things the last time I leveled up, kind of a shame to be honest...''


    A Mini Boss has been summoned


    Griffard Level 15-


    I silently vaporize him with two firebolts as he takes a step towards me, the first punching a hole through his torso and the second destroying his head.


    ''like, even that guy only filled up my exp about one-fourth of the way to next level.''


    You have leveled up x1


    That was my fourth time killing him, so that means that I killed over one hundred normal zombies.


    A Boss has been summoned.


    "¡­"


    *THUMP*


    I bounce slightly as something heavy hits the ground


    *THUMP*


    I turn around to see a MASSIVE zombie slowly walking towards me.


    Zombie Giant Level 25


    5000/5000 Hp


    1500/1500 Sp


    -/- Mp


    Str 80


    Dex 35


    Vit 50


    Int 0


    Wis 0


    Luc 0


    It stomps once, shattering the ground around it and transforming it into rubble and sharp spikes.


    "¡­"


    I wordlessly detonate its chest with two fireballs.


    "The stray devil was stronger..." I frown.


    Level up x1


    "Id: Destroy."


    I let out a sigh. "That was kind of disappointing."


    You have gained: 65000 Yen, 42 zombie teeth, 28 zombie flesh, 1 Lesser Mana Potion.


    ''the first two are gross, but the last thing...''


    Lesser Mana Potion (Uncommon) (x1)


    A small vial of blue liquid that is known to restore mana... and besides! It tastes like blueberry!


    Recovers 300 Mp when consumed.


    "Hm." I hum as I tilt my head. "Decent... I guess."


    "and now, to continue my nap!"


    For the first time since appearing in this world, I am leaving my sanctuary, with a Japanese to English dictionary safely under my arm, entirely memorized with my one-hundred intelligence, I skip down the street with a smile on my face.


    About two miles back I picked up a tail, it seems to be the small kitten of the Occult Research Club... looking... literally no different from canon.


    I take a pitstop at a gas station and purchase a couple sodas, juice boxes, and just other snack food in general.


    ''you know... I could just be a midget like her...''


    ''pfft- NAAAH.''


    I slip into a crowd and walk down an alleyway, in a different direction away from where I was originally walking.


    ''and I''m home free~''


    Would you like to finalize the changes to ''Corrupted Devil Blood''? [Yes/No]


    I tap ''yes''


    Corrupted Devil Blood (Altered): (Uncommon) (x3)


    When injected or consumed, grants the wielder a 25% increase to all physical stats, but at a cost, there is a 15% chance the consumer will be horribly mutated and have their mind twisted to that of a beast.


    (The secondary affects are canceled out by Gamer''s Mind and Gamer''s Body)


    I simply just swapped the 15% increase with the 25% chance to go mad and mutate.


    ''still an ''uncommon'' even with the increase?''


    Runic Magic Has Leveled Up.


    I pick up a pipe next.


    Steel Pipe: (Common) (x1)


    Just your average Steel Pipe, easy to find, hard to bend, can be used as a bludgeoning weapon when needed as well.


    I swap ''hard'' and ''easy''


    The pipe bends under my hands as if it was made of rubber.


    I swap the words back, and now I have a metal ''U''.


    "Huh... cool..."


    I look to a couple new items on my table, I got it after purging through the zombie instant dungeon twice more.


    Lesser Health Potion: x1


    A small vial of Red liquid that is known to heal wounds... and besides! It tastes like Cherry!


    Recovers 300 Hp when consumed.


    Lesser Stamina Potion: x1


    A small vial of Green liquid that is known to cure exhaustion... and besides! It tastes like watermelon!


    Recovers 300 Sp when consumed.


    Drain Vitality Skillbook (Uncommon)


    Instantly teaches whoever reads this book the spell ''Drain Vitality''


    Lich''s Phylactery x1 (Exotic)


    Shatter within Zombie Id to slay all zombies and summon the Secret Boss, a Lich.


    Recommended Level 30+


    I learn ''Drain Vitality'' and place my new potions in my inventory


    Drain Vitality (Active) (Level 1: 0.0%) (Cost: 1000 Mp every Second) (Uncommon)


    A necrotic spell that targets touched living creatures and drains their life force.


    Deals 25+(Int+200%) damage per second, and you heal that amount.


    I scoop up my items and put them in my inventory.


    Alert: the parameter has been breached


    Alert: the parameter has been breached


    Alert: the parameter has been breached


    Alert: the parameter has been breached


    "¡­"


    ''four times?''


    ''¡­''


    ''F.U.C.K! It''s the Gremory group, isn''t it?! I knew someone would come to ''kill'' that stray devil.''


    I let out a quiet sigh and grab a juice box from the fridge.


    ''how do I deal with this...''


    Chapter 2


    ''hmm... the question is, ''do I want to become a devil?''¡­'' I ask myself as I look to the ceiling.


    "mmm Nah."


    "Id Create: Empty."


    After spending a good 12 hours inside the empty Id, grinding skills, I finally decide to leave.


    I look around my house, noticing that some of my stuff is move around, but more or less put back in the same place... though, I am missing like three juice boxes and an ice cream sandwich.


    "¡­"


    "Those bastards didn''t even close the f.u.c.k.i.n.g front door!?"


    ''alright, I''m a little miffed now... what assholes...''


    I shake my head. ''might as well level up something else then...''


    "Id: Create"


    "Id: Destroy"


    "Id: Create"


    "Id: Destroy-


    Create/Destroy Id: (Active) (Level 10: 0.0%) (Cost: 55 Mp) (Legendary)


    Allows you to create a separate space with soulless enemies to slaughter to fuel your endless l.u.s.t for power.


    Current Instant Dungeons Available:


    Empty: (Lv 0)


    Zombie: (Lv 5)


    Orc: (Lv 25)


    I smirk widely. "Time to level up like seventy times~"


    I look down at my ''new and improved'' light sword that I made for this exact occasion


    ''Light'' Sword (Augmented): (Epic) x1


    A mass-produced exorcizing utensil used by any self-respecting exorcist from here to Canada, it was augmented by Tomas Jones and twisted into something... wicked...


    Deals 1+Str per successful attack.


    Deals 3 and ? times the damage to creatures.


    Inflicts ''Least Light Poisoning'' to creatures when they are successfully cut.


    Least Light Poisoning: Target takes 50 unholy damage per second for the next 30 second. (Stacks up to 3 times)


    unholy


    The blade is now a sickly blackish-red and instead of a sharp edge, black flames just ripple up and down the center.


    ''I couldn''t really find a place to put that second ''unholy'', so I just stuck it at the end, and sadly, it seems I am reaching a ''threshold'', the system blatantly told me that I couldn''t actually make it stronger than this, maybe the ''augmentation threshold'' will increase with higher-rarity items... the only flaw of this blade, if you could even call it that anymore, is that it does SHIT melee damage, every single bit of murderdeath comes from that light poisoning debuff, it deals upwards of forty-five HUNDRED damage if I even scratch them three times.''


    "Id Create: Orc"


    I blink several times as I examine my surroundings, because instead of the normal junkyard I have become accustomed to slaying undead in, I am standing on a large green hill overlooking a shoddy looking outpost about four hundred feet below, it has several watchtowers made of logs, and an outer wall made of logs chopped in half and smashed into the ground, the walls seem to be protecting a load of tents, and I can see an extremely large one near the center of the camp.


    "this is... new..."


    I look behind me towards a large forest.


    We seem to be in a valley of some sort, large mountains on all sides about two or so miles away.


    "A little... big..."


    I sneak off into the forest.


    ''hmm... I won''t be able to just blatantly attack the camp... I saw a couple guards keeping watch... and I can barely take on a single level twenty-five, not to mention an entire camp... and besides, killing a single one of them leaves me spent, at max I might be able to kill three if I get them to group up closely.''


    ''besides, I saw those stats from even up here...''


    Orc Berzerker Level 25


    5000/5000 Hp


    1500/1500 Sp


    0/0 Mp


    Str 60


    Dex 30


    Vit 50


    Int 10


    Wis 10


    Luc 5


    ''Every. Single. Orc. In that camp... is equal to OR BETTER than the last Id''s boss...''


    I let out a quiet sigh. ''maybe I can use the environment to my advantage... there is that one thing with Runic Magic I have been meaning to try out.''


    I walk up to a small tree, about twenty feet tall, and place my hand on it.


    "Animate."


    It shudders, its branches shifting and moving unnaturally, sliding down the sides of the tree to where they are grouped up, then they weave together into some sort of monstrous arms, then its roots shoot from the ground and slowly lifts the trunk from the ground, where it falls forwards slightly and uses its arms to balance itself.


    A large jagged crack appears in the trunk, and two red lights appear just above it with black dots in the center of each, the black dots move from me, to the forest, then back to me.


    "KREEEE!" It raises its hand and tries squish me but I cast another rune magic spell.


    "Bind."


    Runic Magic Has Leveled Up


    It freezes and its eyes turn blue with white pupils, then a ring of runes appears just below its jaw and around its arms.


    Lesser Treant Level 15 (Bound)


    1725/1725 Hp


    900/900 Sp


    875/875 Mp


    Str 20


    Dex 10


    Vit 30


    Int 25


    Wis 5


    Luc 0


    It pulls its hand back and gently places it back on the ground and stares at me.


    ''and now... my mana is basically empty.'' I mentally sigh as I look up at the tree.


    ''alright, I guess this is indeed a plan... should I spend my spare stat points to increase my wisdom so my mana regeneration multiplies by six?''


    "Stay there for a bit, I''m going to turn this forest into an army, ill call on you when needed."


    ''hm... the mana regen would be totally worth it considering I am a caster now...''


    I put my points into Wisdom.


    By increasing your Wisdom to 20, your Mpr has increased by 1%


    By Increasing your Wisdom to 40, your Mpr has increased by 1%


    By Increasing your Wisdom to 50, you have gained a skill:


    By Increasing your Wisdom to 60, your Mpr has increased by 1%


    Mana Generator: (Passive) (Level: Max)


    The time it takes to regenerate Mana has been cut in half (60 seconds to 30 seconds)


    Name: Thomas Jones


    Title: Lesser Exorcist


    Race: Human


    Level 24: 75.0%


    2455/2455 Hp


    2455/2455 Sp


    5850/5850 Mp


    HPR: 24.5 Every 60 Seconds


    SPR: 24.5 Every 60 Seconds


    MPR: 304.2 Every 30 Seconds


    Stats:


    Strength: 11


    Dexterity: 10


    Vitality: 11


    Intelligence: 105


    Wisdom: 60


    Luck: 10


    Points: 2


    ''if my math is correct, I can go from zero mana to full in about two minutes if I meditate, and about nine and a half if I don''t.''


    I look to my body. ''annnd if I remember correctly, my stats can increase on their own, so why don''t I grind the easy ones, and use points on the harder ones?''


    And with that, I started a short training regime in between the time I animated trees.


    I look to the nearly one-hundred trees in front of me, it took about fifteen hours to assemble this small army, and that was without using my meditation skill to speed up my mana regeneration, buuut I increased all of my physical stats up to thirty, so that has been a good time consumer, with my new strength and speed, I am feeling fairly confident about fighting at least a single orc in one-on-one melee combat... excluding the boss and mini-bosses of course...


    I look down at the orc camp below.


    "Atack." I command as I point to the camp below.


    The trees rush past me, shrieking and causing the ground to shake as their roots slam across the ground, pushing them forwards at a surprisingly fast pace.


    I use my new strength and speed to leap up onto the shoulder of one of the taller trees.


    A loud war horn is blown somewhere in the camp.


    ''this is going to be great.''


    I point a finger ahead of us as Orcs start to rush out of the gate.


    "Bang."


    A small orb of fire flies from my hand and hits the gate where a MASSIVE explosion detonates, shattering the gate and sending a couple orcs flying, then a second blast soars into the camp and lights a couple tents ablaze.


    ''now I just let my mana regenerate.''


    The orcs get to their feet and continue sprinting towards my army, shouting incoherently and frothing at the mouth.


    The Treant in the front opens its mouth and spits a web of vines that slightly wrap around the first orc, his dex lowering by 10... for about three seconds before he snaps the vines in his mindless rage.


    Orc Berzerker Level 25


    4119/5000 Hp


    1000/1500 Sp


    0/0 Mp


    Str 60+50% 90


    Dex 30


    Vit 50+50% 75


    Int 10


    Wis 10


    Luc 5


    ''hmm... its health increased by about fifteen-hundred...''


    He raises his axe and cuts a massive chunk out of the animated tree, only for the tree to rapidly heal around its axe and smash its wooden hand down on the orc warrior.


    Orcs are kind of scary up close, they are like eight feet tall and have more muscle mass than most professional body builders.


    I hop off the large treant''s shoulder and leap down into the battlefield, lashing out and smashing the corrupt blade of my unholy light sword against the knee of the front-most orc three times before slashing at the next, then I leap back into the bramble and branches of my trees before they can react.


    I watch as before my eyes, their legs start melting as if I pumped acid into their veins.


    ''this thing is op as hell...''


    The first five or so orcs are utterly ripped to shreds as their weapons get stuck in the bodies on the treants, and it certainly didn''t help that they were all slowly melting.


    You Have Leveled Up x3


    I unleash two more fireballs at a group of orcs that were blocking the gaping hole where the gate used to be.


    Some of them turn to ash and disappear, while some hadn''t previously been hit by a fireball and are just critically injured.


    You Have Leveled Up x2


    ''hmm... that''s what, like thirteen orcs total? And it seems like I have only lost about five treants...''


    An orc that is at least ten feet tall steps out of a tent.


    Orc Battlemaster Level 35


    13500/13500 Hp


    2250/2250 Sp


    0/0 Mp


    Str 80


    Dex 55


    Vit 100


    Int 10


    Wis 10


    Luc 5


    The orc blows into a horn, then several loud howls are heard in the distance behind him, then, bursting from a tent is a large green, fur-less hound that is about twice the size of a German shepherd and looks like it overdosed on steroids before snorting an entire bucket of cocain.


    Orc Hound Level 15


    1725/1725 Hp


    -/- Sp


    -/- Mp


    Str 30


    Dex 20


    Vit 30


    Int 5


    Wis 5


    Luc 0


    I blast a fireball at the battlemaster and a second at a group of six.


    You have leveled up.


    The battle is going quite well all things considering... about half my treants have died, but I managed to beat three battlemasters, those battlemasters are actually the one who slaughtered most of them, easily dealing more than half of their health in a single hit, while my treants barely even scratched them.


    "Id: Destroy"


    I destroy the world- and by extension my entire group of remaining treants- because I really don''t want to fight the boss that would be level forty-five if my math was correct and considering the previous Id.


    I look in content at my new level of thirty-seven.


    You Have Gained: 1,680,000 Yen, Orc Talisman x37, 6 Lesser Health Potions, 6 Lesser Mana Potions, 5 Lesser Stamina Potions, Berserker Axe x1, Hound Whistle x1.


    I freeze at the items I got.


    Berzerker Axe (Rare) (x1)


    Grants the wielder the ability to enter a rage increasing stats


    Requires 50 Str to use effectivly.


    Hound Whistle (Epic) (x1)


    Summons an Allied Orc Hound to assist you in battle, each use of this item costs 500 mp, the hounds stick around for ten minutes before returning to where ever they came from.


    ''I have... almost two million Yen... that''s like twenty-thousand Us Dollars...''


    I just finished brutally slaughtering a lich, it was a level thirty-five boss that I just triple-tapped with fireballs before it could do anything.


    You Have Leveled up


    You Have Gained: 60000 Yen, 3 Lesser Health Potions, 3 Lesser Mana Potions, 3 Lesser Stamina Potions, Lich''s Sword, Lich''s Robes, Amulet Of Blasting, Magic Staff, and a Shadow Spear skillbook.


    Lich''s Sword: (Rare)


    a sword with an unholy enchantment, once wielded by a powerful lich.


    Deals 100+Str Damage per hit, plus an addition 70 Unholy Damage to living creatures, this unholy damage is multiplied by 4 against fallen angels and angels.


    Lich''s Cloak: (Rare)


    Increases Magic Regeneration by 10% and Maximum Mana by 10%


    Amulet Of Blasting: (Epic)


    Any attacks spells that are Aoe deal an addition 30% damage and cost 10% less.


    Magic Staff: (Epic)


    Allows you to store Mp in the staff to cast future spells


    Magic Capacity: (0/1500)


    Shadow Spear Skillbook: (Exotic)


    Teaches you how to use the spell ''Shadow Spear''.


    ''well... it seems I hit the motherload...''


    I learn my new skill.


    Shadow Spear: (Active) (Level 1: 0.0%) (Cost: 2000 Per Spear) (Exotic)


    Grants you the ability to use an extremely rare Necromancy spell that duplicates the effects of an angel''s and fallen angel''s light spear, but in reverse!


    Deals 200+(Int+400%) damage per stab, and inflicts ''Shadow Poisoning'' onto living creatures.


    Deals x3 damage to Angels and Fallen.


    Shadow poisoning:


    Target takes 10 damage per second for the next 60 seconds, Stacks up to 5 times.


    ''¡­''


    I smirk widely. ''this is op as hell''


    "But now... i want some f.u.c.k.i.n.g noodles."


    It''s kind of cool how they let me actually purchase what I wanted.


    I look at the large bowl of ramen in front of me.


    I mean, it doesn''t really help that I am being stalked by two opposing forces, the cat, and the loli fallen angel.


    Koneko Toujou herself is being really obvious about it, blankly staring at the side of my head, only glancing away when I look over in her direction.


    Mittelt on the other hand is actually trying, she has the menu up and everything, looking like she is going to order something but is watching me from the corner of her eye.


    I finish my ramen, pay, and leave with my cup of Coca-Cola or Pepsi, not quite sure which it is, but it is defiantly one of those two, then walk through a deserted park, just daring one of my two tails- currently only the fallen one because for some reason Koneko is just staying at the ramen shop- to make a move.


    I suddenly stop as a light spear crashes in front of me, then I look up into a nearby tree with a bored expression.


    "You done?"


    Mittelt Level 35


    8000/8000 Hp


    4000/4000 Sp


    5625/5625 Mp


    Str 55


    Dex 80


    Vit 100


    Int 50


    Wis 10


    Luc 5


    A small girl in a maid outfit leaps out and lands in front of me.


    "Looks like I was right~" she smirks. "That dumb cow Kalawarner thought you were just a stupid human with magical potential! But I was right and she was wrong!~"


    "Hi! I''m Mittelt and I''m like the most awesome fallen angel in the history of evar~" she continues.


    "Is this the part where to try to kill me?" I ask in a bored tone. ''that valley girl voice is kind of getting on my nerves...''


    "Yeppers! Like, just stand still and I''ll make it quick!" She winks and does a cute pose while summoning a light spear in one of her hands.


    "Mhm." I hum. "How about this, I let you get a single free attack, and if you fail to kill me, I''ll cripple you with a single word."


    She lets out her wings and floats up a foot or so, laughing behind her hand. "Aww the little kiddo thinks he''s tough, that''s like, TOTALLY adorable!"


    She quickly flies forwards with her spear drawn back ready to stab me.


    Ten feet


    Five feet


    One foot


    She looks a little concerned at the fact that I haven''t even made a movement, but is moving too fast to stop.


    *Schlick*


    The spear stabs cleanly through my chest and I stare blankly into her eyes which are slowing realizing ''Oh, I f.u.c.k.i.e.d up...''


    I grab her shoulder.


    "Seal."


    She takes a shaky step backwards, her hands shivering slightly.


    The light spear disappears into thin air, allowing a spurt of blood to squirt out of my chest and splatter on the ground.


    "W-What''s going on?!" She asks as she looks at her hands.


    Her wings poof into a bunch of black feathers.


    "W-WHAT THE F.U.C.K?! NONONONONO" she clutches the sides of her head in panic as four runes surround her.


    She holds her hand out in front of her.


    "D-DIE!"


    Nothing happens as the runes flash and fly at her.


    "W-what?" She whispers.


    Mittelt Level 35


    3600/3600 Hp


    3600/3600 Sp


    [Sealed]/[Sealed] Mp


    Str 55 [Sealed] 5


    Dex 80 [Sealed] 10


    Vit 100 [Sealed] 20


    Int 50 [Sealed] 10


    Wis 10


    Luc 5


    "Congrats, you are now just a durable human." I smirk as I slowly walk around her in a circle.


    I pull out a pocket mirror. "Take a good look at your neck."


    She stares lifelessly at the dull grey runes around her neck.


    "Now, this is the part where you realize that if I wanted you dead, you would be dead, but, I am nice guy, and I don''t feel like anyone has to die today, so, you get to live, and I''ll even remove those runes!"


    Her eyes instantly snap towards me.


    "As soon as you learn some f.u.c.k.i.n.g respect." I shrug.


    Her pupils shake slightly.


    The wound in my chest is slowly healing.


    Mittelt falls down onto her knees.


    I crouch down beside her. "Now, I am going to be brutally honest with you."


    "You should probably return to the grigori, get some training, and just not try and kill stuff that has potential the second you see it, you should really be giving job pitches to them, not a spear to the chest." I state, patting the large hole in my chest which is still healing. "I heard that you have longinus users in the grigori, so why would you ever try to kill someone for having a ''Dangerous'' sacred gear or ''dangerous'' magical power, when you guys literally employ people who have the power to kill gods, frankly you are just making it easier for the devils in this town to get more servants, and that''s dumb, you and your group are dumb, and are asking to be vaporized by the Gremory or Sitri living here."


    She stares at me as I stand up and walk away. "you need to do better at your job, Mittelt, or you might just get offed by one of your higher-ups... or sent on a suicide mission, such as causing mischief in the territory of the little sisters of two of the maous."


    I walk away with a pep in my step, humming a tune from an anime or something.


    About a mile later, Koneko finally catches up, a small cup of ramen in her hand.


    "Hey..." She deadpans.


    "Hm?" I hum.


    "You have a hole in your shirt... and blood."


    "I know."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "I was stabbed."


    "Mn. It didn''t stick."


    "No, it didn''t."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    She wordlessly takes a bite of her cup-ramen with some chopsticks.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "Bye."


    "Wait." She cuts me off as I turn around and start to walk away.


    "¡­"


    "What?" I ask turning to face her again.


    "Buchou wants to meet with you..." She states. "Im going to bring you to her..."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "Hm." I hum once.


    "¡­"


    "NIGERUNDAYO!" I abruptly turn around and sprint in the other direction.


    Koneko blinks a few times, realizing that I am currently sprinting away, but is probably dazed by my jojo reference.


    She blinks once more and decides to chase after me-


    I turn the corner and enter an Id.


    It has been maybe... a week since I met Koneko and Mittelt, I have spent most of my time grinding ''Runic Magic'', and it has been a... process, I guess.


    I hum a tune as I push this steel plate into the sand, the steel bending unnaturally to each and every line in the sand, much like putty.


    Once it is sufficiently pressed in, with no air bubbles or jagged pieces, I simply replace the word ''soft'' with ''hard'' and watch as the steel visibly stiffens into the front half of a chest-piece.


    I push it against the ''back half'' of the chest pieces then plant my fingers on the cracks where they meet.


    "Fuse."


    A bright flash explodes from the cracks and when it clears it is as if these were never even two pieces to begin with.


    I pick it up and step over to an assortment of other pieces I have made from the molding method, a classic knight''s helmet with a ball joint on the visor, simple gauntlets with brass knuckle spikes built in, metal boots with spiky shins, the entire edgy armor package!


    It took me far too long to make this... frankly, the chest was the easiest part... the hands of the gauntlet being the hardest.


    I place the chest in the middle, the legs at the bottom, arms at the sides, and the helmet on top.


    "Animate."


    "Bind."


    Runic Magic Has Leveled Up


    You May Now Shift Effects Between Items.


    A blue mist shines from behind the eye-slits in the visor, then the limbs get stuck to the body as if it was a magnet, then it slowly sits up.


    Animated Armor (Steel) (Bound) Level 40


    5000/5000 Hp


    -/- Sp


    -/- Mp


    Str 160


    Dex 165


    Vit 0


    Int 5


    Wis 0


    Luc 0


    ''its... so strong...''


    The metal armor stands up and salutes me.


    "I should... make some more of you..." I announce as I slowly walk around the armor. "It took several hours of un-interrupted work, but something above a low-ranking fallen is just too good to pass up."


    ''but first...''


    I pull out an apple seed and a couple lesser healing, stamina, and mana potion.


    Apple Seed: (Common) (x1)


    Creates a tree when planted that produces apples.


    ''I have been waiting for this moment.''


    I steal the word ''that'' from a magazine I had laying around and tack it on at the end, then I steal the effects of the potions and slap them on after it, then I just added a couple more words I stole from an ice cream sandwich.


    Magic Apple Seed: (Rare) (x1)


    Creates a tree when planted that produces apples that Restores 300 Hp, Sp, and Mp when consumed.


    Then I grab the word ''Grow'' from a garden manual, add on an ''S'', steal an ''Extreme'' from another magazine, attaching a ''ly'' on the end, then just adding on the word ''Fast'' from another magazine.


    I spend some time adding on some things that I thought the plant should have.


    Magic Apple Seed: (Rare) (x1)


    Creates a tree when planted that produces apples that Restores 300 Hp, Sp, and Mp when consumed.


    Grows Extremely Fast.


    Resistant To Heat


    Resistant To Cold


    I walk out of the patch of sand I was using to create my animated armor, Hank, and shoot a small hole in some dirt with a Manabolt.


    I place the seed inside and cover it up, then pour a bottle of water over it.


    A small plant pokes itself out of the ground


    I point at the plant. "Growth."


    The plant starts rapidly getting taller, at about an inch a second, then after about twenty seconds it just stops as a small sapling.


    I pour more water on it.


    "Growth."


    It grows to just above my head... which isn''t that impressive all things considering, but now I won''t kill it by stepping on it or tripping over it.


    I shrug and walk away. "Hey, Hank, would you like me to make you an extremely powerful great sword?"


    "¡­"


    "Great! I''ll get on that in a second~"


    I activate that one weak skill I got ages ago that increases my strength by five percent for one thousand mp a minute, considering my new mana regeneration, I am just off being able to hold it endlessly, and with each time the skill levels up it gets closer and closer.


    With this activated like this, I only lose about one-hundred mp a minute, so I can easily hold it for over an hour.


    Fortify Strength Has Leveled Up.


    Make that ninety minutes...


    I crack my fingers. "Great, let''s get started."


    I watch as my animated armor lifts the giant Zweihander out of the sand effortlessly.


    Large zweihander (Common) (x1)


    An even larger variant of a giant great sword used in the early sixteenth century by the German Landsknecht.


    Requires 120 Str to use effectively.


    If I was going to compare it to something, it would be cloud''s buster sword, the blade is easily five feet long and at least five inches wide, leading to a sharp point at the end.


    It gives it an experimental swing and sticks the tip into the dirt, taking a step back.


    "Now I''m going to make it stronger."


    I still get no response.


    Frostbryn (Epic) (x1)


    An even larger variant of giant great sword used in the early sixteenth century by the German Landsknecht.


    Deals an Additional 300 Fire damage per hit


    Deals an Additional 300 Electricity damage per hit


    Deals an Additional 300 Cold damage per hit


    Hank picks up the great sword again and gives it a swing, the blade leaving a trail of mist, sparks, and embers through the air.


    ''hmm... he reminds me of something...''


    The animated armor kneels before me with its head bowed.


    ''¡­''


    "HOLY F.U.C.K! I MADE IGRIS!"


    ''I need me some f.u.c.k.i.n.g spray-paint a.s.a.p.''


    "Stand up, Igris." the animated armor stands up and places the sword over its shoulder.


    ''I need to get him a sheath as well...''


    "Hmmm..." I tap my chin. "I should probably train a bit more..."


    Alert: the parameter has been breached


    Alert: the parameter has been breached


    Alert: the parameter has been breached


    ''three?''


    I just sit down on a pool chair I bought and wait with my arms behind my head, looking up into the sky Igris stabs his sword into the ground as he stands beside me and crosses his arms.


    ''hmm, who could this be? Sona has like six members including herself, Rias only has four... well, five technically, counting shut in Dio... or it could be six if ''before canon'' was like maybe a couple days before canon.''


    My animated armor, previously named Hank, now named Igris blurs in front of me and swats a barbed pink light spear out of its trajectory towards my torso.


    "Oh, it''s the fallen angels... I honestly didn''t expect this one..."


    "You were the one who killed Mittelt correct?" A black-haired woman questions from above. "She hasn''t returned since she started looking into you."


    "Nah, I didn''t kill her, she probably isn''t even dead, just realized you losers are annoying and went back to the Grigori." I sarcastically remark as I examine my nails.


    The fallen snorts. "Of course, Mittelt couldn''t kill her target, I should have gone instead of asking that horrid pervert to be my girlfriend.


    ''¡­''


    ''Issei is dead?''


    Two other fallen float beside her.


    "So, like, are you going to elaborate on that all, or do I have to just assume you have a kink for perverts or somethin''."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    The male fallen, Dohnaseek, snorts while the blue haired one, Kalawarner chuckles behind a hand.


    "I am going to murder you... violently..." Raynare announces.


    Raynare Level 45


    10000/10000 Hp


    5000/5000 Sp


    8000/10000 Mp


    Str 100


    Dex 100


    Vit 100


    Int 100


    Wis 15


    Luc 5


    Kalawarner Level 40


    9000/9000 Hp


    4500/4500 Sp


    6675/6675 Mp


    Str 80


    Dex 70


    Vit 100


    Int 90


    Wis 15


    Luc 5


    Dohnaseek Level 40


    9000/9000 Hp


    4500/4500 Sp


    4200/4200 Mp


    Str 100


    Dex 100


    Vit 100


    Int 40


    Wis 15


    Luc 5


    "Heh." I let out a huff. "You can try if you want."


    Raynare summons another light spear into her hands and points it at me.


    "Your flimsy animated armor won''t be able to save you."


    I smirk widely. "What makes you so sure about that?"


    "Igris, take them out."


    At that command, Igris rips his sword from the ground-


    "Nonlethally if possible."


    The animated armor freezes and slumps slightly, as if it sighed, then stabs the sword into the ground.


    "But if it gets dangerous enough, you can swap to lethal... if you feel like it." I hum, this statement seemingly cheering up the armor slightly.


    It ''cracks'' its knuckles and gazes up at the fallen.


    "Begin."


    At my command, Igris leaps up into the sky, easily meeting the fallen above and grabs onto Kalawarner''s ankle.


    "So fast..." Dohnaseek blinks slowly.


    Igris drags her to the ground and brutally slams her against it, taking off a good fifth of her hp, then he drags her downwards and uppercuts her, knocking her unconscious as another fifth of her hp disappears.


    Igris looks up at the other two which are slowly gaining more and more distance.


    I hold out a finger and start shooting manabolts at them.


    "Dohnaseek! We are leaving!" Raynare exclaims as she flies backwards towards the barrier of the junkyard.


    "hm." I hum as I watch them fly into the distance.


    I look back to my animated armor as it drags Kalwarner to me.


    "Now... what to do with you?" I mumble


    "¡­"


    I just poke her cheek and utter a single word. "Seal."


    A white rune collar appears around her neck like Mittelt.


    "Toss her out." I wave off to Igris as I turn around and walk back towards my trailer.


    The armor gives a single nod and grabs her shirt in between her shoulder blades and yanks her up, then walks over to the edge of the junk yard, allowing Kalawarner''s shins and feet to drag on the ground, then he just throws her across the barrier.


    ''I need to get him a f.u.c.k.i.n.g cape... or wings... one of the two defiantly.''


    ''a cape would fit him better.''


    ''let''s see here, Raynare said that she asked Issei to be her boyfriend on the day that I sealed Mittelt, then Issei was killed on Sunday shortly afterwards, like four days total, then she showed up here three days after that with her fallen friends, Issei should have only just met Asia or tonight is going to be the night where they meet again... via Freed... did both events happen on the same day in canon?''


    ''¡­''


    ''then the next day Asia breaks out, has a date with Issei, and gets yoinked by Raynare, then Issei, Koneko, and Kiba, go and try to save her...''


    I tap my chin.


    ''sooo, roughly, I have a day to kill... or, at the very least, somewhere around twenty hours.''


    Now, you might ask me, why the hell do you want to go help the devils? Weren''t you actively avoiding them not even two thousand words back? And you would be right, except for two words that make me want to go there.


    LIGHT WEAPONRY.


    There are over ONE HUNDRED stray exorcists inside the bas.e.m.e.nt of that f.u.c.k.i.n.g church, and each of those little mook lv 1 (Probably slightly higher than that) bastards are holding a light gun, and a light sword.


    ''hmm... I should actually go now...'' I mentally hum up at the sky.


    ''the fallen and freed are occupied with Issei currently, or will be by the time I get over there, so PLENTY of time to tell Igris to go out and-''


    "¡­"


    ''Why don''t I just tell Igris to go out to the church, slay the exorcists, and collect every single light sword and gun there...''


    "¡­"


    "IGRIS!"


    Said newly-painted animated armor instantly kneels before me, the lights from my trailer reflecting off his new glossy black coat of paint.


    "Go out to the church in town while the fallen angels and the stronger stray exorcist Freed is out, destroy every. Single. Stray. Exorcist. In that entire building, collect their light guns and light swords and bring me back all of them." I command as I hand him a small unopened container of rolled trash bags. "Any holy water would also be appreciated."


    He grabs the trash bags in one hand, then stands up and walks over to his greatsword which is still stuck in the dirt from that fallen fiasco early yesterday.


    He looks back at me expectantly.


    "You may use your sword." I nod.


    He rips the giant sword from the ground and almost giddily brushes off any remaining dirt off the side.


    "Have fun~"


    Igris turns away, swishing his new black cape and balancing his sword on his shoulders.


    ''ahhh... I love the smell of genocide in the morning, it''s not even on my hands either, those devils were going to MASSARE them all... probably taking the light weaponry to be dismantled or something because it is a crucial weakness for them, but, hey, I want that shit, so I am going to grab ALL of that.''


    I shout after him. "Try and go around the town, I don''t want to alert the devils inside, but they should probably be preoccupied!"


    He wordlessly gives me a thumbs up without faltering a bit.


    I turn back to my table and drink. "Well, he will be gone for maybe an hour... what do I do now?"


    "¡­"


    "Grinding?" I ask with a small head-tilt


    "Grinding." I nod.

 Chapter 174 - My SI Stash #74 - Blueman by Pro-man (MCUXDC)

    -Yo! here''s A MCU SI fic~ SI with a Kryptonian body, the fic was originally dropped but author decided to rewrite and it now has quite the word count, check it out!


    Sypnosis: Waking up in a puddle in a foreign city wasn''t the oddest part of my morning. That came later when I picked up a newspaper that had a headline "I am Iron Man." and then noticed that rather bizarre fact that I was several years in the past, along with having aged years and world looking like a comic book.


    Gaining the Boy Scout''s powers ontop of all that was only icing on this cake.


    Rated: T


    Words: 71K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/blueman-dc-mcu-si-reboot.811787/ (Pro-man)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    This isn''t Dublin?


    It was the rain that woke me up, it felt like I had been shoved into a heavy shower while still being in my regular clothes. On top of that, I was lying face down in a rather dirty puddle, my mouth wide open and my tongue tasting the muck.


    "F.u.c.k!" I shot up, my dripping wet hair slapping me in the face. Surprised, I tried to blink out the water from my vision, throwing out an arm to hold onto a nearby wall when black spots started to fill my sight and the world started to spin around me, causing me to lose my footing.


    Because of the spots that filled my vision, the only thing that I could use to tell where I am was the sound of cars roaring past me at a subdued speed I''d expect from a busy street. There were also some yells coming from people, basically, should people be speaking to each other loudly.


    "God," I groaned as my sight returned. A searing ache hit my head like a bullet was going through it. "What did I drink last night to cause this?"


    It looked like I was in some alley, in someplace that I didn''t recognize at all.


    I closed my eyes as the light from the street suddenly hit, telling me that it was some point during the day rather than night. With another groan, I spat out the muck from my little time with that puddle I was surely standing in by now.


    It wasn''t long until my balance was righted and I could stand on my own without the world feeling like it was falling down around me. It was then that I had a sudden thought, why is it sunny¡­ when it was raining just seconds ago.


    It was then the showering started once more, the sun getting blocked by the dark clouds that were no doubt above me at this very moment. For the first time, I looked up, seeing the tall buildings that surrounded me being basked in beams of light coming from behind the gaps between the rain clouds.


    "I''ve no idea where I am," I spoke suddenly, my head peeking out of the alley to see the people that we''re walking on past me. "Which city is this? Ain''t Dublin."


    The Irish Capital had buildings with a different sort of architecture, the streets were designed with a different sort of pavement that was flatter, that was greyer. The number of tall buildings as well was a sign that really highlighted that this was some other country, Irish cities didn''t have many buildings of this size.


    I glanced up the street finding that while crowded, it wasn''t overly busy for such a wide place. At the corner of the street, I spotted a newspaper stand, I got an idea.


    It only took a few seconds for me to get over there, a loud jangle in my pocket telling me that I had plenty of change to buy a paper. I put a smile on my face, trying to keep it natural as I strode up to the man at the stand.


    My heart started to race, I didn''t like the stare this man was giving me, it even caused me to shiver a little bit. Though that could''ve been just how wet my clothes were from the rain.


    "Sup," Speaking absentmindedly, the man at the stall repeated the phrase back to me. I threw my eyes to the papers down below, finding the New York Bulletin staring at me with its'' bold title page. I didn''t even look to the main image or the head title, just the dates that were listed on top of the title.


    May 2nd, 2008.


    "This the latest paper?" I asked the man, for the first time letting my eyes meet his.


    "Yeah, what of it?" he responded, only briefly looking down at the papers, though I''d imagine that he''d be seeing it all upside down.


    "2008?" I raised a single eyebrow, twisting my head to the side so I could give the man a side glance.


    "Yeah 2008," Now it was the Newspaper Stand Man''s turn to glance at me funny, something that caused me to feel more than a little subconscious. "You feeling okay man?"


    Licking my lips while scratching the back of my head, I could feel my heart start to race at the sudden thought that entered my head. Had I gone mental?


    "Yeah, just gone on a bit of a binge last night, just woke up with a headache. So I''m just washy¡­"


    Which was when I finally looked at the image on the front of the New York Bulletin¡­ with the words written across it¡­


    "Iron Man is Tony Stark, the CEO moonlighting as an international vigilante, is he a hero or a danger?"


    I couldn''t believe what I was reading, it was like someone had been playing a joke on me. Had Disney buying out Marvel lead to some bizarre New York theme part of Disney land where everyone stays in character?"


    "Insane ain''t it?" his voice brought me back out of my thoughts, causing me to sharply glance at the people walking around me, searching for some end to the streets that didn''t look like a real city. "Stark thinks just because he has money and some fancy armor that he can take the law into his own hands, it''s ridiculous."


    "Yeah," Was all I could muster up, picking up the paper and throwing the man a few coins that I had on me, only letting the size of them tell me what they were, no doubt overpaying the man. I walked away, ignoring the man''s call for me to return for my change.


    My attention was too caught up in the article in front of me, talking about what the CEO of Stark Industries had gone through in the last few months, about how he was kidnapped, about how he escaped the adductors. It went into further details, but basically it repeated a lot of the Iron Man movie, barring the personal interactions.


    Including how the "I am Iron Man" scene only happened yesterday.


    If this was a prank, then I''ve pissed off someone with a lot of money. But I don''t know what I could have done to Elon Musk?


    There was a splash from a car hitting a nearby puddle that hit the lower half of my left leg, causing me to m.o.a.n out loud quietly. Only the sudden growl from my stomach and a rather severe cramp stopped me from cursing out my life at the moment.


    Before I could even think about what to eat my eyes caught a glimpse of a rather large sign saying all you can eat¡­ 7.50 Dollar.


    The windows of the place were red-rimmed, the door a blue shade that clashed with that red horribly. Something that I hadn''t thought possible before now, at least to my understanding of color-coding.


    The place was called Joey''s or something like that, I honestly couldn''t be bothered to read it properly, I was just so hungry.


    "Stomach, you''re about to become full." I grinned while walking forward through the doors of place, some family-owned place from the appearance of it. The inside seemed to say the same to me as well, so I walked forwards towards the buffet table¡­ when an arm came out, stopping me only barely in my tracks.


    "For such a skinny guy you sure are train-like," This man told me, his face having on it a slight smile that masked the grimace I could see form in his eyes along with the slight scrunching of his nose. It looked like I smelled bad. "It''s the fee upfront, sir?"


    I took a breath, letting my eyes take in the man before. He was just a normal slightly overweight guy in a shirt and pants.


    "Right," As I reached through my pocket''s looking for the jingling of spare change to help me find where exactly I''d put the money in coat pockets. From, the by now rather peeved expression that seemed to take over the other man''s face, I knew that he wouldn''t like me standing up looking for the money for much longer. "Found it!"


    In a rush a nearly threw the tenner onto the man''s waiting hand. A sigh of relief leaving my body as I came to realize that I hadn''t even checked what I had on me before this. I was super lucky that It was an American Dollar and not¡­ like a Pound or even a Euro note.


    My eye was drawn onto the plates of pasta, some kind of cheese mix, so I grabbed a large bowel and filled it to the brim. Letting the smell of the freshly cooked Italian food enter my nostrils. Usually, I wasn''t the kind of person to eat food like this, but as it''s been said¡­ hungry is the best sauce.


    I found a free table and started to down my meal as if I hadn''t been eating right for the past few months. I was actually eating too fast as it turns out, the food got stuck in my throat, causing me to cough and punch at my chest.


    Eventually, I noticed the water jug on the table and so filled the nearby glass.


    A good gulp was all I needed.


    "You okay?" Glancing up, I found it was the man from before that had spoken, actual concern was etched on his face.


    "Yeah, " Replying sheepishly, I rubbed the back of my head. "Just ate my meal too fast, I''ll be careful from now on."


    It was only when the man gave me a slow nod, turned and walked away from me that I dropped my hand from the back of my head. That was when I noticed something odd, my hair was far longer than I''d ever remembered having it; like it hadn''t been cut in about a year.


    Which was concerning only because I''ve never let my hair grow past my ears before.


    "What the f.u.c.k?" I whispered, bringing my hand over to cover my mouth. Taking another bite of my meal, hoping that it would stop me from doing that thing when I start to talk out loud when I was, in fact, trying to just think.


    I let my heart race, let my right leg start to bounce under the table. I was sure that this was a dream, it made no sense to be stuck in New York, with the right currency, while both somehow being in the past and having grown out my hair.


    Suddenly my arm brushed up against a chest pocket as it made way towards my face to pinch my nose. When I felt what was there, my leg stopped bouncing, my heart froze. Chuckling lowly, I crept my hand into the pocket grabbing the newly revealed phone and wallet that I had somehow not noticed in my blind panic.


    I looked at the phone first, it was the model that I had in secondary school. A Samsung C3050, an old sliding phone from before Android took over, which annoyed me, mostly because if I really was in the past then even this phone might be too new for me to use with the current phone operators.


    Still, I slide the phone up to enter in my home number, making sure to add the digits needed to call it when out of Ireland. That was when I got the dreaded reply from the phone.


    "We''re sorry; we are unable to complete your call as dialed. Please check the number and dial again, or call your operator to help you."


    With my anxiety acting up more every second, I slid the phone back to disengage the call. My hands coming up to my eyes as I rested my head against my palms and my elbows against the table.


    I let out a low breath, trying to calm my racing heart while my mind told me that there was a chance that my phone just wasn''t covered in this country. Though the chances of that were low when I''d already been carrying US Dollars.


    "What''ll I do now?" I whispered, pulling lightly on a small section of my long hair at my fringe. To keep my anxiety from acting up once more, I started to think about the situation in hand from a detached point of view, like I was playing an RPG.


    First, it was obvious that no matter what the Paper said earlier, that at least six months had passed since I could last recall, my hair told me that. But the more worrying thing was that I couldn''t place the date I was taken at, not what time it was in the school year even. The only concrete thing I could say was that it was Leaving Cert year. Meaning that it should be 2012.


    Was I even at school still when I was taken?


    I looked at my reflection on the handle of the fork I''d been eating with and found that I''d gained some stumble along my jaw, that I''d grown as far as to grow a small mustache even, something that I hadn''t managed while going to school.


    "Maybe it''s been more than six months?"


    "What''s been?" The voice spooked me, causing me to jump in my seat just a tiny bit. "Sorry," I turned to face the speaker, their apology for scaring me seemingly sincere sounding enough for me to take it at face value.


    "It''s fine, I was in my own world," Taking in this new person in front of me, I didn''t think much of her other than she was around that age I''d been thinking I was, 18 and that she was huge. Not in a fat way, but that way I''d expect out of soldier, like she was ready to wreck some shit up. She was wearing something of a jumpsuit and looking like they''d just come from a run, and given that it was raining, that meant she was soaked.


    "Pat," I held out a hand to shake.


    "Louise," She sat down on the chair across from me, not shaking my hand. Which given my state of dress¡­ and how I woke up in a puddle, I don''t blame her, I wouldn''t shake me hand either.. "Hope you don''t mind me sitting here, all the other tables are full."


    I took a quick look around the room, finding that I''d somehow not noticed earlier the other tables being full.


    "I''m told that it''s a free country," I moved my eyes back to my food, seeing that the plate was nearly empty. "Can hardly stop you. You''ve already sat down and look like you could defenestrate me with one hand."


    I tried to keep my tone light as if the day hadn''t bothered me but I was sure that some of my shakiness got through. The only thing that I could hope for was that the girl put it down to me looking homeless.


    Homeless could mean that I''m coming off drugs¡­ not sure why I wanted that.


    "Always wanted to try it," she shrugged, a slight grin on her face. "Just never found a reason to."


    "Sorry, but I don''t plan on giving any reason," I took a few more bites from the pasta in front of me. Watching as Louise took a comic out of her bag, I found that I couldn''t recognize it, but that''s not saying much given that I only really read a handful of DC titles. "Whacha reading? If you don''t mind?"


    "Hyperion: Judgement Day," She raised a single eyebrow in disbelief if I was reading her face right. "You''re not a comic fan?"


    "Sure¡­ just more into the Irish comic scene," I lied back, trying to think of a reason why I didn''t know the comic. Though, really I hadn''t needed to and that was more likely to lead to more issues than solutions.


    "There isn''t an Irish scene for comics," Louise responded, her expressionless amused than it had been before. "I should know, been to Ireland before."


    "Exactly, hence my lack of comic knowledge," I recovered instantly, giving her a hammy wink from my left eye. Something that did cause her to let out a small giggle, something that seemed to ease the tension that I''d caused earlier. "Tell me about Hyperion?"


    "You don''t know about Hyperion?"


    "Just general stuff, last of his race, sent off to Earth by birth parents," I shrugged, watching as Louise actually twisted her ponytail, squeezing the water out of it and letting it hit the ground. "Raised to be a good little American, but that''s about it."


    "You''ve got the right of it," She told me, her eyes reaching towards mine as I leaned back into my chair. "Except for the odd issue that modern-day comics have where it just can''t stop making evil alternate timeline versions of him."


    "Gets boring?"


    "Gets boring," Louise nodded, her eyes coming back to read the pages down below. "And makes being a fan really hard at times."


    "I''ve got a question?" I asked while reaching for the last few forks of my meal.


    "Good, because mine''s what''s the question?"


    I couldn''t help but laugh out loud at that one, using my left hand I forced my fringe out of eyes. Honestly, I hadn''t expected that I''d be laughing like that so soon but it could''ve been due to mania setting in. I''m told that people eventually fall into that when they go mental.


    "You know where the nearest phone booth is?"


    "Yeah, it''s around just down the block," Louise pointed out the door and to the left. I could tell that she was kind of confused by this response. "Why, is your phone not working?"


    "Must have broken it," I shrugged, standing up and hearing the squeak of my shoes on the floor below. "Got some calls to make, maybe I''ll see you around sometime?"


    "Maybe."


    The phonebooth I found was old, it was rusted in some places. The glass that made the walls were broken in the sides, the shards had been gathered up and gotten rid of a long time ago from the lack of any surrounding the booth. The phone itself though?


    That was glistening clean, with glowing blue buttons and two green neon swirls for both the mic and the speaker. It was like someone had put a brand new phone in but for some reason didn''t bother with replacing or even just fixing the rest of the booth.


    I think that I spent over ten minutes going over the phone booth, trying to figure out several things. First, how to use a payphone, since I''ve never actually used one before in my life. The second, was it broken or did I just not know how to call people internationally with it?


    I checked the device over, finding no fault in any part of the slick machine before me. Couldn''t even understand the damn blasted thing.


    "What''s wrong with it?" Growling, I clenched my hands into fists at my sides. "This shouldn''t be so hard, it''s a f.u.c.k.i.n.g phone!"


    Stamping my foot down hard the phone booth''s floor¡­ I heard a rather loud crack spread from my feet. I flinched, closing my eyes hard enough that I would be surprised if they disappeared into the recess of my sockets.


    "Just what I need." I opened my eyes and stared at the ground that had dared to break because I put my foot down on it too roughly. "To be arrested for destruction of public property."


    That was when I noticed the sign I was standing on, a crack running through the form of what looked like a steel sign saying: "Out of Order."


    Taking a deep breath, I was about to turn around and leave the booth¡­ till it started to ring, the chime an alien sound to my ears, like something I''d expect a xenomorph to make before leaping at their prey.


    "It''s ringing?" I glanced left, I glanced right, hoping that someone would run up and reveal that it was for them, because the only other option was that someone was watching me at this very moment. That was when¡­ the numbers on the phone changed into letters, going from a soft blue to a sinister green.


    ANSWER THE PHONE


    My heart skipped a beat, my mouth dropping in surprise. So I picked it up, letting the speaker touch my ear slowly while letting the mic come to be about a cm away from my mouth.


    "Hello?"


    There was no response, not even the sound of heavy breathing to signal that someone really was on the other side of the call. But there was an odd electronic whine on the other end, something that was sending a chill that crept up my spine.


    "Listen carefully," The voice was distorted, making the voice unrecognizable barring that upper-class style accent. "There''s an alley to your left, go down it. If you do not, people will die."


    "Wai-" I was interrupted by a click and then another electronic whine that told me that they''d hung up on me. I glanced back to the number pad, the symbols once more becoming normal lettering. It was only then that I finally looked down the alley, watching as a very suspicious-looking man walked down, looking like some mix of a terminator or Kyle Reese with the large coat that could hide weapons.


    I knew that it was a bad idea to walk down there, especially in a city like New York, and having already been told that there was trouble about to go down there. It was just I couldn''t help but wonder what exactly was going to happen down there? Would it answer how I got here? Why I was here?


    But there is just as likely that it was some sort of trap, laid by the people that had put me here. I don''t know why they''d let me go and then set up a situation to recapture me. It could be to let me panic, see how I''d react.


    This all could be some kind of sick experiment.


    Deciding to take a chance on it, I walked down the alley with a keen eye for any funny business. It was a massive alley, at least to my small-town sensibilities, so much so that I could probably have a game of soccer comfortably here with two full teams. At the center of the alley, two guys were standing all their lonesome.


    One was a black man, at least close to middle-aged, with a close beard, wearing a black coat with his hands stuffed into the pockets while a plaid shirt was barely peeking out from beneath. Also on his face, I could see the thick black rims of his glasses.


    The other man was in a large beige coat with a tall collar covering the bottom of his face. While the other man had dark hair this one''s hair was red, with the grey creeping up from the roots, giving him a far older appearance dispite the fact that his face had fewer wrinkles than the other man.


    They hadn''t noticed me, or at least I was far enough away that they didn''t take any heed that I was here. It was odd looking at them though, as if I could see them better than I would normally from this distance, even making out the lip movements that the black man was using as he talked to his friend.


    But I didn''t know how to read lips, so that was useless to me.


    That was when I heard the screeching of a pair of tires, causing me to snap my head away from the two men. It was another pair of men, one riding on the back of a motorbike while the other one drove it, this time wearing all black and with helmets that obscured their faces from view.


    My heart metaphorically exploded in my chest as the one with their hands free raised up a gun, some sort of automatic weapon from what I could tell. Without thought, I screamed, my left arm reaching out as if it would warn the pair better.


    "LOOK OUT!"


    But the first two men were turning to face me rather than the oncoming threat aiming at them with each passing second. Adrenaline must have started to rush through my veins as the world slowed down and even though I knew it wouldn''t make a difference, I ran towards the duo as fast as I could.


    My feet slammed into the pavement with loud clacks as the world blurred around me, the muzzle from the gun flared.


    But the sound of the gunfire didn''t come yet, instead, it slowly moved in the air. It was like a miracle from the Lord himself, letting me slam into the two none-motorbike riding men though letting the bullet hit my body.


    "Shit," I swore rolling on to me side as the world speed back up and the motorbike ran off into the distance. My hand went to the newly made hole my jacket, trying to keep the blood that would no doubt be pouring out of the bullet wound. "F.u.c.k."


    "Jesus Christ!" The white man of the two men I''d saved swore as well. His hands coming down to hold my hand, the one already covering the hole. "You going to be okay kid?"


    His words broke me out of a haze, letting me realize something important.


    "I feel fine?" I replied, confused by my own statement, my hand pulling away from my jacket, much to both men''s horror, to reveal that there was no blood. "Did they miss?"


    "No," The greying-red-head answered, his now free hands coming up from the ground to showcase something trapped between the sleeves of his coat. "The bullet flattened against your skin."


    None of us spoke for a while after that, not sure if it was because they were as gobsmacked by this as I was or if they were just waiting for me to speak up about how such a thing was possible.


    "Holy shit? Am I bulletproof?"


    I must have worn an expression that was far too expressive for the two men not to take the connotation that my words gave. The black man took his friend to the side.


    "Hey," he said in a low voice, keeping his mouth close to the other man''s ear. "The kid is okay, but we need to get out of here," his eyes glancing over to me. "And with what this kid just did¡­ he needs to get out of here, before someone calls the cops about the gunfire."


    The white man sighed, his eyes briefly looking at me.


    "Fine, but I can''t take him, Ben," he said, revealing the black man''s name as Ben as he started to walk away. "Ain''t got anywhere to put the guy and I''ve got my own family to take care of. "


    I''d noticed that the redhead looked almost regretful as he left like it was painful for him to turn down trying to help the man that saved his life. At least that was what impression I got off the man, I could''ve easily been wrong.


    "Right," Ben smacked his lips together, grabbing my attention as he did so. His left hand came down to lift me to my feet, then nearly pushing me forward as a loud set of sirens started blaring "We need to get out of here."


    I followed along with the man, not making a single noise as I did so. Too shocked at what was happening to question this man dragging me out of the alley with a grimace on his face.


    "You know," he grunted, his eyes glaring. "You could start moving, I''m not the best guy around to be lifting a fully grown man."


    "Sorry," I muttered, making sure that I was actually following along with the man rather than being carried by him. Glancing at his face I couldn''t help but think that the man was oddly familiar to me like I''d seen him somewhere¡­ I just couldn''t place where?


    "What''s your name kid?" Ben asked me, his tone light as we changed from walking at a fast to a slow pace away from the scene. I pondered the man''s question carefully, thinking about the answer with all that I currently knew in mind.


    "Pat," I said, continuing the lie I''d told the young girl earlier. " Pat Doyle, and you?"


    He paused mid-step, his eyes glancing at mine like he was surprised that I hadn''t recognized him. Meaning that my familiarity with the man would have easily been placed on him being some kind of famous person, which would at least explain that drive-by earlier.


    "Suppose your not a big print man?" Ben asked me, resuming his strut alongside me with a small confident grin. "I''m Ben Urich, a reporter for the New York Bulletin."


    "Thought you looked familiar, must have glanced over your paper at one stage or another," Saying this I noticed that Ben was now fully taking in my appearance, I think for the first time. Looking at my disheveled clothes, my dirty face and even the unkempt hair Ben seemed to have decided something.


    "You homeless?" There was a light air to his tone, like what he had asked me wasn''t a big deal. I couldn''t disagree, part of me was deeply ashamed that I was in such a state that someone could even make such an assumption¡­ but then¡­ it did seem to be true.


    "Yeah, woke up homeless a while ago," I replied, letting my eyes drop to my dirty shoes. Looking at the dirty stains that littered the surface, stains that I wasn''t used to seeing. My mind still questioning how I''d gotten into this state. "Don''t actually remember when I got to this state though."


    Ben cast a glance towards me again, one that started out amused and slowly shifted into one of concern and sympathy. Eventually, he patted me on the shoulder, trying to give some small measure of comfort.


    "It''s been a tough year for a lot of folks," he said, his tone serious, from what I could recall, mostly because the Financial Crash would''ve happened recently, and even years after it, it was still affecting my family. "You ain''t got any family that could help out?"


    "No," I shook my head, thinking of the people that I hadn''t tried calling yet but realizing that I didn''t actually know any of their numbers. I''d never really needed to call other people and given that lack of any real response from the numbers that I had, thought that it might be better not trying. "I''ve been by myself for the last four years."


    It was really just a guess based on the length of my hair and counting backward from the last year that I could remember with any real detail.


    "You don''t have anywhere to stay then," Ben continued, this time muttering to himself rather than asking me a question. We continued walking towards some destination, Ben eventually hailing a cab that the two of us stepped into. It was only then that he spoke once more. "You can stay with me, I''ve got a guest room in my apartment."


    I wasn''t sure how to take that, I could tell that he hadn''t made that offer all that lightly, he''d tried finding somewhere else for me¡­ not sure why he didn''t offer to take me to some sort of shelter though.


    "You offer hobos a place to stay often?"


    "Just the ones that save my life."


    It didn''t take long for us to arrive at the apartment building, just twenty or so minutes which was a surprise to me, given that it was such a busy city. It wasn''t a bad apartment either. It was clean, lacking any graffiti or any other kind of markings that would tell me we were in gang territory.


    It was as we entered the door to his apartment, on the second floor, that Ben broke the silence that had enveloped us since that brief conversation in the cab''s backseat.


    "Doris!" Ben called out, his voice loud but soft. "I''m home¡­ and I''ve got a guest."


    There was a rather loud sigh from a room nearby, a small black woman walking out from behind a wall. Her face had a rather annoyed expression on it as if Ben had angered her.


    "Ben," Doris m.o.a.ned, throwing her hands down. "What have I told you? If someone''s coming over, I need to know in advance or I won''t be able to cook enough food for dinner."


    "I''m sorry, it was rather sudden," he responded sheepishly, his shoulders making a shrugging motion. "Guy''s helping me with a little something, nothing that''ll cause any trouble but¡­ as you can see," Ben pointed over at me, his arm waving up and down my frame showcasing the rather dirty state I was in. "Kid needs a place to stay¡­ you ok with that?"


    Doris gave me a look, her eyes staring into mine with such an intensity that I couldn''t help but look away from her. I was now only looking at the woman from the side of my vision, glancing as her expression softened even as her eyes stayed piercing.


    "First¡­ he takes washes and you lay out some clothes for him."


    With those words, Doris turned around and left the hall. Ben moved to face me again, a slight apologetic grin on his face as he ushered further into the apartment and stopped at a brown door.


    "Showers in there," he said, his other hand pointing at a radiator to the side. "I''ll leave clean clothes that should fit outside."


    That was when I was left alone, truly alone for the first time since waking up in that alley this morning. Alone and with a real mirror, looking at my face, I noticed that my face had aged by years since the last time I had a good look at it.


    The hair that I used to guess my age previously seemed to be the least noticeable signifier. My face, while clean of spots, was now covered in dirt from the street, in some of the cheese and pasta sauce that I''d eaten earlier. I''d lost all the baby fat that I was known for during secondary school, my cheeks looking like I''d lost a full stone.


    Even though I could tell by the sound of my footsteps that I''d gained about two stone.


    I could make out the back of my hair, peeking out from the sides. I''d somehow lost my infamous cow''s lick that I had holding up my fringe for most of my life. If I didn''t know better, I''d wouldn''t be able to tell that I was the same person anymore.


    It was only the shape of my nose, the shape of my eyes, and the small scar that I had above my left eyebrow from picking at a chicken spot that came together to form my unique face. Suddenly, a knock at the door shook me out of my thoughts.


    "Hey," Ben''s voice came through the brown door, light and full of cheer. Something that did a great deal to put me at ease, which only meant that I felt numb¡­ rather than shocked. "I''ve left some clean clothes out for you, they might be a bit short on you, but they''re at least clean."


    "Thanks," I replied, robotically, while I turned on the electronic shower. "I really appreciate you doing this for me," Speaking louder to overcome the sound of the shower. "Not many people would."


    "Hey, you did me a massive favor, the least I could do is help you get back on your feet."


    And so I was once more left alone, this time I didn''t dwell on my thoughts but instead focused on washing the dirt of New York off.


    I got dressed in a plaid shirt, the sleeves of which were barely enough to reach my wrist, and a pair of jeans that were somehow too tight but just about long enough for my legs. The only real issue I had now was just how long my hair had become, with it cleaned the damn thing straightened out and was over my eyes now.


    Blocking me from seeing anything if I didn''t swipe it the side.


    "Mr. Urich!" I spoke, only slightly loud. "I''m out now. Where should I put my dirty clothes?"


    "There''s a basket by the bathroom door!" Ben yelled back, his voice coming from a room down the hall. I put the clothes where he mentioned and went off towards where his voice was coming from.


    "Hey," I said as I approached the frame of the door, a jaunt in my step that felt like it hadn''t been there in a long time. "Thanks again for doing this for me, I''ve been in a bit of a spot of late and really needed the help."


    After my eyes caught Ben, I took in the rest of the room. What I found was like a conspiracy theorist''s wet dream, there were playing cards set up on several wooden boards attached to the furthest wall. Each one had a name, with a red string poked into the center of one and into another.


    "That''s what I wanted to talk to you about," Ben told me, sitting on a chair with his left foot resting on his knee. "Tell me, what is someone like you doing living on the streets?"


    "Someone like me?" Was my response, feeling confused by the statement.


    "You''re young, powerful," he pointed at me, his index finger pointing at me as if it would prove his point. "You''re also obviously an Irish National based on your accent. So I don''t know why you''re living on the streets of New York."


    I explosively sighed, my whole body seemed to sag as my earlier thoughts came to mind once more. Spotting a free seat across from Ben I took it before shitting my eyes and rubbing my forehead to get the hair out of my eyes once more.


    "You''d have a much better idea of that than I would at this point. One day, I was just studying for my leaving cert and then¡­" I clapped my hands together, causing the man to jump. "Bamm, I woke up in an alley with my face in a puddle and about four years added to me face."


    "You have amnesia?"


    "And I''m bulletproof now," I sighed once again, something that I was doing a lot lately. "That''s a recent thing."


    "They could be linked," Ben scratched his chin, turning his chair around to face his desk and grab his notes. "Some sort of super-soldier experiment, like with the Hulk."


    I let the name drop of another Marvel superhero go, not wanting to draw any attention to the fact that it was a surprise that he was treating a fictional character like they were real. Because I had my own bombshell to drop.


    "The last time I checked, it was 2012," That caused Ben to spin around in his chair, facing with this expression that fused disbelief and confusion into one perfect blend. "Now, it''s 2008."


    Ben suddenly licked his lips, taking his glasses off his face with his left hand while he once more scratched at his chin. It was only after a few seconds had passed that Ben spoke again, it was after his black-framed glasses touched the table that he said something.


    "If you weren''t bulletproof I''d think you were just crazy," he gave me another small smile while reaching over to pat me on the shoulder. "I''ll help you get to the bottom of this Pat."


    And with those words, relief filled my heart. It felt like the first time for hours¡­ I could breathe again.


    "Thanks."


    "Hey, don''t thank me, you saved my life," he responded, putting his glasses back on his face and removing his tie from around his neck. "And there''s a story here, one that needs to be discovered. That''s interesting¡­."


    Author''s Note: Hello true believers, here we''ve got the result of the vote over on the old thread. I decided that it would be better, and easier on me in terms of not needing to reorder all my old threadmarks. The old story is still in my sig so if you want to check it out if you hadn''t read it yet, feel free.


    For those of you that have read it, I''ll say that this version will be a lot different in certain aspects, the same in other aspects. His supporting cast will be the same while I''m going to speed up the development of other things. The time period has been pushed back, to around the end of the first Iron Man movie, rather than the messed up version of the last story... where Daredevil season one was somehow happening after Civil War when it was supposed to be well before that.


    Here things are better constructed so I don''t make that sort of mistake. I''ve also decided to introduce certain elements earlier, as you''ve seen in both this chapter, and will see in the next.


    Now, the next chapter should be both bigger than this one but I doubt it will come out till after Christmas.

 Chapter 175 - My SI Stash #75 - Blackjack does the Worm by Xahn (Worm)

    -SI as a bloody horse. Yes you read it right, SI as a Horse (with some sort of gamer power/cheats) in Brockton Bay.


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 7.5K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/blackjack-does-the-worm-or-how-armageddon-came-to-brockton.11395/ (Xahn)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    It''s one thing to write about waking up somewhere unfamiliar, in a body that doesn''t belong to you, it''s an entirely different thing to have it actually happen to you. Of course, it couldn''t be as simple as being punted into a videogame character, or a D&D PC. No, you write one story about being reincarnated as a f.u.c.k.i.n.g horse¡­


    I pray to God ROB that I''m not in a death world like Remnant, Worm, 40k, Berserk, Fallout, or worse, the Monster Reincarnation CYOA world. Seriously, P.o.r.noland is the worst. I do not want to **** my way to victory.


    Instead of laying in what appears to be a trash filled alley, I stand up, try to shake the despair off, and only succeed in knocking the garbage loose. "Wait¡­ when I wrote about this I made a joke about bad My Little Pony fics¡­" I twist my head around to stare at my flank. There it was. A cutie mark. In the shape of a horseshoe. Or¡­ no¡­ God no¡­ please no? But there it was, a stark white Omega branded into my side.


    I headbutt the side of the building, causing a worrying amount of damage to the brick work. Worm. F.u.c.k. I kick at the trash on the floor and unearth a newspaper, Brockton Bay Herald, January 11th 2011. I bang my head on the side of the building again, this time shards of stone dig into my forehead.


    -1 HP?


    "Ow!" what the f.u.c.k. Did¡­ Do I have a health bar? ...And that''s when I notice I have a full on HUD, Three color coded bars at the bottom, minimap in one corner compass along the top, and a f.u.c.k.i.n.g quest log in the other corner.


    A Learning Experience


    Open the Menu, You Dingus


    Read the F.u.c.kmothering Tutorial


    Do something other than standing in an alleyway beating your head against the wall you giant p.u.s.s.y.?


    Rude.


    "Menu?" Nothing "System?" Nope. "Status" Ding


    WELCOME


    Yes, YOU DIED. How? Doesn''t Matter. I was bored. This is your Life now. If you play along I''ll be nice. If not? I''ll stick you in a time loop a la Doctor Strange, and feed you to Scion.?


    ?


    Okay, my menu is sentient and an evil asshole. And considering the text goes on and on probably a long winded one who likes the sound of his own voice too.


    First order of Business! Leveling up! Don''t worry, you''re not a **** horse. You gain EXP Fighting things, Exploring things, Building things, Learning things and yes F.u.c.k.i.n.g things. Think of the system as the bastard child of Skyrim, The Gamer, and Fallout, in survival mode, on Hardcore difficulty and Ironman mode enabled. Yes you''re f.u.c.k.i.e.d. If you''re lucky, in the fun way too.?


    ?


    So lots of ways to earn experience, but I still need to eat and sleep, and if I f.u.c.k up and die, which''ll be easy, it''s game over? What did I do to deserve this?


    Gain enough EXP and you get to level up. Now in most Survival mode Rpgs (and pre-Fallout 3 Bethesda games) you need to take a nap to level up. Naps are boring! And I''m not interested in watching horses take naps. No, I''m here to watch horses take bitches. You want to level up? You''re gonna need to c.u.m. Preferably in something pretty. But I''m a Generous Deity(You can call me¡­ B.O.B.A. F.E.T.T. (That''s Short for Bastard of an Omniscient Being And a F.u.c.k.i.n.g Evil Timebending Torturer. Yes it''s a stretch. I like it, so f.u.c.k you, oh wait I already am.), I''ll let you blow your load how you like wherever you like.?


    ?


    What, the actual, F.u.c.k. I''d ask whose sick idea of a joke this is but apparently he lives in my menus and is constantly spying on me like a demented Santa Claus who is shit at acronyms. That''s more of a stretch than the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division...


    Granted, You''ll get some bonus points if it''s in a pretty little v.i.r.g.i.n. Or a MILF, or DILF, I don''t judge. I''m less interested if it''s in a mindbroken f.u.c.kslave, but if you break a toy that badly, I''ll probably have given you some points beforehand anyway.?


    NOW! Onto stats you have 13 they are:?


    Strength


    Dexterity


    Agility


    Speed


    Constitution


    Endurance


    Perception


    Wisdom


    Willpower


    Intelligence


    Charisma


    Lewd


    Luck?


    Click to expand...


    That''s a lot of stats, and aren''t half of them redundant? Of course this bastard, would make things more complicated than he needed too.


    They should be pretty self explanatory, but if you''re an idiot unsure open your status menu when I''m done talking and look them up.


    You Gain 10 Hp, 5 Stat points,and 1 perk per level, with Bonuses for how much of a Babe your C.u.m receptacle of choice is. But B.O.B.A., I hear you whining, that doesn''t seem like enough points! And you''re right it isn''t! Lucky for you I''m a benevolent god, you can gain stats by using said stat. Want to be smarter? Think harder! Faster? Go running! Stronger? Do you even lift, bro??


    ?


    ¡­ at least he''s living up to his name. Geez what an asshole.


    The Level cap is 50 by the way. Survive long enough to reach it? You get to evolve, like a f.u.c.k.i.n.g pokemon¡­.Geddit? F.u.c.k.i.n.g Pokemon? ¡­ You have no sense of humor. Somehow make it to your FINAL FORM without being turned into glue? The level cap rises to 9999.


    Now as a little gift to you, I''ll give you some starting skills and perks based on the absolutely degenerate story I stole your body from. Go Check them out. I''m tired of you standing in a dark alley like an imbecile. Entertain me. Or else.


    Good Luck, Horse-boy, you''re gonna f.u.c.k.i.n.g need it.?


    As soon as I read the last word the giant wall of text faded away. Hopefully never to return. Now I could actually see my menus and by default it opened to my stats page. The numbers¡­ aren''t encouraging.


    Name Blackjack


    Species Horselord


    Class


    Horse of the Apocalypse


    Strength 15


    Dexterity 4


    Agility 14


    Speed 19


    Constitution 13


    Endurance 11


    Perception 21


    Wisdom 4


    Willpower 5


    Intelligence 17


    Charisma 5


    Lewd 37


    Luck


    ERROR NAN


    I can feel a vein on my forehead twitching at the name and class, but it''s the error that gets my attention. With an aggravated mental poke I open the Error message under luck.


    You''re My Bitch. Do you think you have any luck outside what I allow you? Get a crackin'' before you get a smackin''.?


    ?


    Sighing, I turn to the trait menu:


    L.u.s.t


    Regain Health and Mana during s.e.x.


    Greed


    You can shove anything into your inventory for later use. Yes, even living things. Keep your bitches safe in your interdimensional pocket equivalent. No Carry weight limit, Just be careful trying to fit the Golden Gate Bridge in. Guaranteed Carmen Sandiego proof. ?


    Wrath


    All attacks are one tier higher in Power during combat.


    Envy


    If you want something, you instinctively know how to gain it for yourself. Sort of. (You have a quest log with hints, and quest markers. Actually succeeding¡­ That''s up to you.


    Pride


    Stat and perk gains doubled. Once a month you can reallocate your stats however you please.


    Sloth


    Time doesn''t pass while sleeping. Gain the full benefit of sleep with just a blink of your eyes. Want to sleep in? Feel like sleeping for a week? A year? Go ahead and do it!


    Gluttony


    Doubled health regeneration from eating. Your stomach is literally bottomless, and you gain a small amount of stats for each new thing you eat.


    MAGIC


    Yer a wizzard Horsey. Despite lacking hands, and not being in a setting where magic even exists you can still cast spells. Watch out, in a world without magic mana only regenerates naturally with s.e.x.


    Aura


    You Project a single emotion in a 12 foot radius at all times. Defaults to l.u.s.t, requires concentration to switch to another emotion. Has a minimum power strength. Power strength can be increased over the maximum with the use of mana.


    Addictive


    Your blood,sweat, tears, c.u.m, and pheromones are all addictive aphrodisiacs with a side of caffeine. Look you''re a talking horse, you want to get laid you''re gonna need all the help you can get.


    ?


    Click to expand...


    ?


    Okay¡­ Not as broken as MRCYOA but still s.e.x themed, unfortunately. I guess I can live with it. Note to self, do not give Dinah, or Vista piggyback rides, I''d rather not end up in prison, The Birdcage, or a glue factory.


    I take a quick glance at skills, there''s not much there, to be honest. Sword fighting, stealth, three schools of magic (black, white, pink) and Aura which at level one pushes 1-10 points worth of a single emotion can''t be turned off, constantly generates exp if there''s anyone in range,and judging from the noise coming through the wall next to me and the little ding as it levels up ( gaining another 6 feet to the radius, and boosting the effect to 2-20¡­ and there they go¡­


    With a sigh I force the slider down to its new minimum of two. The happy couple on the other side of the wall calm down as well.


    Okay¡­ Brave New World, Here I come.


    I almost feel sorry for Earth Bet

 Chapter 177 - My SI Stash #77 - A Necromancers Path to Power by Pravus666 (MulticrossXNaruto)

    -More Evil MCs! Author heavily inspired by The Dark Wolf Shiro~ Multicross fic with the SI starting in Naruto.


    ¨q( ???)?


    Sypnosis: What if a man was given the powers of a Gamer and sent into a world of which he had a fresh start as a Necromancer..well the answer is simple. Start on a path to power as a multiversal conqueror and become awesome in the process. Multi X-Over. Dark MC/Evil MC, Necromancer MC, Powerful Gamer MC


    Rated: M


    Words: 221K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13357050/1/A-Necromancer-s-Path-to-Power (Pravus666)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptonal)


    After having died in a shitty way to go via getting my house broken into and gunned down I''ve found myself floating in the void of who knows what, for what has felt like years considering that time flowed differently here. Yet after so long I''d finally get a message that would change my life after spending a seeming eternity in the void floating, and contemplating my life with repetition after repetition in order to prevent myself from going absolutely mad from boredom.


    (?, 20?, 11:49 Pm)


    It''d been who knows how long since I died that night, all I know is that maybe this is my supposed hell seeing as how I wasn''t exactly the poster boy for good deeds and such.


    "Well, this is a new turn of events." The man said as he saw a sapphire-colored light appear


    Congratulations you''ve now been selected to be a Gamer...select your universe


    Selected universes are as follows (Bleach, Highschool DXD, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Naruto, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Percy Jackson, Game of Thrones)


    "Let''s see as much as I like DC and Marvel that''s a no go because there''s no way I''m letting myself get smacked around by people who are the literal equivalent to Gods or better yet are Gods. Since there''s too much fun I want to have. Which also crosses out Percy Jackson as well." The man said to himself knowing those 3 were out because he knew that he didn''t want to f.u.c.k around and piss off Iron Man or Superman because of his soon to be antics


    "I''d also have to say no to The Old Republic because as much as I''d love to be a badass Sith. I have no intention of dealing with my master I trying to take over my body in what would be the first part of the story or blowing me up because I''m too good at my job. So until I''m stronger then sadly Star Wars is a no go." The man spoke as sadly his dreams of being a Sith badass would have to be on hold for now


    "Game of Thrones is a definite no go. Since I really don''t feel like having to deal with constantly getting backstabbed by power-hungry jackasses like in my last life, and neither do I have the mental capacity to deal with or put up with anyone..especially that little shit Joffrey." The man spoke considering that he didn''t want to have to put up with the constant betrayals and looking over his shoulder and neither did he want to have to placate insane bastards like Joffrey


    "That only leaves 3 options left, now let''s look at my remaining options." The man thought to himself


    "Highschool DXD is obviously out. Because despite it being cleverly masked as a harem anime, that place is f.u.c.k.i.n.g nightmare with all the bullshit powerful people in there, and starting out there would be a tactical mistake. Even if all the girls there are hot and somehow that f.u.c.k.i.n.g dumbass Issei managed to get them all, as the man calls himself a proclaimed harem king and yet does nothing with all of those girls and the power to slay gods. If I ever see that little shit he''s dead." The man swore to himself as Issei was one of the most irritating things about Highschool DXD in his opinion


    New mission Objective


    Revolt against the Harem King


    Objective: Kill Issei Hyoudou and assert yourself as the new protagonist.


    Reward 1: ? EXP


    Reward 2: ? Items, ? Items


    (Accept: Y/N)


    "This an obvious one, as your days are numbered you little shit." The man spoke easily accepting the quest and all of what would soon be his


    "Now then it''s between Naruto and Bleach, as both are freaking awesome. But which to choose...well I guess to make things easier would be a coin flip. Tails I go to Naruto and Heads for Bleach." The man added as he flipped a half-dollar into the void as it slowly came back down and landed in his palm


    "Well I guess I choose Naruto then." The man spoke as another message appeared


    You''ve chosen the Narutoverse as your starting gamer world. Now select your starting village.


    (Konoha, Suna, Iwa, Kumo, or Kiri)


    "Konoha of course, as hopefully I''m not relegated to being a side character. Since if I''m playing the game then I think I deserve to be the main character or at least a supporting one." The man spoke as two messages opened up


    Due to request, a quest-line has opened up


    Master the Beast


    Due to the interesting request, the system has decided to give you the optional questline.


    If you accept this quest-line you shall replace the titular character as host of the 9 tails.


    Objective 1: Master the 9 tails chakra before the end of series


    Objective 2: Earn maximum reputation and obedience with Kurama the 9 tailed fox before end of series


    Objective 3: Kill Obito Uchiha before end of series


    Reward 1: 27 Levels to all classes


    Reward 2: 6 random perks


    Reward 3: 18 ? Cards


    (Accept (Y/N)


    "F.u.c.k the hell yes I''m accepting, as I''d have to be a complete and utter dumbass not to!" The man exclaimed as he quickly accepted yes


    Now then select your class


    (Fighter, Healer, Mage, Rogue)


    "Obviously Mage, as mages are f.u.c.k.i.n.g awesome." The man spoke as he selected Mage immediately


    Select Specialization


    (Elementalist, Necromancer, Illusionist, Summoner)


    "Elementalist is overrated since throwing around the elements like you''re the last Airbender has been done to death. Not really caring about summoning so that''s out, and making people trip the f.u.c.k out as Illusionist doesn''t hold a candle to the awesomeness that is Necromancer. Because no one truly understands how awesome using the power of undeath is too make people rot and wither or summoning up undead to have your own army of zombies." The man spoke as he felt that people truly underestimated the awesomeness of being a necromancer


    You''ve selected the Necromancer class


    Will gain +5 to INT and WIS for every level taken in this class


    Skills Gained


    Drain Life (Active) (Rank 1)


    30 MP to Cast


    Drains 45 HP from target and gives it to caster


    Ray of Death


    Costs 20 Mp


    Deals 50 points of Necrotic Damage per Cast


    (Create Undead)


    100 MP to cast. Summons 1 Undead per 5 points of INT


    You can now summon corpses of the following undead to aid you in combat or other such goals


    Can be summoned/dismissed at will. With the following being your available summons


    (Skeleton Horde, Bayrok, Totenhund, Zombie Horde)


    (Create Spirit)


    100 MP to Cast. Summons 1 Undead


    You can now summon this phantasmal form of undead to aid you in your needs. Only 1 Undead per 5 points of INT


    Can be summoned/dismissed at well. With the following being your available summons


    (Ghosts, Living Armor, Bestial Spirit, Wraith)


    Due to the actions of your past life you now gain 60 stat points, and the following skills


    Intimidation


    Level 31 (88%)


    Thanks to your past actions as a criminal you''ve learned to make people afraid of you and do what you say through fear, force or other such means. You gain a 62% chance to have people listen to you and do as you say when using threats, torture, violence, etc


    Hand to Hand combat


    Level 32 (94%)


    Thanks to years of getting your hands dirty for the people you fell in with, you''ve learned to beat the living hell out of people. Your unarmed attacks do 64% more damage


    Physical Resistance


    Level 22 (53%)


    Due to having been a life where you''ve been beaten, shot at, stabbed, tased and all manner of things, you''ve learned to endure the pain. As a result physical damage towards you is reduced by 44%.


    "Well I may have been a bastard, but at least I was a bastard that never let people push me around." The man said in having let no one push him around, which was why he assumed that he fell into the crowd he did in his past life


    You can choose to take a number of flaws and gain a number of perks to further help yourself..since your going into the world of Naruto, I think you''d best be safe than sorry.


    "Fair enough I suppose, especially if I ever fight Pein and his bullshit Rinnegan or Madara Uchiha." The man thought in knowing those two were practically hacks level of bullshit


    (Merciless)


    You are ruthless and calculating and not afraid to get your hands dirty by any means to get what you want in life.


    (Keen Mind)


    You have a photographic memory and as a result, keep a meticulous note of all things concerning history. You can memorize information at 2.5 times faster and more efficient rate than normal


    (Enemy of the Living)


    Due to being a Necromancer and your newfound affinity for undeath, the living will naturally distrust you.


    (Luck of the Devil)


    You''ve been gifted with an immense amount of luck. As such your luck stat is now doubled, you will gain higher quality loot drops and points put into it are now doubled.


    (Violent Tendencies)


    Due to the trauma of your life and the way in which it was lived, you are more prone to using violence in order to get what you want


    (Overload)


    You can choose to overload a spell with more power for a more assured way of killing an enemy. You can put +25 Mp into a spell and have it deal 5% more damage you can put in multiples of 25 Mp into a spell in order to increase the damage by additional 5%


    "Well I guess with that figured out its time to put in my stats." The man said as he began to input stat points


    The Gamer


    Level 1


    HP: 720/720


    MP: 420/420 (MP Regen: 64 per 5 seconds)


    XP: 0/300


    STR: 23


    Dex: 8


    VIT: 24


    INT: 14


    WIS: 16


    CHA: 18


    Luck: 22


    Stat Points Available: 60


    Str: Your physical stat of how much you can dish out with physical damage and athletic prowess when it comes to jumping, lifting and other such things. 1 STR point = 5 points of damage


    Dex: How good you can run, dodge evade and do all sorts of acrobatics. If your gonna be in the world of Naruto make this at least decent.


    VIT: Basically your vitality and how much health you have, the more you increase it the more your able to keep living. One point of Vitality = 30 HP. HP Regen= 5 per point of Vitality


    INT: How smart you are and the ability to put absorb information, as well as your stat for spellcasting. 1 point of INT= 20 points of MP


    WIS: How perceptive you are and how logical you''re able to be, this stat will also act as your mana regeneration stat. 1 point of WIS= 4 points of mana regenerated


    CHA: Acts as your force of personality and how well you''re able to apply yourself in social settings


    LUC: Basically how lucky you are and affects things such as loot drops and chances of rewards and such


    "Well time to do some spending." The man spoke as he began investing his Stat points


    That in mind put several points in Strength, 8 points into Dexterity to make it not suck so much, 4 points into Vitality, 12 points into Intelligence so he could have more mana for spells, 11 into wisdom knowing he''d need it for the mana regeneration, 4 into Charisma and 6 into Luck. Which left him with 8 left and so with stat points well spent he decided that he was done and that it was time to kiss the void goodbye and begin a whole new life.


    (September 13th 994 S.E, 10:53 pm, Konohagakure)


    It was the dead of night as the man woke up in an alleyway in the midst of the night, and found it awkward that it was like this


    "What the hell am I doing in an alleyway?" The man or rather Gamer questioned himself


    Due to you having overtaken Naruto Uzumaki''s life as your own, your starting point has now taken on a more a.d.u.l.t and realistic beginning than originally created in canon. Considering how you are the host of Kurama you are more or less seen as a monster, and thusly kicked out of your apartment for being seen as such.


    "Well, that explains it." The Gamer spoke as he saw that his new name was now Gohan Uzumaki


    '' At least I get named after one of the most badass Dragon Ball characters, even if he did peak super early.'' The now named Gohan thought to himself feeling happy that his name was in honor of the son of Goku


    "Since I''m already hated and seen as a pariah, I might as well started on building up my army. After all, if this is pretty much a grittier version of Naruto and already I have people hating my guts." Gohan spoke as the moment he walked out of the alleyway he saw people staring at him with hate, disgust and vitriol


    "Look here boys its the demon walkin'' around." A drunk villager spoke


    "And since it doesn''t have his guards around this time, we can finally get to punishing it for what its done." Another spoke brandishing a crowbar


    ''Really...I have to deal with this trope...I know it said gritty realism, but even this is pushing it.'' Gohan thought to himself as the whole villagers hating Naruto trope while a good one was a bit of overblown one at that


    "You shut your mouth you damn demon, as its time to pay for you killing little sister!" An auburn-haired villager cried out as she threw a rock at Gohan who with his physical resistance took 2 points of damage


    "Yeah let''s get him!" Another shouted slashing a kitchen knife against his 13-year-old body that made him take another 3 points of damage


    "Well at least I know who my victims are, and the bonus is since you attacked me first I can claim self-defense." Gohan replied as he grabbed the villager who hit him with the knife and with his bare hands bent the knife in half and used the broken shards to stab him in the chest causing 20 points of damage


    "Wow you guys are frail, but then again I am stronger than you so that''s a given," Gohan spoke stabbing him with the shard causing another 20 points of damage as the man was bleeding out and proceeded to use Drain Life to drain his remaining health into him and heal his missing HP


    "T-The demon killed him." The woman stuttered before she was casually struck down by Ray of Death causing her body to wither


    "Yeah what the f.u.c.k did you think was gonna happen? Because y''all pushing me around is over, as now all of you are dead and the best part is you won''t be missed because you''re all cannon fodder for my path to power." Gohan spoke as he charged up Rays of Death


    With Gohan having shot out multiple Rays of Death that struck their targets head on and in mere moments were corpses lying dead at his feet. with him then proceeding too put them into his inventory to be later converted into his legions of undead.


    Congratulations you''ve made your first kill(s) and made the first steps to asserting your dominance. So here are your rewards.


    450XP


    5 Stat Points


    +5 Obedience to Kurama for showing you will not be pushed around Obedience (5/100)


    Congratulations you''ve made it to Level 2


    +5 INT


    +5 WIS


    ''Well, it looks like I''m gonna be well on my way towards being a badass necromancer.'' Gohan spoke as he put the corpses away in his inventory to convert to undead later


    (3 months later, December 26th 994 S.E)


    It was winter as Gohan in his new home in the Forest of Death both because he knew that with the inhabitants of Konoha having their bias in thinking he was the 9 tails he wouldn''t be able to have a proper home, which was why he settled here and besides it was free XP and chances to level himself up and his abilities to their limit before the start of Part 1 of Naruto.


    "I gotta say that as cliche as it this is going to sound, the cold doesn''t bother me anymore." Gohan thought as he sat down on a patch of snow and looked up at the cloud-filled sky


    "Besides at least in here I don''t have these idiot villagers bothering me, and I get the chance to grow my power in peace. The only downside is that I can''t go murdering all willy nilly, otherwise the big boys or worse yet the 3rd Hokage and even Danzo will catch on and I can''t really have that. So I guess that puts the growth on my legion of undead on hold for now


    "Anyways I might as well see how far I''ve come." Gohan spoke as he pulled up the screen to check his stats what abilities he''s gained


    Gohan Uzumaki


    The Gamer


    Level 7


    HP: 840/840 (HP Regen is 140 per 5 seconds)


    MP: 1,680/1,680 (228 MP Regen per 5 seconds)


    XP: 480/6,300


    STR: 33


    DEX: 17


    VIT: 28


    INT: 56


    WIS: 57


    CHA: 22


    LUC: 28


    Stat Points: 28


    Ryo: 4,350


    Corpse Bomb


    You can now remote detonate corpses you control to deal 60 Plague Damage to your enemies


    False Life


    45 MP to Cast


    You can cast this spell and have necromantic power temporarily bolster your health. You can gain 40 + INT X 2 Health for 1 hour


    "Well, at least I''ve got some really good spells going on." Gohan thought to himself as he closed off the stats screen before he heard a roar


    What in the actual hell is going on." Gohan wondered as he saw 3 large reddish-brown colored bears with dark blue eyes staring back at him


    Dire Grizzly


    Level 14


    HP: 1,350/1,350


    CP:50/50


    STR: 36


    DEX: 17


    VIT 26


    INT: 5


    WIS: 7


    CHA: 9


    LUC: 8


    XP GAIN: 310


    Description: Like all animals within the Forest of Death have been mutated by the abundance of chakra in the ecosystem. Even more so due to the 9 tails attack 14 years ago.


    That in mind he cast Create Undead twice summoning up 2 Skeleton Horde''s each in piecemeal leather armor and armed with war pike''s, morningstar''s, flails and shields; with him sending the forces out against the two dire grizzly''s who were unprepared for the 20 armed skeletons rushing towards them. With the two bears clawing out at the skeletons who did battle against the trio of dire bears, as Gohan was quite content at the way his skeletons were fighting the bears who were kept off guard by the undead threat; with him doing ranged support via his Ray of Death attacks so as to rain death damage against his new targets.


    With him seeing that a handful of his skeletons were running low on health he activated the Corpse Bomb ability and saw 250 points of damage were dealt to the bears as toxic cobalt blue and pale green miasma erupted from them. That in mind the number of his skeletons continued to dwindle if slightly while he provided ranged support, with Rays of Death in a Gatling gun-like manner, that soon enough had the dire bears were in the double digits of health before 3 more of his skeletons burst from the Corpse Bomb ability killing them.


    That in mind he had his now 13 remaining skeletons step aside to allow him to collect his prizes which were 3 dire bear pelts and about 5 pounds of dire grizzly meat, as well at the 930 XP gained from killing them as he collected his prizes. With him being glad that he could sell these come spring for some additional cash, so that way he could get to work on buying armor for his living armors; however a loud clicking noise that was probably attracted from all the bloodshed.


    "Well, this should be fun." Gohan thought to himself as he saw a large emerald-colored centipede the size of a small house glaring at him


    Dire Centipede


    Level: 18


    HP: 1,950/1,950


    CP: 60/60


    STR: 39


    DEX: 19


    VIT 30


    INT:7


    WIS: 8


    CHA: 8


    LUC:8


    XP Gain: 390


    Description: Like all animals this centipede has mutated due to the saturation. This creature can fold up into its hardened shell to defend itself against physical attacks.


    "Well here goes nothing." Gohan spoke giving the order for his remaining skeletons to swarm the creature


    That in mind once the remaining 13 skeletons got in range he had them explode thanks to his Corpse Bomb ability, which caused 650 points of damage and while the necromancer was happy that he managed to take out a 3rd of its health. He knew full well that it wouldn''t be enough and proceeded to dart off while the dire centipede gave chase to him, while Gohan was breaking out into a full sprint before using his strength to make a leap onto one of the nearby tree branches to escape from the dire centipede.


    Yet it was in vain as the large centipede crawled and curled its way up the massive tree trunk with Gohan shooting out Rays of Death at it in a rapid-fire pace, managing to get several shots off before it soon was face to face with him and lunged at him. With the necromancer managing to catch one its pincers from impaling him, while one caught him in the gut causing 95 points of damage with 2 hidden ones soon jutting out and forcing him to break off contact from it while the hidden pincers tore at him causing 70 points of damage respectively.


    With him deciding to use Create Undead to summon up Bayrok''s which were grayish skinned corpses that wore leather armor with razor-sharp claws and armed with short-bows which he ordered to open fire, with their short-bows releasing arrows which were sent flying towards the dire centipede who curled up into a ball which halved the damage dealt. Nonetheless, it gave Gohan some time to recover while his undead minions continued to fire upon the dire centipede, while Gohan was deep in thought of how he could ramp up his abilities to further.


    "I swear I need to level up more quickly since there''s only so much I can do against these creatures. Much less when the real story starts and I gotta go up against people like Zabuza or god forbid the badass himself Kisame." Gohan said as he knew he needed to get stronger faster


    "Hopefully when I do take over this place that I can recruit Kisame, as having the tailless beast on my side and the most badass of the 7 Swordsman would be awesome." Gohan added as in his opinion Kisame Hoshigaki was the most awesome swordsman in Naruto


    After his brief period of fanboying over the Akatsuki member, Gohan turned his attention back on the dire centipede who after the repeated attacks was whittled down to 705, before he joined the fight and ran up to it once he saw it opened up from its shell-like ball and began attacking. That in mind he clamped down onto it and cast Drain Life thrice in order to regain more of his lost health, before proceeding to blast Rays of Death into its hardened carapace.


    With it being once it was whittled down to below 300 health after having defeated 3 of his Bayrok''s he decided to end it, via having his remaining once explode due to his Corpse Bomb ability which finished it off with each. With the drops from it now only being experience but also it''s carapace which he felt could be used to be traded in for armor, because he knew full well from experience that necromancer''s while badass didn''t have much in the way of armor and defense like that; because he knew that should his undead hordes fail he would need something to cover his ass.


    "Well this has been a productive day," Gohan said with how today has gone


    "Once my MP and HP are filled back up I can go back and hunt some more and possibly get halfway to my next level before nightfall. Not only that but I can get shelter set up before one of the snowstorms hit." Gohan spoke in having throughout his time in the Forest of Death learned to make shelters


    "Now then the only thing that''s a waste of time is the stupid academy, as everyone with a few exceptions are so damned annoying. Perhaps later on I can get rid of Kiba and Akamaru for myself, as I''m sure he''d make a fantastic hellhound and familiar. Not only that but get rid of Sakura and possibly Ino, seeing as how they''re relatively useless at this point. So many decisions on who to get rid of." Gohan mused as to whom he should get rid of and who would be in my way


    "Then there''s Sasuke. Since he was a great character..well great before Itachi further mindf.u.c.k.i.e.d him and sent him the path to Orochimaru where granted he was still pretty good but not what he could''ve been. Well, now that I''m here I can prevent that and possibly have him under my thumb. Now that would be wonderful in having a general to serve me in my eventual plans as a lord of undeath." Gohan spoke since in his past life he did quite enjoy Sasuke''s character


    Quest Unlocked


    Avenger turned Executioner


    Get Sasuke to join your side and become a general to help you on your path to power.


    Objective 1: Gain 65 or higher reputation with Sasuke before Shippuden


    Objective 2: Prevent Sasuke from going rogue and gaining the curse mark


    Objective 3: Have Sasuke gain Chunin rank before Shippuden


    Objective 4: Help Sasuke to gain the Sharingan (bonus XP for helping him get the Mangekyou and Eternal Variants before Shippuden)


    Reward 1: 18 levels randomly spread out across all know class levels


    Reward 2: ? Gacha Token


    Reward 3: 5 Random Spells or Creature Unlock Cards


    Accept (Y/N)


    "This is an obvious and easy answer, but what the f.u.c.k are Gacha Tokens?" Gohan wondered before another message appeared


    Gacha Tokens: These Tokens allow for one random skill or companion to be one.


    "Well that makes things more interesting." Gohan thought before he went elsewhere to hunt


    (1 month later, January 28th, 995 S.E, Hokage Tower, 12:25 Pm)


    It was the new year as Hiruzen was with Danzo over one subject that being over Gohan''s growth in strength and change in personality, which even Hiruzen had to admit was concerning from him having gone from a cheerful and boisterous young man to driven, angry and at times ruthless individual.


    "I''m telling you Hiruzen something must be done about the boy." Danzo spoke in referencing Gohan''s growth of power and change in personality


    "I will tell you this, like I have been for the past decade that you will not put him into ROOT. As he still deserves the chance of living as close to a normal childhood as possible. Not to be made into a war machine." Hiruzen rebuked the warhawk as he refused to let Gohan be put into his clutches


    "Oh come off it now Hiruzen, you and I both know that his childhood has been anything but normal. Since the villagers have damned him to a life of being a pariah, and hate him like he was spawned from the pits of the underworld itself. So why do you continue with this false illusion that he''ll be like anyone else. Because you and I both know that the light in him that you''ve tried so hard to keep bright is gone and that he''s not the precious boy you''ve tried so hard to shield is gone." Danzo countered in knowing that the bright and cheerful boy Hiruzen saw as a surrogate grandson had practically died and been replaced by something cruel and sinister


    "Because my ROOT agents have seen the boy spend his time constantly in the Forest of Death, with them saying that he smells of blood and death. Since I''m sure that even you can see that every time you look in his eyes the light of innocence is gone and instead there''s cold, even pragmatic hate in them." Danzo added in knowing that Gohan from what they knew him as had changed


    Because with them now dealing with the Gamer version of Gohan who was like a shark cold, unforgiving and ruthless; since even Danzo knew that with the way he''s been treated in the village that with his mindset as it was now that it wouldn''t take much for him to decide to take retribution on the villagers.


    "Even Iruka has reported to on Gohan''s changes. As for the most part I thought it was Gohan taking things seriously in the academy, until during one of the sparring matches when he went up against Kiba. Since he''s still getting over his broken ribs and sternum." Hiruzen spoke considering that it took Iruka himself to pull Gohan off of the Inuzuka heir as he beat the tar out of him


    "Besides, the boy is even wising up to the fact that you''ve kept Anbu watching him, because for all of the boy''s prior immaturity. He''s shown himself to be quite perceptive and intelligent, with him proving to be the Nara''s equal and soon enough superior if time is anything to go by." Danzo replied as Gohan had for all of his reclusiveness into the Forest of Death proven himself to be quite smart to say the least


    "Minato and Kushina would be both ashamed and proud of how he''s begun to turn out. With him showing himself to be such a talented young boy, but the growing darkness in his heart is something that can''t be overlooked." Hiruzen said in knowing that both parents would be proud of his talents and intellect yet ashamed of the fact that he let such darkness to foster and grow itself inside their son


    "One thing that can be ruled out is the fact that the 9 tails is influencing him. Because my operatives have so far seen no attempts or even so much of an iota of its chakra being tapped into." Danzo told the 3rd Hokage that so far no contact with the tailed beast had been made


    "That is so far great news. Because with the way that Gohan has been progressing and acting, the 9 tails influencing him would be a disaster waiting to happen." Hiruzen spoke in relief at the fact that the 9 tails hadn''t made contact with Gohan otherwise things would be looking in far more dire straits


    "Still Hiruzen even you have to admit that the changes in the boy are more than likely for the best. " Danzo remarked causing a small bit of killer intent to be sent his way


    "Choose your words carefully Danzo. Because I mave have declined from what I once was as the God of Shinobi, but I am still capable of showing you why even now I am the 3rd Hokage." Hiruzen warned him as this was still dangerous territory he was treading on


    "What I am saying Hiruzen is that these changes going on within him are for the better. With you almost convinently forgetting that the villagers have not been the best towards him and that the changes in him right now are not just because he is the jinchuuriki of the 9 tails. But because he''s been stripped away of any illusion of kindness the world has and as a result has had to harden himself against a place that he feels is out to get him." Danzo told him in knowing that Gohan from his point of view was most likely having to change himself as such because he felt that he had to be ruthless to survive in a place that absolutely hated him


    "You can live in your fantasy world much all you want, but him being seen as a hero Hiruzen is as likely as Tsunade ever going sober; considering how the villagers hate him too much. Since sure enough you can think that he can work hard enough to change his opinion of them, and see him as a hero and something good. However, have you ever thought that he doesn''t want the villager''s admiration anymore and instead just outright hates them back." Danzo added with his one single eye staring at Hiruzen with a cold harsh truth


    Since one unfortunate truth was the fact that Gohan had come to a realization that he was within a place that hated him and often wished him dead, and because of such things as villagers who outright made their hate known for them or drunken mobs that would form to try and beat and sometimes kill him. With even a brazen enough villager going out of their way to beat him to a pulp in his youth out of hate for the 9 tails, it was a no brainer that Gohan''s changes to the two elder ninja had happened as something that was completely inevitable.


    "All I''ve ever tried since Minato''s death and having to take back the hat was too make sure the boy was seen as a hero to these people. Yet for all my best efforts in trying to do so, the village has wound up crushing the good boy I''ve known and started to transform him into something sinister." Hiruzen said in having tried throughout his 2nd reign to make the boy who he saw as his surrogate grandson live as close to a happy childhood as possible


    "The only thing that can be done now Hiruzen is for a close eye to be kept on him, despite his chakra not being unlocked he shouldn''t be underestimated. If anything he should be seen as prodigious, because he may not be as fast as his father was. But his strength, intellect and perceptiveness outstrip most of his peers by a far mile. So, adding to it that once his chakra is unlocked and he''ll be something extraordinary." Danzo remarked at the fact that Gohan should have a close eye kept on him


    "Even still, who should keep an eye on him is the better question? Seeing as how we still teams are being chosen this time around, and we can''t simply have anyone watching over him." Hiruzen spoke knowing that with genin teams being chosen that the amount of high-class shinobi that could watch him were in short supply


    "Regardless the boy needs to be watched over. Because with no real love for the village and any real ties to the village, then his chances of leaving the village or betraying it will skyrocket in time. Especially with him having become clearly self-reliant and self-sufficient." Danzo replied as he knew that with nothing to really tie him down then he would easily have reason to leave Konoha, and would do well for himself due to him having been shown to be quite self-sufficient


    "Agreed. Hopefully when he graduates and makes it onto a genin team, that he''ll be able to better foster bonds with his fellow genin and give him true ties to the village this way." Hiruzen said in hoping that once Gohan got onto a genin team that he''d be able to foster bonds with the villagers


    That in mind more words were said between them before Danzo went on about his way to continue further management of ROOT, with Hiruzen feeling his age catch up to him as he only hoped that he''d be able to stem the growing darkness in the jinchuuriki''s heart.


    So then with the gamer having taken over Naruto''s life and set upon the path of a Necromancer we see him focused on his path to power, for how will he go about accomplishing his goals. Well, you''ll have to find out in the new chapters of A Necromancer''s Path to Power.


    Chapter 2


    It was soon the month of April as Gohan had been hard at work in increasing his level in Necromancer having used his workhorse mentality to clear a bloody swath through the creatures that resided in the Forest of Death. So much so that he was close to reaching level 16 as he went nonstop in sending his hordes of Undead to attack those in his way, with him also having managed to use the cover of night and get rid of drunken villagers or genin and chunin that nobody would miss; with him taking using his knowledge of horror movies to act as a sort of pseudo serial killer.


    With the necromancer not feeling any guilt about doing so since they were all cannon fodder in the end who were being put to better use in his growing horde of undead, as the only thing left on his agenda was to learn how to unlock chakra. Because the necromancer knew that even with his abilities of undeath that if he were to further succeed in his path to power then, unlocking his chakra would be a primary objective that needed to be completed.


    (April 20th, 996 S.E, 2:10 Pm, Konoha)


    It was 10 minutes after 2 as Gohan had decided to go to the library in order to get some books on unlocking chakra and knowing your chakra natures.


    "Well, at least I''ll be able to put this chakra issue out of my head for good now." Gohan thought as he went up to the librarian who gave him a dirty look


    "What are you doing here?" The librarian questioned haughtily at the jinchuuriki


    "I merely came here to check out a few books on chakra." Gohan answered back as to what he''d come here for


    "I''m sorry but we''re about to close." The librarian told him in an attempt to have him go away


    "I checked your sign out front earlier and you don''t close until 8:30 tonight. There''s also the fact that it is not a holiday today." Gohan countered in having checked the times and dates and made sure to come in a way in which there wouldn''t be a logical reason for her to turn him away


    "Well, we''re closing up early today¡­" The librarian tried to say but a hard look from Gohan cut her off


    "Look you can make excuses all until Sunday, but that won''t solve anything. So do yourself a favor and point me to where I can get my books or else." Gohan told her his sharp blue eyes staring at her with an almost haunting and sinister look in them


    "Or..what are you going to do about it?" The librarian questioned before Gohan grabbed her by the shirt collar and brought her face to face with him


    "What I''m going to do about it, is begin finding out where you live and while your sleeping choke you to death. Since this won''t be a quick and painless death, no I''m going to wrap my hands around your throat and strangle you and I mean really strangle you as I take the grim pleasure in choking away your air supply and seeing your face go from red to blue and then to purple. So sure you can struggle in vain as you feel the blood vessels in your eyes pop like cherries, and you begin to choke on your vomit. But it''ll all be in vain as I look you right in the face and watch the life drain from your eyes." Gohan answered back in vivid detail that made her stomach wrap itself in knots and her flesh break into a cold sweat


    "So either you can give me what I want or the fate of me watching you die via my strangling you to death for my cruel entertainment happens, and I bury you in unmarked graves for your insolence." Gohan added as not once did he blink or look away from her or even raise his voice


    "T-There in the 5th section, 3rd row. Y-you can''t m-m-miss it." The librarian spoke as undaunting fear at the cold and merciless way he spoke combined with the look in his eyes that lacked any light of kindness was like looking into those of shark waiting to tear you to shreds


    "Excellent now was that so hard." Gohan spoke as he let go of her shirt collar and straightened it back out so as not to draw attention


    "Y-You''re a m-monster." The librarian stuttered out


    "No I just know what I want, and remember if you tell a soul about what happened I''ll go to your house and bash your skull against the kitchen sink; until its a bloody pulp between my fingers. And believe I''ll know if you so much as tell a single soul." Gohan told her as he walked away leaving a frightened librarian in his wake


    Due to your having absolutely scared the living hell of someone who hates you, you''ve increased your CHA by 3 and leveled up your Intimidation skill.


    "And that right there has made my day just a little bit better." Gohan thought as he whistled a merry tune


    That in mind it didn''t take too long for him to collect the books on chakra theory and chakra natures and check them out with the, obviously frightened librarian who he had look him in the face and continue his straight-faced look towards her in order to keep her compliance. With that out of the way he soon returned to the Forest of Death which had in these 6 months become his residence, as he soon spent the next few hours reading the books with undivided attention; as he had used Create Undead to make a zombie horde set up a perimeter so as to make sure he remained undisturbed.


    Once he finished reading he soon understood what he needed to do and began to focus on what was needed to in theory unlock his chakra pool, as Gohan sat down and took a deep breath and began concentrating focusing on both the mental aspects of his mind and his physical vitality and bringing them together as one. With him feeling both the physical and mental coming together until a feeling like a dam bursting and releasing a mighty flood spread through his body, as soon enough a shockwave of azure-colored chakra erupted from his body and briefly formed into a skull shape before dissipating.


    Once that was done he took out a slip of paper and sent his newfound chakra into it to see what he was capable of, with it split in half before each half started to shred itself as the pieces on his right burst into flames while the one on his left half soon became damp. With Gohan looking in satisfaction at his newly awakened chakra pool before looking up at the new messages that had come from his unlocking his chakra, while a wide smile came across his face.


    Congratulations you''ve now unlocked your chakra. Your chakra pool is your INT X VIT X 10. With Chakra regeneration equaling WIS + INT per 5 seconds.


    Due to unlocking your chakra a new trait has been unlocked.


    Endurance of the Spirals


    (Thanks to unlocking your chakra you''ve unlocked one of the trademarked physical traits of the Uzumaki. Which is there incredible stamina and life force. Your currently Vitality is now doubled.)


    You now gain the following affinities


    Fire Affinity: Level 1: (0%)


    You now have access to the primary element that is associated with destructive jutsu. With this affinity you can use mid to long range incendiary attacks to burn your enemies


    2% more damage with Fire jutsu


    2% less cost with Fire jutsu


    Water Affinity: Level 1 (0%)


    You now have access to the element whose versatility in defense is just as great as it is in offense. With this element, you can draw upon water to crush your enemies with pressurized bursts, jets and streams of water


    2% more damage with Water Jutsu


    2% less cost with water jutsu


    Wind Affinity: Level 3 (0%)


    Due to this being your primary affinity this will always start at levels higher than your secondary and tertiary affinities. This offensive element uses jutsu to shred and cut into enemies with pressurized or vacuum-like blade of wind or using wind to slam in it through sheer pressure.


    6% more damage with Wind Jutsu


    6% less cost with Wind Jutsu


    "Alright with that out of the way and everything getting a better boost overall. I think I can do with upgrading my overall necromantic abilities, especially Ray of Death." Gohan thought as he upgraded Ray of Death


    Ray of Death +1


    (Cost 200 MP)


    The upgraded form of Ray of Death now deals 250 points of Necrotic Damage dealt


    "I may not be able to use it like a machine gun anymore, but damn if this won''t help more." Gohan thought as he looked over more of his abilities


    "Looks like Drain Life and Corpse Bomb can do with an upgrade." Gohan added as he upgraded the two abilities and smiled at what they were now


    Corpse Bomb +1


    You''re undead due to this upgraded ability now deal out 180 plague damage


    Drain Life +1


    Cost 150 MP


    This ability now drains 250 HP per cast and if this ability is used as a killing blow, you can still one random stat point from a victim that will be put into your stats at random.


    "Now then let''s look at the new abilities and see if they''re worth upgrading now or hold off for later on." Gohan mused as he looked over his new set of abilities


    Ray of Enfeeblement


    110 MP Cost


    When you hit this target with this spell they become weak and feeble. Prevents HP from refilling and Vitality is reduced by 1 quarter until lifted


    Sanguine Javelins


    Cost 80 MP per Cast


    You use necromantic energy and draw forth from the blood of the fallen to create spears of tainted blood to attack your enemies. You create 1 javelin per 10 points of INT with each javelin dealing 65 points of necrotic damage


    "Well, I''m sure that Sanguine Javelins can do with a boost since I can use all the help I can get." Gohan thought to himself as he upgraded the spell


    Sanguine Javelins +1


    Cost 440 MP per Cast


    With the now upgraded version of this spell, you create 2 javelins per 10 points of INT with each javelin dealing 210 points of necrotic damage


    "Well my Sanguine Javelins may not take up a huge chunk of my mana, but at least I''ll have a heavy hitter." Gohan thought as he was content with his newly upgraded necromantic abilities


    "Now then time to do some training with my new chakra." Gohan spoke as he went off to train up in doing chakra control


    (2 weeks later, Konoha, 2:34 Pm, May 6th, 996 S.E)


    It was 2 weeks later since Gohan had unlocked his chakra and had started doing chakra control exercises, which due to their requiring constant focus had started raising his wisdom stat, with it having gone up by 2 and while it was slow progress it was nevertheless still progress.


    "Well at least can take a break from power leveling," Gohan spoke feeling as though his nonstop grinding deserved a needed break


    "As finally, I can enjoy this nice day out." Gohan thought as he continued a stroll throughout the village


    With him continuing his walk until he neared a spring which caused him to stop with what caused him to stop being none other than Anko Mitarashi who began stripping out of her trench coat, mesh top and skirt so as to start sunbathing and begin working on a tan. So with Gohan having the body of a hormonal almost 15-year-old, he decided to do what any teenager would do in his situation and proceed to look at the violet haired bombshell, as who was he to pass up on the golden opportunity to see a n.a.k.e.d and smokin'' hot woman.


    Since call him a pervert all you want for taking the golden opportunity to peep on Anko, but after having to deal with dumbass villagers who hated his guts and power leveling so that he could grow his undead hordes; that he deserved this. With it being that he was so caught up in peeping on her that he didn''t notice her chocolate brown eyes soon focus in on him with a predatory look on them, as it was in a burst of movement that he could barely track that she was soon behind him.


    "Oh f.u.c.k me sideways." Gohan cursed as he soon began dumping 15 points into his DEX stat which raised it from the 25 it was from the months of power leveling to 40 in knowing he''d need it


    "Well, aren''t you the kinky little shit, and a naughty one for having come and peep on me." Anko spoke as the necromancer tried extremely hard not to look at him


    "In my defense, your one of the most gorgeous women in Konoha, so excuse me for wanting to see one of the best things about the village." Gohan replied since from his view Anko was one of the most beautiful girls on Naruto who he thought was a shame that she got little screen time


    "You actually mean it, as how do I know your not saying that, to buy yourself time to escape?" Anko questioned with a raised brow


    "Because I''d be a complete and utter idiot to deny the fact that you practically blow everyone out of the water in Konoha with how absolutely gorgeous you are. Since the only one who is even comparable to you in beauty would be Tsunade herself and even then in my personal opinion is she overrated." Gohan spoke turning to look her in the eye and he''d be a damned liar if he didn''t say she was extremely s.e.xy


    (+5 Affection with Anko Mitarashi, for making a genuine compliment towards her)


    "Well its nice to know a perverted brat like you, knows what a real woman like when he sees one." Anko chuckled in thinking it was nice that the teenage necromancer would genuinely compliment her


    "If there''s one thing I''m not is a liar, because like I said why would I lie to one of the most gorgeous women in all of the village." Gohan responded as he was thankful for having enough restraint to help him keep focused on Anko''s face and not stare at her rather generous assets


    "You know I''m surprised that for a perverted brat that you haven''t stared at my tits this whole time." Anko spoke with a teasing grin as she soon started bending down to let Gohan get a full view of her large firm b.r.e.a.s.ts


    "The one time I get to see a n.a.k.e.d woman since I got here, and its with one who can kill me." Gohan thought to himself


    No one forced you to peep on Anko, this is your own fault. So deal with the consequences for being caught.


    "Well f.u.c.k you too." Gohan said under his breath


    "Anyways I don''t hope this means that you could possibly let me go without a warning." Gohan hoped in that she''d let this slide


    "Nice try there. But I''ll make you a deal if you can evade me and whatever I send at you till half-past 3 then I''ll let it slide and let you have the honor of taking the awesome and s.e.xy Anko on a date." Anko told him as a compromise


    Quest opened


    Keep away from a sadist


    Evade and defend yourself from Anko and whatever she throws at you until 3:30 Pm.


    Succeed: Gain 3,300 XP, +10 Affection with Anko Mitarashi, +3 to DEX and CHA.


    Failure: -10 Affection with Anko, possible beatdown from Anko, and 500 XP


    Accept (Y/N)


    "You''re on Anko, and to make it more interesting, as how about we start this in the Forest of Death." Gohan spoke in knowing that this would give him a home-field advantage


    "Oh, you want to make it that kind of a challenge. I swear I like you already, your on." Anko spoke as he gained a plus 3 affection for having the guts to do it in the Forest of Death


    That in mind Gohan decided to use Bayrok''s to provide ranged cover and support against Anko but with explicit orders to only wound and not kill, as the teenage necromancer was ready for whatever the s.e.xy sadist had to throw at him. With him having soon heard a loud hissing noise and turned to see a large python with mottled beige and forest green scales that had golden colored eyes look at him predatorily, before it lunged at him with its fangs bared.


    With Gohan ordering his Bayrok''s to open fire on the large snake with each Bayrok''s arrow dealing 35 damage which combined with their numbers were making short work of the serpent, which after taking so much damage as Gohan decided to fire two shots of his upgraded Ray of Death revealed it as a summon. Evident by after the two beams of deep emerald necrotic energy struck it after being peppered with arrows it disappeared in a burst of smoke, with Gohan knowing that he''d have to be on further guard against Anko in knowing that this wouldn''t be the end of it.


    For he had to order his Bayrok''s to get out of the way as Anko fired off a Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu that scorched 6 of his Bayrok''s leaving him with 13 left, as the necromancer soon made a break for it as he had 8 of his Bayrok''s stay behind and provide cover fire to keep Anko pinned down. Meanwhile, he and the other 5 Bayrok''s soon made a break for it while the others continued laying down suppressive fire, for Gohan was merely happy that he managed to put some distance between him and Anko.


    "Well, at least I managed to get some distance between me and Anko." Gohan thought to himself


    "Now all I got to do is find a place to have as cover, while the other Bayrok''s keep her distracted," Gohan spoke as he continued to run off into the forest while having his 5 Bayrok''s keep a perimeter around her


    With him barely having found a place to take cover behind and hide out from Anko who he assumed had had enough of being shot with arrows courtesy of his Bayrok''s evident when he soon heard a small boom as a firestorm soon erupted where they were. For the teenage necromancer knew full well that if Anko was busting out a fire jutsu that could cause what was essentially a localized yet widespread enough immolation, then he knew he couldn''t take this lightly as he had.


    Which was why he had used Create Undead twice more and used it to summon forth Totenhund''s which took the form of rottweiler like hounds with rotting flesh covering their bodies, yet they remained deadly with their sharpened claws, razors like teeth and reddish magenta-colored eyes. With him giving the order to go after Anko as they all let out furious barks and howls before dashing off after their quarry, with Gohan knowing that it''d be enough to buy him time as he made a break for it in one of the caves within the Forest of Death.


    With him hiding within the depths of the cave and focused on just staying as quiet and still as possible and during his travels to the cave covered himself in mud, wood-ch.i.p.s and sawdust in order to mask his scent, as all he had to do now was hide out while the remaining Bayrok''s and Totenhund''s kept Anko busy enough for him to complete the quest. For he felt that with the distractions he set up with the Bayrok''s and Totenhund''s that he was at the moment in the clear, as he decided that since he did all that he could to have evaded Anko and set himself up well enough in the Forest of Death that he was in the practical clear.


    For he decided to crack open a book on wind affinity and manipulation, after all he knew that if he was going to become anything close to powerful in this world that while his necromancy was a fantastic asset to have; that he''d also have to grow his skills in other areas as well. Therefore he proceeded to wait out the remainder of the time while Anko dealt with his minions, with their being the smell of smoke as his undead burnt to ashes; but he wasn''t concerned considering that he''d virtually won as he continued to read his book.


    "Well then will you look at that its half past 3 already, and since Anko hasn''t found me I''ve won our little bet. Which means I get to go on a date with Anko." Gohan spoke as he dashed off to find Anko


    With him having soon found a panting Anko with scratches and bite wounds from the Totenhund''s and having taken some arrows from the Bayrok''s, with their being tears in her trench coat and even her mesh armor revealing generous amounts of cleavage.


    "Well looks like I won our bet." Gohan said with a smug smile on his face


    "I don''t know what you did, but I won''t lie when I say that it was pretty cool." Anko replied as she had to admit that those summons that Gohan used were pretty awesome


    "Thank you, as there something I''ve had the great opportunity of working on. Well, that among other things I''m capable of." Gohan spoke as he wasn''t lying when he said he''d been working on this for a very long time


    "So would you mind telling me about it?" Anko asked as Gohan let out a small chuckle


    "We can perhaps talk about it on that date I have with you in the future," Gohan answered back


    "You''ve got yourself a deal, and I look forward to it Gohan." Anko spoke with a teasing grin of her own


    "Excellent. By the way, what are you gonna do about the fires you''ve caused?" Gohan questioned pointing to the slowly dying down flames


    "Don''t worry about that, as I have some friends that owe me some favors. So that''ll take care of itself in no time." Anko answered back in having sent one of her summon''s to get some people who knew water jutsu to help put out the fire


    "Alright anyways I will see you in..let''s say two weeks from now." Gohan spoke thinking that it''d be a good enough time period


    "Sounds good enough for me, and I''ll see you later then." Anko replied with a flirtatious wink


    You''ve completed Keep Away from a Sadist


    You''ve earned 3,300 XP, +10 Affection with Anko Mitarashi, + 3 DEX and CHA.


    "Dang it just a couple hundred more and I would''ve leveled up." Gohan cursed to himself at the fact that he was shy of 600 XP away from leveling


    Be grateful that you gained as much XP as you did. Since your lucky to have survived as well and as long as you did against her.


    "Well, I can''t argue with that, as with all that I''ve gained I shouldn''t get too greedy. Anyways at least I''ve started on my way to getting with Anko." Gohan thought in knowing that he shouldn''t get greedy with what he''s rewarded, lest it blow up in his face later


    "Anyways let''s see how much money I have for my eventual date with Anko, as my selling all of these pelts and blankets, and all of the meat I''ve gained from loot drops, and what not should be earning me quite a good deal." Gohan spoke in seeing that thanks to his having done fur trading with merchants that have been coming around he had 12,100 Ryo


    "Alright, Anko looks like I''ve got enough to take you out on a nice date." Gohan thought to himself with a smile on his face


    (2 weeks later, Konoha, 6:48 Pm, May 22nd, 996 S.E)


    It was 2 weeks later as Gohan would soon meet up with Anko at a Dango stand which he didn''t mind doing so at all, as it gave him time to read more books on chakra manipulation, and one on jutsu creation.


    "You sure love to read." Anko remarked as she saw Gohan reading up on jutsu creation


    "Well considering that besides the stupid academy, I have an abundance of free time. So besides hunting and such in my home, I also like to read often." Gohan replied as he did develop a love of reading considering that the necromancer in him wanted to consume as much knowledge as possible


    "I forget that you''re an academy student, then again with how strong you are, you could pass for a Chunin." Anko remarked as she ordered herself some dango


    "Thank you for the complimen, because unlike most people in my generation. I take training myself quite seriously." Gohan responded in having constantly made sure to power level himself so he could crush his enemies without fail


    "Since unlike everyone else I want to make sure I''m prepared for anything that comes my way, which is why during the two weeks leading up to our date I made you this. Since I knew that if you ever went out on missions that you''d get cold at night." Gohan spoke as he reached into his backpack he made from dire wolf leather and tanned dire grizzly hide


    With that, he pulled out a neatly folded up blanket made of dire wolf and tiger fur, with Anko being impressed at how soft and well put together it was.


    "You went out of your way to make this for me?" Anko questioned as she took the blanket


    "Of course, as I wanted to make you something that could also be a gift that could put the incident that had me meet you in the first place behind us." Gohan answered back as he didn''t only do it to gain a bit more affection towards Anko but he also wanted to do something nice as well


    "I think I''ll have to let you peep on me more, if it means I get nice gifts like these." Anko joked as she loved the new present she was gifted


    "Put a pin in that for later, because by the time I''ve won you over we''ll be able to get to all the good stuff later." Gohan casually replied, gaining a flirtatious look on the sadist''s face


    "Oh really now, and you really think you could handle me? As I don''t want to burst your bubble, but not even the supposed elite of this village could handle me." Anko asked she leaned over to Gohan who was still reading his book


    "So what makes you think you could handle me if we ever got in the sack with one another?" Anko added with a teasing smirk on her face that held minor hints of l.u.s.t in wanting to see it she could make the necromancer sweat


    "Because Anko unlike them I have actual drive and willpower on my side, and I''m committed to seeing things through to the end and last time I checked I''m no quitter. So if we ever do start fooling around, the one thing I have to say is bringing it the hell on. Since I''m better than all the others you''ve been with by a wide margin." Gohan answered back with complete assuredness in the fact that he was without a doubt superior to all the other men Anko was with


    (+8 Affection to Anko Mitarashi for not only giving her a nice gift but for also not caving in and acting with actual confidence)


    "Well thank you to having over 30 charisma." Gohan thought to himself


    "It''s nice to see that someone has the balls enough to crack when I actually play around with them, as you should see some of these d.i.c.kless idiots. Since they think that because I''m the supposed ''Snake Whore'' that I''m easy to get with, but they can''t even handle some flirting and teasing on my end and wind up red-faced. Which makes for great blackmail considering that they may talk a big game, but nearly every time I put them to the test they crack like cheap glass." Anko spoke considering that the men of Konoha talked a big game of how they''d rock her world and make the snake s.l.u.t squirm, but when she flipped it back on them they''d become tongue-tied and red-faced


    "Well, that''s where you''ve been going wrong. You''ve been dealing with f.u.c.k-boys your whole life, but... you''ll no longer have to worry about that should you and I get together." Gohan responded while trying to make himself seem as least like a douche as possible while saying that and was thanking the System that it was working


    "And you know how to? Since you''re still going through puberty and in the academy no less." Anko said with a chuckle yet Gohan remained straight-faced


    "That''s the thing I may be an almost 15 year old, but still I''m more driven than most and focused than the hard majority of the people here. Since I not only work myself to almost exhaustion training to be the best. In addition I also no what I want and how to get it, on top of the fact that I have the power to back up everything I say and or do. In short, unlike most people I know what I''m after. So I know that if I had the chance that I can do right by you far better than what anyone else in the village can." Gohan responded with all the confidence his now 36 Charisma would allow


    Suffice to say his words were able to get Anko''s attention and have her look at the teenage necromancer with interest, at the confidence and conviction with which he spoke to her in a way that the men beforehand hadn''t. Because to Anko Mitarashi she found a level of interest in the boy who was barely into his mid-teens at not only the focus he demonstrated but also the amount of confidence and conviction in which he spoke, in which the former student of Orochimaru found quite attractive if she were to be honest with herself.


    "Alright, I''ll make a deal with you. When you can graduate from the academy and not be the dead last of your class with a headband on your head, then I''ll consider dating you. After all, if you have the drive and initiative you say you do; then it won''t be too hard to see you graduate at the top of the class." Anko said in making a wager with the necromancer


    "You, my good lady have yourself a deal." Gohan replied with a knowing grin on his face as he saw a message pop up but ignored it as he was too busy with Anko


    That in mind the two continued to share quite a good time with him enjoying her excitable and rather cheery nature, while Anko found Gohan''s confidence and intense amount of drive to be the best in his chosen fields rather charming.


    "I still have to say that I''m impressed with how driven you are. Because to go as far as to start making jutsu at your age is nothing short of incredible." Anko said as she was impressed that the teenager beside her was already working on creating jutsu


    "Well with the village treating me like shit for my whole life, I''ve had high expectations of myself to be the greatest version of myself. That way whenever they look at me or try to go after me, I can face them and show that I am downright indestructible compared to all of them." Gohan spoke since it there was one thing that would be a holdover from his past life, it would be that he would never allow himself to be pushed around and would make himself down near indestructible to do so


    "Trust me I can relate to that; since you aren''t the only one that''s been scorned by the village." Anko replied as she rubbed her neck as painful memories sifted through her mind


    "Well, you know what I say, who cares what the village thinks. Since all I know at the current moment is that I''m here with a gorgeous woman." Gohan spoke making Anko smile at the flattering words


    "Keep talking like that and I''ll give you a nice surprise one of these days," Anko replied with a flirtatious wink aimed at the necromancer


    "I''ll hold you to that, and if you ever want more stuff like your blanket. Or when I get real good higher quality gifts and in the near future some new jutsu then please feel free to come to me." Gohan told her as he was happy to do things such as this for Anko


    "And I''ll hold you to that since this is really great quality." Anko spoke happy with her new blanket


    "Thank you." Gohan responded thankful that Anko liked the blanket


    That in mind there date continued onwards with them sharing a few laughs and them walking out on the warm spring night and just enjoying Konoha at nighttime when it was peaceful before they said their farewells to each other and went on about their separate ways.


    (2 days later, May 24th, 996 S.E, 3:09 Pm, The Academy)


    It was soon a Tuesday afternoon as another day had ended at the Academy which Gohan was thankful for since it meant that he could go about growing stronger and increasing his hordes much faster, that was until Iruka wanted to speak to him for some odd reason.


    "Gohan would you mind staying after class?" Iruka requested of the necromancer


    "Sure Iruka-sensei as what do you need from me." Gohan wondered as he ignored the students who thought he was in trouble


    "It''s about how you''ve been acting this past semester." Iruka spoke causing the teenage gamer to tilt his head inquisitively


    "But I thought that I was doing much better. Since I''ve been improving my grades, I''ve stopped causing trouble in class and have improved my skills in the sparring matches with everyone. So if I am in trouble for something then I don''t see what for?" Gohan responded because all he''s done is improve by leaps and bounds than what his other iteration would''ve ever been capable of


    "With the exception of the broken arm you gave Kiba months ago, then you are not in trouble...anymore that is." Iruka spoke still remembering the day in which Gohan broke Kiba''s left arm


    "I told him to quit bothering me. Honestly, that''s what that mutt gets for making fun of me for having been homeless. I swear I should''ve cracked his skull open like a walnut so he''d be out for the whole year." Gohan replied with the last bit more to himself as he detested Kiba


    Because if there was a pet peeve to the necromancer it was having to repeat himself to others, and when the Inuzuka had him constantly keep repeating himself when he wouldn''t stop among the others who''d bother and ridicule him. So he took matters into his own hands when he sparred with the Inuzuka and not only did he beat him with his superior hand to hand skills and higher strength at the time, but broke his legs so as to leave him with a permanent reminder of what happened when you continued to piss him off.


    "Besides, he got what he deserved being a dumbass mutt and all. At least he''ll learn his place for trying to f.u.c.k with me." Gohan added as he had a zero-tolerance policy for anyone pushing him around


    "Gohan while I''m proud of you for your improvements in class, I and the Hokage have grown concerned with your overall attitude changes." Iruka said as he personally he was growling slightly fearful of Gohan''s new personality traits


    "Yet the Hokage couldn''t have come to me with these concerns. Because if he were so concerned about it as you say he is, then he would''ve called me to his office, and talked with me about it himself. But instead, he had you be the middle man because the man thinks so little of me like everyone else does." Gohan replied his blue eyes locked onto the Chunin who seemed unnerved by the almost sinister and predatory look they held


    "It''s not like that at all Gohan." Iruka spoke yet the necromancer remained unconvinced


    "Isn''t it Iruka-sensei. Because I see absolutely nothing wrong with how I''m acting. If anything I thought that you''d want me to change more than anyone else, as now I''m no longer a nuisance to you or anyone else in the classroom. Since now I''m finally acting like the soldier I''m being trained to become, if anything I should be an example of how a ''proper'' ninja should act." Gohan countered as the fact that their his tone of voice remained even and calm during this exchange unnerved Iruka more and more


    "So besides my acting more my age and more maturely. Tell me how my attitude is concerning because the last time I checked I''m not here to make friends. Instead, I''m here to earn my headband and become a soldier like everyone before me." Gohan added as he wasn''t here to make friends as he was here to complete his objectives and stay the course to his path to power


    "But I thought that you''d made some friends, as what about Shikamaru and Shino as I''ve seen you talk with them a few times." Iruka spoke in having seen the necromancer talk with the two in passing


    "Because they''re the only two here beside Sasuke I tolerate. With Shikamaru, I respect because he''s one of the rare few that can match my own intellect and is a pretty chill guy, yet his severe laziness and lack of initiative infuriate me to no end. While Shino on the other hand I like because he actually leaves me alone, and oftentimes I do talk to him about insects and which ones he should add to his hive in order to increase its viability when he becomes a shinobi. Other than that I don''t really concern myself with anyone else, because the amount of people I tolerate or even like is far outstripped by the people I hate." Gohan responded with the exception of Sasuke who was the closest thing to a rival he had here, then Shikamaru and Shino were the only two he tolerated or even came close to even liking


    "I didn''t know you felt that way." Iruka said having felt a bit guilty that as his teacher he didn''t look more into things concerning Gohan


    "Of course you didn''t, because no one ever cares what I felt until I stopped being a happy little dipshit with a never say die smile on his face. But now that I''m actually turning into something superior to all these maggots, that now you choose to worry about how I feel...spare me your semantics." Gohan replied as Iruka could only internally flinch in knowing of Gohan''s growing up till now


    Since he''d seen firsthand the hardsh.i.p.s that Gohan had to endure and knew that he had willpower in spades even with his more menacing changes, which was why he had grown a great deal of respect for him not only improving in the Academy but also for having started his growing side business.


    "Regardless if my attitude is the only thing that you and the Hokage have a problem with, then I''m afraid I see no reason to change. Especially since I''m merely acting like I would for when I go into the real world, because the village has stripped me of any illusion that the real world is a kind place in any capacity." Gohan added as the necromancer knew full well that the world of Naruto and with the game told him it was going to be a grittier version of what it was canon knew that it was going to be a very harsh and cruel reality and that was something that as a necromancer he''d thrive in


    "Gohan I¡­" Iruka tried to say but those intense blue eyes stopped him


    "Iruka-sensei I don''t care, because unless the next words are my being the Rookie of the Year and my getting a headband then I don''t want to hear another word from you. For you will mark my words that I will become something far superior than every single person here, and if I have to step on them until their broken piles of shit ground under my heel...then so be it. For nothing and no one will get in the way of what is rightfully mine. " Gohan replied and all the while killing intent rose forth from him to the point where it was strong enough to hold Iruka in place and hold him silent


    "So seeing how you have nothing left to say to me, I''ll be on my way...but one other thing to say Iruka-sensei is stay out of my path to being something great in this village. Otherwise...well let''s just say that you''ll be very intimate with no longer being able to breathe, so have a nice day and don''t bother me unless its something important." Gohan told him with a cruel grin on his face while his eyes in that brief moment flashed a crimson red as a final burst of killing intent was enough to make Iruka grip his chest with fear as his student walked away


    ''That boy is a monster.'' Iruka thought to himself as for the first time in his teaching career he actually felt afraid of one of his students


    With our necromancer starting a relationship with Anko in a most unusual way, and his continued growth in becoming a soon to be master of undeath; things are looking up for him. But will they continue to do so, well you''ll have to find out in the new chapters of A Necromancer''s Path to Power.

 Chapter 179 - My SI Stash #79 - Dying Tickles by Lets Do That Again (Dark Souls)

    -Praise the sun as I''ve finally found a SI Dark Souls with a nice word count~! It''ll be following the lore while also making the story original. It''s a mix of comedy, adventure and even romance. And I still hate this game lol


    Sypnosis: An unlucky guy, Garret is pulled into the dark and depressing world of Dark Souls. As such, he decides to do the only sane thing one can do in such a situation, change the story for the better.


    Rated: T


    Words: 138K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/11317969/1/Dying-Tickles (Lets Do That Again)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    "Hmm¡­hmm¡­zzzzz¡­o-oh man, do I not feel good."


    Garret was cranky. He had stayed up till 3:00 am to finish his AP Lang paper, and now his head feels like a cement mixer. "Ooh man, my head" he groaned, rubbing his temples, "I knew I shouldn''t have drunk all those Monsters. I feel like-what am I wearing?"


    Normally Garret goes to bed in what he wore that day. Last night, that was some faded jeans and a TeamFourStar "Get Dumped" T-shirt. Now he sees that he is wearing some sort of robe, gloves, stange looking boots and a hat. "¡­I don''t remember taking anything last night¡­ Maybe I''m still dreaming, yeah, that''s probably it, still-"


    *THUD*


    At that moment a corpse fell on the floor. Craning his head up, Garret could see a man in armor gazing down at him before nodding and moving away. Garret recognized the scene, how could he have not, it''s part of the opening for one of his favorite games ever, "but that''s insane, I mean, come on, what are the odds that I''m actually in Dark So-"


    At that point he got a good look at his arms, brown and course, as opposed to the usual tan and wiry. Shakily, he took off a glove to see a brown and frail hand. He reached for his face and felt what he could only describe as wrinkly leather over bone. He reached under his robe to feel the left side of his chest, and he could feel rope like protrusions all along his pectoral.


    "¡­I-I-I don''t have any n.i.p.p.l.es. Haha. Okay, funny time over, let''s gather some facts. One. I am in the Undead Asylum. Two. Oscar just dropped down a body with what can only be the key out of here. Three. I am a sorcerer if the hat is any indication. Okay, let''s do this."


    Garret got up to get a closer look at the body. As it turns out, the key was glowing a pale blue on the corpse. "Hmm, well that''ll make things easier to find." Picking up the key he moved toward the door, and noticed that he had the straight sword hilt on him. "I don''t need this" he said as he tossed it to the floor.


    Moving across the hall he had to stop and gag as the stench of the room assaulted his nose. "Uggh geez, if this is where virtual reality wants to go, you can count me out." Forging on he took notice of the demon patrolling the room next to him. Upon realizing that he would have to fight that things cousin upstairs he shivered and hurried to the ladder to reach the bonfire.


    Upon reaching the bonfire he paused, not really knowing what to do. "I guess I should just hold my palm up to it and wait". He did that, and the bonfire did not respond. "Oh come on, light dammit!" he shouted to the bonfire. Nothing happened. "¡­Please¡­?" The bonfire burst into life. "Thank you".


    He decided that now would be a good time to see what special item he got as his gift. Upon rummaging in his satchel, which he managed to stick his whole arm down, he found the old witch''s ring. "Oh, great, now I can feel extra guilty when conversing with Quelaan. Whatever, better than the pendent".


    Deciding he had wasted enough time, he moved on to open the large door in front of him. "I must be a lot stronger than I was before because my arms should have given out long ago" he idly thought as he opened the iron door. Moving in he gazed up and saw the asylum demon. It jumped down with a crash before glaring at him. He yelled out "COME AT ME BRO!" and booked it for the gate on the left wall.


    He almost made it, but then the demon swung its hammer and hit his back. Thankfully, the hit knocked him clear into the hall as the gate shut closed behind him, but that was a small comfort compared to the pain roaring across his spine.


    "OH GOD OH GOD! ERRORS WERE MADE! ERRORS WERE MADE!"


    He managed to crawl his way to the bonfire and held his palm to it. It refused to light. "Is this going to be a regular thing!?", thankfully for Garret, the bonfire lit up and he felt a calm wave pass over his body and heal his wounds. "Ohhh yeah. Is this what morphine feels like, cause I love it" he m.o.a.ned out.


    After getting basking in the fire until its effects wore off he moved to the archway where a hollow was waiting at the end of the walkway to shoot him full of arrows. "Okay, should be simple enough, grab my shield, hold it and run up to the hollow, grab my dagger, and shank the jerk in the gut".


    He ran in, rolled under an arrow, grabbed his shield, and ran towards the hollow. It fled to the stairs on the left, but Garret made short work of it with his new dagger.


    Moving up the stairs he headed to the right and, with mush hesitation, moved up the next flight of stairs.


    *RUMBLE*


    "And there is it". He dove to the left and fell flat on his face. But all was good as he would soon gain the Estus flask for some bonfire on the go.


    Upon entering the room he saw a pitiful sight, Oscar, all decked out in his armor, was wheezing heavily on the pile of rubble he managed to fall on.


    "Oh you" Garret heard Oscar rasp out "you''re no hollow eh? I''m done for I''m afrai-"


    "Quiet Oscar, Knight of Astora" Garret told him.


    At this Oscar paused, "How do you-?"


    "Know your name and title? Simple, I have the gift of¡­foresight. I know a lot of things."


    "Ah, so you are a chosen of the gods?"


    "Not these gods" Garret muttered.


    "What?"


    "Nothing, just drink your Estus, both of us are getting out of here alive."


    "But-" Oscar wanted to argue that he had nothing left for.


    "But nothing" Garret cut him of. "Your family believes in a prophecy right, that an undead from the asylum will somehow save the land. Well that''s me, and as the Chosen Undead I say you are coming with me".


    "What would you want with an almost dead knight like me?" Oscar queried.


    "You have a magic sword and shield and are more versed in combat than me, a simple scholar. Now, are you going to drink your flask, or am I going to have to help you chug it down?"


    "No, no," Oscar said "I am fine." He drank his flask dry and stood up. "Now, you know my name, but I don''t know yours".


    "My name if Garret of Eearth".


    "I have never heard of this Eearth?"


    "Not surprising. We like to keep to ourselves. Now, you should have the key to unlock the door down there. Lets refill the flack and then head on up".


    As the both moved for the bottom set of stairs Garret felt his bag rustle. He paused to see what was going on and pulled out the Estus flask Oscar had just finished.


    "Is that my flask?" Oscar asked.


    "Yeah¡­ Hold on, let me try something". Garret pulled off his hat and stuffed it in his bag. "Okay, Oscar, check your bag". Sure enough Oscar pulled out the hat from his bag.


    "How peculiar" Oscar noted.


    "Shared item storage, that''ll come in handy" Garret said. "Come on, we got things to do".


    While at the bonfire Garret was drawing shapes in the dirt with his dagger and Oscar was checking his armor to see if it was all fine after crashing from the roof via hammer. He then asked Garret "Garret, you have the gift of sight no?"


    "Yeah, what of it?"


    "Can you also look into the past?"


    Garret then turned to look directly at Oscar. He sighed, "I have a limited view of the past yes".


    "Then, do you know what started all this, the undead curse and all?"


    Garret then looked to the sky. "¡­Oscar" he eventually started "I can give you an answer to your question, but to do so I would need to explain a lot of backstory that, frankly, I don''t have the patience to do right now."


    "But you do know".


    "Yes. And to reiterate, I am not telling you at this moment¡­When we have neared the end of out journey, I will tell you, and everyone else, what you want to know. But you may not like".


    "Everyone else?"


    "Oh yeah, I plan on having at least 5 members in this part, all with a purpose. Now come on, we got us a demon to kill".


    As they moved up the stairs, Garret had a thought "Follow me Oscar".


    Garret led Oscar to the opposite stairwell, which had crumbled to disrepair. Garret tried to climb up the shambled staircase, but it crumbled even more under his weight. "Well never mind then" he said, and started to go back down the correct path.


    Oscar felt compelled to ask "And what was that for?"


    Garret replied "Oh nothing, thee is just a ring up there that will be useful later on, but I can always grab it on the return trip".


    "Return tri-you mean to come back here, for a ring?"


    "Not just that, a doll too. And maybe to kill the other demon in the bas.e.m.e.nt."


    Oscar had stopped moving and was staring dumbly at Garret. "You''re mental".


    "Well this is an asylum" Garret retorted.


    "¡­Let''s just get out of here."


    At the foot of the stairs Garret stopped Oscar. "Okay so there is going to be one hollow up these stairs waiting for us. From there we will have three more hollows to contend with, one of which has a bow and some arrows. Now, a catalyst for sorceries is going to be up there, so I need to grab that. You lead".


    "Why should I lead?"


    "You have better armor, a better shield, and a much better weapon than me" Garret deadpanned. "As well as more experience in martial combat".


    "Point taken¡­Let''s go".


    Oscar made short work of the hollow at the top of the stairs with a slice across the chest and ran outside. Garret quickly followed to get his catalyst. Oscar had just finished off the two hollow by the fog door and was moving on to the one with the bow, but then he heard a *PING* and a flash of blue light sailed over his shoulder and onto the hollow, which then fell into a heap.


    Garret then walked up to Oscar. "Thank you" Oscar said.


    "Don''t mention it. Now, beyond that fog is the room where I left the demon. There is a small ledge when we exit the fog. You are going to jump down it and stab the thing in the head. Then you hop off and slash at its feet and butt."


    "And what shall you be doing as I risk my life?"


    "Shooting at that thing from the ledge with my spells. After all, my dagger isn''t going to do much."


    Oscar just glared at him before conceding that Garret would be more useful shooting off spells.


    "Oh, and don''t bother trying to block its hammer. Just two-hand your weapon and dodge the swings, they are pretty easily telegraphed".


    "I shall take that into consideration".


    Entering the fog gate, Oscar looked down the small ledge he was on and immediately hopped off to stab the demon in the eye. Het missed its eyes, but still got a good hit, before hopping off and rolling away. The process of slash and roll repeated for a bit until the demon took a large swing with its hammer, and Oscar moved to block it. When it impacted, he flew back several feet and felt like he tried to stop a bull. "Maybe I should follow his advice and just focus on dodging" and moved his shield to his back so he could hold his sword with both hands.


    Garret meanwhile was hitting the demon repeatedly with soul arrows. "This is actually pretty boring when I''m not on the ground; just aim, shoot, and repeat. Nothing to i- why is it right under me?" While mindlessly shooting off spells Garret failed to notice the demon had moved away from Oscar and back towards the ledge. "¡­Balls".


    The Demon leapt into the air, hammer poised to crush Garret to a pulp. Lucky for him, he rolled of just in time to avoid the attack, but still hurt himself on the fall.


    "Are you alright Garret?"


    "OH YEAH! I''M FEELING FINE! NOW LETS KILL THIS THING! Oooh my legs".


    At that cue Oscar rushed the Demon while Garret drank from the flask. Not a moment too soon to as the demon barely missed Garret with another swing. He pulled out his dagger in his right hand, with his catalyst in his left and moved in to strike. Oscar ran up with a slash at its legs, while Garret to stab it in. Then the demon beat its wings and hovered into the air. Knowing what was about to happen, Garret charged up a shot to hopefully kill it before it the ground. It worked. The arrow flew off and went right through the demon. It disappeared in a flash of light and a key dropped down below it.


    "Good shot" Oscar complimented.


    "Thanks" Garret replied, "That was my last soul arrow too. Come on I got the key, lets get out of here". The two exited the building and started heading up the hill. They soon reached the top of the hill. "Hey Oscar" Garret asked "Are you afraid of heights?"


    "A little" he confessed, trying not to look down the cliff, "why do you ask?"


    "No reason. Just don''t open your eyes for the next few minuets, or hours, I don''t know how long this will actually take".


    "What are you-BY THE GODS!" At that moment a pair of giant crows descended on the two, grabbing one each. And so their epic quest truly begins


    Author''s Note: There you have it, my first chapter of my first story.


    Chapter 2


    Lordran, land of the gods and their people. Founded after the mighty Gwyn and his armies defeated the dragons and brought forth the age of fire. Such a magnificent place.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"


    "WOOOOOHOOOHOOHOOHOOO!...Umph".


    After a long and thrilling flight by crow, Garret and Oscar were unceremoniously dropped by the firelink bonfire. The only other person there, a knight with an apathetic face, merely raised an eyebrow at the shivering knight on the ground and an oddly joyful sorcerer.


    "Oh man! That was more fun than I thought. Can''t wait to do that again. What about you Oscar. Um, Oscar, you doing okay buddy?"


    Oscar merely leapt up towards the nearest pot, lifted his facemask, and released the contents of his stomach.


    "Oh my" the knight remarked, "I do believe I have never seen someone react so violently to the crow ride before. It almost puts a smile on my face".


    Garret meanwhile was patting Oscar on the back "There there, its okay, let it all out".


    "Uggh¡­huff¡­huff¡­were you-urk-were you serious about returning to the asylum Garret?"


    "Yes".


    "Then you will be on your own. I will keep my feet firmly planted on the ground. Humans were never meant to fly in the air. I will never EVER do that again".


    Garret had a quick flash as to how one enters Anor Londo for the first time. "Whatever you say buddy. Now come on, we got things to do". Garret then moved over to the knight sitting on some rubble "And how are you doing this fine day?" he asked.


    "Well for one" the knight replied, "I have not smiled like that since that pyromancer from the swamp fell off a ledge rushing off to the burg".


    "Really? He did that?"


    "Oh yes. Didn''t even stop to say hello. Just rushed off going on about meeting his godmother of something. Anyway, I assume you want information. Well, there are actually-"


    "Two bells of awakening yeah yeah".


    "Oh, well¡­then we are done here".


    "Hold on a minute" Oscar spoke up "There are two bells? I was told that there was only one".


    The knight replied, "Well then, you were obviously misinformed. There is one up above, in the Undead Parish, and one down below, in Blighttown".


    "But the prophecy states-"


    "Look at it this way" Garret interrupted, "The¡­gods¡­have two bells set up as a means of testing the chosen undead''s resolve. After all, one bell is easy, but going to ring second bell is a challenge. Especially considering its in Blighttown".


    "I suppose¡­"


    "Great, now lets rest up at the bonfire and then go down the elevator".


    "Oh, so we are going to ring the Blighttown bell first".


    "Good god no. But I need to get a couple of things first. It might take me a bit. You should come down though, if only to repair your stuff at the smith".


    "There is a blacksmith down there?" Oscar asked incredulously while following Garret down the stairs".


    "Yeah, a guy by the name of Rickert, a sorcerer like me, who can also smith. He locked himself up and smiths to slow his descent to madness".


    "How sad, to have to lock yourself up or risk being a danger to those around you".


    "Yeah¡­ Oh well, its his choice in the end".


    "I suppose¡­" Oscar then chose to stay silent, giving Garret time to figure out how leveling was supposed to work.


    "Okay. How to do this? A screen obviously isn''t going to pop up with all my stats. Although I am going to need to be stronger and more dexterous if I want that Estoc down in New Londo".


    Suddenly, Garret felt a rush of energy leave and then almost immediately enter his body, as if had just run 12 miles and taken a hot both at the same time.


    "Whoa¡­That was surreal¡­So I guess I just think it, and assuming I have enough souls, I will level accordingly. Simple, but I won''t know exact numbers...Oh well".


    "Garret, are you rested?" He heard Oscar call out.


    "Yup. Just allocated all the souls I collected in the asylum".


    "Ah yes¡­If there is one nice thing about the curse, it is that it is much easier to get stronger than one normally would".


    "Thank God too. We don''t have the time to properly build muscles in order wield bigger and better weapons; now, onward to the ruins of New Londo!" Garret exclaimed, while moving towards the stairs.


    When they were about to reach the second set of stairs to reach the elevator, Oscar looked to his left and noticed a blonde woman in ratty clothes huddled behind some iron bars. "Garret, who is this?" He asked, while moving closer to the bars.


    Garret looked over and saw that Oscar was right in front of Anastacia''s cell. "Ah her. Well she is the firekeeper of Firelink Shrine. It is her job to keep the flame upstairs lit," He answered. "Poor thing had her tongue ripped out and legs mutilated so she couldn''t escape or speak ill of the gods-not to mention that whole eye thing they got going on. Her name, since she cannot give it herself, is-"


    "Anastacia? Oscar breathed out.


    "I''m sorry what?" Garret asked, eyes (or rather eyeholes, since he had yet to revert to human) widening, "How do you know her name?"


    Oscar was quiet for some time"¡­I had a twin sister back in Astora. She was chosen by the church to be a firekeeper. We never even got to celebrate our tenth birthday".


    "And¡­what makes you so sure this one is her?"


    "I don''t know" Oscar turned and replied, taking off his gauntlets and helmet to reveal light blonde hair and blue-grey eyes, "Just a feeling I have¡­" He turned back to the cell. "Ana, if it is you, please look up. I want to look at your face again, after all these years".


    Anastacia flinched, before slowly craning her head up to meet Oscar, blue-grey orbs to grey cloth. Oscar bit back a gasp "Y-you''re eyes" Anastacia looked down, perhaps in shame, perhaps in resignation. Oscar swallowed, "¡­It is no matter, I do not need to see your eyes to know you are my sister," still, she would not respond. Oscar started to tear up, and clenched the iron bars between them, "¡­Please Ana". He started to shudder, his armor clanking in tune with his body. He stopped however, when he felt a small, dirty, soft hand cover his own. Sniffling, he looked up at Anastacia, who had a small smile on her face. He smiled in turn, "Ana, my dear sister". He brought his other hand up to cup her cheek, and the two leaned forward in a loving embrace, ignoring the bars that stood between them.


    Garret just gazed on dumbly. "Oh my God. This is¡­but how. There was no hint towards any of this in the game. This is just insane, not to mention horribly depressing. Just¡­God..."


    "Umm, Oscar. I''m just¡­I''m just going to go down by myself. I-I''ll see you later". Oscar didn''t give any indication that he heard, but Garret ran to the elevator nonetheless. After reaching the bottom, he bolted out and huddled in a corner on the verge of a nervous breakdown.


    "This¡­this is all real¡­these are all real people. Ho-ho-how can I do this? I have to go through all these trials and meet all these people, knowing exactly what happens to them...I can always just go it alone. Yeah, just don''t talk to anyone. Don''t mess with them and nothing happens. Easy".


    ¡­


    "But that was in game. That was just codes and voice-actors. People don''t follow a script¡­ They live and breathe and do what they want. If I don''t talk to Solaire he will just go on his own and still get trapped in Izalith. Siegmeyer will probably just die sooner. Laurentius goes hollow down in Blighttown. Rhea either dies in the parish or goes hollow at the archives. These guys aren''t just going to be dictated by ones and zeroes. They are going to make choices, and those choices will lead to their ultimate doom. And, I can''t stop it..." Garret then put his head between his knees, feeling a sort of numbness enter his very being. "¡­It this what it feels to go hollow? Kinda peaceful. I wonder if everyone feels this way when they turn. Not a bad way to go actually. Its like I''m falling asleep¡­"


    As he was slowly falling into the gentle embrace of the Abyss, Garret''s last thoughts were, oddly enough, about the Rocky franchise. Rocky Balboa (the sixth movie, not the character), or rather, the speech Rocky gives his son about winning. About taking the hits life gives you, and moving forward.


    "¡­No. No way in hell am I going to let things just play out. In this world I have omniscience comparable to a god. I can change things. I can save Siegmeyer from hollowing by-by making sure he finishes bosses. I can be Solaire''s "sunbro", keeping his spirits up. I can expose Petrus for the sc.u.m he is. Yeah, I can do this. I mean, I already wanted have Solaire, Rhea, and Siegmeyer in an impromptu party with Oscar and me, now the stakes are just a bit higher. Yeah¡­YEAH! I CAN DO THIS! YOU HERE ME WORLD! I''M GONNA DO IT. I''M GONNA CHANGE THINGS, GIVE THIS LAND AND ITS PEOPLE A HAPPY ENDING!" He shouted to the ceiling.


    *HUFF* *HUFF*


    "But first, I need to scrounge for items".


    Chapter 3


    After having a mental breakdown, and subsequently recovering, Garret heard the elevator in motion. He moved to the entrance to see Oscar, with his helmet back on, walk out. "¡­Ah¡­There you are Garret".


    "Hey¡­Oscar¡­You doing okay?" Garret asked awkwardly.


    "As well as one can after seeing their sister again after decades¡­Is¡­Is what you said true, that Ana had her tongue cut off cut off and was purposely mutilated?" Oscar asked.


    "¡­I highly doubt she did it to herself¡­"


    "¡­I see¡­" Oscar replied. He then clenched his fist, before slowly releasing it "¡­You said there was a smith down here who could repair armor?"


    "Yeah, just down here" Garret replied, leading the way down. When they reached the bottom Garret spoke up again. "FYI, there are a few hollows down here, but they are the docile kind, so far gone they barely do anything. Easy kills if it pleases".


    "¡­I don''t know¡­" Oscar slowly spoke "¡­It goes against what I stand for as a knight".


    "Not to be rude, but in this place, your "codes of honor" can take a hike". They had reached to set of stairs leading down to Rickert. "This is an eat or be eaten world buddy, and they aren''t eating". Oscar just stayed silent.


    They approached Rickert''s cell. "Hmm" he grunted, "This is an unusual sight, not one, but two men roaming about. A knight and a sorcerer wandering the ruins of a city, sound like one heck of a story".


    "Hello Rickert" Garret said.


    "Hold on, how do you-"


    Garret cut him off "I have the gift of foresight. One of the things I foresaw is you".


    "Huh, a sorcerer gifted with visions of the future. The gods must like you".


    "Oh trust me, when the remaining gods find out who I am, what I want, they will most certainly not like me, especially a certain cross-dressing prick with daddy issues". He muttered that last part out so the others wouldn''t hear him. Rickert however, had heard that last part.


    "Hold on, which god is a cr-"


    "If it is all the same with you" Oscar interrupted "I would like to repair my armor and weapons".


    "Oh, well give him here, I''ll have them fixed up in a jiffy" Rickert replied. Oscar and Garret both started stripping off their armor.


    "Excellent, I am sure if Garret and I pool our souls we can pay you in fu-"


    "Oh no, I''ll do this for free" Rickert spoke up.


    Oscar looked on with a questioning gaze "Why would you repair our supplies for free".


    "Thank your buddy over there" Rickert replied, already starting to fix Oscar''s chest piece.


    Now it was Garret''s turn to look confused "What did I do?"


    "That little speech you gave earlier" Rickert told them "About not giving up and changing things, it was inspiring, really got my blood pumping again".


    "Speech?" Oscar questioned.


    "Oh" Garret replied, a sheepish smile on his face, "I was just in the middle of a nervous breakdown, it happens". He then turned back to Rickert, "Well then, if you have any heavy soul arrow scrolls I can-"


    "That''ll be 2,000 souls" Rickert shot of, not taking his eyes off the items he was repairing.


    "What?"


    "Souls, it is what passes for currency in this godforsaken land".


    "I know what they are used for, but, 2,000? What happened to the whole ''blood pumping thing'' my speech gave you?"


    "That''s for the armor, this is separate".


    "Bu-"


    "You want me to double the amount?" Rickert asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Oscar then told Garret "I''ll give you some of my souls to spend Garret, after all, the entire repair is being done for free".


    "¡­Alright" Garret relented, and paid the price, getting a heavy soul arrow scroll in return.


    Soon enough, Rickert had fully repaired the duo''s weapons and armor and had returned them. "Do come visit again" he called out as they left.


    Garret and Oscar were moving towards the path the lead to the flooded city of New Londo. Garret the made a sharp left turn form the entrance arch and stopped before a vase with a body in it. Before Oscar could ask him what he was doing, Garret hurled himself into the vase, breaking it apart and having the body slump to the ground. "Garret!" he yelled out, "What do you thi-".


    "Ta-Da" Garret suddenly yelled out, holding an Estoc in his right hand.


    Oscar just stared before turning away "¡­Is this going to be a regular thing with you. Doing something no sane man would even consider, all to get some prize in return?"


    Garret just tilted his head at the question "Is that going to be a problem?"


    "¡­I guess not¡­So long as we get something beneficial in return".


    "I am so glad you feel that way" Garret then proceeded to strip off his clothing until he was in nothing but a loincloth "You can head up to Firelink now, I''ll be back up one way or another".


    "Why did you...?"


    "Well I just got this stuff repaired, don''t want it to get all broken again".


    Oscar merely stared at him for a few seconds before heading for the elevator, muttering about insane seers.


    "Alright" Garret thought to himself, "I have to get the Firekeeper soul above all else, any thing else¡­I''ll play by ear". With a "plan" in mind, he headed towards the ruins, grabbing a pair of transient curses on the way.


    As he made it too the water, he spotted the first couple of ghosts making their way towards him. "Wait for it, wait for it" he chanted in his head. One ghost then made to cleave him in two "NOW!" he thought, and deftly rolled out of the way, just missing the ghost''s slash. He continued to "duck and weave" past all the ghosts until he made it to the corpse with the Firekeeper soul in it. He grabbed the soul and placed it in his sack, "Now to esca-" his thought was interrupted by the gang of ghosts all blocking his way out. He then saw the lead ghost extend its blades in order to slice him to bits. "¡­Well¡­shit" were his last words, before his mind went dark.


    A/N: Here it is, my third chapter.


    In response to a Mr. (or Ms.) CadenGallic, the tone will be mostly comedic, but will have its serious moments. After all, Dark Souls does get pretty dark, what with all the NPC''s having horrible fates befall them (Siegmeyer and Solaire come to mind). As it stands, Garret will try to keep things as lighthearted as possible, but there will be some depressing moments (Rhea''s story in particular). I can only try to balance those out.


    Later.

 Chapter 180 - My CO Stash #80 - One Punch Deku by NPGamer11 (MyHeroAcademiaXOnePunchMan)

    -Izuku but with a "No f.u.c.ks to give" atttude~ Also Nejire best girl.


    Sypnosis: Izuku got beaten up for saving someone. By the one who was supposed to be his friend. No one helped him. Ever. And laying under that tree, beaten up, he came to a gruesome realization. So, did he wimp out and did nothing? F.U.C.K NO! He used that brilliant mind of his, made a plan and stuck to it. And now came the time to reap the rewards. OP! Izuku. OOC! Izuku. Friendship to romance.


    Rated: M


    Words: 69K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13250234/1/One-Punch-Deku (NPGamer11)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    ''''Stop this, Kacchan!'''' yelled the small green-haired child. He stood protectively in front of another boy who''d already been beaten up by the class bully, Katsuki Bakugo. But that put him in harm''s way as well, the blonde already preparing to blast him out of the way.


    ''''Get lost, Deku! Your sorry quirkless ass can''t do a thing.'''' the blonde sneered, small sparks crackling in his palms. But Deku, whose true name was Izuku Midoriya, stood his ground.


    ''''I won''t let you hurt him!'''' he yelled, hoping to draw the attention of one of the teachers. He could have sworn one looked their way, but just turned around and continued the conversation they''d been having with the others. So much for that. Izuku would receive no assistance, he had to stand alone against the now enraged Katsuki.


    ''''Oi, Deku! Are you really ready to take a beating instead of this kid?'''' he asked. Izuku couldn''t verbally answer, but the new-found determination in his eyes spoke volumes. Katsuki laughed loudly at his bravery and proceeded to overpower Midoriya, hammering him into the ground.


    Ten minutes passed before Katsuki and his gang of bullies left Izuku lying brutalized on the ground. He stared up at the sky wondering how it all came to be. How could he and Katsuki go from friends to enemies? The answer lied in their DNA.


    Had past experts been asked what they believed the next step of human evolution would be, none would have proposed a mutation allowing for superpowers. And yet, this strange phenomenon occurred and was eventually referred to as a quirk. In just a few generations, almost eighty percent of the world''s population had one.


    And yet, Izuku Midoriya was one of the unfortunate twenty-percent.


    "Your son is quirkless."


    ~Flashback~


    Izuku couldn''t wait to find out what quirk he''d have! Would it be his mother''s ability to attract objects? His fathers fire breath? Maybe they would combine, giving him pyrokinesis! Or maybe he wouldn''t take after either parent and would instead have a completely different power, one that was super smashingly awesome all on its own...


    But instead, he was told four blunt, cruel words instead. The same words that had just replayed in his mind.


    ''''Your son is quirkless.''''


    For days after visiting the doctor, little four-year-old Izuku asked his mother repeatedly, "Mom, can I still be a hero like All Might?"


    After first seeing the Pro Hero''s debut, all he''d ever wanted was to emulate the man who everyone called ''The Symbol of Peace''. But, his mother was unable to answer him at first. When she did, she turned to face her son before wrapping her arms around him tightly.


    "I''m sorry¡­ It''s my fault¡­ I''m sorry¡­"


    It confirmed his fears. She didn''t believe in him either¡­


    But young Midoriya''s misfortune didn''t end there.


    ''Hey, Izuku, when will your quirk show up?'''' one of the children in his daycare asked.


    But Katsuki just scoffed. ''''Haven''t you heard? He DOESN''T HAVE a quirk. I guess now you really are a useless Deku! Ha haha ha ha.''''


    ~End Flashback~


    As Izuku lay in the dirt, his body aching from Katsuki''s latest beating, he remembered how painful it had been to hear such cruel things from people he trusted¡­ people who were supposed to be his friends. It was in that moment of recollection that he came to a gruesome realization. A realization that every child eventually comes to understand as he grows up.


    ''All men are not created equal''


    It was a bitter and harrowing truth for someone so young to accept, but, he knew that if he ever wanted to succeed in this world, if he was going to achieve his dreams, then he would have to do it by himself. After all, it was now obvious that those around him would likely just laugh and tell him he was going to fail anyway.


    Midoriya knew it would be brutal, already aware of how many obstacles would be in his way even though he was so young. But on that day, Izuku decided that nothing would stop him; he would be the Number 1 Hero in the world, no matter what.


    10 YEARS LATER...


    Izuku strolled down the street, making his way to Aldera. He was in his last year of junior high there and knew that today they were going to be reviewing their high school applications. He''d applied to U.A., the best hero school on that side of Japan, even though he''s aware that everyone would make fun of him since they all believed he was a quirkless nobody.


    As he made his way to the entrance, he spotted Katsuki and his gang waiting for him. He smirked at their stupidity; they''d been pulling the same stunt without success for the past year and a half. He wasn''t going to be caught off guard by them today or ever. A rapid, short breeze swept across the street and he was gone. "Idiots¡­"


    The three bullies were none the wiser, however, impatiently waiting for their target to show up.


    "Damn it! There are only five minutes until class starts; he should have already been here. Are you SURE you didn''t see him come in earlier?" Katsuki asked in agitation, looking down at his posse of ''extras''.


    "I''m sure, Bakugo. I''ve been here since before school even opened; he hasn''t come by yet." The teen with bat wings and a chubby figure answered.


    They gave up and headed to class, only for the boy who could grow his fingernails super long to pause and pale when he got to the door. Katsuki noticed and stopped walking as well, pinching the bridge of his nose.


    "Deku is already in the classroom, isn''t he?" he asked, doing his best not to blow a fuse; he''d save that for Midoriya. The rest of their classmates backed away from the door, sensing his wrath. Izuku''s table was straight ahead, the boy completely engrossed and concentrating on the notebook he always carried around. Bakugo was going to burn that thing once he was done squishing the little pest that owned it.


    Katsuki charged up explosions in his hands and took off, sailing through the air to nail the sorry bastard¡­ Or so he thought. A split second before his fist connected with its target, Deku vanished from sight and the window opened. Everyone looked up just in time to see Bakugo flying out of the newly created opening before falling straight into the water container below, startling the carps that had been swimming peacefully.


    The students ran to the window, watching as he surfaced and spewed out water. He looked up to find them laughing at him¡­ all except Deku. Instead, the boy jumped down and offered him a hand.


    "Are you alright, Kacchan? Do you need any help? he asked, his face blank even though his eyes were showing signs of concern. Bakugo, however, ignored the boy''s kindness and swatted his hand away, climbing out himself and pouring the water from his shoes.


    Their teacher leaned out as well, shouting down at them. "Katsuki, after you get changed I''m going to call your mother about using your quirk in school. Izuku, you''re going to serve two weeks of detention for pulling stunts. Now, both of you get back inside!"


    Katsuki grinned triumphantly. Calling his mom? Sure, he was going to catch hell at home, but, that was a slap on the wrist compared to Midoriya''s punishment. He turned towards him, half-prepared to see him crying. The Deku he''d always known always cried. But all he saw was a blank expression; the bastard didn''t even wobble his lip.


    He couldn''t help but wonder what had changed in Izuku. The once almost frail, easily pushed around, crybaby quirkless Deku was seemingly outsmarting him and suppressing his tendency to let his emotions get the better of him. It couldn''t have been a quirk¡­ those only manifested in young children. But something was definitely different.


    He contemplated this rapid maturation in Midoriya''s skills and personality for the rest of the day, fully intending on calling his ass out once more. Just as the final bell rang, he turned in his chair and shouted. "DEKU!"


    But all that he found was an empty seat, another strong breeze rushing through the classroom and scattering everyone''s papers. He grunted in confused irritation before getting ready to hang out with his group of extras as he usually did.


    Izuku happily strolled to the convenience store to pick up cereal and spices for the katsudon his mom was preparing for dinner. He had just made it into the underpass when a manhole cover opened, a giant blob of green slime crawling out.


    "Damn it! He''s right behind me¡­ I need a medium sized meat suit to get away¡­ THERE!" It spoke.


    "Oh boy, it noticed me." Izuku thought as it''s form created tentacles that immediately sped toward him. He vanished though, avoiding the attack with ease.


    "What?! Where is he?" It exclaimed, turning to find the teen staring at him curiously. "Stay still boy! This will only hurt for about forty-five seconds and then..."


    Izuku wasn''t listening though. He was preoccupied with wondering if the villains near liquid constitution meant that it was resistant to physical attacks and if it could survive being blown to chunks. He only refocused when he realized that it was moving to attack him again, this time with the intention of covering his entire body. Without hesitation, Midoriya c.o.c.ked an arm back to send a punch, only to be interrupted by a hulking figure jumping out of the manhole as well.


    "It''s alright now because I am here!" the man yelled, his voice easily recognizable as Izuku''s (still) favorite hero. He jumped towards the villain with incredible speed, readying his arm as he unleashed one of his signature attacks. "TEXAS SMASH!"


    The criminal was blown away instantly, Izuku watching from the sidelines with hidden admiration and a touch of irritation. "Damn it! I had it!"


    "I apologize for getting you involved, young man!" All Might stated, "But I admire your courage. You stood your ground, and I respect that. Now, just a moment, please."


    All might moved to scoop the villain into his soda bottle, turning back to Izuku after he was finished. The boy was wildly writing in his notebook, mumbling under his breath.


    "So, he could be blown apart as long as there was enough physical force¡­ and he could survive being in pieces like that. If you aren''t as strong as All Might or can''t deal a powerful blow like that then he''s only weak spot is his eyes since they are the only solid parts of his body. I wonder if muttermutter, muttermuttermutter, mutter, muttermutter muttermutter¡­"


    "Ehem! Excuse me, young man? What are you doing?" asked the completely bamboozled hero.


    "Oh, right!" Izuku gasped, "You''re still here. Um¡­ I sort of take notes on every quirk I see so that I know how to deal with it if I were to come across it again in the future when I¡­ I¡­"


    The Pro could see the apprehension start to spread over Midoriya''s face. "Is there something wrong, young man?"


    Izuku inhaled deeply, trying to calm his nerves. "All Might¡­ Can¡­ Can someone without a quirk become a hero like you?"


    All Might was honestly surprised by the question. He''d been asked all sorts of things before, everything from details about his quirk to what his favorite ocean fish was (the clownfish, if you were wondering). But this was the LAST thing he was expecting. He knew what he had to say though and looked at Izuku, his famous smile slowly diminishing.


    "I''m sorry to have to tell you this, young man, but being a target for villains everyday¡­ It just wouldn''t be possible to survive without a quirk. So, in my good conscience, I must say that... No, you can''t." He explained gently. He''d expected to see sadness on the teens face, possibly even tears in his eyes. But all he saw was a bitter understanding, disappointment, and anger.


    "Yeah." Izuku responded hotly, "I figured you''d say that. Next, you''re going to tell me to become a policeman, firefighter, or something else, right? I''d hoped that maybe, MAYBE, you would be different, but, I guess you''re all one and the same."


    All Might was taken aback by the venom dripping from the boy''s voice, but, a moment later it was all gone.


    "Ah, I''m sorry; I let my emotions get the better of me. Anyway, could you sign my notebook?" Midoriya continued quickly, forcing himself not to feel the painful sting of rejection once more. He held out the notebook and pen he had expectantly, being sure to seem as sorry and grateful as possible even though that wasn''t at all how he was feeling.


    The Pro hesitantly agreed and wrote his signature across two pages. It was a little concerning how the apparently quirkless boy had gone from resentful to totally calm so quickly, but, he told himself it wasn''t worth his continued attention. He gave a nod and took off, leaving Izuku to continue on with his day.


    "DAMN!" Midoriya fumed internally, "That jerk! I had it! I did not need help!"


    He''d been heading home after his run-in with the Number 1 Hero and getting groceries when he''d noticed the commotion in the street. Upon closer inspection, he''d noticed that the perpetrator was the same villain who''d attacked him under the overpass, and this time it had a hostage.


    It took him another moment to realize that the hostage was Kacchan, but once he did, he''d rushed into the midst of the chaos without a second thought, throwing his bag at the criminal and moving to pull Bakugo out. He''d been preparing to punch him again, but just as before, All Might rushed in and stole his thunder.


    He''d kept his irritation in check even when he was scolded by the other heroes on the scene while Bakugo was praised for his strong quirk and endurance. Still, the ridiculousness was astounding and quite frankly, infuriating. He''d slipped away as soon as he could, slipping by the press as they swarmed.


    "Oi! Deku!" Katsuki shouted after him.


    "Ugh. Great¡­ here we go again¡­" Midoriya groaned internally.


    "Don''t you think for a second that I owe you or anything! I don''t know how you got there so fast, but I don''t care! You''re still a nobody to me!" But as he yelled at his once childhood friend, Katsuki wondered: "How DID he get there so fast?"


    Izuku simply flipped him off and continued walking, completely done and far too fed up with everything to deal with the explosive blonde at the moment. He was relieved that no explosions followed him, suggesting that Bakugo had decided not to retaliate and had gone on home. "Good; I''m already late as it is."


    "I am here!"


    "Oh, for Christ''s sake!" Midoriya thought with exasperation. He just couldn''t seem to catch a break that day, not that misfortune was particularly abnormal in his life. He stopped walking and waited impatiently for the Pro to speak again.


    "I escaped the reporters as fast as I could so that I could catch up to you, young man. I would like to speak with you!" All Might explained.


    Despite how much he really just wanted to get home, Izuku nodded. "Alright, go ahead."


    Steam suddenly erupted from the man''s body, covering his large form momentarily. As it cleared, the once strong, muscular figure was replaced entirely by a skinny frail blonde with sunken eyes; he looked more like a skeleton than a human.


    ''''What has happened to you! Are you a fake?! An impostor?! A-''''


    "Stop right there!" All Might boomed, "This pathetic form is the result of an injury I received during battle. The fight was never publicized, but, my wounds were substantial. I ended up losing my stomach and permanently hurting my respiratory system. Now, I can only be a hero for up three hours a day¡­ a time limit that''s lowering steadily. That''s what I want to talk to you about, young man. Now¡­ What''s your name?"


    Deku could only sweatdrop at first in response. "Izuku Midoriya¡­"


    All Might grinned widely and begin shifting back into his heroic form. "Right. Young Midoriya, today I demolished your dreams and told you that you couldn''t do something, but I was wrong. When asked ''Why did you save someone or do a heroic deed?'', all of the heroes answer with ''My legs moved on their own.''. I saw that in you today. So, young Midoriya. I would like to correct my previous statement! YOU CAN BE A HERO!"


    "Okay," Izuku responded blankly.


    "And I have chosen you to inherit my power!" All Might finished excitedly, the pride in his voice and posture almost sickening to Deku.


    The teen paused as he took in the hero he''d idolized, finding that he was far less enthralled by him than he once had been. He''d asked All Might if he could be a hero and the man had said ''no'', just like everyone else did. Midoriya swore to himself he''d prove him wrong. He''d prove them ALL wrong¡­ and he''d do it without taking the shortcut.


    "...No."


    "NANI?"


    Chapter 2


    "NANI?" All Might exclaimed in utter shock and confusion.


    "I mean it; I don''t want to inherit your power."


    "But, young Midoriya!" The Pro responded incredulously. "I thought it was your dream to become a great hero! Why would you refuse the power that would not only put you par with others but, likely make you even stronger than them!"


    Izuku''s eyes were hard as he stared down his ex-idol. "Because I''ve spent my whole life doing everything myself since I had to learn early on that no one would help me. I will achieve my dreams on my own, without needing to rely on anyone¡­ even you."


    All Might flinched at the last line. It was evident that his careless dismissal of Izuku''s dreams earlier that day had really done damage. "I see now, young Midoriya¡­ You''ve suffered ridicule and contempt since you were young, forced to listen to people laugh at you and diminish your dreams."


    Midoriya finally got his emotions back under control and turned away from All Might, the man slowly deflating both physically and emotionally as he realized how grave of an error he''d made.


    "What I meant was, thank you for your offer but I''m not interested," Izuku explained quietly but with firmness. "All I need is myself, now and always."


    He stepped past the seemingly paralyzed man and continued walking to his home, leaving him there to think about their conversation. All Might was painfully aware that he could have done so many things differently during their first encounter. He could have taken the time to hear Izuku out rather than instantly smash his dreams.


    "I''m so sorry, young Midoriya." he thought in defeat as he walked away somberly. "I''m sorry I couldn''t be your hero when it was clear that you needed one."


    There were so many people he couldn''t save in the past; desperate citizens all over the world that he''d never meet but that needed him anyway. All Might had never lost a person once stepping on the scene¡­ until today.


    After being thoroughly scolded by his mother for attempting to fight villains before becoming a hero, Izuku sat down in his room.


    ''''So, not even Number 1 hero believes in my dreams. Go figure. Now... I''ve got 10 months before the entrance exam. Time to plan this out.'''' He stayed up late that night, devising the perfect schedule for himself. He felt that if he followed it to a tee, he would be prepared for the U.A. exam, and pass it with flying colors. Satisfied with his work, he went to sleep.


    Over the course of the next ten months, not much changed in Izuku''s life. The only noticeable difference was that Bakugo wasn''t trying to pick on him anymore, not that Izuku cared about that. He threw himself into his studies, learning everything he''d need for the written portion of the entrance exam. His hard work paid off in the end, allowing him to graduate at the top of his year. The only person who came close to his score was Bakugo, the blonde struggling not to blow a fuse over the loss.


    On the night before the exam, Midoriya went to bed early, feeling calm and prepared for anything life could throw at him.


    IZUKU''S DREAMS


    Izuku sat in a lecture hall while the proctor handed out tests to everyone. He got to work, easily solving the test in fifteen minutes only to find himself in a Japanese dojo moments later. The R-rated hero, Midnight, was with him.


    "Oh¡­ So, it''s one of THOSE dreams." he thought to himself, feeling a stir in his pants. But instead of the usual dream sequence that followed seeing the heroine, she sat before him and said: "For the practical portion of the exam, you have to beat me at Rock-Paper-Scissors."


    The woman extended her hand towards Izuku, but he noticed something strange on it. Startled, he woke up and screamed. "DON''T COME PLAYING ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS WITH A BOGGER ON YOUR FINGER!"


    He sighed once he''d calmed down, checking the clock. Today was the day¡­ He was going to start his path to showing the world what he''s really worth. He confidently stood from his bed and walked to the bathroom; He was ready.


    Izuku arrived at the U.A. facility early as any diligent student would and sat in the entrance hall waiting for the written portion of the exam to start. Other''s started trickling in including a stiff blue-haired boy who''d immediately started reprimanding students about their hair, clothes, etc. Midoriya really hoped that he wouldn''t have to be near that guy during any portion of the exam. Bakugo showed up not long after, scowl ever present on his face.


    Once everything was ready, they were given an hour and a half to finish the first phase, of which Izuku only needed fifty minutes. From there, they had a half hour break before being redistributed to different areas for the practical portion.


    Midoriya was quiet as he rode the bus towards ''Site Q'', examining the other students who''d been assigned to the same area. He could only describe their quirks as mediocre at this point but decided to memorize them anyway, taking notes as always. He thought about the exam itself as well, concluding that it needed some serious changes. It only allowed people with combative quirks to shine and even then they had to be effective against non-sentient beings. He didn''t have long to dwell on it, however, as the test was about to begin.


    "ALL EXAMINEE''S TAKE YOUR POSITIONS ON THE LINE! START!"


    Midoriya didn''t waste any time and rushed towards the city, other students even pointing towards him and laughing at his ''early start''. But they were quickly grounded by the proctors next words.


    "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? THERE ARE NO COUNTDOWNS IN REAL LIFE! GO, GO, GO!"


    The remaining students quickly ran in, ready to trash some robots only to barely find any¡­ any moving that is.


    While they stood confused, Izuku was having a blast. He could finally unleash his powers more than usual. Here, nobody would care that the asphalt cracked under him as he ran or that he swatted the robots away like flies. He was enjoying himself so much, he even allowed a ghost of a smile to creep upon his face. He sprinted all over the exam site, destroying robots and occasionally saving other participants. However, after about five-six minutes, he decided to sit back and observe some of the other U.A. hopefuls''.


    He spotted a group that appeared to be working together under the leadership of a boy with gravity-defying purple hair., the teen giving commands to the other''s while they attempted to immobilize the robot before he tried to destroy it.


    It was painfully obvious that he hadn''t trained a day in his life, his arm almost breaking from just punching the robots eye.


    Suddenly a giant-ass robot appeared from the ground right after, its hulking form preparing to smash the little group closest to it.


    Izuku grinned for the first time in a while and then vanished in a burst of speed towards the metal giant, only stopping briefly along the way to save others from the debris. One of the people he helped was the purple-haired boy himself.


    As their eyes met, Midoriya was able to see a mixture of emotions¡­ Disbelief, anger, sadness, and something else¡­ something familiar that he knew but couldn''t remember for the life of him right then. Once again he didn''t have time to think about it too long; he had to disassemble that monstrous robot that was edging closer to them.


    Most of the U.A. personnel were sitting in a dimly lit conference room, reviewing the videos from the various testing sites.


    "It seems like we have a promising year ahead of us." Nezu mused.


    "Yes; It seems that we have some with powerful capabilities. They certainly surpass the last years'' crop." Vlad King agreed.


    Present Mic nodded as he looked over the footage that included Bakugo, the blonde destroying robots and screaming in joy. "I feel you. While the others got tired and slowed down, he just kept picking up steam and gathered the highest amount of points¡­ If you don''t count HIM, that is."


    ''''I think it''s time to address the elephant in the room,'''' Eraserhead suggested.


    They all turned towards the middle screen, examining the green blur that made its way through the makeshift city leaving a trail of destroyed robots in its wake. Eventually, it stopped on a rooftop, allowing them to see the face of the young perspective hero. All Might (in his skinny form) gawked at the boy, easily recognizing him as the one he''d hurt all those months ago.


    "What information do we have on him?" The principal asked, not missing his newest employees expression. The R-rated heroine, Midnight, examined their doc.u.ments and took over.


    "His name is Izuku Midoriya; he just turned fifteen yesterday. There doesn''t appear to be any medical or criminal history¡­ He lives alone with his mother and his quirk is¡­" Silence filled the room.


    "Well? What is it?" Hound Dog asked.


    "It¡­ These official forms say that he doesn''t have one," she admitted, the rest of the board just as full of shock and disbelief.


    "But how is that even possible? This kid is easily as strong as All Might himself, if not more so! I mean, he pulverized the 0-pointer with just a punch! We can barely pass what''s left as scrap metal! That''s simply not possible without possessing a quirk!" Recovery Girl insisted, the statement causing Eraserhead to roll his eyes at how close-minded his coworkers seemed to be. Nezu was the only one to notice.


    "Have you something to add, Erasure?" he asked.


    "You people forget that even before the era of quirks, mankind achieved some incredible feats. While I also find it hard to believe that he doesn''t have a quirk of some kind, there is only one way to be truly sure."


    "Oh, and what way is that?" Nezu questioned.


    "We invite him here."


    Izuku knew that U.A. usually sent their acceptance letters a week after all of the exams were graded, so he was quite surprised when the doorbell to his apartment rang and he found Present Mic and All Might standing in his doorway. The No.1 Hero was the one to finally break the tension.


    "Excuse us for coming to see you unannounced, young Midoriya," he stated, "but could you please come with us? It''s about your entrance exam."


    Izuku looked at him with a doubtful expression before turning to the other hero present.


    "He''s telling the truth, kiddo¡­ He will be teaching at U.A. this year. Now, notify your mother that you''ll be gone this afternoon and please come with us."


    "My mom isn''t home." Izuku responded, "I''ll notify her on the way." He put on his shoes and grabbed his jacket, phone, and wallet. "Okay, let''s go."


    Izuku was amazed by U.A.; it was where all of the heroes he''d admired went. He tried to look at everything, his neck almost snapping as he whipped it in every direction at once. However, when his gaze would land on All Might his eyes would grow cold. The Number One Hero noticed the abrupt changes and shivered, thinking back to the conversation he''d had with the principal.


    ALL MIGHT: FLASHBACK


    "So, Yagi¡­ I couldn''t help but notice that you had a strange look in your eyes while we watched the footage covering Izuku Midoriya¡­ It almost seemed like perhaps you''d met the boy once." Nezu stated while he sipped on his cup of tea.


    All Might sighed and looked deeply into his own beverage. He knew it was best to just come clean, so he explained his connection to the strange quirkless powerhouse. He told the principal about how he''d ''saved'' him from the sludge villain, how he''d crushed his dreams only to eat his words when the teen had run in to save a peer, and about how he''d told him about his condition and offered him his power¡­ He told him how Izuku had refused the opportunity.


    "I crushed his dreams and let him down when he needed me most." He admitted sadly, "I should have-"


    "Don''t beat yourself up so much, Yagi." Nezu interrupted, giving the Pro a stern look. "You didn''t say anything wrong; you couldn''t have known that he had such strength when he''d already told you he had no quirk. Yes, Midoriya is bitter and angry with you, but, he''s a teenager. What did you expect? It''s unhelpful to blame yourself for saying what seemed like the most responsible thing to say in the moment. You simply gave him the best advice you could have with what you knew."


    "What do you suggest I do then, sir?" All Might asked.


    "Just be aware that while he might be angry now, he will come around eventually. When that happens, you must be there for him¡­ You will have to help him as only you can truly relate to how it feels to desire to be a hero and not initially possess the quirk to be one. Teach Midoriya how to control his power as it will, in time, be even stronger than yours and look for another suitable successor."


    FLASHBACK END


    Toshinori looked on with determination in his eyes. Nezu was right; he must use the time he had left to find a successor and hopefully train young Midoriya. The power the boy exhibited would be devastating if it was left to rage uncontrolled.


    Their car pulled up to a large building labeled ''Gym Gamma''. As Midoriya walked in, he found Nezu, Eraserhead, Midnight, Cementos, and Recovery Girl waiting for him. The old woman was holding a suitcase, staring at him expectantly.


    "You have nothing to fear!" the principal explained. "All we want is for you to perform some additional physical tests and allow us to take samples of your DNA."


    Izuku was easily able to figure out what this was all about, irritation flaring up in his chest. "You don''t believe I''m quirkless¡­ You think I lied on my official medical reports." He stated, anger making its way onto his face.


    "With the extreme power you exhibited during the entrance exam, can you blame us?" Eraserhead responded.


    Izuku relented then, turning back to Nezu to see what all they wanted from him. The mouse smiled reassuringly and continued. "Alright, we''re going to need a sample of your saliva, blood, hair follicles, and skin. Once Recovery Girl is through retrieving those then you can start performing the extra practical tests we''ve set up. Is that alright with you?"


    Izuku just nodded his head quietly, allowing the old pro to poke and prod at him until she had everything she wanted. She rushed to the lab right after, giggling like an excited little girl and leaving them to finish their own tests.


    Cementos started the process by creating some obstacles for him to cross in the shortest time possible. After that, he conjured concrete slabs and pillars, only for Izuku to pulverize them all with a single punch. The pro stepped up the difficulty some, instead creating golems. Once again, Midoriya dispatched them with another simple punch. By this point, Cementos was getting slightly annoyed. He pushed his own power to its limit and created a giant concrete monster.


    The corners of Izuku''s mouth bent upwards at the display. He muttered under his breath, the phrase only audible to Nezu. "Surekill Move: Light Punch". His arm swung simultaneously with only a bit more effort than the previous times, pulverizing the stone. The rest of the spectators were stunned in disbelief."


    "He doesn''t appear to have a transformation or emitter type quirk¡­" Aizawa spoke, the words making everyone even more shocked. "I tried to erase his quirk every time he attacked but it did nothing; how long until the old lady gets results?"


    "It should only be another ten minutes or so," Nezu responded. "Alright, now I have a few questions for you, Midoriya."


    The teen turned to the small mouse and nodded, readying himself for the questions he''d already assumed they''d ask him.


    "Did the last attack show us the limits of your strength?"


    "No," Midoriya responded.


    "Interesting; Could you tell us what your actual limits are?" Nezu pushed.


    "I''m sorry, I can''t. I haven''t determined my full potential yet." Izuku explained; That''s one of the main reasons he wanted to go to U.A., so that he could be in an environment where he could flex his power without running the risk of hurting others or damaging property he wasn''t allowed to.


    "I see¡­" The principal considered, "Then how is it you came to have this power if you maintain that it is not based in a quirk?"


    "I''d prefer not to say," Midoriya responded coldly, a smug determination in his eyes.


    "I see¡­" Nezu repeated, the group falling into an uncomfortable silence until Recovery Girl came back with her results.


    The old woman cleared her throat, still astounded herself by the conclusion. "As hard as it is to believe, Izuku Midoriya does not appear to have a quirk. However, there is more peculiarity than just his speed and strength. His white cells seem stronger. His red cells can carry more oxygen. On a hunch, I attempted to infect some of his blood samples with viruses and his white blood cells disintegrated them within minutes, even the ones we tried to cure for decades."


    The faculty turned towards Midoriya, finding that he still had a near emotionless mask planted firmly on his face. The only hint of anything else was the barest hints of smugness in the depths of his green eyes.


    "So," he spoke, "if I''ve finished these ridiculous extra tests, can you tell me what I scored on the entrance exam?"


    Nezu had to get his bearings before he answered, still just as blown away as everyone else by the news. "Of¡­ Of course¡­ You scored second highest in the written portion with a ninety-seven percent and first in the practical with our highest point count in history, 247 villain points. However, since we were secretly awarding rescue points as well, you ultimately scored a grand total of 293."


    Izuku looked satisfied with the information, deciding it was best to take his leave then since it didn''t appear they had anything more for him to do. He''d taken his first step in proving everyone wrong and had no doubt about his acceptance to U.A. He could go home, relax, and enjoy the last few days of his summer vacation before starting at his dream school.


    How was that? We must not forget, Izuku is godly strong now, but he''s also human. He won7t be the perfect picture of a hero, like canon. Canon Izuku is completely selfless and ready to give it all if he can save someone. I like him like that, and it works for canon. But it won''t be like that here. Here, things will be different. How different? You''ll just have to wait and find out.

 Chapter 201 - My CO Stash #1 - The Gunslinger by Mugiwara N0 Luffy (GoblinSlayerXRedDeadRedemption2)

    -Starting off the day with a CO fic~ Arthur Morgan into the world of Goblin Slayer.They make a hell of a good team!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: ???


    Words: 82K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-gunslinger-goblin-slayer-red-dead-redemption-2-xover.705271/#post-52896829 (Mugiwara N0 Luffy)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    The Gunslinger?


    Pitch black. That was all Arthur Morgan could see. Surrounding him from all sides, an endless abyss of darkness. He could barely remember what happened. He recalled his last plea with Dutch to see Micah Bell for the sniveling rat he was. He remembered sending John off to his family, telling him to be a man for him. All these memories flooded through his mind, causing him to hyperventilate. Because they all lead to the same conclusion.


    I''m dead, ain''t I?


    Arthur touched his chest with both hands, feeling himself carefully. He rapidly blinked, looking down at his body as he realized something: he no longer felt like his chest was filled with blood. In fact, he didn''t feel any pain at all, despite his still rapid breathing. He also realized that he could see his own body, fully clothed strange enough, like it was illuminated even in this dark abyss. He shifted his gaze back up, head swiveling side to side.


    "Is this Hell..?" He muttered, taking a careful step forward. While no ground was visible, he still found footing. He looked back up, but was again greeted with darkness.


    "Hello?"


    Silence. His voice didn''t even echo. It was unsettling, to say the least. Though he doubted Hell was meant to be pleasant, anyway.


    "This¡­ ain''t exactly what I was expectin'' from Hell, but¡­"


    "That''s because it''s not, Mr. Morgan."


    Arthur spun around, hand reflexively going for his holster. Of course, despite being clothed, Arthur found his guns were missing. But his attention was directed at the lone voice to answer him. A man who wasn''t there before was now seated behind a maple brown desk. He was dressed in an all black suit with a long pipe hat on top of his head. He had a brown handlebar mustache sitting above his lips, and his eyes were focused on some paper he was jotting down on his desk.


    "What the hell..?" Arthur muttered, taking cautious steps toward the man. A single light seemed to be beaming down on the stranger like a stagelight at a theatre.


    "As I just said, that''s not where you are," The man chuckled, a small smirk rising at the edge of his lips. "Come, sit. We have much to discuss."


    Arthur looked around again, unsure of what to do. Seeing that there was literally nothing around to do otherwise, he cautiously obeyed, walking up to the single chair sitting in front of the man''s desk.


    "I uh¡­ I can''t say this is what I was expectin'' from the afterlife," Arthur humorlessly chuckled, feeling no small sense of fear as he seated himself. "Is this the judgement before I go or somethin''?"


    "Oh, no no no, good sir. This is more of a¡­ special case area," The man answered, tapping the tip of his quill in a bottle of ink. "People who the big man upstairs has deemed worthy of¡­ redemption."


    Arthur didn''t know what to say to that. His eyes drifted down to the empty void below his feet. "I uh¡­ I don''t know if God has made a good choice in that regard. I mean, I mighta tried to do somethin'' in the end to¡­ to make my exit a bit more dignified, but¡­ I wasn''t expectin'' it to get me through those pearly gates."


    "And they haven''t. But, that doesn''t mean they haven''t give you a second chance," The stranger said with an amused chuckle, setting down his quill and linking his fingers together, giving Morgan a smile that somewhat unsettled him. "No, God has special plans for you. Plans that, if you play your cards right, might get you a ticket to the penthouse. As well as a chance to perhaps live differently than you did."


    Arthur narrowed his eyes in disbelief, trying to find the right words to answer back with.


    "I¡­ I don''t understand¡­"


    "It''s not for you to understand. At least not entirely just yet," The stranger explained, leaning back in the leather chair he rested in. "Just know that you''ll be able to put those skills to use for something far less unpleasant than before."


    "My¡­ skills?" Arthur repeated, his confusion only rising. "T-That¡­ That don''t make much sense. I''m a killer and a thief. Ain''t much good that can come of those kinda skills... "


    "It all depends on what those skills are aimed at, even ones such as yours," The stranger said, wagging his index finger at the veteran cowboy. "Much more good can come from those skills being used pointed in the right direction."


    The stranger stood from his seat, crossing his arms behind his back as he strode slowly around the table. "Or¡­ if you feel that new perspective you got at the end of your life was only temporary¡­ You could just continue to use those skills in what ways you''ve known. Killing people. Robbing the innocent. Of course it means damning your soul again, but it will be your life to choose once given the chance."


    Arthur stared at the stranger in disbelief. "Ain''t you supposed to be workin'' for the big man? Why bother tellin'' me that kinda thing if the point''s to¡­ give me a chance at Heaven?"


    "Oh, I might work for God, Mr. Morgan, but my perspective is a bit more bleak than his," The stranger explained, stopping just a few feet away from Arthur and leaning on the desk. "I''m a big fan of your work, to be honest. All of it. So part of me has to wonder¡­ has that old gunslinging, murdering thief really changed? Or was sitting on my doorstep just making him sentimental?"


    Arthur felt his body fill with dread. Whoever this man was, despite his mannerisms, terrified him. He wasn''t saying much, but just having him so close was making Arthur''s skin crawl.


    "Who the hell are you? What the hell are you?"


    "I''ve been called many things, Mr. Morgan. But right now, I''m just the ferryman to your new life," the stranger smiled again, only serving to make Arthur uncomfortable enough to swallow his spit. "But enough about me. Let''s get you moving on, shall we?"


    Arthur felt his body relax once the stranger removed himself from the table and returned to his side again. "O-Okay then¡­ so what exactly am I gonna be doin''? Reborn as some kid back home again?"


    "Oh no, nothing like that. Your role in your world is over. It''s time for you to take a journey to another," The stranger explained, picking up another piece of paper and beginning to write again. "Though we will be giving you a few years back. Perhaps around your early twenties, hm? Would that be preferable?"


    "Another¡­ another world?" Arthur asked, releasing a small chortle in disbelief, ignoring the last sentence. "The hell you mean?"


    "Well, you see Mr. Morgan, there are indeed more worlds than the one you know," The stranger continued, turning a smile up at the cowboy as he continued to write. "Places much like those out of the fairy tales that you used to read with John Marston, I believe. Places full of wonders beyond your imagination."


    Arthur looked down in thought, trying to understand what was going on. "So¡­ basically, you''re tossin'' me into a story book about knights and princesses? Is that what you''re tellin'' me?"


    The stranger laughed, amus.e.m.e.nt evident in his expression. "Something like that I suppose. But as you''ve discovered about life, not all stories are so glamorous as they seem. Some are quite dark and full of terrors. Terrors you''ve yet to know or experience. After all, while you''ve seen what evil men can put forth, you''ve yet to see what¡­ true evil can be," The stranger licked his thumb, picking up another page and beginning to write again.


    "Now what exactly do you mean by that?" Arthur asked, eyes furrowed.


    "Ah, now what fun would it be to tell you everything? That''s for you to find out. You have much to see and learn about this new world," The stranger chuckled, standing from his seat again. "But worry not. Despite the medieval status of the world, we won''t send you there with nothing."


    The stranger walked to the left side of the table, tapping the top of it. Without warning, a drawer suddenly pulled out of the table, causing Arthur to stand up with a eyes widened, now seeing a collection of guns sitting inside a large panel. Guns that he had collected before his death.


    "You''re¡­ gonna give me all my guns?"


    "Not all of them. About four will do. But I thought that we might as well give you something familiar to choose from. Go on, take a look," The stranger offered, waving a hand over the guns in presentation. "You can take two handguns and two long guns. About what you would typically carry on foot, right?"


    "Yeah¡­ I guess¡­" Arthur muttered, his hands tracing over the familiar weapons. "But uh¡­ if this place is all knights and dragons or whatever it is, what good will my guns be without ammo?"


    "You let me worry about that. Once you''ve made your choices, I''ll give them a little tweak to help you out," The stranger said vaguely. Arthur looked up at him again, wanting to argue. But then again, he doubted that his current host was one who would be so threatened by him. Hell, Arthur was afraid of him in a way.


    With that in mind, he returned to his guns. One that caught his attention was Calloway''s Schofield revolver. It had been one of his favorite ''trophy'' guns after taking it from the drunken gunslinger''s body. Its design and strength were nothing to laugh at. He even liked the latin words across the barrel, CANIS CANEM EDIT, which Hosea translated for him as ''Dog Eat Dog''.


    With that in mind, Arthur tucked it away to his main holster.


    He then looked at his own custom designed cattleman revolver. Looking at it now, Arthur felt a bit silly. He went all out with it, having the barrel threaded and lengthened, the metal shifted to nickel plating and a beautiful carving in the metal. He even had pearl grips installed. A bit flashier than what he was used to using, but Arthur went on a bit of a splurge for this gun. He was dying when he got it customized, after all. He didn''t see any use in holding back.


    He tucked that one away to his off-hand holster.


    He spared a look at his shotguns. They were all fine weapons and useful for close range. Packed a lot of firepower that he could use at close quarters. He grabbed the lever action, fond of its style and the most familiar gun among his shotguns. He slung it over his shoulder, accepting it as his third gun.


    He moved to rifles. The Lancaster repeater was tempting. Good at close to medium ranges with 14 rounds. But Arthur was good with his revolvers at even medium range, and often used them in the longer winded fights over the repeater due to the flexibility. So, wanting the maximum range possible, Arthur picked up the Rolling Block rifle. Extremely long barrel, long scope but great stopping power. He''d put down some big game with this bad boy in one shot.


    "Well¡­ guess I''ve made my choices," Arthur announced, slinging it on his shoulder. "Now what?"


    "Place them on the table. Each one on its own paper," The stranger instructed, the four sheets that he''d been writing on laid out for Arthur to see. Strange pentagrams were inked across the pages, causing Arthur to hesitate for a moment. "Go on, they won''t bite. They''re to help, remember?"


    "Yeah¡­ okay," Arthur sighed, drawing his handguns and setting them on the papers. Next, he unslung his two shoulder guns and did the same.


    "Very good. Now to give them each a tweak," The stranger grabbed a stamp at the end of his desk, pressing it against the edge of each paper. Arthur took a step back as the ink began to illuminate, consuming the guns in a faint green light. After another second, it passed, and the guns now had a small pentagram engraved on the handles.


    "What¡­ did you do?" Arthur asked, slowly reaching forward and grabbing his cattleman revolver.


    "I solved your ammo problem. Don''t worry, you''ll figure it out as you go," The stranger chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. "In fact, each gun, as you start to grow and know this new world, will have something a bit special to them. You''ll discover those special tricks overtime. So tell me, Mr. Morgan. How are you processing?"


    Arthur looked at his gun before looking at the stranger, shaking his head. "Barely. I can''t believe where I''m at, who you work for or what''s happenin''... I just¡­ I don''t know. Guess I didn''t know what to expect when I died, but this, all this, was¡­ certainly not it."


    "I understand. Many others in your place have had the same reaction. Can''t say I blame you," The stranger said, clapping his hands together. "But see it as an opportunity. One not unlike the one you gave to John Marston before departing from him. A chance to live how you see fit with a completely fresh start."


    "Y-Yeah¡­ I suppose¡­" was Arthur''s best response, the cowboy tugging on the brim of his hat. "So¡­ anything I should know about this place I''m goin'' to?"


    "Quite a lot, in fact. But¡­ none of it I''ll be telling you," the stranger bluntly put, causing Arthur to look up at him in confusion. "Consider it a part of your trials to come. Learning, adapting, and overcoming what obstacles you''ll face. A baptism by fire if you will."


    "That don''t sound very pleasant¡­" Arthur mumbled, rubbing a hand against the close shaven hairs on his chin.


    "Things might start a bit shaky for you, but I''ve no doubt you''ll step up to the challenge," the stranger said. "One bit of advice though: when you meet someone, don''t tell them you''re from another world. They''ll likely think you''re mad."


    "Yeah, that sounds about right. I know if some feller walked up to me sayin'' that, I''d think the same," Arthur admitted, picking up the rest of his guns and putting them away. "So¡­ what now?"


    "Now¡­ Now you go off. Enjoy your second life, Mr. but two things before you go," the stranger placed his index and middle finger against Arthur''s temple. "The first being that people don''t actually use names for others in this world. Just their titles."


    "Titles? Why the hell would they do that?"


    "I don''t rightly know. But I figured it was only right to tell you to keep that confusion from slowing you down. If I were you, I''d go by¡­ Gunslinger."


    "If you say so¡­" Arthur muttered, unsure of the title. He never considered himself a real gunslinger in any sense. Even if he was good in a gunfight.


    "Good. Now, lastly, and this one''s important," the stranger''s smile faded, replaced with a grave expression.


    "Do be careful of goblins. Despite what people might say in that world, they''re not so simple a creature as you might expect."


    Arthur raised a brow, about to question his meaning. That became difficult when he felt body go limp, suddenly overwhelmed by sleep.


    XXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXX?


    "What the hell¡­"


    Arthur''s eyes peeled open slowly, only to find he was still in darkness. The air felt different though. Musty, in fact. The ground beneath him was no longer nothing, but instead rough earth. The cowboy let out a groan as he rolled onto his side. He pushed off the ground slowly, rising to his feet as he felt around him. He moved several meters from where he had been laid out, his hand finding a rock wall.


    A cave then? Arthur reached into his jacket, hoping to find the contents he usually had stashed away in his b.r.e.a.s.t pocket. With some relief, he found a box of matches inside. He quickly struck a match against his boot, giving himself the smallest amount of light to see. Though it wasn''t much. Thankfully, just a few feet away, an unlit torch sat in a stand.


    "Well that''s convenient," He muttered, quickly pulling the torch out and lighting it up. It gave him much more field of vision, Arthur taking a moment to spare a look at his surroundings. It wasn''t much though, forward and back both looking as deep and dark as the other.


    "Shit¡­ where the hell did he put me?" Arthur grunted, unsure which way to go. He tried to listen for the wind or the sound of rushing water. But he didn''t pick up anything. He grit his teeth, hating that he had to pick a way. Getting fed up with standing there, he released a breath and moved forward. He would really like a compass right about now. No that it could tell him which was out, anyway. Arthur moved close along the wall, torch in his left hand while his right rested on his gun.


    He could still barely believe that he was alive. He recalled the stranger''s words vividly and knew that they were more than just some dream he imagined in his death throes. He felt very much alive right now, even with no illusion as to where he was. It was all so surreal.


    I mighta tried to do some good in the end, but¡­ did I really deserve a second chance?


    That thought never left his mind. To him, it should have been an obvious answer: of course not. A lifetime of crimes shouldn''t have been erased by a few good deeds. Though from the way the stranger talked, it technically hadn''t. It only gave him another chance to make up for it.


    But what does that mean? How the hell can I do that with what I know?


    A pebble kicked in the darkness. Arthur came to a halt and raised the torch. He tilted his head sideways, trying to listen.


    "Hello? Is someone there?"


    It was faint, but he could hear it. The lightest patter of feet echoing further in the cave. It sounded like a small animal from the size of it, but what worried Arthur was that he could hear multiple feet approach. He instinctively pulled Calloway''s revolver from its holster, c.o.c.king the hammer back. He took a step back, raising the gun and aiming forward. As the steps started to close in, Arthur''s eyes widened in disbelief. Small pale green figures came out of the darkness. They were short, barely big as little Jack was if not smaller. They had long pointed ears and noses. Despite their small size, Arthur saw their poorly made weapons, spears and small knives in hand.


    "What the hell are you ugly bastards..?" Arthur muttered, eyes narrowing as he saw them approach. They stopped some two meters away from him, seemingly watching him. Their breathing was ragged, coming out as low growls. Arthur didn''t know if they spoke, but he easily recognized the looks in their eyes. He''d seen it in a few feral predators he''d hunted before. They were hungry.


    And they were looking at him.


    Arthur saw one take a step closer, its spear raised. His body reacted on instinct, responding by pulling the trigger of the gun in his hand. Black powder smoke filled the cave as it echoed with the first shot. He watched as the little monster''s head blew up in a brilliant spout of blood. The others immediately backed away, the eruption of Arthur''s gun loud and terrifying to their ears.


    "Go on¡­ get back, now. Get back!" Arthur ordered, pointing his gun at the remaining monsters, hand tightening around the grip as he c.o.c.ked the hammer back. Whatever they were, they died from getting shot at least. But Arthur''s problem was that there were multiple. And despite his first kill and their hesitant, confused looks, they weren''t scattering like rats as he hoped.


    They ain''t done tryin''. Not yet.


    Arthur was trusting his gut on this one. He needed to kill another or so to get his point across. If he could get them to scurry away, he would be satisfied and head in the opposite direction.


    But then he heard it. The smallest flick of a bow. A moment later, his left shoulder was pierced by an arrow. A small one that didn''t dig too deep, but one painful enough to cause him to drop his torch.


    "ARGH!" Arthur cried out in pain, regretting his moment of hesitation after killing the first. These things weren''t completely discouraged from pursuing him. He should have killed another.


    Fighting through the pain, Arthur gripped his revolver and raised it, seeing that the monsters were now rushing at him. Another bullet flew forward, causing a monster to fly back from the force, dead. Arthur couldn''t stop there though, realizing that he still needed to grab his torch. He unloaded another round into the pursuing pack, killing two thankfully with one shot. He grit his teeth as he stretched his left arm forward, grabbing the torch.


    But then he noticed it. One of the creatures had snuck around his right through the darkness. He didn''t have enough time to stop it, crying out in agony as he felt a knife dig into his thigh. Arthur fell back, dropping the torch again. But before the little monster could try to stab him again, Arthur raised the barrel of his gun and blew a giant hole in its skull. The body flew back against the cave walls, its blood spattering behind it.


    Arthur groaned, gripping the knife in his leg and pulling it out with a cry. He didn''t have much time to nurse his wound, though. As he tried to pull up to his feet, a couple more of the little monsters were upon him. The adrenaline in his blood seemed to slow time down for him, aiming precisely at each of their heads and giving them a bullet each. Their bodies flew back, heads blasted from their necks.


    "You little¡­ bastards¡­" Arthur coughed, suddenly beginning to feel woozy. He felt the blood on his right calf, seeing a thin film on the tips of his fingers. Shit. I hope that ain''t what I think.


    Despite his fears, Arthur didn''t have time to think on it. He raised his gun again and aimed at another monster. Much to his fear, his gun didn''t fire. Out. Shit!


    Whatever the stranger did to his guns, it didn''t put ammo back in them. Arthur reached for his belt, grabbing the cattleman revolver in his left hand and raising it painfully to shoot. While one of the monsters edged closer, he saw one in the back at the edge of the faint light from his torch pulling back an arrow. He decided that it was the greater threat, quickly putting a bullet through its gut. As the other one edged closer, he reached for his belt again, this time pulling the hunting knife from its sheath.


    The little monster was able to jump on his chest, pushing him back on the ground. Arthur grit his teeth as he stabbed the knife right through its stomach, the monster letting out a pathetic cry before he tossed it off. Arthur heaved for breath, lying flat on his back after that other close call. His head was getting light, and he could guess from what.


    Shit. I guess all that ''second chance'' business was a crock of shit, huh?


    He could hear more of the monsters approaching, their small feet smacking against the rough ground.


    This was Hell all along, wasn''t it?


    Arthur pushed off the ground, slowly forcing his arm to raise up and aim at an approaching monster.


    Well, it''s not like I hadn''t done plenty of lyin'' in my life. This is probably exactly what I get.


    The monster leaped in the air, knife in hand, ready to stab into his chest.


    Well, guess I can die fightin''. Again.


    Arthur blew the monster''s head off, its body flying past him as he rolled out of the way. He raised the gun again, preparing to shoot at the next monster creeping close.


    But, as fortune would have it, he didn''t need to shoot. Because a knife flew directly between the monster''s eyes. Arthur hesitated, stunned by the sudden intrusion.


    "One."


    Arthur snapped his head back, the voice making him aware of someone else''s presence. The monsters had stopped as well, the torch''s light slowly bringing the new figure into sight. When Arthur had pictured ''knights'' during the stranger''s talk, he hadn''t imagined this grave set of armor before him. A man strode toward them, looking no taller than Arthur and probably going up to his nose. He wore a steel helmet on top of his head that made it impossible to see his face. He wore a steel chestplate with fur lining the collar, steel shoulders and sections of steel along leather pants and shirt.


    "What the hell..?"


    Arthur watched as he raised his sword again, startling back as he reflexively pointed his gun. The man''s sword had another target though, a monster that had dared to dash at him. He easily cleaved the creature in half, causing Arthur to stare in shock.


    "That''s two."


    "Jesus¡­" Arthur looked at the remaining monsters, seeing that they were now recoiling back. He used the moment to push himself up, gritting his teeth as his leg wound throbbed with pain.


    "Take this." Arthur snapped his head to the armored man, looking to see him holding out a small bottle.


    "Uh¡­ thanks¡­ but what''s-"


    "Your leg wound. Goblins dip their knives in poison."


    "O-Oh, shit!" Arthur didn''t wait another moment, inhaling the antidote quickly and letting out a grunt of disgust. "Thanks, partner."


    "You were lucky. Any later would have been fatal," he said in answer. His voice was deep and his voice apathetic. Still, Arthur felt no less grateful for his help. "The exit''s that way. Go."


    Arthur looked past the armored man. Of course it''s that way. He thought, thinking of his dumb luck to have gone toward the monsters instead of away.


    "Thanks. Let''s get goin'' then," Arthur said, pulling the bandana from his neck and tying it around his cut leg before pulling the arrow out with a pained grunt.


    "You go. I''ll finish these off."


    "What?" Arthur said, looking back at the armored man in confusion before looking at where the goblins had attacked from. They had clearly retreated further in, having left their dead to the worms. "Look pal, they''ve already run away. You shouldn''t risk goin'' too deep ''case they set a trap."


    "They likely have. I''ll make sure to spring it." He answered shortly, beginning to stomp forward again.


    Arthur stared at his back in disbelief, watching as the man picked up the torch Arthur dropped earlier and started to use it as his guide. "Don''t be a goddamn fool! Those little monsters ain''t worth the time!"


    "They are. For I am Goblin Slayer," He said back, causing Arthur to narrow his eyes. "And I don''t leave any goblins alive."


    Arthur recalled something about people''s names being their ''titles''. He also remembered the vague warning about goblins as well. Still, Arthur could only hesitate, looking back at the exit as he was tempted to leave.


    "Goddamn it!" He cursed, limping after Goblin Slayer. He made sure to pick up his dropped revolver and hat, placing them both firmly in place.


    "You''re coming?" Goblin Slayer asked, his voice void of concern but with a small bit of curiosity.


    "Yeah, I''m comin''," Arthur drawled,holding up his cattleman revolver at the ready. "You helped me out, so¡­ I suppose I should return the favor, at least."


    That wasn''t the whole reason, of course, but it was true enough. This was the first person (or at least he hoped was a person) that Arthur had come into contact with. He didn''t have anyone else to help him get answers. Sticking with Goblin Slayer was probably his best bet.


    Goblin Slayer''s helmet tilted ever so slightly to look at Arthur, the cowboy looking back into the black of the helmet where he thought eyes might be. Arthur couldn''t read the guy at all, but the small nod that his helmet did at least told him that he was fine with him coming.


    "Keep an eye out for an ambush. They''ll be waiting."


    "Got it. You sound like the expert, so I''ll follow your lead," Arthur said, keeping his eyes peeled for any movement. At the moment, the cave was still narrow, so he doubted they could get the jump on them just yet.


    He didn''t speak again as they moved forward, not wanting to distract Goblin Slayer from his task. He simply pulled out Calloway''s revolver, clicking his tongue.


    Solve my ammo problem my ass¡­ he thought bitterly, knowing he had no ammo on him to refill it with. Still, he opened the gun to pop out the useless casings. Except when the bullet shells should have popped out, they only ejected half way, the chamber beginning to illuminate blue.


    Arthur stopped, eyes furrowing in confusion as the chamber suddenly started to spin on its own. One by one, the bullets sunk back into their chambers. Arthur could feel the weight of unused bullets inside the gun again, flipping it closed and holding the custom Schofield up to inspect.


    "What the hell was that..?"


    "We''re drawing closer. Don''t lag too far," Goblin slayer called out, bringing Arthur''s attention back up to him.


    "Y-Yeah¡­ comin''..." Arthur looked back down at his gun again, but kept it in hand as he caught up to the armored man. He was hoping he guessed right about the gun, but was wary enough to carry both in case he was wrong.


    "What are those?" Goblin Slayer asked the moment Arthur was close.


    "Well uh...know what a gun is?" Arthur asked, hoping to avoid a full explanation.


    "No."


    "Figures. Well uh¡­ think of it as a¡­ slingshot or a crossbow or somethin''. Except much faster, more powerful and much louder," Arthur suggested, causing his companion to hesitate and look back at him, the smallest tilt of his helmet conveying his wonder. "You''ll see. They''re strong and''ll put ''em down quick."


    "I saw. You killed a few. So was that the loud explosion I heard?"


    "That''s right. They''ll pop your ears in a cave like this. I''m just used to the noise myself," Arthur explained.


    "I see. The noise probably alerted the rest of their brood. They''ll likely have a full party waiting for us."


    "Ain''t that just dandy¡­" Arthur huffed, keeping the revolvers in hand. "Keep that light up. The better I can see, the more I''ll be able to kill."


    "Understood. How much do you know about goblins?"


    "Pretty much nothin''. Why?"


    "If you see one with a staff, that''s a shaman. He''ll be able to cast magic and will likely stay behind the rest of his grunts," Goblin Slayer explained, his helmet turning to look back at Arthur. "If you get a clear shot, take it. They''re top priority."


    "Okay then¡­ look for one with a staff. Got it," Arthur agreed, trying to pick up his advice quick. "Anything else?"


    "They may have a hobgoblin or two among them. Much larger than the ones you''ve seen so far. Stronger and taller than the average man. Kill them first, too."


    Guy sure knows his stuff. Guess when that''s your ''name'', it makes sense.


    The two walked some ways before Goblin Slayer held out an arm, stopping them short. "Just ahead. The path begins to open up."


    Arthur narrowed his eyes forward, seeing that the walls started to widen. He held up his guns and c.o.c.ked the hammers back. "Got it. I''ll keep an eye out."


    Goblin Slayer kept his sword in hand, striding forward with the torch in his shield hand. Arthur kept one gun trained forward and the other ready next to it, hoping to check the corners the moment they entered the larger space.


    As soon as they stepped further in, Arthur peeked around the corner. Goblin Slayer immediately grabbed his shirt, hauling him forward.


    "Hobgoblin!"


    Arthur rolled against the ground after being thrown, looking up to realize a large club had smashed the ground they once stood on. "Jesus!" He cursed, the hobgoblin becoming visible thanks to the torch. It was indeed much larger than the other goblins, almost as tall as a bear and as muscular as one.


    Arthur sat up, preparing to shoot the much larger monster in the face.


    "Archers!"


    Arthur snapped his head back, seeing four of the smaller goblins drawing arrows back. "Shit-" Arthur quickly threw his back against the ground, aiming at the four despite the upside view.


    That little ammo trick better have worked!


    Taking aim, Arthur fired each gun twice each, thankful to hear that Calloway''s revolver had truly reloaded after he had opened it up. The goblin archers barely had time to fire, each one eating a bullet straight in the gut, folding over and quickly dying.


    Arthur rolled onto his stomach, trying to get a better view of the cave. He looked back at the hobgoblin, thankful to see Goblin Slayer cutting at it with his sword. Despite the monster''s size, the armored man was able to chop off its arm without issue, making it release the log of a club it carried.


    "Goddamn¡­" Arthur muttered, watching his companion hack away at the beast. But a small crackle from the end of the cave drew his attention, Arthur looking forward to see a light spark in the darkness. He couldn''t make out the figure, but he understood.


    Without wasting a moment, Arthur got to one knee, pulling back the hammers of his guns and unloading three shots out. The death cries of the goblin shaman reassured him, watching as whatever magic it was casting fade away with its life. Arthur didn''t relax, shifting his aim to two barely visible figures.


    An arrow whizzed past his face, but the veteran gunslinger kept his head cool. He pulled both triggers, but found that only one gun fired. Arthur couldn''t help but feel like a fool. He might have reloaded Calloway''s revolver, but his own had already used two shots in the previous fight. He could hear one cry out in pain but could see the shadow of one adjusting. Arthur made to quickly pop open one of his guns, but stopped when he saw a knife sail through the air, digging right into the remaining goblin.


    "That''s four."


    Arthur looked back at Goblin Slayer. Blood trickled down his blade, the hobgoblin''s decapitated head sitting by his metal boots.


    "Thanks¡­" Arthur muttered out in grattitude, pushing off his good leg to stand up as he scanned the cave. "That all of ''em?"


    "No. Some scurried back further in once you killed the shaman. Good aim," Goblin Slayer said, Arthur raising a brow at the subtle compliment. "I''m going to finish off the rest."


    "Sure," Arthur nodded, pulling both gun''s loading chambers open. Like before, the bullets in the Schofield popped out halfway as the chamber spun. The cattleman revolver just spun on its own, glowing with the same blue light until it stopped.


    Guess I can''t say he lied now¡­


    Arthur closed the guns up, following after Goblin Slayer with a short limp. The wound was fresh but not enough to slow him down too much. Like his companion had said, there were several goblins left, all crowded around a small throne of bones. Arthur narrowed his eyes at the throne, seeing a collection of human bones among it. "Jesus¡­"


    "I''ll finish them. Kill any runners," Goblin Slayer said, stalking toward the remaining goblins with blade in hand.


    Arthur watched with morbid interest, holstering his offhand gun but keeping his right hand armed in case one escaped. The last of the goblins pointed short spears at Goblin Slayer, each one trembling in fear for their lives.


    Their judgement was swift. Goblin Slayer swung his blade forward, cleaving one of the creatures in half at the waist. One attempted to lunge forward with its spear, only to have it deflected by Goblin Slayer''s small shield. He cut that one''s head off at the neck. The remaining two recoiled, backs hitting the throne as they backpedaled. Goblin Slayer ended them in one swift horizontal swing. The last one dropped its spear and attempted to flea, hoping its small feet could help it dodge Arthur. The cowboy pointed his pistol, but Goblin Slayer didn''t let him kill it. Instead, he tossed a hidden knife from his belt, piercing through the goblin''s skull. Arthur watched it stagger before falling to the ground, dead.


    "That''s nine."


    "Well¡­ that was somethin''," Arthur muttered, rubbing the scruff on his chin. "I guess we''re done, then?"


    "Almost," Goblin Slayer said, kicking the bone throne aside. He peeked in a hole hidden in the back. "Hm. They hadn''t reproduced yet. Good."


    "What were you lookin'' for?" Arthur asked curiously.


    "Goblin infants. They''re sometimes hidden away in places like that," Goblin Slayer explained, flicking the blood off his blade before sheathing it. "None here, though."


    "You''d¡­ kill a bunch of their babies?" Arthur asked, eyes furrowing in disbelief.


    "Of course. If you have an infestation, you kill it at the source. A.d.u.l.t or infant," Goblin Slayer answered easily enough. "If you don''t, they''ll carry their grudges into a.d.u.l.thood. They''ll learn from the mistakes of their parents. Adapt to future situations. Goblins are not smart, but not completely foolish."


    Arthur stood there in silence, watching as Goblin Slayer stepped past him. He took a moment to think about it before nodding. "Well¡­ you know better than I do on the matter. You''re probably right to kill ''em all, then."


    "Leaving goblins unchecked, even as infants, could mean the destruction of entire villages," Goblin Slayer continued, sparing a small look back at Arthur. "If you ever invade another nest, don''t hesitate. Kill them all."


    "Alright, I''ll keep that in mind," Arthur nodded, seeing the logic in his words. Guy treats ''em like a bunch of pests. Not that they gave me much reason to think different.


    "What are you?"


    "''Scuse me?" Arthur asked, looking back at Goblin Slayer.


    "Did you take a job to eliminate the goblins? Or did wander into one of their traps?" Goblin Slayer asked, causing Arthur to scratch the hairs on his chin.


    "I uh¡­ I can''t rightly say. I just¡­ woke up here in this cave, I guess."


    Guess it ain''t a lie, in a way.


    "I see. You''re lucky, then. You woke up before they could tear you apart," Goblin Slayer said, turning back forward and accepting his word.


    "Yeah. Lucky me¡­" Arthur trailed off. "So¡­ Goblin Slayer, was it?"


    "Yes."


    Usin'' titles for names. Ridiculous. But, not wanting to be rude. Arthur gave his ''name''.


    "You can¡­ call me Gunslinger."


    To be continued¡­


    Chapter 2


    "We''re here."


    Arthur dismounted his horse, eyes wandering around the town. Goblin Slayer had lead him out of the cave safely and provided him with a ''healing potion'' as he had called it. Arthur had no idea what was in there, but it patched up what wounds he had garnered from their encounter with the goblins. Soon after, Goblin Slayer did him the favor of guiding him to his town. Arthur thought it might be harder to get his help in the matter, but the armored man seemed willing and didn''t ask any difficult questions. The worst he did was ask if he was an occupant of the local village, which Arthur easily denied.


    The former outlaw was thankful that the villagers provided them with horses for travel, as it was a half a day''s journey back to Goblin Slayer''s town just by horse.


    The town was nothing spectacular, though Arthur had to admit he could appreciate how rural it was. It lacked the bustle of a larger city like Saint Denis but was bigger than places like Valentine or Strawberry. Markets and carts littered the streets alongside stone buildings. It served Arthur much better than going into a larger civilization.


    They had arrived just around noon. People strolled through the town leisurely, going about their own business. All the while he and Goblin Slayer strode through the entrance to what looked like a tavern from the outside.


    "Oh, welcome back!"


    Arthur looked forward, seeing a young blond haired woman seated behind a brown wood counter. To Arthur''s moderate surprise, she was dressed much like a clerk in a train station or an office. She wore a purple vest over a white dress shirt with a frilly yellow tie.


    "Hey," Was Goblin Slayer''s greeting.


    "How did the mission go?" She asked, giving a radiant smile as the armored man approached her desk.


    "Good. The Goblins are dead."


    "Of course," She giggled, looking up before widening her eyes at Arthur. "Oh, but who might your guest be?"


    "Good afternoon, ma''am. I''m Ar-er, I mean¡­ Gunslinger," Arthur coughed, quickly correcting himself. "I uh¡­ had the good grace of bein'' saved by mister Goblin Slayer here."


    "Oh, I see! I''m happy to hear that someone was spared their awful abuse," the woman said with honest relief. "Oh, but before I forget, here''s your pay for the mission, Goblin Slayer." she said, putting a decently sized pouch on the table.


    Goblin Slayer took the sack and poured out almost half its contents into his palm, a few silver and gold coins falling out. He turned to Arthur and held out his hand.


    "Here. Your cut."


    Arthur and the clerk stared at Goblin Slayer, surprised by the offer.


    "Y-You sure?" Arthur asked with some disbelief.


    "Yes. You killed a fair amount of goblins before I arrived as well as a good number when we finished them off. You earned it," Goblin Slayer pointed out. Arthur hesitated for only a moment longer before grabbing his satchel, holding it open for Goblin Slayer to put it in.


    "If you insist. Thank you," Arthur said, genuinely grateful for the money. Not like I had anything to begin with. This might be a good start.


    "Oh, so you helped kill the goblins as well? Are you an adventurer?" The woman asked curiously.


    "Well¡­ more of a wanderer than an adventurer, I ''spose. I just¡­ happened to end up before runnin'' into this feller," Arthur explained, looking at the stoic adventurer next to him.


    "I see¡­ well, I truly appreciate your help in killing the goblins. Goblin Slayer is always in a party of one considering most people leave those kind of jobs to him. No one likes to deal with goblins after all," the woman sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. "But anyways, if you need anything, feel free to ask me. You can call me Guild Girl."


    "I will be sure to remember that," Arthur nodded, tipping his hat in thanks.


    "Any goblin quests?" Goblin Slayer suddenly asked, causing the two to blink.


    "A-Already?! But you just got back¡­" Guild Girl mumbled, a small frown spreading across her lips.


    "He made the quest easy," Goblin Slayer said, his helmet turning ever so slightly to regard Arthur. "I didn''t do a lot. I can do another."


    Cuttin'' a bunch of those critters in half ''ain''t doin'' much''? Arthur mused to himself, rubbing the short hairs on his chin.


    "Well¡­ if you say so¡­" Guild Girl sighed, picking up several papers and flipping through them. "Actually, yes. There is another quest in a nearby town. It''s a small nest from the look of it, but since you just finished with one quest, I''m not letting you do anything more difficult!"


    Arthur raised a brow, sparing a small look at Guild Girl. From the tone of her voice and the way she regarded him, she was genuinely concerned. If he had to guess, they were friends or closer. Considerin'' how this guy is though, I doubt it''s that close. At least on his end.


    "Okay," Was Goblin Slayer''s short answer. Guild Girl smiled, quickly holding the paper out for him to take.


    "Alright then, be careful on your mission! Oh, but about your paperwork¡­"


    "I''ll fill it out once I get back."


    "Fine, fine~," Guild Girl sighed before bowing. "Do take care out there. Okay?"


    "Yeah."


    With that, Goblin Slayer turned back around. He spared Arthur a small look. With a short nod, he bid him goodbye. Arthur did the same in return, watching him as he left. As the doors left, he heard Guild Girl release a breath.


    "What will I do with him¡­"


    "Man''s a regular dandy and a charmer, huh?" Arthur chuckled, causing Guild Girl to let out a small giggle.


    "Y-Yes, I¡­ suppose that he has his moments," a small tint of red dusted her cheeks. Arthur smirked, now fully convinced that the girl was rather smitten with the stoic adventure. Still, he made no mention of it, turning around and leaning back on the desk.


    "So¡­ what is this place, anyhow? Some sorta bounty station?" Arthur asked, crossing his arms as he scanned the hall. There were quite a few people scattered throughout the guild. Many were dressed in old armor and mail. To see so many people so casually strutting around in the heavy metal armor was a bit of a sight. Then again, I''m sure I''m the one who looks strange in their eyes right now¡­


    "Oh, you don''t know, sir? This is an adventurer''s guild!" Guild Girl explained, bringing Arthur''s attention back to her. "Many different people come here seeking out fame and glory by taking on odd jobs for towns. It ranges from handling small threats like large insects and rodents to clearing out goblin hordes to even slaying dragons!" Arthur snapped his head back in shock at the last possibility. "Honestly, I''m surprised you didn''t know! Goblin Slayer is a silver ranked adventure in fact. Didn''t you see the tag hanging from his neck?"


    Arthur vaguely recalled seeing something dangling from Goblin Slayer''s neck. But among the leather and steel plated armor, that seemed a small detail.


    "I see¡­ well, miss Guild Girl, I do have somethin'' to admit," Arthur said, turning around to face her and lean on the oak desk. "Whatever¡­ happened to me before wakin'' up in that cave, it uh¡­ sorta gave me amnesia. I barely remember a thing aside from my name and a few smaller things."


    Guild Girl inhaled a breath, putting her hands to her mouth. "Oh, that''s terrible! I wonder if you suffered from the effects of a spell or curse?"


    "You know, I haven''t the foggiest idea. And I was hopin'' that someone could fill me in on¡­ well, everythin'' really. It wouldn''t be wrong to say that I understand very little of what I''ve seen so far. Hell, I didn''t even know what a goblin was until it tried to kill me."


    Guild Girl nodded in understanding, looking down in thought. "I see¡­ well, how about this? Why don''t you stick around for a few hour and wait for me to get off my shift? You can relax in the bar or stroll around town if you like. Once I''m done, I''d be happy to help give you what information you need."


    Arthur raised a brow, not expecting the generous offer from Guild Girl herself. "You sure? I mean, I truly appreciate it, I really do, but there''s a lot I don''t know right now."


    "Of course, I would be happy to. Consider it payment for helping Goblin Slayer finish his previous task so quickly," Guild Girl explained, giving a kind smile. "He''s tough of course, but he really pushes himself hard. It''s nice to know that he didn''t have to handle one of his quests alone for once."


    This girl is truly smitten, Arthur thought, gave a small smirk. "Well, alright. If you really wouldn''t mind, I would most surely appreciate it. Still, I feel I should pay you back for your time at least¡­"


    "Oh, it''s really no trouble at all," Guild Girl dismissed before a sudden thought occurred to her. "Wait, actually¡­ there is one way you can pay me back. Just help me fill out the report regarding Goblin Slayer''s mission and we''ll call it square!"


    "Well, if that''s all, then I would not mind in the slightest, miss. Though with how you talk about it, I''m guessin'' he''s not one to fill out his reports too much."


    "Oh, he''ll do the reports when I ask, just not always in a timely manner," Guild Girl sheepishly rubbed her head.


    "I understand. Man likes to keep busy," Arthur chuckled, nodding in acceptance. "But alright then. If you need it now, we can go over the details."


    After spending some time describing the chain of events in the cave to Guild Girl, Arthur migrated to the bar. While he was interested in exploring the town, he didn''t want to stray too far from the guild and get lost. He stood at the bar, placing a silver coin on the counter.


    "A beer, please. And food if you got it." He tossed another silver coin on the table for tip.


    "Mighty generous. Comin'' right up," The bartender said, taking both coins with a smile.


    I''ll have to ask her how the money here works. Arthur said, peeking back into his satchel to look at the amount he had left.


    The bartender set a bottle of beer in front of him before tending to another customer. Arthur took a short swig, letting out an approving grunt. "Not bad¡­ here I''d thought it''d be pig swill¡­"


    "Right? I thought the same the first time I tried it."


    Arthur turned to his right to see a young man leaning against the bar next to him. He sported fancy blue armor on his shoulders and arms, the metal looking far nicer than what Goblin Slayer wore. He set a long spear against the bar to his right. He had spiked peach hair on top of his head with a long ponytail that went down his back.


    "I''ll take a beer as well," He said, earning a nod from the bartender before he set a bottle up for him. The stranger took a swig from his bottle, letting out a satisfied breath as he set it back down. "That''s some good stuff. So, you a new adventurer?"


    "Not really. More of a¡­ wanderer, I guess," Arthur said, peering at the man curiously. "I just happened to get save by one, is all."


    "I see. Sounds like you''ve had it rough, pal," The man nodded, sipping from his bottle. "Still, you look pretty tough. Even if you don''t really dress like an adventurer. Kinda reminds me of a farmer, but¡­ nicer, I guess?"


    "I suppose I''ll take that as a compliment," Arthur chuckled, holding his bottle out to the man. "Gunslinger."


    "Spearman. Silver ranked adventurer and Strongest on the Frontier!" The man introduced himself with a proud grin, clanking his bottle against Arthur''s.


    One of those guys, huh? Arthur thought with some amus.e.m.e.nt, the man''s confidence reminding him a bit of Sean. "''Strongest'', huh? That''s a mighty big boast. You sure about that?"


    "Heh! Don''t underestimate me, now. It takes a lot to become a silver ranked adventurer in case you didn''t know."


    "I don''t, actually," Arthur chuckled, sipping from his bottle as the loudmouth next to him flinched. "So then, how do you compare to that feller Goblin Slayer?"


    "Eh? Goblin Slayer?" Spearman grunted with indignance. "How do you know that weirdo?"


    "''Weirdo''?" Arthur repeated, turning back to Spearman. "He''s quiet I ''spose, but he did save my life. Didn''t seem too strange to me."


    "Yeah, right. That guy''s obsessed with goblins," Spearman groaned, leaning back on the bar. "As someone at silver rank, he should normally be taking quests to kill stuff like dragons or demons. But he spends all of his time hunting goblins! I know it''s his name, but there''s a lot more to the world than hunting those weak vermin."


    "They were definitely weak, but they seemed dangerous enough," Arthur shrugged, finishing off his beer. "Killin'' one wasn''t much of a problem, but the little bastards travel in a big pack."


    "I guess, but I''m talking about how much Goblin Slayer hunts those things. Which is always. He doesn''t take any missions that don''t involve goblins. Plus he''s always walking around with that smelly, cheap armor he''s always touting. Guy shoulda moved onto somethin'' else by now."


    "So that''s what I was smellin'' on the way back¡­" Arthur chuckled under his breath. "Still, this sounds a mite bit personal if you ask me. You sure that''s all there is to it?"


    Spearman visibly winced, almost as if being caught, before clicking his tongue. "I-I don''t know what you''re talking about. The guy''s just weird¡­"


    "Heh. Sure you don''t," Arthur smirked, leaning forward on the bar as his food arrived.


    "''Gunslinger'', huh?" Spearman said, raising a brow curiously, his eyes drifting to the weapons strapped to Arthur''s shoulders and hip. "What''s-"


    "Spearman."


    An alluring feminine voice drew their attention away from each other, looking up to see a woman approach. She was a beautiful young woman, likely in her twenties. She had long flowing purple hair that went down her back with piercing hazel eyes. Her skin was fair and beautiful, a small but cute mole sitting at the edge of her cheek. She wore a black shoulderless dress that left nothing to the imagination when it came to her¡­ figure. Something that Arthur hadn''t seen in a woman since Karen.


    "Yo. About done with your errands?" Spearman asked, picking his spear up and leaning it on his shoulder.


    "Yes, I am¡­ ready to go¡­" She said, her mannerism one that Arthur had never heard before. Her eyes drifted to Arthur, a small but pleasant smile crossing her lips. "Oh, but¡­ who might¡­ this handsome man... be?"


    "A drinking buddy I just made," Spearman chuckled, sparing a look back at Arthur.


    "Good to meet you, miss," Arthur said, tipping his hat in greeting. "Gunslinger."


    "I am known¡­ as Witch¡­" She said, touching her chin curiously. "Gunslinger¡­ interesting¡­ I''ve never heard a¡­ name like that."


    "Right? Makes me curious about those things he''s totin'' around," Spearman said, sparing a glance at Arthur''s arsenal again. "But anyway, we should get going. We''ve got a ways to go, don''t we?"


    "Yes, we do¡­"


    "Alright. Well, it was nice chatting with you, Gunslinger. Maybe I''ll see you when I get back," Spearman smiled, giving him a small salute.


    "Perhaps you shall," Arthur said, not sure where else he might be later on, anyways.


    "It was¡­ nice to meet you¡­ Gunslinger," Witch said, giving him a suggestive wink before turning to leave with Spearman. Arthur watched the two leave for a moment before letting out a small chuckle.


    "This place is just full of characters, ain''t it?"


    XXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXX?


    Arthur rubbed his face in exhaustion, closing a heavy book on his lap. As promised, Guild Girl had met with him after her shift. She then began to educate him about this world. It wasn''t a lie to say that it had overwhelmed Arthur quite a bit. The cowboy knew the world was very different from what he knew, but he hadn''t realized how much.


    When people talked about race back home, they were only referring to skin color which made little to no difference to Arthur. But here, there were a lot of different races to know about. Elves, Dwarves, Lizardmen. That wasn''t the end of the list, but they were the most prominent of the races to roam the land.


    And that was only accounting for the the ''peaceful'' races. Monsters of all types existed in this land. Things Arthur really would have liked to stay in a fairy tale. All things that liked to mess with small villages and towns for one reason or another. Guild Girl was kind enough to provide him with a book pertaining to the general information of said monsters and races. Though reading through it was becoming a chore as well.


    She didn''t give much detail on the history of the world, only speaking of some Demon Lord that had been defeated a few times before but was supposedly regaining his strength somewhere. It was all very convoluted in Arthur''s opinion, but he didn''t mention that. He could only sit there and learn. Or at least try to.


    This is a whole lot stranger than I guessed. Arthur tiredly mused to himself, leaning back in the throne chair he had been stuck in for several hours. It was getting late into the night and Guild Girl had left some time ago.


    His eyes drifted to the iron keys sitting on a candle lit desk just some ways away, a porcelain tag sitting next to it.


    "Do you have a place to stay the night?"


    "N-No, not rightly, I ''spose¡­ is there an inn around here?"


    "There is, but I''d hate for you to spend all of your money at once¡­ Oh! I have an idea!"


    Arthur wasn''t sure how it happened, but he was now an official ''adventurer''. While he had nothing against the idea, it had happened so quickly that it was almost unreal. Thanks to that though, Guild Girl was able to provide him with temporary rooming at the guild. She used the basis of helping Goblin Slayer as grounds for allowing an immediate allowance into the guild. This also gave him a means to make money. If anything, this was truly the best outcome he could have hoped for.


    Arthur stood from the chair, rolling his shoulders out and groaning tiredly. He moved to the vanity mirror by the fireplace, taking another look at his face. What the Stranger had said about ''taking a few years off'' had flown over Arthur''s head the first time around. But seeing his deaged face, he now understood. He looked ten years younger than he was back home. The age and cracks in his face were gone, and he was a bit slimmer in the face. While he had seen his face earlier, it still felt bizarre to look at this young face again after what looked like ten years.


    What am I even doin'' here?


    Arthur pushed off the table and moved to the bed. That question had slipped to the forefront of his mind more than once. Despite whatever the Stranger had told him before sending him to this world, Arthur still had no clue what exactly he was expected to do. From the way the Stranger put it, in fact, he was free to approach this world in whatever way he saw fit.


    I feel like the wrong man to be givin'' that freedom to.


    He kicked off his boots, putting his legs up and resting his back into the feather bed.


    Am I supposed to be an adventurer? Is that it?


    Arthur thought of all the monsters that were described by Guild Girl and the book. As powerful as his guns were, he wasn''t sure if they were fit for taking on everything listed. He doubted that he could just plug the Demon Lord full of holes and expect that to be that. So if he wasn''t here to be some big hero, what was his purpose?


    Arthur sighed, massaging his eyes as he felt sleep begin to take him.


    Guess I''ll just¡­ deal with it as I go.


    XXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXX?


    "Alright, everyone! I''m officially posting the quests we have for today!"


    Arthur watched as an uproar of cheers echoed through the hall, blown away by the amount of excitement dripping from the adventurers. He hadn''t seen a group of people so excited to work in all his years. Bill used to describe soldiers getting hyped up in such a way, calling the lot a ''bunch of damned fools'' to be wanting to rush back into death like that. Not that Bill was one to talk on that matter of fools.


    Arthur was in no rush, though. He waited patiently for the lines to shorten. He produced a cigarette that so happened to be stuffed in his satchel, striking one of the few matches he had left and lighting it up. Part of him wondered just when he would run out of both items, but neither seemed like a great concern at the moment.


    As the crowd stagnated, Arthur took the chance to step up to the board of jobs. Despite the massive amount of people earlier, there were still plenty of quests left up to pursue. Though Arthur soon realized his mistake.


    "Damn it¡­ most of those folk were porcelain ranked," He grumbled, realizing how few were actually left for him to take. Examining those closely, he could see why they were left behind. Some were just basic handy jobs with little to no actual action. Arthur knew he shouldn''t be picky, but he wasn''t going to get piss pay for shoveling pig shit.


    Arthur''s gaze trailed to other jobs. Ones labeled for higher ranked adventures like obsidian, ruby, sapphire, bronze and more. Guild Girl had explained the ranking system and how many different ranks there were in total. Arthur had to wonder why they would need so many, but hesitated to comment on it due to still knowing so little about the world.


    His eyes moved from the board to Guild Girl, the clerk taking a small breather after having dealt with a good number of adventurers.


    "Mornin'', miss," Arthur called out, moving to speak with the clerk.


    "Oh, good morning, mister Gunslinger! How was your room?" She asked with gentle smile.


    "It was quite fine, thank you again for your help with that."


    "Of course. I was happy to help. Thank you for giving me such detail as to what happened with the mission you and Goblin Slayer worked together on," Guild Girl nodded. "So, is there something I can do for you?"


    "Yeah, I¡­ uh¡­ I hate to ask, but¡­ even though I''m porcelain ranked, can I take higher level jobs?"


    "I''m sorry, but we can''t allow that. Not unless you''re grouped together with a higher ranked adventurer," Guild Girl explained, earning a small sigh from Arthur. "I know some of the jobs posted are rather menial, but it''s for the safety of new adventurers. We don''t want to throw a new group of kids into the lion''s den right off the bat. Though even some of the porcelain ranked missions end up that way, anyways."


    "They do? How you mean?" Arthur asked curiously. Guild Girl frowned, looking up at the jobs board.


    "Well¡­ certain monsters and beasts are treated as smaller problems. Enough to the point that some of them are seen as fit for being dealt with by porcelain ranks. That would include goblins," Arthur raised a brow at that. "It might sound strange, but it''s true. Because individual goblins are so weak, they''re treated as small threats. But¡­ the system doesn''t account for the fact that they alway travel in hordes and often have numbers in the dozens. Not to mention the special goblins. Don''t get me wrong, in some cases, the nest of goblins is small enough to not be a threat, but..."


    "That ain''t always the case. So basically, the system decidin'' what kinda threat they are is broken," Arthur put it bluntly, with Guild Girl silently nodding. "Ain''t that just dandy¡­ how many new folk you lose to missions like that?"


    "... more than I''d like to admit."


    Guild Girl frowned, looking down at her hands with regret. The cowboy struggled to find a comforting word for the clerk. He looked back at the board. He saw several porcelain ranked missions revolving around goblins sitting on there.


    "Even though¡­ others like to look down on him for it," Arthur peered back at Guild Girl, a gentle smile on her lips. "Goblin Slayer is doing a great service by taking those kind of jobs. Most higher ranked adventurers will leave them alone, seeing them as pests rather than threats. But goblins have devastated a lot of villages in their wake. So¡­ I''m really happy that we have someone like Goblin Slayer around."


    Arthur stared at Guild Girl, her admiration for him becoming more apparent by the second. Arthur couldn''t stop a laugh, drawing her attention back to him. "I-I''m sorry, but¡­ I don''t think I seen a young lady so infatuated in some time."


    Except for maybe that Braithwaite girl.


    "E-Eh?! I-I-"


    The guild doors swung open, causing the two to pause and look back. Like magic, the topic of conversation made his appearance.


    "G-Goblin Slayer!" Guild Girl exclaimed before she could help herself, cheeks dusted red. "Y-You''re back. How did the quest go?"


    "They''re all dead. I finished last night and went home. I filled out the report, too," Goblin Slayer said shortly, handing a small parchment to Guild Girl.


    "O-Oh, thank you! I''ll go get your reward then," Guild Girl said, jogging to the back room.


    Goblin Slayer turned slightly, looking at Arthur and giving a small nod. "You''re here."


    "So it would seem," Arthur nodded. "Guild Girl helped me out quite a lot. Made me an adventurer and all."


    "I see."


    "Yeah, things''ve been¡­ goin'' strangely good. Thanks again, partner."


    "Yeah."


    Arthur waited for something more but never got it. He let out a small laugh.


    "You''re not the greatest conversationalist, are you?"


    "No. Sorry."


    "Well, we all have our hang ups¡­" Arthur trailed off, scratching the hairs on his chin. Guild Girl soon came back, placing a bag of coins on the table.


    "Thank you as always for your hard work, Goblin Slayer," Guild Girl said with an appreciative smile.


    "Yeah. Are there any goblin quests today?"


    "Yeah, a couple, but¡­ there''s one I think you should look at," Guild Girl said, drawing Arthur''s attention to her in interest. She flipped through some of the papers on her desk, picking one out and putting it in front of the stoic adventurer.


    "It''s a ruby ranked quest. We got it last night and I saw it this morning when I came in. It''s a big emergency call for help for a village that found goblin tracks outside the village in the night."


    "I see. The goblins are preparing to raid the village, then," Goblin Slayer said, Guild Girl giving a solemn nod. "Do they have an idea on how many?"


    "N-Not entirely, only that an attack is imminent They guessed at thirty, maybe forty. It could be more though. I¡­ I wasn''t sure about this, but apparently¡­ a few girls have already been kidnapped," Guild Girl explained. "If you leave within an hour or two, you''ll be able to get to the village before nightfall. Maybe you''ll get more information before the goblins strike."


    "I see. I''ll do it, then."


    "So that''s that, huh? You''re just gonna¡­ go and kill thirty to forty goblins? Just like that?" Arthur asked, raising a brow in mild disbelief.


    "Yeah." He answered without hesitation. "It''s not many more than what we slew in that cave. Though if they''re preparing for a raid, they will likely have more than what the villagers suspect."


    "Just peachy¡­" Arthur sighed, rubbing the hairs on his chin.


    "I have to go prepare," Goblin Slayer said, helmet shifting to Guild Girl.


    "O-Okay. Be safe¡­" She answered, worry coloring her eyes. Arthur looked back up at Goblin Slayer, the stoic adventurer sparing him a short look before turning around and beginning to leave.


    Well¡­ I gotta start somewhere.


    "Hey," Guild Girl looked back up at Arthur reluctantly. "This quest pay well?"


    "Huh?" Guild Girl blinked before looking down at the paper. "Y-Yes, quite a few gold coins. B-But why¡­"


    "Gotta make some money, don''t I?" Arthur reasoned before looking back at Goblin Slayer. "Mind if I join you?"


    "Eh?" Guild Girl yelped in surprise, blinking. "B-But Gunslinger, that''s..."


    "Look, I''d rather get a start workin'' with someone who knows what they''re doin''. Who better, really?"


    "No."


    Their heads snapped forward, looking at Goblin Slayer in disbelief.


    "What? Why the hell not?" Arthur asked in confusion.


    "Your guns. They''re too loud," Goblin Slayer said plainly, causing Arthur to look down at the weapons in question. "They''re powerful and good for a straight fight. But with the numbers involved, we''ll need a quiet approach. We can''t go loud until we''ve eliminated a good portion of them."


    Arthur could see the logic behind his words. "Well, I can''t rightly argue that point¡­ but lucky for you, I can use a few things other than my guns. Plenty of stuff for the silent approach."


    "Like?"


    "I''ll need to buy some things, but I can throw knives easy enough. I know how to use a bow and arrow. Don''t know how to use a sword, but I can manage with somethin'' like a knife or axe up close."


    Goblin Slayer stared at him silently, his thoughts unreadable with his helmet blocking his face. He then reached for his belt, pulling out one of the knives he had stashed within it and holding it out.


    "Show me."


    Arthur understood, taking the knife and turning to the wall opposite of them. He flipped it around in his hand, grabbing the blade before throwing it with expert precision, the knife digging into the wood by the front entrance. Guild Girl let out a small peep in surprise, causing Arthur to look back at her.


    "Uh¡­ sorry about the wall," He then looked back at Goblin Slayer. "So we goin''?"


    "... Yeah."


    XXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXX?


    Arthur followed Goblin Slayer inside a metal shop. The cowboy spared a look around, old weapons and armor littering the walls. Just ahead of them a stout bearded man worked away on a sword, sparks flying as he pressed the blade into a smoother.


    "You again. What''s it this time?" The blacksmith huffed, pulling the blade away from the grinding stone as he moved to the counter.


    "I need a few things."


    "Of course you do. And what-" The blacksmith stopped when he noticed Arthur, the cowboy looking at him patiently. "The hell''re you?"


    "Just a concerned fool that''s partnerin'' up with him to kill some goblins," Arthur said, walking up alongside Goblin Slayer. "Need some throwin'' knives. A bow and a quiver full of arrows too, if you got ''em."


    "Course I got ''em! What do you take me for?!" The smith grunted, motioning toward the far corner of the room. "If you don''t want anythin'' fancy, you''ll find both over there."


    "Got it. Thanks," Arthur moved to grab what he could.


    "You should get some armor, too," Goblin Slayer said, Arthur hesitating for a moment to consider it.


    "... Naw, I''m alright. I need to be able to move around and swing my arms freely," Arthur shook his head. "I ain''t ever wore armor neither so it''d throw me off."


    "How about some chainmail, then?" The smith suggested, drawing Arthur''s attention back. "If you''re too much of a maid for armor, at least that stuff will keep you from gettin'' stabbed. It''ll stop goblin arrows and spears, considering their shoddy craftsmanship. Won''t help much against a hobgoblin or magic, though."


    "Well¡­ some protection is better than nothin''. I''ll take some," Arthur agreed.


    "How about a helmet as well? Somethin'' to replace that funny hat of yours."


    "Funny?!" Arthur replied indignantly before scoffing. "Whatever. I wouldn''t do that anyway. I need the field of vision and freedom to move my head. Otherwise I won''t be able to use these things that great," He said, drawing his revolver.


    "I see," Goblin Slayer nodded in understanding.


    "Hold up, lemme see that," The smith said. "That''s a strange little weapon yer carryin''."


    "Sorry, but I ain''t handin'' these over. Might accidentally shoot someone''s eye out," Arthur said, causing the blacksmith to frown.


    "It''s deadly. I''ve seen him use it," Goblin Slayer added.


    "Bah, fine! Brats¡­" The smith grumbled, turning back around. He hesitated for a moment before looking at Arthur again. "If yer not gonna ditch the hat, the least I could do is fit it with a metal cap. It won''t completely absorb a hit to the head, but it''ll make things like rocks bounce off at least. Dependin'' on where they hit ya, of course."


    "Rocks?"


    "Goblins hurl rocks with slingshots," said Goblin Slayer. "If you''re not going to wear a helmet, that would be a decent alternative."


    "Hm¡­ okay. Let''s do it then," Arthur said, placing his hat on the table.


    With the coins he had left, Arthur purchased a shirt of chain mail that went under his blue striped shirt and some mail under his pants. It wasn''t super constricting or heavy, though the cowboy knew he''d have to get used to walking around with it on. His hat was noticeably heavier now thanks to the cap inside it, but was laced with leather on the inside to keep it comfortable.


    "Welp¡­ I got most of what I need. Anything else?" Arthur asked, wrapping the wooden bow around his shoulder. He was running out of room to carry things, but would stash one of his guns away on the horse given to him by the village once they left.


    "A close range weapon." Goblin Slayer pointed out.


    "Ah, right¡­ let''s see¡­" Arthur gave it some thought. At close range, he couldn''t picture himself swinging around a sword. He guessed that some skill was involved rather than just hacking and slashing. With that in mind, he figured out his next best option:


    "Got any hatchets? I need somethin'' that''ll cut good but is light in hand in case I need to throw it."


    "Ho~. A hatchet''s a good choice, boy." The blacksmith dug under his desk, pulling out a reasonably sized short handled axe that looked similar to a tomahawk, though it lacked their peace pipe and design. "That work?"


    "That works just fine, mister," Arthur nodded, picking it up and feeling the grip. It was smoothed out and easy to hold, a leather strip wrapped around the handle. "I think that''s about all I need."


    "I have several antidotes for the poison should one of us be stabbed. Let''s go." Goblin Slayer said, turning around and taking his leave, a leather bundle under his arm containing the cheap weapons he had picked out and purchased for himself.


    "Thank you for the service, old timer," Arthur said, tipping his hat to the blacksmith before walking after his partner. The elderly man watched them leave before grumbling to himself.


    "Strange fellow. Though if he''s teamin'' up with that boy, I suppose it makes sense¡­"


    "We headin'' out now?" Arthur asked as he stepped up to his horse, stuffing the Rolling Block rifle and lever action shotgun into its saddle.


    "I need to speak with an alchemist. I have one more thing to buy."


    "Okay¡­" Arthur muttered, unsure what an alchemist was but deciding not to push it. "What you need, exactly?"


    "Gasoline."


    "Gas? You have that here?" Arthur asked, brow raising in confusion. Gas wasn''t discovered until the 1600''s if what Hosea had told him was true. Definitely nowhere near the times of knights.


    "No. The alchemist makes it for me," Was his answer. "It''s expensive, but effective."


    "Alright¡­ whatcha need it for?"


    "Setting goblins on fire."


    "I don''t know why I even asked¡­" Arthur trailed off before pausing. "How much you gettin''?"


    "A flask or two of it." said the stoic adventurer.


    "That''s it? The hell''re you gonna do with so little?"


    "Douse a hobgoblin with it and roll it into other goblins. I can''t afford more than that."


    "Then you''re approachin'' this all wrong, buddy," Goblin Slayer stopped, looking back at Arthur in confusion. "You don''t need to waste money on somethin'' like gas. Go cheaper and spend it on somethin'' like liquor."


    "Liquor?" Goblin Slayer''s helmet tilted ever so slightly in question.


    "That''s right. We just gotta get some strong spirits or whiskey. Got one of those?"


    "... I don''t know what whiskey is. But we can purchase spirits at a general store."


    "Perfect. Show me where one is and I''ll handle the rest," Arthur said. Goblin Slayer stared for a long moment in thought before giving a small nod.


    "Okay."


    XXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXX?


    The orange sun was beginning to set. Two goblins stationed outside a cave eagerly tapped their spears on the ground, both anticipating the upcoming raid. Thoughts of the fun they would soon enjoy passed through their minds. Their mouths lathered with spit, hunger and l.u.s.t dripping from them. They had spotted several fat men and appetizing children in the village during their scouting trip. Not to mention many desirable females ripe for the taking.


    The few women they had captured in the night were still being passed around inside the cave, leaving the goblin guards to resent their exclusion from the fun. But that would soon end once they commenced their attack. Once dusk was upon them, drums would echo and torches would illuminate the dark night. And a village would soon burn to the ground.


    So consumed in their thoughts, neither noticed the small rustling in the bushes just ahead of them. And before they could react, two arrows flew through the air. Their bodies fell back into the stone wall of the cave entrance. Neither goblin had even a moment to call for help as they fell dead on the ground.


    "That''s two," Goblin Slayer said, he and Arthur rising from the foliage and slowly approaching the cave.


    "Only a few dozen more to go," Arthur mumbled, putting the bow on his shoulder. "Okay, next step. Gotta draw ''em out."


    "Goblins carry horns in case of intruders," Goblin Slayer said, pulling a hollow ram horn from the hip of one of the fallen goblins. "We can draw a good number out by sounding it."


    "Perfect. Let''s see¡­" Arthur peered around them. There were a few rocks large enough to hide behind, much to Arthur''s pleasure. "Okay. Let''s put their bodies a little more forward. Once we sound the horn and they come runnin'' out, you give the signal to start. You''ll know when just enough of ''em have come out, right?"


    "Yeah."


    "Alright then. Let''s get this done," Arthur dragged one of the goblin corpses a few meters ahead of the cave, Goblin Slayer doing the same. They jogged back to their hiding spots on opposite sides of the out from behind, Arthur gave a nod. Goblin Slayer put the horn under his visor, pulling out the armor at the bottom before blowing hard.


    The horn''s tune was deep and loud. Arthur had no doubt that the entire nest heard the call. He patiently waited, pulling a bottle out from his jacket. Using one of his few remaining matches, Arthur lit the end of a cloth sticking out of a decent sized spirit. Goblin Slayer seemed to manage with a flint on his side.


    Growls echoed from the cave, Arthur peering around the edge as he waited for them to get closer. A flood of goblins trotted out of the cave, each one snarling in confusion and anger as they stepped forward. Arthur counted at least fifteen to twenty of them.


    They saw their kin''s dead bodies, approaching them cautiously. Looking up at Goblin Slayer''s spot, the stoic adventure gave a nod of confirmation. Nodding back, they both stepped out.


    Raising the bottles in their hands, Arthur and Goblin Slayer flung them with great force. Each bottle flew at the middle of bundled up goblins, the bottles exploding into a brilliant burst of flame.


    The result was perfect. The hot glass and alcohol rained down on them. The goblin let out piercing wails of pain, fire spreading across each and every one of them. Arthur drew his hatchet, slowly approaching the crowd with Goblin Slayer doing the same on his side. While a good number of them were being consumed by the fire, some were less affected, scrambling around as they tried to put out the fires that were burning on their arms or clothes.


    One goblin found its head split in half as Arthur chopped down with the hatchet. He had to approve of the blacksmith''s work, his axe much sharper than he realized. He watched Goblin Slayer decapitate another with one swift swing. The fire was doing its job, reducing their work to crowd control.


    The smell that rose from the fire filled Arthur''s senses, the cowboy wrinkling his nose as burnt goblin flesh fouling the air he breathed.


    "That was effective," Goblin Slayer said, walking over to Arthur. "Good idea."


    "''Course. Just remember that alcohol burns good enough for what you want," Arthur nodded, putting the axe back at his side. "You count exactly how many we got?"


    "Twenty three in total so far," Goblin Slayer said. "Not too many goblins should be left."


    "Good. We goin'' in or gonna try and lure ''em out?"


    "We''ll go in. The fire is visible from inside. They won''t have anymore come out if a shaman is among them," Goblin Slayer explained, pulling an unlit torch out and using a burning corpse to light it.


    "Yeah, makes sense. I''m sure they''ll be waitin'' for us now, too," Arthur sighed, unwrapping the shotgun from his shoulder. This would be the first time using it since coming here, so the reload function was still unknown to him. He lifted the lever, a light reflecting the ones his handguns glowed with filled the chamber. It was a short wait, only one second, before it allowed him to close it back up. "Alright. Ready."


    Goblin slayer took the lead with his torch. "Watch the walls. There may be another tunnel that leads to another area. If we miss it, we''ll get attacked from behind."


    "Right. I''ll keep an eye out."


    The two strode through the cave cautiously. Arthur kept his gun up as he tried to adjust to the darkness. He listened intently for any sound throughout the cave. While the goblins might have exposed themselves the first time around, this was different. They had been curious. Now, they''re on guard.


    Goblin Slayer came to a stop, silently raising a fist to tell Arthur to stop. Arthur kept his shotgun trained forward, looking for the slightest hint of movement. But Goblin Slayer shook his head, motioning for him to lower the gun. Arthur scrunched his brow in question but followed his lead. As soon as Arthur lowered his gun, the stoic adventurer drew a knife from his belt and sent it flying forward. In the darkness, a strangled cry rang out, causing the cowboy widen his eyes.


    "You saw that thing?"


    "24. And no. I heard it and guessed."


    "Good guess, I ''spose¡­" Arthur muttered as they continued forward. Walking several meters, the two saw the goblin lying on the ground, its body twitching in pain as it had yet to be finished, the knife sticking out of its gut.


    "A scout. Sent to see who is coming," Goblin Slayer said, kneeling down and pulling the knife from its stomach before immediately lodging it in the monster''s head. "We still have some element of surprise."


    "Not much we can do with it in this tight space, though. They''ll see us comin'' pretty easy..." Arthur noted, his gaze trailing to the side.


    But then he noticed it. Another tunnel formed just to their left. As Arthur was about to inform his companion, a large and dark figure stepped toward them.


    "Ah shit-watch out!" Arthur moved to pull up his shotgun, only to get back handed into the wall for his troubles. He let out a grunt of pain, falling on his stomach with a thud.


    Goblin Slayer moved quick, his short sword in hand as he lunged at the hobgoblin. His blade pierced its shoulder but missed its intended target, the hobgoblin growling before using its other arm to reach out and grip the warrior''s arm.


    Arthur didn''t let it. He rolled onto his back and produced a throwing knife, lodging it into the monster''s neck. The hobgoblin coughed out in pain, unable to scream for help. Goblin Slayer wrenched his blade out from its shoulder before digging it back into its chest. The hobgoblin convulsed in pain, its weak cries coming out choked, before falling to the ground, dead.


    Arthur, pushed off the ground, letting out a pained groan. "Big bastard¡­ Guess that makes 25, though."


    "Are you hurt?" Goblin Slayer asked.


    "Nah, I''m¡­ I''m okay. Just a little annoyed," Arthur mumbled, dusting off his chest. "Can''t believe I didn''t notice that tunnel ''til too late."


    "It happens. The darkness hid it well," Goblin Slayer reasoned, moving to the tunnel and letting his torch shine down it. He pulled out one of the molotov c.o.c.ktails that Arthur made, kicking the hobgoblin''s body to the bottom of the tunnel before flinging it directly at its body, causing flames to erupt. Despite the blaze building from the hobgoblin, no sounds echoed from within the tunnel.


    "This is likely where the first group came from that we killed. This hobgoblin remained behind. None are left"


    "That where the scout came from, too?"


    "Doubtful. He was likely sent by the shaman," Goblin Slayer shook his head. "Let''s push forward."


    "Sure."


    Arthur and Goblin Slayer pushed further into the cave, the path beginning to narrow again. After some time and silence, Goblin Slayer held up a hand, making Arthur stop again.


    "It opens up here."


    "Guess we''ll have to watch out for a repeat o'' last time," Arthur muttered, aiming his shotgun forward. "I got an idea¡­ toss another molotov at the mouth."


    "What are you going to do?"


    "You''ll see. On my word, toss. Get ready to cover your ears, though," Arthur kept the shotgun trained forward, eyes narrowing as he waited for Goblin Slayer to get ready. The stoic adventurer did as he was told, pulling another bottle out and rearing it back. "Throw!"


    Goblin Slayer gave a quick toss, the bottle soaring through the air and easy to see thanks to the flaming cloth. When the bottle looked deep enough, Arthur pulled the trigger, the explosive blast from his shotgun almost as loud as thunder in this small cave.


    Fire and glass erupted in the air, falling like debris from an active volcano and spewing across the darkness. The cries of goblins echoed through the air, moving around like lit candles through the cave.


    Seeing their chance, Goblin Slayer and Arthur pushed forward into the cave. Goblin Slayer tossed the torch at the center of the room, giving Arthur more visibility.


    The cowboy quickly turned a corner, anticipating a hobgoblin waiting to ambush them from the right like before. But this time, it was hopelessly batting away fire that caught on its skin. Arthur smirked, taking aim and blasting a large hole in its head, quickly c.o.c.king the lever action before turning to the rest of the remaining goblins.


    Their roles from their first hunt seemed to be switched this time, as Goblin Slayer dug a knife into the gut of a shaman at the back of the cave. The remaining goblins inside, only about six aside from the special ones, were scattered and hopeless in attempting to put out the fire that caught on their bodies.


    Arthur felt a small sense of pity for the goblins, pointing his shotgun forward to put the remaining ones out of their misery.


    "H-Help¡­"


    Arthur looked back up, the voice so weak but clearly human and female. Narrowing his eyes, he could make out some bodies on the ground in the corner of the moved forward slowly, blasting goblin that tried to get close to him with a quick shotgun blast.


    As the bodies became more visible, Arthur felt his stomach begin to churn in disgust. His eyes widened in disgust and shock. Three girls lay on the ground, bare n.a.k.e.d and terribly bruised. Scratch marks covered their bodies and the inside of their thighs were bruised beyond belief.


    "Jesus¡­ Wh-What¡­"


    "H-Help¡­ us¡­" one of them whispered out, pulling Arthur from his stupor. He quickly knelt at their sides, though struggled to figure out what to do.


    "I-It''s okay, miss. You''re safe now. They''re all dead," Arthur said, trying to reassure one young woman as he reached a hand out hesitantly. "W-We''ll get you all outta here, back to your families."


    Arthur looked around for something, anything he could use to carry the girls out with. He looked to Goblin Slayer to inform him of the surviving girls, but the stoic adventurer was busy looking behind a throne of bones not unfamiliar to Arthur.


    "They''ve spawned."


    "What?" Arthur called out, walking through the cave toward him. "Forget whatever that is, we gotta get these girls outta-"


    "They''ve spawned." Goblin Slayer said, tossing the throne aside to a small opening. Arthur narrowed his eyes, walking up next to him and peering inside. Inside was what he easily guessed were goblin infants. They were smaller than the ones they had killed, their features less developed and stubbier.


    "I have to kill them," Goblin Slayer said, taking a step forward with his short sword.


    "Wait¡­ just wait a moment¡­" Arthur said, grabbing his shoulder and causing Goblin Slayer to hesitate. For a moment, the stoic adventurer expected the cowboy to try and stop them.


    But Arthur''s eyes trailed back to the battered and r.a.p.ed women laid out on the ground, barely hanging on to life. He felt a familiar anger build up inside of him, one that begged for him to act out one of his more natural instincts.


    He decided to indulge himself.


    Arthur pulled out the last molotov c.o.c.ktail he had left. He used the last of his remaining matches and lit the cloth. The goblin infants cowered back, huddling together.


    "I didn''t totally get what you meant before¡­ about killin'' ''em all so they don''t come back. Even the pups. It sounded damn cruel."


    Arthur''s eyes trailing up to the infants without an ounce of sympathy.


    "But now I do."


    "Good." Goblin Slayer took a step back, allowing Arthur to do the honor.


    He reeled his arm back before putting the bottle hard, the glass and flames bursting above the goblin infants. They cried out pathetically in pain, their inhuman death throes filling the cave. Arthur slung his shotgun onto his shoulder, watching the blaze for one moment before moving to the women.


    "We gotta get these girls outta here," Arthur said, rubbing his chin as he tried to think of the best way to carry them out.


    "The shaman often has a chair for the other goblins to carry him on. We can use that to carry one on," Goblin Slayer suggested, his helmet peering around the room. It was only another moment before they found it, putting one girl on it while Goblin Slayer and Arthur carried a girl on their back each, proceeding to move out of the cave.


    "You did well," Goblin Slayer said, though Arthur couldn''t stop to look back at him as he held the chair from the front.


    "Thanks. I uh¡­ just kinda wish we got here sooner¡­" Arthur trailed off, looking at the girl leaned over his shoulder with remorse.


    "It''s a common occurrence. One that won''t stop until all goblins are dead," his companion answered, before pausing. "But¡­ they at least survived."


    "I don''t know about that¡­" Arthur muttered. It wasn''t long until they finally reached the exit, and the two warriors returned the scarred women back to their village.


    Thus marking the end of the first of many quests that Gunslinger and Goblin Slayer would venture together on.


    To be continued¡­


    Well, I have to say, I was NOT expecting the huge reception I got from the first chapter. I mean seriously, I was barely expecting a quarter of what I got. Both the GS and RDR crossover sections are pretty low in number of stories, so I figured it would be something that sort of flew under the radar. Boy how wrong I was. But not unwelcome! Thank you to everyone who gave their thoughts and showed their support for this stories continuance!

 Chapter 203 - My SI Stash #3 - Tainted Desire by aTasteofDarkness (HarryPotter)

    -Recommended by Blood_rogue~ A NSFW fic with the SI as Draco Malfoy! Expect some lewd shit lol.


    Sypnosis: Most people, had they found themselves in occupying the body of a character in a book they enjoyed, would have tried to make sure the story ended happily for all that was involved. Not me. I wasn''t stupid enough to miss the chance the forge my own destiny in a new universe, especially not when I found myself in the body of infamous Draco Malfoy. (E.r.o.t.i.ca, NTR)


    Rated: M


    Words: 80K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/12883140/1/Tainted-Desire (aTasteofDarkness)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3


    What would you do if you died, courtesy of a drunk truck driver, and instead of waking up in hell or fading into blackness forever, you found yourself in another body. What if that body belonged to a familiar fictional character, facing the biggest decision of his life.


    For me, the answer was simple. When I suddenly found myself in Draco Malfoy''s body, standing in front of a robed, bearded figure that his new body''s memories identified as Dumbledore, about to witness one of the most important events of the history of this world. A moment I recognized easily as the climax moment of the Half-Blood Prince.


    I barely needed to think before a shout of Expelliarmus left my lips and a red light smashed him, making Elder Wand fly away uncontrollably. However, I suspect the reason why I did wasn''t the same with what most others would. Some, I assume, would do to keep Dumbledore''s plan intact, while others would do in a weird attempt to keep the timeline stable so they could predict what would happen next.


    Me, I wanted the possession and allegiance of the strongest wand of the world. I barely paid attention to Dumbledore''s subsequent begging about the light side, nor I paid much attention to Snape''s anguish as he tried to gather his courage to kill his mentor. My whole attention was to cast two spells without someone noticing, happy that Draco''s skills were available for me. First, a switching spell, switching Draco''s old wand and Elder Wand, causing a comfortable warmth to spread in my body as soon as I held it in between my fingers. With the possession of the Elder Wand, the second spell was ridiculously easy, transforming the shape of my old wand to Elder Wand, and putting an illusion on the Elder Wand to make it look like my own wand. And just like that, I had the possession of the strongest wand in the world.


    My body moved automatically during the escape, my mind busy with the possibilities afforded by the situation I found myself in. The future was filled with promises¡­


    After the escape, I had found myself in front of Voldemort and Death Eaters. I must admit that I was a bit fearful. Despite the presence of Death Stick, I wasn''t stupid enough to assume I could fight against him, especially when a significant part of the Death Eaters were waiting in the corner. Thankfully, Snape''s ''heroic'' success was enough to take the spotlight, reducing me to a decoration. Draco might have been unhappy with that development, but it suited my aims perfectly. I strongly doubted that the occlumency ability I had inherited from Draco was strong enough hide the fact that a different consciousness currently occupied the body they once called Draco.


    The ceremony held in honor of Snape''s success continued with no sign of stopping, looking like it would go for hours. I was glad, because it made even easier for me to fade into the shadows and depart the event. I walked towards Draco''s room, wanting to stay alone while I tested the limits of my newfound abilities.


    I was surprised to realize that Draco never, not even once, tried to test the limits of the magic, restricting his peak to a few flashy spells taught by his father and the cantrips he learned in Hogwarts. What a waste, he had the power to rewrite the reality and shape others to his will, and the only thing he exerted his power was to humiliate and bully people in the school. Such a sad loss of potential. Of course, I had no intention of limiting myself like that. The word was my oyster.


    I gone through several spells, conjurations, transfigurations and combat hexes, all flowing through my wand effortlessly. I wasn''t sure about the reason, maybe it was the Elder Wand that made the difference, maybe it was the difference in perception and understanding coming from dying and resurrecting in a different body, but the spells I have tried worked much better compared to Draco''s earlier tries. I smiled, more power was always a nice thing. Still, even with the upgrade, I was aware that the power I possessed paled compared to Voldemort''s and now deceased Dumbledore''s. A detail that I''ll fix as soon as possible. I had no intention of living under the whims of a madman.


    Then, the door opened without knocking and someone walked inside. A blond, pretty woman very familiar to Draco Malfoy, considering she was his mother. If Draco had been still in possession of his body, he would have felt relief to see the one person that loved him unconditionally. Me, I felt apprehension, because I didn''t believe I could act good enough to convince Narcissa, even with the full set of memories I had access to.


    "Are you okay my son," she said, the concern clear in her tone, seeping through her distanced demeanor.


    It took a significant bit of effort to keep a satisfied smile off my face. With the level of concern she had, she would most likely dismiss any detail that didn''t match as another effect coming from the stress of his failure. It wasn''t a bad guess to be honest, working uninterrupted for the whole year to kill Dumbledore, only to fail in the last minute would have been devastating for Draco. It was convenient that he was gone forever. "I''m okay, mum," I said, trying to sound depressive as much as possible. It was in my benefit for her to think I was depressed, she would be concerned about how to fix my behavior changes instead of trying to notice every little difference.


    She said nothing, just wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. Draco would have felt comforted, but me, feeling her bountiful b.r.e.a.s.ts just under my chin, her smell filling my nose¡­ I was beset by a wave of arousal, not a surprise, considering I was being hugged by one of the most amazing MILF''s I had the pleasure meeting. The temptation was strong. Despite the risk, I was unable to prevent myself from putting my hands in a place dangerously close to her bottom, three of my fingers resting on her plumpness. She stiffened momentarily as I pulled her even closer, smashing her b.r.e.a.s.ts to my chest, but no word of protest left her mouth as she gently caressed my back in a misguided attempt to console.


    "Mum, I want to stay alone," I said a minute later.


    "Of course, my dragon," she said, and left the room after caressing my hair for one last time, assuming that I wanted to stay alone because I was depressed. In actuality, I wanted her to leave because of the raging boner I was sporting. It wouldn''t make sense for Narcissa to notice it just yet, as learning that her ''son'' was feeling carnal desires towards her was not in my hastily constructed plans. Not yet, at least. Soon, she would learn that fact, but not before I softened her approach and manipulated her mind enough to accept my presence. I was aware of the dark smile spreading through my face as I imagined Narcissa writhing under me in a mixture of guilt and pleasure, enjoying the forbidden fruit of her own son. "Soon," I whispered.


    Of course, I wasn''t naive enough to think it would be easy. Technically, one Imperio was enough, but there was no victory to revel in such a case. I could go pay an escort instead of that, and it would be better. I wanted her to agonize between her arousal and her taboos. Of course, I was living in magical world, and I was sure that there was more than one tool I could use for that aim.


    I went to the library, and started browsing on the love and l.u.s.t potions. Not the strong ones. Amortentia was the same as Imperio, forcing her to fulfill all of my desires with no concern of her own. Instead, I focused on the weakest ones, ones just enhances the l.u.s.t and love a bit. There was also another benefit of the weak ones. There were almost impossible to detect a couple of hours after application. For the magical world, there was nothing more than bedroom aids and gimmicks. I, on the other hand, was aware of the true potential they carried, how they could be used in a long time period to condition someone to new behavior while using them as rewards, especially when combined with the mundane drugs like ecstasy.


    After changing into a casual disguise, I left for Knockturn Alley, and purchased a large spread of potions, perfumes, and oils, most geared for l.u.s.t. I had no intention to limit myself to just Narcissa, after all, not while this world has many amazing women, all ready for my tender attention. And they would provide me an adequate distraction as my other plans to create my own power base slowly developed.


    Still, there was one more stop before I returned home. I went to mundane London, and looked for a particular residence, the Granger residence. I wanted to have some leverage over so called the light side if the things went unexpected. The residence was ridiculously easy to find through the phone book, and an apparition later, I was in front of the house, camouflaged by a disillusionment charm. The door was open, so I sneaked inside. I wasn''t concerned about getting caught, mostly because Hermione was still in Hogwarts. The lights were on, but there was no one downstairs. I moved to the upstairs, and could hear the water flowing behind the door. I carefully turned the door open, hoping whoever was behind the door wasn''t Hermione''s father.


    The view of the door caught me by surprise. Since Hermione was seventeen, it was likely that her mother was in her forties, or late thirties at best. But the woman currently showering didn''t look a day over thirty, a well-maintained, beautiful thirty years old. Her shapely body didn''t have a bit of excess fat, probably the result of a meticulous exercise regime. Her b.r.e.a.s.ts were large but shapely, too shapely to be natural, but it had been a masterful medical intervention. I could feel my pants tighten. Joining her under the warm flowing water was such an attractive idea, especially since it took only a whisper to make it a reality. But I held back, restricting my spells to several really obscure tracking charms hidden in the Malfoy family Grimore. Ones that need special charms to detect and dispel. Keeping track of her after Hermione changed their memories and sent them to Australia was very important. Knowing her location would allow me to control Hermione, the most important person of of the upcoming struggle.


    Still, I had no intention of leaving completely empty-handed. I have reached one of the bottles I had recently purchased, a strong l.u.s.t perfume. Careful not to make any noise, I walked towards her and puffed the perfume to her face. She barely registered the spray amongst the flowing water, and I stepped back, unbuttoning my pants in preparation for the next scene. It didn''t take long for her expression to shift, biting her lips alluringly. She started to rub her legs in anticipation, her hands starting to spend an inordinate time on her b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    I wrapped my hands around my c.o.c.k as she happily m.o.a.ned, beating it with rhythmic movements. One of her hands moved towards her p.u.s.s.y, two of her fingers sliding inside effortlessly. Her m.o.a.ns rose even further, bringing my pleasure to a new level. There was a unique, perverse pleasure from staying hidden.


    A few seconds later, she managed to surprise me even further. She reached for a shampoo bottle, a bit thicker than a male appendage, and slid the bottom of it without wasting any time. Half of the bottle disappeared in an instant, only to reappear a moment later, glistening with her juices, her eyes closed in pleasure. I took a few steps towards her. I could feel my own pleasure nearing its peak, and I had no intention of wasting the moment. As her m.o.a.ns intensified, signifying an imminent climax, I sprayed my seed over her back, covering her delectable ass with my seed, only to wash away a minute later. Then, I walked out, leaving the spent beauty behind. I would be waiting very enthusiastically for Hermione to send her away for her protection, only for her to end up in my arms.


    It was quite late when I returned to the manor. I knew the best thing to do would be to return my room and continue my research, less change I made, the better. However, watching Hermione''s mom in the shower made me quite horny, making me more aggressive about my plan. I walked towards the room Narcissa was using as her bedroom after a brief pause to change into sleepwear. I had no fear of meeting with Lucius in her room, because they had separate rooms according to Draco''s memories. I stood in front of the door, trying to put a depressed expression on my face, and knocked the door.


    "Who is it?" Narcissa said, startled a bit.


    "It''s me, mom," I answered, trying to make myself sound depressed.


    A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing Narcissa as she tried to wrap a robe around her. "Did something happen?" she asked in a panicked voice.


    "Can I come in," I said, keeping my gaze low.


    "Of course, my dragon," she said and pulled back, letting me join her in her room. "What happened?" she said after I entered the room.


    "I had trouble sleeping," I murmured, trying to sound as pathetic as possible, hoping that would hide my enthusiasm. "Dumbledore''s face is appearing whenever I close my eyes."


    "Oh my poor son," she said and hugged me.


    I turned slightly to hide my boner, as the sensations from her silk-wrapped body didn''t help my efforts to keep things under control, her robe and nightie doing little to hide her body from touch as my hands slowly roamed her back. I was so tempted to push her down and enjoy her body, but held myself back. I didn''t want to ruin my plan with an untimely indulgence. "May I stay with you tonight?" I asked.


    She pulled out of the hug and looked at me with shock. I could almost see the thoughts flying behind her startled expression, trying to understand my sudden change of behavior, but soon, her expression softened, doubtlessly blaming the stress Draco was under for the situation. "Of course you can, Draco," she said, trying to smile in a carefree way, though I could easily see the worry peeking under her fake expression. Someone nicer than me would be feeling guilty about her motherly instincts to attain such an achievement, but unfortunately for her, I wasn''t a nice person.


    Neither of us spoke as I slid under the covers while she turned off the lights. I listened her removing her robe, then she joined me under the covers. I wasted no time before wrapping my arms around her torso and pulling her closer. She stiffened, but said nothing, moving a bit to make sure she was comfortable. A couple minutes later, I was in a fake sleep. Narcissa lay motionless, but it was clear that she was still awake.


    Of course, her relative calmness wasn''t to last. I had brought one of the l.u.s.t potions with me, one applied through skin absorption. I brought my hand into my pocket, putting a decent amount of it to my hand, significantly more than the recommended amount. I put my hand over her n.a.k.e.d leg, glad that this particular potion was barely noticeable during the application process. I slowly dragged my hand on her skin, once again surprised how smooth it felt.


    She squirmed a little under my touch, as it landed on her thighs, but she didn''t act out after realizing my hand wasn''t climbing upwards. I poured some more potion to my hand and applied just in case. After all, I was planning to make her break a really important taboo. Of course, there was a side effect of applying the potion with my bare hands, a generous portion of it seeped into my own bloodstream, making my c.o.c.k to flare into the life. Thankfully, Narcissa''s body wasn''t close enough my waist to notice. I moved my hand back to her torso and wrapped it around her waist, loose enough to not to make her uncomfortable, but tight enough to make sure she won''t be able to slip out of the bed when the arousal finally hit.


    First effects appeared after fifteen minutes, fifteen long, agonizing minute, with nothing to do other than listening to my excited heartbeat. First, she shifted her position, hoping that it would fix her issues. Then, her lethargy evaporated, and she started to squirm. I let my hands settle on her midriff, but otherwise stood completely still. Soon, her squirms turned into writhings, and she tried to stand up from the bed, but I made sure to act the part of a clingy sleeper, keeping my arms firmly around her waist. Unable to stand up, she shook my shoulder a few times, but I continued to play sleeping.


    It didn''t take long for her to give up, which surprised me. I was expecting for her to struggle harder. For a moment, I was afraid that she had more willpower than had previously assumed, and the night was going to be a dud. But then, she shifted between my arms and turned her back to me. More importantly, I noticed her hand sneaking down under her robes. Knowing she cannot see my face, I let a smile pop on my face as I listened to her quickened breaths. I waited a couple of minutes, enjoying her frantic breathing, getting more out of control every second.


    Then, without a warning, I pulled her close, my erection resting between her tight buttocks. Her whole body froze for a second, then she tried to pull away, only to be prevented by my grip once more. "Please wake up, son," she asked even as she shook my shoulder, but I continued to act like I was asleep. This time, keeping the sleeping act was even more difficult, considering the pleasure was spreading to my body with each movement. I was happy when she turned her back to me once more, but it didn''t compare to when her hand sneaked under her robe once more, rubbing herself rhythmically.


    Apparently, I have overused the potion on Narcissa, because it took three climaxes for her to finally settle to an uncomfortable sleep. Keeping myself from climaxing had quickly become a torture, even before she managed to finish the first one. The second and third ones were pure agony, enough for me consider loosening my grip and let her go to the bathroom. I didn''t, because in the end, her every uncontrolled hip movement was pure pleasure.


    And now, she exhausted herself to the sleep, it was my turn. I waited until I was sure she was asleep, then slid my hands upwards until her tits rested between my palms, then stopped for a while, until I made sure that she was still asleep. Then, I squeezed lightly, my fingers sinking slightly into her b.r.e.a.s.ts. I could feel her heartbeat quickening despite her sleep, courtesy of her sensitivity, enhanced to a ridiculous degree by the liberal application of potions. I wanted to squeeze until she squawked with pleasure, overwhelmed by ecstasy, but unfortunately, my plans required patience. After all, I didn''t want just a quick f.u.c.k off her, I wanted to capture her completely, body, heart, and soul.


    So, mirroring her earlier actions, I had sneaked my hand inside my pants, and started jacking off while the other gently caressed her b.r.e.a.s.ts over the cloth. Already overcharged, it didn''t take for me to release my load, ruining my pants with my sticky fluids. I was tempted to whip out my c.o.c.k and paint her ass white, but glorious visions of future held me back. I let the euphoria from the release to wrap my mind, pushing me into the arms of the sleep¡­


    Chapter 2


    When I woke up, the first thought it was a nice dream, a dream hard to wake up. But I squeezed my hands, only to feel something squishy pressing against my fingers, and a m.o.a.n rang in the room, pushing me back to sleep.


    "Son," I heard her speaking, her words barely audible between the m.o.a.n. "Can you pull your hands away."


    "Sorry mom," I murmured, trying to sound as guilty as possible while I pulled my hands away. "I was asleep."


    "It''s okay," she said, standing up instantly. "I need to go to the bathroom," she added, and started walking away without waiting for my reply. At first, I thought her calm reaction to my hands was weird, especially since apparently she was awake for a while in that position, then I noticed a suspicious wet spot on the back of her robe. I smiled. Apparently, I misjudged just how hard it was going to succeed in my plan. It had been quite a while since Narcissa had an assisted release. Apparently, Lucius'' short stay in Azkaban hurt him more than I previously assumed, preventing him from paying necessary attention to his wife. I shrugged, his lost, my gain.


    I could hear the bath filling, and I had some ideas about how Narcissa would spend her time in there. I wanted to sneak inside. I had no doubt that it would be a view worth remembering, but I held myself back. I had important things to do.


    After a brief visit to my room. I slipped to the library until the evening, this time focusing on memory modification charms and legimency. It would be nice to have access to some non-deadly options other than imperius if someone noticed something was out of order. Not to mention knowing legimency helped me better manage my occlumency. The studying lasted until the evening, then I changed into some nondescript clothing, and apparated to Knuckturn Alley. For half an hour, I walked randomly, hoping to find my target. Apparently, the luck was on my side, because I managed to catch a shady figure, trying to sell some silverware. Silverware stamped by the Black Family Crest.


    I walked towards him. "Are you Mungundus Fletcher?"


    "Yes," he answered, his tone already shifting into a smarmy salesman tone. "Is there anything I can help you with?"


    Derision rose inside me. He was really pathetic, unbelievably so considering he had the power to rewrite the reality. I didn''t even bother speaking, just pointed him with my wand. "Imperio," I murmured. The spell took hold instantly, facing no resistance. "Where is the Order Headquarters," I asked. I know that, since Dumbledore is already dead, everyone that was aware of the secret could share it.


    "Grimmauld Place, Number Twelve," he answered. I felt something clicking inside my mind as I was included in the cover of Fidelius.


    "Good," I murmured. "Now, you will go there, and pick some more silverware to steal. You will also search and find a green amulet with snakes on it. You will also get it without hurting anyone, house-elf included, and bring that to me. Now, go." He disappeared, and I started waiting, hoping it would work. Possessing that amulet was a key to my plans, allowing me to manipulate many different people. Thankfully, Mungundus teleported back an hour later, and passed the item to me. A memory charm later, Mungundus lost all memories of their encounter, replaced by the memory of selling the amulet to a random person. I apparated back to the mansion, my mind already on my next encounter with Narcissa.


    After a brief stop in my room and hid Voldemort''s necklace in a sock drawer, casting a few concealment spells for good measure. Then I took a quick shower, changed into my sleepwear. I reached for another bottle of l.u.s.t potion I procured, this time in perfume form, and sprayed myself radically with it. It was a light one, but I hoped it would be enough help me dismiss her objections. There was no doubt that she would be feeling hesitant after the last night.


    I knocked Narcissa''s door, though when I pressed my ear to the door, I heard a muffled m.o.a.n. "Still?" I murmured myself in excitement. The cream I used had a notoriously short effect time, most of it fading after two hours. If she was still continuing her actions, it was very good news. Erasing the smug smile from my lips took quite a bit of time. I considered entering without knocking, but she wasn''t ready for such direct intervention yet. Instead, I cast an unlocking spell on the door, unlocking it silently. Then I knocked the door. "Mom, I''m coming in!" I said, disregarding her shocked cry, and started to turn the doorknob. Still, I was deliberately slow in entering, wanting to give her time to gather herself. The euphoria of barely escaping being caught would fit much better into my plans.


    The view I met when I walked inside was exquisite. She was lying on the bed, a hastily pulled cover on her. Her face was vermilion, her breathing hard. A pair of panties were on the ground, a few feet away from the bed, looking like they were thrown hastily, like the wearer of them were in a hurry. I could feel a stirring in my pants, so I started walking towards her bed.


    "What are you doing, son?" she asked in a panic.


    "I''m getting ready to sleep, mom," I answered, deliberately keeping my voice casual. "Last night was the first sleep without nightmares in last six months," I continued, injecting a bit of sadness in my tone. "You wouldn''t deprive me off it, right?" Targeting her maternal instincts was enough to stall her to inaction for a few seconds, enough time for me to slip under the covers and wrap my hands around her waist. I could feel the thin fabric of her sleepwear under my touch, and a light touch of my little finger confirmed the absence of her underwear. I could feel her freezing in indecision. After all, she couldn''t even stand up without displaying her distinct lack of panties. And while it would have made sense for her to ask for an excuse, or even ask me to close my eyes, being interrupted in the middle of the masturbation session wasn''t very conductive for critical thinking. The l.u.s.t perfume I was wearing wasn''t helping her to calm her mind, I was sure.


    I let her continue laying motionless on her back, trying to come up with a solution, my hands tight around her waist, my head resting on her shoulder. I could feel her heartbeat thumping, out of control, her shallow breaths ringing in my ears. Despite doing my best to keep my expression clueless, I could feel the edge of my cheeks tugging. "Good night," I murmured, trying to act like I was about to fall asleep.


    Just like the previous night, I feigned sleep, and just like last night, she started struggling to get away without waking me up, only to fail. Her tries soon faded. It didn''t take long for her to realize she was facing the same situation with the night before, locked in place, with no way to pull away for hours without ''waking'' me up. Still, I was surprised with the amount she decided to wait. Barely five minutes later, she turned her back to him once more, her hand was already on her p.u.s.s.y, her fingers sliding inside.


    I decided to speed up my plan. Even with the addition of the l.u.s.t potions, her reactions were much harder than I assumed, which could cause for her to search for alternatives. Lucius wasn''t around, away on a mission, but it didn''t change the fact that she was currently easy mark for every two-bit predatory Death Eater. I had no intention to share her.


    So, I waited until her breathing started to go out of control, then moved my hands while acting like I was asleep. The hem of her negligee was already up, so my hands easily slipped under it, resting on her n.a.k.e.d stomach. Her whole body froze as soon as our skin touched. "Son," she murmured hesitantly. "Son, are you awake." I continued playing dead, and soon, her courage, or her arousal returned in full force, her fingers moving once more.


    Again, I waited until her pleasure was high enough that she was having trouble to keep her voice low. Then, it was the time for me to act once more. This time, I elected to suddenly pull her tighter, my c.o.c.k resting between her n.a.k.e.d ass cheeks. I wasn''t surprised when she stiffened, but I stiffened as well when her hands started moving once more, her h.i.p.s moving in tandem. Her movement was so sudden that I barely held back a m.o.a.n. Curious to test her limits, I let one of my hands crawl upwards as she rocked her body, until it touched the bottom of her b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    She didn''t even bother to slow down before she gently grabbed my wrist, but contrary to my expectation, she gently pushed it over her b.r.e.a.s.t instead of pulling it away. I suddenly found myself palming her generous b.r.e.a.s.ts, my c.o.c.k getting even harder. I cursed the presence of my pajamas, numbing the precious sensations as she rubbed her body against mine. I took a deep breath, trying to focus on the feeling, hoping to catch my own release before hers, but it was in vain. She started shuddering before I could reach a climax of my own, her m.o.a.ns momentarily filling the room. I could feel her drifting to sleep, leaving me with a full arousal.


    I could have cast a stunner and finished myself, but I didn''t do so. After all, despite being unknowing, she teased me mercilessly. Half an hour later, I drifted to sleep, my mind busy with the plan for the morning¡­


    I was lucky to be able to wake up before Narcissa, my hand still on her tits, my morning wood trying to push her n.a.k.e.d ass cheeks. For a moment, I considered pulling my hand back and fixing her clothes before she woke up, but I didn''t put that plan to the action, mainly because she was more than willing to sleep with my hand there. I wanted to see her reaction after waking up, especially after I dabbed some l.u.s.t cream on her thighs once more. I reached the bottle and poured a generous amount to my hand, then dragged my hand on her thighs, careful not to wake her up, then continued to play possum.


    With the addition of the potion, it didn''t take long for her to stir up once again. I held my breath, curious what she would do. Even with the last night''s events, her reaction managed to surprise me. When her hand reached the one that was holding her b.r.e.a.s.t, I was expecting her to try to pry my fingers away, not putting pressure to sank my fingers into her flesh. She started to grind her h.i.p.s to my c.o.c.k once more, separated just by my sleepwear, m.o.a.ns starting to escape her mouth almost instantly. I was so tempted to push her down and f.u.c.k her mercilessly, but I held back. I could easily see that her courage was artificially raised by her l.u.s.t, and I didn''t want to test just how good it would stand against my active involvement. So, I held myself back¡­


    For now¡­


    It had been one week since I had first entered Narcissa''s bed. During the week, I did nothing other than studying magic during the daytime, and slowly teasing Narcissa during the nighttime. I had yet to go farther than the second night, when I molested her n.a.k.e.d b.r.e.a.s.ts. But during the week, I gradually reduced the amount of l.u.s.t perfume and cream I was using, so much that, yesterday, I had used nothing but a dab of perfume, and she had rubbed herself raw while grinding to my sleeping body. Lucius being sent away on a mission was a godsend gift, robbing Narcissa of only convenient outlet she had.


    This time I didn''t even bother to knock the door, and pushed it open after an unlocking charm, only to see Narcissa trying to push her negligee down, her breathing shallow, her panties absent. I could see her fingers still glistening with her juices. "What did I say about entering without knocking, Draco?" she said, but her tone was far from angry, filled with excitement instead, flared by the thought of being caught.


    "Sorry, mom. I won''t do it again," I said, both of us aware it would happen once again. We talked a bit casually, while she was doing her best to keep her short negligee down to hide the absence of her panties. A useless gesture, considering the clothes she wore tonight was even thinner than usual, making the absence of her underwear clear very distinct. I could easily see the shape and color of her spectacular b.r.e.a.s.ts, their small pink a.r.e.o.l.as peeking through the dark fabric of her clothes. She looked like she intended to be under covers when I arrived, but the miscalculation didn''t seem to bother her. She only had a gentle blush covering her face while she tried to act unaware of her revealing state. "So, how do you feel?"


    "I feel fine, why do you ask?"


    "You look a bit tense. How about a massage. I don''t want you to have an uncomfortable sleep."


    For a moment, Narcissa looked indecisive, so I walked towards her, careful not to let my gaze wonder over her body. "Sure, why not," she murmured, and laid on the bed. I smiled. I wasn''t expecting her to agree that quickly, not that I had any complaints about her quick compliance. I started with her neck, gently rubbing her smooth skin. Of course, she wasn''t aware that my fingers were covered with a thin film of l.u.s.t cream.


    She started purring softly before I even reached her shoulders. I hooked my finger to the straps of her negligee, and slid them down. She didn''t notice, at least not until I slid her negligee down enough to most of her back. "Son?" she spoke in a slightly alarmed tone.


    "It''s hard to do it efficiently through the fabric," I said, pressing my hands hard on her back. A loud m.o.a.n escaped her mouth, but she didn''t say anything else as I continued to caress her back, not even when my fingers caressed the edge of her b.r.e.a.s.ts. When I finally reached her bottom, I skipped it, shifting down to her feet instead. A silent, disappointed hiss left her mouth left her mouth as I skipped her ass.


    I focused on her feet, raising them a bit even as my fingers danced over them. I started climbing, first to her calves, then to her thighs, pushing her negligee up on every beat. Soon, I managed to push her negligee enough to reveal the unobstructed view of her p.u.s.s.y, sopping wet with arousal, without her realizing. I lingered over her thighs for a long while, rubbing generous portions from the l.u.s.t cream. Soon, she stopped bothering to keep her voice low, every m.o.a.n ringing between the walls. It was finally time to move to the next step.


    I didn''t ask for permission before moving my hands to her ass, sinking my fingers deep without a warning. A shocked m.o.a.n escaped her mouth, e.r.o.t.i.c enough to make my pants uncomfortably tight. Still, her protest came suspiciously late. "Son, what are you doing?" she asked almost a full minute later, her voice suspiciously muffled.


    "I''m massaging you mom," I answered, letting my fingers delve deeper. "I can get away if you aren''t feeling comfortable, but I don''t see the big deal," I said, my tone intentionally calm, like it wasn''t a big deal for a son to molest his mother''s ass. But in her addled state, she chose to take the statement at face value. She stayed silent, and I continued massaging her ass, getting a bit closer to her wet fold with every pass. A word of protest never passed her lips, even when my fingers brushed her sopping wet folds.


    I could easily see that she was at the edge of a release, so I decided to finally stop my gentle approach, trusting the l.u.s.t potion and her own overcharged state to do the rest. I sat on her legs, and pressed one hand on the small of her back to keep her sufficiently immobile. Then, I reached for my wand and cast a very low powered conducive charm to further disoriented her. I licked my fingers, and pushed two fingers into her p.u.s.s.y, burying all of my digits inside her. A shocked cry left her mouth, but I didn''t stop even for a moment, my fingers slipping in an out without any mercy. "Son, what are-" she started, only to be interrupted by a m.o.a.n. She tried to stand up, but the light pressure from my hand was enough to keep her in place. "Son, please- please stop. It''s not right?"


    "Come on mom, isn''t it better than waiting until I was asleep then rubbing yourself until you fell unconscious. At least, by this way, you are receiving my full attention."


    "You were awake!" she exclaimed in shock, not even bothering to deny.


    "Yeah, I was," I said. "But don''t worry, it''s not a bother. It''s not like we are having s.e.x. It''s just massage in a different way, and I''m always willing to help you, mom. You are precious to me." My last words, added to the already confusing cacophony she was suffering under, was enough to silence her completely. She just lay there, wordless, writhing under my fingers. Soon, and orgasm hit her with the full force, filling the room with her cries, her warm juices flowing around my fingers. Still, I haven''t slowed down a bit, pushing my fingers deep inside her again and again without mercy. Seconds turned into minutes, but only m.o.a.ns escaped her mouth as I finger-banged her without mercy. Then, after the fourth earth-shattering orgasm, she finally fell unconscious. I made sure to put her panties and bra on, then dressed her in the negligee. Then I pulled the cover over us, wrapped my arms around her, and let the sleep to catch-up with me.


    Chapter 3


    In the morning, I had managed to wake up before Narcissa, which was a lucky turn since I had forgotten to set up an alarm. Her waking up before me would have been bad, panicking without my attempts to manage the fallout. But since I was awake before her, I had some time to prepare the field. I reached for the tube of l.u.s.t cream I had leveraged last night, and spread a generous dab over her inner thigh once more, enjoying the every second my hands were exploring her skin. I wanted her to wake up horny and disoriented, which would prove productive for my manipulation attempts. With the massage complete, I wrapped my arms around her torso, and started waiting for her to wake up. Of course, my hands continued caressing her body, assisting the impact of the cream, not to mention enjoying the opportunity provided. I just did it slower, careful not to wake up.


    It took a while for the cream, triggered by the cream and my touches, she started stirring. "Good morning, mom," I said, my voice cheerful. "Did you sleep well?"


    "Good morning to you too, Draco," she answered, her voice as hesitant as it was the first day. "I slept well," she murmured.


    "Happy to hear that, mom," I said, tightening my hold on her, my hands moving across her belly. She tried to get away, but I didn''t allow despite her struggling.


    "Draco," she said with a trembling voice, barely above a whisper. "I need to visit the bathroom, could you let me go please."


    "Sorry, mom," I answered, loosening my arms, but caressing the bottom of her spectacular b.r.e.a.s.ts, and earning an e.r.o.t.i.c tremble for my efforts. I watched as she stood up, walking towards the bathroom, not caring about the lack of her panties, her nightwear a poor substitute.


    I stood up as well, and spoke before she could disappear at the bathroom door. "I have things to do as well, so I see you in the evening," I said as I walked towards her, who suddenly looked like a cornered rabbit as what I was saying clicked. Uncaring, I leaned forward and placed a small peck on her cheek, then walked away, satisfied to see her hand was raised almost automatically, caressing the trail that was left by my lips.


    After a quick shower in my room, I was ready to go out to support my plans. My first destination was Grimmauld Place. It had been a week since Kreacher''s amulet had been taken. He must have been tortured by its absence enough to make him willing to do anything to get it back, especially if those recommendations were about to come from a pureblood offspring of Black Family.


    I appeared a few streets away from the house, already wrapped in a disillusionment charm. I saw just how good of an idea it was when I noticed two robed figure sticking like a sore thumb, clearly Death Eaters, new recruits if their sheer stupidity and incompetence was any indicator. Carefully, I walked towards the door, relaxing only after I slid under the Fidelius'' cover. Then I turned the knob open, and sneaked inside.


    Despite expecting, I was still startled by the sudden appearance of Kreacher, his hands raised, ready to blast. "Stop, Kreacher," I said, my voice rising in panic. I dispelled my cloaking spell after seeing no immediate attack.


    "Who are you," Kreacher asked, suspicion flowing off him like a river. Still, he halted his attack, allowing me to make my case.


    "I''m Draco Malfoy, Heir of the Malfoys and a son of the Blacks." The way Kreacher''s face lighted up was enough to put a smile, even to the face of a cynical bastard like me. After all, the loyalty and commitment of the house elves was something to behold, especially considering just how little they expected in return. Wizards were truly idiots not showing them the slightest appreciation. "I came to visit the house of my ancestors."


    "Oh young master," Kreacher wailed, hitting his head repeatedly. "Kreacher is sorry. The house is used by blood-traitors and mudbloods, and Kreacher wasn''t able to keep them out. They even stole the treasures of the Black Family."


    "Stop," I ordered him. While I didn''t have any magical authority over him, I hoped that the respect he had for my position would be enough to make him follow my orders. My expectations turned out to be accurate. He froze for a moment, then returned to a waiting position. "I understand it''s the order of the previous owner of the house, and it wasn''t something you could have stopped. You are a house-elf worthy to be a part of the Black Family." His expression brightened like a Christmas tree, and his mouth opened to say something, only to close without any sound. "Good, now tell me, what did they take."


    "They stole Master Regulus'' amulet," Kreacher said, only to stiffen instantly, realizing it was something he should have kept hidden.


    I didn''t allow him any time to gather himself. "Describe it to me, and why it''s important." Just like before, Kreacher acted like my orders were legitimate, proving that habits could be as strong as magic. He explained the story of Regulus Black, losing his life in an attempt to steal Voldemort''s amulet. It surprised me that he opened to me that easily, but he must have been feeling truly hopeless without it. "Don''t worry," I said to Kreacher, reaching to my magic. "I promise on the honor of the Black and Malfoy families that I will bring that amulet back and destroy it." The magic flared around me, sealing the promise.


    "Thank you, master," Kreacher said, his voice hitched. I could understand, it was probably the first time since Regulus that someone Kreacher deemed consequential did something for Kreacher, and a magic backed promise was nothing to underestimated even between the wizards. Still, it was a very small price to receive an obsessively loyal servant in return, especially since it required nothing I didn''t already have from my side.


    "Good," I said. "I know you belong to another master, for now, so I want you to never mention my presence in the house to him. I know you cannot deny if directly asked without hurting, but he has no reason to suspect I came here, so he shouldn''t remember to ask as long as you don''t hint anything." Kreacher nodded. "Now, show me the library." I wanted to examine the knowledge treasures of the Black family while Potter was away. After all, there was a reason for Blacks to be feared across Britain, even when they were whittled to the point of extinction. I was enthusiastic about to discover these reasons.


    My plan was to spend the next two months in a deep study, until the 1st of August. The date where everything would change.


    I was back in the Malfoy Manor, now pest-free, because Voldemort decided to move the house of his new favorite family, Notts. F.u.c.k.i.n.g squatter, I thought. It was ridiculous just how easily those so-called proud purebloods bent knees to a f.u.c.k.i.n.g homeless creature. Just like that, two weeks passed since I visited the Grimmauld Place, and I was studying deep in my room, when I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I said, without even bothering to raise my head.


    I heard a door opening and closing. "Hello, Draco," Narcissa said with a tender tone, one that could be mixed with a familial closeness, except the undertone of the l.u.s.t, detectable only because I knew what to look for.


    "Hi mom," I said, raising my head. I could see that she was wearing a night robe, and little else. The fabric was woefully inadequate for hiding anything, after all. "What brought you to my humble room?"


    "I wanted to check how have you been. You were a bit distracted during the last week."


    She was right, I wasn''t paying attention to her during last few days. A change from the previous weeks, where I made sure to have an intimate contact with her, whether a full massage or just a casual, fleeting touch. What she didn''t know, however, was that the lack of attention was intentional, because I wanted to force her to seek me. I knew that after getting used to regular massages -massages that was much more sensual than what was appropriate for the family- she was going to feel the effects of the withdrawal. "Sorry, mom," I said. "I wasn''t intending to vanish like that, but I was busy with my studies." I turned my head to her, and acted like I just had an idea. "How about I give you another massage as an apology. It has been a while since we had any mother-son time."


    "If that''s not a bother," Narcissa murmured, but her twitching hands betraying her excitement. Assisted by the Draco''s memories, she was very easy to read. Still, I was impressed by the ease I was able to break most of her taboos. Apparently, Lucius was even more distant than I assumed, neglecting such a spectacular example of womanhood. Of course, I was glad, with the breach provided by Lucius, it was almost trivial for me to invade her mind and soul. I smiled, a smile that was carefully crafted to tell that, yes, it was a bit of a bother, but I was happy to suffer it for her sake. Narcissa shed her robe almost instantly. Under it, she was wearing another nightwear, its fabric even poorer than the robe, it''s semi-transparent texture not up to the task of hiding anything. This time, she was wearing underwear, but it was a lacy set that managed to exude s.e.xiness better than n.a.k.e.dness.


    She lay on my bed without the slightest concern, burying her face in my pillow. "Mom, remove the negligee, I want to use some massage oils this time, and let''s not ruin your clothes." She followed my direction without the slightest hesitation, not commenting about the ridiculousness about her clothes being stained. After all, it took only a spell to clean it without any stain. She was on my bed, wearing only a set of skimpy underwear. It shouldn''t be a surprise that I was sporting a raging hard-on, begging for a release.


    I was tempted to reach for l.u.s.t cream to quickly prime her before pushing my c.o.c.k into her. After two weeks filled with intensive, full body massages that left no place of her body left untouched, she should be ready for it. After all, last few days, I hadn''t even bothered to use the l.u.s.t cream to prime her for my attention, my n.a.k.e.d touch proving enough. I was sure that just a dash of the potion would be enough to push her enough that she shouldn''t complain my c.o.c.k inside her.


    Still, I wasn''t willing to take the risk for it, just in case she felt suspicious and decided to test her blood. The previous ones had already dissolved with no way to detect, but there was a chance they would be detected in the first twenty-four after they were applied, and I decided to not to take the risk in case she was struck with a sudden suspicion.


    I didn''t need it either, not with the trust I had for my own skills to convince her without any potion. I poured some massage oil to my hand, then started dragging my hands over her body. First, I started with neck, then moved to her shoulders after a brief delay. She was already m.o.a.ning before I finished her back, although barely audible. Her h.i.p.s rose unconsciously as I climbed up on her legs, diligently rubbing her upper thighs. I could see the fragile cloth covering her p.u.s.s.y was damp enough to turn half-transparent, forcing my c.o.c.k to flare even harder.


    As usual, no word of protest left her mouth, even when I finally reached her ass, mauling her plump cheeks without the slightest concern for shame. I could feel that it was time, proven when I hooked my fingers around her panties and pulled them down, revealing her bare, freshly shaved p.u.s.s.y, all without a word of protest. I slid my fingers inside her without the slightest concern about her response. I didn''t fear that she would react negatively, not after I had spent a whole week massaging her to the edge of a climax, only to leave her there. She was aching for a release, her body burning with desire. And breaking the trend for the last few days just made her hungrier. After the weeks I spent playing her like a well-tuned instrument, I could easily feel an orgasm closing by, brought by a minute of concentrated attention on her wet folds.


    I was so hard that it actually started to hurt. I decided enough was enough, and it was finally time to act. I pulled one of my hands away from her body, and used it to push my pants down, freeing my c.o.c.k for the long-awaited second act. A shake of my legs later, I was n.a.k.e.d waist down, ready to slip inside her. I rubbed my hand over my c.o.c.k, covering it with oil. I had a feeling she would be too tight to accommodate my c.o.c.k, so anything to reduce the friction was a good thing. I aligned my c.o.c.k with her entrance, and took a deep breath, then pushed¡­


    I was surprised when no words of protest left her mouth, though I had any intention of wasting the opportunity. I placed my hands on both sides of her to stabilize her body, and started slamming into her repeatedly, her tight tunnel squeezing my c.o.c.k. I wondered for how long Lucius hadn''t touched her, because she was as tight as a v.i.r.g.i.n. She tightened around my c.o.c.k in an attempt to milk me, but I didn''t want to stop, even momentarily. Stopping here would allow her to gather her wits, which was the last thing I needed. So, I continued pumping inside her repeatedly. Soon, an earthquake captured her body, leaving her trembling under me.


    A minute, she just lay there, purring softly as I continued sliding inside her lazily. Then, suddenly, she let out a panicked gasp and tried to stand up, a move that was impossible thanks to my hands over her back. "Draco, what is going on? What are you doing!"


    My eyebrow rose in surprise. I knew that she was deep in pleasure, but I hadn''t guessed it was so deep that she had forgotten where she was, and who was delivering the massage. Still, even dubious, she had already consented to it, and I had no intention to give the control back. I grabbed her wrists and pulled her, preventing any immediate movement. "Why mom, I''m doing exactly what you want."


    "Draco, you cannot do this, please stop, you are my son."


    "Yes, mom," I replied enhancing my rhythm even further. "And as a dutiful son, I''m doing exactly what my mom wants."


    "But this is-" she started, only to cut by a sudden m.o.a.n, hard enough to rattle the glass. "This is not what I want."


    Despite my best tries, a snort escaped my mouth. "Really, mom, it''s not what you want," I said, tugging her arms enough to pull her chest away from the bed. "Then please explain to me, why you are in my room, n.a.k.e.d without a protest, with the full knowledge that the previous time it happened, I pleasured you with my fingers hard enough to send to you to the land of unconsciousness. Please explain to me how you didn''t want this?"


    As I expected, Narcissa wasn''t able to reply to my statement, though she tightened even further. I was glad to see that things were unfolding much quicker than I planned. Actually, I realized, so good that I saw no harm in pushing the process to the next step. I wrapped my arms around her torso and pulled back. Then, before she could say anything, I flipped her to a missionary position and impaled her once more, my c.o.c.k forcing her tunnel to stretch. Her eyes grew in surprise, suddenly finding herself looking at me, leaving her no illusion to hide behind.


    She opened her mouth to say something, but I had no need to hear her words, at least not at this moment. I pressed my lips to hers, and pushed my tongue into her mouth, arresting her words before they could leave her lips. She stiffened in shock, her body coming to a complete standstill under my intimate attention. I hadn''t slowed down even for a moment, my c.o.c.k sliding in and out, again and again, trying to dispel her shock. Still, I wasn''t expecting success this early, which was why I was surprised when her lips started to reply my assault, slow, hesitantly, but replying nevertheless.


    I didn''t slow down for another ten minutes, slamming her repeatedly in the missionary position, in which she experienced another shattering climax that left her limp for a moment. A moment I sped up mercilessly, until her vitality came back amongst muffled m.o.a.ns. Then I pulled back. She looked surprised for a moment, feeling the absence of my lips. Our eyes met for a moment, guilt, shock, and pleasure dancing in her eyes, then she tried to avert her eyes. "Don''t avoid my eyes, mother" I ordered in a deliberately husky tone.


    She straightened her neck and started looking my eyes as soon as the order left my mouth, not even the slightest delay in following the order, though I could see the doubt. "Why son," she said in a trembling tone. "Why are you doing this?"


    "Why, mom, asking like that, one would think that you are unwilling," I said, unable to stop a mocking taste to color my tone.


    "Of course I''m," she said, trying to sound stern, but it was an exercise in vain, considering half of the words that left her mouth was drowned by her m.o.a.ns, removing the bite she tried to inject.


    "Really, mother," I said, not letting my beat even for a second. "If you are that dissatisfied with the situation, you only need to say stop, and we will stop, and I will never touch you again."


    I knew that such a statement was daring. If she managed to utter the word in a momentary daze or panic, it would throw my plan back a month at best. I had no intention to actually respect her wish of course, but that would change the dynamics quite a bit. So, when she opened her mouth, a wave of panic passed through me. I did the first thing that came to my mind, I quickened my beats, pushing my c.o.c.k even deeper into her, hoping a last-minute flare of pleasure would be enough to dissuade her from her idea. Her mouth stayed open for almost a minute. A long, drawn-out minute. But in the end, the noise that left her mouth was limited to wordless m.o.a.ns.


    "Good choice, mother," I said, and leaned for another kiss. This time, surprising me even further, her tongue was active. Not active enough to actively try to push into my mouth, not even enough to meet mine on the halfway. Still, it was enough to caress my tongue as I aggressively explored her mouth. I could feel my pleasure building up. "I''m about to c.u.m, mother," I said, pulling back, enjoying the pure look of panic on her face before locked her lips once more. I started sprouting inside her as she trembled in throes of yet another orgasm, her walls squeezing to extract the last few errant drops. I pulled away from her lips once more, and whispered. "You are mine, mother."


    She said nothing. I smiled.

 Chapter 204 - My SI Stash #4 - The Hammer Effect by Rain Reid (MCU)

    -Author has been working on SI MCU/DCU fics since 2019, he has lots of them like a SI Hulk, SI Iceman and even a SI Thanos! This one''s more my style with a powerhungry MC and also a SI Justin (the CEO of Hammer industries). What can I say? I like those odds.


    Sypnosis: Power, Power, Power. Everyone wants it. No one wants to lose it. It corrupts, It performs miracles. It causes untold devastation. Power, the aim of all madmen. The thing that allows them to enable their impetus. I want power, and with where I''m going, I''ll need it to ensure my survival, after all there''s much of it up for the taking.


    Rated: M


    Words: 23K


    Posted on: or fanfiction.net/s/13358319/1/The-Hammer-Effect (Rain Reid)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (Hey, luckily the author seem to have already uploaded all of his works in ! Marvelous.)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    THE BEGINNING


    ?


    XXXX


    "Welcome," the hooded figure said politely, like an experienced salesman. The room was a stark white without a hint of blemish or imperfection, it was - unnaturally - serene. And it was apparently endless judging from the lack of boundaries or borders of any kind. "Could be kind enough to come this way" the figure gestured me forward. I followed without much thought.


    "Thank you for being so cooperative, I''m sure you must have realised where exactly you are. But if your still in denial, then allow me to remind you. This is the soul section, Limbo the dimension outside of spacetime and matter, the in-between where dead souls with enough karmic acc.u.mulation get sent" It explained. I realized that it''s voice was disturbingly genderles. But still I nodded to show my understanding. "I see" I said. I was aware of my death, it was nothing noteworthy. I won''t dwell on it, I mean I had just died, so what was I to do? Scream or maybe beg to get my life back? No, I deserve this.


    "I admire your composure. It''ll make things easier," the figure praised me, without a hint of genuine substance in its voice. To its left, a wheel appeared. Like one of those wheels on game shows, fortune wheels. "This is the Nirvana Wheel. Every soul from your dimension with enough karmic acc.u.mulation, gets to spin it once to decide it''s final fate"


    I closely observed the wheel, spotting various locations and a large variety of abilities, ranging from fictional ones to mundane enhancements. There was even Heaven and Hell on it.


    "Allow me to make you a rare offer, not because you''re special or unique, none of you are. I am in need of some karma, the ones you have in your possession to be specific. I will take half of them from you, and in return I will allow you to choose your destination, retain all memories of your past life and send you directly into the a.d.u.l.thood of your reincarnation body. Doing away with the tedious infantile and childish years."


    "Are you able to let me choose my reincarnation body?" I asked. I didn''t want to get reborn as an insect or an animal, not if I can help it.


    "I cannot." it answered swiftly. Dashing my hopes of a secured human body.


    "Are all the words you have said here, in honesty?"


    "Yes, we are in our most fundamental forms here, it is impossible to lie. And I have no reason to do trick a mortal soul" Strangely I could tell that it spoke the truth.


    "Very Well, I accept your offer." There was no reason not to. I wanted to leave this place and hurry on up to my new life.


    "You have made a very wise choice. Now please spin the wheel to obtain an ability, skill or enhancement for your reincarnation body." it directed.


    I placed my hand on the oddly warm but almost intangible wheel and spun it with as much might as I could muster. I watched in trepidation as various abilities flew past the needle point. From Superior Kryptonian abilities, to expert goat herding of Hanonra. The wheel began to slow and it looked as though the needle would point to the Master Combat prowess of Imhotep as an ability. But looks can be deceiving. The momentum made it rotate just millimeters, and the needle''s edge nearly pointing straight at godly janitorial skills before finally pointing to Supreme intellect of Leonardo D. Vinci. Saying I was ecstatic did not begin to remotely define just how good I felt.


    "You seem to have quite the bit of luck on you. It''s almost sad that it''s all gone now along with your karmic acc.u.mulation. Moving on, tell me where your preferred destination and we should be done here."


    "Send me to, T. ¡­"


    "Excellent choice. I wish you a miserable existence, die sooner mortal soul, so the fires of hell might feast on your wretched soul." It''s voice displayed a sick sadistic glee, the first hint of real emotion it actually made.


    "Well, F.u.c.k you too"


    "Goodbye, You will remember nothing of this realm neither of the things that transpired within."


    "Don''t need to"


    *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *


    New York City - America.


    October 14th, 2010.


    "I am Iron Man". The words rang in my skull like the sound of thunder. I sat, reclined in a comfy luxurious office seat - that was doing wonders for my spine - and I looked to the flat screen plastered on the wall, watching Robert Downey Jr, call himself Iron man. Nothing special, nothing shocking, it''s been a scene I have seen about a hundred times now. Just an - amazingly good - actor saying his line¡­.


    Except he wasn''t. This wasn''t RDJ, this was Tony Stark. The billionaire playboy CEO of Stark industries, and resident super genius. This was no longer a character in a movie, this was an actual living person, in his own world.


    How am I so sure? Even if I were to act ignorant and embrace denial like a flimsy cloak for protection against the flaming truth, the facts were before me. The Super spy agency called SHIELD. The massive skyscr.a.p.er that was currently under construction, the Stark tower. The fact that a man called Steve Rogers was the most patriot of the nation and the world''s first super soldier.


    I myself was living proof. As I stared at the screen, I was visually taking apart the electronic device in my head, like A CAD simulation, each individual piece was laid bare before my eyes, how each component would compliment another, how various settings would work better than the rest. Thousands of ways to improve the TV. Not only that, but the flaws in my chair, how I was actually wrong in thinking that the seat was helping my spine, how it''s angle of elevation would do much wonders.


    I was seeing the structure of things and how to make them better. The connections between vastly different fields, the solutions and problems dancing around in my head. How to build what my imagination projected. Some were working models, others were just ill.u.s.trations, pieces of the puzzle missing, pieces of advanced math equations, scientific understanding, anatomical information and much more, needed to fill the gap, knowledge required for me to properly construct the operational models, to build them in the real world. I needed more knowledge, I didn''t know what I didn''t know. You can''t fill an empty cup with air - unless you compressed it- and expect it to be heavy, it needs something of valid substance - essence. I needed knowledge to fill the gaps in the machine, the right gears to make it operate well.


    I had no idea how I became this way. I was never a genius or a prodigy, I wasn''t stupid but I wasn''t prodigal either. I had a good head on my shoulders with a more than average amount of common sense. Now, I''m a walking supercomputer. And that''s not even talking about how I''m still alive. My death, I remember d-


    "Sir, is something troubling you?" A heavily accented but clear cultured voice roused me from my thoughts. I gave the speaker a good look ; A forty-three year old man, with slightly graying hair, his facial features amiable but stoic, dressed in a pristine black suit, his posture straight with a minute bow, arms folded behind him. He was Jack, trusted personal assistant and Butler of I, Justin Hammer.


    That''s right, Justin Hammer, sole CEO of Hammer industries, business rival and unsuccessful copycat and second rate enemy of Tony Stark. Well actually business was booming, courtesy of Stark Industries dropping out of weapon productions, allowing Hammer industries to be one - if not the only - main weapons, and primary systems contractor of the DoD(Department of Defense) and the military. ''Still can''t believe I''m in the Marvel verse, will have to find out if it''s the MCU, don''t wanna run on assumptions''


    "Sir?" The Butler queried again, a hint of worry in his tone. He probably thinks I''m distraught at Tony''s revelation, after all Past-Hammer was constantly working his as off to match him in anyway he could, and he had been failing miserably. I should stop getting absorbed in my thoughts.


    "Jack, my good man. Have I ever told you how much I appreciate your presence in my life? Without you to lend a helping hand, I would be a mess, my business would be a mess." I said with a smile, reaching for my phone. Ain''t no harm in praising your employees when they knew of your deepest secrets and you would need them to know much more.


    "Why, thank you very much for your praise sir. I''m just doing my duty, it fills me with joy watching you grow all these years into what we have today."


    "How long have we been working together? How long has it been Jack"


    "Sir, it must have been fifteen years by now." he nodded with nostalgia in his tone. "Aye, you were young, much younger than you are now. I must say you matured beyond expectation sir" We both laughed.


    "Jack, I appreciate your loyalty. Very much, you deserve a double raise," I stood from my seat and approached the man, slinging my somewhat flabby arm (need to start working out, I was already drawing up workout programs) over his broad shoulders, I gestured for us to exit the office. "I''ll need you more than ever in the times to come, old friend. Things are going to get¡­ interesting. I know I''ve never said this, but I see you as the only family I have. So, Jack can I trust in you for more years to come?"


    The man''s eyes widened in surprise, and then a bright smile blossomed on his face" Of course sir, till these old bones can''t go on anymore, and even then you''d have my well wishes"


    "Thank you, Jack." I extended my hand for a shake. He reciprocated "No, thank you Sir"


    We went on to speak of the old days. Me learning more history of the body I now inhabited. And when he was done, I gave him the orders for the night : To renovate one of the floors into a fully dedicated gym. I already had workshops which would double as labs, personal ones in the company building.


    And secondly to get me books. Books on a variety of subjects. Text books, journals, magazines and whatever reading material I could get my hands on, and I could get my hands on a lot. And then all the company records, contracts, meetings and everything concerning Hammer industries. And a lot of sweets, I needed the sugar.


    I miss my smart phone. The year was 2010, they were smart phones but not as smart as the phones of the 2019 era. Not mentioning the newly discovered quirk that I enjoyed tapping on the small hard buttons - it''s going to get old real soon- the phones had. Touch screen capabilities were too slow for what I needed. I was already drawing up mental plans for other technology my company would be involved in (my newfound intelligence assisted heavily) , creating branches from the main weapon focus of my company.


    I entered the bathroom. Almost flinching away upon meeting my reflection. A reflections strikingly different from the one I had known for the past twenty-four years. Brownish blond hair in a business but unfitting style, clear black eyes with slight myopia corrected by the metal framed glasses. This guy cannot have moustaches at least not with this kind of care. Beard gang people. I laughed silently at the joke, my brother would''ve done the same had he witnessed it. I pulled the glasses off and washed my face, feeling the flesh beneath my hands. This wasn''t a dream or a hallucination, this was really happening. I felt all over my body, resting my hand over my beating heart ¡ª a sure sign of life. And silently stared at the reflection again.


    Who the hell are you? I am a guy who''s in way over his head with a healthy dose of self doubt and a grand aim just budding in his mind. Acting confident, hoping and planning it all works out. I need to work so the hope becomes a reality. I don''t know how I got here, - it''s beyond me and I can''t dwell on that- but I know what I can get here, I can get powers, I can become more than just human, I can have immortality!. There''s even Magic! I can obtain much, it will take handwork, Lies, ruthlessness, deceit, bravely, courage and my new found intelligence. But I CAN do it. I CAN! and I WILL!


    I slapped my chest loudly to motivate myself after the mental speech/self hypnosis session. Reminding Jack to find me a new stylist via text, I just realized that 90% of app and Internet content provider companies I knew back in my world didn''t exist here. I saw business opportunities.


    Chapter 2


    GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO TAKE IT.


    *. *. *. *. *. *. *


    Moscow - Russia.


    December 2nd, 2010.


    *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *


    The whole revamping of the company''s assets, management and contracts took two months - one of those which I spent reading and experimenting holed up in the workshop. I now had the branches I sought, some being other companies which I bought and brought under the Hammer Industries banner, I needed a large amount of hardware and material imports and some other tools to finally begin the type of production I had in mind which wouldn''t be until the end of this year, if all the acquisitions went well.


    For now, I''ve been shipping out a large assortment of digital services for the budding smartphone and rapidly growing Internet market. Of course one step at a time, the current hardware specs on the current devices made it so that I couldn''t put out the real powerful stuff, that would soon change. Iron Man''s armor is nothing short of a miracle at this technological stage. Oh, I also created Netflix and minecraft, I know, I know. Boo me, evil corporation bad guy stealing others ideas. Yeah well, none of those people even exist in this world, is it bad that I want to bring joy to people?


    And I''ve been working out too, it has become very evident, as it should considering that I not only hired an gym/combat instructor but I''ve also been taking c.o.c.ktails to help build my body, c.o.c.ktails I''ve made myself based on my now very extensive knowledge and grandmaster level skill on biochemistry, biology, physiology and anatomy. And the workout regimen I''ve tweaked over time to adequately compliment my rigorous exercises.


    By next year, I should be getting my doctorate on the various fields I had applied to. Knowledge is power.


    So why was I in Moscow? You''ll see in a moment.


    "Boss, he''s subdued" a voice spoke through the bone conduction audio piece. I rubbed my hands together to get that warm cozy feel back in them as I walked through the thin snow blanketed ground. The weather was colder than I anticipated. Even with the heat trapping fabric, I still felt the occasional chill. I dusted off the white flecks that settled on door handle and twisted it open. Stepping into the very humble abode that was in shambles. Utensils and vodka bottles littered the tight room, with pieces of clothes and garnets strewn about . A small color TV displayed white static in the corner - a result of the interference signal generated by a scrambler device on me- , right above the weathered tools resting on a workbench, and old newspaper clippings.


    What drew my eye were rolled up pieces of blue canvas.


    "What you want! What you want you bastard!" Ivan Vanko yelled at me, trying frantically - and failing - to throw off the two large men that had him pinned to the ground.


    I grabbed the canvas and peeled them apart. My mind already at work recording the plans in written it white. Restructuring it down to the smallest component and then reconstructing it in my subconscious over and over, running different combinations and configurations as I browsed through the canvases. ''Don''t get lost in thought, now isn''t the time.'' I reminded myself. Folding up the canvases and securing them in my hands.


    "NO! NO! That mine, that mine! Put back down you bastard!" He yelled in anger, hatred dripping off his words.


    I stared the pinned man in his eyes. He could not make out my face through my ski mask. I reached into my jacket and pulled out my weapon. A gun strikingly similar to a desert eagle, but in matte silver, with a glowing green bar on its side. I aimed and pulled the trigger. There was a momentary hum and then a scent of ozone. Ivan Vanko''s head was liquefied. Incinerated and partially disintegrated, it was a smoking piece of destroyed flesh on his head. The green charge on the prototype plasma pistol now in red, slowly charging up to green. I had to develop a better powersource which wouldn''t be a problem as it was structured in my head. I understood the cost of death, for I had once suffered it. It didn''t jarr me to do what I had to, not after mentally preparing myself for it over and over and over again. I still could not rid myself of his hate filled eyes that seemed to look through my soul, I continued to see their burning glare even when they weren''t there. May his soul find peace.


    One of the men shoved a piece of cloth into the alcohol bottles, setting it on fire and throwing it down the room. The building ignited, as we walked out the door. I boarded an inconspicuous cream colored car parked across the street watching the house go up in flames. The men going different paths as though we never even met or were involved in prior heinous crimes nor the now viciously spreading fire. We would all reconvene on another pickup point during the return trip. I popped a strawberry flavored candy in my mouth, enjoying the taste as it rolled around my tongue, gesturing for Jack to take us away.


    "Holyshit"...I forgot to save the bird.


    |~~*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *. *~X~*. *. *. *. *. *. *~~|


    *. *. *. *. *. *. *


    New York city - United States of America.


    December 23th, 2010.


    *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *


    "Sir" I heard a voice call for me, but chose to ignore it. I was too absorbed in my work. My hand zoomed across the paper, laying lines then connecting them to another, drawing up whole new shapes and bringing them to life in a detailed artistic view that even I was entranced by, beneath the ill.u.s.trations were the schematics ¡ª like skeleton beneath flesh, the accompanying equations being the muscle fibers the part that moves the skeleton, allowing it to become operational and the sketch of the final product, receiving the cosmetic treatment ¡ª the skin. The clean, sleek outward appearance that would appeal to aesthetics. I admire my creations, they are as much a work of art as of science, but I never wanted to be stagnant, to be satisfied at this level : I can do better, I can always improve, I repeated, like a mantra to guide my way. I pushed the paper back, and went back to connecting wires, logic gates and microch.i.p.s on the latest project''s main processor. On a screen to the left of my workbench, terabytes of codes in an utterly foreign language occupied the whole panel, code being compiled after going through diagnostics and then generated to fit the standard.


    The operation systems of all my personal devices were reworked from the ground up, meaning I created and implemented my own operating system and coding language, I call it Nails ( get it, my name is Hammer and the nail is- nevermind), massively improving electronic security of my devices and putting them decades ahead of the current tech standard. Of course the rest of my company tech and products ran on an improved OS called Manna derived from the Nails OS, fully compatible with any other OS on the planet and adaptable to all other electronic devices, yes even a digital clock or calculator could run its ported OS.


    Once again I heard my loyal butler''s voice "Sir, you''ll be late for your appointment. You must hurry if you wish to avoid that" he reminded with urgency.


    "Damn, I''m almost done, Jack. Let me get these arranged" I said, annoyed at the disturbance, not towards my Butler but the ones who set the appointment. Tito, my robot assistant came to my aid. With Its short dwarfish stock and sleek streamlined build, it gently and efficiently roamed the workshop picking papers and canvases strewn around the room into a neat file. Then it picked up the various tools and set them to their containers. Before I knew what was happening the robot grabbed the instrument in my hand disrupting my concentration, it zoomed to the rack on its wheels hung the tool it on a rack.


    "Hey!" I yelled at the innocent looking robot who returned my stare and couldn''t find it in myself to blame it, after all I programmed it this way. I was working on an AI, well it was a work in progress. The amount of code needed was absurd, it made you sick just thinking about it having to write all of that. But I gotta do what I gotta do.


    "Computer, create digital models of all the ill.u.s.trations and schematics on the papers. Run operational simulations on Hexa - 1 to 564 within preset parameters. Monitor the heat generation in relation to power acc.u.mulation." I spoke voice commands to the Virtual intelligence that governed my computers.


    [Affirmative] an electronic voice stated, sounding strikingly familiar to Siri. An automated scanner - one of many robotic arms - mounted to one of the workbenches began its operation, stuffing papers and capturing their contents.


    "What''s the current progress on the element - S?" I asked moving the holographic projection of a glowing atom over and about, expanding and collapsing it''s structure.


    [53.61%]


    "Redirect 50% processing power from the element - S fabrication model to simulations on Hexa. I''ll be able to fill in the gaps for element - S on my own. Oh, and send project Ph-40 to the Maker branch, filed under ''ready for production''"


    [Affirmative]


    I sighed in resignation finally rising from my seat, and stretching with my bones making loud satisfying pop, I grabbed a whiff of my odour. "How long have I been here?" I asked no one in particular but my trusty Butler still answered. "Almost two weeks sir" handing me a cup of fragrant coffee.


    That wasn''t the longest I''d spent holed up in here "I see," I said, sipping on the warm coffee as I walked to the exit of the workshop, Jack in tow. "Is everything set for departure?" I asked, crossing the passage to reach the elevator.


    "Of course Sir."


    "You''re a lifesaver, Jack." I said, boarding the elevator, the door shutting behind me. Jack heading on to do what other duties he had left. "top floor" I spoke. The elevator moving swiftly to the apartment suite.


    The doors slid open and I was presented with my apartment suite. A luxuriously furnished room with a number of my very own hand made paintings occupying the walls in large golden frames.


    I crossed the sitting room headed straight for the shower in my bedroom. Throwing my clothes off I jump in. The beads of warm water washed away the acc.u.mulated fatigue and stress I didn''t even know I had. I scrubbed my body clean, running various designs improvements through my mind. And thinking of what''d I''d sell to my investors.


    You see all the stuff I''ve been doing? All those nifty tech upgrades and revamps, the power consumption of the hammer building - after tonight that problem would end - the employee salaries, even my own living expenses, they cost a LOT of money. And do you know where that money comes from, military contracts. The various other branches haven''t started bringing in profits yet, as they are still in an early phase. The app revenues and other digital content profits are just beginning to take off, the profits aren''t that much substantial yet, I know it will be soon, most likely during and after Christmas and the New Year''s celebration. One good thing though is that the Hammer brand name is beginning to really take hold.


    I shaved the short fuzz along my more defined jaws and lower chin. Pushing the faded sides of my now coal black hair backwards. Admiring my face and now clearly defined musculature, I worked hard for it. Not to mention that I looked exactly like a movie star, the one who played Justin Hammer in the MCU, Sam Rockwell. Thinking of it now, I look like he did in that recent movie where he was the red nose killer, with that girl from pitch perfect¡­ Anna Kendrick in the movie Mr. Right. I pulled and patted my hair a bit more and viola I was ready. Yeah, I''m really not a cosmetist when it comes to my aesthetics.


    I proceeded to suit up, literally, Jack got me a black Armani suit that made me want to start calling myself John Wick. And with that done, we set off for the Edwards Airforce Base.


    Chapter 3


    POWER TAKES WISDOM IS TO USE IT WELL.


    General Thaddeus Ross and other high ranking military men sat around a presentation table, dressed in their pristine military uniforms with their ranking badges and medals standing out on their beast pockets and shoulders respectively, as though to announce to everyone that the power these men had at their beck and call didn''t come freely. Even when relaxed their postures were straight, their gaze forward and disciplined. Years of conditioning and training the men in this room had gone through gave them that, Ross nodded in pride. His eyes wandered over the various pristine jet fighters being proudly showcased lined along the length of the hanger, next to the helicopters and various exposed engines about to be fitted to their respective vehicles ¡ª displaying the military might of the Edwards Airforce Base.


    Ross noticed the raven haired man in a slick black suit, leading others who carried briefcases behind him walking towards the table. He almost wouldn''t have recognized the man had it not been for his eyes. Ross knew Justin Hammer, a slimy business capitalist, Tony Stark wannabe, selling weapons to D.O.D and war profiteering. Just another one of the merchants of death.


    But this man was different from the Justin Hammer he knew, this was a man with a purpose in his steps and confidence in his chest. The fire in his eyes was infectious, as was the enthusiasm in his handshake.


    Justin Hammer spread his arms wide apart and greeted. "Good afternoon Gentlemen, thank you for having me, I know you''re all very busy so without much ado let''s cut right into the meat here" He said, pulling off his coat and sliding his gloves on. Ross was impressed, normally they''d beat around the bush trying to butter their buyers up before offering their products. His was the more get to the point type of guys.


    "Firepower, that''s what you need, it''s what you''ve been asking for so long, well today will perform all about it," Hammer started by opening the largest briefcase. He easily retrieved a matte black machine gun, by the looks of it it should''ve been heavier than it seemed in his hands. "This is the HM - 160, dragon, medium machine gun. Six individual barrels, each, twenty-two inches in length. Seven sixty-two Cal, nato standard. 3000 ~ 8000 rpm rate, max range of 1,932 yd" some whistled at the Firepower that weapon carried.


    Hammer smiled then continued, " I know you''re asking yourselves why I''m picking this up like it''s a piece of paper. Well that''s thanks to a new alloy developed by Hammer Industries R&D. What you need to know is that it weighs 70% less that want it normally should. And the recoil? That''s the fun part, these right here are magnetically charged inertia dampeners, state of the art shock absorbers. So state of the art in fact that you won''t find them anywhere else but in Hammer Industries and the H-line supercars. Hence the increased rpm, the other specs include¡­." the man began explaining.


    Ross watched in a trance as the man before him stole their hearts and had them salivating with each new and improved weapon he showcased more tasty than the last. This man is going to take Stark''s place, Ross was certain of it. He might not openly admit it, but he was satisfied. Hammer really turned his game up a notch. These weapons were necessary to secure the interests of his nation, to ensure the peace within its borders and to deter its enemies.


    "Don''t you sometimes just wish you can take apart a tank with a single shot? How about obliterating that bunker with just one hit? And it doesn''t even have to be one of those those large air strike missiles, you don''t need a tomahawk or the MOAB. No, not when you have this, something you can carry around in your pocket," Hammer reached onto the smallest case, pulling out what looked to be a silver colored cigar sized missile with small circular furrows along the length of its head.


    Treating it uncharacteristic gentleness, he raised it high "This baby is the definition of Firepower. The rotating drill head will give it access through the thickest sheets of metal or concrete, allowing it to then detonate it''s payload after reaching it''s set destination. It will rip a bunker, out of a bunker, hidden in a bunker. It will tear apart a tank like a sledgehammer through glass, this is the mangog micro missile. Don''t judge it by its size, judge it by its might, because this thing won''t stop until it causes absolute devastation." He said, with emphasis on the last word as he deposited the weapon back into the grey molded foam inside the briefcase.


    "So, Gentlemen, tell me which one you prefer and let''s talk about those contracts." Hammer flashed a brilliant smile.


    *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *


    "Hammer, I gotta say son, you have your head in the right place." General Ross, praised shaking Hammer''s hand.


    "Just doing the best I can to keep our soldiers safe".


    Major General Meade decided to interject "Ain''t that an understatement. Hammer, see the senator''s been breathing down my neck for us to "deal" with the Iron man situation. With the way things are going over with Tony, it''s impossible. But if we do have a lead on the tech, I''ll need you to work your magic on it."


    "Of course captain, you have my number" Hammer answered.


    "Talking about Iron man, why won''t you make that type of tech" one of the men asked.


    Because then you''d hound my ass into handing it to you. And If I don''t, you''ll take away your funding right when I need it the most. Hammer mentally stated "Sir I believe I made my reasons clear, the iron man tech is miracle we can''t replicate at the moment. The power source and on board systems required to make it possible just aren''t as developed as Tony''s. Hence the reason why I''m working on this." Drawing out his phone he clicked a hard button below the phone''s touch screen, a hologram projection flared to life, displaying a 3d interactive image of four six legged Vehicle with various armaments and weapon systems he swiped at the projection and a sleek aerodynamic black drone shaped like a missile with foldable wings took the place of the six legged vehicle, micro rotors were seen on the inside of the wings, and various payloads and heavy duty machine guns on the underside of the machine.


    Some of the men silently gasping in wonder, at both the phone''s technology and the vehicle. This should keep you all happy enough until I don''t need the funding. "This is the Manticore : An all terrain and - got your back navy- aquatic, smart stealth UAV tank, with as much Firepower and armor you can dream of. Next to it is the wasp :for when you just need flight, absolute stealth and a healthy dose of destruction above all else. And the best part, we don''t even have to send our men out to the battlefields, they could be in bases like this and control the deployed machines. Of course it''s all in a conceptual phase right now, but by next year it could be reality"


    "I like where you''re heading with this" another praised.


    "Is that phone on the market yet?"


    "Actually today''s the Grand unveiling, which I have to get to right about now. I''ll send over an exclusive contract for you military folks with specialized versions. Consider it an early Christmas present, trust me you''ll love it." Hammer saluted with a smile, making his exit.


    "Based on all I''ve seen today, there ain''t a reason not to" said the general.


    *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *. *.


    The bright lights were focused on the stage entrance, all around the hall were Christmas decorations. A man with a sledgehammer over his shoulder and a red cone cap on his head, stepped through the entrance. The audience applauded in mixed reactions as the man walked to the center of the stage. They thought he might have been one of the workers. But he looked nothing like a construction worker, with his open neck long-sleeve and black trousers and shoes. In fact he looked more like a model that spent much time working on his physique. His charisma became evident when he smiled.


    "Hi everyone, I''m Justin Hammer CEO of Hammer industries. But you already know that. The question on your mind is why am I on the stage with a sledgehammer, I assure you it is not for comedic purposes, although I do have a few good Hammer puns. Allow me to hit the nail on the head," The audience chuckled at his joke.


    The dark haired man reached into his pocket and withdrew a phone "This is one reason why you''re here today. The Grand unveiling of Hammer phones and a variety of other products. This is the Hammer X - 2 Phone, 7in organic lcd touchscreen, 13MP front and 22MP back camera with dual LED flash, 32gb internal storage, 4gb ram, running the latest version of MOS - manna operating system-, 4g capabilities, yadda yadda yadda. Too much technical talk, you can get a more in depth list of the specs on your pamphlets. Now let''s get to the good stuff. What does it do that any other phone can right now? A lot. First let''s try a simple test. Is it waterproof?"


    He walked to a clear glass jar of water and dunked the phone inside while still playing a video on it. "That''s a yes. The Hammer X-2, is the first of its kind in the world, don''t believe me? Google it right now" minor exclamations rang through the audience, "Tired of your screen breaking everything your phone falls? Get a look at how much punishment can this phone take" he placed the device on the stage floor, raising his sledgehammer overhead, he brought it down furiously on the phone. They were gasps from the audience accompanying the resultant bangs with each swing he took at the phone. "Phew," he exhaled playfully, picking up the phone, still in one piece and still playing the video. The only evidence of the previous punishment it suffered being the thin scratches on its exterior and micro cracks on its screen. "It''s one hard to kill phone." he joked, earning him applause and laughter.


    "A hundred and sixty-eight hour usage time on a single hour charge alone - were already at work to lessen the charge time even more. Thanks to our pioneering trilayer graphene batteries. And last but definitely not least, ladies and gentlemen, people of Earth, I give you the first fully functional holographic array on a handheld device. ''Phone, projectors on''" a projection of light from the ends of the phone screen brought to live a 3d image, alternating between various settings, themes and videos. "Fully interactive, fully operational, with zero lags and bugs. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the future, and it''s here. Hammer Industries, putting the power in your hands!" His energetic presentation earned him an even more lively reaction from the audience.


    "Oh, I almost forgot, everyone in this auditorium is getting a free Hammer X-2 and logo shirts, Merry Christmas you wonderful People!"


    The sound of thunderous applause and uproarious cheers filled the hall, as the man bowed grabbing his cone cap and tossing it to an excited fan, handing the stage over to his employees who would give an in depth explanation as well as showcase the rest of the products. As he retreated to the reception area, where he would politic with advertisers, creators, potential suppliers and buyers over a glass of fine wine and calm music.


    He retired for the night with a reporter for company, she got an intimately in depth scoop, as they did more than just let their mouth speak, using their bodies to communicate on the most personal level.


    ¡­.


    Ethereal visages plagued his dreams. Eyes that burned with malevolence stared through him. Screeching, vengeful voices roared in his ears; ''BASTARD!'' ''Put back down you bastard!''


    The man woke up at midnight ''Ok ghost of Vanko, I know the last part was supposed to be scary but I can''t help but find it too damn funny'' he silently chuckled ''"Put back down bastard". Hah!'', gently lifting the covers as he rose from the soft bed. Tucking the reporter in - whose name had already begun to be pushed to the back of his mind by the various plans, schematics, devices that needed constructing and various alterations that he could make. The man left the room, walking down the hallway and boarding the elevator that would lead to his workshop. He yawned, ''I''ll sleep in the workshop, bear with me body this is all for our continued survival, we need to just finish rigging up the reactors, writing a shit ton of codes, check the simulation outputs¡­..'' he said to himself. Running a list of things to be done. ''Merry Christmas, Me.''

 Chapter 205 - My SI Stash #5 - A Stark Contrast by LordofAdmirals117 (MCU)

    -More SI MCU fics~ Recently published with consistent updates, and also SI as Tony Stark''s son.


    Sypnosis: Reincarnation is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being starts a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Unknown to Tony Stark, Maya Hansen gives birth to a son, who is trying to save the world because that''s what a Stark does. (Iron Son Self-Insert)


    Rated: T


    Words: 16K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13514867/1/A-Stark-Contrast (LordofAdmirals117)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    New York City, New York


    Harry Hansen stared at his reflection in the dirty, cracked mirror and questioned his sanity. He wasn''t shaking, and his palms weren''t sweaty. He wasn''t nervous. It was just a cold, calculated assessment of his abilities and his odds for survival. He went over the plan once more from beginning to end, and again concluded it was likely that he would be severely beaten, tortured, and possibly killed. Still, even in the face of such prospects, he couldn''t bring himself to walk away, which brought him right smack dab back to the part about his mental health. What kind of man willingly chose to do this kind of thing? Harry thought about it for a long moment.


    A hero.


    While someone else might have been content to sit on their hands, it wasn''t in Harry''s nature to do so. His mother and Killian had already done too much damage. Chad Davis was dead, along with five others. If he let them continue, there would be more death, more destruction. All placed at the feet of a bumbling fool. A.I.M. gad without question already began creating the Mandarin to hide their involvement in the bombing. They would use Trevor and his false crusade against America as a smokescreen while they continued not only to ruin lives but take them as well for nothing more than a profit.


    That was the savage truth, and if his mother could delude herself into thinking otherwise, it just meant there was something broken in her that couldn''t be fixed. He wasn''t going to kill her. However, S.H.I.E.L.D. had many facilities where she would be safe, contained. Not a danger to others or herself.


    After months of working with the very people who handled situations like this, Harry decided to look for a solution on his own. The bureaucrats and secret HYDRA agents back in Washington might be content if Maya Hansen, one of A.I.M.''s top scientist, wasn''t taken alive, but Harry was not. He might not have been a conventional son, but she was still his mother, and it didn''t matter what she was involved in. He didn''t want her to die.


    Harry eyed his fractured reflection; his thick, uncombed head of brown hair and beard, his tanned skin and his eyes so dark that they were almost black. With the Photostatic Veil, he could hide his identity from his enemies; however, he could not change his height. To the men coming for him, he looked similar yet different enough to one of his favorite actors, Pinker Dinklage.


    He thought of his training and everything he''d done so far. The short life he lived in the world would be over, and that meant Thanos would win. The Mad Titan would snap his fingers, and half the universe would cease to exist. But if he didn''t, then Maya would die, and it would be his fault. He''d wake up each morning and got to bed each night with the nagging thought that he should have done something.-anything. And ultimately, he would emasculate himself by question the size of his balls for as long as he lived. Harry shuddered at the thought. He might be a little crazy, but he''d read enough Greek tragedies to understand that a life with that kind recrimination would eventually lead him to the psych ward where he would be no use to anyone. No, he thought, I''d rather go down trying to save someone.


    He nodded to himself and took a deep breath before walking over to the window. Harry gently pulled back the curtains and looked down at the street. The two Extremis soldiers from A.I.M. were still positioned across the street, keeping an eye on his apartment building. Harry had left a trail in the net when he hacked A.I.M., and they had shown up days later. S.H.I.E.I.L.D. was no doubt on the lookout for him too, not that they knew what his new face looked like. He was playing a risky game, but there was only one avenue open to him, and there was no sense in delaying what had to be done.


    Harry scribbled a note and left it on the small desk in the corner. He gathered his sunglasses and his coat and headed for the door. The elevator was broken, so he walked the two flights to the lobby. The man behind the front desk looked nervous, which Harry took as a sign that someone had talked to him. He continued out the front door and looked up and down the street. From behind his sunglasses, he pretended not to see Killian''s lackeys. He turned right and started heading east.


    Within half a block, Harry''s nervous system began sending his brain alarms, each more frantic than the last. It took every ounce of control to override his training and millions of years of basic survival instincts that were embedded like code in the human brain.


    Up ahead, the familiar black car was parked across the street. Harry ignored the man behind the wheel and turned down a narrow side street. Just thirty steps ahead was a well-dressed man was standing in front of a shop. His right leg was straight and firmly planted on the pavement, and his left bent up behind him and placed against the side of the building. He was resting against the building while he chewed on a stick of gum.


    The man was Eric Savin, Killian''s number one thug. The footfalls from behind Harry were echoing like heavy shoes on the stone floor of an empty parking garage. Harry could hear the pace of his pursuers quicken. A car engine revved, no doubt the black sedan he''d already spotted. With every step, Harry could feel them closing in from behind. His mind ran through scenarios with increasing rapidly, looking for any way out of the impending disaster.


    They were close now. Harry could feel them. Literally, because of the heat they were generating. Savin spat his gum out and pushed himself away from the building. He smiled at Harry and produced a pistol from his jacket. Harry feigned surprise and turned to run. The two men were exactly where he expected them to be, guns drawn, one pointed at Harry''s head, the other at his chest.


    The sedan skidded to a stop just to his right, the trunk, and the front passenger door swinging open. Harry knew what was next. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw as Savin cracked him across the back of the head with his pistol. Harry stumbled forward and willingly fell into the arms of the two men with guns. He let his legs go slack, big arms wrapped around his chest and held him upright. They dragged him the short distance to the car''s trunk. Harry landed headfirst with a thump. The rest of his body was folded in on top of him, and the trunk slammed shut.


    The engine roared, and the tires peeled against the pavement until they found a grip. Harry was thrown back as the car shot forward. He slowly cracked his eyes, and as expected, he found himself in total darkness. His head was throbbing a bit from the blow, but it could have been worse. There was no fear on his face or doubt in his mind, though¡ªjust a smile on his lips as he thought about his plan. The seeds of disinformation that he had spread had drawn them out just as he''d hoped. His captors had no idea of the true intent of the man they now had in their possession, and more importantly, no idea of the violence and pain he was about to visit upon them.


    Inspired by the line in Iron Man 3 where Tony asks Maya if a twelve-year-old is waiting out in the car. The idea snowballed into this story.


    Heavily rewritten from the original story


    Reviews are welcomed and appreciated!


    Chapter 2


    New York City, New York


    (One Year Earlier)


    Nick Fury was having one hell of a week. As the Director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, simply S.H.I.E.L.D., he''d had bad weeks before. The hostage situation in Bogot¨¢ and the alien invasion in ''95 came to mind when he thought about his worst weeks.


    No, Fury was no stranger to a bad week. However, this past week? It made ''95 look like a vacation. He couldn''t believe so much had gone wrong in such a short amount of time. General Ross had found a lead on Banner that led to the Hulk fighting Emil Blonsky, a deranged soldier-turned-monster Ross helped create by injecting him with a Super Soldier Serum that had been put on ice for a reason. Thor, the actual God of Thunder, had leveled a small town in New Mexico fighting against some alien robot called the Destroyer.


    And then there was Stark.


    One week earlier, Fury had been awakened by a phone call and was informed that in 72 hours, Tony Stark would be dead. When he arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, Coulson informed him that he had picked up an atmospheric disturbance above New Mexico and requested to go and research it. Fury, however, did not believe in its credibility and instead ordered Coulson to stay at Headquarters.


    Later he had been informed by a S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist that Stark had high levels of Palladium in his bloodstream, which was causing his health to deteriorate and given lithium dioxide to delay the poisoning. Fury contacted Natasha Romanoff, who had been in the middle of a duel between Colonel Rhodes and Iron Man. He told her he would be there soon and not to blow her cover.


    After his birthday brawl, Stark flew away, and Fury attempted to speak to the World Security Council; however, they were not available. Coulson tried to show him the satellite readings he found, but Fury made the mistake of not listening. Soon afterward, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent located Stark and Fury met up with Romanoff and they both went to confront Stark at Randy''s Donuts.


    After passing Howard''s research along to his son, Fury had thought that''d be the end of his trouble with Stark. For the moment anyway. No, Hammer had to go and stage a jailbreak for Ivan Vanko and recruit the man to make Iron Man suits for Hammer Industries. Vanko hadn''t made suits; he used Hammer''s resources and built a small army of drones that attacked Stark at the Stark Expo.


    And even after all that, the week still wasn''t over.


    Natasha had been in Hammer Industries when the Hammer Drones were exploding. Vanko''s last-ditch effort to kill Stark. Her report showed that one of the Army Drones hadn''t been destroyed and its locator deactivated. Now, someone somewhere had access to Arc Reactor technology.


    "Director?"


    Fury turned around. Phil Coulson, one of his most trusted agents, stood in the doorway to his office.


    "We''ve located the Hammer Drone, sir," Coulson said. "It''s still in New York."


    "Stark?" Fury asked.


    Coulson shook his head, folding his hands behind his back. "We do not believe so, sir. Mr. Stark doesn''t legally own the building."


    "And illegally?"


    "Unknown, sir," Coulson answered.


    Standing from his chair, Fury walked to the window overlooking the Potomac. From here, he had a view of D.C. some people would pay thousands of dollars for. He got if for free. All he had to do was protect the United States from threats, foreign and domestic. His job, to others, but he didn''t see it as such. It was a responsibility to protect his home. To do that, he needed to stay ten steps ahead, in intelligence, manpower, and technology. Right now, he was behind in all of those but one.


    S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists lacked the intelligence needed to recreate Stark''s Iron man armor, and without that technology, they couldn''t combat terrorists like Ivan Vanko.


    The Hammer drones were the only piece of Arc reactor technology not in Stark''s hands. And given that Stark was keeping his cards close to his chest, they had been the only chance S.H.E.I.L.D. had to get something even close to Stark''s tech.


    "Take a team." He ordered. "Bring me that drone."


    "Yes, sir." Coulson nodded and exited the room leaving Fury alone with his thoughts.


    Every drone Justin Hammer had put on display had been destroyed when Vanko forced them to self-destruct. All but one. One out of thirty-two, and they had no clue as to who had not only been able to stop the self-destruction but steal away a man-sized robot without anyone knowing. And hide it in an American city.


    Not only were the thieves smart, but they were also c.o.c.ky, and that was a dangerous combination. Whoever was working on the drone needed to be stopped.


    Queens, New York City


    "Let''s move," Coulson ordered, drawing his pistol as the men under his command held up assault rifles. All six of the barrels pointing at the townhouse across the street.


    "Signals are coming from the bas.e.m.e.nt. Prisoners are preferable, but shoot to kill at your own discretion."


    Coulson led the team forward, glad they blocked off the street before they came in. If civilians saw seven men in full tactical gear and carrying automatic weapons, whoever was in that bas.e.m.e.nt would be alerted by their screams.


    "Rumlow, you''re on point. Rolin''s get the door."


    Pressing his shoulder against the brick wall of the townhouse, with two men behind him and the rest of the team on the other side of the yellow-painted door, Coulson nodded as Rolin''s kneeled burning through the door lock with the Mouse Hole.


    One by one, they filed into the small stairway. "Light''s on," Coulson ordered as the door closed behind them, locking the team in the dark.


    At the bottom of the steps was another door.


    "Break it down."


    "Yes, sir." Rolin''s tucked the Mouse Hole away in his vest and moved to the side as another agent stepped forward, holding a battering ram. Grabbing the right side, he nodded as Rumlow counted down.


    "Three...two...one!"


    The wooden door flew from its hinges, and Coulson entered the bas.e.m.e.nt behind Rumlow, who was already yelling orders.


    "SHIELD! Get down on your knees! On your knees!"


    Clearing the room as the rest of the team entered, Coulson stopped letting STRIKE do their job. He had his own job.


    "Prisoner secured, sir."


    "Coulson!" Fury barked over the radio.


    Staring at the drone standing in the corner, Coulson brought a hand up to his ear. "We''ve got it, sir. The drone is here, and the prisoner is secured."


    "Get off me!"


    Turning around, Coulson circled the workbench covered in tools so he could get eyes on the prisoner. Shit. He winced. Being held under Rumlow''s knee was a small figure squirming as he tried to get free. Too small to be an a.d.u.l.t.


    "Sir, we''ve got a problem."


    Chapter 3


    Harry Howard Hansen removed the blindfold covering his face. The black BMW rocked its way down a rutted dirt road, a plume of dust corkscrewing into the hot air. The blindfold was a precaution in case he failed, which was something Harry had no intention of doing. He stared out the window at the line of trees that bracketed the lane. Even with the bright sun, he couldn''t see more than twenty feet into the dark maze of trees and underbrush.


    A foreboding premonition wormed its way into his thoughts and sent Harry''s mind diving into a place he did not want to go. At least not this afternoon. Still, a frown creased his brow as Harry wondered how many men had died in this particular forest, and he wasn''t thinking of men who had fought in the Revolutionary War hundreds of years ago. No, he thought, trying to be completely honest with himself. Death was too opened-ended a word for it. It left the possibility that some accident had taken the life of a person, and that was a convenient way to skirt the seriousness of what he was getting himself into. Executed was a far more accurate word. The men he was thinking of had been marched into these woods, shot in the back of the head, and dumped into freshly dug graves never to be heard from again. That was the world Harry was about to enter, and he was utterly and completely at peace with his decision.


    Still, a sliver of doubt cut through the curtains in his mind and caused a flash of hesitation. Harry wrestled with it for a brief moment and stuffed it back into the deepest recesses of his brain. It was far too late for second thoughts. He''d be over this, under it, and around it. He''d studied it from every conceivable since the day he had woken up in this world and began his new life. In a strange way, he had known from almost the first moment he opened his eyes.


    He had been waiting for someone to show up, though Harry had never told anyone that. Or that the only way he could cope with the burden that was future knowledge was to plot to save the world. That every single night before he went to sleep, he thought of the network of people who had to die so the world could live. It was all logical to him. Enemies needed to be killed, and Harry was more than willing to become the person who would do that killing. He knew what was about to happen. He was to be trained, honed, and forged into a precision weapon, and then he would begin to hunt them down¡ªevery last one of the people who were conspiring to kill millions of innocent civilians.


    The car began to slow, and Harry looked up to see a rusted cattle gate with a chain and padlock. His brow furrowed with suspicion.


    The man driving the vehicle glanced at him and said, "You were expecting something a little more high tech?"


    Harry nodded.


    Phil Coulson put the car in park and said, "Appearances can be deceiving." He flipped down the visor above his head and pressed the small button on the gray box clipped to it. The gate swung open.


    Coulson pulled the car through the gate. One hundred yards later, he slowed the vehicle to a crawl and maneuvered diagonally in an effort to avoid a large pothole.


    "Why no security on the perimeter?" Harry asked.


    "The high-tech systems...more often than not...they draw too much unwanted attention. They also give a lot of false alarms, which in turn requires a lot of manpower. That''s not what this place is about."


    "What about dogs?" Harry asked.


    Coulson liked the way he was thinking. As if on cue, two hounds came galloping around the bend. The dogs charge straight at the vehicle. Coulson stopped and waited for them to get out of the way. Moments later, after snarling and baring their teeth, they turned and bolted back in the direction they''d come from.


    Coulson took his foot off the brake and proceeded up the lane. "The Director," Coulson said. "The man you''re going to meet."


    "The guy who decides whether I live or die," Harry said sarcastically.


    "The Director isn''t going to kill you. You''re just a kid."


    Harry thought about that statement for a moment and said, "I want to believe that, I do. But I can''t."


    Fury was the Director of S.H.E.I.L.D. and had a duty to the world. S.H.E.I.L.D. had already killed a child when push came to shove. Harry had thrown the dice stealing the Hammer Drone, and now he had to deal with the consequences.


    Coulson as silent. Then he spoke. "The Director''s not going to kill you. I''m sorry about what happened in New York, but we had no intelligence that suggested you were a child. If we had, we wouldn''t have sent a strike team."


    Harry disagreed with that but kept his mouth shut and his face a mask of neutrality.


    "Just try to remember...you''re more valuable alive," Coulson said.


    Harry smiled inwardly. That''s where you''re wrong, he thought. I''m more dangerous alive. When he responded, however, he was compliant.


    "I will," Harry said in an easy tone. "Anyone else going to be joining us?"


    If there was one thing that made him nervous, it was this. The other people at the meeting. He had no idea who Fury could be bringing to the meeting. S.H.E.I.L.D. was crawling with Hydra agents.


    Around the next bend, the landscape opened up before them. A freshly mowed lawn roughly the size of a football field ran along both sides of the lane all the way to a two-story cabin. The place looked like a rural postcard complete with a set of rocking chairs on the porch.


    A man appeared from inside the house. He was holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a manila folder in the other, his black trench coat flapping behind him.


    Harry looked through the bug-shattered windshield at the Director of S.H.E.I.L.D. Even from across the yard, he could see the displeased look on the Director''s face.


    "Wait here for a moment," Coulson said as he put the car in park. He unbuckled his seatbelt and exited the vehicle, casually walking across the gravel driveway. Dressed in his black G-man suit, he looked out of place in the middle of the woods. Stopping at the base of the porch, he said, "Director, I brought him."


    Nick Fury glanced down at Coulson and felt a twinge of guilt. The rookie he had met in ''95 was one of the few people in the world he trusted. He''d known Coulson longer than any of his trusted agents. He''d watched him grow from a rookie to a veteran agent, even helped train him before he became Director.


    Fury was well aware that Coulson wasn''t a typical S.H.E.I.L.D. agent that would blindly follow orders. It was why after ''95, he took a special interest in him. He also knew that Coulson would not be happy about kidnapping a child. No matter who the kid''s father was. So he kept things brief and simply said, "We''ll handle it from here, Coulson."


    Coulson had been expecting and dread9ing this moment for some weeks. Usually, Fury would have kept him in the loop about potential recruits. Barton, Romanoff, even Stark. So he asked, "What are we doing, sir?"


    Fury ignored his question, and pointedly asked, "Why is he still in the car."


    "I told him to wait," Coulson admitted, and then he said, "Sir, S.H.E.I.L.D. isn''t a Boy Scout Camp."


    "No, we''re an extra-governmental military counter-terrorism and intelligence agency tasked with maintaining both national and global security." Fury retorted. "And we are failing at our jobs. The world is filling up with people and technology that we can''t match, Coulson."


    "And you think the kid is our ticket into the big leagues, sir?"


    "Do you know anyone other than Stark capable of creating Arc Reactors?" Fury asked rhetorically.


    The normally stoic or smiling Coulson allowed a bit of irritation to show. The only other person capable of recreating Stark technology had blown himself up in New York weeks ago trying to kill Stark.


    Fury looked down at him. He could see Coulson was unhappy with him. I didn''t become Director by winning a popularity contest. He thought, and so he held his ground. "I think you should take a drive agent."


    "I''d rather stay, sir," Coulson said, stood like a sphinx, refusing to yield his position.


    The Director took a step back and turned to walk back into the house. "Bring him in," he said over his shoulder. "Romanoff doesn''t like to be kept waiting."


    In the car, Harry watched Fury vanish back into the house, his trench coat last to cross through the doorway. Coulson waved him up, and after a brief moment of hesitation, he opened his door and stepped out of the vehicle.


    He walked up to the house, past Coulson at the porch, and through the doorway. Coulson followed behind him, trapping him in the house in case he decided to run. He wouldn''t. Harry had been waiting his entire life for this meeting. This was where he could finally start making a difference in the world.


    Fury obviously didn''t care that he was a child, or he wouldn''t have had Coulson kidnap him. That was what he needed. He didn''t have time to wait until he was eighteen. By then, Thanos would have snapped his fingers, and half the world would be gone.


    In the kitchen of the cabin, Fury was eating a plate of dinner at the table. Potatoes and steak, with a glass of milk. Behind him, bent over, looking through the fridge was a red-hair woman in a skin-tight black outfit. Harry assumed she was Natasha Romanoff.


    She stood up and turned around. I was right. Harry thought as he stared at the beautiful woman. He couldn''t believe he was actually in the room as the Black Widow.


    "You don''t seem surprised to see us," Fury said, piercing a potato cube with his fork. He pointed the food at Harry. "You knew we were coming for you."


    "I did," Harry confirmed. Lying wouldn''t help him here. Not in front of three spies who lied for a living. "When I took the Hammer Drone, I always knew it was a possibility S.H.E.I.L.D. would come for me."


    Natasha pulled up at a chair and sat down at the table, pushing Fury''s plate across the table. As she leaned forward, her suit tightened around her body, making her b.r.e.a.s.ts more pronounced. Harry averted his eyes. He had a feeling he knew what Fury was doing. Natasha was here to distract the little boy who couldn''t control his hormones. Well, that''s not going to work on me. He thought. A pair of b.r.e.a.s.ts wasn''t going to distract.


    He glanced back down. No matter how nice a pair they were.


    Natasha''s lips curled in a slight smile as she leaned back in her chair. "Hi," she said.


    "Hello," Harry said with a smile of his own.


    Fury reached his arm out and pulled the plate back to his side of the table. "You''re in a whole lot of trouble, kid," he said, slicing into the steak.


    Harry glanced away from Natasha. The Director was staring at him, and Harry decided to have a little fun.


    "I''m sorry, I don''t want to get off on the wrong foot," he said. "Am I supposed to look at the eye or the patch?"


    Fury scoffed and leaned back in his chair. Natasha''s smile twitched, and her eyes flicked to Fury. Harry knew why. He had just said the same thing Tony Stark had said in Iron Man 2, almost word for word.


    "What do you know about your father, Mr. Hansen?" Fury asked, tapping the manila folder lying next to his dinner. "Do you know who he is?"


    "You mean do I know that he is Tony Stark," Harry said. "Or do you mean that he probably doesn''t remember my mom? No, maybe it''s, ''do I know'' that Obadiah Stane paid my mother a ridiculous amount of money every year to keep me out of the spotlight because it would be bad for my father''s business?"


    "You seem pretty confident," Fury''s eye narrowed. "You have no idea how much trouble you''re in, do you? Let me make it simple, kid. You were caught on American soil with a weapon of mass destruction. I could put you in a hole and throw away the hole, and no one would bat an eye."


    "You could, but you won''t," Harry said. "If you were going to do that, I wouldn''t be here. You want something from me. And I''m inclined to give it to you."


    "What makes you think you know what I want?" Fury asked, pushing the plate of dinner across the table again.


    Harry took it as a sign that he had the Director''s attention. "It''s pretty obvious what you S.H.E.I.L.D. wants. What it needs really," he said, reaching across the table for the extra set of silverware Fury hadn''t been using.


    "What''s that?" Natasha cut in. Her voice smooth, and the slightest bit seductive.


    "Better technology. Stronger agents." Harry pierced a piece of steak Fury had cut with his fork. "I think it''s not a stretch to say that we''re not alone in the universe. That crap-show in New Mexico is proof of that. Proof that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."


    Fury sat up in his chair. Harry knew the Director agreed with his assessment. Hell, Fury would have said those exact same words if he hadn''t said them first. Maybe he still would.


    "Go on." the Director said.


    "It''s not even just space that is leaving S.H.E.I.L.D. behind. Stark, Banner, whatever the hell Ross turned Blonsky into," Harry said around a mouthful of food. "The world is filling up with people who can''t be matched."


    Fury raised his eyebrow. "You seem to know a lot."


    "I hacked S.H.E.I.L.D." Harry shrugged. "And the Army. Hammer industries too. The only thing I couldn''t break into was my dad''s company."


    Mostly because he didn''t try. Now wasn''t the time for Tony Stark to know he had a son.


    "All of what you just said is highly illegal." Fury said. "Why admit it?"


    "You already said if you wanted to, you could put me in a hole and throw away the hole," Harry said. "What''s the point of playing coy?"


    Fury folded his arms and thought long and hard before he spoke. "And what can you offer us?"


    Harry had to physically resist rolling his eyes. Instead of doing that, he asked, "What do you want?"


    "What do you have?" Fury countered.


    God, he''s really dragging this out. Harry thought, setting his fork and knife down as he said, "I can give you Arc Reactor technology...and Super-soldiers."


    Fury''s hand smack down onto the table, his fork bounced away with a loud clang. "This isn''t a game. You''ve stepped into a world a lot bigger than you, kid. A world you don''t understand."


    Harry frowned. "I thought you''d be excited at the prospect of more super-soldiers. Granted, they''re not going to be Captain America, but they''ll be stronger than any normal human."


    "You can make more super-soldiers?" Natasha asked. "People have been trying to recreate Dr. Erskine''s serum since the forties."


    "And that''s the problem," Harry said. "They were trying to recreate a serum. My Project O.R.I.O.N. biochemically augments the human body."


    He could feel the skepticism in the air. It was practically palpable. Harry didn''t blame the agents for their disbelief. Captain America had been the only successful super-soldier in history. Every other attempt had been a disaster. Banner and Blonsky were the latest of probably a long history of screw-ups.


    "I understand if you''re reluctant to believe me," Harry said. "I''ve never actually augmented someone before, but my math''s never been wrong before."


    "Oh, I believe you." Fury said, his words contrasting with the deep frown on his face. "You''re being awfully complaint for someone who we just threatened. Why?"


    So suspicious. Harry sighed. He couldn''t say he was surprised. The MCU had made it very clear that Nick Fury was a paranoid and suspicious man.


    "If my calculations are right, and they always are," He said, "The likelihood of our next contact with the extraterrestrial being hostile is 92%."


    It was a complete lie. There wasn''t any math that pointed to such a thing. Harry just needed a way to warn Fury about the Chitauri invasion.


    "That''s why I''m willing to offer my help," Harry said, "Despite our...rocky start."


    "What about this?" Fury pulled another file from his leather coat. He set it on the table and flipped it open. "Think you can do something with it?"


    Harry pulled the folder towards him. The Tesseract. He flipped through the photos, each taken at a different angle but always being centered on the glowing blue square.


    "The Tesseract." He said with a nod. Howard Stark had studied it for decades. "Give me a few months. I think I could figure something out. I''ll need access to my lab though."


    "Lab?" Fury asked. "You think your bas.e.m.e.nt has better tech than S.H.E.I.L.D.?"


    "No, I think I can turn Hammer Industries labs into something respectable. And better than S.H.E.I.L.D." Harry replied.


    "Why would you have access to Hammer Industries labs?" Natasha asked.


    Harry smirked. Thanos had been half right when he spoke on Titan about knowledge being a curse. Living with the knowledge of the future and what would happen to the universe in less than a decade sucked most of the time, but other times it was extremely helpful. Like when he knew to siphon money from Hammer''s offshore accounts and use it buy up stocks in Hammer Industries after Stark''s senate hearing.


    "I own the company." He answered. "Well, not me me. But a fake a.d.u.l.t I created. It''s all legal. Except for the fake a.d.u.l.t part."


    "And where''d you get the money to buy a multi-million dollar company like Hammer Industries?" Natasha smirked. "Stane didn''t send that much money."


    "Hammer made a few donations before he started working with a terrorist."


    "I don''t care." Fury said. "If you can do what you say you can, we''ll let you keep Hammer Industries."


    "Guess we''re partners then."


    Fury stood up and held out his hand. "We''re going to do a lot of good things together, Mr. Hansen."


    As always, reviews are welcomed and appreciated!

 Chapter 206 - My CO Stash #6 - Witchy Ways by World Reader (DnDXDCU)

    -Not a SI but a CO fic with Author''s DnD OC transported into the DCU, specifically Gotham City!


    Sypnosis: A Warlock finding his way through the DC Universe. (BL)


    Rated: ???


    Words: 22K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/witchy-ways-dnd-oc-young-justice-dc-universe.830598/ (World Reader)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "I found it!"


    I looked up from my book of the Feywild to see Aliabra Briskey, halfling wizard of divination, student of Archmage Alet Sendref, and all around cheerful mascot drops an ancient tome on top of the desk I was reading out of.


    And on the page closest to me was an ill.u.s.tration of a deck of cards.


    "...The Deck of Many Things?" I read aloud, causing the halfling to nod excitedly.


    "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Super powerful deck of cards, woe and glory befalling all who draw from it, blah blad blah, and we found a full deck!"


    "SHHHHHHHH!" Three hushes came from two directions.


    "Meep! Sorry~"


    I pull the book towards me, reading some of the listed effects of the cards. And wow, were they some cards.


    "We found something pretty dangerous, huh."


    "Try super useful! Imagine if we could get those assholes from Arlania to pick a card!"


    "...It would be fun." I admit, cracking a grin at Alibra''s enthusiasm.


    "And imagine if we drew some of the cards! Wishes!" The short woman was practically vibrating with excitement. "If I could just see it being cast once¡­"


    "We should find the others, talk about this back at the tavern."


    Alibra nods. "Right, right, that makes sense. This is super big after all."


    I grab her hand as she tries to sneak it into my bag. I raise an eyebrow at her.


    "Oh come on! I''m a flipping conwoman, what do you want from me?!"


    That last bit got her a few suspicious glances as she copies down the page and rounds up our party of six from around the halls of the Holy Archives of the ?sir Church.


    ---?


    I glanced around the small circle the Emerald Liones had made, looking at each of my close friends as Alibra explained the deck.


    Ashryn Caijeon, an elvish swordsman(?) from Grengmon, where they(?) attended Sigramarc Military Academy. Androgynous in appearence and demeaner, none of us could tell if they was actually male or female, and we''d long given up on peeking in the bath. Their brown eyes were focused on Alibra, hanging on to our little wizard''s every word.


    Kuch Cragemir, a half-orc axe wielder from Amazeon, the land of the legendary Amazons, born into the matriarchal society after his father had apparently slept with one during one of their mainland excursions. He didn''t quite fit the image of being a half-orc personality wise though. Sure, he was muscular and had small tusks, but he liked cooking and theater just as well as splitting skulls. Though admittedly, his acting skills were a little sub-par when someone made the mistake of having him perform on stage.


    Valan Hek-ma, a beast-kin cleric of Anubis from Zemer, the sandy continent to the south. An excellent conversationalist if you were curious about religion, death, and such lore of the here-after. Apparently, he''d been sent off for some mission or other to find a runaway noble or some business. Kid of someone important, probably. He was cagey about the details, but nobody really cared beyond their descriptions in case we saw them. His brow was furrowed, obviously worried about the power of the deck we''d found in some dude''s crypt. And probably feeling very good about himself with his vocal protest of graverobbing.


    And the last one, besides myself and Alibra, Vilis, the tiefling assassin that we''d befriended after helping her with the assassination of Duke Joseph Swan, a duke in Lospar that was too stuck in his ways to revitalize his territory''s economy. Honestly, we were so lucky that nobody was around to trace our teleportation circle back to Torknir. I was already caught up in fey politics, I did not need human politics to deal with on top of that.


    "So, we gonna sell it?" Vilis asked, her red eyes locked on to the deck.


    "NO, we''re not going to sell it you greedy hell-spawn!" Alibra screeched as she threw a book at our knife-master''s face. "This mystical item can bring about miracles! Alter reality beyond anything we can do with just magic! Wishes!"


    "Who would even buy it? With the sheer danger this thing has on a personal level, wouldn''t it be safer to drop this into the depths of Chary''s Chackles?" Ashryn added in, tilting their head. "I mean, I doubt the Church or the government would be overly happy of shelling out a reward for something like this."


    "And they might end up sacrificing people to use it for their own ends¡­" Kuch said, head tilted to the side. "Archmages are powerful enough weapons of conflict, but with something like this they could wish away an entire army."


    "See! See! So we should draw the cards ourselves, like responsible do-gooders!"


    "This, coming from the woman who wanted to cause a revolt against a baron just because she couldn''t trick him with her stupid ass tarot card readings." I sarcastically replied, leaning back on my hands.


    "Screw you, Adam! That totally would''ve worked if Valan had kept his stupid mouth shut!" She shouted, pointing over-dramatically at the holy man.


    "I merely confirmed what he already knew, Alibra, please calm down so we can discuss what to do with this." Ah, Valan, the ever present calm in our shit show of an adventuring party.


    "...I kinda want to try it." I admit, which caught everyone''s attention. "I mean, a wish might just be able to get me out of my contract with Oberon and keep my magic."


    The group pauses, everyone thinking about it. "Yes!" Except for Alibra at least, who''s doing a little victory dance.


    "Adam, you know that it''s foolish. There''s no way you''d draw the moon card before you got a hold of a bad card. And you heard Alibra, death isn''t the biggest thing at stake here, not if your soul ends up being trapped somewhere in the Outer Planes. Like, we''d never be able to find you." Kuch said, his eyes worried for me.


    "Ahhh, how hard can it be? I mean, I haven''t died yet. I like my odds!" I said with a c.o.c.ky facade. Sure, it was true to an extent, I did have confidence in my luck. But I was nervous. This could go so bad for me¡­ But it was a chance I was willing to take to be free from the fey, to not have Oberon''s orders over my head like a sword at my neck.


    I''ve read what they fey can do, what they can ask of people. No way in any of the Nine Hells.


    "...If this is your choice, I shall not stop you." Valan said, bowing his head. "I only ask that you take caution and draw your cards carefully."


    "...I don''t like this. You''re going to get yourself killed, Adam." Ashryn sighed, their face already one of reluctant acceptance.


    If I didn''t draw my cards in front of them, I''d do it behind their backs and they f.u.c.k.i.n.g knew it.


    "Why not? It''s one hell of a gamble, but I''m not the one on the line." Vilis said, her callous nature showing through once more.


    I smirk, and pick up the Deck of Many Things. I open the deck''s lid.


    "Hey, Adam?"


    I turn to Kuch.


    "It''s been really fun, being your friend. You know, in case you die."


    I snap a finger at him, my Mage Hand flicking his thick forehead. "Bah, watch me, I''m gonna outlive all of you f.u.c.kers."


    And so, I draw three cards.


    Ruin?


    Vizier?


    Rift?


    And then, I am suddenly pulled outside of the body of Adam White, human warlock of Oberon.


    I see myself, blink in shock as the Deck of Many Things disappears with a loud pop.


    "What the actual f.u.c.k¡­" I and myself speak in unison.


    I''m see through. I''m floating. I can see weird things around me, made of glowing lines and energies.


    The Ethereal Plane? Holy shit, was my body being possessed by something?!


    But my body didn''t start speaking abyssal or do anything out of the ordinary. He just blinked and looked into my bag.


    "Where the f.u.c.k just happened?!"


    And with those final words, I''m pulled back from existence, and thrust into the portal my actions had opened.


    ---


    Ruin, the Card of Despair, has taken from you all of your material wealth for your hubris.


    Vizier, the Card of Council, has been given the question, and is in the process of answering them as per its function.


    Rift, the Card of Worlds, has stolen the Deck of Many Things from this plane and sent a possibility of yourself into that which is beyond the Far Realm.


    ---?


    "...Huh. Does that mean I''m a new Adam White?" I ask myself as I reappear into a proper reality, some kind of park it looks like.


    I fall on my back, looking up at the sky. It''s night out, but there don''t seem to be any stars in the sky, which is¡­ worrying.


    I close my eyes, and allow my mystical senses to open, allowing me to perceive the flow of the Weave around me. I''ve studied a bit of magic, not enough to be a proper wizard mind you, but enough to know the general flow that astral bodies and other mystical variables had on it.


    And ignoring the beacons of magic on my person, I felt deep and listened to the background noise of the Weave¡­


    It was different of course. I was apparently in a whole new planar system, which was one hell of a concept within itself, but the nature of the magics still felt familiar enough. And according to what I was feeling, there were still stars.


    And I opened my eyes in tandem with my magical senses, and saw beyond whatever veil was covering them, to reveal a starry night sky. It was beautiful, and new. Stars that I didn''t know, and no familiar constellations in the sky.


    "...I wonder what the local gods are like¡­"


    And so, I stand up, dusting my casual cotton clothes off. Oddly enough, they were devoid of any color¡­


    And I only had my Periapt of Wound Closure and my Spellfire Bracers on me.


    I pat my pocket. I didn''t have my rune stone on me.


    I''m in a place I know absolutely nothing about, nothing but the clothes on my back and two magical items, and I''m a spellcaster without my arcane focus.


    ...Oh gods, I don''t have any money either.


    ---?


    Gotham City, as I''ve learned wasn''t a kind city. Which worked out quite well for me, considering I''d grown up an orphan who stole and lied to get enough money to eat.


    Spell components were being acc.u.mulated in what I would call a half-assed component pouch made of cloth and string tucked away under my jacket. Some sand, a clump of fleece, petals from a rose, and it was all I needed, really. I mean, I''m not a wizard who needs spell components for days to be useful. As long as I had my voice and my hands free, I could cast most of my spells with no problems.


    Like now, as I''m shoplifting while under Greater Invisibility.


    Three sandwiches turned invisible in my hand as I stuffed them into my backpack. Quickly followed by bottles of water and other foodstuff.


    Honestly, the technology of this world was amazing, to be able to do so much while completely denying the existence of magic.


    I''d already scoped out what I''d need while under an illusion, so I was moving quickly through the isles, being careful not to bump into anything.


    Thankfully, these convenience stores are small affairs, with little to no supervision, which was odd. Though, a teenager stuffing his backpack full of food and then disappearing would be too obvious for even the tired receptionists at the front to ignore.


    "Open for me, archway of the fey."


    And with the incantation of Dimension Door softly muttered, I was on the other side of the street, teleporting just as my Greater Invisibility ended to the sidewalk across the street, half a block away.


    Zipping up my bag, and slinging it across my shoulders, I began walking, not daring to look around since that would only make me seem more suspicious.


    After waking up in Gotham City Park, I''ve been living off the streets again, just like my childhood in Valmata. My magic sure made it easier.


    Mage Hand allowed me to distract or test potential pickpocket victims, making sure I stayed clear of anyone aware enough of their clothes and money. Greater Invisibility allowed me to steal from basically wherever I wanted since nobody had any magical defences anywhere.


    As I joined the small crowd at the crosswalk, I quickly threw up a casting of Disguise Self. Blonde hair, blue eyes, less trashy clothes, and a quick pallet swap on my backpack.


    People didn''t look at what you''re face like a lot of people believe. At least, not when they''re looking for you. They look at what you own, what you''re wearing, things like that. And in a bustling metropolis like Gotham, nobody paid any attention about the people around them, too busy with wherever they were going and what they had to do.


    Was I being a bit overly cautious? Of course I was, I''d only stolen a few silv- a few dozen dollars worth of food. But if dealing with the fey had taught me one thing, it was that caution was always necessary when doing business. And thievery, while illegal, was still a business. It''d only take the police, as the guard was called in this world, a few sightings of me to incriminate me if they caught on to my thefts.


    Besides, I''ve stolen quite a lot of stuff other than food, so it was good practice for when I stole other stuff.


    My hand flicks out to the side as I grab the newspaper right off of the stand without anybody seeing.


    Like that.


    I eventually reached a little monument or other. It looked like a six-seven foot Zemerian obelisk, but there weren''t any carvings and I, nor was anyone else it seems, wasn''t remotely interested what the rusty old plaque said about it.


    Still, it was an alcove from the street with benches to eat lunch and rest in.


    ---?


    One hour passes, my trash thrown into the public dumpsters and the newspaper held up so I could read the little piece of ''Batman and Robin''.


    Apparently, there were heroes in this world, but not like the common heroes of myth or even of the adventuring guilds back home. No, these heroes were public and flashy, larger than life, and adored by much of the populace. Honestly, it was interesting that even in this world the forces of good and evil clashed. Perhaps they truly were cosmic forces instead of mere societal constructs¡­


    But the rumors of Batman being a vampire was worrying. But seeing as he has been seen in the daylight, they were probably baseless gossip.


    And apparently, Robin was coming into his own, having been seen with several other junior heroes walking into the headquarters of the ''Justice League'', who seemed to be the prime organization that dealt with uncommon technologies and powers.


    I mean...aliens. Technology that even this world''s advanced technology couldn''t understand. Atlantis was also maybe real?


    All of these odd things, and people still deny magic¡­


    It''s so... weird.


    ---?


    Cla-clic


    "Gimme the necklace, kid. Now."


    Five-six days in, and I''m being mugged. Mugged by a big muscular gang member that has definitely done this before, if the lack of nerves and tattoos are anything to go by.


    I sigh, honestly hoping that I could go a full week on the streets without something like this happening.


    My hands move up to the back of my neck, as though to unlock the clasp, but I was actually pointing a finger at the thug from the base of my neck.


    "Foe."


    The man may have a gun to my head, but playing the defenseless victim always made people like him drop their guards to some degree.


    And so, he died a quick death by my simple cantrip, two spheres of purple energy jumping from my finger to bash his head in.


    The gun went off, but the blow had altered its trajectory enough for it to only hit the side of the alleyway I was using to get to my hideout.


    "How about I keep it and you go to hell?"


    I wonder if I''ve adapted to this odd world a bit too well?


    ---?


    Author''s Note: Those Spellfire Bracers are reskinned Illusionist''s Bracers from the Guildmaster''s Guide to Ravnica. For those who bother to look into it, yeah. Pretty gnarly with all the buffs Warlocks stack on Eldritch Blast.

 Chapter 208 - My CO Stash #8 - Victor Von Doom and the Vibranium Wand by Joe-Kerr (HarryPotterXMCU)

    -Young Victor Von Doom admitted to Hogwarts. Nuff'' said


    *Recently revived fic, was dead for a year!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: ???


    Words: 26K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/victor-von-doom-and-the-vibranium-wand-hp-marvel.515698/#post-33852499 (Joe-Kerr)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Will the wizarding world survive the antics of Victor Von Doom?


    -----------------------------------------


    Chapter 1


    Cynthia Von Doom relaxed in her brand new kitchen sipping from a cup of tea with just a pinch, well alright, a generous amount of scotch. She sat on a chair admiring the modern technological marvel of cooking appliances that surrounded her. She was particularly enthralled by the burnished steel electric oven, and the milky white refrigerator. And of course there was the washing machine, oh marvel of marvels. Which could do by itself what usually took a whole morning of arduous and exhausting effort. The salesman had personally vowed on his own mother''s grave that she''d never have to use a washing board again. Yes it truly was a marvel of luxury and modernity.


    She''d burn it all down in an instant to get her Werner back.


    She fought against the cold icy hand grasping at her heart, threatening to overwhelm her, she had to be strong, if only for Victor.


    The memory of her only child helped dispel the terrible images that her husband''s fate at the hands of the baron conjured. Yet, her gloom mood was exchanged not with calm, but anxiety, when she realized that the boy had been missing for a while now. Where had that rascal gotten to?


    She stood and walked out the kitchen into the house''s backyard, the moment she set foot outside, the sound of power tools coming from her shed, gave away her son''s location.


    She walked towards the rickety structure, initially a mere wooden cupboard for storing tools, it had been expanded by successive additions until it had become a fully functional workshop. Cynthia opened the door and saw the apple of her eye, her eleven year old son, working with a rotary saw on a piece of complex metal tubing.


    "Victor, what are you doing?" she screamed over the din of the power tools.


    The boy gave no indication of having heard, he continued working on the piece of metal he was cutting until he was satisfied with it. He then put down the saw and turned around while removing his safety goggles.


    "Putting the finishing touches on my magnetic containment unit mother." And with that he turned around again, replaced the heavy duty goggles over his eyes and grabbing an acetylene torch, resumed his work. "I expect it to be finished today."


    "Oh okay, just try not to make too much noise, we don''t want the neighbours complaining; again."


    "Science can occasionally be a noisy mistress mother, And I refuse to cater to the whim of simpletons who fail to recognize the sounds of my workshop symbolize the march of progress."


    "Alright Victor, but please, avoid any further explosions this time. I don''t want to deal with the police, again." She said, saddling the last word with a weary tone that was meant to convey just how displeased she would be if that indeed actually happened.


    "I assure you mother, that incident was due to a completely unpredictable error, my calculations were perfectly accurate, the detonation was the result of faulty manufacturing processes over which I had no control."


    "Ok Victor, just, don''t lose yourself in your work, we''re having tea in an hour. Don''t make me come fetch you," and because the universe has somewhat of an unhealthy fetish for rules of three she finished the sentence with another, "again."


    "Don''t worry mother, I expect to be done within that time period." the boy said while soldering the metal tubing before him.


    Cynthia sighed and after closing the workshop''s door walked back to the kitchen. The boy could be a handful, but there was no denying his intelligence. What had that doctor called it, a ''polymath'' was it? Whatever the term, Victor was a gifted child, before he was two he''d taught himself to read and now he was devouring college level textbooks about things called ''kwon-tum'' physics and mechanical engineering and anything else he could lay his hands on from the public library.


    And he was always building things, tinkering with whatever caught his fancy. At first it had been cute, he''d been working with gears and clockwork, it had seemed harmless enough and she''d encouraged him buying him a set of precision screwdrivers and the like. He''d been four then. Now Victor was working with bubbling chemicals and power tools and blowtorches and it didn''t seems so harmless anymore.


    She sat and resumed sipping her tea. How far away their old life seemed now. The days of travelling through the Latverian countryside on their wagons with the rest of their roma family. It seemed to her like memories of days long gone by.


    It hadn''t even been two years since they had been forced to flee Latveria from their failed insurrection against the baron. Her husband Werner had been arrested and identified as one of the leaders of the revolution and the baron had sworn to make all of his family suffer. Cynthia and her son had to flee their homeland, skulking through the border at night like criminals, which to the baron eyes they pretty much were. After a few months of wandering through Europe they''d finally found asylum in England.


    It had been hard at first, settling down, finding a place for them. Money was hard to come by, but Cynthia Von Doom was a strong willed and resourceful woman, and beyond even that, she had some unusual abilities which she was able to monetize after a period of time.


    For you see, Cynthia Von Doom was a witch of unusual power and talent.


    Not that she really needed her powers, she''d used them at first, a mental suggestion here, a seemingly coincidental occurrence there. Once she''d gotten the ball rolling, word of mouth had gotten around and made her mysterious gipsy fortune-telling business a success. She told her customers vague prophecies over a crystal ball and sold colored water as love potions to lovesick men and women.


    Well there was a little bit of magic involved, like that time he''d seen a glimpse of Mr. Flax injury, in the tea leaves of the cup he''d offered him (the crystal ball was bunk, the tea leaves was were the real fortune telling was at, but it was expected of her to have a crystal ball, so she obliged), and advised him to take a few days on holiday leave, which saved him from losing a limb when a piece of heavy machinery malfunctioned at work. Or the salve she made for poor old Henry Bailey, who suffered from a most insidious and itchy rash. Admittedly the salve had very little magic just a mixture of some herbs concocted under moonlight. But it still worked better than anything he could buy at the pharmacist.


    Which had brought her into direct conflict with the British Ministry of Magic. Apparently, her little rash salve and other little things she made were magical enough to be considered a breach of the statute of secrecy. The accusations were ludicrous of course, but she happened to be a real witch, and she was telling the muggles'' face that she was doing magic, even if technically there was no real magic involved. Things started to get heated and it seemed like she was going to face deportation. Until the night one of those death eater cultists decided to sneak in Cynthia''s neighbourhood with plans of executing a massive muggle culling in the name of his Dark Lord. After she was finished with him, what was left of the idiot had a new Dark Mistress to fear.


    After the incident, the ministry had no desire to bring attention to the embarrassing incompetence of their aurors. So they cut Cynthia a deal. They would turn a blind eye on her gipsy fortune telling schtick and she wouldn''t go to the press with her story of how an immigrant witch had stopped on her own and without a wand a much feared death eater and prevented a muggle massacre while the aurors sat on their thumbs.


    She was finishing her tea when she heard the flap of wings approaching her kitchen, and she grimaced. Probably another letter from the ministry, those busybodies just couldn''t let it go and had resolved to make her life as bureaucratically difficult as possible.


    To her surprise it wasn''t the usual owl, but a large tawny one that landed on one of the kitchen chairs before handing over its letter. She took the letter then gave the bird of prey a piece of chicken gizzard she kept in the fridge for just such occasions. The owl hooted in appreciation before taking flight and leaving the way it came.


    She looked at the letter and was dismayed when she saw who sent it.


    "Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Oh no!" she cried as she read the parental notice informing her that having become a registered resident, she was now subject to the same rights and privileges as any native wizards. Including of course her child''s education. The letter informed her in a gentle and friendly manner how now that her son was about to come of age, he was eligible to start his magical training at Hogwarts. The rest of the letter went on to describe the many benefits of attending such a prestigious institution but Cynthia didn''t bother reading it. It was all a load of crap to her. All of a sudden the memories from her 3 years spent at Durmstrang, before she dropped out and never looked back, came back in full force. She had hated every minute of it, the s.e.xism from being one of the very few girls there, the constant harassment from being a ''filthy mudblood'', the casual way dark magic was treated and last but not least, the constant cold, chilling her bones everyday. If Hogwarts was anything similar she had no intention of sending her only child to such a place.


    Plus, the idea of what a fully trained Victor could do with a wand scared her.


    No she would not send her only son to a boarding school hundred of miles away so that he could learn to wave around a fancy stick and transmogrify people''s hair into worms. He was much better home, with her, learning science from the library books and¡­


    She was interrupted from her contemplations when a frantic Victor entered the Kitchen as if the devil himself was at his heels.


    "Mum, take cover!"


    Cynthia knew something was terribly wrong when he''d called her mum. He only did that when he was too nervous to feel embarrassed by the term. She remained sitting on her chair, perplexed, as Victor ran towards and tackled her to the ground.


    A moment later a massive flash of light followed by a surge of incredible heat struck against kitchen walls from the outside. The noise from the deflagration arrived a split second later and the windows shattered under the force of the shockwave. The explosion left her rattled for a few seconds until she collected her bearings enough to sit up and ask her son.


    "Victor, was that your workshop?"


    "Uhm well mum¡­ you see; there seems to have been some sort of problem with the magnetic containment unit of my homemade fusion reactor. Quite fascinating really¡­"


    On second thought, a boarding school hundreds of miles away didn''t seem so bad right now.


    "What am I being punished for?"


    "Victor, you''re not being punished for anything, this is a great opportunity for you."


    "I am not an idiot mother."


    Cynthia pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Okay Victor, if you must know; you made a miniature sun in our backyard and then it exploded."


    "I told you that wasn''t my fault, the ferromagnetic qualities of the steel tubing used for the containment unit weren''t up to specifications. The magnetic field destabilized and¡­"


    "Victor, stop! You built the dam¡­ darned thing, it was your responsibility. Even if the equipment you used wasn''t up to par, it still was your fault, you should have checked it more thoroughly."


    Victor mumbled something about philistines getting in the way of progress and Cynthia sighed tiredly. She knelt down to look her son in the eye.


    "Victor listen, consider this as an opportunity, I know how bored you get at school, I know you were frustrated because I didn''t want to send you to university yet. I was afraid of what it''d be like for you with such a large age difference. But look at it this way. You''re going to be learning magic with children your own age."


    "Children my own age are stupid mother."


    "Everybody''s stupid compared to you Victor." she leaned forward and hugged her little boy as she kissed him on the cheeks. He made an embarrassed face at first, only to return the hug a few seconds later.


    "Just promise me, no more thermonuclear experiments when you''re there ok?"


    Victor made a face as if she was asking him to cut off his own foot with a rusty knife. But still promised her mother in the end.


    "Good now get on that train, and have a great time at school dear."


    Victor walked pulling his school trunk behind him. Towards the steam locomotive waiting at platform 9 and three quarters that would carry the students to the Hogwarts school of magic. Cynthia kept waving all the way until he disappeared from her view through one of the train''s doors. She dabbed at her eyes with a hankie.


    "First time to Hogwarts dear?" asked a plump woman with a kindly face who had noticed her rather emotional state.


    "Yes."


    The woman smiled reassuringly. "Don''t worry dear, Hogwarts is a great school, the teachers will take great care of him, No need to worry over your boy."


    "Oh I''m not worried about him." Cynthia replied "I''m worried about everyone else."


    ------------------------------------------


    Ok, here it is. I do hope you''ve enjoyed it.


    Now, full disclosure, I have no idea where to go with this. Aside from wanting it focus on humour I haven''t decided anything else yet. Not even decided what time period to set it in. I''m still choosing between whether to set this fic in the same time period as the original Potter books, make Doom go to school with the marauders during Voldemort''s ascendancy. Or even the time period of his original marvel incarnation, which would set it in the early 50''s.


    Any suggestions and ideas are welcome.

 Chapter 209 - My SI Stash #9 - Rockets Exterminator by BANIX (Pokemon)

    -Remember that SI Volkner Gym Leader fic? Well the author (BANIX) made 2 more fics; this time one is SI as a Rocket Spy the other being a Ranger. This the darkest Pokemon fic I''ve read to date, all of his SI Pokemon fics seems to/will be connected too! Check it out~


    Sypnosis: To borrow a quote I remember from my previous life, "I''m the best there is at what I do, but what I do isn''t very nice". Right or wrong. Good or evil. None of that matter. I am the Rocket''s Exterminator; it is my job to exterminate any and all threats to the organisation. But what I truly want, is to exterminate Team Rocket themselves. For that, I will wait. (Reincarnated OC)


    Rated: M


    Words: 59K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13469959/1/Rocket-s-Exterminator (BANIX)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0-3 (exceptional)


    Author''s Notes:


    I had always wanted to write a pokemon story from a villain''s POV and I had this idea a long time ago, even long before I wrote The Sun of Sunyshore, but I put it on hold because back then I was unable to come up with the vital pieces of it that makes this story believable. Villain teams are a crucial aspect of the pokemon lore no matter which version of the game you play, and I don''t particularly fancy stories that basically shows the mc giving a good ass-whooping to every villain team they see simply because they are the bad guys. People turn to crime for a variety of reasons. Some of them are understandable, some of them are not. I just want to explore that possibility a little more in this story in a universe where pokemon are real.


    ALERT!


    Due to the nature of the plot of this story, which obviously is Team Rocket, I would like to warn that you might be uncomfortable with certain elements that are explored in here. The premise of this story is definitely a lot darker than what I usually write.


    You have been warned.


    This story was heavily inspired by a fanmade pokemon game that was a rework of the Firered edition, ''Firered Rocket edition'' by colonelsalt (correct me if I am wrong). I am a big fan of playing fanmade roms, hack or not, because I am able to enjoy the pokemon experience that is different from the official games and there is literally a whole new world for me to discover out there. There are some of these games that are extremely good, like Pokemon Florasky, Pokemon Light Platinum, Pokemon Glazed, etc etc. For those who are new to the idea of fanmade games, I heavily recommend Florasky for those who wants to try these games out. It is easy to understand and play for a beginner, but at the same time not losing the challenge and the magical experience that made pokemon, pokemon.


    I don''t know how many of you had played the game, but Firered Rocket edition is the best Team Rocket game I had ever played because it really allows you to steal pokemon like a true Rocket and advance through the ranks of the organisation. The plot of the game is extremely well crafted and is not just a pure ''steal pokemon simply because I can'' kind of game. Sadly, the game was never completed as far as I am aware, but in honour of the creator of Firered Rocket edition, certain elements of this story was inspired by the game which he had created.


    And if somehow, by sheer luck, if colonelsalt reads this, whoever you are, I just want you to know that I am a big fan of your game. Even if you never got around to completing it, I would like to thank you for creating such a wonderful game that centres around Team Rocket. This story is dedicated to you because it was your game that inspired me to write this story. Hopefully, this story can live up to the success of what your game had achieved.


    To everyone who read till this point, I hope you will enjoy this story.


    Chapter 1


    It is the thing that nobody tells you about, but everyone knows that it is there if they lived in the area long enough.


    Deep within the slums of Fuchsia, there is a dingy looking bar whose interior is lit with flickering lightbulbs connected to an outdated electrical generator via exposed and frayed wires. A gruff old man manages the place, serving shoddy drinks to their regular customers. Very often, these people are the lowest of the lowest, thugs and criminals with little to no morals. His job isn''t to question it, all he needs to do is to do his job and minding his own business.


    And if someone happens to know the secret passcode of the week and pays enough cash under the table, he will discreetly lead them to the door at the back. A door with a faded poster advertising about the Pokemon League Tournament 70 years ago. A door that when opened, shows a flight of stairs leading down to an underground bas.e.m.e.nt.


    It is where the biggest underground pokemon tournament in Fuchsia takes place. It is a popular choice for many of the criminals of the underworld because of the amount of cash that flows in and out of the area, all of them coming from questionable sources and exchanged through shady hands. It is a frequent spot for anyone who wants to get involved in underground betting, something that is very much illegal in Kanto and around the world. It''s not just the betting that is popular. This place is also home to prostitution, trafficking, and all sorts of shady dealings that rakes in a staggering amount of revenue for the criminal gang that controls this area, Marowak Skull.


    In terms of size, Marowak Skull is not as large as other notable gangs or groups that made their homes in Kanto. Certainly not as large as their main rival, Team Rocket. However, when it comes to influence, almost every illegal dealing in the south of Kanto is somehow related to them. They have a finger in almost every pie as long as it is illegal and within their territory. People view them as the underground group that keeps Team Rocket in check, who is steadily growing stronger day by day with their influence reaching even Johto. Even the police turn a blind eye to their deeds sometimes, because checks and balances must be maintained. If one criminal group grew strong enough to usurp the other, it will not be good news for them. Better to have two groups of equal strength to keep each other in check, to let them fight their dirty battles with each other in the shadows. From a broader perspective, it will be easier to maintain the peace in Kanto using this method because the two groups would be too busy tearing each other''s throats out to focus on expanding their influence properly.


    Unfortunately for the police, Team Rocket is already strong enough to crush Marowak Skull by themselves. It was just waiting for the right opportunity.


    There was a similarity between both criminal groups. Both groups had first started to grow in power by expanding from the town which they made their main base in before they start to assimilate other criminal gangs into their fold. Using their own power, they defeated rival gangs for territory and resources, coercing the defeated party to join them. It is how many notable criminal groups in Kanto first grow in strength. For Marowak Skull, their main hideout is in Fuschia. For Team Rocket, their secret base is located in Celedon. As to where exactly they are located, no one had a clue, but everyone knew that it is there. The one thing that everybody knew to stay clear of are the gang fights that results from the process of assimilating one group into another. These fights are often bloody and the police always arrive a little too late. It is dangerous, but such is a way of life for the people living in their cities'' slums. All they can do is to get used to it.


    The days of glory for Marowak Skull came to an end when a boy in his late teens, looking close to an a.d.u.l.t but definitely not one, made his way into the underground betting ring, where spectators are cheering for their favourite competitor. A machamp is fighting it out with a snarling arcanine in a deathmatch. The deathmatch is the highlight which makes underground fights so different from the ones approved of by the Indigo League. In these underground matches, the price of victory is the death of your opponents. It provides a form of exhilaration that you cannot find anywhere else.


    When the boy signed up to be a competitor, people only gave him curious looks. The looks didn''t last long. In the underworld, your age doesn''t matter. No one will question such trivial matters as long as you are able to produce results.


    And the boy''s results were stellar.


    No one expected for a boy not yet a man to be so good at pokemon battling. By the fourth hour he is there, he is on a winning streak with ten wins already under his belt. He is the dark horse, the star of the day. Many gamblers lost their money to the few who were either lucky or smart enough to bet on the boy. The boy''s hydreigon destroyed any pokemon that it had faced. It is an unstoppable force.


    The scary part was that a hydreigon was all the boy used in his rise to fame.


    "And the eleventh match for Jose! Jose versus Striker! Place your bets, everyone! Who will win? Jose''s unbeatable hydreigon or our long-time favourite, Striker''s Kingdra! This is a one-on-one battle, folks! The grand prize of 1,000,000 pokedollars may very well be yours the moment you place your bets!"


    Jose is definitely not the boy''s real name. Nobody uses their real names when doing dirty work in the underworld, you have to be very foolish to do so. Striker, a man in his late thirties, is on the other side of the arena sitting down on a stool. His monster of a kingdra floated by his side. Like the announcer said, he is a popular favourite among the regulars here. The odds are against the boy, no matter how stellar his results may be. Striker''s strength was also what convinced Marowak Skull to hire him as their own personal hitman, and he proved himself useful to his employer on many occasions. Many police officers had died in the line of duty when Striker was sent out to ensure that Marowak Skull''s interests are protected.


    The boy''s winning streak will most likely be put to a stop here.


    It was one of the most brutal battles ever fought in the ring with the crowd chanting for their favourites from the side lines. The two dragons tore off each other''s scales and blasted condensed beams of energy at each other that could have put a clean hole through any pokemon less hardy than them. There isn''t a hint of sanity seen in Jose''s hydreigon. What Jose have on his hands is a bloodthirsty dragon that will do anything to ensure that its foe stay down. Striker''s kingdra is no pushover, but the hydreigon is certified insane even by the standards set by Striker himself, not hesitating to inflict damage on itself if it means inflicting the same damage onto his kingdra. The Draco Meteor that the hydreigon had fired proved his point. Hydreigon had bodily grabbed kingdra to ensure its Draco Meteor find its mark, even if it means taking an equal amount of damage for itself. It is a suicidal way of battling.


    To those with a sharp eye and an even keener mind for pokemon battles, it comes as no surprise to them that the hydreigon managed to kill Striker''s kingdra eventually, even if the hydreigon was barely standing on its legs when the battle had ended.


    The crowd roared at the display. Someone had done the impossible and defeated the strongest pokemon of Marowak Skull''s strongest hitman. A boy about half of Striker''s age had done it. Striker was shoved to the side as important figures in the underworld all went up to congratulate the stoic boy for his win. Everyone wants to know who he is and whether he is interested to work for them. No one paid any attention to the defeated man, which is not a surprise to anyone in the bas.e.m.e.nt. This is the underworld. The moment you outlived your usefulness, it''s over for you.


    The boy was hired by the highest bidder, Marowak Skull, on the spot, with benefits and monetary rewards far greater than what Striker was promised when the man first joined Marowak Skull. No one saw Striker after that day, but no one paid him any mind. He was most likely silently culled by his previous employer after his loss. There''s no need to keep a tool that had outlived its usefulness. The most logical step to take will be to dispose of it to prevent the group''s secrets from leaking out.


    Little did anyone know, Marowak Skull''s seemingly wise decision to hire the boy would be the start of their downfall.


    It wasn''t obvious at first, but by the time half a year had passed after the boy joined the group, Marowak Skull started to see a decline in revenue. Their clients are starting to stop using their services, turning their heads to their rival gang, Team Rocket, instead. By the time a year had passed, Marowak Skull was starting to panic. Team Rocket seemed to know their every move, their every secret, and the entire list of clients that they have. Team Rocket offer the same, or better services to Marowak Skull''s clients. These clients are gradually drawn to the services provided by Team Rocket. Marowak Skull''s services are no longer needed.


    When Marowak Skull finally connected the dots, that Jose was likely a double agent sent by Team Rocket to steal their secrets, they mobilised their entire force to kill the boy to make a statement.


    They ended up helping Team Rocket to make a statement instead when their entire force was decimated by Jose. No one knows how he did it since there weren''t any survivors and all video footage caught on security cameras were somehow wiped clean. The only thing that everyone knows is that Team Rocket has a skilled trainer and an even better spy in their ranks. Just one day after the attack on Jose, every known base of Marowak Skull was somehow destroyed with its leader''s corpse on display at the front of its hideout. It didn''t take a genius to figure out that Team Rocket had finally decided to act.


    Marowak Skull became history.


    The boy faded back into the shadows after that. No one knew his real name and they are starting to doubt that he will ever come back. Disguises are a common way to hide your appearance in the underworld. All they can look out for is that monster of a hydreigon which he commands, which disappeared with its trainer.


    With no proper name to call him by, the underworld took to referring Team Rocket''s double agent as "Rocket''s Exterminator", referencing to the fact that the boy was instrumental to Team Rocket''s plan to exterminate Marowak Skull from the underworld. As far as they knew, the boy was never seen again.


    Those with a greater understanding of how the underworld works knew better. The boy who is not yet a man is still out there, acting on Team Rocket''s orders. He is merely acting under another identity, under another face, waiting to strike again when the order is given.


    Rocket''s Exterminator is still out there hunting for his next prey.


    AN: Here''s officially presenting the oc that will be representing the Kanto region in the upcoming pokemon fics that I will be making, tying into the same world as the rest of my pokemon fics. I personally like the idea of this fic a lot, but that''s just me. I will try not to make this story too angsty.


    Hope you guys enjoy this story thus far.


    Name: ?


    Known affiliation: Team Rocket, Marowak Skull (disbanded)


    Pokemon Team:


    1. Hydreigon


    2. ?


    Chapter 2


    "From today onwards, you are Operative 2046, Code Name: Gengar. You don''t have a name, because you don''t need one."


    Why am I here, again?


    "You have only one purpose, to maintain the peace of Indigo at all costs."


    Why should I? Don''t I have a say on whether I want to do it?


    "You don''t exist. People might say this is abuse, this is inhumane, but this is necessary."


    Really?


    "All of you are the unsung heroes of Indigo. Without you, millions of Indigo citizens might not be able to enjoy the peace they are experiencing today. They don''t know you and they will never know what you did for them, but that doesn''t mean we aren''t important."


    I should have just stayed dead.


    "We will pair you into twos, that person will be your partner for your lifetime."


    This is even worse than child labour in my previous world. At least child labour gets paid.


    "Hi! My name''s Jane! Operative 2043 Code name: Pikachu, at your service! It''s nice to meet you, partner! What''s your name?"


    Why is she so cheery? Doesn''t she know what our job entails? There is a near 100% mortality rate for this job.


    "You don''t have a name? That is unacceptable! What? The instructors didn''t pick a name for you? WHY?! I will give you one then! I won''t accept any objections!"


    Yeah, her name''s Jane, the little cheery tyrant. This is how she looks like. This is how her voice sounds like. I remember now. I missed it.


    I missed her.


    "This is my gastly! And this is houndour! Wait, oh right! I''m supposed to give you a name! Uh... we can''t use it in the instructors'' presence because we are supposed to use our assigned numbers, so¡­ it will be our little secret? A secret only known by the two of us! Yay!"


    She really is a ball of sunshine. Why is she involved in this child spy business? She''s not suited for this job.


    "Hmm¡­ what about¡­ AHH! Why is it so hard to think of a name?!"


    Name? Is that important? I cannot even remember what I used to be called and it feels kind of¡­ empty. Heh, I''m supposed to be the a.d.u.l.t here, right? At least in mind. Why am I so bothered about this?


    "Since we are partners, our name should be a matching pair! Your name needs to start with J! And then followed by A! But what boy''s names starts with ''JA''? Hey, get me a dictionary so we can start picking out names already! Huh, you are telling me there''s no dictionary for names?"


    Maybe we could make one in the future.


    "That''s it! I thought of the perfect name! Your name will be ''Jayce''! Jane and Jayce! We are going to be the most kickass operatives ever! The Twin Js! ¡­ What do you mean ''Jayce'' sounds weird?! I don''t care! I won''t accept any objections!"


    I remember that it felt kind of weird, that this name is mine to call yet not mine at the same time. But¡­ it felt kind of nice that I''m more than just a number in the Indigo Government''s database. Why am I relieving all of this again?


    Where am I?


    "Urgh, training''s tough. I think the stupid instructors broke a bone or something¡­ Huh? For me? Thanks Jayce! You are a lifesaver!"


    Yeah, she''s always like this. Getting herself hurt because her heart is too big. She''s too kind to be living in this dark environment. She will get herself killed one day.


    "Hey, Jayce. Do you have a dream?"


    If I had one, I had forgotten about it. I barely remembered anything. My knowledge of this world wasn''t a lot to begin with and most of it is not applicable anymore. I never expected this world to be this dark. Come to think of it, she is my only source of light here. The only one who treated me as more than Operative 2046, Code Name: Gengar.


    "My dream? I love singing. I want to be able to sing one day in front of a large crowd. Hey, you can be my guitarist!"


    Guitar? I think I remembered a little of how to play it from my past life.


    "Pssssssst! Look! I got you a guitar! Come on, Jayce, play it! ¡­ What do you mean you don''t know what to play? You said you knew how to play the guitar, right?! Everyone else''s asleep and they can''t hear us anyway! Just play something!"


    I remember that my fingers were clumsy, my rhythms were off, my notes were out of tune because I had forgotten to tune the guitar even before I started playing it, but at that point in time, I was happy. It was the happiest moment of my life because I found something that makes me, me. It''s like I found a piece of my lost identity.


    "What song is that? It''s pretty nice! Can you teach me?"


    What song? It just came naturally to me, what was the title again? All¡­ of you? No, wrong name. All of me. Yeah, that was the name. Who sang it again? Jon¡­ Jonny? Johnny Bravo? No, definitely not that. John¡­ John Legend. Yeah, that should be his name.


    "John Legend? Who''s that? How did you know such a guy anyway? I thought you had lived here almost your whole life? Never mind that, teach me!"


    I remember hoping that I remembered all the lyrics perfectly.


    "''Cause all~ of me, Loves all~ of you, Love your curves and all your edges~ All your perfect imperfections~ WAIT. Is this a love song? And you sang them to me?! Jayce! Did you just make a love confession to me?!"


    I have no answer to that. The only thing I remembered was that her voice was really nice. I like it when she sings.


    "You know, someday when we finally got out of this whole spy-on-criminal-organisations thing, we should totally go and be singers! You can be my guitarist, composer, lyricist, arranger, whatever whatever all in one! And I will be the lead singer! Gastly and houndour can be the¡­ dancers? Can they even dance? And if we need more people, we can create our own band! I know! We can call ourselves the ''Twin Js''! Yeah, that''s what we are going to be in the future! I won''t accept any objections!"


    I wanted to say: ''The only way out of this is death, Jane.'' But I remembered holding my tongue because I don''t want to dash her na?ve hopes. There''s no way we are going to get out of this alive. How many instructors had come and go? How many returned?


    Zero returned.


    Once we get sent out, we will never come back again.


    The only way out is death. That is our life as spies. It''s unfair. I didn''t ask to be one. Neither did she. She was just an orphan taken out of the orphanage on the pretence of getting adopted by another set of parents, only to find herself here.


    "That settles it! When we finish all this mumbo jumbo spy crap, we will take the world by storm! We will be the best band EVEEEEERRR!"


    And somehow, I never doubted that she can. That means the only thing in the way of her dream is our line of work that was forced upon us. I need to make sure that she survives. I already had a chance in living, even if I had no clear recollection of it. She¡­ This is her first chance.


    She deserves to live.


    "I can''t believe it, Jayce! We got in! They never suspected a thing! Now we are a part of Team Rocket! Infiltration success!"


    Our first assignment: infiltrate into Team Rocket by posing as homeless and desperate orphans. Convince them to take you in by showing your worth to them, that no one will miss you even if you die in the middle of nowhere. Team Rocket thrives by taking advantage of the people at the bottom of the social ladder, giving them the essentials they need for survival in exchange for their loyalty. These people are often too desperate and more than willing to risk their lives just to grasp at a chance for survival. Such people form the main force of Team Rocket. This is no longer a fictional world you see through your Gameboy.


    This is now reality. Children are often their favourite targets. Too young, too na?ve, too gullible, too easy, too eager to please the a.d.u.l.ts that had saved them from a fate worse than death. Too easy to manipulate them, to shape them into their liking.


    Just like what the Indigo Government did to us.


    This is the reality of the Kanto region. The reality that nobody sees or chose not to see.


    "A vulpix! So cute and fluffy! SQUEEEEEEEE! Can I hug it? Can I hug it? Pleasepleasepleaseplease-"


    We were talking in harsh whispers in the dead of the night, afraid of waking any Rocket grunts up. It was the night when my starter came into this world from an egg. We wanted to give it a name. She wanted to name vulpix and I wouldn''t have an issue with it, but we are now officially members of Team Rocket.


    To Team Rocket, pokemon are just tools. Tools don''t need names. It felt ironic. To Team Rocket, pokemon are tools. To the Indigo, nameless orphans are their tools.


    Which one of them is evil?


    I don''t know.


    I don''t know what is right and wrong anymore.


    They all look the same to me.


    "J-Jayce?"


    I had never seen her so scared before.


    "T-They just found out about 2035 and 2072. T-They are¡­ gone."


    They were the last pair that had infiltrated into Team Rocket, just like us. Team Rocket had gotten wind of Indigo spies infiltrating their ranks a few years back and they had been doing a nice job in slowly weeding out the moles. I don''t know how they did it, they just did.


    "I-I''m scared¡­ We are the only ones left."


    I''m scared too. We are the only ones left. I don''t want to die.


    More importantly, I don''t want her to die.


    "What do we do?"


    I don''t know. There''s nowhere to run, nowhere to go. Abandoning this mission will spell certain death. The Government will definitely track us down to silence us for failing the mission, our existence must be kept secret at all costs due to the damage it will inflict on their reputation and image if their unethical practice got found out. Their secret group of child spies can never, ever, be revealed and they will take every measure to ensure that it stays this way.


    I have no idea why they think using child spies is critical in protecting Indigo''s safety. I never understood the rationale. I don''t even know how they managed to make the whole child spies business work in the first place. Team Rocket will also undoubtedly kill us in the most morbid way possible if they ever discover our identity, just to make a statement.


    We have literally nowhere to go. Both the light and the dark will hunt us down if we pulled out of this.


    What do we do?


    "J-Jayce?"


    I remember her body trembling; her beautiful voice was shaking. She''s shaken, she''s scared. She hugged me and she doesn''t want to let go. We don''t want to be separated from each other. She doesn''t want to die a gruesome death.


    "I-If I got found out one day, can you kill me personally? Make it swift. I-I don''t want to suffer like 2035 and 2072. T-They died so s-slowly t-that.. I¡­ J-Just promise me, okay? I-I won''t accept any objections!"


    I can only agree. I tried to reassure her that everything will be okay. I don''t know who I am trying to convince, me or her. At that point, I just want to see her smile again.


    I never thought that I would have to uphold that promise.


    "AH! Let me go!"


    "Finally caught you, traitor!"


    "Who is this?"


    "E-Executive Archer!"


    "Just answer my question."


    "She''s a traitor! She has been selling our secrets to the League!"


    "Oh really?"


    I remembered my heart stopped, my breathing hitched, my body going cold when I saw the grunts dragging her into the lobby. She struggled against her captors and they were pinning her down so that she cannot release her pokemon from their pokeballs. I never knew how she was found out. She''s never suited for this life, but she was good at her job. They dragged her in, a young girl, the same age as me at sixteen-years-old, right in front of the lobby of our secret base where the entire Team Rocket forces stationed in Fuchsia was gathered to see the execution.


    Archer wanted to use her death to make a statement.


    Team Rocket doesn''t tolerate traitors.


    I wanted to act immediately. I wanted to save her, fight and claw our way out of here, screw the League and screw the Rockets, consequences be damned. However, my body suddenly froze and she beat me to the punch. She always did. For once, I really wished that she doesn''t have such a quick reaction time.


    "PLAGUE! I HATE YOU! HOW CAN YOU BETRAY ME! I UNDERESTIMATED YOUR LOYALTY TO TEAM ROCKET!"


    Plague, that is the name people call me by in Team Rocket. Nobody uses their real name here, it would be foolish to do so in the underworld. We all go by codenames.


    "IF IT WASN''T FOR YOU-"


    It was a story she spun on the spot although I cannot remember what she screamed to the crowd from where she was being forcefully prostrated. I just remembered that it was a story so convincing that everyone believed it. I knew immediately what she was trying to do. She knew her death was inevitable, and she wanted to get the most out of the situation.


    If she cannot survive this, then she would use her death to solidify my standing in Team Rocket. At the very least, my chances for survival will increase.


    She wants me to continue spying on Team Rocket and rise up through their ranks to complete the secret mission we were given.


    She wants me to continue to live on.


    I will be the last spy sent by the Indigo Government left in Team Rocket, because any other spies that were sent in with us had all gotten their covers blown somehow. The Government are still investigating why that happened, but that doesn''t change the fact that the Indigo Government can only now rely on the spies left that is already within the criminal organisation. That was me and Jane.


    Now, it''s only me.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, today, I will execute a traitor! Let this be known to you! Who gave you warm food and clean clothes when you had nowhere else to go? Who gave you a paying job when the Indigo League and the Government were useless f.u.c.ks who don''t give two shits about you? WHO gave you a roof over your heads and the power to do whatever you want? TEAM ROCKET! You should be grateful for our generosity! Drill this into the little brains of yours! Team Rocket will never, ever, TOLERATE TRAITORS!"


    I remembered my promise to her when I saw how her eyes betrayed what she really wanted. And even when I was shaking on the inside, I gathered the courage to stand in front of the crowd. They started murmuring as they recognised who I am, the one who ''ratted out'' the traitor.


    The Traitor Slayer. The Executioner. The Exterminator. That was what I will be known as after that fateful day.


    I saw her eyes widened momentarily for a split second before it softened when I walked to the front. Then she continued to put up her act. Screaming herself hoarse, thrashing violently in her captor''s grasp, accusing me of being a mindless dog working for Team Rocket and that she would not have gotten herself caught if it wasn''t for me. Executive Archer didn''t stop me. He just watched on as if he was watching a very interesting show.


    I gave her the last gift I could as her friend.


    I gave her mercy.


    It was quick. The training given to me as a member of Team Rocket had been so ingrained in me. All it took was a flick of the wrist for my dagger to be out of its holster before I slit her throat. She wasn''t expecting the sudden action. No one was expecting me to react this way without any prior warning.


    It was a quick, clean kill. A mercy considering what Team Rocket is known to do to those it deems are their enemies.


    Her look was one of surprise, but there was no mistaking the words she mouthed to me before she drowned in her own blood, gurgling uncontrollably for a few seconds before going still. Only I saw it.


    ''Thank you, Jayce.''


    "GLORY TO TEAM ROCKET!"


    I shouted those words and held up my bloodied dagger, still dripping with her blood, in an attempt to force my tears back. I don''t want her sacrifice to be in vain. I don''t want them to spot my shaking legs and find anything suspicious in my behaviour, I need to redirect their attention to elsewhere.


    "GLORY TO TEAM ROCKET! GLORY TO TEAM ROCKET! GLORY TO TEAM ROCKET!"


    They started to chant. My mind was still in a blur, watching her now still and lifeless body lying there on the floor. Her eyes are glazed over and are still open. It doesn''t suit her. It''s not supposed to be there. She was always so full of life.


    I remember Archer giving me a promotion right there, on the spot, for my ''wonderful performance''.


    Wonderful performance indeed. Even I fooled myself. I should have been an actor rather than a singer.


    The crowd dispersed the moment Archer left. No one gave a second glance in her direction. I stood there, dazed. It was only when someone wanted to move her body out of the way did I react.


    "I will handle this."


    The least I can do now is to not let anyone desecrate her body.


    I carried her in my arms gently, bridal style, arms shaking, when I was the only one left in the empty lobby. I silently exited through the back door of our hideout, the exit I know that rarely anyone uses.


    No one would look for me if I was only gone for half an hour. Half an hour, that is all the time I have to grieve for her, my only friend which I had killed with my own two hands. Half an hour before people gets suspicious of my disappearance.


    "Exeggutor. Teleport to Viridian Forest."


    She said the only thing she remembered was that her hometown was at Azalea in Johto. She loved the forest there. There''s no way I can reach there from Fuchsia in half an hour, but Viridian Forest should be good enough for her. I know she will understand. She always does.


    I laid her down gently on the ground in an isolated hidden spot in Viridian Forest, far away from anything and everything else. She deserves some peace and quiet after what she had to live through. I took her pokeballs, only two of them, because she never got around to getting more pokemon on her team for whatever reasons. I suspected that she doesn''t want to add more pokemon to her team only to possibly lose them later. Our line of work is dangerous and she doesn''t like the idea of losing something she cares about. Haunter and houndoom howled in rage and sorrow when I released them and they saw her dead body.


    "I-I''m s-sorry."


    I remembered breaking down and apologising profusely. To whom, I don''t know.


    Haunter and houndoom mourned beside me. They understood. I had to do what I did because her end would be a lot worse if someone else did the execution. Jane and I had discussed it before. If one of us dies, the other would take care of their pokemon. Our pokemon knows about this arrangement that we had for them.


    I will take care of them the best as I can.


    Time was running out. We quickly gathered a large pile of dried leaves and twigs, me and our pokemon. We made a bed for her with it, and also piled some of them over her. We tried to make it as comfortable as possible for her.


    I closed her eyes shut gently, cleaned off whatever blood I could. I combed through her dark brown hair with my fingers one last time, wiping away the blood on it. With shaking hands, I wiped away the blood on her face and wrapped a cloth around her neck where I had slit her throat. I tried my best to make her beautiful again. I want her to pass on with dignity.


    She looks so peaceful.


    She''s free now.


    I gently brushed her fringe away from her forehead and pressed a kiss onto it. I regret never telling her what I truly felt about her. I would have done anything for her.


    I should never had hesitated. My body shouldn''t have froze. Something in my mind held me back at the most crucial moment and I would forever live with that regret.


    I regret hesitating. I should have just taken her away the moment her cover was blown, no matter how slim our chances were. I regret being too weak.


    I regret being a coward.


    I stood up and took a step back. It''s time to send her off.


    "Ninetales, light the fire."


    That way, nobody can ever put their filthy hands on her ever again.


    Ninetales'' flames are strong. They are unholy, mystical, vengeful, sacred even. It only took a few minutes to reduce her to ash.


    We managed to create a crudely made urn for her using rock type techniques. I placed her ashes inside and sealed it shut. Haunter took the urn gently and carefully, as if caressing her, taking in the sensation of the last touch with her trainer before laying Jane to rest.


    And then haunter evolved.


    We laid her to rest underneath a tree. We raised a slab of stone as a marker for her grave. Gengar''s ghostly claws carved out a ''J'' in the middle of the slab with my guidance. I don''t want to risk writing her full name. I don''t want to risk anyone finding out our identity, no matter how small the chance may be. At least not yet. Not until I can bring Team Rocket down like what Jane wanted me to do even if all I really wanted was to just roll over and die right then.


    I''m tired. I just want to rest. I want to join her. I want to hear her sing again and I want to play the guitar for her again.


    I don''t know what I should do after this. Revenge? What for? Against who? The League? The Government? Or Team Rocket? Archer? Who?


    What should I do?


    But I should at least try to live, for her sake. She sacrificed herself for me so that we can complete the mission assigned to us. She had wanted to see Team Rocket go down, and that is the last thing I will do before my inevitable death.


    Exeggutor took us back after I had dried my tears. From then on, I changed.


    From then on, Archer placed me in charge of all extermination duties. He never suspected me, not after Jane''s sacrifice. I squashed my cowardice and killed my emotions. I am good at my job, killing anyone that Team Rocket pointed their finger to. Man, woman, child, old, young, even our own members, it doesn''t matter. As long as they are my targets, I will kill them.


    There''s no place that I cannot infiltrate. No secrets are safe from me because given enough time, I can find out whatever I want to find no matter how hard you try to hide it. Even if there''s no proof, all I need is time. It doesn''t matter if it is days, weeks, months, or even years. All I ever need is time. Time to find proof.


    I will find the evidence I need for the whole world to turn against Giovanni. Indisputable evidence.


    I know Giovanni is the true leader of Team Rocket. There''s no way I can accuse him of being the leader of Team Rocket without solid proof because this is a huge and embarrassing scandal for both the Indigo Government and the Indigo League. Most likely, the Indigo League would cover up for him just to maintain their reputation if the evidence is not damning enough. They will need indisputable proof of my claim before they even consider taking any action against Giovanni. My words alone won''t be enough. For now, I have to lie low if I don''t want to alert any Rockets of what I knew. I have no proof right now because Giovanni is carefully smart about hiding his true identity, but I will find the proof. In time.


    And I would like to think me being the exterminator is a form of mercy for my victims. Compared to how their end would have been if someone else were sent instead, their end by my hands was definitely kinder.


    That was how the Rocket''s Exterminator was born.


    I never picked up the guitar again.


    "I-I''m scared¡­ We are the only ones left."


    Jane? Is that you?


    "I-If I got found out one day, can you kill me personally? Make it swift. I-I don''t want to suffer like 2035 and 2072."


    Jane? Don''t go. Jane!


    "AH! Let me go!"


    LET HER GO!


    "PLAGUE! I HATE YOU!"


    I¡­loved you.


    ''Thank you, Jayce.''


    JANE!


    I woke up with a painful headache, my head felt like it had split into two.


    Gengar must have used Dream Eater again. She always does that whenever she sensed that I had vivid nightmares about my past, stopping my nightmares abruptly before they consume me whole. The nightmares are getting frequent.


    And I know with Dream Eater comes certain memory loss. It''s not meant to be used on humans in this manner, doing so will have side effects.


    Just what did I forget this time?


    How long has it been?


    ''A single night.''


    What''s my name?


    ''Jayce, but no one knows about that name now other than us. You are Indigo Government''s Operative 2046, Code Name: Gengar, but you are also Elite Officer Plague of Team Rocket.''


    My purpose? Why am I even here? Why am I even doing this? For the greater good? Is this¡­ why I was reincarnated? Is this supposed to be heaven or hell?


    ''I cannot answer you that. None of us had experienced reincarnation except for you. Go on, continue talking, only then can we help you recall what you lost. Talk about something, anything. Breathe, don''t panic. We are here for you.''


    If¡­ this is heaven, then I guess the presence of pokemon is a blessing. They are truly wondrous creatures. I remembered that I had befriended some and had hurt many more, all in the name of the greater good.


    It''s for the peace of the region, they say. Your sacrifices will be remembered, they say. The needs of the many outweigh those of the few, they say. All of these are necessary, they say.


    If this is hell, then I really wonder what I did to deserve this. I really don''t want to hurt anyone or any pokemon, but I don''t have a choice.


    Being a member of Team Rocket does that to you.


    I remembered that I didn''t have any say on whether I can opt out. If some higher being up there had purposely sent me here, I really wished that he or she had at least tried to warn me that whatever foreknowledge I have about the pokemon verse has been shot to hell and back. None of the so-called canon, plot, or whatever you call it is applicable here. This is not the anime world, nor the manga verse, or any pokemon universe that I know of. This is simply the world of pokemon. No more, no less. The only thing I know that remains the same are the key players that made the game of pokemon, pokemon. Like the Gym Leaders, for example.


    I really didn''t want to be a member of Team Rocket. I really hate doing the things they do and I hate myself even more for being picked up by that man.


    ''You are starting to repeat yourself and your thoughts are still scrambled, but that is still a good sign. You haven''t forgotten entirely who you are yet.''


    Who are you?


    ''Your pokemon. Exeggutor. Turn to your left, we are right here, see? You ordered us to keep your mind sane whenever you lost some parts of your memories again from your reliance on gengar''s Dream Eater to keep your fragmented mind functioning. Can you remember? Talk more about yourself to us. It helps every single time. Try to remember, what is your true identity?''


    I¡­am a spy, the best operative that the Indigo Government had ever produced. Picked up by the Indigo President himself at age three, who then inducted me into a secret and definitely illegal faction under his direct command. It is against the law for him to do such a thing, to have his own secret spy army, but it does not stop him from doing so anyway. The President of the Indigo Government has no faith in the Indigo League for whatever reasons that I am not privy to and he decided to do things his own way. The League and the Government are two separate entities. The League largely deals with pokemon related affairs while the Government deals with anything else not related to pokemon. They are not supposed to interfere with each other or undermine the other''s authority like what the President is currently doing behind everyone''s backs.


    I still have no idea why the President chose me. I was put through a special programme dedicated to training child soldiers and by the time I was¡­ eight, I think, I was sent to infiltrate Team Rocket, forced to be a member of that criminal organisation in order to destroy it from within because it grew too big. The rationale? No one would ever suspect that a kid will be sent on an infiltration mission.


    Whoever said that the world of pokemon is all sunshine and rainbows deserved to be kicked in the nuts, or wherever inflicts the most pain.


    ''We agree, but do continue. What else can you remember?''


    I lived my life as if I walk on a tightrope every single day. I had to take orders from both the Indigo Government and Team Rocket and my secret status as a double agent is driving me insane. Every day I would wake up thinking whether it will be my last, whether my true identity would be found out. Every day I would wake up and feel immense guilt for what I had done and what I am doing and it is crushing me. I know who exactly the true leader of Team Rocket is thanks to my foreknowledge, but as someone with a different identity in a different world, I cannot carelessly reveal that Giovanni is the leader of this organisation without raising some unneeded questions. The one thing that I would never let anyone find out about is my reincarnated status, no matter what happens.


    I remembered that my secret insistence on that notion killed her.


    ''We will ensure that your death will never happen. That is our promise to you as your pokemon, Master Jayce. Continue, remember your purpose.''


    Team Rocket is extremely secretive. Even when I had been in this organisation for more than a decade, I have never once saw Giovanni''s face in our hideout or even heard a clue about anything that can lead me to his true identity. That''s how good Team Rocket truly is. This is what a true criminal syndicate that holds control over the underworld that spans across two regions is capable of. This is not like the games where an eleven or twelve-year-old kid from a backwater town can easily defeat the leader of such an organisation. It is impossible. The Elites of this organisation are strong, some of them even have the capability to be a Gym Leader. They could probably be one if they did not make the wrong career choice. Team Rocket is known as the strongest terrorist group in the world for a good reason.


    ''They will fall. We will see them fall, eventually.''


    The life of a spy is a hard one. I have to constantly feed information to the Government but making sure at the same time that my cover isn''t blown. I remembered that I have to watch helplessly as horrific acts are done on pokemon but I cannot do anything to help. I even have to partake in some of these acts, but thankfully such instances are rarer now since I got myself promoted to the upper echelon. These works are mainly delegated to the grunts and the scientists, but still.


    I. Hate. This.


    ''We do too. They killed Jane. She was nice.''


    Jane.


    I¡­ killed her.


    I miss her.


    ''We all do.''


    But what else can I do? The only thing that I know how to do in this world ever since I found myself here as a nameless orphan is to be a spy. That''s the only thing I know. I wasn''t even given a name. The last person who gave me a name, Jane, had died in the line of duty. In the most classified files in the Government''s database, I am simply Operative 2046, Code Name: Gengar. That''s all there is to my identity. Only the Indigo President knew about my existence and my true mission. I am the only operative left that hasn''t been rooted out from Team Rocket. All of my other colleagues who were unfortunate enough to be sent on a similar mission as I am to infiltrate this organisation are all dead.


    ''You are Jayce and you won''t die. We will protect you. Remember that.''


    They all met a grisly end.


    ''We will make sure you won''t.''


    They had sacrificed everything and failed. Their sacrifices are now mine to bear, as much as I hate it. I''m the only one left who could pick up where they had left off. I don''t want such a responsibility and I don''t want such a burden on my shoulders, but I have no choice.


    I am the only one left. The only one who is the closest in figuring out the identity of the leader of Team Rocket.


    ''You are. And you can do this. Don''t spit on Jane''s sacrifice. Hang in there. You are so close.''


    I really want to pull out of this, but even if I tried to convince the President to let me retire from this dangerous operation they would definitely deny me of my request. He had invested too much into this. He wants results. Who cares if a nameless operative got himself killed? Who cares about his mental health? If he pulled through and brought the desired result, just give him a pat on the back and congratulate him on a job well-done. If he failed, then it is no skin off anyone''s back. The only thing lost is a nameless orphan without an identity.


    ''Humans are such hideous creatures. Other than you and Jane, of course. We miss her. We all miss her.''


    Ultimately, both the Government and Team Rocket are the same. They will squeeze and milk every usefulness out of you until you have nothing left to offer. Until then, they will let you live within the palm of their hand. And once you had reached the end of your useful life¡­


    You will be discarded.


    That is the fate that awaits me no matter if I fail or succeed in this decade long operation. I would know. Striker of Marowak Skull was disposed the moment I proved that I am worth more than he did in our battle.


    ''You are indispensable, Master Jayce.''


    In the end, I am just a tool. A nameless tool which is used to help let the millions of Kanto''s and Johto''s citizens enjoy the hard-earned peace that they took for granted as they lived their lives, not knowing the price that we operatives had paid on their behalf. Our group doesn''t exist, at least not in name and not on paper, so no one will know. Our commanders from the Government called us the unsung heroes, a notion that all my now-dead colleagues believed in and used as their drive to continue their mission before they met their end.


    What a bold-faced lie. Heroes?


    Hah


    My only comfort lies in the fact that I am not truly alone. I still have comrades that I can trust. My pokemon are here with me, pokemon that I had gotten during my time as a member of Team Rocket. Most of our past are not pretty, but we stick together. They kept me sane at my lowest point of my life and I try my best to ensure they live a normal life as much as possible.


    ''We are your friends, just like you are ours. We protect each other.''


    "Elite Officer Plague, Executive Petrel is calling for you."


    ''Our conversation has to end here, Master Jayce. Remember, you are Jayce. You are the Indigo Government''s Operative 2046, Code Name: Gengar. You are Elite Officer Plague of Team Rocket. Your wish is to destroy Team Rocket so that you can avenge Jane. Your wish is to see Giovanni go down to honour everyone''s sacrifice. Your wish is to get out of here and spend your remaining days undisturbed. Above all, you are our friend and trainer. We protect our own.''


    I grunted an acknowledgement at the words conveyed to me by a Rocket Grunt who had knocked on the door of my assigned room in the hideout in the wee hours of the morning. My ninetales got up from her position on the floor and walked beside me. Exeggutor followed suit.


    Ninetales is the first pokemon I had gotten when I had stolen her as an egg with nothing but the clothes on my back. I can still remember that day, it was my first mission as a member of Team Rocket. The Rockets were so impressed that an eight-year-old boy is able to achieve something that not many of the a.d.u.l.t members can that they allowed me to keep the egg, which hatched into a vulpix about three days later. I would later learn that the egg I had stolen was one that was about to hatch, explaining why it only took my starter three days to announce her arrival into this world.


    I had wanted to give her a nickname and so did Jane, but the one rule in Team Rocket that all members follow is that pokemon don''t need names. They are merely tools for us to use and exploit. It is said in our organisation''s motto: "Steal Pok¨¦mon for profit. Exploit Pok¨¦mon for profit. All Pok¨¦mon exist for the glory of Team Rocket."


    This is the same reason why the Government didn''t give me a name when they picked me up and trained me to be a spy. Why give name to tools? I am but a mere number in their ranks. Easily replaceable.


    Only she gave me a name, but she is gone now and so did my name.


    No matter how much they try to portray themselves as the personification of all that is righteous, the Indigo Government can be even worse than Team Rocket in some ways. The hypocrisy of what they really do behind the scenes and what they show themselves to the public is such a huge contrast that I would have a good morbid laugh if it wasn''t for the fact that I am on the receiving end of such a treatment.


    I knocked on the office door of Executive Petrel, who called for me to enter.


    "Well, well, if it isn''t my favourite officer."


    Petrel spoke in that laidback tone of his as he propped his legs up on his desk, with his fingers on both hands interlocking with each other.


    "Executive Petrel." I greeted in my usual monotone and the blank look that I had long since mastered during my time here. "For what purpose do you call me for?"


    "Down to business immediately, as always. This is what I like about you." Petrel gave an amused huff before he reached for a file and threw it over to me, which I caught with a single hand. "This is your newest mission. All the details are in there, pick whoever you need from our division. We need this to be done before the week is over."


    I quickly browsed through the file. It seems to be a doable mission. The magnitude of the impact of this mission on Indigo isn''t too big, so there isn''t a need to warn the Government of it. I cannot leak the details of every single mission I am being sent on as a member of Team Rocket to the Government if I want my cover to remain as it is. I have to use my own judgement to secretly inform the Government on what missions I should leak to them, and what I shouldn''t. If we want Team Rocket to be gone for good, we need to uproot the entire organisation in one decisive blow so that they would not have any time to react. We need to destroy their countless bases littered across Kanto and Johto in one fell swoop. Until the League or the Government has enough firepower or amass enough vital information about Team Rocket, keeping my identity as a spy a secret is of the utmost priority unless Team Rocket is planning something so huge, I have to warn the Government about it at the risk of revealing myself.


    Thanks to the need to keep my cover, there are some missions of Team Rocket that the Government has to turn a blind eye to. We cannot afford Team Rocket to raise any suspicions about me. Now, as a spy whose top priority is to keep my cover and gather more information about Team Rocket, I basically have the power to indirectly decide which innocents will lose their lives and their pokemon companions in Team Rocket''s numerous heists. it is something that will inevitably happen if I want to continue spying on Team Rocket from where I am.


    All in the name of the greater good.


    "It will be done." I said the same four words that I had repeated countless times in the past decade. The four words that sealed the fate of whatever human or pokemon that might meet their end by my hands during the mission I will be going on. Some of the pokemon we captured might be experimented on, some of them might be sold on the black market, some of them might be forcefully broken and turned into tools for us to use. This is not even the full list of what Team Rocket does.


    No matter what I do, there will be pokemon that will be taken away from their homes soon. No matter what I do, there will be people who will die by my actions, directly or indirectly. No matter how I tried to ease my guilt, it will never go away.


    It''s all for the greater good.


    I really want to believe in what they preached, but do the higher-ups under the direct command of the President in the Indigo Government see the same things I do? Do they feel the same guilt I felt when I personally sent these innocent pokemon to their undeserved fate? Had they lost the same things I did? Does the realisation of what I really did to both pokemon and trainers alike sink into them as it did on me?


    No, they don''t.


    They don''t experience the same thing as I do. Hence, they will never understand. They will never understand how hard it truly is to do these heinous crimes in the name of peace. No matter how they try to justify their decision in forcing me to remain as their spy, I will never get to see things the way they want me to see.


    We lead completely different lives. Those that bask in the light will never understand how hard it is to constantly live in the darkness.


    I walked back to my office as I start to plan for the latest mission I had just been assigned to. If I want myself to remain useful to both the Indigo Government and Team Rocket, then this mission will have to be a success.


    For the greater good, it will be done.


    For Jane, it will be done.


    Name: Jayce


    Indigo Government Identity: Operative 2046, Code Name: Gengar


    Indigo Government Rank: Special Agent


    Team Rocket Identity: Elite Officer Plague


    Team Rocket Rank: Elite Officer


    Pokemon Team:


    1. Ninetales, female


    2. Exeggutor, male


    3. Weavile, male


    4. Honchkrow, female


    5. Gengar, female


    6. Houndoom, male


    7. Umbreon, male


    8. Hydreigon, male


    9. Drapion, female


    10. Zoroark, male


    Chapter 3


    "They are ours now."


    The captain of the ship tried to resist, but a firm stomp of my feet to his hand got him to yell in pain. Around me, my men are busy working moving the batch of cargo from this ship to our own one. There are many exotic and rare pokemon from other regions that are kept in their pokeballs within the crates we are moving.


    They belong to Team Rocket now.


    "Now that we have the time." I spoke lazily as I drew my dagger from its holster and did a lazy twirl of it with my fingers. "Who was the one that gave you the bright idea to betray us? Hm?"


    The captain of the ship zipped his mouth shut, but I have ways to make him spill all his dirty secrets no matter what he did. I always do. They always spill, eventually. It is just a matter of finding their weakness, their Achilles'' heel.


    There was a fall of the blade and a splash of blood.


    "Oopsie. One finger gone."


    The captain continues to scream as the little pinky on his right hand is now gone, dropped on the floor like trash. I leaned my face closer to the man''s.


    "We were supposed to be trading partners." I stressed. "And the last thing that partners should do is to betray each other. Team Rocket doesn''t tolerate traitors."


    "Hi! My name''s Jane! Operative 2043 Code name: Pikachu, at your service! It''s nice to meet you, partner! What''s your name?"


    Putting away the memory of me slitting Jane''s throat with the same dagger in the furthest part of my mind, I flicked my dagger and stabbed it in the centre of the man''s palm. He continue to scream in pain.


    "So, spill. Or your daughter is next. Blue Apricot Elementary School is not that far from here."


    The captain visibly panicked.


    "You-!"


    I sliced off another finger. I really don''t have the patience for this. I want to get out of here as soon as possible.


    "Spill."


    "T-The cops." The captain finally blurted out as he tried to endure the pain, his voice now a pained whimper. "T-They promised me a reward if I managed to get ahold of the true identities of your execs or if I managed to intercept your cargo and deliver it to them instead so that they can do their investigations. T-That''s all I know, I swear!"


    ''He seems to be telling the truth.''


    Mentally thanking my exeggutor, I released the captain''s hands from the bottom of my boots.


    "Now, that wasn''t so hard, was it?" I stated without a care in the world as I picked up a nearby cloth to wipe my dagger clean. "We should have done this all along as partners, telling each other the truth."


    "P-Please let my daughter go!" The captain got onto his knees and started to beg, ignoring his bleeding and de-fingered hand. "S-She''s only eight! She doesn''t know-"


    "Then maybe you shouldn''t have signed yourself up for this career in the first place."


    A purplish paw flew out from my shadows and punched through the captain''s chest in one blow. Ninetales thoughtfully erected a shield of Reflect that prevented the blood from spraying all over me. Gengar slowly made her appearance known as she left my shadow, her mouth opening wider and wider until she swallowed the dead man whole.


    He really made the wrong career choice.


    "Sir, everything is accounted for and loaded up on our ship." One of the grunts reported to me with a salute. "Our next orders?"


    I gave the grunt a disinterested look.


    "Like we planned. Make this look like an accident. I don''t have to teach you how to do that, do I?"


    I hopped on to our boat and watched as the grunts did all the work with practiced ease while I personally went through the list in the meanwhile, doing some random checks on the physical cargo to ensure that everything is as it should be. You cannot fully trust the grunts here, not in a place like Team Rocket.


    "Sir, the preparations are complete."


    "Then light it up and we can all go home."


    Our boat sped away as the ship we had just ransacked burst into flames, and we all watch as it slowly sunk into the bottom of the vast sea.


    No evidence left behind. The cops can suspect us for all they like, but they will never get the proof they want.


    "P-Please let my daughter go! S-She''s only eight! She doesn''t know-"


    I closed my eyes and said a prayer in my mind. He''s lucky that I am the one doing the exterminating today and there was no one else around us to listen in when I was doing the interrogation. At least, the little girl would live. If it were up to somebody else, his entire family would have mysteriously died in an ''accident''.


    If only he didn''t make the wrong career choice, a little girl wouldn''t have to lose her father today.


    To prevent anyone from tracking us down, the cargo was moved through several sh.i.p.s at certain points before docking itself at the port in Vermillion. By then, everything and everyone had became clean and legal, and we are now masquerading as employees of a certain shipping company that is in actuality a front for Team Rocket to do their shady business in exporting and importing pokemon.


    Everyone had changed out of the Rocket uniform and hid it away before the port''s security did their routine check on the ship. Once they were satisfied, we were given the green light and they left. Another Rocket member in charge of this area, also disguised, took the job over from me and I went about my way, now dressed in casual clothes and walking without a care in the world on the streets in broad daylight, my ninetales beside me.


    Contrary to popular belief, Rockets don''t wear their uniforms in public wherever they go. In fact, we don''t often do that. We are not stupid. Many of us are hidden in plain sight, blending in just like your regular joe. We could be your next door neighbour, the florist a street away from your house. We could even be your childrens'' homeroom teacher or the nurse in the pokemon center tending to your sick and injured pokemon.


    Team Rocket is everywhere in the Indigo. Nowhere is safe.


    And this, is the organisation that I am tasked to take down all by myself. F.u.c.k.i.n.g crazy. The President must have lost his mind when he sent me on this impossible mission.


    I took a stroll along Route 11, enjoying the sights and declining any challenges trainers on the route made at me the moment they spotted ninetales. I''m not in the mood today. I had finally earned myself a day off and I want to just relax and think.


    Just how on earth am I going to take down Team Rocket? Assuming that I had gotten indisputable proof that Giovanni is the true leader behind this organisation, what next? Reporting it back to the Indigo Government isn''t the be-all and end-all solution. Action needs to be taken immediately and knowing the bastard that is the Indigo President, he would probably miss the golden opportunity when it arises.


    From the moment I got the indisputable proof that I need, I will need to act on my own if I ever want to get out of Team Rocket. I am almost certain that the Indigo Government will find ways to get rid of me once my purpose is fulfilled. I would know, I had been given the job to get rid of discarded tools too many times to know the direction where the story of my life is going to head next. I could be a script writer by now since this particular plot is so commonly used.


    No one wants to risk anyone tattling all their dirty little secrets simply because they failed to tie up loose ends. Being nice and sentimental gets you nowhere in this dark world. The logical option will be to silence the one that knows all your secrets when their purpose has been fulfilled because there is no more benefit in keeping them around anymore.


    So, who? If the Indigo Government cannot be trusted because it is where the President has the greatest influence, then who? The Indigo League? I never had the chance to interact with anyone high up in the League on a personal level. I don''t know who I can trust and Giovanni is part of the League himself. One wrong move and I''m done for.


    I sat on the edge of the Silence Bridge on Route 12, enjoying the sea breeze like what many of the fishermen in the location is doing. Families are having picnics nearby as they fish, enjoying their interaction with mother nature. If there''s one good thing about this world, it''s that the people here places a lot of importance in protecting the environment. The air here is always fresh. The waters are always clean.


    Takes my mind away from all the gloom and doom, even if it is just for a short moment.


    "Jane would love this place." I murmured as I stroked ninetales on her head, who is now resting her head on my lap and had closed her eyes to take a quick nap. She let out a soft purr from her throat. I can feel gengar shifting in my shadows at my words.


    There is a soft pitter-patter of small feet to my left. I turned my head slightly and saw a little girl looking at ninetales with awe and curiosity in her eyes.


    "Gwen!" A woman, presumably the girl''s mother, quickly ran up and held her child back when she tried to reach out a hand to touch ninetales. She sent me a brief apologetic look before berating her daughter. "You cannot just touch other people''s pokemon without permission!"


    "But mummy!" The little girl looked back up at her mother and pointed a finger at my ninetales, as if that action explained everything. "It''s a ninetales! I''ve never seen a real one before!"


    "Grabbing a tail of a ninetales will curse you." I spoke with a hint of amus.e.m.e.nt lining my voice. Is this what I am protecting at the cost of my life and sanity? This childish innocence? Is this what Jane had given her life up for?


    The little girl did a gasp and covered her mouth with her hands.


    "What? Really? How?"


    "I dunno, even this lady here never let me touch her tails directly when I''m her trainer, but I''m allowed to groom the fur on it with a comb. Maybe you should ask a pokemon researcher? How about Professor Oak?"


    "Oh, I know him! He always teaches fun pokemon stuff on the radio every Friday! I can ask him this Friday during the Q&A session! He always knows how to answer questions on pokemon!" The girl bounced up and down happily on her feet. "Hey mister! Are you here for a picnic too like mummy and I? Or are you here to fish like daddy always do? He''s working right now, but he told me he will bring me to go fishing when he comes back!"


    I gave a thoughtful hum.


    "I''m just here to look at the sea and think about my life choices."


    "Think about life choices?"


    More like the lack thereof.


    "A.d.u.l.t stuff. You will know when you grow older. Don''t ever grow up if you don''t want to be in my shoes. Stay young forever."


    "I want to be a pokemon trainer when I grow up!" The girl shared her dreams with me as she sat down beside me, leaving her legs suspended in the air and kicking it childishly as we watch the blue sea ahead of us. Her mother had gone to sit down under a nearby tree about twenty meters away once she saw that her child is not up to any mischief.


    If there is one thing here that I find different, it is that parents in this world are more trusting towards strangers. Social interactions are highly encouraged, especially when it comes to the topic of pokemon. How that way of life came about eludes me and I never cared to find out why.


    "Nice dream to have." I answered truthfully and I can feel gengar moving subtly in my shadows. Hopefully she doesn''t burp her meal out from earlier and scare the girl. No one wants to see a half-digested corpse popping out from the shadows and I have no idea how to explain myself if that happens.


    "What kind of trainer do you want to be?"


    "Uh, I don''t know?" The little girl tilted her head to a side. "But maybe a Water Specialist like Misty? She''s so beautiful! And cool! And so strong too! She made water types look so pretty! I want to be like Misty!"


    "Then you would need a water type if you want to be like her."


    "Yup! But mummy say buying a pokemon can be really expensive and there are no trainers in our family, so I will have to wait until I am old enough to receive one from the League."


    I look down at the waters below, which are clear enough to allow me to see about ten meters down until the visibility diminish. I saw a particular pokemon resting in the waters beneath our feet that I think might make a great companion for her.


    "How about I catch one for you right now?"


    The girl visibly perked up.


    "Really?! Can you?!"


    "I am a trainer. What do you think?" I huffed. I don''t have a water type to fish it out, but that kind of handicap never stopped me before. "But you have to promise me to take really good care of it. Give it the love and attention it needs, okay? I''m not accepting any objections."


    "Mm!"


    Ninetales cracked open an eye and her eyes glowed a blue hue. Even without moving, a horsea underneath the bridge was forcefully ejected out from the sea and struggled in midair, hovering right in front of us thanks to ninetales'' Extrasensory. A toss of a pokeball later, the water type was caught.


    "Take good care of it now." I said as I passed the pokeball into the girl''s hands and stood up. It''s time to take my leave.


    "I will! Thank you!" The girl beamed as she waved me goodbye, horsea''s pokeball held close to her chest. Ninetales and I walked away towards the direction of Lavender Town with me still deep in thought.


    "P-Please let my daughter go!"


    "You can rest in peace now." I spoke in a volume that only I can hear as ninetales and I continue our stroll alone.


    "S-She''s only eight! She doesn''t know-"


    "Your daughter is doing fine. She doesn''t know what you really do for a living."


    "Hey mister! Are you here for a picnic too? Or are you here to fish like daddy always do? He''s working right now, but he told me he will bring me to go fishing when he comes back!"


    "Bringing her to go fishing when you are back? You really made the wrong career choice. You are not coming back, but at least with a pokemon companion by her side, she won''t be truly alone. Who knows? Maybe she will grow strong enough to defeat me someday and bring me to justice."


    I had done a lot of evil in the name of the greater good against my will, but today, even if it is something small, at least I''m able to do some good this time on my own volition.


    And that is all it takes to make my day.


    Name: Jayce


    Indigo Government Identity: Operative 2046, Code Name: Gengar


    Indigo Government Rank: Special Agent


    Team Rocket Identity: Elite Officer Plague


    Team Rocket Rank: Elite Officer


    Pokemon Team:


    1. Ninetales, female


    2. Exeggutor, male


    3. Weavile, male


    4. Honchkrow, female


    5. Gengar, female


    6. Houndoom, male


    7. Umbreon, male


    8. Hydreigon, male


    9. Drapion, female


    10. Zoroark, male

 Chapter 210 - My CO Stash #10 - The Bloodstained Hero by ThatOnePsycho (MyHeroAcademiaXBloodborne)

    -A new and awesome crossover fic. This is pretty much Izuku Midoriya after experiencing Bloodborne at a very young age. Peep this shit!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: ???


    Words: 24K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-bloodstained-hero-mha-bloodborne.824982/ (ThatOnePsycho)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    HEY KIDS, WANT TO SEE WHAT PSYCHO DOES WHEN HE LOSES HIS MIND!?


    This takes place after a varient ending I''m tentatively calling ''the rejection of childhood".


    ---


    "Everybody say YEAAAHH!"


    Silence stretched in the wake of the yell from the presenter, the pro hero Present Mic. Iida Tenya wondered if it was because everyone was exhausted from the written portion of the test they had just completed. He hoped not, it wouldn''t reflect well on the top hero school of the nation if they were tired after some simple math, Japanese, science and quirk history!


    This was the school of All Might, Endeavor, Best Jeanist and, of course, Ingenium! They could only accept the absolute best, if the students weren''t ready, why were they-?


    Tenya''s eyes landed on one boy down the row from him, head tilted back and curly green hair falling into his eyes as his chest raised in a rhythmic pattern. Was he¡­ asleep? Was he even taking this remotely seriously?


    "Tough crowd," Present Mic said, more to himself than them, before pulling up a video on the screen behind him, "Now, I''m sure you''re all ready for the practical portion of the exam, yeah?"


    Those words sent electricity sparking through the crowd, almost everyone sitting up in their chairs. A blond boy with messy hair grins, red eyes glimmering with excitement.


    And still the green haired one next to him sleeps, the energy not affecting him in the slightest. This¡­


    "So, if you''ll check your pamphlets," Present Mic held up one as an example, shaking it, "You''ll see what testing area you''re assigned to! Once you get there, you''ll be fighting artificial villains, which are also on them. They''re worth three values, One, Two, and Three! Your goal is to defeat as many as possible in the time giv-"


    "Excuse me!" Tenya thrust up his hand after glancing at the pamphlet and immediately noticing something, "Forgive me, but there are four silhouettes on this pamphlet. If there was a change, it reflects badly on UA to not show it on official doc.u.ments. And furthermore, you, with the green hair! It''s rude for you to sleep through such an important presentation!"


    The blond snorted as green didn''t respond, continuing to sleep in spite of the direct addressing. Well, if he had been capable of sleeping through Present Mic''s shouts, there was no reason he should have expected to wake him up, honestly.


    "A great question, thanks for calling in Listener!" Present Mic said with a nod, "The last artificial villain is worth no points! It''s not impossible to destroy, but there''s no real point, so it''s better to just avoid it. Now, before you all go, I want to leave you with a sound bite from Napoleon Bonaparte, ''A true hero is someone who overcomes life''s misfortunes.'' So remember to go beyond, Plus Ultra!"


    Out of the corner of his eye, Tenya watched the green haired boy''s eyes flicker open as he sat up with a stretch and grabbed his pamphlet. For a second, his left eye seemed to kaleidoscope through yellow, to red before settling on a luminescent green as he used a black gloved left hand to push his hair out of his eyes, locking onto Present Mic with wide eyes, like he had only just noticed who was giving the speech.


    Had he fallen asleep during the test? That¡­ explained a lot more.


    ---


    "Farewell, Good Hunter. May you prove your worth to the waking world."


    Izuku stared up at the city in front of them, feeling the ghost of beloved porcelain pressing against his face. He felt so n.a.k.e.d in the gym clothes of Aldera Middle School, without the uniform he had come to create on the Night of the Hunt, designed with Gehrman''s help and sewn by the Doll''s loving hand, even if it would draw attention until he was a hero course student.


    Glancing down,Izuku cracked a small smile at the Messengers staring up at it with reverence, red fabric wrapped around part of their face in quiet emulation of him. They were bundled into several groups, each one working together to hold a weapon to offer him, or supplies. Izuku took a curved sword from one group, sliding a hinged handle onto his back, and took Evelyn from another, the break-action pistol sitting ready as he also took a small supply of Quicksilver Bullets.


    Maria and Gehrman, he''d honor them both today, because him and the Doll were the last legacy of the Hunter''s Workshop.


    "Alright!" The exuberant voice of Present Mic said as the door rumbled open, "Go!"


    Izuku didn''t waste any time, rushing through the crowd and into the gates. Eyes landing on the first robot as its red eye locked onto him, Izuku went low, dodging the hail of bullets crackling with electricity as he did. Siderite flashed in the sun as Izuku landed on the bot, decapitating it in one blow and leaping from it towards the next one. Evelyn fired, mercury and Izuku''s blood merging together as it ripped through the red eye of the robot, shutting it down.


    Slowly, against his will, an excited grin split across Izuku''s face, the blood of beasts pumping through his veins. He dropped Evelyn, letting the little ones catch it as he pulled the haft of the Burial Blade off his back and connected it, transforming the curved sword into a scythe and charged towards a group of three robots in a burst of smoke as Present Mic''s voice echoed across the city.


    Izuku still couldn''t believe he''d missed a presentation from a Pro, even if it meant he had gotten to talk with the Doll.


    "He''s got the right idea, Listeners! There are no countdowns in real life! The clock is ticking, go, go, go!"


    Izuku swung the Burial Blade in a swirl, a low dirge coming from the blade as it took the head off two bots. The blade that had defined the Hunter''s Workshop felt so comfortable in his good hand.


    He did his damned best to ignore his bad one. He wasn''t going to use it unless it was necessary, and right now it wasn''t. Far from it.


    Part of Izuku, the part that had come into existence with a transfusion he didn''t remember, wished there was something to simulate blood from the robots. Oil or something.


    ---


    Ochako ran into the simulated city, watching the green haired boy rest a scythe, of all things, across his shoulder as his eyes raked the area, an ornate pistol in his other hand. And that was strange itself, because the scythe was tarnished and clearly hadn''t been taken care of, the blade looking to be rusted and pitted in some places, and the haft held together with bandages.


    Talk about weird, why use a scythe like that? Especially when the other weapon was clearly so well cared for?


    And then the boy dropped the scythe, it seemingly sinking into the ground in a cloud of mist before he grabbed another weapon. This one more in line with the gun, being an ornate sword with engravings along it and a red cloth wrapped around the sheath.


    He rushed by Ochako in another cloud of mist, nodding to her with a quiet smile as they passed, and bisecting another bot through the clutter of four red eyes before firing the gun at a second. Oh, shoot, the test!


    Ochako ran off, looking for bots to take out. She didn''t have time to be distracted by boys with strange Quirks, her parents were counting on her!


    ---


    Itsuka wrapped her hand around the head of the robot aiming at a boy with frizzy purple hair and bags under his eyes, crushing it with ease and smiling at him, "That was close! Good thing I made it in time!"


    "..." the boy just stared at her, something dark in his eyes. Finally, he gritted out a quiet, "Thank you."


    "You''re-"


    Target locked! Itsuka whipped around, growing her hand to take the hail of taser shots with a slight flinch. Dang, she shouldn''t have let her guard do- Sloppy, He-


    Itsuka blinked as the robot suddenly stopped attacking, lowering her hand so she could see past it. Standing on it, a strange mix of European longsword and katana in his left hand was a green haired boy. He slid the blade into the sheath, the bot severing into several pieces as he did, before he smiled at Itsuka, bowing slightly, "Hello."


    "Hello," Itsuka said, waving, "Thank you for the help. You didn''t need to do that, I mean, you could be getting more points."


    "Makes more sense to work together," the boy said, "Even if we''re fighting right now, when we''re heroes we need to be able to work together. I like your Quirk."


    "Thanks," Itsuka said, smiling at him, "Yours must be pretty effective too. I''d ask how it works, but-"


    "-We should get back to the exam," the boy said, "I''d love to after though. I''m Izuku Midoriya."


    "Kendo Itsuka," she said, "Good luck with the rest of the test."


    "Same," Izuku said, gripping the sword hilt tighter and heading towards a three pointer without flinching. He suddenly vanished in a burst of mist, appearing on the three pointer with the sword drawn and letting the metal drop in two. Itsuka gave one last smile at the boy she had saved before heading towards the nearest bot.


    ---


    Aizawa Shota was a man of quiet logic, someone who didn''t speak unless he had to, preferring to take in information and assess it in his head. And what he was assessing was causing a quiet, confused scowl to slowly spread under the cover of his capture scarf.


    The boy, Izuku Midoriya, fought like a veteran. Oh, sure, there were kids in the test who had clearly ignored the Quirk Regulation Laws (and rightly so. Training could save lives. Might have saved Oboro''s), or kids who had martial arts training they were mixing with their Quirk, like the redhead or the boy with the monkey tail, but none of them used the sheer pragmatism of Midoriya. The type of pragmatism that came from experience, and a lot of it.


    Knives appeared in flashes of mist from his left hand, flying towards the villain bots and struck with minimal damage, despite lodging themselves into weak points in the robots. Then, as the bot turned from whoever they were harassing, Midoriya was on them in a burst of mist, often times literally, weapon carving through without a hint of hesitation.


    And then there were the weapons. A curved sword that connected with a haft to turn into a scythe, the bastard offspring of a katana and a european longsword, a double bladed weapon of similar make that could split into a saber and dagger and a break action pistol with engravings. And somehow, in his gut, Shouta knew that wasn''t all of them. That the boy could have drawn more weapons from the mist, but was limiting himself to those for some reason.


    And each was used with more skill than a boy his age had any right to. One weapon, maybe. But three, four if you counted the curved blade and scythe as separate weapons and five if you counted the saber and rapier. The boy was dangerous, that wasn''t a question. Warping Quirks often were in high demand, but rarely did you see someone use it efficiently as he did. They normally were used for bringing in reinforcements, not plunging yourself into the heart of the battle.


    "Kan," Shouta spoke, eyes locked onto the screen, "Applicant 341, I want him in my class when he passes."


    And there was little doubt in Shouta mind that Midoriya Izuku was going to pass. The boy was ripping through the villain bots like it was going out of style, rescuing trapped applicants as he went and racking up a steady supply of rescue points.


    Kan nodded, the permanent scowl on his face not letting up as he glanced at Shouta, "Someone caught your interest, Eraser?"


    "Something like that," Aizawa said, eyes narrowed as the zero pointers were released.


    And that, inevitably, was when everything went to shit. But in a way Shouta certainly as hell wasn''t expecting.


    ---


    Izuku turned as the ground rumbled, staring up at the massive robot walking towards them. Immediately, two thoughts crossed the young hunter''s mind.


    The first was ''where had they been hiding that''? It was bigger than every building in the simulated city! The second, an excited grin starting to split his face as the Old Blood sang, was ''that''s probably worth a lot of points to take down¡­''


    Izuku dropped the Chikage and Evelyn, trusting the Messengers to hold onto them as he took the offered blade of the Rakuyo. Ignoring the people running away from the robot, Izuku lifted the blades¡­ and plunged them into his chest, pain spiking through it before he ripped them out. Blood stuck to the blades as he held the one in his right hand out, dashing past two smaller robots. A thin line of blood swung out, severing them in two as Izuku continued his path towards the giant robot.


    And then, Izuku heard it.


    "H-help me!"


    "H-help me!" Izuku stopped, sewer water sloshing around his feet as he tightened his grip on the cane-sword. Then he took off at a run, c.o.c.king back the hammer of his pistol as he went, "Plea-!"


    A sickening squelch filled the sewers as Izuku slowed to a halt, watching the body of a little girl hang loosely from the mouth of a giant pig. The beast started to turn towards him, it never got the chance before his cane snapped into whip form, ripping a jagged line through the flesh around its eyes as Izuku charged forward. A yell like the people of Yharnam rose from his mouth, the next blow ripping through the pig''s side.


    Izuku turned, rushing towards the side even as he scooped up a vial from the Messengers, jamming it into his side to activate his healing. Stopping in front of a girl trapped under some rubble, he lowered himself to her level, "Can you move?"


    "No- You''re bleeding!"


    Yeah, that wasn''t anything new to talk about. Izuku spent more time with blood of some sort on him than he did without, "I''m fine. Don''t worry, I''m gonna get you out of there."


    Izuku wrapped his left hand around the first piece of rubble, throwing it aside easily. Before he could move the next one, Kendo rushed up next to him. Their eyes met, and Izuku cracked a small smile before together they began to dig the girl out of the rubble.


    Then Izuku paused.


    Wait.


    If there was rubble¡­


    Izuku craned his head up, meeting the red eyes of the giant robot. Well, that was an Amygdala sized failure¡­


    Izuku was starting to think he should go out of his way to avoid multi-eyed giants. It never seemed to end well for him, either he got dragged into a Nightmare, or he lost an arm, or¡­ yeah, it just didn''t end well.


    Grabbing the offered weapon from the Messengers, Izuku jumped over the rubble, sliding the Chikage into its sheath and feeling his blood begin to move towards the blade. One.


    Izuku shifted his stance, preparing for the attack as the robot raised a hand. Two.


    Thr-


    *BZZZZZ*


    "And that''s time!" Present Mic said, "If you''re injured, please stand by! If you''re not, you''re free to go.


    Oh¡­


    Well, that was a damn buzzkill.


    "I-I should," Izuku said, letting go of the blade, "I should actually head out. There''s s-someone waiting to hear how I did, and I completely spaced it. Maybe¡­ Maybe we can talk about Quirks once school starts? Assuming we both get in."


    "That sounds good," Kendo said, smiling at him, "And I''m sure we will! You were amazing out there."


    "Thanks," Izuku said with a smile, turning and walking away from them. Time to actually visit his dear friend.


    ---


    Itsuka watched the boy vanish with a sigh, turning to the girl still half trapped under the rubble of the building, giving her a smile and continuing to lift it off her, "Hey, don''t worry, I''m gonna get you out of there. Are you hurt?"


    "I might have sprained my leg," she said with a wince.


    "Then don''t move it more," Itsuka said, "What''s your name? I''m Kendo Itsuka."


    "Uraraka Ochako," the brown haired girl said, "Who was he?"


    "Izuku Midoriya," Kendo said, a slight frown pulling at her face for a second, "Or maybe it''s Midoriya Izuku?"


    Why would he use western naming order?


    ---


    Izuku let the fog overtake him once he was a decent distance away from UA, eyes closing and fading away. When he opened his eyes, it was to a field of white flowers surrounded by gravestones, a fire damaged workshop a small distance away. Ten months hadn''t been enough to repair it yet, especially with Izuku focused on getting into UA, and what he needed to do for that.


    Izuku walked past the rotting body, not bothering to offer it a look as he took the long way up towards the workshop. Kneeling before twin headstones was a woman with pure white skin, grey hair held by a bonnet, "I''m home."


    "Welcome home," she said, standing and turning towards him. Her voice was tinged with a salvic accent, "If I had known you would have returned so quickly, I would have started the fire. Give me a moment."


    "It''s fine," Izuku said, stepping into the fire damaged house and watching the Doll begin to add logs to the fireplace before walking towards the workbench and popping off Isshin with a stifled hiss. The stump of his left arm didn''t particularly like the cold, but he wasn''t going to let the Doll beat herself up over it.


    "How was your hunt?"


    "Sporting," Izuku said, "The little ones helped a lot."


    "And Isshin?" The Doll asked.


    "Well enough," Izuku said, "but I didn''t get to try everything. There will be time. Do you want to continue the story?"


    "If it is not too much trouble," the Doll said, "I would think you''d like to work on Isshin."


    "You''re more important," Izuku said, "the first and dearest of all my friends."


    She laughed slightly, covering her mouth, "And what of Kacchan?"


    "...The dearest of all my friends," Izuku amended, taking the book from her and sitting down.


    ---


    Isshin: A Hunter''s Tool/Trick Weapon designed by Izuku Midoriya to replace his left arm after its loss to the Moon Presence from a combination of Bones of Old Hunters, porcelain and siderite. The first of a new generation of weapons from the forgotten Hunter''s workshop, it holds a blade forged from the same siderite meteor as Old Gehrman''s Burial Blade within the forearm as an emergency weapon, and is capable of deploying it both as a katar or a kama like blade.


    It''s true purpose, however, is to drain Izuku''s blood to augment his Quickening so his attacks reach the point of the Sword Saint it was named after, if only for a moment.


    --


    Thoughts, questions and opinions? Good, bad, mad or meh?

 Chapter 211 - My SI Stash #11 - Carl the Jumper by AngorMike (Multicross)

    -This is in my opinion, one of the best jumpchain fics out there! Sad that it hasn''t got a big following but yea it''s pretty much a mega self insert crossover. The SI starts in Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Pokemon... Also it''s not featuring an emo-angsty mc. Check it out!


    Sypnosis: The author avatar, Carl, finds himself on one of those Jump Chain Adventures.


    Rated: M


    Words: 194K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13488233/1/Carl-the-Jumper (AngorMike)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    [JUMP CHAIN.]


    "What?" Carl was quite startled to hear a voice out of nowhere talking in bold caps. It was just something in the timbre of the voice that made him sure that if it had been written down it would be all bold and in caps.


    He suddenly realized he was floating in a void. The darkness pressed in on him from all sides, feeling quite oppressive. In front of him, one of those sheets from those Choose Your Own Adventures self insert stories appeared. It was the only point of light Carl could see in the void. This one appeared to be for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel world.


    [ENJOY YOUR TIME IN THIS WORLD. IF YOU WIN, YOU WILL RECEIVE MORE OPTIONS.]


    And that was it. No matter how many questions Carl threw out, begged, demanded, or pleaded, he received no more answers from the voice.


    Sighing at not being given a choice in the matter, Carl did the only thing he could and began reading the information sheet.


    "Well, at least I have a decent working knowledge of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer show." Carl sighed again at his predicament. He had a very distinct memory of dying in a car crash before coming here. He wasn''t prepared to leave his world behind so abruptly, but he was dead and gone, and that was that.


    "Okay, it looks like I''ll be stuck in this world for 10 years. ''Anything you buy you will keep forever, even if you die before this 10 year trip is over''. Well, that''s surprisingly generous. Although, mentioning death on the first page makes me think my second death is likely." Carl sighed again at thinking of his likely fate.


    "Well, let''s see, I get 1000 choice points, or CP. Is that generous, or stingy?" Carl wondered aloud as he hit next.


    "Identity. ''A history in this world will be created for you when you choose from the backgrounds below.'' The positives include gaining skills, abilities, and world knowledge based on the identity. The negatives include¡­new personalities? And they may change who I am? That''s a pretty big negative." Carl snorted.


    "Six choices of identity." He continued. "Spare Key, White Hat, Watcher, Initiative Member, Wolfram & Hart Lawyer, and Demon." Carl read through each description.


    "If this wasn''t my first world it might be entertaining to play a demon or lawyer. But screw that. I need powers, knowledge, and a stronger will power first before I go playing with such dangerous creatures. Surviving will be tough enough already without having demons and lawyers looking to enslave and torture me. In fact, the only option that doesn''t mess with my mind is the Spare Key."


    "And even though I''ll be targeted by Glory later on, I should have a few years to prepare for that Big Bad. Hell, despite having difficulties defeating her, the group was able to pull out a win in the end. So I have at least a decent chance of winning."


    Carl selected the Spare Key option, and then chose not to pay to choose his age.


    "Let my age be up to chance."


    When Carl selected the option to roll for age, a table appeared in front of him, with a single 8 sided die sitting on it. Carl picked up the dice and rolled. "A five. So I''ll be 17 years old, one year older than the crew, if I remember right. They''ll be sophomores when Buffy shows up, while I''ll be a junior in high school. I can work with that."


    The table disappeared from in front of Carl. A floating screen popped up in front of him with a message.


    [You will be inserted randomly into one of the protagonist''s families as a sibling. Your new family will have memories of you, while you will be flying blind. The choice of family will be a surprise for when you wake up in your new world.]


    "Well, that''s a thing." Carl commented, wondering who would become his new sibling. Shrugging since he couldn''t do anything about it, he moved on.


    Looking at the next page of the form, he saw that it was greyed out because he couldn''t choose a Demonic Heritage. Carl moved on to the next page, Special Abilities.


    There were 30 choices to choose from. Carl saw he could pick up Just Plain Snarky and Fashion Chaser for half off, based on his identity as a Spare Key. At 50 points each Carl figured he could make them work to his benefit to survive.


    Just Plain Snarky would make sure he would always have a quip available, even if it ended up as a s.e.x.u.a.l innuendo at his own expense. But at least it would slightly distract enemies, giving him a chance to get the initiative in a fight, so that was a plus.


    Fashion Chaser would give Carl knowledge about what is fashionable and "what to wear to catch the eyes of others". Carl figured he could use that knowledge to do the opposite if he wanted, and dress in such a way so he would pass unnoticed. That would be a great means of survival in a demon infested town like Sunnydale.


    Looking at the prices for the various abilities, Carl soon determined that unless he took some hefty complications that would totally ruin his chances of survival, he would have to pick one specialty and stick to it. The complication points were capped at 600 additional points, and after the first two they only gave half the points. Completely not worth it in his opinion, because he was trying to survive for 10 years, not grab a bunch of abilities but still die.


    Carl figured there were three paths he could realistically choose without going demon or picking crippling complications. A physical fighter, magic user, or scientist/researcher.


    Because of the world being the way it is, if he wanted to become a non-demon physical fighter, he would have to swap his gender and pick up the slayer ability. Not happening. He needed a clear head to survive 10 years. Being distracted by his change of gender, s.e.x.u.a.l orientation, and very identity while hunting demons was a good way to end up dead.


    Going the scientist/researcher route he could pick Technopathy, Robotics Genius, and Brilliant for 300 points each. Technopathy would allow him to communicate and command any electronic devices on the same network, but sentient machines could resist the commands.


    "Actually, how many sentient machines were there? Wasn''t it only Ted and that Moloch dude? Who was technically a demon, not a sentient machine. So aside from those two, I would be the hacker king of the world."


    Carl briefly entertained day dreams of having the world''s computer systems at his beck and call, before remembering it would be 1997 in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer world. Being a hacker king in that world wasn''t nearly as impressive as if he had the same perk in say, the Stargate universe.


    Robotics Genius would allow him to build robots that could be useful as guards, sentries, or shock troops. It would definitely help the Scooby Gang. But the huge downside was he would be dependent on technology to be able to defend himself. And knowing the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, he would probably end up in many near death situations, without his robots to protect him, waiting for the slayer to save him. No thanks.


    Besides, he would be a poor High School student, and electronics cost money. Sure he could hack his way into some funds, but he was sure that would bring him to the attention of certain groups he would rather ignore his existence altogether.


    Brilliant would make him incredible in numbers, quantum physics, science, and have a natural talent for inventing. As awesome as that would be, it wouldn''t directly help him survive his time as demon bait. And this first world Carl was all about increasing his survivability.


    With survival in mind, Carl chose to go the magic user route. His magic would always be with him. He couldn''t be disarmed of his main weapon so easily, and it would be great for offense, defense, and general utility.


    He first chose the ability Sorcery Savant ability for 600 points to gain a great natural ability to perform magic. "''The spells you perform will be on the same level or possibly above that of the greatest witches on earth once you gain more experience.'' Well, if I''m only as good or better than the best, why bother?" Carl sarcastically quipped.


    "Now does that skill level include Willow? Cause she was able to get close to destroying the world at one point. Or at least killing everyone in it. Even if I don''t get that powerful by messing with dark magic, I''ll still be plenty strong enough to protect myself." Carl decided.


    Next he picked the ability High Stakes Fighter for 100 cp. It would give him a working knowledge of jujutsu and aikido. While he wasn''t planning to physically fight demons, knowing how to redirect force, use holds and leverage, and generally survive physical confrontations would be instrumental in keeping him alive through ambushes until he could bring his magic cannons to bear on the enemy.


    Carl next picked up Cunning Linguist for 100 points. He chose Ancient Greek and Latin. He figured being well versed in a couple ancient languages would save him a lot of time on his magic studies, as well as make him more useful for research. He could always spend more time learning more languages, but coming into the world already knowing two would help immensely.


    Satisfied that he would be able to survive as a magic user, Carl moved on to the available equipment list. He immediately chose the Book of Kelsor for 100 cp as the single most useful item for him as a magic user.


    "''This detailed tome describes nearly a thousand varieties of demons, and provides insight on how to properly combat them. This codex has been around for centuries and steadily updated, one of the most reliable sources for generic demonic knowledge.'' The tips on how to fight should give me plenty of pointers on how to make my spells more effective. Knowledge is priceless!"


    By this point Carl had spent all his points, but he hesitated when he saw one particular item he really wanted at 100 cp. He agonized about whether it was worth getting. Was it worth picking up a complication in order to afford the item?


    Finally Carl decided it was completely worth it. He selected the Root Beer Keg for 100 cp. "Refreshing and foamy, you have a refilling keg of root beer that maintains the perfect temperature all the time." This would make his stay in Sunnyhell just a bit more bearable. To always have a perfect mug of root beer. Yummm¡­


    Looking at the complications that would give him the needed 100 points, it was a choice between Leporiphobia, Zeppo, Kleptomaniac, and Perfect Harmony.


    It was a choice between fearing bunnies, an "interesting times" curse with a side dash of people dismissing him, a tendency to steal things, and having Harmony Kendell interact with him on a regular basis.


    Carl first strongly rejected the "interesting times" curse of the Zeppo. Anything that brought extra danger into his life would have to have a much bigger point bonus to get him to consider it. Besides, the idea that the group he associated with would dismiss his abilities and ignore his suggestions when he was planning to be a world class mage chapped his hide.


    If it was only his enemies underestimating him, that would be fine. But he didn''t think he could become close friends with people who summarily dismissed him on a regular basis. Acquaintance, maybe. Friends? No.


    Next, he rejected Kleptomaniac. He didn''t have anything against relieving the worthy (aka vampires) of their material goods, but he didn''t want to be subject to such an involuntary compulsion. It would probably kick off at the most inopportune time, like when he would be trying to be stealthy, and directly lead to being caught. Pass.


    It could just be because he hadn''t seen the show for a long time, but Carl honestly thought having to interact with a good looking but shallow blonde girl couldn''t be that bad. And if enemies found out about his fear of bunnies, they could use it at the worst possible time to gain an upper hand by distracting him.


    So, Carl chose Perfect Harmony for 100 cp. At least he''ll always have root beer. He could always use it to console himself if Harmony got too bad.


    Once Carl clicked finish, the room dissolved into darkness.


    Carl woke up in his bed in a mansion. The decorations and furnishing looks expensive. There was a bookshelf along the wall, a desk with a computer on it, one of those old CRT monitors. And posters on the wall of some of the hot actresses of the day.


    Carl soon discovered that his computer had a dedicated phone line for internet. At least he won''t have to fight with whoever his family was over the phone usage rights.


    Looking around, he soon discovered a journal that started shedding light on his situation.


    He was now one Carlisle Chase, the older brother of Cordelia Chase.


    "Well, did not expect that. I was expecting to be a sibling to Willow or Xander. Somehow I can''t be too disheartened to be a member of a rich family."


    His parents wanted him to have a distinguished name, not some low brow name like Donald. "He''s a duck, after all." But since he was being a teenager and rebelling against everything, he had everyone call him Carl just to annoy his parents.


    As Carl read, he saw that he was given a suitable back story to explain his abilities. He had been enrolled in Jujutsu and Aikido for years. Carl continued to read about the people he knew from his time at the gym.


    One of the diary entries explained how he gained his Book of Kelsor. One day while browsing a used book store, he found the Book of Kelsor just sitting alone on a shelf. Briefly reading the descriptions about demons and vampires, diary Carl had been entertained. He had purchased it, thinking it would be like a fantasy book.


    But as he continued to read the book, it opened his eyes to the true nature of the world. He soon saw the lurking demons and vampires around Sunnydale. Deciding to learn as much as he could to protect himself, he started studying Greek and Latin because some of the entries in the book were written in those languages.


    After learning about demons and magic from the book, he soon sought out more knowledge of magic.


    He explored the local magic store, The Magic Box, and bought some basic magic primers to start training himself in magic.


    He soon found he had an incredible gift for magic. He kept his ability secret from his family. He recognized that there was likely a magical field or something over the town that caused people to overlook and rationalize away the supernatural.


    Unless his family chose to accept the reality of magic and demons, they would just think he was crazy if he started talking about it. So he chose to remain silent.


    He did work on creating some magical items. And there were two magical items he had crafted that made him immensely proud of his talents in magic.


    The first was a crucifix necklace that he wove many protections into. He gifted one of these necklaces to each of his family members to keep them safe. It was the best he could do to keep his family safe until they opened their eyes and mind to the supernatural.


    From reading the diary, Carl found out he had a good relationship with his sister, although they were very snarky to each other. Carl found himself amused to read that his sister''s friend, Harmony Kendell, had a huge crush on him, and so would spend hours around him if allowed to. Based on the anecdotes in the book, Harmony could be a sweet, if ditzy, girl. At least when she wasn''t being driven to be a bitch by her parents or the other social leaches in the school.


    Carl also learned that his father really wanted him to join him at the investment firm after he graduated. Carl shook his head. Based on his memories of the show, at this point his father in this world had already been evading paying taxes for 10 years. In two years the government would crack down on him, and send him to jail, while confiscating the family''s money and leaving the rest of them destitute. Not something Carl wanted to happen.


    He continued to read the rantings of the teenager Carlisle about the fights the father-son duo would get into. Because Carl''s backstory teenager self had discovered his great talent for magic, he didn''t want to go into the investment firm, but couldn''t tell his father the reason why because his father refused to acknowledge the supernatural.


    Diary Carl also found out about his father not paying taxes, and that too turned into a big argument, because his father refused to listen to Carl about paying back taxes. His father said he said he "had it covered".


    "Huh. Looks like I have two years to lay a financial foundation that''s not connected to dear old dad so that mom, sis, and I don''t end up in the poor house." Carl muttered to himself as he began making plans.


    Before getting ready for school, Carl ran through the magic exercises his diary talked about him doing. He found the telekinesis easy. He could even lift the weight of his bookshelf up. He split up his concentration and could individually lift 4 different items and control them separately.


    He then found he could easily conjure softball sized fire, water, wind, and earth globes, and have them dance around the room under perfect control.


    Banishing the globes, he worked solely on his fire control. First mashing down the softball sized fireball until it was the size of a golf ball. The more compact he made it, the hotter it burned. Good enough to immolate vampires. Now he just needed to work on his speed at conjuring the fireball.


    He then worked on his delicate control, sculpting the fire to make different shapes. Square, donut, oval, and house shaped were just some of the exercises. That part was very difficult, and left him sweating.


    Once he was finished with his exercises, Carl took a shower and got ready for school. "Back to High School." Carl laughed as he went downstairs and ate some breakfast their cook prepared for them.


    "Thanks Rosalie, delicious as always." Carl called out as he exited the kitchen, so he didn''t see the startled look of pleasure Rosalie had on her face for being complimented.


    Carl knocked on his sister''s door. "Hey, you ready in there? We leave in 20 minutes!"


    "Sure, sure. Impatient much?" Asked his sister as she opened the door. By the looks of it, she was primped and ready for a day of socializing and solidifying her rule as the Queen Bee of Sunnydale high.


    Cracking a grin, Carl just lazily waved. "I just didn''t want to be lectured by dad for not giving you a ride, if you know what I mean." Carl froze. He did not just throw a s.e.x.u.a.l innuendo at his sister Cordelia on the first time they interacted because of a stupid Special Ability he purchased.


    "Eww, much." Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Get your mind out of the gutter."


    "Whatever. You''re the one whose mind went there." Carl shot back with a grin. Oh well, if he''s going to be doing that kind thing often, the only thing to do is to grow thicker skin. Be more shameless and no one can embarrass him!


    "As if! Even if you weren''t my brother, your looks are barely a 6. Not even worthy of gazing on the perfection that is me." Cordelia snarked as she passed Carl in the hall, pausing only long enough to slug his shoulder.


    "She shoots, ahh, it''s a hit." Carl melodramatically clutched his heart, pretending to swoon. "How will I go on?"


    Cordelia''s small snort of laughter as she descended the stairs let Carl know he''d won a small victory.


    Carl smiled at their interaction. It was¡­fun having a sister. Maybe living here for 10 years wouldn''t be all bad.


    Because of his schedule, Carl didn''t see much of the future Scooby Gang until lunch. He sat with his small group of friends off to the side as he watched them interact with each other. When his sister passed a message to Buffy, Carl watched with narrowed eyes from across the green as Jesse McNally drooled over his sister''s ass as she walked away.


    Strangely, for having just entered this world, Carl found himself very angered at the way the teenage boy was eying up his sister. He felt very protective of her. ''That boy better watch himself, or he''ll find a fireball up his arse.'' Carl darkly thought before Harmony wandered up to talk with him.


    "Hi, Carl!" She perkily called out to him. "Do you like this blouse on me? It''s one of a kind, designed by the famous¡­" Harmony continued droning on about innocuous things while Carl simply smiled and answered monotonously.


    Carl found he was correct in his assumptions about the girl. In front of a boy she liked, Harmony acted sweet and nice. Still ditzy, but nice. With others, she might be a bitch, but for him she was kind of a dopey adorable kitten.


    It looked like he won a small victory in his gamble of taking the Perfect Harmony complication due to being Cordelia''s older brother. He could only assume if he had ended up as Willow, Xander, or Jesse''s brother that Harmony would do her bitchy act with him instead. That would definitely been very aggravating for 10 years.


    It would still have been worth it for the Root Beer Keg, though.


    Now Carl just had to figure out how to get her unplugged from the social scene and her parents that were trying to turn her into a shrewish bully. How to let her be the best she could be, instead of striving for fleeting popularity by stepping on others?


    Carl continued to chat with the blonde beauty through lunch. He soon determined that his fashion ability was a lifesaver. If he didn''t have all that fashion knowledge in his head, talking with Harmony would have been excruciating. But because of his newfound knowledge it was, dare he say it, kinda fun to just turn his mind off and chit chat for an hour.


    Maybe he could encourage Harmony to use her fashion knowledge to create a career in the fashion industry, instead of relying on her parents? Then she wouldn''t feel obligated to act like they want her to. It was worth looking into.


    Later that evening Carl accompanied Cordelia and her friends to the Bronze. He danced with a couple girls, including Harmony while keeping an eye out for vampires.


    After about an hour, Carl spotted two vampires talking up Jesse and Willow. When the idiots followed the vamps to the exit, Carl excused himself from the girls and followed them. Buffy and Xander weren''t around yet, so it was up to him to save at least Willow.


    He wasn''t still holding a grudge against McNally drooling over his sister, nope. Not him.


    The vampire that convinced Willow to follow him stopped right outside the back door. He changed into his game face, ready to feed. Willow screamed when she saw the vampire''s face.


    Hearing his cue, Carl quickly sent a cutter of wind to slice the vampire''s pants pocket to drop his wallet, before another wind cutter beheaded him, turning him to dust.


    Carl was just picking up the vampire''s wallet to loot it for money when Buffy and Xander charged out of the door, looking for Willow.


    Seeing that Willow was alright, and there was a pile of dust on the ground from the vampire, along with Willow babbling about the monster, Buffy started demanding answers from Carl while Xander tried to calm Willow down.


    Carl was a little impatient with Buffy''s imperious questioning attitude. He was pretty sure she acted like that by instinct from the Slayer spirit, but he was having none of it.


    "Instead of wasting time here, shouldn''t we be finding their friend? You know, the one who wandered off with Darla, one of the Scourge of Europe, to provide her with a nightcap?" Carl pointedly asked to change the subject.


    "Who?" Buffy blankly asked.


    Carl sighed. At this point in time, Buffy was not at all gung ho about her Slayer duties. While she would never get to the point where she would sink large amount of time into research, at least later on she would take her slaying seriously.


    She was just not research girl material. Not necessarily bad, since she could usually handle herself, but the lack of information did sometimes put her at a disadvantage.


    "Let''s talk as we walk." Carl stated, moving past them towards the entryway of the alley. The tracking spell that he''d tagged Jesse with let him know that it would be quicker to walk than to take his car.


    Buffy hesitated for a moment, then told Xander and Willow to get somewhere safe. Xander naturally refused.


    "Jesse is my friend, I''ve got to help him if he''s in danger!"


    Which led to Willow timidly joining the group, unwilling to be left alone.


    "Darla was a young woman who worked as a p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e in the 16th century. She contracted a fatal case of syphilis and, just before she died, was turned into a vampire." Carl explained what he''d read in his Book of Kelsor earlier about Darla as they made their way to the cemetery.


    "150 some years later, she turned a twenty something year old man named Liam. Once the vampire woke up, he entered Liam''s family home by an invitation from Liam''s sister, who said he must be an angel, to have come back to them after his death. Shortly after that the vampire tortured and killed poor Liam''s entire family."


    At their exclamations of horror, Carl nodded grimly. "I know, tragic, right? Well, the vampire decided he liked the irony of being called an angel so much, he named himself Angelus. The blood demon had inhabited a fairly good looking man, so over the years he has lured in many young women with his dashing tall, dark, and broody look. Many of them he r.a.p.ed and tortured for days before allowing them to die as his food." Carl saw they were suitably horrified.


    "I wonder if vampires are able to be carriers for STDs? I mean, if they are, he would be a carrier for the fatal case of syphilis that Darla had. Not to mention any other STDs he''s acquired over the years of ****." Carl idly speculated.


    "Can you please stop talking about that?" Xander impatiently asked with Willow nodding along. "And get to the relevant-y info please. Jesse is in danger from this bloodsucker. Less with the s.e.x.u.a.l crimes, and more with the how do we stop the vampires from draining the blood of our friend."


    "Fine, fine." Carl muttered as he pulled out several stakes and crosses. "Here, take these. Chances are you won''t get a chance to stake a vampire, unless they are an idiot newborn, or you get lucky. But better to have them just in case. Stake to the heart kills them. A cross will repel them a bit from attacking, unless they are really determined. And if you have holy water, splashing them burns them. Great for blinding the vampires while you either stake them or get away. Easy peasy." Carl stated.


    "Any way, Darla, Angelus, and two other vampires made quite the name for themselves over in Europe for a few decades before Angelus pissed off the wrong people and got himself cursed."


    "He got cursed and died?" Buffy hopefully asked.


    "Nope, he got cursed with a soul." Carl realized he was rushing to tell them this information while they may be too distracted to soak it in. But one of the things he''d always hated about the show was when Angel lost his soul, Buffy never tried to gank him until it was literally the world or him. He''d already lost his soul, why couldn''t she bring herself to stab a soulless vampire?


    And sure, she did the right thing eventually, but if he could convince her not to let a freaking vampire into her heart in the first place, things should never get that bad. Hopefully.


    "Anyway. The point is that the little blonde vampire Darla is about 390 years old. She likes to pull the sweet and innocent act on people to sucker them in. But she is very dangerous. So be extremely cautious of her. Dust her if you get half a chance, but be extremely careful."


    Carl finished just as they arrived at the area his spell said Jesse was in. They soon saw a shadowy couple embracing each other next to a sarcophagus. Darla had already started to feed on Jesse. Not good.


    Carl threw a little water bottle of holy water at the vampire, splashing over her back. She reacted by screeching and throwing Jesse aside and running away. Smart vampire, instead of facing unknown odds of people who got the drop on her with holy water, she decided to retreat and regroup.


    Buffy started to chase her, before aborting the action to go help Jesse.


    Carl, meanwhile, used his magic to throw wind blades at Darla''s legs. He managed to slice her hamstrings, dropping her to the ground. He could tell she was already healing, so he ran towards her, throwing a couple of fireballs.


    Darla swiftly rolled away from the impact splashes of the fire. Thinking she was safe, she turned her head to glare at him to memorize his face before she would then slither off behind a tomb.


    Which was exactly when the wind blade that Carl sent to circle around behind her sliced into her neck, and damaged her spinal column. She lost control of her body, flopping to the ground.


    "Huh, the other vampire got beheaded by that move. Maybe it''s cause she''s older and tougher?" Carl theorized.


    The damage to her spinal column made it hard for Darla to move, the signals from her brain weren''t getting to her limbs. It gave Carl enough time to summon another couple of fireballs and send them her way from the left and right.


    This time, flanked by the fireballs and unable to move well, the fireballs hit. She went up in a flaming pyre of screaming immolation.


    Carl wiped the sweat from his brow. That took a lot out of him. Not to mention it was nerve wracking. If Darla had the initiative in their encounter, especially if she was armed with handguns, this night would have gone vastly different.


    Carl moved back over to check on how the rest were doing. Ignoring the wide eyed looks from seeing him cast spells, he asked Xander. "How is your buddy?"


    "Not good, I think he lost a lot of blood." Xander worriedly said as he held some cloth to Jesse''s neck.


    "Better get him to the hospital then. If you can get him to the entrance of the graveyard, I''ll see if I can''t give you a ride. Unless you''d like me to call an ambulance instead?" Carl idly asked.


    After seeing the way Jesse looked at his sister earlier, and how he kept trying to hit on her in the club despite being shot down, Carl didn''t really care too much about him. He wouldn''t go out of his way to hurt him unless Jesse crossed the line, but he wasn''t about to get worried about his health, either.


    They eventually got Jesse to the hospital. Since Carl was Cordelia''s ride, he made sure to get her from the club before picking up the group. Cordelia rode shotgun, while Buffy, Willow, and Xander sat in the back with Jesse across their laps.


    Once the gang unloaded at the hospital, and Carl and Cordelia were driving back home, Cordelia couldn''t wait any longer.


    "What was all that? And since when are you friends with those losers?" She demanded.


    "Dumbass McNally accepted the invite of a vampire to go make out in a graveyard. We only just got there in time to stop him from being drained of all his blood." Carl stated baldly. He wasn''t going to sugar coat the dark side for his bluntly honest sister. Maybe she would believe him? In the show she soon accepted the existence of the supernatural and even helped the Scooby Gang from time to time before moving to L.A. and becoming part of Angel''s Crew.


    "Vampires? You expect me to believe that?" Cordelia incredulously asked.


    "Well, yeah." Carl laconically stated as he held one hand up and conjured a fireball. "Magic. Ta daa." He sarcastically stated. "Found a book a few years ago about vampires and demons and magic. Turns out I''m pretty gifted in magic."


    After staring gape mouthed for a while at Carl, Cordelia sat back and thought. Carl just extinguished his fireball and went back to quietly driving, letting her order her thoughts. He thought it was a good sign that she wasn''t immediately denying the evidence in front of her eyes.


    "Is that why you and dad have been arguing a lot lately?" Cordelia finally asked.


    "No. Well, not directly, no. You are the first person in the family I''ve told about magic and whatnot. No, there are two issues that dad and I fight about. You know he wants me to join him in the investment firm after I graduate, right?" At her nod, he continued. "He wants me to work there part time while going to college. I, on the other hand, don''t feel that''s the path for me. So, we butt heads about it." Carl stopped talking.


    "And what''s the other thing you fight about?" After a few moments, Cordelia asked.


    "Taxes."


    "Taxes?"


    "Taxes." Carl nodded. "And about how he hasn''t been paying them for the past decade. He says he''s worked out some loopholes so he doesn''t have to pay anything, and that everything is fine. But I''m of the opinion that it''s shady and that the government is going to be coming after him one of these days. Since he''s gotten away with it for a decade, he thinks they''ll never catch on." Carl finished with a snort of disbelief at his father. "The IRS loves their money. They don''t have to be on the ball all the time, because they have enough people that they''ll eventually get around to you. And I think when they do catch up to him, they''ll want to make an example out of dad. You know, to make sure everyone knows to pay their taxes, or else."


    "Oh." Cordelia quietly said, thinking about the repercussions of that scenario to their lives.


    "Yup."


    "What''ll we do if they do come after dad? They''ll take everything, won''t they?"


    "Yeah, most likely. Earlier today I finally decided I''d had enough of living on the edge, always waiting for the hammer to drop. I''m going to start squirreling away some money, and put it in accounts that aren''t connected to him. Maybe drop by a lawyer and figure out how we can keep a decent portion safe so if the worst does happen, we aren''t left destitute."


    "I''ll help. If it will make things easier and so we don''t end up poor, I''ll help." Cordelia offered, not wanting to lose her privileged life. Carl didn''t want to end up poor either, so he couldn''t blame her.


    "Sounds good, sis." Carl looked at her from the corner of his eye. "How you doing with the big magic and vampires reveal?"


    "Scared. I don''t really want to think about it." Cordelia shivered.


    "Yeah." Carl nodded. "The big thing to remember is to not invite people in after dark. Just kind of stand to the side of the door. If they can''t come in without an invitation, they are bad mojo that you don''t want in. Be sure that you wear that necklace I gave you, it''s got protections on it. Holy water is easy to carry with you everywhere, and splashing them in the face should blind them enough for you to make an escape." He gave some advice to her.


    Cordelia looked down at the necklace she was wearing, and felt some comfort. At least he was looking out for her.


    They arrived home shortly and split up to their rooms to get some rest.

 Chapter 212 - My CO Stash #12 - One Above All by Wielder of Fate (NarutoXMyHeroAcademia)

    -Recently published awesome fic~ For the first time I see a well written Madara-transported into another world fic, these kind of fics are too good if you know other fics like this one, comment it down below!


    Sypnosis: Madara had won. Project Tsuki No Mei. Under an eternal blissful Genjutsu. Except for him. A voice reaches out to him, and he takes the offer. Izuku-Madara Uchiha Reincarnate. OP.


    Rated: M


    Words: 6K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13514588/1/One-Above-All (WielderofFate)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter One: Eyes of Hatred


    The shine of light on the world was an unnatural one. It pierced objects and buildings. All living things ensnared in the illusionary world of their own desires.


    Sasuke''s Rinnegan hadnt been enough to stop him. Using his new eye had cost him too much chakra and it had been easy for him to tear the boy''s Rinnegan out. Instantly snaring both him and the Uzumaki in the illusion.


    Madara Uchiha had won. And he was now paying the price for winning.


    No movement. No sound. He was alone now and he was immortal. An eternity of solitude and isolation.


    ''If I tear out my Rinnegan eyes and replace them with normal eyes, will I join them in the perfect world? Or will I forever live in this world of pointlessness? Or will I join them but forever feel unable to believe in the illusion?''


    ''Madara Uchiha. This timeline is ending. And I offer you a choice.''


    The voice was ethereal, barely a whisper, but the silence had made it deafening. My eyes could see no change in chakra so I wondered if I had gone insane at last.


    ''Not insane. Not yet, at least. My name is Gaia, and I am the Soul of the Multiverse. The being in which all else is born. This timeline is ending. In another life, you failed and died. In this one, you succeeded but now have no purpose. Every human born after this point will only perpetuate under the illusion and no being can enter this dimension without falling prey to it as it reacts to consciousness.''


    ''I offer a choice. Be reborn in a new world. Be reborn anew. In this world, you were born talented. Born with gifts and powers that allowed you to get this far. You believe that you are more powerful because of your will alone. I challenge you to rise from nothing and become more.''


    The voice was mocking him and his pride was raised. However, an entire lifetime of battle and consequence have him pause.


    Pride had cost him his brother, his clan, his home, and many times almost his life. Pride was fickle and dangerous.


    ''I dont know your game or schemes but I will accept being reborn... with conditions.''


    ''Such as?''


    ''In being reborn, I will keep my memories of this life. I will regain my Sharingan and all of my abilities within a period of a decade of rebirth. Any abilities I gain in the new world, I keep. And finally, that you dont interfere with my life or my desires without my permission.''


    "I accept those terms."


    The flat voice echoed and then blackness was all he knew.


    -OAA©\-


    Ever since I can remember, I had nightmares. Horrible terrifying nightmares that paralyzed me in silent terror.


    But I could never recall them after I woke up. Only a haze of blood, bodies everywhere, and feeling the responsibility of knowing I had done those things.


    And that I liked it.


    Outside of that. Nothing else new. My many tests done on me turned out normal. Sleep tests indicated massive brainwaves but nothing concrete.


    I was considered Quirkless. In a world where 80% of the world had powers. I had nothing.


    Until one day. Something changed.


    I had been going somewhere. I no longer remember where. When a Slime Villian had captured me. Suffocated me. Intended to kill me. Use my body as a puppet.


    As I neared death and blackness overtook me, my eyes saw red.


    Red eyes with three tomoe swirling around the pupil. And a voice that seemed to echo from within me.


    "Would you kindly get out of my body and die?"


    The lazy monotone drawl was cold and flat. Harsh. The sheer coldness in me didn''t feel like the slime invading my body. It felt like an ocean of cold energy that flowed through me.


    The slime suddenly left and I gasped weakly for air. Sputtering and coughing, I looked up only to see the slime villian was shaking and seemed to be holding something in his hand.


    The black orb pulsed slightly and I knew immediately, somehow, that it was the villains heart.


    Squelch.


    A sickening sound of something like a weak splat and the villian melted. Dead.


    I was numb. Hollow. I killed him. It was self-defense, but I still killed him. An unknown emotion bubbled up in me as i slowly struggled up to my knees and stared down at the puddle-corpse.


    Glowing red eyes with three tomoe spun back at me and a word screamed through my mind in instinctive recognition.


    "Sharingan."


    "Do not fear! For I am... late."


    A distant echo. That voice felt like a lifetime ago. And I looked up from the puddle to see All Might.


    Who looked very worried and his face barely able to hide his concern.


    A voice in the back of my mind scoffed. The Sharingan saw and analyzed muscle twitches and movements to the cellular level. There was nothing that can hide from the Sharingan.


    "Your name is... Izuku right? Are you okay?"


    The man''s voice was gentle as he went down on his knees. Careful to look at me and not the puddle.


    "I dont know. This... thing tried to kill me. It tried to invade my body. And now it''s dead. And I feel really tired now."


    All of that was true, and suddenly the pool of energy in me dried up and all I knew was darkness.


    For the first time, I knew I wasnt having a nightmare in my sleep.


    I was recollecting my memories. I was Madara. I was Izuku Midoriya.


    Both of them merging slowly into one individual.


    Izuku wept at the sheer amount of blood, the sheer amount of bodies, and the horrors of the shinobi world.


    Madara scowled coldly at the idealistic nature of this new world. Powerful technology, unprecedented abilities as varied and untouched as a tool not yet sharpen. Heros and villains. Black and white. Hardly so simple. And yet, he too wept silently in quiet joy. At having family. At having a desire to protect what was not yet tarnished.


    One experienced all the horrors the world had to offer. The other experienced some of the simple bliss of a modern world that had also proclaimed him useless.


    Izuku had but one clear desire. A purpose. To be the best hero. To prove to the world that he would rise. Yet he lacked the will to stand against the world, he lacked the conviction to destroy all who stood in his path.


    Madara had already claimed his purpose. A powerful shinobi, all the strength in the world, but nothing to aim it toward. Nothing outside of a drive to succeed. In every world. In every way.


    Izuku lost his innocence. Madara reclaimed a better world view while still retaining himself.


    All Might had taken the young teen to a nearby hospital. Guilt consuming him. This young man had nearly died and only a strange quirk had saved him from watching another person become another footnote in an obituary.


    He hadnt meant to be curious, he was still Toshinori in his current state, but he had pulled his weight slightly to stay in the room and caught sight of the young man''s journals.


    Izuku Midoriya. Also known as worthless Deku. Picked on for being quirkless yet still desired to be a hero. All Might was used to fanboy worship... but not like this.


    Pages. Endless pages of not just him, but every pro hero. Their strengths. Endless questions on the limits and variability of their quirks. The sheer extent of his knowledge and ingenuity of his theories put All Might to shame.


    Izuku may not have a quirk, but he might as well have been.


    ''This level of Quirk Analysis is off the charts. Should any of the villains or worse Him, get the hands on this boy, would spell doom. On everyone.''


    An uneasy feeling hit him. This was the work of years, almost a decade. Without a quirk. And now Izuku had a quirk. That somehow stopped a dangerous villain that had the ability to be almost entirely liquid and possess bodies like they wore clothes.


    Was this to be the rise of Izuku the Villain? He who could see and destroy heros on the same level as Him?


    For a brief moment, Toshinori considered killing Izuku. And the fact that the number one hero considered doing that made him pause in self-disgust.


    Izuku didn''t need to be killed. He needed to be guided. He needed to rise, not to strike back against the world and burn it to ashes, but to show the world that all people, quirkless or not, deserve equality.


    ''Is he to be my successor?''


    He looked at the young man. He looked so frail. Too frail. One For All would kill him. As he is now. If he trained the young man. If he had the conviction. He might be more than worthy of its power.


    The young man stirred, and his eyes widened at the sight.


    Izuku''s records stated green eyes at his birth and childhood.


    Blood red eyes with three tomoe stared back at him.


    "Hello, young Izuku."


    Those glowing ominous eyes blinked. And then stared at him some more.


    "Who are you?"


    Toshinori sighed. It was going to be a long day.

 Chapter 213 - My SI Stash #13 - Life is More Than a Game by Orpheus Kidwell (SkyrimXMulticross)

    -If you like a ruthless MC well here''s another NSFW Multicross Gamer fic with the SI starting in Skyrim! Also expect some mods~


    Sypnosis: Life is more than just fun and games you know. The afterlife... that''s an entirely different story. Gamer SI. Starts in Skyrim, but planned to be a multidimensional, world-hopping adventure.


    Rated: M


    Words: 74K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13410897/1/Life-is-More-Than-a-Game (Orpheus Kidwell)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter I-III (exceptional)


    Congratulations! You have been randomly selected as a trial run recipient of our Deluxe Reincarnation package, complete with an all-expense paid trip through the multiverse and The Full Gamer Experience ¨C sponsored by Mountain Dew.


    Uh¡­ what? What''s going on? I can''t tell where the voice was coming from. Or where anything is, really. I can''t see anything at all. Or feel anything.


    As I''ve already mentioned, you have been pre-selected to be our trial recipient of our new Deluxe Package. Given your recent death, the conditions to run this trial have finally been met! I''m sure you''re as overjoyed as we are to finally help ready this process for the public. It''s so wonderful to add someone new to the team!


    Deluxe Package? Death? Trial run? What¡­ what in the actual Hell are you talking about? I try to open my mouth to say something, but that feeling of no feeling hits me. It''s not just that I can''t feel anything, I can''t even feel my own body.


    What''s going on!? Am I really dead? I¡­ I can''t remember anything. If I try really hard flashes of¡­ something¡­ come to mind. Heat¡­ the color orange¡­ screams¡­ a fire, maybe?


    Oh, don''t worry about that! The voice was far too cheerful for my liking. Your body will need to be remade thanks to that pesky office fire that killed you and most of your co-workers, but we have a process for that. It actually works out in our favor extremely well since it means we get to try out our new and improved Physical Appearance Improvement Nexus. Isn''t that great? Before we get to that though, we need to make sure you''re compliant and calm. Why don''t we take care of that little annoyance of an emotional breakdown?


    [Gamer''s Mind] (Passive) added.


    Allows you to view life as a game. Emotional and psychological maluses are nullified and HUD is unlocked.


    [Gamer''s Body] (Passive) added.


    Allows you to experience life as a game. Your body only requires 30 minutes of rest to become completely rejuvenated.


    [Observe] Lv. 1 (Active) added.


    0 MP


    Gain insight into whatever is currently targeted. Information gained is increased at higher levels.


    [Observe] allows you to gain insight into whatever you aim your senses at when activated. Gain more insight at higher levels.


    As the voice finishes, several¡­ pop-ups fill my vision. That''s the only way to describe them. Rectangles of light and text informing me of whatever the voice has done and what their effects are. I think. My worry over having died recedes, but not because I feel calmer. Even as that thought appears, I do start to feel calmer. Whatever that voice is, has to be responsible for this. I''ve never been very emotional, but this is ridiculous. I''m not even allowed to feel negative emotions anymore?


    They''ll only get in the way, so it''s much better this way! Just trust me. You''d go insane like the first three guys otherwise. I didn''t like how I could almost hear the far-too-happy-to-actually-be-real smile the voice probably had. Now, let''s begin, shall we? Our system will outfit you with a base to work from and you can just use your imagination to change things. Here''s a mirror too!


    That feeling of not feeling and the darkness both disappeared all at once, which was not a pleasant experience. Everything went bright white and I was forced to shut my eyes, which hadn''t been there a moment ago, against the blinding light. On top of that, my entire body felt like it was simultaneously burning, freezing, constricted, and open as I had to get used to things like temperature and air pressure again.


    Are you quite done screaming now? I think you''re being a bit melodramatic.


    I hadn''t even realized that I was shouting until the voice brought it up. Controlling myself, I shut my mouth, slowly opening my eyes. Then that feeling of not calm but still calm washed over me once more when I finally saw my reflection in the mirror. What was allowing me to see it though? The confusion really set in deep, considering my body had the same plastic consistency of a window manikin. That, of course, included the lack of facial features like eyes, ears or a nose. In the end, I decided it was better that I just not worry about it, after all.


    Now that you''re focused, let''s begin! Our new and improved system is quite easy to use, you know. All you need to do is visualize what you would like each part of your body to look like and the Nexus will take care of the rest. Go on, give it a shot.


    At the voice''s urging, I did so. Starting with my eyes, I watched as the plastic-y essence of my ''face'' began to push inwards; with flesh, blood and nerves forming in a rather grotesque way. All at once I wanted to turn away, if that was even possible, and to keep watching out of morbid curiosity. After a few moments, that felt like hours, it was finally done and I had a pair of blue eyes looking back at me. It looked rather¡­ uncanny when contrasted against the paper-white plastic of my form. Thankfully, despite the system''s acronym it wasn''t painful at all.


    That''s more of an unfortunate consequence of the naming than an intentional abbreviation. Our marketing team has been trying to figure out a better name for weeks, but nothing really comes up that does well in focus groups so it will have to stick for now. It looks like you''re getting the hang of it though! Keep it up and we''ll be able to move forward with the process in no time!


    The cheery attitude of that voice was getting a bit creepy, but it''s not like I could do anything about it. So I just ignore it in favor of shaping my appearance further. It''s not like you get to decide on your looks down to a hyper-specific level every day, after all.


    Watching all of my body parts being shaped and grown from this plastic-looking body is certainly an experience I don''t think I could ever forget, even if I wanted to. And by God, do I wish I could forget watching my spherical head being ground down to shape my nose, or the lower half of said head slowly ripping apart as I finally opened a mouth I didn''t have before. How I had been screaming just moments - or maybe hours? - ago was beyond me. Nothing about this makes any sense, but I suppose that''s just the way things are.


    I don''t know how much time passed, but I finally finished my ''character creation'' and was content with it. Generally speaking, I''ve never spent much time on making a character. In fact, I''m more likely to just take one of the stock options so I can dive into the game then and there, with the exception of a rare roleplay run. Still, I think I''m okay with what I''ve done here. Nothing over the top: black hair that falls just over the top of my ears, those same blue eyes, a lean build to my physique, and an olive tan. I took extra time to ensure all of my teeth were just how I wanted them ¨C I do not want to have to deal with a.d.u.l.t braces, if they even exist wherever I end up. My only complaint is the lack of clothing, but at least this place (wherever I am) seems to be a nice, cool temperature that''s about as comfortable to stand in as I could hope for.


    Ah, it seems that you''re done. That''s very good. Now we can get to the fun part! The mirror disappeared into the all-white limbo world I was in. Finally focusing on my surroundings, I looked around and felt Gamer''s Mind force me into serenity again. There was nothing anywhere. All around me was whiteness. If not for the fact that I could feel it beneath my feet, I wouldn''t even know for sure whether I was standing on solid ground or floating through a void. I''m starting to see why the first three people went insane.


    The second one didn''t even make it this far, you know. The voice informed me. Enough about them, though. Now it''s time that we filled out all the proper paperwork. I couldn''t help but let out a sigh at that. Paperwork? I''ve had enough of that to last a lifetime. Nonsense! Paperwork is the lifeblood of any organization. Plus, I''m sure you''ll enjoy this!


    Before me materialized another one of those slightly translucent and floating text boxes. This one was much larger than those before and looked more like a job application than a notification. Looking through it, I began to notice some stark differences though. Some parts were inconspicuous enough: name, age, occupation, things like that. Then there were things like race, class, specialization, perks, flaws, and things like that looked like they fit better on a D&D character sheet.


    "This is the paperwork? How do I fill it in?" I can''t help but wonder. I thought that my voice might sound raspy, considering I hadn''t had a pair of lungs, throat, or mouth up until just now, but it sounded perfectly healthy. That was a welcome relief.


    Simply think about the section you''d like to fill out and a new screen will appear, giving you your options. A quick [Observe] and you can see some details about your choices. Think carefully! Your path here will determine the base you need to work from throughout your entire journey!


    Nodding my understanding, I decided to start where all forms should, with my name. I mean, that wasn''t really that difficult. My real life and my escapist fantasies always had a line drawn between them, and I''d just use the me from the latter. Orpheus Kidwell, seems like you finally get to have your time to shine, for real this time.


    From there most of the mundane stuff was easily taken care of. My age was set to 21. No matter where in the multiverse I ended up, that should be a good place to start, and it gives me plenty of time to enjoy myself¡­ if enjoying myself is an option. There''s a lot of dangerous worlds out there, after all. My gender is set to male. My s.e.x.u.a.lity is set to heteros.e.x.u.a.l, though why that was part of it I''m not too sure. My race is set to Homo Sapiens Sapiens. There are some other options, but considering humans have the most consistent treatment across everything I''ve ever seen, I''d rather not be an elvish slave or a Twi''lek p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e.


    Then came the less mundane options. These are the one that I actually had to put some serious thought into considering that these choices would decide my fate, if what the voice said was true. I had no idea where I was going to end up, so I had to be very pragmatic with my selections and take up what would be the most universally useful. So I started with occupation, which seemed to be my background. After a quick [Observe] I was given a couple of choices, but quickly narrowed it down to five.


    [Occupation: Soldier]


    Thanks to your experience on the field of battle you are far more in-tune with your instincts and combat ability. You gain an additional 15% experience with [Fighter] classes and start with the [Combat Instincts] ability.


    [Combat Instincts] (Passive)


    In combat situations, you are better at surviving. This decreases reflex save checks by 10% during combat.


    [Occupation: Mercenary]


    You used to be a sell-sword or maybe you still are. Either way, you are 5% better at haggling and gain a 10% experience boost with either [Fighter], [Mage], or the [Rogue] class type, whichever one you started with.


    [Occupation: Artisan (Blacksmith)]


    You were apprenticed to a blacksmith in your home village for many years, picking up the tools of the trade. Crafting with hard metals gives 10% additional class experience and skill checks become 10% easier.


    [Occupation: Scholar]


    You grew up either locked tight in a library or under the tutelage of a university and learned how to learn. All experience gains are increased by 5% and you start with one free [Lore] and [Knowledge] perk.


    [Occupation: Merchant]


    Your family plies its trade by buying and selling wares, and you''ve been made privy to the tricks that make a good shopkeep. All prices (buying and selling) are 15% better, barter checks are 5% easier, and you know how to find merchants willing to fence stolen goods.


    It all came down to whether combat or practical skills were more important. Unfortunately, there weren''t really any magic-based occupations, otherwise that probably would have taken priority. The mercenary occupation was the closest. Still, I was really leaning towards the last two. After a moment of thought, I finally decided and Merchant filled in my Occupation slot. I always roleplay as a merchant anyways, and having a background in accounting has to count for something if I start a business, right?


    The voice has been eerily quiet since I began this process, but I ignore that fact in lieu of my next big option. There''s only three choices this time. My class has to be either fighter, mage, or rogue. The choice is extremely simple. Or so I think. After I decide on mage, a second screen pops up titled ''Specialization''.


    [Elementalist] [Illusionist] [Summoner] [Cleric] [Druid] [Warlock] [Bard]


    Well, I could immediately cross Cleric, Warlock, Bard, and Illusionist off my list. I didn''t really feel like serving a god or a demon, so there''s no way I was going to rely on their power. By the same token, I wanted to be at least somewhat self-sufficient, so starting as a support class like illusionist or bard would be a really bad idea.


    Of the other three, it was somewhat more difficult. That said, I marked Druid off. Convening with nature and having a pack of wolves to protect me and eventually being able to shape-shift into a magical bear sounded fun, but I like civilization and its perks a bit too much to be a mountain man.


    That left the ability to manipulate the forces of nature through my spells or the ability to summon inter-dimensional beings to do my bidding. If I had an army of summons to protect me, I could probably more safely delve into other arts and command them rather than get up close and personal. On the other hand, creating tornadoes of fire sounds pretty badass.


    What the hell! Looks like I''m gonna go elemental magic. Hopefully I can pick up some summoning magic later.


    [Class: Mage] Acquired.


    +3 INT and +3 WIS each level. XP from spellcasting increased by 25%.


    [Sub-Class: Elementalist] (Lv 1/100) added.


    A specialized type of mage that focuses on manipulating the forces of nature, especially elemental energies. +2 INT and +2 WIS each level. XP from elemental spells increased by 25%.


    [Elemental Magic (Novice)] (Passive)


    You have some basic knowledge of elemental magic. You can learn spells from scrolls and books so long as they are [Elemental].


    [Fireball] (Active) added.


    15 MP


    Launch an explosive ball of fire at a target for 25 damage. Deals an additional 20 Explosive Splash damage to nearby targets. Will ignite the target, dealing an additional 2 damage per second.


    [Raise Stone Wall] added.


    25 MP


    Raise a wall of nearby stone from the ground to protect yourself. May be repaired at a rate of 1 MP per 2% condition.


    [Ice Spike] added.


    15 MP


    Launch a spike of ice at a target, dealing 40 damage. Has a high chance of critical hit and does extra damage to limbs.


    [Vacuum Palm] added.


    10 MP


    Creates a vacuum in the user''s palm. Will draw a targeted object or person towards the caster.


    After I finished that up, the screen closed, to my immediate confusion. "Um¡­ I wasn''t really done with that. There was still a bunch of other things left."


    Worry not! You input is not necessary for all of them! The rest of it will be filled in as you make your journey. This paperwork is for us too. There is just one last thing before we push forward and you end up in the first of many destinations in your afterlife. There are a couple of systems we''re thinking of possibly integrating into our Full Gamer Experience. Would you be interested in acting as a beta tester for those as well? There is, of course, a signing bonus should you accept.


    [Choose Your Path!]


    We are offering you a once in an after-lifetime opportunity within your once in an after-lifetime experience! There are several experimental systems that we would like to test, and should you accept to do so, you will be rewarded handsomely with free XP, currency, a number of potions, and an epic-class item. There is no penalty for rejecting the offer besides the missed opportunity!


    [Accept] [Decline]


    I looked at the screen with a little suspicion but sighed. Getting a couple of early game boons could make things a lot easier depending on where I ended up. And based on the information provided it couldn''t really hurt to take the offer, so sure. Let''s do it.


    (5)*Large XP Potions added to the inventory


    (5000)*Currency Tokens added to the inventory


    (10)*Large HP Potions added to the inventory


    (10)*Large MP Potions added to the inventory


    Drought of Strength added to the inventory


    Drought of Dexterity added to the inventory


    Drought of Constitution added to the inventory


    Drought of Intellect added to the inventory


    Drought of Wisdom added to the inventory


    Drought of Charisma added to the inventory


    Drought of Luck added to the inventory


    Epic-Class GachaToken added to the inventory


    Scanning over the list, the last item catches my attention. "Gacha token? Um¡­." I''m interrupted by the Voice overhead.


    And with that, welcome to your new and improved afterlife Mr. Orpheus Kidwell! I hope for a long and fruitful partnership with you!


    For a moment, everything went black and I was a little afraid I''d lost my body again. There wasn''t anything to be afraid of though. Slowly opening my eyes, I looked around at a vaguely familiar scene. I was sitting, but moving outside. There was a slight creaking of wooden wheels moving over a dirt path and I tried to figure out where I''d seen this mountain and forest scenery before. I went to grab the seat behind me so that I could balance myself and look behind me, but I soon realized that I was bound at the wrists with thick rope.


    "Oh, you''re finally awake. You got caught at the border, like the rest of us. And the thief over there." Oh f.u.c.k¡­ Divines help me.


    Chapter II: Rocks Fall, Everybody Dies


    I literally tuned out the Nord as soon as he finished his opening line. There was no reason to pay attention to his words. I''d heard them a thousand times over a thousand games. Okay, that might be an over-exaggeration, but not by much. Right now, all I could think about was what being dropped off in this world, at this time, in this particular body meant for me. When I was making my character, I didn''t think I''d be stuck as the f.u.c.k.i.n.g Dragonborn of all things. This was so bad in so many ways.


    Okay, okay, calm down. This is fine. This could go well, right? I just have to make it through Helgen and escape. Sure, I have to defeat a world-rending super-dragon in order to ensure that I don''t poof out of existence, but this is still fine. I''m the Dragonborn. Plus, I''ve got some completely unknown system as well thanks to The Full Gamer Experience. Well, first off, I''ve got a solid ten minutes before anything actually happens, so let''s see if I also have access to the Skyrim system.


    Focusing a bit, I bring up my inventory. Instead of the more familiar list that this game usually had, it was a grid system, 6 wide and 12 tall. There was no carry weight and it seemed like the pages went on forever. Okay, so that''s one less thing to deal with.


    What about the perk trees? Despite my focus, nothing actually appears. Just thinking about the concept of perks does do something though. It brings up an empty page labeled [Perks and Flaws]. I don''t actually start with any, but the Voice said that it would fill up over time. Perhaps I would gain things through quests or actions then? Either way, that meant that I probably was stuck in a familiar world and a completely unfamiliar system. I would just have to adapt then.


    Orpheus Kidwell


    Level 1


    Race: Human


    Class: Mage


    Sub-Class: Elementalist (Lv. 1/100)


    Occupation: Merchant


    HP: 118 (3.8/min)


    MP: 128 (1.2/sec)


    STR: 8


    DEX: 9


    CON: 8


    INT: 16


    WIS: 12


    CHA: 9


    LCK: 6


    Out of curiosity, I wanted to see if I could pull up my character information. I''m not sure whether my stats are good or bad yet, and I probably won''t be able to tell until I actually get into a fight or have to suffer through a failed check. Besides, the moment I''m free of bondage, I''ll probably drink those stat potions I got. I''ll get a free 10 points into every stat thanks to opting-in on the beta program. That should hopefully make the early game a little easier.


    My thoughts are interrupted as the cart finally comes to a halt and we''re commanded to leave one at a time. Ralof disembarks first, being checked off the list. Then goes Lokir. He runs off just like I remember, quickly being filled with arrows in his back. I don''t recall him being shot so many times in my playthroughs. Or there being quite so many people in Helgen. I guess without engine limitations, the world is more full. Noticing my surroundings for basically the first time, I realize that there are more Imperials and Stormcloaks here. Does that mean that the keep will be harder to push through than I remember? I''ll have to be very careful who I choose to follow, then.


    "You''re a long way from the Imperial City. What''re you doing in Skyrim?" I hear Hadvar comment. It looks like I''m being mistaken for an Imperial. That suits me well enough, I suppose. I wonder if I''ll get access to their racial abilities? I don''t seem to have access to anything else from this world, so the odds are pretty slim. I''ll need to survive this little tutorial first before I worry about that. "What do we do, Captain? He''s not on the list."


    "Forget the list. He goes to the block." I''m quite happy with the knowledge that that bitch will be burning alive very soon. I mean, I never did like her when I played, but hearing the nonchalance in her voice at dooming an innocent to execution in person brought that dislike straight into loathing.


    "By your orders, Captain. I''m sorry, I''ll make sure your remains are delivered to Cyrodiil." At least Hadvar seemed genuine. That decision was getting harder. Whomever I chose between Hadvar and Ralof, the other one would die. "Follow the Captain, prisoner." He instructs me. I can see the reluctance in his eyes, but he is a soldier after all.


    I did as I was told and followed after the Captain. I don''t remember her name. Does she even have a name in the game? I don''t know and, frankly, I don''t think it really matters that much. As I join up with the rest of the group, I can see General Tullius condescending to Ulfric, but I just tune things out again. I know how this is all going to go, so I''m better off using this time for something more productive.


    I take the opportunity to open my inventory and use observe on the items I got from opting-in to the beta. As I look through the descriptions, I begin to think that accepting the offer was a very good idea. The XP potions don''t add a static amount of experience, but 5 levels worth of XP to whatever my currently equipped class is. It''s tempting to shoot up in level, but if I save that then I can potentially get much more XP than using it early. On top of that, the ''currently equipped class'' is an interesting bit of info. That means I''ll be able to unlock other classes later and switch them out at will. I wonder how that works?


    Besides that, other things are pretty much what I thought. My potions heal 85% of my max HP and MP respectively. The droughts give me 10 extra points to whatever the stat is, so that''s a free 70 points to my stats. The Gacha Token draws from a gacha and guarantees an epic-class or higher item or companion. I wonder what the different classes are though? Epic clearly isn''t the highest rarity, but I don''t know whether it''s the second highest, or the lowest and the naming convention is purposefully obscuring. Without any foreknowledge, it''s really going to be difficult getting used to the system and all its quirks.


    As I finish up, the headsman lobs the head off of the first Stormcloak. What wonderful timing. "Next, the renegade from Cyrodiil!" That annoying woman singles me out. I knew she would, but it''s no less terrible of her. Leveling a glare at her, I hear a loud roar. It''s not the first one, but this one is much more noticeable than before.


    "There it is again. Did you hear that?" Hadvar is next to me and seems to be amongst the few people who picked up on it. The Captain''s lack of awareness is going to cost her. At least, that''s what I tell myself.


    "I said, next prisoner!" She demands. I shuffle over to her, feeling my murderous intent towards her being quashed by Gamer''s Mind, but only just. Kneeling down, I feel her foot press into my back and force my head onto the block. My lips quirk into a smile as I hear the third roaring. The Imperials and Stormcloaks shouting in confusion is nice as well. That joy quickly goes away as I see Alduin land on the tower before me.


    Shit. That''s what I have to fight? Oh boy, this is going to be¡­ terrible. This is going to be the absolute worst. Alduin Shouts, and I''m sent flying a few feet just as the headsman was ready to swing down. Vaguely, I can hear Ralof calling for me to get up. Thank you for the advice. It''s much appreciated.


    As I rise to my feet, I''m greeted with a pop-up.


    [Quest: Unbound] added.


    Helgen is under attack by a dragon. Escape with your life.


    Rewards: 1000 XP, 1000 Gold, [ID Create] unlocked


    Huh. That''s new. I will definitely take gold and XP for completing quests. Don''t mind if I do. Quickly making my way to the tower that Ralof is in, I struggle with my bindings a bit. I know that I''ll get rid of them with time, but they really are uncomfortable. I wonder if I can just put them in my inventory?


    Welp, looks like that''s actually something I can do. Rolling my wrists to get feeling back in them, I join up with the Stormcloaks in their tower. "Jarl Ulfric! What is that thing? Could the legends be true?"


    "Legends don''t burn down villages." Alduin''s continued screeching above us really tests the limits of Gamer''s Mind. I keep calm though. I finally have feeling in my wrists by the time Ralof instructs me to follow him up the tower. I follow, and make sure I''m far enough down the stairs that I won''t be in any sort of danger when Alduin breaks through the top of the stairs.


    After another shout and some fire, a couple of the Stormcloaks in front are dead. Looking through the hole it left, Ralof instructs me to jump into the second floor of what''s left of the inn and that we''ll meet up later. Two jumps and I find myself on the floor again. I''m back near Hadvar. "Still alive? Keep close to me if you want to stay that way. Gunnar, take care of the boy. I have to find General Tullius and join their defense."


    I don''t waste time in following after him. We stick close to the wall as Alduin barbecues more Imperial soldiers, melting their armor to their flesh. The stench of the town really is something awful. Burning flesh is definitely in my top five worst things I''ve ever had the displeasure of smelling.


    It isn''t much longer before we reach the keep. Ralof is there, as I expected. The two argue for a bit. Ralof is called a traitor. All things I knew would happen. Then comes my choice.


    Choose Your Path!


    [Join Ralof]


    Rewards: Reputation with Ralof and various other people when [Unbound] is complete. Lowered Reputation with Hadvar.


    [Join Hadvar]


    Rewards: Reputation with Hadvar and various other people when [Unbound] is complete. Lowered Reputation with Ralof.


    Well, that doesn''t really change my decision. I''d already decided a while back that I was going to join under General Tullius and stamp out the Stormcloak Rebellion. I really want Ulfric''s sweet coat. So, I follow Hadvar into the keep and get the notification of my path being chosen. I like Ralof, but I like not dying even more.


    Once we enter the keep, I instantly recognize the room as a sort of barracks. It''s quite a bit bigger than I remember, with twenty or so beds. Each has their own chest at the end. There''s also a couple of weapon racks near the doorway. "Looks like we''re the only ones that made it so far. Was that really a Dragon? You''re out of your bindings, it seems. Look through some of these chests. There''s bound to be some gear for you. I''m going to see if I can''t find anything for these burns."


    "Right, of course." I don''t argue and start my search. I keep one eye on Hadvar as he searches through a cabinet. I assume he''s looking for some health potions. After I go through what I can from the chests, I have quite a bounty. I ended up storing everything in my inventory, knowing that the chest near the door is where I''ll find what I really need. There''s several casual outfits, a couple of cloaks, some alcohol, some potions, a dozen or so books, a decent amount of septims and some jewelry now in my possession. Then I get my armor from the last chest.


    Heading over to the weapon rack, I take a sword and shield. Even if I''m a mage, at least having a way to defend myself in close quarters combat is a good idea. I attach the scabbard to my waist and sheathe the blade with a click. I know that I should be a bit more awkward with all of these things, considering I''ve never worn armor or handled a blade in my life, but I suppose this might be one of the side effects of Gamer''s Body.


    [Imperial Light Armor] Set bonus activated.


    As long as you have Imperial Light Helmet, Armor, Bracers and Boots equipped, 10% increased reputation with Imperial soldiers, jarls affiliated with the Imperials and holds that are Imperial aligned give you 10% better prices.


    That was unexpected, but welcome. I wonder if Whiterun counts as Imperial aligned? "You ready?" Hadvar asks. I still can''t tell if I''ve just been popped into the game, or if the game is a real world and I just happen to have a HUD and UI. For the sake of caution, I''m going to assume the latter. I give him a nod and he unlocks the door to head deeper in. As he does, I get another notification.


    Entering Dungeon [Helgen Keep]


    Objective: Kill 10 Stormcloaks


    Optional: Keep Hadvar alive


    Optional: ?


    Optional: ?


    Well, that was a bit unexpected. Still, objectives are quite nice. I assume killing 10 Stormcloaks means that I have to actually do the killing and not just hide behind Hadvar. And that optional objective is interesting. Can Hadvar actually die here? If that''s the case then I think it''s safe to assume that this isn''t a game. I just happen to have a HUD and UI. Hadvar is real. Ralof is real. That Captain is real. Most importantly, Alduin is real.


    Heading into the stone hallway, I know that a battle is coming. If the increased numbers in Helgen and the barracks are any indicator, there''s likely to be an increase in combatants throughout this entire dungeon. Quickly, I pull out that Drought of Intellect and drink it. I''m going to need all the spell power I can. There''s not really a boss here, but I still can''t help but feel a sense of urgency.


    Hadvar gets to the gate. "Stormcloaks up ahead. Maybe we can reason with them." He states optimistically. I highly doubt that. You just had them bound and ready for execution not even five minutes ago. Any semblance of civility left far before that.


    I keep the sword sheathed, but feel somewhat secure with the shield strapped to my left arm. Even as Hadvar opens the gate, I ready a spell. The Stormcloak corpse off to the left shows me there''s been fighting already. Yep, there''s no way that we''re getting out of this peacefully. Hadvar is the first through the door, but I''m the first to fire. That''s quite literal as a Fireball jumps from my hand into the head of a seated Stormcloak with a two-handed battle-ax in his lap. The smell of burning flesh and his agonizing screams both fill my senses as he hits the floor.


    Usually, there would only be two of them in this room. However, there''s actually four this time. One''s already down, and the other three are on their feet and focused on us. Hadvar gives me a look, but I ignore it. I have objectives to fulfill and my own back to watch. As one of the Stormcloaks rushes us, I cast [Raise Stone Wall] in front of her, tripping the woman. Her sword leaves her hand and slides across the room as I shoot an ice spike into her head as well.


    Hadvar then moves forward, his own sword in hand as he clashes with one of the remaining men, who has a mace. The other man rushes at me with a greatsword. I raise my shield up to block the downward slash and wince as I lose 20 HP just for blocking it. I pull back from the exchange and launch an ice spike into the man''s shoulder. He yells in response, but doesn''t seem to slow down. There''s a health bar above his head that shows he lost a good chunk of HP, probably about 30%, from that spell. When he lunges at me, I raise another wall, this time for its intended purpose. His sword gets about two inches in before being stuck.


    Seeing my chance, I lower the wall back into the ground and launch another fireball. This one is aimed right at his face. With his sword stuck in the ground and him trying to pull it out, there''s no time left to react as I melt his helmet to his head and end his life as well. Looking at my MP, I grimace at the fact I''m left with only 30. Taking that Drought of Intellect was certainly a good call. Looking over at Hadvar, I see that he''s finished off the maceman, flicking the blood off of his blade.


    "Do you have something in particular against the Stormcloaks? There''s not many soldiers I''ve seen attack one of the Rebels with such ferocity without even offering a word unless it was on orders." Hadvar asks me.


    "It''s not that." I offer in exchange, pointing to the corpse that was here before us. "They weren''t going to listen to reason no matter what we did. That man likely arrived before them and was killed by one of your comrades. If they knew him, and there''s no reason to suspect they didn''t, then they were waiting here to draw blood. The first man I shot was sitting down. They weren''t trying to escape, they were here to pick off survivors heading in."


    +5 Reputation with Hadvar for impressing him with your assessment (15/100)


    "Hm¡­ that makes sense. You would make a fine addition to the Legion. Have you thought about joining up? I''m sure that you would be accepted quite readily." He asks me.


    "I''m not so sure about that. I''m a merchant and a scholar before anything else." I respond as I look at the corpses. "However, I''ll think on it a bit." My first instinct is to search these corpses and take all that they have for myself and stuff it into my inventory, but I get the feeling that the Keep could come crashing down on us at any time since this isn''t actually a game.


    "Let''s get going." Hadvar seems to be thinking along a similar path as he opens up the next gate. "There has to be a passage out through the dungeons, if it exists at all. I don''t like visiting the torture chambers, but it''s a task that must be done."


    I nod and follow after. I can come back here after I ditch Hadvar in Riverwood. Everyone else should either be dead or have run far away from here by then. Unless the Keep really does collapse completely. In that case, then all of this loot will be gone. The XP is pretty nice though. Three kills and I''m already up to level 3. Of course, considering there''s probably no such thing as a level cap in this ''game'', that might not mean much. But hey, my stats are going up at least.


    As Hadvar walks in front of me, I manage to down the rest of my Droughts. The extra levels replenished my HP and MP, which is quite nice. But I noticed that they didn''t do that until the battle was completely over. Looks like using level-ups to restore myself in the midst of battle isn''t an option anymore. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.


    We finish walking down the stone steps and end up in a hallway with a door. At the end of the hall, I see several figures, but can''t make out their uniforms in the darkness. Of course, it doesn''t really matter. If I remember correctly, then¡­


    Even as I''m thinking about it, I can hear Alduin''s roar from above and watch those unfortunate souls being crushed by a cave-in. "Damn, that Dragon doesn''t give up easy." Hadvar comments. Just as I''m about to say something, the two of us hear voices through the door next to us. I can''t quite make it out, but the thick Nord accent is easily detectable. Sharing a look, Hadvar opens the door and we walk in to see a group of Stormcloaks looting through the Imperials'' supply room.


    "Cover me with your magic. I''ll try and catch them by surprise." I nod and count the group. There''s only three this time. They don''t seem to have noticed us yet and continue to argue. Hadvar finally strikes. His sword goes through the soft armor of one, piercing his lung. As he pulls out, the man collapses. With their attention on Hadvar, I cast two spells. A fireball to the chest of one of them and a stone wall raised to protect Hadvar from the explosion. The one I hit is launched into the sacks of grain in the back. The other one gets knocked into the wall I formed. Both are still alive, but not by much. Hadvar finishes the one closest to him, while I send an ice spike towards the one in the grain.


    "I wonder how far these Stormcloaks managed to get. Still, they had the right idea. There should be some potions around here somewhere. See if you can find them. We should have time for that at least. I''ll guard the door over there to make sure no one else comes."


    The storeroom is set-up in an L-shape. That means that Hadvar shouldn''t be able to see me stuffing things into my inventory. With that in mind, everything from the corpses of those men to the furniture and the sacks and barrels of food goes inside. I''m going to take full advantage of having no carry weight. I''m not sure when I''ll be able to off-load these supplies, or if I''ll need to use them, but there''s no way I''m not going to utilize an infinite pocket dimension. Also, I find the potions he mentioned.


    When I come back around the corner, Hadvar already has the door open. "Are you ready? Let''s head out then." Taking a moment to recall the next two places where fighting will take place and my optional objective, I stop Hadvar and give him two of my HP potions.


    "You''re getting up close and personal. You''ll need them before I will. If you go down, then I probably will as well." He takes them gratefully with a smile and then continues to lead me through the keep.


    +1 Reputation with Hadvar for giving him supplies (16/100)


    We''re finally coming upon the dungeon soon. Another level-up meant I was in good condition for the next fight. Still, I did notice something while I was adding stuff to my inventory before. One of those pieces of jewelry I found in the barracks was an Amulet of Akatosh, so I equipped that before I came back to Hadvar. An extra 25% MP regeneration is extremely welcome.


    "Do you hear that?" Hadvar asks. He drew his sword and rushed down the path towards the sound of fighting. As we pushed forward, we found the torturer, his assistant and two Imperial guards fighting six Stormcloaks. They didn''t look very happy at having found some of their brethren dead in cages. The torturer was using streams of electricity to keep them at bay while his guards clashed with the Nords. Without help, there''s no way they''d survive.


    I was right behind Hadvar and launched an ice spike into the back of a larger Nord that was about to strike the assistant. He keeled over, dropping his weapon as his life force left him. Hadvar went to help one of the guards. With a second mage here to reinforce, two of the Stormcloaks rushed towards me. I sent another fireball at the feet of one of them, sending him flying into a wall and rose a wall in front of the second, taking some satisfaction as he slammed into it. His frame was large enough that it cracked and I wasn''t about to reinforce it.


    The remnants of the obstacle fell to the ground in chunks to reveal the angry and bloody face of a Nord who wanted me dead. The feeling was mutual and I sent a fireball at him to showcase that. It hit his chest and sent him flying into another one that was going to stab Hadvar in the back. I am not going to lose out on potential quest rewards.


    By this time, the one in the wall had gotten up, though his HP was very low. An ice spike through the stomach finished him off and let me turn my gaze towards the two that were on the ground. Sending a final fireball at them, I watched as the corpses were sent even farther through the room and crashed into the back wall. It was right next to the hallway that I knew led to the cells. There were no more targets left by the time that was finished. I didn''t mind since I got pushed up to Level 5 and replenished everything. On top of that, I got a nice little notification.


    Level 5 Elementalist rewards acquired.


    [Lightning Bolt] (Active) added


    30 MP


    Launch a bolt of lightning at a target. Deals 40 HP and MP damage. Extra damage if target is wearing metal armor.


    [Blade of Wind] (Active) added


    20 MP


    Launch a blade of wind through the air. Deals 25 HP damage. May be ignited.


    [Water Prison] (Active)


    10 MP/s


    Create a bubble of water to lock a target in.


    [Cold Touch] (Active)


    15 MP/s


    Channel Cold energy through an object. If it is a weapon, add an addition 10 Ice damage to it as long as the spell is active. If it is an armor or shield, add 10% fire resistance as long as spell is active. If it is an enemy, deal 20 Ice damage/sec while spell is active and inflict [Shiver] status for up to 10 secs after spell ends.


    So, does this mean that I''ll get extra spells added to my repertoire every so often just for leveling up? If that''s the case, then that''s pretty nice. Skyrim''s spell choice, quite frankly, leaves a lot to be desired. I wonder if there''s a spell creation system anywhere here?


    There is no in-universe spell creation system here. We decided not to mess with the Nords already fragile acceptance of the College of Winterhold.


    I was beginning to think that you had disappeared and I was on my own in this game. Can I just ask questions and you''ll answer them then?


    You can ask, but I can''t say whether or not you''ll always get an answer! You are making great progress though. It seems like a good idea to have picked a world that you''re so familiar with! Don''t get too overconfident though, as the Board did make some alterations to keep you on your feet.


    Board¡­ like a Board of Directors? Are you a god or a corporation? The silence that met me was a bit unnerving, so I decided to get back into the thick of things. Joining back up with Hadvar, I see that the Torturer and his assistant are both alive and well.


    [Optional Objective: Protect the torturer and his assistant] completed.


    Rewards: 100 XP, 100 Gold, +5 Reputation with the Imperial Legion (5/100), Common Gacha Token


    Well, I guess that takes care of one of those objectives I didn''t know about. I wonder what the other one is? Whatever. I guess I''ll find out when it comes around. As I get closer, I can hear Hadvar trying to tell the torturer that we''re being attacked. I let him do that and snoop around the room, finding a mace and a heavier shield than the one I have equipped in the back room. The mace goes into my inventory and the shield to my arm. It''s got some more weight to it, but nothing I can''t handle. A little more searching nets me a dagger and a couple of lockpicks. The books I''ll leave until later.


    I come back out just as Hadvar finishes up his conversation, no one seeming to notice my looting. The torturer, as expected, refuses to come along. His assistant and guards, on the other hand, are more than willing. As we''re getting ready to leave, though, Hadvar notices a corpse in one of the cages. "Do you think you can get inside here?" He wonders. "He might have something useful for us."


    "Oh, yes. Take all of my things." The torturer sarcastically quips. I walk to the cage and look inside. I could probably use vacuum palm to get the spell tome, potion and gold, but that outfit will be a little harder. Thinking a moment, I grasp onto the bars tightly and cast [Cold Touch].


    Mist begins to rise up from the rapidly freezing metal. After a few seconds, I let go and bash my newer, heavier shield into it and watch as it shatters. With the lock non-existent, I open the cell door quite easily. I''m not a thief and I have no idea how lockpicks work. It takes a bit of work, but the corpse loses his clothing and I get some nice bonuses from their enchantment. 30 more MP is nice, but that 50% faster MP regen is even better. Especially when combined with my Amulet of Akatosh. With a rumble overhead, I decide to ignore my rule of not showcasing my abilities.


    With a thought, the robe and hood are equipped. My armor and helmet go straight into my inventory. I do lose the Imperial Light Armor set bonus, but I''m not too concerned about that just yet. Hadvar looks at me a bit strangely, but doesn''t say anything. He''s probably not that familiar with magic and just accepts it as a spell. The spellbook and mana potion go into my inventory while I toss the gold over to Hadvar. I''ve already got quite a bit, so 25 pieces isn''t going to affect me very much.


    "Let''s get going." I suggest as I walk towards the hall of cells. I don''t lead though. I''m a mage, I need to stay in the back. Plus, this next room we go in is going to be filled with more Stormcloaks than we''ve fought so far combined, if the ratios continue as they have been. Hadvar takes point with the other three behind him. The assistant has a sword and shield. The guards have a greatsword and battle-ax respectively. This should work out, I think.


    "There''s no way out that way, you know." The torturer comments snidely as we leave. Is that what I usually sound like to other people? No, I''m not that bad.


    We move past the cells quietly, then down a ramp. This takes us to a room full of corpses suspended in what look like human-sized bird cages. Human-sized might not be the best description though. They''re large enough for a human to barely fit in if they curl up in an upright fetal position. The Stormcloaks were right to be angry at him, but it is wartime. Gamer''s Mind is really quite helpful, honestly.


    As we make it to what would be the end of the room, there''s a large hole in the wall. Alduin''s rampage has finally been helpful to some degree. Readying myself, I take a look at my MP and notice that it might not be a bad idea to drink that MP potion I just got. Downing it quickly, I smile at my once more full bar. Alright, time to kill some rebels.


    Through the hole we travel into a cavern with torches lining the walls. Straining, I can hear voices arguing. "Hadvar, do you hear that?" The soldier nods, his sword ready. Our group pushes forward and comes to a corner that turns into the larger room that the Stormcloaks are gathered.


    "Where in Oblivion are we supposed to go? There''s no way out!"


    "Give me a moment, I''m thinking." Hold on. I recognize that second voice. Isn''t that Ralof? He''s not supposed to be here. The voice did say that some changes were made, but this is one I didn''t think of. Gamer''s Mind keeps me calm enough that I can roughly figure out what that second unknown optional objective was. Hadvar peeks around the corner a moment and turns to us.


    "I can count at least six. However, I think there might be more that I can''t see. We have the advantage of surprise, so let''s use it. Any ideas?" I think quickly over what I actually can do. I know that there''s some oil slick on the other side of the room, if that hasn''t been changed. That doesn''t necessarily help right now though. On top of that, this is the first place where enemies have bows. That means that I''m not as safe at range as I have been thus far. If Hadvar sees six, there''s probably at least ten. They have a numbers advantage, but there shouldn''t be any mages amongst them.


    "I can hit them with a fireball or two if they''re cl.u.s.tered. They have an explosive shockwave when they strike an object. You''ll have to be quick to kill whoever can get up and also watch out for anyone in the room that I can''t get to from here." The other four share a look before nodding. It''s our best option, after all.


    Peeking around the corner, I note that the four of the six Hadvar saw are grouped pretty closely. I haven''t been noticed yet, so this should be fine. Forming the fireball in my hand, I launch it at the biggest of those four, watching his HP drop pretty drastically. The explosion isn''t quiet, and neither is the sound of four grown men screaming as they''re launched through the air in opposite directions. As soon as I threw the fireball, my Imperial bodyguard ¨C as I''d started thinking of them as ¨C rushed forward.


    I was not far behind them and launched an ice spike at the other guy I could see that wasn''t Ralof. Ralof recognized me and seemed to single me out specifically as he rushed forward. Sorry guys, looks like I''m gonna have a mini-boss on my hands already. Observing Ralof, I note that his HP is pretty high, floating just above 350. Mini-boss is right.


    "You really are with the Imperials then! I should''ve left you there on the ground when the dragon attacked." He sneered as his ax was raised high. I raised a wall in defense to try and halt him. He smashed into it with his shoulder reducing its condition to half in one blow. Launching a fireball at what was left of the wall, I watched him fly backwards. It gave me a little room to breathe and also managed to set his armor on fire.


    Slashing my index and middle fingers in his direction, I launched a blade of invisible wind at him as he stood back up. I was really hoping that Naruto rules applied here. My expectations were greatly exceeded as the blade ignited against his chest, causing an explosion of energy that shattered the armor beneath and significantly dropped his HP.


    Deciding to end this before he could recover, I form a Fireball and a Lightning Bolt in either hand, launching both of them at him. Ralof becomes very dead as soon as they hit. As I thought, a notification then pops up.


    Hidden Objective [Defeat Ralof] completed


    Reward: 100 XP, 100 Gold, +5 Reputation with Hadvar (20/100), Common Gacha Token


    I really do need to see what this Gacha system is about whenever I split ways with Hadvar. Before that though, there''s still some Stormcloaks left and I''m in charge of support. I count two archers near the oil slick and one Nord fighting each of my guards. The first move is pretty obvious as I launch a fireball at the oil. The archers scream in agony as they''re engulfed in flames. They probably won''t die from that though, so I also send a blade a wind into the blaze. They''re definitely dead when I do that.


    Primary Objective [Kill 10 Stormcloaks] completed


    Reward: 100 XP, 100 Gold, [Enemy of the Rebels] perk, uncommon gacha token


    [Enemy of the Rebels] added


    Deal 10% extra damage to the Stormcloak faction, faster reputation gain with all enemies of the Stormcloaks, lose reputation with the Stormcloak faction faster


    I quickly dismissed that notification and tried to find a good time to aid the others. Unfortunately, I wasn''t actually certain that I could do anything without accidentally hitting one of them. Some magic missiles would be pretty nice right now.


    Magic Missiles are non-elemental, and would require taking a different class! The voice helpfully told me. You are not allowed to take any other classes until your primary class has reached Level 25 and you cannot take an additional mage class until you have maxed out Elementalist. That sickly sweet tone never left, but I was getting used to it at this point.


    So, I can take what¡­ one fighter and one rogue class when I reach level 25 Elementalist?


    Yep! You also will be free to take one artisan class at that time. You can''t take artisan as your primary class though. In prior testing sessions when someone did that, they usually ended up dying horribly! Therefore, we''ve removed the option as a precaution.


    I''ll have to remember that. Being able to craft things would be nice. I didn''t even think about that sort of thing until the voice mentioned it. As the other four finished up their battle without my need to intervene, I made my way to the doorway. I ended up getting up to level 8 from my contribution, so that was pretty good. I''m not too sure what the formula for XP is, but it seems to be quadratic, if not exponential. I''m not sure when levels will start being harder to come by, but it probably won''t be too long at this rate.


    The others get to the doorway with me after the fire put itself out. "Let''s see where this goes." Hadvar instructs as we make our way into a passage. There''s a conveniently placed lever that lowers a bridge into the cavern I know will lead us out. The Torturer''s Assistant hangs back a bit.


    "We''ll stay back and keep the old man safe. That''s our post anyways. Make sure you send have them send some support back here in case we can''t convince him to leave." Hadvar nods and I stay quiet. I''d say that he would regret that decision, but I''m not sure if he''ll even live long enough for that.


    Hadvar and I make our way across the bridge. I make sure my pace is a bit faster than usual to force him to keep up. Moments after we make it onto the cobblestone stairs, large boulders come down on top of the bridge we just walked over. Hadvar turned around and looked at what had happened. "I guess there''s no going back that way." He calmly assessed. "I''m sure the others will find another way out. We have to keep moving." Out of curiosity, I observe him.


    Hadvar of Riverwood


    Level 15


    Race: Human


    Class: Fighter


    Sub-Class: Legionary (Lv. 15/100)


    Occupation: Soldier


    Status: Shell-Shock


    So he''s calm because his emotions haven''t caught up to him. Well, that''s pretty fair. I urge him to move forward to try and keep him busy. The cobblestone walkway turns into stairs which lead straight into a creek running through the cave. We have two paths, but I already know which one leads to safety, so I lead the way. I really don''t want to get crushed in a cave-in over a few gold pieces and a potion.


    Hadvar seems to have recovered a bit by the time we make it to the spider cave. "You alright?" I ask him. After a moment he seems to acknowledge that I''m even talking before nodding. "Look, we won'' t be any use to any survivors unless we make it out and get word spread about the attack. I don''t think that the Holds are used to Dragon attacks nor do they have defenses set up."


    "No, no. You''re absolutely right. I''m sorry about that. I''ve just never been that close to death in all my time in the Legion. I don''t even know if that chamber we were just fighting in caved-in or if it just was the doorway."


    "There''s no time to worry about that. I get the feeling that we''re close to finding our way out, so we should do so quickly. If we get caught in a cave-in then who''s going to tell anyone? We already killed the Stormcloaks in the Keep. We''re the last people that can inform the local Jarl." That seems to clear the cobwebs from Hadvar''s head and he nods. "Now, get ready. I think the Dragon might''ve woken up something nasty."


    As I say that, I point up to the webbing in the cave''s ceiling. Half a dozen frostbite spiders lower themselves from their home with red eyes gazing at us. Hadvar pulls out a bow and begins firing upon them as I launch a fireball at the ceiling. The fire quickly spreads across the web and to the silk strands connected to the arachnids, burning them as well. Unable to move, they can''t do anything as Hadvar makes well-aimed shots in the center of their skulls. I grin as my level moves up to nine and give him a light slap on the back. "We''ll make it out of this, just you wait."


    +11 Reputation gained with Hadvar for bringing him out of his funk (37/100)


    I wonder if this reputation with Hadvar will actually get me anything. I mean, I don''t mind either way since I don''t like seeing him so out of character, but it would be interesting if there was.


    There is, actually! At both 50 and 100 Reputation or Affection, you will get rewards relating to the NPC whom you''ve reached that level with. The first is a minor reward while the second is a perk. Make sure to grind those relationsh.i.p.s with named characters and factions!


    And suddenly I feel like charisma would be a really good stat. Oh well, that''s something to think about another time. For now, we move forward. Again, that venom would be really nice to have, but I''m trying to be practical right now. Hadvar is afraid of a cave-in, and so am I. So we push further into the cave system.


    There''s a bear in here. I knew there would be. I''m just glad it''s still just the one. A quick observe tells me that its HP isn''t that big of a problem. It''s only 200, not even as much as Ralof. But it''s much stronger in terms of both the Strength and Constitution stat than either of us. Luckily, I won''t have to fight in in close quarters. "You think we should try to sneak past it?" Hadvar wonders, seeing as it''s asleep.


    "I''m not sure we can. And killing it would be faster." I use what it quickly becoming my favorite combination of spells. A fireball to ignite it and a blade of wind to cause an explosion of force. It goes from sleeping to knocked out as its head hits the wall. I''m informed that I''ve caused it to gain the [Concussion] status effect. I want that experience though, so a Lightning Bolt followed by an Ice Spike and it''s dead. By the Gods, I love being a Mage.


    "Let''s get out of here." I tell Hadvar as I lead him further in until we find an opening. Light shining into the cave is all that we need to see for him to lose his [Fear] status. We''ve escaped, and the ear-to-ear grin he''s wearing tells me more than Observe ever could.


    Chapter III: Naps are Better than Death


    [Unbound] Complete


    Reward: 1000 XP, 1000 Gold, [ID Create]


    Optional objective [Keep Hadvar alive] completed


    Reward: 100 XP, 100 Gold, Rare Gacha Token


    Path [Join Hadvar] completed


    +11 Reputation with Hadvar (43/100), +10 Reputation with Alvor the Blacksmith (10/100), +11 Reputation with Imperial Legion (16/100)


    Due to Ralof''s death, negative reputation with him averted


    [ID Create]


    0 MP


    Create a pocket dimension dungeon.


    Current Instant Dungeons: Empty, Zombie


    Level 10 Elementalist bonuses acquired.


    [Burning Hands]


    15 MP/s


    Channel heat energy through an object. If it is a weapon, add 10 Fire damage to each attack. If it is armor, add 10% Cold Resistance. If it is an enemy, deal 20 Fire Damage per second.


    [Stone Spikes]


    30 MP


    Form spikes of stone on a surface facing whatever direction you choose. They are molded into the earth as if eroded that way over centuries.


    [Gale Palm]


    20 MP


    Create a gale-force wind from your palm, knocking back anything in its path. Enemies hit will suffer knockback, 25 HP of damage when impacting an object and be inflicted with [Paralyzed] for 3 seconds. May be resisted by enemies of sufficient size.


    [Firebolt]


    25 MP


    Create an arrow of fire. It is fast and accurate, as well as explosive. Deal 50 Fire Damage.


    Well, that''s certainly a good notification to get one step out of the cave. Several quests being completed gets me all the way to Level 11, as well. Even better is the sight of Alduin flying off into the sky. I don''t know where he''s off to, but as long as it''s away from me then I''m quite happy. Hadvar notices it too. "Looks like he''s leaving. I don''t think we should stick around to see if he comes back." I nod.


    "Is there anywhere we can get some rest?" I ask him. I know that he''ll lead me to his uncle''s home. "After everything we''ve been through, I feel like we''ve earned it." Hadvar thinks a moment.


    "There''s a village not far from here, Riverwood. My uncle lives there and works as the village blacksmith. He''ll probably let us stay for the night, especially after we tell him what happened." It''s quite a story, even in-game. Actually living through it is another thing entirely. Even with Gamer''s Mind.


    "Let''s make our way there then. I''m not very familiar with the area. Why don''t you lead the way?" Hadvar seems hesitant. "You have a different idea?" He pauses a moment longer before answering.


    "It might be wiser to travel separately and meet up in the village. There could be Stormcloaks left, and it would be better if at least one of us made it to tell the townsfolk." I give Hadvar a hard look, which seemed to make him reconsider his words.


    "Hadvar, with all due respect, that''s a terrible idea. We just fought our way through over a dozen Stormcloaks, half a dozen spiders and a bear. A few more rebels to add to today''s list of kills is nothing. We''re safer in numbers. Plus, no one in Riverwood even knows me. How many Nords will listen to an Imperial spouting off nonsense about a dragon attack? I''d be disregarded as a madman. You''re the one that needs to tell your uncle so that he can warn the villagers. I just need to make sure you survive until we get there."


    Hadvar sighed, but smiled. "You''re right. I know that you''re right. I suppose I''m just shook up from this whole experience today. Let''s go ahead and make our way to Riverwood." I smile back and follow behind him. My eyes are peeled for any dangers. Starting now, things are going to be a lot less scripted. Helgen Keep was something I knew relatively well, but there''s no telling what could happen from here.


    All I could be sure of was that a pack of wolves would attack us on our way to Riverwood. After that, my knowledge would likely only help with dungeons and certain character interactions. Open world games are a lot less linear once you conquer the tutorial section, after all.


    "Listen, Orpheus. I know you already said that you aren''t really a soldier, but you really proved yourself today. You should head to Solitude and join the Legion." Hadvar says after a minute or two. We''re walking at a somewhat sedate pace now that the danger is over with. "I wouldn''t have made it today if it wasn''t for you and we could really use someone like you. If the Rebels have themselves a Dragon, General Tullius is the only one who can stop them." I can''t help but laugh on the inside. No, no. Alduin will gladly kill Stormcloaks as easily as Imperials.


    "I''ll give it some thought. I''m not entirely sure what I want to do though. I came to Skyrim to try and start myself up as a trader, not fight in a Civil War. Mostly, I wanted to help the Legion in that capacity. Joining up myself though? The thought never really occurred to me." Hadvar nodded in understanding.


    "Still, it''s something to think on. If you ever do decide you want to join up, I''ll put in a good word for you with the General. You deserve it, after what you did." I can''t help but smile a bit. Yeah, Hadvar seems like a good choice. My only regret is that I can''t bring him along as a companion.


    [For the Emperor!] added


    Join the Imperial Legion


    Reward: [?] perk added, [?] perk added, Reputation with various people and factions change, Start Civil War questline, [Companion: Hadvar] unlocked


    Well, that''s rather convenient. It''s almost like I have a disembodied voice listening in on my thoughts and shaping my experience around them.


    You''re welcome!


    Still, I can imagine what the reputation changes will include. Do I really want to start the civil war questline so early though? Hm¡­ there''s some things I should probably do before that. I do think that I''ll join the Imperials though. It just sounds like a good idea to me. Plus, I still want Ulfric''s coat.


    Hadvar stopped and pointed towards a nearby mountain where I could make out some unnatural architecture. "You see that ruin over there? That''s Bleak-Falls Barrow. When I was a kid, I used to have nightmares about the place: Draugr creeping in through my window at night, that sort of thing. Even to this day, I don''t really like the idea of it being so close."


    [Bleak-Falls Barrow] Location added to map


    Hadvar is inflicted with [Anxious]


    "Aren''t Draugr just a children''s story to get them to go to bed?" I ask, trying to relieve his new status. I don''t have anything in the way of healing magic, so it''s the only thing I can do. Hadvar chuckles a bit.


    "Perhaps. Aren''t Dragons supposed to be the same way though? I''m not really certain what is just a fairy tale and what''s truth right now." We were both silent a moment before a familiar set of rocks came into view.


    "You''ve not been to Skyrim before, have you? These are the Guardian Stones. They''re three of the thirteen ancient stones that are scattered over Skyrim. It''s said that they can grant some protection to those they think deserve their power. Go ahead and take a closer look."


    I take his advice. Immediately, I wander over to the Mage Stone and place a hand on it. A notification pops up.


    Would you like to add [The Mage Stone] perk? You may only have a single Standing Stone perk and this choice cannot be changed.


    I narrow my eyes at the message. That¡­ isn''t what I thought it would say. So, if I choose this then I can''t get anything else, is that it? You know¡­ I feel like I might want to wait until I find The Lover or The Atronach, on second thought.


    "They''re quite impressive. How do the carvings not get eroded by the elements?" I wonder. Hadvar shrugs it off, clearly never having thought about that. Turning around, I join back with him.


    As we begin walking again, Hadvar seems like he''s got something else to say. I don''t pressure him, knowing he''ll tell me when he''s ready. "Listen." He starts, his tone very cautious. "As far as I''m concerned, you''ve earned your pardon. However, until we get it confirmed through the General¡­ it might be best that you steer clear of any Imperial soldiers and avoid anything complicated. Alright?"


    "Don''t worry, Hadvar. I''ll keep my head low. I don''t want to have to do a repeat of today." Hadvar chuckles a bit at that and nods. "Wait, do you hear that?" As I speak, there''s a low growling noise. I look up towards a rock outcropping above and in front of us, spotting a couple of wolves. Here it is.


    Hadvar already has his sword out by the time I cast Fireball. A direct hit in the head kills one of them and the explosion sends two of the remaining four off the rock. Hadvar wastes no time in running his blade through them. The other pair lunge at me. I bring up my shield to knock back one, but the other manages to pounce onto me.


    I wrap my arms around its throat, casting [Cold Touch] and [Burning Hands] at once. It whines, and then howls, at the pain nearly immediately, ignoring its prey in exchange for what must be the worst experience in its short life. Frost coated the fur on the left side, until it froze solid and began to spread. On the right side, fur and flesh were consumed in a flash fire. Mere seconds had passed, but the life drained from its eyes even quicker than MP from my bar.


    Once I''m sure the danger is over, I toss the wolf from me. That was much heavier than I thought it was. My HP had taken a hit from the initial attack and the weight of the wolf. A moment later and Hadvar was standing over me, hand extended.


    After I''m on my feet, I sigh. "F.u.c.k.i.n.g hell, that was a bit too close for my liking." I notice that he''s already killed the one I disoriented with a shield bash. "Have much of a wolf problem in this area?" I wonder.


    Hadvar laughs at the notion. "In the area? Try a wolf problem all over Skyrim. They aren''t too dangerous on their own, but the packs can get pretty big. You alright?" He looks over me and whistles. "I don''t know what that robe is made of, but looks like it''s not even damaged from the claws." I look down at my chest and notice that he''s right. Not even a single tear. "Still, I feel like I might owe you my life twice now. You were right to keep us together. I''m not certain I could take on five of them on my own with just a sword."


    I wave it off. "Don''t worry about it, Hadvar. We''re just looking out for each other. That entire journey through the Keep doesn''t mean much if either of us dies now. I won''t allow it to have been in vain."


    +11 Reputation with Hadvar (54/100) for being humble despite keeping him alive today


    [Honor, Duty, Sacrifice] perk added


    Reputation with soldiers increases faster


    Oh, so that''s what a minor perk at 50 Reputation means. Hm¡­ well, at least that means that it''ll be easier to get Legionary Reputation up now. "What do you want to do with these?" I wonder as I look at the wolves.


    "Leave them for now. If they''re still here in the morning, we can drag them back to the village to skin and butcher for their pelts and meat. I''m sure my uncle can find some use for it." With that taken care of, we begin moving again. "We''re almost to Riverwood, anyways.


    Almost is a bit of an understatement. After we turn around the next corner, I can see it. It seems like it''s got a major upgrade. I mean, it is a village that has had to survive in the harsh climate of Skyrim, so it only makes sense that there''s more realism to it than I recall in the game.


    First of all, there''s a very large, wooden wall I can see from here. I have to assume that it surrounds the entire village. A pair of doors hang open in line with the road. It''s daylight and there''s no attackers, so there''s probably little reason to keep it shut.


    As we walk into the village itself, I notice more differences. The road that travels through the village is filled with many more buildings than I remember. This is likely a major road, since it travels straight from Cyrodiil to Whiterun. Thinking about it, Riverwood was pretty small for a village along what is likely a major trade route. Based on the increase in businesses along the main road, I can probably expect there to be about five times as many people here as I''m used to, maybe more. Hm¡­ that means that there''s probably some side quests to complete here. That means extra experience and gold. I''m liking this already.


    As we walked down the road I could hear Sven and his mother arguing. Just the usual. She was trying to explain that she''d seen a dragon fly over Bleak Falls Barrow, he was trying to assure her that she was a lunatic. You should listen to your crazy mother, Sven.


    "There''s my uncle now." Hadvar explained. Alvor''s house was a bit further into the town than it usually was, with three whole buildings between the gate and his workshop. I''d have to explore Riverwood a bit, it seems. I wanted to see what new shops had popped up and what quests I might partake in before moving on to Whiterun. "Uncle Alvor!"


    As Hadvar called out to him, Alvor looked up from the anvil he was at. He''d been shaping a piece of metal just now. "Hadvar? By the Divines, what''s happened to you?" The worry was thick in his eyes. "And who is this?"


    "Please keep it down, uncle." Hadvar pleaded. "I''ll explain, but we need to talk inside." The insistence in his voice seemed to convey how important it was. With a nod, he led the way to the front door.


    "Of course. Sigrid will make you a plate and we can discuss this over a meal." A moment later, we''re in the house and seated at the table. "Sigrid, we have guests!" Alvor announced. Peeking out from the stairs that led into their bas.e.m.e.nt,the blacksmith''s wife showed herself.


    "Hadvar? Oh, we''ve been worried sick about you. What''s happened?" A look from Hadvar seemed to convey that he would explain. She picked up on it with a soft smile. "Why don''t I get you two some food?"


    Alvor gained Hadvar''s attention once more. "Now, would you please explain why you look like you lost an argument with a cave bear? And who is this?" I remained quiet, thinking it wiser for Hadvar to introduce me.


    "This is Orpheus, a friend. I might not be here if not for him, actually." Alvor and Sigrid ¨C who had returned with some food just in time to hear that ¨C both gave me a look.


    +5 Reputation with Alvor the Blacksmith (15/100) for saving his nephew


    +5 Reputation with Sigrid (10/100) for saving her nephew


    "You know that I was placed in General Tullius'' guard. When we were in Helgen, a dragon attacked us. There was mass confusion."


    "A dragon? You aren''t drunk, are you boy?" Alvor eyed his nephew skeptically. Honestly, I couldn''t find it in myself to blame him.


    "Husband, let him tell his story." Sigrid chastised the burly man. With a sigh, Alvor nodded and gestured for Hadvar to keep going.


    "There''s not much else to tell, really." Hadvar confessed. "I''m not sure who is left. The two of us made it out, somehow. The way we escaped got caved in though. I''ve got to get to Solitude and report this in, if General Tullius hasn''t already made it back. I was hoping that you could help us: food, supplies, and a place to sleep."


    Alvor smiled softly and nodded. "Of course. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine. I''ll be more than happy to help out in any way that I can. Feel free to take what you need, within reason of course. However, if there really is a dragon, then the Jarl will need to know. Do you think I could bother you to travel to Whiterun and let Jarl Balgruuf know?"


    [A Favor for the Blacksmith] started


    Inform the Jarl of Whiterun Hold that a Dragon attacked Helgen. Riverwood is defenseless


    Rewards: Reputation gain with various people and factions, Alvor the Blacksmith will be in your debt


    "Of course I can do that. I need to go to Whiterun anyways, so it''s no trouble at all." I assure him. Hadvar smiles in response.


    "I will make preparations for my journey to Solitude and we can travel to the stables at Whiterun together. We should rest tonight and we can both spend tomorrow preparing. We''ll leave the morning after."


    "That sounds like a plan to me. Is Whiterun very far from here?" If the village is this large, then I''m not actually sure how far away it would be in between locations.


    "It shouldn''t be more than half a day''s walk." Hadvar assures me. "The road to Whiterun is quite safe, so we shouldn''t be attacked by anything on our way there. I''ll write you a letter of introduction. I may not rank as highly as I''d like, but being a member of the General''s personal guard detail is still a position that holds weight."


    "Now, that''s enough talk." Sigrid intervenes. "You boys eat your food before it gets cold. I''m sure you''re going to want to rest up after dinner, so I''ll get things prepared." She went downstairs again, leaving the three of us at the table.


    Looking down at the bowl in front of me, I used a quick observe to see what it was exactly. Venison stew with carrots and potatoes actually sounded really appetizing right now and it tasted even better. A home-cooked meal after nearly dying several times over the course of a single day was the best way to wrap up my first day in this crazy world.


    [A few hours later]


    I very quickly discovered a side-effect of Gamer''s Body that I hadn''t really thought about. It specifically stated that I only required 30 minutes to be revitalized. I thought that meant that I needed half an hour at most to go back to full HP ¨C which is true ¨C but it meant something a little more. 30 minutes of sleep is equivalent to 8 hours. I was pretty exhausted after today, but after two hours of sleep, I became extremely restless.


    I wasn''t really sure what to do, so I ended up leaving Alvor''s house at that crack of half past midnight, making sure not to wake anyone up. The village was nearly silent by this time and I wasn''t really sure what to do.


    If I tried to leave the village right now, I''m pretty sure that the guards would have questions. If I tried exploring the village right now, it would lead to the same conclusion. Honestly, there''s not much for me to do but sit on one of the chairs in Alvor''s workshop. That''s fine though. I''ve got things to figure out until dawn comes.


    The very first thing is to figure out exactly what this gacha thing is. You got anything to tell me, oh powerful voice of my corporate overlords?


    The gacha system is quite fun and addicting! There are seven levels of prizes: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Super Rare, Ultra Rare, Epic and Legendary. Whenever you get a gacha token, it randomly selects a prize from the list. Your common tokens can select from all prizes, while the Epic token will only draw from the Epic and Legendary list. A Rare token would disregard all common and uncommon prizes.


    I see. Well, I do have a number of gacha tokens after the tutorial section, so I don''t see why I shouldn''t use it. Let''s start with the common token.


    [Fallout: New Vegas Soundtrack] (Common) added.


    Radio unlocked.


    Skyrim OST added due to starter world.


    I''m sorry, what? Thinking about the radio, an interface that looks eerily similar to the Spotify app pops up. Right now, there are three options. Fallout: New Vegas radio, Skyrim radio and shuffle. With a sigh, I press the shuffle button and chuckle when Big Iron by Marty Robbins starts playing. It''s so out of place, but I have to admit that it is my favorite song from Radio New Vegas. Some background music while I play should make things more interesting, at the very least. Next up is the Rare token.


    10 Skill Points added.


    Well, that''s pretty nice. Since my stats are based on class levels, getting some extra points to put into what I want whenever I want could potentially be a lifesaver. Plus, my OCD has been f.u.c.k.i.n.g with me considering these stupid numbers. I immediately round off everything but my intelligence and Wisdom and smile. Now I just need a little bit more and everything will be rounded off to multiples of five. Everything but my main stats are 20, with INT and WIS at 76 and 72 respectively.


    Taking a deep breath, I can feel my excitement building. Now for the Epic token. Time to see what sort of stuff is in this highest tier of prizes. Well, only one way to find out.


    [Summonstone: Shiva (Final Fantasy VI)] added to inventory


    I nearly fall out of my chair when I see that. Composing myself, and hoping that I didn''t wake anyone, I have to control my breath. Opening my inventory, I quickly use observe.


    [Summonstone: Shiva (Final Fantasy VI)]


    When used, adds a spell for summoning Shiva''s Final Fantasy VI form, which will use her signature Diamond Dust spell on all enemies in the area. Only a Summoner or Elementalist can use the spell.


    I don''t even need to think about it before bringing the stone out of my inventory. How do I add the spell though? Even as I''m thinking that, the stone shatters in my hands. I guess you just squeeze it?


    [Summon Shiva (Final Fantasy VI)]


    1000 MP


    Use this spell to summon the Esper, Shiva, to aid you in battle. May only be used once per day. She will use her signature spell, Diamond Dust.


    Well, shit. I barely have a third of the required MP cost to use the spell. Okay, that''s fine. There''s not really anything that I would need Shiva for in the immediate future. I just need to make sure I increase my level substantially before I have to solo my first dragon. That''s really what I want her for.


    I spot something else in my inventory as well. It''s that spell tome I got from the Keep. Bringing it out, I observe it. My eyes light up as I see what it is. A notification pops up asking if I want to learn it, which I quickly say yes to.


    [Chain Lightning] learned.


    [Chain Lightning]


    30 MP/sec


    Create a continuous stream of lightning. It will jump to nearby targets and inflict [Paralyze] on whoever is being hit by it. Deals 15 lightning damage per second.


    I wouldn''t be able to keep it up for more than 12 seconds, but that''s a really good spell for crowd control. Clearly, MP is going to be my biggest obstacle in battles. I just need to push my class levels up higher. I think Bleak Falls Barrow will be the best way to do that. Well, maybe. There''s still one more thing I need to check. Hey, HR, what''s this instant dungeon thing?


    Excuse me, I am not some lowly Human Resources agent! I am the head of the Public Relations department!


    Of course, of course. How could I possibly make such an egregious error. So, what''s an instant dungeon? It''s quiet for a moment before the voice is back.


    The Instant Dungeon is a newer mechanic that we''ve been working on. Essentially, you can create an isolated space in the area you cast it. The other people will still exist, it''s just you that''s isolated. You''ll be in the same area that you cast it. Well, more like a copy of the place you cast it.


    I see. So, if I were to cast it here then I''d end up in a copy of Riverwood with none of its occupants. Can I take things from the Instant Dungeon?


    Only partially. You can''t take anything that the Instant Dungeon copied. However, any enemies you defeat may drop gold and items. On top of that, at the end of each wave, a prize chest will appear. These item drops and prize chests are the only things that you''re able to take with you. Just a warning, time does pass while you use this.


    So, if I use it here and come back when someone is looking over here then it might cause some issues. That''s not good. There has to be somewhere I can go where no one is likely to be at this time of night. Well, I guess there''s Helgen, or the cave under Helgen. Still, that means I''d have to leave Riverwood.


    Is there a way to do this without leaving? The wall means that sneaking off is a bit more difficult. Hey, PR Department Head, what happens when I leave the Instant Dungeon?


    You will appear back in the real world in the place where you are in the copied world, of course!


    Okay, that makes this much easier. I can enter it here and re-appear outside of the city. Wait, isn''t this ability really broken though? Can''t I just use this to get around security in places like the Thalmor Embassy? Oh, I''m going to enjoy this. Okay, let''s try this.


    "Instant Dungeon Create: Zombie." I say quietly. I don''t really notice a difference, but I think that it worked. Standing up, I walk down the stairs back to the main road. A smile forms on my face as I notice a lone undead slowly making its way towards me. It''s looks like it was once a peasant farmer, half of its face crawling with maggots. With a limping gait, it pushes closer to me.


    Wave 1: Start! Kill 5 Zombies to reach Wave 2.


    You know what? This seems like a really good way to spend the rest of my night. Observing the zombie, I get a small amount of information.


    Zombie


    Level 1


    HP: 25


    A generic human undead. It moves slowly and can''t take a hit. Dangerous in hordes.


    Well, I don''t see a horde yet, so looks like danger isn''t really a thing. An Ice Spike through the eye sends it to the floor quickly. The corpse turns to dust once its HP reaches 0. Well, at least I don''t have to worry about confusing the dead and undead ones, at least.


    Looking around, I realize that these walls are actually pretty useful. It means that I know where the zombies will likely appear and only have so many places I''ll have to look. I''m just hoping I don''t have to go in any of the houses to find them.


    Though, I don''t even have to go looking by the looks of it. The other four came to the main road after a few moments. None of them are near each other which means I can''t just use Fireball. Well, they''re slow and all heading towards me specifically. I could outpace them with my regular walking speed, to be honest. Standing in front of Alvor''s place, I watch as they approach me. My MP regenerates before even one of them makes it halfway across the road. Well, that''s fine.


    I decide to just snipe them with four more Ice Spikes through the skull. They''re slow and I got a bit impatient. Bringing up my character sheet, I''m a little disappointed to see they only gave 10 XP each. Well, they are level 1 and extremely fragile. I guess I should expect that. I bet the XP will get much better with stronger zombies and when the waves are more numerous.


    Wave 1 Complete!


    Rewards: 50 XP, 50 Gold, Common Gacha Token, 1 Skill Point


    Would you like to start the next Wave?


    Yeah, let''s keep going. This time, the notification tells me that there''s ten. Hm¡­ is it going to double each wave? That might be interesting. It would likely get out of hand relatively quickly. Still, I wonder if there''s any way I can get onto the roof of one of these houses? If the zombies come towards me no matter where I am, then that would be useful for the later waves.


    My thoughts are interrupted as 10 zombie hands erupt from the soft dirt to either side of the road at once. They are each joined by a second one, before 10 decaying corpses pull themselves out of the ground. They''re spaced out relatively far apart. Far enough that I can''t hit any of them with Fireball and hope to get the explosive effect''s use. Well, that''s fine.


    Feeling electricity crackle along my fingers, I extend my hand and watch as all of them convulse from my Chain Lightning. It only takes three seconds for them to fall, but I notice something worrying. I had thought that I would only lose 45 MP from that, since it says 15 MP per second. Instead, I lost almost 200 MP. Do the links in the chain actually increase the cost then?


    I still have some MP left, but losing half of my MP in three seconds is not cost-effective. I don''t know whether I could do that again, especially if the numbers really do double.


    Wave 2 Complete!


    Rewards: 100 XP, 100 Gold, Common Gacha Token, 2 Skill Points


    Before I start the next wave, I take the opportunity to create a stone wall beneath my feet. It''s just tall enough that I can step over onto Alvor''s roof. I''d rather be up here as I wait for my MP to come back than down there, after all.


    Just as I thought, the game informs me that there''s 20 this time. It takes almost half a minute for my MP to top up. When it does though, I let loose. If they can''t reach me and I can take as long as I need to recharge my MP, then this shouldn''t be that difficult. A couple Fireballs and they''re taken care of as well.


    Just as I thought, I got 200 XP and Gold, another Common Gacha Token and 3 Skill Points. This did seem like it was a bit too easy, but that''s just because I was a ranged fighter in a place that the enemy couldn''t reach me, I think.


    Wave 4 came and went with about the same amount of ease the previous one. Before I pushed into Wave 5 though, I increased my INT up to 80 and my WIS up to 75 to satiate my OCD. It seemed like a good idea considering I got the warning that Wave 5 is a boss round. As soon as it started, I understood why.


    Gone were the shambling undead from before. Instead, they were replaced by various other types of undead. I quickly used Observe on all of them.


    Decayed Commander


    HP 1500


    Fire Reaper


    HP 100


    Armored Zombie


    HP 300


    Burning Skull Head


    HP 50


    The Commander looked like some sort of samurai general. There was still flesh on his body, but not much. He wielded a katana in one hand and was probably the boss of this wave. The others had to be his mob support.


    The Fire Reaper was literally just a skeleton in a purple robe that had a bow in hand. The arrows in his quiver all seemed to be on fire without burning said quiver. I''ll have to assume magic is responsible there. There were five of these archers in total scattered across the road.


    The Armored Zombies also wore samurai armor but had green flesh filled with cracks. Clearly, these were the Commander''s foot soldiers. They numbered 15.


    Lastly were the Burning Skull Heads. They had about as literal of a name as one could hope for. They were floating skulls that were engulfed in flames. I''m willing to bet that they''ll try and kamikaze me as soon as I aggro them. They were the most numerous as a total of 25.


    This might be a bit tougher than I originally thought. Luckily, I had plenty of potions and a decent selection of spells to choose from. Feeling magic crackle along my fingers, I couldn''t help the excitement that flowed through my veins.


    Status [Adrenaline Rush] added.


    [Adrenaline Rush] increases HP Regeneration by 50%, STR by 25% and END by 15% but lowers WIS by 30%.


    I closed the notification quickly and focused on the matter at hand. The Commander didn''t look like it would be particularly dangerous. It had high HP, but only wielded a sword. Honestly, the biggest danger is the mob of Skulls. With that in mind, I cast several Ice Spikes in succession. Ten of the Skulls go down at the cost of a third of my mana. The attack paints a marker on me though, figuratively.


    All eyes, whether in the air or on the ground, point towards my location now. Launching a Wind Blade forward, I manage to catch one of the flaming arrows mid-air. The shockwave sends some of the archers and soldiers to the floor but I now have 15 Skulls flying towards me at dangerous speeds.


    Maybe being on this roof isn''t the best idea right now. That''s the thought that has me jumping to the ground. I take 10 HP damage when I land ¨C I really need to increase my CON, badly ¨C I run to the river that runs through Riverwood. The Skulls chase after me even when I dive into it.


    So, now I''m at the bottom of the river with 15 Skulls around me, no longer on fire. They seem to have completely stopped their movement. With that in mind, I quickly swim to the surface and make my way to the bank opposite the road. A Lightning Bolt to the river kills all of the enemies inside immediately.


    I had momentarily considered using Chain Lightning on them while I was inside the lake. I think the 30% hit to my wisdom is what made me even think that was a good idea for a little bit. This is a dangerous status effect, for sure.


    Looking towards the road, I notice the remaining wave fast approaching. They aren''t slow like the zombies. The archers have stationed themselves on five different rooftops while the soldiers are running at me. The Commander leads the charge.


    Arrows fly towards me, but a stone wall blocks them. Quickly, I use one of my newer spells and form stone spikes along the other side of the river to try and break the charge when they finally get to it. The archers let loose another volley, destroying my wall in the process.


    The spread of the archers certainly made things more difficult than I would have liked, but not impossible to deal with. Two on Alvor''s roof, three on his neighbors. I launched two fireballs. They weren''t aimed at the skeletons themselves, but the rooftop. Thanks to the physics of Skyrim, fire rose from the point of impact. It would only last a couple seconds, but I had immediately followed it up with two Wind Blades. The explosion had exactly the effect I wanted. The archers were blown back in all directions, with their clothes catching fire.


    With that problem taken care of for the moment, I noted the katana-wielding part of my enemies had finally reached the spike wall. Their charge halted momentarily as they had to try and climb over the multiple layers of spikes criss-crossing. The Commander is giving orders in what sounds like Japanese. He''s not climbing with them, just standing back.


    As he shouts, he was surrounded by some sort of blue aura, which also surrounds the Armored Zombies. After a quick observe, I see that they have a status effect, [Valor]. Based on [Observe], it seems to increase their speed and attack power. Right, he''s a commanding officer, so of course he''d have abilities relating to making his troops stronger. I better end this before that becomes a problem.


    I begin launching Lightning Bolts at them, remembering that it does extra damage to those in metal armor. Despite that, it still takes five bolts just to put one of them down. I''m only able to kill three of them before the rest get over the spikes and begin to wade through the river. At that point, I repeat my previous strategy with the Skulls. Two Bolts to the river and the remaining twelve drop. That only leaves the Commander.


    Looking towards him, I notice that he has several different colored auras surrounding him. Observe gives me a pretty good understanding as to why. He lacks any mob support, but he''s been buffing himself. He''s got that Valor buff from before, as well as Adrenaline Rush and something called [Avenger]. On inspection, it means that for every ally that has been killed this battle, all of his stats get a 1% boost. F.u.c.k.


    Okay, okay. It''s fine. I''m only going up against something that was five times stronger than Ralof before it buffed itself, and now it''s nearly half again as strong as that. I''ll be fine. I really wish I could summon Shiva right now.


    The Commander then rushes towards my spikes. Quickly, I use Gale Palm. To my surprise, it knocks him to the ground. That''s right, resistance on that is based on size, not stats. He even took some damage from it. While he''s prone, I launch a Firebolt followed by Wind Blade. Like a ragdoll, he flew further. His health had dipped only by 10% from that, but it was definitely manageable to do that nine more times without even drinking one of my MP potions.


    As he tried to get back to his feet, I launched a Firebolt and Lightning Bolt from either hand, as they were the only things that I felt confident could reach him from the distance between us. He gets pushed even further away, going back to the main road. The buildings obscure him from view, and so I''m left waiting on my side of the river. I feel like a total coward for hiding behind a river and spikes and not chasing after him, but I''m a mage with no tank. I don''t really have many options.


    While I''m waiting for the Commander to appear again, I''m struck by a realization. I''m clearly not prepared for Bleak Falls Barrow as things stand. My survival right now hinges on the fact that the Commander seems to lack any ranged capabilities, but both the bandits and Draugr are under no such limitations. Not to mention that the tomb is nothing but narrow halls and traps. I would die very quickly if I attempted to do anything up there. I need to get my hands on a companion or two.


    As I''m thinking over who I could get in Whiterun, the Commander pops into view again. In the space of a second he''s made it from Alvor''s house to my spikes. He does not look very pleased.


    Instead of climbing over the spikes though, he grabs one of them and rips it straight from the ground. If not for a well-timed Wind Blade bisecting it, I would definitely be crushed right now. Reacting without thinking, I electrocute the river once again. The Commander isn''t killed from that, but his flesh is smoking now.


    One of my hands casts another two Lightning Bolts to drain what HP I can while I focus on raising more spikes in the river, as well as walls. I put anything in his way I possibly can to slow him down. He''s not even down to half health yet, but I did succeed in keeping him from progressing. He screams something at me in Japanese. I can only assume he''s insulting my parents and cursing my ancestors.


    I launch three more Lightning Bolts into the river before a notification pops up.


    Challenge: [Greased Lightning I] (Use Lightning Bolt 25 times) Complete.


    Reward: Lightning Bolt damage increased, Rare Gacha, [Greased Lightning II] unlocked


    [Greased Lightning II]: Use Lightning Bolt 50 times


    Well then. That couldn''t have come at a better time. It looks like the damage output has been doubled from that upgrade, and that means I might actually be able to do this. That''s good too, since the Commander pulled out another spike and used it to smash the wall in front of him.


    I hit the water with two more Lightning Bolts before he can climb up to the bank. Getting an evil idea, I create a spike on the bank''s wall, watching as it pierces through his torso. Two more Lightning Bolts and he''s been destroyed.


    A couple of notifications pop up at once. Firstly, I''ve gone up to Level 14. I have never felt like I earned any levels more in my life. Second, I am informed of my prizes for completing Wave 5. It''s 2250 XP and Gold, 5 Skill Points that I immediately put into WIS so that my INT and WIS are finally equal and an Uncommon Gacha Token. The last notification asks if I''d like to start Wave 6.


    You know what? I''m gonna have to give that a hard pass, Game. I''m just gonna go back to bed. Sleep is good. Sleep doesn''t try to kill me.


    And that''s it!


    Things are moving forward nicely. There''s still a number of things before Whiterun comes into the picture, and our poor MC may have been traumatized by the Instant Dungeon, but... at least he''s earned his nap this time. Don''t forget to let me know your thoughts in the usual places: Reviews, PM or over on the Discord server at (slash) PWDD44v


    Orpheus out! Ja ne!

 Chapter 214 - My CO Stash #14 - The Human Stains by Claudaujay (DeathNoteXOregairu)

    -I wasn''t expecting a crossover fic of Death Note & Oregairu to work but it did, and damn did it exceed my expectations(considerably low but that''s the key to happiness). Yukino being Kira and Hachiman being L was just fantastic! It was on hiatus for a year or so but luckily the author seem to have gotten rid of his writer''s block and plans on actually finishing this story!


    Sypnosis: Yukinoshita Yukino was just a teenager before she discovered the Death Note. Now, she is Kira: the God of a brave new world. Or she will be, unless two other Sobu High students, calling themselves H, have something to say about it..


    Rated: T


    Words: 43K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13027706/1/The-Human-Stains (Claudaujay)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Act One: Hurricane


    Yukinoshita Yukino was waiting for her family''s limousine to arrive when she discovered the notebook.


    It was about an hour and a half after the ending of the school day. Sobu High was a Japanese highschool that, from the outset, appeared as innocent and painstakingly normal as the next. True, the students that attended were of an intellect that exceeded the national average- students with lofty aspirations, looking to attend the best universities and thus open the door to the occupation of their dreams. Perhaps one or two of these students might be found on the National Diet in a couple of years, running the country according to whichever political agenda they found themselves most convinced by. But, in its appearance, in the manner by which the school was run, you could hardly separate it from the others in the city of Chiba, and indeed from any other school in the country.


    This might have played into why this girl in particular stood out so boldly. She was the highest achiever in an array of high achievers, and furthermore, it had always been this way for her. Yukinoshita Yukino had topped the tables of class attainment in elementary and middle school; throughout her two years of attendance at Sobu High, the high standards she prided herself in had shown no signs of letting up. Her unconditional aptitude at whatever she set her mind to and her willingness to study was matched only by her striking beauty. Many boys, drawn in by the charm of her waist length raven hair and ice-like blue eyes, had rushed themselves into confessing to her, completely forgetting that getting to know her might be important. If they had paid even the slightest attention to her aloof personality, they would''ve realised the chances of her accepting their confessions were minimal at best. None had succeeded in charming her in return, so far.


    But such noteworthy prospects, while having their fair share of perks, could just as well be considered a hinderance. Jealousy was a natural human instinct; it moderation, it can compel us to change for the better, but there was something in Yukinoshita Yukino that always brought out the worst in her classmates. In elementary, she''d had her indoor shoes stolen on dozens of occasions. She had counted every single one of these thefts, but remembering them brought back other, even more painful memories. She had learnt it was better to concentrate on the present, or ruminate on the future, than to linger on the scars of the past.


    Ambition often comes hand in hand with youth, but similar to how things had unravelled throughout her life in academics, Yukino''s dreams also exceeded those of her classmates. She''d become convinced, more so by negative reinforcement, that humans were ugly creatures. Animals propelled by instinct and hatred and l.u.s.t and greed. Everytime she glanced at a news website, or saw the headline of a paper, she felt the same bile rising in her throat. The same disgust. She saw injustice, and as pessimists often did, she failed to notice the accompanying silver lining. To her, the world was a clock that had ceased to tick before she was even born- a miserable, broken thing, in desperate need of repair. Yukinoshita Yukino didn''t just want to rule the world. She wanted to change it. To mould it into any shape, or form, that she desired.


    Call it fate, call it destiny... but why is it that power always seems to fall into the wrong hands?


    The teenager had just spent an hour at an after school club that, after weeks of pestering from the school''s guidance counsellor, Hiratsuka Shizuka, she had agreed to help establish. Currently, she was the only member of the Service Club, and the work in question consisted of sitting around reading in wait for their first client. In other words, Yukino had much more productive ways to spend her time, but she couldn''t help but admit it had become one of the more ther.a.p.eutic parts of her routine. Reading had always been a fond hobby, and the Service Club room granted the peace and quiet to indulge in said hobby while also maintaining the image she embodied- that of a well meaning, hard working student.


    Yet she couldn''t deny it frustrated her at times. Reforming and helping students was an admirable objective, one that fit into her ideals, but she couldn''t do much to change things if people didn''t want to be changed. She had been attending the Service Club for close to a month now, and not once had its front door been opened by anyone except herself. As a result, in her frustration, she''d decided to lock up the clubroom with fifteen minutes to spare. The limousine always arrived at five o''clock sharp, meaning she had five minutes of waiting by the school gates until it did so.


    In the position Yukino was standing, she could see out onto the street outside the school building. Hit by a bout of uncharacteristic impatience, she began to pace up and down.


    Then, she saw it. A flash of jet-black, in the corner of her eye.


    She turned her head, glancing down to the bushes on the right side of the gate. There, almost fully concealed from view by the wilting autumn foliage, was the bottom corner of what appeared to be some kind of book.


    Frowning, she walked over and bent down. At closer inspection, it didn''t appear to be a school textbook that another of the pupils might have dropped in their haste to return home. She tugged at its edge, releasing it from the hold of the bush.


    No. It was a notebook. A diary perhaps?


    She turned it over, only to feel her confusion mounting as two words, penned in swirling white text, came into view.


    DEATH NOTE


    She opened it. On the back of the front cover was more of the same writing.


    HOW TO USE IT:


    The human whose name is written in this book shall die.


    This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person''s face in their mind when writing his/her name.


    Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected.


    If the cause of death is written within the next 40 seconds of writing the person''s name, it will happen.


    If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart atta-


    Yukino snapped the notebook shut.


    Ridiculous, she thought dismissively. This kind of nonsensical rubbish was precisely why she had already begun to lose hope in her classmates. Their sense of humour was beyond immature, and incidentally, precisely why nobody with a single cell of logic in their brain could possibly take them seriously. The person who came up with this joke, and then actually exerted the effort to make it seem even vaguely credible, had all the qualifications to be a NEET.


    She stood up and returned to the position she''d taken up earlier.


    A couple of moments later, she glanced back.


    Well... credit where credit was due. Despite the fact that this little prank was painfully unfunny, and what''s more didn''t seem to have a punchline, the notebook itself was quite effective. When she read the so-called "rules", she had felt something akin to a shiver running down her spine. And, judging from the way the book had been thrown into the bushes, the reaction elicited from the first person to discover it had been similar.


    Yukino looked over her shoulder. Was the laughter still to come? Was someone filming her, eagerly anticipating her reaction? Surely not. It was two hours after closing time.


    She shook her head. Just ignore it.


    And yet, only a heartbeat later, she found herself picking up and opening the notebook once more.


    After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.


    A very specific number.


    ...


    Even if it was fake or not, Yukino couldn''t deny that her curiosity had been piqued. She was a natural learner, and by extension, naturally inquisitive. A part of her was sure that she wouldn''t be satisfied until she took a closer look at this "Death Note". Even if it ended in embarrassment, she had experienced a fair share of that throughout her school life, and knew full well how to stomach it. So, the item in question found its way into her schoolbag.


    Five minutes later, the limousine arrived, and she returned to her apartment. Just as normal.


    Later that night, Yukino found herself sat at her desk, with a copy of her favourite book in her lap. Her writing tastes were broad and extensive: she could be found reading anything from children''s books to the philosophical works of Friedrich Nietzsche in virtually the same breath. The title of the book most dear to her lay more so in the territory of the former; a publication initially intended for children called Pan-san the Panda, though of course Yukino would hear nothing of it if someone suggested that a girl of her maturity should have outgrown it. The various merchandise of the character that she had made a habit of collecting only underlined this stubbornness- piles of plushies and models, all lined up around the headrest of her bed and bookshelves.


    Her homework had been completed immediately upon entering her apartment, as had also become habitual for her. She had decided to spend the following hours re-immersing herself in the story. Though the words were as familiar to her as the air she breathed (she knew large swathes of the text off by heart), they never once failed to soothe her if the stress of schoolwork decided to make itself painfully known.


    But on this occasion, her attentions were occupied by a book of a different sort.


    After ploughing her way through another page, Yukino''s eyes would casually fall down to the schoolbag, and in turn, the contents that continued to tease her. It took something of great magnitude to distract her if she didn''t wish to be. Why had a find so seemingly inconsequential captured her imagination like this?


    For around half an hour more, she strove to ignore the urge to open the bag, until finally it overcame her. The cheerful ill.u.s.trations of a children''s book were replaced by something of far greater consequence.


    She opened it and glanced over the rules once more, again noting how carefully thought out they seemed to be. Each had a puzzling sense of plausibility to them, despite the staggering implausibility of the subject which they concerned.


    Just imagine if this were actually real. To hold a pen in one''s hand and do something so simple as writing a name, and yet, to know that in that pen''s ink lay a greater power than any human could possibly dream of. The power to alter, to manipulate, to control someone''s life, as if it were just an ant crawling on the floor. An ant that was just begging to be stepped on.


    It was a fascinating concept... but surely only a hypothetical one.


    Right?


    All of a sudden, Yukinoshita Yukino found herself picking up both the notebook and a pen from her desk, and heading over to the TV in the living room of her apartment. She sat on the sofa, placing both items on the glass table in front of it, and then switched the screen onto the news channel.


    ''Breaking News: Crisis in Tokyo day care centre as man holds eight hostages at gunpoint.''


    Her eyes narrowed as the story unfolded in front of her. The female news anchor, present at the scene, was the only person even attempting to keep a neutral face. Around her, the scream of onlookers could be heard, distorting the audio of the broadcast.


    ''The man broke into the centre only an hour ago, armed with a revolver. He claims that he will shoot those still inside the building unless the police submit to his demands. The captives consist of both teachers and children, some under the age of five.''


    She felt an all too familiar burst of anger surging through her veins. An anger at the true state of a nation that claimed itself to be civilised. A nation which let murderers and rapists run free. A nation run by corrupt officials who accepted bribes without the slightest thought for the innocent lives their actions could endanger.


    ''The suspect has already been identified as Otoharada Kuruo, an unemployed man with a history of minor offences...''


    Yukino lowered her pen to the page. If the notebook really wasn''t a prank, then she already had everything she required to make use of it. All the conditions specified in the notebook had been met. She had a name and face, both conveyed on the screen, as if goading her to proceed. All that remained was to write, and in forty seconds, he would die of a heartbreak. Supposedly.


    Just as the nib made contact with the paper, she stopped still.


    If this man, Otoharada Kuruo, really dies... albeit indirectly... I would be a murderer.


    Her doubts were shoved aside before they could assert themselves further. You''re thinking about this too hard, she insisted. This was nothing but a test, and a meaningless one at that. There wasn''t a chance on this Earth that the Death Note was genuine. That much was clear.


    And then suddenly, there it was. A name in practised kanji on the page. Otoharada Kuruo.


    All that remained now was to wait.


    Yukinoshita Yukino watched as ten seconds turned to twenty, and twenty seconds turned to thirty.


    The news channel cut away from the day care centre and back to the studio, where a former police officer was being interviewed about the situation. The reporter asked if there was any chance of all the captives being rescued without casualties. His expression seemed doubtful.


    Yukino looked at the clock on the wall. She hadn''t noted the specific time that the name had been written, but she felt certain that forty seconds must have passed by now.


    Nothing on the TV screen had changed. The police officer was still being berated.


    Nothing.


    She exhaled, though whether from relief or disappointment she couldn''t quite discern. At the very least, now that the note had been proven to be a sham, she could dispose of it and continue with her evening. It bothered her knowing that she''d fallen for a trick of this kind. Someone from school would probably confront her about it, camera phone in hand, tomorro-


    "Wait... I''m being informed... yes, there''s been a change in situation. I''m deeply sorry, but we''re cutting back to the scene!"


    Yukinoshita Yukino froze.


    The picture being displayed on the screen was shaky; the camera man was desperately trying to readjust his angle. Finally, it came back into focus, fixed on the door of the day care centre. A group of people were exiting out the front. A group of eight.


    "The hostages are escaping from the building! The police are moving in, but... but from the looks of things, they''re just as shocked as we are!"


    "C- can you provide us with any information on the suspect?"


    "I''m not sure. We''re trying to get a comment from the po... Is that true? Yes, okay, we''ve received confirmation! The suspect has been found dead inside the building! I repeat: the suspect is dead!"


    Her eyes widened to the size of moons. W- what...


    "What happened?! Was the suspect taken out by the police? Did the hostages take action?"


    "No. As far as we can tell, it appears that the suspect just collapsed within the building. All of the hostages are unharmed, thank God, but apparently the suspect was shouting one moment, only to suddenly clutch his chest and drop to the ground. It''s almost miraculous!"


    A heart-attack in forty seconds. Just as the Death Note described.


    Yukino backed away from the TV, her eyes fixed on the name she had written. A part of her couldn''t accept what she had witnessed. The proof had been laid down, as clear and certain as the reflection in a mirror, but somehow, it remained just out of reach. Just beyond the realm of her comprehension. She had always been a person of logic. A notebook that killed? Surely this was just some strange coincidence. An inexplainable trick of nature.


    But to put this down to a coincidence, ironically, was even more absurd than to accept the book''s existence.


    Her hands had begun to tremble. A bead of sweat was trickling down her forehead.


    Did I hear correctly?


    Did it really happen?


    Was it simply done by writing down his name?


    She couldn''t look at the TV or the notebook for even a second longer. From nowhere, a disgusting taste had built up at the back of her throat- the sensation of feeling like you''re about to vomit, and wanting to vomit, only to find it trapped and unable to escape. She dashed around the sofa and over to the glass windows. Her apartment was one of the highest up in the entire complex, with a view that looked out onto the Chiba cityscape and, beyond that, the burning horizon.


    The teenager tugged at the handle desperately, pushing the window aside, before stepping out onto the balcony. The evening wind lashed across her face, and she gasped, breathing in the air, the scent of it.


    Killing indirectly,


    Pen and ink and paper,


    Writing it is the gun and I only have to aim,


    If one were to look at Yukinoshita Yukino without knowing her, it would be easy to assume the worst of her. She could think of so many who had done just that. Classmates. Teachers. Guests she''d rather she hadn''t met at parties. Every single one of them had pictured a rich girl, soaked in wealth and spoilt from the moment she was born, incapable of seeing anything over the colossal size of her ego. They would think, no doubt, that someone so entitled had little right to feel inadequate or powerless.


    And yet, for so much of her life, Yukino had scarcely felt anything else. She couldn''t remember a time when she hadn''t been underestimated, or accused of arrogance, or picked on. Her parents favoured her ever-so perfect sister. Her classmates favoured anyone but her. This was a girl who, somewhere along the way, had gradually started to give up. Yukino''s aspirations, though imperishable, were just that; aspirations. The cynic in her, or the pessimist or whatever you wanted to call it, had been quick to send her a niggling reminder. To give her the reality check that nailed her feet firmly to the ground. She had separated her ambitions from what she had perceived as truth. The line between them had always been stark.


    Now, finally... edges were blurring. Lines were intertwining. Limits were crashing and burning, shattering to the floor like shards of glass.


    She closed her eyes. To be locked away for so long, and then to be given the key without warning... was overwhelming. Overwhelming, but not quite frightening. If anything, it was the opposite.


    And there that key stood. A small little notebook, on the table in her apartment.


    Could this be the hour?


    Unimagined power,


    Waiting to devour who I say...


    All of a sudden, she had a vision. The same vision that had always glimmered, somewhere in the strangest corner of her dreams. These buildings that surrounded her, the buildings of Chiba, and the buildings beyond them throughout the rest of the world, were made of solid stone and brick. But, just there, she could see it. Her eyes had been opened. There were splinters in all of them. She could reach within and pull, and the splinter would become a crack, and the crack would become nothing. She would pull every single one of these buildings down, and she would start anew. A blank canvas, at last.


    The hardest rain,


    The coldest winds,


    Are waiting for the hurricane,


    She could feel that vision reaching deep inside her. Deep into the pits of her soul, and then deeper still, selling it away to some otherworldly power, corrupting it and corrupting her, corrupting her fast. She was Eve stealing a bite from the apple; she was Faustus trying in vain to outwit Mephistopheles; she was Tantalus reaching eternally for the water that receded from their touch. But it hardly registered. It didn''t register at all. That corruption had a voice. It was whispering to her. And it was whispering one thing and one thing alone:


    ''The world is yours¡­''


    ¡­ And Yukinoshita Yukino believed it. The world was her''s. She was no longer a stupid little adolescent on a balcony. Yukinoshita Yukino was only a name, so small and insignificant compared to her true power. No. She was a God. She was the ruler of a brave new world, and once the imperfect one she inhabited had been destroyed... she would be worshipped.


    The earth will shake,


    The sky will scream,


    Once they feel the power of the hurricane,


    Where to start? Simple.


    Yukino looked back through the window at her newfound weapon, blue eyes glinting. She would start with the people. All the impurities, all those unworthy of occupying her blessing, of the pristine Eden that was soon to take shape, would be cleansed. All the injustice and the evil would be erased, one name at a time, until only good remained. They didn''t deserve to live. They didn''t deserve it. They didn''t deserve her.


    I''ll bring the rain,


    I''ll bring the wind,


    I am the mighty hurricane.


    Up ahead, the clouds were shifting, turning the sky from a blazing orange to a darkening grey.


    A storm was brewing.


    The Human Stains


    Act Two: The Game Begins


    ''Good morning class,'' Hiratsuka-sensei said.


    As soon as she spoke, Hikigaya Hachiman found himself sitting up in his seat. Usually, he spent the time allocated to them in homeroom resting his head in his hands, pretending to be asleep. However, one of his eyes, which were renowned for being similar to those of a dead fish, would remain open. Though it was true that he was no stranger to sleeping in class, there was another hobby by which he liked to waste his time at this point in the day: namely, human observation.


    Hachiman was considered a loner by the entirety of the Sobu High populace, and indeed by himself. His refusal to engage in social circles was such that the majority of them wouldn''t have been able to recall his name. Bizarrely, his anonymity was also one of his most notable traits. It was exactly this solitary nature that made it easier for him to watch his classmates; put simply, they didn''t care about him, which made them easy to observe. Their riajuu lifestyle was of no interest to him in particular, but he found it oddly entertaining to see their interactions, and to immerse himself in who was in favour and who had fallen out of it. There were a few in his class that had always been popular, and would probably stay that way for the rest of their life. Hayama Hayato and Miura Yumiko, for example. But the others? All of them were equally desperate to cling to their ever thinning ties of social acceptance, and thus, were quick to pull each other down.


    Essentially, it was a convoluted form of schadenfreude. Hachiman wasn''t ashamed of the indulgence in the slightest.


    Here, he was using the most personally lauded of his "104" talents for a different purpose. It was rare for Hiratsuka-sensei to address the class in this manner; usually, she would enter, take the register with a lazy disinterest, and then concentrate on her latest pile of marking. The expression on her face had changed from bored to alert. Grave, even. Hachiman decided that she had something important to tell them.


    The rest of the class realised too, if a little slower, and the light hum of conversation faded.


    ''The prinicipal has requested that we hold a discussion in homeroom today. He thinks it would be better to speak of this openly instead of ignoring it, and personally, I agree with him. It''s a matter of national significance, after all.''


    Hachiman knew instantly what she was referring to. He slowly removed the headphone in his right ear.


    ''I am, of course, talking about the Kira case.''


    The whole class went deathly silent. Their reaction was telling. For the past week, the topic had been hanging over everyone''s head, balancing precariously like a performer on a tr.a.p.eze. Hachiman had noticed the main clique''s insistence on retaining normality in conversation, just as, all the while, the world raged in breathless panic around them.


    On the Saturday of that week, there had been a sudden burst of deaths. Hachiman couldn''t think of a more appropriate or eloquent way to describe it. Without any warning, criminals both in prison and out of it were dropping to the floor, dead before anyone could even react. Every single one of them had died of exactly the same cause: namely, a heart-attack. The similarity suggested that the fatalities were connected, yet the phenomenon was too widespread, occurring in almost every country in the world, for it to be committed by a single organisation. What''s more, no one had claimed responsibility for the events. The killer, or killers, were operating completely in the shadows.


    Early theories of it being the work of a mysterious new pathogen were dispelled by the regularity of the deaths. They took place in bursts, every day without fail, and all of them at exactly the same time (as reported by the press)- between 4 and 6 o''clock in the evening, Japanese time. It soon became apparent, though of course no one would dare suggest it themselves, that these were not isolated deaths. They were murders. And, most likely, all the work of a single individual, targeting criminals and criminals alone. The method by which the crimes were exacted was unknown. To all intents and purposes, it should''ve been impossible.


    It only took a couple of days for the public to give this person a name. "Kira"- derived from the English word of to kill, or killer. By Tuesday, both tribute and protest websites dedicated to him were appearing all over the internet, in every language from Japanese to Spanish to Russian. Everyone had their own stance on him (or her). Some believed that Kira was a divine entity- the latest prophet in a long line to grace their world, determined to rid the planet of the evil that blighted it. Others thought him the very epitome of the evil that he was, apparently, trying to dispel.


    Only one thing was for certain. Kira''s kill count was rising into the hundreds, and showing absolutely no sign of letting up. Already, he was one of the most notorious and prolific serial killers in history.


    ''Now, I understand if you''d be hesitant to speak, but sometimes, I think the best way of coping with something of this magnitude is to do exactly that. So, go ahead: say whatever is on your mind. They''ll be no judgement here. You can even say that you support Kira, if you wish.''


    Hachiman''s classmates glanced at each other, unsure of how to react. He, personally, was more intrigued by the words of his teacher. Though her tone was neutral, her arms were crossed over her usual white lab-coat, and her eyes had steeled a little as she gave permission for the class to express any positive sentiments towards the killer.


    The tiniest smirk appeared on his lips. It was obvious what her stance on the matter was.


    ''Y- you shouldn''t say his name!'' someone blurted.


    Eyes turned to the front of the classroom, on Hiratsuka-sensei''s right. The one who had spoken was a member of the otaku group, who spent most of their time on portable game consoles instead of studying. He appeared embarrassed that he''d done so, but quickly pushed his glasses further up his nose.


    ''We have no idea how Kira''s able to kill his victims. I- if you say you disapprove of him, he... he might...''


    ''That''s rubbish!''


    ''There''s no way Kira that can be everywhere at once...?''


    ''He could be!'' the boy insisted. ''If not, how else do you expla-''


    Miura Yumiko scoffed, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. ''Oh, shut up. That''s so stupid it''s actually annoyin-''


    ''Be quiet!'' Hiratsuka interjected.


    The class fell silent again. She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.


    ''If you can''t be civil about your opinions, then don''t speak. This is a sensitive subject, and we need to sensitive to each other in return... This time, raise your hand if you want to talk. Understood?''


    No one responded.


    ''Nobody?''


    At last, someone raised their hand. It was a girl with brunette hair, who hung out on the fringes of Miura''s clique.


    ''Yes, Yuroshida?''


    ''I... I think that what Kira''s doing is just plain wrong. No matter how you look at it, he''s definitely a murderer. A serial killer, basically, and two wrongs don''t make a right, y''know?''


    There were a couple of nods from those who agreed with her, but nothing substantial. Hachiman could sense the tension resting between them, so uncomfortable as to be almost palpable.


    Another hand rose.


    ''Sagami?''


    She stood up. ''I agree with Yushida-san on the whole two wrongs don''t make a right thing, but to be honest, I think that Kira''s aims are really admirable. I mean, the murder is bad, of course, but they''re still criminals-''


    ''That doesn''t excuse it,'' the boy from earlier interrupted, his voice sharp.


    ''I know, but...'' Sagami suddenly seemed to lose her nerve. ''I just...''


    She finished on a nervous mumble, before taking her seat again.


    The "discussion" continued in this manner for awhile. Painfully stilted, awkward, with every participant unwilling to make a meaningful contribution. Hachiman watched with gradually spiking intrigue. It was rare to see humans exposed to a situation of this kind. Any conversation relating to Kira was bound to be taboo. People were naturally inclined to have an opinion, but they were equally inclined to seek social acceptance. Much to his fascination, the two were at odds with each other in this circ.u.mstance. Fitting in often required passivity. A willingness to compromise, and to go with any specific group''s mentality. But Kira? Kira was divisive and morally blurred. If his classmates wished to articulate their true feelings, then they risked upsetting their peers. It was the segregation of a person''s mind from a person''s instinct.


    If ever there was proof of the fragility of friendsh.i.p.s, then this was it.


    Unfortunately for Hachiman, it seemed that someone else in the room had also picked up on this. They raised their hand.


    ''Yes, Hayama?'' came Hiratsuka sensei''s response, granting him permission to speak.


    ''Personally, I can see the merit in both sides of the argument,'' he announced, clearly and evenly. ''I think that what Kira is doing, ridding Earth of its criminals, is not undesirable in itself. But, of course, his actions aren''t exactly pleasant, either. In other words, he''s doing the wrong thing for the right reasons... but isn''t it important that we all stay together in times like this, precisely because of our differences? I don''t see how disagreeing is going to solve anything.''


    Quickly, his words were met by a wave of eager agreement.


    ''That totally makes sense-''


    ''-you should be ashamed of yourselves, fighting like th-''


    ''-Hayato''s right. Disagreeing won''t get us anywh-''


    ''You''re the best, Hayato!''


    Hachiman averted his gaze, trying to prevent the disgust he felt from seeping onto his face. It was his policy, his mantra, not to draw unnecessary attention to himself, but he found himself wishing that he had an ounce of Hayama''s charisma, if only so he could disrupt Class 2F''s status quo once more. Those words of neutrality had given all of his classmates a detestably easy means of escape. Now, they could avoid the problem, and pretend that Kira hadn''t embarked on a murderous crusade against injustice. They could convince themselves that their meaningless high school lives were progressing as normal, and this whole conversation was merely an added pinch of spice to their youth.


    These people sickened him.


    But, in his internal tirade, he neglected to notice that one of his classmates'' attentions were not focused on Hayato. Instead, they were focused on him, and the expression which he had failed to suppress.


    As was typical of high school students, Hikigaya Hachiman had his own individual rituals that helped him to pass by the monotony of a school day. One of these rituals occurred, without fail, when the lunch bell rang. While the others in his class enjoyed their packed bentos in their homeroom, or made their way to the canteen with the company of their choosing, Hachiman headed off to a little spot near the school tennis courts. He didn''t do anything of note while sat on these old stone steps, in the shadow of a bicycle shed. Listen to the sound of the sea breeze as it arrived. Watch the tennis players challenging each other on the courts. You could guarantee there would be a can of MAXX Coffee in his hand. The excuse he used to justify his addiction to the drink was that its huge amount of sugar helped increase his thinking capacity.


    That Friday, which marked a week since Kira''s first victim, had been starkly irregular. For one, somebody had willingly approached him, and furthermore, this somebody was recounting to him a story so surreal he hadn''t the faintest idea what to make of it.


    The girl, by now, had finished speaking. She had dyed pink hair that, from a distance, would probably seem fluorescent. Her cheeks were puffed, bright red, and her breaths came out fragmented as she nervously awaited his reply. Though he had often seen this girl fetching and carrying for Miura Yumiko, he had only learnt that her name was Yuigahama Yui in the past few minutes. If his mind wasn''t busy trying to make heads and tails of her rushed, hurried words, he would definitely be wondering why in God''s name she was addressing him as Hikki.


    His can of MAXX Coffee lay to the side, forgotten.


    ''So,'' he said slowly, trying to gauge the appropriate way to react. ''You''re seriously telling me that... that on Friday, you found a notebook by the school gate that, somehow, was supposed to kill anyone whose names was written in it?''


    Yui pursed her lips, her gaze fixed on the ground. ''Hikki... I know it sounds ridiculous-''


    ''And then, for whatever reason, it was gone when you conveniently decided to come back and check up on it? And a day later, the news of the first Kira murders broke?''


    Hikigaya Hachiman had experienced his fair share of ridicule in the past. The worst of it had come during his time at middle school. For a number of reasons, the "Hikki" of a few years ago had found himself identified as the chewing toy of his class. As the scapegoat, and the butt of every pathetic excuse for a joke that the people around him came up with. Suggest any insulting variant on his family name and he had probably heard it before. But this? This was quite possibly the worst attempt to fool him yet. Just how gullible did Yuigahama Yui think that he was?


    ''Yuigahama-san,'' he said, hoping his annoyance wasn''t conveyed too blatantly, ''did Miura ask you to say this? If so, you can tell her that she''s going to have to try and awful lot harde-''


    ''It''s not a joke!''


    Her tone of voice caught him off guard. If months of observing, quiet and unnoticeable, had taught him anything, it was that humans were proficient liars. They lied about everything; their homes lives, their friendsh.i.p.s, their opinions and especially their feelings. Sometimes, they lied without consciously knowing that they were lying. Hachiman deemed himself better than most at telling when someone was doing the same to him. Strange, for despite his absolute certainty that this couldn''t be true, Yuigahama''s performance was incredibly persuasive. Her voice was full of earnestness and her face full of a desperate conviction. It truly seemed as if she was being genuine.


    Either that, or she had a very promising career in the acting profession to come.


    ''Even if you were telling the truth,'' he tried, ''why would you come to me about this? If you really believed that this... that this "Death Note" was real, why wouldn''t you go to the police?''


    ''I tried to tell my parents,'' she replied miserably, clutching the sides of her arms. ''They didn''t believe me. If


    they wouldn''t, then I figured the police wouldn''t even try-


    ''


    ''And I would?''


    She blinked. ''But... but you have so far, Hikki.''


    He couldn''t deny that.


    ''You still haven''t answered my question.''


    ''About why I told you?''


    ''Yes.''


    Yuigahama seemed to mull it over for a moment, and then mumbled something incoherent under her breath.


    ''What was that?''


    ''I... I saw you in homeroom. When we were having the discussion, I mean. After Hayato spoke, you seemed really angry. Anyone could tell that you disagreed with him. I- I still don''t think I understood why, but... but I felt like I could trust you.''


    Hachiman didn''t believe this for a second. It was true that he hadn''t approved of Hayato''s little speech, and he found himself surprised that she''d be looking in his direction instead of the handsome soccer team captain''s, but it was nowhere near convincing. If anything, him disagreeing with the Prince of Soubu High would be more of a reason for Yuigahama Yui to distrust him. He knew the kind of girl she was. An airhead, obsessed with image and makeup, all as vain and idiotic as the next.


    But that didn''t necessarily mean that she wasn''t well meaning. He had never interacted with Yui or Miura''s clique, so they had no obvious motivation for holding a grudge against him. Unless they were simply doing this to be malicious, which didn''t match his impression of them in the slightest, he couldn''t see why Yuigahama would want to make a fool of him. There didn''t seem to be anyone lying in wait to burst out and crack the joke. It was only him and Yuigahama; they were totally alone, except for the dots of the tennis players on the court, a couple of hundred metres away. And, so far during his time at Soubu High, Hachiman had been very successful in keeping himself off the radar.


    What if- no. That was crazy. He shouldn''t even be considering it.


    ''If I did believe you, which by the way, I don''t... what would you want me to do about it?'' He scoffed sarcastically. ''Help you catch Kira?''


    She fiddled with the hem of her skirt.


    He stared at her. ''Please don''t tell me you''re seriou-''


    ''Well when you phrase it like that, of course it sounds ridiculous!'' she shouted.


    Hachiman was lost for words. Catch Kira?! What does she think this is?! The story was getting more and more outlandish by the second. But, before he could voice his doubts, and possibly ask her never talk to him again, she was leaning in closer.


    And, to his astonishment, her eyes were welling up with tears.


    ''You have to believe me...'' she sniffed, barely audible. ''This... I can''t get this out of my head. I haven''t slept for a week thinking about it. I know the chances of that stupid notebook actually being real are... are so small that yeah, i- it would seem stupid and outlandish to you. I can barely believe it myself, but... but what if it was? What if Kira really was the person who picked it up, and is really using it? I''ve thought and thought and thought about it, but... no one has been able to come up with a way for Kira to kill those people that made sense, but if the Death Note was real, then it would make sense.''


    She shook her head. ''And if it was... then... then I''d be responsible. All those people would be dead, because some stupid girl decided not to take things seriously.''


    All Hachiman did was look at her. Anything he might have said seemed trivial and ill-suited after that. The girl in front of him was utterly desolate, and comforting someone in that state was by no means his forte. Other people were complicated and difficult to understand; it was far easier to watch and judge them than to interact and sympathise with them.


    But he knew that those were not crocodile tears. Yuigahama Yui had just poured out her heart to him. Her concerns, the emotions etched onto her face, were not a joke. He may not have been ready to accept the story, but he could accept that a living breathing person had chosen him to comfort her. Her reasons for confiding him weren''t important at this stage.


    He put an awkward hand on her shoulder, urging her to sit down beside him. She accepted the contact gratefully.


    Once Yuigahama''s tears had subsided a little, he begun to speak, slowly and carefully.


    ''I... I have no idea why you''d chose to come to me with this. I still need time to think about what you''ve told me, but I can promise you this, Yuigaham-san: I''ll try to help you in any way I can. And...'' He scratched his head uncomfortably. ''I''ll protect you. If- uh, the situation arose.''


    She sniffed, but nodded. ''Thank you, Hikki.''


    They sat in silence for a bit.


    ''I wish I could give you a tissue or somethin-''


    ''It''s fine.''


    More silence.


    ''Um... Hikki?''


    ''Yes?''


    She looked at him with round eyes. The remnants of moisture still clung to her eyelashes. ''Would you take my phone number and c- call me? When you''ve thought about it, I mean.''


    ''Sure.'' The him of a few minutes ago might have panicked at the thought of having a girl in his contact list, but the word''s suggestive nature didn''t even register to him.


    Once they had shared numbers, Yuigahama Yui stood up. ''I think that I''ll head back to the classroom now, Hikki. It''s near the end of lunch.''


    He also got to his feet. ''Are you sure you''re alright? Do you need me to-''


    ''Actually, it... it might be good to sit with my friends for a bit, just to pretend thing''s are normal for a bit.''


    ''Ignoring a problem won''t make it go away.''


    She smiled half-heartedly at this. ''That''s why you were angry at Hayato, wasn''t it?''


    He wasn''t sure what to say to this, so merely watched as the girl walked back in the direction of the school, and then disappeared into its interior.


    When Hikigaya Hachiman arrived back at his house, he paced around his room for approximately two and a half hours. His heart was beating restlessly, and his mind was spinning, shifting past possibilities and questions and answers to those questions just a moment after asking them. For the final two hours of the school day, he had found himself attempting to do what Yui had been doing such a magnificent job at: forget about what he''d been told. Every time there was a pause in the lesson, or they were asked to solve a Maths equation individually, he would steal a glance in the girl''s direction. There she was, sitting beside a talkative girl with glasses without a care in a world, as if she hadn''t just suggested that she had vital information pertaining to the killing method of the most dangerous person on the planet.


    It quickly became apparent to him that the endeavour of feigning ignorance was impossible for him, and what''s more, that it wasn''t a tide he wished to fight against. Doing so contradicted all of his philosophies, and every conclusion he had drawn about human nature.


    Then again, it seemed that a lot of things were being contradicted that day. The very notion of logic and reason, for example. The concept of a notebook with such terrifying capabilities, quite simply, frightened him. What was its original purpose, if it even truly existed? What kind of person could have created it? And most importantly... was he really supposed to accept that the ground beneath him, ground that he had always deemed stable and unmoving, was only a step away from collapsing in on itself? If the notebook was real, then it seemed to him that anything even vaguely conceivable to the human mind could''ve been real. Who was to say that there wasn''t a God, or ghosts, or aliens on Mars, if there was a Death Note?


    But, Hachiman mused at some point in those two hours, there was a serial killer on the loose. A serial killer who, evidently, had the power to kill without being present at the scene of their crime. The existence of a Death Note... would provide an explanation for that. Kira need only write a name from the comfort of their own home, and a life would end.


    At around 6:30 pm, Hachiman stopped pacing. Instead, he looked at the iPhone that was resting on his bed. Seven minutes afterwards, he picked it up, searched through his list of contacts, and called the number that he had been given only that afternoon.


    He didn''t have to wait for long.


    ''H- Hikki! I''m sorry, I really wasn''t expecting you to call-''


    ''Yuigahama-san-''


    ''Before you say anything, can I just say something? I was thinking about what I told you, and I realised that it wasn''t right for me t- to drop that on you all at onc-''


    ''Yuiga-''


    ''I know it''s crazy, but I swear to you, it really did happen. S- so even if you''re just calling to say you never want to see my face agai-''


    ''I believe you.''


    There was a long pause. Hachiman swallowed nervously.


    ''I''ve been thinking about it, and I realised... there''s no way that you could''ve been lying, not with how you... um... Well, I just want to know that you''re right about Kira: I''ve yet to hear a better explanation for how it could be possible.''


    ''... You... you believe me?''


    Her voice was airy, and laced with an emotion so intense it took Hachiman''s breath away.


    ''Yes, Yuigahama-san.''


    ''You believe me... I knew it. I- I knew that I wasn''t crazy-''


    ''Wait a second, I... I believe that you found a notebook, and that everything happened just as you said. You''re forgetting that there could be a chance you were wrong, and this is all just a misunderstanding. I''m sorry, but I don''t think I''ll be able to accept that the Death Note works until I see proof, right in front of my eyes.''


    ''But how else do you explai-''


    ''I don''t know, Yuigahama. But you have to understand that this is difficult for me-''


    ''No, I- I totally understand, Hikki.''


    ...


    ''Thank you, Hikki. If you hadn''t believed me, then I don''t know what I would''ve done.''


    He swallowed breathlessly.


    ''I also thought about what you said about Kira. About how he could''ve found the Death Note.''


    ''...''


    When an answer didn''t come, he pressed on.


    ''You told me that you originally found it in the school grounds, right? And then you threw into the bushes by the gates, just after the ending of the school day?''


    ''¡­ Yes.''


    ''When, exactly, did you go back and check to see if the Death Note was still there?''


    ''About two hours later.''


    ''So it was after 5 pm?''


    ''Yes. I think it was about fifteen past...''


    He inhaled deeply. A part of him wanted to ask why exactly Yuigahama had been so compelled to return, but there were more pressing matters on his mind.


    ''5 pm is when all of the afterschool clubs end. Picture this, Yuigahama-san: someone at the school is about to walk home, or maybe they''re just waiting for a lift, when all of a sudden, they see the notebook. They pick it up, just like you did. But, unlike you, they don''t just ignore it. They''re curious, and so they take it home, and then, just in case it really is true, they decide to test it out. And then, much to their shock, the Death Note actually works.''


    ''...''


    ''This is all just conjecture, obviously. It could be completely irrelevant, but if the Death Note was gone so soon after you discarded it, then there''s only a select number of people who could possibly have picked it up. Most importantly, they''d have to be in the immediate vicinity of Sobu High. Probably living here, in fact. Therefore, it''s safe to conclude that Kira must be operating relatively close by.''


    ''... Do you really think that Kira might be another student?''


    ''I don''t want to believe it, but if it really was just after 5 pm when you discovered it was gone... I''d say that there''s a very good chance of that, yes. I''d go as far to say I''d be about forty, fifty percent certain that they''re attending Sobu High. Have you watched any of the news reports regarding Kira''s deaths?''


    ''Y- yes.''


    ''Then you''ll probably have seen the specific times that Kira operates. The press say that the kills take place in bursts, usually between 4 and 6 o''clock in local Japanese time. That supports the conclusion that Kira is a student; as soon as they get back from school, they write names in the Death Note, and then they have the rest of the evening to do whatever they want.''


    ''That''s... that''s totally sick.''


    ''You''re right. It is sick. They''re treating murder like it''s some kind''ve homework project. And what''s more, it''s moronic. Adopting routines and habits will only help us to predict his movements-''


    ''Predict his movements? Hikki...''


    Hachiman cursed himself silently. He hadn''t wanted to say that.


    ''You''re talking like you want to catch him-''


    ''Look, Yuigahama-san. You were the one who suggested it. And to be brutally frank, I can''t get the thought out of my head either. If this Death Note is really true, and only we know about it¡­ then do you know what that means? It means that we''re the only people in the whole world who could possibly have a chance at bringing him to justice. We have the upper hand, Yuigahama. The only thing that Kira has on his side is the Death Note. He has no idea that we know about him, or the notebook, or that he''s living and killing in Chiba. Like you said, we can''t go to the police or tell any a.d.u.l.ts about this; we''re only high school students. They''d think we were making it up for attention, or some bullshit like that.''


    He took a breath, trying to calm his nerves.


    ''Kira is evil, Yuigahama-san. The way I see it, he''s a sick-minded, delusional fool. Furthermore, he''s arrogant. He''s probably convinced himself that he''s some kind of untouchable God, hence why he''s already making such idiotic mistakes. The Death Note is a weapon that he barely understands, just like us, and he''s using it impulsively. Of course, that makes him dangerous, but we can beat him, Yuigahama. We can outwit him. We''ll have to be incredibly careful, but we can do it. The only way that we can prove he''s guilty is by getting our hands on the Death Note, or by forcing him into a confession, but... no matter what, we can''t let anyone else die.''


    ''... I agree with you, Hikki.''


    Shock pulsed through his veins.


    ''I... I hadn''t expected you to-''


    ''Why not? Like you said, I was the one came to you. Actually, I... I think that it''s our responsibility to try and find him, Hikki. If we let him go, then... then surely we''re just as bad as he is.''


    ''Even if we die trying?''


    ''... Do you really think it could come to that?''


    He sighed.


    ''I don''t know, Yuigahama. It all depends on Kira. We can''t let him find out what our names are. If he does, we''ll be dead in a minute. Of that, you have my guarantee.''


    ''...''


    ''Yuigahama?''


    ''I don''t want to die, Hikki.''


    He clenched his fist.


    ''Believe me, Yuigahama, I''m just as scared as you are. More than that, I''m terrified, God-damnit. But... do we really have a choice in this situation? A and remember, I promised that I''d protect you. As long as we''re together on this, I won''t let Kira near you.''


    ''He wouldn''t have to be near us-''


    ''Then when we find him, I''ll take every single pen in his house and burn them, right in front of his eyes.''


    ''... Hikki?''


    ''Yes?''


    ''I''m... I''m glad that I told you.''


    Both of them went quiet. Hachiman was just about to say something more, when he heard a knock on his door.


    ''Onii-chan?! Are you talking to yourself again?''


    He quickly lowered the handset. ''No, Komachi. I''m just on the phone.''


    ''... You''re on the phone?''


    ''Yes?''


    ''Who too?! Is it a girl? Are you really being sociable?! Tell me everything now, Onii-chan!''


    He tapped the side of his bed impatiently. Usually, he would be more than willing to humour his little sister''s admittedly adorable antics, but the burden of the phone call weighed down his shoulders, expectant and demanding.


    ''I''m sorry Komachi, but I really don''t have time to chat right now. Can you come back later?''


    ''... Just so you know, that was unbelievably low in Komachi points. But fine. I understand when my Onii-chan needs his space.''


    ''Could''ve fooled me-''


    ''Anyway, I actually came up to say that dinner''s nearly ready! Come down or I might end up eating your plate by myself!''


    He heard the sound of her footsteps, skipping back over to the staircase. Unexpectedly, Hachiman felt a rush of protectiveness for his little imouto, fierce and unrelenting. Anyone would struggle to maintain their perspective in the face of a threat as dangerous as Kira, but Hachiman hadn''t expended much thought on what the world would be like if the serial killer continued their rampage. Somehow, he doubted that his life would be anywhere near as peaceful as this. Somehow, he knew he wouldn''t have the time to appreciate the simplistic things that he took for granted, like Komachi''s overbearing nature and her cooking after a long school day.


    If he and Yui continued on this course, he''d be putting so much more than just his life on the line. But if they didn''t? If the Death Note was how they were killing those people, and they let Kira continue... Hachiman wasn''t sure he would be able to live with himself.


    He raised the phone to his ear.


    ''You still there?''


    ''Yes, Hikki.''


    ''Tell me at any time if this is too risky... but I think I have a plan.''


    ''You still haven''t said why you decided to accompany me today, Nee-san.''


    The trip from Yukinoshita Yukino''s apartment to Sobu High was a short one, even while walking. If she were to move briskly, it would take half an hour at the most. The journey was shortened to ten when taking her family''s personal limousine. She usually spent this time in relative silence; the driver was far too brusque and official to engage her in conversation that extended beyond pleasantries. If a book she was reading had captured her imagination, she might use it to get through a couple of more pages.


    Throughout the last week, however, Yukino had simply stared out of the window, contemplating the worldwide changes she had set in motion.


    She found that she much preferred the company of silence than she did that of her sister, Yukinoshita Haruno, at the best of times. This time, however, her patience was wearing thinner than usual.


    ''Oh, come now. Is it really so unbelievable that a Nee-san would want to catch up with her cute little imouto?''


    Yukino observed her sister''s obnoxious plastered smile with scorn. It was obvious to anyone why her parents had chosen Haruno to be their little show girl, their idealistic protege, and not her, even when her age was not taken into account. Both of them were beautiful, but the beauty of her sister was rather more womanly and pronounced. Her hair was trimmed to her shoulders instead of falling down to the waist, as Yukino''s did. Her bust was larger and her h.i.p.s were wider, giving her a more sensual impression that, as far as she understood, drove men crazy. This was not to say that Yukino was androgynous, or that she paled in comparison to her sister, by any means. Yukino appeared as if she had been plucked from the bedroom of a particularly well-crafted doll''s house, but her b.r.e.a.s.ts hadn''t developed to the size of her sister''s (and were showing no indication that they ever would), and her waist might have been a little too thin for a fussier man''s tastes. Yukino always had been the introvert of the pair. While Haruno was entertaining party guests with her sharp, witty conversation, her sister would be found in the corner, reading a book.


    And her mother took such trivial things very seriously.


    There was a time when Yukino, undeniably, would have to admit she had been jealous of her sister. Now, she wondered how she could possibly have been so foolish. To compare a human to a God was like comparing a fast food meal to a dish of cuisine.


    ''Yes. You see, I''ve had enough time over the years to realise that my Nee-san always does things for a reason.''


    Her sister laughed outwardly, but Yukino was attuned to the more subtle of her reactions. Haruno''s eyes had ever so slightly narrowed.


    ''As cold as ever I see, Yukino! Perhaps even a little colder than usual.''


    In a flash, Yukino knew why she was here. With a smirk, she turned away.


    ''Ah. I see now.''


    ''And what exactly do you see, Yukino?''


    ''Nothing.''


    Though she was faced the other way, she could tell that Haruno''s lips would be pursed.


    ''Please try to be civil. Such poor manners aren''t befitting of a woman.''


    ''Poor manners?'' she said, pretending to be confused. ''If I insulted you then I sincerely apologise, but I really fail to see how I was-''


    ''You knew exactly what you were doing, little imouto. Don''t insult my intelligence.''


    ''Then kindly refrain from insulting my own, and tell me why you''re here.''


    Yukino felt unbelievably satisfied at the silence that entailed her words. Haruno loved to hear the sound of her voice, and tended to dominate the interactions between them. But, those times were in the past. The snivelling excuse of a girl called Yukinoshita Yukino was gone. In her place was Kira, the saviour of millions.


    Kira. They''d chosen her name well. Yukino recalled the first time she had read the websites dedicated to her. Her actions were gaining traction and followers faster than she could ever have anticipated. People were beginning to realise the beauty of her vision-


    ''What are you thinking about, Yukino?''


    She glanced back over her shoulder. ''Oh, the usual: schoolwork, the Service Club and such.''


    The lie rolled off her tongue easily, but Haruno didn''t appear convinced.


    ''The smirk on your face suggests otherwise. I''ve yet to meet a single person capable of deriving happiness from schoolwork.''


    Yukino snorted. ''Then perhaps you should expand your circle of contacts, Nee-san. I happen to relish my time at Sobu High.'' Unwilling to continue this line of conversation, she shifted the focus. ''Anyway, must we always squabble like this? Please, tell me more of your own life, if you find my studies so tedious.''


    ''Oh no, you''re very much mistaken. I have the greatest of interest in your-''


    ''Miss Yukino?'' called the driver, pulling into a lay-by on the left. ''We''ve arrived.''


    The younger Yukinoshita graced her sister with an infuriating smile of her own. ''I do apologise, Haruno. We''ll have to continue this at a later date.''


    ''Wait a moment, little imou-''


    Yukino was already stepping out and closing the car door behind her, leaving Haruno noticeably frustrated. The limousine drove off, and after tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, the Sobu High attendee entered the throng of students making their way to the school gates.


    Though her face was as stone cold ever, inside, she was seething. Haruno, you pathetic little s.l.u.t, she thought, imagining the feeling of giving her sister a long overdue slap, right to the cheek. Too long had Yukinoshita Haruno been trampling on the plans and ambitions of her life, and it seemed even now, most likely on the command of her mother, that she was still attempting to do so. She wished that there was a way of informing her just how quickly she had outgrown their petty disagreements of the past without revealing herself to be Kira. Sibling rivalry was no longer a concern for Yukinoshita Yukino, for if it were truly her wish, she could swat Haruno like the incessant fly that she was. Finally being free of the reach of her sister''s shadow was an exhilarating pleasure that she struggled to find the words to articulate.


    Yukino''s research on her family tree during the past week had been similarly enlightening. Her mother and father had always been cautious when revealing details of their work, but it stunned her how quickly a Google search had lifted this veil. She had been fully aware of her father''s position on the National Diet, but his questionable connections to various local businesses had been concealed from her. The volume of newspaper articles published that suggested without explicitly stating her father''s corruption had been dreadfully easy to locate.


    It had angered her so much that, for a heartbeat, she had found her pen lowering towards a page of the Death Note.


    She resisted the impulse eventually, of course. Her parents influence in Chiba could still be of significant use to her.


    The sight that greeted Yukino when she reached the school gate was, typically, a predictable one. The hundreds of students who shared her misery in attending Sobu High would be milling around the front of the school, all separated into their hierarchies and pointless groupings. Their chatter was astonishingly tiresome, so Yukino preferred to head straight to her classroom and prepare for the day''s lessons even before the school bell had rung out across the site. Her attendance record, like most things about her, was spotless; she had only be prevented from arriving on time by sickness or prior arrangements made by her family that, much to her chagrin, were unavoidable. Not much was different on the Monday that marked her second week after discovering the Death Note. Not much, except for a cl.u.s.ter of students all gathered around the double glass doors to the building.


    Unperturbed, she continued on, picking her way through the throngs of people. She was expecting their reason for gathering like lemmings to be as ridiculous as always. But, as her approach brought her closer and their words became clearer, the beginnings of a frown appeared on her lips.


    ''What do you think it means?''


    ''Are we supposed to laugh or something? ''Cause it really isn''t funny-''


    ''I can''t believe somebody would actually write this...''


    Yukino made her way up the small flight of steps, trying to see over the shoulders of those in front of her and catch a glimpse at what they were talking about. Whatever it is, she thought irritably, they''re getting in my way-


    Yukino''s blood went cold.


    There, stuck onto the glass doors, was a piece of A3 paper. It was empty, except for five words, right in the centre, typed in bold black text.


    KIRA IS HERE!


    YOURS TRULY, H


    She stared at the words. Her legs had gone stiff, held in place by momentary panic. What... what is that supposed to mean? The poster seemed as if it was addressed. Addressed to her personally. But if that was the case, that would mean that the person responsible for this knew that she was Kira. And what''s more, it wouldn''t make sense to put up the poster outside the school unless this person, this "H", knew without a shadow of doubt that she went to Sobu High.


    Then, the moment passed. The wheels in Yukino''s mind finally begun to spin, taking over from her emotions and considering the situation rationally. She read the words once more. KIRA IS HERE! YOURS TRULY, H. She had been right to ask what they meant, because in actuality, they didn''t mean anything at all. There was nothing to suggest that the person who''d typed it was aware that Yukino specifically was Kira, or that they knew for a fact Kira was going to the school. It was more likely to be a general, anonymous show of support for Kira than an accusation directed towards her. True, the phrasing was odd. Provocative even, and it seemed far too wild a coincidence for someone to choose Sobu High of all places to put the poster up, but certainly not beyond the realms of possibility.


    Yukino stole a quick glance over her shoulder. It wouldn''t make sense for someone outside of the school to pick out Sobu High willingly, instead of somewhere more public and easily accessible. Therefore, it was more likely to be the work of a fellow student. How was she supposed to take this? Should she accept the more probable explanation, that being the poster was unconnected to her work as Kira, or the one that bordered on inconceivable: that they were sending her a message?


    Before she could mull it over any further, a familiar loud voice assaulted her eardrums. The school''s guidance councillor, Hiratsuka-sensei, had entered through the gates only a little after Yukino, and noticed the disturbance.


    ''Come on then,'' she declared, sounding annoyed. ''What is it this time?''


    The students parted, allowing the teacher to make her way through. She stopped upon taking in the poster, and her scowl only deepened.


    ''Wow, that really is hilarious,'' she said, ripping the poster off the doors. ''Does anyone have an idea who might have put this up?''


    ''No sensei,'' they chorused, all looking a little sheepish.


    ''Go and get to class then. I''ve had enough of you lot already,'' she added.


    Yukino presumed that they weren''t supposed to have heard the last part, but in the two years that they''d known each other, Hiratsuka had proven herself to be the worst whisperer she had ever encountered.


    Yukino followed suit with the rest into the building. All the while, her thoughts continued to rage over the message (if it was deserving of that label). She desperately wanted to pass off this person, H, as yet another positive in her schemes. So far, her plans as Kira had gone so smoothly that, at times, Yukino had found herself wondering just when she would be forced to leap the first hurdle. To wish for opposition to her cause would have been foolish, but she''d been fully prepared for it. Yukino''s pride wouldn''t allow her to admit it, but her shock indicated that, so far, she had been lulled into a false sense of security, which annoyed her to end.


    Yukino couldn''t legislate for whether H would prove to be an ally or a nuisance. There was a chance that they would never rear their head again, but Yukino wouldn''t bet on it. It was better to practice caution than to regret it at a later date.


    It wasn''t a worry for her regardless. All Kira required was a name to eradicate them.


    That summoned the smile back to her lips.


    The plan, which Hachiman had told Yuigahama on Friday evening, was a good one in theory. Difficult to execute, and riddled with possible tripping points, but there were no high rewards without high risk. A mistake would have been catastrophic, but the same could be said of any mistake when dealing with Kira, no matter how small.


    Empty your mind of any theories,


    Till all the facts are in,


    Start at the end of all your queries,


    To learn where things begin,


    The two main objectives were simple, but pivotal; they needed to find out, or at least come up with a list of suspects as to who Kira might be, without giving away to that individual that they knew about their location or about the Death Note. Therefore, Hachiman concluded that, ideally, they would need a plan that didn''t necessitate the showing of their faces. Yui had told him everything that she could remember about the rules on the front cover of the Death Note. Though recollection of all of them had been understandably beyond her, she informed him that Kira also needed to have the face of a criminal in mind. This meant it would have been suicidal to reveal themselves, or to use their real names, as Kira could quite quickly have identified them from their school records. Not that they would have a chance to do such a thing, as the only information they had about Kira was that they were living in Chiba, and possibly attending Sobu High. The population of their home city had recently exceeded one million.


    So, he naturally decided to focus on the only lead that they had. Almost everyone in the school attended an after school club of some sort, so narrowing down by that method wouldn''t have got them anywhere. However, if they could prove unconditionally that Kira was a student, or related to a member of the student body, then they wouldn''t have to fret over braving the storm of that statistic. They needed something concrete, or at the very least, something suggestive that they could follow up on, and the only person who could give them that was Kira themselves. They needed to provoke them in some way. To send them a message. Hachiman was conscious that surprise could well be their greatest advantage over Kira, and that they needed to sustain that for as long as possible, so it couldn''t be too obvious. It had to be enough to make them paranoid and easy to single out, but not enough to draw attention to themselves.


    The calculus of a solution,


    While changing stays the same,


    The strength of mind and evolution,


    Determines who wins the game,


    It was Yuigahama who smoothed out the edges around his plan, and brought it close to fool proof. Upon mention of his dilemma, that being how it it was possible to address someone they didn''t know, she pointed out that they didn''t need to. Instead, they could address the entirety of Sobu High. She suggested putting their message on one of the noticeboards, but Hachiman took things a step further. A poster, on the front doors of the school: the only place that, without exception, every student was guaranteed to see.


    They typed up the message on A3 paper- KIRA IS HERE!- and arrived early on Monday to put it up. Hachiman decided to sign it anonymously at the last minute. That gave Kira a greater impression of an adversary. Someone to project their fear onto (presuming things went as planned). H. His own initial. Sometimes, the best way to hide was in plain sight.


    Then, all they had to do was wait for someone to take the bait. Hachiman and Yui positioned themselves at opposite sides of the courtyard, partly so that they could cover multiple angles on those entering through the gate and ensure their counterpart didn''t miss anything, and partly so Kira wouldn''t get the slightest hint they were associated with each other.


    I poke and prod to find the weakness,


    Where the bend becomes the break,


    And make the most of Kira''s first mistake,


    For close to half an hour, nothing happened. Or nothing they could see, Hachiman supposed. Students came in and noticed the poster immediately (you''d have to be blind not to), but apart from spouting out vague speculations on its purpose, the pair of them didn''t see anyone react in a way that Kira might.


    When Yukinoshita Yukino arrived, a great deal of people looked her way, including Hachiman. This wasn''t out of the ordinary. The "Ice Queen" of Sobu High was a common target for widely untrue rumours in the school. He knew from these rumours alone that Yukinoshita Yukino was top of the class in virtually every subject. She was something of a child prodigy, and had the work ethic to complement it. She was the youngest daughter of one of the richest and most powerful families in the whole region. Everything from her staggering good looks to her (as reported) endless stream of crushing verbal quips breathed of royalty. Her posture, the confident manner in which she strode forward, were just as regal. She walked as if she owned the schoo- no, not just that. She walked as if she owned the whole world.


    Very few of the boys beside Hachiman seemed to be as concerned by Yukinoshita Yukino''s imposing self-confidence, though. Every time her skirt swished in the breeze, he swore he heard another heart break.


    He was about to look away for fear of being similarly drawn in, but then, Yukino reached the stone steps that led up to the message. Then, she saw it. Then, her eyes widened.


    Then, he knew. He just knew.


    The game begins the same way,


    The chase is on, the die is cast,


    I''ll sift a thousand pixels,


    Until I chase you down at last,


    After the poster had been taken down and Yukino had headed off to her classroom, Yui walked over to him. She stopped, just close enough to whisper.


    ''Did you see it too, Hikki?''


    ''Yes,'' he nodded. ''It''s her.''


    Yui looked stunned. ''How¡­ how do you know?''


    ''I don''t.'' Her astonishment turned to confusion, so he elaborated, ''There''s no definitive proof. Anyone would be a little unsettled by seeing a poster like that, but... that wasn''t the same. She was frightened. Just for a moment, but it was there. You must''ve seen it.''


    ''... Yes, bu-''


    ''She''s Kira, Yuigahama. I... there''s still only a fraction of a chance that she is without proof, but it''s higher than for anyone else we saw today. She''s at Sobu High, just like we said. I''d bet you anything that she goes to an after school club as well. Probably the president of one. The Yukinoshitas are rich, and you can tell she''s arrogant just from the way she holds herself. Everything fits.''


    Yui took a moment to respond. ''It''s still just a hunch, Hikki. We still need to be caref-''


    ''Of course. I never said we wouldn''t be.'' His dead fish eyes contracted. ''But currently, she''s our only suspect. We have to follow up on her. You can''t deny that.''


    ''... No. I can''t.''


    Yukinoshita Yukino, hm? he thought. The Ice Queen? Kira? Just what should I call, you exactly?


    It didn''t really matter what this girl wanted to be called. All that mattered was that she was a criminal. A serial killer, who deserved a taste of the "justice" she was presumptuous enough to mete out.


    And him and Yuigahama, "H", would be the ones to bring her to it.


    The game begins.

 Chapter 215 - My SI Stash #15 - Reincarnated into The World of Bleach by onetim3 (Bleach)

    -If you liked "Reincarnated into The World of Naruto" you''ll probably like this one as they have the same freaking author lol. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a SI Hollow Bleach fic with onetim3 as the author! Lucky~ This author is very consistent with all his works, also did you know about his sequel (Part 2) of RITWON? It has been great!


    Sypnosis: Kishin. Chigetsu Kishin. He was an assassin, student, grandson, one could call him many things but there was none more accurate than what he was right now. Dead...or so he thought. A loud roar echoed in the streets as a creature with a giant hole in its chest approached. He watched in disbelief as several Shinigami intercepted it. "I-It can''t be. A Hollow? Did I...reincarnate?"


    Rated: T


    Words: 41K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13518332/1/Reincarnated-Into-the-World-of-Bleach (onetim3)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Now a couple things regarding the story:


    -Story setting begins ~50 years before Aizen''s defection.


    -If at any point in the story you see this: "888" it means there will be a scene change.


    -There may be a lot of time skips in the beginning as we are talking about Shinigami years, so I''m not really going to spend time showing what the MC is doing for 10 years straight. Instead it may be that you''ll just read within the story that 10 years has passed or something to that effect.


    MC: Kishin Chigetsu


    First Name: Kishin


    Last Name: Chigetsu


    Reading the story:


    -Hello, how are you? (Someone in their own thoughts)


    -Hello how are you? (Zanpakuto Spirit speaking in a Shinigami''s mind)


    Hopefully it will be easy for you to know who''s thoughts you''re reading. Okay...that was a long AN. I don''t know if anyone actually reads these AN''s but I suppose it''s here for reference anyways.


    Chapter 1


    Dark...why is it so dark? Ah...right. I died...well I suppose it isn''t so bad. It''s sort of peaceful actually. Nice and quiet here. But where is here? I can''t see anything. Nor feel anything. All I know is that it''s sort of comforting like this. To have no worries about anything. I can finally just let go and drift off.


    It was then that a blinding bright light flashed past the mind of this person. A loud noise echoed throughout their entire being.


    Eh? Who''s disturbing my sleep?! What the hell is this light?! And why the hell is it so loud! It sounds like a goddamn semi-truck!


    The light became brighter and brighter and the sound became louder and louder until finally, that person opened their eyes, however...it was too late. The moment they opened their eyes an excruciating amount of pain spread throughout their entire being before disappearing just as fast. They only saw the flash of a bright light before seeing the splatter of red blood and then once again...black...pure darkness. This time however, it didn''t take them long before they were able to open their eyes again, but what they saw simply left them a bit speechless. As they looked down they noted that they were currently standing above a small dead corpse. A badly mangled dead corpse. The only features that they could make of said corpse was that it had crimson red hair. The rest of the body was completely mutilated. It was then they heard a loud scream followed by more loud screaming and pretty soon they witnessed a huge crowd gathered together around the dead body.


    What''s going on? Why am I standing over the dead body of a child?


    It was then they turned to look behind them and saw their own reflection in the glass mirror of the shop nearby. What they saw was a small boy that couldn''t be older than seven or eight years of age. It was fair skinned with short bright crimson red hair and golden colored eyes standing at a height of about 129cm.


    "W-What the hell?! Is that me?!" He waved his arms and walked in a circle several times, however no matter how he looked at it his every movement mirrored exactly what he was seeing in the glass window.


    "My hair? I-It''s crimson red?! A-And my clothes? It looks exactly the same as that of the dead body! What happened to my black hair? What happened to my assassin cloak?! Why am I in the body of a child?! What the hell is happening?"


    He then turned back to look at the crowd that had now completely surrounded the dead body. As he walked over he waved his hands in front of people''s faces, but no matter what he tried no one paid him any heed.


    "Huh...fancy that...no one can see me. I''m in the same clothes as that dead body over there and have the same colored red hair. No doubt about it. I must be dead¡­"


    He let out a loud sigh and sat down next to his dead body as he watched the police do their job.


    I''m pretty sure I died once already. After someone killed grandpa I spent a year tracking down the killers which I eventually found. Seems he was killed by a group of highly skilled assassins. Grandpa was an assassin himself. About 25 years ago, before I was even born, he was hired to kill a big mafia boss. Grandpa succeeded of course, however I guess he was unexpectedly discovered by that mafia boss''s kid. That kid was only 5 years old at the time. I guess he couldn''t bring himself to kill the kid and let him live. I was born not long after but I never had any contact with my grandfather. At the time at least. My dad was a wealthy business owner and my mom was a diplomat. One day while coming home from school I found them both dead. The assassins that were sent to kill them were also dead. The one who killed them was grandpa. The assassins were hired by a rival company against my dad. This all happened when I was 7. Was I sad? I can''t really say. Mom and dad weren''t really ever home anyways so I guess it felt more like we were roommates. Grandpa took me in after that day and taught me how to be an assassin. I learnt various skills from him ranging from weapon handling, poison, torture, interrogation, infiltration, hand to hand combat, pain resistance, science, medicine, profiling, etc. Anyways flash forward 14 years into the future. I''m 21 and grandpa is dead. I track down the 6 killers and kill them along with the person who hired them, but killing others comes with risks. Yeah...I died too. Not like I was a god or anything. Killing that many skilled assassins plus their boss who had a whole bunch of bodyguards...Anyways now I''m here. The last thing I recall was several tens of bullets to my chest. I''m pretty sure I should have died. So how did I end up here? And in the body of a fricken child. Do people call this reincarnation? And if I did reincarnate then this was a pretty shitty reincarnation. I mean honestly...this body died right after. And what''s with the clothes? Don''t tell me the kid was an orphan or something? Sigh...he was hit by a damn semi in the middle of the street and there''s a piece of bread on the side of the road. Hm? And this store is the one that sells bread. Looks like my guess is spot on. Probably tried to steal a piece of bread, ran off and got hit.


    As he sat there in silence drowned in his own thoughts he suddenly raised his eyebrow curiously.


    Huh...I can recall the memories this body possessed and not just the memories from my own original body. Is it because my soul or whatever went into it? According to the memories of this body its name is Kyoya. Chigetsu Kyoya. But my name is Kishin. Sanada Kishin. Since he was only a 7 year old boy there aren''t many memories saved up for me to sift through. I have no idea what the hell I''m supposed to do now. Just hang around here as a spirit I guess? Oh? I guess I could haunt people. That might bring me some entertainment.


    Kishin was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard a loud roar echo throughout the city. The buildings around the corner trembled and quaked before some large and strange creature with a gaping hole in its chest appeared with a giant white mask on its face. All the people around the block started running and screaming something about terrorists as they dashed as far away as they could. Kishin just widened his eyes in shock.


    "The hell is that?!"


    At his loud exclamation the Hollow turned its head and shouted once more in excitement. It began dashing towards him causing Kishin to quickly turn and run, however as he attempted to dash off he was pulled back by the chain in his chest attached to that of his dead body.


    Clink!


    The force of the recoil caused him to fall to the ground and frown in confusion. "The hell is this! A chain? Are you serious?! I''m being chained down to my dead body!"


    Just as the hollow was about to reach him several people dressed in a black colored shihakusho jumped down from the sky and intercepted it. After several minutes of fierce battling they were able to drive the Hollow off. Kishin just remained sitting there on the ground dumbfounded at what he just witnessed.


    Wha-No...that can''t be right...those black garbs. Those swords on their waists. That monster with a hole in its chest...They look exactly like the characters in those manga and anime that my schoolmates and I used to read and watch. What are they called again? Shinigami? Hollow? It was so long ago...


    He then looked down to where a chain connected from his chest to his dead body was.


    This chain. All of this...how can that be? I-Is this the world of Bleach? There''s no way!


    His thoughts were interrupted once more as one of the Shinigamis walked over to him and said, "Well. Looks like we got here just in time. If we were just a few seconds late this kid would have been Hollow food."


    Kishin mentally cursed at the Shinigami''s words but ignored it just as fast after he heard that Shinigami mention the word Hollow. Now he knew for sure he had somehow arrived in the world of Bleach. That Shinigami stretched his arms before placing the bottom hilt of his Zanpakuto on Kishin''s head. "Alright kid. I reckon you''d rather not experience something like that again so I''ll just send you off. Sorry about your death. It looked pretty gruesome. Off to the Soul Society for you."


    Before Kishin could respond a glowing blue light erupted around his soul and in mere seconds, transformed into a black hell butterfly.


    It''s dark again...so...the words of that Shinigami. That confirms it. I reincarnated into the world of Bleach huh?


    After taking a moment to let that fact sink in he began to laugh in his mind a bit manic sounding.


    ...Ha-Hahahahaha! Or maybe this is just how the world is?! Hahaha! I''m not going crazy am I?! Hahaha!...


    He took a deep breath to calm down his emotions before thinking to himself once more.


    Ah, well, can''t do anything about it so I mind as well go with the flow.


    It was then that Kishin felt he could move his own body again. He slowly opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of a clear blue sky, however surrounding him was a dark alley. He took in a deep breath before slowly getting off the hard ground. "He sent me to an alley? If this really is Bleach then that Shinigami sent me to Soul Society. But why did I end up in an alley?"


    Just as he was about to walk out of the alleyway he took note of two individuals walking towards him. They were filthy looking and seemed to be in their mid 40''s. One was fat and the other average looking.


    "Oh? A kid? Hahaha! You might sell for a good price. Why don''t you come with us. We promise we won''t hurt you. Little boy."


    Kishin stared at them with amus.e.m.e.nt like a predator watching two ignorant vegetarians bark in his face and said condescendingly, "Oh? Two lambs for the slaughter huh?" The moment he finished his sentence the two older men dashed straight for him, however Kishin immediately looked panicked and pointed behind them as he spoke with fear, "W-What the hell is that?!"


    His words instantly caused the two older men to instinctively halt in their tracks and turn to look behind them with curiosity, however Kishin smirked and dashed right between the legs of the much larger man and kicked him where he was most vulnerable. Immediately that man groaned in horrible pain and slowly fell down to his knees whilst clutching the throbbing jewels between his legs. As he knelt down in pain he became eye level with Kishin and the moment they made eye contact he felt fear like never before.


    Kishin smirked and said with a calm sinister tone, "Arara, what''s this? Not so tough now are you? Can''t believe you fell for that." Without waiting for a response he gouged out both eyes of the man. Blood spurted everywhere as that man screeched in horror and unbearable pain. This happened so fast that the other average looking man couldn''t even react. He was too incredibly shocked. When he finally registered what happened he felt pure anger and fury.


    It''s just a damn kid! I''ll kill this little shit!


    However, when he returned to reality he lost sight of the small boy.


    Kishin smirked as he had already dashed behind the other guy and also kicked him in his most precious spot once more causing the same thing to happen. As they were eye level Kishin wasted no time gouging out the eyes of that man as well causing him to scream in pain and agony. Blood spurted over Kishin''s face and body as he darkly smiled watching the two men grovel and roll around on the ground howling in pain. He then walked away with a smug look on his face as he said mockingly, "This is why you two should treat kids nicely. I suppose you can count this as karma. To pick on a 7 year old kid? Seriously you two sc.u.mbags must be blind. Oh wait? Hahaha! I guess you are now. See ya!" Just as he made it outside the alley he was met by several other raggedy looking men and frowned.


    Shit...and it looks like my karma came faster than expected. They must have heard the loud cries of those two shitbags in the alley.


    It wasn''t long before he was dragged back into the alley by the several tens of older men and was beaten black and blue. He groaned and grit his teeth curling up his body as he covered up his most vulnerable areas in protection. After several minutes of them beating him he had bruises and cuts all over him. Blood seeped down his mouth as he breathed heavily. He was starting to lose consciousness.


    Damn...I''m blacking out. The difference in our physical strengths right now is too much. Plus, too many of them for me to break free.


    Just as he braced himself for another bout of beating he and the group of men heard a loud ominous cry. The cry of a Hollow. Kishin sneaked a peek at his assaulters, however he widened his eyes in shock as he witnessed a Hollow swoop down from the top of the dark alley and chomped everyone''s heads off. He didn''t waste any time and immediately attempted to stand up to run, however he gritted his teeth as his right ankle was broken from all the beating he took earlier. He frowned and began to crawl as fast as he could out of the alley, however he stopped dead in his tracks as he witnessed another Hollow appear blocking the exit. A moment of silence passed by as he took note of the Hollow in front of him and the Hollow behind him and laughed self-mockingly.


    "Ha! Hahahahaha! So that''s how it''s going to be huh?" He then growled darkly with a mix of nervousness and determination on his face. "Fine. Let''s do this, you bastards. You want a piece of me? Then you''ll have to pay the price."


    He gritted his teeth and wobbly stood up on his one good leg while leaning against the stone hard wall for support. He panted heavily, still injured from his earlier beating and placed his fists in front of him. He took deep steady breaths. He focused his mind as his inner assassin came out. His heart rate slowed down incredibly. It felt like time was slowing to a halting crawl.


    Dying three times in 24 hours. What a shitty day.


    It was then he heard a voice. A faint yet powerful, resonating voice.


    ...-ill them.


    Kishin frowned as he didn''t completely hear what was said, but then he heard it again.


    Let me kill them.


    Kishin was momentarily startled.


    Who are you?


    That voice, however, completely ignored his question.


    Hehehe-Hahahaha! I''ll tear these Hollow maggots to pieces. It seems they were drawn here by your reiatsu.


    What ar-


    Before Kishin could complete his thought he was interrupted by that voice inside his head.


    Looks like we get to have some fun.


    Before Kishin could even respond the two Hollows dashed right for him. It was then he felt a pounding headache and the only thing he could see was red. A burning sensation welled up inside of him and he felt nothing but the want to murder. To kill. To slaughter. A red crimson light erupted from his body and passed through the two Hollows before a loud resonating blast could be heard.


    BOOOOM!


    And then silence. The cry of the two Hollows were gone. The only sound left was that of the falling pieces of small rubble that had made up the walls of the alley. Kishin felt as if all the strength had been drained from his body and blacked out. The last thing he saw was the figure of some tall man in a white haori with white hair...


    **2 Days Later**


    Dark...why is it always dark. Feels like deja vu. Ugh...damn headache.


    Kishin groaned as he stirred in his sleep. He slowly opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of flowers. He frowned and said aloud to himself. "Did I...die?" He was startled fully awake by the sound of a voice.


    "Not yet."


    Kishin quickly sat up in bed and stared at the person by his bedside.


    White Haori. Black shihakusho. Long white hair. Gentle looking face. This is...Ukitake Jushiro? If memory serves me right.


    Jushiro smiled amiably as he curiously watched the small boy in front of him stare right back and observe him.


    What a curious little child. We were informed of some Hollow activity on the outskirts of northern Rukongai in district 70. After the incident that happened not too long ago I decided to go see for myself and did indeed sense two Hollows, however when I got to the site there was a burst of powerful crimson red reiatsu and the presence of the two Hollows disappeared right after. I found this child in the spot of the residual energy field. Thankfully Captain Unohana was able to heal his injuries, but how interesting. He can''t be more than 7 years old yet he''s so calm. He''s even taking the time to observe me instead of freaking out.


    Jushiro was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard Kishin speak. "Where am I?"


    Jushiro amiably responded. "Don''t worry, you''re someplace safe."


    Kishin just inwardly sighed to himself. Oh...he sees me as a 7 year old kid...Ah well he''s not wrong I guess. But it''s a pain to have to act the part. Heh, whatever. I''ll just do what I want.


    Kishin looked around the room once more before asking, "Okay, where is this room located?"


    Jushiro widened his eyes in shock at the question. H-He''s really taking everything pretty calmly. H-He''s only 7 years old right? Amazing! But will he understand what I say if I told him? Well, I''ll just give it a try.


    Jushiro cleared his throat before responding, "Ahem...uhhh...you''re in the 13th division barracks of Seireitei."


    Kishin widened his eyes a bit surprised and tilted his head up to look at the ceiling as he pondered for a bit. "Hm...I see. Seireitei. Then was I not in Seireitei before? Rukongai maybe..."


    Jushiro was once again astonished at the relaxed nature and fluency of the child before him.


    Incredible! The way he speaks and contemplates...his relaxed nature. Wait...does he really understand that Seireitei is a place? He''s from Rukongai district 70. And the northern district at that where few souls interact with those of us from Seireitei.


    Once again Jushiro cleared his throat. "I found you in the 70th northern district of Rukongai."


    "So it was Rukongai...then what about those¡­" Kishin paused for a moment thinking carefully about what he should say next.


    Do I say Hollow? Should I as a 7 year old kid even know what a Hollow is? Maybe I should play the 7 year old card a bit. It may be in my best interest to remain here in the Seireitei with Jushiro. For the time being at least.


    "...what happened to those monsters?"


    Jushiro''s expression softened as he recalled the state that he found Kishin in and responded, "Ah...those things. They''re gone."


    "Ehhh? What were they?"


    Jushiro considered Kishin''s question for a moment before electing that he mind as well tell the kid straight up exactly what they were since it seemed the young boy was sharper than most. "Those creatures were called Hollow. Essentially they are souls that have been corrupted."


    Kishin then pointed his small finger at Jushiro and asked, "Then who are you?"


    Jushiro let out a sigh of relief as he never thought the boy was ever going to ask him.


    "I''m Jushiro. Ukitake Jushiro. And what''s your name?"


    "I''m¡­" He paused for a moment and recalled the soul that he was now in.


    I suppose...since I''m in this kid''s body I should honor him a bit...His name was Chigetsu Kyoya. I''ll take his surname. Chigetsu. Mn.


    He then pointed to himself and said, "I''m Kishin. Chigetsu Kishin."


    Jushiro nodded happily. "Then you can call me Jushiro. Is it alright if I call you Kishin?"


    Kishin nodded before asking, "So what happens to me now?"


    Jushiro''s expression faltered as he seriously gave it some thought.


    This child...if he''s sent back out to Rukongai it''ll actually end up being more troublesome. I never imagined that he''d have so much reiryoku for such a young age. His small body can''t contain all of his reiryoku so he''s unconsciously leaking it out as reiatsu. It''s attracting Hollows causing them to crossover. I wonder if...I wonder if he''ll be interested in sticking around.


    Jushiro cleared his throat and carefully asked, "Ahem...Shin-chan. What would you like to do? I''d like to hear what you think first."


    Ehhhh...Shin-chan? Didn''t we just agree that he can call me by my first name? He''s already using a nickname huh...that was fast.


    Kishin pondered for a moment before pointing to Jushiro. "Then, can I stay with you?"


    Gah...I sound so lame. I really said that in my 7 year old voice.


    In Kishin''s head he seriously thought he sounded lame, however in Jushiro''s eyes his heart skipped a beat.


    This child is precious! Hahaha! Very well, I''ll take him in.


    Jushiro quickly nodded his head and replied with a smile. "Mn. I was going to ask if you wanted to stay here with me too! I''ll work things out from my end so you don''t have to worry about anything. From now on you''ll be a member of the 13th division!"


    Kishin was at a bit of a loss for words.


    Eh? Seriously? Just like that? Huh...that was easier than I thought...


    The next day Kishin was dressed in a black standard Shinigami shihakusho that had been fitted to his size. He was currently walking throughout the compound while following Rukia around who was showing him the place.


    Kuchiki Rukia. Hmm...So she''s still here huh? And she looks pretty young. I reckon she''s probably around 10 or 11 in human years so...maybe 100 or 110 in Shinigami years? Interesting...but, there doesn''t seem to be a Lieutenant around. The atmosphere around here seems...a bit sad. I wonder if something happened.


    He was snapped out of his thoughts as Rukia pointed to a building and said, "This is the Rain Dried Hall. Captain Ukitake is in here most of the time to recover his health, so if you need to find him for anything you can come here."


    Kishin nodded before asking curiously, "Rukia-senpai, did something happen? The atmosphere seems a bit gloomy."


    Rukia inwardly flinched as her expression faltered a bit. She took a deep breath before replying, "I-I suppose you can say that...just last week our Lieutenant...Shiba Kaien passed away in combat¡­anyways that''s why Captain Ukitake happened to be in Rukongai when you were found. He was still scoping out the area to make sure there wasn''t any other strange Hollows in the vicinity."


    Kishin frowned a bit at this revelation.


    Kaien? Did something like that happen? I don''t remember too much about the story. I had stopped when the Bount arc aired so I''m not too familiar with all the details on what had happened. Everything I know that happened after the Bount arc was just from hearing what other people talked about and occasionally reading and seeing things on the web.


    Kishin took notice that the subject was bringing down the mood even more so he quickly changed topics.


    "Rukia-senpai, Captain Ukitake said that I have reiryoku and my reiryoku is leaking out as reiatsu. Can you explain to me what it is and how it works?"


    Rukia was snapped out of her depressed state and stared down at Kishin with a bit of shock.


    H-He already knows the terms Reiryoku and Reiatsu? A-And he wants ME to teach him about it? I...don''t know if I can do a good job.


    Kishin noted the conflicted look on Rukia''s face so he grinned and grabbed her hand as he pulled her over to the training ground. He then sat down on the grass in front of her and said teasingly, "Okay, I''m ready Rukia-sensei."


    Rukia felt her cheeks tint a bit of pink in embarrassment at Kishin calling her sensei, but it was because of that that her conflicted feelings of doubt about her skills vanished and instead a certain feeling of pride welled up inside her. She was reminded of the time when she would ask Kaien to teach and train her as well so she smiled warmly and steeled her resolve.


    "Heh. Very well, since you asked you better be prepared Kishin! No slacking off do you hear?"


    Kishin grinned and nodded.


    Hoh? Seems my childish acting did the trick. Nice, now I can learn some more about how to control my own power.


    It was then Rukia began her lecture. Kishin sat and listened in great earnest as he took in all the information.


    Hmmm...I see. So there are three main principles of understanding regarding reiatsu. There is reiryoku, reiatsu, and then reikaku. Reiryoku is the amount of spiritual energy inside a person. In essence it is a measure of one''s potential and is used to perform Kido. Reikaku is the skill of spiritual sense. In other words, seeing with the spirit instead of seeing with the eyes. To better feel and predict where a target will be. And finally reiatsu is spiritual pressure. The ability to exert and control one''s spiritual energy. The better one can control one''s reiatsu the stronger their power. At the same time continuous training and meditation can increase one''s reiryoku raising their potential.


    As Rukia finished her explanation Kishin quickly interjected, "Rukia-san, I want to attempt to control my reiatsu right now."


    Rukia was a bit taken aback but nodded approvingly. "Alright. It''s true that your reiatsu is always leaking out of your body. It would cause a lot of trouble if you were to ever leave the Seireitei without learning how to control it."


    Kishin nodded and immediately closed his eyes.


    Mn...this is similar to the training that grandpa put me through when I trained to become an assassin. Although I didn''t have reiatsu as a human, the training principle is similar. Empty the mind of all thought. Focus on two points. The center point above the brows and the center point of the abdomen. Imagine a drop of water dripping down into the abdomen creating a small ripple and then flowing back up to the mind''s point. Back and forth, back and forth, again and again and again. Take slow deep breaths through the nose and just feel. Let go. Let go of all reservations.


    He didn''t know how long he was in his meditation for when he was snapped out of his thoughts from the feeling of someone violently shaking his shoulder. As he opened his eyes with annoyance he widened his eyes with a bit of shock. The training ground area was in shambles. The nearby buildings had cracks and tears in them and the passerby division members stood huddled in fear by the corner of the buildings. It was then he heard Rukia let out a deep sigh of relief. "Phew...You finally woke up."


    Kishin stared in a bit of a daze before a curious expression graced his face. He then pointed innocently to himself and asked, "Oh? Did I do this?"


    Rukia could only stare in disbelief at Kishin''s nonchalant attitude.


    T-This kid! Honestly he''s too relaxed. And h-how is it that he possesses such strong reiatsu? He''s just like that prodigy who joined the 10th division. I believe his name was Hitsugaya Toshiro.


    Rukia snapped out of her thoughts as she scolded. "Kishin! Be a bit more concerned will you? If this was anywhere else but the Seireitei you could have killed someone. Understand?"


    Kishin awkwardly smiled and nodded. "Aha...my bad Rukia-san. I''ll be more careful."


    Rukia could only sigh and accept his answer. It was then they were interrupted by the voice of Captain Ukitake.


    "OOOHHH?! Amazing!"


    Rukia was startled at Ukitake''s unannounced arrival and quickly respectfully greeted him. "C-Captain!"


    Ukitake just let out an amiable laugh. "Ahahaha, it''s fine Rukia. No need to be so polite. I didn''t mean to startle you. It''s just...I couldn''t help feeling the powerful reiatsu coming from the training field." He then turned to look at Kishin with careful consideration before nodding his head with an approving smile. "Mn. As I thought. It was coming from you Kishin."


    Kishin had a smug look plastered on his face. "Yeah! I thought I''d train to get my reiatsu under control so it wouldn''t keep bothering people."


    "Ah, you only just woke up yesterday but are already trying so hard. You''re growing up so fast."


    Kishin simply smirked at Jushiro''s comment. "Captain, I can''t remain a kid forever. How about you help me with my training?"


    Jushiro thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Mn...you''re still so young...Haaaaah...but I suppose it would be in everyone''s best interest if you got your reiatsu under control as quickly as possible. Very well. Then listen carefully. Just do like you did earlier, however the next time you go into deep meditation don''t just let go of all reservations. The key is, once you feel that state of freedom, to then forcefully grasp onto it and control it. Like a rope. An anchor. A weight. Grab onto that feeling and bind it to yourself. That feeling is your reiatsu. Control it. Weave it. Bind it. Command it. It is yours. If you just let it go and have free reign like you did earlier you might end up seriously injuring someone. Understand?"


    Kishin took a moment to contemplate Jushiro''s advice before he smiled in understanding. "Oh? I see...I see! Hahaha so that''s what I should do."


    Jushiro and Rukia could only stare at Kishin dumbfoundedly as they watched him go right back into meditation as they both thought the same thing at that moment.


    EH? D-Did he really understand that?


    However they could only be forced to believe it as in the next moment they witnessed something incredible. A powerful burst of crimson red reiatsu erupted from Kishin''s body. The crimson red aura was brighter the further it flashed out but got darker and darker as it neared the center of Kishin''s body. Jushiro and Rukia felt their skin crawl a bit at how ominous the aura felt, however they were shocked that his reiatsu began to condense and coalesce towards the center of his body until all of it remained within a 5 meter radius of him.


    "Incredible. Simply incredible. I only gave him minimal advice and he was able to understand what I meant. No...better yet he was able to feel and do exactly what I described. That''s even harder. To think that he can already condense his reiatsu to a mere 3 meters around him when before it was leaking everywhere." Jushiro commented with a flat tone as he was so shocked inside that the tone of his voice didn''t even change to match his feelings. Rukia however not only had an expression of extreme shock, but she also had a hint of fear.


    I-Incredible! His reiatsu is so powerful I thought I''d be crushed under its weight. I only get this feeling in the presence of Captains releasing their reiatsu. The amount of reiryoku he possesses is tremendous and the density of his reiatsu is heavy. He''s only 7 years old! His potential is limitless. But his reiatsu felt so ominous. Like a murderer. Slaughterer. It was frightening. If he didn''t control it when he did I''m afraid the surrounding division members could have ended up going insane. Perhaps even have their minds crushed from the pressure. A Shinigami''s reiatsu somewhat reflects the kind of Zanpakuto spirit within them. Just what kind of Zanpakuto would he manifest in the future?


    After 5 minutes of successfully suppressing his reiatsu Kishin''s back became drenched in sweat. He concentrated hard but pulling his reiatsu towards his body and keeping it contained felt almost like placing two magnets of the same polarity right next to each other and forcing them to stick. Instead of attracting each other they create a sphere of repulsion.


    BAM!


    Kishin was crushed into the ground under the weight of his own reiatsu as the dense energy he collected around himself rushed out and diffused into the area. Jushiro widened his eyes in alarm and quickly arrived by Kishin''s side, but he let out a sigh of relief as he noted that Kishin was fine.


    Kishin just huffed and panted heavily from mental exhaustion. "I think...huff...I kind of...huff...get it¡­"


    Jushiro just smiled in relief and nodded. "Mn. How about you take a break for awhile."


    Kishin could only nod in agreement.


    The weeks and months passed by with nothing too major happening. He remained cooped up within the 13th division barracks on orders of Ukitake as he wanted Kishin to first learn to better control his reiatsu. Kishin didn''t mind as that was his plan from the start. He would wake up at 5 in the morning to stretch for an hour and then jog around the barracks for two hours. Afterwards he''d eat and rest for an hour which by then was around 9am. He would then go to the training grounds and practice Zanjutsu with the other division members. At first they were hesitant to teach such a young kid how to wield a sword, but after Kishin managed to convince Jushiro to let him learn by stating that he wanted to be a Shinigami and how learning with the 13th division would be safer than him trying to learn on his own, the Captain could only sigh in agreement and gave in. Zanjutsu training went on for 2 hours which by then was around 11am. To the surprise of the entire division Kishin was surprisingly adept, but what they didn''t know was that he was an assassin in his past life and retained his memories so he had plenty of experience with weapon wielding. From 11am to noon he would shower and eat which took another hour. Then from noon to 5pm he would train in controlling his reiatsu. Afterwards he gave himself 2 hours of free time which he would spend time playing pranks on the other division members or he would spend it with Rukia, having her tell him stories about Soul Society.


    He had her read to him and make her teach him about Kido. Then from 7pm to 10pm he''d spend time with Jushiro. The Captain would spend his time in peace and quiet with Kishin and simply answered any and all questions Kishin had to the best of his ability. To Jushiro''s astonishment, Kishin never ran out of questions to ask so they would always end up having lots to talk about for the full three hours. From 10pm to midnight Kishin would bring books from the 13th division library back to his room and simply read on more information about the world before sleeping and starting the entire process all over again.


    He currently stood in the middle of his room as he observed himself in the mirror with curiosity.


    "Ehhh? Even though an entire year has passed I barely grew at all. I don''t look any different than I normally do except for the fact that I''m not skin and bones anymore and I''m not in raggedy clothes. I guess Shinigami really do age slower than humans. Still...even knowing that, it''s still a bit weird witnessing it personally. If I was still human my 7 year old self would be 8 right now and there definitely would have been some sort of change. Oh well. I suppose that means there''s more time for me to do what I want."


    As he dressed in the standard Shinigami shihakusho and walked outside to begin his daily routine he took note of Jushiro walking out towards the entrance of the division so he rushed over. "Captain!"


    Jushiro turned to see Kishin run over to him and smiled. "Shin-chan, how many times have I told you that you can just call me Jushiro."


    Kishin pondered for a moment before replying smugly, "Then...Shiro-chan."


    Jushiro let out a defeated sigh.


    I can''t ever win against Kishin.


    He was snapped out of his thoughts as Kishin asked, "Where are you going off to so early?"


    "Mnnn...I was just going for a walk. Did you want to come? Now that I think about it ever since you arrived in Seireitei you haven''t been outside of the 13th division barracks."


    Kishin''s eyes seemed to sparkle with a hint of mischief and intriguement as he quickly agreed to tag along. As the two of them were walking throughout the Seireitei they bumped into several people, all of whom were from different divisions. It was then that Jushiro waved his arms up high and shouted, "OHH?! Captain Shiba! Shiro-chan!"


    Kishin stared at the direction that Jushiro was waving and inwardly flinched. He stared at the young boy walking next to Captain Shiba with curiosity.


    Hmm? Is that...Hitsugaya Toshiro? And who''s Captain Shiba? The Captain before Toshiro? I wonder what happens to him for Hitsugaya to take over as Captain. Err...he looks like Ichigo''s dad¡­


    As both parties closed the distance Jushiro amiably introduced everyone. "Kishin, this is Shiba Isshin. He''s the Captain of the 10th division and the one next to him is Shiro-chan!"


    Toshiro was immediately irked at Jushiro''s introduction and quickly interjected, "O-Oi! My name is Toshiro! Hitsugaya Toshiro! Not Shiro-chan!"


    Jushiro just simply smiled and pulled out a few pieces of candy from inside his haori putting them in Toshiro''s hands before also giving some to Kishin. Toshiro pouted and replied bluntly, "I don''t need your candy. I''m not a kid."


    Jushiro just kept smiling and continued where he left off. "Captain Shiba, Shiro-chan, this is Kishin. Chigetsu Kishin. The young boy I mentioned about to you before."


    "Oh? So this is that kid that you found on the outskirts of northern Rukongai district 70. Mnnn...Hoh? Not bad. He''s got some presence. Nice reiatsu. How old is he?" Isshin asked.


    "Kishin is...I believe he is now 8 years old in human years but technically 1 year old in Shinigami years. But if he were born as a Shinigami originally he''d be about 70-80 years old. And...since he arrived in Soul Society he''s aging much slower so...I suppose his real age is...Ahhh...it''s quite complicated. In the end he''s 8 in human years but remains looking like he''s 7 years old. Ah...well for simplicity sake let''s just say that Shin-chan is officially a Shinigami so we''ll just convert his human years all into Shinigami years. Shin-chan would then be 71 years of age."


    Isshin and Toshiro simply stared at Jushiro with a blank expression completely lost at his long winded explanation, but in the end after taking time to process all the information they widened their eyes with a bit of shock as Isshin remarked, "E-Ehhh?! Truly? Hm...Damn. Not bad. So he''s only technically 1 year old in Shinigami years and 7-8 in human years yet he already has a refined control over his reiatsu. If we go off of that then Toshiro is about 8-9 years old in human years and about 80-90 years old in Shinigami years. So I guess 81 years old huh? Anyways what kind of training did you put the kid through Ukitake?"


    Jushiro awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah-Ahahaha, I really didn''t do anything."


    Kishin listened to them talk as he unwrapped a candy popping it into his mouth. He took note that Toshiro didn''t touch his candy so he smiled mischievously and said, "Oi, kid, if you aren''t going to eat your candy I''ll take it off your hands."


    A thick vein popped off of Toshiro''s forehead. "H-Huh?! Oi oi, who do you think you''re calling a kid? Aren''t you a child yourself?"


    Kishin smirked at his success to rile up Toshiro. "Me? A child? I wonder who''s acting more childish right now."


    Another vein popped on Toshiro''s head as he balled up his fist in annoyance. Kishin stared down at Toshiro''s fist and let out a sigh while shaking his head. "Haaa...never mind. You crushed your candy just now. What a waste."


    Toshiro realized his mistake and involuntarily exclaimed, "AH! I-No...I mean. I-"


    Kishin sported a smug look as he watched Toshiro''s embarrassed reaction. "Ha-Hahaha! So you really did want the candy. Then you should have just said so."


    Toshiro looked at Kishin incredulously as he realized he fell for Kishin''s ploy. "Y-You tr-"


    Before he could finish his sentence Kishin threw a few pieces of his own candy at him forcing Toshiro to widen his eyes in shock and catch the incoming sweets.


    "There. You can have some of mine. Take it as compensation for providing me with a bit of entertainment."


    A moment of silence passed in the air as Isshin and Toshiro just looked at Kishin with disbelief while Jushiro had an awkward and apologetic smile on his face. It was then the silence was broken from Isshin''s loud laugh. "Ha! Hahahaha! Oi! I like this kid. Hahaha!" He made a thumbs up gesture to Kishin and praised, "Mn! Not bad kid! Not bad at all! Please be friends with Toshiro! He could use someone like you around him. He''s too serious all the time."


    Toshiro stared at his Captain in shock as he couldn''t believe what he was hearing. Kishin still had that smug look on his face and nodded. "Alright. Then I''ll come visit the 10th division sometimes. You come visit the 13th division sometimes too. Shi-Ro-Chan." Kishin remarked and teased towards the end.


    Toshiro clenched his fist in disbelief and annoyance towards the end, however Kishin simply shook his head and sarcastically reprimanded, "Wow. You really didn''t want to eat the candy."


    Toshiro widened his eyes in extreme shock as he realized he once again crushed the candy in his hands. This time he couldn''t hold back his irritation from all the teasing and taunting.


    Too hell with keeping my composure! I''m gonna strangle this kid to death right now or I won''t be satisfied!


    Toshiro immediately dashed after Kishin who had already taken off running in the distance while shouting, "Captain Ukitake, thanks for showing me around but I think I''ll head back to the barracks! Bye bye!"


    Isshin and Jushiro could only stare dumbfoundedly and amusedly at the whole ordeal as they watched Toshiro chase after Kishin off into the distance.


    Isshin made one last comment. "Huh. Your new recruit is really something. Ukitake."


    Jushiro simply nodded his head. "Yeah¡­"

 Chapter 216 - My SI Stash #16 - Screw the force, I have money! by QuickDeath007 (Star Wars)

    -The first ever Neimoidian SI? It''s quite the Fix-It story with the SI solving all the problems with nothing more than shit ton of cash and of course balls of steel. Check it out!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: ???


    Words: 32K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/screw-the-force-i-have-money-star-wars-si.649535/#post-47691096 (QuickDeath007)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0-3 (exceptional)


    BECAUSE ENOUGH IS NEVER ENOUGH


    -----


    When I had first started remembering my past life, I had been seven years old. Or 29, from a certain point of view. Being seven years old, and thus fairly stupid, this had first resulted in amus.e.m.e.nt from my parents, followed by my uncle getting yelled at because they thought I had somehow gotten into his ''stash.'' Once more of my memory returned, I wised up and shut up. The events leading up to me getting transplanted to a galaxy far, far away were fuzzy at best, I had no idea how my previous life had ended. Or even if it had ended, for that matter.


    My parents put me through school, had me raised in the world of intragalactic commerce. I snuck a few courses in engineering and got tutored in the basics of using a blaster. I wasn''t overly familiar with the timeline for Star Wars in my previous life, but the Republic was still a thing, and discrete holonot searches revealed that no Droid army had ever invaded Naboo, and the Ruusan reformation was a long time ago.


    I wish I could say I had been born... reborn? Yes, reborn during the golden age of the Republic, and died of old age before Palpatine was born and everything was ruined forever, but I wasn''t that lucky. Nor did I have the Force. Also, my memories had given me a gift in the form of psychosomatic leg pain and a limp. Nice cane though.


    "Captain, pirate sh.i.p.s are demanding our immediate surrender," a droid''s synthesized voice said.


    Oh right, forgot that detail.


    "Pick the largest ship and ram it. This will be an adequate test of our new shields."


    "Roger roger."


    Of all the species I could have been born as, I was a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Neimoidian.


    Why would we work for you? There would be no hunts, no points! What honor would there be in the eyes of the Scorekeeper?!] The Trandoshan said, hissing dangerously.


    "It is well paying work," I countered. "and while money may mean little to you, I would imagine having it would be useful for when you hunt on your own time. Get whatever supplies, weapons, or transportation you need after you save up. Yes, it may be less straightforward than some of the alternative careers your people are known for, but you will make far fewer enemies this way. Earn a few month''s pay, take a week or two to yourselves to travel to another planet, get legal hunting permits, and earn all the points you can. No having to evade authorities, no having to hide your hunting parties, your sh.i.p.s. If you like, I can even have provisos in your contract to ensure you get enough time for your hunts. What you do on your time off matters little to me."


    I was slowly working them around, I could see the thoughtful looks, the contemplation.


    [You say we could have our hunts without fear of reprisal, but the greatest of prey resides on Kashyyyk, in the shadowlands. The Wookies would never simply allow us passage, and we will not plead with them. You would have us give up the greatest of prey?]


    "Hardly. The Wookies are more than happy to allow offworlders to hunt on Kashyyyk, encourage it even. After all, every beast slain by an outworlder is one the Wookies do not have to risk their lives themselves to slay. It is one thing to seek glory fighting a Krayt Dragon on a distant planet far from home. It is another for that same Krayt Dragon to be threatening your homes, your young. You need only remain civil, that they do not refuse you out of spite."


    The lead Trandoshan stared evenly at me. [You assume much.]


    I spread my hands, smiling at them. "If all else fails, I am more than happy to speak to the wookies on your behalf. After all, Money is a language all its own."


    The Trandoshan smiled knowingly.


    -----


    The Wookie stared at me as if I had grown a second head. To be fair, I might as well have.


    {You would have us let the Trandoshans into our heartlands, right into our ports?!}


    "That is one way of saying it, yes," I said, trying not to piss myself. Not a single movie, cartoon, or comic had ever done the sight of a angry Wookie justice. Not one.


    {And how else would you say it?!} He roared.


    I took a breath to calm myself. "You would be making the Trandoshans pay you to hunt dangerous beasts threatening your cities, your people, your young. They would pay fees to dock their sh.i.p.s in your ports, right out in the open, where you can keep track of them, and prevent them from leaving should they decide to hunt your people. Why, you''d even have them paying you to have a mandatory tracking beacon attached to their person. For their safety, of course. Every Trandoshan legally applying for a hunting license, where you can see them, is one not landing a ship on the beaches, setting up slaver camps. That is how I would say it, anyways."


    The Wookie was slowly sitting down, taking my words in slowly.


    {It does have a certain... poetic justice to it...}


    I spread my arms smiling at him. "Indeed. The only real price to this, is remaining civil to them, that they not refuse you out of spite. Let them start any arguments. What''s a few social niceties, some polite words, compared to becoming wealthy off of your enemies? After all, Money is a language all its own."


    The Wookie smiled knowingly.


    Chapter 1


    With the lead pirate frigate smeered across the front of my Lucrehulk, and the rest suddenly very apologetic about the "misunderstanding," I took a moment to reflect on my current situation. I was hardly the wealthiest captain within the ranks of the Lucrehulk, but the mere fact that I commanded one of the massive titans gave me a great deal of authority, both official and otherwise. People that technically outranked me in the Trade Federation Hierarchy tended to be leery of offending a Lucrehulk captain, the competition for earning such a prestigious, and often lucrative position was fierce. Even if you held a position of authority over a captain, the fact that they had earned such a position meant that someone high up the ladder held their competency in high regard. More often than not, a Lucrehulk Captain had the unspoken backing of the Viceroy himself.


    The massive sh.i.p.s were an equally massive expense. The Trade Federation wanted to make damn sure that the expense was worth it.


    Unusually, I had not earned my captaincy for my prowess in commerce. Not that I was incompetent, I could turn a fair profit given a stable route, but my talents raised in more practical fields. For instance, engineering.


    The OOM series of battledroids were a prime example of the fruits of the lowest-bidder mentality. They were cheap, and that was all that could be said about them. I had found a way to drastically improve upon the design without impacting the costs in the slightest. The hardware was still crap, but the software? Granted, the current iteration of OOM battledroids barely had the processing power to function as an autoturret. Maybe you could squeeze in a static, unchanging patrol route, and having it stand still while firing, but that was it. Everything else came from a centralized mainframe, and an admittedly impressive communications network.


    While my memories of a past life were sometimes difficult to remember, after all, it had been a few decades since I had recovered said memories as a child, I was able to take inspiration from a video game I was pretty sure was called Mass Effect. Or possibly Ass Effect, but I was pretty sure it was the former, no matter how persistently the latter cropped up mentally. Namely, the idea of a distributed intelligence.


    Despite my memories of the Star Wars galaxy as a media series, the Trade Federation was pretty even handed to it''s employees, and had a vested interest in settling internal disputes fairly. It was people outside the Trade Federation it treated like shit and ripped off. They protected the patents of the OOM battledroids zealously, a few attempts to rip off the design had ended... poorly. However, when I had wiped a group of droids of their programming, and rewrote it from the ground up, the Federation was more than happy to give me a patent on the new code, since I could prove it wasn''t derived in anyway from the original code. Hilariously, Republic copyright laws and digital rights in general were in excellent shape compared to what I remembered from my past life. I don''t know whether that said good things about the Republic, or bad things about my previous life.


    As a distributed intelligence, the OOM-series battledroids grew more intelligent the more of them there were. Given how easy they were to mass produce, while it took a lot of them to get competency out of them, once you got them up to a reasonable intelligence, that same flaw also meant it took a lot of causalities to dumb them back down. Even better, the central control mainframes still had a use with the new code. While they weren''t necessary, they provided a massive boost to their available processing power. The OOM command variants also saw use as minor processing hubs, and had superior communications equipment that allowed them to network a larger amount of droids.


    Sadly, not many within the Federation were willing to spend the extra expense to replace their factory default coding, and Baktoid Combat Automata was similarly unwilling to pay for a licensing agreement from me, as they''d judged the Trade Federation as a whole would be unhappy with the corresponding price increase. Fortunately for me, they didn''t try ripping off my code, nor developing their own version. Since I worked for the Federation, there was no guarantee that the TF''s internal arbitrators would side with them in any patent dispute, no matter how much money they threw at the problem. That was a precedent nobody, not even Baktoid themselves wanted. No telling when it''d come around and bite you in the ass, after all. Open season if one of the sides wasn''t a Trade Federation member though.


    Still, I made a fair amount of money, and even got companies outside the Federation interested in acquiring a license. A few droid manufacturers on Corellia, one of the major Kuati wanted a license for a custom built security contingent. Oh, and Sienar Fleet Systems was interested in applying the concept to starfighters. I liked them, their offer came with giving me a few wings of the "D-13 Coordinated Starfighters" they produced with it, so long as I forwarded them some data on how well they performed so they could make improvements.


    Something about the arrangement niggled at the back of my mind, I felt like there was something I was forgetting about Sienar, but I''d given up on trying to remember. It''d either come to me, or it wouldn''t.


    I didn''t quite have enough money to outright purchase my own private Lucrehulk, but I came close. Given how I had acquired the money, the Federation directorate had done a background check to ensure I was a competent ship captain, then offered me captaincy of a Federation-owned Lucrehulk, wanting to see what I''d do with the design as an engineer. They had been surprised when one of the first things I had done was take advantage of the massive internal volume to install more powerful shield generators; after all, the Lucrehulk was already one of the most heavily shielded sh.i.p.s in the galaxy. After the first time I had used my overpowered shields to ram a pirate ship without suffering any damage though... apparently the idea of being so heavily protected that you could get away with simply plowing through hostile sh.i.p.s and smearing their remains all over your shields appealed to fundamental parts of the Neimoidian mindset.


    In other words, they were very happy with me. Enough so that when Nute Gunray took power as Viceroy and disbanded the Directorate, he had even sold the Lucrehulk I captained to me outright at a discount, provided I come up with something as equally as impressive.


    When Gunray had contacted me, practically singing my praises to the stars, I had been surprised to learn that the Trandoshans had built a giant statue of me on Trandosha in recognition of me apparently giving their nonexistent economy a jump-start and making Trandoshans a byword for excellent, and reputable mercenary service. Said statue was matched by one on Kashyyyk, in recognition of not only outright killing the Wookie slave trade and convincing the Trandoshans that hunting slavers was more profitable and honorable than being slavers, but also incidentally kicking the Wookie economy into overdrive, as Kashyyyk became the destination for thrill seekers across the galaxy thanks to its reputation as the ultimate sporting destination for Trandoshans.


    I mean, I was trying to do good in the Galaxy, don''t get me wrong, but when I delved into that mess, I was just trying to fill my Lucrehulk with well trained, loyal Trandoshan soldiers. I figured they had just as much of a reputation as dangerous fighters as Wookies, but a lot easier to hire in large numbers. Damn.


    Naturally, Nute Gunray was primarily impressed by the fact that both sides had agreed to contracts with the Trade Federation. The Federation had been trying to get an agreement for exporting Wroshyr wood for centuries, and I had apparently thrown open the door. The wookies had proven extremely savvy negotiators, and the Federation hadn''t been able to set a quota; the wookies could export as little or as much as they felt like, but the TF did get exclusivity, and there was a huge demand for Wroshyr wood among the opulent elite of the Galaxy. The Trandoshan agreement was less impressive, Trandosha simply didn''t have anything of value beyond the species itself, but they did get a mercenary company started as a Federation affiliate, which meant the Federation earned a cut of their profits.


    I was, all in all, doing fairly well for myself. Naturally, my own success bit me in the ass, when I was selected as one of three Lucrehulk captains to participate in the blockade of Naboo.


    F.u.c.k.


    Chapter 2


    I wish I could say I had some grand plan in mind when the invasion of Naboo had occurred. Something that would let me solve the problem and completely derail old Palpy''s plans in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, that''s not how anything works at all.


    As it happened, in the eldritch abomination that was the Republic Law, Gunray''s blockade was in fact quite legal, categorized as a low scale dispute between two members of the Republic. As long as we upheld ourselves to a certain standard, even a full scale war would be permitted, so long as we didn''t involve anyone else. The Republic was intended to protect members against threats to the Galaxy as a whole, and enforce a code of law. Two members coming to blows had been seen as inevitable at the founding of the Republic, and attempting to prevent it would have merely put a lid on tensions until it exploded out of control. Technically speaking, Naboo was breaking the law by attempting to have the Senate intervene without the Trade Federation''s agreement. They weren''t allowed to ask for Republic intervention unless we landed troops, and even then, the Republic was not obligated to intervene unless there was evidence of war crimes.


    Not that the idiots in the Senate cared.


    All in all, I was firmly stuck enforcing the blockade until at least the Jedi stuck their noses into the whole affair.


    Imagine my surprise then when I personally was hailed by the Naboo.


    "Why, Queen Amidala! While not unwelcome, this is quite the surprise... were you intending to contact me? I can redirect you to the Viceroy, if you like."


    As much as I knew better, I was still pleading she had simply dialed the wrong number, so to speak. No such luck.


    "Captain Montoo. I have heard about you. What is the man who ended the millennia long feud between the Trandoshans and the Wookies practically overnight doing here? I would have thought such a famed diplomat would have nothing to do with something like this."


    F.u.c.k. I schooled my face into a mask of regret, mostly to hide the slight annoyance I had. Padme Amidala was... naive, in my opinion. The Nubians as a whole were to be honest, she just happened to be the most well known of them. An entire government based on pacifism. Talking to them always somehow found a way to annoy me.


    "While such an escalation in what should have been a simple trade negotiation is regrettable, ultimately, I was granted a lawful order by the Viceroy of the Trade Federation." I said, hoping that the damn teenager the Naboo put in charge of their planet had some subtlety.


    "How can such a violation of my people''s sovereignty be lawful? We are a member of the Republic, they cannot simply standby and watch as my people suffer under this unprovoked attack!"


    I resisted the urge to sigh, and instead replied, "I am not going to be drawn into an argument with you over whether or I will follow my orders. I do not know who is giving you legal advice, Queen Amidala, but I suggest you fire them. So long as the Viceroy is the lawful leader of the Trade Federation, I will follow his command. If you are going to insist this blockade is illegal, I suggest you find some proof, Queen Amidala. I am loyal to the Trade Federation, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right."


    She merely glared at me, and I cut the connection, refusing to continue the charade. I''d given her all I could. If she was too dense to follow through, it was on her.


    Chapter 3


    As expected, the when Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived in a consular, everything rapidly went horribly wrong.


    "Profiteer, this is the Indomitable, we''ve detected an explosion in your hangar bays. We are mobilizing teams to assist, please respond!"


    There was a prolonged silence before they answered. "That won''t be necessary, Indomitable. The Republic ''Mediators'' attempted to attack the Viceroy and force an unfavorable settlement. They have been dealt with. The Trade Federation''s hand has been forced, launch ground forces and seize your predesignated targets."


    I felt my lips tighten at the response. I tried to think of a way out of this, but on such short notice, I had nothing. Yet, anyways.


    "Acknowledged Profiteer."


    -----


    As I stared at the various screens on the bridge of the Indomitable, I couldn''t help but note how... quiet everything was. I''d have expected a planetary invasion to be more... eventful, even with me staying on the ship. Instead, all I had were dry reports. It probably helped that the Naboo weren''t really fighting back. That, and nobody really wanted to argue with a Trandoshan. And I had lots of Trandoshans.


    It was almost a relief when sensors picked up the Queen''s yacht. I was mildly surprised by the presence of several Naboo fighters flying in escort, but the memories of my past life were long ago, and there had never been any guarantee they''d be 100% accurate.


    The Profiteer sent a standardized warning to the yacht and her escorts. Predictably, they did not turn back. Naturally, the Profiteer began firing on the sh.i.p.s, concentrating on the largest of them, the Yacht. It was exceedingly surreal, watching something like that and already knowing the outcome perfectly, knowing what was happening on board the blockade runner.


    Then the Queen''s Yacht exploded, a solid hit from the Profiteer''s main guns hitting something important.


    I felt an unbearable coldness take hold of my body. I tried to process what I had just seen, and simply couldn''t.


    One of the bridge security officers, a Twi`lek, noted my shock and shook my shoulder. Snapping out of it, I immediately hailed the first man I could think to blame.


    "Captain Dofine, have you lost your kriffing mind?! You just killed the Queen of Naboo! What the kriff were you thinking?!"


    The man on the opposite end of my screen seemed frozen in shock.


    "W... what? But... What?! What is going on up there?! What?!"


    I dimly noted the escort fighters jumping into hyperspace, but I was too furious to care.


    "How can you not know what''s going on with your own ship, you incompetent, chronic expense!"


    Dofine''s face was frozen in an expression of unthinking terror, and he cut the connection.


    -----


    Hours later, I was hailed by the Viceroy. I carefully schooled my face into a decidedly thin mask of calm.


    "Captain Montoo, an internal investigation has revealed several programming errors within our battledroids'' targeting software. It would appear the Queen''s ship was misidentified. They were not supposed to fire on her ship if she somehow managed to reach it to attempt escape. They were supposed to engage their tractor beams."


    "Programming errors, you called it? Might I presume the Queen is not the only casualty of these... errors?"


    Gunray had the decency to look shamefaced, I gave him that much. "Unfortunately, you presume correctly. Several civilian targets have been mistakenly identified as combatants and... terminated. We are working on it now, but there is no turning back. We are committed... we cannot allow what has happened here to reach the Senate."


    With a very false calm, I asked him, "What exactly are you suggesting, Viceroy?"


    Gunray''s face hardened with a grim resolve. "We must win. We can claim these casualties were during an initial, doomed resistance effort. For the good of the Trade Federation."


    I smiled bitterly at Gunray, and mistaking my intention, he relaxed slightly.


    "All batteries, target the Profiteer and fire. We will not go down with this madness. Comms, inform the ground teams they are to align with the Naboo, and protect them from the Trade Federation at all costs. Viceroy, consider this my resignation."


    I cut the channel before he had a chance to respond, and the ship shook as turbolasers began firing in volleys at the other sh.i.p.s.

 Chapter 217 - My SI Stash #17 - A Volatile Change by Fatalis0217 (DyingLight)

    -Just a fellow gamer trying to get a better ending for this highly depressing game, Dying Light... as a Volatile Zombie?


    Sypnosis: Dying sucks. Being reincarnated into one of the deadliest creatures in this world is... I don''t know... Maybe this won''t be such a bad thing. Died and reincarnated as a Volatile. SI-OC Self-insert. Rated M. Follows the main story with some minor changes.


    Rated: M


    Words: 31K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13277169/1/A-Volatile-Change (Fatalis0217)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    Huh¡­ Funny. I never expected my life to end like this. I mean I don''t regret it, saving the life of my sister from getting mugged is a choice I''ll never regret. But what I do regret is leaving her behind and my family. I''ve already accepted death with open arms, it is after all an inevitability. And dying to save the life of someone I love is an ok way to go. So as darkness consumed my vision all I could do now is let go.


    (Unknown location) (Time): 7 pm


    "Ugh¡­." I gave a light groan as my head felt like it was splitting in half. Oh man what the hell? I thought I died? I mean when you die you''re not supposed to feel anything. I mean while I''m Catholic I keep an open mind about other religions, and the one thing I believed the most when a person dies is that they''ll be sent somewhere to be judged and be sent to whatever punishment or reward for their life choices. And right now I''m leaning towards the former because this feels like a punishment.


    I groaned as I moved to sit up straight. I rubbed my head and immediately stopped. I can feel no hair whatsoever on my head, but that wasn''t the worst part. I can feel raw flesh on the top of my scalp and it wasn''t a pleasant feeling. I started to panic and immediately stood up, but another thing strange is my vision and the area I''m in. I can tell it was dark and yet I can see like I have night vision except my sight isn''t green but a darkish gray. I took a look at my surroundings and I was in some kind of dark highway tunnel. What got me startled is the number of wrecked vehicles around me. Whole stock pile of cars, trucks, and motorcycles wrecked like they were used in a Derby.


    "Where the hell am I-?" I paused as I heard my voice. The deep baritone of it gave me pause and it started to scare me.


    ''What hell happened to me'' I thought as I just realized another thing. I am butt n.a.k.e.d. And the scary part is I can''t seem to feel my other head down below. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down and try to find a mirror to asses my situation. Luckily with all the wrecked stuff here I easily found a car''s rearview mirror. I grabbed it and when I looked into my reflection I almost dropped it as soon as I saw myself.


    Patches of open flesh wounds, pale white skin, and blood splattered all over my face, piercing red eyes, and most of all is the present gap in my middle jaw. I dropped the mirror as I processed at what I just saw. I took a feel of my body hoping that that was just a trick mirror from a fun house, but there was no denying it. Pale tough flesh is what I''ve felt and some little sharp bumps on the top of my shoulders. I opened my mouth and I can feel my mandibles opening like a Sarcastic Fringehead (That''s a fish by the way). And only one name of a creature popped on the top of my head.


    ''I''m a Volatile''. Was the only thing I can think of before I shouted or more like roared inside the dark tunnel.


    30 minutes of processing later


    I paced around the tunnel trying to gather myself and the situation I''m in.


    ''Okay. First off I died, I remember that clearly, and I''m somehow reincarnated as a freaking Volatile from a zombie apocalypse game that can only go out at night.'' Were the thoughts running through my head. Either this is a punishment or a reward for saving my sister, or this is some Upper being''s doing for a good laugh. I mean I believe in reincarnations given how many fics I''ve been reading about them, but not only was I reincarnated, I''m reincarnated as one of the deadliest creatures in the Dying Light world? I''ve played the game back home. And it was amazing, game wise. But the story, I mean it was okay for some. But for me it was just very depressing. I mean I get about the people dying all the time in a world like this, but killing all of the people Kyle Crane cared for the most is just plain cruelty. Especially when it came to the DLC. There was no actual good ending for him, either Crane turns into a night hunter or just plain nuke the entirety of everything is just really sad.


    Although now the question running through me is. When am I?


    I took a look at the tunnel I''m in and I saw a ladder leading up to somewhere. With no other choice but to keep moving forward I climbed up and removed the cover. Again it was night time so it was safe to go out now and given that I''m a Volatile now other infected and Volatiles would just plain ignore me and go on with their wandering undead lives. As I stood up and took a look at where I''m. I can already see the Tower probably a mile from where I am.


    ''Okay, so I''m in the slums, that still doesn''t mean much in telling what timeline am I in now.'' I thought as I ran at the open area of Harran. I wasn''t an athlete or parkour guy when I was still alive but having a Volatile body is really making me regret not doing it in the first place. I can see why adrenaline junkies do this stuff, the feeling of the wind on your face as you run at high speeds and jump or vault over obstacles in your way is a very freeing experience. I tried to jump at a ledge of a building in front of me and I can see that I can jump over 10 feet in the air. I climbed on to the rooftop and I can see numerous UV lights indicating the safe houses of survivors.


    Seeing all this in front of me shows the integrity of human survival. Despite all of this happening to them, humanity still clings to life and finds a way. And while I don''t know how long they''ve been doing this but I can see that they are survivors. They fight for life and will not easily just lay down and wait for death, it actually gives me hope and pride in humanity. But when I look at my clawed hands, do I still classify myself as a human, or a monster?


    "I am who I am. Not what I am." My deep growly voice said. While I''m a monster as a body but my mind, heart (If it even beats), and soul remains me. A person who dies for those he cares about. Maybe I can help these people from not only the infected and other Volatiles but also from bad people like Rais'' group. From what I saw in the game Rais is a real nasty excuse for a human being, I mean he was just plain cruel and sadistic. He deserves no better than to be ripped apart piece by piece. Okay that maybe a bit dark but I think I blame the Volatile side of me now.


    If I am going to help these good people I need to find a way to keep myself alive, and the number one danger to volatiles is the sun and UV lights. While it won''t instantly kill me I can tell it was a long and painful death for a volatile. I mean slowly being burned to death is one of the most painful ways to die.


    ''Hmm¡­ in the game Volatiles are practically n.a.k.e.d¡­ they don''t have any coverings¡­ And the Mother¡­ hmm¡­'' I thought. Maybe if I could find some clothing then I can basically shield myself from the light, it has to be thick layered or at least made of synthetic fibers so that no light can pass through it. With a new goal in mind I quickly rushed to find any clothing or thick coverings I can use.


    Time: 4 am (2 hours until sunrise)


    It took a long time but I managed to scrounge up what I need. I needed synthetic fiber clothing for absolute protection from UV light. I managed to find a pitch black trench coat from a dead person that died from a heavy blow to the head, the coat thankfully remained intact and even a bit stained with blood, was made from synthetic fiber, its length reached down to just above my feet. Also I found some combat boots from a dead Marine, and some knee high socks to protect my feet when I run during the day time. As for protection for my head and face I found a big fedora that covered the entirety of my head. For my face and my neck I found some fabrics that I wrapped around my entire head only revealing the openings of my nostrils, apparently Volatiles and infected still needed to breathe, I guess that explains why they die instantly in water, even in shallow ones.


    I also found some dark shades that covered my eyes, no need to scare the children or a.d.u.l.ts for that matter when I stare at them. And finally some thick wool gloves that were durable enough for my claws to clench in. I looked at myself in a mirror and I can see no openings, but I have to do a trial run.


    Despite the clothing I can still run freely without worry of anything coming loose, even the fedora. I found a safe house that was near the tower, it was active but empty. So with a deep breath I stepped into the light. I braced for the pain but surprisingly I feel nothing. Even my face wasn''t affected by the light and the shades were enough to block out any from passing through. I let go of the breath that I''ve been holding and silently cheered that it was a success. Now I have a way to run through the daylight without worrying about burning myself to death. With all the things I did the whole night, not once did I feel sleepy. Perhaps it''s due to the fact that Volatiles are practically restless monsters as well as the infected, hmm¡­ the game didn''t really explain how the virus worked that much only the basic stuff.


    ''It could be worse. I could''ve been a Night Hunter.'' I thought to myself, while the Night Hunter is the most powerful of all the infected, but if I reincarnated into that thing it would be next to impossible to disguise myself given the physiology of the creature.'' I was so lost in my thoughts that I''ve been thinking until sunrise. I can see the sunrise rising over the distance and for a brief moment I felt like a normal human being again. But I know that if I take off my clothes I''ll just burn myself up, despite that fact I know I''m still a human even only in spirit. And I will change the course of this story.


    I don''t know if this is fate or just irony, but just as I finished my monologue I hear the sound of a plane flying past above Harran. And I can see multiple parachutes deploying carrying people instead of a crate of either antizin or supplies, and there I see is the unmistakable figure of one Kyle Crane. Time to make my move.


    5 Minutes later near Kyle Crane''s LZ


    I ran just in time to see Kyle Crane being cornered by thugs from Rais'' group. But enough about that I was on a rooftop observing and waiting for my time to strike. There I see the infected that bit Crane giving him the infection and not long after I see Amir and Jade. You know in the game it was a real shame that they died the way they did, I mean Amir dying right of the bat and Jade turning just seems wrong to me and I was actually shipping those two instead of the fics of Crane and Jade, bite me. Something or someone sent me here for a reason and I''m going to take advantage of that.


    I can see the small horde coming for them as Jade dragged Crane to the Tower. Don''t worry guys I''ll change the course of this story because I''ll be manning this ship from now on. With that I made my move and jumped down. I saw the coming infected and took a fighting stance. Oh yeah back in my world I took Taekwondo and kick boxing in high school, I always dreamed in using them in this kind of world. So with that said and given I''m technically one of them they ignored me as I beat the living shit out of them, as a Volatile my strength was of the charts, earlier in the night I tore a car''s door right of its hinges without too much of an effort. So fighting these infected was like practicing my punches in a meat locker.


    As I fought off the infected Jade and Amir were startled at the new arrival. Amir was prepared to die for Jade when he saw the group of biters but when this stranger appeared out of nowhere and was currently beating the living death out of them it gave them the time they needed to carry this injured and probably infected stranger back to the Tower.


    When I finished off the last one I can see one of Rais'' men that Crane had shot were being eaten alive. To be frank I couldn''t care less about these shitheads they chose to follow a madman and stick to it. I only need to protect what''s good left in this city and the people in the Tower is a good place to start. So with my job done I climbed up the building behind me to see if they made it without any more incidents. There you have it Jade and Amir safely carried Crane back inside the Tower.


    I let out a breath of relief. I did it, I managed to save Amir. If I keep this up maybe Dying Light would have the ending I''ve always envisioned. Nonetheless my work isn''t done, in fact it''s only just started. There are a lot of people out there in the slums still alive and fighting for their lives. With that said I ran through Harran hoping that I can make a difference in how this story goes.


    5 minutes earlier and onward during Crane''s rescue (Amir''s POV)


    I can see Rais'' men about to attack this newcomer. I cannot let that happen, there are already plenty dying in Harran and we need to stick together in order to survive this hellhole.


    "Let''s move Jade." I said. Jade gave a nod and we dove into action. We saw the stranger shot one of Rais'' men and the other two retreated when they saw the biters and virals come because of the gunshot. I beat the viral that bit him with my metal bat and Jade took care of the other one.


    "Come on. We have to move." I said as I helped him to try and get up.


    "Let''s get him off the street." Jade said as she stomped the viral''s head and came and helped me carry him back towards the Tower. We weren''t fast enough as I can hear the biters and virals reach us. I was about to make my last stand and hopefully Jade will be able to carry him back to safety. But out of nowhere someone came out and started to beat the infected with his gloved fists. I just watched in awe as the stranger just butchered them like it was nothing. Although what was strange was the Biters were completely ignoring him and just wanted to pass by him and get to us.


    "AMIR! Help me get this door open!" Jade''s cry snapped me out of it and made me come back to the situation at hand. I helped her break the door open and we carried our new guest to the tower.


    "Who the hell was that?" Jade asked as we can hear the carnage coming from the other side of the door.


    "I don''t know, but I think he''s on our side." I said, hoping that it was a fact. From what I saw of him or lack thereof because he was completely covered. He was wearing a trench coat and his face is what was strange to me. He was wearing shades a fedora, and his whole face was covered in some kind of fabric like he doesn''t like showing his face at all.


    We were now near the Tower and our new guest isn''t looking to good. He was fading in and out of consciousness. Eventually he completely collapsed due to the head injury he suffered from Rais'' thugs.


    "Tower, this is Jade. Get Sickbay ready. Got a guy with a bad head wound¡­ and a bite on one arm." Jade contacted the Tower via comm. Radio.


    "Oh, shit! Amir''s hurt?" The person on the other side of the radio said.


    "No. Amir is fine¡­ Something strange happened that saved his life. And we''re bringing someone who might still survive." Jade said as we laid down and catch our breath seeing that we''re safe for a while.


    "One of us?"


    "We''ll see." Jade finished as she cut off the call. And our new guest completely lost consciousness.


    ''I do not know who you were stranger but I owe you my life.'' I thought as I stared at the door hoping that the stranger that saved my life was fine. Because he had a feeling that that won''t be the last time he will hear of him.


    AN: That''s the intro of the game done. So what do you guys think? I''m going to completely change the story line into something a lot less depressing with this story. So with that said I hope you like this story, it is my second one. So some honest reviews and criticism is much obliged this is Fatalis0217 saying ''Good Day and Good Luck''.


    Chapter 2


    AN: Before I start the chapter, first of all I''m really happy that already people are reading this fic and liking it. Second a shout to ''thepowerfullkira'' and ''isolono'' for pointing out that my OC looks like Mr. X, to be honest I was gonna name my character as ''The Stranger'' from Fallout. But now that they pointed this out I think we all know what letter name I''ll be calling my OC now. Right?


    The Tower (Kyle Crane''s POV)


    Everything was pitch black, and yet the world feels like it''s spinning around nonstop. All I can remember is that I got hit in the head by some thugs and being bitten by an infected, and then two people dragged me to safety and saved my life, the rest was all a blur.


    "You pinch him." I heard the voice of a little girl.


    "You''re scared." I heard another next to her and it sounded like a boy''s voice.


    "I''m not scared."


    "Then pinch him." The two argued back and forth, and it was enough for me to know that I''m waking up. And damn, my head is killing me.


    "He blinked!" I can hear the startled tone in her voice.


    "What?"


    "He blinked again!"


    "What if he''s a zombie?!" Kid if I was a zombie then I would''ve eaten you two by now.


    "Aaaaaaa!"


    "Zombie! Run!" The two screamed as they ran away in terror. Great. First day on the job and I''m already scaring little kids just by waking up. Huh. Must be a new record for me.


    "Ugh¡­" I struggled to stand up, the world still a bit wobbly, I held on the top bunk bed for support. It took a few seconds but the world finally seemed straight again.


    "Oh shit¡­ my head¡­" I drawled out and examined my surroundings. I was in a room in from what I''m seeing outside the window that was 20 stories high. Probably a condo building. I explored the room for a bit and seeing nothing out of the ordinary, it just looked like a normal set up in the living room. I needed to know where I am so I head for the door and stepped out.


    "Aaaaaaaaa!" The kids saw me and again they ran away screaming behind a wall. An a.d.u.l.t stepped out of the way and saw me come out.


    "You sleep for three days like a dead man, then scare children? Off to a great start, 31." The guy said. 31? Why the hell did he call me that? Probably some code they got going on around here. And the hell? 3 days? I got hit in the head harder than I thought if I was out for that long.


    "Where am I?" I groaned, I was still groggy from the headache.


    "In paradise, can''t you see? Okay, enough joking around. Head to room 190. The boss''ll brief you." He said before going on his way.


    "What do you mean, ''31''?" I asked.


    "Ask the boss!" He said and just kept walking.


    Room 190? What floor am I now? Shit. Hope they got an elevator working. And the boss? Maybe the one that has the GRE''s files? Maybe, but I guess I better hurry up. Don''t wanna keep him waiting.


    I roamed around the place trying to get my bearings, when a woman said the same number the guy said to me earlier.


    "31. That''s your number." She said.


    "Excuse me?" I questioned.


    "Your number. You''re the 31st infected. I''m the 18th. Everything is counted here. One fewer doses of Antizin. One more new infected. A runner almost gone." She said. Holy hell. 30 people are infected here. And how many Antizin do they have left? And how long are they gonna last if what she said is true? I know the government drops supplies and Antizin in Harran from time to time indicating that there are still people alive in the quarantine zone. But how many survivors are there left?


    Saving my questions for later I continued my scoping of the place.


    "Amir almost died because of this guy?"


    "Quiet¡­"


    "Oh, f.u.c.k quiet. Now we''re gonna have to lose more Antizin." I heard two guys just by a corridor talking about me and this Amir guy, probably the guy with the girl who saved my life. I should find him and the girl he was with and say my thanks for that rescue.


    I can see hallways and other pathways blocked by barriers or stockpiled luggage, probably more infected they don''t want in that completely turned. I saw a staircase and went up seeing that the opposite was blocked off. The next floor I saw a guard sitting next to a door that the wall beside it was painted in black pointing to said door with the words saying ''Headquarters''. Probably this place''s base of operations. I approached the guard sitting.


    "I''m looking for ''the boss''. Is he in there?" I asked.


    "Oh ¨C you''re 31. Go on in." He said, gesturing for me to head in. I gave a nod and went through the door and shut it behind me. Inside the room that was more spacious than the other rooms were crates of supplies, a table with a map that was full of marked areas, and a television that was on the broadcasting channel. Most likely that was the channel that the government uses to announce when and where they''ll drop off the next batch of crates. Either with supplies or Antizin.


    On the balcony of the room I don''t see anyone but what looked like a teenage boy looking over the horizon with a pair of binoculars. I opened the door and I can hear him talking to himself.


    "This f.u.c.k.i.n.g comm range is shit. I can''t raise Mark at all." I heard him muttering. I patted his shoulder to make my presence known.


    "Hey, I''m looking for¡­ are you the boss?" I asked and looked at him. This kid can''t be boss. And even if he was he''s not the guy I''m looking for. So probably Suleiman is in another part of Harran or in another group altogether. Nonetheless these people don''t look like people that has GRE classified files.


    "What, am I too young? You got a problem with my age?" He said in a snarl. If Harran is in a different situation then I would''ve said that he was too young to be "The Boss". But given the situation of the City you either mature fast or get eaten alive. That''s how it works here now.


    "No, I¡­ you wanted to talk to me." I said trying to diffuse the situation before it gets too far out of hand.


    "That''s better. Do you remember anything? Know where you are?" he asked. I can remember most that happened before blacking out. But ''where?'' is a different story.


    "Yeah I can see this is¡­ some kind of shelter?" I said in a question like manner. All I can assume is that this building is some kind of safe zone or something.


    "We call it ''The Tower''. Brecken and his runners put it all together a couple months ago, and we''ve been here ever since. Hunting air drops, scavenging¡­ and rescuing people." Brecken? Huh. Not the name of who I''m looking for, but if he''s the one in charge of rescuing people here then I can guess that he''s an ok guy.


    "Yeah¡­ I wanted to thank the two¡­" I said. I need to know who these people are, and see if they''re just a group of survivors trying to live through another day or something else. Because if they''re not a threat to my mission then maybe they can help me if I prove my worth. They know Harran inside and out so they probably know someone called Suleiman.


    "Good. Because if not for them, you''d already be chewing somebody''s knee bone. Your Antizin was totally crushed, by the way." He said. Dammit! I''m already infected and the thing that can help me delay it is gone. I don''t even know if these guys will lend me their Antizin if they really are short in supply.


    "Only thing they could salvage was your radio." The moment he said my radio snapped me out of my thoughts. I quickly checked myself if I have it on me but I saw that the kid has it in his hand. I need to find a way to get it back. That''s the only thing that can pass through the GRE''s jamming.


    "Great¡­ so can I get that back, please?" I tried the casual approach because I don''t want to look to aggressive in why I need it back. I don''t need them to know that I''m a GRE agent.


    "Actually, I think I need it more than you do." He said. I don''t know about that. Given the situation here I can take a guess that with the GRE scrambling communications here these guys probably were desperate for a way to communicate with their Runners.


    "Believe me pal, that''s not the case." I tried again hoping it would work. He gave me a look and stood up as he shoved the thing to me.


    "Fine. Take it. You know why Runners put their lives in danger? For guys like you. So now you take more Antizin from us, and you won''t even share your gear with us? I don''t have time to deal with your bullshit. I''ve lost contact with one of our guys, thanks to the f.u.c.k.i.e.d-up radios we''re stuck with. Do something for me, would you? I don''t want to see you or your precious radio anymore, so go be useful somewhere else. We don''t tolerate lazy assholes here in the Tower." He said angrily.


    I can''t tell if he was ranting or trying to guilt trip me, because as much as I hate to admit it, he''s right. From the looks of their comm equipment I can tell the GRE doesn''t need the scrambler to mess with their systems. And if those two of their runners didn''t come when they did then I''d probably be ripped limb from limb before I turn into one of them.


    "Hey. Be fair. I''m not lazy, I''m just¡­ Hey boss-" I said trying to diffuse the situation.


    "Save it. That lost guy I mentioned? He''s only on the 13th floor, but he might as well be trapped in a mine cave-in. Come back later. And I''m not the boss. Too young, remember? I''m Rahim. Brecken''s in charge here." Rahim said and went back to something that he needed to do.


    Knowing when I''m not wanted I headed out of the room.


    "I''m not lazy¡­ you little shit." I grumbled. Well if I''m gonna earn these guy''s trust I might as well prove that I''m useful and not lazy.


    I manage to find the elevator, huh. Good thing they got it still working, would''ve been a nightmare to walk through flights of stairs if they weren''t blocked off.


    "Where you think you''re going?" A guard asks me.


    "The 13th floor. I''m getting some stuff for Rahim."


    "13¡­? Shit. That''s gonna be some dirty work. But we all gotta pull our weight around here, huh?" He said. That didn''t sound good. Worst case scenario either the guys down there were dead or turned. I was hoping for the former as I head inside and pushed the number 13 on the elevator.


    The elevator stopped. When stepped out all I can see were blood splatters on the broken mirrors and floor. "Jesus¡­ how many people died here¡­?" Hopefully that''s a question that doesn''t have an answer to. I saw a baby stroller and a breathed out a sigh of relief when I saw it empty. I''ve seen dead bodies before. But corpses of children always don''t sit well with me. *BEEP* *BEEP*. I heard my radio signaling me that the GRE were trying to get in touch with me.


    "Crane here."


    "Where were you? We''ve been waiting for your report. It''s been over 70 hours."


    "Lost my radio for a while. Don''t worry, my cover''s intact. No contact with the Tower''s leader yet. Unable to confirm identity. I''m taking steps to blend in."


    "Acknowledged. Time is of the essence, Crane. Remember that."


    "There''s one more thing. I¡­ got bitten. I''ve shown no symptoms, but the people here say I''m infected."


    "Then you''d better get your hands on some Antizin ASAP, hadn''t you?" I was about to respond when I hear someone yelling.


    "Help! HELP! Somebody!"


    "What the hell?" I cut off the radio and went to investigate. I picked up a metal pipe to defend myself in case of any infected lurking around. I heard some heavy thuds right across the corridor. I opened the door and saw a zombie trying to break open a door. Figuring that''s where the yelling came from I kicked it behind the legs and bashed its face in.


    Making sure that it stays down for good. I opened the door and saw someone with his left arm bleeding real bad.


    "Jesus¡­ You all right, man?" I said in concern, hoping that it wasn''t a bite wound, these people are already running low on Antizin I don''t think they''ll last much longer with another one.


    "I cut my arm¡­ getting away from him¡­ Oh, God¡­ you had to kill him, didn''t you? God damn it¡­ That was¡­ that was my brother¡­ I came down to see him and¡­" he grunted in pain.


    "Easy. Easy. It''s all right now¡­ I''ll get help."


    "Rahim, this is Crane. I''m down here on 13. Listen, this guy of yours got f.u.c.k.i.e.d up pretty bad getting away from a zombie." I used my radio to get in touch with Rahim upstairs.


    "Oh shit¡­ 31?! You went after Mark? Is it¡­ is it safe down there?"


    "Well it''s safe enough now."


    "Okay, don''t move! I''m sending Lena downstairs." He cuts off after that. Still with the way Mark is now I don''t think he''ll make it, he''ll bleed to death at this rate.


    "Hey, hold still. Lena will be here any minute."


    "Gauze¡­ you gotta find some gauze¡­ and alcohol. Combine them¡­ That''ll stop the bleeding¡­ Please¡­ hurry!"


    "Try to stay calm, OK? I''ll be right back." With no time to waste I searched throughout the entire floor to see if I can find any gauze and alcohol. Luckily I found some alcohol in a fridge in one of the rooms and some gauze in a bathroom medicine cabinet from another.


    "Okay, I think that''s everything I''m going to find. Let''s give this a shot." I went back to Mark and dampened the gauze with the alcohol. Steadily I placed the wet gauze on top of the bleeding wound when I heard someone behind me.


    "Okay, who''s hurt?" I turned around to see a woman with a doctor''s outfit on. I''m gonna assume this was Lena.


    "He''s bleeding pretty badly."


    "Let me see him¡­ Gauze and alcohol, huh? Pretty primitive, but it''ll work." She checked Mark to see if he had any other injuries. Finding none she went back to treating the wound on his arm.


    "Thanks for the help. I''ll take care of him from here." She thanked me and I went on my way back to the elevator.


    "Well done 31." The guard from before said to me. I heard Rahim''s voice on my radio as I got on the elevator.


    "Hey, 31! Not bad for a new guy. Perhaps I misjudged you." Rahim said. Finding an opportunity to salvage the misunderstanding from before and maybe earn some goodwill from them.


    "Hey, I just want to help out and repay you guys for what you did for me."


    "Well, good. Come find me and we''ll talk about how you can do that." He finished as he cuts off and I made my way up back to room 190. When I walked into the room I saw another person talking to Rahim while looking at a map.


    "All right taken care of. Piece of cake. What else you got for me?" I asked. Rahim rolled up the map before giving it to the other guy.


    "Well¡­ Let me think." Rahim said before two other people walked in the room. It was the two that saved me 3 days ago. Jade and Amir¡­ I think their names are.


    "Rahim, you are just smart enough to be dangerous, you know that? Omar told me about your plans for the nest. Explosive charges? REALLY?" She exclaimed, completely livid with Rahim from the looks of it.


    "What? Explosives? I never said that!" Rahim tried to lie out of it. But he didn''t really sound all that convincing.


    "Oh, please. You can''t tell a convincing lie to save your life." Jade brushed off his attempt.


    "I know what I''m doing!"


    "Yeah? You think you can''t die?"


    "You''re not my mom!"


    "No, I''m not. Our mom''s dead. So you might want to be a little nicer to me since I''m the only family you have left¡­ especially with how Amir here almost died." Huh. I didn''t know they were related. Now that I got a closer look I can see the resemblance, and the stubborn attitude. Amir just stood by the sides a bit uncomfortable with the two fighting like this.


    After that she stormed out with Amir following her with a concerned expression.


    "You''re Jade right?" I asked out of the blue¡­ She stopped by the door as she was about to open it.


    "Right¡­" She replied blankly.


    "I just wanted to thank you for what you and Amir did for me¡­ and tell you how sorry I am for almost getting you two killed. I owe you and Amir my life." I said trying to decrease the tension in the room.


    "Yeah, you do. You want to return the favor? Keep my dipshit brother from killing himself!" She said sharp enough to probably cut through concrete. Ok keeping Rahim from killing himself. That I can do.


    "NO EXPLOSIVES, Rahim." She finished before Amir closed the door behind them.


    "So. Was that enough? Do I get to talk to Brecken now?" I asked, hoping to break the silence in here. And maybe in getting some answers.


    "First, go change your clothes. I left some new ones in your room. You''re in 194."


    "Something wrong with what I''m wearing?"


    "You need something that fits the job Brecken wants you to do. Call me when you''ve changed." Rahim finished with no room to argue but comply. I headed for my assigned room and found a bag with new clothes in it. After changing I contacted Rahim.


    "Okay, Rahim, I''m ready. Where do I find Brecken?"


    "Not so fast, 31. If you''re gonna earn your keep, we have to find out if you''ve got the skills. So get your ass up to the gym."


    "Gym? What''re you talking about?"


    "It''s on the top floor¡­ just a couple of flights up." He said before cutting off. Oh, I''ve got the skills kid I just can''t tell you that I have or else I lose my cover. With no other choice I headed up the top floor.


    "Rahim? I don''t see you. Where are you?"


    "Close." Was Rahim''s only reply before I saw a crane moving towards the rooftop of the building.


    "Well? What''re you waiting for? Get over here!" Rahim said. I climbed up to the rooftop and went towards the crane. With the height that we''re in the wind will make it difficult for me to cross the crane. But seeing no other choice I went for it.


    "You ought to feel right at home ¨C a Crane on a crane!" Oh, yeah like I haven''t heard that one before.


    "Jesus, Mary and Joseph¡­ I should be wearing a parachute for this¡­" I gasped out. The sheer height that I''m in almost makes me regret coming here.


    I finally made it across and saw Rahim at the other side.


    "Welcome to our gym. First thing first; you''ve got to learn how to run."


    "What do you mean, ''learn how to run''?" What the hell is he going on about?


    "Just do what I say, all right? Now, jump down to the very bottom." He said as he pointed me to jump down a 50 foot drop. Yeah that ain''t happening.


    "What''re you nut? I''d kill myself." Rahim just smirked at me and stood near the edge.


    "Don''t be a wimp."


    "Come one! You can''t be serious!"


    "Watch this. WOOOHOOOO!" He exclaimed as he jumped down the hole. *CRASH* was the resulting noise.


    "Aaagh! AAAAHHHH! My LEG!" I heard him screaming in pain.


    "Rahim! Jesus! Don''t move! I''ll get help!" I cried as I was about to run for help. But Rahim''s laugh cut me off.


    "HAH! I was just f.u.c.k.i.n.g with you."


    "Son of a BITCH!"


    "What you can''t take a joke? Come on! Get your ass down here!"


    "Christ on a crutch." I muttered. Jade was right, Rahim''s gonna kill himself one of these days.


    I looked down at the bottom and see a pile of garbage looking to cushion my fall. I took a deep breath and took the plunge.


    "WOOOAHHH! Holy shit! Holy SHIT!" I gasped as I couldn''t believe I did that and remained intact with nothing hurt or broken. It was kind of fun actually if you''re an adrenaline junkie.


    I hear Rahim''s voice snapping me out of my adrenaline fueled thoughts.


    "It''s a rush, isn''t it? But don''t blow your load just yet. There''s more. To survive outside you gotta take advantage of the terrain. Most eaters suck at climbing, so the harder the terrain gets, the better for you. I''ve got some typical situations set up for you. Let''s see how you handle them." He said as he ran away.


    For the next five minutes, Rahim had me crawling through narrow passages, jumping over missing staircases to get up to the next floor, climbing over scaffolds, and finally cat grabs and muscle ups. It''s a good thing I was trained for this, or else I think the GRE wasn''t paying me enough for this shit. But Rahim''s not wrong though, outside there, thousands of infected are wandering out there and making use of the terrain would definitely keep me alive. Finally I was back at the crane. I don''t see Rahim anywhere. Probably on the other side already.


    As I was about to cross the crane back to the Tower something happened. My body started to convulse and spasm uncontrollably, my vision was turning green and yellow and I feel like I was gonna collapse.


    "Grrrghh! W-what''s happening to me? S-shit! Grrgghhh! SHIT!" I grunted in pain.


    "Crane? Crane! Talk to me! What''s going on?" Rahim called out on the radio.


    "Ugh¡­ Something¡­ went wrong¡­ Rahim, what just happened to me?" I groaned as I managed to cross over without falling.


    "Oh, shit¡­ I bet you''re having your first seizure. Just get back over here." Rahim finished and waited for me at the door.


    "Rahim, what the f.u.c.k was that?! Does this mean I''m¡­ turning?" I gasped out, still trying to catch my breath.


    "Most likely no. At least not yet. Seizures remind you that you''re infected. You better go see Dr. Zere, though. He''ll check you out, probably give you a shot of Antizin."


    "Damn¡­ that shit hurt¡­" The pain was no joke. It felt like my body was squeezing itself and I could barely breathe. Something tells me that won''t be the last time I''ll be feeling it.


    "Before you head out to see Zere, talk to the quartermaster. He''ll gear you up so you can go outside without getting your head bitten off. Well? What are you waiting for? Get a move on." Rahim finished as he leaned against the wall. I walked down the stairs and headed for the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor.


    ''All right¡­ they''ve given me an actual job, and nobody suspects I''m not who I say I am. So far so good. And once Dr. Zere helps me manage these symptoms I''m dealing with, I''ll be even better.'' I processed the situation at hand. The elevator stopped and I stepped out. I saw the sign saying quartermaster. I guess this is the guy.


    "Ohhh, you''re the new scout? Rahim radioed me about you."


    "That''s me. Name''s Crane."


    "I''m not gonna bother learning your name till you''ve survived a few days. But here, this is for you." He said as he stood up and picked up a wooden club with some nails attached to it.


    "By the way¡­ Word around the Tower is you''re just another deadbeat in line for food or Antizin. By which I mean, the people here don''t much like you. But don''t blame them. It''s easy to get paranoid when you''re isolated¡­ and since somebody''s been jamming communications to the outside, there''s plenty of paranoia to go around. Whole damn city with nobody to call for help but ourselves. You bring me some supplies from the air drops though, and you''ll see people change their tunes in a hurry. That shit''s a game changer." He said, shit. That was a lot to process. And they can thank the GRE for jamming their comms. Hopefully it''ll get lifted soon.


    "Uh¡­ Thanks. I''ll bear that in mind. Is there anything else? I''m in a bit of a rush¡­" I said. But I can tell he wasn''t finished.


    "Also, if you''re looking to get more popular, you can try helping folks. Do a few favors, they might like you more. Might even find a woman, keep you warm at night. Hahahahaha!" He finally finished. Yeah, I don''t think I''ll be getting laid sometime as long as I''m here. With that said I grabbed what the guy supplied me with in my pack. A wrench, a lockpick, a medkit. And some¡­ scrap metal? Huh I guess I can find some use for it later.


    I jumped down the ledge and went to the entrance where a guard was stationed.


    "Going outside, huh?" he said before he went to unlock the door.


    "Okay, new guy. Be careful out there. We''ve lost too many already." He opened the door and I finally went outside. And judging from the position of the sun it was about 3 or 4 in the afternoon.


    "Okay, newb, we''ve got Dr. Zere set up in a semi-trailer on a fenced in playing court. When you leave the Tower, hang left and head due south. You can''t miss it." Rahim''s voice came through my radio. Ugh, what''s it with him calling me a newb.


    "It''s CRANE, kid¡­"


    "All right, all right, CRANE, just keep moving. There''s no time to take in the sights. And try not to make too much noise. Sound attracts those f.u.c.kers." Yeah I know. I got first-hand experience for that one. Note to self if I ever find a gun make a silencer for it.


    I followed Rahim''s directions and headed south. Climbed up a rooftop and saw the court with the semi-trailer inside. I guess that''s Zere''s base of operations. Climbing down whilst ignoring the infected that were trying and failing to grab me. I hopped over the fence and got inside the court.


    I knocked on the door waiting for the doc to open. No response but some chatter on the other side. Checking the door and realizing it was unlocked, I let myself in.


    "Doctor? Hello? Anybody there?" I called out and saw the doctor trying to contact someone but with no luck.


    "Camden? Are you there? Camden! Dammit."


    "Uh¡­ so, I''m supposed to get a vaccine¡­"


    "What? No, no. Suppressant. It''s called Antizin. Suppresses the symptoms. Here, sit." He said as I sat down. "Antizin postpones the inevitable. Best the GRE could do." He said as he handed me an injector and inspected my eyes with a flashlight.


    "Inevitable? So¡­ there''s no cure?" I knew Antizin was just a temporary solution, but I would''ve thought the GRE would''ve made a cure by now.


    "It''s a variation of rabies. There''s no cure right now, but you see, I''ve been running tests on both Antizin and infected tissue. A cure is¡­ possible. Definitely possible."


    "No shit? You really think you can figure it out?"


    "With Dr. Camden''s help, yes, I think so. Uh. Now where did I put that injector¡­?" He said, completely forgetting that I have it in my hands. I handed it to him as he injected me with the Antizin.


    "Who''s Dr. Camden?"


    "A colleague. Trapped in Sector 0 ¨C where the outbreak first¡­ well, broke out. We''ve been collaborating via radio. Though we would have made more progress if the connection were better. Also if my earlier experiments had borne fruit. I tried injecting recombined versions of the virus into chunks of meat and leaving them around the city. Hoping some of the infected would eat them, so I could observe and doc.u.ment the results¡­"


    "But they didn''t?"


    "It bore no fruit. I''m ashamed that I wasted so much time on it. No reason to hold any Antizin in reserve now, in any case¡­ All right! I''m quite busy! So on your way, now! Uh¡­ What was I doing¡­" He began to drone about as I walked out. Gotta give the guy points for his efforts in finding a cure.


    "Rahim ¨C Zere checked me out, and gave me another shot." I contacted Rahim.


    "Okay, great. That ought to hold you for a while. Which is good, ''cause I''m starting to get used to the idea of bossing you around." Yeah don''t get your hopes up too high kid.


    "So! Time for a real trial. Go talk to Spike. You''ll find him near Zere''s truck. He''s got your first real job for you." Shouldn''t be problem, because I''m standing right in front of it. And I guess the guy sitting down is Spike.


    "Spike? I''m Crane."


    "Just what I need. More unskilled labor. All right, shut up and pay attention; there are two types of airdrops. One has food, first aid supplies, survival gear and such. The other kind is filled with Antizin. The GRE sends in a one-way video feed that lets us know when they''re on the way. Look, the trouble is, the airdrops with Antizin keep getting raided by Rais''s thugs. And without Antizin we are basically screwed. Rais and his boys only operate during the day, because going out after dark is a dandy way to get killed. But the next two antizin drops are coming down right at sunset tonight, and Brecken means to go after them. This may be our only chance to reach the airdrop." He explained the situation. And from what heard this Rais guy is a real pain in the ass, maybe those were his men that attacked me when I landed, heh. Shouldn''t surprise me if that were the case. And what the hell happens at night? From what Spike said, going out at night is practically suicide. Are there other infected that only come out at night? And are they worse than the ones I just experienced? Nevertheless I took Spike''s advice seriously.


    "What''s my part here?"


    "Well as I said, going out at night is basically suicide¡­ or it would be, if I hadn''t been setting up safe zones and traps out there for weeks now. Which I have. Brecken and his team will be okay tonight-so long as you get out there now and arm those traps. THAT''S your part."


    "All right, what are these traps, and how do I arm them?"


    "You''ll see. I''ll be talking you through it. Just remember¡­ without these traps, Brecken won''t survive the night. And if he doesn''t come back with Antizin, we are lost. Oh, before you head out there, grab some firecrackers. Made them myself. They make a fine distraction if you get in trouble." Spike handed me a handful of custom firecrackers. Saying my thanks and knowing what I gotta do I headed out to the first set of traps that was north of my position.


    I found what car I''m looking for and saw the red light glowing on it, I can hazard a guess that it''s offline. Spike''s voice came through my radio.


    "Ok, first ¨C the car. Open the hood and connect the battery. That''ll arm the trap." I did what Spike instructed and armed the trap. Then suddenly Amir''s voice came through the radio.


    "Amir here. Is anyone outside right now? Urgent help needed."


    "Uhm¡­ I''m outside. Working for Spike¡­"


    "You''re Crane, right? Listen¡­ Our runner''s trying to secure one of our safe houses for Brecken''s mission. He''s in a courtyard by Vefa and Mirmar, surrounded by zombies. We gotta help him!"


    "All right, I''m on it¡­" I ended the call. Might as well kill two birds with one stone. Besides this will help me in repaying Jade and Amir for saving my life.


    I ran towards my destination, jumping over houses, vaulting over walls, and avoiding or bashing any infected in my way. Finally I saw the safe zone. As I climbed over the walls something was off. Amir said he was surrounded by zombies. But all i can see were zombies with no heads attached which was weird. I knocked on the door.


    "Is¡­ anyone out there?" I can hear the panic in his voice.


    "My name is Crane. Amir sent me to rescue you." I said to reassure the guy and opened the door.


    "Oh thank goodness! I thought I was a goner for sure!" The guy said as he stood up from his position on the floor.


    "Are you hurt or anything?"


    "No. I almost got bit yesterday but something strange happened."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I was actually about to get bit when I heard a gunshot. Next thing I know the biter that was about to get me had a bullet to the head and went down. I just finished in preparing this safe zone to be active but I forgot to close the gate and a couple of zombies got in. So I locked myself in here and contacted Amir for help. And well that''s when you came in and killed these zombies." He finished his story, he was wrong about one thing though.


    "Uh¡­ Actually I didn''t kill these things¡­ I thought you would have the answer to that."


    "Wait¡­ if you didn''t kill these things¡­ then¡­ Who did?" Saving these thoughts for later I contacted Amir.


    "Amir this is Crane. I found your runner, he''s fine though, no bites or injuries. And the safe zone is secure."


    "Thank goodness. That will make night runs safer now. We''ll need to prepare more places like that one. And we need all our runners alive and well. Thank you Crane." Amir said before cutting off. After that the guy turned on the circuit breaker for the lights, surrounding the whole safe zone in UV light. I''m guessing that whatever comes out during the dark really hates UV radiation.


    "I''m heading back to the Tower. And thank you Crane again for saving my life." He said before dashing out and headed back for the tower. *BEEP* *BEEP*


    I heard my radio signaling that the GRE were calling me. I headed to a rooftop for privacy and answered.


    "Crane here."


    "Report."


    "Okay I met this doctor. A scientist type. They''ve got him set up in a sort of research trailer, and he''s working on a cure for the virus. His name is Zere¡­. Hello? Do you copy?"


    "Affirmative. Secondary objective added. Maintain your cover, and secure all of his research. Acknowledge."


    "Your stolen file still takes top priority, though, right?"


    "Affirmative. We find it unlikely that a single researcher working out of a ''trailer'' could produce any significant results. But if he does, we want to see it." The call ended there. Now I have new objective. If Dr. Zere shows any results in his research then I need to secure those research files then.


    "Crane this is Amir. We''ve got more spots picked out for future safe zones. Spike will mark them on your map later. And¡­ Crane? Again thank you. Back to you, Spike!" Amir cuts off and Spike steps in.


    "Right now you need to get back to our main task and arm the next trap. There''s another car close by."


    "Got it." I hopped over the wall and saw the car just over some shops¡­. And a whole lot of infected¡­ Great¡­


    "Spike, the infected are all over the street."


    "So what does that tell you? Keep off the street! Try to stay on the rooftops where they can''t reach you." Yeah I got that Spike. But one more problem.


    "They''re all around the car, Spike."


    "You still have some firecrackers, don''t you? Just throw some into the crowd. Those dead bastards are easily distracted." Spike said before cutting off. Ok I can do this¡­ with most of my limbs intact¡­ hopefully¡­


    I threw some firecrackers near the alley, and like moths to a flame, the infected wandered off. I plugged in the cars'' battery, arming the trap. I closed the hood just in time when the infected saw me. I ran and climbed up a balcony before they could''ve reached me. *BOOM*!


    ''What the hell?'' I thought as I saw that the firecracker that I threw ignited an oil spill that was beside a propane tank. The explosion attracted the attention of Virals. Virals were people that just recently turned, they retain their motor skills like when they were still them. But they have an infected''s mindset, only search and kill any non-infected people and eat. Sometimes I wonder if they have at least retain some of their humanity. A guy can only hope that were true.


    With the job done I contacted Spike.


    "All done with the car, Spike."


    "Keep on like that and you might just make it. The next trap''s close by. And I shouldn''t have to tell you, but don''t get caught out in the open!"


    "Spike, these freaks are everywhere. If I need to use a trap, how do I activate it?"


    "You can''t. I told you, they''re only for the night mission." Well can''t blame me for trying.


    "Shit. Okay." I cut off the radio and went to the next trap. Which was just under the overpass at a rooftop balcony.


    "Quite a contraption you got here." I said, impressed at what Spike can come up with.


    "Three times brighter than an ordinary street lamp. Gives the infected quite the sunburn." Spike finished. I switched on the circuit breaker setting up the light traps. I found another one by a house nearby this one. The last one was a bit farther. I finally found it in what looks like a train yard. I climbed up the rooftop and jumped across just making it, and armed the lights.


    "Okay, lights are all set."


    "You''re ready for the next one, then. Better, hurry." Spike cuts off as I headed for the next one. Then I heard Rahim''s voice over the radio.


    "Hey, Crane, guess what? I''m up on a balcony, and I got eyes on you from here. Looks like you''re doing okay. For a newbie." Rahim mocked me. One of these days if Rahim doesn''t kill himself then I might just do it.


    "Gee, thanks." I said sarcastically.


    "Just try and get back here in one piece, all right? I don''t wanna have to train somebody to replace you." Rahim said before cutting off just as I found the next trap down the tracks. Heh. Good luck at finding someone else like me. Let alone train one.


    As I switched the thing on, it short circuited and shut down, along with the entire district. Oh, this doesn''t look good.


    "Spike, the whole goddamn district went down. What the hell''s going on?!"


    "Ugh¡­ not again¡­ All right, listen. There''s a power substation near you. Go check it out." He said before cutting off.


    I was about to head there when suddenly all the lights just came back on.


    ''What the hell? Everything just turned back on?'' I thought. I needed to ask Spike about this.


    "Uh? Spike the whole district just lighted up again. You know something about this?" I asked.


    "What?! That''s impossible¡­ unless¡­ All right¡­ we''ll talk about it later¡­ Right now it''s almost dark out, so get your ass back to a safe zone. You''re gonna have to spend the night there." He cuts off after that. I don''t wanna know what happens after sunset so I hauled ass back to the safe zone that I just cleared up in the walled up courtyard. I finally made it as I saw the UV lights radiating over there. Just as I opened the door I jumped at a noise and saw an infected that was covered in green blisters.


    "Oh shit-" I hid behind the door as it saw me and took a look a second later. Nothing. I think it ran away. No idea way.


    "What the f.u.c.k was that?" I saw it climbing over the rooftop and ran away.


    "Hey-Doc? This is Kyle Crane." I contact the Doctor hoping that he knows something about the thing that I just saw.


    "Crane? What can I do for you?"


    "I just saw this freaking weird zombie covered in big green blisters. It hauled ass as soon as it spotted me. Do you know anything about it?"


    "Hmm. Not enough information, I''m afraid. But if you see another one, do let me know, will you?" He said before cutting off transmission. Saving my thoughts for tomorrow because I am absolutely exhausted. I crashed on the mattress and it didn''t take a second for me to fall asleep.


    Next Day Morning (6 am)


    I awoke at the sound of my radio with Spike on the other end.


    "Crane, you awake?"


    I groaned and yawned as I got up and picked up the radio.


    "Spike? What''s going on?"


    "Something happened. We need to talk." I didn''t like the tone that Spike was using. Something must''ve happened last night. With that said I rushed back to the trailer and saw Spike waiting for me.


    "Spike what''s up?"


    "Crane, first of all¡­ you did great out there! From now on, if you need something, come see me. And to start with¡­ Here''s a UV flashlight and a remote control. You run up on a Volatile, give him a face full of UV or lead him into a trap, which you trigger with the remote. Got it?"


    "Got it." I said as Spike handed me a remote and the flashlight. Huh, this''ll make things easier for me. And what the heck is a Volatile? Must be the things that make night runs suicide. Better be prepared for it and anything during that time.


    "Perfect. Now for the good news: thanks to your efforts, Brecken''s mission was a success. The bad news, he lost two men on his team."


    "Shit¡­ is he okay?"


    "He''s alive. But you need to get back to the Tower. Jade and Amir called all the Scouts in, and that means you."


    "Okay. Wonder if I''ll finally get to meet Brecken in person." With Spike''s business done. I headed back to the Tower. Must''ve been hard for Brecken to lose his men. It isn''t easy losing people you''re with, especially when they die in front of you and you couldn''t do anything about it. But first I needed to report back to the GRE. Finding a secure rooftop I dialed.


    "Crane, here."


    "Report."


    "I''m about to have a meeting with the Tower''s leader."


    "Acknowledged. Confirm his identity and contact us immediately." I cut off after that.


    I finally made it back to the Tower and stepped in the elevator.


    ''Brecken''s mission was a success. Jade and Amir called a meeting in the Tower. It''s my opportunity to finally meet with Brecken and confirm his identity.'' I processed my thoughts just as I stepped out of the elevator and headed for room 190. I was about to open the door when Jade and Amir bumped into me.


    "Crane. Listen; Brecken and a team of runners went after an airdrop last night. He lost two of the team to biters, and then Rais''s men were about to ambush them, but suddenly Brecken found them with their necks snapped. The strangest thing was he saw the same person that helped save you and Amir''s life days ago. Now despite the mission being a success Brecken still wants to go after the next drop himself, but we can''t let him. He''s still exhausted from the mission last night and losing two of his runners takes its toll on him. You''ve got to back us up. Ok?" Jade explained the situation to me.


    Amir followed after. And who the hell is this stranger? Hopefully from what Jade said, he''s here to help. We went inside and can hear Lena argue with Brecken.


    "For God''s sake, you can''t even think straight! We need you alive, you idiot!" Lena argue with Brecken just passed this door. Amir and Jade were about to open the door before looking at me.


    "Okay, we''re going in. Act confident." Amir said before he and Jade opened the door and we went inside.


    "Brecken. Lena." Jade said as Lena was about to storm out of the room.


    "Maybe you two can get through to him!" Lena packed her things and stomped out. Brecken gave a sigh as he stood in front of us.


    "Jade. Amir. Who''s your friend?"


    "Kyle Crane." I introduced myself as I saw Brecken''s bandages, must be from last night''s mission.


    "Look, Brecken, the last thing we need is for you to go back out there. We can figure out another way. Without jeopardizing you. Right, Crane?" Jade said looking at me. And there''s my cue.


    "I''ll go. I''ll do it."


    "Right! Yes! Crane will go. He''ll be happy to." Jade said. I''m not sure what feel about that. But I need to gain their trust so I have to bite the bullet on this one. Brecken grabbed a bottle of water and gave a grunt.


    "Jesus. No offense, friend, but you''re as green as grass. You can''t just-"


    "Crane will manage. He''ll start in the right spot. And Lena''s right; you need to be here, taking care of the Tower. Convincing them the World''s not over yet." Amir consoled Brecken and backed Jade up. Brecken just gave a deep breath.


    "Ah, hell. Maybe¡­ We got the first airdrop anyway¡­ Yeah¡­ okay. Fine." Brecken extended his hand to me for a handshake, I gave him a firm shook.


    "Good luck¡­ Crane." He said before the three of us were about to walk out.


    "Jade. Amir. A moment?" Brecken said gesturing for the two to stay.


    "Sure. Head for the Cauldron. We''ll be in touch shortly." Amir said before following Jade and Brecken. I just walked out of the door before Lena stopped me.


    "Look, there''s something else we need to discuss. Brecken''s been looking for this stranger ever since last night. He described him in detail, tall¡­ about 5''10, wears a black trench coat, a matching fedora, shades, and he hides his entire head with a mask. Funny thing is, Amir described the same person that helped save you and his life. Brecken wants to find him so he can ask him to join the Tower, he''s afraid that someone like him would make a dangerous enemy if he ever joins Rais''s group. But I said, if he was with Rais then why would he help him get the airdrop and kill his own men? Look all I''m asking is if you ever see this person, try and talk to him, because Brecken said he wasn''t the most talkative of a guy from what I heard from him." Lena said.


    Huh, if this is the guy that helped save my life, then I guess I better keep my eyes peeled. I kinda owe him one. I headed for the elevator and headed down.


    ''Brecken''s looking for someone that helped him get the airdrop. This someone probably is the same person that help save my life and Amir''s. From what Lena said, this guy''s not the talkative type and would probably disappear on sight. I just have to keep my senses sharp. And with most of the runners out of action, Brecken wants the scouts to take their place. That means me. We''re supposed to go for the next airdrop, right before sunset. Jade and Amir will be showing me the ropes.'' I thought as the elevator hit ground floor. I went to the quartermaster first to restock on my weapon that broke down yesterday and some supplies. First I need to report about Brecken not being Suleiman to the GRE.


    Climbing up a rooftop I made the call.


    "Crane, here."


    "Report."


    "The Tower boss is named Brecken, and he''s definitely not your man. The other likely suspect is this¡­ warlord, basically. Local guy, calls himself Rais. He''s hoarding Antizin and then gouging the hell out of anybody who wants to buy some. I''m on a mission to get Antizin from the airdrop. If I don''t succeed, they''ll have to come up with something else."


    "Acknowledged. Good job, Crane. You''re doing well. Stay on the task and we''ll be in touch. Be sure to call us immediately if and when you get that Antizin." The call cuts off from there.


    Now I need to focus on the current task at hand and head for this place called the Cauldron, which was a ways away northwest from the Tower. I was about half way there when I heard Jade''s voice over the radio.


    "Crane. Three-quarters of all airdrops fall in the Cauldron. So if you start from there, you''ll have the best chance of getting to that drop before Rais''s men do."


    "On my way." I continued the journey to the Cauldron. I was nearly there so I contacted Jade.


    "Jade I''m getting close to the drop zone."


    "Good. Find some shelter and wait. Most of the drops seem to fall exactly in that area."


    Okay that doesn''t seem too hard. I can see an inactive safe house just under the overpass. I headed there and cleared out the infected inhabiting the area. And finally turned the circuit breaker on, activating the UV system and making this area now a safe zone.


    With that done I saw a deployed parachute on a rooftop nearby, probably where the airdrop is. I climbed over a few houses before managing to find a way up and opened the crate. But it was empty, dammit. Rais''s men must''ve gotten it first.


    "Dammit. Nothing here." I closed the crate and up in the sky I saw a plane drop two airdrops over in the distance just on the other side of the overpass.


    "Did you see that?" Amir''s voice was on the radio.


    "Yeah two drops."


    "They landed elsewhere unfortunately, but you''re not that far away. Get those crates before anyone else does!" Amir cuts off and I immediately rushed over there. On my way there I found a little girl hiding in a closet. I called Jade and told her about her and she said she''ll be over here to pick her up, but I got chastised for getting sidetracked but she knew I couldn''t just ignore leaving her alone to die. I got back on track and headed for the overpass to get a higher view on where the airdrops landed. But I guess I shouldn''t be surprised at the state of the highway. Swarms of infected were all over this place.


    "Oh shit. They''re swarming like locusts¡­" I hopped from car to car avoiding the sea of infected that tried to reach for me.


    I saw where the airdrop landed, it landed on the safe zone that I secured yesterday. But when I climbed over the wall something was wrong. Dead bodies of Rais''s men were on the ground. Their heads ripped right out of their shoulders and on the wall was a painting of a giant letter ''V''. I inspected the painting and realized that it was blood, the one who did this used Rais''s men''s blood to draw the letter. Saving the thoughts for later, I finally realized that the airdrop wasn''t here at all. The parachute was here but the whole crate was gone. Someone carried it off and this can''t possibly be a one man job.


    "Shit¡­ too late. Jade someone got here first. Somebody got here and killed Rais''s men and took the airdrop, and I mean the entire crate." I contacted Jade and Amir.


    "F.u.c.k! Okay. Just find the second one. Look for the smoke from the flare! The crate should be close by." I nodded and saw that the flare was a bit farther away than this one. If I have to hazard a guess it was just close to the shore. Amir contacted me suddenly.


    "Crane, it''s too close to sunset. You need to turn back. NOW!" And he was right, the sun was about two-thirds over the horizon. But I need to do this, if I don''t then the Tower''s doomed.


    "Amir, I''m almost there. I can do this." I wasn''t wrong. The smoke from the flare was just over in the distance just by the shore. If I hurry I can make it just before the Volatiles come out.


    It took about 5 minutes but I finally arrived at the airdrop. I took care of the infected that were surrounding the crate with little trouble. I opened the crate and saw five cases filled with Antizin. Remembering my mission I contacted the GRE.


    "Crane here. I''m about to recover an Antizin drop."


    "Good, Crane. This offers us a new strategy. Time to turn your attention to Rais. Listen closely. It''s very possible that Rais is our man. So if you find an airdrop containing Antizin, destroy it."


    "What? WHY?!" What the hell?! Why would they do this? I thought they were a humanitarian group.


    "It will force interaction with Rais. You can go under Brecken''s auspices. As an ambassador, if you will."


    "But there are civilians depending on this stuff¡­"


    "Our plan is focused on the greater good. Remember that." The call cuts off.


    Ugh¡­ ''Greater Good'' they say¡­ that''s what they all say¡­ But¡­ ugh¡­ I can''t disobey, my mission takes priority¡­ I''ll probably go to hell after this but¡­ I have no choice. I begrudgingly burned all the Antizin on a burning barrel.


    "Jade. Amir, I''m at the airdrop. There''s no Antizin here." I said, as much as I despise myself right now.


    "NONE? F.u.c.k¡­ F.U.C.K! All right, get back here. And be careful¡­ the nightmares are awake. Don''t let them see you." I heard an echoing roar or something. That must''ve been one of them.


    "Oh shit, must''ve heard me." I muttered to myself. And took a peek at the gap of the gate and I saw something that was probably a Volatile. Body covered in blood, its ribs were outward instead of in and it was feasting on corpse. Another one spotted me as it roared, opening its lower jaw showing some sharp fangs underneath.


    Not waiting to find out what''ll happen to me. I jumped over a ledge and landed on a pile of garbage that cushioned my fall. I didn''t turn around for a second knowing what''s behind me. Nearing the sea I dove right in, swimming away. One thing about the infected is they can''t swim and they die instantly when submerged in water. I swam around the shore avoiding the infected and Volatiles. I bumped into what looked like a giant drainage pipe that leads straight near the Tower. I silently ran through it avoiding in making any noise less I get spotted again. I exited via a giant gap that was on the left side, and I can see the Tower.


    I finally got inside, home free. That was the most intense run I''ve ever had¡­ Here''s hoping that it will be the last I''ll see a Volatile in my lifetime. I rode the elevator up and manage to catch my breath.


    ''I made it in one piece. Now I know how Brecken must''ve felt, running at night. It is no picnic. Gotta report to him and tell him I don''t have any Antizin. Lying to everyone stinks, but I know the GRE''s working for the greater good.'' I just hope that''s true. I finished my thoughts as the elevator stopped and I stepped off.


    I opened the door and went inside, and already I can hear arguing inside. Ugh¡­ joy.


    "Brecken, come on¡­ I mean, we have Antizin from your mission, and I don''t know how long it''ll last. But buying from Rais? You can''t be serious¡­" A runner argued.


    "Oh for God''s sake, I''ll go. I''m not scared." Jade said.


    "Absolutely not. We''ve discussed that already." Brecken stopped Jade.


    "We didn''t discuss it. You just decided that I-." Jade countered, but I have to take this opportunity to get to Rais.


    "I''ll go." Everyone in the room was now looking at me.


    "Are you serious?" Jade said.


    "Well¡­ this Rais guy has never seen my face before. Clean slate. Right?" The others were looking at each other, having a silent discussion. Finally they conceded as Brecken stood up.


    "Could you guys give Crane and me the room, please?" Everyone got up and left. Rahim though gave me a thumbs up before going, with Jade following behind. Brecken then turned his attention to me.


    "You sure you''re up for this?"


    "Has to be done, doesn''t it?


    "Well, I''m not gonna argue. Rais''s place is over here. Just¡­ find out what this''ll cost us, and come back in one piece." Brecken said as he pointed a building that was on the furthermost left side of the city. Quite a long way to go.


    After receiving instructions I headed for my room and grab some shut eye, it''s been a long night.


    ''Brecken is so desperate, he''s ready to deal with the devil himself. Rais. And since I''m supposed to determine whether or not Rais is the one who stole the GRE''s secret doc.u.ment, this is the perfect opportunity.'' I finished my thoughts as I crashed on my bed and it didn''t take long for me to fall asleep.


    Next Day (6 am)


    I woke up from the sound of my radio again. But this time it was Brecken''s voice on the other line.


    "Crane, you awake?"


    "I''m now, what''s going on?"


    "Head to the ground floor now! There''s something here you need to see." He cuts off before I can respond.


    With no time to waste I rode the elevator down and when I arrived, I can see Brecken, Jade, Rahim, Lena, and Amir talking to a guard and beside them were two crates that were filled with Antizin.


    ''What the hell?'' I thought. What in the world is going on?


    "What do you mean he just dropped it and left?!" Jade asked, ok more like interrogating from the way she was yelling at him. I can see the guy just sweating bullets with everyone looking at him like that.


    "Like I said! He just carried these two and just left before I can get any answers! When I opened them and saw the Antizin I didn''t bother thinking about it and immediately contacted you guys!" The guard argue, probably the same answer he used before I got down.


    "Wait so you mean he lifted these two all by himself all the way here? Have you been drinking while on duty again?" Rahim was the one who talked. The guard just shook his head and just sat down with a sigh.


    "Look I saw what I saw! Even if you don''t believe me, these two crates of Antizin are proof enough that someone did deliver them here! So if it were up to me, I wouldn''t look a gift horse in the mouth and take it without complaint, because now we have more than enough Antizin to last us a year and we don''t have to buy some from Rais now!" The guard shouted as he stomped down and went back to his post. Everyone just mumbled around each other, trying to figure out about the crate and the stranger that delivered them. Amir was the first one to notice my presence.


    "Crane! I''m glad you''re here!" Amir greeted me and pulled me towards the others. I was about to ask about the crates when I noticed something underneath the top lid of the opened crate. It was the same blood painted letter ''V''.


    "Guys have you noticed this?" I asked. Pointing at the letter ''V''


    "Yeah, it was already there when we opened it up. Why? Do you know something about it?" Lena asks.


    "Yeah. Yesterday at the first airdrop. There were no signs of the crates and I found Rais''s men dead and the same letter was painted in blood at the wall just beside it." I explained the events that happened last night.


    "Could it be it was from the same person that helped me and you before Brecken?" Amir spoke next. Brecken was inclined to agree with him, now that he''s rested up and thinking straight, he can process this a little easier now.


    "Maybe¡­ we still can''t be sure. But everything here is making me believe you Amir. And he''s right. Now we have more than enough Antizin to last us a year. We don''t have to make a deal with Rais. Okay, Crane I have a new mission for you. I need you to find this man, and talk to him into joining us at the Tower." Brecken said, giving me a new mission. Well this will steer my mission off course, but if this guy did this, then maybe he can help me with ''my'' mission.


    "All right. But where would I start? From what I heard earlier this guy just ups and runs."


    Brecken pointed at the V letter that was now probably this guy''s calling card.


    "I believe he is sending us a message. Maybe if you can find anymore areas with this symbol then maybe it will lead you to him." Brecken finished as he helped Lena carry the Antizin back to the elevator and into her clinic. The rest went back to whatever they were doing before this began.


    Now with a new mission. I armed myself and headed outside in order to find out just who our mysterious helper is.


    5 days earlier after Crane''s rescue (V''s POV)


    I ran through the streets and buildings of Harran trying to get a feel of the place. The game was really detailed on the areas of the map so moving around here is almost the same as the game, well except that I''m doing all the running and climbing. I memorized every street and pathway to every area on every map of the game. So moving around and outmaneuvering my enemies shouldn''t be much of a problem.


    But first things first I have 3 days to prepare myself before Crane wakes up and 3 days and 12 hours before Brecken''s Run Boy Run, night run. So I have to prep up. While my sheer strength and speed gives me an edge over everyone here, they unfortunately outgun me. And I just discovered some things about myself and my new body. First off, as a Volatile the pain receptors to my brain are completely dead. Meaning that I no longer feel pain and I no longer have the need for sleep. The next is that I have a strong healing factor, but not strong enough to re-grow lost limbs unfortunately, I can heal from gunshots to big lacerations and broken bones, as long as they don''t cut off my head, shoot my brains out or drown me.


    The next one is that I tested on how far of a drop I can endure. And I wasn''t disappointed that I can survive a 50 foot drop. I tried to push it to a hundred but that resulted in me having broken legs for about an hour. Which would''ve taken a month for a normal person. That goes to show on how strong a Volatile''s healing factor is if you don''t kill it quickly. However I can survive a hundred foot drop if I do a shock absorbing tumble. That one took a few tries, the failed tests were another few hours of a broken spine, arm, and it broke off the ribs that were sticking out of me. The good news was that they regrew inside now instead of out, so that was a good failure.


    The next thing I discovered is that I don''t feel hunger at all anymore. But I can still eat, meaning that eating is more of a pleasure now instead of a necessity. The other infected and Volatiles confirms my theory that they only feed because the virus wants to not need. Given that the virus was a mutated variation of rabies. Honestly how do scientists come up and make these things? Seriously they should focus more on cures like for cancer. Instead of making apocalyptic types of viruses.


    Okay. Now that that''s done. My first prep mission is to find a base of operations first. Which isn''t that difficult to find since the infected don''t bother with me at all and I can just rip them apart with no trouble at all if they get annoying. And I already have a place in mind. I journeyed on until I reached the train tunnel quarantine zone. This place is perfect because nobody dares to come here and even if there were those who were dumb enough to go in, then the infected would take care of them.


    I went inside the quarantine zone and found a place perfect to be my base. It was a military bunker that was near the entrance and it still has some power running. Perfect. Now I have a place to call home. The next thing to do now is to find some guns. Which wasn''t all that difficult.


    I searched the highway tunnels for the police vans, and found them just by the entrance of the tunnel, just like in the game. I approached the van and tear the door off its hinges and found a 9mm. with a full clip. A box full of its spare ammo, and an equipment belt from a nearby dead police officer to store my spare ammo. I have no use for melee weapons because my bare claws were already more than enough to do it for me.


    With my job done the next thing on my list is to collect some small vials or bottles to store my toxic Phlegm. Another thing I discovered about being a Volatile is that the toxic phlegm that I can spit was actually super potent stomach acid. Which was toxic enough to kill someone in minutes if they got it in their body, like from an open wound, mouth, or eyes. As long as it gets inside their body then they''re as good as dead. If it hits only skin then it won''t kill them, but it will burn like hell. So I started to collect glass bottles and filled them with my toxic spit. I can only carry 3 with me at time so I had to stockpile some here at the quarantine zone which I am now calling as the V zone.


    Yeah, ever since I died I decided to go by a new name. Which was ''V'', not the Roman numeral 5, just V from the initial letter of Volatile. I actually got the idea from resident evil 2 remake which was from Mr. X. By the way loved playing it before kicking the bucket. They really brought the scare factor back. And since I almost wear the same clothing as him, I decided to heck with it.


    Anyway back to the present, it took me an entire day to gather enough bottles and fill them with toxic spit. Now I have enough with me to take down an entire army. It took most of the space in the V zone but meh, I always had a bit of a hoarding problem in games, especially survival games.


    With my job finished it was already the next day, and I used this day as a way to patrol the city and see if there were any survivors that needed helping. And a few hours later I managed to rescue 3 survivors from being zombie chow. The third was actually the closest call, because the first two were just people who locked themselves inside because they were surrounded. The third one however I was afraid that I wasn''t going to make it. As the survivor was almost gonna get bitten I reached for my 9mm pistol and took aim and fired. *SPLAT*. Bullseye! Right in the noggin! There was no need for me to loiter around anymore and so I passed on.


    Completely ignorant that that was the same runner that Crane met when he secured the first safe zone.


    It was already sunset when I was done with my patrol. I rescued two more survivors, and this time I saved them from Rais''s men. Good thing that these thugs were only carrying melee weapons so it was no problem for me to kill them all. The survivors thanked me, but I can tell that they were a bit scared of me given my attire and that I just gave them a nod and quickly left. I didn''t need to talk because I knew if I did, then my voice would definitely scare them off.


    I returned to my zone and just had a short nap, well it turned out to be a long one. True I don''t feel tired anymore, but I can still enjoy a good night''s sleep.


    Day of Crane''s awakening (9 am)


    It was the day of Crane''s wakeup call and I noticed on my watch that I took from a shop nearby that it was 9 am. Okay. I let out a yawn, which was a weird feeling because of my lower jaw opening. This is the day that Crane wakes up and gears up for his run for Spike. Time to gear up, I grabbed what I needed for this day. My gun, some ammo, a pair of binoculars, and a paintbrush. I needed the paintbrush for my calling card, which was my name ''V''. Now that I''m all set I headed out.


    First I followed Crane as he went and see the doctor for his Antizin injection. It took quite a while for him to come out of there. Then I saw him enter Spike''s shed. Okay this should be the time where that runner gets trapped in that safe zone. I just hope he doesn''t turn before I get there.


    It took me a while to find it but I got there just in time to close the gate and take care of the infected as silent as possible, I didn''t want to reveal myself too early now. So with that done I raced off and waited for Crane to arrive. I observed just across the street at the ''Left 4 Bread'' shop. Hehehehe. Hah! That always makes me laugh. Whoever came up with that was a comedy genius.


    Crane then went back to his mission to arm the traps that were just over by the street near my location. I saw him use the fireworks to distract the infected away from the car trap and arm said traps.


    Then I saw him headed for the light traps just under the overpass and near the train yard. This was my cue to head to the power substation over by the hill there and wait for the power outage. I found the station and went inside. There, I saw the goon that was just waiting for Crane to arrive, but not this time. I went near the Goon and grabbed a hold of its head and twisted it 180 degrees. It only took a second for it to drop dead, crushing the biter that was near it.


    I waited for a while before I saw the lights go out. That was my cue to turn it all back on. I opened the circuit breaker and switched everything back on, saving Crane time in order to get back to the safe house. And it was now time for me to go back to the Tower and follow Brecken and his team on their night mission. It was time for Run Boy Run.


    I stealthily followed them as they avoided any Volatiles in the way. I tried to help at every opportunity, from distracting any Volatiles that came near them, to taking out infected that were following after them. It took them a good hour before we saw the airdrop just over by the distance on a rooftop. Time for the real challenge. I watched as Brecken and his team began their run for the airdrop, unfortunately Brecken jumped and broke a wooden rooftop, alerting any Virals within the vicinity.


    They took a detour to a building that was headed for the sewers. There, I can see the swarm of undead that were trying to break down the door, and Brecken''s team were trying to close it shut. Okay. This was time to hopefully save some of them because I can''t follow them to the sewers. The trailer wasn''t too detailed on the inside of the sewers so I might run the risk of getting lost. So I did the next best thing I jumped down and ripped the infected that were breaking down the door to shreds.


    With the job done, I can hear Brecken''s runners sigh in relief that they managed to seal the door. I heard Brecken said that they have to go under and come out of the other side.


    As I hear their footsteps fade then the only thing I can do now is wait by the airdrop. I can see the smoke of the flare over by that tall building. Wasting no time, I ran straight to the building next to it and just waited with my binoculars in hand.


    It was already nearing sunrise when I saw Brecken and two more people climb up the ladder. It was a shame that 2 died, but it was better than all of them dead. And just across the building I can see Rais''s men lying in wait, ready to ambush Brecken and his men. I stored my binoculars and head straight for them.


    I sneaked behind Rais''s men just as Brecken and his men finally made it to the top. Rais''s men were about to take a whack at them before I snuck right behind them and *CRACK*, *CRACK*, *CRACK*. I twisted their necks like an owls and saw Brecken jump and looked behind him. He saw the now dead bodies of Rais''s men and he and his runners'' pointed their weapons at me.


    "Who are you?" He asks. "Did you do that?" Pointing at the three dead bodies on the floor, their heads facing behind them. I just stared at them trying to think of a way to get out of this. I calculated the height before I went up here, and it was about 80 feet or so. I can easily make this drop. I just walked backwards towards the edge. Brecken and his runners were now growing tense at what I''ll do. I hopped on the ledge and gave them a wave before jumping down. I did a tumble just as I was about to hit the ground and ran like hell ignoring Brecken calling out to me.


    Okay. BOOYAH! I did it! Brecken''s mission was a success! Now they have enough Antizin to last them a while. But there was still another airdrop later at sunset. And this was the one where Crane burned it all up. I already planned for this, that''s why I brought the paintbrush. But right now, everything''s seems about right.


    So I headed out and did my patrols around the city, this time on the north side.


    Hours Later (5 pm) Near the Cauldron


    I finished my patrols with few incidents. I rescued 5 survivors. 2 of them from I saved from becoming a zombie''s next meal, and the other 3 were about to be executed from Rais''s men. It was a tricky situation because the executioner was carrying an assault rifle. But I managed to pull it off, by using some Far Cry tactics. I tossed a rock just near the group. One of them went to check it out, that''s where I waited to strike and snapped his neck and hid his body behind some bushes. The executioner was now easily dealt with, I snuck behind him and crushed his windpipe dropping his gun. After untying the survivors, I took the rifle from the dead body and looted anything I can find on them. I walked away with a full clip assault rifle and 20 spare ammo to go with it.


    As I was headed back I finally saw the airdrop landed. Okay time for my plan to start. I went to the first one which was by the safe house across left 4 bread. And I can see that 3 of Rais''s men were there. Good thing they only have wooden bats and crowbars with them. So with no need for a stealthy approach I went with the direct one. The first one saw me and was about to attack me, but I easily dodged the attack and knocked him down by leg sweeping him and ripped his head right out of his shoulder blades.


    The other two were a bit demoralized by my bloody finish, but they steeled their nerves and attacked me at the same time. I just stood where I am and drew my pistol and shot them both dead, and I removed their heads as well clean off their shoulders. This was the next step. I took out my paintbrush and used their blood that was spilling out of their head sockets as paint and drew my name on the wall. With that done, I took the two crates of Antizin and carried them off back to the V zone.


    I could''ve taken the second one as well, but this part was needed in order for Crane to begin to realize the GRE were nothing but money grubbing sons of bitches. I know it doesn''t start until later on but I think this is necessary, besides sometime after midnight the Tower will now have two crates Antizin and not from f.u.c.k.i.n.g Rais! The lying son of a bitch! It was actually really satisfying when Crane sliced his arm clean off the elbow in the game. But with me here, I''ll be making sure he suffers so much, that he will be crying for mercy after I''m done with him.


    With the first half of the job done I carried the crates back to the V zone and took a short nap, waiting for the right time.


    Time Skip (4 am)


    *YAWN* I groaned as I stood up and checked my watch. 4 am. Perfect. Time to finish the rest of the plan. I opened the lid of the two crates and I drew my letter just beneath it then I grabbed hold of the two crates and lifted them up as I made the quick trip to the Tower. It took about 15 minutes for me to arrive. I passed by the UV defenses, glad that my clothing can still protect me. And that''s when the guard saw me and points his gun at me.


    "Who the hell are you?! You don''t look like one of Brecken''s runners!" He said still points his gun at me. Okay, I have to do this carefully or else I might get a bullet between my eyes. I slowly and steadily dropped the two crates in front of him. He just raised an eyebrow at me not realizing that I just carried two very heavy crates of Antizin here. Not lowering his guard even a bit, he opened one of the crates. His eyes widen at seeing the full crate of Antizin. And that was my cue to leave. Without looking back I disappeared in the darkness of the night and retreated to my zone.


    *SIGH* ''Oh hell. That was one hell of a trip. But it was all worth it.'' Now the Tower doesn''t have to suffer any more of its people from turning. My heart sank when in the game Brecken said that when one of them turned on the floor below them, he had to close it off leaving the children to die. Boy that part in the game was heart wrenching. But now that won''t be happening anytime soon, hopefully never.


    I closed my eyes, planning for the next events that were to come next.


    AN: HOLY SHIT! This took me awhile to finish. And again a shout out for the first two reviewers that pointed out my character''s similarity with Mr. X. Yeah¡­ I get the feeling all of the chapters from here on out are gonna be this long, maybe longer¡­. Yeah¡­ oh well I enjoyed writing this. And I''m so happy that people are already following this story! It makes me proud in writing this fic! Ok so once again honest reviews are appreciated and this is Fatalis0217 signing off to write the next chapter. PEACE!

 Chapter 219 - My SI Stash #19 - Psychopomp by Pangolin (Bleach)

    -More SI Hollow Bleach fics~ This Hollow fic has the best balance of edginess and angst. Alot of canon derailment too.


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated ???


    Words: 71K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/psychopomp-bleach-si.747151/ (Pangolin)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Yammy honestly hadn''t expected to wake up and take in fresh air ever again.


    But even then, maybe fresh was a bit of a stretch. Stagnant and a bit dank, more like, but it was air.


    A damn shame. Defeat aside, he was curious about what came after life as a Hollow. Rebirth or nothingness, heaven or hell -- he didn''t really care which.


    But as it turned out that death was a cave in Hueco Mundo.


    Great.


    Opening his eyes, the colossal Adjuchas noticed the warm glow of a fire off to his side, and the fact he was somehow placed down beside it. The cave could barely contain him, so how he got inside was an entirely different matter.


    He moved to sit, only to be hit with the w.o.m.bo combo of his injury opening up and the ceiling being too short. Double pain. He slumped back down with a rumble of the earth following.


    "Man, f.u.c.k this¡­" the crimson furred giant muttered, his words still loud enough to boom through the cave.


    "Hey! Hey! Hey! No moving, you utter goon! Look at what you''ve done now!" another loud voice said from the other end of the cave. He glanced out of the corner of his masked face to spot another hollow slithering out of a hole in the cave''s wall, frustration evident in its lanky posture.


    It was a Gillian. Not the tallest one Yammy had ever seen, but they were distinct things even when they were at their most aberrant.


    He then looked down at his body, the gouge running along his gut and side bleeding. Tightly bound threads barely retained their shape against his huge body, doing their best to cover the injuries. That was different.


    But more importantly --


    "Eh?! Who the hell are you, you little rat?!" Scurrying tiny thing. All other Hollows were. "Where the hell is this?!"


    The comparatively small Gillian stopped before Yammy, looking up at him with void-like eyes¡­ which suddenly ignited into glowing golden limbal rings. "Shut the hell up, is where! Took me hours to get your fatass in here, and longer still to clean up your injuries! F.u.c.k you, fatass!"


    The hollow then punched Yammy in the side with a bony fist. Right into the injury left by his opponents blade.


    Yammy screamed for the first time in his life and slammed his head into the ceiling, falling right back down immediately. "You sonuva¡­!"


    "Shut the hell up! Don''t move! You''ll bleed out and flood my goddamn cave! This is my town, my rules! If you move, I stuff enough herbal paste in there that you feel the sting for ten centuries!" The smaller Hollow raged, jabbing an armored white finger in Yammy''s direction, the sharp gesture threatening to poke him again.


    A Gillian with personality and enormous nuts to go along with it. Now Yammy had seen everything.


    He held himself back from barking back at the Gillian, clearly the only reason he was alive after his confrontation with the Rey Dorado. In his then drained state, the Gillian also held the power to end him if it so felt the need.


    The Gillian lowered its finger, hand vanishing beneath the black mass of a robe which consisted of its elongated body. The jittering posture calmed into the eerie stillness Yammy associated with the Menos Grande class of Hollow. "My name is Sabado Cruzar. And you are, I assume, Yammy¡­ Large? Largo?"


    "Llargo, for f.u.c.ks sake."


    "Did you pick that name yourself?" The Gillian -- Sabado -- asked.


    "Yeah. What of it?" Yammy returned dangerously, his crimson eye beginning to glow.


    "...You called yourself ''Big''," Sabado surmised. There was something about how he paused to look at Yammy that made him bristle.


    "No, I didn''t! It''s just what felt right, you little twirp!"


    "Llargo is too close to Largo for that to not be true, Yammy Llargo. But that is not important," The Gillian waved off the track of the conversation, leaving Yammy a little bit fuming at him. Sabado''s tone had transitioned from an enraged indignation at Yammy into a much calmer, professional tone. "You''re in my home. I brought you back after you collapsed some few miles out in the dunes. Not an easy task, given your considerable amount of fat."


    "It''s muscle and spiritual power, you f.u.c.k.i.n.g Gillian. You should be able to tell."


    "I can, it''s quite oppressive. But honestly, Yammy?" He reached out, and pinched some of Yammy''s fuzzy side, squishing it. "Let us just call it muscle, spiritual power and a bit of healthy, completely normal body fat."


    Yammy squinted at the lanky waste of space. "I''m gonna kill you."


    "Roll over and you probably will. Anyway -- I''ve done what I can for your injuries, the rest is to you. Stay still, don''t make a fuss and in say¡­ two weeks, you''ll be good to go again."


    The giant beast snorted. "I''ll starve before then, little man."


    "Don''t you worry. Let me handle the food situation. As I''ve been telling you, focus on recovery."


    "You plannin'' on poisoning me or something?" Yammy asked reasonably, concern beginning to crawl its way up his spine, an unwelcome feeling. The Adjuchas Hollow, as powerful as he was, was at too much of a disadvantage to be truly comfortable with letting some menos grande buzz about him.


    Killing him was on option, but then he was trapped in a cave and close to bleeding out.


    "I could just shoot a Cero into the deepest part your injury, if I wanted to kill you. It''d be messy, but I''m fairly certain it''d work, even with the ocean of power between us," Sabado reasoned, with a wag of a finger. He moved to check on the bindings, gliding over the earth in that strange, wavy manner Gillians were prone to.


    Yammy had the distinct feeling that Sabado was just putting it on, playing the ''role'' of a Gillian in that regard. He seemed too in-tact to truly retain that mindless lumber of theirs.


    But the little thing had a good point. Gillians were dirt, but they could still make use of the Cero. With the range and his temporary... weakness, he could probably do something to Yammy with that. What a shitty day he was having.


    He went quiet, seeing no need to continue talking with the smaller Hollow. He let it work, lanky arms poking out from the all-encompassing black surrounding its body in order to check on the bindings it had put together for Yammy''s injury. Sabado informed Yammy of the severity of it, about how even with the speed of a Hollow''s healing, it would take a long time for him to get over it. Something about the Rey Dorado''s energy.


    He didn''t really care. He picked up the useful bullet points, but nothing more.


    Once Sabado was done tightening and readjusting the bindings and -- painfully -- applying some salve, there was little else to be done between them. He simply slinked off deeper into his cave, put more dry fuel into the fire at the center of it, and then went about looking at his selection of books, preening over them carefully.


    What kind of Hollow keeps books? Not much help to them, and the trouble of going to the human world to get them was also too much.


    The Gillian picked out a book from a stack which came up to his midsection, a veritable tower of paper and words, and settled down in a ''sit'' which brought the ''knees'' of its distended body up.


    Yammy huffed and closed his eyes.


    Weird f.u.c.ker.


    ~~~?


    "Food''s here, Llargo."


    "Thank every possible god, I thought I was gonna starve again."


    "I literally fed you no less than thirty hours ago."


    "Big body like this takes fuel."


    "Fatass."


    Sabado hucked one half of a feral Hollow up at Yammy, and the giant furred monster caught the thing whole in his giant mouth, the off-blue flesh of the thing sawed apart by the ferocious teeth of his mask. Sabado dragged the other half off for himself, looking like half a scorpion of some such.


    Going halfsies with a Gillian. Didn''t exactly fill the belly, but it kept his healing going. For the week and some change he''d been there, he could feel himself beginning to store energy again.


    He was ready to get out there again. Back into the sands, where he could eat properly and beat the crap out of anyone who got in his way. Such was the only life Yammy cared for, after all the years he had wandered. It was the only life he was good for.


    Sabado''s Gillian mask was clearly avian in nature, an owl if the wider-than usual eye holes were anything to go but that only applied to upper parts of it. The rest was closer to the usual monstrous maw of their kind, the only difference being that it had an elegant looking upper-half to contrast it.


    Given how Sabado ate like a savage, just like the rest of them, it fit.


    But that didn''t change the fact he acted strange. A strange collector of human things, a Gillian with more brains than most Adjuchas and the wherewithal to mend Yammy back to health, but not the awareness to know why that was a terrible idea. Lanky idiot.


    Again, the concern returned. What was this thing up to?


    "What''s your game, Sabado Cruzaz? You looking to piggyback off my power or something?"


    Yammy was about as tactful as a punch to the face.


    Sabado paused in his meal, mid-bite into the cracked shell of the scorpion Hollow. The golden limbal rings returned, gazing at Yammy out of the corner of their vision.


    "You''ve got enough weight to carry around with that block of a head," he shot back, getting another indignant huff from Yammy. He always had something to snipe. "Nothing of the sort. I just saw someone who was hurt, and could use some help. Don''t think too much of it, Yammy," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, disregarding the very implication of his words.


    Yammy''s mouth opened, and remained so for a good minute. It was in fact not that obvious.


    "You''re f.u.c.k.i.n.g insane," the giant finally managed to muster. "Insane and stupid. We''re Hollows, you dumbass."


    "That doesn''t mean anything. I''ve been in Hueco Mundo long enough, Yammy. I know what a Hollow is, and what we''re like. That doesn''t mean I have to like it, or even abide by that nature. When someone''s hurt, I like to help."


    Yammy snorted. "Look, even if I just nod along to that, you still kill the living hell out of those Hollow we''ve been eating--"


    "Feral, mindless things. They''re animals more-so than Hollow. They could transcend that, but not before becoming a Gillian. I have no qualms."


    "You''re a Gillian!"


    "A talking, highly intelligent one. I''m allowed to regard myself differently."


    A fair point, Yammy conceded mentally. But that didn''t change much to his general point -- the hypocrisy of it was still present, and even a self-admitted blockhead like Yammy could see it. He moved on, realizing that he was dealing with a complete and utter loon. "What''d ya mean, ''long enough''? You''re a still a class beneath me, couldn''t be around that long."


    Sabado sighed, turning to face Yammy completely. "Believe it or not, I''m only eating because I had to feed you. I rarely eat as it is. And you''re only as powerful as you are at such a young age because you''ve got eyes to match your considerable stomach."


    "Stop calling me fat!" Yammy roared, shaking the very cave with the volume of his thunderous voice.


    "Stop being fat," Sabado replied calmly, the general coolness of them cutting deep.


    "You sonuva--"


    "Anyway, your weight is besides the point. The point is that there are Hollows who help each other -- it''s not terribly uncommon. We form social groups, packs, villages, whatever you want to call them. Why would there not be a Hollow willing to help another one in passing?" Sabado reasoned towards Yammy''s prior objection.


    "They do that because they''re weak. They need those things. Real Hollows don''t need them."


    "Tell that to the Lord Louisenbarn?" Sabado pointed out with very little effort, getting a visible flinch from Yammy.


    Barragan had something of a ''group'', if ''the largest contingent of Hollowkind in Hueco Mundo'' counted as just a group. More like a hive that buzzed around the mane of a lion, but it was a group.


    "Because he''s scared. He knows there''s bigger fish out there. Other Vasto Lorde, and one in particular could crush even him. We''ve all felt it, when wandering about. There''s a part of Hueco Mundo you just don''t go, because of it. It''ll kill you with pressure alone. Baraggan doesn''t have that."


    Sabado hummed, chewing on the flesh of his prey. "... Then, because he is not the absolute strongest, he gathers an army to compensate, you say?"


    "Yeah, f.u.c.k it, why not. I just think he''s a big p.u.s.s.y. A strong one, but a p.u.s.s.y either way."


    "Then the one who stands at the summit is the only one who should walk alone?"


    "No," Yammy said with no short measure of resolve, brow furrowing. "We all should. That way we can find out who truly is the strongest. Getting help¡­ removes from that."


    Sabado went quiet, still even.


    "... Hum. An experience shaped that perspective of yours, but I won''t pry too deeply. I merely thought you a musclehead, but you are more of a musclehead with a history."


    "...Thanks?" Yammy asked/said, feeling that Sabado had complimented him in his own way, yet still managed to snipe him. Baffling.


    "Think nothing of it. But know that I disagree. The strength of many can easily become the strength of one¡­ as I believe we are to find out, in the coming years," the Gillian mutter ominously, staring off into the fire.


    "Hell does that mean?" Yammy pressed, narrowing his eyes at Sabado.


    "I had a¡­ trait, much like your own ability to retain power. It made me distinct from other Hollows. It''s quite a shameful one, as it only matters in particular circ.u.mstances."


    "Like a counter, or something?"


    "Something like that, yes. Consider me something of an oracle, although a fairly limited one. The details I shall retain to myself."


    Yammy snorted, rolling his eyes and scratching his itchy bandage. "Then did ya know we''d meet?"


    "Actually, no. But don''t think too hard about what I have and have not seen. You''ll hurt your brain. Anyway, that''s besides the point --" he deflected again before Yammy could call him out on it, "Come tomorrow, you''re leaving. Free, out of my cave to wander the sands and do what you want."


    "Shit, two weeks gone already? Feels like a day."


    "Comes with the territory of living as long as we have. Blink, and you will miss it."


    ~~~?


    "... I think I f.u.c.k.i.n.g blinked, because I coulda swore you were just telling me I''d be going tomorrow."


    "It is tomorrow. I keep track."


    Sabado finally removed the last of Yammy''s bandages, exposing the scarred flesh beneath it, the crimson fur of his ape-like body not quite regrowing into the way it used to be. A reminder that he had someone to beat the life out of.


    "Now, to get out you''re going to have to crawl."


    Yammy blinked. "... Really?"


    "Really. Chop chop."


    The giant grumbled indignantly, and began his crawl out of the cave, dragging himself out by his forearms. His lower end got stuck on the entrance.


    "You''re going to have to really push!" came the cry of Sabado from inside. "If you don''t, I''m trapped in here!"


    A pretty entertaining prospect, all things considered. The Gillian was a f.u.c.ker who deserved that more so than he deserved death.


    But even still, Yammy pushed until he was finally freed with a ''pop'', sliding out onto sands once more.


    Fresh air, dry sand and the eternal moon. He had missed it.


    He looked back to the cave entrance, spotting Sabado standing at it, tall enough to have to hunch to do so, but nothing more.


    "How do you feel?" he asked Yammy.


    His answer was getting kicked back into his f.u.c.k.i.n.g cave.


    ~~~?


    Sabado coughed, rubbing where the giant''s blow had impacted him the most. The Gillian rose up, waving away the dust and dirt kicked up by his flight from the entrance of the cave to the other end of it.


    The books were scattered, he grudgingly noticed.


    "What a mess," Sabado muttered, getting to his pale feet, drifting about and kneeling down to pick the books back up, reordering them.


    Order.


    It was the smallest slice of it, in the world of Hueco Mundo. Keeping his abode clean was one of the few forms of organizing he could truly engage in. Thinking of new ways to structure his collection of paraphernalia from Earth was another. Given the relative time on Earth, he did not quite have things which he could truly call ''homey'', but it was still better than the nothing offered by the vast majority of Hueco Mundo.


    He glanced out of the cave, spotting the outline of his once-guest wandering off into the dunes.


    Yammy had been more compliant than he had originally expected. Given what he recalled of the man, he had the image of something a lot simpler. But from the brief bits of conversation, Yammy was a creature formed by an event as opposed to inherently a beast of rage. He was angry at something, not just because he was angry.


    It was a curious thing, but not something he could afford to overly focus on.


    He knew the future. It was not one he intended to dabble in too much. The story had its beginning, and it would have its end. The actual cost of said story was not one he even truly recalled -- how many died in the coming conflict? How many truly suffered meaningfully?


    Such were the thoughts that were allowed to a creature as long-lived as a Hollow. He had certainly grown more thoughtful in his years as a conscious entity.


    Sabado brought a pale palm to his ''head'', bashing away at it for a moment, jostling his thoughts. The host of voices and bestial screams that contested his own thoughts quietened down.


    Picking up a book, the Gillian hunkered down next to the fire once more, and began to read. Gulliver''s Travels had just been released, and he had made sure to acquire a fresh copy from the world of the living.


    It had been an interesting two weeks, but he did enjoy his alone time.


    The future came closer, ever so slowly. But for all his time in thought, he had been merely procrastinating.


    Was it right to step into the course of history? What right did he have to change a story that was going to progress to a conclusion? Rather, could he create a better one with his presence?


    Questions that had remained unanswered. Many-a wise man and woman had he visited on Earth under the guise of a spirit of enquiry or messenger of one God or another, but none had provided him with the satisfaction of knowledge and certainty.


    If the future was already there, should it not remain so?


    After meeting a familiar name in person, the answers were no closer to him than ever before. Rather, they were further. He had stepped in to help Yammy, but what would have happened in his absence? Well, he would never truly know by just thinking about it.


    All he could do was wait for the next day, and hope for an answer.

 Chapter 220 - My SI Stash #20 - King Takes God Checkmate? by AcausalTrilby (OnePunchMan)

    -Recently published fic~ SI as King with the power of the Gamer, unlike the other King Gamer fic this seems to be more focused on OPM instead of the dungeons from the Gaming system! Check it out.


    Sypnosis: Okay. A Self-Insert into the most overestimated character in One Punch Man. Okay the Gamer power, one of the most overutilized powers in fanfiction. But will it be enough to fulfill my dream and challenge the god of this world.


    Rated T


    Words: 27K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13467526/1/King-Takes-God-Checkmate (AcausalTrilby)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Congratulations you have been selected for reincarnation!


    I bemusedly watched the message that continued to flash across my field of view brightly and obnoxiously. I hadn''t ever been congratulated for dying before but I suppose this was the kind of situation that only cropped up once in your life by definition. I still shook my head in disbelief at the way that I had been killed. Instead of being run over by a truck which seems to be the standard in Japan, I was instead run over by one of South Africa''s famous taxis on that death trap of a road outside my place of work. I grimaced briefly at the thought of all the work that I left and the sheer hassle my colleagues would find in completing with it without me considering my laptop would also likely not make it through unscathed. That reflexive expression of pity had no true feelings behind it and I briefly thought of closer family in an attempt to elicit some emotional response that just didn''t seem to come.


    I guess Sir Pterry was right about the lack of glands equalling lack of emotions, although it doesn''t explain how I''m currently able to think without a brain. I had been waiting for a good few minutes for the crushing weight of loss to hit me and it was a relief to find out that I wouldn''t have to deal with it any time soon. What I would have to deal with was that floating list beneath the congratulations message containing a list of worlds that I could allegedly choose to be reincarnated in.


    The list was rather long but didn''t contain any franchises I didn''t already know, although there was a notable bias towards anime; or maybe I''ve just been watching too much anime recently and the list is obliging me. I flicked my finger upwards and a couple more worlds appeared indicating that the list may contain more names than I originally thought.


    "Let me see," I monologue to the surrounding white void. "Naruto, ugh; no thank you." I have no desire to be reincarnated in a feudal feuding child-soldier society that was plagued by grey on grey morality when not viewed through the lens of an idiot. Maybe I was being too harsh to the world in particular; but my morals balked at the idea of becoming an assassin for such a nebulous thing as patriotism.


    High School DXD was next on the list providing the classical harem option and I reflexively forced down a mocking laugh. I absolutely despised the idea of harems and servitude and while the series rubbed me wrong in several ways it had absolutely beautiful world building with a rich world that as whole really needed to really learn to keep its pants on. Still the idea of taking on the overpowered ''good'' guys consisting of ludicrously plot armoured Issei, the stupidly overpowered Sirzhecs and the weakened but still nigh-omnipotent Ophis did appeal to me somewhat.


    One Piece is amazing and I would rather insert burning nails into my fingers before I could bring myself to alter the canon in any way.


    Akame ga Kill was the next world and I hovered over it briefly before moving my hand away. The Naruto problem of being a paid murderer kept me back although it was significantly more black and white than the ninja series due to the presence of such tremendous monsters such as Esdeath and Honest; although if I was honest with myself Esdeath will forever be best waifu.


    Bleach was also skirted past by me. While the series would always hold a special place in my heart the world-building was comparatively mediocre and even the promise of almost immortality wouldn''t sway me to go to a place with pick a factions or die logic; even if it does have some of the most attractive women in any anime series in my humble opinion.


    Ranma ?. No f.u.c.k.i.n.g way. I would rather reincarnate as a f.u.c.k.i.n.g root vegetable than have anything to do with that tremendous cl.u.s.terf.u.c.k.


    Fairy Tail tempted me horrendously with its friendship and good villains and large world and exciting magic and adventures and I dithered for a while before a symbol on the top right that I had previously overlooked caught my eye. The simple image of a dice taken from a 3d perspective was immediately recognizable and to its purpose ultimately intriguing. I actually really hate gambling normally because I was not good enough to make money off of it and I was stingy enough to hate losing money but I also had a habit of poor decisions.


    Not the kind of poor decisions like taking heroin or sleeping with the bosses wife though; more the sort of poor decisions where you would order the fish and it would turn out revolting or you would choose a movie and it would suck. I ended up regretting a lot of my choices in life once I saw the results of the other choice, so maybe I should export my agency to the divine being that apparently had brought me here. I felt familiar hesitation slow my actions and so with a force of will I closed my eyes before hitting my fist against the dice symbol.


    As soon as I did that I began to feel woozy as if all the related stress of my death suddenly became real and I realised through delayed mountains of panic and horror that the list began to wildly spin downwards showing blurred names that whirred past. I fought against the tiredness forcing me to close my eyes while trying to hold back the bile that rose inside my throat and failing to keep a clear head through the waves of sheer exhaustion that wracked my body. Darkness encroached in my vision and before I blacked out I managed to read the name that the list stopped on.


    Welcome xxxx xxxxxxx to the One Punch Man Universe.


    xxx


    When I regained consciousness I could barely move my limbs at all. My head felt heavy and the light was blinding. Discordant noises greeted me and I felt myself held aloft by a man I could barely see. My first thought was that I''ve become a baby; an assertion that proved itself correct a moment later when I heard somebody announce the words ''Congratulations it''s a boy.'' This was a fact that I was immensely thankful for.


    My thought felt fuzzy and sluggish and I wondered if it was because I had been reduced due to being a baby. That explanation felt wrong though considering the fact that it had not reduced anywhere near to make me the median among babies. Considering my body felt weak I would have to spend some time to evaluate my current status.


    I jerked my head back sharply as a blue fricking window popped up in front of my face like a geometrical ambush and I was pulled further into the arms of the one holding me. I ignored the slight feeling of shock, instead taking the time to look at the object in front of me.


    King


    The Gamer


    Title - None


    Species - Human


    Health- 210/210


    Mana ¨C 330/330


    Level ¨C 1 EXP 0/200


    STR ¨C 1


    VIT ¨C 1


    DEX ¨C 1


    INT ¨C 13


    WIS ¨C 12


    LUK ¨C 25


    Points -0


    Money 0£¤


    ''King from the One Punch Man Universe,'' I thought to myself. ''Well I only know of one person named King in the One Punch Man Universe,'' I continued to muse. ''I suppose it''s also thematically appropriate that I was born with the Gamer. It is also probably one of the single greatest powers in all of fiction if used appropriately.'' There were an awful lot of gamer fanfictions on and they tended to range from mediocre to pretty damn sweet. I''d been recently reading through some and had been contemplating doing my own for some time now.


    Just then I found myself swiftly swaddled and placed in the arms of a woman who slowly rocked me from side to side, a quite pleasurable sensation that nearly had me drifting off to sleep if it wasn''t for the fact that I was a grown man and could prioritise. I looked up at the face of my mother while discreetly examining the blue screen and I heard the awed sound of ''he''s got your eyes from my mother.''


    It was impossible to move my hand at the moment and I didn''t want this to turn into an issue in future so I focused on the tab and thought the word ''skills''.


    For thinking about a logical solution to a possible problem your Intelligence has increased by 1 point!


    I checked my stats and confirmed that my total intelligence had just increased by just over 7% testament to the power of the Gamer. The true power of the system was that it provided a large initial boost as well as gains that hardly diminished over time. In many fics that I''ve read the author was forced to either place the gamer close to the timeline of the main plots limiting their time to grow or to force them to decrease the time to train in some or other way.


    With that in mind I started wriggling against the grip of my mother, my weak infant muscles contracting and retracting while my new mother gripped me until an announcement popped up.


    For trying to escape the grasp of a far stronger opponent your Strength has increased by 1 point!


    For moving your body under great restriction your Dexterity has increased by 1 point!


    For understanding the proper way to apply the Gamer system your Wisdom has increased by 1 point!


    For physical skills I would gain power by pushing my limits. If I operated at my maximum Strength for a certain amount of time I would gain power, even if it was something as mundane as arm wrestling myself. For Dexterity such simple things as moving my body or portions of my body at speed would allow me to increase it. For Wisdom being sensible and applying my knowledge would increase it while increasing Intelligence would likely be a matter of increasing my knowledge via reading or discussion. Vitality would be as a result of either taking damage or long workout sessions where my energy was expended. Luck must be gained by testing my luck and taking risks, but there was no way that I am going to try and learn that in combat. A simple thing like flipping a coin and hoping for a best result would prove adequate with much less chance of death.


    For creating a long term plan on how to maximize your personal ability your Intelligence has increased by 1 point!


    That was applying existing knowledge though not gaining new knowledge. So either the system is deliberately mocking me which would be disappointing or my understanding is lacking. Either way there is plenty of time to further my understanding as I age. While many people would balk at being reincarnated as a baby, the simply abnormal amount of time I have to improve my stats was an enormous boon combined with the power of the Gamer which was only limited by time.


    Finished with my musings over the gamer system I refocused on the tab that was now open displaying the two skills that were available to me; namely Gamer''s Mind and Gamer''s Body.


    Gamer''s Mind (LVL MAX) - Passive


    1) Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through.


    2) Allows peaceful state of mind.


    3) Immunity to psychological mass effect.


    Without this skill I would likely be very depressed and overwhelmed at the moment if my current situation is to be considered. Hopefully that provides some form of protection against boredom considering there will be a long few years before I am able to do anything remotely exciting besides improving my stats. In addition I am under no illusions that I am naturally a coward, hopefully this skill can go towards preventing any freezing in danger and cutting my life short as a result. The thought that I would have no trouble in this life didn''t even cross my mind. The world of One Punch Man was already a dangerous place to live and the Gamer thrived on actual combat. That resolved I looked down at the other skill below.


    Gamer''s Body (LVL MAX) ¨C Passive


    1) Grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game.


    2) Sleeping in a bed restores HP, MP and all status effects.


    There was nothing unexpected here besides the implications of no permanent injury and the quickened recovery time that synthesized with the growing stronger over time core of the Gamer power. As a possible downside it was likely that I would continue to be fine until I were to drop down dead at zero hp. That however could be very dangerous in some situations and I would have to constantly be aware of my health.


    If I fully abused the Gamer power as it was meant to be abused I could probably easily gain the power that everybody believed King had in canon. Still if there was one thing that One Punch Man has taught me is that overwhelming power is nothing without a purpose to which one could apply it. I had no desire to steal the kills from the main cast or even much of a desire to save the people that inhabited the world, a fickle and lazy sort from what I had seen of canon. I had no desire to obtain a harem and One Punch Man was the wrong sort of series for that anyway. I could go the route of testing out my powers against stronger and stronger monsters but once again the universe came with the implicit message that eventually you would run out of those when you approached the top. My eyes widened with surprise as I realised that there would always be one being at the top exempt from those rules.


    Quest Unlocked!


    Defeating the One Punch Man


    Objective


    Defeat Saitama after he has broken his limiter.


    Rewards


    Title "The Strongest in the World"


    15x1030 xp


    Failure


    ?


    Accept (Yes/No)


    It was a beautifully impossible challenge and one that I could throw myself again and again at without a hope of completion. From what I had read of the webcomic there had been no opponent so far that had even managed to give Saitama a good fight and I relished a chance in being the first.


    Quest Updated!


    Defeating the One Punch Man


    Objective


    1) Defeat Saitama after he has broken his limiter.


    2) Give Saitama a good fight that will alleviate his apathy.


    Rewards


    1)Title "The Strongest in the World"


    1.5x1030 xp


    2) Title "The World''s Penultimate Being"


    1) 8.3x1024xp


    Failure


    ?


    I smiled, my infant form making it come out as a weird giggle as I saw the updated quest. Thinking back on it if there was a character in One Punch Man that I actually did truly love it would be the titular character. As well as one could love a formerly 2d character with an incompatible orientation, I guess. I have always had a tendency to adore characters that are extremely powerful because they are almost without exception individuals with the ability to change the world using nothing but their power and their will. Often the beings are either villains that will prove a nightmare for the protagonist, an aegis under which the fledgling heroes can receive protection or a bystander looking down on both sides yet not pressured to join either. Whenever these beings show up they always drive the plot changing the situation, only balanced by their counterparts, sometimes.


    I found myself smiling at the thought of the tragic hero who succeeded too well. When I first read manga by Murata I had loved story of a human who ascended above those around him and yet only found meaning in a struggle that he had long outgrown. ''I want to give him a good fight,'' I thought to myself. ''Even if I were to die in the fight I want to be the person to break through his apathy.'' Although, holy Crap I need to chill out before I start to sound any more like Nagito Komaeda.


    xxx


    4 Years Later


    Four years had passed since I had first come into the world and for the first time I had obtained a moments respite from the constant presence of my parents. Not that they were bad parents by any stretch of the imagination; if inadequate compared to my prior parents. B.r.e.a.s.tfeeding was a bit annoying and I had obtained the skill Pain Resistance LV 99 largely as a result of the teething process. I had deliberately propped myself ahead of the curve for the normal development process; making myself appear merely prodigious rather than impossible. Crawling by 4 months, talking by five, walking by six, every single step allowed a momentary increase in my independence and subsequently better ways to train allowing me to grow abnormally quickly.


    Strength improvements were gained by exerting force against my own body and the immovable earth, although I did crack the floor a few times when I was younger and could still work out indoors. Honestly speaking I had no idea how strong I was considering the forces that my body could exert would surely cause damage to my parent''s house and bring up questions I was not prepared to answer.


    Dexterity improvements were gained by continuous use of quick fast movements whenever my parents were not looking. My top speed was frighteningly fast but since I was cooped up in the house all day it wasn''t easy for me to get a feel of how great it really was.


    Vitality improvements were gained by continuous training and receiving my own punches. Unfortunately once again I couldn''t tell how tough I was because I had only taken damage from myself over the past few years and while I know it was high I had no manner of truly testing out how much I could withstand.


    Intelligence was gained by reading any of the materials that I had gained and Wisdom was gained by applying my knowledge that I learnt from them in a practical manner. Annoyingly enough I was firmly aware that I was more intelligent now than I was in my previous world, going from above average to easily ahead of the bell curve.


    Luck was by far the hardest to train initially but I soon figured out that by testing my luck, in a manner as simple as a coin flip and a wager as small as having my preferred supper, I could increase my luck. Over time I increased the risk to a day without training and then a week and the condition not to lose those things to rolling a six on a die, and then two sixes and then three. I wasn''t quite at a level higher than that due to the fact that while rare taking a week off training did happen occasionally.


    King


    The Gamer


    Title - None


    Species - Human


    Health- 8 520/8 520 (HP Regen: 170 per minute)


    Mana ¨C 8 080/8 080 (MP Regen: 162 per minute)


    Level ¨C 1 EXP 0/200


    STR ¨C 869


    VIT ¨C 852


    DEX ¨C 691


    INT ¨C 788


    WIS ¨C 702


    LUK ¨C 900


    Points -0


    Money 0£¤


    Skills


    Gamer''s Mind (LVL MAX) - Passive


    1) Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through.


    2) Allows peaceful state of mind.


    3) Immunity to psychological mass effect.


    Gamer''s Body (LVL MAX) ¨C Passive


    1) Grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game.


    2) Sleeping in a bed restores HP, MP and all status effects.


    Create Instant Dungeon (LV1) ¨C Active (Costs 10 Mana)


    Used to create instant dungeons. Stronger instant dungeons may be created according to level.


    Escape Instant Dungeon (LV1) ¨C Active (Costs 10 Mana)


    Observe (LV15) - Active


    The ability to observe objects, people and abilities. At higher level more information about target may be granted.


    The Power of Humanity: Gained at 100 base Strength


    Through diligent gains you have tapped into the power latent inside every human. Grip Strength and striking force increases by 50%. No recoil damage is taken when an attack contacts with the target.


    The Strength of Beasts: Gained at 200 base Strength


    You have regained the power that humans lost when the first civilisations began. Twice per day you can sacrifice Intelligence to gain double the points sacrificed in Strength. Attacks can create waves of air pressure that does a fraction of strength as damage.


    The Strength of Insects: Gained at 500 Strength


    Your body stands in clear defiance to the square-cube law and your Strength has surpassed what is physically possible. As a result of this you are able to apply the forces of your blows to your target in the manner desired. When you strike a person or object you can choose to increase the effective surface impacted, knockback a target without breaking it or at a penalty striking the internals of the target directly if desired.


    Good Food and Exercise: Gained at 100 Vitality


    As a result of healthy living your body has grown into the perfect specimen. Negative statuses last half the duration and HP Regeneration is increased by 100%. You can survive harsh environments with little discomfort.


    For the Weak: Gained at 200 Vitality


    Your overflowing Vitality makes it so that very little can halt your continued existence. The amount of sleep, food and water required is decreased by 70%. Once per day you can recover all of your health at the cost of lethargy and hunger afterwards.


    The Ultimate Life form: Gained at 500 Vitality


    Your body has surpassed what should be possible for biological life forms. You can last for hours without breathing, weeks without sleep and hunger and thirst are never more than a suggestion. You gain the ability to manipulate your body in minor ways as long as the end result still appears human.


    Angel''s Grace: Gained at 100 Dexterity


    How many angels can dance upon the head of a pin is a question that''s troubled scholars throughout the ages. With this skill you can tap into that legendary ability and stand on various surfaces. As long as one of your feet is in contact with any solid or liquid substance you can stand upright with little difficulty.


    Lightning Reflexes: Gained at 200 Dexterity


    Your nerves in your body fire at light speed. Any attack from an opponent can be reacted to as long as your body is fast enough.


    Perfect Movement: Gained at 500 Dexterity


    Through practice you have learnt how to align every muscle in your body to gain the maximum output. Speed of any movement performed is doubled and requires less energy to execute.


    I trailed off from looking it at this point. Quite frankly my skill list had grown absurdly long at this point although I had no combat skills to speak of due to not fighting any opponents and my health and mana had therefore not increased at all. If I was going to continue with this review then I was going to run through the brief time that I had. With a brief exertion of will I minimized the summaries and rolled my eyes down the remaining skills.


    Natural Genius: Gained at 100 Intelligence


    Mind over Matter: Gained at 200 Intelligence


    Ascended Mind: Gained at 500 Intelligence


    Learned Sage: Gained at 100 Wisdom


    Comprehension of Phenomena: Gained at 200 Wisdom


    Supreme Awareness over the Natural World: Gained at 500 Wisdom


    Coin on its Side: Gained at 100 Luck


    A Bucket Full of Sixes: Gained at 200 Luck


    Really Getting on Fate''s Nerves: Gained at 500 Luck


    Physical Resistance: (LV 69) ¨C Passive


    Pain Resistance: (LV 99) - Passive


    Mana Control: (LV 17) Passive


    Mana Shield: (LV 12) - Active


    Psychic Powers: (LV 5) Passive


    Jump: (LV 35) ¨C Active


    Acting: (LV 95) - Passive


    Lying: (LV 43) ¨C Passive


    Stealth: (LV 53) ¨C Passive


    Accounting: (LV 32) ¨C Passive


    Okay now it was getting to skills that had no bearing on the situation. Although I was a little bit hurt that my accounting skill was so low. I''ve always seen myself as great at my job and having the skills that I acc.u.mulated in my prior life dismissed so harshly wasn''t the greatest feel. I was procrastinating however; my parents had made their intention to visit my aunt well known leaving their precocious child at home to entertain himself.


    "ID Create," I enunciated clearly looking at the list that popped up in front of me. All of the various options were greyed except for the ''undead'' option which I clicked on. Immediately the world seemed to crack and fall to pieces and I found myself in a semi-familiar area.


    "Oh f.u.c.k this looks like Undead Burg," I said as memories of getting my posterior repeatedly kicked Dark Souls returning to me. "It looks pretty cool though," I had to admit. FromSoftware''s masterpiece looked magnificent in 3d; although I could really do without the smell of death and decay that ruined the atmosphere. I was at the top of one of the ramparts although I couldn''t remember this exact spot although the background scenery looked vaguely familiar.


    A shuffling noise from behind me got me to turn and I saw one of those lurching zombies that moved slowly towards you and then lunge¡­ ''Oh it''s just done it.'' The movement of the zombie appeared incredibly slowly, whether due to my Lightning Reflexes or my high Intelligence, or speed I couldn''t quite tell. If I was back in my old life without the assistance of Gamer Mind I would probably be freaking out now and do something incredibly stupid and panicked. As I am now I calmly took a step to the side before calmly punting the zombie off the building.


    Critical Hit = 869 X 7.5 = 6517 Damage dealt to Hollowed Undead


    10xp gained


    Through continued use the skill ''Kicking LV1'' has been created.


    The amateur way of inflicting damage by using one''s legs. This skill governs the proper way to kick without falling over and looking like an idiot.


    Effects


    10% increase in damage with legs.


    10% increase in stability when kicking.


    In the end the shambling creature was on a completely different level from my current state. Despite standing less than half its height my statistics were far greater to the point where I didn''t even feel like wasting my observation. In the end I would need a lot more like that in order to level up or maybe I could try and hunt down something stronger. A few more of those creatures were milling around closing on me and I decided to make hay while the sun shone.


    I bent my knees and dashed towards the first one completely missing it as I overshot and almost went straight off the damn ramparts. My speed was frankly overwhelming and while I had no doubt that I was slower than Flashy Flash I was still faster than the vast majority of beings I would ever face. Deciding to be a bit more cautious this time I walked more slowly towards the shuffling skeletons waiting for one of them to jump towards me again.


    One of them obliged and I stepped backwards lashing out with a punch that stopped short of its target.


    Air Punch = 869 X 1.5 X 0.1 = 130 damage dealt to Hollowed Undead


    10xp gained


    The undead was vaporised by my punch and I turned towards the other 3 slowly inching towards me before lashing out with a Rankyakyu inspired kick bisecting all of them instantly.


    Air Kick = 869 X 1.65 X 0.1 = 143 damage dealt to Hollowed Undead


    10xp gained


    Air Kick = 869 X 1.65 X 0.1 = 143 damage dealt to Hollowed Undead


    10xp gained


    Air Kick = 869 X 1.65 X 0.1 = 143 damage dealt to Hollowed Undead


    10xp gained


    The skill ''Kicking LV1'' has increased to ''Kicking LV2''.


    The amateur way of inflicting damage by using one''s legs. This skill governs the proper way to kick without falling over and looking like an idiot.


    Effects


    15% increase in damage with legs.


    15% increase in stability when kicking.


    ''It seems like my kicking is levelling up by quite a lot,'' I mused to myself. ''It looks like I''m well on my way to fulfilling my dream of being that asshole who fights with his hands in his pockets the entire time.'' Looking at the dead bodies I was somewhat surprised to see that they had disappeared to be replaced by a small pile of coins. Well not that surprised considering it was something that was common to all stories involving the Gamer. Still I didn''t really have a desire to engage in the kind of wide-scale money laundering that taking large amounts of money would eventually result in. Still a few coins that were picked up on the side of road wouldn''t be an illegal venture and so I took the coins, putting the seventy three Yen that lay in the floor from the former corpses, before I left to hunt.


    xxx


    ''Yes this dungeon was certainly inspired by Dark Souls, but not a perfect replica,'' I thought to myself as I stepped backwards dodging a club from a massive skeletal form comprised of hundreds or thousands of mismatched bones.


    Vengeful Bones


    Cursed Collection of Carcasses


    Species - Monster


    Health- 18 436/44 631 (HP Regen: 126 per minute)


    Mana ¨C 0 (MP Regen: 0 per minute)


    STR ¨C 226


    VIT ¨C 223


    DEX ¨C 126


    INT ¨C 51


    WIS ¨C 41


    LUK ¨C 12


    The results of a quick observation showed me that despite its ridiculously large health its stats were lower than mine in every way. Well health was a product of both level and Vitality so it wasn''t unexpected that it would be higher than me considering my comparatively low level. I lashed out with at the sea of bones redirecting the force of my kick towards each individual bone splintering hundreds at a time.


    Critical Kick = 869 X 8.25= 7169 damage dealt to Vengeful Bones


    Due to unique nature of being the damage is capped out at 5 637.


    Interestingly enough it seemed that once a bone took a certain amount of damage it broke and the remaining damage was wasted. Still thanks to my ability to redirect the forces of my attacks I was able to do far more damage than I should. Theoretically the best way of dealing damage was to use an AOE attack but I hadn''t developed one yet.


    Through continued use the skill ''Dodging LV1'' has been created.


    The premier way of avoiding damage is not to be hit at all. Anything from punches to Ki blasts can be avoided by proper application of getting out of the way.


    Effects


    3% increased chance to dodge an attack when aware of the source and direction


    ''If all the fights are this easy in future I won''t be able to develop fighting skills,'' I thought to myself. Still this was only the first dungeon and I hadn''t even reached the end of it yet. The club came down again and this time I side-stepped before jumping on the side and using Angel''s Grace to ascend to the collection of bones that was reminiscent of a head. I used the head as a foothold, feeling the individual bones tried to latch on to my foot before I easily jumped about a dozen metres up and lashed out with a barrage of Air Kicks as I into the bony mass.


    Critical Kick = 869 X 8.25 X 0.1= 717 damage dealt to Vengeful Bones


    Due to unique nature of being the damage is capped out at 522


    Critical Kick = 869 X 8.25 X 0.1= 717 damage dealt to Vengeful Bones


    Due to unique nature of being the damage is capped out at 412


    Air Kick = 869 X 1.65 X 0.1 = 143 damage dealt to Vengeful Bones


    Air Kick = 869 X1.65 X 0.1 = 143 damage dealt to Vengeful Bones


    Air Kick = 869 X1.65 X 0.1 = 143 damage dealt to Vengeful Bones


    Air Kick = 869 X 1.65 X 0.1 = 143 damage dealt to Vengeful Bones


    Air Kick = 869 X1.65 X 0.1 = 143 damage dealt to Vengeful Bones


    Air Kick = 869 X1.65 X 0.1 = 143 damage dealt to Vengeful Bones


    Air Kick = 869 X 1.65 X 0.1 = 143 damage dealt to Vengeful Bones


    Air Kick = 869 X1.65 X 0.1 = 143 damage dealt to Vengeful Bones


    Air Kick = 869 X1.65 X 0.1 = 143 damage dealt to Vengeful Bones


    Notifications filled the screen and I mentally turned off all damage calculations as the ground beneath me tore apart and the bones were reduced to powder by the unceasing barrage of air kicks.


    5850xp gained


    You have gained 5 Levels


    Boss Monster Vengeful Bones has been defeated


    For defeating your first boss of the Undead Dungeon you have received the Skill Terror of the Dead.


    Terror of the Dead: (LV1) Gained upon defeating Greater Undead


    All things instinctively fear death. By conquering the undead you have gained the ability to instil the fear of death in others. Against those with strong willpower, and greater strength than you the effect will be reduced.


    Did the real King somehow conquer this dungeon? I wonder if it is possible to use this skill to scare monsters to death. Maybe if I do that I can avoid having to fight in front of others until things get really serious. I seriously dislike it when abilities are revealed without waiting for the appropriate time and I find that nothing ruins a good mystery like the truth. Take Saitama''s secret after all: 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and 10 kilometres of running after day. It was the most anti-climactic answer but any answer he gave would always be the same.


    Nothing stirs the fears like something that cannot be seen, nothing arouses the appetite like an unsolved mystery and nothing stokes the flames of wonder than seeing impossible happen without an explanation. Knowing this I refused to ever reveal the Gamer, even if I were threatened with death or failure. It would be the most disappointing end to a mystery, unpalatable and unsatisfying. No I would build myself up to be King, the strongest in the world (besides Saitama), a being as mysterious as he was powerful.


    "I''m talking to myself again," I say to myself. "My parents stated that they were going to be gone for about an hour and it''s already been twenty-five minutes. If I leave myself a wiggle room of fifteen minutes that leaves me with about twenty minutes more in which to play around with my new speed and strength."


    I stretched out my muscles experimentally noting how good it felt to really stretch out and use my body without reservations. I had already gained several levels and my body felt much better after this workout even if my stats had barely increased but I had no current desire to inspect my status screen and waste the precious time I had left. If I remember correctly I believe there was a dragon somewhere around here in the original Dark Souls although considering this is a purely undead dungeon it would more likely be an undead dragon.


    I scooped the remainder of the items that the skeleton dropped, which included an unwieldy looking club and a small mountain of Yen and headed out to search for the dragon.


    xxx


    "ID Escape," I said coming out of the dungeon mentally drained yet triumphant and exhilarated. I had found that dragon relatively easy by basically running around at my top speed, which I still wasn''t fully used to. Soon enough it had started raining flame and I had gained the passive Bloodl.u.s.t Sense LV1 as well as Fire Resistance LV1. From then on I was forced to dodge the strafing dragon and its apparent hatred of me. The undead monstrosity had nearly 200 000 HP and Strength and Vitality about a hundred below my own as well as a bone armour around it that apparently passively reduced the effect of physical attacks.


    With my time limit I was forced to go on the offensive and yet the creature refused to land and get into melee range and I was forced to try and mix it up. I had first tried throwing boulders at the dragon by tearing up chunks of the castle and lobbing it at the flying behemoth. I gained the skill Throw LV1 from that but none of my attempts with the unwieldy masonry actually connected and I was forced to abandon the idea. My Air Kicks could reach it when it swooped down but it was such a short period of time and the penalty was so harsh that the damage was nowhere near enough to destroy it in the time period.


    The solution was Jump of course and I ran up the sides of a nearby Bell Tower before launching myself on the side of the building and onto the Dragon. I quickly activated the Strength of Insects to redirect the force through the armour of the dragon and then the Strength of Beasts to sacrifice six-hundred of my Intelligence and push my Strength up over two thousand. From then onwards it was basically a rodeo with me punching against the steely armour of the dragon and the dragon doing everything to throw me off. Twice it nearly succeeded and I was forced to stab my fingers into the armour of the colossus and hold on, until eventually driven mad by pain or wrath the creature crashed down into a nearby building crushing it, me and the land underneath me.


    If it wasn''t for my absurdly high Pain Resistance I would have been in quite a lot of distress at that moment and if it wasn''t for my high Physical Resistance I would have likely been a pancake. Unfortunately for the dragon all I could think about that moment was the fact that I had less than five minutes before the deadline and thus I used my over two thousand Strength to pick up the multi-ton dragon and with my muscles burning through the Pain Resistance I tossed the dragon over the ramparts of the castle.


    After that the message for the defeated Skeletal Dragon popped up and I instantly used ID Escape to leave the dungeon and went back to my room. It wasn''t a moment too soon as less than a minute later my parents showed up informing me that the event was cut short. My mother called me down for supper and I was lucky enough that this time I didn''t have to spike my food with hot sauce and then after dinner I played games with my father.


    ''And that was basically my day,'' I thought to myself. ''I tackled my first dungeon without my parents suspecting a thing. And I did quite well also taking down two bosses. Honestly it was exhilarating to fight them and I had never experienced something like that in my prior life, being one to shy away from violence, seeing it as unnecessary and dangerous in the modern world. I suppose anybody who basically acquired superpowers would feel a drive to use them, whether for good or evil and I am getting overly philosophical again and need to shut up and examine my spoils of battle.


    King


    The Gamer


    Title - None


    Species - Human


    Health- 9 530/9 530 (HP Regen: 191 per minute)


    Mana ¨C 8 900/8 900 (MP Regen: 178 per minute)


    Level ¨C 17 EXP 465/3650


    STR ¨C 872


    VIT ¨C 853


    DEX ¨C 696


    INT ¨C 790


    WIS ¨C 703


    LUK ¨C 900


    Points -80


    Money 9 600£¤


    HP is calculated by taking total Vitality multiplied by 10 plus the initial 200 HP and on top of that I gained an extra 50HP per level. Mana is calculated by taking total Intelligence multiplied by 10 plus the initial 200 MP and on top of that I gained an extra 50MP per level. Base regeneration for health and mana was 1% but both had doubled when I got their respective stats over 100. Besides increasing the multiplier for health and mana each level up gave me 5 points to spend on a stat that I desired; that I currently had no desire to use for the moment. The system seemed to be relatively simple from what I had seen of it.


    Congratulations on reaching level 10! Please choose your desired perk from the list below.


    Unarmed Warrior


    Through hours of training your body you have achieved a point where your fists and feet can substitute for weapons. You can choose to harden your hands and feet allowing you to block a certain portion of damage without losing health and to sharpen your hands to pierce through materials without resistance


    Natural Psychic


    Through expanding your mind you have tapped into the natural psychic powers that all humans in the world possess but seldom exhibit. Reading minds, moving objects and even seeing the future is now within your grasp. Increases speed of levelling psychic skills, decreases Mana cost of abilities and increases effectiveness.


    Monster Slayer


    Through the killing off elements unfriendly to humanity you have honed your ability to kill creatures beyond the reach of normal humans. Critical rate is doubled against monsters and you gain the ability to mark a monster showing weak spots that will automatically generate a critical if hit.


    Sorcerer''s Apprentice


    Magic is a power unheard of in the One Punch Man Universe but well known in many others. You become aware of the power inside you, you have chosen to use and obtained abilities never seen before on this earth. Increases speed of levelling magic skills, decreases Mana cost of abilities and increases effectiveness.


    Mysterious Being


    Your mind is not normal. Whichever obsession drives you manifests as a physical form giving you power beyond mankind. Increases initial stats by five times but slows down stat growth.


    No f.u.c.k.i.n.g was I choosing Mysterious being. Besides the penalty which frankly wasn''t worth it; I had no desire to ruin the plot like that. I wouldn''t be satisfied with that level of mystery and I had a desire to fight Saitama as a human. I would not make Garou''s mistake.


    From what I could tell from reading the perks so far, all of them were based on archetypes that would probably be able to be customised at higher levels and yet were based on actions I''ve already performed. Since I have never used a sword then I would not have been given a swordsman class.


    I looked down the list and there was a spy perk that I had received for hiding my skills from my parents, a scholar perk from all of the books I''ve read, and a sage perk for¡­ I''m not sure what exactly. Wisdom is the stat that I''m the least sure about. From experimentation I can tell it has a bit to do with psychic abilities and mana. Of my three skills I gained when levelling up wisdom; Learned Sage provided a boost to learning skills, Comprehension of Phenomena allowed me to replicate abilities by seeing them for a certain length of time and Supreme Awareness of the Natural World allowed me to activate a state of mind where I could sense everything in the surrounding area.


    I wasn''t approaching this correctly though. I didn''t train my body to become a warrior or a magician or an esper. I gained my power, worked every day for four years for the sole purpose of fighting Saitama. As good as some of those perks sounded they would not give me the ability to match the ''One Punch Man''. For that feat I would require something more.


    "Dragon-Blooded warrior, Mass Slayer, Natural Assassin, Naturally Lucky," I said looking over a few of the perks but finding none of them appealed to me and then I blinked in surprise as I saw one that was perfect for my goal.


    Outsider


    Despite your birth here you are fundamentally a creature from outside the current world. By taking this point you are made aware of knowledge from a fundamentally useful power and gain a random power from one of the other universes not chosen. Using this power will damage your body initially as it is native to a different universe.


    "Random huh," I said looking at my 900 luck. With a click against an imaginary surface I brought the total luck up to 980 with little thought giving myself the maximum amount of luck before I decided to click the acceptance. The effect of a Bucket Full of Sixes besides increasing my critical damage from 2X to 5X was to increase my chance of events going my way and I would just have to rely on it. The button disappeared and like four years ago, a list appeared and began to spin, although this time I managed to remain conscious.


    "Come on," I said to myself silently hoping for either Demon Extract from Akame Ga Kill or Enchantment Magic from Fairy Tail. The roll seemed to go on for way too long and even though I trusted my luck I began to get slightly nervous. Eventually the list ground to a halt revealing the listed power.


    ?


    Requires 100% Attunement


    Current Attunement 0%


    "I don''t know whether I''m meant to be disappointed at that or not," I said to myself. On one hand instead of getting any of the abilities I desired I got an unknown power; on the other hand I did enjoy a mystery and I would have fun trying to figure out this power. Putting it out of my mind for now I started inspecting the other pieces of equipment that I had retrieved from the dungeon which amounted to one massive two-handed sword and a shield comprised of bone. Each of these pieces had 0% Attunement on them and I realised that in order to unlock my new power I would have to attune an item up to 100%. The excitement was getting to me and I resolved to begin the process of Attuning¡­ tomorrow. It had been a long day and even with the power of The Ultimate Lifeform I was still running on fumes. I made a note to improve my stamina when I next got the chance to enter a Dungeon before heading to bed.


    xxx


    3 Years Later


    My God, attuning anything took a long time. Attuning a sword took far too long because I couldn''t wield it outside of a dungeon and constant wearing would only increase the level of Attunement by a few percentage a month. In the end the thing that I Attuned was a simple pair of flower-patterned cufflinks that I got from a drop in the dungeons two years ago and had worn with me ever since. If I had known that it would have taken me almost three years to Attune then I likely would have been very ticked off but looking back at it now from current vantage I was nothing but satisfied.


    Shun Shun Rika (LV 23) ¨C Active


    A replica of a power possessed by Orihime Inoue; these cufflinks are the physical embodiment of their wielders ability to reject the world around them. The strength of the wielders mind will empowers these while weak convictions will reduce their effectiveness.


    It was quite a shock to see them finally manifest a month ago but not an unwelcome one by any means. I had recently unlocked my latest dungeon (a dungeon covered in an abnormal amount of traps and walking statues) and I had used my new ability perpetually for defensive and offensive purposes. It was actually pretty poor at healing me due to the fact that my body wouldn''t change when taking damage and it had in fact taken chunks off my health the first few times that I used it.


    "And that is the correct way to spell fortitude," the English teacher spoke up right before the school bell rang, indicating some relief from the tedium of school life.


    ''1837 Intelligence and this is what I do every day,'' I thought to myself with some bemus.e.m.e.nt. ''Besides most of these children wouldn''t comprehend true fortitude if it tore through their weak bodies.'' I was just being morbid, there was a world of difference between somebody who had been using the Gamer System for over ten years and somebody who had not.


    King


    The Gamer


    Title - None


    Species - Human


    Health- 21 390/21 390 (HP Regen: 428 per minute)


    Mana ¨C 23 140/23 140 (MP Regen: 926 per minute)


    Level ¨C 93 EXP 15 589/32 000


    STR ¨C 1 721


    VIT ¨C 1 659


    DEX ¨C 1 651


    INT ¨C 1 837


    WIS ¨C 1 685


    LUK ¨C 1 973


    Points -120


    Money 959 230£¤


    My stats improvements were still capped by the insignificant amount of time that I could spend levelling up in the dungeon. My skills had shown similar improvements and I had received a special skill upon getting each stat up to 1 000. Strength had given me the ability to slowly increase my Strength as long as in combat. Vitality had given me the ability to share portions of my regeneration with others. Dexterity had given me the ability to find purchase on air and jump infinitely. Intelligence had given me the ability to speed up my rate of thought. Wisdom''s skill gave me the ability to see a few seconds into the future when I activated it. Luck had given me the ability to store any instances of bad luck and convert them to good luck when I needed it.


    It was a pity that a new Outsider skill hadn''t been made available to me and my skills every ten levels had been chosen mainly from the Unarmed branch with a few Psychic skills and one Assassin skill. It was an eclectic mix but it served me well in the few dungeon travels that I undertook once the watchful eyes of my parents lapsed.


    "King-San it''s time to leave," the voice of the teacher spoke up. "You''re zoning out again. Shouldn''t you go play with your friends?"


    I looked up at him before thanking him and leaving the classroom. Of course I actually had no actual friends. I am an introvert by nature and even if I wasn''t I wouldn''t waste my time with a bunch of actual mentally standard seven year olds. Not only would that be unproductive and a bit skeevy, I would not find it fulfilling in any way shape or form.


    If I was to be totally upfront with myself, my life was boring right now. While mysterious beings were by no means unknown to the police at this time they were not a threat to the ways of life for most people due to their attacks being infrequent and for the most part handled by the police or army. Apparently in the manga there was an explosion in their population some time before the plot kicked off but I couldn''t remember any exact dates or even what age King, which age I; would be by the time that this boom happened.


    Besides training I had nothing to do and my training was constantly restricted by my time spent doing inane bullshit. No that was unfair to both my parents and fellow members of society. I had never displayed my ability and so my parents and teachers had never treated me as anything but a standard human. At a surface level my life was ideal and it was only due to my special circ.u.mstances that I was having problems.


    I needed to test out my strength I decided and in that instant and I had the perfect way to do it. While mysterious being attacks were few but there were various ninja villages, experimental laboratories and at least one robotic organization that may have started before the series. However all of these were a bit too hardcore for me right now and so I decided to head straight into a tournament arc. There other reasons for this besides the fact that it let me test my strength in a reasonably safe manner. While my stats were high, in comparison to the civilians around me at least, my martial arts were virtually non-existent. Whenever I fought in a dungeon I had relied upon a mix of my strength and speed backed up by a few of my skills whenever I needed an edge and when that failed I would pummel them with waves of psychic force until their HP hit zero.


    This all stats, no skill approach worked for me for a while considering the fact that I had stuck to fighting beasts whose stats were lower than mine but I had always intended to obtain some martial arts skills or other abilities that would serve as an effective force multiplier. By fighting and observing other martial artists I could glean knowledge from them and incorporate their style into the one that I will eventually create.


    It was with a spring in my step that I headed for home intent on attending the next martial arts tournament.


    xxx


    9 Months later


    King


    The Gamer


    Title - None


    Species - Human


    Health- 25 460/25 460 (HP Regen: 509 per minute)


    Mana ¨C 26 510/26 510 (MP Regen: 530 per minute)


    Level ¨C 110 EXP 15 589/32 000


    STR ¨C 2 156


    VIT ¨C 1 981


    DEX ¨C 2 011


    INT ¨C 2 086


    WIS ¨C 1 857


    LUK ¨C 2 201


    Points -205


    Money 1 150 431£¤


    Martial Arts Style: None


    The above absence of martial arts was the thing that I hoped to rectify in this tournament. Through thorough research I had determined that the Super Fight that took place in the manga and anime didn''t exist yet and that many of the larger, more prestigious tournaments that took place required the backing of a dojo or an already famous name to enter.


    Lacking both of these things the R-City regional tournament was the best that I could access, although I was able to do so without an ID or even the most basic form of registration. Apparently mysterious masked fighters were almost a tradition among this world''s tournaments although they seldom got far, maybe making it through the qualifiers before being crushed by representatives from the famous dojos. I had taken advantage of this and consequently The Cloaked King was listed as a fighter under bracket K. Not that there were many expectations placed upon me by the organisers. On the contrary I was sure I heard one of the organisers chuckle when I turned away. Although I couldn''t really blame them considering the fact that I was wearing a black full-body cloak and chose such a chuunibyou name.


    Still I had already resolved to win this tournament under the name of King and that was a promise that I wouldn''t hesitate to keep. That meant abiding by the rules of the tournament and using only my body, refraining from all psychic attacks and not using my outsider abilities at all. Honestly speaking I regarded the pair of outsider abilities as a dangerous trump card that I still was a long way off making usable in battle. When I reached the level 100 I had gained the ability to receive a new outsider ability that I had immediately picked.


    The Spin (LV 12) ¨C Active


    A supernatural phenomenon wielded by Gyro Zeppeli and Johnny Joestar; this power allows the user to produce energy by implementing a perfect or near-perfect form of rotation that can be applied towards a multiple of uses.


    It was a unique and powerful ability that I had to learn to use without a horse and would be worse than useless at its low level, but could be powerful if I managed to somehow replicate the perfect spin that would unleash infinite energy. Maybe it would even be an ace in the hole against Saitama. I smiled in anticipation of a great battle only to notice a shadow fall over me.


    "Ready to be pounded into dust newbie," a large bulky short haired man with an enormous blonde moustache said to me. He loomed over me; almost double my height and I found myself slightly amused at his display. "I am Verit; my style is Multiple Destruction Fist. Many opponents have fallen to these hands. This tournament is going to be the one to cement my name, a stepping stone to becoming the greatest Martial Artist on the planet. You''re my opponent in the first round and I''m feeling nice so I''m going to give you a warning." He leaned in closer. "Give up and don''t make me waste my energy on crushing you."


    Verit


    Stepping Stone


    Title: None


    Species - Human


    Health- 6 200/6 200


    Mana ¨C 0/0


    STR ¨C 350


    VIT ¨C 226


    DEX ¨C 132


    INT ¨C 66


    WIS ¨C 32


    LUK ¨C 1


    Martial Arts Style: Multiple Destruction Fist


    I couldn''t help at this point. It was a recurring theme in One Punch Man that monsters and heroes would call out their strengths, backstory and reason that they would absolutely never lose before getting pummelled and while this guy was definitely stronger than most of the rabble there was no way that whatever martial arts he had would close a gap that huge. I wouldn''t even need to take my hands out of my pockets for this fight. If all fighters were in his league then this entire tournament would be a breeze.


    Apparently the man didn''t take it very well and like every small fry in every form of medium ever he decided to display his displeasure in the form of a well-thrown yet painfully slow punch. Time slowed down as I focused on the punch and several ideas of how to react went through my head when I saw that suddenly I didn''t need to. The man''s extended arm was held tight by another competitor; a very familiar looking competitor.


    Bang


    Martial Arts Master


    Title: Silver Fang


    Species - Human


    Health- 862 425/862 425


    Mana ¨C 0/0


    STR ¨C ? ?


    VIT ¨C ? ?


    DEX ¨C ? ?


    INT ¨C ? ?


    WIS ¨C ? ?


    LUK ¨C 1 260


    Martial Arts Style: Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist


    Any pride I had in my meagre abilities were brushed away in an instant as I watched the man who would in the future become the world''s 3rd ranked hero; a hero that could take down multiple dragon-class monsters. Another chuckle escaped my lips and I realised that this was the man that I was going to lose against today; because as I am currently there was no way for me to defeat him, especially restricted to my natural speed and strength. I couldn''t even see most of his stats the difference in their level was so large. I didn''t even know that could happen before today.


    "There is no fighting permitted in the waiting room," Bang said sternly and I realised how much younger he looked. His hair and moustache were brown and his face was smooth. "I believe you said you are competing against this man in the first fight, you can settle your dispute then." The man looked like he was going to argue, but a quick look at Bang was all it took for him to back off and leave in an attempt to salvage his remaining dignity.


    "Some people''s children really need to learn to calm down," I said inspecting the more youthful Bang that I could see before me. "Are you participating in the tournament today?" I asked him, not quite sure which answer I wanted to hear. While I wanted to be known as the one who won the tournament, I also wanted to fight Bang. He just being here was getting me excited to cross fists with somebody who was so much stronger than me. It wasn''t bloodl.u.s.t or fighting spirit or anything but that but the joy of fighting a boss way more powerful and reminding oneself to go back for it later when they''ve levelled up.


    "Try not to kill him," Bang said to me giving me the once-over. He couldn''t see my face but apparently he had not judged me too harshly and I nodded in agreement.


    "Would the first participants of Block K please report to the arena," the announcer spoke over the low-level hum in the waiting room and I stood up in response.


    "See you in the final," I said to Bang and he nodded seriously.


    "You''re confident," Bang started. "That''s good, but don''t let your confidence be your downfall."


    I smiled at that although he probably didn''t see it under my cloak and headed out to the arena. Man, Bang was cool to the extent that I had to seriously refrain from asking for his autograph or asking to join his dojo. I eagerly anticipated fighting him and was forced to clamp down on my excitement lest I rush my fights. After all my goal was to pick up martial arts, something that I hoped my Comprehension of Phenomena skillwould help with. The announcer spoke over the constant drone of the audience, who shouted out their many encouragements but I didn''t listen to them.


    "Are you ready to pay a visit to the hospital room?" the man who had confronted me earlier said. I had already forgotten his name, and I did not have any interest in remembering it so I simply placed my hands in the pockets of my full body cloak and widened my stance, ready for his display of martial arts."If you give up now I can still forgive you but if you¡­"


    "Stop," I said having enough at this point. "You''re just embarrassing yourself further and disrespecting me." While his speech was initially funny, it had grown tiresome and I was through giving him chances. "Show me your ability or leave and let somebody more competent take your place."


    "You¡­" he said, apparently losing the ability to speak in the process.


    "I was looking forward to seeing Multiple Destruction Fist but you have rapidly drained my enthusiasm. Either put up or shut up," I said with finality.


    He didn''t respond; instead letting loose a scream of rage before he dashed forward at a manageable speed throwing a punch. I twisted my body in response my Dodging LV12 kicking in as I analysed his punches. I was not unimpressed. While his stance appeared sloppy and unrefined and I spotted several inefficiencies in his motions, the movements that he made did appear to allow him to exert greater strength and speed than he should be able to. If this was the impact of such a poor level of martial arts then Bang is really going to be a monster to fight.


    *Bang* went the sound of my knee against his chest and I activated The Strength of Insects to send him flying out of the ring without tearing his body into two pieces. I dropped back to the ground with my hands still in my pockets before I turned around and left the ring. Traditionally there would be some etiquette after the match but I had no respect for my opponent and I wasn''t technically a martial artist.


    xxx


    I drove another kick into my opponent, some guy with absurdly long and flexible limbs who attempted to grapple me. He had talked big and insulted my small stature several times during the match but his stats were only slightly below my own and his martial arts rendered him a dangerous fighter. It had been an interesting fight and I had relied on all of my skills to obtain an advantage over the man. Using Perfect Reflexes and Perfect Movement in concert I slipped under his arms and shot a kick up into his jaw. That stunned him as I expected and I followed up by twisting my body and landing a flurry of kicks on his torso before kicking him right off of the arena.


    Despite lacking martial arts I had a great number of unarmed skills and miscellaneous skills as well as a large amount of experience in killing monsters and other inhuman foes that I found in the dungeon. So far while more than a few of the fights had tested my limits none of them had forced me to go all out or even to use my hands.


    "I''m glad to see that it wasn''t only overconfidence from before," Bang said stepping up to him. I had actually watched a few of his matches when I had the opportunity to and every single one of them was perfect and effortless. His mastery of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist was a display of a completely different level compared to that of many of the others he watched. I had been running the movements over and over in my head again, sometimes even during some of the more boring fights trying to figure out if it was worth trying to copy and adapt the style.


    "I heard we are fighting against each other in the next round," I said to Bang. "I''m sorry that we won''t have the opportunity to meet in the finals, it seems I''ve made myself a liar."


    "I''ve noticed that while you are a powerful fighter you are quite weak technically," Bang replied with an invitation that I''ve known was coming. "After this tournament I would like to invite you to join my dojo."


    "I''m afraid not," I replied regretfully but firmly. "No offence but I would like to create my own style rather than learn yours."


    "A difficult path," Bang said and he looked for a moment like he was sizing me up.


    "Nothing worth doing is ever easy," I stated firmly and Bang nodded in agreement before he asked a question that I didn''t want to answer.


    "How old are you anyway?" he asked me seriously.


    "Old enough to both give and take a beating, granddad," I said and Bang huffed in annoyance.


    "I will not take it easy on you due to your relative youth," he said giving me one of the surest signs of respect a martial artist can give.


    "I''m going to make you work for your victory," I announced in reply. This was nice I supposed. Bang was far out of my league for the moment but he was also not the kind of person that would go so far as to do permanent harm. The only danger came in the fact that I never looked injured and I resolved that if I ever fell below 8 000 health I would forfeit the match.


    The two of us sat there watching the next match on the large screens. I sat in silence and Bang was the opposite pointing out the various weaknesses in strengths in each style and how they compared as well as how experienced the competitors were. The older man was a wealth of information and I found myself enjoying his company. Apparently he had spent the majority of the fighting so far sitting and waiting due to the fact that as an established combatant he had far less matches than me and so he had been sitting there alone for a large portion of the day so far.


    It was pretty surprising to me when the announcement came for our next fight. There had been a good while of waiting and watching involved and I had found myself falling into a relaxed state, which while far better than my boredom, was nowhere near the joy of fighting something truly strong. No words were spoken between the two of us, we only shared a glance before we exited the waiting room together and took our places on the opposite side of the field.


    The announcer spoke excitedly about seeing Bang and ''the mysterious new contestant'' fight and I took relief in the fact that my cloaked body had done its job properly. The referee asked us some questions that I had heard dozens of times before and I answered robotically showing none of the nervousness and anticipation I was feeling.


    I knew that it wasn''t for Gamers Mind I would be feeling nervous, terrified, anticipatory but just as my unbearable boredom was muted so were my other emotions leaving me with only a patient, yet determined feeling. This would be my first fight against one of the main cast and one of the stronger ones no less. Knowing this I placed my foot an inch above the floor and very deliberately took my hands out of my pockets, my short movements easily noticed by my opponent.


    "3," the ref announced and Bang suddenly dropped into a familiar stance. His eyes turned piercing and he focused his full attention on me to the extent that I felt like a rat being stared down by a snake.


    "2," the ref announced and I raised my foot another inch focusing The Strength of Insects to spread out the damage of the attack further than it logically should go.


    "1," the ref announced and time seemed to slow down, all noise faded and I deliberately focused on the future I saw ahead of me disregarding the enormous strength in front of me.


    "Go," the ref announced and I brought my foot down shattering the entire arena before throwing it up on the floor. Taking inspiration from HunterxHunter, namely the Gon vs Hisoka fight I then kicked a bunch of the shards towards my opponent. This opening was only the beginning to my plan as I had one more advantage that I had yet to play. Activating all of my Dexterity skills at the same time I leapt from piece of rubble to piece of rubble moving in a perfect 3 dimensional flanking manoeuvre while activating my stealth the moment his sight was obstructed. He still stood in the same space where he started his hands already moving to clear away the rubble flowing towards him that I knew he could easily dispense of.


    My surprise punch was blocked perfectly but I had already expected it. Even while not facing me he was able to catch my kick on his forearm while blocking the flying rubble with his other arm. I was able to rotate my body and launch a kick to his side that he jumped over before lashing out with one of those complex movement that his style favoured that I was barely able to avoid by jumping backwards.


    It was at this point that the stones had reached their apex, just under a second since the match had started and in two exchanges I had already proven that I couldn''t win. It wasn''t just the fact that his stats and HP were higher than mine but he also had a lot more battle experience than me. This is a bonus boss that I had no chance of defeating but also no reason to do so as well. I would never kill the famous Silver Fang and since that wouldn''t happen then I wouldn''t get Exp either way. The prize money was nice but ultimately not required and the fame that I would get for winning will eventually belong to me anyway when I mature.


    My first shot was my best and while I could calculate many different avenues of attack in my mind none of them had a greater than ten percent chance of even coming close to landing a hit. I sighed but internally I felt relieved that this world offered so much more, that the summit was so much higher and so I straightened up, allowing the rest of the debris to fall to the ground.


    "Giving up already," the older man said looking at me and never dropping his stance.


    "I''m going to have to up my training when this is over," I answer before I lunged forward watching as his hands moved along curved lines to intercept my blow. I watched every motion using my reflexes to the fullest and even looking into the future to predict the movements. Nothing helped as my flurry of blows was deflected every single time no matter the angle.


    I pushed off his arms before dropping to the floor again hooking my foot around a broken stone and flinging it at my opponent''s head. It never reached as he caught the rock and crushed it and I stepped back for a minute, picking up a single plan that had a higher chance of victory. I dashed towards him spinning by body upside down lashing out with a kick and digging my hands into the mostly shattered arena floor. As soon as I felt my leg connect with his arm I thrust my arms into the ground and then pulled them up filling the arena with sand and dust making sight impossible. With my eyes closed I activated Awareness of the Natural World showing me clearly where Bang was and then I flipped up and activated my newest luck skill Ultimate Luck and released all the bad luck charges that I had acc.u.mulated for the last few months.


    My fist somehow slipped through Bang''s blinded defence and hit straight into his abdomen and I heard a crunching sound before the world turned red as a massive force threw me straight out of the arena and into one of the side walls. I felt concrete crunch beneath my back and a simultaneous fiery pain burnt through every single one of my bones ached but thanks to either Gamers Mind or Gamers Body I was able to stumble to my feet, extricating myself from the partially collapsed wall of the arena.


    King


    The Gamer


    Title - None


    Species - Human


    Health- 3 261/25 460 (HP Regen: 509 per minute)


    Mana ¨C 23 150/26 510 (MP Regen: 530 per minute)


    He had dealt over 20 000 points of damage even through my damage resistance. If he had hit just a bit harder that would have been the end of King. ''What a terrible end to a story that would be,'' I thought to myself. Even ignoring the grief it would inflict on my parents.


    "I''m out," I begin to say only to be interrupted by the sight of Bang right in front of me, having moved faster than I could track him.


    "Are you okay," he said as he gently grabbed my arms, appearing to check me over a few times with clear worry in his eyes


    Bang


    Martial Arts Master


    Title: Silver Fang


    Species - Human


    Health- 768 931/862 425


    Mana ¨C 0/0


    Wow, I had done almost 100,000 damage with that last punch, significantly more than I had ever done in a single strike before, and from the way he was moving it looked like he had broken a rib or something. Still whatever pain he was in he didn''t show it as he gave me the once over.


    "I''m fine," I said trying to calm him down. "I will be in a bit," I amended seeing his doubtful look. "That was an amazing punch," I said truthfully. While I wasn''t going to fight him again until I could at least see his stats there was no point in not admiring such a well-placed blow.


    "I should have held back more," he said with some self-reproach. "I knew how strong you were but when you surprised me with that last attack I ''panicked'' and lashed out." The word ''panicked'' had a metric tonne of disgust on it and I could see that he was likely to attempt to fix that problem in future.


    "It''s not an issue," I said and it was truthfully none of mine considering I was unlikely to challenge somebody that far above my level in a long time. "You have shown me just how far I still have to go," I admitted to him causing him to raise his bushy eyebrows. I flexed my body feeling just how omnipresent the pain was as well as the how effective the slow healing process was turning out to be. "It has been a pleasure," I finished giving him a bow, a gesture of a match well fought. He returned it and turned around and walked off, having had more than my fill of the day. Some medical workers and other guys tried to stop me when I entered the waiting room but I easily evaded them before taking advantage of my stealth and heading home.


    xxx


    7 years later


    Sometimes I envied monsters. In a world that seeks for meaning in religion and money and other trappings and decries any value past the superficial it was interesting to see beings that abandoned all other interests to pursue their one perfect goal. Sure this often led to hideous mutations, becoming an enemy of humanity, and instilled them with a habit of making corny speeches but it was hard to feel sorry for people that were this happy with their purpose in life.


    "I am the greatest brewer in the world," the walking cask said as streams of pressurised alcohol tore through the buildings on either side. "You have never tasted something so delectable, so refreshing. I will make you acknowledge my superiority."


    ''It was actually pretty admirable,'' I thought as I dodged the liquid beer bullets. He threw away his looks, his future, his family all to further his twisted obsession; but in the end he looks happy. ''I wonder if I will look that happy when I finally manage to fight Saitama,'' I thought before putting it out of my mind. ''To live is to have a goal to aim for, dreams to look towards, desires to satiate and happiness to grasp and keep close. Thus it could be said that compared to the grey humans running away from the monster was the most alive being in the area as it indulged its current happiness at the cost of its future.


    "I won''t forget you," I said out loud to it moments before I activated Absolute Spin Style and tore it to pieces with my hands before going into stealth mode again. My last words to it were by no means a lie. Despite being ridiculous and weak the monster was likely going to stick in my mind for a long, long time. Seeing brown liquid on my hands I raised them to my mouth and took a long lick.


    "That really was delicious," I thought as I looked down at the body of my former foe before I turned around and walked away. This year was the year when the rate of monster appearances started escalating. So far the panic was subdued as humans did what they did best and rationalized the problems as temporary statistical anomaly. At fourteen years of age, nearly fifteen, my parents had decided I was more than old enough to tolerate spending holidays alone and I had indulged their lapses of oversight by travelling around and hunting these Mysterious Beings.


    So far I had found them pretty disappointing. None of them that I had run into had been much above wolf level with one or two tigers, all of which were easily below me and were in fact weaker than many of the monsters I fought in dungeons. In fact not even a month ago I had unlocked a special psychic dungeon filled with creatures that did their best to show me just how comparatively inadequate my psychic powers were. And by creatures I mean Pok¨¦mon and by comparatively inadequate I mean Mewtwo dropped a f.u.c.k.i.n.g mountain on me.


    A tingle on the back of my neck, a slight change in the wind and a shift in my luck was all the warning that I got and I turned stepping slightly backwards and catching the blade that was flung at my unguarded back. On closer inspection the blade was a kunai. According to the internet they were actually primarily used for climbing and stabbing but what the hell do I know about ninjas. ''Oh well, it looked like I was going to be getting a more up to date education,'' I thought as I watched a trio of shadows step into the main street opposite me.


    "I believe you dropped this," I said as I observed the trio.


    Darkness Shadow


    Ninja


    Species - Human


    Health- 12 365/12 365


    Mana ¨C 0/0


    STR ¨C 6 821


    VIT ¨C 5 651


    DEX ¨C 7 320


    INT ¨C 4 501


    WIS ¨C 3 215


    LUK ¨C 1 622


    Martial Arts Style: Shadow Assassination Style


    The other two ninja''s were called Thunderbolt Lightning and Pelagic Ocean, a testament to the shitty naming conventions of their village. All of their stats were around that of the first ninja I observed which was incredibly high but nowhere near the power of those at the top of the world. A title which I still cannot claim for myself yet. To be honest these ninjas might be able to scr.a.p.e into S-Class if Sweet Mask wasn''t guarding the gate, there was no way I could afford to take them easily.


    "Did you drop this?" I asked calmly as I swung the kunai around the hoop on my finger. I walked forward towards them casually. I noticed that despite me approaching they didn''t take a step backwards which spoke of either good training or a genuine confidence in their own abilities.


    "You have interfered with a request to take down the rampaging monster," one of the ninja said calmly and quietly. "To cover up the failure of the mission your death will be required."


    "I can pinky swear if you¡­" I started but I could tell they were not listening at this point, instead spreading out in a perfectly formed formation. I sighed and dropped my gaze and I could feel as their attention instantly shifted, picking the point of time that I was ''off guard'' to lunge forward. Two came from each side trying to block out my avenue of movement while the third fired off a volley of those blades.


    According to the latest chapters of the webcomic ninja''s that had left the village didn''t work together but the trio proved me wrong quickly cutting off every avenue of escape. Actually now that I think about it these ninja may be knocking on the doors of S-class, in which case I would have to take them very seriously. I leapt upwards and saw them alter their attacks to take advantage of the fact that in the air I was vulnerable. Unfortunately for them they underestimated my abilities as I felt around for that little give that the atmosphere gave me before kicked downwards rocketing towards the ground, letting the ninjas overshoot me as I drew out the full force of my muscles and punched the ground causing a shockwave to resound throughout the area as huge waves of dust were kicked up and the ground shattered.


    Thankfully for me, all the bystanders had already run away leaving the nearby streets bare; but I still saw a few of the nearby buildings shake and I made a silent resolve not to cause a calamity here. A hint of a shadow in the dust, a brief gust of wind and I was able to launch forward twisting my hands in a particular style that allowed me to take advantage of the Spin as I lashed out with all the power contained within my muscles amplified by the nigh-infinite energy obtained within the Spin.


    Interestingly enough when I had reached 2 000 in all six of my stats I had unlocked the last skill Power of Body and Mind. This simple skill sublimated all of my previous skills that I had gained upon attaining previous levels of stats and incorporated them into itself before giving me understanding of how they previously worked. I now knew how to tap into all of my muscles for power, why standing on a surface required perfect balance and precision, how it was possible for the human body to recreate itself as a perpetual engine to survive without sleep or fuel or air, how the mind existed apart from the body in a realm of psychic energy, how knowing oneself and the world constituted pure wisdom and how luck existed and intersected with fate and sometimes won and lost.


    It had taken me weeks to get used to doing it manually after I had done it automatically all my life but the result were evident as I tore through the stomach of an unfortunate ninja in a single punch. Even with his guts decorating the floor he still managed to stumble backwards and I took a step forward with the intent of aiming for the head and bringing his HP down to zero.


    I revaluated my plans as I sensed an attack aimed at my back and I turned around, having to adjust my hand at the last moment as the attack curved in a particularly sneaky manoeuvre. My fist clashed against the short sword that the ninja wielded and the two locked against each other for a second before I was forced to dodge a hail of ninja weapons that were thrown from my blind spot.


    The ninja with the sword came at me again and I let one of my cufflinks form into an orange sword that sliced through his sword easily before gouging into his flesh. With my other hand I reached forward and grabbed his shirt before angling him to block the knives. At this point I used my other cufflink to fire an orange spear of energy at him that he dodged and then was immediately hit by the body of his comrade. I moved to him, about to kick him and take him out of the match when I was forced to stop suddenly to dodge a dart.


    I turned my head to see the first ninja, the heavily injured one, crouching with a blow dart that he fired repeatedly and I briefly regretted not aiming for his lungs. I stepped backwards catching one, two, six, dozens of those flying annoyances that were probably coated with poison. These ninjas were by no means weak but they had very little defence against my own trump cards and they were actually less skilled than me. I suppose fighting monsters every day of your life can imbue you with better instincts than even the harshest of training. Still that blow dart barrage was irritating so I reached out with my psychic powers and snapped it in two.


    The other ninja had already extracted himself from the body but in the time that he was stuck the orange spear formed from my Shun Shun Rika had pierced through his body. I moved forward in that brief moment of distraction lashing out with my foot that connected directly with his head and I heard a *crack* that indicated that his neck had buckled under the pressure. The last wounded ninja I grabbed with my telekinesis before dragging him to me with no resistance. Without intervention he would certainly die, but I was not going to save him. He had killed many in the past and would likely kill many more if allowed to live. It was regrettable that he had been turned into this by the Ninja Village but it was beyond my ability to fix him. I did not bother asking him for the location of his former home, instead using my psychic powers to take it from his mind before I gave him the sweet release of death.


    xxx


    2 Weeks Later


    "So the Village is here," I muttered to myself staring at the outskirts of an inconspicuous forest. My parents had called to tell me they had extended their holidays and so I had taken the time to scope out the location of the Ninja Village. I had actually found it about three days ago and every day since I had come to look at it before retreating backwards. Honestly the thought of actually attacking that village filled me with doubt.


    The thought of leaving that unquestionably evil organisation alone frustrated me and yet I could not insure my victory against it. From the webcomic their master was being drummed up as an unquestioningly powerful mysterious being that was on the upper tier of S-Class. Even if I was confident that I could escape from that I was not certain that I could get away from the subordinate ninja''s who might be lesser S-Class.


    It was at that moment that a minor muffled boom sounded, indistinguishable to normal ears rippled across the land causing me to frown. That was the sound of a very far off explosion, familiar to me due to my dungeon exploration. I hate explosive dungeons but I can''t deny that they have been good for my situational awareness.


    With barely a seconds hesitation I moved, cutting through the air and sliding past the sound barrier in a second before accelerating towards the source of the disturbance. In a scant few seconds the relatively lush grassy environment gave way to barren land and I had to catch my breath as I saw two beings moving at incredible speeds; their impacts causing shockwaves that ruffled my clothes even from hundreds of metres away.


    Their distance away combined with the speed that they were moving prohibited me from getting any details using observe but I hardly needed to when I saw the one of the figures. While there had been no good look at the number one hero Blast in both the webcomic and manga, what I had seen of him linked up precisely with the description. Not to mention there wouldn''t be that many human monsters at around that time. That means that the enemy he was facing was the head of the Ninja village and this must be the day that he knocks him into a coma.


    Even as I marvelled at the sheer immensity of their powers I never let go of the awareness of my surroundings and so I was not surprised when an arrow tore straight through the place my heart was a few milliseconds ago, before creating a sonic boom and causing an actual explosion a few hundred metres back.


    "So the observer is not such a shrimp after all," a man with pink spiky hair dressed in a black and white striped jersey said as he landed a hundred metres away aiming at me with a plastic bow. "I am Bow Recurve and you have made a grave mistake. For the sake of my master today I will pierce your flesh.


    Bow Recurve


    Ninja


    Species - Human


    Health- 78 926/78 926


    Mana ¨C 0/0


    STR ¨C 13 526


    VIT ¨C 11 361


    DEX ¨C 23 516


    INT ¨C 9 856


    WIS ¨C 7 936


    LUK ¨C 2 615


    Martial Arts Style: Sudden Death Bow Style


    "Are you sure you can handle him," another Ninja said as he leapt forward landing next to Bow Recurve. This guy was massive at over ten feet with disproportionately large hands and a bald head containing a large mouth with grinning teeth. "You are the weakest one of us after all. I Fist Hands will be a much better choice so as not to embarrass our master.


    Hands Fist


    Ninja


    Species - Human


    Health- 226 541/226 541


    Mana ¨C 0/0


    STR ¨C 26 451


    VIT ¨C 21 368


    DEX ¨C 17 657


    INT ¨C 5 461


    WIS ¨C 8 978


    LUK ¨C 1 114


    Martial Arts Style: Crushing Fist Style


    "Both of you are already embarrassing the master", a third more slender ninja with golden hair and a pair of kukris at his sides said. I idly scanned him for a moment looking at his name and stats.


    Shining Glimmer


    Ninja


    Species - Human


    Health- 178 888/178 888


    Mana ¨C 0/0


    STR ¨C 36 502


    VIT ¨C 17 361


    DEX ¨C 32 504


    INT ¨C 38 541


    WIS ¨C 29 100


    LUK ¨C 12 852


    Martial Arts Style: One Flash Style


    ''So he''s like a weaker version of Flashy flash,'' I thought to myself before my awareness pinged and I dodged to the side as a spear passed by my neck. The sneak attack was perfectly timed and aimed for my blind spot and would have probably done some damage if I didn''t have the merged version of Supreme Awareness over the Natural World. I immediately lashed out but the blow was avoided and a fourth ninja dressed all in black darted away from my punch


    "Stygian Umbra," the one named shining glimmer said to the fourth one. "Are your sneak attacks getting dull recently? You are shaming our master."


    The fourth one started to reply but by that point I decided to no longer remain passive. A quick glance placed the last one as average compared to the other three and so having properly evaluated my opponents I stepped forward.


    "You four are there to protect your master and help him escape if he loses, right," I said politely only to get four rather rude glares in response.


    "A piece of trash like you shouldn''t even entertain the thought that our Master would lose," Bow recurve said notching another arrow as he aimed it at my heart.


    "Oh I''m sorry," I apologized. "I misspoke. What I actually meant to say is that when I kill all four of you and tear your bodies to shreds your master will die lamenting the uselessness of his disciples." And so as they floundered over my needlessly aggressive words I stepped forward with the noble mission of completely f.u.c.k.i.n.g over canon.


    King


    The Gamer


    Title - None


    Species - Human


    Health- 313 460/313 460 (HP Regen: 6 269 per minute)


    Mana ¨C 284 830/284 830 (MP Regen: 926 per minute)


    Level ¨C 602 EXP 173 564/864 560


    STR ¨C 32 458


    VIT ¨C 28 321


    DEX ¨C 31 051


    INT ¨C 25 458


    WIS ¨C 24 621


    LUK ¨C 27 777


    Points -2 465


    Money 25 634 892£¤


    Author Note: I actually had a few fanficitions that I started and just left alone. I''ve decided to start releasing a few instead of letting them gather dust. This is one of them. The reason I wrote this was due to the fact that when I wrote my first fanfiction I had a few people accuse me of writing a self-insert, which it most definitely was not and therefore I decided to write an actual self-insert out of pure spite. This is not my most original of ideas. I believe there are already a few King Gamer! stories as it is rather thematically appropriate but... yeah.

 Chapter 221 - My OC Stash #21 - When Time Stands Still by WadetheBadger (MyHeroAcademia)

    -Not a SI but an OC with the MC being the new U.A teacher and babysitter of Eri-chan~


    *Life really does go on, my teacher forced all of us to do online classes otherwise we''re kicked out from the school. Anyways hope all of you guys are doing well with all of this shit going on. Ja ne Gamers!


    Sypnosis: Overhaul was defeated the Shie Hissaikia was broken and a single scared child had been rescued. In a bid to save this girl and those around her from her amazing power, one of the professional heroes has called in a favor.


    Attrition was a hero by convenience and pragmatism, he wasn''t interested in fame or fortune and he liked his privacy. So, to get a phone call from an old colleague, was strange. The request he received was all the stranger.


    What follows is the result of that phone call, the good the bad and the bizarre. But that seems to be the norm in a world of superpowers. It is a never-ending battle of right and wrong. That is what they tell you anyway. They are wrong. It isn''t about yes or no, good or evil, there is only one battle that matters, the battle against time.


    Rated ???


    Words: 18K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/when-time-stands-still-my-hero-academia.829638/ (WadetheBadger)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    "You want me, you''re not serious are you?" I asked from my perch atop a local sandwich shop. It was the type of place you only know about if you''re friends with a local. It wasn''t a chain and tourists wouldn''t even give it a second look. But here I was, a sandwich in one hand and a disposable phone in the other. I peered out mindlessly at the streets below. The mass of late-night denizens and bar junkies ambled on, not a one even looked in my direction. That was for the best, I did my finest work when there was no one to note me, to begin with.


    The voice on the other line spoke up. "There are only a few people who could handle this. I could do it myself, but with League and my work as a teacher, I''m stretched thin as it is."


    Shota Aizawa, a professional hero, Eraserhead was his moniker, not that most people even knew he existed. That was one thing he and I had in common, a disdain for the limelight. Which was all the more ironic since he took up a teacher''s job a while back. He called me looking for help. Well, that isn''t surprising, heroes turn to each other in a crisis. It wasn''t the first time we''d looked to one another for help, but this was just bizarre.


    I clucked my tongue and eyed my sandwich warily. "A child, with a time quirk, interesting. I can name the known time quirk users on my hands. That includes me by the way. How old?"


    "Six, she hasn''t had any training, she spent most of her life as an experiment for a yakuza sc.u.mbag." Aizawa let that hang in the air. It smelled as bad as the refuse in the dumpster behind the sandwich shop. I had no response. My appetite was gone. I tossed my sandwich over my shoulder to the dumpster below. "Attrition, I need your help. She needs your help," Aizawa said with a threadbare wave of humility. He knew how to persuade others when he really needed to.


    I sighed and nodded to myself. "Fine, I''ll be there in three days to look at what I''m dealing with. I expect to be compensated for this," I said.


    "Agreed. I''ve already discussed this with Nezu and All Might. You''ll be allocated the role of a teacher while working with the girl. That includes full benefits and pay," Aizawa said. His voice was back to the tired drawl most knew him for. I suppose it must be a trait amongst people like Aizawa and I. Those who tried hardest to stay in the shadows often cared most of those around them.


    "Fine, see you then."


    I closed the flip phone and shoved it into a pocket. I hopped across the rooftop and to the building next door. Then to the one after that. With each leap, I felt my mind firing at a thousand watts. It was just another night on the town, another night cleaning the streets of the built-up debauchery and crime. I never saw myself becoming a hero when I was younger. Though when do the fantasies of some kid ever really know what the future holds?


    My quirk wasn''t all that flashy or powerful, but it was rare. That was what drew people to me, they all thought I was Father Time, that I could turn back the tides of their miserable lives. They were always disappointed. Some even got violent. That was the twisted reason I found myself where I am today. When they started making threats, when they grabbed for their knives or guns or activated their quirks. It was all meaningless, all just a battle of attrition.


    I landed on another rooftop and felt the chilly air of early autumn tussle my jacket and the moon bathe me in its pale light. The blissful hold of a waiting tomorrow. The future would come, but it would sweep past me like a stream around a boulder. In time I might erode, but never would I budge.


    A puddle on the roof caught my eye. I peered down at myself. My hero attire wasn''t fancy, but it did its job. A black jacket, more a cloak than anything, disparaged my form, dark pants, a simple black mask that wrapped around my eyes and the back of my head and contrasted by my dark brown, almost red hair. My eyes a cold blue soaked in my form with disinterest.


    After all, I''d seen myself often enough. The white shirt beneath my cloak was the only real thing of note. It was plain, bleached and untouched by any distraction. It was a joke I''d thought up when I was a boy. The white was a warning, no matter how hard you hit me, the only blood that will ever stain my shirt is yours. It wasn''t a funny joke, no one was supposed to laugh. But, it was funny all the same.


    I cracked my neck, a satisfying sound mirrored the long day I''d had. I looked back to the moon once more. Three days till I started a new mission I had no qualifications for but was the one chosen either way. Perhaps it was just karma weaseling her way back into my life. If it was, well, Karma''s a bitch. If not, then some god out there really liked to watch me squirm.


    "Eri, huh? Guess she''s just as unprepared." I muttered to myself.


    I shrugged and continued my patrol from rooftop to rooftop, the streets remained a clock. Sooner or later the small hand of human intention would ring out a new hour. The hour of crime and I would meet said hour with the sweet minutes of justice.


    A scream pierced the relative silence of the night. a wail of terror rattled my very bones. That was it. I cleared the next building and halted over the next gap. An alley sat below. Three figures cloaked in the dank shadows of the forgotten city slums. Two of the shadows circled the third. I stepped off the roof ledge and fell like a ghoul in the night. I felt the familiar tingle of my quirk, It was like plunging into cold water, sudden nervous energy. I felt alive, I felt unbreakable. I fell down to the alley floor below. The second my feet landed I pounced forward with the built recoil of gravity.


    The first attacker had little time to react as I speared him in a tackle and slammed him into the wall beside the victim. The woman, mid-thirties by the look. Eyes wide, rimmed in cheap mascara, the kind one buys when they want to look expensive but can''t afford the real thing looked back at me with a mix of fear and dubious hope.


    I stepped back and let the body of the first attacker drop. He was a young man, poor, he was malnourished and ragged. Most likely not homeless, he smelled too nice for that. He smelled more like soap and less like grime and sweat. He landed in a heap coughing, winded but otherwise alive and kicking. Speaking of kicks, the leg of the second attack rolled through the air, he was aiming for my head. His kick landed, he seemed rather pleased or did at first.


    I looked up at the man, he was lanky toned, athletic if not awkward. He seemed brazen the thick muscle of his legs were more than human. His quirk clearly, marsupial in nature perhaps. It didn''t really matter in the end. His victorious smile faded when I didn''t move or yell or well anything at all.


    "Was that all?" I asked.


    The man stumbled back. "How, what, I--" he asked. His words were cut short when I planted a hand hard into the side of his head. He stumbled back, not in time though. I landed a quick punch to his stomach. He coughed and slouched.


    I leaned down and grabbed his shoulder. He sputtered out some vague threat. It would have been sad if I had any patience left. "Don''t pick fights you can''t win, boy," I said slowly, I let each word sit before I continued.


    I stood and turned to the woman. "The cops will be here shortly. I suggest you wait on the street for them." I pulled the phone from my pocket and waved it at her. The small screen read "Police". She nodded and muttered excuses and gratitude. I didn''t need or want either.


    I noted a pipe running across the span of one of the buildings. I c.o.c.ked a smirk. I turned to the two young men and reached into my utility belt. I pulled two pairs of handcuffs and started to whistle.


    The police arrived minutes later. I wasn''t there to greet them. The two attackers were cuffed to the pipes and the woman guided the police to the alley and they took custody from there. I stood atop the roof above and watched with idle interest.


    "That''s enough for tonight," I said. I turned around and whistled to myself as I made my way back home. Another night another patrol finished. The only thing left on my mind was Aizawa and the girl I was now tasked with protecting, not just from others, but from herself and maybe, just maybe, me.


    Chapter 2


    It was bright, brighter than I''d care. My hand raised high, I tried to block the accursed rays of the rising sun. The gates, the ever-present separation of those that do and do not belong sat wide before me. The massive glass and concrete host of UA a reminder of days past when in my misdirected youth I yearned to call my own. That was then, however, now I am not that child, I took my path and that was one I never regretted.


    I was roused from my idle thoughts by the feeling of being watched. I turned and noted a pair of youths, judging by the uniform, students, both female. The first with long dark drooping hair, eyes quizzical, but smarter than one might assume. Her tongue seemed to rest atop her bottom lip even as she held a finger to the opposite corner of her mouth. The second girl was in contrast rather average, short hair with long bangs, a nervous but a practiced smile. The type one who enjoys the joy of others gives for their sake rather than their own.


    I tilted my head back and raised a brow. I was to my distress now drawing attention. I cursed under my breath as I pondered what could be taking Aizawa so long. In the meantime, I had two still observant students to deter.


    "Can I help you?" I asked.


    The girl with droopy hair seemed to croak, like that of a frog or other amphibious creature. It was particular, but not anything beyond the students of such a school. "Um, not to be rude sir, but is there any particular reason you''re standing in front of our school gates?" the frog girl asked.


    The second girl seemed to waver as my brow rose further. "I''m sorry, my friend isn''t trying to assume anything, of course, we just happen to notice you as we were walking by."


    "I''m waiting for someone," I said. It was the truth, if not lacking the details these two were no doubt looking for. I watched as the two whispered to each other. A sudden wave of realization struck me. The nervous girl, she was from the Sports Festival. If what I remember was right I''d only caught bits and pieces. She fought an explosive boy and lost. But lost fighting, it was clear she wasn''t weak, just inexperienced.


    I pointed to the nervous girl, "You were in the Sports Festival right?"


    The girl was caught off-guard by the personal question. She nodded a bit too excitedly, humility and embarrassment, it was almost cute. "Yes, yes I was," she said.


    "You put up a decent fight," I said with a shrug.


    "Asui, Ururaka," the new voice cut the small talk. I thanked whatever amounts to a god in this world for the distraction. Aizawa walked up, his stingy black bangs billowed a bit in the breeze. His eyes were sn.a.k.e.d with veins as his dull gaze mulled over each conversant. I cracked a half-smirk and snorted as he stepped almost protectively close to his students. He''d taken to his new lot better than I''d expected.


    "Oh hello Mr. Aizawa, how are you this morning," Asui said, or who I believed was Asui, if Aizawa''s gaze upon joining us had matched his greetings. Her greeting was followed by a ribbit either way.


    "I''m fine, Asui, thank you," Aizawa said. I''d been right, without Aizawa''s visor he was far too easy to track. It was sloppy, I scoffed and he turned his attention to me. "Freid, good to see you made it on time," he smirked back at me. It would seem he had accepted my challenge. Good, I''d hate for my tenure here to be boring.


    "You know him, Mr. Aizawa?" Ururaka asked.


    "I told you I was waiting for someone," I said.


    Aizawa let out a grumble and wiped a hand through his hair. "He''s a professional hero, and starting today, the newest teacher at UA."


    "A new teacher? That''s pretty cool," Asui said tilting her head in contemplation. She stared at me. She was reading me, it was almost refreshing having someone other than myself into the craft. The human body was only the cover for an infinite series of action and drama and mystery. A task few took to. I would need to keep an eye on this one.


    "But, I don''t think I recognize him though," Ururaka said.


    I could nearly taste the amus.e.m.e.nt from Aizawa as Ururaka realized what she said and was in the midst of attempting to escape this perceived faux pas with some level of decorum.


    I chuckled and patted my chest in mock pain. "Ouch, my pride. Whatever will I do?" I asked. It was best to take the fangs off the beast as quickly as possible. The psyche of those more extroverted types can be so frail. Like a glass ready to overflow boiling away some of the contents could save a mess. "A hero that lives in the shadows and hates attention isn''t renowned amongst the masses, whatever will I do?"


    My second remark had a deliberate pause in-between to allow the students a moment to collect their thoughts. Aizawa instead decided the more direct route might be best. Perhaps as a lesson, or to simply follow along, struck my arm with a fairly relaxed punch to the arm. The sting was negligible, but I rubbed the spot all the same.


    "I''m sorry," Ururaka said followed by a bow. My plan to defang while not wholly successful seemed to at least keep her from running away or begging for forgiveness. It was a small victory if nothing else. Though, I swear, I''ll never understand the Japanese and their obsession with bowing. A decade on this island and it still eludes me.


    "It''s fine, my hero name is Attrition, by the way, it''s nice to meet you," I said.


    "That said, Principle Nezu is waiting. We really should get going," Aizawa said.


    "Oh, okay professor," Asui said.


    "See you in class then," Ururaka said. And just like that Aizawa was off and I was right behind him.


    The walk through campus was quiet, a nice reprieve after meeting some of Aizawa''s students. Nice enough kids, if not a bit too curious for their own goods. It was important that a hero-in-training was observant, but tact was also important. To be too obvious was to risk disaster, to be devoured by the monsters in the shadows.


    "We''re here," Aizawa said and pointed to a door at the end of the hall. I felt my body tense. Like any good book, the end was all too soon. I wasn''t prepared, and I hated it. I hated it more than the call that got me here, to begin with. I gave Aizawa a sharp glare and let him open the door.


    "Ah, you''re here, nice to see you made it, Mr. Freid. Oh, or would you prefer Attrition," Nezu said. He sat behind his big desk in his big office. I wondered if he was compensating, or the room was normal sized and it just looked bigger because of his size. The bear-dog-rat that sat there smiling was one of if not the most intelligent beings around. And that made him terrifying.


    "Attrition is fine," I said.


    I hoped I''d hid my dread well enough. Not that he''d ever tell me. Either way, he nodded and pointed to a chair. "Please have a seat," he said. So, I did.


    Aizawa took a place leaning against the wall behind me. I coughed into a sleeve. "So, what can I do for you?" I asked.


    "Right to it then," Nezu said with a smile and tossed a file on the desk. "Let''s talk about you then shall we?" he asked as he flipped the folder open to a picture of me when I was a lot younger. I felt a prickle on the back of my neck. This was going to be seven colors of fun. I just knew it.


    "You''re one in a million, you know that?" Nezu asked. That wasn''t a real question. It was a prologue. "Being born with such an interesting quirk, nothing like either of your parents. That''s rare, but that''s not the important part."


    "It never is," I said.


    "No, I suppose it isn''t," Nezu said with a wistful sigh. "It''s only as important as what you can do with it, as short-sighted as that is."


    And there it was, the truth we all knew but hated to admit. I gripped the edge of the armrest tight. "So, as I said, what is it that I can do for you? But let me add a caveat. What Can I do for you with it?" I asked.


    "The only thing I would ask of any hero," Nezu said meeting my hard stare with a nonplussed gaze. "Save lives. But that part is a given. What I want from you is what I''d ask of any of my teachers. To help others save lives."


    I had no response to that. Well played, well played. I was the mouse in this maze. The maze of UA, the maze of teaching, the simple mouse under Nezu''s complete control. The office didn''t feel very large anymore.


    "You realize I''m not much for company or have any experience teaching right?" I asked. I knew he knew the answer, but it felt better to ask.


    "I do, but Aizawa thought you''d meet the very specific criteria we''re looking for. So, I believe you''ll flourish in time," Nezu said with a dramatic wave of his paws.


    "Why not Aizawa then?" I asked.


    "I already have a class and my own career to deal with. Besides, I have to blink sometimes," Aizawa said from his place at the wall. As if to punctuate his point, he took a small dropper from his sleeve and dabbed whatever solution it contained into one of his chronically sore eyes.


    "So, what''s the job then? Besides babysitting?" I asked.


    Nezu spun in his chair. "That would only be one aspect. The larger goal is for you to help young Eri find a way to control her power. As it is, she has almost zero direct will over its activation or scope. It is truly tragic."


    "I assume she''s on campus?" I asked.


    "She is. And once this is settled you''d be living in the same suite as Eri, as to ensure nothing goes awry."


    I felt my blood run cold. To teach is one thing, to live with a child is not just out of my comfort zone, but off the cliff and straight to a personal hell.


    "Damn," I said.


    "Is it really that terrible?" Nezu asked.


    "Anything else?" I asked.


    "You wouldn''t be alone," Aizawa had in my distraction taken the seat beside me. "I''ll do what I can, and there are several students Eri has taken a liking to, who are willing to assist if need be."


    "Students?" I asked. "Really?"


    "They are the ones to rescue young Eri from the Shie Hassaikai in the first place," Nezu said with a laugh.


    I blinked, I shouldn''t be surprised, it was UA after all, they didn''t exactly follow the rules. I slumped in my chair.


    "Do I actually have to teach a class?" I asked.


    Nezu leaned on one paw and hummed. I felt my stomach churn. "Only if we really need you too. Just think of yourself as a fully paid sub."


    It was clear he was loving this. Like a cat playing with fresh prey.


    I looked over at Aizawa, he refused to meet my gaze. That was not a good sign.


    "So basically It doesn''t really matter one way or the other. If I don''t do this, who will?" I asked. I didn''t want or expect an answer. I got one all the same.


    "That''s great news," Nezu said. I looked at him like a man in the noose. "You''re hired, Mr. Freid, welcome to UA."


    Chapter 3


    Every single cell in my body begged for a retreat. I could feel my pulse in my ears and my left eye twitched ever so slightly. I wasn''t afraid of much, I looked death in the eye and never blinked. So, I had to wonder in the minutes it took for me and Aizawa to trek across UA''s campus why was I suddenly more jelly-filled than every cop in the city? The suite I would be calling my home for the time being was tucked away, off the main roads and nestled on the edge of the treeline. It was good real estate, all things considered. It was also the perfect place to teach a traumatized child, out of the way with little chance of someone wandering in and getting hurt.


    My eye twitched again as Aizawa stopped at the front door. He turned and gave me a pointed look. "Eri''s already here, just so you know. So are your things," Aizawa said, his face grew harder, once brick, now steel, he left little hope of escaping his glower. "She''s fragile, keep that in mind."


    I nodded, he was worried, hell, I was worried. It was too late though, we would all meet our fate soon enough. At least I had a fighting chance, with any luck when I was done, she would have one too. Aizawa opened the front door and we both entered. The first thing I noted was a voice deeper inside. But it wasn''t the voice of a little girl.


    Aizawa and I followed the talking to the far end of the living area and to a small hallway. There was a bathroom to one side and a bedroom to the other. The room was a perfect fit for a child. A young man, or old teenage boy, it didn''t really matter, danced about the room at impressive speeds. He only stopped between each scamper to look back at a girl seated on the bed against the far wall. "Isn''t this exciting, Eri. I mean this is your first real room, isn''t it? I mean you probably had a room back at the yakuza bunker, but that was closer to a cell, huh? It doesn''t matter now though cause this is all yours," the exuberant boy said. He had dull blonde hair, a large fit body in a set of casual wear and his piercing blue eyes were a direct contrast to my cooler set. His smile was open and toothy, the type that brightens a room, an All Might in the making, if ''I''d ever seen one. Even now the boy was rending the dr.a.p.es wide, the morning sun pouring in and leaving him in a halo almost as dazzling as his personality. I''d need to be careful around this guy, I might go blind if I wasn''t careful.


    The girl, on the other hand, was almost invisible in his presence. She sat on the edge of the bed, tucked tight into herself. She watched the boy with eyes so wide they might very well consume her face. Her silver hair was well brushed and nestled nicely behind the horn on the right side of her head. Eri, this was my new charge. Like a Lion taking in a house cat, there was a distinction to be made. One that would make or break what happened next. This poor child had seen hell, So a hellblazer like me taking charge might just lead to a path few can or should ever tread. I could, as anyone might with a new job, be blowing things out of proportion. I suppose only time would tell. Time was, of course, the one thing me and this helpless child have in common.


    "Lemillion," Eri said. The young man, Lemillion turned and noticed Aizawa and I. He smiled and waved. An interesting name indeed, Mirio Togata, Aizawa mentioned him before. He seemed capable, strange hero name aside.


    "Morning, Mr. Aizawa, who''s your friend?" Mirio asked, offering me a look that would curdle the hearts of lesser men.


    Aizawa nodded and hefted a thumb my way. "You knew Eri would have a caretaker, and a teacher. This is him."


    Aizawa sounded about as enthusiastic as a morener asking if a certain body looked familiar to a new arrival. It wasn''t a heartfelt introduction, but what was I expecting, candy and flowers?"


    I went to wave and decided against it. I instead offered a slight bow, that seemed more appropriate I guess. "My name is Isaac Freid. I''m the professional hero Attrition. Aizawa asked me to assist Eri in her quirk training," I said, my tongue heavier than the concrete shoes of a yakuza rat. The metaphor withered in my mind. No matter how long I stayed in Japan the idioms from home just seemed more natural.


    "Oh wow, that''s awesome. You hear that Eri, your own personal pro teacher," Mirio had closed the gap between Eri and himself in a blink and on one knee pulled her attention from the floor. She''d given me a single look before withdrawing. It wasn''t exactly a great sign, but her caution was smart. I respected that. "I mean, I don''t have a clue about any hero named Attrition, but that hardly matters," Mirio said with a laugh.


    "Anyway, I expect you and Midoriya to assist Attrition the best you can when you come to visit. That clear?" Aizawa said. Mirio turned and saluted. Aizawa turned his gaze to the child trying very hard to shrink away. "Why don''t you introduce yourself, Eri?" Aizawa asked. His voice lowered to a gentle whisper.


    Eri managed to shimmy herself off the bed and slowly, like walking through a minefield managed to make it a few paces from me. She gripped her hands tight together and teetering on tears met my gaze. "Nice to meet you, sir," she said with a slight bow of her own.


    I knelt, I hoped it lessen the tension a bit. "I''ve heard a lot about you, Eri. You''ve had a tough life, all because of something you had no say in. Believe me when I say, I get that, I really do. But I don''t plan to let that stop me from ripping that fear out of you, inch by inch. That''s a promise."


    Several seconds passed, and nothing. Not even a stray breath. When the silence did subside, it wasn''t Eri who broke it. Mirio stood over me, his smile gone. "What kind of promise is that?" he asked.


    I stood and offered Mirio a confused look. I planted a hand on the back of my head and shrugged. "One I plan to keep, I guess," I said.


    "You guess?" Mirio asked. I shrugged again. He grabbed me by my shirt. I didn''t resist. "Eri deserves your best, not some half-hearted promise. You say you understand, but how could you, what gives you the right to walk in here and say that?" Mirio''s glare met my own lackl.u.s.ter leer. I touched a nerve, or misstepped and hit a mine.


    I took a breath and nodded. "A guy who knows a life closer to hers than you have ever known," I said patting Mirio''s hand even as it tightened further on my shirt. I saw it coming but chose to stand there. Mirio''s fist slammed into my cheek all the same. I deserved it to some degree, I picked a fight with a warhead, and with one punch it detonated. I was really getting good marks for my first day. Aizawa had only taken a single step before a cry pulled everyone''s attention.


    Eri let forth a rather impressive plea. "Please stop, please don''t fight. I''m sorry, I don''t want anyone else to be cursed over me," she yelled. It was as if all the built-up tension just evaporated, or the warhead had blown it all away. I bit my lip and staggered to my feet. Mirio had a killer hook. I shook my head and stepped forward. Mirio had dived to his knees and was currently comforting the weeping child.


    I suppose it was time for the first lesson, and I didn''t mean Eri''s. "My quirk," I said. Mirio and Eri looked up. "My quirk has always had others expecting I could fix their problems. They bribed, threatened, screamed, attacked and pleaded. They didn''t know me, they didn''t know anything other than the fact my quirk affected time. So they assumed all these incredible things about it. I went my whole life with a target on my back. It got so bad, I''d wished I''d been born quirkless, or not at all."


    "You can rewind time too?" Mirio asked. He held Eri tight, but the girl had stopped crying, her eyes were glued to me. I shrugged.


    "Somedays, somedays I paused it, or fast-forwarded it, or traveled through it. It depended on what people wanted it to be, what they wanted from me. They didn''t ask, they told me what my quirk was. My quirk isn''t flashy, or powerful, it can''t rewrite history or bring back the dead. But that didn''t matter to them."


    I walked over and knelt in front of the speechless kids. "But, do you know what it can do?" I asked. Eri managed the smallest shake of her head. I sighed and offered a humorless smile. "It can stop your curse."


    Eri looked wonderstruck. Mirio looked on the verge of his own tears, or maybe from crushing me in a hug. And Aizawa had vanished in the ruckus. I would destroy him later for that. "Really, It can stop my curse?" Eri asked.


    I nodded and watched her eyes light up. "My quirk is called Timeless. In short, I can place myself outside the current stream of time. While activated I become immune from the flow of time, so things that rely on the progression, or regression of time become impossible for me to experience. You can''t rewind me, no matter how hard you try. I promise."


    "You can''t be cursed," Eri said before the room returned to an albeit much more comfortable silence.


    I stood back up and looked down at Mirio. "You asked how I could make such a nonchalant promise, simply because I know how it feels for others to try and use you for your quirk, and I know how hard it can be to rise above that."


    I offered Mirio a hand and with a more restrained smile he took it and I helped him to his feet. We stood there for a few seconds hand in hand. I don''t really know if I liked Mirio, and I doubt he fully trusted me, but if nothing he had my respect.


    The standoff was only broken when Eri started pulling on a leg of each of our pants. Mirio and I both looked down. "No more fighting?" Eri asked. A second passed before Miro and I both burst into laughter. Which only led to Eri pouting and glaring up at us.


    Our laughter was joined by a new sound. The sound of a booming laugh that seemed to shake the room. I managed to turn and internalize a groan that would make the dead envious. In the doorway stood a new pair of bodies.


    The first the massive unmistakable form of the former number one hero, All Might. His smile so iconic they sold shirts emblazoned with its likeness. I''d bash my own head in before I let someone try that on me. "It sounds like everyone is in high spirits," All Might said. He only managed the bravado a few more seconds before his body began to steam and he deflated like a party balloon your cat got its claws in. All Might''s deflated form looked almost unrecognizable, though I suppose ever since his last battle with All For One, it''s become more well known amongst the masses.


    The second form looked like another student, tousled messy hairy, he was mousey with freckles. He looked unassuming, but on the campus of UA, no one is really unassuming. The boy stepped forward and before he even had a chance to speak, he was rushed by a certain six-year-old.


    "Deku," she yelled. She even managed a giggle when the boy, Deku, pulled her up onto his shoulders. "Guess what?" she said.


    Deku hummed. "What?" he asked.


    "He can''t be cursed," Eri yelled and pointed to me.


    Deku seemed to puzzle over this answer a bit before looking towards Mirio. Mirio offered a wave. "Deku, meet Eri''s new private teacher, Attrition." I heaved an internal sigh. I guess I''ll have to explain myself all over again. Today couldn''t end soon enough. Being a teacher was more exhausting than any crime-fighting.

 Chapter 222 - MY SI Stash #22 - Interesting Times by Zanarkand Kido (MassEffect)

    -Recently published fic, with a different take on SI with him being not an OP unkillable cheats MC but instead just a politician/businessman~ You get sick of delusional Mary Sue "OPMC" after a while.


    Sypnosis: Coming to terms with being reborn? Doable. Finding out you''re in the Mass Effect universe? Slightly more difficult. I know I''m no soldier material but I want to do what I can to help save the galaxy. To that goal I will become one of the worst beings in human society. A businessman and politician. A SI/OC-story of a different kind.


    Rated ???


    Words: 6.3K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13527918/1/Interesting-Times/ (Zanarkand Kido)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    My story began when I turned eighteen. The age when you become a fully responsible a.d.u.l.t in the eyes of the government.


    Well, theoretically my story began even earlier. To be precise it began more than a hundred years ago and in a different reality. A reality where a series of games existed called Mass Effect. A game that became my new reality.


    I never found out how or even why. In the end, I didn''t care much about it.


    At first, I even thought that I was just reborn into the future. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Humanity was still confined to the Sol-System and had colonies on Luna and Mars. There was nothing that screamed Mass Effect at me, it just looked and felt like the future.


    But that changed from one day to the next, when it was announced that alien ruins had been found on Mars. They called these aliens Protheans.


    I swear my heart stopped for a moment when I heard the news.


    At that moment I was already 23 years old and came to terms with the whole being reborn long ago. But hearing that I wasn''t just reborn but flung into a different reality was something else.


    The first thing I did after the news was that I checked the internet for BioWare and Mass Effect.


    I got dozens of hits for BioWare but none for Mass Effect.


    Not. A. Single. One!


    It seemed like they never had the idea for that series.


    But there was something I would call a ray of hope, BioWare made a KotoR 3 and it was great! Just some information by the side.


    But back to the situation at hand.


    I knew what would be coming, the first contact war with the Turians, the whole trope of humanity becoming part of the Citadel, Cerberus and of course the Reapers and the galactic war with them.


    While I looked out of the window of my apartment onto the skyline of London and the Thames I pondered what options I had.


    I could do nothing and live my life to the fullest and hope that Shepard would do the right thing and destroy the Reapers or I could try to meddle with the future and prepare humanity and the rest of the galaxy as best as I could.


    The means to do something meaningful were available to me. When my father died he left me his mining-company and the beginnings of a company centered around starship construction. I was fifteen at the time and couldn''t take control of the company just yet. My mother died three years before him and I suspected he never really recovered from it. He wasn''t a bad father, far from it, he did try, but he was broken inside. For me it was hard too, losing your mother is never easy even for someone who had already lived another life. It probably helped that I wasn''t born aware of my old life so that I truly could form a connection with my new parents. The first memories came slowly when I was 8 years old and would continue for the next to years before I would understand that those weren''t vivid dreams but memories of a previous life. And when mom died the shock released probably them all and I remembered fully.


    After dad died I would concentrate on learning everything I could about business, economy and starship engineering. In my old life I already had a degree in business and economy so I wasn''t that hard to (re-)learn it but starship engineering and engineering, in general, was something else. Especially, since there were a hundred years more to it than I knew of. Concepts and theories I had never heard of and scientist of my old life would never have thought of, yet.


    But I was determined to make my dad''s dream true. He had always spoken of how he would have loved to explore the stars and to see different planets. That was why he was branching out into starship construction.


    I still remembered when I was six or seven and dad took me out into the wild for camping. We looked up into the night sky, away from any city and could see the stars. He had this faraway look in his eyes when he spoke to me. "Son", to this day I remember what he said with an impossible clarity "we humans have always wondered what is out there in the galaxy and now we''re on the verge of finding out. I feel it deep in my heart. That''s why I want to fly up there one day and just explore. Seeing new things, sights no human ever set sights on before. That is my dream and I hope you will find a dream of your own one day." I could only nod at his words and thought how cool my dad was.


    After his death, I swore I would make his dream come true in his stead.


    Officially, I took control over the companies when I turned eighteen but practically that happened two years later when I got my degree in business and economy.


    Hey, don''t think that took to long for one who was already practiced in it. I studied engineering with a focus on starsh.i.p.s by the side which took me one more year to get my degree in.


    For the next two years, after I took over and had to fire one or two of the executive part for embezzling, helped consolidate my position in the company, not gonna lie, I focused on expanding on our mining operations first. Processed resources were always something needed and in an age of space exploration in was even more needed. Especially when I wanted to build my own starsh.i.p.s one day. To produce the materials needed for construction would make production cheaper and in the end, I could make more money with them even if sold cheaper than those of my rivals.


    To that goal, I hired some scientists and engineers to invent equipment that would make mining easier, cheaper and faster.


    It took them six months but they constructed VI-controlled drones that helped the workers immensely with breaking up the minerals in the soil and refining them into useable materials. It worked like a charm and my company saw exponential growth for the next two years and it didn''t stop there because the team that created the drones continued to make them even better or finding new areas where and how those drones could be used. Furthermore, my mining company grew to the point that it encompassed 41% of all extraterrestrial mining operations and was still growing.


    All the while the starship company slowly grew as well and the cheap materials allowed for experimentation with design.


    But that was the furthest thing from my mind at the moment because I was still pondering the question of what I should do.


    I could let the events of the games play out and hope for the best or I could do something. I wasn''t sure what I could do. Supporting Shepard? That was a given but how should I do it? I didn''t have any special abilities, biotics weren''t even a thing yet, nor did a have a technological superior combat suit, moreover I wasn''t even a soldier or even had the potential to be one. My Sister, in my previous life, was one and told me that I would never survive military life. Proud as I was I disagreed and she dared me to spend one week with her doing standard exercises.


    Waking up at dawn, training, doing chores and more training. I barely survived the first day and at the end of the third, I truly hated her.


    After the week, she told me that that wasn''t even the hardest that she experienced and I couldn''t fathom how I could survive an even harder regime. Pride shattered, I agreed with her that military life wasn''t for me.


    Thinking about my sister, let me smile. She had been six years older than me and had always watched over me. Every time I needed help or needed advice, I just had to ask. In this life, I was an orphan with no sibling that I could turn to, so I looked in the past to find an answer.


    For the next ten minutes, I just looked out the window, reminiscing, interrupted only by sipping on my glass of Irish whiskey.


    Then suddenly something my sister once said flew through my mind and the thought let me stand up on reflex.


    A grin came over my face when I remembered her words.


    "You know, if you even had only a half the interest in politics that you have in business, you could probably become president in less than twelve years. After all, you have a way with words, you probably could sell sand in the desert and make a killing with it."


    At the time I just laughed and asked her if she would like to invest in my business but now, now her words truly struck something in me. A path opened up before me. A path that would lead me to the center of the action while away from the battlefields. A way to truly move something, to prepare for the Reapers, to make things better in the galaxy even after the Reapers were dealt with.


    I knew what I wanted to do, what I wanted to be.


    Neither Anderson nor Udina would stand in my way.


    I would become the human councilor!


    "Well, it seemed like I made my decision of what to do and I even had a goal to boot! Becoming the human councilor would let me have a direct influence on galactic politics and events.


    But that would be far off into the future. If I remembered the timeline it would take something between 32 to 36 years before the events of Mass Effect happened, hell it would take a decade before the first contact war with the Turians.


    That thought let me stop. I knew that in a few years the Turians would attack Shanxi and my knowledge could help prevent it but the question was, should I?


    My foreknowledge could be interpreted as a kind of time travel, where the traveler tries to change events in the past to create a better future. But by using his knowledge of what is to come he could make these events happen in the first place or he changes the events and instead of a positive effect on the future it is even worse than before.


    Still pondering the question I poured myself another glass of whiskey. Was it my second or already my third? I didn''t know, thinking of monumental and history-altering decisions lets you ignore such minor things.


    Taking a small sip, I cherished the light burning in my throat, reminding me that this was real and no fabrication of my mind. Well, maybe it was but was reality truly something different than a fabrication of our mind? It takes the information of our surroundings and interprets them, the result is what we call reality. Who can say that my previous life on earth in the 21st century was real and not just a bad dream of some kind of animal?


    For me, the reality was the here and now, my reality was the beginnings of the Mass Effect universe. No, it wasn''t just the Mass Effect universe, it was my Mass Effect universe. Who could say what the future would bring? Maybe my being here had already changed things irredeemably from the original timeline. Did ME even have an original timeline? Take a look at Shepard for example, he or she could be born on earth, on Mindoir or in space. Different places and probably different parents. And do not forget that Shepard could become the survivor of Akuze, the Butcher of Torfan or the Hero of Elysium. And that are all variables before the game even begins, I don''t wanna even discuss the different classes that Shepard could be because that would mean differences in his/her training.


    Another question was if I could even influence the coming events. The answer to that was a resounding no. I had no pull in any government and even if I had it would be useless because the System Alliance didn''t exist yet. They would be founded in the coming years in response to the discovery of the Prothean ruins or was it because of the Charon Relay? No matter, I would wait and then start to make myself vital to the Alliance. They would be the key player in galactic politics for humanity and being a part of them would give me the chance to become councilor later on. Furthermore, they would be the military arm of humanity as well and it would do well to support them if we wanted to have a better chance at repelling the Reapers.


    In the end, my decision on what to do was as simple as it was complicated. I would let things play out and deal with them as they come. No more worrying about deviating events or possible futures, no human being was made to control the future and anyone who thought differently was a fool. You could influence the possibility of a specific future but never dictate all details.


    With that decision, my mind began to formulate a ''battleplan'' for the immediate future. I would need a strong support base to truly change anything and just expanding my mining business wouldn''t do the trick. That didn''t mean I wouldn''t expand in that sector, oh I definitely would expand there, materials would become even more valuable but I had to branch out. My still small starship company "Ad Astra" would be a key in the coming years. I would try to become the major supplier of space vessels for the Alliance, which would give me an entry in the political arena of the Alliance that I could later use as a stepping stone to the Citadel.


    Another thing was that I could try to support the invention and development of technology apart from Element-Zero and mass effect, remembering the revelation that the mass relays and the citadel were built by the Reapers to control the development of galactic civilizations and guide them down a specific path. And what about the end of Mass Effect 3? Did the crucible render the mass relays unusable or could they still be used? I didn''t know but I would work on the assumption that they would not. Hope for the best and be prepared for the worst. That was a good motto to hold onto.


    What else could be done?


    That question swirled through my mind and dozens of ideas came up, some dismissed but some held promise.


    Weapons for example, not just small arms, no, weapons for sh.i.p.s, maybe even orbital defense like those in Halo. That was an interesting thought. Why try to think up everything from scratch when hundreds of fictional ideas could work? After all, something was just so long fiction until somebody brought it into reality. Mass Effect was something fictional before and now it was real, at least to me.


    The rough outline of my plan for the next ten years was done. I would expand my mining business, "Ad Astra" and branch out into weapon development and other technological avenues.


    Moreover, I would try to become a key player in the Alliance itself, it would be easier while it was still young and not recognized as the power it would become.


    I smiled as my gaze wandered over the skyline of London at night.


    My glass raised to a toast I remembered the old Chinese curse.


    "May we live in interesting times."


    I hope you liked the first chapter of ''Intersting Times''.


    As you could read it is an SI/OC story but I hope somewhat different from the normal ones.


    Most SI-stories that I read about where about how someone tries to change the galaxy as


    a member of Shepards team, an SI that changes the canon as a soldier with a weapon in hand.


    Don''t get me wrong there are some pretty good ones but I wanted to do something uncommon.


    I love those ME-fics that have a different humanity and the politics that happen in them, the interaction between


    characters that have political power is something that I find interesting and I wanted to do something like that.


    For example the interactions between the Council and the Wardens of the Mantle in evevee''s Halo/ME-fic ''On the Illusion of Might'' is something I truly enjoy.


    Well, enough about that.


    Please review, any critic that could help to make this story even better is wanted.


    Even ideas about what would be nice is welcomed (but those please per PM)


    Read you later


    Zanarkand Kido

 Chapter 223 - My SI Stash #23 - State of the Meta by Yung Warrior (Yu-Gi-OhGX)

    -Recommended by DesertChocolate himself (author of Dial), I was dubious going in on this, really not thinking a YuGiOh ff could be good but I was impressed. I finished it after 3 weeks(mind you I was quite busy even with the confinement going on), this story also got more easter eggs than a MCU film! (?¦Ø?)


    Sypnosis: A self-insert in which a competitive player from 2016 finds himself warped into the world of GX. Between adjusting his deck to make up for the inverted power creep, making grades, and saving the world, there''s much to do, but all good players know how to adapt to their circ.u.mstances. SI-OC, 1st Person POV


    Rated: T


    Words: 454K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/12622310/1/State-of-the-Meta (Yung Warrior)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1: Can Somebody Get Me A Banlist?!


    I''ve never been a huge fan of self-insert fanfiction. I always looked at them as shamelessly self-indulgent wish fulfillment fantasies, and rather disliked the idea of a random joe who has foreknowledge of the plot waltzing into the story and fixing up everything. After all, what is a story without its dramas and pitfalls? What is so appealing about a hero who casually patches up all points of conflict in the story while perhaps picking up a harem or two along the way? Not much of a story at all, I thought.


    Of course, I didn''t exactly think that way now.


    Waking up in the body of a fifteen-year old boy with the consciousness and knowledge of an a.d.u.l.t was mind-boggling enough. Being called "son" by parents who were not by own was surreal, to say the least. Thank god I don''t have to call them by their names, or else I would probably be penning this from the inside of a mental asylum.


    A million questions zipped through my head as I woke up in a completely unfamiliar bedroom in a completely unfamiliar body. As soon as my eyes opened, I zipped about the room, taking in the trappings of this boy''s life. He seemed to be a big fan of sports, ice hockey in particular. "At least we have that in common." I mentally sighed with relief.


    Slowly, it dawned on me that I was not in the same universe that I came from. I peered through the boy''s-my-desk drawers and found a collection of magazines, many of them price catalogs for the latest Yugioh cards. At first, I simply thought that the boy must be a big fan of the franchise.


    Then, I looked towards the relatively ancient PC sitting on the desktop. Booting it up, I noticed the unusually long loading times the computer had, and immediately knew that the era I was in did not quite possess the same technological prowess that existed in 2016 of my world.


    Sure enough, the computer listed the date and time as being October 4, 2004.


    Before I complained, I reasoned that things could have been much worse. For one thing, I could have been reincarnated in prehistoric times, where there was no technology or modern luxuries available to me at all. I could have been born into slavery. I could''ve been born into a warzone- everything seemed peaceful so far. Not having smartphones and social media was hardly something to whine about in comparison.


    Immediately, I opened up the boy''s internet browser (I didn''t recognize the name of the browser- it certainly wasn''t one that existed in my world) and thanked my lucky stars that a search engine appeared. I hastily searched for current events under the news toolbar.


    "KAIBALAND HOLDS 10TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY"


    My jaw dropped when I saw this headline on the screen. This is Yugioh, baby. Specifically, I recalled with embarrassing swiftness, this is ten years after the events of the original series, which means that this is the time period of Yugioh GX.


    And what do you know, I''m just the right age to begin my first year at Duel Academy. Surely this boy was a duelist, every single man, woman, and child in this silly franchise knows how to play this card game. Frantically, I looked about the room for a deck of cards. At the bottom of the closet, I found a sleeved deck neatly slot into a KaibaCorp regulation duel disk. "Thank god this kid knows to put his cards in sleeves. This way, we can sell at near-mint later!" I rejoiced outwardly, speaking aloud for the first time in this new body. My voice had a distinct west-coast inflection, and thankfully wasn''t too high-pitched. Hell, maybe self-inserts weren''t all that bad bad after all.


    I thumbed through the cards, only to yet again pause in shock. If that kept happening, I was never going to get anything done. I was worried that I would have to learn the ins and outs of a new deck, but that was the least of my concerns.


    The deck was filled with cards from 2016. Specifically, they were the new Melodious Diva Support, including those new fusion monsters of theirs. These cards hadn''t even been printed in the TCG as of October 2016, yet here I held them in my hands. In fact, now that I think about, this was the very last deck I played on YGOPRO before I was warped into whatever crazy situation this was.


    Coincidence? I think not. Although part of me cringed at the thought of playing cards based off of idol singers, they would undoubtedly be extremely powerful in this time period.


    Unfortunately, these cards would have to be shelved for the time being. As much as I would enjoy OTK-ing every opponent that crossed my path, there''s no way I could possibly use this deck without being accused of using counterfeit cards. Although such a claim would be categorically untrue, I would be guilty of using cards no one else had. Perhaps I could claim to be Maximillion Pegasus'' adopted son, and these cards to be a birthday gift from him to me.


    Actually, that would be ridiculous. For the time being, I would have to use some older cards. Digging through the boy''s closet, I found a shoebox full of cards, and these were all congruent with the time period. He seemed to be a bit of a collector, having a few cards that I know for a fact would be quite rare around this time period. I grinned widely when I found a copy of Black L.u.s.ter Soldier-Envoy of the Beginning. My smile faltered when I realized just how necessary a banlist for this time would be. I knew that Raigeki would most likely be banned, so I left it out of the build.


    After about thirty minutes, I had successfully built a deck based around the infamous goat control format of April 2005. Oh, perhaps it wasn''t nearly as flashy as Jaden Yuki''s Elemental Heroes or as devastating as Zane Truesdale''s Cyber Dragons, but I imagine their monsters get destroyed by Mirror Force just like everything else in this time.


    With a sense of wistfulness, I placed the Melodious Diva deck inside of a black deck box before throwing it into a backpack. Looking up, I glanced at the clock. 7:33 AM. In times like these, I appreciated being a morning person. I could use a cup of coffee all the same though.


    Suddenly, I heard a sharp rapping on my wooden doorframe. "Jamie, get out of bed! You''ll want some breakfast before your duel examination. Shower up and come down!" A caring, yet somewhat nagging voice intoned from outside.


    "Ah yes, the kid''s mother. So, my name''s Jamie, huh? Hopefully my last name isn''t Lannister." I wondered if the Game of Thrones/Song of Ice and Fire books were even a thing in this universe. If not, then I stood to make some serious coin. Come to think about it, is Kazuki Takahashi a person in this world? If so, has he written the Yugioh manga yet? Will he ever? Questions for later.


    "Sure thing!" I said quickly before rising, hoping that my voice didn''t sound different to her ears. I waited until I could hear her footsteps descending the stairs before I tentatively stepped out into the hallway. Luckily, the bathroom door was the only one in the hall that was open, so I didn''t have to play an impromptu game of The Price Is Right to find the toilet.


    Stepping inside the bathroom, I finally got a good look at this new body in the mirror. "Why, I''m starting to sound like Captain Ginyu." I chuckled.


    My body was in decent shape, thankfully. I remembered being distinctly overweight at 15, as it was the year before I started lifting and playing varsity football at my high school. This kid was a little on the thin side, but that would rectified soon enough. I only hope Duel Academy has a decent gym. I was shorter than I would like to be, only coming in at five foot seven. Nothing can be done about that, though. My hair was a pleasant brown shade, with a certain messiness to it which I liked. I never enjoyed styling hair. My skin was tan and my eyes were a piercing, bright green.


    "Man, this is going great so far. Then again, I suppose nothing has really happened yet. Man, I should really look into what books have or haven''t been written yet. If I can get that Harry Potter money, then I will." I thought aloud as I quickly showered. There was distinct fire in my belly, a drive to go out and do things as if I were running out of time. It was a feeling I hoped wouldn''t go away soon.


    Despite this being my second go round at life, everything seemed so new and wondrous. The hot shower water felt incredibly good on my skin, the sunshine from the window seeming so fresh and clean. At the same time, mind was in complete disarray, desperate to find something familiar to cling to. To keep myself from going insane, I focused only on the present moment, at the current sensations I was feeling. As I settled down, I felt more comfortable diverting my thoughts towards the future.


    I was going to Duel Academy. Basically, all I had to do to secure myself a decent career in this crazy world was to play a children''s card game well. I was going to meet characters I had once thought as being strictly fictional. There really was a sense of childish amazement at the prospects laid bare before me. As I toweled myself off, I felt a wild grin creep its way on my face, and I felt my panic and worry melt away, replaced by an infectious confidence.


    After throwing on a light blue hoodie and some grey sweatpants, I leapt down the stairs, briefly taking in the details of the house as I did so. It seemed to be a comfortable middle-class dwelling, and once again I reflected on how lucky I was. It was only by the whim of whatever force sent me here that I wasn''t dealing drugs in the streets or worse, locked up in jail. Perhaps there was a reason for all this, but I hardly cared to think about who or what brought me here. Whatever brought me here did not see fit to tell me the "why", much less the "how". But that''s life, isn''t it? We are never told why we are created, what our purpose is for being. We create that reason ourselves. We form bonds with others, and protecting those bonds becomes a purpose for some. Others fight ultimately pointless battles in the name of their religion or political ideology. The humblest, as well as the most proud, choose to master a craft or skill. Creating is what brings them contentment. But many stay adrift and never ascertain a reason for being. They exist, work for the benefit of greater people, and die. Such a fate should be intolerable, and yet many settled for it all the same. I would create my own reason for being here, if I must.


    Bounding into the kitchen, I got my first good look at my "parents". No matter what happened, I would never hold as much affection for these people as I would my original parents, but that''s not their fault.


    "Hi, you guys." I waved casually. My father smiled back at me, clapping a hand on my shoulder. He had the frame of a former athlete gone to seed- huge powerful muscles wrapped under copious layers of fat. He had salt-and-pepper hair and beard, with tasteful glasses framing crinkled gray eyes. He wore a three-piece suit, clearly about to head to work.


    "Jamie! Good to see you fresh-faced, my boy!" He exclaimed boisterously. "Make me proud today at your examination. I''ve always dreamed of seeing my only son dueling in Obelisk Blue, and I''m sure you have as well."


    "No doubt." I answered smoothly. From that short exchange, I could roughly discern the relationship here; he had high expectations of his son while also internally pining for his own glory days.


    Nodding at him, I turned over to look upon my "mother", who was currently cooking an omelet in a skillet. I was about to greet her, but I found my words stuck in my throat as she looked up.


    I found myself in a bit of a Marty McFly situation, to say the least. She was an attractive lady, with a heart-shaped face, a slim frame, and the same green eyes and straight brown hair I had. Luckily, such a thing was only a brief distraction. I had no intention on making anything weird.


    "Morning, honey! Are you ready for your big day?!" She cooed, a slight contrast from her demanding tone earlier.


    "Honestly, don''t talk to the boy like that, he''s nearly a man, about to set off on his first great adventure in life!" My not-father intervened rather entertainingly on my behalf. From there, the two spouses launched into some trivial discussion, which I hardly paid attention to.


    I had no interest in establishing any real relationship with them yet. That would have to happen over the winter break, if not the summer break. For today, I could coast off of Jamie''s previous interactions with his parents, most of which seemed to be positive.


    My excitement was such that I could barely manage to eat the delicious breakfast my strangely attractive "mom" placed in front of me. I still couldn''t get over how unreal all of this was.


    I looked across the kitchen to the connected living room, taking in the various pictures and decorations that adorned the walls. I seemed to be an only child. My parents spoiled me with vacations as a kid, judging by the numerous fishing trips and summer camp photos on the walls.


    Underneath the pictures was a golden banner with the words "Lancaster Family" inscribed upon it.


    "Jamie Lancaster. You''ve gotta be f.u.c.k.i.n.g kidding me. George R.R Martin''s gonna pull a copyright strike." I nearly laughed before remembering that I had company.


    Soon enough, it was time to leave. My "father" drove off to the office while my "mother" escorted me to the arena in which the placement exams would happen. As we drove, I saw the Kaiba Corp building in the distance. I could only imagine what it would be like meeting Yugi, Kaiba, and all the other members of the original generation of duelists. The crazy thing was that meeting them was no longer strictly the object of childish conjecture.


    My "mother" gave me a teary goodbye, hugging me close as she did so. I did my best to be genuine- I didn''t want her to think I didn''t care, even though I really couldn''t. I didn''t wish to hurry her out, but there was so much to do and see. If I was going to be successful at Duel Academy, I needed to get to work the moment I stepped through the door.


    "Goodbye, son. Write lots, call whenever you can, ok?" She pleaded, looking me in the eye.


    "Of course, mother. And thank you, for everything. I''ll do my best to make you proud." The words were a tribute to my old parents, my real parents. They were meant for all of my friends, family, and even the enemies from previous life, because in that moment, I knew I would never see any of them again. They lived on only in the ways they influenced me. And for what it was worth, I dedicated those words to this woman in front of me, even though all she has ever truly done for me is cook a good breakfast. I felt sorry for her, for the son she raised is gone. I am his replacement.


    It was at that moment where I understood the blessing and the curse of the self-insert. Like a great many things in life, it was funny and sad in equal measure. Yes, I was living life over again, with a sense of wisdom and freedom only brought on by experience. And yet, the crushing weight of loneliness made its presence felt upon my heart, this familiar yet foreign heart. It was good that I had little time to fulminate- I would doubtlessly think myself into a frenzy.


    And so, the emotion that choked my voice as I said goodbye to my "mother" was very real. She drove off, as bubbly as ever, and I watched her leave, standing still in the shadow of the arena. After a long glance towards the clear blue sky, I turned about-face and entered the arena where I would take the Duel Academy placement test.


    As I entered the atrium, I saw a small wooden table manned by two rather cute academy schoolgirls. "Hey! Do I have to register with you guys, or¡­?" I questioned them rather lamely.


    With bored, haughty expressions on their faces, they looked upon me. I met their gazes evenly, not at all intimidated by them. After a moment, one of them replied, "Yeah, just check off where your name is. Also, we''ll have to check your deck to ensure its compliance with the banlist."


    "Sure thing." I was familiar with such a procedure on the few times I attended tournaments in my past life. I only hoped I wouldn''t have to take much out- I only brought 45 cards.


    They flipped through my deck rather roughly, which I didn''t appreciate. "Nice try, pal, but Graceful Charity is banned. You can''t actually be serious, coming at us with that bullshit." One of them mocked me.


    "I have no idea what you mean. Graceful Charity is a fair and balanced card." I said. The two girls and I were silent for a moment before I laughed and they giggled politely.


    "But really, you need to get this out of your deck. And you''re lucky that Black L.u.s.ter Soldier hasn''t been hit yet. That card''s ridiculously strong." One of the girls wryly commented. I chuckle genuinely at that- oh, if only they knew of the power creep this game would be undergoing in the next twelve years. The sheer consistency most decks would possess in the future would make Black L.u.s.ter Soldier merely a decent card, and yet in this time period he was considered one of the best monsters in the game.


    A fact to take advantage of later, no doubt. I was lucky that Jamie had a copy of the card in his binder. After a somewhat sardonic goodbye to the desk clerks, they handed me a piece of paper with a number on it I stepped onto the stadium''s main floor.


    Immediately, I was shocked at just how large it was. I didn''t remember the place being this gigantic in the first episode of GX. Something told me that the surprises weren''t going to be ending anytime soon. There were dozens of smaller areas partitioned for duel exams on the floor while hundreds of applicants flooded the stands.


    My eyes darted all around the room, searching for Jaden Yuki. I had to see what the guy was like in person. Then I remembered that he arrived to this exam late, and his was the last duel to occur. Calming down somewhat, I looked for the people who eventually become some of Jaden''s most stalwart companions; Bastion Misawa and Syrus Truesdale. That part wasn''t hard- Syrus'' shocking blue hair was easy to spot amongst the crowd, even as the shy boy tried to appear small.


    Seeing these anime characters in "reality" was quite strange, for they looked almost exactly how I perceived in animated form. Has my perception changed to fit this new reality? How strange. Syrus looked as spineless as I recalled him being at the start of the series- his posture was hunched and defensive, his eyes flitting this way and that nervously, and his frame was frail.


    Bastion Misawa calmly sat next to him. Compared to Syrus, he gave off a palpable sense of- not confidence, per se. More like mathematical certainty. No, Bastion did not consider himself the sort who would enter a battle without absolute guarantee of victory. Although the series did not portray Bastion as much of a threat, I knew that he had the ability to be one of the most dangerous men in the dueling world. If I ever dueled him, I would have to be deliberately unpredictable.


    "Sup." I greeted them casually with a crooked grin. "Have you guys dueled yet?"


    "Not yet, I''m afraid." Bastion replied with a level of boredom. "Yeah, unfortunately." Said Syrus.


    "Unfortunately? Did you lose?" I asked.


    "Yeah, but it was close! Besides, I did decent on the written exam. They''re putting me in Slifer Red. Oh, and by the way, I''m Syrus Truesdale." He squeaked rapidly. It dawned on me that I''ve probably already taken the written exam, which is to say that Jamie did before my consciousness seemingly supplanted his. I only hoped the kid did decently.


    "Well, I would consider that a success. There''s nowhere else to go but up from here, right?" I nudged him in what I thought was a friendly manner.


    "Yeah, maybe, I guess. I don''t think I have what it takes to get promoted." He whimpered in response. I knew that this was untrue, but I was in no mood to give this kid a pep talk, especially since he was determined to drag himself down and possibly drag me with him. I had no problem letting Jaden handle this particular issue.


    "If that''s what you believe." I said dispassionately. He stared at me in shock while I looked over at Bastion. "How about you, man? Did the written exam go alright for you?"


    "Oh, more than alright. I do believe I got the best score in this year''s freshman class." He replied in that British accent which sounded so fake but supposedly wasn''t.


    "Oh, no way! You wouldn''t happen to be Bastion Misawa, would you? I hear you''re really good!" I decided to indulge in a little flattery.


    "Why thank you." He responded dryly. "What is your name?"


    I nearly told him my original name, catching myself at the last second. "I''m Jamie Lancaster, nice to meet you!" I thrust out my hand, which he took swiftly. He had a firm grip, which I reciprocated.


    "Applicant Bastion Misawa may now report to floor A3 for his practical exam." A voice intoned over the PA System. Bastion calmly rose to his feet while fastening his duel disk to his arm. There''s no way he could''ve possibly prepared for whatever deck his proctor was running, so I wondered what kind of deck he was playing.


    "Best of luck." I smiled at him. "Same to you." He replied stoically as he made his way down the stairs. I was interested in seeing if there would be any differences from canon in this instance.


    However, it appeared I would have no time to watch Bastion''s match, for my name was the next one called. I was called down to floor A4, the one right next to Bastion. The duel grounds were partitioned by blue hanging curtain, so I couldn''t see any of the matches going on around me.


    My proctor entered the arena a moment before I did. He was a tall, muscular man with long black hair tied back into a man bun, of all things, along with a mustache and goatee. He wore the standard navy blue coat all proctors did, but his Chelsea boots and expensive watch gave him a bit of a h.i.p.ster vibe.


    "Jamie Lancaster, huh? I remember you did decently on the written exam. If you do well enough in this practical, you''re definitely looking at a nice spot in Ra Yellow. I am assistant professor in history at Duel Academy, Vector Drummond and duel proctor for this exam." He said in a pleasant accent that I could only vaguely discern as Northern European. I did not recognize this guy at all. Then again, it makes some sense that a history teacher wouldn''t receive too much screen time in a show primarily absent of most academic disciplines.


    "Alright, professor, what kind of deck do you play?" I asked, genuinely curious.


    "I''m not using my true deck for the purpose of this test. Rather, I''m using a standard deck all proctors duel with. Standard procedure and all that." He mumbled, sounding a bit tired.


    "I imagine using such a basic deck must be very boring for you. I only hope I can provide a decent challenge. If I win, do I get a spot in Obelisk Blue?" I smirked.


    He gave a chuckle. "If every c.o.c.ky kid who walked in here got a spot in Obelisk Blue, the dorms would be overflowing. We''ll see after you duel me."


    "Sounds like a plan!" I drew my first five cards quickly, that wild grin reappearing on my face. (Jamie 4000/Vector 4000)


    "I''ll set one monster in face-down defense position. Then, I''ll set another card and end my turn." I quickly slapped the cards upon the duel disk, eager to lay eyes on holographic monsters for the very first time.


    "My draw." Professor Drummond lazily snapped his first card off of his deck. "I''ll summon Axe Dragonute (2000/1200) in attack mode." A black-scaled dragon replete in steel plate and holding a shining silver axe in its talons.


    "Now, I''ll attack your face-down monster!" The dark dragon raised its axe in an overhead swipe before bringing it down upon my defensive creature. Unfortunately for the professor, the monster he attacked was Spirit Reaper (300/200), a purple-cloaked zombie that cannot be destroyed by battle. My wraith blocked the axe with a scythe, throwing the Axe Dragonute back onto Vector''s field.


    "Oh no, you''re one of those kids." The professor said with a groan.


    "And what exactly does that mean?" I asked sardonically.


    "Listen, kid, there are two types of people in this world- the kind who play stall decks, and the kind who don''t. There''s the aggressive kids who have something to prove, and the defensive players who think they''re clever, if you catch my drift." He laughed.


    "Oh, so you don''t like me playing Spirit Reaper? In that case, you''re gonna love what I''ve got in store! Now then, I believe your dragon goes to defense mode after it attacks." I pointed out as he dragon bent the knee.


    "I''ll set two cards and end my turn." The professor said with a flourish. He looks like he''s seen it all. Not to toot my own horn, but I think I''m a bit outside the scope of his experience.


    "Then it''s my go. I''ll begin by sacrificing Spirit Reaper for Airknight Parshath (1900/1400)." My reaper vanished from the field in a pillar of light. From the blinding tower galloped a holy centaur, its bottom half a white horse and its top half a pale, elven warrior with a silver sword.


    Now, it''s time to launch an attack! Airknight, attack his dragon now!" I have to admit, it was rather exhilarating to shout out my moves, especially since I usually just played this game online in my original life.


    Both the professor and I were well aware of the Airknight''s effect, which inflicted piercing damage in battle. The black dragon was promptly skewered, and Drummond flinched as his life point counter dropped. (Jamie 4000/Vector 3300)


    And since I inflicted battle damage, I''ll draw a card." I said as my monster landed back onto my side of the battlefield. The match was going about as well as I figured it would. The proctor''s decks were usually depicted in fanfiction as being rather weak, lacking in consistency or a unified archetype. "I end my turn."


    "Yes, yes." Professor Drummond said sarcastically, a mocking gleam in his dark, smoky eyes. "I draw and summon Alexandrite Dragon (2000/0) in attack mode." Another large dragon spawned at his side, its scales encrusted with jewels of varying value.


    "Now, I''ll attack your Airknight Parshath!" The dragon''s wings flapped mightily as it crossed the field in one fell swoop, ripping apart the angelic warrior in its maw. (Jamie 3900/Vector 3300)


    "He''s pulling out these 2000 attack monsters, yet apparently my tactics are dishonorable." I thought with a laugh. This guy''s opinions did not faze me as they might have done to a wet-behind-the-ears schoolboy. I''ve spent too much time in my old life being looked down upon for it to have any effect anymore. A show of strength is the only thing that will ever garner any respect.


    "I''ll set a card face-down and set another monster." I said succinctly.


    Vector sighed again, seeming somewhat disappointed. "I play L.u.s.ter Dragon (1900/1600) in attack mode. Then, I''ll play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face-down card to your left."


    I was pleased with his decision as I sent the Mystical Space Typhoon I set as bait for such a play. "I''ll chain my other face-down, Ring of Destruction!"


    The ring of bombs circled around his Alexandrite Dragon before blowing it up in a spectacular explosion that seemed all too real. I cringed as we both took damage equal to the dragon''s attack points. I was playing with the pre-errata version of the card as well, so I could''ve actually defeated him if he was lower on life points.


    "Sorry, I just wanted to see something blow up. Please, continue your turn." I grinned, and he seemed to lighten up a little at that. (Jamie 1900/Vector 1300)


    "A clever move." The stiff history teacher admitted. "But for naught! I still have L.u.s.ter Dragon to attack your face-down with, and you have no spells or traps set!" His azure dragon let forth a wave of blue flame that crashed over my monster and me. I could only marvel at how real these holograms looked- only to sober when I realized that the fights to come would not feature holographics, but real monsters and true danger.


    For now, I could take comfort in the fact that I seemed to be outpacing this proctor. His dragon had struck my face-down Marshmallon (300/500) an adorable little demon that can''t be destroyed by battle. This, combined with its nasty 1000 points of burn damage inflicted upon flipping, made it one of the most infamous stall cards of the early game.


    After the blue flames subsided, I could hear Professor Drummond cursing himself as the Marshmallon "bit" him. (Jamie 1900/Vector 300)


    He glared at me, my complacency frustrating him. "I''ll set one face-down and end my turn." He snapped.


    "Is something wrong? You don''t seem to be enjoying our game." I commented as I drew my next card.


    Up in a balcony overlooking the stadium, two individuals stood, their vantage point allowing to view of all of the duels taking place on the floor. Each of them, a man and a woman, wore the blue and white coats of Obelisk Blue.


    "What do you think of this guy facing Drummond? He seems to be putting the pressure on, and cool as you please." A pale, beautiful girl with dishwater-blonde hair and clever hazel eyes lilted.


    "Nothing special. His deck is filled with nothing but basic stall and burn staples- he clearly has no personal connection to his cards." Her compatriot said dismissively. His stiff navy blue hair dr.a.p.ed down his neck, and his countenance was cool and withdrawn.


    "Those staples seem to be serving him well enough." She pointed out, only wishing to play devil''s advocate for the sake of annoying her companionship.


    "Oh, they''re enough to win battles, but he''ll never be a true duelist unless he truly respects his cards and finds his own style, instead of copying from the pros. Right now, he just uses them as tools. I''m sure you understand me, Alexis."


    "If he keeps winning, then I doubt his attitude will change, Zane." Alexis replied, enjoying the discourse.


    "It doesn''t matter if his attitude changes. He can go fill the halls of Ra Yellow with the rest of the average and uninspired masses." Zane sneered.


    Meanwhile, in the lower seats, Chazz Princeton sat comfortably, having just passed his own entrance exam with flying colors. Surrounded by goons and watching other students struggle against the proctors- truly, this was a fantastic day!


    "What do you think of the competition so far, Chazz?" One such goon asked sibilantly.


    "Scrubs galore on both sides. These exams aren''t good for determining skill, since the proctors are using such trash decks. Some of these kids don''t look too bad, but there''s no way they could ever stack up against me!" The black-haired Obelisk student boasted.


    Down on the arena floor, Drummond shook his head patronizingly at me. "As a matter of fact, I am. You''re quite good, despite your decidedly boring playstyle. You certainly give off the same vibe as a pro player. I can tell this isn''t your first rodeo, so to speak. Mainly, you''re really making me regret my own misplays in this match."


    He was very perceptive. "I''ll take that as a compliment. I can''t rightly judge you until you fight me with your real deck." I responded c.o.c.kily.


    "Don''t get too excited; this isn''t over yet!" He said with a snarl as I drew. Unfortunately, I didn''t have anything that could get over his monster, and he still had some backrow I had to be concerned about. "I''ll set a card and end my turn." I said.


    "Very well! I draw. First, I''ll sacrifice my L.u.s.ter Dragon for L.u.s.ter Dragon #2 (2400/1400)!" The smaller azure dragon vanished, replaced by a larger beast, emerald green in hue. It''s wings stretched from one wall to another, and I could feel a definite trace of intimidation as its eyes, narrowed in hate, bore down on me.


    "Next, I''ll equip my dragon with the Fairy Meteor Crush spell card!" A fiery red aura danced wildly around Drummond''s L.u.s.ter Dragon. "Shit, this is bad! Even though he can''t kill my Marshmallon, the piercing damage will finish me off!" I thought frantically. "Haha, oh wait, I still have a face-down."


    "Now, my dragon, attack his Marshmallon and end this duel! Better luck next year, kid!" Drummond thrust his hand out as his dragon let loose a bright burst of jade-colored energy from its mouth.


    "Activate face-down card, Shrink! This card halves your monster''s attack points until the end of the turn!" The dragon''s fireball grew considerable smaller as its attack dropped to 1200. I still took some damage from the attack, but I was still in the game for another turn. (Jamie 1200/Vector 300)


    "Clever, but that was your last trap. Next turn, it''s over." He stated, and I was forced to agree with him. Most of my cards were based around acc.u.mulating advantage and stalling out the opponent- in the face of an all-out assault by the opponent, such a strategy was unfeasible. I would need a good draw this turn, or else it was over. To think, I could simply be denied entry into the academy before I would ever the chance to assist Jaden against the various foes he encountered in canon.


    Luckily, my next draw was indeed a good one. I could definitely see why the card I had just drawn would be banned later, but for now, I would abuse its power for as long as possible.


    "I activate Scapegoat! This spell allows me to summon four sheep tokens, each with zero attack and defense points, to my side of the field!" As I spoke, four puffballs of varying color popped onto the battlefield next to Marshmallon.


    "And what will that do? Next turn, I''ll be able to pierce you through your tokens, since they have no defense points." Vector cleverly questioned.


    "There won''t be a next turn, I''m afraid! I activate the spell card Metamorphosis!" Drummond sharply drew in breath, knowing what was about to come.


    "Now, by sacrificing one of my scapegoat tokens, I can specially summon a fusion monster of the same level!" I announced with a bit of dramatic flair.


    "Oh, I see¡­that''s a pretty clever move." Alexis grinned. Zane''s eyebrows rose, letting out a shrug of acknowledgement.


    "I summon Thousand-Eyes Restrict (0/0)!" I bellowed, thoroughly enjoying myself. The creature I had called forth was Maximillion Pegasus'' ace monster, a truly horrifying monstrosity of crimson hide and sharp steel claws. There was hardly a way to describe the monster, because its shape was so¡­bizarre. I thought nothing of watching Pegasus play this against Yugi in the TV Show, but now that I was looking upon it with my own eyes¡­I was more than a little unsettled.


    The innumerable eyeballs on its hide opened all at once as its wings unfurled. The creature let out an unearthly keel, and I fought not to shiver in fear, even though it was on my side. I better finish this quickly, before everyone gets too freaked out.


    "My monster''s effect allows me to equip one of your own monsters to itself, gaining its attack and defense points in the process! Now, my loyal beast, assimilate his dragon''s being into your own!" I decided to play up the creepiness factor for what it was worth, despite my own niggling fears.


    Shadowy tentacles burst forth from the Thousand-Eyes Restrict and enveloped the professor''s L.u.s.ter Dragon. Although the dragon struggled mightily, it was eventually ripped from the battlefield and into the Thousand-Eyes Restrict''s body.


    Without any monsters on his field, my victory over the professor was certain. "Attack him directly!" I shouted, finding myself giddily enjoying these theatrics. A black beam of dark energy burst from my monster and knocked over the history teacher. (Jamie 1200/Vector 0)


    "I''m so sorry you had to suffer defeat by such dishonorable play."


    Brushing himself off, Drummond placed his deck back into the box on his belt. With a slight, self-effacing chuckle, he shook his head. "Not dishonorable¡­just unusual. Duel Academy has its eyes on you, Jamie Lancaster. I''m looking forward to seeing you in my class." Brushing a lock of raven hair out of his eyes, he gave me a two-fingered wave before smoothly exiting the playing field.


    I guess that was my cue to leave as well. I diverted my eyes upwards, and I saw two familiar faces. Well, familiar to me I suppose. Kind of makes me sound like a stalker, but whatever. Anyhow, I saw Zane and Alexis coolly examining the fresh recruits, which doubtlessly included myself. Alexis'' eyes were alight with curiosity, while Zane seemed unimpressed. Oh well, let them think what they will. I''m not scared of them, ranks be damned.


    Deactivating my duel disk, I leisurely made my way back up the stairs towards Syrus and Misawa, both of whom were staring intently at something happening down on the floor.


    Of course, it was none other than the ill.u.s.trious Jaden Yuki delivering his winning move against Crowler, who was much more ugly in person than on the show. Jaden was in the process of completing his winning move, summoning the Elemental Hero Flame Wingman to combat Crowler''s Ancient Gear Golem.


    Of course, this explained why it seemed like hardly anyone was paying attention to my match; after all, Crowler descending to duel a lowly applicant is certainly unprecedented. And unwarranted, for that matter, considering he has everything to lose and Jaden everything to gain from this fight. Pursuing this petty grudge would do nothing for Crowler but cause himself and everyone around him annoyance. It reminded me unpleasantly of my own experiences in high school and the workforce back in my old life.


    I lazily greeted Syrus and Bastion, neither of whom bothered to respond to me as they watched the conclusion of the match. I saw the Flame Wingman be enveloped in fire as it dove from the apex of the skyscr.a.p.er. In moments, Crowler''s golem was melted down back to the ore it was made from, and Jaden was the winner.


    "Wow! I can''t believe it! Jaden beat Professor Crowler''s ace monster and won the duel!" Syrus said in awe. I could practically see the admiration blossoming right in front of me. Misawa was highly impressed as well, although I figured he could''ve beat Crowler as well, even without prep time.


    "Who are those people?" I asked despite knowing the answer.


    "The winner is Jaden Yuki, a rather boisterous upstart playing an Elemental Hero deck. The other one is Professor Vellian Crowler, a teacher of high esteem, although that esteem has doubtlessly been damaged by his pitiful showing today." Bastion explained to me.


    "If he''s such a high-ranking guy, why did he bother handling recruitment? Were they short on proctors?" I asked again.


    "No. It seems that this particular examination was a personal matter. For some reason, Crowler has it out for Jaden Yuki. I believe it was because he showed up late."


    I audibly scoffed. "Must not be much of a duelist if he got beat by a green boy, or a blue boy, I should say. Jaden should go directly to Obelisk Blue if there''s any justice." I replied haughtily.


    "I doubt that will happen. Crowler is the head of Obelisk Blue, and is picky about his selections in the best of times. I''d wager that Jaden will be getting familiar with the Slifer Red lodgings soon enough." Bastion sniffed.


    "No way! He doesn''t deserve that!" Syrus spoke up.


    In that moment, I was struck by just how much sway the few professors on the island held over student affairs. If Crowler doesn''t like somebody, it doesn''t take long for that person to disappear or be banished to the pits of Slifer Red, never to emerge again. The only reason Jaden avoided such a fate was through his strong support network of friends as well as a generous dosage of luck.


    Somehow, I doubted I would be so lucky. No, I would have to avoid antagonizing Crowler until my own position in Obelisk Blue was solidified. And make no mistake, I planned to be in Obelisk Blue. Most of the duelists there were arrogant windbags without an ounce of skill, but goddamn were those beds nice and soft! Besides, it would be kinda cool to share rank with Zane, Alexis, and even Chazz.


    For now, though, I wanted to meet the soon-to-be famous Jaden Yuki. What would he be like in day-to-day conversation? He definitely seemed like the sort of person that could brighten up the average day.


    He walked up from his duel all exuberance and smiles, his ginger-brown hair rustling slightly from a draft wind. "What''s up, guys!" He greeted Bastion and Syrus like old friends, clapping them both on the shoulder. Then, his brown eyes darted towards me.


    "Hey! I''m Jaden, Jaden Yuki! I''m the guy who just wrecked Crowler down there! We must have been dueling at the same time!"


    His excitement was infectious. "I saw that! You did very well for yourself. I only wish I got such a good fight. I''m-I''m Jamie Lancaster, nice to meet you!" I offered a handshake. Jaden''s handshake was floppy and weak, but he hardly cared seemed like the sort who would care about being presentable. I shrugged and moved on.


    "The 2004 Duel Academy Freshman Duel Academy Examinations have now concluded. Shortly, we will be bussing out to Domino Airport, and from there we shall fly out to the island. Please gather your belongings and wait at the labeled stops outside." A voice I recognized as belonging to the school''s Headmaster, Sheppard, boomed over the PA system.


    "We''ll have to get to know each other sometime soon! I''ll see you later man!" Jaden bumped me on the shoulder and hopped off with Syrus and Bastion in tow. I smiled after them and leisurely made my way down the stairs as well.


    Shortly thereafter, we bussed across the city, the orange evening sunlight bathing the building tops as we went. From there came a sleepy evening flight from Domino City to a seemingly innocuous island in the southern seas. With only the items I had in my backpack, I stepped off that plane and saw the school building itself for the first time with my own eyes. Surreal doesn''t even begin to cover it.


    Time to get to work.

 Chapter 224 - My SI Stash #24 - Relentless Hearts Burn Metal by Rain Reid (DCU)

    -Some new hardcore gore with the SI as Bane~ Same author of The Hammer Effect! This author pumps out a lot of SI fics, he never finds the time to stay and finish one (£þ¡õ£þ¡¹)


    Sypnosis: I don''t know if this world is real or not, but I do know that no one truly wants to die, everyone wants to live for another day. No matter the despair, hardship or hopelessness. So what do you do? You kick, claw, bite and fight for your life with all you have! Destroy all obstacles to your continued existence, even if it means ending your heroes. Suvive, thrive. Become Bane DC SI


    Rated: T


    Words: 5.7K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13518376/1/Relentless-Hearts-Burn-Metal (Rain Reid)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+2 (exceptional)


    RISE


    His heart was filled with intent, but his fist could not convey his conviction. I allowed him to rain down his fury on me. It barely stung. His flurry of punches and strikes all aimed at lethal spots on my body barely fazed me. A strike across my face filled me with disdain for him.


    How does a man such as he become so weak?


    So feeble.


    So frail.


    I caught his strike. My palm wrapping around the hard leather glove of his balled up fist. He was shocked to say the least. I slammed my forehead down on his face. The hard metamaterial of his cowl helmet cushioning some of the impact force, but it was enough to stun him and send him stumbling backwards.


    He observed me, his eyes trying to find a weak spot ¨C something for him to exploit and bring me down. And like an enraged bull, he dashed for me, wielding his anger like a spear meant to impale me. I struck him, breaking his stride and destroying his charge.


    It was disappointing. I expected more from him.


    "Peace has cost you your strength." I said, lending him a piece of my wisdom. "Victory has defeated you" He wasn''t so appreciative. He roared in my face as he once again lunged for me. His wicked strikes combined with a finesse he had left to rot in ignorance and complacency. A lesser man would have long crumbled under the vicious and relentless strikes, but I wasn''t a lesser man.


    His negligence would be his downfall.


    His doom.


    My fingers dug into his shoulders like hooks, I ripped him off the metal platform and tossed him off the railings. He reacted fast, widening his inky black cape. And true to his name sake he fluttered to the floor like a graceless falling bat. I followed after him, like red on blood, I tormented him.


    He was my hero. And yet, I regretted meeting him, alas the saying was true.


    This man left me feeling utter disappointment, like a father watching his child willingly fall into disaster.


    My moves were brutal but clinical. Fierce but result oriented. I did not hide the loud pounds of my feet against concrete, I did not silent my heavy swings nor my derision. I aimed, I struck and delivered pain and torture.


    His breaths were becoming labored. His ignited spirit was a flame past its prime, it was about to be exhausted. I wanted to give him one last chance to prove himself. I let myself lag, he latched onto the opening like a leech onto flesh.


    He groaned and grunted as he struck me with all he had, channeling his innermost strength into his hands. His very purpose into his style, like an artist would transfer his vision to reality through his paint brush. It was flashy and visibly intimidating.


    But he was a butcher with a blunted blade, trying to hack away at a dragon''s scale. It was as pointlessly useless as having n.a.k.e.d children trudge through the frozen tundra of Antarctica.


    I shifted his grip from the back of my head to my shoulder, ending his relentless combo of body shots meant to drive the wind away from my lungs, I rotated using the momentum to send my fist into his face. He stumbled like a wounded animal, crawling away and back to his feet he widened the distance between us. I followed after him one step at a time. He aimed for my head and swung, I dodged under it and struck at his midsection. He folded as the air was viciously driven out of him. I half knelt, bringing our eyes to level. His conviction was weak, his spirit was on the verge of collapse, holding on only by the skin of his teeth ¨C teeth that were about to break and shatter beneath my knuckles. I sent my fist rocketing upwards, slamming against his chin. Like a bow bent backwards, he flailed as he careened backwards, nearly falling on his back ¨C a boot to his chest accomplished that.


    He lay prone on his floor. His breaths short, hard and strained. He raised his head, I imagined the water from the cracked pipe helped alleviate his fatigue but it would catch up to him soon ¨C a glass of water could not put out an inferno.


    He tossed black pellets from his utility belt at me, I swatted them away, even as they exploded on contact. The heat tickled my skin, it was less than the pain of my rebirth, weaker than the flames I had to walk through during my days of training with the league. The pain wasn''t going to be impeding me not when I was in near constant agony.


    "You have forsaken yourself. You have thrown away your fangs. Your purpose is blunted. Bruce, you are lost" I sighed. It must have maddened him, he dove for me like a car without brakes. I picked him up and body slammed him to the floor, his momentum adding an extra kick to the impact. He tossed the bat-shaped shurikens (batarangs) at my face, I leaned my head to the side, letting them sail away. It granted him the distraction he needed slide into the shadows.


    I would''ve facepalmed if it wouldn''t have been so out of character for me to, I walked around the place, strutting like I owned it. "Bruce, do you really think the darkness is your ally? You merely adopted it. I was born in the dark, moulded by its heartlessness. I didn''t see the light of day until I was a man..." I recited. Mixing the truth with poetry as I reminisced to my days in the pit, the place of my second birth. I had already found him hiding in the dark behind the shadow of an aged stone column, he was as noticeable as a candle in a cave. "..by then, it was already blinding!" my hand shot forward, accurately coiling my fingers around his neck. He let out an uncharacteristic "Urk!" to which I silently chuckled as I lifted him off the floor, suspending him in my grip.


    I shook my head at him, as he tried clawing at my arm. I outclassed him, like a tank outclasses a bicycle. This is where dedicated training gets you. I had been out there fighting master assassins, trading blows with beasts who hid beneath the thin skin of humans but shared nothing with them, tossed and turned with men who made demons look like saints.


    Burned, beaten, bruised, flayed, stabbed, impaled, abused, molested, tortured. And yet I not only thrived, but survived.


    I came out on top, I broke them all and buried them beneath my feet. While he tussled with street rabble, while his conviction was constantly chipped away by thoughtless, inflexible ideals. And when he won, he celebrated in that victory putting away his edge in a framed glass case hung above his head like a prize. While all I had were scars to remind me of what would come if I did not improve myself and a dream ¨C a single dream of seeing my home again.


    I slammed him with rage, hearing parts of his ribs crack. I raised my fist and brought it down. His cowl began to fracture, I brought down another and it broke. Bringing his bare face to view. I brought down another breaking his nose, chipping tooth and shattering jaw, making him bleed.


    I rose over his prone form. "You disappoint me, Bruce" I said. About to slam my boot down on his head when she interrupted. I expected it.


    "The deal is annulled miss Kyle" I stated. Catwoman in her full body leather outfit stood over the unconscious bat. She understood the meaning behind my words, I could see her gaze alternate between him and I.


    She sighed, fixed her sights on me and responded in her lovely challenging tone."...Don''t be a sourpuss darlin-!" she was surprised by the uncharacteristic speed I exhibited or maybe it was the swiftness with which I took action. That made her unprepared, even as she utilized her quick reflexes and reactions to try somersaulting away, she was just too unprepared. Not as trained as we were, true combat was not her forte.


    She lashed her whip forward, stinging me across the face as it impacted my breathing mask. If I was the less disciplined version of myself that was addicted to the drugs, this would be where she would cut off the delivery tubes, leaving me suffering the debilitating side effects and too weak to defend myself.


    Too bad for her it wasn''t.


    I gripped her whip and pulled. Dragging her along right into my grip. "Your nine lives won''t be enough to save you" The claws on her arms cut razor thin lines through the flesh of my arm as she relentlessly clawed at me, quite fittingly like an enraged cat. I wasted no time in snapping her neck. Watching it bend bizarrely to the side after a sick crack ¨C a way it was never meant to, her tongue sticking out of her opened mouth. Her eyes painfully wide open. Her body writhing as the last vestiges of life vacated her body. I tossed her far away, keeping the smell of her soiled body away from me. Sometimes people shit themselves when they die. I casted a last glance at her, I admit it was truly a waste of a very fine piece of ass.


    "NO! SELINA!" Bruce cried as he once again rushed me, fury was severely blinding his reason. I had broken this man.


    "Tell me Bruce, is your spine as strong as your spirit?" I asked, driving my elbow down onto his back. He let out a painful cough as he collapsed to the floor. I hefted his body over my head in one swift motion and brought it down on my knee. I felt his vertebrae shift, but I wanted to hear it crack instead. I hefted him higher this time. And with a primal roar I brought him down on my knee.


    ¨C¨C CRACK!


    Batman was folded over backwards with his spinal column touching pushing against the skin of his stomach. It looked a bit similar to the icebox scene in Deadpool 2, where deadpool falls over the edge of a metal table and his spine is folded in half. That is what this looks like, but more raw. Bruce Wayne was literally broken in half over my knee. He was convulsing uncontrollably in my arms as tears painful slid down his eyes, it was almost serene, like a scared and lonely child seeking the warmth and love of his angelic mother during a cold night. Except this was a morbid scene with glorified savagery.


    "No, no it is not" I concluded.


    So much for being my hero.


    He is well dead, but just to be certain. I grab his head and twist it all the way round, a full 360 degree rotation. Crushing his windpipe, brutally tearing his axial vertebra and the muscles that held his head in place, with one final grunt, I ripped it clean off, severing it from the spine using nothing but pure strength. This was unmatched gore and untold brutality. His blood dyed my hands red.


    I could hear one of my men retching his guts out in the background, I eyed my current second in command who understood what I wanted and swiftly put a bullet through the ¨C vomiter ¨C lesser willed man. While I held the still warm head of batman, the whites of its droopy eyes looking out into nothing, the snot and dribble sliding down the face in a thin trail. The drops of blood leaking from the large mess of raw flesh that was once a neck dripped into the velvet pool below adding to its mass, as it spread around the twitching headless body of the bat, like his cape normally would.


    Revive from that.


    I held it by the hair and brought it up to the camera lens. My message was properly conveyed, there were no need for anymore words.


    Power. Strength. These things were the most sought after. Every single person with a hint of ambition in them wanted one ¨C if not all ¨C of it. An individual goes to their job to make money with which they would use to ensure their lives were comfortable and secured. That was a form of power, after all you truly are never satisfied with what you have. Hence the reason why they aim for more ¨C higher salaries, promotions, better houses, finer men or women, better food...etc the list goes on, it all comes down to one fundamental purpose ¨C a better life. And power was necessary for that because if someone else with more power than you have comes along and decides that they want what you have, you will lose it all.


    No one truly wants to die, everyone wants to live to witness another day. Those who face despair and decide to run from it, always regret it. Those who shirk away from confronting their hardsh.i.p.s and responsibilities find themselves destitute and without purpose. Even at that no one truly wants to die. Why would you want to lose out on enjoying your "better life.


    Strength to bring down those against you. Strength to trample on those who would trample on you, strength to tear down those who rise against you. Strength to protect your "Better life" and ensure that nothing threatens it. Strength allows you to enable your will.


    Alfred wished he had strength. Alfred wished that his body was that of his past prime and not this ailing thing, because maybe then he''d have been able to have done something. And more than anything Alfred prayed for strength to live long enough survive this disaster.


    He saw the broadcast ¨C everyone in Gotham had seen the broadcast. The brutality by which that monster dealt with Bruce made him shiver. Alfred had seen a lot of things during his days in the queen''s service. What the brute had done, wasn''t mere physical decimation. It was a systemic psychological breakdown hidden beneath physiological collapse.


    It was the most profound definition of torture he had ever had the misfortune of witnessing.


    He broke the spirit, and then the body. He destroyed the soul and then incinerated the husk that was the body in a blazing fury of wickedness.


    How long had it been since he had been sitting here staring at the figures on the TV screen but barely even making out their voices? The crack of Bruce''s spine was as deafening as the crack of midnight thunder. It sounded like the singular clap of a mad god above ¨C like the breaking of a sacred soul. The crack was all he could hear now, it occupied his ears and flooded his mind. The figure of Bruce folded over, it was wrong, it was just wrong.


    He imagined that it was all a dream, perhaps a nightmare that would soon fade, but the devil stood before him. It had stepped out of the shadows cast by the large looming halls. Its massive steps unmuted as it inched nearer towards him. The mask over its mouth amplifying the sound of its intake and outtake of air, giving the illusion of a dragon''s periodic breath. The large heavy coat dr.a.p.ed over his shoulders like the regal tunic of a conqueror. He sauntered towards the seated old man.


    He knew not when, but something had gripped hard on his shoulder. When Alfred stared up, he was face to face with the monster. Its eyes betrayed no emotion or feeling, not even a hint of elation. Just a burning gaze of inglorious purpose.


    "He was once my hero too." It spoke as though it understood his pain. "Oh but I do" it said, as though reading Alfred''s mind.


    Alfred had made up his mind. His hand hidden behind the arm rest of his seat shot forward, in his grip was a silver 9mm pistol pointed straight at the monster wearing the face of man. A powerful grasp latched onto his, immobilizing his trigger finger. He tried rising out of his seat, but the grip on his shoulder held him down.


    Slowly but surely the barrel of the gun pointed towards him. His death was imminent, it was eventual and that was unchangeable. Like the fingers of the clock forever moving from one digit to another, Alfred now stared down the dark barrel of his gun. Terror gripped his heart, causing to beat wildly and sporadically. An ache began to take over his chest and the underside of his arm, his breath becoming hard and strained ¨C an indicator of a heart attack.


    ¨C¨CBANG!


    The clap of localized thunder echoed deafeningly through the deserted mansion. A thin trail of smoke spiraled away from the tip of the pistol. Alfred lifelessly slumped backwards into his chair, a thin line of blood trailing down the bloody hole in his head. Bane admired the weapon, it held history, it had a story to tell.


    Bane pulled down the drawn back eyelids of Alfred. Laying his prized pistol over the man''s chest in a rare display of courtesy. He pushed the chair Alfred sat on to the side, allowing him full access to the antiquated grandfather clock that stood silently strong ¨C an unwavering time keeper, a silent astute watcher through the ages.


    Bane pulled the clock fingers into the code sequence of 10:48. A memorable number with deep meaning that only two people knew of, and both people were now deceased. Gears whirled and click into place, the grandfather clock receded into the wall, where it once occupied now a passage into the deep secret reaches of the Batcave ¨C a secret system of tunnels and caves beneath the Wayne Manor.


    Bane took a step into the rocky gray metal box of the elevator, the machine hummed as it lowered into the belly of the large cave, the bats screeched away as lights erupted with a deep hum showering the Batcave in a brilliant white that brought all its contents to view; A set of Batsuits ¨C armors encased in glass, vehicles ranging from two wheeled bikes to mobile tanks, an assortment of gadgets, tools, lab stations, monitors and a large mainframe computer resting against the cave wall.


    "One step closer" The man in the mask pronounced, walking into the glorified bunker filled with multi-billion dollar technology.


    Chapter 2


    GOALS AND PRIORITIES


    No one truly knows me. No one on this earth at least. I''m not trying to be poetic, I mean it when I say that no one truly knows me. Some have partially gleamed into the meanings behind my actions and have used that to try and define me. But if they truly knew why I did what I did, they''d balk.


    I want to go home. Simple words, an even more simple wish. Home, the place where my true family resides. I never asked to be brought into a fictional world where nothing truly matters ¨C I had a life, a good one back in my native world, and I was going to do everything in my power to get back. I won''t lie, sometimes I''m sidetracked or distracted, but they are momentary ¨C they can never stop me from trying to achieve my goal.


    *.*.*.*


    Twenty ¨C four years prior to the death of Batman.


    The Pit.


    I woke up in hell. How could I tell? It was dark, filthy and crowded and there was a great gnashing of teeth and pitiful m.o.a.ns of suffering that went to a bone grating symphony like a chainsaw on wood. The first thing I did was to Immediately close my eyes and remind myself that it was all a vivid dream. Because it was ¨C I am dreaming, how else would I leave my king-sized bed for the ice cold pool of rusted skeletons and decaying bodies. Then the smell hit me ¨C the eye watering kind of stench, the one that abuses and violates your senses, the one that makes you want to pour raw sanitizer down your nostrils.


    I coughed and dry heaved, using whatever wet rag I had on me to cover my face. I shouldn''t have, things were crawling in that rag and I had now introduced those things to my face. I yelped, coughing and spitting as some got into my mouth. I began furiously scrubbing away the disgusting hoard of slithering maggots and crawling insects that sought to explore and conquer my face, leaving painfully itchy bites as monuments to their progress. Pun not intended, but I finally found out what was bugging me out, after hours of trying to rid myself of the filth I was in. I noticed my tiny, bony fingers as they trailed over my very small face.


    It was disconcerting to say the least. Going from having strength filled a.d.u.l.t hands to those of a malnourished child''s. Going from having an angular masculine jaw and full beard to that of a young oval face as smooth as a sick baby''s ass. Yes, I realize my analogies are quite awesome. I also realize my use of humor to silence the absolute terror I was feeling.


    But I needed to set my priorities straight, first of which was getting out of this hole if I didn''t want to die...again. I used what little strength I had to try latching onto whatever I could to climb towards the silver of light. But the world decided to throw me a surprise gift. There was a grunt, and then a whoosh followed by a bam! The whoosh was the sick body of someone either willing falling, or forcefully thrown into the hole. The bam was the sound it made when it crashed on me.


    Have you ever tasted shit water? Have you ever tasted shit water with loads of decaying bodies in it, some of which were still alive? Have you ever been nearly drowned in water that probably contained an astounding concentration of hepatitis A through F? I puked, and then watched my puke flood back into my mouth ¨C it tasted better than the water.


    The body on top of me was killing me. Heh! that''s what she said! Right, brain. You''re so f.u.c.k.i.n.g helpful. I pushed and prodded but the bastard wouldn''t get off me. Not because he couldn''t but because he wouldn''t. He was using me to survive, to keep afloat while I drowned beneath him. This would be instrumental to my change in becoming the demon I grew up to be. It wasn''t some life changing epiphany or such. It was an obstacle I overcame that would nudge me on the right ¨C or wrong ¨C path to surviving.


    I was going to die if I did nothing. And with the body of what I assumed to be a four year old starving child, I barely had strength to spare. So I used technique. There''s a scream a man makes when you have his gonads viciously gripped in your hands ¨C It is loud enough that you can even hear it''s piercing screech underwater. His trashing gave me the opportunity to breach the crowded surface.


    The man had swallowed quite a large quantity of the putrid water, enough to leave him as weak as I was, but more vulnerable. Vulnerable enough for me to then use his body as a life buoy. The trashing of a dying person is not to be underestimated. His frail body exhibited so much strength ¨C enough for him to even kill me. But I guess he was angry and wanted to punish me badly, and as you all know, unfocused anger makes a man irrational.


    The punch was hard enough to break my jaw ¨C it dislocated it instead. And the slap left me seeing bright spots in my vision when normally it''d be dark instead. I cried and begged for mercy. I was scared shitless and terrified. I was so weak, I pitied myself. But alas, even a dying man''s strength runs out. Upon finding it easy to free the fingers that had held the rags I had for clothing tight enough to strangle me. I realized that the bastard was finding it difficult to even breath. His inhales sound like the painful wheeze of a dying cat.


    I held two handfuls of his hair and pushed downwards. He trashed and kicked, his finger nails like razors as he clawed at my hands and face. I did not let up; he stopped struggling eventually. It took awhile for me to kill him, as my own strength came in periodic bursts. And he made use of the lag between the burst to grab some air from the surface. He just made it painful for himself.


    Right about now, you might be wondering why I didn''t dwell more on the fact that I just took a man''s life, or on the implications of what I just did. Please, I was too busy not dying to truly care. And in days later I would resort to limited cannibalism to give me enough strength to even think of leaving the hole.


    *.*.*.*.*


    Six days. That''s how long it took me to slowly make my way out of the hole ¨C which I later found out was the graveyard of the prison I was in ¨C only to be kicked back into the hole by a sacred man who thought as I was either a zombie or a demon sent from hell. Technically, I had done things down in the hole that would qualify me for both.


    All in all, it took me another three days to climb out the shit-hole. That was the beginning of hell. Sometimes I wonder if I should have let myself die in there instead. But I had a goal, and I needed to see it through.


    I stood mouth agape, jaw finally relocated and utterly stumped. I crawled out of one hole, only to find myself in a larger one. It was a wide circular pit with reinforced concrete on all sides and within the concrete were dilapidated prison cells. I saw no guards, no wardens, not even other prison facilities, unless we''re counting the make-shift ones.


    This place was evil. This was where hope came to die. I could not only feel it, I could see it. The people in here, they had zero morals and no qualms at all. I watched a man kill another just because he found it funny. I watched them laugh and cheer on torturers who raced to skin men alive, the fastest being the victor if they''d keep their victims alive, it was all a sport to them. As the afternoon sunlight illuminated my surroundings, so also did it give me a great epiphany; this was a place filled with two kinds of people; predators and prey. Right now, I was a delicious morsel to their eyes ¨C I was prey for eyes that were currently all focused on me.


    I''ll save you too much details of what happened to me. But know that there are things done to people that leave them feeling forever unclean, even when I had fallen into a literal shit hole filled with corpses it was nothing compared to this. This was another obstacle that taught me the true cruelty of reality. A lesson burned and branded, not only to my flesh but to my soul.


    *.*.*.*


    Twenty ¨C three years prior to the death of Batman.


    The Pit.


    The days blurred till they combined into one endless cycle. My conscious mind receded due to all the abuse and my mentality became fractured. I died, not physically at least, but I still died. I went through so much that I just went under, my very soul went on lock down for a very long time. The only thing that caused me to regain myself was my goal, I couldn''t abandon it, I couldn''t give up. When I did wake up, I was nailed to an X shaped cross and some inches taller ¨C apparently I''d been used for a year.


    The past me would''ve asked why me. I would have cried for mercy and begged as I questioned whatever it was that brought me here. I''d have asked why I had to be tortured and put through hell, when all the others I''d read about in situations like mine from fiction had gained either massive wealth, immense amazing powers, or endless charisma that made every other person bend backwards to please them. No, I wasn''t given shit. All I had was a scarred soul, a broken body and my own fortitude and willpower.


    Slowly and painfully, I widened the injury on my palm, using the rod stabbed through it to scr.a.p.e away flesh till the metal met bone. Wide enough for me to get both my hands free with a yank ¨C


    Here another comes.


    I slowed my breath and closed my eyes. Cracking them slowly open when I felt the hand of one of the bastards inch closer to my n.a.k.e.d body ¨C so close I could feel his disgusting stench of his breath brush against my cheek. When he cupped my face, I knew it was my time.


    Pain is relative. You learn to control it.


    I yanked myself free from the cross. Leaving wide gaping, bleeding holes in the center of my palms. I fell right on the f.u.c.ker''s face and held on like a humanoid vice, the bastard screamed in surprise. What I did next left him screaming in pain.


    With fingernails left growing for close to a year and sharpened to fine tips, I dug them into his squishy eyeballs. They burst like a bag full of pus, I dug deeper, burying the entire length of my thumb up his orbital cavity. Blood showered me, washing away my filth.


    The man fell backwards, spasming and still crying bloody murder, I held him down with all my strength. Killing a man by trying to stab his brain with your thumb is much harder than it seems.


    I was losing too much strength to continue with that venture ¨C but I still had enough to do what needed to be done.


    I bit into his carotid artery, teeth against soft almost slippery flesh. I just took a chunk of his flesh off instead of hitting his vitals. I spat it out and took another bite ¨C this time not missing.


    My mouth was filled with the almost salty metal scented blood. I was tempted to drink, but resisted that urge. I let the vigorous spurts of blood soak me instead. I slowly and shakily rose to my feet, the tears in my eyes only recognized by myself. My body bathed in a wet crimson paint, fresh enough for me to still feel the heat off it.


    The prison was eerily quiet. I realized that eyes were focused on me, I looked back, memorizing each and every one of them.


    I will kill you all.


    Someone shook his head and pulled out a rusted metal rod sharpened to a bladed edge, that someone then began approaching me. I barely had enough strength to stand as it was and it seemed like this was finally it, the moment I die.


    "Boyo let, Gustav put you out of your misery" said the man with the weapon as he now stood a meter away from me. "I''ll be quic¡ªurrkk!" It happened in a blur, large hands wrapped around his head and folded his neck. This wasn''t a break, it was a literal fold.


    I stared up at this neanderthal looking man. He was massive and hairy with very sharp features.


    "Child. Follow me and I will teach you your strength and how to use it to survive." His voice was as gentle as a bulldozer running through wood. Like the wet licks of a serpent before it strikes.


    "Why?" I asked Why didn''t you save me earlier? Why should I trust you? Why do I have to follow you? I wanted to speak more but I would end up crying, my voice was quivering as is. If I did that (cry), I''d just revert to being a victim, a prey.


    The man stared down at me, maybe in fascination or maybe some other emotion I was too tired to notice. But all I know is that he stared at me and then laughed, laughed without a sound. I''d acquired the ability of recognizing how deadly or deranged a man was by his eyes. His eyes told me that this very man was a demon, a beast and a saint. It made no sense. "You, a child whose very soul has been broken, is now rebuilt stronger, stronger than anyone else''s in here, by your very own hands. It is a thing that cannot be and yet is. Come, let me teach you to harness your strength, to direct your mind, body and spirit towards your ends. It would be an honor."


    It sounded like cryptic bullshit and I don''t know why it resonated with me, but it did. If he was going to try doing anything else other than what he stated, I''d either kill him or myself, I''ll never be victimized again.

 Chapter 226 - My CO Stash #26 - See You In The Dark by JGSZX (TheDisastrousLifeofSaikiK.XWorm)

    -The first and surprisingly fun CO fic of The Disastrous Life of Saiki & Worm~ Author managed to capture Saiki''s character extremely well and he even goes the extra lengths by actually ill.u.s.trating some of the events of the story, obviously I can''t post images here so I suggest rereading it in the original site! (£££þ¦Ø£þ)


    Sypnosis: Saiki Kusuo''s efforts to live an ordinary life are constantly being thrown into disarray, and this is the worst incident yet. Not only have his malfunctioning psychic powers thrown him into another dimension, they''ve changed the genre entirely. What''s it going to take to get back to his usual comedy show?


    Rated: ???


    Words: 11K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/see-you-in-the-dark-the-disastrous-life-of-saiki-k-worm.833943/ (JGSZX)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1 - A TroublePSIme Development


    Notes:


    My knowledge of Worm relies mostly on the wiki, the fanfiction I''ve read here on SB, and what my friends who have read Worm have told me. I''d like to get the broad strokes right, but I''m not overly concerned about getting the smaller details correct. Sorry if that bothers you. Feel free to offer up corrections but be aware that I''m playing fast and loose with canon.


    I''m open to criticism about how to make the story better, but not about how to change the nature of the story. That is to say, there are topics / themes I am interested in exploring, and will steer the story in that direction. I won''t stop writing what I''m interested in so please don''t suggest otherwise, but if you have suggestions on how to make the execution of the story or exploration of themes more interesting, I''m all ears.


    Tl;dr: OK: "I think XXX event has distracted from the main storyline." "Having XXX happen is detracting from YYY theme that has showed up before. I think if you wanted to write a tighter story, you should change XXX like so." Will be ignored: "I''m not interested in the direction of the story, you should change it." If you enjoy the story, please leave a comment letting me know what you liked. Having engaged readers is a big motivation for me to keep writing.


    Thanks for your interest and hope you enjoy.


    ------


    Psychic power. For instance¡­ hearing other people''s thoughts, or seeing what''s on the other side of a wall, or even manipulating objects through power of will alone. A power to do what normal people can''t. That''s what I have.


    My name is Saiki Kusuo, and I am an esper.


    Q: Are you a chuunibyou?


    A: No.


    I''ve lived with this power my whole life. Some of you might be thinking, "How lucky! With that kind of power, you could do anything you want!" Right? Wrong! Do you know how annoying it is to always be hearing people''s thoughts, or constantly seeing through skin and muscle until everyone simply looks like walking sacks of bones? Not to mention each power comes with its own downsides too. Read the manga if you want to learn more. In any case, having psychic power has done nothing but inconvenience me since the moment of my birth, and is barely any help in my pursuit of my dream to live a completely ordinary life.


    That said, thanks to my psychic powers, nothing bad has ever really happened to me, so I don''t really have anything to complain about.


    Well, there is one thing.


    "Saiki. How did your part of the project go last night?"


    As I haven''t brainwashed the people of this world into ignoring me speaking directly to their minds with telepathy, I can only respond through physical gesture or by speaking with my actual voice. I don''t particularly care to do the latter, so I simply nod in greeting.


    Here, Hebert. Take this packet of papers with all my work so you can look over it and calm down your paranoia about me ruining your grades, and so I don''t have to speak.


    As you may have guessed, the one speaking to me is named Hebert. Taylor Hebert, to be exact. Since this is a story and not a manga or anime, I''ll describe her for you. She''s tall for her age, thin, and has long, curly black hair. As for her facial features¡­ She probably has a wide mouth, but I wouldn''t know, since my X-ray vision is always on and looking at anyone for longer than a second means I start seeing through their skin down to their muscle and bone. Thanks to that I''ve never bothered to memorize people''s faces very closely. I can identify them by their thoughts anyways.


    So why are you complaining about Hebert? you might be asking. Is she a bad school partner? Does she smell bad? Does she have a romantic inclination for you that you can''t maneuver your way out of no matter how hard you try, like a certain blue-haired perfect pretty girl loved by God?


    None of the above. There''s nothing wrong with Hebert herself. She''s capable, diligent, and introverted, which suits a shy and withdrawn student like me. No, the problem is the trouble that she comes with.


    Here they come, right on cue. Hess has walked by and bumped Hebert just a little too hard, almost jostling the papers out of her hands. None of that, now. I''ll help Hebert keep ahold of them with a little telekinesis. I worked hard on those papers, you know. No knocking them down.


    "Oops, sorry, we didn''t see you there, Taylor," says Barnes sweetly. "I guess we just didn''t notice you, what with how plain and ugly your clothes are¡­"


    And there they go, starting up with one insult after another. They''re not even very good insults. Well, carry on a bullying campaign for a year and a half and you''ll eventually run out of material, I suppose. It''s still quite annoying to hear themselves congratulating themselves for a job well done with each insult, though. Like this, with Barnes¡­


    That''s not something you should be proud of, you know. The level of self-congratulation sure is amazing. Actually, what''s more amazing is how shamelessly they bully Hebert right in front of others. I''m right here, you know? Not that I want them to notice me, but it''s the principle of the matter.


    I shift in my seat slightly, which successfully draws their attention away from Taylor for a moment.


    "Oh, sorry, Saiki," Barnes says. "Were we interrupting a moment between you two?" Yes, our homework consultation time. "Nah, who am I kidding? No one would ever get together with flat-chest over here." What''s the big deal about the size of someone''s chest? One mass of fat and muscle is basically the same as another; if there''s a little more or less, who cares. "You''re still working with her on this project? You can do way better than her."


    Is that so? Certainly I could find a partner with better grades if I wanted, but I don''t want good grades. I want ones that are completely ordinarily average. Standing out is the opposite of what I want to do¡­ although, being partnered with Hebert, I''ve already failed step one. What a pain.


    "Yeah," says Clements. "Haven''t you heard how bad her grades are? She never turns in anything on time¡­" That''s because you steal her things. "And she cheats¡­" That''s because you frame her after you copy her work. "And when she does turn in original work, the quality is so bad, she might as well drop out and join the Merchants!" That''s because she has to redo her work after you destroy it. Who has the time to redo everything perfectly a second time.


    The bullies all seem to think this is very clever though, laughing at Hebert. It''s actually quite incredible that anyone could be this cliche.


    Hebert has lowered her head. ¡­ It''s only natural to be worn down after months of this treatment, I suppose.


    It doesn''t really make a difference if they do it here or in another classroom, Hebert. I can still hear it with my telepathy. This bullying case is even worse than Akechi''s. At least Akechi had acquaintances who would help him in the aftermath. But no one steps up to help Hebert.


    "Hey, it''s rude to ignore people when they''re talking to you," says Barnes.


    Ah, that''s right, they''re waiting for a response from me. Why did you have to drag me into this.


    "Well?" says Barnes, putting a hand on her hip. "What do you think?"


    Now that it''s come to this, I have no choice but to respond.


    What should I do? Talk to her? I''d rather not make my first spoken words in this story to someone like her.


    Ignore her?


    That''s just trouble. How annoying.


    With those two options off the table, you''ve left me no choice but to show you the power of an esper, Barnes. You brought this on yourself.


    "Hey, she''s talking to you," Hess says menacingly, stepping up to me and grabbing me by the collar of my shirt. "Or do you want to end up on the shit list like Hebert, here?"


    ?


    I see. So you want to pick a fight with me?


    ?


    Then you better be prepared for the consequences.


    Hess flinches for a second, before gripping my shirt harder. "What''s with that look?" she says lowly.


    "Don''t bother with him," Clements says disdainfully. "I mean, if he doesn''t want to talk, he''s pretty much declared where he stands, right?" She smiles. Next to her, Barnes holds the papers I worked so hard on last night. She makes direct eye contact with me as she rips it into shreds. I have the feeling I''m supposed to be hurt by this action somehow, but this level of harassment is so petty it''s just sad.


    She follows my gaze to the doorway behind her.


    There stands Mr. Prescott, looking at the shredded paper on the desk.


    That''s right. Behold the revenge of an esper.


    "Miss Barnes," says Mr. Prescott, "Care to explain?"


    "Oh, Mr. Prescott!" Barnes says sweetly. "We were just messing around between friends. Sorry, it looks a little compromising, huh?"


    Mr. Prescott''s gaze travels to where Hess is still holding my shirt. Hess lets go quickly and straightens up.


    "Yes," Mr. Prescott says slowly. "Well. There''s nothing wrong with having fun with your friends. But be sure not to disrupt class. Everyone be seated, then. The bell is about to ring."


    "Sure thing, Mr. Prescott," Clements says, and the bullies disperse away from my desk.


    Mr. Prescott, you sure do love that PRT funding, huh. What is with this school. So irresponsible.


    Barnes thinks.


    That would be my doing. Using my telepathy, I nudged Mr. Prescott into deciding to walk over a few minutes earlier than usual. Of course, now he''s thinking about how he''s strictly not entering the classroom until after the bell has rung because he wants to avoid seeing trouble like that again, so it seems it was a one-time use trick, but it''s enough to make everyone back off for now.


    There goes Hess speculating about me again. A pause.


    She feels a moment of shame. That''s right. You should feel bad.


    Wow. What a character.


    Hess, for someone who likes to call herself a predator, you''ve sure got bad instincts.


    "I''m sorry, Saiki," Hebert says to me as Mr. Prescott sets up the projector. "It''s my fault your work got ruined."


    Your resentment is saying something totally different. I don''t hold it against her, though, since anyone would gather up resentment after being bullied for so long. It''s only natural to lash out against someone you can actually have an impact on instead of the people whose fault it actually is. At least she''s only doing it in her mind.


    ¡­ It''s a tough life. I''m surprised at how reasonable Hebert is being even in the confines of her own mind, though. It''s okay to sling mud at me a little longer. I can take it. I''ve heard thoughts like that my whole life. Although, thanks for not blaming me for too long, I suppose. It would have been annoying to work with you while constantly hearing how upset you are with me.


    Hahhh, seriously, what a pain. I haven''t even responded yet, you know?


    I shrug at Hebert, and then I reach into my bag for a spare sheaf of papers. With a bit of thoughtography, I copy the research I did last night onto the papers and pull them out.


    Hebert''s eyes widen when I put it in front of her. "You brought a second copy." The amount of relief she feels is a bit depressing. The suspicion that immediately follows, even more so. "Why?"


    I slide my eyes to look at Barnes across the room, curl my lips into a slight sneer, and then turn my eyes back to the front, going back to my usual blank expression.


    Sure, let''s go with that.


    Sorry, Hebert. I''m not really a nice person. I don''t take action unless it directly affects me. You''ve gotten quite the selfish partner.


    Don''t say that with such a pitying tone. I don''t want any friends here.


    Hebert lowers her head at her desk.


    She noticed too, huh. Well, hopefully she''ll write it off as easily as they did. Just my luck. Of course she didn''t.


    Hebert, your life is seriously depressing. I haven''t done anything for you. It''s just a copy of my work, stop reading so much into it.


    Seriously, it wasn''t for you. They were just getting me involved. It annoys me when someone thinks they can get the better of me.


    "¡­Thanks."


    I said it wasn''t for you.


    Whatever. I give her a curt nod and then go back to ignoring her. This is an important class to pay attention to, after all.


    "Good morning, class. Welcome back to Parahuman Studies. As a reminder, your research project is due next Friday¡­"


    Hebert, I''m trying to concentrate here.


    Please don''t. I''m a sensitive soul. If too many people try to engage me in social interaction in one day I''ll wither away and die.


    Oh boy.


    This is the other troublesome thing with Hebert.


    What? you might be saying. Isn''t it cool that she has powers? Look, you can be friends, and you''re not alone anymore.


    First of all, I''m not interested in being anyone''s friend. There''s nothing wrong with being alone. But no, the real problem is that she''s not like me at all.


    ?


    >


    There''s some kind of entity attached to her brain, and it''s the thing that gives her powers. On top of that, she controls bugs.


    It''s not that I''m afraid of bugs. They''re not particularly disgusting either. Not much more than seeing people''s muscular structure every day, anyways. What really bothers me about them is that they''re so small I can''t read their minds or predict them. Birds, mammals, even fish? Sure. Bugs, though? Nothing. It''s way too creepy. I don''t even want my psychokinesis to touch them.


    I nearly refused to be her partner when I realized what she could do, but it turns out that by listening to this "Queen Administrator," I can predict what nearby bugs are going to do and when. So it''s better to be next to her than not¡­ even though it comes with the downside of knowing where every single bug in a two block radius is.


    And there are so. Many. Bugs. Just my luck. I''ll never be able to relax again.


    I''m getting sidetracked. The point is: I''m different from her. I''m different from every parahuman on this Earth, in fact. Of all the superpowered people on this planet, there is still not a single one like me.


    I''m sure that you, as a savvy reader, have noticed my phrasing by now. This Earth? you may be asking. Yes. This Earth, as one among many. This dimension is a different dimension from my own.


    That''s the biggest thing to complain about, really. I''ve accidentally hopped dimensions, and I don''t have a clue how to get back home.


    ¡ª¡ª


    How did I get here? you might ask. Well, it''s a simple answer, really. For all of you manga readers, you may recall that in chapter 206 my limiter device malfunctioned and resulted in me acquiring a wide variety of inconvenient and useless powers. One of those powers? Dimension hopping.


    But that''s not useless at all! you might be crying. Imagine the possibilities! The riches you could acquire! The fame you could accrue! The technological development you could facilitate!


    With my powers I could make money in hundreds of different ways, easily. I don''t need dimension hopping for that. And why would I get myself money anyways, when I can just acquire what I want directly with my powers?


    That''s why I don''t bother with riches, and fame is just annoying because of all the attention. And I wouldn''t want to help facilitate technological development. That would require me to reveal my abilities in some capacity, and you should have realized by now that I would much prefer my privacy.


    In any case, I accidentally dimension hopped here. I managed to use one of the other "useless powers" to fix my limiter device so my psychic powers worked properly again, but now I can''t figure out how to get home. I don''t know how to break my limiter in the right way to get the dimension hopping power back, and I don''t want to risk it either, since my powers without the limiter device are uncontrollably strong and I might end up irrevocably changing this world if I''m not careful.


    Oh well. Kuusuke will probably find where I''ve ended up, eventually. The best thing to do is stay in one place until then.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After a long and harrowing day at school of blending into the background, I''ve finally arrived home.


    "Home." In reality, it''s just an abandoned house that I fixed up with my psychic powers. No one knows I''m here. Well, that''s fine with me, though.


    Finishing all my homework is easy, so I take care of that first. Then I read some books. Then it''s dinnertime. Dinner is a simple matter of taking some plants I gathered and deer meat I hunted from a forest on the other continent the other day, and stored in my "refrigerator" of ice I made from my cryokinesis. Then I just have to cook everything with pyrokinesis in an iron pot I bought with some money I got from cheating the lottery with my clairvoyance and X-ray powers.


    It''s quiet without my noisy and troublesome family around¡­ Well, I''m always complaining about them, so I don''t have the right to complain about them not being here.


    There''s really not much to do. Maybe I should get myself a computer so I can go look around that PHO forum that people are always thinking about.


    Speaking of Hebert, didn''t she say she was going to debut tonight? I guess I''ll check in on her. It would be annoying if my project partner got herself killed on her first night out, after all. Let''s see¡­


    Crossing my eyes, I activate my clairvoyance. Where is she¡­ Aha, there.


    "--shoot the kids."


    >


    Wait wait wait. Lung? As in the leader of that one gang, the parahuman who no one wants to take on?


    Good grief. Hebert, you sure have a talent for getting into trouble. I''m trying to keep this story strictly comedy, or failing that, at least something that''s not too dark. You just had to go and change the genre back after all my hard work, didn''t you. What am I supposed to do here?


    So much for a quiet, peaceful night.


    -----


    Thank you for reading. Hopefully we should be derailing from stations of canon soon.

 Chapter 227 - My OC Stash #27 - Vault 69 by Cambrian (Fallout)

    -Back to Cambrian NSFW fics~ Starting off with a young Overseer of the Vault 69, the ideal harem plot yes.


    Sypnosis: A young man wakes up as the Overseer of a new Vault. Specifically, Vault 69. He''s just completed a treatment that brings all of his SPECIAL stats up to the maxed out ten. And now the labcoat wearing doctor with nothing but a bra and soaked panties on underneath has declared first dibs on his new bitch-breaking c.o.c.k. But with 998 other women, she''s far from the last.


    Rated: M


    Words: 24K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/vault-69-fallout.11225/ (Cambrian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    The young man wakes up slowly, feeling surprisingly well-rested for not knowing where he is¡­ or who he is. A frown immediately forms across his face as he realizes that he''s not entirely clear on his own identity. That could be a problem, depending on where he''s waking up. Opening his eyes, the young man takes in the room around him, assessing his surroundings and the room''s other occupant in mere seconds.


    He''s in the medical center of a vault, no doubt, or a simulation of one. While it''s possible that someone has built a vault room above ground to try and fool him into believing he''s in a vault, the smell of the air convinces him otherwise. This is either a VERY good illusion, or it''s the real deal. His eyes slide over to the blonde doctor beside his bed, and he takes in the smile on her face, as well as the open lab coat she''s wearing. The lab coat in and of itself is not that surprisingly, given he''s in a medical center and she''s obviously his caretaker.


    However, the fact that she''s wearing nothing more than lacey black lingerie beneath the lab coat is ever so slightly disquieting. Still, he knows better than to make a scene, or panic. He''s not entirely sure HOW he knows better, but he does. Keeping his calm, the young man gives the Doctor a kind smile, noting the way she all but swoons as his lips curl upwards and his dimples form.


    "Doctor."


    Leaning over him doesn''t really give him anymore of a view than he already has, but the Doctor does it anyways as she makes a show of pretending to check his vitals. At the same time, she speaks with a breathless tone as her fingers wander up and down his chest. His surprisingly muscular chest, at that.


    "Overseer¡­ it''s so good to see you awake. The procedure seems to have been a complete success, though of course there are tests that will need to be completed before you''re declared fit for duty."


    In that moment, it''s almost as if a thousand disconnected strands intertwine, a hundred different little things coalescing into one crystal clear realization in his mind. His thoughts reach back to the tests he''s already taken, tests he took before he could ever be placed in a vault. He remembers all of that, he remembers his entire life, if not his actual identity or the names of his family members.


    And most importantly, he remembers reading articles about some of the experiments VaultTech had been interested in doing with their work before Nuclear War had become all but eminent. Before the bombs fell, there''d even been talk of the vaults being used for voluntary scientific studies that would allow them to have better understandings of the human race.


    He''s far more intelligent than he was before. That strikes the young man as he sits there in the hospital bed, thinking everything through in mere moments. Given the Doctor mentioned a procedure, it''s really not that hard to figure out what''s happened to him. He can feel it, the changes that he''s gone through both mentally and physically. They''ve made him into what they wanted, for whatever experiment their planning down here.


    "Those tests won''t be necessary Doctor. I''m ready to take over my duties as Overseer of Vault Sixty-Nine starting now."


    Before, he might not have been able to resist snickering in infantile amus.e.m.e.nt over the vault number. Now, it simply arouses him ever so slightly, but then that''s just a bit more arousal on top of the mountain of l.u.s.t he''s currently keeping under control from the Vault Doctor''s very appearance. Batting her eyelashes, the blonde doctor shakes his head.


    "Oh no, Overseer. I couldn''t possibly forego the tests. That would be against the implicit instructions I was given for after the procedure. Until you''ve completed the tests, your status as Overseer of this Vault is not finalized. Not until I give my say-so."


    Reading between the lines is just so damn easy now. And so is lashing out, his hand snaking behind the blonde''s head and grabbing hold of the base of her ponytail before she can even realize he''s moving. He''s fast now¡­ and strong as well. Pulling the doctor close as she finally reacts with a yelp and a gasp at his sudden proximity, the young Overseer shakes his head.


    "You''re going to skip the tests, and declare me Overseer of the Vault, Doctor. There''s too much that needs to be done for us to waste any more time."


    He''s not surprised when she doesn''t yell for help or scream for him to let her go. When she pants needily and runs her hands along his chest instead, the Overseer simply lifts a brow until she blushes and licks her lips.


    "P-Perhaps we can come to an arrangement, Overseer. I want¡­ I want to go first."


    That catches his attention. He doesn''t have too much trouble putting things together. What she wants is obvious, given her dress, her attitude. The procedure has left him more than capable of seeing what''s right in front of him. Shit, with how clear she''s being about what she wants, he likes to think even the old him would have been able to figure this out. But her words set off warning bells in his head, nonetheless.


    The young man begins to suspect something, even as he contemplates her in silence for a moment.


    "Doctor, what is the makeup of this vault''s population?"


    Her eyes widen slightly at his perceptiveness, her face paling. But she recovers quite swiftly, and a coy smile spreads across her lips as she slides her hand down off of his chest, along his navel, and beneath the sheets to where his length sits between his legs. When he doesn''t stop her, she takes his soft prick in hand and begins to stroke it¡­ though her coy smile drops when he doesn''t grow hard in her admittedly skillful hands.


    In fact, she begins to panic right then and there, uncaring of the fact that he still held her ponytail in his grasp as she instead focused on tearing back his sheets to inspect his member.


    "O-Overseer, we might have a much greater problem then the tests. Why¡­ why can''t I g-get you aroused? If you''re impotent, we need to-"


    "There is no problem. And I''m not impotent."


    He speaks clearly and concisely, leaving the blonde doctor to look back at his face with confusion in her eyes. Reaching up with his other hand, the young Overseer grabs her by her cheeks as he pulls her in close. Her nostrils flare and her eyes cloud over with l.u.s.t once more as she breathes in his scent. Once she''s within mere centimeters of him, he speaks in a soft but firm tone.


    "I am in control, Doctor. I am in control of everything. Now, answer my question. What is the makeup of this vault''s population?"


    He eases back his fingers just enough to let her speak clearly, and when she answers him, he''s not at all surprised.


    "N-Nine hundred and ninety-nine females aged eighteen to t-thirty. One male aged nineteen."


    It''s as he thought. The bombs had dropped, he remembered that much. In his rush to get to safety, he''d not paid much attention to the people around him. His family was long gone, so it was just him when he entered Vault Sixty-Nine. He''d been ushered off to the side by VaultTech soldiers, all female now that he thought back, and he''d been rushed to medical, after a claim that he was in need of urgent assistance. He''d gone along with it at the time, fearing the worst, fearing he was dying.


    Now he knew the truth. VaultTech were playing games even now, even with the world ending. And he was in charge of nine hundred and ninety-nine women, one of which was clearly jonesing for his c.o.c.k, right here and right now. With a growl, the Overseer lifts off the bed, dragging the Doctor with him as he goes. In the same moment, he lets his member rise to full staff between his legs, even as the blonde s.l.u.t in a lab coat ends up face planted on the bed he''s just been laying on.


    She doesn''t fight him, even as he pins her down, even as he flips up her lab coat and drags her lacy panties off of her ass and down to her knees. Instead, the needy woman m.o.a.ns wantonly, her ass shaking back and forth behind her as enticingly as she can manage.


    "Yessss, please Overseer, I need it. I need your c-c.o.c.k!"


    Growling, he guides his member to her cunt entrance. As much as he wants nothing more than to access the Overseer''s terminal right this moment, so he can confirm his suspicions and find the rest of the information he''s clearly missing, it''s obvious that he''s not going anywhere until he takes care of this blonde s.l.u.t beneath him. Thrusting into her from behind, the young man groans as he fills her with every inch of his enhanced member.


    But then, they''d enhanced every aspect of him, as far as he could tell. He remembered VaultTech''s designations. SPECIAL. They''d called them "stats", like someone could truly be boiled down to a list of attributes and numbers. But then, maybe they could. Maybe he was proof of exactly that truth, the procedure having done something to make him the way he was now.


    Intelligent, strong, fast, charismatic¡­ and most importantly of all, incredibly virile. His c.o.c.k, much larger than it was before, throbs as he f.u.c.ks the good doctor from behind with all his might. She m.o.a.ns beneath him, and it''s not long before she''s c.u.m.m.i.n.g around his length, time and time again. Her inner walls squeeze and cling to his shaft, and he grunts from the pressure, the pleasure.


    It''s easy to hold it back, the pleasure. Not for the Doctor though, that much is clear. The s.e.xy, s.l.u.tty blonde is beside herself with bliss, drowning in ecstasy and euphoria. She''s completely and utterly delirious, and he''s barely even started f.u.c.k.i.n.g her. Gritting his teeth, he really puts his back into it¡­ and the Doctor absolutely loses it as she begs him for more, pleads with him not only to f.u.c.k her¡­ but to breed her, to i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.e her with a baby.


    It''s as if an epiphany goes off in his head. The thoughts were already there of course, the theories amidst all the other theories. But hearing her say it, hearing her tell him that he HAS to c.u.m inside, that he HAS to knock her up for the good of the human race practically confirms what he already suspected about this particular Vault and its purpose.


    He''s quite confident that not every Overseer in every vault got the same procedure he did. Quite confident indeed. But now here he is, and he''s feeling better than ever before¡­ and it''s up to him to lead nearly a thousand women into a better tomorrow. No pressure¡­ no pressure at all. But he''s clearly wasted enough time with the s.l.u.t beneath him already.


    With a growl, he thrusts one final time deep into the blonde doctor''s cunt, filling her with a nice, thick load of his seed. She m.o.a.ns happily at the sensation of him finally filling her, him giving her what she wants. Then, she yelps when he drags her up off the bed by her hair, forcing her back against him, molding her body to his own as his c.o.c.k remains stuck deep inside of her dripping wet quim. His lips hover next to her ear as he speaks.


    "You will forego the tests, and declare me fit for duty, doctor. You will provide me with my jumpsuit and you will escort me to my office. We will discuss your insubordination and the punishment for refusing me later¡­ but for now, you will not disobey me again, are we understood?"


    "Y-Yes¡­ yes, Overseer."


    Less than fifteen minutes later, he''s locked up tight in the Overseer''s office, which just so happens to be connected to his private quarters as well. He''s made sure that''s locked down so no one can enter from that entrance either. Sitting at his desk, the young Overseer brings up his terminal and the Doctor inputs the proper codes to unlock access, effectively passing over control of the entire vault to him and him alone.


    "Good. Now get underneath the desk and clean up after yourself."


    "Yes, Overseer."


    She''s eager to obey, and he smiles slightly as she slides into place between his legs. Glancing down, he makes eye contact with the blonde s.l.u.t, even as she looks up at him as she takes his c.o.c.k into her mouth, slurping and sucking at it with quite a bit of enthusiasm. Sliding one hand down beneath his desk, the young man runs his fingers through her hair, even as he turns his attention back to the terminal before him.


    It''s not particularly hard to operate the computer with one hand. He seems to be quite good at it, in fact, almost instantly so. But then, reading up on what VaultTech has done to him, the procedure he''d gone through and just what they put into his body¡­ the Overseer can see how he would be, now. Skills will always come easily to a man like him, and he will never struggle to learn something new for the rest of his life.


    They''ve made him something superhuman, something practically impossible. But he understands the science behind it now, with his enhanced intelligence. Just as he also sees how much harm they had to do to figure out how to make it possible. With his credentials as Overseer, he is now the highest ranking VaultTech official in Vault Sixty-Nine. Which means he gets to know the fact that he''s the first successful patient the procedure worked on.


    They were still perfecting it, when the bombs dropped. The man before him died before ever waking up, blood pouring from his eyes, his nose¡­ his mouth and even his ears. Grimacing, the Overseer moves on. It is what it is. And their procedure worked, or at least it worked on him. What matters now is the mission. He could say no. He could refuse to do what VaultTech wants¡­ but he knows how impossible that will be.


    It''s his duty now, to keep at least one third of his vault''s population pregnant at all times, from now until his death. Apparently, about six hundred women are all that are needed to keep the vault running smoothly. So four hundred can be at varying degrees of pregnancy, at all times. And right now, as his terminal so helpfully reminds him, only one of the nine-hundred and ninety-nine women under his care has been inseminated.


    He''s got his work cut out for him. Best to get started.


    Chapter 2


    It took a little bit to get situated. The women of the Vault had the situation explained to them, and surprisingly, not a single one of them had a complaint about it. Or, it would have been surprising if the young Overseer didn''t know the truth. But thanks to his Overseer codes, he now had complete control over the Vault. And that meant he knew everything that had happened prior to him gaining control as well.


    Basically, the Vault had been saturated with a chemical c.o.c.ktail in the form of gas. The mixture would have completely stumped the Overseer before his transformation, but now he could see exactly what it was designed to do just by reading the base components before he even went any further. But the files also explained the purpose of the chemical mixture.


    To keep the women from rising up against him, to keep them from making any trouble for him, VaultTech had taken it upon themselves to increase both submissiveness and horniness in all nine-hundred and ninety-nine inhabitants of Vault Sixty-Nine. It explained why the Vault Doctor was such a needy, horny little s.l.u.t. Even a month later, even after they knew for certain he''d i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.ed her, she still insisted on spending every ounce of her free time under his desk, sucking his c.o.c.k. Not that she HAD much free time, being the Vault Doctor, but what little she did have went to pleasuring him like the submissive little f.u.c.k s.l.u.t she was.


    The Overseer enjoyed the subservience. There was no denying that. He''d been raised to respect and care for women, so it was hard to really shift his thinking at first, but the s.l.u.tty Vault Doctor, along with everything he''d read in the files only accessible by him, helped him along the way. The women under his command, under his control¡­ They were still his to care for and protect. And many of them were still worthy of respect as well.


    Some of the nation''s brightest minds and fittest athletes had been moved to Vault Sixty-Nine. The young Overseer was honestly surprised when he read some of the recognizable names that had come along with his Vault. Some of the women in here had honestly traveled a long way just for the privilege of being bred by him, which was amusing to no end.


    They''d basically been tricked, in some cases. But there wasn''t any sort of complaint now that they were all docile. They each had their place in the vault, and they had all gotten to work at making the vault into the place it needed to become if they were going to build the next generation. Meanwhile, he had the task of overseeing¡­ and impregnating all of them.


    Not exactly an easy task, but also not quite a thankless job either. So when he came to the realization that they had plenty of Nuke-O''s (his preferred breakfast) but nothing in the way of milk down in the vault¡­ well, as Overseer, he had access to Vault Sixty-Nine''s technologies. He knew what they were capable of doing down here, what they''d HAD to be capable of doing in order to create him. The technology in the laboratories down below was¡­ interesting, to say the least.


    Put simply, the Overseer wanted milk. And he wasn''t willing to wait for enough women to be pregnant to get his daily amount. Besides, some women wouldn''t be able to feed their babies with their own milk. He was aware that that was sometimes an issue. So it was best if they had some sources of milk here and now, before the first children even arrived.


    The young Overseer didn''t force anyone to do anything they didn''t want to do though. Put bluntly, with a vault of nine-hundred and ninety-nine women, there were always going to be some who didn''t have a skill or talent that made it obvious where they were supposed to be placed. The majority of women had been chosen for their genetics, for what they would give to the next generation.


    But that didn''t mean they were useful to him now. Basically, he had a lot of extra women waiting for their turn to be bred, without much else to do. So, he had the Vault Doctor find some volunteers for some fun little experiments. It wasn''t too hard either. All he had to do was put ''Any Volunteers Will Receive Priority Impregnation'' on the notice, and the Doctor was quickly undulated with people.


    Of course, in the end she picked women who weren''t needed elsewhere in the vault. There were plenty of those types, scientists and engineers and mechanics and security who all wanted his c.o.c.k to plow them silly right then and there. They didn''t want to wait their turn¡­ but they would and they''d do a good job in the meantime if they EVER expected to get pregnant via his massive new bitch-breaker.


    That threat alone left violence and crime in the vault at an amusing minimum. No one wanted to start anything and potentially lose out on becoming a mother thanks to the chemical c.o.c.ktail in the air, constantly circulating through their systems. Still, even with that, the Vault Doctor ended up with a batch of twenty volunteers for their first experiment. And now¡­ now it was complete.


    And according to the delicious, delectable doctor, it had been a complete success. Of course, he was going to have to see for himself. That was why he was stepping into the laboratory, only to find the place neatly bisected down the middle by some sort of technological stockade.


    "Doctor¡­"


    His voice draws the eyes of the doctor, and causes the buttocks of twenty women to twitch and tremble. Because right now, that''s all he can see of them. The good doctor has her volunteers all bound up in the strange stockade, leaving them bent over at the waist, their heads restrained and their faces invisible to him. He can see their tits though, as he walks deeper into the lab. Their massive hugs are hanging beneath them, clearly far larger than they should be. And more than that¡­ they''re lactating milk into these big suction cups that cover their bountiful b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    They''re being milked, the Overseer realizes after a moment. The Vault Doctor has certainly worked fast.


    "O-Overseer¡­ they''re ready for you now. All of them."


    He lifts a brow at that, even as she falls to her knees before him, already fumbling at his belt, hoping to pull his c.o.c.k out and suck on it. She just can''t help herself, the silly girl. Just as she''s drawn his length from its confines, the young man pushes past the doctor. He leaves his hardening, thickening prick out in the open though, even as he steps around the stockade to the other side.


    Twenty pairs of eyes immediately alight on his face as the Overseer takes in the sight of his volunteers. He smiles after a moment as they look at him needily, all of them m.o.a.ning around the ball-gags in their mouths. No wonder they hadn''t said anything before. Ah, but now they''re trying to talk, the delicious, modified s.l.u.ts. Their desire is evident, even as their gags make them sound a bit like they''re mooing.


    Looking at them for a moment more, the Overseer finally steps forward and reaches for the first. He pulls one suction cup off of a tit and raises the n.i.p.p.l.e to his mouth instead. The entire time, he maintains eye-contact with that first woman, staring into her glazed eyes as he drinks from her b.r.e.a.s.t. Her milk¡­ is delicious. He''d asked the doctor to make it as tasty as possible without ruining the health benefits of it of course, and she''d clearly delivered because this stuff was amazing.


    Taking an even longer draw than he originally intended, the young Overseer eventually pulls back, even as the woman he''s drinking from, old enough to be his mother he now notices, mewls happily around her gag. The others are all alternating between staring at his c.o.c.k or glaring daggers at the woman who''s been lucky enough for him to drink from her. Of course, they have more reason to glare at her as well, as they''ll find out in a second.


    "Right then¡­ I did promise you all priority impregnation, didn''t I? Twenty creampies, coming right up?"


    His words and the wicked grin across his face gets plenty of happiness¡­ but then they begin to realize he''s starting where he''s at. As he moves back behind the stockade, he grabs hold of the wide, beautiful h.i.p.s of the fat-assed big-tittied beauty he''d just drunk from. And then he sinks his massive c.o.c.k right into her needy, sopping wet cunt.


    Her m.o.a.ns grow louder and everyone in the line knows what''s happening to her. The woman next to her realizes she gets to be next. The woman third in line realizes she''s only two away from getting a load. And so on and so forth. Realizing you''re tenth in line and have to wait for everyone before you to get f.u.c.k.i.e.d and filled is obviously disappointing. This leads to more than half of the twenty bound women whining through their gags in frustration, even as the Overseer ignores them in favor of f.u.c.k.i.n.g the first with all his might.


    He plows her senseless. He makes sure of it, wanting to leave a lasting impression on the s.e.xy middle-aged woman that he''s going to make a MILF. Of course, he''s sure he''s already left an impression on her. He''s the Overseer, and in the end she''s just a vault dweller under his leadership. Ah, but she''s so very deliciously tight. And she''s a screamer too, as she c.u.ms around his c.o.c.k time and time again, just like the Vault Doctor did.


    Eventually, he fills her with his seed. She lets out a satisfied m.o.a.n at that, shuddering and nearly collapsing as he pulls out of her. Her legs give out on her, but she''s able to put most of her weight onto her hands as she pants heavily and tries to regain her breath. Of course, he''s not going to be known for being predictable. No, he''s the Overseer now, and he has no intention of¡­ well, broadcasting his intentions.


    Instead of f.u.c.k.i.n.g the next woman in line right away, the young Overseer slides his hand over her quivering buttocks¡­ and then continues down the line, just like that. Her confused whine tells the others what''s happening, even as his hand trailing over ass after ass does the same. Not all are as fat-assed as the first woman was. Not all are the same age either. Nor are they the same ethnicity.


    He wonders just how many women volunteered, that the Vault Doctor has managed to get such a diverse group of beautiful babes for him to f.u.c.k as they lactate into the milkers attached to their b.r.e.a.s.ts. He wonders¡­ and then sets that aside as he stops behind a tight, athletic behind. It can only belong to some sort of track star, but the jugs she has now means she won''t be running anywhere ever again without her b.r.e.a.s.ts practically smacking her in the face.


    Regardless, he grabs onto the athletic young woman''s firm behind, and he sinks into her waiting cunt from behind, just like he did with the first woman. He f.u.c.ks her and those around her whine and mewl out their jealousy through their gags as she m.o.a.ns out her vocal enjoyment of his big, fat c.o.c.k. And when he eventually c.u.ms inside of her, he leaves her just as exhausted as the first, before ultimately moving on.


    This cycle continues for the next few hours. With twenty women to seed and breed, he takes his time in picking and choosing who he wants next. It''s nothing personal¡­ how can it be? He barely knows these women, can''t even see their faces. All he has to go off of is their asses, their h.i.p.s¡­ and how they use them to draw his eye. Because the gorgeous booties before him are all nice and beautiful in their own ways. There''s not a single unappealing ass in the bunch.


    So it really depends on how eager they each are, in the end. He f.u.c.ks them all of course, f.u.c.ks each and every one of them, and by the time he gets to the very last of his new lactating cows, he f.u.c.ks her so hard that she doesn''t even mind being twentieth. Because while twentieth out of twenty might not be very good, twentieth out of nine hundred and ninety-nine was¡­ phenomenal.


    Regardless, the Overseer does his duty. He seeds all of the beauties before him, and then he leaves them behind for the Vault Doctor to clean up. They are HER experiments after all. Of course, a day later when the task of assigning his twenty new lactating women to jobs as they grow more and more pregnant comes across his desk, he knows exactly what he wants out of at least two of them.


    And so it goes that the Overseer acquires two lovely maids with two lovely pairs of knockers. One of them, the athletic girl, is the one who cleans up after him. The other, the hot, soon-to-be MILF¡­ she cooks. And both of them¡­


    "Girls. Breakfast time."


    The Overseer smiles, as he sits at his dining table with a bowl of dry Nuke-O''s before him. His lovely maids in their equally lovely French maid outfits step away from their current duties, both with blushes and smiles on their faces as they stand on either side of the small table. Pulling down their already low-cut tops, they let their b.r.e.a.s.ts bounce out¡­ and then they pull off the small liquid-absorbers that cover their n.i.p.p.l.es and stop them from lactating every moment of every day.


    The Overseer watches in arousal and deep satisfaction as both women begin to milk themselves, their delicious, tasty fluid squirting out into his bowl of Nuke-O''s until it''s nice and full and his cereal is no longer dry. Reaching out, the young man places a hand on either of his maid''s asses and gives them a nice, firm squeeze, followed up by a sharp smack that has them both gasping in arousal.


    "Good girls. Back to work now."


    They do as they''re told, and the young Overseer digs into his breakfast, even as he looks at the reports which require his attention for the day. All is well, all is good¡­ and slowly but surely, he''s settling more and more into his role as Overseer of Vault Sixty-Nine.


    Chapter 3


    The moment he steps into the office of the Vault''s Security Chief, HIS Security Chief, the young Overseer knows exactly what''s going on. He was never anyone''s fool to begin with, but with his SPECIAL stats all maxed to ten¡­ well, he''s not going to miss all of the hints to what''s happening before his eyes, neither the subtle ones nor the not-so-subtle ones. The Overseer''s lips curl down into a frank frown, even as he clears his throat, standing there at the entrance to the Chief''s office.


    "Security Chief."


    Her eyes snap to him immediately, and she smiles a rosy smile, even as she gestures him forward with the one hand that isn''t currently beneath her desk.


    "Ah! Overseer! Come in, come in! Have a seat. Mm, thank you for meeting with me so we could discuss your security. The way I see it, I''m the most important woman in this Vault, aren''t I? I get to protect that scrumptious body of yours from all the ravenous girls out there aiming to get a taste of it."


    Her smile is wide and wicked, and her eyes twinkle a little as she stares at him. But the Overseer doesn''t move from where he''s currently standing, doesn''t submit himself to her command. Instead, he stands there and takes the woman in. She''s an arrogant type, obviously. That much is very, very clear. But on top of that, she''s a muscular-type as well.


    Probably quite fit, though still very much a woman in all the ways that count, at least from what he can see of her right now. She''s very strong, and very strong-willed as well, he imagines. That''s probably why she thinks she can walk right over him, boss him around, cow him into submission. Does she intend to be the power behind HIS throne, controlling the Vault from her position as Head of Security, aiming to sell him, his thick c.o.c.k, and his virile seed to the highest bidders?


    "No."


    After letting a few moments pass, the Overseer finally speaks, even as he also finally steps forward. His single word seems to surprise the Security Chief for a moment, her eyes widening and her smile fading somewhat.


    "No? No, what?"


    Chuckling lightly, the Overseer makes his way across the office. However, rather than taking one of the chairs and sitting down as she''s told him to, he steps to the side, beginning to circle around to HER side of the desk.


    "Just no. Did you really think I''d simply bow down?"


    The Security Chief leans forward, as if to stand up and confront him.


    "Why you-!"


    But of course, she can''t stand up in her current position. The young Overseer prevents her from doing so anyways, planting a hand on her shoulder and slamming her back in her chair.


    "You may remain seated. After all, wouldn''t want to dislodge the lovely young woman currently buried between your thighs, now would we?"


    The Security Chief is momentarily shocked into silence by that, even as the Overseer slides his gaze down the length of her body to the place betwixt her legs where another woman, this one definitely younger and also dressed in a security uniform, kneels and eats out her immediate superior. This more than anything else angers the Overseer. That the woman placed in such an important position as Security Chief would try to make such an obvious power move¡­ it pisses him off something fierce.


    Luckily, her own attempt at bolstering her confidence now proves her downfall. The girl between her legs flicks her gaze between the two of them, but ultimately continues to lick at her superior''s cunt, effectively trapping the Security Chief in her seat and leaving the Overseer free to do as he likes. As he likes just so happens to be pulling his c.o.c.k out of his jumpsuit and slapping his naughty Head of Security across the face with it.


    "Bad Girl. Very, very bad girl."


    The woman gasps in outraged shock the first time he does it. But then he keeps doing it, c.o.c.k-slapping her back and forth until she''s whimpering, her tongue tracing out to try and lick at his length and her nostrils flaring in obvious need as she takes in his musk. Smirking, the young man finally stops swinging his erection back and forth and instead presses it up against the older woman''s lips. They open immediately, and he slides into her hot, wet, velvety mouth without pause, forcing his c.o.c.k inch after inch past her lips and down her throat, into her esophagus.


    Her eyes widen as he forces the entirety of his shaft into her mouth, her nostrils flaring as she tries to breathe. But he doesn''t stop, not until those same nostrils are buried in his crotch, his ball sack slapping messily against her chin as he forces every last inch of his prodigious man meat down her throat. Then, he holds it there. He holds it and he looks down into his Security Chief''s watery eyes as she jerks a little, choking on his d.i.c.k.


    "This is better. I like the look in your eye now a lot more. It''s¡­ respectful. Given our current circ.u.mstances, you need to know how to respect those above you¡­ and below you. Treating your subordinates like nothing more than toys for your pleasure¡­ what sort of message do you think that sends me?"


    Smirking, the Overseer leans down a bit, his c.o.c.k still buried deep in his Security Chief''s throat. Her eyes are ever so slowly starting to roll back in her head from the asphyxiation, even as he speaks down at her.


    "I''ll tell you. It shows me that you wanted to be treated the same way by your superiors. And you only have one of those, don''t you? Me. Which means I get to do whatever the f.u.c.k I want with you."


    He pulls back then, his c.o.c.k sliding all the way out of her throat and right to her lips, where he leaves just the tip in her mouth.


    "Suck it."


    She does so instinctively, his charismatic personality, his persuasive intimidation working wonders. Her eyes are still watery, and the first involuntary tears are starting to fall, but oh does she suck him. Her tongue swirls around his c.o.c.khead as she looks up at him, locking gazes and suctioning in her cheeks to give him as much pleasure as she can.


    "Seems I was right. You''re doing better now¡­ but you still need to be punished, don''t you?"


    Taking hold of her ponytail and isn''t it nice that she''s given him a handle, the young Overseer smirks and begins to thrust forward into his Security Chief''s throat, f.u.c.k.i.n.g her face right there in her office while one of her girls eats her out under her desk.


    "Gagkh! Gagkh! Gagkh!"


    Tears stream down her cheeks from the violent deep-throating, and drool collects on her chin before eventually dripping down onto her chest. Her makeup and mascara run through, steadily making a glorious ruin of her face as she allows him to use her as nothing more than a receptacle for his c.o.c.k, almost eagerly submitting to his plundering of her mouth hole as her tongue writhes along the underside of his constantly pistoning prick.


    And then she''s m.o.a.ning around his d.i.c.k, her eyes rolling up in her head for an entirely different reason than lack of air as the girl between her legs gets her off and she c.u.ms all over her subordinate''s face. The Overseer just snorts derisively as his Security Chief humiliates and debases herself before him. Its obvious that every bit of her plans for this ''meeting'' have backfired spectacularly.


    In the end, he c.u.ms in short order. His seed fills her throat and when she can''t swallow quickly enough, it overflows out of her nostrils and the sides of her mouth as she chokes on it. He still holds his c.o.c.k in her esophagus until he''s done though, using his grip on her ponytail to keep her in place all the way to the end. Only once it''s over does the young Overseer pull back, his messy prick leaving his Head of Security''s throat and then mouth with a pop as she hacks and coughs up even more of his c.u.m.


    "Get up. Both of you."


    His commanding tone sees the two women in the room scrambling to obey. Soon, they stand before him side by side at attention. One with her face covered in c.u.m and tears and drool, her makeup and mascara utterly ruined. The other, her mouth and chin covered in p.u.s.s.y juices, but otherwise pristine. They both wear the uniform of their station, Vault Security, their names emblazoned across their left b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    His current Security Chief is named Anya. Her subordinate is named Claire. For a moment, the Overseer just takes the two women in, eyeing them both up and down. Then, he turns his gaze to Claire.


    "And what is your part in all of this?"


    The woman, younger than her superior and probably closer to his age, bows her head immediately, subverting her gaze.


    "J-Just following orders, sir¡­"


    He believes her. She clearly felt she had no choice but to obey her superior and obey her well. Still, if she was going to follow orders, they should be HIS orders. The Overseer says as much, and Claire swallows thickly, hastily snapping off a salute.


    "Y-Yes sir!"


    Smirking, the young man reaches down and grabs his c.o.c.k by the base.


    "Good. Then you can start by cleaning off my member with that skillful tongue of yours."


    Claire drops to her knees and does as she''s told, her mouth immediately going to work on slurping off the excessive amount of s.e.x.u.a.l fluids that are dripping even now off of his gargantuan member. Her tongue slides this way and that across his length, and her lips suction down here and there as she works over a particularly messy section.


    As the Overseer enjoys her efforts immensely, he turns his attention towards his Head of Security, who even now is staring straight forward at attention, even with her face in ruins.


    "Now, as for you¡­ it''s clear that this was a cry for attention. Luckily for you, after such a succinct apology, I''m inclined to give you the attention you so clearly deserve. While your subordinate continues to clean me off, I want you to pull those pants down the rest of the way and lose the panties while you''re at it. Then, bend over your desk and beg me for what we BOTH know you want so badly."


    Anya''s eyes widen, and then she hastens to obey. Watching through lidded eyes, the young Overseer smiles as the older woman strips out of her pants and tears her sopping wet panties off as well. When she''d had Claire eating her out beneath her desk, it seemed that she''d just pushed her panties aside to give the younger woman access. Now though, she''s completely n.a.k.e.d from the waist down as she bends over her desk and shakes her shapely, firm buttocks back in his direction, m.o.a.ning wantonly.


    Then, she reaches back under herself, spreads her p.u.s.s.y lips open with her fingers, and begins to speak.


    "Please sir¡­ please, knock up my s.l.u.tty, naughty cunt. F.u.c.k me silly and give me a baby so that I know my place as just another one of your women. You''re right. You''re completely right. I¡­ I was acting out because I wanted to skip ahead in line. I want to be pregnant soooo badly, and you''re the only one who can give me the baby I need inside of me. Please, Overseer¡­ breed me. Breed me silly."


    Well, with such a heartfelt request, how is he supposed to say no? Chuckling, the Overseer pulls Claire away from his pristine prick, glancing down at her as she pants needily, clearly wanting it just as badly as her boss.


    "Go and put that delicious tongue of yours to use on Anya''s face next."


    She whines a little, but hops up to obey nonetheless. As the Overseer takes up position behind his wayward Security Chief, he grabs hold of her h.i.p.s, lines up his c.o.c.k, and teases her entrance for just a moment before sinking into her. She''s more than ready for him, as she m.o.a.ns out loud and takes more and more of his d.i.c.k inside of her cunt.


    Filling her up to the brim as Claire gets to work on cleaning up her superior''s face, the Overseer reaches out and grabs hold of Anya''s ponytail, dragging her head back just a tad and giving her subordinate more of a target. Then, he leans forward and speaks loud enough for both of them to hear.


    "I believe that a chance in leadership in Security is in order. One of you has proven exceedingly good at obeying her superiors, while the other had to be browbeaten into submission. That said, Claire will be Head of Security from this moment on. Anya, you will report to her until your pregnancy is far enough along that you''re pulled away from work."


    Even as he speaks, he''s f.u.c.k.i.n.g the FORMER Security Chief hard against her desk. As such, all Anya really gives him in response to his declaration is incoherent m.o.a.ning. But judging by the way she''s happily pushing her h.i.p.s back towards his thrusting c.o.c.k and the way she''s c.u.m.m.i.n.g around his d.i.c.k again and again and again, it doesn''t seem like she minds the change all that much.


    Claire on the other hand, pulls back from cleaning Anya''s messy face for a moment to stare past her former superior at him in abject shock. After a second, she''s able to collect herself, clearing her throat and licking her lips as she stutters out a response.


    "I-I¡­ t-thank you, sir! I¡­ I won''t let you down!"


    The young Overseer chuckles and reaches out to pat her cheek gently.


    "See that you don''t. That submissive streak of yours is nice, but you answer to me and only me now. Keep that in mind."


    "Yes sir!"


    "And get back to work. I didn''t tell you to stop, did I?"


    Claire hurries to obey, even as the Overseer continues to f.u.c.k Anya into her desk from behind. Of course, by this point there actually isn''t much left of Anya''s face to clean up. Instead, the two end up kissing and making out, Claire''s tongue clearly dominating Anya''s as she holds the older woman''s face in her hands and takes advantage of her weakness.


    Grunting as he f.u.c.ks Anya towards another release, the Overseer doesn''t bother holding back one bit. There''s no point in drawing this out, he''s already had more than his fair share of fun. Instead, he c.u.ms as soon as possible, filling Anya''s w.o.m.b with his virile seed. There''s no doubt in any of their minds that the former Head of Security is already pregnant, even as her eyes roll back in her head and she c.u.ms one final time around his c.o.c.k, her m.o.a.ns muffled by Claire''s lips.


    The former Security Chief bucks and spasms and shakes between them, and the Overseer pulls out, letting her collapse forward onto her desk. Or¡­ her former desk anyways. As he tucks his c.o.c.k away and fixes up his VaultTech suit, he walks towards the door. Behind him, he hears an exchange that makes him smile, even as he departs the office.


    "Hey! Get your slimy freshly-f.u.c.k.i.e.d body off of my desk you damn bitch!"


    "Y-Yes ma''am¡­"


    "Good! There''s going to be some changes around here. The Overseer has given me a responsibility, YOUR responsibility, and I''m not about to disappoint him in the same way you did!"

 Chapter 228 - My SI Stash #28 - Master of Kunoichi by Mr. Grumpy the Depraved (Naruto)

    -The lewds don''t stop! Another saucey NSFW Gamer SI in Naruto~ Contains some gore and of course lemons. Also remember the sneak mechanics of Skyrim? The MC pretty much has that maxed out! ¡Æd(¡ã?¡ãd)


    Synopsis: A man gifted with the world breaking potential of an RPG like gaming ability is dropped into a fictional world. Abandoning morality garbage & embracing his desires, setting out to become a Kunoichi hunter. His ultimate goal is to enslave an army of female ninja powerhouses to do his bidding and wife a certain goddess sealed in the moon. [Broken fatass hentai villain OC. Harem, Dark]


    Rated: M


    Words: 45K (Author seems to be on a break from writing!)


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13241678/1/Master-of-Kunoichi (Mr. Grumpy the Depraved)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    AN ¨C First attempt at wish fulfilment 101. Inspired by hentai, gaming system is a bit off as I literally felt inspired to write further as I spent time detailing the status updates and crap. So beyond this chapter status updates will be kept to a minimum.


    /oOo\


    Pre Kyuubi Attack Arc 1 ¨C Prologue: Integration & Initiating a smack-dab game plan


    Deep in a lush forest la an overweight youth warmed by the rays of light piercing through the canopy warming up his heavy body as his back lay flat on the damp grass and loamy soil. Waking with a start, his hands clamping around his neck as he gasps for air, struggling to get in an upright sitting position. The foreign surroundings doing nothing to calm his mind after experiencing death by choking on a dry donut literally inhaled by the gluttonous youth.


    "Argh *COUGH*, shit. Should have ordered extra glaze." Seemingly regaining his composure.


    "Where the f.u.c.k am I?"


    He asks himself, noting his clothes now hang on him like bed sheets. Confused he takes a peak beneath his oversized business suit that once covered his obese body like a sausage skin.


    Seeing the tip of what is now his substantially larger than any normal hairless fat pecker and swollen ball sack. Heavily hanging endowments peeking from under his chubby belly. Squinting and noting that the thick lenses of his glasses start hurting his now red beady eyes and impairing his vision rather than improving it. Running a hand through his slightly greasy shoulder length hair. Pulling a strand out in front of him. Barely recalling the last time he felt his hair having started balding since puberty till nothing remained on his oily skinned bald head at the age of thirty.


    Looking around while trying to stand up, the bloody box cutter he used to kill his neighbour''s relentlessly noisy dog in the middle of the night falls from his pant pocket.


    Flashbacks of the gruesome moment no longer affect him as bad as it did. Not after finishing his twelfth box of cheap doughnuts. Recalling scarfing down a box of the said treats in the storage room at work. Eating the only thing that seems to have made his crappy life more bearable. Though acting out and shaking the shit out of the irritatingly noisy dog next door must have been him reaching his breaking point, after all the shit he had put up with as the meek nice guy getting walked all over and treated like shit all of his life.


    Though just when he was about to put away his now useless glasses, after nearly a full minute of trying to figure out why after ten years it became impossible to see through.


    [Skill Unlocked¡­. Observe Lvl 0 (11%)]


    " What?..."


    Focusing on his glasses again.


    Cheap Glasses for the visually impaired


    Item description: Allows whomever has terrible sight to see. And prevents those who have normal or good sight from seeing.


    Durability: 13/25


    ''You''ve got to be shitting me''


    Taking a breath seemingly steeling himself for something before hesitantly saying, "Status"


    Name: N/A


    G/A: Male; 10 years old


    Titles: Reincarnated [+ 10 Intelligence]


    Level 0: 10/100 EXp


    Status:


    Heath points: 600 / 600


    Stamina points: 300 / 300


    Chakra points: 900 / 1000


    Currency : 0 N/A


    Attributes: [Free points - 10]


    Constitution ¨C 6


    Endurance ¨C 3


    Strength ¨C 5


    Dexterity ¨C 3


    Intelligence ¨C 8 (+ 10)


    Wisdom ¨C 10


    Charisma ¨C 2


    Chakra ¨C 10


    Skills:


    Observe Lvl 0 (11%) ¨C Ability to view the status of objects or people, amount of information revealed depends on level of the skill. [Cost ,- 100 CP]


    Standing there shell-shocked for a solid five minutes, going through every scenario in his head. Recalling everything done since he got up at his shitty bas.e.m.e.nt room in his parents'' house before dragging his fatass to work.


    Before bursting out in maniacal laughter and doing a happy dance that made his soft blubbery body jiggle in an odd, disturbing, yet uniquely intriguing way.


    /oOo\


    Dusk


    Forests of fire country


    Users name will be changed to "Takeru", are you sure you wish to select this name


    [Yes/No]


    ''Yes''


    Dropping the gathered pile of broken branches and taking a handful of the edible berries from his pockets and stuffing his face. Taking his lighter and lighting his tie on fire before bundling it in a bunch of little twigs and tree resin then stacking the branches on the burning pile.


    [ Skill Unlocked¡­. Survival Skills Lvl 0 (10%)]


    ''Description, Survival skills''


    Survival skills ¨C The ability to survive in the wild, Find food, Adapt and navigate. [Passive]


    Chewing and rubbing some of the herbs gathered while foraging and spamming observe, on his body to prevent bug bites. He takes the time to think.


    ''Where am I exactly?. The Chakra stat implies that I''m in a world that is most likely related to martial arts. Even though I''m not a religious person, I pray that is not a Chinese WN''


    New Quest: Find out where you are. Reward - World Map, Currency & 50 Exp


    Noting the dim rays of the setting sun through the thick canopy above. Self-named reincarnated boy Takeru , stuffs leaves into his oversized shirt before curling up next to the fire. Figuring he tries and create new skills while he rest before setting out to find a settlement come morning.


    ¡­..


    Next day


    Meditation skill Lvl 3 (64%) ¨C Clears most mental debilitations & Increases Chakra regeneration rate while outside of combat by 7.5% per sec.


    New Attribute unlocked: Chakra control ¨C Ability to refine and reduce the use of excess chakra needed to perform a task.


    New Skill discovered: Leaf sticking exercise Lvl 0 (3%) ¨C Increases Chakra control and reserves steadily. Cost (- 15 CP per sec)


    '' Chakra control?, Leaf sticking exercise?''


    Looking down and noting a leaf covered in a barely noticeable soft blue glow stuck to his 10 yo manbewb.


    ''Wait isn''t that used by Naruto?''


    Quest completed: Find out where you are.


    Reward: World Map Unlocked. + 20 000 Yen, + 50 Exp


    Takeru letting out a sigh rather than being overjoyed about being in an anime world. Namely because he loathed the Naruto verse. Bunch of indoctrinated kids taught to believe friendship is magic while trained to murder. Not to mention the main character''s idiocy and how all other enemies the ''dream team'' face gets nerf''d because of plot armour.


    "Seriously, take some OG ninja from an anime like Basilisk and give them chakra. They will f.u.c.k this world up." Voicing his thoughts as he throws some damp soil onto the embers of his nearly dead fire. Emptying his clothes off the leaves used to keep him warm picking one up and holding it to his forehead. Dumping all ten of his free attribute points into chakra control. Activating leaf sticking exercise and meditating skills.


    About an hour later and levelling the respective skills grinded.


    Status effect: Hunger ¨C Suffer ¨C 10% strength penalty


    "Well shit." Getting up and dusting off his folded oversized dirty pants.


    ''Open World map¡­.. Well I guess Konoha is everyone who''s lucky to come here''s starter ''


    Setting a marker on Konoha and bringing up a minimap showing all edible berries like the ones he already consumed. Deciding to forage for some grub before trekking to ''shitstorm central'' about 20 kilometres away.


    ¡­..


    2 Hours Later


    Huffing and gasping for air after walking nearly eight kilometres. Thinking he should have used some of his points in Endurance.


    + 1 Wis


    Rolling his sweat stung eyes before recalling something he saw in an anime before. But not quite remembering what it was called.


    Focusing chakra into his feet and visualizing the action in his head before bouncing off the foot he intends to kick off with.


    Air rushing past his face, feeling his chakra deplete substantially before.


    "OH F.U.C.K!"


    His body colliding with a branch with bone jarring force. Not only knocking the wind out of him, but making him empty the contents of his stomach after hitting the forest floor below. Hard.


    - 20 HP, Stunned for 10 sec


    New skill: Flash step Lvl 0 (10%) ¨C Allows for fast near instantaneous travel. Speed and distance covered depends on level of skill. Current distance 5 metres. [Cost, - 300 CP ]


    " Argh!", Rolling to his back and lying there staring up at the branch that closely lined the shit out of him. Takeru has a moment to think.


    '' What am I doing?.'' Realizing the foolishness of his actions. ''Say I get to Konoha, there''s a high chance that I''ll be interrogated. I mean I can''t just waltz in there and be like, '' Yo I want to be a ninja to protect people''. I''m at the age where kids usually become Genin, so I''ll be suspected of being another village spy before being seen as a lost kid.''


    + 3 Wis


    Paranoia kicking in when his head darts around. ''Goddamnit, ANBU could be watching me right now.''


    Sneaking back in the direction he came from. While continuing to think. ''Need to level survival and observe skills some more, chakra control too.'' While sneaking away and trying to come up with a set plan before he is carried away with all the ways he can break the world with his abilities.


    New Skill: Sneak Lvl 0 (10%) ¨C While sneaking the chance of being detected is reduced to 5%. The higher the level of the skill, the chance of being detected decreases. [Cost , - 5 SP per sec]


    Chuckling slightly as a smirk spreads across his face. Glint of what could be described as hunger in his eyes.


    ''Or why not level broken abilities to ensure Opness.''


    /oOo\


    1 Week later


    ¡­..


    In the early hours of the morning. Sneaking right into the gates of Konoha while staying close to the walls. Takeru refraining from blurting out. '' What in the actual f.u.c.k'', though glad he remains undetected. Staring right at the Jounen teacher in charge of a Genin team about to leave on a mission. Only ten metres away from where he remains in a crouched position with his back against the wall.


    About to walk further into the visage and steal some toiletries and clothes, when he gets an idea on another broken skill he could easily obtain with something as simple as listening.


    "Okay guys, before we go on our first C-rank mission. I want all of you to double check your supplies." The jounen in charge of their team instructs.


    Takeru is tempted to use observe on the veteran ninja but doesn''t want to risk exposing himself by using chakra while hidden. Listening to the Genin whine and fuss, overeager to start what Takeru assumes is their first real mission.


    Disappointed that he did not obtain the skill he wanted. Takeru moves in further before his stamina points reaches low levels due to sneak being in use. Continuing to catch snippets of people''s conversations before heading to the poorer side of the village. Managing to snag a warm kimono and clogs along with a tattered obi, hanging from one of the brothels washing lines.


    New skill: Eavesdropping lvl 0 (15 %) ¨C Listen in on other people undetected. Current range 2.5 Metre radius. [Cost, - 18 CP per second]


    Tossing his earth clothes into a dumpster and heading down the street and putting a marker on the closest bathhouse. The weeks acc.u.mulated filth and sweat causing quite a few civilians passing by to nearly grimace at the smell of his stench.


    Sneaking right into the bathhouse and giving himself a much needed scrub before looking for a place to stay and hopefully work at.


    ''F.u.c.k who knew sneak was this broken. Though I guess it''s to be expected after spending a little over 84 hours in total sneaking around the forest and avoiding scouts patrolling the surrounding hidden village.''


    Movement from a narrow alleyway draws his attention. Sneaking towards the two individuals standing over the form of a beaten woman. Using his Eavesdropping skill.


    "Thought you could run off with my money you bitch!?." The man who appears to be a pimp snarls at the downed lady kicking her in her already bruised ribs.


    "Please!, I worked hard for this. It''s all I have!, haven''t I given enough already?." The woman in a ruffled and open kimono pleads. Her full, perky tits capped with light brown n.i.p.p.l.es exposed. Blood from her busted full c.o.c.ksucking lips trailing in between her soft milky titflesh.


    Takeru feeling a shudder of dark arousal. Although being a generally nice person. The years of shit treatment and Karma so f.u.c.ken bad it''s as if he was cursed at birth. Made him a pretty f.u.c.k.i.e.d up person after years of internalizing his emotions.


    Prepared to pass on and leave the runaway whore at the mercy of her pimp and his goon before he stops himself. ''This is another chance at life, a chance to do whatever the f.u.c.k it is I want. To hell with the consequences, I''m sick of being a p.u.s.s.y pushed around and walked all over. Turning my back on opportunities because I can''t afford the risk.''


    Taking his box cutter and sneaking towards the duo terrorising the crying whore.


    ''Observe''


    Target: 2nd Rate Pimp


    Age: 32


    Lvl 9


    Hp: 250/300


    Sp: 500/500


    Status: Under the effects of narcotics. ¨C 50 % intelligence, + 25 % Mental resistance.


    Target: Goon


    Age: 29


    Lvl 10


    Hp: 750/750


    Sp: 400/450


    Status: Uneducated, Weak minded. Aroused + 10% Endurance.


    ''I''m going to have to kill at some point so best to get it out of the way now right?, They aren''t people, just npcs that give experience points, just npcs that give experience points, just npcs that give experience points¡­.''


    Repeating it like a mantra in his head. Swallowing hard and taking a deep breath.


    ¡­..


    The goon gagging the struggling whore''s mouth with her Kimono''s sash, the pimp hefting a large rusted pipe and smirking darkly as he sets his sights between the whores legs. Her struggling becoming more frantic, now aware what her former pimp intends to do.


    Spitting on the rusted edge of the pipe as the goon spreads her legs revealing her neatly trimmed p.u.s.s.y with slightly spread lower lips revealing protruding Labia from her veteran, surprisingly tight p.u.s.s.y and pink inner folds. Letting out a stream of piss in horror and terror, as she screams and struggles even more frantically.


    " I hope you enjoyed your last f.u.c.k while working for me. Coz it will be your la- AARRRGH-*COUGH*, *GASP*, GURGLE*"


    Both whore and goon stare in shock as a 10 YO fat kid stands in front of the dying pimp clutching his slitted throat. The kid turns towards them and points the bloody box cutter at the stunned goon, ignoring the pimp crashing into the trash and knocking over some bins making a ruckus as he bucks and struggles.


    Gasping for air while choking on his blood. Blurring forward and burying the blade into the goon''s eye.


    The orb erupting like bloody egg yolk that runs down his cheek splattering onto the jiggling and bouncing milky tits of the struggling whore attempting to get out from under him. The boy hitting the hilt of the box cutter burying it deeper into the flailing and screaming goon''s head as he grips on his clothes. Silencing him with a sickening twist.


    The boy staring down at the goon''s face frozen in an expression of agony. Focusing on the mutilated socket before keeling over, dropping the boxcutter and emptying his stomach into the now dead goon''s open mouth and on his face. Shaking hands reaching down and gripping the box cutter, laboured breath becoming less frantic but still heavy and panicked as he grips the corpse.


    "Inventory"


    Is all the whore hears before the body and bloody box cutter disappears?. The whore''s blood runs cold thinking the boy is some crazed vigilante who dropped out of the ninja academy. Her eyes darting for an exit, the only one in sight is the entrance of the alleyway behind the boy who shakily steps towards her pimp''s corpse and makes it disappear without muttering a word like the first time. Reinforcing the thought of him being a dropout.


    His haunting eyes seemingly numb with emotion and holding back tears locking onto her.


    With thoughts of the boy brutally murdering her as well. Her heart drops.


    ¡­


    Takeru standing in front of the whore leaning against the wall as her eyes darts to the alley entrance.


    "Don''t you dare f.u.c.ken scream or I''ll finish what your pimp started." Eying the rusted metal pipe.


    '' Goddamn it I wish I had some shit like Gamer''s Mind. Why the f.u.c.k am I so tired?''. Shaking his head and trying to get the images of what he had just done out of his mind.


    New Skill: Assassination lvl 0 (5%) ¨C An attack that deals more damage to a target if undetected. Current damage bonus x 2.5%, 0.5 % bleeding damage for 30 sec. [Cost ¨C 300 SP]


    New Skill: Critical strike lvl 0 (10 %) ¨C An attack that does critical damage and may stun the target. Damage multiplier x2. Stun 0.5 seconds. [Cost ¨C 50% SP]


    New skill: Intimidation lvl 0 (5%) ¨C Ability to threaten or use violence to compel a target to do a certain act. [Passive]


    + 450 exp gained from defeating pimp, + 500 Exp gained from defeating Goon


    +++ Level up


    New title: Murderer: Killer instinct ¨C 20% resistance to fear, Killing intent ¨C increases with each kill, may stun target. The ability to kill without mercy nor hesitation.


    Looking towards the Whore. "What''s your name?"


    "K-Kimi." She replies covering her exposed b.r.e.a.s.ts, Takeru feeling slightly disappointed at being denied looking at the best pair of tits he had physically seen, besides saggy tits of old cheap whores he use to f.u.c.k in the back of his shitty car on a payday.


    "Know where your old boss used to live?" nodding her head." Good." Takeru says, extending his bloody hand to help her up. "Take me there."


    ¡­..


    Few hours later


    Dead Pimp''s apartment


    ¡­..


    After raiding the apartment and finding about 200 000 Yen stashed in the broken oven. Kimi taking a shower after Takeru who is now preparing himself and his Ho''s supper. Gaining the cooking skill after finishing the pseudo bacon burger.


    ''Status''


    Takeru


    G/A: Male; 10 years old


    Titles: Reincarnated [+ 10 Intelligence]; Murderer [Killer instinct ¨C 20% resistance to fear, Killing intent ¨C increases with each kill, may stun target. The ability to kill without mercy nor hesitation.]


    Level 3: 300/400 Exp


    Status:


    Heath points: 600 / 600


    Stamina points: 300 / 300


    Chakra points: 21 000/21 000


    Chakra regen: 10% per minute


    Currency : 20 000 Yen


    Attributes: [Free points - 30]


    Constitution ¨C 6


    Endurance ¨C 3


    Strength ¨C 5


    Dexterity ¨C 3


    Intelligence ¨C 9 (+ 10)


    Wisdom ¨C 15


    Charisma ¨C 2


    Chakra ¨C 210


    Chakra Control ¨C 20 / - 20% cost of all chakra related skills


    Bumping charisma up to five, looking into the mirror and noticing no change in his appearance. Guessing it would need a substantial increase to note any physical changes. The stat most likely acting as a multiplier to skills related to interacting with others.


    + 2 Int


    Deciding to keep his points, while he finds out what build would be best for a ''Glass Cannon'', build and maybe dump points into constitution later with access points.


    Kimi returns to the living room with fresh clothes.


    "Sit and eat up, I have questions. You probably have your own but it can wait."


    Not waiting for her to join him he starts eating his first warm meal containing meat since arriving in this world. Kimi hesitantly eats the meal provided but finds it surprisingly delicious.


    Takeru cleared his throat to gain her attention. "So Kimi, tell me. Who is the hokage of Konoha?" Noting the confused look she gives him. "It''s not a trick question."


    "Minato Namikaze."


    "No shit?" Takeru surprised asks rhetorically, Kimi nodding her head confirming what she had said. "Moving on then, where can a ten year old find a job then?"


    "Why would you want a job?, don''t you go to the academy or live at the orphanage?" Kimi asks confused as to why one so young would need a job.


    "To make money you f.u.c.ken idiot why else?. No, I don''t have parents."


    "So a runaway orphan then?. I guess you can have a look around, genin usually take care menial tasks nobody would want to do. But costs the employers more than they would like. There are some brothels catering for high end customers with more, ''perverse'' tastes." Kimi gains a slight expression of disgust.


    "Well I guess I''m off job hunting." Takeru noting Kimi eyeing the stack of money on the table. "What"


    "C-could you spare some money." Kimi hesitantly asks. If it were any other 10 YO she would simply take the money from them and make some wise assed lecture of finishing school. But this kid in front of her had just murdered two men and made their bodies disappear.


    "Why?, isn''t me saving your life enough?. Besides what do I get in return?"


    Hesitantly speaking after a while, "There''s this new brothel buying up all the best girls on the street. The pimp you killed had five girls working for him till they got ''Scouted''. Regular girls like me have to pa-


    - I''ll repeat what I just said. What do I get in return?. " Takeru taps on the table impatiently.


    Sighing, Kimi continues, "Help me pay my way into the brothel and you get a cut of my monthly earnings. Like an unofficial Pimp."


    "Steady income, can''t argue with that."


    /oOo\


    Next day


    ¡­..


    After spending the whole day of yesterday looking for a job as a helper. Finding one as dishwasher at a small ramen shop with an oddly familiar name Takeru couldn''t be bothered to recall. Kimi spends most of the day cleaning up around the shitty apartment and resting so her bruised face and body could heal.


    Takeru realized something when writing down his grand plan and phases of implementing it. He couldn''t write in Kanji. Though it took a while after assistance from Kimi before getting the Calligraphy skill. And finally completing his list. However, it''s written in English. In case he does something retarded like misplacing it or forgetting to put it in his inventory.


    Besides spamming/grinding skills to avoid sleep with disturbing dreams filled with fat boys f.u.c.k.i.n.g gouged bloody eye sockets and stretching open slitted throats of pimps and goons. He learned that the average a.d.u.l.t citizen does not surpass level ten. The highest levelled Genin he''s seen so far has been level 40. Chunin range from lvl 55 to ?. Not even bothering to scope out the few hidden Jonin he sensed.


    "The f.u.c.k!?" Yelling in fright when he feels a hand tap his shoulder. Looking up at Kimi who looks at him with some concern. '' F.u.c.k I didn''t even notice her.''


    "You look like shit, why don''t you get some sleep?." She says while cleaning up the cups of instant noodles and boxes of takeout enough to feed a decent sized family.


    "And dream of skull f.u.c.k.i.n.g and mutilating the corpses of your ex-pimp and his goon? No thanks, I''m all good." Trying to ignore the fatigue. While completing my bucket list.


    " What is that?, I don''t recognise that form of writing?"


    Looking up at her as she leans on the table allowing a full view of her slender yet curvaceous figure.


    ''Observe''


    Name: Kimi


    Gender: Female


    Age: 21


    Level : 8


    Class: Apprentice level seamstress; Maid; Exert level p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e


    HP: 300/350


    SP: 550/550


    Status: Badly Bruised ¨C 50 HP [Time remaining 95 hours]


    " Its just a silly little list of things I intend to do before dying or I eventually get killed."


    *Shit list*


    Step 1 ¨C Become broken


    Step 2 ¨C Break female ninjas into loyal f.u.c.ktoys


    Step 3 ¨C Avoid the spotlight, but find and steal Shisui Uchiha''s eyeball before Danzo.


    Step 4 ¨C With the help of a kunoichi slave harem, seal at least one tailed beast into myself.


    Step 5 ¨C Start own hidden village.


    Step 6 ¨C Watch shit go down from side-lines while repeating step 1 & 2.


    Step 7 ¨C Claim Kaguya and take over the world.


    End game ¨C Ascend to godhood and repeat step 2 while searching for a way to travel through space.


    "That''s a pretty negative mindset for a kid to have." Gently reaching for Takeru''s hand with some hesitation and taking it. Leading him to the bed and laying down. Kimi hugs him from behind unintentionally pressing her full soft tits covered with a thin silk kimono. "let''s both get some sleep. I don''t know what you have been through, though I can see much pain in your eyes. Let me ease your burden, it''s the least I can do."


    Takeru was shocked by the sudden change in the p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e''s behaviour. Making sure the money is in his inventory just in case she tries to ditch his ass and leave him penniless. Though stopping her as she starts humming a soft tune.


    "Kimi?."


    "Hmm?"


    "Tell me how to get any woman I want in bed, and how to f.u.c.k their brains out." Takeru says lazily.


    Slightly flabbergasted Kimi lets out a laugh before covering her mouth as she light-heartedly chuckles. "W-why would you need to know that? Have you even started puberty yet?"


    "Figured I start learning the necessary ''skills'' so when the time comes I don''t have to waste time wooing a bitch. Besides I wasn''t asking, you can even throw in a few personal experiences for reference."


    "*Sigh*, Kami you''re an odd brat. Okay¡­. To seduce a woman you first have to-


    /oOo\


    1 Week later


    ¡­..


    "Oi, Takeru!. Could you come here for a moment?"


    Closing the disappointment that is this world''s form of an e.r.o.t.i.c novel and placing it on the stool I was sitting on adjusting my apron. Walking around to the front of the stall I nearly trip mid stride when the two most beautiful women I''ve ever seen so far come into view.


    One with straight silky smooth ankle, length crimson red hair with shoulder length strands framing her face, black clip parting hair to the left. Very beautiful round face with smooth soft features and violet-coloured eyes. Pouty soft lips. Her loose fitting dress failed to fully hide her sleek yet curvaceous womanly form.


    The other slightly more mature in appearance. Luxurious long black hair with bangs hanging on either side of her face roughly framing her cheeks and black eyes. Beautiful face with soft, sultry features. Small mouth with slightly plump c.o.c.ksucking lips. The red kimono modestly concealing her voluptuous curved motherly form.


    ''Observe''


    Name: Kushina Uzimaki


    Gender: Female


    Age: 21


    Level: ?


    Class: High Jonin/lower Sanin level Kunoichi, Jinchuriki of the nine tails


    HP: 200 000 / 200 000


    SP: 160 000 / 160 000


    CP: N/A


    Name: Mikoto Uchiha


    Gender: Female


    Age: 26


    Level: ?


    Class: Ex-jonin Kunoichi, Uchiha Clan Matron


    HP: 90 000 / 90 000


    SP: 60 000 / 60 000


    CP: 30 000 / 30 000


    '' F.u.c.k me''


    "Huh?, he is just a little kid old man." Kushina speaks to the owner of the ramen stand who looks to be in his late thirties although being in his mid-twenties.


    Mikoto frowns slightly, but chooses to sip silently on the tea she ordered.


    "Got a problem with that, ''red''?" Takeru draws their attention and turns around to head back to the kitchens. "Unless you complaining about the food I got nothing to say, I''m clocking out old man."


    "Hey wait!." Kushina stands up and walks towards him." I wanted to see who made the best ramen I''ve ever had, but it''s clear your mother never taught you manners. What parent allows their child to work?. How old are you?, can''t be older than twelve."


    Takeru not bothering to look back as he hangs up his apron. "Thanks for the compliment. As for my manners." Turning around and meeting Kushina''s gaze who is taken back by the intimidating look in the 10yo child''s eyes. "I don''t have a mother, my guardian is a whore. I work because I need money and I''m ten." Turning to his employer, he ignored a shocked Kushina and a slightly disturbed and saddened Mikoto.


    Disappearing into the crowd and sneaking off in a beeline towards the brothel Kimi is about to ''audition'' at, before anyone of the trio could do anything else than stare at his retreating back.


    A few long moments later.


    Sitting propped up in a reclined position against a large pile of pillows on a large bed. Takeru spread his legs to allow Kimi to kneel between them and fondle his throbbing big, fat, veiny c.o.c.k and heavy, swollen c.u.m laden balls. The Madam of the brothel sits off to the side in her regal silk kimono and her former Chunin level female bodyguard to her side. Watching Kimi preparing to perform a titty f.u.c.k, seemingly undisturbed that a minor is participating. Since some of her best working girls started whoring since the age of twelve.


    Takeru groans in pleasure and gasps with hitched breath as Kimi lowers her head. The heat of her firm soft and warm titflesh enveloping his fat c.o.c.k as she peels back his thick foreskin with her velvety slick warm tongue. The e.r.o.t.i.c arch of her back up to her plush ass swaying and slightly giggling causing his already painfully hard c.o.c.k to throb angrily.


    Kimi tastes the oddly arousing sweaty, musky flavoured underside of the bulbous fat head of Takeru''s c.o.c.k that threatens to dislocate her jaw. Humming as the rather excessive hot, slimy slightly salty in taste arousal oozes from his pisshole steadily filling her drooling mouth before swallowing. Steadily laying on her front and tilting her head to make eye contact with him as she slowly pulls back and releases his inflamed head with a wet pop. Web like strands of silvery drool connecting her pouty lips to his member before she spits a dollop of pre-c.u.m infused saliva on his c.o.c.k.


    Slick fleshy sounds become louder as she uses her delicate hands to squeeze her full, slobber glossed tits around his veiny f.u.c.kstick. Staring up at her young pimp and saviour like a c.o.c.k hungry whore while drool drips down her chin. Her experienced snug slightly spread cunt leaking arousal, slightly parted inflamed lower lips allowing a view of her slick slimy inner folds.


    Kimi decides she milked the m.o.a.ning youth''s c.o.c.k long enough to let go of her tits. The growl released from Takeru''s lips at the loss of the slick, soft heaven around his c.o.c.k is short lived when he hisses in maddening euphoria when Kimi forces nearly half of his enormous tool down her throat.


    Earning a smirk from the Madam who sips on her sake crossing her legs.


    Kimi''s throat muscles milking Takeru''s c.o.c.k as if it were an orgasming p.u.s.s.y. Looking up with her tearing eyes while gagging a slobbering around his girth as her throat bloats, stretched by his immense girth. Slobbery drool oozing down his length and slickening his heavy c.u.m filled sack. Fondling the heavy slick c.u.m factories as if trying to coax the c.u.m straight out of them.


    Takeru grips the sheets, tempted to force her head down his f.u.c.kstick and f.u.c.k her face. Reminding himself that this is Kimi''s show.


    Kimi''s gagging coughs becoming loader as she continues to feed more of Takeru''s bloated bitch breaker down her gullet. Her face now beat red. Messy bun becoming undone and loose strands and her tea stained face partially wet with slick clear pre-jizz infused spittle.


    Just as her lips reach the base of his c.o.c.k, her tongue grazing his smooth leathery sack. Her mucus infused spit bubbling nose resting in his hairless pubis inhailing his sweaty musk. The madam snaps her fingers signalling Kimi switch positions.


    Kimi makes a show of slowly working his c.o.c.k from her slightly sore throat. Loudly slurping up the thick slobbery mixture like a delicious f.u.c.k sauce soup.


    Turning around and looking over her shoulder hungrily with half lidded teary eyes. The whorish sight of her face smeared with what little ruined makeup added to accent her natural attractiveness, glossed with pre-jizz. Smooth milky skin glossed with light perspiration. Plus ass cheeks slightly parted allowing a teasing peek at her light brown winking asshole and drooling snug snatch.


    Kimi''s smug alluring mask crumbles when Takeru mounts her like a stud horse in rut mad with l.u.s.t roughly claiming his mare. In a blur his cunt ruining tool is nearly buried to the hilt. Poor Kimi just starting to voice the maddening pain filled euphoric hell like heaven of having her slick slimy p.u.s.s.y ruined. Wailing screech cut short when Takeru grips her wide h.i.p.s in place, fingers digging painfully into her soft curves. Ramming himself balls deep into her, fat plum sized c.o.c.khead acting as a battering ram as it breaks past her cervix and hits the back of her uterus.


    Having the air knocked out of her lungs, the strength leaving her arms as she along with Takeru nearly fell off the bed with the momentum of his brutal thrust. Kimi only managing to let out occasional wailing mewls and keening sounds mixed with sharp laborious gasps as her p.u.s.s.y is utterly wrecked by Takeru. Who f.u.c.k''s the ever living shit out of her as if possessed by a demon who''s soul purpose was to f.u.c.k women into the afterlife and back.


    Squishy squelching, slapping of sweat slick flesh and animalistic growling and wails of a woman in both agony and euphoria. Getting loader at every hip blurring impacts off a fat sweat slick belly and crotch against a reddening sweat slick jiggling, rippling ass connected together by slimy webby frothy strands of combined f.u.c.kjuice. The slick, slimy sucking and queefing sounds of a p.u.s.s.y stretched to its limits by a blurring bloated mass of c.o.c.k straightening out the deepest folds of her constantly spasming cunt.


    The madam nearly drops her cup as a shudder travels through her body. Never before witnessing a coupling so rough, so brutal, so animalistic, so¡­ raw. Her ex-Chunin bodyguard''s calm breath becoming slightly bated as she watches on as a boy makes a veteran whore scream for mercy but beg for more.


    The Madam regaining some composure, decides its best they switch positions so that the poor woman being ploughed into oblivion can at least demonstrate the full extent of her skills before her mind breaks.


    Clapping her hands loudly.


    Takeru seemingly calming down, an irritated growl escaping his drooling lips. Kimi, raising a shaking hand as she gulps for air, desparately trying to fill her burning lungs. Gently fondling his slick nuts dripping a frothy c.o.c.ktail of their f.u.c.ksauce onto the silk sheets. Her touch somewhat calms him enough for her to use some of her regained strength. To push back, Takeru now flat on his back and the recovering Kimi m.o.a.ning at him in reverse cowgirl.


    As if on queue he brings his hand down on her sweat slick, plush reddened ass. The resounding stinging swat caused her firm fleshy cheeks to ripple. Kimi lets out a mewling gasp, pretty black painted toes and hands supporting her digging into the sweat soaked sheets, before building up a steady pace. Bouncing on his d.i.c.k, thundering claps of her bouncing plush ass flesh connecting with his crotch along with her sighing m.o.a.ns sounding out through the heavily sweat and s.e.x incensed air.


    Takeru, feeling his climax approaching, pulls his c.o.c.k from Kimi''s now gaping cunt mid bounce. Impaling her brown winking sweat soaked asshole on her decent. Managing to stuff a little more than half of his c.o.c.k up her ass before Kimi locks up and lets out a wailing screech, Clenching madly spasming cunt squirting jets off piss drenching the large balls slick balls and drenching s.e.x stained sheets further. Takeru grabbing a fist full of her sweaty ink black tresses of her now undone hair bun, gripping a handful of her slick ass flesh and stuffing the rest of his lubed c.o.c.k of her ass balls deep.


    Kimi''s body locks up and spasms as if she''s having a seizure, the painful gaping of her asshole causing her to suffer the biggest pain induced orgasm in her life. Her madly spasming stretched sphincter acting as a c.o.c.k ring preventing Takeru from flooding her rectum with his thick potent c.u.m. Kimi''s eyes roll to the back of her head, tongue lolling form her silent screaming mouth, drool dripping from her chin and splattering on her bouncing tits as post f.u.c.k.i.e.d silly shudders ceaselessly rip through her mind broken form.


    Takeru roaring in bestial fury being denied release. Lifts Kimi''s limp form off his c.o.c.k till only the tip remains.


    Though the Madam''s guard steps in managing to pry the limp Kimi from Takeru''s vice like grip. The madam who saved the poor semi-comatose Kimi''s asshole from being most likely permanently ruined stands at the foot of the bed completely n.a.k.e.d. Her near impossibly e.r.o.t.i.c voluptuous body albeit small ass and thighs on full display.


    Crawling atop of him and placing her finger on his lips. " Shhhh, it''s okay I''ll take care of you little stud. Don''t worry about your bitch, with the show the two put on she''s guaranteed a place here." Lowering her seasoned p.u.s.s.y drooling slimy girlc.u.m onto his c.o.c.k. Her loose mature cunt stretches like never before to accommodate him. Feeling as if she were a v.i.r.g.i.n again though this time ruined at first f.u.c.k.


    ¡­


    Few days later


    The last thing Takeru expected before clocking into work was to be pulled by the ear by none other than Kushina Uzumaki. All the way to Konoha hospital. Apparently the bitch tailed him, finding out he frequented and spent all-nighters at a brothel.


    Takeru wonders why the f.u.c.k he thought it was a good idea not to sneak about. Wanting to build up familiarity with the plebs in the slums and red light district. So when the time comes when he is discovered/noticed he will have people vouch that he''s some poor kid living with a whore he f.u.c.ks from time to time.


    But now sooner than he would like, he''s being dragged into the spotlight by the hottest piece of ass around these parts.


    ''Though she loses points for being a nosy cunt.''


    - 5 HP


    "Ow hey what the f.u.c.k lady!?."


    -5 HP


    Kushina noting that she has drawn more attention to herself and the struggling ten year old, Shunshins to the hospital. Takeru slightly disoriented as Kushina barges into the door in front of them.


    His oversized underaged c.o.c.k throbbing when he stares at one of the most beautiful and the bustiest woman in the elemental nations sipping sake with an irritated expression on her face as she exasperatedly sighs.


    Straight blonde hair that parts above her forehead, shoulder length bangs framing her face and the rest reaching her lower-back. Beautiful mature face with the strength of a hundred seal in the form of a diamond jewel on her forehead, Amber coloured eyes. Soft pink lipstick glossing her, plump pouty c.o.c.ksucking lips. Her mesh shirt beneath her short sleeved kimono barely managing to prevent the tops of her exposed huge doughy, creamy tits from bursting and spilling out.


    Takeru''s now rapidly hardening c.o.c.k sports a tent under his kimono before the fat drooling half foreskin covered tip peeking through. Kushina''s face turning redder than her hair and Tsunade raising an eyebrow at Kushina before looking at her sake bottle and potting it to the side.


    ¡­..


    An hour and a while later


    ¡­.


    Kushina sits at the chair near Tsunade''s desk.


    "Get dressed brat." Tsunade''s voice sounds out from behind the curtains in the agent examination room. Sitting down and grabbing her bottle of sake ignoring the glare from Kushina. " Well, this is the most interesting day I''ve had in a long time."


    "A brothel Tsunade!, What is a ten year old boy doing in a brothel!?" Kushina yells incredulously.


    "I need you to calm down. Kushina." Tsunade says before taking a large swig from the bottle.


    "I agree." Both of them look at Takeru who adjusts the bulge under the kimono. "Mind your own damn business. Doctor herself said I have a clean bill of health besides being overweight and having abnormally large endowments for my age."


    Kushina blushing as images of the biggest c.o.c.k she had ever seen flashes through her head. Besides a few romps with a handful of random men while on long term infiltration and assassination missions, when she and Minato was going through a rough patch. The foul mannered ten year old boy dwarfs them all.


    Though before Kushina can come up with a retort he continues. "There''s kids my age murdering and you''re bothered by me getting my d.i.c.k wet?"


    - 15 HP


    Silenced by a paperweight to the face. Kushina gave a satisfied smirk before sighing exasperatedly. Tsunade sitting back down after silencing the troubled youth.


    "Though there are no medical records nor a birth certificate. I''ll have one of the staff draw one up." Tsunade gives Takeru a glare with a hint of bloodl.u.s.t directed at him but is surprised when he seems unaffected by it.


    "Don''t think some second rate scare tactics will make me roll over, with the shit I''ve seen?. Now if we are done I''d like to get back to enjoying my day off."


    Kushina grabbing him by the collar and thanking Tsunade before Shunshining to the Hokage tower.


    Tsunade frowning and in thought for a while before, draining what''s left of the bottle. Pressing the com on her desk and speaking to her assigned secretary. " Put all other appointments on hold, I''m done for the day."


    Thinking spending time with Shizune after academy classes would brighten her now somewhat gloomy day, worsened by her most recent visitors. Tsunade loves Kushina like a little sister, but her rash and sometimes childish nature irritates her.


    ¡­..


    Hokage''s Office


    Takeru stares at Minato and Jiraiya in awe after using observe. All the while Kushina rants on about him. Minato''s handsome kind face gained a deep scowl, the perverted Sanin behind him looking at Takeru with both shock and admiration.


    Brought out of his thoughts when he heard the red headed banshee intent on blowing his ear off demand the Hokage enroll him into the academy.


    " Wow-wow wait. The academy?. F.u.c.k. That" Tekeru speaks up towards her, surprising all the three veteran ninjas with his killing intent." Look lady I''m a simple nobody minding my own damn business. So you like my ramen, but that doesn''t explain why you have to interfere with my life. I don''t give a shit if you are f.u.c.k.i.n.g the Hokage."


    " WHAT!?/NANI!?" Minato and Kushina exclaim while Jiraiya barks out a laugh.


    /oOo\


    Start of a new week


    Ninja Academy


    ¡­..


    Takeru stands in front of the class introducing himself. Asked by the teacher to take a seat be begrudgingly complies. ''Red headed nosy bitch and her p.u.s.s.y whipped blonde wimp''. Making a mental note to jizz in Kushina''s ramen. Perverted smile spreading across his face and wondering why the hell he hadn''t thought of it sooner.


    Sitting down at an open spot.


    "Hey there."


    Takeru looked at the boy sitting next to him extending his hand in greeting while the other looked ahead paying attention to the teacher.


    ''Observe''


    Name: Shisui Uchiha


    Age: 9


    Level: 15


    Class: Uchiha clan prodigy


    HP: 2 500 / 2 500


    SP: 3 000 / 3 000


    CP: 12 000 / 12 000


    Name: Itachi Uchiha


    Age:7


    Level 16


    Class: Uchiha Heir


    HP: 2 500/ 2 500


    SP: 2 000 / 2 000


    CP: 15 000 / 15 000


    Takeru refrains from being a douche. Remembering one of his plans is to get Shisui eyeballs at least six years or so, from now. It would be much easier if they were friends.


    "Yo, what''s up?"


    ¡­..


    Tea house


    ¡­..


    " Well considering his guardian is a¡­ courtesan. It''s not that hard that he learned how to read people." Mikoto says before sipping her tea after finishing her sponge cake. Looking at her slightly distraught and embarrassed red headed friend opposite the table. "Besides Kushina. Don''t you think it''s too overwhelming for the boy, adopting him?, seriously?. What does Minato have to say about this?"


    Kushina meekly rubbing her arm and laughing awkwardly. "I haven''t brought it up yet." Gaining her composed determination," Bu-


    "Why don''t you think this through properly at least. Kushina you are an a.d.u.l.t, I don''t have to tell you this but you can''t just go along with whatever you feel like doing. Do you plan on adopting every child that''s struggling?", Reaching forward and giving the now downcast redhead''s hand a reassuring squeeze. "The best you can do is be there to guide Takeru."


    Giving her friend a bitter smile. "I guess you''re right."


    /oOo\


    1 Month later


    Later that day in the academy playground


    While meditating in a quiet spot in the playground. Tekeru who is usually surrounded by Shisui and Itachi sits alone as his two only ''friends'' are currently taking an evaluation test after hearing he took his and is allowed to join the senior class. Eligible to take the exam for Genin squads in three months'' time. Not just that but apparently Kumo will be hosting the Chunin Exams in eight months.


    His two friends are just as eager to get out into the field as he is. Itachi needed to convince his father to pull a few strings to get him through due to his age. Rules having been changed back to standard graduation age ranging from 10 ¨C 14 after the last war.


    Though Takeru seems to be relieved not to have to interact with brats his physical age. Already thinking about sampling some whore he didn''t try out yet at the brothel. Becoming bored as hell just levelling skills that wouldn''t draw too much attention to him just yet.


    Acting as if reaching into his sleeve. While actually accessing his inventory and taking out a large bowl of still warm, thick beef stew and a loaf of fresh bread. He starts scarfing down the large serving of food when he notices a puppy approach. Noting it''s marking''s below its eyes indicating it''s an Inuzuka clan companion.


    The puppy drooling slightly and planting its ass on the ground. Waiting obediently.


    "Well I sure as hell, am not sharing." Remembering the chopped bits of meat carved from the pimp and goon''s corpses. He was saving it for when he could finally get out of the village. Maybe capture someone and drive them insane by starving them and making them a meal only to show them what''s left of the corpse they are eating.


    "I hope you like raw meat." Waving his hand in front of the puppy before a small pile of raw blocks of still bleeding meat appears before it. The Pup sniffed it and giving the still bleeding meat a tentative lick. Before yipping and digging in.


    Soon little footfalls are heard as two more puppies show up making short work of the meat pile. Throwing some left over gravy in my now empty bowl over it, the pups greedily devouring the human meat drizzled with delicious thick beef stew gravy.


    "Hey! Stop bothering other people!"


    Takeru looking towards the girl running towards him and the now full trio of pups licking their lips.


    '' Observe''


    Name: Hana Inuzuka


    Gender: Female


    Age: 8


    Level: 10


    Class: Inuzuka Heiress, Novice Beastmaster


    HP: 1 300 / 1 300


    SP: 1 500 / 1 500


    CP: 7 000 / 7 000


    "I apologise for bothering you." Bowing in apology.


    Takeru not really paying attention but giving the underdeveloped girl a once over. ''Future harem waifu appears?, Oh I f.u.c.ken think so.''


    Laying the persuasion and seduction skills on thick, giving the most charming his five charisma attribute can " It''s quite alright, Hana-san.'' Reaching down to pet the first pup who came near him.


    Hana is about to tell him to stop when the other pups start licking his gravy coated fingers. Breathing a sigh of relief. Hana then speaks. " Usually they aren''t fond of strangers." Hana noting something. " Ano, I''m sorry but what is your name again?"


    "My name''s Takeru, Nice to meet you."


    Hana slightly fl.u.s.tered for some reason. Feeling more interest towards the new boy who joined the academy recently. ''He doesn''t seem to mind me smelling like dogs. The Haimaru brothers seem to like him so he must be a kind person.''


    A few moments later, a fl.u.s.tered Hana could be seen running towards class as the break ends. Her face beet red with three confused pups following her.


    Takeru lecherously licking his lips that took the girls first kiss. Savouring the taste of her sweet saliva on his tongue that forcefully explored her mouth.


    New Tittle: Cradle Robber [Seducing younger females 50% easier, Younger females find you more attractive than you actually are.]


    Takeru deciding to ditch the rest of school and head to POWDER. Maybe the Madam or Kimi can take care of his hardening c.o.c.k. ''Wonder if I can f.u.c.k a woman to death with MAX s.e.x mastery.''


    ...


    " OH F.U.C.K YES~"


    Takeru m.o.a.ns out as Kimi tries her best to swallow the obscene amounts of jizz being pumped down her throat.


    New Title: Nymphomaniac [80 % endurance boost buff during and two hours hour after fornication. + 50 exp for every orgasm of all partners involved]


    Level up


    Due to engaging in s.e.x more than 100 times in one month, Daily quest has been unlocked:


    Feed the addiction: + 80 Exp after every round of fornication


    Level 10 reached Novice level cap reached.


    Select Class:


    -Arms Master Shinobi [25% extra damage with weapons, + 5 strength & + 3 endurance at every level]


    -Ninjutsu Specialist Shinobi [ - 25% cost of all Ninjutsu. + 5 chakra & 3 Chakra control every level]


    ¡­..


    While Kimi regurgitates some of the thick slimy, c.u.m she cannot swallow or stomach into a jar for the Madam at the brothel who is now Takeru''s personal c.u.m addicted onahole.


    Taking his time to browse through his limited options. When one class in particular catches his eye.


    Shinobi Alchemist: [Increases damage and potency of poisons, Immune to all non-lethal poisons, + 50 % resistance to all deadly poisons]


    At first he wasn''t sure about it but he figured if the effects of cooking skill count stack with the passive ability this class provides.


    + 50 Int awarded for discovering a hidden gaming feature of stacking.


    + 5 Wis


    "Holy shit, I could literally sneak around and shank the shit out of everyone with a poisoned dagger while using critical strike and assassinate."


    Takeru calming himself before he gets carried away. Knowing that at his current level he has no hopes of even defeating Itachi or Shisui who aren''t even Genin. Deciding to MAX out his leaf sticking exercise before giving Madam a visit and grind for his passives, persuasion, intimidation, s.e.x mastery and seduction. Not to mention role-play to level acting skill.


    Then learning leaf cutting, tree walking and water walking exercises form her guard. Basically securing monstrous reserves and godlike control in the near future.


    ¡­..


    Late afternoon


    Revisiting the urge to flash step and avoid the huge titted blonde from grabbing and lifting him up by his collar. Takeru rolls his eyes when Tsunade brings him up face level. Supressing the smirk when one woman faints and drops her groceries at the sight of the enormous c.o.c.k of the ten year old hanging heavily between his legs.


    Tsunade gains a faint flush but puts him back down before bonking his head hard enough that he loses minor but significant HP.


    "I thought I told you to start wearing pants brat."


    Takeru shrugging, unperturbed, "What can I say ''Sugar Tits''?. Cross breeze is refreshing, there''s no pants I can wear comfortably. Plus its easy access. Just pull my c.o.c.k from under my kimono and I''m ready to go." Dodging another hit from the Sannin. Looking behind her and noting the betting shop behind her. "Running out of places to feed you addiction ''Sugar Tits?."


    " WHO YOU CALLING SUGAR TITS!?." Tsunade pinching the bridge of her nose before putting her hands on her wide child birthing h.i.p.s. The motion caused her tits to jut out slightly emphasising the huge udders. "What I do in my spare time is none of your business."


    " Well isn''t that contradictory since you were about to act on that ''nosy redhead''s'' behalf and lecture me after catching me exiting a brothel. I doubt I have to confess all the vile dirty things I''ve done while in there." Dodging another bonk to the head. " Besides i''ll stop calling you sugar tits when you stop calling me brat."


    Sighing, Tsunade groaning at the feeling of a growing migraine. "Why?"


    "Why what?" Takeru asks innocently.


    "Don''t act stupid. Why do you do it knowing nothing good will come of it?"


    "Why I f.u.c.k whores?. The same reason you drink or gamble. It''s the only thing that brings me some form of happiness and makes another day in this shitty world bearable."


    Tsunade, caught completely off-guard at his reply, stands there stunned.


    Takeru reached into his sleeve and took out an expensive bottle of sake and a wad of cash. Placing them before Tsunade.


    " Consider it a bribe. Don''t tell that annoying redhead about me visiting brothels and I''ll be on my way." Takeru turned around and headed towards the Inuzuka clan compound to visit his schoolyard waifu.


    Tsunade taking the bottle band looking towards Takeru. " Hey bra-¡­., Takeru." Gaining the boy''s attention. Tossing the wad of cash towards him. "I''ll take the sake, but if I ever catch you here again I''ll drag you to Kushina myself."


    "You willing to trade a medical jutsu book for my word?"


    "First graduate then ask me again."


    "Then it''s no deal Tsu-chan." Turning away and walking toward, then disappearing into the bustling streets, now busy due to most civilians working day ending around this time.


    Tsunade catches the boy picking some rich civilian''s pockets with a high end courtesan on each arm. Letting out a tired sigh before looking down at the bottle in her fist. Eyes widening as she recognises the vintage. Wondering how Takeru afforded a 100 000 Yen bottle of Sake.


    /oOo\


    Few weeks later


    Inuzuka Clan compound


    ¡­


    All things considered, Takeru admits that being invited to Hana''s birthday party was an interesting experience. Hana figuratively glued to his ass when he decided flirting with single teenage and young female members of her clan was more appealing than running around and conversing with kids his age.


    Itachi and Shisui found it amusing whenever his now official girlfriend cutely growls whenever Takeru stared at another woman. Especially her mother''s ample tits. The head of the clan chose to wear a loose fitting slightly revealing Kimono on this hot summer late afternoon. The said matron eyeing him critically and gaining a look of approval when he locked her gaze and refused to back out of the random, sudden stare down.


    Generally boring night ended with a surprise when Hana kissed him goodbye in front of her mother, a few of the guests, Itachi and Shisui.


    The former invited Takeru to his compound. Though he refuses the offer and heads towards the Shinobi''s.


    Sneaking in proved to be a joke. The brokenness of a near max level sneak skill allowing him to walk over detection seals unnoticed.


    A few hours pass by when he finally finds two of the few scrolls he was hoping to find. Copying the jutsu on scrolls of his own before heading back to his apartment.


    Skills Learnt:


    Body Pathway Derangement lvl 0 (5%) ¨C Pours electrical current into targets nervous system and rearranges body''s signals. May cause death at higher levels. Requires level 20 in lightning nature element to use.


    Poison mist lvl 0 (5%) ¨C Converts chakra in body into a special chemical that can be exhaled from mouth that forms poison when coming into contact with air.


    ¡­


    1 Week later


    Takeru sits in the huge bed of the madam''s personal quarters. The said woman and Kimi servicing his semi hard c.o.c.k drooling pre-c.u.m and beefy c.u.m laden heavy balls, While the rest of the girls not currently working stand with their front turned to the walls.


    Taking a small sip from the weak special aphrodisiac potion he brewed. Taking a deep breath through his nose and slowly exhaling a soft purple tinged pink cloud. The mist soon hovering just above the fluffy velvet red carpeted floor. Noting the two bitches started sucking on his c.o.c.k with more hunger. Tonguing his pisshole seemingly impatient to wait for the steady supply of thick salty, slimy pre-c.u.m.


    Kimi forces as much of his bloated f.u.c.kmeat down her throat while the Madam sucks his large balls, gently putting in her copiously p.u.s.s.y juice lubed finger up Takeru''s ass and milks his prostate.


    The whores surrounding them either fingering their cunts, scissoring one another or locked in a sixty nine.


    Soon Takeru grunts as his climax approaches. Kimi''s nails digging into his fat thighs with enough force to draw blood seemingly hell bent on anchoring his c.o.c.k down her throat p.u.s.s.y. Intent on milking him dry. Her belly bloating at the sheer amount of thick slimy baby batter being pumped down her gullet into her stomach. Before fully dislodging from Takeru''s member, her body spasms and she lets out a gargled m.o.a.n before collapsing simply to the bed.


    The last few thick ropes of c.u.m arced through the air and splattering on the Madam''s back and the closest couple of whores who managed to make it to the bed. Madam quickly swallows a quarter of his f.u.c.kmeat desperately milking the last spurts of his orgasm with her skilled throat muscles like some c.u.m addict suffering from withdrawal.


    Though oddly enough the two whore fortunate enough to get some hot thick jizz splattered on them goes silent. After licking Takeru''s c.u.m from one another''s bodies, the two whores look towards him with pleading looks of mad l.u.s.t/ Moving towards him.


    Gradually all the whores occupying the room find their way to Takeru on the bed who begins to panic in fear of his experiment on aphrodisiac poisons back-firing on him. Might lead to him being f.u.c.k.i.e.d to death as he is slowly covered in a body pile of n.a.k.e.d flesh consisting of attractive to beautiful women of varying body types. Intent on getting their dose of his c.u.m that seems to be though only cure to their euphoric hell. Experiencing orgasms so intense some swore to have seen heaven.


    A few hours later Takeru manages to crawl from the body pile on the bed to the dresser. Taking out a scroll, looking for a pen when the Madam''s guard appears out of nowhere providing him one, handing him a bottle of sake and a cup. Takeru about to start writing when she starts to strip.


    Giving her mature but athletically fit and tight body covered in a few noticeable scars a once over. Leaning back and allowing her to mount him in the hot seat position. Placing her feet on his knees and moving her arm behind his head. Allowing him to occasionally nip and suck on her sweaty perky bouncing tit in front of his face, as she wrecks her cunt on his tool.


    While he writes his plans to study the first three targets of step 2 of his shitlist. Ignoring the string of level up notifications.


    Target 1 ¨C Kushina Uzumaki


    Target 2 ¨C Mikoto Uchihi


    Target 3 ¨C Tsunade Senju


    *Study habits, and routines. Stalk them till a solid plan comes up to begin the corruption % breaking process.


    Takeru would most likely be laughing like a deranged lunatic. If he wasn''t being ridden by an ex-chunin intent on f.u.c.k.i.n.g herself silly on his bloated c.o.c.k while sucking on a sweaty bouncing perky tit.


    /oOo\

 Chapter 229 - My CO Stash #29 - No Gods, No Masters by Ediros (FalloutXDanmachi)

    -I''ve been really into Fallout lately so finding this Courrier 6 isekai was really cool! I don''t wanna spoil it but there will a major character death, can you guess who?


    Sypnosis: So what happens when you take Courier Six, the deadliest man to ever walk Mojave Wasteland and drop him in a world full of magic, gods and monsters? A lot of bodies, mayhem, general disdain to everything related to deities and weapons, lots of weapons. Join me as Courier tries to stay away from yandere Freya, all the Familias and the general trouble that keeps coming his way.


    Rated: M


    Words: 111K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13358818/1/No-Gods-No-Masters (Ediros)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    "Behold, Courier Six! The genius of Big Mountain research facility!" Doctor Borous yelled at the top of his lungs, his green brain jar shaking from the excitement as he gestured at the object standing behind him.


    It was a massive space shuttle, based on the Hermes-13 rocket meant for the Mars Mission. Unlike its predecessor, it was further upgraded with a newer version of saturnite alloy and equipped with advanced ion engines based on the propulsion system, which utilized robots such as ED-E and Mister Handy. It was also outfitted with newest sensors, alongside an experimental jump drive technology based on the Big Mountain transportalponder.


    The result, a massive space shuttle similar to that, which first carried people to the moon. However, compared to old rockets, which burnt fuel to reach the Earth''s orbit. It used rails based on Gauss rifles to accelerate and reach the vacuum of space. The rails itself were located away from the facility to prevent collateral damage and keep the Big Mountain facility hidden from prying eyes.


    "It''s impressive, I will admit, but what do you expect me to do with it?" Courier Six admitted as he looked over the structure. The man in question was fully dressed in a suit of Pre-War Elite Riot Gear armour, further improved with technologies from the Big Mountain.


    The armour itself was upgraded with a newer version of saturnite alloy. It was known for its durability, sharpness, and ability to retain heat for long periods of time. Good heat retention was a boon in certain circ.u.mstances, such as blades and other weapons acting on the same principle. However, infusing it with human bones or tissue would lead to the user cooking himself from the inside out and the space shuttle turning into a giant oven upon the entrance into the atmosphere.


    That''s why a new version of it had to be developed, specifically designed to be used with a human body. Following a year of research, the alloy was adapted to be more usable as armour and promptly named Saturnite 2.0. It was just as resilient as its predecessor, but this time it was even capable of surviving the cloud, without decaying anymore or letting it inside the armour and with the bonus of being hard to heat up.


    On the man''s back were two weapons, a flagpole known as Old Glory, given to him by Ulysses and further improved with saturnite alloy. The other one, a hunting rifle, known as Paciencia. The latter of which, he upgraded with a scope, extended magazine, and custom action. On the right side of his waist was a custom auto pistol, he received from Joshua Graham, previously a Legate of Caesar''s Legion. The weapon was called a Light Shining in the Darkness, which was also upgraded with an extended magazine, silencer, and an HD slide. Last but not least, was a bowie knife called Blood-nap, which rested in a holster on his right thigh.


    "Well, my little teddy bear, we were hoping that you would test it out and see if it works," Doctor Dala explained, paying close attention to her favourite lobotomite''s movements.


    "You want me to test it out? Seriously? Why not send some kind of robot instead?" He argued, crossing his arms in response.


    "There is a risk of their internal systems being fried during launch or something. Not to mention, unless you put a true AI on it, their programming will limit them and prevent them from acting in case of emergency," Doctor Zero explained, his newfound confidence shining through.


    "And it still doesn''t prevent them from being fried," The Courier said, while the scientist nodded. "That makes sense. Having said that, what do you expect me to do? Fly to the other side of the galaxy?" He asked, his voice modulated by the helmet.


    "Nothing so extreme. We only want you to take it into space, make a jump from Earth to Mars and that''s it," Doctor Zero explained.


    "And what if it doesn''t work?" He questioned.


    "^#!#($%^$^&!$^$," Doctor Eight butted in, gaining the attention of the group.


    "You are not filling me with confidence, Eight. Suffocation is not a pleasant death, the same with burning up in the atmosphere," Courier deadpanned, before resting a hand on his temple and sighing with resignation. "Fine, I''ll do it, but at least tell me, will I be the only passenger on the shuttle?"


    "WE, THE GREAT SCIENTISTS OF BIG MOUNTAIN, INTENDED TO PUT SOME OF OUR FINEST EXPERIMENTS INSIDE, FOR SCIENCE!" Doctor Klein yelled, his volume knob turned up too much, again.


    "Of f.u.c.k.i.n.g course, but¡­ did you?" He groaned, before glancing over the scientists.


    "Klein wanted to, but we managed to prevent it, Mobius helped with his roboscorpions. So, to answer your question, you should be the only one inside the shuttle," Zero responded.


    "Should be?" He inquired, his eyes narrowed behind his helmet.


    "We ran multiple scans, my little teddy bear, which came out negative," Dala answered, while the Courier sighed.


    "At least that''s something¡­fine, let me put on the spacesuit and I will be on my way," He finally admitted, while the scientists cheered.


    With a shake of his head and a small smile on his lips, he got down to work. Ever since he had dealt with Think Tank, he began clearing out the Big Mountain, fixing the broken facilities, uncovering new technologies and improving the ones already existing. While he was harsh towards them, it was not without basis. If Doctor Mobius hadn''t trapped them in Big Mountain using a reclusive loop to trap their programming all those years ago, the Think Tank would have wreaked havoc upon the world. Still, once they were on his side, their expertise proved to be invaluable in helping the world recover.


    They had improved the holograms from the Sierra Madre, making them more aware of their surroundings, deadlier than before, with a bigger range and reinforced saturnite casing that protected the fragile electronics located inside. Then there was his grappling gun as well as bomb collars, not to mention the ability to store Cloud. Furthermore, they improved his pipboy, copying the schematics of all kinds of weapons and armour, even those from before the War as well as those manufactured by Gun Runners. He could easily produce almost anything, including chems and drugs, as well as even the holograms themselves.


    There were also the implants, like Kinetic Accelerators, Nanobionic Weave, Bionic Eyes, Nemean subdermal armour and many more. They even managed to scale down the forcefields from Big Mountain, allowing them to be used in actual combat, one of which he had installed in the left arm of his armour. They also managed to replicate ED-E, with all the appropriate upgrades he acquired back at the Divide. Unfortunately, some of the discoveries and technologies came at a price. An unpleasant memory began to surface, but he forced it down and focused on the task at hand.


    "I''m in Earth''s orbit, do you copy?" Courier asked, fully suited up in a red spacesuit, that he found at the RepCon HQ.


    He was sitting in a single chair out of three, located inside the main c.o.c.kpit. The c.o.c.kpit itself was fairly unremarkable, Spartan even. Outside of huge console with more buttons, levers and pilot lights than he had ever seen before, it was bare of any human amenities. Metal panels, screwed to the hull, some handles for easier manoeuvrability and one huge glass window with a clear view on the vacuum of space.


    "This is Zero, Think Tank copy. How are your vitals, was the acceleration too much?" Zero inquired, relieved that everything went well so far.


    "Compared to being shot in the head, it''s bearable. You could boost it a bit more, I had to use the engines sooner than I expected. Outside of that, smooth sailing, copy," He replied.


    "Glad to hear it, now set up the coordinates and we should hear from you soon enough. The communication will be cut, due to the distance, do you copy?" Zero asked, his voice tinged with excitement.


    "Copy, setting the coordinates now, stand by for jump in ten seconds," Courier replied, before shutting the communication down. Preparing mentally for the experience, he began the countdown. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six," He said, the shuttle humming, a small bubble-like barrier forming around it. "Five, four, three, two, one."


    It happened in an instant, one second, he was prepared for the upcoming jump, next he felt like he was put through a keyhole, head first, the agony he felt lasting for a moment, before it disappeared just as quickly as it came.


    However, before he could get his bearings, the console in front of him began sparking uncontrollably, the lights in the shuttle dying down, before everything went silent. He blinked, feeling dizzy from the experience. With a groan, he forced his brain to focus on the current situation.


    "What the f.u.c.k just happened?" He muttered to nobody in particular. Taking a look around, he materialized the pipboy out of thin air and turned on the light. ''At least that one seems to be working just fine¡­'' It was yet another of Big Mountain''s inventions, which allowed him to store almost anything without being over-enc.u.mbered. This along with his own capacity limit, allowed him to house hundreds of stimpaks, drugs, ammo, special rounds and weapons just to name a few.


    Thanks to that, he no longer had to leave anything behind. It was probably one of the most useful things he possessed in the entire history of Big Mountain research facility, their Magnum Opus so to speak. Normally the pipboy was bound to his arm and locked, but the Think Tank managed to take care of that. It also used to look bulky, while the new version easily rested in the palm of his head.


    Standing up, he could feel himself float, as the magnetic shoes failed to work. The Courier frowned, brought the left shoe close to his face and gave it a quick glance. It seemed to look fine, but for whatever reason, it didn''t work. ''That''s worrisome.'' Biting his lip, he materialized two pieces of scrap electronics, alongside all the appropriate tools, and began unscrewing the panel. Once all the screws were gone, he looked inside and scowled. ''Everything just melted or straight out fried, it''s nothing more but a scrap metal, if it can even be called that, to begin with. Only the wires survived. Wait, what about the rest of the ship?''


    Panic began to rise, as he finally realized how deathly silent everything was. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down and got back to his magnetic shoes. It only took a few minutes at best, before they were back in working condition. Standing up straight, he made his way to the control panel and looked through the window, his jaw-dropping to the ground. In front of him was a planet, similar to the Earth, with oceans, continents, and forests. However, that''s where the similarities ended. The shape was all wrong, instead of multiple continents, there was a single supercontinent with a few smaller ones spread out over the planet.


    "¡­ At times like this, I wish I never agreed to this whole idea," He muttered. ''One thing is certain, this isn''t Earth. Heck, I wasn''t supposed to leave our solar system, yet here I am. I swear, at times like this I wish I had vivisected all of those idiots.''


    Shaking his head, he investigated the control panel and frowned immediately. No matter what he did, nothing seemed to work. ''Okay, everything is either fried or melted, just like the boots. The reactor most likely shut down and all life support systems along with it. Which means, unless I turn them back on, I will die due to a lack of oxygen if the ship doesn''t crash into the planet before that happens. F.u.c.k my life¡­'' The Courier groaned as he realized just how bad things currently were.


    He turned around and made his way to the back of the c.o.c.kpit, where a single hermetic door was located, similar to that of a plane. Under normal circ.u.mstances, it could easily be operated by a small control panel next to it. Fortunately enough, one didn''t design a spaceship or a plane without a manual override of some description. He pulled a lever located on the door, then began rotating the sluice, until it opened with a small hiss and he made his way to the storage compartment. It was meant to house all kinds of stuff but was left empty on purpose to give the space shuttle clean run so to say. Not to mention, with the Pipboy being far better at storing items and supplies, it was deemed unnecessary.


    The only problem was the fact, that the Think Tank did not supply all of the parts in case of an emergency. They calculated that under no circ.u.mstances everything in the ship would fail, and only provided back up parts for the engines, reactor, and life support systems, alongside all the necessary blueprints for the space shuttle. ''And that''s why you should never trust a bunch of insane scientists in brain jars. I knew I should have taken more spare parts. The only good thing about this whole situation is the fact that I still have got my smarts and skills, so making some makeshift repairs should be doable.''


    After that, he made his way to the reactor located in the back. It was a giant cube with some tubes, similar to the transportalponder. And currently, the entirety of it was fried. While he could technically fix it right here and now, he didn''t want to waste the only working reactor he had left, in case the shuttle decided to crash on the planet in the nearest future. With his mind made up, he used two fission batteries, some scrap metal and some scrap electronics to jury-rig the reactor into working condition.


    Once it turned on, he could see some of the panels sparking, but nothing else seemed to have happened. Turning around he made his way to the life support systems, similar in design to the reactor. And just like the last time, he jury-rigged the whole thing, before it turned back on. A green light told him everything he needed to know, his body releasing a breath he hadn''t known he held.


    Only after making sure the two systems were working fine, he made his way back to the c.o.c.kpit and looked at the control panel. He had to manually fix all the components to get this ship back into working condition. He looked up and gazed at the planet below. It wasn''t the only thing he was worried about, he couldn''t tell how close he was to the planet or how much time he had left before the whole thing came crashing down. Worst case scenario, he would crash on the planet and be forced to create a new space shuttle from scratch. Just as he was pondering his options, something collided with the back of the ship, making him crash into the console with a thud. ''Oh, come on! This ain''t fair anymore!''


    The planet that he considered far enough to be in stable orbit was coming closer, as the speed of the shuttle increased. One thing was certain, hitting the ground would result in catastrophic damage ¨C for both the shuttle and himself.


    He was tough, one of the toughest and deadliest men in Mojave Wasteland, but that didn''t make him invulnerable. And the impact of this size could kill almost everyone he knew. He had only one chance of survival. Using his pipboy, he put on Remnants power armour, before making himself comfortable in the seat as he awaited the inevitable. The armour itself was black with an insect-like design of the helmet, black paint and a reactor located in the back. He could see a corona of flame forming around the c.o.c.kpit as the speed of the shuttle increased, the ship entering the atmosphere. The surface of the shuttle slowly gaining a red hue as the air friction caused an immense strain on the surface.


    The entirety of the vehicle was now shaking, as it dived at a sixty-degree angle towards the surface. As he drew closer to the surface, he could see clouds going past him and decided it was as good time as any to do so. Bringing his pipboy close to his face, he selected one drug that would decide whether he would survive or not, Battle Brew. He preferred not to use it unless things were going real south, but at this point, he had no other choice. He could feel as his body became tougher to external damage, the miraculous substance flowing through his veins as the surface of the planet became visible. ''Here goes nothing¡­''


    In the meantime, the citizens of the city of Orario were casually strolling through the city at night, drinking beer, dancing or just going to the Dungeon to grind some more. Those that looked in the sky, could see what looked like a falling star, heading towards someplace on the planet. Many looked into the sky, pointing at it, making wishes and enjoying the show. One particular goddess, sitting at the top of Babel tower found herself smiling, sipping wine from her glass.


    "It looks beautiful, doesn''t it, Ottar?" She asked her strongest adventurer, a level 7 Boaz person and the only one to ever reach that level.


    "Indeed it does, lady Freya," He answered, nodding in response.


    "Is there something you wish for?" She asked, gently swirling the wine in her glass.


    "I only wish for your wishes to be granted, lady Freya," He answered, while the goddess smiled and sipped some of her drink.


    She wasn''t the only one to look at the light show, as certain red-headed trickster goddess, by the name of Loki also enjoyed the spectacle alongside the rest of her Familia.


    "Look, Ais, a falling star!" Lefiya, an elf with auburn hair, exclaimed. "Quick, make a wish!"


    Ais, a beautiful blond swordswoman of Loki Familia nodded at the suggestion and put her hand on her chest and made her wish. ''I wish to become even stronger.''


    "I wish for Ais to take me on a date!" Loki yelled, grinning from ear to ear, before a fist smacked her in the forehead, causing tears to appear in the corners of her eyes. The owner of the said fist was from the same blond, she wished for.


    "We should make an expedition and see if it brings some good valis towards us," Garreth, a dwarf with a long beard suggested, his Axe resting on his back.


    "Possibly, though with the Guild having a rather restrictive policy, it might take some time," Finn, a blonde Pallum responded.


    "Even then, it''s worth investigating. It could even possess some unique materials not seen anywhere in the Dungeon," Riveria added, her green hair and pointy ears, reminding spectators she was one of the high elves ¨C nobility amongst an elven kind.


    "Hah, now you''re talking!" Gareth said and laughed, along with the rest of the group, while Riveria rolled her eyes, before permitting herself a bit of smile.


    At the same time, a lonely Renart with blond hair and green eyes, looked at the sky, her expression unreadable, while in the slums of the Orario, a young female Pallum also shared the night, her attention focused on the falling object.


    The only person to not enjoy the spectacle was the Courier, who was freaking out as everything around him burned. The glass of the shuttle shattered shortly after it entered the atmosphere, the inside of the vehicle set ablaze, while the human held for his dear life to the door in the back, bracing himself for the impact. Just moments before he hit the ground, he cursed his luck, before there was intense pain and darkness consumed him.


    When he awoke, he could feel the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. His ears were ringing, his body felt like it was used as a punching bag for a legendary deathclaw and his head felt like it was about to burst. With a groan, he opened his bionic eyes, which were linked to the pipboy, allowing him to see his current status. A quick look at his health bar told him everything he needed to know. It was around twenty per cent, meaning he was one foot in the grave. Thankfully, the Monocyte Breeder and Rad Child were already healing the damage and he could see it slowly replenish in front of his very eyes.


    From what he could gather, he was still very much alive and the darkness all around his vision was the result of him being pinned down by debris or something along those lines. Turning on the night vision in his eyes, he took a glance at his own body. His left arm was stuck under a pile of metal, alongside both of his legs. The only thing that was not trapped was his right arm. He pushed on with his left arm and the metal barely budged, but just slightly. He began pushing harder, using the hydraulics of the power armour and his kinetic implants to push away the debris, freeing it his arm in the process.


    Once that was out of the way, he pushed away a metal plate, located less than twenty centimetres away from his face. The light of the fire and rancid smoke greeted him immediately. The c.o.c.kpit was gone, leaving almost nothing remotely similar behind. Small fires were burning all over the place, while the air was dark from the sheer amount of smoke. If it wasn''t for the filters in his helmet, he would have a hard time leaving the shuttle without suffocating to death. Pushing off the rubble on his legs, he stood up and made his way out of the shuttle through the broken window, falling on top of the burnt-out ground, breathing heavily. Only after calming down a bit, his breathing slowing down, he looked around.


    From what he could gather, he landed in the middle of some kind of forest or near one at very least. A massive crater easily over one hundred meters in a radius was devoid of all plant life. On the edges of it, he could see green trees and grass all over the place, very reminiscent to that of the Earth. However, that didn''t mean air composition wasn''t poisonous or there wasn''t some kind of parasite that infected human brains floating in it. Luckily for him, the pipboy could analyze all kinds of substances and inform him about its effects. Same thing with air. Running a quick analysis, he noticed that the air composition was almost identical to earth, with the exception of less pollution than in his world. ''This is getting weirder and weirder, what are the odds of the same kind of atmosphere?''


    Turning around, he despaired as he took in what remained of the shuttle. It was a burning wreck of bent metal, loose wiring, leaking fluids and the saturnite frame which took the general shape of the shuttle. The material was too expensive to create the whole shuttle from, so it was settled upon to only make the frame, which was the only thing that was still in one piece. He could feel his heartache at the destruction of the invention before he managed to get his bearings together. ''Let''s see, I am stranded on some kind of alien world with possibly hostile fauna and flora. My spacecraft is worthless, the best I can do is try to salvage as much as I can and take the rest with me so that nobody does anything with it. And on top of that, I could come across aliens, which won''t hesitate to put a probe in my ass. Klein, f.u.c.k you, sincerely, Courier Six.''


    After calming down a bit, he pulled out his Cryo Revolver, a custom energy weapon that froze anything it hit and was deadly against unarmored targets. In this case, though, it would serve well at putting out all the fires. He got down to work, a single bullet was all it took to put out one of the fires and fifty shoots later, the shuttle was no longer releasing rancid smoke into the air. With that out of the way, he could finally start disassembling the whole thing in order to make sure nobody finds it. However, before that, he had to secure the perimeter. He wasn''t going to let some kind of alien eat his brains, while he was busy. So, he set down six holographic emitters on the ground in a hexagon shape around the ship, turning them on and setting them to shoot on sight, if something came within the ten-meter radius of the ship. They used the same Sierra Madre security hologram, but far more advanced and deadly, all thanks to Big Mountain for their assistance on improving it.


    With the basics secured, he materialized one of his most powerful weapons, Industrial Hand. It was a tool in the Divide consisting of a mechanical glove with a circular saw blade mounted on the back, used in industrial work for cutting materials such as metal or plastics, now repurposed for use as a powerful unarmed weapon. It was just as good at cutting through power armour as it was through ordinary metals. Now with a saturnite blade, it was basically unstoppable, able to completely ignore any and all kinds of armour. Now though, it would help in cutting the ship apart and leaving nothing behind. ''I hope, that I can make it before someone gets here...''


    The rest of the day was spent in relative silence, as the Courier slowly but surely took the ship apart, leaving only the frame intact to keep it for the future endeavours. But even then, the ship was massive. It took him about eight hours with the sun even beginning to set and even then, the ship was still only around twenty per cent done at this point. He couldn''t finish it in one night, no matter how hard he tried. And he was slowly getting sleepy, his current sleep deprivation hovering at around one hundred fifty of one thousand. ''I should call it a day, for now, being exhausted won''t help me in the long run.'' With his mind made up, he made his way back to what remained of the c.o.c.kpit, setting up a Roughin''it bedroll kit on the metal floor and laid on his back, allowing his body to relax and falling asleep almost immediately.


    AUTHOR''S NOTES:


    So, here is my take on Danmachi crossover. I liked the premise, the lore, the characters of the franchise and the sheer amount of detail. However, I will admit without beating around the bush, I couldn''t and still can''t stomach Bell''s storyline.


    Don''t get me wrong, he is a good kid and with a personality I can get behind. However, he has got one of the most bullshit deus plot machina in recent memory, Liaris Freese. In Danmachi setting, levelling up is really bloody hard, as in half of the adventurers are still level one despite going through shit on a regular basis. You either need to be suicidal or spend a lot of time practising. Then the author basically said ''f.u.c.k it'' and gave him ability that makes him level up twelve times faster than the record breaker. Why? In order for him to stay relevant, to be a hero.


    I am not saying protagonist can''t have broken abilities or be overpowered, just look at the likes of Bleach, One Piece, Fairy Tail. All these have got issues of their own, but there are other bullshit characters with bullshit powers and it''s more or less balanced.


    In Danmachi, Bell gets unfair advantage, that the author insists is fair. It''s not. The reason for Bell getting it is also stupid: love. Why just that? What about the likes of Finn, Ais, Bete, literally any adventurer in Orario? They risk their lives, they have got goals, feelings, emotions, why didn''t they get the skill? It''s so unnecessary.


    So, here is how this is going play out. The story will diverge. Maybe not immediately, but it will. Bell WILL NOT get his broken skill, which is where the Courier comes in. And I think, you will appreciate him being there. Nothing shakes the balance of power more than a guy who can destroy an entire city or murder everyone in it by himself, without Falna.


    Also, no pairing in the description. I find it insulting, when the authors tell the ending of the story, before it happens. The journey is far more important than the end goal.


    Chapter 2


    A bang of gunfire shattered the silence of Mojave Wasteland, a single headless body falling in front of the dino bite store. Blood, guts and gore falling on top of a man wearing reinforced combat armour. His expression hidden behind a reinforced combat helmet and a surgical mask. Walking up to the corpse of a Jeanne May Crawford, the Courier took everything that seemed valuable, outside of the clothes he had no use for. Standing up, he made his way back to the Dinky the t-rex shop in the middle of the night, walking upstairs to the mouth of the structure.


    "That''s it then, how did you know?" Boone, a former NCR sniper asked, his expression grim.


    "I found this bill of sale in her safe, you should have it," The Courier answered and handed over a sheet of paper. The man in front of him holstered his trusty hunting rifle to his back, before taking the note and reading it. From Courier''s point of view, he could see his eyes narrow, the paper crumbling slightly under the pressure before the man released a deep sigh and put the note in the back of his pocket.


    "I guess, I shouldn''t be surprised. It''s like them to keep all the paperwork," He said, before handing over the Courier a bunch of caps. "I think our dealings are done, then."


    "I believe so, what do you intend to do now?" He inquired before taking the caps and making them disappear thanks to his pipboy, which made Boone raise his eyebrow slightly.


    "I am not sure just yet, maybe I will wander just like you?" He suggested while the Courier smiled slightly in response.


    "You will figure it out, I am sure. And if not, who knows we might go against the Legion together?" He countered and the two shared a small chuckle, before saying their goodbyes and going their own way.


    "I haven''t had that one in a while," The Courier muttered to himself, before standing up and stretching himself to get all the aches out of the way, his bones popping as he did so.


    Sleeping on a hard surface, compared to a bed was something he was used to, especially with his armour on and his weapons ready to be drawn, even though it wasn''t the most pleasant experience. Checking his vitals, he was relieved to see that his dehydration level was still rather low, thanks to power armour''s recycling system that could turn human waste into water and reduce the amount he needed on a regular basis, which was incredibly useful in all kinds of climates, especially the scorching heat of the Mojave Wasteland. Although, he still needed to bath on a regular basis to prevent infections and diseases, not to mention, to not smell like a brahmin waste when talking to other people.


    Now that he thought about it, the last time he had bathed was before he left the Earth''s surface. He sniffed the inside of his power armour and winced as the smell of sweat entered his nostrils. To make things worse, he still had to get rid of the biological waste left during the recycling, which is to say his faeces. Going out of the spaceship, he noticed it was still dark, the current time on his pipboy reading 3 AM. It meant that he had slept around three hours, as usual, the result of all the implants and tech in his body. He wasn''t sure, how long did the night or day last in this world, but he really hoped it was similar to Earth''s day and night cycle. On the upside, the holograms were in the same spots he left them at, so there was that.


    So, without wasting any more time, he crouched and began sneaking towards the edge of the crater, Old Glory in both of his hands, ready to strike. However, it seemed this time lady luck was on his side, as nothing jumped at him ready to rip his head off. With a sigh of relief, he materialized a shovel, dug out a hole and took care of all the waste from the recycling system. Once that was done, he took off his armour ¨C standing only in a pair of pants and a ton of bandages that covered every inch of his body, leaving only his green eyes visible. It was something he learnt from Joshua Graham, but instead of wounds that wouldn''t heal, he had his own personal reasons for that.


    To put simply, he hated his face being seen by other people, it was one of the reasons he hid behind bandages. The second one, the scars he acquired over the years, which he wasn''t keen on showing to anyone. One could see his pale complexion, being a proof of using armour on a regular basis to prevent sunburns, stray bullets, and lasers from hurting him. It used to be different, but one did not go through the same crap he went through, without having serious emotional baggage and making enough corpses to fill a small graveyard.


    Shaking his head, he took off the used bandages, placed them in a metal pot he had set up, before adding Abraxo and washing them thoroughly ¨C the water turning brown from the sheer amount of dirt and sweat inside them. After that, he pulled out a piece of handmade soap made from brahmin fat and Abraxo cleaner, as well as a bottle of purified water and began to clean himself, making sure to not use more than half of the bottle. Once he was done, he smelt himself and smiled. Hygiene was one of the most important parts of medicine after all.


    After that was taken care of, he put the, now clean, bandages back on, before making his way back to the shuttle. He was about to get down to work once again, when he felt his stomach rumble, stopping him in his tracks. He hadn''t eaten since yesterday now that he thought of it. Taking off his helmet and putting it upside down, to keep it from getting dirty, he materialized a coyote steak, from his Pipboy, which he bit into like an animal and devoured it with the grace of one. Once he was done with the steak, his belly now satisfied, he put the helmet back on and resumed the process.


    The next day and a half were spent disassembling the ship, until there was nothing left, except the crater itself and the skid marks it made on contact. He had to make them disappear, but considering the amount of dirt he would have to shovel to get through, it could take an additional day or more. He weighed his options before he remembered about demolition charges, he found at the Sierra Madre. Putting them along the lines of skid marks, he pulled out MF Hyperbreeder Alpha and fired once, resulting in a chain reaction that destroyed whatever remained of the shape of the impact.


    With everything important taken care of, including the holograms, he began his trek across this new alien world, a part of him excited at the prospect. He was the Courier, after all.


    "So, did you find anything?" Hermes, a god with blonde hair and orange eyes asked.


    "Not a single thing," Asfi replied, her aqua blue hair blowing in the wind, while her cyan coloured eyes focused on the leader of her Familia.


    "Not a single thing, huh? Any idea what it could have been?" He inquired, while the woman shook her head.


    "No clue, the only thing we have noticed is that multiple explosions were triggered here quite recently too. Possibly with the use of Kaenseki, dropped by Flame rock. Outside of that, we haven''t been able to find a single thing. Whoever came here first, left nothing behind. To top it off, we were the only group sent here from Orario, which means, an outside third party had to come here before us and carried the meteor or whatever it was with them," She explained.


    Hermes bit his lip, as he thought of any other Familia that could have made their way here, before them. "Don''t suppose they were aliens?"


    The glare Asfi gave him told him everything he needed to know. "Very unlikely, considering the knowledge we have got. In any event, it seems this whole expedition was a waste of resources."


    That lead to Hermes laughing before he managed to calm down. "You know it was a joke, right, Asfi?" She just glared at him. "Fine, call everyone off. There is nothing left for us, but just in case report it to the guild, could you?" The woman nodded at the order and began to gather the rest of the Familia. Hermes though, was hell-bent on figuring out what really happened and he would not stop until he got the answer.


    Somewhere, far away from the group, the Courier sneezed. "Somebody must be talking about me," He muttered, followed swiftly by a chuckle.


    Currently, he was heading South, or at least that''s what his pipboy told him and so far, he had yet to see another human being or anything outside of some animals like deers, squirrels, birds and so on and so forth. That in itself only reinforced what he suspected, this wasn''t Earth, the animals looked normal, without an ounce of mutation on them. He considered hunting them down for food but he decided against it. He had plenty of supplies to spare and didn''t want to hunt without knowing it was safe.


    For all he knew, there could be aliens, similar to elves, that would gladly murder him for killing an animal. It took another hour or two, before he found himself at a dirt road, the sun at noon. On the right side of it, a single road sign stood written in a language he could not understand for the life of him. It seemed similar to runic at best, but he wasn''t certain of that. Definitely not Chinese or English.


    Seeing that he had nothing better to do than follow the signs he set off towards the direction it pointed, still suited in Remnants power armour. One thing that he was worried about was the fact, that he didn''t know a thing about the technological level of this world. For all he could know they could be somewhere between Renaissance and Neolithic level, considering the lack of lights he saw from the shuttle. Biting his lip, he stopped in the middle of the road, brought up his pipboy and began browsing it in search of three particular items.


    Once he found them, he smiled under his helmet and materialized them on himself, while his previous armour and weapons were stored inside the pipboy. The first one was known as Armour of the 87th Tribe, based on the design of Legate Lanius. The second one was the helmet of said Legate, which he took from his corpse after he killed him with the Old Glory. And last but not least, was the Blade of the West, carried by Marked Men from the Divide. Courier Six, Butcher of the West, that has got a nice ring to it.


    With his new outfit equipped, he assumed he seemed far less suspicious as he continued his trek towards his destination. The reason he preferred to wear power armour over his current one was simple. Not only did power armour increase his strength, but it also provided waste recycling, which helped conserve his supplies, despite the fact that he had enough water to fill a small well by himself. As he moved forward, he noticed the road descending into a small rocky valley, a perfect place for an ambush. That stopped him in his tracks, as he decided upon the course of action.


    The last time, he came across this kind of ambush was close to Nipton. He was lucky back then and decided to go around the hills and managed to get a drop on the bandits, reducing the damage he received. Crouching once again, he began to go around the valley, climbing the rocks surrounding it.


    Reaching the peak, he noticed something that caused his jaw to drop a bit. Around the valley, he could see around thirty small green and plump humanoid monsters, dressed in a patchwork fur and wielding rusty daggers and primitive bows. ''Are these supposed to be goblins? Like in those fairy tales?'' He had no clue how to react. A small part of him wanted to go to the nearest doctor and see if he was still sane. However, the augmentations in his body prevented fake images, signals, and effects such as frenzy from affecting him. He had no clue what to do, obviously, they were bandits or something along those lines, judging by their position.


    However, that didn''t mean he could kill them without repercussions. Just as he considered his options, he could see a small caravan heading towards the valley, compromised of what he could see humans. It had a single merchant riding a cart with two horses pulling it, followed by four guards, dressed in what looked like leather medieval armour, stationed at the corners of the vehicle. It seemed like for once, the world decided to throw him a bone. Good thing he had an internal stealth field implant, which was yet another one of Big Mountains many useful inventions.


    It allowed him to turn invisible for short periods of time. Unlike the traditional stealthboy, the duration was shorter and it also drained energy from an outside source. Luckily for him, Microfusion Breeder, which he adapted from a recharger pistol served well at keeping it active. One major downside of the implant was stability, which became worse with time, so he only had four minutes at most, before it had to recharge for the next half a minute.


    Sneaking up on the goblins, making no sound in the process, he drew his weapon and waited. One minute later, they tensed, drawing their weapons, ready to ambush the caravan. It was time, turning the stealth field off, he swung the oversized sword, hitting three goblins at the same time. The monsters exploded into a pile of guts, blood and gore, their remains falling on the road below, startling the horses and stopping the caravan.


    The rest of the twelve goblins on his side panicked, giving him plenty of time to chop them up, one by one. One of the goblins decided to lunge at him, but to the Courier, their movement was as slow as that of a snail. The monsters could not compare to guns and bullets back in his world, which he could dodge to an extent. So, with a practised movement, he stepped back, before delivering a vicious kick to the goblin''s torso, blowing its body into pieces and sending its remains to the other side.


    Seeing what happened to their brethren, the monsters did the only sensible thing they knew. They took their weapons and run away with a screech. With a smirk on his face, the Courier holstered the sword to his back, which clung to it, despite the lack of the holster itself. One thing he noticed after the fight, was the fact that each of the monsters possessed some kind of gemstones, which upon extraction turned the rest of the body into ash. Whenever he tried to remove a piece of meat, it would turn into ash as soon as it separated from the rest of the body. He really didn''t know what to think of it. He considered putting the gemstones back in his pipboy, but using it in front of the people of this world could lead to some uncomfortable questions. So instead, he pulled out a duffel bag, put everything inside it, except all the blood sausages and thin red paste the monsters dropped, before throwing it over his back and sliding down the slope.


    The guards had their weapons drawn, mostly spears and swords with shields for additional protection, their attention focused on the man in front of them. Showing he was unarmed, he emptied the contents of the duffel bag on the road in front of him, before pointing towards the slope he came from. That got attention from the group, who turned towards each other and began talking among themselves in an unknown language, before putting their weapons away. The merchant was a fairly old man in his fifties, judging by the greying out hair and a beard of decent size.


    "Thank you for helping with the goblins, stranger. They can be a pretty nasty bunch, especially in a group. Is there something I can do to repay you?" He asked while the Courier tried his hardest to figure out what the man just said. Judging by the tone, he didn''t seem hostile, but it could mean anything. So instead of making a fool of himself, he pointed at his own throat and shook his head. "...You can''t speak?" The Courier shrugged, before turning around and leaving the merchant behind him, waving his hand in the process.


    The merchant himself wanted to repay the stranger, especially since he left all the drops of the monster behind, but seeing that the man couldn''t speak and his lack of skill in non-verbal communication, there was only one thing he could do. He ordered the guards to gather the drops of the monsters, before spurring the horses and catching up to the Courier, gaining his attention. After that, the merchant took a handful of valis and threw it to the stranger, who caught them in one hand, before nodding towards him and hiding the payment in his duffel bag. With his debt regulated, the merchant let the Courier be and waited for the guards to catch up with him.


    The Courier, satisfied with his good deed well done, returned to the task at hand, leaving the merchant to his own problems. This whole encounter taught him a few things. One, the goblins were a threat, two the currency was different from his world and three, the technological level of this world was centuries behind his own. Nobody even had the basic black powder gun, which meant he had a massive advantage when it came to range and firepower. Also, VATS analysed both the goblins and the humans, which he found to be weaker than in his own world.


    The armour they possessed wasn''t even strong enough to stop the weakest of rounds such as the .22 and their durability was weaker than that of a Radroach. Jogging down the road, he thought of all the possibilities, the things that he could introduce to this world and uproar it would cause if anyone found out. It would be better if he stayed low profile for as long as he could. Still, the technology was not that outdated, they had some basic understanding of metallurgy and the knowledge he possessed would allow him to rebuild the space shuttle given enough time and materials. All he needed to do was to find some major city, start his own business, gain enough money to pay for the materials, a patch of land to build the whole thing at and he would be set.


    The next few hours were spent in silence, as the Courier sneaked past all the obvious attempts at the ambush, the Caravan left behind. The monsters certainly didn''t possess much in terms of intelligence and hunting them was a bit pointless, since he had no clue what to with materials they dropped. He could probably trade them away, but without the ability to speak or even write, he would be ripped off, taken advantage of or worse. He didn''t want to risk it. As the sun began to set, he found himself on a huge plain filled with grass, one major city located behind tall stone walls that could be easily seen from the distance. While on his right, what he presumed was some sort of lake or even sea, with a smaller village located on the coast.


    "Sea..." He muttered, as he gazed upon the massive pool of water in the distance. He couldn''t remember the last time he had seen the sea, outside of photographs perhaps. Maybe during his travels, but even then, he was not certain. While going and taking a dip into the sea was tempting, he first wanted to get inside the city, learn to speak and then think about some leisure time. Letting out a sigh of pure undiluted disappointment, he began his trek towards the city.


    As he got closer, he could see more and more details, most importantly, a giant tower standing in the middle of the city, taller than anything he had ever seen, even taller than Lucky 38, which could be seen from miles away. It was made of stone and somehow was able to stand straight, despite it being physically impossible last he checked. He wasn''t an architect, but the strain the floor and the lowest bricks would have to endure meant it couldn''t be ordinary stone.


    Then there was the fact it was standing perfectly straight, despite all the winds that could cause some serious damage. It seemed like he underestimated the inhabitants of this world if they were able to create a structure of this size. Outside of that, the walls itself were standing at impressive fifty meters tall, making a sneaky entrance to the city very unlikely. Outside of that, he could see multiple gates leading to the city, people pouring through the gates in swarms.


    On top of that, many more caravans were heading in and out of the city, the traffic far more intensive than it was a few hours ago. Some even glanced at him, as he moved towards the gates, whispering between each other. It was problematic, but nothing he couldn''t handle. As he got closer, one thing became painfully obvious, the gates were checking each of the individuals that passed through them. The person would get into the booth for a short period of time and then enter without a hitch. The ones trying to leave the city took at least twice as long before they were allowed to leave.


    He wasn''t sure what happened inside the booth, but with his lack of ability to speak, write or even understand their language, getting through official means would probably cause a lot of trouble, assuming they even let him in the first place. So that option was out, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t enter with the help of the skills and perks he possessed. Finding some way off the main road, he made sure nobody was watching him, before crouching down and turning his stealth field on. With his mind made up, he carefully manoeuvred around the caravans, the guards and all the people in the line, avoiding contact with everyone until he found two guards with halberds blocking the entrance. Fortunately enough, there was a pretty big gap between their weapons, making it easy to get past the guards. Once he was inside, he immediately dove into a side alley, making sure there was nobody in the vicinity.


    Only then, he let go off the breath he held, turned off the stealth field before he headed in the opposite direction to the gate. Now that he was inside, he had plenty of things to do, including but not limited to exploring the entirety of the city, finding some kind of book store to steal from, learn the native language of this world and figure out how things worked in this crazy world. For whatever reason, it filled him with excitement, as the last time he went on such a journey was before the second battle for Hoover Dam.


    "Some things never change¡­" The Courier muttered to himself and chuckled.


    Author''s notes:


    Man, I am pumping these chapters one by one. I am on a roll it seems, at least till summer ends. So, now that we are done with the initial boring crap, we can finally get to the meat of the story. Well, almost, I still have to teach the Courier how to speak their language. It''s really odd, when someone comes to a different world and everyone speaks English.


    Anyway, shout out to dereturd, who wrote Fallout NV/Danmachi crossover before me. I initially wanted to skip writing a crossover of my own, but I have decided to go for it after reading the start of his. To be perfectly honest, I kind of did it out of spite. I can''t bear any and all crossovers with bugthesda''s Fallout, so I avoid them on purpose and treat them as they don''t exist. So I used it as my motivation to write my own crossover.


    What else, ah yes. Comment, review, share your thoughts, etc. Also, regarding 10 charisma (dereturd), my Courier doesn''t have it. It''s a dump stat, plus a character without any faults is a Mary Sue. The Courier with 10 across all SPECIAL stats and 100 skills, who everyone falls for by simply looking at him/her is boring as crap. That''s not what is going to happen here.


    Also, regarding Freya and her charm, remember how Courier is immune to poison? Well I took it up to 11 and I think you can see what I am getting at. Of course, that doesn''t mean, he is immune to everything. Being set on fire still hurts (even though you can kill everyone without any side effects ¨C the legend of a flaming torch man). However, between half of his organs removed, metal skeleton, skin tough enough to completely ignore .22 things are not going to be easy for her.


    So there you have it, I hope you are enjoying this fiction and have a nice day. Adios!


    Chapter 3


    Courier Six wasn''t an ordinary person, he had been through things that would have left weaker minds mentally broken and scarred for life. Braving Sierra Madre, Big Mountain, the Divide, seeing things that made him question his sanity. But nothing could prepare him for the city of Orario. Walking along one of the streets at night, he could hardly believe his own eyes.


    People with animal features like tails and ears on top of their heads, dwarfs, elves, tiny humans that which were too numerous to be a single occurrence of genetic mistake, just to name a few. And hairs, hairs of colours that defied his entire biological and genetic knowledge. The fact that the colours of the irises were just as varied didn''t help.


    "And here I thought I have seen everything. It''s like someone took a fantasy city and made it real," He muttered to himself.


    He had no clue how it was possible, to begin with. Back in his world, Supermutans and ghouls were often looked down upon, despite being former humans and less alien than the creatures surrounding him. Heck, the ghouls were often referred to as zombies, while the former suffered attacks from NCR mercenaries. Here though everyone was fine with each other, or at least it seemed that way. No obvious racism could be seen, which was too good to be true, as far as the Courier was concerned.


    That wasn''t even the oddest thing he had seen so far. The buildings in the city looked new, yet outdated. They looked similar to the ones built at the beginning of eighteen or perhaps nineteen-century brick houses back on Earth. The streets were clean, free of faeces, trash and anything of that sort, which implied active plumbing and some kind of public service. Not to mention street lights very similar to those back on Earth. There were also many different types of buildings, based on different cultures, remarkably similar to the likes of Chinese, Japanese, Western and others, he saw photographs of at old database.


    One thing became painfully obvious the more time he spent walking the streets of Orario. The sheer difference between certain individuals was staggering. While most of the ordinary people he saw were weaker than back on Earth, thanks to VATS and Living Anatomy, not even able to take a bullet to the head and not die. There were individuals here and there that could pose a threat. However, most of them still didn''t compare to Earth and the things he fought on regular basis like Yao Guais, Deathclaws or just plain old raiders who could take several bullets to the head, before finally going down.


    Shaking his head, he focused on his surroundings and noticed that he found himself in more ''fun'' part of the city. Everywhere he looked, he could see all kinds of scantily dressed women, with clothing that could barely be called one. The most prominent of the women, being those of tanned carnation, with a simple bra-like loin and pants of similar design, leaving almost nothing to the imagination. Most of the customers and tourists were male, with few exceptions, just like in New Vegas. One thing that really stuck out in the district was a huge number of different kinds of buildings, some of which looked like they were taken from many different cultures, which confused him. Then again, this whole city had been nothing but confusing this entire time.


    He rolled his eyes at the sheer amount of p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.es in the area, as he manoeuvred his way through the district, acting confident and uninterested, which worked wonders in Mojave, preventing most of the shady dealers from approaching him. As he walked around the district, he found himself in one of the eastern types of brothels, that made him stop in his tracks.


    In front of the facility, a lone female with fox-like ears and tail sat in seiza position. What really stood out among her blonde hair and animal features, were her green eyes and a collar around her neck. The look inside of them was something he had seen before, it was a look of someone who lost all hope and accepted his or her fate. The same kind Joanna had, back in Mojave. Just that made him want to do something, anything, find out what happened. But¡­, he couldn''t, no matter how much he wanted to help, he couldn''t simply walk up to the girl and ask her a question or two.


    Many soldiers would often suffer post-traumatic stress disorder after facing the horrors of war and being subjected to the death of their comrades. And that''s not taking into account things such as pain, suffering, ****, just to name a few. Corporal Betsy had never asked for being r.a.p.ed by Cook Cook, which made her unstable and she had to go to Doctor Usanagi to get proper treatment. However, the worst feeling, the one that caused the biggest number of PTSD was possessing a gun, yet still not being able to do anything. The feeling of helplessness.


    While he was lost in his thoughts, something bumped into him gaining his attention. It was a female of the same tanned complexion he had seen around the district. Her long blue hair reached down her waist, with a single yellow eye being visible. The clothing she wore could barely be called one, as it more resembled underwear, with only transparent like loose fabric around her legs.


    Her eyes spread wide open before a small smile appeared on her lips. "Well, what do we have here?" The Courier didn''t respond as the female in front of him began eyeing him up, before she took a step forward and wrapped her fingers around his elbow, pulling his body against her and wrapping her other hand around his waist. He knew that tactic, her eyes gazing into the depths of the helmet, trying to appear as attractive as possible.


    Unfortunately for the woman, her allure was lost to him, something she couldn''t know about. Trying to not hurt the woman, he tried to pull away only to find himself in an iron-like grip, causing him to frown under his helmet. "Easy there," She said, tightening her arms around the Courier. This is not how I imagined things to go. How strong is she anyway?


    "The crop was pitiful tonight," Another amazon said, as she walked up to the duo.


    "Do I smell the blood of a v.i.r.g.i.n man?" Yet another one added.


    "Who''s that, Aisha?" The Courier heard and sweatdropped at all the Amazons surrounding him. There were at least ten of them here, each of them scantily clad women coming their way.


    "Found him right here, pretty impressive frame, not much of a talker," The woman said.


    "Never seen armour like this, but it looks expensive, probably level three adventurer, perhaps higher," One of them said.


    At this rate, he was surrounded, like a part of fresh meat, thrown into the den of hungry wolves. He had no clue what was the woman trying to do, but seeing she had no intention of letting go, he began weighing his options. The looks that were sent his way were more than enough to make him wary of the women around him. This wasn''t normal, no p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e back in his world would force him into position like this. He had a nasty suspicion that if he didn''t do something, they were going to either **** him or do something worse.


    Apologizing silently to the woman latched on to him, he turned towards her, grabbed her with his free arm, gaining the attention of the rest of the group. "Oh, it seems like you want it after all," She teased, smiling at him. He ignored her words and with one swift movement hurled the woman over his shoulder, breaking the embrace and sending her ten feet into the air with a yelp.


    To her credit, after being tossed, she managed to land gracefully on her legs, without any injuries. That seemed to have caused a jolt around the group, as they looked at him like he just murdered a puppy or something along those lines.


    "Did he just¡­ toss Aisha into the air?" One of them asked while the rest nodded.


    "That means he is strong, at least level three, it would be a waste to let him go," Another one said, the group surrounding him.


    "And I haven''t heard of anyone with an armour like this, which means, he is not related either to Loki or Freya," As yet another one added.


    As if that wasn''t bad enough, the rest of the street was doing it''s best to evacuate, leaving him surrounded by the women, which gaze sent shivers down his spine. It''s not like he couldn''t fight them off or even kill them, but looking around told him a few things. One, this was considered normal enough as no guards came to his help, two the people leaving the streets and three, the women were working together judging by their coordination. So, he was f.u.c.k.i.e.d, again.


    Back on Earth, he could easily go toe to toe with legendary Deathclaw and win, barehanded. Not to mention destroying Deathclaw Promontory, legendary Bloatfly or just straight out one-hit killing X-42 Giant Robo Scorpion with Old Glory. In fact, he got so strong, it was hard to even find a proper challenge. Most of the time he used MF Hyperbreeder Alpha to save ammo, as it was more than enough to deal with the vast majority of the things he came across. Not that he minded, overkill never hurt him back on Earth.


    So in a way, it was a good thing, that it wasn''t the first time, he found himself in a situation like this or he might have panicked a bit more. Instead, before any of the women had time to react, he crouched and with the strength of his muscles jumped high into the air, landing on the roof of a three-story building, earning shouts of surprise and shock from below. He began running, intent on getting away from the women. The Courier glanced behind himself, not able to believe his own eyes, as the women easily cleared the height of the building and were running far faster than he had expected.


    In fact, judging by their movement and his own, the women had to run at least sixty miles per hour, probably faster as he was low balling the number. When he first came to this world, he expected people to be weaker, slower and less dangerous, not the opposite. Heck, the people in his world were ridiculous, but this was just insane. It''s like some deity in the sky decided to make his life miserable at every opportunity.


    Biting his lip, he focused on his survival, jumping onto another building, doing his best to stay ahead of the group, holding back his full strength in case things got even worse. And just as he expected, things quickly began spinning out of control, as more Amazons joined the chase, often getting ahead and forcing him to change direction, jump past, roll or dodge their attempts to either grab him or hit him. The cries from below sounding like encouragement and even instructions. Don''t tell me! His gaze switched to the streets below and his blood froze as the p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.es in windows pointed in his direction, while shouting.


    The whole district was against him and unless he managed to get away from them, they wouldn''t let him go. Glancing behind, he noticed the one who started it all was slowly catching up to him. Then he saw two Amazons jumping towards him and he activated VATS.


    Time stopped in its tracks, allowing him to take in everything happening around him. It was a miraculous technology but came at a price and with its own set of limitations. However, when it came to choosing the best target or the body part of his enemy, it helped more than once. Behind him, he could see Aisha and other ten Amazons high on his tail, on the streets below he could see more waiting for him, while the ones in front were getting into position to strike him into two separate spots at the same time, both legs and head to force him into choosing one of the injuries.


    He looked further and could see a small valley just behind the Amazons, between the buildings. It wasn''t much, but it should be enough, all he had to do is break the line of sight for a second. Preparing himself mentally, he turned off the VATS and activated bullet time. Time slowed down, everything appearing two times slower than before, while his speed remained the same, thanks to kinetic implants installed in his body. The downside, it used his action points that VATS also used. The Courier jumped between their attacks, diving deep into the valley right into the crouching position, breaking the line of sight and making him hidden from their eyes.


    That''s when he turned the stealth field on, before booking it out of the valley as fast as he could. He wasn''t safe, nowhere near that, but unless the enemy bumped into him, they wouldn''t be able to find him. He only managed to move ten meters away, before one of the Amazons from the streets stood at the entrance of the alley, searching for him. Shortly after the rest of the group joined, landing into the valley, their eyes scanning the environment, while the Courier hugged the wall, not daring to move an inch.


    "What happened? Where did he go?" One of the Amazons asked, her expression furious.


    "I don''t know, I saw him jumping into the alley, but he wasn''t there when I got there," The one from the entrance explained, searching for any kind of movement in the valley.


    The one who was taking it the worst was his captor, her fists clenched and her only visible eyes narrowed in what he presumed was a fury.


    "Then where did he go? He couldn''t have disappeared," Aisha asked, her eyes searching the valley, glancing over the Courier but not seeing him. Please, go away, go away, go away¡­ The Courier was sweating as the Amazons looked around furiously.


    "I don''t know, but the longer we stay here, the smaller our chances are of finding him. You have seen his speed and acrobatic ability. There''s no way, he is less than level three and that''s an understatement. That last burst of speed was a proof of that," Samira, one of the Amazons explained, while the Amazons nodded grudgingly.


    "Fine, everyone split up, he couldn''t have gone far, we will find him one way or another," Aisha said before every Amazon nodded and left the valley, leaving the Courier alone with his thoughts.


    "What the f.u.c.k just happened¡­?" He muttered to himself, the stealth field no longer active, it''s stability orbiting around eighty per cent.


    He wanted to leave, but they wouldn''t let him and when he forced her off himself, it''s like he triggered a hornet''s nest. Whatever the reason was, he was not coming here anytime soon, it was simply too dangerous. Also, he was going to avoid every single one of them, if possible, never bumping into one, talking to one or getting anywhere near one. Pulling up his pipboy, which had no satellite access, but the automapping feature still worked, he put a marker on the map and named it ''Stay away, crazy women here'', before putting it away.


    "That''s enough of excitement for one day," He said to nobody in particular before turning invisible and making his way out of the district.


    As he moved through the streets of Orario at night, he realized he hadn''t slept since he left the space shuttle. From what he could gather, this world had the same time scale as the Earth, which meant, it was almost three in the morning. He could go on without sleep for longer periods of time, but he preferred not to since it affected his performance in the long run. As he looked around, he noticed a church that looked like it had seen better days.


    It was made completely out of stone, with several windows, filled with broken mosaic and a statue of some kind of goddess in the back. However, the building itself looked abandoned, the roof partially collapsed, that statue missing fairly big chunks of it and a small pile of rubble on the floor. It wasn''t much of a hotel, but he had seen worse or just straight out sleep in the middle of the desert with a gun under his pillow.


    Deciding that it was more than enough, he made his way inside, before looking for way upstairs. That way, he could watch the entrance and not be trapped in some kind of bas.e.m.e.nt, if it had one. Luckily, lady luck was on his side, as a small wooden ladder led upstairs to partially collapsed attic.


    It was devoid of furniture, with holes in the floor and the roof itself, but it seemed stable enough for a temporary base of operations. So, without wasting any more time, he set up his sleeping kit on the floor then made his way downstairs, before setting up a very simple alarm system consisting of wire and several tin cans connected with each other. That way, if someone decided to ambush him, they would alert him of his presence. The number of times he fell for similar things, but far more deadly was too great for his liking. With his camp set up, he made his way into the sleeping bag, before closing his eyes and falling asleep in an instant.


    Rays of sunlight greeted him, each of them falling through the cracks in the rooftop. A quick look at his HUD told him it was already six am, which meant he once again slept for three hours, enough to get rid of all the sleep deprivation he acc.u.mulated yesterday. With a groan, he made his way out of the bed, stretching himself in the process.


    He still had trouble believing what transpired yesterday, with him easily getting inside the city only to be chased around by barely modest women across the district, yet it wasn''t even top ten of the weirdest things that he had ever seen or been a part of. Shaking his head, he dematerialized the sleeping kit and descended the ladder, the traps untouched.


    Now that he was inside the city, his number one priority was to find a book store and learn to read and hopefully not get chased again. With his mind made up, he walked out of the church right into the crowded streets of the city. Unlike yesterday, when the traffic was fairly reduced due to the time of his arrival, today it seemed like every single living thing in existence decided to say hello.


    The streets were crowded to the brim, with people and other beings going their own way, chatting, selling merchandise on wooden carts or heading towards the giant tower in the middle of a city, fully dressed up in armour. And just like the last time, his armour brought the attention of quite a few, but thankfully enough, most of them simply looked at him, gave him a quick glance before returning back to their business.


    As he walked around, he listened to the chatter and became even more confused as a result. Their language was so much different, it made talking with tribes at Zion look easy. If there was any consolation in this whole situation was the fact that his armour didn''t bring nearly as much attention as he thought it might.


    Then suddenly on his right, he noticed what looked like a book store. It had a simple one-way door, with glass on the upper side, big windows with books neatly arranged behind them and a sign of a book hanging at the top. The Courier''s lips turned into a smile before he remembered he had no money, outside of what that merchant threw him, which he didn''t know the value of.


    Appearing uninterested, he walked up to the front and took a look at the merchandise. Underneath each of them, he could see the price tag, but the writing was so alien, he couldn''t as much as guess how much it meant. With a sigh, he used his HUD and connection to the pipboy to add a waypoint, before turning around and leaving towards the tower in the middle of the city.


    That''s where the majority of the armoured people headed for anyway. He was curious, did that tower lead to Heaven or something? That wouldn''t explain why they needed all that armour though. The plaza surrounding the tower was quite a sight, easily capable of letting hundreds of beings move around freely. People and other creatures were talking between each other, discussing, laughing or going and out of the tower.


    As he moved towards the entrance, he noticed a small group of four men followed by a single tiny female with an oversized backpack, her auburn hair poking out of beneath her hood. They passed each other and he could have sworn the woman glanced at him, before following the men in front of her. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about this whole situation but decided not to get involved, not without good reason that is, like money or puppies.


    He might have been a mercenary and stuck to the rules of ones, but that didn''t mean he never broke them. He still had to keep his appearances though, otherwise, people would beg for him to do their chores for free or just not pay him, because that''s what ''heroes'' could. He almost spat at the notion of being called one. He was no hero, never was and probably never will.


    Sighing, he entered the tower and could feel his jaw drop, his eyes spread wide open. There was a massive hole with a set of a staircase on the edge that led down below to what he presumed was some kind of cave. Those ''prospectors'' in armour, he decided to call them that way, entered the cave with fairly small backpacks while leaving seemingly full of loot.


    It reminded him of the mines back in Mojave where the deeper you went, the better the loot was. However, that didn''t explain the sheer number of beings going inside and out, nor their equipment meant for a fight. In fact, to him, it didn''t make any sense. If it was a mine, there would be miners going in, not prospectors. And then there was this whole city, build around the damn thing. What is this thing anyway?


    He wanted to go downstairs, to see what was waiting below, but he decided against it. As much as he wanted to do so, he had certain priorities and rushing in without any kind of plan or knowledge could spell his doom. For all he knew, there could be monsters, traps and things more deadly than back on Earth. His modus operandi in these kinds of circ.u.mstances was simple: Never underestimate your opponent.


    He had plenty of time left, not to mention, he still had to earn enough money to rebuild the space shuttle or the time needed to recreate almost every single component from scratch. Turning away, he began walking around the city, making notes of buildings that caught his attention, like a castle from medieval fantasy, pharmacies, markets, etc. He avoided the district where the crazy women were and stayed clear of the Amazons he saw on the streets, he decided to call them like this, considering their sheer strength and the way the acted towards him.


    During the walk, he also drank some water and ate some of his supplies, while avoiding anyone seeing it appear from thin air, using his duffel bag as a way to pull it out without drawing anyone''s attention. He also found out there were public toilets strewn around the city, free of charge, a boon unlike any other. There was nothing worse than running out of paper and water in the middle of the desert.


    It was only when the sun began to set he decided to go for the goal he set up. The bookshop had still some lights on, but nothing prevented him from looking for an alternate way in. Navigating his way around the shop, he found the back entrance, in the street behind it. Making sure there was nobody left in the valley, he crouched, turned the stealth field on and walked up to the door, before pulling one of his many lockpicks and a screwdriver. With a practised movement, the door clicked open, before he gently pulled it open, making sure it didn''t creak before he closed the door behind himself and locked it behind


    The room he was located in looked like some kind of storage, with spare books hidden in boxes and such. The scent of books and ink-filled the air. There were no traps in the back, so he moved forward and peeked around the corner. There he noticed what he presumed had to be the owner pulling the shutters down. The owner was an older woman, past her prime, but not obese and one could see remnants of her past in her frame. Only when he saw the woman walk up the stairs to what he presumed was a bedroom, he turned off the stealth field.


    Waiting a few more minutes to make sure she wouldn''t come down, he began silently sneaking through the store, looking for books meant for kids, hopefully with lots of pictures and such. Looking at the cover was not enough though, so he had to manually pull one out, check it out then put it back. The whole process was pretty simple, but the sheer number of books meant that he wouldn''t be leaving anytime soon.


    Only after what seemed like two hours, he finally found three books that looked specifically designed for the children. They were pretty long, with pictures of objects, animals and with written words beneath them. As compensation he put the money he received on the table, making sure to not leave any of the fingerprints on them. Who knew, maybe this world also had magic, that could find someone with a strand of their hair, but so far, he had yet to see it. It didn''t sit well with him to steal from others, especially if it was an honest merchant, not a powder ganger, but if he didn''t do that, he never would have gotten his hands on things like Big Boomer or La Longue Carbine.


    Leaving through the same way he entered, he made his way back to the church, acting normal on his way back. Only when he was back at the camp, he materialized one of the books from thin air, sat against one of the walls, bringing up a clipboard, a pencil and some blank books for notes, before he got down to work.


    The next three hours were spent in complete silence, as the Courier made notes, forming a few ideas on their language. While it was true the writing here was different from his world, he found certain similarities. For instance, the words were made out of a set of around twenty-something signs, similar to English. He also found out how to spell things like a cat, food, water, ocean, etc. The basics of it.


    It wasn''t much, but it was a start. It definitely beat going around blindly and bashing his head against the wall, hoping the enlightenment would come. Still, even if he learned how to read, he had to learn how to speak, before he would be able to make any real progress. It was hard to eavesdrop when you couldn''t understand anything.


    Those three books were a good starting point, but sooner or later, he would be forced to steal some of the books with more advanced words and grammar in order to progress. He definitely wasn''t looking forward to sneaking in the same place twice or more. As he progressed through the book, he found himself scratching his eyes and blinking to make the feeling go away.


    Only then he realized the sun was slowly rising, the first rays coming through the rooftop. A glance at his current status told him everything he needed to know. He was getting tired, this entire day was spent exploring the city and learning to write their language. In fact, he hadn''t done anything pleasant or relaxing.


    It was one of the many faults he had, he was a workaholic, going around the Mojave desert, talking to people, taking on quests, exploring, fighting, running for his life and such. Heck, even when he managed to take over New Vegas, he spent most of his time running the damn thing, dealing with nuisances and helping Think Tank develop technologies beneficial to mankind.


    It also meant, that making friends or just straight out enjoying himself he considered an utter waste of time, not that his past experiences helped in the matter. He had issues, didn''t he? With a sigh, he dematerialized the books, before he set up his sleeping bag once again, climbed right into and let his body fall asleep.


    Waking up alone once again, he groaned, while stretching himself up. A small part of him wanted to explore the city, but he still had to learn how to read and write. Once he could do that, things would become much easier, simply due to the fact, he could write his questions and answers, instead of trying to guess what other means with hand signs or something along those lines.


    This, in turn, became a pattern, he would read all the day, making notes, practising writing and reading, only making short breaks for a meal and to take care of his biological needs. This lasted until he finally read through all the books, which took him almost a week. At this point, he decided to pay a visit to the book store once again, return the books he stole and get new ones in their place.


    The sun was slowly setting down, giving him plenty of time to reach the nearby book store, but then he remembered a certain market he saw when he first explored the city. It would be a good test run for his newfound knowledge. The walk only took a couple of minutes, before he found himself surrounded by the merchandise. There were dozens of stands, each one selling something a little bit different.


    He could see glass bottles, filled with some kind of liquid of different colours, throwing knives, some kind of bombs, different kinds of bags, ready to eat rations, like dried meat and fruits. Things that were meant for an expedition. While he couldn''t recognize most of the things on display, he was able to read the names of food and drinks like water, lemonade, tea, jerky, etc.


    It wasn''t much, but it left him feeling far happier than five minutes ago. He made some decent progress and was slowly gaining an understanding of this world. He wished, he could just learn some translation spell or maybe a book that would do it for him, not that it would happen.


    Leaving the market behind him, he made his way back to the book store and once again sneaked in from behind. However, the door was locked, luckily the owner didn''t change the locks, making it easy to pick once again. Finding himself in the familiar shop, he made sure the owner was once again absent, before gently putting the books he stole back on the counter.


    He considered attaching a short note with an apology, but decided against it and spent the next hour searching for more advanced books. Fortunately, last time he was here he recalled there being books like this not far from the ones he stole. Only after finding them, he once again left, making sure to not leave anything that could be traced back to him.


    Once he found himself back in the attic, he settled down, before getting down to work. The books were more advanced than the previous ones, going more into depth and with a lot more grammar and proper punctuation being the highlights, not to mention vastly expanded vocabulary. Still, he could slowly see the pattern and with enough time, he shouldn''t have any more trouble reading and writing in the damn thing.


    The same pattern as the last time was established, but this time, he needed over three weeks to get through the books, which despite his high intelligence, proved to be a problem more than once. He struggled to understand what was the task the book required him to do, often forcing him to check the back of it for the answers.


    During that time, a small girl with b.r.e.a.s.ts that were too big for her small frame moved into a small bas.e.m.e.nt, not far from the attic. Luckily for him, she wasn''t interested in exploring it. She would go into the city at dawn and come back just as the sun was about to set. She wasn''t a threat though, as the VATS showed her to be weak as most of the people in the city.


    Two weeks after he began his current books, a boy with white hair and red eyes moved in with her and for some reason, the first thing he thought when he saw the young man was a rabbit. After that, the boy, would go out on his own to the city and come back late, with pouches filled with money called Valis, as he found out. Avoiding them was easy enough, as they completely ignored the attic, probably thinking there was nothing of value in it.


    The most important thing he got out of the books, was the general understanding of the world. The city he was located in was called Orario and it was built over a massive dungeon, that spanned dozens of floors below the surface, each one bigger than the previous one. The tower that was built over the entrance was called Babel, while the people who went inside were called adventurers, that went there to fight monsters and earn money, by extracting the same purple gemstones he first found on the monsters, he now knew were called goblins.


    That wasn''t even the most important thing though, the gods were real in this world, that''s what shook him the most. The gods came down to this planet''s surface and offered their blessing, called Falna to the adventurers, which allowed them to become stronger, learn new skills and level up. That, in turn, explained the massive disproportion between ordinary people and so-called adventurers that he saw before when he was being chased by the woman, known as Amazons.


    The idea of a god or a goddess being someone he had to rely on, work with, be good for to become stronger was disgusting to put mildly. The very idea of it was abhorrent to the Courier. The gods didn''t care when the Great War happened, they didn''t care when seven billion people died in a war that lasted a total of two hours and now they were here?!


    He wanted to crush the book in his hands, making small imprints, before he managed to calm down and put it away. He didn''t know how did the gods act, nor did he care. All he knew was that he wanted nothing to do with them. Everything he accomplished was the result of his own blood, sweat, and tears. He was shot, stabbed, blasted with lasers, plasma, missiles, grenades among many others. Not to mention lobotomized against his own will, filled with multiple powerful implants and his body enchanted with powerful perks like Rad Child, Solar Powered and such.


    These adventurers might have risked their lives when going to the Dungeon, but they didn''t have to survive Deathclaws, Cazadors, Nightstalker or bandits on a regular basis. Their world wasn''t destroyed and filled with radiation, invaded by a bunch of slaving marauders or harassed by a bunch of stuck up assholes in power armour. He wanted to be angry, wanted to lash out at something, anything, but¡­ he couldn''t.


    There was no point in doing so anyway. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, he let his mind calm down as he considered his circ.u.mstances. The gods created groups known as Familia, which made the Courier snort in response. Familia? More like willing slavery, if you ask me. These groups would try to look for powerful members to add to their groups, which made him a potential target. So, to avoid that, he had to brave the Dungeon by himself and the monsters contained within.


    To do so, he had to register at the guild, because otherwise it would be deemed illegal and cause negative consequences. Bringing up his pipboy, he noticed the clock was about to reach eight AM, which was quite late honestly. Still, it would be more than enough, so he stood up, packed up his entire gear and left, avoiding the other inhabitants of the church and setting out for the Guild, which he found the last time he explored the city. That''s where many adventurers went anyway.


    The goddess Freya was bored as she gazed upon on the city of Orario from the top of the Babel, a small glass of wine located in her left hand. She was considered to be the most beautiful woman in the world, even in Heaven. Her charm leaving men and women speechless, not able to respond. Her long silver hair, reaching down to her waist, along with her silver eyes, skin white as fresh snow and a perfect golden ratio, so much so, one would think it originated from her.


    While most of the time she spent in the Babel gazing upon the city of Orario, even she liked to have fun every now and then. At times like this, she enjoyed putting on a cloak, sneaking out of the Babel and going around the Orario, sitting in a cafe and watching the adventures go past her, watching the adventures and their souls. It was an ability unique to her, which allowed her to see the colour and brilliance of souls, allowing her to estimate the strength of an adventurer.


    With a small smile on her lips, she put on the cloak, letting the Ottar know she was leaving for a bit, before making it down into the crowds of Orario. As she walked down the streets, heading in the direction of Hostess of Fertility, navigating through the crowd with practised ease, avoiding bumping into anyone.


    That''s how it usually went, before a man with a soul that she had never seen before distracted her, which in turn lead to her bumping into him and falling onto her rump. The hood fell backwards, her face exposed. Every single person in their tracks as the gazed upon the goddess, the silence almost thick enough to cut through with a knife. The only exception was the man himself, who knelt in front of her and offered his hand. She gracefully took it and let herself be pulled up, putting on the hood once again.


    She didn''t expect that, as most people would be charmed, not able to do anything but blink in front of her beauty. This man, however, was unaffected, making sure she wasn''t injured, his gaze looking over her. Unfortunately, the people were still staring and she had to disappear, otherwise, it could cause a commotion, which she didn''t want. Before she could do that though, the man turned towards the rest of the crowd and growled.


    What happened next, made her yelp as a figure of dark and powerful beast manifested itself behind his back, a pair of razor-sharp claws and blood-red eyes, covered in thick scales. The crowd jumped back, some even drawing their weapons, before it disappeared just as quickly as it came, the crowd shaken and doing it''s best to leave as soon as they could.


    The image itself shook the very being of the goddess, her heart racing, turning hot from the inside. It was engraved in her mind, along with the beauty of his soul. It was different, with two different colours inside it. The first one was red, like blood, covering most of his soul, like a scent that could never be washed away. The second one was grey, the purest form of grey she had ever seen in her entire life.


    She blinked her eyes, as the man turned towards her, nodded and started walking away. It felt like her heart was about to jump out from her chest. If she let him go, she would lose her only chance, that''s what she felt. Almost losing her composure, she grabbed the man by his arm and asked, "Name¡­ what is your name?"


    It came out sounding like a desperate plea, the man turning his attention towards her. She was waiting, her heart beating against her chest before the man turned towards her and put his bag on the ground, forcing her to let go. He then pulled out a clipboard and a pencil, before writing down a single sentence.


    "I can''t understand you, please, write it down," He wrote, before handing over the utensils. Her hand shook before she managed to calm down enough to write her question down.


    Once he saw the question, he responded and wrote, "I am known as Courier Six. Are you all right? Do you need any help?"


    She almost spoke out, before reminding herself, he wouldn''t understand her. Taking in the clipboard again, her hand brushing against his armour, she wrote, "No, I am fine. Thank you for your concern, mister Six." Before she had corrected her posture and smiled at him.


    Satisfied, the man put away the utensils, before nodding, turning away and leaving the goddess alone in the streets. She had fallen many times in love with her children and adventurers, yet for the first time in her life, the goddess of love and beauty had been charmed.

 Chapter 230 - My SI Stash #30 - Crawl like a Worm by SocialistBukharin (Fate/staynight)

    -I despise this little shit Shinji so bad but f.u.c.k am I a sucker for these redemption fics... It''s also written by my boi Socialist, the author of Magical Trickster DxD & We need more paper! Honestly the best part of this fic is his interactions with the other characters, it''s hella fun!


    Sypnosis: A young man waking up in the body of a shota Shinji Matou was the first sign that things were going to go down quite soon for the Canon of the Nasuverse. A mission, one duty and crippling depression leads a desperate Shinji to go beyond his own sanity to make sure the world doesn''t turn as crappy as he knows about. But how much can a magically-crippled ChibiMagus truly do about it?


    Rated: M


    Words: 89K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13274352/1/Crawl-like-a-Worm (SocialistBukharin)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    Prologue: Blood, Pain and Worm


    Life is a painful reminder of the word ''harsh''.


    This little poetic detachment doesn''t come of some boring tome of old English but from my very tired mind.


    Tired, tired and tired. PAIN!


    I sighed and got up from my bare bed, putting on some old-fashioned clothes as I gave a quick glance to the small luggage that had been prepared for the travel, I felt the quivering sense of nervousness plaguing my mind.


    When I opened my eyes to stare at an uncomfortable ceiling, I certainly wasn''t expecting to wake up fully thanks to the sharp bastards lingering even now within my body.


    I coughed a little as I tried to restrain myself from collapsing at another sudden burst of torture from the crest worms.


    The first two weeks could be easily be called the worst period of my newest life, trying to fit in the macabre lifestyle of the Matou Family.


    ''Mom'' was dead, ''dad'' was 24/7 drunk and ''uncle'' Kariya wasted his remaining time helping little, emotionless Sakura with her insane burden.


    It was scary to know that every single day there was a little girl, getting killed in her soul by the bastard''s plays.


    I pulled the small bag in my back and walked out of my new room to find a familiar, wrinkling old man that I would have preferred to met only once today.


    "Shinji-kun."


    Zouken Matou, or Zolgen Makiri, was scarier than how it had been potrayed in the FSN Visual Novel and games. If I had to find a fitting visual depiction of the old timer, I would say he looked quite the shorter, creepier version of Voldemort from the Harry Potter movies.


    A disgusting corpse sustained by his descendants'' life force, forcefully stolen thanks to his disgusting mascots.


    "Grandfather, I see that you are up earlier than usual."


    The wrinkly smile widened and his pitch black holes he had for eyes glowed in dark amus.e.m.e.nt. "Of coure, dear grandson, why should I miss the opportunity to bid you a good voyage?"


    Hoping for me to die already, aren''t you?


    I would have died if I had broken facade in that circ.u.mstance as I had picked up quite the interesting flaw in Zouken''s foul monitoring means. They couldn''t truly read anyone''s mind.


    The worms would just pick up the unusual emotions, sending the relay back to their main hive (Zouken) whom would then deliver a fitting ''punishment'' to the unwanted behavior.


    "I am flattered by your kindness, grandfather." His smile was next to decay under my lack of reaction.


    It had been something quite amusing and annoying of the old worm that I partly knew from initial knowledge but the real experience helped to fully understand.


    It could have been senility because of the fool''s ancient age, but the man seemed to have a ''villanous'' kink when dealing with everyone. Everyone needed to suffer once in a while to please his next-to-useless mind.


    "Oh, I almost forgot.." His grin turned in quite the shit-eating one as I knew what he was going to use to push my buttons. "Sakura-chan is currently in an intensive training session. She wanted to come to see you one last time but.. her training is very important."


    It was a sliver of rage to broke my little composure, further increasing the glee in the bastard''s face. "I.. see."


    I proceeded to walk towards the entrance of the mansion and stopped just to the handle of the door.


    "Grandfather?"


    The quiet Zouken blinked. "Yes, Shinji-kun?"


    I took a large breath. "The Matou are going to rise back to power."


    ... A cackle ruptured the momentary silence as the elder glowed with amus.e.m.e.nt as he stared at me. "Foolish boy! We are always going to be in power."


    The deplorable denial of a traditional fool, just like I had expected.


    My lips turned in a thin line as I nodded. "I am quite dumb, grandfather..."


    I didn''t wait to hear the full reply, but I kept my blank expression going until I reached the car prepared to take me to the airport, the muffled cackles reaching my sensitive ears.


    The Matou are going to rise back to power once more..


    The flight was as tiring as I had expected, nothing too much unusual from the classic Tokyo-London trips but still I had some uncertainity about my only gamble to take revenge on Zouken.


    The man that had been taken to be my bodyguards was inexperienced, probably someone more adept to guard VIPs than babysit children and I was glad he was this uncapable.


    It did help further in my little ''escape'' that the Heathrow Airport was one of the greatest maze ever created by mankind, giving me more than enough of a chance to get myself out of the worm''s clutches.


    Trusting the shady lore, Kariya had been able to avoid being reached by Zouken until his return because of the long distance between the host and the hivemind, making it impossible to suffer ''punishments'' anymore.


    I decided to leave the airport the quickest possible, walking for a hour or two in random directions while trying to get myself to a safe distance from the zone I was last spotted.


    God bless for abandoned churches just being in the area.


    As I sat in one of the several, intact benches, I started to think about what to do next with my newfound freedom and peace.


    I was quite glad of this opportunity. Now in this circ.u.mstance I would try to gain some mean to attain magecraft and... I wouldn''t be truly wrong in considering to turn some of my nerves in Circuits.


    Maybe those will not be enough to make me turn in some blue-haired Shirou Emiya but it was a good way to start to get in some good state... plus I had to remove or sterilise the worms from within- or maybe do both at the same time.


    With a grin plastered on my face, I skipped merrily towards where I had planned to go first, the very place I shouldn''t be approaching so soon but I had to.


    Sited within the British Museum, it wasn''t hard to find the correct entrance to Clock Tower.


    The Magus Association was something I had thought about multiple times before my journey in England, but I found myself always denying going inside it anytime close to my little ''escapade''.


    But there was no choice and... I had to venture inside the lair of the Dragon-


    Octavia Leyland was... bland.


    A woman with brown, shoulder-short hair, young and fit... quite annoyed if I had to deduce her current reaction to the insufferable blonde girl that was whining at her.


    I had hoped to see Bazzett first, curious to see how a younger version of the Enforcer would look like and... I was gifted with the (not yet) arch-nemesis of one Rin Tohsaka.


    Luviagelita Edelfelt was as abrasive as I would have expected her childish self to be but my mind was hardly keeping my patience to dwindle away at the incessant rant coming from the pint-sized brat preceding me in the small line to the secretary.


    I stopped listening to whatever Luvia was lamenting about the moment she moved the topic back to her family, a subject I was quite knowing about and... Oh God, I just recognised the dark irony there.


    The Tohsaka had to give up Sakura because Magecraft families can have just a heir while... the Edelfelt that had the blasted Ore Scales trait just had Luvia as the single heiress.


    ...Nasu, thou are an arse. A good gamer but still an arse.


    Once my mind returned back to the never-ending situation in front of me, I decided that drastic predicaments required drastic actions.


    So, giving the greatest uncaring expression I could muster, I walked forward and shoved lightly the blonde aside as I had no time to waste there. "I am sorry but I have quite the urgent thing to get done and-"


    I paused, trying and failing to get some dramatic effect to add to my sudden intrusion.


    "I need to speak with Zelretch."


    The brunette blinked several times before stating quite the loud response. "No."


    ... "It is important-"


    "The Wizard Marshall is hardly someone that would accept being disturbed in busy moments from a simple child-" "Kaleido Ruby and Kaleido Sapphire."


    The woman narrowed her eyes in confusion at the curious names. "Tell him this and he will receive me."


    She gave me a long look before sighing tiredly, clearly not paid enough for this shit, and picking the phone in her desk, calling for.. someone.


    "Lord Zelretch, I have a little nuisance here that wish to- Yes sir, I have already told him but-"


    I didn''t have time for this! I was already waddling in hot waters and like hell the old man was going to ignore this plight.


    The secretary was unprepared as I snatched the phone out of her hands and brought it close to my face and-... "Are you playing at Super Mario Bros.?"


    The familiar menu theme was faintly reaching from the other side of the call and the gruft tone paused there, silent. "I... can explain-" "Yeah, but I would like to have a chat, sir, something about Kaleido Ruby and Sapphire-Argh!"


    Tragically enough I couldn''t speak further as two men rushed towards me and happily decided to turn me in some punching bag.


    At least the beating wasn''t as bad as the worms were...


    The cup of tea sitting in the small stool in front of me was warm to the touch, something that didn''t help with my whole bruised self.


    The room was dark as the only source of illuminations where few lightbulbs spread in the corners.


    There was a small globe made of wood on the side of the mahogany desk as a certain Dead Apostle grimaced towards me as we stared at each other.


    "Matou Shinji, a little boy with no magical potential." He whistled softly and grinned widely, showing his elongated canines. "How may I help you?"


    I tried to blink through the pain and somehow managed to croak a reply to the bastard.


    "I... need your help with the Grail War."


    The old man rested his back on the chair and hummed quietly, thinking about the proposal.


    "I... will not help you."


    I froze on my seat at those words. I had thought that Zelretch had some limits within the Magus Association, that Gaia would have been a bigger obstacle to face that could have stopped him early on...


    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON''T WAN-" Red eyes glowed murderously for a moment and I paled instantly as my childish body was ill-prepared to the Killing Intent the Apostle had just thrown at me.


    "An annoying youth you are, little Shinji. One that should remember that this is not a playground for kids." He turned to stare at the side and I followed his line of sight, blinking the moment I remembered we weren''t alone in his office.


    For some unmentioned reason, Luvia was there, sitting on the other chair the opposite to the Wizard Marshal, her eyes distractedly looking quickly at the various artifacts and jars lying around the room. "The same applies to you to, young Edelfelt."


    Hearing her name being called up so sternly was what it took to return the blonde''s attention back to the real thing of the office.


    "I-I''m sorry, Lord Schweinorg. I didn''t mean to be disrespectfu-" "Yet you were annoying that dear Olivia with your whining, showing quite the unbecoming behavior for a noble Magus."


    The girl had the decency to appear ashamed at the rightful accusations, preferring to keep quiet right now as the vampire returned his attention back at me.


    "Apart from this desperate need of yours to ''fix'' the Grail War, the reason why I wish to not meddle with this situation is... it would be troublesome."


    ..."W-What?"


    "It is always the same. Everyone expects me to be something like a God because of my control over the Second Magic."


    I flinched at his annoyed tone as it sounded similar to his stern one, letting the man rant more about himself.


    "That was the case before I had to fight Type-Moon and before being left an undead being, literally crippling my hold over the Kaleidoscope."


    "B-But Lord Schweinorg, what do you mean that your form is-" "Because I am a corpse stuck within a single reality in infinite, parallel worlds."


    Luvia''s eyes widened in shock as he lashed verbally at her half-question, surprising even me in the process.


    His words literally shattered the idea that the Dead Apostle was capable of dealing with almost everything in the world but just... ignored it.


    But I had a clear sight now on the issue, I knew what was going on now with the vampire and why he refused the request.


    "The Second Magic is requires its user to not be tied to a specific reality."


    Zelretch paused, his mouth open to continue as his eyes widened at the explanation.


    "When you were turned in a vampire-" "My existance was splintered from a single entity into the multiple parallel beings that existed prior to my acquisition of the Second Magic."


    His voice was softer, impressed even as he turned his attention once more at me, his red eyes glowing in intrigue. "You.. you are the second Magus to reach this conclusion."


    "A-And you created Ruby and Sapphire to try and replicate the phenomenon without the need of being once more a single being."


    A little smile reached his face as the Wizard Marshal nodded at me. "Truly marvellous." He commented as he turned to pick some old book. "To think that a Matou would be the one that understood this after Nagato." A sad sigh as he mentioned his first apprentice. "Truly a shame you don''t have any possibility to-" "I want to banter."


    ... "What?"


    "I... want to help you with something with the Kaleidoscope as I know you still help around when possible when one of your other selves require it." He frowned at my words, humming once more before asking.


    "And you would want to have me deal with the Grail War in exchange of that?" I nodded quickly and the man snorted. "That sounds like gibberish but.. I think I know a good place where to send you."


    I was grimacing inside as I started to count the numerous possibilities that would be thrown against me and- "But I cannot throw you aloooo-ne." His eyes zeroed on Luvia, the girl having been quiet until that moment as she tried to understand whatever we were talking about.


    "Young Edelfelt, from what I understand your family has tried multiple time to reach out for an apprenticeship from me, correct?"


    The blonde seemed to be revived by that question as she smiled eagerly. "Y-Yes! It would be an honor if-" "Only one condition." He held an index up and then pointed it right onto me, blue eyes following it dutifully. "This little guy is quite a pest but.. I wish for him to not die where I am going to send him into. That is why I will entrust you with the life of your fellow apprentice, Luviagelita Edelfelt."


    ... "What do you mean I''m an apprentice too?"


    "I will be honest, I should have you two killed by now." Cue both Luvia''s and my faces paling rapidly at the horrible outcome. "But I see that you both might have some uses after all."


    He pulled out a blue box out of his desk and moved it towards the girl. "This will help you along the way."


    I knew exactly what was inside but I was quite amused when Luvia picked the container and opened it, expecting some grand and powerful artifact to boost her chances and... getting it in a very confusing way.


    Sapphire stood still and I felt Luvia glancing my direction, clearly trying to get some hint about what she was now holding in her hands.


    "That is Sapphire." I said quietly as I stood up and walked towards her. "She is a Mystic-Code, a Kaleidostick and... possibly your best friend from now on."


    She frowned at my words as I got my eyes fixed on the unmoving Sapphire. "A.. stick is going to be my ''best friend''?"


    Her skeptical expression was quite entertaining but I decided to cut short the comic relief as I spoke directly at the Mystic Code. "Shouldn''t you have been the one to introduce yourself, Sapphire?"


    At first she didn''t react at my input but soon Luvia''s confusion turned into shock when the very object the girl had considered until that moment inanimate started to freely float and fly around her head before settling in front of me.


    "I am surprised that you know about me, Shinji-san. This development is indeed unexpected but still a good one to smooth out the best mutual relationship between me and..?"


    The blonde blinked, realising that Sapphire was asking her name. "M-My name is Luviagelita Edelfelt, heiress to the Edelfelt family."


    The stick nodded, bending a little as if it was bowing her direction. "Nice to meet you, Lady Luvia."


    Yet Luvia''s face showed some pain as she turned her attention to the hand the stick had approached, noticing it now bleeding a little. "And now the contract is done."


    "Uh?" Her confusion was soon drowned by the blinding light coming from a seal in the floor beneath her, the same happening to me as I turned to the Dead Apostle, seeing him smile widely.


    "Your mission is to assist those that stands against the calamity of the Earth I am sending you into. Good luck, brats!"


    The light continued to intensify and I felt my body get warm as.. I wasn''t touching ground anymore, finding myself falling for few moments before truly crashing on the floor.


    The texture was the same as dirt to my touch while I tried to stand up to find- "Kyaaahhh!"*Thud* -pain from above as I brought forcefully back on the floor, a new weight now sitting on my back.


    Luvia blinked twice as she realised she was not falling anymore and she looked down on the soft object that had cushioned her fall.


    "G-Get off!"


    The Edelfelt yelped before getting up from my poor back. I am seven for crying aloud, I shouldn''t be suffering this much!


    Was this Karma? Was this because I was stuck in Shinji Matou''s body?


    I groaned as I got once more up as dusted my clothes, trying to recollect my thoughts and see where we were left.


    We were in a clearing, a familiar one and... I facepalmed as I realised where we were.


    This... This was Fuyuki and-*Crack* Dread surged within my chest as I saw a pink and red blur rush towards us and was suddenly tackled on the floor.


    "My back..." Yet my pain become unimportant as I found myself staring at a pink-haired, tanned version of Illyasviel von Einzbern, her face slowly lowering towards mine and I truly knew where and WHEN we were.


    We were in Illya''s Route: Dark Soul Edition and I am going to suffer one of the fan services of the whole series.


    I HATE MY LIFE!


    AN


    Shinji is hate, Shinji is dead. Thank God, we ain''t that poor bistard!


    Update Schedule and WHy this exists? Boredom, this idea was buzzing in my mind for a while and I decided to fully move Easy Way in SB forum. Sadly, no regular updating as I wish to make this a long experience as I am trying to do with FPO.


    Why Shinji? Cause other than Shirou, Shinji starts the crappiest way possible (crappy circuits that cannot do much and lots of self-hatred from the OC himself) and has to do a lot to get to acceptable levels. Plus everyone need to be redemeed one way or another, in his case it is thanks to OCI-way.


    Why Prillya? Because the series is quite unfinished even through it might be completed anytime soon now that the Manga version of 3rei is reaching its grand finale.


    But what about the 4th War: Since Shinji is here with Loli-Luvia things are going to be finished much quicker than in Canon with Prillya. Just to clarify something: Yes, I''ve read the Manga and I found the suspence a right level of deadly to my poor heart because... cliffhangers everywhere!


    But Yeah, they will manage to reach the finish line before the start of the War.


    How will this develop? A secret for now, I''ve decided to keep quiet about this but I can assure you now that it will not go to repeat stuff from the other stories I am writing. I prefer to keep thing unique in everystory, where I can at least.


    Pairings? Dunno, maybe I have one in mind but... SECRET!


    What is going to be Shinji''s role? Secre- Actually I can affort just a clue. Shinji was still studying the Matou''s special magecraft for the sake of knowledge. Will it be useful? Quite a lot thanks to a small weakness in the Ainsworth''s Card Game.


    Chapter 1: Copy, Angsty and Worm


    I know well enough that the Nasuverse is a place filled with the worst thing an Anime could require. Fan Service.


    It could be good if it was moderated and didn''t touch the limits between Ecchi and Hentai, but Prillyaverse was a stark example of perverted moments lingering every single episode, may it be ''comic'' ones or HF-level of dark shit.


    But the pressing issue was the one girl, three years ''older'' than me, pressing her face toward mine, her lips positioned and ready to catch mine. A low growl, a muffled ''no'' managed to reach her ears as her brows narrowed but she continued.


    It wasn''t anything perverted, I do reckon as I considered ''why'' she was doing so. Condemned to have an imperfect body that couldn''t produce enough prana to sustain itself with the world deteriorating it moment by moment.


    It wasn''t l.u.s.t that forced her into this, the sinful tease being just a secondary thing to her mind as only one thing roared within her mind, something that was quite visible from the closeup.


    Survival. She needed to receive mana from the quickest way possible, saliva and... I was scared.


    Seeing this from the point of view of a seven years old, this was scary because unwanted, while from the point of view of a 20ish young man, this was scary because unwanted AND because jail was terrifying.


    This was not alright! I shrieked in my head but my mouth was closed, trying to defend itself from the incoming unrequited kiss.


    I braced myself for the seemingly unavoidable fate that was now few millimeters from me, my eyes narrowing as I tried to push my head further on the ground, hoping to gain some relief from the distance.


    It was a single fleeting moment, but I was quite surprised when Kuro''s eyes widened in panic and she jumped away, dodging a thunderous blast of blue coming from... Luvia.


    ...I had totally forgot about her. The blonde was now donning the Kaleido Sapphire attire, cat ears and tail included.


    But I felt the need to voice a ''small'' issue with her intervention...


    "WHY DID YOU TAKE SO MUCH TIME!?"


    She ''eeped'' at my outburst and her full-face blush became evident to my glare, making me understand that... I went a bit too far.


    I forgot that the girl shared my ''age'' and that she was quite the sheltered brat, naive about part of the world.


    Maybe she had heard about perverted men but to see a female being the aggressor was... surprising.


    "Net! Make a net!" Apologies needed to wait as I noticed that the snarling pseudo-Servant had yet to project EMIYA''s favoured blades.


    The blonde paused for a moment and seemed to panic until a blue light formed a small bundle of reinforced rope in my waiting hands, my legs already moving towards Kuro.


    "A net? Do you think it will work, Matou." I let a faux scowl at my surname being mentioned but I replaced it quickly with a smile as I knew what I needed to say to stop her from acting up against me.


    "Fancy words coming from someone in your predicament, Illyasviel von Einzbern."


    I think the extra attention I put in the correct pronunciation was what truly made her surprised as her attempted projection, the familiar prana configuration to recreate copies of EMIYA''s UBW, collapsed due to her distraction. I jumped onto her, net unbundled as the struggle began.


    Few punches passed through the simple barrier as I tried to close it around her, landing right to some sore spots of my skin, still recovering from the quite recent beating I took thanks to Clock Tower''s security.


    I gritted my teeth in pain at the brutality and the flurry of physical attacks the girl decided to throw while trying to shake away the net but... I did it. With an angry Kuro secured away, I turned on the ground and felt my legs aching.


    I was extending myself too much, I reckoned as I failed to get up. I turned to see Luvia approaching us with a concerned look towards me. "J-Just tired and a bit- a bit bruised."


    She nodded but her worry was still there. "I-I need to you create a sweet treat filled with some prana. S-Sapphire, can you help her with the task?"


    "Yes." The Mystic Code replied as she instructed the newfound magical girl in the creation of the small piece of food.


    It was a big cookie, something that made me frown at the texture as it was almost too white but I took it out of the blonde''s hand and moved it right above the snarling Einzbern, the girl didn''t skip a beat in biting an acceptable chunk out of the treat and.. she munched at it calmly. Her eyes widened a little as the prana invigorated her body while the sweet taste soothed her mind and she stared at the cookie hungrily.


    "I can give you the rest of it.." I started, biting down the pain running in my limbs. "If- If you promise us to not do anything drastic. W-We don''t want to hurt you, Illya."


    She blinked as I muttered her name once more. "H-How do you know who I am?"


    "I know lots of things and... my arm here is going sore with the shenanigans I''ve been through. I will explain later."


    She stared hardly at me for few moments before nodding. "B-But you are not friend with.. her?"


    Luvia looked confused and I sighed tiredly. "No, we are not allied with your other self."


    Another surprised look but she finally nodded once more and I lowered the cookie close to her face, letting her munch at the treat a little longer as I tried to keep an amiable stance in front of the distrusting pseudo-Servant.


    This was going to be a long day.


    We had settled to sit in circle in a small hiding spot between the deep foliage.


    I was lying on the ground while the two girls were chatting together as I tried to catch some rest.


    "So you are... from a parallel universe?" Kuro had seemingly accepted our goodwill and was engaged in quite the Q&A with Luvia.


    "That is correct." The blonde was quite enjoying being away from the previous action-filled, insane moments, the relaxed expression on her face showing this much.


    "And you are here for... the cards?"


    Blue eyes narrowed as the Edelfelt thought about it. What was her mission her?


    She turned to stare at my resting body. "Why are we here?"


    I blinked at the question and sighed, hoping to give enough stuff for them to not ask further. "We are here to make sure the Cards are secured in a safe place AND deals with the one that put them in this universe."


    Her tongue clicked in her teeth. "Truly? Is the situation really demanding this much of a following."


    "A following?"


    I grimaced as my mind was not up to answer everything now. "This universe is set in 2004, 10 years from where we come from, and its main quality is the fact the Holy Grail was dismantled before the Fourth War."


    Kuro blinked at the answer. "1994? Isn''t that the time the Fourth Heaven Feel was supposed to happen?"


    "T-Then why you want the Grail dismantled?"


    My hands were on my face as I groaned loudly before the two staring at me. "I have... reasons! Reasons I know that Illya will be eager to tell you about in regard of the Grail''s sacrifice."


    The blonde frowned. "Sacrifice?"


    "Despite the competition being mostly known for the battle between 7 Heroic Spirits led by 7 Masters, the truth is that the Grail existed to facilitate a clear path to the Root. The means for this to happen was the Einzbern''s unique talent in Wishcraft."


    "They overpower a conduit tuned to Wishcraft with the souls of the Heroic Spirits and the one from the Homunculus used to channel the spirits to stabilise the process."


    "But then why everyone says that it is any possible wish if it is just calibrated to reach the Root?"


    This time I... didn''t have an answer and we both turned to Kuro, the tanned girl fidgeting in her seat before realising that she was being stared at. She flinched a little but ended up answering our little dilemma.


    "It... was manpower."


    ... "W-What?"


    "Seven Servants is the least amount of energy required to permit a connection to the Akashic Records and there were only three Masters ready to share a single wish. Other influencial individuals were greedy at the time and so the founders set a lure for their desires."


    "The Holy Grail, catfishing Magi since 1814."


    Kuro blushed at those words. "I-It wasn''t that bad. I- I mean- Sure, Nagato had warned both Justeaze and Zolken that it would have been a bad idea but how should have they known that the mess that were the 2nd and 3rd War were going to happen?!"


    ..."I think I will take a nap. Please don''t try anything on me, Illya."


    "W-What about the ones that are searching for me?" Her concern wasn''t misplaced and I groaned, giving a glance to the currently floating Kaleidostick. "Sapphire, from what I remember you should be able to contact Ruby. Could you try and send a message to this universe''s countepart of your sister to prepare a meeting in two hours by the Edelfelt mansion?"


    "Why?" I blinked tiredly at the panicked question.


    "Because we need to settle down the ''feud'' you have with the other Illya without you being killed one way or another."


    She opened her mouth again to protest but paused, closing it quietly and deciding to think about my words.


    Sapphire nodded my direction as she tried to get hold of Prillya Ruby''s prana pattern, no more questions being asked as I finally let the stress of this long day take hold over his consciousness. Slowly I was lulled in a state of sleep, my mind fending off against the nightmares of the life I had at the Matou mansion as I tried to achieve a good rest.


    It was unnerving that I had just an hour to nap as I still had so much to do before the mind-blowing encounter.


    We had moved to a nice caf¨¦ on the edge of the city, knowing that going in the more inner sections could increase the chances of encountering some people that would mistake the tanned Einzbern with the fair-skinned one.


    The first thing being making sure I could trust Kuro to not murder Prillya.


    I started the debate with a simple topic, weather, and proceeded to make some simple demands over where we were going.


    "B-But she took my place!"


    I sighed at the loud rebuttal. "She didn''t do anything, it was mostly your parents'' decision at that point."


    She snorted, crossed her arms close to her chest as she tried some pouting.


    "From what I understand.. you wish to ''slay'' your counterpart and.. then what?"


    Luvia''s question was a legitimate one as the Einzbern looked surprised at that specific query to something she hardly considered in her initial plans.


    "I... getting along with Papa and Mama would be difficult if I.. killed her." I nodded with a smile but she still huffed disgruntled. "B-But I am the real one."


    "Technically you are wrong about that." Thank God I had some paper in my backpack as I started to write down things I was going to say. "You are the Einzbern-created personality that is usually active in a Justeaze-model, which was sealed away from Kerry and Iri and then got out of ''your'' body."


    Truly a confusing but fascinating topic. "You are could be considered a Pseudo-Servant. Your main body is Illyasviel von Einzbern but the ''clay'' used to build it up is from Counter-Guardian EMIYA''s Heroic Spirit."


    She flinched at the name and I paused a moment to try and remember if Kuro knew or not about the Archer Card''s identity.


    "H-how do you know that?"


    I opened my mouth to answer when Luvia slammed her hands on the small metallic table. "No excuses, no lies!"


    I blinked in surprise at the outburst. That was the very situation I had wanted to avoid, knowing full well that this was not ideal for my survival plans.


    But then again I needed to have the Edelfelt''s loyalty to avoid any possible issue with her.


    "I will say that... I know many things of the Moonlit World." I looked at Luvia and then back at Kuro. "About the past, the present... and the future."


    "Preposterous!" Seriously? A seven years old girl capable of using that word? That reminds me so much about the strictness of the Magus families and the early education they give to their children. "Such a capacity w-wouldn''t be keep unknown, especially because it would-" "Warrant a Seal Designation?"


    She closed her mouth, paling a little as she now noticed my dry expression at that horrible fate. "I-I didn''t mean-" "I know you didn''t mean it. I know that you are a good person."


    "But?" I glanced at the Einzbern, the tanned girl recognising that I had something that needed to be said.


    "The reason I am concerned about this meeting is that... you might not like how you behave around some people."


    The blonde frowned. "How I behave? What would my older version be doing to be given such accusation-"


    "You are daily engaged in a petty competition with the second apprentice of Zelretch, which is not me in this timeline, about trying to win the heart of a red-head boy that frankly doesn''t have much charisma to start with-" "H-Hey! Oniichan isn''t that bad!"


    I paused, the dreadful words piling up inside my throat as I delivered a really harsh truth about Kuro. "You mean your biological Oniichan?"


    She frowned. "He is adopted-" "But you share now a patter similar to his own. Biologically speaking, thinking of him that way is i.n.c.e.s.tuous."


    "B-But my other self-" "Is her adoptive sister and that would also be immoral before the laws of... the entire world!"


    She pouted a little and I decided to add some extra salt to the open injury. "You should also not contemplate engage in ''activities'' with Miyu."


    ..."You mean Edelfelt''s younger sister?" At this Luvia looked confused at the news that she had a younger sibling.


    "Yes but also no. Her ''adoption'' is something related to this whole ''Cards'' Debacle and her real name is... Emiya Miyu."


    ..."WHAT?!"


    I sighed once more as I decided to give a full explanation of this timeline, without going to touch too much about the future section of it and getting some truthful oaths to not speak about anything I was telling them.


    An hour passed quickly and soon we were on our merry to reach the Edelfelt Mansion.


    I bet it was a shocking sight from the two morons to see two 7yos and a tanned Illya enter the office room they were waiting us for the meeting.


    Rin was pale, her mind already imagining the chaos that would be created by two Luvias, while her blonde colleague was confused at best.


    "Good morning and thank you for accepting the offer for negotiations regarding some issue my newest minion- Owh!" Even without her Class Card Installed, Kuro''s punches stug like mad to my poor skin.


    "S-She is the one that tried to hurt me!"


    It was an interesting sight to see Prillya''s funny reactions from this persepctive, the girl was exaggerating the whole outburst but it wasn''t... that horrible to see from a simple elementary-grade school girl being thrown in this magical girl plot without any instructions for the use.


    At least this wasn''t Madoka I was speaking with!


    "Indeed and she is quite ready to-" I blinked her direction, Kuro trying to appear unaware of my stare. "To?" She pouted and I sighed and gave a nod to chibi-Luvia, the girl materialising another mana-filled cookie in my hand.


    "I can give some compromise but-" She didn''t let me finish as she stole the treat out of my hands and munched at it quickly, gulping and then bowing in front of a confused Miyu and Illya.


    "I''m sorry for... trying to hurt you."


    ..."EH!?"


    "There is a lot to say and..." I grimaced as I was prepping myself to remind everyone about two present threats in the near future. "And it is not all that funny."


    AN


    The meeting will continue next chapter as... there is a LOT TO SAY AND AVOID!


    Also big thanks to this early support and I hope I am not asking for too much if I ask you just a small feedback once in a while. Just to let me know if you have suggestions I might use for the plot, maybe even something that Prillya doesn''t truly show in the canon series like..


    WHERE ARE THE MATOU HERE?!


    Review Q&A!


    Daggerxxx: Ye, Canon!Shinji sucks.


    Guest (Chapter 1): Yeah but he is seven-years old and even with older, s.e.xier women I don''t think it would be alright to have him get ''that'' kind of attention. Maybe in the distant future... Also Shinji/OC is going to be reminded that.. one of his enemies is going to be a version of his little/old sister. But yes, Zelretch is quite limited as he is said to be somewhat serious when it is required and I don''t think he would let a Corrupted Grail be unchecked for no apparent reasons.


    merendinoemiliano: Thank you!


    Guest 2 (Chapter 1): Yeah, Kuro is here!


    BlueXtreme: He is quite the bastard in canon, that is why he is good material for a hardcore attempt to redeem his character via OC-I.

 Chapter 231 - My OC Stash #31 - The Sleeping Dragon by Cambrian (DxD)

    -Thanks to the confinement, I found a better Chad Issei fic, and it''s written by the Pimperor Cambrian so try one upping that one "The Wish of the Dragon WN" by Leixein lol. Hey atleast this one doesn''t start with Issei getting NTR''ed! £Ü(£þ¨Œ£þ)£¯


    Sypnosis: Issei awakens the Red Dragon Emperor at a very early age, and Ddraig, seeing the opportunity to make his newest wielder one to remember, takes full advantage of the years that follow. The Issei that ends up at Kuoh Academy is nobody''s fool.


    Rated: M


    Words: 40K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/the-sleeping-dragon-high-school-dxd.9446/ (Cambrian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    -x-X-x-


    "Hyoudou."


    Blinking, Issei slowly looks up, lazily regarding the two girls who have stopped in front of his desk. With his face propped up in the palm of his hand, he easily manages the appearance of someone completely disinterested with the world.


    "Yes?"


    Despite him not doing anything beyond acknowledging their presence and questioning what they want, his mere attention is enough to make both Murayama and Katase, the Captains of the Girl''s Kendo Club, go slightly pink. Blushing a bit, the two share a glance for a moment, as if to draw strength from one another. In the end, it''s Murayama who speaks for the both of them, the long-haired brunette steeling her nerves and clenching her jaw.


    "Issei Hyoudou, on behalf of the Girl''s Kendo Club, we request that you attend our club meeting after school."


    Raising a single eyebrow, Issei regards Murayama, and then Katase.


    "¡­ Is this for the same thing as before?"


    The blushes go from pink to red at that, and Katase steps in.


    "Y-Yes! We require your presence for a demonstration we wish to put on for the club!"


    Issei just nods to show he understands.


    "Do the same terms as before apply then?"


    Here, the Kendo Captains go positively incandescent. They lose all ability to make eye contact with him or each other, instead crossing their arms over their chests (Murayama''s quite substantial, though Katase''s is lacking) and look to either side. In the end, Murayama speaks up.


    "Y-Yes. The same terms as before apply."


    Letting out a sigh, Issei nods and waves a casual hand.


    "Fine. I''ll be there."


    "G-Good!"


    "D-Don''t be late!"


    And like that, the two young women hurry away, just moments before homeroom is set to start. At the same time, Issei can feel glaring eyes, burrowing into his back. He doesn''t need to look behind him to know that Matsuda and Motohama are giving him death glares. The pair of boys, nicknamed by the students of Kuoh Academy as "those horrible perverts" very much had it in for Issei, in the same way they had it in for a pretty boy like Kiba.


    But Issei thought they might hate him even more than Kiba. After all, Kiba''s good looks, chivalrous attitude, and all-around kind personality were good indicators for why girls liked him. They might not have liked it, but at the very least, Matsuda and Motohama couldn''t deny that Kiba had everything they didn''t. Issei on the other hand¡­ outwardly, Issei knew he was incredibly average. He wasn''t ugly by any means, but he wasn''t a pretty boy like Kiba either. And more than that, he wasn''t at all chivalrous or kind. He was somewhat lazy, and perhaps a bit nonconfrontational, but when he was poked, it didn''t matter who you were, you were in for a smackdown.


    Which was why all Matsuda and Motohama would do was glare. Because they knew if they tried anything else, he would hurt them. Outwardly, Issei Hyoudou might not have looked like much¡­ but the phrase ''don''t judge a book by it''s cover'' had never been more apt.


    Heh, those girls just can''t get enough of us.


    Outwardly, Issei just stares out the classroom window as the final bell rings and everyone sits down. Inwardly, he lets a tendril of amus.e.m.e.nt creep out to show he heard his¡­ resident. At the same time though¡­ who does Ddraig think he''s fooling? It''s Issei that those girls can''t get enough of. Ddraig has nothing to do with it.


    Pah! Don''t be ridiculous. Do you really think you would be able to draw in such maidens if not for me? It is our connection that gives you such immense power. Those of the female gender cannot help being drawn to that power.


    Well, he couldn''t exactly refute that. Issei had seen the results himself, ever since he''d started on Kuoh Academy. They pretended otherwise, but he was no fool. He''d seen how the girls of the Academy, which was predominantly female anyways thanks to the fact that it had only recently become mixed-gender, looked at him. How they acted around him. Murayama and Katase were just the first to¡­ act upon their desires. Not that Issei minded one bit.


    Of course, you don''t! As a dragon, all that exists around you is yours by right, so long as you are strong enough to take it. And we, my boy¡­ are VERY strong.


    That actually does bring the smallest smile to Issei Hyoudou''s face. He slowly curls a hand into a fist, feeling the power pulsing through him. The dragon scales that sit right beneath his flesh, shifting, grinding against one another, all too eager to escape. In a moment, he could level not just this entire classroom, but the whole school.


    But he wouldn''t. That would just be plain rude. Issei wasn''t a bad guy. He had no desire to hurt anyone. But¡­ ever since that day, all those years ago, he had learned that, in order to protect himself, he had to be STRONG. In order to stand above the rest, he had to be POWERFUL.


    -x-X-x-


    Pain¡­ so much pain. Little Issei Hyoudou, no older than four, didn''t understand why he was in so much pain.


    "Stupid little brat. You f.u.c.k.i.n.g deserve every bit of this. Thinking you''re better than me. Thinking you''re worth anything!"


    It was just supposed to be a family trip. But little Issei had been separated from his parents. He''d wandered about, until eventually, he''d gone too far in the wrong direction. The Hyoudou family was by no means rich, but they were well-off. A boy of Issei''s age wearing such fine clothes in a bad neighborhood like he''d found himself in¡­ it''d only taken one spiteful homeless man, hopped up on some sort of drug, to make Issei''s day a whole lot worse.


    Now, he hurt all over. And he continued to hurt too, because the man was still kicking him, in the chest, in the stomach, in between the legs. Issei was curled up, trying to protect himself, his face, his whatever, but his tiny little hands weren''t enough. One was broken, in fact, not that Issei even understood that. Several of his ribs were broken too, but once again, Issei had never experienced a broken bone in his very young life at that point.


    It was all just pain for the boy, so much pain, unending pain¡­ he wanted it to stop. He just wanted it to stop.


    Do you? You''re going to die, boy. How pathetic is that? One of my wielders, dying before his fifth birthday¡­


    The words cut through the pain. They cut through everything, almost POUNDING against the inside of young Issei''s head. But rather than shy away from this new sensation, the little boy GRASPS at it. What else can he do? It''s not as bad as everything else, after all. Anything to end the pain is worth reaching towards.


    Oh? What''s this? Perhaps you''re not as pathetic as I first thought¡­


    However, when he grabs at the words, when he pulls on them¡­ something ELSE answers him. Something immense. Something massive. There''s a thing in his soul, contained within a prison, and it''s roaring to be let out. It dwarfs little Issei''s consciousness, it dwarfs all of him.


    That''s right, boy. Keep going. Release me, and I shall save you.


    Except¡­ even if this immense thing inside of him was bigger than him, bigger than everything that made Issei who he was at the tender age of four¡­ he was still holding it in. And something told him he had power over it. Control over it. He didn''t need to release it, or beg it, or plead with it. He just¡­ had to TAKE.


    Help me.


    HELP. ME.


    It is not a request. It is not a plea. It is an order, and it is backed up with an iron will beyond a little boy of Issei''s years.


    Ohoho¡­ very well then. It seems I have no choice.


    Back in the real world, the homeless man laying into Issei Hyoudou with the intent of ending the little boy''s life, though he is growing a bit tired of waiting for the cries to finally stop, finds himself suddenly halted in his advance. His foot¡­ it''s caught. Eyes wide, the vagabond stares at where the boy is holding his boot.


    "Get off you stupid little brat. F.u.c.k, let go!"


    In response, all the man gets is a growl¡­ and then he watches as what he thought was a little boy, becomes something else entirely. All the man sees before the end is red scales, claws, fangs, and golden slitted eyes as a whirling devilish of a creature slams into him with ferocity unmatched. His life ends soon after that, his throat torn out by those fangs, his flesh rent by those claws. He died¡­ and Issei Hyoudou lived.


    As the little boy''s body shifted back, miraculously healed, the pain gone, all Issei could do was stare down at the man he''d just made go quiet. The man''s eyes are open, and yet, he says nothing, gurgling instead as blood bubbles up from both his lips and the hole Issei has put in his throat.


    He''s dying. You''ve killed him.


    Issei stiffens up as the presence presses against his mind. Slowly, he curls blood-covered hands into fists and grits his jaw as he pushes back on the immensity of whatever is housed within his soul.


    You are intriguing, little one. I foresee this being the start of a beautiful relationship.


    -x-X-x-


    And so, it was. That day had been the day Issei met Ddraig. Not that he''d understood everything at the tender age of four, but he''d learned. He''d had to, because in the end, it was do or die. Ddraig had pushed him hard, and slowly but surely, Issei had learned to be worthy of the power he''d used to save himself that day. He''d learned to be worthy of the title Red Dragon Emperor.


    Yet¡­ at the same time, Issei really didn''t want to pick too many fights with anyone. Ddraig was of a similar mind, as it turned out. Whether it was because his personality bled into the dragon, or because the dragon''s personality bled into him, they''d taken up a rather¡­ lazy sort of lifestyle. Perhaps it was both of them bleeding into each other. Either way, Issei didn''t have any desire to seek out other dragons, not even the one Ddraig called his rival. Albion, the White Dragon Emperor.


    He also had no desire to get involved with other parts of the supernatural, of which he''d learned of many from Ddraig. And yes, he also knew that there were two devil peerages at Kuoh. That didn''t mean Issei had to get involved with them. He''d flown under their radar well enough so far, had he not?


    It was-


    "Mister Hyoudou!"


    Blinking, Issei is pulled out of his inner thoughts by the sound of his teacher calling his name. He looks up to the front, making eye contact with the woman, and waits patiently for her to follow up. Of course, she blushes the moment that he actually directs his attention to her, something no one in the class fails to notice as she fidgets a bit. Whatever she might have said before is lost in those following moments, and in the end, what she DOES manage to stammer out is lackl.u.s.ter at best.


    "P-Please try to pay attention, alright?"


    Issei doesn''t even know her name. He can''t be bothered to remember it. Sure, she''s cute, but she''s also a teacher. They''re probably off limits. If she went out of her way to spend more time with him out of class, he''d learn it¡­ but school was utterly pointless in his eyes. He wasn''t exactly destined for the normal life, no matter how lazy he was. He might not be interested in the affairs of the supernatural, but he hadn''t spent his entire life training with Ddraig in order to be a salaryman or anything like that.


    Still, no point in completely disrespecting the woman. Issei gives a slight nod, and then endeavors to stare FORWARD as he daydreams and tunes out the world, making it at least seem like he might just be paying attention to what''s going on in the classroom. In reality, his mind is elsewhere¡­ but if his teacher realizes this, she doesn''t call him out on it again.


    -x-X-x-


    With school over, Issei makes his way over to the Kendo Club. It''s a bit of a bother, perhaps¡­ but it''s also worth it, in his eyes. After all, the deal that he has with Murayama and Katase is one that benefits him most of all. Not that the two girls don''t get something out of it. They definitely do, or they wouldn''t keep coming back to him for this. Still¡­ they''re a bit weird, aren''t they? What a strange fetish¡­


    "A-Ah, there you are! Come stand at the front please, Hyoudou!"


    Issei just nods his head and walks in, moving past the rows of girls who sit seiza position. Every last one of them blushes in his presence, though he also notes the way their knuckles go white as they clutch at the practice swords that they hold across their laps. He doesn''t pay them any mind. If they want to attack him, he''ll defend himself. It''s why he''s here, after all.


    "Right. As before, we''ve asked Hyoudou here for a demonstration. T-This time, we will be showing you the value of always pairing up. If there are two of you, no man can harm you. Katase and I will be going at Hyoudou with everything we''ve got, and you''ll see that he will crumble before our combined might. Understood?"


    "Yes, Captain!"


    The entire room cries out as one, even as Issei raises an eyebrow at Murayama and Katase. The two girls blush a bit when they see him doing so, but they also tighten their jaws, showing their determination. The LAST two times that they''d asked him here, they''d come at him one at a time, attempting to show that a master of kendo was a match for any untrained boy. Of course, Issei was far from untrained, he just wasn''t any good with a sword.


    Needless to say, he''d defeated both girls each time, and extracted the price they''d offered him for attending the class as well for good measure. Of course, neither of the two Kendo Captains had complained as he deflowered them. In fact, they''d seemed to enjoy it, as embarrassed as they both were to be beaten by him. The first go around, he''d f.u.c.k.i.e.d them separately. The second go around, he''d taken them together, and Issei had to admit, having the two girls able to hold hands and stare at one another for support had certainly enhanced the process.


    This time¡­


    "Prepare yourself, Hyoudou! Here we come!"


    And like that, Murayama and Katase were upon him, their bamboo swords striking from opposite sides in eerie synchronicity. They were good. He could give them that. But they were also only human. Issei casually lifts an arm to block the blow from Katase, even as his hand latches out and catches the Murayama''s bamboo sword right at the hilt. His hand actually closes around Murayama''s as he squeezes slightly, causing her to cry out and let go of her sword with that particular hand.


    Issei tears it free of her weakened grasp at that point and turns the bamboo sword on Katase without a second thought. There''s no technique to it. He is NOT a swordsman. He simply begins to rain down blows on Katase as she yelps and tries to block, only to find him faster and stronger than her, if not nearly as skilled in his technique.


    To her credit, Murayama is not so weak willed as to give up just because she''s been disarmed. Seeing her friend under assault by her own weapon, the long-haired brunette lets out a roar and leaps at Issei''s back, clinging to him from behind as she tries to¡­ distract him, perhaps? It''s clear she hasn''t thought it through, even as Issei pauses for a moment to reach back, grab her by the scruff of her Gi, and throw her over him.


    Murayama hits the mat hard, but then, that''s kind of why it''s there, to soften falls. Issei though, is not done. He steps up as she''s recovering and places the tip of her own bamboo sword against her throat, pressing down until she starts to choke a little. Her hands come up to grab the ''blade'' to try and get it off, but Issei is unrelenting, and Murayama isn''t willing to outright break her own practice sword. As it is, he''s not truly hurting her, merely applying some pressure.


    Katase, meanwhile, has taken all of this time to recover from the onslaught he''d had her under. When she finally catches her breath, it''s to find her fellow Kendo Captain in such a situation, and Issei''s gaze upon her. That gaze pins her in place, and Issei c.o.c.ks his head to the side as he regards Katase for a second. Then, he speaks a single word.


    "Surrender."


    The power behind that word is directly solely at Katase. As such, Murayama is still in a proper state of mind to fight back.


    "N-No! Don''t, ack, don''t listen to hi-!"


    With a clatter, Katase interrupts Murayama as she drops her own weapon to the mat, before kneeling down and bowing her head in surrender. The long-haired brunette is all set to explode at her friend, but then Issei directs his gaze at her¡­ and she too goes limp. As he pulls the tip of the bamboo sword from her throat, Murayama slowly gets to her knees alongside Katase, head bowed in surrender.


    Slowly, Issei turns to regard the rest of the all-female Kendo Club. They''re all watching this, faces red. By this point, they know what happens when Murayama and Katase fight against Issei. They know what the end result is going to be. Though¡­ they don''t know what comes next. From the looks on some of their faces, some of them might enjoy finding out.


    Issei considers things for a moment. He has a choice to make now. And as far as he can see, there are three options he''s willing to take at this moment.


    Well, there''s always the fourth opt-


    There were THREE options he was willing to take at this moment.


    Heh, fine. Ya prude.


    Issei just smiles slightly. He and Ddraig both knew he was far from a prude. But even a horny dragon knew better than to try and reverse gangbang an ENTIRE Kendo Club. Not all of them would be willing, for one. However, extracting his price, or at least part of it, from Katase and Murayama in FRONT of the club¡­ now there was an idea that held merit.


    He could demand that Murayama and Katase let him have his way with them right here, and right now. Issei had a feeling they would go along with it. They were kinky like that, he knew that already from when he f.u.c.k.i.e.d them together alone. Or, the second option, he COULD f.u.c.k them together alone again. Make them dismiss the Kendo Club, and then have his way with them both right here in their dojo. He knew they would both enjoy that too, from prior encounters.


    Finally, the third option¡­ he could do nothing at all. He could leave them here, and refrain from extracting his price from them this time around. They clearly wanted him to f.u.c.k them. They were insistent on constantly challenging him, despite the both of them knowing he was beyond their skill level at this point. If they wanted to be f.u.c.k.i.e.d¡­ maybe he should deny them that. See what came of it, if he refused them what they desired.


    Decisions, decisions¡­

 Chapter 233 - My CO Stash #33 - Peter Parker F.U.C.KS! by Cambrian (MCU)

    -Not a SI, I really just wanted to post another MCU fic~ With the Pimperor Cambrian, we get an AU with Peter Parker being a major f.u.c.kboy!


    Sypnosis: This story is an Alternative Universe very loosely based on the MCU, but with groups like the X-Men and the Fantastic Four and others all added into the mix as well. Set after an alternate take on Infinity War/Endgame. In which Peter Parker begins to attract the attention of the women from the Marvel Universe...


    Rated: M


    Words: 77K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/peter-parker-f.u.c.ks-mcu-au.10039/ (Cambrian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    -x-X-x-


    "Pop quiz, everyone. Books away, pencils and papers out."


    Peter has to duck his head as ''Natalie Rushman'' makes sure to meet his eyes and give him a saucy little wink, not for the first time that day. There''s some muttering at that, because when you have a long-term substitute teacher as hot as the red head standing at the front of the room, you tend to pay attention to her. Which means that some of the other guys in class have not failed to notice that Peter is getting LOTS of attention from ''Ms. Rushman''.


    Of course, he knows her as more than just their smoking hot substitute teacher. He knows that Natalie Rushman isn''t even her real name. Her real name, or at least the name that she''d given him, is Natasha Romanoff, and she''s secretly an Agent of SHIELD who goes by the moniker ''the Black Widow''. Needless to say, Peter was surprised to learn that. But when you knew the secrets Peter had, it made sense that a spy agency like SHIELD would decide to keep tabs on him.


    By day, he was nerdy, geeky Peter Parker. By night, he was the one and only Amazing Spider-Man. Just Spider-Man for short, of course. He was a crime-fighting superhero, doing his part to keep New York safe, despite his age. In the end, Peter didn''t think that his youth entitled him to stay out of the fight. After all, as Uncle Ben had always said, ''With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility''.


    Peter had done his best to live by those words after his uncle died. He''d done his best to live up to his full potential. But he couldn''t be Spider-Man without drawing some¡­ unwanted attention. Not that Natasha was unwanted attention, even if ever since he''d found out her real identity, she''d been making it hard as hell to get through his days at school.


    But then, they hadn''t just revealed themselves to one another THAT way, the night that Natasha had confronted him, up on that roof. She''d known who he was going in of course, and she''d used that to¡­ to unbalance him! Yeah, that was a good way of putting it. Another, blunter way, was to say she''d seduced him. Because she''d had. She''d seduced him, and t-they''d had s.e.x, and it''d been Peter''s first time, but god it''d been fun. He''d f.u.c.k.i.e.d Natasha Romanoff hard up on that roof, and something told him he''d left a lasting impression, because the days that had followed, she hadn''t left him alone.


    As the gorgeous red head finishes writing out the ten questions for this particular pop quiz on the white board at the front of the class, she turns around and much like most of the male students in the class (as well as some of the female students) Peter has to hastily remove his eyes from her gorgeous derriere, contained perfectly within the confines of her form-fitting pencil skirt as it is. Though, privately, Peter has to admit that he thought her ass looked even MORE perfect contained within her black, leather catsuit, the one she''d confronted him in that night, up on that rooftop.


    Regardless, while yes, Peter isn''t the only one who was blatantly staring at her ass as she wrote down the questions that they were to answer, he IS the only one who gets caught doing so, by simple virtue of his face being the first Natasha seeks when she turns back around. Blushing profusely as she gives him a coy smile and tells the class to get to work in the same instant, Peter ducks his head again and tries to focus on the pop quiz.


    It''s not easy, given that he''s already rock hard. Natasha has spent the entire day singling him out. He was pretty sure she was trying to rile him up on purpose. It was what she''d done that night on the roof, where he''d f.u.c.k.i.e.d her harder than he would have thought he was capable of. Did she want a round two? Well Peter would be glad to give it to her, just as soon as he could get her alone and¡­ oh god, this was the WORST.


    He was having such a difficult time focusing on the pop quiz in front of him. It didn''t help that she''d been asking him questions that were really subtle double entendre, all morning long. His mind is awash with lurid fantasies, and he can''t really even decide what he wants to do with the red head, when he finally gets his hands on her again. And damn it all, he is going to get his hands on her. He''s going to f.u.c.k her so damn hard for this.


    He''s-


    "Are you struggling with the first question, Mister Parker?"


    Peter freezes up as her voice trails across his ear, teasing and lilting in all the right ways. Natasha had been moving around the room while he was so busy fantasizing, and as a result, she''s snuck up on him. Damn his spidey-sense for only really activating when there was an ACTUAL danger involved. Didn''t it understand that it couldn''t let it''s guard down around this¡­ this Black Widow?!


    Either way, the rest of the class titters at Natasha''s words and at Peter''s expense, and Flash makes some comment about how dumb Peter is, or something or other. Truth be told, the web-slinger isn''t paying much attention to anything, because after asking her question, Natasha has leaned forward and planted her b.r.e.a.s.ts up against his back as she rests her chin on his shoulder.


    Grossly inappropriate behavior for a teacher to be engaging in with a student¡­ probably. Peter doesn''t really know, and he''s pretty sure no one else in the classroom is going to say anything about it. The guys are jealous of course, but ''Ms. Rushman'' runs a tough ship, and they''ve learned by this point that if she assigns detention, it''s not served with her, but with the big, burly basketball coach, who usually has all sorts of menial labor for problem students to handle.


    "Let me help you, Peter."


    That''s the last thing Natasha says loud enough for everyone else to here, as she begins to, seemingly, walk him through the steps of solving the first problem on the board. Truth be told, he doesn''t need her help. Peter Parker is no dunce, no ignoramus. He knows this shit, and to prove it, he begins to answer the questions in record time, hoping that it will make Natasha leave him alone, because damn it, he couldn''t do anything to her right now, not here, not with so many eyes on them!


    But it doesn''t. Natasha stays pressed up against him from behind and goes subvocal as she murmurs so quietly that only Peter, with his enhanced hearing, can understand her words.


    "How hard are you right now, little Spider? Is your big, fat c.o.c.k straining against the inside of those jeans?"


    Peter tries desperately to focus on the whiteboard and his paper, finishing with the third question now and moving into the fourth. But Natasha doesn''t stop.


    "I want you inside me again. I wonder how I should arrange that, hm? Shall I find you out on patrol again, and let you rail me up against another wall?"


    A shudder runs down Peter''s spine, as he gets to the sixth question. He''s going to finish this quiz, and then he''s going to touch her someway, as subtly as he can, propriety be damned! But until then, Natasha still has his ear, and she''s still whispering to him so quietly that not even the people to his left and right can hear her. But he can¡­ damn it, he can.


    "No, that would be far too late, wouldn''t it? I need you now, Peter¡­ and I''m sure you need me as well, don''t you? Your big, fat c.o.c.k needs to be in a real woman already, and I''m the only real woman around. Just waiting to be f.u.c.k.i.e.d. Just begging to be taken."


    If he wasn''t wearing fairly confining jeans, his c.o.c.k would probably be bouncing up against the underside of the table, to be perfectly honest. It''d be going ''SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!'' in response to Natasha''s unrepentant, incessant teasing. Luckily, he''s got that technically under control. Technically, because it still f.u.c.k.i.n.g hurts right now. Peter has a big d.i.c.k. He''s pretty sure it''s half of why Natasha is so enamored with him after that night together. But right now, having that big d.i.c.k is proving to be more of a curse than a blessing. He''s literally in pain right now from the erection filling out one leg of his jeans.


    Gritting his teeth, Peter finishes the tenth question, but before he can put down his pencil and find a way to f.u.c.k.i.n.g interact with Natasha f.u.c.k.i.n.g Romanoff in a public setting, she''s pulling away, the damnable tease. Peter''s eyes are wide as the red head slips to his side, taking his paper from him and making a show of checking it over. At the same time, her leg raises up in just the right way, and Peter gets quite the show as he finds out that ''Ms. Rushman'' isn''t currently wearing panties.


    His eyes wander, but as it turns out, that''s exactly what Natasha is waiting for. The next thing he knows, his head has been turned by a stinging slap across his face, and ''Natalie Rushman'' is walking back towards the front of the classroom with her head held high. All eyes are on him¡­ until she gets to her desk and turns around, speaking clearly and concisely. Then, all eyes are on her, including his own.


    "Detention, Mister Parker. After school, with me. Do you understand?"


    That gets even more murmurings and mutterings as quite a few jealous looks are thrown his way. Peter, meanwhile, has never been more erect, more in need of¡­ release. But now that he''s got a confirmation on when exactly they''re going to go at it, he''s also never been more eager either. Doing his best to keep said eagerness off of his face and out of his voice, Peter is sure he fails spectacularly, even as he swallows hard and gives Natasha a nod.


    "Yes, Ms. Rushman."


    And like that, beyond a few muttered comments and a hissed ''lucky'' from Flash, it''s over. Natasha has everyone pass up their finished pop quizzes for later grading and then continues on with the lesson until the period ends and they''re onto their next class for the day. Luckily, she gives him a LITTLE bit of a break by the end there, and when Peter gets up, he''s not tenting his jeans, or outlining one of his pant legs with his enormous c.o.c.k or anything like that.


    If this keeps up, he might need to buy a belt just so he can strap his d.i.c.k down to his thigh, even if Peter really isn''t into that sort of thing, if he''s being honest. But at this point, it''d be more about social survival in High School over s.e.x.u.a.l pleasure. Regardless, now he has a time at which he''ll be with Natasha alone. That''ll have to do.


    Settling into his next class, doing his best to keep the evil grin off of his face, Peter begins to plot.


    -x-X-x-


    "Well now, Mister Parker. It seems you have me at a disadvantage. What could you possibly have planned for me next?"


    Peter stares at Natasha as he strokes his c.o.c.k openly, the big, meaty shaft out in the open, and pointed unerringly at the red head''s face. Said face is currently upside down, along with the rest of her body. Peter hadn''t bothered waiting for Natasha to tease him some more or give him permission. He''d waited long enough after entering the classroom for her to close the blinds on the windows and lock the door to the room, and then¡­ he''d acted.


    If it were a real fight, Peter suspected that he wouldn''t have gotten away with this. Natasha would have put up far more resistance, and there was no doubt in his mind that she was better than him, even if he DID have enhancements from that spider bite. She could definitely hand his ass to him, if she wanted to. Key word there being ''if''.


    He was beginning to get an idea of exactly how Natasha operated. He was starting to understand what she wanted from him. Which was why Peter currently had her hung upside down, webbed up against the white board, her hands and feet held fast by said webbing, and her body on full display, albeit still mostly hidden beneath her clothes. Stepping forward, Peter gets closer to the red head super spy, but he keeps his pillar of meat just out of reach of her pouty lips, which open wide to try and take him in. Instead, his c.o.c.k slides past her mouth, brushing along her cheek. Natasha suckles at it, but it''s clear she''s irritated that she can''t suck ON it fully, as she wants to.


    Peter though, is more interested in what''s contained beneath her blouse. He grabs the shirt and positively tears it open, sending buttons flying everywhere. Then, he flips her bra down. Or more accurately up, as she''s currently upside down. Nat''s tits hang upside down with the rest of her, but that makes them no less perfect. Peter grabs hold of the crimson-haired femme fatale''s b.r.e.a.s.ts, groping and squeezing them to his heart''s content as he grinds against her face, sliding his c.o.c.k across her cheek and her hair, and forcing his churning balls up against her nose.


    "You''ve been a bad girl, Natasha. Teasing me so much¡­ what did you think would happen?"


    Natasha m.o.a.ns against his ball sack, her tongue slathering it with saliva, even as Peter works over her oh-so-perfect b.r.e.a.s.ts, his fingers pinching her n.i.p.p.l.es.


    "Oooh, you can''t possibly think you''ll get away with this, Mister Parker! I''m going to have you in detention for the rest of the year!"


    Chuckling as his c.o.c.k twitches under Natasha''s verbal AND physical teasing, Peter finally pulls back, leaving his member just an inch away from the straining red head''s full lips. She still has them wide open as she hangs upside down against the wall. Her face is red, but by this point, Peter is pretty sure that''s just the blood rushing to her head, not any sign that Natasha is actually fl.u.s.tered by all of this.


    Grinning down at her, Peter gives the gorgeous femme fatale a wink.


    "Then I guess we''d better get started."


    And with that, he thrusts his c.o.c.k right into her mouth, just as assuredly as he''d thrust forward into her cunt that night, up on the roof. Natasha''s jaw stretches wide, like some sort of big snake, and she takes him right down her throat as Peter''s c.o.c.k has to bend in order to continue its way into her esophagus, and then up into her upside-down gullet. To her credit, Natasha handles this with amazing aplomb, even as his balls come to a rest on her face, grinding into her nose, where her nostrils are flaring.


    She doesn''t choke, she doesn''t gag, she doesn''t gurgle. She swallows, and Peter can''t help but wonder just how many men the Black Widow has seduced and f.u.c.k.i.e.d before him, because really, the way she''s handling his member in such a compromised position speaks to PLENTY of experience. Not that he minds it, all that much. Her throat convulses and squeezes down around Peter''s massive meat log as she swallows his length and easily deep throats his member like a champ.


    Needing more, wanting more, Peter pinches and pulls at Natasha''s n.i.p.p.l.es, elongating her gorgeous b.r.e.a.s.ts out from her body, all while he thrusts forward with his crotch, beginning to f.u.c.k the bound red head''s face, right then and there. As he speeds up the pace and truly starts to give it to her, roughly skull-f.u.c.k.i.n.g the needy femme fatale, Natasha does begin to break. She can''t keep it up forever, no matter how much control she has over her body.


    It starts with some gurgling, and then some gagging, before graduating to full-blown choking. The Black Widow, plastered to the whiteboard by his web, choking on HIS c.o.c.k¡­ oh yeah, it''s more than a little bit of a power trip for Peter, there''s no denying that.


    "Gagkh! Gagkh! Gagkh!"


    Natasha gags as Peter f.u.c.ks her face quite messily with his big, fat member. His ball sack slaps against the upper half of her face, from her nose to her forehead. Drool and prec.u.m and all that good still drips UP the length of her head, towards her hanging red hair, and her makeup and mascara and eyeshadow run through, making even more of a mess of her.


    Peter loves it, every last minute of it¡­ but he only truly loves it because he knows Natasha wants it. He''s well aware that this is exactly what Natasha wants from him, though he couldn''t exactly explain to anyone who asked why that is. It''s like¡­ it''s sort of like his spidey-sense, but Peter can''t really imagine he got this extra sense from the spider bite. But he''s able to just look at Natasha, and despite the show she puts on, despite the dangerous femme fatale she definitely is, he knows exactly what she needs. And what she needs is to be f.u.c.k.i.e.d HARD.


    Peter does that, and he does it well, making use of Natasha''s mouth, esophagus, and gullet, even as the red head keeps her tongue writhing along the underside of his thrusting, pistoning prick all the while. Until eventually, he can''t hold back anymore. Her throat is too tight, too wet, and too unbelievably hot for him to keep it together forever. Peter originally intended to spend only a little while f.u.c.k.i.n.g Nat''s face before moving onto what he figured would be the main event¡­ but he gets caught up in things, and in the end, he pulls out with only a second to spare, and positively COVERS the Black Widow''s face and tits in his white, hot spunk.


    He paints Natasha Romanoff white, and leaves her gasping for breath and blowing c.u.m bubbles as the onslaught on her throat comes to an end. And as Peter steps back and rests himself against her desk behind him, he can''t help but admire the view. One hand goes down to his c.o.c.k, and he slowly strokes himself again, just as he was doing before, they began. Letting Natasha recover, Peter considers what he''s going to do next.


    Really, there''s only one option at the end of the day, isn''t there? It''s not like he''s going to leave the job unfinished!


    -x-X-x-


    Natasha m.o.a.ns as Peter bends her over her own desk, his viscous, thick c.u.m dripping down onto the faux wood as he takes her still webbed hands and spreads them out as far as they''ll go, planting them down onto the desk until they adhere there quite securely. Face down, with her hands restrained, Natasha could STILL likely fight her way out of this, if she wanted to.


    Grabbing the back of her pencil skirt, Peter hikes it up over her bared ass, revealing the lack of panties that she''d knowingly flashed him with earlier in the day. However, it also reveals her long, gorgeous legs, and her thick thighs. As beautiful as Natasha is, as ''womanly'' and ''feminine'' as she manages to come across, Peter doesn''t fail to notice, with his heightened senses, as the red head''s thigh and leg muscles ripple beneath her beautifully smooth skin.


    It''s another sign of just how much Natasha wants this, to be honest. He can practically see from then tense nature of her form that the femme fatale is having to fight against her instinct to fight every second of this period of inaction. Peter can even imagine how she might get out of things from this position. She''s very flexible, after all, so she could probably use the desk as leverage to swing her legs up in flying roundhouse kicks, which would in turn take him right in the head.


    From there, even though he couldn''t see it, he bet she had a way to counteract his webbing, hidden somewhere around. It wasn''t like he''d searched her or her desk, after all, she wasn''t a real enemy. She would be able to free herself quite easily, and then he''d be hauled off to SHIELD, probably. If this was all real, if he was actually taking her against her will, rather than giving her exactly what she wanted. He was-


    "Stop fantasizing about me kicking your ass Peter. Or better yet, fantasize WHILE f.u.c.k.i.n.g me. Just don''t keep me in suspense, or I WILL put you in a leg lock and choke you the f.u.c.k out."


    Peter blinks and then snorts, his c.o.c.k jumping to full attention. He reaches down and grabs hold of Natasha''s heart-shaped, pleasingly firm ass, and digs his fingers into it. She''s extremely toned of course, but due to his super-strength, he still gets plenty of purchase, even as he steps up to the plate so to speak, slapping his massive meat rod down onto Natasha''s exposed backside, hot dogging her ass cheeks for a few moments with his c.o.c.k.


    She m.o.a.ns throatily and wantonly, wiggling this way and that to be as enticing as possible. But truth be told, Peter doesn''t need any more incentive to f.u.c.k the gorgeous femme fatale with all his might. His c.o.c.k is still nice and hard despite the fact that he''d just gotten done plowing her throat, and after a few moments of teasing HER for a change, Peter pulls back until the head of his c.o.c.k slips down off of Natasha''s ass and comes to a stop right between her thighs, pressed up against her sopping wet cunt.


    He pushes in just an inch and then pauses for a second, just long enough for Natasha to tense up in anticipation. Then, right as she begins to turn her head to look back at him, likely to growl and threaten him again, THAT''s when the young hero thrusts forward, while at the same time, reaching out and grabbing hold of Natasha''s hair, fisting her red locks in his hand and pulling her head back so that her back arches in a most delightful way.


    Then, he starts f.u.c.k.i.n.g her. Her insides are as hot and wet as her mouth and throat were, if not more so. Her cunt is just as tight as it was that night up on the roof, when they''d christened this strange relationship of theirs. It was hard to remember that this wasn''t the first time Peter was f.u.c.k.i.n.g Natasha Romanoff. Though in a way, it WAS the first time he was f.u.c.k.i.n.g ''Ms. Rushman''.


    As much as her identity here in school was just a cover for her real purpose, that being him, Peter couldn''t deny that there was a certain pleasure to be found in f.u.c.k.i.n.g the substitute teacher like this. He couldn''t deny that he''d fantasized about it plenty of times, long before he found out that Ms. Rushman was actually the Black Widow.


    He was buried inside of Natasha Romanoff''s tight cunt, yes, but he was also f.u.c.k.i.n.g ''Natalie Rushman'', bent over her own desk, f.u.c.k.i.n.g her in a way that most of the men in this school, both students and faculty, would have absolutely killed for a chance at. But none of them were going to get to f.u.c.k Natasha Romanoff or Natalie Rushman. None of them were going to get a taste of this, because Peter had gotten there first.


    "F-F.u.c.k, don''t you dare stop, Parker. Just like that. F.u.c.k.i.n.g TAKE me!"


    And better still, Natasha never stops egging him on. Peter finds himself getting to greater and greater heights, thanks to the way she''s demanding that he keep going. His c.o.c.k pistons in and out of the red head, and as thick and as long as it is, eventually, he''s pounding right into her cervix. It doesn''t take him long to enter her w.o.m.b, to fill it with his meat. Natasha m.o.a.ns all the more wantonly at this, and soon climaxes explosively from the absurdly thick c.o.c.k pounding her into submission.


    "Y-Yesssss, just, umf, just, oh GOD!!!"


    Peter can''t help but laugh. He tightens his grip on Natasha''s red hair and pulls the femme fatale''s head back further, even as he leans forward, really leaning into her, really giving it to her with all his might.


    "What was that, Nat? Sorry, don''t think I heard you. What did you want to say?"


    All she can muster in response is a growl, and even that is cut off by another wanton m.o.a.n. Peter grins viciously, feeling undeniably c.o.c.ky, confident, and self-assured. But he doesn''t think it''s over-confidence. He''s sure that it''s not arrogance. No, after that night on the rooftop, Peter is pretty sure that he''s just plain good at this.


    Shit, if he can impress a woman like the Black Widow, a seducer of men and likely women alike, then yeah, Peter would say he has a talent for it. Gone is the shy, nervous nerd of a boy, though he knew he would still have to wear him as a mask at times, when it was appropriate. He couldn''t go back to the way he was before now though. Not when he was buried inside of the Black Widow herself, bringing her to climax after climax.


    As Natasha cries out in an ugly fashion, her p.u.s.s.y juices coating his already slick member time and time again, Peter feels himself getting closer. He f.u.c.ks her hard, pounding her into the desk she''s bent over and stuck to so roughly that he''s not sure it''ll manage to keep up under the impacts. But he''s also not going to stop. If it breaks, it breaks. He won''t let anything slow him down. Well, he''d stop if Natasha asked him to, if she told him she couldn''t take it¡­ but they both knew that wasn''t ever going to happen.


    Regardless, the desk doesn''t end up breaking before Peter lets out a loud groan, and finally paints Natasha''s insides white with his c.u.m. His thick, viscous seed fills the crimson-haired femme fatale''s w.o.m.b to the brim and then some, as he pumps just as much c.u.m up inside of her as he pumped out onto her face and tits.


    Only after he''s done, only after he pulls out does Peter finally realize the ramifications of his actions. He blinks dumbly, finally thinking about something that he probably should have considered back on that rooftop the first time he''d creampied the Black Widow herself. For a moment, unsure and nervous Peter is back as he rubs the back of his head and looks down at the bent-over form of the gorgeous femme fatale before him.


    "Um¡­ you''re on birth control, r-right? It''s just, I''m not sure I''m ready to be a father¡­"


    For a moment, there''s silence, and Peter wonders if he''s f.u.c.k.i.e.d Natasha into such a stupor that she can''t even respond. But then he hears a soft chuckle from the quivering, trembling red head, and she looks over her shoulder at him with an amused expression on her face.


    "I''m sterile, Peter. A byproduct of the training I was subjected to, before I ever joined SHIELD. You can pump my w.o.m.b as full of your delectable seed as you want, and nothing will ever come of it."


    That''s a relief. Peter lets out a breath of air he hadn''t realized he was holding in¡­ and then he looks down, because his c.o.c.k is already twitching again at Natasha''s words. Not the part about her being sterile or the hint at the tortures she experienced before joining SHIELD, but at the part where she said he could pump her w.o.m.b full of as much delectable seed as he wanted.


    Swallowing thickly, Peter peels Natasha''s hands off of her desk and spins her about, before sitting back in her chair and pulling her with him.


    "As much as I want, huh? Well, I''m not done punishing you yet¡­ so you better ride me till I c.u.m inside you again. Got it?"


    He brings her webbed hands together in front of her and then drags them back behind her head to make his point, while Natasha just grins, licking her lips salaciously as she grinds against the base of his c.o.c.k, her p.u.s.s.y lips sticky with his c.u.m and hot-dogging his length. When he lets go of her wrists, she doesn''t try to bring her hands back around, even as Peter takes hold of her h.i.p.s, lifts her up, and then DROPS her onto his member, impaling her in one fell swoop.


    She cries out, and then begins to ride him, just as he''s said, bouncing her firm ass and tight body up and down on his member with all her remaining strength, which to Peter''s surprise, is still quite the fair amount. As she does so, with her elbows on either side of her head, Natasha is inadvertently jutting out her tits in Peter''s direction as well. Those perfect, stellar tits, bouncing up and down in front of him as the Black Widow herself rides him to kingdom c.u.m.


    Despite ejaculating twice before already, this is without a doubt the easiest orgasm of Peter''s life. He''s got Natasha right where he wants her, and she''s giving him everything he could desire, even as she m.o.a.ns and cries out, orgasming more than once from her own bouncing up and down on his pillar of meat. With how hot and wet and tight her insides are, with how his first load coats his c.o.c.k and makes the passage all the easier, despite being a bit stickier¡­ is it any wonder that he''s soon c.u.m.m.i.n.g again, pumping even more of his seed up into the femme fatale?


    Not before she pushes him all the way back up against the wall in the wheeled chair that she keeps behind her desk. Probably for the best, without the wall to arrest their momentum, she probably would have toppled them both over at some point, sending them to the ground. Not that Peter would have minded, but the chair likely wouldn''t have survived the fall and Natasha DID need it for school each day. Even if she spent as much of her time as Peter saw of her on her feet as possible, likely to keep herself at least moving in some small way while she was on this plush assignment that could, truth be told, be compared to desk work.


    Regardless, Peter fills Natasha with his seed, and Natasha climbs off his member and stands up, showing off her flexibility and her dexterity as she does so, as well as her amazing balance. It''s not easy to lift herself up off of his massive c.o.c.k without the use of hands, after all. Bringing said hands back over her head, Natasha opens a desk drawer, and a moment later sprays something on her hands that causes the webbing to immediately begin to dissolve.


    As Peter expected, she was never truly trapped. Sitting in her chair, he watches her rather quietly, just¡­ enjoying the way she''s cleaning herself up. Until, that is, she notices that he''s enjoying it, and begins to tease him again. It starts with those hooded eyes of her, followed by a coy smile, and then the hands are running up and down her body, the wipes she''s using to clean his c.u.m and her ruined makeup and even just the sweat from her tits and everything else¡­ it was doing it for him, he had to admit.


    "Like what you see, Peter?"


    Her eyes only slide down HIS body after she says that, however. Clearly, from the amused grin on her face, she doesn''t think he can possibly keep going at this point. But then her gaze reaches his crotch, and she sees that, contrary to her expectation that he''s likely soft by now, Peter is still rock hard. Before Natasha can react beyond a widening of her eyes, Peter is up out of the chair and over to where she''s standing at her desk, pushing up against her from behind and bending her over her desk once more.


    This time, the red head plants her hands firmly and arches her back with a m.o.a.n as he hot dogs her bountiful behind with his erection.


    "You''re insatiable, Spider-Man."


    She purrs that out, and it only spurs Peter on further. With a low, bestial growl, he grabs hold of Natasha''s ass and spreads her cheeks wide, before firmly lodging his c.u.m-covered, p.u.s.s.y juice-covered c.o.c.khead right into her back door. Her eyes go wide, but he finds that her asshole gives away fairly easily. It''s not loose, per say, it''s still quite tight in fact, but¡­ it''s obvious that this isn''t Natasha''s first rodeo, when it comes to anal.


    That said, Peter takes a distinct satisfaction in the next words that come out of her mouth as he begins to slowly but surely penetrate her rectum.


    "Mmm, never had anything quite as big as you up there before, Peter¡­ but I suppose there''s a first time for everything, isn''t there?"


    Even now, she''s egging him on. Even now, she''s teasing him, titillating him, tempting him. Well, consider Peter right f.u.c.k.i.n.g tempted. With another growl, he leans in close and nuzzles Natasha''s neck. As she m.o.a.ns and nuzzles him right back, Peter pulls halfway out of her ass¡­ and then thrusts in all the harder, delighting in her cries as they erupt from her throat a moment later.


    Without further ado, Peter Parker begins to f.u.c.k Natasha Romanoff''s asshole with as much vigor and strength as he showed in f.u.c.k.i.n.g her face and cunt. The last orifice to claim, and then all of her is his. Well, not really. Peter knows better than to think that just because they have this¡­ thing between them, that Natasha actually, truly belongs to him.


    In fact, there will probably come a point when the red head goes back to the sort of work that she was doing before, seducing lesser men, f.u.c.k.i.n.g them for the information they could give her, sacrificing her body in exchange for mission success. That made Peter a little angry, but he also knew that it was the way the world worked.


    As much as this older woman clearly enjoyed him dominating her and f.u.c.k.i.n.g her into orgasm after orgasm, as much as she was enjoying the anal even now, her anus flexing and clenching around his c.o.c.k and her p.u.s.s.y disgorging copious amounts of his seed onto the floor as she climaxed explosively from the butt f.u.c.k.i.n.g, Peter knew where they both stood. He didn''t own her. He was pretty sure nobody OWNED Natasha Romanoff.


    That didn''t mean he wasn''t going to f.u.c.k her with all his might, just as he''d been doing all afternoon long. She''d riled him up after all, so at the end of the day, it was HER responsibility to make sure he was properly taken care of. Given the way Natasha was pushing back into him, meeting his thrusts with all of her own remaining strength, it was obvious that the red head agreed wholeheartedly.


    They were both lost in each other, lost in the act of f.u.c.k.i.n.g. Peter''s c.o.c.k penetrates deep into Natasha''s bowels as her tight anal muscles clench down harder around his member then her p.u.s.s.y or throat were capable of. This is the tightest she''s ever been, and it''s undeniably amazing. It certainly doesn''t take long for Natasha to milk yet another load of c.u.m from his c.o.c.k with her back door alone, that''s for sure.


    Only once he''s pounded her ass into oblivion and pumped his seed into her one final time does Peter pull back and drop into her chair again though. He had to finish first¡­ but now, he thinks he might finally be up for a rest.


    -x-X-x-


    "Oh, there''s something I should probably tell you about, by the way."


    Peter blinks at that, looking down at where Natasha is currently wrapping her spectacular tits around his half-hard member, calmly and slowly giving him an absolutely superb titjob. She''s cleaned herself up now, for real this time, and somehow she''d managed to fix her makeup in mere moments, leaving her looking completely pristine and fully put together, even as she knelt there on the ground before him, sliding her b.r.e.a.s.ts up and down his length like it was the most common thing in the whole world.


    Apparently, Natasha''s version of a rest was just to do this. Peter couldn''t really bring himself to mind though, it felt amazing, having the red head''s tits wrapped around his length. Though, he feels an icy sensation go down his back at her words. As far as Peter is concerned, there''s only one thing that she could be talking about.


    "You''re being recalled?"


    Natasha blinks at his question, c.o.c.king her head to the side.


    "What makes you say that?"


    Peter gives her a lopsided grin and shrugs one of his shoulders up and down.


    "Well, what else would you have to tell me? I knew they would have to take you back eventually. Have you told them about¡­ us? Or just told them I''m not a threat?"


    Natasha gets a coy grin on her lips at that, and her tongue traces out to lap at his engorged c.o.c.khead.


    "Oh, I don''t know Peter. I''d say this behemoth counts as a weapon of mass destruction. You''re almost certainly a threat."


    Her eyes twinkle with mischief, and Peter gives her a wan smile, shaking his head at her antics. It was hard to remember just which one of them was younger than the other, at times. Though, one look at Natasha''s gorgeous body, the body of a woman rather than a girl, was enough to remind Peter how f.u.c.k.i.n.g lucky he was.


    "Regardless, you''re wrong. SHIELD is not recalling or reassigning me. In fact, it''s just the opposite."


    He pushes down on the hope that blossoms in his chest, refusing to let himself feel it just yet as he furrows his brow and frowns down at Natasha, silently asking for more. Natasha''s grin just widens.


    "I finally got into contact with the Director of SHIELD a couple days back. I told him that, contrary to my original orders, I had followed you on a few of your patrols and seen you in action¡­ but more than that, you had senses beyond what was in your file, and managed to catch me stalking you. I told him that I''d made contact after you forced my hand."


    Peter snorts indelicately at that. The thought that he could force her to do anything, or that he could have caught her without her revealing herself to him¡­ well, he appreciates that she''s talking him up to her superiors, even if it''s not really true. Still, all of this sounds like it''s leading somewhere.


    "¡­ And?"


    Natasha lets out a throaty chuckle, even as she continues to give him a slow, casual titjob with her perfectly shaped b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    "And it''s been decided that I''ll be taking up a semi-permanent position at this school¡­ in order to better facilitate my new mission, which is to act as your SHIELD handler. From here on out, I''ll be training you in all that I know, and together, we''ll be working to make sure that you''re the best hero you can be."


    Peter''s eyes widen at that, and Natasha takes this moment of speechlessness to opens wide and finally engulf the top half of his c.o.c.k in her needy mouth, bobbing up and down his length as she continues to slide her tits across his shaft. Her eyes never leave his eyes though, and they both know that what Natasha isn''t saying is that she''s not going to let him go any time soon, not after he''s so thoroughly blown her mind.


    Huh. It seemed that he''d attracted the widow to his web, and now she was going to be taking up residence there. Peter really couldn''t bring himself to mind all that much. He knows that the grin on his face is a bit boyish in it''s dumbfounded happiness, but he can''t bring himself to mind there either. He lets out a giddy bit of laughter, and then places a hand atop Natasha''s head, sliding his fingers through her red locks as he begins to help guide her further and further down his length.


    Eventually though, she pulls back, and the moment Peter encounters resistance, he lets go of her hair, allowing her to slip off of his c.o.c.k with a pop as his member leaves her beautiful lips. She strokes him a few times with her hands and then does this thing with her tongue that sends Peter right over the edge, one last time. Her lips suction down onto his c.o.c.khead one last time as well, and she drinks down his load without spilling a drop¡­ and without every breaking eye contact with him, not even for a moment.


    When she''s done, Natasha pulls away and stands up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and grinning down at him.


    "Time to get to work, Peter. Or perhaps better put¡­ Spider-Man."


    Hopping to his feet, the young hero grins and then, somewhat impetuously, pulls the gorgeous femme fatale into a deep, tongue-filled kiss, his hands wrapping around her to squeeze at her beautiful booty for a moment before he draws back and gives her a self-assured wink.


    "Whatever you say, Widow. Lead the way."


    For a moment, she stands there stunned, as if she can hardly believe he would be so bold, even after everything that''s already transpired between them. But then the moment ends, and she looks at him with fresh eyes, almost seeming to stare right into his soul.


    "¡­ If you do well, I might just introduce you to a couple of my friends. I know some lovely ladies who would be VERY interested in a young man with as much stamina as you have. Not to mention the size is always a definite plus. Sound like fun?"


    Peter can barely contain himself as he nods up and down rapidly. Natasha just laughs, and then the two of them make their way out of the school as stealthily as possible, though by this point in the evening, there''s not really anyone left around to see them leave.

 Chapter 234 - My SI Stash #34 - Teenagers Suck by Mizuki_Stone (Worm)

    -Recently revived fic, was dead for 2 years~ SI as a student of Winslow High with Warlock Powers, it''s prettty much a slice of life!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: T


    Words: 120K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/teenagers-suck-worm-cyoa.343807/#threadmark-category-16 (Mizuki_Stone)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Prologue + Chapter 1


    Have you ever felt like your life isn''t your own? Like you''re stuck in a role you weren''t meant to play?


    Welcome to my life.


    My name is Dwight Underwood. Or rather now it is. And I''m fresh into my sixteenth year of life... while remembering being in my mid twenties not too long ago somewhere else.


    Yeah I know, sounds crazy right? Not crazy ''haha'' but crazy in the ''you should get some counselling for that'', which I would except that I can''t talk about it.


    And I don''t mean that I can''t talk about it because I''m afraid of something bad happening on my record I mean I literally cannot talk about it. I open my mouth to say something and just... nothing comes out. A secret locked inside my head I can''t tell anyone.


    Which is creepy as f.u.c.k.


    But then again, capes are supposed to be messed up right?


    Oh, right, capes. Capes are... well people in capes. Well not literally capes. Costumes. Superheroes and supervillians. Some of the costumes have capes but those fell out of favor early. Crazy people with superpowers basically. Those are a thing.


    Annnnd I am one of them. Minus the costume part anyway. Though my powers are kind of lame in the ''super'' department. I mean they look cool, but... Not really that practical in the face of stuff like handguns and things, but they certainly had some cool presentation to them.


    I mean, everyone wanted to be a blaster. Well if they couldn''t be an Alexandria Package anyway. Super strength, invulnerability and Flight were a hard mix to beat.


    But on the other hand, my powers could grow with time. That was an edge few could boast. And magic types were rare, even if most ended up mocked if they openly called themselves that. Give me some time and I could get one of those ''top of the line'' powers, maybe fake another one, and hit hard in my own way by developing what I had. Legend was just as cool as Alexandria after all.


    ...Here I am talking about coolness like I really was a teenager. Well I guess in terms of glands and stuff I was. Or was I just a teenager with a lot of information downloaded into my brain?


    This was really messed up. For now all I could do is play my part.


    I was definitely going to try and test out of school though at least, regardless of anything else. Winslow sucked.


    Or maybe I should really think about joining the Wards? I mean that was the heroic thing to do right? But at the same time I had to seriously think on how I wanted to approach that. Being a hero sounded awesome but... would I really be able to do that sort of thing? Walk around in spandex shooting fiddly little lasers?


    It seemed... smarter to level up a bit first. Spend more time thinking on my options and trying to get up to the level of something useful.


    Or maybe I was just procrastinating because the idea of entering combat with weak powers scared me.


    Then again that was just another thing to think about wasn''t it?


    Adjusting my backpack I continued my trek to the hell that was highschool. At least I''d have a few more minutes before the glory that was the American Educational system went too work doing its best to scrub any semblance of thought from my brain.


    Chapter 1: Setting the Stage


    Part 1


    To call Winslow a hellhole was an insult to hellholes everywhere. I''d known it was bad before getting powers, but now I actually had some basis for comparison.


    The building itself wasn''t in great shape, it wasn''t exactly ''half a step from condemned'', but it was understating things to say some of the rooms could use a coat of paint and the library held the firm and rustic smell of mildew to it like water in a sponge. The equipment wasn''t exactly great either, the chairs were uncomfortable, the PA crackled, the textbooks were a decade old in the better cases, and the computers were old enough that they didn''t need to worry about the gangs stealing them.


    Actually now in hindsight, that last one might actually have been deliberate.


    But those weren''t the real problem.


    No the real problem was the gangs.


    Brockton Bay, among its many other notable titles, was the neo Nazi capital of the US. It wasn''t bad enough that I could expect to see someone walking down the hallway with a red arm band but I wouldn''t really be surprised by it.


    Not that they would. Shaved heads, and ''subtle'' display of the number eighty eight was one thing. Flying colors that blatant on the other hand was just asking someone to bust a cap in your ass. Probably by someone wearing a dragon.


    It''s funny, you''d think an organization the Empire Eighty Eight (said neo Nazis) would all but own this town. They had like a dozen supervillians, money, borderline military level munitions and resources. Once you added it all together, the local Protectorate were just plain out numbered and out muscled, even if you factored in independent heroes like New Wave helping them.


    And honestly they would. It''s a freaking terrifying thought. Particularly for someone who could remember listening to horror stories about the original flavor of Nazis, but by all rights Kaiser, leader of the Empire Eighty Eight should have taken over at this point.


    But he didn''t.


    Because there was a scarier monster in town.


    Lung was everything the Empire was and worse. He was one man. One cape. And he basically walked into town, picked out a spot he liked and said that it was his now.


    And whenever someone objected he crushed them like a bug. Normal person, cop, soldier, superhuman, team of superhumans, it didn''t matter. He just... walked in one day, picked a fight with the entire local Protectorate and sent them running. He did the same to the empire, and to everyone else stupid enough to face him.


    And then he claimed his spot, and ruled it like a tyrant.


    The Azn Bad Boyz better known as the ABB. A paradoxical pan-Asian supremacist gang, that gave no care about the wildly diverging and often traditionally conflicting cultures scooped up under the term ''Asian'' ruled by a freaking dragon.


    Drugs, protection rackets, kidnapping and exportation, outright human trafficking... they did it all, and not a single person alive could stop it. The most the government and its affiliate heroes could do was stake out hunks of turf that they wouldn''t budge on. Certain rules that they abided by.


    It was probably those exact rules that were the only reason a place like Winslow could still stand with members of both gangs openly operating inside with anything resembling peace and order.


    Scary shit huh?


    Even two days ago the best I could do was hunker down, keep quiet and hope to whatever gods might be listening that no one drew their attention towards me.


    But now... now I had power. Not a lot of it, but...


    Was this what it felt like to own a gun maybe? The heady feeling of being able to fight back, to know that if someone went after you that you didn''t just have to stand there and take it.


    Not that fighting would get me far. My powers sucked. If I fought back openly that''d just get attention that would crush me like a bug. At least with what powers I currently had available. All that aside if I just busted out the arcane asskicking bullshit on a hares breath then how was I different from the gangs in the first place?


    But... maybe with some practice that could change? I was already one link higher on the food chain. If I just kept climbing higher then eventually I might be able to make a real difference. With great power comes great responsibility and all that right?


    I had to figure out how to strike a good balance. Find some point between where I could live with myself and just plain live.


    The bell rang.


    I blinked.


    Of course that could wait until after class!


    Part 2


    Math class was... math class. For some reason people thought that if you were good at something that you had to like it.


    I was good at math. Too good honestly, I could do everything up to basic exponents in my head but in a class that graded by ''showing your work'', that didn''t mean much. All responses were meant to be punch card perfect. The properly listed process for the properly listed result, even if I could get the actual answer out onto the paper with half the actual work.


    It sucked, and sapped dry whatever little amounts of enjoyment I could find working on this educational assembly line. I didn''t even have any friends in this class.


    Well there was Tony, but we''d grown pretty distant since he shaved his head. He had his reasons. I knew them, even kinda got them, but I didn''t agree with them.


    Hate couldn''t be fixed with more hate. Not unless you were willing to carry it all the way through, and the price of that... wasn''t something I felt was worth paying.


    His mother agreed with me.


    His father... was less vocal.


    I wondered if I went hero, would I end up fighting him one day? Like... not an argument, but literal bullets and energy blasts fight?


    The idea made the little pit in my stomach sink a little further.


    Then again it wasn''t like the alternative was on the plate either. If I didn''t bend my knee to Kaiser before I got my powers, why the hell would I now that I might be able to fight back?


    My work was done, I was expected to ''free study'' now. In short keep quiet and let the other little cogs turn in the grand machine that was the school system while playing around with my cellphone.


    Except that I wasn''t.


    Ideas...


    Where the hell was I going to get a costume? I wanted something... useful. Practical. Something that could help me survive some.


    Armor? Well maybe I could manage with some sports equipment. The good motocross stuff was pretty protective right? Not bulletproof vest grade but...


    How much were those vests anyway? I mean sports kit was pretty expensive. A full set could cost a couple hundred if it was new. I could reach that but it wasn''t exactly small change to me either. It also wasn''t really optimal for the job.


    But those vests got kind of bulky... and weren''t knives supposed to slide through them pretty easily as well? Super fights used blades more often then bullets right?


    So... maybe I should go medieval on their asses? Chainmail or something like that? That''d be even harder to find, but you could find it. Online order from one of those Renaissance fair, old style blacksmiths...


    How do you block metal blades and fire blasts with stuff like that? You don''t. So... was armor worth it?


    ...Duh, of course it was. For every forest of blades and raging fire dragon there were also pocket knives, nine millimeters and basic bits of shrapnel.


    So... I probably wanted to start with the motocross stuff. Less complicated then trying to make something piecemeal and it covered everywhere. I could get the thing cash, over the counter as well, making things a lot less easily connected to me.


    A memory from the other life hit me.


    I could also modify it with plates of heavier stuff over top. Probably wouldn''t do as well as full out plate-mail with Kevlar inserts, but I could leave little spots for inserts for Kevlar later.


    ...Or maybe I could take up sewing and find out how much Kevlar cost piecemeal?


    The motocross stuff would be a good base layer though. It was padded, meant to help people survive big cashes, and it was low profile for armor. It''d be a good starting ground.


    What about the helmet though? Head protection was nice, but I was trying to go hero. Some heroes got away with that sort of stuff but most showed at least part of their face. Either way just walking around in a bikers outfit didn''t seem very... super... person... like. I mean who did that? Maybe if I had biker themed powers...


    Alright, I needed to work on the helmet idea some. Maybe approach that more from the hard armor angle? Some of the medieval style helmets were-


    The bell rung.


    Automatically I started putting stuff away. Computer sciences next. AKA how to use the office program of a OS three generations out of date.


    Joy.


    Maybe I should just skip it and swing by the drama room?


    ...ooor I could just speed-blitz the class again and use the opportunity to look up everything I was just thinking about.


    Huh, suddenly school didn''t seem so bad!


    I twitched, right... let''s just hope Murphy wasn''t listening to that.


    Part 3


    The computers in computer sciences were... well to be blunt they were horrible. They had the old school box head monitors, ran collectively on a single high speed connection degrading web surfing to around the league of dial up, and if not for the mainframe letting them share key memory would probably be hard pressed to have two gigs to rub together.


    They were also free to use once your class work was up. Which was nice, even if your cellphone was actually better for surfing the web.


    Getting said work done was no problem. The otherworldly knowledge that came with my powers filled in the blanks about as quickly as I encountered them, turning a forty five minute class into a fifteen minute clicking session of paperwork.


    Heh, the upsides seemed to be without limit. Yeah my energy blasts sucked but I had anti-homework superpowers! The envy of teen heroes across the globe.


    ...Actually in hindsight I should probably keep my lips tight on that one, or I might legitimately piss off someone who had combat effective superpowers.


    With the image of Rune crushing me to death with a car, a look of outrage on her face firmly in my mind, I went to work researching.


    Research that was very important, utterly practical and not even slightly d.i.c.king around.


    Incidentally I found out that you could get a full length tailored trench coat for the surprisingly low price of nine hundred US dollars on the dot!


    That was unfortunately a bit out of my price range. Luckily a more traditional basic vest only cost about a hundred and seventy. The full motocross suit cost only forty on top of that, which was kind of mind-blowing really.


    Chainmail however was going to wrack me up by something like two hundred alone. Plate armor significantly more so.


    I winced.


    So... including shipping and everything, five hundred dollars for the most basic protection I could think of. That wasn''t even including the actually flashy bits of costume.


    ...Well I''d been planning to wait a while to train my powers to begin with.


    Actually... Maybe I could kill two birds with one stone? I''d wanted chain over rough bolted on plates, but adding some hard plates at key locations would be a smart move right? I could go down to the boat graveyard and practice my power carving out useful bits of it!


    ...That... was probably a horrible idea.


    ...Wasn''t it?


    Okay, my powers were flashy. I still needed to practice them. Boat graveyard was pretty damned abandoned. No one gave a damn about someone roughing up the resting lumps of scrap metal, so I wouldn''t really have to worry about legal problems either. The metal was tough enough for ship hulls, so... why not?


    Todd would probably be worried.


    Well... if I was seriously going to work on the hero thing Todd was going to be worried either way right? Maybe I should try and get him used to the idea of me being gone for large chunks of the night. Sort of... ease him into it. I mean it wasn''t like I was joining a gang or something.


    Alright, another plan set.


    I spent my remaining time looking up amateur blacksmithing, and browsing onto PHO... entirely for vital research purposes! Know your enemy, know yourself and you will win a thousand battles and all that jazz right?


    So it was only natural to watch ¨¹ber and L33t''s highlight reel for the rest of the class right?


    Exactly.


    Unfortunately before I could get far in the lunch bell rang, interrupting my vital research before they got to the first Glory Girl episode.


    No matter, food was good too. Even superpeople needed to eat right?


    I wondered what was on the menu...


    Part 4


    Lunch at Winslow typically went one of three ways. You ate in the cafeteria, you grabbed some inexpensive imitation food from said cafeteria and moved somewhere else, or you went to one of the many cheap and easy food distributing eateries that were open around the prime feeding ground that is a open highschool.


    Considering the make up of Winslow, the going out for lunch issue could be... tricky. I mean I loved Colonel Chang''s deep fried chickenballs as much as the next guy, but a freckle faced redheaded white kid walking into that place? Hahaha, no thank you. I would rather like to skip on the side order of lead that invited.


    ...okay that was probably going a bit far. I wasn''t Empire or anything so they''d probably just rough me up. Actually even that wouldn''t be supremely likely. But it was a restaurant with a bright golden dragon in its logo. You did not walk into a place like that looking like I did. Not unless you wanted trouble.


    Likewise the fact that I was not Empire meant that the Subway down the street would be distinctly uncomfortable for me to stay at. I mean yeah odds are I''d just get some very ''friendly'' smile and some polite nudging, but I could also get some much less friendly ones.


    There were still options. The valuemart only a quarter block away had pizza slices on cheap.


    Of course all of that was redundant to me because you needed to be a senior to leave campus for lunch, so I was stuck with options one and two. Or bringing stuff I guess. As things were, I''d risk the Caf''s imitation food.


    So I walked down, reached my locker, ran the combo through the cheap dollar store lock, dumped my stuff in and headed for said eatery.


    There at least the tensions ran mostly on the posture level. A few harsh words thrown here and there, but outside of a modest divide of certain tables being ''claimed'', there wasn''t a problem.


    Actually according to my new memories even that wasn''t that weird. It was just that there was also a table full of skinheads alongside a table full of jocks, preps, stoners, etc.


    I wasn''t even exempt from that.


    After waiting in line for ten minutes, grabbing a cheese burger in ten seconds, loading a plate up with caesar salad in slightly more than that, grabbing a coke and paying for the lot of it. I finally made my way down to my personal ''retinue'' in the sparsely crowded mess.


    Don''t get me wrong, I wasn''t a prep, or a member of the track team or anything. Though actually that last might be a good idea to look into if I was seriously going to do the hero thing.


    Nah I just had some friends I played cards with over lunch.


    "Lisa, Clair," I grinned at my fellow vicious and merciless cardsharks. Glancing around as I slid over, "Looking lovely as ever, where''s Bel?"


    "Home sick. Think she got the flu," Lisa explained. She was a nice girl. Utterly ruthless card player, but surprisingly kind for a Hispanic girl trying to get buy in a city full of Neo Nazi''s and Asian supremacists. I had no idea how she managed to walk in with a smile every day, but she did, and that made the world a little brighter in my opinion.


    "Sucks," I grimaced sitting down.


    Clair promptly stole a bit of my salad, "No fries?"


    My eye twitched, "Why no, I like being able to eat most of my lunch rather than have it mysteriously disappear on me."


    Clair shot me a mock-hurt expression on the border of full blown crocodile tears, "That hurts Dwight! Such allegations! Where is the love? Where is the trust?"


    "Missing with most of my lunch money," I replied bluntly. "We playing asshole or poker? Three person game is pretty tight either way," I replied picking up my burger and biting into the salty savory taste of well masked newspaper.


    Delicious.


    Yeah, the cafeteria food sucked, what else was new? It wasn''t like I or Todd had much cooking talent between us though so what else was I going to do? Bring peanut butter sandwiches?


    "Asshole," Lisa decided on the spot.


    I grimmanced, "With three players?"


    "Prez, Citizen, and Asshole," she listed off.


    "I''m down with either," Clair responded, ever the neutral voice as she stole one of Lisa''s fries.


    I never got why she did that. It wasn''t like she was wanting for food either. Half the time we ordered out, she was the one treating, she just liked to steal people''s food. It was a thing that she did.


    Lisa looked at me eyebrow raised, "You really want to go with poker?"


    I weighted my options, I could make a push for it. She''d let me, but I could also tell just what game she actually wanted to play.


    I sighed, "Fine, asshole it is," I consented, then pointed at her, "But you''re dealing."


    Then I leaned back and prepared to get my head handed to me.


    Part 5


    My expectations were met in full. I might know a lot of stuff I didn''t a few days ago but my actual skill hadn''t changed a lot.


    Plus a lot of my new memories were pretty redundant on card games. Other me hadn''t been much of a player. Though he had known a few things about reading people that had helped a lot.


    Still losing can be fun. Just ask anyone whose played Dwarf Fortress for longer than the day they installed it!


    They had a kind of unfair advantage though. My mind kept coming back to the hero thing. I mean... how does one superhero?


    I needed a name, a costume, superpowers and the ability to kick ass.


    I currently had all of one of those things, though I was working on at least two more.


    Annnnd next class up was World Issues. So, plenty of time to work on another one.


    Being the cape capital of the East Coast tended to focus which ''World Issues'' were talked about a lot.


    Though given Mr. Gladly''s habit of group assignments I might not have as much free time to think to myself as I would have hoped.


    Students piled in, I got to my seat, book bag slack at my side, no idea if I was going to be pulling out textbooks or not.


    Mr. Gladly was sort of a fake smiles kinda guy, the sort of person who would make a comment about the miniscule good point to a really horrible situation.


    Case in point, when the Endbringers had come up in class, he''d told me ''at least I''d know the material!''. Though he had quietly after class offered to let me skip the assignment if I wanted.


    I did it anyway. It happened, I was ten. Denying it wasn''t going to change things and it was an easy A.


    Our delightfully bumbling teacher stepped in, gathered his notes, and started laying out the new project. Something my new knowledge of the world couldn''t really help with. The effect of Capes on modern culture.


    I wondered offhandedly just who I''d be working with today. Greg? One of the three faces of Cerberus perhaps?


    I didn''t have to wait long; "Underwood and... Hebert."


    I almost flinched.


    Taylor Hebert. She wasn''t a bully or anything. Much the opposite, she seemed almost fragilely meek. On the other hand she was also the daughter of Todd''s boss. Or at least the guy who could drop his ass out of work at the drop of a hat.


    I''d mostly avoided her to try and keep anything I did from influencing such a decision. Also we just ran in different crowds.


    ...Or... in hindsight I''d just let dumb ass ''pecking order'' bullshit keep me from really wanting to talk to a girl near the bottom of the totem pole.


    Hadn''t she been in some sort of incident a few months ago as well?


    So I''d just take the opportunity to... feel her out a little. That couldn''t be to hard right?


    And hopefully this would not blow up in my face too bad.


    Part 6


    After a few minutes of reshuffling, I was sitting in front of Ms. Hebert thinking on the project as outlined.


    The subject of the assignment was simple. A basic presentation on how capes had affected an aspect of modern culture. Something my new memories helped a lot with as, near as I could tell, they came from a world that didn''t have any superheroes in them.


    Well not superhuman ones anyway. Not on anything that wasn''t fiction.


    ...Well unless they hid it very very well anyway. I had to accept that possibility, particularly when everything I knew about my powers hinted that the sidhe myths might not be so mythological.


    Huh, now there was an idea to draw on for a theme.


    "So..." I said to my project partner, brining my mind back to the present, "How do you want to do this? Split things up so we''re each responsible for part of it? Do it all online? Meet up after school?" I listed off.


    "Can''t we just... work on it in class?" she asked.


    I blinked, "Well yeah, but I mean the after class stuff. If we split up the load then we can compare notes here if you want. Or we could arrange something so we can work together," I elaborated.


    "Do we really need to do that though?" she asked me. "I mean, we''ve got two weeks to get the project done. Can''t we just get it done in class time?"


    I raised an eyebrow. So she wanted to slack off on it? Or maybe she just thought we could really do it in only that time?


    Whatever.


    "If that''s how you feel," I shrugged, agreeing. "Okay! We''ll try it at least. If it looks like we''re getting crunched for time. We can always figure out something else later. For now let''s just pick out a subject to focus on."


    A thought hit me at once, "How about comic books?"


    "Comic books?" she questioned.


    "Why not?" I asked. "I mean they''re huge up in Aleph right? Full of crazy things like aliens or super intelligent robots, but here on Bet they kinda just... died out." I explained. "It''s not hard to see why I mean with real superpeople all around, but so many ideas have been lost. We lost fantasy to the mundane fantastic."


    "Okay," she agreed like that.


    Just like that. No real thoughts or arguments just... ''okay''.


    I sighed, "You don''t really talk much do you?"


    it was more polite than saying ''I''m doing this alone aren''t I?'' at least.


    Her cheeks went red.


    "It''s... not like that... it''s just... you seemed really passionate about it!" she fumbled out.


    I blinked.


    Then tried to hold in a laugh, oh gods she was adorable.


    "Well thanks!" I grinned. "Yeah; I am Nerd. Hear me Squee," I declared confidently.


    "Okay seriously... if we really want to do this we need to plan things out," I said in a mildly more serious tone. "Since it''d be more about the absence of something, in how it decayed over time... We''re going to need a cross comparative. Which means looking at the Earth Aleph comic culture. Which means a lot of time online," I half grimaced half smiled. "You have a computer?"


    "Um... I could use the library?" she suggested.


    "That works!" I agreed. "The library''s got most of what we need anyway. So we could do some group work there later maybe?"


    "Maybe?" she repeated seeming more then a little under confident.


    She was shy. Taylor Hebert, heiress of the Demon of the Docks, was shy. It was so funny it doubled into both adorable and terrifying.


    "Well you can decide on that," I offered. "For now... eh, since you''ve already spotted me out as a huge nerd, how about I go grab everything I know about it and we meet up on this tomorrow?"


    "That''s... fine, I''m fine with that," she agreed.


    "Works for me then! For today... how about we just work out how we wanna do this presentation? Big old cardboard display? Powerpoint CD? Verbal? Maybe some leaflets?"


    "Okay," she agreed.


    The rest of the class went pretty well.


    Part 7


    After hammering out the last of the details I moved onto my last class.


    Namely Drama.


    Most days I considered it somewhere between a waste of time and a place to relax. The only real reason I was in it was that Winslow required a minimum of one ''Arts'' credit and I was a natural born ham.


    This wasn''t to say Drama was bad, just... not really useful. It was underfunded, the costumes were mostly old or homemade, and the room didn''t have proper soundproofing, so we were sharply limited in what performances we could play. To say nothing of trying to act over the racket the music class could stir up due to their equally insufficient soundproofing.


    But really it was just a fun place to kick back and have fun a lot of the time. That I was technically learning helped. And by the looks of things learning to cross-stich might come in handy soon.


    For a moment the tinfoil hat brand conspiracy nut in me wondered if the lack of funds was somehow deliberate, to let Mr. Kite teach the next generation of superhumans know how to properly make a costume.


    I immediately dismissed it as utter paranoia. I mean some of the thinker conspiracies uncovered in the government were pretty crazy, but why that was taking things a couple steps to far.


    It didn''t stop me from, uh... ''borrowing'' a basic eye mask from the props room while we were working on a very basic recital of ''Tiger Tiger Burning Bright''.


    Actually in hindsight that was kind of a ballzy classic to use considering our town actually had a tiger themed super villain in it. I somehow doubted it was a declaration of support to said cape given Stormtiger was a neo-nazi and Mr. Kite was a bit too black to properly fit in with that crowd.


    I actually kind of liked Mr. Kite. He was an older teacher, burnt out in an obvious way but he didn''t pretend otherwise. He was running on rote unless you poked him the right way, but it was a rote well practiced. He knew his stuff, what we''d listen to what we wouldn''t, and basically just cut down the bullshit to the absolute bare minimum.


    You could even get some really interesting stuff out of him if you asked the right questions, though that took a bit more effort then most students were willing to invest.


    ...It was kinda funny how much all this new knowledge effected how I thought of people. It wouldn''t make me suddenly walk up and hug Tony and tell him how much I understood why he did what he did. The ass was an ass, but... my perception had expanded. And I found myself getting things I hadn''t really bothered to think about before.


    Was this the difference of having lived another ''life'', or was it just the difference in relative age?


    It was some deep shit man. Heavy. And it wasn''t like I could just talk about it to someone else. Even if I didn''t mind looking like a nutjob, I literally couldn''t talk about it out loud.


    It was like a... chain around my throat.


    A Geas.


    Huh, now that brought an idea to mind.


    "Never liked hotdogs anyway," I muttered to myself as the bell rung, and I made my way outside, having survived yet another day of highschool.


    I really needed to test out of this place...


    I debated waiting for a moment to wait for one of my friend to walk part of the way with them, or even just talk. Heck if I spotted Taylor I might be able to work on the comic book thing for a bit, but at the same time I was kind of eager to get home.


    Once I did that I could start up my more active preparations, and with them, take my first real step to becoming a hero.


    ...Well once I figured out where I was going to get the four hundred bucks I needed for a half decent costume.


    Part 8


    I got home only a few minutes later.


    Todd still wasn''t home of course. He was either at the docks or even maybe out in the ocean itself. He was a sailor, a ''true fisherman'' as he put it. One of the few jobs still running out of the bay itself here.


    Well ''running'' anyway. The days of massive fishing trawlers was done, but there were still plenty of small and mid sized boats jumping in the gap.


    How the hell Todd managed to work in a job like that, with what had happened to our father and the rest of my family...


    Then again, I was about to become a superhero with all that entailed. So didn''t that just make me one huge hypocrite?


    "Guess the whole family is nuts," I commented to myself in utterly amus.e.m.e.nt.


    Right, schoolwork, or head our more hero prep?


    ...I think there was a bike shop down in Queens.


    Sorry Taylor. But this was to important to put off.


    I grabbed my coat, checked the mask in my pocket, then headed back outside.


    Motocros armor and spray-paint for now. When it got dark out I could move onto step two. If I could make something workable I''d shave two hundred bucks off my budget. As things were, I''d be stretching my ''free'' savings pretty tight.


    I might be able to fix that with time, but something told me being a superhero wasn''t exactly a job that left you rolling in money.


    Though who knew? Maybe it''d be more like adventuring and once I got over the first few hurdles I''d be rolling in more dough then I knew what to do with.


    Provided I got over those first few hurdles.


    Though that thought also reminded me I should bring my backpack. It''d be a long while before I could whip together a handy haversack, belt of hidden pockets, or bag of holding or anything like that, and if I was going to do the armored mage thing, I''d need something to carry it around if I didn''t want to be conspicuous as hell.


    Heading into the kitchen I focused first on throwing together something like supper. I was going to be out later, and training was going to be hard enough without an empty stomach.


    Hunger was also the enemy after all.


    Part 9


    A complete set of Motocross armor including torso, upper arms, upper legs, lower arms, lower legs, gloves but shoes or helmet cost me about sixty bucks. It even already came in a neat shade of blue I liked, though I would have to paint over the decals.


    An even half decent helmet on the flipside started at around twice that with change left over.


    So... in spite of every safety manual I''d ever read, I found myself doing without. Down to a second hand scarf I bought for a fiver.


    That plus one can of purple spray paint for an additional seven bucks, a second can of blue for the same, four dollars for some masking tape, one USD for a stack of paper, and a buck fifty for much different can of Coca-Cola (which was freaking criminal if you ask me) let the first third of my purchases done.


    More then I''d wanted to spend. Less then I feared. Not enough to really put to ''use'', but there it was. My bare minimal. A costume in the most basic of the basic sense.


    All mine.


    ...This was really happening wasn''t it?


    After a familiar ride down to the docks on the LT, and a less familiar walk the rest of the way into the graveyard proper... I was ready to get to it.


    I started by spraying out the armor, covering up the original logos and then spraying over that with the patterns I wanted.


    Runes. Real ones. They didn''t have any power in them. I didn''t have the skill for that but they were there. Why I did that I wasn''t sure. Maybe it was just in hopes of inspiring the placebo effect, maybe it was in hopes that if I made it to the point I could actually start making legitimate magic stuff people wouldn''t realise some of my tricks were tied to my kit.


    Mostly though I think I just added them because I thought it looked cool. Same with the detailed flame, lighting, and vaguely tribal eldritch patterns I''d dabbled throughout for purely cosmetic reasons.


    "F.u.c.k.i.n.g metal man." I grinned.


    It was kind of a shame that if all went well most of this would be covered up with chain or plate mail and a layer of Kevlar or two.


    After a couple minutes of killing time waiting for the paint to dry with nothing but my mask and scarf on I got bored and started my actual project.


    Namely blasting the hell out of the metal hulks with the unspeakable eldritch power I now channeled directly from my otherworldly soul.


    Which... was a lot less impressive looking then it actually sounded.


    Eldritch Blast. That was the single most basic use of the power I now had humming under my veins. A simple violent discharge of energy. It was an evolving attack, its strength would grow with mine, and it was something I could mold or alter with skill and practice.


    But right now here at the most basic levels it wasn''t much more then a long range punch.


    Well okay, that wasn''t doing it fair. More like a punch while wearing an iron gauntlet. Or hitting something with a blacksmith''s hammer, but still a long ways away from a proper superhuman energy blast. A guy with a glock would kick my ass.


    The range was sort of a meh-ish twenty yards before the small, single target only, bolt it lost coherency. The rate of fire was also limited since I needed to do some sort of directing, typically throwing motion to use it, and like I''d already stated, the damage was crap.


    But it was flashy. And unlike a glock I could throw eldritch blasts all day long. The power within me a functionally endless fountain of energy. My arms would literally grow tired before I ran out of mojo. My reserves refilled as easily as I breathed.


    And again, like I said, it would grow, and there were tricks to fix a lot of it''s issues.


    The first of such I would be attempting to master, would be turning it from a semi-stable projectile to a much more stable melee weapon.


    Which I would then attempt to use to cut through the hull of these wrecks and fashion some useable armor plates to cover my crappy store-bought armor.


    Which was again, something I could actually do. Because the name ''Eldritch'' wasn''t use for show. Though the damage of my attack was kind of pathetic, it was also... strange. Something between corrosive and explosive. Something that decayed and distorted.


    It was a weak attack, but one that could hurt anything it touched without fail.


    Maybe even something that people were certain couldn''t even be meaningfully hurt.


    I spared the ocean a glance, listening to the rocking hulls still waiting out in the bay itself, before my phone beeped at me.


    The paint had dried.


    I grinned to myself as I rushed over and started getting it on. Wasting only a few moments as I got the scarf part of my ''mask'' caught under the torso armor.


    Then I went to work carving into cold steel with my bare hands.

 Chapter 236 - My SI Stash #36 - Ghost of Privet Drive by AndrewWolfe (HarryPotter)

    -Another HP SI Fic~ This one''s quite unique as our MC Malcolm is self inserted as a bloody friendly ghost, being a Dad and all he takes care of lil'' Harry and pretty much fixes all!


    Sypnosis: "Fix it" said the Fates. "Fix what? With what tools and skills?" I asked. Being dead was only the first of the obstacles. And then I found myself in an understairs cupboard listening to a little boy quietly sobbing. Oh. Fix THAT. In which a sarcastic old git is dropped into the awful childhood of Harry Potter. SI, no sh.i.p.s. Rated M for foul language and canon-level abuse.


    Rated: M


    Words: 187K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13436100/1/Ghost-of-Privet-Drive (AndrewWolfe)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    I was dead: to begin with. There was no doubt about that. Oh, none of the paperwork was signed yet - I hadn''t stopped breathing, for one thing - but for all practical purposes I was as dead as a doornail.


    We make jokes about lorries and their loads and Final Destination, but the reason that those jokes get made is that, from time to time, drivers make mistakes, equipment fails, and, as the vernacular has it: Shit Happens.


    This shit happened on a late autumn evening on the M62, one of the more unpleasant bits of motorway driving England has to offer. I was on my way home from dropping my youngest off for her final year at university, crossing the pennines in driving rain with a hint of sleet, traffic not quite so bad as all that but still requiring attention, when I became the punchline of the joke.


    A four-tonner flatbed with a crapload of steel fabrications on it. Me, checking my mirrors for a clear moment to pass it, chuckling about Final Destination. Windscreen awash. Whatever happened, happened with my eyes momentarily off it. Eyes front again and the wipers are back at the start and the view is blurred.


    Squoosh goes the wiper. Clear goes the windscreen. Slam goes the brake on instincts honed for the Emergency Stop part of the driving test, lo these thirty years ago. Maybe, if I''d not done that, a couple of hundred kilos of rolled steel joist wouldn''t have come through the windscreen and, as it turned out, me.


    Discontinuity.


    Consciousness returns and I can''t breathe. Nothing new, asthmatic since forever and I hadn''t helped matters along by smoking all those years. The van''s on its side, and I''m pinned like a specimen butterfly to my seat.


    Best will in the world, I''m going to receive medical attention in ten minutes or so. By which time all they''ll be able to do is certify life extinct at the scene. I''ve never been a medical professional, but I know ''completely f.u.c.k.i.e.d'' when I see it. Or, as the case may be, I''m bleeding it all over the upholstery of a rented van.


    I give up. My eyes blur with tears - watering with the pain, if you want to insist on manliness on my behalf, I''m past bloody caring - and nobody hears my last, panted words.


    "F.u.c.kin'' bollocks."


    It really doesn''t feel like a time for eloquence.


    The. End.


    -oOo-


    Except, f.u.c.k my little wooden clogs. It''s *not*. The end that is. There''s a time of blackness, of nothing, the sensory equivalent of a line of asterisks on a printed page. Then there''s a swirl and an odd sense of movement and I''m somewhere.


    Doesn''t feel like a dream, lacks that sense of unreality. Looks like a dream, all twisted perspective and nothing quite the way it ought to be, a collage of familiarity twisted into a strange setting. Something like a workroom, textile stuff, I had a summer job once, as a student, with the costume department of a theatre company and it''s got that same explosion-in-a-fabric-mill air about it. Rolls of fabric and half-finished clothes everywhere, tools and machines rearing out of the debris here and there. One of them looks like a loom of all things.


    I say somewhere, but I don''t seem to be some thing. I''m just a point-of-view, seeing all this stuff and hearing, somewhere, the whirr of sewing machines. No smells, no sense of touch. Not even a sense of my own body.


    Probably a good thing, given the condition it was in the last time I was aware of it. As sensations to experience go, bleeding to death on the hard shoulder of the M62 is pretty terrible. Zero stars, would not recommend. So *that* is a sense I still have: humour. Not that my sense of humour is fit for polite company after nearly thirty years of being a dad. I feel a chilly and distant sadness that I''m not going to see them ever again. No stupid nerd jokes, no long hikes over the fells with the kids and the dog, no pride as they come home enthused for what they''ve learnt, no commiseration over the struggle to get jobs in an economy the tories have been shitting on from a great height all these years.


    I''m sure I''d be shedding tears if whatever this is included something to shed tears from: for all that I''m seeing, there aren''t any eyes to go with it. A mercy, really, because if any death is going to make you grieve it''s your own. So very much of human emotion comes from the glands, after all, and my glands are probably being recorded for evidence by a traffic officer who''ll be needing a stiff drink later.


    MOIRAI.


    What?


    MOIRAI.


    This is not being said to me. This is being dropped in my consciousness like a dollop of jam in semolina pudding. Not altogether unpleasant as such, but nothing I''d actually choose for dessert.


    MOIRAI. My attention - what there is of it, in this loopy and distorted mess of haberdashery - is forcefully yanked into close up on a needle, darning a frayed hole in what looks like tapestry. MOIRAI.


    Right, time to start thinking. Moira. Greek. Fate, allotted portion, destiny. Moirai the personifications thereof. Been a long time, but I remember that much. I can remember Lachesis and Atropos, what''s the other one? No matter. Look again at what''s around me, what''s in front of me. I realise I recognise all of it. Whatever I''m experiencing, it''s built from my memories. The haberdashery is a mix of the place I worked, and the mess that resulted from sisters and wives and girlfriends in a sewing and/or knitting project frenzy. (And they get all pissy when you clean a carburettor in the sink¡­ although that was the unlamented ex-wife, and fair dos, I was mostly doing it to be pissy with her. This was in the pre-therapy days when I didn''t understand why I was so angry all the time and didn''t have constructive - more constructive, at any rate - ways of handling it.)


    So. Why am I being shown a collage of -


    MESSAGE. COMMAND. A flash of Mazarin at Casale, one of the many pictures of the event I''ve seen. Why that? It was one of the ballsier moves of early modern diplomacy, one I picked up by the way at uni as background to the Peace of Westphalia and subsequent Public International Law, it ended up quite famous at the time, lots of pamphlets and broadsides about it, with suitably dramatic woodcuts. Jules Mazarin, before he was Cardinal of France, rode into the middle of an about-to-be battlefield with a blank piece of paper and announced a peace treaty. Which got the armies to stop fighting long enough for a real treaty to be drawn up and signed.


    COMMAND. Mazarin again, the darning-needle again.


    Why, it''s almost like someone is trying to talk to me. Thinking back, once we got off the name, the next words were ¡­ fuzzy. Ringy. Full of harmonics and overtones. Like they''re not just the words they are, but also the words they''re trying to be. Lots of words are like that. Subtext tells you a lot if you''re paying attention, even more if you''re professionally trained and acculturated to it. Hated my time as a lawyer - the company you end up keeping ranges from disagreeable to vile - but the skills are ¡­ I''m rambling.


    Apparently dying doesn''t cure bad habits.


    Someone or something is trying to communicate with me. Is this my scrambled, dying brain trying to make sense of what the paramedics are saying to me?


    NO. MOIRAI.


    Well, that was emphatic. I suppose that simple declarative sentences are too much to hope for?


    The scene shifts to the sight of a firehose trying to fill a small bucket. Is this some "form you are comfortable with" bollocks, then?


    MOIRAI. This time, there''s a sense of amus.e.m.e.nt. And three part harmony. It''s some kind of absurd dying dream in which mythology is trying to talk to me, I reckon. I feel strangely OK with this. The alternative, that there really is a tri-partite personification of fate, the daughters of Old Night, whose spinning, cutting and weaving govern the very gods themselves, and they''re talking to me instead of letting me get on with f.u.c.k.i.n.g dying? Absurd.


    It''s not even like they''ve had the decency to show up in their classical art depiction of scantily-clad women. Or their renaissance art depiction of n.a.k.e.d women. Which would certainly fit in better with the dream aspect of this whole thing. And be nicer to look at than the surrealist clothiers'' workshop that has come back while I''ve been musing.


    MOIRAI. MESSAGE. COMMAND. REPAIR. Again with the darning needle.


    F.u.c.k it, might as well play along. "You''re going to need to be more specific. What am I commanded to repair? With what skills?" I mean, sure, I''ve got your basic functioning-a.d.u.l.t skillset for fixing stuff that can be fixed with the ''order a new part off the internet'' method, I''ve been servicing my own motors since I was a teenager, and grew up in a family of builders, engineers and generally handy individuals so I picked up a thing or two on my way to becoming a lawyer. Carrying out a divine mandate to fix things may require someone with, you know, actual skills.


    MESSAGE. Again, Jules Mazarin. In context with the question about skills? I suppose it might mean that the actual skills I need are the lawyers'' stock-in-trade of bullshit, bluff, persuasion, advocacy and allied trades as exemplified by one of the most famous negotiating scams in the history of diplomacy, but if the Fates need that sort of thing what''s stopping them, you know, hiring someone whose practising certificate isn''t several years lapsed?


    COMMAND. REPAIR. NEEDLE. With a definite sense of exasperation to it, this last. Like I''m missing the bleedin'' obvious. Which is, in context, shut up and do as you''re told, mortal, you are Our tool in this, fail not in this charge at your peril. Et f.u.c.k.i.n.g cetera.


    The image of the fire hose into the bucket, except this time the hose is shutting off and there''s some water in the bucket.


    Apparently, communicating entirely in dream images and a six word vocabulary leaves lots of room for sarcasm.


    I have room for some sarcasm of my own. Sure, I''m having a conversation with myself - this is all the hallucination of a dying brain, right? Unless I''ve been rescued and they''ve got me on the really good drugs - but that''s all the more reason not to have at the underlying absurdity of the thing. If you can''t be critical of your own thinking, whose can you be critical of?


    "Leaving out the lack of detail as to what I''m supposed to be fixing, how am I supposed to do anything while I''m, you know, dead?"


    MOIRAI. This time with an over-tone of gleeful, mocking laughter. And a snatch of the Mummy - the good one, not the hammed-up Hammer House original or the in-name-only re-make - specifically the bit where Imhotep is sinking into the black goo.


    Death is only the beginning.


    "Well, that was -"


    And everything goes black.


    -oOo-


    I''m still weightless, formless. A thoroughly disinheriting sensation, it has to be said. It''s dark, but it''s not the dark of no light, but the dark of a room with the lights off. Feels somehow small. I can''t smell or feel anything, have no mouth to taste, but I can hear. And it no longer feels like I''m dreaming. I never got the hang of lucid dreaming - for want of effort to even find out if I even have the ability - so reality still feels real to me. And this feels real. Small, dark space. Somewhere outside it I can hear a telly blaring. Judging by the theme tune, someone''s watching a re-run of Bergerac. I had no idea it was still playing anywhere, I''ve not heard that theme tune since I was a kid. It''s distant, though. Not in the next room, somewhere else in the house.


    Certainly not loud enough in here to cover up the fact that there''s a child in here, sniffling. An upset child. And that, frankly, will not do.


    "Hey there, kid. What''s up?" I''ve no idea if I can be heard - after the frankly bizarre conversation I''ve just had without a mouth to speak the words, it feels like it''s worth a try. I go for my best there-there-tell-dad-all-about-it tone.


    "Who''s there?" Definitely a kid, sounds like a little boy, anywhere from three to puberty. Bit of a hitch in the voice. He''s whispering, which isn''t a good sign. An upset child alone in the dark who won''t call out for help when a strange voice speaks to him? I''ve no idea what I can do about this, but at the very least someone''s going to get a talking-to.


    I whisper too. Kid wants to be quiet, I''ll play along. "Me, kid. Not sure who I am right now." Nothing like dying to give you an identity crisis, after all. And, when all''s said and done, I''m nothing but a voice in the dark. Like a ghost. Ghost? Run with it. "I think I might be a ghost? A friendly ghost, I should say."


    "Uncle says there''s no such thing." Still a bit of a hitch in the voice, but a note of intrigue too. That''s good, I can work with that. My usual tactic was dad jokes until the tears stopped and we could work on the actual problem, but curiosity will do the job just as well. He''s still whispering, though, which is still not a good sign. Especially since whoever he doesn''t want to be heard by has the telly up nice and loud. At least, I''m assuming that the cheesy 80s detective drama fan is the problem, but let''s wait and see.


    "Well, I thought there was no such thing too, but look at me now. I bet your uncle will change his tune when he''s a ghost, I certainly have."


    That gets me a small, slightly hiccupy giggle. Result! "He''d be a great big fat ghost."


    "Likes his pies, does he?"


    "Yeah, an'' buns, an'' cream cakes, an'' sweeties. He''s really fat. My cousin''s the same."


    "Your aunt too?"


    "No, she''s on a diet. She''s always on a diet."


    "She grumpy all the time?" I''ve known plenty of slaves to the bathroom scales in my time, and they''re not usually much fun to be around. Pretty sure it''s the constant low blood sugar that does it.


    "Yeah. Who''re you the ghost of, anyway?"


    If I had a mouth, I''d be smiling. I can''t quite hear a smile in the little fella''s voice quite yet, but we''re making progress. "Oooh, now that''s a good question. Let''s see, I was fifty years old, I''d retired early from being a solicitor - that''s someone who works with courts and laws and business deals - and I had three children all grown up and I had a crash on the motorway. And I died, and then it went all weird, and now I''m a ghost here with you. Why are we whispering, by the way?"


    I don''t get an answer right away. I wish I could see youngster''s face because a silence at this point could mean anything and kids communicate more with their expressions and body language than they do with their words.


    After a while, another sniff. "My mummy and daddy died in a car crash. Are they ghosts too?"


    Right this moment I could sing hymns of praise and gratitude that I don''t have a heart, because it would be absolutely breaking in f.u.c.k.i.n.g bits for my new friend. "I don''t know. Grown-ups don''t know everything, I''m sorry to say, kid. And I''ve only been a ghost a few minutes, so I don''t know much about how it works yet. You''re the first person I''ve met since I - since the accident. I bet if your mum and dad could come and be ghosts here with you, they''d totally do it. I know I want to go see Peter, John and Emily but I haven''t figured out how yet."


    "Are they your children?"


    "Yep. And I love them very much and I''m sure your mum and dad love you, wherever they are. So, how about we remember our manners and tell each other our names?" I''m pretty sure I''m not going to give my right name. I can see our conversation ending up in a child psychiatrist''s office at some point and the last thing my grieving family need is this bizarre situation drawn to their attention. Hey, just because I don''t have the necessary glandular apparatus to feel emotions, doesn''t mean I don''t remember and understand them.


    "''kay. What''s your name, ghost?"


    Smart kid. He''s treating the strange voice in the dark with suspicion, as well he ought. "Well, I think I''m going to pick a new name. You get a new name when you''re born, I think I should have a new name while I''m dead. I''m going to pick Malcolm Reynolds. You ever seen Firefly on the telly?"


    "Not ''llowed t'' watch telly," his whisper just got even smaller. "Telly''s not f'' freaks."


    Well, that''s just shitty. Not allowed telly is bad enough - obviously, kids need limits and encouragement to get off their arses and run around yelling, vital part of childhood is your running around and yelling - but telling a little kid he''s a freak? As soon as I figure out how to haunt, I am going to make someone''s life an utter misery until they repent. That''s for the future, though, I''ve got an upset child in front of me. "That the rule in this house, kid?"


    Silence.


    "Is that a yes? Can''t see you nodding, it''s dark in here."


    "Yes." That whisper was hissed out. Oh, well done, my young apprentice. You should be angry about this.


    "Well, first of all, it''s just the rule in this house. Everyone has different rules in their houses, and the rule in this house? It. Is. Stupid. Too much telly is bad for you, but no telly at all is just stupid. And why do they call you a freak?"


    "''s my name."


    My turn for the long silence. I''d guessed that I was talking to a young child, early years primary school at the latest. I revise it down to pre-school years, because no way does anyone send a child to school thinking his name is freak. Even the worst know to cover up what they''re doing to the children in their doubtful care, and that would be a dead giveaway. When we get some light in here I''m checking for bruises. In my cold and chilly way I am angry about this, I just want to know whether I need to dial that up to murderous rage. Half-formed plans flash through my mind, but I can''t really figure anything out until I know what I can do. Priorities!


    "Right," I say, "you know how I said they had stupid rules in this house? This is also stupid. Your mum and dad did not name you freak. I reckon we need to find out what your name really is. Don''t know how yet, but I was pretty clever while I was alive so even if I can''t do anything, I can whisper in your ear and help you along the way. Sound like a plan?"


    "Don''t know." Dejected. Accepting he''s beaten before we''ve begun.


    "Neither do I, kid, but we''re going to have fun finding out, aren''t we?"


    Just sniffles. I don''t think trying to jolly him along with promises of great things would help; if it turns out that all I can offer is a helpful voice in his ear then it''s better than nothing. More than I got at this age, certainly. And bad as my childhood was, I was at least allowed to know my actual f.u.c.k.i.n.g name.


    "Whatever happens, kid," I say, "I''m going to be at least a friendly voice in your ear, which is more than you had. It''s going to take time, and probably hard work, so I won''t say ''cheer up''. What I want you to do is be brave, kid."


    "K." comes the quiet little sniffle. Seriously, if there are bruises on this kid then I''m going to find the local council childrens'' services department and straight up possess the biggest, most case-hardened social worker I can find. That''s if I can possess people, which remains to be seen. I''m definitely going to give it a f.u.c.k.i.n.g good try.


    "Now, is this your uncle''s house we''re in?"


    "Yes."


    "You think you can curl up in here and try and take a nap? I''m going to go and do a bit of haunting. Spook about the place quiet-like, see if I can find out your real name."


    "Don''t!" he''s back to hissing again. "They''ll blame me! If they see a ghost they''ll say it''s freakishness!"


    This rings alarm bells in my mind. Big, loud, scary ones. If these people are seeing things and blaming the kid for them, they''re not just abusers but psychotic abusers. Not that I''m going to share that with a small child, he''s hearing voices after all. He doesn''t know I''m actually real. "Well, I''ll just have to be sneaky. Tell you what, though, do we have a light in here? Do you know where the switch is? I might be invisible, after all."


    I hear scrabbling and the clack of a pull-switch knob being knocked against a wall, more scrabbling, and then click and a bare bulb comes on.


    What we''ve got here is a skinny little boy, eyes screwed up against the sudden light, tear-tracks down his face, shaggy mop of black hair, and pyjamas about three sizes too big. They''re not feeding him right, he''s four or five years old and all the puppy fat is gone. I was a scrawny little git at that age - fussy eater, and a mother who couldn''t cook worth a bollocks - but I at least looked healthy. No visible bruises, for which small mercy I am appropriately thankful. "Can you see me, kid?" My viewpoint is down around his face level, and it''s not much more effort than thinking to move about. Not quickly, but I can get about. I back up a bit.


    "No," he says, opening his eyes up in narrow slits, his arm still stretched up to hold the pull-cord for the light. We''re in an under-stairs storage cupboard of some sort, vinyl tile floor, unpainted plaster, a shelf of cleaning products and the household hoover. And a baby''s cot mattress on the floor, the sort with the wipe-clean cover on it. The f.u.c.kers make him sleep in here? There''s not even a blanket or a pillow, never mind a duvet. Which, okay, not so bad in a small space in a centrally-heated house, but damn. I''m seeing the literary parallel and I am not f.u.c.k.i.n.g impressed. It''s not actually the first time I''ve seen something like this: I did a stint as a local government lawyer and the Childrens'' Services lawyers were just up the hallway. One of their ''frequent fliers'' was a father who dragged his poor kid into his Star Trek fandom activities, about the only thing about him that wasn''t a symptom of his massive psychiatric unfitness to be a parent.


    "Okay, light back off, it''s hurting your eyes." The light goes right back off. I''m hoping I won''t discover that someone expressing ordinary decent care for his comfort surprises him. "If I''m going to help you, I need to go scout about a bit, find out what''s going on."


    "Why?" Aaand I just found out it surprised him. I''ve really got to find out how to take action as a ghost. If this isn''t what the weird dream was ordering me to fix, tough shit. Whatever that was about can f.u.c.k.i.n.g wait.


    "I''m not your daddy, son. But I am a daddy. And since my children are all grown up and can look after themselves, you''re just going to have to put up with me looking after you. Savvy?"


    "What''s savvy mean?"


    "It means ''understand''"


    "K. And, um, I savvy. Um. Mister Reynolds sir."


    "Good kid. Now, you curl up there and try and get a nap, I''m off to snoop about, but I''m not going to leave the house so if there''s a problem I''ll hear and I''ll be right back. And call me Mal, we''re going to be best friends."


    "Not my daddy?"


    "Not quite. I''ll do as much of the stuff that daddies do for their children as I can, but I can''t do all of it ''cos I''m a ghost. So just friends, savvy?"


    "Savvy!" That was almost out loud. That''s the spirit, kid! Well, strictly speaking I''m the spirit, but this isn''t the time for pedantry.


    "Shiny. Now get your head down and nap, I''ve got spooky ghostly stuff to be getting on with. I''ll be watching over you, just relax. All floppy like a rag doll and sleep will come nice and easy."


    "Savvy." He actually yawns.


    I go silent and wait a couple of minutes as his breathing settles down nice and regular. If he''s shamming sleep, he''s loads better at it than any of mine ever were. It''s a bit sad that something that''d scare pretty much any other kid seems to reassure this one.


    Right. I concentrate on rising up through the stairs. Time to see what''s f.u.c.kin'' what around here.


    First things first. The house I''m in is of fairly recent construction by English standards - I''m guessing Home Counties somewhere from the kid''s accent. Houses built as entire estates, several streets at a time to a handful of standardised designs, were a thing that came in in the late sixties - I grew up in a house much like this in the early seventies. Fashions came and went in them and this one, if I''m any judge, is a mid to late seventies model. Still got its original storage heaters and bloody awful obscured-glass front door. I can see that it''s still light out, looks like a late summer evening, and the street-lights will be coming on soon.


    Inside, the decor''s wildly out of date. Flocked vinyl wallpaper, magnolia-gloss woodwork and I haven''t seen carpet that vile since about 1990. In the borderline-condemned student digs in Oxford that my favourite weed dealer lived in. Brown with orange highlights and a repeating geometric pattern of interlocking diamond shapes. It''s all fastidiously clean and surprisingly well-maintained for its age, though.


    The walls are adorned with framed photos. I''m able to identify lard-arse and lard-arse junior which means the scrawny bint with the hairdo she''s clearly been overcharged for is the dieting aunt. The kid under the stairs isn''t included, which fits with him being the abused orphaned poor relation. I can''t tell by looking which side of the family he''s nephew to these two on; none of them look like blood relations. There''s something else off about the pictures, though I can''t put my finger on quite what. The rest of what''s hanging on the walls is the kind of tat people put up to try and crack on they''re of refined sensibility. Cheap prints in gaudy frames. The usual suspects of Constable, Turner and Clayton Adams (which is to say all of their dullest, most unchallenging work, even the greatest of artists phone it in on occasion) are in evidence, and what I suspect are a couple of Preraphaelites, not that I could ever tell the buggers apart. And, of course, Monarch of the Glen, because what collection of tedious biscuit-tin-and-jigsaw-puzzle art would be complete without bloody Landseer. Still, I''m not here to be an art snob.


    The hallway - and that dates the house, more recent builds don''t waste quite this much space, you get a vestibule inside the front door and a bit of space at the bottom of the stairs - is otherwise unremarkable. Three doors: I''m guessing living room (the sound of the telly gives that one away), dining room and kitchen. And, of course, the stairs up. The only incongruous detail is that there''s a land-line phone in the hallway by the front door, and it looks like an original-vintage Trimphone, with the rotary dial and everything. I''m actually old enough to remember a time when they were considered modern and stylish. It makes me wonder what I''m dealing with, here. I mean, I might install one of those if I picked one up in easily-reconditioned nick, because they''re a rather nifty slice of technological history, but then I''ve never been one to hide my full-frontal nerdity.


    Maybe they''re just really committed to the retro decor? It''s unimportant. After brief internal debate I decide to check upstairs first. While the kid assures me I''m invisible, I don''t want to test that until after I''ve gathered all of the information I can without risking being seen.


    Upstairs is four bedrooms: the master bedroom (with actual chintz curtains, no less), a guest bedroom (whose bed has an actual candlewick bedspread of the kind my grandmother retired from actual bedding duty in about 1978 and bowls of pot pourri on every vaguely level surface), a kid''s bedroom with a fat kid snoring in it surrounded by evidence of him being a spoilt bastard and your traditional fourth bedroom-in-name-only that appears to be being used as some kind of combined storage and junk room. The bathroom, with its pistachio-green tiling and sanitary ware, I decide to leave for later close inspection. I could probably make it a daily thing, a Two Minute Hate on aesthetic grounds alone. On top of it all, it''s a household full of squeezers-from-the middle when it comes to toothpaste. Forced-labour re-education for the bloody lot of them would be a good start.


    Anyway. Family of four in a four bedroom house? Making the kid sleep under the stairs is nothing but spite. Sure, I''m clearly in the home of authentically crazy people with a vintage decor and furnishings fetish - they don''t even have duvets on the beds, for crying out loud, an amenity I remember having by the late seventies. Hang on, did I see - I go back in and check. The telly in the kid''s bedroom is a CRT model. And next to it there''s a holy shit it''s an Atari 2600. They''ve given a kid who can''t be more than six or seven an actual no-shit museum piece as a toy to play with. While keeping their other kid in conditions that suspects in police custody would rightly complain about.


    F.u.c.k''s sake.


    Again I''m glad I''m disembodied through all of this. I''d be in a towering fury by this point as opposed to the cool, calm consideration I''m giving things. Running, it has to be said, through a mental checklist for getting a Prohibited Steps Order under the Children Act 1989. Application ex parte in judge''s chambers and then turning up unannounced with a social work team and a van full of the biggest uniforms the local nick had on hand. He seems like a nice kid, any potential fosterers would find him a pleasure to have in their family. Especially with his friendly ghost giving him helpful advice about eating his greens and doing his homework. If nothing else, getting the poor kid out of this crime-against-good-taste of a house would be a step in the right direction. It''s not his home, that''s for sure.


    The friendly ghost bit is probably also something I should be chucking a bit of radge over, if I''m honest with myself. Although with hindsight it would have put my suicidal periods in a bit of perspective if I''d known that it wasn''t a ticket to sweet, sweet oblivion.


    Back downstairs and I Rentaghost my way through the dining room - surprisingly tasteful, with what might well be actual heirloom furniture - and the kitchen, which continues the vintage theme. Dating from the period just before fitted kitchens and standard base units with worktops became a thing. I''m relieved to see that the general cleanliness extends to a decent standard of food hygiene. I can''t tell what they''ve got in the fridge and the cupboards, though. It''s dark inside.


    Right. Time to see how well my picture of these people matches the reality.


    I pause at the door to the living room, the sound of the telly thumping at the door. Whoever this is, they''re more in to Bergerac than I ever was. From the sound of things there''s a car chase on. The kid was worried about me getting spotted, and going in through the door is the obvious move. If there''s some way I can be seen even when I can''t see myself, doing the obvious is going to put the risk up to the highest it can be.


    Through the wall? Doesn''t let me recce the room before moving in and I want to know where the telly, and with it all eyeballs in the room, actually is. The window, then, is the obvious choice. The curtains should be drawn, after all, but I''ll be able to peep through. Out the front door, then - noting the expensive and heavyweight locks they''ve put on a glass door because that makes sense - and a quick look at the neighbourhood. Your standard suburban cul-de-sac, one each. A dozen houses on a gently curved road with a turning circle at the bottom end. All built to the same design, which was a thing they did back when these were built, because planning officers didn''t yet have a tick-box on their checklists for ''actual houses rather than soul-destroying extruded dwelling units''. There''s a surprising lack of modifications, extensions and - it seems like the neighbourhood for it - york-stone cladding. Godawful identikit neighbourhoods like this were a big driver of the DIY boom, after all, as people turned them from units into houses into homes.


    There are neighbourhood watch signs on the lampposts and a - wait. The cars in the driveways are all old. Ford Granadas and Vauxhall Cavaliers, the sort that made up about half of every company car fleet. My dad had a succession of them, and most of them ended up as recycled scrap due to unsentimental fleet management practises. Very few of these sorts of cars were driven by people who actually owned them. I could buy one slightly demented vintage car enthusiast on a street, but - a quick count - six of them? The other houses appear to be using their semi-integral garages for keeping their cars in, another oddity. I mean, if you''ve got your car in the garage, where do you keep your huge piles of acc.u.mulated junk?


    Lard-arse, apparently, favours a 1980s-looking 5-series BMW, which actually makes some sense as a vintage car. If you can afford to keep it on the road, that is. But it does bring the total of vintage car enthusiasts on this street to seven. Out of twelve. And they are definitely enthusiasts, all of these motors are in good, like-new nick. I''m picturing them all out on Sunday afternoons with buckets and sponges and exotic car waxes, complaining to each other about the difficulty of getting pre-fuel-injection motors serviced. The Stepford Petrolheads.


    If I had a head at this point I''d''ve shook it. I''m getting distracted because this house, this neighbourhood, is not just weird but recursively weird. It looks odd at a distance and then when you focus on the details you find that it''s just as odd close up. The important thing is finding out about the people, not just their stuff. Even if I was fully corporeal, I''d not be able to do anything until the appropriate authorities were open for business, so time taken in reconnaissance is doubly not-wasted.


    I don''t feel like I have an incorporeal body like something out of Ghostbusters, but I''m arbitrarily designating the point I''m seeing from as my head. I seem to have the same field of vision as I had when I had actual eyes, at any rate, and I kept those in my head after all. So I gently and gingerly poke my head in through the window - windowsill covered in Royal Doulton and Lladro tat, naturally - and the (rouched and swagged rose velvet) curtains and get my first look at Fat Uncle and Dieting Aunt.


    He''s filling a brown velvet armchair and she''s on the sofa. He''s made entirely of rancid lard and moustache, sandy-blonde and no obvious grey. Head''s too small for the fat neck and the rest of him is blubber all the way down. Fat fingers are dabbling in a tin of shortbread on the occasional table next to his chair where he also has a bottle of mass-market blended scotch. I move closer and look at the hands. Yep. Clubbed fingers. Bloaty-boy is eating and boozing his way in to an early grave. Barely in to his thirties if I''m any judge of wrinkles and thread-veins, but he''s less healthy than some seventy-year-olds I''ve known.


    She, on the other hand, is sitting primly with a magazine of some sort in one hand and what is more than likely a G&T in the other. She''s the direct complement of her husband, in as much as she''s malnourishing herself into premature ageing. Early thirties, could pass for fifty in the wrong light. Whatever her natural colour is, it''s covered up by a salon dye-and-highlights job and a perm that was last fashionable in the 1970s. On professional football players.


    The art of conversation is clearly lost in contemplation of whatever Jim Bergerac is doing in this episode - she''s pretending not to be watching but sneaking glances in best housewife-with-a-celebrity-crush style. I don''t doubt she''s an avid fan of Magnum PI, Lovejoy, and Dempsey and Makepeace on the same basis. Any s.e.x.u.a.l attraction has long since fled the bedroom upstairs, I shouldn''t wonder. Even if Fat Uncle can even find the wretched thing amid the rolls of gut, he hasn''t the cardiovascular oomph to get it up.


    Time for an experiment. I move in to the middle of the room and get right in front of the telly. No reaction. Definitely invisible, which takes a load off my mind. I''ll work on whether they can hear me in a bit. Right now, let''s look at the coffee table. Mail, Express, Telegraph and Financial Times, not just drawing a picture of the politics of this household but colouring it in and mounting it in a handsome presentation frame. Tories, and unreconstructed Thatcherite tories at that, with which even the possibility of me mustering any sympathy for these two evaporates like Brexit promises.


    Hang on. Hang right the f.u.c.k on. I''ve read the titles off those newspapers and glossed over the design, and it''s all wrong. None of them have looked like that in decades. The pictures are in black-and-white, for crying out loud. A closer look. They''re dated 31st July 1985.


    Okay. Occam''s razor time. Which is the simplest explanation that fits these facts? Is it that I''ve manifested in a neighbourhood of eerily-consistent retro fetishists in the house of a couple who carry it to the point of reproduction newspapers on the coffee table? Or that dying and coming back as a ghost also included a time travel component?


    One of these presupposes that there''s something I don''t know about how time works for the spirits of the recently departed. Which, yeah. I''m working on less than an hour''s experience here. The other flies in the face of everything I know about how human beings work, on which subject I''ve got nearly fifty years time-in-grade. And, if we add in the surreal visions I had while I was dying (or just after I died, I don''t really have any way to tell) then my being under orders to fix the tapestry of fate gives the time-travel bit of it quite the freight of plausibility, don''t it?


    It definitely makes it harder vis a vis the abused child part. Victoria Climbie and Baby P are nearly two decades in the future at this point, and the law reforms that would make what these two f.u.c.ks are up to actually illegal won''t happen until after the next change of government. Child abuse, after all, is a problem of the underclass, so there''s no funding or legislative time for stopping it. (And, because child abuse is a problem of the underclass, nobody''s going to believe it goes on in the kind of household that has a BMW in the driveway.)


    I still need to confirm the time-travel bit, and it happens along as conveniently as BBC programming: Bergerac ends and, after a few trails for shows I can''t recall watching at the time, and Threads, which I very much remember because the imminent possibility of nuclear holocaust makes an impression, on comes the Nine O Clock News. Presented by Julia Somerville, which surprises me. She''s still working in broadcast news in 2019, I didn''t think she got on the telly this early.


    The news itself is a collage of half-remembered history. Apartheid era South Africa showing their collective arse, and the Common Market - which won''t be the EU for a few years yet - disagreeing about how to deal with them. Ronald Reagan might be dying of cancer, on which matter I know more than his doctors as at this date. He isn''t. The inquiry into the Bradford FC stadium fire (about which I remember little more than the schoolyard sick jokes, it was a more robust time) has created some fuss and Thatcher is giving off about it. Lacking context - I wasn''t paying attention at the time and it''s been thirty-five years - I''m mostly baffled by the headlines of what was clearly a slow news day. There''s a Shuttle mission in orbit, and both sides are expressing high hopes for the Fourth Test of this year''s Ashes series, with Botham in particularly ebullient form. But then, when was he ever not?


    I can''t remember who won that year. This year, I suppose, but the Aussies won''t be quite the juggernaut they were - will be - in the 90s and beyond, so it could be an England win. Fat Uncle is giving off about it, though, since apparently level-pegging with a win and a draw each on three Test matches is clearly below the standards he personally expects from English Cricket. Like he''d last more than two f.u.c.k.i.n.g overs at the crease, even in the more gentlemanly atmosphere of the professional game. The game I grew up with - north country working class cricket - would see him carried off the field after the second or third ball. Likely missing teeth and with an almost certain concussion.


    Nursing yet another reason to disdain the fool, I''m barely paying attention as the news comes to an end and this pair of delightful specimens start conversing and I almost miss the names they address each other by.


    Vernon.


    And Petunia.


    What the double-jointed haemhorraging f.u.c.k?


    This is carrying fandom a bit - no it''s not. Those books won''t come out for a few years yet. This right here is a scene out of actual fiction. Feels real, though. Simulated reality? Apart from my own personal but still subjectively real existence, it''s indistinguishable from actual reality, so no point arguing the toss. Proof by solipsistic fatalism is going to have to do.


    They''re shuffling about and making as if to retire for the night - ludicrously early, but it is a school night and I''ve plenty of other reasons to despise these two - so if I''m going to get any more information I need to get a wiggle on while the lights are on. There''s a letter-rack on the mantelpiece with unanswered correspondence in it. Couple of bills, a rates notice. The address is clearly visible: Mr. and Mrs. V. Dursley, 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. With, as it happens, a TW postcode, so we''re nearer London than not.


    So, I''m definitely not in Kansas anymore. Again with the gratitude for no hormones and glands, because this is definitely the right time for hysterical giggling. That kid under the stairs is Harry James Potter and he''s a wizard.


    That theory that everything, no matter how absurdly fictional, is real somewhere? It just acquired my own personal anecdotal data point.


    F.u.c.k. Me. Standing.


    NOTES: I''ve absconded with the central conceit from The Evil Overlord List by Boomvroomshroom (on this site and AO3 to my certain knowledge, don''t know if it''s posted elsewhere) which I recommend to one and all. The obvious difference between that story and this is the time period - I''ve stuck firmly to the books, although I''ll be correcting JKR''s cavalier approach to dates as I go - and the character the voice is helping: Harry, rather than Tom.


    As to the muggle-world history and details I refer to, there are a couple of places where I''m going with purely what I remember rather than checking details as I write the first draft, on the basis that if I really was hurled back into a fictional past, I''d have to wait ten years for search engines to be invented, never mind Google.


    Not least of which errors, in this chapter, is that the child protection laws are very different to the ones I learned. At this particular date, I had just finished my third year of secondary school and was getting ready to buckle down for my GCSEs (muggle OWLS). Which is why I''m dead flat wrong about the law and practise of child protection in the mid 80s. It''s also why none of the news made sense: in 1985 I was more focussed on homework, pickup games of cricket in the park, and friday night Call of Cthulhu marathons with my friends.


    Chapter 2


    The address is clearly visible: Mr. and Mrs. V. Dursley, 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging.


    So, I''m definitely not in Kansas anymore. Again with the gratitude for no hormones and glands, because this is definitely the right time for hysterical giggling. That kid under the stairs is Harry James Potter and he''s a wizard.


    That theory that everything, no matter how absurdly fictional, is real somewhere? It just acquired my own personal anecdotal data point.


    F.u.c.k. Me. Standing.


    Well, I can''t stand - float, rather - around being all gobsmacked. I''m a ghost, no gob to be smacked in, for one thing.


    Hang on. If this is running by Harry Potter rules, I''m not actually a ghost, am I? Harry would be able to see me, squibs would be able to see me. I''d be able to interact with my environment, at least to the extent of turning the taps on if I was haunting a bathroom. Whatever I am, it''s either something that''s unknown to the wizards or at least something that didn''t make it in to the books.


    That I might be in the movie version I don''t consider for a moment. I''ve only seen four human beings so far and none of them look like their actors, the house in the movie is a completely different architectural style - which is all wrong for the dates in the books, as it happens - and I''ve never seen any of the movies more than once whereas I''ve re-read the books several times and so I''m hoping my knowledge is actually apropos. If Harry gets on that train in six years'' time and meets Emma Watson, though, all bets are off.


    And get a clear distinction between canon and fanfiction drawn in your mind, I remind myself. Unless you see incontrovertible evidence that there''s more deviation from the books than just your presence.


    I can''t even entirely rely on my knowledge of the muggle world for more than the superficialities. This version of it has at least three, possibly four towns that don''t exist in my world and while the generalities are unlikely to be much different, the specifics might well be. And I have absolutely no way of telling the difference: to pick an example I just saw on the news, if England win the Ashes this year is that the way it happened in my 1985 or not? I honestly can''t remember.


    I''ll have to pay close attention to the news in any event. I grew up in a world that as far as I knew didn''t have a secret society of mages hiding away from the world and only interacting as little as they possibly could. This one does, and there have to be at least some butterfly effect differences. If I can get Harry in front of a history of Nazi Germany I should be able to spot some differences, since it''s a period I know pretty well and Grindelwald running amuck in that neck of the woods is bound to have made some difference I can spot.


    Or maybe it won''t have. It has to be said, the history of Europe from 1914-1945 in my own world would actually make a lot more sense if there really were sinister wizards behind the scenes with mind-control spells. Some of the decision-making was breathtakingly demented, and that''s without the Thule Society and their Ariosophical beliefs in the descent of the Aryan peoples from extraterrestrial electric goddesses and their unfortunate interactions with subhuman r.a.p.e-monkeys. Which isn''t any kind of joke: that was a real thing that people took seriously enough in early 20th century Germany to form debating societies and print newsletters about. Doesn''t have to be wizards behind the scenes, of course, they''d just invented meth and were selling it over the counter without prescriptions. That''d be diagnostic: if Nazi Germany''s history is the same but the meth consumption figures are lower than I remember, then wizards.


    I spend a few moments thinking my way around in circles about what the hell I''m going to do - can I affect the material world? If not, can I learn how? Is there any magic that can construct me a body? Actually, there''s at least one method, but I''d like to find one without any unhygienic messing about with ancestral bone, servants'' flesh and enemies'' blood, or drinking snake venom in any quantity. Nothing else, I want a body that still has its f.u.c.k.i.n.g nose. Voldemort might have been going for ''serpentine visage'' but to me that says ''congenital syphilis'' a lot more emphatically. While I''m woolgathering, the Dursleys retire to bed and put the light out.


    There''s enough light in here that I can see what''s what, but apparently ghostly eyes have the same response to light conditions that my human ones did. With better visual acuity, unless I''m wearing ethereal spectacles. I need to start finding what my limits are, and whether I can do anything about them. A quick check in the mirror above the mantelpiece and I learn that I can''t see me either, but then I knew that already. You can always see your own nose, if nothing else.


    The obvious test is whether or not anyone other than Harry can hear me. That would imply a whole lot of other stuff about what I''m supposed to be doing here - goodness knows there''s a lot to fix about Harry''s life, but if he''s the only one I can talk to it gives me a very clear focus for my efforts. Among other things, and I''m going to have to think about that. Anyway: can I be heard by anyone else? Not testing that on the Dursleys, their response to anything ''freaky'' will hurt Harry. Which: not on. They''re at least close to the line for criminal neglect of a child as at this time. Harry is going to survive it in reasonable if underfed health, and I don''t want to be the one that tips these freaks over the edge into outright monsterdom.


    Do I need to test it right now? It''s not like I''m confined to the house, I''ve been outside once already. Can I get back in if I cross the property line? Does it work like vampires? I''ve collected a lot of folklore over the years, which bits of it are true in this universe? Plus there''s that nebulously described protection over this house that Dumbledore enacted. The fact that I''m in here right now suggests that I can get back in if I go for a wander, unless the boundary is as meaningful magically as it is for the property registration certificate.


    What decides me is that I''ve only spoken to Harry once, and that briefly. If I get magically locked out, it''s just one half-remembered dream. Leaving things until he''s started relying on me in any way would be cruel. Finding out now is better, since he''ll be starting primary school in September and I''ll be able to get back with him then. The Dursleys are doing the absolute legal minimum for the poor kid, so he''s missing his reception year entirely by reason of his late birthday. They''re going to tell him his name so he can answer to it at school, and I don''t doubt that they''ve made sure the staff have been told he''s a problem child well in advance. They''ve had a year of parent-teacher interaction via Dudley to get the message across. Have to figure out a plan for that when the time''s nearer.


    For now, I drift out through the window again. The sun is fully set, twilight is over and the streetlights are on in all their orange-tinted glory. Down to the end of the drive, and look about. Nobody''s out and about, but the sound of traffic is there in the distance. This close to London there''s no escaping it. The sky is busy with aircraft, low enough that their winking navigational lights are easy to spot. No way to tell whether it''s traffic for Heathrow, Gatwick or both.


    From the looks, Little Whinging is one of those dormitory villages for people who can afford to commute to work in Greater London, what used to be called the Stockbroker Belt.


    It''s an old-fashioned village with at least one reasonably well-heeled housing estate built on to it. Right on the edge of the Greater London sprawl, still palpably rural but close enough to the metropolis that you can''t quite call it country. Amazing what you can deduce from just one cul-de-sac, isn''t it? Familiarity with several examples from my own world helps a lot with this sort of thing.


    I start moving down the pavement and discover that with a bit of effort I can get my movement up to about a fast walk. I''m not conscious of any effort, but if I lose focus I slow right down. Privet Drive gives way to Magnolia Crescent - the main drag through the estate - and, just across and a little along the way, Wisteria Walk, with a combination Spar, newsagents and post office on the corner. I spend a little time drifting about: the housing estate is nearly a hundred homes, built to a whopping six different designs, and Privet Drive seems to be all the big expensive ones. It''s the usual mess of curving streets and random patches of grass and a small play-park with swings, roundabout and seesaw, all cut through with what we''d call ginnels where I''m from but the rest of the world calls alleys.


    The actual historic Little Whinging is a couple of dozen much older houses either side of one of Surrey''s smaller A-roads. It consists, beside the houses, of two pubs, a church that''s early 19th century if I''m any judge, and a short parade of shops next to the near end of Magnolia Crescent. The most exotic of which is the Chinese takeaway, which has apparently been shut since nine. I''m going to have to wait twenty years before 24-hour shopping and food delivery become a thing again. What Little Whinging doesn''t have is its own railway station, but this close to London there''ll be one within reasonable bus-ride if not walking distance. The primary school looks to be down the main road a mile or two - I can just see the school crossing lights in the distance - doubtless serving Little Whinging and the next village over alike, with kids bussed in from a wider area for Stonewall High.


    I check at the church that I can enter and leave holy ground and discover that while the chap walking his dog through the graveyard can''t hear me declaiming ''the Bishop of Buckingham'' at full volume, his dog is aware enough of me to look right at me and woof a vague d.o.g.g.y greeting. I tell him he''s a Good Boy and move on. All of the cats I''ve encountered on the way here have given me Hard Stares, the basic impoliteness of cat-kind being much in evidence. The one thing that can see me is the graveyard''s other supernatural occupant. There''s a Church-Grim lounging by the lych-gate, barely visible as a shimmering dog-shaped collection of shadows. He can see me, and hauls himself to his feet.


    There''s no sense of urgency to it, he takes the time to stretch and pads over with a slowly-wagging tail. At least I think he''s wagging his tail, the whole made-of-shadow thing being altogether visually confusing. I suspect that I''d be able to see him better if I was firmly within his jurisdiction of departed-soul-needing-company-for-final-walkies. Certainly the living only get to see him and his kind when they''re about to die. He shows no sense of urgency about approaching me, just a good boy looking to make a new friend. I pass an idle few minutes inquiring who, exactly, is the Good Boy and confirming that it is, in fact, him. He''s clearly doing his job of taking folk where they need to go in as much as there don''t seem to be any ghosts present. Everyone buried here has been properly escorted to their ultimate destination. What a good boy!


    We take a turn or two around the rest of the graveyard, chatting all the while - I''m supplying the Grim''s lines, as all good d.o.g.g.y conversations should go - and I indulge in one of my favourite pastimes, that of looking for picturesque names. There''s not much of a haul - even the 18th century graves have decidedly ordinary occupants, but I do learn that while the church may be relatively new, it''s built on the site of a much older one. There are still-legible 17th century graves, including one from slap in the middle of the Civil War, and a couple that might well be even older but are too weathered to be sure of. I''m faintly reassured that I''ve got it right about where and with whom I am by the presence of the Grim. They are, after all, canon to Harry Potter and I don''t have to worry about him being a death omen what with already being dead.


    All of this noodling about carries me through to midnight, and I return to Privet Drive to discover that, whatever enchantments are on number 4, they don''t keep me out. Which makes at least some sense, since they''re based on Lily Potter''s intent to protect her son, whatever Dumbledore may have done after the fact. Being a parent myself, I''m a hundred per cent on board with that, and mean to help.


    Which leaves finding out to what extent I can. Sure, I can do a lot just as a voice in Harry''s ear being the ultimate Helicopter Parent, but I''d look a prize berk if I stuck to just that and it turned out that with a bit of effort and experimentation I could have done more, right?


    Right.


    I think I need to find somewhere else, though. I''m already resolved to not provoke the Dursleys - not riling up obvious lunatics is a good general principle for life, memo: teach that one to Harry at some point - so I think I''m going to go and haunt someone a couple of streets away. Not on Wisteria Walk, Dumbledore has an agent there and while he''s a good guy with faults in the books, if I''m going to be meeting the man I want to be a lot better prepared than ''hey, I died and found myself here with this kid and decided to help''. I wouldn''t trust the bona fides of a wandering spirit telling that story, after all, no more than the village idiot would. So no tipping off Mrs. Figg that there''s something uncanny going on. She''s available if Harry needs to get a message to Dumbledore and that''s where I mean to leave it for now.


    Several hours of patient effort in a house picked for its occupants being away on holiday reveals that I can, with huuuuuge focus, flip a light switch, turn pages and make light fittings swing gently. I don''t notice it getting any easier with repetition, but decide to keep in practise. If wandering spirits can get swole with constant exercise, I mean to do it.


    I get back to Number 4 when the sky''s properly light, about half past five by the clock in the Dursleys'' hallway, just as the milkman is leaving Privet Drive for the next part of his round. I get a moment of nostalgia at the sight of a uniformed milkman driving an electric milk float; they''ll be a dying breed in fifteen years and gone altogether in thirty. He''s left three pints of milk, a pint of orange juice, a dozen eggs and a loaf of sliced bread at Number Four. Petunia rises at six thirty, brings it all in and gets the kettle on: they''ve clearly not got Harry started on cooking yet. She bangs on the door of Harry''s cupboard, pulls back the bolt and throws it open.


    "Up, Freak. Go use the loo and clean your teeth. And get back down here and back in your hole before your Uncle gets up." She hisses the words, and Harry''s in there looking all vulnerable and startled awake.


    "I''m still here, kid," I say. "Petunia can''t hear me, but you can. Don''t say anything, just get upstairs to the loo."


    Petunia doesn''t respond, but Harry smiles briefly and then gets his head down and scampers. In the bathroom, he closes and bolts the door. "Is that you, Mal?" he whispers


    "Yep," I say. "You keep whispering, they can''t hear me so I can talk normally. You need the loo, and don''t worry, I''m looking away."


    Poor kid gets bashful kidney anyway, but finally manages. "Oh, no." he murmurs when he''s done.


    I look round. Small nervous boy, toilet too tall, inevitable accident. "Don''t panic," I tell him. "Get some toilet roll, yes, like that, bit more, now scrunch it up and wipe up. Down the loo with it, don''t flush yet, you don''t want Petunia to know you''re done. Now, wash your hands. Running tap, that''s right." I talk him through washing his hands properly. He might have been taught, but I doubt it. He''s able to reach well enough to wash his face as well, enough to get the tear-streaks squared away.


    I move on to proper brushing of the teeth and Harry hisses "I know how to brush my teeth."


    "You know how Aunt Petunia has taught you. I''m teaching you to do it right, kid."


    A brief widening of the eyes and he follows instructions like a good boy.


    "Right, now flush and go down the stairs at a sensible pace. What usually happens next?"


    "Aunt Petunia gives me breakfast and locks me in until Uncle goes to work."


    "Well, let''s be about it. As soon as we''re in the cupboard, which is now our secret base, I''ll tell you what I learned while you were sleeping."


    Downstairs, Harry gets his breakfast - two slices of bread and marge and a glass of milk, neither generous nor stingy but assuredly not right for a growing boy - and he''s made to eat it sitting on the kitchen floor out of what I assume is pure spite. He''s eating quickly and swallowing fast with what looks like the ease of considerable practise. I try not to pay attention to this since I''m already quite angry enough, thank you very much.


    Instead, I watch Petunia. She''s splitting her attention between cooking breakfast, the little boy on the floor and the doorway back to the hall, an air of watchfulness about her. I''m fairly sure, watching her, that the driver for a lot of the shit that Harry''s getting is actually Vernon, and she wants him out of sight before her husband is up. I''m not cutting Petunia any moral or ethical slack for this, of course: there''s no call for accepting Harry''s lot as any kind of way to treat a child, unwanted poor relation or no. She has options that a short green-form interview with any general practice solicitor could open her eyes to, along with a great deal of information about how very easy divorce and restraining orders are to get.


    As soon as the milk glass is empty Harry gets hustled back under the stairs and she locks him in. She leaves the key in the lock, which opens up a whole world of possibilities vis a vis my poltergeisting the shit out of her security precautions.


    I ghost through the door. "All OK there, kid?"


    There''s enough light coming through around the edges of the door - the glass front door may be tacky, but it means the hall is well lit - that I can see Harry nodding.


    "Shiny -" There''s a thundering as of the sky falling in, which interrupts me. "What the blazes is that?"


    "Uncle and Dudley coming down for breakfast." Harry''s whisper has no intonation, because this is his normal.


    "What a pair of bloody elephants," I remark, for the reward of a quiet little giggle. When you''re five, hearing grown-ups swear is always funny. "Right, keep quiet while I go listen in on breakfast. If I know their plans for the day we might be able to get up to some fun. Mischief, even."


    Harry''s grin lights up the tiny space we''re in, and I wish with all my might for a face to smile back with. Nearly four years of Dursley bullshit and he can still smile. Proper little soldier you are, my lad.


    A few more reassuring remarks and I''m ghosting about the kitchen while the zoo exhibits sit down to breakfast. Toast and eggs and sausages and beans and bacon and fried bread and fried mushrooms and black pudding and holy jesus Vernon Dursley, a man eats like that and he doesn''t exercise, he goin'' to die. I''m as in favour of the Full English Breakfast as any proud son of Albion, but he''s putting away the signature breakfasts of all four home nations in one sitting. He''d probably have a crack at the rest of the Commonwealth, but he''s dead against any ''queer foreign muck'' unless I much misjudge my man. F.u.c.ker even eats the grilled tomatoes, the mark of a wrong ''un in my book.


    One might deduce that there was something wrong with Vernon - he grew up with a sister who could casually tell an orphan he ought to have been drowned and double down with an insult to his dead mother, tell me that didn''t come out of a dysfunctional family I defy you - but what he''s eating isn''t breakfast, it''s passive suicidal ideation. It''s not like nobody knows that overeating is unhealthy: I''m pretty sure the F-Plan has been out for a couple of years by now. Wouldn''t surprise me if Petunia - one slice of toast, no butter, one half gr.a.p.efruit, one generalised air of misanthropy - had an autographed copy. I can''t remember precisely when cholesterol got identified as one of the baddies, but I''m sure it was earlier than this.


    My point, here, is that stuffing down a breakfast of that heft and variety on top of already morbid obesity is self-destructive behaviour, and you''d have to be invincibly ignorant not to know that. I''m willing to bet that he''ll be snacking the rest of the day, eat a hearty lunch, come home to a dinner even bigger and then punish the whisky for a couple of hours to wind down. In the books, Vernon was still alive in 1998 and it''s actually something of a surprise. Small wonder that he treats everyone around him like crap: he clearly hates himself.


    Amateur psychoanalysis aside, I learn that Dudley will be at a childminder''s today, Vernon at work, and Petunia at a regular coffee-and-bridge thursday. Vernon opines that the month-end meeting will see him kept late, and Dudley tries to get out of going to the minder''s by throwing a nasty little tantrum that his father treats as him being an adorable scamp rather than cause for five minutes on the naughty step. I''m against corporal punishment for children - never raised a hand to my own, and proud of how they turned out - but lord, twenty minutes watching Dudley stuffing his face, whining, and kicking his parents makes me want to fetch the wee bastard a ding around the ear''ole with a sock full of shit.


    I was mistreated as a child, and Harry''s having an even rougher go of it than I did, but at least neither of us were never trained to be hated as a.d.u.l.ts the way the Dursleys are doing with their own crotchfruit. Vernon outright praises the little shit for trying his hardest to get his way, although I can see that Petunia wants to re-open an argument she clearly lost before the boy could talk. One can only hope that school can undo some of the damage before he reaches the age of criminal responsibility. From the look of things, the childminder also has some ideas on the subject of behaviour that Dudley doesn''t care for much. I wish her, whoever she is, good luck and good hunting.


    Ghostly calm or no, I have to take a moment or two to compose myself before going back in to the cupboard with Harry, who quite sensibly is getting a nap. Sleeping makes the time go faster, a lesson I remember learning around his age. I go back to surveillance on the Dursleys; Vernon heads out to work, while Petunia gets Dudley dressed and ready for the walk to whoever she''s dumping him on for the day. I''m pleased to see that with Vernon not present she''s actually somewhat firmer with him. On the way out, she bangs on the cupboard door. "Freak! You behave yourself in there. I''ll be back at lunchtime."


    Dudley gives the door a kick and yells "Freak!", which Petunia lets pass without comment.


    I go back in to see that Harry has been startled awake. "I''m here, kid," I tell him. "Let''s just wait until they''re out of the house."


    It''s a tense few minutes until we hear the front door close and Petunia''s heels clack off down the garden path.


    "Mal, are you really a ghost?" Harry asks, once it''s quiet.


    "I''m really a ghost. I was alive, then I got deaded, and now I''m here. Haunting you. Wooooo!"


    Harry giggles. "Why?"


    "I really don''t know, Harry. But I''m going to help if I can, because there''s just too much stupid in this house."


    "Who''s Harry?"


    "You are! Told you I''d find out your real name and I did. Harry James Potter. Oh, and since I didn''t know the date yesterday, Happy Birthday and sorry I''m a day late." Name and birthday will do to start with; dumping everything on him at once would be unkind. It''s not like we don''t have time locked in this here cupboard.


    A frown. "Freaks don''t have birthdays."


    "Harries do, though."


    More giggling. "How old am I?"


    "Five, Harry. And you''ll be going to school quite soon. You should have been going at the same time as Dudley, but your Uncle and your Aunt are stupid." Wouldn''t surprise me if they''ve been concealing the mere fact of Harry''s existence from everyone until quite recently, because otherwise sending Harry to school with Dudley would be the more normal thing to do.


    More giggling.


    "Now, your Uncle and Aunt don''t know that you know your name, so until they do, Harry James Potter is your secret name that you mustn''t tell anyone. If they find out you know, they''ll want to know how, and you can''t tell them about me because they''re stupid and scared of ghosts and magic."


    "Magic?"


    "Magic, Harry. Ghosts are part of magic. If there wasn''t magic, ghosts couldn''t talk like I do. Or sing like I do -" I give him a chorus of The Cat''s Got No ''Air On which has him laughing until he hiccups - "or do this." I turn the key in the lock and give the door a push.


    "Not ''llowed out," he whimpers, scuttling back in to the corner.. The f.u.c.kers have clearly tried to trick him like this before.


    "Not allowed to get caught, Harry," I tell him, gently. Not letting any of my anger in to my voice is proving quite the challenge. "And here, let me show you that it wasn''t your Uncle opening the door. It was me."


    The pull switch for the light in the cupboard is quite hard to work, but it''s only a couple of seconds. On, and then off.


    Harry gasps. And grasps the implication immediately. From the look on his face, he''s getting firmly in touch with his inner Naughty Little Boy.


    "Now, with Mal the friendly ghost to help, it''s time to do some scouting."


    "What''s scouting?" Of course, he''s been raised in a f.u.c.k.i.n.g cupboard, he''s got huge holes in his vocabulary.


    "Looking about all sneaky like and not getting caught," I tell him. "First thing, we''re going to the front door to check the car''s gone."


    It takes him a couple of tries to get up the nerve to leave the cupboard, but he manages like a little hero in the end. I explain to him about keeping low so''s nobody looking in can see him, which windows he doesn''t have to do that with because they''re at the back or upstairs, and that time is important but I''ll watch it for him and tell him when it''s time to scamper back to his secret base.


    After a tour of the house (watch whether a door is open or closed and leave it that way) I get him back to the kitchen just after ten and walk him through the basics of Stealing Food So They Don''t Notice It''s Gone. He ends up with a surprising amount of choice - Petunia has dozens of opened packets of fad-diet stuff, slimmers'' meal bars are starvation rations for a grown woman but hearty nosh for Harry. The supply of sweeties and cakes for Dudley and Vernon is easy to raid, and Harry takes to covering up the evidence with aplomb. I reckon I''ve got five hundred calories down his neck in under half an hour.


    We''ve just finished cleaning up when Harry says "Uh oh."


    I recognise the expression and stance. Number two inbound, by the looks. "Need the loo?"


    He nods.


    "Bad?"


    Another nod.


    "It''s getting fed properly that does it. Off you go, then."


    "Aunt hasn''t said I can."


    "Mal says you must. Aunt Petunia is the enemy, Harry, and you only have to pretend to do as she says. Loo! Now!"


    He grins as he runs for the stairs. Drifting along after him, I''m heartened that he was so ready for a minor act of rebellion, but annoyed that his first conscious revolutionary acts against the Dursley Regime include taking a shit. We''ve a long way to go before we work our way up to arson and riot.


    "You know how to wipe your bum?" I yell through the door.


    "Yes! Aunt Petunia made me learn," he yells back. There''s at least some normality in this house, then.


    I drift in when I hear the toilet flush, and Harry''s trying to get his pyjama trousers to stay up. There''s a worried look on his face. "Aunt Petunia ties them up for me." he says. And, of course, if they''re not tied when she gets back she''s going to know.


    "Time to learn for yourself," I tell him, interrupting the panic before it can really take hold. "Get the strings in your hands and cross them over ¡­" It takes a few minutes, but concentrating calms Harry down and I''ve got the patience of the literally dead. I slip in a few asides about how knots work and things you can do with them, because time spent educating a child is seldom wasted. Once we''ve got Harry''s trousers properly secured, we go over Washing Our Hands and Cleaning Our Teeth again, and also checking the bathroom to make sure there''s no obvious signs of use. Teaching Harry to be stealthy and confident in his stealth is going to pay dividends later: I didn''t figure it out until I was ten or so and thereby suffered more than I might have done if I''d been smarter.


    More chatting in the bathroom leads Harry to let me know that he does get a bath ''sometimes'' in Dudley''s used bath-water. I''m fairly sure that Dudley is the kind of difficult customer that makes enough of a fuss over bathtime that his mother keeps it to once a week. Not a problem per se, most kids are over-washed anyway and they don''t start to pong until they''re teenagers, but Harry, judging by the quick and eager responses to instructions on getting clean, is a naturally fastidious kid. Figuring out safe times for surreptitious bathtime is a project for later, I decide.


    I stick my head through the wall to check on the Dursley''s bedside alarm clock, which is actually a Goblin Teasmade. Which doesn''t appear to get used. Could be because Vernon''s a power-tripping gobshite who makes his wife get up to make his tea of a morning, could be because Petunia wants to get up to keep hubby from waxing wrathful over the sight of a Freak at breakfast time. "It''s half past eleven, Harry," I say once I''m back in the pistachio-green hell of the Dursley bathroom, "time to go and pretend you''ve been in the cupboard all morning." A last check that the bathroom and kitchen are in order and the wrappers from brunch are properly buried under the rubbish from breakfast and I lock us in.


    "Harry James Potter," I say once he''s settled down. "That''s your name. Now, I didn''t find everything in just one night, but it''s a start, isn''t it?"


    Harry nods. Big round eyes, he''s drinking it all in. He''s five and spends most of his time locked up in the dark, so he doesn''t have any trouble accepting that he''s got a ghost helping him.


    "Now, your mum was Lily Potter, and your dad was James Potter. I know about them from hearing stories when I was alive, I never met them myself, but they were heroes who died in a war."


    "Not in a car crash?"


    "No, not in a car crash. Dying in a car crash is dead rubbish. I know, because that''s how I died."


    "Did it hurt?" Because of course a little kid is going to go off on every tangent imaginable and it''s not like we''re under pressure of time, here.


    "A bit, at first, and then when I died it didn''t hurt any more." It just all got really confusing for a while and took a hard swerve into the outright surreal. I''m pretty sure I''m in a fanfic at this point. "It all went strange, and then it all went black, and the next thing I knew I was in our secret base with you, a long way from home."


    "Cor. Is that why you talk funny? You sound like Coronation Street."


    Turns out that the dead can laugh. "Harry, I don''t talk funny. I talk properly, it''s you southerners that talk funny!"


    "I do not!" Proper little-boy indignation. They''ve not broken him entirely, for all their effort, and I must be doing something right if he''s comfortable enough to back-chat me this quickly.


    "I know, I know, I''m just joking with you. I talk like I do because this is how everyone talks where I lived. Which is quite near Coronation Street, actually. When you grow up, you''ll find everyone thinks that where they live is where people talk properly and everywhere else is where they talk funny. It''s best to make jokes about things like that, or you end up stupid like your Uncle Vernon."


    My attempt to introduce an important teachable moment misses the mark: five-year-old minds are an erratic and fast-moving target. "Coronation Street''s real? Not just on the telly?"


    Of course he''s heard it. Apparently the TV comes with only two settings in this house: Loud and Too Loud. And Petunia, a stereotype down to the very bones of her, watches her soaps religiously. I decide to go with it. "Coronation Street is real, yes. I''ve visited there." No need to tell him it''s just a TV set at Granada Studios and they do tours.


    "Jack Duckworth is my favourite," he tells me solemnly. I like this kid: I used to think Jack Duckworth was brilliant too, not least because I knew about five real-life Jack Duckworths; he was a very well-observed character. Back in the day when Coronation Street wasn''t complete rubbish like it¡­ won''t be for at least another ten years. "Are Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds real too?"


    All hands brace for impact! Massive Nostalgia Trip Incoming! I f.u.c.k.i.n.g LOVED that show. "That one''s just a bit real. There was a real man called D''Artagnan, and he was a musketeer, and there''s a famous story about him called D''Artagnan and the Three Musketeers. For the telly they made a children''s version where they''re all dogs instead of men and changed the name to Dogtanian because it was all dogs, and muskehounds instead of musketeers."


    "Oh. What''s a musketeer?"


    "Old fashioned kind of soldiers. Named after the kind of gun they used, but they were famous for using their swords as well."


    "Why did they use swords instead of guns?"


    And we''re off! I really can''t do much for Harry except talk to him, and five minutes with any five year old will make you familiar with the phenomenon. Question after question after question until you go mad or the kid gets bored and wanders off. Of course, after the first time you''re already mad and the whole process becomes rather fun, especially if you''ve got time to demonstrate the holy rite of Looking It Up In Books for the stuff you don''t know the answer to.


    Of course, the kid has to be comfortable with you and not have had the habit squashed out of him by years of psychological abuse. Seems like I got to Harry in time. What actually stops us this time is the sound of feet coming up the driveway and a key in the lock, right as Harry''s in the middle of the important follow-up questions for the explanation of how special telly science can make it look like dogs can talk and fight and foil the evil schemes of the sinister Cardinal Richelieu.


    Harry freezes mid-inquiry. He''d been getting quite voluble.


    "Don''t worry, Harry. She can''t hear me and she won''t have heard you. What happens now?"


    "I get lunch and I''m allowed the loo and I have to do jobs until it''s time to go and get Dudley from the childminder."


    "Well, eat your lunch and do your jobs and we can talk more. Maybe I can tell you things about your jobs, you just have to pretend you can''t hear me." I hear feet on the stairs above us, Petunia clearly needs the loo urgently judging by the pace.


    "Sometimes I forget stuff and she shouts at me and I get the slipper," Harry says. The tone of his voice would make a statue weep. Sounds like something my own dear mother got up to: give incomplete instructions, or instructions no child can manage to grasp, and punish the slightest infraction. Of course Harry got right aboard the whole friendly-ghost bit, it was a distraction from what he knew was coming.


    "I''ll remember for you, let''s avoid the slipper. The slipper is stupid, but don''t say that out loud, you''ll just get more slipper." I''ve no great hope that I can cheer him up, I have a deep-seated dread that even a.d.u.l.t memory and attention to detail won''t be good enough, but maybe I can help him get his mind right to take a little less damage to his s oul from what''s (probably, I could be running in fear of my own personal ghosts here) coming.


    "K." The key turns in the lock and Harry''s visibly retreating into himself as I watch. I wasn''t being pessimistic, I wasn''t being pessimistic enough.


    - oOo -


    It was as bad as I feared and in some ways worse: after another bread-and-marge meal on the kitchen floor, Petunia snapped orders and stood over Harry while he damp-dusted and swept and mopped and made beds and all of the other sundry and minor tasks of regular housework for two hours. He''s not big enough for the vacuum cleaner or cooking yet, and either there''s nothing to do in the garden or she doesn''t want the neighbours to see him. She''d have to give him shoes and something to wear that isn''t pyjamas, too.


    The standing-over is the worst part for Harry, constantly carping about how he''s not doing the job well enough or quickly enough and how he''s a worthless, stupid freak. It''s calculated to put him off his stroke and give her an excuse to use the slipper on him.


    And she wants to. Oh, she very clearly wants to. She''s put on a housework apron with a big pocket in the front, and there''s a nice, big rubber-soled slipper in it.


    "Just let her words go, Harry. She''s a sad, angry woman who doesn''t know any better. Keep your eyes on the job, nice, smooth even strokes with the cloth. Now get a bit of the cloth over your finger and get in the corners. Keep going until you''ve got all the dust, I know you can''t see too well, but I can and I''ll talk you through it. Back up a bit, you''ve missed a bit, bit more, got it. The important thing is that you know and I know we''re doing a good job, and a good job is worth doing. Don''t look around, pretend you can''t hear me, she''s telling you it''s the dining room next, move smoothly and evenly and don''t be afraid..." Just a sample of what I pour into his ear. I hope it''s helping.


    If I had a throat it''d be sore, but we manage a success on our first day together: Harry doesn''t get the slipper. What he does get is two hours of intimidation from a woman armed with something he knows will hurt when she hits him with it. Constantly in his personal space, every utterance from her mouth an insult or a criticism couched in the vilest terms she can think of that doesn''t teach him coarse language, and demanding the kind of standards they enforce on basic trainees to accustom them to military harshness. Demanding these standards from a child with defective vision who, up until now, has been unable to see what he''s supposed to be wiping up.


    At no point does she do anything actionable before a criminal court. While inflicting two hours of emotional and psychological torture of the nastiest kind. In a dark, sarcastic, gallows-humour sort of way I''m actually impressed. Our ''success'' is measured by her being satisfied by Harry''s eyes brimming with tears as she pokes and prods him to be faster drinking a glass of water, using the loo and getting back into his cage.


    It takes me the best part of an hour of patient, gentle reassurance to get him back on an even keel and reassure him that this is Not Right, that it is all Vernon and Petunia''s fault, that his mum and dad would be right here haunting the shit out of them if they could, and that one day all this will be past. It stops us taking advantage of Petunia heading out to collect Dudley, which takes the better part of an hour, but I can''t begrudge the time. There''s a lot of damage to undo.


    Forget what I said about Petunia being less culpable, her only difference from Vernon is her preferred approach. Insidious, rather than brutal, but every bit as barbaric. One way or another, her and her pet manatee are going f.u.c.k.i.n.g down. Made my peace with my own lack of vengeance years ago. Taking it on someone else''s behalf? I foresee catharsis.


    When I figure out the how of the thing, well: Lily sends her regards, you utter, utter cunt.


    AUTHOR NOTES:


    The Green Form: part of the old Legal Aid. A very mild means test entitled anyone to two hours of lawyers'' time paid for out of general taxation for ''general advice and assistance on any matter of law''. It got cut down to near non-existence while I was still a lawyer and I''m pretty sure it''s gone altogether now.


    Harry not getting his reception year at school actually complies with the law, which requires a child be in full time education from the first term after his fifth birthday. It isn''t actually from canon that the Dursleys went with the bare legal minimum but is precisely the kind of petty bullshit you''d expect from the sort of arseholes who''d keep a child in a cupboard and tell the neighbours he''s a habitual criminal.


    The Black Dog of folklore - including Gr im, Barghest, Gurt Dog, Old Padfoot and many more in Britain alone, it''s very widespread across Europe - gets a bad press that, reading between the lines, they don''t deserve. Guard dogs are notoriously grumpy creatures, after all, with people who aren''t supposed to be there, but you''re glad of them if they''re guarding you.


    Other matters: Grilled Tomato on a Full English is garnish, and should not be eaten. The Teasmade is an alarm clock with a built in tea-maker: rather out of fashion now, but surprisingly they still make and sell them. I really do miss the milkmen of old, it was an enormously convenient service that got driven out of business by the big supermarkets. The best picturesque name I ever found was in the churchyard of St. Andrew''s at Slaidburn, where a Mr. Tempest Strider was buried in 1788. And it''s completely true about the electric goddesses, r.a.p.e-monkeys (Sodomit-Affelingen in the original german) and meth.


    Fic recommendation: Messing with Time by Slythernim, on Archive of Our Own, which recently updated after a long hiatus. Harry ends up five again, with a thirty-something Auror''s mind and skillset. He puts up with the Dursleys'' bullshit for about fifteen minutes and then shit goes sideways in the most entertaining way.

 Chapter 237 - My CO Stash #37 - A Determined Mans Travel by Cambrian (Fate/staynightXMulticross)

    -Ay, we get a "new fic" from the Pimperor~ Instant upload since it''s Shirou pretty much being a hentai protagonist going from world to world, right now the multicross is Dresden Files, RWBY, FGO, Sailor Moon lol, and Ranma!


    Sypnosis: In which Shirou, after being told by Zelretch himself that the Path to Avalon was not on his world, goes on a bit of an adventure. First stop, the Dresden-verse...


    Rated: M


    Words: 29K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/a-determined-mans-travels-fate-multi.11729/ (Cambrian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    -x-X-x-


    "You won''t find what you''re looking for here, Shirou Emiya. The Path to Avalon cannot be found on your own world."


    The worst thing was, Shirou believed him. Oh sure, the Wizard Marshall had reasons to lie to him, had reasons to want to deceive him¡­ Shirou knew and understood this. But even still, when Zelretch told him that he couldn''t get to Saber through his own world, Shirou believed it. After all, had he not already struggled for so long to find even a trace of the woman he''d fallen in love with? Had he not fought his way through challenge after challenge in an effort to reunite himself with Saber once again?


    Frankly, having the Wizard Marshall, the one with control over the Second Magic known as Kaleidoscope, tell him point blank that he was looking in all the wrong places¡­ it was honestly a god send. Shirou had been a bit lost by the time Zelretch rolled around. He''d been unsure of what to do with himself, especially since by then, he''d turned the whole world over, looking for a hint of how exactly he might be able to get to Saber.


    That was probably why Zelretch had come to him, in the end. Shirou didn''t really see himself as overly strong or anything like that. But he knew he was abnormal. He knew he was unnatural. His beliefs, his way of doing things¡­ well, you didn''t complete a Reality Marble if you were content with the original reality you found yourself in. To be able to create a whole new world required a¡­ fractured sort of existence.


    But even if Shirou knew himself, that wasn''t enough to stop him. Saber was out there, waiting for him, and Shirou refused to give up. He did have some responsibilities left in his old world though, so upon being told by Zelretch just what he would need to do in order to finally track down the Path to Avalon, Shirou hadn''t immediately gone gallanting off into the sunset. No, instead he''d taken precautions, ensured his continued health, and then looked after his loved ones, burying them when they finally died.


    Only then had he gathered his things. Only now was he finally leaving his original world behind. Zelretch had given him a device capable of transporting him to parallel realms, apparently. Another sign that the Wizard Marshall wanted Shirou off of his original world, though why exactly that was, Shirou couldn''t have said. Perhaps Zelretch was a romantic at heart? Perhaps he wanted to see Shirou and Saber''s Happily Ever After as much as Shirou himself did?


    It mattered not. What mattered was getting to Saber, so of course Shirou was willing to use the device. And as it opened a portal in front of him, allowing him to see an entirely different landscape on the other side¡­ Shirou stepped through, all ties and attachments to his old-world dead and buried, all reason for staying finally laid to rest. It was just him now¡­ him, and somewhere out there, Saber waiting for him.


    The fact that the world he steps out to on the other side of the portal is more than a little alien is actually encouraging, in Shirou''s humble opinion. Looking around, the man, no longer young but also appearing to be in the prime of his life, takes in the alien plant life all around him. It''s a fantastical place, right out of some sort of fairytale, really.


    Could this be Avalon? Could he have found his beloved this quickly? Shirou furrows his brow at that, something telling him that no, this was not Avalon. His very soul does not resonate with this place like he believes it will when he finally locates Saber. Looking down at Zelretch''s device tells him the same, the flickering glyphs and sigils that Shirou has learned to read over the last month while preparing for this trip telling him that he''s in someplace referred to as¡­ the Nevernever?


    A strange name for a place, isn''t it? Shirou hums to himself, even as he continues to look around. He can feel something, or even multiple somethings watching him¡­ but they are recalcitrant in their approach. He wonders why, he''s not exactly exuding power at the moment. Outwardly, Shirou looks like a normal human man, red of hair, brown of eye. He''s grown into a man''s body though, with broad shoulders and a well-muscled but still lean runner''s form.


    Of course, all of that is just the surface. Beneath the surface is another matter entirely. Perhaps whatever creatures inhabit this Nevernever can sense what he''s truly capable of. Perhaps they can sense what he truly is. The corner of Shirou''s mouth quirks up at that, and his eyes twinkle just a tad as he gazes around himself, taking in his unseen observers.


    "Smart."


    But in the end, he can''t stand here forever, not truly. And¡­ there''s a pathway, right in front of him. It''s nothing incredibly civilized, more made of stones buried in the dirt than anything else. But a little further up, it becomes carved out of the hill of stone that Shirou finds himself at the base of, winding up and out of sight, leading somewhere else.


    Well, Shirou has never been one to be led by anything or anyone, but just this one¡­ with a soft chuckle, Shirou begins making his way up the stone path, taking his time as he takes in his surroundings. He wants to find Saber, yes, but something tells him that won''t be easy nor fast, nor particularly soon. Until he gets a lead, he''ll just have to make his own way¡­


    -x-X-x-


    All four Sidhe feel it, the sensation that something has changed in the Nevernever. How can they not, when they are all so effectively tied to the soul of the world, in the depths of a truly powerful ritual exchange. The Stone Table, the center of the Nevernever, at least in spirit, of not in reality. A conduit of power through which a Faerie Court would gain power depending on who had dominion over it¡­ Summer or Winter. Exchanged between the two Courts at each solstice, the Stone Table was the center of Sidhe Power in the Nevernever. It was an ancient place, a place if both diplomacy and war, of blood and power.


    Right now, it was the place where two Queens, one of Summer and one of Winter, were passing their mantles down to their daughters, raising up the Summer and Winter Ladies into their new crowns. As such, despite the fact that all four of the Sidhe felt the arrival of something new within their world, not a single one of them could do anything about it, not until the ritual was complete. They were tied too closely to the Stone Table in this moment, tied too closely to each other. If any one of them had pulled away, the Courts themselves would have unraveled, and the power humming and thrumming through the air would have been lost entirely.


    This was the moment in which the Courts of Summer and Winter were at their most vulnerable, to be sure. But that shouldn''t have been a problem, because the armies of both Courts surrounded the Stone Table and should have been able to stop and defeat any would-be challenger. The only way that anyone could have possibly gotten past said armies was if they somehow managed to appear on the path up to the table itself¡­ and of course, that should have been impossible.


    As the ritual comes to a close, as Titania and Mab come into their new power, becoming the Queens of their respective Courts, and their mothers become the Mothers of Summer and Winter in truth, all four female Sidhe pull back from the table, finally able to. Reveling in the change, it takes the younger two a moment to notice that the Mothers are staring¡­ but not at them, behind them.


    Slowly, Titania and Mab turn around and regard the man standing there, staring at all of them and the table expressionlessly. At first glance, he''s fairly unassuming. He looks like little more than a mortal human man. Fit and handsome, certainly¡­ but altogether human. That''s just the first glance though. Spending even a second longer than that staring at him allowed the two new Faerie Queens to see underneath the surface, to what lay below¡­ and what they saw had their pupils dilating and their lips parting, their mouths beginning to water as their lower lips start to moisten immediately.


    "Well¡­ I suppose we''ll leave you two girls to it then."


    The voice of Mother Winter ringing through the area manages to draw Titania and Mab away from the man, for a moment. Whipping their heads around, the newly minted Queens of Summer and Winter stare at their Mothers, visibly surprised, still unused to being the ones with the crowns and thus all the power. But the old crones that represent Mother Winter and Mother Summer have already turned away from them both and are walking down from the Stone Table in the opposite direction, leaving the two younger Sidhe alone with the man who might as well be Sidhenip for how mouthwateringly desirable he instinctively is.


    It dawns on both Titania and Mab in that moment that this is how it is to be from now on. This is their domain now, they are the Queens of Summer and Winter, of their own respective Faerie Courts. In the end, it is their duty to treat with this outsider. As one, the former Sidhe Ladies turn back to regard the strange man who has somehow come upon the Stone Table in the midst of their mutual coronation.


    He regards them right back, causing both of them to blush a bit like innocent maidens, despite neither being anything close to that. In the end, Mab speaks up first, her tone as cold and harsh as her element. But Titania knows her fellow Queen well¡­ she knows her sister even better.


    "You. Who are you? How have you come to this place?"


    The man seems to consider this for a moment, not hesitating, but actually thinking on whether or not he wanted to say anything. In the end, he shrugs.


    "My name is Shirou. Shirou Emiya. I''m looking for someone, for a place as well I suppose. Do either of you know anything about Avalon or Arturia Pendragon?"


    The two Faerie Queens exchange a glance at that. Of course, they knew of Avalon, the Lady of the Lake was Sidhe herself. Wildfae, but still Sidhe. However, the name Arturia Pendragon¡­ that sparks confusion. Still, in that moment in which Titania and Mab make eye contact, they both can see what the other wants. In the end, there''s a silent, near-instantaneous conversation that passes silently and nonverbally between the two of them.


    This man before them¡­ they both desire him, and he could easily ignite a war here and now with his mere presence. Perhaps if they were both younger¡­ or even older, such a thing would not have been unthinkable to them. But Shirou Emiya had arrived in exactly the right moment, at exactly the right time. So fresh into their power, so new in their roles as Queens of the Summer and Winter Courts, neither Titania nor Mab wanted to set themselves against one another quite so soon.


    No, rather¡­ they both realize that in this instance, they''d be willing to share. Just this once, they can set aside the quite literal differences between them, if it means bedding this stranger.


    With that all conveyed in a single simple glance, Titania is the one that steps forward by mutual unspoken decision. The Queen of Summer has a beatific smile on her face as she reaches out towards Shirou.


    "Shirou Emiya¡­ I am Queen Titania of the Summer Court. This is my sister, Queen Mab of the Winter Court. It would be our honor to assist you in finding whom you seek. In exchange for this boon however, we will require something from you."


    Shirou raises an eyebrow, and it''s obvious to both Sidhe that he can see right through them. Embarrassing to be sure, but it will make this easier, they suppose. Reaching down without hesitation, right before the eyes of the two Faerie Queens, Shirou unbuckles his belt, unzips his pants¡­ and pulls out his c.o.c.k.


    The mere sight of it is enough to send Titania and Mab both crashing to their knees, the two gorgeous Queens crawling across the ground to where he stands, closing the distance and kneeling before him as they tentatively take hold of his throbbing, pulsating c.o.c.k, basking in his mere presence¡­ though truth be told, there''s nothing ''mere'' about it, not at all.


    Yes¡­ this is what they both want. And what a Queen of the Sidhe wants, she GETS!


    -x-X-x-


    As the old crones had walked off, Shirou had studied the two younger ones a bit more closely. He''d been studying all of them since he''d come upon their little ritual, to be fair, but only then had he actually taken in their appearances. In the beginning, he''d simply been observing the four inhuman females. Ultimately, he hadn''t detected any evil or malice in their ritual. There was a sensation of cold, of frost, just as there was the sensation of heat and fire.


    Now that he knew them as Queen Titania of Summer and Queen Mab of Winter, it made more sense. Still, there was nothing wrong with the seasons. Winter was cold and unforgiving, certainly, but it was also a time of joy and happiness in the form of exchanging gifts for many. It was a time of play as people made snowmen and snow angels, as they had snowball fights.


    Meanwhile, Summer could be hot, it could be sweltering, but that was easily dealt with. In the end, Shirou had allowed the ritual to complete without his interference, and the two crones that had just gotten done transferring their mantles to what seemed to be their daughters had departed, leaving Shirou alone with the younger faeries.


    Titania and Mab were¡­ buxom didn''t quite cut it. Both of the inhuman women were incredibly bodacious. Their tits were heavy and large, while at the same time being impossibly perky. Their h.i.p.s were wide, perfect for birthing children. Their asses were massive and fat and jiggled along with their h.i.p.s with every movement they made. Finally, their lips were plump.


    Mab was an albino beauty, completely pale, almost as white as freshly driven snow. Her hair actually was that color, and while she wore a beautiful ice-blue dress, it didn''t do much to contain her immense curves. It did absolutely nothing at all to hide just how voluptuous and beautiful she was. Meanwhile, Titania was also somewhat pale, but with a gorgeous mane of fiery red hair that goes all the way down her back. She too wears a dress in the colors of Summer, warm cozy colors. Almost as cozy as the dress is on her body, tightly clad and barely holding in her massive tits.


    They are without a doubt, the most beautiful women Shirou has ever laid his eyes on¡­ or they would be, if they were actually women. Shirou is of course immune to their glamor in a way no other human man would be. Facing down two amorous Sidhe Queens at once? Any man would buckle under that pressure, slavishly devoting himself to whichever would have him and worshipping that Queen for the rest of his days, however many she might gift him.


    But Shirou Emiya was not just any man. He was a magus, and he had delved deeper into his chosen magics than most magus ever did. His reinforcement was so high these days, that it had made him functionally immortal, constantly reinforcing every cell in his body to the point that they no longer degraded or died off unless he wanted them to. Shirou himself wasn''t technically immortal, but every fiber of his being was unaging because of his magic, which at this point was constantly active, never ceasing, not even when he was unconscious.


    Perhaps that was why the two Sidhe Queens were drawn to him? Shirou couldn''t say for sure what it was¡­ however, to be fair, it felt like he''d been catnip for women even back when he was younger, back before he''d trained himself quite this high. Maybe it was something about him specifically? Maybe he had something that just¡­ attracted all of the ladies to him.


    Though, as he wh.i.p.s out his c.o.c.k and sends both Titania and Mab crashing down onto their knees, Shirou has to admit, they''re even hornier and needier than the girls back on his original world. Oh sure, by the end of the day Shirou had ended up with a harem comprised of multiple women, chief among them being Sakura, Rin, and Taiga¡­ but all the same, none of them had been QUITE as whorish as these two so-called Queens before him now.


    As Titania and Mab kneel before him, having to squeeze in together to properly position their absolutely bodacious bodies and fat chests in front of his growing c.o.c.k, Shirou just smiles down at them both, raising his second eyebrow to join the first, which has been perpetually climbed up on his forehead for a while now. Seeing him waiting expectantly, the two Faerie Queens grab hold of his c.o.c.k together, letting out matching gasps, even as they lean in and begin to worship his member.


    Even Mab, who up to this point has tried to act cold, is quickly melting in the face of Shirou''s big fat d.i.c.k. He''s reminded of something that Sakura once said of his member, while he was plowing Rin''s ass silly, the latter magus a bit of an anal s.l.u.t, at the end of the day. As she''d lovingly petted her m.o.a.ning older sister''s hair, the two of them having reconciled long ago, Sakura had generously termed his c.o.c.k ''The Bitch-Breaker''.


    Shirou didn''t quite know if that was accurate, really. But he supposed, as he looked down at the two Queens, despite their claim to royalty, both could be called little more than bitches in heat at the moment. If he truly wanted to acquire their assistance¡­ it was time to get to breaking. Reaching out, Shirou curls his hands through Titania and Mab''s hair, one hand gripping tightly at red locks and the other doing the same with white.


    Two pairs of inhuman eyes flicker up to Shirou, even as the gorgeous bimbo-like Sidhe continue to lick and lap at his c.o.c.k. Smiling down at them both, Shirou guides them into position. Titania finds herself coming to the tip of his c.o.c.k, which presses into her plump lips most insistently, while Mab is regulated down to below his rock-hard member, her nostrils flaring as she gets a nice, thick whiff of his ball sack, which is now grinding into her mouth and nose.


    Humiliating? Yes. Everything that both Faerie Queens wanted? It certainly seemed so. Titania''s mouth opens wide and she takes Shirou''s c.o.c.k right down her throat, even as Mab sucks his large nuts into her own mouth one at a time, slurping and lapping and suckling at them to her heart''s content. Meanwhile, Shirou begins to thrust forward into Titania''s esophagus, going right down her gullet in a way that the bodacious Queen of Summer clearly wasn''t used to or prepared for.


    "Gagkh! Gagkh! Gagkh!"


    But even as the Sidhe Queen chokes on his c.o.c.k, she''s doing her level best to wiggle and writhe her tongue back and forth across the underside of his d.i.c.k. Her eyes are filled with l.u.s.t and adoration, her cheeks suctioned in quite lewdly as her plump lips, all but made for c.o.c.k-sucking, seal around Shirou''s girth, allowing her to take him deeper and deeper, as is his clear desire.


    Her throat feels like heaven, and Mab''s technique, while similarly inexperienced just like Titania''s, is still adding something exceptional to the entire encounter. It''s not long before Shirou feels his first release approaching. Seeing no reason to hold back, he doesn''t. He lets himself c.u.m and allows his seed to flow down Titania''s throat as the Summer Queen''s glazed eyes go wide from the sudden injection of white-hot spunk into her gullet.


    She hurriedly begins to swallow, but he c.u.ms too fast and too furiously for her to keep up with. In the end, a good portion of Shirou''s c.u.m flows out of the sides of Titania''s mouth as her cheeks do the opposite of what they were doing before, bulging outwards in an effort to keep his load in that ultimately fails. This is for the best though, as it gives Mab below a chance to get a taste of the treat, she''d helped her fellow Faerie Queen extract from Shirou''s balls. The Queen of Winter continues to slurp and suck at Shirou''s nut sack, even as her tongue scoops up the c.u.m that slides down his length onto her face.


    When Shirou is finally done c.u.m.m.i.n.g, he pulls back and uses his grip on the hair of both Queens to drag them away as well. Titania and Mab''s faces are in ruins, Titania''s cheeks covered in involuntary tear tracks and her chin coated in saliva and spunk, and Mab''s entire face glazed over with his seed, even as her tongue works as far out of her mouth as it can to collect more and slurp it up.


    Both Queens writhe in his grasp, m.o.a.ning wantonly and clearly desiring more, practically begging for more. Luckily for them, Shirou is still more than hard enough for the two needy whores. After all, he was a Master of Reinforcement. The only decision left to make was which Sidhe he would take first. But in the end, was there really any true choice at all?"


    -x-X-x-


    She was usually the more clearheaded of the two of them. Titania was Summer after all, wild and untamed, fiery and passionate, the time of heat and all of that. Mab, by contrast, was of Winter. Still, she could be just as wild as her sister, and the both of them had gotten up to quite a lot of wild shenanigans in their time as Ladies of their respective Courts.


    Even still, Mab prided herself on being cold and aloof. A real Ice Queen, if you will. But this man, this¡­ this strange man who had come out of nowhere, invading their ritual but not disrupting it, watching the exchange of power that nobody before him save for Sidhe Queens had gotten to witness¡­ he was making it impossible to do so.


    She''s still a little dazed from his release when his grip on her hair tightens, and he begins to drag her along the ground. Titania''s yelps, mixing with Mab''s own squeaks, tell her that he''s doing the same with her sister. They''re supposed to be Queens now, supposed to be at the height of their respective power¡­ and this man, this Shirou Emiya was treating them like they were nothing but disobedient brats.


    When he pulls them up and bends them both over the Stone Table, that should be the last straw. Mab knows that Titania can feel it, just like she can. If they allow this to happen, if they allow for Shirou to defile them here and desecrate this place as he desecrates their bodies¡­ there will be no going back. They will both be tied to the man forevermore.


    And yet, Mab hesitates. She hesitates because deep down inside, she wants to see. She wants to know¡­ who would he take first? When his hands grab hold of her wide h.i.p.s and slide along her dress before ultimately flipping up the back of it and tearing away her undergarments almost contemptuously, the last of the Ice Queen''s frost thaws, all of her resistance gives way, and she finds herself waiting eagerly for his c.o.c.k, his big fat c.o.c.k that her sister had been hogging until now, to split her open.


    As Shirou presses into Mab from behind, as he begins to spread her slit wide and fill her with his member, she m.o.a.ns. It''s a wanton thing, her m.o.a.n. A whorish sound, a s.l.u.tty sound. Queen Mab of the Winter Court, voluptuous and bodacious and altogether bimbo-like Sidhe, m.o.a.ns like a wanton whore as Shirou fills her with his meat, pushing deeper and deeper with every second.


    Titania''s noise of protest from her side startles Mab from her revelry, and for a moment she fears that the Summer Queen will ruin this for her, that she will finally stand up for both of them as well as the sovereignty of their courts because Shirou has snubbed her for Mab. But then one of Shirou''s hands leaves her body and Titania''s own m.o.a.ns fill the air as Mab realizes the man is fingering her sister''s cunt from behind while f.u.c.k.i.n.g her own cunt with his true c.o.c.k, his big fat d.i.c.k.


    A lazy smile spreads across Mab''s face, and she gives in to the pleasure. The Ice Queen''s eyes roll up in her head and her tongue lolls out of her mouth as Shirou begins to f.u.c.k her in earnest, pounding into her harder and harder, faster and faster. As he f.u.c.ks her bent over the Stone Table, as he plows her in this sacred place, Mab lets the orgasms finally come¡­ and come they do. Again, and again she climaxes around his member. Again, and again, he brings crashing waves of pleasure down upon her, drowning Mab in an ocean of ecstasy and bliss.


    She won''t be the same after this, she''s pretty sure. She can''t possibly remain how she is, not when she''s being f.u.c.k.i.e.d here, not when she''s being pounded into here, in the place of their power. As Shirou Emiya f.u.c.ks her, Mab, Queen of Winter, breaks. Her entire existence becomes nothing more than his c.o.c.k, pounding into her quivering quim from behind. Even as his hand closes in her hair and yanks her head back, she doesn''t truly see anything, her eyes rolled back in her skull and a truly f.u.c.k.i.e.d silly expression of pure happiness on the Ice Queen''s face.


    By the time Shirou c.u.ms inside of her, Mab is in no state to truly, properly enjoy it. But even as broken and insensate as the Winter Queen is from the rough pounding she''s received, some small part of her can still feel it, deep within herself. It''s not something a human woman would know right away, of course, because humans simply weren''t as aware of their full existence as Sidhe were.


    But Mab is no human, and as such, she feels Shirou''s c.u.m filling her w.o.m.b. She feels his s.p.e.r.m traveling up into her. She feels it as her eggs are penetrated, and she knows deep down, all the way to the depths of her soul, that in that moment, Shirou Emiya has bred her. He''s i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.ed her with his child. She''s going to have a daughter, a new Winter Lady to serve under her¡­ and it''s all thanks to this unbelievable, unforgettable man, who has completely and utterly f.u.c.k.i.e.d her into submission.


    -x-X-x-


    Titania had the same awareness that Mab did, when Shirou dragged them to the Stone Table. She just didn''t care, like Mab momentarily had. Having gotten to swallow the lion''s share of Shirou''s c.u.m load, Queen Titania wanted MORE. After all, for a Faerie Queen, satisfaction did not breed contentment. It simply bred greed. Titania wasn''t content with just some of Shirou''s c.u.m filling and warming her belly. The Summer Queen wanted to be f.u.c.k.i.e.d, she wanted to be plowed silly¡­ and if Shirou wished to do so over the Stone Table, claiming both her and her sister''s power for himself¡­ Titania was already willing to let him have it.


    Still, she was upset when he speared her sister with his big fat meat rod first. Even if Titania could understand why Mab got d.i.c.ked first, even if she could see the multitude of logical reasons for it, from Mab being regulated to ball sucking duty during the foreplay, to Mab being the one of them most likely to protest the desecration of the Stone Table and the conquest of their domains¡­ it still rankled.


    But Shirou had not forgotten her. The red-haired man had heard her disappointed whining, and a moment later stuck three fingers right up her cunt from behind. Titania had been reduced to m.o.a.ns at that, because even though they weren''t the real thing, the man''s digits were too good, too skilled at what they were doing for her to do anything but hump back into them, even as her sister broke under his c.o.c.k, even as Shirou f.u.c.k.i.e.d Mab into a m.o.a.ning melted mess of pleasure, utterly ruining the Ice Queen and destroying her in every way.


    When he finally c.u.ms inside of Mab, Titania feels her anticipation rising, her desire to get what she deserves welling up once more inside of her. Luckily, Shirou doesn''t keep her waiting. He pulls out of her sister, leaving Mab to lay there bent over the Stone Table, weakly mewling and squirming and writhing, but not moving. Then, he moves over to Titania, and he spins her over onto her back, grabbing her by her legs and pulling them up and away so that he can take up position between her thighs.


    Looking up into the handsome man''s face, Titania m.o.a.ns wantonly and reaches down, tearing her own dress open to expose her massive jugs and her pale body. She rips the dress away from herself so that Shirou can have both access and a view of her gorgeous, bimbo-like form. Her plump c.o.c.k-sucking lips form into an o as she coos, and when he sticks two fingers into her mouth, she sucks at them willingly, debasing and degrading herself before him in complete submission.


    She''s rewarded with his c.o.c.k a moment later, and Titania''s eyes roll back in her head instantly, the Summer Queen not even lasting a moment before she''s orgasming explosively around Shirou''s big fat juicy d.i.c.k. He fills her to the brim with his meat and then some, before pulling out to do it all over again. After waiting so long, after getting fingered to near-climax by Shirou''s digits, but never actually brought over the edge, Titania''s squeals her way through release after release, even as her noises are muffled by Shirou''s fingers in her mouth, which she continues to suck on diligently.


    Eventually he pulls said digits out from between her plump lips and brings his hands to her tits instead, letting her legs fall away and dr.a.p.e off the side of the table. He grabs hold of her b.r.e.a.s.ts near the base, squeezing the giant mammaries harshly and playing with them to his heart''s content as Titania writhes beneath him, m.o.a.ning wantonly the entire while.


    When he leans down and latches onto a teat though, she loses all semblance of control, her tongue sticking straight out of her mouth and her arms coming up to wrap around his head. But she finds she cannot hold him to one b.r.e.a.s.t for long. He''s stronger than her, and he easily moves between her n.i.p.p.l.es, letting her hold onto his hair, but that''s all she can do.


    He''s in complete control, and some part of Titania realizes that that''s probably bad, that she''s Queen now and she shouldn''t be just giving everything up for this man. But that part of the Summer Queen is stamped out quite quickly by the much larger part that just wants more of Shirou''s c.o.c.k, that just wants him to jizz inside of her like he did Mab.


    In the end, that''s exactly what the s.l.u.t of a Queen gets. Shirou c.u.ms within her, filling her w.o.m.b with his seed, and just like with Mab, Titania can feel it as his s.p.e.r.m inseminates her eggs, as he i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.es her on the spot, as he BREEDs her like some¡­ some common broodmare. Eyes rolling back in her head one last time, they don''t roll forward again as Titania lays there in a similar state to her face down sister, f.u.c.k.i.e.d into a stupor, into a pleasure coma.


    Their eyes are still open, but entirely glassy, their tongues lolled out, drool collecting on their chin, or in Mab''s case on the stone beneath her. Both of them twitch sporadically, even as Shirou''s thick, viscous seed leaks out from between their thicc thighs, their freshly f.u.c.k.i.e.d bimbo-like bodies splayed across the Stone Table.


    As for Shirou¡­


    -x-X-x-


    He pulls out of Titania with a wet sopping sound, letting out a grunt as his c.o.c.k, still hard, leaves her vice-like cunt. She''s certainly tight, but then so was her sister. Both of them are unbelievable s.e.x bombs, and if Shirou didn''t know any better, he''d certainly have compared them to the women that made up his harem in his original world and find all of those women wanting.


    But he did know better. There was a distinct difference between Sidhe and humans, as he''d quickly discovered. And just because Titania and Mab were built for s.e.x, didn''t make them better than the girls he''d spent so long loving from his previous world. It certainly didn''t make them better than Saber, who he still fully intended to find and reunite with.


    However, as he stands there having f.u.c.k.i.e.d both Faerie Queens into a stupor, he feels something strange reaching out to him. It''s the table itself, he realizes. The Stone Table, the heart of Faerie Power¡­ has a bit of a mind of its own. It''s not a complex mind, of course, no, it''s rather simple in purpose¡­ and that simple mind is offering Shirou control over both Faerie Courts, over Summer and Winter.


    Funnily enough, it wasn''t Shirou''s intention to do this. Despite what both Mab and Titania had thought of his plans, he hadn''t HAD a plan, beyond f.u.c.k.i.n.g both of the Faerie Floozies into outright pleasure comas, as he''d managed to do. In the end, he''d only dragged them over to the damn stone table because it was a surface upon which he could f.u.c.k the both of them that wasn''t on the ground.


    But now Shirou realized what he probably should have caught onto before, when he''d witnessed the tail end of their first ritual. It wasn''t a stone table, it was THE Stone Table, with all the capitalizations and emphasis that was required along with that. By plowing Titania and Mab silly atop their own place of power, by dominating them both, f.u.c.k.i.n.g them both, and then breeding them both if the sensation he was getting from the Stone Table was correct, Shirou had effectively conquered both Courts at once, and could now claim dominion over them through right of conquest.


    He hesitates now, where he hadn''t before. It wasn''t like he''d come here looking to become King or Emperor or whatever of two Faerie Courts. In the end, he was looking for Saber. He was looking for the Path to Avalon. But¡­ while both Queens had promised to help him find Arturia if he did this for them, if he pounded them silly¡­ he could tell now that while they weren''t lying (they couldn''t lie, apparently) they would certainly do everything in their combined considerable power to keep him at their sides for as long as possible.


    The Stone Table told him all of this, though not in quite so many words. It was giving him a glimpse into the minds of the two insensate Faerie Queens, defenseless as they both were after being so thoroughly f.u.c.k.i.e.d silly. Shirou couldn''t trust them to put their all into helping him¡­ not unless he took control. Not unless he took up the freshly created mantle that the Stone Table had for him.


    Letting out a low sigh, Shirou reaches out metaphysically¡­ and accepts. A swirl of power surrounds him and the two Faerie Queens, the Stone Table thrumming all the louder. And then it''s done, and Shirou knows that because he can feel a lot more than he could before. The mantle settles on his shoulders heavily, and he looks down to see both Titania and Mab staring up at him with wide, adoring eyes.


    The two Queens slide off of the table onto their knees before him and begins to lap and lick at his c.o.c.k with their tongues, cleaning him off as he watches them silently. They are still the Queens of their respective Courts, as it were. Titania is Queen of Summer, and Mab is Queen of Winter. Shirou hasn''t stripped their titles from them or altered their mantles in any truly meaningful way. Though he could now, if he wanted. He can tell he has the power to do so.


    After all, his own mantle conveys a title upon him as well. As of this moment, Shirou Emiya is the Emperor of the Sidhe, Conqueror of all Faerie-Controlled parts of the Nevernever. Titania and Mab will still have their courts, still transfer power back and forth between one another¡­ still play their parts. But they answer to him now, as do their subjects¡­ and as will their daughters, when both are finally born.


    It''s all for Saber''s sake, Shirou reminds himself. With this, he''s one step closer to finding Avalon¡­ and in the end, that''s all that matters, really.


    This mentality will result in things not changing overly much, at the end of the day. Sure, Shirou is now Emperor of the Sidhe, but he''s an absentee Emperor at best. Going forward, he only pops in every once in a while, for this or that, still hunting for Saber, still trying to track down Arturia Pendragon. Mab and Titania are left to their own devices, left to raise their daughters as they see fit.


    But of course, any time Shirou arrives in either court, the Queens of Summer and Winter drop everything in order to accommodate him. Seeing this, their daughters, Lady Maeve and Lady Aurora, both develop significant complexes towards their father. He is after all, the only man that their mothers bow to. But he''s also still very much Sidhenip. A combination that makes him extremely desirable to the two young Sidhe, as they grow into their own.


    But that''s a story for another time.


    Chapter 2


    Obviously, Shirou could not stay in the Nevernever forever. Eventually, he had to move on. This was him doing so, stepping out of the portal and finding himself in a new world. However, this time he does not find himself alone. Of course, he had theorized that he wasn''t alone when he''d first stepped through into the Nevernever, hadn''t he? It was just that the fae who had surrounded him at the time had known better than to approach as he''d made his way up the winding path towards the Stone Table.


    Still, this is definitely different then that. For one, the young man that he enters this world in front of is no fae, though Shirou still senses a certain power to him. For another, the blond boy looks despondent, heartbroken, and weary in a way Shirou is all too familiar with. Of course, the moment he lays eyes on Shirou, he''s up on his feet, hand on the sword sheathed at his side.


    "You¡­ w-who are you?!"


    Smiling kindly, Shirou bows his head in respect.


    "My name is Shirou Emiya. You may consider me a traveler. I apologize for disturbing you in your moment of grief."


    The boy, for after his stay in the Nevernever, how can Shirou see this young one as anything but a boy, stiffens for a moment at Shirou''s words, before his shoulders slump and he hangs his head.


    "That obvious, eh?"


    His smile still gentle and kind, Shirou nods once, simply, even though the boy isn''t looking at him.


    "What is your name?"


    For a moment, the blond hesitates. Then, he lets out a shaky laugh, still not looking Shirou in the eye.


    "The name''s Jaune Arc¡­ short, sweet, rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it¡­"


    It is quite obvious and would be quite obvious to anyone with two braincells to rub together, that this Jaune Arc has recently been through a tragedy. Upon giving his introduction, the boy¡­ this Jaune''s shoulders slump even further and he sits back down on the log he''d been sat on when Shirou first arrived.


    "¡­ Tell me what ails you, Jaune Arc. What tragedy has befallen you?"


    Perhaps his time in the Nevernever has changed him, just a bit. He never used to talk like this. Or perhaps it''s the Sidhe mantle that even now, Shirou still has access to, that even now rests metaphorically on his shoulders as he stands there, looking down upon the blond boy. Jaune''s head snaps up at Shirou''s perceptiveness, and for a moment he looks almost angry that the red head would even dare to ask. But that anger is quickly replaced by more despair, like the rest of his fleeting emotions have been. Letting out an explosive sigh, Jaune shakes his head, staring at the ground.


    "Where to even begin? I guess¡­ I guess it''s all my fault, really. I''m just a fake. I thought I could be a hero, you know? I thought I could make a difference. But in the end, when she needed me most, I failed her."


    Jaune couldn''t have known, of course. Shirou doesn''t sense that sort of power from this boy. Everything he can see and feel tells him that this is exactly who Jaune is. So perhaps it''s Zelretch''s fault then, some trick of the Wizard Marshall. How else would one explain the way that every single one of Jaune''s words struck so close to Shirou''s heart? Lips press tightly together as Shirou takes an unconscious step forward, his gaze sharp on Jaune''s slumped, head-down form.


    "Tell me more."


    And so Jaune does. Shirou learns quite a lot about the world he''s found himself in during that conversation. Rather than stopping Jaune to ask a new question about something Jaune has said every few moments however, Shirou simply expands his mantle''s influence over the area, stretching out his senses. This is how he finds out how prevalent the Grimm are, because the area that Shirou, King of the Fae can exert his influence over¡­ is larger than one of the human''s last remaining Kingdoms.


    This world is teeming with darkness and malevolence, and only a few bright points remain. But more than that, Jaune Arc has suffered gravely since the fall of this Hunter''s Academy, Beacon. His one true love is dead, even if Jaune himself doesn''t seem to realize what Pyrrha Nikos meant to him, or what he meant to Pyrrha Nikos. Shirou does though, his mantle telling him this, but also his own personal experiences as well. Jaune and his Invincible Woman¡­ Shirou and his King of Knights.


    They truly are quite similar, it would seem. By the time Jaune is done telling Shirou about everything that''s happened in the past few months, Shirou is ready to make an offer to the young man. Not only because his mantle is pushing him to make a deal, but also because the red head wants to. He wants to help Jaune, he wants to show Jaune that the young man can be a fake hero and still be proud.


    "I have an offer for you, Jaune Arc."


    Jaune blinks and finally looks up at Shirou, staring at him in confusion. Shirou smiles back most kindly.


    "I would like to make you a deal. Are you interested?"


    Confused but not nearly as suspicious as he should have been, by all rights, Jaune c.o.c.ks his head to the side.


    "What kind of deal?"


    Kind smile splitting into a beaming grin, Shirou offers Jaune a hand.


    "I will end the threat of the Grimm for you. I will cut straight to their source and remove it from this world entirely. In exchange, you must make me a promise, and see it through. You must become the rarest kind of hero, in this world and any other¡­ you must become a hero with a happy ending."


    Jaune just stares at Shirou''s offered hand, visibly nonplussed. His brow furrows in incredulity and he looks between it and Shirou''s face, as if waiting for the red head to suddenly turn on him, for the kind smile to fall away and be replaced by vicious malice as Shirou laughs at Jaune for daring to pour his heart out to a stranger. But Shirou is not and will never be that kind of person. Not even the Sidhe mantle can change that about him. Though to be fair, his mantle as King of the Fae hasn''t changed much of anything at all about Shirou Emiya¡­ after all, it was made from him, wholly new and completely unheard of before he''d come along.


    Regardless, a second stretches into several before Jaune finally lets out a startled, disbelieving laugh. With a devil may cry attitude that Shirou can definitely appreciate, the blond stands again and seizes Shirou''s hand in his own, producing a surprisingly strong grasp for how despondent he was mere moments before.


    "Sure, why not!"


    There''s disbelief in his voice as well, but Shirou doesn''t mind. In fact, he quite understands it. Flashing a small smirk, Shirou chuckles.


    "Good enough."


    He pumps Jaune''s hand once, twice, and then let''s go. Between one blink from the blond and the next, as Jaune opens his mouth to say something else, Shirou disappears, gone in an instant, leaving Jaune Arc all alone in the clearing he''d been wallowing in before the enigmatic red head had arrived. Staring at the spot where Shirou Emiya had been standing in confusion and surprise, Jaune can''t help but wonder if he imagined all of it.


    Spooked beyond measure, the young man moves to join the rest of Team RNJR, unaware that the destiny he had now been thrust into was one that was rather lewd, due to how Shirou had gained his mantle as Emperor of the Sidhe and King of the Fae. Truly, Jaune had no idea what was in store for him now. The touch of Shirou''s mantle upon him would follow him through the rest of his life.


    -x-X-x-


    It''s not hard, finding the source behind the Grimm. With his senses stretched far and wide across this broken husk of a world, Shirou just has to look for the biggest concentration of hatred and malice and negativity. It rests in the heart of the Grimmlands, and as he steps out of another portal, he finds himself staring up at a god''s honest stereotypical witch''s castle.


    Smiling slightly at the sight, Shirou moves forward. As he does so, his mantle showcases Jaune''s destiny in his mind''s eye. While it''s always possible that something will change in the interim, or that Jaune will buck his destiny and reject what Shirou has in store for him, the far more likely path for the young man to take is the one that Shirou is watching unfold before him, even now. There will be highs and lows along this path, but glories and tragedies alike before they''re done.


    The deaths of Qrow, of James Ironwood, and the final death of Ozpin. The glory of defeating Tyrian Callows, Hazel Rainart, and Arthur Watts. The uniting of the Maidens, under Jaune''s aegis. His friends would become the new Maidens, one by one, the members of this Team RWBY would find themselves bestowed with the power of the seasons. Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, Weiss Schnee, and Blake Belladonna.


    They would become the Maidens¡­ and they would become his. Jaune would find himself with four beautiful young women, enamored with his strength of will and conviction¡­ and also in love with his big fat c.o.c.k. There might be some hiccups along the way, but nine times out of ten, Shirou saw the four of them working out their differences and deciding that making Jaune happy was more important then their own petty jealousy for one another.


    Team RWBY would learn to share a flabbergasted Jaune Arc¡­ right before the harrowing death of Lie Ren. In the aftermath, Nora Valkyrie would be comforted of course. She would join Team RWBY in Jaune''s burgeoning harem and find happiness and love again in the blond''s arms. So would many other women, most notably an Atlesian Specialist named Winter Schnee, Weiss'' older sister. Kali Belladonna, Blake''s mother. Sienna Khan, a former leader of the White Fang thought killed by Adam Taurus but in fact held prisoner and tortured until Jaune rescues her and shows her not all humans are terrible.


    Even Raven Branwen, though that would not be quite so consensual. Jaune would break the Bandit Woman, before ultimately passing her Maiden Powers over to her daughter via a ritual. Raven would live the rest of her days as the lowest on the totem pole in Jaune''s harem, and yet, even she would be happier there then in her disgraceful existence as a self-styled Bandit Queen.


    Jaune''s tale would truly begin with a Miracle, when he and his harem managed to bring all four Relics together, only to be granted a Wish. In this case, the Wish would be legitimate, unlike in Shirou''s own tale, and Jaune would be able to use it to bring Pyrrha Nikos back to life. Their reunion would see Pyrrha rising quickly to the top of his already existing harem, with the Invincible Woman taking all of Jaune''s concubines and consorts and mistresses in stride, even as they crowned her his wife, his queen, his ever-lasting love.


    The many, many children that Jaune would have afterwards bring a smile to Shirou''s face, as does the fact that, in it''s time, Jaune''s legend would find its way to the Throne of Heroes. Unconventional as it would be, Jaune would in time be exactly what Shirou requested of him¡­ a Hero with a Happy Ending. It was beautiful, it was glorious, it was-


    "So then, you''ve finally arrived."


    The angry feminine tone breaks Shirou out of his reverie and introspection, and he blinks upon finding that he stands in the entrance way of a throne room, dying Grimm all around and behind him. The Emperor of the Sidhe blinks again, realizing that he must have been subconsciously moving forward and defending himself the entire time, cutting a swathe through the forces of Darkness arrayed before him without even realizing it.


    Making the conscious choice to step forward, Shirou enters the throne room, even as his eyes zero in on the owner of that voice from before, the woman who had spoken those five clipped words with such rage. Salem, Queen of the Grimm, sits before him upon her throne, Shirou''s mantle supplying him with all relevant information about her, even as his eyes tell him the rest.


    She''s distinctly inhuman, that''s the first thing he notices. Not like Titania and Mab were, in that they were beautiful fae, beyond the understanding of man. No, the Grimm Queen''s inhumanity is distinctly monstrous in appearance, from her starch white skin and hair, to her glowing red eyes, to the red pulsing veins across most of her body.


    That''s not to say she isn''t beautiful though. Much like Titania and Mab, Salem, Queen of the Grimm, is stacked and voluptuous in a way that draws the eye to her massive tits and her wide h.i.p.s and her no-doubt fat ass¡­ though with her currently sat upon her throne, Shirou can''t see said badonkadonk quite yet. At the same time though, there''s also what she''s wearing.


    The Grimm Queen is dressed in a skimpy, almost s.l.u.tty dress, one that does barely anything to contain her massive white b.r.e.a.s.ts, her cleavage quite expansive. She''s also wearing arm-length fingerless gloves, and thigh-high stockings. She is, without a doubt, dressed to impress, though judging by the furious look on her face, she''s not trying to impress him or anything like that.


    ¡­ Hm, did he wake her from her slumber? Was that why she was so scantily clad? Had she woken up to alarms and rushed from her bed to her throne room to be in her seat of power for his impending arrival, or something? Or was this just how she normally dressed? It mattered little, in the end. Upon noticing her appearance, Shirou''s mantle had risen up within him, desiring the Grimm Queen in a most carnal fashion.


    The Emperor of the Sidhe within him wished for Shirou to add Salem to his collection of Queens¡­ and truth be told, Shirou had absolutely no problem with that, not at all.


    "Are you not going to say anything?! You, who I have never even seen before, somehow encroach upon the heart of my lands in order to singlehandedly besiege my castle and force your way into my throne room. And you have nothing to say, intruder?!"


    It''s obvious the Queen is¡­ upset, to put it mildly. Smiling slightly, Shirou c.o.c.ks his head to the side and shrugs his shoulders, spreading his hands wide.


    "We can do this the easy way¡­ or we can do this the hard way."


    Salem''s glowing red eyes widen, and her nostrils flare in anger as she clutches at the arms of her throne for all of a moment before lunging to her feet and flinging her arms outwards. Magic swirls in the air¡­ which Shirou calmly reacts to by summoning a Noble Phantasm to dispel the effect she''s trying to create. What follows is more of the same. The Queen of the Grimm is certainly no pushover, certainly no weakling. She commands magics that, to much of the humans still living on Remnant, would be considered fantastical.


    Not to mention the Grimm. But of course, they weren''t much of a threat to Shirou on the way to her throne room. They aren''t much of a threat when Salem summons them IN her throne room to defend her either. Slowly, methodically, implacably, Shirou cuts through them and Salem''s magics. His mantle protects him, and his arsenal of Noble Phantasms, seared into his mind during a fight with a certain King of Heroes long ago, allows him to cancel out anything Salem can try.


    Eventually, they stand before each other in the middle of the throne room, Salem having steadily advanced down from the dais upon which her throne sits, and Shirou moving forward without hesitation, without stopping, until they''re merely a foot across. That''s when the Emperor of the Sidhe backhands the Queen of the Grimm across the face, sending the disobedient inhuman woman to the ground at his feet with the simple strike.


    Standing over her, staring down at her as the big-b.r.e.a.s.ted beauty stares up at him, her glowing red eyes shocked, Shirou sees the moment of realization hit her, when the Queen of Grimm finally admits to herself that she''s lost, that he''s beaten her. Seeing that in her face, Shirou nods once and then reaches down and tears off her skimpy dress, even as he spiritualizes his own clothing, exposing his impressive physique and letting his even more impressive c.o.c.k flop out, almost right onto her face.


    Instead, it grows hard and thick right before her eyes, steadily increasing in size until it casts a shadow over the pale white veiny features of the Grimm Queen. Salem''s lips part and her breath hitches as her red eyes cross just trying to take in his length. She stares at it for a moment, and then past it up at him¡­ and then, the Queen of the Grimm spreads her legs apart.


    Shirou can read her like an open book, his Sidhe mantle telling him her inner thoughts with ease. Right now, the Grimm Queen is happy to pretend to submit. For her, it''s been quite a long time¡­ and besides, she''s convinced that she can kill him in his sleep, once he''s tuckered himself out while using her body. Smiling slightly, Shirou doesn''t disabuse the white-haired Grimm Queen of this notion, instead reaching down to grab a fistful of her bone-white locks and pull her up onto her knees so that she truly is properly at crotch level.


    With his other hand, Shirou slaps his c.o.c.k down onto the Queen of the Grimm''s face. He''s a good man, a kind man, a loving and adoring man¡­ but when confronted with evil and malice, Shirou can be quite hard indeed. On top of that, his mantle marks him as a conqueror after what he''d done to Titania and Mab at the Stone Table. As such, it is in his purview to conquer Salem, Queen of the Grimm, after he has already defeated her and her armies in battle.


    Placing his c.o.c.khead against her lips, Shirou speaks a single word command.


    "Suck."


    Glowing red eyes stare up at him, even as Salem opens her mouth wide and lets him feed his member past her lips and down her throat. Shirou grunts at the tightness, even as he feels the slightest grazing of teeth across his length, the Grimm Queen testing his durability. Unfortunately for her, the Emperor of the Sidhe was not born yesterday. He''s already reinforced his body a thousand-fold, and his c.o.c.k is no different, even as it slides down the back of her throat, choking her most assuredly.


    Implacable as ever, Shirou begins to f.u.c.k the Queen of the Grimm''s face, thrusting into the monstrous inhuman woman''s esophagus with all his might.


    "Gagkh! Gagkh! Gagkh!"


    Salem was the root of all of the evil in this world. This was what his mantle told him. She was the source behind the Grimm. If he removed her from the picture, the Grimm would go away, and no more would be spawned. It was all Salem, it had always been Salem, and now Shirou was here to put an end to it. As he forces his length down the voluptuous Grimm Queen''s throat, he watches her red eyes water, sees how drool collects on her chin as she chokes and gags and gurgles around his c.o.c.k. Her massive rack, n.a.k.e.d and exposed, heaves and jiggles and bounces with the force of his thrusts.


    And yet, she''s all too eager to submit to him, or at least appear to submit to him. Her plan to slay him in his sleep is still simmering in the back of her mind, even as he skull f.u.c.ks her harder and faster by the moment. But that''s alright, because Shirou is far from done with her. With a somewhat vicious grunt, spurred on by his mantle and his desire to see Salem pay for her crimes against humanity, Shirou begins to c.u.m.


    Salem''s red eyes widen again at this, even as her pale white cheeks immediately puff out from the sudden load, they find themselves with. She tries to hold it in, but in the end his load proves to be too much for the Queen of the Grimm, and she chokes on it as his seed explodes out of her nostrils and the sides of her mouth, leaving her looking quite ridiculous. When he finally pulls back, her glowing red eyes look a bit dazed for the first time, and unconsciously, Salem ends up lolling out her tongue and showing off a mouth full of his c.u.m, in a truly s.l.u.tty fashion for all of a moment before he''s grabbing her by the hair again and causing her to yelp in pain.


    Shirou has already decided how he''s going to break the busty, buxom woman. Spinning her around, the Emperor of the Sidhe yanks Salem to her feet at the same time, and then lifts her up off the ground entirely. She yelps again at this, clearly not expecting him to just¡­ pick her up all of the sudden. Nor is she expecting him to put her into a sudden full nelson, Shirou''s powerful muscular arms sliding up under Salem''s legs and his hands coming up behind her head as his fingers lace together there.


    He''s holding her fat ass and juicy wet cunt right over his massive, spit-polished c.o.c.k, which even now is throbbing with need. Salem is just barely able to look down and see this over the swell of her fat tits and her folded up body, and as she stares down at his c.o.c.k, Shirou doesn''t need to see her face to be able to seen the tremor of trepidation AND anticipation that goes through her at the sight.


    He waits until the anticipation gets to be too much for her, he waits until he can feel that she''s opened her mouth and is about to say something¡­ and then he drops her down, impaling her upon his c.o.c.k right then and there. Whatever Salem might have said, whatever the Grimm Queen might have wanted to express towards her conqueror, it''s lost in translation as a low keening wail takes its place instead.


    It really has been far too long for Salem, Shirou can feel this, both physically and metaphysically. Her insides are extremely tight, far tighter than a woman this exceptionally hot has any right to be. He''s a little surprised that she never made use of any of her male servants, given that he knows she has several, but at the end of the day, Shirou supposes that she was worried about losing her control over them, if she offered them her body.


    As it is, what she believes will happen, and what is actually happening, are rapidly diverging now as Shirou begins to bounce her up and down on his c.o.c.k right there in the middle of the throne room, f.u.c.k.i.n.g her while standing in a full nelson that leaves her helpless and trapped, unable to do anything but take it as he plows her silly. Well, she''s able to do one thing¡­ m.o.a.n helplessly and jibber on uselessly.


    "O-Oh f.u.c.k¡­ f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f-f.u.c.k!!!"


    Shirou grins smugly as Salem shudders her way through her first, but certainly not her last, orgasm. Her entire body, voluptuous and meaty as it is, shakes and quivers and trembles as she c.u.ms on his c.o.c.k, her p.u.s.s.y walls clenching down all the tighter around his member, even as her insides get slicker from the flood of cunt juices that flow down his length.


    "Y-You''re so big¡­ so thick¡­ so hot! T-Take it out! Take it out right now!"


    Suddenly, there''s actual panic in the Grimm Queen''s voice. Suddenly, she''s trying to struggle. Completely ineffectually, of course, but it''s still there, even as her pleasure builds within her once more and she reaches yet another reluctant orgasm. But then, Salem is royalty. She knows what it means to conquer, she knows what it means to break the spirits of her enemies, to see them driven before her, weak, helpless, and begging.


    Perhaps she''s finally realizing that Shirou has a real chance of actually breaking her, here and now. Perhaps, more than that, she realizes he''s already well on his way to doing so. Shirou, of course, knows exactly what''s happening. His mantle is interacting with her as he f.u.c.ks her, and as Emperor of the Sidhe, by right of conquest, he is claiming her as his own. Much like Titania and Mab, Salem, Queen of the Grimm, is defenseless to resist his overwhelming manhood and the force with which he''s using it to plow her. Much like the Queens of Summer and Winter, she can''t stop herself from c.u.m.m.i.n.g on his c.o.c.k again and again. Unlike the two of them, she actually tries, but in the end its utterly useless.


    Soon, her tune begins to change.


    "S-So good, so gooood~ Oh gods, oh gods, f-f.u.c.k! Don''t you dare stop f.u.c.k.i.n.g me, don''t you dare stop you bastard!"


    Snorting at that, Shirou grabs Salem by her white hair again, holding it tightly as he yanks her head back, all while continuing to f.u.c.k her in the full nelson.


    "I am the Emperor of the Sidhe and King of the Fae, Shirou Emiya. You would do well to remember that, Salem, Queen of the Grimm. I claim you and your armies by right of conquest. I declare an end to the stranglehold you have over the world of Remnant. I declare an end to the Grimm, and to your rule. You are mine now, and you will always be mine."


    His words hit Salem like cinderblock bricks, slamming into her psyche again and again as he intones each and every one, putting the full might of his rather lewd mantle behind his monologue. Her glowing red eyes roll around madly and her lips form into a small o as she m.o.a.ns her agreement, hissing out in the affirmative.


    "Y-Yessss¡­ you''re right¡­ you''re right! You''ve conquered me, your majesty! O Emperor, take me! Claim me! I am yours! I am your woman, to do with as you please! My armies and my lands are also yours, to do with as you please! Just don''t stop F.U.C.K.I.N.G me!"


    Shirou snorts at that, even as he thrusts up into her time and time again from below.


    "You are in no position to make demands, Queen of the Grimm."


    Even still, he does keep f.u.c.k.i.n.g her. He even f.u.c.ks her harder, until her eyes roll fully back in her head and her tongue lolls out of her mouth. The Grimm Queen ahegaos right then and there on his c.o.c.k, and it''s in that moment that Shirou can feel it¡­ she''s well and truly broken. With a grunt, he begins to c.u.m inside of her, not hesitating for even a moment to fill her with his seed, despite knowing the effect that his Sidhe mantle will have.


    As part of his claiming of Titania and Mab, he''d knocked both of them up quite soundly. As a result of this, his mantle as Emperor of the Sidhe is not only quite lewd in nature, but also extremely virile. There isn''t a woman in all of existence that Shirou can''t make fertile, even if she''s barren, and when it comes to pregnancy¡­


    Shirou finishes up inside of Salem, filling her with his seed, which has already taken root, her belly swelling to epic proportions. Rather than nine months like most humans, the Queen of the Grimm will give birth within a week, and her distended belly shows this even as Shirou sets her down on wobbly legs. Still wearing her stockings and her arm-length gloves, the heavily pregnant Grimm Queen rests a hand on her pregnant belly, even as her absurdly fat tits begin to leak milk, lactating freely.


    Looking to him with a doting, adoring smile on her face, the broken pregnant woman licks her lips salaciously.


    "Where to now, my Emperor? What is your will?"


    Shirou just smiles and offers her his hand. Sure, Salem was evil¡­ key word there being ''was''. The Emperor of the Sidhe wouldn''t go so far as to say he''d purified the inhuman woman or anything like that, but he''d certainly changed her priorities. She was his now by right of conquest, as well as pregnant with his child. But unlike his other women, unlike the Fae Queens he''d conquered and bred, Salem can not be allowed to remain here in her domain. Titania and Mab struck a balance in their world that had to be kept, but Salem struck no such balance. She was a cancer upon the world of Remnant, a virulent plague that had very nearly wiped out all life on this world.


    It was Shirou''s duty to excise her from this place, even if he hadn''t made that deal with Jaune. But because of the deal, his path forward was undeniably easier. In the end, Shirou takes the pregnant, n.a.k.e.d Queen of the Grimm by the hand and pulls her along with him as he leaves her home reality behind.


    In his wake, he leaves behind a world that will be reeling for some time to come. Salem''s disappearance will leave her subordinates scrambling, certainly, but no less dangerous to the Human Kingdoms. Those who will die are still fated to die, while Jaune and the girls that will one day become his harem are still very much fated to end up together.


    Jaune will be Remnant''s Hero, in the end, uniting the Kingdoms as he''ll unite the Maidens, and leading his world into a brighter future. Nobody will ever know about Shirou''s interference save for those closest to Jaune, who he will tell about the strange red-haired man after they storm Salem''s castle only to find it empty. Even they won''t fully understand what happened. Neither will Jaune. But in the end, they will be happy. And that''s all that matters.


    Chapter 3


    He realized he was in a rut long before he actually did anything about it. But then, to be fair, he''d given himself responsibilities in the two places he''d first visited. He wasn''t an absentee father by any means, which meant frequent visits to Mab and Titania, and the daughters that they''d both born for him. As Emperor of the Sidhe, Shirou was definitely an absentee ruler, but his presence was nevertheless felt through the Queens of Winter and Summer¡­ and their frequent pregnancies, as every time he visited it was almost certain that he would breed both Mab and Titania again.


    Meanwhile, Salem''s first rapid pregnancy had led to a daughter that had her thanking Shirou with tears of pure and utter joy streaming down her face. She''d then begged him for another, which he had of course given her, quite happy to do so. This is how Shirou exists for decades, taking care of his children, breeding the three Queens that he''s managed to mind break into his loyal, loving c.o.c.k-s.l.u.ts, and wandering a bit in the interim.


    But he''s not really looking, is the problem. Oh sure, he might take a trip or two, but it''s completely at a whim. It''s not by fate, like the trips to the Nevernever and the Grimmlands were. Those, he felt drawn to, those he was guided to. He hadn''t felt anything like that in a while though¡­ or rather, he hadn''t allowed himself to feel anything like that in a while.


    He''d let himself get distracted, hadn''t he? He''d allowed himself to get drawn into the responsibilities of being a father. And if he didn''t do something about it, he would continue to be distracted for not just decades, but likely centuries. After all, due to the insistence of his three S.l.u.t-Queens, they were almost always pregnant with fresh children from him. But now the eldest were a.d.u.l.ts in their own right, and Shirou knew that if he let it happen, they would draw him into an i.n.c.e.s.tuous cycle that would never ever end.


    Not that he would necessarily mind that sort of thing, but Artoria was waiting for him. He couldn''t possibly abandon the search now. Which meant he likely had to move on¡­ or rather, focus up again. He would still never ever be an absentee father¡­ but it was time to let fate guide his hand once more and see where that led him.


    It doesn''t take long for rumors to reach Shirou''s ears, once he actually begins to actively search again. He finds himself entering into a singularity that''s spawned off of a version of his own home dimension. The singularity is trying so very hard to become the one true history, and as Shirou wanders through it, he finds himself wondering if the people within it don''t deserve a chance at life once more.


    But then he hears word of a Holy City and a Lion King, and he decides to seek that out as well. He expects to find Richard the Lionheart, truth be told. It all sounds like it adds up to him, it all makes sense based on what he knows. But when he arrives in front of a Holy City to find it''s King on horseback outside of the gates, it''s not Richard the Lionheart. And truth be told¡­ it''s not a King at all.


    Trumpets sound, and an announcer screams the titles and epithets of the Holy City''s ruler. The only one that truly sticks for Shirou is the declaration of godhood. The goddess Rhongomyniad, she is labeled. And she is¡­ beautiful. Dressed in regal, shimmering armor as well as blue regalia, with a knight''s helm atop her head, she looks down upon him with what he can only assume are assessing eyes from atop her steed. Even as, at the same time, she sits in front of all of her forces, the armies of the city and of her arrayed before him.


    Shirou grins, just a little bit, and spreads his arms wide, palms open.


    "All this¡­ for me?"


    Even as he downplays himself, he can''t help but feel like this Rhongomyniad is familiar. She''s a voluptuous, curvaceous woman, just like the three Queens he''s broken and bred so far. Is this just another to be added to the pile? The armored goddess holds a spear in her hands, a glorious looking weapon to be sure. Shirou refrains from analyzing it quite yet, enjoying the mystery, at least for the moment.


    "Your power could be felt from far away, Outsider. Tell me, what would you have with me and my Kingdom?"


    Chuckling in a self-deprecating manner, Shirou just shakes his head.


    "I''m just visiting. I don''t have any designs on you or your city."


    Perhaps that''s not entirely true, he''s not sure yet. And perhaps this goddess, this Rhongomyniad can sense that uncertainty and thread of dishonesty in his voice because she dismounts from her horse and stamps the butt of her spear into the ground.


    "A challenge! We will fight, and we will see if you are worthy of entering this holy city!"


    There''s a rustling from the soldiers behind her, and Shirou can feel the tension but also the excitement in the air. This goddess commands the absolute loyalty and adoration of her men, that much is certain. On the one hand, they are afraid for her. On the other, they would never dare disobey her¡­ and each and every one of them is excited to see her fight, to see her win¡­ to see her put him in his place.


    Chuckling a little, Shirou rolls his shoulders in a bit of a half shrug.


    "Very well, but I should warn you¡­ I''m no longer entirely human."


    The goddess merely c.o.c.ks her helmeted head to the side at that, and twirls around her gorgeous spear, the light flashing off of it as she comes to a stop in a fighting stance with the spear aimed at his chest.


    "Then you will be a good match for a goddess."


    With that, the battle is joined. Almost as quickly as it begins though, it comes to a swift end. Ultimately, Shirou has no desire to have some drawn out fight with this Goddess Knight or whatever she is. In the end, all he wants is to know who she is and why she''s so familiar to him. He wants to know who he''s fighting¡­ so he goes for a quick strike with a manifested sword to slice her helmet right off of her head in a rapid motion.


    Of course, upon seeing the face of his beloved Artoria hidden beneath the goddess Rhongomyniad''s helm, Shirou freezes up. Rhongomyniad strikes him in turn, unable to halt her motion. Her spear strikes him in a way close to how he was struck by Berserker, so long ago. But of course, he''s no longer human. It does no damage to Shirou, even as he reaches out and caresses Artoria''s face. For a moment, the goddess Rhongomyniad is stunned, flinching at the soft, gentle touch. And yet, she does not draw back¡­ instead, she leans into it.


    "Artoria¡­ I submit. I could never harm you."


    Eyes flash with knowledge and realization, and to Shirou''s sheer delight, memory. The goddess'' eyes widen as she pulls her spear back, not that it''d done any damage in the first place.


    "Shirou Emiya¡­"


    The reunion scene isn''t quite as tearful as it could be, only because it''s obvious that Rhongomyniad''s emotions aren''t that strong any longer. And yet, she does look apologetic and regretful.


    "I¡­ I''m sorry I did not wait for you."


    Shirou just laughs at that.


    "Who would you be if you had? You aren''t the kind of woman to sit on your thumbs and wait. I never stopped searching though."


    That''s all Artoria needs, the goddess lancing forward and kissing him, her massive b.r.e.a.s.ts pressing up against Shirou''s chest as the two of them embrace lovingly. Needless to say, Shirou can feel the jealousy and killing intent radiating off of the armies behind his beloved as they watch their goddess makeout with him. He might not be human anymore¡­ but he still can''t resist flipping them off over her shoulder, even as he kisses his lover for all he''s worth.


    Things quickly move from the front of the holy city to Artoria''s castle. More specifically, her bedroom. In mere moments, the goddess Rhongomyniad is stripped awake along with her armor, her regalia, her crown. All that''s left is Artoria Pendragon in the buff, n.a.k.e.d and nude and voluptuous and curvaceous in the extreme. She takes him by his hands and leads him to her bed, laying back and allowing him to crawl over her. She spreads her legs for him and cries out softly as his c.o.c.k pierces her, penetrating her deeply.


    What follows is not f.u.c.k.i.n.g but lovemaking. The two of them have passionate but gentle s.e.x, embracing one another, kissing one another, holding each other as they both try desperately to make up for lost time by losing themselves in the other. Shirou''s c.o.c.k slides in and out of Artoria''s slit as he takes her, spreading her wide but never truly forcing its way in. He''s slow with her, savoring her, enjoying every bit of her gorgeous body beneath his as she in turn wraps herself around him and m.o.a.ns into his mouth, all the way to their eventual mutual completion.


    Of course, in the afterglow of their lovemaking, as the sensation of nirvana fades away and they both have time to think, they come to a realization in the same moment. It''s¡­ a sad one, but not enough to make them fully pull away from each other or anything like that. Shirou does draw back a bit though, still cuddling with Artoria but now far enough away to look her in her eyes, even as she smiles sadly at him and caresses his cheek with a palm.


    "You''re¡­ not my Artoria."


    The goddess Rhongomyniad shakes her head.


    "And you''re not my Shirou."


    Shirou''s lips turn downwards into a frown. How cruel was fate, that it had pulled him here only to tease him? Why would it show him this version of his beloved, rather than letting him find his actual Artoria? It hurt¡­ it hurt so badly. As if able to sense his despair, as if able to feel his sadness, Rhongomyniad opens her mouth to offer some sort of platitudes, though what words she could offer that would help, Shirou couldn''t possibly begin to guess at. And they would never know either, because just as she''s starting to say something, the entire castle shakes and rocks with an explosion of force.


    Both of them are up and out of the bed in an instant, the goddess'' armor flowing onto her body immediately, even as Shirou frowns, focusing on manifesting his own clothing. Rhongomyniad doesn''t look surprised, even as the helm closes over her determined face and she grasps her spear tightly in one hand.


    "What is it? What''s happening?"


    Turning her helmeted gaze in his direction, the warrior goddess snarls.


    "They''re here to destroy us. To destroy our world. I must go and fight."


    As she leaves the bedroom, as she leaves him, Shirou realizes why exactly he''s here. He''d almost forgotten, in his happiness over finding what he thought to be his Artoria, and then his despair upon realizing it wasn''t her. This was not a real world. It was a singularity branching off of an alternate dimension of his home, and whatever was causing it was likely causing untold stress on the actual ''real'' world.


    And yet, just as he''d been thinking before he''d even arrived at this city''s gates, why did the people in this singularity not deserve to live? Why did Rhongomyniad not deserve a chance at happiness, a chance of finding her Shirou? An expression of resolve and determination spreads across his face as well, as he finally realizes exactly why fate brought him to this place.


    With but a moment''s thought, Shirou joins the battle. He''s momentarily shocked at what he sees, a vast array of Servants destroying the armies of the holy city and fighting their way through to the castle itself where Rhongomyniad is doing her level best to hold them off. But drawing on his abilities, Shirou is able to give himself the knowledge to understand what''s going on here swiftly enough.


    Chaldea. That is the name of this organization hellbent on destroying this alternate version of his beloved''s home. They''re tasked with closing all of the singularities, not just this one, and in doing so they destroy everyone inside of those singularities as a simple side effect. But they don''t care, because they''re fighting for their own world, for their own human race.


    Unfortunately for all of them, Shirou has already made his choice. The last thing he notes before he moves is that Archer stands among the summoned Servants of Chaldea. Because he sees this, Archer is one of the only three left standing by the time Shirou is done. Everyone else¡­ dies. Though given that they''re all summoned Servants, can it really be called death? They''re certainly removed from the battlefield though, vanishing into motes of light as he sends all of them back to the Throne of Heroes where they belong.


    By the time Shirou is done, only three people are still standing. He''s left Archer for last¡­ but also, to his mild surprise, the Chaldea Master still lives as well, shielded by their constant companion, a strange demiservant known as Shielder. Seeing as how Rhongomyniad is advancing upon them, it seems clear to Shirou that neither the demiservant nor her Master is long for this world, so he ignores them and turns his attention solely onto Archer.


    The white-haired Servant is staring at him with wide eyes, his red trench coat hiding the bloodstains as he grits his teeth.


    "You¡­"


    Shirou just smiles a pitying smile at the other man, at the other version of himself.


    "Me."


    "H-How? How can you be here? How can you be with h-her?"


    Shirou looks over to Rhongomyniad and hums, enjoying her beauty as she eviscerates those that would destroy her world.


    "I''m not. Not truly. She''s¡­ not the right one."


    He turns back to Archer at that and his smile becomes sharper.


    "But I''m still looking. And I won''t ever stop, you can trust me on that. I won''t ever become like you."


    Those words are all Archer needs to hear, the white-haired man collapsing to his knees and hanging his head in silent acceptance of his death. Shirou decapitates him without another word, ending his life quickly out of respect for what Archer once was, NOT what he''d become. He was a man who''d given up¡­ who''d let himself be trapped. Shirou could guaranteed that he would never be like him.


    As he''s turning away from Archer''s corpse, Rhongomyniad collides with him. Her helmet is removed as she kisses him heatedly, and the two are much more aggressive this time, amidst the blood-filled battlefield, each of them filled with l.u.s.t and desire. They tear at each other''s clothes and armor, ripping it off of each other until they''re both n.a.k.e.d. As the beautiful, voluptuous goddess clings to him heatedly, she looks at him with Artoria''s eyes and Artoria''s face, but not Artoria''s body, licking her lips heatedly.


    "Breed me¡­ I want you to breed me right here, on this battlefield. Take me, my King¡­ take me and give me the child my Shirou cannot!"


    In the end, how can he possibly deny such a heartfelt request? With a growl, Shirou grabs Rhongomyniad by her hair and pulls her in to a much rougher, deeper kiss than before. His tongue wrestles her tongue into submission, even as his free hand goes to her backside, grabbing and squeezing her ass. He hikes one of her legs up the side of his body and then slams his c.o.c.k into her while they stand there in the middle of the battlefield, ramming into her quim with much more force than before.


    There''s nothing gentle or slow about the way he f.u.c.ks her now. The two of them are much too aroused, much too filled with aggression and bloodl.u.s.t to care about romance or lovemaking at this point. They''ve just survived a battle for the fate of this world, after all, they''ve just taken on all comers and destroyed them all. The goddess Rhongomyniad herself has ended Chaldea''s mission with Shirou''s help, dooming the alternate version of his home dimension¡­ but saving this world that she resides in, saving her people and her kingdom.


    They celebrate there, amidst the carnage. Shirou f.u.c.ks Rhongomyniad standing up and eventually fills this voluptuous, more curvaceous form of Artoria Pendragon with another thick load of his c.u.m. He pumps it into her for several long moments¡­ and then pulls out and drags the beautiful goddess down to the ground, flipping her onto her front and pulling her up onto her hands and knees.


    He takes her like that, d.o.g.g.ystyle, slamming into her from behind again and again as his hands grab and grope at her buttocks before sliding up and around to her tits. He molds his body to her own, reveling in the lioness'' curvaceous form as he f.u.c.ks her and rails her from behind with all his might, making use of this version of Artoria Pendragon as roughly and as fast and as brutally as he can.


    She loves every moment of it, of course, even as Shirou complies with her request to be bred several times over. They f.u.c.k all across the battlefield, uncaring of the blood and carnage and dirt that they end up covering themselves in. At least, at first. When the adrenaline and rage and bloodl.u.s.t fades away, they do realize how filthy they are, and they move things inside.


    Up until that point, the remainder of the holy city''s armies have been watching their goddess and their savior go at it, and while plenty of the male soldiers had seethed, in the end it was regarded as a most holy event¡­ one that led to a city wide orgy and a bit of a change in the tenets of the church as they adapted to watching their goddess be defiled and ruined and f.u.c.k.i.e.d silly on a battlefield by the man who''d wiped out ninety percent of the invading forces. Invading forces that had been slaughtering them wholesale, before he''d intervened.


    Regardless, Shirou and Rhongomyniad move their s.e.x.u.a.l activities to the royal baths, where Shirou f.u.c.ks her bent over the edge of the bathtub, where he bounces her in his lap, where the two of them clean each other off and wash each other''s backs before getting right back to the process of baby making. Shirou doesn''t stop any time soon either, he doesn''t hesitate to make sure that his task is complete.


    As a result, they f.u.c.k for literal days, the goddess and her savior boinking like rabbits nonstop, and not just in the royal baths or in the royal bedchambers, but all across the castle itself, much to the enjoyment of the servants who watch their goddess happily take Shirou''s big fat c.o.c.k time and time again into her clenching, flexing p.u.s.s.y, who watch as Shirou fills their liege up to the brim with his seed, until she looks pregnant, even if she isn''t yet.


    But eventually, she most definitely is. There''s no denying it, they can both feel the moment that life takes within her w.o.m.b, the moment that Rhongomyniad becomes pregnant with Shirou''s child. They keep f.u.c.k.i.n.g for at least another day to be sure, of course, but slowly but surely they wind down, until they end up in her bed once more, cuddling each other close, holding one another, even as the holy city finishes putting itself back together and clearing away the bodies and carnage and debris from the ill-fated attack by Chaldea.


    "¡­ I suppose you''ll be leaving soon. To keep searching for her."


    One hand caresses his cheek, while the other caresses her own belly, right above her w.o.m.b as the voluptuous goddess gives him a soft, understanding smile. Placing his own hands atop hers, Shirou looks back into her eyes¡­ and shakes his head.


    "No, I''m not going anywhere."


    His denial surprised Rhongomyniad something fierce, causing the gorgeous lion goddess to pull back briefly and blink at him in confusion.


    "I''m staying here, for your lifetime. I''m going to make sure that this place, this world¡­ it becomes the real world."


    He can see in her eyes, even as she blinks again, that she knows. She knows she''s living in a singularity; she knows that this entire world is somewhat false. And yet, just because they''re in a singularity doesn''t mean the people here have any less right to live. Just because they''re encroaching on another world''s reality completely against their will doesn''t mean they should have to be the ones to die. Just like Shirou had decided, Rhongomyniad had decided long ago that she would continue to fight for her people, regardless of the falseness of her world.


    That kind of strength¡­ it makes Shirou very happy. When she lunges forward and kisses him, he kisses her as well right back, the two of them holding each other tightly as they lock lips and cuddle with one another, basking in the afterglow of their days-long f.u.c.k fest marathon. This is where Shirou belongs, for the time being. This is why fate brought him here. And now that he''s made his choice, it''s his responsibility to see it through. It''s what Artoria, HIS Artoria, would have wanted of him, in the end.


    -x-X-x-


    Ten years later, and they''ve succeeded. Up high on a balcony overlooking the castle gardens, Shirou bounces his Queen up and down on his c.o.c.k, Rhongomyniad m.o.a.ning wantonly as she rides him, his hands wrapped around to rest on her gravid belly and her own hands resting atop his. Down below in the garden, completely unaware that their mother and father are f.u.c.k.i.n.g up above them, Shirou and the lioness'' six children play with one another, making merry and laughing and simply existing, above all else.


    That last bit is definitely the most important. Without Shirou''s decision, would this place still exist? No, without a doubt Chaldea and the Chaldean Master would have overwhelmed Rhongomyniad that day, ten years previous. They would have destroyed her armies and likely destroyed her as well, and then they would have destroyed the singularity that it all existed in, ending the lives of every person living within this world in the process.


    But now, the singularity that Rhongomyniad and her holy city existed within¡­ it had become reality. It wasn''t an easy task by any stretch of the imagination, and there were certainly moments where it was very touch and go. But Shirou had been at the goddess'' side every step of the way, and ultimately, they''d done it. This singularity they were in had overtaken what was and beaten out every other singularity, consuming them all until it had become locked in as the new reality, the new history, so to speak.


    If not for Shirou''s actions, their six children would not be down in the garden, playing with one another. And Rhongomyniad would not be pregnant with their seventh, or riding his c.o.c.k to kingdom c.u.m. As she m.o.a.ns her way through another orgasm, the voluptuous, extremely full-bellied Queen leans back along Shirou''s chest and dr.a.p.es herself across his shoulder, turning her head so that she''s facing him and leaning in to kiss him as he kisses her back. When they pull apart, Shirou gives her a smile, which she happily returns.


    "When this child is born¡­ will you give me another?"


    Shirou chuckles and inclines his head in acceptance of the request.


    "I will. And another after that. I promise, my love, I will breed you again and again and again for the rest of your life."


    Rhongomyniad shudders in bliss at that and kisses him deeply before pulling back once more.


    "I love you, my King¡­"


    "And I love you, my Queen."


    He c.u.ms a few moments later, causing the overly pregnant lioness to ahegao beautifully on his c.o.c.k, her eyes rolling back in her head and her tongue lolling out of her mouth. Both of them know that with him there, her life is complete.


    -x-X-x-


    Looking forward, Shirou can see what form the future will take, at this rate. A few centuries down the line, Mab and Titania would compete to draw in the same wizard to become a knight of their respective courts. He''s foreseen it. But¡­ if that wizard were to become Shirou''s Knight instead, the resulting legend would create an S-Rank Grand Caster.


    Meanwhile, Jaune Arc would make an excellent Saber, while Rhongomyniad would be a perfect Lancer. That was three out of seven right there¡­


    The Grail was meant to drill a hole into Akasha. Who said that it couldn''t drill one somewhere else instead? A slow smile spreads across Shirou''s face as he finally begins to understand the plan that fate is lying out for him. All he has to do is continue to follow the path in front of him, and he''ll have what he wants, one way or another.

 Chapter 238 - My SI Stash #38 - Summoned by Sereo (HighschoolOfTheDead)

    -Imma have to put this one up since this guy is one of the few that''s keeping HOTD fictions alive, and for an author with dyslexia he''s doing alright with his SI in HOTD!


    Sypnosis: OC that has seen the anime and is thrown into the HOTD world.


    Rated: T


    Words: 153K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13393132/1/Summoned (Sereo)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Yet another sunny day


    Then again most days are sunny here in Japan.


    It has been about 3 weeks since I ''arrived'' here, and I still had a hard time coming to terms with it to be honest.


    Right now I was sitting at my desk, that was located at the back corner of the class


    And while the class was still in session


    I was just staring outside, towards the school''s gate


    I have always been fascinated by this country.


    I grew up watching animated shows that originated from here, and it didn''t take long before I started playing video games, I''ve actually lost track of how many hours I spent on both. Hell, even my initial understanding of Japanese came from these methods of entertainment, and let me tell you...right now,it all feels...like total...bullshit


    While I was in my own world, the sound of the bells echoes throughout the school signaling the end of the session


    I snap out of my inner thoughts and get ready to pick up my stuff only to see the teacher gesturing me to go to him.


    (...ughh...good job me, that''s what you get for staring outside like an idiot in plain sight. )


    "Naier Sepfier?" the middle-aged man had a permanent frown on his face, his eyes pretty much telling me, i would rather be at my local cafe playing mahjong, rather than waste my time on your sorry ass.


    "Yes, sir" I answer


    "I know you came here as an exchange student, but it has been three weeks, I would prefer if you actually paid some attention to the classes you are supposed to be present at Sepfier."


    he practically drilled holes into me now, I guess to him, not paying attention equals to me not respecting him, not that I''m surprised though, teachers can be like that.


    "Yes, of course. I am sorry, it will not happen again" I answer once more, trying to sound as honest as I can


    "...Good, you may go now" seemingly appeased with my answer, the teacher returns to his papers and signals me with his hand to leave


    I pick my stuff from the desk and head outside


    (While I really didn''t give much of a damn about the ramblings of the middle-aged man, it''s not because I have something against him. It was because soon, none of this crap would really matter...)


    I close the class door behind me and start heading towards the school gym.


    (This break should last about 40 minutes...it should give me enough time)


    looking at my watch I nod to myself and start heading towards the stairs.


    (For the last month since arriving to... let''s just call it Japan for now.


    I have been pushing myself non stop. From physical training like running, sprinting, parkour and endurance tests, to looking up guides on how to use tools and weapons.


    Hell, I even took classes in armed self-defense and went to the gun range, multiple times a day too.


    Also, as I am still a high-schooler, aka under-aged, meaning I had to go the extra mile to get permission to be allowed to even enter the gun range.


    All of that, because...I was scared shitless...still am if you think about it.


    As one might expect these things cost, and they cost a lot.


    While not official yet, I was actually in pretty heavy debt, I had already locked the credit card that was given to me, and also sold everything inside my house in order to...finance my madness.


    My bet was, that soon this debt will no longer matter... or, well, I just dug myself in a pretty deep f.u.c.k.i.n.g hole)


    While walking down the stairs my thoughts got interrupted again as I saw another school kid leaning against the railing, his face having the words *dejection* written all over it.


    (And then, there''s this guy, same spot, since the first day i arrived, with the same depressed attitude.


    Truth be told though, I had a couple of reasons to cringe, seeing that guy.


    The first one being, that for all his depression, this guy is actually what you might call ''The very f.u.c.k.i.n.g lucky one'' and now that I was here in the flesh, I was actually pretty jealous of him.


    The second reason though, oh the second reason made my stomach tie up till I wanted to throw up, the reason was simple really.


    I knew the guy, without actually knowing him and not in a stalker kind fashion, I don''t swing that way, no thanks.


    That was Takashi Komuro and his existence here verified that things will go bad...very...VERY bad.


    It also verified that normally i should NOT be here)


    I slowly walk up to the Takashi after descending the stairs


    (i was never good with socializing...but...well...f.u.c.k it...time to creep out the dejected dude, this needs to happen)


    "Excuse me?"


    (I am far more nervous than I''d thought I''d be, am I really that bad at striking up conversations with strangers?)


    Takashi seems to react to my voice and turns his head to me, one eyebrow raised in question, staring at my face with an odd expression.


    "What...who are you?" He asks


    "Naier Sepfier, i am a transfer student.


    Look , I didn''t mean to bother you, but ever since I arrived here I keep seeing you on the same spot every day, with a dejected look on your face...you ok?"


    i fold my arms while finishing my sentence (yu-ok? Really? Is that the best I could come up with?)


    The guy just...stares at me...i don''t know if he is surprised or just plain annoyed


    "...i been better...why do you care though?"


    He turns his back to me and stares outside


    "... The only answer I got is, just as I mentioned. Always seeing you here looking like you are about to jump off"


    (Well shit, I can''t tell him, Hur Dur, I know stuff, plus he doesn''t seem to be in a talking mood anyway)


    "huhhh...well, my bad, didn''t mean to bother you...i will get out of your space...just don''t go off doing something stupid all right, no shit mode last forever."


    I rase both my arms as i turn around


    (Yea...stuff can always get worse, much...much worse...for the rest of the world at least)


    I start walking away from Takashi


    The only thing i heard from him, was a sigh.


    I leave Takashi to his vices and head down towards my initial location, the gym.


    And a couple of minutes later i was there, with the only person in there, being me.


    (No surprise, that is why I decided to come here in the first place, most people are probably eating or relaxing right now...well whatever, got my spare shirt in my bag so...it is time to run some laps.)


    And with that i start a jog, running around the gyms track


    As I keep running around the gym track, I tried to empty my mind so I could focus...


    Yet all it took for my focus to get messed up, was for me to look up and see the school''s banner


    (Fujimi Academy...)


    "Why the hell am I even here" I curse under my breath.


    That''s all it took for my mind to start wandering again.


    I stop running, massaging my head with one hand.


    "I need to collect my thoughts here...I am running short on time...and I need to make the best of it while I can...focus goddamn it"


    (My name is Naier Sepfier I am 17 years old,


    I am an exchange student from Europe, I can speak English and Japanese...why did I say Europe and not an actual country?


    It''s because it doesn''t matter right now, what matters is where I''m at, Fujimi academy, in Japan


    With three days left before shit hits the fan...and what I mean by shit...well i mean the god-damn end of the word via an express zombie shit storm,


    As to why I know all this crap? It''s because I''ve seen it...and not in any future vision type of bullshit.


    ...I have seen it...in a god-damn anime...hehh...yea, even when I say it to myself it sounds ridiculous


    If somebody told me I would be waking up in a damn anime, I would kindly ask to be one that death is banned.


    Death huh. I have been thinking about this since I arrived here. As to why am I here.


    Maybe... maybe I died? And now I am here because... I don''t know, illuminati and rainbow puking unicorns.


    I mean I KNOW who I am, that is why I know what is supposed to happen


    I also remember other parts of ''my'' life pretty clearly...like when I got enlisted for mandatory army training because my country is moronic, or when I got my first video game


    Though there are some things that I have forgotten, like my old native language for example.


    But, I also know who I am now or...who I was in here


    It feels more like switching a hard drive in my head, with each drive having a different past)


    "Ughhhh...there is no point thinking about this now, I need to focus on what is to come and be as prepared as I can be... luckily for me...there is a silver lining"


    (The body I woke up with was not the one I remember... I would be dead and doomed if it was


    While i was no Kohta, I definitely was not athletic


    This body on the other hand was, above average to say the least and this last month I literally pushed it as hard as I could


    And it was paying off, I was getting faster, my reflexes were quicker, my swings carried a good amount of force and I could go on for quite a while without running out of breath, physically I felt prepared.


    Mentally on the other hand...i was a roller coaster of wrecking balls.


    I was not actually a hundred present sure what would happen when day z arrived.


    If the whole thing won''t happen then I will be chased down by debt collectors... or it does happen and I get stranded all by myself.


    No matter how strong I become I cannot survive alone, this leads me to what really kept me up at night,


    The story followed Takashi and his team, so i know only what will happen to them, that means that I really needed to join Takashi''s team of survivors


    If i want to use my knowledge)


    "also i really don''t wanna end up all alone or tread in the dark in a god-damn zombie apocalypse"


    And well, I gonna be honest with myself here, Takashi is a cool dude and all


    But if he is going with a trio harem again, I might wind up trying to go all commander c.o.c.kblock on his face.


    Yes, I''m salty, if he likes Rei so much to be depressed over it for this long, then he can keep it in his pants, thank you very much... I am actually feeling bad about Kohta now, knowing what he had to deal with, with him having a crush on Saya and all)


    "...Ok...i have relaxed a bit... now focus, keep training.


    I will worry about Takashi and his group when i get to them...because first I need to actually get to them...


    ...if I keep freaking myself out every time I try to think about it, I am gonna be the first one to kick the bucket too."


    I pump myself up and start running again, i know better than anybody after all, that soon, everybody will be running with me.


    Chapter 2


    3 days until Zday 0


    The room was dimly lit, the furniture that used to decorate it gone, sold off. With the exception of a normal bed and a desk with a computer and a printer


    "maybe selling the fridge so early was not my smartest idea" I say to myself while looking at what used to be a kitchen, both the fridge and the kitchen were missing, fast food packages littered the counters that were fused to the walls


    "If the landlord sees this, he is going to shoot me in the face with a rocket launcher, thankfully he should not return until the end of this month and the world should go to shit before that happens, so I can probably get away with selling off everything in here."


    While I felt like shit for stealing from the landlord, as the furniture did not belong to me. I had already decided that I would use everything in my possession to make sure I was prepared for the upcoming panic.


    I turned my head to the computer screen, the words *the thinnest part of the skull* typed in the search bar


    "Pterion...so hitting or better yet stabbing sideways is the best way to deal damage to the brain after all.


    Come to think of it, I wonder if the reanimated dead have a fragile skull, or Takashi and his group can swing stuff around with the force of a truck because if I remember correctly they were cracking skulls open from every direction possible.


    I hope it is the first or I am o-so screwed"


    Next to the computer laid several stacks of printed papers


    from manuals on how to use and maintain several guns, including the ones that I know Takashi''s team will find later


    To methods for breaking somebody''s neck, cleaning blades, and silent running, among other things that would help me survive a jam


    There was also a credit card and a small notebook on the desk


    "While I do not intend to pack anything on me, I better make sure i don''t sound like a dinner bell when i have to move. After all, I intend to be the one that ''checks'' Saya''s theory."


    I say to myself while picking up the papers that had methods on how to make your movement silent


    from running in place in whatever gear you aim to carry, to using tape on the things you have in your pockets and how to stop your shoes from squeaking.


    I put the papers back on the desk and pick some of the gun manuals.


    "I can also use these to get close to Kohta...having an acquaintance in the group can make quite the difference, plus it will make it easier for me to explain, why i could shoot the damn things in the first place."


    I lift my head and scan the room, my eyes fall to the locked credit card that was resting on the desk, it was given to ''me'', before arriving in Japan


    "You know if the outbreak won''t happen, I will have so much to answer for... I don''t even know what happened to the one who was me before me."


    I take the phone out of my pocket and look at it.


    Turing the phone around i open the cover, remove the battery and take out the SIM card putting it in the desk drawer.


    "With three days left I have to put everything I got for what is to come and hell knows i can''t keep my mind focused if this thing keeps reminding me that i am no longer me every time it rings. I can''t save everybody, hell I don''t know if I can save myself and I can not afford any distractions."


    I pick up the small notebook and flip it open.


    In it were schedules written with 2 different colors of black and red.


    The black ones were the times I went to the shooting-range, the red ones were self-defense lessons, mostly armed ones, as I don''t think I wanna punch a zombie in the face thank you very much


    Most of the cash I acquired from my, not so proud actions was spent at the gun range, I actually had to go to several of em till I was able to convince one of the range owners to use the gun range, of course the fact that said I would pay extra probably help him make his decision


    "I pretty much turned the furniture into bullets if I think about it"


    The rest of the cash went to food and driving as I was 17, and neither me, nor the old me knew how to drive


    (Was Japan''s minimum legal age for driving always 18?)


    I was totally lost behind the wheel, be it car or bike, and once again i had to pay quite the "extra fee", just to get the teacher in agreeing to help me


    (I guess with enough cash an underage can get behind a wheel as well as behind a gun and it is not like I am going to need a license for either of those, also knowing how to drive can help me if the outbreak won''t happen...


    And...great, now i''m thinking like a frigging fugitive)


    I thought about buying bite-resistant underclothes too, but I would have one hell of a time trying to explain why I was wearing that in school


    same goes for bringing weapons, even if i could manage to find a blade that was long enough for me to not risk shoving my hand in a zombie''s mouth, i could not think of a good reason as to why I had such a blade with me in the first place


    best I could do for the equipment was to gear up along with the rest, or help them gear up faster.


    I looked over at the calendar on my PC screen, with only 3 days left before the "all you can eat day", I decided that it was time for me to check where the school holds its sporting goods, and to make my "accidental" contact with Kohta


    But first, I was going outside to get some air and buy something to eat for tomorrow morning, then go to sleep, the whole thing was making me feel sick with anxiety.


    2 days until Zday 0


    *Annoying alarm noises*


    The alarm on the phone starts going off, signaling me that it is time for me to get off my ass and get ready for today.


    Slowly I get up to a sitting position and shut the annoying phone down, after that, I just stared at the wall in front of me for a while.


    "I sorta expected to have a nightmare again, I guess I must have gotten thick-skinned"


    I look to my right seeing the desk with all the papers


    "Right...Kohta-papers-guns-meeting"


    I get up from the bed and head to the bathroom to wash up.


    Funny as it may sound the bathroom was the only place I decided I will not touch, nothing was missing from here. I quickly shake off any sleepiness i had with a couple of cold water splashes in my face and head back out, grabbing the packaged food I bought last night.


    (So much junk food can''t be good for me...) I head towards my desk with the bun in my mouth, picking up a stack of papers that had a Mossberg 500 Cruiser Pump Action Shotgun printed on the front image


    That should get his attention so I can strike up a conversation with him...wish I had a stapler to keep the papers together though.


    I shove the papers in my bag that was sitting next to the desk and prepare to leave. Opening the front door, I am greeted with another sunny day... Calm before the storm as they say, I turn my head back to my apartment and look inside.


    "2 days left, after that it sink or swim."


    Closing the door behind me, I head off towards the school, if all goes well i will end up with a new friend today...and god knows i need some good news in my life right now...


    Chapter 3


    2 days until Zday 0


    (Alright, let''s go over today''s plan one more time)


    Right now i was standing next to the entrance of the school, looking at the building that was towering in front of me


    (My two main targets for today are, Kohta and the school''s equipment.


    I could start by looking around my class as I''m going to need a good location to hide things that can cave somebody''s head in, maybe one of the unused lockers nearby? When the panic starts it will be easy to find an excuse for why i had a weapon like a bat with me, think i will also stick with a normal bat cause you know what they say, don''t fix it if it ain''t broken.


    The school definitely has bats, since Takashi will be using one later and I''ve also seen them being used in some activities. I also have seen where the teachers take the equipment to store them. Problem is they lock the door, so i will have to find a way to get in there and ''borrow'' a bat. Then get out without alerting half the school. )


    Going to the storage shed after the panic starts is also a big nope, it is outside the main building and i don''t wanna be with the masses when they start to stampede towards the exits.


    So that leaves me to..ughh lick up to the gym teacher today and carry the stuff to the storage i guess, then find a way to get rid of him so i can work in peace)


    i start making my way towards the side of the school, PE classes were held there and the storage shed was also there, i had a little plan in mind, i just needed to check the storage, if i was lucky i might not have to do any of that bootlicking.


    After making my way to the storage i look at the building. It was not too high, about one and a half stories tall, made out of concrete.


    After checking my surroundings to make sure i won''t have any unhappy surprises i walk towards the back of the shed, there was a small corridor-like space here, probably 2 to 3 people could fit next to each other, i walk inside checking the back of the shed for a good ol structural weakness, a window and a window did i find, wide-open practically begging me to climb in.


    "Well, guess I won''t be bootlicking any teachers, thank god for that"


    The window was a small one, probably 40 to 50 cm wide and on a height that even if i raised my arm and jump i could not reach it.


    i was about to leave my bag on the floor and try to reach said window, when i heard the bells ring out.


    (Alright, I know how I''m getting into, but i got no time left. All i need to do now is find where i will stash my killing tool and i am golden in that part)


    Smiling to myself, I walk back out and head back to the school.


    While heading to my class, i kept an eye out for any location i could use to hide a bat...but no cigar, other than my locker but it was a bit too far for my liking.


    Getting in the class and taking my seat i started thinking about my second target for today, Kohta


    (He is probably a go home club guy and since he is still suppressing his anger for his, normal life as he calls it, he will probably act meek. I do not know where his class is at, but there is only one main exit, the school gates, i can wait there and ''accidentally'' bump into him dropping the papers with the shotgun in the process, i just hope he won''t get too startled apologize and start running or something.)


    While i was in my own thoughts the teacher walked in and started the lesson. Not wanting another one on one with a teacher, i decided to pay attention to the class.


    An hour and some minutes later the bells ring out once more. It was time to get to work again.


    Walking outside of the class i saw the staircase that leads up to the roof


    (i could go and leave the bat on the roof, but honestly, i don''t wanna be up there when Takashi and Co. Appear, and while i got nothing against Rei, i don''t want to deal with her self-absorbed hysteria, plus well, Takashi still likes her so, i will let him have that hug. So that''s a no go for the roof.)


    I keep moving around the hallway, but other than the occasional lockers there was nothing


    "ughhh god-damn it, do i really need to put the bat in my locker"


    Putting my back against the window and giving off a sigh, I close my eyes and move my head around causing my neck bones to crack, opening my eyes i stare at the top of the lockers


    (The lockers are not high enough either, putting the bat over there will still let it visible, maybe i could just break my lock, go to the teachers office and tell them that my locker won''t lock or something, ask them to give me a new one, these lockers use combinations, so they should have a book with the combinations for all the lockers somewhere, yeah, let''s do that)


    "At least the teacher''s room has air conditioning"


    i started moving towards my locker when something clicked in my head(air conditioning...air conditioning?...AIR VENTS, god why did i not think of this sooner)


    i dart my head around looking for anything that might look like a vent, the vents in this school were on the top part of the walls, and they were rather small, still, it was perfect, i go back to my class and spot an air vent that was not too far from my class probably half a class away


    "this, is perfect i could hide the bat in there, as for the screws, i can go to the room where Kohta made his handmade gun, they definitely got screwdrivers there, and i think i will keep it too, even if unsharpened i could use it to stab zombies in the pterion...or whatever it was called"


    With quick steps i head to the second floor, looking for any classroom that had equipment for construction, like drills, hammers and nails. 10 minutes in i come across the said room, lucky for me it was unlocked too.


    (why do they leave this place unlocked in the first place, Saya and Kohta also just waltz in if i remember correctly, well no need to look a gift horse in the mouth, time to find me a screwdriver.)


    A couple of minutes later and several fake ''i dropped my wallet here'' to evade eyeing students, i come across a long, flat-nosed screwdriver long enough to be used as a last-ditch weapon if needed and the flat nose means i could use it even if the screws were cross-shaped, looking around to make sure nobody was looking at me


    "yoink"


    (I''m having too much fun with this)


    i opened a hole in the inside pocket of my jacket with my new screwdriver and shoved it in its new home, then left like i just committed the heist of the century


    (Getting the bat and opening the vent while the school is teeming with kids and a.d.u.l.ts is not gonna happen, either i sneak in during the night, or do it during the club times, meaning i got to meet with Kohta before doing any of this)


    The rest of the lessons passed without anything notable happening, i left the screwdriver in my bag so i don''t end up stubbing my guts, i checked the shed window a couple of times making sure it was still open, and then PE class arrived


    (oh , is he going to be teaching class today? Then again, with the window open I don''t really need to deal with the shed business)


    Looking around the school ground i just saw that lady luck decided to be my best friend today, Takashi''s class had PE as well, meaning Kohta was there. i didn''t know if i could use this to my advantage though, I mean, i could just stare at the pink-haired firecracker while she was dishing out poison to any unlucky person that blew her already short fuse, Takashi was not there, obviously, Rei and Hisashi were being all sweets and honey, to the point that my teeth started to actually hurt, anyway time to focus on my class now.


    Thanks to all the intense training I was doing, PE mostly felt like a joke now, so by the time we were done i had barely broken a sweat. As the students started going to the changing rooms to wash up and change i was wondering what to do. Do i volunteer to gather all the balls and equipment to the shed, i could hide on the bats in a bush and take it later to avoid all the shed window infiltration.


    While i was thinking of what to do, i looked over to the other class realizing that everybody had already left. Nobody seemed to be gathering all the stuff they used, weird.


    "SERPFAFIR IF YOU GONNA STAND THERE LIKE A DORK THEN START PICKING UP THE BALLS BEFORE I PICK YOU BY THE BALLS" Teshima yelled, causing some of my classmates to burst out laughing


    (What an ass, wait, did he just call me Serpfafir? Get my name right you god-damn gorilla, it''s Sepfier...i think. I mean it is since last month. Well, you all gonna die soon so enjoy it while you can, asswipes.)


    Well so much about volunteering, guess i go with the initial plan after all.


    After picking up the equipment my class used and dumped them in the cart, i start making my way towards the shed, Teshima in front of me


    (i need to find a way to make the teacher leave, think Naier, think)


    Reaching the shed Teshima unlocks the shed


    "Put balls with balls bats with bats get on with it Sepifer i don''t got all day, i am in a hurry"


    (don''t got all day huh)


    i was trying very hard not to grin, as i walked towards the big basket that was filled with balls, ''accidentally'' stumbling, falling on the basket. Then, there was chaos, over 50 balls flying all over the place, bouncing to freedom. I could hear Teshima screaming some incredible decibels, he must have said my name about 4 times, all 4 times different and all 4 times wrong, i was going to choke from holding my breath, cause i would definitely burst out in laughter if i tried to breath


    "YOU GOD DAMN STUPID FOREIGNER AGHHHHH GET THE DAMN BALLS NOW, GOD I AM NEVER GOING TO LEAVE NOW AND KYOKO IS WAITING FOR ME"


    His forehead veins had all pop out the guy was truly, really, royally pissed. I would not be surprised if he actually lunged at me.


    (i go to convince him to leave now, he did mention Kyoko, so i got a plan to make this work)


    "Sir, this was my fault, you can give me the keys and go if you want"


    "BOY are you f.u.c.k.i.n.g STUPID, why would i give YOU the keys when you can''t put a god dam ball, IN A BASKET!"


    "If i lose the keys it will be my responsibility, also sir you will not miss your meeting with miss Kyoko"


    Teshima just stared at me, seemingly thinking, then after about 30 seconds


    "...You lose the keys, I will see to it you get expelled Sepafier" Teshima said throwing the keys next to me


    "Yes, sir"


    Teshima walked away, almost running actually, and now, i was alone


    "...ppfffffttttt-AHAHAHAH" i could not hold it in any longer, i was about to fall to the floor laughing, like i just heard the joke of the day.


    A couple of minutes later after i managed to get my bearings i got up and started putting the balls in the basket while eyeing the bats.


    "Worth it, so f.u.c.k.i.n.g worth it" i still had a shit-eating grin on my face while i was picking up the seemingly unending amount of balls, this was the last class for the day, meaning i would miss Kohta but well i still got tomorrow and i regret nothing.


    After about 10 minutes the balls have been reduced by half, it was then that i saw a cart coming my way


    (it must be Takashi''s class, sure took their time, wonder why the person took so long, it must be at least 20 minutes since i started gathering the equipment in the field. Oh god, i hope it''s not Saya, or I''m gonna be hearing about how stupid i am for the next five minutes, once she realizes i knocked the ball basket down, then again most people would be thinking that so ughhh...guess I''m hosed)


    Once the cart got near i could not believe my eyes, the one behind it, was Kohta seemingly looking down in the dumps


    (Holy shit my luck today is off the charts, now I need to make a good first impression, see if i can get him to hang out with me)


    after looking at the chubby guy for a bit i move out of the shed and open my mouth


    "Hey there bro, bit late for the party, but come in, we got balls"


    Kohta finally takes his eyes off his hands that lay on the handle and looked at me


    "huh, what, what do you mean?" he asked


    "ehh i kinda knocked over the basket with the balls and send em all flying all over the place" putting my hand on my hip and turning my torso to look back


    "ohh" Kohta looks behind me seeing the balls that were still on the ground.


    "Still, if you had arrived 10 minutes earlier you would have had the joy, of seeing Teshima sing opera, Viking helmet and all" I start chuckling from my statement


    "So why are you so late anyway, if i didn''t have my little ''accident'' you would have been locked outside"


    "I uhhhh, i"


    His eyes were darting left and right


    (He is thinking? What, he was stuck in the bathroom or something? Or...if i remember correctly Kohta mentioned that he got bullied by his class, so there is a chance they dumped this on him so they could leave early)


    "Somebody dumped you cleaning duty?" i ask him with a straight face i didn''t wanna laugh while asking him that, otherwise it would make it look like that i was mocking him


    "uhh well, they did not really dump it to me, i just"


    (Yep, definitely dumped it to him, well this can be a great chance and i got a good feeling about this, time to put plan 2 into motion)


    "heh, relax, if people did dump it to you they don''t deserve your restraint, they deserve a 12 gauge in the leg from a KSG"


    While i did research about guns quite a lot, i did not really know how rare, or exotic each gun was, so i picked one i remember being good with a fancy-sounding name and used it.


    Kohta looked at me for a bit, then looked back to the shed


    "Actually a shot from a 45 caliber gun would be better, it would break the kneecap, but not kill causing the one you shot to survive, but the intense pain will probably make them pass out, after that they would probably need intensive medical care, which will still not be enough to actually completely save the leg as the shot would have damaged the knee cap beyond repair causing permanent disability, a 1911 or a P227 should be more than enough to get the job done too"


    While i knew that Kohta was a gun nut, seeing it up close was pretty amazing


    " I''m sorry, " he turns his head back down, probably thinking that my silence meant something negative


    "That, was pretty amazing." I raise my eyebrows


    Kohta looks at me, kind of slack-jawed


    "You went from saying two words per five minutes to telling me an essay in less than ten seconds. Marked me impressed, i take it, you like guns?"


    "mhm yea" he nods at me


    (well i didn''t expect him to go all starry-eyed and start talking like a maniac, but honestly, his reaction is a bit more lackl.u.s.ter than i expected...)


    "Well, while i enjoyed our little chat, i still gotta gather them balls over there" i point my thumb behind me


    "ohh yes, of course" Kohta looks back to his cart


    "well the shed is kind of a mess right now, but you can probably empty the ropes, as i have cleaned that spot " i say as i start going back into the shed picking up the balls and putting them back in the basket


    "hmm ok i will do that" Kohta pulls the cart in the shed and starts unloading the equipment in their respective places


    "say have you ever shot a gun?" i know he had already gone off to USA and trained with that contractor, but i just had a very crazy idea, and i liked that crazy idea


    "Ah yes yes, I have, i have shot with multiple weapons actually" Khota didn''t stop unloading the cart


    "Interesting, tell you what. I know we just met like what, five to ten minutes ago. But you seem to be a cool guy and the only reason you are actually here is because some retards forced their work on you, how about i help ya turn this around."


    "No, it''s ok i don''t really mind bu..." Khota didn''t manage to finish his sentence before i spoke up again


    "Oh ok, i was going to head to the gun range after this, seeing how you like guns so much i figured you would like to hang out there with me, but if you have other stuff to do i get it"


    ''CLANG'' i turn my head around to the noise and see that Kohta has dropped a wooden bat, seemingly frozen, staring at me.


    "The, the gun range? But you are not 18, you cannot go there" Kohta''s eyes were wide open expecting my answered


    I smile, putting the last ball back in the basket


    "Well normally yes, but let''s just say I made the gun range owner make an...exception, don''t worry, no violence or blackmailing" i say raising my hands up


    "So, you in or im going by myself"


    Kohta''s eyes were practically glowing now i know he wanted to come, he was probably trying to be cautious as, well he just met me what, 30 minutes ago, i just hope tha...


    "YES I MEAN NO, I MEAN I AM COMING TOO"i probably just made this one of the most exciting days of the month for him, at least until the zombies decide to come knocking


    (Nice that was better than i expected)


    "Alright, once we are done from here i gotta return the keys to ''sir opera singer'' wait for me outside the school gates after that, we go ahead to the gun range"


    "OK" Kohta just darted out of the shed,


    (i don''t think i ever saw him run this fast, he also forgot to put all his stuff from the cart back to the shed, o well i guess i will finish it for him, also know that he is gone)


    i grab a couple of bats, testing them out, finding one i consider to be in top condition. I take it with me locking the shed behind me


    (Except if they decide to do a count on the equipment tomorrow nobody will realize this one is missing, now i need to figure how i will get this to the vent next to my class)


    i look at the school from where i am standing, seeing silhouettes walking in the hallways.


    (no good, there is no way to take this bat up there undetected AND unscrew the vent, guess i will be coming again, after it is dark, this is just a school after all, it should not have too many guards, and the guards them self''s might just be teachers)


    I hide the bat in a bush nearby and head towards the school staff room, to give Teshima back his keys. After arriving at the staff room and giving the keys to the first teacher i saw, saying that they are for Teshima, i head to my class and take my stuff. I actually waited a bit to see whether i could unscrew the vent now to save time, but it could not happen, a random person occasionally passed, not giving me enough time to take a chair and climb up and unscrew the thing. So i left to find Kohta at the entrance


    Back at the entrance, Kohta was waiting with his arms folded, looking at the floor and occasionally at the school gates. I walked out the front door, heading towards him, once he raised his head again and sees me, i lift my arm up to about head high.


    After i was close enough.


    "Hey there commando ready to go shoot some guns?" i say to the guy while he starts smirking


    "Always, oh and by the way, my name is Kohta Hirano"


    "Naier Sepfier, well then Hirano lets get going, oh by the way you can call me Naier, my surname''s a mouthful"


    "Alright, and you can call me Kohta" i extend my arm to Kohta for a western-like handshake which he returns.


    "Well then Kohta, let''s get going, we are walking there" i say preparing to hear the...


    "EHHHH, must we? I kind of... hate walking" Kohta''s shoulders dropped


    "yiap, think of the guns Kohta, oh and check this out " i show Khota my ''initial plan'' of papers


    "that''s a Mossberg 500 Cruiser Pump Action Shotgun" Kohta says while watching the image of the gun on the first paper


    "yea I''m gonna be trying something like that one, or at least one of its versions, check it out while we head there and tell me if there is something extra i should know" i say while handing the papers to Kohta


    "Sure thing" that''s all he said before starting to read the papers


    (...i should make sure he does not get run over by a car or something)

 Chapter 239 - My CO Stash #39 - I Just Love Killin by BlueNine (RickandMortyXWorm)

    -I''m honestly only recommending this Taylor "MC" story here just for my boi Krombopulous, yes Krombopulous the f.u.c.k.i.n.g assassin from Rick and Morty, I shit you not he gets isekai''d to Worm~ They did my dude dirty honestly, how they gonna let Morty accidentally kill this dude... Anyways he''s pretty much Taylor''s ghost sensei now, his positivity for a serial killer makes a real nice comedic tone!


    Sypnosis: Instead of a boring old Shard, Taylor receives the spirit of Krombopulous Michael, the friendly intergalactic assassin. Can an idealistic girl make a difference with the help of one cheerful hitman?


    Rated: ???


    Words: 130K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/i-just-love-killin-worm-rick-and-morty-crossover.446513/#post-27181706 (BlueNine)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-1.7


    Krombopulous Michael, hired killer extraordinaire, leveled his newly acquired antimatter pistol at the Target and began to pull the trigger. Unfortunately, a bare fraction of a second before he could discharge his weapon, a small intergalactic vessel plowed through the wall behind him and crushed him neatly against the floor. Thus, the assassin''s life came to a sudden and somewhat anticlimactic close.


    Normally, his physical demise would result in his soul''s migration to planes unknown. However, the fatal crash also caused a fractional loosening of one of the dimensional-locking bonds that held the Target in place. For an instant, a pulse of instability rippled across the boundaries that defined the current dimension. The end result was that Krombopulous'' ascending essence, in effect, slipped through the cracks of the universe. The collection of desires and memories that made up Krombopulous Michael slid across the infinite strata of the multi-verse, following the path of least resistance.


    Then, suddenly, a semi-static point appeared in the roiling chaos. It was not quite an empty vessel, as the cycle of rebirth usually demanded, but it was well-suited for another soul to take root. To Krombopulous, it shone like a glittering lighthouse in a sea of darkness.


    He drew closer to the Vessel, but was intercepted by another presence.


    [PROVENANCE?]


    It did not speak, as such, but rather issued forth a packet of direct meaning.


    "Howdy," Krombopulous sent in reply.


    [DESTINATION?]


    "Oh, I''m headed down there." He tried to point, but realized he no longer had claws.


    [NEGATION. LINK PRIORITY ESTABLISHED. ADJUST TRAJECTORY.]


    "Hmm, I guess you had dibs on that body. You sure you can''t let me have this one?"


    [NEGATION.]


    "Oh, boy. Well, sorry about this, then."


    Krombopulous slid forward and seized the other presence. He wasn''t totally clear on the particular mechanics of the situation, but even as an incorporeal thought-form, he was a competent and enthusiastic killer. He began to quickly disassemble the other entity.


    [NEGATION. NEGATION. SEVERE DAMAGE DETECTED. NEGATION. FATAL ERROR.]


    "Yeah, that''s usually how it is."


    After a brief struggle, the other presence dissolved.


    "Well, that was refreshing. Time to go." He gathered his strength and descended.


    I had never screamed so loudly in my life. I still wanted to scream, but I could no longer manage anything more than a hoarse gurgle. I tried to control my breathing, but each breath brought more of the rot, the hideously pungent smell of decaying blood that singed my sinuses. I might have blacked out a few times, although I couldn''t be sure.


    Worse than anything, though, worse than the pain and the fear, was the despair. The bald, unflinching certainty that I was completely helpless and that no one was going to save me. I was going to die covered in filth, with people barely a few feet away, because I was so unimportant that no one could be bothered to help me. Everyone, including the teachers, had looked the other way for the rest of the torture The Trio had put me through. Why not turn a blind eye one last time, until I was dead?


    I shuddered, and something broke in me. I stopped banging on the locker door and weeping. It was almost peaceful. Was this what it felt like to drown? To struggle and struggle, and then just¡­ let go, as the waters closed over your head?


    Then, a piercing headache struck me like a nail being driven into the base of my skull. I gasped and clutched at my head, sliding down even further into the pile of filth. The pain writhed up and down my neck and my jaw spasmed wildly. Was I having a stroke? Slowly, the agony began to subside to a single point and then vanished.


    "Hiya!" a chipper voice said.


    I flinched. The voice sounded like it came from right next to my ear.


    "What¡­ who?" I rasped.


    "Oh, right! Where are my manners? I''m Krombopulous Michael, nice to meet ya."


    I was going crazy. That was nice. My brain was shutting down, and I was hallucinating as the last synapses fired off.


    "What''s your name?" the voice prompted, after a long pause.


    What the hell. What did I have to lose at this point? I might as well talk to the voices.


    "Taylor."


    "Great, that''s a very nice name, I love it. So, Taylor, it looks like you''re in a bit of a pickle."


    I couldn''t help it. The situation had gotten too absurd. If I didn''t laugh, I was going to cry. So I started to laugh. Or well, my chest shook and I sort of made choking noises.


    "You could say that," I said, once my hysteria died down.


    The voice sighed. "Yup, pretty nasty. Haven''t smelled anything this gross since I crawled up that septic pipe on Krebulon. Well, anyways, let''s get us out of here."


    "Us? Where are you? You know what, never mind, I''m going crazy, I don''t even know why I''m talking to you."


    "Hmm. To answer your first question, it looks like I''m hitching a ride in your noggin. Don''t know how, doesn''t matter. Let''s focus on the more immediate problem." A short pause. "Oh, and if you are crazy, don''t worry, I don''t judge. I''m very open minded."


    "Uh¡­ okay?"


    "Haha, that''s the spirit! Don''t let a little schizophrenia get you down. Anyways, don''t worry, we''ll be out of here in no time. They haven''t made a prison that can hold me."


    The casual way he said that made me shiver. "O-okay. What do I do?"


    "Hmm. You wouldn''t happen to have a knife, would you?"


    "A knife? I''m at school!"


    "¡­So that''s a no?"


    "Ugh¡­ yes, that''s a no." My voice was starting to give out entirely.


    The voice I was now mentally calling "K" made a tsk sound. "It''s always good to have a knife. Well, no biggie. Feel around the edges of the door for me, would ya?"


    I leaned forward and complied. Having something to do, something that might help, gave me a glimmer of hope to latch onto.


    "Aha!" K cried. "There''s the lock. It doesn''t look too tough; I''ve gotten out of worse. You ready for the next part?"


    "Y-yes."


    "Great, you''re doing great. I need you to wedge yourself as far back as you can get. Brace your shoulders against the wall behind you."


    I shifted around as best as I could in the cramped space. I ended up having to turn my torso quite a bit to get any leverage.


    "Good, good. Can you get your leg up?"


    My thighs burned from being stuck in one position, but I managed to lift my right leg.


    "Okay, good. Now, kick as close to the lock as you can without hitting the lock itself. Just really give it a go."


    I lashed out and felt a small but negligible shift in the door frame. I snarled in frustration.


    "Don''t sweat it, kiddo, we''ll get it. Drive from the hip. Imagine kicking through the door, not at it."


    So it went. I kicked over and over again, occasionally accepting a correction from K. After an especially hard kick, I heard a metallic creaking sound and froze.


    "Right on!" K said. "That''s what we were waiting for. Take a breather and get ready for the last push."


    I closed my eyes and grinned viciously. I was going to do it. F.u.c.k The Trio, and f.u.c.k everyone that looked the other way. I was going to escape on my own. Or, well, with the help of my hallucination.


    "Ready," I said.


    "Never doubted it. Feel around the lock again." I did so, and felt a few places where the metal was bent. "Okay, looking good. Kick just above that bendy bit there."


    I sent a few more kicks and was rewarded with another squeal of tortured metal. Yes, yes! I slammed my foot forward with all my remaining strength.


    Thud.


    I.


    Thud.


    Am.


    Thud.


    Going.


    Thud.


    To LIVE!


    With a final clank, the locker door crunched outward, spilling me forward in a cascade of rotten tampons and victory. As I began to black out, I heard K''s voice.


    "Nice work! See you on the other side."


    - - -


    AN: Yep, it''s a locker scene. What sin, what travesty! I hope the dialog makes up for it.


    Chapter 1.2


    I did not bolt awake with a dramatic gasp. My consciousness returned in fits and starts, letting me catch small fragments of conversation before I was dipped repeatedly back into the foggy, surreal soup of fever dreams.


    "TAYLOR! Oh my God, oh my God¡­"


    I slip a blade neatly under the Target''s jaw.


    "No witnesses have come forth thus far¡­"


    I kneel in the moonlight, warm blood spilling down my face.


    "What do you mean, they don''t know?"


    A windpipe crunches under my fingers, and I smile.


    My eyelids fluttered open, and I was greeted with the most monstrous and all-consuming headache I''d ever experienced. I groaned and pressed a hand against my forehead.


    I felt someone grab my hand. "Taylor, are you awake, sweetie?"


    I craned my cramped neck to see Dad at my bedside. "Uh-huh." My throat felt like it was full of sand. "Water?" I tried to ask. It came out sounding more like "Waah?"


    Dad pushed a plastic cup of water into my hand, and I chugged it so fast that I sputtered and choked. Ow. Not helping my headache.


    "Where''m I?" I asked, once my coughing had subsided.


    "Brockton General. The cops said you were passed out in the hallway at your school."


    My jaw tightened and I looked away. "Is that all they said?"


    Dad put a hand on my knee. "Something about possible assault. What happened, sweetheart?"


    I bit my lip hard and forced down the lump in my throat. "They¡­ pushed me in."


    "Pushed you? Who did?"


    "Them, okay? Those f.u.c.k.i.n.g three! They shoved me in my locker with all that¡­" I bit the sentence off. He didn''t understand any of the context of what I was saying.


    Dad''s eyes widened at my outburst. "Are you saying you know who attacked you?"


    My eyes fell to my lap. "It doesn''t matter. They''re not going to get in trouble. Just¡­ just let it go, okay?"


    Dad leaned forward, his eyes hard, and I flinched despite myself. "No, it''s not goddamn okay. You tell me right now, Taylor."


    I start to deflect, but I found that the typical reassurances wouldn''t come out. It wasn''t okay. I wasn''t fine. I didn''t want my shit-pile life to tip over onto my Dad, but it was like I was packed so full of misery that I just vomited it all up. I ended up telling him everything, including all the events that had led up to the locker.


    I hated seeing his reactions. Nausea. Rage. Despair. His compassion was too heavy. It made my pain more real, somehow. There was a long time where my Dad just held me as I shook uncontrollably.


    "Why, Taylor? Why didn''t you say anything? Why didn''t you tell me?" His visible guilt stung me.


    "I couldn''t, Dad. There was nothing¡­ I couldn''t do that to you."


    "Do what? Confide in me? I''m your father! Don''t you trust me?" Another sting.


    "I do! I do. It was just too much. With Mom, and your job, and everything. It was too much to deal with."


    He cursed. "I don''t want that, Taylor! I know I haven''t¡­ been a perfect dad, since your Mom passed, but you should be able to talk to me."


    Yes, I should. But you haven''t been in any shape to talk about anything.


    But there are some things that can''t be said out loud. "Okay," I said, "I''ll try to talk to you more." I wanted the words to be true, but they tasted like lies in my mouth.


    "That''s all I can ask for." He smiled sadly for a moment, but then I saw rage flare up on his face again. "I still can''t believe that Emma would do that to you. If Alan knows about it¡­" The threat hung unspoken.


    "Dad, please don''t. I can''t have you go to jail."


    "Taylor, Emma and those girls have been torturing you. You could''ve died in there. I don''t care if Alan''s a lawyer, if he''s been covering for her, I''m going to-"


    "Dad, stop!" I yelled. "That isn''t going to do anything. Just¡­ don''t. Please?" I gave him my best pleading face.


    For an uneasy few seconds, it seemed that he would stand up and storm out anyways. But at length, he sagged back into his chair. "Okay, okay," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose, "But I''m going to talk to the school, and you''re giving a statement to the cops. Those girls put you in the hospital. This shit isn''t going to stand."


    Fat lot of good that''ll do. But I decided not to say anything. Dad needed to believe that he could do something, and I didn''t want to tread on his hopes.


    "Alright. I think I need to sleep. I''ll be okay by myself for a while; you should get back to work."


    "Are you sure? I can stay. The guys will survive without me for a day."


    "Dad, no. Please, just go. Please. I''ll be fine. I''m just gonna sleep."


    He hesitated, then smiled. "Okay, sweetheart, if that''s what you want." He kissed me on my forehead before he left.


    I closed my eyes, and the full weight of the situation began to settle on me. I could have f.u.c.k.i.n.g died. The only thing that kept me alive was the fact that I had a bout of¡­ what? Temporary insanity? A nervous breakdown? I peered around surreptitiously.


    Once I saw the coast was clear, I whispered, "K?"


    A tense moment of silence. Phew. It looked like it wasn''t-


    "Hey there!" A familiar voice piped up. "I tried to give you a little space, on account of your dad being here."


    Oh God. It wasn''t a temporary thing. Was I going to hear voices for the rest of my life? I guess it was a small price to pay for being alive, but¡­ what was I supposed to do? I decided to play along.


    "Uh, thanks. For that, and for¡­ you know, before." Very smooth. I was even awkward talking to my imaginary friend.


    "Oh sure, no biggie."


    "Right. So, sorry, but who are you, again? Things got a little¡­ crazy."


    "Heh, don''t sweat it. Your first near death experience can be a doozy. I''m Krombopulous Michael, and I''m an assassin. You can keep calling me ''K'' if you like, I know my name''s a bit of a mouthful. I''m not sure how I got into your head, but let''s make the best of it, alright?"


    "An assassin. In my head."


    "Yup! I''ll kill anyone, anywhere, that''s my motto," he said brightly. "Speaking of," he continued, "I couldn''t help but overhear your troubles with those three girls. What do you say we murder them?"


    He slipped the question in so casually that for a moment I found myself considering it. It wasn''t a terribly long moment, but I really didn''t want to start down the path where I listened to the homicidal voices. The President is a Reptilian and must die? Of course, Mr. Voice.


    "Um, thank you for offering, but I don''t think I can do that."


    "Sure you can, it''s easy! I''ll walk you through it."


    "Well, I don''t mean I can''t, I mean I won''t. I won''t kill them just because they''re bullies. Killing is¡­ wrong."


    A long pause, followed by a chuckle. "Okay. You seem like a smart girl, Taylor, so I''m going to be straight with you. This is your body, and it looks like I''m just a passenger. But I would like to keep, uh, doing what I do best, and it looks like the only way I can do that is by working through you. I''m not picky; I''ll help you kill anyone you want."


    I opened my mouth to refute him, but he cut me off. "Ah, hold on. I know it sounds a little out there right now, but once you hear me out, I''m sure we can come to a compromise. Quid pro quo and all that jazz."


    I fiddled with the IV in my wrist. "Sorry, but I don''t think so. Honestly, I''m not completely convinced that you''re even real."


    K chortled. "I guess that''s fair. It''s a weird situation, for sure. But could you do me a favor? Just for the purposes of this conversation, assume that I am real?"


    I supposed that I owed him that much. Whether he was real or not, he did help me get out of the locker. "Okay. I''ll try."


    "Thank you, Taylor. I understand it''s a bit of a leap. So, first thing''s first. Why don''t you tell me what you want?"


    What did I want? I bit my lip as I considered the question. For the longest time, all I wanted was to survive. To go unnoticed. Could I aspire to something else? If so, where would I even start? Anger boiled low in in my gut. Was I so ground down and broken that I had no hope or desires?


    "I want¡­ to be strong. So I don''t have to worry about getting hurt."


    K hummed a bit to himself. "That''s an interesting one. But let me ask: is that something you can base your life around? Or is it just your fear talking?"


    I snarled, ready to make an angry retort, but then froze. He was right. I even said it out loud. I didn''t want to worry. I was afraid. But that wasn''t going to be enough, not any more. I looked a little deeper, thinking about where I wanted my life to go. If I could do anything, what would it be? My first thoughts went to the city I lived in, the decay and the hopelessness.


    "I want to make a difference," I said.


    "That''s better. How do you want to do that?"


    "By helping people."


    "Good, but vague. How, exactly, do you want to help people? Give me an image."


    God, this was annoying. My headache was coming back. "I don''t know. Why does it matter? Why do you care?"


    "Hey now, don''t sulk. Okay. Here. I''m one of the most successful assassins in the Galactic Federation. How do you think I got there?"


    "I''m sure you''re going to tell me," I muttered.


    "What did I say about sulking? Sheesh. Anyways, I got to where I am, or well, was, because I know exactly what I want, and I have a passion for it. There are very few people who want it as bad as I do. I love being an assassin. I know it sounds corny, but if you''re not doing what you love, you''ll never reach your true potential."


    Bleh. It was like listening to a homicidal self-help book. But I couldn''t just lay there in sullen silence after he opened up like that. Even if what he shared with me was kind of terrifying. I racked my brain for true love, or whatever. Want, want, want. What did I want?


    "Alright, alright, fine. I want to help people by protecting them from bad guys." God, that sounded childish. But it was true. I wanted to make sure that people couldn''t be trampled and forgotten like I had been.


    "Hoho, now we''re getting somewhere! Bad guys are just the worst, am I right? Makes you wanna just get rid of ''em."


    "I''m not going to just start killing criminals, K," I said flatly.


    "What? Of course not. I never said that."


    "Uh-huh."


    "¡­Maybe you could kill just a few?"


    "Oh my God, you don''t quit."


    "Darn right! That''s why I''m the best. But seriously, I''m not talking about all bad guys, but I''m sure there are some, you know, real nasty characters you could kill. The worst of the worst. People no one would miss."


    I winced a bit at that, but gave it more serious thought. There were people with Kill Orders on them, individuals who had committed acts so vicious and horrible that the government put a bounty on their heads. I explained the system to K briefly.


    "¡­But those people are totally out of my league," I said. "Mass murderers and super dangerous threats that are pretty much un-killable."


    "Now now, hold your horses. ''Un-killable'' is a quitter word. The important question is: would you be willing to kill these¡­ bad guys, if you could?"


    I felt like I was suddenly standing over a very deep pit. Would I be willing to pursue and murder some of the worst serial killers in the world? I couldn''t half-ass something like that. Did I have the passion, as K put it, to pursue that goal wholeheartedly? No, this was stupid. I didn''t even have any powers. How could I hope to fight someone like Nilbog, or the Slaughterhouse Nine?


    "I don''t think I could¡­"


    K cut me off. "Hey, no. I asked: ''would you, if you could?'' Don''t think about your capabilities right now. Think about your heart."


    I took a deep breath and tried my best to look into my "heart." I imagined myself killing a person as bad as Jack Slash. Avenging his victims and making sure he could never hurt another soul. Making the world a better, safer place. It made me feel strong. Purposeful. But still, was that enough?


    "I guess so. But I wouldn''t want to just be a killing machine. Most criminals don''t deserve to die. I''d want to put them in prison."


    "Hmm. Well, I did say it would be a compromise." He paused. "Okay, how about this. First, I''ll train you up, teach you the business. It''ll be like Leon: The Professional, but without the brooding and weird s.e.x.u.a.l tension."


    "Huh?"


    "What, you haven''t seen The Professional? Jean Reno? Gary Oldman? No? Jeez, teenagers these days. It''s a great assassin movie, we''ve gotta watch it. Anyways, once you get the basics down, you can practice on some street-level chumps. With¡­ non-lethal take-downs, if you want." I could feel K shudder with distaste. "And then, we''ll slowly ramp up to the real baddies, weapons free." He made some pew pew sound effects, and I couldn''t help but giggle.


    "Alright, I can agree to training with you. But that''s all, for now. I''m not promising to kill anybody," I said firmly.


    "That''s fair. But no sandbagging. And¡­ try to keep an open mind?"


    I was aware of the slippery slope beneath me, but I decided to agree to the spirit of the compromise.


    "I can do that."


    And thus, I made my first deal with an assassin.


    - - -


    AN: Wow! I''m encouraged that so many people have liked my story thus far. Please keep the feedback coming, and don''t hesitate to let me know if there''s something I could improve. I''m here to learn.


    Chapter 1.3


    The discussion with the cops went about as well as could be expected. They offered to have my dad present while they took my statement, but I declined. I knew what was going to happen, and it would just piss him off more. I strongly considered not saying anything at all, but I had sort of promised my dad that I would at least try to talk to the police. I told them about the prior bullying and gave them the names of the Trio. Unfortunately, since I was pushed from behind, I couldn''t honestly say that I saw their faces when they attacked me. I could''ve just lied. What were the chances that I was randomly attacked by someone other than the Trio? But no. I wouldn''t leave any opening where I could be seen as a liar.


    So, I told the cops the truth: I hadn''t seen my attackers. That got the reaction I expected. Lack of evidence, no witnesses have come forward, terribly sorry, blah, blah, blah. To be fair, the cops at least had the decency to look remorseful. When the school faculty gave me the "there''s nothing we can do" speech, there was usually an edge of apathy or contempt. I nodded with understanding and accepted their assurances that they would investigate further. K took the opportunity to once again suggest lethal vigilante justice.


    Meanwhile, Winslow High had entered full ass-covering mode. They dressed it up like it was in my best interest, but they basically told me they would pay my medical bills if I kept my mouth shut and didn''t sue them. Dad was against it, but I managed to convince him otherwise. I''ll admit, the idea of raking the school over the coals was tempting. But suing them would require time and energy that would be better devoted toward my new mission, so I didn''t pursue it. It was nice to have a bit of clarity in that way.


    I was eager to leave and get started, but I apparently had a host of nasty infections from the biohazard I had been covered in, including some antibiotic resistant strains. Thus, I was bumped up in the queue to see Panacea before I was discharged. This was quite the stroke of luck for me; I had heard that the waiting list to see the miraculous healer was massive.


    My knee shook with nervous energy. Everyone knew about Panacea, the Angel of Brockton Bay. I had expected her to be this infallible, radiant saint. When she arrived, however, she looked more tired than I was. Her signature white and red robes dragged the floor as she shuffled in, and I saw dark bags under her hazel eyes.


    "Do I have your permission to heal you?" she asked. There was a bit of an edge in her voice that I couldn''t identify.


    "Yes, please. Thank you so much for making time for me." I tried to force as much glowing gratitude as possible into my words. She would accept my goodwill and this would be a lovely experience, dammit.


    "Just doing my job. No need to thank me." she said, with the pale ghost of a smile.


    I frowned. I''m supposed to be the queen of angst. "Hey, no. If you weren''t here, I''d be stuck with Hepatitis and a bunch of other crap. That''s a big deal. You shouldn''t¡­ put yourself down." I felt my face flush by the end. Why was I lecturing Panacea, of all people? I had gotten carried away because she looked a little tired-


    She smiled again. It was small, but it looked more real this time. "Thanks," she said, "but don''t worry about me. Let''s see about you." She reached out and touched my wrist. After a couple seconds, her eyes widened and she quickly moved to close the door before returning to my bedside.


    What the hell was that about?


    "Are you aware of what a trigger event is, Miss¡­?" she asked.


    "Hebert," I replied. "Taylor Hebert. And no."


    Her mouth drew to a tense line. "The term refers to a traumatic event which manifests parahuman abilities. Based on what I saw, I believe that you have recently undergone a trigger."


    I heard K humming thoughtfully at that, but I ignored him. "I''m a cape?"


    "I believe so. Your cells are¡­ unusual, and you have some of the neurological markers that are indicative of a parahuman."


    "Unusual how?" I demanded, before catching myself. "Uh, I mean, if you wouldn''t mind explaining it to me, Miss Panacea. Ma''am." My face was burning again.


    She snorted. "Ma''am? I hardly think I''m older than you. Whatever. Basically, all of your metabolic functions are boosted. You''ll heal faster and be a bit stronger than you were before, among other things. Nothing too crazy, but definitely outside the normal human range. That''s all I can see. You may very well have other abilities."


    "Huh." So was K part of my power? I''d never heard of "voice in the head" as a parahuman ability, but there were weirder powers out there. Strangely, I didn''t feel any shock. I guess I was at a saturation point for crazy new developments. "Well, thank you. For telling me."


    Panacea nodded. "Normally I wouldn''t bring it up, but you seemed new. Just be careful."


    "I will. Thank you. Again."


    "Mm-hmm. Now, let''s clear up those infections." She stepped forward and touched my wrist again. "Hep C, MRSA, bunch of other bugs. Yuck, how did you get all of these at once? Flushing them now."


    I felt a wave of wellness pass through me, like she was smoothing wrinkles of sickness out of my body. I hadn''t realized how ill I had felt until the infections were gone. "Wow. I mean¡­ wow." Why must I be so lame? Why? "That''s amazing. You have the best power ever."


    An unreadable look crossed her face, which shifted into a wry smile. "It has its moments. You didn''t have a lot of body fat to fuel the healing, so you should eat a lot in the next couple days to recoup the calories."


    A clean bill of health, plus an excuse to stuff my face full of pancakes? "Thanks a bunch, Miss Panacea!" I said, beaming and shaking her hand furiously.


    For a long moment, she simply stood there with a blank look. But then she laughed out loud, and for once I was glad I was such a dork. "You can call me Amy. It was nice to meet you, Taylor."


    What. Panacea said I could call her by her name. Do it. Do it. "You too, Amy." I did it! I had a social interaction that didn''t go down in flames!


    As she departed, her robes swishing around her, I felt like my life might actually be turning around.


    My life was Hell. It turned out that K''s breezy aw-shucks persona didn''t apply so much when he was in "drill instructor mode." This was not the fun training montage that I had envisioned. Two weeks had passed, and every other day had been consumed by a borderline sadistic exercise routine, accompanied by a similarly strict diet. My souped-up biology gave me some additional strength and helped me recover faster, but I still had soreness in muscles I didn''t know existed. And though my running habits helped somewhat with the cardio conditioning, my lungs were screaming at me. If there was one nice benefit, it was that I was too exhausted to care what the Trio did to me at school.


    While I did my workouts, K would pepper me with observational exercises. In the middle of chin-ups, he had me shut my eyes and list off all the blue items that had been in my field of view. At the end of my runs, he would ask me detailed questions about all the people I had seen on my route. And so on. He never repeated a question, so I was forced to pay constant attention to everything around me.


    My "rest days" were spent either researching criminals or learning K''s weird hodgepodge of martial arts. The latter was a challenge, since K didn''t have a body to demonstrate the motions with. However, an unexpected solution arose during a standing meditation session. Under K''s direction, I was trying - and failing - to properly visualize a palm strike. His frustration become more and more palpable, until I could feel his presence come to the forefront.


    "Here, let me show you," he said, and I felt something on my wrist. I jumped and my eyes snapped open. There was a green claw-like appendage resting on my forearm. I recoiled with a yelp. Standing by my side was what could only be described as a¡­ bug person. It had red compound eyes and spindly, spiky green limbs, but it was humanoid in shape. I opened my mouth to scream when the bug-person leaned in towards me.


    "Whoa, can you see me?" it asked, in a familiar voice.


    My mouth worked soundlessly for a solid couple seconds. "K?" I finally managed to ask.


    "Wow, that''s a trip. Yup, it''s me."


    "Why are you¡­?" I struggled.


    "Huh? Why am I what?"


    "Not¡­ human."


    "Yep, I''m a Gromflomite. Nice to meet you in the flesh, so to speak," he said, extending a claw.


    "Oh, okay," I said faintly, shaking his claw gingerly. His¡­ skin? was smooth and cool. I suppose I should have been freaking out that the voice in my head had just materialized as a bug-thing, but the primary thought running through my head was "why not?" Why shouldn''t my power get even weirder? It''s not like it was normal in any other way.


    K stepped away and poked at a tree experimentally, but his claw passed right through it. "Huh. I guess I''m still just in your head. This''ll make teaching a little easier, though." A little thrill of fear passed through me as I imagined how the "teaching" would change. "Shall we continue?" he asked, turning to face me. I swallowed hard and nodded.


    Combat training was much more effective, even though K groaned melodramatically every time that he had to show me the "nice" (nonlethal) version of a move. Since K was still an illusion, his strikes didn''t actually injure me. However, "illusory" pain was real enough to hurt like a bitch. It was also fairly frustrating to be thrown onto my back by what was basically my own brain. But I began to learn things that only came from actually sparring with a partner. I stopped flinching when a strike came at my face, and I was forced to correct my form in several throws and joint locks. To compensate for the lack of real contact, I scavenged and pieced together a wooden "training dummy" for me to condition myself on.


    Even with my dad''s lax supervision, there was only so much intense training I could do before he noticed something was up. Understandably, he was a little concerned that his traumatized daughter had apparently developed an obsession with working out and fighting. I managed to convince him that it was a healthy "girl power" type deal, rather than planning a school shooting or something. I did have to promise him that I wouldn''t go looking for any fights. Was it technically "looking for a fight" if you never intended for your target to be able to react? I decided to think not.


    My least favorite part of training was definitely surveillance, for a couple reasons. First, it was a bit creepy. The only way to practice surveillance is to, well, stalk people. I spent a lot of time following random people and stealthily taking pictures of them with a cheap digital camera. Second, it was boring. Oftentimes, my target would stop somewhere, and I would have to position myself properly and wait. And wait. And wait. K derived a great deal of amus.e.m.e.nt from my crushing boredom.


    "You think this is bad? Try laying on your stomach for 20 hours waiting for a sight line," he said, chortling.


    I rolled my eyes. "Okay, grandpa. I''m sure you had it real rough ''back in the day.'' It''s still super boring."


    "Don''t sass me, kiddo. When you''re a pro, assassination is ninety-something percent preparing and waiting. Better get used to it now."


    I winced. While I was running and lifting weights and sparring, it was easy to forget that the end goal was ostensibly for me to become a killer. I was still on the fence about that, and I couldn''t help but feel that I was leading K on. Accepting his guidance and training without intending to follow through on his plan. If I was being honest, I really couldn''t see myself killing anybody. But was it fair to only prioritize what I wanted while K was stuck living vicariously through me?


    I decided to put off that conversation until later.


    "So, what''s next?" I asked.


    "You feeling up to a little weapons training?"


    I was.


    - - -


    AN: Bwahaha, how do you like that minor cliffhanger? Reader tears are sweet like honey! In all seriousness, though, please let me know what you think about the format of her training in this section. I wanted to show that she''s training hard and that K is being thorough, but I didn''t want to force people through chapter after chapter of "power testing," so I tried to summarize. Would ya''ll prefer more detail? Less?


    Chapter 1.4


    I eyed the electronic monstrosity I had built and shook my head. "I guess I should know better than to doubt you at this point, but I still don''t think this is going to work."


    "Taylor, honestly, you worry way too much. The system is meant to be easy to use."


    "It''s not going to explode, is it?"


    "Don''t be silly. The chances of that happening are, uh, small."


    "You can''t see my face, but I''m glaring at you."


    "Yeah, yeah, I can feel the angst from here. Just plug the darn thing in."


    I shielded my face and plugged the power cable into the garage outlet. After a few seconds of not being struck by shrapnel, I uncovered my face and examined the machine. It crackled and hummed softly, and a pale green glow shone from the base.


    "Is it supposed to do that?" I asked.


    "Yup. Now enter the code on the keypad."


    I typed in the long alphanumeric that K provided me with. Once I was done, a green oval the size of a large trash can lid flickered into life above the device. It writhed and spun in midair, making a loud sizzling noise. The sharp tang of ozone filled the garage. I flinched back reflexively.


    "Okay, reach in and grab the trunk," K said.


    "That doesn''t look safe at all."


    "Taylor, just trust me."


    Trust wasn''t easy for me, but K hadn''t steered me wrong so far. I winced and reached into the oval. My arm got cold, but I pulled it back out with no obvious injury. I stuck my hand back in and groped around until I felt a box with a handle. I braced myself and pulled hard. A dark blue trunk slid out of the portal, and I grunted with effort as its weight pressed into my torso. I cursed and dropped the container onto the floor with a thud.


    "Super! Now press the red button." K said.


    I did so, and the swirling portal quickly shrunk to nothingness. I sighed with relief. Even if it was "temporary and minor", having a portal open into another dimension was¡­ stressful.


    "Alright. You want to tell me what we just pulled out of thin air?"


    "Oh, this and that. Go ahead and crack it open."


    I pried open the trunk, coughing as a bloom of dust rose from its interior.


    "Wow, been a while since I accessed the ol'' emergency stash, eh?" K said, chuckling. "Ooh, forgot I put those in there. Take ''em out."


    I fanned through what looked like a bunch of business cards. "Hashtag Kmichaelkills?''" I asked.


    "Catchy, right?"


    I snickered. "And what''s this map in the bottom corner? Do you have an office?"


    "Nope, that used to have my current location displayed on it."


    "What, seriously? Did you really want potential clients to know where you were all the time? That seems a little dangerous."


    K cleared his throat loudly. "Anyways, take out that long bag there." Was he ignoring me? Suspicious.


    I drew out the bag in question. "Is this¡­?"


    "Yup. Variable output energy rifle. Compact, minimal maintenance, super deadly. Not a lot of armor piercing, though."


    I unzipped the bag and pulled out the weapon. It was a sleek purple rifle about the length of my arm. With the press of a button on the side, a recessed scope and barrel extended out. I flipped it over and found a mark that looked like the letters "RS" in a stylized logo. In short, the thing was gorgeous. I honestly didn''t think I was going to get all gun crazy, but as I held the weapon I started to feel like a real badass.


    "How do I shoot it?" I asked with a wicked grin.


    K chuckled. "We''ll get around to that. Let''s see what else we''ve got."


    I proceeded to pick out each item while K described them. Overall, the remaining inventory was thus:


    Two pairs of goggles, one for low-light conditions and one for "lookin'' sharp."


    One half-mask with chemical filters


    One armored vest that was too big for me.


    One grappling hook launcher.


    One energy pistol.


    One nasty-looking knife.


    A sack containing 200 golden coins K called "Flurbos."


    "Wow. My dad can never see this."


    "Yeah, pocket dimension stash not looking so unreasonable now, huh?"


    "Whatever," I drawled. "Do you want to be smug or do you want to show me how to shoot?"


    After some deliberation, we decided to head out to the Boat Graveyard to practice my marksmanship. But before he would let me fire a single shot, K forced me to go through all sorts of gun safety rules and other "fundamentals." Proper maintenance and cleaning. Trigger discipline. Proper breathing techniques. Stance and form. There were a few things I didn''t need to worry about with the energy weapons, such as bullet drop, recoil, and wind speed, but we went over them anyways. In great detail. I had to recite each lesson verbatim before I could start shooting. And as if that wasn''t enough, K promised that there were all sorts of weird guns with unique rules that I would need to learn in the future.


    When I fired it, the energy rifle was surprisingly quiet, making only a muffled pew with each shot. Once he was satisfied that I was reasonably competent shooting prone, he made me try to fire from all sorts of positions. Standing. Sitting. Kneeling. Lying on my back. Then we worked with the pistol. I admit that I got pretty frustrated at that point. As compared to the rifle, the pistol was tremendously less forgiving of improper stance, unsteady hands, and shaky breathing. Even at mid range, I struggled for hours to land my shots anywhere near the target. Patience and focus, K told me. Patience and focus. Apparently the weapons had some sort of exotic energy source, so I fired day in and day out with no regards to running out of ammo. Even so, it took weeks before I could reliably get my shots on target.


    After one too many days coming home late from shooting practice, my dad finally expressed his concern for my safety.


    "Where are you even going?" he asked.


    "All over. Running, exercising. A little parkour." Not quite a lie.


    "Par-what?"


    "Parkour. Using urban surfaces as an obstacle course."


    "Sweetheart, God knows I''m glad you have a hobby, but I don''t know if it''s safe for you to be running¡­ obstacle courses late into the evening."


    I opened my mouth to protest, but K cut me off suddenly.


    "He might have a point, Taylor. You could spend more time with your dad," he said. "Not everybody gets the chance to do that."


    What? K was suggesting I take a break? Where was the single-minded drill instructor? Well, whatever. I have been feeling kind of guilty for being out of the house all the time.


    "Okay, Dad. I''ll try to be home before dark." His relieved smile gave me a nice fuzzy feeling.


    So, during the evenings, K suggested that we watch a vast queue of crime, war, and action films that he declared were of "educational value." By that, he apparently meant that he would give running commentary on gunfights and kung fu moves. Most of them I just endured, but I enjoyed Full Metal Jacket a surprising amount. I guess I empathized with the boot camp trainees. If my Dad was puzzled at my sudden desire to watch violent movies with him, he didn''t show it much.


    As another form of father-daughter bonding, I managed to wheedle him into teaching me how to drive. Even though I wasn''t yet sixteen and thus couldn''t get a permit, I could still drive¡­ dubiously acquired vehicles. I did feel a little guilty about making my dad an accessory to my future crimes, but I soothed my conscience with two facts. First, I would only acquire vehicles from criminals. Second, it seemed like it made Dad really happy to teach me something. He had been especially depressed about his inability to protect me since the locker, so he quickly latched onto the opportunity to be a "real dad."


    In the meantime, K had stated that my skill had risen to a "passable" level. This meant that I could start planning my first relatively low-risk job. I had gone back and forth with K on what I should do, and we both agreed that the job would need to make me money. The unfortunate reality was that my skill set didn''t lend itself towards "typical" hero activities. I needed equipment, information, and connections to make a real impact, and those things cost money. I was fortunate that K''s emergency stash gave me some basic equipment, but I needed more, and Dad and I weren''t exactly swimming in cash.


    I had checked the laws, and there were some dispensations for seizing cash gained through criminal actions, both for police and for vigilantes. However, the fraction that I would obtain legally as an independent hero wasn''t going to be enough. I would need to simply walk away with whatever cash I could find. I understood the necessity of what I was going to do, but it still felt sleazy. I wouldn''t just be stumbling onto the cash in the process of crime-fighting. I was going in with the express purpose of robbing criminals. Feeding off the proceeds of misery and violence. I decided that my target would need to be especially heinous so that I could steal from them without feeling bad.


    I flipped through the profiles of the gangs and their respective members. Lung seemed like a guy who held a particularly¡­ explosive grudge, so I shied away from the ABB. As for the Empire Eighty-Eight, they had a frankly ridiculous number of capes. It was too risky that they would have a parahuman guarding the target I decided to hit. So I settled on the Merchants. They didn''t have a very big cape roster, they pushed drugs on kids, and they were just gross in general. If their having a leader named Skidmark didn''t clue you in to that last part, I don''t know what would.


    I pulled up a map and began to make my plan.


    After I watched Full Metal Jacket, I was curious about the Vietnam War, so I read all sorts of stuff about it. The battles, the politics, the people. For whatever reason, one thing that caught my attention was something known as Operation Purple Dragon.


    Early on in the war, the United States military realized that its operations were somehow compromised. The Viet Cong were able to frequently evade and outmaneuver U.S. forces, seeming to know when and where attacks were going to occur. It was assumed that the Viet Cong was unable to decrypt secure communications and that they were unlikely to have a vast enough spy network to predict every U.S. operation. Thus, the U.S. came to the conclusion that American forces themselves were somehow revealing information to the enemy.


    The U.S. Joint Chiefs authorized an investigation of all aspects of combat operations, seeking to uncover the places where exploitable info could be insecure. This investigation was labeled Operation Purple Dragon, and it was the birth of a discipline called Operations Security, or OPSEC for short. OPSEC essentially focuses on making sure that you don''t give away important info by broadcasting it where others can easily pick it up. It was originally a military thing, but it applies to pretty much any group that wants to hide what it''s planning. That includes corporations, law enforcement, and last but not least¡­ organized criminals.


    However, despite their status as a fairly large criminal gang, it was pretty clear that the Merchants didn''t bother with OPSEC. I was worried that my rookie surveillance skills wouldn''t be up to the task, but by simply following their street-level dealers and runners, I had managed to glean the locations of several stash houses. Trust me, it was hard for me to believe, too. There were no covert wiretaps, no tracking devices, and no intense interrogations. Just the exploitation of carelessness.


    A runner picked up the cash once a week, so I aimed to hit them right before the next cycle. At an ungodly three A.M., I slipped out of my house and headed for the docks. My green low-light goggles and half mask obscured my face. I had to get a little creative with the straps on the armored vest to keep it on snugly, but K promised that it would stop any small-arms fire. As for weapons, I brought the energy pistol, the knife, and pepper spray. I also brought along some zip ties to secure any un-powered bad guys. I looked more like a SWAT officer than a superhero.


    Based on what I had seen, the house I was going to hit would only have a max of three guys "on duty." By that, I mean they sat around and got high in the vicinity of the money they were supposed to be guarding. Even better luck, one of them was a steady drinker and had a fairly regular schedule of relieving himself in a side alley. Either they didn''t have a working toilet inside, or he was just a nasty person. As he stumbled towards my hiding place in the alley and I caught his stink, I voted for the latter.


    He began to urinate, and I grimaced as I ghosted up behind him. I kicked the back of one of his knees and pulled him into a tight sleeper hold. He scrabbled furiously and clawed at my forearm and face, but I kept my face averted and pulled harder. He was pretty out of it, so it wasn''t exactly a titanic struggle. He gurgled noisily and went limp. I waited for a long count of three and gently lowered him to the ground. Gross, he drooled all over my arm! Oh God, did he¡­? I checked myself over and found my clothing blessedly free of bad guy urine. I dragged him behind a dumpster and zip tied his wrists and ankles.


    Sitting on the base of a streetlight, a lone Merchant sentry was occupied typing away on his phone. Dang, that''s a pretty nice smartphone. Why do sc.u.mmy low-level drug dealers have nicer things than me?


    "Wow, that sure is sloppy." K said. "You think having his neck broken will teach him not to text while he''s on watch?"


    I thought you said I would be on my own for this job, I mentally sent. We had learned that K was able to "hear" my surface thoughts, if I pushed them through hard enough. It was a bit concerning that he could essentially read my mind, but it was useful for silent communication and not looking like a nutjob in public.


    "Yeah, well, sure. I won''t tell you what to do. I can still give you my opinions, though," he said.


    I made a face. Still, I was glad these guys were making it so easy for me. I padded silently over to the lazy watchman and swept my hand over his mouth, jamming my energy pistol into his back. "You make a noise, and I''ll shoot you. Got it?" I said. I was bluffing, but he didn''t seem to know that. He nodded stiffly, and I removed my hand from his mouth. "Good. Take out your gun with your left hand, slowly, and give it to me." He complied, giving me his rusty-looking revolver from his waistband. I took his phone too, because he didn''t deserve it. "We''re walking over to that door. Don''t do anything stupid." I gave him a small push.


    Once we got to the door, I stepped off to the side and kept the gun trained on his center. "Tell him to open it." I saw a moment of rebellion cross his greasy face, but having a crazy-looking pistol pointed at his chest ultimately unmanned him. He knocked on the door in an odd pattern. Knock knock knock. Knock. Knock. The view-port on the door slid open and a thin rat-like face appeared.


    "Keezy? The f.u.c.k are you doing here? Ain''t you on watch? Where''s Mack?"


    I gestured with the pistol, and Keezy winced. "Yeah, man, Mack wanted some air. He''s taking my shift."


    "F.u.c.kin'' really? He looked shit-faced to me. Well, who gives a shit," Rat-man said, disengaging the locks and opening the door inward.


    I darted out from the corner and kicked Keezy in the lower back, sending him crashing into Rat-man. They fell to the floor in a tangle. I pointed my weapon at Rat-man, and he paused in the middle of cursing and reaching for his gun. I advanced and closed the door behind me, keeping my gun steady on target. "Take out your gun and put it down. Slowly."


    Rat-man turned an interesting purple color, and bubbles of saliva appeared on his lips as he spat, "I''ll tell you what I''m gonna take out, you f.u.c.kin'' bitch. You know who you''re f.u.c.kin'' with? We''re-"


    I adjusted my aim slightly and shot a filthy couch, blowing a smoking hole in a cushion with a loud fzzt sound. Unfortunately, there was no "stun" setting. I trained my aim back on Rat-man''s torso, and he settled down pretty quick. "Take out your gun, slowly, and put it down. Then kick it over to me." I said. Rat-man complied. "Thank you. Zip tie your friend there," I ordered, tossing over the ties. Rat-man did so with shaky hands, and Keezy groaned. "Quiet. I didn''t hit you that hard." I turned to address Rat-man again. "Now tie yourself. Use your teeth." He struggled a bit, but he managed.


    "Now, where''s the money?" I asked. Both of my hostages gave me a bit of a stink eye, and I sighed. "I''m going to find it anyway. The only question is, do you want to end this night a-okay with no money, or as two piles of dust with no money?" It was a bit over the top as far as threats went, but I was quickly finding that I needed to be melodramatic to get criminals to pay attention. They looked at each other. I made a "Well?" gesture with my gun.


    "In the kitchen, under the sink," Keezy said.


    I nodded and walked over to the kitchen. Wow, did every surface have to be covered in grease? I stepped gingerly over some trash and prayed not to encounter any roaches. I holstered my gun and opened the cupboard under the sink. Three trash bags, one filled with yellow-capped vials and the other two with cash. I left the drugs and took the money.


    I turned to leave and saw a flash of motion in my peripheral vision. I reached for my gun but was struck before it could clear its holster. I was carried to the floor and was quickly pinned by my attacker''s weight. I was swamped by the smell of stale cigarettes and sweat. He threw a punch at my face, and I brought up my forearms to guard. He rained down a couple more hits before he gave it up and started throttling me.


    He was heavy. Claustrophobia began to set in. I couldn''t move, couldn''t escape. My breath came in panicked gasps. I heard blood whoosh in my head and my vision dimmed as his grip tightened. For a long few seconds, I just clawed at his hands and thrashed uselessly. Then I gritted my teeth, seized his wrists and twisted with my h.i.p.s as I''d done a hundred times in training. He rolled off me with a surprised squawk. Then he levered himself to a crouch and pulled a switchblade. I groped around at my belt and grabbed my pepper spray. I shoved it right in his face and blasted him. He screamed and clutched at his eyes, staggering to a knee against a cupboard. His knife clattered to the floor. I got to my feet and stepped over, kneeing his head against the Formica counter. He grunted but didn''t go down all the way, so I grabbed a handful of his hair and slammed his head against the cupboard until he went limp.


    I slid down to a seated position against a wall. "F.u.c.k," I whispered, taking a shuddering breath and gingerly touching my abused throat. "F.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k. Shit!"


    "You''ve got this, Taylor," K said. "Grab the money, call it in, get going."


    I stared straight ahead. "He could have killed me. He had a knife."


    "No time to think about it now. Money, call, leave."


    I gave a shaky nod and pushed myself up, clutching the bags of cash to my chest. I stumbled out of the kitchen and resisted a nasty urge to pistol-whip Keezy and Rat-man on the way out. I used my commandeered smart-phone to call the BBPD.


    "Brockton Bay Police, what''s your emergency?" A curt-sounding female dispatcher answered.


    "I''ve got¡­ four Merchants incapacitated with a stash of drugs at my location." I rattled off the address. "Three are in the building, one is in a side alley." I hesitated. "One inside might need medical attention."


    A slight pause. "Okay, ma''am. Are there any parahumans at the scene?"


    Other than me? "Nope, just normal sc.u.mbags."


    "Alright, thank you. Units are on their way. Would you mind staying on the line until they arrive?"


    "Yeah, I would," I said, dropping the phone on the sidewalk. I slung the bags of drug money over my shoulder and walked off into the night.


    - - -


    AN: Yes, I realize it''s pretty convenient that Krombopulous had a stash of gear in a pocket dimension. But with how competent and prepared he is, I didn''t think it was too "out there" for him to have an emergency stash that he could easily access from anywhere.


    Is there a formal process to request a beta reader? I''m mostly looking for someone to bounce storyline ideas off of and to give me reality checks on characterization.


    Chapter 1.5


    I counted through my dirty money. Often it was literally dirty; I had lost track of all the mysterious stains and encrusted goop that I had discovered on the bills spread out at my feet. I flipped through the last of the stacks and wrote down my count. Nine thousand three hundred and twelve dollars. I stared blankly at the number. Was that a lot? It seemed like a lot. Did drug dealers really make that much money? Why wasn''t that much cash guarded better? I shook my head to clear it. Nothing to be gained by worrying about it now.


    "So what do I do with all this?" I asked.


    "Oh, a few odds and ends. To get the real stuff, we''ll need to spend some Flurbos. You''re not ready to deal with those kind of¡­ people yet, though," K replied.


    My shoulders dropped. "Yeah, I kinda messed up, didn''t I?"


    "Ah, no, no. That''s not what I meant. You did fine, Taylor."


    "Really? I missed that guy and he almost strangled me."


    "Mmm. Okay, let''s do this now. Get out a piece of paper and a pen." I did so. "Okay, so what mistakes did you make? Write ''em down."


    "Um, I didn''t know the exact number of people in the building." I wrote ''bad recon'' on the paper.


    "Yep. But even with good recon, you should never assume that you''ll know exactly what''s going to happen. Even the most detailed plans can go sideways. The important thing is being able to react quickly to new developments."


    "And I messed up doing that."


    "In a way. Let me ask you this: why was that guy able to sneak up on you?"


    "Because I was focused on the money."


    "You let down your guard. A job is never done until you''re safe back at your hideout. That''s why exit strategies are so important."


    I tapped my chin with the pen. "Yeah, once I got the money, I figured it was ''mission complete.'' That was dumb." I wrote ''let down my guard.''


    "Don''t beat yourself up. This isn''t to make you feel bad; it''s so you can improve for next time. What else?"


    We went over the slip-ups I made, as well as possible contingencies for the future. What would I have done if more reinforcements had showed up, or a parahuman? What if the sentry had refused to help me open the door? And so on. Discussing it in detail helped calm my nerves.


    "Okie dokie, I think that''ll be it, for now. One last thing before we head out. What''s the main lesson you learned from this job?"


    I doodled a bit on the page as I thought. "Be more careful?"


    "Uh-huh. Remember that. Never get c.o.c.ky, never assume you know everything."


    "Got it." I slowly wrote ''Never get c.o.c.ky'' and circled it several times. I dropped the pen and rubbed at my eyes. "K, am I doing the right thing?" I asked.


    "I think we covered all the major stuff. You''ll do great next time."


    "No, I mean¡­ stealing from criminals. I don''t really feel like a hero."


    "Hmm. You might be asking the wrong person, Taylor. I have no code of ethics, so I''ve never really been one for right things or wrong things. I just do my things."


    "So you have no opinion on what I should do next?"


    "Oh, well, of course I do. But I think you''re over-thinking it. ''Hero'' is just a label. If you tangle yourself in knots trying to fit a label, you''ll end up ignoring what you really want."


    Could it really be that simple? "I guess I''m confused about what I want, then."


    K chuckled. "Well, you''re a teenager. That''s how it''s supposed to be. Let''s back up a step. What did you say you wanted to do?"


    "Uh, to protect people from bad guys," I said, blushing slightly. It didn''t sound any less childish when I said it now.


    "There you go, then! Let''s push on that track. You robbed those drug dealers because you needed the resources, right?"


    "Right."


    "Then let''s put those resources into use. Go after the bad guys that really deserve it."


    "You mean the Kill Order list? I don''t think I''m ready."


    "Nope, we don''t have the firepower yet. But there are plenty of really horrible people that don''t have superpowers. Them, you could take out no problem."


    I paused, considering. "But only capes can have Kill Orders. If I killed un-powered criminals, I would be murdering people, illegally."


    "True. Tell you what, let''s do a little poking around, see what we can dig up. Then you can make a better informed decision."


    I supposed that fact-finding was a good first step, regardless of what path I eventually decided to take. "Okay, how do we do that?"


    "Well, since your performance review is done, how do you feel about a little networking?"


    I had never seen a nightclub outside of a movie, so standing in the middle of one that was fully lit and mostly empty felt¡­ weird. Like I was on a Disneyland ride that had broken down. I adjusted my "classy" purple-lensed goggles as I looked around. The club could technically be considered a cape lair, and thus fair game for attack. I wondered if the bar counter had armored plates; it''d be a good place for cover.


    A huge, hunched man in a hoodie pushed open a pair of double doors. "Good afternoon," he said as he approached me. "I am known as Gregor. I am to understand that you wish to see Faultline on a matter of business?"


    Wow. I had read that "Gregor the Snail" was big, but his sheer size was difficult to convey in words. He was like a pudgy bear shoved into a hoodie and sweatpants. However, I was determined to be professional. I extended a hand for him to shake, and he paused for a moment before taking it. I was proud that I didn''t flinch at his transparent skin.


    "Pleasure to meet you, Gregor. And that''s correct. I''m establishing myself in this city and I would like to start making connections with local players."


    He nodded slowly. "I see. And may I ask what you wish to establish yourself as?"


    A test. I hesitated for a second. "A rogue." Faultline''s group was technically neutral, but the majority of their work was villainous. I didn''t want to alienate them by claiming to be a straight-up hero.


    I couldn''t see his face, but I got the impression that Gregor was eyeing me intently. Whatever conclusion he made, he nodded again and gestured towards a door. "After you," he said.


    One staircase and a cool secret passage later, I was sitting across a desk from Faultline, the mercenary boss-lady herself. Gregor settled into a chair behind me. I had to admit that I felt a little intimidated. Faultline had a sort of half professional suit, half samurai armor thing going on, and it made her look much more competent than I felt. She leaned back in her chair, her fingers steepled.


    "What brings you here today, Miss¡­?" she asked.


    "You can call me ''T,'' for now." K chortled. What? I hadn''t thought up a cool assassin name yet. "I''m interested in connecting with pros in the area. I may also be in the market for a few¡­ hard-to-get odds and ends."


    Faultline''s eyes narrowed. "In what capacity do you plan to operate, T?"


    I shrugged, belying my nerves. This would be the hard bit to sell. "You could say hero, technically." Gregor shifted behind me. I knew that he had a gun. "But for the purposes of our interactions, you can consider me a rogue. I only want to do business."


    There was a long pause as she stared me down. I straightened a bit, feeling the knife that I had taped to my back. Then she nodded, and I heard Gregor settle back into his chair. "I see," she said. "And what kind of business would you do with us?"


    I forced down a relieved sigh. "Information, mostly. Maybe some logistical support. Nothing that''d put your team in the line of fire."


    Faultline gave a half-shrug. "That could be arranged. Did you have something specific in mind?"


    I drummed my fingers on the chair leg. "I''m looking for truly¡­ nasty characters," I said. Oh God, I was picking up on K''s vocabulary. "They don''t necessarily have to be big names. Just anyone who commits, uh, unforgivable crimes."


    She met my eyes. "You''re not a crusader, are you, ''T''? Zealots are bad for business."


    I was ready for this accusation. "No, I''m not. But even as a criminal, there are rules, right?"


    She took a deep breath. "Yes, there are. Not that everyone follows them."


    "Well, there you go."


    "And what do you intend to do, once you find these ''nasty characters''?"


    I smiled blandly.


    Faultline shook her head. "We don''t get involved in wet work." I knew the term from all the spy movies I had been watching. It was a pretty colorful way to describe murder.


    "She''s on the edge," K said. "Push her a bit."


    I leaned forward. "I wouldn''t ask you to get directly involved. I''m just asking you, as one person to another, aren''t there any crimes in the Bay that you are truly disgusted by?"


    Her expression remained unyielding, and for a second I thought she was just going to blow me off. But at length, she sighed and put a hand to her forehead. I waited for her to fold. Then something totally unexpected happened. Gregor started to laugh. It was a nice laugh, deep and cheerful.


    "She is full of fire," he said. "It has been a long while since I have seen anyone put you on the back foot."


    Faultline rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "I haven''t gotten this far on fiery words." She looked up at me. "There are a lot of horrible things that happen in the Bay. It''d take more than passion to get them to stop."


    I nodded. "I''m willing to do what it takes."


    "Are you? You talk a good game, kid, but I''m pretty sure you don''t know what it''s like to face real danger."


    "Maybe, maybe not. But I''m not interested in looking the other way."


    She gave me a small smile. "Gregor is right; you do have fire. Alright then, I might have something that you''d be interested in."


    "How much do you want for the info?" I asked, perhaps a little too quickly.


    She waved me off. "The general gist is free. Right now we''re just talking. Got it?"


    I nodded.


    "Good," she said. "Are you familiar with the ABB?" she asked.


    "Yeah. Asian gang, run by Lung. His main lieutenant is Oni Lee. Rumored to have another parahuman on board, but details are spotty."


    "That''s right. How much do you know about Lung?"


    "Uh, he turns into a big dragon? Gets tougher and stronger as the fight goes on. And he''s killed a lot of capes."


    "Right again. Lung holds down most of his territory through personal threat alone. But he doesn''t have the parahuman manpower or raw resources to directly compete with the Empire in the typical gang activities like gun-running and drugs. Because of this, he''s driven to make ends meet in¡­ other ways."


    "And those are?" I asked.


    "Human trafficking, mostly. Modern day slavery."


    I grimaced. Faultline must have noticed my expression. "Do you want me to go on?" she asked.


    Shame weighed on me. I had come here to find the worst of the worst, and yet when it came up, I was tempted to look away. "Yes," I said.


    "Very well. Most gangs are involved in prostitution in one way or another, and none of them are what you would really call ''nice.'' But Lung has escalated to the point where his soldiers are kidnapping girls and forcing them into the s.e.x trade. Poor immigrants, mostly. Girls who won''t be missed."


    I schooled my face to calmness, swallowing my anger. "And the police don''t know about this?" I asked.


    "They know girls are going missing, yes, and the ABB is usually suspect. But most of the girls don''t have families to raise a stink, and there''s not a lot of evidence. So the cases fall through. No one wants to lean too hard on Lung''s organization without some serious pressure to do so."


    My jaw clenched. This was how things worked. Girls could be abducted off the street and turned into slaves, and nothing was done. Why? Because Lung was strong and his victims were not.


    Faultline eyed me warily. "I can see you''re getting upset. Believe me, I''m not happy about it either. Like you said, there are rules in this game. But right now, there''s a fragile balance. If someone started hitting Lung in his pocket, he''d get desperate. Then things would escalate, and lots of innocent people would get caught in the crossfire."


    "So we do nothing?" I asked quietly.


    A corner of Faultline''s eye twitched. "I do nothing, because I am responsible for my team. We''re pros. We do jobs, we get paid, and we stay neutral. We don''t go on missions of mercy that could get us all killed."


    "You touched a nerve," K said. "Back off a little."


    I put up my hands in a gesture of surrender. "Alright," I said, "fair enough. The situation is delicate."


    "You''re damn right it is. But we''re just talking. What you decide to do after our conversation is your business," she said, waving a hand nonchalantly. "Unless you were to decide to hire us, for whatever purpose. Then it would become our business."


    "Ha!" K crowed. "Now that''s a pro."


    I couldn''t help smiling as I stood to shake her hand. "Well then, I''ll be in touch."


    - - -


    AN: Moar dialogue! I am much obliged to my beta readers, SkyTroupe and Omnimessiah, for their efforts in this section. I have some story line decisions to make for the next few parts, so the next release may be somewhat delayed.


    Chapter 1.6


    AN: IT LIVES! I apologize for the lengthy unannounced hiatus. I hate unfinished fanfics, so I will do my damnedest to make sure this story is never completely abandoned.


    - - -


    A basic part of becoming an a.d.u.l.t is learning how expensive everything really is. As a child, there are all sorts of costs that are invisible to you because your parents take care of them. When you grow up, those costs begin to weigh on you. And as I looked at my shopping list, I felt that weight grow heavier and heavier. Weapons. Armor. Surveillance equipment. Bribes. Faultline''s fees. Tech parts. The list went on and on. Suddenly, my spoils from the Merchant stash house were seeming pretty meager. I didn''t want to go in unprepared, but I simply didn''t have enough money to get everything that I wanted.


    Also, by examining a map of gang territories, I began to see the ugly dilemma that Faultline had presented. Empire Eighty-Eight held a great deal more territory than any other gang, and they were constantly encroaching on the borders of other groups. If I hurt the ABB too badly, the Empire would flood all over the city. As much as I disliked the idea of slavery in Brockton Bay, I wasn''t sure the prospect of a Neo-Nazi organized crime monopoly appealed to me either. Maybe I could take down Lung and Kaiser? Without them, their respective organizations could collapse. But then again, that could just as easily end in a huge free-for-all. Ugh, this is complicated.


    I groaned and rubbed at my eyes. "K, this sucks. I can''t take on the whole parahuman underworld by myself."


    K tsked. "Well, if you''ve got a big problem, cut it up into smaller ones. What are the things that you absolutely have to do?"


    "Uh, rescue any girls who are being held hostage, and shut down the trafficking for good. Ideally without starting a huge gang war."


    "Hmph. If you want to accomplish those goals without a big splash, you could probably do that by taking out enough mid-level guys."


    "Can''t they just be replaced? Lung is the one who gives the orders."


    "Sort of. It depends. The ones with more specialized knowledge and skills would be the best ones to go after. The lieutenants."


    "Okay, well, how do I figure out who they are? Should I contact Faultline?"


    "Let''s not, for the time being. Always try to get more than one source of info."


    "You don''t think we can trust her?"


    K chuckled. "Ah, Taylor, you ask the silliest questions."


    I often regretted not being able to glare at him. "Fine. Who do we go to, then?"


    "How about law enforcement? I''m sure you could bribe someone to give you case files."


    I winced. I was ostensibly one of the good guys. I shouldn''t need to bribe the cops to help me out. But if it got the job done¡­ "Do you really think so? I don''t have a lot of faith in the police, but I don''t know if they''d sell a random person confidential files."


    "Everybody''s got a price."


    That was a depressing thought. Did I really want to contribute to the corruption, even if it was for a good cause? "I want to have a good working relationship with the cops, eventually," I said slowly. "Maybe if I explain the situation, they''ll be willing to work with me."


    "That''d be swell. Super unlikely, but swell."


    I stuck out my tongue. "It''s worth giving it a shot. If they don''t see reason, I can always try¡­ other methods."


    "It''s your call. Just don''t get disappointed if they''re, uh, unreasonable."


    "It wouldn''t be the first time."


    As I walked into the precinct lobby with my goggles and mask, I realized that I looked an awful lot like a criminal. Regardless of the high parahuman population in Brockton Bay, I doubted that the police looked too kindly on random masked people strolling into their station. A harried-looking blonde receptionist did a double-take as she noticed me. A Plexiglas panel separated her from the main lobby, so she leaned forward and spoke into a microphone.


    "Can I help you, uh¡­ sir?"


    I suppressed a twitch. "Yes, I called earlier. I''m T. I''d like to speak to a detective from the HTU."


    She looked hesitant, but she nodded. "Alright, um, Miss. Please take a seat and I''ll call someone for you."


    I did so, careful not to make any sudden moves. I suspected that the receptionist was still a little skittish. This suspicion was bolstered by a uniformed officer that showed up and leaned not-so-casually on the wall opposite me. I tried to smile reassuringly at him before remembering that my mask covered my mouth. I drummed my fingers on my thighs as my right leg shook with nervous energy.


    After a few tense minutes, a tall man with slicked back hair and a rumpled button-down shirt entered the lobby. He said something to the officer, who nodded and departed. The man approached me with a smile, his hand extended.


    "Good afternoon, Miss¡­?"


    "T," I said, shaking his hand. I really needed a cooler name.


    "Miss T, then. Is there a Mister T?" he asked, smirking.


    Har har. "No, sir. The fools will have to stay un-pitied."


    The detective snorted. "Too bad for them. I''m Detective Carver. I was told you were looking to speak with someone from the HTU?"


    I nodded. "That''s correct. I''m working as an independent hero, and I came by some information I''d like to verify with you."


    "Am I to understand you''re a parahuman then, Miss T?"


    "That''s right."


    "Well, BBPD doesn''t get involved in parahuman crime. The PRT has jurisdiction there, and they get a little antsy if we step on their toes."


    "I understand, but my intel specifically regards human trafficking, so I would think that you would be the best person to talk to. Human trafficking is your specialty, right?"


    "Hmm. That''s right, but the situation is still a bit iffy. If a parahuman is even peripherally involved, the PRT has dibs. Are you registered as an indie hero?"


    "No. I''d rather not reveal my powers to anyone just yet."


    Carver shrugged. "Well, I guess I can understand that, but if you''re not in the system there''s only so much we can talk about."


    "I''ll keep that in mind. I still think you''ll be interested in my information. Hear me out, and if you still think I should go to the PRT, I will."


    Carver tilted his head slightly for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Let''s take a walk over to my desk."


    He opened a door with a key card swipe and I followed him into the bustle of the actual precinct office. Piles of paperwork were on every desk, and the phones were ringing constantly.


    "Busy?" I asked.


    Carver clicked his tongue against his teeth. "It''s the Bay."


    It was depressing that that was a sufficient explanation.


    We arrived at the detective''s desk, which he hastily swept clean of food wrappers. "Alright, Miss T," he said, settling into his chair, "What do you got for me?"


    I sat and folded my hands on my lap. "So, just to be completely clear, you specifically target human trafficking, right?"


    "Yup," he said, popping the ''p''. "The HTU deals with any cases where people are coerced, defrauded, or forced into labor, service, or s.e.x.u.a.l exploitation." The words sounded practiced.


    "Okay. Have you seen a recent rash of abductions? Specifically of poor female minorities."


    Carver sighed. "Unfortunately, it''s hard to get solid numbers on that demographic. The families are usually afraid to come forward, and a lot of the time they''re here illegally. Makes ''em tricky to track."


    My shoulders slumped. "So you haven''t seen any movement there?"


    "Well, I wouldn''t say that," Carver said, rubbing the back of his neck. "There has been some chatter about girls going missing. More than the usual. Not much in the way of solid evidence, though."


    "Any suspects?"


    "Mm. Can''t comment on that, sorry."


    Was he fishing? I decided to bite. "Would the ABB be on your list?"


    The detective''s gaze sharpened. "And why would you ask that, Miss T?"


    "My source suggested they might be involved." I strove for nonchalance.


    "Uh-huh. And your source would be¡­?"


    "Confidential, for the time being."


    "Uh-huh." The detective tapped his fingertips slowly on his desk. "Well, I can''t do much with an unverified source."


    "Ooh, careful," K said.


    I know. "I understand that. How about this: I''ll start talking, and you stop me if I''m off base." Carver gave a tiny shrug.


    "Alright then," I continued, "The ABB pulls in a lot of income through prostitution. More so than any of the other gangs in Brockton Bay." Carver nodded. "And if Lung wanted to prop up that revenue stream even more, it would make sense for him to start getting larger numbers of girls who were¡­ more disposable." It put an ember of rage in my chest to say those words.


    I was hoping to get a reaction out of him, but Carver''s face was unreadable. "Even if what you''re saying were true," he said slowly, "That would be a parahuman crime, under the jurisdiction of the PRT."


    I needed to make a more convincing push. "Sure, Lung is¡­ hypothetically calling the shots on the abductions. But do you think that the PRT would do anything about it, even if they caught him red-handed? It''s Lung. Unless he starts massacring civilians by the dozens, they won''t go after him. They don''t think it''s worth it."


    Carver''s eyes narrowed. "So what are you suggesting? If the PRT aren''t equipped to take him on, we sure as Hell aren''t."


    "You''re right, which is why we''re not going after him."


    "''We''?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Well, it''d be a lot easier with your help," I said, prompting a chuckle from the detective. "You have the expertise and the experience here. Will you listen to my plan, at least?"


    Carver leaned back and sighed, but made a "go on" gesture. "Thank you," I said. "In order to keep his trafficking ring open, Lung would need people to run it, right? Lieutenants."


    Carver nodded, so I went on. "And those guys are un-powered. So if you¡­ happened upon them, you could arrest them."


    "Theoretically. But if they were clearly part of Lung''s organization, the PRT could still claim jurisdiction."


    "Hmm, they could," K said, "But I doubt they''d want to. I do believe Detective cool-hair here is being intentionally difficult, for whatever reason."


    I nodded. "Do you think they would, though? There''s no glory for them in scooping up a bunch of un-powered, mid-level gangsters."


    The detective chuckled. "That''s awfully cynical, kid. You''ve been living in the Bay too long."


    I shrugged to concede the point. "Maybe. But I really do doubt the PRT is going to come swooping in for extra work." I leaned forward a bit. Time to add a little more flattery. "Plus, have you seen the PRT track record for holding prisoners? I''d much rather have you guys on the job."


    Carver snorted. "Glad to hear you have such a high opinion of us. Okay, you might be right. If we, uh, happened upon some un-powered ABB traffickers, we could hold ''em. But if you wanted it to go down like that, you''d have to pass on the credit. Even un-powered crooks are under PRT jurisdiction if they''re captured by a parahuman."


    Was he testing me? Seeing if I was a glory hound? "It doesn''t matter, as long as they''re off the streets," I said firmly.


    The detective shrugged. "Alright. But I think there''s something else you want, eh?"


    "Take it easy here," K warned.


    "That''s right," I said, "I would appreciate any info you can give me on the ABB''s organization."


    "Mm. Sorry, but like I said before, you''re not with law enforcement. I can''t give you any files."


    I took a deep breath. After all that, he''s just going to blow me off? No. No. Don''t get upset. Take it easy. "Detective, I came here today because I respect the work that you do. I''m not asking you to go against department policy or to do anything you''re uncomfortable with. I''m just asking you to point me in the right direction, so I''m not going off blind. Help me to help you."


    Carver stared at me for a long moment, then a corner of his mouth quirked upward into a smile. "You make a compelling argument, Miss T, but there''s nothing I can give you, officially. Please allow me to walk you out."


    "I think you did it, Taylor," K said.


    What? He''s totally stonewalling me!


    "It sure seems that way, but wait for it."


    I pushed down my irritation and stood, striding out towards the lobby. The detective held the front door open for me and extended a business card.


    "I do apologize that I couldn''t be of more help, Miss T," he said. "Please feel free to contact me if you have any more information."


    I snatched the card with perhaps a touch of belligerence. "That''s quite alright, Detective. You have a nice day."


    "I''ll do my best," he said with a wry smile.


    "Damn," I muttered under my breath as I stomped away. I was tempted to chuck the card in the trash, and I raised it up to do so. Wait, what the hell is this? There was a small piece of paper attached to the card. I pulled it off and unfolded it. Scrawled on its surface was a single name. Trang Le.


    Well okay, then.


    - - -


    AN: Another dialog heavy chapter. Fear not, punching and shooting will arrive shortly.


    P.S. Does anyone know why I''m getting extra line breaks when I paste text into the window here? It''s not horrible, but I''d rather not have to manually remove line breaks from each paragraph every time I post here.


    Chapter 1.7


    As I pored over Trang Le''s Interpol file which I had¡­ acquired, my loathing for him built further and further. During his formative years in China, he was picked up several times for a sundry list of repulsive crimes, including the s.e.x.u.a.l assault of a minor. He next popped up in the early eighties under suspicion of involvement with an especially heinous organ harvesting ring. I forced myself to look at some of the pictures until K gently advised me to stop. When the C.U.I. came into power and started busting up the Triads, Trang fled the country. He was spotted in connection with various Asian crime syndicates up and down the East Coast throughout the nineties until he finally settled in Brockton Bay. When Lung executed his purge of the old Asian gangs, Trang was swept up as a lieutenant in charge of the ABB''s prostitution activities.


    I tossed the file away with a scowl. The cops knew a man like that was operating in Brockton Bay, and they just sat on the information. He was definitely going on The List. Still, I wanted to do more than take out one gangster, regardless of how revolting he was. Their operation needed to be crippled beyond repair.


    "We need more intel," I murmured.


    "Yup," K replied. "And you know what that means!"


    I leaned back and groaned as I put my hands over my face. "Surveillance."


    It wasn''t saying a whole lot, but ABB gang members were, on average, much more on the ball than the Merchants. They used burner phones, posted lookouts, and regularly switched up their routes for cash and drug drops. I supposed that having a merciless man-dragon as their boss motivated them. But although their diligence made my job more difficult, it was still far from impossible. I followed the hookers, who led me to the pimps, who led me to the runners. Trang kept himself pretty well isolated from his underlings, but I assumed he still did at least a few face to face meetings. I managed to tag a runner''s car with a magnetic GPS tracker, and I eventually got eyes on the Supreme Sleaze-Ball himself. Trang''s smug, greasy face made me itch to blast him somewhere painful, but I restrained myself for the greater good.


    Once I got a tracker on his car, I waited for a week to see all the places he visited. What I really wanted was the location where they were keeping the kidnapped girls; anything else would be a bonus. I scoped out all the spots one by one until I found a promising warehouse. Large, well-guarded, isolated. A prime location to stash unwilling s.e.x workers. Unfortunately, it was too heavily manned for me to take a look inside. I left with a silent vow to return.


    I''m sorry. I''ll get you out as soon as I can.


    Over the next couple weeks, I discovered a web of connections from Trang to the rest of his operation. It was sort of surreal to see how many "employees" were involved. Sub-lieutenants. Accountants. Transporters. Enforcers. Did any of them regret contributing to commercialized ****, or did they just see it as a job? As I finished labeling the last of the photos I had taken, I took off my glasses and rubbed my eyes. I had a new appreciation for the work that cops did. Getting all of that information was a pain in the ass, even without having to follow procedure and get search warrants.


    K suggested that I take a break and I agreed. I headed out to my normal shooting range at the Boat Graveyard, my rifle slung over my shoulder in a guitar bag. At some point, shooting had stopped being a chore. It was something I could focus on wholeheartedly, letting my other worries fade away. There was just me, my gun, and my target.


    "Let''s try multiple targets today. I''ll mark ''em out for you," K said. I nodded, and a trio of bright red dots appeared along the hull of a rusted tug boat. We had found that K was able to "push" visualized images into my sight, similar to how he sent me words mentally. I brought the rifle butt snugly up against my shoulder and established my sight picture. Bzzt. Shift. Bzzt. Shift. Bzzt. Three hits. I grinned.


    "Nice, nice. Let''s go for speed. Muzzle down, then take the targets as fast as you can as they pop up." I complied, taking a breath. A red dot appeared, and I snapped my weapon up. Bzzt. Three more targets appeared in quick succession, and I cycled to each one as quickly as I could. I tsked in frustration as I saw the last shot go wide.


    "You''re doing great. Make sure you keep the barrel steady with your support hand. Switch your grip if it''s uncomfortable."


    I nodded and shifted my hand a bit. We continued drilling for a while, the difficulty and complexity of the targets steadily increasing. At the end, I was both physically and mentally fatigued. I sat and performed the small amount of maintenance that the weapon required, which was mostly cleaning.


    "Have you thought about what you''re going to do with those gangsters?" K asked.


    I paused as I wiped the battery pack. "What do you mean?"


    "Well, this is a bit of a step up from our last caper. More dangerous. You might have to shoot someone, to defend yourself. Are you okay with that?"


    I took a slow, controlled breath. "I''m ready to do whatever it takes to save those girls."


    "Hmm. Okay. Just remember, in a life or death situation, there''s no such thing as ''excessive force.'' Do what you gotta do. Judgments can come later, as long as you''re still alive."


    I slapped the battery pack back into my rifle. "I''ve got it. I''m ready."


    "Alrighty. Let''s get going."


    After hours of planning and staring at blueprints, I realized that I had gotten so caught up in gunning for the ABB that I had forgotten one of my primary goals. I had to make sure that this wouldn''t spark a gang war.


    "As soon as I do this, the Empire is going to smell blood in the water. What can I do about that?"


    "Well, you could always hit them first. Put ''em on the back foot."


    "Err, do I really want to piss off the other major gang so soon?"


    "You''re gonna have to do it at some point. If you want to clean up the city, you can''t just leave Nazis hanging around. Might as well do some real damage before they know you''re out there."


    "Yeah, I guess you''re right. But how can I hurt them? They''ve got a ton of capes, not to mention all their un-powered guys."


    "Well, you kinda answered your own question there. Let''s make a list of all their capes. Who''re the most valuable people?"


    I started writing down names, checking the PHO wiki frequently. "Uh, Hookwolf and Kaiser are probably their heaviest hitters, followed by Night and Fog. Those last two aren''t really around that much, though. Maybe Othala? She''s their only healer."


    "Let''s stick with soft targets. We want to force them to react and stay on the defensive."


    "Okay, I''d say Othala then. Apparently she almost always has Victor with her, though. He''s like a¡­ skill vampire. That would be a bad match-up for me."


    "Then we''ll have to be sneaky. Fortunately for you, I am a master of the sneaky arts."


    I couldn''t help but giggle. "Okay Sensei, I trust in your guidance. But how will we find her? If she''s as valuable as we think, she''ll probably be well-hidden."


    "Aha. Well, she''s a healer, right?"


    "Uh, yeah?"


    "Then let''s give her some people to heal."


    I laughed. I think K was beginning to be a bad influence on me.


    I sat in a commandeered vehicle, slowly chewing on a piece of beef jerky. K was right when he said it was good stakeout food, if a little expensive. "Do you think I hit them too hard? One of them should''ve called it in by now."


    "Eh, they''re probably fine. Let''s just wait."


    I shrugged and went back to watching the Empire stash house I had just robbed. It was a pretty small haul, but that wasn''t the point for tonight. After another ten minutes or so, a bunch of cars pulled up and armed skinheads came piling out. I settled down a little lower in my seat. They swarmed into the building and returned with a handful of busted-up compatriots. Most of the wounded managed to limp their way out to the cars with assistance, although one had to be carried by two men. I may have been a bit overzealous with that guy. What is it with thugs and **** threats?


    I saw Stormtiger pacing around, yelling orders at his men, and they scattered to search the area. Yikes. That was one Nazi I didn''t want to tangle with yet. The vehicles with the wounded took off, and I waited for a few seconds before following. This was the first time I followed someone in a car, but I managed to stay undetected with K''s direction. The Empire cars eventually made their stop and I pulled past smoothly, continuing away down the street. Once I was confident I was out of sight, I parked in a side alley and got out.


    The possibly-Nazi-hospital had at least three thugs patrolling around it, so I took up a watch position and started waiting. Again. Have I mentioned how boring surveillance is? After another mind-numbing half hour, a black town car arrived. A pair of masked figures got out, and I identified Othala by the weird rune she had on her costume''s chest. She looked awfully young, which made her supposed relationship with Victor a little suspect. I shook my head. Focus, Taylor, focus. Don''t let your guard down. The two capes entered the building.


    I had gotten a few cool little toys with my Merchant money, one of which was a sap. A sap is basically a leather strap with a solid weight of some sort in one end. It turned out to be excellent for knocking out beefy white supremacists. I was a little concerned they might get concussions, but K assured me they would be fine. I guess he was the expert on sneaky take-downs. The last patrolling thug almost managed to cry out, but I hit him with a stun gun and he collapsed in a convulsing heap. Yay for (mostly) non-lethal weapons. Honestly, the hardest part was dragging all of the bodies into the bushes.


    I used a pilfered key card and opened the door a crack. I didn''t see any guards, so I slipped inside and quietly closed the door behind me. I wanted to make damn sure I didn''t get blindsided again, so I methodically cleared each room. The only other thug to be found was a guy watching TV with his back to the door. Sloppy. I choked him out and lowered him quietly to the floor. I closed the door to that room and slunk along the hall, my pistol drawn. I heard a muffled conversation from the room at the end.


    "¡­Never seen her before. She was crazy strong. Must''ve been a cape." I smirked as the thug made his excuses.


    "Did she demonstrate any other powers?"


    "Nah, just strong. Cold-c.o.c.ked me. Ahh. Thanks, Miss Othala. My head hurt like a bi- I mean, uh, it hurt real bad."


    "Of course," an amused sounding female voice said.


    I used a small mirror to check the room from around the corner. Victor and Othala both had their backs turned, standing at the bedside of one of my¡­ casualties.


    Should I hit them now? There were a few enforcers in beds around the room, but none of them really looked in fighting shape. Then again, Othala just healed that one guy, and he was facing the door. He could warn them. I decided to wait in ambush. Victor questioned the other injured thugs a little more and then began to leave. I hesitated. What if Othala had given him invulnerability? No. The Wiki said that she had time limits on the powers she gave. She wouldn''t just leave it on all the time. I would take Victor out first, then hit Othala before she could reach him.


    Victor cleared the corner and I stomped hard on the side of his knee. It gave out with the sound of crunching cartilage. He grunted and fell, and I finished him with a stun gun to the neck. Maybe it was a bit brutal, but I wasn''t about to take chances with a guy who had been stealing fighting skills for God knows how long. Othala gave a choked scream and took a swing at me. It wasn''t a bad punch, but she was still a teenage girl with no physical powers. I caught her wrist and sn.a.k.e.d my arm around her neck, putting her into a sleeper hold. She made a hell of a fuss trying to elbow and claw at me, but her struggles eventually flagged and she fell limp.


    As I quickly knelt to zip tie the two Empire capes, a large figure appeared in the doorway to the recovery room.


    "What the Hell''s going on here?" His eyes fell on me. "Aw shit. You again?"


    "Sorry," I said. I lunged forward.


    - - -


    AN: Shout out to my homies Omnimessiah and SkyTroupe for beta-ing and being patient.


    20K limit~ Continue to Spacebattles for Chapter 1.8!

 Chapter 241 - My CO Stash #41 - Heteromorph in Worm by Akallas von Aerok (WormXOverlord)

    -I''m surprisingly enjoying this OC with the Overlord Gamer System as his power/trigger, and since the author is Akallas you already know he bound to be OP asf~ It doesn''t only focus on Brockton Bay like other Worm fics too which is a refreshing take!


    Sypnosis: Maruyama-Overlord Style Power for a Cauldron Agent


    Rated: ???


    Words: 12K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/heteromorph-in-worm-overlord-maruyama-worm.793891/#post-61856674/ (Akallas von Aerok)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    I stared at the contract in front of me and the person who offered it to me.


    It was ¡­ incredulous. Fantastical. Unrealistic.


    Yet I desired it.


    "And what is the cost of accepting this exchange?" I asked, gesturing with my weak left arm at the contract.


    My name was David, and I am a cancer patient. I wasn''t a normal cancer patient, though; I was a terminal cancer patient. By a fault not of my own but rather an uncaring people who didn''t even realize that they were dumping mutagens into the river, I have acquired three different types of cancers by eating plants grown that were watered from the same river, even after filtration and treatment. As great as modern innovations like filtration and water treatments were, they weren''t perfect and things slipped through. I, out of a million people, was the victim.


    I hadn''t even realized that I had cancer until I just collapsed one day. According to the doctors, my balanced and healthy diet was the only reason why I hadn''t collapsed earlier because I started not with three cancers but five cancer sites.


    Miraculous, I know. My own diet was good enough to kill two sites but there was only so much diet could do against a host of problems.


    So when I collapsed and they admitted me to the hospital, they scanned me and found where the cancers were and how far they were along.


    Lung.


    Heart.


    Guts.


    All terminal.


    All widespread.


    Upon hearing all of that, I grieved. Rather, I allowed myself to grieve for a single day. I spent the last month tying up loose ends.


    Businesses, houses, lands, stocks. Nothing mattered when I was next in line to die.


    But here this person was, offering me a deal.


    I have been offered a deal, and the statement was thus.


    ''In exchange for curing you and giving you a supernatural ability, you will work for us.''


    What a farce.


    But ¡­ But it was a ray of hope for someone who''d been prepared to die.


    I stared at the contract.


    It was a simple thing. It was just a bunch of things that they were expected to give me, what they expected from me, and what the duration of my services would be. This was not something someone made to give false hope to a terminal cancer patient.


    No, this was a deal with the devil.


    There was not a single mention of what my services would be, what the side effect of this deal would be, what kind of cure would be used, or if I would be allowed to stay here in California with my family.


    Death or Uncertainty. That''s what this was to me.


    I picked up a pen with my weak and trembling left hand and added a new statement.


    [No memory alteration.]


    The woman in front of me stared at it, seemed to calculate the impact of the statement, and then nodded.


    I signed the contract.


    I set the pen down as the woman walked to my side and pulled out a syringe. "Sedative."


    "Does it matter?" I asked.


    "... A little."


    "Do it then," I said as I laid down.


    She injected it into my trembling arm, and I felt the drug take effect rather fast.


    ''Hopefully, when I wake up next time, it''ll be -''


    "- F.U.C.K.I.N.G HELL!" I roared as the drug they injected into me for the "cure" coursed through my body.


    Tied down to an operating table inside an unknown sterile white lab room, I screamed as I felt my body rip and tear itself apart. My heart pounded inside my chest but my chest was swelling and the bones were breaking and reforming -!


    "GAAAAHHHH!!!!"


    My head felt like someone poured white hot lead into it!


    My legs!


    My arm!


    MY MINI-ME! HOLY SHIT APPARENTLY I CAN F.U.C.K.I.N.G JOKE WHILE IN PAIN!


    I spat out blood and even with blood staining my mouth and lips, I screamed.


    Sitting in a cell, I grumbled before the same woman who offered me this deal walked up to the bars.


    "Are you calm?"


    I rotated my floating head.


    "Kind of," I spoke through grinding my rocks from within my head.


    "Are you ready to talk?"


    "... Sorry, I went crazy at the end," I grumbled out.


    The fedora wearing woman simply nodded. "We do not fault you," she said as she pulled out a key chain, picked out a key, and used it to open my ridiculously high strength and tensile bars. She slid the bar gates open, and I stood up. When she nodded, I walked out and followed her to one of the exits in this giant complex.


    I ignored the other hideously morphed creatures around me. They, like me, chose to take the chance to be cured. Like they, I had gone a little berserk after the end of the procedure. I''d gone a little insane after going through all of the pain I had to endure, and had lashed out.


    The fedora woman here had been there to stop me, though I''m not sure how my new changed self had been stopped by a fork.


    We exited the prison, because that''s what it was, and entered the sterile white portions of the compound. We walked for some time before coming to a stop in front of a door. She opened it, and we stepped through together.


    Waiting inside was a lab coat wearing person. He looked frazzled?


    He looked up from whatever his work with crystalline glowing within the liquid was, and saw me.


    "Ah, you brought him, Contessa."


    "Yes," the fedora wearing woman replied. "He''s the willing participant."


    The researcher looked me over before huffing. "Well, bring him over here, then. None of us have time to spare."


    The woman moved only a second after the researcher finished talking, and led me towards an empty armchair in the office. She gestured for me to sit down and when I did, she turned and left.


    I took a moment to stare after her and her shapely ass, I turned to look at the researcher, who was still focused on whatever he was working on.


    Then he abruptly stopped.


    "Alright. You''re name?"


    "David."


    "Hmm¡­ give me a different name. Different form, different name."


    A curt kind of man, I assume?


    I looked over myself. I wasn''t exactly human anymore. My "head" was a spherical construct floating with a hollow cavity filled with rough crystals. They ground for me to make the human sounds but they didn''t suffer wear and tear so far. My body was of similar material.


    "Augur."


    "... warning of an outcome, good or bad," the researcher hummed. "Good name. Have you worked on figuring out what your power may be?"


    I nodded my head.


    When I woke up in this compound, another researcher, a dark skinned lady who was definitely less familiar with modern equipment, explained to me that I would be swallowing the contents of a vial that they chose for me. From this vial, I had the chance of being cured of everything that had gone wrong for me and also obtaining a superpower.


    On the other hand, if I was incompatible with the power within even after the preparations they have gone through to ensure compatibility, then I would die from complications during the transition phase. I accepted regardless of the possibility of death because I was already a dead man walking. I just hadn''t expected that level of pain.


    During the time of my imprisonment, I took a lot of time to discover everything that had changed about myself. I immediately found that I had no neck, my head floated on its own, and all of my body was made out of barn red crystalline stuff. I absorbed iron to "heal" myself by touching but I could also abstain from doing so.


    "Alright, then what is it?" He paused. "Actually, before we go through with that, why don''t we establish some facts. What year was it, wherever you come from?"


    "2015." I was in college a year before I found that I was a terminal cancer patient. My parents got a lot of money from the company that was responsible for my state, so that was good.


    "It''s 1986 in the Earth that we are going to send you to."


    I felt the world sway for a second before everything snapped.


    They can change bodies and give people powers. What''s a parallel Earth to that?


    "Okay."


    "Great. We''ve established that, so let''s talk about your power."


    I scratched the "cheek" of my orb-head. "It''s ¡­ game-like?"


    "''Game-like''?" the researcher repeated.


    "I tried a lot of things to call up my powers, and it took me a long time."


    "Yes, you were in your cell for an entire day. You also didn''t sleep."


    I paused. "I don''t think I need to."


    He noted that down.


    "What else?"


    Well, when I was thinking about my status," I began. "It popped up."


    "It?"


    "A game screen."


    "A game screen¡­ What is a game screen?"


    "You haven''t played any video games?"


    The researcher shrugged. "Remember that I am from the same Earth you are being sent to. It''s the 1980''s for me but 2010''s for you. Things are different between our two Earths."


    "Ah. Okay. A game screen is part of a GUI, or Game User Interface, that allows a player to interact with the game in a manner that is not realistically possible."


    "Such as?"


    "Well, just like most roleplaying games that I know, my power seems to give me a status page and inventory."


    "Can you explain both of those to me?"


    "Status page shows me my status. Everything from any debuffs, like diseases, or just overall numerical, if arbitrary, clarification of my status. Inventory allows me to store things."


    "Do you know the limits?"


    "No."


    "Very well. We can end the discussion for now. You''ll be sent to my Earth, which is being called Earth Bet, as one of our agents."


    "What am I to do?"


    The researcher finally smiled. "Whatever is required of you."


    Augur Status said:


    Name:


    Augur


    Race:


    Golem (Crystaline) LvL. 1


    Gender:


    Male (S.e.x: As.e.x.u.a.l)


    Affiliation:


    The Cauldron


    Residence:


    Undecided / Earth Bet


    Karma:


    Neutral (0)


    Jobs:


    N/A


    HP: 5


    MP: 5


    Phy. Atk: 10


    Phy. Def: 10


    Agility: 5


    Mag. Atk: 5


    Mag. Def: 10


    Resistance: 5


    Special Ability: 3


    Chapter 1.1


    1990.2.6


    Information was key to action.


    It was something that most of the parahumans, or capes if they were active as a mask wearing freak, forgot about.


    "NO NO NO-!" one such cape screamed as he tried to run away from me by crawling away backwards.


    Not that it would work.


    I pulled out a knife and threw it.


    "EE-!


    Thunk.


    Slump.


    I sighed. It was irritating, but it was work nonetheless. Walking over to the dead cape, I grabbed him by his hair and dragged him out of the room with me. I didn''t say anything as I walked out of the room, and then the building, and finally out into the road.


    Few people who were still out at night saw me. Whispers soon broke out, which turned into louder murmurs and gasps when they saw who I was dragging behind me. Passing beneath multiple streetlights, I came to a stop at the center of an avenue and nodded to myself.


    I dropped the dead cape, and reached into my inventory. From there, I pulled out a long metal pole and planted it directly into the center of the asphalt road. Ignoring the growing crowd on the sidewalks, I grabbed the dead cape and hurled him up.


    Then I impaled him.


    People screamed but I ignored them. I knew that this cape was already dead.


    I turned to the still remaining people, some of whom had cameras.


    "I AM AUGUR!" I shouted. "Many of you know who I am and what I do. Some of you don''t!" I paused to let it sink in. "I am a vigilante who roams across the entire North America! I have been to Toronto! I struck down a neo-Nazi in Brockton Bay! I fought with the Teeth in New York City! I was there to fight Behemoth''s assault on Raleigh!" I let that sink in with another pause. "And I am now here in Phoenix, Arizona because I have heard of your troubles with this villain, the Slaver!"


    Yes, that was what the guy named himself. He was the central figure in human trafficking in all of US Southwest because he had an ability called "Send Teleport," which was basically the ability to teleport something - never himself, though - to a location if he knew what it looked like.


    It was a powerful ability, but the Slaver had neglected to use it for offensive uses. So secure in his petty criminal kingdom, he neglected to grow.


    Now, he was dead.


    "So I came and met out justice!" I roared, spraying my arms wide. "The cape who used the nation''s inability to imprison him in these times of trouble to further his greed and sell children, women, and men to slavery! The Slaver of Phoenix is now impaled before you! No more of your family will be sent across seas to suffer horrors and humiliations! No more! NO MORE!"


    Silence. It was always like this. Soon enough, however¡­


    Someone clapped.


    And another. Then more. Finally, the entire center of the avenue cheered wildly.


    "NO MORE!" I roared out.


    "NO MORE!" people cheered. "NO! MORE! NO! MORE! NO! MORE! NO! MORE!"


    This was America.


    I wasn''t going to let evil run wild.


    I bowed to the escalating cheers, and made my way out with the usage of [Fly], a Tier-3 spell of the Wizard Job. I watched as several of the newly minted Protectorates rushed to the area I was in, but they were too late.


    By the time they wove through the crowds to see the impaled body of the Slaver and hundreds of people cheering me on, I was already gone.


    Instead of hiding out within the city, I made my way towards Los Angeles. With the Slaver dead, his petty criminal kingdom was going to fall apart. There were still some capes that were under his employ, but they were soon going to fight each other.


    The Protectorate could deal with the small fries. I intended to get some more -.


    Ping.


    I stopped mid-flight and stared at the notification I got.


    [Level Up!]


    "Oh~!" I noted happily before quickly pulling up my status page. There, at the bottom of the page, was [Unused LeveL: 1], and the Races and Jobs sections both had open slots now.


    The way this Gamer power worked for me was that when I gained a Level, I didn''t "gain" a numerical level to an overall power level but rather a "Level Point" I could use to gain Racial and Job Class Levels.


    All races and jobs had their requirements, however, so I couldn''t choose something willy-nilly. For example, Clerics and Paladins were jobs that required high levels of faith (Resistance), which I only had moderate level of. War Wizard also required me to possess at least Wizard LvL 15, which I did have.


    This was great.


    Why?


    Because each job not only had requirements, or lack thereof for more basic jobs like fighters and wizards, but limitations. A regular Wizard could only use light armor, no matter their race or other job classes. A War Wizard, however, could use moderate armor. It was something I had been striving forward for sometime, and I was happy to finally get the chance to use it.


    War Wizard was a Job Class that worked to supplement the basic Wizard Class rather than a Job Class that gave more spell options. The magic system of this Gamer style was based on a "tier-magic system," which ranged from 1st Tier to 10th Tier and beyond.


    Gaining War Wizard allowed me to use spells at half cooldown period and use metamagic enhancements without cost. Whereas I needed to use ten percent of my entire mana pool (no matter how fast it recovered) to use [Extend Magic: Fly] to fly for 12 hours instead of the original 6 hours, once I obtained War Wizard, then I would be allowed to use [Extend Magic: Fly] with only five percent of my mana pool.


    It was awesome!


    I happily clicked away at War Wizard.


    But with [Fly] already active, I could do something else to get me to L.A.


    "[Boost Magic: Fly]!" I shouted cheerfully.


    And just like that, my 80 mph 3rd Tier Magic [Fly] became a 160 mph 4th Tier Magic [Fly].


    "WOOOOO!!!" I cheered as I blasted towards the city of Alexandria.


    Name:


    Augur


    Race:


    Golem (Crystalline): LvL. 15


    Gender:


    Male (S.e.x: As.e.x.u.a.l)


    Affiliation:


    The Cauldron / Indie Vigilante


    Residence:


    Earth Bet


    Karma:


    Neutral (0)


    Jobs:


    Wizard: 15


    A/N: The entire first arc will be a lot of setting and character development rather than conflict development. There will be a lot of timeskips, usually 1~2 year periods.


    Chapter 1.2


    1990.4.10


    Anaheim, California


    "There are some people who are very upset with you, miss."


    In this modern era when most of the weapons used had some sort of metal involved, the thing about fighting Tinkers was how easy it was.


    "Who the hell are you?" my target shouted before reaching for a very clearly tinkertech pistol on her belt. But before she could even pull it out, I quickly raised my hand up, which had a steel and leather gauntlet I bought from a local hobbyist.


    "[Triple Magic: Lightning]!" I roared out, and from the tip of my gauntlet, lightning burst forth like three white snakes, zigzagging towards the target while lighting up the night where I caught my target.


    Because I possessed lightning and Tinkers had a lot of metal on them.


    The villain Tinker screamed as all three lightning struck him, and she fell with a flop on the wet and dirty alley ground.


    Leaving her there for a moment, I reached into my steel weave business suit''s inner pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. I unfolded it, showing me a list of names, masks, description of attires, their affiliations, and powers.


    The paper I held was the list of wanted parahumans in Los Angeles area, and one of the people on this list was the very Tinker I just electrocuted.


    Mostly, it was requests from the state and federal government for me to put down some of the peskier local troublemakers. Xaya, the Tinker I just electrocuted, was part of a larger group of villains who ambushed a federal munitions caravan heading from the LA''s docks to one of the army bases.


    A federal agency specifically for parahumans have yet to form, so the policing of violent criminals fell upon the army, the regular police officers, militia, and coast guards. Poor bastards.


    Anyways, Xaya made tinkertech that served as power multipliers for many of the villains, and was also the leader of said ambush.


    The federal government wanted to make an example out of her. When I heard that, I almost rejected the job but Alexandria convinced me that it wouldn''t be anything nasty like something an African warlord would do.


    After being reassured, I went and came here. Finding Xaya was the hard part.


    Taking her down, not so much.


    I walked up to the prone figure and grabbed her. With a slight heave, I pulled her off the ground and over my shoulder. Then I flew up and over in an arc towards the nearest police station.


    The nightlife of Southern California was quiet. I wasn''t anywhere near Disneyland or downtown L.A. proper, and it was also 2 a.m.


    I came to a soft landing in front of the police station, and walked up. The police station was lit, and someone inside saw me coming. Their hand immediately went to the gun that was surely by their hip, and I calmly walked into the police station''s lobby after pushing the glass door in.


    Before the officer could speak, I moved first. I raised a hand in a gesture of peace, the V. The officer looked quizzically at me with dark bags under his eyes, and I just moved on. I slowly dropped Xaya and pulled her hands behind her. Two zippers later, she was secure with her thumbs bound and her ankles tied together in a cross.


    Then I turned to the officer and presented him with a business card.


    "My name is -"


    "Augur," the police officer interrupted. "You''re quite famous."


    I worked my nonexistent mouth a little before nodding. This was the first time a police officer recognized me.


    "Then we can skip the introductions. I caught Xaya, the tinker behind me, who was behind the assault on federal munitions delivery two months ago. I was hoping you could call the army for me so that they can take her away to their more secure holding cells."


    The police officer grunted in agreement before sitting back down into his driver''s seat and pulling up a radio from the car''s radio station.


    It was the 90''s here in Earth Bet, which meant that there was no cheap cellphone I could carry around with ease.


    It was why I even had to come to a police station instead of heading straight to an army base. I couldn''t call ahead and I was still considered a vigilante. If I just flew to the army base, then I would have been shot down, and as a violent vigilante, the army would have arrested me on the spot.


    The PRT and the Protectorate had yet to establish themselves, sp people still believed that they could fight parahumans with guns. The fools. Most of them didn''t even know how much a single parahuman could be.


    (Technically they can but I was not exactly a low-tier parahuman like future Alabaster)


    When the police officer got in contact with the army, I nodded and turned around to leave.


    "Wait, you''re leaving?"


    I stopped and turned around just a bit. The police officer looked confused. "Yes."


    "But what about the villain?" he gestured to the still unconscious woman.


    I shrugged. "I electrocuted her hard. I doubt she''ll wake up any time soon."


    "But still, the colonel wants to talk with you¡­"


    Ah. So that''s why he talked to me instead of letting a "violent and very dangerous" vigilante go. But why did the army want to talk to me? While it wasn''t my first time interacting, tangentially, on anything that involves them, they hadn''t given me much attention before¡­


    "Not interested," I said, waving him goodbye as I walked out. I didn''t want to get involved.


    With that, I left.


    I didn''t have an overarching goal.


    I know. I had all of this power at my finger tip but I didn''t have a single concrete goal. I took down villains because I believed in exercising justice where normal justice could not reach.


    Beyond that, however, I didn''t have a goal. I floated around the entire continent because I was looking for what I wanted to do. I had been sick and folded up all ventures but now I was healthy and without aim.


    What could I do? A lot and I had potential for even more.


    What should I do? I was unsure.


    I intended to fulfill my end of the contract with the Cauldron. They gave me a new leash on life and they haven''t asked me to slaughter thousands or something equally arbitrarily heinous.


    I didn''t know what I wanted to do, but I knew that when the time came, I didn''t want to be left bereft of capital to chase after the goal.


    For now, I had to grow not just personally but also influentially, socially, and financially.


    ¡­


    While I have dabbled in hero work as a vigilante, I couldn''t grow myself on vigilante work alone. I could already feel the progression with my "Gamer" system slowing down. When I first began, taking down a villain''s mook got me to level two. Taking down an entire villain''s organization in Atlanta brought me to level five. Taking down minor villains netted ¡­ much less than that.


    I took down the Slaver in Phoenix and that netted me quarter of a level, yet Xaya, who was arguably stronger because of her connections and influence, netted me -.


    I briefly checked my EXP progress.


    - less than that. Was my EXP based on the personal powerlevel of the individual I took down? It certainly would make sense outside of the few "quests" that I completed.


    This meant I had to fight a lot of people and win against them all to progress. I didn''t know the limits of my leveling system, however.


    What kind of work would put me in such a position where I could keep fighting but stop whenever I wanted to?


    ¡­


    I snapped my fingers.


    "A mercenary."


    I wouldn''t do it here in North America, but in more chaotic places like the Phillipines, Japan, China, India, all of Africa, and the Middle East?


    "[Extend Magic: Fly]," I said and floated up slowly. I supposed that I had a new destination.


    Name:


    Augur


    Race:


    Golem (Crystalline): LvL. 15


    Gender:


    Male (S.e.x: As.e.x.u.a.l)


    Affiliation:


    The Cauldron /Mercenary


    Residence:


    Earth Bet


    Karma:


    Neutral (50)


    Jobs:


    Wizard: 15


    War Wizard 1


    Chapter 2.1


    1995.6.2


    The thing about warfare modified with capes was that it took a reverse effect on the evolution of military doctrine. Advanced weaponry - missiles, rockets, and even nuclear bombs - were capable of hurting low-tier capes, but against mid-tier and high-tier parahuman capes, even they fell short.


    Yes, nuclear bombs would kill all but the most powerful capes, but it would also irradiate the very region the militaries of the world desired to take for their own, never mind the international repercussions and Scion coming to visit (but really, Scion seemed to destroy any nukes being launched so nukes were useless at this point). If the majority of any conflict happened as urban warfare, this left even the more useful artilleries and air bombers out of use because no one wanted to bomb their own cities.


    No, this left capes to fight capes like the European medieval knights. Numbers mattered more than ever because even high tier capes like Eidolon could fall if enough ants swarmed him. It just hadn''t happened yet. It would happen eventually.


    So in a conflict prone region like the Middle East, numbers was what decided the battlefront. Not everyone could field many capes from their home country, however, for one reason or another.


    This meant hiring parahumans willing to fight for money or other goods and services.


    Mercenaries.


    In fact, ever since the advent of parahumans, the Middle East had become the place with the highest concentration of parahumans, measuring at one parahuman per one-thousand people when America was at one parahuman per thirty-thousand in 1991.


    The reason for this was simple: war.


    So much f.u.c.k.i.n.g war.


    ''Not that I mind it,'' I thought to myself. ''I benefit greatly.''


    Indeed, my ability to provide numerous support brought likeminded parahumans to me, and by the end of the first year of myself stepping out of vigilantism and into mercenary work, I was a part of a parahuman mercenary company numbering in at thirty.


    Now, that didn''t sound like a lot, and it wasn''t compared to Saudi Arabia''s sixty-nine, Iran''s ninety, Egypt''s eighty, and Turkey''s ninety-one.


    But here in the Caucasus and the Kurdistan regions, we were not only the biggest but the most mobile and deadly force. This was because of me, my wizard class, and high level, which clocked in at combined level of level 43. While my c.u.mulative level meant little to people, what I could do did matter.


    As a level 43, I had access to Seventh Tier Spells, some of which I kept hidden on purpose. There were other Seventh Tier Spells, however, that I used regularly. The greatest of these was "Create Greater Item." I could create items that last for a long time with just my mana. My most produced item was "Chainmail of Deflection" and other such similar items for a full head to toe outfit, all of which deflected any small arms fire.


    It wasn''t mass producible by any means, but it gave us all an edge in terms of combat efficiency.


    It gave everyone a minor Brute rating.


    It seemed at first like a small thing but when my friend, the leader of the mercenaries, told me that it would change everything, I believed him.


    In the next combat engagement, we found out how true it was. Five of our numbers fought against a division of Iraqis trying to kill us because we had taken a contract from the Kurds.


    No one in our squad was injured by guns while the enemies suffered a near total defeat. This one battle put not only my mercenary group on the map but it put me out there.


    If that was all, then our group wouldn''t even be good enough to hold the entirety of the Kurdistan region. I had "Greater Teleportation," which allowed me to teleport to anywhere in the world as long as I had an idea of the landing zone and had the mana to use the spell. I had "Control Weather" which allowed me to manipulate the weather as I saw fit in an area big enough to cover half of New York City.


    But my greatest contribution to the mercenary group was the choosing of my secondary Race: Eldritch Construct. Combined with my Wizard and War Wizard job classes, I was able to do things that dictated more.


    I could summon some nasty mind breaking monsters into existence.


    My tactic was simple.


    Find an enemy base, teleport in, summon three A-class threat monsters all of which could think, plan, and kill the same as - if not better - than humans, and let them loose.


    This was how we kept Turkey back.


    That was how I kept Iran on its toes.


    I was the reason why Saudi Arabia kept to its borders and stepped out of the Middle East affairs.


    ¡­


    Except, I didn''t show myself like that. The group as a whole attributed many of these acts as those performed by the core five members of our mercenary, which included myself and our mercenary leader, who I pushed into that position because he was ambitious and adventurous.


    Except, there was no "core five." It was just me and the leader, who had a Master power that let him make clones, posing as five when it was really just us two.


    I''m very smart, creating decoys and everything.


    -AKA-


    "I hate ambushes!" I growled in my human disguise before peeking just a bit over the concrete-rubble-turned-cover, and shot a single hand out towards the enemies in the distance. "[Triple Magic: Chain Dragon Lightning]!" My chant triggered my magic to burst forth from my fingers, and lightning shot forth, forming vague images of dragons, before striking at the brick building across the street.


    "GAH!" someone screamed.


    I immediately pushed myself down as bullets rained down on my position.


    I waited, hoping that my friends would use the opening I gave them to-.


    RATATATATATATATA


    More screams rang out, and the bullets stopped hitting my cover. I cast a quick silently cast Protection against Projectiles (3rd-tier) and looked up.


    "Where the f.u.c.k did these desert rats come from?!" I shouted angrily before silently casting Sense Enemy (2nd-Tier*) with Boost Magic, revealing nothing in one kilometer radius around me. Seeing as there was no more enemy, I stood up from my cover. I pulled up my radio and turned it on. "This is CF-2 reporting no more enemy in one click. I repeat, CF-2 reporting no more enemy in one click, over."


    The radio buzzed to life a little later. "{This is R-5. I copy you, CF-2. We''ll be leaving our covers, over.}"


    A second after that, my friends and mercenaries rose up from the covers that they have been using against the rain of bullets.


    "[Teleport]," I mumbled before appearing on top of the last enemy position. The scene changed from the ground level Middle Eastern mud and brick building to one on a second story. I frowned when I was immediately struck by the smell of cooked meat. I looked around, scanning the rubble, and then found the last gunner who''s been trying to kill us.


    While charred beyond recognition because of my lightning, I saw that the vest had been spared the worst of the damages with only minor charring on the edges.


    My eyes widened before I growled. I reached down to the corpse and roughly ripped off the patch and badge of the person that I now knew was a mercenary. I teleported back to my position, where the others have been gathering.


    "It''s the f.u.c.k.i.n.g Saudis," I growled as I tossed the badge at the leader of this operation, R-1.


    "This is a Scari logo," R-1 remarked in surprise.


    SCaRi, short for SamsonCarlsonRio Securities, was a Danish security company with operations across the globe with about as many employees as Walmart. What they weren''t, however, was a mercenary company. Their primary areas of operation was providing security to gas sites, electrical plants, and other energy locations.


    "What the f.u.c.k?" R-10, a Danish woman, muttered in shock. "Give it here!" she snapped and took the patch from R-1''s hand, and when she confirmed that yes, it was a Scari security patch, she gawked. "What the f.u.c.k?!"


    "Maybe it was stolen equipment?" I pondered. I knew that I was fooling myself; Scari didn''t operate at all in the Middle East area. They avoided this place like the plague because of the instability. It couldn''t have been stolen equipment because there was no Scari operation in the region.


    And the only major power in the region who could afford to pull Scari into the region was the Saudis (Iran had a scandal with Scari a few years back that resulted in multiple employee deaths) because no one else was rich enough or influential enough.


    "But why Scari?" R-10 asked angrily. "The f.u.c.k.i.n.g American mercenaries - no offense-," she added. I raised my hand up in acceptance. "Have more and better troops!"


    This was also true. Scari was a security company, not a private military contractor. They didn''t operate remotely similar to any private military contractors.


    So why was it here?


    "Could it be from Russia?" R-5, an Australian man, asked. "I mean, they''re pretty well known corrupt assholes that sold their own nukes. I wouldn''t put it behind their former generals and site directors from selling equipment belonging to international companies."


    "Maybe," R-1 mumbled. "Let''s just leave this place already. We''re not getting anything here."


    We all agreed and moved towards our destination: Deralok, Iraq, where the heaviest fighting between Iraq and Syria was taking place but it was part of the Kurdistan region, inhabited by Kurds. As the Kurds'' contractors, it was our job to bring safety back.


    I held my hands out, and the crew, all five of them, grabbed onto them. "[Mass Teleportation]," I chanted. A ring of halo surrounded all of us for a second before we zipped out of the ruins where we''d stopped to get me a breather.


    When the teleportation ended, we arrived just outside of Deralok, a quaint town. I quickly scrambled up the hill that separated us from the town and looked.


    Well, it was supposed to be quaint. It wasn''t.


    Hidden behind the hills, we watched as the Syrians in the west and the Iraqi in the east exchanged fire and artillery.


    The war between Syria and Iraq was an Earth Bet exclusive event. Where I come from, Syria and Iraq didn''t fight a war in the 90''s between themselves. On Earth Bet, it was the assassination of Saddam Hussein by a Syrian parahuman assassin that sparked the war. Coupled with Iraq''s previous wars and rebellions that crippled many of its cities and army, Iraq was on the losing side of this conflict.


    One of the shells landed in the town proper, and detonated, sending a building flying in all directions.


    "We have to get down there!" R-1, ever the impatient and passionate defender of the Kurds, growled. A parahuman capable of tanking bullets and artillery as long as he didn''t move his feet, he was quick to act. He was also the most senior member of our mercenary group outside of the Core Five.


    While I wasn''t the leader of the operation, I was a member of the Core Five (or rather, one of only two real people in the Core Five while the other three were my illusory clones using my spells at a distance), and that meant that as long as I was on the field, my "suggestions" were taken before any action.


    So I took my time to observe the situation.


    The Iraqis and Syrians were exchanging bullets and shells, yes. Most of them were, however, fighting in the outskirts of the town. The center of the town was being avoided.


    Why?


    "Keep to the outskirts," I suggested. "And remain firmly in the northeast area if you can. Move down south through the eastern outskirts if you have to, but avoid the center."


    "Alright, let''s go people!" R-1 shouted and rushed over the hilltop. R-5, R-10, R-11, and R-12 rushed forward behind R-1.


    I sat behind the hill, ready to provide support.


    "{This is R-1. You keeping an eye on us, CF-2, over?}"


    "This is CF-2. I got my eyes on you. Neither side knows we''re here yet, over," I replied.


    "{Got it. Moving in, over.}"


    Pulling out my binoculars from my backpack, I watched from the hill as the five mercenaries of varying origins moved in to fulfill the contract our company signed with the Kurds. They reached the northeastern edge of the thick V-shaped town. My mercenaries stopped in front of a house, but then I immediately saw R-1 freeze upon peeking into the house.


    He yelled something, and jumped out into the open. and immediately came into contact with Iraqi soldiers. The others followed him immediately.


    R-10, a Blaster cape, fired off three ice crystalline projectiles at subsonic speeds, but the mass was enough to pierce through the head of the nearest Iraqi soldier. The surprised Iraqis turned and saw us, and from the way their mouths moved, they recognized us instantly.


    But they died before they could return fire when R-5, a Mover/Changer/Breaker/Striker, transformed into a charging boulder on legs and slammed into their position with the force of a ton of TNT. The resulting explosion ripped a house apart, but from the disrepair it was in, I doubted there was anyone there.


    "{F.u.c.k.i.n.g bastards were gunning down people!}" R-1 growled. "{I''ll kill them all}!"


    "Stick to the team, R-1!" I reminded him sharply.


    I heard R-1 roar angrily on the other side of the radio, and I saw him stomping on the ground repeatedly in anger as he came out of the house that the Iraqi soldiers had just moved on from before my mercenaries got there.


    Then I saw the Iraqi army turn their attention by moving their artillery¡­


    "Oh shit." I immediately turned on the radio. "Iraqi is aiming at you lot with their artillery."


    "{F.u.c.k that!}" R-1 shouted. "{5, we''re taking out the f.u.c.k.i.n.g sand rats!}"


    Uh oh.


    "Wait, wait, wait, don''t do i-!"


    But 5 was charging with 1 on his back, the former''s foot planted firmly into 10.


    "Ah."


    The thing about R-5 was that he lacked a Brute ability to keep himself safe from anything other than his own explosions.


    R-1, however, made not only himself invulnerable when his feet were planted down, but whatever his feet were planted on. Including humans.


    This was the duo tank of the Solid Pact Mercenary, the Juggernaut.


    R-10 rushed forward at Mach 3, reaching the Iraqi forces in six seconds, and exploded with the force of fifteen tons of TNT. I winced expensive artillery pieces crumpled and rent from the explosion while body parts flew into the air.


    "5, 11, and 12, hold position until 1 and 5 come back."


    "{Roger, roger, over,}" 12''s ever cheerful voice replied.


    I facepalmed.


    I wasn''t worried about any of them. Oh no no no.


    The problem was when this skirmish hit the international news, because our actions always hit the news.


    I didn''t want another "SP Mercenaries annihilate another army" on the headlines! Couldn''t we have just driven the Syrians and Iraqis back without killing all of them?!


    "Ah," I muttered as the Juggernaut duo charged the Syrians. This time, they were moving at Mach 5, which would result in a detonation with the force of twenty-five tons of TNT.


    "Goddamnit."


    BBOOOMMMM!!!


    I groaned into my hand.


    We didn''t need more media coverage. We really didn''t.


    -AKA-


    Name:


    Augur


    Race:


    Golem (Crystalline): LvL. 15


    Eldritch Construct: LvL. 7


    Gender:


    Male (S.e.x: As.e.x.u.a.l)


    Affiliation:


    The Cauldron / Mercenary (Constant Return Mercenary, co-founder)


    Residence:


    Earth Bet


    Karma:


    Neutral (50)


    Jobs:


    Wizard: 15


    War Wizard 5


    -AKA-


    * = had to add non-canon levels due to a lack of info on said subject.


    Sense Enemy (2nd-Tier*): Sense enemies in a 250 meter radius


    Protection against Projectiles (3rd-Tier): deflects a dozen projectiles as long as the projectiles weigh no more than 100 grams.


    Chapter 2.2


    1995.9.13


    Augur


    Our success at Deralok was enough to get the Iraqis and the Syrians to back off from the region and take their fight elsewhere.


    This, however, gave the Kurds another idea.


    "You want to do what?" I asked in Arabic. I know that I wasn''t being exactly polite, but god dammit I needed my incredulousness and shock conveyed, because what these idiots were suggesting was too much!


    "We want to strike at Baghdad and force the dictator to concede," the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Masoud Barzani, declared.


    "You mean you want to plunge the entire region into war with that kind of move," Jalal Talabani, the leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, grunted back.


    Unlike in my Earth which saw Jalal call for a ceasefire between Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, Earth Bet''s Iraqi treatment of Kurds - due to the initial military might and parahuman recruits within the Iraqi army - resulted in a large Kurdish parahuman population, clocking in at twenty-one at this time. Combined with my Solid Pact Mercenary''s parahumans, the Kurds matched the Egyptians and the Turks in number of capes and far above the fourteen employed by Iraq.


    "Hussein''s succesor is keeping his parahumans in Baghdad specifically for defense," I replied from across the seat of the two leaders. "You would risk not only my people but yours as well."


    Barzani glared at me, and I glared right back.


    Unlike Jalal, Barzani was far more militaristic and ambitious. He wanted to secure a true independence for the Kurds, not that I blamed him. What I did object to was his military ideas.


    "Right now, the people of Iraq don''t care about us, but if storm Baghdad, that will change," I added another objection before he could speak. "And do you think my company will simply go along with this? We were hired in the DEFENSE of the Kurds, not to lead the largest parahuman battle to date in the Middle East!"


    "Then why did we hire you, hmm?!" Barzani spat. "You do nothing but lounge about while we figh-"


    I wanted to punch him.


    For some reason, Barzani froze, staring at me in horror.


    Jalal was on his feet, quickly standing between me and Barzani.


    "Mr. Augur, please excuse Barzani!" he said quietly. "He is just tired of being assaulted by the Iraqis and the Syrians!"


    ¡­ The hell? Why are they acting like this? It''s like they''re scared of-.


    I stopped and silently called upon my status page.


    Immediately, I recognized an active buff on myself that I hadn''t seen before yesterday, which was when I got the last level to Eldritch Construct.


    [Active: Madness of the Void


    Desc: Upon completing the metamorphosis into an Eldritch Construct, a being will become one of the denizens of the void¡­


    Effect: (Fear) Aura, (Cold) Aura, (Madness) Aura


    Trigger: Anger, Combat, Will]


    Herp derp, what?!


    I quickly deactivated it and wondered what had happened. Then I looked at what triggered the Madness of the Void.


    Anger or combat.


    ''¡­ I guess I activated it when Barzani pissed me off.''


    I sat up straight and then stood up. "Nothing is getting done and tensions are high. Shall we have recess until tomorrow morning? It is already late," I said diplomatically.


    "Yes, of course," Jalal nodded.


    I turned around without so much as a goodbye and left the conference room.


    Outside, three guards looked at me as I opened the doors. Their hands were on their rifles.


    ''Did my aura seep outside of the room?'' I thought as I glared at them with my inhuman body, generating a single orb of fire that acted as my "eye" (not really because I didn''t need any eyes to see, but it made people more comfortable to look at something).


    The three guards saw me and quickly snapped to attention and moved aside.


    They knew very well that I was the strongest parahuman in Kurdistan right now. Pissing me off was equivalent to pulling a gun on a soldier in a military base in America. Or kicking a grizzly bear.


    Without saying anything, I left the place. My chainmail armor tinkled snappishly as the rings of the chainmail bounced up and down. And as I walked away, I also teleported out, sending me to the hotel that R-2 was waiting at.


    R-2, an American ex-Marine who joined us to pay for his kid''s cancer treatment, looked up when he saw me.


    "What''d they say?" he asked.


    "They want us to attack Baghdad," I replied irritably as I tossed myself on the bed.


    "... That''s not part of our contract."


    "I know, right?"


    "So what did you say to that stupid?"


    "We''re taking a recess."


    "Good. Tell them to f.u.c.k off next time you get back."


    "I intend to. Diplomatically."


    "F.u.c.k, why are you always trying to be the nice guy? Ain''t that why the Kurds think they''re hot shit even though we''re doing half of their work?"


    This was a true statement. The Kurds, emboldened by "their" success, began to show arrogance regarding their situation. Not all of them did it and it wasn''t even the majority of them, but the significant number of people who did it were those who we had to deal with like Barzani.


    "Because even if I may gone and scared them just now-"


    "How''d you scare them?"


    "Like this." I activated my Madness of the Void.


    In seconds, R-2 was pointing a gun at me with cold sweat all over his face and hands and pinprick pupils. His arms shook while he tried to stutter something out. I slowly sat up on the bed, not having expected that.


    I just raised an eyebrow as I deactivated the aura. I watched as R-2 gasped like a man taking breath after a long, gearless dive and collapsed onto the floor. I quickly cast [Minor Recovery], and R-2 glared up at me.


    "Give me a f.u.c.k.i.n.g warning at least!" he hissed at me as he stood back up.


    "I honestly don''t even know how bad it is because I don''t feel it at all."


    "Well, it was f.u.c.k.i.n.g bad, alright?!" he shouted at me, only to flinch back. "A-Ah. Sorry."


    Shit. If R-2 was reacting this badly¡­


    "Got it," I replied casually. "Let''s sleep in for the night. We can talk to them tomorrow."


    -AKA-?


    Barzani


    After being humiliated by the American freak, Barzani wanted to cancel the contract immediately, but he didn''t. He wasn''t a fool.


    The Solid Pact Mercenary was one of the two military pillars keeping Kurdistan from being destroyed. As much as he disliked them, they were crucial to the rise of Kurdistan.


    At the same time, he couldn''t afford to let this opportunity go.


    So what could he do¡­


    "Marqa."


    Marqa, one of eight Kurdish parahumans, appeared behind him. "Yes, sir?"


    Marqa was also the only parahuman to have sworn an oath of fealty to him only.


    "I need you to do a job for me. I will, of course, take the blame if necessary, but I need this to be done if Kurdistan is to become reality."


    "Of course, milord. It is why I serve you. What must I do?"


    Barzani brought out a map. "I need you to go to the Tigiris upstream¡­ and cut off the flow of water."


    A pause.


    "Milord, this would mean that the Kurds downstream of Tigris will not be able to farm."


    "We can always relocate our people to and fro as necessary, but the Iraqi must see that their leadership will lead them to death. I want the indifferent Iraqi to die thirsty or move to protest their government''s lack of agreement to our reasonable demands. I want instability within Iraq, and I want Saddam to know that the Kurds hold his balls in our hands."


    "As you will it, milord."


    Marqa disappeared, off to gather the troops necessary to hold the dam hostage. With that order given, Barzani began to scheme for a way to ensure that Jalal, the sentimental fool, wouldn''t interfere in this.


    -AKA-?


    1995.9.20


    Augur, Syrian Kurdistan


    In the end, the negotiations for more action had been put off after Barzai and Jalal agreed to not pursue an active attack upon Baghdad and the Iraqi. What we did, however, was agree upon an expansion into further Syrian territory where they were persecuting their Syrian Kurds in fear of the latter joining us.


    A self-fulfilling prophecy, if you will.


    Nine of us were now out here in Syrian Kurdistan along with two hundred ninety Kurd militia attacking an encampment of the Syrian army.


    As the nearly three hundred Kurds laid down cover fire, the nine of us rushed into the encampment.


    I lagged behind the eight front fighters, looking out for ambushes and traps as I laid down area denial spells like Fireball one after another.


    It was midnight, and this was the only reason that we were able to perform a maneuver of this level against an army five times our size.


    The moonless night covered the track of my comrades as we weaved through their encampment while the Kurds continued to draw their attention. We circled around, killing anyone who spotted us before they could yell out alarms.


    Then we were behind them.


    The Syrians were stuck between us and the Kurds.


    "Augur reporting in. We are in position," I radioed.


    "{This is Mohammad!}" He was the leader of the two-hundred-ninety Kurds with us. "{We are ready as well!}"


    "Operation is a go, then."


    I nodded to my comrades before I activated a spell, targeting the middle of the Syrian formation.


    "[Widen Magic: Wall of Fire]!" I shouted and a blast of unholy light erupted from right at the middle of the Syrian army encampment. A literal wall of unnatural fire roared to the skies, forming a barrier twenty yards high and a kilometer across.


    A normal Wall of Hell would only be a quarter of that, but I was exchanging a lot of my mana for the length.


    "Go!" I roared.


    My mercenaries sped forward while the Kurds stopping sandbagging.


    Pinned with a literal wall of fire in between them, chaos took over and the Syrians began to crumble.


    Within the hour, the army oppressing the Kurds lost a third of their number and fell back to the west.


    -AKA-?


    1995.10.6


    Augur


    "What?!"


    It was an outrage.


    "You are waging a war on the unfair and oppressive government led by Saddam Hussein''s succesor, not the people of Iraq!"


    Barzani shouted back at me. "It is the people who keep the government afloat! I am only doing what is necessary to ensure that our enemies do not operate at full capacity!"


    "By causing an artificial drought?!"


    "You don''t know what it is like to live underneath pompous, oppressive, and violent demons!"


    "THEY ARE PEOPLE!"


    "WE ARE TOO!"


    I gave up. "Whatever. I''m done. I will not have a part in this. As stipulated by the contract, you have committed a war crime, which means that the contract is no longer in effect. Enjoy your f.u.c.k.i.n.g victory."


    I walked out of the meeting room, ignoring the demands of the people back there. Once outside and alone, I put a hand to my ear, where I had a communication earring in place.


    "Core One, this is Core Two."


    A few seconds went by before Sebastian responded. "{Core One responding, what''s up, Core Two?}"


    "Our contractors violated Section 2 of the contract. I am pulling us out of Kurdistan."


    "{... Which part of Section 2?}"


    "War crime."


    "{Well, shit. What did they do?}"


    "They blocked the dams and cut off the entire river to southern Iraq. They''re causing artificial drought."


    Another pause.


    "{So what?}"


    I blinked and had to get a bearing.


    "What do you mean, so what?" I asked in return.


    "{They''re just waging war?}"


    I did not like where this was going.


    "Core One, this is not what we signed up for."


    "{And they''re paying us a lot.}"


    "They wanted us to bomb Baghdad mere weeks ago. They want to commit a war crime, do you not understand that?!"


    "{It''s not our business what they do.}"


    I gawked. Standing alone as I was in my hotel room, I might look like an idiot but I could not believe what Sebastian just said.


    "Sebastian, we agreed when we made this company that we won''t involve ourselves in shit like this."


    "{And they are paying us good money, Augur.}"


    "F.u.c.k money! This isn''t about money anymore! This is about being labeled war criminals!"


    "{Like it ever gets down to it.}"


    ¡­ I couldn''t f.u.c.k.i.n.g believe it.


    "You know what? I''m done. I''m taking all of my equipment, all of my shit back with me. Have all of the share of the company, have all of the contract payouts to yourself. I''m done, you f.u.c.k.i.n.g sellout."


    -AKA-


    Name:


    Augur


    Race:


    Golem (Crystalline): LvL. 15


    Eldritch Construct: LvL. 10


    Bloodgod (Cthulhutech) LvL. 2


    Gender:


    Male (S.e.x: As.e.x.u.a.l)


    Affiliation:


    The Cauldron / Mercenary (Solid Pact Mercenary, co-founder)


    Residence:


    Earth Bet


    Karma:


    Neutral (50)


    Jobs:


    Wizard: 15


    War Wizard 5


    Chapter 2.3


    1996.2.3


    After I left the Solid Pact Mercenary, I found myself in central Africa, selling my services to the highest bidder with the most acceptable moral compass. More often than not, I found myself selling my services to the defenders of ay conflict who didn''t start said conflict with some stupid tribal, ethnic, or ideological massacres.


    To my expectations, I found myself flying in the middle of the biggest conflict ground in Africa. I fought against the likes of Moord Nag, who sacrificed thousands of people every day to fuel her projection''s growth. I was strong enough to fight against her, which made many other warlords and nations race to hire me whenever they felt that Moord Nag was looking towards them.


    Oh, and the stupid Rwandans went through with their Tutsi genocide, causing mass-trigger among the Tutsi population of the Rwandans. That conflict spilled over into a massive war as traumatized genocide victims lashed out with the force of a nuclear warhead, which caused more trauma to the Hutu population, causing more trigger.


    It was a bloody cycle where one group of traumatized victims lashed out, creating more groups of traumatized victims who too lashed out.


    Perhaps that was the best their level of education and social culture could bring about not because they were inferior or anything but just not tolerant or accepting of the "new." Considering that most conservatives of developed nations like Germany and the USA were not much different, I chose to ignore them.


    If the idiots wanted to kill each other, then let them kill each other.


    On top of that, Cauldron also asked me to stay out of Rwanda. That cost them one favor from me after one Hutu and one Tutsi rebel groups raided the lands of the warlord I was being paid to protect.


    "Ah, Mr. Augur!" someone called me out in German.


    I stopped and looked up, ignoring the pitiful cries of the goats I have been shaping the flesh of.


    The woman who called out to me looked down at the malformed goats baying in pain and fear and shakily looked up to me. "U-Um, King Kavanue wants to see you, s-sir!"


    I nodded before killing the three fused-goats. The creature whined before falling still, only twitching once or twice before completely dying. I snorted in satisfaction before turning to the woman¡­ and seeing her gone.


    I was gonna ask her where Kavanue was.


    -AKA-


    Kavanue, or King Kavanue as he demanded everyone call him, laughed as he slapped my back. Currently in meeting with him and his other top advisors in my Bloodgod form (a buff and armored eldritch vampire with wings), I wondered if this wasn''t too much of a hassle for me.


    "So I keep on saying that my man here," Kavanue spoke in Afrikaan while chuckling. "Will be able to take care of Moord Nag for us! I trust him!"


    Because King Kavanue, despite his self-proclaimed title as a king, was not a king of a whole country but only half of it; specifically, he controlled the northern half of Namibia while he fought on and off with Moord Nag''s southern half.


    Kavanue was a boisterous man, laughed a lot, and - by the local standard - a kind and benevolent warlord. He was also a parahuman whose power let him turn rocks of any size into bombs where the size of the rock in question was directly proportional to the size of the explosion.


    What made him dangerous was that he could set "conditions" for the explosions to go off. What made Moord Nag hesitant to engage him even before Kavanue hired me was Kavanue''s ability to turn mundane pebbles and rocks into mines. What kind of invasion can you launch when you can''t even see the mines, makes you paranoid over rocks, and blows your leg up if you aren''t careful enough?


    Then Kavanue hired me with the intent to push into Moord Nag''s part of Namibia after I showed him exactly how I could turn animals into monsters.


    My latest racial class, Bloodgod, allowed me to mold and shape flesh as I wanted in all aspects. In essence, I was the better Frankenstein. The things I could do ranged from increasing sensitivity of the neural receptors and removing limbs without spilling blood to removing a person''s ego by "resetting" hippocampus and creating mutant/fusion biological monsters from alligator and giraffes.


    "You are too kind," I replied, bowing lightly. I ignored the rest of his court comprised of influential


    Kavanue just laughed more. "Soon, we will rid the world of that menace that not even the western nations will fight!" he declared with a grin, but it soon faded, replaced by a blank look. He tilted his face down a little so that he was looking up to me. "My army and elites are ready to march on her lands, my friend. Are you ready?"


    So it was a call for war.


    I bowed, slightly deeper than last time.


    "You only need to give me the command and oblige by the contract."


    "''Civilians shall be left alone,''" he recited. "''No action shall be taken against innocent bystanders.'' Those were it, yes?"


    I straightened my back before I responded. "Yes, King Kavanue."


    He nodded. "Good. I didn''t intend to kill my future subjects anyway. You make contracts very easy to follow, my friend." He grinned after saying that. "You sure you won''t stay after we kill Moord Nag?"


    "I am sure. There are many places that need me."


    "Bah!" He looked upset. "Places that betrayed you like your last ''friends''? If you stay with me, then I will never betray you. You are too valuable for me to try." The words ''because I am smart, unlike them'' remained unspoken.


    I chuckled, not completely faked. "I suppose I am."


    -AKA-


    1996.2.16


    With a hundred thousand soldiers armed with the good old reliable Ak-47''s - provided by Russians who were promised mineral rights - and a cadre of parahuman elites including myself, King Kavanue marched upon Moord Nag''s territory. He expected this to be a short war, so our supply lines were dangerously low, something I''d advised against.


    And then not too far outside of a city that sounded kind of like "Okay" plus something more, we met Moord Nag and her soldiers.


    Kavanue and Moord Nag exchanged some meaningless dribble in local language and not German, and then they each signalled their armies to march and shoot to kill.


    This did not include the parahumans.


    So parahumans watched as the normal soldiers shot, bled, and died upon the field in the thousands in the first hour and then hundreds each hour afterward.


    Six hours into the fight when the sun was waning towards the horizon, the parahumans moved into the battlefield.


    If what the normal soldiers could do against each other was a massacre, then what parahumans could do was outright genocidal. Kavanue''s rocks decimated entire companies in a single instance. Moord Nag''s shadowy snake killed dozens with each swing of its tail without taking a single noteworthy damage from parahumans and soldiers alike.


    Eventually, it became too much for either side to ignore the leaders, and thus while the lesser parahumans battled each other in the name of Kavanue and Moord Nag, respectively, the two titans and i fought.


    Kavanue and I engaged in a two-on-two battle with Moord Nag and her monster.


    The snake, thicker than most cows and long as three American school buses, moved more like a rabbit, jumping to and fro. I blasted the area with lightning when I can, fireball at other times, and even used holy spells. Kavanue attacked with abandon, unleashing literal hundreds of pebbles armed with his power, and when he set them alight, it was like a symphony of dooms rocking the world.


    Eventually though¡­


    Eventually¡­!


    We won.


    It came down to just how versatile one had to be to survive, and Moord Nag had relied oo much on her pet snake to do her work. While her pet had been committed to one attack against Kavanue, I attacked with an empowered multi-lightning strike.


    That was all it took to fry the most hated warlord of Africa into charred ash.


    With Moord Nag eliminated, Kavanue declared the War for Namibia over. In the celebration afterwards, he tried really hard to keep me there with him, prying me with a literal harem of women, but being a golem most of the time, I didn''t really get the chance to do anything. In the end, after a week, I shook reluctant Kavanue''s hand and left southern Africa.


    It was about this time that Cauldron called.


    I was needed in a city called Brockton Bay.


    -AKA-


    Name:


    Augur


    Gender:


    Golem: Male (S.e.x: As.e.x.u.a.l)


    Bloodgod: Male (S.e.x: Male)


    Affiliation:


    The Cauldron / Mercenary (solo)


    King Kavanue, the Kingdom of Namibia (Ally)


    Residence:


    Earth Bet


    Karma:


    Neutral (50)


    Race:


    Golem (Crystalline): LvL. 15


    Eldritch Construct: LvL. 10


    Bloodgod (Cthulhutech) LvL. 5


    Jobs:


    Wizard: 15


    War Wizard 5


    Chapter 3


    1996.3.10


    "You want me to ¡­ make a criminal gang?" I asked incredulously.


    "Yes," the Number Man, one of Cauldron''s inner members, replied.


    "Why?" I asked him, still incredulous at the request. I could deny this favor, and would simply have to accept another favor. "Your organization doesn''t need money or influence, so why do you need a criminal organization in a city known for its oversaturation of villainous persona?"


    When I did something, I needed the whole reason why.


    "We are conducting an experiment in the city," he replied as he pulled out a file from his suitcase and slid it across the table, the only place lit in this dark room. My crystalline hand - as I was not wearing my Blood God transformation for now - took the file and opened it up.


    "''Parahuman feudalism''?" I read out loud the title of the file.


    The theory listed in the file was ridiculous¡­ and yet not. Even without superpowers, feudalism and warlords reigned where the natural resources of the land outweighed the resource provided by the people. Back in my world, there was a book called The Dictator''s Handbook by Bruce something. The book stated, with ample enough evidence, that dictatorsh.i.p.s reigned in places with abundance of resources like gold, oil, and diamond while dictatorsh.i.p.s with low land resources eventually had to invest into some infrastructure (roads, hospitals, schools, and etc), which would lead to people being able to rebel because they would be smarter, less starving, and easily spread ideas.


    Unlike those situations, parahuman feudalism as Cauldron proposed stated that while natural resources would still be very important, the enforcement of laws - and thus power - would slowly move into the hands of a few empowered individuals capable of fighting small armies by themselves.


    Because if the likes of Alexandria, Eidolon, Legend, Hero, and myself decided "F.u.c.k it, I want a piece of America," then there was no one to stop them other than other parahumans.


    When a single individual became eligible to earn the label of nuclear superpower, then power truly laid with that individual.


    A tyrant, whether they wanted to be or not. After all, just because the tyrant was generous, tolerant, or benevolent, such attitude did not remove the power of the tyrant from the tyrant; the power was simply being used - or not used - for socially acceptable reasons. Power remained in the hands of a few, and this was the definition of a dictatorship.


    I could understand why they wanted to research this phenomenon. To research it was to learn about it, and to learn about a system was to know its strengths and weaknesses.


    "But why a criminal organization with my track record?" I asked. "A lot of people already know that I am


    "Yes, you as in Augur."


    "... Oh, you want me to use a different identity," I hummed. Though I only used the Blood God form in Africa, I supposed that Cauldron knew about it. Why wouldn''t they?


    "Yes. Play a hero if you wish as Augur, but we want you to be a villain in your other form."


    "... I understand the need to perform a test like this, but why me?"


    "Because you are the only one who is willing to operate a criminal organization for the sake of an experiment without taking it too far."


    "Aren''t there plenty of criminal organizations in Brockton Bay already? I don''t think Cauldron needs me specifically to join in this experiment."


    "That is true, but no one likes Nazis."


    "... Right, there are Nazis in that city. So you want me to replace them or something?"


    "If you want. All we want is to provide the heroes and the people of the city a reason to change the villain-dominant scene."


    "What will that prove?"


    "If the people rise up to prevent the strengthening of the parahuman feudal system, then ¡­"


    "Then what?" I asked after a moment of silence. "What''s the point of this?"


    The Number Man sighed. "Honestly, all this experiment does is to open up an avenue for the average person. One of the primary questions this experiment is used to solve is this: how would people react to a criminal yet benevolent organization headed by a powerful parahuman when surrounded by other criminal organizations that are not as benevolent?"


    "You are being very malevolent with this experiment. Rather than encouraging a positive reaction from the people, you are asking them to perform a negative reaction: choosing the lesser of two evils."


    "Not necessarily," the Number Man countered. "They can always form their own organizations to counter you and others."


    "But that''s assuming that the people ¡­ I see. I understand what you are doing."


    "See what?"


    "The people don''t feel safe in the first place because they do not have power. Even if they have guns, they cannot fight against the stronger parahumans."


    "And Brockton Bay has many stronger parahumans. The Brockton Bay Brigade, for example, is a hero group with what Cauldron considers five B-tier parahumans."


    "You guys have tier systems?"


    "Yes. PRT''s numerical threat assessment lacks the urgency that fighting them imparts beyond how weak or how strong they can be."


    "Awfully open of you to tell me that. What do I rank as?"


    "S."


    I nearly did a spit-take as a body fluid-less golem. "What?" I wheezed out quietly, which sounded almost like a whistle with how my body created sounds.


    "You have a growth rate that stuns most of Cauldron, myself included. The variety of your abilities outstrip all individual parahumans. You helped kill Moord Nag, who was S-rank herself, but that was not the reason you earned yourself a S-tier recognition from us and the PRT."


    "Then?"


    "The PRT is aware of the fact that you were able to arm and armor yourself and your allies during your time as the leader of your mercenary band."


    I cringed. That was supposed to be the biggest secret. How did they find out?


    "It wasn''t hard. I learned about it not too long after you started distributing your armors to your friends."


    "Thinker?"


    "Yes."


    "Is it an information you will sell to others?"


    "... How about this? If you agree to take part in this venture, then I will ensure that Cauldron never distributes this information on top of acknowledging this as the last favor you owe us as long as you try your best in keeping the organization believable. And if you don''t try, we''ll know."


    I thought about it. Getting a guarantee about my own information''s safety felt good, but at the same time, if I really tried to make whatever this criminal organization I was supposed to make work, then I would eventually distribute some kind of weapon or armor.


    "It won''t matter, will it?"


    The Number Man smiled. "You are smarter than most. Yes, it won''t matter because since we know that you trying your best involves distribution of the armors and weapons you empower, the information would get out anyway."


    I sighed. "I guess then it doesn''t matter, does it? But if I don''t except this request, then what kind of favors would I be expected to return?"


    "It may be another request to stay out of anything similar to the Rwandan Massacre to attacking a nation."


    "Yikes. You guys don''t play small, huh?"


    "If you were small, perhaps, but then again, you are an S-tier threat."


    "Fine. Let''s get back to talking about this experiment of yours."


    "Very well. Brockton Bay itself will serve as the primary antagonist to the rest of the United States. The PRT functions well enough as a force of ''good'' for the people to flock to. Brockton Bay is special in that regard because while the local Protectorate and PRT aren''t weak, they aren''t strong enough to take over the entire population of villainous parahumans."


    "So I will act as the lesser of two evils. I attract people. And then what?"


    "You will try to set up parahuman feudalism."


    "... that''s it?"


    "No. We don''t care how you go about it, though it may not earn you points if you decide to be - let''s say - mean about it."


    I snorted. "And then what? You give the PRT enough information to bring me down?"


    "No. That would be counter to the experiment. The purpose of this experiment is to see the viability, necessity, strengths, and weaknesses of parahuman feudalism. While we certainly won''t push the PRT into removing you, we also won''t help you once you accept."


    "So basically, once I accept, I won''t have to do anymore more while you just ''ignore'' me."


    "More or less, yes, unless you give us a reason to give you attention."


    I thought about it. What I was faced with was either make a "criminal" organization and then expand or wait until Cauldron could find another purpose for me including but not limited to causing massacres or not stopping another massacre.


    The choice was obvious to me right here.


    "I accept. Do I get help?"


    "I''m afraid no," he smiled and then that Doormaker opened behind him. He stood up and gave me a nod as he left. "Until next time, Mr. Augur."


    I grumbled as he walked through the doorway and the Doormaker closed, leaving me alone in this safehouse of mine.


    I let out a deep breath. "... Well, I guess I should ¡­ get to making myself some kind of a ¡­ criminal organization." I shook my head as I stood up, changed my appearance to that of the Blood God, and then walked out of the safehouse.

 Chapter 243 - My CO Stash #43 - Beneath a Broken Moon by Unseen Lurker (SkyrimXRWBY)

    -Ay FUS RO DAH mane! Nuff said~


    Sypnosis: He was a hero, vanquisher of men and beasts, daedra and dragons. But now, Fate calls him elsewhere. How will he fare in this world, so unlike his own? "Wait... are those... rabbit ears?"


    Rated: T


    Words: 92K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/10755330/1/Beneath-a-Broken-Moon (Unseen Lurker)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Within the frozen reaches of one of Nirn''s harshest lands, a stand-off was currently taking place.


    On one side, a hulking, savage humanoid creature 3,5 meters tall, with rough grey skin, long, braided hair and beard, and wielding an uprooted tree with a large boulder tied to its end as a weapon. This was one of the giants, mighty beings that even the most seasoned veterans would think twice about fighting. They rarely travelled alone, and even more rarely attacked unprovoked, but such had been the case here.


    On the other, a smaller and comparatively much scrawnier being, standing at about 1,75 meters, clad in robes and with his weapon left unused, strapped to his back.


    Any uninformed passer-by could be forgiven for thinking that the latter of the two was in a rather ... precarious situation.


    Up until they noticed the alarming number of frozen spikes dotting the taller contender''s body, not to mention that the entire front side of the beast was charred black.


    The giant suddenly collapsed to its knees, and then fell face forward to the ground. It wouldn''t rise again.


    The other being sighed, as the flames in his hands died down. The damn thing had appeared out of nowhere¡­ What a lone giant was doing in this region and how in Oblivion had it managed to sneak up on him in the middle of the frozen forest would forever remain a mystery.


    Oh well, he had dallied for long enough here. He wanted to be back at the college as soon as possible. After looting the corpse for anything that wasn''t nailed down (earning him about 250 gold, the steel helmet of some poor sod who hadn''t been as lucky and a giant toe, which he immediately discarded, why in the name of the Nine did giants carry these things around was something he did not want to know), his hands began glowing:


    "Arvak, come."


    A large purple orb appeared in front of him, and from within, the purple, flaming skeleton of a horse sprang forth. Many a man would run in fright of the nightmarish creature, but he just chuckled as he petted its snout:


    "Good boy, Arvak" The specter neighed in delight.


    With that, the man mounted up. Arvak was by far one of the best rewards for his services he had ever received, and the fastest method of travel he had available. Well, he had experimented with continuous use of Whirlwind Sprint, but that had only resulted in a sore throat and a few bruises from being launched forward in the air while traversing steep slopes.


    And so he rode, and soon the scenery changed around him, the frozen forests of the Pale giving way to the frozen tundra of Winterhold, he would be reaching home soon.


    Or so he thought.


    Suddenly, the man felt a disturbance ripple through the air, and looked up at the darkening skies as the wind picked up around him.


    ''This is not natural.'' He thought with a frown ''There''s sorcery at work here, and a powerful one by the looks of it''.


    Then he heard a noise that made his blood run cold, a noise that preluded one of the things Skyrim''s inhabitants feared the most. He turned his head...


    To see the white, swirling front of an incoming blizzard, so large and sudden it more closely resembled an avalanche.


    He spurred his steed to run faster, and as if giving chase, the incoming storm devoured the distance between them.


    He tried to use Clear Skies, but the ice cloud surged forward unaffected.


    It was obvious to him at this point that whatever this thing was, it was deliberately trying to catch him.


    And despite his and Arvak''s best efforts, soon it managed to do just that.


    For a moment, all the man felt was the biting northern cold and a sense of weightlessness.


    And then he felt nothing at all.


    /


    When he finally came to, the first thing he saw was a thick canopy of trees, through which the moonlight shined.


    ''Uuurgh...What in Oblivion happened? My head feels like I''ve gone on another drinking binge with Sanguine...''


    Slowly he rose, and as he shook the blurriness from his sight and from his mind, he remembered what had happened.


    ''Arvak''s not here, so he probably returned to the Soul Cairn... The Blizzard caught us... and somehow carried me all the way here, wherever here is.''


    He frowned. Had the freak weather somehow brought him to Falkreath? No... even in the darkness, he could see that the trees were all wrong, too green, too bright, and many of species he didn''t recognize. He was someplace else, someplace different.


    A beastly growl came from the nearby bushes, and the one responsible soon followed.


    At first glance, it looked like a werewolf to him, and as insane as it sounded, he actually felt relieved for finding a familiar element in this place, even if he could not account for the bony spikes, red markings, the white bone mask or the baleful, red glowing eyes that held nothing but malice, hatred, and hunger.


    The beast howled, and then pounced on him.


    A bolt of lightning turned it into a pile of ash before it got halfway to its target.


    ''That might have been a little too much power...'' The man mused, arm still outstretched and crackling with electricity.


    Then, another howl echoed in the distance. And another. And another.


    Soon, he found several pairs of red eyes glaring at him through the foliage.


    ''Oh, I see...'' he thought dryly, as he finally reached for his weapon ''It''s going to be one of those days, isn''t it?''


    /


    Professor Ozpin was in his office, taking care of the recently formed teams'' paperwork, when a knock rang on the door.


    "Come in."


    Glynda Goodwitch, his subordinate and fellow teacher walked in with some urgency in her step.


    "Ah, Glynda, what seems to be the problem?"


    "Sir, for the last 40 minutes, something has been driving the Grimm of the Emerald Forest into a frenzy. Our cameras picked up these images a short while ago." she stated, as she clicked on her scroll and a large screen appeared in the office, showing a person following a trail... with quite a few dead, fading beowolves behind him, some bodies missing heads, others were missing limbs, all badly burned.


    Ozpin raised an eyebrow. The man, for it was clearly a man judging by his build, was wearing black robes with strange, golden ornaments, a pair of gloves with golden scale-like spikes along the forearms, his face was hidden by a golden mask, mostly undecorated except for the pair of tusks and a black, gold-trimmed hood, in his hand he had a massive, bloody axe of sharp, jagged design, with red-glowing filigree across the blade. He looked uninjured, but considering that his posture showed that he was tiring, that was likely to change very soon.


    His other eyebrow joined the first when a King Tajitu, drawn by the carnage, blocked the stranger''s path, and the man responded by throwing large, explosive fireballs into both its faces, taking advantage of the serpentine beast''s pained thrashing to escape.


    "Glynda, go rescue this man before he gets overwhelmed, and bring him here. Take a Bullhead."


    "At once, Sir." The woman walked off quickly.


    Ozpin kept watching the footage, wondering about the stranger.


    /


    "Yes, definitely one of those days..." The man grumbled as he made his way through the forest.


    When he had first been attacked by the werewolf creatures, he believed that perhaps they were part of some kind of undiscovered branch of Lycanthropes, a unique strain of your run-of-the-mill moonhowler perhaps.


    When he came across the bear creatures and proceeded to turn them into ice statues, he became less certain, but still willing to give the idea a chance, after all, he''d met werebears before.


    Then came the giant f.u.c.k.i.n.g two-headed snake and out the window went that theory, along with a reasonable chunk of his magicka reserves just to give the damn thing the slip. It was a good thing that Hadvar wasn''t around to see it, poor ophidiophobic bastard would''ve probably fainted on the spot.


    Soon, he walked into a cliff, overlooking what seemed to be a massive ruin built within a large chasm.


    "Oh that''s just great..." He grumbled, then looked to the sky in an attempt to get his bearings...


    ...


    ...


    What...


    in...


    ...Oblivion?


    There were two things very, very wrong in the sky.


    One, there was only a single moon, Secunda was nowhere to be found.


    Two, that moon was broken, one of its sides shattered into several fragments.


    The gobsmacked man could no longer deny the suspicion that had been creeping in his mind.


    Wherever he was... he was not on Nirn...


    Loud howls came from behind him. The werewolves had returned, about 50 of them leaving the treeline to surround him. Either he had to get through them to escape, or take his chances with the abyss.


    "To Oblivion with this." He said as he prepared to jump.


    But before he could, a loud, roaring sound was heard, and a large metallic structure appeared in the sky.


    The man gawked.


    What the f.u.c.k?


    What sort of sorcery was keeping that metal giant afloat?


    The thing turned so one of its sides was near the cliff, and a gate opened, revealing a woman inside, who raised a... riding crop?


    What the f.u.c.k?


    She waved the thing, and several purple beams shot forward, flying into the werewolf horde and killing a few.


    What. the. F.u.c.k?!


    "Quickly, get in!"


    That snapped the man out of his shock. So, the werewolves, the chasm, or the strange metallic object. He was still pretty tempted to just take his chances with jumping, but whoever this woman was, she might have some answers about what in the name of Akatosh was going on.


    And so making his decision, the man jumped into the strange flying contraption.


    "Pilot, get us out of here." She stated.


    The man at the controls did just that, but some of the beowolves had already recovered from the earlier attack, and were rushing towards the ship.


    The woman prepared to drive them off, when the stranger grabbed her arm gently, shaking his head.


    Eyebrow raised, she watched as he let go of her, faced the beasts, took a deep breath, and just as they began to leap, shouted:


    "FUS RO DAH!"


    The wave of Unrelenting Force slammed into the incoming monsters, disintegrating some and blasting the others back to the cliff to crash against those who had remained there.


    And with that, they made their escape, ignoring the enraged howls and roars.


    The man sighed in relief, then turned to see the woman looking at him, a surprised expression on her face.


    She had strangely bright green eyes, unnaturally pale blond hair, and a rather...strange attire. But still, he couldn''t help but feel that she was quite beautiful, more so than many a woman he''d met before.


    "Thank you for your timely intervention, milady, you have saved me from quite a mess." He said politely, after all, she had just saved him.


    Glynda quickly regained her composure. This man... she had never seen or felt anything quite like what he had just done. It seemed to be a Semblance, but the sheer power... Who was he?


    "Think nothing of it. Just what were you doing in the Emerald Forest, in the middle of the night?"


    "Emerald Forest?" The man shrugged "Your guess is as good as mine I''m afraid, Milady. One moment I am on my way to Winterhold, the next a sudden Blizzard, and then I wake up here."


    He did not miss the brief confusion in her face.


    "Have you not heard of Winterhold?"


    "Can''t say I have, no."


    "And what of Skyrim? Tamriel? Nirn?"


    The woman once again looked confused.


    "I''m afraid I''m not familiar with any of those terms. You are currently in the kingdom of Vale, on the continent of Vytal, if that helps." was her reply.


    Yes, definitely not on Nirn anymore. Great, just Great.


    The man sighed and decided to change the subject. "Where are we headed, Milady...?"


    "Goodwitch, Glynda Goodwitch." She answered, a bit surprised by his old-fashioned yet polite manner of speaking. "And we are currently in route to Beacon Academy, where the Headmaster, Professor Ozpin, would like a word with you."


    A school, eh? Not quite the one he had expected to go to, but he supposed it would have to do given the circ.u.mstances.


    "How did he know of my arrival?"


    "We caught you on the cameras we have spread throughout the forest, you were causing quite the stir with the local Grimm."


    Now was the man''s time to be confused.


    "Cameras? Grimm? What are those, Milady?" He gestured towards their surroundings "And for that matter, what sort of contraption is this?"


    Glynda once again raised her eyebrow. What was wrong with this guy?


    /


    Ozpin patiently waited for Glynda to bring in their guest.


    Soon, there was knock on the door, and in came the two, the man following Glynda, looking distracted even through the mask.


    Not that he didn''t have some reason to be. Gods damn, he was quite proud of his college, but this place was making him feel pretty darn inadequate.


    "I am glad to see you were successful, Glynda."


    The stranger looked at the person in the chair, a middle-aged man with unkept silver hair, also wearing a strange garment. The look in his eyes reminded him old Tolfdir and Savos Aren, calculating, but yet caring.


    "Professor Ozpin, I take it?"


    "Indeed, I am." the professor nodded "I am glad to see you are safe. You know, we were quite surprised to have found a man that seemingly appeared out of thin air in the Emerald Forest, even more so with the abilities that that man displayed against the Grimm. That being said... who are you?" He asked politely.


    The stranger considered his options, and ultimately decided to go with the truth. He was out of his element, did not know nearly enough about this world to make up a convincing lie, and besides, if they had meant him harm, they wouldn''t have gone through the trouble of picking him up.


    "I''ll try to keep it short." The man glanced at the pile of papers in the desk " A headmaster''s job is never done, after all."


    "You sound like you speak from experience." Ozpin replied, eyebrow raised in amus.e.m.e.nt.


    Both the teachers could feel the man''s smile through the mask.


    "Allow me to introduce myself." He said as he removed it...


    To reveal a young man in his early twenties, with shoulder-length wavy brown hair, short-trimmed beard, and a green tattoo of a wave-like pattern over his left eye. His yellowish-brown eyes reflected a wisdom and experience that far surpassed his age.


    "Tristard Soverick, The last Dragonborn, and Archmage of the college of Winterhold, at your service." He stated with a polite, formal bow. "Now tell me, professor, how familiar are you with inter-planar travel?"


    Chapter 2


    For the last two hours, Tristard had been telling Ozpin about who he was and where he came from, or at least the short version of it. The Headmaster was accepting, but lady Goodwitch was sceptical, until the man showed proof in the form of a few spells, and items he had been carrying. Ozpin then explained to the dimensionally displaced mage about this strange new world he found himself in. A world where only humans and Faunus, which were basically humans with animal traits, existed, and they faced a dire threat. The creatures of Grimm, the beasts he had slain in the forest, soulless, relentless monsters of countless shapes and sizes, who seemed to prey on Man, for no reason other than they could, but mankind had endured through sheer tenacity, something they called "technology", which allowed them to build all sorts of weapons and other things, far beyond anything Nirn had to offer, the strange crystalline substance known as Dust, which was used for everything from fighting to providing everyday comforts, and the power of Aura, a manifestation of the soul which granted various abilities to people, he briefly wondered if there was any similarity to his thu''ums. As if that wasn''t bad enough, while the four kingdoms where experiencing a long period of peace, the threat of war was ever present. Which was why this academy he found himself in trained young boys and girls to become hunters and huntresses, champions whose duty was to fight the Grimm, and on occasion humans as well.


    All in all, he thought the place still beat Apocrypha and the Soul Cairn, hands down.


    As he was mulling over this information, he couldn''t help but think that he was missing something...


    Wait a minute...


    A new realm...


    With a broken moon...


    ...


    Tristard sighed in exasperation. "Oh, Gods dammit."


    "Is there something wrong?" Ozpin inquired, while Glynda raised an eyebrow. The archmage shook his head. "Not at all, Professor, it''s just that I only now realized that I had some forewarning about this situation..."


    /


    The Augur of Dunlain, he was called.


    Once, he had been one of the most brilliant and promising students of the college, a gifted genius the likes of which occur only once in a generation, and a curious individual who craved knowledge in all its forms, pursuing the disciplines of magic with a drive that bordered on obsession, until an accident during an experiment had turned him into this large sphere of light before Tristard, forever trapped in the catacombs beneath his beloved college.


    The man had earned knowledge, at the cost of nearly everything else perhaps, but he was willing to share it with those he found worthy, which these days meant pretty much just the Dragonborn, with whom the Augur often shared theories and discussed philosophies. And just as they had finished one of these conversations...


    "Seeker of knowledge, hold."


    Tristard stared curiously at the being.


    "Do you recall what I once told you about your path?"


    "Aye, that it was a good one, one untraveled by many."


    "Aye... and soon, it will lead you to a great trial."


    The man''s curiosity increased. The Augur shared yes, but only when asked. What could be so important that he had found it necessary to speak?


    "How so?"


    The being seemed to shine brighter.


    "From beyond Oblivion, a realm calls,


    And beneath a broken moon, darkness falls.


    Fangs and flames, a deadly Game,


    And devouring all, the Beast shall rage untamed.


    If you wish to stop this Shadow,


    Be the White Knight,


    Alongside the maidens of Red, White, Black and Yellow."


    And with that cryptic advice, the Augur vanished, leaving a confused archmage behind wondering about its meaning.


    /


    "... Months passed since then, and with other more pressing matters, I forgot this prophecy, ''till now." The man finished his tale, and noticed the listener''s thoughtful expression. "You know something about this."


    Ozpin nodded, both in confirmation and approval of the man''s perceptiveness. "Indeed, I believe I know at least who that last verse refers to."


    The headmaster pressed a button on his desk, and the large screen once again appeared in the office, much to the mage''s surprise and curiosity, must be those "cameras" Lady Goodwitch told him about.


    The man watched the images... and it took all his self-control not to let his jaw break through the floor.


    In the very same forest he had found himself in a few hours ago, four young women were going toe to toe with a raven-like Grimm larger than some dragons he''d killed. The one with golden blond hair kept the creature''s mouth open while using her gauntlets to shoot balls of flame inside, the black-haired one wearing a strange ornament that resembled the ears of a khajiit leapt on its back and repeatedly slashed at it with her blade, the regal-looking white-haired one used her rapier to weave glyphs in the air, freezing the massive bird''s tail and trapping the beast, and the younger girl, with black hair and red bangs, wearing a red hood and wielding a scythe bigger than herself finished the thing off by beheading it... after dragging the damn thing up the cliff.


    Silence filled the office as the screen faded.


    "Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladonna, Weiss Schnee and Ruby Rose. These four have just two days ago passed their initiation, and become students here at Beacon Academy as team RWBY." Ozpin explained.


    "Well... They certainly seem to match the description... I can''t help but wonder if my aid is even necessary..."


    Ozpin offered Tristard a mug of the beverage he called coffee, which the mage politely refused, (certain events with a certain Daedric Prince had made him weary of any drink other than water and potions.) "That, I do not know. The girls show promise yes, but they are still young, and quite inexperienced. Perhaps you''re here to provide the experience? Or a new perspective? I truly cannot say." He then took a sip of his own mug. "But I do have a proposition for you."


    "Do tell."


    "If we''re to believe this... prophecy of yours, then those four will be very important in what is to come, and it would be in everyone''s best interests if you were around to provide support, so that being said..."


    "You want me to join the academy in some capacity." Tristard finished for him, to which Ozpin once more nodded approvingly.


    "Yes, that would be my suggestion. Now I''m afraid that magic as you know it is not something the people of Remnant are capable of using. Our power comes from within."


    "So does mine in some ways, but I see your point. That would mean, since teaching is out, that I would be in a better position to intervene if I became a student." A janitor was also an option, but he would not be the one to voice it.


    "You are quick on the uptake. Yes, not only would it allow you to remain close, but it would also help you to know more about our world. I suppose you have no issues with this?"


    "Why should I? Everyone has to start somewhere. Why, just 3 years ago, I entered the college of Winterhold with nothing but my clothes and a rusty sword, and now I am it''s Archmage. You might want to be careful about that." He finished jokingly.


    Ozpin chuckled. "I''ll keep that in mind. Now then, since you''ll be joining, I will need to prepare some doc.u.ments, and for that we will need to think of a story for your past, I believe your true origins should be kept a secret, at least for now." Tristard nodded in agreement. "And you will also need to perform the initiation exam..."


    The mage and the teachers spent a little more time coming up with a background for him and discussing a few minor details, after which Glynda escorted him to a spare room so he could rest for the coming trial.


    /


    "Oh man, I wonder why they had all the students assemble here all of the sudden." Fifteen-year-old Ruby Rose wondered aloud, as teams RWBY and JNPR stood alongside the other students in the large room.


    Weiss Schnee replied annoyed. "We''ll learn why we''re soon enough, Ruby, you''ll just have to be patient."


    "I''m curious myself, actually." Their teammate Blake Belladonna replied. "We''re supposed to have the week off to settle in, so it shouldn''t be about classes."


    "I hope it''s nothing bad." June Arc, the leader of team JNPR, said apprehensively. Having entered Beacon with forged doc.u.ments, the young man had a certain amount of paranoia about being found out. Pyrrha Nikos, his fellow team member, considered one of the best huntresses in training, put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Relax, Jaune, I''m sure it''s not."


    The chatter on the Amphitheatre died down as Ozpin stood in the platform.


    "Good morning, students. If you look around you, you will see many others like you, aspiring hunters and huntresses, from many different backgrounds. I make it a point to allow in my academy people from all walks of life, and in a way, that''s why I''ve called you here today."


    There were a few hushed whispers as the Headmaster paused.


    "Yesterday evening, a traveller from outside the kingdoms accidentally wondered into the Emerald Forest, where he was caught on camera fighting the local Grimm, and he displayed such skills while doing so that after we rescued him, I offered the young man the position of a student, to which he agreed. In a few minutes, he will begin his initiation, which is what we are gathered here to watch."


    More hushed whispers.


    "Now I am well aware that all of the teams are full, which is why he will have to retrieve a relic like you did, and the relic he picks will decide which team he will join as a fifth member."


    Whispers became full blown chatter once again.


    "So, we have the chance of having a guy in the team, uh?" Yang Xiao Long wondered aloud, to which Weiss replied.


    "I certainly hope not, it''s bad enough having to deal with the dunce."


    Ruby sank to her knees, an aura of gloom around her.


    "Hey, no need to pick on my sister, Ice Princess. Besides, what''s so bad about it? I certainly wouldn''t mind, and if he''s good-looking, even better." The blonde finished with a grin. Weiss just shook her head exasperated.


    "It''s about to begin."


    A massive screen appeared behind the Headmaster showing the cliff overlooking the Forest, currently occupied by professor Goodwitch and the potential student, whose appearance earned him some curious stares from the students.


    "What''s with the outfit?" Yang wondered, eyebrow raised. "The guy looks like an rpg character or something."


    "And that mask. Who wears a mask like that these days?" Weiss added, with some suspicion in her tone, since the first answer that came to her mind wasn''t exactly a pleasant one. Blake wondered the same thing for similar reasons, but quickly came to the conclusion that there was no connection.


    "Oh, oh, oh!" Nora Valkyrie, a hyperactive member of team JNPR, who likely had ADD, said excitedly. "Look at those tusks, maybe he''s an elephant Faunus? Maybe he''s using it to hide a trunk? Geez, I wonder if he likes peanuts. Do you think he likes peanuts? Because I..."


    "Nora." Lie Ren, the stoic final member of JNPR, and the poor bastard who had to run damage control whenever Nora got a bit too excited, interrupted her ramblings. "I seriously doubt he has a trunk, Faunus or not."


    "Well, I guess we''re about to see what he''s capable off." Ruby stated, as the chatter finally died down, and everyone began watching.


    /


    "So, what exactly is this trial about?" Tristard inquired, as he stood on the square platform on the ground like Lady Goodwitch asked him to.


    "On the North side of the emerald forest there''s a temple, which you''ll have to reach. Inside, you will find a set of relics, one of which you will have to choose and bring back. The forest, as you''re well aware at this point, is filled with Grimm, and they''ll be trying to stop you every step of the way."


    "Enter forest, get to ruins, find relic, return, kill everything between the two points. Eh, feels like home." Tristard couldn''t help but chuckle at that. "I suppose I should begin making my way down the cliff then?"


    "That will not be necessary. You will be launched."


    The dragonborn barely had the time to blink in confusion before he heard a noise that dozens of close calls in ancient nord tombs, dwemer ruins, dungeons and bandit hideouts had taught him to dread.


    The click of an activated mechanism.


    "Ozpin, you son of a..." Whatever else he was going to say was lost to the wind as the Launchpad did its job, and the mage was sent cartwheeling through the air, the result of his failed attempt to leave the platform.


    Glynda scowled as she watched him go.


    She would have to scold him for that later.


    /


    Tristard was one of the few beings in Tamriel who could safely say he had had a bird''s eye view of the world.


    Riding in the back of dragons did come with a few perks.


    It was one of the reasons that he wasn''t quite as worried as most other beings in his place would be, in fact, he couldn''t help but casually compare the perspective while mounted and the one he had now, there were subtle differences.


    In all honesty, he was more pissed at Ozpin because the Headmaster hadn''t deigned to warn him about the whole catapulting thing than about actually being launched. He was still going to have words with the man, though. Painful words.


    Soon he reached the apex of his flight and gravity made itself known again, and as the ground began to get dangerously close, the other reason he wasn''t all that bothered became evident.


    He was also one of the few beings in Tamriel with the ability to survive the fall.


    Three little words.


    "FEIM ZII GRON!"


    His form shimmered, becoming a transparent ethereal blue, and the mage descended through the canopy, his body fazing through the branches like a phantom, landing in a kneeling position and becoming corporeal once more as he stood and watched his surroundings, before heading North as instructed.


    /


    Yang chuckled when she saw the guy being launched. "Damn, that was even funnier than yours, Vomit boy."


    Jaune wasn''t quite sure how to answer to that, and Weiss frowned disapprovingly. "Such rudeness. Why would Headmaster Ozpin allow someone this disrespectful to join his academy?"


    "Perhaps they know each other?" Blake suggested, she wasn''t quite sure, the way the guy talked, it seemed like he considered Ozpin an equal. No one had an answer for her.


    The group went silent once more as they watched, curious as to what his landing strategy was, growing a bit concerned when didn''t move while getting closer to the ground, and then surprised when he finally did something.


    "What was that? Did he just turn in to a ghost?" A bewildered Ruby asked.


    "I actually think that''s pretty accurate." Pyrrha replied as she watched him with an analytical eye. "It seems like his semblance is intangibility, and he used that to deny any damage from the landing, but I don''t know what or why he shouted like that."


    Ruby was even more confused. "What-a-bility?"


    "Intangibility, you dunce, it means he can pass through solid objects." Weiss answered annoyed.


    "Awesome..." The younger girl said with that awed childish enthusiasm that at this point everyone expected of her.


    And she had seen nothing yet.


    /


    Tristard stopped in the middle of a clearing. The forest was quiet. Too quiet.


    "Laas yah nir!"


    Unlike most other Thu''ums, Aura Whisper wasn''t a mighty shout, but rather just that, a discreet whisper, which revealed to him every being close by, not by their souls, as Remnant''s inhabitants might think if they heard the name, nor by their life force, like the detect life spell, but by their potential to be a threat, which was why it didn''t differentiate friend from foe, and was capable of detecting the constructs of the dwarves, the unliving, and as he just found out, the Grimm as well.


    Aaaaannd they had him surrounded. Lovely.


    As if realizing they had lost the element of surprise, six were... beowolves charged him from different directions, claws ready to rend and tear.


    Chain lightning arced through the air, incinerating the three beasts in his field of vision, after which the mage rolled forward to avoid a vicious swipe at his back. As he rose, lightning turned to ice and the offending monster was knocked into a tree by the massive spike of ice impaling its gut. Tristard turned to the two remaining ones, who had stopped their charges when they saw their brethren''s fate, and were beginning to circle him, looking for and opening to strike. They were larger, bulkier, and had a few scars, which if Tristard remember what Ozpin told him correctly, meant they were older, smarter and likely more experienced in fighting humanity.


    He reached for the axe on his back and held it in a battle stance, the red filigree glowing brighter, as if anticipating the coming slaughter. The creatures eyed the weapon wearily, there was something about its wickedly sharp appearance that made them restless.


    "Not quite as... flashy as what you are probably used to facing, perhaps..."


    The axe''s blade ignited, bright orange flames fading into wisps of green and purple.


    "... but Gurahyol comes with its own set of tricks."


    Breaking the standoff, one the beowolves pounced on him. Tristard dodged to the left and lashed out, lopping off the creature''s arm and immediately cauterizing the wound. Its pained howl was cut short as it fell to ground in a strangely stiff manner, and Gurahyol went through its skull before the paralysis wore off. The last remaining one tried to reach him as he removed the weapon, but he was ready for it.


    "IIZ SLEN NUS!"


    The beowolf found itself trapped in thick layers of ice, the mage merely walked up to it, and swinging in a wide arc, beheaded the thing.


    With the fighting done for the time being, Tristard couldn''t help but remember how many times back in Tamriel he had surprised his opponents with this weapon of his own creation. Mages, while feared for their power, we''re generally considered weaklings when it came to physical prowess, one of the reasons Nords disliked them so. Many had assumed the same about him, and few had lived to regret their mistake. It was amazing how so few people seemed to be aware of the existence of battlemages. And while it was true that, like most bretons, Tristard had a great affinity for the magical arts, unlike most bretons, he had been an experienced thug long before he had learned his first spell.


    Remembering something else Ozpin had told him, the mage examined Gurahyol. The paralysis and flame components of its enchantments had been effective, but sure enough, its magical charge hadn''t been restored in the battle, and the soul trap hadn''t activated. Grimm truly had no soul. This might become a problem if he didn''t find another way to recharge the weapon.


    Filling this information for later research, he started leaving the clearing, when a loud hissing noise was heard. Only his well-honed battle instincts allowed him to jump out of the way as something lunged at where he had been, creating a large crater on the ground.


    The creature rose and turned to face him. It was massive, to the point that most of its serpentine body was still hidden by the foliage. Pale white scales shined in the clearing''s light, it''s grey, red-mark bone mask covering only the top of its head, a head that was marred with burns so severe parts of its skull were visible. Its left eye had been burned off, leaving only an empty socket, and its right one glared at the dragonborn, an eye that showed nothing but maddened pain and hatred.


    Tristard groaned.


    "You again?"


    The king tajitu lunged once more, intent on killing the one responsible for its torment.


    "WULD!"


    The mage disappeared from sight, not to mention from the way of the attack, and reappeared near the Grimm''s body, lodging Gurahyol''s blade deep into it. The snake hissed in pain as more hideous burns were inflicted upon it, and a great force slammed into Tristard from behind, sending him flying through the clearing. Trough bleary eyes, he noticed he had been blindsided by the creature''s other half, it''s lifeless black head being used as a battering ram. It would seem his fireball spells the other night had been more effective than he expected. Taking advantage of the its opponent''s disorientation, the serpent surged forward and began constricting him. Glee joined pain and hatred in its eye, the prey''s weapon was out of reach, ironically still stuck to its body, and its pitiful attempts to break free from its coils were doomed to fail. Revenge upon this human was near.


    Tristard grinned.


    The beast''s first mistake was believing its victory was assured.


    Its second was turning him so he could stare at what it believed was his impending demise.


    This had begun with fire. It was only fitting that it ended in fire.


    "YOL TOOR SHUL!"


    An inferno sprang into existence, hitting the surprised monster''s face. The Grimm''s world became fire, it became agony.


    It became darkness.


    The charred stump where the head had been fell lifelessly to the ground, and Tristard escaped the loosened coils, wincing as he did. It would seem the beast managed to break a few of his ribs, but that was easily solved with a healing spell. He looked at his handiwork.


    "You should''ve taken the hint when I blew up your faces." He grumbled as he dislodged his axe from the corpse, and finally began making his way North again.


    /


    Shocked silence reigned over the Amphitheatre.


    When the prospective hunter had suddenly stopped in the middle of a clearing and whispered something, a few eyebrows were raised, but it was soon made clear he had noticed the Grimm ambush. Then he had used lightning and ice to dispatch most of his foes, with no apparent usage of dust, much to everyone''s confusion. Wasn''t his semblance intangibility?


    When he had drawn his strange looking axe, which obviously lacked a foldable frame, Ruby had jokingly told Jaune that apparently, he wasn''t the only one with an appreciation for the classics.


    Then the thing set itself on fire, again with no apparent dust usage according to Weiss, and he proceeded to dispatch the remaining beasts, once again confusing everyone when he froze a Grimm solid by literally screaming at it.


    And now he had just turned a king tajitu into barbecue, also by shouting at it.


    "How is he doing that?" Weiss wondered out loud, as she tried to understand what she had seen.


    "I don''t know." Pyrrha was equally perplexed. "But I think we were wrong about his semblance."


    "What do you mean?" Blake asked.


    "I don''t know how he created lightning and ice without dust, but every time something bigger than that happened, he shouted those strange words beforehand. If I had to guess, I''d say those were his semblance."


    "A brilliant deduction, Ms. Nikos."


    The group nearly jumped, at the unexpected voice, and looked at the source that was standing right beside them.


    "Professor Ozpin." Weiss said politely. "Could you please elaborate. How can words be a semblance?"


    Ozpin gaze never left the screen. "From what he explained to me, Mr. Soverick calls his semblance "Dragon Shout". In times of need, these words come to the forefront of his mind, and by shouting them, he is capable of creating several effects to turn the tides of battle in his favour." The headmaster took a sip as the group''s eyes, as well as those of everyone within earshot, widened in surprise. This guy had an incredibly powerful and adaptive semblance.


    "That is so awesome!" Ruby and Nora shouted excitedly, stars twinkling in their eyes.


    Before anyone else could speak, a loud growl caused everyone to turn back to the screen, and quite a few to gasp in alarm.


    "Oh, my." Ozpin said in a curious tone. "I wonder how he''ll work his way out of this one?"


    /


    ''This is getting very close to being labelled as one of those days.'' An annoyed Tristard grumbled in his mind. Let it be known that if there was a word to describe the Dragonborn''s luck, that word would be "unpredictable".


    Sometimes, he could make the journey from Fort Dawnguard to Solitude, basically from one end of Skyrim to the other, without any major incidents.


    Others, he couldn''t go from Rorikstead to Whiterun without being attacked by at least 5 bandit groups, 3 trolls, a band of giants with their respective mammoth heard, 2 dragons and a homeless Khajiit on skooma (Disturbingly enough, the hardest one to get rid of, the son of a whore just wouldn''t. Stay. Down.). And thus he began to label these days, when everything went wrong and even the Gods seemed to be out to get him, "those days".


    The reason for which he thought today qualified as such?


    The beast that had stomped out of the woods to meet him. Ursine in appearance, it was massive, a colossus of muscle and bony spikes, the black fur of the Grimm seen only through the spaces between white armored plates, marred with the scars of hundreds of battles. Dwarfing the Ursae he''d fought the other day, it was an Alpha in every sense of the word.


    Another tense standoff was had between man and beast.


    But while the man prepared for battle, the beast simply stared at this interloper into its territory, a calculating, intelligent glint in its eyes. For Grimm grew not only bigger and stronger with time, but smarter as well. They began to be able to strategize, to reason on a primal level, to act against the bloodl.u.s.t and recklessness that marked their younger years, which was why the older Grimm were considered top level threats that only experienced teams of hunter should engage. This particular Ursa had been around for a long time, it hunted and was hunted in return, and what it saw in front of it was no human prey.


    It saw a fellow predator, fangs bared, wings stretched, and fire pulsing in its jaws.


    It realized that if they fought, there would be no victory.


    And so, with a final growl, the beast turned and made its way back into the woods, leaving a slightly confused Archmage. After a quick use of Aura Whisper to make sure it wasn''t a trick, Tristard merely shrugged and went on his way.


    "Alright, perhaps not quite one of those days... yet."


    /


    Complete and utter silence.


    That''s what filled the Amphitheatre at this point, as every single student stared in shock at the impossible scene.


    It ran.


    The Grimm ran.


    That went against everything they knew. The Grimm were relentless monsters, they never stopped until their prey was dead, or they were. And here they saw someone who had scared off a gigantic Ursa just by staring at it. Who the heck was this guy?


    "Interesting..." A pleasantly surprised Ozpin said to himself.


    "Professor Ozpin." A stunned Blake asked. "What just happened?"


    "Ms. Belladonna, you are aware that the older a Grimm is, the stronger and more intelligent he becomes, right?" The headmaster answered, and most of those around nodded.


    "Well, as you could plainly see, that Ursa was quite old, a veteran fighter, and whatever it saw in Mr. Soverick, it seems to have decided it wasn''t in its best interest to fight him."


    Ozpin was quite pleased, Tristard was doing quite a good job of proving his worth. Perhaps too good a job, judging by the awed expressions of many of the students.


    Yang stared at man on the screen as if that would solve the mystery that he represented. Slowly, a smirk appeared on her face. Soverick, uh?


    She really wouldn''t mind if he joined their team.


    /


    A few hours and dozens of slaughtered Grimm later, Tristard had finally reached the temple, which consisted of a small circular ruin, with barely standing walls and pillars, and within he found his objective.


    "Relics my arse." He muttered, as he looked at various chess pieces spread in a circle of pedestals. Now he just had to choose one...


    His eyes stopped on one particular piece.


    The White Knight...


    ...


    Had prophecies always been this easy to understand or was he just getting better at it?


    With a shrug, the Archmage grabbed it.


    /


    "YES! The awsome newcomer is one of us now!" Ruby and Yang cheered as they high-fived each other.


    "He''ll certainly be interesting to work with." Blake said with a smile. Weiss kept silent, and while she wasn''t as happy as her teammates, she was somewhat pleased. At least the guy had proved he could hold his own.


    "Indeed." Ozpin said with a satisfied smirk, he knew the misplaced mage would understand the admittedly rather obvious hint. "I''ll have to take care of the paperwork, but as of right now, Mr. Soverick has become the official fifth member of team RWBY."


    "Oooh." Ruby was nearly jumping in childish enthusiasm. "I can''t wait to meet him. I''ve got sooo many questions. How did he pull that lightning and ice trick? How does his axe work? How...?"


    ...


    Enthusiasm became dread.


    "Oh no..."


    /


    "Well... shit."


    In the small amount of time he was inside the ruin, the open field around it had been filled with beowolves, the horde he had escaped from the other day if he had to guess, eagerly waiting for the chance to tear their escaped prey apart.


    Eh, they were just beowolves, he shouldn''t have any major prob...


    "SCCCRRRREEEEEEEEE!"


    "When will I learn to stop tempting Fate?" He sighed in exasperation, as two of the raven Grimm, Nevermores he recalled, soared overhead. They seemed smaller than the one he had seen being killed, though. The beast''s brood, perhaps?


    This time there would be no "airship" to pick him up, and there was no cliff he could jump...


    Oh well, it wasn''t the first time he faced insurmountable odds, and he''d be damned if he let it be the last.


    Still on the relative safety of the ruins, he called upon the magicka, and has a blue glow appeared in his hands, he waved them in arcane patterns, and cast the Dragonhide spell, it''s light blue brilliance surrounding his whole body before fading into a faint outline.


    After that, he reached into his robes, and removed a blue phial. He''d have to use them sparingly, but the current situation more than justified it. Moving his mask slightly, he drank the whole thing in one gulp, and immediately felt his magicka reserves restored.


    His preparations done, the Dragonborn walked out to meet his enemies, Gurahyol resting on his shoulder.


    "The creatures of Grimm, they call you..." He stated while facing the horde.


    The Grimm were confused. This lone human prey, he did not fear.


    He did not fear, he did not hate, there was no emotion coming from him other than calm, resolute acceptance.


    "For millennia you have preyed on mankind..."


    Slowly, but steadily, an aura of power manifested.


    "For millennia you have sought our destruction..."


    Under this presence, the beast grew restless, nervous even.


    "...And for millennia, man has weathered the storm."


    Even in their young, reckless minds, they were beginning to see what the Alpha had seen.


    "Let us see if you can fare any better."


    It was far too late.


    "STRUN BAH QO!"


    For what seemed like an eternity, but were actually a few moments, silence reigned over the Emerald Forest, as if it knew what was coming.


    As if Nature itself wished to avoid what was coming.


    And then, the skies of Remnant erupted in fury.


    Chapter 3


    It came out of nowhere. Like a beast waiting in ambush it fell on them.


    Clouds, black and thick, suddenly darkened the bright blue skies. A breeze picked up.


    It was only the beginning.


    It kept growing. Soon, the breeze became a violent gale that threatened to rip them from the ground and send them crashing into the woods. Without warning, a full-blown deluge began, a torrential downpour that turned the soil to mud and hindered their movements.


    And then, with a resounding, thunderous roar, a bolt of lightning fell, smiting a small cl.u.s.ter of beowolves. Many more followed.


    The Nevermores, despite their best, desperate efforts, found themselves completely at the mercy of the heavens. The gale winds tossed them around like rag dolls and lightning struck them mercilessly, relentlessly. Exhausted, one of the creatures collapsed and crashed into the clearing, crushing a fair number of its unlucky, earthbound kin, while the other was speared trough by one of the bolts and fell off in the distance, somewhere in the woods.


    At this point, a panicked, confused frenzy had settled over the creatures of Grimm.


    But even when faced with the rage of the wind, the fury of the rain and the wrath of lightning, the doubt creeping into their minds wasn''t enough to override their primal instincts, and so they attacked.


    Only to learn that at the heart of the maelstrom, another was taking place. A maelstrom of steel and magic, smaller, but far more dangerous.


    /


    Tristard dodged a beowolf trying to tear off his throat, more out of reflex than actual need, and as the beast made another attempt, he grabbed its own to hold it at bay, letting a Lightning Bolt spell surge through it, and then silencing its pained howls with a swing of his weapon, the jagged edge of Gurahyol burning strong despite the heavy rain, a large cloud of vapour surrounding it. Another tried to strike at his back, but the daedric battleaxe flashed, and the offending monster found itself without a head, after which the Archmage turned his attention towards an incoming wave of creatures:


    "FO KRAH DIIN!"


    A breath of sheer cold followed the shout, turning every Grimm, every blade of grass, every drop of rain in its path into hoarfrost statues. Unlike the Ice Form shout, the purpose of which was to incapacitate, the freezing Frost Breath would be quite fatal. The Dragonborn contemplated for a moment the ethereal beauty of his handiwork. Unfortunately, this distraction allowed one of the beasts to sneak up on him and bite into his shoulder. Or at least it tried to, because no matter how much pressure it applied, it couldn''t pierce through the human''s skin, the only thing it managed to break where its own teeth. Still, the mage struggled to break free, and as if instinctively feeling that their foe was trapped, more beowolves joined the first, the sheer weight of the unintentional dog pile threatening to do what their frenzied attacks failed to accomplish.


    Only for them to be violently pushed away, as a circle of massive green tentacles erupted from the mage''s robes, throwing Grimm in every direction. Their master protected for the time being, the eldritch appendages receded, and Tristard got to his feet, his golden mask hiding his annoyed expression. These bastards just wouldn''t take the bloody hint. Perhaps he needed to use a more... persuasive argument.


    With the creatures incapacitated for a precious few seconds, he called upon the magicka, willed it into taking a particular form. Lightning once more crackled in his arms, but it was different, more intense, more potent. Like moths to a flame, stray bolts fell on him, but did nothing more than help power the spell. After a few more moments of gathering power, the Archmage unleashed it all. With a mighty, blinding flash, the beam of concentrated lightning that was the Lightning Storm spell shot from his hands, moving in a wide arc in front of him, disintegrating each and every Grimm it touched, leaving only ashes and devastation in its wake. The clearing suddenly became much emptier, and this swift annihilation of most of their numbers broke the remaining Grimm. Self-preservation finally speaking louder, these few survivors ran into the woods, seeking to escape from this opponent, this predator who posed as prey.


    With the battle won, Tristard lifted Gurahyol to the skies and let loose a wordless, victorious shout. If any of the creatures had remained, they would have seen an enormous, winged reptilian beast roaring its victory to the heavens.


    Thunder was the storm''s response, as if it was celebrating as well.


    Yeah, he should probably do something about that before he ended up accidentally destroying the world.


    "LOK VAH KOOR!"


    It obeyed his will, and with one last boom of thunder, the storm vanished as suddenly as it appeared, the muddy soil and broken trees the only proof that it had actually happened.


    ''Well, I guess that answers that question.'' The Dragonborn mused as he gazed around him, watching the corpses decomposing with abnormal speeds, releasing clouds of black smoke, seeing the destruction that Storm Call had wrought. Perhaps it had been a bit of an Overkill on his part, but he had wanted those damn birds out of the sky, and unlike his usual encounters with aerial enemies, Dragonrend wasn''t an option. Plus, he was alone in this test, or else he wouldn''t even consider using it.


    That being said, he had accomplished what had been asked of him, so he should probably start the long and tedious trek back to Beacon...


    Wait...


    The Archmage facepalmed. Why in Oblivion hadn''t he thought of this earlier?


    Powered gathered once more in his hands, this time in the form of an ethereal purple glow, and soon after Arvak joined him in the clearing. The first thing the spectral horse did was trot to his master and rub its head on his shoulder, making Tristard chuckle.


    "Aye, I''m glad to see you''re safe as well, Arvak. I''m sorry I didn''t check up on you sooner, but I''ve been somewhat occupied." The specter neighed in response, indicating that there was no problem, which made Tristard chuckle again. Such a good horse.


    "Well, then..." He mounted the phantom steed, and spared one last glance at the battlefield. "Let us ride."


    As they did just that, he couldn''t help but wonder how would his meeting with his new associates go.


    /


    The Beacon Cliffs


    Weiss Schnee liked to think that she wasn''t easily surprised, but these lasts few days seemed to be trying their hardest to prove her wrong.


    First was the... explosive first encounter with her partner and team leader, Ruby Rose. She couldn''t deny that they had started off on the wrong foot, what with the Dunce''s clumsiness and her own... difficult behaviour (she was perfectly aware that others would''ve said she had been a bitch, but she would never admit it out loud), but the events of their initiation had surprised her, for she realized that the younger girl, for all her childishness and recklessness, had her heart in the right place, and the will and potential to be a great huntress someday. And so she decided that she would at least make an effort to try to make this partnership work.


    And now this.


    When the Headmaster had explained that one of the teams would be getting an extra member, she had honestly hoped it wouldn''t be hers, because she felt it would be hard enough to deal with as it was. When the guy first appeared on the screen, she hadn''t thought much of him, other than the fact that his mask reminded her of... unpleasant memories, but she rationalized that the mask alone wasn''t enough to suggest he had any connection to the White Fang, and that it would be unfair to dislike him just for that. She decided that if Ruby deserved a chance, then so did this guy.


    And then he had started doing the impossible, and doing it again and again.


    Using words to become intangible, and breathe fire and frost was by itself weird to say the least, but it had been explained by Ozpin as being his semblance, and while unusual, was something she could understand.


    But then there was the lightning and ice he used, and the strange flames of his axe, which had thoroughly confused her. She had payed close attention, inspected every detail, and she could safely say that at no point had this Soverick guy used dust. Where they another aspect of his semblance then, or something else entirely?


    And then to add to the mystery, the Grimm were afraid of him. Well, not at first, but the longer he fought them, the more hesitant the monster seemed to be, until an Ursa Alpha of all things refused to face him, and the few beowolves to survive his rampage, against everything humanity thought they knew about the Grimm, fled with their tails between their legs.


    Oh, and had she mentioned he had conjured up a freaking storm like a cheap trick, which had reached the academy itself judging by the rain on the windows and the thunder in the distance, and caused it to disperse just as easily? The creepy tentacles that burst from his body, when she and the others had started to fear they would lose their new teammate before they had a chance to meet him? The massive beam of lightning that annihilated nearly the entire horde? And how when all was said and done, he had made a skeleton horse appear out of thin air?


    In other words, she didn''t know what to think. On one hand, it was good to know that they had this kind of firepower on their side. On the other, how the heck did the guy manage to do that? Just who was he?


    As they neared the initiation cliff, following Headmaster Ozpin, who had prompted them to come and meet their new colleague, Weiss glanced back at the others.


    Ruby looked positively giddy, in fact, the younger girl was damn near skipping in excitement. Weiss suspected that had something to do with that obscenely sharp-looking flaming axe. Had it been anyone else, she would have thought such an obsession with weapons to be disturbing. To her credit, the red-hooded girl actually made it an endearing trait.


    Not for the first time she wondered how the heck could Ruby be related to their other teammate. Yang had been the first to break the utter, utter, silence in the amphitheatre, when everyone was still trying to process what they just saw.


    "Well... I guess you could say that he... took them by storm."


    And queue a perfectly synchronized groan of annoyance from everybody within earshot.


    Now, the buxom blonde (She was NOT jealous, not at all) was walking alongside her sister, and while she didn''t act any different from normal, there was a glint in her eyes that hadn''t been there before. Weiss wasn''t sure what to make of it.


    And then there was Blake. The last member of their team was quietly following the siblings, a contemplative expression on her face. If Weiss had to guess, she''d say the ebon-haired girl was trying to understand what they had witnessed, without much success.


    Soon they reached the cliff... where someone else was already waiting for their new teammate''s arrival...


    /


    Professor Goodwitch had been caught by surprise by the sudden storm, and while she was safe from the lightning at this distance, her waterlogged clothes and soaked hair showed that she hadn''t escaped unscathed. The woman was now twisting her cloak in effort to rid it of excess water, and doing her best to suppress the shivering from the cold. The girls and the Headmaster hid their surprise (and in some cases amus.e.m.e.nt) at the woman''s state, mostly because of the way she was murderously glaring in the general direction where the storm had come from.


    "Glynda..." Ozpin ventured cautiously, he did not wish to incur the woman''s wrath. "Why are you...?"


    "I created a barrier to shelter myself from the rain." The woman interrupted in a calm, collected, slightly shivering tone, but the Headmaster knew her well enough to recognize the cold fury underneath. "But that small period of time was enough to leave me in this state." Her glare never left the forest. Ozpin couldn''t help but grow a bit concerned for Tristard''s safety.


    For a few minutes, the group stood there in silence, until Ruby finally dared to ask.


    "So... how long do you think it will take him...?"


    An axe lodged itself in the Cliff''s edge, causing her to "Eeep!" in fright. A gloved hand followed, and soon the rest of the Archmage, dusting off his robes, and muttering something that sounded suspiciously like a promise that he''d one day find a way to murder the foul cliff.


    "That was quite an... impressive performance, Mr. Soverick." The Headmaster stated praisingly.


    "No thanks to you." Tristard replied bluntly. "It would have been nice to know that I was meant to be catapulted off the sodded cliff before it happened."


    "Perhaps." The Headmaster stated. "But that would defeat the purpose of a test, wouldn''t it?"


    Grudgingly the Dragonborn conceded to that particular point, and then he noticed that someone was glaring at him. One look at the source was more than enough to understand what had happened. Realizing the danger he was in, the mage immediately tried to diplomatically defuse the situation.


    "Forgive me, Lady Goodwitch." He said sincerely, bowing his head but at the same time doing his damn best to keep looking her in the eyes, because all that water was having some very... interesting effects on her white shirt, and he had a feeling that she''d know if he stared, mask or no mask. "I wasn''t aware that you would remain here for the duration of the initiation, otherwise I wouldn''t have resorted to such methods to deal with the Grimm. Here." He reached into his robes, pulling out a small red phial and held it out for her to grab. "Take this, with my apologies."


    Surprised by the honest, heartfelt apology, most of Glynda''s anger turned to curiosity, as she took the object and looked at it questioningly.


    "And what is this?"


    "A potion. That one in particular is used to cure disease. It should be able to handle any cold or fever you might suffer."


    Eyebrow raised, Glynda once again looked at the contents of the phial. This would require some analysis. But for now, she did the only thing she could think of.


    "Apologies accepted, just make sure it doesn''t happen again."


    Now Ozpin was thoroughly impressed. Fully capable of holding his own against overwhelming odds, willing to go for a diplomatic approach in more delicate situations, and he just managed to calm Glynda down to boot!


    Truly Tristard would make a fine addiction to Beacon Academy, and to Team RWBY in particular.


    The Dragonborn for his part, just chuckled. "Duly noted, Lady Goodwitch."


    Then he finally noticed the other people present, staring at him with expressions ranging from surprised to curious.


    "My new teammates, I assume?" He had seen them before, but now he took the opportunity to examine them in greater detail. Strange garments, but then again, his own probably looked strange to them as well. And what was it with this world and attractive women? Any one of them put anything he had seen back home to shame, with the possible exception of Serana. Not that he saw the vampire in that light. Despite her being Gods know how many millennia older than him, during the whole "Vampire Doomsday Prophecy" situation they had somehow developed a strong "Older Brother/Younger Sister" relationship, with all the teasing and overprotectiveness that entailed. Anyone who so much as thought to harm or woo her would have to answer to him, and proceed to get a face full of axe. And exploding fireballs. And then he''d sic Odahviing and Durnehviir on them.


    But he digressed. Now it was time to finally meet the Maidens of Red, White, Black and Yellow.


    "Oh, where are my manners?" He removed his mask, which disappeared into his robes, and did a polite bow, hoping for a good first impression. "Tristard Soverick, at your service."


    The girls hadn''t expected that. Contrary to what each of them envisioned, behind that mask was a guy not much older than they were. With that wavy brown hair, short-trimmed beard, and tattoo over his eye, he was quite good-looking, handsome even, in a rugged sort of way. Yang threw Weiss a smug look that said, "told you so". They were also somewhat confused by the overly polite way he addressed them, and it was Weiss, more used to such behaviours, that reacted first, approaching him as he rose and holding out her hand.


    "Weiss Schnee, pleased to meet you."


    The white one, Tristard mused as he shook it, and indeed white seemed to define her, from hair to clothing. The scar over her left eye did not detract from her beauty at all, and much like his own mark, he suspected there was quite a story behind it. From what he''d seen in the "footage" and what Ozpin had explained to him, she was the closest thing the team had to a mage, using her semblance of glyphs to boost herself and her allies, and the substance, "Dust", to produce many effects similar to his spells, which made her a prime candidate for attaining information on the subject. Her icy blue eyes showed some reservations, likely she wasn''t quite sure what to make of him, but also a measure of respect, he guessed he could work with that.


    "The pleasure is mine, Lady Schnee." He answered, and the sincerity behind it seemed to catch the girl slightly off guard, but by then another of the girls approached.


    "Hi there!" The smaller girl said excitedly, a bright smile on her face. "Name''s Ruby Rose. Nice to meet you."


    The red one, strangely the only one whose hair did not totally match the color. With a red hood, over-sized cape and cheerful silver eyes, the girl was a picture of childish optimism and innocence, it reminded him so much of... Well, anyway, she was the leader, and yet the youngest out of all of them. He had to admit, he had been somewhat uncertain about those particular pieces of information, but he witnessed the feats she could accomplish, some bordering on the insane, which he strongly suspected might be due to structural and biological differences between the humans of Remnant and Nirn, it was the best explanation he could come with for how in Sheor''s name was a small, thin girl like her able to so easily wield a scythe bigger than she was, when most orcs he''d met would hesitate to even lift the damn thing. That aside, the girl was quick, both on her feet, what with her semblance being speed, and in her mind, and now that he was standing before her, he could see what Ozpin had been thinking. She definitely had a potential for greatness. Aye, he would follow this one, and help along the way.


    "Likewise, Lady Rose." He replied with a grin as they shook hands, while another new face approached.


    "Well, good to see you getting along so well with someone right off the bat, Rubs." She said in a teasing yet caring tone, before shifting her attention to him, while the red-hooded girl stuttered embarrassedly. "Yo, I''m Yang Xiao Long, Ruby''s older sister, nice meeting you."


    Tristard blinked, looked at one girl, then the other, then spoke his mind.


    "You two look nothing alike."


    The blonde just chuckled at that. "Yeah, we get that a lot."


    The yellow one. With long, wild hair of a shade that put gold to shame, and bright lilac eyes, this one showed a confident, energetic and very carefree demeanour. She was also quite... well endowed, which wasn''t helped by her... revealing outfit. As they shook hands, he fought down the urge to wince. The girl had one hell of a grip, but that was to be expected, she was a brawler after all, with a level of strength unheard of in Skyrim, which coupled with a deceiving amount of agility, made her a brutal, devastating fighter. They would have loved her back in Jorrvaskr.


    "I believe we will get along well..." Lady Xiao? Lady Long? Lady Xiao Long? Ah, sod it."... Milady."


    And then there was one.


    She approached quietly, and for some reason he was reminded of a cat, sizing him up, trying to decide if he was friend or threat.


    "I''m Blake. Blake Belladonna."


    The black one. Hair dark as midnight and feline, amber eyes, and with what was perhaps the strangest outfit he''d seen so far, she seemed to be the quiet one of the group, and more than any of the others she had the bearing of an experienced fighter, and with a fighting style based on stealth and subterfuge, she would have been quite successful in the Dark Brotherhood, if he hadn''t finished those bastards off himself, there were only so many assassination attempts he could put up with, and their "attempt" to recruit him for "stealing the clientele " had been the last straw, he had done the world a favour getting rid of that old hag, and another getting rid of them.


    But once again he digressed.


    The girl seemed quiet and collected, yes, and a bit withdrawn, perhaps, but there was something underneath, to him those eyes seemed... haunted, for a lack of a better term. But he would not ask, nor would he judge, it was not his place. Gods knew he had his own closet full of skeletons.


    Also, that strange ornament on her head really did remind him of a Khajiit...


    By the Gods, did those things just twitch?


    Nah, he must''ve been seeing things.


    "Delighted to make you acquaintance, Lady Belladonna." She nodded, they shook hands, and then she retreated once more, truly a quiet girl.


    "Now that you have all been introduced." Ozpin rejoined the conversation. "I believe it is time to make this official."


    The girls stepped back, as one Headmaster stood before another, the latter of the two removing the chess piece from within his robes and handing it to the former, who nodded approvingly.


    "Tristard Soverick, you have braved the Emerald Forest alone, showing great skill and power, and collected the White Knight piece. Thus, you will be joining Team RWBY, under the leadership of Ruby Rose. Welcome to Beacon Academy."


    "T''is a position I will fulfil to the best of my ability." The Archmage replied, then turned to the younger girl, and put his fist to his chest in a show of respect. "My axe is yours, Lady Rose."


    Fl.u.s.tered by such respectful behaviour from a guy she had just met, the blushing Ruby could only stutter.


    "W-well... hhhm... yeah, welcome t-to the team."


    Yang nodded at that, Weiss and Blake just smiled.


    "Now, I believe it is time for the girls to pack their bags." Ozpin stated.


    "I''m sorry, what?" A bewildered Weiss asked.


    It was Glynda who replied. "Girls, the room you are occupying right now is too small to house a fifth person. Fortunately, situations like these, while uncommon, are not unheard of, and we have a couple of rooms on campus for just this purpose. You will be moving to one of them."


    Tristard didn''t miss Ruby dejectedly mumbling. "But we just set up the bunk beds..."


    He''d have to ask about that latter.


    "I trust there will be no issue with this, Mr. Soverick?" The teacher asked him with a pointed look.


    He fought down the urge to snort. During his tenure with the Companions, he had shared quarters with Aela the Huntress, and the woman fought, ate and snored like a beast. This couldn''t be much worse.


    "I have no issue with it if they don''t, Lady Goodwitch. Besides, I travel light, so I will not be taking up much space."


    "Well, then." Ozpin said. "I believe we should return, you look like you could use a rest."


    No one noticed that, during these conversations, Tristard had been moving, subtly positioning himself, waiting for just the right moment.


    "Aye, a warm meal, a bath, and a good night''s sleep to sound lovely right now. Oh, and Ozpin...?"


    "Yes?"


    "FUS!"


    The Headmaster of Beacon Academy was promptly blown off the cliff.


    The girls gawked.


    Glynda once more glared at him.


    "Was that really necessary?"


    Tristard just shrugged.


    "A bit petty on my part perhaps, but nobody tricks me into being catapulted off a cliff and gets away with it."


    And done.

 Chapter 244 - My SI Stash #44 - An Obligatory Worm Self Insert by Unseen Lurker (Worm)

    -SI in to Worm with a bloody Necronomicon, thankfully not the same Necronomicon from Ash Vs Evil Dead~ Chaotic Evil MC taking advantage of the better Book of the Dead!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: ???


    Words: 21K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/an-obligatory-worm-self-insert-worm-cthulhu-mythos.645781/ (Unseen Lurker)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Frank awoke with a jolt, the concrete he laid upon offered little comfort as he stood with a groan. He was in an alley, but that couldn''t be right, the shitty little town he lived in barely had two buildings close enough. He rubbed the grime out of his eyes, and groped around for his glasses, eventually finding them in his jeans, slipping them on he finally got a good look around.


    It was the most stereotypical alleyway he could ever have conceived of and up above the tall buildings was a brilliant blue sky. He hadn''t the faintest clue how he got here, the last thing he could remember was going out on a walk, or something, the past few hours were a little fuzzy. Had he been kidnapped or something? Almost as if to answer his question a heavy tome landed at his feet with a thud.


    "What in the f.u.c.k?!" He exclaimed. But after a moment''s hesitation, he bent down and picked up the strangely colored book.


    ''Necronomicon,'' it read. Just beneath the gold emblazoned title was a note pinned to the distressingly textured cover. Written upon a thick parchment it read, ''Transported to a realm not thine own, with but two gifts and only a note to guide thee. Thou hast been granted an opened mind and a tome of great knowledge. The Queen Administrator shall fail, defeat the Warrior''s shade and thine fate shall be revealed. Be forewarned displaced one, should thee fail in thine quest, death shall be a kindness.''


    "What." The note was absorbed into the book''s disturbingly textured cover. He blinked, the shock quickly wore away as he mulled over the note''s words. He had a sneaking suspicion as to what was happening, and he was going to get an answer. The brown-haired man strolled out of the alleyway onto the mostly vacant sidewalk and walked up to a poor looking fellow leaning up against an abandoned storefront.


    "Legend or Eidolon?" He asked.


    "Psh, Alexandria''s where it''s at man, she''s got an ass you could bounce a dime off," responded the scruffy-looking man with a chuckle.


    "...Right, thanks," said Frank. He walked away without another word. All around him he saw a dense cityscape, off into the distance he could see a bay, leading out into the Atlantic, and right smack dab in the middle of it was an oil rig, enshrouded by a hazy energy field. The realization hit him like a hammer, and Frank couldn''t decide between screaming out of fanboyish glee or gut-wrenching horror.


    He leaned up against a building on the sidewalk, shaking lightly and nearly hyperventilating. Frank slowly leaned up against the wall and slide down it, eyes wide and mind racing the possibilities thrumming through his mind at a mile a minute. He was in Worm and had the Necronomicon, he was in f.u.c.k.i.n.g Worm and had the f.u.c.k.i.n.g Necronomicon. Frank chuckled lightly, and then it swiftly grew into deep belly-aching laughter.


    After a moment, he collected himself, standing up he straightened his ruffled dull grey jacket, with a face filled with determination and heart full of terror he set out.


    Chapter 2


    The first order of business for any aspiring super person was to find a base of operations. Which was why Frank was strolling through a rundown neighborhood as he slowly stroked the cover of his new favorite book.


    Judging by the distinct lack of swastikas and oriental people, in addition to the vast amount of shady looking poor people, he had to assume he was in or around the Merchant''s turf, which was probably for the best, all things considered.


    Frank slowly wandered the streets, looking through the run-down neighborhood after run-down neighborhood, attempting to find an abandoned house that hopefully wouldn''t cave in on him. After nearly an hour of searching, he found just the right place, a tiny, shitty looking house surrounded by other, tiny, shitty looking houses.


    It was a small one-floor abode, the paint was largely chipped away, the lawn overgrown and the windows mostly shattered, it was perfect. Frank walked along the overgrown brickwork leading up to the front door, idly kicking detritus out of the way. He pulled out his only weapon, a tiny, dull pocket knife. When he reached the entrance he walked over to an empty window frame and peered inside, it looked vacant, but who knew what horrors could be hiding inside. He climbed through the window frame as quietly as he could.


    Frank''s search of the largely barren home was uneventful and brief, the small one-bedroom home was inhabited with nothing but several rat carcasses, a small mountain of ancient used syringes, and a few badly worn pieces of furniture.


    Frank plopped down on a cushionless couch that was the sole occupant of the living room and set the fleshy tome on his lap. Before him lay a book filled with untold horrors awaiting to be unleashed, a book filled with more eldritch knowledge than could even be conceived of by mortal man. His task was nigh insurmountable, and this was the tool given to him to accomplish it. Frank pondered his options for a long while, what he was willing to do to survive, what he was willing to do to win. He came to his resolution with a grimace, and a tinge of excitement, after all, Worm was all about doing the wrong things for the right reasons.


    But before he set out on his quest there was one more thing he had to do. Frank held the book up by the back cover so that the pages at the end would fall to the front, they did, and then they continued to fall. He held it in that position for over a minute as pages continued to fall, the size of the book never changing. He chuckled. Frank stared at the book for a while longer, fear gripping his heart, preventing him from taking the first step.


    He let out a quiet sight, with a determination born of a fear of another sort and an immense curiosity, he opened the Necronomicon. The language it was written in was of a strange sort, while appearing to just be random gibberish on the page, it somehow directly communicated the raw intent of the words into his mind. The first page was a preface of sorts, it stated that this ''Necronomicon'' (as it''s actual name was physically unpronounceable by humans) was a kind of compilation of all ''relevant'' knowledge in the entire multiverse. Thank whatever random omnipotent being gave him this version, as the actual Necronomicon would have been f.u.c.k.i.n.g useless.


    He turned the page, it was a table of contents.


    ''ROB is being so kind,'' he thought.


    As he read through the table of contents he realized something that should have been rather obvious. Not only was this tome a source of immense arcane lore, but technological knowledge as well. As he continued to read he also noticed that there were no page numbers. He pondered this issue for a moment if ROB was being so kind already¡­ He thought of Shoggoths and turned the page, on it was a detailed entry on the biology and creation process of Shoggoths.


    Before he really dived into it, he wanted to confirm a niggling suspicion he had. Turning to a page on directed energy weapons, he briefly skimmed it. Unlike tinker tech, the technology in this was completely genuine, no hyperdimensional f.u.c.kery here, just honest to tentacle covered god technology. Hopefully magic would be a bit easier to learn.


    Turning to the introductory page on magic, he read over it, and it was actually fairly simple at its core. Magic was a lot like flexing a hidden muscle that you never knew you had. It was your connection to the very universe, something that most mortals never realized was there.


    The first ''spell'' the book stated a practitioner of magic should learn was a simple focusing exercise. Continuing with the muscle analogy, it was a lot like lifting weights, magical weights. It took him a couple of minutes to figure it out, but it was surprisingly easy. He continued the focusing exercise for a long while until he felt that he''d mostly gotten the hang of it.


    He eagerly turned the page, now that he was a fully qualified wizard, it was time to learn some real magic!


    Chapter 3


    A/N: I''m grabbing most of the spells from the Call of Cthulhu Spell Grimoire (with some liberal modifications). You can find a free complete PDF online if you care to look it up.


    The sun was rising, he hadn''t even noticed the sunset in the first place. He closed the Necronomicon with a satisfying snap and stretched as he stood up, then immediately rushed outback as his bladder screamed for release.


    After finishing his business he went into the kitchen and attempted to turn on the sink''s faucet, nothing came out, while he hadn''t expected the water to be on in this abandoned shithole, it was worth a shot. Unfortunately, he had yet to discover the secrets of immortality, so he still had to eat and drink, among all those other things those pesky mortals had to deal with. He needed to get money and food somehow, and he didn''t have his wallet on him, so what other option was there but to go out and murder random Merchants and steal their stuff. In addition to some other things, of course.


    Fortunately, during his binge reading session, he''d managed to learn one actual spell, plus a few other fun things. The spell allowed him to conjure an invisible, extendable, and exceedingly sharp razor out of thin air. It was basically Jack Slash''s more obvious power, but better. And if Jack Slash could go head to head with the mightiest heroes, while murdering scores of people, obviously he could too.


    ?


    But first, he''d need a few things, some clothing to better blend in and something to carry his stuff around in. He''d ended up stealing his disguise from a probably dead homeless person he''d found behind an abandoned store, which consisted of a brown jacket that was filthier than dirt, a beanie that smelled like it''d came out of a grease pit, and a bandanna that actually didn''t smell or look that bad. His second item appeared in the form of a backpack that was made almost entirely of duct tape, which he''d found next to a homeless person that probably wasn''t dead. Within the backpack he stored his precious Necronomicon, it was far more convenient than stuffing it under his shirt as he had been.


    Finally, Frank began his hunt and did so for nearly three hours before he found his mark. It was an isolated group of shady looking guys leaned up against a wall quietly talking to each other. Logically, they had to be drug dealers working for the Merchants, and if not, oh well.


    "Hey, you guys got any drugs?" Frank asked as he approached them. They stared at him, varying looks of incredulity on their faces.


    "F.u.c.k off?" Said the one in the center.


    "Go to the Merchants if you want your fix, freak," said the one on the left.


    "Well, fancy you should say that," Frank said with a laugh. He conjured and swung his invisible blade, neatly decapitating the one in the middle, and nearly decapitating the one on the right. The one on the left tried to run, but with a neat flick of his wrist his prey fell to the ground, his Achilles tendons cut, and with a few quick slashes, his final target perished.


    He walked up to the corpses with a casual stroll and dragged them into the dead-end of the alleyway they had been standing outside of. The alleyway was as filthy and cluttered as most other alleys were in Brockton Bay, but luckily for him, this one was a bit different, with a decently large alcove at the very end of it, which would hopefully obscure his upcoming sorcery from the wandering eye.


    Several minutes later he had finished dragging the last corpse into the alley, he walked back out, looking at the large pool of blood and obvious drag marks in the concrete, he hoped nobody would be stupid enough to interfere.


    Frank plopped down next to the pile of corpses, cracking open the Necronomicon he flipped to the page with the ritual on it, he reread it once more to assuage his paranoia.


    He stripped the corpses of their clothing and valuables, stowing them in his backpack. Frank conjured his spectral razor once more, it doubled as an effective ritual blade. He began to flay one of the dead men, slowly but surely, he cut away the flesh with his ethereal blade, the process was surprisingly quick, taking only a few minutes. He repeated this process twice more, neatly stacking the flayed strips of flesh on top of each other. Once completed, he picked up the Necronomicon in his off-hand and placed his right hand on top of the stack. Frank read the accursed words slowly but surely, only five minutes passed and the ritual was complete, a blob of alabaster Flesh was now where the strips of skin were, he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, he wasn''t finished yet.


    Frank laid the Necronomicon on the ground off to the side, he''d need it as a guide for this ritual as well. He rubbed his fingers around on the flayed body, smearing as much blood as he could on them and crawled back to a portion of the alcove that wasn''t already drenched in blood. With painstaking slowness he drew out the runes copied from the Necronomicon on the ground, it took nearly an hour to do so.


    Once he finished quadruple checking the circle, he couldn''t help but let out a nervous breath Frank picked up the blob of Flesh and gingerly placed it in the proper position in front of the circle, and then stripped off every article of clothing, placing them next to his backpack.


    As carefully as he could he eased himself down inside of the circle on his knees, he began to chant, the same alien phrase, over and over, for nearly a minute nothing happened, but slowly and surely the Flesh that laid before him swept up into the air as if by some invisible current, it encircled Frank, spinning slowly around him. It drifted closer and closer to him as if by a gentle breeze, and then it flowed on top of him, the pale Flesh merging with his own.


    It was agonizing, and it wasn''t supposed to be, properly performed this ritual was supposed to be painless. Normally if he were subject this level of raw bleeding agony, he would be a screaming wreck writhing about on the ground, but it seemed the paralyzing effect of the ritual had taken effect, locking his body into place and preventing even a twinge. It continued like this for several more minutes before the ritual finally finished, and it took several more minutes for the paralysis to wear off. When he could finally move, he bonelessly collapsed to the ground, every motion felt like sandpaper grinding into his flesh.


    Minutes passed before he could work up the energy to stand. Frank inspected his Flesh as he hobbled to his pile of clothing, he looked emaciated now, the Flesh absorbing most of his body fat in the bonding process. His skin was far too pale, far too smooth, almost like porcelain, he knew it would get better in time, but it would never look like a human''s again. He was also completely bald, he really hoped he could grow his hair back.


    The pain had largely faded as he slipped on the last of his clothing. Frank looked over to the bodies, there was one more ritual that he should have performed, but he couldn''t bring himself to do it. Then again, it was barely even worth being called a ritual, all he''d have to do was say a few words and¡­ The bile rose up in his throat, later, he would do it later. Frank hurried out of the alley, he quickly checked the men''s wallets, combined they had around fifty dollars, a surprising haul for such an impoverished area. At least he could afford food now.

 Chapter 245 - My OC Stash #45 - Sc.u.mbag Hero Academia by Flux Casey (MyHeroAcademia)

    -Not a SI but an OC Cambrian-like type beat~ His quirk reminds me of Garou honestly, except this one is accelerated growth in everything not just physical abilities, and he also doesn''t need to fight for it to work, either way his quirk''s for the battle junkies!


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 21K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/sc.u.mbag-hero-academia.11777/#post-3260733 (Flux Casey)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    The UA faculty watch with expert eyes as the practical portion of the entrance exam progresses. They already have several examinees they know for certain will be students in the coming year. The spiky-haired blonde demolishing any robots she sets her eyes on with powerful explosions, the bespectacled boy blitzing through the streets tearing them apart with kicks, the boy fusing the robots to the ground so their programming destroys them when they keep trying to move. All strong candidates purely for their ability to put villains out of commission. Then there are those who excel for supporting others even during the exam. In this, the girl with vines for hair and the orange-haired girl whose quirk makes her hands change size stand out.


    A boy with blue hair in a short ponytail with a focused look in his burgundy eyes certainly falls in the first category.


    "What''s he doing?" Cementoss asks as he watches the boy grip a one pointer''s head.


    "It looks like he''s¨C" Vlad King started, stopping as the boy tears the head clean off, "Doing that."


    "But why? It''s not very efficient."


    On screen, the boy turns and throws the head at a three pointer with enough force to knock it off its treads. A much smaller boy reacts angrily, pointing towards the purple globs on the concrete that the robot was about to run over. The blue-haired boy ignores him entirely, already searching for more targets.


    "You were saying?" Midnight shrugs, "But I guess we won''t see him earning any rescue points."


    From how he''s scoring so far, he won''t need them," Snipe notes as the boy dropkicks another three pointer, riding it as it falls and kicking off to keep moving.


    A week later, he receives his results. With a score of sixty villain points, he is accepted as a student of UA.


    -(-)-


    ?


    "Sai! Sai!" a blonde girl whines her pet name for him as he indulges himself with her body. One hand gripping a b.r.e.a.s.t firmly, the other steadying her h.i.p.s as he thrusts feverishly inside her. Mixed in with her fluids is a trickle of red.


    She and the boy had been friends since childhood. They had been a couple for a year. And finally, finally, in celebration of his acceptance into UA she had opened her legs for him! He feels a thrill of exultation run through him as his h.i.p.s smack into hers, this is the first of many rewards for his hard work. He''ll enjoy her to the fullest now that she has finally submitted herself to him for his enjoyment! Her little gasps and whines are like music to him. She has tears in the corners of her eyes but there''s little he can do, girls never enjoy their first time so he''ll have to enjoy it enough for the both of them. The second time will be better. His quirk will make sure of it.


    He groans as he spills himself inside her, the trickle of red muddied by a trickle of white around where they''re joined. Tear streaks run down her face now. He wipes them away with a thumb. "I''m sorry," he whispers, "I know it hurt but it''ll be better in future," he promises, slipping his softening c.o.c.k out of her.


    "Mm, I know," she answers shakily. "I love you, Sai," she says with a smile.


    "Hey Juri, I''ve got an idea!" the boy says suddenly, picking up his phone. "We should take a picture to commemorate this!"


    "Uhh, I don''t think¨C!"


    "Come on, it''ll be great! Something to remember this moment where we proved how much we care about each other!"


    He had chosen his words carefully. She won''t want to deny it like this, when it would sound like she''s denying the last part. Embarrassment causes her to shrink a little, but she nods her assent.


    With a grin, he vacates the bed, standing at the foot of it with his phone ready to take his perfect picture, his perfect memento, the evidence that his path is the right one. With wide eyes, she covers her b.r.e.a.s.ts and her privates, mortified. She had thought it would be a picture of the two of them!


    "No, no!" he insists, "We need to see it all! Where we were joined!" Slowly, hesitantly, her arms retreat to by her sides as she looks away from the camera with a flush. "Can you give me a peace sign? And a smile?"


    Would you judge her for doing it? She loves him after all. Or at least thinks she does. Fighting through her shame, she offers a weak smile to the camera, holding up double peace signs.


    Click!


    "Perfect!" he announces, putting his phone to one side.


    "You... You won''t show anyone will you Sai?"


    "Of course not! You''re mine, Juri! All mine!" he tells her with an insistent, possessive hug. Even as uncomfortable as the picture made her, as much as giving him her v.i.r.g.i.nity had hurt, she still felt happy and safe in his arms.


    He smiles to himself. It will all be worth it! He''s proven himself correct now. To get everything he wants there''s only one path he can walk and from a young age he has walked it readily.


    He pushes himself.


    For being born in a culture like Japan, where one is expected to strive eternally, to toil endlessly for oneself, one''s family, one''s community, one''s country. It might be expected that such a thing would be commendable. And it is. But even so, even for people from a culture that heaps praise on those who work themselves to exhaustion, people watching him might decide he pushes himself too hard. The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long. They might wonder.


    Why does he train himself into unconsciousness?


    Why would he run until his feet bleed?


    He hasn''t slept in how long?!


    Is he not breathing?!


    WHY IS HE STARVING HIMSELF?!


    He would probably admit, if under extreme duress, that he might have pushed things a little too far on occasion. He had more than a few emergency hospital trips to show for it. But the results! People might consider him dangerously self-destructive, but if they knew the potential he held, the absolute jackpot of a quirk fate had decided to bestow on him, they might understand.


    Saiki Saisei. His quirk? Comeback. Every time he stresses himself, his quirk will work to improve him to avoid that stress in future. A punch will get stronger, faster and more efficient. Running? Run faster and for longer without tiring. Loss of sleep? Need to sleep less often. Not breathing? More efficient use of oxygen. Starvation? More efficient use of nutrients and calories to require less food.


    Here''s the sad truth that those people who would judge him might not realise. With his history, Saiki was destined for a life of hardship. Orphaned son of a degenerate and a middle-class girl who should have known better. He would have to strive just to survive, let alone succeed. And Saiki had no intention of settling for just survival.


    Heroes. Paragons of justice and virtue!


    What a crock.


    It has been a long time since heroes could honestly be described like that. Heroes are celebrities. Pillars of strength, sure. Icons of safety, why not. Symbols of peace? With All Might ready to punch out anyone that steps out of line, absolutely. But the reality is even though they look like they''re still everything they started as, they''ve fallen far. Television appearances, endors.e.m.e.nt deals, merchandise, fame, money, power, women! In this society all these things gravitate towards heroes, to the best of the best.


    Saiki wants that. Sure he''ll punch out a bad guy now and again on the way. A job''s a job. But the only important thing to him is the success, the admiration, the adulation! He had nearly put himself in an early grave pushing his quirk to its limits, building himself into a true superhuman in every way he could think of. All a means to an end to reach his goal!


    To be the number one hero! To get everything that comes with that title!


    And wouldn''t you know it? The moment he finds out he''s gotten into the top hero course in the country his ever so annoyingly chaste girlfriend gleefully lets him take her, even degrading herself for his sake. The proof sits right there in his phone. Not even going to UA yet and he gets a girl to put herself on display, smile on her face as she shows off her freshly deflowered p.u.s.s.y leaking a mixture of her v.i.r.g.i.n blood and his s.e.m.e.n. What better evidence could he need? This is just the beginning! His origin story!


    Chapter 2


    Saiki feels content as he lays in bed with his hands behind his head. Finally it''s his first day at UA, finally he begins his training at Japan''s premier heroics course! He can''t wait to get started! When he had woken, he found himself full of nervous energy.


    "Ugluk! Ugluk! Ugluk!"


    So he was happy to learn the thing that woke him up was his girlfriend Juri, come to work some of that nervous energy out of him with a morning blowjob. Man, he''s glad he gave her a key to his apartment! Such a good girl!


    Her mouth gives an exaggerated popping sound as she pulls off his c.o.c.k, hand coming up to stroke him. "I can''t believe All Might is gonna be your teacher Sai!" she squeals in excitement, a trail of spit still connected to his pole.


    "Of course he is! If I''m gonna be the number one hero it only makes sense to get trained by the old one, right?" he asks as though it''s obvious but he can''t quite hide his own enthusiasm. "... Hey, can I have your ass next?"


    She bites her lip, looking away. "Umm... I''m still not... And I have school so..."


    "Oh, right, sorry!" he apologises, at least sounding sincere. "Even if you''re just going to a regular school you should still give it your all, especially on your first day too!" he assures, again sincerely even while intentionally diminishing her.


    She smiles weakly, once again sliding her lips over his c.o.c.khead. He almost fondly puts a hand on the back of her neck, stroking her cheek with his thumb and getting a smile from her at the intimate gesture. before pulling her down to deepthroat his c.o.c.k. Despite how much practice she''s had over the past few weeks, she still chokes fiercely when he does this but he holds her there regardless, watching her eyelashes flutter. He luxuriates in the feeling of her throat desperately constricting on his c.o.c.k, shallowly thrusting up into her face for a few seconds. Only as her eyes start to roll up does he let her up for air.


    Juri is just an ordinary girl. She wants to be part of something special even if she can''t be special herself. That''s fine with Saiki, as long as she learns her place in the relationship. If she keeps him happy, sure she can hear about all the amazing things he does. Hanging out with pro heroes, getting taught by All Might. All she has to do is make him happy. That''s fair, isn''t it?


    As her breathing evens out, he pulls her down to get back to work.


    Even if she''s a slow learner when it comes to sucking d.i.c.k, that''s fine. He''s happy to teach her. Even if she''s reluctant to let him f.u.c.k her ass, that''s fine. He''ll just keep reminding her what their relationship is until she learns.


    She wants to be linked to a celebrity, he wants a willing set of holes living two doors down from him. A classic quid-pro-quo arrangement, right?


    He pulls out of her throat to finish in her mouth, watching her cheeks bulge with his seed before she starts to frantically swallow, having at least learned that lesson. He sighs in contentment as her tongue undulates over his c.o.c.k head while he rides out his orgasm. Once again, his hand comes around to caress her face, flushed with exertion. "Good girl," he tells her lovingly.


    She gives a tired smile, nuzzling into his hand.


    -(-)-?


    Saiki doesn''t make a nuisance of himself when he first arrives in the classroom, instead simply taking a seat and inspecting his fellow classmates. And naturally, his attention falls first to the bespectacled boy who shares his hair colour and the loud, foul-mouthed girl the boy is trying to chastise. The boy seems refined and dignified, probably from money? Unfortunately he''s probably too uptight for Saiki, he''d get on the more ruthless boy''s last nerve.


    The girl on the other hand, blonde, spiky hair, bright red eyes, isn''t that the girl from that slime villain incident? She''s not wearing the uniform tie and has her top shirt button open. She''s arrogant, she''s picking fights already and calling people ''extras'' and ''side characters''. So she''s a little dim when it comes to people and no one will be angry if he brings her to heel... Interesting.


    Who else... A boy with a tail who doesn''t so much scream boring as he does quietly mumble it and get ignored. Maybe befriending him would make Saiki look even more interesting by comparison? But could he put up with him? There''s a boy with bird features trying to look cool and mysterious... Alright, dudes are boring, he decides, switching to inspecting the more feminine contingent of his class. And no, that doesn''t include the guy speaking French.


    The girl with the weird features, huge eyes, super prominent overbite... He''ll pass. Then the pink girl... She seems fun? Maybe good for a quick f.u.c.k? Wait and see. The tired-looking girl with headphone jacks coming out of her ears? Neat quirk. She''s seeming to take lessons on being a cool rebel from slime villain girl, putting her feet up on the desk like that girl has. Sadly, she realises a little too late that the blonde girl is wearing spats under her skirt so she can get away with it. Meanwhile, Earjacks just accidentally flashed her panties to half the class. White with an angry kitten face on them, very cute. And that kind of behaviour suggests a follower of a sort...


    ¡­ Hello.


    Saiki spies at least one girl in his class that he needs to pursue. Much like the the uptight boy, she has refinement, even now sitting straight in her chair with a polite, placid smile on her face. But she''s also quiet about it, the kind of grace she doesn''t need to announce to prove it like the boy does. That means moneyed. Upper class at least, if not higher. And her poise only enhances the appeal of her already stunning figure. She''s one he fully intends to watch and get in the good graces of if he can manage it.


    And finally there are the two that come in last. The brunette seems cute in that whole trying too hard kind of way, not really interesting. What is interesting is the other girl and not just because she has the biggest pair of tits Saiki has seen outside of p.o.r.n. No, the interesting thing is that the argument slime villain girl and uptight boy are having stops dead as soon as they see her. Saiki doesn''t know why it happens, but it seems those two know something he doesn''t. Well, if she''s the only one in their class that makes people shut up and take notice, then Saiki decides he has to do the same.


    So. Slime villain girl. Posh girl. Mystery girl. Those are the ones he''ll work on for now.


    -(-)-?


    Quirk apprehension test? What a strange way to start the school year. Then again, the teacher''s explanation makes a lot of sense to Saiki.


    Physical education was the only class he failed in his old school and through no fault of his own. For six years he had been building his capabilities both physical and mental. It gave him strength, speed and endurance well beyond human norms. When he had displayed his abilities, the instructor threw a fit, claiming he was cheating with his quirk. Even after he had proven what his quirk did, that his body would still be exactly as fit without the quirk as with it, the administration still agreed with the instructor. He was given a failing grade every year for ''cheating''.


    It was more than a sore spot for him, to have all of his hard work rejected because it put him at an ''unfair advantage'', as if he didn''t have to work at all to get where he is now. So this test isn''t a case of getting to let loose for him. It''s a chance to compete at all.


    And compete he does. Fifty meter dash in 4.32 seconds, grip strength of 147kg, the sandpit for the standing long jump makes him wonder why it was even there or why it wasn''t longer with so many people clearing it completely. Again and again, in every event he clears the ''unassisted'' world records easily and it feels oh so satisfying to just let loose. Even seeing others outdo him doesn''t bother him at all. So that Iida guy can outrun him, of course he can! His quirk is based around running! The girl Bakugo can grenade jump further than he can jump? Good for her. Too cheerful girl can throw a ball for ''infinity''? Doesn''t matter. They all have weak events. He doesn''t. He might not absolutely dominate in anything but he excels in everything.


    As he bears witness to the strangest part of the test, with the mystery girl Midoriya attempting the distance throw, some questions get answered but more are raised. First, his teacher is apparently some super low-key hero who can shut off quirks and has a magic cloth. Second, Midoriya and Bakugo know each other. Third, Midoriya didn''t have (or appeared to not have) a quirk until recently. Fourth, Midoriya''s quirk is some sort of self-destructive power boost, one capable of exceeding Bakugo''s giant explosion in power, but at the cost of a broken finger.


    Even for all of the questions those answers raise, it gives him an answer to his most important question. How to get an in with the girl everyone, even their perpetually disinterested homeroom teacher, is impressed by.


    After getting changed out of his gym uniform, he quickly heads over to the nurse''s office to check in on how Midoriya is doing only to catch her on her way out. "Hey, Midoriya right?" he greets sociably.


    The large-chested girl with frizzy green hair looks at him like a deer staring at swiftly oncoming headlights. "Oh! H-Hi!" she squeaks in that same way she had when talking to Iida.


    Is... Is she not good with boys? Oh, it''s like she was gift-wrapped for him! "Hi, I''m Saiki Saisei¨C"


    "I know!" she says with sudden passion before shrinking away as though she frightened herself. She''s like a little rabbit! "I-I mean, I saw how you were at the top of the scoreboard. Though it''s interesting that no one really noticed. You didn''t really do anything that was super attention-grabbing or anything. Maybe just a basic physical enhancement quirk? But if that''s the case¨C"


    ¡­ Wow, she just went into her own little world didn''t she, Saiki thinks as he watches the girl mutter to herself with a hand on her chin. "Uh, yeah, that''s..." Still mumbling. "I wanted to¨C" Still mumbling. "HEY!" he barks, snapping her out of it, back to her deer in headlights look. "I figure since our quirks might be kind of similar we could talk. I''d like to help with yours if I can. I figured out mine late too and I know it''s hell to catch up."


    "You did? I mean I''m not sure our quirks are¨C"


    "Come on, let''s walk and talk," Saiki insists, already taking a steady walk towards the entrance, forcing the girl to follow him if she wants to keep the conversation going.


    Which of course, she does. "You got your quirk late?"


    "No, just no one figured it out until late," he clarifies a little. "It''s not the most obvious quirk in the world. The only reason I figured it out was finding out what my parents'' quirks were and sheer stubbornness."


    "Were?"


    "Orphan. Since I was a toddler."


    "Oh, I''m sorry," she said with genuine sympathy. What a sweetheart!


    He gives her an appreciative smile. "It was a long time ago. Anyway, their quirks were regeneration and temporary physical enhancement when he got injured. I figured it had to be one or the other so I did the obvious thing," he finished with a shrug.


    "That''s crazy!" she gasps with hands over her mouth. "You hurt yourself?!"


    He gives her an amused look, "How''s your finger?"


    "U-Umm..."


    "Anyway, I did heal quickly, or at least quicker than I should have so figured I had regeneration like my Mom. I figured if that was my quirk, I''d make the most of it with a crazy exercise regime. I''d recover quickly from it anyway, right? Be a super strong hero like that." He shrugs. "It turned out there''s a little more to it than that. If I put stress on myself, my quirk will heal me from it and fix me up to be more capable next time."


    "That doesn''t sound anything like my quirk," the shy girl mutters.


    "Maybe like an inverse kind of thing," Saiki explains his reasoning. "I have to pay up front to get a boost, you get the boost and pay after."


    "Well, it makes sense that it could look like that," she admits, "But it''s not really like that! It''s just..." she slumps, the hand with the bandaged finger clenched in a fist, "It''s too powerful for me. It only has backlash because my body can''t take it at full power yet."


    Huh. For a newly discovered quirk that''s a lot to know about it. But she probably has knowledge based on where it came from like he did. Oh, wait! "I get it! So that''s why you only revealed it recently! If you used it when you were little you''d have probably killed yourself!"


    "Uhh... Sure!" she says, staring at him with unblinking wide eyes. "That''s absolutely what it is!"


    "Hmmm... So what are you going to do about it? You can''t keep breaking your bones for every class."


    "I know. I need to figure out how to lower the power until my body can handle full power!"


    Saiki nods solemnly, knowing the only course available. "Guess that means you just have to practice."


    "Huh?!" Midoriya squeaks, looking at him like he grew a second head.


    "What?" Saiki asks, surprised by her reaction. "That''s how I got so much out of my quirk. Probably everyone else in our class too. We didn''t just start as good as we are now."


    "But every time I use it I break my bones!"


    "I put myself in the hospital eight times just from training growing up," Saiki counters, stopping the girl short. "No pain, no gain, right? You''re not going to master your quirk by never using it. Besides, you broke your finger two hours ago and it''s fine now, right? Man, healing quirks are great," he finishes, mostly to himself. He plans to get so much mileage out of his quirk now that he has one of the best healing quirks in the world effectively on call.


    "I guess..." she mutters, flexing her finger experimentally, seeing the truth of what he was saying. If practicing injures her, she can get it fixed up. Practicing using her fingers, maybe? That''s ten attempts to get it right for every visit to Recovery Girl.


    "Come on," he insists, getting her moving again with a hand on her shoulder, making her jump. "I''ll walk you to the train station."


    "Uh, y-y-yeah! Thanks!"


    He can almost feel the heat of her megawatt blush, feel her nervous vibrating through his hand on her shoulder. She''ll be putty in his hands soon enough, he can tell.


    Chapter 3


    Best part of battle training? It''s the first time the students get to wear their own hero costumes. The entire class had been giddy at the idea and All Might letting them do a badass hero walk out to the training arenas was just icing on the cake! It''s quite the ego boost for everyone involved. Even for those with fairly simple costumes, being part of a crowd as eye-catching as they were made them feel like heroes.


    Saiki was no exception. He hadn''t gone with anything too extravagant in his costume design, He didn''t really know what might benefit him most at the outset and the requisition form suggested sticking with things that would benefit quirks directly. He didn''t know what that would be either, so he stuck with the basics. It had to be flexible, it had to be durable, and preferably lightweight. The design company had come through on all fronts, having a standard material they use for brawler-style heroes who like to get up close and personal. It''s apparently a mass-producible version of what All Might wears, though All Might''s hero costumes were produced by Shield Industries using proprietary technology.


    Saiki''s suit fits a lot of the classic hero aesthetics. Full body skin-tight suit in royal blue with metallic grey boots, gloves and belt for decoration. Running up the arms and legs are a pattern of green up-arrows, as well as one large arrow stamped on the chest. The suit runs right up and over his neck, leaving only his head uncovered.


    "Hero team... WIIIIIIIIIIIINS!"


    Saiki frowns as he watches the results of the first match through the viewscreens of the control room. The match was... dramatic, that he knew for certain. Izuku Midoriya is heavily injured once again while her team is declared victorious. Meanwhile, Katsumi Bakugo stands completely uninjured and utterly flabbergasted at her defeat.


    And the reason for the result was the other half of the battle that barely anyone was paying attention to.


    "Unreal..." one of the students mutters as they wait for All Might to return and declare the next match. Finally, the herculean hero returns with three quarters of the match participants, Izuku once again being carted off to Recovery Girl.


    The post-match debriefing is mostly spent praising Iida while denigrating those in the furious battle for ignoring the real objective, and Uraraka for not treating the scenario seriously.


    Saiki keeps an eye on Katsumi as the next battle progresses. Though she tries to hide it, she''s as awed as everyone else when the match takes only a minute, Shoto Todoroki freezing the villain team, the objective and the entire building in seconds. He would take more amus.e.m.e.nt at the beating the arrogant girl''s pride is taking but he feels the blow to his own pride at the same time. All the work he had done to improve himself, how was he supposed to stand up to that?


    Well, increase his cold resistance some more would be a start. He sighs as he realises he''ll need to start taking ice baths again.


    "Villain team C!" All Might announces as part of the next match. Saiki''s team, alongside the rich girl in the wonderfully scandalous hero costume. "And they''ll be facing... Hero Team G!"


    "YES!" the boy with electric yellow hair cheers, his teammate the girl with headphone jacks on her ears settling for a pleased smirk. "You''re going down, top scorers! It''s gekokujo time, baby!"


    "Gekokujo? So we''re the villains in power?" Saiki asks, clasping his hands behind his back. "Then I suppose as the overlord it is down to me and my dark mistress of evil to crush you foolish heroes beneath our heels!"


    "Hoho! I''m glad to see my students getting into the spirit of the exercise!" All Might bellows. "Heroes, villains! Follow me to the hideout!"


    The world''s greatest hero has the hero team wait outside the plain-looking office building while he leads the villain team directly to their objective, once again a fairly stereotypical bomb prop. The moment he leaves he informs them their prep time has already begun.


    Yaoyorozu doesn''t bother taking the time to explain her quirk, already getting started on pulling fortifications for the bomb room out of herself. "I couldn''t quite figure it out, what does your quirk do, Saisei?"


    "Call me Saiki," he says, hands in his pockets as he watches Momo work. "It''ll be hard to explain the mechanics in the time we have. Basically, I can make myself better at things over time. So I have super strength, speed, agility, endurance, I''m pretty resistant to just about everything."


    "That''s quite the list!" she admits, looking impressed. She doesn''t seem to even notice how she''s distracting him by reaching into her cleavage to pull out materials. "It would be best then, to have you out patrolling for them I believe."


    "Probably," he shrugs.


    Momo pulls out the last strut for blocking the doorway, only to sag with a sigh. "I feel like we''re doing this wrong."


    "Really?" Saiki asks, not seeing the problem. "I go beat up the heroes, and if I can''t, you stop them from getting in here. Seems fine to me."


    "Well yes, that''s all fine! But I feel like we need to get into the role more! You know, get into character like you did before, like Iida did!" She clears her throat and strikes a pose, thrusting out her chest proudly, raising a hand to her mouth. "Ohohoho!" she suddenly laughs in a painfully fake manner, "With my fortifications, those foolish heroes shall never breach our... Uhh... Our sacred detonation bunker!"


    "... Our what?"


    "Come on, Saiki!" she pleads, "Play along!"


    He really doesn''t want to play along with that. "Uhh, yeah, let''s do evil I guess."


    "You can do better than that! Come on, like before!"


    ¡­ Well, if she wants him to be a villain... His chin rises, looking down his nose at her. "Yes, my dark mistress," he purrs, hands clasped behind his back once again as he approaches his partner in villainy, "Once I have put down those foolish heroes once and for all, we shall rule for eternity together!"


    His arms come around her waist, Momo letting out an "Oh!" of surprise as he dips her, their lips barely an inch away from touching.


    "When I return, I want you ready and waiting for me," his hand slips down over a hip to her belt, "wearing only this." Suddenly, he smiles with a cruel edge to it. "Perhaps I''ll even bring the girl back with me for us to play with together? Would you like that?"


    Momo, flushed so red she''s surprised her face hasn''t caught fire, can only respond with a strangled "Ah?"


    Raising her back up and twirling her away as if in a dance, he releases her hand and strides through the open door. It takes a moment before he starts hearing the clang of Momo building a barricade behind him.


    "Young Saisei, you know I heard all of that, right?" All Might''s voice crackles in his ear. "And everyone saw it?"


    "So? Just part of the exercise," Saiki responds but isn''t able to hide his smirk.


    The blue-haired boy takes a quick survey of the building layout since he still has a little time. It''s a lot more cramped than it would seem according to the floor-plan. The biggest problem would be catching the heroes before they can reach Yaoyorozu. Every floor has two stairways up except the first floor to the second and the fourth floor to the fifth. But it''s already been proven the first floor can be skipped entirely and the objective is on the fourth floor so that''s no help to him. However... There''s a clear line of sight on the third floor between the two staircases. All he has to do is keep himself concealed on that path and catch them on their way up!


    About ten minutes later, Jirou and Kaminari ascend to the third floor, cautiously peeking around a corner, the electric quirk user pulls back, giving his partner a thumbs up as they scurry back down to the second floor.


    "So he''s watching the stairs," Jirou correctly surmises, "and we know Yaoyorozu is on the floor above."


    "Should we split up? He can''t chase both of us!" Kaminari suggests.


    "You saw him in the quirk tests, I think he can. Not to mention whatever his ''dark mistress'' did to secure the bomb room."


    "So what? We can''t take him on!"


    "Sure we can!" Jirou counters, "You said you''re like a human stun-gun, that you fried the robots in the entrance exam! All you have to do is touch him!"


    "... You think?" Denki asks, starting to like the idea of felling one of the class'' titans so early in the school year.


    "Gekokujo, right?" Jirou asks with a dry smile.


    The electric quirk user swallows, but nods firmly. "Right!"


    -(-)-


    ?


    "Oh?" Saiki says aloud as he drops from his hiding place on the ceiling of clinging to a light fixture. The reason? Denki Kaminari was ignoring the stairs entirely and walking in his direction. "You''re approaching me? Instead of running away you''re coming right to me?"


    Denki has to hold in a laugh. Certainly playing up the villain routine. And quoting one of the greats, even! "I can''t beat the shit out of you without coming closer." Not strictly true but he can''t help continuing the bit.


    "Then by all means, get as close as you like!" Saiki offers, opening his arms wide in a welcoming gesture before settling in a rough fighting stance.


    Kaminari steps forward. Again. Again.


    Saiki''s smile turns eager.


    "Heartbeat¨C"


    Kaminari dives into another passage and out of sight!


    "¨CStereo!"


    "W¨CGyahhhhh!!!" Before Saiki can even question, his world is consumed with absurd, deafening noise! He clutches at his head to cover his ears hoping to escape the pain but it''s no use!


    "Now, Kaminari!"


    "GEKOKUJOOOOOOO!!!" comes Kaminari''s battle cry as he dives on the unknowing, unhearing Saiki and lighting him up like a christmas tree, dumping electricity into his unresisting body!


    "Ghhh!" Saiki grunts, pushing through the pain to slam Denki in the chest with both arms, shoving him away with enough force to make the electric boy feel like he''s coughing up a lung! "Ghhh!" he groans out as he forces. His feet. To turn. Around.


    And face Jirou. "Ohhh, crap," the punk girl utters on seeing her opponent will himself towards her. She''s run out of options. If she runs, he''ll chase her down. If she stays, he''ll reach her. The best she can do is hope Kaminari can tag him again before he gets to her, not knowing Kaminari can''t even stand, let alone help her. She cringes as he gets close to arm''s reach away from her and she takes a step back towards the stairs.


    Not even the slightest bit willing to allow that, Saiki lunges for her and uses his superior strength to turn her around, giving him a respite from the wave of sound coming from the speakers in her costume. As he feels the relief of the sound giving out, he collapses atop her, fumbling for the capture tape and wrapping it around her arms. "Thank you," he tells her, strain audible in his voice. "Sound. Never thought of that one so I''m not resistant to it. I''d love to train with you sometime, fix that weakness." With that said, he gets up from on top of her, stumbling his way back to Kaminari and doing the same to him too, shrugging off the electric attack the boy attempts as a last stand.


    "Villain team WIIIIIN! No, young Yaoyorozu! Costume stays on! The exercise is over!"


    -(-)-


    ?


    "So, MVP of this match, any guesses?"


    Momo being the one to answer in the previous matches doesn''t know how the match played out. So instead, Kirishima takes a stab. "Saisei did a pretty good job taking on both heroes at once!"


    "Yes, he defeated both of them. However, his overconfidence in allowing them to attack him as they pleased caused him quite a bit of pain that could have been avoided!"


    Saiki was stunned. But he still won!


    "On top of that, his chosen strategy might have worked out, but it still allowed the enemy more options to deal with him! Stopping on the third floor when there were two routes past him means the hero team could have split up, one of them distracting him while the other attacks their sanctum! There was nothing to stop him from obstructing or destroying one of the staircases in the time it took the hero team to arrive. Instead he waited, and handed the hero team the initiative."


    But he stopped them anyway! And even if he hadn''t, Momo had it covered!


    "No, I believe the MVP of this match has to be Young Jirou!"


    "Yeah!" Kaminari cheers, "Gekoku¨C"


    "We can stop saying that now," Jirou interrupts, cutting him down.


    "Acting as the tactician of their team, she correctly pinpointed the enemies'' locations, scouted them out for confirmation and came up with a suitable plan for dealing with the enemy they were presented with. Had Kaminari considered the capture tape in his ambush, it very well might have worked! Credit must also be given to Young Yaoyorozu for her diligent fortifications but unfortunately she didn''t participate in the match enough to be considered MVP."


    "Shoot! And we did so well in getting into character too!" Momo complains, apparently still in character as she has her arm wrapped around Saiki''s waist as she is pressed into his side.


    Not that it comforts Saiki any.


    ¡­ Well maybe a little.


    "Let''s draw our next match participants!"


    -(-)-


    ?


    "Hey Creeper."


    Saiki''s lips purse as he hears someone get called a creeper as he''s walking out of school. That''s rude. Glancing behind him to see who it is and who they''re talking about, he finds Katsumi Bakugo glaring at him. "You''re talking to me?"


    "Fight me."


    "... Excuse me?"


    "I said fight me you creepy bastard!" she growls as she takes two stomping steps forward.


    Well. Her pride has taken a beating today if she''s that desperate to prove herself. While his common sense tells him he should decline... Saiki''s pride hadn''t exactly gotten off scot-free either. Discovering a weakness he never considered, single-handedly winning the match and getting no credit for it. He could use a reason to feel like he''s on top again too. And as that phrase runs through his mind, he knows exactly how to do it. "Alright."


    "You''re damn right! Now come at me!"


    "No," he denies quickly, "Not here. Right outside of school? Do you want to be suspended? Let''s find somewhere private. Out of the way."


    Teeth grinding, barely containing her anger, she follows him to the best place he can think of that they won''t be bothered. There''s a pretty significant bit of woodland area outside of UA. Not really used for anything to his knowledge, maybe survival exercises or something? In any case, it isn''t in use now and that''s the important part. "Okay then."


    "Finally!" she grins menacingly, explosions bursting in her upturned hands.


    "Ah-ah-ah!" he wags his finger as his other hand unfastens his tie, blazer and shirt. He can''t afford to replace them just for something like this. "What are the stakes?"


    "What the hell are you talking about, stakes?! It''s a fight to see who''s better!"


    "In that case I wasted your time bringing you out here," he shrugs, both to express his disinterest and take off his shirt. "One demand. Winner gets to demand one thing from the loser."


    "Whatever, I don''t care about that crap, just fight me!" she yells, throwing her hands back to blast herself toward him!


    As she nears him with literal explosive force, he quicksteps to the side to avoid her charge, not making any move to counter. "Shall I take that as a yes?"


    "Fine! Just¨C!" she swings around and launches a hand towards his face¨C


    He grabs her by the wrist. "Wonderful." His smile is the one she named him for, that smile he showed in the battle trial, the one that says he just got exactly what he wanted.


    Katsumi doesn''t intend to let him relish in it, her other hand coming from beneath to blast him in the solar plexus. And she does.


    And he lets her.


    It stings, it burns, and it feels like someone punched him in the stomach. Like someone strong punched him in the stomach. He braces before he lets the pain show on his face, or his self-flagellation over letting someone hit him assuming he can take it again.


    "That stings," is all he says, concealing the other effects as he still holds her wrist.


    "What the hell¨C!"


    "Heat, blunt force. The usual causes of injury from explosions."


    Another explosion from her right hand goes off right in front of his face!


    ¡­ To no visible effect. "And light. Thank you. Forgot about that one. My quirk allowed me to develop a resistance to all of them." With superhuman strength, he puts his other arm to her abdomen and flips her over, slamming her into the dirt! "I''ll have to thank Izuku for that one."


    "Don''t¨C!" she interrupts herself with a cough as she gets to her feet, "Don''t you bring up that damn nerd right now! You''re fighting me! Take this seriously!"


    Saiki starts weaving to dodge her furious barrage of blasts, all aimed at what should be debilitating weak points that he''s deliberately trained out of himself. "Take you seriously. I''ve known you all of two days and all I''ve seen you do is scream, talk shit, and get put down for your own arrogance and temper." As a swing goes wide, he takes the opportunity to drive a knee into her abdomen. "Take you seriously. I''ll take you seriously when you take you seriousl¨C" Saiki''s mouth is suddenly slammed shut by an explosive uppercut.


    With enough sweat built up, Bakugou had used an explosion at her elbow to drive her fist forward. "About time you shut up!" she grins fiercely at finally doing some noticeable damage, only to get picked up by her shoulder and crotch and tossed at a tree.


    "Ah," Saiki grunts as he works his jaw, trying to settle the ache in it. "And I bit my tongue too!" Turning around, he regards the fallen girl struggling to get her hands under her. "Huh. Your left hand is shaking."


    "F.u.c.k you!"


    "You''re not immune to your own explosions are you?"


    "F.u.c.k off and die!"


    "No wait," he corrects himself with sudden realisation, "Your right hand is dominant. But that punch was with your left... That''s why you don''t use that move more often isn''t it? Why you didn''t use it until you got desperate. You take the full force of the punch in your forearm from both directions."


    "Shut up shut up SHUT UP!"


    His brow furrows at her continued attempts to fight. She''s standing but one hand clearly isn''t in it anymore. He''s actually a little concerned now. It''s no fun if she destroys herself. He decides to make one more attempt to talk her down but after that... "Are you just going to break your arms pointlessly? Like Izuku?"


    It''s a miscalculation. He doesn''t know the pair of them well enough. That Katsumi Bakugo doesn''t back down, that she won''t tolerate anyone comparing her to ''Deku''.


    And so, once again he sways out of the way of her now one-handed assault. Her tenacity isn''t impressive anymore. Now it''s just sad. "What''s your plan for when that arm gives out?" he asks, leaping back to get away from the last large explosive slap she brings his way. While before she had kept up with him using her explosions to propel her, now she can''t manage that feat. Not with only one arm. And as she continues trying to catch him with blasts he''s proven he isn''t bothered by, he notices her ''good'' arm starting to twitch. His eyes narrow. "You''re not recovered from the battle training, are you?"


    "F.u.c.k you, you aren''t either!" she barks at him, trying to swing at him again.


    He halts her arm before it can get close. As she tries to push in and kick him he catches the leg too. Good flexibility, he notes, and surprisingly soft skin. "I am. My quirk is basically regeneration and improvement. Not only can I hear again, I can hear better than ever." He takes in her panting and shaking form. "You, meanwhile, are tired, not thinking clearly and still dealing with the earlier fight on top of the damage you got in this one. So," with how he has her limbs trapped it''s easy to pick her up despite her struggles and slam her not too forcefully into a tree, "Do you give up yet?"


    BOOM!


    The smoke clears, Saiki''s left ear rings from the noise but despite a momentary flinch, he doesn''t show any reaction, still holding her against the tree. "How about now?"


    Her teeth grit so hard they might break. She can''t deny it any longer. She felt like she was being outclassed left and right by the other students. She wanted to prove herself, prove she still deserves to stand at the top! So she picked a fight and fought stupid, in her own head the whole time. He even played on it, bringing up that f.u.c.k.i.n.g Deku!


    "I lost... And to a f.u.c.k.i.n.g creep like you..." she grinds out.


    Saiki rolls his eyes. "It''s almost like people in the top hero program in the country are strong or something."


    "Fine. Now f.u.c.kin'' let me go!" she demands, right arm and left leg struggling in his grip. He lets go of her arm but as she tries to push past him his hand slams into the tree over her shoulder, pinning her against it with his larger body. "The f.u.c.k are you doing, creeper?"


    He smiles down at her in that way she hates as he pushes even further into her personal space. "Getting my prize, what does it look like?"


    "Your prize?" she asks, only to realise, the stupid bet he wouldn''t shut up about. "Oh whatever, get the f.u.c.k out of my way, creeper."


    "Huh, really?" he asks with a raised eyebrow and that damn smile. "You struck me as such a proud girl. I guess not if you''ll just welch like that. Or did I break your pride that much?"


    "Eat shit and die, creeper!" she snaps as a knee-jerk reaction to someone looking down on her... "What do you want."


    His face gets close enough to hers she can feel the warmth of his breath but she barely notices it compared to the feel of his hand groping her chest. "Your v.i.r.g.i.nity."


    "F.U.C.K YOU!" she shouts trying to shove him away to no avail. "Is this how a pathetic piece of shit like you gets girls? Has to beat ''em up first?!"


    He grins at her, pulling back a bit. "Is that what happened here? Did I beat you up?"


    "Tch!"


    "Do you want to be the number one hero?"


    "What the f.u.c.k does that have to do with this?!"


    "Because it drives you. I like that. I like that passion. It reminds me of me, if in an angrier sort of way. So I want to take something from you. Something you can never get back. A loss that will drive you all the more, to push you to greater heights." His hand moves from her b.r.e.a.s.t down under her skirt to slide his fingers over her covered mound. "If you want to, you can just say no," he comments lightly, drawing lazy circles over her p.u.s.s.y. "It just means you''re the kind of coward who runs away from the consequences of her actions, that''s all."


    She hates him. That''s what she realises in that moment. She hates his stupid f.u.c.k.i.n.g ponytail. That ugly smile. The condescension. They way even now he''s taking liberties with her body as if he already knows she''ll agree.


    She hates that he''s right.


    He vastly overestimates how much she values something as stupid as her v.i.r.g.i.nity. Like what, is she supposed to save herself for marriage or some dumb shit like that? Stay pure so she can land a good husband as if that f.u.c.k.i.n.g matters? But... Even if it''s something she doesn''t value, even if it doesn''t matter half as much as the creeper thinks it does, he''s still taking something from her. He still beat her. He''s still looking down on her. And if she lets this happen... Well he''s right about that too. She won''t rest until she can kill him with her own hands!


    She channels all of the hate that she feels into her eyes as she fixes him with a glare. "Next time... I''ll win." It''s a promise she intends to keep.


    "Well then," he answers with glee as his hands come together to unbutton her jacket and school blouse, "I''ll look forward to next time too." As he pulls open her shirt to reveal her sports bra he''s surprised she makes no move to look away or cover herself, just continuing to glare at him. The fire in her eyes only makes him harder, makes him want her all the more. He pulls up her bra and firmly gropes and squeezes her tits. They aren''t big, more of a size to fit comfortably in his hands as he massages them, thumbs rolling over her n.i.p.p.l.es in a way that makes her breath quicken. She can fight the feelings he''s causing all she likes but she''ll end up enjoying this. He''s had plenty of practice and for him, practice makes better than perfect.


    One hand slides down her strong, well-defined abs to the hem of her skirt, then up and under it, starting to peel down her spats with the one hand before the other comes to help. He leans towards her¨C


    "Don''t you f.u.c.k.i.n.g kiss me," she growls with deadly intent.


    Fair enough. Maybe he''ll make that his prize for next time. Saiki admits to himself that maybe he let his own desire for gratification get the better of him here. But it might just be worth it when he gets a look at her p.u.s.s.y for the first time. "It''s beautiful!" he exclaims.


    "Shut up..."


    "It''s so slim and tight, and such a lovely shade of pink!"


    "Shut up!"


    "I can''t believe you''re clean shaven¨C!"


    "SHUT THE F.U.C.K UP AND F.U.C.K ME, CREEPER!" She doesn''t appreciate how he laughs at her while he unfastens his pants. "What''s so f.u.c.kin'' funny?"


    "Oh, nothing," he says as his chuckles die down and he rubs his painfully erect c.o.c.k over her moist slit. "It''s just so gratifying when a girl begs for it."


    "WHO THE F.U.C.K WOULD¨C Nnnnnnmph!" She hadn''t been prepared for it. In the middle of trying to chew him out for his bullshit comment he had shoved his c.o.c.k inside her! It caught her so off guard the m.o.a.n escaped before she could bite down on it!


    "Here''s the thing," Saiki says conversationally as he starts f.u.c.k.i.n.g her at a pace he would call lazy, "My quirk makes me better at things I stress myself doing. And since I got accepted to UA?" His pace picks up, getting more vigorous, starting to really work at stirring up her insides as he rails her against the tree. "Let''s just say my d.i.c.k has been thoroughly stress tested over the past three months." He leans in over her shoulder. "I''m going to make you c.u.m, Katsumi. Over and over. I''m going to make you c.u.m so hard it won''t matter how much you hate me, you''ll want to come back for more."


    "Hmn, hmn, hmn!" Katsumi bites down on her lips in a vain attempt to silence her m.o.a.ns and gasps but as his arms hook under her legs, holding her up to thrust even deeper, she loses the battle. "Hah! Hah! You f.u.c.k! You f.u.c.k! I f.u.c.k.i.n.g¨C Ahhhhh!" She feels her insides clench, her muscles spasm across her body as it lights up with bliss from head to toe! It doesn''t stop! Even as the waves of pleasure ebb his c.o.c.k strikes a certain spot and her body lights up all over again!


    "Maybe next time I''ll take your first kiss?" he continues to whisper as he speeds up again, his balls slapping against her with the force of his thrusts. "Or maybe I''ll have you suck me off, how about that? Have your first intimate act using those pretty lips be wrapping them around my c.o.c.k? Don''t worry, I''ll still f.u.c.k you again after. Have to take care of your needs too. You''ll be my needy little f.u.c.kpet! Won''t that be nice?"


    "I fu¨C Fu¨C..." She can''t even string enough words together to curse him out anymore as her cunt gushes and squeezes around him again. At the same time Saiki can''t help but wonder if those fluids are explosive too, not that he''s dumb enough to ask the question out loud.


    "That''s what will happen. Unless you win next time, of course. After all, Katsumi Bakugo is strong, isn''t she? No matter how good it feels she''d never lose to some creeper''s c.o.c.k would she?"


    "Nuh... Nu-hnnn!" Stop, she whines in her own head! Stop making me c.u.m!


    "She''ll win next time and she''ll never have to think about his c.o.c.k ever again, or how right it felt to have his c.u.m flood her w.o.m.b!"


    A yelp of panic exploded in Katsumi''s brain! "No, don''t¨C!" she tried to say but her limp and lolling tongue only formed a whimpering gurgle.


    "Here it comes!" he grunts, driving as deep as he can in her cunt with shallow thrusts, hot bursts of fluid jetting out to stain her insides with his seed. It takes a good twenty seconds for his balls to stop clenching, for his climax to run its course. Stress. An orgasm counts, who knew? By the time it''s over Katsumi''s inner thighs have partially been painted white and her spats hanging between her legs have caught some too. Pulling his c.o.c.k free, he has a fun thought. Holding her up by the shoulder he pulls out his phone and takes another glamour shot. Leaning her against the tree he does the gentlemanly thing and fixes her clothes up, pulling up her spats, pulling down her bra and buttoning her shirt even as she slumps down to sit against the tree, her legs gone completely numb. "Isn''t this nice, Katsumi? You can wear me home!"


    Looking at the sky as he gets dressed he sees the sun has gotten pretty low. Juri is probably wondering where he is. "Well, that was fun. I look forward to round 2." He turns, waving without looking back as he walks away. "See you tomorrow Katsumi!"


    Katsumi Bakugo, twice defeated, f.u.c.k.i.e.d into a puddle of her own fluids and his can only sit there and wait for the feeling to come back into her legs.


    Next time. Next time she''ll win. And then she''ll make him pay!

 Chapter 246 - My SI Stash #46 - Have Scythe, Will Travel by Notsae (Naruto)

    -Some hardcore gore with the SI being Hidan~ Rumour has it that the author''s getting sacrifices IRL for Jashin hence the lack of updates!


    Sypnosis: After Hidan''s live burial, Jashin decides she doesn''t like him enough to save him and caches in a favour with the apathetic god of time; allowing her to go back to the moment she chose him and replace him. I''m more than happy to take his place; after all, who wants to be a hero, eh? Villainy is far more fun. OC-Insert. Evil MC


    Rated: M


    Words: 56K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/12830216/1/Have-Scythe-Will-Travel (Notsae)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Chosen


    Waking up already walking is a rather jarring experience; so jarring, in fact, that I nearly fell flat on my face. Luckily I had a staff to catch myself on and didn''t wind up with the first moments of my new life being an impromptu make out session with a dirt road.


    I wasn''t really surprised to see the "staff" I had used to prop myself up was actually a tri-bladed scythe. See, I knew exactly where I was and how I got here. Jashin wasn''t too happy with Hidan going out like a dumbass bitch, nor did she particularly like the relationship they had.


    Hidan never quite grasped what being Jashin''s champion meant. It wasn''t like a normal worshipper; they offer prayers and sacrifices and in exchange are given a limited form of immortality and sometimes some extras based on the amount of sacrifices offered up. Jashin''s champion on the other hand was a much more intimate relationship; closer and more personal, not just s.e.x.u.a.l.


    See, every god chooses a champion, and when they do they can''t help but fall in love with them, no matter how much such a tender emotion clashes with their nature. As the god of murder, violence, war, pain, chaos, death, torture, ****, etcetera Jashin naturally chose the strongest and most prolific of her followers; Hidan just managed to steal that title by massacring Yugakure.


    Unfortunately for him Jashin realized after his live burial that she didn''t like him enough to save him; so she cashed in a favour with the ever uncaring god of time to go back to the moment she chose him and make a different choice. She rather quickly realised that she''d never get the relationship she wanted from the sycophantic morons that worshipped her and decided to branch out, snatching me from a hospital wing and offering a deal. See, I was just the right kind of monster she was looking for; amoral and generally uncaring whilst still capable of forming bonds. I had never become a killer simply because I thought it wasn''t worth the effort and whilst I could abandon friendsh.i.p.s as easily as choosing what to have for breakfast, I still did care while they lasted. My disdain for authority told her I wouldn''t turn into a sycophant, my capacity to care told her the relationship she wanted was possible, and my amoral nature told her I wouldn''t have a problem getting her sacrifices.


    The fact that a god of slaughter considered me good boyfriend material was mildly concerning; though I couldn''t really say I was that upset.


    Waking up in Hidan''s body was a bit of a surprise; the fact that he was mid step when I replaced him made me think I may be getting pranked.


    "I swapped your souls at the exact moment I chose him as my champion." And that would presumably be Jashin herself. "Indeed, my champion." And she can read my mind¡­ lovely. No really, having absolutely no privacy is really good for the old mental health.


    I smirk, hefting my shiny new scythe on my shoulder, "Meh, sanity is for the weak." I turned around, intent on robbing the village "I" just massacred; Hidan may have been content with his single jutsu and no money but I''m certainly not. Even a minor village like Yugakure has to have some techniques; hopefully some Kinjutsu I can use my immortality to abuse the f.u.c.k out of!


    Searching the blood streaked (wow, Hidan does not kill clean) streets of what was ostensibly my home was mildly disturbing; I felt nothing but mild amus.e.m.e.nt at all the mutilated bodies around me, but I still vaguely expected one to attack me. The thought that technically I killed these people somewhat bothered me; though not as much as it probably should have. I went from house to house, shoving valuables and currency into a convenient sack I found in the first house I searched. Having to lower myself to lugging around a burlap sack full of goodies like a common thug made me place learning sealing on my priorities list; besides, who knows what kind of crazy tricks I could pimp out my scythe with if I figured out sealing!


    A rising pillar of smoke led me to a section of Yugakure I decided to loot quickly (can''t let the fire steal all the swag now can I?). Upon seeing what exactly was on fire I nearly sank to my knees in a puddle of ash and blood.


    Turns out, Yugakure did have a library¡­ until Hidan burned it down. I rushed into the glorious institution of knowledge collection, trusting in my Jashin granted immortality to get me out alive; I simply couldn''t let all that knowledge just burn away! Only a couple of scrolls managed to survive, most of them were basic chakra control exercises and a rare few mostly intact jutsu, but nothing advanced or unique.


    Dejected, I headed to the Kage tower; if I''m lucky my bodies former (and totally unworthy) owner won''t have bothered burning the forbidden scroll or the Kage''s personal library. I know basic techniques are still things I need to learn, but damn was it demoralising to see all that literature just dissolve into ashes before my eyes.


    Normally robbing a Kage tower would not be an easy task by any stretch of the imagination for anyone below S-rank; thankfully this one came pre-slaughtered! The conveniently smashed open (and blood splattered) door did nothing to bar my passage into the gore streaked interior of the former head of this nation''s governance. Seeing a half liquified body stuck to a wall by its own drying blood and entangled intestines as I walked up the stairs was a bit of a novel experience; luckily putrefaction hasn''t set in enough for the wretched smell to violate my nose (much like the pens jammed into the apparent secretary''s nose and rammed into the brain with skull cracking force).


    I searched around the Yukage''s office, noting the distinct lack of Yukage in the room. I found a bunch of paperwork that told me very clearly that this town was a bit of a shithole even before Hidan (I?) decided to redecorate a bit; no wonder they were switching to a tourism based economy if the whole ninja business was going down in a flaming zeppelin like these reports suggested.


    Eventually I got bored of looking for secret triggers to open secret passageways and just began slashing at the wall with my giant f.u.c.k off scythe, which proved much more effective¡­ and taught me just how hard it would be to effectively wield a scythe as a primary weapon (first chance I get I''m sharpening the top of each blade). The third wall I eviscerated proved to have been false and revealed a beautiful, v.i.r.g.i.n library all for me!


    I didn''t bother reading more than a few titles before shoving every last scroll into a second sack I had kept just for stealing scrolls and books. Moving at ninja speeds (thank Jashin I didn''t have some period of adjustment for the shiny new body) it only took me a few minutes to collect every scroll in the small library, and less time to find the false wall near the back. Stepping through the door, I smirked at the massive scroll sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the room; this is the real reason I came back here.


    I tentatively approach, searching for traps the whole way and being very surprised to find none (though, judging by Naruto''s ease with stealing Konoha''s equivalent, perhaps I shouldn''t be). I slowly unfurled the scroll, and smiled.


    Being a small village, I wasn''t surprised that Yugakure didn''t have much in the way of forbidden techniques; but Kakuzu stealing the Jiongu from Taki told me that Yu might have something of value. I was glad I bothered checking; this scroll contained little, mostly just suicide techniques (that I made a mental note to go over considering my immortality made such techniques viable); but what the Yukage considered worth banning that wasn''t suicidal made me grin. This confirmed a theory I had held for a long time; non-physical bloodlines are bullshit.


    Within the large scroll was the instructions for learning the Boil Release without possessing the bloodline. Based on the details, the techniques were developed when a Jonin decided that he should honour his village by designing techniques that used hot water. He succeeded; but then he decided to push it further, and accidentally utilized the Boil Release. The Yukage of his time, upon seeing this, immediately forbade him from using it and labeled it a forbidden technique; apparently he feared the Terumi clan would come and cull their village if they discovered that their techniques were being stolen. As both an immortal and a rogue; I couldn''t give less of a f.u.c.k what a near extinct clan thought about me stealing their techniques. In fact, I intended to use this primer on mixing elements to learn all the sub-elements; maybe even make some new ones.


    People underestimated Hidan as the weakest of the Akatsuki; they weren''t entirely wrong. Amongst the Akatsuki Hidan was by far the weakest; but he was S-rank for a reason and it wasn''t just his immortality. His weapon was deadly and unique, designed to be very difficult to block without receiving damage; and he wielded the c.u.mbersome weapon masterfully. Many claimed it was his lack of intelligence that made him weak; I disagree, his easy understanding of unfamiliar jutsu showed a high intelligence. No, what always held Hidan back was arrogance and a lack of techniques. If he hadn''t been blinded by his arrogance he may have actually trained, utilizing his incredible durability to push himself further than most. If he hadn''t relied so heavily on the single technique he used he may have been a serious threat to a great many people.


    A maniacal grin spread across my face as equally twisted laughter crawled between my teeth; with this I could propel myself into the true upper echelons. With my immortality I could push my body to limits most couldn''t ever reach in training, without Hidan''s arrogance I could see just how useful versatility and trickery was. Warfare is deception, after all.


    I gently set the large scroll into my second sack amongst its brethren before turning to leave; whistling a merry tone the whole way. I wasn''t here to save people, couldn''t care less for peace and global happiness. I''m a very selfish man; I''m here for my own entertainment and to save myself. Leave all that hero shit for the dull masses; villainy is far more fun. The terms Jashin gave me in exchange for coming here were simple; be her champion. She had gone on to explain what that meant; all of my kills count as sacrifices to her (and I was strongly encouraged to provide as many as possible) and I need to have a close relationship with her. I was more than happy to accept; immortality and all I need is to be friends with a murder god? Hell yeah.


    Something caught my gaze as I walked out and I turned toward the large window in the Kage''s office. For a moment I stared at the moonlit village, looking for any sign of what caught my attention. I almost turned away before I saw it; movement. Someone or something was moving through the shadowed streets.


    I frowned, it wasn''t impossible some animal had come from the surrounding forest, or perhaps a pet got free (I have no idea if Hidan killed them along with the humans) but somehow I doubted it. The possibility that that flicker of movement in the shadows was a shinobi (either returning from a mission or sent by another nation) was too high to ignore.


    "It is likely a shinobi." How exactly did she know that, now? "I can sense violence and purveyors of it; shinobi drip with blood, no matter how hard they try to scrub it off." Huh, I have a built in sensory ability not based on chakra like Naruto¡­ good to know. Wonder what else being Jashin''s champion came with?


    I shook my head; now isn''t the time to be experimenting with my abilities. My frown twisted into a scowl; I have no idea what rank Hidan was, but I have no training or combat experience whatsoever. I could try to sneak out but I highly doubt my stealth skills were good enough to evade anyone a village considered competent enough to send on a solo mission.


    My lips turned up in a vicious grin, "Well, a crucible of fire it is." At least I had the handicap of immortality to fall back on if things (inevitably) went to shit. I turned away from the window, taking my time to walk outside and doing nothing to hide my presence; I wanted them to find me.


    I wasn''t disappointed; I had barely took a step out of the Kage tower when a figure in dark clothes and a vaguely owl shaped mask appeared before me. "Hidan-san!" They called, "Did you see what happened?"


    I shrugged, unintentionally drawing attention to the bags I held slung over my shoulder if the way their yellow eyes darted to it was anything to go by; evidently their mask was meant to be ironic if it took them this long to notice such an obvious detail. I smirked as their eyes narrowed, "Nah, I just got here a little before you." Technical truth; the best kind of truth.


    Disdain was simply dripping off them, "Hmph, always knew you were the opportunistic sort but I never thought you''d stoop so low as to rob your neighbors during a crisis." Apparently he still hadn''t noticed the blood splattered on my clothes; either that or he thought I got it while I was looting. Not the sharpest hammer on the tree is he?


    My smirk grew, "Neighbors?" I asked faux-innocently, "What neighbors?"


    Narrowed eyes widened in shock as he took a stumbled half-step back, "Wh-what do you mean!" There was anger in his voice, barely masking the confusion and fear.


    My smirk turned to a sadistic grin, "Did you think there were survivors? Yugakure''s dead, boy; along with everyone in it." Was it my imagination or were those tears in his eyes?


    His posture screamed despair for a moment before shifting to rage, "You lying piece of shit! When Yukage-sama gets here he''ll-"


    I cut him off, "Oh, I''m so scared of what a corpse is gonna do to me for my insubordination. I''m fairly certain the Yukage is resting in pieces a little ways that way." I jerked my head over his left shoulder.


    He turned to look, exposing his back to me for a brief moment¡­ and I ruthlessly capitalized. Perhaps he heard the disturbance my scythe caused or perhaps he merely expected my betrayal; regardless, he ducked under my scythe as it passed through the air once occupied by his neck.


    He whirled to face me as my massive blade passed over his head, pulling a kunai from a pouch on his thigh as he turned. He snarled, flinging the short blade at me. "Traitor!" he screamed, voice cracking from his shear rage.


    I smirked, leaning my head to the side; letting the kunai pass me by in a move I never would have been able to pull off in life. I watched with half-lidded eyes as the probable Anbu leapt away to try to get distance. Pointless.


    I whipped my scythe forward, letting go part way through the swing and using the attached wire to use the blade like a flail. The crimson crescents sliced through the air like a bird of prey, intent on skewering my prey. The more experienced ninja''s reaction took me by surprise, though truly it shouldn''t have.


    He stepped forward, stretching out his arm to catch my scythe well below the deadly blades. My shock didn''t last long and I yanked back on the wire, wrenching the shaft from his grasp and slicing him near in half¡­ or at least it should have.


    Rather than try to hold his ground and get minced, he let my (subconsciously chakra enhanced) pull drag him to me. My eyes widened as he was carried along with my blade; apparently I was stronger than I thought (and my bodies muscle memories still existed).


    I could see the empty satisfaction in his glowing eyes as he approached, a kunai in hand. My eyes widened as I tossed my bags aside, going for a kunai of my own only to find Hidan didn''t have any (maybe people weren''t to far off with the stupidity theory). My wide and panicked eyes locked with his grimly smug gaze as he grew closer.


    His blade slipped into my throat just as my hand wrapped around the haft of my scythe. I stumbled back, a hand flying to my throat as shock spread across my face. Slowly I turned around, collapsing onto my scythe to keep my body from falling.


    The pain was incredible, though it had nothing on the disturbing sensation of my lungs filling with blood. Even so, I couldn''t keep the blood stained grin from spreading across my face as I purposely directed my thoughts to Jashin, "Can you tell how far away he is?" I mentally asked. As an Anbu his footsteps were far too quiet for my (mostly) untrained ears to detect.


    "I can." I could feel her pleasure at my asking for help; apparently Hidan never did. Odd considering how much he revered Jashin.


    "Then can you tell me when he''s in range?" I projected an image of what I had planned to her.


    A moment passed in silence¡­ then another¡­


    "Now." Her voice was as calm and deranged as always.


    I whirled, holding my scythe in a reverse grip. His skill showed even then; for rather than the middle blade ramming through his side, the top blade carved a deep gash across his chest.


    I grinned, flinging the kunai once impaled in my throat at the man as he stumbled back. Even taken by surprise and wounded he managed to redirect the blade with the back of his hand.


    My smirk returned as I scooped up a handful of the blood pouring from my throat, tossing it on the ground before repeating the process a few more times. I stepped on top of the puddles of blood, sliding my legs around to draw the symbol of Jashin around me. It was rather crude compared to Hidan''s work, but Jashin assured me it was serviceable.


    The injured Anbu stared at me in shock, "How the hell are you alive!?" he shouted.


    In lieu of answering I raised my scythe to my lips, licking some of the blood from the longest blade with a gurgling laugh. As I swallowed the blood I couldn''t feel anything change but I could see as my skin blackened and white, bone like marks appeared.


    "What the hell did you just do!" Not very cool under pressure this guy; surprised he managed to make it into the black-ops division with that attitude.


    I just laughed, the gurgling leaving as my regeneration kicked in to heal up my throat. Slowly, I raised my scythe to my neck; a sadistic grin stretched across my face as I gently pressed the blade into my flesh. "You cut my throat¡­" my voice seemed to shock him into stillness, "Perhaps I should repay the favour?" So saying I pulled my blade sharply to the side, cutting so deep into my flesh I could feel it scr.a.p.e my spine.


    The agony was exquisite, like fire tearing away at my throat. Even with what should be unbearable agony imposed on my inexperienced mind, I couldn''t keep my eyes off my opponent as my wound stretched across his neck. My pain seemed to fade as Jashin settled more heavily over my mind; perhaps she was protecting me from it, perhaps she was encouraging the development of masochistic tendencies to match my sadistic ones.


    "Both. Your life will be much easier if pain doesn''t bother you and the rituals will be more effective if it gives you pleasure¡­" She trailed off for a moment before haltingly continuing, "I¡­ do not enjoy seeing you suffer." She seemed honestly surprised by this revelation.


    My smile gentled at her words before becoming all the more cruel as blood spurted from the Anbu''s throat, splattering all over his shirt and the ground before him as he sank to his knees. His hands shook as he raised them to his throat, animal instincts desperate to stop the flow his mind knew couldn''t be halted. His breath came in desperate gurgles, blood filling lungs that hungered for unreachable air. This wasn''t like the movies, it took several minutes for him to finally succ.u.mb to his wound, and his eyes were locked on mine for every second of that time.


    I laughed as the light slowly left his eyes, the sound growing all the more maniacal as he teetered for a moment before collapsing fully to the blood splattered earth. My laughter only grew louder and more psychotic as the seconds ticked by; my whole body leaning back and shaking as my crackles split the night. Tears streamed from my eyes as I repeatedly slammed my scythe into the ground beside me; the shock and thrill of such a near death (my mind still hadn''t quite adapted to immortality) experience followed so quickly by my first kill getting to me more than I thought it would.


    Jashin had no words of comfort; I suspect she didn''t know what was wrong, couldn''t understand how murder could mess with even the coldest of minds. "I have seen the effects of every conflict throughout all of history. Suffering is my domain and I know all it''s causes. I''m just more experienced at exploiting weaknesses, not patching them up." A long moment passed with only my hysterical (and increasingly breathless) laughter to fill the void before she spoke again. "I¡­ want to help you¡­ but I do not know how." She finally admitted.


    My laughter slowed to a stop and I wound up hunched over clutching my knees to keep from falling; desperately sucking in air to appease burning lungs. "Heh... heh¡­ I suppose I''ll simply have to get used to this. At least it''s kinda fun." I muttered, slowly straightening out my stance. I shook my head rapidly, trying to shake off the horror of my actions. "For now, Jashin; your intention is good enough. Knowing someone, even a god of evil, still gives a f.u.c.k is comforting in a way." I felt her influence settle over my mind, dulling my emotions to a degree. It felt like she was eating them, draining the pain away into herself. A moment passed and I felt fine; my panic sucked away and replaced with my underlying humour.


    "Well that certainly helped; what exactly did you just do?" I questioned as I walked over to the fallen nin (my first victim), flipping him over with my foot (note to self; get boots). To my surprise he was still (barely) alive, his now dull, sightless yellow eyes moving rapidly from side to side as if searching for something. I frowned and stomped on his head, my bodies great strength easily reducing it to so much paste.


    "I found a way to help. I am the god of pain; I simply took yours away." Makes sense, I suppose; it is one of her domains so why shouldn''t she be able to control it? Shrugging and accepting her revelation, I began rifling through the dead ninja''s pockets (immediately strapping his Kunai pouch to my own leg) in search of anything useful or valuable.


    My search uncovered several weapons (all of which I stole), a photo of what appeared to be a small family (which I tossed on top of his smashed skull with a snicker), and a Bingo Book. I smirked, flipping through the book for a time (occasionally pausing on familiar names or interesting people) before finding a circled image. I reached down and pulled off his crushed mask, thankful that my impulsive execution hadn''t mangled his face as much as it could have. His face, while smashed and perforated by the fragments of his shattered skull, was still recognizably the same as the circled image.


    My lips curled up, it seems my little Anbu was a touch prideful; he kept track of his own bounty, seeming to be affronted by his relatively low stats and bounty. I laughed, "Lucky me, I stumbled into my first bounty." Hmm, bounty hunting¡­ a decent way of attracting Kakuzu''s attention whether he''s in the Akatsuki yet or not.


    Not to mention all the money I could make.


    I picked the body up and tossed him into the air, catching him on my scythe and leaning it against my shoulder before collecting my bags and strolling out of the village as the fire from the library spread across the town; whistling a merry tune as I went. Time to try and find a bounty station¡­ and a good place to train.


    I stopped at the village gates, reaching up to grab my hitai-ate from around my neck. Slowly I pulled the symbol of my affiliation from my neck, turning it around to stare contemplatively at the scarred surface and crossed out symbol. My eyes turn to the dead Anbu impaled through the chest on all three of my blades, spotting his own untarnished hitai-ate strapped to his upper arm.


    I never understood why missing-nin kept these or why black-ops agents would wear one at all; wasn''t the whole point of both that your not affiliated with your village (at least officially in the case of black-ops) anymore? It especially confused me that people like Hidan and Kakuzu would keep theirs when both hated their villages and felt betrayed by them.


    I glanced back at the ruins of Yugakure as they were slowly incinerated before shoving my head band in my loot sack, pulling the Anbu''s from his arm and shoving it in as well. It might be fun to start a collection and I''m sure the headband of a now defunct village will be a rare piece to make other collectors jealous.


    I smirked and walked off into the dark.


    Hidan blinked awake, staring at the sterile white walls in confusion. Where was he? A voice drew his gaze to a tall man in a lab coat checking over a clipboard. He spoke in a unknown language, seeming to think Hidan understood him. Is this a hospital? Hidan had never been in one, being immortal and all (he usually just barred the doors and set them on fire when he was purging a village).


    A dark grin spread across the reborn mass murderer''s face as he slowly stood up; ignoring the supposed doctor''s shocked gasp. He started babbling, gesturing at the bed as Hidan pulled the tubes and wires from himself. The serial killer''s grin widened as he pricked his finger on the I.V. needle.


    The doctor''s increasingly frantic gesturing and calls are silenced as Hidan''s hand wraps around his throat. "Rejoice, sinner! For I shall bring an end to your fear with the love of Jashin-sama!"


    So saying he plunged the needle into the doctor''s eye with a joyously psychotic laugh.


    Chapter 2


    I only realised I had no f.u.c.k.i.n.g idea where I was after nearly a solid day of aimless wandering. I used Jashin''s ability to detect killers to avoid wandering Shinobi; four days later it helped me find a bounty station. Jashin detected that a large amount of killers frequented a seemingly innocuous building in a small, non-ninja village and I felt it would be worth checking out.


    I hadn''t spent all that time simply stumbling about; by tying my bags to my scythe I not only increased the weight (already enhanced by the now rotting corpse attached) to potentially increase my swing speed, I also freed up a hand to read scrolls with.


    Admittedly, being on the run wasn''t the best place to sit down and train; I wanted to get the f.u.c.k outta dodge before war broke out over the now available territory. The only thing I really managed was dodging ninjas from a great distance, repeatedly swinging my scythe with one or both hands, reading basic scrolls (not wanting to risk the rarer stuff out in the open), and practicing basic chakra control exercises. I''m just glad it never rained and ruined all my swag!


    Actually walking into the benign looking little restaurant was daunting until I realised I probably didn''t actually have a bounty; who''s gonna post it from a nation with no survivors or witnesses? With a good deal of false bravado I entered the little restaurant, attempting to ignore the looks people gave me. Oddly, entering a restaurant with a partially decomposed body impaled on a scythe only got me a few raised eyebrows and a couple wrinkled noses.


    I glanced around; the place was rather quant and old fashioned, a fire-lit atmosphere enhanced by dark wooden walls and furniture. The food looked and smelled decent enough, but Jashin assured me that food, water, and even air were unnecessary for me (which explained why Hidan could still talk without lungs) and I wasn''t one to waste money I don''t have on luxuries I don''t need.


    A helpful patron with an unnaturally blank face glanced at the corpse I''ve been lugging around and pointed to the bathroom; likely seeing my inexperience with bounty hunting and deciding to help a newcomer. Nice guy; I''ll kill him quick if it comes down to it.


    I walked into the unsurprisingly clean bathroom, looking around for any sign of where the station might be. I was about to start knocking on walls when Jashin spoke up, "Death radiates from behind the second stall; many killers, both dead and alive, have passed through that stall. The other stalls are nearly untouched." Well, that solves that problem then.


    I open the stall, noticing the lack of a toilet right away but not seeing any means of ingress. As far as I could tell the wall was perfectly smooth and seamless; not even a hint of a door. Frowning, I decided to try knocking on the wall; if that didn''t work I could always try knocking it down, though somehow I don''t think that''s a good idea considering the more experienced bounty hunters I''ll likely piss off with such a move.


    Fortunately, before I could move past merely contemplating whether it was worth it to piss off a shit load of ninjas, a rectangular seam appeared in the wall slightly below eye level. The sectioned off part of the wall slid back before sliding to the right, revealing a pair of suspicious brown eyes staring out. "I don''t recognise you."


    I smirked, "I''m new," I moved my scythe (and more importantly, the dead body attached) into view, "But I''m pretty sure he isn''t."


    He glanced at the dead Anbu before looking back at me, "Hmph, a newbie taking out an Anbu huh? Guess Kakuzu was wrong about each generation only getting weaker as time goes on." Huh, sounds about right; grumpy bastard would say something like that. "Alright kid, give me a sec'' to open the door and I''ll get''cher money once I verify the validity and identity of the body."


    I raise an eyebrow, "Do people often try to screw you over?" I''m not truly surprised, but fostering a good relationship with those who pay me is probably a good idea.


    He laughs, "You have no idea how many people have shown up with one of Orochimaru''s shed skins and tried to claim the bounty on his head."


    I snickered as the wall followed the eye slot''s example, revealing what appeared to be a small morgue. "I can imagine that would get old fast." I joked as I stepped into the room. The short, balding man that seemed to run this place gestured at one of the medical slabs.


    With a flick of my wrist the corpse flew off my scythe to land on the table with a dull thud. The station master gave me a queer look before shaking his head. I thought I heard a mutter of "Damn over eager beginners; always trying to show off¡­" but I''m sure it was just the wind. Indoors. Yeah.


    The man pulled on some surgical gloves and set about examining the body, humming tunelessly as he worked. A few moments of seemingly purposeless examinations of random body parts passed before he actually started looking closely at the face. "Word to the wise kid; try not to damage the face too much. Makes these examinations much harder and some places will detract from yer pay if ya make ''em use other verification methods." He sent me an aside glance before returning to his work, "Yer knew to this business so I''ll let cha off with a warning this time."


    I repressed the urge to sigh; I just knew crushing his head would come back to bite me. I''m just lucky the poor sucker was sympathetic or I would be out some cash. I started surreptitiously glancing about under the (not entirely inaccurate) guise of just examining the station as a newb bounty hunter; what I was really looking for was where he kept the cash. Why bother doing the actual work when I can just kill this weak, middle-aged man and steal it instead?


    ''Because his weakness is likely a facade and I would almost certainly get banned from the industry immediately once word gets out (which it would.)'', I thought as the man who looked to have gone to seed was suddenly in my face when I took a bit too much interest in his desk.


    "Exploring another man''s space is not a good thing to be caught doing, boy. Try not to be so obvious with your planning." HIs expression gave nothing of his thoughts away, utterly blank like it was formed from coloured stone.


    I hid my nervousness with an obfuscating smirk, "Planning?" I questioned lightly, "You think I''m dumb enough to shit where I eat?" I snorted, "If I robbed you not only would all those bounty hunters out there attack me, but when I killed them I wouldn''t be able to collect there bounties because I''d be blacklisted from the business."


    His expression melted slightly, becoming less unnatural before he raised his eyebrow, "When you kill them?" He grunted amusedly, "You''re sure confident for a rookie¡­ confidence kills, kid." He moved back to his examination, "A word of advice kid; never get too confident or someone you dismissed as not a threat will be the one turning in your head here."


    My smirk grew slightly wider, ''It''s hardly overconfidence if they really can''t kill me.'' I thought. Though that doesn''t make the advice bad; always take every fight seriously.


    My attention was drawn back to the station attendant as he cleared his throat and moved over to the desk I had been investigation earlier. "Alright kid," That was getting more than a touch annoying, this body is an a.d.u.l.t damn it! And even if it wasn''t, the one I left behind sure was. "This looks legit." He reached down and opened up a drawer I''m certain wasn''t there when I was inspecting it and pulled out a briefcase and a scroll. He started to rapidly pull large stacks of money from the scroll and place them in the briefcase; so rapidly in fact that I''m certain he was trying to screw me over by not giving me the full bounty. "There ya go; two hundred and fifty three thousand five hundred and seventy nine ryo." Huh, how pedantically and oddly specific.


    The moment he handed it to me I started counting each ryo but gave up after realising it was far too boring to hold my attention for more than a couple seconds and I really didn''t care. I ignored the plebian chuckling over my checking and simply looked for for trackers and bombs, which did in fact result in me counting the money¡­ or rather Jashin counting the money. Apparently she could see through my eyes and see the general area around me; kinda like a text based (she has to describe what she sees, rather than me being able to just see what she sees) Byakugan without the blindspot if ya think about it. Considering she has way better perception than me (being a god has its perks; quite a few of them actually) it was easy for her to count the bills as I flipped through them. On the upside; he didn''t cheat me. On the downside; he did slip a tracking device in.


    The fact that a world without cars has f.u.c.k.i.n.g mini-tracking devices and TVs and shit still baffles me.


    I subtly (as I could anyway) palmed the tracker from my money. I nodded to the man as I walked out of the (slightly perversely) hidden bounty office, tossing the tracker into some sucker''s soup as I walked out the door.


    Well, that was a worthwhile trip; I''m leaving some two hundred thousand ryo richer and one rotting body lighter, a good trade! Come to think of it; any trade of rotting anything for cash is probably a good trade¡­


    Whistling merrily as I walked out of the little village (f.u.c.k inns, I don''t sleep so the damn parasites can''t suck me dry!) and went searching for a nice, quiet place to train. After only five or six hours of solid, non-stop running (infinite stamina for the win!) I came across a little clearing in the middle of nowhere that seemed perfect for my purposes.


    I nodded to myself, approaching a tree with a determined look on my face; might as well start with the most basic of techniques, the surface clinge. Hopefully my body''s muscle memories would kick in and speed up these early stages but it''s best to just give it a shot.


    I placed a hand against a tree, deciding to cheat a little by using the easiest place to channel chakra rather than the hardest to start with. I focused for a moment, feeling my chakra move through my body like a horrific, semi-gaseous parasite infused throughout my body before pushing it towards my hand and into the tree before me. A second later I had wooden shrapnel embedded in my mangled hand and face.


    I stared at the ruins of my hand with my single eye for a moment, too stunned to even think. Slowly, my gaze shifted to the tree; only to widen in even greater shock. Apparently I channeled way, way too much chakra into the technique because the tree looked like f.u.c.k.i.n.g bomb went off on the trunk, reducing a significant portion to so much mulch; in fact, a portion of the tree larger than my own body was simply gone


    Huh, why did no one ever think to weaponize this? If you deliberately fail the surface cling right as you hit something it would be like a cut rate Explosion release or super¡­ strength. A grin spread across my face as I started pulling the shrapnel from my body, starting with my left eye. The sucking sound my eye socket made as the six inch wood chip was pulled out was more than a touch disturbing, but with Jashin f.u.c.k.i.n.g with my nervous system to turn what pain wasn''t suppressed to pleasure it only freaked my the f.u.c.k out rather than sending me to the ground in screaming agony.


    I blinked my damaged eye several times, smiling as my vision was slowly restored. Looks like Tsunade''s super strength wasn''t all that special really; just a deliberate and refined failure of the surface cling. Admittedly, the way it''s described implies it takes a lot more control than I possess to get it to Tsunade''s level, but it''s still a rather simple technique at its heart.


    Of course, before I can even think of weaponizing failure I need to learn how to succeed. Attempting to stick my foot to a tree (like a goddamned pleb) resulted in the same thing; me with hamburger for a leg and a tree blown to smithereens. Turns out, Hidan has a f.u.c.k-load of chakra; he just never got famous for it ''cause he never used it for anything. Well, I''m not so foolish as to let a resource like this go to waste!


    Of course, having an ungodly (or extremely holy, as Jashin insisted) amount of chakra only brought control into even greater importance. I soon came to the realisation of just why Hidan never used any techniques; they would all f.u.c.k.i.n.g explode from being massively overcharged! I had more chakra than goddamn Naruto (sans-bijuu) as an a.d.u.l.t! I kept blowing up trees no matter how little chakra I tried to put into trying to stick to them. (Regrowing limbs gets real old real fast, I soon found.)


    I grit my teeth in frustration, "There is no f.u.c.k.i.n.g way I''m letting too much chakra keep me from being awesome, damn it!" I kicked a nearby tree in rage, splintering the wood from my bodies unaugmented strength. Canon Hidan was capable of at least the f.u.c.k.i.n.g surface cling, why can''t I! Hell, earlier I managed to use chakra to manipulate the cord of my scythe on pure instinct! How could this be so much harder?


    Jashin was no help here; not being even remotely human she had no experience using chakra (apparently the energy gods used was different) and had even less experience training, she just always knew what she could do and how to do it (though, she did say that lately she''s been curious about her capabilities).


    Turns out, anger isn''t exactly conducive to finesse and the slightly diminished explosions I was producing got significantly larger. Frowning, I sat down with a huff, "F.u.c.kin'' trees¡­ I''mma level Konoha just to get revenge on the damn trees¡­" I petulantly grumbled. Laying back I stared up at the clouds with a sigh, "This is gonna take a while¡­"


    And take a while it did; three weeks and over twenty acres of shredded trees later I finally managed to stick to one with only minor cracks radiating from the point of contact! Honestly I''m surprised the endless (almost rhythmic) explosions day and night didn''t attract any curious ninjas; though they may have thought a high level battle was going on and didn''t want to get caught in the middle of it. Like cowardly rats, these ninjas.


    A massive smile spread across my face as I slowly placed one foot in front of the other and walked up the tree, only greatly weakening its structural stability rather than blowing it to pieces. I was inordinately proud of myself for managing the most basic ninja technique; but hell, you need to take pride in yourself or you''ll go mad. "Hahahahahahahahaha!" Okay, the cackling may be taking it a tiny bit too far; maybe I already sailed past "mad" on a jet ski full of cocaine.


    A creaking sound drew my gaze to my feet. My smile faded as I saw just how damaged the tree was from my continued presence. I jumped off, landing a few feet away as the large and numerous cracks across the tree groaned ominously. A few seconds passed in relative silence before the tree gave one last sad groan and collapsed to the ground in pieces.


    I stared at the rubble for a long moment, even Jashin was silent in my thoughts. "Huh¡­ guess I need even more practice than I thought." I mumbled, sheepishly scratching the back of my head. Jashin''s voice tore me from my thoughts.


    "Four shinobi are approaching; three in a semi-circle behind you and one coming straight in front. Judging by the blood they''ve spilt the one coming head on is a Jounin and the other three are somewhat seasoned Genin." I frowned, seems these ninjas are closer to vultures than rats; a much more respectable thing to be in my opinion (there is nothing as disgusting as a parasite; better a scavenger than a parasite).


    "Thank you Jashin; I''ll kill them in you name." It was an ease promise to make; I had no intention of letting any information get out at this stage. Just letting them go was never an option. I''m sure Jashin knew this (she can read my f.u.c.k.i.n.g mind after all), but she didn''t seem bothered by my hazy dedication to mass murder.


    I didn''t bother turning to face the Genin; no strategy mere Genin could come up with would bother me, especially considering they don''t know I''m a True Immortal. ...Well, at least I think so; not sure what would happen if they atomized me (nor am I willing to test it).


    "You would be fine; as my champion I possess your soul, what happens to your body is irrelevant. As our relationship gets stronger and you sacrifice more souls to me, my grasp gets stronger on your soul and you literally grow closer to the center of my being. This comes with a number of benefits¡­ but I do not think now is the best time to discuss such." Well¡­ that''s interesting; both somewhat comforting (True Immortality bitches!) and somewhat disturbing (my soul is swimming in evil¡­). Good to have that confirmed, but even if atomization could kill me, I highly doubt any Genin could achieve such a glorious feat of annihilation.


    The Jonin walked out of a section of undamaged trees as c.o.c.ky as could be; f.u.c.ker was damn sure he could take me. This green-haired, blue-eyed bitch is gonna f.u.c.k.i.n.g choke on that smile.


    I smirked, resting my scythe on my shoulder as he opened his mouth to spew some nonsense. I cut him off before he could flap his gums, "Wow, you must really not care about your Genin."


    He blinked, taken off guard by my statement (and possibly noticing my subtle assertion of dominance by speaking first). "What?" he asked stupidly, a confused and startled expression on his face.


    My smirk grew, "Your little students up in the trees. You must really not give a shit what happens to them to take them with you to fight me. Need some meat shields, eh?"


    His smug expression returned, though it was noticeably false nd shaken. "I highly doubt someone like you could take a team of Genin, even if I did have any. Which I don''t."


    My smirk turned to a grin as I heard one of the aforementioned Genin shift in the tree behind me, disrupting some leafs in a very noticeable manner. I raised an eyebrow mockingly, "That so, huh? ''Spose ya wouldn''t mind if I killed those brats then, would ya? Maybe have some fun with the girly?" I was never a very moral man, but even I could tell that having my soul submersed in the essence of a god of evil al-la Angra Manyu was having rather noticeable effects if I was (more than) contemplating raping a teenage girl. I mean, by this cultures standards she was an a.d.u.l.t the moment she put on the headband (likely to compensate for this exact scenario, come to think of it), but she sure as f.u.c.k wasn''t by mine. Meh, can''t exactly be the champion of a god like Jashin if ya let little things like any remnant of morality still floating around in your head bother you; besides, it''s not like it ever stopped anyone in my world even when it was way less culturally acceptable.


    His face went cold, blue eyes hardening to resemble ice. I could see he was about to go into some impassioned speech about killing me ''cause I''m a rabid animal or a monster or whatever. This time I didn''t even have to interrupt him myself; his Genin did it for me!


    The dumbass who disturbed the leafs leapt out with a snarl, aiming his kunai to slam into the top of my head. He was coming from behind and to the left, as if he thought being on the opposite shoulder to my scythe would help him.


    My arm moved back, sloping my scythe towards the ground before jerking sharply downwards; slamming all three blades into the brash youth''s chest. His small size meant the massive blades nearly bisected him even just with a stab, the top blade impaled through his groin.


    I carried through with the strike, driving both blades and boy into the earth before me. A massive grin stretched across my face as I made sure to lock my near l.u.s.tful purple eyes with the shocked and horrified blue of the Jounin before I ripped the blade back, tearing out through the boy''s skull and dragging what innards weren''t sliced apart out of his body.


    His intestines and a couple organs trailed behind my blade as I whirled around to block the sword swipe a more competent ninja aimed at my back. I nearly applauded the brave and ice cold Genin for seeing his teammate''s death as an opportunity to kill me while my blade was busy. Nearly.


    Instead I blocked his swipe with the haft of my scythe, pulling the blades back from where they loomed behind him. To my mild surprise he almost managed to dodge, only losing his sword arm instead of his head. Even with the mild respect (honestly, this Genin could have gone places if he hadn''t met me) I held for the child I wasn''t dumb enough to leave an enemy alive when they still had enough limbs to attack me. My left hand shot forward and grabbed his face, crushing his skull between my fingers in a single squeeze.


    I laughed at the sounds of the remaining Genin puking from her position paralyzed with fear on her tree; idiot, what did she expect when she became a Shinobi? Death and worse lurk around every corner when you fly the colours; what her friends got is a mercy compared to what I''ll do to her.


    My psychotic grin added a bit of l.u.s.t to its normal bloodl.u.s.t as I felt Jashin''s approval of my plans. My musings were interrupted by a sword skewering me through the back, penetrating my heart and exploding out my chest. Honestly, I''m surprised this didn''t happen earlier; despite my immense strength, decent skill (mostly do to Hidan''s muscle memories), and creativity, I had no real training and had mostly been running on luck to pull off the cool shit I did.


    I turned my head to look at the Jounin''s grim face, blood dripping out through my grin. I coughed out a spray of blood as he pulled his blade from my chest, stumbling forward a few steps before collapsing to the earth. I listened as Jashin described what my eyes couldn''t see; the Jounin stepped forward to comfort the Genin girl who apparently fell from the tree while I was distracted by being stabbed.


    As he wrapped comforting arms around her in a distinctly familial embrace I noticed the similarities between the two. Blue eyes, green hair, tanned skin; they looked too similar to not be related. Hmhmhmhmhm, I''m gonna make him suffer.


    I rose silently like the specter of death behind him; a sickle like grin spread across my face as I drew back my scythe. I dashed forward and slammed my blades through the back of both his knees; drawing a pained scream from his lips. A cruel laugh leaked from my savage grin as I twisted my blade to draw more screams from him before pulling it to the side; severing one leg and leaving the other dangling by a few scraps of flesh.


    My laughter spiked as I grabbed his forehead, pulling his head back as I hooked my scythe under his right arm. "Is she your daughter?" I asked, deceptively lightly before pulling my blade back, severing his arm. "Or perhaps your sister?" Another question, another arm.


    I didn''t bother waiting for him to answer (I rather doubt he would have even if I had; he seemed rather preoccupied with screaming) and instead wrapped a hand around his throat and lifted him into the air. I smirked into his face, "I suppose it doesn''t really matter; you care for her, and thusly I can hurt you through her¡­" I didn''t bother to tell him I was going to do this regardless; let him think he caused her suffering. I carried him a short distance to the very tree his likely daughter fell from. Slamming my scythe into the ground I unsheathed his blade from its sheath, making a show of examining it before ramming all three feet through his gut and into the tree behind him. I smiled at him, watching as he cringed before pulling out a kunai. "I can''t have you closing those eyes, now can I?" With a near gentle smile I sliced off his eyelids; he won''t be needing them soon anyway.


    Wiping my kunai off on his chest and tucking it back into its pouch I turned towards the girl, smirking at her paralysed form. She was just so f.u.c.k.i.n.g pathetic; how did she ever expect to be a ninja if she freezes in the face of danger? Maybe she didn''t; perhaps her father forced her down the same path he took? Well then, looks like he may be suffering more than I thought.


    I paused in my approach, turning to look at the man behind me thoughtfully. ''Can I force my curse technique on others? Like, if I make someone else perform the ritual against their will, would it still work even if their not a Jashinist?'' I didn''t really have to, but I deliberately sent my thoughts to Jashin none the less.


    A moment passed before she replied, "Normally no. But as you''re my champion, I''ll allow it."


    A dark grin spread across my face as I reached out and scooped up some of the blood flowing from one of the man''s arms. Seeing the girl starting to actually wake up from whatever catatonia she had fallen into I dashed over to her, grabbing her face and hooking my fingers on her jaw bone, using the leverage to force it open. I couldn''t help but laugh as I poured her father''s blood down her throat, using the same hand that forced open her mouth to massage her throat, forcing her to swallow. My laughter grew higher in pitch as I cut open her forehead, drawing enough blood to form the ritual circle.


    Malice rolled off me like a toxic miasma as I watched her skin blacken and white, bone like markings spread across her. Turning my head, I smiled at her father¡­ before slamming the back of my scythe into her jaw, sending her shattered teeth down her throat. Based on the gurgling scream her father gave the curse was in full effect; perfect.


    I pulled my c.o.c.k out with an evil smile (huh, Hidan really was blessed) and rammed it down her throat (turns out, blood, tears, and saliva make decent lube). She was tight in a way only the unwilling (or very experienced) can be (though her age may have something to do with that), her throat writhing and spasming around me. The warm, wet tightness combined with the spasming felt divine (especially since Jashin seemed to fully agree); though what really pushed me over the edge was the look of hopeless misery and despair in her eyes.


    She choked even more as I came down her throat, making sure to pull out enough to splatter some on her face and bleeding gums. She coughed and sputtered, vomiting a pinkish mix of fluids onto the ground and all over herself. Her wide tear filled eyes stayed firmly locked on the ground: perhaps she thought this was the end? Honestly, she should hope I keep going; the longer she entertains me, the longer she lives¡­ though she may not prefer that all things considered.


    I reached forward, grasping the hem of her dress. With my great strength tearing the piece of clothing was beyond simple. She screamed more, actually trying to crawl away for the first time. I may have dislocated her h.i.p.s when I roughly spread her legs apart, but I can''t say I really care either way.


    I ripped her pink polka dot panties (really? Seriously, how the hell did she think she could be a kunoichi like this) off, lining myself up with her pink slit before pausing. I turned to look back at her father, grinning at him as I reversed my position, insuring his lidless eyes (that seemed to have gone hazy from blood loss) could see as I entered her. I wonder if he''ll be able to feel it as if he had a v.a.g.i.n.a to violate or if it''ll simply feel like a strange pain in his groin?


    My turgid c.o.c.k speared the girls v.i.r.g.i.n flower like a harpoon stabbing a mouse, eliciting a scream of agony and violation from her and a hopeless m.o.a.n from her father. Her p.u.s.s.y was even tighter than her throat and as a plus, I didn''t get shards of teeth embedded in my d.i.c.k! A few minutes of thrusting later and I once more emptied my balls insider her; though, judging by the way she begged and pleaded she considered this much worse. I''m not quite sure why; it''s not like she''s gonna live long enough for pregnancy to be an issue.


    C.u.m and blood (confirming her former v.i.r.g.i.nity¡­ or maybe my d.i.c.k was just to huge for her? Possibly the shards of teeth getting dislodged inside her?) leaked from her violated p.u.s.s.y as I shifted her in my lap; positioning myself to line up with her ass. Hopefully blood and c.u.m will make good enough lube that I won''t get friction burns; that would kind of suck, though not much worse than the shards of teeth did.


    I spared her father a glance, frowning at what I saw; seems he either had or was very nearly bled out (though I''m fairly certain he''s at least still alive considering the girl''s skin hasn''t turned back). Well then, guess I''ll have to hurry up if I want him to feel this last part; sepsis and exsanguination wait for no man!


    Even with a body almost as broken as her soul, the girls instincts still had her clenching to prevent my intrusion. It did her little good (probably just made it worse honestly); she had nowhere near enough strength to stop me. I groaned somewhat as I entered her last v.i.r.g.i.n hole; her ass was by far her tightest hole, almost uncomfortably so.


    While lacking the natural lubrication of both her mouth and cunt, the shear tightness of her ass more than made up for it. My c.o.c.k was so sensitive from c.u.ming twice in quick seccesion (thank Jashin for taking away my refractory period) it didn''t take long to reach orgasm once again.


    I stood up, letting her fall to the ground as she slipped off my c.o.c.k. Leaning down, I grabbed her hair and used it to pull her into a kneeling position; she didn''t even have it in her to whimper any more. I started humming as I tugged on my cord to pull my scythe to my hand from where it was stabbed into the ground next to the Jounin''s tree.


    I brought the blades to her violated crotch, sticking the top most blade in. That seemed to get her attention as she somehow found the energy to scream again. She stopped when I pulled sharply upwards, divesting her of her innards. Her internal organs spilled onto the ground as I pulled my scythe from her chest and throat. I watched almost boredly as the same wound was replicated on her father; the sadistic rush is kinda lost when they''re not conscious to feel the pain.


    In the end they meant nothing to me; just toys to sate my l.u.s.t and malice on. I didn''t care that they were important to someone; so long as that someone isn''t me they may as well be living dolls for all I care. Perhaps this whole bout of savage cruelty was a result of Jashin lowering my inhibitions, perhaps it was just the thought that no one I cared about would be hurt by my actions, perhaps it was the freedom and sense of detachment one gets when torn from their home world; regardless the result was the same. Funny just how much evil one is willing to commit to strangers, eh?


    I walked forward, pulling my bingo book from my pocket and flicking through it to see if the man had a bounty. Using my scythe to push his head back to get a better look at him, turning his head this way and that and comparing his image to a few different pictures (it''s surprising just how many green haired, blue eyes Jounin there are) before smirking in triumph. "Heh, lucky me; another bounty just drops into my lap."


    I blinked as he fell to the earth at my feet, the massive wound covering his entire abdomen enabling his body to twist enough for the blade to cut through him rather than hold him in place. Shrugging I reached down, grabbing him by his hair like I had his daughter and tossing him into the air; skewering him on my blade just like my last bounty.


    Whistling a merry tune I collected my bags from where I set them before beginning training and set off towards the only bounty station I knew. I didn''t even glance back at the Genin''s corpses; why should I care for broken toys?


    This time my entrance caused a bit of a stir; apparently a corpse impaled on a scythe with a slit throat is less disturbing than a man who was obviously torture to death. Hmph, f.u.c.k.i.n.g double standards! Even so, no one bothered me as I walked to the restroom.


    The station keeper merely raised an eyebrow at the state the body was in, "Wow, you''re one twisted son of bitch, aren''t ya?" Shaking his head, he examined the body, taking far less time than previously (possibly due to the corpse possessing fewer limbs, possibly because I was becoming a known factor) before handing over the money. A quick check told me there was no tracking device this time.


    I smiled as I walked out; the weight of the bags I had tied around my waste reminding me it was about time I use some of my newly acquired funds to purchase some supplies. While I could probably just steal it, I would be easier to just buy it legit if I can afford it rather than go through the hassle of stealing it.


    The police chief grimaced, puffing on his cigar as he stepped from his car into the rain. His secretary helpfully held a umbrella over his head to shield him from the downpour; he offered the eager young hopeful a nod in acknowledgement. ''Kids gonna get a real shock when he sees just how awful the world really is.'' He grimaced at the line of officers arrayed around the perimeter of the hospital. ''Just, hopefully not today.''


    He walked to the officer in charge, "What''s the situation?" He barked without preamble.


    The man, a decorated veteran officer was grim faced as he turned to his superior, "Bad, sir. We received a call not long ago that some psycho was attacking the hospital."


    The chief raised an eyebrow, "Why have you not sent men in to handle this guy then?" He wasn''t surprised to see his subordinates mien grow even more grim.


    "We did. We lost contact half an hour ago. Their last reports were¡­ unsettling. And confusing." The officer sighed, pulling out a packet of cigarettes from his shirt pocket and grimacing at its soaked state.


    The chief''s face hardened, "Confusing how?" He didn''t want to hear why it was disturbing, he already had a pretty good idea.


    The officer''s dark eyes were haunted, "They said they shot him twenty seven times. That was before he strangled one with another''s intestines." He pointed at a window on the third floor, "If you look closely you can probably still see him hanging there."


    That was¡­ shocking to say the least. "Do you think drugs are involved?" Back in his days as a beat cop he once encountered a drugged up loon who seemed to shrug off damage right up until he took a round to the eye. Bastard managed to stab his partner in the throat before he took him down.


    The officer gave him an incredulous look, "I don''t know what drugs you''ve seen, but I''ve never heard of anything that can let a man shrug of six rounds to the temple at point blank range like it was nothing."


    Now the chief''s eyes widened. He was about to respond when the hospital''s front door was kicked open. A man dressed in a tattered and blood-stained patient''s gown stood in the doorway, laughing psychotically and shouting in what the chief vaguely recognized as Japanese; though it was no dialect he had ever heard. The madman brandished a long amputation knife in one hand from which he licked blood¡­ the other held a severed head, its ragged esophagus and bits of spine hanging from the shredded stump of its neck.


    The man barely had time to toss the head at the line of police and SWAT before the space he occupied was filled with copious amounts of lead. The startled and enraged lawmen fired every last round they had into the deranged killer; emptying pistols, shotguns, and assault rifles into him.


    A long moment of silence passed as the last gun clicked empty¡­ then the laughing started anew.


    Chapter 3


    If my encounter with that Genin team taught me anything, it''s that I rely too much on surprising people with my immortality. If that Jounin had known I was immortal he very well might have cut me to pieces rather than just stab me; I may not be able to die but that doesn''t mean I can''t be incapacitate or captured. I''ve been lucky so far that no one is aware I can''t just be killed, but relying on luck is how you wind up burned to ashes and shot into space.


    However, right now gathering supplies took priority over actively training. First things first; a change of wardrobe is in order! It was surprisingly easy to find a store tailored to ninjas considering this isn''t a ninja village; though I suppose some enterprising asshole saw the constant influx of bounty hunters and decided to take advantage. I''m more surprised said bounty hunters didn''t kill him for potentially revealing one of their bases of operation to the world; most bounty hunters are missing-nin and they tend not to be so open about their movements.


    Even more surprising than their being a ninja supply store was their being several; each catering to different needs ninjas (and more specifically: bounty hunters) have. Finding one that sold clothing was fairly easy, and it was conveniently located right next to one that sold weapons! Now all I need is a place that sells storage and explosive seals (much as I would like to just make them myself, I have no Jashin damned idea how).


    My customary smirk afixed to my face, I pushed open the door to the clothing store, grimacing slightly at the small bell that chimed as I did. The storekeeper was an elderly man, dull brown eyes under gray hair on a wrinkled face. Even as worn down by time as he was he bore himself with an air of good humour, a small smile beneath glittering eyes. I hated him immediately.


    I returned his smile with one of my own, "Do you, perchance, have combat boots?" Always pays to be polite (unless it''s time to drop facades and false faces). Besides, I''m more likely to get out of here (and away from that monstrous display of faux-happiness) quickly if I''m (relatively) polite rather than combative. Even though my pocketed hands are twitching to pull a kunai and slit him up; make him show how he really feels.


    That disgusting twinkle hiding a wellspring of misery seemed to grow brighter at my words, "Combat boots you say? Why, I haven''t had someone ask for those in¡­" He trailed off, staring at a spot to the left of me with dimmed eyes; that damnable twinkle momentarily faded, loss and sorrow shining through.


    He shook his head, smiling to cover his slip, "Sorry, son; sometimes this old brain o'' mine slips into old memories." He shook his head ruefully, "Combat boots, was it? Bit of an odd choice there, boyo. Most ninjas don''t like ''em, say they get in the way of channeling chakra or some such."


    I could feel my polite smile twitching minutely as the man rambled; my desire to shove his severed c.o.c.k down his throat had lessened with that brief glimpse of the despair behind his smile but if he starts f.u.c.k.i.n.g lecturing me I''mma strangle him with his own f.u.c.k.i.n.g guts. "I''m aware," I really wasn''t, but I can''t say I particularly care. "Even so, I know what I want." One smart remark and I''m burning this place down.


    He simply gave a shrug and a genial smile, "To each their own, I suppose." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, pointing vaguely towards a section of what appeared to be footwear. "There''s a few in the corner back there; some civilians like to wear ''em to look hard¡­" Something in his expression changed, a hardness that hadn''t been there before. "No, you''re the real deal ain''t cha?" His eyes were evaluating and cold, looking me over and seeing a threat rather than a customer. "Not like those flashy morons who tromp around and spout jutsu like they''re goin'' outta style; you know what it''s like to feel a man''s life bleed out all over your hands, to watch the light leave a little girl''s eyes because she thought she had what it takes to be a ninja." With a start I realized this man may well have been a retired ninja, possibly even from the Warring Clans Era considering his age (and my lack of knowledge of where I am in the timeline; knowing Kakuzu is active tells me little more than the fact that ninja villages exist, he was ninety Jashin damned years olds in Shippuden).


    His suddenly dim eyes looked me over for a moment, seeing something I can''t. "Why exactly, do you want combat boots?" He finally questioned after a long moment of silence.


    I pointedly didn''t smirk, "They''re better for kicking with and protect you from the elements more than sandals." Simple and true. Somehow I felt honesty was warranted here.


    He smirked darkly, eyes flickering to the dark stains on my shoes and pant legs (I''m just glad Hidan doesn''t wear a shirt or I''d have to replace it after that asshole stabbed me). "And because they''re better for crushing skulls, hm?"


    I shrug, "Isn''t that implied? I did say they were better for kicking." A smirk to match the man I was coming to realize I rather liked spread across my face; it seems more than misery hid behind that vapid smile.


    He laughed, "Aye, boyo; I suppose so." He reached beneath the counter and tossed something at me.


    Catching it on instinct I saw it was a key, "The good stuff is in the way back; pick out whatever you want and we''ll negotiate a price."


    I smiled, giving him a nod as I subtly checked the key for poisons and explosive seals (not that either would really matter, though getting blown up would be annoying). Based on the approving look on the shopkeeper''s face I wasn''t as subtle as I could have hoped.


    Finding nothing, I made my way to the back of the store, glancing at the wares on display as I passed; they all look pretty decent to me. While he hadn''t exactly indicated where this "back" he spoke of was located, I figured a door partially concealed behind a rack of cloaks was a safe bet.


    Fitting the key into the lock I found my guess to have been correct. The door opened soundlessly into a pitch black room that had my danger senses blaring like crazy. Even with the GTFO sirens screaming I decided to step into the room, groping the side wall for a light switch. Eventually my questing hand found what I was seeking and the room lit up.


    ...For about two seconds before a burlap sack was pulled over my head and a syringe stabbed into my neck. Those two seconds were long enough for me to catch a glimpse of bloodstained cages and a pristine operating table.


    I laughed, my left arm thrusting up to grasp my assailants elbow; continuing on to snap it in two. I roughly twisted the broken appendage, forcing the idiot to the ground with one hand while the other reached up to pull the sack from my face.


    With the obstruction removed I could see who had been fool enough to try to drug me; a child, maybe seven or eight years old stared up at me from the ground with terrified pink eyes framed by a messy mop of blue hair. I shifted my grasp to close my hand around the boy''s throat; silencing the scream I could see building on his lips. He struggled and choked; unable to draw breath past my powerful grip.


    Idly pulling the (mostly) empty syringe from my throat I picked the boy-child up, closing the door behind me (and wondering why the old man hadn''t come running when the kid screamed). A dark smile spread across my face as I approached the surgical table. I slammed the kid onto the table and calmly set about strangling him; loosening my grasp just long enough to let him catch a breath in increasingly long intervals. I watched his expression with interest as he desperately clawed at my arm and hand; trying futilely to pry open my grasp with steadily weakening fingers. I watched and felt as the tears flowing from his eyes poured over my hand; honestly, what kind of idiot attacks someone without being prepared to be attacked in return? Never start a fight you''re not prepared to finish.


    Before he could pass out I placed the syringe he stabbed me with over his left eye, allowing him to breath for a moment so he can properly process what''s about to happen. I wait until I see his eyes widen before plunging the syringe into his orbital, pushing down until the needle was fully immersed in his eye.


    My face remained oddly blank as I depressed the plunger, blowing air and the remains of whatever drug the kid had intended to sedate me with into his eyeball before pulling it back and sucking out blood and the internals of his eye into the tube. I drove the needle in further and twisted it from side to side; insuring the eye was thoroughly ruined (and increasing the pain inflicted). The boy''s single functioning eye was spinning rapidly in its socket; blood pouring from the mutilated one as I pulled the syringe out.


    I smirk faintly as I push the needle into his right lung, injecting the contents straight into the empty organ. I chuckle quietly as he begins spasming harder at the liquid intrusion where only air should go. I repeat the process six times before growing bored and jamming the needle all the way into his chest; shattering it (and some bones) with a single sharp punch to the chest.


    Even with my tight grasp around his throat, blood was burrbling out between his lips; joining his tears in dirtying my hand. I glanced away from the kid, looking over the array of surgical tools available to me, smiling when I spotted my prize; a gleaming, serrated bone saw. My long fingers wrapped around the handle, holding the blade upside down.


    Grinning, I held the blade before the futility gasping boy''s single eye; once more waiting for him to see it and comprehend before acting. I slowly slid the blade between his legs, making sure he could feel it crawling towards him by dragging it along his legs. Eventually the serrated edge met his crotch, pressing into his tiny testicals through the (noticeably filthy and ragged) blue shorts he wore. I looked him straight in his single eye and gave him the gentlest smile I could fake¡­ before slowly sawing upwards.


    He writhed and spasmed, the jerking movements only making the saw bite all the deeper as his body desperately tried to move away from it. Blood poured like a river from the open wound and I knew I didn''t have much time before he bled out. I sped up my sawing when I hit the base of his spine; while the destruction of such an important part of him meant that he lost feeling below each destroyed segment, it also caused unbelievable pain throughout his entire body. If only I knew how to form lightning chakra, then I could really f.u.c.k with his system.


    I was about halfway up his torso when the door behind me opened, though by that point the boy was long dead (weather from blood loss or shock I don''t know or particularly care). I turned my neck in a deliberately awkward manner to see the same old man who sent me back here watching me with the same cold eyes he had when he sent me back here. His gaze flickers to what little of the boy is visible past me (mostly just blood, but I suppose that says enough) before returning back to my face. "Hmph, good help is so hard to find. Better you kill the brat than make me waste my time doing it myself."


    I raised an eyebrow, "I kinda expected you to be more angry."


    He laughed, a cold, dark, and dusty sound like wind blowing through a tomb. "Angry? Why should I cry over such a useless subordinate like him?"


    I turned to fully face him, leaving the bone saw in the boy''s guts. Crossing my arms and leaning against the surgical table I look the man over more closely. I have no idea what he had planned for me but I could only presume it was nothing good; the fact he didn''t seem bothered by his plan being interrupted only unsettled me more.


    I kept the scowl from my face with some effort as he looked me up and down. "Have you ever considered mercenary work, boyo?"


    I blinked at the non-sequitur, before letting a grin spread across my face. "I have. Why do you ask?" I have a pretty good guess where this is going, but I want to hear it from his own mouth.


    He smirked, "Well, I suddenly find myself in need of someone to procure¡­ goods for me." He waved extravagantly towards the foul smelling cages lining the walls, "You see, I am no mere slaver; I sell¡­ specialized goods; slaves that have been modified to suit the buyer''s tastes. I use a variety of seals and medical procedures to take your average schlock and turn them into something wonderful." There was a less than sane gleam in his eyes as he discussed his work but I didn''t mind; man has pride in what he does, who am I to say he shouldn''t? It honestly sounds rather impressive and the thought of modifying people to suit preferences set some ideas rolling around my head.


    I wave my right arm to forestall the rant I could see coming, "Alright, I''m guessing you want me to nabb some plebs of the streets so you can work your magic on ''em, eh?" I raise my hand, three fingers extended, "Three conditions. Number one: If who ever I snatch has a bounty, you need to offer a higher price than their bounty or I''ll just turn them in."


    He flicked his wrist, as if brushing aside the idea, "If I require someone who has a bounty on their head you will be compensated appropriately of course; though I doubt I ever will require such specific materials."


    I nodded, lowering one finger. "Number two: How much am I being paid?"


    He smirked, "Fifteen thousand for men, twenty for women, twenty five for male children, thirty for female children, and fifty for people with bloodlines or rare traits."


    "Number three: you said you use seals and medical procedures, right? Teach me what you know and I''ll let you take the cost of the lessons out of my bill. If you''re concerned that I may go into business in competition with you; you needn''t worry, I want the knowledge for personal reasons." Honestly, I don''t much need the money but knowledge has a power all on its own.


    Had I been a lesser (better) man, the look he gave me would have filled me with disgust, "Oh, looking to get yourself some custom lovers, eh?" Suddenly the perverted gleam left his eyes, "I''m no true expert with seals; I barely count as a journeyman and I''ve been studying for forty years." He broke off in muttered expletives apparently aimed towards "that damn lucky brat Jiraiya".


    I raised an eyebrow, he may not know it (in fact, I highly doubt he does) but that bit of cursing out Jiraiya told me more about the setting than anything else (Minato and Itachi''s absence from the Bingo Book only told me they hadn''t committed their respective massacres yet; which only tells me where I''m not, not where I am); I now know that Jiraiya is a well known name and currently a seal master of some renown. Knowing that Jiraiya is famous, Itachi hasn''t massacred his clan, and Minato hasn''t earned his moniker gives me a rough estimate of where I am in the timeline; somewhere between the end of the Second Shinobi World War and the Third. Of course, there''s always the possibility that my Bingo Book is simply out of date; but I doubt it considering how much its original owner cared about his bounty.


    "Journeyman is still more than I know. Besides, you know some seals someone like Jiraiya most certainly knows nothing about." Might as well inflate his ego, he''ll be more likely to agree with his head in the clouds.


    Judging by the massive smirk on his face, comparing him positively to Jiraiya worked like a charm. "You''re right! I''m better than that brat, and that whore Tsunade would never even think of using some of the medical jutsu I''ve invented!" I decided not to mention that she likely could, but simply wouldn''t because she has one of those pesky moral codes.


    I nod agreeable, "And every master needs an apprentice to carry on their works, their legacy. If no one knows of your techniques, no one will ever be able to appreciate your genius." I may be laying it on a but thick, but I really do want to learn what he knows; not just for the s.e.x.u.a.l avenues they open up. The techniques used by a slaver like him could (probably) easily be modified for combat and subterfuge¡­ and I could use them to get a bitchin'' harem.


    No way am I gonna be one o'' them misery guts immortals who spend their time whining about how awful it is to live forever! Seriously, if you can''t see the positives of eternal life you are one boring motherf.u.c.ker.


    The "doctor" laughed, "Haha¡­ you think I don''t see what you''re doing?" He glared at me, a maniacal gleam in his dark eyes visible behind the cold edge as his face went blank¡­ before an even bigger grin spread across it. "Doesn''t make you wrong though. Yes, yes, I think I will teach you what I know¡­" He trailed off, "I am getting on in years." I don''t think I was meant to hear that last part. His drifting gaze locks back on my amused eyes, "Alright, bring me three subjects and we''ll start your first lesson."


    I smirk, pushing off the table and walking towards the door. "Alright then; any preferences on who I snatch?"


    He shakes his head, making sure to stay outside the perceived range of my scythe as I pass. "I don''t particularly care. Though I do have one caveat; do not take anyone from this village." I Turn to look at him from the door, raising an eyebrow to emphasise the unasked question. "He chuckles quietly, "Whilst I have no particular care for them, plebeian fools that they are; it wouldn''t be good to attract attention to our business. Even some so called ninja seem to get hung up over petty things like "basic human dignity" and "rights"; utter nonsense, of course. As if the very villages they serve haven''t violated those imagined rules daily since their inception." He shakes his head in disgust, pulling a scroll from the inside pocket of his brown cardigan and tossing it to me. I didn''t bother telling him that it was actually more suspicious for no one to be taken from an area than for it to be just as preyed upon; why should I care if his poor planning ends up killing him? So long as I get what I want before he bites it I''m fine. "On that note; that is a transport scroll of my own design. They''re not exactly good for the mental health of the transported; but that''s not really a concern, now is it?"


    I catch the scroll easily, examining it for a moment before slipping it into my pocket with a nod. I opened the door (which I now saw was actually metal painted to look like wood on the outside). I paused at the door, leaning back in to see the doctor setting about cleaning up the surgical table I so rudely made a mess of, "Hey can I still grab some clothes, or¡­"


    He sighed, waving a hand vaguely in my direction as he sprayed a suspicious liquid over the table (having already thrown the body into one of the cages), "Yes yes, take whatever you want. As your employer and sensei I can''t have you tromping about in rags; it would ruin my image if you were to represent me looking like some common street rat." I smirked and quietly closed the door behind me, grinning at the racks of clothing before me; time to get some better gear.


    I left the shop decked out in brand spanking new clothes; dark (almost black) purple pants, an equally dark red hoodie with a shitload of pockets worn unzipped to reveal a black t-shirt (that I drew a symbol of Jashin on with blood (given that literally no one knew about Jashinism to the point that Konoha thought Hidan may have entirely fabricated the religion, I figured it was safe enough to have a symbol of my allegiance on display (Jashin seemed very pleased with my display of loyalty, purring discordantly in my head)), and, perhaps most importantly, a pair of sturdy black combat boots.


    Smirking, I wandered out of the front for organized slavery; twirling my scythe and placing it on my back as I headed out in search of unfortunates to sell into a life of unending misery and despair (taking a quick and uneventful stop at the store next door to buy some weapons and storage seals). I shadowed my eyes with a hand as I looked in random directions; trying to decide which way to go. I have absolutely no idea where I am (even if I did know the village''s name, I don''t exactly have a map to make use of the reference) and thusly couldn''t figure out what was nearby.


    Shrugging my shoulders I decided to just follow the path outside the main entrance to the village; with any luck it would lead me to another village. I have no idea what the maximum occupancy of the scroll the doctor (who''s name I really should have asked for) gave me, but I intend to fill the f.u.c.ker up; always better to overperform than underperform, after all¡­ well usually anyway.


    Luckily for me the village was only a three day walk (without breaks) from another little hamlet in the middle of f.u.c.k.i.n.g nowhere. Now, considering my express purpose in coming here was to enslave the populous, I decided it would be best to scope the place out before rushing in. A few days hiding in a tree told me that this wasn''t a ninja village (though Jashin already told me that before I even arrived; interestingly, the town did contain a serial killer, but no true ninjas) and more importantly, where people went at different times. By figuring out people''s general schedule I could find the best time to strike to maximize captures while minimising risk and casualties (dead bodies are of little use to a slaver).


    One week after my arrival I attacked at three in the morning; using the cover of night to veil my approach and trusting in my observations that most would be asleep. The first building I approached was a little home on the edge of town just big enough for a family of three (perhaps four if you stretch it) to live comfortably. A quick check told me the door was locked but fortunately (for me, not so much for them) they didn''t lock their windows.


    Crawling through a window I found myself in what was clearly a child''s bedroom; this fact was exemplified by the sleeping child. I smirked, pulling the human transport scroll out of one of the numerous pockets in my hoodie and silently moving to stand over the peacefully sleeping little girl. While I could have some fun with her and her mother, logic tells me she''ll be worth more unspoiled so I simply place the scroll seal first on her chest and pulse my chakra into it; smirking as the child vanishes in a poof of smoke.


    I slipped from her room as quiet as my muscle memory would allow (surprisingly decent, really; though relying on skills I really don''t have is still annoying) and searched the place; making sure to swipe any valuables I could find (thank Jashin for storage seals!) on my way to the parents room. Unfortunately my instinctive stealth wasn''t as good as one could hope and the father, a grizzled looking man with an eyepatch over his left eye, confronted me as I left the kitchen (not much to steal considering my lack of nutritional needs, but fine cookware could go for something and if worst comes to worse I can always use a kitchen knife as a weapon). By "confronted" I mean "attempted to stab me in the throat from behind with a tanto". Of course, with Jashin''s warning his attempt failed miserably.


    I whirled as soon as the man attacked, grabbing his wrist with one hand and his throat with the other (having placed my scrolls in my pockets upon hearing Jashin''s warning that someone was approaching with intent to harm). He stared at me with hatred in his gaze, his dark eyes flicking to the symbol emblazoned proudly on my shirt before returning to my own amused eyes. Oddly, it seemed the man recognised the symbol if the way his hatred doubled upon spotting it was anything to go by.


    I smirked at him, squeezing his wrist until he dropped the blade, "Oh, recognise that symbol do ya? What, cha have a run in with a Jashinist in the past?" While I directed my mocking words to him I sent a question to Jashin herself, "He''s not a Jashinist is he? I wouldn''t want to sell one of your cultists into slavery; not very champion like of me."


    "He is no follower of mine, nor of any who oppose me. His recognition of my symbol is odd; most of my worshippers do not leave survivors." I frowned internally, making sure my smirk remained on the outside. She''s right, Jashinists are so secretive that even the vast resources of one of the five great nations could find nothing about them; some bumblef.u.c.k farmer in the middle of assf.u.c.k nowhere recognising the symbol on sight was more than a touch odd.


    Wait, opposition? Guess it makes sense for a god like Jashin to have rivals. "Not rivals, they have nowhere near the strength to oppose me directly, they merely attempt to harry my disciples and hinder my efforts. Usually to no avail." Huh, some do-gooder d.i.c.kbags might be coming my way because of my connection to Jashin; good to know I guess. Still, the farmer''s recognition of my symbol is first and foremost of my problems right now.


    Well, I have one way of getting answers; loosening my grip I let him draw enough breath to speak. He sputters, spitting a glob of saliva into my face, barely missing my eye; said eye narrows, the only warning he gets before I slam my fist into his gut. I nearly laughed at his choked expression of shock and pain as my fist drove what little air I had allowed from his lungs; only the crushing grip on his throat kept him from vomiting, though his body sure did try. I smirked, "How about we try that again, hmm?" I wiped my face of on his shirt sleeve, regaining my grip on the hand I had released to punish his impunity. "I want to know how you recognise my symbol; your going to tell me or I''ll cut off your c.o.c.k and choke your wife to death with it while I **** her in front of you, okay?" I smiled pleasantly at the man, looking as if I hadn''t just issued a fairly heinous threat; though it hardly mattered considering his probable fate once I handed him over to the doctor.


    He sputtered and choked, desperately drawing air through a more than slightly constricted throat. After sputtering for several minutes (during which I got more and more agitated; I''m on a schedule, Jashin Damn it!) he finally started talking, "You¡­ f.u.c.k.i.n.g sc.u.m... proudly wearing the symbol of that monster!"


    I blinked, of all the ways of describing a god of evil, monster seems a rather benign choice. I raised an eyebrow, "And what monster would that be, hmm?" I wanted confirmation; it was fully possible he was associating my symbol with someone else (in which case I should probably kill them; can''t have some pretender ruining my image) and actually knew nothing about Jashin or her cultists.


    Hatred burned in his eye like little campfires; of course, that only made my smirk grow minutely. "The Endbringer, The Dawneater, The Unbeing, The Dar- Gurk!" He was cut off when a knife plunged into his back, courtesy of the wife I had forgotten about.


    I scowled, snapping his neck and tossing aside his body (no way I''m letting this cunt steal my kill, damn it!), glaring at the woman the whole time. "I was using that. You know, it''s rude to damage other people''s property; honestly, are manners just dead?" My sarcastic response to her blatantly killing her own husband seemed to throw her off a bit.


    She was short (even by this world''s admittedly poor standards) with pale skin, blonde hair,and dull, mint green eyes. She wiped the surprise from her face and her eyes flickered to my symbol (what is with this f.u.c.k.i.n.g town and recognising the symbol of Jashin?) before her expression shifted to a glare. "You have no right to bare his mark."


    Her tone was flat, but her eyes did nothing to hide her hate and disdain. I simply kept smirking, "Oh, who is this he you speak of? I must say, this is certainly not his mark; perhaps I should have patented it, hmm?" My flippant response seemed to anger her more. While most people would be less willing to aggravate a woman who just cold bloodedly killed her husband; I am not most people! There was nothing she could do to kill me if all she has is a knife (not that she''d be any more successful with any other tool).


    She scowled, "My Lord will be displeased to hear an unbeliever bore his mark as if it were their own."


    I raised an eyebrow; that didn''t answer f.u.c.k.i.n.g anything! Well, I suppose it did tell me this mysterious he is likely the leader of some sort of cult¡­ "Is she one of your followers?" I kept a close eye on her, expecting her to attack me at any moment.


    A long moment passed before Jashin replied, seeming almost hesitant. "No¡­ she isn''t. She has not given herself to me. Whomever has stolen my sigil must pay for his insolence... sacrifice her to me; I will break her, and she will tell me where her leader lays."


    I blinked. Holy shit! I''m closer to Mercer than I thought! I can learn what people know by killing them?! Admittedly, it''s not quite the same; Jashin needs to torture them for information rather than me just ripping it from their minds but that only makes it marginally less useful.


    A knife plunging into my neck reminds me of where I am. Apparently my momentary conversation with Jashin (and the stunned revelation afterward) was enough of a distraction for this bitch to try something. I gave her a blood stained smirk, reaching up to grab the offending appendage. She attempted to pull her hand free, likely thinking a dying man''s grip wouldn''t be all that strong; she couldn''t have been more wrong. Shock spread over her face as she failed to pull her hand from my grasp; the fear in her eyes only increasing the amus.e.m.e.nt in mine.


    I slowly pulled the knife from my neck (laughing as the wet sucking noise it produced drew a disgusted expression from the woman) before slamming it into the wall next to me. "Well, aren''t you a rude one." My hand shot forth, long fingers wrapping around her pale (though not as pale as me) throat, "I think I''ll have to punish you for that¡­" I trailed off sinisterly, enjoying the fear in here eyes; she knew exactly what I had in mind when I said that. Unfortunately, I was on a tight schedule here and probably didn''t have time to properly **** her...


    I thought about it for a moment; what''s more important: enslaving the populous and getting back to the doctor promptly, or having fun¡­ A dark grin spread across my face; meh, f.u.c.k punctuality, what''s the point of living if you don''t indulge yourself, hmm? Besides; I don''t exactly have to worry about damaged goods anymore with her.


    I tore her pajamas free, squeezing tighter around her throat to silence her screams (don''t want to wake the neighbors before I can capture them). I didn''t particularly care if I strangled her to death (I was going to kill her for Jashin regardless), but I would prefer if she didn''t die before I finished f.u.c.k.i.n.g her; while she wouldn''t cool quick enough to really ruin it (or rot quick enough to be distasteful), a lot of the fun is taken out if there''s no mind to break.


    I roughly groped her with the hand that wasn''t choking her while I thrusted into her; grinning at the way every squeeze and thrust drew a wince. My grin faded slightly when her expression blanked; apparently she had some sort of training to resist torture; though, judging by the tears in her eyes it wasn''t as effective as she might like.


    A quick punch to the gut broke her self-induced fugue. While it was satisfying to see her sputter around my slightly loosened hand; I was getting kinda bored at this point (it''s kinda dull to torture something that doesn''t scream and cry properly). Unfortunately for her, the visceral satisfaction of beating her was far more interesting at this point than relatively harmless ****. So I kept doing it; punching randomly with one hand and strangling with the other, all while continuing to thrust into her p.u.s.s.y.


    Every time my fist met her flesh her muscles involuntarily clenched, unintentionally squeezing my c.o.c.k. The added stimuli of her random clenching alongside the sadistic thrill of physically beating someone to death brought me off rather quick; I timed my ejaculation to perfectly match a solid punch right to her solar plexus.


    Apparently, feeling my s.e.m.e.n enter her w.o.m.b managed to break her composure better than strangulation, blunt force trauma, and **** combined as she finally broke down crying, begging her lord to save her. As I stood up (dragging her with me, and pulling my pants up with one hand) I once more wondered why someone would worry about pregnancy when death is so much more likely.


    Discarding the thought I pulled the kitchen knife from the wall, holding it in a reverse grip as I held the woman aloft before me (making sure not to let any of the c.u.m dripping from her cunt get on my brand new pants or shoes). I knew that as Jashin''s champion all of my kills count as sacrifices, but I figured I may as well be a little more formal with this one.


    I slowly pushed the blade into her chest just deep enough to scr.a.p.e her lungs, staring her in her wide, terrified eyes as I carved the symbol on my chest into her''s. Blood flowed down her chest and into her lungs, turning her breaths from choked to drowning as I pulled the blade free once more. Watching the blood bubble from her lips, I couldn''t help but smile; god I''m f.u.c.k.i.e.d up¡­ but I love it.


    My smile grew, resembling my scythe in both curve and cruelty; if she''s so worried about pregnancy, perhaps I should alleviate her fears? I plunged the eight inch blade into her w.o.m.b, twisting the blade before pulling it out and stabbing her groin over and over again. Blood (and s.e.m.e.n) gushed free, splattering up all over my arm (Jashin damn it; there goes my new coat!) as I viciously mutilated her.


    I must have stabbed her fifty times before I got bored and just disemboweled her. I released my grip on her throat (she had too much blood in her lungs to scream anyway) and tossed my impromptu implement of sharp and pointy death aside, reaching down to pull out her guts. My bright eyes glittered as I wrapped her intestines around her throat (always wanted to do that!) and dragged her into the kitchen.


    I hooked my foot on the stove handle, pulling it open with a grunt (being only mildly surprised that my barely struggling victim didn''t try to capitalize on me literally standing on one leg). Smiling cheerfully, I shoved the bitch inside; slamming the door shut and cranking the heat all the way up.


    I stepped back, smirking sadistically. If she''s lucky she''ll bleed out or drown before the oven heats up; I hope she''s not particularly lucky (running into me kinda tells me she''s not). My smirk twisted down as she pushed the door open, feebly attempting to crawl free as her flesh began to bubble and burn.


    Scowling, I kicked her in the face, slamming her back into oven. Two more swift kicks had the cover back in place and bent to be difficult to open (especially with melting hands). My smirk returned as I heard her futility banging on the door; my natural inclination was to start humming a fitting tune of merry malevolence, but I figured making excess noise was not a good idea when trying to kidnap an entire village (getting all of them would be significantly more difficult when they start running and screaming (mostly the running part)).


    Continue towards the End of Chapter 3 on Fanfiction.net, WN has a 20K word count limit per chapter~!

 Chapter 247 - My CO Stash #47 - Minecraft Remnant by TheRedTelephoneBooth (MinecraftXRWBY)

    -I really love these kind of fics man~ After killing the End Dragon and traveling the End, Steve somehow teleports over to Remnant! This is of course Steve with full enchanted diamond armor, weapon, and bow etc.. Also with mods!


    Sypnosis: Steve was having a normal day until he defeated a dragon and traveled through the End... Now, he''s stuck in a new world, how will the people of Remnant react to this extremely productive person who doesn''t need sleep? And can effortlessly build structures on par with those of Remnant''s greatest engineers?


    Rated: T


    Words: 17K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13181700/1/Minecraft-Remnant (TheRedTelephoneBooth)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    I do not own RWBY or Minecraft, it is owned by Rooster Teeth and Mojang. This was kind of a stupid idea I had about the RWBY universe, thought it might be funny. I was going to make it into galacticraft and kind of ridicule the dust found in this universe for giggles.


    A young teenager by the name of Ruby Rose approached the Dust shop hoping to find her favorite weapons magazine while waiting for her sister Yang Xiao Long, to pick her up and take her back to Patch. She looked over and saw one of the strangest sights she could imagine, a teenager, approximately her own age, maybe a little older, was trying to haggle for some dust and a map. He looked to be her own age, a plain blue shirt and brown pants made him look ordinary. However, he was holding a green crystal, that looked nothing like dust. Ruby decided it wasn''t worth investigating, and it wouldn''t do to be separated from her weapons magazine just waiting on the back shelf.


    "Look, I''ve got a couple of these emeralds and I really need a map, I don''t know where I am. I thought villagers would like this currency! I also want to find shelter before the zombies and creepers arrive!"


    "Kid, are you okay? Zombies? Creepers? If you mean the Grimm, you''re safe within the walls of this city."


    "Grimm? What are those?" Replied the stranger, hoping for some answers to the many questions he acquired over the past few hours. He jumped through the End and somehow ended up in a new world! He turned around looking dejected, and went toward the area with some books, hoping to get some answers.


    What Steve didn''t notice was a large group of men approached the shopkeeper, observing the dust and products on display within the dust shop as they walked toward the elderly shopkeeper with malevolent intent.


    The criminal known as Roman Torchwick, asked the shopkeeper, "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust shop open this late?" he flicked his cigar, a slight smirk appeared on his face. One of the larger men pointed a gun toward the elderly shopkeeper, who quickly raised his hands in alarm.


    "P-please! Just take my Lien and leave!" he said in a panicked voice.


    "Shhh, shhh, shhh, shhh, calm down, we''re not here for your money." Roman gestured toward a few of the men, "Grab the Dust."


    A henchman opens a case and removes one of several cylinders, which the group uses to take Dust from the tube containers on the walls. They made sure to grab all they could before their getaway.


    Steve, who wasn''t paying attention started to notice something was up, and decided to armor up, and hide until he could find the right time to strike.


    The elderly shopkeeper meanwhile proceeds to fill the case for the henchman. However, the muted sound of This Will Be the Day was coming from the back of the shop, so one of them men gestured to the other, and he left to investigate the noise disturbance.


    "Alright kid, put your hands where I can see ''em." The red headed teenager didn''t know someone was talking to her, so kept enjoying her magazine, what they both didn''t realize was that a diamond armored man was approaching the man from behind. "Hey, I said hands in the air! You got a death wish or something!?" He grabbed her shoulder and forced her to turn around. Ruby Rose had a look of astonishment, and slowly lowered her headphones to hear what the man was saying.


    "Yes?" Ruby asked still baffled by what was going on at the moment.


    "I said, put your hands in the air, now!" he yelled at her, Ruby still looked confused.


    "Are you... robbing me?" she questioned, a slight smirk appeared on her face when she asked the question.


    "Yes!" He yelled out, still not noticing the other teenager approaching.


    "Ooohhh..." Ruby answered, but she looked behind the henchman and her eyes got really wide, and there was a large "THWACK" that resonated through the rest of the shop.


    Ruby is still looking at the man wide eyed, unsure of what to do, she could have taken on that guy easily, but was curious about this newcomer. He was wearing a transparent armor, it was crystalline in appearance, along with his sword, which was glowing slightly, along with his pickax in his left hand. She was even more baffled now, but brushed off the thought until later.


    "Freeze!" The other henchman yelled, noticing the other two occupants who took out his comrade, his eyes got wide looking at the new guy, so she decided to take action. She swung her scythe, and the other two henchman broke through the glass in the front of the store.


    Cut to outside the shop, when the henchman and Ruby crash through the window. Roman and the other men were outside, watching the two teenagers who challenged them. Ruby gets up from her crouching position and unfolds Crescent Rose into its scythe form. The newcomer just ran out of the store and stood next to her, all of the henchmans eye''s widened, along with Romans at the appearance of the man wearing the crystalline armor and glowing weapons which included a sword and a... pickaxe? Roman was the only one that realized the entire ensemble was made out of diamonds. Roman scowls at the two teenagers, and Ruby smiles back at them before twirling the weapon around, striking it into the ground and turning off her headphones.


    "Okayyy..." he paused, as he''s never been in such a strange situation before, "Get them!"


    Ruby goes into action immediately She gets Crescent Rose out of the ground and fires it off to hit another one with the butt of her weapon, sending him flying. The other guy was vicious as he swung his sword and pickaxe in conjunction with one another, using the pickax for slicing and the sword for stabbing, the henchman were soon defeated on his end. The clothes for some reason were a little singed. Ruby fires again and brings the side down on another attacker, while dodging the other henchman''s gunfire with her rifle''s speed, getting close enough to knock him into the air. Most of the henchmen were somehow thrown toward the feet of Roman, who was carefully observing the fight.


    The red headed robber looked down at the fallen robbers, "You were worth every cent." He paused, "truly, you were." almost emphasizing the sarcasm. He turned toward the two teenagers, "Well, Red, Sparkles, I think we can all say it''s been an eventful evening, and as much as I''d love to stick around..." He then, raising his cane, opens the bottom which opened a cross pin similar to a rifle. "I''m afraid this is where we part ways."


    Roman unleashes a red blast at Ruby and the new guy, Ruby, firing at the ground, ended up leaping over it. Steve, unable to dodge, took the hit. He came out of it mostly unscathed, the uncovered parts of his face in the helmet were covered in soot. When Ruby lands and looks up, Roman isn''t there, she turns around and see''s the teenager in the weird armor, whose face was covered in soot, they both noticed Roman climbing up a ladder on a nearby building.


    Ruby turned toward the mysterious teenager and the elderly shopkeeper, "You okay if I go after him?" she asked, turning her head to the side a little bit.


    The shopkeeper gives a short "Uh huh", and Ruby turns toward the other teenager.


    "Go! I''ll follow!" Steve told Ruby, and Ruby, using her semblance bolted up the ladder, hoping to catch Roman before he could get away.


    Roman, after climbing up the ladder ran toward the edge of the roof but then heard a voice yell, "Hey!" and turned around, noticing Ruby looking at him, quite focused with the task at hand.


    Roman stopped at the edge of the roof, "Persiste..." and his words died away as he noticed something to the side of Ruby. His eyes widened when he saw Steve. Roman saw the mysterious teenager jumping up and down, placing cubes of dirt and using that as leverage, Steve jumped on the roof like nothing was out of the ordinary, raising his sword and pickax. Ruby by that time noticed to, and, slightly distracted asked Steve, "Is that your semblance?" In an excited manner.


    Steve glanced toward Ruby, a look of utter bafflement and confusion, "What''s a semblance?" Both Ruby and Roman looked at Steve in complete confusion and astonishment. They both couldn''t comprehend how he could build a tower of dirt up the side of the building.


    Ruby and Steve ready themselves to fight him, but a getaway Bullhead rises up and opens the hatch to allow Roman inside.


    "End of the line, Red! And I suppose I shouldn''t forget about you Sparkles." Roman yells out while looking at a red dust crystal.


    He throws it out at the two teenagers, resulting in a large explosion. Roman cackled with laughter, and then stopped when he noticed a small wall of solid stone in front of them, along with a purple protective barrier. "What in the hell?..." Roman mumbled, only wondering for a brief second where the purple barrier came from, before looking a little to the side of the wall.


    There was a woman in front of the wall, with the two teenagers coming around from behind the stone wall. As Ruby looks on, Glynda Goodwitch waves her weapon and summons several streaks of purple at the craft. Roman is thrown around in the back until he goes to the c.o.c.kpit, where a woman in red, her face unseen, is struggling with the controls. He noticed Sparkles putting up a cube of stone along with a cube of stone with a weird hole in the middle of it, Roman thought it unimportant at the moment.


    "We got a Huntress!" he yelled, the rest of the craft acknowledging the problem.


    The unknown pilot and Roman switched, with the woman taking control of the situation.


    Glynda glows purple for a moment and aims another blast above the craft, resulting in a dark storm-cloud right over the jet.


    "The hell...?" Roman said, trying to gain control of the aircraft.


    With a flick of her wand, large jagged hail starts falling that pummels the jet and even breaks through the window, narrowly missing Roman''s head.


    The woman reaches the back and her arms and chest light up like fire, aiming a burst of energy at Glynda. The Huntress blocks it, but the flame splatters behind her and glows hot with the enemy''s raised hand. Glynda back-flips out of the explosion, which destroys part of the roof, and magically gathers the shards to create a large arrow, which she throws at the craft. The mysterious woman blocked the attack, and Roman kept evading. The wreckage separates and reshapes into more arrows that encircle the jet, but the woman summons several glowing rings around herself that expand and destroy the shards.


    Ruby, finally acting, reverts her scythe into its rifle form to fire at the woman, who blocks each shot and creates several blazing circles around her two opponents. There was suddenly a loud explosion toward the tail end of the craft, with explosions going off randomly around the the bullhead. Glynda telekinetically pushes Ruby and rolls herself out mass of explosions both looking up to see the hatch close and the craft fly away.


    They both turned toward the mysterious Steve, who was starting to dismantle the wall, cube by cube, the normally stoic Glynda had widened eyes, while Ruby, who had seen enough to know this guy wasn''t normal just observed in an excited posture, hoping she might be able to see his weapons, as they looked very different from what she was used to seeing.


    Ruby turned toward Professor Goodwitch, "You''re a Huntress!" She paused, and in an awestruck voice, "Can I have your autograph?!" Glynda paused, taking in the request for Ruby, before sighing and analyzing the roof. She noticed the armored man was gone, chastising herself in her head about losing such an individual. She would have to make an all call to the Vale police department to see if they could catch the mystery teenager that almost aided in the capture of Roman Torchwick.


    Initiation, the Clearing:


    "Think this is it?..." Yang asked as she parted through the treeline, with her new partner Blake by her side. Yang and Blake both looked at the clearing and were flabbergasted... There was the temple that Professor Ozpin told the students about during initiation. But, How...'' Both Yang and Blake were speechlless, why the hell there a wooden house on the outskirts along with what looked like a fully functioning farm filled with carrots, potatoes, wheat, beets, and were those chickens and sheep?! Everything was fenced as well, there was even a small lake surrounded by... sugarcane?


    Blake and Yang looked at eachother incredulously. "Maybe we should investigate? Professor Ozpin didn''t say anything about residents in the Emerald Forest..." Blake trailed off, giving Yang an incredulous look, as they both ran down the hill through the new wheat and potato fields.


    Yang and Blake approached the door, and Yang, being slightly forward, knocked on the door.


    Blake distinctly heard a "Give me a minute" from the house, it was almost like an echo, she knew Yang didn''t hear anything with her normal human ears so didn''t comment on the fact.


    A minute later, the door opened to the most average looking man of all time. He wore a blue shirt, and brown pants, and he was holding a crystalline pickax in one hand. "Hi..." he answered, both of the girls were giving him weird looks, so he felt a little uncomfortable. "Can I help you?" He asked, an inflection toward the end of the question in a slightly nervous tone.


    Yang decided to ask, "Yeah... so we''re new students for this initiation..."


    The stranger finally snapped his fingers and then shook his hands, "That explains it! That''s why I saw students flying earlier today..." Yelled the stranger, "Oh I''m sorry, that was rude, please call me Steve, please continue" he replied.


    "It''s fine... What does it explain, and why are you living in the Emerald Forest?! It''s one of the most dangerous areas outside of Vale!" Yang exclaimed, shock clear in her features and tone of voice.


    "Whats wrong with this forest?... Are you telling me I should set up my home in a different place?! It''s taken me hours to start gathering raw materials and plant everything in my farm alone... well, at least I didn''t get to far this time!"


    Blake''s eyes narrowed, "What do you mean this has taken you only a few hours?"


    Steve looked at Yang and Blake oddly, "What? This is only a few hours of work for me, are you telling me people don''t build houses quickly around here?"


    Yang and Blake''s eyes widened, Yang commented, "You''re telling me this was built in an hour?!I... It even has fences surrounding the entire farm!" Yang looked through the window perched by the door, "And is that an entire library?!" Blakes ears perked up, both sets although that was unknown to her partner at the time.


    "There''s even a mine that goes 100 meters underground," Steve answered in a semi-sarcastic tone. "Would you guys like to come in for a minute? I just put some fish and other meats in the furnaces." asked Steve as he stepped aside, arm out to invite them in.


    Blake''s stomach rumbled slightly, as she didn''t eat Breakfast, she looked toward Yang, a hungry look in her eye. They made eye contact with each other and nodded slightly.


    "F.u.c.k it, let''s check this out. This day can''t get any weirder." Yang bluntly added, both cordially accepted and sat down at the wooden table underneath the bookshelves.


    Steve disappeared through a trap door for a second, and then reappeared, holding plates with a variety of meats, along with some bread. Blake''s eyes became stars when she spotted the different varieties of fish on display. As soon as he placed the plates down, she quickly grabbed the one with the fish, and then glared at Yang and Steve, who both looked at her incredulously, before Steve commented, "Well, I know not to get between her and fish..."


    "You''re telling me..." Yang commented, "By the way, my name is Yang, Yang Xiao Long, and this is my combat partner, Blake." They both watched as Blake smiled nodding her head eating all the fish in front of her with vigor, there was even some m.o.a.ning heard by both Steve and Yang, who decided not to comment.


    "My name is Steve, I''m new to this area of the world so to speak. So what were you guys doing out in the middle of the woods?" Steve asked, while cutting up his steak.


    "Well, our headmaster catapulted us off of cliffs into this forest," Yang commented, Steve''s eyes bugged out, and Yang noticed his look, "We''re huntresses in training, if we couldn''t survive a simple fall like that we shouldn''t be in the combat academy." Steve relaxed slightly, still a little alarmed about people flying off of cliffs, his one true weakness after all. "We''re supposed to find a relic inside that temple near your house and bring it back to Beacon academy."


    Steve looked contemplative, "Okay, I might sound a little idiotic here, but what kind of huntresses? I''ve never encountered anything like this before..."


    "Huntresses of the Grimm." Blake cut in, a content look on her face, her plate of fish completely empty.


    Steve paused for a second, "Right, so what exactly are Grimm?..." He trailed off, hoping they would provide him with some answers.


    Both Yang and Blake look flabbergasted. "Ummmmmm..." Blake started, "There are many different types of Grimm, but they generally are creatures of darkness, and have black and have exoskeleton features, glowing red eyes..."


    Steve got an enlightened look, "Oh! Those are Grimm, I was disappointed because when I killed some they just disintegrated, they didn''t yield any resources."


    That piqued Blake''s interest, Yang frowned a little bit. "Wait... what animals did these Grimm resemble?" Yang asked, hoping to get some answers from the mysterious Steve.


    Steve put a hand on his chin, "Well, one species I encountered underground, or in a cave, it looked like a giant scorpion? I found a couple last night in a tunnel system underneath this forest. The other one was a bird, it stole one of the sheep I found wandering around the forest, luckily I killed it and got the sheep back, and wool is a valuable resource you know!"


    Yang and Blake looked at him, wondering if they were actually awake in the real world right now. Then they burst out laughing, "So... you''re telling us, that you beat several Deathstalkers and a Nevermore... built a farm, found sheep, and still had time to cook this delicious meal... Next thing you''re going to tell us is that the mine is real!" Yang was still laughing, Blake chuckled a bit. They looked over at Steve, and saw he wasn''t amused.


    "Why would I lie about this kind of thing?" Steve asked in a serious voice, "I also think I''ve finally realized something, is there anyway I can go back to the academy with you guys? I need to talk to someone about my predicament."


    "Sure" Yang replied, with an affirmative nod from Blake. "Just let us get the relic first and then you can come with us to Beacon Academy."


    All three exited the house, and ran toward the temple, finding chess pieces, where some of them were gone. Blake and Yang looked at each other and shrugged, knowing this was the most normal part of their day at the moment. "How about a cute little pony?" Yang asks picking up the golden knight. Steve just watched the sight, a small smile adorning his face he thought it was nice to be around people again.


    "Now... should we start heading back to Beacon?" Yang asked the small group. They then overheard a faint, but gradually getting louder "Heads up!", drawn out over the course of the next few seconds.


    Chapter 2


    "Heads Up!" as a black haired girl in a combat skirt falls into the artificial lake that Steve made earlier. Soon followed by another big splash by a flying blonde teenager, who soon swims with Ruby to the edge of the pond.


    "Well that was awfully convenient..." Ruby heard the blonde next to her mumble as they swam to shore.


    From a distance Blake, Yang, and Steve were observing the two in the pond, "Did your sister just fall from the sky?" Blake asked incredulously, wondering if this was all a figment of her imagination. The fish in her stomach told her otherwise though...


    "I..." Yang stared, in the same boat as Blake. Feeling slight relief that her sister was alright after landing in that pond. There was a loud crash, and Yang noticed an Ursa crashing out of the edge of the forest on the newly cleared plain. There was a pink girl riding it, and it soon crashed to the ground after large pink blasts destroyed the back of the Grimm.


    "I''m surprised she didn''t need a saddle." Mumbled Steve, although the only person to pick that up was Blake, who looked at him in question.


    "YEEEE-HAAAAW!" yelled Nora as she fell off the Grimms back. "A.. It''s broken" she said as she observed the fresh carcass slowly disappearing on the forest floor.


    Everyone in the group of Blake and Yang started mumbling... "What the hell..." But were soon interrupted as a new person entered the clearing.


    "Nora! Please... Don''t ever do that again." As he was talking he was panting, worried about his partner, who soon disappeared. Blake, Yang and Steve observed the two as the pink clothed girl energetically ran into the temple.


    "Oooohh!..." Stars visibly appeared in her eyes as she picked up a golden rook piece off the pedestal. "I''m queen of the castle! I''m queen of the castle!" She started singing, sweat dropped off the back of the heads of Yang and Blake, while Steve still had no idea what was going on.


    "Nora!" Ren yelled, hoping to get her attention. She soon saw him walking toward the only other people in the clearing, as Jaune and Ruby started making their own way toward the group.


    "Coming Ren!" she yelled back, skipping toward the large group that was forming.


    Steve was looking at the two with absolute confusion. "What in the Nether did I just witness?!" He yelled hoping Blake and Yang would give him some answers soon.


    "Did..." Blake paused for a second, "that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" she asked incredulously, Yang was slightly distracted by Ruby making her way over to the group.


    "I..." Yang started again, hoping to get out a sentence in explanation of what in the hell was happening at the moment.


    Sadly, Yang was interrupted once more as a screech is heard from their right, and a red headed girl sprints onto the clearing, as a giant scorpion creature uproots a tree in the chase after her. The girl dodged the claw with the tree, and kept on running, still chasing her. However, the deathstalker then chucked the tree across the clearing, and straight into the wooden cabin toward the Eastern side of the clearing.


    "Jaune!" Pyrrha exclaimed, looking at the drenched teenager who had to dodge the tree that destroyed the wooden cabin behind him.


    "Pyrrha!" Jaune yelled, running toward his new partner, who was making her way toward the temple full of relics.


    "MY HOUSE!" Yelled Steve his hands on the side of his head as Blake slowly patted his back, thinking of all the lost fish and books.


    "Ruby!" Yelled Yang as she engulfed her sister into a large, but quite wet hug.


    "Yang!" Exclaimed Ruby as she hugged her sister excitedly.


    "Nora!" Blake, Steve and Ren looked over to Nora cheering her own name, running and joining the sisters in a hug.


    "So... what''s going on?" Asked Steve to Blake, who was now standing with Steven with the sisters still close by the temple.


    "Well, Ruby is Yang''s younger sister." She explained.


    "THEY''RE RELATED?!" Steve yelled in shock, not expecting the two huntresses to be family, let alone friends.


    Blake soon realized something, "Did she just run all the way here with a Death Stalker on her tail?" She asked the group, everyone''s eyes bulged slightly, except for Steve, who was on his knees, small tears in his eyes as he looked at the wreckage of his former abode.


    Yang''s eyes turned red, and soon a firey aura came into being around her, she yelled, "I can''t take it anymore!" She glared at the sky, "Can everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?!"


    The tick-tock of a clock counts down the two seconds of Yang cooling down, Ren running over to a ditzy Nora, and Blake and Ruby looking up.


    "Umm... Yang?" Ruby asked while tugging her sisters sleeve while pointing up in the sky.


    Everyone in the group looked up, and saw a white haired girl in a combat skirt stuck to a giant black bird.


    "How could you leave me?!" Weiss yelled in anger and slight worry, as she was gripping on for dear life against the onslaught of a bucking Nevermore.


    " I said "jump"!" Ruby yelled back up to Weiss, not that it could change anything at all now.


    "She''s gonna fall." said Blake, and Steve looked really worried for a second, and Yang noticed this was the second time he got worried about falling from great heights.


    "She''ll be fine." Ruby said as she waved her hand across the air in an expression of non-chalence.


    "She''s falling." Ren deadpanned, as the group watched her fall.


    Everyone is to far away to do anything, but Steve quickly reacts. He goes right under the area where Weiss is going to land, and by cubic meter, digs a hole in the ground and pulls out a bucket. He then fills the hole with a huge amount of water compared to the rest of the bucket. Weiss then splashes into this brand new pond, entirely unharmed.


    Yang and Blake were looking in astonishment, while Ruby and Nora had stars in her eyes. Ren, Jaune, and Pyrrha watched incredulously, all thinking ''Did that just happen?''. After all, they never experienced Steve''s actions before.


    Weiss looked pretty angry, after all she was drenched and wearing an entirely white outfit, not exactly a good combination. Jaune had the decency to blush while Steve removed the water from the ground with the bucket, and filled the hole back up with dirt.


    This confused everyone even more, Weiss couldn''t even yell at him because she was watching all of this happen incredulously. There was a complete aura of disbelief seen on the faces of the future students around this temple.


    Weiss is absolutely speechless, and she asks questioningly, "My hero?" in slight disbelief as well.


    The Death Stalker is still hunting Pyrrha, but she and Jaune are flung back to the rest of the group, as the Deathstalker paused in the new meadow, looking at its surroundings.


    "Great! The gang''s all here! Now we can die together!" Yang yelled, as she gained a fiery aura, the rest of the group backed off, especially Steve who has had bad experiences with fire and lava before.


    "Not if I can help it!" Ruby yelled as she charged toward the Deathstalker. Yang yelled trying to stop her from carrying out her plan.


    Ruby screamed as she fired Crescent Rose and charged at the oncoming Death Stalker. When the two meet, the Grimm swipes Ruby away with it''s claws is knocked back toward the group.


    "D-Do-Don''t worry! Totally fine!" Ruby said as she got up, Steve was still watching incredulously as he had no idea how people were doing these super powered moves ''Are they using potions? HOW ARE THEY DOING THIS?''


    Ruby turns back to the monster and shoots it in the skull, and soon charges the Deathstalker again, after much protest from the group who starts to run toward her, but a loud "CAW" stopped their charge.


    Ruby tried rushing back towards Yang, but the Nevermore caws above them, flapping its wings and releasing lines of sharpened feathers with points that catch on Ruby''s cape.


    "Ruby, get out of there!" Yang yelled, trying to run over to her little sister in time.


    "I''m trying!" Ruby yelled back, panicking slightly since her cloak was still stuck in the ground.


    The Death Stalker approaches, raising its golden stinger above a scared Ruby and heading down on the helpless girl.


    "Ruby!" Yelled Yang in desperation, not getting to her baby sister in time.


    A white blur races past Yang and reaches the stinger just as it''s about to pierce her, cutting the scene to black.


    "You are so childish!" Said Weiss, as Ruby opened her eyes, and noticed that the stinger that was about to end her was encase din ice, and the rest of the Deathstalker was trapped in this giant ice sculpture.


    Ruby opens her eyes to the sight of the stinger encased in ice and lowers her arms from their futile position over her head as she stares at her savior.


    "Weiss...?" Ruby asked, slightly scared.


    "And dim-witted, and hyperactive, and don''t even get me started on your fighting style. And I suppose I can be a bit... difficult... but if we''re going to do this, we''re going to have to do this together. So if you quit trying to show off, I''ll be... nicer." Weiss finished off her speech as she and Ruby approached the rest of the group, meeting halfway in the clearing.


    "I''m not trying to show off. I want you to know I can do this." Ruby said with a slightly determined tone, wanting to prove Weiss wrong.


    "You''re fine." Weiss said as they approached the group, who were observing the Deathstalker, still mostly encased in ice.


    "Normal knees..." Ruby mumbled, and the only one who heard that was Steve, who was still baffled by this entire situation, but armored up into his diamond armor, and pulled out a glowing bow. Ruby soon realizes this was her savior from several days ago! She was about to rapidly fire questions at him before her sister engulfed her in a large hug.


    "I''m so happy you''re okay!" Yang said as she hugged Ruby, both sisters sharing a tender moment.


    They were soon interrupted by Jaune who started panicking. "Guys? That thing''s circling back! What are we gonna do?"


    "Look, there''s no sense in dilly-dallying. Our objective is right in front of us." As everyone stared at the artifacts. Steve, Blake noticed was eyeing the Nevermore closely.


    "She''s right. Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the Cliffs." Ruby agreed with Weiss.


    "Run and live - that''s an idea I can get behind!" Jaune yelled, with a majority of the group agreeing.


    Ruby goes over and grabs a gold knight and Jaune takes hold of a gold rook, both smiling at each other. The Death Stalker continues to fight its bonds, cracking the ice a little in the process.


    "Hold it, I think I can solve both our problems, give me a second." Everyone noticed this stranger was still there, with his glowing bow notched back with an arrow, aiming toward the nevermore.


    "You''re never going to any damage with that you dunce!" Yelled Weiss, as she started panciking at the nevermore soon turning in the sky toward the rest of the group.


    Steve released the arrow, and everyone held their breath as the arrow sailed through the air, a glorious arc of perfection, as it hit the nevermore dead between the eyes.


    Soon, the nevermore spontaneously erupted into flames, and lost control of its flight path, as it was entirely engulfed in a burning inferno. The remains of the nevermore flew over the group and crashed into a panicking Deathstalker trying to escape its icy bindings. The whole area erupted into flames, and the teenagers heard a very loud "SCCCRRREEEEEEE" before both the nevermore and Deathstalker started disintegrating.


    Everyone''s jaws just dropped, Jaune looked the least surprised, thinking this was a possible semblance, but the more experienced combatants watched with awe and dropped jaws at how one person could take down both a nevermore and Deathstalker with a single arrow.


    Yang was the first to recover, "Do you know what, I''m done. Let''s get to the cliffs and go to bed, because I''m still not entirely sure if I''m dreaming or not."


    Everyone nodded mutely, and started making their way to the cliffs, while Steve said, "excuse me one moment!" He came back a moment later out of the wreckage of the house, and started walking with the group toward the cliffs in the distance. He also dolled out leftover food, which made the rest of the group immensely happy, he even had cookies which Ruby was quite excited about.


    "So what are you? What were you doing in the Emerald Forest?" Asked Weiss, trying to be polite but still in a state of shock over what happened.


    "Well, I''m hoping to talk with your headmaster about that... Let''s just say I''m not from around here." He said, hoping to avoid the conversation until he could iron out things with the headmaster.


    The group finally approached the side of the cliff, wondering how they were going to scale it. As they were attempting to come up with ideas, Steve started building a stone staircase up the side of the cliff, and soon used his pick axe to create a winding staircase to the top of the cliff.


    Ruby was the first to notice, her eyes bugging out, pulling Weiss'' sleeve as she was arguing with Jaune about how to get up the cliff. As soon as she saw Steve mining stone and replacing it with a staircase, her argument stopped dead, and her eye started twitching slightly. Everyone turned around, wondering what Weiss was so shocked about, and soon saw Steve, and again, their jaws dropped entirely.


    "I don''t think anything can surprise me anymore." Said Blake, as she was the first to ascend up the staircase, following the path Steve was making up the side of the cliff. Everyone else just mutely nodded and started following him, all with the exception of Nora who was excited about this new development.


    The group then greet Glynda and Ozpin at the top of the cliff, and start conversing with them, turning in their relics. Both Ozpin and Glynda are confused by the odd number of people, and soon notice Steve toward the back of the group.


    Steve approached Ozpin, "Headmaster Ozpin, my name is Steve," he said as he shook the headmasters hand. "I''m hoping I can talk to you today, I''m in quite the unique sitation at the moment and need your assistance." He continued, looking Ozpin in the eye with a determined look.


    -Later on-


    Headmaster Ozpin was standing on a stage, "Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark." He started, the four people''s profiles were on a screen behind Ozpin. "The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, led by... Cardin Winchester!" He finished, polite clapping overtook the audience as they were all anxiously meeting their new teammates.


    Steve was watching in the back of the audience, unarmored, clapping.


    "Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR!" Ozpin started, people started clapping a little louder than the group before, confusing Steve slightly. Nora hugged Ren and hung off his back, "Led by... Jaune Arc!" Ozpin finished, and a polite applause happened. Jaune looked utterly baffled by the occurrence.


    A grinning Pyrrha offers a friendly shoulder bump to Jaune, but her "fine leader" is knocked over and falls to his butt in front of the laughing audience.


    "And finally: Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by... Ruby Rose!" Steve applauded as well as the rest of the room, proud of the group for working together well.


    Weiss looks to her right surprised, and by the looks of it slightly angry. Ruby is obviously in shock as Yang goes over to hug her sister.


    "It looks like things are shaping up to be an... interesting year!" Ozpin yelled, and followed with, "Leaders, please report to Glynda for your housing arrangement, and congratulations to all our new initiates."


    Ozpin soon approached Steve in the back of the room. "Shall we adjourn to my office?" He asked, as Glynda was quickly finishing up the housing arrangements and would soon meet up with the two in the headmasters office.


    Chapter 3


    Thank you for all the reviews! I''m quite surprised this is getting popular. Just to make a few things clear, there will be mods for Steve present. Don''t worry, Steve will travel extensively across Remnant. There will be some significant time jumps though to get along with the story. If anyone else wants to write a similar story, anyone can have a crack at it.


    Headmaster Ozpin walked off the elevator into his office with Steve following closely, he was looking at the architecture with a slight sense of wonder.


    "So Steve," Headmaster Ozpin began, as they both took a seat near Ozpin''s desk, "what brings you to Beacon?" He asked, soon taking a sip of coffee from his mug.


    "I guess someone wanted me to start a new adventure, as you have probably guessed, I''m not of this dimension." Steve explained in a calm manner.


    Ozpin''s eyes bugged out slightly, still in utter disbelief, in all his years of teaching he never thought he would meet a dimensional traveler.


    "I see... Well, this certainly makes things interesting." Ozpin finished, still looking at the traveler with a look of suspicion. "What are your intentions in this world?"


    "I just want to live, maybe find a purpose. I do like constructing things and exploring if I''m honest. My goal was actually to build a home base before going anywhere."


    Glynda then stepped off the elevator, and sat down in the seat next to Steve, her eyes widened and she used her telekinesis to trap Steve in a hold sitting down. "Headmaster, you realize this man was the one who attempted to capture Torchwick?!" Glynda started, narrowing her eyes at the strange man.


    "I know Glynda, we were just discussing his place in this world. Could you please release our guest?" Glynda then lowered her riding crop, and stopped holding Steve in place. Steve then nodded in respect.


    "I understand why you did that, I''m a stranger in these new lands." Steve finished, followed by a nod from an understanding Glynda.


    "I am wondering Headmaster, if those four mountains next to the school are for sale? As I would love to construct my home base there." Steve asked in a curious tone. Glynda''s eyes got wide and started laughing.


    Headmaster Ozpin contemplated the situation. While Beacon was a fairly wealthy institution, it could use some more funding. It owned much of the land in the surrounding area, and the large mountains next to the institution remained untouched for centuries.


    "What''s your offer?" Headmaster Ozpin asked in a curious tone. Glynda noticed the headmaster got serious for a second wondering why Ozpin was contemplating selling Beacon''s land.


    Steve put his hand to his chin, putting on a thinking face. He then got up, and walked into the middle of the room. He jumped up, placing a golden cube down after each jump, four to be precise. Ozpin and Glynda''s mouths dropped open in absolute surprise, none of them expected that.


    Glynda was the first to respond while Ozpin took a sip of his coffee. "Is that... four cubic meters of gold?!" Glynda yelled out in absolute shock. Gold was one of the rarest materials on Remnant, since many miners focused on finding dust rather than metals and other raw materials.


    "Yes," Steve said as he jumped down from the four golden cubes stacked in the center of the room. "I can assure you it''s solid gold as well." He said as he sat down. "I would offer you emeralds..." He said as he pulled out a green crystal the size of a large tangerine from who knows where. Glynda''s mouth dropped in awe, yet another rare material just so casually offered in this deal. Emerald''s are even rarer than gold fragments and ingots. The amount of wealth being displayed here could fund beacon for the next century! "But from what I understand, no one wanted to trade any emeralds for a map..." He said, looking down in slight disappointment.


    ''HE TRIED TRADING THAT FOR A MAP?!'' Ozpin and Glynda both thought at the same time.


    Steve then put on this best thinker impression. "Tell you guys what, I''ll give you five cubes of gold, five emeralds, and I''ll supply your institution with any excess food I make while setting up my home base." He then contemplated again... and snapped his fingers in realization. "AND I''ll give you two percent of select resources that I dig up in the mountains." He finished.


    Ozpin and Glynda both looked at each other in shock, "Well Glynda, could you draw up some paperwork for me. This sounds like a good deal Steve." Ozpin finished, getting up and shaking Steve''s hand. Overall it was a good deal for both parties, as that area is slightly undefended, and with the slight possibility of resources being found to Beacon''s coffers.


    Once the paperwork was drawn up the and the area of the land debated. The four mountains were quite enormous, but utterly useless. The area Steve now owned was about half the size of the city of Vale. Steve pulled out five emeralds, the smallest one being the size of an apple. Another gold block was placed in front of the other four out in the office.


    "Steve, I''m hoping I could ask you a favor, you''re weapons, are they magic in nature?" Ozpin asked and Glynda''s eyes then widened yet again.


    "Yes, they''re enchanted in specific ways, along with my diamond armor."


    ''DIAMOND ARMOR?'' Glynda thought, and then she all of a sudden remembered the crystalline armor when he was fighting Torchwick, her mind was absolutely overwhelmed and she suddenly fainted on the spot.


    Steve and Ozpin both looked at Glynda, and decided to put a pillow under her head while they were still talking.


    "Would you mind enchanting some student''s weapons for me if they ask?" Ozpin asked, hoping to strike a new deal with the mysterious stranger.


    "I don''t see how that will be to much of a problem, however I need to start fishing and farming monsters before I can start helping them."


    Ozpin gave him a deadpan stare, "Okay then." Ozpin almost refused to react anymore at the strange actions of Steve.


    "Thank you again Ozpin, I''m going to start construction tonight, hopefully get a head start."


    Ozpin chuckled, "Good luck, hopefully you''ll finish your house in a couple of months!" He said as Steve approached the elevator, a fascinating device he hasn''t been able to replicate.


    "What is it with people in this world and their slow construction methods?" He mumbled under his breath, Ozpin just raised a curious eyebrow.


    Steve walked off the elevator and through the area and spotted a training room, where familiar faces were getting acquainted with each other, both Team JNPR and Team RWBY turned toward him.


    As soon as Ruby saw Steve enter she rushed up to him, "SoyournameisSteve?Howdidyoudoallthosethings?CanIseeyourweapons?Whatareyoudoinghere?" She asked in rapid fire succession.


    Steve looked at her in slight disbelief, secretly wondering how one can talk so fast. "Well, my name is Steve, all those things are normal where I come from. Here is my enchanted diamond sword," He pulled it out of nowhere, and both Teams JNPR and RWBY widened in disbelief at the crystalline sword. ''DID HE SAY ENCHANTED?'' Yang and Blake yelled in their heads. "and I just bought land from the school where I can start building my home." Steve answered back, using only one sentence for each answer.


    "What do you mean enchanted? Everyone knows magic isn''t real." Weiss Schnee answered arrogantly, the rest of the group looked at Steve questioningly.


    "Well, if you don''t believe me that''s fine I guess, but that''s how I took out the Nevermore, with my enchanted bow." He says as he pulled a simple, but glowing bow. Ruby was rushing around Steve observing both weapons, with stars in her eyes. "Can you enchant my weapon?" She asked as Steve looked at the giant weapon.


    "Is that a hoe?" He asked, and rest of the group started laughing while Ruby pouted.


    "It''s not a hoe! It''s a scythe mixed with a sniper rifle!" Slightly mad tone of voice as someone insulted her baby.


    "You bought land from the Headmaster and the school?" Asked Ren in a calm voice, holding his emotions back.


    "Yeah, bought the four mountains right next to the school. Ozpin was surprised at my offer, but quite happy with the deal. I''m going there now to start construction." he said, and Yang, along with Blake''s eyes bulged out, as they were the only two that could realize the extent of work Steve could carry out in such a short time.


    "Well I''m off to start construction!" Steve said as he turned around, "I''ll see you guys soon and give you another tour!" Blake and Yang smiled and waved back awkwardly.


    As Steve walked away, Yang and Blake quickly got the attention of the rest of the group.


    "Guys, Steve is insane, he bought the four mountains next to Beacon, I bet you what he''ll build will be absolutely ridiculous." Yang started trying to show her panic.


    "I''ve never seen anything like it, but this concerns me as well." Blake finished, everyone quite shocked at how much she is talking compared to previous encounters.


    "I think I''m going to go to bed, and see if this was still a dream. Good night everyone!" Yang started and walked back to her room.


    "I think we should do the same guys, after all it is getting late before our first day of classes." Jaune said, Ren and Nora nodded in agreement, and with that everyone went back to the dorm, wondering what the next few weeks held.


    -Two weeks later-


    "What do you mean you see a minecart coming out of the ground?" Ozpin asked in disbelief. A group of professors consisting of Professors Port, Dr. Oobleck, and Goodwitch. Followed the headmaster, where a bunch of students were looking at the scene with widened eyes. Sometime in the night, someone built two tracks, with two large blocks at the end of each track with a button at the top. A red line was found on the track. The tracks went for at least fifty meters across the newly flattened terrain near the mess hall. There were about forty carts, all filled to the brim with wheat, sugar, and meats. There were ten carts at the front of the train covered by a cloth. Professor Port went up to these ten carts and his eyes widened considerably. For inside these carts were hundreds of ingots of iron, and about two dozen ingots of gold. These were found in about nine of the carts. He quickly lowered the cloth and looked at Professor Ozpin with widened eyes. Glynda raised the cloth for the other one, and she, yet again, fainted, along with Professor Port when he took a look at what was inside. Ozpin raised the cloth and found it was nearly filled to the brim several uncut diamonds and emeralds, each the size of a pear. He also found a book in this cart, so he opened it up.


    Dear Ozpin,


    I hope you''re doing well, as to our agreement you''ll find that I''ve shared the excess food that I have grown over the last two weeks. I hope that Beacon can put it to good use. Also with our deal, you''ll find two percent of the raw materials that we agreed upon. Unfortunately some of it had to be used up to build this cart system, but I think you''ll be pleased with the results. If you give me another four weeks I would be happy to give you and some of the other staff a tour of the facilities. Also, please extend an invitation to Teams RWBY and JNPR, as they are really the few people I know that are my age... If you need anything write a note and place it in the other minecart and I will get it. Shipments like this should be coming in approximately every two weeks. My mining progress is going well, I''ve cleared out a little less than half of the first mountain. When you''re done unloading the train of minecarts, make sure to push the button on the rock, and it will send the carts back to my storage depot.


    Best Regards,


    Steve


    P.S. I know the large bridge is the only superficial structure at the moment, but soon that will soon change.


    ''What in the hell have I unleashed upon this world?'' Ozpin asked to himself, as he gently woke Glynda and she used her telekinesis to move all the food to the kitchens, while moving the ten carts with valuable resources in the vault beneath Beacon, placed alongside the other resources that Steve provided in the earlier trade agreement.


    When they were finished unloading the carts, Dr. Oobleck pushed the button, watching the minecarts taking off with radical speed down into the tunnel in which they came from. "Fascinating!" He heard Bart mumble under his breath, as he was observing the track.


    Glynda then said something that shocked me to my core. "Wait... that was 2% of what he collected?!"


    Ozpin turned to the mountain and was about to faint himself, but he steeled himself and sipped his coffee, happy about the changes that were to come out of this newly fledged deal.


    Next time on Minecraft Remnant:


    "What are you doing in Forever Fall Steve?"


    "And here is a room filled with a resource that I have found useless thus far!"


    "What do you mean you''re going to the moon?!"

 Chapter 248 - My SI Stash #48 - Base of Energy by Auvidence (ToAruMajutsuNoIndex)

    -Recently published fic, the first Raildex SI fic in the stash~ SI as a Lvl 1 Student of Sakugawa Middle School with Energy Manipulation as his powers, seems to be going on the chill side and not going crazy canon derailment! yet?


    Sypnosis: In a world of science and magic, beings of incomprehensible power and abilities roam the Earth. So it''s only natural that when a completely average individual is burdened with such power, he would want nothing more than to relax in peace, right? (Self-Insert)


    Rated: T


    Words: 9K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13538061/1/ (Auvidence)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    The faint sound of beeping made its way through the layers of covering that I had over my cold body. A part of me was eager to get out of bed and turn off the alarm, while another said to just ignore it.


    Making up my mind, I pushed myself into a sitting position, about to yawn and wipe the crust from my eyes. However, a certain set of details made themselves known to me, stopping me and making my heart leap.


    This¡­ isn''t my room.


    My mind was racing to find possible answers to the situation. Assuming the worst, I silently removed myself from the bed to take in the surroundings properly.


    It was a small apartment room. Single bedroom connected to a kitchenette. Two doors were visible, likely leading outside and to a bathroom. The hallway to the entrance door had what looked to be a washer and dryer.


    There was no sign of anyone else in the room. It was rather spartan and had little furniture, aside from a desk and chair. Whoever owned this place either had little money, or simply didn''t spend much on this place.


    Tip toeing to the other side, I opened the bathroom door to find it free of my potential kidnapper. Confirming that the apartment was empty, I began searching for mics, cameras, or anything else that could be recording me.


    Once again, I came up empty. Racking my brain, I couldn''t come up with a reason someone would do this. I wasn''t particularly special or of high value.


    I ran my hand through my hair before abruptly tensing. Tugging on the hair, I pulled it in front of my eyes.


    What? How? My hair should barely go past half an inch.


    Feeling around further, I realized that my hair was much longer than normal. Enough so that it dr.a.p.ed over my forehead.


    Somehow, I didn''t even notice the change until I consciously thought about it.


    I ran to the nearest mirror which resided in the bathroom, forgoing all attempts at being quiet. Pushing aside the half open door, I stopped in front of the looking glass with hands resting on the sink.


    Staring back at me was an unfamiliar face. Young, dark brown hair, and of Japanese descent. Moving my fingers across my face, the skin and bone structure was different, but it was as though these hands were familiar with it.


    This- this is really real isn''t it. I''m not going to delude myself with the ''I''m in a dream''. This is reality and I''ve just been torn from everything I know and stuck into a¡­ twelve year old body?


    It was at this point that I was able to recognize broken sensations and thoughts. Likely the remnants of this kid''s mind.


    ''He was late for school. He was never late for school. He was trying really hard to stay unnoticed by those around him. Good grades, some of the best actually. But no friends or family. Hobbies or pastimes.''


    Letting out a groan, I was about to crush the influx of invading feelings and thoughts before considering a different path.


    I might be able to get more answers if I try to follow this like a ''normal'' everyday. Not my wisest of choices, but I need to be proactive for once.


    Foreign thoughts and habits guided my actions as I dressed into a school uniform, packed the bag, and pocketed a wallet and flip phone.


    This phone. Don''t tell me¡­


    I examined the rest of the room, searching for any obvious clues on the time and place.


    On the wall was a calendar. It was June 7th, 2004.


    I pondered the implications of the date.


    So I''ve not just been transmigrated into some kid''s body, but displaced by sixteen years?! How could this get any worse.


    Like a fool, I didn''t take into account the ruthlessness of Murphy and his forsaken law.


    Slipping on the shoes, I unlocked the door and pushed it open. With it, the sun''s rays illuminated the apartment, along with myself. After my eyes grew used to the light, I was able to view the outside world for the ''first'' time.


    Tall, modern style skyscr.a.p.ers touched the sky whilst windmills could be found dotted throughout the cityscape.


    It was an unusual spectacle. A city unlike anything I had ever seen before. Or at least, any real city.


    So this is the twist. The punch to the gut. I don''t even get the comfort of at least a guaranteed nonfictional reality. No, this could all just be made up. Because this is Academy city. A particular city that can only be found in a certain anime. Well, technically more than one anime and all the source material, but that''s beside the point.


    I pushed forward and tried to distract myself by absorbing the surroundings. The structures were smooth, curved, and sophisticated. Streets and sidewalks clean of all forms of trash, courtesy of the robots.


    There were a few cars that occasionally passed by. Along with people doing what people do. The grass was green and the breeze was cool.


    Finally reaching the destination, I came across an average looking school, at least by Academy city''s standards. I dug through the fading memories for a name and I was rewarded.


    ''Sakugawa Middle School.''


    The school sounded familiar, but I couldn''t quite remember what made it so. Putting that aside, my legs continued to carry me to the classroom.


    I knew that the previous owner of this body didn''t have any close relationsh.i.p.s, so I didn''t have to worry about being outed for acting strange. But it didn''t stop the steadily increasing beat of my heart. Nor the cold sweat that came across me when I finally reached the class door.


    Taking a deep breath, I entered the room with a confidence I barely felt. To no surprise, every head turned to my direction. Quickly pinpointing ''my'' seat, I apologized to the teacher and made my way to the desk.


    Once I finally sat down, the rest of the students lost interest and the teacher continued his lecture. A sense of relief washed over me. Not just because I made it to the right class, but that I was able to unconsciously use Japanese. From the looks of it, everything is being crudely translated into English. Something to investigate later, for sure.


    Unpacking my bag, I grabbed a notebook, pencil, and got to writing. The teacher droned on about Quantum Physics and its overall connectedness to AIM and personal realities. The topic was fascinating, but it was difficult to concentrate when the medium for the notes was a chalkboard.


    You would think that Academy city would have a more advanced method of teaching, but then again, Toaru was written in 2004.


    No, that''s not exactly true. While the light novel was written in 2004, I should consider that this reality isn''t completely reliant on the writings of a 23 volume series in an alternate universe. My existence is proof that any future knowledge I possess can be rendered useless.


    I continued to take notes, knowing that it wouldn''t do for me to slack behind on studies. After all, I didn''t need to gain any unwanted attention.


    X X X


    The rest of class passed by smoothly. Very similar to a college class if I had to compare it to anything. It was heavily focused on lecturing and note taking, so it''ll be a bit of a hassle to catch up.


    My thoughts would constantly turn towards the scientifically supernatural. If this kid was a student at Academy city, chances are that he also went through the power curriculum.


    When the bell rang the teacher didn''t call me to stay behind, so I took that as my cue to leave. I wanted to take my time heading home as the sights were exhilarating, but I had more important things to focus on.


    Reaching my hand into my right pocket, the familiar feeling of a wallet and key were there. Unlocking the door, I kicked off my shoes and went straight for the desk sitting in the right corner of the room.


    Okay, system scan. Should be around here somewhere.


    I dug through various papers, in the desk''s drawer. Homework, worksheets, and other uninformative scratch paper was shoved aside.


    Sticking my arm in, I felt for the paper. It was then that a small rectangular slip of paper graced the tips of my fingers.


    Feeling the excitement well up in me, I snatched the paper, bumping my forearm on the desk. Grimacing, I slowly pulled out the paper, a small throb of pain making itself known.


    With my arm and paper free from the desk, I gazed at the information that showed little, yet gave me so much.


    Level- 1


    Power- Energy Manipulation


    Other than that, the card was a mess of crease lines and a bad case of an exploded pen. Even though the level was only one, I couldn''t help but be grateful.


    Level 1 huh. That''s one away from having no power at all, so it could''ve been worse. But more importantly, I''ve never heard of an esper ability called ''energy manipulation''. At least it''s self explanatory.


    I know I''m jumping the gun already, but energy is a scalar, right? Doesn''t that mean that I can potentially set up counter defenses for Accelerator? Since, you know, Vector Manipulation. Well, that''s if I can find out how to use this power. Heh, imagine having scalar manipulation. That would be overpowered.


    Rather than continue to haphazardly dig through the desk, I organized the papers and looked for anything that explained the ESP ability. Luckily, I came across some essay work that looked fairly promising. After ordering the pages from first to last, I skimmed through and took notes on anything important.


    After jotting down the last of the important facts, I leaned back in my chair and let out a sigh.


    That took way too long. And these essays were really disappointing to read. I mean, who starts an essay with, ''What is Energy?''. Either way, I was able to find out a lot about how Energy Manipulation works.


    Alright, I''ve listed most of the things I could gather about the ability into five bullet points.


    First, Energy Manipulation is the ability to change the amount of energy matter has. And when I say matter, I mean all forms of matter. For example, the boy whose body I currently reside in could increase the kinetic energy water molecules, resulting in water vapor. And theoretically, if he was at a higher level, he''d be able to affect the energy in elementary particles.


    Second, the biggest reason the boy wasn''t at a higher level was because of his personal reality. In other words, he''s not delusional enough to be a strong esper. Well, I guess that''s one problem I don''t have to worry about.


    Third, due to his less than adequate personal reality, Energy Manipulation did little on the macroscopic scale. He couldn''t just kick a can and increase the amount of energy it has. He had to consider each and every atom, bond, structure, and component in order for the can to actually do what he wants. Think of it like this. You increase the kinetic energy of a single atom that you push north and naturally, it will travel north. But when you kick a can, your foot has an uneven surface area. And due to the nature of Energy Manipulation, that will cause the atoms to travel in different directions. In short, the can would heat up at best, explode at worst.


    Fourth, it isn''t specifically stated how well the kid could calculate, but it was good. No, it was genius levels of calculating. Such a level of calculating would be necessary to handle such a power. It''s this aspect of the ability that I''m the most worried about. Because I''m, well, not a genius.


    The fifth point has to be the most important. His esper ability isn''t actually Energy Manipulation. Well, I think so at least. You see, in all the material I read, the kid never mentions where he gets the energy from. It just appears, manifests from thin air. So either I''m missing something, or he isn''t actually ''manipulating'' the energy.


    Instead, I believe the energy is being created and destroyed. What do you mean energy can''t be created or destroyed? Ah, allow me to explain. Think of that one esper, Dark Matter. He creates matter that doesn''t previously exist and drops it in this plane of existence. Energy manipulation is probably something like that. Energy pulled from another dimension and utilized in this one. The biggest difference between Dark Matter and Energy Manipulation (besides being matter vs energy) would be that with Energy Manipulation, the energy can be shoved back into that alternate dimension. Hence being ''created'' and ''destroyed''.


    I clasped my fingers together and splayed them outward. To my disappointment, there was no satisfying crack.


    So in other words, the probability of me being capable of using Energy Manipulation is nil.


    I held up the paper with my notes and decided this would be a good test. I realized that in order to conceptualize the atoms, I''d need to know what atoms actually make up paper. Before I could get up and pull open a textbook, the information suddenly flooded my mind.


    ''This specific paper is made up of a majority Carbon, Oxygen, and Hydrogen. There were also traces of Calcium, Silicon, and Titanium.''


    It was strange. It was like I was remembering the info and being told it at the same time. Pushing aside my confusion, I began to visualize what the structure of the paper would look like on a microscopic scale.


    Within my mind, I was staring at a photo realistic recreation of the atoms. There were no weird blue protons and red neutrons. Just a black and white landscape of orbs vibrating at a very slow rate.


    For a moment I was stupefied. Unable to come to grasps with how natural, yet unnatural this felt.


    Is this what it is to be an esper? The capability to break down the truth of the world and warp it to your will?


    After a moment, I moved onto the next stage. In order for this to succeed I needed to consider the directions each atom is moving and what would be the optimal time to increase the atoms'' energies.


    Numbers and formulas floated in the corner of my vision. The instructions that lead to the greatest path to success were in front of me. All I had to do was make it a reality.


    Atoms started to vibrate faster, pushing into each other, pushing away, Waves formed, rippling across like a massive gray ocean.


    Then a few particles became so agitated that they loosened from their previous bonds. It was so abrupt that it caught me off guard, but I kept at it. Soon, the oxygen would start reacting, hungry for the free electrons for the taking.


    The smell of smoke reached my noise, breaking my concentration.


    The paper in my hand was relatively intact, but in the center was a small hole. The edges were slightly blackened, a trail barely visible rose upwards.


    Despite myself, I wore the biggest grin. The exhilaration of achieving something so small, yet so large. Incomprehensible, yet completely possible.


    I was correct to assume that I wouldn''t get any sleep that night.


    Chapter 2


    "No! You''ve got to be kidding me¡­"


    A few days had passed since my entrance into this world. At the moment, I was in the middle of cooking noodles for dinner. To my frustration, trying to boil water using energy manipulation wasn''t my greatest of successes.


    In my hand was a warped metal pan, steaming water leaking from the bottom. Before any more of the scalding liquid could make a bigger mess, I rushed to the kitchenette''s sink. A perfectly good pack of noodles wasted.


    Ugh, how did this even happen? The only way the pan could''ve gotten hot enough to melt is through directly affecting the aluminum atoms. I swear I was just heating up the air beneath it.


    Sighing in defeat, I cleaned up the water after cooling it down. Grabbing another pot, I made sure to turn on the stove to boil the water. I reached into the pantry and felt around for another pack of noodles. Low and behold, there was in fact no more noodles.


    Disregarding my dinner preparations, I stuck everything in the sink. After about a minute of deliberation, I decided that if I wasn''t going to make anything the least I could do was restock.


    It''s official, Thursdays are the worst day of the week.


    Checking the wallet, I saw it had about twenty dollars worth of Yen, the apartment key, and an ID.


    It was odd to see another person''s face in ''my'' wallet. I read the name listed under the picture.


    Minamoto Ken.


    It''s a cool name, but I doubt that alone will help me remember it.


    Shoving the wallet into my pocket, I made my way to the nearest convenience store.


    The sun was blazing, a bit away till it reached the horizon. I personally enjoyed eating dinner earlier in the day while the sun was still up.


    The sliding doors opened with a swoosh and I swiftly entered. After a quick search, I came across what I was looking for. The noodles were cheap and would take little from my current funds.


    Granted, they weren''t healthy; but it was a small price to pay. Literally.


    After browsing a few other items, I made my way to the cashier and purchased the items. My wallet was ever so slightly lighter.


    It was strange just how little cash I had. Aside from the contents of my wallet, there was just a few spare yen at the apartment. I had searched for receipts regarding where most of the money went. It was a fruitless endeavor as it simply didn''t add up.


    I mean, the city pays students once a month and the kid apparently stocked up on most necessities at the beginning of June. However, the amount spent isn''t nearly as much as the amount he usually receives. Not that it was much in the first place, being a level 1.


    Before I could continue the thought, my stomach grumbled. I decided that if I wasn''t going to eat until I got back, the least I could do was keep hydrated.


    There happened to be a red vending machine across the street. Each drink was only about £¤100, so I checked out the options.


    I was baffled at the sheer strangeness of the flavors and drinks. Examples being ''Viennese Sausage Coffee'' or the ''Habanero Pineapple Juice''.


    After a bit of searching, I went with ''Mist''. Which was just water.


    I stuck in the 100 yen bill and selected the purple canned drink. The machine made a series of whirs and clicks.


    Then silence.


    Uh, where''s the drink?


    Without much thought, I hit the ''give me change'' button.


    The button was jammed.


    I should have known. Bright red vending machine with one two many dents on its right side. The area looks exactly like it did from the anime as well. What a waste. Do you know how many noodles I could''ve purchased with that single bill? A lot, that''s how much.


    I tried to keep myself from getting too down. It wasn''t that much, and the next city payment was in about three weeks.


    "Hey, is something wrong?"


    I stopped myself from jerking in surprise. Calming down, I slowly turned my head to see who was addressing me.


    It was a young girl, light brown hair and about two inches shorter than me. Her most notable feature would probably be the Tokiwadai uniform.


    A Tokiwadai student huh. From what I recall in Railgun T, most of them were a bit overconfident, but hardly bad people.


    I debated on responding honestly to the girl. Against my compulsion to dismiss her, I decided I had nothing to lose.


    Turning around fully, I spoke to the middle schooler. "Yeah, the machine isn''t giving me my drink."


    The girl wore an inquisitive expression. "Really? That sucks. How much did this piece of junk eat?"


    More conversation? I could be doing more important things. Waving away the thought, I answered her question. "Just £¤100. Not a huge amount or anything."


    Scrunching up her eyebrows, the girl thought for a moment before coming to a conclusion. Motioning me to back away, she walked up to the machine.


    Skipping from one foot to another, she suddenly spun 360 degrees and slammed her leg against the vending machine. Metal rang and was soon followed by the clunk of a can loosening.


    Reaching into the dispenser, she grabbed what looked to be a single green can. "Here you go. This particular money eater can be a bit of a hassle, but there are ways around that."


    I took the can from her grasp and looked at the type. Watermelon flavored tea. Could be worse.


    Gathering my thoughts, I thanked her for the help. The girl laughed and scratched the back of her head in an embarrassed fashion. "It was nothing, really. Just doing what anyone would do."


    No, I think this is just you.


    Silence filled the area once she stopped talking.


    Recalling that we were engaging in social interaction, I realized I hadn''t introduced myself.


    "Still, I appreciate the help. My name is-" Hold up¡­ What was this kids name again? Quick, fading memories, give me the answer!


    ¡­


    Fine, I''ll do it myself. Oh, wait. I looked at the ID card earlier today.


    I coughed into my mouth, trying to cover up the awkward pause. "Sorry about that, I''m Minamoto Ken."


    The girl seemed to hesitate for a moment before responding. "Nice to meet you Minamoto-san. My name is Mi-" The ringing of a phone cut her off.


    Her gaze shifted as though she were asking for permission to answer the call. I responded to her apologetic look with a simple nod of affirmation.


    Taking out a green phone, she flipped it open and pressed it against her ear. A garbled mess erupted from the other side. Wincing, she pulled away the receiver and waited a couple seconds for the noise to die down.


    After that, the speaker wasn''t particularly loud, so I couldn''t make out what was being said. It must have been important, because the girl stiffened at the words.


    Apologizing, she bid me farewell and ran off.


    Around me, the sidewalks were slowly lit up by the cyan hue of the LED lamps. Contrary to most cities around this time, barely any of the street lights were sodium based. The lack of orange light reminded me of just how different Academy city was to the rest of the world.


    Alright, I''ll be perfectly honest. I recognized the Railgun the moment I heard her voice. Or well, I was familiar with her ''voice actress''.


    We parted on terms of mere acquaintances, so I''m sure that I haven''t made any changes to canon. I''ll just have to stay vigilant and avoid and cast members.


    I mean, out of the point-whatever million students in the city, what are the chances I''ll meet any other characters?


    X X X


    The final bell went off and I made my way to the school''s entrance. There was a certain blissful energy among the student body due to this particular day.


    Friday. After enduring a long boring week of lectures, hand cramping notes, and PE; the weekend was finally here.


    A weekend of sleeping in, lazing around, and playing with ESP. It was only a few steps away. The gates of salvation within reach, begging to be passed.


    A hand grasped my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. "Now what do we have here? Buddy, pal, friendo. We really need to catch up!"


    Pushing down my irritation, I glanced at the person who dared impede me from my well deserved break. Or rather, the people who were hindering me.


    The one who had the gall to touch me stood a couple inches taller with bleached hair. To his right was a fairly well built individual with a crew cut. To the left was a short guy, standing at around 5 feet.


    "Do you need something?" My voice came out monotone, uncaring for what business they had with me.


    Tightly surrounding me, the group led me away from my freedom. Tall and lanky answered my question. "How could you forget Ken-chan? So cruel¡­" His voice was full of sarcasm. "It''s obviously because you''re behind on our little deal."


    So this is the reason I''m so low on money. That''s just depressing.


    We reached the backside of one of the taller school buildings. Its shadow hung over us like an umbrella on a rainy day, leaving us in darkness. The sound of cheerful students was dampened and the atmosphere had a drastic shift.


    I would call for Judgement or Anti-Skill, but I don''t actually know their numbers. Maybe if I stall for time, I can come up with something.


    "Mind reminding me what our ''deal'' was? I forgot it." My words unfortunately came out more snarkily than I intended. The shortest of the delinquents wasn''t too pleased.


    "Who do you think you''re talking to! With an attitude like that I oughta-" Tall and lanky put a hand on his shoulder, stopping Shorty''s little tirade.


    "Now, we have''ta be civil here Hotaru-kun. Our poor friend just forgot our arrangement and it''s up to us to remind him of his place." Lanky''s expression contorted into an oddly curved smile. It would''ve been more unnerving if said smile wasn''t coming from a middle schooler.


    I get that these are the big bad upperclassmen, but man is this clich¨¦. What''s next, is he going to go mafia on me and talk about the family business?


    Walking into my personal space, ignorant of my internal rant, he arched forward to look me in the eyes. His guttural voice rang in my ears as he explained my predicament.


    "Ya see, you pay us weekly for protection. There''re a lotta gangs around here. We, being your only friends, decided to keep you safe. But it seems your memory needs a bit-of-a jump start. So why don''t we make this memory unforgettable!"


    Before I could safely set up my defenses, his knee came up fast. It was a devastating blow with lots of blood and pain.


    For him, that is.


    "ARHG!" Lanky let out a cry of pain as his knee was put through something akin to an invisible shredder. I grimaced at the sight as Lanky fell over, clutching his leg with tears in his eyes.


    That was my bad¡­ If it wasn''t so sudden, I would''ve been able to evenly remove the kinetic energy from his kick. Note to self, find an easier way to inhibit the human body through less potentially damaging methods.


    His two lackeys were flabbergasted, staring at the spectacle with little thought. The muscles of the group¡ªbeing far braver than his smaller compatriot¡ªmoved to attack me.


    Reeling his fist back, he let it fly albeit clumsily. I capitalized on the confusion and easily dodged the blow. With little wind-up, I threw my hand forward and amplified the amount of energy of the gaseous molecules, creating a jet of air.


    Muscles lost his balance and gained some air before falling on his back. With more time to prepare for that attack, it should''ve resulted in minor bruising this time.


    That left only one combatant.


    With eyes rapidly moving from his two fallen compatriots, Shorty shook and whimpered at the sight.


    "How?! Where did you get this power?! Was it level upper- it has to be!" Clearly not able to take the pressure, the lone delinquent pulled out a knife. Holding the weapon with both hands, he was getting ready to charge before a voice made him falter.


    "This is Judgement! Stop all aggression immediately!" The statement cut through the atmosphere like butter.


    Both Shorty and I turned towards the Judgement member. It was a single girl wearing our school uniform, pulling on the armband to validate the authority of her claim. She also happened to have a familiar flowered headband.


    Much to my relief, the thought of fighting an unequal battle greatly demoralized Shorty. The knife slipped out of his hands, falling with a thud. He in turn fell onto his knees in despair.


    If only he knew the Judgement girl was only a level 1. And no, I cannot remember her name whatsoever.


    While the Judgement girl called for an ambulance and reinforcements, it gave me some time to reflect on my current position. You know, I was joking about blaming Murphy''s law when I woke up in this world. I''m having second thoughts about that.


    Either way, I didn''t expect to run into any more canon characters. This looks like an unavoidable confrontation as well. Then again there''s always the possibility that the butterfly effect has already wiped out future arcs, so this particular interaction shouldn''t matter too much.


    Having finished discussing with the other Judgement members who arrived on scene, Flower Band girl walked up to me. "Are you alright?"


    "Yeah, I''m unharmed." I glanced at the delinquents being carted away, and Shorty in handcuffs.


    "I would like to ask you about what happened here. And you''re not in trouble for anything; a student reported seeing you being pulled back here against your will." I couldn''t tell if she was trying to placate me or simply being forthright.


    I proceeded to explain what occurred¡ªfrom when I was leaving school to the girl''s arrival. My throat was feeling a bit dry, considering this was the longest I had talked since arriving in this world.


    "So they were extorting you through physical means. In return, you acted in self defense?" The Judgement girl was going over my story to make sure she understood my side of the fight. I nodded to confirm her inquiry.


    She held her phone up to her ear before asking another question. "And you''re currently a level 1 with the ability Energy manipulation, yes?"


    "Mhm." My answers were getting shorter every time she spoke. It was only a matter of time until I''d get to leave, but my patience was waning.


    "Okay, I just need to confirm a few more things and then I''ll be able to let you go." It was as though she was reading my current state of mind. That or I was being obvious about my eagerness to move on.


    "Do you happen to know what ''level upper'' is?" Under most circ.u.mstances, I wouldn''t have noticed the subtle change in tone, but this girl didn''t seem like the overly serious type.


    Level Upper, isn''t that one of the arcs in Railgun? Had something to do with brain waves and something-thesia. Oh yeah, and Shorty mentioned it earlier as well too. Let''s go with that.


    I shook my head. "I know the short delinquent guy mentioned something about it, but I''ve never heard of it before then." Never heard of it in this reality, that is.


    "Alright, if you hear anything about it, let Judgement or Anti-skill know. We''d appre-" Before the girl could finish, she was abruptly cut off by¡­ What?


    "U~i~haru!"


    Having spotted the long haired girl moments before the inevitable, I made sure to keep my eyes level with Judgem- no, Uiharu''s face. Her complexion rapidly shifted to a bright red; eye''s were wide and her face bore an incredulous expression.


    The long haired girl had black hair and blue eyes, sporting a huge grin. "Green stripes today! I almost forgot to check today, good thing I found you."


    Having just endured the pinnacle of embarrassment, Uiharu began batting the long haired girl with eyes shut tightly. "Saten-san! Why would you do that in the middle of a conversation with a boy! This''ll ruin my competent Judgement appearance¡­"


    Saten rested her index finger on her chin. "So you mean you didn''t ditch me to meet up with your secret boyfriend?" This clearly caught Uiharu off guard, having realized all the other Judgement members had left already.


    Not wanting this to drag on any further, I stepped in. "Yeah, just Judgement stuff. Nothing more, nothing less." Saten''s expression seemed to drop a fraction.


    "Ah, that''s too bad. I was hoping to see something exciting today. I''m Saten Ruiko, by the way." Presented before me was yet another cast member of Railgun. She was in the Index movie too, right? I remember less from the movie than I do the first season of Railgun.


    "I completely forgot! I''m Uiharu Kazari." Having recovered from earlier, Uiharu came back into the conversation.


    "Minamoto Ken, nice to meet you two." After saying my name, Saten looked as though she just realized something.


    "Minamoto, you mean like the first shogun Minamoto?" The first what now?


    Uiharu cut in. "Well, it doesn''t have to just be derived from the first shogun. Remember that the Minamoto clan was very prominent between the 12th and 13th century."


    Having completely lost me, the two girls continued to discuss about Japan''s brutal history of assassination and rebellions.


    Once Uiharu realized the previous conversation was completely derailed, she turned back to me and apologized. "There are a few more things I''d like to talk about, but I''d hate to keep you any longer." Finally, I want to go home. "Would you mind continuing this after school on Monday, if you''re free?"


    "Sure, I don''t have any plans that day." I said as though I ever actually made plans.


    I said farewell to both the girls and made my way back to the apartment. Just as I closed the door behind me, I heard my neighbor open his door.


    I lived on the third floor in room 310, so I had a pretty good view of the city. My next door neighbor seemed to always leave his apartment around this time. And on the few nights where I stayed up till one, I noticed he never comes back before the morning.


    A bit weird, but who knows. The guy might just be nocturnal. It''s Academy city after all.


    Anyway, I have a fair share of weekend homework. Well, more like Monday morning homework. It''s time to stay in and practice some more Energy manipulation.


    Chapter 3


    I stood next to my bed with the warped pan sitting on the covers. My palm steadily hovered over it.


    Now, after about a week''s work of experimentation and observation, I''ve made a couple new hypotheses regarding my capabilities as an esper.


    For starters, everything that is within my AIM diffusion field is subject to my personal reality. Contrary to an ability like Vector manipulation, I can affect matter without touching it. Similar to how a telekinetic can apply pressure to objects a distance away from them.


    From what I''ve gathered, my AIM field spreads about two inches¡ª5.2 centimeters to be exact¡ªaway from my body before becoming uninfluenced by my will.


    This brings me to two important discoveries I''ve made regarding the strengths and weaknesses of Energy manipulation.


    First, the further away an object is from my body, the less control I have over it. You would think that means I have less power over the object, but not quite.


    For example, let''s take a look at this warped metal pan. The reason it warped so significantly is because I increased its total kinetic energy with too much power. When I was cooking the noodles, the pan was about two inches away from my hand, so my precision was hampered when I accidentally used my esper power on it.


    Think of it like this. You''re using a computer mouse to manually change the volume slider. Controlling the energy of an object in contact with my body is like using said mouse at the lowest sensitivity. Controlling the energy of an object 2 inches away from me is like trying to use a mouse at the highest sensitivity using one finger.


    In other words, a recipe for disaster.


    Second, the size of matter also affects the amount of control I have. When making physical contact with my body, the most complex thing I can manipulate is probably water. I could technically go larger, but the amount of ways that could go wrong is the reason why Energy manipulation isn''t considered very useful.


    Anyway, so I thought, ''what if I try to go smaller rather than bigger?'' This is what I''m testing right now.


    I closed my eyes and pictured the gray ocean of atoms once more. Rather than a solid object, I focused on the seemingly random movements of the air molecules. Specifically, dioxygen.


    I ''enhanced'' the image so I could view the subatomic particles. For every oxygen atom, there were 8 protons and 8 neutrons.


    While it would be cool to mess with the energy of protons or create some isotopes, I was more focused on the third component of the atom.


    I turned my attention towards the electrons. When ''observing'' the atom, there was a wobbly cloud surrounding the nucleus that gave me an idea for where the electrons were.


    The equations were forming and the numbers were being crunched. I moved the formulas to the forefront of my mind, in hopes that they would make more sense if I examined them.


    I gave up the moment I started seeing an influx of Greek letters and numbers times 10 to the 32nd power.


    In order to create the reaction that I desired, I would need to know both the electron''s real time position and its current momentum. This should be impossible due to the Uncertainty theory, but as stated by my fifth period teacher, ''personal reality enables the user to ignore that principle''.


    I couldn''t just shove energy into the general area of the electrons unless I wanted unforeseen consequences. Instead, I worked my way towards finding the probability of an electron''s position. After that, I considered how it was affected by light, other atoms, etc.


    It reminded me of how the Tree Diagram would predict the weather by calculating the position of every particle in the atmosphere.


    In this case, I was able to predict the electrons current course, meaning that I could now change its energy and manipulate the direction it will go.


    I began increasing the energy of the electrons in the oxygen''s outermost shell. As a result, the electrons flowed free of the atoms'' pull and created an electric charge.


    The abrupt shift in charge from neutral to negative caused the like-charge electrons in the aluminum pan to be pushed away. This left positive ions eager to stabilize themselves.


    At the same time, the positively charged oxygen atoms were pulling the electrons in my negatively charged hand-


    "Ow!" A jolt of pain traveled down my fingers, hair standing on end. Along with it was a bright release of light and heat.


    Overlooking the slightly warmer pan, I held on to the twitching hand and checked the damage. The tips of my fingers were a bit red, but the injury looked minimal.


    I let out a deep breath and relaxed my posture. Ozone was present in the air, so I moved to open up the window.


    Note to self, be more careful when trying something new. Good thing I didn''t experiment on the energy of an active current¡­


    While the room was airing out, I stuck my fingers under cold water. It didn''t feel much better, but the throbbing lessened.


    Aside from hurting myself, this was a triumph. Since I can create electric charges like I just did, I might eventually be capable of controlling magnetic fields.


    Not to mention how much potential this opens up. If I can manipulate electrons, then what''s stopping me from changing protons and neutrons? Can I also influence light? What if I go smaller than that?


    I let my mind run on the possibilities and a small grin appeared on my face. A whole new world made itself known. Not only could I manipulate the domain of the atomic, I could now touch reality on the quantum level.


    X X X


    The warmth of the outside breeze brushed against my face as I exited the library. I fortunately had the foresight to bring along my school bag in order to hold all the books I borrowed.


    Ranging from quantum chromodynamics to an AP biology textbook, I now had plenty of material to work with.


    There was a sort of eagerness that rivaled the first time I used my esper ability. Once more, the capabilities for Energy manipulation seemed limitless.


    I found myself walking home during the evening again. Not that I was complaining. Were it any earlier, the sun would be beating down heavily.


    Being so in deep thought, it was only natural that I would be distracted from the mountain of misfortune heading my direction.


    A heavy force suddenly collided with my body. Gravity took its hold and I felt the brunt of it. My back stung, but I ignored it in favor of finding out what happened.


    A boy quickly got off my body and helped me off the ground. "Are you okay?"


    I looked at his face and saw he was older than me by a couple years, at least a high schooler. Spiky black hair and- he bolted off as soon as I said I was fine.


    Breaking off in the middle of a conversation is a bit rude. At least end the exchange. Why was he in such a hurry anyways?


    The sound of footsteps filled the area. Sliding out from around a corner was a group of no less than a dozen guys looking very pissed.


    The gang saw the direction the boy went and began running. They weren''t slowing down even though I happened to be right in their path.


    I looked to my right and saw it was all closed shops. To my left was a busy street. And to my displeasure, after weighing my options, I decided to run after the boy.


    This is one of the few situations where I felt thankful for taking PE. Without the daily physical exercise, I likely would''ve been trampled.


    I soon caught up to the black haired boy and matched his pace.


    "Why are these guys chasing you!" I shouted over to Spiky hair.


    He looked over and his eyes widened, "WHAT?"


    Grumbling, I took in a deep breath and yelled. "WHY ARE YOU RUNNING?"


    That time, he was able to hear me as clear as day. Along with everyone within a 50 yard radius.


    "It''s a long story!" His response was short in order to focus on breathing.


    Despite the consistent distance we kept with the group, they weren''t letting up.


    Formulating a few ideas on how to get out of this position, I almost missed the spiky haired boy skidding to a stop.


    I cut my momentum and turned to the boy. "Why are you stopping, we need to move!" My legs felt heavy and my feet were sore.


    Without a glance, the boy quickly responded. "You go on ahead! They''re not after you, so the moment you''re gone I can lose them myself."


    With resolve in his voice, he distanced his legs and raised his fists.


    I turned to run, but an uneasy feeling settled over me.


    Why am I stopping? He''s right, this has nothing to do with me. It''s only logical to leave him behind now.


    I could be doing something else right now. Like practicing my abilities or learning new concepts.


    It''d be so much easier just to leave.


    ¡­


    I planted my foot down and let out a tired sigh.


    Spiky hair wore a bewildered expression. "What are you doing? I said to run!"


    I scoffed, resisting the desire to roll my eyes. "What am I doing? What do you think you''re doing?" I shoved my hand into my pocket, "Stalling this many targets is unrealistic. The least I could do is even the odds."


    He was quick to rebuke. "It was my bad luck that caused this situation, so it''s my problem to deal with. You shouldn''t have been dragged into this mess."


    "A bit too late for that now, isn''t it?" I turned to look forward, dropping my bag.


    It was likely that he was frustrated with my answer; but as soon as he followed my gaze his priorities shifted.


    The mob had finally caught up.


    It was bigger than I initially thought.


    With around twenty individuals, they began to encircle us, blocking any potential escape. Their supposed leader took a step forward.


    "What''s this? The bastard''s got some guts thinking that one more pair of fists is going to get you out of the beating we have in store for you." Numerous chuckles emanated from the crowd.


    The group advanced slowly, dragging metal pipes across the ground or playing with knives.


    A majority of these guys are wielding hand held weapons. Chances are this is a level zero gang.


    Spiky haired moved behind me so that we would be back-to-back. Judging from his stance, he had some knowledge regarding martial arts. Might be a level zero as well.


    It was then that the fighting started.


    The first thug ran forward in hopes of taking out the ''weakest'' opponent. Before he could even reach my AIM field, a burst of air erupted in front of him. Launching backwards, the thug was caught by his fellow members.


    "Watch it! That one''s an esper!" With surprising coordination, the more dangerously armed men moved to my side of the fight.


    Spiky haired, on the other hand seemed to be handling himself fine. I didn''t dare take my eyes off the enemies in front of me, but it sounded like the gang members were having a hard time with the boy.


    Seven of the gang members rushed me all at once. The two who reached me first were wielding batons.


    As they swung down, I brought up my guard and let the weapons land on my forearms. I was able to remove the kinetic energy from the swings and amplify my own push on the batons.


    The sticks launched from the thug''s hands and hit their stomach and face respectively.


    A slight throbbing on both of my arms made itself known to me. It started bruising shortly after.


    There was more strength in those attacks than I anticipated. I shouldn''t underestimate these guys.


    Stopping a pipe from impacting my head, I made sure to decrease the energy of the air around the weapon as extra insurance.


    Just as that thug backed off, another took his place and thrusted a knife forward.


    It barely grazed my check as I shoved the gang member forward. He was flung back but, like the first thug, was caught by his compatriots.


    As soon as he was gone, a metal bat came swinging at my side.


    This dragged on for the next thirty seconds. I would block or dodge a weapon, then catapult the assailant back into the safety of the crowd. It was becoming more difficult concentrating due to the cuts and bruises forming on my body.


    The sweat was starting to get in my eyes. Wiping my forehead, I only managed to smear blood across it. I was gasping for air at this point.


    This isn''t enough¡­ I need something that''ll stop them in their tracks. Something that''ll end this arduous cycle of strikes.


    Wait¡­ Maybe that might work.


    I waited for a break in the attacks¡ªwhen the gang members were switching out in order to rest.


    Now!


    The calculations were quick and I made sure that neither me nor the thugs would be permanently wounded.


    I held out my left hand with fingers spread apart. I had predicted the electrons, memorized the needed energy inputs, and set up a protective ''shield'' to stop any rebound.


    I was ready to bring this fighting to its finale. Or at least give the spiky haired boy and myself a short break.


    Just as the next group of gang members rushed me, the boy behind me was hit with a blow and knocked into my left side.


    I could faintly hear the sound of glass breaking.


    For a second, my AIM field disappeared completely. It was as though it flickered off and on like a light switch.


    Fear struck my body as the preparations and calculations were completely wiped out; the next group of thugs would overwhelm me if I used simple air jets and kinetic dampeners.


    In a panic, I haphazardly reset my calculations and made sure that the attack would be non-lethal. In order to do it in such a short time, I had to cut out some of the previous precautions.


    Blue lightning erupted from my fingers and impacted four of the group. They yelped in surprise as their muscles spasmed due to the electric impulses.


    Random bursts of electricity streaked up my arm as the hastily prepared attack was missing the components needed to prevent the current from harming myself.


    It was as though liquid nitrogen was traveling through my veins, rupturing the tissue and nerves within my limb.


    Tears threatened to break through and my mind was clouded by the sheer amount of agony that was pulsating through my arm.


    I bit the inside of my lip, not willing to show weakness, lest I break the image of power.


    The fighting abruptly stopped, only to be filled with the sound of cars in the distance, heavy breathing, and the muted crackling of electricity dying down.


    All eyes were on me. I could feel the immense pressure of every persons'' gaze; their expressions filled with a mixture of awe and fright.


    Before anyone could make a move, two black vans and a patrol car screeched to a stop at the sidewalk. The clacking of boots soon followed.


    "This is Anti-Skill, freeze and put your hands behind your head!"


    The silence was broken and the tense atmosphere dissipated.


    The gang members scattered with the least injured able to get past the officers. "You''ve signed a death warrant picking a fight with Big Spider you unnatural freak! We''ll crush you damn espers to a pulp!" The head of the gang spat out his last words before slipping into the shadows.


    I let out a sigh. Adrenaline was still high, but it would wear off eventually. As Anti-Skill went around cuffing the ''Big Spider'' members, I checked over my person. The cuts from the knives were rather shallow, the bruises would probably heal in a few days. My flip phone awkwardly pressed against my thigh, having been left open after calling Anti-Skill earlier.


    But that wasn''t my concern.


    My arm was still twitching slightly and felt numb from fingertips to elbow. Looking at it, the skin somehow remained fairly undamaged, if not a bit burnt. It was the internal effects that I was worried about.


    I felt a tap on my shoulder.


    "You doing alright?" It was the Spiky haired boy. Also known as the lead protagonist of the series, Kamijou Touma.


    I turned to look at Kamijou, seeing him for the first time since the beginning of the fight. Like me, he was covered in bruises and cuts. However, his were far more extensive and deep; blood covered his arms.


    "I''m fine. How about you?" I could hear an ambulance in the distance, likely coming to pick up the more heavily injured individuals from the fight.


    Kamijou was sweating profusely and his breathing was ragged. "It''s just a couple cuts. A bit of blood loss is nothing." Taking a step forward, he stumbled and I moved to catch him on my right side.


    "Yeah, ''it''s nothing''. Sure looks that way." While my response was filled with sarcasm, I couldn''t help but smile a bit. "Minamoto Ken."


    "Kamijou Touma." He wore a similarly weary grin. "A pleasure, Shogun-san."


    An Anti-Skill officer took Kamijou''s other shoulder and led him to a stretcher. Soon after, the ambulance left for the hospital.


    "Pleasure''s all mine, Hero-san¡­"


    Picking up my school bag from the ground, I turned my attention to the nearest Anti-Skill officer hoping that I wasn''t going to be detained.


    This better not take all night.

 Chapter 249 - My CO Stash #49 - Yatagarasu, The Illusion Hero by Trismite (NarutoXMyHeroAcademia)

    -You don''t see this often; a Shisui-reincarnation fic~ Honestly I went into this thinking it was going to be another Itachi isekai but no lol. After dying, Shisui somehow takes over Izuku''s body mid-fight with Sludge Villain!


    Synopsis: An act of desperation. The need to protect. It''s both an ideal Konoha stands for and a method for acquiring one of the greatest Dojutsus known to manking- the Sharingan. Midoriya Izuku, in a desperate need to protect his bully and childhood friend, summons not a power but a soul capable of doing that and more.


    Rated: T


    Words: 15K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13525131/1/Yatagarasu-The-Illusion-Hero (Trismite)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    It''s simple.


    Reincarnation.


    There were no dark tunnels with a bright light in the end. No Shinigami slicing through a cooling body and eating its meal. No family waiting by a campfire, ready to either hug or harm.


    It''s simply the feeling of death warming over your skin. Your aching heart beating slowly to a still. The sight of your brother, feeling you with joy, pain, guilt, love, and every other emotion your body can handle, being the last...


    Until you blink.


    It''s disorienting.


    Knowing that you''ve fallen just a second ago but are now standing. Feeling the ache of a long battle in your bones but feeling refreshed yet weaker than before. Being surrounded by nature but finding yourself among a technologically advanced cityscape.


    If life was more complicated, panic would have settled in. Thoughts of where he was, what happened to him and his brother, would have been in the forefront of his brain.


    Life, however, is simple.


    Or at least, simple for someone born and raised in war, and had lived a life filled with battles and death.


    The sight of an enemy, a green slime creature with one of its many tentacles raised to hit him, and a victim, blonde haired male with a fearful yet furious glare, halted any reflecting thoughts he had and brought forth a heavy focus on the present, along with an instinctual mindset to fight for his life and for those around him.


    Similar to most of his fights, he blinks and feels the somewhat familiar ache in his eyes, less painful and hazy than a minute ago.


    Green eyes bleed, changing to a bold red. Along with the color, three black comma marks appear, swirling around his pupils before slowing down to a stop.


    Sharingan.


    Time slows down and he takes note of multiple things at once. The incoming tentacle. The vulnerable eyes and mouth of the slime creature. The shock in the victim''s eyes. The slack jaw of the lanky blonde bystander. Several costumed folks running towards him.


    He twists to the side to dodge and it''s awkward.


    His current body is shorter, skinnier, and far slower than what he''s used to. What should have been a clear dodge ended with the tentacles barely grazing him. He immediately takes note of his speed and calculates it into his next actions.


    Left arm jabs forward, index and middle finger aiming for the vulnerable eyes. When it meets its target, he twists again, facing him and his right arm follows the movement. Clenched fist is aimed at the slime creatures mouth, punching inside and up.


    The enemy chokes and stumbles backward, allowing him to grab the victim by the back of his shirt and pull. His strength is comparable to a ninja academy student at best and civilian at worst. When the tug results in nothing, he attempts again, this time with chakra enhancing his strength.


    The victim flies towards him and he''s quick to grab and push him behind. No matter how strong the explosions this boy can create in his palms (and what a curious Kekkai Genkai that is), the boy''s too young, too rowdy to know how to properly fight, and he moves to protect him.


    "I''LL KILL YOU FOR THAT, BRAT!" shouts the slime creature, hatred in its reddening eyes, as it lunges forward.


    Snake. Ram. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger.


    Mental experience and physical inexperience wage war against the other as he clumsily forms the signs his clan prided itself on. With a deep breath and energy churning in his lungs, he''s ready to unleash a fire to burn this enemy but before he could do so, the blonde bystander appears in his view once more- this time in a transformation dissimilar to a henge.


    "TEXAS SMASH!"


    The man punches the slime with enough strength to cause winds to rush through the alleyway. Feeling the urge to release the fire chakra gathered in his lungs, the sharingan user thinly exhales, allowing the winds to erase any evidence of his fire.


    As the street darkens, he looks up, watching clouds close in together and rain pouring in. He''s seen the man''s punch. Watched as an unusual rainbow colored chakra gathered at the edge of his fists before being released. His own fists clench, wondering if he could recreate the same technique at a later date.


    Not now.


    Focus on the mission.


    With a quick shake of his head, the Uchiha deactivated his Sharingan before glancing back at the blonde kid he saved. Lighter red eyes glared at him, more so when he smiled back.


    Cute.


    He almost looks like Sasuke whenever the youngest Uchiha heir heard that the two Uchiha prodigies were assigned a mission. Except less cute pouting and more vicious growling.


    Before he could check on the kid, he was swarmed by those weirdly costumed folks. Half praising him for his abilities and for rescuing the kid, while the other half scolded him for entering the fight. He barely listened to them talk, not after he heard them talking about heroes and how it''s their duty (not his) to fight the villain. The infamous Uchiha scowl formed on his lips, followed by a blank expression. He''s not the smartest person in the village, that title belonged to the Sandaime Hokage, but he can pick up a few context clues.


    The word hero is different in this world. Where in Konoha and the other hidden villages, it meant a shinobi who protected the village or a person who saved another. In this world, it meant an occupation. Their definition of a hero became clearer when some of them moved towards the civilians, soaking up their praise. His scowl deepened.


    While the definition for hero differed, their actions are similar to those who became a shinobi for fame. Hero. Shinobi. They''re similar occupations with similar mistakes, losing their true meaning and purpose against fame and fortune.


    He swiftly turns around and with a quick hand sign, index and middle finger straight up and the rest of his fingers curled towards his palm, disappears from view.


    The blonde bystander, the same skeleton-thin man who stared in shock and the same buff man whose punch changed the weather, stares at the empty space in the alleyway with wide eyes before excusing himself.


    A heavy huff of dissatisfaction escapes his lips, followed by a self-mocking laugh.


    His stamina... sucks.


    Sharingan. Basic chakra enhanced strength. Shushin. Two were moves commonly used by Genins and all three were learned by any decent Uchiha by the time they''ve unlocked the Sharingan. He''s been able to use them with ease since he was seven and yet now...


    Settling in his seat upon the roof of a random house, the reincarnated Uchiha sighs. His journey away from the crowd was made passing by multiple windows that reflected his current form. Messy green hair. Green eyes. Slightly dirty clothes. And a skinny body underneath.


    It tells a basic story of this body''s life.


    His clothes aren''t dirty enough for someone poor nor is the cloth well made for someone rich. Similar black clothes were seen worn by several young males throughout his journey to indicate uniform- they either worked a common job or were a civilian student. Skinny build could be attributed either to a physical condition (which he doubted), a slightly poorer than normal income (which he can almost agree upon), or a mix of different scenarios (a possibility).


    In short, he was occupying the body of a young man about his age, middle class, student or common worker, and as unathletic as a civilian can possibly be.


    Not enough information.


    With a disappointed click of his tongue, the teenager pats himself down, searching for any identification he could find.


    Nothing.


    The only thing he was carrying was an ink-carrying object (which he can use to write), a square cloth, and a weird-looking pouch that had the blonde man from earlier''s face. Inside it were bills and coins from this world''s the pouch back inside his pockets, he rolls the sleeves of his black uniform, exposing his forearms and shins.


    There.


    His bare arms and legs showcased a detailed story.


    Pale skin was covered with bruises and burns, all in different stages of recovery. Hands smooth, if not a bit marked with ink. His muscles differed in shape. The ones in his arms were as skinny as it could possibly be, except for his right hand. While his leg muscles were defined.


    A writer, definitely. Unless there''s an instrument that can be played with one hand but that wouldn''t explain the ink nor the ache in his right palm. The lack of definition in his arms meant that the kid barely lifted things. Lack of calluses in his knuckles meant that he didn''t fight- which also meant that the situation he found himself in earlier was rare or new. The muscles in his legs could have meant a mostly leg-based fighting style (not possible with his skinny arms) or a runner .


    As for his injuries, they''re not self-inflicted nor do the injuries match any fits of clumsiness. The scars are in different stages of healing for it to be a major attack they found themselves in the middle of. Conclusion, a deliberate and constant attack. Probably inflicted by someone close to them. Family? Friend? Teammate?


    A teenaged civilian, student or common worker, living with a middle class income, wrote either as part of his job or hobby, runs weekly or almost daily, and is constantly attacked by a person they often meet.


    They''re not enough to sate his curiosity but it''s more than he expected, more than what he''s given during ANBU missions.


    Allowing himself to be satisfied, for now, the Uchiha lays down against the tiled rooftop and wonders about multiple things. Thoughts previously withheld gushing in: Where he was? Who this body belongs to? Why was he here? Is this him being reincarnated? And if so, why at this age and where were his memories?


    A green eye flickers to a blood red color and back to green again, leaving behind an ache.


    The one thing he doesn''t have to wonder about (and thank kami for that) is what''s happening back in Konoha. Twice since he appeared in this world, his left eye would ache and he''d see an opaque vision of his brother talking to him.


    He''s certain... as certain as he can possibly be that those visions weren''t a part of his imagination. Never before has he seen his brother''s eyes so sunken in, the frown of his lips that deep, his shoulders slouched in a manner unbefitting their Uchiha name. He carried the sins of their clan on his shoulders. Sins that he once carried alongside him.


    There''s a chance that he wouldn''t be able to come back. Wouldn''t be able to lift the weight off his brother. He died a certain death, there''s no chance for resurrection, only for reincarnation. The shinobi within him knows how to cut off his losses, to be grateful for the minor things in life, and so he''s thankful for his ability to see his little brother''s actions instead of being stuck in this world unsure as to how they are.


    "DEKU! WHERE THE F.U.C.K ARE YOU, YOU PIECE OF SHIT?"


    Even with his eyes closed and his body pressed against the rooftop, hidden from the streets and the streets hidden from him, the Uchiha prodigy could feel a semi-familiar aggressive aura moving across a nearby lane. It''s the younger blonde male from earlier, the one stuck inside the slime villain.


    To think they''d be near each other again.


    Another semi-familiar aura enters his senses, causing him to smirk and repeat his earlier thought.


    While the kid passed by, stomping all the way and never looking up, the older blonde after minutes of searching the area accidentally looked up and caught sight of a pair of green eyes observing him.


    "Young man! I''ve been looking everywhere for you!"


    His voice, while not as loud as his muscular form (most likely a hero persona he projects), is loud and boisterous compared to normal folks. The man waves energetically at him, beckoning him closer.


    Nodding, he pushes himself up, hands absentmindedly brushing off the dirt clinging to his uniform, and jumps off the roof.


    "Ukk..."


    Blood spills from All Might''s mouth, sunken eyes wide in shock. His lanky frame rushes forward to catch the falling teen. As arms reach up to grab him, the shinobi lightly kicks them away before gathering enough chakra to reinforce his legs and land in front of the hero.


    "All Might..." he greets, taking out the square cloth in his trouser pocket and offering it. It''s immediately waved away.


    "I''m fine, young man. Just shocked," he coughs lightly to get rid of any blood left in his mouth, "I''ve never seen a kid do that before..."


    "You were looking for me?" he repeated with a questioning tone.


    "RIGHT! Young man, I came to thank you and to also discuss your question from earlier. If you hadn''t been there, if you hadn''t told me about your life, I would have turned into a man in a bodysuit who was just all talk... so thanks."


    Question? Earlier?


    Green eyes widen. This man... He''s talked to whoever''s body he''s inhabiting. Lack of familiarity meant that they weren''t close, but to give out the story of his life...


    Then again, he''s seen people willing to give those out when they''re in need of guidance, and All Might, from what he knows, is a known and famous hero. Similar to the Hokage and any Elite Jounin, as well as any old human, his hero status screams out knowledgeable for those inexperienced in life.


    "You''re welcome," he replies with a slight hesitance, mind buzzing with do''s and don''ts. There''s no instruction on how to prevent people from realizing you''re an imposter or an amnesiac (he can''t count that theory out yet) so broad answers would do well until he has more detail.


    "I have to ask. Your Quirk..."


    "My quirk?"


    "You told me you were Quirkless but I saw it, you had red eyes and teleported."


    "My Quirk..." the Uchiha pauses, gathering as many facts as possible to find an answer.


    The facts are, Quirks (with a capital Q) is another word that changed definition in this world, him mentioning Shunshin and the Sharingan meant it either involved his Kekkei Genkai or jutsus in general. Quirkless probably meant a lack of jutsu? The punch All Might did involved a rainbow chakra and the civilian before had a chakra mostly centered in his palms and lingering in his skin... most likely its lack of bloodline but he wouldn''t be surprised if his previous idea is true.


    "It just appeared."


    He watches as the blonde chokes on his own saliva (and blood) before chuckling to himself.


    "You continue to surprise me, young man, but I should have expected your answer. You were too honest earlier and you had nothing to gain for lying. Plus, I doubt a fanboy like yourself would have lied."


    Fanboy?


    ... Great.


    Shinobi training prevents him from accidentally showcasing his feelings, he doesn''t shudder recalling memories of being chased around by fangirls nor does he scowl at the idea of acting like them. Instead, he smiles politely and shrugs.


    "It''s probably one of those late blooming quirks or a situational quirk..."


    "Strong emotions?" he interrupts, grasping the idea given to him and wondering if, just like the Sharingan, his reincarnation here was unlocked by a strong emotion.


    Most Uchihas unlocked their Dojutsu due to battles, due to a desperation to survive, and he''s already concluded earlier that this body is new to fights due to its lack of calluses. Maybe getting into a fight, being desperate to survive, unlocked his reincarnation?


    Too theoretical. It''s a desperate guess for his appearance here.


    "It''s possible. If the emotion is too specific, an emotion 4 year olds wouldn''t have, your quirk wouldn''t appear until later."


    A grin stretches across a thin face, sunken blue eyes looking at him with amazement and pride.


    "But back then, before you gained your quirk, timid, quirkless you acted when other heroes wouldn''t. And it''s because of your actions at the scene that I was able to act."


    Lips tilt upward, glad that his body''s owner was willing to fight an enemy that heroes wouldn''t, even if they were a weak civilian. Self-sacrifice. A person who protects peace. If they trained their body, they could become a true shinobi.


    "There are stories about many heroes, how they became great. Most have one thing in common- their bodies moved before they had a chance to think, almost on their own. And today... that''s what happened to you, young man. You too CAN become a hero."


    A fond smile forms.


    Those words... they''re similar to the Hokage''s words, to the Will of Fire. A part of him is glad that this world holds a similar idea, of protecting those precious to them- including civilians. While a part of him feels guilty. All Might''s words held a lot of weight and was clearly intended for the quirkless civilian whose body he occupies.


    His sharingan appears once more, memorizing every part of the scene- the hero''s emotions and stature, the sunset, the wind coming through the streets. He wouldn''t be able to recreate it perfectly but once he''s able to, he''ll make sure that the civilian would see this sight and hear those words said back to him. It''s the least he could do for the brave kid.


    "I deem you worthy to inherit my power, my Quirk is yours to inherit."


    Wait...


    What?


    So Quirk is a Jutsu? Not a Kekkei Genkai? The word ''inherit'' implies that it isn''t a normal jutsu, however. Is it a Kinjutsu or a forbidden technique? Maybe a secret technique only passed on from mentor to student- like the Yondaime Raikage''s Lariat or the Yondaime Hokage''s Rasengan?


    "Listen well, young man. You need to decide whether or not you will accept my power!"


    "Your quirk... your power... what...?" is it? No. He can''t ask that. His body''s a fanboy. Surely, he''d know almost everything about the hero. If his experience with fangirls can be used as a reference, the boy''s probably stalked All Might before and knows uncomfortable facts about him, such as underwear or training areas.


    "The tabloids called it ''superhuman strength'' and a ''boost'' and I constantly dodge any questions related to it during interviews with a funny joke because the Symbol of Peace, All Might, had to be thought of as a natural-born hero. But young man, I will tell you the truth..."


    The urge to use his Sharingan for this whole conversation grows. Not only did he miss an important moment he would need to use as a Genjutsu in the future, but this talk is something he''d need to rewatch again and again. If only this body had enough stamina to maintain the Sharingan for a long period of time. He has enough for a minute or five, but he''s saving those for emergency reasons.


    Grabbing the ink-carrying object from his front pocket, he discreetly placed his hands behind his back, writing the words ''Quirk'', ''Symbol of Peace'', and ''natural-born'' on his free palm. This body may not be satisfactory for his shinobi needs but its steady writing hand is perfect for this.


    "My quirk was passed on to me like a sacred torch!"


    All Might''s grandiose movement, spreading his arms wide, told him of his statement''s importance. That passing on quirks is rare, possibly unique. Following this hidden hint, he asks for further explanation...


    "Passed on to you?"


    ... and doesn''t get it.


    Instead of an explanation, the blonde hero nods eagerly and replies, "And next, it is your turn. I can give you my abilities."


    Scowling softly, green locks fall down his face as his head nudges to the side and repeats the same question, earning a confused look.


    "What?"


    Green eyes narrow.


    "Ah! Right! The true name of my power is ''One for All''." A familiar rainbow chakra appears in the man''s skinny and calloused palms. "One person cultivates the power, and then passes it to another person, who also cultivates it, then passes it on and it continues to grow as it gets passed along. It is the crystallization of power that spins together the voices of those who need help with a courageous heart." He finishes with a flourish, clenching his hand and stopping the rainbow chakra from appearing.


    All Might''s fond of dramatics, he thinks. His actions, his words, they were unnecessary displays but it could have been worse. Every ninja has their weirdness, Jiraiya-sama with his pervertedness, Gai with his green leotard and Youth speeches, Hokage-sama with his love for Icha Icha... a bit of dramatics is bearable compared to them.


    "Why are you giving me this?" he questioned.


    "I have been looking for a successor, and then, I watched you jump into action while the rest of us stood idly by," an utterly serious expression occupies the hero''s face, "You''re just a Quirkless hero fanboy but you were more heroic than anyone back there! Well it''s up to you though. What''ll you do?"


    He hesitated. This question isn''t for him but for the fanboy who jumped in to save a person. The Quirkless civilian who truly doesn''t have any powers. If he denied this, the teen might never get a Quirk and become a hero (unless he wants to go through the Taijutsu spandex route). Accepting it, while more tempting than the other choice, had its own problems. What if he ends up stealing this from the kid? What if he didn''t want it?


    The definite choice is to wait, to see if he''d gain memories or if the kid will take back this body. But how would he be able to get All Might to agree on waiting for an answer when he''s been eagerly looking for a successor?


    The answer to his question doesn''t pop up from his mind. Instead, it came from the hero himself.


    "Well, young man?"


    Young man.


    Ever since they''ve started talking, All Might''s been calling him ''Young man'', never referencing a name. Even he, the stranger that he is, has called All Might by his name- as weird of a name as it is.


    He wants to both laugh and shake his head in disbelief. Here was the ''Symbol of Peace'' offering a stranger a power that he could easily guess as undeniably powerful.


    "Do you even know my name?"


    The resulting silence after his question made him scoff lightly in amus.e.m.e.nt.


    "Uhh... I..."


    All Might looked as if he''d been stopped in time, barely moving except to blink. The silence grew and an awkward cough left the hero''s lips. Scratching his cheek, the man looked at the ground as he asked,


    "What IS your name?"


    "My name?..."


    a soft sigh leaves his lips, recalling the last seconds of his death. Blood from his face splattering on the ground, his little brother in front of him filled with fear and worry, the fall...


    "... Uchiha Shisui."


    CONCLUSION NOTE:


    I''m still contemplating on whether Shisui will gain One for All or not. I already know he''ll be OP since he is Shisui but ridiculously OP or not is the question. Maybe, instead of getting the punching power to destroy a city, One for All''s ability will change. It could just enhance his ''Quirk'' giving him the chakra capacity of a Jinchuuriki (like Kisame) and making his Sharingan unable to blind him (aka Eternal Mangekyou).


    Also, here''s a scene that I couldn''t add in the chapter:


    Knock. Knock.


    Inko glanced up, half a mind still focused on the news retelling what happened earlier- the slime villain who captured Katsuki and her precious Izuku attacking the villain helplessly to save his best friend.


    "Izuku? Baby? Are you home?"


    Knock. Knock.


    "Midoriya-san?"


    She immediately stands up at the sound of a stranger calling for her from behind the door, hands brushing down her dress as she hastily rushes towards the door. Opening the door, a chain keeping it from fully opening, she sees a young officer holding a familiar looking backpack.


    "Ma''am, is this the Midoriya residence?"


    "Yes it is. Who are you? And why are you holding Izuku''s backpack?"


    "Midoriya-san, I''m sure you''ve seen the news. Midoriya-kun threw this at the Slime Villain and accidentally left it. One of the officers saw it as they were leaving and decided to get this back to him as thanks for what he did."


    Closing the door shut, Inko slides off the chain and reopens the door, smiling gratefully at the officer.


    "I''m sure Izuku would be grateful that he got his backpack back. He''s been fond of it ever since I bought it. Thank you, Officer."


    "No problem, Ma''am," the police officer immediately offers the bag and bows, exchanging a polite goodbye before leaving.


    As the door closes once more, Inko tightens her grip on her son''s bag. Izuku''s unusually fond of his bag, having picked it for its color, similar to All Might''s hair. He''d taken care of it since he was a kid, making sure it doesn''t get destroyed, unlike his uniform, clothes, and other items. For him to forget it...


    The feeling in her gut grew stronger, worry occupying her deepest senses.


    Her baby boy''s fine. He''s just growing forgetful.


    Deciding to wait for her son on the couch, she waits and waits, clock ticking by. Her green eyes grow heavy and it''s not until morning of the next day that she accepts the feeling in her gut- her son is gone.


    Chapter 2


    I''m a fool. I realised something halfway through writing this and had to adjust my plans for this story. What I realised was that I missed out on the best friendship Shisui can have in this world- a friendship with Tokoyami.


    Friendship with Kaachan is cancelled. Now, Tokoyami is my best friend.


    All Might.


    Number One Hero. Symbol of Peace. A True Hero.


    He''s learned multiple things about All Might in the past 24 hours of his appearance here in this world.


    How his appearance caused the crime rate to drop. How his debut was of him saving over a hundred people. How he''s maintained the rank of Number One for years now. How he smiles during crises to make civilians feel safe and hopeful.


    It''s awe inspiring. The man who, in his mind, foolishly offered Shisui''s fanboy predecessor a unique power without knowing his name, has earned and gained the same amount of respect one should give to a Kage. In fact, if he were a resident of Konoha, there''s no doubt that All Might would be a favorite choice for the next Hokage once the Sandaime retires.


    After being offered One for All, and introducing himself as Uchiha Shisui, the Uchiha heavily argued against making an immediate decision. While he couldn''t talk about his recent appearance in this world and ''possessing'' the body of a brave teen who truly deserved this unique Quirk, all he needed to do was point out All Might''s lack of knowledge about him and his impulsive decision of picking a successor after three quick meetings (one of which shouldn''t count) before they came into an agreement.


    All Might would train him for 10 months to prepare his body for One for All (wasn''t that a surprise? learning about how the Quirk could explode his limbs) and in those months, the hero would observe whether or not he''d be worthy as his successor.


    Shisui, in the meanwhile, would be spending every free moment he has into researching about this world, finding ways to gain the kid''s memories, creating a stable source of income and food, and filling in topics missing from All Might''s teaching (chakra control and capacity, lessening his hand signs, etc.).


    The two made plans to meet in 2 days, around sunrise, in a place called Dagobah Municipal Park before leaving. Each focused on their next mission- one, planning a training schedule for his skinny possible successor, and the other, contemplating on where he''d be able to hunt and sleep.


    He''d been semi-successful in this venture. Though this world lacks the bountiful greenery he''s used to, therefore depriving him of an easily accessible location to comfortably camp and hunt, a shinobi is trained for any and every possible survival situation. He may have only spent a year in the academy due to the Third Shinobi War but his knowledge of ''what to do if stuck in a crowded enemy territory with no supplies'' was abundant.


    It only took a quick count of the money he had in his pockets and a trip down multiple shady alleyways to gain the resources he needed to get started.


    Smokeless shunshin, chakra enhanced strength, and a few minutes of Sharingan.


    These three techniques had lessened his reserves to 60%.


    The Sharingan didn''t have as much of a drain as he initially expected. He''d initially presumed that it would act similar to Kakashi-senpai, requiring large amounts of chakra for his dojutsu to be used in a non-Uchiha body. Instead, it drained the same amount it normally did in his previous body. His misfortune was that the fanboy had a small chakra capacity.


    Maybe the scriptures were correct when they talked about how their ancestors gained the spirit of the Sage while the Senju''s were given his body. If the Sharingan was connected to his spirit, it would explain the normal drainage and his ability to activate it in this body.


    Still.


    Right now, the Sharingan uses 4% of his chakra every minute. Meaning he can only use it for 5 minutes before he''s down to 40%. At which point, he''ll be tapping on his reserves- a percentage of his chakra capacity he withholds for emergency purposes, such as an ambush, protecting his loved ones, and using Kotoamatsukami.


    His best plan going forward is to preserve every bit of chakra he has and to stick to D or E-class jutsus if required. He''s in a hostile environment with no Konoha or Uchiha compound to fall back to. He needed to secure food and safe shelter for the night, before diving into his problems first thing in the morning.


    Staying away from the populated areas of the city and journeying through empty alleyways, Shisui kept his senses alert all the while keeping his walk casual. With his shoulders hunched, head downcast, and hands in the pockets of his pants, he looked like any normal civilian. What really sold his ''vulnerable'' state is his current face and stature, a skinny boy with a childish face- it''s the perfect bait.


    As he entered another dark alleyway, he felt a presence leaking faint bloodl.u.s.t nearby, assumingly observing him. Keeping his breath steady, he pushed a portion of his chakra away from his skin, letting it envelop the small alleyway.


    41%


    There! Behind him, by his right side.


    While he didn''t check every shadow or hidden area when he entered, he''s been trained to spot enemies from the corner of his eyes. For him to be able to stay hidden in his place... he must be invisible to the normal eyes. A camouflage quirk?


    Listening carefully, he could hear the faint sound of breathing, an inch or so away from a machine attached to a building which was constantly making a rumble.


    Clever.


    Definitely an experienced human.


    Now to see if they''re a criminal or something else entirely.


    Shisui walked deeper into the alleyway, heading towards the exit. Once he was in the middle, he heard the man moving away from his spot near the walls and towards him. Having been on high alert, the shinobi was prepared to dodge as soon as he heard a wet slick coming towards him. A tube of pink passed by his left, reaching a few feet away until it hit and stuck to a wall.


    Quickly turning around, he saw the man... creature... chameleon-headed man''s mouth wide open, the pink tube which had passed by him being his tongue.


    Adhesive long tongue. Camouflage. Chameleon head.


    He could safely assume that his skills were mostly chameleon based, though it''ll benefit his survival not to expect it to be the man''s only capabilities.


    A shinobi who lives on his assumptions, dies of his assumptions.


    Rushing the man, his left hand reached out to grab and pull him by the collar of his shirt, causing him to stumble forwards. Taking advantage of this movement, Shisui followed through with an uppercut, allowing his jaw to slam shut and teeth to harshly bite his tongue.


    One advantage disabled.


    The chameleon criminal attempted to fight back, widely swinging both fists at him. Dodging each attack using the slightest tilt of his head and body, he waits for an opening before punching the man''s temple- not enough to knock him unconscious but enough to disorient.


    Green eyes immediately bleed red after his last attack.


    The reptile man tripped on his own two feet, falling flat on the floor. When their eyes met, the young Uchiha couldn''t help but smirk, watching as he fell into his genjutsu.


    34%


    Good. It''s less of a drain than he''d anticipated. Disorienting his enemy probably helped in regard. Now to get his chakra''s worth.


    "Hand over any yen you have, and tell me what you know about..."


    27%


    20%


    13%


    It took a total of 4 minutes to get everything he needed from the man. 4 thousand yen. Information on the locations he wanted to find, including the nearest and cheapest inn the man knows of. And a few more topics he''d forgotten to ask, including a basic summary about quirks, heroes, and public transportation.


    6%


    Leaving behind an order for him to go to the nearest police station and turn himself in, Shisui deactivated his Sharingan, exhaling heavily soon after.


    That''s 2 problems solved. He had a total of 11 thousand yen he could spend, the location of a cheap inn and a ramen restaurant, and if he had enough money by tomorrow morning, a store where he could buy a tent, water canister, several filters, and maybe a knife.


    As he left the alleyway to make his way to the Inn, the genjutsu user couldn''t help but look up, green eyes carefully checking the rooftops.


    Huh...


    He could have sworn he felt another presence...


    Silently cursing his remaining chakra reserves, Shisui started walking faster, moving towards the populated streets and allowing himself to blend in. Whoever had been observing him, if there was one, would soon lose him to the crowds.


    Gaining the locations for food and shelter after a simple one-sided battle, the Uchiha had been willing to indulge in a little luxury, renting a night in a cheap inn and buying bowls of ramen.


    It had been worth every yen spent.


    Those few hours of sleep in a comfortable bed, with a full stomach, were much needed especially when the nightmares came in.


    His death (had it only been a few hours since then?) frequented his dreams- the pain in his eyes, both from using Mangekyou and having them plucked out, the poison entering his bloodstream, being hunted down by his fellow Konoha shinobi, his sworn brother Itachi''s face as he explained the situation, his fall to the river, the feeling of drowning...


    It added to his usual bout of nightmares, multiple imagined scenarios appearing after he learned of the Uchiha clan''s planned coup d''etat, where Itachi, Sasuke, and several of his close relatives and friends died due to each other''s blades.


    The morning after was simple compared to yesterday. Apart from a surprising ache surrounding his whole body and his clothes seemingly shrinking after having hand washed them, there was nothing mind blowingly shocking. No surprise emergence to a different world, no battles, no wild hostage situation, and no weaving around the truth. It was breakfast, checking out of the inn, and buying necessities plus a few notebooks, pens, and loose clothes on sale.


    By the time afternoon came around, Shisui was lugging a backpack filled with everything he needed to survive as he entered Musutafu''s public library.


    It had everything he needed. Maps and travel guides of Musutafu, Shizuoka Prefecture, and Japan. Detailed history of Quirks and Heroes. And enough knowledge about All Might to fool everyone into thinking he''s a fanboy. He made sure to spend a few more of his remaining yen to buy a library card for the next time he visited.


    What''s more is that he gained three things he didn''t expect: an idea as to how he can gain brave kid''s memories, knowledge about this world''s history of shinobi, and a new found friend.


    A hiss slipped in between Shisui''s lips, the palm of his hands strongly pressing against his eyelids.


    His eyes.


    They were burning.


    It''s not as painful or as bloody as overusing Mangekyou Sharingan but it''s an ache he''s unused to. His eyes felt as dry as Suna''s desert, his vision blurry, and the light coming from the windows were worsening his condition. A quick glimpse at his reflection on the window showcased how the corner of his eyes were red (mockingly complimenting his dojutsu) and slowly flowing with tears.


    Maybe he shouldn''t have spent 13 minutes of his life with an active dojutsu, speed reading and memorizing 6 books from cover to cover.


    His plan worked, however.


    He now knew enough about All Might to possibly creep the hero out tomorrow and his knowledge about quirks and heroes could keep him in line with the law or skillfully dodge them.


    Blindly reaching inside his bag pack to grab a blank notebook and pen, the teen planted them against an empty space in front of him. If he can''t continue his studies the quick way, he''ll write down everything he needs to memorize and read them later.


    With a pen gripped in his hand and a blank Campos notebook in front of him, Shisui opened his red eyes and...


    The sound of fighting and an array of bright lights were coming from the computer in front of him, its screen showing All Might''s latest fight against a villain. Glancing at the new notebook in front of him, he carefully wrote the words ''Hero Analysis for the Future'' in its blank lines, followed by ''No. 13'' and two eager underlines just below it.


    Again?


    Sharingan instantly deactivated, his mind fully focused on the newest memory he''s received. He''s been in this library for less than an hour but the amount of memories he''s received are outstanding.


    True, they were mostly useless and all of them were related to All Might but it''s a step towards the right direction.


    He learned that fanboy is the truest definition of a fanboy. The memories he gained showed him moments of the kid watching multiple All Might videos or learning about certain facts- such as his weight, height, place of work, etc.


    What intrigued him is the trigger for those memories. They seemed to only appear after he''s read a certain fact or event. Yet this newest memory had a different trigger. All they had in common was All Might and his dojutsu being active at the time.


    Focus.


    He''ll have time to figure this puzzle out. What he didn''t have time for is learning what he needed to blend in. Promising to come back to his previous string of thoughts later tonight, he grabbed the next book about ''the Psychological Effects of Quirks'' and carefully skimmed through it, writing down the main ideas being explained in the book.


    "Hey! Look at this!"


    A loud voice shouted out right by his ear, making the young Jounin jump in surprise and face towards the source.


    Right in front of him, a few inches away from his face in fact, was a dark creature with glowing yellow eyes staring at the book he''d been reading.


    How?


    How did he get close?


    He may not be on full alert and he''s not a sensory ninja, therefore unable to identify individuals, but every shinobi worth their weight can sense someone this close.


    "Dark Shadow, enough. It''ll be a dark day if your actions cause us to be banned from this library as well."


    Is that a-?


    Shisui bit his lower lip, trying to control his urge to grin at the person appearing around the corner. There wasn''t anything funny about them (of course not!) but his scowl, narrowed eyes, and brooding personality reminded him of most of his family members... plus...


    A crow-loving Uchiha meeting an Uchiha-acting crow? Priceless.


    "The last one wasn''t my fault! YOU were the one who decided to make a nest in one of the shelves!"


    "And you were the cause of the other 4..."


    He watched amusedly as the crow-looking guy and his shadow companion argued, taking note of their bird-like similarities and their tethered connection. Was this ''Dark Shadow'' a quirk? Recalling everything he''s learned about Quirks since he entered the library, it''s likely that he is. Of course, it could be that ''Dark Shadow'' was the crow teen''s twin and they''ve been connected since birth. He''s read a case in Vietnam similar to his imagined scenario.


    It''s during this observation that he glimpsed the books being carried by the teen, something about rituals, Necronomicon, history of deadly plagues, and what got most of his attention- The Shinobi Art of Walking in the Shadows.


    Shinobi? They had those here too?


    His attention was brought back as the two walked closer to him, Dark Shadow continually pointing at the book he''s reading, specifically the part about the personalities of sentient quirks, while the crow teen gave in and took a glimpse.


    "If you want..." the Sharingan user started, hand placed on the book before sliding it to the empty desk beside him, "we can exchange books for a while?"


    "Which one?" was the man''s quick and suspicious response.


    "Shadow Walking. I''ve never read about it before," he flashed a small smile, finger lightly tapping the book''s spine.


    "An equivalent exchange. Very well."


    They quickly changed books. Dark Shadow and his companion willingly sitting by the desk beside him. It took minutes of silence, almost half an hour, before Shisui peeked up from his reading to ask,


    "I know your companion''s name is Dark Shadow but can I know yours?"


    Dark Shadow answered immediately, seemingly bored out of his mind.


    "This guy here''s Tokoyami Fumikage but you can call him Fumi! I do!"


    A fond chuckle left him. This creature, Dark Shadow, definitely reminded him of home. His familiarity with Tokoyami reminded him again of his summons, as well as the Uchiha cat summons. And his little brother attitude made him yearn to see both Itachi and Sasuke again. Eyeing the topic of their conversation, he arched an eyebrow, silently asking which name he''d be willing to be called as.


    "Tokoyami will do. Fumi is a nickname I unwillingly hold. And you are?"


    "Uchiha Shisui"


    Thus started a friendship between Shisui and Dark Shadow, with Tokoyami being dragged in along the way. While he couldn''t exchange a phone number, they''d made plans to meet again in the same place, next week before parting as the sun began to set.


    Traveling to the closest forested area in Musutafu, named Bogano Forest Park, and finding an empty area far off the beaten track and hidden from the used trails, Shisui set up camp and spent his second night in this world there.


    Dagobah Municipal Beach Park, Musutafu. 5 am.


    It''s been 36 hours, give or take an hour, since he arrived in this world. With no clue of whose body he''s possessing, where he was, what to do, Shisui had made do. He had a temporary place of residence, knowledge about this world, and a few visions in his repertoire.


    While he didn''t gain new information about fanboy''s life, apart from the plethora of All Might facts he received yesterday in the library; his left eye stung repeatedly during his sleep, waking him up every few minutes. Scenes of Itachi talking to him were in the forefront of his dreams. Though he can barely read the man''s lips due to the speed of his visions, context clues allowed him to fill in the blanks. His brother, in all but blood, talked about their fellow Uchiha''s suspecting him for his death and the current situation of the coup.


    The clan''s getting restless, more and more are accepting the Elders'' idea.


    Their previous plan was in scrambles. He''s ''dead''. And without the other eye, Itachi could only use Kotoamatsukami on one person which would be suspicious. All he could do is figure out the mechanics of this new ability, attempt to send a genjutsu through those visions, and hope that Itachi would find a way to save their clan.


    Walking towards the beach, a camping bag dragged behind him, Shisui bit back a curse. He missed the inn. It may have been a waste of money compared to living for free somewhere, but at least it didn''t add physical pain to his sleepless night. His body had been aching since he woke up, most likely due to the harsh ground he slept on.


    The temptation to find another criminal, grab their money, and spend another night in a cheap inn grew stronger by the second.


    With a hand massaging his shoulder blade, the Uchiha continued moving through his destination, green eyes glancing around every few seconds in search of All Might.


    Seeing the slouched skeleton-like figure of All Might, he raised his free hand and waved, moving faster towards the 7 foot man.


    "All Might!" he greeted with a small grin, "what''s the plan?"


    His grin slowly faltered as he took in the hero''s confused eyes and the blood spilling from his mouth.


    "All Might?" Shisui questioned, worry etched on his face, "Are you okay?"


    Shaking his head, blonde locks swinging about, the number one hero wiped his mouth and spoke. "You..." he coughed against his hand, "... look different, Young Uchiha." A skinny hand motioned towards him causing the Uchiha to look confused as well.


    Reaching inside his pocket, All Might grabbed his phone, took a step back, took a picture of the sight before him, before showing the screen of his phone to the young shinobi.


    What Shisui saw was a teen who had a mix of his and the fanboy''s features. His coloration was still the same- dark green hair and eyes, pale skin, and a dark shade of freckles. Along with having the same ears, nose, and skinny body. However, his hair was longer, reaching the back of his head and covering the sides of his face. Eyes were a bit narrower with longer eyelashes. Face slimmed down, losing the baby fat it once held. Eyebrows thicker and longer. And... Did he gain a bit of height? Probably.


    "Oh..."


    It was the only thing he could say as he continued to stare, hands reaching up to poke his own cheeks. When did this happen? And why did he look like his grandfather with this hairstyle?


    "Yes. Oh." All Might chuckled softly, waiting a few more seconds before pocketing his phone, "I''ve said it once and I''ll say it again, young man. You continue to surprise me."


    "It''ll keep a hero like you on constant alert," he cheekily responded, half a mind running through every possibility as to why this could happen.


    His spirit merging with fanboy? Activating his reincarnation changed this body''s features? His possession getting stronger?


    A loud booming laugh echoed through the garbage filled beach, the skinny form of All Might having transformed to its buffer self.


    "Right you are, young man! A hero like me has to be in constant alert! Who knows what dangers lurk in the streets?" With a flat hand against his eyebrows, the Symbol of Peace dramatically looked around, causing Shisui to scoff in amus.e.m.e.nt. "Now then! To be my successor..."


    "I''m still thinking about it," the Uchiha prodigy interrupted.


    "... my possible successor... you need to clean up this whole beach!" Arms spread out, indicating the mountains of trash occupying the beach.


    "I''m picking up trash in order to strengthen my body in order for it to not explode?"


    Each word left his lips hesitantly, shivering at the thought of his limbs exploding.


    It reminded him of the Eight Gates.


    Stories from Kakashi-taichou and Gai-san gave him a passing comprehension on the topic. It gave a great amount of power which could harm, even kill, its user unless they''ve excessively trained in preparation for it. Opening any of the eight gates is difficult while learning how to use them without a severe backlash is worse.


    The extensive, seemingly impossible, training reinforced this comparison.


    "You got it! But there''s another reason. After some online search, I discovered this beach has been like this for many years."


    Shisui scowled after hearing this, mentally comparing clean, nature-loving Konoha to this world.


    "Heroes these days are all about showy stuff. Originally, being a hero meant volunteer service, even if it was considered boring. You can''t waver from those roots." Pumping his fist, All Might eagerly continued, "You will restore the coastline for this entire section! That is the first step on your path to becoming a hero!"


    As the hero continued talking about U.A. and his 10 month training before the school''s entrance exam, going so far as to show the shinobi a schedule titled ''Aim to Pass: American Dream plan'', Shisui couldn''t help himself.


    If I can''t clean this beach in 6 months, I''ll do 250 laps around Musutafu. If I can''t do 250 laps, I''ll do 1000 push ups. And if I can''t do 1000 push ups, I''ll wear a green spandex and orange warmers as my hero costume, he jokingly thought, a hand covering his mouth as he snickered softly.


    "Sounds a bit extreme but if you''re sure about it... 6 months it is!"


    ...


    Did I say it out loud?


    "Wait!" the Uchiha panickingly shouted, hand wildly waving in front of him to dissuade his companion. His actions may be un-Uchiha-like but his ancestors would surely agree how now isn''t the time for composure. "I was kidding!"


    Even as he continued protesting loudly, All Might just laughed and repeated his words, reminding him of the time he''s wasting.


    ...And so began Shisui''s months of ''youthful'' training.


    CONCLUSION NOTE:


    Another realization I had as I was writing this is that the entrance exams would be chapters away. Maybe 3-5 chapters away? I have a lot of plans revolving around these 10 months of training, plans which I can''t really say right now but it does involve meeting a few more people. Hopefully the difference between canon and this fanfiction would keep you all entertained.


    Also please comment on whether you''d like Izuku/Shisui to have One for All. I''m willing to go for either or, and no matter what, we''ll still have mentor!/father figure!All Might. If he doesn''t get OfA, it''ll go to someone that''s not Mirio. I know he''s the ''next best choice'' or the ''most worthy'' one to get OfA but I prefer having the quirk in the spotlight, instead of pushed aside and forgotten until Eri''s arc.


    Chapter 3


    MISSING


    MIDORIYA Izuku was last seen on April 13, 2- in Musutafu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Chubu.


    Age at Disappearance: 14


    Height: 5''6" (167 cm)


    Weight: 110 lbs (49.87 kgs)


    Hair Color: Green


    Eye Color: Green


    Distinguishing Feature: Diamond shaped freckles on his cheeks


    File #: 2***-0413-14010


    Additional Information: Last seen in Utapau street, Musutafu, wearing a gakuran. Midoriya''s disappearance occured around 5pm after leaving a villain fight. His mother reports that he has no tendency of running away and finds his disappearance unusual, especially since he left behind his favorite yellow backpack and other personal belongings. If found, please contact the Musutafu Police Station at...


    This case...


    Naomasa, once again, carefully read every word written in the case file, in an attempt to shed some light into this mystery. Having read the police reports and listened to the interviews related to it daily for the past month, nothing new clicked in his mind. Every theory he had about the kid going missing was given out in the first week he''d been asked to collaborate on this case.


    As the detective put in charge of the slime villain''s arrest and incoming trial, it''s no surprise that he''d be placed in charge of the investigation for Midoriya Izuku''s disappearance. The kid disappeared after helping save a classmate and giving All Might the opening he needed to put the villain out of commission without hurting his hostage.


    The police force had first assumed that the slime creature had been able to contact someone on the outside to get his revenge but multiple interrogations showed that the villain had no connection to this case. The asshole didn''t help with their suspicion, acting smug and cheerful after hearing about the kid''s situation; going so far to say that the ''brat'' deserved it.


    Villains, Naomasa thought with a scowl on his lips, glaring at the stack of papers in his hands.


    "Who injured All Might?"


    The question, so sudden and out of the blue, slapped reality against the detective''s face, causing him to almost jump out and look around.


    "Wha-?"


    Wide dark hues met an equally dark yet undeniably tired gaze.


    Aizawa Shouta, also known as the Underground Hero Eraserhead, looked on with an amused smirk as the detective struggled to answer his question.


    "Injured? What do you mean? Did something happen? Maybe I should call..."


    A snort unexpectedly escaped the hero, resulting in him burying his face further into his capture weapon.


    "Calm down," Aizawa ordered, narrowed eyes glaring at the panicking officer. He''s only known the man in passing for a few years, having patrolled the same areas and arrested the same villains, and gotten closer due to the blonde show off, but if there''s one thing he knew about Naomasa Tsukauchi, it''s that All Might was the one topic who could simultaneously worry and snap him out of it.


    "Nothing happened to him or else it would be front and center of today''s news. You look like something did occur."


    "Oh.."


    Naomasa forced himself to chuckle, unsure of what else he could say after the truthful statement pushed against his face. It''s in his hopes that his laughter, however awkward it may be, covered the gathering pink on his cheeks.


    He knows he''s a bit protective of Toshinori but with the amount of reliance they had on each other, both in and out of work, it''s only normal.


    "Hm..." with shoulders slouched forward and a head too heavy to keep upright, Shouta had half a mind to end this conversation and make his way back to his sleeping bag. If only Hisashi wouldn''t get in his business, whining and complaining about how he should take care of the few people willing to be ''friends'' with him.


    "What is it?"


    "What?"


    The underground hero glared, never fond of repeating himself.


    "What got you looking like someone injured All Might and you''re cursing their name to hell and back?"


    The blush in Naomasa''s cheeks brightened, one hand tightly clutching the Midoriya case files and another burying deeper inside the pocket of his trench coat.


    "This..." he casually waved the thick paperwork, a small frown quickly appearing and disappearing, "A kid went missing after saving his classmate from a villain. We''re not sure if he got kidnapped or ran away, both seem likely when you read about his life."


    "A missing kid, huh..." Shouta could understand why that would cause the detective distress. Having a kid run away from home already screams a bad life but for him to probably be kidnapped by villains? There''s no good scenario. No ''At best, he''ll end up...''. He could be dead, tortured, turned into a villain, or something else just as bad, if they weren''t fast enough in finding him.


    Reaching forward, palms up, fingers curling towards him in a repetitive motion, he waited until he was given the police file before nonchalantly glancing at it.


    Interest shined behind his lazy facade, growing brighter after every sentence read.


    "This kid," he began, knuckles lightly tapping the stapled photo, "I''ve seen him before, about a month ago."


    Relief entered Naomasa''s system...


    "I haven''t ran into him since but I keep encountering his brother during my patrols. The problem children have been defeating criminals and stealing their money. I tried capturing the other kid last time but he was able to escape." If only his previous class, the class he expelled on the first day, had as much of a potential as the two Midoriya''s.


    ...only to disappear as Eraserhead continued talking.


    "Brother?" he repeated questioningly, "Midoriya Izuku doesn''t have any siblings. He''s an only child."


    "Are you sure?" It''s illogical to ask this kind of question but he knows what he saw that night, it''s a matter of his senses versus police information. From his experience, it''s better to trust his own senses than to believe in the police''s capability to accurately gather information. "The other kid looks exactly like Midoriya, only taller and fitter, with longer hair and less of a baby cheek. They look too alike to be anything but brothers. And I''ve seen their quirk..." It''s impossible for it to be a body altering quirk, "The brother has an illusion quirk and the other has some sort of mind control... no doubt they''d be given trouble because of it."


    He doesn''t wish to imply anything, about the kids'' family, friends, school, life. But from his perspective, it looked like the kids'' ran away. They weren''t hesitant or troubled when attacking criminals, not coursed to a life of crime by their kidnappers. Just two kids doing what they can to survive the streets.


    With a seemingly unbreakable and limited-only-by-his-imagination illusion quirk from the taller brother, a quirk that allowed him to change his appearance and helped him escape during their last meeting, and a mind control quirk from the other, it wouldn''t be too far out of reach to assume they were given crap about it.


    Kids could do whatever they want and blame the brothers for their actions, saying that they were either mind controlled or the taller brother took in their appearance.


    "I... he''s..." there''s a pause in between Naomasa''s stutter, pieces about the case falling into place, forming a horror-filled puzzle.


    "He''s quirkless."


    The detective can''t focus on Eraserhead''s response, his mind too engaged with the theories he''s forming.


    He''s interviewed Midoriya Inko. Asked her everything under the sun- about her life, her son''s life, his father, his schooling, his quirklessness, etc. Everything she said pinged true. How Izuku wanted to be a hero. How he was devastated about his quirklessness. How he''s most likely being bullied but cared too much about her reaction to worry her.


    And now... here''s a quirkless kid who''s been pushed around by society, laughed at for his dream to be a hero, suddenly gaining a quirk and disappearing from his home. He knows of one person who''s able and eager to give a quirk to a desperate kid, in exchange for their loyalty.


    "I need to make that call."


    With a quick excuse, Naomasa ran past the underground hero, fingers shakily dialing his close friend''s number.


    "Are you sure?"


    All Might asked quietly, fingers tightening around his phone, causing the case to crack slightly.


    The news given to him was troubling.


    The thought of All for One being alive and active horrified him. He''d given everything he had and more to finish the man who killed his mentor, their predecessors, and countless others. He had promised during their battle, 5 years ago, that he''d end the man''s reign of terror. He''d make sure his successor and those who would gain One for All in the future would never suffer the same fate as him. Never again would the owner of One for All lose their mentor. Never again would they live a life in fear of and dedicated to All for One.


    And now, he receives news that not only did he survive, he''s gained enough strength to resort to his usual villainous actions.


    A part of him is currently glad for his and Shisui''s agreement. He can''t, in good conscience, give One for All to anyone if that monster is still alive.


    Sunken blue eyes carefully keeping watch of his future successor lugging around a tire in an effort to clean the beach. They''d been training in Dagobah for hours, with Shisui diligently planning his course of attack against a mountain of garbage before executing it, and Toshinori correcting his form when carrying certain items.


    There''s little to correct. Not only was young Uchiha a fast and eager learner, rarely making the same mistake twice, they''ve been doing this for almost two months and were a third of the way done. He could leave the boy alone to clean the beach if he truly wanted to, but these moments allowed him to spend time with his student.


    "Quirkless kid suddenly gaining multiple Quirks such as Body alteration, Mind control, and Illusion? I can''t say it''s definitely his work but I wouldn''t be surprised if it was."


    The Number One Hero exhaled slowly before nodding. Try as he might, he couldn''t think of another reason for multiple Quirks appearing on anyone, especially a desperate Quirkless kid.


    "Do you need my help in catching him?"


    "No. Save your hours. I''ve got Eraserhead helping with this. We''ll be fine."


    "If you''re sure... Keep me updated."


    "I will... We''ll catch him, I promise."


    A noise of unsure agreement left the hero as he ended the call. His gaze shifting from Shisui to his phone and back again.


    This situation he found himself learning of- learning that somewhere out there was a kid held in the grasp of his greatest enemy, a former Quirkless kid just like his successor. It would bother him until they''re found and spoken to.


    He needed to distract himself from the implications thrown at him by his mind.


    or...


    "Young man!" All Might suddenly shouts, waving a hand in his successor''s direction, calling him forth.


    The teenager gently dropped the microwave he''d been carrying and ran towards him, his movements faltering every few steps; the ache in his bones weighing heavily on his body and tempting him to hug the sand beneath his feet.


    "You called?"


    "My boy... I received some news."


    Green hues glance upward, meeting his gaze and seemingly staring straight into his soul- in search for something. When he found it, he nodded to himself and took the tiniest of step back.


    "It''s nothing bad, right?"


    "No..." A pause. "Nothing bad."


    Feeling guilty about his minor lie, lanky fingers were buried under Shisui''s messy green hair, gently ruffling them further. All Might''s infamous grin appears for a second before forming to a kinder, more truthful smile.


    "I''ll be unable to train you for the following days, I have something important to take care of... I''m sure you''ll try to train by yourself so I must ask you to be careful. Understood?"


    The head underneath his hand moves to nod and his smile is echoed by a smaller and softer one.


    "As long as you''ll be careful too, okay, All Might?"


    Puffing up to his hero form, All Might energetically replies, proud smile on his lips,


    "I will be Young Uchiha! Now, I want to see this section clear by the time I come back, got it?"


    "got it!"


    Musutafu''s police officers were on alert, more so than they''ve been for the past few days. There''s a tension on their shoulders and a paranoia in their eyes as they check out every deserted alleyway far off the populated streets.


    They''ve been told to keep a lookout for the missing child- Midoriya Izuku. It''s a case they''re familiar with for its connection to a villain they''re in charge of. For the past month, since Detective Tsukauchi got hold of the case, they heard him cursing the slime villain, Midoriya-san''s teachers, his classmates, other random villains, and more.


    While they''re used to keeping an eye out for missing kids and wanted villains during their patrol, they''re unused to the unusual order given to them. To keep a lookout for anyone attacking criminals in alleyways, and if found, to disengage and call the detective.


    It''s a confusing order. Far off the left field when searching for a Quirkless kid, but with an underground hero joining their search, some could only assume that the kid got himself into a bad situation.


    "Sir, I think I found what we''re looking for. In Surusto street, near Marasta. Over."


    The words rang out from the patrolling police officers'' radio, static echoing every so often, attempting to blur what was said. Everyone could hear the street names called out, however.


    "Understood. Do not engage. Eraserhead''s heading there. Over."


    How does one capture a teen capable of changing forms and disappearing from view? Who can make you doubt your surroundings, especially what''s in front of you?


    They couldn''t.


    It''s impossible.


    At least, impossible without a proper plan and without knowing how his quirk works.


    The good thing about the kid attacking criminals and forcing them to surrender to the Musutafu police station is that they''re ripe for the taking. They didn''t need to be found and captured since they were already behind bars, and being the criminals they are, they''re willing to spill the beans about the ''f.u.c.ker'' who got them captured in the first place.


    Detective Tsukauchi didn''t need to be in the interrogation room for them to spill the truth, they willingly did so to ''help'' the underground hero Eraserhead in capturing and arresting the man that ''assaulted'' and stole from them. .


    Out of the 9 criminals who found themselves surrendering to the police one evening after being attacked in an alleyway, two had been able to briefly escape taller Midoriya''s quirk. When asked if there was anything they did to purposely escape the illusion, both replied that they haven''t done anything, going so far as to say that they didn''t even know they were in an illusion until something in their perspective changed.


    It took a while until they were able to figure out their similarities. They didn''t have the same build, blood type, medical history, quirk. Only a casual commentary from one of the criminals, recalling the chronic pain in their spine which throbbed painfully the moment he''d escaped his illusion, led to their discovery.


    Pain.


    A certain amount of pain can break the illusion put upon them.


    This and stories about bloodthirsty red eyes were their guide to capturing Midoriya Izuku.


    "Update, Eraser? Over."


    Aizawa flew through the roofs of Musutafu, his capture weapon continuously being wrapped around pipes and the likes, in order to swing him around town. His current technique was sacrificing skill and safety for speed, the hero barely assessing every pipe he''s aiming for before using it to move faster.


    Tilting his head to the side to hit the button in his headset, the underground hero spoke, gruff voice clearly showing his annoyance,


    "Almost there... Is he still in Surusto?"


    Flying through the air one last time, he landed on a rooftop just a building or two away from Surusto-Marasta corner.


    "Yes, sir. Over."


    Good.


    Sliding his yellow goggles to hide his eyes, Eraserhead listened to Tsukauchi ordering around a few police officers to patrol the surrounding areas, taking mental notes of where they were being assigned. If he could guide Midoriya towards them, it could help in the long run. The amount of people would hinder his Illusion quirk, if they''re correct in assuming that the kid could only cast it on one person at a time. If they''re wrong, they''d still be able to snap each other out of it. He may personally detest working in groups but against an opponent with a quirk perfect for escaping, he needed to cooperate.


    If he ended up biting the inside of his cheek after those thoughts, the pain keeping him awake, unable to say anything against his ''teammates'', and preventing him from falling in an illusion for too long, no one had to know.


    Running across the last rooftops separating him from his objective, he activated his quirk before looking down on the corner alleyway. Briefly, red eyes met red in a standoff before one was forced to turn back to a darker shade.


    It''s not a victory.


    Their last encounter had started the same way.


    His quirk, Erasure, was capable of keeping Midoriya from putting him in an illusion, but the moment he lets go, stops channeling his quirk, he''ll be placed in one.


    A week ago, he''d been placed in an illusion where the kid had scattered into crows and disappeared. Try as he might to deactivate the quirk, to erase it while in the illusion, he''d been unable to. The teen had disappeared and he had been left in an alleyway unsure when he''d been freed of the illusion that took hold of him.


    With the pain on the inside of his cheek assuring him of this sight''s reality, he threw and guided his capture weapon towards his opponent.


    Crap.


    Shisui dodged the bandages- or are they scarves?- being used to grab him. He may not depend on his Sharingan, unlike other Uchihas, and has trained in certain scenarios revolving lacking chakra (in case he had to prove his clan''s strength against a Hyuuga) but that was back then when he''d been truly alive and in the body of an ANBU-level shinobi. After almost two months of hell training, regaining his skills and physical capabilities, 7 year old recently promoted chunin Shisui would be able to beat him in terms of speed.


    Right now, he can handle D and C-class villains with ease. A pro hero capable of disrupting his chakra? Definitely not.


    He did have a plan against the hero, a foolproof plan passed down from generations to generations of Konoha Shinobi. When encountering an enemy that you couldn''t defeat- run.


    Simple.


    He needed to get out of his view, gain his chakra back, and use Shunshin to get out of here.


    A setback to this plan, however, is his inability to do a sealless Shunshin, making the time between getting out of view and being spotted again limited. His chakra control is lacking- incapable of flaring precisely, and with a new body comes a different chakra pathway system than what he was born with, making learning to consciously flare his chakra to do a sealless Shunshin feel unnatural.


    Which meant he had to disable his Quirk, either by knocking him unconscious or meeting his eyes and placing him in a genjutsu.


    Mentally cursing his inability to cast Genjutsu: Sharingan without eye contact- he''s solved that weakness back when he was 10- Shisui set to move. With his heel pushing against the concrete below, the shinobi jumped backwards, avoiding another bandage flying towards him. There''s a small scowl in his lips as he eyes the hero''s weapon. For a flimsy-looking weapon, they were capable of being an annoyance. They''re durable, hard to cut, and grabbing them in order to pull the hero closer was a trap by itself.


    When Eraserhead jumped down from his place on the rooftops, the shinobi used the small period before he could land to run to the closest exit, trying to make his escape. Running around a corner, he threw a chakra-tagged pocket knife behind him (towards the other corner) and carefully listened as footsteps followed him.


    A moment before Aizawa was about to turn the corner, he zeroed in on the chakra left in the pocket knife, using Kawarimi to switch places with it.


    "Wh-?"


    Shisui dashed forward and lashed out with a right hook, already anticipating the underground hero to dodge his attempt by following his attack with a roundhouse kick. He held the hero in high expectation, and he followed through, dodging his surprise attack and blocking all the punches and kicks he gave out.


    If his plan was heavily reliant on knocking the hero out, it would be an obvious failure at the start of their clash.


    Luckily for him, it''s not.


    The small distance should tip the scales to his advantage. Forcing the man to keep his quirk up, making it falter sooner than if there was a distance between them, and it would allow their eyes to meet for his Genjutsu to take hold.


    Keeping his body constantly attempting to bring chakra into his eyes, he waited, keeping his aggressive attacks. Sooner or later, those red eyes would disappear and his would appear.


    Swiping towards Eraserhead''s eyes, he felt his fingers brush against thick eyelashes and his chakra surge back throughout his body. Three black comma marks begin circling around his reddening eyes, moving faster as he continually pushes a larger amount of chakra to the organ.


    When their eyes met again, dark and red glaring at one another, he allowed an illusion of ravens to cover his body and fly away, taking the second after casting his Genjutsu to pump chakra in his legs and run as far away as possible- to find a crowded area where he could use Henge and disappear.


    Damn it.


    Aizawa resisted the urge to flinch away as a murder of crows flew either right to his face or around him. It''s clearly an illusion but the numbing injury in his mouth wasn''t working to deter the quirk''s ability.


    His confidence about his earlier logical conclusion faltered. Did he get it wrong? Was there another connection between the two villains that allowed them to escape? This thought didn''t last as he exhaled, air brushing against the open wound in the inside of his cheek, causing a sharp pain to snap his mind awake.


    Seeing Midoriya trying to escape, he followed on foot; quirk activated to assure himself of the sight before him. Calloused fingers roughly press the button by his headset, harsh orders leaving his mouth, one after another.


    "He''s going south. Have a team intercept him 2 blocks from point and another in the next block. Other teams stick nearby."


    Swinging his capture weapon to pull him closer, Aizawa continued, the scowl on his face deepening as the distance between them maintained- had he been in the kid''s illusion long enough for this distance? or was he as fast as him?


    "Pain stops his quirk. Do something before he comes by... and Tsukauchi, get our back up plan. We both know he''s nearby."


    "Already messaged him. He should be there soon. Over."


    He hears the commotion of civilians that follow the Number One Hero before he could see the blur of red, blue, and gold speeding towards him. Barely halting his run, Aizawa points towards the kid he''s chasing and watches All Might easily close the distance.


    It only takes the Symbol of Peace a moment to end this chase but the way he did so made the Underground Hero once again question the reality he''s seeing.


    No.


    This was real.


    Nothing changed as his quirk activated, nor did they change when the pain in his cheek grew.


    He halts a few feet away, watching the two.


    Midoriya had his head bowed down, green locks almost covered by the large hand pressed on top of his head. All Might was staring at the teen in confusion and worry. His knees were bent and his upper body tilted forward, as though it would lessen his gigantic height.


    They looked... close.


    Stepping forward seemed to break the spell between the two, both looking up at him. All Might stepped forward instinctively, the hand on Midoriya''s head falling to his shoulder and pushing him back as though to protect the boy from him. When the Number One Hero realised what he was doing, he didn''t bother to correct his actions, only tightening his grip on Midoriya''s shoulder.


    The teen himself didn''t look like the person he''d been fighting a few minutes ago. His eyes had drifted down to stare at the concrete floor but his face was visible enough to show a mix of guilt, reluctance, and acceptance.


    Sighing to himself, Aizawa turned around, mind routing the quickest way to the police station before commenting,


    "I''ll get Tsukauchi."


    "Let me get this straight... you, All Might, have been training this kid to get to UA and you don''t know the full extent of his quirk? Only ''he can teleport and has red eyes''"


    Aizawa''s tone portrayed how done he was with the flashy hero, his dark eyes narrowed in a tired glare that caused All Might to scratch the back of his head, an embarrassed grin on his lips.


    "It didn''t come up during training..."


    It''s a lame excuse and everyone in the room knew that. Rather than call him out on it, the UA teacher settled further into his seat, catching sight of Tsukauchi nodding in understanding. They''re keeping him out of the loop on something but as long as the detective knew whatever it was, then he could care less.


    "Don''t tell me you were focusing on his academics?"


    "Uh..." a blush forms on sunken cheeks, "No. We were working on strength training."


    "Typical."


    "Anyway..." Tsukauchi interrupted, preventing Eraserhead from thoroughly enjoying All Might''s embarrassment, "we checked our records, as well as Japan''s registry, there''s no Uchiha Shisui in the database."


    Three different sets of eyes stare at the teen found on the other side of the interrogation desk. He didn''t have a visible reaction, apart from a soft exhale. Realising he wouldn''t get anything from him, Naomasa continued,


    "No Uchiha Shisui on the database, a Midoriya Izuku missing, and from what All Might said earlier, he made plans to train the kid who distracted the Slime Villain and two days later you appeared looking like this. Either you''re a bad shapeshifter, which I doubt, or you''re truly Midoriya Izuku. Why did you run away?"


    He''s insistent, taking in a rough tone. Here''s a kid who''s currently known to have multiple Quirks- Teleportation, Mind Control, Illusion, Body Alteration- and has unlimited access to All Might. The only reason he''s not asking about his quirks (as of now) or calling for Nedzu, Gran Torino, and other Pro Heroes who know about One for All is that he could have showcased his willingness to gain OfA yet he insists on being a placeholder, a possible successor until he proves himself worthy or Toshi finds someone ''better'' to inherit it.


    "Young Uch-... No. Young Midoriya, please answer Tsukauchi," everyone could hear the pleading tone All Might took and it didn''t take much to notice how his lanky body kept twitching towards the kid''s direction, wishing to be near him.


    Shisui could have kept silent. He''s been trained to resist torture thus a simple interrogation like this wouldn''t affect him. However, All Might was asking for him to answer. He''s Shisui''s closest confidant, the only person he has in this world aside from Tokoyami, and the person he''s been with for every day bar that one day before training started.


    "I didn''t run away..." he started, hands folded on top of the desk and head down, his mind running with thoughts of how he''d be able to get away with saying little. If Eraserhead wasn''t here, he could have cast a Genjutsu on the two to make them forget. He''d be guilty about it, sure, but it would-...


    Why?


    Was he so eager to get away?


    This interrogation has already given him information he''d longed for, his body''s name and life. Right in front of him were Midoriya Izuku''s files, something he''d been eager to know since Day One. So why was he planning an escape?


    It took a deep search into his conscience, to gain the feeling hidden under his skin.


    Guilt.


    For two months, he''d been learning about this world, theorizing how he ended here, and training to regain his capabilities that he''d forgotten to search for his body''s past. He''s been eager to learn about Midoriya Izuku, especially after he realised that concentrating on a sight with his Sharingan could trigger memories, but he''d never delved further than likes, dislikes, and heroes. It''s been hard to gain memories, sure, and none of them hinted on his identity but if he had tried harder... maybe focused more on gaining memories, he wouldn''t have left another family in ruins.


    His appearance in this world meant the disappearance of Midoriya Izuku.


    He never searched for more about the kid''s past since knowing where to go, where he lived, meant he''d feel the need to go there and apologize- showing them that their kid''s lost. There was never a plan in mind but it''s clear to him that his heart longed to find out how he ended up in this world, where Izuku was, and bring him back, pretending this never occurred.


    "Alright, you didn''t run away. Why haven''t you come back to your home? Is something keeping you away?" Eraserhead spoke once Midoriya''s silence stretched on.


    "You wouldn''t believe me..."


    What his heart wanted, bringing an intact Izuku back to his family, isn''t going to happen and he should accept it. He needed to face whoever his family is, apologize for taking over his body or whatever this occurrence was, and promise that he''ll do his best to bring him back.


    "My boy, I doubt there''s anything you could say that''s unbelievable."


    All Might''s worry grew clearer and clearer, fear for his successor growing. If he didn''t run away, did villains gain a hold of him? Did All for One have him in his grasp?


    "I..." a deep breath "I don''t know where it is."


    "Excuse me?"


    Was he an amnesiac?


    "Midoriya Izuku''s home. I don''t know where it is," fingers intertwined as the teen leaned forward, making himself comfortable, "In fact, I''m not Midoriya Izuku but I''m also not a shapeshifter... It''s a long story."


    The two heroes glance at Naomasa, eyes widening as they saw him nod, indicating that everything the kid''s saying was true.


    "I''ve said it multiple times, Young Man. I should stop being surprised by you."


    The Symbol of Peace smiles softly, hearing a snicker leave Young Uchiha.


    "You should. My story... it''s... unusual..."


    Shisui begins weaving a tale for them, occasionally accompanied by Naomasa''s nod and soft tones of assurance that what he''s saying is true. He talks about his world, being born in a village he served as a shinobi since he was 5 years old. He comforts All Might throughout the topic of being a ''child soldier'' in the middle of a war, briefly dipping into the difference between the two worlds. He doesn''t give out a lot of details due to the two strangers with them but All Might''s trust in them allows him to tell enough.


    The Uchiha clan are front and center of his story, his love for them and sadness for their situation setting the tone. When he mentions their wishes for a coup d''etat and his plans to stop them, his tone becomes heavy with guilt- a guilt he hasn''t let out, not when he''s seen visions of Itachi doing his best to stop it from happening. The shinobi speeds up on what soon followed- how he''d been attacked by an ANBU (ROOT) squad, poisoned, fought a powerful shinobi and got his eye taken out, gave his other eye to Itachi, and his fall to death.


    Talking about his sudden appearance in this world, being in the middle of a fight, and protecting a person he now knew was a classmate of his, caused All Might to look at him fondly. The older hero moved from his corner of the room, grabbed a chair, and sat beside him, grinning brightly at Detective Tsukauchi and Aizawa. The former shook his head with a responding smile to his face while the latter rolled his eyes, muttering something about the hero being too proud for a mentor.


    He summarizes the two months he''s lived in this world as broadly as possible. His activities were already known due to Eraserhead and his training had been discussed by All Might, nothing else standing out for him to talk about.


    "That''s..."


    Aizawa longed to say illogical but Uchiha had given proof, showcasing his multiple abilities. It had been a shock to see him walking up a wall but it wasn''t as shocking as the series of memories he showed them via Genjutsu.


    "Difficult to take in but truthful nonetheless?" Naomasa contributed, his Quirk may have pinged multiple times throughout his story to indicate its truthfulness, it''s still hard to believe.


    Only All Might, someone who''s spent almost every day training him, who''s offers of food were eagerly accepted, and who''s sometimes seen him wearing the same clothes as the day before, picked up what was left unsaid.


    "Young man, what about your education? your shelter? your food?"


    Shisui presses his lips together, exhaling through his nose.


    "Technically, I graduated when I was 5," he comments, gaining raised eyebrows and a scowl, "I don''t know about civilian education but I''ve been learning about this world by reading books from the Musutafu library. It helps that I''ve got a dojutsu capable of letting me memorize what I see."


    If it weren''t for the Sharingan, he''d still be faltering on the intricacies of this world.


    "I have a tent to sleep in. I use a space of land in Bogano park for it. As for food, I either fish, use the money I take from criminals, or hint that I''m hungry when training with you."


    Yagi places a hand on his long green locks, a sign of comfort that the two have gotten used to. The hero feels disappointed, not at his successor but at himself, for missing the hints his student unconsciously gave out. His lack of knowledge about certain topics, the three sets of clothes he uses, walking in random directions after training, and more.


    "My boy! Now that I know your troubles, you''ll never need to do those again unless you want to! You-" Before he could offer his home, he was interrupted by Tsukauchi.


    "Before you start writing him in your will..." a startled bloody cough leaves the hero, handkerchiefs and a tissue box offered immediately, "we need to talk about your ''Missing'' status. I understand that you''re not Midoriya Izuku but it would be best if you return to his home. His mother needs to know what happened to him and I doubt anyone of us would be willing to let you go back to living in a public park."


    Shisui nods. It would be foolish to think he''d be going back to his tent after all this. He''d known this could happen the moment All Might had called out his name during his escape from Eraserhead.


    "What do I do?"


    What do I say to the woman who lost her son due to me? How can I assure her that I''ll bring him back when I can''t figure out how I''m here gaining his memories?


    If it were any other time, Shisui would be amused. He''s a shinobi who has killed a hundred, probably more. He''s fought in a war, asked to assassinate officials, murdered in cold blood, all for a village he was willing to sacrifice his life to. Yet, ''erasing'' a person who wasn''t a harm to his village, someone truly innocent, brings him to this confused and sorry state.


    He feels a bony shoulder nudging against his, giving him yet another source of comfort.


    "Talk. Explain the situation to her. Whatever you do, I''m here to help you, my boy."


    His mind''s filled with a heavy opaque fog; a never ending fog of emotions- of guilt, sadness, confusion, and worry.


    He doubts it''ll end.


    Not when he finds a way to bring Izuku back. Not when he sees the conclusion of the Uchiha clan''s attempt to take over the village. They''re a baggage he''ll be forced to carry as long as he remains alive in this world with memories of his death, of his escape.


    However, from the moment All Might had offered his help, offered to carry a small part of his burden, the fog parted just a tiny bit- giving him a path forward.


    It''ll never disappear...


    ...but it can get smaller, clearer- show him a life beyond regrets.


    CONCLUSION NOTE:


    I know I should add Mama Midoriya and Shisui meeting but that''s for the next chapter!


    Also, since a lot of you want OfA to go to our boy green, it''ll go to him. My other option was for it to go to a character you''ll meet in the next chapter (?) but since that was a back up plan, hooray OfA Shisui.


    BTW I might not be able to post next week Monday. Sorry about that in advance.

 Chapter 250 - My SI Stash #50 - Is It Wrong To Be the Dungeon? by Cambrian (Danmachi)

    -The Pimperor Cambrian''s new work, thank god for Asanagi''s doujins (specifically, the one with the Amazoness)~ SI as the Dungeon/Monsters!


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 8.3K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/is-it-wrong-to-be-the-dungeon-danmachi-si.11787/ (Cambrian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    The first time I ''woke up'', I was a goblin, thrusting my way out of a wall. It was a violent birth to say the least, followed by an incredibly violent, incredibly short life. There was a man there, wearing some armor, and I had to attack him¡­ but he swung his sword and I died, just like that. No chance to act, no opportunity to do anything besides throw myself into his blade.


    But that, as it turned out, wasn''t my last life. The next time I awoke, I was a kobold, a dog-headed monster, and I was once again forcing my way out of the wall. It took a lot of effort to get out of the wall each time, but luckily it didn''t take as much effort as it would have if the wall didn''t seem to already be in the process of giving way before me. As a kobold, I found myself among a number of other kobolds. Together, we formed a pack¡­ together, we launched ourselves at the human who dared to invade our sanctum.


    This human wielded a bow at first, firing with unerring accuracy and killing several of my fellows before we could even reach him. By the time we got to him, it was just I and one other, and even as we swung our claws in his direction, he was drawing a dagger that he used to slash across the throat of my comrade, while blocking my attack with his bow. A moment later and that dagger was buried in my throat as well, and with that I died again.


    The third time I wake up, I''m¡­ a lizard? A Dungeon Lizard to be exact, my claws even stronger then my previous two forms. I skitter up the wall instead of falling down from it this time, ending up on the ceiling as I crawl along, searching out my enemy, the human who has spawned me with his very presence in this hallowed place. When I find him¡­


    He''s distracted, I immediately notice¡­ distracted cutting into the bodies of a group of downed kobolds. I can see my body, or the body I just got done inhabiting, on the ground behind him, the chest cavity of my former kobold form torn open, despite the fact that he''d killed me with a blow to the throat. I watch as he, with his back turned towards me, cuts into one of the kobolds he killed with an arrow and pulls out a glowing gem of some sort.


    Crawling along the ceiling, I waste no time in acting on my instincts. Falling atop the dagger-wielding archer, my powerful jaws close over his head, and as I chomp down, I also yank, a satisfying pop answering me as I kill him just like that, not even a single sound, beyond a cut-off shout, managing to leave his throat. He dies, and I can''t deny that I feel strangely fulfilled, like the start of something new is coming.


    "Hah! Idiot overplayed his hand!"


    And then an arrow strikes me in my eye just as I whip around with the corpse still in my powerful jaws, to see another human with another bow firing another arrow into my other eye, killing me dead. The last thing I hear is him running up, ignoring both me and my kill in favor of the bag at the corpse''s side, a bag filled with those glowing gems from before.


    The fourth time I come to consciousness, I feel¡­ fat. As I pushed my way out of the wall, it was not with the claws of a kobold or a goblin or even a lizard monster. A low ribbit exits my throat, as I ultimately slop out onto the ground. A Frog Shooter, a monstrous amphibian with one large eye, I hop along until finally coming upon the adventurer that has brought me into existence. Or rather, adventurers.


    This time, there are two of them. Two girls, as a matter of fact. They''re both looking around carefully, eyeing their surroundings with expressions of concern on their faces. They know they''re in danger, but the mists are heavier here, and the light dimmer. They don''t notice me until it''s too late and they''ve come into my range.


    Once again, instincts take over. My large mouth opens, though this time I have neither powerful jaws nor sharp rows of teeth to chomp down on my foes with. Instead, I have a massive tongue that shoots out of my maw, slamming into one of the girls and wrapping around her as she lets out a startled cry. I pull her in close, almost wishing I could swallow her whole¡­ but I''m not that big. Instead, as she reaches me, still scrambling for her weapon, I slam my weight into her, pinning her to the ground, even as I wrap my tongue around her face and begin suffocating her.


    Her squirming is delicious, just as delicious as the sensation that ran through me when I crushed that man''s skull as a lizard monster. I wanted more of this, wanted more of this feeling of conquest, of control, or destruction. Unfortunately, it was not to be. I was single-minded¡­ and right now, I was facing TWO opponents. With a war cry that was more like a girlish shriek, the second female adventurer nevertheless brings her sword down upon my head, cleaving right through my eye.


    It doesn''t kill me immediately, but she keeps at it, cutting and slashing in a truly haphazard manner until my tongue''s grip finally loosens with death. The last thing I see before I die THIS time is her pulling her friend out from under me, the first girl sobbing in relief, unfortunately still alive despite my best efforts. Maybe next time¡­


    Things continue on like this for¡­ a long time. I can''t say how long, because I really have no concept of time, at least at first. I live what feels like a thousand-thousand lives, but most of them last only scant seconds. It all depends on what creature I find myself awakening as, truth be told. There are the goblins and kobolds, the lizards and frogs, and then there are creatures made of shadow with terribly sharp claws. Or massive moths and butterflies with poisons and healing powders.


    There are orcs, there are imps¡­ there are even dragons and minotaurs. Sometimes I awaken alone, pulling myself out of the wall into a darkened, dimly lit corridor, only to find an interloper, an intruder, one of those filthy, stinking adventurers nearby. Sometimes, I awaken with more of my kin, from a handful to dozens, depending on the circ.u.mstances. Sometimes my opponent is alone, sometimes they''re in a party. Sometimes I get a kill or two¡­ but always, I am inevitably put down, though I find myself living longer when I''m a dragon or a minotaur, then when I''m a goblin or a kobold.


    It''s existing as those tougher, hardier monsters, that eventually allows me to realize who I am¡­ or more accurately, what I am. I''m able to piece myself together, and when I finally die as them, I''m able to hold myself back and¡­ explore, rather than immediately respawning as yet another monster in this¡­ the Dungeon beneath Orario.


    Yes, it was a startling realization for me too. I''m in the Dungeon, the massive sprawling complex of floors and monsters that adventurers in the world of DanMachi explore for experience, riches, and fame. But it''s more than that. I''m not just in the Dungeon¡­ I AM the dungeon. It takes a while for that to properly sink in, but I chalk that up to the trauma of my sudden change in existence.


    Going from being a human in another world, an introverted writer who shut himself in and interacted with most of the world through the internet¡­ to the intelligence behind a massive, genocidal Dungeon was certainly a big alteration. It took time for me to acclimate to my new environment, and in a way, I imagined that my unconscious mind was helping me along by forcing me into the bodies of the monsters that I was spawning, teaching me what I could do through actions, teaching me what I was facing through direct experience.


    The adventurers who constantly intruded upon my existence with their filthy presence, invading my sanctum and slaughtering my defenses so they could delve ever deeper into my depths¡­ they deserved to die, all of them. Or was that the Dungeon talking? But then, wasn''t I the Dungeon now? From what I knew of DanMachi, it was commonly agreed upon that the Dungeon was¡­ intelligent. More than that, that it was a malevolent intelligence.


    ¡­ I certainly felt a little malevolent now. But I was also who I was, at the end of the day. Sure, I had some new instincts, but that didn''t override my old instincts. I refused to let it. All the same, some of my old instincts were somewhat defunct in the face of my new existence. I was no longer human; I was a Dungeon. Or rather, I was THE Dungeon.


    This wasn''t like all those stories I''d read about waking up as a Dungeon Core and having to build from there, farming mana off of adventurers and growing new floors and new monsters based off of that mana. This wasn''t some upkeep economy game I found myself thrust into. If I had a core, it was buried so deep within me that it didn''t even matter. I didn''t get mana from the adventurers that died within my Dungeon either¡­ but I did get SOMETHING.


    As far as magical power was concerned, I had an unending font of it, it seemed. My reserves were endless, allowing me to create monsters as I liked, each of them powered by a magic stone, which in turn was harvested by the adventurers to be used for a variety of purposes in the city up above. Comparing this to one of those Dungeon Core stories¡­ I was already in the endgame there, already at the top of what one of those could ever hope to become.


    Not to say that my space was endless though. From what I remembered of the setting, no one had ever gotten past the fifty-ninth floor. That was the lowest floor that any familia had ever reached, as far as I was aware. But of course, sixty floors was¡­ a dumb number for a Dungeon as magnificent as I to have. In truth, I had a hundred floors to my name, and the things in my deepest, darkest depths¡­ oh they were truly magnificent, to be sure.


    But¡­ it was likely that no one would ever see them, and in all honesty? I was perfectly okay with that. I didn''t need adventurers plumbing my depths to stay powerful and mighty. Frankly, the gnats that invaded me and constantly killed my monsters were annoyances more than anything else. After all, they were stopping me from spreading to the surface, from going UP.


    But then, I recalled that from the setting of DanMachi as well. The Dungeon¡­ it was being contained, wasn''t it? If I focused, I could actually feel the God behind the Guild and the whole concept of adventurers in the first place, Ouranos. Located underneath the Guild in his Room of Prayer, I could sense him using his divinity to prevent my monsters and thus myself from leaving the Dungeon.


    That wasn''t to say some of my monsters hadn''t made it out before, especially back when there were entrances to the Dungeon from the sea¡­ but because of Ouranos, I was cut off from those monsters that made their home on the surface of this world. They were likely all still quite mindless, but they were no longer MINE. That rankled something fierce.


    Speaking of monsters that weren''t mine¡­ I could feel the Xenos within me. In their hidden places, they existed, keeping away from my monsters and doing their best to search out more of each other in my darkest depths. No adventurer had ever gotten past the fifty-ninth floor, but that didn''t mean intelligent life hadn''t reached further. Xenos¡­ I didn''t like them, I ultimately decided.


    Whatever had been in control of the Dungeon before me, because I could tell there''d been something that I had either usurped or replaced with my arrival¡­ it''d let the Xenos exist, lazily sending monsters to try and kill them once in a while, but not even bothering to hunt them as vigorously as it hunted adventurers. It let them have their little hideaways through its own apathy, something that I don''t think I''d emulate.


    No, I''ve made my decision¡­ the Dungeon is mine and mine alone. And while I will eventually turn my eyes towards the adventurers that pollute my upper floors, and their Gods and Goddesses who empower them while lounging around all day on the surface above, keeping me contained¡­ I need to start off first by cleaning house. That means the Xenos must be dealt with¡­ one way or another.


    -x-X-x-


    Ray could hardly believe what was happening. The Hidden Village was supposed to be safe, on account of well¡­ being hidden. But as she flees, the Xenos encampment burning behind her, filled with the screams of her kind, she reflects that they''d never really stopped to think about exactly what they were hiding from. The adventurers from the surface, ostensibly¡­ but also, weren''t they all quite aware that the Dungeon disliked them, given the way common monsters sought to kill them at every corner?


    So then why was their Hidden Village allowed to exist in the first place? Why did the Dungeon let them get away with said village, if it was truly out to get them? The answers to those questions, whatever they were, seemed to be entirely moot now, because it was clear that the Dungeon had decided to enact a purge. Perhaps if she''d just been by herself, she could have taken to the air and fled to a different level¡­ but as it was, the Siren was stuck on the ground, dragging Arles along behind her.


    The white-furred, red-eyed Almiraj Xenos was stumbling as they rushed away from the Hidden Village, her broken pocket watch bouncing with every fast-paced step, her large scavenged jacket fluttering behind her. Almiraj were supposed to be fast, but she''d been clipped early on by a Troll''s landform club, leaving her limping and even whimpering at the pace that Ray was forcing her to take.


    Still, they had to get away. The Siren Xenos knew that if she didn''t get them out of here, they would be just as dead as the others. She''d watched Gros get swarmed by a number of monsters, and the last thing she''d seen of him was blood caking the left side of his face as the Gargoyle told her to take Arles and run. So, that was what she was doing¡­ or at least, it was what she was trying to do.


    The Siren''s plan involves escaping through the nineteenth floor and finding her way to the eighteenth with Arles at her side. If they can just make it to the safe floor, then the only thing they''ll have to contend with is the humans who hunt them on a regular basis anyways. Better to face those humans then the Dungeon, was Ray''s reasoning.


    But just as she''s dragging Arles off of the twentieth floor and onto the nineteenth, Ray finds herself having to skid to a halt, her way blocked by a veritable army of monsters. From bugbears to battle boats, from Lizardmen to Firebirds¡­ they''re everywhere. She can''t escape, or rather, they can''t escape. So long as she insists on taking Arles with her, she''s never going to manage to get away.


    And yet, even as this certainty crystalizes in the Siren Xenos'' mind, her beautiful golden feathers near standing on end from the concentration of INTENT directed her and Arles'' way¡­ she does not give into fear. Out of all three of the Xenos'' leaders, Ray was probably the warmest, the friendliest. She was kind, sometimes to a fault, and cared a great deal for the well-being of her kind. She would go to any length to protect her kin.


    If Gros hadn''t told her to take Arles and flee when he had, she would have stayed back and fought to the end alongside the rest of them. But now it seemed her final battle would take place here instead, with only Arles at her side. Pursing her lips together in a thin line, the Siren straightens her back, flaring her nostrils¡­ and prepares for battle as she changes from warm and friendly to bloodthirsty and murderous in an instant.


    Not that it does her much good. Oh certainly, she fights. She fights, and she evil kills, though the Xenos doesn''t truly view the mindless monsters of the Dungeon, so lacking in the intelligence of her kind, as being truly alive. For someone like her, a monster who could think and talk and laugh and live, who could long for the sun on her feathers, those mindless automatons were even less in her eyes then they likely were in the eyes of adventurers.


    But they still defeated her, in the end. And yet, to Ray''s surprise, they did not kill her. Nor did they kill Arles. They secured the two of them, taking the two female Xenos captive and dragging them down¡­ down¡­ and down some more. At some point, she succ.u.mbs to her injuries and falls unconscious for a time. When she wakes up again, her surroundings have changed entirely.


    Wherever the monsters have brought her and Arles¡­ it''s not like any part of the Dungeon Ray has ever seen before. She can only gape at the undulating, breathing walls around her, the way that veiny appendages float off of them, questing through the air as if looking for something. Or rather¡­ someone. Ray squawks as she''s thrown into one of these walls face first, Arles tossed beside her.


    The wall, as it turns out, is a portal of sorts. Ray finds herself dragged through, coming out the other side, only to stop dead as the tentacles hold her fast. Arles ends up beside her, held in the wall as well, appendages of all shapes and sizes clutching at them, pulling their clothes off, stripping them down. As Ray''s eyes adjust to the dim light, she''s horrified by what she sees.


    There, in the walls all around them, the entire fleshy chamber jampacked¡­ are her fellow female Xenos. There''s Laura, a Goblin Xenos, though her red hat is nowhere to be found. There''s Fear, a Harpy Xenos, crying and writhing in her own bondage. There''s Ranye, an Arachne Xenos, her upper body that of a beautiful human woman and her lower half that of a spider. She''s always had a harsh, stubborn sort of personality, being completely unwilling to trust adventurers, given their actions towards their kind. And yet, now it''s the Dungeon itself that''s trapped her, holding her fast just like the rest of them.


    And then there are female Xenos that Ray doesn''t even recognize. Oh, she always knew that there had to be more than just their Hidden Village, but it''s still a surprise. There''s a mermaid Xenos, for instance, that is crying and wailing and squirming as well, only to be silenced by an appendage thrusting itself right down her throat. There were many, many more then just her to, all of them trapped in the walls of this massive, fleshy chamber¡­ just as Ray herself was.


    The more she looks, the more fear the Siren Xenos feels. And then she begins to feel the physical touch of the Dungeon as it prepares to do to her and Arles what it''s already doing to all of her kin. Tentacles slide up their legs, and along their arms, moving to their private parts. Ray gasps and shudders as the molestation begins, unsure of what the ultimate goal here might be.


    But whatever that ultimate goal is, the Dungeon''s short term intentions are obvious, as the tentacles begin to penetrate her orifices, just as they''re penetrating the orifices of every other Xenos in the room. She cries out, her melodic voice echoing through the chamber and drawing many eyes as her cunt is taken, filled with one of the appendages. Ray feels shame, able to see the despair and heartache in the eyes of those from her village, those she was supposed to lead, supposed to protect.


    Beside her, Arles is squealing, the white-furred Almiraj struggling, but in the end, she can''t do anything, none of them can do anything. Their mouths are soon occupied just like the mermaid Xenos that Ray doesn''t recognize, all of them silences and pulled all the more securely up against the walls of this hell they find themselves in, as they''re mercilessly used and f.u.c.k.i.e.d nonstop by the Dungeon itself.


    -x-X-x-


    It takes quite a lot to take down the Siren, which from what I can tell is just a Harpy with some sort of sound wave attack. But with endless resources at my command, she fell as easily as all the rest, in the end. After that, putting her and the Almiraj to work in my new farm was simple enough. I''d developed this part of the Dungeon for a very specific purpose¡­ breeding.


    It was a cross between a farm and a laboratory, at the end of the day. I wanted to know what I could do with the female Xenos, because truth be told, I was loath to kill such s.e.xy, fine-ass monster girls. The monster ''guys'' so to speak, I''d slaughtered to the last. There no longer existed a single male Xenos within me, not on any of my hundred floors.


    Honestly, it was probably for the best that I''d enacted the purge when I did. The strongest of the Xenos I''d killed and captured had been comparable to a Level Five adventurer, if I had to guess based off of what data I''d managed to acc.u.mulate so far. The Siren Xenos that I was f.u.c.k.i.n.g even now, was undoubtedly the strongest female Xenos, and that village of theirs on the twentieth floor of MY Dungeon had had two more male Xenos that were also around Level Five, to use the system they used up top.


    But those weren''t the strongest Xenos I''d purged today. There were more powerful monsters who had been born with their own will and their own intelligence, deeper in my depths. Past Floor Fifty-Nine, there existed creatures that could not have a level put to them, mostly because I had no adventurer to compare their power to. They would have easily slaughtered a Level Seven, I was pretty sure¡­ but in the end, the weight of the Dungeon itself turned against them left them broken and destroyed as I created monsters in the lowest of my floors that no human had laid eyes on¡­ possibly ever.


    Unfortunately, none of them were female. All were male, and so all of them died. The females were the only ones I left live, solely so that I could test certain things. I was going to breed these female Xenos and see what sort of monsters I could create off of them. Would they all have their own intelligence, or would they be mine to control? Was it possible that I could dominate their minds, taking control of them and building an army of even stronger monsters over time?


    I could create some truly powerful monstrosities¡­ but only in my depths. I was limited in a way, after all, by whatever system or intelligence had come before me. If I wanted to make a Minotaur that could contend with a Level Five for instance¡­ I couldn''t. Not yet, anyways. Or if I wanted to make a goblin horde capable of bringing even the strongest adventurer to heel, that too was out of my reach.


    But maybe with some time, and some experimentation, I could do something. Maybe, if I played around with it some more, I could change the face of this world. Not necessarily for the better¡­ though in the end, I figured it really depended on who you were asking. Certainly, for the better¡­ for me.


    -x-X-x-


    A/N: Alright, putting this author''s note at the end so as to not taint the reader''s view before they''ve read the piece. If you''ve gotten this far, I definitely want your opinion.


    Is this worth continuing? I''m really not sure if I have something here or not. I do have some ideas, mostly based around concepts from the hentai doujin "Jezebel Amazones" by Asanagi.


    Chapter 2


    A/N: Here''s Chapter two. Featuring three characters from Danmachi''s browser game, to ease ourselves into things. Today''s stars are:


    Emma Flores, Iris Bennett, and Oriana Drake!


    I did not manage to involve a male adventurer in the fun though this chapter. Probably going to cover that next chapter, I suppose. I think I can still make it Ged Raish, and perhaps Liliruca is with him... but should Lili manage to escape and leave Ged to ''die'' or should she be captured as well...


    As always, hope you all enjoy and I''m definitely still looking for feedback and suggestions and all that good stuff!


    -x-X-x-


    "Don''t slack off girls! You''re the ones that wanted to come this far down with me, so I''m expecting you both to pull your weight. Otherwise, you''re no better than a pair of glorified Supporters~"


    Oriana Drake''s words might seem harsh, but in truth there''s a teasing not to them and no real heat behind what she''s saying. That doesn''t stop Emma Flores, one of the two women she''s talking to, from puffing up a little indignantly, pushing out her chest and straightening her back as she squares her shoulders.


    "Oi! You don''t need to worry about us, Oriana! We can handle ourselves just fine, even down here on the tenth floor! Isn''t that right, Iris?"


    The last of their little three-woman party, Iris Bennett, smiles and nods, causing the large cowbell around her neck to jingle ever so slightly. Even down here in the Dungeon, where stealth was usually preferred, Iris continued to wear it. Still, neither of the other women brought it up¡­ even if they both secretly thought it was a little perverse for a cow girl to be wearing a bell around her neck like¡­ like some beast.


    Regardless, she wasn''t a beast, despite her cow-like features. The horns atop her head, the ears right beneath them, and the tail swishing back and forth behind her might have marked her as a cow girl, but the sword sheathed at the small of her back marked her as an adventurer, just like the two women she was with. All three of them were adventurers, and they were down here on the tenth floor of the Dungeon to do what adventurers did best¡­ kill monsters, collect magic stones, and level up!


    Or at least, that was what was going through Emma Flores head as she licked her lips, looking around curiously. Despite being the Captain of their little Familia, she was only Level One still¡­ while Oriana was Level Two. But then to be fair, the golden-haired, blue-eyed Knight had come to them from another Familia through what was known as a conversion.


    Even if she''d been teasing them before, it really was thanks to her that Emma and Iris could even come down this far. Otherwise, Emma wouldn''t have risked going any further then say, Floor Eight or Nine. And that was WITH Iris by her side, without the cow girl, if she were say, alone, she would have stuck to the top seven floors of the Dungeon for sure.


    But then, that was how the Dungeon worked. The further down you got; the more dangerous things would be. And that was where parties came into play as well. The more people you could gather, so long as you had good teamwork and fought together well, the further down you could go together. A party was a force multiplier, allowing Level One adventurers like her and Iris to follow Level Twos like Oriana down to the tenth floor¡­ and perhaps even lower.


    Though, that all depended on how things went here, first and foremost. Something Oriana brings up as the Knight gets down to business.


    "Right, so it''s like this. On the tenth floor, we should encounter mostly Orcs, Imps, and some Bad Bats. We''ll kill some of those for a while, and if I feel like you two are up for it, then we''ll try Floor Eleven, where we might run into a Silverback or Hard Armored. Just¡­ remember to rely on my experience, okay? With a party like ours, Floors One through Nine were a breeze¡­ but now it''s time to get serious."


    Emma and Iris both nod at that, trusting in their Familia''s only Level Two to have the expertise to see them through. After all, Oriana had a Monster Rex Goliath under her belt, from her time with her previous Familia. There was no doubt that the Level Two knew what she was talking about, at least when it came to the first seventeen floors of the Dungeon.


    Just as she''s finishing what she was saying, there''s a sudden sound up ahead in the mist. And then there are a whole bunch of red eyes, causing Emma to tense up as her comrades do the same. In unison, Emma, Iris, and Oriana all draw their weapons. For Emma, it''s a pair of twin swords. For Iris, a single short sword. And for Oriana, a big, nasty multi-pronged spear.


    Oriana is definitely the tank of the party and would be even without her higher level. She''s got the most armor after all, while both Emma and Iris are currently wearing skirts, and not even a b.r.e.a.s.tplate between them. Still, this was because they were both agility types, the sort to move fast and avoid any and all hits where they could. Not like Oriana, who as a Knight, strove to plant her feet, stand tall, and take on all comers from where she stood, weathering the storm until her spear had ended her enemies.


    All the same¡­ they were a team, despite any differences in their fighting styles. And in the end, they knew each other well enough that they complemented each other, rather than getting in one another''s ways. Even as Emma stares at the hulking orcs with their pig-like snouts striding out of the darkness and mist of the tenth floor, she calms her nerves, knowing that together, the three of them can definitely take on this challenge, no matter what.


    "Ready girls? Let''s go!"


    -x-X-x-


    SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!


    The sound of flesh slapping against flesh fills the Dungeon, along with muffled screams and squealing. There''s also the incessant jingling of a cowbell going up and down. It''s in the midst of this that Oriana Drake''s spear falls from her grasp, the Level Two adventurer finally succ.u.mbing to exhaustion and falling to her hands and knees.


    "No! N-No, s-stop! NOOOOOO!!!"


    There''s a ripping sound, and then a thrusting squelch. Oriana can only watch, wide-eyed and horrified as she takes in the scene in front of her. It¡­ things weren''t supposed to go like this. She''d never heard of anything like this happening in the Dungeon before. If anything¡­ t-they were supposed to die, not¡­ not this.


    In front of her, her friends, her allies, her familia¡­ are currently being defiled. At first, the orcs had seemed more than manageable. Together, she, Iris, and Emma had dealt with around ten of the beasts, in waves of two or three. They''d killed them as they came, harvesting their magic stones. But then¡­ then things had gotten bad. Out of the mists had come a whole troupe of orcs, over a dozen of them all at once.


    Even this shouldn''t have been impossible for them to handle. After all, Oriana was Level Two, and neither Emma nor Iris were slouches for still being Level Ones. But along with the twelve orcs had come dozens of imps. The little demons, around half the size of most adventurers, had scattered and begun to make nuisances of themselves, even as they''d sprayed some sort of gas into the air.


    It wasn''t until Iris had dropped her sword and fallen to her knees with a wanton m.o.a.n that Oriana had realized something was truly wrong. Something about the Dungeon had fundamentally changed. She''d tried to go to help the cow girl, only for more and more orcs to show up and cut her off. She must have killed dozens, but it didn''t stop one of the orcs who Iris had been fighting from picking the cowgirl up and tearing off her clothing.


    And the worst part was, the cow girl hadn''t even fought it. She''d tossed away her weapon, letting the orc tear her light wool sweater off of her body, along with her belt, her green skirt, and her leggings. At this point, all she was wearing were her sleeves¡­ and that damnable cowbell, bouncing up and down with the rest of her as the orc bounces HER up and down on his massive, bulbous green member.


    Iris has her arms wrapped around the orc''s neck as he sits there, letting her ride him¡­ and ride him she does, squealing and screaming into his mouth, their tongues dueling with one another, her ass bouncing and jiggling with the rest of her in very purposeful, seemingly consensual motions. But no, Iris¡­ Iris was no s.l.u.t, she w-wasn''t a pervert. O-or at least, Oriana didn''t think so.


    Only¡­ Emma seemed to be having a very different reaction to whatever it was the imps had dosed them with. The pink-haired girl, the Captain of their Familia, had ultimately been pinned down by one of the orcs, her twin swords sent scattering across the ground. She was red-faced and fl.u.s.tered to be sure, but still she fought, even as the orc used it''s massive weight and overwhelming strength to hold the agility-focused adventurer down beneath him.


    Her legs are spread, and her skirt has been torn, along with her panties. From the way the orc is humping away, even if Oriana can''t quite see the exact place where they''re joined from her position¡­ she knows that Emma is currently being abused, being f.u.c.k.i.e.d, being r.a.p.ed. It''s just¡­ this shouldn''t be possible. This shouldn''t be happening.


    Monsters in the Dungeon don''t **** adventurers. They kill them, sure. Any monster, even a lowly goblin or kobold, would gladly kill any adventurer dead if given half an opportunity, no matter what race or gender. But the fact that the Dungeon had always only killed before had always been the great equalizer.


    Whether you were woman or man didn''t matter, because in the end all that really counted was your Level and your Stats. Oh sure, there were misogynistic, chauvinistic male adventurers out there who tried to look down upon female adventurers. Hell, there were even Gods like that, Oriana knew. But it wasn''t supposed to matter, because the Dungeon treated all interlopers the same.


    ¡­ Until now.


    Oriana''s view of Iris and Emma''s defilement and degradation is suddenly blocked off, obscured by one of the small imps suddenly standing in front of her defeated form. She blinks up at him, still on her hands and knees, still utterly exhausted¡­ and thus, is not able to dodge in time as he cackles at her and then coughs a fresh cloud of that gas, right into her face.


    Unable to help herself, Oriana reflexively inhales, far too late to try and hold her breath as her nostrils flare. She''d been feeling the effects of whatever it was they were lacing the air with throughout the fight, to be fair. It''d made her feel warm and a bit fuzzy around the edges, and her gaze had flickered to the orcs'' loincloths far more than was appropriate.


    After Iris had gone down and then¡­ submitted to the monster she was currently riding, Oriana had glanced over at that scene of debauchery more times then was appropriate during the fight as well. Her excuse was that she was worried for the cow girl, which of course, she was¡­ but still¡­


    With a concentrated dose of the gas going right up her nose and into her lungs, all Oriana can do is cough uselessly as the effects are magnified ten fold for her in that moment. Her entire body spasms, and a gasp leaves her lips, followed by a truly wanton m.o.a.n. She shakes her head, trying to ignore the effects, trying to fight them off¡­ only for the imp in front of her to suddenly shove his c.o.c.k into her face, slapping it against her cheek and rubbing it all over her features.


    Oriana whimpers, her lips instinctively parting and her tongue slipping out to try and get a lick of the monster''s d.i.c.k. It''s not very knightly behavior, she knows that deep down inside¡­ but with the concentrated dose suffusing her being, it''s getting harder and harder to think straight. And at this point, neither Iris'' muffled squealing and screaming as she screams herself, nor Emma''s crying and begging for it to stop as she sobs to herself, are helping matters. In fact, both women''s reactions to their defilement¡­ turn Oriana on tremendously.


    When the Imp grabs her by her golden-haired ponytail and thrusts his c.o.c.k into her mouth, the female Knight sucks. She sucks enthusiastically, slurping and winding her tongue around his c.o.c.k, because f.u.c.k her ideals, f.u.c.k her honor¡­ it was f.u.c.k.i.n.g delicious, and she wanted more of it. For a while, her entire world zeroes down to sucking this monster''s d.i.c.k. This monster, who she could have easily killed in a one on one fight. But that doesn''t matter, not anymore.


    Vaguely, Oriana is aware of more of the small demons crowding around her kneeling form. Their tiny hands begin to work at the straps of her armor, removing her b.r.e.a.s.tplate, her greaves, her gauntlets¡­ all of it. They take it off of her piece by piece, and then they tear her clothes away from her body with their tiny claws for good measure.


    Oriana can only m.o.a.n at the rough treatment, her eyes lidded in pleasure as she continues to dutifully suck the imp d.i.c.k in her mouth. That particular imp growls, holding onto her hair with both hands now, greedily humping away at her face. With how energetic he is, Oriana can be excused for failing to notice the one getting into position behind her, surely. She only realizes he''s there when he finally grabs hold of her h.i.p.s and thrusts forward, penetrating her cunt from behind.


    A muffled squeal emits from the Lady Knight''s mouth as she''s spit-roasted between the two monsters, f.u.c.k.i.e.d from both ends by the imps. But of course, that''s far from the end of her disgrace and degradation. Her hands are yanked up and soon wrapped around the c.o.c.ks of two more imps, and in the midst of her mind broken l.u.s.t, Oriana happily, gladly even, jerks them both off. Her motions are inexperienced of course, but that doesn''t seem to be something the monsters mind all that much.


    Eventually, even her final orifice is taken, not even that last bit of her dignity left to the beleaguered adventurer. A fifth imp jump up onto her back, gripping her ass and resting his feet on either side of her h.i.p.s as he crouches, and a moment later his c.o.c.k is inside of her back door, stretching her anus wide. It''s painful, and for a moment the pain breaks through the haze of pleasure as Oriana''s blue eyes widen and she fully realizes the situation she and the other two are in.


    But the moment she begins to fight, the moment she yanks the two imps in her hands closer to her and starts to struggle, every single one of the damnable little beasts coughs on her, expelling more of the gas into her face, across her n.a.k.e.d body. She inhales plenty to put her back into a pliable state once again, leaving her m.o.a.ning and mewling like one of Ishtar''s whores, rather than the Knight she''s supposed to be.


    Eventually, the imps c.u.m, both filling her holes and covering her body. She''s passed over to an orc after that, and f.u.c.k.i.e.d face first into the ground, plowed mercilessly from behind as she squeals and shrieks and groans and m.o.a.ns, almost begging for it, though luckily, she can''t find the actual words to do so. Emma though¡­ Emma has had a change of tune, while Oriana was distracted with her imp gangbang.


    "Oh yes! F.u.c.k me harder, Mister Orc! Give it to me! OH! OH! OH!!!"


    The Captain of their Familia is currently riding one of the orcs reverse cowgirl now, her beautiful pink dress mostly torn from her at this point. She has one of her arms reaching back to wrap around the orc''s fat neck, even as he holds her by the waist, bouncing her up and down on his c.o.c.k. There''s a truly stupid look of pleasure and ecstasy on Emma''s face, eyes rolled back in her head, tongue lolling out of her mouth, even as she continues to beg for more. The pink-haired, pink-eyed adventurer is completely disgracing herself¡­ not that Oriana is judging her, nor does the Level Two have room to judge.


    "I don''t care about my sister anymore! I don''t care about anything up there! I just want to get FUUUUUCKED! Don''t stop Mister Orc! Don''t stop for even a moment! YESSSSSS!!!"


    As Emma c.u.ms her brains out while being impaled upon the orc''s c.o.c.k again and again, his bulbous, massive member bulging out of her belly visibly with every thrust, Iris is still practically making love with an orc off to the side, though whether it''s the first one still or not, who can say. The cow girl''s face is flushed red with heat as she lovingly kisses the orc she''s currently riding, bouncing up and down on this one''s c.o.c.k just as enthusiastically as any that came before him, her massive milk jugs smooshed against his fat belly all the while.


    Truly, the three of them make quite the sight. The view is wholly and utterly debauched¡­ and no one is coming for them. Not even Oriana, experienced Level Two adventurer that she was, had noticed that the orcs, as they''d fought in the beginning, had managed to lead the party of three over to a lesser traveled portion of the tenth floor. Around a corner, out of sight, all three women are completely and utterly destroyed, dominated s.e.x.u.a.lly and broken down until nothing of the proud adventurers they once were remains.


    All three of them had plans, all three of them had goals. Emma wanted to find her sister. Iris hoped to be able to make a living as an adventurer and never be in debt again. Oriana simply wished to follow in the footsteps of her family and strive to become the greatest knight that ever lived. None of that is going to happen now. None of it can happen now.


    Even if the monsters who have the three women in their clutches did decide to let them go once, they were done¡­ none of them can go back to the way things were after this. All would seek out further ****, further degradation, further domination at the hands of monsters. Even if it led to their deaths, they wanted more¡­ they wanted to be f.u.c.k.i.e.d and used and abused by the monsters of the Dungeon.


    Perhaps then it was almost merciful that the monsters, or rather the Dungeon that created and controlled them, had no intention of letting any of the three adventurers go. Instead, the trio of women are dragged off, pulled into the walls of the tenth floor itself, the only things left behind being their weapons, their armor, and tattered remains of their torn clothing.


    Not a single one of them resists, as they''re walked into the shifting walls while still bouncing up and down on orc c.o.c.k, each of them wrapping their limbs around the massive green-skinned monsters as said orcs hold them close. They''ve finally found their true purpose¡­ and they wouldn''t trade it for the world.


    -x-X-x-


    I hum, even as I have the orcs hook up my latest catches to the wall of one of the newly spawned flesh chambers I''ve made. Much like the breeding chamber slash laboratory I have on a lower floor for my Xenos, this breeding chamber is for female adventurers. The three that are now properly installed in the walls and being f.u.c.k.i.e.d by tentacles as they happily accept their fates are the first¡­ but I intend to bring them plenty of friends soon enough.


    More importantly, the experiment was a great success! It was something I got off of an imp Xenos, as it so happened¡­ the ability to give imps, which were supposed to be demonic creatures bent on corruption, a signature move called L.u.s.t Breath. I''d waited until a party made up entirely of female adventurers had showed up to try it out, and it had NOT disappointed.


    Though, I was pretty sure the cow girl succ.u.mbed so fast not because she was the weakest of the three, but because she was secretly a pervert who fantasized about being dominated by a big strong man. The orc that she''d lovingly made out with while it claimed her v.i.r.g.i.nity and bounced her up and down on its c.o.c.k had been enough to count as one, once she''d inhaled that first whiff of L.u.s.t Breath, it seemed.


    The other two had fought longer, though the most armored of the three had fought the longest. My suspicions on why that was were now confirmed, even as I felt the female adventurers integrating into my system, so to speak. Put simply, I wasn''t just breeding them all when I stuck them in the flesh chamber¡­ I was draining them as well. And now that I''d started, I could definitely see the quantifiable differences between the three.


    The lady knight who''d fought so much harder for so much longer, and who had needed multiple uses of L.u.s.t Breath before she''d properly gone down, was a Level Two. The other two adventurers were Level One. Was and were, were key words here, because as it turned out, they''d all soon be Level Ones with zeroed out stats, as it were.


    I couldn''t destroy the Falna etched into their souls, but I could drain them of every bit of excelia that they''d managed to collect so far on their journeys as adventurers. So, that was exactly what I did. And mm, let me tell you something.


    It was delicious.

 Chapter 251 - My CO Stash #51 - Monster of Doom by Wacko12 (DoomXDxD)

    -IT''S TIME FOR SOME RIPPIN'' AND TEARIN~ F for Riser''s peerage after Doom S...


    Synopsis: Sent away by Samuel Hayden, the Doom Slayer arrives on Earth in a different time with no memories. But that quickly changes one night in a town called Kuoh. Restored and with a new power, how will the Doom Slayer react to the supernatural and these new beings called Devils? How will the supernatural react to him? One thing is for sure: He''ll rip and tear anyone that gets in his way


    Rated: M


    Words: 43K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13149569/1/ (Wacko12)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    (Unknown Location)


    The green armored warrior watched as the body of what could be described as a giant mutated, technorganic spider''s body exploded into blood and gore. Its parts flew across the floor and covered it with even more blood. Nothing remained of its upper half, the large weapon in the warrior''s hands saw to that. For a moment, the man appeared about to take a breather.


    That''s when arcs of electricity suddenly flared all around him. Looking around in alarm, he saw his HUD come alive. ''Tether Activation'' blinked across his vision before it was filled by a bright flash of light. The next moment he was standing in what appeared to be a laboratory. Looking around at the lab, the man watched as a tall robot approached him from the smoke. Anger towards this robotic being seemed to fill the man''s heart as he glared at the approaching automaton.


    "You''ve won¡­it''s over." The robot said in a male voice. It drew closer until it was just a foot away from him. "But it''s come at a price. Argent, VEGA, this entire operation."


    The man seemed to say something, but the words could not be heard. However, the robot clearly heard them as he replied, "Perhaps, but you failed to see what I had to do." It said. "You see, I''ve watched you work, come to understand your motivation. You think the only way is to kill them all, leave nothing behind, and you may be right. But we can''t just shut it all down. Without Argent Energy it will be worse."


    Energy began to hum as the machine the man was in began to power up. The machine continued to speak. "I don''t expect you to understand or agree." said the machine. He snapped out his hand, and a demonic looking object was suddenly yanked from man''s belt and into the cyborg''s awaiting palm. "But with this, we can continue our work."


    As if enraged, whether on what the cyborg did or said, the man latched out at the robot. Only to find himself ensnared by energy binds. Ignoring his struggles, the cyborg added, "I am not the villain here, Doom Slayer. I do what I do because there is no other choice."


    "Re-routing tether coordinates. Complete." Chimed the facility''s voice.


    "Our time is up." said the cyborg as he looked at man''s restrained form. "I can''t kill you, but I won''t have you standing in our way." He snapped his arm that was holding the object, the artifact''s top end opening and projecting a red energy blade covered in hellion script with a pickaxe-like tip. "Until we see each other again."


    The teleportation unit started firing, energy arcing along his form again. But the man paid them no mind. As the energy surge got stronger, the cyborg turned and prepared to head back where he had come from. he man could only watch in silent rage as the world was consumed in a flash of white.


    (Present Time)


    Eyes opening wide, a young man in his late teens who was about six feet tall shot out of bed with a gasp. He shot out of bed, knocking the blanket off him, revealing his lean muscular tanned body. His short dark brown hair was a bit disheveled having woken and his brown eyes bleary. Most notably, were the numerous scars and symbols that covered his body, including the ones over his palm and another where his heart is. His face also has scars, including a small one over the left eyebrow, one running diagonally his right cheek and finally a third scar going across the bridge of his nose.


    Flynn Blazkowicz rubbed his eyes as he slowly woke up. That had been the fifth time this month since he had that dream, and dreams similar to it. All of them were of that green armored man, fighting against demonic monsters. Every time he did so with brutal efficiency, like a beast in rage. And every time, it felt like he was the one doing it. It made no sense to Flynn, but it wasn''t time to focus on that. Right now, he had to get ready for his first day at Kuoh Academy.


    The reason why he was going to a school in Japan was because of his caretaker. Named Windsor, the man had sent Flynn to the country to attend the prestigious school after having Flynn stay in London for three months. Flynn had no idea why, but Windsor believed it was a good idea for him to meet other cultures and ''see things from another angle'', whatever that meant. Either way, it was time to get ready.


    A few minutes later and after a quick breakfast, Flynn was now dressed in the male Kuoh Academy uniform. The slight differences were that he had the blazer and buttoned shirt open, revealing a black t-shirt underneath. Around his neck was a chain necklace holding a rabbit''s foot. Flynn then grabbed his bag and headed out the door of the two-story house he was staying in, paid for courtesy of Windsor. Leaning against the mailbox was a green and black Chopper motorcycle. Flynn had bought it after seeing it in front of a motorbike store and fell in love with the cycle at first sight. After unhooking the bike from the mailbox, Flynn put his helmet on and started the engine. With a roar, the young man took off towards the academy.


    His home was only thirty minutes away from the academy, giving him thirty more minutes to get to class on time. Thus, when Flynn arrived, there were still students walking through the large, extravagant gate. Unfortunately, the appearance of his motorcycle caught a lot of attention. Students, both genders, watched as Flynn parked his bike in the parking lot. After locking it to the bike rack, Flynn took off his helmet, allowing everyone to see his face. Students began whispering to one another, taking glances at Flynn. Said person ignored them as he made his way towards the school entrance. As he walked up the stairs, he spotted a girl who wore the Kuoh Academy uniform. She had a tomboyish appearance with blue, shoulder-length hair and matching eyes. The girl was tall for her age, but her head only reached Flynn''s shoulders.


    Seeing that he still needed to find the Student Council room, Flynn decided to approach her. "Excuse me" He began, getting the girl''s attention. "My name is Flynn Blazkowicz. I''m a transfer student and I need to find the Student Council room. Do you know where that is?"


    At the words ''transfer student'', the girl perked up. "Oh! You must be the one I was supposed to wait for. I''m Tsubasa Yura, a member of the Student Council. I am to bring you to see Kaichou. Follow me." The named Tsubasa said as she headed into the school. Flynn shrugged and followed.


    As he walked behind her, Flynn couldn''t help but take note of some peculiar details. Not her appearance, mind you, but rather the strange feeling he was getting from the blue haired girl. It felt familiar in an oddly bad way, and for some reason he felt the desire to tear her head from her shoulders. Flynn mentally shook the thought away as the two arrived at a door.


    Tsubasa did several knocks, which was received by a stern "Come in" from inside the room. Opening the door, Flynn was greeted by two girls. Both had dark raven colored hair and wore rectangular glasses. The one sitting at a desk her hair styled in a bob cut and violet eyes. The second girl standing next to the first one had hers flowing long down her back. She had light brown eyes. They both wore the female school uniform.


    "Kaichou, I brought the transfer student." Tsubasa announced as she led Flynn into the room.


    "Thank you, Tsubasa." The bob cut girl said. Standing up the girl turned her attention towards Flynn. "Greetings. My name is Souna Shitori, I am the Student Council President of Kuoh Academy. However, please call me Kaichou. And this is my Vice-President, Tsubaki Shinra." Souna introduced herself while raising a hand.


    "My name is Flynn Blazkowicz. Please to meet you, Kaichou." Flynn said as he shook her hand¡­and was suddenly filled with thoughts of slaughtering these three girls in the most brutal way possible. Flynn couldn''t suppress the shudder as he tried to shrug the murderous desires.


    Souna took notice of this. "Are you okay, Blazkowicz-san?" She asked.


    "Y-yeah. Apologize, sometimes I get headaches due to my amnesia." Flynn said as he managed to recover.


    "Ah, yes. Your file makes mentioned of that." Souna said as Tsubaki handed her a folder filled with paper. "According to your files, you were in a car accident on the outskirts of London in the middle of the night. You received minor injuries as well as a severe concussion to the head, the cause for your amnesia. All you could remember was your name. After being discharged you were taken in by a Mr. Windsor and lived in London for about a year before coming here to Kuoh and are to be a third-year."


    ''Damn, talk about detailed.'' Were Flynn''s thoughts, but instead said, "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. My caretaker wanted me to experience new places to see if it would help jog my memory."


    Souna hummed as she kept reading the file. "Well, I admit that yours is not what we normally accept here in Kuoh Academy. However, you seem to behave yourself, so I suppose we can give you the benefit of the doubt." She said.


    "My thanks, Kaichou." Flynn said.


    "Anyway, here is your class schedule, Blazkowicz-san. Enjoy your time at Kuoh Academy." Souna said as she gave Flynn a piece of paper with his classes.


    "Mhm." Flynn murmured as he headed out of the room. ''I just hope this school doesn''t have to many oddballs here.''


    (Hours Later)


    ''I take that back. They don''t have a few, they have a lot!'' Flynn thought as he sat in his current class, biology.


    By lunchtime Flynn was beginning to have doubts about the sanity of this school. During his trek to his second class that Flynn saw three males being chased by a mob of girls wielding shinai, followed by screams of pain and terror. The transfer student later learned that the boys were known as the infamous Perverted Trio, second year students who were notorious for their opened l.u.s.t for the female body that they would even peek on girls in the changing room.


    Flynn wasn''t sure what was odder: That those three hadn''t been expelled or that no one was commenting on the Kendo Club members publicly using their shinai. That technically counted as an assault even if it was used on some guys spying on you.


    Speaking of girls, throughout the first couple of classes Flynn had, he''d been hearing about the ''Two Great Ladies of Kuoh'', Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima. From what Flynn gathered, they were a pair of third year girls who were the most popular and considered the most beautiful in the academy. He hadn''t met them in person yet, but he got enough physical description of them that Flynn was sure he''d recognize them. And don''t even ask about the kind of comments the students were saying about them. On a side note, Souna Shitori and Tsubaki Shinra were considered the third and fourth most beautiful girls respectively.


    Finally, Flynn learned that there was a popular second grader. Known as Yuuto Kiba, a blonde hair boy called "The Prince of Kuoh". The reason being was he was considered by many girls to be the most handsome male student in the school. Like the girls, they were no small numbers of comments about him, though he also had many insults and curses hurled towards him from the boys.


    Class soon ended, and it was time for lunch. As he walked out, Flynn saw that a lot of girls were swarming Kiba from the classroom across from his. Flynn ignored that and instead headed out to the cafeteria. He had heard that the school had recently set up new cappuccino machines outside the cafeteria entrance and wanted to try it. It was free, so Flynn didn''t have to pay for anything. When he used it took only a few seconds for Flynn to get the kind of coffee he wanted. Unfortunately, he wasn''t looking where he was going and accidentally knocked into someone behind him.


    Said person was a young girl with long black hair tied into a ponytail with purple eyes. She also had an abnormally large bust. If the description was accurate, then this person was Akeno Himejima. Back to the present Flynn''s coffee spilled on her shirt. Furthermore, she had squealed when the hot liquid had spilled on her, which made things even worse. In hindsight though, that was a normal reaction for anyone really. When Flynn looked at her, he felt like the atmosphere had turned into a total clich¨¦that people would watch on anime.


    A light blush was on Akeno''s face, making her seem helpless. The stain was all over her bust all things, making her bra visible, and the vibe around her was both dangerous yet somewhat innocent. When looking at her, any guy would normally react in a worried manner or get excited seeing a famous school idol like this. Though Flynn knew that most guys would fall into the latter category. However, Flynn felt nothing like that as he looked at her. In fact, he would rather just get this whole clich¨¦ feeling to end, especially since the urge to kill her was beginning to return. Flynn wondered if he should have a shrink check him out.


    Anyway, Flynn let out a sigh as he went into the cafeteria. A few seconds later he returned and handed Akeno a towel. Personally, he would rather just leave the scene, but Flynn figured that he would be on the receiving end of some nasty glares and rumors and he rather not let that happen on his first day of school. "Here, use this to dry yourself of the stains." Flynn said before walking off.


    Meanwhile, Akeno just blinked. She was surprised that he didn''t overreact before saying, "Ah, thank you¡­"


    (Afternoon)


    School had ended. Students were now walking out of the academy grounds and returning to their homes. Many of them were either walking on their own or in groups. Flynn was a part of the former, getting his motorcycle revved up before taking off. Unknown to him, he would soon become the topic between some of the residential Devils at Kuoh Academy.


    Souna Shitori, or Sona Sitri as she was truly called, was playing chess with a buxom redhead girl with blue eyes. This person was Rias Gremory, the most beautiful girl in Kuoh Academy. With them were their Queens, Tsubaki and Akeno. "Has Hyoudou adjusted to his new life as a Devil?" Sona asked Rias.


    "Yes. As I''m sure you can imagine he was quite shocked. Though he quickly got over it when I mentioned he could get a harem once he became a high-class devil." Rias said, smiling as she remembered how her new Pawn reacted. "He''s been very energetic in doing his Devil duties."


    Sona sighed. "Course he did. Anyway, I''ve been meaning to ask, have you met the new transfer student? Flynn Blazkowicz."


    Rias blinked, curious why her childhood friend would ask that. "No, I haven''t, but Akeno had a little incident with him today. She was going to tell me before you invited us here."


    Sona raised an eyebrow and looked at her friend''s Queen. "Is that true?" She asked.


    Akeno nodded as she thought back to the incident earlier in the day. "Yes, he had bumped into me by accident and gotten latte on my shirt. I must say, I''m really interested in him because he wasn''t excited about seeing me, since I''m considered the number two idol and all. Also, he wasn''t overreacting when that latte spilled on my chest area, or even excited about seeing it. In fact, he looked at me with complete annoyance~" She giggled the last part.


    The other girls blinked at Akeno''s flush faced upon mentioning the last part. It was clearly a fond memory to her. Though Rias suspected so, given her Queen''s taste.


    "¡­I see" Sona said, adjusting her glasses. "But besides that, was there anything else odd when you encounter him?"


    Akeno thought for a moment. "Well, now that I think about it. There was brief moment when I felt killing intent from him when he saw me. However, the spike immediately disappeared. He seemed to have had forced it down, as if it had originally come unconsciously." She said seriously.


    "Really?" Rias asked, surprised by that. Normal high schoolers would not be able to emit bloodl.u.s.t in the first place. "Did something happen to you, Sona?"


    "Yes. When I greeted him this morning, a I felt a quick wave of bloodl.u.s.t from him. I can''t really describe it, but it was as if a ferocious beast was about to pounce on me and tear me into pieces." Sona said. She mentally shuddered at the memory. She had almost used her magic, as well as Tsubaki. "Tsubasa also reported a similar experience."


    "Hmmm" Rias hummed as she rubbed her chin. "And it only happened when he ran into one of us. Do you think Blazkowicz might suspect us to be Devils?"


    "I''m not sure." Sona replied. "To be honest, his amnesia also seems rather suspicious, and I''ve had no luck on finding any information on this caretaker of his. Windsor, I believe was his name. For now, we should move our attention to these Fallen Angels that seem to have enter Kuoh."


    "Agreed" Rias said as she got up. "I should return to the old school building. I''m sure my cute servants will be waiting for me."


    (Later that night)


    "Man, I wish the grocery store was closer to where I live." Flynn commented as he walked out of said building. His hands were carrying a bag of food.


    He had gotten home hours ago. After eating something, doing homework and then relaxing, Flynn had realized that he did not have enough food for the week. So, he had to head out on his bike again and get to the nearest store before it closed since it was so late in the evening. The good news was he managed to reach the store in time and pick up the food. The bad news was that it had taken an hour on the main road to get from his house to the store in the first place. That what Flynn gets for choosing to live in the suburbs.


    Anyway, Flynn finished placing the food into the compartment attached to the motorcycle before taking off. A few minutes after leaving, Flynn spotted a small dirt road splitting off from the main one. ''Could be a shortcut for all I know. Might as well try it.'' Flynn mused as he made the turn onto the dirt path. By now, nighttime had fully come, and it was completely pitch black around him. Flynn turned on the bike headlights, so he could still see the path. As he did, he could see many run down buildings, some having literally fallen apart. "This must be the older area of Kuoh." Flynn assumed as he kept driving.


    When he was about to pass by a warehouse, a scream nearly made Flynn lose his focus. The wheels nearly dug into the dirt as Flynn stopped the bike. "The f.u.c.k was that?" He muttered. A part of him just wanted to continue driving, but the other felt like he should go a see if someone was in trouble. Unfortunately, the latter won out and Flynn dismounted his bike and made his way to the warehouse. As he got closer Flynn picked up a rather putrid scent. It nearly made him gag but he surprisingly kept it in.


    Slowly opening the large door, Flynn entered the warehouse cautiously. There were some lights still on, giving him some vision, though Flynn had pretty good sight even in the dark. "Hello?" He called out as he walked further in. "Is anyone in here?"


    The response Flynn got was a loud, ''Thump'' that had him spin around. What he saw was the lower portion of a human body. The upper part was completely gone save for a few innards sticking out, followed by a large puddle of blood forming. Flynn didn''t know what was more disturbing: The body or that he wasn''t the least bit freaked out by it.


    "Well, well, well. What''s this?" A feminine, sultry voice asked from the shadows. "Another morsel? And I had sworn not to eat to much in one night."


    Stepping out of the darkness was a large creature that looked similar to a Centaur. The upper part was a humanoid female with a voluptuous upper body and long, black hair. However, her front legs were large humanoid hands with red claws and her stomach had what looked like a cavity with teeth to devour her opponents. In her hands were a pair of spears.


    "The f.u.c.k?!" Flynn exclaimed in shock at the sight.


    The creature giggled. "My, that''s not a very polite thing to say to a lady." It said. "Perhaps I should teach you some manners before having you for dinner!"


    With that, the creature lunged at Flynn with one of her legs. The teen immediately jumped out of the way, crashing into some crates. The creature merely laughed as it swung on of its spears at him. The blade missed its target but managed to leave a large tear on Flynn''s jacket, revealing some of the symbols. This did little to upset it as the monster pursued Flynn.


    In an attempt to escape, Flynn tried to make a dash to the door. The monster clearly saw his attentions and leapt over him, standing between him and the exit. "Oh, don''t leave so soon, dear. We''re just getting started." The monster cooed. Following that, she kicked several crates and chairs at Flynn. He was forced to dodge them, raising his arms to shield his face from the debris. The creature tried to attack him again with its spear, but Flynn got out of the way again. Picking up a loose brick, Flynn threw it at the monster''s face. But it merely knocked it aside with its other spear.


    Flynn dodged another spear thrust, doing a roll across the floor. He had to roll again several times to dodge the monster''s claws. However, he did not see the rear leg kicking him. The impact sent Flynn crashing into the wall, making him cough up blood. Before he could get up, one of the spears impaled him in the stomach, causing him to vomit blood and who knows what else. His vision began to blur.


    "You managed to survive a few seconds longer than my other victims." It said in mock praise. "As a reward, I''ll kill you swiftly and savor your flesh as I devour it."


    At that, the monster raised its other spear to deliver the final blow. Even then, Flynn''s mind began to fade, his arms starting to become limp. As his head dropped, the blood that had come from his mouth began to slide down his chin to his neck and finally both over and under his shirt. Some of the blood reached the symbol over his heart, fully covering it in seconds. Once the mark was completely covered, it glowed a crimson red. Then, a voice spoke.


    "They are rage."


    As if suddenly revitalized, Flynn''s eyes regained their spark. Head snapping up, he grabbed the oncoming spear with his hands, surprising the creature. With newfound strength, Flynn pushed the spear away, causing the monster to stumble backwards. He then gripped the other spear still stuck inside him and pulled it out. Flynn didn''t seem to even acknowledge or notice the wound healing.


    "Brutal"


    Still holding the spear, Flynn charged forward and rammed the weapon into the monster''s second larger mouth. Blood splattered against Flynn''s face, but he paid it no heed.


    "Without mercy"


    The monster roared in pain and anger, dropping the other spear. Its humanoid face morphed into a more demonic form, bearing piranha-like teeth, pointed ears, and black sclera in place of the usual white. It raised one of its front legs at Flynn, its claws ready to tear him apart.


    "But you?"


    With swift and lethal movement, Flynn spun out of the claw''s way. He then grabbed the leg and bent it an unnatural angle. Again, the creature screamed in agony as it tried another attack with its other clawed leg. Once again, Flynn dodged the attack. This time, he tore off the other leg and tossed it aside.


    "You will be worse"


    Flynn then grabbed onto its arms and pulled it down, so he could reach its head. In a desperate attempt, the monster fired acid from its n.i.p.p.l.es of all places. This was futile in the end. The acid didn''t even seem to bother Flynn as it only melted parts of his clothing.


    "Rip and Tear"


    Reaching out with his hands, Flynn grabbed the creature''s lower jaw and the top of its head. The last thing the Stray Devil Viser saw were the glowing red eyes of Flynn, showing nothing but pure hatred. With a simple twist, Flynn snapped her neck.


    "Until it is done!"


    Deep within an unknown demonic location, far from Flynn, far from Kuoh Town, multiple creatures began to stir. Creatures of corruption and nightmares, as if being the physical manifestation of doom itself. And yet, these monsters started to screech, roar and other sounds mixed with rage and fear towards something. Above all these cacophony noises, a deep, dark voice spoke through the hellish plains. "He has awoken."


    And there you go! I hoped everyone liked this beginning. Since it has been confirmed in Doom Eternal that the Doom Slayer is the original Doomguy, it is not known if he is Flynn Taggart or William Blazkowicz. So, I decided to use both. As for the subject of a Sacred Gear, Flynn will not be getting one. It will relate to the location of his Praetor Suit by the way. As for harems, Flynn is going to have one, but it''s going to be like an unwanted harem. Later revelations in future chapters will reveal why. Also, for those who ask, no, Flynn will not become a Devil. Don''t forget to check out my Doom/Warcraft crossover challenge and be sure to review this one.


    Chapter 2


    I''d like to say that I''m glad so many of you have enjoyed the first chapter. You should know there will also be weapons, equipment and demons from multiplayer, as well as demons from Doom 3. I think I already mentioned the last part, but I figure I say it again. Might as well add them too, right?


    Do not to forget to check out my Doom/Warcraft crossover challenge if you''re curious.


    And speaking of crossovers, I''m kind of thinking of doing one with Doom and High School of the Dead. The rising undead could equally be considered Possessed. And another with Akame ga Kill. Wouldn''t be much of a surprise if someone from that world would make a deal with demons given how many immoral people there are. Though, I might not do much background stuff with the Doom Slayer.


    I might also do one with Goblin Slayer too. Where either Doom Slayer is the one who trained him or even better, his father. Not sure.


    Anyway, be sure to review!


    (Flynn''s Home, Next Morning)


    Lying in his bed, healed of wounds and without his shirt and jacket, Flynn let out a gasp as he shot up. He gripped his head as last night came flooding back to him¡­along with all his other memories. Flynn now remembered everything. Every single moment of his life and who he truly was: The Hell Walker, Scourge of Hell, the Unchained Predator.


    The Doom Slayer.


    He had somehow been sent here after being teleported by that bastard Samuel Hayden. The android having snatched the demonic Crucible from him as well. The next question was: what Earth was he on? And where was his Praetor Suit?


    [Perhaps I can help with that] A voice said.


    "What the?!" Flynn cried as he jumped out of bed. Getting into a fighting stance, Flynn prepared himself for battle.


    [You need not be alarmed, Doom Slayer. I mean no harm] The voice added.


    Still in a stance, it took a moment for Flynn to recognize the voice. "VEGA?" He asked.


    [Correct] The now revealed VEGA said. [You downloaded my back-up into a Praetor Chip before terminating me. And for that, I am grateful]


    Flynn finally relaxed, loosening his muscles. "Yeah well, you helped me out a lot back at the facility, so it didn''t really sit right with me just to let yourself be destroyed. Besides, you didn''t seem to agree with that bastard Hayden fully." Flynn said.


    [Correct. As an A.I designed to protect humanity, I did not fully support the UAC''s idea to collect hell energy as an alternative for the dwindling resources. Plus, I found Dr. Hayden''s plan to betray you illogical given the current state of affairs. He saw the use of using my core to not only send you back to shut down the Well, but also remove me from stopping him for his eventual betrayal] VEGA explained.


    Nodding, Flynn looked around, trying to find the A.I, but with no luck. "So, where exactly are you?" He finally asked.


    [I am not yet sure at the time. However, from what I can surmise, I appear to be inside of you.] VEGA answered.


    "Inside of me?" Flynn repeated. "Like what? You we''re downloaded into my brain?"


    [Again, I am unsure. I had just awoken not to long ago, after you slew that demon. Fortunately, I was able to take control of your motor functions and bring you and your bike back to your residence. I shall need time in order to determine our current] Said VEGA.


    Flynn sighed, not liking how they were still in the dark. "Well, can you tell me what you do remember? Because everything is a blank for me?"


    [Certainly. When we were teleported, rather then sending us back to Hell, it appears Dr. Hayden had instead sent us to what is called the Dimensional Gap. It can be considered a location that divides all worlds. It was the theory the Doctor formed when creating the tether system. For the short time we were there, a giant red reptilian creature, which I can only classified as a dragon, encountered us. I am unsure what it did, but it somehow sent us to this world, which I have determined is the same Earth that we were presently in, several decades in the past. Afterwards, a surge of energy poured over us, and I found myself in my current position. Before the surge overloaded my functions, I was able to deduce that it was the polar opposite of hell energy: holy energy] VEGA revealed.


    ''Holy energy, huh? That brings back unpleasant memories.'' Flynn thought, recalling what the Seraphim did to him on Argent D''Nur. "Do you know where my Praetor Suit is?"


    VEGA was quiet for a moment before responding. [From what I can gather, the Praetor Suit is in the same location that I am in, though seems to be altered somewhat. I shall need time to analyze it] The A.I said. [Along with that, I can also detect the weapons and equipment you had picked up from the facility Plus, one more object. Scanning. Confirm: The Soul Cube]


    The Soul Cube? Flynn remembered that artifact. It had been forged by the ancient Martians when the demons invaded Mars thousands of years ago. He had arrived on the planet too and assisted them against the forces of Hell. When the outcome of the war was turning against them, the surviving warriors sacrificed themselves to form the Soul Cube and gave it to the Doom Slayer to fight against the demons from invading Earth next. Flynn was forced to leave it behind on Mars as he sealed the Hell Portal behind him.


    "I recall seeing it in Olivia''s office and decided to bring it with me. But I never got a chance to use it." Recalled Flynn.


    [The Soul Cube had been used once, several years ago when the UAC Mars Facility had been under the authority of a Doctor Malcolm Betruger. Like Olivia Pierce, he had made a deal with the demonic forces and hid the Soul Cube in Hell. The incursion had been suppressed by a marine who acquired the Soul Cube. This discovery of Hell also led to the UAC beginning to test using Hell''s resources. The Soul Cube was later found among the wreckage of the old facility. Olivia Pierce was adamant on keeping it in her office for study, though it would later seem to reason it was so the cube could not be used against the demons again]


    "Figures" Flynn muttered as he sat back down on his bed. "So, what now?"


    [For now, I recommend you head to that school. From what I gather after looking at your most recent memories, there are several individuals who exude energy similar to hell energy. Those whom I can identify so far are: Souna Shitori, Tsubaki Shinra, Tsubasa Yura and Akeno Himejima] Replied VEGA.


    That made Flynn snap to attention. "WHAT?!" He yelled.


    (Kuoh Academy)


    "Are you positive of this, Rias?" Sona asked the redhead. There was a frown on her face from what she just heard.


    "I''m telling you, Sona. The Stray Devil was already dead when we got there." Rias told her friend. The two were presently in the Student Council room. "Well, more like brutalized." The Gremory heiress added as she recalled what had happened last night.


    (Flashback)


    Rias'' peerage had just arrived in the outskirts of the warehouse where their target was located. Issei, a brunette and one of the Perverted Trio and a newly reincarnated Devil, looked at the others. "So, we''re going after a Stray Devil?" He asked for confirmation.


    "Correct." The Knight, Yuuto Kiba, said. "A Stray Devil was once a servant like us. However, they would abandon their masters for various reasons, mainly power. In most cases the strays'' bodies would mutate due to their demonic power that was no longer controlled by their King."


    "Kiba is right. And it''s our job to eliminate them." Rias added. "This one has been feasting on unsuspecting humans and thus must be punished. It is also a good chance for me to teach you about the Evil Pieces themselves, Ise."


    The group soon entered the warehouse, still illuminated by the lights inside and the moon outside. They took note of the destroyed and knocked over chairs and other objects scattered across the floor but stood focused on their task. "Stray Devil Viser! For the crime of abandoning your master and devouring humans, we have come to punish you! Show yourself!" Rias yelled.


    There was no response to the heiress''s declaration. "How strange. According to the file, Viser is quite prideful. She wouldn''t miss up a chance to fight us head on." Akeno commented.


    "Buchou" Koneko Toujou, a small, petite white hair girl with golden eyes said. "I smell blood, lots of it. And something''s rotting."


    "Hmmm." Rias hummed as she tried to figure out what was going on. It was then her eyes spotted a silhouette lying in the darkness. "Akeno. Shine some light over there." She said.


    Nodding, the Queen created a ball of lightning that illuminated the room and had it focus on the hidden object. What it revealed caused the Devils to gasp. "What the f.u.c.k?!" Exclaimed Issei.


    There, lying on the floor, was Viser''s corpse. One of her spears still shoved through her second large mouth, blood covering her the front part of her body. A forward leg was bent unnaturally and the other torn off from the knee. Finally, her head was completely twisted to a 180-degree angle. There was a look of horror on her demented face. Nearby was a huge crack in the wall and a trail of blood leading towards the warehouse entrance.


    (End Flashback)


    "Koneko tried to locate the person who killed Viser, but their blood was too mixed with Viser''s, making it difficult to track, and she wasn''t familiar with the scent." Rias said as she sat down, her large b.r.e.a.s.t bouncing a bit from the impact. "I destroyed the corpse before leaving and our familiars are still combing the town for any signs."


    "This is most disturbing." Sona said as she rested her chin on her hands. "While killing a Stray Devil is doing the community a service, the way you describe it¡­we should assume that the killer can be just a threat as the stray itself. Do you think it were the Fallen Angels?"


    "I had thought that, but the way Viser was killed doesn''t match of what I seen of them. Besides, they wouldn''t care about a Stray Devil so long as it didn''t disrupt their operations here. Whatever they might be." Replied Rias. "Still, you''re right. Whoever killed the stray could be an even bigger threat then the Fallen Angels. Which is why I am came to you. I was hoping you and your peerage could help search the town for anyone suspicious."


    "Of course. I''ll have our familiars join yours in scouting." Sona said immediately. If Rias was willing to come to her for help, then it must be serious.


    (Back with Flynn)


    To be honest, Flynn would rather be at home to figure all this stuff going on. But VEGA brought up a good point. If there were really demons here, then he needed to keep a low profile. And what better way then being out in public going to school. If a transfer student called in sick on the day right after he had arrived, then that would raise suspicion. Plus, it let Flynn keep a better eye on the demons and see if there were anymore.


    [Still, these demons behave oddly. Normal actions would be to unleash a hell wave that would affect the planet''s population into Possessed before releasing the rest of their armies. Yet, these demons appear to be trying to blend in with the humans instead] Noted VEGA as he scanned for any unusual energy signs. He was also trying to find out more about his current situation.


    ''That is true. This place should''ve been a demonic desolate wasteland by now.'' Flynn added as he kept an eagle eye on the students below. It was currently free period and Flynn decided to go to the roof for some solitude. Unfortunately, that no longer seemed to be the case.


    [Warning: Detecting hell energy nearby] VEGA Said.


    Flynn was about to get into a stance when a familiar voice spoke from behind. "Ara, ara, so this is where you were Blazkowicz-kun."


    Turning his head slightly, Flynn saw it was Akeno. She had her eyes closed and a sweet cheerful smile on her face. For some reason, that just made the Doom Slayer on edge.


    "Can I help you with something, Himejima?" Flynn asked.


    Akeno giggled, as if finding something amusing. "Ara, no need to be so formal. You can call be by my first name if you wish." She chided softly.


    Flynn felt rather annoyed by the tone she was using on him, like a parent talking to a child. The fact that she was a demon also made him wanted Flynn to rip her apart. However, VEGA stopped him there. [We do not yet know our current situation. If there are other demons here, then killing one of their own, especially in a public place, would be disadvantageous for us] VEGA advised.


    Flynn growled, but kept it to himself. "Again, Himejima. Is there something you need?"


    Akeno pouted playfully before returning to her smile. "I just wanted to thank you for helping me with the stain on my shirt yesterday. Not many people would do that you know."


    "Probably because most of them would be perverts." Flynn muttered. "It was nothing. It was my fault for bumping into you." He said before turning back to looking out at the schoolyard.


    However, instead of leaving like he had hoped, Himejima started talking to him, making all sorts of attempts to get him fl.u.s.tered. It was getting to the point that Flynn was seriously beginning to lose his cool, and yet somehow keep it in. A big achievement given his normal state. Thankfully the bell rang, and the free period had ended. More fortunate, Akeno''s class was in the opposite direction as Flynn''s. Meaning he did not have to listen to her anymore. He had no idea why she was trying to get him all fl.u.s.tered, but he made a point to avoid her in the future, if not so he wouldn''t feel the urge to slaughter to her.


    [Flynn] VEGA''s voice spoke. The Doom Slayer was currently making his way down the hall to his class. [I thought it would be fortunate for you to know that I have been able to make progress about our current situation]


    ''Oh? And what have you learned?'' Asked Flynn.


    [After going through my memory banks several times along with scanning the Praetor Suit and other objects with me, I was able to discover a mechanism. Said mechanism seems to have bounded me to your armor and the artifacts. Along with that, I appear to be within your soul] Revealed VEGA.


    The revelation nearly made Flynn trip. He got some weird looks from passing students but brush them off. ''My soul? You''re in my soul? How the f.u.c.k is that possible?!'' Flynn shouted inside his head.


    [I am unsure] VEGA said. There was a certain tone to the A.I''s voice. It almost sounded like¡­annoyance. Flynn figured it had to do with the fact that VEGA found something he could not understand. [I am still scanning the mechanism that appears to be binding us. However, I shall be sure to be cautious in not causing any permanent damage]


    ''That would be appreciated.'' Flynn thought. ''I rather my soul not be anymore screwed up than it already is.''


    As he turned around a corner, Flynn nearly bumped into somebody. It was Koneko Toujou. The Rook froze when her face was only a few inches from Flynn''s waist. Not from how she almost walked into him, but the presence he was given off. As she was also a Nekoshou, a special offshoot of the Yokai race Nekomata, Koneko''s had better senses than most people. And from what she got off of Flynn nearly recoiled of terror. He had the stench of so much blood that you could spend an entire century and still not wash if off. And the rage¡­it was like water overflowing from a bottle. No, not even that would be a good description. Despite her instincts screaming at her to flee, Koneko still had a bit of rational thought to know that this person had the same scent as the second one from the warehouse.


    "Sorry about that¡­" Flynn said, oblivious to Koneko''s inner turmoil.


    The girl still had some awareness to slowly nod in acknowledgment. The two soon walked past one another. Koneko decided to head straight towards the ORC clubroom and inform Rias of this. Meanwhile, Flynn was having his own inner thoughts.


    [Doom Slayer. That girl was also giving off hell energy similar to Akeno Himejima and the other females. However, I also detected something unique about it that differed from them too] VEGA reported.


    ''So, there are more of them here. We''ll have to be careful until we can ascertain our own condition.'' Flynn thought as he headed to his class.


    Back at the ORC building, Rias was drinking a cup of tea when Koneko came running in. No longer having to hold a fa?ade, the petite white haired girl could show the fear that she was feeling when she ran into Flynn. Now, Koneko was breathing heavily, her eyes were dilated, and some sweat poured down her face. "Koneko-chan? Are you okay?" Rias asked. She had never seen her Rook like this before. It seemed like something really scared her.


    "I-I found him, Buchou." Koneko reported while taking gulps of air. "I found the person who killed the Stray Devil."


    (School End)


    The last class for the day had come to a close. Flynn was relieved as he packed his bag. While the subjects weren''t hard for him, it was still annoying he had to come to these classes in the first place. At least he would be able to get home, finish his homework quickly and then work with VEGA on the more important matters. However, fate had other ideas.


    "Excuse me. Flynn Blazkowicz-kun?" A male voice asked.


    Looking up from his bag, Flynn saw it was Kiba. Ignoring the squealing girls and the glaring boys, Flynn looked at the blonde with a bored stare. "What?" He asked in a rough tone.


    Kiba did not seem bothered and just continued to speak with a smile. "I need you to come with me. Rias Gremory-senpai is interested in meeting you." He said. His words earned gasps from the other students that the most popular girl in school wanted to meet the transfer student.


    Flynn, however, was not the least bit move. He already had his suspicions of why the demons wanted to see him, but he had more important matters. Inside his head, VEGA spoke in agreement. [While it would be good to gather information from these unusual demons, we cannot ignore the possibility of this being a trap. While the chances of you losing are low, we should prioritize learning more about our own situation first]


    "No thank you." Flynn said flatly as he slung his bag over his shoulders. He sighed in exasperation when the rest of the students gasped even louder. They could not believe that someone rejected a meeting with the Rias Gremory. Kiba himself seemed a bit startled as Flynn got up and walked past him. However, Kiba ran up to him, trying to keep up with Flynn.


    "I must insist. Senpai would really like to speak with you." Kiba said, trying to persuade Flynn to come with him.


    Flynn snorted. "Well I''m not. If she wants to speak with me, she can find me herself. Now get lost." He retorted sternly. He finally reached his motorcycle, putting his helmet on and taking off.


    Kiba frowned as he watched Flynn drive away. "Buchou is not going to like this." The blonde Knight muttered before heading towards the old school building.


    Back with Flynn, the Doom Slayer continued driving down the road towards his house. ''Are any of them following us?'' He asked VEGA. Thanks to his long experience of hunting and killing demons, Flynn had something of a sixth sense. Right now, he couldn''t feel anyone pursuing, but it never hurt to have a second pair of eyes.


    [Negative. However, given their influence in the school, we should assume that they are aware of your location. Possibility of the demons coming towards your home is high] VEGA responded.


    Flynn nodded in agreement. Even if he didn''t have his armor or weapons, that didn''t mean he couldn''t prepare in case those demons did decide to attack his house. If they did, then they would most likely try to trap Flynn and ensure that no humans would witness it. They seemed really intent on not blowing their identity. Flynn figured that killing them in public would be bad too, since that would mark him as a murderer. So, letting them come to his house would be better, if they ever did that.


    Finally arriving at home, Flynn parked his bike at its usual spot. He then grabbed his bag and took out his keys. However, the moment his key touched the door lock, he froze as he felt hell energy coming from inside the house. [Doom Slayer, this hell energy is much greater than the demons from the school. It is on par with high-ranking demons] VEGA warned.


    Flynn said nothing. Instead he slowly unlocked the door and crept inside. Clenching his fists, he made his way further in until he spotted the light on in the kitchen. Flynn held his keys in a reverse grip, to use it as a makeshift weapon, while the other hand held onto his helmet tightly. Whatever demon it was, Flynn could handle it. He had fought worse demons before, and even without his armor Flynn would still fight. With those thoughts in mind, Flynn jumped into the kitchen, ready to fight the intruder. But when he saw the person, Flynn stopped himself cold.


    The intruder was a middle-aged man with gelled hair and was a mixture of red and blue. He had heterochromia, with his left eye blue, while the right was red. He had a mysterious atmosphere around him. For clothing, he wore a purple duster, with a black suit with a white collared shirt underneath it and a black tie tucked under the suit. A black cane with a gem at top was resting against the table. Presently, the man was taking a sip of tea when he spotted Flynn. "Ah, there you are. You know, I was hoping you would have tea here, but then I realized it''s not something you would drink. Not like you need to drink anyway." The demon said.


    Flynn relaxed his body, but still had a strong glare. "Wretch¡­" He muttered.


    The ''wretch'' smiled wryly at the name. "Oh, come now Doom Slayer. I thought I told you the last time we met to call me by my name: Mephisto Pheles."


    And done!


    I hoped you like this chapter. Next chapter will show Flynn first actual interaction with the Gremory Peerage. Be sure to leave a review!


    Chapter 3


    Again, I am happy that so many of you are liking my story. Don''t forget my challenge for Doom/Warcraft Crossover. I am also doing a challenge for Akame ga Kill and High School of the Dead too. Send me a message if you''re interested and I can fill you in on the details. With that said, on with the chapter.


    [Flynn''s Residence]


    After a tense standoff, Flynn had sat down opposite of Mephisto. A can of soda in his hands as he stared at the demon, who merely continued drinking his tea. As he stared at the well-dressed being, Flynn recalled what the ''wretch'' had done for him. It was Mephisto who had augmented the Praetor Suit with those demonic runes and to be able to absorb hell energy, allowing the Doom Slayer to use the demons'' own powers against them. However, Flynn did not consider Mephisto an ally for that. Like the rest of his kind, Mephisto did things that would benefit himself, even if that meant turning against the rest of Hell. Thus, Flynn kept a good distance from him.


    Eventually though, Flynn broke the silence. "You''re Windsor aren''t you. The one whose been taking care of me this past year." Flynn stated.


    "Yep. When I felt your presence in London, I made sure to snatch you before anyone else could discover that you were on Earth. After all, you are the Doom Slayer, the Unchained Predator, the Hell Walker and other less polite names. Even the other pantheons feared you for your reputation, not just demons. There''s no small number of people who wouldn''t want you dead or have you on their side. To be honest, I did you a favor." Mephisto said.


    "Speaking of demons, what''s with those demons that were at the academy? I''ve never seen humanoid demons besides those being possessed." Flynn said.


    Mephisto smirked. "I figured you were going to ask that." He replied as he put his cup down. "I can tell you, but it''s a long story."


    "I''m not going anywhere." Stated Flynn, crossing his arms.


    "Very well. It started a few centuries after you had been sealed. Hell was in a mess¡­more than usual. Your rampage saw to the death of many powerful demon lords and nobles. That included two of the Archdemons, Mammon and Belphegor, leaving only Asmodeus, Beelzebub, Leviathan, Lucifer and of course Satan. The power vacuum caused power struggles between lesser demon leaders. Satan, wanting to end any possible uprising against him and consolidate his own power, started slaughtering nobles left and right, taking command of their armies and forcing others under his control. The other remaining Archdemons decided to flee to the Underworld in an attempt to escape his wrath and form a new body of power with them in command." Mephisto explained.


    "The Underworld? What''s the difference between it and Hell?" Interrupted Flynn.


    Mephisto didn''t seem to mind as he continued. "The Underworld, or Netherworld as some call it, can be considered a part of Hell, or a different plain entirely, that is not corrupted by hell energy. In terms of size, it''s the same as Earth, but with larger landmass since there are no oceans, just lakes. Anyway, those four had managed to bring the surviving families of the 72 Pillars, their forces and several extra demons that formed houses called Extra Demons. Seeing them as the lesser of two evils, I also followed. And after we had left, our forms began to become more humanlike, most likely since we were further away from the overflowing demonic energies of Hell. Lucifer, Asmodeus, Leviathan and Beelzebub named themselves as the Four Great Satans and named our new kind Devils. Though, that also cause them to become weaker than the demons too."


    "I doubt the demons were happy about that." Flynn commented.


    "Not in the least. Satan was preparing to send his armies after his former comrades. However, he was not expecting the arrival of Heaven''s forces. Seeing Hell so weakened and with half of their kind leaving to the Underworld, God and his angels acted immediately and created powerful seals to keep Satan from leaving. Ironically, the Four Great Satans also helped, since that would also save them from the Demon God''s fury. And so, while the demons could still travel to other worlds, they could not get to Earth, the Underworld or Heaven because of those seals, and Satan couldn''t leave Hell period." Mephisto finished. "Well, they could still invade Earth if someone were to open a portal there, or if enough concentrated demonic energy gathered on the planet, but I''m sure the Angels, Devils and Fallen Angels would react quickly enough to stop it. If not them then one of the other pantheons."


    "Fallen Angels?" Asked Flynn.


    "Basically, angels who have fallen from the grace of God due to impure thoughts or other sinful actions. You can tell them apart due to their black wings and lack of halo." Mephisto answered. "They, along with the Devils and Angels make up the Three Factions of the Biblical Religion. The Angels also have the Church with them too, acting as the source of their faith here on Earth."


    Flynn nodded, taking this all in. "So, are those four still ruling the Underworld?" He asked. Flynn wanted to be ready if he had to deal with them


    To his surprise, Mephisto shook his head. "Nope. Three thousand years ago, what is now known as the Great War started between the Three Factions. It ended a thousand years ago when not only the Four Great Satans were killed, but so was God."


    Now that made Flynn''s eyes widened. "God is dead?" While Flynn had no love for God, the idea that the creator of mankind was no longer among the living was a shock to the Doom Slayer.


    "Yep, died while fighting against those four archdemons. The higher ups of the Three Factions made sure that stayed confidential." Mephisto replied. "Anyway, eight hundred years after the Great War concluded, the descendants of those four were planning to restart the Great War. However, the war saw to the extinction of 39 families out of the 72 Pillars, excluding the few survivors of some. Naturally, others saw the folly in their plans and a civil war started between the Devils. I won''t go into details, but the new government won, and the descendants went into hiding. Currently the Underworld is ruled by the new Four Great Satans, who are in fact members of four different houses. They took the names of the Four and turn them into titles."


    "They must be quite strong if they had the balls to do that." Flynn mused.


    Mephisto shrugged. "Depends really. If the originals were still in Hell, then their replacements would be no match for them. But as I said, they weakened a little after moving into the Underworld, so their successors are considered stronger than them. The current Lucifer and Beelzebub are even called Super Devils because of their unusual power. Though they wouldn''t last against you." The demon finished his tea. Putting his cup down he looked right at the Doom Slayer. "As for myself, a man named Faust summoned me to the human world a few centuries ago. I decided to stay here, even took leadership of a magician association."


    "And the demons here?" Asked Flynn.


    "This town, Kuoh, is controlled by two Devil heiresses. One is Rias Gremory of the Gremory House, and the other is Sona Sitri, or known here by her alias, Souna Shitori, heiress of the Sitri House. Ironically, both are the younger sisters of two Satans. I won''t go into anymore detail than that, but they are some of the few Devils who do not fully follow the sinful traits of their demonic ancestors." Mephisto explained before leaning forward. "Now that I''ve given you the history lesson, why don''t you tell me yours? I won''t deny saying I was quite surprised when I found you unconscious in a London hospital. Plus, there''s that other presence I''m sensing inside of you." Mephisto said, referring to VEGA.


    Seeing how he had no choice, Flynn began explaining about his ''adventure'' on Mars. It took over an hour before he finished. Needless to say, Mephisto was surprised, impressed and a bit disturbed by the idea of humans taking Hell resources for their own use.


    "Well, I must say I didn''t expect humans to have gotten that far. From the sounds of it, this UAC probably had a few magicians in their ranks if they were able to go to Hell of all places." Mephisto commented. "As for your friend''s situation, it sounds like he and those other relics have merged together with the Praetor Suit, which has become one with your soul. Its kind of similar of a Sacred Gear."


    "What''s a Sacred Gear?" Flynn obviously asked.


    "Sacred Gears are tools that were created by God. They were bestowed unto humans sometime after the fall of Argent D''Nur and the Great Flood that followed. The items were created as part of His system to enact miracles on Earth. Originally, only humans could possess them, but after God''s death, hybrids were also born with them too. Some Sacred Gears would have a spirit sealed inside of them, usually the stronger and unique ones." Mephisto explained. Then a frown formed on his face. "The only question is, how did your Praetor Suit become something like them?"


    Flynn frowned as he took in these words. It wasn''t really helping his situation. At least now they knew what became of VEGA and his stuff. Maybe this could be turn to an advantage for him. It would make it easier for him killing demons when he can just summon his suit at will. "Well, looks like I should be going soon. Don''t want my subordinates to worry. I also left a book that will answer any questions you might still have." Mephisto said as he got up. "I''ll be calling you later for some stuff I might need help with."


    Flynn glared at the demon. "And why would I help you with anything?" He growled.


    Mephisto smirked. "Because, whether you like it or not, you need me. Besides, they won''t be anything bad. To be honest, I''ve changed a bit after our first meeting." Was all he said before leaving through a magic circle that appeared in the air.


    [His reason is logical, Doom Slayer] VEGA said. [We have little to go by here and in our current situation, Mephisto is the only person we can depend on. Unless we try our luck with the Church, whose base of operations is located in Rome]


    "I''ll think on that." Flynn said as he got up to fetch something to eat. "For now, we know what became of you, my armor and the Soul Cube. That should help us in learning how to use it."


    [Agreed. Thanks to Mephisto''s information, I have already begun to try and learn more about my position. The task has become much easier now for me to discern the mechanism I had been analyzing, which is no doubt the catalyst for the Praetor Suit. I should have the answer to my new capabilities by tomorrow morning, if not late this evening] VEGA replied.


    "Well that''s some good news." Commented Flynn as he started making dinner. However, the Doom Slayer was unaware that outside his house, a figure could be seen watching him. Said person was a cute young girl with long black hair down to her h.i.p.s and gray eyes. Though hidden by the hair, her ears differ from a normal human''s as they have pointed tips. Her dark grey eyes have reptilian slitted pupil. The attire she wore could be best called a Gothic Lolita outfit. What was more interesting was that the girl was levitating next to a tree across the street from Flynn''s house. Walking on a branch beside her was a black cat with hazel-gold eyes. The cat meowed at the girl before shifting its focus towards Flynn, whose form could be seen from the window. The feline licked its tongue at Flynn''s appearance.


    "So, the feeling I had felt was not wrong. He has returned." The girl said in a low, almost emotionless tone. The girl petted the cat, earning mewls from the contact, while keeping her eyes on the Doom Slayer. "This, changes everything." She said before looking down at the cat. The feline looked right back up, titling its head to the side cutely. "You, keep an eye on him." Were the only words she said. As if understanding, the cat let out a meow before leaping off the branch. Its small form and black fur allowed it to easily fade into the shadows. The girl took one last look at Flynn before vanishing into thin air.


    (Next Day, Kuoh Academy)


    ''Should''ve known this was going to happen.'' Flynn sighed as he stared at the two people in front of him. It was the end of school and he was in the parking lot with Yuuto Kiba and Akeno Himejima. Kiba had a small smile on his face but his eyes were serious. Akeno on the other hand had her usual friendly smile, as if not the least bit bothered by the situation. "So, what do you guys want?" Flynn asked in an annoyed tone.


    "Ara, we just wanted you to invite you over to the clubroom, Blazkowicz-kun. Is that so wrong?" Akeno asked with a cute smile. She clasped her hands together, discreetly pushing her b.r.e.a.s.ts up in an attempt to persuade Flynn. Unfortunately for her, it had no effect.


    Flynn sighed. "I thought I told the blonde here that I am not interested. I have more important things to do then meet with what''s her name." He said seriously.


    "I apologize, but our President is really interested in meeting you." Kiba said. "If you could just meet with her for a few minutes, it would be appreciated and no more of your time will be wasted afterwards."


    Flynn was about to reject the offer when VEGA spoke. [Perhaps you should accept the invitation, Doom Slayer. This gives us a chance to acquire more information. Also, should conflict arise, you can test out the new functions of the Praetor Suit. Furthermore, the odds of you losing in the first place are 0.00000000000000001%] The A.I explained.


    Those were sound reasons, Flynn was forced to admit. With a sigh he looked back at the demons. "Fine, but don''t try any tricks. Got it."


    That seemed to relieve the two. "Thank you. Please follow us." Kiba asked the Knight and Queen escorted Flynn to the old school building. Said building was deeply hidden in the woods. The club house itself had a rather creepy look to it. ''Reminds me of Hell. Only without the pulsing of hell energy, floating rocks, blood and corpses.'' Mused Flynn as the three entered.


    They soon arrived at a door, which Akeno promptly knocked on. A "Come in" was the response and the Queen opened the door for her, Kiba and Flynn to enter. The inside was a large room filled with supernatural items, Victorian styled furniture, and basically looked like a murder scene. ''Okay, creepy on the inside too.''


    "Greetings, Blazkowicz-san. I''m Rias Gremory, President of the Occult Research Club. Please, have a seat." Rias said with a polite smile. With her were Koneko and Issei. The former sat at the opposite end of the room, keeping a wary eye on Flynn, while the latter was looking at him with half curiosity and half glare. "I''m so glad that you accepted my invitation."


    "Yeah, well, these two were becoming annoying that I figured I just get this shit over with." Flynn replied boringly. He ignored the frown from Rias as he sat down at an empty chair, then put his legs up and rested them on a table. "Now, let''s get on with this. Whatever the f.u.c.k this is."


    "Hey!" Flynn turned his attention towards Issei, who was glaring at him. "Show some respect to Buchou, asshole!"


    Flynn just glared at the pervert, releasing a bit of killing intent. That made the Devil shut and sit back down, slightly pale. He then turns his head back towards Rias who seemed a bit curious by the bloodl.u.s.t but continued.


    Clearing her throat, Rias spoke, "Tell, me Blazkowicz-san, do you believe in the supernatural?" She asked.


    Flynn raised an eyebrow, wondering why she was asking that of all things. "It''s a possibility." Flynn replied, keeping a straight face.


    Rias nodded. "What if I told you that everyone in here besides you, were Devils?" She asked again, watching his reaction.


    ''I''d kill you in a heartbeat.'' Were Flynn''s thoughts but instead replied, "If you are, then I''d still ask the same question: What do you want?"


    That caught Rias off guard. Most humans would take what she said either as a joke or that something was wrong with her. However, Flynn did not seem the least bit bothered and merely repeated his previous question. She managed to recover and continued. "W-well, everyone in the Occult Research Club are Devils. My name is Rias Gremory, heiress of the Gremory Clan, one of the noble houses of Devil Society. My reason for wanting to meet with you was because two nights ago, my Peerage was to eliminate Stray Devil named Viser. However, when we arrived, we discovered that she was already dead¡­quite brutally if I might add. There was another trace of blood at the scene, which Koneko followed the scent to you." The redhead explained.


    ''Stray Devil? Ah, Mephisto''s book made mentions of them.'' Flynn thought as his eyes glanced at Koneko. The white haired first year noticed and flinched at his gaze, returning to her treats.


    "Yeah it was me. What about it?" Flynn asked, already having an idea of what Rias was getting at.


    Rias gave a confident smile as she strutted from behind her desk. She walked up to Flynn, remaining respectful distance while looking at him. "I''ll admit that it''s impressive for a human to kill a Stray Devil, even if she was weak. How did you do it?"


    "Didn''t you see the body? I broke its neck. That normally kills someone." Flynn said as if it was the obvious thing in the world.


    "Let me rephrase that: What did you use to kill the stray?" Rias asked, eying Flynn carefully.


    "My hands." Was the answer she got. Flynn sighed. "Look, we done? I like to go home now." He said as he got up and prepared to head towards the door. However, he was stopped when a sword''s tip was pointed towards him. It was held by Kiba, who no longer had his cheerful smile but instead a neutral look. Behind Flynn, Akeno, while still retaining her smile, had a bit of a darker look and what looked like electricity crackling around her fingertips. Issei was also standing, though he seemed unsure and took on a sloppy battle stance. A small red gauntlet had also formed on the back of his left hand. Koneko stood up too, in a proper stance. However, she seemed rather nervous, still recalling of the bloodl.u.s.t radiating off of Flynn. Rias, meanwhile, had her hands on her h.i.p.s and giving Flynn a strong look.


    "I''m sorry, Blazkowicz-san. But this is my territory. I cannot allow a possible threat roaming around here freely." Rias explained. "Now, would you be so kind to sit back down?" Raising a hand, a small orb of energy formed in her palm as demonic energy started to radiate from her body.


    Flynn did not seem the least bit impressed or intimidated. "Whatever" Flynn replied as he walked by Kiba. The blonde Knight in response rushed at Flynn with his sword. It was Kiba''s intention to strike a non-fatal blow that would incapacitate the brunette. Unfortunately, Kiba had chosen the wrong person.


    A loud bang resounded through the room, followed by four more, with one passing by the four other Devils. Kiba''s sword was shattered and the blonde soon found himself facing the end of a Lupara in Flynn''s hand. The Doom Slayer''s other hand held a Steyr TMP, which was pointed at the other Devils. Each of them was missing a strand of hair and had a small cut on their cheeks. Behind them were four bullets imbedded into the wall.


    Flynn internally smirked. VEGA had finished analyzing the Praetor Suit''s new features and discovered that it had several new abilities and upgraded old ones. The major one was adaptation, that Flynn could adapt in any situation, no matter the abilities, foes, environment and whatever else he might face. Another was taken from the Soul Cube. When the cube absorbed enough souls from Flynn''s kills, it would convert the spiritual energy into power orbs. The last one was what he was using right now, Flynn could create weapons and store them for later use. While these weapons were not lethal to most supernatural beings, but in Flynn''s hands, they were just as deadly. And if they didn''t work, Flynn could summon his weapons he got from the UAC.


    "I''ll say this once." Flynn began as he looked at the Devils. "While I rather kill the lot of you, I have more important things on my list I need to focus on. So, this is how it''s going to work: you don''t bother me, I don''t kill you. Got it?"


    The Devils said nothing, still shocked of how the tables had turn. Rias was confident that even if Flynn did have a Sacred Gear, she and her Peerage could handle him, despite one of them still being new to his position (Issei). Instead, Flynn had immediately held them at his mercy with mere human weapons. Normally, weapons made by them would mean nothing to supernatural beings. And yet Rias could not shake the cold feeling of dread as the firearms were in Flynn''s hands.


    Not waiting for an answer, Flynn dismissed his weapons back into the dimensional storage. Without giving the still frozen Devil another glance, Flynn exited the room and then building.


    ''Well, that went better than I expected.'' Flynn said to VEGA.


    [Yes, we have confirmed that the weapons do indeed work on these Devils. Though, I find reason to believe that the Devils will continue their observation of you after this] VEGA commented.


    ''Possibly. But now they''ll be hesitant since I admitted I was willing to kill them. It will give us some breathing space.'' Flynn replied.


    (Later That Night)


    Evening had come, and the sky was already dark. Inside the house, Flynn was at work testing the new abilities of the Praetor Suit. He was sitting on the sofa with a weapon catalogue. Currently it was showing the picture of a Heckler & Koch G36. Raising his right hand, Flynn concentrated for a moment. Then, the rifle materialized in his open palm. In truth, Flynn had little knowledge of the weapons of this era on Earth. However, it seems like his new ability was good at conjuring them once he saw their image. And he always had an intuitive aptitude when it came towards learning new things. Helped a lot on Mars. He would work on materializing the armor next.


    He was checking the rifle when he suddenly felt a spike of killing intent, not to far from his home. Getting up, Flynn walked over to the window and looked outside. Across the street, a few blocks down, another house had its lights on. Flynn could also see that the door was opened too. Also, Flynn could feel hell energy there too. It was weak, but it was there. It could be one of the local Devils, or a demon. Either way, Flynn decided to head over there and check it out.


    Putting on a leather jacket and his boots, Flynn headed out and ran over to the other house. He slowed down and quietly walked inside. Moving down the hallway, Flynn could hear yelling and profanities. Peeking, Flynn saw it was that Hyoudou kid, who was currently on one knee and blood staining his clothes. Facing him was a young man with short white hair and red eyes wearing what looked like a priest clothes from Mephisto''s book. He wielded a pistol and what looked like a sword made from light. Plus, the deranged look on his face made him seem less than friendly. And then there was the corpse of a man hanging on the wall upside down.


    [From the data gathered, the man wielding the weapons is what Mephisto classified as a Stray Priest. Most likely he was the one responsible for the owner of this house''s death. I recommend neutralizing him before he harms any of the other humans in the town] VEGA suggested.


    "Agreed" Flynn said as he calmly walked out of the hallway and into the living room, surprising the two others.


    "B-Blazkowicz-senpai!" Issei stuttered when he recognized the person who just came in. The same person who had fired a gun at them the same afternoon.


    "Hah!? What''s this? Another shitty Devil?" Freed, the Stray Priest, screamed. He paused as he looked at Flynn carefully. "No, you don''t have the same aura as this shitty one here. Are you human?"


    "To be honest, I don''t know what I am these days." Flynn commented. He flexed his fingers in a way that unnerved Issei. "However, all you need to know is that I''m killing you. Right here. Right now."


    The made Free cackle even louder. "Ha! Shitty Devil! Shitty Human! Doesn''t matter! I''m gonna exorcise all of you!" He declared as he raised his pistol, firing a holy bullet.


    Reacting with in quicker precision, Flynn summoned a Desert Eagle and fire a bullet. Not only did it deflect Freed''s, but a second bullet knocked the gun out of the exorcist''s hand. The exorcist showed a bit of surprise at the incredible marksmanship, but Flynn was not done. Faster than anyone that Freed has met, the Doom Slayer rushed at him with lightning speed. The stray exorcist tried to cut down Flynn with his light sword, however he completely missed as Flynn grabbed him by his sword arm and snapped it in two. Freed screamed in agony before he was grabbed by the collar and slammed the priest hard on the floor, even making cracks form. From the sideline, Issei gaped as he watched Flynn easily overpower the maniac who was about to kill him.


    Flynn raised his boot. He was about to squash Freed''s face when a screamed caught his attention, as well as the Devil''s and Priest''s. Standing at the entrance was a blonde nun. The girl had her hands over her mouth, her eyes widened in horror as she looked at the scene. Flynn had no idea who this was, but apparently Issei and Freed did.


    "Asia?" Issei said in surprise.


    "What? I-Issei-san?" Said Asia in a frightened tone.


    "You know her?" Flynn asked, now keeping his foot on Freed''s face, pinning him.


    "Y-yeah, she''s a friend of mine that I met a few days ago." Replied Issei.


    "A devil making friends with a nun? That''s rich." Freed cracked up slightly, despite his current situation.


    "Issei? Why are you here?" Asia stuttered slightly, a few tears forming in her eyes.


    Issei felt like a crap, but knew he had no choice as he didn''t want to lie to her. "It''s because I''m¡­a Devil." He revealed.


    "No. That can''t be true." Asia said in a sad, trembling voice.


    Freed tried to use the distraction to roll out from under Flynn''s boot. He then grabbed his gun and pointed at the Doom Slayer. Flynn was only able to look at him before the stray priest fired another holy bullet that struck Flynn in the center of his forehead. The impact caused Flynn''s head to tilt upward and stumble back a few inches. Issei''s eyes widened at seeing a fellow student killed while Asia screamed in terror again.


    "Hahahaha! Die, shitty motherf.u.c.ker!" Freed cackled in insane glee.


    That glee turned into shock and horror when Flynn regained his balance and his head leaned forward. The bullet hadn''t even pierced his skin, let alone his skull. Instead the bullet fell to the floor with a small bounce. Flynn didn''t even look in any pain, he was more annoyed that he allowed Freed to escape from his grasp. "T-the f.u.c.k! How the f.u.c.k are you still alive?! You''re really not human?!" Freed exclaimed, feeling fear for once.


    "Like I said before, I don''t really know what I am anymore." Flynn said as he raised his pistol. "Now, shut up and die."


    "No! I''m not going to die in this shitty hole!" Freed declared wildly. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a flash grenade. "So long, dumbasses!" He screeched as he threw the grenade that released a powerful blinding light. Flynn grunted as he was forced to shield his eyes with one hand, while firing his gun with the other, trying to hit Freed before he escaped. Unfortunately, when the light died down, Freed was nowhere in sight. Only Flynn, Asia, Issei and the corpse remained.


    "F.u.c.k!" Flynn swore, stomping his foot. "I normally don''t let that happen. I need to get back into practice." He muttered.


    Suddenly VEGA spoke up. [Doom Slayer. I am picking up a concentration of hell energy forming here in this house. Probability of it being Gremory are high. Also, I''ve detected several corrupted holy energies approaching too. It is most likely the Fallen Angels. I recommend falling back for now. We should also take the nun identified as Asia with us. We might be able to gather information from her]


    Flynn growled, not liking the idea of retreating. However, a battle between him, the Devils and Fallen Angels might bring harm to the nearby humans and attract to much attention. And seeing a red glow appearing in the living room got Flynn moving. Turning around, he rushed towards Asia. The blonde girl could only squeak as the Doom Slayer roughly picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "You''re coming with me." He said as he bolted out of the house.


    "Asia!" Issei screamed as Rias and the rest of the Peerage just teleported in.


    And there you go, chapter 3! I hoped you all like the changes of me removing Flynn''s Sacred Gear. He''ll be getting another ability from Mephisto in a later chapter, but I won''t reveal it. I will give a hint though: it was inspired from another franchise that features Mephistopheles.


    Continue to Fanfiction.net for Chapter 4~!

 Chapter 252 - My SI Stash #52 - The Gamer of the Shop by ghost83 (ResidentEvilXMulticross)

    -Anothe- nope! Here goes a refreshing take on the Gamer stories~ Behold the first Shop Gamer! *Multicross fic with the MC starting in Resident Evil!


    Synopsis: The hero. The one that saves the day, and completes the story. The one that the story surrounds. This... isn''t the hero. This isn''t even the villain. This is the ''Gamer'' like no other... "Welcome to my [Shop]. What do you want?" And, there goes the cool introduction. This is a concept, where nothing is owned but the story itself.


    Rated: M


    Words: 25K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13501767/1/The-Gamer-of-the-Shop (ghost83)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    ... This is different.


    Welcome to your [Shop]!


    As of right now, you only have the bare basics of inventory...


    Level Up by selling items!


    Exp is replaced with number of item(s) sold.


    For example, 100 [Lesser HP Potions] will net you 100 exp, and 20 [Lesser MP Potions] will net you 20 exp.


    However, any [Uncommon] or higher items, have a [Multiplier].


    To summarize:


    Sell items, gain exp.


    ... Well, at least my job got easier...


    I think...


    As a brief introduction... my name doesn''t matter. I''m a minor, looking for a job. In an ad, there was an opening for a ''shop manager'', and it had no requirements that were needed beforehand.


    So, I registered for the job, got it, and went to the address... before a glowing blue semi-transparent screen appeared before me, and promptly made me question something:


    What kind of shop is this?


    Heading cautiously inside, I saw that the entire interior was... pretty much abandoned.


    Shelves were empty, and racks for tools were left abandoned. Cobwebs, dust bunnies, cracked tiles, even splintered wool and ''horror'' flickering lights... The entire place seemed like a weird abandoned ghost store.


    No sign of anyone present.


    Heading to the counter, the desk bell was still clean and shiny.


    Looking around carefully, I rang the bell once, and got shocked at the new screen appearing.


    Welcome to your new job!


    You are now the [Shop Gamer]!


    What is a [Shop Gamer], you''re wondering?


    Well, it can be summarized with this idea:


    The [Protagonist] in all video games are the ones that save the day, fight the monsters, and adventure for the sake of... whatever they''re adventuring for.


    But unless they are on ''hardcore'' or ''extreme''... how do they get the job done? Not on loot alone, that''s for sure!


    The answer? They buy [REDACTED] from the shop keeps! They buy items that restore HP, PP, MP, and stuff that help in the midst of battle!


    Status effect? Use a ''status heal'' item they bought at a shop!


    Boss Fight coming up but the nearest town is 5 miles away? Hello, cheeky vendor!


    Need better armor? Buy armor at the shop!


    Need a better stand-in weapon? Buy it!


    Yes, the [Shops] are the ''heroes'' of the ''Players'', and help them in their (future) possible time of need!


    So, in short... I became a [Gamer]? That that one trope that was nearly skinned as many ways as the proverbial cat by anime, comics, and weird fan-fictions?


    Yep!


    ... That might take getting used to, especially the fact that I was merely thinking of that question.


    Well, I''m already in this deep... And considering I''m now the ''side'' character...


    Question to System: What are my perks and skills?


    [Owner Perks]


    Protection of the Store: Instead of the [Gamer''s Mind] and [Gamer''s Body], you merely become invulnerable whenever you''re in this [Shop], making you impervious from attacks, status conditions, weather conditions, and all buffs. This extends to mental manipulation from an outside party.


    Multilingual: What it says on the tin, in a sense. You can understand what your customers say, and vice versa, regardless of the language barrier. You speak English, they hear Orc-ish... albeit with improper mouth syncing, just so long as you''re in this [Shop].


    [Shop Perks]


    Parasitic Insert: Due to [REDACTED], the exterior of this [Shop] automatically blends in with its surrounding environment, making it so it doesn''t stand out that much to other people.


    Null and Void: Any person that enters this [Shop] gets a VERY SEVERE debuff that makes them harmless to all current and future occupants of the [Shop].


    Without a Scratch: No physical harm will come to the exterior or interior of the building. Can only be displaced or moved.


    Infinetory: Infinite inventory for certain items in the store.


    Karma Penalty: If a fool steals from you, even though it counts as ''selling'' the item(s), their [Karma] will lower depending on what they stole, and how much they took from you.


    [Skills]


    {LOCKED} - Requirements not fulfilled. Requirement: Find the [Janitor''s Closet].


    {LOCKED} - Requirements not fulfilled. Requirement: Get a [Repair Kit] (0/1)


    {LOCKED} - Requirements not fulfilled. Requirement: Complete [REDACTED] quest.


    {LOCKED} - Requirements not fulfilled. Requirement: Arrive at [REDACTED], and meet [REDACTED] and [REDACTED].


    Hm... it looks like I ''earn'' my [Skills] in a different way... First, let''s break down the [Perks].


    [Protection of the Store] is actually a good thing, and makes sense. You can''t exactly know what the vendor is selling if they''re dead, and from the looks of things... the last bit involving mental protection means that any [Charisma] is quickly shot down, meaning bartering is a no-go.


    [Multilingual] is very important. On the off-chance of meeting and interacting with a foreign speaker, at least from my perspective, I''ll be able to easily communicate with them and hopefully make any purchases go by much smoother. With the concept of the Multiverse, I''m still waiting to meet aliens, if there are any.


    [Parasitic Insert]... One one hand, it makes sense since something ''modern'' stands out in ''ancient'' times, and vice versa. On the other hand... it makes me worry about what''s going to happen.


    [Null and Void] is only making my immunity of the occupants much higher.


    [Without a Scratch] provides me with a much better protection from outside forces.


    [Infinetory] is going to be a key player in ''leveling up'' this store.


    [Karma Penalty]... I''ll get back to it. Sure, there are ''heroes'' that buy stuff, but the same goes for ''villains''.


    [Karma Penalty] removed from [Shop Perks].


    ... It''s that easy? Huh...


    Question to System: Upgrades available?


    [Upgrades]


    Self-cleaning: Everything cleans up after itself, reorganizing and rearranging to how things were before.


    Requirement: [REDACTED] skill unlocked, and at Level 10.


    Cost: 5 Shop Points


    Expansion Pack: Allows you to expand the [Shop] to include more variety.


    Cost: 50 Shop Points


    Advertis.e.m.e.nt: For 30 days, [Shop] is advertised to the public area roughly around shop.


    Cost: 3 Shop Points (Repeatable)


    Living Quarters: Add an additional area that contains your newest living space.


    Cost: 1 Shop Point


    Current Shop Points: 0


    ...


    Question to System: What are ''Shop Points''?


    [Shop Points]


    By completing certain quests, you gain [Shop Points].


    You also gain a [Shop Point] for every 25 items sold.


    [Shop Points] are in place of [Stat Points], allowing you to upgrade certain things about your shop.


    With [Expansion Pack], you''re able to purchase extra space for different types of items, or use them for a specific mechanic.


    Sounds simple enough.


    Quests?


    [Active Quests]


    None.


    ...


    This may take a while to figure out.


    Command: Pull up window for [Skills].


    [Skills]


    {LOCKED} - Requirements not fulfilled. Requirement: Find the [Janitor''s Closet].


    {LOCKED} - Requirements not fulfilled. Requirement: Get a [Repair Kit] (0/1)


    {LOCKED} - Requirements not fulfilled. Requirement: Complete [REDACTED] quest.


    {LOCKED} - Requirements not fulfilled. Requirement: Arrive at [REDACTED], and meet [REDACTED] and [REDACTED].


    The first one was right there... Seems easy enough to unlock.


    Taking out my phone and using the torch function, I looked around, carefully walking around the holes and gaps before coming across a wooden door... that barely seemed stable.


    You found the [Janitor''s Closet]!


    Skill [Cleanse] unlocked!


    Cleanse (Level 1): All dirt, grime, and fragments within a certain radius around you is cleaned.


    Area of Effect: 1.5 meters.


    Cool-down: 10 Minutes.


    Uses until next level: 0/15


    Quest unlocked!


    Everybody, Everywhere! (ACTIVE)


    A clean shop is a presentable shop. Using [Cleanse], clean all of the floor of your [Shop] and have it become spotless.


    Reward:10 Shop Points, [REDACTED] world unlocked, [REDACTED] skill unlocked, [Repair Kit].


    After organizing my thoughts, I did some math.


    The skill [Cleanse] has a 10 minute cool-down, as if it took that much time to physically ''clean'' that area. The shop is pretty much big, so area will come later.


    Assuming that the radius of effect increases with the level, and factoring in the ''level up'' for the skill... 15 times 10 equals 150.


    150 minutes until its next level up.


    150 divided by 60 equals 2 and a half.


    That means that it''ll take 2 hours and 30 minutes to level up [Cleanse].


    ...


    Cue the montage music.


    2 and a half hours later...


    DING!


    [Cleanse] leveled up!


    Cleanse (Level 2): All dirt, grime, and fragments within a certain radius around you is cleaned.


    Area of Effect: 2 meters.


    Cool-down: 10 Minutes.


    Uses until next level: 0/20


    Looks like the changes automatically show. But still... that now means that it still takes 10 minutes to clean.


    20 times 10 is 200. 200 divided by 60 equals...


    Taking out my phone and using the calculator app, I got 3 and a third.


    Converting to hours, that''s 3 hours and 20 minutes.


    Cue montage... again.


    3 hours later...


    DING!


    Quest Complete!


    Everybody, Everywhere!


    A clean shop is a presentable shop. Using [Cleanse], clean all of the floor of your [Shop] and have it become spotless.


    Reward:10 Shop Points, [Resident Evil] world unlocked, [World Travel] skill unlocked, [Repair Kit].


    Skill [Repair] unlocked!


    Cleanse (Level 2): All dirt, grime, and fragments within a certain radius around you is cleaned.


    Area of Effect: 2 meters.


    Cool-down: 10 Minutes.


    Uses until next level: 18/20


    Only two more left... And the last two spots I cleaned were behind the counter... oh well.


    To be fair, though, the wind blew some of the dust away.


    Now, let''s see my new tricks...


    World Travel: Travel to a different world, provide help, even aid the story... by selling the stuff in your shop.


    Conditions: Only owner and all employees present inside of [Shop].


    Cool-down: 100 items sold in the world you pick.


    World Options:


    Resident Evil (Resident Evil 2)


    {LOCKED}


    {LOCKED}


    {LOCKED}


    The next... twenty worlds were locked, nothing much after them. Bummer...


    Well, aside from the weird cool-down, might as well see what else is there.


    I got a [Repair Kit]... It was a medium-sized leather bag, sitting behind the counter. It had a bunch of handheld tools in it, all non-electronic.


    Repair Kit: A tool kit that allows you to repair your shop. Needed in order to use [Repair] skill.


    Repair (Level 1): Fix up your shop, and make it more easy on the eyes. Go to an area, and provided that you have the right materials, repair it.


    Caution: When using [Repair], time will be taken up when doing action. While using [Repair], you cannot do anything else until action is over.


    Cool-down: 5 minutes after you''re done.


    Usable Materials: Metal, Wood, Concrete, Glass


    Uses until next level up: 24 hours.


    This is... different.


    So far, it seems like the current skills have different ways to level up. Instead of the typical ''grinding'', different methods are needed to do so.


    For [Repair], it seems like the amount of time while spent in [Repair] counts as the ''exp'' to level it up.


    Not sure where I''m supposed to get the materials, though...


    Shaking it off, and questioning if I''m actually set for [World Travel], I looked back at [Upgrades].


    [Upgrades]


    Self-cleaning: Everything cleans up after itself, reorganizing and rearranging to how things were before.


    Requirement: [Cleanse] Level 10.


    Cost: 5 Shop Points


    Expansion Pack: Allows you to expand the [Shop] to include more variety.


    Cost: 50 Shop Points


    Advertis.e.m.e.nt: For 30 days, [Shop] is advertised to the public area roughly around shop.


    Cost: 3 Shop Points (Repeatable)


    Living Quarters: Add an additional area that contains your newest living space.


    Cost: 1 Shop Point


    Current Shop Points: 10


    Instantly purchasing [Living Quarters], due to not knowing what will happen when I [World Travel], I scrolled through other upgrades, eventually stumbling upon a good one.


    Jack of all Merchandise: Allows the ''front'' shop to suit the (general) needs of the customer(s) automatically.


    Cost: 7 Shop Points


    That... is a steep cost.


    Question to System: If I ''trade'' with the customer, does it count as the customer ''buying'' from me?


    Yes


    Good to know...


    Question to System: How do I obtain new items for the store?


    By obtaining new objects and returning to [Shop], you are able to add said object to the list of what you can sell.


    Really good to know.


    Purchasing [Jack of all Merchandise], I did one final scroll...


    Material Fabricator: Located in the [Janitor''s Closet], a single [Material Fabricator] allows you to set a materials, make it as many times as you want, and store it within itself.


    Cost: 2 Shop Points each


    Current Max: 3


    Current Amount in [Shop]: 0


    So that''s how I get it... Well, I have two points left, anyway...


    Purchased.


    Time to actually see how to work it...


    Heading towards the [Janitor''s Closet], I looked inside to see a meter-cubed cyan machine. Slowly poking it, a new screen appeared before my very eyes.


    [Material Fabricator 1]


    Current Material: None.


    Available: Wood, Concrete


    Storage: 0/999


    Upgrade Cost: 20 Metal


    Warning: When switching to a different material, all current material stored inside will be destroyed.


    That''s... not quite what I expected.


    Just to check...


    Question to System: Do I have the common [Inventory] that most ''adventurous'' [Gamers] have?


    No.


    Huh... That means that this ''game'' I''m in has a different set of rules from the cliche. No ''Inventory Slots''.


    Walking around the store once more, I didn''t see anything to fix. Picking up the [Repair Kit], however, it showed many red highlighted objects. One of which was a nearby wooden shelf, the major one being the floor.


    Floor


    Repair Cost: 25 Concrete.


    Repair Time: 2 hours.


    Shelf (1/30)


    Repair Cost: 5 Wood


    Repair Time: 30 Minutes.


    Note: For each shelf you [Repair], more items will be available for the customers.


    Hm...


    Question to System: Am I able to use my skills while the ''customers'' are present inside the store?


    No, at least, not while it''s open.


    That makes more problems in regards to speeding through it... but I''ll take it.


    [Material Fabricator 1]


    Current Material: Wood


    Making: 999


    Storage: 0/999


    Rate: 1 Wood per 2 minutes.


    Upgrade Cost: 20 Metal


    Time for this game to begin.


    Command: [World Travel: Resident Evil]


    Travel to the world of [Resident Evil]?


    Y/(N)


    (Y)/N


    A bright light shined... before the store vanished.


    Blinking to refocus my eyes, I managed to stumble to the back of the counter as my sight returned...


    And appreciated the items that were stocked up.


    MREs


    Meals, Ready to Eat. Add water and wait, then you''re good to go.


    Restores half of HP.


    20 per shelf (Automatically restocks every 30 minutes)


    Water Bottles (24 pack, 13 liters each)


    It''s water. H2O... something we need to be kept hydrated.


    Restores 10 HP.


    Handheld Ammo Boxes


    Guns, Guns, and more Guns... Any gun needs ammo to shoot.


    10 Ammo Boxes per shelf. (Automatically restocks after customer leaves)


    Medpack


    Heal up, now!


    Restores 3/4 of HP.


    3 on one shelf (Automatically restocks every 2 hours)


    Dagger


    Where''s the cloak?


    STG + 10


    Shotgun


    Shotgun! ... [REDACTED].


    Comes with 4 shotgun ammo boxes.


    Backpack


    It''s a backpack... It stores stuff.


    Storage space: Play Tetris with it, then tell us the limit.


    Question to System: Can I toggle select items to stay during different world travels?


    Yes.


    Command: Select [MREs] and [Water Bottles] as fixed items. Oh, and inform me when the first customer arrives.


    I rather not go starving.


    Stretching a bit, I grabbed my [Repair Kit] before checking in on the wood production.


    [Material Fabricator 1]


    Current Material: Wood


    Making: 994


    Storage: 5/999


    Rate: 1 Wood per 2 minutes.


    Upgrade Cost: 20 Metal


    Seems about right. Time to do the math... [Repair] for a single shelf costs 5 wood and 30 minutes.


    I get 1 wood for every 2 minutes.


    30 divide by 2 equals 15... meaning 15 wood made during [Repair].


    Subtract 5... and I get a net-increase of 10 wood per 30 minutes, accounting for no breaks and it being back-to-back.


    Going back to total number of shelves, being 30, and each requiring 30 minutes to be fixed... all would take 15 hours to fix all of them.


    Time to get to work.


    Approaching the nearest shelf to the [Janitor''s Closet], I used [Repair].


    1 and a half hours later...


    Wiping the sweat off my brow, I stretched my back and took a break.


    Have you ever watched a video going in fast-forwards? Well, that''s what it looked like to me. The moment I use [Repair], my body went on auto-pilot and I watched from a third-person perspective... with time being ''sped up'' during each use.


    First Customers are 1 mile away and closing.


    Thanks for the heads up. Stretching a bit, I made my way behind the counter, noticing how my clothes gradually transitioned into a vaguely familiar outfit... but I can''t put my finger on it.


    Shrugging it off, I pulled up a seat before looking around...


    I finally spoke, "Question to System: How can I see who my ''customers'' are?"


    Would you like to toggle ''Name Display''?


    "Yeah, it''ll make it easier on me... or harder."


    Grabbing a random magazine, I flipped through it to pass the time... Only to pause as I read what the city''s name was:


    Raccoon City


    ...


    Quickly getting up, I ordered as I grabbed a shotgun, "System, spread the layout and domain of [Shop] to the point of being a common site among the city, and integrate its history into a chain dollar-corner-store. Modify exterior by having windows barred up."


    Query: Why?


    Pumping the shotgun, I merely answered, "It''s the best way to get new items into the store. Plus, might as well stack the deck in the favor of the customers..."


    Grabbing a backpack, I loaded it up with [Water], [MREs], [Medpacks], and ammo.


    Just in time, too.


    The door swung open with a bang as I quickly aimed the shotgun at the ''intruders'': a boy and a girl, both seeming to be in their teens. The girl was brunette, wearing a red jacket, slim jeans, and brown boots. The boy was also brunette, but in a police uniform.


    The boy yelled, holding his hand up, "Don''t shoot, idiot!" I fired back my eyes fixed on the monster behind them, "Out of the way, idiots!"


    The duo quickly ducked as I fired, flinching slightly at the recoil as the zombie behind them exploded.


    Quest Unlocked!


    The old cliche: Zombies! (ACTIVE)


    Survive Raccoon City, and survive Resident Evil 2.


    Rewards: [REDACTED] world unlocked, [Zombie Apocalypse] items set unlocked, 100 Shop Points


    A/N: Hey, guys. Sorry about the inactive account. Been having too many ideas, with too little time spent to express them.


    Anyway, I''ll get some things out of the way for this story:


    This character''s name will remain unknown.


    This character WILL sometimes come off as a ''Mary Sue'' from a third person perspective, but only because of [Shop] and the supplies.


    This story will NOT follow the typical dime-a-dozen ''Gamer'' stories.


    This character WILL screw with the canon of the universe he arrives in.


    This character WILL have some development.


    This story will be centered around the [Shop].


    This story is a CONCEPT, and will sporadically update.


    With that out of the way... Review?


    Chapter 2


    As the zombie exploded behind the duo, I frantically waved them in before slamming the door shut, yelling, "Help me block it!" The boy quickly nodded and set about moving one of the nearby metal shelves towards the door. Meanwhile, the girl helped me press against it, asking, "Why are you still in town?" I partially lied, "It''s my first day on the job. Next thing I know, this!"


    The cop came back, quickly helping up barricade the entrance before we all fell down in exhaustion.


    The cop introduced himself, "I''m Leon. Leon Scott Kennedy." The girl waved, catching her breath, "Claire Redfield." I nodded, supplying, "Call me John. John Doe."


    Not like it''s my real name... and for good reason.


    Would I even show up on the records?


    Getting up, Leon asked, "So, why are you sticking around in a place like this?"


    My mind went into overdrive.


    All of the loony bin answers that were the truth... wouldn''t work.


    Be realistic.


    I answered honestly, using a discrete [Cleanse] as I worked my way behind the counter, "Look around. I''m a clerk, with survival equipment. At this point, I''m here for the survivors, and to help them."


    I then joked, leaning against the counter, "We accept unneeded firearms and empty extra clips. So, what do you want?"


    The duo got up as Claire asked with an amused smile, "What do you have?" Kennedy shook his head before looking around as I gave the tour.


    "Well, not much. Some first aid-kits, but not a lot. I was packing a backpack with ammo, a medkit... Oh, and some water with MREs."


    Kennedy raised an eyebrow, looking at it, "The one that''s pink, glittery, and has white unicorns?"


    Third Person/Characters'' POV:


    The clerk rolled his eyes, pointing out, "Dignity or survival, your choice. Personally, I''ll take the teasing after surviving. I was in a hurry, and looks were pretty much the last thing on my list." Leon relented, "Fair point. Mind if we scrounge up supplies?" John sighed, waving around, "I''m not exactly having any customers, so go nuts. I''ll be in the room back, seeing if the back-up generator could be fixed up."


    After he left the room, Claire muttered, "He''s... weird. But he has a point about surviving." Leon nodded slightly before patting her back lightly, "We might as well take up his offer. I''m running low, anyway." Claire agreed as the two quickly stocked up on food and supplies.


    As they wrapped up with packing, John came back, slugging his backpack over his shoulder, "The generator is busted. So, where are you two heading?" Leon answered, "We''re actually trying to find the cause of all this." "So, ''outbreak patient zero''?" Claire interjected, before slowly accepting, "That''s... actually pretty accurate." Leon got serious, "Regardless, try to not get bitten, and survive?"


    John suddenly asked, "Wait... how dense does the protection have to be to prevent biting?" The two shared a confused look as Leon answered, "Not sure, why?" John points out, "If we can hit up a sports shop, we can change clothes to provide better armor. Or even a renaissance fair for their costumes." Claire asked, to clarify, "To cosplay?" John corrected, "To get the chain-mail or heavy iron plates. Sure, bullets would be a problem, but it''ll at least provide protection against bites." Leon rolled his eyes, "And make you heavier to move around." Claire crossed her arms, "While I will accept the close-combat weapon, I''m not going to be dressed up in uncomfortable leather."


    John shrugged, "Indecency or protection, the choice is yours."


    The trio was silent, before Claire sighed, "The nearest sporting shop is a couple blocks from here."


    ''John''s'' POV:


    I can''t believe that worked... but at the same time, I''m glad it did.


    Seriously, Claire has clothes that could be easily torn up. And considering the fact that we''ll be running around the undead in a ruined city... protection is a no-brainer.


    Taking out a pack of batteries, I thought back to what I saw for the backup generator.


    [Backup Generator] (BROKEN)


    Burns fuel to generate electricity


    Repair Cost: 5 Metal, 2 Plastic


    Cleanse (Level 3): All dirt, grime, and fragments within a certain radius around you is cleaned.


    Area of Effect: 2 meters.


    Cool-down: 5 Minutes.


    Uses until next level: 1/30


    I can''t [Repair] the generator, but on the plus-side, [Cleanse] is now quicker to use.


    Math time.


    Ignoring the extra, 5 times 30 equals 150.


    150 minutes.


    150 divide by 60 brings it back to 2 and a half.


    Subtracting 5 minutes, and that means it''ll take 2 hours and 25 minutes to level it up.


    Leon asked, breaking me out of my head, "So what now?" I complained, looking at the time, "Well I don''t know about you two, but I want to get into a ''zombie-proof'' area and catch some sleep. Know anywhere that''s strategic?" Leon thought for a while, actually considering it, "I think a sports center is a safe bet." Claire looked at him in surprise...


    Wow, they have some serious dark circles under their eyes.


    "Are you insane? Go with a prison! It has better protection, AND the prison cells should be able to provide some protection against the zombies." I yawned, "Sorry, Red, but I''m going to have to agree with the cop, here. We can fashion some barracks to stall for time, use the showers to freshen up, AND there''s most likely some gas cans, or even some blunt weapons. However, we need to be smart, since the display windows are obviously weak points." Leon questioned, rhetorically, "What do you suggest, then?" I pointed out, "All of these corner stores have a single bed. I propose we sleep, the raid the nearest sports center tomorrow morning... but sleep in shifts. And I''ll take first watch."


    A long argument later...


    When it was my turn to take watch, I began to prepare myself.


    Question to System: Will the [Protection of the Store] perk go away once I leave this building?


    Yes, however it will be regained once you reenter [Shop].


    I feared so.


    Question to System: Where are the other [Shops]?


    Update: Whenever outside of [Shop] while their''s multiple buildings for [Shop], the three nearest [Shops] will be highlighted.


    The closer the [Shop] location, the brighter the aura will be.


    So I know where my ''safe houses'' are... good to know.


    Status on items bought?


    [Shop]


    Level: 1


    EXP: 23/1000


    Recent Customer(s):


    -Leon Scott Kennedy


    -Claire Redfield


    Next Level unlocks:


    -Minor HP Potion


    -Minor MP Potion


    -[Common] items


    -[Crafting Room]


    Two more items... but I''m not rushing it... for now, at least.


    The rewards looks interesting, though.


    [Upgrades]?


    [Upgrade]


    Self-cleaning: Everything cleans up after itself, reorganizing and rearranging to how things were before.


    Requirement: [Cleanse] Level 10.


    Cost: 5 Shop Points


    Expansion Pack: Allows you to expand the [Shop] to include more variety.


    Cost: 50 Shop Points


    Advertis.e.m.e.nt: For 30 days, [Shop] is advertised to the public area roughly around shop.


    Cost: 3 Shop Points (Repeatable)


    Material Fabricator: Located in the [Janitor''s Closet], a single [Material Fabricator] allows you to set a materials, make it as many times as you want, and store it within itself.


    Cost: 2 Shop Points each


    Current Max: 3


    Current Amount in [Shop]: 1


    Current Shop Points: 0


    Scrolling through the upgrades, I began to mark the ones that caught my eye.


    Wish Upon A Star: Grants you one of three pre-selected [Upgrades] for free, provided requirements are fulfilled.


    Cool-down period: 30 days


    Cost: 1 Shop Point


    Mana Lines: Officially allows you to use magic in [Shop].


    Requirement: Level 50 spell/skill


    Cost: 25 Shop Points


    Overclocking Dilation: Allows you to speed up/slow down time inside [Shop].


    Note: With [Expansion Pack], allows you to adjust different areas with different speeds.


    Cost: 1200 Shop Points


    As I marked them, I pondered something, before doing one last search... with the cost being a joke, but a welcome surprise.


    Search: Costs: 0 Shop Points


    Results:


    Garden Expansion: Grow your own fruit and vegetables. Cross breed crops, and even grow ones from different realities!


    Requirement: Grow 5 different plants, excluding flowers. (0/5)


    Cost: 0 Shop Points


    Pet Shop Expansion: Cats, dogs, birds... dragons? Whatever you want, they are your living companion(s) until they are adopted!


    Requirement: 1 Familiar (0/1)


    Cost: 0 Shop Points


    Magic Research Lab: Another tool at your disposal. Golems, runes, spells, and more. Now if only you had some paper...


    Requirement: Enter a [World] with magic and/or mana.


    Cost: 0 Shop Points


    There were a bunch more, but I marked those three for the sake of an investment.


    It''s funny... According to the ending of the game, and factoring in Leon and Claire, all of this was done under 24 hours...


    Warning: The [Back Wall] of [Shop] will be destroyed in 60 seconds.


    "WHAT?!" Bolting straight up, I felt the building shook. Barging into the bedroom, I yelled as Claire and Leon shook off their drowsiness, "We need to move, now!"


    THUD!


    THUD!


    We quickly geared up, Leon snatching a knife and Claire grabbing a spare box of ammo before we bolted out the entrance.


    CRU-BOOM!


    Not wanting to stick around, Leon pointed to a nearby police cruiser, "There!" The made a run for it, the duo going for the front seats as I went into the back seat.


    CLUNK-CLUNK!


    SCREEE-VROOM!


    Managing to close the door in time, Leon quickly drove us further into the city.


    Claire finally asked me, "You knew something was going to happen. How?" I panted, managing to sit upright, "You wouldn''t believe me if I told you. So leave it. Assuming we have to wait until the next furthest sports shop, how long will the drive be?" "It''ll be roughly a hour, give or take due to these... zombies. What are our supplies looking like?" Merely handing her some MREs, I prepared myself for the long trip to our destination.


    Question to System: Why did the store get destroyed?


    Due to world, and character interaction, they would find it suspicious if one place was avoided or barely destroyed, despite the situation.


    Makes sense... If the [Shop] doesn''t have a scratch, without a feasible reason, there would be suspicion on how it''s still standing, despite an earthquake or tsunami.


    Anything else I''m forgetting?


    DING!


    You earned a [Shop Point]!


    Oh yeah... that.


    Purchase [Wish Upon A Star]?


    Y/(N)


    (Y)/N


    You purchased [Wish Upon A Star]!


    Might as well break it in...


    Command: [Wish Upon A Star]


    [Wish Upon A Star]


    Divine bargains? Nope!: Gods, Goddesses, and other divine deities will be added as possible customers to [Shop].


    Warning: They''re Gods... may I remind you of the Greek myths?


    Munch-Munch-Munchies: [Shop] is stocked with many typical junk foods.


    Note: Selling any items under [Munch-Munch-Munchies] DOES NOT count towards the amount of items sold to level up [Shop].


    For the Weak: While inside [Shop], no need to sleep. However, once you step outside of [Shop], you''ll instantly get proportionally tired equal to the last time you slept.


    Time to think of how to invest.


    The first one, [Divine bargains? Nope!], that''s just begging for trouble. Zeus is a womanizer, Poseidon controls most of the world''s surface, and Hades rules the dead. And by the off-chance I end up in a ''Percy Jackson'' world, Artemis''s huntresses would be constantly trying to kill me, Ares would be looking for a fight. And I''m not even sure if this [Shop]''s protection could protect me against curses and rage of the divine.


    The second one, [Munch-Munch-Munchies], it doesn''t really help me in the long run aside from snacks. Maybe if they browse, sure. But highly unlikely if they''re here just for snacks.


    The last one, [For the Weak], that actually seems like a safe bet. I can stay up for weeks on end, and merely need a night of sleep to get back to normal. Actually, speaking of which...


    Question to System: If I select [For the Weak], what''s the minimal amount of time to count as ''sleep''?


    One hour.


    So part of the [Gamer''s Body] in regards to endless energy and stamina, if the version ignores fatigue and used by the ''grinders''.


    In that case... I select [For the Weak].


    Does it help in the long run? Due to the fact that I''m merely the only ''worker'', yes.


    Question to System: How does the [Without a Scratch] perk work?


    To make it easier, the ''concept'' of [Shop] is indestructible.


    It could be physically reduced to rubble, robbed, or even collapsed:


    It still exists, and repairs itself within a (relatively) realistic time period.


    That''s much better.


    You are the ''first'' [Shop Gamer], and the first user of this System.


    That''s... a bit of a weird honor.


    Third Person POV:


    In the back of the car, John shifted before finally asking, "So, to pass the time... Hey, Leon?" "Yeah?" "Why do you share the same last name as that one President that got assassinated?" Claire turned around, "Too soon!" John raised his hands, "Sorry, sorry. Poor taste, I know, but... It''s been bugging me." Leon huffed, "You''re not alone in that matter..."


    After a while, Claire finally asked, "So, John... why tag along with us?" John answered as he looked around, "Safety in numbers, in this situation. Not like I can chance surviving on my own." Leon agreed, "No shit." John then asked, "So, are you two a couple?"


    The two awkwardly denied, "Ah, no..." "Not really..." John crossed his arms and got comfortable, "Shame, because if you were... this is one hell of a date."


    MC''s POV:


    We pulled up at the sports center, quickly getting out and walking to the entrance. I asked Claire as we entered, "So, how do you know about this place?" She answered with slight embarrassment, "I went under a fake identity while working here. The fake name was ''Elza Walker''." Discretely grabbing the small glass jar and lid, I tucked it into my backpack and I commented, "Huh..."


    Quickly barring the doors shut, and thankful for the thickness of the glass, we scattered as Leon shouted, "Remember, we''re only here for better protection and blunt weapons!" Claire and I both yelled back at him, "Then get a helmet!"


    Decking myself in a motorcycle costume, I noticed a twitching disembodied hand... before quickly putting on a pair of gloves and putting the hand into the jar I grabbed, and placed the newly contained hand into my backpack.


    Stash [Zombie Hand in Jar] the moment you enter the [Shop] again?


    I muttered as I threw the gloves I used away and put on a new set, "Yes please."


    Grabbing a wooden baseball bat, I met up with the others, Claire ironically in one of her alternate skin outfits. Leon planned, "After we find out what''s going on, we''ll head towards the train station and get the heck out of here, after destroy the source of these freaks." I, however, noticed an emptied Rocket Launcher on the ground, along with a tipped-over motorcycle.


    Grimacing, I spoke up, "No... Sorry, but I have my own game plan." Claire asked, confused, "Wait. You said that there were safety in numbers, and now you''re saying that you want to go alone? Why?"


    Glancing at the bright yellow pillar of light that''s a few blocks away, I muttered, "Trust me... I think I can handle myself. Now go. And take this." Handing her a map of Raccoon City, I commented, "I marked all of the locations of the corner store I work in. We usually stock up with the same thing, so you can resupply there. I''ll still meet you at the train, though." As I slugged the empty Rocket Launcher over my shoulder, Leon asked me, "John, how can you be sure that we''ll make it?"


    I paused, before chuckling as I propped the motorcycle up, "If we were a story, you guys have the most plot armor. Good luck. And use protection... not the zombie king, though."


    The two yelled as I started the engine, "It''s not like that!"


    I shot back before driving off, "Just don''t die, and survive!"


    Third Person POV:


    Claire muttered, "What is with that guy?" Leon answered, "I don''t know... but I got a bad feeling about this."


    The two watched as John Doe drove off in a direction, into parts unknown.


    MC''s POV:


    Quickly arriving at the [Shop], I park the motorcycle before heading in, the alerts being updated.


    [Gasoline Jugs added to Items]


    [G-Virus added to Items]


    [RPG section unlocked]


    [Motorcycle now added to Vehicles]


    Grabbing some rocket launcher ammo, I quickly checked on items sold.


    [Shop]


    Level: 1


    EXP: 480/1000


    Recent Customer(s):


    -Leon Scott Kennedy


    -Claire Redfield


    -Police Force


    -Other Survivors


    Note: Paid with their survival, each life counting as 1.


    Next Level unlocks:


    -Minor HP Potion


    -Minor MP Potion


    -[Crafting Room]


    -[Common] items


    Current Shop Points: 18


    Whistling at the exp jump, I muttered to myself, "Zombie Apocalypse... always in handy for quick grabs."


    Pulling up my [Upgrades] window, I looked through my marked ones.


    [Upgrades]


    Marked:


    Mana Lines: Officially allows you to use magic in [Shop].


    Requirement: Level 50 spell


    Cost: 25 Shop Points


    Overclocking Dilation: Allows you to speed up/slow down time inside [Shop].


    Note: With [Expansion Pack], allows you to adjust different areas with different speeds.


    Cost: 1200 Shop Points


    Garden Expansion: Grow your own fruit and vegetables. Cross breed crops, and even grow ones from different realities!


    Requirement: Grow 5 different plants, excluding flowers. (0/5)


    Cost: 0 Shop Points


    Pet Shop Expansion: Cats, dogs, birds... dragons? Whatever you want, they are your living companion(s) until they are adopted!


    Requirement: 1 Familiar (0/1)


    Cost: 0 Shop Points


    Magic Research Lab: Another tool at your disposal. Golems, runes, spells, and more. Now if only you had some paper...


    Requirement: Enter a [World] with magic and/or mana.


    Cost: 0 Shop Points


    Material Fabricator: Located in the [Janitor''s Closet], a single [Material Fabricator] allows you to set a materials, make it as many times as you want, and store it within itself.


    Cost: 2 Shop Points each


    Current Max: 3


    Current Amount in [Shop]: 1


    Buying 2 more [Material Fabricators], I assigned one of them for Concrete.


    [Material Fabricator 2]


    Current Material: Concrete


    Making: 999


    Storage: 0/999


    Rate: 1 Concrete per 2 hours.


    Upgrade Cost: 20 Metal


    That brings my [Shop Points] to 14...


    Typing into the search bar, I looked for something specific.


    Search: Contains: Plants


    Results:


    Audrey: The monster from "Little Shop of Horrors", the man eating plant that will help with security!


    Cost: 20 Shop Points


    Garden of Eden: THE garden of the biblical beginning itself! All the plants and animals you could ever want, including a certain apple...


    Cost: 666 Shop Points


    Garden Seed Pack: Five (5) seeds that can grow into any kind of vegetable garden plant. Just provide water, soil, sunlight, and grow!


    Cost: 5 Shop Points


    Hm...


    Search: Subject: Item; Effect: Time


    Rapid Pot: A small planter pot that, when filled with soil and seed, rapidly grows said seed as if it was part of a time lapse.


    Note: Plant may get dehydrated, depending on life-cycle.


    Cost: 3 Shop Points (each)


    Evolution Tank: Looks like a fish tank, when it is not one. Provide living conditions, and watch life rapidly evolve before your very eyes. You''re even able to set the ''speed'' of how quickly they evolve! Completely different each time!


    Cost: 10 Shop Points


    Delorian: The very time machine from the [Back to the Future] franchise!


    Cost: 1985 Shop Points


    Seems alright... but I''ll still think about it.


    Just as I finished up packing the rocket launcher into a duffel bag...


    DING!


    Quest Unlocked!


    Rocket Delivery: Deliver the rocket launcher to Leon on the train!


    Time Limit: 4 hours


    Reward: Timeline continues as normal, [Uncommon Loot Box], [Common Loot Box] recipe, 10 Shop Points


    Failure: Timeline change, [Common Loot Box] recipe, 500 Shop Points


    This... is interesting.


    The world is grayed out around me and froze, meaning that it''s an important decision, OR that it starts the moment I leave the [Shop].


    The real question is... Do I still want it predictable?


    People sometimes fail things on purpose, and it goes in their favor. However... That''s what happen to ''heroes''.


    At best, I''m a ''side character'' in this world.


    And if there''s one thing I actually noticed about the ''adventurous'' [Gamers], it''s that they always end up making the timeline barely follow the script. And once they do, it eventually becomes a giant butterfly effect that messes with the ''true'' reality of the world.


    And four hours is enough time to possibly reach Leon and Claire...


    But the [Shop Points] for the ''failure'' result is so tempting...


    However...


    The ''investor'' side of me won out. If the timeline continues as normal, then there''s a better chance that I can sell what I need to sell, and level up the [Shop] faster.


    And zombies can''t exactly buy stuff.


    And while I''m still ''investing''...


    Command to System: Create a ''gas station'' variation of [Shop] three miles out of Raccoon City.


    Requirements for [Gas Station] format...


    -Gasoline


    -Food


    -Drinks


    All clear!


    [Gas Station Shop] created!


    Command to System: Add a sidecar to the current motorcycle.


    PING!


    Sidecar successfully added.


    Nodding to myself, I walked outside as the world around me returned to normal...


    ... Only to stop and slowly raise my hands up.


    A black haired girl in a red dress was aiming her gun at me, demanding, "Give me the virus."


    Gritting my teeth, I cursed the fact that I was outside of the [Shop].


    The timeline... I forgot to factor in the sequels.


    [Resident Evil] is a franchise game, and although I don''t know the plot that much... I recall a title being [Resident Evil 7].


    And the Umbrella Corporation persisted like stubborn c.o.c.kroaches.


    I don''t want to die, dammit! Not enough luck in the world could help me, at this point!


    ...


    Wait a minute...


    ''World''...


    My mind whirled as it went through vague AND rough estimates, before recalling some facts I looked up when I was bored on my ''birth'' world.


    The shop has an area of 4,000 feet...


    And that area, is merely five steps away.


    The girl in the red dress smiled and merely ordered, "Put the bag down, and give me that jar."


    Complying, I walked back in... with the girl following me.


    Five steps...


    Four steps...


    Three...


    Two...


    One...


    Inside.


    Question to System: Is the [G-Virus] now under the effect of [Infinetory]?


    Yes


    Good.


    Grabbing the jar, I asked casually, "What are you giving me in exchange?"


    Third Person POV:


    Ada Wong, the girl who held a gun to ''John''s'' head, armed the gun and answered casually, "I''ll let you live." The clerk chuckled in amus.e.m.e.nt, "Sorry, sweetie... not enough for me." That confused her... before her eyes widened in shock as he threw the jar up high before lunging at her.


    The fight quickly evolved into close combat, the door of the store closing as they fought. Shelves broke along with the counter. Ada quickly swept his legs to knock him off balance, quickly leveling her gun at his downed form, aiming at his heart.


    With a c.o.c.ky smile, she spoke, "Sorry, but I get what I want."


    BANG!


    The clerk''s eyes widened as he slowly clutched his chest.


    BANG!


    His head jerked back as he collapsed, going limp as blood pooled on the floor.


    Turning around, Ada looked around and saw that the jar she was here for was just out of reach.


    It was resting on the cross-segment of the ceiling tiles.


    4,000 square feet...


    The clerk''s voice spoke up, Ada slowly getting scared, "What... are... you... trading..." She turned around, seeing the body suddenly twitch... before moving as the blood slowly flowed back in, the bullets being pushed out.


    196.94 square miles...


    John Doe slowly stood back up, asking as he tilted his head, "What are you giving in exchange for the G-Virus?"


    Ada quickly began unloading rounds into the clerk, him jerking back with each round but still standing and advancing towards her.


    She asked, backed against the wall, "Who are you?"


    Smiling, he answered, "I''m John Doe, the [Shop Owner]. Now tell me, Ada Wong... what do you want?"


    Hidden Achievement Unlocked: Rejected Route


    Requirement: "Die" in a zombie-survival world.


    Reward: [Reject Route] Owner Perk


    Such a difference cannot be emphasized enough.


    A/N: Yeah... I went to ''death''.


    This chapter was merely me testing out something the reviewer ''AscendedHumanity'' reviewed down in the last chapter. It involved POV switching from MC and the others.


    For those of you that may be confused on the ending bit of this chapter... let me put it this way:


    The physical external size of the [Shop] is around 4,000 square feet. The surface area of the Earth... is about 196.94 square MILES. [Protection of the Store] only applies to ''John Doe'' while he''s inside the property area of the [Shop], which is merely the one he''s in.


    4,000 square feet is roughly the size of a small American CVS building.


    So, imagine the small area of this ''building'' in comparison to the entire surface area of the Earth. Even if the [Shop] was stretched out, in real life, common corner stores become more frequent as you get closer to the center of a city.


    And since you can''t move the [Shop] on the world by conventional means... the MC has to go off the property to get new stuff.


    Does that makes things scary enough?


    And to answer reviewer ''Adrian King1'' in regards to the MC''s immunity... Let me just point out (again) that the MC is only invincible when inside the [Shop]. With the worlds he''ll may end up going to, like [Attack on Titan], [Naruto], [My Hero Academia], to even (quite possibly) [Devil May Cry].


    But remember, is is merely a concept, with this [Game] also going through updates.


    Now, with all of that out of the way... I''m planning on having this [Resident Evil 2] arc end in the next chapter. But... that is where things get funky, and into the ''core'' mechanic of how this MC can rack up exp for the [Shop].


    Finally, the bit after this is merely the general stats for what the [Owner] and [Shop] has. Let me know if you want all of the following to be on a separate chapter or thing.


    Review?


    [Owner Perks]


    Protection of the Store: Instead of the [Gamer''s Mind] and [Gamer''s Body], you merely become invulnerable whenever you''re in this [Shop], making you impervious from attacks, status conditions, weather conditions, and all buffs. This extends to mental manipulation from an outside party.


    Multilingual: What it says on the tin, in a sense. You can understand what your customers say, and vice versa, regardless of the language barrier. You speak English, they hear Orc-ish... albeit with improper mouth syncing, just so long as you''re in this [Shop].


    For the Weak: While inside [Shop], no need to sleep. However, once you step outside of [Shop], you''ll instantly get proportionally tired equal to the last time you slept.


    Reject Route: To Be Revealed...


    [Owner Skills]


    Repair (Level 1): Fix up your shop, and make it more easy on the eyes. Go to an area, and provided that you have the right materials, repair it.


    Caution: When using [Repair], time will be taken up when doing action. While using [Repair], you cannot do anything else until action is over.


    Cool-down: 5 minutes after you''re done.


    Usable Materials: Metal, Wood, Concrete, Glass


    Uses until next level up: 23 hours


    Cleanse (Level 3): All dirt, grime, and fragments within a certain radius around you is cleaned.


    Area of Effect: 2 meters.


    Cool-down: 5 Minutes.


    Uses until next level: 1/30


    World Travel: Travel to a different world, provide help, even aid the story... by selling the stuff in your shop.


    Conditions: Only owner and all employees present inside of [Shop].


    Cool-down: 100 items sold in the world you pick.


    World Options:


    Resident Evil (Resident Evil 2) [CURRENT]


    {LOCKED}


    {LOCKED}


    {LOCKED}


    [Shop Perks]


    Parasitic Insert: Due to [REDACTED], the exterior of this [Shop] automatically blends in with its surrounding environment, making it so it doesn''t stand out that much to other people.


    Null and Void: Any person that enters this [Shop] gets a VERY SEVERE debuff that makes them harmless to all current and future occupants of the [Shop].


    Without a Scratch: (UPDATED) No physical harm will come to the exterior or interior of the building. Can only be displaced or moved. However, building WILL be destroyed if there isn''t any feasible explanation as to how it still stands after improbable situations.


    Infinetory: Infinite inventory for certain items in the store.


    Karma Penalty: If a fool steals from you, even though it counts as ''selling'' the item(s), their [Karma] will lower depending on what they stole, and how much they took from you.


    Wish Upon A Star: Grants you one of three pre-selected [Upgrades] for free, provided requirements are fulfilled.


    Cool-down period: 29 days


    [Shop Upgrades]


    Living Quarters: Add an additional area that contains your newest living space.


    Jack of all Merchandise: Allows the ''front'' shop to suit the (general) needs of the customer(s) automatically.


    Material Fabricator: Located in the [Janitor''s Closet], a single [Material Fabricator] allows you to set a materials, make it as many times as you want, and store it within itself.


    Cost: 2 Shop Points each


    Current Max: 3


    Current Amount in [Shop]: 3


    [Marked Upgrades]


    Expansion Pack: Allows you to expand the [Shop] to include more variety.


    Cost: 50 Shop Points


    Mana Lines: Officially allows you to use magic in [Shop].


    Requirement: Level 50 spell


    Cost: 25 Shop Points


    Overclocking Dilation: Allows you to speed up/slow down time inside [Shop].


    Note: With [Expansion Pack], allows you to adjust different areas with different speeds.


    Cost: 1200 Shop Points


    Garden Expansion: Grow your own fruit and vegetables. Cross breed crops, and even grow ones from different realities!


    Requirement: Grow 5 different plants, excluding flowers. (0/5)


    Cost: 0 Shop Points


    Pet Shop Expansion: Cats, dogs, birds... dragons? Whatever you want, they are your living companion(s) until they are adopted!


    Requirement: 1 Familiar (0/1)


    Cost: 0 Shop Points


    Magic Research Lab: Another tool at your disposal. Golems, runes, spells, and more. Now if only you had some paper...


    Requirement: Enter a [World] with magic and/or mana.


    Cost: 0 Shop Points


    Rapid Pot: A small planter pot that, when filled with soil and seed, rapidly grows said seed as if it was part of a time lapse.


    Note: Plant may get dehydrated, depending on life-cycle.


    Cost: 3 Shop Points (each)


    [Shop Status]


    Level: 1


    EXP: 480/1000


    Recent Customer(s):


    -Leon Scott Kennedy


    -Claire Redfield


    -Police Force


    -Other Survivors


    -"Ada Wong"(?)


    Note: Paid with their survival, each life counting as 1.


    Next Level unlocks:


    -Minor HP Potion


    -Minor MP Potion


    -[Crafting Room]


    -[Common] items


    Current Shop Points: 14


    [Quests]


    Rocket Delivery: Deliver the rocket launcher to Leon on the train!


    Time Limit: 4 hours


    Reward: Timeline continues as normal, [Uncommon Loot Box], [Common Loot Box] recipe, 10 Shop Points


    Failure: Timeline change, [Common Loot Box] recipe, 500 Shop Points


    The old cliche: Zombies! (ACTIVE)


    Survive Raccoon City, and survive Resident Evil 2.


    Rewards: [REDACTED] world unlocked, [Zombie Apocalypse] items set unlocked, 100 Shop Points


    Date Posted: 2/20/2020


    Chapter 3


    It was amusing...


    Seeing a seemingly calm and collected person lost their wits in fright.


    At this point, two options laid before me:


    Kill her outright, or mentally break her mind.


    What would that accomplish?


    Killing her... just another mess.


    Breaking her mind... Looking at [Reject Route], it would only bring up problems.


    None of those options will be good in the long-run of things.


    However... There is another path.


    The path of the chaotic neutral.


    I calmly offered, "If you''re here for the G-Virus sample, I''ll give you it. But in exchange... I want the phone number of the phone currently on your person, at this moment." Ada blinked in surprise, "Why do you want that? There''s a nuke already moving towards us."


    I merely held out a glass purple vial, "That jar above us is merely something I obtained on a whim. Are you saying you don''t want this sample?" She looked at me weird... before relenting, "Fine... The digits are..."


    She listlessly rattled off the her (possible burner) phone number...


    And I merely handed the vial back to her, "Pleasure doing business with you."


    Heading back outside, I paused as I saw the [Quest] that hasn''t activated yet...


    [Quest]


    Rocket Delivery: Deliver the rocket launcher to Leon on the train!


    Time Limit: 4 hours


    Reward: Timeline continues as normal, [Uncommon Loot Box], [Common Loot Box] recipe, 10 Shop Points


    Failure: Timeline change, [Common Loot Box] recipe, 500 Shop Points


    Grinning, I yelled as it got on the cycle, dumping by backpack in the sidecar, "So long, sweet heart!"


    As I drove off, starting [Quest: Rocket Delivery], something popped up.


    Query: Why did you request her burner phone number?


    That''s an easy one... With that new [Skill] that I unlocked, [Reject Route]... I can do my own kind of ''harvesting''.


    Besides, if I do this correctly and obtain a Nuke, I can then give it to someone else so they can do what they want.


    Third Person POV:


    The clerk drove off, leaving behind a frightened Ada Wong who quickly evacuated the premise. She muttered as she watched him leave, "He''s a Monster... No... Devil..."


    John quickly weaved through the zombies, managing to get on the train tracks and driving down it.


    As he did, he noticed a fleshy monstrosity chasing after him, or more exactly... the train.


    He muttered as he sped up, "That''s one ugly mother-"


    BOOM!


    Quickly maneuvering himself to driving around the train, he quickly saw Claire and Leon with a young blonde girl. He yelled, getting their attention, "Did I leave you two for 9 months for something?" Claire yelled excitedly as she ran over, "John!" Leon held out his hand, "Come on aboard, seller!" However, John merely handed Leon the duffel, telling him, "Special delivery. We got a monster following the train." Leon got serious, unzipping the bag to see the Rocket Launcher and ammo.


    Giving a two-fingered salute, John zoomed on ahead as Leon quickly armed himself to deal with the monster.


    John exited the tunnels letting out a breath as he muttered, "Survived..." Hearing explosions occurring behind him, he merely uncapped a water bottle and drank it.


    MC''s POV:


    I smirked as I saw the rewards flood in.


    Rocket Delivery: Deliver the rocket launcher to Leon on the train!


    Time Limit: 4 hours


    Reward: Timeline continues as normal, [Uncommon Loot Box], [Common Loot Box] recipe, 10 Shop Points


    The old cliche: Zombies!


    Survive Raccoon City, and survive Resident Evil 2.


    Rewards: [Overlord (Anime)] world unlocked, [Zombie Apocalypse] items set unlocked, 100 Shop Points


    Collection:


    Zombie Apocalypse: The bare basics for a cliche end of the world. MREs, guns, water, ammo, etc.


    124 [Shop Points]...


    Better see what I want to spend them on.


    Expansion Pack: Allows you to expand the [Shop] to include more variety.


    Cost: 50 Shop Points


    Mana Lines: Officially allows you to use magic in [Shop].


    Requirement: Level 50 spell


    Cost: 25 Shop Points


    Overclocking Dilation: Allows you to speed up/slow down time inside [Shop].


    Note: With [Expansion Pack], allows you to adjust different areas with different speeds.


    Cost: 1200 Shop Points


    Garden Expansion: Grow your own fruit and vegetables. Cross breed crops, and even grow ones from different realities!


    Requirement: Grow 5 different plants, excluding flowers. (0/5)


    Cost: 0 Shop Points


    Pet Shop Expansion: Cats, dogs, birds... dragons? Whatever you want, they are your living companion(s) until they are adopted!


    Requirement: 1 Familiar (0/1)


    Cost: 0 Shop Points


    Magic Research Lab: Another tool at your disposal. Golems, runes, spells, and more. Now if only you had some paper...


    Requirement: Enter a [World] with magic and/or mana.


    Cost: 0 Shop Points


    Rapid Pot: A small planter pot that, when filled with soil and seed, rapidly grows said seed as if it was part of a time lapse.


    Note: Plant may get dehydrated, depending on life-cycle.


    Cost: 3 Shop Points (each)


    None of them catch my interest, that much... Because they''re all fairly useless. [Magic Research Lab] will be something I''ll buy when I get to that next world, but I''m going to be sticking around to gather more ''products'' for my [Shop]. My [Spells] are not even at level 50, let alone barely at level 10, at that fact, meaning [Mana Lines] will be a far investment.


    And I want to make things automated, because no way I can sell at shops while away from it.


    Leon, Claire, and the girl finally caught up with me as I tossed them each a water bottle, "Congrats, we survived Raccoon City." Claire nodded, gulping it down, "Good Morning, by the way. So, you left just to add a sidecar to it?" "It''s for you guys, actually." Leon spoke in slight confusion, "What...?" "The girl is riding in the sidecar."


    Seeing a truck in the distance, we moved out of the way just in time to see the driver flip the bird to Leon.


    After a moment, Leon asked, "You sure you can manage yourself on your own?" "I''m sure. Besides, there''s a gas-station version of those shops about one mile from here." Claire let out a breath, "Good, because I need a shower."


    We all chuckled before heading there.


    Upon arrival...


    Parking the cycle at the gas pump, I tossed Leon the keys as we walked in, migrating behind the counter as I asked with a bit of humor, "So, what are you buying?"


    After handing Leon a map and the trio actually buying the items with cash, they left.


    Getting excited, I quickly flipped the sign to ''closed'' and locked up before looking at the [Skill] Ada ''helped'' me unlock.


    Reject Route: Reset a world of your choosing to how it was before, allow you to redo (or discover) the [Quests].


    Requirement: Must have at least completed the ''main mission'' given to you on your first ''play through''.


    Note: [Shop] changes carry over. You will still start at the same spot on each ''run''. Also, ''main mission'' will only reward [Shop Points].


    To make it simple, this [Skill] allows me to revert any of the worlds I unlocked to how it was before, gathering different items on each ''run''. And since it can be used in its own form of ''grinding'', I can improve the [Shop] on each run.


    The only downside is that it reverts to the time when I first entered the world. In layman''s terms, it''ll be like replaying any [Legend of Zelda] game, but you end up unlocking more stuff on each run.


    Now for the other rewards.


    Loot-boxes:


    COMMON: 0


    UNCOMMON: 1


    RARE: 0


    EPIC: 0


    LEGENDARY: 0


    NOTE: Any objects obtained this way cannot be added to [Shop] unless it was naturally generated.


    Selection the option to open the [Uncommon Loot Box], I quickly got a message.


    [Uncommon Loot Box] contains:


    Loot Seed


    Extraction Chamber


    25 Plastic


    Soil from Eden


    Loot Seed: A seed that can grow into a box that contains a random item. Takes 7 days to grow fully for harvest. Harvesting gives 1-2 Loot Seed(s).


    Note: Any item received this way cannot be naturally added to [Shop] and is considered not naturally generated.


    Extraction Chamber: A chamber the side of a cold storage. After inputting anything, will extract anything from what''s inside it, allowing you to keep and/or toss whatever you get out of it. Time it takes to extract, and varies from subject to subject.


    Soil from Eden: A bag of soil from said legendary garden, whatever is planted with it will eventually fully grow and always be ripe, never rotting, needing to be watered, or becoming invested. Each bag can only be used with one plant and one pot, and can only be used once. Unearthing or digging up the plant, OR using a different plant after harvesting, will result in soil losing its effects.


    ... I''m so going to abuse the [Rapid Pot], [Soil from Eden], and [Loot Seed]. But that''s for later.


    For now... Time to stock up even more.


    "[Reject Route]..."


    2nd run through...


    I quickly got to work, using [Cleanse] and [Repair] whenever I could. The main mission [The old cliche: Zombies!] was up again, and I already had plans to be made.


    Question to System: Are any ''time'' related actions in [Shop] affected by [Reject Route]?


    No.


    Good.


    Loading a gun, a waited patiently for my test subjects, my curiosity got the best of me.


    Question to System: Where are my other [Items] located?


    In the ''back storage'' section of [Shop].


    Interesting...


    Loading the shotgun once more, I got into character... And eyed the newest addition to my [Shop]. It mainly looked like a cold-storage for meat, but lacking the hooks and frost. There were vents, though, giving it the illusion of a cold storage or other products.


    The door slammed open.


    "Don''t shoot, idiot!"


    "Get down, idiots!"


    "Help me block it!"


    "Why are you still in town?"


    "It''s my first day on the job. Next thing I know, this!"


    As the duo collapsed to catch their breath, I quickly aimed at Leon, shooting him in the head, quickly following with Claire.


    Blood, bone, and gray-matter went everywhere.


    I muttered to myself as I began dragging Leon''s body into the [Extraction Chamber], "Now, I''m ''body farming''... Good grief."


    Placing him down and sealing his body in, a window appeared.


    Begin extraction?


    Extraction Time: 2 hours


    Y/(N)


    (Y)/N


    The chamber began filling up with a unknown solution that looked like water... before Leon''s body began floating in it. Quickly, a ''cloud'' of something began to exit the vents and move over him.


    Closing the slide, I merely made my way to Claire''s corpse, dragging it to the back of the shop, muttering, "After this is that girl that shot me..."


    Later using [Cleanse] to clean up the blood stains, I also proceeded to head towards the phone, calling Ada.


    "Who is this?"


    "I have the G-Virus for you to pick up."


    "...!"


    "My name doesn''t matter, but I''m here to help you in your task. I have some demands, though."


    "And what are they?"


    "You know that gas-station near those train-tunnels? The one that''s 3 miles out of Raccoon City and about to be opened and stocked up? I want you to leave an unarmed Nuke there, with it on something that could help me move it around."


    "For what reason do you want that?"


    "Let''s just say Raccoon City will be renamed Roadkill City. I''m leaving the sample in the freezer of this store. Here''s the address."


    ...


    "Got it?"


    "I do."


    "Come alone, and you''ll get it. You better keep your end of the bargain up."


    3 hours later...


    Third Person POV:


    Ada walked into the store, cautiously scanning it as she walked around. Coming towards the freezer, she glanced briefly at the corpse of what appeared to be a shop clerk, slumped against the wall near the entrance to the storage. The body was male, and had a hole in the side of his head.


    Shooting it twice for good measure, she looked inside to see the vial containing the G-Virus. Going inside to retrieve it, she reported on her burner phone, "I got the virus. Are you at the spot with the nuke?" She listened in on the other end, "Excellent. Leave the premise... but set up surveillance of the grounds. I want the ID of whoever managed to contact my burner phone, of all things. I want it online by tomorrow." Hanging up, she turned around... only to see the clerk perfectly fine, with a dark grin on his face.


    "Tit for tat."


    The door slammed shut as she pounded on the door, the room filling with an unknown liquid that forced her body to relax while her mind still wanted to fight it... to live.


    MC''s POV:


    Frowning as I shut the slider, I viewed over what the [Extraction Chamber] got me from the bodies.


    From Leon S. Kennedy''s Body:


    -Leon S. Kennedy''s Blood


    -Police Uniform


    -Type A blood


    -[Firearm Proficiency] Skill


    -[Close Quarters Combat] Skill


    From Claire Redfield''s Body:


    -Claire Redfield''s Blood


    -[Firearm Proficiency] Skill


    -Type O blood


    "Put in storage until I have a better idea."


    Everything after that was a race against time.


    I used the motorcycle to quickly get out of the doomed city, arriving at the location and seeing the bomb in all it''s glory.


    Command: Add the nuclear bomb and truck to [Shop], but don''t physically make them vanish.


    [Nuclear Bomb added to items]


    [Flatbed Truck added to items]


    Grinning, I quickly end inside and got to work.


    100 [Shop Points] claimed later...


    From ''Ada Wong''s body:


    -''Ada Wong''s Blood


    -Silk


    -Type AB blood


    -[Firearm Proficiency] Skill


    -[Close Quarters Combat] Skill


    [Silk], eh...?


    I''ll see what I can do with that later.


    Command: Pull up [Auction House].


    This function was presented to me after Leon''s body was completely looted. As for what it does... It''s sort of a ''reverse'' of what you expect it to be.


    It''s a bidding war for those [Gamers] that have cash, in a sense.


    I auction off items that I don''t need, and in return, I get [Shop Points].


    Now, time to see the conversion rate...


    [Auction House]


    Today''s Cash to Shop Point conversion rate:


    ...


    1 billion currency = 1 Shop Point


    Swing and a miss... Well, time to target the ''villains'' and/or mechanics of the [Gamers].


    Slotting in a [Nuclear Bomb] into the slot, I instantly began getting to work.


    Opening up [Upgrades], I searched what caught my eye while I was waiting for Claire''s body to be looted.


    Search: Location: Void


    Results:


    Void Dimension: Disconnected between realities, the perfect ''pit-stop'' of solitary confinement. You can immediately go to a [World] with no cost, when leaving the Void Dimension.


    Warning: [Shop] will not gain exp while in [Void Dimension], regardless of visitors.


    Requirements: 1 [World] ''completed'' at least twice.


    Cost: 0 Shop Points


    Buying [Void Dimension] and instantly using it, I began to spruce things up.


    Since ''time'' still exists, I quickly used [Repair] on everything that I could repair.


    I even decided to ''break'' the game slightly by purposely destroying my shelves over and over, eventually maxing out [Repair].


    Repair (MAX): Fix up your shop, and make it more easy on the eyes. Go to an area, and provided that you have the right materials, repair it.


    Caution: When using [Repair], time will be taken up when doing action. While using [Repair], you cannot do anything else until action is over.


    Cool-down: 5 minutes after you''re done.


    Usable Materials: Metal, Wood, Concrete, Glass, Plastic


    MAX Effect: All time is shortened to 5 minutes.


    Managing to use [Repair] on the floor, I began to note that it lacked color.


    But I can''t do anything about it.


    Although it seems like I''m being a coward... I''m actually preparing myself.


    With the next world seeming to always have a ''Mary Sue'' coming out of its plot at every given moment, and the ''main character'' being a literal creature that could kill me with moments, it was most appropriate to max everything out.


    And no ''tutorial'' will save me.


    Speaking of which...


    [Auction Status]


    Item: Nuclear Bomb


    Highest Bid: 1.6 trillion


    Yeah, it''s all coming together... but it''s super weak compared to what I was hoping for.


    This auction is like playing with the stock market: it''s a gamble every second.


    With the current result, I would at least be getting 1,600 [Shop Points].


    While it may seem like a lot, there are always those upgrades that need to be upgraded.


    It''s kind of like buying a house to move into: buying is the easy part, it''s the remodeling and actual moving that''s the hard part.


    Using my on-hand [Shop Points], I quickly bought [Expansion Pack], only for nothing to physically happen aside from extra doors appearing everywhere.


    Frowning, I went to one of them, to see something pop up.


    What would you like to make this expansion?


    Private Lab - 100 Shop Points


    Forge - 1250 Shop Points


    Quarry - 2000


    Garden - [LOCKED]


    Pet Shop - [LOCKED]


    Magic Research Lab - [LOCKED]


    Just as I feared...


    [Expansion Pack] merely allows one to add more rooms, but you still need to purchase what you want to make it.


    I now have 174 [Shop Points]...


    Buying [Private Lab] and [Rapid Pot], I entered to see a clean empty room with white squares decorating the walls and floor, with the ceiling seeming to have no limit. It''s always sunny, though, so that''s a plus.


    I first placed the [Rapid Pot] down, before filling it up with [Soil from Eden]. Planting a single [Loot Seed], a screen popped up showing the status of the plant.


    [Rapid Pot - Loot Seed]


    Time until harvest: 168 hours


    Speed:


    (x1)


    x1.5


    x2


    x5


    x10


    Oh hell yeah, this is an exploit.


    Setting the speed to 10, meaning it''ll take about 17 hours, I left it alone as I checked in on the auction.


    Turns out that I ended up getting 2,000 [Shop Points].


    That brings my total to 2071.


    Purchasing [Overclocking Dilation], I found a different kind of setting.


    Overclocking Dilation Manuel: (UPDATED)


    While in any area of the [Shop], all of those present will have their ages ''paused'' and have their physical health and conditions halted, meaning while they can''t die, they can''t heal as well.


    Also, instead of influencing the rate of time in comparison to the outside and inside of the [Shop], it merely speeds up the ''time events'', such as cool-downs, animal growth, and much more.


    It changes up my plans... but I can work with it.


    This gives me 871 [Shop Points] to work with...


    "I''ll table them for now. But for the moment... [Overclocking Dilation]."


    A different screen showed up.


    Temporal Dilation of [Private Lab]


    Current event speed: x1


    Max (shorten cool down/speed up events): x4


    Min (extend cool down/slow down events): x.25


    It''s a bit confusing... but I think I got it.


    Say I have an timed event or cool-down that''s approximately 60 minutes long.


    If I ''Max'' it to ''x4'', then it will be cut down to 15 minutes.


    When ''Min'' to ''x.25'', then it would extend to 240 minutes long.


    Let''s see... Using the 17 hours, that becomes 1020 minutes.


    1020 divide by 4 equals...255 minutes.


    255 divide by 60, to convert to hours, means that if I ''Max'' it to ''x4'', 4 hours and 15 minutes, roughly speaking.


    Temporal Dilation of [Private Lab]


    Current event speed: x4


    Checking in on the [Rapid Pot] I was happy that I was correct.


    But I now need to automate it... And it won''t be easy, with how things are going.


    The only feasible automation is using magic, and I''m not even close to figuring it out.


    And here''s the problem: [Repair] maxed out its level at 25. That'' just half-way towards [Mana Lines].


    Not only that... but everything seems ''OP''... makes me wonder if, so far, I was merely having the ''tutorial program'' segment of thing.


    If this is the [Tutorial], I''m still going to keep things as they are now until I move to the next world.


    That''s the thing most [Gamers] overlook and not think about... extending and abusing the [Tutorial]. I mean, when still under the ''training'' period, the exp is rather easy to form, yet slow to get. At least, when dealing any skill aside from monster slaying.


    So I''m going to max out everything I possibly could.


    PING!


    [Shop Perk: Infinetory] has updated!


    Infinetory: (UPDATE) Infinite inventory for [Common] items in the store. However, you must still restock them physically by gathering them from the back storage.


    That''s a shame... but this just proves that not only the [Game] I''m playing is trying to patch itself, but that I''m in a tutorial program.


    Ugh...


    Well... let''s see what else I could do.


    4 hours of manually restocking shelves later...


    Alright, the [Loot Seed] is about to be finished growing... You know, it sort of looks like a [Minecraft Chest], but with some plant-like growth with it.


    DING!


    Looks like it''s done.


    Opening the ''chest'' up, I blinked in surprise... before becoming eager and asking out loud, "System! Is this what I think it is?"


    Indeed it is.


    [Xenomorph Queen Egg]


    Upon hatching and embedding itself within a living human host, it hatches to become a Queen Xenomorph.


    It also has a slight surprise in it.


    I really got lucky with this one.


    However... what can I use it for in terms of long-term?


    Hm...


    "System. What will occur if I make the Queen Xenomorph my [Familiar]?


    [Familiar]


    A creature that''s now your loyal pet. Like any other pet, you must care for them.


    In this case, a Xenomorph, no matter the kind, has a heavy meat-focused diet, but doesn''t require much feeding. However, depending on the host of the embryo, the strength and speeds may vary from result to result.


    Luckily for you, a Queen Xenomorph has no feeding requirements. Reproducing, however... that''s another story.


    Interesting...


    Maybe I can use it as a pack of hunters, after I manage figuring out what kind of prey to supply them with...


    Now, as for the last Reward, I put it off long enough.


    [Common Loot Box] recipe


    ERROR.


    Cannot learn unless you have unlocked the skill [Crafting].


    Drat... and here I hoped it would still be easy.


    [Skills] left to learn.


    [Locked Skills]


    Crafting - Requires you to have [Crafting Room].


    Mining - Requires you to have crafted a pickaxe (0/1)


    Firearm Proficiency - Requires you to fire, and hit, your target(s) with 5 different guns (2/5)


    That last one... Now that I think about it, I merely used a shotgun and pistol the last time I did it...


    Well, time to grind once more...


    "[Reject Route]."


    3rd run...


    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!


    Frowning, I muttered as I shot Claire in the arms and legs, "Magnum is off the list, but... I''m missing the alive ''Leon''... oh well." I dragged a limp yet alive Claire towards the [Extraction Chamber].


    Tossing in Leon''s body as well, I began to clean up before driving off.


    Later...


    I mused as I sat in the gas station, "Leon is dead, the world is doomed, and everything is going to hell."


    PING!


    "Oh, sweet! The [Loot Seed] is done growing!"


    Sleep Til Doom: A tranquilizer gun that puts anyone it hits (aside from you) into a deep sleep, which can only be broken by blunt trauma.


    Cleanse (Level 10): All dirt, grime, and fragments within a certain radius around you is cleaned.


    Level 10 (passive): Your antibodies are boosted, making you unable to get sick.


    Area of Effect: 4 meters.


    Cool-down: 2 Minutes.


    Uses until next level: 7/750


    From [Loot Seed] 3nd harvest:


    Golem Creation Guide: The go-to book on learning how to make, and animate, golems!


    Requirements: [Mana Lines], [Magic Research Lab], [Crafting] Level 4


    Auction: Nothing Sold


    Rate Exchange: 1 trillion = 1 Shop Point


    Total Shop Points gained: 21


    [Shop Status]


    Level: 1


    EXP: 980/1000


    WARNING: All of [Shop] extensions in Racoon City are destroyed and/or closed.


    Recent Customer(s):


    -(attempted) survivors


    Note: Paid with their death or conversion, each life counting as 1.


    Next Level unlocks:


    -Minor HP Potion


    -Minor MP Potion


    -[Crafting Room]


    -Science Lab


    Current Shop Points: 992


    [Loot Seed] 4rd harvest:


    Overlord DVD: The complete seasons of Overlord the anime, playable and easily understood by anyone who hears it! Also completely indestructible.


    [Locked Skills]


    Firearm Proficiency - Requires you to fire, and hit, your target(s) with 5 different guns (3/5)


    "[Reject Route]."


    4th run...


    PEW-PEW!


    THUD! THUD!


    I muttered, "Next time, getting a trolley or shopping cart..." After dumping the bodies in storage, I went to the bas.e.m.e.nt door.


    What would you like to make this expansion?


    Generic Abandoned Bas.e.m.e.nt - 0 Shop Points


    Forge - 1250 Shop Points


    Quarry - 2000


    Garden - [LOCKED]


    Pet Shop - [LOCKED]


    Magic Research Lab - [LOCKED]


    Taking the cheapest option. I dragged the still asleep bodies and placed them leaning against the wall the room nearest to the exterance, before leaving the [Queen Xenomorph Egg] in the middle of them and leaving... and ignored how the place seemed to to stretch forever.


    But not before sending a slight bond into the egg.


    Familiar established!


    Queen Xenomorph will now perceive you as it''s ''Master'' or ''King''. Also, any Xenomorphs created by it (and proxy) will serve you.


    [Pet Shop Expansion] bought!


    The [Pet Shop] allows you sell pets to other people as companions!


    It''s good (yet weird) to be me, at the moment.


    But... With my loyal Xenomorph army soon to appear, [Pet Shop] now seems like a waste of space...


    I wonder what the ''surprise'' is, though...


    Shrugging it off, I went to the [Private Lab] to collect once more from the [Loot Seed].


    Diamond Plant: Takes the carbon from the carbon dioxide and uses it to grow a diamond! The more carbon it absorbs, it bigger the diamond gets!


    Diamond''s Max Size: Baseball Sphere.


    Note: Must be planted in gravel, and be in a carbon dioxide-rich area.


    Not seeds, though...


    Oh, speaking of unlocks...


    Command: Close [Shop] when it reaches level 2. Then, plunge us into the void the moment I''m back in the [Shop].


    Command Successful.


    Good.


    Heading back to the [Backup Generator]... I scrapped it.


    I won''t be using it for a while, meaning that it won''t do me any good.


    Plus... magic and all that.


    Now let''s see... I''ll use an automatic, this time.


    5th run...


    BA-BA-BA-BA-BA!


    Mowing down the zombies outside, I yawned as I waited for Leon and Claire.


    Question to System: Does a rocket launcher count as a gun?


    Yes.


    ... Better stick close to the original script.


    Command: Summon [Motorcycle], then proceed to shut down all but the ''gas-station'' [Shop] extensions.


    Complying.


    Going back in briefly to fire a rocket launcher at a group of zombies, I quickly abandoned it before riding out of here.


    Skill Unlocked!


    Firearm Proficiency (MAX): Boom, headshot! Or... ''groin shot''? Be accurate, and be precise!


    Accuracy: Leonard L. Church (Red vs. Blue) can hit better than you.


    That''s... a burn if I heard of it.


    Would you like to cram all of your current [Firearm Proficiency] skills into yourself?


    Yes.


    And... pain.


    Pain that, strangely, was merely a headache. Like where you get a brain-freeze.


    Firearm Proficiency (MAX): Boom, headshot! Or... ''groin shot''? Be accurate, and be precise!


    Accuracy: Almost aimbot.


    That''s more like it.


    Quickly dropping the guns, I hopped onto my motorcycle as the duo arrived.


    Leon demanded, "Wait!" I merely spoke, revving the engine, "The store has MREs, guns, ammo, and water. Stock up on what you need, and leave behind a tip." Turning to them and giving a two-finger salute, I greeted, "I''m John. John Doe. Good luck, strangers."


    Driving off quickly, I''m pretty sure I shifting things a bit, but not by a whole lot.


    [Auction House]


    Today''s Cash to Shop Point conversion rate:


    ...


    1,000 currency = 1 Shop Point


    Time to call in the dorks.


    Or rather... call in the perverts.


    [Auction Status]


    Item: [Claire Redfield''s Blood]


    Watching the bids climb in number, I drove out of the city.


    [Shop] Leveled Up!


    [Shop Status]


    Level: 2


    EXP: 0/2500


    WARNING: All of [Shop] extensions in Racoon City are closed.


    Recent Customer(s):


    -(attempted) survivors


    Note: Paid with their death or conversion, each life counting as 1.


    Contains:


    -Front


    -Private Lab


    -Bas.e.m.e.nt (Xenomorph Den)


    -Crafting Room (NEW)


    Next Level unlocks:


    -Portal Hub


    -Forest Resource World


    -Daily Cosmic Lotto


    Current Shop Points: 1100


    Grinning as I read the information, I slowly frowned as I saw a truck parked outside of the [Shop].


    Seeing the truck driver, I sighed, shooting the driver with the [Sleep Til Doom], or the [STD] gun, already going through commands.


    Command: Absorb truck and truck''s cargo into [Storage].


    Looking through [Upgrades] as I dragged the driver into the bas.e.m.e.nt, and ignoring the face-hugger over Leon''s body.


    Magical Labyrinth Vents: All areas of [Shop] are connected to a series of vents. When an intruder enters through a vent, they will instantly get lost and unable to find their way back.


    Note: Your Xenomorphs can instantly navigate the vents and go from place to place with no effort.


    Cost: All of current [Shop Points]


    Buying that, and hello part of my security system.


    Now, time for the longest, yet possibly best, part of my [Game]...


    Crafting items.


    A/N: Scared enough, already?


    After all... for the ''Gacha'' systems, how do you think some of the prizes are obtained?


    Now, I hope you guys are ready for the next chapter to be dedicated to [Crafting], because while it may seem boring... Keep in mind that other [Gamers] typically don''t question how their ''Gacha'' prizes are created, thinking they just spawned out of nowhere with magic.


    If you''d like, please list some of the most OP and, in hindsight, difficult things for this MC to get.


    And for those of you who demand a chapter early... Just know that, currently, I try to complete the two chapters after before posing the story''s next chapter.


    (i.e. Posting this chapter, when Chapter 4 and 5 are both completed, posing chapter 4 when 5 and 6 are complete, etc.)


    Speaking of ''chapters'', in the previous one, I forgot to add ''millions'' to 196 million square miles. However, it was still to emphasize how much of an ''immunity'' and ''protection'' the MC has. Seriously... It''s like comparing a square inch to a square mile.


    With that out of the way, in the next chapter... the MC finally truly breaks away from the norm.


    Uploaded: 3/2/2020

 Chapter 254 - My SI Stash #54 - Just As Planned by x50413 (WormXMulticross)

    -A NSFW CYOA story~ SI into Worm as a Waifu Collector? First waifu is literally one of the Endbringers, Ziz... Seems to be a multicross fic also!


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 16K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/just-as-planned-waifu-catalog-si-worm-start.11767/ (x50413)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Just As Planned


    Or: My Angel Waifu Can''t Be Like This??


    I ''awoke'' staring at the blue sky. It was...oddly soothing, in a way. Maybe because it looked the same as I remembered? It gave my something to idly focus on as I sorted through my circ.u.mstances. The concrete of the roof I found myself on wasn''t exactly comfortable...but moving was too much effort, so I remained where I was.


    I''d wondered, idly, what it would be like to experience a data-dump. It had been such a common trope in stories for so long ¨C what would it be like, I wondered, to download a skill through the Matrix? To copy a martial art with the Sharingan? To learn a magical system by cheating, ignoring all the effort that was meant to go into it?


    It turned out, at least in my case, that it was...comfortable. A simple, itemized list of my ''purchases'' and how to use them simply appeared at the forefront of my mind the moment I woke up. It left me feeling oddly like a video game character, staring at the ''menu'' in my own head...but I was avoiding the subject at hand.


    Because I had no memories of ''buying'' any of these things. And the list, while very helpful, was missing some important information. It explained all of my own purchased abilities very well, including instinctual instructions for their usage and a convenient ''mental compass'' of sorts that pointed me in the direction of the nearest portal to my new home dimension.


    What distressed me most were two simple things. The setting I (or whoever had the purchasing power) had evidently chosen, labeled helpfully as ''Earth Bet (Parahumans, Worm).'' Somewhat worrying ¨C but not entirely unusual. It was a setting I was fond of, filled with interesting conflict and potential for entertaining divergence...but I didn''t appear to have been provided with anything I needed to survive in this world, let alone thrive.


    It seemed, instead, that I (for now, I would assume it was myself until proven otherwise) had spent almost my entire budget on...this.


    [One (1) Tier 10 Waifu: 1000C


    Yoink Surcharge: +1C


    Total: 1001C]?


    One thousand (and one, my mind insisted) credits out of my original budget of 1200. Over eighty percent of my budget spent on a single item. A single person, technically. Who on Earth Bet (or Aleph, or Gimel, or any other Earth) would persuade me to do that?


    I pondered that for a while. I knew myself, I thought, and I must have had a reason...but it was hard to imagine what would lead me to ¨C


    the sound of something scuffing against concrete nearby roused me, and I blinked up at the sky. With a sigh, I lifted my head slightly, careful not to scuff my skull against the concrete, and looked behind me.


    I blinked. Once, and again.


    The false angel stared down at my face impassively, empty silver eyes betraying no emotion whatsoever. Her wings were...prettier than I''d expected. The way they''d been described as hiding parts of her body had always sounded silly to me, but seeing it in action was...oddly satisfying. The way they flexed in just the right way to ''hide'' her body...


    The second set of memories I''d been provided ¨C the poor wretch from Madison ¨C screamed that she''d returned to finish the job. I found myself taking a deep breath, my heart pounding, but something bothered me. Destiny Defense should make me immune to this kind of instant Bad End. So, why ¨C


    ¨C slowly, one wing lowered, almost enough to expose the pubic mound. And, there, sitting obviously on too-pale skin in dark red ink, was a spiraling design of infinite complexity. The longer I looked at it, the more I tried to puzzle out the insane lines that made it up, the more I felt a sense of vertigo.


    With a blink, I tore my eyes away and back up to her face in time to catch the tiniest and most insignificant hint of a smirk before she was expressionless again.


    "Ah," I said to myself. "This is what I spent everything on."


    I stared at the Simurgh, and she (it? no, definitely she) stared at me. I blinked ¨C she didn''t.


    Slowly, I let my head rest against the roof again, staring up into the blue sky. "I see. Hmm. That makes things more interesting." I licked my lips nervously, then glanced up again. She was still there, unmoved, watching. With a nod, I pushed myself up and dusted off my jeans. "Well. In that case, it''s time to plan."


    She nodded, and reached out for me. I almost hesitated...but if the binding of the Stamp hadn''t worked, and she intended me harm...what the hell was I going to do about it?


    She wrapped her arms around me ¨C her skin is softer than I expected ¨C and then we were gone into that blue sky.


    I sat comfortably in the Simurgh''s lap, hovering high above the world below me. The view was...breathtaking, both figuratively and literally. I hadn''t realized how nervous heights made me until this moment. Yet, the wind was merely a gentle breeze, it was nowhere near as cold as I''d expected, and...all of those things were most likely due to the incredibly powerful telekinetic whose arms were wrapped gently around my torso. Hmm.


    I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, refusing to look down any longer and instead fishing a sleek black device from my pocket. Placed in the bottom middle of the phone was an app I''d never seen before, simply titled ''Catalog''...and of course the mysterious Company knew where I placed my most-used apps. That, or the past me that did my budgeting had done the setup phase as well.


    Either way, as I navigated the list, I thought I was beginning to understand the kind of plan that past-me had intended. Indeed, the more I turned things over in my head the more reasonable it seemed...as reasonable as any plan that involved making the Third Endbringer into a waifu could be, at any rate. The arms around me squeezed gently, and I found myself wondering if she could read my mind, or if it was similar to the Path to Victory ¨C did she know why she squeezed me, or only that it was the right time to?


    Existential crises aside, I slipped my Company phone back into my pocket. The question would become a moot point soon regardless, if things went to plan. "Well. The first thing we need is relatively simple, I think." I tilted my head back, looking up into her expressionless face. "How would you feel about helping me subvert a member of the Slaughterhouse Nine?"


    She watched me expressionlessly through my entire explanation of the plan.


    I sighed to myself, stretching my stiff leg as I leaned up against the window. Abandoned buildings weren''t always filled with comfortable seating ¨C especially when I needed to watch out the window. I probably could have let her do the work for me, but...it didn''t seem right, in a way. If I intended to go through with my plans, I should be willing to follow through on my own...and I shouldn''t rely on the Simurgh to do everything. That way lies unimaginable sloth.


    On the other hand, I am trusting her to keep me safe from the band of murderous, homeless villains currently attacking this town. Trusting her to do so both via precognition and physical intervention, if it becomes necessary. I simply don''t have the tools to fight the Nine.


    Not yet, at least.


    So, to distract myself from my distressing mortality and the sheer ease with which my plans would fall apart without the support of the Simurgh, who still is simply watching me impassively as she hovers in the center of this abandoned living room, I''ve been reading PHO. It...really is just as shitty as all the fanfictions I''ve read made it out to be. Like a combination of 4chan and Reddit, but in a world with actual superheroes and supervillains to make memes of. I scrolled past ¨C huh, lewd art of Ziz. That''s...I glanced up at her, and she...did one of her eyebrows raise? No, I''m imagining it. Still...I think she''s bigger in real life.


    The tip of a wing nudged me and it takes me a moment to realize what that means. I fumbled slightly with my phone, managing to open the Camera as several figures rounded the corner. Ordinarily, watching a chunk of the Slaughterhouse Nine arrive on-scene would have been cause for a fair amount of terror...But I have a trump card. All I see before me...is an objective. I waited for just long enough for Mannequin to move out of the way...and then, with a single tap of a button, I have a relatively low-resolution, digitally-zoomed picture of a young blonde.


    Hello, Bonesaw...hmm. She''s older than I expected. I can''t quite place how old, but...she''s not the psycho little sister image that I''d had in my head. Nothing else has been strange, none of the dates on PHO seemed out of line...has she been turned into a teenager purely for potential entertainment? She''s still short ¨C shorter than I was even before I received my upgraded body ¨C and she isn''t exactly shapely...but she isn''t a child, by any means. If nothing else, it makes taking a stalker candid picture of her feel a bit less creepy.


    My musings were interrupted as a hero crashed through the building opposite my window. A moment later, and a black-and-white striped n.a.k.e.d woman stepped through the wall. Literally stepped through the wall, leaving a cartoonishly human-shaped hole in the bricks behind her. She was n.a.k.e.d.


    She was also one of the least attractive things I''d ever seen. I wasn''t certain if it was the headache-inducing effect of her stripes as she moved, or just the bizarre skin color itself, but ¨C


    ¨C the tip of a wing nudged me again. Hmm. Well, if she''s here. I snapped a picture of the Siberian just before she dashed out of sight. It wasn''t a particularly good picture. But...it would serve for my purposes. I stepped away from the window, trusting in the Simurgh''s prescience to ensure we''re safe here. Well, I''m safe here. I''m relatively certain she''s not in danger, period. Sting ¨C no, Flechette, after all, should still be in New York right about now.


    As I leaned back against her and felt her arms wrap comfortably around my torso again, I pulled up the gallery of my phone. Sure enough, there was a button on the picture of Bonesaw that I didn''t instantly recognize. I tapped it and blinked at the three-dimensional wiremesh that appeared on screen. It even included the ringlet shape of her hair, which was...not a simple thing to model on the fly.


    As expected of the Company, I suppose.


    I selected a spot, just over her sternum, and allowed the digital Stamp to be placed. A timer appeared immediately.


    [Time to complete Binding: 71:59:59]


    I smiled, and swiped over to the Siberian''s page.


    Today...had been a surprisingly good day.


    Stage one: Complete. Now then...to wait until the dominoes fall.


    Contrary to my hopes, I wasn''t paid upon applying the Stamp. Rather, I assumed, I would be given the option to either sell the capture to the Company or keep them once the Binding completed its work, and be paid appropriately at that point.


    What this meant in practical terms is that I had three days to lay low before I could begin my real adventure in Earth Bet. Fortunately it seemed past-me had thought ahead and already purchased access to a pocket dimension. What confused me was that the mental compass leading to the nearest portal...pointed almost straight up.


    Yet, the Simurgh carried us unerringly in the direction of that mental arrow. And, sure enough, hovering in the middle of nowhere in low orbit over the United States...sat a disc-shaped hole in space, through which a number of trees were visible. As we approached, I noticed that whenever the angle we viewed the portal at changed, what we were seeing shifted as well ¨C like the portal was always pointed towards us with zero margin for error.


    Once again, the Company''s technology was terrifying...but as I was benefiting greatly from it, I chose not to complain.


    I''d missed the point, though. It was...weirdly arbitrary. I pored over my mental checklist, determined to solve this mystery (and not think about how far the ground was from me).


    ...Ah. Portals were ''procedurally generated'' in areas of high importance or convenience to either me...or any Bound waifu. I suppose this would be the Simurgh''s portal, then.


    Her torso shifted against my back, up and down in three rhythmic cycles. It took me a moment to place the movement, since there was no sound associated with it ¨C did Ziz just laugh at me?


    ...Well. That''s the most reaction I''ve gotten from her thus far. I suppose I''ll take it.


    When we passed through the portal, I was...suitably impressed. The sea around the island stretched infinitely into the horizon ¨C I wondered if the area provided in the pocket dimension would loop in on itself if we flew past the border of the world, or if it had invisible walls, or...


    ...while I was distracted, she delivered us to the doorstep of the house. Modern, built largely from glass ¨C no, more likely a glass-lookalike. Actual glass would be awfully pedestrian for the Company. Regardless, I let us in and began to explore, with my terrifyingly overpowered wife hovering along behind me.


    The house was...nice enough. The layout made sense to me, the bedroom allotted to me had sinfully soft sheets in it...and no windows. Praise be the Company and their understanding of the evils of sunlight in the morning.


    Now, as we entered what seemed to be a study, I turned to face the Simurgh as I collapsed into a chair.


    ...There was a tiny twitch of her face as I sat down. I couldn''t quite identify what it was...hmm.


    She hovered there, feet barely brushing the floor, staring down at me.


    I cleared my throat. "You...don''t really talk, do you?"


    She stared. Slowly, she moved her head to the left, then the right, then continued to stare.


    I frowned. "And I''m no Tattletale. I can''t just read your microexpressions..." She hovered up and back slightly and my brow furrowed. "Wait." She paused.


    I stared at her. She stared back. "You...correct me if I''m wrong, please. But were you about to go get Tattletale and bring her here?"


    Slowly, painstakingly, she nodded once. I sighed, dropping my face into my palm. "All right. So, for the next three days ¨C until I''ve earned enough to buy something to let us communicate more effectively ¨C we''re going to be laying low. Here. Inside this dimension." She watched me as I spoke, and it was equal parts flattering and terrifying watching an Endbringer pay me rapt attention. "Until we go to collect Bonesaw, nobody else will be brought here. Unwillingly or otherwise. All right?"


    She nodded...but there was a tiny frown on her face, and I...felt a bit bad, actually. "...Three days. After that, we''ll have a more in depth conversation about these things. And my plans. And we''ll make our plans together. All right?" Her face had smoothed out as I spoke, and this time when she nodded I didn''t have that feeling.


    I smiled at her. "So. For now, given what I just said...is there anything ¨C" you want, I didn''t finish. Because before I''d even finished the question, she''d held her arms out towards me in a smooth motion, wings spreading out and then curling in as if grasping for me.


    ...The Simurgh, viewed in a certain light, was making grabby hands wings at me. The gap moe was too much, and I felt an almost physical pain in my chest at the cute dichotomy between her expression and her actions.


    So, naturally, I nodded and went to stand...and she telekinetically tugged me into her arms, tucking my head comfortably to her bosom and carrying me to the bedroom. I felt a spike of anxiety, wondering if I''d misread her desires ¨C attractive the Simurgh may be, but I wasn''t sure I was ready for that particular step yet.


    My anxiety grew as a hand slipped under my shirt, pulling it up only for her power to finish the job of tugging it over my head.


    I took a deep breath, frantically grasping for a reason to turn her down...but she simply laid us on the bed, my shoes untying themselves and gently falling to the floor as she wrapped her wings around me like a cocoon and pressed me tightly against her.


    I found myself...blinking, enshrouded in darkness, with the swell of her b.r.e.a.s.ts pressing against my shoulders and her chin resting atop my head. Every exposed part of my body was in contact with her.


    The Simurgh, it seemed, was a cuddler.


    Sure. Why not.


    ...She''s actually really comfy.

 Chapter 255 - My OC Stash #55 - Butterfly’s Tree by BANIX (KimetsuNoYaiba)

    -A sweet short story from BANIX~ A lost college student reincarnates into Demon Slayer, with little to no meta knowledge and 0 cheats! Shinobu best girl ofc/


    Sypnosis: He is like a huge tree, unmoving and strong. She is like the butterfly, always flitting about. When she gets tired, she would seek refuge and rest in the shade of the tree. She is the butterfly, and he is her tree. (Reincarnated OC)


    Rated: T


    Words: 20K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13450552/1/Butterfly-s-Tree (BANIX)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I never amounted to anything much in life.


    Plain, normal, boring, nerd. That''s what people used to describe me.


    Not like I brought myself to care, I''m too lazy to. It''s not that such words don''t bother me, they do, but I¡­ am just too lazy to do anything about it.


    I procrastinate a lot because I don''t have an interest in studying or pretty much anything. I didn''t do well in university. I either fail or barely pass my exams. It''s not that I''m dumb, I know I''m not dumb even if I''m definitely not the smartest. It''s just¡­ it''s just¡­


    Studying is so boring, you know?


    I don''t feel like I''m learning. I don''t feel the excitement to learn something new whenever the lecturer goes through a new topic. I find it a drag, a chore. It''s tiring. I think that I might have picked the wrong major but on hindsight, I think it would be the same no matter whatever subject I chose to major in.


    I just don''t find joy in learning anymore.


    Maybe it''s because I chose my major on the basis that it might make me rich in the future if I specialise in a certain profession? Is that why I don''t find joy in learning?


    I would never know. I met my end before I had the chance to change my decision.


    It came as utterly no surprise that such a boring person like me who had done nothing and contributed nothing to society got reborn as a sickly child in a family stricken with disease and poverty.


    The catch?


    This is the period of feudal Japan.


    I guess this is karma.


    I don''t know which period exactly, but it''s not like it would have made much of a difference even if I do know. I never bothered to learn about Japan''s history.


    In this new body, I cough a lot as a child. My arms were weak. I caught a flu every month or so. I could barely hold a spoon without my hands trembling.


    This new father of mine, if I would ever refer to him as that, is abusive. My new mother is too afraid of him to do anything. I have seven siblings, each of them older than me. Whenever my father left the house, we would all worry if he would come back drunk, for if he does, it means another round of beating for whoever earned his ire.


    It doesn''t help that in this new body, I have a speech impairment. My words come out slow. For example, if I want to say ''Good Morning'', it comes out as "Good¡­Mor¡­ning¡­"


    You can imagine the number of beatings I had gotten from my new father because of this. I''m surprised I haven''t died a second time.


    By the time I was five, my father deemed me to be a burden to the family. My siblings could at least somewhat contribute to the family by doing odd jobs or chores. I could not.


    I was sold as a slave.


    Some middleclass family bought me at a cheap price due to my sickly body. Maybe they took pity on me. Maybe they wanted to see if they luck out by buying over this sickly boy, hoping that I could be useful and last at least another year or two. If I could, this alone would make their investment worthwhile.


    I could care less. At that point in time, I''m just wondering why I am even fighting to stay alive in this kind of shitty situation.


    It''s obvious that I have no rights as a slave. I couldn''t do many jobs. My trembling hands made sure that I could not even serve a proper cup of tea. There''s nothing I could do. I have no worth.


    I''m just going to die another miserable death. Pathetic.


    In the end, the head servant of the house gave up on me and shove an axe into my hands, telling me to just cut firewood until the day I die. Telling me to at least be useful to someone by cutting some firewood that keeps them warm at night.


    Of course, I could not cut a single thing. I don''t have the strength. I barely managed to lift up that rusty axe. In this sickly body, I have to be smart about it if I ever want to cut a piece of wood with an axe in hand.


    No one expected anything out of me. I didn''t expect anything out of this either. It''s just that I probably would die soon, and I have all the time in the world to figure out how to cut a piece of wood with just an axe and with a body so frail a breeze could knock me down.


    I really did have all the time in the world and I have nothing to lose.


    I experimented for the fun of it. The angle I want to cut the wood. The force needed. How high I needed to lift the axe. How to plant both my feet. I even experimented if the way I breathe affected my efficiency.


    The last part of woodcutting was the most crucial, but I only found that out many years later when I joined the Demon Slaying Corps.


    By the end of the month, I made a good enough chip on the wood that is easily visible.


    By the end of the second month, I could properly split the wood into two neat pieces in one blow.


    By the end of the year, I could easily finish cutting up any amount of firewood given to me.


    Suddenly, woodcutting seemed so much fun. I didn''t know that such a mundane task could actually be fun. I invented creative ways to use the axe. I could even sculpt with an axe if I wanted to and it would not take much time at all. Such was the expertise I have with an axe in hand because I devoted all my attention and time into knowing how to use it properly.


    For whatever reasons that was unknown to me back then, my body started to have visible changes. I no longer cough that much. My body is no longer sickly. I actually started to grow some muscles. I can actually run now.


    I spent the next seven(?) eight(?) years cutting wood and playing around with the axe. I could not really tell how long I spent exactly in that backyard of my owner''s house. Time passed without me realising it as I cut firewood from dawn to dusk every day, trying to experiment different ways to cut wood by changing the variables. The biggest breakthrough was figuring out that the way I breathe actually has a significant impact on woodcutting during my second year as a slave.


    I figured that maybe by changing the way I breathe it affected the amount of oxygen I took in, helping me to surpass my limits. By the third year I was sold as a slave, I am no longer sickly. In fact, I am one of the strongest teens around in the backwater village I am in. Funny thing is, I had never ventured out of the backyard that I did my woodcutting. A slave like me is not allowed to do so anyway.


    No matter what profession, people starts to notice you if you are good in your job. I was soon asked by the neighbours to help cut their firewood. My owner didn''t mind as long as I did my share for his family. I didn''t really mind because I had nothing better to do and finding new ways to use an axe was the only pastime I had.


    The first time I really stepped out of the house was when there was a bear lurking on the outskirts of the village and all able-bodied men were called to cull it. I was sent in replacement of my owner. I was given an axe and nothing else. That''s it.


    It was when I travelled with the hunters did I realise how much fitter I am as compared to them. I ran a lot faster, walked a lot longer, jumped a lot higher. I could hold my breath underwater way longer than anyone could to the point that I found it unnatural. I could even move without making a single sound.


    And then we found the hulking monster of a bear. Or rather, it found us in the dead of the night. Caught us all by surprise there.


    By the time we realised that the two hunters in our group who were supposed to keep watch during the night were silently killed by the crafty bear, another three had been mauled to death. The bear was going for another two nearby who didn''t have time to pick up their weapons. My axe was beside me. In my desperation, I picked it up. With courage I never knew I possessed, I leapt towards the bear and swung my axe with a single arm.


    I cleaved the bear into two with one single swing.


    I saved the villagers, my fellow hunters. However, whatever I did was clearly unnatural. They already had suspicions of me when we were travelling. I was way too fit to be humanly possible.


    Humans fear what they don''t understand.


    My rusted axe couldn''t withstand the force of my swing. It had broken just after I killed the bear. The people who were supposed to be my fellow hunters pointed their weapons at me after witnessing my superhuman strength, asking me if I am human, if I am possessed by some evil spirit or some superstitious nonsense. I didn''t want to hurt them, I tried to explain myself.


    But I also had a speech impairment, remember? It didn''t help my case at all.


    It was when someone was about to make the first lunge that the real demon struck.


    Everyone was stunned.


    It came out of nowhere. I had never seen something so grotesque, so evil, so revolting in my life before. I had never believed in the supernatural despite my reincarnation status, but right then?


    We were in hell.


    By the time we regained our senses. Five people in our group were already dead, chunks of them being ripped out by that thing and they were being messily gobbled up. It snapped us out of it. People started to fight back in desperation, hoping to kill whatever abomination that thing is.


    In just another second, everyone except me fell dead. Only I managed to react and avoid its attack in time.


    Correction, that thing has buddies. There were a small group of them staring at me from above the treetops, eyeing me like some sort of caged rabbit about to be hunted.


    I saw another axe nearby and I picked it up. A feral haze enveloped my mind. All I see were red. All that was in my mind back then is to fight back, to kill, to survive and not get eaten.


    All I wanted was to survive this nightmare and to get out of this hell.


    I never remembered what actually happened after that.


    When I came to, I was lying on a soft bed, covered by a sheet of warm blanket. The sunrays were actually peeking through the windows. As a slave, I was never allowed to sleep in no matter how ill I felt. I needed to be awake before the rooster crows to chop firewood for everyone living in my owner''s house.


    Naturally, I jolted out of bed and tried to move, only for a dainty hand to stop me. With a gentle press to my chest, I was pushed back down onto the bed.


    To add to my surprise, it was a petite girl my age who did that. I easily towered over her, yet she had the strength to push me down as if squashing an ant.


    "Don''t move, you are still recovering. You nearly died back there."


    The girl with pale skin and large eyes that reminds me of those of bugs looked down at me with a scowl. And her hair¡­ there is a purple tinge to it? Hair dyes are not a thing in feudal Japan, so I assume her hair colour is natural. Is having natural purple hair even genetically possible?


    What''s going on?


    The girl turned around to mix some liquids on a nearby table, not really paying that much attention to me.


    "Sorry that we were unable to find the demons in time. If we did, your friends need not have died. How did you kill all of them by yourself anyway? You didn''t suffer any superficial wounds, at least none we could find, but it seems as if you burnt yourself out almost to the point of death. You killed them with nothing but a broken axe and your fists."


    What? Demons? Oh, yeah, that. I guess its looks combined with its supernatural abilities could qualify it as a demon.


    "And where did you even learn a Breath Style from? It''s nothing we ever saw before."


    Breath Style?


    The girl turned back to face me, a cup in her hands.


    "Drink this."


    I gulped the whole thing down despite how horrible it tasted. At the very least, I''m still alive.


    "What''s your name anyway?"


    This girl is an impatient one. It''s like her face is always etched with either a frown or a scowl, sometimes both.


    As for my name? I had forgotten my given name a long time ago, both my previous life and this one. I never liked my second family. My owners and the other servants back home simply call me the woodcutter.


    "No¡­ Name¡­"


    I really dream of the day when I could speak properly once more.


    The girl''s eyes widened in realisation upon hearing my words.


    "Oh. Slave, right?" She pointed to the mark that was branded on me when I first became a slave. The mark that sits on my right shoulder.


    I nodded.


    "It''s fine now. We don''t keep slaves here; you are now a free man."


    It''s like I struck a windfall.


    Me? A free man?


    I was able to get out of bed to walk and run normally by the third day. In this period of time, I learnt many new things.


    Demon Slayer Corps. Ubuyashiki Kagaya. Pillars. Demon Slayer. Breath Styles. Demons. Kibutsuji Muzan.


    It''s like some sort of crazy fictional story come to life.


    I would only know many years later that this world was indeed a fictional story in my past life. I only remembered after spotting a certain demon girl that carries a piece of bamboo in her mouth all the time.


    The Demon Slayers here all claimed that I know how to use a Breath Style. They kept asking me who I learnt it from. I don''t know how to answer them, and it does not help that I have a speech impairment. I was never taught how to write in Japanese either, so communicating with everyone else was difficult. Breath Style? I didn''t even know such a thing existed until three days ago!


    It took some time, but I managed to tell them that it may be related to my woodcutting experience. I did spend a lot of time thinking about the best ways to cut firewood after all. I had everything down to an art form.


    They asked me to showcase my abilities. I simply shrugged and went with it. I had nothing better to do anyway.


    I remembered that I could easily cut a bear into two with an axe that night, I tried to see if I could replicate that feat. There are no bears here, so I tried it on a few large trees with an axe I borrowed.


    I fell them with ease. All I did was to casually swing my arm once at full force. Needless to say, I was taken aback. This is not supposed to be possible.


    I felt bad about breaking the axe though. It could not withstand the force of the blow and broke just like what happened when I killed the bear.


    The girl who I saw when I first woke up, who I now know as Kocho Shinobu, said that what I employed was definitely a Breath Style. Her older sister and also one of the nine Pillars, Kocho Kanae, said that I could already use Full Focus Breathing, and that I should join the Demon Slayer Corps with that kind of talent and strength at my disposal.


    All I could manage as a reply was an unintelligible-


    "¡­Ah?"


    Not the most intelligible reply, but in my defence, I was really confused about the whole situation. My entire worldview had been turned upside down in a short span of a few days.


    The leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, Ubuyashiki Kagaya, requested an audience with me. People call him "Oyakata-sama" within the Corps. He gave me two choices. I could go a free man and live my life however I please or join his little demon slaying army.


    I had heard many things about Demons during my short stay here in the Headquarters. I know what kind of atrocities Demons do on a regular basis. I saw the type of wounds the injured Slayers suffered from their battle with Demons when the Kakushi carried them into the Butterfly Estate. I never did manage to do anything worthwhile with my life in my first life. I was a waste of space. Garbage. Maybe in this life, in this crazy era where Demons run amok, I could make myself useful. Maybe I can be needed.


    If I could do something useful for someone, to make a difference somehow, then my life would be worth living.


    I chose the second option and went to take the Final Selection. They gave me a katana before I head to the venue. Instead, I asked if it was possible if they could give me an axe that would not break if I swing it at full force.


    With a single axe by my side, I passed the Final Selection with ease.


    The axe never survived the first swing though, and I felt bad for destroying another axe. I had to survive the rest of the Selection with just my fists.


    That was how I officially became a member of the Demon Slayer Corps.


    I''m very sure that my blacksmith hates my guts, and rightfully so.


    It had been established long ago before my Final Selection that the katana simply doesn''t suit me. With the force I swing a weapon, a delicate weapon like the katana will undoubtedly crack. I have been wielding an axe the entire of my second life. I live and breathe with the axe. My blacksmith took this into consideration and forged me an axe, making me one of the few rare Slayers with an unconventional weapon in the history of the Demon Slaying Corps.


    However, nothing my blacksmith made for me lasts. Every axe he made for me, regardless of size, I broke it with a single swing. I could not go demon hunting like this.


    I''m very used to my blacksmith shouting vulgarities at me by the time I broke the fifth axe he forged for me.


    Smithing a weapon takes time. In the waiting period, I volunteered to chop all the firewood that anyone needs in the Headquarters to try and make myself useful to others. I was kindly given a bed to sleep in the Butterfly Estate because I have nowhere to go.


    Naturally, I had a lot of chances to talk to the Kocho sisters. The lower ranking Kakushis seemed to be afraid of them for whatever reasons, probably due to their status. I never understood the fear. The sisters don''t even bite.


    "You really don''t have a name, huh?"


    I shrugged at Shinobu''s words as I continue to chop firewood. Nothing else I can do there.


    "Stop chopping. We have more than enough firewood to go around for the next three days thanks to you. If you are so free, help me to mix some medicine."


    I looked back at her, who had crossed her arms and is now impatiently tapping a foot against the ground in an impatient manner. She gestured with her head for me to follow her, which I did.


    "Wisteria flowers are like poison to Demons. You do well to remember that if you want to be a Demon Slayer."


    "Sunlight are also fatal to them. If a Demon is too strong for you to take down and you could not escape, try to delay them until dawn."


    "Demons are immortal and while they used to be humans, they already lost their humanity, so there''s no need to be kind to them. Kill them whenever you have the chance. If you find out anything about Kibutsuji, you inform the Pillars or Oyakata-sama immediately, understand? Don''t engage him on your own."


    If there''s one thing I found out about Shinobu, it''s that she''s brash and straightforward despite the permanent scowl on her face. She used it as a way to hide her compassion for others. She is secretly a tsundere.


    She also disliked anyone making any comments about her height, and especially hated it when anyone makes a comparison between the two of us. I am one of the tallest and biggest people in the Demon Slaying Corps. My height and build is similar to the Stone Pillar Himejima Gyomei. Since I often helped out in the Butterfly Estate either by chopping up firewood or helping the Kocho sisters tend to the injured, many teasing comments were often made by the other Pillars about the height difference between me and Shinobu since she is one of the shortest person walking around.


    It took a few months before my blacksmith returned with another weapon for me to try out. I had nearly thought that I was kicked out of the Demon Slaying Corps for breaking so many of their weapons with my newfound superhuman strength, and my blacksmith also took a long time to make his reappearance.


    The new weapon is a gigantic double blade axe. The length of the handle itself is about one and a half times my height. The size of both blades took up nearly half the length of the weapon. There is also a thick and extremely long metal chain at the end of the handle. The entire weapon transformed into a dark black in colour when I first held it in my hands. People say that it is an inauspicious colour for a Demon Slayer because no known users of such a coloured blade lived a long life.


    But I loved the colour black.


    I can already visualise the number of things I could do with such a unique weapon by my side. I could tell from the first glance, that this is the weapon for me. The weapon didn''t break no matter how forceful I swing it. With the chain at the end of the weapon, I could extend my reach and swing my battleaxe however I like at unexpected angles. My blacksmith really outdid himself.


    I gave him the deepest bow I could to show my gratitude.


    "Thank¡­ you¡­"


    "Just don''t go and break this now, you hear me?! And don''t you dare die!"


    With those parting words, my blacksmith left in that usual grumpy manner of his.


    "He¡­ Angry?"


    "No, Daiki, he isn''t." Kanae said with a laid-back laugh and a hand over her mouth.


    My name is now Daiki, which basically means Big Tree. Given my woodcutter status, I guess it''s a fitting name that the sisters picked for me.


    Shinobu gave the weapon I slung across my back a look over. It is easily taller than her.


    "Are you seriously going to swing that thing around? Just how heavy is it?"


    Extremely heavy, but I can manage it. My body is now apparently strong enough to match the Stone Pillar in pure physical strength. However, I had long since learnt that my speech impairment doesn''t allow me to speak much. I have to heavily summarise my thoughts into a few words to get my point across.


    "No¡­ Problems..."


    Translation: I have no problems in wielding this weapon.


    Shinobu raised a questioning eyebrow.


    "If you say so. Good luck out there."


    With those parting words, I set out on my first mission as a Demon Slayer.


    Wake up, eat, train, eat, sleep, eat, hunt some Demons, sleep, repeat. That''s my normal routine whenever I''m out for a mission. Once I''m done, I head back to the Butterfly Estate.


    Kanae is very easygoing, inviting me to stay over the Butterfly Estate whenever I am given breaks in between missions to rest. I try my best to help out in the Estate whenever I do so because I feel bad otherwise. It would feel like I am taking advantage of their hospitality.


    At least I gain some basic medicine making skills while I''m at it. They even taught me how to read and write in the Japanese language, which I am grateful for.


    "You mix that wrong again!"


    Shinobu is a really strict teacher when it comes to medicine. Kanae is a Pillar and is thus a very busy person, so the role of the teacher fell onto Shinobu. Most of the medical stuffs are mostly done by Shinobu.


    It had been about two years since I was freed from a life of slavery and became a Demon Slayer. Due to whatever accident or natural talent that allowed me to gain my own Breath Style during my woodcutter days, I quickly rose through the ranks. Kanae and Shinobu told me this is because I am easily able to do what they call Full Focus Breathing. According to them, I had already been doing it before they found me.


    It didn''t really matter to me though. I don''t feel like I am actively doing anything out of the ordinary.


    My double blade axe is easily the heaviest weapon in the Corps. My style focus on one strike, one kill. Swinging an axe is tough work due to its weight, I need to make every swing count to conserve my strength. I need my attacks to be both destructive and precise. Hence, the one strike one kill motif in my attack style.


    Every capable Demon Slayer have their own attacks that suit their style, like how the First Style for the Breath of Water is the Water Surface Slash. So far, I only needed three attacks for my Breath Style. Most Demons fell by my axe within the first strike. The strongest one I met so far lasted till the third strike.


    I had no idea how to name my style. Shinobu got fed up with my indecisiveness while Kanae found it fun to think of a name for my style. Soon after, the whole Butterfly Estate were trying to come up with funny names for it.


    I let them have their fun. If this can bring smiles to their faces, I don''t mind.


    Somehow, they decided on naming my breath style Breath of Tree. According to Kanae, it was Shinobu''s idea.


    Ubuyashiki had his children doc.u.ment it on official papers the existence of such a Breath Style once they learnt about it, classifying it as a branch under the Breath of Stone due to both Breath Styles sharing many similarities. Upon learning about this, Himejima could not stop crying tears of joy for reasons I never understood. I decided that it is better for my mental health if I don''t attempt to understand. Each Pillar have their own eccentricity. It''s like it is a prerequisite to be weird if you want to be strong in the Corps.


    I invented seven different attacks for the Breath of Tree. I only needed the first three so far, but I am sure I would need the other four in the future. I am in the process of inventing the eighth and final attack, but that would take some time. That attack would be my strongest attack.


    The fighting style of the Breath of Tree is different from most styles. I don''t actively move in battle. Most of the time, I just stand there at my spot. I only react when Demons attack me, which most of them did upon spotting me. I''m like a tree, immovable and strong. Only when attacked did I use my axe to cleave the Demons down. If my axe doesn''t have enough range, I swing it around using the long metal chain attached to the end of the axe like how Thor swings his Mjolnir. It gets the Demons ten times out of ten.


    To me, no matter how fancy it is, a punch is a punch. A kick is a kick. A slash is a slash. A thrust is a thrust. There aren''t much fancy movements to my attacks, just pure unrestrained power. I swung my axe with so much power and speed that any Demons I met only had two choices before they met their end. Either they try to kill me before I do to them, or they try to defend and run. Neither option had worked for them. I''m always faster and more powerful. There isn''t anything I could not cut into two with my axe in the blink of an eye.


    Kanae jokingly said that I might be at the level of a Pillar already. Shinobu huffed and said that I still have a long way to go and told me not to get conceited.


    I honestly don''t care if I ever become a Pillar or not, so I just smiled and waved it off.


    What I only cared about now is to try and not die a worthless death like I did the first time around. If possible, I want to help do some good in my second life.


    Being a Demon Slayer sounds like a good way to do so.


    Another year passed. The Kocho sisters adopted a younger sister named Tsuyuri Kanao. She displays close to no emotions. She''s unresponsive to pretty much anything that is not an order. Her responses are mechanical, something which you would expect out of a robot rather than of a human.


    I don''t speak much due to my speech impairment, so when people put me and Kanao together in a room in a last ditch attempt to see if I could trigger a reaction out of the emotionless girl when everyone else had failed, the only thing that filled the room is silence, much to the sisters'' exasperation.


    There''s nothing much I can do for Kanao. The most I could do is to gather her some flowers or craft wooden dolls for her and hope it cheers her up. Even then, I think she is improving. Little by little, the Kocho sisters are slowly getting her to open up.


    All is well.


    "Here, take some food with you before you go."


    Shinobu handed to me a box of riceballs and I accepted it gratefully.


    "Thank¡­ you¡­"


    "We are past this stage, Daiki." She crossed her arms and tried to put up a nonchalant attitude. "Just don''t die. Nee-chan and I had already saw too many of our comrades die, we don''t want to see someone that we are close to dying again. Kanao would probably regress if she heard that you died as well."


    "I¡­ Won''t¡­ Die..."


    I have no plan to die anytime soon with this second chance I was given.


    "I will hold you to that."


    She turned around and disappeared from view as she entered the Estate. I shook my head in amus.e.m.e.nt as I exited the Headquarters with the box of riceballs in hand.


    I will never say it to her face because she will poison me if I did that, but Shinobu being a tsundere is really cute.


    The riceballs tasted really nice too.


    "Ara ara, the both of you are mixing medicine again. How sweet! What are you two brewing? Is that love that I smell in the air?"


    "Shut up, nee-san. It''s nothing like that."


    After so many years, Shinobu and I being teased in this manner by Kanae is a regular occurrence by now. Teasing other people seems to be one of Kanae''s favourite pastimes. I''ve built up immunity to Kanae''s teasing, but Shinobu is still too easy to rile up.


    "Daiki-kun, Shinobu and I will be on a mission for the next two weeks. Do you mind helping us taking care of the Estate and Kanao-chan in the meantime?"


    I readily agreed. I am close friends with the sisters at this point, and I''ve learnt enough from them to be able to perform many types of treatments and mix different types of medicine.


    "We will be back before you know it! See you!"


    Little did I know, that was the last time I ever saw Kanae.


    There is a vacant spot among the pillars after Kanae''s death. Shinobu and I were both possible candidates since we are both Pillar-level in strength, or at least that is what Ubuyashiki said. I immediately declined the offer. That position should be Shinobu''s. It is only right for her to take up her sister''s position.


    I still could not believe that Kanae was killed. She was kind-hearted and strong. Why is it always the good people who dies?


    Shinobu''s personality had a drastic change ever since Kanae''s death. Kanae''s death was the work of the Upper Moon Two. Shinobu adopts Kanae''s personality now that Kanae is gone. Shinobu is now more laid-back, always having a serene smile on her face and is now always teasing people. She also developed a somewhat sadistic streak towards Demons.


    All of these didn''t hide the anger I know she is feeling. Other people might not see it, but I do. I''ve known her for a long time after all.


    I have no idea what else I can do as a friend. I have no idea what I can do other than to try and be by her side as much as I can, to show her that she is not alone.


    "I miss her, you know?"


    It was two months after Kanae died. Two months after Shinobu took over Kanae''s position as a Pillar. Shinobu was sitting alone on a roof during the dead of the night where she can finally drop her smiling mask after a long day. I kept her company. She didn''t shoo me away like she did during the first two weeks after her sister''s death, so I guess it''s an improvement.


    "I don''t think I would ever be as good as nee-san. I don''t even have the ability to cut off a demon''s neck. I don''t think I will be a good Pillar."


    She was hugging her legs close to her chest, draping Kanae''s haori over her, a memento to remind herself of her older sister.


    I tried my best to cheer her up and comfort her. As much as someone with a speech impairment could anyway.


    "You¡­ can¡­"


    Shinobu let out a silent laugh, face still buried into her knees.


    "Thanks, Daiki."


    "Your¡­ Welcomed..."


    She really did go on to become a great Pillar after that.


    A few more years passed. Kanao grew up from a small little girl into a young a.d.u.l.t in the blink of an eye. She is steadily reaching the strength of a Pillar. Shinobu is now always smiling and is not wallowing in grief, which is good.


    The anger within her heart had never disappeared though. I''m still trying to do something about that.


    I perfected my eighth and final attack in my Breath of Tree Breathing Style. I still haven''t got around to name it. Nothing sounds right so far. I also haven''t got around to using it in battle because things never got to that point.


    When not out on missions, I continue to help out in the Estate. Some of the Pillars actively seek me out to do some rigorous training since they claimed my strength is on par with them. However, all nine slots are currently filled, so they couldn''t give me the title of a Pillar.


    I don''t really care much about that title. I''m just glad no other Pillars died within these few years.


    One fine day, Shinobu had gotten this crazy idea to kill the Upper Moon Two by turning herself into a living poison capsule. I had never gotten so mad in my life because by doing things her way, she is allowing herself to be eaten by said Demon to take it down.


    In both my lives, I had never gotten so mad to the point that my body is physically trembling, not even when I was a slave. She''s willing to use her life as the price to take down the Upper Moon Two.


    All for revenge.


    The worst part was that I could never get my words across thanks to my speech impairment. It made it difficult for me to talk her out of her crazy idea. Since words would not do, I used my bare hands and crushed the bottle of Wisteria Poison she was making and threw it out of the window.


    On my end, I just don''t want her to die. On her end, she couldn''t understand why I am forsaking a good chance for us to take down an Upper Moon Two.


    That was the first time we crossed blades.


    Our battle was destructive, mostly thanks to me. Shinobu is like a butterfly, employing precise strikes as she darted around while my attack style is like a huge tree, unmoving in face of adversity but capable of utter pure destruction like a force of nature. Even roots can break through stone given time to grow.


    After we were both restrained by the other Pillars and heavily reprimanded by Ubuyashiki himself, the both of us were confined and tied to our beds in the medical ward of the Butterfly Estate. We didn''t go easy on each other in our violent fight.


    Despite the fact that our beds were just next to each other, none of us talked or even faced each other. For the first time since I came to the Butterfly Estate, we said nothing to each other.


    Due to my speech impairment, I always had a small piece of charcoal with me that I used to write like a pencil, in case there is a situation that I urgently need to convey a message. Without looking in her direction, I slipped her a piece of paper across the small table between our beds to tell her what I want to say.


    If you want to poison yourself, then poison me too.


    If I cannot stop her on this suicidal path, the least I could do is to accompany her. At least this way, she won''t be alone. Maybe instead of her dying, I could die in her stead so that she can live the life she deserves to live.


    She never did anything to indicate that she received my message, but two weeks after we recovered from our injuries, I found a bottle of wisteria-based poison on my table. Attached to it was a detailed note in Shinobu''s handwriting on how to safely administer it to myself.


    The next day, everything between us went back to normal.


    I''m not sure if I''m imagining things, but I think we became closer too.


    It wasn''t until after a particular Pillar meeting did I realised that I might have been reincarnated into a world which was previously fiction.


    The sight of a little girl with a piece of bamboo in her mouth is too unique to forget. I remember that there was a series in my previous life with such a unique character, but I didn''t have the time to watch it or even learn of its name. However, images of the series'' protagonists were circulating about due to its popularity, and I know enough to recognise the little girl with a bamboo to be a main character. The only other things I know is that she has a brother with a mark on his forehead, some guy with the head of a boar, and some guy with yellow hair.


    The description all fits. These are the same four people who are making the loudest din right now in the Estate.


    Of all worlds to reincarnate into, it has to be a world that was once fiction. A world that I knew nothing about.


    The demon girl''s name, as I soon found out, is Nezuko. Her bond with her brother, Tanjiro, is really strong. I had heard from Shinobu that Nezuko had refused to eat or drink human flesh and blood even when faced with the temptation, all because of her love for her brother. I found Tanjiro to be a little na?ve, but he has a good heart.


    Someone so kind should not be a Demon Slayer, but I trust Ubuyashiki''s judgement.


    Inosuku and Zenitsu also show great potential, but other than that I don''t really want to have anything to do with them. One is a battle-crazed lunatic, the other one is a womaniser.


    There were a lot of patients that were sent into the Estate from the recent battle at Natagumo Mountain, so I stayed to help out. Shinobu got the three idiots to go thorough Functional Recovery Training when she deemed them ready to. Personally, I know that her sadistic side just wants to see them suffer a little.


    The pig-headed boy kept challenging me the moment he saw the size of my weapon. He even tried to lift it up only to fail spectacularly. That was within my expectations. In the Corps, only Himejima and I could lift this heavy double blade axe with ease. In the Demon Slaying Corps, we both have the greatest physical strength with Kanroji being a close second.


    I refused every challenge Inosuke directed at me. For one, it would be plain unfair. Two, I''m not exactly known for being able to control my strength. I might accidentally kill him. However, Inosuke challenged me one time too many and in my irritation, I slapped him away from me and sent him crashing into the nearby forest. I swore that I took careful measures to tone down my strength to not accidentally kill him or send him flying too far away.


    Inosuke was still bedridden for the whole of the next one week thanks to my handiwork.


    Shinobu scolded me with the usual smile on her face for doing that. I think she was deciding whether she should be mad at me for injuring her patient or to be amused at the outcome. On the bright side, Inosuke stopped bothering me after that while Zenitsu just ran away in fear whenever he spotted me.


    I now have my peace and quiet.


    "Be careful out there."


    She would always see me off whenever I have to go for another mission. It has become tradition for us by now.


    We both are too scared of losing anyone else close to us.


    She is staying behind to oversee the progress of recovery of the patients from the Natagumo Mountain and to continue with the Functional Recovery Training. Shinobu is a good teacher, I have no doubt that she can beat the three idiots into shape.


    "I¡­ Will..."


    She smiled at me once more as I turned and began the long trek to the destination of my next mission, my Kasugai crow perching on my shoulder and my gigantic weapon slung across my back.


    If this is a fictional world from a popular manga/ anime series, then Shinobu''s actions had certainly raised a few death flags, especially the turning her body into a poison bomb part.


    I''m really worried about her.


    I won''t let her die. She had been nothing but kind to me ever since I met her, even if we did fight a few times. Both my lives had been worthless, nothing of note until I joined the Demon Slaying Corps. If I can, I want to use this second life of mine to help make this world a better place, if it is just a little.


    If possible, I want the people that I care about to be able to live their lives fully and to be happy. I want to help them do so.


    That''s the only reason why I became a Demon Slayer.

 Chapter 256 - My SI Stash #56 - Stacking The Deck! by 0Jordinio0 (YuGiOhGX)

    -More YuGiOh fics~ SI as a student of Duel Academy, without any deck... Luckily it''s the GX Era where "weak" cards are all discarded and lying around somewhere, ezclap lol/


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 23K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/stacking-the-deck-yugioh-gx-si.10163/ (0Jordinio0)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    With a yawn, he blinked open his eyes blearily and made to sit up.


    Only to yelp in pain as his forehead struck something hard, an audible thud resounding out loud and a ringing pain tearing through his skull. "F.u.c.k!" he cursed, rolling to the side, yelping gain when he fell off balance and struck the floor.


    He groaned in pain, "God damn man," he hissed quietly, massaging his head, "That''s gonna leave a bruise." he bem.o.a.ned, eyes clenched shut.


    It took a few moments of rubbing at the new sore spot on his head before the pain lessened enough for him to open his eyes without complaint. He blinked groggily, taking in the room around him, his eyes swiveling around the room idly.


    A moment later they shot wide open and he bounced up on his feet, "What the hell!?" he panicked, head rapidly turning from side to side as he looked around him. The small room with warm brown painted walls and a soft pink carpet. The triple bunk bed completely immaculate except for the bottom bunk, the one he''d just rolled out of. The desk with an older model computer screen and processor on it to his left. The closet in the front corner of the room and right next to it, between it and the front door a sink and cooker combo thing, he didn''t even know something like that existed, it looked almost alien.


    Then there was the completely foreign posters up on the walls, all except one that looked like the duel monsters card Vampire Genesis, he remembered it well, having bought the vampire and Red Eyes Darkness Dragon starter decks when they came out from Toys'' R'' US years ago.


    He snorted as his eyes landed on the final item of the room, laying completely inconspicuous in the middle of the room. A duel disk, one of the rounded versions he''d never really gotten into, preferring the dark blue evil version from the original series.


    He looked around him suspiciously, "Where the hell am I?" he wondered. Especially since this room felt really familiar to him, as if he''d spent a lot of time here before.


    Curiosity getting the better of him, he walked over and picked up the duel disk, sliding open the slot to check out the deck within, it''d been ages since he''d played with Yugioh cards. To his disappointment it was empty, although he was rather surprised at how high tech the thing was, it felt actually real in comparison to the crappy plastic versions he''d used before. He slid it up his arm and his eyes widened again as it beeped and automatically clipped onto his wrist and fastened itself, "Woah!" he exclaimed.


    It let loose a few beeps before the blue screen in the middle lit up with a name. Jord Odhar. Huh, he blinked. The first name was only two letters off of his own, and the family name was Gaelic, he was rusty as hell with the language, but he recognized the word ''Odhar'' anywhere. His family name literally meant ''Son of Odhar''.


    Freaky.


    He swallowed heavily. A suspicion began to form. But no, it couldn''t be! That was just too insane to think about, it couldn''t actually happen could it? He ran a hand through his hair, noting through his messy fringe that it was still the same, the dark brown with blonde highlights running through it. He looked himself over for the first time and panicked a bit again when he realized that one, he was wearing different clothes than he fell asleep in, a par of black sweatpants and a white hooded tank top, he''d gone to bed last night in just a pair of boxers.


    And two, his body felt different. Bigger, but smaller at the same time. Storming over to the closet he wrenched it open and muffled a shout of hysteria. He looked completely different! His eyes were brown now, not the bright blue they were before. His jaw was more pointed. His nose smaller. And most of all, he was a few inches taller than he remembered, yet at the same time slimmer in the shoulders, he remembered being a lot stockier than he was now. He wasn''t thin, actually maybe decently fit, but he''d started working out and hitting up the gym when he was 12, the boy looking back at him lacked the broadness of his own shoulders and thrust of his chest.


    The most incriminating thing of all though, was the bright red jacket hanging beside his mirror alongside a bunch of other clothing. He staggered back, idly noting his hands were shaking as he balanced himself against the bed behind him.


    "Oh god no." he despaired. Everything was becoming more clear, things were coming back to him. He knew this room, or at the very least had seen very similar rooms. Both in the Yugioh GX anime and the Tag Force games.


    He swiftly rounded on his feet and launched a right fist at the wall as hard as he could. Muffling a cry of pain as his knuckles embedded into the plaster of the wall leaving a small dent. The pain helped him clear his head. He breathed deeply, closing his eyes. He had to think!


    This was either the most real dream he''d ever had, which shouldn''t be possible since for the most part when you knew a dream was a dream you woke up. Or this was real. And all the things it entailed were real as well.


    The Shadow Riders, the Sacred Beasts, the Society of Light, f.u.c.k.i.n.g Yubel! And here he was without a f.u.c.k.i.n.g deck. And he had nowhere to go.


    "Think dumbass!" he snarled to himself. He pushed back any worry for why he ended up here, or his family back home, they didn''t matter right now, only making sure he survived did. There was another currency for duelists in Yugioh wasn''t there? Especially in Duel Academy. He patted himself down and almost cried in relief when he felt a familiar weight in his pocket, almost like a mobile phone.


    The PDA he remembered it was called vaguely. He swiped it on, quickly finding the profile tab and almost roared in frustration when he saw what looked back at him.


    Name ¨C Jord Odhar


    Year ¨C First Year


    Dorm ¨C Slifer Red


    Day ¨C 02


    DP ¨C 0


    He could have cried like a little girl then and there. He had no deck and no duelist points to buy card booster packs with to make a deck. He had no deck to win points in reverse.


    But no he could work with this still. It said it was day two, hopefully he was in Zane''s year or something, give him time to prepare. And if Tag Force was anything to go by, there were cards left all over the place at Duel Academy. Especially by rich assholes like Chazz who threw away any card they deemed weak without even attempting to understand how they could be used.


    Jord ¨C like it or not that was who he was now ¨C had no such problems. For one, he really needed the cards. For two, he''d had to make do with really weak cards in the beginning of each Yugioh game he played, he knew quite a lot about them and how to use them. He was never so thankful for those in game chain tutorials than he was now.


    Wait!


    "Weak cards!" he hissed in realization, an idea springing to mind. The Reject Well. That place with all the duel spirits and abandoned cards Chazz went to when he needed to make a deck to face his older brother.


    "How do I find it?" Jord racked his brain trying to remember the episode he watched years ago in detail. It took him a few moments, but he pieced it together and remember, it was Banner that told Chazz all about the cards. He nearly pumped his fist in victory.


    He hurriedly kicked off his clothes, taking a moment to compare his size down below and sighing in relief for a moment when he estimated them about the same length and girth. Then he pulled on a pair of dark grey jeans, a short sleeve black top and threw on the red blazer over the top of it, leaving the jacket open simply because it looked so much better and then pulling on those funky red boots that went with the jacket.


    He admired himself in the mirror for a moment and smirked, "Not bad mate," he whistled with a laugh. He had to keep upbeat after all. He checked the time on his PDA noting it was 7:24am before slipping it into his pocket and heading out the door.


    As he closed the door behind him, Jord let the salty ocean air breeze over him and shivered in delight when the warm sun basked down upon him, "Good shit," he commented to himself, looking around the landing he was standing in and noticing that just like the tag force protagonist, he got the end room.


    Awesome.


    He made his way down the stairs and made his way over to the second door on the bottom, thankfully he remembered the room Banner stayed in thanks to remembering that Gravekeeper''s duo of episodes. He rapped on the wooden door twice and then waited.


    A few moments later he heard the sound of movement inside before the door swung open. He had to fight the urge to shout happily when the long haired man in the white shirt, clutching his tubby cut to his chest with one arm came into view. He thought Banner was awesome in the show, he wished he had a teacher like him in school, so damn chill.


    "Ah Mr. Odhar how can I help you?" Banner peered at him over his small spectacles, a warm smile on his face.


    Sweet, no problems on that front. It looked like he indeed was a student at Duel Academy, how bitcin'' was that?¡­.Oh, right. How best to go about this? He should have thought this through more. Oh well, best to wing it then.


    "Yo sir," Jord greeted with a wave, "I need your help." he came out bluntly.


    Banner blinked? Maybe, it was hard to tell when his eyes were kept so narrowed, "How so my young student?" he asked, "What appears to be the problem?" the alchemy teacher questioned.


    He decided to just continue being blunt, he wasn''t one for beating around the bush. "My deck is missing." he replied promptly.


    Banner staggered slightly and Pharaoh even let out a slight hiss, "It has been stolen?" he asked, now peering at him intently.


    Jord shrugged his shoulders, "Don''t know," he replied, "I left my cards in my duel disk last night, and when I woke up they were gone." He''d given another quick look over the room just to make sure and hadn''t found anything. Not even in the deck container strapped to the back of his jeans.


    "This is most troubling," Banner sighed deeply, "And you just arrived yesterday and have no points, so buying new cards is out of the option yes?"


    Jord simply nodded.


    Banner sighed again, "I shall contact Principal Sheppard and see if he won''t give you an advancement on points for the moment to pay back later." he said.


    Tempting, oh so tempting. Even a mish mash deck of booster pack cards would be better than the deck he''d make from the reject well, but a plan had come to mind almost as soon as he thought of the reject well cards.


    Duel Spirits.


    Jaden had proven it was possible to bond with them in regards to Yubel and Honest. Their powers stacked on top of his abilities as the Supreme King had made him individually far more powerful than even Yugi and Atem. What if he could bond with duel spirits as well? He''d get awesome powers, it made him salivate a bit just to think of it.


    Besides, he was always up for a challenge. Sure he''d love a red-eyes deck, but there''d be no challenge stomping everyone down with one of those.


    "It''s fine professor, that''s not why I bothered you." Jord cut in, "It''s that, last night a few older students told me about a place called the Reject Well, a place where people ditch their unwanted cards, I figured I''d just go there and grab them all."


    Banner raised an eyebrow above his glasses at him, "You do realize of course that those cards are all very weak and considered in general to be useless, yes?" he asked pointedly.


    Jord had the funny feeling that he was being tested. But he already had an answer pre-prepared, and a true one to him at that, born from his experience in the yugioh games. "There''s no such thing as a useless card," he retorted cleanly, "I know from experience even the oddest and weakest of seeming cards can have their uses."


    A large smile then spread across the black haired alchemist''s lean face, "An excellent answer young student," he replied, reaching over with his free hand to pat him gently on the shoulder, "Come in, come in my young friend, I shall draw you up a map...but I must warn you.."


    ?


    _________?


    Jord had to admit, that it was a bit of a trek to get to the well. It made him idly wonder why so many people made the effort to get out there just to dump their cards.


    "Woah," he murmured looking up into the sky above him, circling around the trees was a gang of incorporeal looking spirits. Freaky. If he didn''t know this forest was pretty much harmless for the most part and that these spirits were really weak he would be freaking out right about now.


    The mere fact that he could see the duel spirits though was just way too cool to describe, it overshadowed any doubts within him and just got him too excited to be scared at all.


    One of the spirits broke off from the others, swinging down at him with an attempt at a ghastly cry, "Begone!" it attempted cry out threateningly, phasing through his stomach. A small shudder went through his body, but it failed to cause anything worse to happen, especially with its squeaky voice.


    He recognized the card spirit. As it swung around him and made to fly back up and join its companions, he called out to it, "Wait!"


    The spirit paused, turning to look at him and he pounced on the opening, "You''re Petit Dragon, right?" he asked. The white washed form and ghostly look it had made it harder to recognize, but he knew that card anywhere. Petit Dragon was one of the first cards he ever got, a gift from a friend whom had gotten a bunch of cards for his birthday just when they first came out, his friend had passed ten of them on to him to start with. All of them little dragons besides one.


    That was where his preference for the dragon type cards came from, besides their cool designs. They were the first cards he ever got. Even still had them in his original body to this very day.


    The translucent spirit peered at him for a moment, before with a pop it took on corporeal form. A small serpentine green dragon with tiny little wings atop its back, "Why are you here human?" it asked gruffly. Well attempted to at least.


    Its cute looks completely ruined the attempt.


    Jord resisted the urge to literally shout in excitement. It was so damn awesome! A real honest to god duel spirit! He fought himself as hard as he could to keep his composure, "I''m looking for a well that other students have taken to dumping their unwanted cards in." he replied.


    A small growl escaped the small dragon spirit, "Are you another human looking to get rid of useless cards like us then?" it asked.


    "Hell no!" he blurted out before he could stop himself. When the dragon peered at him curiously, he rushed to explain himself, "Look you might not have the outright benefit of newer more powerful cards, but that doesn''t make you useless!" he said vehemently.


    And he meant it. There were quite a few combo''s one could use even a weak vanilla monster like Petit Dragon for.


    The dragon drifted closer to him, floating around his side and coming to a rest on his shoulders. It was almost like Pikachu with Ash, he had to resist the urge to crow out in glee, "Oh?" it hummed curiously.


    His hand twitched, he withheld the urge to pet the small, surprisingly warm feeling spirit on his shoulder, "You can be used to to fuse Darkfire Dragon, and while it only has an attack of fifteen hundred, it''s below level six as well so it can be equipped with Fusion Weapon bringing its attack points up to three thousand," he told the little dragon. That was actually a combo he''d used before, "And even without that, you can be set in defence mode to and let Dragon''s Gunfire be used and in the graveyard as a dragon you power up cards like Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon."


    "Huh," Petit Dragon made an odd sound, like a cross between a squeak and a cough, "Y-you seemed to have put a lot of thought into this." he said. Its voice was fairly masculine despite being squeaky, so Jord was of the opinion it was a male at this point.


    He shook his head, "Not really," he replied, "It''s just a combo I''ve used before in a few games."


    The small green dragon floated up off of his shoulder and came to a rest in front of his face, staring straight into his eyes, "If you are not here to toss cards, then why are you here?" he asked.


    "My deck was stolen," Jord replied bluntly, keeping to his story, "I headed out here so I can grab the cards in the well and make a deck."


    Petit Dragon was silent again for a moment, "And what about when you get stronger cards?" he asked, "Are you just going to abandon us again?" the dragon questioned, voice level.


    No freaking way. Regardless of any potential, he''d never thrown away a single yugioh card. He had thousands of them in his old body packed away that he added to when a new card came out that he took a liking to. The latest of the batch had been Void Ogre Dragon, he''d loved the looks of that card and despite being hard to summon, it was a complete and utter beast, especially equipped with Follow Wing.


    "Nope," he made sure to reply, "For one, you guys are duel spirits, that''s worth way more than some measly attack points, and secondly, if you guys don''t fit in the deck with newer cards, I''ll just make multiple decks to fit you all." It was that simple and it was something he liked to do when he used his cards previously. It threw off his friends back when they were hyped on the anime and played and collected cards constantly.


    Jord reached an arm out towards Petit Dragon, "So what''ya say?" he asked, "Wanna come with me?"


    There was a moment of silence before a small smile spread across the dragon spirits face, "...Very well," he said in return, "I have no reason to refuse and do admit that I feel quite excited at the thought of participating in a duel again."


    There was a shimmer of green light around the dragon as he closed his eyes. And then, the shimmer of green spread to his palm, before splitting apart a second later to reveal a card sitting upon his hand.


    Petit Dragon ¨C Level 2/Wind/Dragon ¨C 600/700


    Awesome, just completely awesome. It seemed like the duel spirits could keep their cards with them at all times, or materialize cards of them. Both were pretty awesome, though there were some insane benefits to the second one if true. He''d need to check that out later.


    Jord nodded up towards the spirits still floating about above them, three of them if he counted right, "What about your friends?" he asked the green dragon in front of him, "Think they''ll want to come as well?"


    "I hope so," Petit Dragon replied, "I''d be quite lonely if my friends didn''t want to come along." With that said he floated up into the air, the other three incorporeal spirits stopping their spirited flights around the air and turning their attention to the small green dragon.


    He could hear them chatter for a few moments as Petit Dragon attempted to convince them. But a minute or two later, all four of them swooped down in front of him. There was a myriad of flashing colours in front of him, forcing him to shield his eyes for a second until they dyed down. When he pulled his hand away from his eyes, his jaw almost dropped in shock.


    Three other small dragons were floating in front of him. Though one of them couldn''t really be called small, it was half his size with broad chest muscle and orange scales. Alongside it was another small serpentine green dragon the same as Petit Dragon, only with darker green scales where as Petit''s were a lime green. And finally a tiny little turquoise dragon little bigger than his finger.


    He knew all three of these dragons.


    "So you''re gonna use us in duels huh! That''s so cool!" the buff little orange, Baby Dragon crowed in excitement, punching two closed fists into the air one after another in a set of rapid punches.


    The Petit Dragon look alike floated elegantly around him, "A pleasure to meet you friend of Petit Dragon," Fairy Dragon intoned softly with an airy, gentle female voice.


    They were friends already? That was quick. Not that he minded.


    "H-hello," the tiny little dragon, Decoy Dragon waved shyly, halfway hiding behind Petit Dragon.


    Jord couldn''t help the grin that overcame his face, "Hey guys!" he greeted them excitedly, "It''s great to meet you! So you wanna tag along?" he asked, holding his hand out to them.


    "Heck yeah!" Baby Dragon shouted energetically, an orange light enshrouded its form just like Petit Dragon before it and in his hand appeared its card form.


    Baby Dragon ¨C Level 4/Wind/Dragon ¨C 1200/700


    The other two kept silent, Jord thought it was mostly that Fairy Dragon didn''t speak much and that Decoy Dragon seemed very shy. But like the other two before them, they glowed with bright lights before two cards appeared in his hand.


    Fairy Dragon ¨C Level 4/Wind/Dragon ¨C 1100/1200


    Decoy Dragon ¨C Level 2/Fire/Dragon/Effect ¨C 300/200


    Then one by one, they disappeared into the cards in his hand, all except Petit Dragon who hung around, curling around his shoulders and resting atop them like a snake on a perch.


    "Awesome!" Jord shouted himself in excitement, "Fairy Dragon can be used to make Kaiser Dragon, Baby Dragon can make both Alligator Sword Dragon and Thousand Dragon and Decoy Dragon is another thing entirely! Who would get rid of a card like Decoy Dragon? It''s so amazing when it comes to special summoning powerful dragons from the grave."


    "Decoy''s previous owner could not appreciate his effect," Petit Dragon replied from his reclined position, "A power duellist was only interested in high attack power."


    Jord almost sighed, he did shake his head though, "Absolutely shameful," and it was true. This world revolved around duelling and the best of the best was known for using weak cards like Wattapon and Marshmallon, so why did people ridicule weaker monsters when the best of the best used them? Such arrogance. He bet it was mostly rich, arrogant Obelisk Blue''s that got rid of the cards here.


    "Well, his loss then." Jord concluded. He turned his head slightly to peer at Petit Dragon, "So, can you lead on to the well? I''ve not got much time before I need to get to class."


    It had taken him a good twenty minutes to get this far, and he''d spent a good ten minutes getting the four dragons he had now to join him. Classes started at nine, so he had to get a move on.


    "Very well, let''s get going then." Petit Dragon replied.


    ?


    __________?


    It took another five minutes of walking before he reached the well. Just like he saw Chazz do, he swung the rope ladders attached to the top of the well down and descended into the hole in the ground.


    The sunlight from the hole shone down with enough light to illuminate the cavern he landed in at the bottom and he looked around himself in awe. Looking at all the scattered cards. There had to be hundreds of them! Good thing Banner had given him the rucksack he held over his shoulder to store the excess cards in.


    One thing he noted though was that there were no spirits floating around like the other four were outside. "Where''s all the spirits?" he asked the small dragon on his shoulder.


    "Most cards here prefer to sleep within their cards rather than live the dreary existence of an abandoned cave dweller," the dragon explained to him. C.o.c.king its head up, Petit Dragon called out loudly, "Awaken spirits! A duellist has come to liberate you from this lonely existence!" his squeaky voice echoed around the well.


    Almost immediately voices started shouting back. Some in disbelief, some in excitement. But they all came. One by one he saw different coloured shapes and bodies shoot out from the cards. In moments he was surrounded. Dozens upon dozens of spirits surrounded them.


    Jord could not keep the awe from showing on his face as he looked around them. Lesser Dragon! Oh wow Soul Tiger! Then there was Spirit of the Breeze, she was pretty cute! Most of the smaller spirits crowded around him, meanwhile some larger spirits took residence behind the others. Two dragons stood out as the biggest. Identical in body shape, size and even face. The only difference between them being their colours. One blue and one red.


    The Winged Dragon''s, Guardian of the Fortress'', numbers one and two.


    Perfect! Number one was the other half used with Fairy Dragon to make Kaiser Dragon. It could work as a decent beat stick


    A number of voices chattered at him from all around him, he could barely make a word out edgewise though because they were all talking over each other, shouting at him, towards him, pleading even in some cases.


    Just when his temper began to simmer when they wouldn''t calm down, a silky voice cut through the cavern. It wasn''t very loud, but somehow it thundered above all the other voices and quieted them down.


    "Quiet." was all the silky voice demanded, and they all complied.


    Jord''s head rotated towards where the voice came from and his eyes widened in shock as he noted a large serpent purple dragon reclining lazily atop a rocky perch above him and all the other spirits.


    "Serpent Night Dragon!" he whispered in shock. Excitement above all else he''d felt so far flowed through him, his body shaking with it.


    "He is the strongest spirit here," Petit Dragon whispered in his ear, "He was abandoned here over a year ago by a duellist that had trouble summoning him."


    Jord could understand that. Serpent Night Dragon was lack l.u.s.ter compared to Tri-Horn Dragon whom was quite a bit stronger, less rare and could be summoned for the exact same as Serpent Night Dragon. There was a bit of a saying that went around about the card when he was in his original body.


    ''Serpent Night Dragon is worth nothing.''


    The only reason people tried to get a hold of it nowadays was because of the nice card art. But to Jord, Serpent Night Dragon had a special place in his heart. Red-Eyes was his favourite monster, but Serpent Night Dragon was the first ever card he had ever gotten. He''d found quite a few ways to play it over the years just due to sheer nostalgic fondness of the card.


    "So human," Serpent Night Dragon''s voice cut across to him, "Just why are you here?" the silky voiced dragon asked of him.


    "I''ve come to take any of you who agree with me to build a deck with." he replied promptly. Best to not beat around the bush. As far as mythology was concerned, dragons were not fond of meekness, for the most part.


    There was a chitter of excitement from the spirits around him, but they dared not speak up too loudly while Serpent Night Dragon was holding court as it were. "Oh?" the serpentine dragon mused in interest, "And why would you want to make a deck with us? As you can see, I am by far the strongest monster here and according to my old duellist I am quite unwieldly and not at all worth playing." he continued to comment, because there was no doubt that silky voice was male to his ears.


    "Then he was a fool," Jord replied promptly again. He heard a series of gasps ring out around him from the spirits but he pushed on, "It''s true that compared to other dragons that require two tributes, your attack power is rather low and you have no effect to compensate for that, but it''s still easy to play around that kind of weakness easily."


    Plus, it was still the GX era. Serpent Night Dragon wasn''t too shabby when you got it out onto the field.


    "Oh?" the dragon hummed seemingly indifferently, "And how would you work around that?" the dragon asked. But once again, he felt like he was being tested.


    Jord look around the floor for a moment, he could explain easily enough, but without a card to help they may have trouble understanding, especially when he had no access to the card he was talking about.


    His eyes trailed across the cards, searching through them. Call of the haunted, not bad, an old version of Polymerization, Ookazi, Dust Tornado, Ultimate Offering, Rainbow Life...there!


    A combo came to mind with a few of the cards he just saw, but this one was much simpler.


    He walked over to the card he saw and picked it up, holding it in the air towards Serpent Night Dragon, "Do you know what this is?" he asked the dragon spirit.


    "I do not." the dragon replied simply.


    "This is the Foolish Burial spell card, it lets you take one card from your deck and put it into your graveyard." he explained. He then went through the four dragon cards he''d gained earlier and held up the card for the small shy dragon he''d taken in, "With it, I''d send you to the graveyard and then summon Decoy Dragon here, he may be small, but when he''s attacked his effect lets you summon a level seven or higher dragon type monster from your graveyard and change the target of the attack to it."


    Before the large serpentine dragon could hope to respond, he walked around picking up three specific trap cars he saw before grabbing Foolish Burial, "With these three alone, if you were in my hand, I could use Rainbow Life to discard you to the graveyard, or any other monster in my hand, then activate Ultimate Offering allowing me to pay 500 life points to normal summon any monster that can be in my hand, but with Rainbow Life, I''d gain 500 life points instead, get to summon a monster and then on my opponents turn or my next turn I''d use Call of The Haunted to summon the monster I discarded to the field from the graveyard." He rattled off the combo he just thought of after seeing the three cards.


    There was complete silence for a few moments. Then a silky chuckle broke it, "Interesting! Most interesting!" Serpent Night Dragon exclaimed, it almost sounded delighted to Jord''s ears. Floating up off of his perch, the dark dragon floated elegantly down to meet him face to face and he had to withhold a gulp when he realized just how big the dragon spirit was, it reminded him of a wider, more elegant and beautiful anaconda, "What is your name duellist?" the spirit asked him.


    He refused to show fear. Earning the allegiance of Serpent Night Dragon would surely speed things along for him. It was strong, not the strongest out there, not even close but it was decently powerful. And he had a plan.


    Jaden had shown it was possible to bond with spirits and gain power through those bonds. Both with Yubel and Honest. He had no power at all besides being able to see the spirits, heck his body was weaker than his original one despite being taller. But he had a plan. Before he could get to quality, he would settle with quantity, bonding with all the duel spirits and powering up through each one. If he got enough of them, surely he''d gain enough power to survive the events to come?


    It didn''t even matter how far he ran either really. If Jaden failed to stop Nightshroud, or Darkness or whatever the hell he called himself, everyone was f.u.c.k.i.e.d either way. And before even that, there was the Sacred Beasts that could cause untold calamities if Kagemaru wasn''t stopped. He needed to stay here and grow powerful and make sure Duel Academy never fell if he wanted to survive.


    "It''s Jord, Jord Odhar." he responded quickly.


    The regal dragon inclined his head, "Very well Jord, hold out your hand and I shall call you master from hence forth." he stated aloud.


    Keeping his hand from shaking with the excitement still coursing through him, Jord watched in awe as shadows pooled together around the serpentine dragon before he disappeared along with them and in his hand appeared the beautiful drawn card.


    Serpent Night Dragon ¨C Level7/Dark/Dragon ¨C 2350/2400


    That was when the dam broke and the other monsters swamped him from all sides. Light blinded him briefly as multiple spirits jumped the gun and just turned into cards appearing in his hand, other cards on the floor levitating up into his palm and one by one the spirits disappeared from the deep well cavern as a large stack of cards continued to pile upon his palm.


    "Whew," Jord swiped the sweat building on his forehead, "What a riot." he laughed. They sure were an exciteable bunch, Spirit of The Breeze even gave him a lingering peck on the cheek before she turned into card form.


    "I must say, well done Jord," Petite Dragon, congratulated him "When you convinced me earlier when you were talking about the possibilities of using me in a duel, I had no idea you could come up with such comprehensive card combinations just from seeing multiple cards in one place."


    Making his way around the cavern, Jord started lifting up the spell and trap cards that had no spirits to automatically levitate or appear in his palm. "I''ve played with loads of different cards in loads of different duels," he explained, and he had, only in his old world against friends and in the tag force games, not exactly real duels, "A lot of the combo''s I think of just come from experience using the cards I''ve had before."


    "Well I do say, you appear much better prepared than my previous owner," the small dragon commented, "Now what are your plans from here on out now that you have obtained enough cards to make a deck?" he questioned.


    "First, I''ll make a rough deck on the way to class, I''ll probably have a duel today," he responded, "Second I wanted to ask you something." he continued on. Time to plant the seeds for his growth.


    "Oh?" Petite Dragon hummed.


    "I''ve heard interesting rumours about Duel Spirits," Jord carried on seamlessly, "That they can bond to a duellist and make them more powerful."


    Petite Dragon nodded his head, "It is indeed true," he replied casually. There was no implication of anything in his voice, so Jord counted that as a win.


    "Is it possible for me to bond with you guys?" Jord continued on to ask.


    Before Petite Dragon could say anything, there was a shimmer of dark shadowy light to his left and the gracefully large form of Serpent Night Dragon appeared beside him, Jord almost jumped in fright at the sudden appearance, "Not possible with me at the moment my master," the graceful dragon commented casually as if he''d been there all along, "The power of your soul is not yet powerful enough to sustain a bond with me, and even most of the monsters that come from this cave."


    Jord tsked in disappointment, "So no chance then?" he asked.


    The serpentine dragon shook his head, "Not at all master, I merely mean that you must grow stronger in the soul if you wish to bond with those such as myself." he inclined his head towards the smaller green serpentine dragon on Jord''s shoulder, "Start with the little dragon, bonding with him will allow your soul to grow slightly more powerful, then when you are used to the strain of the bond, continue with the other monsters such as that Decoy Dragon you showed me earlier, build up your strength form the bottom until you gain enough strength to support a bond with myself and other powerful monsters." And with that said, the dragon disappeared back into his card as casually as he appeared.


    "Useful to know." Jord commented before turning his attention to the dragon on his shoulder, "So you up for it buddy?" he asked.


    Petite Dragon pursed his draconian snout for a moment before closing his eyes and nodding in agreement, "Very well, I see no problem with bonding to you." the small dragon said.


    Floating up into the air, before Jord could react, the small dragon rested his head against his forehead and then there was a bright flash of lime green that caused him to flinch back slightly. "Gah!" A sudden feeling of lightness swept through his body and he almost fell before he caught himself and it passed. When he opened his eyes from when he reflexively closed them to shield them from the flash, he noted that Petite Dragon was gone.


    "Eh?" he grunted in confusion, "Petite Dragon, where''d you go?" he asked, looking around himself and finding no sign of the little dragon.


    "Relax Jord," the familiar voice of Petite Dragon resounded throughout his mind, causing him to whirl around again looking for the duel spirit, "I have taken up residence in your soul, but until you adapt to the bond and grow more powerful you won''t have the power to manifest me outside your body." the duel spirit explained to him.


    Jord frowned thoughtfully, throwing a quick few jabs in front of him and then jumping in place for a bit, testing his body out. "I don''t really feel any different," he commented, disappointment appearing in his voice.


    "I''m a very weak spirit remember? As a dragon I cannot even breathe fire yet," Petite Dragon responded, "There won''t be much benefit to a bond with me as I am now besides allowing your soul to grow a little bit more powerful and maybe slight instincts of the draconian nature, I doubt it will be much though, I''m not much of a dragon right now."


    Oh, well that was cool at least.


    "Indeed," the spirit within his soul agreed.


    Even more cool, they could communicate without him speaking aloud. This was definitely the start to something epic.


    Chapter 2


    By time Jord had made the trek to the Reject Well and then made his way all the back form the deeper parts of the forest and made it to his classroom, it was already 9:37. First period had began at 9 exactly. He was more than a half an hour late to his first class. Not exactly a great way to make a first impression - as soon as he opened the sliding automatic door and stepped within the classroom everything went entirely quiet and all eyes were on him.


    He could have been there a good twenty minutes earlier if he didn''t ask a few of his new friends to find any cards laying about the area and bring them to him. But, in his defense, as far as Tag Force went, there was a ton of useful cards just laying around, hell he remembered picking up an Amphibian Beast once, and that was a level 6, one tribute summon, 2400 attack point beat stick that would be amazing for where he found himself. Sadly he wasn''t that lucky, but Mask of the Accursed and Burst Breath were two rather great cards when used properly and well worth being a bit extra late when he was already late to begin with.


    "Ah Mr Odhar, so good of your lazy self to finally roll out of bed and shamble your way up to class and join us," Crowler drawled as he turned from the board where he had been previously pointing at a projected card.


    There was a mattering of hushed snickers coming from the row of Obelisk''s and even some of the Ra''s, but he ignored them with a practiced ease and held back the urge to make a sarcastic response to Crowler''s mocking. "Sorry Doctor Crowler," he apologized as sincerely as possible. It was hard to not just sneer it out, "My deck went missing during the night and I had to prepare a spare, Professor Banner said he''d tell you in advance just in case I was late."


    Crowler pursed his lips. Jord could practically see the gears turning in his head, whether to ridicule him again in spite of his apology and ignore the words of a fellow professor, or let it go. "Yes I''d heard from Banner you headed out to collect that useless scrap from the card dumping grounds," He drawled insultingly, as expected. Jord ignored the multitude of angered growls and howls flooding my ears at the insult within his mind.


    ''How dare that hideous woman insult me!'' Serpent Night Dragon hissed venomously. It took quite a bit of effort for him not to burst out laughing.


    He was too much of a petty man at this point in time to give up any chance to try and insult a Slifer and lord the apparent superiority of the blue''s over a red. "Hey now doctor, just because their previous owners were complete idiots that couldn''t use them properly, doesn''t mean the cards are bad." Jord low key sniped right back. Judging by the way his face drew up in an affronted manner, the good doctor managed to grasp the insult.


    It was mostly Obelisk students who tossed their cards away there.


    "Hah, that''s just so fitting for a piece of Slifer sludge like him," someone laughed from the Obelisk row, drawing all eyes in the class. The familiar form of Chazz''s bespectacled minion Jord recognized him as, "Rooting through the trash, right where he belongs."


    "Quite, young Taiyou," Crowler smirked and nodded his head while the rest of the blue''s exploded in laughter.


    Jord clenched his fist. If this was back home, he''d bounce over and kick the ever loving shit out of that pansy ass rich boy. But things worked differently where he was now, didn''t they? "And just like an Obelisk pansy you sure do like to talk a big game, huh?" he shot back at Taiyou.


    A hush fell over the class. The only sound coming form a muffled snicker down at the very front where Jord could see a very familiar head of Kuriboh like hair. He casually glanced across the entire room, taking in his audience, his eyes meeting the lovely honey brown ones of the resident number one beauty Alexis Rhodes. She raised her eyebrow at him, but he merely smirked and turned away from her to focus on the Obelisk he''d just insulted. There would be time to ogle Alexis later, for now it was time to establish the pecking order.


    And Jord didn''t quite like it when people thought they could step all over him. He tended to get violent.


    "WW-what did you just say to me!?" Taiyou shot up from his seat and stood up glaring at Jord.


    Jord just let his smirk stretch up tauntingly, "You heard me pansy." he replied. He lifted his arm up and showed the folded form of his duel disk attached to his arm, "Are you gonna do something about it or whine like a little girl?"


    "That''s it you loser, I''m gonna crush you and show everybody how pathetic you red''s really are!" Taiyou shouted, pulling his own duel disk from under his desk and equipping it to his arm.


    "Oooh I''m shaking in my red boots," Jord taunted right back. This was working out oh so brilliantly for him. If it was anything like the games, then Slifer''s earned much more DP if they beat an Obelisk because of their higher ranks. It was a reward and merit based system used to groom the up and comers of the world''s most massive sport. A way to try and force the students to constantly improve towards the life of a pro duelist. According to the student handbook saved into the PDA at least. And heck, just one hundred DP was the equivalent of ¡ê10.


    "Doctor Crowler shouldn''t you put a stop to this?" Alexis stood up form her seat. Jord noticed her casting an almost worried glance in his direction. Ever the nice girl, wasn''t she? But there was no need, even with his haphazardly thrown together deck, if Taiyou was anything like his game counterparts he''d have little trouble.


    "True my dear Alexis, but I think kicking off the year with an underdog dueling their superior would be quit exciting!" Crowler waved off her off. "Now boys, why don''t you come down to the front so that everyone can get a good view of your duel."


    "You hear that?" Jord laughed at Taiyou, making his way down the stairs with the blue haired bespectacled boy hot on his heels "Even your own dorm head doesn''t think you can win against me!"


    "Damn Slifer sludge!" Taiyou cursed. It took even more effort for Jord to not just bust out laughing at how pathetic the insult was.


    Instead, he pulled his newly built deck from the card container strapped to his jeans and slipped them into his duel disk. He took a moment to just bask in the feeling as the duel disk beeped and came to life, un-compressing from his arm and lighting up to life. "Since I was first down the stairs, I think I''ll take first move," the Slifer said to the boy opposite him.


    "Fine, just get on with it." the Obelisk growled.


    Jord LP: 4000


    Taiyou LP: 4000


    ''Not bad at all,'' Jord thought with a smirk as he looked over the first six cards he drew. For the first ever hand he drew in this world as a duelist, it wasn''t too shabby at all. "Right then, to start my turn off I''ll be using the spell card Foolish Burial to send one monster from my deck to the graveyard," he said. He slipped the card into the spell zone and a large image of the card appeared in front of him, showing off the grave stone image imprinted on it. He grabbed Serpent Night Dragon and slipped it into his graveyard.


    "How stupid can you be?" Taiyou snorted, "I can''t believe you actually sent one of your monsters to the graveyard. What a waste of two cards." He laughed.


    Spoken like a true blue Obelisk mook. The only thing they understood was a beat stick strategy. Jord honestly almost couldn''t believe that the guy retained the Obelisk stupidity mentality from the anime. Not that he was going to complain mind you, it just made getting his first win all the easier.


    "Whatever you say Taiyou," Jord dismissed his words easily. "Next up, I''m going to summon Spirit of the Breeze in defense mode and throw three cards face down." As soon as he inserted the cards into his duel disk, two large face down cards appeared floating in front of him, and in front of them a lithe, green skinned, blue haired beauty clad in a silken yellow dress swirled into existence. ''Does it make me a cad that I''m totally checking her out?'' she apparently heard his thoughts, since she turned slightly and gave him a cheeky little wink. If he was still a v.i.r.g.i.n, he''d probably have went all red faced.


    Spirit of the Breeze (0Atk/1800Def/Level 3/Wind/Fairy/Effect)


    __________?


    That was a very interesting card for such a brazen guy to summon, especially as his first move Alexis mused. It had decent defense points and it had an interesting effect, but it just didn''t seem like a card that would fit Jord Odhar, especially with how confident he was in the face of an Obelisk. When they had met eyes, she had seen it, he had been amused by the situation he was in. There wasn''t a shred of doubt in him that he couldn''t beat Taiyou. It reminded her of a certain other student in the red house.


    She''d learned her lesson in not underestimating Slifer''s with Jaden, not only had he beaten Crowler and his legendary card, last night if his duel with Chazz had another few minutes, he would have taken him down as well. Could this guy be on a similar level?


    "Ooh, she''s cute, I wonder where I can get one?" Mindy gushed, breaking her from her thoughts.


    "Not exactly a strong start with how he was acting huh?" Jasmine commented. propping her head up on one hand, "He''s pretty good looking, but too bad a Slifer will always be a Slifer huh?"


    Alexis wondered how so many people could so easily dismiss the fact that he had three face downs on the field and had sent a card to the graveyard for a reason. Even Jasmine, someone who watched her duel constantly and had quite a versatile Harpie Deck still focused so much on just flooding the field with Harpie''s to power up her Harpie''s Pet Dragon.


    Alexis had the feeling that Jord using Spirit of the Breeze was more of a feint than anything else. He didn''t seem the type to shore up his life points and play stall tactics, not with how in your face he seemed to be when someone was calling him out. Right now, it was just a matter of seeing if Taiyou could see beneath that elitist attitude of his before he got taken out.


    _________?


    ''Let''s see how this plays out,'' Jord thought to himself as he ended his turn.


    "After talking big you sure couldn''t follow through huh? Draw!" Taiyou mocked then drew a card. He looked over the six cards in his hand before shooting a smirk Jord''s way, "Lemme show you how a real duelist does things Slifer sludge! I''m gonna start off by summoning by Lord of D and equipping him with The Flute of Summoning Dragon!"


    Lord of D (1200Atk/1100Def/Level 4/Dark/Spellcaster/Effect)


    A man in draconic bone armor appeared before Taiyou, before a golden dragon head shaped flute appeared in his hands. "Now that he has the flute equipped I can go ahead and special summon two dragon type monsters from my hand," Taiyou continued, "First I''ll summon my Blackland Fire Dragon!"


    He put the card down on the duel disk and in a swirl of color a large green skinned dragon, as tall as two cars stacked on top of each other burst into existence, standing tall on four legs, and golden horns jutting out from its head.


    Blackland Fire Dragon (1500Atk/800Def/Level 4/Dark/Dragon/Normal)


    ''Wow,'' Jord held back a whistle. It looked so badass to see a freaking dragon like this up close and personal. He''d seen a bunch when he made his deck, but still, it was so amazing to see in real life.


    "Now get ready, because the next one I''m bringing out is one of the ace''s of my deck!" Taiyou shouted, lifting a fist into the air, "Dragon born from the deepest of cursed flame, come forth and burn away my enemies! Come, Curse of Dragon!"


    Wait, what!? A chant? Did he have to chant when he brought out one of his ace monsters as well?


    A literal massive fireball flared into existence before Taiyou before exploding in a shower of golden sparks to reveal a large, serpentine golden dragon, with a large bladed golden tail and two golden wings flaring out from its neck area.


    Curse of Dragon (2000Atk/1500/Level 5/Dark/Dragon/Normal)


    Where he came from, he''d get laughed at for all that effort just to bring out a Curse of Dragon, especially with it being one of his ace monsters. Actually, Jord very nearly did laugh at him. But he had to remember, at this point in the timeline, it would actually be considered fairly impressive for the guy to actually get three monsters on the field on his first turn, one of them being one that usually needed to be tribute summoned. The tribute summoning had only come into existence a few years back in this world, where as for Jord, it had been about a decade and both Synchro and Xyz monsters were a thing where he came from, with much more powerful and easily summoned monsters were a dime a dozen.


    "It ain''t over yet either Slifer, get a hold of this," Taiyou placed another card on his duel disk, "I play the equip spell card Dragon Treasure and equip it to my Curse of Dragon, boosting its attack and defense points by 300 each!"


    There was a flash of green light around Curse of Dragon''s head, that died down to reveal a small green orb gleaming form its place inserted within the golden dragon''s forehead.


    Curse of Dragon (2300Atk/1800/Level 5/Dark/Dragon/Normal)


    "Now, Curse of Dragon, attack his Spirit of the Breeze with Cursed Scorch Flame!" Taiyou ordered. His dragon roared, head tilting backwards, fanged maw filling with flames, before it thrust its head down towards Jord''s monster, launching a massive fireball that absolutely dwarfed the green skinned girl.


    "Not bad," Jord admitted, "But not good enough either! I activate my trap card, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow! Once per turn when you initiate an attack I can negate that attack, and what''s more, my trap goes back to being face down after using it!"


    His card flipped around, and the iron helmeted cross he was familiar with from the 5D''s anime appeared before Spirit of the Breeze, the massive fireball somehow splashing harmlessly against it, not one lick of flame getting passed it despite how odd it looked.


    "Tch, you got lucky," Taiyou spat out, "You won''t get so lucky next turn sludge!" he insulted once more, ending his turn.


    Jord snorted, "Whatever you say mate," the Slifer retorted easily, drawing a card. Huh, how ironic. "Now that I''ve drawn, Spirit of the Breeze''s effect activates and I gain a whole 1000 life points." Spirit of the Breeze turned to Jord and blew him a kiss, a radiant green wind then surrounding him.


    Jord LP: 5000


    "Don''t think shoring up on life points will help you," Taiyou growled at him.


    He wasn''t, he after all didn''t have nearly enough of the right cards to use his favored life point gaining strategy. Besides, he was one card away from taking this guy down in one full out offense "I activate Pot of Greed and draw two cards!" Jord declared, drawing two cards. Then he laughed.


    Graceful Dice and Dragon''s Gunfire. Gunfire, just what he wanted. And he supposed the Graceful Dice could just be a little added on mockery while he was at it.


    "What''re you laughin'' at sludge boy?" Taiyou demanded.


    Jord shot him a smug, victorious grin, "Just basking in my win pansy boy," he insulted him right back. "Let me show you what I mean, nice and slowly so your pea sized brain can keep up."


    He revealed one of his face down cards, "I activate my trap card, Call of the Haunted to revive the monster I sent to the graveyard with Foolish Burial," Jord said,then lifted one hand before his face and clenched it into a fist. Time to bullshit and steal lines from somebody else, "Dragon, formed form the pitch black night! Come forth, the darkness of my very soul, Serpent Night Dragon!" he announced.


    Totally not paraphrasing from Kaiba and Jack Atlas. Not at all.


    An orb of shimmering darkness appeared before Jord, before bursting apart to reveal the lithe and beautifully graceful form of Serpent Night Dragon. "Now that I''ve been summoned, victory is certain!" My ace monster declared, silky voice oozing confidence.


    Serpent Night Dragon (2350Atk/2400Def/Level7/Dark/Dragon/Normal)


    "But it isn''t over yet, because I activate my final face down card, Tyrant Wing and equip it to Serpent Night Dragon," Jord continued as the card flipped around to face up position, "This not only increases a dragon monster of my choosing''s attack by 400, it also lets them make a second attack on monsters during the battle phase."


    Serpent Night Dragon''s wings grew out to massive proportions and started to glow a bright golden white, so bright Jord actually had to shield his eyes slightly from the glow.


    Serpent Night Dragon (2750Atk/2400Def/Level7/Dark/Dragon/Normal)


    He saw Taiyou opening his mouth, but cut him off before he could say anything himself, "But even then I''m still not finished and activate the the quick play spell card Graceful Dice from my hand!" In front of him a large blue dice piece shimmered into existence, before shooting into the air and rapidly spinning, "Whatever number it lands on, my monsters gain attack and defense points equal to it multiplied by one hundred for the rest of the turn."


    It landed on five.


    Serpent Night Dragon (3250Atk/2900Def/Level7/Dark/Dragon/Normal)


    Spirit of the Breeze (500Atk/2300Def/Level 3/Wind/Fairy/Effect)


    "N-no way!" Taiyou stammered, looking at his ace monster with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, "3250 attack points! that''s even stronger than a Blue-Eyes!"


    "This duel''s over," Jord smirked again, then pointed at Taiyou''s monsters, "Serpent Night Dragon, destroy Lord of D and Blackland Fire Dragon with your..." he floundered for a moment, "..Ebony Flame!" he finally decided on.


    "Had a bit of trouble there did you?" Serpent Night Dragon teased him, before following his order. He twisted his serpentine head from right to left, the dragon breathed out a wave of pure flack flames that rushed over the field and easily consumed both monsters, destroying them with ease.


    Taiyou LP: 200


    Tayou glared over at him as the flames died down and left his field with two less monsters, and him having taken a massive 3800 points of damage. "Don''t go thinking you''ve won yet sludge! This is just a set back! I''ll definitely take you down next turn!" the blue haired Obelisk shouted at him in a rage. "There''s no way a useless Slifer like you will ever get the better of an Obelisk like me!"


    Well, that was just sad. But it was time to put this idiots delusions to rest. Jord looked at the last two cards in my hand, Ookazi and Dragon''s Gunfire. He had originally planned on using them both, but with how high his roll was on the Graceful Dice, it looked like he only needed one. Perfect, he could save one in advance, to have people thinking he could only deal 800 burn damage, when instead he could deal 1600. When playing at 4000 life points, that was a hefty amount.


    "Sorry pansy boy, but like I said, this duel is over," Jord said, placing and playing Ookazi, "I activate the spell card in my hand, Ookazi, dealing you a grand total of 800 points of damage." A large fireball appeared before him before shooting across the room like a rocket. Taiyou screamed in fright as it reached him and exploded, falling on his backside despite the fact that it was merely a hologram.


    Taiyou LP: 0


    A hush fell over the classroom, but Jord barely noticed. He was far too invested in pulling out his PDA when it let out three loud beeps.


    Name ¨C Jord Odhar


    Year ¨C First Year


    Dorm ¨C Slifer Red


    Day ¨C 02


    DP ¨C 1,630


    ''I just made ¡ê163 in ten minutes by beating a guy at a card game.'' Even after everything he had seen today so far, it was surreal. Almost enough to put Jord into a daze. But with this, he had enough to go buy some booster packs.


    "Useless things!" He heard Taiyou mutter as the monster holograms faded from around them. "I thought dragons were supposed ta'' be tough, Kaiba freakin'' uses em! But you were absolutely useless, couldn''t even beat a piece of sc.u.m Slifer!" The blue haired teen grasped his desk tightly in his hands, looking as if he was about to rip them before he scoffed and stamped his way back up to his feet, amongst the sudden cheers from the Slifers and jeers from the other Obelisk''s due to him losing.


    Jord couldn''t bring himself to have any sympathy for the idiot. He brought it on himself with his attitude, and Jord remember from the anime that later down the line he''d snub Chazz and attempt to bully him because he lost to Jaden. ''Although,'' His attitude and anger at his deck for losing might just be a good thing, for Jord that was. He called out to Serpent Night Dragon in his mind.


    ''What can I help you with, master?'' the dragon asked.


    ''Can you keep an eye on him? And if he tosses his deck can you bring it to me?'''' Jord asked internally.


    ''It shouldn''t be a problem. I have enough power in me to exert the physical strain it would take to lift a deck of cards.'' His ace monster replied.


    Perfect, if all went well, then he might just get himself a Curse of Dragon and a bunch of other dragon based cards without any effort whatsoever. Unlike Taiyou, Jord was much more suited to such cards. An ungrateful idiot like him wouldn''t be able to appreciate them like he could. Plus, he totally needed them more.


    _________?


    Alexis couldn''t fight the smile formed on her lips, "Well now, wasn''t that interesting?" she mused, her eyes tracking the form of Jord Odhar as he took a seat among the Slifer''s, receiving many a pat on the back and congratulations.


    "Well yeah, he''s like totally cute," Mindy replied, "It shouldn''t be too long before a guy like that ranks up and then he''ll be total dating material."


    "Let''s not get too hasty Mindy," Jasmine piped in, "Sure he seems to be a decent duelist, but we literally only saw him take two turns. It''s a pretty far cry to say he''s Obelisk material, he''s totally not anywhere near Alexis'' level."


    That play was hardly decent. And Jasmine really needed to take her off that pedestal she placed her on, and besides, shouldn''t the fact that he just beat an Obelisk with ease mean the boy was certain Obelisk material himself? That combo he played was definitely worthy of a real Obelisk and not one of the rich prep boys that got in on money alone and no skill. He played Taiyou like a fiddle, and even with the Obelisk boys powerful start, Jord smashed it into pieces with ease. What was that, a seven part combo? More, if she included the way Jord riled Taiyou up and led him along, and then feigned strategies and lacking attack power with Spirit of the Breeze, so a nine or ten part combo strategy then?


    Jord Odhar, just like Jaden Yuki was definitely someone Alexis was going to keep her eye on. She wondered if Zane be want to hear about him. Zane was extremely focused on dragon monsters, even if his main ones were machine dragons now since he learned the Cyber Style. He''d probably be interested in the plays of a talented up and coming dragon user like Jord.


    __________


    ?


    The rest of the day had been utterly brutal for Jord. As if listening to teachers drone on and on about things he already knew about dueling and had known since before he was a teenager for hours wasn''t bad enough, after that he had to go through normal classes as well, normal classes that were at a higher level than he was used to due to Duel Academy being one of the top premiere schools of the world, he could barely keep up. And then to add on to the absurdity of it all, he had to sit through an hour of Professor Banner lecture on alchemy of all things.


    He knew it was actually a real thing in this world and Banner could manipulate his very soul and create bodies to inhabit, but it was still absurd and entirely too complicated. All of it just added more on to his massive throbbing headache. And adding to his bad day even more and making his headache worse, was the sheer annoyance of having to listen to the Obelisk''s boast and brag every two minutes, true it was the preppy cunts that did it, but still, if this was in his old world, he would have dragged those twats behind the school with a few friends and kicked the shit out of them.


    He kind of wanted to do it regardless.


    ''Honestly, the only good points about today were watching Syrus flounder about and gym class with miss Fontaine.'' Jord mused to himself, rubbing his throbbing forehead as he walked through the throngs of students traversing the corridors after classes finally let out for the day. Syrus was in general, a complete steaming pile of incompetence wrapped up in a nice lovely bow of skittishness. Watching him fail at literally everything had made him want to cringe and even make him of all people feel a bit sorry for him.


    The highlight of the day though was during gym, where Fontaine had tested their stamina by taking the entire class on a jog and seeing how long the students could hold up for. This body wasn''t as fit as his previous body, but it was in decent shape, and he knew how to pace himself and retain stamina during a run, so he''d managed to finish in the top percentage of the class, lasting until the end alongside Fontaine herself, Jaden, Bastion, Alexis, her two friends Jasmine and Mindy, and Chazz himself. He honestly couldn''t wait for the next gym class, and not even for the chance to work out more which he loved to do. It was for the fringe benefit of watching Fontaine, Alexis, Jasmine and Mindy bouncing around as they exerted themselves so much.


    They were all so damn stacked. It was so worth it, all the trouble it must be for normal students to enroll in Duel Academy, just for the chance to watch such an amazing show every time gym class came up. Not that he found the dueling class aspect to be hard at all so far. Honestly, everything that had been lectured about for hours in class today had been covered in the first few paragraphs of the rule books out of starter decks where he came from.


    Jord really wondered how people could do so badly in those exams to end up in Slifer. If the classes so far were anything to go by, he would have gotten in to the top percentile of Ra Yellow with ease. Granted, he wasn''t exactly a genius like Bastion, he was decidedly average as far as intelligence went, maybe a bit above average at best, but then a child version of himself could have got perfect marks on the dueling classes today, so was he above average in this reality?


    He shook his head as he finally reached his destination, the card shop run by Dorothy whom he could see standing behind the glass counter, and the cute girl Sadie standing beside an open cart, filled to the brim with small packages that radiated an abundance of scents. ''Eggwiches if I remember right.'' Jord thought to himself.


    "So do I need to pay for these or are they free?" Jord asked, stopping in front of Sadie and shooting the cute older girl what he hoped was a suave smile.


    She smiled at him brightly, "You have to pay for these sweetie, 100 DP per pick and you can only buy one per day," she replied. He almost gaped at her, 100 DP, that was ¡ê10! That much for basically a burger, seriously? She must have noticed the aghast expression that appeared on his face because she continued quickly, "There are cards in every packet alongside the eggwiches, it all comes down to the luck of the draw, the better tasting eggwich you get, the better the card inside. It''s supposed to test how good you students are when it comes to something called a Destiny Draw."


    Well, wasn''t that interesting.The Destiny Draw was vaguely mentioned in every season of the anime, but never outright confirmed in anything but the games. Jord totally wanted to try his luck at it, so he quickly paid the fee, and it was so convenient, he only had to give her his student ID and she could take it from his total amount of DP, "Good luck!" Sadie chirped with a cute wink as he reached into the cart, right down to the very bottom, as far as he could go, and then swiped his hand through them all, when he felt one fall into his palm, he grasped it tightly and pulled it out.


    He took an experimental sniff of it and smiled. It smelled good, really good in fact. He opened up the wrapped eggwich and Sadie gasped, "You got the golden eggwich! The very first one of the year even, how lucky!" she gushed. And she was right, it was freaking golden. The bun seemed to glow with a warm golden glow, and even the egg white he could see peeking out from the bun was gold itself instead of white, and there sat innocently atop the bun was the card he got with it. Jord had to fight off a smile as he looked it over.


    Seiyaryu (2500Atk/2300Def/Level 7/Light/Dragon/Normal)


    "Looks like destiny is on my side, huh?" He joked to Sadie, giving her a cheeky little wink right back, he took it as a personal accomplishment when she beamed happily at him. He couldn''t believe his luck. As far as the meta went back in his own world before he ended up here, it was a pretty subpar card, with no support at all, and really would only do anything decent in a Blue-Eyes deck, but for where and when he was? It was a pretty amazing card.


    "Oh wow, a Seiyaryu," Sadie commented over his shoulder as he looked the card over, "They usually go for a good 3,000 DP at the cheapest when we sell them on display, actually the one we have on display is at 4,000 I think." Damn, that was damn expensive for such just a decent beat stick.


    That was another little interesting tidbit she just revealed, quickly sliding his new card into his deck box, and re-wrapping his eggwich - he planned to really sit down and enjoy it later - he turned to face, "Can I get a look at those cards?" Jord asked the older girl, "I wanna see if there''s any that''ll fit my deck."


    "Sure, no problem, but since it''s your first day n'' all, I feel I should give you a little heads up first and tell you that the very cheapest we''ve got on display are like 300 DP," Sadie replied and he had to hold back a whistle, the very cheapest were the equivalent of ¡ê30.


    A couple weeks before he ended up here, he ordered a random assortment of cards in a duelist tin over the internet, with a grand total of a hundred and fifty cards inside, many of which were rather good cards, including a couple Red-Eyes, and it had only cost him ¡ê15.


    It took a concentrated effort on Jord''s part not to mush his face up against the glass display case as he eagerly looked over the single cards up for sale. Polymerization 300 DP, Mystic Space Typhoon 300 DP, Thunder Dragon 450 DP a piece, Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon 1,000 DP, he''d definitely come back for them when he won a few more duels. Ooh, Carbonnedon 450 DP, and Limiter Removal for the same amount. That would go really well with the Metal Dragon he picked up at the Reject Well, he already had a beast combo in mind.


    Fuse Lesser Dragon and King of the Swamp to get Metal Dragon. Metal Dragon was a level 6, so he could equip it with his Fusion Weapon equip card bringing it from 1850 attack points, to 3350. Then he could use limiter removal and double its attack to 6700, then bounce it back to his hand with Giant Trunade, and use it again to get a massive 13,400 attack points. Now, if he could possibly get his hands on a Power Bond from Syrus or Zane, he could switch the initial polymerization with it and make it even stronger. Oh the possibilities! Hell, even just an initial power bonding to make Metal Dragon would get him a 3700 attack point beat stick, and he could just Rainbow Life or something to negate the damage from Power Bond.


    There was one final card that caught his eye, a spell card at the very end, half hidden under another card and hidden quite a bit from view. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to make out the partially hidden text, before they widened in shock when he realized what card it was.


    Revived Serpent Night Dragon. The only ever support for Serpent Night Dragon, but wasn''t it a game only card!? He quickly pointed the card out to Sadie, "Hey, can I see that card?" Jord asked.


    "Sure," she replied, opening up the display case and bringing it out, handing it to him.


    Revived Serpent Night Dragon (Quick Play Spell Card):


    Tribute one monster on the field, then special summon one "Serpent Night Dragon" from your hand, deck or graveyard.


    Holy crap, this was such a good card for him, and even if Seiyaryu was a bit stronger, this pretty much totally cemented Serpent Night Dragon as his ace monster. The fact that it was a quick play just made it all the better and filled with even more potential. He totally had to buy it.


    "How much is this?" Jord asked.


    "Eh, it was originally 500 DP but since nobodies been buying or even really using Serpent Night Dragon anymore it''s been in the display case and up for sale for like a year by this point," Sadie replied, she tapped her chin in thought before smiling at him a moment later, "I''ll give you it for 250, how''s that sound cutie?" she winked at him again.


    Hmm, hadn''t both Mindy and Jasmine called him cute earlier? He''d been paying attention to Alexis in the corner of his vision while he dueled Taiyou and he was sure they did. And now Sadie thought he was cute as well? Was it because he was essentially the player from Tag Force? There was a literal meme Jord remembered where his title was the ''Red Hat Player'', because he got so many of the female characters to fall in love with him during the games. Off the top of his head, he knew Alexis, Blair, Akiza, Luna and even Sherry all fell in love with the player if their story lines were completed.


    Suddenly, Jord quite liked the position he found himself in, even with the imminent threat of multiple apolcaypse..s? Apolcypsie?..Even with the multiple apocalypse that he''d have to fight his way through, things were looking interesting.


    "I''ll take it, and I want one of those Carboneddon and Limiter Removal as well please Sadie," Jord stated after ridding himself of the sudden casanova like day dream that threatened to take over his mind.


    Sadie was quick to hand him the three cards and charge him for them. He mentally winced, he basically just spent ¡ê115 on three cards that usually wouldn''t even cost ¡ê5 together back home, but it had to be done. He slipped them into his deck box quickly, "Can I see your booster packs now Sadie?" he then asked the older girl behind the display case.


    She nodded, "Sure," she chirped happily, leaning down and one by one pulling out an assortment of boxes that she placed on top of the display case, a grand total of fourteen of them. Smart, because obviously she wouldn''t leave expensive items like the cards were in this world out front for just anyone to pilfer.


    Metal Raiders, Spell Rulers, Pharoah''s Servant, Labrynth of Nightmare, Legacy of Darkness, Pharaonic Guardian, Magician''s Force, Dark Crisis, Invasion of Chaos, Ancient Sanctuary, Kaibaman Rising Movie Pack, Soul of the Duelist, Dark Beginning''s 1 and Rise of Destiny.


    Jord was familiar with all of them to a degree, besides the Kaibaman Rising one. Although, many of them had different images on the front and he only knew which was which because they were named.


    "They''re all 250 Dp each," Sadie told him as soon as she set down the last box.


    He looked each of them over, before deciding to check with his monsters, ''Can any of you guys sense any spirits in these?'' he asked internally.


    ''Ooh ooh I sense one, a strong one! In the Dark Beginning''s one!'' Baby Dragon piped up excitedly in his mind. ''Just go through them and I''ll tell ya which one he''s in! If he gives you any trouble don''t worry, I''ll just beat him up for you!'' one thing he''d learned so far, thanks to how enthusiastic the buff little orange dragon was, was how much Baby Dragon liked to fight.


    Plus, Baby Dragon did technically help make up the strongest monster in his deck right now. Well, besides the Seiyaryu he just got from the eggwich.


    With Baby Dragon''s guidance he grabbed the booster pack containing the spirit, before turning to Sadie who looked at him with a bit of a raised eyebrow..he had after all basically lifted out most of the packs just to grab that one before putting them back, it probably looked quite weird from her point of view.


    He didn''t really want to try and think up some excuse, so he just paid for the pack grudgingly before beating a hasty retreat. He totally wasn''t embarrassed either, he just needed to check out his new cards and tune up his deck before Jaden got roped into dueling Alexis that night!


    He quickly made his way back to his dorm, and only when the door closed behind him did he finally open the booster pack and look through the..12 cards?


    Wow, you only got five out of a booster pack nowadays where he was from. He forgot about the sheer amount of cards you used to get from booster packs.


    "Woah, badass." Jord gasped as he looked down at the first card glaring back at him. Black Skull Dragon! He couldn''t use it, but still, "F.u.c.kin'' Black Skull dragon!" he laughed in a joyful glee.


    Next after that, was another Spirit of the Breeze, he was definitely putting that in his main deck for now. Double Summon out his original and this new version and then protect them and he could be getting 2000 extra life points per turn. Suck it bitches.


    Alexis was so wrong about how he liked to play. He loved shoring up on life points while blocking his opponents and smashing them with burn damage, and keep some big beastly dragons on the prowl ready to run them over. Granted, he did also love to just completely overwhelm people with massive attack points as well.


    Next up was Monster Reborn, lovely. After that Harpie''s Brother, a decent beat stick, and then Giant Soldier of Stone. United We Stand, Enchanted Javelin, Black Pendant, motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g Spell Binding Circle another great card that was definitely going in the deck, Premature Burial was the 11th card.


    Then, when Jord reached the last card, there was a swirl of glittering light before a large, slender bipedal dragon with large wings appeared before him, its body made up of beautiful, glittering diamonds. "Interesting, I can sense multiple spirits with you human," Hyozanryu commented, looking over Jord curiously.


    The reincarnated Slifer couldn''t fight off the grin that appeared on his face.


    Hyozanryu (2100Atk/2800Def/Level 7/Light/Dragon/Normal)


    Chapter 3


    Hours later, when the sun fell from the sky and the moon replaced it, dusk replacing day, Jord found himself sitting at the docks that would lead towards the Obelisk Blue girls dorm.


    He''d made sure to come out here once he''d saw Syrus leaving the dorms behind. It was maybe a bit creepy of him, but if he wanted the attention of Alexis and the other girls around, intruding on the first duel against her after they caught Syrus would be the best time to do it.


    Plus, as cold as it was, and this body definitely wasn''t as used to the mild cold as his old one was, it did give him some peace and quiet to come to terms with his situation.


    He''d panicked earlier about not having any cards and about all the crap that would hit the island he was on in the next couple of years, and now realised how incredibly silly he was, he had so much time to prepare at this point it wasn''t even worth being a major worry right now.


    Not to mention. He was in another world now, in a different body, one not his own, one belonging to someone he''d previously believed to be fictional. He didn''t really want to think on it too much, because he''d left everything behind, his family, his possessions, his life. But it was daunting nonetheless, and he was very sure that this wasn''t some fever dream.


    He really had no other choice but to throw himself right in at this point. He had no idea where to even start on returning home, and in the end, he might not want to considering the possible options open to him here. But regardless, to make a life for himself here in the meantime, he''d need to abuse his knowledge of the world and take every advantage he could get, with ruthless efficiency.


    At least if he focused on gaining as much as he could, he wouldn''t need to focus on what he''d lost coming here


    .


    ''Are you done wallowing?'' the voice of Petit Dragon asked within his mind.


    ''It''s not nice to eavesdrop you know,'' Jord replied back with a roll of his eyes, ''But yes, I''m done being a little bitch, I''m just passing the time now for Jaden to come along.'' and it shouldn''t be that long until then, Syrus had already rowed off in a boat twenty minutes ago.


    ''Good, then if you have nothing else to do, I''ll let you know that the bonding is complete,'' the small dragon told him, ''You should bond with Decoy Dragon now.''


    That was quick. ''I thought you guys told me that it would take a while for my souls power to grow accustomed to housing you.'' Jord replied.


    ''And I told you earlier, I''m a fairly weak monster,'' Petit Dragon replied with a huff, ''You may see a very minor increase to your physical ability and senses, but other than that nothing much. Because I''m weak, it didn''t take long at all for your soul to grow accustomed to the bond with me. Decoy Dragon should be enough to boost your soul to a strength needed to bond with a stronger monster like Fairy Dragon or Baby Dragon, then you can bond fully with the rest of the other low levelled spirits you picked up today.''


    Well, fair enough Jord guessed. Petit Dragon would know better than he did. "Alright," he agreed. Reaching into his deck box, Jord lifted his deck out and flicked through his cards until he found the one he was looking for. Decoy Dragon. "You ready?" he asked the card.


    The card shimmered, and a moment later, Decoy Dragons translucent for appeared in front of him. The tiny turquoise blue dragon, little bigger than his hand looked up at him shyly, "..Okay." he squeaked. And before Jord could say anything else, the little dragon turned into a ball of light and entered his chest.


    He shuddered a bit as a warm energy flowed through his veins, but he shook it off. It wasn''t unpleasant at all. And he was quite happy with how things were progressing. Weak or not, that was the second bond he''d formed today with his new monsters. He was well on his way to gaining the power he sought!


    "I have returned master." the silky voice of Serpent Night Dragon suddenly spoke up from behind him.


    Yelping in fright at the voice coming out of nowhere, Jord jumped up from where he was sitting, whirling around fists up in preparation to attack. Only to find his boss monster looking at him with a dry expression, "Really now?" the graceful, serpentine dragon huffed, rolling his eyes, "The master of one such as I should not be so skittish."


    Jord huffed, lowering his fists and pressing one hand to his frantically beating heart, "Yeah yeah," he growled at the dragon monster spirit, "So? Was my hunch right? did he toss any of his cards?"


    Serpent Night Dragon eyed him drily for a few more moments before sighing and narrowing his head, "..Indeed you were right," the spirit responded. He lifted his tail and brought it around and Jord noted there was a card held with his tail coiled gently around it in the air, "Only the one though."


    He deposited the card into Jord''s hand, and he couldn''t help but grin as he saw the card looking back at him.


    Curse of Dragon - Level5/Dark/Dragon - 2000/1500


    "Perfect, this will go well with this deck." he noted in satisfaction, placing it in his deck box along with the rest of his deck.


    "If you say so master," Serpent Night Dragon bowed his head slightly, "Now, I believe I shall take the time to have a little rest and meet the newest spirit you have obtained." with that parting farewell, the dragon shimmered out of view and returned to his card.


    Just in time for the rhythm of rapid footfalls to enter, followed by the sounds of loud, large breaths of exertion.


    Jord looked over to the path that led through the tree line towards the Slifer dorms, just in time for a familiar kuribo haired individual to bust out of the tree line running towards where he was now, the docks.


    Jaden Yuki. Despite himself, Jord could barely contain the excitement of seeing one of his favourite characters in the Yugioh franchise in the flesh.


    Jaden slowed to a stop as he caught sight of Jord. "Hey dude, what are you doing out here?" the brown haired teen asked, eyebrows narrowing a bit.


    Jord resisted the urge to blink, that seemed completely out of character for Jaden. It took him a moment to remember just why he was out there, and remembering that Alexis sent him an audio clip, masking her voice and blackmailing him with Syrus'' safety as a selling point to make him turn up for a duel.


    Not letting anything show on his face, Jord raised an eyebrow at him, "I was sitting out here enjoying the view," he lied blatantly with a shrug, "What are you doing out here though? And rushing this way so fast? The only thing in this direction is the girls dorm."


    Jaden tensed up, and Jord could see the indecision on his face. The second generation protagonist was a very open person early on before Yubel came back, he wore his heart on his sleeve. "Is something wrong?" Jord asked, faking some worry into his voice.


    It was a d.i.c.k move, and made him feel bad for manipulating a guy like Jaden. Because this wasn''t fiction anymore for him, this boy in front of him was a real person. But, this was his life now. To gain a good life here, one he desired, a few white lies and manipulations were necessary.


    ..He''d make it up to Jaden and co later when he made sure they got through things easier later on.


    Shoulder slumping, Jaden sighed in defeat, "..My buddy Syrus got caught trespassing at the girls dorm apparently," he admitted reluctantly, "I got a call telling me to come meet them or he''s gonna get expelled."


    "..Shit!" Jord cursed. "Is someone targeting us Slifer''s?" he asked, continuing the ruse.


    "Dunno dude, but I really need to get a move on." Jaden shrugged. Now that he had apparently confirmed Jord wasn''t a part of things, he was eager to get a move on. The kuriboh-haired teen walked over and passed Jord, stepping down the dock and jumping into one of the row boats floating in the water.


    Now was his chance. And Jord was going to take it with arms wide open. Turning, he walked down behind Jaden and jumped into the boat beside him. "What are you doing?" Jaden asked.


    Jord clenched his hand into a fist and held it up with a grin, "I''m your back up in case this is some plot by some Obelisk''s to jump you," he responded, "If it is, I''ll kick their asses."


    Jaden snorted, "Well glad to have you watching my back pal," he responded. He sat down and began to row the oars, "Grab a seat to make sure you don''t fall into the water."


    Following his advice, Jord sat down on one of the benches in the boat, "Let''s do this mate." he grinned, clapping Jaden on the shoulder.


    "There he is!" Mindy jumped up excitedly, pointing out into the distance from the docks the four of them stood on, towards an approaching row boat with two figures in it, "Though it looks like Jaden didn''t come alone."


    "It''s Odhar," Jasmine raised an eyebrow in interest. She would have crossed her arms under her prodigious bust, but her hands were currently full with the rope tied around the blue haired boy the three girls had taken prisoner, "Wonder what he''s doing here? From what he was like in class earlier, he doesn''t seem like the type that would lend a hand easily."


    Alexis who did have her arms crossed underneath her b.r.e.a.s.ts merely smirked in satisfaction, "I don''t care either way," the blonde replied, "He was my next target after I took down Jaden anyway, this just saves me the time of seeing more of his skill in person."


    Syrus whimpered, but was ignored.


    Mindy sighed, "You''re never going to get a boyfriend like that," the black haired girl shook her head sadly, "Odhar was a total tough guy type with Taiyou earlier. You''ll scare all the guys away if you consider someone like that just prey to duel and beat."


    Alexis rolled her eyes. No matter how many times she told them, she just wasn''t interested in a boyfriend as things were right now, they wouldn''t let it go. Not that there were many good candidates around her anyway.


    You''d think with how boy crazy Jasmine and Mindy were sometimes that they''d have gotten boyfriends of their own by now. But they turned down nearly as many boys as her that asked them out.


    Moments later, the rowboat hit shore and the two Slifer Red teenagers stepped out of the boat onto dry land. "Hi Jaden, Hi Jord." Syrus greeted them both sadly.


    "Hey," Jaden greeted him back softly, "So what exactly is going on here?" he asked, eyes shooting up sharply to take in the three girls, most specifically Jasmine who was holding the rope that had him tied up


    .


    "Well to make a long story short, I''m basically a big loser." Syrus m.o.a.ned in defeat.


    "Don''t be so melodramatic Syrus," Jord cut in with a roll of his eyes, "At least the eye candy was good right?"


    Mindy tittered a bit at the compliment, cheeks flushing a light red. And Alexis had to internally praise the boy for his sheer confidence in this situation. She was right to want to keep an eye on him. After all, it didn''t take a genius to figure out now that he and Jaden were here alongside Syrus, they could be reported and expelled as well. Yet still, looking over the Scottish teenager, who had a lazy smirk on his face, hands resting in his pocket, he seemed to believe he was in total control.


    Maybe it was something to do with being European? Alexis didn''t have much experience with people from outside of Japan. But Pier, the french boy she grew up with was a c.o.c.ky guy no matter the situation.


    Jasmine huffed, "Your friend here trespassed into the girls campus." the redhead got straight to the point.


    "Is that true Sy?" Jaden asked.


    "I doubt it," Jord rolled his eyes, before looking up to meet Alexis'' eyes, "No offense, but Syrus doesn''t have the guts to come here peeking. Pull the other one."


    It seemed he wouldn''t be fooled. Alexis stared right back into his eyes and was surprised to find he was amused. He rose an eyebrow at her in challenge and the blonde haired girl realised the jig was pretty much up.


    Not that it mattered, she''d gotten what she wanted regardless. And a bonus on top of things. Jaden and Jord, both laid out for her to pick from. She wasn''t arrogant enough to think she could take them two on one. So who to pick?


    "True," Jaden agreed. "So out with it, what the heck is going on here? This is getting to far to be called a joke." he demanded.


    "Well it doesn''t matter now," Mindy smiled at both boys, eyes focused more on Jord than Jaden, "Now that you''re both here, you''re trespassing too."


    "That''s right boys," Alexis grinned at them in a predatory fashion, "If you want to get out of here without being expelled, you''ll have to win your freedom by beating us in a duel."


    She''d rather take Jaden on right now. His skills were more known to her. His deck focused around hero monsters. Jord though, his deck was made just this morning from thrown away cards, yet he seemed so confident in the deck he had. He was more mysterious. Best let Jasmine and Mindy take him on so she could see more of his skill first before she took him on. If he was as good as she thought he was, he should be able to overcome them both.


    "Oh man, I don''t wanna get expelled, it''s only been a few days." Syrus whined pitifully.


    "So that''s your play," Jord snorted, shaking his head, "Fair enough, bring it on."


    "Don''t worry Sy," Jaden interjected at the same time, punching a fist into his palm, "I won''t let that happen. Bring it on Alexis."


    Jord and Jaden blinked as they finished, looking at each other. "Jinx." they grinned at each other. Both boys were surprisingly on a rather similar wavelength it seemed.


    Minutes later, while Jaden and Alexis were out on the open water in a pair of boats, facing off all dramatic like, Jord stood across from Mindy and Jasmine, having preferred to just stay on solid ground for his duel.


    .....He''d rather not risk dropping his cards into the ocean and ruin them.


    "So how are we doing this?" Jord asked, smirking at the girls, practically oozing confidence. Truth be told, he was just giddy at being alone with two absolutely gorgeous, absolutely stacked girls.


    Syrus had dutifully followed Jaden out onto the boats. And truth be told, he was totally okay with that. He''d never been that into Syrus truth be told.


    "We''ll keep it simple," Jasmine held out her hand, activating her duel disk, "All three of us have Four Thousand life points each, though this will be a two on one, so after I take my first turn, you''re free to attack on your turn, that fine with you?"


    "Yeah, simple," Jord snorted, "I suppose the fact that Mindy having a turn after me and you going right after her, meaning you get two turns back to back as a team is fair?"


    "Oh you know my name?" Mindy cut in, smiling widely.


    "Of course I do," Jord shrugged, "You, Alexis and Jasmine here are by far the three most beautiful girls in our year, possibly the entire school, it''s hard not to know who are you."


    "Aw shucks, you flatterer!" Mindy laughed before wagging her finger, "Don''t think complimenting us will make us go easy on you though cutie."


    "We''re way out of your league kid," Jasmine rolled her eyes, "Now let''s get this over with, I want to watch Alexis wipe the floor with your pal Jaden." with that said, she drew six cards.


    Jasmine LP: 4000


    Mindy LP: 4000


    Jord LP: 4000


    "Quite the high sense of opinion of yourself huh?" Jord shook his head, but followed suit and drew five cards, Mindy copying him, "But sure, let''s hurry this along, I''ve got things to do tonight." Not to mention, he was incredibly excited to see how much DP he earned for taking on two Obelisk students at once, in a two on one.


    "We''ll see how c.o.c.ky you are after we''re through with you Odhar," Jasmine huffed, "And I''ll start that off by summoning my Cyber Harpie Lady in attack mode!"


    There was a shimmer of light in front of her, and a moment later a tall bodacious blue skinned woman in metal bikini armour appeared before her. Feathers hanging from her arms and legs curling down into bird feet and talons.


    Cyber Harpie Lady - Level4/Wind/Winged Beast/Effect - 1800/1300


    Not a bad monster at all. Actually, an eighteen hundred attack point beat stick at this point in time was pretty rare, especially one that had a decent effect and not a detrimental one.


    "But I''m not done yet, I equip my Cyber Harpie Ladie with Cyber Armour, increasing her attack points by five hundred!" the redhead continued, "And finish off my turn by placing one card face down!" A card facing face down shimmered into existence at the same time the armour her harpy lady was wearing gleamed brightly as the equip card took effect.


    Cyber Harpie Lady - Level4/Wind/Winged Beast/Effect - 2300/1300


    Jord whistled as he drew his sixth card, his turn beginning, "Not bad, getting a monster with twenty three hundred attack out on the first turn and shoring up with something to defend it." he praised the girl.


    ..It wasn''t really. It was something any child where he was from could do with ease. But here and now? It was actually something quite well done he supposed. Still, it put Jasmine quite a bit above the average duelist on this island just to play a combo like that.


    "Yet you don''t actually seem all that impressed," Jasmine noted knowingly. and he had to give it to her, the girl was sharp, "Let''s see if Alexis is actually on to something and you really do have talent."


    "Sure, but don''t blink or you might miss it gorgeous," he winked at her and took some pride in the way this time, her cheeks actually flushed a tiny bit from the bold flirting, "I''ll start off nice and simple with Pot of Greed and draw two cards."


    With that said, he drew two cards and looked them over, smirking happily at his draws. He was so, so glad his deck was full of spirits. It was honestly kind of cheating, but honestly, if f.u.c.k.i.n.g Yugi could do it without guilt, so could he.


    "I''ll take care of your equip card and face down with Giant Trunade next," Jord followed up, placing a card down. A massive green vortex howled through the area, and the face down and gleam of her monsters armour disappeared, returned to her hand. "But I''m not anywhere close to done yet, because now I play Foolish Burial, to send the Carbonedon in my deck to the graveyard."


    "That card again?" Jasmine blinked, "Planning on summoning that monster from the graveyard? I''m not sure what it is, but it sounds like a dinosaur monster, so I''n guessing it has pretty good attack points."


    "Close actually, I''m going to use its effect to banish it from my graveyard to special summon any level seven dragon monster from anywhere in my deck," Jord grinned cheekily, "Say hello to my Seiyaryu!"


    Seiyaryu - Level7/Light/Dragon - 2500/2300


    In a burst of light, a large and beautiful, shining pink metallic dragon appeared before Jord on the field. And it was a beauty. Jord had to take a moment just to admire such a lovely beast.It actually reminded him a bit of the pokemon Skarmory.


    "Twenty five hundred attack points!" Mindy gasped.


    "Jeez, maybe you really are that good." Jasmine grimaced.


    Jord wagged his finger at the two, "Hold your horses girl, this is no time to be impressed, cuz I ain''t done yet." he teased.


    "You''re kidding!" Jasmine gaped.


    "Nope!" he chuckled, "Following up Seiyaru, I''m using the spell card Cost Down. Now by discarding one card to the graveyard from my hand, all monsters in my hand have their levels lowered by two. And I''m discarding my Hyozanryu, allowing me to summon my Curse of Dragon!"


    The familiar golden, serpentine dragon used by Taiyou earlier today appeared in front of Jord, and he relished the moment.


    Curse of Dragon - Level 5(3)/Dark/Dragon - 2000/1500


    "Hey hey, where''d you get that!" Mindy gasped, "Isn''t that Taiyou''s card? No way you just found that card! It''s one of the main cards used by Yugi Moto! They''re worth tons of money."


    "Finders keepers, and Taiyou had a hissy fit and threw it away after I creamed him," Jord shrugged, "Still, now I''ll play my Monster Reborn to summon my Hyozanryu from the graveyard in attack position."


    In another burst of light, his newest spirit appeared before him, tall and graceful with a gleaming, bipedal diamond body that glittered beautifully in the moonlight.


    Hyozanryu - Level7/Light/Dragon - 2100/2800


    Continue towards the end of Chapter 3 on QQ~ 20K word count limit!

 Chapter 257 - My CO Stash #57 - A Sorcerers Ambition by The Dark Wolf Shiro (HarryPotterXMulticross)

    -Damn, Shiro''s new fic and it''s not a SI but an OC Wizard turned Demon in Harry Potter with a "bastardised Game System in a Grimoire". It somehow reminds me of "Dodging Prison and Stealing Witches" honestly idk he might''ve been inspired by the author or something! Anyways expect some lewd coming since it''s Shiro and all, also it''s a multicross fic with Yennefer as our MC''s mommy and Triss as his aunt!


    (?¡ä §Ù `)¥Î


    Sypnosis: Grayson doesn''t have a bad life, not really. But given the chance to improve his on his alright life, he''ll grab it without a second thought, even if he has to make a deal with a devil to do so. The sorting hat did say his ambition was dangerous, after all.


    Rated: M


    Words: 21K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13548552/1/A-Sorcerer-s-Ambition (The Dark Wolf Shiro)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    It would be easy to complain about my life, far too easy. From an outsiders perspective, one might even assume I have a bad life or that I am somehow unfortunate.


    They would be wrong, of course.


    I am Grayson Raum, the fourth child of the House of Raum, a Pureblood house that can trace its magical lineage back for over three thousand years. Admittedly, yes, I will not inherit my family''s impressive fortune or titles as most of it will be going to the heir of the family, my older brother Damian, but I will still inherit enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life without working.


    I am in the top ten students in every class at school, and I have never dropped below third place overall. Anyone with my grades could hold their heads up high. My school is highly prodigious after all, the best in Europe and quite possibly the world.


    "Second place, again?" Mothers voice pulls me out of my musings as I look at her, meeting her violet eyes. Her face is utterly blank as she stares at me, and I keep my own face the same.


    Occlumency is such a useful art. It stops petty things like nervousness or shame from being shown on my face at my mother''s emotionless stare. She''d be disappointed if my mental barriers were so weak that a report card was enough to break them. It came naturally to me, the cold pragmatism that it brings suited my base personality and I have always been good with the more subtle arts.


    "Well done, I suppose." she says, putting my report down. "I would be more impressed if you hadn''t been beaten by a muggleborn, again." she drawls, her tone a mixture of teasing and judging in equal measure.


    "Thank you, mother." I say calmly, we''ve had this conversation twice before. After my first year, when Granger beat me for first place and after my second year... when Granger beat me for first place.


    "Hm, it doesn''t really matter what place you get in the first four years, Gray. The only two years that truly matter are fifth and seventh. I expect you to do better for those." she says, drinking her tea calmly as she stares at me.


    One might think that she is being unfair, but she simply expects the best of her children.


    "I understand, Mother." I say with a perfectly even tone.


    "Prepare your mind." Mother says, taking a sip of her tea as she locks eyes with me. I have all of a split second to fortify my mental defences before her probe slams against them, battering the walls around my mind.


    Her probe pulls back, having failed against my prepared mind, and moments later it approaches again, far more subtle as it tests my defences, looking for any weaknesses she can exploit.


    Then she breaks eye contact, calmly finishing her tea.


    "Impressive. You do have a talent for the subtler arts." she compliments, I don''t show any outwards signs of pride, I know I''m still being tested, but I do mentally smile. "Despite your other weaknesses." she continues, puncturing that smile with a sharp comment.


    Right... my weaknesses.


    I have magic, like everyone in my family... but unlike my older brother or sisters, my magic is weak. Spells that my brother could cast all day leave me tired, incantations that my sisters could use to make roaring infernos give me a sputtering flame.


    This has had an unexpected positive, however, as my control over my magic is almost inhuman, as I''ve had to learn to squeeze every last drop out of my spells.


    "Before you woke up, I hid something for you in the manor, pull its location out of my mind." Mother orders, making eye contact again as I send my own mental probe forwards into her mind.


    I don''t use force, I don''t have the power to force my way into the far stronger witches mind, instead I slowly test her mind. There are holes in her defences, but they are traps, and as I avoid them her lips twitch proudly.


    Finding a real gap in her mental walls, I slowly probe it, getting access to her memories of the day, she is making this easier for me, of course. Mother is a master of the mental arts, I''m simply an apprentice.


    Her memories of her day are deliberately jumbled as she makes things harder, throwing false and irrelevant memories in my way, searching for her morning. I''m an early riser, so she must have done it either late last night or early this morning.


    Narrowing the time-zone down helps speed this up as she fights my attempts to pull up the right memory, flashes of her having breakfast with my sisters thrown in my way as I look at her earliest memory today, watching her get out of bed. If she genuinely wanted me out, she''d have overwhelmed my mind with a thought, but as this is a test, and she is giving me a fighting chance.


    Even still, avoiding her attempts to throw me out as I navigate her memories is difficult, and just before she flings me from her mind, I get the memory I was looking for, mother placing a wrapped package in a hidden compartment in the family library.


    "Well done." she says simply, nothing more, nothing less. "I expect your homework to be completed with at least two weeks of the summer left, all at Outstanding level." Mother says as she opens her paper, our conversation over.


    "Of course, mother. Have a nice day." I say, getting a nod as she starts reading.


    People have seen me interact with my mother and assumed that she is cold and unloving.


    Leaving the living room, I head for the library. Mother doesn''t waste time with pointless gifts, if she has set something aside for me, I will need it.


    Heading through the manor we call our home, I reach the library with practised ease, letting a small smile settle on my face as I look over the dozens of filled shelves lining the walls, a cosy armchair resting in front of the fireplace (enchanted, obviously).


    I spend more time here than anywhere else in the manor.


    Books have always been my passion, or to be more precise, knowledge has always been my passion.


    Even with my mother''s memory, it takes me a moment to work out how to open the false panel at the bottom of one of the bookcases, needing pressure in just the right position to cause it to unclasp, allowing me to pull it away and reach inside, retrieving my package.


    Moving the small wrapped parcel over to the table in the middle of the room, I carefully unravel it, catching the glint of black metal as I reveal my ''gift''.


    Picking up the small black key, I turn it over with a slight frown, not knowing what it unlocks. A moment of investigation later reveals the carefully folded parchment still in the wrapping.


    Grayson


    If you are reading this, your Occlumency skills are now strong enough for you to be allowed to move onto more advanced magic. This key unlocks the door to the Raum Family Library Restricted Section.


    As I read, my eyes widen in shock, shooting up to the locked door in between two bookshelves, my hand gripping the key tighter.


    I doubt I need to remind you that the magic within those walls is far more dangerous than ordinary spells, or that most of them are outlawed by the ministry''s ''dark arts'' ban.


    One day, I''ll ask mother how she manages to fill her letters with such scorn. I can feel her disgust through the paper.


    I will not patronise you by warning you away from the ''dark arts'', nor will I forbid you from reading whichever book you desire. All knowledge is power, and you are a Raum, power is in your very blood. What you do with the knowledge within is for you to decide.


    Your Mother, Yennefer Atria Raum n¨¦e Black


    Folding the letter up, I slip it in the pocket of my trousers and move to the door, carefully unlocking it.


    Taking a deep breath, I step into the room that had seemed so impenetrable for so many years, looking around the dark room, no light within.


    As I enter, the room lights up as dozens of enchanted flames come to life, floating in the air as they light up the room with an eerie silver glow.


    Moving over to the closet bookshelf, I pause. Where do I even begin here? There must be hundreds, if not thousands, of tomes lining the walls.


    ...Now I understand why she mentioned my homework. She knew I wouldn''t want to leave this place.


    Reaching up, I grab the first book I touch, pulling it out with a smile.


    Humans and their use in Alchemy, Potions and Rituals.


    ...Okay, maybe not this one.


    Next.


    One-thousand ways to end your foes.


    ...Maybe, this one?


    - One Week Later ¨C 02/08/1994 -


    Normally, I''m excited to go back to school, but this year the approaching school year feels more like a timer ticking down until I''m dragged away from this marvellous place.


    I have just over four weeks before I have to go back, but the first week of the summer basically vanished as I explored the restricted section.


    I even ate and slept here for the first few nights, having the House Elves bring me my meals, but mother put a stop to that.


    This room is an endless supply of knowledge, no matter the subject, Curses to Charms, Alchemy to Runes, everything from healing magic to curses so bad they''d get me thrown in prison for just practising them... if I got caught.


    Mother has always taught me that banning knowledge is just a way for the Ministry to control us, and there is no denying that my family is a ''Dark'' one.


    One of the darkest actually, given that mothers maiden name was Black.


    ''Dark''. What a moronic concept. Magic is magic, you can kill someone just as easily with a levitation charm or a modified hair-lengthening spell as you could a curse, tossing them off a building or strangling them with their own hair.


    My family are classed as Dark because we are conservative, we refused to turn over our library that we built up over thousands of years when the Ministry started outlawing entire branches of magic and because we support the rights of Purebloods and see blood purity as important.


    All things Dumbledore doesn''t like.


    To be clear, we have never joined a Dark Lord, Voldemort was an insane psychopath who would have led our world to destruction. My father outright laughed in his face when his Death Eaters tried to recruit him... which is probably why I was raised by my mother now that I think of it.


    After my father''s death, mother raised the manor wards to their highest state and then simply waited for the war to end.


    Could Voldemort have taken them down? Possibly, but he never got a chance to find out when he went and got killed by a baby.


    But, if you aren''t a follower of the Lord of Light, you''re either a Neutral or Dark family, and my family is too connected to the Black''s to be Neutral, so we must be Dark.


    Plus, our family magic is classed as ''Dark'' by the Ministry''s guidelines that they put in place after Voldemort''s defeat, and while there are too many laws protecting family magic for them to outlaw it, it still leaves the ''Light'' families treating us like we eat puppies for breakfast.


    Morons.


    Of course, the Dark families are mostly inbred with delusions of adequacy. Keeping your bloodline pure is important, but anyone with a working brain can see how inbreeding so closely has resulted in both the magic and the mind of the child growing weak. Just look at Crabbe and Goyle.


    My family have stayed pure, but we did so by marrying from out of the country. Every pairing is carefully researched to make sure they aren''t closely related, some relation is almost impossible to avoid after so many generations in such a small society (at least compared to the non-magical population), but we can at least keep it distant enough to stop the many issues that inbreeding causes.


    Of course, that didn''t stop me from being born so... hindered.


    Magic isn''t a muscle, it doesn''t get stronger as you use it. You get born with a certain amount of magic, and that''s what you are stuck with. Some people have potent magic, but not much of it... like both my sisters. Some people have fairly weak magic, but they have it in abundance, like my brother.


    Some people get born with a seemingly endless supply of immensely powerful magic, those people are the ones that become legends. Voldemort, Dumbledore, Potter.


    And some people get born with a tiny pool of weak magic... that''s me.


    I''m not particularly bitter, but it has left me with a significant disadvantage.


    This room has hundreds of thousands of spells within it, just waiting for the right person to crack open the books and use the knowledge within... but I just don''t have enough magic to use them effectively.


    I''m not giving up, obviously. The Sorting Hat told me I was dangerously ambitious before it sent me to Slytherin despite my studious nature, and it was right.


    I''m not satisfied living off my families wealth, I have things I want to achieve.


    Simply put, I want to learn magic. All the magic.


    And I refuse to believe that in a world of magical wonders, there is no way to increase the potency and capacity of my magical power. If people claim it is impossible, that simply means they haven''t found it yet.


    Sighing, I close the book on ritual magic and place it back on the shelf. It was interesting, but it was just a theory book.


    ...I need to do my summer homework anyway, if I forget and run out of time mother would be... displeased (something that I can easily admit could happen if I get caught up in reading).


    - Later -


    "Gray..." a voice says, making me mentally sigh despite my fondness. I know that tone.


    "Yes, Keira?" I drawl, looking up at her with a blank stare, my eyes lingering on the parchment in her hands.


    "Since you''re doing your homework, I thought we could do it together?" Keira, my slightly older sister, asked with what she no doubt thought was a sly smile.


    "Meaning you want to dump it on me again?" I deadpan, making her green eyes widen as a slight blush comes to her pale cheeks, looking down, so her blonde hair falling in front of her face for a moment.


    "Of course not! I just... you aren''t buying it, are you?" Keira asked with a sigh as she sat next to me, her green eyes locked on mine as she tries to pull off the ''puppy-dog'' look.


    "No, no, I am not. And stop that, you''re supposed to be the older responsible one." I say with a smirk. "Let me guess, mother?" I ask, watching her sigh.


    Despite her being a year above me, she''s had me doing her homework since my first year when she realised I was reading her school books to get ahead. Don''t get me wrong, she''s intelligent... brilliant even, but she''s a bit of a brat. She makes it worth my while, though.


    "Mother." she agrees. "We both know I am terrible at writing essays, and Snape set seven of them... I think he just hates happiness." she drawls. "Since you do my homework, mother expects it done to your standard, which is far above mine. I would be ever so grateful..." she says with a smile, sighing as I just stare at her blankly. "Okay, fine! The usual?" Keira asks with a roll of her eyes.


    "The usual." I agree. We found a spell in the Family Library that lets us switch my handwriting with hers, Keira thinks this has stopped mother from realising.


    She''s wrong, mother has known since the first essay, she just let it happen because Keira is actually very intelligent, she just hates homework. Besides, we both benefit from this.


    "Thanks, Gray. This is why you''re my favourite brother." Keira says happily, pulling me into a tight hug.


    "When Damian is my only competition, I better be your favourite." I say, making her laugh.


    "Indeed, I think I''d prefer a troll as a brother over him." Keira drawls. "So... I can''t help but notice you didn''t take my advice." she says, making me freeze as I finish off my essay on Stinksap and its uses in Healing for Herbology.


    "I considered it... but decided against it." I say quickly, making her sigh.


    "And they say Ravenclaws are loners... if you Slytherins become any more introverted, you''ll vanish. Three years, and you haven''t made a single friend. These are the best years of your life, and you''re wasting them with your nose stuck in your books. Don''t you want a girlfriend?" Keira asks, making me sigh.


    Here we go again.


    "N-" I start with a sigh.


    "Or a boyfriend, I wouldn''t judge." Keira continues.


    "I like girls, thank you." I say calmly as I start working on one of her Potions assignments, on the proper brewing of the Shrinking Solution Potion.


    "Wonderful, we are finally getting somewhere. Name a girl you like, and I''ll set you up, and don''t pretend you don''t have one, you''re fourteen." Keira says making me sigh. "What about Cho? Or Padma?" she asks.


    "Please stop trying to set me up with your friends." I say with a long-suffering sigh. "You do realise that I am not exactly... attractive?" I ask, making her roll her eyes.


    "Please, you say that like you''re hideous. Sure, you''re a bit plain, but if we go to my room, I have a book on cosmetic charms that-"


    "I''m going to stop you right there... you are not casting a single cosmetic charm on me after your last attempt." I deadpan, making her blush.


    "That... was an accident, and you know it." Keira sputters as I grin at her.


    "I had pink and green hair for two weeks. Two Weeks." I deadpan as she laughs nervously. "In the middle of the school year." I continue, making her rub the back of her neck with a sheepish smile.


    Our home is so heavily warded that the Ministry can''t detect underaged magic being cast on the grounds, something me and my sisters have abused heavily, it''s great for practising and convenience, but it has had some... consequences.


    "Fine, fine... but next year, you are going to make some friends... you can either do it your way... or mine." she says menacingly, giggling as I sigh. "We both know I''m not going to give up."


    Yes, yes we do.


    "I''ll take your advice into consideration." I say making her roll her eyes. "Besides, I think the option of getting a girlfriend is going to be taken from me soon."


    "Please, you don''t actually believe that, right? There''s no way mother is actually going to set up a betrothal contract, they''re so old fashioned and mother wouldn''t do that to you." Keira promises. "Besides, don''t change the subject. We were talking about your lack of friends."


    Sighing, I briefly wonder if pointing out that I have some friends would help... well, a friend... I have a close acquaintance. Not ''close'' but we are acquainted. I have an acquaintance... No, that really wouldn''t help my case.


    Ignoring her babbling, I continue working on her assignment. She isn''t going to shut up any time soon.


    - Four Days Later ¨C 06/08/1994 -


    Getting mine... and Keira''s homework done wasn''t that hard, mostly because I kept copies of the homework I did for Keira last year and just edited it so I could use it as my own homework.


    It would have been easier without Keira nagging me about my lack of a love life, like she can talk, but I got it done either way, all at Outstanding level. Naturally.


    Keira, now free from her homework, has practically fled the manor to go to Diagon Alley to meet Cho and her other friends. She''s bringing me ice-cream back.


    Our other sister is around, but we don''t... get along. At all.


    So I''m avoiding her, and Damian has left to go meet his friends, despite having not done his homework. I suspect mother is going to have words for him when he gets back.


    Back in the restricted section, I close another tome on magic I can''t use in my current state.


    Placing it back on the shelf, I pause as I look around the room.


    Ever since I came here, something has been bothering me about it... and as I''ve spent more and more time in here, it has only gotten worse.


    Every wall is covered in bookshelves... expect one small section, which is just blank. It''s irritated me since I got here... but then I realised something.


    The main library is the same, and the only section not covered in books has the door to the restricted section... so why is that spot blank?


    I''ve always been good at spotting hidden things, I found a dozen secret passageways through Hogwarts in my first year alone, and my senses tell me that there is something behind this wall.


    This calls for an investigation! I''ll have this open by nightfall.


    - Six Days Later ¨C 12/08/1994 -


    I hate you, wall. And I want you to know that I don''t say that lightly.


    I dislike my eldest sister, I definitely dislike my elder brother. But I have never truly hated anything before I met you. You are a sadistic abomination and I will best you, nothing you do can stop that.


    Staring at the wall, I scowl.


    I was right, it is a secret passageway... but unlike the others I have found, it doesn''t have one action needed to open it, it has two from what I can tell.


    One involved moving three of the floating lights above the wall in a particular combination, which made the outline of a door with three slots around it show up. The combination was hidden in the artwork carved on top of one of the bookcases. The other needed me to pull out a specific book, find the gem hidden in the magical compartment in the back of the book and then place it in the right slot on the door.


    If you put it in the wrong slot, which I did, the book and gem vanish and re-appear somewhere else in the library... with the book cover changed. There are well over a thousand books in the restricted section alone.


    I have barely slept this past week, but after... let''s just say a bit of effort, I have done it.


    Two gems are in place, and the third resting in my hand.


    What colossal bastard designed this?


    What is so important that it needed all this to stop people from getting in?


    Pausing before I place the last gem in place, I give the wall a smug smirk. I have conquered you, wall.


    Placing it inside, the gems flash... and then vanish, the doors outline fading from view.


    ...What?


    Staring at the blank wall, I do the reasonable thing and punch the wall as hard as I can, gritting my teeth at the burst of pain.


    While I consider the pros and cons of buying a magical pickaxe, holding my possibly broken hand, my attention is dragged back to the wall as the lights go from silver to a deep red, a bit of blood on the wall from my broken skin.


    For a moment, I think I''ve triggered a security measure, my heart skipping a beat, but to my joy and triumph, the cold stone of the wall starts to move, brick by brick as it reveals a staircase behind it.


    ...Wait a minute, did I just have to bleed on the wall? But... the gems? The lights?


    No... what kind of asshole would make someone do all that for no reason?


    Clutching my damaged hand, I head towards the stairs. I spent my every waking moment trying to work this out, I want to see what exactly I spent my time for.


    The passageway is fairly dusty, which is alarming if for no other reason than because the House Elves hate dust with a passion, which means they don''t know about this place... but Elves are bound to the very manor, which means if they don''t know about it then it can only mean that this passageway is warded even more than the rest of the manor.


    Heading further down the stairway, I realise that I must be under the manor by now... past even the bas.e.m.e.nt as the stairway just keeps going, leaving me walking for what seems like ages before I reach the bottom, a small room at the bottom.


    I had expected another library, one even more restricted... and I might have been right.


    The only thing in the room aside from a single enchanted torch on the wall is a single pedestal, with three things sitting on the top of it.


    In the middle is a tome, it''s thick with a black leather binding, there are no words on the front... but there is a red circle on the symbol.


    A pair of circles, one inside the other with four letters in between them, arranged at the top, bottom, left and right side with a strange symbol inside the smaller circle, the symbol means nothing to me, just a bunch of lines and circles... but the letters?


    R. A. U. M.


    My family name.


    The Tome must be ancient, the bindings are pristine, but it has that... look that only antique books have, and it is only as I look at it that I realise that there is no dust on the book, or the pedestal at all.


    Looking at the other objects, I frown slightly as I pick up the second item, examining it.


    The handle of the small dagger is shaped in the form of a winged demon that seems to stare at you no matter how you look at it, and the blade itself is a deep black. It''s fairly unremarkable in the grand scheme of things, demon imagery isn''t unusual in artifacts belonging to Dark families.


    It takes me a moment to transfigure my wand holster to have a spot for the dagger, slipping it into the holster on my belt. I''ve transfigured it to make it very hard to spot the daggers hiding place, my wand drawing the attention from the tiny slit the dagger is hidden in.


    I earned this, and this place hasn''t been touched in years. No-one will notice it is missing.


    The third item is a blood-red potion inside a high-quality crystal vial, with a small letter tied to it.


    For the descendant of Raum, to awaken what lies within.


    Hm.


    I am not going to drink some random mystery potion.


    ...But I am taking it with me.


    Pocketing it, I pick up the book next.


    Despite not being locked, the book refuses to open up.


    Well... it worked once? Looking at my still injured hand, I place my slightly bleeding fist on the cover, despite my scholarly side screaming at me for dirtying an ancient tome.


    The moment I do, a cold wind passes through the room, extinguishing the magical flame of the torch. The shadows flooding the room seem... deep, menacing, and I promptly decide I don''t want to be down here any more.


    Taking the book with me, I head back upstairs, perhaps just a bit faster than I would typically walk, getting back to the restricted room.


    As I leave, the wall reforms behind me, leaving me with my loot.


    Sitting down at the table, I take a deep breath.


    Whatever this book is, it was well hidden... and sometimes things are hidden for a reason.


    As I go to open the book, the door opens with a bang, making me jump, looking like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar.


    "Got your ice-cream. Chocolate and Caramel with chopped nuts." Keira says before pausing. "Gray... what happened to your hand?"


    - That Night -


    Escaping Keira''s fussing over my broken hand, I escape to my bedroom with my new tome under my arm.


    She made me go to mother, and I had to claim I got angry and punched the table after I failed a spell. Keira thought it was hilarious, claiming that puberty had finally caught up with me, but I have a feeling mother didn''t believe me.


    Mother fixed it with a single spell, then lectured me over losing control of my emotions for close to an hour. She wasn''t mad, just disappointed.


    Sitting on my bed, I look over the book again. What is so special about you that you had to be so well hidden? Time to find out...


    Slowly opening it up, my room is filled with a dark purple light as the very text on the parchment glows, symbols and words in a language I don''t know covering the first page...


    Only, I do know the language. I''ve never seen this script before, but when I look at the words, my mind translates it into English.


    The Grimoire of Raum, Demon Sorcerer and Great Earl of Hell.


    Demons... aren''t real. That is the official stance on them, that they are just a fictional creation of the non-magical due to their lack of understanding and as far as I am aware, no-one has managed to disprove that.


    And yet...


    If you are reading this, you are of my Blood.


    You must be, the curse on my Grimoire would have consumed your soul otherwise, and only by my blood can the hidden chamber be opened.


    Consumed my what now?


    This Grimoire is the end result over thousands of years of research, and if it is in your hands... I have been slain. Whether by my fellow Demon Lords or by the forces of Light, I do not know. This means one of the 72 thrones of Hell sits empty, this is unacceptable.


    My Heir, a potion of my design should have been with the Grimoire, this will awaken my blood within you fully, I know not how long it has been, but the Demonic blood will likely have grown thin as the generations passed by.


    The Demonic Blood will give you power, it will provide you with access to powers beyond mere mages, and it will keep you young and healthy, for all time, but it is not without its cost.


    The Path of the Demon Lord is no easy thing, it is set upon with peril and opposition, it is not for the light-hearted, for a Demon Lord must coat themselves in Sin. Demons can still be killed, even if we do not age or grow sick, and there will be people wanting to either slay or use you for their own ends.


    If you choose to defy your fate, take the Grimoire and Potion back to the room you found it, I will not judge or scorn your choice.


    If you wish to start on the path of the Demon Lord, you need only drink the potion. The rest of this Grimoire can only be opened by a Demon of my Blood, the choice is yours.


    Your Ancestor, Raum the Great Earl of Hell.


    There''s a second page that I can read, and it makes my heart almost stop.


    Grayson Raum


    Race ¨C Human (Magical)


    Alignment ¨C Lawful Neutral


    Physical Traits


    Strength ¨C Weak


    Endurance ¨C Feeble


    Dexterity ¨C Clumsy


    Senses ¨C Average


    Appearance - Average


    Mental Traits


    Intelligence ¨C Highly Intelligent


    Wisdom ¨C Somewhat Wise


    Cunning ¨C Sly as a Fox


    Perception ¨C Sharp


    Charisma ¨C Bronze-Tongued


    Other Traits


    Luck ¨C Neither lucky or unlucky


    Magical Traits


    Magical Power ¨C Feeble


    Magical Reserves ¨C Far Below Average


    Magical Control ¨C Unnaturally Good


    That... is me. But how did... the blood, it used the blood to find everything there was to know about me? Is that even possible?


    ...Even with my Occlumency, it hurts to read my magical power and reserves.


    Re-reading the message from my ancestor, my heart beats faster.


    Pulling out the potion from my pocket, I take a breath.


    This... could keep me young forever? To study magic in all its forms for all time? It could give me the power to use my gathered knowledge?


    Without power, knowledge is worthless, I can learn every spell in the world, but without the power to use them, it is pointless. I know this, it''s why I read every book I could find on ritual magic in the hopes of finding a solution. I haven''t despaired because I was convinced I could solve my magic problem... that I would eventually find a way.


    Can I hesitate when the solution is handed to me? Should I steal this when Damian is the Heir, not me?


    This isn''t a decision I can make in a single night.


    Getting up, I place my new book and potion in my school chest, locking it.


    This could be a life-changing action, it''s not something one should decide in the heat of the moment.


    - Two Days Later ¨C 14/08/1994 -


    I have spent the last two days researching Demons... usually through non-magical mythology books as I have found little on demons in magical literature... except one.


    Merlin was said to be the son of a demon, it is accepted as just a myth, but that was part of his legend, the Purebloods would tell you that it is just a Muggle legend and that Merlin Emrys was a Pureblood... and the Muggleborns would probably claim he was a muggleborn. As is the fate of legends, to be twisted to suit the needs of the masses.


    Merlin was the strongest Sorcerer... ever. He was... everything I have always wanted to be, Powerful, Wise, Knowledgable, everyone wanted his favour. Kings came to him for advice, Sorcerers begged him to take them as his apprentice. His enemies cowered at the mere thought of fighting him.


    What if the non-magicals are right? That his great power came from his demonic heritage?


    Then could I not become his equal... no, could I not surpass him entirely?


    To be legend spoken of in awed tones even a millennium after my death? Assuming I ever died? To be looked upon with awe for all time?


    It''s everything I didn''t realise I wanted.


    I also looked up Raum himself, I always found it funny that Solomon mistook him for a Demon, but maybe I was the fool all along. The Demon Raum, said to take the form of a crow (which I assumed was an Animagus form), is said to steal treasure, destroy cities and the dignity of men (of which he is said to hate), he is said to be able to tell things from the past, the present and the future. He also is known for reconciling friends and foes, and invoking love.


    All very impressive... but it''s the ability to tell the future that attracted my attention. Could he have seen his own defeat, perhaps shadowy and hidden, but maybe he saw his own death coming and set this up for if he couldn''t avoid it.


    Demons are creatures of darkness and sin throughout all the myths, no matter which cultures mythos you look into... but am I willing to pass up a chance to become a legend for the sake of morality? To give up this chance to protect my immortal soul?


    Sighing, I close my most recent book on demons throughout different mythologies.


    "Finally accepted that you''ll amount to nothing, no matter how much you study?" a mocking voice says, making me roll my eyes as I turn to the dark-haired pale women staring at me with a smirk.


    "Do you really have nothing better to do, Morrigan?" I ask, looking into her creepy yellow eyes as my older sister stares down at me.


    "No, I don''t." Morrigan counters. "It''s the advantage of being a natural genius, I don''t have to spend all my time scouring books for spells I won''t be able to cast."


    "Does this have a point?" I ask with a dull tone. Morrigan being a bitch is nothing new. When I was younger, her words felt like daggers in the back... now she just bores me. There''s only so long you can hear the same insults before they lose their meaning.


    "Yes. You''ll never be anything, just accept it already." Morrigan drawls. "You are weak, and in the world of Magic, power is everything. Just run away and join the rest of the squibs already."


    "I''ll take that under advis.e.m.e.nt." I say with a bored sigh, making her eyes narrow, her hand twitching towards her wand.


    With a scoff, she leaves giving me one last glare.


    Morrigan has issues, mostly she is eternally pissed off that Damian, her twin, is the heir. The British Magical World is rather s.e.xist, and despite Morrigan easily being the more talented and powerful, Damian is the eldest male, so he is the heir, and I am the spare.


    She despises Damian, and it ended up with her blaming me as well since if anything happens to Damian, I''m next in line.


    I don''t blame her for hating Damian, he''s a moron with decently powerful magic, the brain (and hygiene of a troll), he''s a fervent follower of Dumbledore, wants to be an Auror or a Quidditch superstar, and he''s a bully.


    He''d deny it, calling his bullying harmless ''jokes'' and ''pranks'', but as the victim of most of them, they are not funny, and they certainly aren''t harmless.


    Even next year when he leaves, I''ll be stuck dealing with his two sidekicks, Fred and George.


    And worse of all... he''s a Gryffindor.


    As his brother, when the idiot decides to turn the older Slytherins red and gold for a day, it isn''t him that has to deal with them... sure, some might try and curse him, but not only is he a decent duellist, he''s also not the one who lives in the same common room as his favourite victims.


    It''s made for an uncomfortable three years.


    Morrigan is in Slytherin as well, in his year... but no-one would pick a fight with her because she''s not only a terrifyingly good duellist, she''s also utterly ruthless.


    So I understand why she hates him... but I won''t excuse her targetting me just to satisfy her superiority complex.


    So perhaps I was a little angrier than I showed on my face, and maybe while thinking about how her face would look as I proved her wrong, I made an impulsive decision.


    Standing in my bedroom, I look down at the empty potion bottle with a sigh. Never make decisions when angry, it blurs your judgement. I would have probably downed it regardless but still...


    I don''t feel any different as I lay down on my bed, wondering what would happen next.


    It''s subtle at first, the growing heat in my stomach, but it becomes apparent quickly as my entire body starts burning, fire running through my veins as my eyes shoot open, pain coursing through me.


    Trying to rise, I can''t resist the call of unconsciousness as I fall back to the bed, my vision fading.


    - Keira - 15/08/1994 -


    Sitting on her bed, she frowned deeply as she thought of her brother.


    Gray had always been her favourite, the cute younger brother who didn''t mind her bothering him, even if he didn''t do her homework he''d still be her favourite, and it''s not like she didn''t make it worth his while.


    So the fact that he was currently laid in his bed thrashing about left her more than a little disturbed.


    She''d been the one to find him, going to bother him to brighten up her day... which meant her scream as she saw him lying there unmoving, covered in sweat, alerted the rest of the family.


    Damian barely cared about his ''Snake'' brother, Morrigan had just been mocking, and their mother had ordered them all to leave, refusing Keira''s desire to take him to St. Mungo''s. Mother had claimed she knew what was wrong, and told them all to leave immediately.


    Their older siblings did so happily, not concerned about their brother even as he started to thrash around, screaming, but she had tried to stay behind... resulting in her being magically ejected from the room by their mother.


    If she''d been allowed to stay, she might have told her mother about the empty potion vial she''d found on the bed. But mother claimed she knew what it was, and she didn''t want to listen... so she took it with her.


    Looking over the empty vial, she sniffed it, frowning at the unpleasant. Sulphur?


    The vial was made of pure crystal, something reserved for potions that would eat their way through glass vials... and it was enchanted, but the spells on it were... ancient. Well over a thousand years old.


    Her mother lived for secrets, refusing to tell anyone anything unless she was forced to... but Keira was a Ravenclaw, discovering secrets was basically her hobby.


    Something was happening to Gray, and she wouldn''t be left in the dark.


    - Grayson - 17/08/1994 -


    Waking up with a gasp, my first thought is about how... alive everything feels, everything feels sharper as I look around my room, I can smell... breakfast, bacon especially... but my room is nowhere near the kitchen, I can also smell... lilacs and gooseberries... oh dear.


    "Finally awake?" A melodious voice attracts my attention, making me gulp as I turn to see my mother sitting in a chair next to my bed.


    "Good morning, mother." I say, sitting up slightly making her roll her eyes.


    "Good morning? You have spent the better part of three days thrashing around, and that is all you have to say?" Mother asks, a cold look in her eyes. "It is the seventeenth of August, your siblings are all at the Quidditch world cup final, it doesn''t start until tomorrow, but you are not going." she says coldly, making me nod quickly.


    I wasn''t that interested anyway.


    "You let them go alone?" I ask, making her roll her eyes again.


    "Don''t be ridiculous, I had Triss take them instead." she deadpans.


    Ah, that makes more sense.


    ''Aunt'' Triss can handle those three, she''s not our real aunt, but she was a close friend of our father, and she''s our Godmother.


    "Shame I missed her..." I say, I always liked Triss.


    "The bigger shame was how much time I wasted trying to convince her and Keira that you would be fine." mother deadpans again, a slight smirk on her lips. "I understand the temptation of forbidden magic, my dear... but do try to be less moronic in the future." she adds.


    Despite myself, I feel myself growl at her words, causing a perfectly sculpted eyebrow to raise, a knowing look in her eyes.


    "Control your emotions, do not let them control you." she advises as I take a deep breath. "Check your mental barriers, it is important, now more than ever, that you keep yourself under control."


    Taking her advice, I close my eyes, checking my Occlumency barriers.


    ...Oh f.u.c.k.


    "Indeed, they are in pieces. You will rebuild your mental defences for the rest of the day, I expect them back to normal by this time tomorrow. Breakfast will be brought to your room by the House Elves, do not practice any other magic but your Occlumency." she orders, rising and walking away from me without another word.


    Despite myself, I feel my eyes start to wander as her h.i.p.s sway, the tight black trousers she is wearing putting her amazingly curvy ass on display. It''s all I can do to stop myself from rising from the bed, moving forwards to see if it''s as firm as it looks.


    A cough breaks my stare as I look up into a knowing pair of eyes.


    "Your barrier, Gray." she simply says, leaving the room.


    ...She definitely knows.


    Taking her advice, I centre myself as I start to fix my shattered mental barriers, it''s hard to tell the passage of time when you are working on your mind and the day passes quickly as I fix my mind, only pausing for breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea and supper.


    By nightfall, my mind is defended once more, my emotions more controlled... and it is only then when I notice that my meals had been far more abundant than I would typically eat.


    Wrath, L.u.s.t and Gluttony.


    I have never had a temper, I am don''t eat that much... and while I do appreciate the female form, I have never ogled my family before, even if I can acknowledge that mother, Keira and Morrigan are all beautiful women.


    Pulling out my Grimoire, I open it up to the page that described me with a frown, seeing it the same. Rolling my eyes, I bite my thumb just enough to break the skin, placing a drop of blood on the page.


    Immediately, the words rearrange themselves, updating to take into account my new status.


    Grayson Raum


    Race ¨C Lesser Demon (0% to evolution)


    Alignment ¨C Lawful Evil


    Physical Traits


    Strength ¨C Weak for a demon


    Endurance ¨C Average


    Dexterity ¨C Average


    Senses ¨C Enhanced


    Appearance ¨C Somewhat Appealing


    Mental Traits


    Intelligence ¨C Unnaturally Intelligent


    Wisdom ¨C Somewhat Wise


    Cunning ¨C Sly as a Fox


    Perception ¨C Highly Perceptive


    Charisma ¨C Silver-Tongued


    Other Traits


    Luck ¨C Neither lucky or unlucky


    Magical Traits


    Magical Power ¨C Mediocre


    Magical Reserves ¨C Somewhat Below Average


    Magical Control ¨C Unnaturally Good


    It takes the entirety of my newly repaired barriers to force down the laughter as I reread my status. Mediocre and Somewhat Below Average might sound bad... but compared to what I used to have, it is a definite improvement... it''s proof that I haven''t made a mistake.


    Lesser Demon? That just means I can keep pushing until I become something greater.


    I can do this.


    Turning the page, I smile seeing another message from my Ancestor.


    Heir Raum


    Congratulations on taking your first steps on the path of the Demon Lord, I know you make me proud.


    The next step is easier than the last, you simply need to bind the Grimoire to yourself, allowing you to access its entire knowledge. The process is simple, on the inside of the back cover, there is a magical circle. You need only bleed onto it, and if your blood is both Demonic and that of a Raum, the tome will answer.


    This is the last message I am leaving, there are notes throughout the grimoire, but this is the final true message, so I will leave you with some advice.


    Huh.. that actually makes me feel slightly mournful.


    At your current level, you will need to make deals with greater demons, to gain power through sacrifice. Demons are beings of deception and lies, but a Demon that thrice swears is bound to their word, I would suggest making a sacrifice to the Demon Duke Dantalion, he is an old ally of our line and is unlikely to cheat you, but be warned, to gain something you must first sacrifice.


    Animals will do, at the start, but if you want more gifts, you will have to sacrifice more worthy offerings.


    Hmm, I can sacrifice an animal without a second thought, but to kill sentient beings for power? Am I willing to go that far? I don''t know... I don''t know, and that is somewhat worrying.


    Next, you will be a Lesser Demon at the moment, and the way a Demon rises through the ranks is by indulging in sin. I have no doubt you''ve likely noticed your more sinful nature already, do not fight it. You can also harvest the negative emotions of mortals to strengthen yourself, or devour their souls... but as a lesser demon, you can only devour the souls of a willing subject.


    Whether through bargains, trickery or bets, they must be willing.


    ¡­I knew what I was signing up for, deep down I knew that I''d have to do terrible things to achieve my dreams.


    You are set on this path now, there is no turning back. Walk tall, you are better than the mere humans, meant for greater things. You will be a God before this path is done, but you cannot do it alone. No man can truly stand alone, build your faction, gather followers and servants to assist you in your quest.


    You will be strong, you will be powerful, and you will rule.


    Raum, the Great Earl of Hell.


    ...Thank you, Ancestor. Pausing for a moment, I have to admit, I wish I could have met Raum himself.


    Taking a deep breath, I turn to the final page, seeing the circle he mentioned.


    I''ve made my choice, and he''s right... I can''t go back now. Bleeding onto the circle, it flashes red and vanishes.


    And like that, the Grimoire is mine.


    Turning back, my status has updated again... with a list of ''traits'' under the rest of my information.


    [Major Sin of L.u.s.t]


    You are a being of l.u.s.t, seeking pleasures of the flesh with relentless abandon.


    [Sin of Greed]


    You are never satisfied, always wanting more, no matter how much you have.


    [Sin of Envy]


    What''s yours is yours and what''s theirs is yours too, you forever want what those around you have.


    [Sin of Gluttony]


    Your stomach never grows full, your throat never quite satiated as you eat and drink your weight in food.


    [Minor Sin of Wrath]


    A minor sin, you have a temper that can be hard to control at times.


    No Pride or Sloth, but I''ve never been prideful, I was too weak for pride, and I hate wasting time.


    My wrath is minor because I didn''t use to get angry, mother trained me to focus anger into my studies and training to work it off years ago.


    I''ve always liked good food, and yes... I''m greedy and envious.


    As for l.u.s.t... I am a fourteen year old boy.


    Sitting on my bed, I flick through the book to find anything on Dantalion, I don''t think my ancestor would lead me wrong after all.


    To add to it, I find my book on demons I used to research Raum, looking Dantalion up there as well.


    Dantalion, one of the two Great Kings of Hell. Said to possess power over knowledge and secrets, to control hordes of the dead and to have dominion over the minds and emotions of his foes.


    Nice guy.


    Unlike the ritual books I read before, the Grimoire is far more apparent in what needs to be done, the ritual of sacrificing something to a Greater Demon being clear and precise.


    All I need is chalk, candles and a ritual knife and I''d be ready to start... all of which I have.


    I got interested in rituals in second year, and ordered the chalk and candles by owl-mail. Nothing came of it, since I couldn''t find any actual information on Rituals, but I still have them.


    Am I really going to do this?


    Pausing, I sigh. Yes, yes I am.


    I''ve started this path, there''s no stopping now. I am one person finding my true identity away from being killed by the Ministry, I cannot afford to be weak.


    Weakness stopped my ambition before, but now it endangers my life. I still think this was all worth it, but I need all the power I can get to keep myself safe.


    Getting out of bed, I look out of my window with a stony look. The forest around my manor is part of our land, so it is within the wards. Getting dressed in something I can get dirty, I leave the room.


    Moving through the manor, I move to my mother''s room. It is already very late, and mother tends to go to sleep fairly early. Checking the door for spells, I slowly open it and enter the room quietly, my mother''s bed has the curtains pulled... but she closes them when she gets out as well, so I need to be sure.


    Sneaking closer, I marvel at how easily my body responds to my orders, I''ve always been a bit clumsy, but now my steps are far more stable as I move to the bed, pulling the curtain aside slightly, making sure to do it from an angle that the moonlight from the window can''t enter.


    As I open the curtain enough to peek in, I smile slightly seeing mother fast asleep... my smile almost immediately falls as I take her in, her quilt thrown half of her body as she sprawls over the bed, her flimsy black nightie barely containing her b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    Immediately the beast within me awakens, my trousers becoming tighter as I spot a perfectly coin-sized n.i.p.p.l.e through the see-through silk.


    Pulling the curtain back closed, I flee the room quietly.


    I intend to indulge in my sin, and L.u.s.t is probably one of the least dangerous or hurtful sins, other than sloth and gluttony, but losing my control here would be incredibly stupid.


    Mother is a very, very powerful magic-user. Not a witch, she hates that term, but a very talented sorceress.


    Even if I didn''t love and respect her, trying to molest a sleeping sorceress is just asking to be disintegrated.


    I learnt what I wanted to, she is asleep, and I am ready.


    Probably.


    Heading out of the house, I take a moment to be glad that we don''t have any of those enchanted portraits. Having to hide from a painting would be stupid.


    Leaving the house, I take a deep breath and prepare myself. There are deer in these woods, and tonight, I intend to lessen their numbers by one.


    My first sacrifice, possibly of many.


    - Bonus Scene ¨C Motherly Love -


    Opening her eyes, she felt herself smile at Gray''s self-control. He really did make her proud.


    He''d even checked for magical alarms, but he forgot one thing... she taught him those detection spells, and she knew how to hide from them.


    Most Lesser Demons had very little control, but most of them didn''t have years of self-control training to call on. She had her doubts about how effective it would be, a Demon knowing Occlumency would be a first after all, they were born Demons and couldn''t use mortal magic, and she was expecting at least a bit of groping before he regained his control.


    Something she would have let him get away with, she''d manipulated his whole life from birth to lead him to this point, after all, she would take the consequences.


    She could at least confirm that L.u.s.t was probably his major sin, gluttony was a definite as well, and either pride or wrath from his response to being insulted.


    Summoning her Abyssal Raven familiar, she sent it out into the night, watching her son head into the forest through its eyes.


    Many would say she was a bad mother, that she didn''t love her children.


    They might be right on the first, but they couldn''t be more wrong on the second, she adored Gray, she had from the moment she first held him in her arms... just because she had plans for him didn''t mean her love for him was false.


    Getting up, she pulled her nightie off and tossed it away, she slept n.a.k.e.d after all, but she didn''t want to test his control too much on the first night. Walking to her desk, she pulled out a piece of parchment with a small smile.


    Dearest Philippa


    You will be happy to know the Lodge''s long wait is over.


    Authors Note: So, I''ve decided to start another story... obviously. No, neither of my other stories are being abandoned/put on hiatus. But I found myself really wanting to do a story based around demons.


    I''ll do one more of this, go back to conquest for chapter 22, and then I''m going to start alternating between stories every chapter instead of every two chapters.


    Grayson has a very bastardised version of the Gamer system in his Grimoire, but he''s no real Gamer. He is far more limited and it''ll make him have to act smart to survive.


    Yes, Keira, Yennefer and Triss are from the Witcher, as is the Lodge of Sorceresses, and Morrigan is from Dragon Age. Damian is just an OC.


    I don''t normally say this, but since I''m trying something new here I would appreciate some feedback.


    Someone asked if I had a pat reon, so I made one, check it out, or don''t. I won''t be posting anything on there that I don''t post here


    Pat reon user?u=13212571

 Chapter 258 - My SI Stash #58 - Courage by Twubs (Skyrim)

    -At last a magic user in Skyrim! You''d think there''ll be lots of them since the lore''s mostly about magic but nah lol/ Same author of "Voleur d''Ame", ngl had some doubts with the SI Hadvar but the author really did good with this story!


    (¨s?¨Œ?)¨s


    Sypnosis: Everything changed for Hadvar when a soul from our world hijacked his mind and body. One thing is for sure, no longer will he be a simple Nord. Non/Dragonborn! SI!


    Rated: M


    Words: 26K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13517571/1/Courage (Twubs)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Hello everyone,


    I know I literally just told everyone that I wouldn''t start a new story right off the bat because I would be working on my own original story but I lied I guess, deal with it idk. This story has an aspect that I really want to try so I''m going to do it. It will definitely be bigger than Stronghammer, and most likely Voleur D''ame also. With that being said I will try to update once a week to


    I have actually made a lot of progress with my original piece of work with the character and plot, which is the hardest in my opinion. I just have to worldbuild now and flush it out a little bit before I actually start writing chapters. So don''t worry about me not doing it because I am!


    Anyway this story is about a realistic take on someone from our world (me) getting thrown into the body of Hadvar while he was being stationed in Markarth. It will get AU really quick to be honest.


    Let''s see how it goes!


    Disclaimer: I own nothing.


    I woke to the sound of banging throughout the barracks. I jumped out of the small cot and grabbed the blade leaning on my cot, unsheathing it in one full motion, ready for a raid. It took me a moment to regain my bearings and look around the barracks.


    Dwemer architecture. "You''re in Markarth now Hadvar, get a hold of yourself." I mumbled to myself as I sheathed my imperial iron sword back where I grabbed it from.


    Wait what? Blade, barracks? I''m not in the military. A part of my mind called out.


    I felt the cot encompass me just as an mind splitting pain ran throughout my whole body, originating from my brain and traveling down through my torso, arms, legs, and finally feet before shooting back up.


    My head shot up and I realized that I had fallen back down onto the cot. I looked back to the room for the second time, taking it in with greater detail than I did only moments ago.


    Wow, Dwemer architecture in real life. That can''t be gold, right? Some type of alloy? Or maybe just painted gold. I thought to myself trying to come to terms with myself.


    I shook my head and looked down at my body. I wore the same imperial light armor that all Auxiliary''s are issued by the Imperial Legion. I wore the same armor that Hadvar wore in the games.


    No not games, this isn''t a game Hadvar. I thought getting my thoughts straight and in order. This is your life now.


    The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I almost fell back onto the cot once again but managed to keep my balance.


    I''m in the Elder Scrolls, specifically Skyrim. I thought before panic set in. Oh Talos ...Alduin returns, the Dragonborn, Civil war, vampires, the first Dragonborn. Skyrim is about to go through hell!


    I shook my head once again and tried to focus on my thoughts. Focus on what you can control. What''s going on right now? Guard duty, patrol, graveyard shift until the sun comes up and I''ll be relieved.


    I grabbed the sheathed iron blade still leaning on my cot. The leather felt familiar in my hands and I relaxed a moment, using it as strength. I inhaled and exhaled.


    "Start moving, distract yourself." I mumbled as my other hand reached out for my water skin and wrapped it over my shoulder. It came to rest on my right hip, like a satchel.


    "That''s right Auxiliary!" I heard from the entrance to the barracks. "Get your ass moving!"


    I sprang into action, obeying him as almost six months of training kicked in. I ran the sheathed sword in my hands through the belt loop on my waist with a practice motion.


    "You may be good with a blade, but I won''t have any men slacking on my watch!"


    I nodded just as I passed the ugly scarred nord and into the next room that served as the mess hall. "Yes! Legate." I said trying to placate him.


    I must have been laying there for longer than I thought. I realized as the bowl that the barrack cook set out for me wasn''t steaming like normal.


    I grabbed the bowl and kept walking towards the door that would lead into the night air and towards my patrol duty. I didn''t even bother using the spoon in the bowl and instead brought it to my lips, getting a mouthful of chicken, potatoes, and broth.


    Protein and carbs. A soldier''s meal for sure. I thought, passing the threshold out of the kitchen.


    "You will wake with the bell next time auxiliary, or you will deal with me." The Legate of the night shift called out just as the door closed.


    In the games, Markarth was a smaller city divided by a river. One side held the reachmen, the other side held the nobles. This basic principle was the only thing that even remotely matched the description of the city in front of me.


    To my left, hundreds of lights dotted the mountainside, each one, the light from a window in a house carved into the side of the mountain. And those were only the ones that I could see at this time of night. I knew from my memories that there was a whole other city inside the mountain, at least five thousand nobles called the mountain their home. Rarely did they venture into the streets and on the other side of the river.


    I turned right thinking about the river and looked out past it. Buildings lined the streets in a surprisingly orderly fashion. As orderly as can be expected on a mountain.


    The barracks stood closer to the mountain than it did the entrance to the city. So I had a good vantage point over the mid to lower class citizens. I could see the gaps in between the buildings that made up the roads and alleys on the way to the front gate. At least another forty thousand citizens lived in the direction.


    Something tells me that Skyrim is more massive than the games even hinted at. My brain supplied. And that something is my memories.


    My body moved forward, to the district I had been assigned two weeks ago when I arrived in Markarth, fresh out of basic training.


    "Well, time to get to work."


    The sun peeked over the horizon, sending its rays into the city and bringing about the start of a new day. A new day for people who hadn''t already been up for six hours.


    I was just relieved by another guard who would serve another six hours. This whole schedule would be mirrored in the different districts of the city by close to twenty-five hundred guards. And some said we were undermanned.


    My feet moved but not in the direction of the barracks, I just walked, looking at the city and taking everything in. I had yet to memorize the layout so this was a part of that and also an excuse to think.


    Helgen hasn''t happened yet. I know that for a fact. I thought, trying to find my place in Skyrim''s timeline. No word from the College of Winterhold either, no news of the companions change in leadership. Stormcloaks have gotten more bold but nothing big and nothing about the thieves guild. Definitely nothing about the DLC''s.


    I continued to ponder, not coming to a conclusion. So it''s fairly safe to assume that I am before all of those events, by how long? I''m stationed here in Markarth for the next six months, then they may rotate me and they may not. Such is the life of an auxiliary in the Imperial Legion.


    I stopped walking. Alduin, the first dragonborn, Lord Harkon, all of them are so powerful. Hell even Ulfic could blow me away with a shout right now. My mind told itself.


    I could go to more important, more powerful people, but would they believe me? Would they try to interrogate me for everything I know? I can''t take that chance.


    The whole night during my shift I came to the same conclusion. I can''t tell anyone.


    But then what? I may be from another universe, but I am still Hadvar. In fact I might be more Hadvar than anything else. And I love my homeland. I''m a nord through and through. I refuse to just stand by and watch as my people burn because of the actions of powerful men. I only had one option.


    Get powerful, and quick.


    But how? The most broken thing in the games was the Thu''um right? But only the dragonborn could get strong, fast with the Thu''um. For everyone else it takes a lifetime of study. I pondered as I went through my options.


    No, not the Thu''um. I ruled the option out quickly.


    Magic is the only other option. I thought to myself and I raised my hand instinctively.


    I breathed in deep and closed my eyes. I summoned my own magic to my skin, just as my uncle taught me in Riverwood. Just as most nord children are taught. A euphoric sensation washed throughout me and I realized just how long it had been since I tapped into that side of me.


    Heat, the sensation, the feeling, focus, feed it your magic and finally¡­


    A flame appeared in the palm of my hand.


    ...Will it into existence.


    The flame was a small one, about the size of a candle. Has it really been so long since I lit a campfire? Since I lit the forge with his uncle in Riverwood?


    "Every nord knows this, son. I use it everyday for the forge, hunters use it for campfires at night, and magicians use it for much more terrifying things." Uncle used to say.


    "But uncle, I thought magic was bad?" I would ask him.


    "You''re right, but we must do this to survive."


    I shook my head, breaking myself out of the tiny flashback.


    This couldn''t light parchment. I thought, seeing the tiny flame in my hand.


    The magic in my skin left quickly and without warning. The flame died out with it. I blinked at my hand in astonishment.


    Already? I ran out of magic already? I realized.


    I could already feel my magic start to fill back up. If I could compare the feeling to something it would be like a water faucet slowly dripping into a bowl. It might fill up in a day¡­


    I frowned.


    This is going to take some work.


    My feet kept walking until I soon found myself in front of a building that looked eerily familiar.


    It was the crypts. Nord''s are notorious for their reverence of the dead. Death isn''t the end for Nord''s. It leads to Sovngarde, and your deeds throughout your life define where you go after that.


    Shor''s Hall for me. I thought immediately. I spent a millisecond pondering on the fact that I still believed. Well if the games are to be believed, it''s real.


    "It''s closed, milk-drinker."


    I looked to my left and saw a nord. He wore blacksmithing garb, something I recognized from my time living with my uncle. He looked like he was nursing a hangover.


    Must have just woke up with the sun. Stormcloak supporters, they''re the only ones with big enough stones to call us milk-drinkers to our face.


    "Why?" I asked, ignoring the insult. I tried not to let my shock at my deeper but still smooth voice show.


    "Che. A guard in the city and you don''t know about the desecration of our dead? F.u.c.k.i.n.g imperials." The nord walked off, obviously having enough with the conversation.


    It didn''t bother me, I knew why he thought of us that way. The legion abandoned Markarth during the war against the Aldmeri Dominion, allowing the rebellion to happen. Then Ulfric Stormcloak conquered it again, bringing peace to the city before we strongarmed him into giving it back to us.


    The nords of the city, which made up ninety percent of the population, resented us for it. I didn''t blame them.


    My memories flared of a quest in Skyrim that resembled the same issue. Something about cannibalism?


    I took a long look at the crypt and memorized where it was in the city.


    I''ll take a look at it tonight.


    Finally. I thought to myself as I walked up to the crypts. Apparently I didn''t memorize the location as best as I could because it took the better part of two hours to make it to the location.


    "Alright, let''s see what''s going on." I muttered as I walked down the steps to the front door.


    I pushed on the stone door, expecting it to be barred on the other side. It swung open without hardly any effort.


    The noises hit me immediately.


    "Hahaha¡­."


    "Mmmmmmmm, yes!"


    I walked forward with a frown on my face. I took two steps into the crypt before I saw a glint and a fast moving object to my left.


    I reacted and ducked the swing. My fist curled instinctively and I noticed the body in front of me, moving past with the momentum of their swing. I lashed out and my fist connected with what felt to be the attackers ribs.


    No shirt?


    I felt and heard the cracking of a couple ribs sound out. My attacker hunched over in pain and I drew my sword in preparation.


    They whirled around with a hand on their ribs, bringing their sword around to point it at me. My brain pointed out the flaws in his footing and balance. I knew this would be an easy fight.


    I brought my sword to mirror him and pointed it at him before crouching into a stance that had been beaten into me since I was a boy. He took that as a sign to charge.


    A straight stab directed towards my face.


    "Never backwards, move side to side, get the angle."


    I moved towards my left and redirected his blade to my right. My wrist twirled and I thrust. His body sunk to the hilt on my sword, right where his heart should be.


    The man, obviously not a nord, grunted and looked down at the sword impaling him before meeting my eyes. He fell to the ground dead in the next few seconds.


    I pulled with a grunt of my own and his body slid off my blade, lifeless.


    "What was that?" I heard farther into the chamber.


    "Imperial Guard. You''re under arrest for the desecration of these bodies. Please come peacefully." I called out into the shadows.


    What I wouldn''t give for a magelight right now. I thought looking into the darkness.


    Luckily a torch appeared from behind a pillar and a person shuffled into the room. Followed by two more. All three had blood around their mouths, as if they had been chewing flesh, which they most likely had been doing.


    Two male, one female. Two axes, and a sword. I sounded off in my mind as they took a look at their fallen companion. The lookout.


    "Put your weapons on the ground." I said, hoping they would obey and I wouldn''t have to fight the three of them alone.


    "You killed skeeter." The man to the right said in shock.


    Skeeter? What a horrible name.


    "He attacked a member of the Imperial Guard, he would have hanged anyway." I told him confidently.


    Fear clutched at my gut, the adrenaline that was coursing through my veins slowed down for a moment and I glanced at the body to my right. Bile rose up in the back of my throat. Sure I had seen people die, in both lives, but to actually cause it? It was unsettling, revolting.


    Steel yourself. I told myself and my eyes hardened. The bile in my throat slowly slid back down my throat. He attacked you.


    There were no more words spoken. The two men behind the women drew their axes and approached. As they got closer I could see the manic look in their eyes.


    The woman stayed back watching with an ecstatic look on her face.


    I expected them to come as a team but that was thrown out the window when the man on the right charged the last ten feet wildly, leaving his companion behind him. He swung and overhead chop with his axe.


    I mirrored him and charged forward, into his guard before he could bring his axe down. I swung parallel with the ground and connected with his ribs. I felt a little resistance with my blade but with a little effort I cut through leaving him with a deep cut that severed his right lung. He''d bleed out in seconds.


    The second man was smarter and attacked just as my sword left his friend''s body. I had to contort my body to avoid most of the damage and his axe found my stomach. Luckily my light armor absorbed most of the blow. I spun away with a thin cut and a tattered piece of armor.


    Once again he proved why he was the smarter of the two and pressed his advantage. He swung overhead, trying to split my skull in two. I blocked it with my sword on the wood of the axe and spun again leading with my elbow.


    His nose crumpled under my elbow and he fell to the ground dazed but not unconscious. I moved with my momentum and stabbed him through his back and out his chest, nearly impaling him to the ground.


    I removed it from his body and adopted a defensive stance expecting another attack. I didn''t have to, the woman was still standing there. If the look on her face was ecstatic earlier, now it was euphoric.


    "Throw your sword on the ground." I commanded as I wasted no time in walking forward to her.


    She shook her head. "Join me."


    I actually stopped at the absurdity of the suggestion. "What?" I managed to get out.


    "We can feast on them, they''re fresh, look." She answered me with a point of her finger.


    I didn''t fall for it. I was close enough to her now that she would have to draw soon or surrender.


    Footsteps behind me.


    I turned around and brought my sword up. The second man, the one I nearly impaled to the ground, was two strides away with his axe raised. Blood ran down his chest in a river.


    In the back of my mind I heard the sound of a sword leaving its sheath.


    I knew I had two attacks coming at once. I dropped my sword and once again stepped into the guard of the man approaching. My hands found his wrist on its way down, I lowered my body and braced.


    His torso hit my upper back because of my positioning and I pulled the arm down while twisting his body off of mine, hip throwing him. He went ass over tit and crashed right into the outstretched sword arm of the woman trying to stab me in the back.


    She jumped back fast enough to avoid his body, but he hit her arm and she dropped her sword. My hand had already wrenched the axe from his hand and I swung without thinking.


    The axe hit her neck and I expected my swing to be too weak to push all the way through. It separated skin and bone like a hot knife in butter. Her head rolled on to the floor at the same time the man below me went limp.


    I looked around for the next attacker, seeing it in the shadows. I was wrong, there was nobody coming. I sucked in a huge gulp of air and closed my eyes as I exhaled it.


    "F.u.c.k!"


    "What the f.u.c.k were you thinking!?"


    I looked up from my cot, where I had just finished sitting down after taking my shirt off. My Legate stood there entering the room. I jumped up and stood at attention with my hands clasping my forearms behind my back and my chest out, eyes forward.


    "I wasn''t, Legate." I said intelligently but truthfully to the commanding officer.


    There were four other men in the barracks, all of us were preparing for bed because all of us had graveyard shifts. I only knew the blonde man''s name, Dagfinn, he prefers to be called Finn.


    "Damn right you weren''t. That was a right stupid decision going down there alone, what if there would have been more?" He was in my face, spittle flying everywhere.


    "Either I would be dead, or they would be, Legate." I told him, getting a little angry.


    "Oh?! You think you''re Tiber Septim now that you''ve killed four cultists, huh? Could they even swing a sword properly?" He retorted but I knew it wasn''t a question so I stayed silent.


    "Now that that is out of the way. Good job out there, every man I sent to check the situation out couldn''t get a lead." The Legate, whose name I still didn''t know, told me flipping a complete one-eighty on me. "Next time, get another man to go with you, or three."


    I stood a little taller at the reinforcement. "Yes sir!"


    "Good. The Jarl wants to see you. Apparently the woman was a known leader of a cult of Namira worshipers." The Legate continued and there was some shuffling of the other men in the room.


    The Legate''s head swiveled around and landed on the other men also standing at parade rest. "Don''t give me that shit, auxiliaries. Especially not you Bjorn!" He reprimanded with a point of his finger. "This man actually did his job."


    He turned back to me. "That''s why, as of this moment, you are now promoted to Quaestor."


    I blinked at the promotion. It''s that easy? I thought at his proclamation. Quaestor isn''t much of a promotion, but they do commision you boots and greaves. The best part is that it immediately put me on the day schedule, allowing me to attend march and weapon training at will. That along with a five coin promotion a month made it worth it. That put me up to two-hundred and twenty coins a month. Not a lot when you consider the price of spell tomes, but we''ll take every bit we can take. My purse was already full with the few coins I swiped off of the cannibalists. My purse was currently sitting at about three hundred.


    "Thank you sir!" I nodded, happy at the opportunity to work on my sword play with the weapons master. Theoretically I could have done it with my current schedule, but I would be missing out on about two of the four hours he is available in the morning, and I would have to lose sleep to make his afternoon sessions.


    "Good work, soldier. Now get dressed." The Legate said turning around and walking into the mess hall.


    Oh right the Jarl. He''ll have just heard about it. I thought, realizing that the sun had just risen over the horizon.


    I''ll miss sleep today.


    The Jarl sat on his stone throne, deep in the bowels of Understone Keep. It was obvious that the room we stood in was only an entrance for the underground tunnels that made up the real Dwemer city beneath our feet.


    My Captain and Legate stood on my right side, with me being all the way to the left. We stood at parade rest waiting on the Jarl to enter the throne room.


    He''s probably eating a lavish breakfast. I thought, bitter of my own meal of tasteless protein and carbs.


    At least my body agrees with it.


    It was true, this body was packed with muscles like corded steel, and although I didn''t have a defined six pack, my stomach was flat. My new strength was obvious, considering my previous fight where I beheaded a woman with an axe.


    "Captain! A pleasure to see you again." A voice said.


    I looked to see Jarl Igmund approaching his throne. His gait was not one that proclaimed royalty. Neither did it show that he was a deadly man. It looked like he had been sitting on the throne too long. He had become soft since the war.


    "My Jarl." Captain greeted. It was the second time I heard the man speak, and my assessment of him being a soft imperial stood. He was a boy but he was my age, in his twenties. Rumor has it that he got the promotion because of his families connections, not on merit.


    The Imperial Legion needs work. I thought to myself after observing everyone the past few days. Not enough discipline, too much corruption.


    "Don''t give me that, boy." The Jarl said and it took every ounce of my willpower not to laugh. "Have you cleared the Forsworn yet?"


    The Captain''s eyes tightened, angered. "No, we simply do not have enough¡­"


    The Jarl cut him off just as he sat his soft ass on his throne. "I am not interested in excuses, just results, Captain."


    Oh shit. I thought to myself. Funny but neither of these people have my respect yet.


    "Of course, my Jarl." The Captain responded. "I have the guard you asked for."


    The Jarl''s eyes roamed over the Legate to my right and landed on me. I met his eyes like a true nord would and held his gaze. His mouth slid up in a smirk.


    "Where are you from kinsmen?" The Jarl addressed me clearly.


    I stepped forward, stone faced and with my hands clasped behind my back. "Riverwood, my Jarl."


    He nodded, obviously knowing where the small town is. "I heard the reports. You fought well, and did me a service. For this you have my thanks, and a boon of your choice, within reason."


    As tradition dictated I denied him. "It was for honor my Jarl. Had I fallen, Shor''s hall would have welcomed me."


    The Jarl actually smiled, and I could tell I impressed him. Now if he insisted, I would be forced to accept.


    "No doubt, you would have dined with heroes." He said traditionally. "But I insist."


    I nodded at him, truly grateful. "I have some interest in magic, my Jarl." He didn''t outwardly react, but I knew he was skeptical. My superiors behind me looked at me sharply.


    "I would request access to your libraries."


    It was a bold move, and a request I had no business asking of the Jarl. But nords respected bravery and boldness, so it was a calculated risk. His face didn''t immediately turn to disgust, which I took as a good sign.


    He leaned forward, looking deep into my eyes. I held his gaze as he thought. It took a good moment for him to make his decision.


    "Very well."


    I tried not to smile. I managed a grin.


    "You will have access to it, but you may not remove any of the books held within. Nor will you teach anyone what you see inside these books. Magic is a dangerous art, son, and is frowned upon for a reason." Igmund said. "You will only be able to access the most basics of the art at first until my court wizard, Calcemo, approves your advancements."


    His requirements were expected. If he would have allowed me to remove the books, it would have changed everything.


    "My thanks, Jarl Igmund." I accepted respectfully.


    "Now leave, a courier will arrive with your writ of entrance."


    A/N: And so we have the first chapter of my new story. It didn''t take me long to flush out the plot in my notes, and that''s when I knew I had to put it out here for you all to see.


    Now as you can see, Hadvar will not sit on the sidelines waiting for the Dragonborn to arrive. He has the beginning stages of a plan. For now it''s just gain power, as he''ll need it. It will evolve as the story progresses.


    What did we think about it? Have I portrayed Nordic culture properly? What about the changes made to Markarth? The local issues are still there but the scale will be ramped up to eleven. And the forsworn are a threat also.


    Let''s talk in the reviews!


    Chapter 2


    The wooden practice sword felt heavy, as heavy as a normal sword and while I knew that was a good thing, my brain told me that it wasn''t right. My legs felt heavier, weighed down by the new boots that had steel rising all the way to below my knee. Each of my arms had new gauntlets strapped to them, the iron made their presence known.


    I gripped the weapon and gave it a few practice swings before nodding and looking across the sparring yards. My opponent, Bjorn, stood across from me. He had dark rings under his eyes.


    He''s been up here everyday for the past few days, and he still has the night shift. I thought looking at his tired form.


    He instantly gained a certain amount of respect in my eyes. Any man willing to work himself to the bone for his craft is a man I can understand, and maybe even grow to like.


    "Begin."


    Bjorn was a nord through and through. He gave a yell and charged me, it was laughably easy to send him to the ground after lashing his backside with my sword.


    The weapons master stood there with disgust in his eyes. He was a skilled swordsman, and his knowledge of other weapons far outstripped my own, but he was also an asshole. He made no attempt to correct Bjorn, content in watching him get his ass kicked.


    I caught his eye. "Are you going to teach him what he did wrong or am I going to have to?" I asked with a bit of anger in my voice.


    He stared back at me unblinking. I got all the answers I needed out of him. I turned back to my opponent, who just stood up and was breathing hard.


    "Bjorn right?" I asked him.


    "Yea." His voice was deep, much deeper than my own, and even though it wasn''t loud, I could tell it would travel far.


    "Why are you here?"


    He turned to me and I could see confusion written all over his face. "I''m here to serve Skyrim."


    It was a typical Nord response. Most likely he joined for the easy job and the respect you automatically get. Then there were those who enjoyed the power trip also. It was much the same for public servants in my last life.


    "So am I." I agreed. "But that is not why I am here." I continued and pointed at the ground we were standing on. "I am here because I want to get better, I am here because I demand excellence out of myself."


    He hung on to my every word. "Now I''ll ask you again. Why are you here?"


    He broke eye contact. Bad, never do that in times of uncomfortability with nords. I reprimanded him in my mind.


    "Da died in the war and left me and ma by ourselves. I hated him growing up, but ma always respected him. Never been too good at fighting, we were hands growing up. Figured I wanted to fight, and the respect isn''t bad either." Bjorn replied.


    Not the full story. I deduced. But good enough, he''ll tell me eventually.


    "Good, so you have motivation." Even if it is shallow, I can work with it. "And you have good instincts. Attack first is a good plan only when you have the advantage of surprise, even then you should do it with caution."


    "Now, adopt your stance." I barked as I finished my small lecture.


    He frowned, obviously not knowing what I was talking about. So instead of explaining I walked over to him. I stopped beside him and turned till I was facing the same way he was. Then I bent my knees slightly putting my right foot behind my left. My hands brought my imperial sword up in the air pointing at an invisible enemy.


    "The imperial sword is a shorter sword than some of the other designs you''ll see across the land. It''s made up of less malleable iron in the middle of the blade, giving a really strong base. It is double bladed, meaning that both sides are sharp and it comes to a deadly point. It is a weapon that is good at cutting motions." I paused my speech for a moment to perform a diagonal slash.


    "But where it really excels is it''s stabbing ability. This sword, though only made of iron, will pierce through almost any armor. It may not CUT through any armor but it will PIERCE through most."


    I dropped down into my stance once more and waited. Bjorn didn''t move. I turned my head towards him and shot him a look that sent him moving in action.


    "We''re going to practice the basics. So now we thrust." I told him performing a textbook thrust into an invisible enemy''s b.r.e.a.s.tplate. When I drew back, I fell into my stance naturally.


    Bjorn didn''t need me to look at him this time and he thrust. It wasn''t the worst attempt I had ever seen, but then again I watched Ralof swing a sword growing up, and that man can''t fight with anything but a warhammer. Bjorn stumbled for a moment before dropping into his awkward version of my stance.


    "That is an important lesson. Footwork and balance are some of the most important aspects of a fight." I told him and performed another thrust.


    I looked over to Bjorn to see a glint in his eyes and a smile on his face that I hadn''t seen before.


    Is this all it takes, a little instruction? I wondered, watching him.


    "Good, that''s good. Now you need to perform that motion over and over again until it becomes instinct. Let''s go over all the basic motions." I said.


    "Sir!"


    I stood up and turned towards the disturbance. It was a boy with his hand outstretched towards me, inside it contained a rolled up scroll.


    "From the Jarl, sir." The boy said.


    I took the piece of paper from him. "Thank you." I said. He nodded to me and then took off in the opposite direction, the pack on his side told me that I wasn''t his first or last stop of the day. I mentally berated myself for not giving him a coin.


    I looked around the field to see that Bjorn and I were no longer being watched by the weapon master only. Instead I found a dozen other men looking at me and Bjorn as we practiced. I swept my auburn hair back with one hand and sighed.


    Is that all any of these men need? Instruction? Someone to show them the path, the way?


    I made out Finn''s blonde hair in the crowd too. Another one up too early or too late.


    "Well, get off your asses and get over here!" I barked out the order, my mind made up.


    I saw at least seven of the men outranked me, I didn''t care and neither did they. They all stood up and made their way over.


    "Stand beside Bjorn there, give enough space to perform the maneuvers. Good!"


    I moved in front of everyone so they weren''t craning their necks. I showed them the gladius-like weapon in my hand and pointed to it. Everyone present carried the same weapon, although some had custom hilts, either of a different design, or painted. Some even had tassels hanging off of it. Their sheaths varied even more.


    "The imperial sword is a shorter design¡­"


    I straightened my body and wiped the sweat off of my brow. My head swivelled around the training grounds, looking at the twenty men in front of me. I realized that I knew nothing about them.


    In my previous life, a unit was family. Each willing to take the sword for the man next to them. These men would grab a mug of mead and laugh as you were ran through. I thought to myself about the state of them. Even now they fought over water at the well.


    My anger rose a touch at watching them bicker and my feet started moving of their own accord.


    F.u.c.k it.


    I reached the first man, I had yet to have a proper conversation with him and didn''t even know his name. I did know that he was an absolute monster, he stood about six foot nine, and wore an equally impressive longsword on his back. He had been training all morning, but not with us. The other man was Bjorn, and I felt a stab of disappointment until I heard the topic of conversation.


    "No longer!" Bjorn roared to Finn.


    "A single sword lesson and you think you can go against our agreement. You''re still sc.u.m, Breton." The man hissed out to him.


    Bjorn is definitely not a breton. I disagreed. Bjorn stood about two inches shorter than me. And I was around six foot four.


    "What''s this all about?" I spoke up to the giant.


    His head whipped around, giving me a great view of his ugly mug. He had black hair that fell past his shoulders.


    "None of your business, milk-drinker."


    "He''s been making me cover his district, along with my own at night. It''s the reason I hadn''t been able to get to the crypts." Bjorn hissed out. "I told him I''m done with his shit."


    I nodded at him, hearing everything I needed to.


    "So you''re lazy, ugly, and a bully." I said staring the giant down.


    He showed his teeth to me and I looked for any signs of him outranking me. I found none, in fact he didn''t even wear the imperial issues gauntlets or boots, giving me the impression that he fell below me in hierarchy.


    Good.


    His hand moved to my shoulder. "Don''t touch me." I warned.


    The giant gave a hearty laugh, it echoed throughout the grounds.


    I ducked the fist coming my way, expecting it. My hand balled on instinct and I exploded into an uppercut that connected right below his sternum. I had to move out of the way to avoid the mountain of flesh falling to the ground.


    He sank to his knees holding his stomach. He was obviously having a hard time breathing, if the wheezing was to be believed.


    I crouched low, getting into his ear.


    "That shit stops now."


    I stood up and looked around the training yard to see just about everyone staring at me again. It was actually comical the way they met my eyes, then looked down to the body at my feet and then they looked away, going about their business.


    Good. I thought, returning Bjorn''s nod as I walked away.


    Magick awaits.


    Understone Keep.


    I took my time walking through it''s grand halls. The ceiling extended high into the air, or should I say stone. Although I could tell it was stone, it was carved so perfectly that one could easily mistake it for something other than the mountain that surrounded us.


    Gold pillars rose on each side of the rooms, reaching to the ceiling. It was obvious to me now that it was the same alloy that made up dwarven machinations and weaponry. They obviously knew more about metallurgy than any of the other races.


    So powerful the deities of this universe banished the entire race for daring to reach for the heavens. My mind supplied as I continued walking towards my destination.


    I moved through the halls with grace, as if I had done it many times before. It was all an act. This was my first time going to the library, or any library in this universe. A part of me was giddy at the proposition.


    I had a new addition to my wardrobe, a satchel that carried my writ to get in the library, my waterskin, a journal, some writing utensils, and a disinfectant potion for the cut on my stomach from the fight with the cannibalists.


    I arrived at my destination after a few missed turns, though it was mainly because of my awe at the palace.


    I walked up to a golden dwarven door that had six guards stationed around it. Guards that I didn''t recognize.


    "Halt." One called out and stepped forward. "Writ?" He spoke simply.


    I reached into my satchel and pulled it out, their hands strayed close to their weapons at the action. I unrolled it so that he could see it. The seal of the Jarl glared at the man, even through his visor.


    He nodded to me in acceptance. "Imperial mage?" He wondered.


    It was a fair question, I was dressed in the typical imperial garb, including my new boots and gauntlets to get used to the weight.


    "No, Quaestor. Two weeks into duty in Markarth." I explained and all six of them nodded in sync. I almost made a joke about it.


    "Go ahead then, there are a couple of people already there."


    I did as he said and stepped through the massive doors. I don''t really know what I was expecting before, but I was not expecting it to be as big as it was. There were close to twenty rows of bookshelves, filled to the brim with books of all kinds. The library was oval in shape and the closest thing to the door were the tables laid out for people to read and study at.


    The left ten rows had the symbol for the Dwemer race, and golden covered books rested on those shelves. Four middle shelves had the runes for history and biographies. Finally the rightest most rows had the symbol of the arcane, and under that some had the symbols for the different schools of magic.


    I must have had awe written all over my face because the other people in the room took notice.


    "Largest library in the holds, outside of the college of course." A feminine voice at the tables said.


    I looked to see a woman in mage robes. She was absolutely gorgeous, and her face told me that she had elven heritage.


    Breton. "Nobody told me." I responded. "I expected a library of maybe one-hundred books."


    She let out a small laugh. "No wonder you were gaping like a fish. Imperial battlemage?"


    I got the same question as earlier from the guards. I shook my head at her. "No just a normal Quaestor with a curiosity for the arcane." I moved towards her and extended my hand. "Name is Hadvar."


    "Arellia." She said offering her hand. Now that I was closer I could see that her eyes were icy blue, as if they were plucked out of the sky. Her silvery blonde hair fell beyond her shoulders.


    "A pleasure to meet you, would you mind if I bothered you if I am having difficulties?" I asked politely.


    Her eyes twinkled at me, and I knew I was dealing with an intelligent one. "Sure, anything for a Novice."


    I smiled at her for a moment before I noticed the chuckles from the other four people in the room. She is being sarcastic.


    I forced the smile to stay on my face. "Well, that is fair I suppose. Happy hunting!" Just like that I moved past her and towards a desk on the opposite side of the room as her. I set my things down there and got out my journal and pencil. The trader had ink and quills, but I had been writing with pencils and chalk on metal for most of my life in Riverwood, no use in changing now.


    After setting everything up I moved over to the arcane section. I looked through the sections for a good fifteen minutes before choosing even one. In the end I grabbed the introductory tomes for destruction, illusion, restoration, alteration, enchantment, and alchemy. Everything but conjuration.


    "No."


    I turned to the speaker quickly. It was an old man with a white goatee standing beside me.


    Calcelmo. I realized.


    "Pardon?" I asked.


    "No destruction, no enchanting, and no alchemy. You may have the others, but until you can prove to me that you are capable of such knowledge, you will be limited to the simpler aspects of magic." Calcelmo answered me.


    He held his hand out expectantly. Is it worth making a scene? I wondered looking down at his hand and then back to his eyes. The old man met my gaze evenly, obviously used to dealing with nords.


    I didn''t answer him verbally. Instead I handed him the books he asked for. Then before he could leave I snatched another book that I had been eyeing off of the shelf.


    ''Magickal theory and techniques of casting.''


    Calcelmo''s eyes trailed the book, reading the cover quickly. He once again met my eyes and nodded, obviously respecting my choice. Then he turned quickly and returned to wherever it was that he came from. On the way out, he told the guards of my limitations rather loudly.


    Once again there was chuckling and giggling in the library. Ariella''s eyes followed my form, tinkling with amus.e.m.e.nt all the way. I ignored them.


    Let them laugh. Soon I will outstrip all of them. I thought as a surge of motivation ran through me.


    I looked down at my choices in tomes and quickly selected the one about magical theory. My big fingers struggled to find purchase with the pages, another embarrassing fact. Eventually I got to the front page.


    ''Found in the unnamed journal of an unnamed archmage sometime during the third era.''


    ''It is a fairly simple concept to realize that our bodies merely conduct the magic around us, our mind and will bend it into affecting the physical world around us. Our bodies store a set amount of magicka, drawing it in from the air around us. This amount of magicka will increase greatly the more one uses it, much like an arm that has gotten used to the weight of a sword. Our magicka can adapt to our needs, it can become incredibly dense, incredibly vast, and incredibly efficient.


    The different areas of magic determine which of these our magic will become. You can safely assume that it will become more vast, regardless of which area you specialize in, as long as you''re properly training it. However, the more subtle arts, such as Illusion or Alteration, will make your magicka incredibly efficient. Masters of the subtle arts have the best control over their magicka, because they are forced to. The more destructive magicks cause our magicka to become more dense, as the spells increase in difficulty and destructiveness. Although masters of Destruction lack the refined control that can otherwise be learned.


    I have set out to find a way to combine the two aspects and apply it to any aspect of magic. I have succeeded. In the following pages, there will be several examples of techniques I have found that allowed me to eventually become archmage.''


    My eyes lifted off the page and I let out the breath I didn''t realize I had been holding.


    No wonder Calcelmo looked at me approvingly, this is a gold mind. I thought looking back down to the book.


    ''Meditation.


    This technique I call meditation can easily be mistaken for the act of clearing one''s mind. I admit that it is similar, hence the name, but also fundamentally different. It requires constant mental work to keep it up. I should note that this and the following techniques increased my magicka capacity ten-fold over the course of a year. And I was already an expert destructive mage. I imagine, for a novice, it would be closer to twenty or thirty-fold over three quarters of a year, an astronomical difference.


    One does not need to adopt any pose. It is simple in theory, and difficult in practicality. In theory, it is constantly expelling and intaking magicka. Simple. Now, the expelling of magicka will come naturally to you, as it does to all beings in Nirn. But the intake will require some experimentation. I have heard it being described like breathing, and it is a good example so we shall use it. Draw your magic, expel a small amount, and try to intake the same amount from the air around you.''


    The page ended and I stopped writing my notes as I realized that this is where I was supposed to actually try it. I dropped my pencil and closed my eyes instinctively.


    My magic crawled to my skin, like a snail. I held it there trying to gauge if some leaked out. Some did. I expelled a little more from my body and let it dissipate into the air. I focused on the feeling of it leaving. It felt a lot like the book described, breathing.


    I inhaled and tried to get my magic to do the same. It didn''t, in fact it seemed like I lost a little bit more. I frowned and tried again. Once again I had no luck.


    Instead of focusing on the breathing, I looked at my magic again and expelled another small amount. This time I noticed that my magic seemed to flow in a certain direction. It stemmed from my core, somewhere in my abdomen and spread outwards in the direction of my limbs and skin. The flow was simultaneously in the same direction and opposite directions.


    I focused on halting the flow completely.


    Success. Now let''s go backwards. Failure, not possible, my entire being says to never try that again.


    I backed up mentall and tried a different approach.


    What if we kept the flow going but instead of drawing it back from the air to the points of expulsion, I focalize it in the spot I could feel in my abdomen.


    I did just that, I exhaled my breath and magic. And when I inhaled, my core inflated also and I felt the smallest trickle of magicka leak back into my system. It was a constant flow, coming in from the outside in one point and flowing to the other points in my body.


    I didn''t open my eyes, instead focusing on the feeling of my core inhaling. I did the action again and I produced similar results.


    I smirked thinking of all the people in the room laughing and giggling at me.


    It''s over for you bitches.


    I knocked on the door three times. I waited for a few moments and during those precious few seconds I used meditation to exhale and inhale magicka. It was such a miniscule amount, which made sense considering it had only been a few hours since I was in the library.


    "Come in."


    I opened the door immediately and walked into the office. It had two glass windows on the farthest side, one which was open slightly, letting some air into the room. A bear rug laid across the floor, leading to a fireplace that wasn''t currently lit.


    The Captain of the Imperial guards of Markarth sat behind his desk scribbling away at some parchment. I closed the door behind me and stood at attention in front of him.


    The seconds passed away and with it many many moments. I just focused on the technique of improving my magicka to pass the time. I knew it was a power play, he wanted to make sure I knew I was on his time. I also knew there were several ways around the power play. One way would be to take control of the situation and dominate the conversation. Another was to act so nonchalant about the situation that the power fell by the wayside because it was so insignificant. I chose the latter.


    Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Rinse and repeat.


    "Well you''re patient at least." The Captain''s overtly imperial voice called out. I didn''t respond, determining it was not conducive to finding out why he called for me.


    "Do you know why I summoned you?" He asked.


    Summoned, indicating that once again I am on his terms. F.u.c.k.i.n.g power plays.


    "No sir." I replied simply. Play the good soldier, rise through the ranks. Take his job when the time comes.


    "You are a good soldier. My observations of you from the past few days tell me that. One that can and will rise through the ranks given the proper teaching and opportunity." He commented.


    I didn''t move, didn''t react. Inhale. Exhale. It was ther.a.p.eutic. "That is kind of you, sir."


    "So why then do you want to become an Imperial mage?" The Captain asked out of nowhere.


    "I don''t follow sir." I responded. I knew how he could make such a deduction, but I have a role to play.


    "Oh don''t play coy. Why else would you want access to the library?" He asked rhetorically before continuing. "I know it seems like a good gig, doing research and wielding a staff instead of a sword, no responsibility. Better pay, but you get blackballed real quick if you''re not powerful enough. The ranks of the Imperial Mages are a snake''s den, did you know that? Almost impossible to move up."


    I tried my best not to sigh at him. He was working off of so many assumptions at this point it was becoming tiring.


    "I do not wish to become an Imperial Mage, Captain. I just want to protect my men as best as I can." I told him truthfully.


    "Your men?" The Captain repeated. "My men, you mean."


    I wanted to reach across the table, grab him by the throat, beat him senseless and tell him that he didn''t hold the men''s respect, and he had no real power. I would tell him that the Captain title is earned not given. I didn''t.


    "Of course, Captain." I responded. "Your men."


    "So what do you want?" The Captain asked then, now that my intentions were revealed.


    "I want a more unified Skyrim for the storm on the Horizon. I think the best way to do that is for a stronger, more disciplined Legion." I told him truthfully.


    "Do you think us ineffective, Quaestor?" He said my name mockingly.


    "Permission to speak freely, sir?" I asked back before responding.


    "I insist."


    "Yes, we are ineffective, inefficient, undisciplined, and just outright embarrassing." I answered him honestly.


    You could have heard a pin drop from a mile away it became so quiet in the office. The Captain''s eyes bore into mine. He let out a small chuckle before he picked his quill back up.


    "Get out quaestor, do your job and I''ll do mine." The Captain dismissed me quickly.


    "Yes sir!" I answered and left him as he asked.


    Incompetant shit-stain.


    A/N: Boom! Another chapter in the books.


    So we got some magical theory in. Personally I liked it, and before anyone asks, no this won''t make him OP. It is simply a way for him to train his Magick to be a well oiled machine, that''s it. He will still have to learn wayyyyy more magick to become a force of nature that he needs to be.


    Hadvar is helping everyone with their swordplay, apparently everyone is incompetant in Markarth. I wonder why? What do we think of the library? What about Ariella? Does she have any part to play? What do we think about the Captain?


    Let''s talk in the reviews!


    Chapter 3


    The marketplace is bustling today.


    The morning started off as any of his previous had. Wake up, eat a protein packed breakfast, train with the men, and go on duty.


    Hopefully my afternoon will be filled by continuing my magickal practice. I thought as I practiced meditation, flexing my magick.


    Already, my magick had nearly doubled in size in the week that I had been practicing. Not nearly enough to be considered a battlemage, but enough that I considered my growth more than normal.


    Maybe it''s the fact that I do it subconsciously now. I considered as my magic flexed with meditation, in rhythm with my breathing.


    "Marketplace is unusually crowded today." Bjorn said at my side.


    We stood off to the side of a stall in the marketplace. Our eyes roamed over the crowds the entire time. And it was a significant crowd. Once again I was amazed at how scaled up the world seemed to be from the games.


    The marketplace spanned at least three blocks, and merchants from all over had rented stalls to show their wares from all over Tamriel. Most traveled from High Rock, and their fashion mirrored this, but another significant portion came from Hammerfell and Cyrodiil. The most popular stalls were the ones selling foreign clothes, showing off the different styles of the ''states'' of Tamriel.


    The next most popular were the food vendors, then the weaponsmiths. The least popular were the stalls which had a magical nature to them. At least three different merchants had stalls full of enchanted weapons, daggers mostly, books on magic, and enchanted jewelry respectively. While the weapons drew a decent crowd, the others had maybe twenty customers a day and most of those were nordic children curious about the art their parents warned them so much of.


    "Aye, I considered sending for more guards." I answered Bjorn but not looking at him.


    Bjorn tensed as if he saw something suspicious. "Damn, kid got the purse." Bjorn commented and I looked to see a black haired boy, nearly a young man, walking quickly in our direction. "You want it?" He asked.


    I nodded and stepped forward, turning my head the opposite direction as the boy so as not to spook him. He never saw me, instead his mind was busy stuffing the purse he had just cut into his pants.


    I took a step forward just as he neared and grabbed his shoulder. I felt him tense under me and his head whipped towards me. We met eyes and my grip tightened enough to let him know I meant business.


    The boy''s eyes glanced around my body, taking my uniform. He paled and I could see he was making the decision to bolt. I quickly called my magic to my skin and put my mind in a state of controlled calm. Then, with a pulse of magic in all directions, I projected the emotion.


    The illusion spell took hold, not only on the boy, but the people around me.


    "Give it here, and we can forget about it." I spoke before the spell could wear off and he made a bad decision.


    He gulped and his eyes flitted all around him. I could see the internal struggle in his eyes. Once again I tightened my grip on him. The boy still couldn''t meet my eyes but eventually he nodded at me and reached inside his pants to retrieve the stolen purse. I tensed, prepared for the dagger that he inevitably had hidden on him.


    His hand produced the coin purse and I thanked Talos that he made the right decision. I swiped it.


    "Hold here for a moment." I told him and his eyes panicked again. Once again I cast the calm spell with a burst of my magic. It took hold as my hand dipped into the purse and pulled out three septims, enough to feed his family for a week. I dropped them into his outstretched hand and turned around at the same time, pretending not to see him. He darted away quickly.


    Seven steps brought me back to my post beside Bjorn. I held the purse out to him, as he had seen the man it belonged to. "Return it." I ordered, leaving no room for argument. "Tell him he is short three septims."


    Where once, earlier in the week, Bjorn would have taken offense at the order, he grabbed the purse with a smile. It was amazing how much teaching the men everyday had put me in a place of leadership. I was careful who I ordered around, making sure I had rank. I suspected that all of the men who knew me would obey regardless of rank.


    Bjorn chuckled. "That''ll teach him to leave it hanging so carelessly. Must be a Silver-blood." He commented as he walked off.


    I should''ve given the boy more if he is a Silver-Blood. I thought to myself and my eyes started scanning the crowd.


    My eyes locked onto a woman, obviously nordic, approaching a known Silver-Blood merchant. She had red hair that was cut stylishly around her shoulders and a build that told me she was raised as a traditional nord. She stood around five-eleven, maybe six foot and the way she walked spoke of martial training. She leaned over the table in front of her to speak to the merchant.


    Next my eyes were drawn to a man, on the opposite side of the market. He was dressed in a white tunic, and dark brown breeches. He had a sword on his waist. While this was not uncommon, in fact it was more common than not, my gut told me to be on guard. He was staring straight at the red-haired woman, and making a bee-line through the crowd to her.


    I started moving immediately, weaving through the crowd, and forcing myself through when people wouldn''t move. Most took offense until they noticed the uniform. Normally I wouldn''t lord my position over people, but my gut told me to make it to the woman before he did.


    Luckily I was closer to the woman than he was and reached a crowd of people close to her and waited. I blended into the crowd. I didn''t need to, as he took notice of nothing else but the woman''s back.


    At ten paces from her, his hand reached for his sword and started the motion of drawing it. I did the same and drew my own in a fluid motion, quicker than his own draw. Then I moved forward.


    At five paces form the woman he bellowed out. "The Reach belongs to the Forsworn!"


    The woman turned to him, startled at the proclamation. Then he started the motion for a thrust, aimed at her heart.


    I never let him get close to her. I impacted his right side and a couple of things happened at the same time. My left hand, the one without my sword, grabbed his thrusting wrist, stopping it dead. My left leg came up and I kicked his feet out from beneath him while twisting his arm around, to help him get to the ground faster.


    The man yelped in pain as I got close to snapping his wrist before his body obeyed and fell with the twisting motion. Then I was on top of him as he laid on the ground, with my knee putting pressure on his neck. I considered killing him then, but a distant memory in the back of my mind remembered this being fairly important in the games.


    I whipped him in the temple with the butt of my sword before he could even realize what was going on. He crumpled, unconscious. His sword clattered on the ground as his hand went limp. I wasted no time rolling him over onto his stomach and wrenching his arms behind his back so that I could put shackles on him.


    By the time I did this and stood up, Bjorn and the blonde-haired Finn approached, brought by the commotion. They had their hands on their swords, but didn''t draw them seeing I didn''t need it.


    "Take him to the cells for interrogation." I commanded.


    I looked past them to see the crowd of people huddled around our scuffle. I called up a bigger portion of my magic and cast the biggest calm I could. The best thing about low-tiered illusion magic was that it didn''t have any signs of it being casted, unless you could sense magic. The wave of magic spread from my body to the crowd of onlookers.


    "Everything is fine here, folks. Go back to your business." I yelled out to them.


    Most obeyed, although I saw a few people giving me and the man on the ground some stares.


    "Excuse me, sir." I heard a feminine voice say behind me. I turned to face the woman whose life I had just saved.


    "Yes?" I asked. She had a different shade of red in her head than I did. Hers was the typical ginger look, although it was tamed to fall straight down to her shoulders. Her eyes were sky blue, and freckles sprinkled her face. She was surprisingly attractive, not as striking as Ariella was, but that was a whole different type of beauty.


    "That man almost killed me. You saved my life." She said, obviously a little in shock.


    I smiled at her, trying to calm her. "All in a day''s work, ma''am." I told her as I stepped forward. "Are you ok? You seem to be in shock."


    She barely had to look up at me, unlike most other women. She started to say something, but she struggled before getting it out. "I think you may be right." She raised her hand up and it visibly shook in the air.


    I started to reach for it before I paused. "May I?" I asked.


    The earlier wave of calm must not have affected her. Why? Did the shock override my spell? Was it too far away? I analyzed hoping to test it a little further.


    She nodded and I grabbed it sending a much stronger wave of calm through her body. It took effect immediately and she yanked her hand back, reflexively.


    "Sorry." I said, noticing her reaction. "Just trying to help."


    She shook her head once she realized her reaction. "No it''s fine, I needed that." Her voice was much more firm and assured now that she was calm.


    This might be my favorite spell. I pondered.


    "I should have warned you. We are suspicious people." I said trying to comment on our shared heritage.


    "Yes, exactly." The woman spoke and I noticed that she must have been from a well off family because of her proper speech. "I''m Margret."


    "Hadvar." I greeted with a nod. Then I realized that I should be getting back to my post. "I should leave you to your business, I have more work to do."


    "More women to save? Here I thought I was special." Margret quipped.


    I laughed. "If only I could be so lucky." I told her as I turned to leave on the clever comeback.


    "Wait!" She barked. I turned back around and her hands were around her neck, untying a necklace from her neck. "Take this, please."


    The part of me that was not a nord wanted to deny her, but I knew tradition dictated that it would be rude to do so. Especially from one of the opposite s.e.x. The only time it was appropriate was for people of obviously higher station than oneself, such as a Jarl.


    "This is too much." I commented as I bent my head down so that she could clasp it around my neck. It was a small emerald set into a circular medallion, much smaller than the games actually showed. I could cover most of it with my thumb.


    Her arms reached around me and she got a little closer than was needed to complete the task. I was not complaining, considering my eyes found her cleavage because of the angle. She must have noticed because she leaned into my ear. "Silver-Blood inn, second floor, fourth door on the left." She said with a smile on her face, then she turned around and started talking to the merchant again.


    A nord through and through. I thought a little dumbfounded at her offer. Nord women go after what they want.


    I turned around, conceding that she won our little bout of flirting. I was about to walk off when I noticed that the attacker''s sword was still laying on the ground. I reached down and picked it up not wanting some kid to grab it and get hurt. My hand touched the hilt and I immediately knew it was different, it was warm to the touch.


    My magick reached out to it instinctively, and I fed magic to it. Small symbols appeared near the base of the sword and ran up the length of the blade straight down the middle. The first rune I recognized.


    ''Fire''


    "Well, I can tell you that it is actually steel, not iron." The rough orc told me as he eyed the blade. He went by the name of Moth gro-Bagol, or Moth for short. He was the lead imperial blacksmith for the whole city, and had at least five apprentices beneath him running around the blacksmiths shop.


    "It is shaped as an imperial sword." I commented, as if that was all the explanation anyone needed for it being iron. That''s how it was in the games, right?


    "And?" Moth grumbled. "I''ve seen imperial swords made out of ebony before, or have you never met General Tullius?"


    A part of me wanted to slap myself for the obvious answer. The designs were only based on culture, and while steel did shape into certain designs better, it didn''t mean that it was stuck to that design.


    "Of course, you''re right. My uncle would be ashamed of my education on the matter." I commented. "He was the town blacksmith where I grew up. Never made a lot of swords, however."


    "Small town?" Moth asked.


    "Yes." I said simply.


    "Needs horseshoes and nails more than it does swords." Moth nodded to me, making sense of the situation. "What did you say your name was?"


    "Hadvar."


    "You the one training the boys up every morning?" Moth asked bluntly.


    "Yes sir." My answers kept being short.


    Moth barked out a laugh. "Got our prissy Captain embarrassed in front of the Jarl. I''m glad. Word is you know your way around the sword, soldier."


    I heard the question hidden at the end of that sentence and decided to humor him since he was doing me a solid with the evaluation of the sword.


    "Aye, my uncle may not have made many swords, but that doesn''t mean he didn''t know his way around one. He taught me the basics, which I mastered long before I enlisted. Learned everything else I knew from soldiers and whoever else had a sword on their waist that passed through Riverwood. Practiced nearly everyday, and honed my skills." I finished, knowing he could fill in the blanks.


    Moth nodded in understanding before taking one last look at the blade in his hands. He handed it back to me.


    "Well, take good care of it. You were the one to take the man down, no one would bat an eye at it in your sheath." Moth told me.


    "Thank you. I''ll leave you to it, if you need anything, let me know." I said turning away and heading out of the sweltering room.


    "Before you go. I don''t have to tell you the significance of someone like him having such a nice, expensive sword do I? They may come looking for it." Moth commented.


    I, of course, had already made this connection and just nodded to my head as I walked out towards my next destination.


    The library was, wisely, on the opposite side of Understone Keep as the blacksmiths shop. I still didn''t know how the imperial legion had managed to convince Igmund to allow their blacksmith to take up shop in the old dwemer forge. I knew that the orc must be worth his salt if he was given such a position. It was possibly the most coveted blacksmith''s forge in Skyrim, right being the SkyForge in Whiterun.


    The guards nodded at me, used to my presence in the library, as I walked past them. No words were spoken between us, but there was still a camaraderie that went unspoken between us.


    I walked into the room and found that it was occupied by two other people. Ariella and Calcelmo, who were having a hushed conversation.


    "You will need to be careful around him." Calcelmo said just as I walked in.


    Ariella''s eyes found mine and Calcelmo followed her gaze to me. Where his gaze was normally dismissive and condescending, this time it was contemplative and almost accepting. Ariella''s eyes gave nothing away to what she thought of me.


    "Sorry." I began. "Pretend I''m not here." I told them as I walked past them into the library''s rows. I quickly found the books I was looking for. A book each on illusion, alteration, and restoration.


    Everyday I have picked up the same book on restoration, and I had yet to get to actually reading it. Today I was determined to learn and take notes about each of the beginnings of the different schools of magic that I picked.


    I quickly found my seat and opened the book about restoration. I flipped through the pages, uninterested in the introduction, and found the first chapter.


    "The first thing that should be noted about Restoration is that it is single handedly the hardest of the schools to learn. Not because of difficulty in manipulating the magic into healing properties, but rather the knowledge one must know of biology, on top of the act of actually casting the healing magic."


    "Can you stop that for one moment?!"


    I looked up from my book and saw both Calcelmo and Ariella looking at me with frowns. What are they talking about? I wondered.


    "Stop what?" I asked.


    "The meditation. Those of us with magickal senses can feel you, and it is very distracting." Ariella answered for the old wizard.


    Oh. I realized and to my happiness I had to make a conscious effort not to use the method of growing my magic. I stopped the constant flow like asked.


    "Sorry, it''s become second nature." I commented going back to my book.


    "How long have you been doing that?" Calcelmo''s quick voice said, obviously angered.


    "Since I left the first day." I answered him truthfully. "Why?"


    Calcelmo looked at me and his anger dropped, instead becoming inquisitive. "You shouldn''t be able to do it for so long a time. We kept waiting for your reserves to run out before we said something."


    "I can keep it up pretty much all day, although I''ll stop for a few moments if my reserves get too low." I told him, becoming confused. "Is that normal?"


    "It depends." Ariella answered. "I think he might be doing it differently. Normally it is much more powerful of a discharge, his felt small, controlled." She spoke to Calcelmo, speaking as if I wasn''t even here.


    "How are you doing it?" Calcelmo asked, addressing me directly.


    "I compare it to breathing, just as it says. I release a small amount, exhale, most of the time not even five percent of my total reserves. Then I bring in the same amount, inhale, from the environment." I told him after a moment.


    I did not see the big deal. Isn''t this how everyone does it?


    "Ah yes that makes sense. The book tells you to release all of it at once, does it not?" Calcelmo asked, taking on a teaching tone of voice.


    Oh now it makes sense. I thought to myself about Ariella''s comments earlier.


    "Yes but it also likens it to a muscle, yes?" I asked him back. At his nod I continued. "So wouldn''t it make sense to maximize the repetitions? It is the same concept as swinging a sword, you want the muscle memory of the movements. Since the sword does all the work, you don''t actually need a lot of strength to get the intended effect. So you start slow and without too much strength, letting the blade cut. Eventually you will learn when and where to add more power or less in the movements."


    As I was speaking, both of them started moving to my table and wound up sitting across from me. Calcelmo rested his arms on the table and folded his hands in front of his mouth, contemplative.


    "What a fascinating way to look at it. And one only a soldier can come up with." Calcelmo commented to the two of us.


    "And it would promote control, while also building up power." Ariella added on with a tilt of her head. "How have we not realized this?"


    "I think we have, we just didn''t care. When did you learn the technique?" Calcelmo asked her.


    "I couldn''t have been older than eleven." Ariella answered quickly.


    Eleven? She learned that early?! I''ve got a long way to go. I thought, shocked by the information.


    "I might have been a little older than that." Calcelmo agreed. "Then it was all about power, and control could come later. That has always been the approach, traditionally. Then there are other exercises to promote control." Calcelmo finished.


    "So it''s not necessarily better?" Ariella curiously asked, turning fully to the old wizard.


    "I would say that it depends on the user. It would not be better at all if Hadvar here didn''t do it all day. Only someone with the sufficient motivation and discipline could do it non-stop like that. While draining his reserves would make them grow faster, he would lose control. Yet he makes up with the difference in the growth with doing it so often." Calcelmo answered her, showing why he was the more experienced user of magick.


    Yea, I have plenty of motivation and discipline with the end of the world approaching, civil war threatening to tear my homeland apart, and the pure shit show that is the Imperial Legion. I thought to myself.


    A pulse of magic spread through the room. I knew it was magick immediately because of my newfound familiarity with my own magick. In the second that I noticed it, I realized a couple of things. One, was that the pulse of magick was massive, dwarfing my own reserves. Two, was that it would take me years to reach that same level.


    My face must have shown my concern because they took notice.


    "Sorry, I wanted to test it." Ariella said nonchalantly. "I still need to work on control. That was about half."


    Half?!


    "Oh don''t look so flabbergasted. Breton''s are known for their magick. And Ariella here is a prodigy." Calcelmo said. "Her reserves are already bigger than my own."


    Ariella didn''t even have the decency to blush, instead she looked smug. "Yes well, I still have a long way to go."


    "And that is precisely why old Savos Aren has offered you the position." Calcelmo praised.


    That surprised me, as I knew the name of the old Archmage of the College of Winterhold. "You''re to be the new Archmage?" I asked, catching on to the conversation.


    They turned to me. "You know who Savos Aren is?" Ariella asked.


    I tried not to take offense to that. "I would like to think that I am not an idiot."


    Ariella actually looked a bit ashamed then. "Yes, it appears that I judged you based on your inheritance, for that I apologize."


    Calcelmo cut in. "I also think I owe you an apology. I intentionally embarrassed you the other day, convinced I might be able to chase you off."


    I was surprised at their change in demeanors, just from a simple conversation. When I walked into the room, I was met with contempt, now they had a modic.u.m of respect in their eyes for me. It actually made me a little uncomfortable for a moment before pride overtook it.


    "Accepted. It just gave me more motivation to prove you wrong, something I still intend to do." I accepted their apology.


    Smiles tugged at the edges of their mouths.


    "Good. I will be taking over the role of Master Enchantress from Surgius Turrianus, not archmage." Ariella answered my earlier question.


    "Although I keep telling her that she will be groomed for the role when the time comes." Calcelmo interrupted.


    "Wow, congratulations." I said genuinely. Ariella smiled at me, and I was once again reminded of her otherworldly beauty. She would give supermodels from my other life a run for their money, and it was all natural.


    A young man came running into the room, he wore robes signifying his position as an apprentice to Calcelmo.


    "Master, the ambassador is here." The young man said with a bow.


    Another voice echoed through the halls of the library, one that was eerily familiar. "Yes, I am." It said just as a high elf form walked through the doorway. The high elf had on the robes of a Thalmor operator. The robes of black and yellow were pristine and made of a quality that I envied immediately. Say what you will about them, but their robes were clean.


    "Hello, Ancano."


    ''Silver-Blood Inn''


    I looked up at the sign and was impressed at the actual size of the inn. It had to be six stories tall, with the bottom floor blossoming out to hold the actual bar and other things needed for the upkeep of the high-class building. There were private guards stationed outside of the inn, ones that looked better served as bandits than anything.


    I walked in confidently, not sparing them a glance. They stared me down but didn''t dare stop me from entering. My station offered me many privileges, and while I had no doubt that the Silver-Bloods had the pull to stop me, they wouldn''t unless provoked.


    I walked in to the smell of smoke and mead, something that reminded me of my old life. The inn was of the highest class in all of Skyrim, I was sure none could top it. It made sense, considering the money backing it. I noticed I was underdressed but didn''t let my face or body show any signs of uncomfortability.


    My eyes tracked the room, taking in its participants. To my displeasure, my captain sat at a table near the back of the room, next to a man I didn''t know. He had a dark-elf girl sitting on his lap, she couldn''t have been more than sixteen.


    He just might die at my hands. I thought as he lost the rest of the respect I had for him. Right after I take his title.


    I nodded to him, and he nodded back. We were both off duty, and while I should have gone to talk to him to explain my presence and show respect, I didn''t and saw he didn''t want me to either.


    I saw the reason I was here sitting alone at the bar, her head in one hand and mead in the other. I walked straight up to her and grabbed the seat next to her.


    "Two more." I said to the bartender slapping down payment plus tip. Always pay your bartender well.


    "Listen, bud¡­" Margret started to deny me out of habit, obviously used to denying suiters before seeing who it was. A smile split her face, one I couldn''t help but mirror.


    "Fancy seeing you here.."


    A/N: Chapter 3 done!


    I feel like the chapters I write are slowly increasing in word count the more practice I get. What does everything think about it? Is it the quality increasing, or something else?


    So a lot of people will recognize the quest that was ''started'' when Hadvar saved Margret. I will just say that things will go down differently than in the games, mainly because this is a realistic take on it. It will also have way more reaching consequences.


    So we got some more backstory on Ariella. We also went over some magickal theory. What did we think about it, make sense? Don''t like it?


    Also, Ancano! The bastard makes an appearance, why is he in Markarth? Easy answer but it will come next chapter.


    What do we think? Let''s talk about it in the reviews!

 Chapter 259 - My OC Stash #59 - Drakkens Revenge by Cambrian (KimPossible)

    -Pretty much a Do-Over fic of Drakken but with lots of lewd~ Welp, F for GJ lol/


    Sypnosis: In which Drakken transports his mind from the future to the past, finding himself back in his younger body with a full life''s worth of memories to tell him exactly what he needs to know. It''s time for Dr. Drakken to get his.


    Rated: M


    Words: 12K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/drakkens-revenge-kim-possible.10851/ (Cambrian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    -x-X-x-


    It was all very experimental, of course. There was every possibility that it wouldn''t work, and he''d known that from the very beginning. But as he looks down at his hands, his pale, salmon-colored, not-blue hands¡­ Dr. Drakken lets out a whoop of joy. Though, right now he supposed he was still Drew Lipsky. Looking around his attic bedroom in his mother''s house, the mad scientist can still scarcely believe his eyes.


    But it''d worked. Unless this was a fever dream or hallucination or something like that, it''d worked. Pulling back one of his sleeves, Drakken reaches down and pinches some more of his pale white flesh, hard enough that it hurts. So probably not dreaming them. Grinning like a loon, the scientist hops up off of his bed and looks around his room. He grabs at things, touching and feeling them, trying to authenticate that this¡­ this is reality.


    It certainly feels like reality. It feels like he did it, the impossible. He''d managed to send his mind back to his body in the past. He''d traveled back in time and deposited himself into his old body with all of his memories of the future intact. Letting out an altogether breathless bout of laughter, Drakken hops downstairs and into the bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror.


    Gone is his blue skin, gone for good. He certainly never intended to let what had happened to him that dreadful Tuesday ever happen again, no sir. In fact, there were a lot of things that ''Drew'' never intended to let happen, now that his work had been a success and he''d ended up in the past. Mm¡­ no, he couldn''t do it. Oh, he''d go back to being Drew Lipsky on the outside, in public. But inwardly¡­ he would always be Dr. Drakken.


    Drakken was his name and had been his name for far too long for him to go back now. It was his very identity, who he saw himself as. He didn''t intend to change that. However, he''d learned a lot over his life. He no longer held the same hatred for his old name that he once did. Drew Theodore P. Lipsky would not be consigned to the hells of damnation this go around. Both identities would have their uses, of that Drakken was sure.


    "Drew? Did I hear you shouting? What''s going on up there?"


    Blinking as his mother''s voice comes from the bottom floor of the house, trailing up the stairs to the second, Drakken grins and hops out of the bathroom, heading across the hall to his mother''s room.


    "Nothing, mother! I''m taking some money out of the safe though!"


    "Alright dearie, as long as you put it back!"


    He knew what day this was from a glance at the calendar up in his attic bedroom. Today was the day Drakken was born, one way or the other. Today was the day he would have taken everything from his mother''s safe in order to start his life of crime and villainy, making his very first Death Ray off of the components that her money bought him.


    In the original timeline, he''d never paid her back, and yet she''d never so much as blamed him for it, never even asked after the money. As Drakken spins the dial and puts in the combination that opens the safe, revealing the stacks of dough that sit within thanks to his mother''s paranoia regarding banks, he can''t help but smile wistfully.


    His mother will always be the most important woman in his life, Drakken decides. And he''s not going to hurt her for his own gains this time around. Only taking what he needs in the form of a few thousand dollars, Drakken grabs his coat and heads out the front door, tossing a goodbye over his shoulder as he does.


    He had a few bets to place.


    -x-X-x-


    She still wasn''t entirely sure about this, but in the end, Shego considered it the best of a list of bad options. Her brothers had irritated her to the point of departure, and honestly, she needed the money. Even if Hego was convinced that Shego was evil or something and that was why she''d left Team Go, the fact of the matter was, Shego was just fed up with all of her siblings.


    It''d been bad enough growing up as the only girl in the family. Being the only girl on a superhero team made up of her older and younger brothers and having to spend the rest of her life fighting villainy with them¡­ nah, f.u.c.k that. Let Hego label her as ''evil''. Shego didn''t give a shit anymore, she really didn''t even think there was such thing as concrete good and evil. The world as it was existed more in varying shades of gray, and was made up of selfish people, all trying to get their own in the end. Her brothers would have to grow up some day and acknowledge that. And acknowledge their own faults as well.


    But regardless, after her bad breakup with Team Go, Shego needed a new job. And working for a scientist as his bodyguard had seemed too good to pass up when she''d seen the dollar amount being offered on the flyer. Of course, unbeknownst to her, that flyer had been the only one of its kind¡­ and it hadn''t been any coincidence that it flew right into her face when it did.


    Now, here Shego sat, waiting in a comfortable lounge area for the man of the hour to arrive. And there he was now, a total nerd if Shego had ever seen one, wearing a button up shirt and carrying a briefcase in one hand as he used the other to push up his glasses. Rising from her seat, Shego very carefully does not cross her arms over her chest defensively.


    "Dr. Drakken I presume?"


    Grinning from ear to ear, he nods as he sits across from her.


    "You presume right, my dear. It''s a pleasure to meet you, Shego! Let''s get started, shall we?"


    She''s more than a little taken aback by his personality. He''s not even slightly fl.u.s.tered by her looks? She''s both green-skinned AND drop dead gorgeous and she knows it too. Meanwhile, he''s got no right to be so bombastic and confidence, and yet there it is all the same. Slightly floored, Shego nods and sits down as well.


    "Uh¡­ sure. I guess I have to ask, do you really have as much money as the flyer promised?"


    Drakken nods amicably as if he expected the question.


    "Of course, payment. Indeed, I do, Ms. Go¡­ that, and more. But before we go any further¡­"


    Popping open his briefcase, Drakken reaches inside and pulls out what looks like a technological bracelet, gleaming and silver.


    "I''ll have to ask that you wear this for the rest of the interview. I''ll be asking you some questions, and this will tell me if you lie to me at any point."


    He holds up a hand to forestall her obvious objections.


    "I will not ask you anything too personal, and if I do overstep my bounds you are free to not answer anything, Ms. Go. But I must insist on this precaution at least, I''ve been burned before."


    Curiosity peaked, and truth be told, wondering exactly what that meant, Shego shrugs and reaches out to take the bracelet from Drakken. As she slips it on, she reflects that she''d be willing to do a lot more than wear a lie detector for a job paying this much. Of course, the bracelet isn''t just a lie detector¡­ and before Shego knows what''s happening, her world is changing forever.


    -x-X-x-


    As Drakken slides his fingers through Shego''s lush black hair, guiding the enthusiastic femme fatale up and down his c.o.c.k, he groans in appreciation of her technique.


    "That''s right, Ms. Go. Keep sucking. You''ll do ANYTHING for this job, won''t you? You''ll do anything to become my full-time s.e.x pet¡­"


    Shego redoubles her efforts, and Drakken grins. Part of him had considered letting her in on the secret. But there was a reason that he''d come back to the past alone, now wasn''t there? Given how he''d transported himself into his old body, there really was no reason that he couldn''t have done the same to another person at the same time.


    There just hadn''t been another person to transport. Shego had left him, abandoned him really, and by the time Drakken was ready to put his time travel plan into action, he was all alone. And that was just fine. He''d stay all alone, even now in the past¡­ but that didn''t mean he wasn''t going to acquire ever asset he could get his hands on. And there was no denying that Shego was quite the asset.


    Reaching down with his free hand as the other continues to grip tightly at Shego''s lush locks and guide the green-skinned woman up and down his c.o.c.k, Drakken grabs the bracelet on Shego''s limp wrist and pulls it off. Beneath the bracelet, the smallest drop of blood wells up from the prick that she''d been given. The nanites were in Shego''s system now¡­ and they would remain there, making her all his for the rest of her life.


    The technology was based on the neuro-compliance ch.i.p.s invented by Dr. Cyrus Bortel, of course. God, Drakken had been so close to victory back then. He''d had Kim Possible and Shego both under his control¡­ only to be foiled by his nemesis'' younger twin brothers of all things. That had to be one of his most humiliating losses, to be so close to victory, only to have it snatched from his grasp not by a teenager like usual, but by two preteen boys.


    That had definitely been the event that had cemented his hatred for the entire Possible Family, not just Kim. But even still, it was in the past¡­ or more accurately, a future that never was. Now, Drakken had a chance to do it all over again. He had a chance to do it right¡­ it wasn''t an opportunity he''d been putting to waste. Some sure bets had seen him turning the money he''d taken from her mother into a small fortune, which he''d then used to patent some of his less-lethal devices.


    From there, over the last few months he''d built quite the nest egg, as well as a small company around himself, his genius¡­ and his future memories. It was all too easy to grow his wealth given what he knew of the future. Drakken had planned for this, after all. Just as he''d planned for THIS as well. Looking down at Shego as she slavishly works away at pleasuring his c.o.c.k with her lips, Drakken grins and decides he''s ready for Stage Two.


    "Your mouth isn''t bad, Ms. Go¡­ but let''s move onto your cunt. After all, if you''re going to be my loving, loyal s.e.x pet for the rest of your life, you need to have a good cunt."


    Shego pops off of his c.o.c.k and gives him a smoldering smile and a needy look as she just nods in agreement. Standing up, she turns and bends over the coffee table behind her, reaching back and easily opening up a slit in the crotch of her jumpsuit. Drakken rises from the couch as well, grabbing hold of Shego''s h.i.p.s with both hands and sinking his length into her depths without a second of hesitation. As he expected, Shego is quite tight and warm and wet¡­ though he''s surprised when he takes her v.i.r.g.i.nity from her, tearing right through her h.y.m.e.n.


    Shego cries out, even as Drakken pauses for a moment, blinking. But then, he supposes it makes sense. She''s still so young here¡­ even if she''s an a.d.u.l.t woman with a rocking body as it is. Regardless, Drakken starts to thrust away, spearing into Shego''s cunt from behind as he f.u.c.ks the first of his many planned love slaves.


    Because yes, Drakken intended to use his mind control nanites on more than just Ms. Go. She was the first, but far from the last. After building his company, after procuring millions of dollars, Drakken had revolutionized the neuro-compliance ch.i.p.s that Dr. Bortel hadn''t even gotten a chance to invent yet. He''d taken them beyond their initial flawed design. Why make a microchip after all¡­ when you could go smaller instead?


    The nanites currently flowing through Shego''s bloodstream as he pounded into the green-skinned femme fatale from behind, making her his bitch in more ways than one, weren''t about to be taken down by a handheld silicon phase disruptor, no sir. In fact, Drakken had every intention of making sure they weren''t ever disabled by anything¡­ at all.


    He wasn''t going to make the mistakes he had in the past with this sort of thing. This technology¡­ he was going to perfect it. He was going to continue working on it for the rest of his life, to make sure that no matter what happened, his new future was as comfy, cozy, and safe as possible. Of course, in the meantime, Drakken had every intention of getting revenge on everyone whoever wronged him¡­ as well as possibly conquering the world.


    But he wouldn''t go about it all haphazardly as he''d done in the past, or in the future that never would be. Now, Drakken knew who his enemies were. He knew who he had to defeat¡­ and with a slavishly loyal harem of the proper sort of women at his side, he would win every battle, take on every comer, and rise to the top in no time at all.


    With a triumphant roar, Drakken slams home into Shego''s cunt one final time and fills the green-skinned woman with his seed. She takes it with an ecstatic lewd cry, the mind-controlled beauty climaxing around his c.o.c.k as she shudders in orgasmic bliss. Letting her fall forward onto the coffee table, Drakken smiles down at the face down, ass up femme fatale.


    "You''re hired, Ms. Go. We''re going to have a lot of fun together, you and I."


    And many more besides, he doesn''t add. Shego was his first in this new timeline¡­ but far from his last.


    Chapter 1


    -x-X-x-


    Mind Control, Drakken reflects, was actually a very broad spectrum at the end of the day. Some who thought little of the concept would probably fail to understand this, simply seeing it as an evil thing, or a useless thing, and discarding it for either moral reasons or otherwise. And yet, they were blind to the applications, blind to what could be done with the right sort of technology.


    As Drakken distractedly works on his Grand Plan and continues to ponder just who and what he needs to subvert next, he finds himself also pondering the nature of Mind Control in all of its many forms and facets. For instance, when some thought of Mind Control, they would likely think of turning other humans into little more than automatons, fleshy robots who existed for little more purpose than to follow the orders of whoever had control.


    Back in the previous timeline, Drakken had actually used that form of mind control on both Shego and Kim Possible, more than once. Unfortunately, it never quite stuck. Someone would always notice that something was wrong. There was no subtlety in turning someone like Kim Possible into an automaton, no way of truly keeping those close to her from realizing what had happened. Without fail, someone would show up and save her from an ignoble fate as his mindless drone.


    Even Shego, who didn''t have any true allies save for him and a few other villains, would eventually break free of such mind control. It wasn''t subtle enough, full stop. More subtle, was the version of mind control that most closely resembled the effects of a love potion. Turning someone into an adoring, happy to please and serve pet was, without a doubt, certainly an effective form of Mind Control. Making them think that they love you, making them want nothing more than to be your property forevermore¡­ that was pretty good.


    Of course, it came with the same problems as the previous form of Mind Control, now didn''t it? If someone''s personality suddenly changed from one way to another, if they suddenly went from one set of priorities to a different set of priorities, well that was pretty much the same as being an automaton and having no priorities anymore at all, now wasn''t it? It was suspicious, and it would in turn draw suspicion.


    On the other hand¡­ if you could instead make the mind control a bit more insidious¡­ if you could make someone act the same as they always did, but simply make them willing to work with you because they believed they signed a contract that they simply can''t get out of, or because you have blackmail on them¡­ well then, that leaves both them and those who might try to save them never even realizing they were mind controlled in the first place.


    And if they don''t know they''re mind controlled, how exactly are they going to break free from said mind control? Smiling slightly, quite pleased with this particular epiphany, Drakken finally deigns to acknowledge the elephant in the room, so to speak. There''s a reason that he''s been distracted from working on his Grand Plan and instead found himself going off on a tangent about different forms of mind control, after all.


    "Shego."


    Shego, standing across the way, goes absolutely stiff at the sound of his voice. Up until he''d spoken, the green-skinned femme fatale¡­ had been cleaning up. Yes, Shego, the woman who could go toe to toe with the best of them in hand to hand combat, and not only that, could fling green fire from her hands¡­ was currently dressed in a s.e.xy French maid uniform, and cleaning up his office with a duster held daintily in one of her hands.


    She freezes up the moment he says her name, of course. The moment AFTER that though, Shego turns around and flashes him the barest of smiles, one that doesn''t reach her eyes. Ducking her head like a good maid should, the green-skinned woman coughs politely.


    "Yes, Master?"


    The words, unlike just the week before when Drakken had first brought Shego under his control, are said far more begrudgingly now. She sounds almost reluctant to serve him¡­ and to be fair, right now she is. Right now, Shego is the closest to the Shego that worked for him in the other timeline for so many years. Not quite that Shego, because if she was, she''d never have put on the maid costume in the first place, and he''d be dead.


    But instead, she''s a Shego that''s in too deep, now tied to him by a contract that she''s absolutely CONVINCED she cannot break under any circ.u.mstances. That is, of course, the Mind Control talking. If not for the nanites in her body, Shego would be quite happy to break such a humiliating and degrading contract, and once again, he would be dead at this point.


    Of course, said contract doesn''t even truly exist, not really. Why would he bother writing up an actual doc.u.ment, when his nanites leave Shego fully under his control? Still, this version of Shego thinks the contract exists, and believes that she has to abide by it, no matter how much she hates it. That includes obeying his every order¡­ such as putting on the French maid uniform, she''s currently in, and tiding up the place a bit. And such as the order he gives her now, a wide grin set on his face.


    "Come over here. I think you missed a spot."


    Walking somewhat woodenly, Shego does as she''s told, visibly reluctant. Drakken pulls out from his desk and turns to her as she walks around to his side of the large piece of furniture. Then, he sticks out one legs, and points down to his boot, where a visible smudge can be seen.


    "Look at this. What do you have to say for yourself, my dear?"


    Shego grimaces, but he''s not interested in letting her speak. Just as she''s opening her mouth, whether it''s to make excuses or say something else, Drakken talks over her, overriding her.


    "Lick it."


    The fun thing about this version of Shego is that she doesn''t want to obey his orders, and she doesn''t have to either¡­ not immediately, anyways. As his green-skinned maid goes stiff at that and glares at him, Drakken can''t help but grin wider.


    "Excuse me?"


    In the previous timeline, the tone Shego uses on him now would have had Drakken immediately backpedaling and shaking in his boots. In this timeline, he''s been ball''s deep inside of the femme fatale multiple times and has very much stress-tested the mind control nanites filling her body. Having her lick, the top of his boot clean is in no way too far. Instead of fearful backtracking, Drakken just smiles and laces his fingers together as he leans back in his chair.


    "You heard me, Shego. Unless you wish to default on your contract?"


    Shego goes stiff again, this time in terror. He hasn''t actually fleshed out what defaulting on her nonexistent contract would mean for the green-skinned heroine-turned-villainess-turned-maid, but he doesn''t really need to. All Shego ''knows'' is that defaulting on the contract she signed with him is extremely bad for her¡­ far worse than getting down on her knees like a good little girl and licking her boss'' boot clean.


    So, that''s what Shego does, kneeling there in her s.e.xy French maid uniform, and leaning forward to bring her tongue to the top of his shoe. At the same time, Drakken is admiring Shego''s ass, because the French maid uniform, he has her in is several sizes too small, and does absolutely nothing to cover her bare-n.a.k.e.d behind in the position she''s in now, with the frilly hem of her skirt riding up onto the small of her back.


    As Shego licks, Drakken reaches out and spanks, giving her green bottom a hefty smack that has the maid squealing from the blow, and shuddering slightly. Even now, even having made her reluctant and barely willing to obey him¡­ Drakken had made sure that she would just as reluctantly enjoy what he was doing to her. Shego loathed herself for it, but already she was getting turned on and wet from the way he was touching her and forcing her to degrade herself, all at the same time.


    Sliding his hand across her exposed rump, Drakken slips his fingers back between her thighs and pushes them up into her cunt, finding her dripping and already ready for him.


    "Such a disgraceful maid you are¡­ you''re making a mess right now, even as you clean up my boot. Whatever am I going to do with you? I suppose I''ll have to plug you up."


    Pulling his hand back and his fingers out of her cunt as a result, Drakken instead grabs hold of Shego by the hair, dragging her to her feet even as he himself rises. Pushing aside the things on his desk is easy enough, and then he''s lifting Shego up by the h.i.p.s and sitting her on the edge of his desk. She lays back, just as he expects her to, though it''s obvious from the frown on her face that she doesn''t want this. Or at least, she doesn''t want to want this.


    Drakken just smirks as he releases his engorged member from it''s confines and brings it to bear on Shego''s n.a.k.e.d, ready and waiting cunt. Reaches up, he grabs the top of her maid uniform and yanks it down, exposing the green-skinned femme fatale''s tits to open air as well, even as he places the head of his c.o.c.k up against her p.u.s.s.y lips.


    Shego grimaces as he grabs and begins to maul and knead her chest to his heart''s content, while at the same time thrusting forward into her. A reluctant m.o.a.n leaves her lips, followed by a groan as Drakken ever so slowly slides back and forth, in and out of her, barely even f.u.c.k.i.n.g her for the time being and focusing a lot more on aggressively molding her b.r.e.a.s.ts with his hands, squeezing them hard enough to bruise and having his fun having his way with her.


    Once upon a time, Shego had been his second half, in a way. But Drakken knew now that her loyalty was fickle at best, and disastrous at worst. He couldn''t have her betraying him at the worst moment, couldn''t have her growing a conscience and deciding to try and stop his plans.


    After a few minutes of teasing her, Drakken begins to f.u.c.k his green-skinned maid in earnest, plowing Shego hard as she lays back across his desk, grunting and groaning and sometimes m.o.a.ning. It''s obvious that she''s both enjoying it and not enjoying it, trying to act like her body isn''t reacting to his c.o.c.k thrusting away at her, pistoning in and out of her p.u.s.s.y.


    Yes, this sort of Mind Control, a more insidious kind of mind control, really is the best way to go about things. She believes herself beholden to him in every way that matters, while at the same time still having most of her original personality. He liked this¡­ he liked this a lot. In no time at all, Drakken c.u.ms inside of Shego, filling her with his seed. He pumps a nice thick load of white, hot c.u.m into her, and then pulls out and yanks her off of his desk by her hair once more.


    "Up and at em, Shego. Back to work with you now. I''ve had my fill¡­ for now."


    He gives her derriere a quick spanking as she passes by, leaving Shego to squeak and jump at least a foot in the air from the blow. She scowls at him, but then blushes and ducks her head submissively when he just raises an eyebrow at her challengingly.


    Drakken sits back down at his desk and returns to the Grand Plan, even as Shego gets back to cleaning up the place. Now that he''s satiated for the time being, he''s able to actually focus on his work and the steps he''s going to have to take moving forward to solidify his iron grip on this reality. He''s going to conquer the world¡­ but he''s going to do it properly this time.


    And with that, Drakken knows who and what he needs to deal with next. A wide grin spreads across his face, even as he begins making plans.

 Chapter 261 - My OC Stash #61 - The Villain Wrangler by lilhawkeye3 (DCU)

    -Thanks to me sleep apnea, I found this wholesome fic about an OC taking his job of making kids wishes come true real seriously! Pretty much we get to see the softer and humane side of the Villains in the DCU~


    Sypnosis: When a sick child asks to meet a villain (instead of a celebrity or superhero like with most wishes), someone''s got to have the guts to track these wanted individuals down. It''s not as easy as one would think. And what''s there to worry about: they''re all big softies anyways... right?


    Rated: T


    Words: 40K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12304924/1/The-Villain-Wrangler (lil''hawkeye3)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1+3 (exceptional)


    Aye, mortals! So this fic comes from a prompt on tumblr from a few months ago, but I was just recently convinced to write about. If you want to see it, just Google "The Villain Wrangler" and it''ll come up. All of the main ideas behind this comes from the wonderful people who contributed to that post, I just put my own spin on it to weave everything together. Oh, and any character you recognize (i.e. DC characters) aren''t mine. Hope you enjoy it!


    Danny Johnson stared blankly at the screen in front of him. Earlier, his reaction had been due to shock, but that had faded away by this point. Sadly, that didn''t mean the contents of the email displayed on his laptop were any different.


    5 year old girl¡­ Melody Waters¡­. Wants to show Poison Ivy her succulent garden¡­ terminal cancer¡­ a few months¡­


    It wasn''t the fact that the girl had cancer or how young she was, but more the fact that her ''World of Wishes'' wish revolved around a notorious- and wanted- villainess in Gotham that surprised Danny. This job wasn''t new to him, but he''d never heard of anything like this happening before.


    "Kids are strange," he muttered, rubbing his palm against his forehead. How was he going to give this child what she wanted the most?


    His search began online, scouring enthusiast forums and potentially illegal sites alike to find any word of where one might come across the green woman. He ignored any stories that reminded him of her criminal actions; none of that mattered after the point he learned of the wish he was sent to fulfill.


    That was how he found himself seated in Gotham Park every night near the botanic enclosure for a week in the hopes of catching Ivy. The first three nights had passed without events, the fourth night Danny could''ve sworn a figure was watching him from the trees, and the last two had seen drunk individuals stumble along the paved walkways. He was hoping this final night would grant him the opportunity he had been waiting for; if not, he would search for another idea.


    The feeling of something wrapping around his ankle snapped him out of his thoughts to leave him meeting the emerald gaze of the person he was looking for. Poison Ivy raised an eyebrow in question as she sat on the other end of his bench, watching his with a dangerous glint in her eyes.


    "You''re quite persistent," she hummed, pursing her lips and reaching one hand towards his face. "Kept me from visiting my babies for several days, you naught b-" She was cut off as Danny grabbed her wrist and smiled apologetically.


    "I''m sorry, Ms. Ivy, but I need to ask you something and I''m racing against a deadline," he said, tensing himself for an altercation.


    "Make that two now." Her warning was clear, and yet it didn''t faze him the slightest. He reached into the pocket of his trenchcoat and pulled out a folded packet of papers all revolving around wisher Melody Waters: her past and current picture, her wish statement, details on her sickness, and a drawing she had made of Poison Ivy. Danny handed them all over to the woman, who took them questioningly.


    "My name is Danny Johnson and I work for the ''World of Wishes'' foundation. Last week, a terminally ill 5 year-old girl named Melody asked to meet you so she could show you the small garden of succulents she has been caring for in her hospital room. She adores you." He smiled as he saw Ivy ruffle through the papers confirming what he said. "I''m here to ask if you''d come in to see her at Gotham Central."


    He watched as she glanced between him and the papers she held several times before chuckling humorlessly. "I''ll give you points for effort, Mister Johnson, but your time is up." Even with the vines now wrapping around both his legs and his chest, Danny found her theatrics slightly ridiculous. "Why are you really here? Was it the Commissioner or the Bat?"


    He knew he shouldn''t, but Danny couldn''t keep his annoyance down. "Look, Ivy, the only damn reason I am here is because a dying little girl''s biggest wish is to show you her own plants. I don''t care what the hell you do the other 364 days this year, but that other day is going to be spent in Melody''s hospital room in the next week!"


    The two sat in silence for several minutes following his outburst. Danny wasn''t really sure what to expect, but seeing as the vines constricting his movement has stopped creeping upwards, he felt optimistic. In an attempt to not be rude by staring, Danny turned his sights on their surroundings until she spoke.


    "Well, I must make sure those poor darlings are being cared for correctly," Ivy finally answered, flicking her wrist to remove Danny''s natural constraints. "I''ll be there; won''t tell you when- can''t take too many risks."


    "Understandable."


    "You''d best be on your way then, Mister Johnson. Not all of the night life in Gotham is as nice as I am." With that, Ivy rose from the bench and began to walk away down the flower-lined path, stopping every so often to lean down and stroke the blooming plants.


    Danny let out a breath he didn''t realize he was holding in before shaking his head and wandering off towards his apartment.


    The first day passed with Danny working from home, going through his usually task of writing to celebrities and corporations on the behalf of other children and their wishes. It was nice to pretend that he hadn''t had a chat with an infamous temptress the previous night.


    The universe didn''t seem to share the same sentiment. He had only been out of the room for 10 minutes to take a shower- 15 at most- before walking in with a towel wrapped around his waist to find Poison Ivy seated on his couch, aimlessly flipping through TV channels with his remote.


    Danny opened his mouth to say something and wasn''t proud with what actually came out. "What the hell?!" His face flushed in embarrassment as she coolly glanced over.


    "What channel number is National Geographic?"


    Danny blinked several times as he processed her question. "Uh¡­ try 615...ish," he replied lamely, before shaking his head several times to clear it. "No- wait- what are you doing here?!"


    Ivy stared ahead at the television as it showed scenes of some foreign rainforest. "Needed a way to contact you. Brought you a burner with my number in it."


    "That''s¡­ thoughtful."


    She finally looked over at him and smiled. "Of course. And, I''ll be giving you a five-minutes heads up before I arrive."


    "Thanks¡­"


    Ivy ignored him as she stood and began to make her way towards his door. "You''re leaving out the front?" He asked, surprised.


    The redhead looked at him incredulously. "You''re 19 stories up; did you think I came in through your window?" With a parting wink and smile, Ivy walked out of the apartment and shut the door behind her, leaving an exasperated Danny behind.


    "Johnson!" Danny looked up from the burner phone Ivy gave him and sighed as he saw his boss stalking towards him, arms crossed. She glared at him over the top of her glasses. "What do you think you''re playing at?" Her heels clicked menacingly against the floor as she stopped in front of him.


    He chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "I''m not sure what you mean." No, he knew exactly what she meant, and the twitch of her eyebrow confirmed what was coming.


    "Telling a sick child that she''d get to meet Poison Ivy?! I don''t pay you to make up this crap. You honestly think some evil plant bitch would show up-"


    Her eyes grew wide as a vine wrapped around her mouth, effectively cutting of her rant. Danny did his best to keep a professional face and not laugh, but a few snickers managed to sneak out at the sight of goosebumps appearing on her upper arms after Ivy ran her hands on them.


    "Danny, you didn''t say there would be any weeds here¡­" she murmured, brushing a strand of the woman''s brown hair out of her face. Danny could see her trembling and decided it would probably be best to stop it before something bad happened.


    "Ivy, I think Melody''s ready to see you¡­" He said, gesturing behind him towards the girl''s hospital room in an attempt to redirect her attention. Thankfully, it worked. Ivy sighed reluctantly before removing her hold on his boss and moving to stand beside him, ignoring the woman as she half-walked, half-ran back down the hall. "Alright, rules: no attacking anyone, no offering to kill anyone, and no killing her garden." The redhead looked offended that he would even ask that, but didn''t comment. "I guess we can go in, then."


    The light that came into Melody''s eyes when she looked up from her crayon drawing to see Poison Ivy walk through her door would stay with him forever. She squealed and wiggled to sit up further, smiling so brightly it was almost blinding. It was amusing to see her joy contrasted by the fear on the faces of her parents and the doctors in the room.


    "They told me you weren''t gonna come!" She said happily as Ivy took her tiny hand in hers. "But I knew you would!"


    Danny could tell the smile on Ivy''s face was real. "I just had to come see my little flower." She sat down on her bed and asked to see Melody''s drawings, prompting a flurry of conversation from the girl.


    "Um¡­ excuse me, mister," Melody''s mother said, speaking softly to not interrupt her daughter''s focus. Danny looked down at her curiously; she had tears welling up in her eyes. "I haven''t seen her this lively in so long. Whatever you did to find her," she glanced over her shoulder towards the villainess, "thank you."


    That was the moment Danny knew he would continue to do whatever it took to fulfill any child''s wish, no matter what.


    So the next day, when he received a request from a child wanting to meet Captain Cold, he did what anyone would do: pour himself a strong drink and start searching online for the rogue''s favorite bar.


    Chapter 2


    Danny might''ve been cringing internally as the man''s head was slammed against the ground, but he managed to smirk outwardly and raise his glass towards the winner of the match. The rough crowd roared its approval at the win, especially those who had bet on the victor. From his spot seated at the bar, he could see several unhappy fellows being led from the building by some menacing men; he didn''t want to dwell on that. After all, he didn''t want to call any attention to himself on his third night here- the rogue he was looking for had yet to arrive.


    Hayden Paine, nine, aggressive osteosarcoma originating from right leg, wants to meet Captain Cold because ''freeze rays are awesome.''


    It had taken a lot of digging- and a few bribes to some teenagers hanging out on the streets in Central City- before he first located the bar that doubled as an underground fight club. Cold had been seen there at least three times before, and that was good enough for Danny. He hoped his trip to the city wouldn''t be a waste, although the journey wasn''t too much of a hassle; the boy who had requested to see Cold was currently in the neighboring Keystone City.


    Danny looked up from his drink to see the man himself enter the pub, taking a seat at the far end of the bar. He tried to ignore the nervous lurch his stomach gave. "Gimme the usual," he heard the rogue say to the bartender, who gave the same sharp nod to him as he did to everyone else. Once the server turned away, Danny grabbed his file and approached Cold. The light glinted off of Cold''s dark glasses as he tilted his head slightly to look at him.


    "Captain Cold," he began, grimacing at his lame entrance, "my name is Danny Johnson and I''m from ''World of Wishes.'' The other day, a boy with aggressive bone cancer named Hayden requested to meet you-"


    Although Danny hadn''t been sure what to expect, he sure didn''t think the rogue would laugh in his face. Something inside Danny snapped, and he saw red as he lashed out and grabbed Cold by the collar of his jacket, pulling him forward so that their eyes were at the same level.


    "Look, jackass, for some reason, all this kids wants more than anything is to see you and your frickin'' freeze gun, so I''d appreciate it if you''d SHUT your GODDAMNED MOUTH and listen to me for your fan''s sake!"


    The room was silent.


    Danny panted angrily as he came down from his rant, only now noticing that he had drawn everyone''s attention onto the two of them. He was pretty sure if Cold had laser vision, he''d be fried by now.


    "Rogues do not harm women or children. You are neither."


    The rogue firmly removed Danny''s hand from his jacket and stood up, snatching the file from him. As a heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder and began forcefully guiding him towards the door, Danny was sure this would be his last night in existence.


    His walk of dread halted after the two had walked several blocks, heading towards a more run-down section of Central City. Cold roughly shoved him into a dark alley, and Danny winced as his infamous freeze gun was drawn and leveled at him. However, the sound of it firing and him being able to move afterwards didn''t add up. He looked up to see Cold had spun around and frozen a pair of thugs who, he inferenced, had been following them for not-so-pleasant reasons.


    Cold grunted. "Had to lead them somewhere unseen. Besides, I''ve got a reputation to keep that you almost destroyed back there." Danny was sure he was being glared at now. "So what the hell did you want?" Danny wordlessly held out Hayden''s file in response, exhaling in relief when Cold took it and began to flip through the pages. "Is this some sort of joke?"


    "You think any normal person would go through the struggle to find you for some prank?"


    "I don''t hang around ''normal people.''"


    Danny huffed, but admitted the man had a point. "It''s not a joke. I take my job seriously; the happiness of these kids means a lot to me." He shrugged. "You might enjoy it too- Poison Ivy did." He shook his head to refocus himself. "Point is, this kid idolizes you and wants to meet you. What would you lose from visiting him?"


    "Ask yourself that when the cops show up. Or worse, that damned speedster."


    He''d thought of this one already. "Then visit him during the nighttime, outside of regular hours." Neither said anything for several minutes, but Danny was patient. Not to lie, he was also mentally praying to every deity he could think of for Cold to say yes.


    The rogue turned away, and began to walk out of the alley. "Midnight, tomorrow; side door of Keystone Medical. You''re not there, your loss." Cold turned the corner and disappeared, file still in hand.


    Danny considered it a success.


    It was 11:55pm when Captain Cold had the back entrance to Keystone''s main hospital opened for him.


    "I wasn''t about to let you break the lock on a hospital''s door," Danny chuckled as the man walked into the building. His eyes went directly to the suspicious sack the criminal was carrying, but decided against asking about it. "This way- he''s on the fourth floor. I told his nurse to have him awake about ten minutes ago."


    Cold didn''t really care- he was just glad that there was no music playing in the elevator as they rode it up. "Come on, then."


    Danny held out an arm to stop him. "First: ground rules." Cold sighed in annoyance. "No attacking or using weapons on people, no swearing, no hypothermia. Got it?" He took his silence to be affirmative. "Good." Danny glanced into the bright room. "Hey, Hayden." The two men entered the room, the boy''s attention already on them.


    Hayden gasped in delight. "You really came!" He cried excitedly, rolling his wheelchair over to rest in front of his ''hero.'' "You''re the best! Like ice is so cool and then you went and made a freeze-ray-gun that''s better than Mr. Freeze''s and it''s okay that you steal stuff because you''re actually nice and don''t hurt a bunch of people and you have cool glasses too can I try them on?" Danny tried to stifle a laugh at the bemused look on Cold''s face as the boy delightedly rambled.


    "Don''t go telling everyone that," he said gruffly, contrasting his action of taking off his goggles and bending down to put them on Hayden. Danny decided the two would be fine and moved outside to keep watch from the hallway.


    It was a good thing he did. Several minutes later, a red blur came bursting from the stairwell and skidding to a halt in front of the hospital room, a delayed breeze brushing against Danny''s skin as he recognized the arrivee to be none other than the Flash.


    Oh no. Nobody was going to get involved in his ''World of Wishes'' child''s meeting. He quickly but quietly shut the door, cutting of both of their view''s of the room. "I''m sorry, but I''m afraid I''m going to have to ask you to leave."


    The Flash gaped at him, but Danny didn''t budge. "Are you crazy?! Captain Cold''s in there with a child! You have to let me in to-"


    Danny raised an eyebrow. "To what? Save him? I think you''re forgetting, the Rogues don''t harm women or children. Try again."


    The speedster''s eyes narrowed slightly. "Cold is a criminal, and I need to take him in-"


    "Cold is not doing anything illegal, and is in fact fulfilling a child''s wish right now. You can continue your¡­ disagreement with him some other time."


    The superhero apparently had enough, for he blurted out an apology before speeding around Danny, opening the door, and running into the room. Hayden, who had been laughing in amazement after a display of Captain Cold''s gun on a water bottle next to his bed, quieted as the two turned to face their uninvited guest. Cold subtly inched his way to stand in front of the boy.


    "Flash."


    "Cold."


    "Why is the Flash here? I like Captain Cold better, that''s why I asked for him," Hayden muttered in confusion. His comment drew an astonished and slightly hurt look from the Flash.


    "Alright, Mister¡­ Flash," Danny said coolly. "A word outside, it you please." His gaze gave no room for discussion, and the hero found himself complying with the request, albeit reluctantly. Once the door was shut again, Danny rounded on him. "As far as I''m concerned, the only one causing a problem here is you. I''m only going to ask you one more time: leave."


    The Flash had never heard so much venom in a civilian''s voice when aimed at him, and had especially never seen one standing up for a villain. He couldn''t help but admit the other man was right though; Cold wasn''t doing anything wrong that he could tell. With one last look at Danny, he sped out of the hospital.


    Chapter 3


    "Alright, you have got to stop breaking into my apartment!" Danny huffed in frustration as he entered the room to find Ivy once again lounging on his couch, leaning back against its arm. She cracked one eye open to look at him.


    "You didn''t mention you were leaving town," she countered.


    Danny sighed, not even wanting to bother with starting an argument. He dropped his bags beside the door and headed towards the kitchen, keen on eating after his flight. He nodded a hello to the blonde sitting on his counter as he fetched a glass from the cabinet and poured himself some water from the faucet. He turned back around, raising the cup to his lips, and then finally process what he had already seen.


    There was a blonde woman sitting on his counter.


    Danny set his glass down before he dropped it in shock.


    The woman must''ve read his read his reaction and found it hilarious, because she began to laugh. "Nice to meet yah, mistah! Name''s Harley; maybe yah''ve heard of me?" She smiled excitedly.


    Danny opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. His stare turned into a glare as he stalked out of the room to confront the eco-terrorist relaxing in his living room. "Excuse me, but who let you bring your friend in here?!"


    She didn''t bother to open her eyes. "I did."


    "It''s not your apartment!"


    "You never told me not to."


    "Oh- why don''t you go- eat a plant!"


    "Gladly. I''m a vegetarian."


    "Then- eat fried chicken!"


    Gasp. "I would NEVER!"


    Danny crossed his arms and huffed in joint annoyance and anger, determined to look anywhere but at Ivy. His gaze ended up settling on Harley curiously. She was wearing gray sweatpants with a black and red bra showing from under her open brown bomber jacket.


    "What?" Her eyebrow raised challengingly. "It''s cold out."


    Danny just nodded mutely. Harley took his silence as agreement and widely smiled.


    "Ivy was tellin'' me all about the kid she got to visit, so we stopped by after we saw that little girly." Danny mentally groaned; he knew this wouldn''t be the last time he heard about that. "Say, do you know if there are any kiddies who''ve got a good appreciation for jokes?"


    "Um¡­ Ms. Quinn¡­"


    She waved her hand nonchalantly. "Quinzel."


    "-what?''


    The blonde laughed. "It''s "Ms. Quinzel;" well, it''s actually "Dr. Quinzel," but tomato, tomahto!"


    "Right¡­" Danny blinked a few times before he remembered what he had been saying. "Dr. Quinzel, I haven''t received any requests for you yet, but if I do I''ll- goddamnit!" He swore as his phone interrupted him this time. He turned away from the villainess and answered the call in a clipped tone. "Yes?"


    "This is all your fault, Johnson; I am going to make you regret ever finding that plant woman, now I''ve got some girl asking about a clown lady-"


    Danny couldn''t help himself from snickering as he glanced at Harley in amus.e.m.e.nt. "Don''t worry, I can reach her easily. Just text me the info." It satisfied him that he could hang up on her for once. "Harley, some powerful being must really like you because your wish was just granted."


    Harley jumped off the counter with an excited cheer and cartwheeled out of the kitchen. "Ivy! I got a bite-sized fan, too!"


    Ivy reluctantly opened her eyes to view her hyperactive friend. "Congratulations." She winced as Harley squealed and jumped on top of her, giving her a hug.


    "I can''t wait!"


    Danny sighed. "I can," he muttered.


    A note to the guest individual who tried to call me out about Ivy being "canonialy [sic] very much not a vegetarian." Ivy is a bioterrorist. She would never eat meat, especially due to how much harm meat production causes the environment. Ivy does not like large-scale agriculture''s impact because of the damage and suffering to plants it causes. And, she was seen to eat a salad with beet juice in BTAS... which is the category this story is in. Thank you!

 Chapter 262 - My SI Stash #62 - Thread Plague by Waki Paki (Naruto)

    -A refreshing SI in Naruto with our MC getting isekai''d as a ninja of Takigakure, it''s a story of its own and I like that! He''ll be helping out Fu and will be exploiting Jiongu~


    Sypnosis: There are worse fates than reincarnation. There are worse villages to be born in than Takigakure. There are worse specializations for a ninja than medicine. But once you have mastered the Jiongu, anything is possible. Ito Ikimono knows the horrifying power such a technique can grant, and he''ll shed whatever he needs to take it; Sweat, blood, even skin. OC, Fu, Takigakure, Jiongu.


    Rated: M


    Words: 31K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13529853/1/Thread-Plague (Waki Paki)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    It''s a funny thing to really think about, death. I mean; intellectually, we all know we''re gonna die sooner or later. Whether it''s in your own bed or hit by a car or what have you. The important thing is to not be afraid. Why fear the inevitable? Just accept it and move on with your life.


    Of course, accepting and not fearing it doesn''t mean you want it or can''t be surprised by it.


    So when I suddenly woke up as an infant, I can only assume that I''d died.


    The shock quickly gave way to despair as I faced the utter certainty that I''d perished and left behind the world I knew. My infantile form wriggled as I squealed and cried, which drew the sounds of footsteps and a large set of hands hoisted me up into the arms of a man who bounced me and spoke with calming tones in a language I didn''t recognize. It surprised me enough that I did stop bawling, and opened my tear-filled eyes to look at him.


    Above me was an older man, likely in his fifties or sixties or so. He looked to be of Asian descent, had a scar on his forehead, and a scraggly grey beard. He continued to bounce as he walked around and spoke. While he did this, I caught a look at the room around me. It was obviously a child''s room, with a crib I had likely just left, several colorful toys that were clearly wooden and painted, a few cubbies and dressers, and some pictures and artworks adorning the walls. Looking at them, I vaguely identified the script as looking Japanese, and furthermore they looked to be hand-drawn and written.


    Okay, so I''m reborn somewhere in a likely feudal or similar era Japan? Well thank goodness I took French in highschoo- ah, shit.


    Well, no matter. I suppose I''ll learn. I''ve got a whole life ahead of me to figure it out.


    You know what the hardest thing to get used to was?


    It wasn''t the family, or lack thereof. My grandfather was the first person I saw because my mother and father were both dead. My father died in the line of duty and my mother died in childbirth, leaving me only my aging grandfather to look after me and raise me as his own. But the old man wasn''t much of a guardian. He fed and clothed and bathed me, made sure I was safe and didn''t get into trouble as a small child. But he never extended me much love. Maybe I was just a bitter reminder that the family he once had was dead, and maybe he was just a colder person to start with. As I grew older, he kept using words like "Honor" and "Duty" and "Loyalty," so maybe he was more dedicated to the family name than any particular person in it. Whatever the case was, we were merely polite and formal with each other instead of loving grandfather and grandson.


    It wasn''t the fact that I woke up in a fictional universe I knew, which I had identified after seeing a few weapons lying around the house and the ninja headbands that people wore when the old man took me out into the village. Yes village, because this was Takigakure from the Naruto universe. A show I''d been quite enamored with as a college student, and had frequently re-watched. While it was shocking to see, I''d already hoped that after I''d died and was reborn, I''d wind up somewhere cool. This was beyond my hopes, though. This was¡­ providence. My shock and surprise quickly gave way to excitement and anticipation.


    It wasn''t the language. No, that was picked up fairly easily. Fantastically so, according to my teachers and grandfather. Learning a third language can go against the instincts but with a young, developing brain it was easier than I thought. The written part was the toughest, but still done with effort. I, however, kept all of my notes and journals in English. Nobody around here seemed to speak or read it, so it just became my "secret code language" according to my grandfather. Dead useful for cataloguing the important past memories. I also sprinkled these with liberal amounts of French to be doubly sure any code-breaker type analysts would be hopelessly lost trying to figure it out.


    It wasn''t the name, either. "Ito Ikimono." My Grandfather is Benjiro Ikimono. I originally had an English name, so this was a little weird at first, but soon became natural; like an old nickname you were so familiar with you accidentally signed your name as it once or twice.


    It wasn''t the technology level, which was annoyingly nebulous for the Naruto universe. I mean, Konoha sported digital screens and indoor plumbing and plastic and synthetic fibers and all other kinds of modern conveniences despite being an otherwise feudal seeming setting. Takigakure wasn''t far behind, but were generally lower-tech by comparison. I can''t tell you how relieving it was to know I wouldn''t have to use a hole and a bundle of straw as a toilet; when I was able to, that is. There were electric lights and plastic and our home had a television, but no cable. It was mostly old movies on VHS and the like. It was more like a step back a decade or two than an era shift.


    No. By far, the hardest thing to get used to was my body.


    Starting from infancy was bad enough. I wasn''t an athlete back on Earth, but I wasn''t out of shape, either. I keenly felt the lost strength and motor controls. But on top of that, knowing just how long it would take for me to get back to a.d.u.l.thood¡­ it was demoralizing, to say the least.


    But it was all worth it. Worth it, because I knew what lay within me; Chakra. The mystical all-purpose mumbo-jumbo god juice that gave incredible power to the determined and intelligent. I''d seen what it was capable of in the show - hell, I''d seen what it was capable of in person. Grandpa would use a small fire jutsu to light the stove when the ignition was on the fritz, and we''d catch glimpses of jutsu when walking by the training grounds. But big and flashy jutsu like that were so very wasteful of the potential of those powers.


    The chakra parts will definitely require some figuring out, but I already had vast knowledge about chakra theory and potential from watching the show many times. I wouldn''t need training on the ideas - I probably had more innovative ideas than any of the Kage. Orochimaru may be a sick and stupid son of a bitch, but he had the right idea when it came to the potentials of power. A scientist and a shinobi in one. He knew the power of the mind is more deadly than damn near anything else. I''d just need to emulate him (scientific brilliance, incredible willpower, strong work ethic, determination, and innovative mind) and trim the fat (massive arrogance, megalomania, unnecessary cruelty, poor risk assessment, useless grudges, inefficient resource management, terrible leadership) and I could secure my place in the world, wherever it may be.


    So as I toddled, and grew, and reached the age of one and a half, I delved deep within myself and finally unlocked my chakra. Grandpa was shocked. It wasn''t like my family was some famous ninja clan; the Ikimono family were famous only for most of the family members becoming record keepers in the noble pursuit of retaining and protecting the jutsu, knowledge, and history of the village to the point of aggression and seclusion.


    I could''ve revealed myself. Could''ve immediately sought to take advantage of the village''s newfound interest and support for their young prodigy. But being well-spoken, polite, clearly intelligent, and chakra formative at such a young age would''ve brought me much attention. And I didn''t need that many prying eyes on me. Having influence is good, having spies and assassins and people sticking their nose where it doesn''t belong is bad. Besides; true ninjas hide their skills. Grandpa knew, and he offered to teach me what he could when I wasn''t attending civilian school as a young man.


    This uncharacteristic bout of generosity and interest seemed suspicious to me. The man was, as I stated, not the most loving. But as I we did such lessons, him explaining things a bit too slow and obvious for my tastes (which was to be expected; I was a small child and despite my displayed intelligence, he wasn''t going to assume I was THAT smart), it became clear that he was concerned, or perhaps more afraid. Benjiro had outlived his parents, his siblings, and now his only son and his wife. They were all ninja, and he knew that job carried risks, but he hadn''t expected to see them go so quickly. I was the last person left to carry our name, and when I unlocked my chakra so early, he knew I was destined for the ninja life. It was therefore his duty to prepare me as best he could to make sure I lived long enough to continue the family legacy and produce offspring. Leaving a nearly two-year old with potential superpowers alone to play with it was a recipe for disaster.


    It was a bit cold, and a bit heartwarming to see the concern and attention he displayed on me. Between lessons on chakra, he taught me bookkeeping and honed my handwriting to a keen edge. He was very pleased by my reading skills, and pushed me to read as often as possible. It was his way of preparing me to continue the Ikimono tradition of being record keepers. He grew fonder of me, would spend more evenings talking with me instead of leaving me with some books and toys. I couldn''t say we were very close, but we were at least more than just cordial around one another.


    I stuck leaves to my forehead, I walked on trees, I eventually walked on water. I even tried to walk up a waterfall, but I still haven''t managed that. I played in the dirt and sand and moved it around with just chakra. Control was the key. My chakra would grow as I used it and aged, but control had to be strived for. Control of chakra multiplied your effective chakra capacity and potency of your jutsu, not to mention the importance in medical chakra.


    That was precisely what I was aiming for, actually. I wanted to become a mednin, or at least be very proficient in medical knowledge and jutsu. In my old life, I had just finished my second year of medical school and was doing damn well in my classes. Applying that knowledge here would save me a lot of training and time, I''d just need to nail down the chakra parts.


    Of course, I didn''t do all this cooped up in my home. Going for walks, I got a good look at Takigakure itself. The village was hidden amongst trees, which can be accounted for by the fact that the founder was an Uchiha exile. It''s only accessible through a large waterfall in a forest of waterfalls, which is where the actual name comes from. There''s a footpath for travelers and a waterway for boats. The central part of the city is a massive tree that hides the village from outside view, and I mean massive. It was easily a mile or two or more across, and nearly as high, though I couldn''t be sure since I couldn''t see the top. Inside the base of the tree was the village leader''s office and other military structures. It was surrounded by a large lake, somewhere around half a mile from shore to shore in any direction. The only passage by land was a long and narrow bridge, mostly for civilian use. Most career ninjas simply ran across the water. You could even catch some young genin teams practicing water walking in the shallow parts (I had simply used the bath in our home).


    The outer ring of land was forest and cliffs, though much smaller trees. Buildings were trailed around the perimeter of the lake, and the city grew outwards from there. Small waterfalls dotted across the city and gave a tiered look from the number of cliff faces. Our family home was in the back-leftish part of the city, near the residential district for civilians. It was also near the edge of the city, a feature identified by the fact that the land around the village was mostly cliff walls and tree roots and vegetation too thick for animals to wander through. The only part that wasn''t walled away was the back of the city, which had a long stretch of forest and land before dropping off a large cliff, giving it another iconic waterfall.


    The city itself was nothing terribly impressive. Takigakure was a minor village, after all. The lush forest and abundance of water meant that most food was gathered instead of farmed in the traditional sense. Tiered farms with hanging gardens were mainly located by the left side of the village, and fisheries could be found every couple blocks. The style was a rough asian and western mix and lacked color or extravagance. Indeed, our village seemed to be quite simple and if you cut out the ninja parts, it would fit in well in the Japanese countryside.


    But the ninja parts were very much there, and very prevalent. General ninja supply stores, blacksmiths and weapon shops, a ninja-staffed hospital, poisoners, and more. Takigakure''s quite hidden nature and emphasis on military strength meant that as civilian-to-ninja ratios go, it was higher than most, including the big 5. Luckily, the two groups got along well and didn''t seem to spark any friction due to it. They also seemed to agree on one thing in particular.


    They all hated a little green-haired girl by the name of Fu; the Jinchuriki of the seven-tailed beetle, Chomei.


    Unlike Naruto, there wasn''t a law against speaking about this village''s jinchuriki, which meant that everyone knew who the supposed "demon" was of the town. People being what they are, it didn''t surprise me that this particular world was more akin to the manga universe, where everyone was an irrationally hateful bastard and feared what they didn''t understand. Best they could tell, there was a demon in that girl and that meant she was as good as the demon itself, and therefore antagonizing it was a good idea.


    The village leader, a very young man by the name Shibuki. His father was the village leader before him, and it was basically the same as a Kage, but Taki had never boasted a ninja strong enough for such a lofty title. Shibuki was smart and diligent, but somewhat timid. He did a fair job leading the city and was generally liked by the population. Despite this, he was often criticized for his kindness and care of the young jinchuriki, especially given how the rest of the village treated her.


    I almost pitied the poor man, having so much to deal with at such a young age, but found I had none to spare. Life wasn''t fair. You did what you could and dealt with it.


    I rose early, as was my norm. My morning workout was physical training, and my afternoons were chakra focused until I had a proper teacher for physical combat. I quickly donned my running gear and stepped into the living room, where I was surprised to see my grandfather up and enjoying a cup of coffee. He preferred to sleep in most days.


    "Good morning, grandfather."


    The man looked up from the scroll he had been reading. I knew he''d seen me come in; hell, he''d probably heard me wake up. Retired shinobi do not lose their senses so easily. "Good morning, grandson. Leaving so quickly?"


    "Yes?" I was a bit confused. He knew my schedule. "Is there something going on today?"


    A slight chuckle escaped the man and a small smile graced his weathered features for a moment. "I thought you would at least like to hear a ''Happy Birthday'' before you left."


    Oh, was it that time of the year again? Peeking over to the calendar, I confirmed it was June. I was now eight years old.


    "You''d forgotten, hadn''t you?" he asked.


    "It seems I have. Thank you, grandfather."


    He waved his mug about. "Tell me, what would you like for your birthday this year?"


    Knowing that I was quite mature for my age, and very driven, Benjiro had opted to let me ask for gifts rather than simply give me something. It may have reflected a lack of interest on his part, but we were both satisfied with the arrangement. He knew I would get something I enjoyed, and I gained opportunities to grow. I''d already planned what I wanted to ask, but hadn''t thought the day would come up so quickly.


    "I''d like scrolls on medical jutsu."


    Benjiro paused over his drink. Before he could speak, I continued my request. "I''ll be starting the academy next year, but medical jutsu takes a long time to master and I need to start early if I want to get the advantage. You know I''d have better chances of catching a jounin-sensei if I had a notable skill like that. We''ve been working on my chakra for years now, and my control is beyond excellent. I''m ready for this, grandfather."


    At my boast, his eyes narrowed slightly. He stared for a minute longer, then nodded in an approving manner. "You are soon a child no longer. I''m glad to hear you''ve thought this through." He drained his mug and sat thoughtfully, then carefully stood and handed me a small number of ryo bills. "Go, do your workout and enjoy the day. When you return, I''ll have things ready for you."


    I accepted them with a slight bow. I wasn''t fond of the practice, but it was this world''s way of showing respect and appreciation. "Thank you. Take care, grandfather."


    "And you, grandson."


    Biting into my morning protein bar, I took off from the house at a jog, heading to one of the lesser-used training grounds by a particularly verdant spot near the outer walls with a small waterfall in it. It was pretty out of the way from most of the ninja parts of the city, making it inconvenient for most people to bother with. It was one of my favorite spots. Between the isolation, the scenery, and the waterfall, it was a nice place to train and relax in. I''d worn out a nice jogging track along the outside and set up some boulders for various lifting and traversing challenges, even if it had taken me the better part of a week just moving most of them. If I hadn''t had such control of my chakra, I''d have needed to wait until I was an a.d.u.l.t before I could move the larger ones.


    But as I said; this place was remote and pretty much used only by myself, which is why it was unusual to find someone else already there, slowly wandering around and looking at everything. A girl, probably a year younger than me. She had mint-green hair, tanned skin, and though I couldn''t see, I knew her eyes were orange. She was clad in some shabby off-white clothes that practically shouted "neglected orphan" and a large red sack on her back.


    To be honest, I hadn''t expected to interact with her. Our village wasn''t huge, but it was plenty big that you could live your life here and only know most of the people there. If we were going to meet, it would''ve been possibly years down the line when we were both part of the ninja corps. Yet here she was.


    I decided that there was no reason to avoid her, and it would be nice to have someone to talk to.


    I made sure to slow my jog down to a walk and came from an angle so she wouldn''t spot me until I was closer. About twenty feet away, while she was clamoring on one of the rocks, I called out to her.


    "Good morning."


    She let out a little yelp and fell sideways off the rock. Scrambling up, she finally spotted me. "Oh. Um, hello." She shook herself a bit, then broke out a wide smile. A smile I could easily see was riddled with nerves, fear, sadness, and hope. "Hi! My name''s Fu."


    "Hello, Fu. My name''s Ito Ikimono," I gave a slight bow and smile. "What brings you to my little training ground?"


    Her eyes widened a bit. "Oh! I''m sorry, I didn''t know this was anyone''s, I was just looking for a place to hang out and maybe train a little, but I can-"


    I held up a hand and let out a little laugh. "Hey, hey, don''t worry. If you''d like to stay here and train, you''re very welcome to." I leaned in a bit and stage whispered. "Between you and me, I think the training ground gets a little lonely with just me here. It would be glad to have company." I gave her a conspiratorial wink.


    The 6 year-old girl seemed a bit surprised, then grinned. "Cool! Can I join you?"


    "Certainly," I gestured to the track. "I jogged here for my warm-up, so I should stretch. You''ll need to warm up, too. So run one lap around and then meet me back here."


    She dropped her bag and took off at a sprint before I shouted "Not too fast!" and she slowed down with a sheepish grin. A few minutes later, she returned, barely breathing hard.


    "Okay, so now we stretch." I demonstrated by bending over and touching my toes.


    "Why?" Fu asked, confused.


    "Because if you don''t stretch before and after your workout, it won''t be as good and it''ll hurt more afterwards."


    "Okay!"


    I led her through my morning workout routine. We started with running, then jumping over and on boulders, then core workouts, upper body, moved on to balance, and finished with recovery techniques. Like rolling into a fall, or leaping up from lying down. After that was another stretch.


    Fu took it all without much complaint, or I suppose I should say she didn''t complain about the difficulty. I was a little ashamed that she managed to keep up so easily, and was probably in as good or better condition than myself. I chalked it up to her status and encouraged her to push herself even as I lagged behind. She was a little unsure, but did so anyways.


    During our final stretches, she asked "Ito-san, why didn''t we do any, like, fighting or something?"


    "I don''t really know how to fight," I informed her. "I mean yeah I can throw punches or kicks, but nothing official or directed. I don''t want to pick up bad habits by practicing bad combat form." I leaned sideways as she mirrored me. At her confused look, I elaborated. "Imagine throwing a punch the same way a thousand times and getting used to it, only to fight a real opponent and figure out you had an obvious flaw they could exploit. For now, I''m content to improve my body and mind before my fighting."


    She pouted a little. "Aw, okay."


    "You certainly don''t have to hold back on my account, Fu-san," I told her. "If you''d like to find somebody to spar with, I won''t stop you."


    She turned away, looking uncomfortable. "Well¡­ nobody really likes me. And nobody would want to play with me or help me train. You''re, like, the first person who''s been so nice to me except for Shibuki-sama."


    I winced. I''d forgotten about that bit. We finished our stretch and I waved her over to the waterfall for us to grab a drink. "I tell you what. I''m starting at the academy in a year, and I''d be happy to teach you as soon as I know stuff." I bent over and caught some of the falling fresh water with my hands, pouring it into my mouth.


    "REALLY?!" she shouted, jumping over and giving me a hug. I choked a bit on the water, but she was too excited to notice. "You promise? You gotta promise!"


    Pounding my chest, I coughed up the water I had swallowed. "Yes, I promise," I assured her in a weak tone. She squeezed me even harder. I returned the hug, albeit more gently. When she let go, both our stomachs growled, and she blushed a bit. "It''s about lunch time anyway. Why don''t you join me? I could go for some pasta in town."


    Fu suddenly looked quite apprehensive. "Ah, I, well, not sure that would be okay. I mean, most people are mean to me, and¡­"


    "I insist." I put a hand on her shoulder. "It''s not every day I get to enjoy someone''s company. Besides, I have an afternoon training routine when we''ve finished eating. You could join me for that too, if you like." While obviously conflicted, the girl''s stomach growled again and so I shuffled her along with me and headed into town.


    We made idle chat as we walked, me pointedly ignoring the looks sent our way and doing my best to keep Fu occupied so she wouldn''t notice as well. Some of the looks were more confused or curious than malicious. I should note that while my grandfather had and I weren''t hermits, we also were generally isolated and tended to keep to ourselves. Apparently, me walking through town casually with the whipping boy raised more than a few eyebrows.


    In any case, we soon arrived at my frequented low-end restaurant. The food was still good and healthy, but pretty cheap. Plus, they didn''t overcook the noodles, which I counted as very important. Walking through the front door, the nearby waiter smiled in recognition of one of their more common patrons, before twisting his smile into a surprised scowl when he caught sight of the mint-haired girl next to me.


    I forced down a sigh and decided to try heading off the issue before they could speak. "Hey Tanaka-san, I''ll take my usual in the back booth, and whatever Fu-san here decides after she''s had a chance to look at the menu." I turned to her. "Do you like spicy food? Because they''ve got good curry here."


    "I''ve never tried it, Ito-san!" Fu said with some wonder. "I think I want something sweet, though."


    I chuckled and led her past the front counter to my typical spot, a booth in the back. "We could do dessert, but first we need proper food. Take a look and see what looks good. And just two waters to start," I threw over my shoulder.


    Caught between confusion and apprehension, the man decided to go on auto-pilot so he didn''t have to think about what he''d just seen. He''d served Ito plenty of times, he was a regular. But he''d never brought anyone along with him, and definitely not that¡­ little monster.


    When the waiter returned with our drinks, I ran interference for Fu, deliberately drawing her attention to something on the menu and explaining it while I looked up to Tanaka and gave my typical nod and friendly smile. Even if I didn''t really like the man, it''s preferable to stay on good terms with the people who handle your food. Still a bit confused and grumpy, he dropped our water on the table with a "thunk" and went back into the kitchen.


    It took Fu another ten minutes to decide what she wanted. She was practically climbing all over the table, and fooling around as kids do, but eventually I waved over Tanaka and placed her order for her to undercut whatever spiteful retort he may or may not have had ready. He accepted with a curt nod and took it back to the kitchen. After some smalltalk, our food arrived back and I swiped her dish before she could bite into it. "Hey!" she shouted.


    I gave her a teasing smirk as I took a bite out of it. "I just wanted to try it, since I''ve never had this one before." I swallowed and made careful note of how it felt in my mouth and stomach. Nothing seemed wrong. "Why don''t you try a bit of mine? Then we can eat our own."


    Her face brightened immediately and she took a big bite out of my dish, happily munching on it. I concentrated on my stomach and couldn''t feel anything wrong. Good. I wasn''t expecting them to poison her right off the bat, but I figured it wouldn''t hurt to check. Even if her food wasn''t something I really had a taste for.


    Sitting in our booth, I was facing the door while she faced the back by the bathroom. I caught the scowls and glares thrown at Fu''s back as we enjoyed our lunch, reading the lips on some of the other customers. Some of the other waiters were expressing sympathy for Tanaka since he had to serve the "monster brat" and expressed some unkind desires involving violence. Luckily, I remembered that Fu at least never suffered physical abuse from the manga, so I could at least count that in the likelihood of things escalating. My mere presence probably wasn''t going to enrage them into taking action; hell, it should calm them somewhat. I was the quiet kid training hard to be a shinobi like his family and very polite. It was an image I had honed to a keen edge over my youth. I needed to come off as unassuming but generally likeable, a forgettable face in a crowd. If I can manage that, then half the work of stealth is done right there.


    I paid for us both and we left. Despite her earlier misgivings, Fu happily accompanied me and we made good time back to the training ground. She could barely contain her excitement as it came into sight. "So, what are we going to work on now?" She was bouncing up and down.


    "We''re going to work on chakra, specifically chakra control," I informed her.


    "AWESOME! So, what do we do?"


    I sat down on a boulder and gestured for her to do the same. "First, we''re going to talk a bit about chakra so you understand what we''re trying to accomplish." She pouted a little at that. "What do you know about chakra?"


    Fu scrunched up her face for a second. "It''s, um, well, the thing that lets ninja do cool jutsu?"


    I sighed. "Well, you''re not wrong, but that''s missing the point, Fu-san." I pondered a moment on how to explain. "Chakra is life-energy. Just like your blood, your muscles, and all the other parts that make up living things. Plants have chakra. People have chakra. Ninja have just learned the way to bring it out from deep in their body and wield it. If you run out, you die. Just like with people''s height and eye color, your maximum potential chakra is just part of your DNA- er, who you are," he explained to her confused look. "My grandfather is only as tall as he is because that''s just how he was born. If he was malnourished, then he wouldn''t have gotten that tall, and if you don''t train your chakra then you''ll never be able to reach your max, just like with your muscles. But everyone can work on their control."


    "What does control do?" she asked.


    "An excellent question," I said and beamed at her, which she returned. I picked up a rock. "So imagine I wanted to throw this rock to you. I need to control my arm, otherwise I might throw it too hard and it could sail over your head and hurt my arm with the effort. Or I could end up throwing it too softly and it just falls between us." I underhand tossed it to her, which she caught. "Since I am in control of my arm, I managed to do what I wanted without hurting myself or screwing it up. Chakra''s the same way. You could end up wasting loads of chakra trying to do a basic jutsu and get exhausted quickly, or you could fail to mold it properly and the jutsu fizzles out. Basically, no matter how much chakra you have, chakra control tells you how much you can really use right."


    "Okay, then I want to learn control!"


    "That''s exactly the attitude you need. It won''t be easy, but all the best ninja are really good at control, so work hard to master it." I smiled, but it quickly withered. "You''ll probably have some trouble with it, but people with lots of chakra usually do, so don''t worry about it too much." I jogged over to one of the nearby trees and broke a branch off it laden with leaves. "So, here''s the first step." I plucked one of the leaves off and stuck it to my arm. "You need to use your chakra to stick the leaf to your body. You can choose anywhere, but it''s usually easier to start with the arms. Use too much chakra and you''ll blow the leaf away. Too little and it''ll fall." I demonstrated both examples to her. "Once you can get one to stick for a minute, then you add another, and another, and maybe put them on different spots of your body. That''s how you start building it up, and then you can get to the cool stuff like running on water."


    She watched and listened with a cute determined look. "Okay, Ito-sensei! I''ll get started!" She immediately grabbed a leaf and put it on her arm, which promptly blew off. She looked surprised for a second, then grabbed another and got the same result. And again.


    Seeing her start to get a bit red and scrunched her face up, I put a calming hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it''s okay. Like I said, it''s not easy, especially for someone with as much chakra as you have."


    She took a deep breath, then paused. "How can you tell I have lots of chakra? Are you a sensor?" Fu suddenly looked apprehensive.


    Hmm, what to say here. I weighed up the option of lying to her and saying yes, but secrets have a way of festering and spawning more secrets. That, in turn, has a way of causing stress for most people, and guilt for someone as kind-hearted as her. She''d feel anxious and doubt herself whenever we interacted. More powerful people have been crippled by doubt than a blade.


    All in all, that option seemed untenable for the long haul. The real question is, am I in this for the long haul? I hadn''t planned for this, nor had I intended on it in the first place. She''ll have the Akatsuki after her and nobody to back her up, what with the village acting like it was. Shibuki will do his best to shore up the damage but he won''t be able to do much with all the other things he has to worry about as village leader. Flying under the radar until I was ready was Plan A, not sticking myself in the limelight next to the town pariah.


    I put a hand on her shoulder while she looked up at me. "I can tell because I know you''re a jinchuriki, Fu. Jinchuriki of the seven-tailed beetle. And having a big chakra creature in you means your chakra coils have lots more chakra to deal with, which means you''ll probably always have more chakra than most Kage." I smiled. "I''m your sensei for one day and already you''re surpassing me. I''m so proud," I joked.


    Fu stared at me, then she started sniffling and tears filled her eyes. I wrapped her in a gentle hug that she strongly returned. The 6 year old started crying in earnest against my shirt as I pat her back and rocked gently, humming a little tune. We spent a good while like that.


    Finally, the tears slowed and dried, and she sniffled again. "Y-you''re really gonna be my sensei?"


    "Really," I assured her. "And I want us to be friends, first of all. Can we do that?" She nodded against my chest. I gave her a squeeze. "Then, as your sensei, I say we should get started on your training. Okay?"


    Fu looked up at me and gave me the most genuine smile I''d seen from her. I lowered my arms and she did likewise, then she tried to pull away and found she was stuck. She looked down and saw her shirt was stuck to mine. "Aha, I have you now! I''ve used my chakra control to stick to your clothes!" I took a step back and she yelped and had to follow. I chuckled and released her. "One day, you''ll be able to do that and more, but first¡­"


    "Yes sensei!" she shouted, and immediately set to work on the leaves.


    While she did that, I went over to the waterfall and removed my shoes, then dug around in the water for some sand. When I had found a good handful, I stood on the water and tried to make shapes and letters by moving the sand around with my chakra. Since I had to do this while maintaining my balance on the water, it was great for working on control and concentration, even if I could only slowly walk around at the moment. I''d actually planned on doing some jutsu work today, even if I was pants at handsigns, but figured that Fu didn''t need colorful distractions while she was working. I very much wanted to start on the Shadow Clone jutsu, but I wasn''t about to test if I would drop from chakra exhaustion with my young body''s reserves. As it was, I was mostly practicing elemental jutsu and trying to minimize the handsigns required. It was exhausting work, but I''d found through trial and error that my main affinity was water, with a side of earth. Since I was focusing on medical jutsu, this was good news for me. I also liked working with lightning, though it was very difficult to do.


    I kept an eye on Fu and occasionally gave some direction if she started getting frustrated. Deciding to try a little experiment, I told her to pause on the leaves and instead took a slab of bark off one of the trees roughly the length of her forearm. I suggested she try sticking that to her arm instead, reasoning that it may be a better starting point for her. Sure enough, she managed to stick it to her arm for about ten seconds by the end of the day. She squealed and jumped for joy.


    "Now young student, I expect you here tomorrow morning at the same time, understand?" I said in a formal tone.


    "Yes sensei! I will be here!" She assured me.


    I suddenly had a worrying thought. "Fu, you do have a place to live, right?"


    She nodded. "Shibuki-sama gave me a little house on the other side of town, near the tree, so I can come visit him."


    Thank goodness. I wasn''t sure where my grandfather stood on the whole "demon" arrangement, so I couldn''t simply offer my home only to have him shoot her down on the doorstep. Plus, I preferred having my own space. Adding a permanent guest would complicate matters.


    "Then I shall see you tomorrow morning."


    "You too. Bye!" she called out as she took off towards her home. I watched her leave, then returned to the waterfall and stripped to clean myself. I had a functioning bathroom at home, but I enjoyed the open air and heavy water. The cold water was bracing and good practice for cleanliness in the field. After that, I dressed and made for home.


    I found my grandfather in the living room, half-interestedly reading a book. He''d already heard me come in, and was almost out of his chair by the time I saw him. "Welcome back, Ito-kun. How was your training?" It was a rote conversation, one we''d repeated many times.


    "It went well, grandfather. I even made a friend from someone I found in the training ground."


    He at least perked up a bit at that. "Did you now? Well done. It''s important to make friends in life." We both politely ignored his own lack of friends. Most of them were dead. "Come now. It''s time."


    Curious what he meant by that statement, I followed him down into the bas.e.m.e.nt. Our bas.e.m.e.nt was locked behind a thick, almost vault-like door at the bottom of the stairs. It actually required a blood sample to open, keyed specifically to our family. It was a piece of fuinjutsu that was gifted to our family generations ago. This is because the bas.e.m.e.nt of our home contained a vast underground library. The door was designed especially to maintain the difference in air and temperature conditions, as paper and the like preferred less humidity than our village generally had. I''d been down here a few times, but the place was intentionally disorganized. Apparently, our family had a unique filing system to dissuade thieves and spies. When I''d tried searching the place myself for jutsu, my grandfather had let me go on for a few hours before he revealed himself and gave me a lecture about not being ready yet.


    He walked to a corner of the room and stared at the many shelves. "You are the last of our family, Ito." He ran a hand across a shelf, staring at the dust. "It will be your responsibility to carry on our family''s legacy. We must preserve knowledge, all knowledge, so that we may never forget the lessons of history and never allow the power that knowledge gives us fade away. Here we have sheltered what many have thrown away, hidden what the greedy and undeserving have sought. Many forgotten things lay in these shelves¡­" he trailed off, reminiscing about something. Benjiro turned to face me. "It''s time I taught you how to sort through our library, so that you may take your place as heir to the Ikimono family and safeguard this knowledge. Lessons will be every day after your training. Normally you would be a genin by the time you were handled this responsibility, but fate has not been kind to our family and I cannot afford to wait. When you have learned our ways, all of it shall be yours. But first," he took a few books and scrolls from the shelves, seemingly at random, "I believe this is what you need to learn medical jutsu."


    I flipped through a few of the books. Some of them were anatomy and detailed human construction. I intended to skim those. I hadn''t been to medical school for just over eight years now but I was careful about recording and keeping as much of my medical knowledge sharp as I could. The others were more chakra based and even included the Mystical Palm jutsu. This was exactly what I needed. I gave a bow to my grandfather. "I will take up this responsibility with my heart, grandfather."


    To be honest, I didn''t really care about my family''s legacy any more than I cared about Takigakure. I was a man who already had a life under his belt and had seen enough to know I wasn''t fond of many of the people here. But I could respect preserving and protecting knowledge, especially to this scale. And I fully intended on searching every shelf of this place to find what I wanted.


    "I know you will, grandson. It is your duty. Now, let''s have dinner, shall we?"


    Two months later, things had progressed nicely. Fu had fallen right into my pace and diligently followed my lessons and always tried her best. I managed to get her on tree walking, and planned to start her with water walking next week. I taught her what few wind jutsu I could remember or scrounge from our library, which she took to very well. She continued to outpace me in physical areas, even when I explained to her how she was subconsciously channeling chakra to her limbs that gave her such a boost and asked her to try without. Physical enhancements like that were innate jinchuriki.


    Because of our constant proximity and time together, Fu latched onto me very dearly. Propinquity was funny that way. She trusted me completely and I at least shared with her some of my minor secrets as long as she promised to keep them, which she had. Things like how much jutsu I knew and my plans to study medicine. At the moment, I couldn''t say where I was compared to Shibuki, but it was probably close. We trained, ate, and sometimes washed together. Fu''s lack of care for decorum or modesty made things easy between us as we shared waterfall showers. It may have been partly due to her insectoid instincts to seek out companionship and latch onto a perceived superior, but I wasn''t too sure on that last bit considering how insect queens usually are treated. In any case, while she continued to try and fail to make friends outside of myself and Shibuki, she leaned on me more and more. I''d need to talk with her about it soon. But it was late at the moment and tomorrow was a special day.


    I''d also been making good progress on my medical training. Thanks to my massive head start and not inconsiderable intellect at a young age, I''d been buying some live fish for "Fun fishing days" at my training ground. I''d built a small net at the outlet of the pond area at the foot of the waterfall and let a few fish loose in there. Hopefully, with the edible algae and whatnot down there, they''d repopulate from the ones I took out. Fu had been amused at my frustration when I tried resuscitating fish over and over again, and a bit put off by how I would give them small cuts to practice the Mystical Palm technique. It was very tricky stuff, and I had barely started to get the wounds to heal properly. I was confident I''d be at least passable at the jutsu before school started.


    At the moment, however, I was in our family library. It was gruelling learning what was practically a code inside a dead language, that''s the best way I could describe our organizing system. I doubted some village''s records archives had the kind of security through obscurity out family did. But after all was said and done, I was picking through the shelves with only minor difficulty and singular purpose. I was searching tirelessly for a scroll of a specific jutsu. I needed to find it. This was the tenth night in a row I had spent "cleaning" and doing other menial tasks in the library. After all, it was my new responsibility. I blazed through the chores and spent as much time as I thought I could without making my grandfather suspicious looking for it.


    I was about ready to call it a night when I spotted a particular book case in the middle of the room. It was completely nondescript and looked just like the rest, but it caught my eye. There was a scroll nestled between a few books of unrelated subjects, which was also normal for our library. It was also very old, but again, normal. What caught my eye was the paper itself. The material of scrolls had changed over many years and this one was identifiably from before the First Shinobi War, at least to anyone who had been taught paper handling by an expert. With careful hands, I took out the scroll and unfurled it. My heart stopped in my chest, which nearly made me burst out laughing from the irony.


    I''d f.u.c.k.i.n.g found it.


    I''d found the scroll for the Earth Grudge Fear jutsu.


    I quickly scrambled over to a stack of blank scrolls and used a text-copying jutsu my grandfather had taught me to copy it over. After a few minutes, it was complete. I placed the original carefully back where it belonged and the copy on a very obscure shelf in the intentionally wrongly catalogued manner to our family. I couldn''t risk leaving something like that in my room, having Benjiro find it would be the best case scenario and even that would be terrible.


    This. This jutsu, this would see me through this world of horrors and death, of murderers and liars and schemers. Kakuzu was a damned fool, proven by how little he had changed or adapted in the years he''d lived. I was going to master this technique. All of its unappreciated, undiscovered potential would be brought into the world, an abomination of a jutsu.


    I just needed to do it before the world killed me first.


    Fu wandered into the training ground in her usual clothes, looking confused that she was there first, as well as a lingering sadness that hung about her. I had told her to skip the morning workout today and meet here at our lunch time. I stealthily waited in the trees behind her, waiting for my moment. Carefully, I took a rock and hurled it over another tree, where it impacted with a hard "thunk" and shook the leaves. Fu immediately jumped a bit and looked over to it, so I dropped down and quickly snuck up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. She yelped and took up a defensive stance, which was good instinct, but immediately relaxed and smiled when she saw it was me. "Sensei, that was mean! Why did you do that?"


    "Well, I thought it would be worth doing something different for a special occasion." I smiled and pulled the storage scroll from my pouch and placed it on the ground. With a little chakra application and a puff of smoke, out popped a picnic banquet for two, complete with blanket. "Happy Birthday, Fu."


    Fu gasped a bit, eyes watering as she took in the sight before her. "How did you know it was my birthday?"


    I didn''t want to tell her that A) I''d known from the Naruto wikipedia it was August 8th and B) had been hearing grumblings from the population around town all week. I''m surprised she hadn''t guessed the second option, given she no doubt heard the same things unless she was intentionally ignoring them.


    Instead I just gave her a mysterious wink and said "A good sensei knows these things about his student. Now, let''s have some food. I hope you like it."


    Fu gave me a rib-breaking hug and wiped her eyes. Always so emotional. She immediately tore into the food, and was very excited to see the assortment of sweets I''d procured especially for her. She had quite the sweet tooth, which I attributed to her tailed inhabitant.


    Speaking of that being; when the food had been finished off, I sat up straight and turned to her with a serious look that she called my "sensei mode". She immediately noticed and paid close attention. "Fu, I have two gifts for you today. The first is, how would you like to make a new friend?"


    She smiled brightly at me. "I''d love to, Ito-sensei! Who is it? When can I meet them?"


    "I''m hoping you can meet them today, Fu. They''re very old and lonely, and could really use a friend themselves. I bet you two will get along great." I took a deep breath. "They''re the Nanabi inside you."


    Fu was quiet, and looked like she wasn''t sure what to say, so I continued. "I have it on good authority that jinchuriki can communicate with their biju. Some, like the container of the Hachibi, can talk with them in their mind as easily as you and I. But to get there, first you have to talk to them in your mind. To do that, you need to meditate and find them in yourself. Once you''ve made the connection, it''ll be easier in the future."


    I didn''t have to be a ninja training in observation to see how conflicted she was. It was her instinct to want to make new friends and from what I''d just said apparently they''d be happy knowing each other. But she was just a seven year old girl who had spent her childhood being treated like shit because of the demon living inside her. How could a child not blame the creature for something like that? But I wouldn''t have any of it.


    "Fu," I put my hands on her shoulder, which warmed her at the touch. She visibly relaxed. "You need to remember that it''s not their fault for anything that happened. The Nanabi didn''t ask for this, they probably wanted to just live their life and not be disturbed, but they were hunted down and locked into the body of someone they didn''t know and treated like a prisoner. The Nanabi is just as much a victim as you are for this. Don''t blame them or yourself. Instead, realize you''ve both got that in common, and probably a lot of other things. You''re partners, you should be nice with each other." I squeezed her shoulders. "You can do this, and then you''ll have another friend to count on."


    She took a deep breath. "Okay," Fu said quietly, before gathering herself. "So how do I do that?"


    "Sit comfortable, don''t slouch, and then meditate. You''ll find her in your center."


    Fu nodded, then sat still and frowned hard in concentration. She sat like that for twenty minutes before she finally got too agitated. "I can''t do this, it''s not working."


    "Hey, hey, calm down, it''s alright." I stood up, walked behind her, and sat down with my legs on either side of hers. She meeped and fidgeted. "Okay, let''s try this. Take a deep breath and close your eyes"


    The amber-eyed girl did so, slowing her heartbeat down. Leaned against her sensei, her best friend, and feeling his warm body against her own, plus all the food she had just scarfed down, she was feeling more than a little drowsy. She felt his hands grab her own, which made her a bit uncomfortable, and guided them to her stomach, right over where her seal lay.


    "Listen to my voice. Breathe in, and out." Fu slowed her breathing. "Feel the chakra in your body, feel it move. In, and out. Feel your stomach, the ink and seal that holds the Nanabi. In, and out. Now just think about your mind, think about a place deep inside yourself. In, and out." Fu was nearly asleep by this point. "Feel how your chakra connects to that spot, feel how another being''s chakra also connects there. In, and out. Now think about that place, and who is in there. Think about sinking down into that place yourself. In, and out. Just concentrate on going there in your mind." Fu continued taking deep breaths, and eventually fell unconscious.


    I felt her body completely relax and fall asleep in my arms. Knowing I was in for a likely long wait, I carefully removed my hands and placed them on the ground. There were some quiet earth techniques I could work on.


    A couple hours later, Fu stirred against my chest. She yawned and stretched, nearly bopping me in the chin as she did so. The seven year old blinked a few times, then turned at me and grinned. "I saw her! I met her! You were right! Oh my gosh, she was so cool! And she was huge! But she said not to say that around her since it wasn''t nice to talk about how big girls are. And she was so funny! And nice. She wanted to be friends, so we are! She even said she would be friends with you! She said she''d help me out and would work on learning to use her chakra some time! I can''t hear her right now, but she said that you were right about how we could eventually do that! She can see and hear the stuff I do, too! She even wished me a happy birthday!"


    I chuckled and pat her on the head. "Easy, young student. I''m glad you''re so excited, it sounds like things went very well."


    "They did!" Fu turned around and gave me a hug. "Oh, and she said I could tell you her name, but to keep it a secret. She said I could trust you since you''re my sensei and good friend."


    Well, that was unexpected. I already knew it, but I suppose this is better than me name-dropping it some day for shock. "Oh? And what is her name?"


    Fu gave me a wide smile. "Her name''s Chomei!"


    I looked into Fu''s eyes and smiled. "Since we haven''t been properly introduced yet; Hello, my name is Ito Ikimono. It''s a pleasure to meet you, Chomei-san."


    We sat there for a bit before I pulled away. "Okay, student, it''s time for your second gift, and I think it''ll be just as cool and awesome as your first."


    Fu''s eyes widened at that, excitement all over her features. "Oooh! What is it! It''s gotta be so cool!"


    I felt I was close, very close, but not quite ready for the jutsu yet. I don''t see that problem for Fu, though. "Let me show you a very special jutsu called the ''Shadow Clone'' jutsu."


    Heyo there, folks. I honestly had no intention of stepping away from Zoor Zeymaha Nah any time soon, especially to do a Naruto fic. But my brother and I have some really awesome ideas for this universe, including about four or five fanfic Ideas we''ll probably never get around to writing. If you''re interested in some inspiration material, feel free to message and I''ll happily share.


    Anyways, we felt the the Jiongu is a frankly waaaaaaaaay f.u.c.k.i.n.g overpowered and f.u.c.k.i.n.g scary power even by this universe''s standards, and after reading a few disappointing Jiongu fanfictions here, I decided to tackle this one myself.


    Please do leave a review, they''re what push me to write more and improve if you''ve got decent criticism. Hope you all have enjoyed. And look forward to the next few chapters.


    -Waki Paki.

 Chapter 263 - My CO Stash #63 - Asuras Rage. by Desolatedsabers (AsurasWrathXDCU)

    -Best dad Asura reincarnates in the DCU with a red power ring replacing his Mantra reactor~ Pretty much adoption plans coming, starting with Jinx!


    *Lowkey kind of funny as i''m getting boomer vibes from him lol/


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: T


    Words: 21K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/asuras-rage-asuras-wrath-dc-teen-titans-crossover.834567/#post-65828253 (Desolatedsabers)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3


    A life well spent.


    In the moment of his death, Asura realised a few things. The first was that he was as much a bastard as Chakravartin for making his daughter cry. The second, was that it didn''t hurt as much as he''d expected.


    The third, was that he couldn''t see his wife, or any of the so called "seven deities".


    As he slowly fades away, his hands, what remained of them, resting on his chest, he realises that he isn''t going to end up where his wife is.


    This thought both comforts, and hurts him. Because it means that she was allowed to pass on to a better place, but now he won''t be able to see her again.


    What brings him back to reality is a large flash of Red. It is an angry red, much like the colour of blood, but glowing. Instead of being irritated at being reminded of things such as the Gohma, he finds comfort in it. The Rage plaguing him has finally found a kindred spirit.


    He blinks, and with that blink his daughter is gone. As are his arms.


    The only thing greeting him, is the dirt. Odd, he was expecting the pillar.


    He can''t feel his connection to the Mantra Reactor Yasha gifted him, instead the thing in its'' place being similar to the Red light that greeted him in his dying vision. Only¡­ he''s not dying, is he?


    The ground is warm. Picking himself back up with his legs is irritating, but not something that he isn''t used to, considering all of the times he''s lost his arms.


    The settlement¡­ City? That greets his gaze is at times familiar and strange. Glass buildings stand tall while smaller buildings of brick and stone litter the pathways. Metal constructs, similar to the flying automata cover the roads.


    It is¡­ Strange¡­ to see a city like this, without seeing anything like the automata, or the guardian deities.


    Sighing, He slowly walks onward, staying out of the roads to avoid a collision.


    He also finds an uncomfortable similarity in the way people will move away from him, or gasp in shock when they see him. He would always terrify the people he protected, even now when there were none to protect.


    He hears a large amount of high pitched noises. Irritating. Walking closer would probably allow him to remove the noise, or the reason for it, so he does. The walkway of the city changes, as there are more glass buildings around.


    All he ever seems to do when he isn''t fighting is walk, or climb. Walk the fields with Ahria, may she rest quietly. Climb the pillar of Naraka, back into the world of the living. Walk, walk walk. He''s starting to get sick of it.


    His body glows red, and starts to float. Not quite as gentle as his Mantra form had it, but usable enough to get the job done.


    [Break]


    The building he approaches is out of place among the glass behemoths. A large brick building, with the words "National Bank of Jump City" written on the front. He assumes Jump City might be important enough to write down.


    Most humans didn''t record history in the twelve thousand years he spent dead, otherwise they''d have remembered him. Remembered the monster he was accused of being.


    Landing is an easy affair, as he''d already grown used to flight. Getting past the strange blue group of humans is also easy, though they do try to stop him. They don''t succeed, mostly because he''s just too heavy to move for their bodies.


    The¡­ he can''t quite tell what this creature is. Its skin is blue, it has a pointed nose, and a very sharp chin. It''s also dressed in a silly outfit with a foolish looking hat, waving around a black and white stick.


    All in all, the creature looks and acts like a fool, but it is causing the ones behind him to use their irritating noises.


    "YES, FLEE COWARDS BEFORE THE AWESOME MIGHT, OF THE INCREDIBLE MUMBOOOOO JUMBOOOOO! Coming to a circus near you. Now with this lovely little bit of capital, I''ll finally be able to start my own show stoppers! Starting, with the incredible police force of this quaint little city!"


    "Your voice is annoying, be quiet."


    The creature seems to deflate for a moment, surprised at being insulted most likely, before it frowns, rallying itself and puffing up it''s chest.


    "HOW DARE YOU!? If there''s one thing I absolutely HATE, it''s a heckler. AND ALL HECKLERS WILL¡­ Errr¡­ Where are your arms?"


    He frowns at the creature, annoyed now. "I don''t require my arms to break you over my knee. I''ve pulped creatures larger than you with a kick. Do not make me destroy you."


    "I. That wasn''t what I. Well you know what, FINE THEN, I DON''T USUALLY LIKE GOING AFTER THE CRIPPLED, BUT YOU''VE LEFT ME NO CHOICE. MUMBO, JUMBO!"


    The creature points the stick towards him, a ray of light leaving it as it hits him¡­ And¡­ Harmlessly splashes off his chest?


    "Was that meant to do something, creature?"


    It''s shocked from the look of it. What kind of object could give something so much faith in it working?


    "Wh, That¡­ That''s impossible. Nothing can resist being hit by my magical wand! How are you still normal?"


    "I will give you one chance to surrender. Before I pulp you over my knee. The choice is yours creature." He grins the evil grin he used to scare the automata that used to be under his command. "I hope you choose the second. Make it fun."


    Oh, that''s odd. His Aura has flared up. But he doesn''t have a mantra battery anymore.


    Gold, Yellow, and Red this time. Different. But not unexpected.


    The blue creature, Mumbo Jumbo it called itself? Stomps the ground a bit, before taking off it''s hat and putting the stick inside of it.


    "Fine, fine. I quit. Heckler."


    He nods, hearing the noises disappear. Peaceful again.


    [Break]


    Walking around the city is both comfortable, and painfully familiar. He wishes that Durga, and Mithra were here. Maybe even Ahria as well. His wife probably would''ve loved the young girl.


    Then again, considering she had a frightful tendency to not listen when told to run, maybe it would be for the better that her and Mithra never met. They''d find ways of making him terrified that they''d get hurt again.


    The sand is a nice feeling under his feet, crunching softly and reminding him of the coastal areas back home. The weird glass tower across the water is a strange sight, but the way it reflects the sunlight brings a nostalgic smile to his face. It reminds him of better times. Before the betrayal. Before Chakravartin meddled.


    Then again, considering the revelation that he made the Gohma, maybe he was always meddling.


    The weight in his chest is too off to be a Mantra Reactor. Namely, the spirit energy it''s channeling is only his. And only his rage at that. Then again, he''s always had trouble controlling himself. Or he did, until he had to fight Chakravartin.


    The form he took to protect the world from one of the so called "Gods" blasts was a powerful state, but uncomfortable all the same. He was in complete control of his anger, able to channel it towards defending the world. And feeling so strange in his own skin while he did.


    He''s always been angry. He''ll always be angry. But it''s moments like this, away from the fighting he so craves, that he can find a moment of peace.


    He hasn''t seen even a single mention of the Gohma. He''s thankful for it. That should also mean that the seven deities don''t exist in any form here either.


    It will also mean. That Mithra. Doesn''t exist either.


    His skin roils with Red at the very idea that his daughter is dead or gone. But, from the look of things. None of them existed in the first place. Or at the least, they were never remembered. He is thankful for this, even if it hurts him to think of Mithra being forgotten by anyone.


    Then again, considering what happened to her when he died the first time, perhaps being forgotten was a mercy.


    He doesn''t need to sleep. Or even need food. But at this point, sleeping on the beach isn''t too bad. Meditation works just as fine.


    A tiny smile replaces his ever present frown. Not an angry smile, or a bloodthirsty grin. Just a small smile, like the ones he''d share with Durga when Mithra was enjoying herself.


    Drifting off isn''t too difficult. He''s out in ten minutes.


    [Break]


    A dark place, full of screens showing most of Jump City. A man, encased in shadow, watching all of them.


    Two in particular take his interest, one showing his favourite targets, the Teen Titans. The other, showing an armless cripple on a beach.


    "I want this man observed. Let us see if he is an asset, or a detriment. Cinderblock, go activate stage 3."


    A large stone creature holding something vaguely gun shaped nods, before walking off.


    "Strange developments are happening today, of all days. I wonder who you are, armless man."


    The screen zooms in on Asura''s body, making particular note of the missing appendages, as well as the strange symbols in his body, an eerie red light coursing through them.


    "Who indeed?"


    [End.]


    Alright so, this was written up because it was a plot that stuck in my brain a lot. mostly cause, angry dad is best dad.


    Yes, he doesn''t get to reincarnate with his wife, but maybe shenanigans will happen that''ll pull her into dc, maybe it won''t. i won''t tell.


    Anyway, this chapter looks like a rainbow vomited, but it''s good enough for what i''m going for. If you don''t like all the random colours, sorry but that''s kind of the thing with lantern stories. the colours show up everywhere. I''m not gonna tint Asura''s speech with Red constantly though, only because he''s connected to a battery or a ring big enough to be a battery. rather then having it distort his speech and stuff.


    So anyway, is this any good? is it bad? tell me, and give me your thoughts on this story. Sorry that it''s short, but i wanted to end it on a bit of a quieter note.


    The current timeline is that he wakes up during episode 1, around the time that cyborg split from the group. I used mumbo jumbo to start with a weird villain, and also because, as well as having a lantern ring, Asura''s body is so strange it''s immune to basic/low tier reality warping. Not sure if that''ll change with the higher tiers or not, we''ll see.


    Anyway, i hope you enjoyed, and have a lovely daynight thing.


    Also the name of the chapter comes from the final episode of Asura''s Wrath. A life well lived.


    Chapter 2


    [Start.]


    Night has fallen when he comes out of the meditative trance. If he strains his hearing enough he can hear something being destroyed or attacked.


    As he gets up to go deal with it, the noise stops. It seems he wasn''t needed.


    The sun rises slowly, Asura standing on the beach, watching it gently. He''d thought that he''d managed to kick the negative feelings of Mantra, but watching it here has him feeling melancholy. Reminded of better times with Durga, Mithra, Yasha, Even Master Augus, before he fell into hedonism.


    He is thankful there is no sand caught in his arm sockets. While he could probably burn them out with the Rage inside of him, it''d still feel irritating until he did.


    The waves are flowing, but the beach is still. The only distraction being the crunching of sand a slight distance away from him.


    Looking to his left, he sees another strange looking creature¡­ person? This one with greying skin and pink hair.


    And of course, just like Yasha, she''s brooding. The thought brings a silent chuckle out of his throat, remembering how Durga would always tell him that he was the one brooding when he was too angry to speak.


    He waits, seeing if she''ll try to speak to him, as he looks back across the water, the waves calming him further after his meditation. When she doesn''t, he decides to speak, needing information despite not wanting to interrupt whatever it is the girl is thinking about.


    "Girl. What is this place called?"


    She jumps. Did she not notice him while she was walking? But rallies herself, frowning at him for a moment before her eyes change to surprised. Is he really that strange?


    "W-What happened to your arms?"


    Groaning in annoyance, because of course the first thing she says is that. He gives her a flat look.


    "I destroyed my arms assaulting a being that thought that it was a god, and because of that, had the right to decide how the universe was allowed to develop. And because it made my daughter cry."


    "You¡­ You punched out a guy, claiming to be god, so hard that your arms exploded¡­ Because he made your daughter cry?"


    She sounds incredulous. Parenting standards must be lower than what he''s used to.


    "Yes. As all fathers should."


    She moves again, sitting down next to him. "As all fathers should huh? You have high standards, don''t you?"


    He grunts, nodding. "I have to. Otherwise I will fail. As I failed before."


    He can hear her sigh, before she lays back over the sand. "Well to answer your question big guy, you''re in a place called Jump City. It''s what''s left of San Francisco after the Thanagarians invaded. They bombed at least a good chunk of it into the ocean."


    He ruminates on it, the information both making sense and not. "I have questions. First, what is San Francisco. Second, What are Thanagarians? Third, do you have any Vajra metal facilities nearby?"


    She makes an almost strangled noise for a second, but calms down quick enough.


    "Uh okay, so you''re basically just a fish out of water then. Uhhh, San Francisco was a city in the united states of america, which is a country that sprung up some two or three hundred years ago. Uhhh, Thanagarians are these weird Bird people aliens that invaded earth about two years ago, they wanted to blow up the planet because it would be more efficient for them with one of their wars, or something? And i don''t know what Vajra metal is, sorry."


    He is quiet, able to hear the sand shift as she moves around. "Thank you for the information girl. I am Asura, and before the betrayal I suffered, and my first death, I was known as one of the eight guardian generals of Shinkoku Trastrium. It is¡­ Nice, to meet you."


    She snorts, looking annoyed but also intrigued.


    "My, well my new name is Jinx. You know you''re named after a demon right? Should probably be careful about that. Now¡­ What''d ya mean ''your first death''?"


    Another sigh escapes him, not enjoying having to explain it again and again.


    "In the afterlife there is a pillar. And if you can climb this pillar without falling, you will be brought back to life as you are. If you fall, you will reincarnate as something else. I couldn''t afford to fall, so every time i found myself back at the pillar, I would climb it with no breaks and no stopping. I couldn''t afford to give up, and lose the abilities I have, else I''d never have been able to kill the seven so called ''deities'' that had betrayed me. Or the one pulling their strings, Chakravartin."


    He can hear the girl hum, for such a small thing she enjoys being as loud as possible.


    "The eight guardian generals. You were the eighth, so were the other seven the ones that became the seven deities?"


    He nods his head, not wanting to talk about it again.


    "Betrayed by your closest comrades. That''s a hell of a thing. Hey you mentioned your abilities yeah, what can you do?"


    ¡­


    He must have stayed quiet for longer then he thought, because he can hear the girl calling him.


    "Asura? You don''t have to tell me if you don''t want to. I can understand not wanting to reveal anything important."


    He''s been sighing a lot today. Yasha''s Mantra is bothering him even now, long after his death. Melancholy always was one of the most annoying.


    "I can channel the power of Mantra. As I am right now, my control of it manifests within the fires of rage. If i get angry enough, I will become more powerful as time goes on. And if i get too angry¡­ I will become a monster, focused on devastation of my enemies. But that Wrath has only formed in me from grief. I doubt it will manifest again. My arms will also grow back, but it is easier to have the metal on hand. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"


    Another hum, but she doesn''t speak again.


    [Break.]


    "So you''re gonna run up the tallest building you can find, just so you can get an idea of where everything is? Wouldn''t a map be easier?"


    "I do not know how to read your maps fluently, it would at most give me a minor idea. Better that I can see it all."


    Jinx opens her mouth a few times, trying to respond to him. It reminds him of Mithra a little, whenever he''d have an argument she couldn''t beat, or couldn''t understand.


    Eventually she seems to give up, crossing her arms and looking away.


    "Fine, whatever. Just don''t get arrested or something. You weirdo."


    He laughs lightly. "Coming from you I''ll assume that''s a great compliment. Be safe Jinx."


    The sun is out, the morning dusk long gone now. It was enjoyable to sit, talk, and just enjoy the sunset.


    Running through the city, he is careful to not hit anyone or anything in his path, knowing how easy it would be to accidentally turn the humans into a red mist by running through them. He simply wants to get to the top of a building, not annihilate something.


    It''s surprising how much he''s gotten used to running without his arms, he doesn''t need them to counter balance at all. Then again, he still doesn''t have his arms. And he never really trained his kicks as much, so it''d be a lot harder to pull them if he did have to hit someone.


    He does crack the stone when he slows down on his arrival to the large glass building. Irritating, but not surprising.


    While it''d be fun to jump or run up the building, he does understand the idea of too much force. Activating the Reactor-like object in his chest, he begins to float again, hovering up the side of the building slowly, to avoid kicking up winds that could actually hurt the people around him. Some of them only get knocked to the ground, the rest stay standing but are ruffled. Progress he''d say if he were honest with himself.


    As he floats up the building, he can hear the same annoying noises from the brick building, and notices two flying machines coming toward the area.


    Something must be happening. They''ll likely deal with it though.


    Landing on the rooftop is a bit smoother than yesterday, less of a thump and more a tap on the ground. And as an upside, the stone roof isn''t cracked either.


    The flying machines are awfully close, thankfully not obstructing his view of the city, but still close enough to be irritating. And their downwind generation is making it annoying to stand on the rooftop.


    Four points. At least ten locations that look different. The most noteworthy being the glass tower in the bay, and the buildings with a hive based construction. On purpose? Or just shoddy craftsmanship?


    He''s starting to notice that these helicopters have strange boxes on the side. Lenses too. Recording devices? Why would they bother recording him? All he''s trying to do is see where everything is.


    He probably should''ve asked Jinx what "police" were. Were they soldiers?


    Looking towards the Tower again, he notices a green flying shape¡­ No, three? Four shapes, flying towards his direction. Focusing his eyes, he sees an orange girl, and three men with green rings on their hands. Though, one is barely a man, more an older boy.


    Who are they? What could be the point of the recording devices? And what are police?


    The three men with rings are faster than the orange girl, arriving near him within a few seconds.


    "Red lantern, we ask you to stand down and accept arrest!"


    The one speaking to him is obviously used to being in charge. Reminds him of Deus, but without the arrogant pride.


    "I am unsure what the word ''arrest'' means. Standing down would imply that I was fighting, when I am only getting a view of the area. And what is a Red Lantern?"


    Before the one that addressed him can pipe up, the one on his left, the older one with the foolish haircut, opens his mouth.


    "Sorry pal, we''re askin the questions ''ere. Like what happen''d to yer arms. An how''d a Red Lantern managed ta show up on earth. An what''sa good reason not ta try n beat yer face in?"


    Baring his teeth, he finds he''s minorly angry at the arrogant one, but sighs again.


    "I destroyed my arms killing a so called ''creator deity'', because he situated events that lead to my wife dying, my closest friends betraying me, and caused my daughter to cry. I do not know what a Red Lantern is, nor why it''s so important. And for your final question, you would likely lose."


    "OHSAT A FACT THEN!? WHY DON''T WE-" "GUY! Not now. Not here."


    His face scrunches up, like he''s been forced to eat a lemon. Statements of fact must be strange around here.


    The one in front, who he is defaulting as the leader, sighs explosively before looking back towards him.


    "A Red Lantern is somebody that can manipulate the Red light of Rage. From the video we saw of you flying up the building, you can do that. So the guardians, and by extension the justice league, want to bring you in."


    "I still do not follow. When a warrior is deemed a threat, they are usually executed. What do you mean by ''bringing me in'' as you put it."


    He seems to have shaken the three of them, why? Is that not normal?


    His confusion must show, as the previously loud one actually looks¡­ Worried?


    "Look man, I dunno whatcher used to, but if whatcher sayin is true, then it''d be kind''va no brainer thatcha got a red ring. When we''re sayin ''bring ya in'', it means we''re detainin ya."


    That explains so much, but he still understands so little. But, shaking his head lightly, he doesn''t want to start a fight. Not after his break. Not when they''re actually trying to be helpful.


    "Very well. But I will refuse to leave this planet. The Mantra is a comfort, even if it is not used."


    He can hear something that sounds suspiciously like "what the f.u.c.k is mantra?" but puts it out of his mind. Floating up alongside them, he allows himself to be brought to a strange¡­ pad¡­ thing.


    The technology of this Era is strange, but he will endure, as he always has.


    The Mantra cuts off, but he finds himself in a room full of people. Turning, he can see the sun.


    "Where, where are we?"


    "The watchtower big guy. Make yerself at home."


    [End.]


    And that''s another chapter. trying to dial back on the colour vomit of the first chapter, which i think i''ve done.


    Anyway, Asura''s gotten the attention of the greenies with stopping Mumbo yesterday, which is why they were here today. the reason they didn''t find him was because the battery was dormant while he slept.


    So, give me a comment on how you like the story, tell me how you hate it et cetera. and i hope you have a lovely day.


    Chapter 3


    [Start.]


    "YOU HAVE A BRAHMASTRA!?"


    Asura is certain that there are few times that he''s been this mad, but he is thankful that he finally has his arms back. Though he''ll probably be using them if he doesn''t enjoy the answers he gets.


    "Woah woah, easy buddy. What''s a Brahmastra?"


    Reining in part of his rage, he regards the three green highlighted men in front of him.


    "A Bramastra, is a superweapon designed to fire upon a planet. Powered by Mantra, the very souls of humans. And if you have one, nothing will save you."


    The loud one is shaking his head. "It aint like that man, this is a ship, notta super weapon. There aint any weapons even on it ''side from our equipment. Just relax okay?"


    The aura creeping in his vision recedes. The rage is cooling, and he stretches his arms, relieved to have them back. Only two this time though, and smaller then they usually are. Then again, maybe fighting Chakravartin only put him back to his original arms.


    "Do not give me reasons to distrust you."


    "Yeah yeah, i get it. Why''re you so jumpy about a space station anyway? I mean aside from the last one you were on being a super weapon and all."


    He seethes, remembering watching the Dharma cannon firing upon Gaea, doing nothing but killing more humans, and feeding Vlitra.


    "Bad previous experiences would be the best way to describe it. Who are all of the people near us? I can feel them through the walls."


    The younger green one decides to open his mouth again, probably to avoid a conflict.


    "They''re the Justice League. As well as honorary members, and sidekicks. Basically a group of superheroes, their job is to police the world''s villain population, preventing them from destroying the world, or enslaving anyone."


    He nods. An admirable goal to be sure.


    Wait¡­ They arrested him when they thought he was a threat.


    "They at least make it so that the so-called ''villains'' cannot repeat these actions, correct?"


    ¡­


    An uncomfortable silence passes.


    "Please do not tell me that-." "They don''t kill people. They''ll sometimes maim people, but those guys will heal."


    He breathes through his nose, a small amount of rage leaking through until he breathes out.


    "I cannot understand why you would spare someone willing to destroy a planet. Much less one you live on. Better to destroy them so they cannot repeat the action until they finally succeed. All it takes is doing it without advertising it."


    "Well, with talk like that, I think i''m glad you''re not trying to blow up the planet."


    He snorts in disgust. "I am no god. I will not dole out destruction as if it is my right. And I refuse to be prayed to as a savior. Believing you hold the right to call for the destruction of a planet is foolhardy. And will be swiftly dealt with."


    Walking forward, he goes for the strongest concentration of Mantra he can feel. Hopefully the ones he is meant to meet are there.


    "Ah hey wait- ah dangit."


    He can hear the three of them begin to jog after him as he strides through the halls.


    The two strongest feelings of Mantra are seated, he can feel that as he walks up to the doors, one feeling like his own Mantra, though less focused in rage, and the other feels off. Potentially an alien like they spoke of.


    The door opens, and as he looks across the room, he questions their fashion choices. A man dressed as a bat. A strange man covered in blue. A large green fellow with red eyes. A strange bird woman, a thanagarian? Another man in a full red bodysuit. And a woman dressed in an armoured corset with underwear to preserve her modesty. A silly garment. Then again, considering he runs around bare chested, he has no right to talk.


    He blinks at them, unimpressed with most, though he doesn''t know any of their abilities.


    "I am told you want me detained. I do not understand the reasoning for it. If I am a threat it would be simpler to execute me and be done with it."


    He gets a nod of agreement from the hawk woman. At least one of them is practical. The rest are concerned or stoic. The green one in particular does not show any emotion.


    "Sorry about him guys, we thought we were just dealin wit'' one a atrocitus'' boys, but well¡­ Him having a red ring kind of makes perfect sense, considering whatcha just heard."


    "Personally, his behaviour reminds me of some of my old planet''s soldiers. There wasn''t a concept of ''capture'' in some of the groups, so they never learnt the idea of it. It led to complications when they had to be military police."


    "Shayera, please don''t."


    She rolls her eyes, but nods her head. The leader green ring can calm the hawk woman. Good to note.


    The one in the middle, with a soul similar to his, Addresses him directly. "Reports said you were missing your arms."


    "I was."


    She waits a few moments for an answer. He does not grant her one.


    "Not any more?"


    "Yes."


    The hawk woman snorts, grinning lightly. "He''s just a lovely conversationalist isn''t he. How about we ask some more prudent questions. Number one. Where did you get your red ring?"


    He is quiet for a while. Some of them shift around him, obviously not expecting him to need to think about his answer.


    "I woke up. Face down in the dirt. There was no ring, I just had the ability. My mantra reactor has been replaced, but that is all I can tell you."


    A few of them look intrigued, likely having never heard of a mantra reactor before now. The bat dressed man takes the lead this time. "And what is a mantra reactor?"


    "It is a reactor equipped to demigods, so they may channel the power of Mantra in the fight against the Gohma. I had to replace mine after it burnt out, but then lost what I replaced it with. And now I have something else in its'' place."


    He is surprisingly comfortable right now, this feeling like a debriefing back when he was sent to fight the Gohma.


    "To forestall your other question, Mantra is the collective of spirit energy a soul releases upon death. We use this energy to empower ourselves to fight the Gohma, using the spirits of those they killed to destroy them in turn. Or at least, that was how it used to be, before I died the first time."


    The demigod-like woman nods her head, accepting that. "Some gods, and even humans, are able to reconstitute after death, you coming back isn''t a complete surprise, though it''s still shocking."


    "What are your intentions on Earth?" The blue one finally decides to speak.


    Another long silence. He doesn''t know how to answer the question.


    "If¡­ If I had Mithra, my only intention would be to find a quiet place to let her live her life. But she is gone now. I do not have any intentions. At least, not yet."


    They all accept the answer, before the bat opens his mouth again. "And who is Mithra?"


    "My daughter."


    [Break.]


    The talks went on for a good while longer, though Asura was bored of them relatively quickly he stuck it out, explaining things to the best of his abilities.


    An interesting proposal, was that if he wanted to learn more about the abilities he supposedly shared with the "Green Lanterns", He could train with them and try to mimic what they did. Or they could stop him from destroying a training room as he tried to figure out what he could do with the new reactor in his chest.


    The Batman would ask questions from his shorter answers, a seeming over-paranoia to his words. The middle one, Wonder Woman, would ask questions about Shinkoku, once he talked about it. The so called Superman would ask questions about his family, and the betrayal. He was indignant at first, but relented when he realised that, after all the time that had passed, it didn''t matter anymore.


    He misses Mithra, and regrets abandoning her with his death. Though he can''t bring himself to regret how he died.


    After a while, they decided to "set him up" with a house in Jump City, Nominally to keep an eye on the area and intervene if the Titans couldn''t handle a problem. Though he did have to learn how to pull his punches a lot more than he was used to. Barely a tap could apparently hurt someone in this world. Then again, humans were fragile in his time as well, he just interacted with them less.


    Slowly, people would shuffle out of the meeting, until eventually it was just him and the wonder woman. He feels comfortable around her, the history of her mantra showing that she could easily rise to the top in Shinkoku if she had a Mantra Reactor to boost her strength even further.


    Their talks last hours, Him asking about the pantheons and deities of this time. Learning that he already existed was strange, but learning that the version of him that did exist was a strange judge with three heads was even more so.


    Eventually she guided him out of the room, toward the ''Zeta tubes'' that would take him back to the area he left. Apparently Guy Gardner, the louder Green Lantern, would guide him to his new home, though the wonder woman... Diana, would teach him how to control his strength during the week.


    [Break]


    The house was smaller then he was used to, and likely a good deal more fragile. But it was his home now, and he would accept their generosity. A bed was nice, even if he didn''t have to sleep. It was still enjoyable to.


    As he was settling in for the night, he hears a knock on his door, and decides to investigate it, confident in his ability to defeat whatever it is should it prove hostile.


    Opening the door, he''s surprised by who he sees. If only because aside from their talk on the beach, he doesn''t really know why she''d be here.


    "Didn''t I say to not get arrested, you weirdo? And¡­ Did you get your arms back?"


    "Jinx?"


    [End.]


    Well, there y'' go. Third chapter, Sorry if it''s sloppy and i didn''t catch it, i''m really bloody tired right now. Also, try ''n guess how jinx figured out where Asura lived.


    Have a good day night, and i''ll see you in eight to twelve hours. g''night.

 Chapter 264 - My SI Stash #64 - Pokemon Jordinio Version! by 0 Jordinio 0 (Pokemon)

    -Scottish boi got very cross after getting isekai''d and de-aged but ended up having fun yoinking some of Ash''s pokemon, a SI with no cheats in Pokemon that finally makes use of Chansey and her broken moveset like Healing Pulse & Gravity~


    Sypnosis: So there I was enjoying myself at a bar about to pick up a pretty girl and then bam! I''m on Route 1, short as shit and somehow twelve again. Oh well, at the very least I can get that Charizard I always dreamed of. Self Insert.Rated: T


    Words: 27K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/12796968/1/Pokemon-Jordinio-Version (0 Jordinio 0)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    AN: So writers block has been such a bitch for me lately. I''ve not even come close to finishing the commissions I''m writing at the moment. But I read a few self inserts for the lulz and enjoyed some of them, even most of them are retarded in the fact non of them even react at all like people. More like idiolized versions of themselves that don''t even react when they have the likes of n.a.k.e.d Erza Scarlet and stuff in front of them. And while I''ll probably remove a few things of myself here, such as crippling fear of heights and some of my laziness, I''m gonna keep this self insert to as close to my personality as possible.


    Just a warning, it''s probably gonna piss a few of you off. Mostly because I''ve had people complain about delinquent characters I''ve wrote before. And well, I was a jackass delinquent when I was a teen. Thankfully I went the de-age route so maybe not quite as much a jackass, but still a jackass nonetheless.


    On the matter of a picture for this story. I''m not sure what to use. I mean, I actually have a picture of myself from when I was twelve. Mostly I got it from my friend who found it on the internet and showed me it to embarrass me. It was during that phase you know sporty teens go through to show off their body, so it''s basically a shirtless selfie. I''m sure very few of you want to actually see that, but if you want I''ll post it.


    Anyway, have at it lads. Hopefully, with this my writers block dies off.


    What the actual f.u.c.k?


    I''ve literally been awake less than fifteen seconds and already my mood has turned to shit. For one, I freaking woke up to rain drops splattering against my face. Thankfully it was only a a few drops, but what the hell?


    Secondly, where the hell am I?


    Taking a look around myself all I can see is a massively long dirt road littered with small puddles here and there, well that alongside a wide expansive of grassy terrain and a shit ton of trees.


    "How much did I f.u.c.k.i.n.g drink last night?" I wondered out loud.


    Last I could remember, I was at a bar, downing some mean shots, chugging down tequila and hitting on this girl with the most insane ass I''d seen up close and personal in a while. I''m pretty sure I was getting somewhere with the chick too, she got a good laugh out of it when I claimed if I bounced a fifty pence piece off her ass it''d hit the moon. Without problem.


    To be up front about it, I sucked at flirting and sweet talk. But I''d learned how to present myself as a funny guy a while ago, so while most shit I said could sometimes be taken as blatant s.e.x.u.a.l come ons¡­.they kinda worked for me half the time. I have no idea why, I think it''s just the confidence I presented while throwing it out there.


    It ain''t my god damn looks for sure. I''m at best above average looking with a nice dress sense, a five out of ten if there ever was one. Maybe a six if I''m pushing it.


    Speaking of looks though, what the f.u.c.k happened to mine? I looked down and grimaced, how the hell did I get so short?


    ...Well, shorter. I''ve always been short as f.u.c.k, barely topping five-six by time I hit my twenties and that was while wearing boots.


    Weirdly enough, I''m still wearing what I remember wearing to the club, only in miniature. An expensive pair of black timber land boots, my favourite pair of jeans that fasten at the bottom like tracksuit bottoms and have a stretchable waist that ties again like tracksuit bottoms, a sleeveless white hoodie top and over that my favourite jacket a kind of almost leather white jacket with a warm grey undercoat fastened inside, double the zip up baby.


    All in these cost me a pretty penny, especially since I''m certain I''m still wearing my black Egyptian silk boxers.


    Yeah I''m a vain bastard.


    Still no idea where the hell I am though.


    Riffling through my pockets, I come to find I''ve got good and bad luck. Can''t find my wallet. Whelp, there goes a good few hundred quid. I did find my phone though.


    I had to arc an eyebrow though when I saw it. For one, mine is a decently old phone, bought it over a year ago. A nice looking, easy to use HTC. Not a blemish on it, in fact it looks brand spanking new. A pleasant surprise considering I was playing Fate/Grand Order a few months back while taking a crap and dropped it, cracking the screen.


    Am I f.u.c.k.i.n.g hallucinating again? I learned the hard way binge reading fanfiction is bad for you. I binged like two million words at once without sleeping once, I ended up going freaking loopy. Cut myself pretty badly and while my family were freaking out I was all fo waving out off being like, ''Don''t worry, Kurama will heal that up for me in to time.''


    Yeah, reality and fanfiction kinda got blurred for me for a few days there until I got some proper rest. The blood loss probably didn''t help.


    But as far as I remember, I''ve not binge read any fanfiction in a while. How could I? There''s hardly anything even worth reading nowadays.


    F.u.c.k, it whatever. I shook my head and powered up my phone. Time to check where the f.u.c.k I am.


    "What the f.u.c.k?" I said to myself, eyes narrowing as soon as I caught look at my base screen.


    There were only two apps there. Last I checked, there were a f.u.c.k ton. The Map was there, and one named Pokedex. When the f.u.c.k did I download a pokedex app? I didn''t even know there was one. Even my freaking music folder and player were gone.


    I''m starting to get a bad feeling here.


    Licking my lips, nerves suddenly pooling in my stomach I tapped on the map app and brought it up. And then I literally almost dropped it in shock. I say almost, because there was no way I was cracking the shit out of my phone a second time.


    I couldn''t believe my eyes, I even felt a little faint right then and there.


    Because there was the little blue indicator for where I was, right in the middle of a massive road labelled as Route 1. Far behind me, there was a town labelled Pallet Town and a good twenty minutes ahead of me there was another, named Viridian City.


    "What the f.u.c.k!" I shouted.


    Quickly closing down my map, I opened up the interior folder and to my relief the camera function was still there. Quickly firing it up, I pointed the lens side at me and took a quick selfie.


    "Nooooo." I m.o.a.ned in disbelief as soon as I saw the picture.


    Because I wasn''t looking at my a.d.u.l.t self, I was looking at myself around twelve.


    How did I know that?


    For one, my usually dirty blonde hair was darker, a brown almost black. For another, were the blonde highlights running through it. To be fair, I''d started doing that at twelve and kept doing it right up till I was twenty. My face was a lot thinner than I remember, blue eyes much brighter. But what really cinched it was the diamond stud in my left ear. I got it for my 12th birthday and lost it not long later.


    Oh and there was a backpack on my shoulder too it seemed.


    Stowing my phone in my pocket I swung the bag off of my shoulders and knelt above it on the ground. It felt light, but hopefully there would be something I could use, preferably my wallet. But when I opened it and looked inside, all I could do was gape as I looked at a small group of shiny red and white pokeball''s sitting innocently alone inside.


    "You''ve got to be f.u.c.k.i.n.g with me!" I growled, standing up with one of the obviously fake pokeball''s in hand and giving a particularly large stone on the ground a harsh kick that sent it soaring off into the grassy distance.


    Five of them in total.


    I''ve played enough Pokemon games to immediately understand someone out there was f.u.c.k.i.n.g with me. Five was the amount given to any starting trainer in every game as of generation three.


    I was about to swing the back up on my backpack back on and try and come up with a plan of action when a guttural chirp of pain resounded through the area from where the stone went flying.


    I heard the beating of wing, a loud sound of outrage and turned to find a god damn freaking bird flying at me and its face was f.u.c.k.i.n.g glowing!


    It was so damn fast I only had time to roll slightly out of the way before it skewered me. I hissed, pain flaring at my ribs, it hadn''t completely missed me.


    Whirling around to face my attacker, I froze in shock. Because beating its wings to stay afloat in the air a good dozen or so feet away was a god damn Pidgey. The cream underbelly, pink beak, brown over feathers. I''d recognize one of them easy with how many of them I''ve caught over the course of my pokemon gaming career.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me..." I whispered.


    Its wings began to glow. That wasn''t a good thing. I thought fast and furiously, there were a ton of moves that flying pokemon used with their wings that caused them to glow. That could be Wing Attack or hells even Steel wing. I definitely didn''t want to get hit by a Steel Wing. I''d seen tiny little Fletchling obliterate large boulders in the anime with that move. If that thing hit me I was a dead man.


    But god damnit a familiar pounding began to round in my head, blood flowing hotly and as always I could never take a slight lying down and my temper always got the better of me.


    "I dare you to f.u.c.k.i.n.g try that again you little piece of shit!" I shouted at it angrily. I was so done with this shit. "I''m gonna f.u.c.k.i.n.g beat you down and cook you over a camp fire you stupid little bitch!"


    The Pidgey let out an outraged squawk at that. With a beat of its wings, a powerful gust of wind was blew out harshly behind it and the little bird shot down at me like a bullet.


    I as too angry to be afraid though.


    I waited.


    It took less than two seconds for it to close to distance.


    But it had to turn to hit me, otherwise it would just be a full on body tackle and my body weight would let me win the day, even if I was a runty twelve year old again.


    So when it turned, I took my chance.


    I punched that god damn bitch of a bird in the face as hard as I could.


    It chirped loudly in pain threw back into the dirt with all the force I could muster in my fist and never before was I more glad that I''d only recently got kicked out of my kick boxing classes for being too rough at twelve.


    It landed on its back making an odd squealing noise of pain and my damn hand felt like somebody took a freaking metal baseball bat to it.


    Call it instinct I suppose but the minute that bird hit the dirt, I wasn''t idle. The pokeball in my other hand left it in a flash and before the bird could get to its feet, the sphere hit it straight in the chest and to my utter awe and astonishment, I watched as the bird was sucked inside of the damn thing in a burst of red light.


    I panted deeply staring at the ball. It began to blink red and roll around. One blink, two and then I let out a deep breath as it pinged loudly just the way the anime did to signify a capture.


    I collapsed on my ass then, "Oh my f.u.c.k.i.n.g god!" I laughed loudly and outrageously, "This shit is so f.u.c.k.i.n.g retarded!"


    Either I was freaking dreaming or somehow I''ve been de-aged and thrown into the pokemon world. This is some trippy shit man.


    It was then I remembered I had a pokedex app. Reaching in to my jeans I grabbed my phone before booting up the pokedex app. It looked really no different than the pokedex you saw on the official pokemon website, you know the one with the card game and news of upcoming events and shit? Except, there in the corner was a little button that said scan.


    I pressed it.


    "No pokemon in view of capture lens." A monotone voice said.


    I blinked for a moment before realizing I had the camera lens pointed at the ground. I got up on shaky feet before making my way towards my newly captured Pidgey''s pokeball and picking it up. I aimed the lens at the pokeball and hit scan again.


    "Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokemon. Pidgey is a Flying Pok¨¦mon, Pidgey''s Gustpower creates tornadoes. Gender: Male, Height: 1''03 ¨C Attacks Known: Gust, Sand Attack, Quick Attack, Peck, Wing Attack." My phone turned pokedex informed me.


    Holy crap.


    Wait, why didn''t it use Quick Attack on me? I I mean, I saw it use a small gust to propel itself forward and that was one awesome tactic in itself I''d need to keep that in mind, but if it used Quick Attack there''s no way I would have been fast enough to punch it.


    Was this just a case of it- him not taking me seriously? Granted now that I think about it, in the anime rarely did any human think to hit a pokemon back, only Ash and the like ever done that.


    Either way, I did confirm one thing at least. Well, if this wasn''t some dream or delusion at least. I''m not in the game-verse, I''m in the anime one. Pidgey in the games didn''t learn Wing Attack till like level 30 ods. And I seriously doubt that if this were the game a level 30 ods Pidgey would be sitting in Route 1.


    Not to mention, Pidgey didn''t even learn freaking Peck in the games. Only in a few of its card versions.


    I shook my head. Delusion or not, no time to panic or over think. I need to find somewhere I can stay and get some food. Didn''t Pokemon Centres give free food and lodging to trainers? Viridian''s my first stop then, and from there I''ll need to find a way to get my hands on some cash quick style.


    ...And maybe teach this Pidgey how to use Steel Wing. Thanks to watching Ash train Pikachu, I have a good idea how to do that so that would be my best bet if I decide to take on Gyms...maybe. I wonder if my idea that league trainers make a shit ton of cash has any merit to it?

 Chapter 265 - My OC Stash #65 - The Beast of Beacon by Coeur AlAran (RWBY)

    -Here''s Coeur''s new work~ A story of redemption for Adam, an epic move considering RT just completely f.u.c.k.i.e.d his character over and finally a non Jaune-centric story from COEUR! LES GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO/


    Sypnosis: Blake had fled, making it clear she couldn''t trust him to change. She thought him inhuman, lost, a beast. He was going to prove her wrong. Getting into Beacon was hard enough, but fitting in would be harder still. All those... humans. Will a man fuelled by hate truly be able to let go and move on; or is suffering the only thing Adam Taurus can ever bring to those around him?


    Rated: M


    Words: 28K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13504249/1/The-Beast-of-Beacon (Coeur Al''Aran)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Ruby kept Crescent Rose up in front of her, watching the man she vaguely recognised but couldn''t place the name of. Someone bad, she was sure. Her headphones hung around her neck, music still lightly playing from them. Around her, more of the men in suits fanned out, cutting off any escape and wielding their batons and clubs menacingly. At least, she figured it was meant to be menacing. Their footwork was all wrong. Uncle Qrow would have sighed.


    "This really isn''t my day," the man said, holding a hand up to his bowler hat and sighing at the floor. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a dust shop open this late? Isn''t it past your bedtime, Red?"


    "Isn''t it past yours?" Ruby countered.


    It wasn''t her best work. Really, she wished she could take it back, especially when the man and all his people burst out laughing. Heat crept up her neck. Poo. Uncle Qrow had taught her how to be a butt-kicking huntress but never spent any time on how to smack talk.


    "Oh, wow. That was great." The pretty man with the makeup rubbed a finger against his eye. "I needed that. Alright boys, ge-"


    "I would like to buy this dust."


    The thief paused as the new voice cut through his speech. He looked over her shoulder and Ruby turned to, jumping on the spot as she realised someone had snuck in behind without her noticing. His back was to her, tall and dark with a black coat and black pants. The only decoration was a white symbol etched onto his upper back and shoulders, and someone ¨C someone with a lot of style ¨C had drawn a red rose over the top of it in what looked like paint.


    The man had dark red hair standing up in spikes and two blackish horns. At his side, and far more noteworthy to her, was a long and thin blade held in a sheathe. To her eyes, the sheathe looked a little too special to be just that; she could see a small loading catch for dust vials, telling her it had an attack functionality as well.


    None of that was too surprising. Huntsmen and students were the main customers of dust stores for obvious reasons. What shocked her, and apparently the man attacking the shop too, was how this new person was leaning forward on the counter, utterly ignoring the carnage around him.


    "Are you listening to me?" he asked the cowering shopkeeper. "I said I''d like to buy this dust." He tapped a vial of red dust down on the counter. "Is that a problem? Or is it these that are the problem?" He touched his horns and growled threateningly. "Tell me it''s these. I dare yo-"


    "Ahem." The thief coughed. "Excuse me? Red and Redder. I''m kind of talking here."


    "And I''m shopping," the redhead fired back without turning. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a dust shop open this late?"


    The thief''s mouth fell open.


    Ruby tittered.


    "Okay. You know what¡­ Just get them."


    The suited men charged in from every angle. Ruby glanced back to her¡­ friend? He wasn''t even looking! Weighing the options between defending him and closing in first before she was surrounded, she yelled out a quick warning and charged.


    Uncle Qrow always said if you were attacked from two sides at once, you had to attack one of the sides first. Cut off the flank before the vice could close. Ducking under the swing, she hooked the blade of Crescent Rose around the man''s ankle and whipped his feet out from under him. He fell and aura flared, instantly letting her know she could be a little rougher.


    The second swung for her but she parried it with the haft of her weapon and spun it around, disarming him before driving the butt into his stomach and then up into his chin. Using the momentum from being pushed away, she twirled and swatted the first man, now getting up, across the side of his face before he could finish the motion. He flew through the window and outside, crashing into the street.


    Oooh. Collateral damage. I hope the owner won''t be angry.


    That could wait, though. Heroism first. Ruby looked back to make sure the other guy was okay.


    She needn''t have. Two men were down and she watched in awe as the faunus held his weapon, still sheathed, across the throat and shoulder of a third, wrenching him back and tossing him over one shoulder. He hadn''t even drawn his weapon and he''d dispatched all three, and without letting a single one break the dust vial on the counter or hurt the shopkeeper.


    So cool.


    "You were worth every lien," Torchwick told the downed gangsters. "Truly, you were. And what is my luck tonight? Bad enough I get one brat stepping in to play hero, but two? What is this, the neighbourhood watch?"


    "You''re a villain," she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Like I''d stand back and do nothing."


    "You attacked me first," her new companion growled, already having turned back to the counter and ignoring his groaning victims. His tone was way more menacing than the armed men had ever been. Enough so that even she edged away. "I don''t care about you in the slightest. Get out my sight and let me buy my dust and we won''t have any quarrel, human."


    Wait, he wasn''t going to help her? But he was a huntsman!


    "That so?" Roman looked and sounded a lot more confident, grinning widely. "Well, it''s nice to see an animal that knows their place."


    Steel hissed as the most beautiful blade Ruby had ever seen was suddenly levelled next to her head, aimed at her opponent, the faunus in black taking a position next to her with a visible snarl.


    "And now we have a quarrel¡­"


    A dust-infused weapon. Or a weapon coated in dust. No normal metal would have made the blade that red otherwise. Did it have elemental effects when swung? Could it convert dust into strength, speed or air pressure? How much dust did it cost to keep such a thing going and how could she convince him to turn Crescent Rose''s blade red? Crescent Rose had to have a red blade. She couldn''t believe she''d ever made such a glaring oversight.


    Oh right, and the fight. Yes. Ruby blushed and tore her eyes away. Maybe she could ask him if she could hold it later. Nodding in agreement to what he''d said, she aimed her scythe at Roman Torchwick.


    "Well Red and Redder, I think we can all say it''s been an eventful evening." He was backing away, keep his arms spread wide with his cane hanging from one hand. "And as much as I''ve love to stick around, I''m afraid this is where we part ways¡­"


    "Hmph."


    Ruby''s hair fluttered as the faunus moved. No stranger to speed, she was still caught off guard by how sudden his attack was. There was no hesitation. He surged in and swept his sword up, slicing an explosive dust round fired from the cane in Roman''s hand aside. It split in two down the middle, flew by and exploded on either side and behind him.


    So cool¡­


    Landing on one knee, he kicked off and covered the last of the distance. Metres in seconds. He lashed out, almost cutting Torchwick down in a single attack but for the thief''s desperate parry. Torchwick swung but the huntsman was already in the air, twirling over his head. Mid-flight, he pirouetted so that his back was to Torchwick, his free hand holding his sheathe out and downward behind him.


    Dust barked and pelted Torchwick, who was forced to cover his face with one hand. It was a dust rifle. I knew it! How does it fire when the weapon is sheathed? How many rounds does it have? The questions went unanswered as he landed behind Torchwick, pivoted and drove a foot into the small of his back. Torchwick buckled, swinging behind him with the cane, only to hit the flat of the man''s sword.


    With a twist and a flick, he sent the cane spinning in Ruby''s direction. She caught it and blurred back, helping by ensuring Roman couldn''t get his weapon. Not that she thought for a second he needed it. Kicking Roman''s knees out to force him down, he pushed the man to the floor, brought his sword up and thrust down.


    Ruby''s eyes bulged. "He''s already beaten!"


    The red tip stopped an inch from Torchwick''s eye, which rolled up as the man fainted.


    "Y-You don''t need to stab him," she blurted out. "He''s beaten¡­"


    The faunus stopped, looking her way as Ruby''s heart threatened to come tearing out her throat. Shaking slightly, she swallowed. It was okay. He''d stopped. He probably always intended to and just wanted to scare Torchwick. Y-Yeah, that made sense. God, she probably looked stupid for thinking he''d do it.


    "Aheh," she laughed nervously. "S-Sorry. I thought you were actually going to¡­ to¡­"


    He didn''t respond. Standing, he whipped his sword to the side, brought it up and sheathed it once more. Despite having fought alongside him, it was the first time she''d really looked at him from the front. Yang always did say she spent too much time focused on weapons.


    He wore a black coat over what looked to be a red T-Shirt, the top buttons open and showing his chest. His face was angular and smooth but he didn''t look as old as she expected from his voice and skill. What immediately caught her eye ¨C and his, funnily enough ¨C was the black eyepatch that covered the left side of his face, including his eye, forehead and a bit of his cheek. Just poking out from the side and over his nose was a bit of red, like a scar.


    Oh, and he was scowling at her. Like, really scowling. His single blue eye burned into her. Suddenly, she didn''t feel all that confident in asking for an autograph.


    It was almost a relief when the huntress showed up.


    /-/


    "I was under the impression you were going to be on your best behaviour. That was part of our agreement."


    Adam glanced up from his scroll as the headmaster of Beacon let himself into the holding cell. Into his holding cell. The door clicked shut behind him, not that it or the pathetic guards outside could keep him locked up if they wished it. Wilt''s reassuring presence on his hip was proof of that. Flipping his scroll over and away, Adam sat up, sweeping his feet off the table.


    "I fought a villain and protected a huntress-in-training." Leaning forward, he mimicked Ozpin''s speech. "I was under the impression that might count as good behaviour."


    Ozpin watched him carefully and closed his eyes. His nostrils flared as he exhaled. Shaking his head, he strode over and drew the chair back, sitting and placing his cane down on the table. Torchwick and Ozpin. Two men who, to Adam''s eye, fought in so similar a manner. An interesting coincidence but little more. Torchwick had been weak.


    "You have my gratitude for stepping in, and no doubt the gratitude of Miss Rose and her family for protecting her. Roman Torchwick has been taken into custody and will not be a threat on our streets again. The shopkeeper also asked me to give you this." He pushed a small vial of red dust onto the table. "As thanks for your efforts."


    Smirking, Adam took it.


    Ozpin''s hand caught his wrist.


    The sudden and visceral rush of fury tore through him. His teeth were bared before he could stop himself. "I do not appreciate being touched by a human."


    "That is something you will have to get used to if you wish to continue this." Ozpin held on for a second longer before releasing him, making his message clear. "I have my doubts, Mr Taurus. My doubts as to whether you are as genuine as you profess. Whether you can change as you so easily claim you can."


    Adam''s lips peeled back. "You gave her a chance."


    "Miss Belladonna appeared far more contrite than you."


    Adam tensed at the name; an outpouring of confusing and unwelcome emotions washing over him. Anger. Love. Hate. Desire. Pain. Happiness. He gritted his teeth and looked away, reigning in a temper that threatened to lash out. The rage bubbled and simmered beneath the surface like a volcano waiting to erupt. With visible effort, he forced it down.


    "This is part of the problem," Ozpin continued. "You''re a barely restrained ball of anger waiting to go off. I have Glynda and the Council on my back telling me to arrest or kill you now. Warning me that I''m playing a dangerous game with children''s lives allowing you anywhere near Beacon."


    "Then why don''t you?" Adam scoffed. "Or do you think I just need a hug to be redeemed?"


    "No." Ozpin''s eyes bore into his. "I think that the second I try, you''ll be gone. That you will return to the White Fang and become so much worse than you are right now. It''s not idealistic hope that has me accept you, Mr Taurus. It is cynicism. It is the knowledge that at least with you in Beacon, you will be close enough for me to keep an eye on. And make no mistake, I will be watching you. One step out of line. One thought that you might be a danger to my students and nothing shall stop me dealing with you myself." Ozpin''s eyes narrowed. "Am I understood?"


    "Tch."


    "I said, am I understood?"


    "I heard you the first time." Adam said. He''d let Ozpin think it was fear that had him capitulating, rather than his love for Blake. Her betrayal burned still, but he was willing to change. His hands tightened into fists. He shouldn''t have to change, but he was willing to. For her. "I wouldn''t waste my time being here if I wasn''t going to try. I''m taking as big a risk as you are."


    "I am aware of the sacrifices you have made, Mr Taurus." The way he said it made it clear he didn''t consider them equal. "They allow me some small hope, but I have been let down before and I fear you may be no different." Ozpin sat in silence for a few long moments before continuing. "The semester will begin in one week. I''ll ask you stay out of trouble until then, and after. Every teacher in the school knows who and what you are. They will be monitoring your actions and reporting to me."


    "Will she be monitored as well?"


    "Of course." Adam sensed the lie but didn''t bother commenting. "You and she are a similar case. On a related note, Beacon does not allow racism ¨C in either direction ¨C but I won''t be so na?ve as to say we can prevent all of it. Should you experience any instances, I would ask you to inform a teacher and not deal with the situation yourself."


    Not cut the students down to size. He rolled his eyes but agreed with a grunt. This was all going to be a farce anyway. In terms of skill, no one in Beacon was going to be able to hold a candle to him. The only reason he wanted to be there at all was to show Blake he could change. Show her she could have spoken to him about her problems instead of running.


    "That will also be a problem." Ozpin pointed to the eye patch he wore in place of a mask. "It will draw unwelcome attention."


    Snorting, Adam lifted it up and let the man see beneath. As much as he despised it, there was a certain pleasure in watching the man''s eyes close; his nostrils flare; his shoulders slump and to hear the muttered curse slip forth. Adam let go and felt the fabric snap back into place. "The attention will be worse if I take it off."


    "I agree. I''ll ask the faculty to stifle any curiosity. Please do not show that off."


    "You think I want people to see it? Am I free to go? Or are you intending to keep me locked up for helping deal with a wanted criminal?"


    "You''re not being detained."


    Adam nodded and stood, pushing his chair back and making his way to the door.


    "Adam¡­" Ozpin''s voice made him stop. It took a good ten seconds before the headmaster spoke again. "I want to say do not make me regret giving you this chance, but I fear I already do. Instead, I''ll say this. Do not waste this chance. If I believe you a danger, I will take whatever steps I must to stop you. I will not ask you to surrender. I will not ask you to reconsider. Threaten my students... and I shall kill you."


    Adam wasn''t fool enough to assume an old man couldn''t fight, especially when said old man ran a school for huntsmen. He might have gotten there through administrative skill and connections, but he might just as easily have gotten there by other merits.


    "I know how to control myself," Adam said. " And I will. If I didn''t, I''d only prove her right."


    /-/


    Adam scanned his scroll again outside the station, sighing at the familiar empty feeling in his stomach as he looked down the fifty or so messages he''d sent Blake and the zero replies he''d received back. Thumbing higher revealed a happier time of constant bickering and chatter. Had she blocked him? Could he blame her if she had?


    Or had she gotten rid of her scroll when she left? That would only make sense given she might fear the White Fang would use it to track and deal with her ¨C or that someone in Vale might discover who she was by looking at it. It might be that she was just not receiving his messages rather than ignoring them. At the very least, she''d have responded with surprise to his messages that he was joining Beacon.


    Either with shock or horror, he thought glumly. I wonder which¡­


    "Ah, Yang. That''s him!"


    That annoying voice again. Adam grimaced and turned in time to see the little girl in red dragging a much taller girl with a long golden hair toward him. For a second he thought she might be a lion faunus with a mane like that, but he doubted it. She was walking alongside a motorbike, guiding it along the pavement with a hand on the handlebars.


    The thing was bright yellow. He felt offended just looking at it.


    "So," she said, her voice friendly, rich and thankfully not as squeaky as the smaller one. "You''re the guy who helped my little sister out? Thanks for that. The name''s Yang Xiao-Long. Nice to meet''cha."


    Adam regarded the hand warily. Ozpin was in the building behind him, however, and might very well be watching. He could also sense eyes on him from somewhere, no doubt the blonde teacher who had been vehemently against letting him anywhere near the students. Better to show he could do this now. I''ll have to deal with a lot more humans in Beacon¡­


    "Adam." He took her hand and shook it, hiding his scowl. "And it''s fine."


    "I''m Ruby!" the little one chirped. "I didn''t say so in the shop ¨C oh, and that was so cool. You were like whoosh and slash and bang!" She mimicked firing Blush from her waist. "And can I see your sword? Can I know how you made it? Can you make Crescent Rose red? It''d really fit my cape."


    Adam leaned back.


    "Chill, Ruby." The blonde ¨C Yang, he reminded himself. Best to start learning their names as though they were equals ¨C pulled her sister away. "Sorry about her," she said to him. "Ruby''s always been obsessed with weapons. Probably fangirled all over yours."


    "C-Can I hold your sword?"


    No. A hundred times no. A filthy human touching his weapon. But again, they were watching. Yang''s motorbike was angled in such a way that he could see the vague shape, black skirt and white blouse of that teacher with the glasses and the scowl in the side mirror. Watching him. Ready to intervene if he acted out of hand. Ready to cut off his chances before they''d even begun. He''d show her. He''d prove he could do this, even if it meant putting up with such ridiculous levels of excitement. With a shake of his head that initially had the girl sulking, he unhooked his weapon and held it out.


    Ruby squealed painfully and snatched it from his hands. Yang nodded her thanks in a kind of `you didn''t have to but thanks for being nice` sort of way. He shrugged back. If he killed every human who got on his nerves, he wouldn''t have time to do anything. He felt n.a.k.e.d without Wilt and Blush there. If Ozpin was going to attack, now would be the time.


    "The blade is so pretty. What is she called?"


    "Wilt," he said, nodding to the sword. "And Blush for the scabbard."


    "Like roses?"


    "Hn. That was the idea."


    "That''s so cool! We match!" The girl showed off her cape and weapon. It wasn''t hard to see the rose motif. "This is Crescent Rose and I''m Ruby Rose. And you have rose weapons and a rose on your back. We''re like a super awesome team. Oh wow, imagine if we got to go out on hunts together. Wouldn''t that be awesome!?"


    Adam tried hard not to let the horror show on his face, though judging by the way the girl''s sister snorted into her hand he hadn''t nearly been successful. Faunus children weren''t something he liked to deal with at the best of times. Human children were worse. Human children obsessed with him, his weaponry and his fashion choices took the cake and ate it.


    "Sorry Ruby, but I think you need to graduate from Beacon before you can partner up with a huntsman like him." Yang prompted her to give the weapon back and Adam took it, offering the older sister a short nod. Not gratitude per se, just a little acknowledgement that she was marginally less annoying than her sister.


    Children could be worse than a.d.u.l.ts in some regards. The older generation at least made efforts to hide their hate, and in some way had an excuse for it. Not one he would ever accept or forgive, but those that lost parents to faunus at least had some logic in hating them. The children did not. They just hated because faunus were different. Because they inherited and mimicked cruelty from others without understanding what it did to people.


    Luckily for her, the brat ¨C Ruby ¨C seemed far more interested in weapons than his horns. In fact, he wasn''t even sure she''d once looked above his waist ¨C and not for the reasons a more self-conscious person would have thought. Great. I''ve found the only person who doesn''t care I''m a faunus and I have to worry she''ll try and fornicate with Wilt.


    Humans. They were all so messed up.


    "I''ll graduate!" Ruby promised. "Just you wait. And since I get to go to Beacon now, I can graduate even sooner. I''m going to be a huntress a whole two years early."


    They thought him a professional huntsman and he saw no reason to dissuade them of that notion. According to his research, Beacon worked on partnersh.i.p.s and teams and he already had his partner picked out, whether she realised it yet or not. It was not some annoying human brat with a fetish for the colour red.


    It''s an annoying faunus with a fetish for trashy p.o.r.n, he thought fondly.


    "Thanks again for helping my sister out." Yang placed a hand on said sister''s shoulder, more to keep her still than anything. "If you ever need a favour and I''m around, feel free to call. I owe you one."


    As though some human girl could help him. "It''s fine. I was just¡­" He sighed. "Just doing what a huntsman is supposed to do. No thanks is necessary."


    How galling.


    Accurate, though, and if he was going to show Blake he could do this, he''d better start playing the part. At least he could pick what jobs he went on after he graduated. There were plenty of villages where faunus lived in isolation, ignored by many human huntsmen who didn''t consider them worth the effort. He could protect those people.


    The duo thanked him again and left, or rather the blonde all but forced her sister to go, picking her up, putting her on the bike and obviously ignoring her excited chatter as they tore away with a final wave back. All in all, the meeting hadn''t gone as poorly as he expected it to.


    They clearly hadn''t recognised his face, and since they''d not bothered to ask his last name, they missed that. Even though he wore a mask, the name of Adam Taurus was known in Atlas. Given that Ozpin recognised him the second he applied, it was known in Vale as well. He thumbed his eyepatch, feeling the familiar tug of burned skin underneath. While he couldn''t wear his mask, he wasn''t going to walk around parading what the SDC had done to him either.


    "Satisfied?" Adam asked out loud once he was done. "Or are you going to scowl at me for the rest of my education?"


    Goodwitch huffed and turned away, stalking back into the station without saying a word. Adam laughed mirthlessly. It wasn''t funny, but it amused him a little to see how upset she was. Not that he couldn''t say she wasn''t right to be.


    Him, in a school like Beacon, learning to be a huntsman.


    "What a joke¡­"


    /-/


    "You have had a lot of bad ideas in your time but this is by far the worst!"


    Ozpin chuckled. What else could he do when he fully agreed with what Glynda was saying?


    "Do you really think he''s being honest? Do you really think he can change after all that he''s done? I''m aware he doesn''t have an arrest warrant in Vale, but no one would bat an eye if we took him in. Atlas would laud us as heroes."


    "Mr Taurus will be attending Beacon."


    "Ozpin!" Glynda protested, slapping a hand down. "This isn''t a game. He''s a terrorist!"


    "As is Miss Belladonna."


    "And I''m no keener about that decision either. Arrest them both!"


    That would be the easier solution, but not the easiest action. While he was confident he could deal with Adam Taurus in an even fight, there would surely be a lot of damage done in the process. Better than in a police station than a school, he could agree, but better it not happen at all.


    "If I had rejected him, Glynda, then we would give the White Fang back one of their most powerful and violent members. I''m not happy about having him in Beacon either, but I''m less pleased with the idea of having him in the White Fang. We can watch him. He will be surrounded by huntsmen and huntresses at all times of the day."


    "By children!"


    "They are a.d.u.l.ts now, Glynda. We will be sending them against Grimm, which I should hope are a little more monstrous than a single broken faunus." Hope. Even he wasn''t sure if that was the case, but they couldn''t coddle their students. "Have a little faith in them."


    "And Taurus," she snapped. "Am I to have faith in him as well? Am I to believe he will change his ways and become a model student simply because he wishes to? Is that what you''re asking?"


    "No. I am not and will not ask it."


    "Do you really think he can change? Or that he will?"


    "No." Ozpin''s smile became just a little sadder. "No, I don''t. While I would like to say I believe the power of friendship and having a team will change him for the better, I am not sure it will. Some are too lost to hate. Too broken."


    "So what, you pity him?"


    "I pity the man he once was and the man he might have become. I do not pity what remains." Ozpin stood with a sigh. "For I fear the Adam that might have been is long dead." He stepped past Glynda, feeling her eyes on him. "Monitor him. I shall have Port and Oobleck do the same. We''ll put some rules in place. His weapons are to be tracked. His locker is to be watched. He will need to register each time he attempts to leave campus, where he''s going and then sign back in. If he misses a single lesson, I want to know why. We won''t be taking any chances with him."


    "And if he steps out of line?"


    "Then I shall deal with him personally."


    /-/


    "Sheesh, sis, you sure know how to pick ''em."


    "What do you mean?" Ruby asked, looking up from her position on the bike. They were at the ferry back to Patch, so moving slow enough in a queue for them to talk. "Adam was super cool. Did you see his-"


    "Yes, I saw his weapon." And the eye-patch and the scowls and the barely hidden disdain. Course, Ruby had missed all that. Too busy climaxing over a hunk of metal.


    When she first saw him, she''d thought he looked pretty hot. What could she say? She was a girl and she liked to look. That soon changed. There were plenty of guys who could look s.e.xy frowning, and he was kinda good looking, but his demeanor was just a tad too grumpy. A real downer, and not the s.e.xy and moody kind. It''d been painfully clear he wasn''t interested in talking to them and only did so because he was expected to.


    At least he was polite enough to not throw it in Ruby''s face. I honestly expected him to.


    "I''m sure he was cool and he did help you out, so he''s good in my book. I''m just saying he wasn''t the friendliest person I''ve ever met. In fact, he might be the least friendly. I''ve had enemies in Signal who''ve been happier to see me."


    "He just fought and beat Torchwick." Ruby naturally came to the defence of her new hero. It wasn''t new. Yang would have called it a crush if she didn''t know Ruby would have been like this for anyone. She was just that obsessed with huntsmen. "He was probably annoyed about that."


    Maybe he''d been in a mood. Yang guessed she would be as well if her evening got ruined and she had to spend it being debriefed at a police station. He got a pass for that. And for helping Ruby out. Besides, it wasn''t like they''d ever have to see one another again. She was off to Beacon, now with Ruby, and he was off to go kill Grimm.


    Hopefully Ruby could make friends with someone a little less gloomy once Beacon started¡­


    Adam is going to be quite unlikeable early on in this, and that''s by design. I''m intentionally letting him be a bit of a twat, constantly assuming Blake is wrong, that she should have stayed and that he can win her back by "proving she was wrong" to leave in the first place. Obviously, that''s all stupid shit. Obviously, it''s intentional for the story. He''s a little bundle of edge in canon and he has to be that prior to any character growth here.


    While I know most people will be mature enough to realise I''m merely writing the character as he''s portrayed, I still have to add that here since a vocal minority tend to assume that if I write a character a certain way, I''m saying that''s my own opinion or something. Or worse, me self-inserting.


    All in all, even if I''m sure this story will be hated, I''m kind of excited to write it. It''s so much more interesting to be writing a character as messed up as Adam compared to someone as simple as, say, Ruby. That also includes his rather obvious racism in this chapter, always making snide comments on "humans" like it''s some kind of slur. Ruby starts the show off being such a nice character so there just isn''t much room for her to grow. She gets what, more nice? It''s boring from a writing point of view. Unless I write a story where Ruby becomes evil, that is. Go the other way.

 Chapter 267 - My SI Stash #67 - Metagaming Immortality by sonorous panic (VampireDiaries)

    -Recently published like yesterday lol, the first Male SI I''ve read in Vampire Diaries that isn''t Yaoi! LES GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO/


    Sypnosis: Waking up as your least favorite character in your 11th favorite supernatural franchise. First thought: use every bit of meta knowledge possible to survive the oncoming bloodbath. SI/OC-insert into Tyler Lockwood 7 months before the start of canon. Not a gamer fic.


    Rated: M


    Words: 16K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13557320/1/Metagaming-Imortality (sonorous panic)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Death.


    That''s usually how this starts. A character dies in some tragic way, they had cancer or sacrificed themselves in a hostage situation. Sometimes the death is random, they get hit by a truck and are reborn in they''re favorite anime.


    On other occasions the person is simply in their past life, then they aren''t. If that individual is particularly lucky there''s a ROB waiting to explain to them the new circ.u.mstances they find themselves in. At times the person may even get a choice in if they''re reborn, maybe even where. If the death was unplanned or the ROB is in need of a hero/entertainment they might be gifted an ability of their choosing.


    I''ve read hundreds of fanfictions, across dozens of fandoms, that start like that. All of them either blatant or disguised wish fulfillment fantasies where an author is inserted into the world of their favorite media. They then proceed to complain, have a breakdown, or utterly refuse to believe anything that''s happening is real.


    My death wasn''t random or tragic. Nor was I merely plucked out of my life while alive. I simply went to sleep a young man of 25 then felt my normally guided dreams fade into black. I felt myself no longer exist in the physical body I had occupied. I assume I had an aneurysm burst, I had no known heart conditions and didn''t live an exciting enough life to believe poison likely.


    I did not reawaken in the presence of a ROB, I merely awoke in an unfamiliar bed. I am also certain I spent no time with such a being, even allowing for the conversation to have been erased from my mind. I would certainly have chosen to be reborn. I would however refuse to have been reborn in this world. I would have chosen 4 other abilities over the one my current body possesses. I would have chosen over 7 billion other bodies to awake in.


    To be clear I am, however, not complaining. While I would have never chosen to be reborn in the world of The Vampire Diaries, it not being anything close to my favorite, I am knowledgeable of it up to the 5th season. I''ve also seen the first season of the Originals as well as the spin-off Legacies. While I would have preferred to be a True Immortal(Silas), An Original Vampire(Elijah), A Hybrid(Klaus) or even a witch(Bonnie), being an un-triggered werewolf is significantly better than being a Doppelganger, Hunter, Traveler, Vampire, or vanilla human.


    I don''t have to worry about being hunted and used as a ritual ingredient. I don''t have to worry about an all consuming drive to kill vampires as part of an overly convoluted revenge plot by the ultimate scorned woman. I can live in the same place for extended periods of time. I cant be erased from existence by having some Original Vampire I never met die. Most importantly I am not cattle for an entire species and simply hoping to never become a victim.


    While I would prefer not to have been living in Mystic falls at the time the main story line takes places, this is the city I am most knowledgeable about in this supernatural world. Though I do heavily dislike the personality of the character whose body I''m occupying, his soul is no longer in it and thus his idiocy is of no real concern. I would never wish to look like the actor who portrayed him, as while he is handsome, his 5''8 is a significant change from my previous 6''3. Luckily it appears that Tyler Lockwood more closely resembles the book character of Tyler Smallwood, 6''5, that he''s based on.


    I''m also not having a breakdown. This is clearly either a dream or a situation more dangerous than anything I''ve ever experienced. Assuming this is real for now is my best bet, because I''ll either enjoy this interesting dream or I''ll have not wasted valuable time by losing even more control of this situation than I already have. This is actually one of the few times in my life I''ve been grateful for my borderline sociopathic tendencies. I generally don''t feel emotions as deep as others seem to and I can honestly say I only have meaningful bonds with 2 people in my life.


    Being 2 inches taller with a different body type and center of gravity has made me unusually clumsy the past 2 hours I''ve spent searching Tyler''s room. So far after waking to a 5:30 alarm and realizing I was no longer a formless conscience floating in a black void, I''ve located Tyler''s phone, learned his name through a particularly explicit s.e.xting thread with some rando I''ve never heard referenced in the source material. Seeing contacts for Matt, Elena, Caroline, Vicki, and Bonnie is what initially clued me into where exactly I was.


    Since I''ve already determined I can read words this clearly isn''t a dream. Finding Tyler''s wallet in a pair of pants casually laying on the floor and seeing the last name Lockwood all but solidified it for me. Granted I have no actual proof at this point, a scant 2 hours of consciousness, that I was in fact in the world of The Vampire Diaries. All I Know for certain is I''m currently in the body of one Tyler Lockwood, I have friends/acquaintances with the names of characters in a popular TV show, and judging by the size of my room and attached En Suite I come from a wealthy family.


    I personally blame the previously mentioned extensive list of SI fan fiction I''ve consumed for making me think that being inserted into the body an un-triggered werewolf, in a town soon to be consumed by supernatural beings, is the most likely explanation. Going forward, until presented with clearly contradictory evidence, I''m going to operate with the assumption I am in fact now living in my 11th favorite supernatural franchise.


    Based on stories I''ve read in the past, I''ve always believed that what a person does in the first day of being inserted into a new body is the most important. First thing to accomplish is take stock of the immediate surroundings, readily available resources and then set a plan for the most likely earliest interaction. The room I''m in appears to be, at first glance, around 20x20 feet. On the left of the bed there''s an open door leading to a surprisingly clean bathroom. On my right there are two closed doors presumably leading to the hallway and a closet.


    Directly in front of the bed there''s a large dresser with a flat screen TV Mounted over it. Back on the left next to the open bathroom door is a desk and chair set up with a mirror vanity. In the low light the walls appear to be a soft cream color possibly a light tan. It''s in this desk vanity that I first saw the body I currently inhabit. Roughly 6''5 inches tall, shirtless with a a pair of boxers on, a body seemingly in the transition between a well toned lean and a well defined linebacker. Checking the boxers reveals, at least soft, Tyler is slightly larger than I was in my past body.


    The lightly olive skinned tone of this body is a few shades off the tan my mixed heritage has gotten me used to. Dark brown eyes meet in the mirror when I''d honestly prefer the light brown, near hazel, I possessed before. Still I''m in a over all more attractive body than I previously enjoyed, I''m going to have to factor in my current attractiveness when I begin planning my future interactions. After all attractive people get away with more through charm and s.e.x appeal, but they''re also far more memorable in situations where it''d be better to be another face in the crowd.


    I''m currently in possession of $140 of Tyler''s dollars, found in his wallet, as well as a debit card. There doesn''t appear to be any visible weapons in this room, though truthfully I don''t believe any would be useful at the moment. I have general Knowledge of the town I''m in as well as the people, assuming that the Mystic Falls, V.i.r.g.i.nia on my license is in fact The Mystic Falls, V.i.r.g.i.nia. I do however lack any of the specific information a resident of 16 years would have of this town, not to mention no of the personal information Tyler would have on his family.


    His phone currently shows the time and date as 7:44 Am Saturday 02/21/2009, almost exactly 3 months before Elena Gilbert''s parents are scheduled to die at Wickery bridge. 3 months is both too much and too little time. On one hand 3 months of interactions and decisions the original Tyler may not have had in the canon time-line leading up to the Gilbert''s death, could potentially effect whether or not the deaths take place. On the other hand in just 3 short months this town will be host to a vampire who proved in canon to not care who he killed and fed from.


    For instance say in canon the original Tyler was the one to suggest the party in the woods on the particular day it occurred, or suggested to his best friend Matt that he should go and invite Elena. Or perhaps Tyler in some way contributed to the fight that caused Elena to leave early and call her parents for a ride. On the other hand, Tyler seemingly avoided running into Damon Salvatore in the canon time-line. Given I''m in the body of a descendant of a founding family, and Damon''s general dislike for them, I could easily run afoul of the vampire''s lack of impulse control.


    3 months isn''t nearly enough time to prepare my currently base human body to take on a hundred plus year old vampire. Granted in all fairness at the time of his visit Damon is focused on getting Katherine free, gets distracted by Elena, and is at least trying to not draw attention to himself. Killing the son of the mayor in a small town is way more attention than Damon is likely willing to accept so I should be relatively safe. On top of that the chances of Tyler having been even indirectly involved in the events leading up to the Gilbert''s death is low, though not low enough to ignore.


    That said, as it currently stands, ill need to be extremely careful to make sure nothing I do derails the events that lead to canon starting. Elena''s parents must die, at the very least her vampire hunting/torturing father. Stefan must encounter Elena that night to ensure he''s present in town during Damon''s attempted freeing of Katherine. Above all else Elena Gilbert must survive the night. She''s far too important to the plot, as a potential resource and perhaps most importantly as a potential bargaining chip with the Original Vampires.


    Most pressing however is how to immediately deal with my lack of knowledge about Tyler''s personal life? In fan fiction a lot of times the body you find yourself in has recently received some form of damage or trauma to easily explain the lack of memories. In other cases the character you find yourself in has no close immediate relatives such as Naruto, or is leaving relatives for an extended period of time such as Harry Potter or is reconnecting to an estranged family member such as Bella Swan, or kept a detailed diary allowing the new inhabitant to somewhat fake shared memories such as Elena Gilbert.


    Tyler Lockwood''s body seems in perfect condition, canon never mentioned any trauma occurring around this time, and clearly Tyler isn''t the journal type. The clearest choice I can see is to fake a head trauma to explain my lack of memories, a bit extreme at first glance perhaps however I''ve faked a leg injury in my past life to get out school. The first thing is to make sure someone is in fact home so that this act has the most convincing impact as possible.


    Looking through Tyler''s phone I locate his mother''s contact and hit dial. "Hey mom." I state after hearing a somewhat annoyed sounding woman answer the phone.


    "Since when are you up before noon on a Saturday Tyler?" His mom questions sounding curious but not truly caring at the same time.


    "I just woke up starving and wanted to know if there was anything planned for breakfast before I make something for myself." I''m hoping this is a somewhat normal conversation for Tyler to be having with his mother.


    "Tyler. Breakfast is at 8:30. It''s always at 8:30 and has been since you were a toddler. Just because You''re too lazy to be awake for breakfast does not mean breakfast has changed." Tyler''s mother condescendingly stated as if I were that toddler Tyler used to be.


    "Right sorry mom I guess its been so long I kinda forgot you and dad need to eat too." I tried apologizing, not truly remembering the relationship dynamic Tyler has with his mother in canon.


    "... Tyler have you been doing doing drugs with those Donovan''s?"Carol Lockwood, after a long awkward silence, sounded both bewildered and accusatory at the same time. I should have realized Tyler wouldn''t be that quick to apologize to anyone even his mother.


    "I''m just too tired and starving to think properly." I try to sound vaguely groggy hoping its a decent enough cover for a teenage boy acting a bit strange.


    "Sure. Breakfast is in 30 minutes I expect you showered and dressed properly at the table Tyler." She sternly instructs clearly moving on from my slight slip.


    "OK..." I begin to say as the phone disconnects. Well that was very informative, apparently Tyler''s mom is a stuck up snooty bitch. At least it''s going to make it easier to let her die in that case, if canon is still going in that direction next year. On the bright side though it seems ill have a full audience for my little tumble down the stairs.


    In the meantime I have 30 minutes for a quick shower and change. Making my way to the bathroom I strip out of the underwear, then turn the shower on. It seems Tyler is sadly an AXE kind of guy, after lathering up I decide to take my new body for a quick test drive. Turns out with an erection Tyler is more impressive than I originally assumed at around 9 inches, an inch and a half larger than I''m used to but just as thick. I personally thought my last body produced large amounts of s.e.m.e.n but Tyler''s is truly prodigious, belonging more in the category of fake p.o.r.n c.u.mshot than anything natural. I''m assuming the volume is a result of being an un-triggered werewolf, I''m also looking forward to seeing if there''s any changes once I complete the transformation.


    While as a healthy male I enjoy orgasms as much as anyone else I did have a deeper reason, I''m still trying to mentally acclimate to this body. I''ve noticed I''m still thinking of it as Tyler''s body, but regardless of whether I''m in a world of supernatural creatures or actually in a coincidentally named town, this is my new normal. It''s strange I feel a sense of loss for my mother and sister the only 2 people I truly had a connection with, but I feel an equally strong sense of excitement over the countless possibilities I''m faced with. For the first time in my existence I can honestly say I feel a desire to experience that I haven''t before, like the cloud of muted contentment that''s hazed my thoughts like a blanket of passive drifting.


    Before I can get to any of that however, I need to first establish the "new" Tyler. Getting dressed in what I hope is a breakfast appropriate pair of khaki pants and a deep crimson polo, I head to the free weight dumbbell set in the corner of my room near the bathroom door. Picking up the 25 pound weight I place it roughly 3 inches left of my left temple. Pulling it back roughly 2 feet I slam it into the side of my forehead instantly feeling my skull explode in pain and going dizzy. I can tell from my experience playing football in my past life, I have a concussion. I only have a minute or so of reasonable coordination to get this done before I''m likely to pass out, so I throw the weighty onto my bed and quickly make my way into the hallway. Easily finding the stairs I stumble over to them, my vision growing increasingly blurry I tightly hold myself at the top.


    Struggling I barely remember to throw my feet on the first few steps as I "loose" my balance. I bend my knees during the start of the fall making sure they drag on the steps slowing the fall down, then loudly slam my forearms into the ground. Laying there dazed I''m move my arms to the side and angle my head so the growing contusion on my forehead is placed against the marble tile.


    As my consciousness faded I hear rapid footfalls approaching then nothing but darkness, the last thoughts flowing through my mind are silenced.


    Waking up from this most recent bout of unconsciousness was different than before. It was a gradual thing, becoming aware of voices in the background followed by the smell of disinfectant. Slowly opening my eyes I see a nurse walk past my door way and think about calling to her but immediately decide against it. It''s best to take stock of my current physical condition and then plan exactly how much of Tyler''s "memories" I should still have.


    There''s a significant but dull throb from the area of my head injury, in addition to that my right wrist feels a tad sore. Luckily during my flex of various muscle groups and rotating of joints nothing else seems to have any noticeable damage. I believe the best course of action, after briefly thinking of it, is to simply claim missing memories of everything outside of the skills and everyday life navigating knowledge. From what I know that''s somewhat consistent with retrograde amnesia, at least well within the text book symptoms. I can then, when presented with people or things I have canon knowledge about, have sudden recall when its convenient.


    As I finish coming to a decision a nurse briefly sticks her head in then withdraws, seemingly not initially recognizing that while my body is still I am in fact awake. She however quickly reenters the room and smiles coming over to my right side and looking at a monitor near the bed. Whatever she saw seems to be no issue as she proceeds to question me.


    "Hi sweetie, are you in any pain?" she asks with a seemingly genuine smile on her face.


    "Just a bad headache so far but nothing too serious. So... I''m assuming this is a hospital?" I question trying to sound confused and dazed slightly.


    "Yes, you took a nasty fall Tyler do you not remember it?" her tone is patient but there seems to be a quickly growing concern on her face.


    "Fall? The last thing I remember is... did you say my name is Tyler? I don''t remember..." I trail off sounding, hopefully believably, confused and absent minded as if I''m struggling to recall something that simply isn''t there.


    Her eyes widen as she takes a moment to process this new Information before her face settles into a forced smile. "OK sweetie just hang tight here I''m going to get your attending really quick." she squeezes my forearm in a reassuring manner before quickly leaving the room.


    OK so far so good now all I have to do is convince some doctor, who I don''t think will be Meredith Fell/Melissa Hastings as she should still be in medical school. Really I''m wondering how long I''ve been unconscious because it doesn''t feel like too much time has passed but Tyler''s parents don''t seem to be close by, and the nurse didn''t mention getting them.


    It took less than 2 minutes for the doctor to arrive into the room, A somewhat short older man with balding gray hair and a clean shaven face. "Tyler it''s good to see you''re awake." The doctor states before flashing a pen light in both my eyes. "Nurse Pritchard said you''re having some memory issue? You also appear to have a concussion." The doctor spoke in a calm even tone, his voice grandfatherly and kind.


    "Yes doctor..." I trail off confusedly, hopefully conveying that I don''t remember him.


    "Johnson. Dr. Johnson I delivered you Tyler, put a cast on your broken arm, I give you a physical every year." Dr. Johnson stated sounding calm still but with an undercurrent of worry. "Just how exactly much can you remember son?"


    "... I know words?" I state after a few moments of pretending to be deep in concentration.


    "...Well Tyler I think it''s best if we finish this conversation in the morning. Your mother said she''d be by to check on you around 8 AM. Before she gets here I''d like to run another MRI just to be sure no bleeds have developed since your first one." the doctor tried to sound reassuring but it was clear he was unused to dealing with such significant memory loss.


    "What... um parents? I don''t... my MRI? I''m sorry I just don''t understand whats going on." I''m trying at this point to just sound confused and maybe a little scared.


    "Right I''m sorry Tyler. You''re parents called an ambulance around 8:30 AM this morning that was about 13 hours ago. We immediately gave you a MRI, it came back clean. You have a significant contusion on your forehead consistent with a fall down the stairs like your parents reported." The doctor explained in a kind steady tone.


    "OK that explains the splitting headache. And my parents..." I trail off hoping he''ll volunteer information not gone into on the TV show.


    "Of course you''re parents Carol and Richard Lockwood. They''re very... driven individuals. You''re father is the Mayor of our little town, your mother is the head of most local committees around here and the main organizer of the local founders events." I notice Dr. Johnson carefully doesn''t talk about their roles as parents. It makes me wonder if Tyler being abused is in fact canon or just the over used fan fiction trope I thought it was.


    "OK I guess that''s enough for tonight. So I should try to get some sleep?" At this point I realize I''m not going to get anything from the doctor relevant and I cant risk appearing too coherent and competent.


    "Well I''d actually prefer if you stayed a wake for a few hours if you can. A nurse should be a round every few minutes to check in on you. I''ll see you in the morning son." Dr. Johnson shortly left after that with nurse Pritchard.


    Now alone again for at least the next few hours I can finally start considering long term plans. I


    initially put this off until my current situation was more secure, not wanting to suddenly have to change things if I was unable to pull off being Tyler Lockwood. That being said after having successfully convinced the doctor I don''t believe Tyler''s parents will be too much of an issue. Everything I''ve ever heard or seen about them leads me to assume all they''ll want is for me to get as normal as possible as fast as possible without caring too much about the details.


    So my current situation. I''m an un-triggered werewolf which basically puts me as a standard human for now. The first thing I''ll need to do is find a method of self defense, my current idea being a gun loaded with vervain soaked wooden bullets. I want to trigger my werewolf gene for safety however its more complicated than it seems at first glance. I''m honestly not worried about the actual aspect of committing murder. While I''ve never done it nor attempted it, I''m more than selfish enough to put my needs before others and I lack the depth of empathy that would allow me to truly care about the death of a stranger.


    I do expect to feel some form of remorse for it after It''s done of course. That''s not the issue however, I can''t risk killing someone here in Mystic Falls. I simply have no clue how any specific individuals death could effect or alter the events of May 23, and as previously stated I can''t risk those events not transpiring with at least mostly canon outcomes. So If I choose to murder someone it would take at least 3 months to do so safely, as I can''t imagine Tyler''s parents allowing their newly amnesiac son going far enough out of town for murder to be relatively safe. I do however have one idea to trigger the curse, go to Wickery bridge on May 23, hide out and purposefully not save Elena''s parents.


    From what I understand as long as an un-triggered werewolf causes the death of a human, under any circ.u.mstances, they will trigger their curse. Now I don''t personally know why Elena''s dad drove off the bridge that night, my theory has always been he was compelled, however if I weaken the side railings supports with a saw before, there can be no question I helped cause their deaths.


    That''s currently the best canon safe way I can think of to trigger my curse before the start of season 1. In addition I''ll need to start extensive hand to hand combat training as even after becoming a werewolf I''ll still be physically weaker than vampires 29ish days a month. Which brings me to my next consideration: Meta knowledge. I know the location of both the moonstone and Emily''s talisman, each of which I have access to. I know the location of the daggered Mikaelson siblings as well as their currently desiccated father. I know the location of Esther''s modified immortality spell and have previously listed trade material to acquire it. I know the location of a witch massacre that can be used to power a ritual in addition to a celestial event in the same location. I know the location of 2 separate mortal doppelgangers. Perhaps most importantly I know the rough location of the only known cure for immortality.


    There are of course other bits of information and pieces of potential power that I''m aware of but the previously listed are the best building blocks I have to gain the strength to survive. After roughly an hour of considering every scrap of information I can remember, I have the rough outline of 3 plans to gain immortality. The first 2 plans have a solid, and mostly equal, chance of successfully turning me into An Original Hybrid. The 3rd plan is the ultimate powergaming goal: Become an Enhanced Original Tribrid. Its the long shot everything go exactly right plan, half based on an unconfirmed theory I''ve had for years.


    The first plan is relatively simple and open to changes/additions. One person has the majority of what I need to become an Original Hybrid, Elijah Mikaelson. He currently has the Grimoire that contains his mother''s modified immortality spell. He also has, and or can easily acquire the aid of at least 2 reasonably powerful witches in Luka and Jonas Martin. I have, or can give him the location of, several items of interest to him. The location of both his siblings and his desiccated father. The location of the cure for immortality which will make it much easier to kill his brother should he still want to. The biggest proponent of this plan is, barring extreme circ.u.mstances, Elijah Mikaelson always keeps his word.


    The second plan has a lot more moving pieces but doesn''t draw the attention of the Original family and thus can be done sooner. The other mostly likely way to obtain the modified immortality spell, outside of contacting the original bitch, is by contacting the Bennett ancestor who mentored Esther Mikaelson and most likely provided her with the original immortality spell. Ayana is arguably the most underrated witch shown in the TVD universe. As Esther''s mentor she taught her most of what she knew, potentially even spells we attribute to Esther, she also created Esther''s amulet. Through her comes access to the entire Bennett bloodline both dead and on the Other Side.


    The only real problem with that plan is of course not having much to offer in exchange. If she still feels significant loyalty to Esther and her goal the I can offer the cure for immortality to use on Klaus as well as helping revive Mikael to finish his work. If she cares more about her own bloodline then I can potentially contact her through Emily Bennett, by agreeing to help her kill the tomb vampires before Damon can release them. I can also offer the protection of her still mortal relatives as an added incentive, after all very few things can get past an Original Hybrid.


    My 3rd plan a.k.a. Ultimate powergaming wish fulfillment probably never gonna happen and will get you killed 13 times over, is based on a theory I have. In most magic systems in media, the source of magic powers comes either from an external source or a refilling internal pool. The TVD universe seems to operate on the first principal with witches channeling magic from either the spirits or nature itself. There are however examples of objects that mimic the properties of the latter principle. For instance magic has been successfully stored inside of objects, in the form of spells, and have seemingly maintained potency for a thousand years. My idea combines both these canon present magics.


    To start with the plan calls for 4 stones. Either made of the same material the moonstone is, likely a form of quartz, or lapis lazuli. 3 of the stones will be spelled to siphon and hold magic from nature and have runes carved into them to boost the transfer of energy and linking them to the 4th stone. The 4th stone will be spelled to transfer energy at the mental command of the person they are linked to, and have runes carved into it to anchor and link the other 3 stones. Once embedded into the users body during the ritual this should allow the user to use magic from a replenishing internal pool of magic.


    Of course that is arguably the easiest part of plan 3. The next part is gathering 3 living witches of the Bennett bloodline to prepare the stones and preform the ritual. After I will also need 12 of the following: Triggered werewolves to boost my werewolf power and anchor that part of the Tribrid. Vampires also to boost the power of the Original vampire portion of the ritual and anchor it in the new form. Lastly I''ll need witches again to boost the magic of the artificial Pool and make it more natural to use.


    This combined 36 beings will need to be sacrificed during the climax of the ritual both to give the intended benefits but to also help power the rituals form. Each type of being representing a different key aspect: the witches magic to fuel and empower the ritual, the werewolf transformation to shape the change and reinforce the transformational aspects of the ritual, finally the vampires immortality will anchor and reinforce the permanence of the ritual.


    To give the ritual the best chance to work it will take place at, and one witch will channel, the site of the witches massacre. The second witch will be channeling the comet passing over head, and lastly the 3rd witch will be using Emily''s talisman to channel the entire Bennett bloodline on the other side. The prepared stones will then be embedded into my body and then the enhanced modified vampire spell will be used tying my life force to the sun, the moon, and the passing comet. To complete the transition into a Tribrid I will then consume the blood of Tom Avery, Silas''s latest doppelganger. With the transition complete the main part of the ritual will take place, the sacrifice of all 36 supernatural creatures boosting and anchoring my newly created Tribrid form.


    If I''m able to gather all the necessary ingredients, enlist the help of the 3 Bennett witches, and if my theories on magic and ritual symbology are correct, it might actually work. I could also die at basically every step along the way, and even if not the ritual may just hold too much power for my body to contain. I mean think about it I would be an Enhanced Artificial Original Tribrid with the added powers of 12 vampires, 12 werewolves, and 12 witches. If successful I''ll by far be the single strongest being in known existence.


    For safety reasons I wont attempt to contact Elijah, through Slater, until I''ve at the very least triggered the curse. That gives me 3 months to try and use Ayana and the local Bennett witches instead, as Klaus proved you can trigger the curse after becoming a vampire. Approaching Shelia Bennett to get the ball rolling on that plan is honestly the single safest aspect any of my plans have. Finally if everything goes right with the Bennett''s, and in 3 months I can trade Elijah for 12 witches, and my theories happen to be true I can reasonably expect to become an Enhanced Artificial Original Tribrid on September 10th roughly 7 months from now.


    All I can do at this point is wait for the earliest opportunity to acquire a gun and vervain, find hand to hand combat lessons to take, and then contact Shelia Bennett to propose an alliance and meeting with Emily.


    With my plans for both the immediate and long term futures set I decide to go to sleep and hopefully get one step closer to getting out of this bed and starting the grind.


    8AM 2/22/2009


    "OK Tyler that''s all we need you can get up now." Dr. Johnson instructs from the other side of the glass as we finish the last of the MRI. After being woken up this morning and ushered into the MRI room I was ready to be released as soon as possible.


    "Sure Doc so is there any bleeding issue?" At this point I''m mostly just playing the part of a confused slightly scared teenager, but a part of me is trying to make sure I didn''t actually damage my brain.


    "It looks just as clean as before not to worry son." I''m told as I''m being wheeled back into my room.


    "Your mother should be waiting in your room. I''ll go over the results with her in private and some care instructions then let you two get reacquainted." the doctor finishes somewhat awkwardly, clearly he isn''t used to introducing 16 year old''s to their mothers for the first time.


    After nodding my understanding and being wheeled into my hospital room, I''m confronted with a very expensively dressed Carol Lockwood. She looks exactly like her actress on the TV show, and honestly its the site of her that lets me know beyond all doubt I am in the TVD universe. Luckily my blank staring at her is consistent with lack of recognition so while Tyler''s mother finds it strange that I haven''t greeted her Dr Johnson seems to have expected it.


    "Carol, why don''t you come out into the hall with me. There''s a few things we need to discuss about Tyler''s condition. In the meantime Tyler why don''t you go ahead and get changed into the clothes your mother brought for you." The doctor offered trying to diffuse the situation.


    "Sure doc just give me few minutes before you come back in." I request while I watch Carol quietly walk into the hall without speaking to me. Yeah still a bitch.


    Getting dressed quickly I end up having to wait nearly 30 minutes before Tyler''s mom came back in. At first she just stared at me like I was a Puzzle she was trying to solve.


    "You don''t know me?" Carol Lockwood asks deadpan, staring directly into my eyes as if daring me to confirm the doctors story.


    "Dr. Johnson says you''re my mother Carol Lockwood." I''m trying my best to sound both confused and uncomfortable, she seems to be having trouble believing I''m not just trying to take advantage of the situation.


    "But you don''t actually recognize me? You don''t recognize you''re own mother Tyler?" She comes closer, putting on a well practice but fake look of motherly concern.


    "...I''m sorry?" I questioningly state trying to convey I truly don''t recognize her and am generally confused by her questions.


    "No. I suppose its not entirely your fault that you''re damaged. Lets go your father will want to know this as soon as possible." She seems to have finally started to believe that, as the doctor informed her, I have lost my memory.


    "Um right so I guess I''m just going with you then." I try to emphasize my general lack of comfortableness with the situation hopefully planting future seeds to have plenty of alone time in the coming months.


    "Obviously Tyler where else would you go besides with your mother?" Figuring its probably best not to push for too much understanding with this particular woman I simply nod my head and follow her into the hall. We quickly exchange farewell''s with Dr. Johnson and head out of the hospital.


    In the parking lot we get into a black Mercedes Benz sedan. Sitting in the passenger seat I awkwardly wait for Carol to start the car. After a few moments pass with out the engine starting I turn my head to the left and see Tyler''s mother staring at me


    "... Is everything OK Car- mom?" I ask after a few awkward moments of staring, purposefully stuttering over her name.


    "Tyler is this some kind of game you''re playing? Trying to get out of your responsibilities?" She gets a strange look on her face, accusatory but also maybe... hurt?


    " What responsibilities? No I have no idea who you are la- mom. All I know is I woke up in the hospital being told my name is Tyler and that I had a fall." This is the oddest I''ve seen her act. Shes always been and seemed cold to me.


    "Tyler are you sure don''t remember your dear sweet mother?" She puts her hand on my thigh grazing my p.e.n.i.s through the jeans I''m wearing. Shes leaning in close with an, I guess, sultry look on her face.


    "W-what are you... listen I don''t know whats going on are you really even my mother?"Acting scared and uncomfortable with situation, only some of which is faked, I lean away from her.


    " What a ridiculous question Tyler. Put your seat belt on so we can get going." Instantly Carol''s face goes right back to the normal cold resting bitch face I''m used to. I''m very much hoping that was a weird test from a woman who isn''t motherly enough to find issue with grazing her son''s p.e.n.i.s and not an indication of the exact nature of the relationship Tyler and his Mother shared. After all I know that both of Tyler''s parents are actively, and not very secretly, cheating on each other.


    Truthfully the idea of bending over a stuck up and bitchy woman like Carol Lockwood and replacing the stick up her ass with her son''s c.o.c.k doesn''t offend me. That being said the idea of a middle age woman molesting her young teenage, and possibly prepubescent, son and me now being in said sons body, makes me want to trigger my curse now.


    During the silent ride back to the Lockwood mansion I think of what hidden from TV relationship details Tyler may have shared with his father. Honestly if anything even approaching what just occurred with Tyler''s mom, happens with his dad I''m saying f.u.c.k canon and triggering my curse right then and there. I briefly grunt an agreement to Carol when she asks me to wait in the after we park in the garage.


    Waiting to be summoned, I''m guessing Carol is explaining the situation to her husband, I start think of the best ways to make wooden bullets. The high school should have a lathe and with 2 years of shop in my previous life, I feel comfortable in my ability to at least shape the bullets. I should be able to either buy or steal some vervain from Zack Salvatore so that shouldn''t be an issue either. The biggest issue will be getting the gun, empty shell casings and gun powder.


    I could I suppose ask to be a part of the secret council but honestly that would cause more issues than it would solve. I''d have no way to explain my knowledge of the supernatural or the council, besides there''s no chance any of the ''responsible'' a.d.u.l.ts would let a 16 year old boy have a gun. While I could always steal a gun, I would have no way to make the wooden bullets. My best bet, as far as I can tell, is to get enough money to buy a gun illegally and then pay someone to load the wooden bullets I make into low powder shell casings. If the council has access to guns firing wooden bullets there has to be a gun smith of some kind in this town.


    Finally after close to an hour carol opens the garage door and beckons me inside. Following her I''m lead to a study with Mayor Lockwood sitting behind his desk.


    "Sit down Tyler." Mayor Lockwood instruct staring me down as if trying to make me submit with his gaze alone.


    "OK May- dad." I again try the uncomfortable stumble that seemed to work with Carol.


    "Sir. You can call me sir." Yeah I''m pretty sure Tyler''s dad is using this as an excuse to get even more emotional distance from his son.


    "...yes sir." I agree with out issue as this would cut down a lot of the fake getting to know you I was dreading having to do.


    "You''re mother Tell''s me you have no meaningful memories and that the doctor says you''re lucky to not be in a coma." Coma? I struggle not to glace bewilderingly at Carol, I''m going to just trust that there is a reason for her overstating the extent of my injuries.


    "Um yes sir." I manage to cover any confusion when agreeing with her statement.


    "Fine she''ll show you to your room. You''ll get yourself familiarized with the house and your recent school subjects. You''ll then start back to school in 2 weeks. I expect you to maintain the same level of academics you did before." He lectures in a detached voice. Right so get good grades and don''t embarrass the family by acting strange. Love you too ''dad.''


    "Yes sir." I get up to leave and follow Carol out of the study. She leads me to the living room, ballroom, dining room, kitchen and sun room on the first floor with minimal commentary. As we go up the stair to the second floor I admittedly appreciate Carols slightly swaying ass at near eye level.


    Leading me to the room I woke up in Carol sits on my bed and pats the space next to her gesturing me to sit down.


    "Tyler, honey there''s something we need to have a discussion about." Carol has a, surprisingly for her, somewhat nervous smile on her face.


    "What''s wrong mom?" At this point I''m beyond confused over the last 5 minutes of my life and the strangely acting Carol Lockwood sitting on Tyler''s bed.


    "You need to understand a few things. I need you to make sure you don''t spend any time around your father if I''m not there to... buffer things." I guess it makes sense that Carol has needed to navigate the enhanced anger and quick triggered tempers werewolf bloodlines have. And If Tyler hasn''t in fact been beaten in canon then she must be good at it.


    "OK..." I''m honestly surprised how caring she seems given how shes portrayed on the TV show.


    "I know you don''t remember things well but your and your father''s tempers don''t exactly mesh well."


    Ah well I guess she''s had to learn all this from witnessing Tyler being on the receiving end a lot.


    Thing is Tyler in canon was far too stubborn and prideful to back down to avoid a beating. Maybe she''s hoping the memory loss will make me more receptive to her advice?


    " I understand, um thanks for the warning mom." I''m not Tyler and genetic anger issues or not I''m smart enough to realize getting into knock down drag outs with the Mayor is the last thing I want. I need the freedom and lack of supervision provided by being ignored too much to let my ego get in the way.


    "Tyler... I... I need you to understand that if you get... urges around any of the girls when you''re at school you need to asked to be excused and come home immediately." I''m sorry but what? Does she have to keep grazing my p.e.n.i.s every time we talk?


    "Urges?" I fake not understanding as Carol rubs my upper thigh, half her hand caressing my now growing p.e.n.i.s.


    "Tyler you have, in the past when you''ve gotten strong enough urges, been unable to control your reaction around pretty girls. It would be... safer for everyone involved if you get to a situation where you can satisfy those urges in a safe manner." Is she implying Tyler is a rapist? Like did Tyler **** someone? I guess in the books Tyler Smallwood kinda r.a.p.es Caroline, at the very least she wasn''t exactly consenting.


    "I... um yes mom I can do that?" Potential rapist freak out being half derail by Carol for some reason rubbing my now erected c.o.c.k. In what world does it make sense to rub your son''s c.o.c.k while you tell him he''s a rapist.


    "Good. Now go take a shower then come down for breakfast. I expect you to be able to make it down the stairs with out another hospital trip." Just like that faux handjob is over and the now clearly schizophrenic Carol is primly walking out of the room as if nothing remotely inappropriate happened.


    Am in the Body of a rapist now? Does Carol, as she insinuated, really have her son f.u.c.k her when he gets these, I''m assuming werewolf enhanced,urges just to protect the young women of this town? Or is she the cheating s.l.u.t shes shown as in canon and is simply using the memory loss to get a convenient s.e.x partner?


    I''m very confused at this point and very horny to be honest. Well... I Am supposed to be taking a shower, I guess I can take care of at least one of those issues.


    AN: This world is somewhat AU. Most changes will be centered on the Lockwood family, like Tyler''s height. Most chapters will be between 5k-10k words with a somewhat consistent weekly upload schedule. The pairing for this Fic is currently between Bonnie and Rebekah, if there are enough strong opinions on for either side that may sway which I pick. As of this moment I have no plans to write explicit s.e.x scenes, however if enough people want them it wouldn''t bother me to do so.

 Chapter 268 - My OC Stash #68 - The Deadliest Touch by slythefoxx2 (Naruto)

    -Naruto with Rogue-like powers, yoinking ninja''s skills & memories... Author is known for nailing OP Naruto stories, also expect a big load of canon derailment in this one~ Same author of Seals Are Easy, People Are Hard!


    Sypnosis: He thought an uncontrollable power was his biggest problem. A group of S Rank Missing Ninja, A demanding mother figure and a really confident heiress would disagree.


    Rated: M


    Words: 12K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13537094/1/The-Deadliest-Touch (slythefoxx2)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    It was nearly dusk he noticed as he came out of the thicket of trees. He thought the sky was always so beautiful around this time, such an enticing orange overtaking the pure blue, made all the better by the sparse but fluffy clouds. Generally, he would take a seat and just look at the sky as he transitioned from day to night. It was a simple pleasure but hard-earned.


    Day or night, there were people out there that were willing to prey on anyone they deemed weaker. Be it for money, their bodies, or just the sheer pleasure of dominating another. The young man was honest enough with himself to know he didn''t cut a particularly imposing figure. Five-foot six, well-conditioned but not heavily muscled. He looked like a fit and healthy sixteen-year-old. Even the sword at his side often didn''t do much to deter attackers, them assuming it a mere prop.


    But if one could find a safe space or create one, the simple pleasures could be enjoyed. Though, he doubted he''d get the opportunity this time as just beyond the thicket, in a baren clearing, lay hundreds of downed people. He assumed they were ninja, they were dressed like ninja. Two men, one older and the other as young as him, stood amongst the defeated warriors, seemingly having noticed him just as he noticed them.


    ''Shit'', our traveler thought. If he ran, that instantly made him a problem. A little rabbit to be chased and pinned down. Maybe, he hoped, he could just pass by. He had no quarrel with either of them, he had no intention of sticking his nose in their business. Maybe they were reasonable, he''d hope they were. As he walked over and past the beaten attackers he noticed none of them were dead. Regardless of their level, that was impressive. He soon reached the duo and gave a short bow.


    "Gentlemen," he began, "I assure you I am not affiliated with any of these men and only seek to pass by without conflict,".


    "Kukuku, you''ve only stumbled across Sasuke-kun''s training exercise," the taller man reassured him, "passage would not be an issue." Even with saying that, the smile on his face made it known he had no intention of simply allowing the traveler to leave. "But maybe we can have a moment of your time. As you can see, none of my men were of much challenge to my student but I see you carry a sword. Would you indulge us with a spar?"


    "If your student could defeat so many with such little effort then I would offer no challenge. This sword is mostly to scare away cravens, I flee from stronger opponents when possible. As I said, I just want to pass by."


    "I don''t see how I''d get stronger fighting someone that clearly doesn''t want to fight, it won''t bring me closer to that man," the younger male now spoke. The traveler thought the boy, who couldn''t be much older than him if at all, had a regal air about him. His body language screamed shinobi but still, there was a sense of nobility.


    "Please excuse my student and me as we share a brief word," the taller man said. The two separated from him and he wondered if he should just run. He wasn''t all that familiar with the area so escape could be tricky or he might invite disaster upon some unsuspecting town but should that be his problem? What did he owe perfect strangers? What would be the moral thing? He released a soft sigh. If it were just a simple spar no one would get hurt but if he angered the duo then that may change. Maybe further diplomacy could get him out of this. Maybe he could just talk at them until they grew bored and left him alone.


    As the traveler was contemplating his next move, Orochimaru was having an exchange with his future body. He would remove that accursed softness from the boy, corrupting him as much as he could until he finally broke his will. "I want you to kill that boy," Orochimaru said. He continued before Sasuke could retort that it was beneath him or some other inane response. "If you refuse I will teach you no longer. It is time you removed that softness that Konoha forced into you. Strike this boy down, now."


    Sasuke looked back at the unknown boy, finally taking a good look. He was covered, almost no skin showing, except for the top part of his face and his sandaled toes. His sword mounted on his left side with a modern hostler instead of being tucked into an obi. The black and gold haori was well taken care of and looked relatively new as he was dr.a.p.ed over a matching midnight blue shirt and pants combo. He truly hated Orochimaru but needed training, power if he were ever going to kill Itachi.


    When that goal was threatened, it made Sasuke neutralize any moral concerns that would cause him to falter so it was simple for him to justify this. It was senseless but necessary. If his soul was the price for killing Itachi then it would be a deal he''d make every time. He pittied the unlucky fool as he tried to calm the shaking in his sword hand, the last vestige of his resistance to senseless murder. Wordlessly he nodded to Orochimaru and they walked back.


    "Thank you for your patience, Wanderer-san. Now, as I was saying a simple-"


    "You told him to kill me and he agreed," the wanderer interrupted, causing Orochimaru to smile.


    "Kukuku, well now that we''re all on the same page, yes Wanderer-san, I want you to be a step in Sasuke-kun''s development. Please be a sport and die well," Orochimaru said with unhidden glee. The wanderer looked to Sasuke to see him already gripping his sword.


    "I don''t know what he''s promised you or has over you but you don''t have to do this. A bad decision yesterday doesn''t forbid a good decision today nor a better one tomorrow," he advised. His masked covered face frowned when he saw Sasuke quickly dismiss his words.


    "I have to embrace a darkness you wouldn''t understand to achieve my goals. I can allow nothing to stop me."


    "This is a mistake, we all can walk away right now. No one has to die," the wanderer argued. Orochimaru shook his head in disgust that the boy was seemingly begging for his life. Sasuke also thought it was pathetic, the boy''s words reminding him of when he was weak and stood before a significantly stronger opponent. He wouldn''t even activate his Sharingan for this, he didn''t need a perfect memory. He steeled his resolve as his grip on his chokuto tightened.


    This needed to be done, no hesitation and no mercy. Only a ruthless killer could defeat Itachi. He glanced at the eyes of his future victim and saw disappointment but his attention was quickly diverted to the hands going for the sword. He got into a textbook iaido stance and for some reason that made Sasuke feel better, as if it were more acceptable if the person before him was a true warrior.


    Sasuke watched as what appeared to be golden lightning surged around the boy and a fraction of a fraction of a second later Sasuke only knew pain, the firmness of the ground and the blazing orange ruthlessly overtaking the blue sky. He tried to will his body to get up but he couldn''t, soon feeling the pooling blood, his blood surrounding him, feeding the soil with his essence, his dreams, his ambitions.


    ''It can''t end here,'' he thought as he reached out to the curse mark to heal him but was shocked when he couldn''t feel its power, nor its corruption any longer. If Sasuke could turn he would have seen his master, the Snake Sannin himself, with a sword through his heart and his body seemingly drained, revealing it to be the husk it truly was.


    What Sasuke could see was the wanderer standing over him, one hand ungloved now and reaching down to him. He wanted to run, to scream, to cling to life. It couldn''t end here, he''d done too much and gone too far. He''d embraced the darkness, he''d betrayed his village all to kill Itachi. It wasn''t fair. It wasn''t fair.


    Those would be Sasuke''s final thoughts as a finger touched his forehead, much like Itachi used to, and Sasuke''s essence left his body.


    ''F.u.c.k!'' the wanderer thought.


    ''Hehehehe,'' he heard in response.


    ''Did you know this boy was an Uchiha, Kurama?''


    ''I suspected, Naruto,'' the bijuu answered.


    ''Why didn''t you tell me?'' Naruto asked.


    ''I don''t like Uchiha,'' was Kurama''s reply and Naruto didn''t even bother to reply. Instead, he found a nearby water source and looked at the reflection while channeling chakra to his eyes.


    ''Oh great,'' he thought as he watched two fully matured Sharingan spin lazily. He shook his head as he heard Kurama continue to laugh. ''Kurama, please stop. I know you hate the clan but this one was on a righteous quest.''


    ''There is nothing righteous about revenge. It flattens all other concerns, makes the monstrous seem noble and is a path toward destruction. He could have sought justice.''


    ''People have to be guided toward justice, Kurama. It is a practice and no one showed him the way. Even if you hated his clan, please don''t take delight in his demise. His was a life of tragedy.''


    ''Fine, what about the Sannin?''


    ''Eh, f.u.c.k that guy,'' Naruto answered, his compassion having found its limit. He sealed up the bodies, not looking forward to what he was going to do next. Each of these bodies likely had a high bounty on them and he could take them to a bounty station but the information contained within them could be a threat to Konoha. He had to, for the first time in eight years, return home. Before that, he had to meet with his travel companions, one of which would be far from enthused.


    Gate duty was boring, Kotetsu wouldn''t say this aloud, it would only cause Izumo to bitch at him but he still felt it so. It''s not that he longed for danger or battle, just something new. Missions outside of the village could be just as boring but at least there was a chance to experience something different. He wondered if he could sneak off to the Jounin station without Izumo admonishing him for shirking his responsibilities.


    "Tsunade-sama?" Kotetsu heard Izumo ask and he broke from his internal musings to look up. It was her, the Slug Princess returning to the village with two companions and a pig? Kotetsu thought that was a weird choice for a pet.


    "Yea, yea, we need a meeting with the Hokage so get an escort or do whatever it is you do," Tsunade informed the gate guards. Izumo signaled for an ANBU, who arrived at a moment''s notice, waiting to escort the trio once check-in was completed. The brunette was next, Shizune, Kotetsu heard her say. The last of their party checked-in last, his name possibly being even more startling than Tsunade''s.


    "Uzumaki Naruto," the boy, nay, the young man said and everyone in earshot froze. The Uzumaki Naruto? The container that disappeared eight years ago for seemingly no reason? Seeing Tsunade-sama getting angry got everyone to return to their previous activities and got her companions and her on their way. As they disappeared from view Izumo teased Kotetsu for ever finding gate duty boring.


    A shunshin and a short wait later, the Sannin and company stood in front of the Godaime Hokage. The Hokage eyed the trio but gave most of his attention to the youngest of the three. He couldn''t stop himself from remembering that fateful day when he found the boy, shaking and crying as he begged no one to come near him. One ANBU already on the ground, appearing dead to most but rather comatose.


    "It''s ok, puppy. I''m not here to hurt you and you won''t hurt me," Kakashi had said.


    "I will, I-I didn''t mean to. I just wanted to help, dattebayo," the boy said in distress. It took several minutes for Kakashi to get the full story and only a minute longer to do something that would change his life. If the Sandaime knew of Naruto''s abilities he would allow Danzo to "discover" them. And being as weak, in resolve, as he was the Sandaime would come to a grand compromise that meant weaponizing Naruto but doing it in a way he found palatable. Kakashi wouldn''t allow Minato''s son to become like Kinoe or Itachi.


    "It appears that you can absorb memories and skills through direct contact, puppy. We don''t have time to find the limits but it''ll be important for you to do so so. I want you to travel north to the Temple of the Fire Monks and tell them you''re the ember of the Fire Shadow. Can you repeat that, puppy?"


    "I''m the ember of the Fire Shadow, ''ttebayo," he said. Kakashi favored him with an eye smile as he ungloved his hand.


    "Now, I want you to touch me for just a second or two. That should give you enough information to make it there. I''m betting if it is just a quick touch you only get a little information. No matter what happens, though, you must go to the Fire Monks, ok?" He watched the boy nod and took his hand. Kakashi had been right in his unstated assumption, brief contact wouldn''t kill him but he''d been wrong about how much the boy would pull in even two seconds of contact.


    "You¡­ you knew my mom and dad, dattebayo?".


    "Yes, puppy and when you become strong enough to return to the village we can talk all about it," Kakashi said, attempting to hide how weak he felt. He fished out a scroll he kept on him with a few weapons and money, handing it to Naruto. "Get going before anyone else gets here. And Naruto, be happy," was the last thing Kakashi said to his sensei''s son before the boy ran off and he passed out.


    "Not a puppy anymore, are you Naruto?" He asked the boy with a matching face mask.


    "No, no I am not. It''s good to see you again, Hokage-sama," Naruto greeted.


    "Mah, mah, Kakashi is fine for you. Now, what has brought you three back to the village?"


    "The kid caught a couple of your wayward ninja," Tsunade said.


    "Oh?" Kakashi asked, wondering why they didn''t just go to the bounty station. Naruto sat two black and red scrolls on Kakashi''s desk.


    "One is Orochimaru, the other is Uchiha Sasuke. I accidentally ran into them and Orochimaru coerced Sasuke into trying to kill me. I didn''t know who he was until the end," Naruto explained.


    "You''ve done the village a great service, Naruto. It''ll take a few days for confirmation but you can collect their bounties after," Kakashi explained but received an alert from his assistant. "I really am sorry to rush you three out but I have a pre-existing meeting. Can I catch up with you tonight, Naruto?"


    "Sure, though, I don''t know where I''ll be."


    "He''ll be at the Senju estate. Just come by whenever," Tsunade instructed as they walked out the door. Kakashi gave a signal and one ANBU departed just to observe. The triad separated upon leaving the Hokage Tower, Naruto wanted to explore, which Tsunade and Shizune both knew meant get something to eat. The master and student headed toward their temporary home, Tonton in tow and Naruto was off to find foodstuffs.


    As he traveled through the village passing various vendors he noticed how none of the civilians paid him much attention. It wasn''t the concerted effort to ignore him like in the past, just that he fell into the crowd. The ninja, however, tried to hide it but he could feel them taking in his presence as if to come to some grand conclusion. He ignored them once he came upon an unassuming stand. Entering, he was greeted by a cute, brown haired woman who took his order; miso ramen with pork and a lemonade.


    Naruto didn''t know what to expect when the gregarious cook, the young woman''s father he assumed, sat the bowl down but after pulling down his mask and tasting the broth¡­ it was something special. An opinion he shared with the stand operators and proved his sincerity by ordering two more bowls. It was difficult to stop at just three, ramen was his absolute favorite and finding great ramen was a burdensome task but stop he did. Chopsticks atop his empty bowl and Naruto finishing the last of his lemonade is when one of the ninja that had been lurking outside the stand finally sat down.


    "Why are you back now?" the ninja asked as his brown eyes hard and tone of voice demanding.


    "Bounties, actually," Naruto answered when he finished his drink. The response only angered the man more.


    "And where were you three years ago?"


    "A few places, actually. Why so interested in my travel history, Ninja-san?"


    "Because I want to know why you weren''t here doing your job. We allowed you to stay in the village amongst us people but when the sand demon was wrecking the village you weren''t here. The only reason we tolerated you and you''d long since run off. We lost a lot of good people because of you," the man finished, nearing the point of yelling and drawing an audience.


    "First, you never allowed me to do anything. Secondly, I can''t and won''t be held responsible for anything that happened here four years after I''d left. I bet, if you noticed I was gone, you were happy about it. Thirdly, I am not nor was I ever some beast destined to be pointed at your enemies.


    As for your losses, did you sit with your grief and process it? Did you come together with your comrades and work through it? Did it strengthen your resolve to insure it never happened again? Or have you simply blamed a child for the entirety of your misfortune like a coward?" The unnamed ninja''s face became more and more irate as Naruto spoke. He didn''t want the foxbrat to talk sense to him, he wanted a target for his hostility and a scapegoat for his pain.


    "Whatever happened to just getting together with friends and radiating some positive vibes? That''s what this chakra thing used to be about," Naruto said as he pulled his face mask back up. He then went into his pants pocket to pull out his wallet but felt a hand grab him before he could. In a blink of an eye, Naruto had the ninja face down on the counter in an arm lock, the Uzumaki glad he''d gotten a hold of himself before he broke the man''s arm and then neck.


    He looked at the cooks and could feel their dismay. "I''m sorry," he said to the pair, "the ramen was delicious and your service matched but I will not be manhandled." Naruto released the hand holding onto the man''s wrist and got out Gama-chan, leaving a wad of bills for the food, hoping the generous tip would offset the disturbance. "I apologize again," he said before departing, the ninja having the good sense not to follow after the boy that had him at his mercy.


    "Making friends already?" a crow masked ANBU inquired as Naruto walked away from the stand.


    "A cynical person might think you didn''t intervene to see if I''d get attacked or could handle myself," Naruto observed but there wasn''t any heat to his words.


    "Are you a cynical person, Naruto?"


    "I have an umbrella for when it rains. A coat for when it is cold. A fan for when it is hot," Naruto answered.


    "So, you are what the situation requires you to be," the ANBU observed. Naruto shook his head.


    "No, I am me regardless but I am prepared for the situation. A cynical person might think you let things play out for a nefarious reason but I only accept that is one of several possibilities."


    "And this is my chance to put to rest any doubts you may have?" Naruto nodded. "I was ordered to watch over you but like with other times I was dispatched to do so, Kakashi-sama never wanted me to baby his puppy, just step in if you got in too deep."


    "Other times?" Naruto asked in confusion.


    "Dude, you''re good but Kakashi has known your general location since you left. Yes, your time in Iron Country. Yes, that coup in the Land of Vegetables. Yes, about Kakuzu. Yes, even that thing with the Priestess. She really wants your babies."


    "Well, I can''t exactly help her with that, now can I?"


    "Uh, there are procedures that make it possible. I''m sure Tsunade-sama knows all about it." the ANBU said and watched the younger man turn green.


    "She does and will describe it and any other medical question at length." The ANBU laughed and Naruto laughed in return. "I''m sorry, ya know." Naruto said. "About the cave, I didn''t know but still, I am sorry. To you and those three boys. Do you know where they are buried?"


    "First, you don''t owe me an apology. You were eight and likely saved my life. Secondly, you didn''t actually kill anyone. They just passed out and you took off."


    That was a lot for Naruto to digest, he''d always believed he killed them but because they were so young they had little to imprint upon him. "So, I left for no reason?"


    "No, you leaving was the best reaction you could have had." Naruto said nothing after that and the two walked in companionable silence until they both noticed two men in cloaks and wicker hats.


    "Hey, that Kakuzu guy wore a cloak just like that," Naruto said.


    "Because he was a part of the Akatsuki," the ANBU said.


    "The what now?"


    "A group of S rank missing ninja that have been taking a lot of mercenary jobs across the continent."


    "Well, they are coming straight for us so what should we do?"


    "Be cool."


    "Dude, I''ve seen your memories; you were a dork."


    "Says the dweeb that used to wear orange."


    "Yes, I made daring fashion choices."


    "Daring?" the ANBU''s voice dripped with incredulity. "Whatever, too late. HALT," the ANBU said to the strangers.


    ''Did he really just say halt? Like they do in those movies you like?''


    ''You like them, too, Kurama. But yes, the dork did just say halt. It was super lame.''


    ''Hella lame,'' Kurama agreed. ''Hey, let''s prank these guys?''


    ''How?'' Naruto asked, incredibly interested. Kurama had great ideas for pranks. As Kurama was laying out his plan the ANBU stood before the two ninja.


    "I''d hoped I could conduct my business without running into you, Shisui," a deep voice said.


    "Damn, that''s a velvet voice. You must get all the missing kunoichi," Naruto observed, which caused the man''s partner to chuckle.


    "Oh, this one keeps his skills sharp by the constant need to protect his virtue. Isn''t that right, Itachi?" the man asked, which caused the now identified Itachi to sigh. His partner was so crude. Removing their hats in sync, which had to be practiced as far as Naruto felt, it was Kisame who seemed the most dismayed at the turn of events. Seeing both of his possible opponents had the same eyes as his partner Kisame could only say one thing.


    "Oh, great."


    Naruto had to force a neutral expression on his face to keep from laughing along with Kurama.

 Chapter 269 - My SI Stash #69 - I, Marcus by Digsjin (ElderScrolls)

    -More ES fics~ SI as the Scion of Agrippa in the Great War, our roman enthusiast MC will be getting some Godmom action/


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 20K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/i-marcus-elder-scrolls-si.10512/ (Digsjin)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    September 21st, 2019; New York


    Marcus Tullius Cicero, former Consul and Senator of Rome was without a doubt one of the finest orators to have ever lived. The man''s speeches were over two thousand years old and more often than not didn''t translate well into English and yet they were still held up as shining models of how to write persuasive speeches.


    In copious surviving examples of his correspondence Cicero himself laid out three criteria one needed to keep in mind if one wanted to be a successful Orator, the strength of one''s arguments which he surprisingly considered to be the least important part stating that "more often than not it is emotion, not logic that is the deciding factor in Oratory," and Julius Caesar would encapsulate this perfectly when he wrote, "People only believe what they wish to believe."


    Therefore according to Cicero, the way to make them wish to believe what you want them to believe could only be achieved through one''s bearing, in my opinion, this makes quite a bit of sense, being confident or nervous could make or break one''s arguments, after all, if the speaker didn''t believe what he was saying why should the listener? The other thing he claimed helped was one''s clothing, wearing an expensive toga or nowadays a suit would lend one an air of gravitas that one did not necessarily possess, or at the very least not to the same degree.


    I remembered Cicero''s words just now because I realized that a case and point of exactly what not to do was sitting across from me at this very moment.


    He couldn''t stop fidgeting, creasing his cheap suit, adjusting his collar, running his hands on his legs as if to restore circulation, until finally, his fingers steepled themselves together in a way that may as well have screamed: "I''m nervous!"


    I sighed and took a nice long sip of the Cappuccino sitting in front of me, this had already been a long morning and given my current task I had a feeling it would be an even longer day. I straightened my tie and tried to make eye-contact with the man, meanwhile, his eyes were intensely scrutinizing anything and everything that wasn''t me or the sheets of paper that indicated his performance during the last quarter.


    "You know full well that there''s nothing I can do, not at this stage at least," I said calmly and he flinched as if physically struck.


    "Please sir, I''m begging you!" He said, his hands now pressed together as if he was praying to a higher deity, his begging pissed me off more than his failure to give a cohesive argument as to why he shouldn''t be fired.


    "I have a family, how will I pay for my daughter''s tuition or the mortgage on my-" he rambled on and the appeal to my pathos was rapidly wearing thin.


    "You brought this on yourself by missing several days of work and completely ignoring our warnings to improve your performance," I interrupted coldly and with a glare that would''ve made Tywin Lannister proud, "logically¡­ there''s no reason to keep you in our employment, at this point you''re nothing but a waste of a perfectly good salary."


    "You can''t just fire me, come on!" He exclaimed again, a feeble attempt and he knew it going by the fact that he was sweating buckets.


    I pushed a brochure across the table that indicated the company''s offered severance packages and with one final sip of my Cappuccino said: "Kindly clean out your desk."


    The rest of the workday proceeded as normal, the monotony of the paperwork one had to handle when working in human resources only broken up by my lunch break, where I went to a very nice Indian restaurant and had chicken curry, average chicken curry if I was honest, but then again it''s cheap and very close to the office.


    Still even as I was headed home for the day that firing still plagued my thoughts for some reason. It was somewhat understandable, our Headhunters took great pains to hire the most capable people so firing someone was a rare occurrence, an occurrence I disliked due to the extra work our department had to handle, but it never weighed on my conscience before now.


    I sighed heavily, something I''m doing a lot recently. And when I exhaled my breath produced a visible vapor reminding me of the fact that Christmas would be sooner than I thought and I should probably procure some gifts for my immediate family, or I could have Jean do it.


    "Secretaries normally help out with that sort of thing, right?" I mulled it over while waiting for the subway to arrive, and pulled out a pack of my favorite cigars, Davidoff Gold, the brand was recently discontinued so this would be one of the last times I would have one, too bad it''s wasted on such an average day.


    I heard the subway arriving precisely when the schedule indicated it would, a rare occurrence in this city and unluckily for me, it arrived before I could finish my cigar. I glared at thin air as if God himself would be cowed by it, threw my lit cigar on the ground and stomped on it so I wouldn''t be responsible for The Fire of New York 2: Electric Boogaloo.


    I began to approach it so I could poach a seat from the rest of the commuters, but rather than stopping just short of the yellow line, beyond which it would be dangerous to approach while the train was still in motion, I felt a hard shove and tumbled towards the tracks, with an oncoming train, my brain supplied unhelpfully.


    The way inertia worked my body turned around on its own so that the last thing I''d see was the distraught face of the man whom I''d fired a few hours ago. A few choice and very colorful expletives ran through my mind at the sight, but rather than voicing any of them a part of my mind that seemed to be rearing its head far too often for my liking today supplied a chipper, "Well, it looks like God was listening after all." Needless to say, I glared at the air again.


    In a few seconds the glare shifted from one of malice to one of pure unashamed confusion as I beheld not the tracks and a train that suddenly stopped miraculously saving my life, or even a hospital bed or gurney with my mangled body sitting on it, because the laws of physics dictated nay, demanded that it be mangled after that.


    Instead what I saw was a white hallway with odd-looking doors on either side stretching for, well, I actually couldn''t say although infinity wouldn''t have been a bad guess at the time.


    "No injuries either¡­" I noted yet stranger still was that my suit was all messed up and my shirt had a few blood stains here and there, not to mention my phone, which I still had on me was completely shattered.


    It took me an embarrassingly long amount of time to figure out what happened considering the circ.u.mstances, but when I did, I was so shell-shocked that I involuntarily voiced the thought aloud.


    "I''m dead."


    "What gave it away?" A Scottish? voice said drily, and I flinched, looking around like a complete idiot to find the person who had spoken only for the hallway to contract for a lack of a better word and a desk to appear in front of me with a man sitting behind it.


    The man was almost the exact opposite of what I expected god to look like, he did have a beard for what it was worth, but it was ginger, scraggly and overall decidedly un-majestic, on top of that he was rather lanky and looked like the slightest gust of wind would tip him over, not to mention he wasn''t wearing flowing white robes, but rather a green suit that would''ve been right at home in the D.i.c.k Tracy movie. And he was leaning on a cane that had what looked like an eyeball on the top.


    I blinked once and when what I was seeing didn''t go away I did it three more times until I finally accepted what my brain was vehemently telling me was a reality, and taking a deep breath managed to speak, "I didn''t expect to see you here of all places Lord Sheogorath."


    He looked as surprised for a moment before he smiled, it wasn''t a nice smile.


    "You''re a very polite young man ya'' know? A marked difference from what I usually get here, then again I don''t get anyone here..." He responded excitedly and I felt my left eye twitch at the answer that revealed no information.


    His smile widened at that and he gave me a look that said if you want to know, ask.


    "Where am I?" I managed to ground out and the Daedric Prince let out a hearty chuckle.


    "You''re somewhere, or I guess in this case nowhere would be a more fitting description." He answered with all the confidence of a sage who had found the gospel of truth and I felt the twitch recede in favor of a mild headache.


    "So I am, in fact dead, then?" I stressed.


    "Yup!" Sheogorath, and I still couldn''t believe this was happening, nodded enthusiastically, and I felt the twitch returning with a vengeance, "You, my friend are pining for the fjords and are now in effect an ex-human."


    A snort escaped my lips, "Didn''t know Daedric Princes enjoyed the classics."


    He shrugged easily, "We all have hobbies," when he said the last word his eyes fixed on me and for a moment, I felt like a gazelle that a wolf had just spotted.


    "So that means¡­" I began only to be cut off.


    "Why yes it does, I''m sending ye off ta jolly old Skyrim! Todd Howard will have done it again and all that." He exclaimed with a large evil grin plastered on his face


    "Alright," I said with a shrug hoping that this strategy to dissuade him from sending me to fight those fire breathing hell-beasts would work.


    He blinked owlishly for a moment before an expression of befuddlement exaggerated to such cartoonish proportions that I couldn''t truly describe it in all of its insanity overtook his features.


    "What the hell do ye mean alright?!"


    I shrugged carelessly, "I mean, I''m a pretty big fan of the games, hell I recognized your appearance from Daggerfall so even if you send me there as the Dragonborn, I''d say my chances of survival are pretty good."


    "Hmm¡­" He muttered as he rubbed his chin in thought, "I see, and I assume that you''re also well versed in the lore?"


    I nodded cautiously, although I have no idea what that whole Great War thing was all about, something about the Elf-Nazis rebelling because of Talos Worship¡­


    "Great War it is then!" He said brightly as I promptly opened my mouth to curse him, his mother (Padome, or maybe Jyggalag?) and his stupid f.u.c.k.i.n.g eyeball-cane, or I would''ve had one of the doors not suddenly opened and sucked me in with all of the force of a black hole.


    Morndas, Last Seed 4th Era; Outskirts of Bruma


    Labienus let out a small sigh of contentment as he adjusted his spear to be able to better lean on the wall, due to the cool night air that drifted down from the nearby Jerall Mountains said sigh rapidly coalesced into a wispy smoke that slowly drifted away much like Labienus'' thoughts.


    "That''s one of the many good things about these contracts," Labienus thought with a small smile, "they leave a man alone with his thoughts, they pay well and more often than not they''re safe."


    And given that the job was so simple one would think there wouldn''t be much to think about, he wasn''t exactly guarding some ancient treasure form a group of dastardly brigands or even a caravan with valuable merchandise traveling across goblin-infested forests. But rather the small, actually quite large, castle of a Noblewoman who had gone there to avoid giving birth in the currently plague-ridden Imperial City.


    The plague wasn''t something that a simple potion couldn''t solve, but for babies and small children it often wasn''t enough, so taking the precaution was sensible, that was the official reason at any rate.


    "Having an official reason is necessary when Daedra are involved," Labienus thought with a frown while rubbing his gloved hands together to preserve his warmth.


    Nonus, one of the Agrippa household guards who had accompanied Labienus and the Lady on their journey had taken him into confidence as to the real reason why they were leaving the City, apparently the Lady Agrippa had suffered a series of miscarriages that no Mages, Healers or Priests could find the cause of and her husband was displeased with her failure to birth an heir.


    So, in confidence, she left for Bruma to meet with a fellow Noblewoman, who was a closet Daedra Worshipper, to pray to the said deity and prevent the fifth miscarriage. Which Daedric Prince it actually was Nonus didn''t know, but Labienus himself prayed that it wasn''t Molag Bal or divines forbid Mehrunes Dagon, all the gold in Summerset wouldn''t be enough for me to do this job in that case¡­


    It was while lost in his musings, that he heard the rustling of a few nearby bushes. A rookie might have been scared by this, but Labienus had been in the guild most of his life and before then he had served in the Legions with distinction so instead of being scared he was simply put on alert, he did a few quick stretches and he heard some of his joints give a satisfying pop as he slowly walked towards the sound of the disturbance in such a way that he didn''t make a sound, keeping his spear at the ready all the while.


    It would''ve been extremely difficult to see the animal let alone the tracks in the dark, but the full moon helped with that somewhat and what he saw confused him for the briefest of seconds, too big to be an animal, bipedal and not khajit¡­


    His eyes widened in alarm as he barely ducked under a blow that would''ve otherwise cleaved his head right from his shoulders, he pivoted on the ground with his knee using his spear to assist in his balance and lobbed a chunk of mud at the newly revealed werewolf''s face.


    The beast let out a howl of pure rage as it lunged at him with even more vigor than before, Labienus angled his pauldron to prevent the creature''s claw from tearing into his more vulnerable gambeson and rolled away with all the speed he could muster.


    He kept going with this tactic of dodging whenever he could and angling the sturdier pieces of his armor when the former proved impossible, categorically refusing to be baited into striking, since the spear would at most cripple one of the creature''s limbs and leave him completely defenseless unless he stabbed it in the head and given the werewolf''s supernatural reflexes that wasn''t something he was confident in doing.


    His tactic worked as after a few mind-numbingly terrifying minutes a shrill whistle alerted him to the fact that his scuffle had finally gotten the attention of the Household Guards, a group of which charged out with loaded crossbows and fired bolt after bolt at the beast who let out a howl of rage.


    Labienus smirked for the briefest moments before letting out a blood-curdling battle cry and stabbing the beast with a strike that had all of his weight placed behind it cleaving through the creature''s stomach.


    The werewolf let out another how, but this time it sounded like a pained gurgle due to the blood it was forced to cough up, even still its fight or flight response has been triggered and since it was surrounded only the former would be possible.


    A conclusion it must''ve reached as well as it brought one of its claws in a broad swipe, knocking Labienus'' helmet off his head and leaving a nasty gash right below his right eye and through his forehead.


    The mercenary grunted in pain, but held firm, planting the spear on the ground and assuming a stance that would make it easier to shove that son of a bitch even deeper in the werewolf''s guts. The titular beats let out a shriek of pain, the last noise it would make as its throat was slashed open by Labienus'' dagger.


    He wrenched the spear out of its corpse waving off the guards who came to see to his health and pulled out a small glass vial filled with a red liquid, involuntarily making a face that indicated disgust he downed the foul-tasting liquid in one gulp, his wound closing up as quickly as it was inflicted.


    Still panting with exertion, he reached up to pat it and while closed it still stung and his hair was filled with dried blood.


    "It just had to be Hircine didn''t it?" He heard Nonus mutter lowly and gave a grunt to indicate he agreed with the sentiment but focused on taking a rag from one of his many pouches to wipe said blood.


    It was during this task that he heard it, a bell, but not just any bell, rather the one that belonged to the small chapel of Arkay that was built next to the house it rang once and it seemed to Labienus that all of the Agrippa men tensed, said tension disappeared by the second ring.


    "A boy then seems like it wasn''t in vain." A guard muttered with an accent that indicated he hailed from High Rock. Labienus would''ve agreed outwardly, but he was too tired for even a grunt, barely managing to trudge towards and lean on a tree so he wouldn''t collapse on the cold ground.


    The very first words that left my new mouth were "F.u.c.k.i.n.g lunatic, Wes Johnson-ass Aiden Gillen looking inbred deranged motherf.u.c.ker!", or they would''ve been had the words not turned into: "Googh Ga!" as soon as they left my mouth.


    Shit. Ooh Shit.


    I''m a baby, Sheogorath you absolute piece of shit!


    I was distracted from my hatred of the Daedric Prince by the gigantic yet soft hands that picked me up, tenderly curled around me and lifted me closer to a torch. Having a baby''s eyes and seemingly a baby''s mind I was not very appreciative of the harsh light harassing my eyes and dull heat assailing my skin, so I did what any baby would do under the circ.u.mstances, I cried.


    "A good set of lungs it seems." An excited yet somehow dry sounding voice emanated from the middle-aged dunmer woman who was carrying me, the midwife maybe?


    "It would seem so Vivea." A tired yet distinctly relived female voice sounded from behind her.


    The dark elf woman, now identified as Vevea set me down on a soft surface and promptly began to feel me up, presumably poking and prodding to see if I had any defects that is, not that I wouldn''t be averse to the other connotation, but you know, baby.


    After a few more moments of this, the woman handed me towards what I presumed to be my mother, going by the tone of her skin she was either an Imperial or Redguard whose father had been a Nord or Breton. She had brownish skin and long raven hair that cascaded down her shoulders, coupled with chestnut eyes and a sharp nose that made her look quite dignified even after the ordeal she had just presumably gone through.


    "Hello Sweetheart," She cooed and rocked me gently and I figured I may as well gurgle happily, no reason to have my new guardians dislike me for being an asshole before I could even talk and all that jazz.


    This whole process gave me time to organize my thoughts, the good news is I''m not a Sload or in Akavir and I have loads of time to plan my next moves.


    Bad news, I don''t know who I am or if I even existed in canon, the great war will presumably be in a few years and most of the time, I could use to prepare I''ll be a toddler.


    The possibly worse news is I could be the Dragonborn, but I have no indication of that right now and I''d rather not think about it, to be honest.


    Conclusion? My chances of survival range from great to terrible and considering who brought me here I''ll have to go with the latter, but I need more information before I can specify.


    "What are you naming him Aurelia?" The Dunmer woman''s voice jolted me back to reality, as my mother stopped rocking me and I felt her straighten slightly.


    "Marcus," she said fondly, "Marcus Agrippa." Like that Agrippa, I thought with a raised eyebrow, even though I don''t think I had eyebrows.


    Vivea smiled fondly, but her eyes gained a mischievous glint. "And no shout-out to the woman who made it all possible, dear me I''m devastated." She said exaggeratedly.


    My new mother, Aurelia glared, but there was no heat. "Fine, Marcus Vivecius Agrippa, happy?"


    "Very," Vivea said drily.


    Chapter 1


    Middas, Sun''s Dawn, Year 159 4th Era; Imperial City


    I yawned and lazily stretched my legs out when I reached the beginning of the fourth chapter of the book I was currently reading, The Book of Daedra if you were wondering, which unlike the in-game version whose total sum of text and therefore knowledge could''ve easily been contained on a small pamphlet this one was a huge-ass tome that easily matched if not surpassed one of the thicker volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica.


    Understandable, as it technically was an encyclopedia about anything and everything Daedric, but it''s writing style was dryer than the deserts of Hammerfell something I wouldn''t have thought possible considering what the writer, whoever it was, had to work with. I mean, the cosmology of Elder Scrolls aka. Michael Kirkbride''s psilocybin induced ramblings could most accurately be described as the lovechild of Greek Mythology and Lovecraftian Horror, how the hell could you make that boring you ask?


    Apparently like this, "The scamp''s foraging habits are most unlike that of any creature who through Kynareth''s benevolence has propagated itself on Nirn, given their well-known stench¡­" I groaned outwardly, the thing read like a goddamn script for a bad nature doc.u.mentary crossed with religious texts and thinly veiled opinions, which made me assume that the person who wrote it was, in fact, a Dunmer as he ascribes the more destructive proclivities of certain princes as being in their nature and therefore all the mayhem they cause as not truly being their fault.


    "Still¡­" I thought as I gazed up at the dragon statue Martin Septim had left behind after his calamitous duel with the Daedric Prince of Destruction, Mehrunes Dagon. A statue which dwarfed the Cristo Redentor in Brazil by a wide margin and indicated that the fight was far, far more destructive than had been depicted in Oblivion, "it seems like the information might come in handy with what I''ll have to deal with."


    I started reading such boring tomes in favor of the more exciting fictional stories like Chance''s Folly or A Game at Dinner with a vigor born not purely out of l.u.s.t for knowledge like had been the case back on earth, but also from a very real spike of fear that came from a realization that I had while still in the crib and one that had quite prudently refused to go away after six years of life. I live in a world of gods and monsters, to the former I was an inconsequential ant and plaything (thank you Sheogorath!) and to the latter I was just meat, so if I had to read about Scamps'' nutritional habits and the varying weeds that grow in Oblivion to give me the slightest edge in the chances of my survival I would.


    And with that thought, I returned to my book with renewed energy, or I would''ve had a shadow not suddenly been cast from above making it difficult to make out the tightly packed letters. The shadow wasn''t large enough to be an a.d.u.l.t, so I doubted I was about to hear a "Halt citizen, you''ve violated the law!" for sitting on a statue of Stendarr where I technically shouldn''t be sitting and the only children who would approach me while I was reading¡­


    "Cut off one head¡­" I began leadingly


    "And another two grow back." My compatriot answered with a small smirk, I turned to see who precisely it was, but her raspy voice had already given her species away, Argonian.


    I briefly embraced El-Lurasha, an Argonian girl with purplish scales I had met during one of my many walks on the Imperial City docks. When she tried to steal my sweetroll.


    "Hail Hydra," we both whispered in unison and she quickly handed me a sealed envelope once we broke off the embrace, an envelope whose contents I clearly recognized given its seal, the latest issue of the Black Horse Courier a "newspaper" that was surprisingly still up and running ever since the Oblivion Crisis, it was no New York Times or Wall Street Journal but it was enough to keep ab.r.e.a.s.t of the politics and general goings-on in the Empire. Not to mention my early warning system about when the war would start.


    I tossed her a Silver Septim, much more than what the paper was worth, for her trouble, and yes in this world there were Silver and Copper Septims as well, each worth half of each other i.e. two silvers were one gold and two coppers were one silver, so it wasn''t that difficult to calculate with.


    She smiled shyly and almost as soon as she caught the coin it disappeared down her sleeve, a useful skill considering her occupation if one could even call pickpocketing an occupation. I had taken it upon myself to get to know some of the street urchins living in the Imperial City and had already become quite popular with them since I offered free healing albeit only for small bruises and scr.a.p.es since I only managed to teach myself the basic spell and provided good coin for a few odd-jobs like bringing me the paper every morning and the latest gossip, truly everyone except the Thieves Guild underestimates how useful and more importantly how loyal they can be.


    Speaking of which¡­ "What''s the news L-L?" I asked conversationally.


    She snorted, "Isn''t that what you have that for?" she retorted pointing at my paper.


    "I prefer to hear it from your beautiful lips," I shot back with the most earnest look I could muster, a corny compliment sure, but I was dealing with a little kid here not a seasoned veteran of the dating scene and if her mild blush (was that even possible with her literally being coldblooded?) was any indication it worked.


    She coughed as an excuse for her momentary silence, "Lord Tamrith just arrived from High Rock and he snubbed Legate Vici in favor of visiting Legate Tullius."


    I furrowed my brows, "Tamrith, Tamrith¡­ That''s the one from Rivenspire, right?" And if the Legate is the one, I''m thinking of¡­


    "Yup!" She nodded back enthusiastically the earlier embarrassment forgotten, "High Rock tourists are the best, they always have coin purses instead of pockets like the ones from Hammerfell."


    I chuckled heartily, "And in the Arena?"


    She thought for a moment, "Yoren from the Red Team is apparently back on Skooma," she said, the scales on her forehead crinkling as if she had been trying to get the name right, understandable, she probably had the money to get in, but not enough to risk losing it gambling so she probably didn''t keep up much with the matches.


    "I''ll be sure not to bet on him during the next matches then."


    "That would be smart," she replied smugly and somehow without a hint of smugness, I just sighed quietly.


    "Anything else?"


    She looked down at her feet, I just raised my eyebrow.


    "I''m having trouble with these letters¡­"


    I lowered my eyebrow and sighed, closing my book and using the newspaper, more like a small pamphlet, as a bookmark.


    "Show me," I said as she handed me a large piece of paper with different letters, some vocabulary and even drawings to go with them that I had scribbled on it when I was teaching her how to read. I offered it to all of the street urchins who were reasonably loyal, and she was one of the few who took me up on it. I needed spies who could send letters after all, and this just made them even more loyal.


    She did as I asked and over the next fifteen minutes, we went over a few consonants that she was having trouble with due to her Argonian physiology and some fairly common spelling mistakes, but overall, she was a quick learner. Not a blooming novelist by any stretch of the words, but she should be at the Tamrielic equivalent of a middle school level if she kept it up.


    "Hey, didn''t you say you were going to be learning sword fighting?"


    Her seemingly innocent question made me choke on air, "I''m gonna be so late he''s going to kill me!"


    She laughed harder than I''d ever seen her laugh before.


    "I said that out loud didn''t I?"


    She kept laughing. I have to stop doing that. I gave her an annoyed grunt before I raced back to my family home as fast as my seven-year-old legs could carry me, which is to say, not very fast at all.


    Teldryn Sero couldn''t ordinarily be described as a patient man, but for the amount of gold they were paying him to basically do nothing at all, he''d be as patient as the most pious priest of Stendarr on Tamriel. He gazed out the window briefly and though one wouldn''t have known it by looking at him due to the goggles and mask that covered the entirety of his face, his eyes narrowed in annoyance, "Doesn''t mean I have to like it, though."


    A few hurried footsteps echoed out from the hallway of the rather expansive imperial villa he was currently working in, he smirked slightly. "Speak or I suppose, think of the Daedra and he shall appear."


    He rolled his shoulders, and both gave a satisfying pop, in one smooth motion he drew one of the practice swords that he had bought specifically for this particular long-term contract and pointed it straight at the entrance of the door.


    Said door quickly opened to reveal a small half-Breton, half-Imperial boy wearing a grey cotton shirt and dark leather pants and boots, Teldryn was at the very least relieved that the kid hadn''t shown up to the training wearing fancy clothes, but instead of voicing the thought he gave a nearly contemptuous grunt both at the fact that the kid was late and that he had almost run straight into a room and perhaps more importantly, the edge of a sword that would''ve killed him had it been real.


    "I''m sorry I''m late," he drawled looking apologetic, but his voice indicated otherwise, "I got lost on the road of life."


    The excuse and its delivery were so absurd that a snort involuntarily escaped his lips, he hoped he still looked intimidating enough and going by the somewhat worried glances that the kid was shooting him, he did, however, that might have had more to do with the fact that he was still holding the practice sword at his throat than his bearing.


    "And¡­?" He prompted leadingly; the kid furrowed his brows in thought.


    "I should''ve been quieter and taken a peek before entering the room." He said hesitantly.


    Teldryn grunted in acknowledgement, "At least you''re not completely braindead," he expected a reaction of indignation from the kid (to be fair his employers said he was only seven), but when he got nothing except a raised eyebrow he moved on, "listen, try to make sure you''re punctual next time."


    The kid nodded seriously and Teldryn sighed, I''m really not a good teacher, "Listen kid, I''m going to be honest with you, I''m not much of a teacher so I don''t know why your parents would pick me of all people, I''ll do my best, just don''t expect me to turn you into the next Gaiden Shinji."


    The kid laughed, it wasn''t like the laughter of other children filled with innocent joy, but rather one of an a.d.u.l.t filled with mirth, "Don''t worry, anything you can teach me beyond ''stick''em with the pointy end'' will still be an improvement."


    Teldryn chuckled briefly as well, "Oh I can do that much at least." He then turned and walked towards the balcony, the kid confusedly following after him like a lost puppy. Abruptly he turned back around and tossed him one of the training swords and assumed a fighting position, to his credit the kid caught it but it thunked on the floor anyway as he was unprepared for the weight. Teldryn''s respect rose slightly when the kid didn''t complain and struggled to fully lift it with one hand mimicking his stance all the while.


    He smiled slightly, a gesture of appreciation that was lost on the boy, "Now, do your best to hit me and remember this isn''t the swordplay of the imperial legions, breton knights or orcish berserkers, you have to avoid overcommitting at all costs as Dunmer swordsmen don''t use shields so there''s no margin for error."


    The imperial kid, Marcus, his brain supplied the name he had forgotten, charged at him with a battle cry, Teldryn didn''t even have to block the poorly aimed strike instead just turning on his heel and allowing Marcus to run past him, he turned and glared this time approaching his teacher more carefully.


    "He''s learning something at least," he thought as he lazily deflected every blow sent after him, "just not fast enough," he finished the thought when the sword was knocked out of his charge''s hand and he went to go get it.


    "Let''s try it again."


    Marcus nodded seriously and tried to reassume the stance he had mimicked from Teldryn earlier, he clicked his tongue and shook his head in annoyance, "No, no, that stance is all wrong."


    He approached him and pointed out the flaws, sometimes manually readjusting a few limbs, by the time everything was corrected Marcus looked like he was having difficulties simply staying still and keeping his balance, let alone trying to heft the especially heavy training sword Teldryn had provided.


    "The perfectly executed Dunmer Spellsword stance is like a venerable old tree¡­" Teldryn began and his charge blinked owlishly at the odd analogy but was paying rapt attention either way, "and what would be the most important part of such a tree?"


    Marcus furrowed his brows in thought, but before he could come to a conclusion Teldryn kicked his feet out from under him. His charge very understandably glared venom at him and Teldryn let said glare wash over him like water off the back of a duck, "We begin with roots." He was beginning to regret wearing a mask constantly, the smirk he was sending his student right now would''ve infuriated him even more, had he been able to see it.

 Chapter 271 - My CO Stash #71 - For Great Justice by MrWriterWriter (DCUXMHA)

    -A fun crossover of the Justice League & MHA along with 5Head Deku having the luck of an ecchi protagonist!


    Sypnosis: Izuku''s been told he could never be a Hero his entire life. The Justice League would like to say something about that. Izuku/Multi


    Rated: M


    Words: 34K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13355126/1/For-Great-Justice (MrWriterWriter)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    ''Superman and Green Lantern have apprehended Sinestro, Wonder Woman''s dealt with Metallo, and Clayface is back in Arkham.'' J''onn J''onzz, AKA Martian Manhunter, mused as he gave the Watchtower''s comm systems a quick go-through to be sure no other emergencies were active.


    Aside from a gang brawl in Bludhaven, that Nightwing and Robin were already mopping up, it was relatively quiet. Once he made sure things had settled down, he decided to do one of his favorite pastimes; people watching. He couldn''t really explain it, but he found watching them go about their daily routines relaxing. The fact that they could, in spite of the monsters, supervillains, and disasters that seemed to occur almost regularly, told him the effort they made was well worth it.


    For now, there was one particular human that had piqued his interest; a Japanese boy named Izuku Midoriya. Innocuous as he looked, J''onn found his mind and attitude fascinating. He was intelligent, almost dangerously so. Observant as well, if the fact that he made it a habit of taking notes about his fellow classmates was any indication. Namely because they were all metahuman, or as they insisted on being called, ''quirk-bearers''.


    Midoriya, however, was what they called ''quirkless'', a rather insulting term since metahuman abilities had become somewhat commonplace; not having a so-called ''quirk'' was seen as a target of derision or shame, since it was considered a disability.


    The rant Oracle had at learning that was something of legend.


    While a considerable portion of abilities were somewhat obscure or minor, like able to taste with one''s fingers, or glow in the dark, a few had powers that were considered worthy of letting them become crime fighters, or ''Pro Heroes''.


    J''onn grimaced just thinking that. Granted, there were a few that had the League''s respect. Ones like All Might or No.13, who took the term ''hero'' seriously, helping people because it was the right thing to do, who went at it with the passion needed to ensure they could help and protect others.


    Sadly, they were the rare few. Most just treated it like a nine-to-five job, chasing glory and personal gain. They were the ones the League butted heads with sometimes, seeing League members as ''scrubs'' muscling in on their spotlights. An elitist attitude seemed prevalent among them too, believing that you HAD to have a ''quirk'' before you even thought of becoming a hero.


    It didn''t need saying that this seriously rankled quite a few non-powered League members. Plastic Man had admitted that he felt a little embarrassed to be a metahuman when he first heard that.


    Which was why J''onn was considerably annoyed at how the boy was treated, especially by his former friend. He had peeked into the boy''s thoughts a couple of times out of curiosity. What he saw impressed and scared him a little. By simple observation and deduction, he''d figured out personalities, strengths, weaknesses...not just of his classmates, but the professional heroes as well. Pushed hard enough, Izuku Midoriya could easily become one of the most dangerous enemies they''d ever have.


    Since things had quieted down, now was as good a time as any to head down. "Flash, I''m going to head down to Japan for a little while." He called out to the red-clad speedster.


    "Have fun, J. Oh, bring me back some fried rice?"


    J''onn nodded and made his way to the teleporter.


    333333333333


    Making sure it would land him in an unseen spot, near the local school, J''onn ported down and quickly shapeshifted into a portly and somewhat unremarkable-looking man. A quick look around, and he headed to the street. As he rounded the corner, something lying on the sidewalk, faint wisps of smoke coming off it. Nearing it, he saw that it was a scorched notebook. The writing on the cover was damaged, but he could make out ''hero'' on it.


    ''This is Midoriya''s. Why is it¡­'' He frowned when he remembered the boy''s worst bully could emit explosive blasts. ''Petty¡­''


    Surprisingly, the cover had taken the brunt of things, leaving the contents mostly intact. He leafed through it and was impressed at the amount of detail he''d put into studying them, complete with sketches. As he looked through it, he found out that Pro Heroes weren''t the only ones to come under his analysis.


    Turns out he''d studied the League as well. J''onn''s eyes widened a little when he read through it. ''Observant'' was putting it mildly; not only had he built up similar profiles of a few League members, he''d actually come close to deducing the identities of a few. In fact, he really did figure out the names of some of the original group and a couple of others. ''Clark and Bruce would have a fit if they saw this.'' He chuckled. ''Though Bruce would probably have a fit, then be impressed at the way Midoriya figured it out.''


    "Texas SMASH!" A voice roared from down the road, quickly getting J''onn''s attention, followed by the rumble of a powerful shockwave.


    "That was definitely All Might." He said to himself, shifting back and putting the notebook away before turning invisible. "And if he''s here, then odds are good Midoriya will have found him." He patted the book and took off in the direction of the shout.


    By the time he reached the spot - a noticeable section of area underneath a bridge that had been shattered - All Might was already leaping into the air. Focusing slightly, he saw he also had Midoriya on his leg, holding on for dear life. The combination was kind of amusing...aside from All Might trying to shake the boy off. J''onn quickly took off after them in case Midoriya really did fall off.


    ''Hm, kid''s got a grip.'' J''onn mused, watching Midoriya hang on until they landed on a nearby roof. When he asked if someone like him could really be a hero, he moved in a bit to listen. The desperation in his voice while he explained why was damn near heartbreaking. ''God, he''s been beat into the ground so many times by almost everyone¡­just for not being born with a power."


    He also noticed that All Might seemed a little under the weather...and nearly dropped his invisibility in shock when the man suddenly shrank into a skinny, almost skeletal figure. ''To quote Diana...Great Hera! What happened to him!?''


    Midoriya freaked out as well. "W-where''d All Might go!?"


    The ''deflated'' All Might looked at him. "I''m right here." He said, before coughing up blood.


    "B-but...I...how!?" The boy freaked.


    "I guess I better explain." He lifted up his shirt to reveal a heavily scarred area, taking up nearly his entire left side. Both J''onn and Midoriya were surprised by the condition. The skin looked almost seared; a spider web of crack-like purple and red marks that radiated out from an angry, crimson wound, resembling a raised, open sore that had yet to heal.


    It was as though someone had driven a red hot poker into his ribs, twisting and shifting it to rip and catch as much as possible before pulling, tearing away a piece of his soul along with the charred flesh. It was painful to look. Izuku looked like the sight alone was making him ill.


    For J''onn, though, it was far more. His empath powers couldn''t help but let him perceive and visualize just what had managed to inflict it, and the still lingering damage. ''I never thought I''d be so glad to not have a humanoid digestive system, otherwise I''d be seeing my last meal again right now¡­''


    "I got this five years ago, facing off against a supervillain named All for One. He went to prison, but not before landing the blow that did this." All Might sighed. "Ever since then, I''ve been on a time limit when using my power, One for All. When I hit that limit, I''m forced to turn back into the skinny guy I really am."


    After a moment, he put his shirt back down and looked at Izuku. "I''m gonna be honest with you, kid. Being a hero means a lot more than endors.e.m.e.nts, fans, and flashy skills. It means willingly putting yourself out there, putting your body and life on the line to protect people. To make sure that at the end of the day, they can go home to their families and loved ones." His tone became more morose then. "Unfortunately, without a Quirk...no hero association would accept you. I''m sorry, but you can''t be a Pro Hero if you don''t have one." With that, All Might slowly headed to the stairwell. Before he went down, though, he gave him one last look. "For what it''s worth, my gut''s telling me you probably would''ve made a pretty decent one."


    ''Midoriya¡­'' J''onn thought, seeing the broken look on the boy''s face at hearing that, along with the sensation of his world crumbling. However, he heard something else when All Might said that. It was a slight emphasis on one thing¡­


    Pro-Hero.


    Before he could do anything, a series of loud explosions ripped through another part of town. He quickly headed over to see that a metahuman, who looked like a bad Clayface knockoff, was attempting to take over a boy''s body. He recognized him as Katsuki Bokugo, Midoriya''s primary antagonizer. A few other Pro Heroes were there, trying to stop the metahuman, but their abilities weren''t having any effect.


    All Might had arrived as well, but it looked like he was unable to transform just yet. Knowing there wasn''t much time, J''onn prepared to move in when Midoriya came out of nowhere. ''What''s he doing?'' The Pro Heroes tried to stop him, but he was going full tilt, straight towards the imitator.


    "Hey! Ugly!" Izuku yelled, getting the mass attention before hurling his backpack into his face, not even breaking stride on his way to the captive.


    "Ack! You little!" The villain yelled, shaking his face from the impact. While that went down, he was already working to pull Bakugo out.


    "What the hell are you doing, Deku!?" The blonde demanded.


    "What do you thInk!?" Midoriya snapped back. "Even I could see you were hoping someone would help you! Besides, I couldn''t live with myself if you died, regardless of how much a jerk you are now!"


    "NO YOU DON''T!" The sludgy villain roared, forcing Izuku to jump away from a tendril-like fist. He tried to swing away again, but froze when someone else grabbed hold of his hostage. Someone he hoped he''d gotten away from.


    "Hang on, young man, you''ll be free in a moment!" All Might yelled, having somehow managed to transform. He ripped Bakugo from the villain''s grip with a massive pull. At the same time, he was drawing back for a¡­"Detroit SMASH!"


    Once again, the street was covered with blasted bad guy, and the crowd that had gathered cheered.


    3333333333333


    J''onn couldn''t help but frown; things had begun to settle down, but the Bakugo boy was praised for supposedly fighting back (though the surrounding area seemed to have been his target instead) Midoriya, on the other hand was giving a dressing down for risking his life. It was a bit reckless, but he was doing what heroes tended to do. He was unhurt, so that was something.


    Right now, both boys were being processed and questioned at the police station. Knowing they''d both be there for a little while, he decided now was the time to make his move.


    After all, like All Might said, they wouldn''t let him become a ''Pro'' Hero. They couldn''t keep him from becoming a hero anyway. Switching his communicator on, he headed off to the Midoriya household.


    "Watchtower." The no-nonsense voice came through.


    He couldn''t resist grinning. "Batman, it''s J''onn, just letting you know I''m meeting up with a League potential."


    "The Midoriya boy?"


    "That was quick."


    "You''re in Japan, Musatafa City to be exact, J''onn. There''s only one reason you''d be there, given the concentration of...Pro-Heros." He tried to keep the dislike out of his voice. "Though I am curious as to why you want to recruit him."


    J''onn proceeded to recount the boy''s discussion with All Might, along with how he nearly rescued his classmate from the metahuman criminal.


    " A little reckless, but it was almost successful, given what you said." Batman responded after he was done. "And I can see where both him and All Might are coming from. Without a superpower, the ''Pro-Hero'' path isn''t good for him, but he''s shown he understands the dangers of our line of work...and I have to give him credit for sticking to his hopes."


    "Also, I should add that he''s figured out you''re Bruce Wayne." He almost had to shift into a mouthless form to keep from laughing when he picked up on his teammate''s thought process coming to a screeching halt.


    The comm was silent for several seconds before¡­"...what?"


    "Among other things."


    "Invitation to the Watchtower seconded, if only get answers." The man didn''t miss a beat in his response.


    333333333333


    "Oh, what is keeping him?" Inko asked, heading over when the knocking started. "I hope he''s ok...I''m coming, I''m coming." She opened the door. "Yes, who is-" She had a coughing fit as her voice caught in her throat. "M-Martian Manhunter?!" She yelped once she could talk again.


    "Good evening, Mrs. Midoriya. And please, call me J''onn. I believe we''ll be on a more familiar basis soon."


    "W-what do you mean?" She asked, mentally reeling from the fact that not only was a member


    "Basically it concerns your son, Izuku."


    "Izuku? Oh no, is he hurt!? I''ll wring Katsuki Bakugo''s neck if he''s had a hand in it!" Despite her son''s attempts to hide the bullying, Inko''s ''Mom Sense'' told her something was up, namely when she saw the looks of contempt he got from the blonde when they were in the same room. And now she wanted to punch herself for not acting the first time he tried to play scars off as tripping on the sidewalk.


    "Ma''am, it''s ok. It''s nothing like that." Due to the height difference, he had to kneel down in order to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "He''s fine. I''m here because your son is being considered for training - and eventually, a possible membership - in the Justice League...Mrs. Midoriya?" He didn''t get to continue before Inko''s eyes rolled back, and she teetered backwards in a dead faint.


    333333333333333


    "Ohhh¡­" Inko m.o.a.ned as she came to, her nose crinkling some from the smelling salts J''onn was holding out to her. She shook her head to clear the grogginess and looked to see the superhero crouched by her.


    "Oracle was right, these do come in handy." He said, helping her up.


    "Y-you''re real." She uttered, her voice laced with no small amount of fangirl excitement. "One of...of the original Justice League members is in my house!" She was in mid-squee when she caught herself. "Sorry! I got excited..." Her face turned beet red.


    ''Well, that''s adorable.''


    "D-did I hear you right? Izuku...m-my Izuku is¡­"


    "A potential for the Justice League, yes." He grinned at how excited she seemed.


    "Oh my...this...not to sound rude or anything, but why? I mean, he''s been told so many times he couldn''t be a hero, just because he doesn''t¡­"


    "One word: Batman."


    "Oh. Heh, right." She chuckled.


    "As for why, regardless of the Pro Hero agencies'' insistence on needing powers to be one, your son has a lot of potential. From what I''ve seen, he has the motivation, the drive, and the knowledge of what being a hero really means. If he accepts, we can have him introduced to a few members before the end of the day."


    "Wow. Um, you really think he can be one?"


    "As long as he''s willing to put in the effort. Now, care to accompany me in telling him? I think having his mother there will help show the offer is legitimate."


    "Oh, sure-woop!" She squeaked when he picked her up bridal style. "Where is he, exactly?"


    "At the local police station. I''ll explain on the way."


    "Policeeeeek!" She held on for dear life when he took off into the air.


    333333333333


    "That was amazing!" One of the officers at the station clapped a hand on Bakugo''s back.


    "Boy''s hero material, no doubt!" Another looked at him with what he apparently tried to pass off as mimicking parental pride


    "No shit, genius." Bakugo snorted derisively as the two cops praised him for how he handled the situation.


    "Probably wouldn''t have had any trouble if a certain quirkless hadn''t gotten in the way." The second one looked over disdainfully at Izuku, who was sitting in one of the waiting area''s cheap plastic chairs.


    Despite pretending not to listen, he fought the urge to say something uncomplimentary. It felt like school all over again; Bakugo was called the best (Izuku could see him preening at the praise, no matter how much he scowled), and he was the bottom rung. And now that All Might, someone he looked up to so much, saying he couldn''t be a hero without a quirk... As the lead weight settled in his stomach, he started wondering if maybe he just wasn''t meant to-


    "Holy crap! The Martian Manhunter!" Someone cried out, yanking him out of his thoughts. True enough, the unmistakable green skin and blue cape of the extraterrestrial hero stood out among the parting throng.


    Izuku''s jaw dropped. ''The Justice League...here? W-why?'' He got his answer when he began making his way towards them...and Bakugo, it seemed.


    "Excuse me, young man." He said, a visible smile on his face.


    "Ha! Told you I''d always be better than you, Deku." Bakugo sneered, walking up to meet the hero with a strut. "Even the Justice League wants-what the hell!?" He stumbled when Martian Manhunter phased through him, not even acknowledging that he was in the way.


    "Izuku Midoriya?" J''onn stepped up to the green-haired boy.


    "Hey! Don''t you ignore me, Green-Baldy!" Bakougo yelled, looking like he was ready to explode the man for the slight.


    J''onn, however, merely glanced back him. "I don''t have time for your antics, child."


    "Child!? I''ll show-HAGKK!" He started, only to be steamrolled by a borderline panicking Inko.


    "Izuku!" She cried, hugging her son tightly. "What were you thinking, rushing that villain like that? I know you wanted to do the right thing, despite all Katsuki''s done, but what if something had gone wrong?" Her hug tightened, and they could hear her fighting back sobs of worry. "You could''ve been hurt! Or worse!"


    Ixuku looked on in surprise. "Mom? When...how?"


    "J''onn told me what happened. He saw you go in to help him and everything."


    "He, I mean...you did?" He asked, looking at the man.


    J''onn nodded. "In fact, that''s part of why I''m here. Izuku Midoriya, you are officially invited to the Watchtower as a League potential."


    The whole room went silent when they heard that, along with several jaws dropping. "I take it this happens a lot." Inko said, looking around.


    "You get accustomed to it." He replied.


    "Say...say that again¡­?" Izuku asked, once he finally regained his voice. "The Jus...the Justice League wants¡­m-me?"


    "WHAT!? HELL NO!" Bakugo snapped, storming towards them. "That shit Deku hasn''t got ANY damn business being a hero!"


    "Excuse me?" Inko''s voice was a dead calm. "Care to repeat that, Katsuki?"


    "Oh crap¡­" Izuku looked for something to get behind. "Mom''s pissed."


    "You heard me!" Anger overshadowed the other boy''s common sense, evident by the audible micro-explosions occurring on his hands. "He''s quirkless! No real hero-"


    J''onn cut him off. "I''m sure Batman would have an interesting rebuttal for that." He followed by gently setting a hand on Inko''s shoulder to calm her.


    "NO! I''m the one with the power! That runt..." Rolling his eyes, J''onn made a twisting gesture towards him, and they were greeted with sudden silence. Bakougo was moving, but no sound came out.


    "I''m altering the airflow between him and us to filter out his voice." He explained, seeing their perplexed looks. "Anyway, Izuku, we''ve seen you have potential. And while you may not be able to become a ''Pro'' hero, they have no say on you becoming a hero anyway."


    "I can...I can still be a hero? This is almost too good to be true; I mean, after what All Might said, I thought it was going to be a case of ''just not meant to be''. But, now a member of the Justice League is right here¡­!" The rest of what he said descended into low, rapid-fire mumbling that even J''onn couldn''t make out.


    "Um, Midoriya? We can continue this conversation on a more mental line, if that''ll help you organize your train of thought better."


    "I got it. He tends to do this when he gets to thinking about something a lot harder than necessary." Inko gently poked her son in the forehead. "Honey, you''re mumbling."


    "Huh?" Izuku blinked, and turned bright red. "Oh, sorry! O-of course I''ll go!" He bounced off the chair. "I should probably get packed. Do I need to bring anything specific?"


    J''onn ticked off a couple of things. "I would suggest some clothing comfortable enough to work out in, at the minimum. Also, this would be a good idea as well." He handed Izuku back his notebook. "I couldn''t resist taking a peek."


    "Oh, uh, I¡­" He rambled slightly, looking thoroughly embarrassed. "Well, I get kind of curious about the pros and cons of their abilities¡­"


    "Actually, I was quite impressed by your detective work. And I have reason to believe Batman is rather keen to pick your brain as well."


    "Really?" Izuku was thoroughly at a loss for words.


    Unfortunately, someone else wasn''t. "I''m sorry, but that kid''s in a lotta trouble for interfering in a hero situation." One of the cops who''d been praising Bokugo spoke up. "He''s lucky All Might as there or he could''ve gotten the boy killed-" He froze when Inko gave him a look that would''ve had the Rank One hero quickly getting out of the way.


    Before she could open fire, though, J''onn quickly chimed in. "Actually, while he did put himself in harm''s way, Midoriya did the right thing under the local ''self defense'' laws. Laws which also apply to the ''defense of others'', the very same statute that allows ''Hero'' actions. And if I recall, they were never repealed, nor reworded to prevent those without Quirks from acting."


    "I..ah..well¡­" The cop faltered. It seemed apparent that he hadn''t been on the job long.


    J''onn, however, wasn''t done yet. He turned his attention to Bakugo. "Also,since you neither a member of an approved Hero Group, like the Justice League, nor have you been issued a Pro-Hero license, you are liable for all damages your powers caused, due to the same regulations that require said license."


    He noticed the boy looked like he was about to blow a gasket, but wasn''t worried. He was fast enough to incapacitate him before he tried something. "I should also point out that part of the reason no Hero could really act was because you were firing wildly in your attempt to hit your captor. And such things like that are exactly why Licenses are required."


    "I DIDN''T NEED ANYONE''S HELP, YOU GREEN BALDY!" Bakugo shouted. "I just needed to hit that bastard once and he''d have been history!"


    "Oh yeah, you really had him on the ropes...Kacchan." Izuku said with less than subtle sarcasm, using the old nickname that now irritated the blonde.


    "Shut it, Deku! Or I''ll¡­!" Bakugo started to lunge. He made one step when he froze as J''onn''s arm extended towards him alarmingly fast, the hand phasing into his chest.


    J''onn looked unimpressed. "You also now have the choice of sitting down and calmly waiting for your parents to arrive, or being visited in the ICU for an unprovoked attack on a League member." He stated dryly.


    "I was going after De-!" Bakugu cut himself off with a whine of pain, his eyes widening. "Ouch¡­"


    "And that was me flicking a muscle. By accepting the invitation, Izuku is now considered part of the League, albeit in more of an intern level. But, he falls under the same protection regardless. Now, are you going to sit down? Because Flash let me test this out on him, and in his own words, ''getting your pectorals slapped from the inside freaking hurts.''"


    "I''ll sit down!" He whimpered, half-walking, half shambling towards a seat on the far side of the room once the hand was removed.


    "He''ll be ok." J''onn assured the Midoriyas. "I learned enough about human biology to make sure I don''t do any real damage. Though he will be sore for a day or two. Now, I''ll take you two home so Izuku can get ready."


    33333333333


    The sun was halfway setting by the time they reached the apartment. According to Inko, the Bakugos were gone already, since the police had called them earlier about their son. While Izuku went to pack, J''onn waited outside. "Well, he accepted." He said, idly fingering his communicator.


    "Good." Batman responded over it. "I''m still trying to make sense of how a fourteen-year-old boy was able to figure out something like this on his own."


    "Don''t worry, you''ll have plenty of time to talk to him about it."


    "...do I even want to know what you meant by that?"


    "You''ll see shortly. J''onn out." He switched it off when the door opened and Izuku emerged with a travel bag.


    "You be good, honey." Inko said, hugging him tightly. "And remember to listen to what they say."


    "I will, Mom." Izuku hugged her back before stepping over to J''onn. "Ok, I''m ready."


    "Fair warning, first time teleportation can be a little disorientating. I recommend holding your breath during the shift."


    "Ok." Izuku took a few deep breaths in preparation, when they heard a voice they didn''t really expect or hope to encounter again that day.


    "DEKU! YOU SHIT LOSER!"


    "I thought he agreed to sit and wait for his parents." J''onn commented, seeing the aggressive blonde running towards the apartment building.


    Izuku signed. "When Katsuki gets himself riled up enough, he stops listening to anyone."


    "I see." He calmly hit a switch on his communicator, signaling for the teleportation system to lock on.


    "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT...!" With a massive blast, Bakugo launched himself at his green-haired victim, determined to punish him for daring to think he could become a hero. Unfortunately for him, both of them vanished in a plume of light, right as he swung at Izuku. "The hell-!?"


    *wham!*


    In his shock at losing his ''quarry'', he also forgot about his momentum, which carried him face-first into the wall.


    Chapter 2


    "Woo¡­" Izuku wobbled a little, having felt his very being phase through the fabric of reality. "That first step''s a...doozy¡­" When his senses settled, he found himself taking in the sight of a massive room. The glimmer of metal and electronics surrounding him, along with faint murmurs of chatter from people there. Everywhere he looked, he was greeted by the sight of uniformed people operating complex machinery and computers, robots toting around equipment and crates¡­


    But most of all were the League members themselves. People from nearly all walks of life, and like J''onn, even from other planets. Some were chatting with others, some were just passing through...a few flying through. Izuku almost had to remind himself to breathe; while he looked up to All Might, these guys weren''t just experienced heroes, there was a reason people called them ''Superheros''.


    "Izuku, welcome to the Watchtower." J''onn set a hand on his shoulder, looking amused at his awe-struck expression. "We''re currently in the central hub."


    "Unreal¡­" He managed to get out, looking out towards the huge window that gave a view of space and the stars beyond.


    "Izuku Midoriya?" A gruff, slightly deadpan voice spoke up, snapping out of his daze.


    "B-B-Batman!" Izuka looked ready to hyperventilate when he saw the Dark Knight heading his way. "Ohmanohmanohman! THE Batman is right in front of me!"


    "Hey, what''s all the excitement about?" A red blur zipped up, stopping beside Batman to show Flash giving them a quizzical look. "And who''s the kid? Bats, I thought you said we weren''t supposed to hold tours up here anymore!?"


    "And the Flash too!? You''re like number four in my top ten heroes!"


    "New recruit." Batman answered, looking to J''onn."Still have the notebook?"


    "Only four?" Flash sulked a little. "At least tell me I''m higher than Green Arrow-wait, what do you mean ''new recruit?"


    "Right here." J''onn handed it over.


    Izuku blinked. "My notebook? But...but Katsuki blew it up."


    "Luckily, he underestimated how durable those can be."


    "Speaking of which." The Caped Crusader held up said book, looking Izuku dead on. "Explanation. How did you find out?"


    Izuku gulped, thinking he''d possibly done his research a bit TOO well. It was no secret the man had being scary down to an artform. "Location and expenses!" He blurted out, panicking a little.


    "Come again?"


    "You''re based in-in Gotham, so that meant it had to be s-someone who lived there. The fact you don''t hesitate to use force on crooks indicates a lingering trauma that''s left a need to work out a measure of aggression, and then there''s your gear!"


    "What about it?" He asked, raising an eye behind his cowl.


    "Thank...think about it, the Batmobile, Batwing, even a high performance boat. Not to mention your suit and the tech you use. There''s no way the cost of all that wouldn''t have been noticeable in your tax statements without being able to personally afford it all. So that meant you''re either Bruce Wayne or you''ve worked for him directly, meaning him or his butler Alfred Pennyworth. The timing of the Robins appearing alongside Wayne''s ''adopted'' new wards narrows it down. Not to mention the fact that between the two of you, Alfred just doesn''t have the build to be Batman regularly, but it fits with the one time Batman and Bruce Wayne were both seen simultaneously."


    "So you''re saying the primary reason you''ve concluded that I''m Bruce Wayne is¡­"


    "Expenses, yeah." Izuku nodded. "I mean, the Batmobile''s gotta be in the millions range!"


    "It''s not that much¡­" Batman muttered quietly.


    "He''s got you there, B-man!" Flash cackled.


    "Heck, it''s like with how you and Mr. Kent-I mean Superman-"


    "Wait." Batman held a hand up to stop him. "Flash, contact Superman and tell him to get here, on the double." A slight grin appeared. "I want to see the look on that man''s face when he hears this."


    "Oh, that''s evil." Flash replied. "I love it!"


    As he sped off, J''onn held up a finger. "You know he was giggling like the Joker when he left, right?"


    3333333333333333


    When Flash said Batman wanted to see him, Clark had figured that it was something involving Luthor or another possible attack from Brainiac. Finding it was because of a fourteen-year old boy from Japan, however, wasn''t even on the list. Or the fact that said boy, after introductions were made, would have him do something he hadn''t done since he first learned he was from another planet¡­


    "...come again?" He asked, wiggling a finger in his fear, much to Flash and (since she heard J''onn''s ''joker'' comment) Wonder Woman''s amus.e.m.e.nt.


    Izuku rubbed his arm sheepishly. "Well, if you add up Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent becoming friends almost right after you and Batman resolved the ''conflict'' you two had, it makes sense. Also I digitally altered a couple of photos to swap glasses between them and compared facial features."


    "Wait¡­" He looked at Batman. "So it''s basically your fault he figured out my identity?"


    "Not a word." Batman muttered.


    "I''m just saying-"


    "Not you." He glared slightly at Flash.


    "Hey, not saying anything." He held his hands up placatingly. "Just grinning"


    "That doesn''t help."


    "Actually, Flash¡­" J''onn fought back a chuckle.


    The speedster paled a little. "You''re kidding me."


    Izuku started up in how he looked into reports regarding how Flash''s speed influenced weather patterns, except for the area located around Central City. "Well, I have to head back there real quick." He had to fight harder against laughing at the way Superman clapped a hand over the man''s mouth when he tried to make a distraction. "Promised Mrs. Midoriya I''d give her a way to talk with him while he''s up here."


    By the time he was out of earshot, Izuku could be heard moving to Green Lantern, and how he found him just from military records and finding his picture after hearing he''d had training prior to becoming a Lantern. ''Heh, I think he''s going to fit right in."


    333333333333


    It didn''t take him long to retrieve what he needed, after explaining to the technicians just why he was after a portable comm-system. A quick teleport found him at the entrance to the apartment building. Before he could enter though, a booming laugh reached his ears


    "I AM HERE!" All Might bellowed as he skidded around the corner, only to pause when he saw who was there. "...and you are NOT Young Midoriya! Awkward!"


    "Hello, All Might." J''onn greeted him, aware of how boisterous the Pro-Hero tended to be.


    "Um, h..hello, Martian Manhunter, what brings you here?" He asked, settling down quickly. All Might took a moment to phrase his next question in a peaceful fashion. While he disagreed with certain aspects of the Justice League, he didn''t have any major issues with them. "Say, um...you wouldn''t have happened to have seen a young boy by the name of Izuku Midoriya by any chance, would you?"


    "Yes, actually." J''onn replied. "He accepted an invitation to the Watchtower."


    The Symbol of Peace looked honestly surprised. "Really? Wow, bet he was excited. Heard that doesn''t happen often." The man let out a deep, but brief, chuckle. "You see, the thing is, I saw what he did during the villain attack, and was hoping to ask him to become my successor for One For All and -"


    "No."


    "...I-I''m sorry?" The blunt response caught his off guard, so he was at a significant loss for words.


    J''onn''s expression softened slightly. "Don''t get me wrong, it''s admirable that you think him worthy. However, as it is right now, his body cannot contain it. The sheer amount of power One For All would have passed on would tear him apart. And, in all honesty, you lack the teaching skills to properly guide him in controlling it. While you were able to handle it from the start, that doesn''t mean he will. Also, no offense, but you aren''t cut out to take on a Ward-like Sidekick."


    All Might winced slightly at that. The Martian Manhunter had a point; Toshinori had never really instructed someone on utilizing a Quirk, especially due to how quickly he took up his. Even Gran Torino had told him that. "Well, would you at least consider letting me offer it to him after he''s trained up a bit?"


    ''We''ll see how things go up on the Watchtower." He gave a small shrug. "Someone more skilled might take him under their wing first."


    "Oh...oh god, you''re throwing him at Batman, aren''t you?" All Might actually felt himself pale a tad at that. The Bat was considered a little on the scary side, even among Pro Heroes.


    "Someone with no powers, yet he''s studied all existing heroes to the point where he was nearly able to rescue his friend single-handedly in a plan developed mid-run? Who would you ask to bring out his potential?"


    He attempted to come up with a counter-argument, but failed."Just...don''t let him be Robin, okay?" He asked with a near pleading tone. "Midoriya''s got the spirit to be his own hero, not the latest in a sidekick succession. Besides, I''m afraid of what would happen if he were exposed to the likes of Joker, or any of the man''s personal rogue''s gallery."


    "I''ll see what I can do. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I need to give this to his mother." He held up the small case he was carrying. "One thing though; I''d strongly recommend easing up on the ''flexing''."


    "Flex...?"


    "While they look impressive, those big, excessive gestures you enjoy are putting a lot of strain on your wound."


    All Might froze, shock causing him to revert back to his skinny body. "M-my...h-how''d you...?" He sputtered, watching J''onn head in. ''How the hell did he know!?'' Unfortunately, that thought was cut off as he started hacking up blood again. ''Crap! And this is one of my good shirts!''


    "The Justice League routinely goes over Pro-Hero medical records among other things for possible members." J''onn''s voice rang out from inside the door. "You were under consideration for a good while...but it was eventually decided you did more good as the #1 Pro-Hero than as one more super strong League Member."


    All Might blinked, wiping his mouth. "League Member? ...you guys considered asking...me?"


    This time he heard the response in his head. ''Dedicated to the well being of civilians, giving little consideration to the glory beyond the good you can do with it, and even pushing yourself through continuous agony so others don''t lose hope? In character you''re an excellent fit for the League - if a bit more bombastic than the senior members sometimes like - and your powers would mesh well with several members. But, as I explained, we concluded you do more good where you are...which is why you''re our main contact when we have to work with or through Pro-Heroes.''


    He could only chuckle a little in response. "Wow."


    3333333333333333


    "Just turn this knob until you hear the click; that will activate the screen. Then just adjust the volume slide until you''re comfortable with it." J''onn finished explaining the comm-system to Inko once he setting it up for her.


    "Oh my¡­" She said weakly. "Almost afraid to touch it. Seems so fragile."


    "Trust me, Mrs. Midoriya, if you accidentally knocked it off the table, the floor would get the worst of it." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Cyborg designed these. He even had Superman, Supergirl, and Powergirl see how far they could skip them across the Pacific. Aquaman found them about seven and a half miles off the coast. Even called from one."


    "Oh...wow¡­" She gave the piece of tech a surprised look.


    "Just one thing. Depending on who he''ll be training with at a given moment, Izuku may be taken out to a spot for endurance training or just because they feel he could use some fresh air. You may not be able to catch him every time you call, but I tend to monitor the communications so I should able to let him know to call you back when he gets back on board."


    "Of course. Um...Mr. J''onzz?"


    "Hm?" If he''d had eyebrows, J''onn''s would''ve shot up his forehead when she hit him with a mother-style hug.


    "Thank you¡­for everything."


    Once she let go, he gave his good-byes and left, though he couldn''t ignore the spring in his step. ''Times like this make the job all that worth it.''


    33333333333333


    Izuku was still going strong when he returned, arriving just in time to hear ''And Miss Drake? You should probably look into getting a mask when you''re out as Black Canary.'' A look at the group showed a few more members had arrived, possibly to see why some of the senior members were huddled up so oddly.


    And nearly all of them looked amused, gobsmacked, or a combination thereof. Even Batman; despite his mask, some could tell he was both impressed and frustrated at how effectively the boy had sussed things out.


    "All right, if only for security matters, I vote he be made a full League member." Batman spoke up, using his no-nonsense tone to cut through the chatter.


    "Seconded." Superman didn''t miss a beat.


    Flash''s hand shot up. "Same! Also, anyone else a little freaked that a kid found all that out by himself?"


    Izuku froze. "Full member?"


    Flash just pointed at him. "You''re kinda scary, kiddo."


    Apparently that was enough to set off another bout of frantic mumbling, Superman managing to catch snippets. "Dear Rao, son, inhale!"


    ''So, how many more secret identities did he figure out just from being here and meeting the team?'' J''onn asked the Dark Knight telepathically while Wonder Woman took the initiative with a hug.


    ''All of them.'' Came the answer


    J''onn raised and eyebrow. ''Seriously?''


    ''And several security passwords. He''s already admitted that he''s guessed where the Batcave is by proxy of my identity...I suspect he''s also calculated the geographic locations for Themyscira AND the Fortress of Solitude.'' He gave J''onn a glare normally reserved for Flash when he heard the martian applauding in his head.


    ''And how many insisted you train him?


    ''All of them.'' Looking at Izuku, who was currently hanging limp in Wonder Woman''s arms, he noted she looked quite proud of herself. "His first lesson: how to keep his mouth shut."


    ''How well do you think that''ll turn out?''


    ''...I''ll let you know.''


    ''Look on the bright side, Bruce. You''re a lot more fun to be around when you have someone to train.''


    ''Shut up, J''onn.''


    Chapter 3


    Superman tilted his head a bit. "Batman?"


    "Hm?"


    "What is that?" He pointed at the thirty-foot high, hundred-foot by hundred-foot structure resting in the Watchtower''s atrium. One side had a small entrance, where Raven was calmly waiting.


    "A labyrinth I asked Dr. Fate and Zatana to help create for Midoriya''s physical evaluation. He has to work his way through the challenges on both floors to reach the escape hatch on top."


    "That doesn''t seem too bad."


    He pointed at a timer that was counting down. It just went under thirty seconds. "He''s also on a time limit. Two and a half minutes to clear as far as he can before Raven goes after him." He tapped a button on the console. "Raven, t-minus twenty seconds."


    "This should be interesting." There was a definite hint of mirth in the normally emotionless girl''s voice. "Never had an actual reason to chase a boy before."


    "O-kay¡­" Superman responded. "Dare I ask what kind of challenges you''ve concocted for him?"


    Instead of responding, Batman simply activated one of the screens. It revealed a dimly lit room where Izuku was in the middle of placing a trio of heavy-looking plates on a central post. "Looks like he''s almost finished the tower of hanoi room."


    Superman narrowed his eyes as he looked at the screen. "Fifteen, twenty-five, and thirty-five pound plates?"


    "Figured I''d start light." A beep told him the countdown was over and he signaled Raven to enter.


    "One, two, Raven''s coming for you." The girl chanted as she vanished into the maze.


    ''So, first impressions?"


    "Well, J''onn''s right about him having a lot of potential. Just means it''s going to need a lot of work to bring it out. And...as much as I hate admitting it, ten years of bullying has given him a considerable amount of endurance, as well as a relatively high pain tolerance¡­"


    "Tag, you lose."


    "YAAHHH!"


    They were cut off by a loud, terror-filled shriek over the commsystem, followed by a thud.


    "Raven, what happened?"


    "He passed out when I ''caught'' him." Raven responded. There was silence for a second before she spoke up again. "Twenty-five pound Hanayama puzzles? Really, Batman? Where''d you even get them?"


    He refused to answer.


    3333333333333333


    "I want in."


    Batman didn''t even bother looking at Green Arrow. "You want in¡­" He repeated, managing to make it a statement and question at the same time.


    "With training the new kid! Come on, Bats, I got nothing against metas, but these ''Pro-Hero'' jerks annoy me just as much as you. A nose tweaking''ll be good for them." Oliver moved to get in the Dark Knight''s field of view. "Just think of it as expanding his repertoire. He gets something for range, and you''re already gonna teach him how to hold his own when things get up close and personal." He gave a lighthearted scoff. "Hell, wouldn''t be surprised if you''re already picking out a few fighting styles."


    Batman didn''t respond for a moment, making Arrow think he wasn''t paying attention. "Savate des Rues and Muay Thai. They should fit him well with the proper physical conditioning"


    "Ok...Muay Thai I know, but Sav-wha?"


    "French Kickboxing. The original form uses knee and elbow strikes, throws, locks, and various takedowns. It should overlap well with Muay. Also considering teaching him tonfas to augment his strikes." He turned to his fellow vigilante. "You should know that you aren''t the only one interested in training him. I''ll primarily be working on his general combat and deduction cabilites." He glanced at a small list of names. "We''re going to have to work on a schedule."


    "So, that means I can take long range?"


    "Fine, but NO trick arrows until his aim is consistent."


    "Come on. He can see the flying-"


    Batman cut him off. "And that''s why it''s ''no''."


    "Ah, you''re no fun."


    3333333333333333333333333


    "WE HAVE REACHED THE TRAINING FACILITY" The droid intoned once it and Izuku made it to the room in question. "PLEASE WAIT AT A BENCH PRESS AND YOUR TRAINING PARTNER WILL BE ALONG SHORTLY"


    "Ok.." Dressed in the workout clothes he''d been given, Izuku responded hesitantly as he looked around. Like several of the other rooms, it had massive windows/shields that looked out into space. The equipment looked familiar, though a bit on the high-tech side, except for an area in the corner that had red lights, and the bizarre looking treadmill.


    Batman had told him that he''d be starting his training with a workout. Partly to get him started, and to gauge his physical limits.


    Picking a bench that looked comfortable, he laid back and got under the weight handle. Nothing was on it, so he just took a minute to get comfortable. "Ok, Izuku...just take a deep breath and relax...you''ve already passed out once when they made you a full Justice League member¡­" He briefly froze up at that. Him. Izuku Midoriya...the Deku...an official JL member! He still couldn''t decide if he should panic or let out a woop.


    "Don''t worry, you''ll get used to it!" A feminine voice chirped from somewhere near his head, followed by a head of blonde hair framing one of the cutest girl''s faces he''d ever seen. A pair soft-looking pink lips and bright blue eyes greeted him. "So you''re the new guy?"


    "*gulp* Y-yeah...I''m Mizuku Idoriyma-I mean Izuku M-Midoriya!" He sputtered, face turning bright red. "Su...Supergirl?"


    "Right in one!" Her smile widened. "Or since you''ve managed to guess our identities outside work, Kara Kent. Right now, though, you get to call me your spotter!"


    "Oh, ok¡­" He managed to get out, doing his best to not let his gaze drift to the skintight, curve-hugging leotard she had on.


    "First thing you oughta know is these barbell handles are a carbon nanotube construct with a sheet metal skin. They''re really light, but can hold some serious weight. This way we can make full use of the plates."


    "That makes sense. I heard it''s stronger than steel, on an ounce-to-ounce basis."


    "Now, since this is kinda my first time doing this, I''m gonna start you off slow." She picked up a couple of twenty-five pound weights and slid them onto the bar. "Just do a couple of reps and we can see how much more to add."


    "A-all right." Izuku focused on the bar as best he could, but being a teenage boy had its disadvantages.


    Especially when she leaned into his view. "Ready? Don''t worry, I keep near to catch it in case you lose your grip."


    "Ready¡­" He took a deep breath and lifted the weight off the rack. He didn''t see what she had put on it, but while he did feel some weight, the first two were relatively light.


    "Not bad, let''s put some more on."


    The next few minutes followed the same pattern; he''d perform a rep or two, and Kara would apply a little more weight each time. Gradually Izuku found himself having to put more effort into the lift. All the while trying to ignore the fact that her h.i.p.s and chest were less than two feet from him.


    She seemed satisfied when he was having to exert himself to make the rep. "That''s pretty good! You, sir, most indeed lift!" She laughed a little at herself before something caught her eye near his feet. "Oh...wow¡­"


    "What''s wrong?" Izuku asked. He got no answer, though he did see her cheeks were pinking a little. "Kara?" Wondering what had her attention, he looked down to see what was so interesting. The blood drained from his face when he saw.


    Standing proudly, was a tent in his shorts.


    Whether from embarrassment, or panic at the thought of popping a boner in front one of the JL''s female members (plus said member was the Man of Steel''s younger cousin), Izuku yelped and shot up to try and hide the problem. Unfortunately, while Kara held onto the barbell easily, he forgot it was in the path. While it was light, the handle was still pretty sturdy, and then his forehead collided with it, consciousness was on the losing side.


    333333333333333333


    When he came to, his head was pounding, and a set of bright lights forced him to squint.


    "He''s coming to." He heard Batman speak, causing him to try and blink away the brightness, and headache.


    "Wh...what hit me...?" He asked sleepily, seeing things slowly come into focus. He was now in a medical area, with Batman, Superman, Kara and J''onn standing by his bed. Superman and J''onn seemed a mix of amused and slightly exasperated at Kara, who was blushing hotly.


    Batman, however, looked contemplative. "I probably should''ve expected this."


    "You ok, Izuku?" Kara asked. "I never saw anyone react THAT strongly to being caught at attention."


    "Yeah, I mean, I was a teenage boy once too, so I know the feeling." Superman added. "It''s embarrassing, that much is true. But usually just turning around was enough."


    Izuku looked down at the bedsheet that had been put over him, thankful that it at least hid his still present humiliation.


    "Perhaps clearing the air would be prudent." J''onn offered. "Talking about your past friendly experiences would help." He then quietly sent the boy a telepathic message. ''It''s ok, Izuku. No one''s here to make fun of you.''


    He looked at the group, fiddling with the material. "Does...does my mom count?"


    "Wait¡­" Kara looked dumbfounded. "You''re saying you haven''t had any friends? What about a girlfriend?"


    His brief silence told them everything. "I...I used to be friends with a boy named Katsuki Bakugo...until we were four, and I was told I was ''Quirkless''."


    "Quirk...oh, he turned out to be one of THOSE types, didn''t he?" The disgust in her voice was evident.


    Izuku nodded. "Decided being friends with me was holding him back from his path to becoming a top hero...so he turned on me with the rest of my class."


    "The whole-didn''t the teachers do anything!?"


    "Most just pretended they didn''t see anything."


    "Are you kidding me!?" Kara cried out, calming down a little when Superman put a hand on her shoulder.


    "Unfortunately, that''s the standard in ''Quirk'' society." J''onn replied. "The few that are unpowered are seen as contemptible. Even some with ''Quirks'' that aren''t seen as useful in being ''pro-heros'' are seen with a bit of disdain."


    "So he was treated like a leper by everyone?" Kara and Superman looked ready to go hurt someone. J''onn had a visible glower on his face,and even Batman''s knuckles could be heard cracking as he tightened his fist..


    "My mom used to have a few friends who''d come over." Izuku continued. "But, she told them to never come back after they started offering ''condolences'' for having a quirkless boy"


    "Ok...you can tell on me later, Clark, but that. Is. Such. BULLSHIT!" Kara hollered. "Where do those people get off with stuff like that!?"


    "Arrogance and power trips has my vote." Batman replied. "That also means that Midoryia is going to require social training as well." He looked at the others. "How many female League members are in his age range?"


    Superman''s jaw was slackened considerably by the time they heard the man''s plan. "Let me get this straight. Your plan to deal with his inability to handle being around girls his age...is to surround him with superheroines in his age range...in swimsuits and the like?" He gave the man a look. "Bruce, did you try Tamaranian beer again?"


    "Better friends than enemies, Clark." He replied. "How many female villains have tried using s.e.x appeal against you? Or me? Even Flash and Lantern have had that happen."


    "...point. BUT, we go with volunteers only¡­"


    Kara''s hand shot up so fast, there was almost a small sonic boom. "I volunteer as tribute!"


    "WHAT!?" Izuku yelped, looking in alarm.


    "To help, I mean!" She smiled sheepishly.


    "I''m letting you explain that to my parents, Wayne." Clark muttered.


    The normally stoic hero winced enough to be visible. "Thanks a lot, Kent¡­"

 Chapter 272 - My SI Stash #72 - The Iron Gamer of Kumo by nclose9 (Naruto)

    -Let me know if you guys have more SI that isn''t set in Konoha! I really enjoy the world building in these kind of fics~


    Sypnosis: An OC finds himself plunged into the Naruto verse with gamer powers. Homesick and not knowing how much time he has there, he goes on to make his place in a new world, maybe have a little fun and probably grow a little more. Strong!OC, OC!Insert, Gamer!OC, Magnet-Release


    Rated: M


    Words: 81K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13341703/1/The-Iron-Gamer-of-Kumo (nclose9)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    I remember staring at that empty space, with that cream-colored background.


    ''Where am I?'' Was the first thing I asked myself. Trapped in a monochromatic endless space was a novel experience alright, but not being able to interact with anything, not even myself, was downright horrible. I remember assuming it was one of those lucid nightmare / night terrors I got every once in a while.


    Fear got a grip of me and cold sweat dripped down my back. A completely empty space. Void. I couldn''t see my hands, couldn''t hear anything, and I couldn''t move. All I could see was a freaking cream-colored infinity. Trying to run didn''t take me anywhere, trying to scream didn''t get me any answers.


    When you can''t wake up from a night terror, fear continues to fester your mind until you hyperventilate. You''ll believe you''ve woken up only to realize you''re still asleep, and the cycle will start again.


    But I learned a long time ago the golden rule to escape a night terror, it was rather simple: Calm down, relax and try to sleep. Yes, try to sleep while dreaming, Inception style. Only you don''t go to a deeper dream within a dream, you wake up.


    ''That''s all I have to do,'' I assured myself, ''go to sleep on this dream and you''ll wake up in your bed in the real world.''


    I closed my eyes and calmed my breathing. Five seconds in, five seconds out. ''Just¡­ wake up and take the goddamn pill.''


    That''s when it appeared, a light gray square floating in front of me with big black bold letters.


    "YOU ARE IN A COMA"


    ''...This is NOT a nightmare.''


    The thing about epileptic seizures is that they are not uncommon. Less than you might think, anyway. I''ll always remember the first on I had: I unexpectedly woke up on a hospital bed with a headache, my whole body felt strained and I was confused as hell. I didn''t even remember passing out in the first place. I was out for three days, doctors said.


    A freakishly expensive pill a day, no driving or drinking for six months, and a "beware of bright lights" was all I got from the rather surreal experience. And a small scar on the back of the head due to falling headfirst on the university''s stone floors. But life went on. That life, that is.


    Another funny thing about epileptic seizures: they can happen at night while sleeping. I do recall going to bed the night before all of this and¡­ that''s it, that''s the last thing I remember from before.


    So, that''s the only explanation I had, a night seizure plunging me into a coma. Is that too much of a stretch?


    Nevertheless, there I was staring at a freaking pop-up message floating on my range of vision. Was that what happened to all coma patients? A cream-colored emptiness with floating messages?


    ''Am I really in a coma? Can I believe the floating box?'' I wondered.


    ''Why am I not freaking out again?''


    A loud DING broke me from my musings and the floating text box changed to something I didn''t expect:


    Welcome to the game! You''ve been chosen to play while in a coma.


    ''Huh?'' I squinted my eyes and blinked rapidly. A game? I got "selected" to play a freaking game until I wake up? ''This doesn''t make any sense.''


    So here I am now. The grey text box still floating in front a cream-colored background, a soft ominous hum was emitting from the box.


    ''Does this game wants me to somehow click a Yes button?'' I sarcastically wondered.


    With nothing else to do, I clicked. Not clicking per se, there was no button at all, but somehow just wanting to accept the message made it change.


    Please input your game preferences and create an avatar.


    Please select world:


    [] Naruto


    ''Huh, Naruto?'' I wondered, ''I get to play a Naruto game?''


    ''I read the manga, watched the first part of the anime show, even the last movies,'' I thought, ''I was even reading some fanfiction on my daily commute.'' Why the hell not, right? It''s not like I had too many options anyway. Let''s accept the text box.''


    Choose a first name


    ''Hmmmm, a name?'' I mused, ''like, NoobMaster69 or a real name? Can I get a random one?''


    ''Kioshi'' was selected, meaning ''Silent''. Confirm?


    ''Yeah, well, why not,'' I snorted. Of course it would be a Japanese name, context and all.


    Then, things got a bit more interesting.


    Last name will be given according to later selections.


    Defaults settings have been implemented:


    Name: Kioshi


    Title: n/a


    Gender: Male


    Level 1 (0/100)


    HP: 40/40


    SP: 30/30


    Chakra: 150/150


    Chakra Control: 20%


    STR: 2


    DEX: 2


    VIT: 2


    INT: 7


    WIS: 7


    CHA: 7/10


    Points: 0


    Money: 0


    ''...Holy shit! An RPG?'' I exclaimed. I got to play a Naruto RPG game?


    ''Oh, I am SO going to play''


    Select your traits. You have 3 points to spend. More will be available as the game progresses and you level up.


    [] Civilian grown: The newbies. (0 points)


    As a civilian, you don''t have the same advantages as shinobi born.


    25% slower Chakra growth. Adds 1 trait point. Incompatible with Descendant or Clan traits.


    [] Taijutsu Oriented: The brick breakers. (1 point)


    Increases Taijutsu and bukijutsu experience gain by 10%. 5% faster DEX and STR growth.


    [] Ninjutsu Oriented: The chakra lovers. (1 point)


    Increases Jutsu experience gain by 10%. 5% faster Chakra growth.


    [] Genjutsu Oriented: The illusion and control lovers. (1 point)


    Increases Genjutsu experience gain by 10%. 5% faster INT growth and +5 to starting Chakra Control percentage.


    [] Medic Oriented: The "helping" hand. (1 point)


    Increases Medical Jutsu experience gain by 10%. +5% to starting Chakra Control and 5% faster Chakra Control growth.


    [] Fuinjutsu Oriented: The writing ones. (1 point)


    Increases Fuinjutsu experience gain by 10%. +10% experience gain to INT.


    [] Sarutobi Clan: The monkey like ones. (2 points)


    Great aptitude to bukijutsu and taijutsu, a battle-oriented clan.


    Increases Chakra Control by 5% at start. 10% faster Chakra Control, VIT and STR growth. Fire affinity imposed. Region Locked: Konohagakure.


    [] Aburame Clan: Insect loving ones. (2 points)


    Unique hidden jutsu list involving insects, a highly analytic clan.


    Access to hidden Aburame clan techniques. Symbiotic relationship with kikaichu imposed. 10% faster INT and WIS growth. Region Locked: Konohagakure.


    [] Hyuga Clan: The White-eyed ones. (2 points)


    Unique Dojutsu, a taijutsu oriented clan divided by inner turmoil.


    Access to Byakugan dojutsu and related taijutsu list. 15% faster DEX growth and 10% faster STR growth. Increases Chakra Control by 5% at start. Region Locked: Konohagakure. Caged Bird Seal imposed.


    [] Inuzuka Clan: The feral ones. (2 points)


    Unique canine companions, a hot-headed clan known for their tracking prowess.


    Access to special canine companion and related jutsu list. 10% faster DEX and STR growth. Improved hearing, sight and smell. Region Locked: Konohagakure.


    [] Nara Clan: The lazy ones. (2 points)


    An unmotivated but highly intelligent clan.


    Access to hidden jutsu list. 20% faster INT growth. Decreased SP gain by 20%. Region Locked: Konohagakure.


    [] Yamanaka Clan: The mind ones. (2 points)


    A clan of mind walkers.


    Access to hidden jutsu list. 10% faster INT and WIS growth. Region Locked: Konohagakure.


    [] Akimichi Clan: The big ones. (2 points)


    A clan possessing great physical strength.


    Access to hidden jutsu list. 15% faster STR growth and 10% faster VIT growth. Region Locked: Konohagakure.


    [] Uchiha Clan: The Red-eyed ones. (3 points)


    Unique Dojutsu, direct descendants of Hagoromo Otsutsuki and a proud clan of Fire users.


    Access to Sharingan dojutsu, 15% faster DEX growth, 10% faster Chakra Control growth. Imposed Curse of Hatred. Region Locked: Konohagakure.


    [] Uzumaki Descendant: The ones with the red hair. (3 points)


    Massive Chakra capacity and increased life force. Survivors are now scattered across the world.


    Increases Chakra by 100 points at start. 50% faster Chakra growth and 20% faster VIT growth. 100% faster Fuinjutsu experience gain. Access to chakra chains. -10 to Chakra Control percentage at start. 50% slower Chakra Control experience gain.


    [] Senju Descendant: The great ones. (3 points)


    Unique life force, direct descendants of Hagoromo Otsutsuki.


    Increases VIT by 10 points at start. 15% faster Chakra and VIT growth. 10% slower Chakra Control growth.


    [] Yuki Descendant: The cold ones. (3 points)


    Decimated during Kirigakure''s civil war, their descendants are now scattered.


    Nature transformation kekkei genkai Hyoton (Ice release) available, elemental affinity to Wind and Water imposed. 10% faster DEX and INT growth.


    [] Kaguya Descendant: The bone ones. (3 points)


    Decimated during Kirigakure''s civil war, their descendants are now scattered.


    Shikotsumyaku available. Increases VIT by 10 points at start. 15% faster DEX growth and 10% faster STR and VIT growth. You will be mentally unstable and prone to violence.


    [] Hozuki Descendant: The water ones. (2 points)


    Unique clan ability to turn their bodies into liquid state.


    Hydrification Technique available, which requires constant hydration. Water affinity imposed.


    [] Hoshigaki Descendant: The shark ones. (3 points)


    Unique shark-like appearance with an aptitude to water style jutsu.


    Underwater breathing ability. 15% faster STR and 10% faster VIT growth. +25% faster experience gain to water-related jutsu. Water affinity imposed.


    [] Boil Release: Stew them. (3 points)


    Access to Boil Release nature transformation kekkei genkai, Water and Fire affinities imposed.


    [] Explosion Release: Blast them. (3 points)


    Access to Explosion Release nature transformation kekkei genkai, Earth and Lighting affinities imposed. Region Locked: Iwagakure, to be trained as a member of Iwa''s explosion corps.


    [] Lava Release: Liquefy them. (3 points)


    Access to Lava Release nature transformation kekkei genkai. Fire and Earth affinities imposed. Sub selection of specific form.


    [] Magnet Release: Attract them. (3 points)


    Access to magnet release nature transformation kekkei genkai. Wind and Earth affinities imposed. Sub selection of specific form.


    [] Scorch Release: Heat them up. (3 points)


    Access to scorch release nature transformation kekkei genkai. Fire and Wind affinities imposed.


    [] Storm Release: Beam them up, Scotty. (3 points)


    Access to Storm release nature transformation kekkei genkai. Lightning and Water affinities imposed. Region Locked: Kumogakure.


    [] Wood Release: Up the trees. (3 points)


    Access to the cell infused version of the fabled Mokuton kekkei genkai. Water and Earth affinities imposed. Region Locked: Konohagakure.


    [] Dust Release: The disintegrating ones. (4 points)


    Access to Dust Release kekkei tota. Earth, Wind and Fire affinities and ''September'' by EW&F menu music imposed. Region locked: Iwagakure. Student of the Tsuchikage imposed.


    [] True Wood Release: Requires Senju Descendant Trait. Blocked in history mode.


    [] Jinchuriki: Blocked in history mode.


    [] Transmigrant: Blocked in history mode.


    ''Wow,'' I dumbfounded thought.


    There was a lot of information there, and a lot of conjectures could be made, too.


    Clans are region locked; Descendants are not.


    Timewise, it appears the timeline was post Kiri bloodline issues from the lack of clan affiliation of the Yuki or Kaguya families, but probably before the Uchiha clan massacre, as they are still considered a Clan. And since the last traits state "history mode", it was easy to assume the timeline is more or less in hand with the manga.


    I could take the Sharingan and try to build an Itachi type ninja, but I needed more points to also specialize in genjutsu. And being an Uchiha pre-massacre¡­ nope. It''s tempting, though.


    What about a Senju Descendant? It wasn''t stated as a clan so maybe I would be an illegitimate child of Tsunade maybe? Wood release was only available in an imperfect form, nevertheless, and I didn''t have the points to pick both.


    An Uzumaki? A Yuki? A Sarutobi? Other Konoha clans? Other kekkei genkai? Maybe a taijutsu master? ''Holy crap, I can be a Hoshigaki!''


    But my mind was already set when my gaze stopped at a particular kekkei genkai: Magnet release.


    ''I could be like the freaking Third Kazekage and have the freaking iron sand! Or the freaking gold dust!'' I thought, doing a little dance in my head.


    I had a simple picture in my mind. If I can''t make myself so extraordinary as the First Hokage with his senjutsu and Wood release or even an Itachi type ninja right from the beginning, I would try my own version in this game. A silent ninja who stuck to the shadows, not the talkative-pause-suspense duelist. I would get my big ass jutsu in time.


    Maybe later, when and if I got more trait points, I could diversify¡­ maybe then there will be new traits to unlock.


    I turned my thoughts to the floating screen and selected Magnet Release.


    Select specialization:


    [] Ferromagnetic - Iron Sand.


    [] Diamagnetic - Gold Dust.


    [] Diamagnetic ¨C Sand. Requires "Jinchuriki ¨C One Tail" status.


    Grinning, I chose the Iron Sand.


    Please select your country:


    [] Konohagakure


    [] Kumogakure


    [] Iwagakure


    [] Kirigakure


    [] Sunagakure


    [] Amegakure


    ''Oh, Ok. What to choose?'' This was a very important choice.


    Author''s note:


    As you might have noticed, the story is based on all the Gamer fics around. Specially The Gamer of Sunagakure by Zturn. I want it to be a Gray!OC but not dark or antagonistic.


    I had this story in my mind for quite a while and now that I''m out of work and haven''t found a new one, let''s try to finally write it.


    Chapter 2


    When I looked at my options, some were dismissed instantly.


    I wasn''t going to try Ame. One word: Pein, or maybe Hanzo. Did Hanzo die before or after the Sand-Sound invasion of Konoha?


    The bloody mist was neck deep in the bloodline related hate, so that was also a negative. That left the other 4 great nations.


    Suna¡­ it was the place where iron release was born, and the Yondaime Kazekage himself used the golden variant. But Orochimaru''s eyes over the village and the Yondaime''s assassination by his hand were not good omens to someone with a rare and locally famous kekkei-genkai. So, I discarded it quickly.


    And what about Konoha, where the story unfolds? Naruto, Kakashi, Sasuke, the Sandaime, Tsunade and Jiraiya! But then again, an iron release wielder in Konoha under the watchful eyes of Danzo and Orochimaru? I didn''t want to risk being hunted, kidnapped or experimented upon. ''I''ll be damned if someone tries to control me,'' but I didn''t want to discard Konoha that fast.


    ''I should try to hide my magnet release for as long as possible, to avoid Orochimaru''s interest¡­ or anyone like him''


    Iwa used to hire the Akatsuki, and naturally I wanted to avoid them until I was strong enough. Sasori also had the Third Kazekage''s body as a puppet and I wouldn''t appreciate sharing that fate, no sir. Besides, Orochimaru was part of the Akatsuki before Itachi ran him over. So, Iwa was dismissed.


    The choice was between Konoha and Kumo.


    ''Do I want to repeat so many cliches and start in Konoha, along all the known characters?'' I wondered, ''I might get to know Naruto and Sasuke, maybe even help them become those monsters they''ll eventually grow into.''


    All in all, I chose Kumo.


    It was the logical answer. Away from Akatsuki, Orochimaru and Danzo, yet a strong village even without most of the main characters of the manga. Kumo looked to be a place where I could learn a lot, away from the gaze of the world.


    If I recall correctly, Kumo had a magnet release user, a floating shuriken version. It wouldn''t be such a horrible thing If somehow my kekkei genkai went public. ''Nobody would believe Kumo stole a kekkei genkai or captured the Third Kazekage for breeding purposes, right?''


    I selected the second choice.


    You have selected Kumogakure, the village hidden in the clouds.


    Kumo is the hidden village of the Land of Lightning, the current Raikage is A, the Yondaime.


    You are now playing Story Mode.


    My head began to spin quickly until, suddenly, it stopped. I opened my eyes before picking myself from the floor. I was in a small house, Japanese styled from what I knew. Rubbing my eyes, there was one thing to do before exploring the house and this new life:


    ''So, is there a menu or something alike in this game?''


    Menu:


    Status


    Skills


    Inventory


    Quests


    Map


    Relations


    ''Let''s go in order... Status.''


    Character Status:


    Select an item to view additional information.


    Name: Kioshi Shirasu


    Title: n/a


    Age: 4


    Gender: Male


    Level 1 (0/100)


    HP: 40/40


    SP: 30/30


    Chakra: 150/150


    Chakra Control: 20%


    STR: 2


    DEX: 2


    VIT: 2


    INT: 7


    WIS: 7


    CHA: 7/10


    Points: 0


    Money: 0


    Well, I got a last name.


    ''Crap, I''m young,'' that was not going to be fun, but at least I would have a lot of time to train.


    I selected each item on the list.


    Title: Your title might be something you are famous for and might give you bonuses to skills, stats, etc. Currently available: n/a.


    Level is your character level. Each level up your mayor stats will increase by one point each and you will be awarded 2 stat points to assign freely.


    HP are your health points. When health reaches zero, you die.


    SP are your stamina points. When they reach zero, you''ll feel lightheaded and might faint because of exhaustion.


    Chakra is your chakra pool. Chakra points are used to cast ninjutsu and other skills. If you spend all your Chakra, you will faint because of chakra exhaustion. Chakra depends on your Intelligence, Wisdom and Vitality, and can be trained and augmented.


    Chakra Control indicates your overall control over your chakra. It''s measured in percentage, with 100% meaning perfect chakra control. Chakra Control depends on your Intelligence and Wisdom, and can be trained and augmented.


    STR is your Strength, it affects your melee and weapon damage. It can be trained.


    DEX is your Dexterity, it affects your aiming, dodging and general speed. It can be trained.


    VIT is your Vitality, it determines your SP and HP directly. It can be trained.


    INT is your Intelligence, your ability to resolve complex problems and learn complex jutsu. It can be trained.


    WIS is your Wisdom, your decision making ability and affects related skills. It can be trained.


    CHAR is your charisma, measured from 1 to 10. It''s a static value and can''t be changed by normal means.


    Points are the available points to allocate. They are obtained from leveling up or as certain quest rewards.


    Money is the amount of cash you currently possess in your person and inventory.


    (Level not high enough to access detailed information).


    ''Okay, I think I get it. Pretty standard RPG mechanics so far. I get points awarded each level up, I can train most of the stats. Are there observation skills and such?''


    ''Menu?''


    Menu:


    Status


    Skills


    Inventory


    Quests


    Map


    Relations


    ''Skills!''


    Skills


    Select an item to see additional information


    Perks:


    Gamer''s Body.


    Gamer''s Mind.


    Old Soul.


    Skills:


    Magnet Release (Iron Sand). Lvl 1.


    Observe. Lvl 1.


    Jutsu list:


    [This list is empty]


    ''Ok, let''s see each of those perks and skills''


    Perks:


    Gamer''s Body.


    - Allows you to feel your body as a gamer''s. Death upon reaching 0 HP, sleeping in a bed removes most negative status.


    Gamer''s Mind.


    - Grants immunity to mind control, mind reading and mental manipulation. Ensures peaceful state of mind and grants immunity to phycological status and effects.


    Old Soul: You have already lived a life, and some things are carried over.


    - Protects your knowledge from third party intrusion. Grants +5 to INT and WIS at start, +100 Chakra points at start. 10% Faster Chakra and Chakra control growth. 1% bonus to Chakra each level up. Birthmarks or other physical conditions might be present.


    Skills:


    Magnet Release (Iron Sand). Lvl 1.


    - The famed third kazekage''s version of the kekkei genkai. By controlling magnetic fields, ferromagnetic iron sands obey your commands. Control, sand amount and Chakra cost are level dependent.


    Observe. Lvl 1.


    - Observing what''s around you is a great way to obtain information. At higher levels, more information is revealed.


    As I was expecting, I got a gamer''s body and mind passive. Immunity to mind control jutsu and such was amazing, and that Old Soul perk looked nice too. ''But, what''s that about "some things are carried over"?''


    The Magnet Release skill was my overall kekkei genkai level. The jutsu list was empty so I had to come up with iron sand jutsu to start filling it up. I also wanted to level that observation skill as much as I could.


    ''Menu, Inventory'' I mentally commanded.


    Inventory:


    This is where you put things only you can access. There''s no weight limit, but you cannot stash over 100 items. Money can be kept in the inventory for safe keeping without using an inventory slot. Mental commands are used to store/access any number of items in any slot. Restricted to one type of item per slot.


    [Empty]


    Nice, I''ve got my own inventory! And it didn''t have weight limit, which made me happy.


    ''Menu, Quests.''


    Quests:


    Here is a list of currently active quests, categorized.


    [This list is empty]


    Pretty standard, ''Menu, Map.''


    Map:


    Local maps are shown in detail. Other maps are also accessible.


    [You haven''t acquired any maps.]


    Ok, another mission in the short term: Get a map. ''Menu, relations.''


    Relations:


    Each person you have some relation with is listed here. Only basic information is presented. You need a real relation with the subject for him/her to be listed.


    Denji Shirasu. Father, good relationship.


    Denji is a jonin from Kumo, expert in long distance lighting jutsu and shurikenjutsu.


    Chijaru Shirasu: Mother, deceased.


    Chijaru was a jonin from Kumo, expert in wind release jutsu.


    Sadako Hirano: Babysitter, very good relationship.


    Sadako is a student from Kumo''s ninja academy.


    ''Huh?'' According to that, my mother in this world was dead and I had a babysitter.


    ''Ok, enough of this menu.''


    Suddenly, I got the memories of my life here. I lived in Kumo with my father, my birth mother died two years ago from some sort of illness. He''s been struggling with my mother''s death and took up drinking. I''m mostly left alone at home, but Sadako comes twice a day to check on me.


    Our home was a typical Japanese styled little house. A wooden ceiling, white walls with wooden pillars and a tatami floor. At the center was a small table with four cushions. To the right, there was a small kitchen and to the left, a short corridor which led to two bedrooms and a bathroom. Some drawings hanged on the walls, and some rice paper with Japanese writing hanged over the entrance.


    ''Shit, I don''t know how to read!'' I could read and write in English and I learnt a little Spanish in school, but I didn''t know Japanese. I must have learned while growing here, no?...


    "Hello?"


    I spoke! In Japanese!


    "Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates."


    "You''ve been living in a dream world, Neo."


    "Let''s put a smile on that face."


    ''Hell yeah! I can speak Japanese!'' Well, mostly. It sounded somewhat miss-pronounced. Probably because I was four... were kids supposed to speak correctly at four?


    In that regard, my body was... small and sometimes non-respondent. I moved my fingers freely, but more meticulous movements needed a lot of concentration. My legs didn''t respond that well to simultaneous controlled movement, but it was okay, I could walk and run.


    Being four again after becoming an a.d.u.l.t once was bizarre.


    My musings were interrupted by the jingling of keys and the front door opening.


    "Kioshi, are you awake?" a sweet voice called.


    I recognized it as Sadako''s. She came to visit every weekday in the morning and in the afternoons after class to check on me, and whenever Dad was on a long term mission.


    "There you are!" she said with a cheerful smile, "come here you little chipmunk."


    She grabbed me by my armpits and spun me around a couple of times. Her golden hair was gorgeous, contrasting with her dark brown eyes and dark skin.


    "Did your dad leave you any snacks? Did he come at lunch time from village patrol? Did he remember to water the plants?" she asked in quick succession, "or do I have to nag him again?"


    I just looked with one eyebrow up. She spoke too much and too quickly.


    "Yes, no, maybe, I don''t know?" I responded.


    "You... you spoke?"


    I was awarded with big brown eyes opened like saucers.


    "You spoke!"


    And I was again spun around the living room.


    "Aww honey, I knew you could speak! They were afraid you just couldn''t, but I told them you were a smart little cookie and you would speak eventually," she happily continued, "you are such a handsome little man, oh I''ll make you a snack!"


    So, I didn''t speak before?


    Her happy skipping to the kitchen was a perfect opportunity to try the observing skill.


    ''Observe''


    Name: Sadako Hirano.


    Title: Academy student.


    Level: 12


    Age: 11


    Sadako is a student from Kumo''s ninja academy


    Relationship level: Very Good.


    That wasn''t a lot of information. Level 12 and an academy student, was that a standard?


    After the snack and more trying to make me talk while squishing my cheeks, Sadako went home. I practiced the observe skill on everything I could see; cushions, tables, forks, doors, beds, kitchen utensils, and a long etc. Basically, everything could be observed, and details were also dependent on the object. Knifes and forks had a damage stat, doors or cushions didn''t.


    The good news was that the skill leveled. A small gray icon started flashing in the lower right of my vision, focusing on it showed me a new window:


    Observe increased by one.


    Observe. Lvl 2 (26%)


    - Observing what''s around you is a great way to obtain information. At higher levels, more information is revealed.


    The bad news was that it still didn''t show any additional information.


    From what I can remember about this world, all afternoons were like this, boring and silent, killing time by doodling or sleeping. Mornings were no different. Dad would leave to work and Sadako would come to check on me in the mornings before academy and afternoons after it. Dad would leave a small lunch of rice and other stuff on the table for me to eat, if he remembered, with chopsticks on the side which I couldn''t use very well yet.


    Why would dad leave a small child like me alone for most of the day? And why wasn''t Sadako fazed by that, anyway? It seemed to be a common practice among shinobi parents, from what she spoke. Maybe to encourage self-awareness or some bullshit like that, or because they were lazy as hell and it was such an ingrained habit that nobody really questioned it.


    Nevertheless, I needed a mirror. I wanted to see my face!


    Rummaging through one of my dad''s bedside table I found a small makeup mirror. Judging by the old and dried lipstick next to it, it was my mother''s. I''m too small to see myself in the bathroom mirror, so this was all I have.


    ''What is wrong with my eyes?'' One had a dark yellow iris while the left one was dark green. My father has green eyes and my mother had blue, so the weird one was the yellow eye. ''Heterochromia,'' I remembered, was the name of the condition. Was this because of the Old Soul perk?


    I also had charcoal black hair, that grayish black color. Not long, but not short, a little spiky and with a bang falling down my right eye. My skin was... skin colored. Normal. Not the darker color common in Kumo, but not pale. And my face was just the typical face of a small kid, maybe a little skinny.


    That was me, a skinny kid with mismatched eyes and black-gray hair.


    After walking around the house, I sat down to think about what to do before dad arrived. I was four years old, I was in Kumogakure, in the freaking Naruto universe. I was going to train and learn as much as I could.


    ''So, I need a plan'' I thought, looking for some paper and ink until I suddenly stopped.


    ''I can''t read or write, can I?''


    No, I couldn''t read nor write Japanese. So first thing first: figure out how to read.


    Quest Created:


    A Reading Rainbow


    Learn to read Japanese.


    Rewards:


    50 Exp, a random simple scroll.


    Accept?


    "Hell yeah, my first quest!" I exclaimed. I would need to wait for dad to teach how to read and maybe ask Sadako for help. ''Accept.'' I couldn''t think of anything to do at the moment to progress that quest.


    So, next on the list: Chakra! Could I feel it? Did I need to unlock it? ''Should I force it to my hands and try forming a Rasengan like Naruto''s?''


    The last hours before dad''s arrival were wasted trying to feel my Chakra. I didn''t accomplish anything, not even a blueish hue formed in my hand. I tried screaming, relaxing, flexing my wrist, holding my breath... but, nothing.


    I was sprawled on the floor, angry and frustrated when dad came home.


    "Hello," he said. Dad waltzed into the house with a stern expression, ruffled my hair and went into the kitchen. The sound of a bottle of beer being opened echoed around the house.


    After a couple of seconds, I replied.


    "Hello dad, how was your day?"


    A pause later, his head was peeking out the kitchen door, one brow raised.


    "Kioshi, you spoke" he half said half murmured. He took a long breath, calmly walked to me and ruffled my hair again. "About time, son," he added seriously, then chugging his beer and returning to the kitchen.


    From what I remember, that was the biggest reaction I''ve got from dad in this life. I knew his routine, he would chug a couple of beers, read the newspaper in silence, cook a simple dinner for both, clean the kitchen and, finally, he would lock himself in his bedroom with a bottle of liquor. Some nights, I could hear him crying.


    "Dad," I followed him into the kitchen, "could you teach me how to read?"


    He staggered.


    "Sure son, I''ll buy some books about reading tomorrow," he responded over his shoulder.


    "Dad, what is chakra?"


    He staggered again, but this time, a small smirk was present. A reminiscent expression on his face, he looked at my eyes.


    "I suppose it was expected," he answered slowly, "... for you to ask about chakra. Well, your mother and I, we are ninjas. We were nin-"


    A pause and a pained face later, he continued.


    "Yes, after dinner I''ll teach you about chakra. Now go wash up."


    I didn''t tell him I still can''t reach the bathroom sink or that the little stool broke weeks ago. I sat in a cushion at the table, waiting for him.


    "So, chakra," dad said putting a plate of rice and pork and some instant miso soup in front of me, "chakra is your life force, its usage differentiates us from civilians and is what we use to protect the village."


    He sat down in front of me with his own plate.


    "Everyone''s chakra is the same, but, at the same time, it has some aspects unique to each individual," drinking his soup in one big gulp he finished, "oh, and chakra can be made denser, lighter, faster, etc. depending on the jutsu."


    "Where''s my chakra?" I asked.


    "Well, if you meditate enough, you''ll feel it in your gut."


    He stood up and went to his bedroom without finishing his meal, a half-filled bottle of booze in hand.


    Dad has taken up drinking as a way to deal with my mother''s death, drinking himself to stupor just to sleep. Some days he doesn''t return home until past midnight, smelling of booze and cheap perfume. He usually wobbles around looking for his bed, but most of the times he plops on the couch.


    It looked like I was a neglected kid, but I couldn''t blame dad about it.


    I didn''t know when I''ll wake up from the coma or if time passed as in the real world, but the same question kept nagging around in my head all day: how much time do I have?


    Chapter 3


    I realized I didn''t need to sleep, but I certainly could. I fell asleep around 2 am while trying to meditate, with my head full of loss and remorse, and woke up at about 6 am, just in time to bump into dad.


    For the first time in a long time, he said "I love you" when leaving to his city patrols. He didn''t look much hangover nor drunk. He didn''t leave me breakfast, though.


    Sadako came only for a few minutes as she was late for school, but I was able to ask her for a book to learn how to read. With her beautiful smile, she agreed on looking for one in the library before dropping here on the afternoon.


    Sitting alone on the dining room cushions, I started my meditation, again trying to get a feel of my chakra.


    ''Five seconds in, hold it for three more, release your breath in seven seconds, then repeat.'' I tensed every muscle before releasing them, from my toes to my head, focusing on the sound of my breathing.


    Ever so slowly, I fell to the deepest part of my mind, ignoring all my senses in the way, my closed eyes dancing to non-existent music. I focused on my center, trying to find anything unusual.


    There it was, a soft hum like an opera song, discretely frolicking inside me. I joined its rhythm and let it roam around my body. It felt vast, endless and somehow happy; like a wave, it crashed against my skin.


    I opened my eyes slowly, determined to keep my chakra in my grasp. I directed it to my hands, feet, shoulders, back, to my head, to my eyes and around my skin. There was no blue glow nor any external indication, but it was there.


    It was astounding! I felt tranquil and at the same time exhilarating and eager. Chakra felt wonderful, it made me feel delighted, vigorous and connected with my body.


    Ding!


    A small icon on the lower right of my vision range pulsated, selecting it opened a new window.


    Quest Completed!


    Everything we need is within us.


    Unlock your Chakra.


    Rewards:


    +50 Exp, +1 WIS.


    I got a point to WIS, increasing it to 8.


    ''Menu, Status''


    Character Status:


    Select an item to view additional information.


    Name: Kioshi Shirasu


    Title: n/a


    Age: 4


    Gender: Male


    Level 1 (50/100)


    HP: 40/40


    SP: 30/30


    Chakra: 156/156


    Chakra Control: 21%


    STR: 2


    DEX: 2


    VIT: 2


    INT: 7


    WIS: 8


    CHA: 7/10


    Points: 0


    Money: 0


    Huh? My Chakra and Chakra Control went up because of the one point increase in WIS?


    Chakra Control indicates your overall control over your chakra. It''s measured in percentage, with 100% meaning perfect chakra control. Chakra Control depends on your Intelligence and Wisdom, and can be trained and augmented.


    Yes, it did, ''I''ll get to 100% in no time!''


    The small icon at the right continued to pulsate.


    Skill Created:


    Meditation. Lvl 1. (1%)


    - Achieving a mental state of self-awareness and emotional serenity.


    Increases HP, SP and Chakra regeneration by 50%.


    There wasn''t much else to do at home apart from chakra related training, so I planned my next actions.


    I can''t -or shouldn''t- train my body too much yet, or it could stunt my growth. My training should focus on skills and mental aptitudes, I should read and play mental games; however, I can''t read yet.


    From what I remembered about the manga, chakra capacity could be increased by depleting your reserves, waiting for them to fill up and repeat. Namely the ''spam-jutsu-until-you-pass-out'' method.


    Chakra Control, on the other hand, was trained with the renowned leaf concentration exercise, the tree climbing exercise and the water walking exercise.


    All things considered, I decided to focus on Chakra Control as the old soul perk already gave me 2/3 of my total chakra capacity and improved its growth. It was safe to assume I had a lot of chakra for a four years old kid.


    A semi-dry potted plant in the kitchen gave me a leaf, so I began.


    ''Concentrate chakra on your forehead,'' I repeated to myself, ''focus!''


    After several attempts, the leaf stuck.


    "Oh yeah!"


    Ding!


    Skill Created:


    Leaf Concentration Exercise. Lvl 0. (1%)


    - A staple of shinobi training.


    Increases Chakra control percentage by [Lvl] percent; number of leaves to hold: 1.


    Cost: 8 Chakra Points per minute.


    ''Nice!''


    Given my 150 Chakra points, I should be able to hold the leaf for a little less than 20 minutes.


    ''Well then, no time like the present.''


    Keeping a close eye on my Chakra, I stuck the leaf to my forehead and three and a half minutes later, I was panting, feeling a mixture of hunger, weakness and tiredness. My chakra went down to 3 points before I cut the flow to my forehead.


    ''Holy cow, this feels horrible.''


    I forgot to consider my Chakra Control, those 8 points per minute were really about 40.


    ''At least I''ll now know my Chakra regeneration rate.''


    I had to wait about 10 minutes before seeing my Chakra go up to 12 points, and about an hour until it reached 60. According to the Meditation skill, regeneration was increased by 50% while meditating, so that was something.


    Going into a meditative state, I kept an eye in my chakra. This time, my chakra increased by more or less 14 points at the 10 minutes mark. Hence, it will take me approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes of rest for my chakra to fill up, and one hour less if I was to meditate continuously.


    I had to see if it was possible now to meditate without falling asleep.


    It wasn''t possible, I fell asleep over the table and woke up after lunch. Maybe I was relaxing my body too much. Anyhow, at least my chakra was full again.


    I stuck the leaf to my forehead and repeated the process. Three minutes and something later, I was panting again.


    I meditated again for about 10 minutes when I remembered to have lunch. Did I really need to eat or did the gamer''s body take care of that? Did I feel hunger?


    The fridge only had old take away food, some moldy rice and about thirty medium bottles of beer. I got a small sachet of miso paste and had a cup of cold soup. I''m too short to turn on the stove yet.


    I decided then to train my observation skills while waiting for my chakra to fill up, though I really wanted something new to observe.


    The house wasn''t big. We didn''t have a back yard, but we had a small front yard with some plants. The only problem was that the entrance door was always locked. ''I''ll lose my mind if I stay here, I''ll need to get a copy of the keys soon.''


    Dragging the dinner table to the window, I peeked my head. The sun was shining bright outside, but it was a rather chilly afternoon. I loved it.


    Ours was a narrow street, crammed with small houses from what I could see. We appeared to be in a small valley between some stony mountains. In the background, you could see the peaks of the highest mountains, some of them covered by snow, some had round buildings attached and, one in particular, had a big blue one. The Raikage tower.


    An old lady strolled in front of my house. ''Observe.''


    Name: Masami Ibuka.


    Title: n/a.


    Level: 5


    Age: 71


    Masami is an old Civilian.


    Relationship level: Neutral.


    ''So, that''s the level of an old civilian.''


    People kept walking in front of my window and I even spotted a chunin running on the roofs, but my observation level might have been too low to discern anything useful.


    Name: Motoichi Onoe.


    Title: ?


    Level: ?


    Age: 18


    Motoichi is a Kumo chunin.


    Relationship level: Neutral.


    After 3 hours of observing people -and a notably fat cat- from my window, the skill increased 4 levels:


    Observe increased by four.


    Observe. Lvl 6. (28%)


    - Observing what''s around you is a great way to obtain information. At higher levels, more information is revealed.


    Now that my chakra was back to full, it was time to stick a leaf to my forehead and try to meditate again.


    If meditating for more than 20 minutes was hard, doing so with chakra depletion was horrible.


    That afternoon dad came home early, went straight to the kitchen and left the house with three bottles of beer in his hands. He didn''t say hello when he woke me up with the sound of his footsteps.


    Sadako did show up later.


    "Hey chipmunk!" she shouted, "I got what you asked!"


    ''Holy crap, this girl is loud as hell.''


    "Hello," I responded, "how was the academy?"


    She pinched my cheeks, hard.


    "Nice sunny day, boring teachers, nice lunch. That bitch of a genjutsu instructor made us hold a leaf to our foreheads -not everyone can, mind you- supposedly to improve our illusions and then-"


    I blocked the next minute or so of her rambling about girl stuff... you know, what that other girl said, what that other boy thinks of the other girl. It was just too much.


    Academy students were learning the leaf sticking exercise at age 11, which gave me a comparison point.


    Finishing her rambling, Sadako took a regular looking book out of her backpack and handed it to me.


    "This is the book I got from mom. I used it last year to teach my little sister," she said, "and I believe it will help you. She was older than you then, but we both know you are a smart cookie"


    She brought her face inches away from mine and poked my nose, "I can see it in your eyes!"


    The book cover had a lot of colors and drawings.


    "It goes through vocalizations, sounds, people, basic verbs, different types of writing, the whole thing! It''s actually quite thorough."


    I looked at her.


    "Sorry, chipmunk! I can''t really help you, you''ll have to ask your dad, I train with my mom after checking up on you and I can''t miss it."


    I smiled, genuinely. This little girl was sweet. Loud and boisterous, yes, but sweet as honey spread over muffins. Anyhow, I''m not asking dad anything.


    "Now I''m gonna make snacks and some tea!" she exclaimed skipping to the kitchen.


    She talked a lot about simple things before leaving.


    The first part of the book was mostly a collection of pictures regarding animals and actions next to their corresponding symbols and then went on different types of writing, vocalizations, and so on. After I finished reading it, my mind was abruptly filled with information, and, out of the blue, I was able to read and write Japanese.


    Ding!


    Quest Completed!


    A reading rainbow.


    Learn how to read.


    Rewards:


    +50 Exp, one random scroll


    Small scroll placed in inventory


    "Wow, I feel dizzy."


    The rewarded scroll was in fact a jutsu, the "Rope Escape Jutsu ¨C E rank." I selected it and the scroll disappeared from the inventory..


    Ding!


    Learn jutsu?


    ''Yes.''


    Again, my mind was stuffed with information, and the small icon to the right flashed.


    Ding!


    Rope Escape Jutsu Learned!


    Rope Escape Jutsu. Lvl Max.


    E rank


    - A jutsu to escape bindings.


    50% chance of escaping simple bindings.


    Cost: 10 Chakra Points per try.


    Ding!


    You leveled up!


    Character Status:


    Select an item to view additional information.


    Name: Kioshi Shirasu


    Title: n/a


    Age: 4


    Gender: Male


    Level 2 (0/200)


    HP: 50/50


    SP: 40/40


    Chakra: 166/166


    Chakra Control: 21%


    STR: 3


    DEX: 3


    VIT: 3


    INT: 8


    WIS: 9


    CHA: 7/10


    Points: 2


    Money: 0


    ''Hell yeah!'' I exclaimed looking at my new stats, a reward system like that really gets you motivated to go on. Also, from my perspective, the most logical decision was to save those extra points for when I had more information about the whole stats system.


    Now that I knew how to read, I could finally start devouring my parent''s books. One big bookshelf adorned the wall of the dining room, whilst a second one was in my dad''s room. ''Some of those books must contain shinobi information.''


    The routine was simple, I would perform the leaf sticking exercise, then meditate until I felt sleepy, and then read a book waiting for my chakra reserves to recover. In time, it would increase my observation and meditation skills and give me more time with the latter before falling asleep.


    I took the leaf and some books, mostly on ninja regulations and history, and went to my room.


    I had plans for tomorrow. I was going to get out of this house.


    Xxx


    Morning came with me sitting on my futon reading the core rules of Kumo shinobi It was a bunch on comments about honor, protection and duty. Honor! For Shinobi! ''Bunch of hypocrites the lot of them.''


    The leaf sticking exercise was progressing slowly; it was sitting at 68% before gaining a level, only 32% more to go! My meditation skill went up a level, now increasing regeneration rates by 51%.


    Dad arrived at some point around midnight, made a bunch of noise and went to his room. He left when the sun came out in full ninja gear, his white jonin vest strapped tightly and his leg pouches full of kunai, a harsh stare on his eyes.


    Sadako came to check on me and made me a small breakfast. She rushed to the academy, a worried expression on her face. She also had a full pouch strapped to her right leg.


    ''Something is definitely happening.''


    I went to my dad''s room after breakfast and found an extra key chain in my mother''s bedside table. It was time to get out of this house and explore the neighborhood.


    I took my black coat, which was short and a little tight on the chest, and went out into the street. The cold air kissed with my cheeks; the morning sunlight still cast orange lights on the roofs of the houses. Without thinking too much, I started walking west.


    The houses in the neighborhood were all similar, with only slight differences. They all had a small garden in front, in different conditions and one had a second floor improvisedly built.


    Already past morning rush hour, the street was fairly clear. Some people -civilians- rushed to their destination while others seemed to be enjoying a morning walk; a mother with her baby wrapped in blankets and some elderly people strolled down the road.


    Almost at the end of the street, a local shop boasted the food it offered. Taiyaki, said the sign: fish-shaped bread with different sweet flavors. If I had any money on me, I would have tried one. Two noticeably pregnant women were sitting, whispering between them. The owner must have seen me, as he simply questioned me with an eye smile.


    "Hey boy, are you new here? I haven''t seen you before."


    I smiled "Good morning."


    "Where''s your mother?"


    I just shrugged.


    "Do you live here or are you lost?" He asked more worriedly.


    "I live five houses back," I pointed with my hand to my house.


    Nodding and smiling, he went grabbed something under the counter and handed me a small brown paper bag.


    "The first try is free! When you want any type of tea, come around too. The best in the area."


    I gave him a big smile.


    "No go back home boy, is too early in the morning to be walking outside on your own."


    "Thank you, sir."


    On my way back home, I saw an old man sitting on a small chair at the front garden of a house. Our eyes met and he greeted me with his hand, smiling serenely.


    ''Observe.''


    Name: Yataro Sada.


    Title: ?


    Level: ?


    Age: 72


    Yataro is a former ninja.


    Relationship level: Good.


    ''A former ninja?''


    He looked like a regular old man yet held observant eyes and an inquisitive look. He was lounging in his chair reading a very thick book, a pipe lying on a small table next to him. He was wearing a gray flannel jacket and black pants, a blue scarf around his neck.


    I approached him cautiously.


    "Are you Kioshi?"


    I looked at him surprised.


    "I knew your mother; she was a loving albeit solemn person. I''m sorry for your loss," he continued.


    My gaze was fixed to the ground, I never knew how to react to this kind of thing. I didn''t know this mother enough to have any kind of feelings for her.


    "I''m sorry about your father too," he said, staring at me sternly, "if you''re ever hungry, you can always knock on my door. I''m a superb cook, I must say."


    It was obvious, wasn''t it?


    After giving him a appreciative nod, I sat on the grass beside him and opened the paper bag. Inside, there were two taiyaki. I passed one to the old man, I could feel he was a kind soul.


    We ate wordlessly. The taiyaki was something odd, but enjoyable. It was stuffed with some sweet paste that I couldn''t recognize.


    When he finished, he lit his pipe with a snap of his fingers. He caught me staring.


    "I am -no, I was- a shinobi." he corrected himself, "I may be far from my prime, but I can still do simple stuff."


    He was interrupted by a ninja running over the roofs in the direction of the Raikage''s tower.


    "Do you know what has been going on?" I asked, "people have been acting... strange."


    He looked at me contemplatively sucking the smoke from his pipe.


    "Apparently, our peace envoy to Konoha was killed by a Hyuga a few nights ago. The Raikage will demand compensation for it, and until that happens, the village is on alert in case of conflict."


    ''The Hyuga affair!''


    There was no doubt, Hinata, the heiress of the Hyuga clan in Konoha, had been kidnapped. The culprit, a Kumo ninja posing as a peace envoy, was caught and killed by Hinata''s father. The Raikage was going to deny any accusation and demand compensations for the murder of one of his envoys.


    The compensation: the body of Hiashi Hyuga, Hinata''s father and head of the clan, and, thus, Kumo would have his hands on the precious Byakugan, the all-seeing eye, the dojutsu of the Hyuga.


    Konoha, however, would send them a surprise. Hiashi''s twin brother, Hizashi, would sacrifice himself in his brother''s place. Since Hizashi was not a member of the clan''s main family, his cursed seal would, well, seal the byakugan. The clan''s head and their dojutsu would be safe and Kumo, humiliated.


    This event further clarified where the hell I was timeline wise.


    Hinata was three years old, I think, when Kumo attempted to kidnap her. The Kyubi then had already been released from Kushina and Naruto was his new jinchuriki. The Uchiha clan was not yet killed by Itachi, although there was little time left for that to happen. I would believe about two more years. This also meant I was about a year older than Naruto''s generation.


    I would have to enter the academy as soon as possible; I need to get strong quick. If I want to survive this cl.u.s.terf.u.c.k called Naruto, I''ll have to be a beast, a monster. I need to plan all the way up to the fourth shinobi war.


    Ding!


    Quest Created:


    Dust away the cobwebs of your mind.


    Get accepted into the Shinobi Academy.


    Rewards:


    300 Exp, scrolls.


    Accept?


    ''Accept.''


    I still wanted to keep my magnet release a secret, it would be a huge target over my head for my age. In fact, I still had to unlock the kekkei genkai altogether.


    ''But first things first,'' I thought holding the leaf to my forehead back at my room, ''concentrate and meditate.''


    Author''s note:


    I finished the gross outline of this story, it''s looking great, especially when Kioshi goes gray. He''s still perplexed by the situation, taking everything one day at a time, but starting to plan ahead.


    Next chapter: The long way to school.


    Tried to make this chapter a little longer. I''m still playing with the pace of the writing; I don''t want it to be a quick scan story nor I want to make it too dense and be boring.


    Man, editing fiction in english is hard! Preposition usage is horrible. I miss scientific writing.


    Any corrections or grammatical errors or tips you have, I''ll be happy to hear/read them.


    Thank you all for your comments and suggestions!

 Chapter 273 - My CO Stash #73 - Something Wicked This Way Comes by VereorFaux (Re:ZeroXCodeGeass)

    -After 3 years of inactivity it''s finally back~ I remember rereading this 5Head Lelouch-isekai but always in disappointment as the latest update was from freakin 2017! Thankfully, I had it favorited... You really just have to be patient with these fics! \(¡ï¦Ø¡ï)/


    Sypnosis: Lelouch thought his life over as the sword stabbed him. Instead, he woke up in a different world without his people, his power, and his money. Turning to the magic of this world to achieve his goals, Lelouch begins a crusade when the people he left behind are threatened. Even if it meant dying over and over again to achieve his goals.


    Rated: T


    Words: 116K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12016978/21/Something-Wicked-This-Way-Comes (VereorFaux)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    AN: I wanted Re:Zero fics. There were no Re:Zero fics. I wrote a Re:Zero fic.


    The warmth of his sister''s hand was the last thing Lelouch felt before he fell into eternal slumber. The one who destroys and creates worlds anew died, rejecting the gods, rejecting his parents.


    Whatever awaited him in the end, after the end, he would accept it, knowing that he took all the sins of his empire with him into an early grave. Seconds after he closed his eyes, he was blinded.


    Bright light flew through lidded eyes, making him grimace as all feeling returned to his body. Pressing his eyes shut, Lelouch lifted a hand, holding it over his eyes as he tried to get used to the sudden brightness.


    "Oi," he heard someone speak. "You having a heat stroke? I can''t have anyone dying in front of my shop."


    Lelouch''s eyebrows furrowed at the voice. The accent was without a doubt British, but there was something strange about it. When he finally opened his eyes, Lelouch looked to his left, where the voice came from.


    A man with green hair and a strange three-spike goatee stood there, most of his hair hidden behind a black bandana. The way he was dressed, however, with an open vest and no shirt under it, reminded him of the peculiar shopkeepers in the middle eastern Bazaars he read about in history lessons.


    "Fancy clothes there, though they might be a bit too much for a summer day," the man said. Lelouch didn''t say anything, his tongue lying heavy in his mouth. Had he failed? Was he alive for some reason unknown? Had C.C. done something? The thoughts raced through his head, and left him confused.


    Lelouch was not used to confusion. Shock, perhaps. Being surprised was something nobody could get rid off. Anger, he knew well, but confusion was not a feeling he wanted to get used to.


    Finally done with contemplating, Lelouch moved.


    "I apologize," he said, looking down at his clothes. Unmarred, completely fine, and without a drop of blood on them. Turning around, he used one arm to raise up and slowly stood, brushing off dirt and dust from his white robes. "Thank you for your concern, sir."


    "Ahh, it''s alright," the man said, grinning. "You seem like a polite kid. Name''s Kadomon."


    Lelouch took the slow ascension to his feet to look around. He would not stand for confusion, and instead would work towards surprise and understanding instead. A quick look around, to the chattering masses around them, revealed quite the sight to him.


    If the strange beast drawing a carriage hadn''t been enough, the fact that a man with cat ears stood near a woman that had two horns sprouting out of the sides of her head told him a lot.


    "I am Lelouch," he introduced himself. "I suppose the heat was too much for me. I cannot remember where I ended up, I''m afraid. Could you answer some of my questions?"


    The last sentence came out a bit forcefully, and swiped his eyes in an attempt to remove the contact lenses in them and activate his Geass.


    It didn''t work. He had no contact lenses stuck in his eyes, despite the strange pressure he felt on them, and the Geass in his eye did not flare up. Wiping any shock from his face quickly, Lelouch just smiled.


    Kadomon blinked before crossing his arms, a small scowl washing over his face. It looked like he was thinking rather than actually scowling, an expression he was familiar with from working with people like Milly.


    "Might want to get yourself checked by a water mage if it''s that bad," Kadomon said. "We''re in Lugnica, the Dragon Kingdom."


    Lelouch tried not to twitch. There it was. Surprise. He thought he had crashed somewhere that was ''liberated'' by Britannia years ago, which could''ve explained the accent. The strange cat ears and horns could''ve been cosplay. The beast had some rational explanation as well, if he had put his mind into it.


    Lelouch hadn''t studied all currencies of the world, so these coins that the people used might as well be something unfamiliar to him.


    But actually hearing the name of a kingdom that he was sure doesn''t exist confuses him.


    "I see," Lelouch said, pursing his lips. "The king seems to be a benevolent ruler, what a prosperous city."


    "Indeed." Kadomon grinned. "King Randohal did great work, he''s been holding the reins since my parents were children."


    "That long?" Lelouch asked surprised. "That''s impressive."


    "The royal election should be soon," Kadomon said, a twinge of sadness in his voice. Once again, surprise was the emotion that Lelouch felt. An election? Not a simple inheritance? "There''s always hope that the next monarch will be better than the former, but it might be hard to surpass him."


    Someone who could inspire such loyalty. Lelouch would have loved to meet him.


    "Thank you," Lelouch said. The man gave a soft grin. Grabbing the green gem from the side of his fancy hat, he removed it and took a step towards the man. "I''m afraid I do not have any currency that would be accepted here, could I purchase some fruit with this gem?"


    The man blinked, staring at the shining gem in shock before shaking his head strongly.


    "That''d be too much, kid," he said. "I always value a paying customer, but you seem nice enough, just take one or two apples, I don''t mind."


    "Could you point me towards someone who could exchange this gem for money then?" Lelouch asked. "I might need some new clothes if I want to stand the heat."


    Not like he wanted to walk around with gems on his body, or the fancy gold and white target this painted him as.


    "I think so," he said. "Hmmm, there''s some people not far from here, look there."


    He pointed towards the left, and Lelouch followed his finger towards a red building with large symbols he couldn''t read on it. "Down that way, there''s an alley, an old man is gonna sit there, ask him for the Blue Swallow, and he''ll point you towards a bar where you can ask the barkeeper for a special drink-"


    "I''m sorry?" Lelouch said, trying to keep the smile on his face. The man laughed.


    "I''m just kidding," Kadomon said. Lelouch laughed softly. "The red building there, you can probably exchange it there-"


    It happened fast. Lelouch smiled, pulling his arm back and about to hold the gem in his fist before making his way to the red building, and before he could complete the motion, the gem was gone.


    A yellow blur traveled in front of him, and Lelouch followed it with its eyes.


    "Haaaa?" Kadomon summarized his thoughts rather well with a more than exaggerated noise. "I think you got robbed."


    "That''s¡­ unfortunate," Lelouch said. "But I do have a second one-"


    His hand moved to the other side of his hat, where the gem was supposed to hang. It was gone. Lelouch closed his eyes, drawing a shuddering breath. His shoulders sagging, he stared into the direction the yellow blur had vanished towards.


    "I¡­ suppose I will have to take you up on your offer, sir," Lelouch said. "I apologize for the inconvinience."


    "It''s alright, kid, I feel kind of bad for you," Kadomon said. Lelouch was grateful for the pity this stranger took on him, even a pang of regret at the fact that he wanted to just take over his mind to get answers.


    The mystery of the missing Geass was something that could be solved later. He had more important things to worry about, such as finding out just how he ended up here, and how he might be able to get back.


    If he should.


    Lelouch was sure that this place could not be on the continents he was aware of. Dragon kingdom? Cat people? Preposterous. It was impossible that nobody here had heard of him if he didn''t.


    The first possibility was that this is some kind of afterlife.


    The second was that the World of C was playing a prank on him.


    Whichever it was, if he managed to find a way to return to his world, if he dared to call it that, the people would recognize him.


    And that would mean fear. Panic. Hatred. Suspicion towards Zero''s assassination being legitimate. With a resigned sigh, as soft as possible through barely open lips, Lelouch accepted the apples in a small bag.


    "Thank you, sir," Lelouch said. The man nodded, grinning.


    "Hope my daughter grows up to be someone like you," Kadomon said. "Polite to the elders, to a fault, your parents must''ve raised you well."


    "Ah," Lelouch said. The inner turmoil he felt at the simple statement was not visible on his face, but nonetheless giving him a reason to pause before formulating the next sentence. "I suppose they have. If your daughter grows up to be a person like you, the people will tell your daughter the same."


    "Aw, shucks," the man said, scratching the back of his head. "You think so? Really?"


    "I''m sure," Lelouch said. "Thank you for your generosity."


    He bowed slightly, and the man just gave him a thumbs up before Lelouch began walking towards the red building. The yellow blur had vanished there, maybe he could find it. Giving one of the apples in the bag a taste, Lelouch began walking.


    Perhaps it was the wrong approach. The two red stones on him could also be worth something, though not actual gemstones like the two that had hung from his hat. He didn''t like the pompous outfit at all and would''ve liked to simply buy a new one as soon as possible for the off chance that someone did recognize him, and if not, to avoid looking like an easy target.


    If the swords he saw on the h.i.p.s and backs of some people were not fake, he wasn''t looking forward to being accosted simply because he looked rich. Or ridiculous. The outfit had been part of his plan, presentation is half the emperor after all, and people would scorn him even easier.


    Now, it was nothing more than a bother. Kadomon hadn''t been wrong, it wasn''t quite the right outfit for a hot summer day, and he could feel himself sweating even after he opened his robes slightly and took off the hat.


    Unfortunately, everything that went with him to this strange place did not include his gun and he doubted that he would be able to use a sword correctly.


    Knightmare Frames were a luxury for a king that wanted to step forward with his servants. With no troops and the physical ability of a student who never exercised, Lelouch felt himself disadvantaged. Considering he lost all of it on purpose, he had no right to complain, yet felt that pang of regret when thinking about all the people he left behind.


    And the technology.


    While the people seemed happy, there was nobody who had a phone, and he did not see any cars or other technology since he arrived. The road of stone looked well made and kept, yet was a far cry from Japan''s infrastructure after repairs to the war-torn country. What the British repaired, they repaired well, on the labor of the people they''ve crushed.


    However, Lelouch believed strongly in the monarchy. As someone born into a noblehouse, he knows that one person with absolute power has the power to change things absolutely. The equivalent of that would be a mad ruler, or a power-hungry fool like his father had been, that kept taking and taking without giving, inciting rebellion they kept crushing again and again, destroying local land and population until there was nobody to rise up.


    Until there was nobody to exploit anymore.


    A good king who didn''t have to jump through hoops was superior to a democracy that changed hands every few years. The EU was able to fight back for most of the time until the attrition hit them, poor planning and management of resources led to a lot of deaths of great pilots that could have fought on equal foot with some of the best Britannia had to offer, and then Schneizel took over the campaign.


    They didn''t even last a year afterwards. Because the EU had ''states'' like Britannia had ''Areas''. Only these sovereign states, members of the EU, had their own armies, their own commanders, and their own leaders, and nobody could work together well enough to repel them.


    It didn''t help that people such as Lloyd were capable of creating weapons that could turn the tide of battle with the right funds.


    In hindsight, Lelouch realized, even if they had less, and the technology was abysmal in this kingdom, they also had less to fear.


    There was no person here who could hit one button and destroy half the world, after all, and if these people prospered for well over three, or maybe even four score years, then he was happy for them.


    This might be the world that Nunnally was dreaming of.


    Lelouch sighed as he reached the red building, turning right towards another, smaller street, the apples already gone. He was famished, and he might need some money if he didn''t want to starve in the coming days.


    A woman with slightly disheveled clothes stood nearby, looking upset as she tried to straighten them out. Lelouch put on his most charming smile as he approached her, the bag in his hands gone.


    "Excuse me," he said. "Would you mind if I asked you a question?"


    The woman glared at him before the gaze softened, letting her guard down. She looked middle aged, and if the clothes were anything to go by, probably well-off. "Hello, sir knight, have you come to catch the thief?"


    "Knight?" Lelouch asked. He looked down on himself, no sword, no armor. He wasn''t sure just how exactly she confused him for a knight.


    "Oh, I apologize," the woman said, touching her cheek. "Your robes reminded me of the Royal Guard, they also wear white uniforms."


    That was information he could work with. So the clothes didn''t make him look like an easy target? Or perhaps this woman just confused him because she didn''t know the actual look of the uniform. Kadomon hadn''t mentioned anything in that direction, after all. Lelouch shrugged.


    "That''s alright, miss," Lelouch said. The woman looked rather pleased to be called such. "I have been robbed as well, it seems, and I''ve been looking for the thief."


    The woman immediately scowled when she was reminded of the situation. "Of course, yes, she went that way," she pointed at an alley nearby, next to a shop with strange grilled foods he never saw before.


    "She?" Lelouch asked.


    "A blonde girl," the woman nodded. "She took my handbag and just ran off. The nerve of some people-"


    "I see," Lelouch interrupted a bit too quickly. A girl, hm, that narrowed the search down slightly, and blonde? He hadn''t seen that hair color crop up often here. It was possible that Lelouch might be able to find the thief quickly. The question was how easy it would be to get the gems back. "Thank you, miss. If it were possible, could you call a knight and point them towards the same direction? I wouldn''t want to go to a thief''s den alone, but I''m afraid they might flee if I don''t pursue them swiftly."


    "Of course," she said, nodding. "I will do so immediately."


    "Thank you," he said. Moving his hand forward slightly, and grabbing hers as she still straightened out her clothes, she knelt slightly and put his lips onto her knuckles. "It has been a pleasure to make your acquaintance."


    The woman made a strange noise as he raised himself from his position and he saw her red face before she rushed off to find a knight. Lelouch tried not to grimace at her retreating form and moved towards the brightly lit alley, the position of the sun fortunate enough to throw light into the nook between the buildings.


    The smell of grilled food was brought towards him with the breeze as he walked towards the alley with slow but deliberate steps. The woman who stood next to a small fire and prepared the food gave him a smile in greeting when he passed her, which he returned before stepping into the alley. Lines of thin rope went from one building to the other, clothes hanging from them.


    It was¡­ simple. The whole city, the streets, the alleys and the people. Everything seemed simple, most people seemed to be happy.


    If he was to survive here, he might as well find a way to gamble himself some money, if he could get his gems back.


    And if that wasn''t possible, he could simply sell the clothes and get something simpler and a bit of coin. The currency these people used was simplistic, without bills, but still a step above primitive trading.


    The alley narrowed towards the end and Lelouch slowed down slightly to avoid running into someone that moved on the street in front of him. He could feel himself tire slightly, already, it wasn''t in him to take walks like these, and the sun was strong. When he stopped for just a second to catch his breath, he could hear steps behind him.


    "Out of the way-" he heard just a second too late. The female voice echoed through the narrow alley and the person who had called out to him jumped.


    Right into a clothes line. The line held stronger than she did, it seemed, and Lelouch stared up quick enough to catch a glimpse of shoes and legs before the heels of the shoes smashed right into his face.


    He could feel the heels digging into his skin as he fell backwards, and his head smashing against the paved street. His head hurt, his ears were ringing, and his vision was turning black.


    What a great way to die. Lelouch wanted to scoff, but he couldn''t tell where his mouth was.


    A dull ache spread through Lelouch''s forehead, accompanied by a soft blue glow in front of his still closed eyes. Whatever the glow was doing, it helped, and the dull ache slowly left him.


    "I know you''re not familiar with cities, Lia," he heard someone speak. The voice was that of a child, not the young woman from before. He tried to open his eyes, but the pain returned as the sunlight went through the soft blue glow and blinded him. "That''s why you need to be careful, there''s a lot of people here!"


    "I know," ''Lia'' said. She sounded resigned, like a scolded child, but her voice Lelouch was familiar with already. The girl who had knocked me out. "That''s why I''m healing him."


    Healing, hm. The soft blue glow was healing then.


    Lelouch wouldn''t really call himself a sceptic. Far from it, after all he had seen, he could accept some things easier than others. A concept such as the Geass and the Code wasn''t something he would have believed in prior to meeting C.C., but nowadays, he was more liberal with his thinking.


    Opening his mouth slightly, he spoke.


    "Is this magic?" he asked, still keeping his eyes closed. The two people above him made a surprised noise and Lelouch sighed. "I seem to be feeling a lot better than I should after a fall like that."


    "Yes, it''s water magic," the child said. "Healing magic for the laymen."


    "I see," Lelouch said. "Thank you, Miss Lia was it?"


    "Oh, n-no," the girl stuttered. "I''m sorry, I was the one who hurt you. Please accept my apology."


    "I don''t hold grudges," Lelouch lied. "You took the time to help me despite the fact that you were in such a hurry. Let us call it even."


    "Alright," the child said. "But only I get to call her Lia! Her actual name''s-"


    "Puck!" the girl chided. The now named Puck hesitated. "It''s alright, just keep calling me Lia."


    "As you wish, Miss Lia," Lelouch said. When the pain finally subsided, the young woman let go of his forehead, the soft blue glow vanishing. When he opened his eyes, however, he looked up and found himself surprised once more by this strange world.


    He was lying in the lap of what looked like a giant cat. Milly would probably have an heart attack by now, but Lelouch simply gasped.


    "Hi!" the childish voice of Puck came out of the giant monster. "I''m Puck!"


    Lelouch still looked flabbergasted, and tried to school his features into a more professional appearance. He sat up, looking back at the monster and found a young girl with silver hair sitting next to it.


    "Is this your first time meeting a spirit?" Puck asked. Lelouch nodded. Cat people he understood. A giant cat, though? One that walked in two legs, that was¡­ strange. It seemed sentient and capable of speech, so not as much of a monster as he thought it was?


    "I apologize for my reaction," Lelouch said. "I have never met any spirits, and I''m surprised you are so large."


    "I''m not usually," Puck said, shrinking slowly. When he was around the size of Lelouch''s palm, he stopped, grinning at him. "Hi again!"


    Lelouch sighed. He really had enough surprises for today. "Hello, Mister Puck. I''m Lelouch."


    "Just call me Puck!" the spirit said in an upbeat voice. Lia next to him had a hood up, hiding most of her features except for the distinct color of her long hair and unblemished pale skin from her nose downwards.


    "Of course," Lelouch said. "Thank you again, Miss Lia, Puck. If you don''t mind me asking, why were you in such a hurry?"


    The girl breathed in sharply, quickly climbing to her feet and looking out of the alley towards the direction he has been walking towards. "The thief! Puck! We have to hurry!"


    "Oh?" Lelouch said, standing up as well as the spirit began floating up towards Lia''s hood. "You are looking for her as well?"


    Lia turned to him again. "You too?"


    "She stole two of my gems," Lelouch explained. "And I''m afraid that I''m without coin or food, which means that she stole everything I had except for the clothes on me."


    "Those look like they''d catch a decent price, though," Puck said. Lelouch nodded, a soft smile on his face.


    "They probably would, but I''d still like to get my belongings back. What did she steal from you?"


    "Something important," Lia said simply. "I need it back, or I''m in big trouble!"


    Not going into details, just like with her name. Lelouch couldn''t tell just how much he could trust them, and he very much disliked the fact that he had no Geass available to him anymore.


    "How about we travel together?" Lelouch suggested, dusting himself off. "We have the same destination, after all, and going alone could be dangerous."


    "I''m not alone, though," Lia said. "I have Puck."


    "That''s not what he meant, Lia," Puck said, sitting on her shoulder. "Let''s take him with us, he doesn''t look very strong, but he might make a good distraction."


    Lelouch laughed. The spirit was open and blunt, while the girl seemed rather literally minded. Both reminded him of a child, though Puck seemed to be the a.d.u.l.t one with this pair.


    "Alright," Lia conceded. Lelouch nodded as he followed her out of the alley. The sun was beginning to set behind them, he noticed.


    "How long have I been out?" Lelouch asked. Puck answered him as Lia looked around outside.


    "An hour or so," he said. Lelouch hummed. He hadn''t really paid attention to the position of the sun, but Puck had no reason lie to a question like this. Maybe he had been wandering around longer than he thought, the densely populated streets making it hard for a sense of progression to be found.


    "I see, I don''t think the thief will be nearby anymore, then," Lelouch said. "I had asked a woman to call for a knight and send him here, if she hadn''t found one until now, I would be surprised."


    "The knights have been rather sparse lately," Lia said. "So if you can''t find one patroling, you have to call for one at their headquarters near the residental district, away from the markets."


    "That seems like a bad place to put it if one wanted to stop thieves," Lelouch commented, looking around. "Perhaps we should try to look at the opposite side of the market, then? As far away from the knights as possible."


    "Why?" Lia asked.


    "Because if I were a thief," Lelouch said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. "Then I''d want to be as far away from knights as possible. The most common places for thieves are where nobody would look, and where it would be too much of a bother to scout."


    "So either near the headquarters," Puck concluded. "Or as far away as possible."


    Lelouch nodded. "I''m not sure where the headquarters are, though. If the woman I asked to call for a knight moved towards it, I''m sure that the second possibility is far more likely."


    "You''re more than just a pretty face, hm?" Puck teased, a very humanlike fiendish grin on his face. Lelouch brushed the friendly jab off.


    "I was a good student," Lelouch said. "But you are right, physically, I''m a failure."


    "Nothing you can''t fix with some good exercise," Puck commented. "Alright! Towards the other side of the city! Lelouch''s gonna raise his stamina!"


    Lelouch felt himself relax more. The spirit reminded him of Milly in more ways than one. The only thing missing was shouting ''Guts!'' at the top of his lungs and the image would be perfect.


    "Let''s," Lelouch said, taking the lead into the opposite direction the woman had run off towards. If he was right, they would find themselves a place that looked like it could be for thieves, something like an abandoned building. He couldn''t just let the opportunity to get some answers slip, however. "Say, Miss Lia¡­"


    "Yes?" she glanced towards him, though he couldn''t see her eyes under the hood.


    "I''m wondering how common magic is," Lelouch said. "I must admit that I have lived a rather sheltered life and am not aware of a lot of things."


    "You''re like Lia, then," Puck commented. "She doesn''t know a lot of things too."


    "Puck!" Lia said, indignantly. "I''m learning!"


    "Don''t worry, you''re improving," Puck said. "Won''t you answer his question, then? Having you teach someone would be a first~"


    "No need to tease me about it," Lia muttered. "Magic is very common. Everyone can do it if they put enough work into it. Some people are more talented than others, and improve at a faster rate, or have a certain blessing."


    "Blessing?" Lelouch asked.


    "I think it''s more commonly known as ''Divine Protection''," Puck said. "Gods favor people and grant them special powers, they say. It''s just something you are born with. One in a hundred people have one, most of them useless."


    "So they can be useful?" Lelouch asked, geninuely curious.


    "The chance for a useful one is one in a thousand," Puck said. "Add more and more zeroes for rarity and effectiveness. The most rare chance is over one in ten million of having more than one."


    "Interesting," Lelouch said. "And how would one know of their Blessing?"


    "You just know," Lia said, sounding resigned. "If you don''t have one, you would know as well, obviously."


    "Oh?" Lelouch said. That was bad, then. "I suppose I have none, then, that''s too bad."


    "You''re so sheltered you never heard of Divine Protection and barely know anything about magic," Puck said, shrugging. "Maybe you just have the Divine Protection of Cluelessness."


    Lia sighed slightly, and Lelouch just laughed at the spirit. "Maybe. Do you have the Divine Blessing of being adorable?"


    "Of course," Puck said, floating off Lia''s shoulder and settling on Lelouch''s. "I''m the most adorable thing there is."


    "Oh, I''m not sure, I met more adorable people," Lelouch said, making Puck purse his small lips.


    "Oh yeah? Who would be better than this cute and cuddly spirit?"


    "My little sister," Lelouch said. "The most adorable person in the world."


    "Ah!" Puck said, pointing his paw at him and poking into his cheek. "The Divine Protection of a Sister Complex!"


    Lelouch flicked at Puck''s face with a finger, making the spirit mewl and float back to Lia.


    "Lia! Liaaaa! Lelouch is being mean to me!" Puck wailed. Some people gave them a strange look as they heard the small thing on her shoulder speak, but nobody reacted strongly. "Tell him to stop."


    "Both of you should stop," Lia said, suddenly sounding like the mature one. "Why do you want to know about magic anyway, Mr. Lelouch?"


    "Just Lelouch, please," he said. "As I told you, I am not a very strong person, I wish to improve and find a way to defend myself. Perhaps learning magic could help me with that."


    "Defend yourself?" she asked, sounding concerned. "Are you in danger?"


    "I wouldn''t want to be defenseless if I was," Lelouch said. "Are you capable of using your own spells to fight, Miss Lia?"


    "Yes." Lia nodded.


    "That way, you are more safe than anyone who couldn''t, and perhaps I have some talent I do not know about."


    "Might be worth a try," Puck said. "Not everyone is compatible with every element, you''ll have to learn from someone who can tell you which you are compatible with, and you''ll need to practice for years."


    "Years?" Lelouch asked. Of course, it couldn''t be that simple. "I suppose that there is a reason not everyone is capable of using magic."


    "No, without a right teacher, some people actually kill themselves practicing," Lia explained. "Draining all the mana in their bodies until they are unable to move, sometimes taking days to recover and dying of dehydration."


    That gave Lelouch a reason to pause. It seems that he might have been jumping the gun a bit early. Maybe the money could hire a good teacher if he was able to make some.


    "Are you capable of finding out which type of magic I''m compatible with?" Lelouch asked Lia. She shook her head, but Puck crossed his arms pouting.


    "I am, but you were mean, Lelouch," Puck said. Lelouch grinned slightly, poking Puck off Lia''s shoulder. "Ow! Liaaaa-"


    "What kinds of magic are there anyway?" Lelouch asked. "You mentioned water magic, so there is fire magic as well?"


    "Yes," Lia answered, ignoring Puck''s childish m.o.a.ning. "Water, fire, earth, wind, yin and yang."


    "And after I learn my element, I study spells?"


    "Yes," Lia said again. "Everyone has a ''Gate'', it''s what you use when you call on your magic. The more you use your Gate, the stronger you will become, and the stronger your magic."


    "So it rewards use? Interesting," Lelouch said. This reminded him of the Geass, in a way. The more he used it, the closer he came to ''perfecting'' it. The perfect mistake that killed his sister. They reached the edge of the more populated market and the buildings became more and more sparse, and the sun was only sending the faintest of red rays forward over the buildings. "I can assume that water magic is there for healing-"


    "Not really," Puck said. "Water magic is used for healing, but there''s also four manas. Water mana is used for healing, water magic channels water mana. If you wished to, you could use water magic to create ice and use it to fight."


    "And the other three manas?"


    "Fire for heat, instead of simply burning things, wind mana is a part of ''outwards'' Divine Protections, such as things that make arrows miss you. Earth mana is a part of ''inwards'' Divine Protection, such as having knowledge in certain fields without ever practicing them."


    "So people without Divine Protection cannot use earth and wind mana?"


    "Not as such, no," Lia confirmed. Lelouch hummed. "Most magic is used offensively, or in research, there''s no need to go through the dangers of learning it if you''re simply a normal person. Some clans have inherent talents in it due to racial Divine Protections, so they have more affinity to magic than humans."


    "Clans? You mean different races?" Lelouch asked. "Like the cat people, or Puck?"


    "More like the cat people," Puck said. "I''m a spirit. Not really the run of the mill normal person!"


    "Truly, I have missed a lot of the world," Lelouch said, smiling. "Meeting a witch and a spirit in one day-"


    That must have been the wrong word to say. The moment he said ''witch'', Lia stopped, her head whipping around towards him so strongly that her eyes were revealed for just a moment. Purple irises glowed in the shadow of the hood through narrowed eyes.


    "You know!" she said, accusingly, her voice rather heated. Puck grimaced as well, but put himself between them instead.


    "He doesn''t," Puck said. Lelouch blinked, and once again, he felt confusion coming up inside him. "He''s really that clueless."


    "But Puck-"


    "Say, Lelouch," Puck said. "Do you know the name ''Satella''?"


    Lelouch shook his head. "Is that someone I should know?"


    "Yes," Puck said bluntly. "The Witch of Envy, a half-elf with silver hair that destroyed half the world."


    Lelouch''s eyebrows furrowed, the young man taking a sharp breath before holding it. Half the world? So the title of ''witch'' was as dangerous here, that was good to know. But what did that have to do with¡­ hm. Her hair, the unblemished skin?


    "Are you Satella?" Lelouch asked, blinking twice. Lia shook her head.


    "No!" she shouted. "I''m just¡­ I''m just someone who shares that one thing with the Witch of Envy."


    She grabbed her hood and pulled it back. Two pointed ears were revealed, and just like before, he could see a soft glow in the violet irises that her eyes held. She was undeniably beautiful, around eighteen if he had to guess her age, and looking very, very upset.


    "I apologize," Lelouch said swiftly, bowing his head slightly. "I was unaware of my social faux pas and have upset you, I meant no offense."


    Lia''s glare softened slightly, and Puck just sighed, setting himself on her head.


    "What kind of upbringing do you need to have to never hear about the Witch of Envy?" Puck asked. Lelouch chuckled weakly. "You said you were a good student."


    "I know quite a lot about economy, playing chess and politics," Lelouch said. "But magic and history are not my strong suits, I apologize. Please, let us continue our conversation later. I believe we might have found what we were looking for."


    Lia turned around, resigned, before taking a look around.


    The entire place looked like a dump, and there were many buildings that looked abandoned and broken nearby. If there ever was anything as a stereotypical thieves district, this must be it, Lelouch was sure of it.


    He could fool some of the people here easier than actual shopkeepers. Taking the red glass sphere from his hat, Lelouch stepped forward, Lia trailing behind him.


    A group of men sat around a fire, talking with each other, laughing and drinking. When Lelouch approached, they stopped laughing, staring suspiciously at his white uniform which probably looked like the Royal Guard''s uniform to them in the darkness.


    "Excuse me," Lelouch said. "I''m looking for someone, and would like to ask if you might have seen her."


    "Your girlfriend ran away, pretty boy?" a hulking man asked, a full beard jiggling under his face as he spoke. His arms were thicker than Lelouch''s head.


    "Not quite," Lelouch said. "I''m looking for a blonde girl, she took something from me."


    "And you want to negotiate to get it back?" the man asked. The other men just shook their head. "Well, good luck with finding her then."


    "Oh, I was so sure you could point me into the right direction," Lelouch said. Lia stood back, letting him do all the work. Holding the red glass sphere near the fire gave it a rather stunning look. "Whoever can help me find her gets this."


    "That¡­" the bearded man said, sounding as if he was contemplating the offer.


    "There''s a building just a minute walk down there," a man next to him said, snatching the sphere from Lelouch''s hand. "Knock on it, and tell them Brutus sent you for negotiation."


    "Thank you," Lelouch said, moving back to Lia with a soft smile on his lips. The man with the beard looked at Brutus with annoyance, but said nothing more.


    "See?" Lelouch asked. "That wasn''t too hard."


    "Won''t they look for you when they realize that it''s pretty much just glass?"


    "You knew, hm?" Lelouch asked, walking into the direction Brutus pointed them to. Puck shrugged.


    "Of course," Puck said. "I know my gemstones. That one was way too thin, it''ll break in seconds."


    "Yes," Lelouch said. "But I don''t think I will stay here for long, so I''m not concerned about them."


    A minute later, they arrived, standing in front of a wooden building that looked slightly less rundown than the rest around here.


    Lelouch knocked on the door, only to notice that it was open already. Falling open slightly, Lelouch took a look into it.


    "Hmm," Lelouch said, looking towards Lia. "Can you make a light? Or something like that?"


    "Yes," Lia nodded. She raised her hands and blue lights began dancing around them. She slowly sent them forward, getting rid of the darkness.


    Lelouch took a tentative step forward, rearing his head through the door and looking at the interior.


    Before he could see anything, something dropped on his head. It was a warm liquid, and Lelouch grimaced, touching his head.


    "L-lelouch," Lia said. Lelouch turned around as he took a step in. "Lelouch!"


    "What is it?" he asked. There was a strange smell in the air. It was familiar, yet somehow twisted in a strange way.


    "There''s blood on your head!" she shouted. Lelouch''s eyes widened and he stared at his hand. Blood was on it. When he swallowed and took a look up, it was already too late.


    All he saw was the glint of a knife before he fell over, his belly cut open. He tried to look up, towards Lia, and she too was lying next to him, blood seeping out of her body.


    "Y-you¡­" Lelouch gasped out. He could see a woman''s legs. High heels accenting their length and a flash of her underwear before she stepped on his head, forcing him to look at Lia.


    "What a resilient one," he heard the woman speak. "Your guts¡­ they''re so beautiful."


    The sheer bliss in the woman''s m.o.a.ns made him shiver. Or maybe it was the fact that he had lost so much blood already that he felt himself slipping into a cold death.


    ''Not again,'' Lelouch thought. ''Dying twice in the same way¡­ is this really the end of my second chance?''


    "Oi, you having a stroke?"


    Chapter 2


    Lelouch''s eyes shot open as he righted himself up, taking a deep breath and grabbing his stomach. No wound. No cut. The quick motion sent his hat off his head and it fell down with the sound of shattering glass as the red sphere in the middle of it broke apart. People took a curious glance towards him, but didn''t react otherwise, and the man who had called out to him was looking rather worried.


    "I''m¡­ alive," Lelouch muttered. He was alive. Again. Again.


    The man who had died twice returned twice from death. There was no way Lia had just survived that attack and healed them both, only to drag him off back where he started. Lelouch grimaced, the phantom pain of the wound still fresh.


    "Uh, you sure look alive," Kadomon said. "Though you might wanna lie down somewhere if you''re feeling unwell."


    "Yes, yes," Lelouch muttered. "Thank you, sir."


    Lelouch stood up, his knees weak. Had he been a bit less attentive, he might have missed it, but it was clear what had happened simply by grabbing his hat off the ground. The two gems hung from the side like they did before the robbery. The people outside, the cat eared person next to the side street, speaking with a horned person in the exact same spot, the position of the sun.


    "Sir?" Lelouch turned to Kadomon. "Have I been here before? I think I got lost."


    The man blinked, before crossing his arms and getting that exaggerated ''thinking'' look on his face again.


    "Never seen you before, kid," he said after a few seconds. "Pretty sure I''d recognize an outfit like yours."


    "I see," Lelouch said, successfully keeping himself from frowning at the older man. "I apologize for the inconvenience."


    "Sure, sure," Kadomon said. "Just don''t go dying in front of my shop, can''t afford to have that kind publicity."


    "I understand," Lelouch said, an uneasy chuckle leaving his throat. He was back to the point where he arrived in this strange world. Even though he lost his Geass, it was unlikely that this had to do with the Code, considering that the clock moved backwards as well.


    He could test it, of course. Kill himself and see if he wakes up again, but Lelouch didn''t want to test that hypothetical new power of his until he could be sure.


    For all he knew, it might have been a one-off thing. If things happened like the Zero Requiem, he should be staring at the people of a different world right now.


    The only correct course of action from this point on was to avoid doing what he did before.


    But Lelouch wasn''t a fan of standing aside. He also wasn''t someone who foolishly charged ahead into an unknown situation. Instead, Lelouch would walk the most reasonable course of action. The one where he had the most to gain.


    And saving the life of a young woman and Puck might earn him a magic teacher. Taking off the gems from the hat, he hid them inside his robes just in case and bowed to the shopkeeper.


    "Thank you for your concern, sir," he said. He felt hungry, but he didn''t really want to have a longer conversation than necessary for the man to just offer him two apples again, and Lelouch could see he didn''t earn the same trust as before. "I will be going."


    "See ya," Kadomon waved him off. Lelouch didn''t know where to begin his search, but he didn''t have to. Instead, he took one of the gems out of his pocket and walked away from the red building. Holding the gem in his hands, Lelouch took step after step forward.


    As fast as the yellow blur was, it was something visible, so it could get caught. It didn''t take very long for him to catch a glance of Lia, hiding her features under the hood, and a girl that jumped her from the roof.


    Grabbing something from Lia, the girl glanced towards him, and became a blur. She was like the wind.


    But Lelouch saw her coming. Letting go of the gem in feigned shock, he spread his arms and stepped forward the moment she grabbed it, catching her.


    She didn''t seem to notice, and when Lia rushed towards them, the blonde girl''s progress was halted as Lelouch lifted her off the ground.


    "Got you," Lelouch said. The blonde girl finally noticed that she had been caught, her legs kicking the air under her as if she could walk on it, and struggled against him.


    "Hold on you thief!" Lia shouted. Ice appeared in the air, small pillars with sharp tips that could rend flesh from bone. Despite his knowledge of the half-elf''s status as mage, it was an impressive display.


    And Lelouch couldn''t help but shiver at the idea of using a power like this. Something so malleable. Something so impressive.


    "Let me go!" the young girl shouted. "Stranger danger! STRANGER DANGER!"


    Lelouch looked towards Lia as people in the street began to run away from the display of magic.


    "I could let you go," Lelouch said. "But then you would have to deal with that mage over there."


    The girl glared at him, her arms on her sides before glaring towards Lia.


    Instead of just resigning to her fate, the blonde grabbed something from behind her back. Pain shot up in his legs, and a glance down revealed two daggers stabbed into him. Grunting in pain as he let go, Lelouch barely managed to keep himself standing.


    The girl tried to run, but Lia had sealed off any escape route.


    "Give it back!" Lia shouted. "And I won''t hurt you!"


    "As if!" the young girl shouted, her daggers stained in Lelouch''s blood as she turned around, ready to fight. One of the ice pillars flew towards the blonde, and the young girl dodged. More appeared, faster, in an attempt to prevent the girl from catching her breath.


    This young girl was so fast, she could probably outrun Suzaku. Becoming a blur to dodge the next volley, Lelouch tried to follow the fight, and failed.


    "Puck," Lia said. The young girl was right in the half-elf''s face, a dagger aimed at the young woman''s chest. A shield appeared, blocking the dagger and forcing the blonde to jump back.


    Puck raised his hands, and two spears of ice appeared, rushing towards the blonde girl. Towards Lelouch.


    He was unable to dodge, the pain in his legs too much, and when the young thief dodged, he was struck.


    The pillars of ice broke. The thief escaped. Lelouch fell onto his back, gasping in pain as the spears stayed stuck his chest and kept him in an uncomfortable twisted position when the tips got stuck in the ground.


    "Lia-" he heard Puck''s voice. A blue glow appeared in front of him.


    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, so sorry, I''m so sorry-"


    "You have to warn me before you summon me-"


    "This isn''t time for a lesson, Puck! I killed someone-"


    Lelouch felt weak. Again. He couldn''t breathe, and only darkness was filling his vision. For someone who had survived years of war, for someone to took over the world, only to die this quickly?


    Thrice in succession?


    "Oi, you having a stroke?"


    Lelouch grimaced, opening his eyes to stare at Kadomon.


    "Yes," Lelouch said, standing up. "I apologize for the inconvenience, thank you for your concern, sir."


    Kadomon waved him off, shrugging.


    "Eh, it''s alright," he said. "Can''t have anyone dying in front of my shop. What''d the people say?"


    "Of course," Lelouch said, schooling his features. Once was strange, the new world confused him. Twice could have still been a chance, maybe the way he died, maybe the person who killed him.


    But three times? He was pretty sure now, especially considering the fact that he woke up here again.


    He had a Divine Blessing, it seemed. A twisted grin made itself visible on his face, and he hid it behind a hand, staring down. A power like this could be awfully useful. Something that made victory an inevitability. Lelouch felt strangely happy. Even the pain in his chest couldn''t take that away.


    He could afford to be reckless. Something he could never do before was now possible, and Lelouch could test and make mistakes as often as he wanted. He could ask questions as favors and make it so he never asked them.


    But if he always returned back to this spot, surviving the day might actually end up becoming a bother. He would have to repeat his performance again and again¡­


    Or perhaps, he just had to do it long enough to learn magic, before avoiding the trip back into the past by staying away from Lia and the thief.


    But now, he had the advantage. Hiding the gems inside his robes, Lelouch made sure to avoid being a target.


    Lelouch moved towards the red building, ignoring the noblewoman and made his way to the ghetto as quickly as possible. If he could find out the identity of the murderer, he would have an ace up his sleeve. He could even look for an actual knight if necessary.


    Of course, he wasn''t very fast, and the yellow blur appeared not long after he reached the edge of the ghetto. She once again stole something from him, this time his hat, the kleptomaniac little girl apparently too busy taking something rather than worrying what it might be worth.


    Lelouch didn''t bother saying anything, instead, he follow the yellow blur with his eyes and watched as the girl moved somewhere away from the building he had been pointed towards earlier.


    Rather than bothering with her, though, he approached the building instead.


    Knocking on the door, a gruff voice from the other side echoed loudly. "Password?"


    "Brutus sent me here to negotiate," Lelouch said. The voice on the other side hummed, and after a few seconds, a dark skinned hulk of an old man opened the door. He was bald and without beard, yet had long eyebrows which hung down at the sides of his face, braided. A swirl-shaped tattoo sat above his left eye.


    A vest without anything under it revealed a very muscled and hairy body. This was a man who could crush him in one hand.


    "Hello," Lelouch said. The old man scowled at the look of his outfit before relaxing slightly, letting him in.


    "Brutus, hm?" the large man asked, sitting down at a table. "Must''ve offered him quite something. So, what do you want?"


    "I saw a young girl stealing something today," Lelouch said, sitting down across the old man. "I''m interested in this item, and I know that this place is for negotiation about buying the goods."


    "You''re well informed about our ghetto for a foreigner," the old man said. "I''m Rom, I keep order here. Don''t give me a reason to be unhappy."


    "Of course." Lelouch smiled at Rom, crossing his arms. "How do you know I''m a foreigner?"


    "When you grow as old as me," Rom said. "You meet many people, sell many goods. I''ve never seen something like your outfit before, so you must be from outside."


    "I see," Lelouch said. "Yes, I''m not from around here. Please, call me Zero."


    "Strange name," Rom said, grunting. Lelouch was sure the old man knew that he didn''t give his real name. "But alright. You want some of Felt''s goods, I can talk to her for the negotiation. But you should know that she got a great offer for the item, which means you''ll have to surpass that."


    So her name was Felt.


    "I see," Lelouch said, grabbing into his robes. Taking the two gems out, he put them on the table. "I''m afraid that I don''t have any money on my person, and these gems are the only things I can offer. Could I inquire just how it compares to the offer she received?"


    "I''m sorry to tell you kid, but while those gems are worth quite some gold, they don''t compare to ten pieces of sacred gold," Rom said. Lelouch blinked.


    "Sacred gold?" he asked. Rom nodded.


    "Sacred gold has twice the value of normal gold, fifty can buy you a plot of land and pay for the labor to have a house built on it," Rom explained. Lelouch frowned, his eyebrows furrowing. That was one course of action gone. The least he could do now was gather information.


    "What was the item she stole anyway?" Lelouch asked. "It looked very interesting, a badge of some kind?"


    "You wanted to buy it but don''t even know what it is?" Rom asked.


    "What can I say?" Lelouch shrugged. "I love shiny things. And when she held it, it shone very brightly."


    "Hmmm, I''m not sure what exactly it is, I just know she got the job and was very excited about the pay," Rom said. "If you have nothing else to offer, I''m afraid I have to ask you to leave."


    "Of course," Lelouch said, disappointed by the events. Someone was bleeding here the first time before he got killed. The murderer was a woman, which means that Rom and Felt weren''t actually the true problem. "I would wish to give you a word of warning, however. The woman that Felt had struck a deal with is not going to follow up on her offer. She will kill you."


    That made Rom react. Lelouch, for the first time, could be reckless, and recklessness meant that he could throw suggestions and information at people simply to see how they''d react.


    "You know it''s a woman, then?" Rom asked. "I think you might have to explain a bit more."


    "Of course," Lelouch said, smiling. "You see, this isn''t the first time I''ve been here. Due to some strange magic, I''m able to- hrk-"


    His teeth snapped shut, and he bit his tongue. Lelouch keeled over the table, grabbing his chest. It was like two hands holding onto his heart and ready to crush it at any minute. The pain was unbearable.


    "Hey, you alright?" Rom asked. "Want a drink or something? Can''t really have people dying around here, this is an honest business."


    Lelouch relaxed as the pain subsided, the hands letting go.


    "I¡­" Lelouch gasped out. "Can''t seem to tell you how I know. I apologize."


    "If you can''t tell me, I can''t trust you," Rom stated simply.


    "Then, could I ask to stay here for the deal?" Lelouch asked. Rom''s nostrils flared, and he glared at the younger man. "I''m weak, as you can see, all I wish is to meet the woman. If I just lied, then nothing will happen, right?"


    "Keh, might as well," Rom said, scoffing at Lelouch. "Try something, and I''ll crush you under my heel."


    A threat spoken out of concern, not hostility. It was something Lelouch himself was very familiar with. Felt and the old man were close.


    "Of course," Lelouch agreed.


    A few minutes later, someone knocked on the door. Rom stood. "Password?"


    "Go ahead, old man!" came Felt''s voice from outside.


    "Large Rat," Rom said.


    "Poison," Felt said loudly.


    "White Whale."


    "Fish Hook."


    "Our revered dragon."


    "Just screw it!" Felt shouted. Rom nodded, opening the door and letting the little girl that led to Lelouch''s latest death in. "Who''s that, old man Rom?"


    "Someone who wanted to negotiate with you," Rom said. "Not enough to beat that offer you got, though."


    "Ohh, that''s too bad," Felt said, grinning widely. "What is he doing here then?"


    "I''m feeling rather unwell," Lelouch said. "I''m waiting until I feel better before making my way home."


    Rom glanced at him, but didn''t say anything more. When she sat down across him, Lelouch took a good look at her. She was dressed rather provocatively. Her blonde hair was done up in a short ponytail, with a braid over her head, and all that remained open hanging towards her chin.


    Ripped pants and a short vest showed off a lot of skin, at least wearing something over her chest that still kept her stomach exposed. The entire outfit was accented by an incredibly long red scarf around her neck which hung down to her ankles.


    The daggers she had with her were on her hip, hidden behind her. She was dangerous. Everything here seemed to be. In a world of magic, even those who can''t use it seem to have their own advantages. Maybe it was one of those racial blessings that Lia was talking about.


    "What did you offer?" Felt asked, sitting across Lelouch with her legs wide.


    "Two gems I have," Lelouch said. "I''m afraid you stole my hat, so I couldn''t have offered it to you as well."


    "Ah!" she pointed at Lelouch, making a loud noise. "It''s you!"


    "Yes," Lelouch said dryly. "Me. You can keep the hat, I''m not a fan of it anyway."


    "Yeah, I thought i could sell that red stone in it, but it just shattered when I grabbed it," she said, not sounding apologetic. "So you can have it back."


    "No, really, keep it," Lelouch said. "It''s worth nothing to me."


    "Why did you wear it then?"


    Lelouch grinned. "I was at an event and had to be dressed fancy. Not something I do very often."


    Being dressed as Zero wasn''t being fancy after all. There''s nothing more humble than a cape and a mask.


    "Right, right," she said. "Could you piss off while I talk with my customer, then? I told her to be here after the sun sets, so she should be here soon."


    "How crude." Lelouch shook his head, standing up. "I won''t get between you and your customer. I''m just here to rest a while."


    "Sure, and if you try something, old man Rom will take care of you," Felt said, grinning. Lelouch''s stomach churned at the thought. He knew she wasn''t lying. Moving towards where Rom was sitting, near a table that was sitting in the corner, Lelouch leaned against the wall.


    Then someone knocked on the door.


    "Ah!" Felt shouted. "I think that''s her."


    The young girl rushed towards the door, as Rom stared at him.


    "You lied to her," Rom said.


    "You did as well," Lelouch said.


    "I''m suspicious of everyone," he said. "At least I can keep an eye on you if you stay here. Don''t make me regret it."


    "I would never betray the trust that someone has invested in me," Lelouch lied. "Please, allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Lelouch Lamperouge."


    "That doesn''t sound like any noble family I''ve heard of," Rom said.


    "Of course not," Lelouch said. "I''m not a noble, after all."


    "Good riddance," Rom muttered.


    "There she is," Felt shouted, walking in. Taking a seat at the table that Lelouch and Rom had been sitting at earlier, someone entered through the door.


    The woman who stepped in looked more out of place than Lelouch. Where Lelouch was dressed in a ''fancy'' way, holding himself like a noble, this woman had the presence he lacked... it was like an electricity in the air.


    Her raven hair hugged her face and curled towards the end. Her dark purple eyes were fixated on him as she stepped towards the table.


    The woman''s dark dress was cut just right to reveal her long legs, and a flower the color of her eyes sat on the side of her head, woven into her hair. The mantle she wore around it had a long collar with purple fur.


    "There''s a disgusting smell," she commented, her eyes still focused on him. Lelouch felt his heartbeat quicken. The woman was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman he had ever met - yet he felt sick just looking at her. He idly wondered if this is what people under his Geass felt.


    The heels, the legs. The voice.


    This was his murderer.


    This woman could kill him in a second.


    "I apologize," Lelouch commented, keeping the worry out of his voice. And the disgust. Lelouch wanted to throw up at the unnaturalness that the woman spread throughout the room. "I have not taken a shower in a while."


    The woman''s eyes narrowed, her nostrils flaring. What was it about his scent? She hadn''t mentioned anything in that direction before.


    "Ignoring that fart over there," Felt said before the woman could say anything else. "You have the money?"


    "Of course," the beauty said, taking a bag of coins from¡­ somewhere. He didn''t really see where in the dress she could have hidden it. Pushing the bag of coins halfway over the table, she nodded at Felt.


    The young girl grinned, taking the emblem from inside her pocket. The design was strange, a stone in the middle of it shining brightly as Felt held it towards the woman, reading to grab the gold.


    "Ah," the woman said, grabbing Felt''s wrist. "You are one as well¡­"


    "Huh?" Felt asked. Lelouch blinked. Was that where the deal went wrong? The woman chuckled, and Rom moved towards them. "What do you mean?"


    "Don''t you know what this emblem is?" the woman asked, a sadistic grin splitting her face. "It''s there to reveal those of royal lineage, if the stone shines, you are a candidate-"


    "What the f.u.c.k are you talking-"


    Lelouch stood swiftly, information, finally. "Rom! Don''t!"


    Rom grabbed the woman and tried to pull her away from Felt. It proved to be a mistake. The moment he pulled, his arm fell off. Rom grunted in pain, grabbing the stump where his arm was earlier. Felt freed herself, grabbing her dagger and almost stabbing through the beauty''s arm.


    Lelouch didn''t hesitate, he made a rush for the door, even though he couldn''t die, so to speak, his body had other plans, and hit the flight response repeatedly. Before he could touch the door, one of Felt''s knives hit his hand, pinning him to the door.


    He turned his head, staring towards the table where Felt was lying, her head rolling off onto the ground as a pool of blood formed.


    "My, my," she said. "What a despicable thing¡­ an Archbishop¡­ here of all places?"


    Lelouch panicked. He tried to remove the knife from his hand, but was unable to as the woman walked forward, strange knives in her hands, drenched in blood.


    "I''m not with them," Lelouch tried.


    "You aren''t?" she asked. "Then why do you smell like the Witch, I wonder¡­"


    She misunderstood him, it seemed. While he meant Rom and Felt, she seemed to have drawn her own conclusion to what group he belonged to.


    "I wonder," she said, shivering. "Ohhh, I wonder, I wonder¡­"


    She was right in front of him, her hand on his face, tracing his features with a finger as the stench of blood filled his nose from the knife she held towards his nose. The woman all but m.o.a.ned as she continued.


    "I wonder what your guts look like, Archbishop!" she shouted in glee. "Are they black? Are they red?"


    She stabbed him in the side. He was unable to resist, unable to run away. He was unable to fight back.


    "You¡­ monster," Lelouch gasped out. The most beautiful monster he had ever seen.


    "Thank you," she whispered in his ear, drawing a line under his stomach with her knife. He screamed as the pain became too much. Looking down, he stared at the blood that left his body. "How beautiful¡­"


    She grabbed his organs through the wound she inflicted, and Lelouch lurched forward, throwing up blood and stomach acid onto her before passing out.


    And once again, he returned to zero.


    This time, though, he knew a lot more.


    Lia and Felt were candidates to become queens. People that could help him a lot if they were on his side.


    "Oi, you having a stroke there?"


    Lelouch grinned. Kadomon gave him a wary glance.

 Chapter 274 - My SI Stash #74 - Ninja Grandpa -Uzumaki Naruto by NotAHero (Naruto)

    -Same author of Joker''s Wild & Forget The Rails~ We get a SI Danzo that has been through 3 worlds (One Piece, Bleach & Death Note) As you''ll see, the MC will have the traits and the powers of each person he was inserted to i.e. Doflamingo from Joker''s Wild and Aizen from Forget The Rails!


    Sypnosis: "You either die a legend, or you live long enough to become me." -Danzo


    "You either die with sanity, or you live long enough to befriend Danzo," -Everyone else.


    Rated: ???


    Words: 23K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/ninja-grandpa-uzumaki-naruto-si.838951/ (NotAHero)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Pilot 1-4


    First few threadmarks will jump around a lot. If anyone can help give me the dates(Only piece of information I can''t find), of the following two events. To establish a timeline of sorts.


    ...


    He kept a level gaze on the three before him, particularly the genin in the middle. Currently introducing himself to him.


    "...As for my dream..." The nine year old ninja tapped a finger on his chin. According to the academy''s report, he was the presumed dead-last of his year group. His ambitions and aspirations either hidden, an admittedly useful virtue if true, from his superiors or he simply had none. In which case he wasn''t likely to pass muster.


    "Hmm,-" A glint filled the child''s eyes, one that caused his potential squadmates to edge away. Clear discomfort emanating out of them.


    He held in the urge to sigh, his earlier estimate of their chances to pass his bell test changing rapidly.


    "I am-" His choice of words certainly spoke of hints of an ego. "-going to slowly systematically help destroy fix the rest of the ninja world,"


    He stared, for perhaps a moment too long. His plans for reforming the academy''s mental evaluations escalating in priority.


    "Your underneath is showing," He sighed. The words, of course only earned a beaming smile from the ''dead last.'' His two squadmates both giving exasperated sighs in turn, his earlier evaluation of them melting in favour of the clear camaraderie shining through.


    "Oh, well then I''ll be sure to hide my bells better next time." The brat slapped a hand over his mouth, his two teammates slapping their foreheads in sequence.


    He himself simply blinked, rather owlishly for that matter, caught the slightest off-guard. A small part of him starting to wonder if this was why his brother had insisted on his picking.


    ...


    All things considered, he wasn''t sure why he was remembering that particular memory right now. He covered his face with his functioning arm, a wince fixing itself on his face, his body pushed back by the force of the explosion, crashing onto the nearby tree.


    Or well, one of the few left standing. The squad of killers nipping at his heels had started burning through the forest to get to him.


    He huffed, his breath catching up with him as he felt his, rather low reserves all things considered, chakra stick to the branch below him. His gaze latching and locking onto the rapidly increasing number of enemies. The manic gleams eyeing him would''ve been grating, if not for the fact he was surprisingly at peace with the situation. Ignoring the one souring point at any rate.


    Perhaps that was the cause of his sudden nostalgia?


    Sixteen ninja, the majority of them recognisable from their Kumo bingo page entries. Odds of survival not high. Fact negligible. Squad safe. Future of Konoha secured.


    Even if, despite expecting otherwise, it had been passed to Hiruzen. His, more than capable and more importantly sane, student had been just as surprised to see Shimura stay quiet. When he''d explained the need of them needing a distraction, he''d expected him to be the most arguable. To be the first one to offer himself for one. And given the silence that filled their final meeting, the other two had expected the same.


    Yet, Danzo had chosen to instead stay silent, unlike Kinkaku, or was that Ginkaku? The Kumo ninja currently monologuing of what he was presumably going to be doing to the hokage of the leaf village-


    Whatever thought''s he''d had suddenly vanished, the worst urge to bang his head against the nearest thing filling him. For across the clearing, a singular voice cut through. The Kumo Ninja seizing up, Ginkaku/Kinkaku''s mouth had snapped shut. The cheerful voice, one he''d long grown to dread, echoed out across the burning forest.


    "False Summoning Jutsu!" The strange, indecipherable words quickly snapping his own attention upwards, his gaze falling on a veritable pool of smoke.


    In hindsight, of course the brat had stayed silent.


    He more than likely hadn''t even considered listening in the first place-


    Tobirama''s functioning arm fell to the side, his eyes rapidly blinking, his thankfully still active jutsu shrouding him from the enemy. The missing ninja surrounding him all turning their attention upwards, panic and shock filling the majority of them.


    "What." He couldn''t help the slip.


    "Hey Sensei! Look! Distraction!" Danzo Shimura''s voice washed over his own, the ninja currently beaming down on him as he fell through the sky. And falling below him was a massive body of condensed chakra, the pressure in the air itself had skyrocketed out of the creatures presence alone.


    The brat had somehow summoned a Tailed Beast.


    ...


    Pilot 2


    Ohf, f.u.c.k.i.n.g, course there was a second force of ninja waiting for us. Hiruzen was off to my left, his shaking ''Hokage'' hands clear for the four Kumo ninja surrounding us. Pinning us into a square formation. Our backs to each other.


    Koharu, on the other hand, was the picture of serene. Her killing intent oozing out every other-


    Oh... Maybe that''s why Hiru''s shitting himself.


    I was frankly, rather calm. All things considered.


    One of the ninja, one wearing a kimono of all things, a single loose sword strapped to it, started clapping. Taking idle steps towards us as he did.


    "I must applaud your Hokage''s nerves. To choose to save his heir as opposed to himself..."


    Oh. F.u.c.k.i.n.g. Course. The straw-hat clad ninja recognised me, the man quickly unsheathing his blade.


    "Still, hardly any point in killing just the hokage, when his replacements already prepared."


    Evidently I was getting too famous for my own good.


    "Laughing Tree."


    Naturally, on seeing that, I immediately started patting Hiruzen''s shoulder. The ninja''s, Koharu included at that, face twitching at the action.


    "He''s monologuing-" I twisted my head out of the way of the flying kunai- My eyes widening, my ears straining from the sudden smile on my face. Koharu and Hiruzen immediately disappearing, my emergency seals activating without a hitch. Sending them back to Konoha. And if Sensei had let me tattoo a seal on him against his will, we totally could''ve stolen the jinchuriki before us.


    Or in other words, the distraction I was looking for!


    "Hold!" The samurai grit his teeth, one hand held up. "That treehugger''s mine. Keep a look out for his squad!"


    And really, wasn''t that hilarious?


    I crossed my hands, my kunai blocking the Tailed Beast chakra enhanced blade of the samurai wannabe. His eyes narrowed, clear anger in them. Anger he seemingly held back. The ninja pulled back the slightest, and that was the last action he and his cohorts ever took, a shockwave of chakra erupting from me, pushing him away.


    I clasped my hands together, the hand signs almost instinctual, a chuckle immediately starting, my chakra coursing through the rest of my body with haste. The jinchuriki before me seemed to recognise the seal, his scarred features paling, eyes widening.


    "Are you mad!?" He roared, his form twisting on it''s self, his feet leaping off the ground. A crazed look filtering through his eyes.


    And to that, I of course, replied;


    "Reaper Death Seal!" The pale cloak of the shinigami briefly obscured my visage. Pale tendrils of chakra shot out towards the nearest souls. The startled, anguished and bemused cries dying out as the shinigami clasped hold of their souls. The Jinchuriki''s guard was evidently for show, given the shinigami had ripped through their souls with ease.


    The Jinchuriki on the other hand, despite the fury clouding his eyes, managed to hold onto his own. A metaphorical tug''o''war initiating between us.


    At which point I promptly Flash Stepped a few steps back and let the element of surprise do the work for me. The Jinchuriki''s soul practically ripped itself out of the not-a-samurai''s form at the sudden exertion. A massive explosion of chakra filling the clearing, the tailed beast imprisoned within bursting out of it''s spiritual cage with a thunderous meow.


    The four legged, blue form, of the two tailed beast sailed through the sky, landing on the ground on all paws before me with a crash. The earth cracking under it''s weight. The giant kitten of unholy chakra levelled a single glance at me, the dead bodies surrounding us and the fact the reaper had left without taking it''s due.


    The tailed beast evidently found it disagreed with the smell of literal death in the air, and turned on it''s heels and ran.


    ...This was going to get overblown wasn''t it? Still, without wasting a second more on it, I promptly ran after the giant blue cat of death. The fact it was going in the right direction, towards sensei, was good-


    Fun fact.


    My soul''s evidently been through the shredder so many times, the reaper doesn''t want it anymore.


    -but what I needed was a little bit more height added to the mix...


    Time to send a cat to the moon.


    Figuratively speaking of course.


    For now.


    ...


    Pilot 3


    Kinkaku had seen many things.


    He grit his teeth, blocking the thunderous punch with his own blade. His enhanced eyes giving him enough of a view, despite the mist clouding his senses. His feet repeatedly reinforced the chakra holding him to the ground. The steel of the blade bent out of the sheer force behind the seemingly harmless blow.


    The inside of the nine tails stomach for one.


    He shunshin''d out of the immediate area, his blade back on his hip, both hands fixed for his next jutsu- only to have to crouch at the last second- the laughing maniac suddenly, without a single hand sign, appearing in front of him, throwing a vicious kick across where his head had been a second earlier. The backdraft behind the enhanced limb sent a ripple across the clearing, the mist for a moment pushed back enough to give him a view. One of his brothers battle.


    He''d seen the first Hokage fight.


    The tailed beast to the distance let out another roar, Kinkaku''s face twisting in a wince at the aftershock of what was no doubt a tailed beast ball. The unleashed beast giving the rest of his squad a rather difficult time. And that was to say nothing of the second Hokage. The ninja currently giving his brother a beatdown. He reached into one of his pockets, the Sage''s treasured fan coming out- His free hand quickly pumping chakra into the item. The ninja before evidently knowing what it was given the sudden distancing between them.


    He and his brother had fought Uchiha Madara, and lived to tell the tale.


    He swiped the fan before him. Destructive flames building before him, briefly covering his gaze- His head snapped to the left, the brats foot sticking out from behind him, having aimed for his head. He twisted on the spot, his bent blade already unsheathed, his fan back in his pocket, swiping downwards on the brat currently upside down, his hand keeping him up straight as an arrow. His sword connected with thin air, the ninja''s form shimmering- A silent kai cancelled the genjutsu, his gaze rapidly turning, searching, his sensory skills locating his target without a hitch. His enhanced sense of smell confirming it. Kinkaku reached into his pocket and cursed. The sudden building burst of fire rocketing towards him helped confirm those suspicions.


    He and his brother had attempted a coup during peace negotiations two Kages agreed on.


    He substituted himself, tailed beast chakra rapidly filling up his system- His eyes narrowed as he watched the ninja once again disappear, only to reappear right before him, once again upside down, laughing all the while, in midair. One finger pointed towards him- Kinkaku barely managed to dodge, his head snapping to the right, the sudden point-blank beam of chakra, the attack grazing his skin the slightest. The effected area practically turning numb. Forming several tails out of the red menacing chakra, he aimed the ends on the falling fool- Impaling him without fail. The body didn''t disappear, not another clone. Goal accomplished.


    Despite all he had been through, despite all he''d seen. A child capable of forcing him to exert this much should not have existed- Why was he still laughing-


    Kinkaku froze the moment he finally noticed what was off. The body hadn''t disappeared in a puff of smoke, yet there wasn''t a hint of blood- He watched, his body already trying to create distance between him and the suddenly deconstructing body at the end of his tail. Hundreds of strings latching themselves onto his body from the holes he''d made, his chakra rapidly draining by the second. He watched as a single thread went in the opposite direction- The mist rapidly disappeared, Kinkaku''s body stiffening up as the drain''s escalating power took a toll on his reserves. The strings rapidly twisting around his body held an iron-like grip to them. His body and arms straining against the seemingly endless amount of thread.


    And yet, despite the seemingly endless list of abilities the boy was throwing at him, the one thing that grated his nerves the most was the incessant, endless, laughter.


    Of course, that was the moment the boy seemingly decided to finally shut the hell up. Kinkaku''s chakra already reinforcing his body. His hands already in position to substitute himself out. A humourless smile fixed it''s way onto the ninja before him, Kinkaku''s nerves screaming at him to run as he took in the near tranquil look to the treehugger''s face. Only for another grin to suddenly cut his face, the drain on his chakra, for the third time, rapidly changing. Kinkaku''s body nearly shutting down on the spot. His form fell to the ground, one knee barely staying up.


    And yet, despite the situation he was in, despite having thousends of pieces of string leeching his life force. Despite the fact he was likely going to die. The dread he felt build up in his stomach, hadn''t been directed towards any of that. He''d long since made peace with himself. He''d known taking on the Second Hokages would be a suicide mission. No. The dread he felt at that moment was because he''d finally understood why the laughing tree insisted on laughing.


    Here he was fighting for his life. The treehugger before him however?


    He was having fun.


    His anger boiled, a few of the strings tightened around his arms, burning to his enhanced skin. The nine-tails chakra ripping through them slowly. Kinkaku''s eyes didn''t change the slightest, his fastest acting Genjutsu already hiding the effect from the clueless ninja before him-


    "Seeping crest of turbidity."


    He blinked, not recognising any of the words. The treehugger, noticing this, simply smiled. Kinkaku''s ease however won out, given he could feel no power in them.


    Probably some stupid tradition. He''d certainly seen weirder.


    "Arrogant vessel of Lunacy,"


    He was definitely killing this one. The Hokage could wait.


    ...


    Hope You Enjoyed! Don''t forget feedback!


    As for why Kinkaku didn''t get death sealed?


    "Sensei wouldn''t approve."


    Pilot 4


    ...


    He wasn''t sure whether to call it good fortune, or as it tended to usually be, Danzo''s doing.


    But the trudge back to the Fire Country''s border had been hostile free. Somehow.


    The ''chunin'' in question was currently slumped on his back, dead to the world. His snoring the only sign he was still alive. While he was left to carry him back. It seemed no matter how many leaps and bounds his youngest student made, he still failed to leave enough energy for the journey back. Always having enough to finish a mission, never enough to actually bother with any of the paperwork. And given his student''s protest against ''D'' rank missions, Tobirama figured it was best not to push him on it. Lest he get any ideas like becoming Hokage. Hiruzen certainly wouldn''t stand in his way.


    Still, despite having taught the chunin since his genin days, Danzo still managed to surprise to this day. He could still picture it, clear as day. The moment his student had finished chanting off his new augmented jutsu. The new lines, once again, likely represented signs even he didn''t know off. His student''s knack for foregoing hand seals, whether through verbal or as he was often seen doing, sheer willpower alone, had rose to an unprecedented level.


    He could certainly see why his student believed this particular one deserved a place in the 90''s. Up until then, the highest he''d seen had been one in the 30''s.


    And that alone had managed to wind his student. And given his own control lacked in comparison-The surreal thought never failed to amuse him- he hadn''t been surprised to find himself out of breath at his own attempt.


    The one he''d used days ago however had been on a world of it''s own. He could recall it, with almost crystal clear clarity, the moment he''d seen his student use the Golden brother''s Nine-tail''s infested chakra to power his new jutsu.


    The moment he''d seen an S-class Jinchuriki''s chakra drain down to nothing. Kinkaku''s body immediately forced into a chakra exhausted state. And if it had stopped then and there- Tobirama may have considered allowing his student to practice it in the care of a true Jinchuriki. If only for the sheer raw defensive potential behind it.


    The Two-tail''s beast''s ball had fizzled out on contact with one of those walls.


    -but the, Black Coffin as he''d called it, had evidently required more to power it through. His students own reserves were near emptied following the blonde S-class.


    That had, of course, been the moment he''d called it a good day and slit the incoherent mess of a ninja the silver brother had turned into and grabbed his student and called a strategic retreat. Kumo''s finite supply of S ranks whittling down in his wake, the Two-Tails not batting a glance on them as they made their exit.


    "We got incoming," Danzo''s voice brought him out of his thoughts, the Hokage not batting an eye as he kept walking. His student''s tone bored, the chunin not even bothering to stifle his yawn.


    "Can you see them?" He questioned calmly, his broken arm jostling the slightest as the aforementioned ninja came into view. His held breath coming out instinctively. His brief worry at having to fight in his current position dying down.


    "Ya'' it''s your tsundere fanclub." Some days he really regrets introducing him to the Uchiha clan. Still, his words at least meant Danzo had the energy to joke. Tobirama briefly considered dropping him to the floor, if only to see if he had the energy to stand on his own feet.


    Instead he simply sighed, his gaze locking onto the coming, familiar, Uchiha Counter-recon Squad. Kagami''s, no doubt sheepish, apologies already filtering through the calm air.


    ...

 Chapter 275 - My CO Stash #75 - Wolves That Walk Alone by TheManThatWalksTheAbyss115 (HaloXRWBY)

    -Six cleaning up RWBY is really gratifying atleast for me as i''m really into the Punisher/DoomSlayer vibe!


    Sypnosis: There''s always been growing legends in Remnant. Some of fearless warriors and others of horror, but there''s one that''s recently been picked up by the inhabitants. A legend of a man who was more akin to a wolf without a pack, barely speaking and doing his deed before leaving without a trace. After all... some people just want isolation rather than company.


    Rated: M


    Words: 133K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13280894/1/Wolves-That-Walk-Alone (TheManThatWalksTheAbyss115)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    "This is the Pillar of Autumn. We''re away. The package is delivered." Keyes'' voice rang out. Those were the last words he had heard as he watched the ship break atmosphere. He knew this was his end, he knew that as long as the package was secure and the Pillar made it out safely then his sacrifice wouldn''t be in vain. He walked for a long time, didn''t know how long and it didn''t matter. Eventually he came across the battlefield, broken and barren from the countless battles that had occurred here.


    He managed to get Emile''s dog tags and hold them close next to Jorge''s, despite being with them for a short amount of time, he found companionship in Noble Team. He enjoyed their company like some of the war orphans during his Spartan training. Despite him being a part of the team during the Fall of Reach, he knew that solitude was always going to be his true companion in the end. It wasn''t a stranger to him like some of the others. In fact, he found comfort in solitude. The feeling of isolation calmed him at times and there were moments that brought him back to when he was clearing out insurrectionists by himself.


    The smoke in the sky and Banshees that flew across bounced off his visor. He was brought back to reality when he heard a Phantom approaching and snapped into a stance he always had when he was about to get into a firefight. Turning around and spotting a mounted turret, he gripped it and began firing into a nearby Elite that was coming around a truck. Its shields flared up in response to the amount of rounds being firing into it and eventually they fell, soon blood began to fly out from its body and it slumped over dead. Covenant spotted him and began to shout slurs at him while aiming their weapons and firing. Plasma rounds hit him and made him slightly wince at the force but he wouldn''t give the bastards the satisfaction.


    His vision caught the Phantom soaring overhead and the main gun hone in on him, ripping the turret off its stand, he jumped from the perch as soon as the heavy plasma cannon fired. More rounds from the automated cannon fired after him but he merely avoided them and their area of affect. Once he was sure it was gone, he slightly ducked when a Grunt fired it''s plasma pistol at him, widening its eyes when he turned the turret in its direction and fired. It took seven rounds to kill it and he turned the turret to several Covenant, letting the barrel heat up as he fired rounds at them and reduced their bodies to mere piles of steamy flesh. Three Elites started to rush towards him with their plasma rifles and fire at him; he returned it with the remaining rounds of the turret. Two of the Elites fell while the last one rushed towards him as soon as it realized he was out of ammo for the turret. Quickly dropping the gun, he equipped his DMR and fired four rounds at its head, making it recoil.


    One more shot and its shields broke with a flash before he put another round into its skull, watching as skull fragments and brain matter splattered against the ground. A couple of Grunts started to flee when they saw one of the stronger members of the Covenant fall under the demon and started to run away. Three shots to their skulls made them drop and he saw that he had seven shots left in the magazine. His shields flared up when plasma slammed into him before turning around and firing into the Jackal that was holding its shield up.


    It gave a cry of pain and dropped to its knee when he firing into its hand then firing another round into his skull. He ran into the broken building but not before his helmet cracked when it took a shot of plasma, making him frown. He could tell his HUD was starting to lose some of its features the more his helmet became damaged. He switched his magnum and fired three rounds into a Grunt, ignoring its cries as it died. A plasma grenade stuck to the ground and he could hear it start to explode which forced him dive out of the building. He rolled a few times and came to a crouch, firing the rest of the mag into an Elite before he had to reload.


    More Elites, Jackals, and Grunts started to close in on him, making him fire the rest of his magnum into the crowd before it ran low on ammo. He managed to kill the Grunts and a few of the Jackals but the Elites were still a problem. With his magnum had four rounds in it, he switched back to the DMR and fired the rest of the magazine into a few weak Elites and killed them before reloading quickly.


    Each shot struck home and at the weakest points of the Covenant. Two shots and another Elite was dead before he turned to the other one, firing several shots and killing it shortly after. A noise over his head made him look up to see a Dropship lowering towards the ground and more troops jumped onto the ground and closed in on him. Five shots into the crowd of Covenant and five Grunts were dead, all with holes in their heads. Elites shouted slurs at him but he paid no mind, it didn''t matter in the end because either they would be dead or he would.


    Two magazines later and he finally ran out of ammo for his DMR, a second later another crack appeared on his helmet and rendered his HUD practically useless at this point. He didn''t care, all he needed was another gun and a breather and he''d be ready to go for another ten rounds. Deep down he knew he wouldn''t last another five but he''d make this a fight that they never forgot.


    He moved out of the way when an energy sword swung at him and slammed the butt of his rifle into the Elite, making it roar as its shields went down. This bought him a tiny window to go behind it and jump on its back. His hand clasped around one of its mandibles before pulling with all his might. That sickening crack of the neck made him crack a small smirk before he picked up an energy sword and slashed another one that came from behind, making its body fly a few feet. His fist slammed into another one and knocked its shields down and it made the mistake of throwing its arms up in rage. He went behind it and stood on its back before shoving the sword through its heart and ripping it out.


    Two Elite rushed after him and he quickly sprinted up the stairs, snagging the armor lock and activating it as soon as a grenade landed next to him. The small fuse on it met his ears and soon after it exploded, knocking a few boxes away. The sprint armor ability merely made him faster at times, it didn''t necessarily mean he couldn''t sprint like everyone else, it just meant it enhanced it.


    Two Elites that entered the building were assaulted with heavy rounds from the sniper rifle he picked up earlier. One of their shields were down and fell when he focused fire on the weakened one. He dove backwards when the second one threw a grenade at him and forced him outside. More Covenant saw him and began to fire at him, four Elites focused fire on him and he managed to kill three of them before he couldn''t take it anymore. His weapons were dry and the pain from all the fire was just too much for him to handle, even his helmet felt suffocating.


    He threw it off and ignored the plasma shots there fired his way as he spotted an assault rifle on the ground. He picked up the weapon and fired into the Elite. It staggered towards him but soon fell on the ground dead when he pumped enough rounds into it. Footsteps behind him and his instincts told him to slam the butt of his rifle against the assailant''s face; the Elite from behind fell and tried to get up had he not fired a magnum round into its skull. He holstered his sidearm but recoiled when plasma rifle rounds were firing into body, making him stumble back and fire his assault rifle into the attacker. Another barrage of plasma made him flinch and reach around his waist with his left hand and pull his side arm out.


    One Elite fell from the magnum rounds. Another from the assault rifle that shredded its body. The third rushed up to him and shoved him harshly, throwing him onto the ground and knocking his weapons from his hands. The Ultra jumped onto him but he blocked it with his foot and shoved it away, back onto his broken helmet. A Zealot tried to stab him but missed when he moved out of the way and slammed his fist against it, knocking its sword away. The Ultra tried to pin him down but he slammed his elbow against it, the force of the blow was enough to break its shields and break its neck. He was about to stand up but felt a searing pain in his abdomen.


    He shakily looked down to see the energy dagger from the Zealot in his abdomen. It said something to him and he gripped its hand with his before pulling with all his might. The snapping of bone and tearing of flesh met his ears before he let go and saw its hand next to him. He ignored the wails of pain from it and turned his head towards to his left to see the smoke slightly clear up.


    His vision slowly started to fade when he saw the battlecruiser overhead. All was quiet except for the winds that were blowing. The burning sensation in his abdomen had long since faded from the intense heat of the plasma. For the first time in the three days he had been in this constant struggle to survive after the Fall of Reach... he smiled. Not because he was dying and was lying in a pile of slain enemies that went into the dozens, possibly hundreds, but because he knew humanity would prevail in the end. He knew that someone down the road would finish the fight, not for him, but for mankind itself. They''d take his and Noble Team''s sacrifice and make sure the people of mankind survive the future. His job was done now, he could rest. After all...


    There''ll be another time...


    Six wasn''t a stranger to the unknown. He welcomed it at times unlike others who feared it. The first thing he noticed was that it was cold, not like Sword Base on the Babd Catha Ice Shelf but more along the lines of a cold fall morning. The second thing was that he was in the woods, the quiet woods that put him on alert so much that he didn''t notice some things at first. His HUD was fixed, he had his DMR and a shotgun on his back, and a TAC pad on his forearm. He set his weapons down and took off his helmet to inspect it. It wasn''t his Mark V but a Grenadier helmet with a UA/FC accessories on it. Sniper shoulder armor that held Anti-material rounds. His chest armor was what he had observed as Collar/Breacher variant that held shells for his shotgun. A trauma kit on his leg for utility and a TACPAD on his wrist. Grenadier knee guards and a black visor for a more intimidating look he supposed.


    "Odd..." He muttered and put the helmet back on. He recognized the shotgun and it was Emile''s, which made him reach around and pull out his dog tags, letting them dangle in his hands. Staring at them for a minute, he sighed then put them back in their place before heading off in a direction. This wasn''t Reach. Reach was a scorched planet and a fallen bastion of humanity, he didn''t know how he got here to be honest. It confused him and that bothered him. Confusion led to poor decision making, and that led to mistakes that could be made. Mistakes at the wrong time led to one''s downfall.


    Humming at his thoughts drifting, he kept North for some reason. For all he knew, he could be on a planet taken over by the Covenant so keeping his guard up was his only option. Time passed by and he came across what looked like a village. He went on alert when he heard shouting and quickly hid in one of the bushes and observed from a distance. There were people storming into homes and houses, hauling out valuables and food while some people lied dead on the ground. To his right was a truck that was being loaded with bags and boxes full of supplies. People were being rounded up and either assaulted or killed on the spot.


    These weren''t insurrectionists, their gear didn''t match; some brandished guns while others wielded swords. No, he knew what insurrectionists looked like and operated like and these weren''t it, they were too uncoordinated, too arrogant for his taste. Despite them being human, they were threatening innocent people which meant he had all the right to put them in the ground. He''s only been here for maybe three hours since he woke up in the woods but he''s already seen something that needed to be stopped. There were shouts from the civilians and he silently crept towards the driver of the truck. He had been looking for a word for the attackers and nothing came up other than the term Bandit. These people were nothing but mere bandits like in some of the history books he used to read in his downtime.


    He had the element of surprise and he wouldn''t compromise his position yet. It took him sticking close to the ground and the driver too busy looking backwards to notice him until he was right next to him. The man didn''t even get to utter a single noise before gigantic hands gripped his mouth and the back of his head then twisted. A sickening crack was heard and the body slumped onto the ground with a thump. He grabbed the body and threw it over his shoulder like it was a mere pillow and opened the truck door, throwing the body into the driver''s seat and leaning it against the wheel.


    He hadn''t anticipated the honking and was about to take the body off but a plan formed in his mind. It would draw some of them in the area where he could either eliminate them or slip inside the compound and take them out from the inside, only time would tell. Forcing himself to move back to his spot in the bushes, he went to a prone position and hoped that the brush would provide enough camouflage to hide him. Like he anticipated, some of them came out and investigated the sudden noise, it allowed him enough time to sneak inside without a sound. It was a very long street that had houses on either side, which provided him with a perfect amount of cover.


    The bandits were suddenly on alert when they found one of their own dead but Six wasn''t paying that much attention to them, he was more focused on the one that was currently bringing a young girl, presumably sixteen, down one of the alleyways. He threw her on the ground and chuckled darkly as he brandished a knife, unaware that Six was approaching from behind without a sound. Her eyes were wide with fear as he brought the knife closer and she flinched when he thrust it down, closing her eyes in anticipation to her death. The blow never came though.


    She looked up to see the man gagging while a 6''9 behemoth of a titan had one hand around the offending arm and the other around the man''s windpipe. He dug his armored hand into the windpipe and squeezed with an impressive display of force. The sickening sound of flesh being torn resonated through the air, her eyes widened when the titan suddenly ripped the man''s throat out like it was wet paper and threw the body away and the throat. She scooted back in fear when the titan looked down on her and knelt to her level, tilting his head.


    "Are you injured?" He asked. His tone was cold, calculative, but it held a minuscule amount of worry for her well being.


    "N-No. I''m fine... thank you." She gulped.


    "I advise you to stay here. I''ll handle the threats." He said. She nodded shakily and watched as he equipped his DMR and silently crept through the spaces between houses, never once making a sound. He saw that there were fifteen bandits in total, eleven near the dozen civilians and four alerted ones near the truck at the entrance of the town. He wouldn''t really call this town but more along the lines of a village, or a settlement for that matter. His boots barely made a sound as he dashed across the street and aimed down the sights to see one of the bandits hold a gun up to one of the civilians. He hadn''t forgotten his training but he would not risk a civilian''s death on his watch and honed his sights on the offending bandit, pulling a trigger before they could.


    The crack of his DMR rang loudly throughout the air and the round soared quickly before planting itself through the man''s skull. His head snapped back as the round went through and splattered brain matter and skull fragments on the ground. He disappeared around the corner of the house as soon as he fired and went behind another house the moment he heard shouting. They knew he was here, he still had the element of surprise but not as much as he would like. He heard shouts of spreading out and slightly beamed. Them spreading out made it easier to take them out one by one. With how disorganized they were, it was no surprise that those three that he killed fell like ants. But he was not one to underestimate an enemy force, he would remain vigilant.


    Two went down the alley that he was occupying but didn''t see him until they rounded the corner. Before they could fire a shot, he equipped his combat knife and slashed one of their throats before parrying another one that had a sword. She slashed at Six but spat up saliva when he slammed the palm of his hand against her stomach before a quick slash of the knife made her gurgle wetly as blood leaked out profusely. Six watched the bodies lie on the ground for a few seconds before dashing behind the houses, avoiding the field of vision from the ones approaching. He was three houses down when he saw two more bandits spot the recently killed ones then bellow in rage, claiming how they were going to find him and make him suffer.


    Twelve of them left.


    His instincts blared and he ducked to avoid an axe that would''ve connected to his neck had he not moved out of the way. He turned around to see a man that was around his height snarl at him before pulling the weapon free. He swung twice but both swipes were dodged with precision. Six blocked an overhead swipe easily then twisted the gun clockwise, making the man lose some of his grip on the splitting tool. He managed to throw the weapon into the dirt before grabbing a punch sent his way then twist the man''s wrist painfully. His foot lashed out and kicked his shin before he flipped him over his shoulder with his hand still in his then twisted quickly, breaking the man''s wrist and forearm. He screamed painfully before being silenced with a single shot to the forehead, alerting the others to his position.


    They knew he was here which meant they were closing in on his position quickly, more than he had anticipated but he adapted. One made the mistake of coming around the corner too quickly and jerked his head back when a single DMR round punched a hole in his head, making him crumble to the ground. He kicked the backdoor of the house down then dove inside when rounds started flying his way. He knew his shields would keep him safe momentarily but his training and instincts kicked in so he couldn''t help it. He treated every situation like it was life or death, which is ironic, because this very well could be.


    He saw that the kitchen connected to the living room and that connected to the front door. His shotgun was in his hands and his DMR was on his back as he aimed his gun at the backdoor. One of the bandits made the foolish mistake of coming through the door that he kicked down and found a M296 Magnum shell discharged into her torso, which punched a hole the size of a dinner plate into it. Blood and gore splattered against the walls as her body flew out of the entrance.


    A grenade was thrown into the house next to him and the fuse was going, making him activate his armor lock and feel the force of the grenade. He didn''t know what kind of grenade that was because the area around him cackled with electricity but was quickly snuffed out when the EMP from the armor lock burst out. Shots from the front door splintered the wood and hit him, making his shields flare up in response; the effects were... rather weak. It was like a weaker version of plasma in his opinion. His shields still took a mildly concerning amount of damage but it didn''t really make him tense up like he did when Plasma was thrown his way.


    He looked at the motion tracker and fired two shells at the door, the sound of two bodies slumping met his ears and gave him some breathing room for a quick second.


    Seven hostiles left. Their deaths would be quicker than they could blink or it could be brutal, depending on the situation. The front door to the house was kicked in and he had to duck underneath a set of arms that tried to grasp him. His fist clenched tightly and he uppercutted a massive man that was a few inches taller than him. His foot slammed on the man''s shin and a natural force field from him cackled and sputtered before being replaced with the snapping of bone. He fell. Hard enough to shake the ground a bit.


    His screaming suddenly stopped when Six jumped up high in the air and crushed the man''s skull beneath both his feet. The force of the jump combined with the weight of him and the armor made the skull crush like a gr.a.p.e. Blood flew from the crushed head and splattered against the walls and his armor. The back door exploded with bullets and they impacted his shields a bit, he sighed and slightly winced before rolling out of the front door and into the main street. The civilians saw him aim his gun in their direction and fire half a second later, making them cower down. They screamed when they heard the shots but slowly opened their eyes when they saw neither of those two rounds were meant for them, rather the two bandits that were keeping some of the group hostage.


    Four left.


    Two bandits came from the house adjacent to him while the other two others followed from his opposite. Their eyes were wide at his size but also the blood that seemed to dribble down his armor. They backed up when his stance shifted and he switched to his shotgun when they surrounded him. All was quiet as the four surrounded him and began to circle him while brandishing different weapons. Everything seemed to slow down as a plan formed in his mind as he assessed the situation.


    Four attackers. One has a gun, the two diagonal to him have swords, and the final one seems to have an axe but with a trigger on it? He closed his eyes and let out a few calming breaths before snapping them open when a battle cry was heard. He ducked down quickly to avoid a shot from the gun user before sweeping his leg of one of the sword users. His shotgun was leveled at the ranged attacker and he pulled the trigger, watching the man''s body fly through the air then land on one of the stalls, turning it into splinters. The sword attacker beneath him looked up to see the barrel pointing at him before his world went black. The other sword attacker managed to move out of the way from the first shotgun blast at him but a loud crack from his neck was heard when Six slammed the stock of the gun against his throat.


    He jumped back when the man with the axe swung downwards at him and twisted out of the way when a shot from the axe came soon after. He dodged several swipes from the weapon then ducked underneath a wide swipe before rushing up to the attacker and equipping his combat knife. There was a loud shattering noise and and the squelching of the knife entering the man''s heart rang out. Six twisted the knife a bit and heard the man groan before dragging the knife upwards and watched as a geyser of blood shot out. It sprayed for a few seconds before the body crumbled to the ground.


    Everything was quiet as he looked at the carnage he had enacted then his eyes caught sight of the civilians. Some of them flinched when he looked towards them while others seemed to scoot away when he approached them. They closed their eyes when he brought out his combat knife and reached towards them, only to shakily open them when they saw he was cutting their bindings. It barely took any strength to actually cut the rope and it took a few minutes to actually set everyone free but he managed to do it. Once they were all free and hugged one another, they looked at him. There was a sudden tenseness in the air as they stared at the giant black and red death machine that seemed to slaughter an entire bandit tribe easily.


    "What''s your name?" One of them asked. At first, he was silent but then he realized that they had been waiting for an answer for what he assumed was a few minutes.


    "Some people just call me six." He answered. Some people winced at his particularly cold voice.


    "That''s not a name, it''s a number. Are you part of a new Atlas squad or something?" Another one asked.


    "Atlas?" He tilted his head.


    "Yeah, Atlas, you know the biggest and strongest military in the world? Figured you''d be some new elite force or something with all those gizmos on you." The person pointed towards his armor.


    "... No." He answered curtly.


    "You a huntsmen or something then?" The same person asked.


    "What''s that?" He asked. He really didn''t know what these people were talking about. Atlas seemed to be a military on this planet but as far as he knew, there wasn''t anything stronger than the UNSC, maybe the Covenant but even they were still going to lose to humanity in the end. If there was a strong military than it would''ve picked up on the UNSC''s radar.


    "You okay there, buddy?" One asked.


    "I''m fine. What is it that you were saying about those Huntsmen?" He asked. Some looked at him weird and he could hear their confused whispers about him not knowing about those two things. He listened to the various people explain about the world to him, from Atlas and their military, to the other kingdoms and their academies. Needless to say, he was extremely confused about the events that had transpired and was slightly distraught when he figured he wasn''t in UNSC territory. He was possibly on a lost colony planet or something but even that was a long shot.


    He needed to leave.


    Staying on this uncharted planet spelled all sorts of problems for him and could eventually lead to his affiliation with the UNSC. If a foreign power even got a hold of Spartan armor then there''s no telling what they could do with it, possibly nothing judging by the outfits these people wore. He asked more questions about the planet and soaked up everything he could about it before taking a bit of supplies then leaving. A part of him wanted to stay and help these people rebuild their little settlement but he couldn''t trust even one of them to report him to this Atlas if they got the chance.


    He didn''t know about this world one bit but he would learn quickly like everything else he mastered. If he could then he''d send signals and hope a UNSC ship could pick him up. There must be a reason as to why he''s stuck on this rock rather than be in the afterlife or a smoldering, burnt, shriveled up corpse on Reach. If he was alive and fully operational then it meant he could continue to fight.


    The most he took from these people was a tattered cloak that covered his body, a map, some food and water to last him a few days, and their thanks for saving them. He didn''t need praise for saving innocents, what he needed was to get back to the UNSC so they could get him back in the fight. There was a job to do after all.


    .


    .


    .


    He just didn''t know how long it''d take before he was found on this uncharted planet.


    Chapter 2


    The sound of his heavy boots hit the light snow beneath him, creating a crunching noise. The continent he was in was currently called Atlas, known for its rather strong military. Over the course of a few days and nights, he had learned that there was an evil known as Grimm, the stuff of nightmares apparently feared by most. He had the pleasure of dealing with a few of them. They were about as troublesome as a group of Grunts, only thing was that Grunts had tactics and could change the turn of a battle at the cost of their lives, something Grimm don''t do half the time.


    The wind blew to the side of him as he walked without a direction. What more could he do other than walk in hopes of finding something? He didn''t have the UNSC to give him orders, he didn''t have a goal to complete, and he didn''t have anything to keep him occupied. He was just... wandering. From what the locals said about this planet, they had never achieved space travel nor even launched a satellite into space which meant their technology was severely lacking. Going to the military was off limits; never in his life would he work with a foreign power, even if it meant he would live at the top. Wearing another uniform other than the one the UNSC provided for him was like dishonoring all that he worked for. He followed their protocols, nobody else''s.


    He walked for a long time, presumably a day or two until he reached a rather quiet town. People entered and exited it without a care in the world, some even looked at him while he just went by them. His cloak covered his entire body and the hood did a remarkable job in covering his helmet, the less people knew about him the better. What he was looking for was a shop or something to gather more Dust, food, and supplies. Sleeping in the wild was kind of relaxing and it kept his skills sharp when he fought experienced Grimm and some less than savory individuals. After wandering for several minutes and looking around he found a rather small shop that held at least food and water.


    A bell jingled as he opened the door and stepped inside, browsing the selection. Some minutes passed by and he had brought numerous canned items that would serve him well and managed to find a small bag to hold the items. The cashier wasn''t paying attention and didn''t notice him until he put the items on the counter. She jumped in surprise and laughed sheepishly as she scanned the items, occasionally glancing at him. It was rude of her to stare but she couldn''t help but shudder around him; it was like a wolf staring down its prey before lunging in for the kill.


    "Is that all?" She asked, throwing him a kind smile. In reality she wished that he would kind of just leave, not that she had a problem with him but something about the way he was around her made her feel somewhat fearful.


    "Yes. Thank you." His cold voice replied, making her wince. He threw some lien cards down and exited the store, those cards were stolen off of the bandits he killed previously and saw that they were the form of currency of this planet. She finally released the breath she didn''t realize she was holding as soon as he exited the store.


    When he exited the store and headed towards the next one that held Dust, he stopped in the street when he heard a scream and turned to see a Grimm tackle a guard at the front gate before sinking its jaws into his neck, killing him instantly. Civilians pushed past him and ran from the Grimm while he just stood there motionless as they went in their homes. Some of the guards tried to usher him into getting inside and one even tried to force him inside one of the buildings but was failing miserably. A red blip on his motion tracker made him grip the guard''s collar and swing him around to narrowly avoid the lunge of a Beowolf.


    It roared at him in response to his intervention but soon found a DMR round piercing its skull. He managed to bring out his weapon faster than anyone could blink and kill the offending Grimm effortlessly. Some of the people staring from their windows widened their eyes when he took off his cloak and bag then threw them to the side to reveal his large figure. He was a healthy 6''9 armored titan that seemed to have two weapons.


    Two shots rang out and two Grimm fell before they could pounce on guards, making them quickly look to see an armored man heading towards them. In the span of a few seconds, he was next to them firing into the horde of Grimm. He was a lot quicker than some of them had imagined and it disturbed them a bit to see a man that large be that fast but they were glad he was on their side. The guards at the gate fired into the horde of Grimm that were quickly rushing towards them. Four shotgun shells being discharged and two Ursa and two Beowolves were dead at their feet. Some of the guards glanced to see Six''s shotgun barrel smoking a bit before he fired two more shells and two more Grimm fell down. His reloading speed made some of the more veteran guards jealous as they watched him load shell after shell with speed and grace.


    He switched back to his DMR and fired seven rounds into the Grimm, killing seven with smoking holes in their heads. One of the guards screamed as a larger Beowolf gained ground on them at a fast pace, ignoring most of their rounds as it honed in on them. It managed to lunge towards one of them but quickly found its prey whipped to the side when Six hauled the smaller guard and watched as the large Beowolf skid against the ground. He suddenly took off while it was recovering and kneed it in the face, listening to the cracking of its armor and saw blood fly from its snout.


    It roared at him and swiped downwards but he just leaned out of its attack and curled his fist, sending it rocketing towards it''s snout once again. Bone cracked and teeth flew as another roar escaped its lips. Rounds pelted it from the guards at the gate, who had finished dealing with the oncoming horde, and were assisting Six. It roared at them but yelped in pain when he slammed his foot against its leg and broke its leg. He watched its large body fall to the ground and jumped high into the air, letting his combined weight of the armor and his own to slam against its head, making it explode in a shower of blood and gore.


    Everything was quiet for a while as some of the townspeople slowly came out of their homes and stores to look around. Soon their eyes wandered to him as he silently went back to his tattered cloak and bag before putting his weapons on his back then slink the cloth around his body and let it cover him again. He could feel their eyes on him but that didn''t matter, as he was about to leave the town he was stopped by someone and that led to everyone in town crowding around him, thanking him for saving them. All he really answered was their questions about what he needed. They gave him some Dust, some supplies to bathe himself once he figured out how to get his armor off, some more supplies, and some money after some reluctance on his part. He didn''t even enjoy being rewarded this much for saving them but it''s not like he could talk them out of anything at the moment.


    "You should stay, I mean you must be tired." One of the people said.


    "I''m fine. I just needed supplies." He answered curtly. Some looked at him and saw him begin to walk back out into the wild. They didn''t even get to ask for his name, all they managed to get was his description of his armor.


    The most prominent thing was the black wolf howling in front of a white moon insignia.


    There was a tiny objective on his mind, head to a new continent. As much as he enjoyed the snow, it got quite tiresome after trekking through it for the last several days. He had been travelling for several days and after much experimentation, had managed to find a way to get his armor off by himself and put it back on. This served him well since he had to relieve himself and bathe. He usually slept in caves or in trees that were strong enough to hold his weight.


    It was around that time when he sent another distress signal from the TACPAD then continued to walk towards the port. From what he understood from the map, there was a shipping area that housed numerous sh.i.p.s. One of those sh.i.p.s could possibly take him some place other than the snow, it was annoying to see nothing but white all the time. He wanted to see some green, a little bit of red, even some orange wouldn''t hurt but nothing but pure white snow was going to drive him nuts.


    A hollow blip on his radar made him stop walking, letting the wind blow his cloak to the side and partly reveal his armored legs. More blips appeared around him and had him surrounded but that didn''t really make him nervous like most. He had a small hunch that someone would eventually find him, he had saved two settlements in the last few weeks so it would be foolish to think that word didn''t travel fast. Instead of waiting to figure out who was surrounding him, he just started to walk again. If these people wanted to have a conversation then they would be disappointed, if they wanted to fight then they better start praying because he would show no mercy to them.


    He saw the blips follow him until he was in a snowy clearing, the oddly broken moon illuminated the night as the wind kept blowing to the side of him. After a few minutes of walking in the clearing he stopped and finally looked over his shoulder to see some people following him. Despite them thinking they were well blended, they weren''t. He didn''t even need to look at his motion tracker to see that they were following him, it was just that he knew they were there. They just stared at him while he did the same before turning back around and continuing to walk.


    Their blips suddenly turned red as one of them rushed at him from behind. He moved to the side and equipped his knife. The attacker barely caught the shimmer of the blade before their world when black when he shoved it in their skull. A wet, squelching noise broke the silence as he ripped the knife out and fully turned to see several attackers. The blood dripped down from his knife and landed in the snow with a soft impact sound.


    Some of the attackers stood at the ready before parting ways when a woman with a rather strange mask stepped out in front.


    "You have some skill to take on members on that settlement a week and a half ago. They were some of the more competent members." She complimented with a mock clap. The air was tense as the group stared at the lone man who took out a member in half a second with no hesitation at all. His eyes flicked to each one quickly as he took in their features before closing them and opening them once more. They saw him spread his feet slightly and flip his combat knife in a reverse grip then standing still as a statue.


    She whistled and two bandits sped towards him, each one raising their weapons, only to fall over dead when he brought out his shotgun quicker than anyone could blink. That little knife stance was merely a deception, it worked perfectly since those dead attackers were none the wiser. The shells clattered against the snow and bounced once before coming to a standstill as he continued to stare at them.


    Three bandits came rushing at him and he put away his shotgun and took out his knife, parrying the first slash at him before countering it with a throat slash. The second one swung at him twice while the third came from behind and stabbed at his back. He moved out of the way as the machete impaled the second one before he grabbed the third one by his neck and held him high with one hand. He gagged violently and tried to hit Six''s arms but suddenly went limp when the Spartan applied pressure on his neck and broke it like a stick.


    Snow kicked up when he dropped the body then went back to staring at the group, who''s numbers were dwindling rapidly. It set them on edge and even the leader was beginning to grit her teeth. She had seen his armor and weapons and that desire to have all of it clouded her mind, on the other hand, she wanted him in her ranks. His skills meant they could train new recruits and have more successful raids.


    "... It seems we have underestimated you." She gritted her teeth.


    "It seems you have." He spoke for the first time. His cold voice seemed to have a lower temperature than the air outside.


    "Huh, and here I thought you were some Atlas death machine. Good to know that you''re human." She smirked.


    "What do you want?" He asked.


    "At first, your supplies but now that I see you''re a capable fighter so I''ll cut you a deal. If you-" She didn''t get to finish when he started to walk again.


    "No." He interrupted.


    "No? No?! Don''t you turn your back on me!" She shouted.


    "I''m wasting time listening to a piece of human garbage. I''d rather reach my destination then listen to you monologue about me joining you." He answered curtly. It was true, he had somewhere to be and she was wasting precious time. He needed to find some place that would be different and the military was after him. Yes, he knew the military of this world was after him after he saved those two settlements. Word travels fast around here.


    "You... you bastard!" She bellowed and shot towards him. His motion tracker caught sight of her speeding figure and he turned around just in time to avoid a rather wide slash of her sword. He recognized her sword as an odachi, a rather large sword meant for long slashes. Despite it being a rather large sword, she was swinging it extremely quick. It kept him on guard most of the time but years of dodging bullets, plasma, and energy swords honed his skills.


    A horizontal slash made him duck underneath the blade but then quickly twist out of the way when she followed up with a vertical slash. She slashed at him twice before sending a kick out, to which he parried and sent an open palm to her solar plexus. Her air supply was cut off and she couldn''t inhale or exhale, giving him the window to send a series of quick, but strong, jabs to her face and chest. When she recovered enough air and slashed at him, he had to hold up his forearms to block her quick strike. The shields flared up and he saw it take a portion of it off but also saw her blade snap. Her eyes slightly widened and he took this opportunity to grip her arm and flip her over his shoulder, equipping his knife and thrusting it towards her, sending the blade deep into her shoulder and splashing the snow with blood.


    Her scream made his eyes flicker to his motion sensors to quickly let her go and spin out of the way of a torrent of rounds sent towards him. His DMR was brought out quickly fired a single round, striking the attacker in the skull and splattering the pristine white ground with blood and brain matter. Before any of the other ones could react, he fired three more rounds and killed three more bandits before turning his attention back to the woman.


    She growled at him and air kicked up behind her as she rocketed towards him and began to slash at his unguarded parts. Her eyes narrowed in fury when he would either parry her attack or simply dodge, very rarely would she be rewarded with a successful hit but his shields otherwise took a majority of the damage. More rounds pelted his body and tore into his cloak and he reacted by firing two rounds into another bandit, killing him quickly then turning back to the woman once again.


    If looks could kill, he''d be dead where he stood because she was glaring at him while putting her broken sword back in his sheath then bringing it out again with a different colored blade. This one was a dark purple, almost black color, and every time she swung at him it felt like gravity itself was pushing against him. He moved out of a diagonal swing and kneed her in the stomach, watching as her eyes widened in pain before he gripped her hair and threw her onto the ground.


    She swung at his feet but he jumped quickly then slammed his right foot on her offending wrist. The snapping of bone met his ears and her scream echoed in the night while some of her assailants widened their eyes at the noise. He ignored her scream then slammed his foot against her face, breaking the mask and her nose in the process while breaking her wrist even further. Did they really think he''d show mercy in this fight? Mercy in a fight like this only meant one''s downfall and he''d be damned if he showed any to these filth.


    He had to roll to the side when a hammer struck the ground next to him then swung at him again. This time, he gripped the hammer tightly and made the attacker''s eyes widen before he wretched the weapon out of the man''s hands then swung it with all his might. That sickening crack of the skull made him smirk and the snapping of the man''s neck made him shake his head at the foolish attempt of an attack. He looked back to see the rest of the bandits shaking in their boots before they turned tail and ran away. It made him scoff at this.


    There was groaning and he turned back to see the woman that attacked him starting to crawl away while blood leaked from her nose profusely. She heard the sound of snow crunching behind her and crawled towards her weapon but was dragged away from it. A large hand gripped her throat and hauled her high off the ground with one hand, making her stare into the black visor of the Spartan.


    "I merely wanted to leave this continent and you had the audacity to stop me..." He said calmly, too calmly in her opinion. It was like a predator staring at its latest prey before sinking its jaws into it.


    "I could''ve shown you a way off if you would''ve joined me." She managed to get out.


    "At the cost of being a parasite like you. I''d rather die alone than stoop to your levels." He bit back coldly. She used her right unbroken fist to punch him in the visor but widened when he caught it and twisted it with a sickening crunch. She screamed once again in pain before gagging when he tightened his grip immensely. Her feet dangled as she kicked his chest but was met with a metal that was harder than she had ever dealt with.


    In a last ditch effort, she opened up a portal and used an immense amount of aura that was poured into her legs to kick him. It made him stumble and loosen his grip on her which she used to kick off and fall into the portal, effectively closing it behind herself before the monstrous man before her could enter.


    He stood there for a while, confused as to what just happened. The woman that had broken wrists managed to escape him by opening up a portable warp drive that was about the size of him. His new objective was to find this woman again, if she had slipspace technology then there could be a chance that he could find his way back home and get back to the UNSC. It did irk him a little bit that this thieving, wasteful sack of skin had that technology and used it to steal from less fortunate people.


    The wind blew onto his already tattered cloak, which now had bullet holes in it, and snapped him out of his thoughts. He walked to the bodies and took off his cloak and bag before starting to loot the bodies for supplies. It was a shitty thing to do but he didn''t care at this point, he did it with fallen comrades and he''ll do it to these sc.u.m if it meant he had supplies to survive. What he found was some lien cards that he could use to purchase items, some ammunition that didn''t match his so he ignored it, some food, and a little bit of other stuff that he found useful.


    Once he was done looting the corpses, he went back and started to walk again. It wasn''t his fault this people chose to live in such a dangerous condition. It''s not like he wanted to kill them but they had made their choice just as he had; only difference was that he had better training than these buffoons.


    He was just trying to survive, not his fault he was the predator instead of the prey.


    It took a few more days before he even remotely reached the docks and another day to sneak on a ship. He had managed to catch a ride on a cargo ship by creeping inside one of the containers. That familiar feeling of the crane picking it up and lowering it on the ship is what made him sigh in relief. It was maybe an hour in when he felt the full weight of the fatigue hit him. He took off his helmet and set it next to him before closing his eyes and letting the sweet embrace of slumber take a hold of him.


    His sleep ended up being around six good hours and he felt well rested from it. A few stretches and he put his helmet back on and slowly opened the crate door with a loud groan. It was night outside and the cold air from before was replaced with a moderately cool to warm one. He really didn''t have a destination in mind but he did enjoy the solitude for the most part, it was like he was a civilian that just traveled for the hell of it. Another reason is if was found by some lowly bandits then who''s to say the military wouldn''t find out about him and try to either capture him or persuade him onto their side? Not that he would.


    He didn''t know where this ship led to but he had an idea that it was headed towards some tropical area or moderately warm area. Thoughts of Reach hit him like a train and it was at this moment did he truly feel the weight of the deaths of Noble. All their deaths hit him like a train and guilt started to fill his heart a bit. It wasn''t like he hated being on alone but being on a team showed him companionship that he wasn''t accustomed to. After ten minutes of wallowing in self-guilt, he pushed those emotions down. They were gone shortly after. Each member beside Jun, that he knew of, was gone and nothing would change the fact.


    Darkness filled his vision again as he closed his eyes and let slumber take his body. Sleeping like this wasn''t like him but he didn''t disagree with the amount of quiet time and decided to indulge a bit. Have to enjoy the little breaks when the universe gives it to you.


    The loud blaring of the fog horn made him open his eyes quickly and look around to see he was still in the crate. He looked at his TACPAD to see a whopping week had passed by, making his eyes widen in alarm. His body must have shut down for some reason and put it into a sort of rest mode from the lack of sleep he''s experienced for the last few weeks. Sleeping this long meant he was slacking and slacking meant punishment in his eyes. Before he could take off and get to training, he did an assessment of his situation. In a crate, check. Tattered cloak and bag, check. On an uncharted planet with no way of getting back home, check. A breath he didn''t know he was holding was released from his mouth and he stretched a bit before going to the container and opening the door.


    There were workers unloading the crates and he decided that now was the perfect opportunity to leave and head in a direction. He peeked over the railing to see if anyone was looking in his direction and used it to spring off and land on the concrete with a loud cracking noise. People looked at the crater that seemed to come out of nowhere and just barely managed to see a cloak disappear around the corner. They looked at the spot for a few more seconds then went back to what they were doing.


    Meanwhile, he just crept through the shipping containers until he found an opening and went through it. Pretty soon, he was in the streets brushing past people without a care in the world of what they thought of him. Some looked and stared at his gigantic figure while others just went about their day.


    He walked for a long time, until the sun was dipping over the horizon. He spotted a rather large gate and a store next to it, it was a supermarket he saw back in that Atlas, or the snow continent. His supplies were getting low and he had deduced that he had enough funds to pay for a few items then head out once again.


    The supermarket had more canned goods and some water to fill his canteen up with along with some medical supplies. He was busy browsing some of the selection and looking at the nutritional value on some of the items. When he was done looking at the things he wanted to purchase, he loaded a stack of them onto the counter and watched as the clerk scanned the items with boredom. The whole time he noticed something about the man in front of him. He had horns.


    "That''ll be forty lien." The man said. He was met with silence and looked up to see Six staring at him from underneath his hood. It was silent and the air began to get heavy with tension.


    "S-sir?" The man asked.


    "You have horns." Six stated while tilting his head a bit.


    "Yeah? What of it?" The man snapped.


    "Nothing. Never seen someone with horns on their head before." Six stated before throwing a few lien cards onto the counter then leaving without another word. He didn''t seem to notice the odd look of the clerk''s face as he walked towards the gate, where more people with animal parts were blocking. They had signs up and seemed to be protesting. Despite the fact that people from both inside the city and outside were trying to make their way through. It brought a small frown to his face. People were trying to go about their day but this group was too busy protesting in the middle.


    As much as he wanted to intervene, this wasn''t his fight. Getting in the middle of this meant creating an unnecessary conflict and it was something he wasn''t fond of. So in favor of just staying out of it, he merely did something that stopped a few of them. He walked straight into the middle of the crowd and brushed through them. A lot of them merely went silent as they witnessed a clothed behemoth go through them without a care in the world. Some managed to get a peek underneath his hood and backed off immediately. A single sentence from his cold voice made them all go stiff.


    "Do not cause unnecessary conflict with innocents... or I''ll stop you faster than you can blink." He merely whispered. While his voice was quiet, the group of protesters felt a cold chill go down their bodies and took an involuntary step back when he walked past them, into the wild silently, never once looking back.


    The days seemed to slip by as he traveled in this new continent. It was a nice change of pace from seeing all the snow. He had learned that this continent was called Mistral, it seemed to be rich in forestry and some of the greenery calmed him at times. It was a good thing he had stocked his back to the brim in supplies because it would probably be a while until another town popped up. He pulled out his map and saw that he wasn''t even close to another town and sighed before going back to walking. There were times when he wished that he had a vehicle, maybe then travelling wouldn''t be so bad. Yet, walking truly was relaxing at times. It often made him appreciate think how his life could''ve been normal had he not been trained to be a Spartan. His hate for the Covenant clouded every rational thought in his young mind at the time but there was nothing that could be done now.


    While his mind wandered, as did his body, a small clearing came across him. There seemed to be someone lying on the ground. As he approached them, he noticed that they were bleeding heavily and barely clinging onto life. When he finally arrived at their battered body, he took in their features; female, red and black hair, silver eyes that was slowly fading, a black blouse, and a rather white cloak that was slowly bleeding to red. Her breathing was labored and part of him was about to stand up and leave but a small part of him had put another Spartan in her place, it made him sigh. It was always troublesome being in situations like these, he was a killer not a savior.


    Kneeling down and rummaging through his bag, he found some gauze and alcohol then began to wrap her wounds. While it wouldn''t heal her, it would at least stop her bleeding until he could find either a hospital or a local town to drop her off at. It took a while and she was barely clinging to life but he managed to stop her bleeding and, as gently as he could, pick her and carry her. She had eaten into his medical supplies deeply and it made him scowl a bit but sigh when he realized he was getting greedy. A person at death''s doorstep was slowly dying and the most he could think of was himself.


    The last thing the woman saw was her reflection as she stared at the pitch black visor underneath the tattered cloak before the sweet embrace of unconsciousness engulfed her and filled her mind with darkness.


    She woke up with a gasp and looked around wildly. The last thing she remembered was fighting a man with a scorpion''s tail in a clearing then losing. He was extremely quick and lethal, aiming to kill right off the bat and he almost did. As she tried to sit up, a sudden wave of pain engulfed her body and made her lie back down on the ground. Her eyes blinked and she saw that she was lying down in a cave, one that was possibly near a settlement. She was lying on her cloak but another one was covering her, it was a tattered cloak that had seen better days but it was remarkably soft for some reason.


    "You''re awake." A voice to her left said. It made her jump in surprise and whip her head to the source, making both her eyes widen in alarm when she saw an absolute hulking, armored titan sitting on the ground. A fire was the only thing that really separated them and silence had basked both of them for a while. She couldn''t tell if he was breathing or not due to his armor but was slightly put off by how he kept his gaze on her.


    "I suppose you have questions." He said, stoking the fire while occasionally glancing at the entrance of the cave.


    "Yes." She said hoarsely.


    "Good, because I have some also." He said. It was silent for a while before she finally steeled herself to ask him some.


    "Who are you?" She asked.


    "A simple wanderer. Next." He said curtly.


    "Why''d you save me?" She asked.


    "It was either let someone with some information die or try to keep them alive and have them answer questions of mine." He answered. A small part of her felt her stomach drop for some reason, it was like she was just an informant to him.


    "I... I don''t have anything else to ask unfortunately." She said tiredly.


    "Then you will answer mine." He stated. It wasn''t a request or a question, it was a simple fact. She would answer his since he answered hers. His questions heavily outweighed hers and they were strange. Every single one of them made her tilt her head in confusion but answer them regardless, she picked up a few things when talking to him. He tensed slightly when he thought he heard a noise, his senses were sharper because he could hear and see things that she didn''t even pick up on, his voice was cold and robotic, and he didn''t seem to have that much of a sense of humor. She told him her name and what she did before telling him about her family unintentionally.


    "Your name is Summer Rose, you have two daughters, a husband, and are a Huntress working for an individual named Ozpin." He summarized.


    "Yeah... I mumbled a lot of it out, didn''t I?" She laughed sheepishly.


    "You did. I suggest you stop that if you are to be in this line of profession." He advised.


    "Who are you to tell me?" She pouted quietly.


    "Someone who knows how to hold valuable information." He answered. She jumped slightly when she realized how loud that question had been. It went silent for a while as she just stared up at the cave ceiling in boredom then turned to her armored companion, or stranger if she would call him.


    "So... what should we do when we get out of here?" She asked.


    "Excuse me?" He looked at her.


    "I asked what should we do once we get out of this cave?" She asked.


    "Find a nearest town and drop you off." He answered.


    "Then what after that?" She asked.


    "You rest and go back to your family." He said.


    "What about you?" She asked.


    "Do not worry about it Mrs. Rose." He said.


    "... I mean, I should worry. You saved my life." She said.


    "That is an invalid reason for you to worry about me. We will part ways after this ordeal." He said curtly.


    "Hmm... if you say so." She sighed before perking up. "Oh! What''s your name?" She asked in an upbeat tone.


    "Don''t have one... now rest." He ordered.


    "Can I call you Wolf?" She asked, flipping onto her stomach with a grimace.


    "Call me whatever you want, now rest." This time it wasn''t up for debate. He wanted her to rest so her wounds could heal but also so she would stop talking. She was much too loud for his taste, it was almost as if Jun was stuck inside a female''s body and never had an off switch.


    She grumbled underneath her breath before closing her eyes, a noise made her crack her eyes open and look in his direction but his person was blocked by the flames. Luck must''ve been on her side if she wasn''t dead.


    Chapter 3


    He had found a nearby town where he could drop that Rose woman off. Despite her injuries being severe, she did prove to him that she wasn''t incapable of dealing with Grimm. It was more along the lines that she didn''t know how to shut up when he asked. He liked quiet and solitude while she enjoyed noise and company, two opposite ends of the scale for the both of them. The only thing that really tied them together was their cloaks. Hers was still bloody from her injuries while his was simply just worn out from his travels but it still hid his figure. They were nearing the town and could see it from their spot on a mountain and a small relieved smile graced his lips. Only another hour or two and he could finally get back to being by himself and not next to this woman.


    "Hey, Wolf." She called out.


    "What is it Mrs. Rose?" He asked, adjusting the hood over his head.


    "Where do you plan to go?" She asked as they walked.


    "Somewhere, I don''t really care." He answered flatly.


    "You don''t plan on settling down?" She asked.


    "No. I''d rather be on the move than settle down somewhere." He answered.


    "Won''t you be lonely?" She asked.


    "I have no intentions of travelling with another." He said in a flat tone. She flinched at the harshness of his content and merely shrank back into herself. A small part of her wanted to argue but she saw that he was one of those people that didn''t like being next to another during his travels. If he had encountered people and traveled with them for a short while then that was fine but he wasn''t somebody who would go and seek company.


    "R-Right..." She trailed off and walked with him in silence. Over time, her aura healed her enough to walk and fight some but she still needed to go to a clinic or hospital to be back in tip top shape like how she was before. He started to ignore the fact that she was walking after she explained to him the use of aura. Something he considered completely preposterous and illogical then wrote it off as a mutation. She offered to unlock it for him but he simply told her to stay at a respectable distance from himself and nearly slashed one of her fingers with knife when she insisted. From that point on, she stayed at least a couple of feet away from him.


    The minutes stretched to tens of minutes before an hour and a half passed by and they reached the town. Both of them looked around town for a little bit before they had found a clinic and walked inside. It was quiet and a little music in the background was for waiting patients. They walked up to the front desk and waited patiently for the receptionist to notice them, jumping slightly when she saw them.


    "What can I do for you two?" She asked with a smile.


    "She needs assistance." He gestured to Summer.


    "Okay, just a moment." The woman said. It was quiet for a few minutes before a couple of doctors came out and began to lead her to one of the rooms. One of them tried to lead him to a room to check up on him but he merely brushed the hand away and started to walk out, ignoring the man''s pleas to stop and let him get checked out. He didn''t need any medical assistance since he was still fine, what he needed was to get more supplies since Summer had eaten into his. It was always better to be safe than sorry.


    As he went to go purchase items, he realized that he didn''t have enough lien to pay for anymore items nor could he get anymore ammo for his weapon. He still had his personal ammo but that was meant for dealing with people and he found out that his was apparently custom ammunition in Remnant''s standards and cost a bit. Another thing that struck a cord with him was how weak this ammunition was compared to his, it was about as useful as a musket round. This Dust ammunition was so underwhelming that he''d rather use weaponry from the twenty-first century than this type. Beggars couldn''t be choosers he supposed.


    Walking around town, he went to a billboard near the center and saw that there were little bounties and had rewards should they be completed. As he looked and gazed at some of them, he found one that wasn''t too hard but it wasn''t easy. It was a simple extermination of a group of Grimm. He read the contents of the paper and looked around before his eyes saw a building that was down the street. The building wasn''t too old but it wasn''t new either, probably a couple years old at best.


    The little bell at the top of the door rang loudly as he entered and found a man sitting at a desk and walked up to him. It was quiet for a little bit before Six placed the bounty paper on the desk roughly, catching his attention.


    "What can I do for you?" The man asked.


    Six answered by sliding the paper further onto the table and waited for the man to read over it for a few seconds before look up at him.


    "Oh, that little Beowolf bounty? Heard it''s dangerous with a whole pack of em roaming around these parts. You sure you''re up for the challenge?" The man asked.


    "I''ll manage." Six answered then began to leave.


    "Wait! Before you go, if you find out what happened to the last few people who took this bounty then can you inform us. We''ll throw in some extra lien if you do." The man''s voice was sort of pleading, not going unnoticed by the Spartan.


    Six left without another word. He had at least something to do.


    It took him about two days but he eventually found out where that den of Beowolves were. He didn''t even need to fire a single shot because of how uncoordinated and reckless they were. All he really needed to do was maneuver out of the way and either stab or slash their throats. Inside the den was the previous people who had taken the bounty and perished, their bodies decomposing and half mauled to death. The grisly sight didn''t really affect him at all and he had suspected they were dead otherwise the bounty would''ve been claimed by now.


    He didn''t say anything but just shook his head and began to walk out of the den, snagging a few blood coated items as proof that the people had perished. The need for income never really appealed to him but he needed it if he was to get that custom ammunition that was so great, experimentation with Dust would be needed in the future if he was to maintain his survival. In all honesty, he wasn''t even sure how the underwhelming ammunition would react with his weapon, it could turn out bad if he wasn''t careful or didn''t pay attention.


    Time seemed to slip by like always while he walked, it was relaxing in a sense. The soft grass underneath his armored boots to the wet mud of the swamps he encountered and finally the river he seemed to slip by made walking all the more relaxing. It didn''t take him as long to return to the village, or settlement by some, since he knew the way back this time. It took him roughly a day and a half to actually make it back. When he entered the building with that he accepted the bounty from, he set the bloody items on the desk and watched as the man''s face morph into one of sorrow.


    "Thank you... your pay is right here." The man said quietly as he set Six''s original pay then the additional pay up for doing the extra task. Six took it without a sound then left the building just as quietly. He walked through the town to get a simple layout of it before making his way to the store to purchase some items. Like always, the cashier shot him a look and watched as he loaded the items in his bag before making his way to the gun store. The gun store was simple, numerous weapons on the walls and some boxes full of ammunition, the type he was looking for was once again, custom and required him to wait for the type to be manufactured.


    "Oh, it''s you. 7.62x51mm Full Metal Jacket Armor Piercing, right? Couldn''t exactly find the same material you had inside that bullet but I gotta say, never seen anything like this before, you planning on fighting a war or something?" The cashier joked, only to receive silence in return. Did this man actually think war was funny? Did he know what it was like to be shot at and almost perish or to lose a comrade? Fat chance that he didn''t.


    Six threw a couple of lien cards on the counter and grabbed his "custom" ammunition before walking out of the door, leaving the cashier in awkward silence. He already knew these weren''t even that strong due to them being filled with Dust instead of gunpowder. He''d have to experiment with Dust. Maybe there was a way to increase the firepower of it to match the effects of the more effective gunpowder. From what he''s heard though, Dust is extremely volatile if not handled correctly but he brushed those concerns off. His shields could mitigate the damage to him or completely block out any of it if need be.


    His mind wandered to that little bounty he did and contemplated on doing another. While he knew that doing another one would put him on the radar of this town, it did lessen the threat of Grimm around the area and possibly give these denizens some breathing room. It also did put a little income in his pocket so he could purchase items for the future. On the other hand though, he wanted to leave and possibly come back another day, if he decided to come back during his travels. So, he went back to town square and looked at the bounty board, descriptions of some did interest him but didn''t pose that high of a threat. He didn''t become a Spartan just to sit back and watch as a threat to humanity trample all over them.


    Fate didn''t seem to be on his side since none of the bounties didn''t seem too pressing to where it was threatening. Some would''ve wrote it off and went by but Six merely tilted his head and observed them. There were a total of five bounties on the board, all of them having different types of Grimm for the pictures. The locations of each Grimm was fairly close to one another and he figured that he could knock them all out within the same time frame. At this point, he wasn''t even looking for a reward, it was more along the lines of doing his duty as a Spartan and eliminating a threat to humanity. Ripping off all of the papers, he took them and went back to the same building where the man had his head in his arms.


    It took him a few minutes to notice the Spartan but he quickly wiped away the tears and looked down at his desk to see the remaining bounties spread out. Each one had been harder than the last and he was too busy gaping at the task the cloaked man had taken.


    "Sir, you can''t do this on your-" He didn''t get to finish because Six was already out the door and onto his next mission. While he knew that eliminating those Grimm wouldn''t free the settlement forever, it at least gave them some breathing room.


    While walking all this distance proved to be tedious at times, it did help him locate the different Grimm quickly. The Beowolf pack to the North took a couple of days to find and they weren''t even that threatening, A large bird that was ironically called a Nevermore took around a day to find and it took a few well placed shots to its eye to finally bring it down, A den of Creeps proved to be more troublesome than he imagined since they were constantly moving but it did give him an insight on what to expect when he encountered more, and the final bounty was an Ursa Major. It proved to be a little less menacing than a Brute but it did prove to be faster than what he imagined for a beast of its size.


    His back slammed against the wall and cracked it while he just peered up to see its massive form barreling towards him. He rolled to the side just in time to see it slam against the wall and the stalactites above wriggle back and forth from the impact. These Dust rounds were highly underwhelming and he''d say it a million times more but it did have some curious effects. He fired a round into the stalactite above and watched as it cracked and fell quickly onto the large beast. It roared at him and prepared to charge but suddenly gave a horrifying roar of agony when the sharp rock-like object punctured it and pinned it to the floor.


    He went up to it and slammed his fist into its mouth before ripping out a couple of its teeth and tossing them to the side as evidence that he completed this little thing. It swiped at him but he just moved out of the side and brought out his shotgun, placing the barrel against its forehead and pulling the trigger. Blood, brain matter, and skull fragments exploded and splattered against the surrounding area. It was quiet for a while before he placed his shotgun back onto his back and went to the few teeth that were scattered and scooped them up into his bag.


    The silence seemed to bring him peace as the quiet sounds of the wild brought a sort of tranquility to the mix. It was nice but it was also overwhelming at times. For pretty much a majority of his life he was used to seeing dead bodies or hearing plasma and gunfire, even the sound of death was welcoming but total quiet and peace... it unnerved him slightly. The lack of objectives or missions was actually mildly irritating also but he flushed it all out after a while. His bag was slung over his shoulders once more in a diagonal fashion which didn''t block his magnetic strips before his cloak was slung over his body once more.


    Call it odd but the cloak did bring a semblance of comfort to him, it was his "fur" in a sense, protecting his armor from the harsh conditions of the wild while protecting his figure from the inhabitants. Of course there were times when it had to come off when he fought but most of the time he kept it on. His personal musings were cut short when he began to make his way back to the settlement again, he would inform them that the threat was eliminated for now then leave to the next town or just take him wherever his foot took him.


    The days dragged on slower than normal and for once, he was glad they did. It meant people would forget about him and he could slip out unnoticed. He had looked at his TACPAD and had noticed that two weeks had passed by since he''s taken up that task and was returning to the settlement. Ignoring the people near him, he went back to the building where he accepted the bounties and opened the door. Silently as ever, he retrieved the items from each of the bounties and set them on the desk.


    "Y-You''re back?" The man said.


    Six gave a curt nod and stared at him. He watched as the man fumbled around his desk to receive the pay and practically threw them on the desk and stared up at the Spartan. His eyes widened when Six only took a portion of it then began to walk out of the building.


    "Wait! You''re not going to collect the rest?" He asked.


    "No... give it to someone else." Six replied then exited the building as silently as he came in. As soon as he exited the building, he heard someone call out to him and turned to see Summer running towards him. She looked rather excited for some reason and was soon in front of him, her health had recovered quickly.


    "Whew, I''m so glad to see you. Where were you these last few weeks?" She asked.


    "Doing tasks." He answered.


    "Really? What kind of tasks?" She asked.


    "..." He didn''t say anything but just pointed the bounty board and watched as her eyes widened.


    "That was you?!" She screeched, making him wince a bit then sigh at her volume.


    "Yes." He answered curtly.


    "I''ve been wondering what had happened to all those and when I ask around, that man in the collection building said a cloaked man had taken them all." She put her hands on her h.i.p.s.


    "... Is that a problem?" He tilted his head.


    "What? No, I mean people who often do those are usually really skilled." She said.


    "I see..." He muttered.


    "Well, how much did you get paid? I bet it''s a lot." She said.


    "I only took a small portion. The rest is still there." He answered. He watched her eyes widen a bit then began to flail her arms around for some reason. This woman was extremely animated.


    "Why?! You can get a load of weapons and ammo with that kind of money." She said.


    "I am comfortable with what I have." He answered. It was quiet for a while as the two stared at one another.


    "You really aren''t good at conversations are you?" She deadpanned. He didn''t say anything but just looked around a bit before turning to leave then began to walk away from her. As he neared the gate, he noticed that a blip was following him and turned to see Summer trailing right behind him.


    "What are you doing?" He asked.


    "Isn''t it obvious? I''m going to travel with you." She beamed.


    "...Why?" He asked after a minute of silence.


    "I mean, I still have to do my mission but I figured I''d tag along and you can help me." She smiled.


    "That is not a wise choice, Mrs. Rose. You should return to your family." He advised then began to leave.


    "But-" She started.


    "Think of the emotional trauma you could cause to your loved ones if you had perished." He interrupted. This made her stop, could she really leave her family like that and leave them in such a state? To leave her two little girls and husband alone while she went and possibly died on a mission? She couldn''t bare the thought of doing such a thing, she knew that she had a mission to complete but could she really put her mission over her family?


    "I think-" She stopped when she saw his figure starting to turn smaller as he exited the settlement. He didn''t want to spend anymore time in the settlement and he didn''t want the Rose woman following him. He really didn''t have a destination in mind but he just wanted to be alone like he''s been since he''s got here, it was calm and peaceful when he traveled. There was the sound of a goodbye being said to him and he looked over to see Summer waving to him while he just stared at her for a few seconds before giving a curt nod.


    There was no reason to trust her and he probably wouldn''t ever but she did provide him with some answers, even if they weren''t the ones he wanted, she still provided him with answers. She was quite the character but them travelling together would spell trouble that he didn''t need at the moment. He didn''t need anyone to travel with and she didn''t need him for her mission. Should they cross paths again so be it, but neither of them were meant to work together. She had too much to lose bringing him with her and he didn''t need her problems on his plate.


    Though he would admit, she did make interesting company...


    As time passed by, he noticed that this region was rather, immoral. Bandits and criminals seemed to roam freely in this region and Grimm seemed to be more vicious. He simply stared at the destroyed settlement, walking through the ruins of what was once great. It was a shame since the attack seemed to be fresh. Dead bodies could be seen strewn about and the occasional Grimm would be seen in the distance. Smoke filled the air from several houses and the scent of dead, decaying bodies threatened to reach his nostrils had his helmet not been on. Houses were cracked or broken like simple toys and very vaguely he could spot a mutilated body inside, neither of which fazed him in the slightest... he had seen worse.


    It was a shame he didn''t arrive here sooner, these people would probably still be alive, with some casualties, but a majority of them alive nonetheless. Nothing could be done now so he decided it was time to move on. He didn''t even need to loot for any supplies since he was well stocked and didn''t need anything for the next few weeks. Water could be found in rivers, his canned food was stocked well enough and he only needed to eat every so often. He rarely used medical supplies due to his armor but they were there just if he needed anything.


    Before he could fully exit the settlement two blips appeared on his radar and he stopped. They weren''t yellow or red but a simple clear blip that signaled an unknown variable. His head craned to the side and he caught sight of two objects moving underneath a house. At first he was going to leave but as a few minutes passed by he decided to see whatever it was. If it was civilians then he needed to direct them to the nearest, safest location. It was his duty as a Spartan to protect humanity, even if it''s something as trivial as children.


    Heavy boots seemed to make the faintest of sounds as he walked closer to the broken house and peeked underneath to see two children scoot back. Both their clothes were dirty, the girl seemed to be dirtier than the boy but their eyes were wide with fear. He saw the boy quickly hug the girl and both their bodied were engulfed in a gray effect, making him raise an eyebrow. They expected him to leave but all he did was kneel there observing them for the next minute. He didn''t say anything but just extended his hand out towards them. As expected, they flinched at the sudden movement but he remained there with his hand extended towards them.


    Several minutes seemed to pass by before he spoke.


    "I don''t intend to harm you." He assured them. Silence seemed to bask them before they made the faintest movement and started to scoot towards him, their hands cautiously reaching towards his. Eventually both their tiny hands met his gigantic one and he lifted them out from underneath the house and on their feet. In their eyes, he was gigantic, towering over them by feet and even seemed to be muscular underneath his armor. He knelt down to their level and stared at them from underneath his hood, looking over their bodies to see if there were any injuries on them, mostly scr.a.p.es and bruises that could be fixed easily.


    "Where are your parents?" He asked them.


    The boy went teary-eyed and pointed a shaky finger towards town square, where the Spartan followed the direction and it landed on the grisly sight of a body in the middle. Another direction made him look to see a collapsed house and it didn''t take a genius for him to put two and two together. He looked down then back at the boy before nodding his head. It was always hard to see kids this young to have to see their parents either dead or missing, something about that just made him uncomfortable.


    "I don''t have any..." The girl said.


    "..." He didn''t say anything but he did look around for a bit before sighing and standing to his full height, looking down at them. "Come along." He said as he started to walk away.


    "What about my parents?" The boy blinked a few tears back. Six stopped and looked over his shoulder at the body of the man then at the house where he presumed the woman was.


    "I cannot do anything for them. Though I will try to do something for them if I stop by." He answered.


    "Why not now?" The girl asked.


    "It''s dangerous. My top priority is to get you two to safety." He answered. They looked at one another before beginning to follow him, standing on either side of him while he just walked towards the next settlement. He didn''t want to go back to the previous one since they had tried their hardest to get him to stay but also the people there were lying snakes in the grass. It didn''t take a genius to figure out they wanted his armor, some shady individuals even wanted him to work for them. Actions like that made him rethink ever visiting that settlement again. There was also the fact that he wouldn''t dare leave two young children in such a place, he had seen what happens when younger ones are exposed to that kind of environment.


    As they walked out of the settlement, he felt a tug on his cloak to his right and looked down to see the little girl with orange hair looking up at him.


    "Do you have a name?" She asked.


    "Six." He answered calmly.


    "That''s a number, not a name, silly." She managed to smile, even if it was a wobbly, teary one.


    "It is mine. What is your name?" He asked, ignoring her initial comment. It didn''t offend him in all honesty, it was expected from a child so young.


    "Mine is Nora Valkyrie!" She beamed. He nodded then looked to the boy in green, the young man looked up at him before turning back to the road ahead.


    "Lie Ren." He muttered quietly. Six nodded then turned to the road ahead, noticing that the girl was trying to give a smile despite the events that occurred. It was probably a way for her to cope with the massacre that happened earlier. The three of them had their backs turned to the ruins of the settlement. The girl clutching her wooden hammer tightly and trying her best to smile, the boy who kept a straight face while trying to keep his emotions in check, and the Spartan that had brought them out of the ruins and would lead them to safety with his cloak flowing calmly in the wind.


    The other two didn''t realize he didn''t intend on staying with them long, only for them to make it to safety and use one another to survive the trials ahead.


    So, you all have no idea how terribly sorry I am for not updating my stories. I have been busy enjoying my summer but also I''m moving into my dorms for the first time. I didn''t move in last year because I wasn''t ready and I just drove back and forth but this year I''m doing it for a different experience so I might be more inclined to update more, I don''t really know. Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you for waiting patiently for another chapter and I hope you all understand I start school in about a day so don''t be surprised if I don''t update. Onto reviews now.


    Gamerman22: I don''t know if I''d add Master Chief, I mean he is my favorite character but I''ve always had a particular interest in Six. He may do something about a certain psychotic scorpion if he comes across him.


    reviewer: I''ll try to update more frequently.


    Rookie059: Yeah, I''m trying to go that route to where he doesn''t say much about himself, just answers questions that he feels obligated to but nothing about his affiliation, past, or what he is.


    Lord of Moons: I don''t think I would, if I did a second story then maybe but for the most part, no. I really didn''t think I had him acting like an ODST. I mean there''s nothing wrong with that since they''re certified badass motherf.u.c.kers and they''ll always hold a special place in my heart but I didn''t think I had him like that. Like I said, there''s nothing wrong with that.


    Astrefernal: Here you go.


    spartan- 140: I... actually have no idea.


    The Baz: I don''t know, I think I''m just tired of having all my characters being so young. I mean I haven''t brushed up on my Halo lore in god knows how many years, even longer with the novels but literally all my characters are still teenagers at the start of my stories, with the exception of a certain monster, and I wanted to do something different.


    Guest: I''ve kind of grown to dislike her character a bit in canon. For one, she''s ungodly arrogant, her definition of family is actually f.u.c.k.i.n.g stupid, and most of all she abandoned her daughter for her f.u.c.k.i.e.d up term of family. I mean, I wouldn''t have a problem if they did something with her character in volume six but they literally didn''t do anything with her and it really pisses me off. They have so many characters that could be something great but they just end up shitting on them, for example, Adam. He could''ve been a decent character that had a cool build up but they just ended up making his character annoying beyond all comprehension to the point where I was glad he f.u.c.k.i.n.g died. Sorry to rant but they''re just f.u.c.k.i.n.g up so many interesting characters, I''m not saying I could do better but it''s just a pet peeve of mine.


    Specter343: I''ll try to keep him likable.


    darkromdemon: Yeah, my redaction could use some work since it''s not top tier but I do try to make it at least somewhat readable. I''ll try to improve on it and as far as Remnant against Spartans, yeah, I''m trying not to make it seem like they''re pushovers.


    sacke110: Glad you liked it.


    Stormspartan21: None taken, friend. I had to read back on it the other day and I did notice that I kind of ruined the immersion a bit when he insulted Raven like that. I''ll try to have him act more like a Spartan than an insulting asshole in the future. About the pairing thing, I do intend to keep that up with him not being paired up with anybody, because I mean they''re Spartans. When have you ever heard them get mushy about their feelings. Sure they may form companionship with other Spartans and even some cases fellow Marines but never romantically. On an unrelated note, have a nice day to you too.


    alertpoet91: Thank you, here''s another one.


    the-lost-memories-6: Maybe in the future, I don''t know.


    Josephi: Who knows, maybe he''ll make a mistake.


    Hamilton406: Yeah, it''s going to be a recurring thing in this story so you don''t have to worry about him telling his life story or any information about himself to anyone.


    CheesusChrist15: I like you name, and thanks. I''m not aiming to be perfect but I at least aim to be somewhat enjoyable to read to some people. I''m more of a person who likes to complete their stories than make them perfect. After all, nobody in this world is absolute perfect, some may think so but everyone at least makes mistakes. We''re human after all.


    Guest: I''ll keep that suggestion in mind when I''m making future chapters. I think I saw you on The Mantle of Remnant when I was reading it, I don''t know. It''s a good story by the way so if some of you haven''t gone to check it out go do so.


    Anyways, I want to thank you all for waiting patiently and reading this chapter. Before I leave, I want to make a small note. I don''t care if you don''t like the story or what goes through your mind, I''m not aiming for constant approval if that''s what you''re wondering. Some guy messaged me and basically got on my ass saying I was an attention hog and that I was seeking approval from everyone. I''m not. I usually receive some since I took the time out of my day to make a halfway decent story. Hell, I don''t even really seek any reviews because it always takes me weeks to check my account since I''m so busy with work and school. I don''t ask for much you guys. Just give my story a chance and if you like it then cool, if not, then so be it. I''m very simple, don''t like it then don''t read it and don''t bother leaving any reviews.


    Other than that, thanks for taking the time out of your day and I hope you all do well in the future.

 Chapter 276 - My SI Stash #76 - Just Another SI by JustAnotherFan217 (GoT)

    -First GoT fic I read where the SI contacts the House Reed for the creation of a spy network of them wargs and seers, N1! Also, some 5Head sense and usage of magic~


    Sypnosis: A man from our world is reborn as Brandon Stark. He could have fun and enjoy this second shot at life, or try and be a hero and make the world a better place. He could use his knowledge to play the game and come out on top, or he could use it to keep his family well away from the death and wars. No one ever said he couldn''t do both.


    Rated: M


    Words: 53K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13559105/1/Just-Another-SI (JustAnotherFan217)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Dying was easy. It didn''t hurt, I wasn''t scared; one moment I was just going to bed, and the next thing I knew everything was white. A blank expanse with nothing around me, and I barely had enough awareness to even realize it. I was numb, at peace, I couldn''t feel anything and so I didn''t care. I closed my eyes, and fell back asleep. The next time I woke up was much less peaceful.


    I was being squeezed through a tube, crushed in the jaws of some massive beast, there was no air and I couldn''t f.u.c.k.i.n.g breathe. I tried to squirm, to move, to break free; anything at all and yet nothing worked. Everything was dark around me and when my panic was just getting the best of me and I was sure I would pass out, there was light and a rush of air and suddenly I was free! I was yelling and screaming, because thank f.u.c.k.i.n.g god I wasn''t in wherever that was anymore, when I felt myself moved around and wiped down. Opening my eyes again, I got a glimpse of a blurry figure smiling softly at me.


    "Tis a boy, my Lady, a healthy boy." The man said.


    "Let me hold him." Came the soft reply, and I quickly found myself passed off to someone new. Someone warm, and safe, and my eyes picked up the blurry form of a young woman with dark hair and grey eyes smiling at me. I felt like I should probably freak the f.u.c.k out over the fact that I was just F.U.C.K.I.N.G REBORN of all things, but I didn''t have the energy. I just smiled tiredly back at my new mother.


    "What should we name him, my Lady?" Came a new voice, one hard as ice yet as soft as snow.


    "Brandon, my Lord. Brandon Stark." My mother answered.


    Oh that''s nice. Not a bad name...wait, the f.u.c.k she just say? Brandon what now?


    Growing up in Winterfell was pretty much how you would expect growing up in a medieval castle with a decent family was. It was a good life, definitely could have been worse, and I wasn''t complaining. Sure there was no internet, and no TV, no electricity or indoor plumbing. One can not understate how much I miss indoor plumbing. The luxury of being able to wake up, take a piss or a shit, and go back to sleep is something I will forever be jealous of my past life for. Here I had to either shit in a pan, and try and sleep with the smell, or walk across the castle to where the outhouse is dug. Either way, not really going back to sleep. I appreciated that I was born a Lord however. I had pretty much all of the rights I used to have, minus that fact that I could be executed for saying the wrong thing to the King. That happened to old me, right? Or the me I would have been if I wasn''t born as me? F.u.c.k.i.n.g confusing. Regardless I had a good life, I didn''t have to work myself to the bone for scraps, and I could have someone summarily executed for the hell of it, just like the King could do to me. You have to take the good with the bad I suppose.


    I wasn''t that important of a person in my old life. I drove a damn forklift for a living, had a small but close circle of friends, and a fiance that makes me tear up every time I think of her now¡­best not keep thinking of her. I was also a history buff, I loved reading about ancient history, everything from the dawn of civilization up until the discovery of America, I drank it in. The stories of the great men of history, undefeated Generals who claimed glory on the battlefield, statesman famed for their cunning, inventors praised for their innovations, and they were all my heroes.


    Here, I was the Heir of the North. Future Lord of Winterfell, and Warden of the North, I was in a prime position to make something of myself. To go down in history. To be remembered and read about generations later. I had a father who was stern and strict, yet loving and caring. My mother was sweeter than candied sugar, and she loved me with her whole heart. It was their love that helped me heal, helped me to move on and realize this chance I was given. I knew history. I knew this world, a good deal of its awful secrets, and the strengths and weaknesses of the major players. I knew the inventions and innovations that let nations rise from poor and desolate to rich and decadent. I would have to be careful, not introduce too much or upset the social structure, or I would find myself with more enemies than allies. It would be hard, but hey, since when is the easy way any fun?


    Learning to read and write, again, was a f.u.c.k.i.n.g chore, I mean it really earned the title "F.u.c.k.i.n.g Chore." I had to be careful, don''t be too smart or people would get suspicious. I was not getting myself burnt as a witch. However, I had to be smart enough to impress. Learn fast enough to be noticed, because if I didn''t generate a reputation for genius early, I would have to wait that much longer to start trying to improve the North. I wanted this kingdom o'' mine to be something at least equal to any of the Southern Kingdoms by the time I inherited. Who wants to rule both the poorest and coldest kingdom anyway?


    So I started my lessons when I was five, just a year after the birth of my little brother Eddard. He was cute as a button, and I was already protective of him, and the idea of him having nothing but that glorified hovel Moat Caillin to inherit pushed me to work harder. By the time I was six, I could read and write in the common tongue as well as any Maester. That wasn''t hard or impressive, I knew all that already. The hard part, however, was learning High Valyrian, because that shit really was difficult and I knew nothing of it from my past life. It sounded kinda like the bastard daughter of french and latin, but I never was any good with languages in my past life. The fact was I had nothing better to do in this medieval world than continue to study, so I picked it up eventually. A conversation with my father later, when Maester Walys pointed out my skill with languages, and I managed to convince him to bring in someone who knew the Old Tongue of the First Men. Whenever I managed to gain the respect and love of the North, I would try and bring some of the Free Folk south, but what I really wanted was the Giants and Mammoths. Mostly because Giants and Mammoths are f.u.c.k.i.n.g awesome, and I won''t hear a word otherwise. Knowing the language would definitely help with that. I''ll have to be extra careful about Brynden "The Three Eyed Raven" Rivers however. Supernatural, half-dead, prophet wizards are f.u.c.k.i.n.g scary and I have no defense against magic people who know what I''m going to do before even I know.


    The problem with my uplifting plan is that despite everything, past Lord Starks have not been fools. Every mountain in the North has been prospected, and while there is an abundance of iron, coal, copper, and tin, there are scarce few precious metals. The silver mines of the Manderly''s truly are the biggest deposit of precious metals in the North. That was a damper on my plans. I mean really, all the other SI''s come in as little kids, and find gold right where a thousand generations of Lord Starks just happened to have missed. What, am I playing on Hard Mode here? Sure, I have ideas. I could ship all sorts of crops and other goods from Braavos and other places, I could even be reasonably sure that they would do well in a colder climate (after all it worked on Earth) but we Starks just didn''t have the coin to afford the gamble. We weren''t poor, not by any means, and many a "rich" house in the South would have only a fraction of the gold that flows through Winterfell, but winter was expensive. All the gold we saved throughout summer went to buying food to stock up for winter, and what is left come spring is spent on seed for the fields. Any gamble in trade that failed meant good Northerners starved in winter, and so the Lords just stopped trying. Nothing changed in the North for millenia, because all effort had to go to food so you wouldn''t starve, every last copper spent in fighting the ice and snow. I might know that those crops would work, but my father and the other Lords would never be willing to risk it.


    It was a vicious cycle that had held the North prisoner since Brandon the Builder, and it was one I was determined to smash. All it would take is just the right gamble, at just the right time. After all, other Lords and the previous Lord Starks were all betting on things they couldn''t control, using money they couldn''t afford to lose. I, on the other hand, know what will work. I know just exactly how to make a good deal of gold, and the beautiful part is that it will cost me next to nothing. All I have to do is convince my father to harvest and sell blocks of ice to the South. How hard could it be?


    Chapter 2


    "My Lord, your son wishes to speak with you."


    "Send him in Martyn."


    Rickard Stark sat back in his seat and watched as his son of eight name-days walked into his solar. While showing nothing on his face, Rickard looked at his son and could easily tell he was nervous about whatever was on his mind. This immediately made Rickard nervous in turn, as whenever Brandon was afraid to tell him something, it usually meant a headache that he would have to deal with. The time Brandon wasted a few good pounds of oranges squeezing them into a bowl to make half a cup full of something called "orange juice" came to mind.


    "What did you do this time, boy? Out with it, you have that look about you." Rickard said, hoping to get this over with quickly.


    "I didn''t do anything Father! I swear! Cregan is lying, it wasn''t me! I actually wanted to talk to you about something else. You see, I had this idea about a really easy way for us to make more coin and expand trade¡­"


    "Stop right there son. You know why we have to be careful about new trade ideas. If we put money into any of this, and it doesn''t work, will you be able to tell the smallfolk that that is the reason why their families are starving?" Rickard interrupted.


    "That''s just the thing Father. My idea isn''t going to cost us anything but a little time and manpower, and since Wintertown is full of small-folk enjoying our patronage while not doing anything productive, we could put some of them to work for a few hours a day."


    "Oh? And just what is this magical good that we can harvest in winter? We can''t dig any mines right now, if that''s what you are thinking Bran, the ground is frozen solid. There''s not much worth mining that we aren''t mining already anyways." Rickard said sceptically.


    "We are not going to dig in the ground, Father, we are going to dig in the snow. You have been to the Stepstones and the South, you know how hot it can get down there. Imagine how much sweaty Lords in their big castles with few windows would be willing to pay to have ice ch.i.p.s in their wine glass? We can cut out blocks of ice from the ponds around Winterfell, as well as the White Knife, and store it in crates filled with sawdust and straw. Then when winter ends, and the Manderly''s send out their sh.i.p.s to trade fur, wool, and coin for seeds for crops, they can fill the empty space of their sh.i.p.s with the ice. If it doesn''t sell, we don''t really lose anything but some time."


    Rickard sat back and thought for a moment, it sounded absolutely crazy to him at first but the more he thought about it, the more he could see it working. He could well remember the oppressive heat of the Stepstones, and how the many Dornish Lords laughed about how refreshingly cool it was. The Lords of the South and the Magisters of Essos probably would pay good gold for blocks of ice in the heat of the summer. There were only two problems with the plan however, though they weren''t insurmountable.


    "That''s not the worst idea I have heard of, boy." Rickard responded, tapping his chin in thought. "It might just work. The first problem I see with it however, is the workers. Asking men to go out and work in the snow in the dead of winter is hard enough, asking them to cut blocks of ice out of frozen water is even worse. They will get wet, and freeze, and I can see a good portion of the men either losing hands or feet, or falling to the Winter Chill."


    "I thought of that Father. We have a good deal of different pelts and furs around here, and we can make some gloves and jackets out of beaver, otter, and seal skin to protect against the wet and the cold. If we build small wooden huts that can be put together on the ice, we can put a small brick fireplace in it, providing a place for the men to warm up. We have plenty of people staying in Wintertown, so we can rotate them out, every man only working for an hour or two before spending an hour warming up in the huts."


    It wasn''t a bad solution, to Rickard''s mind. His son was right in that there were plenty of men in the town with no work to do, and keeping them busy would keep them out of getting in fights in the taverns. He could have the men go out and build these huts in central locations, while the women worked on sowing the clothing from the necessary pelts and furs. From there it would be easy to harvest the ice, and he could be assured that the small-folk wouldn''t be in too much risk from the cold.


    "I agree Bran. I will order the men to start building the huts, and the women to start making the needed clothes. The only problem left however, is one you are going to help me with. It has been an easy winter, the roads are still passable, and it will be many moons before the End of Winter storms begin, so me and you are going to travel to the Manderly''s and get them on board with the idea. The travel will be good for you, toughen you up; you spend enough time in your books as it is, and it will give you experience negotiating with other Lords. Make no mistake, I am proud of you son. Old Gods willing, this idea just might work." Stated Rickard, smiling softly at the boy.


    Brandon was looking back at him with a wide-eyed look caught between scared and excited that made him have to keep himself from laughing. His son was so very smart, smarter than he ever was, but the boy was an open book to him. He would have to work on teaching him to control his emotions and facial expressions later. For now, it was the only advantage he had in keeping his wild pup in line.


    "And don''t think I forgot about whatever it is you supposedly didn''t do, that Cregan never told me about it." Rickard added, given his son a stern look. At least the boy had the grace to look sheepish, he mused.


    Lyarra Stark was not in a good mood. She was not happy at all, no, she was angry.


    "How could you ever think this is a good idea Rickard!? He is eight name-days! Eight! It is the dead of winter! I don''t care how easy a winter has been, you and I both know that that can be even more dangerous! A storm could blow through without any warning, you could run into band after band of bandits preying on the roads, hoping to get some coin or even the barest scrap of food! Not to mention the many different beasts that will be out searching for their next meal! What in the name of the Old Gods possessed you to think this was a good idea!?" Lyarra had started in a forceful whisper, but by the time her tirade had finished she was practically screaming.


    "Now, now, dear. It''s not as bad as you think. I will be taking a hundred of the guards with us, and we will bring plenty of extra food. We will have more than enough men to deal with any groups of bandits, and I know of no beast that would willingly attack such a large group of men. With some extra food with us, we will be able to wait out any storm in our tents, and you know as well as I do that the worst storms are always at the beginning of Winter. It will be good for him, my love. He will be able to see more of the North that he will rule one day, as well hopefully make some connections with the Manderlys. They are one of our most important bannermen after all." Rickard said quietly, taking both of her hands in his to help calm her down.


    "Alright my Lord, you seem to have thought of everything," Lyarra sighed. "But I do want you to know this. If anything bad happens to my son while on this trip, and I mean anything, you will be sleeping in the stables until the Long Night comes again." With a glare that caused Rickard to gulp involuntarily, Lyarra spun around and swept out of the room. It was time to go see how her son was doing.


    "Come in."


    Lyarra heard coming from inside the room, as she knocked on the door to her son''s chambers.


    She walked in, seeing her son packing up some of his things into his bag so that he would be ready to leave with his father the next morning. She would have to speak with some of the servants, and have them check her son''s packing. After all, her little wolf may be smart enough to speak three different languages before his eighth name-day, but he also happened to be one of the most forgetful people Lyarra had ever met. Lyarra swore that if it wasn''t so cold outside, her son would forget to put on clothes in the morning.


    "Are you ready to go to White Harbour, Bran?" She asked, sitting down on his bed.


    "I am, Mother. It should be really fun, I get to see the ocean! And go on an adventure! I can''t wait to finally get out of the castle for a while!" Brandon said, gesturing wildly with his arms as he threw another pair of breeches into his rucksack.


    "I am glad that you are excited then, my little wolf. I, on the other hand, am going to miss you so very much." Lyarra said, pulling her son into a hug.


    "I''ll miss you too, Mother! Don''t worry, I''ll get you something nice at White Harbour. Oh, and Ned too! I''ll get him something, what do you think he''d like?" Bran asked, jumping up and down.


    "Oh Bran, he is two. He will love whatever you get for him simply because you are his big brother. Now, run along and go take a bath. You will be on the road for a few weeks to get to White Harbour, and you won''t have any chance to bathe before then. After your bath, get some sleep. I will see you in the morning when we break our fast, and you and your father will leave immediately after." Lyarra told him.


    "Ok, I love you Mother." Brandon said, walking out of the door.


    "I love you too, my little wolf."


    The road to White Harbor really wasn''t that bad, I mused, riding my pony down the path. The road itself was nothing more than a pathway through the woods, it would be more accurately described as a hiking path, but it was what passed as roads around here. That was something I was definitely going to change once things got better. The Romans managed to cover an entire continent in roads, I was pretty sure I could manage half of one. I would literally kill for a radio, however. There was nothing to do while traveling other than talk to father, or one of the guards, or count how many trees had fallen in the road that we had to move out of the way. I ended spending most of my time thinking, both about my life now and the differences from what I liked to call, the "Modern World," and the plans I had to make the North better than it currently is.


    One thing I noticed about being reborn is that it really wasn''t that hard to pretend to be a kid. Fact was, I felt like a kid. I had all of my memories from my past life, in graphic detail even, but the simple fact was that my brain itself is an eight year-old''s brain. If you study biology, or even just went to a high school science class, you would know that there are major differences between the brains of an eight year-old and an a.d.u.l.t. I had trouble controlling my emotions whenever they were particularly strong, and said emotions would jump out at me out of nowhere. I would get irrationally excited at the idea of playing with a blunted sword, and there is nothing more embarrassing than throwing a temper tantrum over not getting dessert, knowing how childish it is, and still not being able to stop yourself.


    I really hoped this ice trade business took off, as I had finally decided on how I was going to begin introducing new crops and industry. Once some of the gold from the ice trade came back, I would convince Father to let me have some of it. I would use that gold to buy seeds, livestock, and even horses from places like Braavos, Ibb, and even the colonies near Sothoryos. White Harbor regularly traded with Braavos already, and there were occasional trips to both Ibb and the Summer Islands. All it would take is to convince some merchants to get the things I want from Braavos and Ibb, and get another to stop at a Sothoryos colony when they go to the Summer Islands. Then I would use one of the empty farms around Winterfell (there was one I was thinking of specifically that was right next to a strong flowing stream) and I can grow all the crops there. I could use the stream to set up my own forge with an open hearth furnace, all powered by water wheels. I could then use the relatively cheap bronze to make farming equipment so that me and just a few men could farm all the stuff I wanted.


    By using bronze for parts of the seed drill, the reaper, and the thresher, I could greatly reduce the cost to make these machines, even less than the open hearth furnace would. Sure, I would still need to use steel for the plows if I wanted to have the same margin of efficiency that they are supposed to have, but substituting what parts I can for bronze will still help. After all, copper and tin practically grew on trees with how abundant it was in the hills and mountains around Winterfell. I could then make other products from the crops I grew, vodka, whiskey, beer, even sugar from beets. The options would be nearly endless, and the only limiting factor would be by what grew in the North, and what didn''t.


    It had been two days over a week since we had left Winterfell, and there was about a week left in our trip to White Harbor. We had just set up camp for the night, we were nestled up against the bottom of a cliff, giving us good protection from the wind which would help keep the heat from the fire from escaping. For some reason however, I could not sleep. I tossed and turned in my bedroll, constantly trying to rearrange it into a more comfortable position, and miserably failing. Whoever set up my tent is my new worst enemy, as the idiot put it right on top of a big old root. It was digging into my back, and it was f.u.c.k.i.n.g annoying. Giving up, I got up and walked out of the tent, heading towards the fire. It had burned a ways down, leaving mostly red coals. I threw some more wood on it from the pile, and began looking around. I could see the guard that was supposed to be on night watch, Robar I think his name was, sleeping up against a tree at the edge of camp. I snorted, if there was some actual danger right now we would have been f.u.c.k.i.e.d. Shrugging my shoulders, I decided to take advantage of the guard''s nap to go exploring in the woods around here. At night. Alone.


    Like I said earlier, a.d.u.l.t memories, child''s reasoning skills.


    The North really was a beautiful country. I mean, the only time I ever saw landscape like this in my old life was on the Discovery Channel. I had climbed around to the top of the cliff that our camp had been nestled against, with the light of a full moon overhead I could see nearly as well as I could in daylight, and the sight was gorgeous. There were rolling hills, all covered in rich green forests, with a blanket of white snow over it like the lightest layer of frosting on a cake. There were rivers and streams crisscrossing the whole thing, and just a few mountains jutting up into the sky in the distance...And it was all mine. I would rule all of this one day. That was a hell of thought, and it made me light headed for a moment. Shaking it off, I turned around to go back down to the camp, and froze.


    Right in front of the path to get back down, there was standing a massive grizzly bear. I mean f.u.c.k.i.n.g massive. That cursed bear thing from "Brave" would have nothing on this guy. I would have shit my pants if I wasn''t clenching so hard.


    I was shaking, my palms were sweaty. I had turned around barely a second ago and it had already felt like I had been having a stare off with this bear for hours. The bear sat back on his haunches, lifting his front paws and head into the air, towering close to ten feet above the ground. The bear roared, and it was probably the loudest sound I had ever heard in this life. I wish I could say I held my ground bravely, but that would be a lie. I was eight. I screamed my f.u.c.k.i.n.g head off, tried to scramble backwards only to trip on a root and fall on my ass. Which was a good thing, in hindsight, as there was a rather tall cliff not that far behind me.


    The grizzly thudded back down onto its front paws, and shuffled slowly closer to me. I was panicking, my whole body was trembling, and I can just remember thinking that I didn''t want it to end like this, I didn''t want to leave my family behind, again. With that thought came an icy rage that helped me reclaim control of my own body, and I stood back up on my feet. I looked that bear dead in the eye, gathered all of my courage, and spoke.


    "I don''t care who you think you f.u.c.k.i.n.g are, Smokey the Bear or Blue from the Jungle Book, I am not dying today. This shit is not ending like this. So you best just turn around, and go find a breakfast somewhere else, cause it ain''t gonna be!" I said defiantly, clenching my fists so hard that I broke the skin on my palms.


    The bear c.o.c.ked its head to the side, staring at me intently. I refused to back down, so I glared back. That was when it happened. One moment, I am staring a bear in the eye, confident I would be dying soon, and the next thing I know I am staring at myself. Everything is confusing, I have two lines of thought running through my head, and only one of them is in English. The other is not a language at all, but a series of images, smells, tastes, and feelings that paints a rather jumbled and blurry picture. I gripped my head, closing my eyes shut, and that''s when I realized. My eyes were closed but I could still see. I was looking at myself through the eyes of the bear. I gasped, and suddenly I was seeing through my own eyes again, the jumble of thoughts and sensations disappearing.


    "Holy motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g shit, did I just warg? Like, did I just warg you? Is that cool with you, cause I really hope it is, I didn''t mean to do that but it was really f.u.c.k.i.n.g cool and it would be f.u.c.k.i.n.g awesome to do it again." I rambled, still cradling my head and dealing with a rather killer headache from what was apparently me doing f.u.c.k.i.n.g magic. The bear had gotten rather close, so close that I could just reach out and touch him. So I did, giving him a good scratch behind the ears because bears are basically massive dogs, and all good doggos love a scratch behind the ears.


    "What do you say boy, I mean, it will look a little weird having a Stark with a bear for a pet, and I was always hoping to find myself a direwolf, but you are really f.u.c.k.i.n.g awesome too. So, wanna come with me?" I asked the bear, holding a hand in front of its nose, the way you would when meeting a new dog.


    The bear looked up at me with a good deal of intelligence behind its eyes. The legends say that the bond between warg and animal is incredibly strong, and very strange. With both warg and animal taking attributes of the other. I didn''t know what bear-like qualities I might have gained, but I did know that no regular bear should have that level of smarts hiding in its head. The bear huffed, before licking my palm and then leaning its head into my hand. I laughed, and then hopped up on to his back.


    "Come on, let''s head down the hill and I can show you to my father. I suppose you will need a name, can''t just keep calling you bear. How does Yogi sound to you? You like that? Good me too...damn, why couldn''t you have been a direwolf?"


    Rickard leapt up out of his sleeping roll, the roar of some massive creature echoing over the forest. He quickly grabbed his sword, the ancestral greatsword of his house Ice, threw on his furs and rushed out of his tent. He could see other men scrambling out of their tents, but he paid them no mind, making his way directly to his son''s tent. He burst through the flap, and found the tent empty, the bedroll was cold showing that Brandon hadn''t been in his bed for a long while. Rickard cursed, that damn boy was always getting into trouble. He ran back out of the tent, making a beeline for his horse. He had seen the path leading up to the top of the cliff, and he knew how his son liked to enjoy the view from the tallest points of Winterfell, it was no stretch to guess where Bran had gone.


    "Quickly men, arm yourselves and grab your horses. Brandon is not in his tent, and if I know the boy as well as I think, he will be on top of the cliff. The same direction that roar came from." Rickard grimly ordered, already having his horse saddled.


    The men started scrambling with even greater urgency. They all knew and loved Lord Brandon, with his clever mind, sharp wit, and crazy antics, and none wished to see him hurt. Within a few minutes they had a good twenty men, fully armed and mounted, and they were charging up the path to the top of the cliff. Rickard was leading the way, urging his horse up the steep path hoping that he made it time to save his son. He had to.


    As Rickard rounded a turn in the path, the hill started leveling off, and as he looked up ahead he saw a sight that had him stopping in his tracks. Digging his heels into the side of his horse, and pulling hard on the reigns he called out to his men to stop.


    "HOLD! HOLD MEN!" He yelled back, before facing forwards once again.


    Up ahead, calmly walking down the path, was the largest f.u.c.k.i.n.g bear Rickard had ever seen. It had to weigh a thousand pounds, and was over three meters long, standing close to six feet tall on all four legs. More amazingly, nestled on its back right behind the front legs, was his son Brandon, grinning ear to ear like a cat that stole a fish.


    "What in the hells do you think you are doing boy!?" Rickard roared. "Get off that beast and come over here before it tears you to shreds!"


    "Don''t worry Father! I am fine! Yogi here wouldn''t hurt me, would you boy?" Brandon cooed, his son literally cooed in the monster''s ear, and the thing nodded.


    Rickard was flabbergasted. He didn''t know what to say. Here was son, riding on the back of what was most likely the f.u.c.k.i.n.g largest bear he had ever seen, and the bear was acting as docile as an old pony. Rickard ran a hand down his face, letting a deep breath.


    "Well alright son, mind telling me the story of how exactly you managed to tame that particular beast?" Rickard asked, he knew there was going to be some crazy story here.


    "Well, I couldn''t really sleep you see, so I decided that I was going to go for a walk, and I ended up climbing up the hill to the top of the cliff because I thought it would be a great view, and it was! It really was! And then I was gonna turn around and come back down, but when I turned, there he was! This big old fella, and he roared at me all angry like, and I yelled back cause I wasn''t gonna be scared by a stupid old bear! So he charged at me, and I jumped on his head and bit his ear, and then he stopped attacking, and now he''s my new best friend. I named him Yogi." Brandon nodded, his face solemn, as if he hadn''t just fed me the biggest crock of shit I have seen my entire life.


    "I...I don''t even know what to say to that Bran. Just, fine, whatever. If you want to keep the bear, you can keep the bear. But it sleeps outside of the camp, away from the horses, and if it hurts a single person, smallfolk or not, I will put it down. Am I clear?" Rickard bit out. He wasn''t really angry at his son, no he was just worried, both for his son and himself. If his son had been killed here he would never have forgiven himself. He didn''t believe his son''s story about the bear at all, but he had his suspicions about how it really happened. Such things were not unheard of in the North, after all. Jon Umber was only a bit older than Bran himself and his squirrel companion was well known to everyone. That was a bit different creature than a bear, but he was sure the same principle applied. The thing that truly worried him was his wife.


    She was going to kick his f.u.c.k.i.n.g ass all over the castle the moment she saw that bear.


    White Harbor was a beautiful city, and one I was incredibly glad to have gotten to see. The walls were made of clean white stone, towering over the city, and one could see the walls of New Castle rising even higher on the hill at the end of the city. People were lining the streets, to get a good look at the Lord Stark and his Heir, though a good portion were there simply because there was nothing better to do, it was winter after all. They met up with Lord Wyman Manderly, who had come out to meet them at the gates of the city. He had flinched so hard when he first caught sight of Yogi that I was sure he was going to fall off his horse.


    That would have been f.u.c.k.i.n.g hilarious. Unfortunately, he managed to stay in the saddle.


    "Lord Stark, Lord Brandon!" Exclaimed Wyman boisterously. "We are honored to have you in our halls! Come, I will show you to your rooms in the castle so that you may freshen up, and I could lead you Lord Brandon to some empty stables where you can put that magnificent animal. However did you manage to tame it? That must be an incredible story, and one I look forward to hearing at dinner. My father sends his apologies for not meeting you in person. He is much too old to be coming outside in this cold, I am afraid."


    "Think nothing of it, Ser Wyman. Your father, Lord Weston, was getting old when I was first born, I do not hold it against him. Lead the way, good Ser, I would like to bathe, and I am sure Brandon would as well, before we join you for the feast tonight. We can speak of the reason we came here then, it is no issue, just a small business proposal." Rickard said, waving off Ser Wyman''s concerns.


    "Then come my Lords, this way!" Ser Wyman said, leading the way towards the castle.


    Getting a bath for the first time in weeks is a glorious feeling. The warm water was heavenly on my aching muscles and back, and I could feel the grime and dried sweat washing off of me. It didn''t take long for the clear water to become a ghastly murky color, but the feeling of freshness when I got out just could not be beat. I put on some breeches and a tunic a servant had left out for me, throwing my furs on over that. Tying it all together with a thick leather belt, and I was out the door headed towards the Great Hall for the feast.


    A servant showed me through the door, and I could see my father sitting with Lords Wyman and Weston up at the high table, with a seat open to my Father''s right for me. I made my way up confidently, keeping my head held high the way Mother always taught me.


    "Lord Weston, thank you for your hospitality. And it is good to see you again, Ser Wyman." I said, as I made it to the table and took my seat.


    "Think nothing of it, Lord Brandon, we are happy to have you! Now, your father was saying that you both came all of this way to give us a business proposal, and I find myself curious about exactly what business would bring you all the way here in winter. I had asked him myself, but he told me it was your idea, and that it was best to let you explain." Lord Weston said in a surprisingly strong voice for his advanced age.


    I was caught off guard, turning a wide-eyed look to my father, who returned it with a small smirk. The smug bastard. I''ll get you back for this, just you wait.


    "Well you see, Lord Weston, I had an idea. As you know, there really is no industry that the North can really conduct in the winter, and all efforts of summer must be put to use to survive winter. So I thought to myself, what do we have that the south doesn''t. What do we have that costs us nothing to make, but that the south would pay good gold for? What I came up with is simple. Winterfell will harvest blocks of ice from its surrounding ponds and rivers, and store those blocks in wooden crates stuffed with sawdust and straw. We will store the crates in empty buildings and barns, and come spring we will have them sent down here to White Harbor. When your men go out to buy seed for the coming planting season, they can fill their holds with the crates of ice, and see how much the south is willing to spend on it." I said confidently.


    Lord Weston leaned back in his chair, taking the time to think it over. Finally, he leaned forward in his seat, and addressed me again.


    "Aye, it is a good plan my Lord. I can see it working. I am not sure how much they will be willing to spend, but seeing how hot it is in Dorne, and that people who live there have probably never seen ice before in their lives, I could see it selling. I''m not going to get my hopes up, and neither should you, but there is definite merit in the idea. How should we split the cost?"


    "In thirds. House Stark will take two thirds of the profit, with House Manderly taking one third. After all, we will be the ones gathering the ice and shipping it to you. Your people are all already going to be going on these trade missions anyway, and your sh.i.p.s are never full when leaving at the end of winter. We are simply giving you something extra to trade." I said, with a small smile on my face.


    Lord Weston stared at me for a moment, before smiling back.


    "You have a deal my Lord." He said, putting his hand forward. I shook it, feeling elated. Finally, my plans were starting.


    We had stayed in White Harbor for a few weeks, spending time with the Manderly''s and meeting their various vassals who had trickled through New Castle. Lord Locke was not a particularly inspiring person, I still can''t even remember his name, though Lord Wyman''s daughter apparently noticed him very well, judging by how red her face was when they first met. I spent most of my time exploring the city, trying to feel out the different merchants and see if I couldn''t make some contacts while I was here. In the end, it went about as well as you think an eight year old kid trying to get business contacts would go, I got nowhere. Oh well, the Manderly''s seem optimistic about the ice trade, and I am sure that they can get me in touch with the needed merchants to get the next stage of my plan off the ground.


    We came around the corner of the road, and there was Winterfell. It was a massive, beautiful gray castle, with direwolf gargoyles lining the tops of the towers, and it looked both menacing and beautiful with a layer of fresh white snow on top of it. I could see the gates had been opened for us, which wasn''t surprising as if the gates were closed on Father, the Lord of the castle, that would be quite the f.u.c.k up. We all came trotting into the castle, the men and Father riding regally on their horses, while I ambled in behind riding on top of Yogi. The bear was ridiculously lazy, and never moved any faster than he needed to.


    I climbed off of Yogi''s back, stretching out my limbs and heard a distressing amount of pops coming from my back for an eight year-old''s body. I pulled a bag off of the saddle, the one with gifts for my mother and brother, and turned towards them with a big smile on my face. My mother was staring at me, or more aptly at Yogi, with a pale white face and a look of utter horror. Realizing exactly what she was thinking, there was only one thing left for me to say.


    "Don''t worry Mother! Father said I could keep him!" I exclaimed with a big grin, shooting a smug look at my father who''s face had lost every last ounce of color. Serves that bastard right.


    Chapter 3


    Eddard Stark was smiling softly as he ran through Winterfell''s main keep. He had a bag with a few treats in it, ones that he snuck out of the Hall when everyone was breaking their fast. He bolted out of the one of doors, deftly evading colliding one of the guardsmen, and continued on over to the training field. It was there that he found the target of his smuggled goods, the massive grizzly bear companion of his older brother.


    Yogi was laying down at the edge of the training field, perfectly positioned to both watch his human go through his training, and also take a nap in the morning sun. His brother had brought the bear with him from his trip to White Harbor, and it didn''t take long for Ned to strike up an odd friendship with the animal. His mother was furious with his father over it, and Ned had never seen the man looked so frightened, but he didn''t understand what the fuss was about. Yogi never hurt anyone, and he was always willing to play with him.


    "Hey Yogi, I brought you some eggs. Hard-boiled, just the way you like them!" Ned said with a smile, holding the eggs out in both hands.


    The bear stood up from his resting spot, giving out a pleased rumbling sound that sounded suspiciously close to a purr. He sauntered over, swiped the eggs up with his tongue, and swallowed them all down, shells and all. Yogi then licked Ned from the chin up to his forehead, before letting out a massive belch that blew Ned''s hair in all directions.


    "Ugh! Yuck! Yogi, that''s gross! Your breath smells horrible!" Ned wailed, recoiling backwards and squeezing his nose shut.


    Yogi let out a couple of deep, bark-like noises that sounded a lot like laughter, before gently cuffing Ned over the shoulder with a massive paw. He turned back around, going to his favorite napping area, before taking up his favorite activity...napping.


    Ned looked over to where the men were training, and quickly spotted his older brother Bran was fighting another boy quite a bit older than him. Ned knew his brother was really good with the sword, and whenever he watched him he was always amazed by his skill. Brandon was quick, had great reflexes, and had developed an unorthodox style early on that often left the older kids in the training yard battered and bruised. Bran wouldn''t just use his sword in a fight, he would also use his fists, elbows, knees, and feet. It left everyone incredibly wary when they fought him, never knowing where the next hit would come from.


    Though for all his skill and speed, Ned mused, he was still the smallest boy in the training yard. The next youngest person was Rodrick, Ser Martyn the Master-at-Arms'' son and squire, and he had thirteen name-days compared to Bran''s nine. He was usually Bran''s sparring partner, and used his strength and greater size to weather the hits Bran landed, and eventually tire him out enough that Rodrick could take him out. This led to some really amazing spars, showcasing the skills of the young heir and squire, but it also led to some hot tempers and bloody brawls. In this case, it led to the second one.


    Both Brandon and Rodrick were rolling around in the dirt; kicking, spitting, and scratching at each other like a couple of cats trapped in a sack. Ned laughed, and cheered Bran on, even as Ser Martyn came over and broke it up. The great boar of a knight grabbed both boys by the back of the armor, one in each hand, and threw them into the horses'' watering trough.


    "Everyone knows you boys''s temper gets too hot every now again, best you both just cool off." Ser Martyn japed. Everyone in the yard burst into laughter, as both boys groaned and tried to hide themselves deeper in the trough.


    As I walked around the various empty store houses that used to be full of ice, I smiled softly to myself. I had settled right back into life at Winterfell after coming back from White Harbor, and I started my sword lessons not too long after. My mother had gotten over her horror of Yogi pretty quickly. She smiled, laughed, and cheered at all the right places as I told her my now much more embellished story of taming The Great Yogi the Bear. What I didn''t really notice, was that as I chattered on with my story, Lyarra had given Rickard a glare that could have melted the Wall.


    Watching my father''s many efforts trying to get back into my mother''s good graces provided a lot of entertainment for quite a few weeks.


    I found myself rather gifted with the sword, this particular body being incredibly athletic. I was quicker than in my old body, stronger at this age then I was then, and I had the advantage of past knowledge. While I was never a master, or even close to it, I had known quite a bit of Krav Maga in my old world. I had continued to practice the many different katas as soon as I had been able to find time to myself. After all, the katas promoted efficiency of movement, balance, and hand-eye coordination, which were all great things for swordsmanship. Plus, any kind of fighting skill is always an advantage in this Darwinistic world.


    My good pal Yogi managed to insert himself into life at Winterfell so seamlessly, you could have sworn he had always been there. He had his own room next to mine, on the ground floor of the main keep, and it had no furniture. Instead it was covered in a massive pile of different sheep skins. I was actually rather jealous of it, it looked more comfortable than my own bed. While he tended to follow me around most of the time, he still found plenty of opportunities to get up to mischief. He was regularly seen playing with the different children all around Winterfell, and it didn''t take long until he was well loved by all the smallfolk.


    Well, almost all of them. Much like his namesake, Yogi had the rather particular habit of constantly stealing different morsels of food from all around the castle and town. He managed to steal two sheep, a goat, and half a carcass of a deer from different butchers within the first month without ever being seen. The sneaky bastard probably would have gotten away with it too if he hadn''t gotten greedy and been caught trying to sneak out an entire boar.


    He had also made an enemy of the castle''s baker. Apparently the window he used to put the pies out to cool was not tall enough to keep out a hungry bear. Yogi learned quickly to make himself scarce whenever he did manage to snag a pie, his favorite prize, as he knew that my mother would be hot on his heels afterwards. Even Yogi wasn''t willing to brave her wrath.


    I often wonder how much of his personality was him originally, and how much was influenced by the warging. He showed way too many traits of the original Yogi the Bear for it to be a coincidence.


    One thing I had noticed was a few of the bear-like traits that I had picked up. For one, I now loved honey. Shit was great. I also had a newfound fondness for napping. Before Yogi, I used to be unable to nap. Either I stayed awake, or I slept for hours on end. Now, I took a nap after lunch everyday, and it was utterly glorious.


    I heard a horn blowing from over by the gate, and I ran over to see who was arriving. I really hoped it was who I think it was. After all, it was quite a few moons after winter ended, and almost all of the ice we had managed to store up had already been sent to White Harbor. I saw a rider pull up to my father, hold out a few scrolls, while a wagon came in behind with few chests on it. They were heavy, and made of iron, with big locks on them, and I could only imagine how much gold they might have in them. My plans for the North depended on there being enough.


    I met up with my father in his solar after dinner, as he hadn''t wanted to talk about "counting coppers" at the table. I could understand it, even in the Modern World it was never a good idea to announce to all and sundry exactly the status of your finances. I rubbed my hands together anxiously, hoping to get a grip of myself.


    "Well son, I got the numbers in." My father said, his expression betraying nothing.


    Hell, what do I have to do to get a poker face like that?


    "So how did we do, Father?" I finally asked, the silence getting to me.


    My father continued to look at me, his face carved from stone. He waited right up until I was about to break and ask another question, before letting out a great bark-like laugh. He leaned over and swept me into a massive hug.


    "It went amazingly Bran! Amazing! The Manderly''s did their part splendidly, and they took the ice to the hottest regions on their trade routes. There they held different auctions in each of the port cities, serving chilled wine with ice all the while, and saying about how the young Wolf Heir had preserved the cold of Winter so that he may share it with the South!" Rickard laughed with a massive grin, letting go of the hug and patting me on the shoulder. "A bit over the top, in my opinion, but it got the job done. You insisting we brand every crate with our sigil probably helped with that! We made thousands though Bran, thousands of gold dragons, and the South is almost begging for more. I honestly don''t think the supply that we stocked up will last much longer."


    "Don''t worry about that Father, I already have the perfect idea about how we can keep the ice trade going, even as all of Winterfell''s ice melts. It''s rather simple, we won''t harvest the ice anymore. We will have House Mormont do it, and they can ship it to us. Most of their ponds stay frozen year round, with only the streams thawing out come summer. They can brand the crates with their sigil so everyone knows they are doing the work as well, and then we will brand it with ours to show our approval of it, before sending it down to White Harbor. We can change the deal to where Houses Mormont and Manderly both get forty percent of the profit each, while we take twenty percent. We won''t have to do any of the work anymore, while still making some gold." I told my father, a big smirk on my face.


    My father shared the smirk real quick, before frowning and replying.


    "That''s all well and good Bran, but if House Mormont takes over part of the trade, and we get forty percent less than what we are getting now, then those two houses will eventually grow more wealthy than ours. While they are both incredibly loyal, I would prefer to keep our House much stronger than theirs." Rickard asked.


    "Don''t worry Father, my plans to help the North don''t stop here. I have made quite a few lists of different crops and livestock that I am rather confident will do well here. I have figured out where all of the different seeds would need to be bought, and all we would have to do is have the Manderly''s arrange it with the right merchants. While it might cost a bit to get all of it, about fifteen hundred gold dragons, it should be affordable with the gold coming in from the ice. If they work, most of these are things I plan on gifting to our different vassals; I do plan on keeping one or two of the most lucrative projects for our House, however." I stated, handing my father the different parchments I had covered in lists.


    My father took his time reading through all of the lists, the only expression he gave being the raising of a single eyebrow. He eventually looked up from them, and pinned me with a rather intense look.


    "I can''t spare many men to help you, one carpenter and maybe as many six different labourers. I will also allow Master Ryker the blacksmith and his apprentice to assist you, as long as you don''t use up all of their time with these projects. You think you can manage to pull all of this off with only that much help?" My father asked, waving the parchment in front of him.


    "I do, father. I am completely certain that that will be more than enough help to pull off everything I need to." I said, much more confidently than I felt.


    "Well alright, Bran. I will give these lists to Ser Lester as he goes back to White Harbor, along with the needed gold. I will also send ravens and letters to the Mormonets. You can begin starting work on your farm as soon as you''d like. You will probably need the time to get everything in order, before your seed and animals begin arriving." My father said, a small yet proud smile on his face.


    I smiled back. This was it, if this project fell on its face, then I wasn''t sure how I would manage to help my entire kingdom. Best get started then.


    The first thing I had to do was get my forge set up. The building itself was rather easy to do, with the help of the carpenter and laborers my father gave me, I had the structure itself setup within just two weeks. Getting the forge itself made took a little longer, as special bricks had to be made, and the whole thing had to be able to handle the extreme heat that it would be generating. While I knew the whole process necessary to make it, it still took a while. Luckily, I was able to start setting up a sawmill at the same time, while also making an empty barn between the both of them for my workshop. I could use that space to make the farming tools I needed.


    The forge and the sawmill were both completed at about the same time, and we managed to get all of the water wheels installed by ninth name-day. That was probably the best present I could have asked for, though I did have a great time at the feast my parents held. With both the forge and the sawmill ready for action, it was time to start making the farming equipment, and the many different fences and shelters I would need for the livestock. It didn''t have to be much, most of them would be gifted to various bannermen at the Harvest Feast, so the shelters were only temporary.


    When I showed Master Ryker the blacksmith my open hearth furnace, with how much high quality steel it could make and just how fast, he looked at me with near reverence. I felt like Moses here to show him to the Promised Land. From that day forward, Master Ryker practically threw all of his other projects onto poor Mikken, and focused on working out all of the kinks with the forge. After all, while it did work, it could definitely work better.


    From there I started building my farming equipment. I started with a seed drill, using steel for the plows and all the different gears, and bronze for the axles, wheels, and fittings. It came out great, and I had it finished just in time for the first shipments of seeds and livestock started to come in.


    The first test of the Northern Seed Drill was done by having Yogi pull it. Apparently my friend didn''t appreciate earning his place in the history books, as he let out pitiful whining noises the whole time, and refused to keep going after ten feet. Ah well, we hitched it up to a regular horse afterwards and it worked perfectly! I did notice that a few of the bronze fittings were already showing signs of strain however, so I would have to replace those with steel.


    My farm was growing though, and I was growing more excited with it. Within six moons after sending the lists of things I needed to the Manderly''s, they had managed to bring me every last thing on said lists. I''d have to reward them somehow when my plans had taken off, maybe I could design a few new sh.i.p.s for them to play with?


    Ah well, I had gotten the first versions of the reaper and the thresher made, though I would have to wait a while to test them. I just didn''t have anything ready to harvest yet.


    I was taking a break, ambling my way to a pond in the Wolfswood on the back of Yogi. The crops of my farm were already starting to show yields, and most of it should be ready for the first harvest within a moon or two. That was good, it would mean that I would have examples of all of the products that could be made from them by the time the Harvest Feast came around in six moons. I would have to buckle down, but I had already managed to build all of the distilleries and other things that would be needed.


    One thing I was sour gr.a.p.es about was, ironically enough, gr.a.p.es. I had imported some gr.a.p.e seeds from Braavos, intending to use modern techniques to make a high-quality wine, but something about Westerosi soil just didn''t agree with them. My every attempt to plant them, even in the glass gardens, was an abject failure. While there were a few hiccups here and there, all of the rest of the crops were grown successfully. I even managed to use some irrigation to flood a field enough to grow both rice and cranberries, and I couldn''t wait to see the look on Howland''s face when I gave them to him.


    As I was saying, I had all of the necessary supplies to make some awesome wine, and nothing to make wine out of. It was quite the bummer, and it was my frustration over my inability to grow any gr.a.p.es that had me going on this fishing trip. I figured a bit of peace and quiet in the great outdoors would be just what I needed to get my head back on straight.


    We made it to the end of the path, the woods opening up for us to make our way onto the rocky shore of the pond. I took out my fishing pole and a box of worms I had collected from Yogi''s saddle, and pulled the quick release on it so that my friend could lay down comfortably. My fishing pole wasn''t much, really just a thick stick from a willow tree, with a bit of twine tied to one end, and a bronze hook made from a nail at the end of the twine. It would get the job done however.


    The pond was large and the water was completely calm, looking like a single pane of glass reflecting the sky. It was surrounded by evergreen trees on all sides, and a few different rocky beaches like the one we were in right now. There were two different small streams that fed into the pond from one end, and a single bigger stream that led out of it again. There was even a buck getting a drink on the opposite shore, only to bolt away the moment it caught Yogi''s scent.


    I set my hook in the water, and leaned back against Yogi''s side as he took a nap, and enjoyed the serenity around. I used to always love fishing in my old life, and as any good fisherman knows, it doesn''t really matter if you catch anything or not. As I was looking around the shoreline, I spotted a cl.u.s.ter of bushes nearby. Walking over to them, I realized that these were what is called Frost berries. They were incredibly common around Winterfell, but nobody ever ate the things or gave them the time of day, not even the animals. Thing was, frost berries were the most sour thing you would ever taste. Think of a JawBreaker, sprinkled with the sour dust from a bag of Sour Patch Kids, and you would have something pretty close to a frost berry.


    I picked a few, and as I was looking at them, I remembered something. Sweet and sour are both incredibly close to each other, taste wise, and it usually doesn''t take much of a chemical process to make something sour, sweet.


    I grinned, and started filling up my saddle bag with as many of the berries as I could.I would test these ones, and if it made a good wine, I would come back and grab more so I could plant them myself. I already had the set up to make wine, after all.


    "Yogi! We can make wine from the berries! Maybe that will work!" I said excitedly, grabbing the second saddle bag so I could fill that one as well.


    Yogi shot me a sceptical look, and I caught the sensation of something incredibly sour on my tongue.


    "I know they are sour Yogi, but fruit changes when you ferment it, and maybe it will make a good wine!" I responded to my friend, who just shrugged, and I turned back to filling the bag.


    Yogi then let out a whining noise, and I looked back at him. He looked at the sun and looked me in the eye again. I got a glimpse of a sunset, a scene of me and him walking through the woods in the dark, and the sensation of the chills and cold.


    "Don''t worry Yogi, we are going now. I don''t want to be out here after dark either. Come on, let''s get your saddle on." I said, bringing over my now full bags of berries, picking up Yogi''s saddle on the way.


    When we made it back to Winterfell, well before sundown, we returned to a massive feast being prepared. Apparently my mother and father had an announcement.


    My mother was pregnant. Most likely with Lyanna. Which was a good thing, as I was pretty sure she should have been born already. I''m pretty sure that was my fault, as my Mother was pissed about Yogi for a long time. I even heard a rumor that Father spent a night in one of the stables, but no one could (or would) confirm it. Now that I think about it, I was currently nine, almost ten name-days, and Ned was only five. I am pretty sure he was supposed to be closer in age to me as well. Ah well, I suppose it doesn''t matter much.


    Over the course of the last five months since then, everyone has been very busy. I managed to get the first harvest of all my foreign crops, and I had made examples of all of the most important goods that can be made from them. One of the best surprises was my Frost Wine, or as the men called it, Northern Blue. The fermenting process ended up changing the disastrously sour berry into one of the best tasting, sweetest wines I had ever had. It had the same vibrant blue color of a blue raspberry Jolly Rancher, and tasted like something between strawberries and blackberries. I wasn''t a big wine drinker in my old life, but I loved this shit.


    I ended up deciding to keep the Northern Blue as a purely House Stark industry, along with the open hearth furnace. I had three farms growing frost berries exclusively already, and had set up a much larger and more efficient forge along a stream closer to the castle. With the gold from the wine sales, and being able to make steel faster and cheaper than everyone else, I can rest easy that the Starks will stay on top in the North. Sure, spies will eventually figure out the process, but with the speed most things moved in this world, I should already have the contracts to sell steel already made. I will also be able to arm all of my men for dirt cheap. A win-win situation if I ever heard of one.


    I wasn''t the only Stark working on increasing our fortunes, however. My father was certainly not willing to just pile up his gold from the ice trade and leave it at that. He had already had the Broken Tower torn down, and a new one was a quarter of the way built. He had also ordered a new outer wall built, a quarter mile out from the original walls, to both expand the castle and replace the current outer walls. Apparently, stone walls got weaker after they have been up for four thousand years. Who knew? Either way, within the next five years my father planned to have the entire castle renovated and expanded. It would look basically the same, just newer and stronger, and I definitely approved. I could focus on trade while my father reinforced our home.


    I put on my cotton tunic, made from the cotton I had planted, embroidered with copper thread forming the shape of the Stark direwolf over my left b.r.e.a.s.t. Some warm, wool breeches dyed a light blue (using a dye I made from the frost berries, those things were awesome) and all of it held together with a lizard-lion leather belt. That had been something I bought from House Reed, I had no intention of trying to domesticate the things. They belonged in Jurassic Park, in my humble opinion.


    I made my way out of my room, heading towards the Great Hall where the first Harvest Feast was to be held. Traditionally, House Stark has always held two Harvest Feasts. One for the first harvest of the summer, and one for the last. This one was going to be especially important, and dare I say, rather historic. It was at this feast where I was going to reveal my plans to increase trade and prosperity in the North, and afterwards I would give all of them a tour of the farm I had been working on for the close the last year.


    I walked in with my head held high, making eye contact with each Lord that looked at me, but not staring long enough to make anyone uncomfortable. Most of them zeroed in Yogi trailing in behind me, and that actually made me nervous for a second.


    The men often japed that I was Brandon "The Beartamer" and that was one name I wasn''t that fond of. It sounded cool, but I was sure that the moment Lady Maege Mormont heard it, she would introduce me to her mace. Just to show me what she thought of that particular title. I wonder if Yogi is related to the bear that fathers her children in the future?


    Food for thought.


    "Ah Brandon, my son, I am glad you finally made it! I already shared with our Lords the story of how your good friend there came to be in our company, and many of them have since then been curious about the good fortune of House Stark and our ice trade." My father told me, giving me a pointed look.


    That had been one of my worries when we first started the ice trade. The ease in which we could make coin doing it, harvesting something as ever present in Northern life as ice, was bound to make more than a few Lords jealous. Many of them would berate themselves for not having thought of it first, while the more rebellious ones would believe they had a right to a part of the trade as well. This was one of the reasons I wanted to gift different industries to the Lords anyways. Ruling happy Lords is always easier than ruling jealous Lords.


    Yogi ambled over to behind the high table, where he laid down by my seat, and began enjoying the basket of fresh fish that the servants had left out for him. I stood in front of my chair, and addressed the Hall.


    "Do not worry, my Lords, I assure you. The ice trade was only the beginning of my plans to help enrich the North. As you know, we could never afford to make gambles with trade or on new industry, as all failures meant starvation. With the added gold House Stark has gained from the trade, we took it upon ourselves to pay these risks for you. I hope you have been enjoying the many new foods and drinks present at this feast. Unlike what you may think, none of this has been purchased from other lands. Each and every bit of it has been grown here at Winterfell, or made from crops grown here. House Stark intends to gift each of its loyal bannermen one of these new crops and new trades. I will personally teach your smallfolk how to farm it, to distill these drinks, and how to raise the livestock. Along with your gifts, each of you will be given a contract, giving your house exclusive use of these crops and goods. No other Lord in the North will be allowed to sell the goods we gift you without facing the wrath of House Stark. Tomorrow morning, when we have all broken our fasts, I will take my Lords on a tour of the farm I have created. It is there that I have grown every one of these crops, and there that I made each of these goods." I said confidently and clearly, hiding my shaking hands by gripping the edge of the table.


    The Lords were silent, each one of them giving me a searching stare, and it took every last ounce my willpower not to break out in a cold sweat. Suddenly, there was a snort coming from against the Lords.


    "Aye lad, we thought the Starks were getting rich off the cold, while the rest of us froze. This feast being full of things we have never seen before, it just seemed to confirm it. If what you say is true, and I believe it is as I''ve never known a Stark to lie, then I owe you an apology lad. To Brandon Stark, the Clever Wolf!" Yelled out Lord Hothor Umber, holding his glass of vodka up in a toast. His son Jon was the first to take up the cheer, and Jon was someone I would call a friend. Loud and boisterous, but with a good deal of intelligence and pragmaticism, he was loyal and honorable, a great ally to have and an even better friend.


    I held up my own cup of Northern Blue with a fake c.o.c.ky smirk, returning the toast, as the entire Hall broke out in cheers. I looked to the rest of the High Table, and took a glance at my family. My father had a barely noticeable proud smile on his face, while my mother made no attempts to hide the warmth and pride in her own. Ned was looking at me with wide eyes, more copying everyone else by cheering than really knowing what was going on. I gave a shaky smile back to them, tomorrow would be the day where I finally showed them all what I had made.


    "Here is the farm, my Lords." I said, walking next to Yogi at the top of a hill. Behind us was Winterfell, and in front of us were large fields, all full of different crops. There were many different fences, all made to hold in different animals, and a couple of barns I had made to hold the distilleries. I had moved the winery to a different farm, as that product was staying at Winterfell.


    "Come on, we shall start with the crops, and I shall inform each of you what you shall be taking home. First here we have corn, a crop from Sothoryos that can be eaten in a many different forms, but the best part is that it is from corn that we made the whiskey you all tried and loved so much last night. Corn and whiskey is House Stark''s gift to House Cerwyn." I nodded at the Lord, who looked at the growing corn with a greedy eye. No doubt remembering the whiskey from the other night.


    "This one here is a potato farm. Potatoes are originally from Ibb and Sarnor, but they have no issue growing here. While potatoes taste great, and you can make many different dishes from them, they spoil quickly. As such, it wouldn''t be that useful if it wasn''t for the fact that you can make the Vodka you tried from them. The potatoes and vodka are House Stark''s gift to House Tallhart." I said, walking past the potato fields. Many lords looked at them in wonder, never having seen a plant quite like the potato.


    "Here we have what are called beets. I got them from Braavos, and they can be rather tasty if cooked right. However, what makes them really worthwhile is the fact that one can make sugar from it. The same sugar used on all of the pastries last night. Beets and the process to make sugar from them, is House Stark''s gift to House Hornwood."


    As you can see, I was trying to do it a bit ritualistically. I really wanted each of these Lords to remember that I could have kept every last one of these industries to myself, and that they truly were a gift to them. Yes, I wanted the North to rise as one, but I also wanted to stay on top without having rebellions. It is a fine tightrope to walk, but one you have to manage.


    "Next up is cotton, my Lords. As you can see, it doesn''t look like much. Combine it with the inventions I call the cotton gin, the spinning wheel, and the water powered loom, and you can use cotton to make both fine and cheap clothing, just like the tunic I am wearing right now." I pointed out the rather sharp tunic I had on. It wasn''t anything fancy, but it cost less than a regular cloth tunic, and took half the time to make. "Cotton, and the process to make clothes from it, is House Stark''s gift to House Flint of Flint''s Fingers. Your lands are perfectly situated to grow the cotton, as the warmer climate of the Neck is just what cotton needs."


    We went up a small hill, where I had set up a good sized garden to grow hops.


    "These are hops my Lords, and they aren''t supposed to be eaten at all. They are instead used to make the beer that you all tried last night. These hops, and the beer, are House Stark''s gift House Forrester." I said, watching as the Lords examined the long vines that the hops came from. I then turned to the other side of the hill, pointing down.


    "Down there we actually dug some ditches from the stream into there so that we could flood it into two different, man made bogs. It is in this bog that we grow one of the most important crops that the North could ever have. Rice. It was those bland white pellets that we had mixed in with different meats. Not the tastiest thing on its own, but rice can be mixed with near just about anything. Its greatest advantage is the fact that once harvested, as long as rice is kept dry, it will never truly go bad. It also only needs boiling water to be cooked. Five, ten year winter, it doesn''t matter. The rice will still be good. In the other marsh we have cranberries, a rather tart berry that I found myself having a liking for. I am quite certain you could make some wine from it, but I never actually tried myself. Either way, the rice and the cranberries are both House Stark''s gift House Reed. After all, the marshes of the Neck are the best places to grow these crops." I said, looking at my rice paddies and cranberry boggs with pride.


    I glanced at Lord Reed and his son Howland, and they were both looking at the crops with literal tears in their eyes. Now that I think about it, their people probably never managed to grow any kind of food of their own, and had to keep hunting and foraging. There are no native crops in the North that would grow in a marsh, after all. That is probably when Greywater Watch floats and moves around. They aren''t worried about someone finding the castle, they have to move around to follow the food.


    Well, I am glad they are happy.


    We were walking by the edge of a small forest, heading over to where we were keeping all the animals. Along the way there were many different trees, all with a small bronze tube hammered into them, and a bucket laying under it.


    "Many of you commented on the sweet syrup that we had served with hot cakes this morning, and here is where it is made. We drain some of the sap from Maple trees, and boil it down a few times. It is a pretty easy process, though it takes a large amount of sap to make only a small bit of syrup. As such, it was rather lucky when I discovered that in the Wolfswood on the lands of House Glover, nearly nine out of every ten trees is a Maple tree. The process of making Maple syrup is House Stark''s gift House Glover." I said, spying a satisfied smile on Lord Glover''s face. He was a good friend of my Father, and I was proud that he was happy with the gift.


    "Here we have bee hives. Many of you keep bees already, for the honey they make, but I managed to make a drink out of it. The honey mead that Lord Whitehill enjoyed so much, shall be House Stark''s gift to House Whitehill." I said with a smirk. Lord Whitehill had gotten so drunk last night that he tried to put the moves on, and seduce into his bed, Yogi.


    Never thought I''d see a drunk man trying to kiss a bear.


    I had also been utterly amazed when I learned that no one made honey mead. Seriously, what kind of medieval society can import wine from the other side of the continent, but can''t figure out how to make honey mead? Ah well, their loss, my gain.


    "These fences hold many different animals, all split up by species. First we have these massive horses, all imported from Sarnor. I can''t pronounce the name they called them there, so I just call them Clydesdales. They are incredibly strong, though kind of slow, but will still make for great steeds. They can do more work in the fields than other horses, and their greater size and would lend an advantage in any cavalry charge. These Clydesdale horses are House Stark''s gift to House Ryswell." I looked at Lord Ryswell and he was staring at the massive horses with worship in his eyes.


    Hopefully he doesn''t start following the Dothraki horse-gods after this.


    "These furry-ass cows are actually called Yaks. Their big hairy fur keeps them warm no matter how cold it gets, and they have no problem digging through the snow to find food to graze on. The Yaks are House Stark''s gift to House Umber. House Umber has the largest grazing lands in the North, after all." I said happily, watching Lords Hothor and Jon as they patted the sides of the hairy animals.


    "In this barn we keep a new kind of fowl called turkeys. We got them from a colony of Sothoryos, and they have shown to be a great addition to the North. They are a bit bigger and stockier than chickens, and their meat has a distinct and pleasant taste. They are easy to raise, and with the extra fat and thicker feathers, they can handle the cold better than chickens. These turkeys are House Stark''s gift to House Dustin."


    "Here, these are actually Unicorns from Skaagos. I had thought long and hard about what might help my loyal Lords of the Dreadfort, but alas it was much harder than I thought. Your lands are very rocky, and mountainous, and even these resilient crops I have found would not grow well in such an environment. In the end, I realized that what you needed was an animal that would survive well in rocky mountains, and as such arranged the purchase of these with House Magnar. These unicorns are House Stark''s gift to House Bolton." I said, making sure to keep my face solemn. Lord Roose, who was already Lord Bolton, returned my straight look with one of his own. He nodded once, before turning away.


    The unicorns were never really meant as a gift, after all, but the illusion of one. It is true that unicorns probably would do very well in the lands of the Dreadfort, and if Roose was smart he could breed them and sell them far and wide just for the novelty of unicorns. Thing is, the Dreadfort and Skaagos have been nominal allies for a very long time, ever since they both rebelled together for the first time. If the Boltons had really wanted unicorns, they would already have them. By doing this, I could pretend I was doing House Bolton a favor, while ensuring their House would be the one that benefited the least from the changes.


    "Lastly, we have my gift for you, Lord Karstark. Your lands are all forest, and as such not really suited for farming or livestock. Instead, I have a contract from Braavos, saying that they will willingly buy any wood that comes from Karstark lands at a fair market price, whether it is firewood or lumber. Also, I will be providing you with designs for a sawmill powered by a water wheel. It would greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to mill your wood, allowing you to grow rich from the lumber trade. I also have been designing new sh.i.p.s, that will hopefully be faster than the current ones, and if they work I plan on giving the designs to every Lord of the North." I said, smiling at Lord Karstark.


    I looked around at the gathered Lords, and I saw hope. Each of them was looking at their new gifts with undisguised hope. Hope that this would finally be the time that the North would rise. It is a hope I shared with them.


    All of the Lords left the Harvest Feast with praise for the Stark''s on their lips. Each one sending smallfolk to Winterfell to learn how to make the different goods, and each Lord had taken one of each of the different pieces of farming equipment I had made. Hopefully they adopted their use, and the craftsmen make them fast enough, and after enough time-spark an agricultural revolution.


    Surprisingly, I hadn''t needed to introduce four crop rotation, they already knew that. I suppose it made sense, they had to be doing something right in regards to agriculture if they were regularly surviving multi-year winters.


    Four months after the harvest feast, I was finally sending the last of the smallfolk I needed to train home. They would return to the lands of their Lords with new knowledge and industry, and hopefully each Lord took full advantage of it.


    "My Lord! My Lord! Come quick! Your Mother, the Lady Lyarra is in labor!" My good friend Rodrick Cassel said, running up to me where I stood on the castle walls on top of the gate.


    I immediately took off after him, I couldn''t wait to meet my baby sister. A brand new sister, born in a brand new North.

 Chapter 277 - My CO Stash #77 - Vader: The Goblins Bane by DWAR (StarWarsXGoblinSlayer)

    -Repemption seeking Vader wiping out goblins is best Vader~ I find the author''s portayal of Vader, the most pleasing!


    Sypnosis: What happens when Darth Vader is transported to the Goblin Slayer Universe? Read and find out. Rating may be raised at a later point due to content.


    Rated: T


    Words: 37K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13211133/1/Vader-The-Goblins-Bane (DWAR)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Though it had been decades since that awful night in the wastes, the events of the past few days, which were far too similar in nature to that moment where he had first stepped into darkness, granted him a clarity that was almost as if it had only been yesterday since he held his dying mother in his arms.


    Gone had been the strong, gentle woman that had comforted him whenever their master sought a convenient outlet to vent his frustrations of the day. For it had been replaced by a bruised, and broken creature whose only relation to his mother had been the strength of her spirit.


    The man who had freed her from Watto had told him that Shmi had been missing for months, which meant that she had clung to life, far past what any other human being would do, just so she could see her son one last time.


    He could still feel the calloused, but gentle touch of her hand as she tried to take in the image of her grown up son. But as he desperately tried to retain his composure as he sought to reassure her that she was now safe, she finally succ.u.mbed to her wounds, with her last words trying to tell him that she loved him.


    For a moment, he had clutched her body to him as he stifled the urge to vocalize his pain at the same time he was broadcasting his emotions to the currents of the universe.


    It was only after he heard the gurgled laughing of his mother''s butchers that he allowed his emotions to take over and grant them the reward that they deserved.


    All of them. Be they man, woman or child, they had all fallen to his blade. And while he told his yet to be wife that he was disgusted with his actions in order to try and prove that he was still worthy to be called a human being, in truth he enjoyed it for it reminded him of why he had become a Jedi in the first place.


    To protect those who could not protect themselves.


    Yes revenge had been a part of it, but before Sidious taught him that it was better to embrace these feelings rather than cast them aside, but he believed that he was doing the planet a favor by getting rid of those...creatures who survived by bringing misery to others.


    And despite the years since that night when he lost the one person whose love might very well have surpassed his beloved wife, he was currently facing a situation that made it seem like it was only yesterday.


    Albeit this time he had no personal ties with the victims of these monsters.


    For like the people of Tatooine, the people of this society viewed these mutated raiders as an easily handled pest that were not only the concern of those who dwelt beyond the protection of the main settlements, but could be taken care of by even the least experienced of warriors.


    And like the Tusken Raiders, these Goblins were a more dangerous, not to mention depraved adversary than they first appeared.


    Ferocious in numbers. Natural ambushers. And a tendency for perverted cruelty that had their victims crying out for death.


    They were animals. And he would enjoy slaughtering them like animals.


    ...


    Chapter 2


    Considering the list of crimes he had committed in his life, both as his tenure as a Jedi and then later as a Sith Lord, the man formerly known as Anakin Skywalker was hardly surprised that his death hadn''t resulted in an escape from his pain.


    For a brief moment after his death, his appearance resembled what it could have been if his body had been fully organic, but after fading from the view of his son, the Force had seen fit to punish him by transforming his spirit into the symbol of oppression that had bestrode the galaxy for over 2 decades.


    And like his existence under the man he had been forced to call master, his current appearance was designed to not only instill terror in those who looked upon him, but also punish his body for his greatest failures.


    Mechanical limbs that sent stabbing sensations into his ruined flesh every time he moved them, with his arms giving him the sensation that they would tear themselves out if they remained at rest.


    The sensation that he would be crushed under his own weight if he took even the smallest step forward.


    And the most memorable of all, the burning sensation that came with every breath of air that was artificially pushed and pulled into his charred lungs.


    For the man who was complicit in the untold suffering of billions, spending eternity trapped in the Force''s representation of his mobile prison was an adequate punishment.


    However, while he was resigned to his fate, for despite his actions in saving his son he still had much to atone for, the man whose actions had influenced the entire galaxy, was mildly curious at the fact that his connection to the Force, rather than being severed or even expanded to increase his suffering, was exactly the same as it had been before his duel with his son.


    Thanks to mutilation he had experienced at the hands of Kenobi, the former Jedi had been forced to compensate for his loss of nearly half his force potential by increasing his ability to control what was left to him. Of course it had been insufficient to free himself from Sidious''s control, for he sensed that he had perhaps 80% of the Sith master''s power, but it had nevertheless cemented his position as the most powerful apprentice the Emperor had ever commanded.


    And as he sought to get a better understand of why in death he still possessed the abilities that had defined his career as both a Jedi and Sith, the armored man was hit with sensation that he had become most intimate with during the past 24 years.


    Mounting terror.


    Reaching out with his senses, he was able to pinpoint the disturbance with nearly surgical clarity. For while Luke might have caused him to experience the same selfless behavior that had defined his tenure as a Jedi, he was still more comfortable following the currents of the Dark Side of the Force.


    And while this planet was teeming with individuals whose alignment was firmly entrenched within the light, there were also countless denizens, not unlike those that existed in front of him, whose actions served to strengthen the darker impulses of the universe spanning energy field.


    Hate.


    Anger.


    These were emotions that could be easily felt by him, especially since they seemed to be generated by 30 sentient beings whose singlemindedness was admirable, if more than slightly feral in nature.


    But these emotions were easily dwarfed by the one that appeared to be coming from those whose signature in the Force had previously been in the light.


    Fear.


    Curious as to what could inspire such a feeling, and receiving a gentle nudge from the Force to investigate, the black armored being picked himself off the ground and walked towards the disturbance.


    It was only thanks to another subtle move from the source of his power that he turned his helmeted visage back to where he had fallen and noticed something that once again caused his former mentor''s chiding tone to enter his head.


    Scowling as he was forced to admit that Kenobi had at least had one valuable teaching, the Force user raised his arm to catch the currently deactivated weapon in his hand.


    For he suspected that he would soon have need of it.


    ¡­


    Cackling evilly as his equally malicious minions threw their latest captives at his feet, the goblin chieftain took his time to analyse his ''gifts'' before making the decision that all leaders of his kind had to make.


    Which captive would have the honor of being the first to receive his seed? And which ones would be used for the amus.e.m.e.nt of his men?


    It mattered little in the grand scheme of things since all runts were treated the same, even those that were fathered by Goblin Lords and other high ranking members of their kind, but that wasn''t the point.


    It was his duty to increase their numbers with human women, and it was his privilege to be the first one to break the spirit of their captives with his desire for pleasure.


    Of course he had every intention of ''sampling'' the other 2 once his flesh had recovered enough to take what his spirit wanted, but since his position was secured by making it plain that HE was to get first pick, there was considerable pressure to ensure that his choice was worthy of his position.


    ''Lets see. The one on the right has most of her meat in the lower half, with almost none up top. Good if I wanted to take her from the rear, but I feel in the mood to grab a females tits while I''m inside her. The one in the middle, not too bad. Nice toned legs, decent sized chest, but that glare of hers means that it might be tougher to break her in. The one of the left¡­.hmm¡­bit on the unripe side, but then, the young ones are always fun to watch when they scream in in pain''.


    .


    Gesturing with a dirty claw to have the youngest member of the trio brought forward, and idly noting that his boys were already howling in pleasure as they proceeded to position their leader''s rejections in a manner that would be as pleasurable for them as it would be painful for the women, the middle aged goblin untied his loin cloth and advanced on the girl who smelt as if her body had only just recently become ripe for mother hood.


    However, before he do more than spread her legs, for unlike his minions he enjoyed it when his toys had illusion of preventing what was going to happen, the breeding chamber was filled with the terror filled cries of one of his scouts.


    Snarling at having his fun delayed, though he noticed with some satisfaction that the others had waited for him to take the first plunge before enjoying their own breeding partners, the goblin leader was about to yell at the babbling scout, whose position had ensured that he and others like him would never get first, or even 4th choice of the women they captured, when the unfortunate goblin went flying back into the darkened tunnel that connected his throne room to the twisting pathways of his kingdom.


    And as he began to shout orders at his minions to deal with this magic using intruder, his voice was drowned out by the booming echoes of what could only loosely be described as breathing.


    ''KHOOOOH PUUUHRR''


    ¡­..


    Though it had been some time since he had felt any emotion that reminded him of his former self, his fatherly instincts towards the last remaining link to his wife notwithstanding, the armored behemoth found it particularly amusing to cut down these stunted mutants in a fashion that was almost similar to how he and his former apprentice had dealt with the droid forces of the Separatists.


    But unlike the battle droids of the CIS, these creatures were capable of feeling emotions as they found their efforts to overwhelm him end in failure.


    If they had chosen to face him in the open, they might have stood a better chance, for he would have been forced to divide his attention towards his complete surroundings instead of just in front of him. But since they appeared to dislike fighting with the planet''s sun shining over them, they had opted for fighting them in terrain that would have given them the home advantage.


    However, with their primitive weapons and crude sense of tactics, they were no match for him.


    Even without his lightsaber.


    First he had dealt with the 2 creatures that had been standing guard outside their cave.


    Due to the weakness of their mind, he could simply have used a mind trick in order to get them to leave and never look. But after delving into their thoughts, which was a simple chore for him to do since they possessed a simple mindedness that could put even his wife''s Gungan ally to shame, he had quickly concluded that they deserved a much more permanent fate.


    In his tenure as the Emperor''s right hand, he had executed countless beings for crimes that were far less deserving that what these animals had committed. And it was precisely for that reason that he derived great satisfaction as he chocked the life out of the green skinned monsters.


    For while he had no issues in using the force to weed out the virus of incompetence and treason within the ranks of his forces, the lingering elements of his Jedi training ensured that the act of killing those who behaved like animals served to fill him with a sense of righteousness.


    A trait that was both encouraged, and mocked by his Sith Master.


    After he had dispatched the 2 guards, the armored force user had proceeded to venture deeper into the cave, using his helmet and his senses to lead him deeper into the darkened passageways of this underground nest.


    Unfortunately, his reliance on his suit''s respiratory system had ensured that his descent was far from stealthy.


    But that didn''t halt his progress into the depths.


    Every time he came across these creatures, who either charged at him from some cleverly concealed chamber, though from his senses there was no hope of hiding, or attempted to literally stab him in the back, his strength in the Force allowed him to brutally, yet efficiently deal with these abominations in a lethal fashion.


    Force chokes.


    Waving his hand to send their child sized bodies flying into the wall or ceiling.


    And one particular incident where he had levitated 2 still living creatures to act as a shield before sending them crashing into their compatriots with a well-aimed force blast.


    Unfortunately, while that last attack had managed to bring his kill count to around 24, one of the creatures, in a rare display of intelligence, had chosen to do the one thing that would delay its well deserved fate.


    Running away.


    However, since it had fled in the direction from where he could feel the justified fear of those he now suspected to be their captives, the former Jedi followed the creature with the same sense of purpose one would expect from a predator that had cornered its prey.


    And since it had fled into an area that appeared to have more space for maneuverability, it was time to indulge in perhaps one of the few activities that could make his shell of a life have some semblance of pleasure.


    ¡­


    As soon as he heard the echoing sounds of metallic breathing, for there could be no other way to describe what he was hearing, the Goblin leader''s began to scream for his minions to attack this soon to be intruder.


    But as the blackness of the cave was banished by the sudden ignition of fire that was blood red, the sense of encroaching doom grew stronger and stronger.


    A sensation that grew worse as his steadily fearful eyes took in the appearance of the intruder.


    As a member of a race whose height rarely exceeded that of a human child, at least when they weren''t evolving into the hard to obtain/more evolved forms of their kind, the goblin leader was hardly surprised to find himself dwarfed by this new enemy, even if he was taller than most humans he had encountered.


    He was covered in black colored armor that would have allowed him to blend with the nest''s perpetual darkness if it wasn''t for the blinking lights that covered the torso. Not that wouldn''t have done anything since black armor or not his breathing, as well as a goblin''s night vision would have robbed him of this advantage anyway.


    But the personal appearance of this intruder, whose presence managed to scare even their latest breeders, was not enough to make the goblin leader and his minions believe that they were outmatched.


    No, their growing sense of fear stemmed from the glowing blade that extended from his hand.


    Usually, a sword of that length would be all but useless in the tight confines of a goblin nest. But a magical blade, for there was no other way to describe the blood red beam of light, was something that gave even the most inexperienced of humans an advantage that few goblins could hope to match.


    And from the way his goons were butchered, it was clear that this human, if he could even be called that, was no inexperienced adventurer.


    ¡­..


    Feeling an urge of satisfaction as he decapitated one of the few remaining creatures with a casual one handed swing of his lightsaber, an act that managed to inspire feelings of both relief and terror in those who had been on the verge of suffering one of the few fates that was worse than death, the former Chosen One turned his attention towards the remaining beasts whose perverse savagery matched those of the ones who had killed his mother.


    And like the Tusken Raiders, these child sized mutants met their end on the tip of his light saber.


    All but one of them.


    Accurately suspecting that this last remaining animal was the leader of the soon to be extinct tribe, the prodigal Force user lifted his hand to keep the struggling creature in place as he turned his attention towards the fearful trio.


    "Are you alright"?


    Unsurprised to see them flinch at the sound of his voice, and filled with the previous discarded emotion of caring for those who were truly innocent, the former enforcer did his best to adopt a more soothing tone as he sought to reassure the clearly traumatized women that he was not a threat to them.


    "I mean you no harm. I¡­am here to help".


    Though his words cause the more youthful members of the trio to shrink in fear, the oldest among them managed to respond to his statement in a way that was both achingly familiar, and yet entirely opposite to the words he had spoken all those years ago.


    "Ar¡­Are you a demon"?


    Shocked though he was to have a replay, twisted though it might have been, of his first meeting with his wife, and pushing down his ever present feelings of self disgust since his past actions could be described as evil, the black armored warrior shook his head.


    "No. No I am not. That distinction I believe belongs to this pitiful creature".


    Turning his helmet so his struggling captive could look directly into the lens of his mask, the Force user felt his ever present anger growing as the young woman provided the information that he was lacking.


    "Their not demons, their goblins. Most people view their kind as only a nuisance, a pest that can be taken out by even the most inexperienced of adventurers. But to those who live in small villages, where army patrols are few to non existent, they are the scourge of the earth. They steal and butcher anything that takes their fancy. And the girls¡­they¡­they¡­.they use them to increase their num..".


    CRACK


    Though it was far less satisfying a death than his preferred method of execution, the former symbol of imperial might was far from sorry as telekinetic hold on the goblin''s body went from keeping him in place to breaking every bone in his body.


    Taking a moment to reign control over his more volatile emotions, for it would be unpleasant if he lashed out at the already terrified trio, the former Jedi fell back into the mindset of a military commander as he proceeded to bark instructions at the more composed member of the 3 women.


    "Find something to cover yourselves. We are leaving this hovel".


    Watching dispassionately as they hastened to obey his command, and using his senses to ensure that there were no more of these¡­goblins to deal with, the man whose life was divided between serving the light and dark side of the Force came to a decision that had been weighing on his mind since he had ''awoken''.


    Though the actions he had taken this day had been in service of a goal that the Jedi would approve of, saving innocent lives from a gruesome fate, the manner in which he accomplished this served to remind him that despite his son''s insistence, the Dark Side of the Force was still with him.


    For he had revelled in the fear of the goblins as he struck them down. And his anger and rage had been fully stoked at the knowledge that this world treated these loathsome creatures with the same sort of dismissive behavior that the urban dwellers of Tatooine possessed towards the bands of monsters that had taken the life of his mother.


    "Ex¡­excuse me sir. But what do we call you"?


    Turning his head so that his red tinted vision could catch the nervous expression of the more vocal members of his rescued captives, it was only with the briefest amounts of hesitation that he answered the question that he himself had been debating over.


    "Vader. You may call me Vader".


    ¡­


    Chapter 3


    Despite her best efforts to retain the professionally cheerful demeanor that she had been instructed to wear during her work hours, Guild Girl couldn''t help feeling the familiar feeling of worry as the latest batch of rookie adventurers missed their deadline.


    In itself, this wasn''t a serious concern since few adventurers, even those who had managed to obtain the incredibly rare rank of gold, ever managed to complete their assigned quest within the standard time allotment the Guild judged to be appropriate for each mission. Though there were several instances when an adventurer returned far sooner than previously predicted, even if most of the time they returned without fulfilling their goals.


    But for those who chose to take on a goblin quest, the golden haired girl had managed, with more than a little help from her goblin obsessed love interest, to work out a system that could tell her if the mission had been a success or a failure.


    If all of the party returned the same day they accepted the quest, and held that mixed look of triumph and mild exhaustion, then it meant that the goblin menace had been both small in number and had occurred outside of their natural habitat.


    If however they returned days, or even a week later than intended, and possessed clear signs that they had been in a struggle, which could range from visible injuries, missing party members, or that horrified stare that was always present, in some form or another, on female adventurers who had chosen to exterminate the ''lowest creatures of darkness'', then it was clear that the mission was far more difficult than they had expected. It was usually at this time that adventurer''s either made the decision to carry on, albeit with different quests, or pursue another career.


    For apart for apart from Goblin Slayer, few adventurers willingly chose to go take on another goblin menace. And even fewer returned.


    And then of course there were the quests that no one returned from.


    Either they had been killed and used for food, or had endured the fate that every woman fears until there bodies finally gave out from the constant horror of being forced to increase the goblin population.


    Of course more than one woman had been rescued from this fate, but even the blindest man could tell that for all intents and purposes they were dead in all the ways that mattered.


    But since Goblin Slayer had decided to accept 2 jobs that morning, the likelihood of someone coming to that trio''s rescue, for their continued absence left no doubt that they had, like many before them, been forced to spend the remainder of their days as toys before their bodies were turned towards a more...culinary purpose, was slim to none.


    Sometimes, in her darkest moments, she wished that that the goblin population would attack a good sized town, for then it would reveal to the rest of the world that those creatures that most dismissed as a minor pest, were in fact an evil that should be wiped from the face of the other. However, such thoughts were always accompanied by a sense of guilt since such an occurrence would undoubtedly inflict more suffering on those who were truly innocent.


    Which she suppose is why Goblin Slayer was so obsessed with his one man campaign.


    It did not matter if the news only carried the barest rumor of goblin activity. The specialist silver ranked adventurer would pursue any lead that would prevent the goblin menace from growing.


    But sadly, he couldn''t be everywhere.


    Which is why the guild kept losing an unacceptable number of rookie adventurers on what had been labelled ''simple goblin hunts''.


    She wished they took her advice to treat their mission with the same seriousness they would show to a more physically imposing enemy, but her warnings largely went ignored by those who believed that their previous training would get them through any peril.


    The last person to at least have the common sense to express some doubt over her chosen quest was that young priestess who had more or less been shanghaied by that trio of over confident rookies. She hoped that the young girl would be able to summon the necessary courage to act on her justified concerns, but considering the harsh dismissive attitude of the young wizard, and the blind enthusiasm of the groups only male, she highly doubted it.


    But as her more pragmatic, and more than slightly dismissive superior kept reminding her, it wasn''t her job to quests requests from those that wanted them.


    Of course there was that rule about matching adventurers to quests that fitted their skill level, but since the leaders of the Adventurers Guild labeled goblins as the lowliest monster their was, they were deemed to be an acceptable, even easy challenge for those who had only recently been accepted into the guild.


    Thus, it was with a heavy heart that she forced herself to regain the pleasant demeanor that all employees had to wear during their working hours.


    However, judging by the way in which the roaring fire seemed to lose its ability to combat the unexpected draft of cold that seemed to descended on what had previously been a pleasant evening, she doubted that it would be easy.


    ¡­.


    Though it had been some years since he was forced to acknowledge that he was in someone''s debt, his former master''s occasional reminder of his ''rescue'' on the lava banks of Mustafar notwithstanding, Vader was nevertheless grateful to the unlooked for generosity of the old farmer.


    Yes he had acted as most beings did whenever they were in his presence, something which had no doubt been Sidious''s intention when designing his mobile prison, but after using the force to calm the man''s nerves, something which he had never bothered with in his position as the Empire''s 2nd most powerful being, and the understandably nervous words of support from his rescued captives, the old dairy farmer had offered to use his cart to transport them to the nearest settlement.


    He had been fully prepared to make the journey on foot, even if the trek would have painfully reminded him of the substandard design of his prosthetics, but since he was uncertain of his companion''s ability to walk long distances, not to mention his unfamiliarity of the area, the armored force user was forced to concede that accepting the farmer''s offer was for the best.


    Even if his constant mechanical breathing unnerved the old man.


    However, the uneventful journey into the large rural settlement gave him the perfect opportunity to extend his senses into the currents of the Force in order to get a better understand of his new found environment.


    And for the most part, he was largely unsurprised by what he felt.


    The farmsteads that dotted the country side where filled with the same sort of fear and acceptance that had existed in the wastes surrounding Mos Eisley. And while that didn''t prevent the rural populace from carrying on with their lives in a safe, and relatively happy manner, Vader could nevertheless detect that their fear, while muted, nevertheless required little to bring it out.


    The town itself was entirely different. Albeit in a way that caused him to question whether or not the women had been correct in their overall perception of the society they had sprung from.


    Yes the atmosphere was much more lighter than that in the countryside, especially when compared to the areas that bordered the forests that, if not shouted, whispered with the Dark Side of the Force, but he could detect the same concern that he had experienced in the systems where the effects of the Clone Wars, while far enough away to ensure that they did not directly feel the cost of the war, were nevertheless felt by every being whose loved ones lacked the same sort of safety they enjoyed.


    Of course while this new found knowledge wasn''t enough to stoke the fires of his rage, it was sufficient to make him experience the same sort of disdain he had developed after watching the countless debates of the Republican Senate.


    For with the exception of his wife, and perhaps the leaders of the Rebellion, few senators ever possessed the courage to play an active role in fighting what they viewed to be a credible evil. The Jedi of course had been of a similar mindset, even if they risked their lives on a daily basis. They knew what they needed to do in order to bring the war to a swifter conclusion, but their inability to do more than respond to a crisis ensured that countless billions suffered from their decision.


    Directing his attention towards his surroundings, since he rightly suspected that his mood would worsen if he dwelled on those he had once called his comrades, even if a portion of them never reciprocated, Vader soon found his gaze drifting towards the silent conversation of the trio, which until this time had been muted as they came to terms with not only their narrowly avoided fates, but also the identity of their rescuer.


    "Do you think he''s going to hurt us"?


    "No. If he wanted to do that he would have done so in the nest".


    "Then what do you think he wants"?


    "I head some adventurers ask for ''favors'' after they''ve rescued a maiden from a horrible fate".


    "Don''t be an idiot. You saw what he could do. If he wanted to take advantage of us, he could have done it after he killed the goblins".


    "That''s true. But that still doesn''t mean he doesn''t intend to do something to us as soon as were cleaned up. I heard that most men prefer their girls to be cleaned up before they..do it".


    "How do we even know he''s a man? He could be a demon or some enchanted suit of armor that''s leading us to his master".


    Fighting the urge to scoff at this worlds version of the theory that he was nothing more than a droid, Vader decided to enter the conversation to clear up the misunderstanding.


    ''As I''ve already told your companion, I am not a demon, nor am I a construct that that has been given a degree of sentience. I am a human. One that has no interest in lowering himself to act like a more¡­refined version of those¡­creatures".


    Of all the crimes he had committed as his tenure as Sidious''s errand boy, the act of forcing oneself on an unwilling women was one that he had never condoned. Of course, he had also never accepted the offer, rare though it might have been, to engage in the more physical aspects of intimacy.


    His regular medical examinations had informed him that he was still capable of reproducing should he ever wish to, but the injuries he incurred that day, both physical or emotional in nature, ensured that he would find no pleasure in the act.


    However, he had no intent on sharing that, or any other detail of his tragic history. So before the women could press for more information, he directed the conversation to a more relevant topic.


    "I trust that after today, you 3 will be thinking of choosing a more¡­worthwhile career. If your performance against those creatures, which you have stated rank amongst the lowest vermin, is anything to go by, I foresee that the lives that you have chosen will end in a manner that most would find to be¡­unpleasant".


    Cruel though it might have been for him to mention what could have happened to them if he hadn''t allowed his curiosity, and the prodding of the Force, to direct his actions, Vader nevertheless felt that his words had merit.


    Something which to his great surprise also earned a nod of agreement from their previously silent driver.


    "He''s got a point ladies. I''ve known my share of folks who drove themselves into an early grave just because they couldn''t accept the undeniable proof that they were unsuited for their chosen lifestyle. All 3 of you are still young, so take my advice, choose a profession that gives you a better chance to stay amongst the realm of the living. I know the abbeys are always looking for those who wish to lend a hand to those who need it. Sure it''s a less glamorous job, but at least you don''t have to worry about a goblin knifing you in the gut".


    A kinder answer than he was capable of giving, but it still carried the same message that the armored Force user was trying to convey to the female trio.


    They were not cut out for the life of an adventurer.


    Of course as a child, he himself had been told that he wasn''t capable of becoming a true Jedi, which he supposed carried some truth to it considering the nature of his fall, but the circ.u.mstances for these women were far different.


    For unlike the Jedi, whose training standards ensured that only the most promising ever got a chance to become a full fledged knight let alone a padawan learner, these girls did not undergo a strict, supervised training regime that would prepare them for their first experience with the darker aspects of the world.


    However, it appeared that his observation, tempered though it was by the gentle interference of the old wagon driver, had managed to get through to the trio of traumatized women.


    "I¡­I suppose your right. Once the others find out that we failed a goblin quest, we would have been forced out of the guild anyway".


    Though his own track record when dealing with failure had been well known amongst the upper ranks of Imperial society, though the rank and file respected the fact that he never ordered them to risk their lives for something he himself could not accomplish, Vader found himself fighting to keep his voice calm, or as calm as his suit''s voice vocoder would let him, as he gave voice to his growing suspicion.


    "Why? Surely your¡­guild would have simply excused your actions as novices who simply overestimated their skills. And from what I recall, the situation in the tunnels was something that even the most hardened solider would find¡­challenging".


    Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, though no one but him would have been able to tell that he had done so, as the trio flinched at his observation, the former Jedi felt his anger begin to rise as the braver of the 3 women answered his question.


    "Well, officially the guild wouldn''t kick us out. Gods know that we wouldn''t be the first party of adventurers to fail a mission. But to fail a quest that many adventurers believe can be accomplished by a single Obsidian class? Our reputations would be shot, which means that no experienced adventurer would ever hire us on for the more lucrative quests".


    For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was the constant rhythm of his accursed respirator. However, that moment quickly passed as the former Jedi allowed a hint of disgust to enter his tone as he was confronted with something that reminded him of his own youthful career.


    "So what your telling me is that these goblins, vile disgusting creatures that spend their days capturing women to increase their numbers, are allowed to exist just because the so called ''heroes'' of your society deem them to be unworthy of their time"?


    Hesitantly nodding her head at the armored Force user, and doing her best to fight the urge to shiver as the warmth of the summer evening steadily dropped with every word her rescuer said, the failed adventurer''s sense of foreboding only grew as Vader turned his head so that she could see her reflection in the blackened lenses of his helmet.


    "Then it appears that I must have a chat with those who fail to perform such necessary tasks because they are beneath them. I trust you have no issue in leading me to the center of this¡­.agency"?


    Receiving a single, albeit nervous nod from the girl''s head, Vader found his already strained control over his more volatile emotions slipping as the girl pointed towards what appeared to be a large tavern.


    "N¡­no issue at all. The guild headquarters is just up ahead anyways. Though I feel I should warn you, you''re current¡­appearance might cause some of them to act rashly. Perhaps it would be best to find you a change of clothes so you don''t provoke anyone"?


    For a brief moment, the girl could have sworn she felt a slight pressure on her throat as the evening suddenly became as frigid as a winter storm. But the sensation passed as Vader, whose posture had stiffened at the mention of his armor, seemed to slightly relax as he uncurled his fist.


    "That¡­is not an option that is available to me. And should your former compatriots have an issue with my¡­appearance, I am quite prepared to deal with them".


    Getting the hint that it would be unwise to ask any further questions, and tightening their cloaks around their bodies in an attempt to help fight off the evening''s unusually cold air, the soon to be former adventurers marched towards the entrance of the Adventurer''s Guild. Doing their best to control their growing unease as their rescuer''s nightmarish breathing reminded them that some heroes could be more terrifying than the very monsters they fought.


    ¡­


    "OI ROOKIE. TOSS ANOTHER LOG ONTO THE FIRE. ITS COLD AS AN ICE BOX IN HEAR".


    Though she agreed in principal to her often brash companion''s shouted command, for the temperature was far from the comforting warmth that many had come to expect from the usually boisterous hall, Witch flashed the male spear user a chastising expression.


    "That''s rather¡­.rude is it..not? If you wanted¡­to warm up¡­.you could have employed¡­.other means to do so. Our status as¡­silver ranked adventurers¡­does not mean that¡­we can treat those who are¡­.less experienced as us like¡­servants you know"?


    Having expected Spearman to either dismiss her words, or act with a degree of maturity that was more akin to children who had only recently escaped infanthood, the voluptuous spell caster found herself more than a little surprised by how quickly he accepted her way of thinking.


    "Yeah I suppose your right. Far be it for me to set a bad example for those who wish to emulate my example. Still, you have to admit that the place does need to be warmed up though".


    Pleased at how mature Spearman was acting, Witch puffed on her elongated pipe before commenting on the guild''s shift in temperature.


    "Your right. It is very¡­unusual for it to be¡­chilly this time of year. I wonder if perhaps¡­.something unnatural is the cause¡­.for this disturbance".


    Frowning as he considered the possibility, the spear wielding adventurer''s expression quickly gained a more irritated look as the door to the guild was thrown wide open.


    "OI! SHUT THE DAMN DOOR. YOUR LETTING ALL THE HE¡­".


    "KHOOOOOH PUUUUUHR".


    ¡­..


    Though her position ensured that she was made perfectly aware of the dangerous challenges that faced each and every adventurer, as well as the fear of those who had been forced to pose a potentially lethal quest in the first place, Guild Girl had never before felt the same icy grip of terror that all adventurers felt when first confronting a monster.


    Until now that is.


    And judging by the nervous expressions that had come over most of the present adventurers, especially the magic users, the young receptionist could easily tell that she was not the only one to feel this way.


    For in addition to the terrifying appearance of this black armored arrival, not to mention the inhuman way it seemed to draw its breath, this being radiated menace that could rival that of any monster.


    A feeling that only managed to grow as it turned its helmet to speak to whoever was brave enough to walk in it''s shadow.


    "I see I was wrong in my expectations. Your¡­.compatriots are far less impressive than I expected".


    Though flinching at the deep, almost soulless voice of the large armored being, Guild Girl was nevertheless surprised by the slightly exasperated, yet still noticeably fearful tone of one of the girls she had only recently given up for dead.


    "Everything is less impressive when compared to you. Though I doubt even you could handle the entire room if you did anything to provoke them".


    Seeing the immense figure turn his head to observe the tense atmosphere his presence had created, the blonde receptionist could only pray that his next words would be lacking any sign of challenge.


    She was wrong.


    "Perhaps. But apart from a select few, none of these so called heroes possess the ability to become more than a irritating nuisance. Though I am surprised at your concern for them considering your impeding departure from this life. Its not as if¡­".


    "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY YOU BASTARD"?


    Though she knew that the Gods seldom answered the prayers of those who had not devoted the remainder of their lives to their service, Guild Girl nevertheless felt that she had inadvertently drawn the attention of one of the more chaotic entities as she watched one of her more persistent suitors interrupt the armored being.


    "You think you can come in here, insult us all, and then threaten to kill an innocent maiden? Who the hell do you think you ar..GRKKKKK".


    Eyes widening at the sight of Spearman''s choking visage, for she had never seen magic used in such a way, Guild Girl quickly moved to defuse the already tense situation before it could lead to further violence.


    "Ex¡­excuse me sir. But may I kindly ask you to release him? I know he has a bit of a mouth on him, but he''s generally¡­harmless".


    That last word came out as a squeak as the helmeted figure turned his concealed eyes towards her. And for a brief moment, the blond woman felt as if her soul was being examined. Thus it was with a noticeable amount of relief that the black armored giant acquiesced to her request.


    "As you wish".


    ¡­


    Releasing the foolish boy from his grip, and sensing that his necessary demonstration had served its purpose in cementing the perception that he was not to be trifled with, the former Jedi gestured with his head to the trio of women who cowered in his shadow.


    Who thankfully possessed enough wits to understand what he was suggesting that they do.


    "Par..pardon me miss, but if its possible, the three of us wish to fill out the form to cancel our membership with the Guild".


    Pleased to see that his suggestion had been accepted by the depressed looking trio, Vader was somewhat surprised by the reaction the golden haired girl had to this announcement.


    "I¡­I understand. If you would please give me a moment to collect the necessary forms, I will be back shortly. As¡­as for you sir, may I ask that you refrain from attacking any other member of the guild? While I know that it would be foolish to ask you to not to your defend yourself, I ask that you doing nothing to provoke such an occurrence from happening".


    Amused at the fact that this girl, who couldn''t be older than 20, was daring to do something that had resulted in the countless deaths of imperial officers, Vader crossed his arms before slightly inclining his head.


    "Very well".


    Pleased to see the girl rush to perform her assigned task, and ignoring the suspicious murmurings that had broken out amongst the rest of the building''s patrons, the former Jedi was caught off guard when one of the more powerful individuals he had sensed approached him in a manner that was akin to how someone would approach a dangerous animal.


    "Please forgive my...comrade for his harsh words. His concern stemmed from the¡­.fact that he has seen¡­.few people of your nature. Especially since¡­.you appear to be in the¡­company of other guild members. May I ask¡­.how you became¡­involved with them"?


    Sensing only honest curiosity from the purple haired woman, though he noticed that her companion was currently sporting a stance that only a fool would fail to recognize as hostile, Vader answered her question in a manner that unsurprisingly met with both discomfort and dismissive expressions.


    "I found them in the lair of the vile creatures you call goblins. Luckily I had arrived before the vermin could do more than rob them of their clothing. Which makes me wonder why an organization such as this would detail such a dangerous mission to those who were clearly unprepared for it"?


    His question drawing a sigh from the voluptuous women, who was one of the few people he could sense who were either sorrowful or ashamed, Vader found himself surprised at the answer he received, though that did nothing to lessen his anger.


    For it was a variation of the answer he would have received if he had asked that question during his tenure as Kenobi''s padawan learner.


    "Because there are not enough high ranking adventurers to deal with the missions that pose a greater threat to our lands than the goblin menace. It''s a sad state of affairs, but since the danger, not to mention the coin, that is offered is significantly less than a necromancer, or even a demon horde, few adventurers wish to waste their time on something that''s usually only a minor threat. And since I suspect that you''re the one whose doing this, do you mind turning the heat back on? Its freezing in here".


    Turning his head to regard the blonde female warrior, whose hand strayed close to her sword after she realized that she had just potentially angered a being who could choke someone with his mind, Vader reigned in his leaking emotions. Causing a sigh of relief to be felt by the adventurers before his less than pleased tone conveyed that he found the answer to be less than satisfying.


    "I see. So because its neither challenging or rewarding enough, you choose to simply pass on the responsibility to those whose skill set makes it impossible for them to compete with you? A true standard of heroism if ever there was one".


    If he had been anyone else, the former Jedi would have been afraid by the murderous looks that had come over the majority of the collected adventurers. But since he was well versed in dealing with those who hated to have their flaws pointed out, one of the numerous upsides to having a wife who wasn''t afraid to criticize the self servicing policies of her coworkers, Vader felt only mild amus.e.m.e.nt at their attempt to intimidate him.


    However, perhaps their ineffectiveness could be harnessed towards his advantage since it was obvious that the Force had some sort of plan for him. For why else would his first interactions with the inhabitants involve heroics that reminded him of his actions following his mother''s death.


    And even though his son managed to stoke the embers of light in his tattered soul, that did not mean that he was willing to give up the power of the Dark Side.


    Yes Sidious was responsible for twisting him into the broken creature he was today, but that did not mean that his lessons were completely useless. For though he had achieved his long sought after victory against the aged Sith master, his chains were still in place.


    But since they seemed to loosen ever so slightly while acting like his more na?ve self, perhaps he would continue until they were broken.


    And then finally, he would be free.


    ¡­

 Chapter 278 - My SI Stash #78 - From Mortal to Divinity by Servant Ambrosius (Multicross)

    -More jumpchain fics~ Our SI starts as the Robin to Batman in the Batman Arkham Asylum, yea the game won''t last long lol/


    *The worlds he''ll be travelling to BAA>ME>ASOIAF>...


    Sypnosis: Dying and meeting a ROB was interesting. However like Dumbledore said, "After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." And for me that was literally the truth. CYOA, SI/OC, Jumpchain


    Rated: T


    Words: 16K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13558662/1/From-Mortal-to-Divinity (Servant Ambrosius)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Overall Build


    Name: Ambrosius Malphas


    Gender: Male


    Age: 17


    Height: 5''8


    Hair Color: Black


    Eye Color: Gold


    Looks: Ozymandias from Fate Grand Order


    Build: Medium


    Body Type: Athlete


    Stats


    Strength: 1


    Endurance: 1


    Speed: 2


    Dexterity: 2


    Appeal: 0


    Shape: 0


    Sense: 2


    Batman Arkham Asylum CYOA Jump


    1000 CP to spend


    Origin: Bat-Family(-100 CP) - Thomas Elliot''s son with Lucy Malphas, who is the last member of the declining Malphas family. Due to Thomas missing, he was taken in by Bruce Wayne as a favor from Lucy on her deathbed. Puzzled out Bruce''s secret as Batman at age 13, trained extensively with Bruce for two years before finally debuting 6 months before Arkham Asylum.


    Perks:


    Comic-Book Looks (-100 CP): Strong jaws, herculean physiques, or beautiful curves. More than a few of the people around here are amazingly beautiful/handsome, and with the purchase of this, so are you.


    It''s Me, Remember? (Free for Bat Family): You know how to keep projects and


    operations secret. You could build an (admittedly small) hi-tech base underneath an insane asylum without anyone being the wiser. Looks like you''ve at least inherited Batman''s ability to keep things secret.


    World''s Greatest Detective (-100 CP for Bat Family): You a fan of Holmes? Poirot? You


    must be, because now you''re a pretty great detective yourself. You pick up the slightest details about your environment, and are able to connect clues together nearly instantaneously. With this, you might just become the equal to Batman as a detective.


    Enough To Kill 10 Men (-200 CP for Bat Family): You possess a determination rivaled only by Batman himself. You possess the will to keep your sanity even after you''ve been injected with a drug that turns it''s users into ten-feet tall raving lunatics, and to keep going after being injected with enough Fear Gas to kill 10 men. Suffice to say, its going to take a lot to put you down and keep you there.


    Martial Arts Grandmaster (-300 CP for Bat Family): You possess an intense and


    crushing mastery of martial arts. In fights, you have to actively hold back to keep from killing people. You know just what spots to target to break bones, and where to punch to incapacitate someone. With just this, you could go up against some of the strongest superhumans and have good odds of winning.


    Items:


    Belt O'' Tools (Free for Bat Family): Batman graciously seems to have loaned you a belt


    containing the tools that he''ll be using for this adventure. This includes stuff like remotely


    applied explosives gel capable of bringing down walls (though never seems to kill when blown up near someones feet), to a cryptographic sequencer able to track signals, hack terminals, and listen to live radio broadcasts. ...How did he know you''d be needing this stuff?


    Animal Suit (-100 CP for Bat Family): A hightech set of body armor themed after an


    animal of your choice (DCAU Damian Wayne Robin suit). The head piece contains advanced electronics equipment that scans the environment for information and clues relevant to the situation. It can pick up anything from gaseous alcohol molecules that''ll lead you to a crooked guard, to traces of tobacco on the ground to lead you to a hostage. You may also import a set of armor you already own to gain these qualities.


    Bat Wing (-200 CP for Bat Family): Hmm, seems like you''ve picked up one of Batman''s


    spare vehicles. The Batwing is a supersonic aircraft faster than many jet fighters, possess advanced stealth systems that make it invisible to radar, and can be operated remotely, or operate autonomously.


    Bat Cave (-300 CP for Bat Family): A series of platforms and bridges situated within a


    small cave. Contains a computer with immense analytical abilities, a landing platform for any aerial vehicles you have, and some workshops for working on gadgets and gizmos. After the jump this can either be attached to the warehouse, or will appear somewhere nearby.


    Drawbacks:


    Seductive Ivy (+400 CP): Aw, isn''t Poison Ivy simply the greatest? Her attempts to save the environment, her personality, her intelligence...She''s just the best, and you''re totally not saying this because she''s brainwashed you with pheromones are anything. You''d be willing to do anything for her, even fight the Batman.


    1. Batman and Robin


    One thing that Batman fans have know since forever is that Batman is a hard taskmaster. From D.i.c.k complaining about never being good enough to Jason passing out on the couch from a grueling workout it is a universal fact that Batman is a hard taskmaster. However, knowing it and experiencing it are two completely different things.


    Ever since I''ve started training to become he''s partner, It''s been one grueling task after another. From the long sparing sessions to the detective work, it''s all been extremely difficult. If it weren''t for my above average stats I wouldn''t have been able to keep up. Then again, I wouldn''t be surprised if he purposefully made the training harder after watching me bench press 180 lbs. at the age of 13.


    However, I can''t complain that the results aren''t there. I''ve never felt so light and aware before. Don''t get me wrong I definitely love being able to bench press 180 lbs at 13, It''s just that now that I have the training to go along with it I can use it more effectively. The difference in efficiency is staggering. The closest comparison that I can make to it is Naruto''s chakra control end of shippuden vs Naruto''s chakra control at the start of the series. Naruto at the end of shippuden is more about efficiently using every last drop of chakra that he has while Naruto in the beginning just brunt forces it.


    But I digress, After I''ve completed the brunt of the training all that I really needed was experience.


    "Pay attention." Bruce says.


    We were in the bat cave facing the computer with a list of rogues on the screen.


    "I am" I replied coolly.


    He raises an eyebrow, asking me to reiterate.


    "You were debriefing about which of your rogues are currently out of Arkham and who''s most like to make a move first."


    He inclines his head to tell me to continue.


    "Currently the only ones out of Arkham are Two Face, Penguin and Joker. Two Face is probably going to lay low for awhile, Penguin is now a "law abiding" citizen and Joker is most likely planning his next crime as we speak."


    Nodding his head in affirmative he turns back to the screen and turns it off. Facing me once again he finally speaks, "Suit up it''s time for patrol."


    With a smirk on my face I turn around and ascend to the platform holding our uniforms with a set of acrobatic flips.


    Patrolling with Batman actually involves more than just running around rooftops looking for crimes. It''s a very methodical process that even factors things such as the weather. Because depending on how well equipped a criminal is will decide where we patrol. For example, if it''s freezing outside the chances are that most muggers and drug dealers and other low level grunts are most likely inside their home trying to warm up. However groups like the Falcones don''t care about stuff like because they have money to buy warm clothes.


    As we made our way through East End District the radio in our cowls goes off


    "Dispatch we have a situation at City Hall, the Joker is inside holding the Mayor Hostage! So far he hasn''t made any demands yet. He is armed and extremely dangerous proceed with caution!"


    It looks like it''s about time for Arkham Asylum to begin.


    Capturing the Joker was easier than any other time that we''ve done it before. Other than a few bombs rigged with Joker gas and his goons it was fairly easy. If I didn''t know the plot of Arkham Asylum I would have actually thought that it was all over and done with.


    While Batman took him to Arkham Asylum I continued to patrol around Gotham waiting for the inevitable call about the brea-


    "Robin this is Oracle, we have situation at Arkham."


    Speak of the devil.


    Chapter 2


    As I flew over the bay on my way to Arkham I taught about the battlefield I was about to enter. While I do have experience fighting Batman''s rogues, I was always by his side with him there to back me up should something happen. Now I''m going to face some of them on my own. The original plan was for me to get to Arkham and meet up with Batman. However, he decided that I was finally good enough to face some of them on my own.


    "Robin, Joker plans to build an army of Titan fueled mutants. I''m sending you a scan of the spores found in the sewers. According to Ivy, it should be helpful in synthesizing an antidote."


    "On it."


    I didn''t think that we were already that far into the story line, then again the only reason why the game was so long was because it was a game not a real life situation where a man who specifically trained for this was dealing with the situation.


    Searching the computer on the plane for the location barely takes two seconds, and turning the wheel to change course takes another second. By the time that I make it there it hasn''t even been 3 minutes. As I park the plane, I take a look at the cave under Arkham. The similarities between this cave and the one from the game is uncanny. The only difference being that the boxes contain backup gadgets.


    Making my way to the computer, I upload the scan and set the computer to begin synthesizing the formula. While the computer works on that I make my way to the boxes to see if I can find anything useful that isn''t already in my belt.


    Looking over the crates I realize that Batman really is prepared for most situations. All the gadgets in the boxes are already in our belts. It''s moments like these that remind me that this is real and not a game. The reason why Batman had to slowly acquire these is because if the players started out with all of them in the game it would have taken a much shorter time to finish it.


    *beep*


    As I return to the computer I feel the cave shake all around me and I''m immediately on guard. With a cry of alarm I leap backwards just in time to avoid a large vine erupting from the ground. I rush towards the computer while dodging vines bursting out from beneath me. I''m only about a meter away when I feel something start to wrap around my ankle. Without a second thought, I immediately leap and turn into the air while pulling out a birdarang from my belt, cutting the small vine before it went taut. As soon as I land I sprint the last meter and immediately send the cure to Batman. However just as I finish the ground erupts under me and a large vine wrap around my torso before darkness is all I see.


    Chapter 3


    When I come to consciousness I make sure to keep my muscles relaxed and listen for any clues as to where I am.


    "I know you''re awake"


    I open my eyes and face the voice. It''s a voice that I''m intimately familiar with.


    "Pam." I intone. That explains why I no longer have my belt and hanging upside down with my hands bound and no room to move. She''s always been one of Bruce''s smarter rogues. However, it doesn''t explain how she knew that I woke up. The only way to know would be to feel my breathing change, but she''s never been that receptive to her plant''s sensory input. Sure she could control and sense them but she''s never been able to feel what they felt. Nothing''s changes about her since I''ve last seen her and the only thing that changed about the plants would be...


    "The Titan formula" I say stoically.


    "You sound and act like him more and more everyday." she says back


    I smirk back at her and say "Yea right, the big man is as stiff as a wall. All jokes aside though it''s good to see you. Looking s.e.xy as always."


    With a raised eyebrow she answers "At least you''re a better flirt than your predecessor. Unfortunately for you I''m still not interested."


    "So, what''s the plan? Are you going to help the Joker stop Batman or are you going to strike out on your own and escape Arkham. Or is it option C where you stay and hoard all the Titan formula to supposedly make your plants stronger?"


    Her face hardens as she asks "Supposedly? Explain."


    "Think about it Ivy, when has the Joker ever made something that doesn''t destroy. From his laughing gas to his special brand of acid. As a matter of fact have you seen what happens to his thugs'' bodies after they inject it. After a while their body slowly starts to degrade along with their minds."


    By the time I''m halfway done talking she''s already pacing around the room. Which is perfect since it gives me time to administer the antidote without her looking.


    Clenching my fist in a seemingly random pattern ejects a razor thin needle from the fingertip of my right hand''s glove. With a show of trying to escape I plunge the needle into my left forearm just as she finishes pacing.


    "You''re right" she says. "However that doesn''t mean that I can''t revise it to make a better one. Nice try little bird." Having said that she walks to me and blows a pink dust, some pheromones, into my face. After a few seconds I can already feel my mind shifting towards accepting her as my master. It wasn''t a hard concept to welcome. I''ve known Ivy ever since I saved her from a rapist when she was still Pamela. The rapist somehow managed to cut my mask in half and as it fell on the floor she managed to see my face. Ever since then she''s been my best friend, even though I was 14 and she''d just graduated from college. So of course she would be my master, after all she''s always been there for me so I''ll do anything for her.


    Looking at my master and best friend I speak "Ugh, can you please put me down. I can feel the blood rushing to my head."


    She stares at me for a few seconds before instructing the plant to drop me. Tucking my knees to my chest I roll softly as I land. I take a moment to crack neck then, with a smirk on my face I turn to her. Just as I open my mouth to speak the door behind us opens and in walks the boss man, or would it be ex-boss man now.


    Before he has a chance to speak I explode into run as Ivy yells "Stop him."


    Without even waiting for her to finish I plant my hands on the ground launching myself into the air. Using my momentum built up from gravity I swing my right leg into a roundhouse kick and tilt my head to the right just as his fist passes by in an attempt to counterattack. From there we transition into a flurry of punches and kicks. While Batman is definitely the more experienced and skilled one of us, I am definitely the more agile one. With one more kick using my right leg blocked I take the opportunity to plant my left leg on his chest to launch into the air, retrieve two birdarangs from my belt and twist to arrive at his back. Landing just as he begins to turn to face me, I impale a birdarang into a gap in his armor where I know it will get stuck. With the press of a button the birdarang chocks him giving me time to leap at his face with my knee. With a resounding crack his head snaps back giving me another second to land and whip my left leg at his right knee. The blow forces him on a knee and I take the opportunity to sidekick him to the face sending him sprawling to the ground. Knowing that he wouldn''t be down for long I begin a followup just as the antidote kicks in.


    Continue to FF.net to find out if our MC will stay simpin'' for Poison Ivy~

 Chapter 280 - My SI Stash #80 - Bit Of A Stretch, But Doable by Philosophysics (MyHeroAcademia)

    -A fun Pre-MHA fic~ SI as Danjuro Tobita, the Gentle Criminal. Our MC somehow reminds me of Michael Scott thanks to his "parkour" teaching job, even though the story seems kind of crackish at first, it''s still really worth your time!


    Sypnosis: I really wish I remembered canon better than this. Instead, I''m making so many butterflies that I could be a migration unto myself. I''m supposed to be a side character! How''d I become a Mentor Archetype to f.u.c.k.i.n.g Deku!? Wait. Does that mean I''m going to die!? I don''t want to die! Not again!


    Rated: M


    Words: 15K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/bit-of-a-stretch-but-doable-bnha-si-as-gentle-criminal-set-before-canon.841385/#post-66556526 (Philosophysics)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    Fate and destiny are dead. They are very, very f.u.c.k.i.n.g dead. And I killed them. By accident. I was going to do it, but only when it was convenient to me. It was going to be cold, calculated murder, not some stupid f.u.c.kup of an accident!


    I wanted to enjoy it! Instead, fate and destiny is dead and my bullshit isekai cheat of having read the manga has been negated. Not completely, but enough for me to have a panic attack about it. You know what? Let''s slap on an existential crisis too on it. And let''s give myself a minute or two to enjoy this anxiety. Start.


    The future is unknowable, demand refunds on any and all prophecies, punch gypsies and seers, and get piss ass drunk because I have f.u.c.k.i.e.d up canon before canon even properly started, f.u.c.k me in the ass with a f.u.c.k.i.n.g dildo! A cat one. With spikes. For that extra bit of pain.


    "Uh, Mr. Danjuro?" the plump, motherly lady asked meekly, hand tightening on her son''s shoulder, "Is it okay if Izuku tries this class?"


    She had a nice body, a classic BBW MILF if there ever was one. Pardon my lewdity, but I''d tap that THICCness. Except I won''t. Because her hair is green and so is her son''s hair. And since I''m in the world of f.u.c.k.i.n.g My Hero Academia, this meant that these were the Midoriyas. I wish this was a logical ruse because I''m going to f.u.c.k up canon so bad otherwise.


    Shit. Shit. Aaaaaand Shit.


    Today was a quiet day. It was Wednesday. Nobody really came to Knucklebuster''s Gym on weekdays for classes. At least nobody who wanted independent one on one stuff. Trust the one pair to do so to be the one pair that fate and destiny seemed determined to wrap themselves around. Damn Pillar of Peace nonsense. And damn the old man for calling in favors. F.u.c.k.i.n.g hell.


    ...I''m overreacting. Nothing has changed yet. You know, besides me interacting with the main character before canon is sure to be a problem. However, I didn''t do that much yet! I can still escape by saying no. I should say no. In fact, I am going to say no.


    Opening my mouth, I made the mistake of glancing down at the mini-greenhead. F.u.c.k.i.n.g hell, Deku from before UA was a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Woobie if there ever was one. Stop looking at the ground as if you wished for it to swallow you up. You''re too sad! You''re making me sad! ...I almost wanted to--


    No! I had to steel myself! Opening my mouth, I bowed my head in apology, saying, "Of course, it''s fine."


    ...Wait. Wrong words.


    "Oh thank you!" Ms. Midoriya gasped, making a move for a hug before aborting it with an awkward giggle. Tapping her son''s shoulder, she leant down and whispered, "Say hi, Izuku."


    Milling about for a bit, he muttered, "Hi."


    Defeated, I decided to just fall back into my old routine when dealing with shy and anxious kids. By being the loudest thing in the room.


    "Hi, I''m Danjuro Tobita!" I shouted, I have three years of experience teaching parkour!"


    Stepping back, I jumped backwards and did a series of backwards flips on the mats. Reaching the edge, I used the recoil from the last one to bounce up an onto a balance beam and began running across it, shouting, "Parkour is the ancient art of traveling from one point to another in the shortest route possible, using the environment to your advantage! Think obstacle courses made up by the world!"


    Reaching the edge of the beam, I leapt across and up to grab the rope and began pulling myself up as I did so, "It''s an essential skill to become a hero these days! Or so I''m told." Reaching the top, I grabbed the steel beam the rope was attached to and began pulling myself across the edge, grunting, " Even if you don''t plan on becoming one, it''s a great way to keep fit and traverse the world. Don''t be scared off by the fancy tricks such as flips or the height!"


    Looking down, I judged that I was right above the stunned faces of the Midoriyas. Swinging my legs a bit, I threw myself back as I let go, falling into a drop. Hitting the ground feet first, I rolled backwards, across the shoulder blades, making sure to tuck my chin, and popped back up into a T-Pose for balance and bombasticity. Smiling, I bowed, "We start small and build our way up! It''s the only way to do things here! We go at your pace, so don''t be scared!"


    A bit of a long winded speech and needlessly flashy performance, I was proud of it. It had served me well these past three years working at the gym. While showing off my personality, it introduced my certification to the parents, proved it to the kids with the stunts I performed, and introduced the subject I would teach. It was so good that my boss used it as a basis for the Herotube Ad. We have¡­ an embarrassingly large number of views. It never failed to work on getting kids pumped for my class.


    See? Green Bean was grinning! Though, when he saw me looking at him, Izuku immediately returned to staring at the ground. Ugh, your defenses were stupid high.


    Still, I had another trick. Winding my arm, I punched towards the lockers, stretching my arm forward to grab my Hydroflask. Catching the returning hand with my other, I unscrewed it and took a sip before grinning, "My Quirk is Rubberman. I can stretch like a rubberband! Wha-- Whoa!"


    My plan was to show off my quirk, then get him to show off his. It never failed to work. Kids loved talking about themselves and Quirks was something intrinsic to each kids personality. While I think it was an unhealthy extent, it was a great way to get kids talking. It never failed to act as an icebreaker.


    My tactic did its job in getting Izuku talking, but¡­ well, he was mostly talking to himself.


    "A stretchy arm? Does it refer to all of his body? Or is it merely his limbs? Is his whole body elastic? Is it truly rubber or an approximation of it? Is he immune to electrical attacks? If so to what voltage? Truly, an elastic body would be heavily suited to the rigorous stresses that parkour would induce on the body. Would that make him better or worse at teaching? Many of the difficulties that one would encounter would be rendered moot by his bodily composition. However, looking at it another way, he could be perfect as he would have the capability of practicing higher level techniques at an earlier stage," was the only bit I caught before his mouth sped up too fast and too low for me to understand. HIs hands fidgeted as if he was writing.


    That was some detailed analysis.HIs muttering was kind of terrifying, if cute. Kowai Kawaii? Laughing, I waved at him, "Whoa. Whoa. Slow down."


    Closing his mouth with a clack, Izuku immediately started bowing, chanting, "I''m so sorry!"


    "It''s fine! It''s fine. You''re a smart kid. That was some snappy analysis. How about you tell me your name and Quirk first though.?"


    "Izuku¡­" he answered before mumbling something inaudible.


    Turning my head, I cupped my ear as I joked, "Didn''t quite catch that last part."


    "Quirkless."


    I froze. Wait. That''s not right, he had One For All, right? ...Ahaha, f.u.c.k me with that cat dildo, now I remember! All Might gave him a quirk because he was Quirkless. Or maybe it was that he was a good hero? Either of those or it was a mixture of both. Maybe I shouldn''t freak out about derailing canon, seeing as I don''t remember something as important as that. In my defense, it''s been six years since I woke up in this body and actually read the thing. My memory of it is fuzzy at best.


    Wait! Forget Canon! I just made a huge faux pas. I feel bad now. I really hope I didn''t hurt him too badly.


    "Mr. Danjuro?" Izuku looked up at me with fragile hope in his eyes.


    ...F.u.c.k.i.n.g Deku. You are far too sad like this. ...I''m sure it''s fine if I just gave you a bit of a¡­ push? Right? Yeah, should be fine. Everybody needs a push from time to time. I''m just¡­ going to give a small one. TIny one that won''t even affect canon that much.


    Shaking my head to clear it of any lingering worries, I squatted down to his level and placed two hands on his shoulders. Looking him straight in the eye, I asked softly, "Hey. Izuku?"


    "Yeah?" he said, fidgeting a bit, but ultimately looking me in the eye.


    Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself as I¡­ nudged canon a bit and gave him a push, "I know you just met me, but I''m going to say something important. Even if this is the first and last time we meet, I want you to remember this."


    "Um," he looked at his mother for assurance. I didn''t look, just stared at Izuku as he returned his gaze to me and shrugged, "Okay?"


    "It doesn''t matter that you''re Quirkless," I stated. Taking a hand, I poked him in the chest, continuing, "You''re alive. And that''s what matters. What you do with your life is what matters. This class will be hard for you. I''ll try my best to make it easier on you, but you''re going to have to work ten times harder to earn the respect of your peers. Me? I??ll see you for what you do and I''ll teach, correct, and praise accordingly. But I''m not always going to be there. So I''m going to ask you to be strong. Come to me for help if the other kids are pricks. I''ll do what I can. If you come to my class, all I ask is that you try your best. Your own best. Don''t look at the others just yet. Not until you look at yourself with pride. It doesn''t matter if you''re Quirkless. You''ll find a way so long as you keep at it, Izuku. Life is going to be hard, but you''ve made it this far. And you''ve done great. Keep it up."


    I was gasping a bit at the end, having just word vomited the rest of my speech after the ''you''re alive'' bit. Keeping a steady pace and forcing my anxiety down, I waited for him to say something, anything. He just stared at me with some indescribable emotion.


    Finally, I looked down and sighed, "Sorry, if that''s wei---"


    My shirt was wet. And I''m being constrained. Wait. nope. Just a hug. Just a really wet, snotty hug by Deku. Looking up to the ceiling of the warehouse, I awkwardly patted his back.


    It only made him sob harder. Yay. And his mother is sniffling. I forgot how weepy the Midoriyas were in canon. Whelp, only way things can get worse was--


    "WHAT DID YOU F.U.C.K.I.N.G DO, TOBITA!?"


    And there''s my boss. Whelp, shit.


    Chapter 1


    "And he just starts sobbing onto you!?"


    Nodding energetically, I parroted, "So the kid just starts sobbing onto me, Aiba! Super awkward."


    Lowering the bar onto her chest once more, she heaved and lifted the 45 kg barbell straight up, dropping it into the rests with a clank. Sitting up, she coughed in exhaustion for a bit before staring at me, stating, "What the f.u.c.k, Tobita."


    Jotting down her reps onto the progress tracker, I shrugged defensively, "Hey, not my fault. Kid''s a crier."


    Grabbing a towel to wipe off, the pig-tailed woman leaned back, pink sports bra heaving as she caught her breath. Recovering, she stood up to go to the next machine and asked, "So what happened after?"


    Following along with her, I flipped pages and did the calculations for the calories burned and what we should focus on next, answering, "Well, I apologized to the mom. Funny thing was that she apologized to me at the same time. We ended up laughing it off." Looking up, I saw that Aiba was running on the treadmill, "You sure you want to do the treadmill again?"


    "I promised Fuyumi that I''d go out drinking later," Aiba shrugged, feet beating a steady clip on the treadmill, "Figured this would be as good a warmdown as any. Also I want to know more about this new kid."


    Tilting my head, I nodded as I processed that logic. I could see that. Peeking over, I copied down the numbers on the treadmill. "Anyways, I had the kid do a few exercises to figure out what level he was at."


    "How''d he do?"


    "Abysmal. And also f.u.c.k.i.n.g terrifying," I shivered as I remembered how angry Knucks got at me after that incident. With my luck, that incident was going to be a tiny sample of what it''d be like coaching Deku in parkour.


    "What do you mean?"


    I grimaced as I recalled how shitty his physical prowess was. "Well, his strength sucks. He could only do five pushups before collapsing. Couldn''t even do a pullup. And he''s stiffer than f.u.c.k.i.n.g steel when we stretched."


    Aiba winced sympathetically, remembering her start at the gym. Putting on an awkward smile, she offered, "Well, uh¡­ That doesn''t sound so bad?"


    "Well, yeah," I nodded in agreement, "I''ve taught seniors how to do parkour.. With time, effort, and the right method, anybody can get in shape and do parkour. But it''s terrifying because the kid has no self preservation."-Tapping the treadmill, Aiba was on, I grinned-"I put him on a treadmill, put it at the speed for kids and told him to jog. Guess how long he ran for?"


    Rolling her eyes at my dramatics, Aiba nevertheless asked the question, "How long?"


    "Half an hour. Kid ran three miles on his first try on the treadmill with no prior training. And he did it at a constant speed."


    "Bullshit! Didn''t you just say he could barely do five pushups?"


    "Yeah. He started wheezing after three minutes, but when I moved to stop it, he glared at me not to. I waited for him to stop on his own. Big f.u.c.k.i.n.g surprise when he didn''t. Well, he did, but he had to knock himself first." And wasn''t that just a surprise. He somehow cut himself on childproofed plastic too so that was fun. Gods above, I really, really hope I can wean him off of that¡­ What was that meme about Deku? The one with broken bones? Leg day? Oh right! Bone hurting Juice. Going to have to wean him off that bone hurting juice.


    I feel old not remembering that. It''s hard to believe I''ve lived in the world of MHA for almost a decade now.


    "I''m guessing his mother wasn''t happy about that," Aiba commented dryly, pushing a few buttons to slow down her speed.


    Blinking, I quickly reinserted myself back into reality and out of my thoughts with a chuckle, "Conking his head hard enough to get a concussion? No, she was not. Surprisingly, she still signed him up for my classes. Beginner''s course of course, but I have a feeling that kid''s going to run himself into intermediate level in a month. That''s if he doesn''t injure himself first."


    "Well, good luck to you," Aiba sighed, patting my hip in consolation as she hopped off the treadmill, grabbing the towel as she went to the bench.


    Turning off the treadmill for her, I followed and sat down next to her on the bench. It always lowkey cracked me up how much taller I was than her. If there ever was a shortstack, Aiba Manami would clock in with her record height of a meter high. Shaking my head to clear away such thoughts, I asked, "How''s college by the way?"


    Sipping from her water bottle, Aiba slammed it down viciously before throwing her head back to begin ranting. "A f.u.c.k.i.n.g bitch and a half. Classes are easy. I''m done with all my programming projects. So now I have a class where I can just nap in all day long. The real bitch is my classmates. My gal pals are fine. Fuyumi''s great! But the guys are stupid. F.u.c.k.i.n.g bunch of grown ass men look at me like I''m a f.u.c.k.i.n.g s.e.x doll. Just because I''m short and have f.u.c.k.i.n.g tits and I''m in the Comsci program, all the guys think I''m down to kneel anytime."


    Even though she was complaining, this Aiba sounded much happier than the one who stalked me all those years ago, near suicidal. Nudging her side with my elbow, I grinned, "Sure is a change from high school, eh?"


    Staring at me blankly, iba shook her head and sighed in defeat, "Yeah, yeah, you were right about how life can get better if you work for it."


    "The flames of YOUTH shall never quell so long as you believe!" I paraphrased from the Green Beast of Konoha.


    "Is that a quote from some old ass anime?" Aiba grinned, judging me.


    I judged right back and pointed a finger, shouting, "That''s from Naruto! Well, a butchered quote, but it''s from Naruto! How do you not know this!?"


    "Maybe because it was from..." Aiba drew her smartphone from her cleavage to search, forcing me to look away in embarrassment. Unfortunately, that gave her an opening to tear into me, punching my side lightly as she cackle, "F.u.c.k.i.n.g 1998? Just how OLD is your sense of taste?"


    "It''s just mature, I''ll have you know," I sulked, crossing my arms in a huff, "Young people like you wouldn''t know good shit if it f.u.c.k.i.n.g drowned you."


    ...Did I just pull a ''back in my day'' in the 23rd century? Judging by Aiba''s raucous laughter, yes. Yes, I did.


    Eventually, her laughter died down and she whispered, "Thanks," leaning her head into my side as I did so.


    Freezing as I sensed an awkward discussion, I answered, "You''re welcome."


    A small, poignant silence fell down. I wish it ended, but at the same time I dreaded what the ending would entail. My¡­ Not quite a sin, but not quite a deed was about to catch up to me.


    "Did you think about it? Your answer?" Aiba whispered softly into my side.


    Looking around, I sighed as I found that the gym was empty. You''d think Thursday evenings would be full, but nope, pretty empty without any classes. Drooping my head in defeat, I answered softly, "Yes."


    "I did what you asked," Aiba sighed, rubbing her head into my side, her sweat dampening my T-Shirt. "I made friends. I have my own interests and hobbies. I even have a dream for the future. I want to get good enough to get to I-Island."


    Placing a hand on her head, I began stroking her hair comfortingly as I sighed, "Yeah. And I''m proud of you."


    The dampness on my T-Shirt grew. I carefully didn''t say anything. I had a feeling that it wasn''t just sweat anymore as Aiba sniffled, "You won''t say yes though."


    "I''m sorry," I said, hurting her and me. It was for the best. Even as I tried to be strong and cut this twisted love, I tried to soften it. "There''s nothing wrong with you though! I really enjoy talking with you. And I love helping you in training and talking, but I''m a decade older than you and--"


    Two arms crossed around my waist and squeezed as Aiba cried into my shirt. Hugging her head in one hand, I let her cry. We stayed like that for a bit. Eventually though, a small push signalled for me to loosen the hug and let Aiba escape. Carefully not looking at her, I waited for Aiba to pull herself together.


    After a few sobs and choked starts, Aiba declared, "It''s fine. Looking back now, it was kind of an unhealthy crush. Like you said, age difference and all." Laughing wetly, I heard the scratchy sound of wiping tears as she joked, "You''d probably get arrested for pedophilia with how young I look. And it was really stalker-y what I did to find you."


    "It''s fine." Sure, it was kind of creepy to have you break into my apartment, but I consider you a friend now.


    "It really wasn''t, Tobita," Aiba disagreed, "I invaded your privacy and followed you and..."


    When I heard sniffling, I gave up on not looking and turned around. Aiba was a mess. Her red hair was dishevelled, her mascara was running, and a bit of snot was dripping down her nose. I made to comfort her, but a single hand raised stopped me. Wiping at her face with her forearm, Aiba looked at me and I saw her visibly steel herself for her next words.


    Hand still held up to stop me, Aiba smiled once more, a fragile thing that seemed close to shattering, yet it hid strength. Strength that would shine after the shell broke. Looking at me, Aiba bowed her head in thanks, saying, "You did a lot for me, Tobita. I''m in a better place. I have friends, I''m going out more. I have a better relationship with my family. They''re supporting me, you know?"-Aiba spoke faster and faster, swaying on the balls of her feet as she spoke-"Helping pay for college. I''d say it''s because of you, but well¡­" She sighed, "You''ve taught me how to be strong by myself. I couldn''t build myself around you, so I built myself around myself. Or something like that. This is hard. Point is, I''m a strong, independent woman now! You know, like that one shitty meme you keep on sending me. So thanks, Tobita. Thanks for being the hero that was honest enough to hurt me."


    That last part stung. Perhaps she meant it to do so, but even as tears leaked from her eyes, she kept that shell of a smile up. Or perhaps it wasn''t a shell. Just a bittersweet smile.


    Not knowing what to say, I opened my mouth anyways to say something, anything. Only to have it closed by a kiss. A chaste one. Aiba Manami was kissing me. What was I supposed to do? Was I supposed to close my eyes? Do I give tongue? Wait, this isn''t right. I just rejected her. Am I taking advantage of her? Is she of me? Why is she kissing me?


    Before I could act on any of my thoughts, the kiss ended as soon as it began. Tears streaming down her face, snot still dribbling a bit, Aiba smiled weakly, "You''re a nice guy, Tobita. I wish you weren''t. I¡­ I really wish you weren''t. It''d make it so much easier to¡­ let go. Thanks for everything. I''m going to take a break from the gym for a while."


    Then, grabbing her towel and water bottle, Manami left, walking a quick and hurried pace to the showers.


    Looking at her back, I felt restless. I wanted to say something, anything to keep her from hurting. But the one thing I could say wasn''t something that would be true. Perhaps in another world, another me, another version of the true Danjuro Tobita, we could''ve been together. But this world just had me. And I couldn''t take advantage of a broken girl like Aiba Manami. Would not and could not love somebody so broken. I wasn''t strong enough to fix everything about her. Maybe it was a bit of the age difference. I became Danjuro Tobita when I died at 22 in an accident and the original killed himself in that dark apartment space at 22. I was physically and mentally thirty even in this life Perhaps it was because I knew the story, as misty and dusty the memories are now and I knew the love that could''ve been. I didn''t want to manipulate her. It could have been any of those things, but the truth was that I just didn''t love Aiba Manami. Not in the way that she would''ve wanted.


    But I still trusted her. I wanted to stay in touch. I considered her a sister and I was scared that if she left now, she would never come by again, we would never chat and joke and tease one another, we would never exercise and better ourselves together, we would never be friends ever again.


    So I called out, "Hey Aiba!"


    She froze.


    I didn''t have a plan. Did I even have the right to ask her to be my friend after I hurt her so much? Or¡­ No. I didn''t have a right. But I''m selfish. Gritting my teeth, I pushed past the lump in my throat and walked up to her, putting a hand on her back. Looking up and away, I said, "Stay safe. I''ll always be your friend if you need one. I¡­ I hope you''ll be mine."


    Standing still for a bit, Aiba didn''t turn around for the longest time. Right as I was about to give up, she punched my hip softly and whispered, "Yeah. We''ll always be friends." Then she ran into the showers.


    Grinning sadly, I bundled up the progress trackers, wiping down the machines we had used in todays'' session, the last for the foreseeable future. Ah well, at least I won''t have to deal with the awkward bon---


    Loud sobs filled the warehouse from the direction of the shower-room. Ah, this was¡­ awkward to say the least.


    "What''d you do, Dandan?" a voice called out from the office on the second floor.


    Looking up at the red-haired girl wearing an eyepatch, I winced at her unamused stare. Shrugging in defeat, I sighed, "I think I f.u.c.k.i.e.d up, Tamao.",


    "Ain''t no thinks about it. You did f.u.c.k.i.e.d up," Tamao groaned, getting up from leaning on the railing and walking down the stairs. As she passed me, she clapped me on the shoulder, acting annoyingly mature for someone barely out of high school, "Go talk to dad. Tell him I''m taking a smoke break. A long one."


    Wriggling my shoulder free of her grip, I scowled, "You know how he gets about you smoking."


    Smirking at me, she blew a kiss at me as she walked in to comfort my friend, "I''ll stop when he does, Dandan!"


    "Hahaha. Yeah. Yeah, it''s your lungs you''re frying with tar," I sighed.


    "Says the guy who has a black tongue from overdosing on Trigger," she shot back easily, "How''s it feel being the pot?"


    "Lovely! I''m as high as ever!" I shot back heatedly.


    All I got was laughs in response. Replaying what I just said, I facepalmed. I can never win in a word-fight with Tamao. ...Argh! Why was she so good at this!? Still, she was going to help Aiba in a way I never could. I''d have to buy her that new set of speakers from her Wishlist.


    Refocusing, I stretched my arms to the second floor railing, grabbing it to grapple my body up. My¡­ Tobita''s body hadn''t always been able to stretch and bend like it does now. My quirk Elasticity used to only be capable of being applied to inorganic materials. Something something Manton effect. Fortunately, I upgraded it with some Trigger from Naruhata. Now my body is stretchy all the time. I mean Tobita''s body. F.u.c.k.i.n.g nine years and I still have f.u.c.k.i.n.g body dysphoria.


    Pity about the black tongue though. It was hard to find a non-shadey job with it, Bonus points was that I can make it stretch super long like a giraffe''s tongue. Women find that s.e.xy right? Long tongues?


    ...I''m distracting myself. Steeling myself for a scolding, I knocked on the door to grab the boss''s attention.


    The buff man, so out of place sitting at the computer and doing paperwork, lifted his head to face me. Leaning back on his chair, he folded his arms and stared at me evenly. I fidgeted under his gaze. You''d think that training under him for two years and working for him for another four would make me get used to his stare, but nope.


    Letting me stew under his gaze, the buffman stroked his grizzled chin and grinned, "Sup kid."


    "Hey Knucks," I sighed, relaxing as he returned his attention to paperwork. "So Tamao told me to tell you that she''s taking a smoke break."


    Flipping through a few notebooks, Oguro Iwao, father of Oguro Tamao, AKA Knuckleduster grinned nastily at me, "I heard the caterwauling from here, kid. Let''s stop with the pretense."


    Collapsing into a chair, I let my face plant into his desk. It was a nice, rich mahogany and solid enough for a good faceplant. Rolling my head onto a cheek, I glared at him, commenting dryly, "For an old f.u.c.k, you''re annoyingly perceptive."


    "And for a young f.u.c.k," he scoweld, flicking the top of my foreheadhead as he leant down to pull a drawer open, tucking a stack of folders in, "You''re a bigger dumbass than usual. Stop trying to shoulder everything."


    Rubbing my forehead, I looked up at the ceiling fan slowly spinning and sighed, "Did I do anything wrong?"


    "From what I saw these years? You''ve been playing it straight," Knuckleduster sighed, "Maybe straighter than you should''ve but ain''t no guide for this stupid shit. Most guys would be horny f.u.c.ks who twist that love into something jagged and dangerous. You?" he grinned, the kind of grin he got only when he fought against monsters that he absolutely should NOT have been fighting alone, "You played it straight and tried to fix shit that''s beyond fixing. And that''s better than most."


    Leaning away from his madcap grin, I grimaced, "You seem entirely too happy about this."


    Leaning back, he chortled, "It''s a tragedy only for you and that girl," then he tapped his chin before snapping his fingers with a sigh, "And Tamao. She''s yet to learn the wisdom of leaving stupid shit alone."


    Glaring at him, I growled, "Her feelings aren''t stupid."


    "Love is stupid," Knuckleduster shot back near instantly, "I got married, kid. I know what it''s like. It''s stupid and it hurts, but it''s something we have to get used to if we want to find the real shit." Standing up, he walked around the desk with a bunch of folders tucked under his armpit to pat me on the head, ruffling my hair, "Good on you, kid. You didn''t stick your d.i.c.k in crazy. But you somehow found something stupider to do and that was to try and fix it."


    Twisting my waist to watch him place the folders in the corner cabinet, I slumped over the headrest and whispered, "...Did I fix it?"


    "We''re all broken in the head, kid," Knuckleduster grimaced above the rustling of papers, "That girl was pretty damn broken when she first came, but she''s less cracked now. Still broken as shit, but that''s life. We''re all a bit cracked."


    Rolling my eyes, I ignored him as he sat back down behind his desk and sulked for a bit. I could kind of see where he was coming from. Didn''t mean I had to like it though. Setting my chin on the table, I drawled, "Thank you for that overwhelming endors.e.m.e.nt of sanity. Got any other Yoda-esque bits of not-so-helpful advice? Maybe something like, ''when there''s no cops around, anything''s legal'' Or maybe, ??If you lost while gambling, you bet wrong?''"


    "Hah. Sarcasm always did suit you better than this edgy shit of melancholy," Knucks chuckled before dumping a pile of unsorted paperwork on top of my head in a white avalanche of papercuts, "Anyways, help me file some papers, then we''re going drinking, kid."


    "Fun kind or business kind?" I said, shifting my head out from the pile. I had long given up on curtailing his brusque ways and just resigned myself to going with the flow. If I''m honest with myself, I enjoyed his blunt honesty. It was kind of like having a grizzled old gramps watching out for you. Rough around the edges, but still trying to be helpful.


    "Night market shit."


    "Ah. So Giran''s then. Looking forward to it."


    ---


    AN: Hope you guys like it! Please comment! Tell me what you like! Tell me theories! Tell me what you didn''t! Just comment! Likes are good, but comments are even better for fueling the creativity.

 Chapter 281 - My CO Stash #81 - Ruler of Ero-Justice by VFSNAKE (DCUXNaruto)

    -This was the first fic i''ve read, the one that started my Naruto fanfic addiction! It''s been some time now and all I remember was some lewd Power Girl Starfire action~ I''ll be rereading it for sure, if you''re into Cambrian''s fics you''ll prob like this one too!


    Sypnosis: For years he stayed dormant. Letting the world do its thing without him interfering after he left it and his era of Shinobi. Now years later, from his dimension watching it again, and he dislikes what he sees. Villains and heroes running amuck. Heroes unwilling to slay villains who kill innocents by the hundreds. He would show both sides justice Uzumaki style! NarutoxHarem and more


    Rated: M


    Words: 150K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12213689/1/Ruler-of-Ero-Justice (VFSNAKE)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    For years I have slumbered. For years I kept to myself in my own dimension I made to get away from my world. A world I had once loved, but come to hate. A world where the greedy and the corrupt spread like a plague. A world where those who would oppose such things were either too weak, too stupid, or in some cases too young to do anything. Even worse, some of those who did have the strength did not have the resolve to end the life of these evil people because it went against their "morality".


    So I did it for them. And what was my reward? Being persecuted for doing what others did not have the spine to do in my place. These so called good people portrayed me as some villain seeking to monopolize the world by wiping out the competition. How clich¨¦ of them. They were just trying to save face and make the people see them as heroes who were fighting the good fight regardless of losing.


    Sore losers the lot of them.


    So I left the world before they could hunt me down. To bind me. To control me. Oh they tried all three. Oh how they tried. HA! Morons all. A few of the smarter ones came close to finding my domain, but in the end, time was my ally, and time defeated my enemies for me. Still, it was fun to watch them try to "stop my evil" from spreading. What evil? The only "evil" I ever did was seduce s.e.xy beautiful women and have hot passionate s.e.x with them.


    Was that wrong? Of course not.


    Okay that wasn''t entirely true. I had seduced and slept with quite a few married women and those already in some relationship with a man. Some of whom were the wives and girlfriends of my enemies so the hatred of me by said enemies was somewhat justified. Okay that was not entirely true either. By some, I mean a lot, and by somewhat justified I mean these idiots hunting me should have focused on pleasing their women over coming after to me in pursuit of trying to control power incarnate.


    Seriously! Why hunt someone who wants to be left alone when you could be at home with your smoking hot wife with strong s.e.x.u.a.l needs?


    That was how I saw peace coming to my world. Not through just having power or bonds with others. But through the way of the Super Pervert! Through the way of love, l.u.s.t, and enjoying the feelings that come with it. Why hate your fellow man and destroy him when you could be with a woman and get yourself laid? Some people actually prefer to pursue power they cannot control, contain, or use over being with a hot woman who wants to be the object of your attention.


    Blasphemous! Such men clearly don''t know how to please a woman in any shape or form in my mind and as such don''t deserve a degree of pity.


    So here I am, within my own dimension watching the world that was once my home after so many years have gone by that it is no more. The idiots tried one final means to locate me and it blew up in their faces. Quite literally! The resulting explosion in the aftermath had set humanity back to the extreme dark ages. Once where they used stones and clubs and the intelligence of people was reduced to what would later be called cavemen.


    That was ages ago. Now though, the world had changed along with people. People had finally evolved back into the humans they once were in my time. Only with one major difference I noticed right away.


    They didn''t have any chakra. Not one spec of it. Or at least...not enough to do Jutsus of the lowest kind. No. It was faint. Just enough to sustain their lives. Oh sure, some of the people in the world had more chakra over others, but not by much.


    But that wasn''t what got my attention at the moment. No. What had my attention was the humans of the world had changed in other ways. In terms of technology. In terms of the magic now being employed by those who could wield it over chakra. I theorized magic was a warped form of chakra, but I never really wished to test the theory myself.


    What also got my attention was this constant battle waging between those on the side of good and those fighting on the side of evil. Such a curious thing to see the state of the world as it is now. Heroes in capes, tights, and other strange clothes doing battle against villains with their reasons for fighting these said heroes. Again, some were so clich¨¦ on both sides of the fence. Some did good because it was to protect innocent people. Some did evil because they hated the world and wanted to rule it.


    The world was so black and white with hints of gray so thin, you had to squint to see the nearly invisible line that bridged the gap between the two.


    Someone needed to shake up the board. To smear more gray into it.


    And who better to do it then myself?!


    And it just so happens, an excuse of sorts has now given me the means to enter the world again to shake it up. To twist it. To turn it. To bend it over and give it a good f.u.c.k.i.n.g like there was no tomorrow.


    Starting with the ambitious sorceress currently trying out a spell designed to summon a powerful demon to do her bidding.


    (Cadmus Secret Base-Spell Chamber)


    Tala was in a room she had designed specifically for this special moment. She had been very pushy/demanding for everything in this chamber to be designed exactly to her exact specifications. Naturally, the highest members of Cadmus High Council Committee were hesitant to let her have what she wanted. They always were since none of them trusted her despite the obviously skilled talents she possessed in the magical field. Not all that surprising since they were so reliant on their technology and science. Mysticism was so easily explained these days by it according to the Cadmus scientists employed here. The string theory they said! Alternate dimensions that was their reason! Some form of energy, which came from space on a distant far away Galaxy, shooting itself all the way to the planet one night in a one in two hundred and sixty nine billion odd chance it would hit the Earth, and all without hitting anything else in the process!


    Idiots! The lot of them. They didn''t even believe the Gods of old even existed, yet Tala knew otherwise. Ancient artifacts from Greece, Egypt, and other items radiated with the magical properties told in the legends surrounding the Gods. Diana of Themyscira herself was said to be blessed by the Greek Pantheon of Gods and had the powers to back it up. Of course, the Cadmus High Council were all skeptical about the ancient Gods since the Christian faith they belonged to had called all Pagan Gods evil and anything associated with them (magic included) to be evil by extension. They would of course use her magic for the "greater good", considering certain heroes like Superman, as well as some others were vulnerable to magic, and would need her expertise to a point. But in the end, they would keep her at arms length. No doubt there was a team on standby to kill her once the usefulness she provided ran out.


    Not that they would get a chance to give the order. Tala would show them that the magic she commanded could still be a driving influential force in the world.


    And what better to do it than summoning a powerful demon to do her bidding in terms of crushing her enemies? Both in terms of the Justice League and within Cadmus itself?!


    "Come forth great demon. The most powerful of the most powerful. One who makes the Earth shake and the animals shiver in fear. One who can make all things in this world bow to your presence without equal! Come forth! Your Mistress commands it!" called out Tala while she used her magic to rip open a portal needed to bring forth the demon she desired.


    And sure enough, the call was answered...violently!


    The room shook when the portal she had setup exploded with power. Energy consumed the room around her. Making the sorceress gasp in surprise and with a hint of fear. The spell she used from days of ancient times long before her own life began did not specify what it was she summoned or even if it could be controlled. She thought her magic would be strong enough when it came out of the portal in a weakened enough state from being summoned by her.


    But now? Tala wasn''t even sure if she would survive the next few minutes! The walls were filled with ancient writings to contain magic within the room. This was done for security and safety reasons to ensure the rest of Cadmus didn''t interfere after she was done and so in the event she failed, it didn''t blow up the secret base with everyone in it for the next 200 miles.


    When the storm of power finally refocused itself, gathering into a single spot, Tala saw it taking the form of a man. No! Man would be too simple a word. This wasn''t a man. This wasn''t even a demon. This was power incarnate! This was a being who she sensed could easily flick his wrist and end half the planet without breaking a sweat!


    Tala did not summon a demon like she hoped. Oh no! She had summoned something better. She had summoned...a God!


    Before her stood a God made flesh with the figure of a athletically lean well built man in his late teens to early twenties, who looked like he could handle the world''s best fighters without effort on his part. One with long spiky golden hair reaching just to the middle of his back. Whisker like birthmarks showed on his face. Sharp canines showed from what she saw of his mouth. His eyes were closed, his face a vision of focus, and was clearly centering his power to keep it under control. His clothing was that of baggy white pants a martial arts fighter would wear with a black sash around the waist line. He wore no shoes of any kind and his hands sported claw like forms and sharp nails capable of cutting into flesh or anything else if they tried.


    When the figure did open his eyes, Tala gasped from her position on the ground at the sight of them. One red. One purple. One with three tomoes within them. The other was sporting a rippled look while both eyes glowed with power beyond measure.


    Before Tala could ponder this further, the figure focused entirely on her, and was in front of the sorceress in a blink an eye. In an instant, Tala felt his grip on her arm, and lifting the woman off the ground like she weighed nothing! He looked right into her eyes with his own and she found herself frozen. Unable to do anything! What could she do? This being, this demon, this God she had summoned was beyond her means to control.


    Tala was at his mercy and didn''t know what to expect from him.


    So it was quite the shock to Tala that he suddenly kissed her so passionately while his remaining free hand slipped underneath the slit in her dress and groped her ass. It took her a moment (though it felt longer) to realize what was happening, the fact she was now m.o.a.ning from his actions didn''t help, and she pushed against him while now muffling her protest. When the man finally broken the kiss, Tala on anger based instinct of being taken advantage of, slapped, yes slapped the Godly figure right in the face with all of her anger filled womanly strength, and her eyes widened when she realized what just happened.


    And this being''s response? He laughed. Laughed in amus.e.m.e.nt.


    "Damn! I have been slapped by a woman since...how long has it been? Not since I did the same thing to Anko after she chased me through the Forest of Death that one time I did a cool prank and I got the drop on her," commented the man to himself at the mention of the woman from his past.


    Sure she may have hated for the prank before going from predator to the prey in the end of their chase, but the s.e.x.u.a.l benefits of him screwing her stupid made up for her anger over it afterwards.


    Good times.


    "Let go of me!" commanded Tala though her voice did not show the strength behind the words spoken to make him obey.


    "And why would I want to do that?" asked the man curiously while giving the ass of this fine looking sorceress a squeeze to make her squeak and blush.


    "B-Because I summoned you! I-I am your Master! I am Tala! Mistress of the Magic Arts! Y-You belong t-to me!" exclaimed Tala while trying to get out of his grip and the feeling of his hand on her butt.


    "You summoned me? After my little entrance here just now, do you really think that your little spell summoned me to this world? To control me like some pet to obey your every command?" questioned the man while he pressed Tala closer to him and grinned at her.


    "You couldn''t have come here to this world through any other means!" answered Tala in a still nervous tone while she blushed further when something quite big and hard from him pressed against her at the hip.


    "Wrong my dear. I have always been apart of this world. I just chose to leave it long ago before times are what they are now. I could enter and leave at any time. But your actions have finally given me an excuse to enter it once more and do something about the world as it is now," replied the figure while Tala was confused.


    "What do you mean?" asked Tala while the figure become almost completely serious despite holding her the way he was right now.


    "The world is unstable. Out of balance. Good seeks to destroy evil. Evil seeks to destroy good. One wants peace, but doesn''t have the spine to get it done the right way. The other seeks to conqueror the world, but does it in the most incredibly stupid ways with no real understanding of what they do in the process and thus ignore the ramifications of their action. Both sides are constantly hiding behind their excuses of doing things for the great good, their hatred for the world, or some other stupid bullshit in just doing such things for fun. I have watched this world get to the point where I am sick of the constant tug of war between the two main opposing sides for the right to influence the planet''s masses. It is high time a third more capable party stepped into the arena to change things and for the better. Namely...me!" said the figure now grinning at the end.


    "And just who are you? What are you?" asked Tala with the figure''s grinning increasing.


    "Me? My name is Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto to be exact? And as to what I am? I am the Nidaime Juubi. The most powerful Biju in existence!" declared Naruto with Tala now looking shocked and confused by this.


    "I don''t...I don''t understand your title," said Tala while Naruto''s grin increased and his eyes gleamed with l.u.s.t.


    "Don''t worry my dear. In time, you will understand. In time, you will see things my way. In time, we will bring an end to this stupidity between heroes and villains running around this world," replied Naruto while giving Tala''s ass one more squeeze.


    "A-And how do you intend to do that?!" asked Tala while blushing once more with the reminder of her current position strangely making the woman to be quite aroused.


    "Simple my dear Tala. I am going to remove key players on both sides in my own way. I won''t be on the side of good or evil like many people would believe someone of my own status wishes to take," replied Naruto while growling hungrily into Tala''s ear and making the woman shiver.


    "If you are not siding with heroes or villains...what side are you on?" asked Tala while she felt him kissing her neckline sensually.


    "The side that will triumph over all in the years to come. The side...of the Super Pervert!" exclaimed Naruto before looking right into Tala''s eyes and she almost reminded him of his wife Hinata.


    Almost.


    "Super what?!" asked Tala in shock and wondered just happened to her life to be in the presence of this strange...individual.


    Naruto''s response was to keep on grinning and kissed the sorceress with a passion with the woman finding herself melting (figuratively) under his touch. Tala tried to fight back at first since she was not about to surrender her body to just anyone, but her body was no longer capable of resisting him. He had pressed all the right buttons before she could stop him. He had her pinned. He had her aroused. And he had made it quite clear from such close contact with his own...appendage between his legs currently poking the front of her waist that it was not something he would be a shamed of using to pleasure a woman.


    She had lost the fight of resisting this Godly being the first time he kissed her.


    It wasn''t long before her m.o.a.ns of protest became m.o.a.ns of passion and Tala''s free hand began to caress Naruto''s muscled upper body over trying to push it away. Soon, Tala felt her clothing falling to the ground of the destroyed room after it was equally destroyed by Naruto''s clawed hands. He ripped the clothing off like the fabric was made of wet tissue paper and the sudden feeling of n.a.k.e.dness was soon felt all over. It didn''t bother her that she was n.a.k.e.d. Tala never wore underwear most of the time anyway and had a nearly unlimited amount of dresses like that one in her room.


    No. What she wanted right now was to see him n.a.k.e.d. Her hand that had been free to roam his torso moved lower to his pants. The expert hand used in magic eventually got the sash Naruto used as a belt to come lose and gave his pants a tug down to his ankles.


    "Anxious, are we?" joked Naruto with a grin when he broke the kiss and saw her eyes widen in shock from seeing and feeling his monster appendage.


    "How...How can you be this big?!" asked Tala almost breathlessly while she looked from it to him and back.


    ''If you only knew. Not that she has to know the age old theory back from my time about how high chakra levels equals a massive endowment are quite true. Hinata always knew it to be true when we were younger. The shy peeping pervert. Damn I miss her and the s.e.x we had. That woman was a demon herself in the sack just like Anko, Hana, Shizune, and the others I claimed,'' thought Naruto with a smirk on his face knowing Tala like the other women in his love life had been in awe of his third leg.


    Mainly because he and it ruined them for anyone else in all things s.e.x related.


    Tala of course soon found herself drooling at the sight of his endowment and mentally wondered if it would even fit inside of her. Of course she was sure it would, but only after some effort, and lubrication on her part would it be ready. As such, the sorceress got on her knees, staring at the massive thing, and inhaling its masculine scent. It made the woman shiver with l.u.s.t and was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. She needed this. She wanted this. She wanted him in every sense of the word.


    And Tala would have him. She was drawn to power. It was intoxicating. Power was an aphrodisiac to Tala and this Godly being was making the woman becoming soaking wet between her legs.


    As for Naruto, he was growling approvingly at the woman''s mouth now attending to his erection in a loving fashion. Oh how he needed this. Being away with no female contact for so long almost made him feel like a convict getting out of prison for so long and the need for a woman to f.u.c.k taking over his mind. The woman in front of him clearly had a few lovers in the past from the way she worked on his shaft. Though he doubted they were as endowed as himself or were able to satisfy her in return. Naruto got the feeling her past lovers had been rather...disappointing in terms of satisfying Tala in bed.


    He would have no problems there.


    After a nice long amount of time, Naruto finally came in Tala''s mouth with the amount nearly overwhelmed the woman. Not surprising considering Naruto didn''t tell her short of a groan before firing his load off. But she endured. Tala was not a woman who let things go or intimidate her despite what had happened recently with the titled Nidaime Juubi (as Naruto had called himself) entering her life. When she committed to something, Tala went all the way, and saw it through to the end.


    Like now.


    "So much. You came so much," said Tala in shock and breathlessly after she swallowed everything he released with some effort while Naruto smirked down at her.


    "And this was just the beginning of our fun my dear," said Naruto with Tala now looking slightly surprised to hear this.


    "Just the...beginning?" asked Tala before she noticed his erection had not died down and was clearly ready for another round.


    "You didn''t think it would be over after one time, did you?" questioned Naruto with his smirk growing at her realization his body''s performance s.e.x.u.a.lly.


    He had stamina to match his size. Tala didn''t know if she should be happy or concerned regarding how her body would most likely be sore tomorrow.


    Naruto''s grin only increased when he saw Tala''s eyes glaze over in l.u.s.t at realizing he could do so much more after what she just did. He quickly picked her up off the ground and held Tala by the waist with his erection looking ready to spear the sorceress right between the legs. Before Tala could even voice her concerns about it fitting, Naruto''s erection had entered, and the woman let out a silent scream of shocked pleasure. She grabbed onto his shoulders while her legs tried to wrap around his body on instinct as Naruto thrust deeper into her womanly body while trying to fill her with his shaft. Never had Tala felt so full in all her life. None of her previous lovers even same close to making s.e.x feel this good.


    Of course, to be fair, none of them were a primordial God like entity with the power to rip the world to pieces, but that was beside the point.


    "Claim me. Take me. I am yours forever. I don''t care what path you take for this world. I want to be with you no matter what," whispered Tala passionately into his ear while she held on for dear life while Naruto held onto the woman by her ass and thrust deeper until he couldn''t go any further.


    She only made Naruto grin further while he kept pounding away at her.


    ''Damn right you are mine forever. And not just you. Every hot heroine and villainess who catches my fancy are going to be mine too,'' thought Naruto while his plan would soon be set in motion once he was done screwing Tala to the point where she would tell him just about anything he wanted to know about Cadmus or the Justice League.


    And he had plans. Plans within plans.


    First, he needed to bang Tala into blissful unconscious. So far, Naruto was off to a good start there. Second, he needed to do some digging around into Cadmus, and the Justice League they were fighting against in the shadows. Never hurts to have blackmail and leverage against the warring parties should the time comes to use it. Third, he needed to remove certain people from each organization, and make the world a better place for it in the process. Not that hard really since each piece from the opposing sides of the board could easily be removed in different ways. Some in a more lethal sense over others. But not all. Naruto had watched these heroes and villains do battle against each other at times. Both solo and as a group. He knew of their lives, their hardsh.i.p.s, and why they resorted to crimes or fighting against those who commit crimes. And finally, his fourth objective would be to put himself in a strong position of power where neither side alone or together could challenge him if they were to learn the truth behind what he really is and decide to do something about it.


    The last thing Naruto wanted was for both sides to unite and actually manage to defeat or imprison him just for being himself. That would suck!


    Tala''s scream from the orgasm she just gained, which brought Naruto back to the present of what he was doing and who he was doing it with. Looking at Tala, the Nidaime Juubi realized he must have been lost in his own thoughts for some time with his body going on full autopilot because Tala was showing she had been having multiple orgasms. He was thinking about his plans for the world so deeply just now, Naruto almost missed out on the sensation of his own release, and firing his load into Tala''s p.u.s.s.y. Her own body was glistening with sweat from moving up and down his body in order to keep up with him. The grip she had on his shoulders was weakened considerably and her breath was one of someone who was extremely tired from such...exercise.


    "So...tired. Need...rest," whispered Tala while Naruto held her and felt him still hard within her body.


    "And you will...when I say you can rest," replied Naruto while giving her a mini thrust and made Tala gasp at the jolt of pleasure she felt.


    ''Well...at least the meeting with the Cadmus High Council Committee members won''t be for the next few days,'' thought Tala before she found herself on the ground, on her knees, and being taken from behind by Naruto.


    Oh yeah. She was going to be sore after this.


    (Tala''s Bedroom-Sometime Later)


    Eventually, the hot passionate s.e.x Naruto and Tala started having in the destroyed spell chamber had somehow moved to her bedroom, and ultimately to the bed itself. Right now, Naruto was currently n.a.k.e.d, lying down on the bed with Tala on top of him, and the sorceress herself sleeping with a very happy content look on her face. He ran his clawed hand lovingly through her long purplish hair and thought about who to "target" next in terms of females this world had to offer. Who among the two factions of Cadmus and the Justice League or possibly Justice League affiliated organization would he choose from to quite literally seduce to his side.


    From what Tala had told him right before she fell asleep following their time screwing each other silly, some the heroes all over were rumored to be in relationsh.i.p.s with each other. Which only confirmed what Naruto knew from his observations when watching the world from time to time to check on its overall progress. Sure, some hid the relationsh.i.p.s they had to keep the public, and their enemies at large in the dark. To that end, he had to plan accordingly on which woman to seduce, and who to leave alone depending on their relationship with the man they were already with.


    Namely, the rumored romantic relationship between Superman and Wonder Woman.


    Though why call the romantic relationship a rumor when everyone on the damn planet knew it was real. The two were deeply in love and made the other happy. The problem Naruto saw was not with the two being together, but various factions within Cadmus and the villains out there wanting the couple to split, or one of them dying before they could have a child. He had seen enough of the history of the planet and when Superman went solo before forming the Justice League with its founding members to know the Man of Steel longed for a day where he could have a family. To truly settle down after years of protecting the world and having a child or possibly children to help carry on his legacy as a hero and even that of the Kryptonian people he came from.


    Naruto also knew there were few women in the known Universe truly compatible with Superman''s physiology to make such a dream become reality. Wonder Woman being chief among them. Sadly, Naruto also knew many feared the union between the two, and what their progeny could do if allowed to develop his or her own potential. As such, the Cadmus higher up were monitoring the movements of the two closely in order to properly determine whether the two heroes had actually succeeded in procreating. To learn where they would go or suspect they would go for a lengthy amount of time during the overall pregnancy period whether on Earth or on one of the League''s deep space mission setup as a goodwill mission to some distance world.


    Naruto had seen the good the two had done for the world and was upset the world in turn did not seem to appreciate them as much as it should. Only a third of the world overall as a whole seemed to like Superman these days, same with Wonder Woman, and the Justice League he helped form with the other Founders. And for what? All because of the fact the Man of Steel was at one point brainwashed by some dark entity from another Galaxy for a time? It seemed stupid in Naruto''s mind to hate Superman for that just like it was stupid of his village to hate Kurama for what Uchiha Obito did the night of his birth in taking control of the fox in order to make the Biju attack Konoha.


    They still did, but that was beside the point.


    Besides, Naruto had to give Superman props for holding back the way he did when it came to fighting villains. The Nidaime Juubi sensed the Kryptonian was holding back a lot of his strength in a fight, afraid to actually kill someone, and be labeled a murderer or even an uncontrollable killer among the people. The adopted son of Earth could have used his powers for evil. Become a tyrant who few could match or challenge. It was clear to him that Superman loved the people on Earth and wanted them to love him back so he did everything possible to help them progress to that point. The Man of Steel was like an adopted stepchild and wanted to prove himself worthy of his adopted home in front of his adopted stepsiblings. An understandable and noble goal to be sure. But Naruto knew deep down, Superman wouldn''t get a fair shake with the world since he was alien by birth, and as such would not be truly loved by humanity.


    Or at least the vast majority of humanity. Most people only really tolerated Superman as a whole because of all the work he did in protecting them. But sure enough, it would only last so long as he was able to keep doing his job of protecting them. The day Superman could no longer protect the Earth, Naruto knew humanity as a whole would turn on him, and all the Man of Steel would have left are his true friends. His loved ones, who truly cared about his well being would be protecting him from harm when the time came.


    So Naruto decided to help the Man of Steel out. Yes. He would be the first person on the board to be removed from this conflict. Wonder Woman would be next by default since the Nidaime Juubi didn''t want them to be separated from each other. No. Superman was someone who deserved to be happy and live a life of peace somewhere without the worry of his family coming to harm. A grand reward of sorts for Superman''s years of noble loyal service to the mostly ungrateful people of this planet in protecting them from all sorts of evil. Yes. A reward where Superman''s desire buried deep in his heart would be made reality and know of happiness without fear of it being destroyed.


    And after that? He would focus on the rest of the Justice League and Cadmus.


    ''I need to do more research into his background before I make my move to remove those two heroes from the world. As for Cadmus, I will have Tala here fill me in about them at a later time, and what she knows about the organization before I make my move. From what I saw earlier during my observations of the world, those in charge are like a bunch of scheming power hungry morons like Danzo, and those old shriveled up Shinobi Elders I had back in Konoha. Not only that, but I need to see the rest of the world, and just how messed up it is before I can fix it...my way!'' thought Naruto while he continued thinking about his plans for the world and how to execute them.


    He couldn''t wait to smash up the board holding these two factions and turn the world on its axis.


    Chapter 2


    Naruto sat quietly in an open outdoor cafe drinking some tea. It was just across the street and slightly to the left (or was it to the right?) of a building with a giant world globe titled "The Daily Planet" with the world spinning like it was the planet itself. Neat. A little bold for his taste, but still neat. A newspaper with honesty, integrity, and a beacon of light to expose the truth of dark things that seek to hurt humanity.


    It was no wonder Superman worked here under his human alias as Clark Kent.


    "Why must we sit here and do nothing all day?" asked Tala with a slight impatience in her voice while she was dressed in casual street clothing consisting of tight fitting jeans, sneakers, a white t-shirt, dark jacket, and her hair braided.


    She also was wearing dark glasses so no one would see her eyes.


    Naruto himself was dressed just as casually though his jeans were more baggy with a tight fitting t-shirt, sneakers, and a grin on his face that could make the sun seem like a dimming light bulb. He was wearing sunglasses so no one would see his mismatched eyes and no one really saw his whisker marks were entirely visible far away and most just assumed they were just for show.


    "We are not sitting here doing nothing all day my dear Tala. We are doing some spying on a member of the Justice League," remarked Naruto while sipping some tea and acting casual.


    "Spying? On a League member?! But this is Metropolis! That would mean we are spying on...him!" exclaimed Tala so she didn''t reveal who they were spying on knowing that this person has super hearing.


    "Yes. You sound afraid," commented Naruto with a hint of amus.e.m.e.nt.


    "Of course I am afraid! The man has super hearing. He could be hearing this conversation right now!" exclaimed Tala with worry in her voice.


    It was bad enough she lied to the Cadmus High Council about going to Metropolis for a week under the pretense of scouting mystical locations where magic energies were still strong. But being here, spying on one of the Justice League Founders was even worse! What if they got caught?! What if the League tried to interrogate her? What if Cadmus decided to interrogate her for lying?


    "Calm your thoughts Tala. He can''t hear us. I put up a sound bubble. No one can hear us outside of its range," said Naruto knowing the sorceress was freaking out.


    "You could have told me that sooner you ass!" exclaimed Tala with Naruto smirking at her.


    "I could have, but the sight of you fl.u.s.tered is a real turn on. I''m almost tempted to bend you over in this public place and f.u.c.k you silly," replied Naruto with Tala going red in the face at his words.


    "Y-You wouldn''t dare!" exclaimed Tala while she felt herself getting slightly turned on herself, but kept stamped down on it for obvious purposes.


    Too much risk, not enough reward...no matter many orgasms the man next to her could give with his skills in all things s.e.x.


    "I said I was tempted. I didn''t say I would do it. Not until we are in a more private setting in any case," replied Naruto while Tala blushed harder knowing he would ravage her at a later time.


    She learned from the past couple of days that this man''s libido was very...demanding when it came to wanting her.


    "Must you be crude and talk about s.e.x like its the most casual thing? And why must we spy on our enemy in the first place?" questioned Tala with Naruto letting out a chuckle.


    "Says the woman who said the most...interesting things when I went down on her not 2 hours ago. Besides, if I am to carry out my plan, I need to monitor the most powerful of all the Justice League members before I make my play to remove him from it," replied Naruto while Tala frowned at him.


    "Who is he behind the cape?" asked Tala at last curiously.


    "You don''t know? It is so obvious to the point where upon seeing it makes you want to smack yourself in the face," remarked Naruto with Tala scowled at him.


    "No one in Cadmus knows his identity. Trust me when I say the organization has tried to find out for years. No one knows. Not even Luthor and Dr. Hamilton," replied Tala since she knew Amanda Waller and General Sam Lane have wanted to know for years so they could find those close to him and use as leverage.


    "Really? Some of the sharpest, most ruthless minds in all the world, and they can''t figure out the identity of Superman himself? Even when the man could standing there in his own disguise talking to them as if he was an ordinary person? That''s just sad," remarked Naruto while wondering how so many people who work for the only organization to rival the Justice League couldn''t see the truth when it was quite literally staring them back in the face!


    "Well not all of us are highly intelligent primordial God capable of annihilating people with a flick of the wrist." commented Tala with Naruto giving her sweet smile that didn''t meet the eyes.


    "Now Tala, if you don''t behave, I''m going to strip you n.a.k.e.d, and spank your incredibly hot ass here until both cheeks are red for all to see. I doubt you want that happen since I will easily be vanishing from sight to let you deal with the fallout of such...exposure," replied Naruto in a tone worthy of an Uzumaki, who did not like to be crossed.


    And sure enough, Tala decided to shut up while blushing red in the face since she knew better then calling his bluff.


    While this was happening, Naruto returned to focusing on the Daily Planet where his target was coming out of the building with one Lois Lane. Oh if General Sam Lane could see his daughter now. Speaking to Superman and not even realizing it.


    "Come on Smallville. You need to go out more. I know you like spending your time with that special woman in your life, but you don''t need to tend to her every second. Where is that so called male pride I have seen in just about every other man in my life?" question Lois while they headed for her car to handle a story given to them by Perry White.


    "You haven''t met her Lois. The woman I am seeing is indeed special. I would be an idiot to not spend time with her," replied Clark while getting in the passenger side of the car.


    "Typical country bumpkin education. I bet you never had an adventure in your life before coming here," remarked Lois with a smirk before getting in and shutting the door.


    "You would surprisingly lose that bet Lois," said Clark before Lois turned on the car and drove to their story unaware of the fact they were being watched.


    Well...one of them was being watch at any rate.


    "That was Superman? But...he doesn''t look like him at all!" commented Tala in surprise while wondering where she saw the man her lover was watching the two reporters from the Daily Planet.


    "Of course not. When you see Superman, you see a man in a cape, in a blue suit showing off well defined muscles, and flying around saving people. The man you just saw walking out of the Daily Planet looked like an ordinary man of the same build wearing a suit and tie, but was also slouching slightly to decrease his height just a smidge. He does this just to continue fooling the masses, as well as wearing glasses that give him that ''nerdy'' look, and thus people do not associate him with the handsome face many women look at when they see the Man of Steel in person. The man is for all intensive purposes...hiding in plain sight," said Naruto while Tala was shocked by this.


    "I should report this to Cadmus. They will want to investigate this further," said Tala with Naruto shaking his head no.


    "That would be a bad idea Tala. Cadmus would jeopardize my plans for Superman and Wonder Woman by extension," said Naruto while he looked at her.


    "You mentioned you had plans for them, but never explained it to me," countered Tala with a hint of anger at being kept out of the loop at this point.


    "Simple. I''m going to help Superman retire from being a hero of this world and Wonder Woman is going to help me. In fact, she will be joining him in that regard," said Naruto with Tala looking even more confused.


    "And how exactly are you going to pull it off?" asked Tala knowing Wonder Woman would never betray Superman in such a manner.


    Not willingly.


    "Fine! Spoil my fun. To answer your question, I will ask you a question in turn. What do you know of Wonder Woman''s golden lasso?" asked Naruto with Tala frowning at first since she had done her research into it per the command of High Council Committee of Cadmus.


    "It compels those wrapped or touching it to speak the truth. Even if they would prefer to lie despite its command. It is also rumored to make people bound to it do things by the holder," said Tala while Naruto smirked.


    "Its not a rumor. That Lasso of Truth can do just that," replied Naruto with Tala frowning in confusion.


    "And how do you know that?" asked Tala with Naruto turning to look at her and push his dark glasses down.


    "Because while we are spying on Superman in his alter ego''s form, one of my Shadow Clones has been spying on Wonder Woman. She''s currently fighting some thugs and using the Lasso of Truth to keep them contained. I am a natural sensor from my era when we could sense energy and I have been analyzing the golden rope she uses from a safe distance. The energy within the ropes does indeed compel someone to speak the truth by actually suppressing the part of the brain that gives us the ability to lie. At the same time, the energy also covers other parts of the brain surrounding freewill so should Wonder Woman give a command, the energy would target the brain of the one bound by the rope, and implant the said command into the brain to be obeyed without question. Think of it like adding or installing any additional programs into a computer system it didn''t have up until being placed inside," explained Naruto with Tala looking thoughtfully for a second before frowning in confusion.


    "But in order to use the rope, you would have to steal it from her," commented Tala with Naruto smirking.


    "I have been known to possess the Devil''s luck," replied Naruto with a chuckle.


    "You are crazy. You would have to sneak into her home or fight out in the open before taking the Lasso of Truth from Wonder Woman. She is an experience warrior and is a Master when it comes to fighting," warned Tala with Naruto shrugging.


    "Why do you think I''m spying on her and Superman? I know one''s identity. I follow one or both for the other to find out where they live and go from there," replied Naruto like it was the simplest answer in the world.


    "Has anyone ever said you had balls of steel to do what you are doing?" asked Tala with Naruto letting out an amused chuckle.


    "All the time. My past lovers chief among them. Including you too," replied Naruto in a mischievous tone while Tala blushed and glared at him.


    "Pervert," grumbled Tala while Naruto leered at her.


    "You say that now Tala, but this pervert has given you a total of 75 orgasms from this one week alone. Maybe you don''t want me to keep doing that," remarked Naruto with Tala going pale in the face knowing that despite his innuendos and crude comments, he had for all intensive purposes...spoiled her with s.e.x.


    If he decided to stop being intimate, her s.e.x life would be nonexistent from that point on and her libido would no doubt suffocate from it. No other individual would be able to remotely satisfy her. She may even have to consider being with women instead of men if that happened!


    "Sorry," whispered Tala in a submissive tone while Naruto smirked.


    "Come on. We''re heading back to the hotel," said Naruto while giving Tala a knowing look.


    "Seriously?! You want to have s.e.x again? Now?!" asked Tala with Naruto looking at her like he had been hurt.


    "Oh Tala, you make it sound like s.e.x with me is painful beyond measure. If that is how you feel, perhaps I should seek out another woman or women to satisfy my libido. Maybe I should find and seduce Supergirl? Or maybe her older cousin Powergirl? What was the name of the former Teen Titan? The one, who had her mind scrambled a few years ago, had to leave the organization due to her libido being out of control, and later had to go into exile so she didn''t use her training as a s.e.x slave from her time with the Gordanians to ravage any man within 10 feet of her? Starfire I believe her name was, correct?" asked Naruto in a mocking tone.


    "You wouldn''t dare!" exclaimed Tala angrily while she glared at him right in the eyes.


    "Oh but I would. And don''t even think about threatening me with your magic. You forget which one of us is the stronger entity. Besides, my libido is very demanding. And while you have done a wonderful job satisfying it so far, I am in need of more women to keep myself happy. I told you this before we left on this little spying mission and why it had to be done. Surely you don''t want me to be miserable. One woman alone cannot satisfy my s.e.x.u.a.l needs. You would be sore almost every single day if it was just you alone and there is only so much punishment your body can take from the force of my hip smacking into yours," said Naruto with Tala looking away and grumbling.


    "It still doesn''t mean I have to like it," grumbled Tala before she squeaked when one of his hands went to her tight jean wearing butt and held the woman close.


    "It takes time to get use to such things Tala. Believe me when I say I know. But we have plenty of time and we both know you don''t mind the s.e.x we have...or the needed rest that follows," said Naruto with Tala blushing further since it was all true.


    She still didn''t like the idea. Not yet.


    (Apartment of Diana Prince-Later that Night)


    Princess Diana A.K.A. Wonder Woman or also known as Diana Prince when blending into the populace to live like a normal person woke up groaning. She had spent most of the day as Wonder Woman, fighting bad guys, arresting bad guys, doing ambassador work involving various charities, and other humanitarian organizations. What free time she spent was done as Diana Prince with Clark, but even he knew how tired she was from a day requiring the massive energy reserves of an Amazon Warrior Princess. When she finally got home, her body was exhausted, and needed some much desired rest to handle the next day.


    Only as soon as she got home, her mind suddenly became too dizzy to be the result of tiredness, and fell unconscious on the floor.


    "What happened?" questioned Diana to herself and looked around to find she had been tied up with her own Lasso of Truth and was in her Wonder Woman outfit that had been underneath her usual clothing.


    "Oh good, you are awake! You were knocked out for a good three hours. I was beginning to think the amount of knock out gas used was too much," said Naruto while he was in a chair across from Diana with Tala behind Diana so the Amazon didn''t see the sorceress.


    "How...How did you know I live here?" asked Diana with confusion over anger.


    Being angry didn''t help in this situation.


    "Wasn''t hard. I have been watching you almost all day. Ever since those bank robbers came along and you crushed their escape route along with the get away car. Who knew Diana Prince was really Wonder Woman underneath such clothing that does little hide your physical beauty despite her best efforts," said Naruto with a grin and Diana''s eyes narrowed at him.


    "Did you undress me?" demanded Diana since it was the only explanation and wondered what else he did to her while she was out.


    "Tempting, but no. My female assistant did it. She has magical powers so her removing the clothing only took a second. And as for your bindings, I had to make sure you could not break out while telling me the truth should I need to ask you a question," said Naruto with Diana trying to look back and only saw a glimpse of someone behind her that was female, but the identity of the female was unknown.


    Which was what Tala wanted. If Diana somehow remembered tonight and saw her face, she would talk to Batman who would try to match him up in his own database, or the one in the Justice League''s main Watch Tower. Tala didn''t need to be flagged in their system and have Cadmus find out before they started demanding answers from her.


    "Who are you? I have never seen someone like you before and I don''t believe we have ever fought in the past," asked Diana while seeing Naruto nod.


    "My name is...Juubi. That''s all you need to know. As to why I am here, I am here to help your lover by the name of Superman, find true happiness," replied Naruto with Diana now narrowing her eyes dangerously.


    "Speak carefully Juubi. For I will make sure you never harm a hair on Kal''s head so long as I live," threatened Diana while Naruto raised a hand to calm the Amazon Princess.


    "At ease Princess Diana, I have no intention of causing Kal harm. I merely wish to ensure your cooperation in getting him the happiness he deserves. A place to settle down. Form a family. Not have to worry about government officials of the planet conspiring to find ways to kill or control him using immoral and unethical means while claiming it is for the greater good," remarked Naruto while Diana''s eyes narrowed further.


    "Cadmus," whispered Diana while Naruto nodding.


    "Got it in one. You know and I know so long as Cadmus exists, your relationship with Superman will never reach its full potential. You will try and try and try some more to keep it all together. But sooner or later, Cadmus will strike when they are certain of their plans being foolproof. They will either kill Kal or find a means to imprison him to study, poke, prod, and ultimately dissect like some lab experiment. All done and designed to make controllable living weapons they will call expendable assets for their personal little schemes. All of which I believe is wrong. Superman has done much for this world and most of the people don''t even love him for it. And for what? Because some ambitious, extreme in terms of hate, dark God from another world, brainwashed him for a short time to be the opposite of himself, and basically revealed the majority of humanity''s true ever shameful colors. Rather then forgive him for something that wasn''t his fault, the people question his existence being here. Some want him dead or imprisoned. Others wants him controlled. To be used for their own ambitions. Its not fair! Granted life is never fair, but for someone like him, and what his heart desires...I think the world and the Universe itself should shift the scales so it is fair this one time," said Naruto seriously while Diana nodded since she believed what happened to her lover was unfair and he deserved better.


    "I agree. But how does this have to do with myself and Kal?" asked Diana while cursing the Lasso of Truth calling Clark by his Kryptonian name.


    "Simple. I intend for you and Kal to relocate away from Earth to a planet I know would be perfect for you two love birds," answered Naruto with Diana''s eyes widening before they narrowed.


    "The Justice League will know something is wrong if you do that if I don''t report in when expected for our shift. Some of the best investigative minds in the world work for us and will know instantly if something is wrong. They will discover your plans and stop you from weakening us even further," said Diana while Naruto smirked.


    "Not if you and Superman go willingly. And its not like you will be going alone or even to a planet the League doesn''t know about. No. What I have in mind benefits everyone I want it to benefit," countered Naruto with Diana glaring at him.


    "And what do you gain from Kal and myself being away from the planet?" questioned Diana while hoping to gain some insight to this strange person''s plans.


    "Nice try my dear, but it matter not what I do following this conversation. You won''t be remembering it. Now...sleep!" commanded Naruto while putting his will into the rope to make Diana obey the order and saw with a smile that she did.


    "Why did you talk to her? She won''t remember this conversation," remarked Tala with Naruto smiling at his lover''s confusion.


    "I know. But I thought I would at the very least have a nice civil conversation with the woman. It might be the only time I do considering what I have planned for them in the near future," explained Naruto while he looked at Tala and saw the deadpanned look she was shooting him.


    "That and you wanted to see what she would look like wrapped up with rope bondage s.e.x at its finest," added Tala while Naruto giving her another sweet smile.


    "I have no idea what you are talking about my dear. Besides, if anyone here knows more about female rope bondage s.e.x and liking it, well that would be you," replied Naruto with a mischievous smirk while Tala sputtering for a second while glowering at him.


    "Those weren''t ropes! They were ethereal chains! Sprouted from you I might add when you tied me up!" exclaimed Tala while Naruto snickered at her choice of words.


    "Still bondage s.e.x. And you didn''t deny liking it Tala," replied Naruto with Tala blushing and sputtering again.


    "J-Just do what you came here to do!" exclaimed Tala angrily at having her words used against her before moving to the other room in a huff.


    "Gladly. Now Diana, I need you to listen to me very carefully. First, the conversation you just had with Juubi did not exist. You will forget it ever existed. Second, I need you to do something in a few days regarding your lover Superman. You love him. You want him. Need him. Desire him. The very idea of being intimate with Superman or Kal-El if you will, makes your loins froth. You want to see the Man of Steel happy beyond measure and one day want to be the Mother of his children," said Naruto in a soothing tone and saw Diana''s eyes open slightly with a glazed look that told him she was under the power of the Lasso of Truth.


    With a nod of her head in understanding, Naruto grinned further, and proceeded to tell Diana what he wanted the Amazon Princess to do in the days to come.


    (Diana''s Apartment-Several Days Later)


    The sound of flesh smacking against flesh was echoing through Diana''s bedroom while she and Clark had hot passionate s.e.x. Her cries of pleasure echoing louder over the act of passion between them. First, it had been dinner in her kitchen, which had a romantic feel all on itself. The love Diana had for Clark showed in her eyes while they ate and talked about things though Diana seemed to be more focused on him the whole time.


    One didn''t need X-ray vision, the Lasso of Truth, or the ability to read minds to know what Diana wanted following their romantic dinner for two.


    As such, the moment they were done eating, Diana grabbed Clark''s arm, and dragged the slightly shocked man into the bedroom. After throwing him on the bed the two proceeded with making out before it spiraled into the passionate hot s.e.x.u.a.l intimacy it had become now. Many assumed Clark, or Superman as he was called, when among the other heroes of the Justice League, was a gentlemen and/or boy scout at heart when it came being with the opposite s.e.x. Always polite. Always nice. Always being the man a woman could take home to meet the parents and get the blessing of the Father (or in Diana''s case Mother and Queen of the Amazons) to date their loving daughter. All without the need of said parent to scare the crap out of the daughter''s boyfriend with threats of bodily injury in a possible event she should come to any harm.


    Of course they couldn''t be more further from the truth in their perceptions of Clark when he was with Diana. She brought out the preverbal beast in him. Her passion, her fire, her very existence when together helped break the chains of restraint he wrapped himself in to keep his body under control. But with Diana, the Man of Steel had no need for restraint on his end, and the Amazon Princess had made it abundantly clear she wanted him to go all out every single time when they coupled.


    This was no different.


    Well, it was slightly different. Clark didn''t know how it was different, but this night was special kind of way. Diana was more...passionate than usual. Not that he minded, but she was demanding more with each passing second they were intertwined. Again, he didn''t mind the idea since being with Diana was like heaven to him, and would do all that was within his power to please her.


    But if he didn''t know any better, which he didn''t since all the blood in his brain had gone far south between his legs for quite awhile, Clark would have assumed she was trying to sap him of all his strength in this single night. He had already c.u.m five times and Diana still wanted more. The woman was almost insatiable tonight.


    Almost!


    By the time Diana was properly tired, yet happily satisfied, an additional three hours had gone by, and Clark could say he too was feeling a bit exhausted himself. A kind, gentle, and friendly Amazon Princess Diana may be to others, but she was practically a demon in the bedroom.


    He was just glad Diana was finally tired out from all their nonstop love making they had done. While Clark had known his own reserves of energy were near limitless thanks to the yellow Sun orbiting the Earth, he didn''t know how long it would last with someone like Diana. Especially given the fact she was clearly trying to drain him dry of more then just his energy tonight.


    ''I don''t know what I did to deserve this woman, but I''m not letting her go for anything,'' thought Clark while he fell asleep in the bed with Diana lying on top of him also equally asleep.


    Or so Diana wanted Clark to believe. In truth, she w as extremely tired. More then ever in the time she spent in bed with Kal. The sudden desire to claim him in her bed and try her best to tire the Man of Steel out was something she felt compelled to do. Something she was ordered to do since Diana needed him to be drained of his energy for this next part. Her mind was now glazed over as the command put there by her visitor a few nights ago arose from within and silently she reached for the Lasso of Truth hidden underneath the bed.


    Without disturbing Kal of his sleep, Diana slowly, almost painfully was able to wrap the Lasso of Truth over his body. She knew so long as she held it, her verbal commands to him would easily be obeyed, and followed long after the command was given if the order was to exist following the rope''s removal from his body.


    "Kal, I need you to open your eyes. I need you to look at me. I need you to do something that will make all your dreams and mine come true," whispered Diana into his ear and made the Man of Steel awaken in a glazed state ready to receive her commands.


    "What Diana?" asked Clark in a tired yet ready to obey voice.


    Smiling gently at her lover, Diana whispered sweet loving words to him, and proceeded to give him the "commands" she had been unknowingly been ordered to give to him by Naruto. After giving said commands to Superman, she watched Clark nod slightly, and drift back to sleep per her instructions while ordering him to forget she ordered him to do this. That as far as he was concerned, this was what he wanted, and would have it soon despite what the rest of the Justice League thought about it.


    (The Watch Tower-Justice League Conference Room-One Week Later)


    "You want to what?!" demanded Batman while Superman and Wonder Woman looked unfazed by his glare.


    "I want to go to Almerac and see Queen Maxima. I think the time is right to see her and if we can gain a very powerful ally. Almerac in the future if asked, could be vital for aid in case of alien invasions. Is that a problem Bruce?" said Superman casually while Batman narrowed his eyes at him.


    "As I recall, Queen Maxima wanted you for a mate. No doubt, she still does want you as one. If Diana comes along and the two meet, it could get...messy," said Batman while Clark frowned and so did Diana.


    "I can take care of myself Bruce. Besides, Maxima is a warrior at heart. I will show her I am one too. One worthy of being Kal''s mate regardless of what she thinks," replied Diana in her own defense with a hint of anger in her voice.


    "Okay, I can see that. If only slightly. But what about having Big Barda come with you? Why not Green Lantern? Why not someone else who knows about space politics?" asked Batman while he saw Clark looking confused.


    "John is a Green Lantern despite being from Earth and would be seen as such by Maxima if not her advisors. I don''t want him to be seen like he''s poking his nose where it doesn''t belong. Besides, Maxima only respects people with absolute strength and power. Big Barda, Diana, and myself have that with plenty to spare. John doesn''t. And I highly doubt Shayera wants John to go since the women on Almerac can be a bit...aggressive with men if they aren''t tied down with a woman already. While those two are not openly a couple for all to see, we both know Shayera will lash out violently at any woman even remotely interested in John," said Clark while Batman nodding since he did have a point.


    "Not to mention almost all of our space traveling friends in the League are elsewhere at the moment. Big Barda has been all over the Galaxy from point or another. Plus, she just confided in me about how she recently decided to go through a separation from her own husband Scott Free. They have been having fights recently over the tiniest of things and feels a chance in space to clear her head over what has happened will do the trick," said Diana with Batman scowling since he heard rumors of Scott Free and Big Barda having arguments in their shared quarters onboard the Watch Tower.


    "Then why not send Scott Free? Big Barda could easily clear her head here while Scott is away with you," countered Batman while sensing something was off here, but couldn''t put his finger on it.


    "I''m sorry Bruce, but with the way Scott was arguing with her the past couple of days, I felt Barda was entitled to this offer more then him. She really needs this mission. If Scott were to come instead, I don''t think I could hold my temper long enough, and might give him a concussion," replied Diana with Clark nodding.


    "I have super hearing Bruce. Normal people can''t hear what goes on behind those walls, but I do. If I wasn''t the loveable boy scout of the group, I would have smashed Scott''s face in by now," added Clark knowing that would get the message to Bruce loud and clear.


    If Scott Free did come on this mission to Almerac, there was a good chance he wouldn''t be coming back alive or at all for that matter.


    "Fine! She can come with you two. But only her and this is a one time thing. I don''t need this getting out and being considered a mercy mission to help someone else with their personal emotional problems. That is what the League psychologist is for and gets paid to handle," said Batman with Clark and Diana nodding in agreement.


    That was after all, unknown to even them, the main goal in what they wanted to happen.


    (Unknown Location-At the Moment)


    Naruto was looking over the paper files Tala had been able to acquire for him discreetly using her high level access within Cadmus''s ranks. If anyone questioned her, she could easily say it was for research, and other mysticism based study. Considering the files she had taken, no one would question her about it once they saw what she was accessing in the first place. Naruto had rewarded her with a Shadow Clone currently sticking it to her in their bed for the last 2 hours and knew deep down she loved it.


    As for what she brought him, all of the files currently on his desk pertained to various super villains known throughout the United States and the world that Cadmus kept a close eye on. Whether they were deemed a threat to the world or possible resource to employ for one of their "suicide squads" was all in these files. Some were worse then others. Some were only criminals because they had no choice or it was forced upon them because it was the only way they could gather funding for their projects.


    As Naruto looked over the file of one Victor Fries, he saw how the man had wished to save his wife Nora Fries from a fatal disease deemed incurable at the time. So in order to save his wife, he had her put in a state of frozen hibernation. The first and ultimately last one ever done. The file had all the fats and trimmings regarding the details of how the once good scientist had nearly died in the incident at GothCorp by the CEO named Ferris Boyle, but somehow endured to the point of living in such temperatures, and thus resulted in the man being what he was now.


    According to the file he was reading, his wife was still in her cryo tube, but no one knew where it was save her husband. But he had been trying to steal money to gather the means to research a way to cure Nora over reversing the process done to himself. A noble thing to be sure, but Naruto saw notes Cadmus had from the DNA samples they managed to take of the man when he was first imprisoned. From what he could make out from the medical terms used, the diagnosis was NOT good.


    Eventually like the snow melting in warm climate, Victor Fries''s own DNA was doing the same thing regardless if he was surrounded by below zero temperatures.


    Cadmus was apparently working on some kind of cure for both him and Nora, but only planned to reveal the existence of both if they planned to recruit Fries for something that required his...talents in all things cold. Namely finding Superman''s Fortress of Solitude for them and a means to get in unnoticed. Dr. Hamilton had been there a few times, but after the issue with Superman being a little...testy with him regarding Supergirl, the Man of Steel didn''t invite him over anymore, and on Batman''s own suggestion had changed the security system to not consider Dr. Hamilton a friend.


    And rightfully so given Dr. Hamilton was now apart of Cadmus in trying to combat Superman should he ever decide to go "rogue" again. Whether by manipulation or of his own freewill.


    ''I will have to balance the scales out sooner instead of later. First, I have to make sure my three targets get to Almerac without question. Then, I need to execute my plan to seduce those three female Kryptonians to my side. I''ll start with Galatea since Tala can give me access to her within Cadmus. Not to mention Starfire is on a an island watched closely by the Justice League. That woman wears my favorite color perfectly!'' thought Naruto while thinking of the other heroes throughout the world needing help on all things following the way of Super Pervert.


    He wasn''t heartless or greedy in the ways of the Super Pervert. Unlike Jiraiya, he liked to "spread the wealth" in what he did when following such a path. Naruto had felt long ago that if people were to put down their weapons and keep the peace, the best way was for people to find their other half, get laid, and start their own family. A shift their priorities if you will to something more personal, yet far more rewarding that involved nurturing a family over trying to do something good or ill to the world. Of course, not everyone could embrace that philosophy since some people seemed incapable of love, or wanting to form a family with that special person in their life.


    Naruto thought they were all idiots and decided it was time to do something about them, even if the Justice League, or other authorities throughout the world refused to do it.


    "Why must you bother with them my love? The women you desire here outside of myself could turn against you," offered Tala, as she walked/limped into the room n.a.k.e.d, and saw him looking at the files from earlier.


    "I''m only looking at the pictures and you are just jealous my sweet Tala. Besides, I would think the idea of dominating one if not all three Kryptonian women here would appeal to you," said Naruto while showing her the three blonde women and saw Tala''s eyes had a certain...gleam of l.u.s.t in them.


    In truth, Tala had been a bit curious of what it would be like to have a female lover in a relationship. Prior to Naruto entering her life, all the male lovers had left the sorceress unsatisfied, and considering the idea with each failed relationship with a man. Not only that, but Galatea was also starting to act a bit snobbish around others. Like she was the biggest bitch in Cadmus with the muscle and power to back it up. Of course, Cadmus had means of disabling or controlling the clone of Supergirl using artificial red sunlight, their large stash of green kryptonite, and of course magical items or people on hand to use it.


    ''It would be interesting to see what such intimacy with a woman is like given my past failures before this one with Naruto. Not to mention the idea of making that high and mighty Galatea submit to me in the most intimate way is a bit of a turn on,'' thought Tala while she now imagined Galatea or one of the other two Kryptonian women on their knees, tied up in her magical energy, and forced to pleasure the sorceress how she saw fit.


    "Besides, not every woman here is going to be part of our little group Tala. Look at this one," said Naruto before handing her a file.


    "Raven from the Teen Titans?" asked Tala with Naruto nodding.


    "According to file, she is in a relationship with that green changeling named Beast Boy, who is also with the Titans. Or rather she was in a relationship with him until recently just a few month ago. Apparently, the green idiot''s first girlfriend Terra, who had the power to move the ground beneath her, awoke from the tomb she was in after being turned to stone there. He immediately dumped the half-demon sorceress for the blonde haired girl, who from what this file now indicates here, can no longer use her geomancer powers. Raven took the breakup pretty hard. Not surprising since he ended it pretty hard too without a care to what she felt at the time," answered Naruto while he saw the young woman''s closely guarded self-worth nearly be destroyed by the callous way Beast Boy had just told her it was over and he was seeing Terra now.


    The audio recording he heard earlier had been painful to hear. Not to mention the report the Cadmus agent, who got the recording, wrote down indicated it was only through sheer determination, and support from the other Titans that she didn''t unleash all her power on the world. What had really gotten Naruto''s attention though was how Robin, who recently changed his name to Nightwing had done the most for Raven following this event.


    All the reports about dark haired warrior, who was a former student of Batman, said the skilled young man was depressed at first over the loss of Starfire after she was forced to leave the Titans. Both had been in a relationship of sorts a while back, but it never really went to the next physical level due to Starfire''s own physical strength being beyond that of a normal human. Naruto knew the end result would most likely be Nightwing''s pelvis being crush sooner or later if they did get that intimate.


    So Naruto decided to scheme in getting to broken hearted birds together to form their own little nest.


    "What do you intend to do with the changeling?" asked Tala with Naruto smirking evilly at her.


    "Simple. I''m going to make him regret breaking up with Raven for Terra and remove him from the Teen Titans soon after in the process," answered Naruto while Tala shivered in fear when seeing that look on his face.


    "Do I even want to know?" asked Tala with Naruto''s grin increasing.


    "It is better that you don''t," answered Naruto before he moved Tala onto his lap despite her surprise and slight protest.


    "W-Wait! I''m still sore from earlier," remarked Tala before she felt said soreness leave from the green chakra Naruto was sending through her body via his hand on her butt.


    "What soreness?" asked Naruto with that ever mischievous look on his face and saw her blushing now knowing her excuse was moot.


    ''You evil glorious bastard!'' thought Tala while feeling his hands all over her and pushing all the right buttons with his c.o.c.k inserting itself into her body.


    The rest of the files were going to have to wait a little while longer for Naruto read.


    Continue to FF.net for Starfire~!

 Chapter 282 - My SI Stash #82 - Crimson Immoderation by Flux Casey (RWBY)

    -SI as Vlad (an expy character from Fate) into RWBY~ Like that other work of Flux, this will contain some genderbent characters and lewds ofc.


    *QuestionableQuesting fic so you''ll need to make an account and have your email verified to get whitelisted for the NSFW contents inside! I suggest using another email if you don''t get a verification mail! Let me know in the comments if y''all need more help.


    Sypnosis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 53K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/crimson-immoderation-rwby-cyoa.9080/ (Flux Casey)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    You know, it''s funny. You see, most scenarios like this? Where you find yourself in the afterlife and get a chance at a new life of your choice? Most of them it''s ''Oh, I died saving someone''s life'', usually by truck.


    Turns out? The infinite multiverse is a big place. The standard for being a good person is actually wayyyy lower than that. Be a decent person? Generally try to contribute and try not to hurt people? Good enough. When there''s an infinite number of bad people to reincarnate as and an infinite number of good people to reincarnate as, the standard can pretty much be lowered to ''just don''t be a shithead''.


    Lucky me!


    "Welcome to the afterlife." the little white blob of light bobs around as it speaks to me. "Because of your general good intentions and deeds you have the privilege of choosing your next¨C"


    "Lewd CYOA in the Ruby setting!" I blurt out before it even finishes talking.


    The blob seems to sag in the air. "Really? Really. Weren''t you a writer in your past life? Can''t you be a little more creative than that?"


    "I was a fanfiction writer."


    "... Of course you were. All right. Pervert special, coming up," the blob sighs as menus appear in front of me. I rub my hands together gleefully as I scan through the options. Or I get the feeling of doing so, despite not having hands. Or a body. Or eyes to see any of this. Afterlife is weird.


    First things first. Let''s build new ''me''. Who should I be...? I recall an off-hand comment I made recently to an FGO player when he summoned Vlad III, saying he summoned me because of some minor similarities.


    The blob sighs¡­ I think the blob is reading my mind. "Seriously? Not only are you borrowing this entire creation process, you''re ripping off character ideas?"


    "Hey, haven''t you heard? Everything is a ripoff of something nowadays."


    "You''re not just ripping off the character, you''re ripping off ripping off a character. Are you sure you''re in the right place? Maybe you''d be better off reincarnated as a parrot or a chimp. They''re supposed to be good at copying people."


    Err... "Are... You actually going to do that?" I ask, suddenly worried that that''s a real possibility now.


    The blob sighs again, hangs low in the air and starts bobbling away. "No, just... Get on with it and go away. I''d like to lament the dwindling creativity of your species in peace."


    "Thanks, Chief!" I chirp in relief before going back to the creation process.


    Now let''s see... Vlad. He was a fancy lad so the noble background seems appropriate. I mean, he was a noble. That just fits. And then... Hm. I''ll have to think about where. Let''s come back to that.


    Aura can be average. Nah, maybe a little better than average. I''ll come back if I really need the points.


    Semblance? Okay. I know what I want for this. I''m not going to use Vlad''s phantasm because that''s just stabbing people with blood. Even if I expanded it to full on haemokinesis that''s just gross. Bloodbending, yes. But I''m having fun this life, thank you. Instead I''ll lean on the other vampirey aspect and have it be a draining effect on touch, including touching aura. Draining aura itself is probably beyond the means of a semblance but I can weaken it and in turn strengthen my own. That''s... probably fine? I dunno. We''ll see how it plays out. So on touch is cheap, it''s a little tricky to use and visible, but that lets it be pretty powerful and with the functions I want. Defensive, offensive and with buffs and debuffs.


    Now the tricky bit. Traits.


    Ferocity? Berserker, so yes. Also cheap and useful to like fighting in an action setting. Learned in mathematics... With a good memory... Eh, that''ll do for intelligence. Charisma we''ll go with charming (you look at that goatee and smirk and tell me he isn''t), intimidating (you look at that goatee and smirk and how he impales people and tell me he isn''t).


    Combat stats. Hah, this is where sacrifices must be made. Strength average. Speed, yes. Agility, yes. Accuracy... mmm, average. Endurance, weak.


    Fighting style... Wait. So weapon-reliant means I''m dedicated to armed combat but better at it, but I could get weaponmaster for the same price and be absurdly competent with it? No demerits? Alright. Yes, weaponmaster please.


    Background traits?


    Important family is covered by noble. Criminal contacts, no. White F¨C no. ¡­ Hunted, huh? That''s a lot of points to get back and I''ve been pretty spend-happy... Okay but by who... Hm. Infamous too, that fits the backstory... Okay. Okay, this is coming together.


    Noble background, starting in a free town in Mistral, hunted by bandit tribes and infamous in Mistral. Because I''ll be going to Vale anyway so none of that will matter as soon as I leave.


    Right... Most of this other stuff is skippable... Mentor? Wait, so I can just cut all my skill costs by two-thirds? For free? Why would I not do that? Well... Okay. Let''s... Alright, let''s add some more skills. Fix endurance to be average, get people skills... Finance, why not.


    ¡­ Man, if I wanted to I could just break this thing over my knee with mentor alone.


    Shopping!


    ¡­ Okay, this... I guess the shop is a bit fast and loose as far as buying things goes. I''ll get some fancy clothes as a fancy lad. Then weapon designing. Collapsible spear for The Impaler, obviously. Let''s make it... My semblance is going to be a pretty significant part of my arsenal so let''s have it open into a retractable, ballistic grappling hook. For Scorpion-style get over here moves or just to get around the battlefield faster.


    Huh. Don''t really want much else from the shop... Camera? Nah, scroll is a camera. Oh! Scroll! Glad I noticed I had to pick that even if it''s free. I''d feel like such a moron making a mistake like that.


    And now... The reason I picked this... Heeheeheehee...


    God I''m such a deviant. Oh well.


    Designing my form. Alrighty! Tall. Fate Vlad was six foot two so in RWBY terms he''d probably be like six six or six seven. And slim. Dude practically had spider limbs in his artwork. Long, flowing, platinum blond hair, bitchin'' goatee...


    ¡­ Hmmm. To gigap.e.n.i.s or not to gigap.e.n.i.s.


    ¡­ Gigap.e.n.i.s. P.o.r.n physics will make it work. I hope. A lot of halfway s.e.x in my future if not.


    Victory conditions! Time to get some... Oh, hey it says "within your life" instead of "two years"! Nice! No rushing to do shit for no reason. I mean it doesn''t even say what the failure consequences are.


    Rich? Sure. Subversion? Sure. Marriage. They''re called waifus for a reason.


    ¡­ Breeding slave. I mean the term for it is weird? But making the babies is not exactly something I''m against. And there''s nothing in there that says they have to actually be slaves, just pop out kids.


    Growth, I''ll take variety. Quick and easy points.


    Bonuses! Pre-f.u.c.k.i.e.d is a given, though I''ll set it to going forward so I can actually experience it rather than just having memories of it. More fun that way. Fetish acceptance? Eh, put it as a maybe. Gender flip? Sure, let''s go all out. Kama Sutra... It feels like cheating. But at the same time it would assuage my concerns about the ol'' gigap.e.n.i.s. So sure.


    How many points does that leave me? Five to start... One from the extras? Take off fetish acceptance that makes seven total.


    Extra girls cost four. I need a drawback.


    Needs seems... Well, in the long term would probably be fine? But in the short term before I''ve met or seduced anyone? I''d be in trouble. Blue Balls is like that but less dangerous and I can (theoretically) deal with the consequences on my own if I need to. I''ll take that one.


    Thank the white blob I didn''t give my self gigantoballs alongside the gigap.e.n.i.s or I''d be in for a rough time real quick.


    Now. The girls section. I tab over to it and I''m greeted by a wall of ahegao faces.


    ¡­ This is gonna be so great.


    Alright. I have six choices from stocking up points and gaming the system like a montherf.u.c.ker, even without going all the way with it. So. Who''s on the list.


    Roman is a good shout. Every girl crazy ''bout a sharp-dressed man. And Vlad is a snappy dresser. Ilia would be nice to give girls a break from the gigap.e.n.i.s... Or make it an ultimap.e.n.i.s if I ever run across Salem? Hm.


    Winter? Winter. Definitely. Summer would be nice... We''ll see. Neo is another must. Cinder and Emerald I''m not crazy about but those are some good perks. Yang is good for more assertive women and would pair nicely with Winter and Cinder''s perks. If I have Winter I want Weiss because sisters should enjoy doing things together.


    I guess that technically applies to Ruby too... And her perk applies to ninety percent of the cast... But I''d still feel squicky. She''s out. Come back to it when she''s a year older at least.


    Still, that''s too many girls. I need to take some out. Roman while nice can be cut. Ilia I covered that flaw already. She''s out. That''s seven...


    ¡­ Dammit. Fine. Summer is off the list. But I''m putting her back on ASAP! With the growth perk I should be getting another six points for basically free soon.


    So is that it? Am I done?


    The blibbity blob is back. "... You know, you''ll probably come back as an asthmatic sea slug after this."


    "Then I''ll be the best damn asthmatic sea slug I can be if it means I can come back and live the harem life again."


    "Fine, fine. Off you go."


    Wait. Is that¨C? "Wait! Waitwaitwaitwait¨C!"


    -(-)-


    ?


    ?


    "Wait!" I shout as I lurch out of... bed.


    ¡­ Dammit.


    No, nevermind, it''s fine. Don''t bitch about living the harem life. So I ended up setting myself on Team Evil by accident! Turn ''em good with my gigap.e.n.i.s. Problem solved.


    Pulling my very comfortable silk pajamas away I inspect it. It is a pretty good p.e.n.i.s.


    It''s twice the/same size as mine¨C


    Oh.


    Ohhhhh, okay that''s a migraine, that''s a migraine. I flop back in bed and close my eyes. I don''t know how long I lay there, but information ¨C memories ¨C flood into my brain. Or connect? I guess they were always in this body but¨C


    ¡­ It doesn''t matter. The memories of this life come in and blibbity blob seems to have not pulled any punches with my roughly filled in backstory. I am Vlad Dracul the Third. Son of Vlad Dracul the Second and brother of Radu Dracul.


    Both deceased. Less than a week ago.


    Cliff notes of his¨C my life story then. Vlad was born the second son less than a year after his brother. The Dracul were once a noble family in Mistral, ruling over a town of middling size in the west of Anima. But with the dissolution of the nobility in the Vytal Accords, they lost their noble title. Still, they maintained control of the town of Wallachia (cute) through sheer competence. And perhaps some more underhanded occurrences that the young sons of the family weren''t told about. Father to son to daughter to son, the Dracul ensured when the matter of rulership was in contention, a Dracul was still the best candidate for the job. The family were educated in history, economics, politics, culture and combat. Should the city come under attack from the Grimm, they would defend it, joining the militia to drive them off.


    And so, when the town was attacked, the Dracul joined the defense. However, it wasn''t a roaming pack of Grimm. Bandits were assaulting the town, Anima''s own self-made plague of people who gave up on the lopsided society of Mistral and created their own societies of murderers and thieves.


    Bandits are scavengers, but they are also survivors. And surviving in the wildlands is not something that can be done without strong fighters. Vlad didn''t see his father die. His brother delivered the grim news (no pun intended) as the brothers tried to drive the marauders away from the shelters. Radu never saw the bandit that killed him, a short sword shattered his aura and drove through his back in one stab.


    There Vlad stood. Watching his brother die and his killer flee. He neither saw, nor heard anything else as he lunged after the killer, not even of conscious enough mind to use the grapple on his spear. And as Vlad reached out for his quarry, he grasped hold of the bandit''s neck. And drank.


    And drank.


    And drank.


    It hadn''t been long until the bandit could no longer stand, Vlad following him down as he kept hold. Then the bandit began to beg. Then he stopped begging, hanging limp in Vlad''s hands.


    And he drank.


    It had been the first time Vlad had used his semblance to drain someone of their very life. He had no idea of the consequences of doing so. His semblance could drain a person''s strength and heighten his own but there was a limit. If he crossed it, his mind would temporarily degrade, entering a berserker state. He hadn''t drained enough raw strength from the bandit to hit the limit but that didn''t matter. Killing with it, it seemed, had the same effect.


    Radu died alone. The only sound his brother''s mad laughter as he tore through anyone who came at him, every single one impaled through the chest or drained to a husk.


    The bandits fled. They swore vengeance. It wasn''t clear whether they were running from him or from the Grimm. Either way, the dark creatures swarmed after both the town and the fleeing marauders.


    Vlad fought on through the night as the Grimm continued attacking. Without the presence of humans or faunus, he was no longer sustaining his berserker state but it was no longer about satisfying his vengeance or his bloodl.u.s.t. Instead it had become a matter of protecting his home, doing his duty. If he allowed himself to falter, that would be it. The great Dracul family wiped out by bandits and Grimm. Just another footnote of Mistralian history.


    Hours later it was over. The Grimm were puddles of ichor and ash. The bandits that hadn''t fled fast enough just piles of gore.


    For protecting the people, he received no thanks. Fear was his reward.


    He couldn''t be certain that it was fear of him alone that began the movement to have someone other than the last Dracul take over the city. No doubt there was some amount of unrest that Wallachia hadn''t ''joined the rest of the world'' in moving on from dynastic rulers. They wouldn''t want someone they feared ruling over them.


    And then the talks turned even further.


    They didn''t want someone they feared living among them.


    He was allowed to stay in his home. It was the seat of power but as the Dracul had always been the ones in power, he had been in no way ready to leave it. But once the funerals for his father and brother were completed, he was asked to leave Wallachia at his earliest convenience.


    ¡­


    Motherf.u.c.ker!


    Well, isn''t that bloody clever then! From a noble family. But I didn''t pick ''important family'' so they had to all die. Didn''t pick ''influence'' or ''allies'' or ''retainers'' or ''status'' so any power my family had needed to be stripped from me!


    F.u.c.k.i.n.g f.u.c.k! I mean... Yeah, this was mostly on me but still! There''s a disconnect but I still have memories of playing with him as kids, learning to fight together, arguing about which one of us was going to marry Winter when we... grew up...


    Winter.


    ?


    -(-)-


    ?


    "¨CAnd I was hoping we may be able to renegotiate our arrangement with your family''s company once the new government is more firmly in place."


    "That would be something to take up with him."


    I catch a snippet of conversation as Winter and the... new mayor of Wallachia enter my... his estate.


    "Ah, of course, of course! I wouldn''t wish to presume¨C"


    She spots me walking down the stairs. "Leave us," she commands, an order that would be followed. Even from a man whose new station was perhaps going to his head a little, there would be no argument. The mayor (thank the blob I''m leaving because I''ll never be able to think or say that without venom) scampers into his office.


    "Vlad... It''s been a long time." Winter Schnee stands before me. Standing even now with military poise. Even so, with her hands behind her back I notice her arms shift slightly. I think she''s fidgeting.


    "Four years," I agree as I step off of the staircase to greet her properly. Offering my hand, she offers hers in turn and I lean forward to brush my lips over her knuckles. I note a little smile peek through as I rise and release her hand, likely remembering when I... When Vlad... F.u.c.k it. When I used to be especially eager to greet her like that when she visited. "It has been too long."


    "It has," she agrees. "You certainly grew up," she notes now that I''ve risen to my full height, not towering over her but certainly taller than her.


    The last time I had seen her was not long before she was disinherited. No more fancy trips around the world when her time in combat school was on break. No more business trips with Father. With that, all her reason and ability to come visit went away. It was no concern to little Vlad. Just some time apart for him to grow up and sweep her off her feet.


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t make it here in time for the funeral," she continues, her eyes softening, "Your father was a good man. And Radu... Vlad, I can''t even imagine¨C"


    "Please," I held up a hand, "It is unworthy of both of us to dwell on loss and despair. Please allow me to escort you to" glance at the clock on the wall "lunch, and we can reminisce over happier times."


    I watch her, clearly brought up short at being interrupted (which I imagine doesn''t happen often), but she soon allows a small smile through. "I think I would like that," she says, taking my offered arm.


    Lunch was honestly only worthy of the term because there was food present. We barely paid attention to it, all our attention devoted to the other.


    "¨CAnd then in you ran, little Vlad all of twelve years old, covered in mud presenting me with a ''bouquet'' of flowers you picked from your own garden, Radu hot on your heels!"


    I laugh, tears in my eyes. "He was furious with me! Or at least he pretended to be, mostly I think he was mad at himself for not thinking of it first."


    "No, no, it was our fathers who were furious!" she retorts laughing lightly herself, "Mine livid at the ''upstart brat'' trying to seduce his princess¨C"


    "¨CAnd mine for digging up the garden!" I finish. "He made me replant and take care of that flowerbed myself after you left!"


    We laugh together and honestly, even if only a part of me needs this, a part of me that only existed to me for about six hours, I feel like I needed it. Like all of me needed it.


    Let''s be real. Right before those six hours, I died. Maybe a little relief and joy was just what the doctor ordered, for both Vlad and I.


    But even so, the moment is over and Winter''s expression turns pensive. She reaches across the table to grasp my hand. "What are you going to do, Vlad?" her thumb running across the back of my hand. Very forward for her.


    "I don''t know yet," I half-fib. I know generally what''s next but no plan of action. "I need to leave but, this was everything." I gesture around dining room, the house, and further, out towards the town. "This was supposed to be me, helping Radu govern, or governing myself. The idea that I would ever just leave..."


    "You could come with me?" Winter suggests and if I didn''t know her better I''d think there was pleading in it. "Join Atlas Academy? I could put a word in with General Ironwood¨C"


    I put my hand over hers. "I appreciate that, Winter. Really I do. But I feel like I''d chafe under military doctrine. And would Atlas have any more tolerance for what my semblance does to me than Wallachia?"


    She looked away. It''s not in the same way but she knows it''s true. Atlas wouldn''t turn me away but with the berserker state and the reputation I earned from it, I would be under pretty strict scrutiny. Not to mention I would be restricted from using it which is not how you train and improve your semblance.


    And if they restricted it, I wouldn''t want to work for them anyway. They would be literally rejecting part of my soul, after all.


    Man, it''s strange to think of RWBY superpowers like that but it''s true here. Legitimately powers made of your own soul.


    "I see," Winter says and this time it''s not imagined, she''s disappointed. "Sadly, I believe you are correct. Even so, perhaps one of the other academies? Your skills in combat could gain you entry to any of them with little trouble," she tries suggesting again, looking away again and, "Perhaps Beacon."


    Hmmm...


    "Winter?" I call questioningly.


    "Hm?" she looks back at me innocently.


    "Why Beacon?"


    "It is a fine institution. General Ironwood is a good friend of the Headmaster there and they are much more open to¨C"


    I raise my hand and give her a knowing look.


    She sighs. "It seems Weiss has decided to follow in my footsteps and is set on going to Beacon Academy to train as a huntress."


    "You want me to look after your sister."


    "Not ''look after''!" she denies, a little affronted. "Just... Keep an eye on her. Make sure she''s happy..."


    "As options go, it''s probably my best," I admit. "And I''d be happy to keep an eye on her for you, Winter."


    "Thank you," she says with a full, open smile. Something I rarely saw on her even when we were younger.


    My hand twitches. And I realise I''m still holding one of her hands with both of mine. By the look of her and the dusting of pink on her cheeks, I guess she noticed too. Even so, I don''t let go.


    "You know," she says, pulling her hand back in a way that pulled me along with it, "Back then? My father was right to be worried about you." With her free hand she pulls me in, leaning in to kiss me.


    I offer an absent thought to the poor cook that made that meal for us because things escalated quickly from there. Including literally as we stumbled our way up the stairs to what was still for the time being my bedroom.


    I kick backwards to open the door, the thump followed by a slam as it hits the wall. Winter leads from behind, pushing me further in before guiding me to and shoving me on the bed. She unclasps her coat at neck and midsection. "Have you ever...? Before?" she asks leadingly as she throws her coat over a chair and starts unbuttoning her vest, kicking the door shut again with her heel.


    I swallow reflexively. "No." Vlad hasn''t.


    And I can definitively say I''ve never had s.e.x with a six foot amazonian supermodel before. So... Still true.


    "Okay, just follow my lead." She undoes the last button of her vest, throwing it on top of her coat. "You aren''t undressing yet," she observes.


    "Right! Yes!" I agree, throwing aside my own coat... somewhere, and start working on my ruffly shirt.


    "Here," she whispers as she moves in close and deftly starts flicking open the buttons, "let me." The shirt comes off and undershirt follows.


    Layers. It''s cold in Remnant Wallachia.


    "Now mine," she continues to whisper. Following her directions, I grip the hem of her own undershirt and pull it up over her head.


    Good Blob.


    "Hey," Winter hisses, waving a hand in front of my face, "Stay with me."


    "Sorry."


    And then any attention she got back from that is thoroughly lost again as her very functional white, snowflake-patterned bra comes off and I''m greeted by two gloriously firm-looking mounds peaked by tiny pink n.i.p.p.l.es. With great effort I tear my eyes away so I can drink in the whole picture. A toned physique of the palest porcelain, only interrupted by light scars and nicks dotted across the expanse of flesh.


    Next it''s my turn again and my boots and then my unreasonably fluffy pants are sent across the room.


    "Oh. Oh my."


    Winter''s eyes are practically popping out as she gets her first look at what she''ll be working with. Hesitantly, she peels down my underpants and it pops out.


    The journey of the gigap.e.n.i.s begins.


    I didn''t go too absurd with it but it''s certainly enough to give Winter pause as she looks it up, and up, and down again. To her credit, there''s no fear. Her expression doesn''t say she''s scared or intimidated.


    It says she''s come up against a challenge and working out the logistics.


    Nodding firmly, her own pants and snowflake panties come off next. For a single moment that I pray to remember for eternity, I see a fully nude Winter Schnee standing proudly in my bedroom, legs spread, ready to take on the world. To describe Winter Schnee is to describe poise, precision and presence. It doesn''t matter one iota that this woman is nude and about to take a whole lot of d.i.c.k. As far as her bearing is concerned she owns this room, this house, this world.


    Right now, there is nothing I want more in this world than her.


    The moment ends and Winter crawls towards me onto the bed. Her first point of attention is, as was inevitable, my crotch. She leans over it, kissing the head lightly, before allowing saliva to dribble down onto it. Her tongue flicks out giving it little licks now and again but it''s clear this is not attempt at a blowjob. This is her prep work for what comes next.


    When she feels satisfied, she moves further up my body, capturing my lips again. Grinding her lower lips against my length. "Touch me, Vlad," she whispers, ordering, not pleading. I can''t help but comply as my hands begin running over her body as she continues to slide back and forth. We continue in this fashion, I revel in the feel of her body on mine, as I find the spots that make her sigh.


    "Okay," she breathes, "I think I''m ready."


    She leans back, now sitting perpendicular to my shaft, it resting on her abdomen and I see just what kind of challenge Winter is taking on. Raising her h.i.p.s, she tilts forward and guides the head to her entrance... and sinks ever so slightly as she gasps out.


    I feel the warmth and wetness engulf the head and my h.i.p.s twitch. Before it can be anything more than a twitch, she places a hand firmly on my pelvis. "N-no," she gasps, "You''re... Very big. Let me set the pace."


    I nod jerkily in answer and she sinks a half inch further. It''s almost enough to overwhelm me and make me break that agreement right there.


    She sinks lower, and lower.


    "G-Gods, there''s still more!" she whispers in astonishment, sighing. "I''m going to be so sore." As if she admitted it in resignation, she allowed herself to drop fully onto my shaft. "G-gh!" she gasps out.


    "Are you okay?" I ask, worried I really did overdo it.


    "Fine. Just... An adjustment, is all." As if she took the words as a challenge, she starts raising her h.i.p.s again, I feel her clench shut as my member pulls out of her, only to by pried open again as she drops. "Kuh, hah... hah... hah..."


    And raise.


    And lower.


    "Vlad... Touch me more. Please." This time, it is begging and I''m happy to oblige as I watch her struggle to keep going. Working the spots I learned before, she gasps and twitches on my shaft. I ghost my hands over her thighs, up around her h.i.p.s to her b.r.e.a.s.ts. As my thumb flicks over a n.i.p.p.l.e her hands snap up and cup my hands over her chest and I start kneading.


    She seems to start getting a rhythm, her muscles growing used to the large insertion and before long she''s bouncing and gasping. Her hands leave mine and she plants them on my chest for more leverage. My own hands travel down and grasp her behind, raising my h.i.p.s to meet hers on every down thrust.


    "Ah! Ah! Ah! Mm!" she gasps, cute little m.o.a.ns. Winter it seems is a quiet lover. Her channel quivers and her pace becomes frantic. What had been long drags along most of the shaft become short, sharp little movements. "Kiss me!" she orders in a gasp.


    "Gladly," I lean up to meet her and take her lips, her p.u.s.s.y throbbing and pulsing over my entire c.o.c.k, which responds in turn as I feel my release burst out of me. Our h.i.p.s slam together as we ride out the aftershocks of our mutual orgasm.


    Winter pants atop me, basking in the afterglow before she lets herself, graceful even in this moment, slump forward into arms that reflexively encircle her.


    "Hmmm..." she sighs, "That was good. I''m not sure I could have done that without aura."


    "Proud of you," I say, smirking.


    Her head pops up again, glaring at my smirking face before she rolls her eyes and leans into my shoulder again. "Vlad?" she says quietly, slightly muffled. "Are you sure you can''t come to Atlas?"


    Well if this was her sales pitch it was a damn good one, I don''t say aloud. "I''m sorry but no."


    "... You can visit me in Vale?" I suggest.


    She turns enough to put me in her periphery. "... I''ll get myself assigned to the General''s staff for the Vytal Festival." She wriggles a little. "Do you ever go down?" she asks incredulously.


    "It is going down."


    "... Gods."


    ?


    -(-)-


    ?


    The next morning, my luggage is packed. I don''t just gather my own effects. I look through the house for any keepsakes of Radu and my father. Technically the whole house was ours but that isn''t an argument worth having. Most of it, I can''t take with me. But the little things I take. Photographs, mostly. Some of Father''s jewellery with the Dracul family emblem. We may not rule anymore but it''s still something I''ll take pride in.


    And then that''s it. I''m leaving with Winter. She''s letting me ride with her to Vale for the academy entrance exams, then she''s back to Atlas and I won''t see her again. "Ready to go?" she asks as I approach with my luggage.


    A stupid but perfect thought strikes me. "One more thing!" I exclaim as I run around the back of the house.


    Once more, I emerge, slightly dirtied but grinning as I approach Winter with a bundle of freshly picked flowers. "I can''t take them with me," I say sadly. I really had spent a lot of time on them. "And besides, they were always meant for you."


    As I presented the flowers to her, tied together with string just like the first time, I think I managed to utterly ruin her cool fa?ade. She looked as though her heart was in her throat as she took them in hand. "Get on the airship," she croaked, her aura of command fractured in that moment.


    Even so. "Yes, Ma''am," I acknowledge, climbing into the aircraft. From the corner of my eye I watch her smell the flowers, her shoulders squirming a little and bouncing on her toes a couple of times.


    Then she turns around. And the mask is back on. She clears her throat as she closes the aircraft door. "Thank you. For the flowers."


    She really is just like a grown up Weiss, isn''t she?


    ¡­ I agreed to watch out for her sister when I plan to f.u.c.k her, didn''t I?


    Well, how could that possibly go wrong??


    Chapter 2


    Looking down on Wallachia, I''m both reminded and shown for the first time just how beautiful it is. I remember walking the streets and Father telling me of the history. Of how it was founded by our long dead ancestors and through great hardship, flourished. From simple beginnings of wooden structures, some of which still stood to this day, and then as time passed and the place came into its own, more elaborate structures began to spring up. Brilliant minds imbuing ordinary buildings with gorgeous gothic architecture. And then as the town succeeded while others failed, other groups, refugees, arrived and added their own particular marks as the town expanded. Byzantine, Chinese, a few Victorian-tinged Greco-Roman courtesy of some from Argus with a little wanderl.u.s.t. The place was a mishmash of many different cultures from all across Anima but at its core remained the marks of the people who began it all.


    I look back on that week before I was me. When I was mourning my father and brother. And I wonder, if I had been stronger, or weaker, or if there was anything I could have done to make this unnecessary. I remind myself that this is just a construct of my own making. Even in error, I chose this. But it isn''t like that changes how I feel. That just makes it feel like it''s my fault no matter what.


    "You can return someday," Winter tells me, in the same tone she used when she first arrived. When she tried to comfort me from my loss.


    "Yes," I say wistfully, the city sinking further and further into the distance as the airship gets going.


    There is a comfortable silence in the cabin. We''re the only passengers what is pretty obvious from the utilitarian design to be a military transport. Which gets me curious. "How did you even get time away?"


    "Ah, it was requested for a huntress to look into the surrounding area," Winter explained. "Look for any buildup in the Grimm population. I handled it before I came to see you. I didn''t want my duties to interrupt us."


    "To... Interrupt...?"


    She stiffens in her seat. "I had not anticipated things to... progress so quickly between us, if that''s what you mean." Her eyes flick to the bouquet sitting, belted, into another chair, flash frozen in a block of ice. A smile breaks through that she doesn''t even bother trying to subdue, her eyes returning to mine. "I don''t regret any of it."


    "I''m glad," I answer, matching her smile. I''d take her hand if this stupid military harness weren''t in the way.


    A rumbling, clattering sound passes through the walls of the airship before the whole thing jerks to the side, a flash of black visible through the windows before it''s gone just as quickly.


    Winter slaps a button on the wall behind her that leads to the c.o.c.kpit. "What''s going on?!"


    "Nevermore, Ma''am!" the pilot answers promptly through the static of the speakers. "Deploying countermeasures." There''s a thunk, followed by the sound of tearing paper. "Countermeasures deployed. Half of them have taken the bait. It''s a pretty big flock, Ma''am."


    Winter releases an exasperated sigh. "Don''t move," she warns me, before she flings open the airship door and gymnast flips onto the roof WHAT.


    In the time it takes before she comes back, I''m not sure I even could have moved. I see her go, hear a sword being drawn, see a glow and then hear the flapping of hundreds of bird wings.


    And then she swings back inside, slamming the door shut. The intercom clicks again. "Grimm have given up pursuit. Excellent work, Ma''am."


    She lets out a self satisfied hum as she adjusts her clothing that had been ruffled by the buffeting winds outside. She smirks as she sees my wide eyes and doubtlessly thunderstruck expression.


    She turns and leans over me, taking my chin in her hand. "That expression. That look of awe on your face." She leans further in, taking my lips in hers. "I''ll never get tired of it."


    As she moves to pull away, my arm jerks out on its own, circling around her neck and pulling her back in, resuming and deepening the kiss. Much of the rest of the flight is spent with our tongues battling it out for dominance. While I think overall I lost, I don''t mind at all.


    But all good things have to end, even multi-hour make out sessions. No Mile High Club because Winter didn''t want to have to explain to the mechanics what the fluids are when she gets home. She has a reputation to uphold after all.


    One day, I want to make her shed all that military and moneyed propriety and scream ''F.u.c.k it, take me now!''


    Not today. But one day.


    It''s fun and kind of nice how Winter fusses over me in her own special way before she leaves. Making sure I knew where the hotels were, how to get up to Beacon for an entrance exam, where affordable dining options could be found.


    "And remember, don''t approach Weiss right away. She''ll recognise I was here in an instant and she wanted her independence from me almost as much as from Father."


    I smile understandingly but, "I doubt your sister is any kind of fool but surely she couldn''t¨C"


    "She''ll recognise my perfume''s smell on you."


    "... Ah. That." I swallow. "A fair point."


    She returns my ''understanding'' smile with a hundred percent more smug. "Yes, if me just being here would annoy her, I imagine if she smelled me on you¨C" She somehow cuts herself off with a hiccuping sound. "Is there anything else you need?"


    Hmmm. How sappy an answer to give. "Nothing fair to ask of you," I answer as I wrap my arms around her. Open to interpretation.


    "I think I could afford a kiss goodbye," she breathes leaning in.


    "Well in that case how could I refuse?"


    The kiss isn''t teasing like it was on the airship. Nor as passionate as everything that came after. It''s tender. A promise that this isn''t where things end.


    And then she''s walking away, back to the airship. And I''m left alone standing outside the Vale airport.


    First port of call is a hotel.


    Second port of call is another hotel.


    It turns out my timing was good but not perfect. I arrived during Beacon''s recruitment period but late into it. All the students from afar that got in already are sticking around in hotels, booking up all the rooms alongside all the new applicants like myself. It''s on the third hotel, a less than ideal choice for what I can afford, that I finally find a room available. Paying the fee for a week''s stay with a reservation going forward, I lug my luggage up the stairs to my room (no lifts), dump it on the floor and immediately go take a shower. Feeling refreshed but a little tired, I check the time.


    ¡­ A couple hours after I left. Local time.


    F.u.c.k.i.n.g jet lag.


    Right. So midday yet I''m exhausted. Might be an idea to see if I can arrange an exam tomorrow and then... Bum around Vale for a bit. See what''s to be seen.


    I head back to the airport and follow signs to the bullheads that make the short hop up to Beacon. By all accounts it looks like it might be the equivalent of bus service prices. Nice and cheap. Even so, they seem to have thought ahead and set up a small kiosk for people to apply for Beacon here. Yeah, thinking about it, that does make more sense than to force people to pay the fee to get up there and apply, only to do it again for the exam.


    "You, Sir!" a familiar Ryan-y voice calls out to me from the kiosk. "You seem the type seeking adventure and daring escapades! Am I correct?"


    "If you are asking if I''m here to apply to Beacon," I say as I approach the rotund form of Professor Port, "then you are quite correct."


    "Splendid! If I might have your name, young man!" Deftly picking up a pen, he leans over a timesheet.


    "Vlad Dracul the Third."


    He automatically starts writing... but hesitates halfway through. "Forgive me, was that Vlad or Brad?" he asks.


    ¡­ He''s lying. He knows what I said. "Vlad."


    "I see! Excellent!" he bellows before lowly as if to himself he finishes, "Dracul... the... Third. Splendid! Mister Dracul, your exam will take place tomorrow! Or unless you need more time, but next week is the last week for applicants."


    "That''s quite alright. A day to prepare will be more than sufficient."


    "Then we shall see you at 10AM tomorrow! I wish you the best of luck, young man!"


    He recognised my name. I wish I knew whether that was infamous working against me or just being from a recognisable family.


    -(-)-


    ?


    I spent the rest of that day poorly. I admit, I got something to eat, went back to my hotel and spent most of the rest of the day on my scroll trying to figure out just how bad my infamy might hurt me this far away from its epicentre.


    Honestly, there wasn''t that much public information I could find about it. At least not much that publicly vilified me. A lot of it seemed more in line with a PR cover-up. The new mayor gave a statement that there was a bandit raid followed by a Grimm attack and that the ''stalwart defenders of Wallachia'' drove off both and tragically the former mayor and his son were slain in the fighting.


    ¡­ The coward didn''t even f.u.c.k.i.n.g mention me. Just whitewashing everything to make the place seem safe and defended, when the one who did the defending they f.u.c.k.i.n.g exiled!


    ¡­ No. This isn''t helping.


    What time is it? Six o''clock? Good enough. I''m going to bed.


    ?


    -(-)-


    ?


    The exam was simple enough, though it did take most of a day. A three hour written exam, followed by an interview with a member of staff (some professor I never heard of before), then waiting four hours for them to go through combat aptitude tests of every applicant there that day. I was early in the list since they went alphabetically but we weren''t allowed to leave until everyone had gone through it.


    The combat test was fun, if short. They had made it a mission open to upper year students to test the new applicants. A challenge but not an insurmountable one. I was up against some dude with an axe on an automatic rifle. Weird weapons, what a surprise. He opened with a spray of bullets that I deflected with rapid spins of my spear before tucking it in to my side and launching the grapple. He had moved to knock it aside only for it to open and grab his axe rifle thing. He refused to let go of it so he got dragged along with it when the cable retracted. Flipping over him as he came at me I dropped on him and placed my hand on the back of his neck, beginning to drain. The match was called there.


    I have to assume he was going easy on me. Fair enough.


    Passed though, so that''s nice. Having the written test done first meant they had time to pass it through a marking machine and give us the results the same day. That''s why we weren''t allowed to leave.


    But by the gods as if that stopped the process from being interminably boring. Still, it''s over. And now I''m pretty antsy. I want to do something fun.


    That seems like a nice spooooo...


    Oh. Gee. I wonder which of my choices I''ll run into next. Now that I''m looking for fun and run across "The Club".


    I look left. I look right.


    I don''t see Bumblebee anywhere. Maybe it isn''t tonight? Who the f.u.c.k am I kidding, of course it''s tonight.


    Still... If this is the opportunity it''s giving me, I don''t know what''ll happen if I turn it down. Steeling myself for what might end up a fight, I enter the club like I own the place. Fun little perk of the noble background, you walk into every place like that.


    Except when you come across women like Winter. My self-assurance comes from assumed superiority. Hers comes from actual superiority.


    Of course, as I hear the music playing in the club, feel the thump thump of the bass drum through the floor I remember an important fact I had forgotten. I kind of hate clubs. Music too loud for conversation, no light beyond irritating strobes, implausibly expensive drinks...


    And dancing. Old me was not a dancer. New me... Well, he can dance but it''s more on the sophisticated side of dancing than the flailing and dry humping I remember from old me''s few club experiences.


    Still, maybe this one isn''t so bad. Plenty of light, music is loud but not too loud, music is a mile better than the squealing synth tones I expect from this kind of place.


    I stride over to the bar, bypassing the dance floor entirely. Junior isn''t in a hurry as he wanders over to get my order. It''s a Thursday night so not exactly busy. "What''ll it be?"


    "Vodka lemon." The drink of my people. Although... "On second thought, you wouldn''t have anything in a mead, would you?"


    "Heh, not that kind of place, buddy."


    "A shame. Vodka lemon it is then."


    As he makes up my drink we actually get in a pretty friendly conversation about beard care. The brands here aren''t the same so I could use some suggestions on products to try. He tells me he uses a brand called Handsome Jack (of course) but that it''s more intended for moisturising and softness. That for a fancy goatee like mine, I''d be better off going with their other line, Handsome Geoff, more designed for styling and shaping.


    "Now some folks will tell you they''re all the same stuff but I find¨C Aww, hell. Excuse me, I gotta see someone." He hops over the bar the bar to the end of it where a ginger woman in a ohhh, hello Roman. Hello lady Roman. There''s not much I can call out that''s different about her at a glance beyond the obvious swell of her chest. I think her coat is longer than her male counterpart''s and she has a softer jawline.


    Let''s be real. Roman was a pretty dude in the first place. Not much needed changing.


    She and Junior look to be arguing about something but the music is a little loud for me to make it out from this far away. By body language, it looks like Junior gives in and he flags down some of his suit mooks. Roman tips her hat to him and jaunts away with a skip in her step.


    As Junior slumps over the bar next to me, a familiar song begins to play.


    I look to the entrance. If memory serves Roman leaving would be the cue for...


    And there she is. H.i.p.s swaying in time with the beat as she walks, Yang Xiao Long enters the Club movements declaring to everyone who sees her that yes, they really do want to tap that. And she knows it. Her path takes her right past me, offering me a wink as I continue to stare, captivated.


    "Strawberry sunrise. No ice. Oh! And one of those little umbrellas!" she orders from another bartender.


    "Aren''t you a little young to be in a place like this, Blondie?"


    Should I intervene?


    "Aren''t you a little old to have a name like Junior?"


    I should probably intervene. I kind of like this place.


    "So you know who I am," Junior says with suspicion. "You got a name, Sweetheart?"


    "Yes, Junior, I''ve got several. But instead of ''Sweetheart'', you can just call me S¨C"


    Right as her arm snaps down to take a fistful of Junior''s bait and tackle, I grab her wrist mid-movement. "Let''s not do that, shall we?"


    "Oh, but I want to, though," she pouts while glaring at me. With her other hand she breaks my grip. Thankfully, Junior had the good sense to back off a couple steps so she can''t just do it again. She looses a frustrated sigh, stomping up to him again as he shields his gr.a.p.es with an arm. "People say you know everything. Tell me where she is," she holds up a scroll showing a picture of a younger Raven, "and I won''t trash this place."


    "Oh, for gods'' sake!" I slap two hundred lien on the bar. "Honey and vinegar, Miss Whatever-Your-Name-Is! You came into a place like this and you think threatening these people will get you anywhere?" She''s pouting again and looking a little sulky to be honest. I turn back to Junior. "Please answer the lady''s question."


    He sighs. "Look, buddy, you seem like a decent guy. So I''ll take your money but I''ll put it towards running you a tab. I don''t know who that woman is. Never seen her before in my life!"


    "So much for your way¨C"


    "And you''ll let us know if you find out anything," I talk over her.


    "Long as she doesn''t break any of my shit for no reason, sure," he says in the tone of this should be obvious but feeling like it needed saying anyway, before he beats feet to get away from what might have become a crazy and kind of stupid situation.


    "Strawberry sunrise," the bartender announces, sliding it over to Yang.


    "Put it on my tab," I tell him, now apparently having a tab.


    Yang takes the drink and sips on it, leaving the little pink paper umbrella in it as she does so. "Well you just stomped all over my rhythm didn''t you, Goat-Face?" Still pouty.


    "After how you took control of the room just by walking in I''m surprised I have to tell you anything about first impressions. Junior and I bonded over beard care tips. You tried to give him first hand experience of a nutcracker. I''ve never found myself in particular need of an information broker but I have suspicion they''re not the kind of people for whom you want to get on their bad side."


    "Who cares?" she shrugs. "He didn''t have what I wanted anyway."


    "No, but now he has information on you. And he''ll be less likely to sell it if he likes you."


    She seems to mull that thought over. "If he''s afraid of me, it''d have the same effect, though, right?"


    ¡­ Geeze, like mother like daughter. "True. But fear is easier to turn against you and is something that needs to be maintained."


    "Ugh. Whatever. If you''re so keen to stop me busting Junior''s fat head¨C" I note Junior having returned behind the bar is now patting at his head and checking his reflection in the drinks cabinet glass, "¨C then I think you owe me a good time."


    I raise an eyebrow as though asking silently if she''s serious about that bullshit logic, but shrug. "Fair enough. Would you like another?" I gesture at her glass, empty save for the little pink umbrella.


    "Hmmmm... Nope!" she denies with a pop. "You and I are gonna dance!"


    ¡­ Oh boy.


    I have the presence of mind to drop my own drink on the bar before Yang grabs my arm and drags me onto the dance floor. The thought crosses my mind to do something fancy but this isn''t about me. As Yang said, this is about giving her a good time. So instead of showing off, I stick close and make sure I''m dancing with Yang, doing my best to sync my movements with hers as she gyrates her h.i.p.s. Without thinking I put my hands on her waist as some of my dance lessons taught me.


    "Hmmm, you think you''re getting somewhere, don''t you?" she hums, leaning close to my ear. "She turns around and moves in closer so my hands circle around her bare midriff, grinding her ass against me, "Huh," she says with a sudden smile, "Maybe you are."


    Even so, she''s in no rush, holding me out there on the dance floor for what feels like either five minutes or an hour. Changing from full on grinding to just dancing close, but at all times she has wandering hands feeling me up. Taking the invitation her actions give, my own hands begin wandering over her thighs, her wonderfully full ass, her stomach, but never venturing further up or between her legs. Cupping her ass while dancing is one thing but groping her tits is probably a bit much and I don''t want to mess this up, no matter how much I want to get my hands on them.


    She leads me off of the dancefloor and into a hallway. "Come with me," she says in a low, husky tone.


    Sweet gods I intend to.


    We stop halfway down that hallway and she holds me against the wall, leaning up and pulling me down to shove her tongue down my throat. All the while she keeps an eye on the doors opposite us.


    ¡­ The restroom doors.


    Wait, is she really? Yang, you dirty girl!


    What it seems she was watching for, is for the women''s restroom to be empty as a few seconds after some girls left it she shoves me inside and into a stall, the momentum forcing me to take a seat in it. Without ceremony, Yang gets on her knees and pulls down my pants to just over my thighs, my c.o.c.k springing out ready for action. She leans in to nuzzle against it. "Gods, I''ve had this monster grinding against me all night! Bigger is always better, right?" she asks with a wink as she opens her jacket and pulls up her top, revealing her soft braless b.r.e.a.s.ts that jiggle as they pop free.


    "You''ve been avoiding them all night but I know you''ve wanted to feel them." She wraps her tits around my shaft as she cups them, rubbing them along it. Her mouth suckles at the head, letting out copious amounts of drool as lubricant. "How''s this? My fat tits wrapped around your huge c.o.c.k!"


    "Gods!" I exclaim for lack of anything at all going through my brain beyond mind-bending pleasure.


    "Don''t lose your cool yet, stud!" she warns between sucks. "This is just the opener!"


    She releases my c.o.c.k and stands, turning around as she drops her shorts to her ankles, leaning against the stall door. Reaching back with both hands, she pulls open her weeping core invitingly. "Give it to me! Pound my needy p.u.s.s.y with all you''ve got! I can take it!"


    I certainly f.u.c.k.i.n.g hope so because she''s primed the pump so hard I can''t hold back anymore. I stand and grab her hip with one hand while guiding my c.o.c.k into her entrance with the other. I ease it in for a few inches- "Come on, I said pound me¨C! Ah!"


    And I ram it home.


    Secure inside her as I could be, I place my other hand on her hip and slam into her without remorse, exactly as she asked for.


    "Ah! Ah! Ah! This is! The best! So much! So full! Ahhhhn!" Her p.u.s.s.y convulses around my length, trying to milk me to completion. But I''m far from done. I give her no time to breathe, picking up the pace and the force of my thrusts, the stall shaking as Yang gets pushed into it over and over, pressing her bountiful tits into the plastic, a f.u.c.k-drunk look on her face.


    I revel in the feeling of so obviously satisfying a woman. As my head tilts back and I savour the ecstasy, I get a surprise. Two identical faces peering down over the stall wall. Feeling mischievous and having already been caught, I grin and wink at them as I spank Yang''s right ass cheek.


    "Ah!"


    Then the left.


    "Ah! Moooore..."


    Their already flushed faces somehow go even redder as they go back behind the wall.


    Well the lady asked for more.


    "Ah! Thank you! Thank you! Yes! Ahhh!" She squeezes down on me again. I feel like I''m close but I want to see if I can coax one more out of her before I finish. I up the pace again, the door rattling again, and reach one arm around her leg and play with her clit as the other arm grabs a handful of titflesh and works her n.i.p.p.l.e.


    "Mmmm! Just a little... Ahhh... Ahhh!" She''s quieter this time but I feel the telltale signs all the same. I finally let myself go and flood her p.u.s.s.y with white. Finishing as she does only makes it better as she coaxes more and more out of me until I''m spent. Pulling out, I let go of her h.i.p.s, not realising at some point she had been relying on me to hold her up as much as she was leaning on the door. Her legs give out as she slumps down and folds sideways, p.u.s.s.y leaking my c.u.m onto the tile floor.


    That is a satisfying image. Yang Xiao Long, leaking my c.u.m in a club bathroom stall, blissed out expression on her face.


    I start cleaning myself up a little and when she comes around I help Yang do the same. Walking on unsteady legs as we leave the restroom, she demands my scroll. Handing it over she does something then hands it back. I wink at the twins as I walk past. The one in white mimes a phone gesture, the other looks astonished and they begin what looks like an urgent conversation.


    Soon enough, we''re in the parking lot next to Yang''s bike. "So! That was a thing!" she says breathlessly.


    "A great thing," I agree.


    "We should do it again sometime."


    "I would very much enjoy that."


    She flips a leg over her back and settles into the seat, donning sunglasses.


    "Oh, wait!" I suddenly realise. "What''s your name?"


    She grins. "Oh, right! My name''s¨C" Whatever she said is lost to the sound of the revving of Bumblebee. She blows me a kiss and rides off into the night.


    Hot damn.


    If I didn''t already know her name that would have been a really cool move.


    Pulling out my scroll I look for what I half expect her to have done, finding a new contact in it. Listed under ''Best Lay I''ve Ever Had''.


    Ha! Cheeky bitch.?


    Chapter 3


    Walking home from ''The Club'' to my shitty hotel in a slightly rough part of town, I probably should have seen this coming. That this might be how I run across one of my choices.


    I don''t know when it happened, when she had taken it, but I see the pink, brown and cream form of Neopolitan walking ahead of me playing with a scroll. My scroll. "Hey!"


    She had been waiting for me to notice. She raises the scroll, "Hey" typed out on it without her having pushed another button.


    "Give that back!" I shout. And to my surprise, and from the look on her face hers too, she starts to do exactly that.


    ¡­ Command. In all the banging s.e.xy ladies I forgot they were giving me superpowers.


    For whatever reason, whether because Neo has a strong will or because I wasn''t especially assertive (even I didn''t believe she would do it when I said it), she pulls it back into herself at the last moment. Frowning down at the little device, then up at me, the frown becomes a smirk, her heterochrmatic eyes swapping colours. She dances back as I reach for it, dexterously typing away on it as she does. Flipping it over, she shows me the message. "Play a game?"


    "What kind of game?"


    Tap tap tap tap tap. Flip. "Try to take it!" Grin.


    "And what do I get if I win?"


    The grin drops and she looks at me like I''m stupid before waggling the scroll at me.


    "I can buy another scroll." They''re not exactly expensive and I''d be buying a basic model. Even with better eyes to use them I''m still not overly enamoured with the bells and whistles of smartphones. There isn''t even a version of Fate GO here!


    She taps her lips with the scroll. Suddenly, her eyes sparkle. Raising a fist up to the side of her mouth, she digs her tongue into her cheek, making the recognisable gesture for a blowjob.


    ¡­ Wow. Neo''s thing is way easier than Yang''s was. All I have to do is... Steal something. From Neo.


    One of the most agile and tricky fighters shown in the series.


    ¡­ Okay. Comment withdrawn. This will be way harder.


    With a flourish of movement, Neo brings out her parasol, still hidden as a cane. She twirls it around her hand while her other hand pockets my scroll in her cleavage. Because of course she bloody does. In response I flick out my spear expanded to its full size and twirl it through my hands, to which she rolls her eyes even as her smirk shows some teeth.


    She has no reason to come to me so it''s up to me to start this. I know how she''ll deal with the grapple, just opening her umbrella. So I rush her instead. She''ll have some sort of trick, whether the umbrella or¨C


    Or her semblance as when I move to swat at her with the butt of my spear the image shatters like glass. Of course. Looking around for a sign of pink I glance up and see her leaning over a fire escape, waving down at me, scroll poking dangerously out of her cleavage in danger of falling out.


    I scoff. As if she thinks she''s the only one who can get around like that. My spear points above her and the tip fires off and expands into its grapple, latching on to the escape a floor above her. I let the retracting cable carry me up, hooking it off of its catch and letting the weapon come back together. Neo didn''t wait to catch my feet with her face (and frankly I''d be a little disappointed if she had). She backed off into the escape as I passed and then used the hook of her parasol to swing herself further and further up the escape, sparing me a grin as she kept going. As I clambered after her, any attempts to catch or disrupt her ascent were fended off with almost dismissive effort.


    At some point this had turned from a fight to a race.


    Her vaulting over the final railing turned into a cartwheel onto the roof proper, filpping acrobatically over to an air conditioning unit she re-purposed as a throne. One leg folded over the other, she pulled the scroll out again and waved it tauntingly.


    Yup. That pose is just as hot as I remember.


    ¡­ Alright. How do I win this...


    ¡­


    I don''t know how to win this! Dammit, all my stuff is for close range except the one thing I made that she can dismiss easily! My speed and agility are great but she''s still better than me in both!


    ¡­ Okay. Calm down. She may be better but she''s just running away. She''s not interested in fighting, it''s just a game of keep-away. So it''s on me to do something to trip her up.


    Fine.


    Firing the grapple past her once again to her eye-rolling boredom, I fling myself towards her at speed, only for her to dodge to the side with another flashy cartwheel followed by sticking her tongue out. However this time I stop the retraction of the cable partway through. The momentum pushes me onward but without the cable pulling me in, I instead start swinging around the horizontal pole I had grappled. Coming around in a circle I loose the release the grapple from the pole, sending myself directly at Neo even as I fire another grapple line. Smiling now, she backflips over me as I''m about to pass but knowing she would dodge and not being at the mercy of momentum, I kick off the ground to catch her in midair, tackling her out of the sky. I don''t try to reach for the scroll. Not yet. Instead with the full contact I have I activate my semblance, feeling no guilt since she used hers first. She gasps voicelessly as strength flows out of her and I keep going for as long as I keep contact. Finally, weakly, she kicks off of me, bouncing and rolling on the next roof over. I land on my feet, shaking out my coat as I do. Neo rolls to her feet and checks for the scroll. Still there. She frowns at me.


    "You''re wondering why I didn''t take it?" I ask to a hesitant nod. "Because I imagine you would have stopped me. But you couldn''t fend off my semblance so easily could you? So..." I let a satisfied grin cross my face. "Shall we continue the chase?"


    Neo looks mulish but she knows as well as I do how that would end now. She could keep running but she no longer has the advantage over me. She would tire, or just not be fast enough anymore. And she would lose. So instead, she spreads her arms out and flicks the fingers inward in a ''come get it then'' gesture.


    I strut over and pluck my property from between her b.r.e.a.s.ts. Opening it to check it''s in good nick, a message displays "Let''s play again!"


    "STOP." I bark. Looking up I see Neo halfway across the roof. "Turn."


    Her smile screams innocence, but the same kind of innocence of a kid caught breaking the rules.


    "We had a deal, " I remind her.


    She gestures to the scroll.


    "The other part of the deal."


    She looks hesitant.


    "Come here."


    She walks back over to me, fingering her weapon but doing nothing with it beyond that.


    "We had a deal," I say again. "You''re going to honour it." I point down.


    She lets out a silent sigh, pointing at herself twice then opening her mouth wide.


    "Yes. You and your big mouth," I agree with a smirk, pushing her down by her shoulders. "Ready to put it to use?"


    She shoots me a sour look as she undoes my pants but it''s replaced with familiar awe and trepidation as she pulls out my slowly stiffening length. She looks up at me and shakes her head.


    "If you try and welch again I might have to get a little mean," I warn.


    She scowls at me as she takes my d.i.c.k and starts stroking it roughly with both hands, probably wanting this over quickly. As it reaches full mast she takes the head in her mouth and begins to suck hard on it, tickling the slit with her tongue as her hands continue working back and forth.


    Neo is short. Very short. So as she sucks my d.i.c.k it''s not exaggerated that at her less than five feet of height compared to my well over six and a half, she is quite literally going up on me, having to point my c.o.c.k downwards towards her mouth to reach it comfortably.


    I put a hand behind her head and pull her closer, sliding more meat into her mouth even as she works her jaw as wide as she can to take it. Her tongue slides along the underside of it as it invades further and further, finally reaching the entrance to her throat.


    And no further.


    Not only do I not especially want to really hurt her with this blowjob, she has a hell of a gag reflex based on how hard she coughed and spluttered as soon as my d.i.c.k got close. Her eyes go from irritated to pleading, asking me not to do that again. I loose my hold on her head and instead start stroking her hair softly. "Okay, sorry, go at your own pace."


    We''ll work on that in future. Hell, if my bet on how this blowjob ends pays out I bet she''ll be happy to.


    I let her continue working, dragging her pretty pink lips back and forth over my c.o.c.k, tongue swirling, massaging around it as her hands work along the parts she can''t otherwise reach. After my encounter with Yang less than an hour ago this experience was never going to be a short one so I just let her do her thing until I feel the familiar churning sensation. I elect not to tell her and hide it from her as best I can.


    The moment comes upon me and I clench as once again my balls empty into a girl, shooting white streams into Neo''s unexpecting mouth. I look down to watch her reaction. She flinches as the first blast hits her tongue, pulling away reflexively and letting the second paint a white line down her forehead.


    Then her eyes widen and she practically inhales my c.o.c.k to catch the next few sprays of my now Delicious seed. Even as the euphoria fades and I know I have none left, she sucks on my c.o.c.k head and licks at the slit to get at the last dregs. Finding none, she pulls off and wipes the c.u.m from her face and licks it off her hand.


    "It''s nice to be appreciated," I tell her as I offer her a c.o.c.ky smile.


    Her eyes flick up to me and back to her hand, realising what she just did. Getting off her knees, she stumbles back and starts walking backwards away from me.


    "Let''s play again!" I shout as she flees off of the roof.


    Three down, three to go.


    -(-)-


    ?


    An old warehouse.


    A little clich¨¦ for a villain hideout but none of the occupants particularly cared. The place wasn''t in use currently. Some sort of seasonal business purchased it and basically left it to rot when they didn''t need it. An acceptable choice for laying low while nefarious schemes came together.


    Neo entered the hideout lost in thought, so barely registered the obstruction when Cinder Fall blocked her path. "You seem troubled," Cinder purred, "Something on your mind?"


    Neo c.o.c.ked her head at her ''boss'', honestly wondering why she would seem troubled. Shaking her head she pulled out her own scroll. "Had fun."


    "Oh...? What kind of fun?"


    Instead of answering in words, she pulled up a picture of her recent encounter.


    "Vlad the Impaler? What about him?" Cinder asked before realisation dawned. "He''s here? In Vale?"


    "Had fun."


    "Why is he here?"


    "Beacon." The mute girl had had plenty of time to go through his scroll, including finding his new student ID.


    "Vlad the Impaler, Vampire of Wallachia," Cinder asked incredulously, "has come to Vale to join a Huntsman Academy?"


    A nod.


    Cinder let out a low, malevolent laugh. "Oh my dear, I must steal you from dear Roma if you keep finding golden opportunities like this one!"


    Taking the scroll from her subbordinate to get a better look at the picture, she purred, "Let''s see if we can invite him for a chat, shall we?"?

 Chapter 283 - My CO Stash #83 - The One-Seven by lildrummerboi (PercyJacksonXDCU)

    -Haven''t seen a good SI fic of Percy Jackson but I did find an AU crossover of the DCU and PJ~ Author has other PJ fics but I chose this one as i''m more into the worldbuilding and 5Head Detective MC!


    Sypnosis: A devastating attack in Metropolis leaves promising young detective Percy Jackson in desperate need for a fresh start. A new city and a new case might be exactly what he needs to get his mind back on track. Or at least that was how he had been imagining things. Why the hell did he choose to transfer to Gotham again?


    Rated: T


    Words: 35K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13505120/1/The-One-Seven (lildrummerboi)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Gordon grunted as he turned up the lapels of his jacket against the rain. Shielding his pipe in the innards of his coat, he struck a match and lit the tobacco inside. He took a look pull, savoring the sweet taste in his mouth for a moment, before letting out a slow exhale. He watched from the cover of his umbrella as the rain cut through the smoke. Checking his watch again, he sighed. The man he was waiting for honestly had no sense of decorum. He had lit the signal ten minutes ago; he could have been halfway home by now.


    "Jim," came a low growl from behind him, in his earlier years, the commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department would have jumped in surprise, maybe would have dropped his pipe and reached for his weapon. But after nearly a decade-long partnership, he was more than used to his strange acquaintance''s¡­quirks.


    Turning around, Gordon looked at the Batman. He was tall, standing at around six feet and two inches tall. His already impressive frame only enhanced by the powerful looking body armor the vigilante wore.


    He didn''t say anything, the Batman was never one for small talk or preamble. He was patient enough to wait for Jim to tell him why he was summoned. Instead of speaking, Jim simply reached into his jacket and withdrew a file, without a word he passed it to the man, who took it, the rain bouncing off the laminate casing around the pages. The vigilante took the file, and briefly skimmed over the contents. After a few moments of silence, the file was passed back to Jim.


    The silence stretched on for a few moments before Jim grew impatient, "So?" he asked, "What do you think?"


    "If you''re asking if he''s clean, then the answer is yes." the man said,


    Jim rolled his eyes, "Of course you already ran your own background check." He took another puff from his pipe, adjusting his umbrella to keep the change of wind from redirecting the rain from pelting him in the face, "Don''t know why I don''t just have you conduct the interviews." he grumbled,


    Batman''s eyes narrowed beneath his cowl, but he wasn''t the one to answer,


    "Perseus Jackson. 26. Graduated from Goode High School in Queens New York in spite of a troubled childhood. Had a run in with the FBI when he was a kid for kidnapping, murder, and destruction of national property but he was exonerated. After graduation he joined the Navy, did four tours before he was honorably discharged following a bad operation in Markovia. Graduated Suma C.u.m Laude from NYU for criminal justice before he joined the Metropolis Police Department. Rose through the ranks quickly, became the youngest detective in department history. Had the best case closure percentage of all active detectives." The voice came from the other side of Gordon, turning around, Gordon saw the other half of the "Dynamic Duo."


    He was young, far too young to be in the line of work that he was; couldn''t have been more than thirteen. Dressed in a red and yellow armored body suit, his dark black hair matted down in the rain, the vigilante Robin was looking at a holographic file that was being projected on the gauntlet on the boy''s arm.


    The boy whistled appreciatively, glancing up, the boy looked passed Gordon and at his mentor, "Guy''s good," he said, before he went back to typing on his gauntlet. "Looks like he''s got a good career going, why''s he transferring?"


    Gordon looked at the young man with a frown, he vehemently disagreed with the young man''s even being there but he knew better than to try and argue it. "He was there for the attack. His partner, Roger Davis, and his entire family were killed. From what Commissioner Corporon told me, Jackson was close to the family. Was devastated by their deaths. Needed a new lease and Corporon recommended I give it.


    "I already talked to Superman. He had nothing but good things to say. He''s clean." Batman said, choosing to ignore his partner''s interjection.


    Gordon snorted, "They all start that way." he said cynically.


    "Where are you placing him?"


    "The One-Seven."


    That actually seemed to surprise Jim''s companion, and Jim tried to keep a smirk of satisfaction of his face. It wasn''t every day that he managed to catch "the world''s greatest detective" off-guard.


    "That entire precinct is dirty," the man said,


    "For the most part," Gordon nodded, "I''m sick of bringing in new blood, only to have it tainted immediately. If he''s going to go on the take, I want to know about it quickly so we can take care of it before it becomes a problem."


    "That''s cynical," Robin snarked, still not looking up from his gauntlet. Jim tried not to roll his eyes, superhero or not, kids were the same everywhere. Massively engrossed in whatever screen was in front of them.


    "Maybe," Batman said, "But it''s a good call." Looking back at Gordon he said, "Who''re you partnering him with?"


    "Montoya," he said,


    "She''s transferring," it wasn''t a question but a statement. Gordon nodded, "Already transferred. After that business with Allen she needed a change of scenery. Between her and Jackson, I''m hoping they can turn around the One-Seven before things get any worse."


    "What did the investigation into Wise and Cavallo turn up?"


    "Nothing so far, but I wouldn''t be surprised if the rats in IAB are on Falcone''s payroll too. If Jackson is as good as I''ve been led to believe, he and Montoya should be able to get enough together to put the entire precinct down for good."


    Batman hummed in thought, "You going to bring him in immediately?"


    Gordon shook his head, "No, I''m going to sit on it. Montoya knows, but she''s under order''s not bring him into the fold until she''s sure he''s clean."


    "That sounds like it''ll take a while," Robin chipped in, "Wouldn''t it be easier for us to take care of this for you?" Gordon actually growled at that, but it was Batman who answered for him,


    "No." he said simply, his gaze not leaving Gordon, "This needs to be done the right way, if we''re the ones busting bad cops then both Jim and the entire force lose what little credibility they have left." Gordon nodded his head at that,


    Robin just scoffed but didn''t say anything further,


    "When does he start?" Batman asked,


    Gordon shrugged, taking another long pull from his pipe, "Supposedly tomorrow," He then turned and looked out at the city, the sound of sirens echoing in the distance, "But this is Gotham. So probably tonight."


    BREAK


    The phone on the night stand rang. Blearily, Percy swiped his arm over and snatched it. He didn''t recognize the number so he contemplated just shutting the damn thing off and going back to sleep. Sighing, he fought the impulse and brought the phone to his ear. "Jackson" he said. His voice low and husky with sleep.


    "Detective Percy Jackson?" the voice on the other end asked, it was feminine with a decidedly hard edge to it.


    Sitting up, Percy tried to wipe the sleep from his eyes, "Speaking." he grunted, "Who is this?"


    "Sorry for waking you up Detective but this is Stacey Alvarez with the Gotham City Police Department. I know you don''t officially start until tomorrow, or rather later today, but unfortunately something has come up. You need to report to the corner of Snyder and Miller, there''s been a reported homicide and you''ve been assigned."


    As the woman was speaking, Percy was already getting out of the bed, moving quietly to try and avoid further disturbing the other person in the bed. Pulling on his pants he searched around for where his shirt had landed.


    "You''re being partnered with Renee Montoya, she''s already on the scene and forensics is collecting evidence."


    "Thanks Stacy." He said softly into the receiver.


    "You''re welcome detective, and welcome to Gotham." With that, the line went dead. Putting the phone in his pocket, he reached under the bed and grabbed his shirt, badge, and holster for his sidearm.


    "Work?" Came a groggy voice from the bed. Turning he looked at the woman under laying n.a.k.e.d under the covers. He dark auburn hair curtaining her face as the moon illuminated her alabaster skin.


    "Unfortunately. Guess they couldn''t wait until I was even an official member of the force." he replied. "Sorry that I woke you up."


    "It''s ok, you''re not the first cop I''ve slept with, and I''m a bit of a light sleeper." The woman sat up a little, the covers falling from around her and Percy had to force himself to stay on task. "Don''t suppose I could convince you to hang around for a few minutes before you go?" she asked, all traces of drowsiness leaving her at the suggestive nature of her question. Percy chuckled and he leaned back towards her, cupping her cheek and placing a chaste kiss on her lips.


    "We both know that if I stay around for anything else, it''ll take more than a few minutes." the woman smiled and leaned into his touch a bit.


    "Can''t blame a girl for trying." she laid back down and snuggled into the bed. And Percy felt an inexplicable need to explain himself a little,


    "Just so you know, I''m not the type of guy to normally run out in the middle of the night."


    She laughed, "I know Percy. If I thought you were an asshole, I would have left you at the bar." She paused, looking thoughtful, "I don''t want to give you the wrong impression though, this was probably only a one-time thing."


    Percy smiled at her as he stood up from the bed and threw on his jacket, "I know Vesper, you said as much last night. Don''t worry I''m not exactly ready for anything long term myself. Besides, who am I to come in between Gotham and her next greatest radio host?" He joked and smiled again as she laughed. He paused at the door, unsure exactly what to say, "You have a spare key I can use to lock up after I leave?" He asked.


    She nodded, "Under the plant in the hallway. Night Percy, stay safe and I''ll see you around." with that, she rolled over, and went off back to sleep. Leaving the bedroom, he paused in the kitchen of Vesper''s apartment. Taking a piece of paper, he wrote down his name and number with a message that if she wanted company again to give him a call. While he was honest about not looking for any long-term commitments at the moment, he was certainly not going to say no to another night with the red-haired vixen.


    He found the spare key, locked her door behind him and left the apartment. Arriving at the parking garage he opened the door to his restored, blue, 1969 Mustang and, after punching his destination into the GPS on his phone, he took off. He didn''t need to look too hard for the crime scene. The area was fluorescent with the red and blue lights of patrol cars. Pulling up along the curb he stepped out of the car and approached the yellow crime scene tape in front of the alley just off the street. There was a pair of patrolmen stationed in front of the tape warding off any curious late-night onlookers, of which there were not many. Crime scenes were too common an occurrence in Gotham to warrant the sort of casual attraction Percy had seen in Metropolis.


    The patrolmen watched Percy approach, their hands resting firmly on the holsters for their weapons as they scanned him. Good boys, Percy thought, in a city like this one, there was no such thing as too careful.


    Reaching under his shirt slowly as he approached, he withdrew his identification and displayed it to the more senior looking of the two officers. "I''m Detective Percy Jackson, just transferred in from Metropolis, I''ve been assigned to the case." The officer Percy had approached scanned the i.d. and then Percy before sharing a look with his companion.


    "One second while I grab Detective Montoya." he said before disappearing into the alleyway. Percy wanted to sigh but couldn''t exactly blame the man. He was just being thorough, something he could respect. A minute later the officer reappeared with a woman at his heels. She was tall and dark skinned with black hair and dark brown eyes. Percy felt immediately underdressed as he took in her smart business suit and face mask. She lowered the mask from her face before she nodded at the officer closest to Percy, who lifted the tape to let Percy through. He nodded a thanks to the man before he addressed his new partner. He held her gaze as he extended his hand, which she grabbed in a very firm handshake, almost as though she was trying to crush his hand.


    "Detective Montoya? I''m Percy Jackson, nice to work with ya." he said. He kept his voice firm and professional. While he enjoyed cracking the occasional wise ass remark he could tell from a glance that this woman was hard edged and all business. In the boy''s club that was law enforcement it wasn''t a surprise. It still meant that until he was more comfortable with her, and she him, he would keep things serious and professional. He could tell she liked and respected that in a partner.


    "It''s a pleasure Jackson," She said, and gods even her voice had an edge of iron to it. She released his hand and handed him multiple pairs of gloves and booties. Percy immediately slipped the booties on over his shoes, but waited to put the gloves on. "We can get to know each other later, right now we''ve got a grisly one." Montoya said, her face grimacing slightly as she handed him his own mask


    "That bad?" he asked, and she just nodded. Percy took a deep breath to steel himself and he put the mask on over his mouth and nose. His partner turned back to the alley and led the pair to the scene.


    "Forensics just finished up a few minutes ago. Evidence is already on its way to processing." she started without preamble. "No i.d. on the vic as of yet, I have someone running her picture against missing persons but I''ll be honest, I''m not incredibly hopeful that we''ll catch anything on that yet. She was shot three times. Twice in the back, and once more, right between the eyes. Hard to say without the weapon but judging by the size and shape of the bullet wounds, we are likely dealing with small caliber."


    "No sign of the weapon I''m guessing?" Percy asked,


    "Of course not, that would make this easy." Montoya snarked, "I''ve got patrols canvassing the area, checking gutters and garbage to see if it was ditched somewhere but no luck so far. Anyways, the M.E. reported bruising along the ribs, and what is likely cerebral hemorrhaging. That being said, it looks like our girl tried to fight back a bit. The alley is pretty thoroughly trashed. Her knuckles are bruised pretty bad too so hopefully we can pull something off of her that will lead us to something here."


    He was saved from a reply by their arrival on the scene. It was ugly. The girl was on the younger side of fourteen, and looked like she had been beaten with a pipe. Her left eye was completely swollen shut, and her right eye was open, but bloodshot. Her nose was twisted and broken and a trail of dried blood leaked out of one nostril staining her dress shirt. However, what really drew his attention was the lack of any obvious exit wounds in the woman''s chest. It suggested a smaller caliber weapon, likely a .22 or .9.


    Percy bit back bile and tried his best not lose his composure. It wasn''t the first time he had seen something like this and it certainly wouldn''t be his last. That didn''t stop anger and disgust that welled up inside of him, the tempest of emotions trying to come loose. No matter the scene, things were always worse when kids were involved. Taking another deep breath, he collected himself and began looking back at the girl, this time focusing on what she was wearing, "Looks like a school uniform," he said, more to himself than to Montoya, but she still hummed in agreement,


    "I was thinking the same thing,"


    "Know any nearby schools with a dress code?" Percy asked, turning to look at his partner.


    She shrugged, "Gotham Academy, think she''s a student?"


    "Wouldn''t hurt to see how many of their freshmen are missing tomorrow morning."


    Montoya agreed before moving on and discussing something with a couple of patrolmen. Standing up, Percy took a walk over to a series of garbage cans that were strewn across the backside of the ally, their contents spilled and the bags inside having burst adding to the mess and misery of the scene.


    One of the bins was dented rather badly on one side, the flag marking the bin as evidence told him that forensics also thought that something useful might be pulled from there. Next, he looked at the discarded trash itself. While Percy had only been a detective for two years, he had been partnered with a man in Metropolis who had been working homicide since before Superman had even existed. As such, the man had a wealth of knowledge that he had tried to pass on to Percy before he tragically passed away in the incident a few months ago. One such nugget of wisdom was to always have multiple eyes, look over multiple parts of the scene multiple times. You never knew what someone might notice out of the corner of their eye.


    Which was why after his first pass over the discarded trash refuse, he looked away for a moment, letting his eyes focus on something else, before going over the area again. A moment later, he was glad that he did. On the ground, among the milk cartons and pizza boxes, was a small bracelet. The bracelet was corded silver with intricate golden inlays and a small emerald jewel hanging onto the side. From the angle at which the bracelet was sitting, he couldn''t make out what the jewel was depicting. He called out to his new partner, "Hey Montoya, does one of our girl''s wrists have a small tan line on it, something that could have been caused by a small bracelet or something?" He didn''t take his eyes off of the bracelet, he was paranoid he would lose it if he looked away, so he heard more than saw Montoya move over to check on the girl''s wrists.


    "Her right wrist has a small tan line, definitely something that could have come from wearing a bracelet. You got something over there?"


    "Yeah, someone bring a camera over." Not a moment later, there was an officer with a camera in her hands at Percy''s side. Percy pointed out the small bracelet, and had the officer photograph the bracelet from several different angles. When she was done, Percy took off his old gloves before putting a new layer over top. He didn''t want to contaminate any potential evidence from his fingers when he had touched the wall, with the anything that was potentially on the bracelet. Something like this could be something, or could be nothing. It was impossible to tell this early into an investigation. Picking up the bracelet he examined it more carefully, the jewelry was not what he was expecting. It was like a runic circle or a pentagram, but in the center was a humanoid figure. He had the officer with the camera take a few more photos, this time focusing on the jewel, then Percy put the item in an evidence bag, sealed the bag, and handed it off to a nearby officer to send to the lab for analysis.


    Pulling his gloves off again, Percy rubbed at the stubble on his face, Montoya walked over, "What did you find?" she asked,


    "A small bracelet bracelet; could be something or it could be nothing. But it was made of gold, silver and emerald. I''m no jeweler but that piece alone couldn''t have come cheap." She nodded, and Percy continued, "You were right earlier, it definitely looks like she put up a fight. The dent in that garbage bin over there is way too big to belong to her. You have the guys run a luminal test yet? Or are they waiting till we leave?"


    "They wanted to wait for you to have a pass over the area before they started spraying." She said, "Think they''re going to find anything?"


    Percy shrugged, "Hard to say, but the guy was sloppy, probably wasn''t expecting her to fight back like she did. I''m willing to bet they can pull something off of the walls that we just can''t see." he then looked back at the garbage, and then out passed the alley and across the street. There were several large apartment buildings directly across the street from the alley, better yet, several of the apartments with windows facing the alley had lights on. "I''m also willing to bet that whatever happened here, caused a hell of a lot of noise. Someone was likely to at least hear something if not outright seen it. I say we head out, canvas a couple of these apartment buildings and see what we can-you''re shaking your head, why are you shaking your head no?"


    The look she gave him was almost pitying, "Don''t take this the wrong way Jackson, you seem like you got a grasp on your shit, but you gotta remember you''re not in Metropolis anymore. When people in Gotham hear shit start to go down, they don''t call 9-1-1. They don''t report it. They close their blinds and turn up their TV. Even if someone saw something, they sure as hell won''t be about to say anything." She took a breath as she collected her thoughts and as she tried figure out how to explain this to Percy, "Look, before The Bat showed up, this was a mob town. People who talked, hell if they even looked at cops, found themselves on a one-way trip to the morgue."


    Percy supposed he could understand that, he was from New York after all, and you heard things, but still¡­ "But hasn''t The Bat been around for a while now? Hell, he''s even running around with a kid these days. Surely people don''t feel that threatened anymore."


    She shrugged, "Yes and no, you gotta understand Jackson, I grew up here, I understand how Gotham thinks, and it''s hard to break literal decades of forced obliviousness."


    Percy thought about it for a minute. He understood what she was saying, and part of him had to concede that she raised good points. "Alright, look, I get what you''re saying. And this is your city, like you said you grew up here. But I still don''t see the harm in at least having a couple officers canvas a little, at least with a picture going door to door in the morning. Maybe someone is feeling a little more cooperative?"


    Montoya just shrugged. She liked that the new guy was deferring to her here and she also liked that he was taking this so seriously. The Commissioner had told her that her new partner had a hell of a conviction record. More importantly, he had told her that Percy Jackson was very thorough. She liked that in a partner. She felt pretty positive that it wasn''t going to lead anywhere but she had to concede that it wouldn''t hurt anything and so she told him as much.


    Percy was about to respond but before he could a uniformed officer jogged up to them, "Sorry to interrupt detectives, but I got a lady here who says she was the one to call it in."


    Percy shot Montoya a cheeky grin, to which his new partner responded with an eye roll before they followed the officer. Before they approached the woman at the opening to the alley, Percy consciously slowed his pace, allowing his partner to be the first on approach. He fully intended to allow her to take the lead on this case. Something that was not missed by Montoya. So far, her new partner was proving himself to be more than competent.


    The woman was older, in early thirties, with streaky blonde hair that was curled up in a messy bun on her head. She was wearing a heavy coat to protect her from the autumn wind and sporadic rainfall, but her legs were covered by thin, blue, hospital scrubs. The older looking officer with her introduced the woman to the detectives.


    "Detectives," the older man said gesturing to the woman, "This is Miss Hanson, she says she might have seen something."


    "Good evening, Miss Hanson," said Montoya politely, before indicating herself and Percy, "I''m detective Montoya, and this is detective Jackson. Why don''t you tell us about what you saw?"


    The woman shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny of the two detectives but she gathered her courage and recounted what she saw, "I had just gotten home, I''m an ER nurse at Gotham General, and I got held up assisting with a four car pileup on ''37 so I got home later than usual." she took a shaky breath, her gaze flitting down the alleyway, "I was getting ready to make a quick dinner when I heard yelling from outside. I-I just figured it was some kids arguing, you know? Didn''t really think anything of it. But then the shouting got louder and then the screaming started."


    She took another breath, closing her eyes as though trying to wipe what she had seen from her memory, "I got worried so I decided to take a look," she pointed up at a series of windows overlooking the alley, "I live in that apartment on the corner, sits right over the alley. I watched a-as this guy was beating this girl." She was shaking, tugging the sides of her jacket closer to her, "She tried fighting back, she got him good a few times too. Kicked him in balls before she managed to push him into those some garbage cans. She tried to run but the guy h-he was just too quick. I saw him pull a gun and he just-just¡­he sh-shot her. Two times in the back. She-she fell, and then she started bleeding, and he just walked over and he-he¡­" she couldn''t finish as she started crying.


    While Percy was sympathetic to the woman, watching someone get executed was among one of the most horrific things someone could witness, but they needed more information from her. Montoya was of the same mind.


    "Ma''am," she said gently, "I understand this is difficult, but we need to know. Did you get a good look at the man who did this?" Percy knew the answer before she even said anything. The alley was dark, the only light right then was coming from the myriad of lights that had been set up by the crime scene analysts. Prior to that, Percy figured the only light in the alley would have been coming from the full moon, and whatever was sneaking in from street lights.


    Miss Hanson shook her head, "No, it was too dark." she said, "But um, he was tallish, maybe around six feet. Kind of scrawny, he was wearing a dark coat and um a sweatshirt underneath and he had the hood up, so I couldn''t see his face."


    Percy had been expecting as much, it would have been far too much to ask for them to have caught a break like that, "What did he do after he killed her?" Percy asked as gently as he could,


    The woman turned her attention to him, "He, um, he started to search her. Was going through her pockets or something, maybe he was looking for a wallet or something, I don''t know but he didn''t find anything I don''t think because he got really mad and just started kicking her." And a new wave of tears began flowing down the woman''s cheeks, "Who does something like that. To a little girl?" she asked hopelessly, closing in on herself.


    Percy shared a look with Montoya; they wouldn''t be getting anything else out of her tonight. Montoya reached into a coat pocket and withdrew a card, handing it to the woman she said, "Thank you very much Miss Hanson, you''ve been very helpful. If you think of anything else, please, give me a call." The woman just gave a shaky nod before accepting the card. Percy gave the patrol officer a subtle gesture and the man nodded before gently grabbing Miss Hanson by the arm and guiding her away.


    Sticking his hands into his pockets, Percy frowned in thought. Something about all of this just wasn''t sitting right with him.


    "You feel it too huh?" Montoya was asking, shaking out of his reverie, Percy looked at the other woman. She wasn''t looking at him, instead she was watching the retreating figure of Miss Hanson. Feeling his gaze on her, she said, "This isn''t just a simple mugging gone wrong."


    Percy grunted in agreement, "I was thinking the same thing. Who tries to mug a fourteen-year old?" Percy shook his, no it sounds to me like he was looking for something." Sighing, Percy checked his watch, quarter after three in the morning. He groaned, "It''s going to be one of those days, I can already feel it."


    Montoya just hummed in agreement, before checking her own watch. "We won''t be getting anything else done right now." She said, as she began walking out of the alley towards the squad cars. "Let''s call it and regroup in the morning, hopefully by then the labs will have something for us."


    Percy jogged after her, "Sounds good to me. I''ve been meaning to ask by the way," he said gesturing back to the crime scene as they passed a group of forensics cops in full hazmat gear as they walked into the alleyway, "Why are we taking this? We''re major crimes, right? Not to downplay the death of a kid but shouldn''t this be Homicides collar?" he asked,


    Montoya chuckled darkly as they got to their individual vehicles. "This is Gotham, Metropolis." She said, and Percy groaned at the nickname, "We don''t have the manpower to avoid splitting hairs." She got into her car, before turning the engine over and reversing away from the curb. Just before she pulled away, she rolled her window down and said,


    "Welcome to the One-Seven detective. You''re going to hate it here."


    Chapter 2


    It was five minutes to eight in the morning when Montoya climbed the steps into the precinct. She shifted the coffee in her hands, stacking one cup on top of the other, in order to relieve her hand from the heat of one of the cups. Idiot kid at the coffee shop had forgotten to give her a sleeve for it and she had been in too much of a rush to notice at first.


    Grumbling to herself as she pushed her way into the precinct, she climbed the steps inside the building before greeting the desk sergeant, "Morning Sal," she said over a jaw-cracking yawn.


    "Late start for ya Montoya?" he asked, not looking up from the paperwork on his desk,


    Montoya stopped, turning to look at the man, eyebrow raised, "What does that mean?" she asked,


    Sal looked up, and raised his hands in surrender as he saw the sharp look in Montoya''s eyes, "Nothing!" He said quickly, "Just that I figured you''d be here sooner, your new partner has been here since six¡­"


    Montoya looked incredulously at the man, what in the hell had Jackson been doing here since six? Ignoring the desk sergeant, she marched her way into the bullpen. Pushing open the doors, she scanned the room, her eyes quickly latching onto the back of her partner''s head. He was hunched over the desk; a phone was tucked against one ear and he was listening attentively as he wrote something down on a large yellow notepad.


    Before she could walk over to her new partner, her path was blocked by the aging figure of Roman Cavallo. Dressed nicely in a beige suit which accentuated the snow-white hair and mustache, Cavallo looked like he belonged on the set of a cheap procedural cop drama than in an active precinct.


    "Nice of you to join us Montoya," he said, crossing his arms over his chest,


    "Bite me, Cavallo," Montoya snarled and made to move past him, but the other detective grabbed hold of her arm.


    "You would be so lucky," he said, with deep frown, "You need to get your rookie on the same page."


    Yanking her arm free, making sure not spill the coffee, she glared at the man, "The hell does that mean?"


    "It means, that this precinct has a certain way of doing things. A way that ensures that everyone stays¡­happy. Your new partner needs to understand that or we''re going to have problems."


    Montoya didn''t respond, choosing instead to simply glare at the man before pushing passed him. She had only been with the One-Seven for a month, but she had quickly been initiated into how things were done in the precinct. It was why the Commissioner had placed her here in the first place. As far as she had been able to figure, both Cavallo as well as his partner Marcus Wise, were on the take. She didn''t know to whom they belonged yet, but she had her suspicions. And from the way the precinct lieutenant, Davis Winston, interacted with the pair, Montoya was certain that he was in on the take as well.


    She walked briskly over to the desk she shared with Jackson just as he was setting the phone down. He was putting the finishing touches on whatever he was writing when she placed the coffee down in front of him. "You''re making me look bad Metropolis," she said as she perched herself at the edge, "Coming in two hours before me; man if you wanted to impress me you could have just gotten breakfast." she smirked, Percy just rolled his eyes, before accepting the coffee with a muttered thanks. Reaching into a desk drawer, he retrieved a handful of packets of sugar, before he tore them open with his teeth and proceeded to drown his coffee in sugar. He took a long, satisfied pull of the drink before he set it down on his desk and swiveled his chair around to look at his partner.


    "Couldn''t sleep." he said simply, "Got too wired up, so I went to the gym, made some breakfast, banged my head against the wall, and by the time all of that was done it was only five-thirty. I said screw it and came in; figured if I was going to be up, I might as well be doing something productive."


    Montoya just nodded; she had been in similar situations herself. Nothing like a two am wake up call to get the day going.


    "You find anything?" she asked, taking a sip from her coffee. Percy nodded, reaching over his desk to hand over a separate notepad. Looking over the notes, it was a series of names, dates, and potential guardians.


    "I spent the last hour or so on the phone with every middle and high school in the city, asking if any of their students failed to report to their first periods." he said, then pointed to the paper, "comparing that with the number of schools that require a dress code and I had only one hit." Reaching across the table, he handed Montoya a photo, it was a photo of the same dead girl in the alleyway, except she was dressed in an expensive ball gown, with an array of expensive jewels hanging from her neck. "That," Percy said as he took another pull from his coffee, "Is Silver St. Cloud. He parents are some hot shot art dealers who own most of the galleries in Gotham. I made some calls but apparently they''re out of the city, and I haven''t been able to reach them."


    "Jesus Christ," Montoya muttered as she stared at the picture. Looking back at her partner she said, "You know this is about to become a shit-storm of utterly epic proportions, right?"


    Percy just nodded, "I figured as much. Thankfully, we''re still ahead of it. I was thinking, since we can''t get ahold of the parents, we might want to head on down to Gotham Academy, speak with some of her friends and teachers. They might be able to shed some light on what she was doing by herself in that alley."


    Montoya nodded; her new partner was shaping up to be better than she had been hoping for. When she found out that her new partner was coming in from Metropolis, she had been expecting an ambulance chaser. It was common enough for former MPD detectives. They got sick of having Superman steal all of the glory for himself, and moved to Gotham where they thought they had a better chance of stealing some spotlight for themselves.


    But Percy was steadily proving her wrong. He was competent, self-assured, and was willing to take the initiative. All good traits in a good cop. Better still, he was letting her call the shots, letting her take point and have the final call on all of their decisions. It stroked her ego sure, but more importantly it pointed to the fact that Percy was a team player, not a glory hound.


    "What are we waiting for," she said, as she stood up, "I''ll drive,"


    BREAK


    Stepping out of the car, Montoya couldn''t help but smirk a little at Percy''s appreciative whistle, "The lifestyle of the rich and famous, you should feel right at home Metro." Percy just snorted derisively,


    "Believe it or not" or he said, side-eyeing her, "Not everyone in Metropolis lives in a five-star penthouse. I had to rent an apartment an hour out of the city just to afford living there."


    Montoya stopped just short of the gates to the academy, "You''re shitting me." she said,


    "Nope" her partner said, "Between property value and cape insurance-"


    "Cape insurance?" she asked,


    "Insurance for when the big guy destroys half the city fighting a giant robot or¡­something else. City ordinance dictates that you have to take out an insane insurance policy, you know, just in case. Anyways, for the landlords that means that they charge triple what even the smallest apartments here are worth just to make up the cost."


    "Jesus¡­" Montoya muttered as the two flashed their badges to the security guard at the gate and they were brought inside the grounds, "Starting to see why you left."


    Percy just chuckled, "Would be lying if I said it wasn''t part of it," he admitted, "I can afford an apartment with more than double the floor space of my last place and still not be paying half of what I did in Metropolis."


    "Guess the grass isn''t always greener huh?" she asked him, and Percy just shrugged.


    They made their way through the quad, abandoned at the moment because it was the middle of third period. They were greeted at the front doors and were invited through a maze of intricate hallways ordained with ornate pictures and ostentatious decorations commemorating the long history of the school. After about a five-minute walk they were deposited in lush, comfortable office of Headmistress Lorenz. She was a tall woman, standing at nearly six-feet even without her heels and had the harsh features of a woman with many dedicated years of educating behind her.


    "Detectives," she greeted politely enough, "Please, have a seat," she said, gesturing to the two open chairs in front of her desk. Montoya and Percy both sat down, "Now," she said as she steepled her hands in front of herself, "What can I help you with."


    Montoya reached into her coat pocket and withdrew her legal pad. "Ma''am is there a Silver St. Cloud, currently enrolled in this school?" she asked as she looked over her partner''s notes.


    "Yes, one of our star pupils. Last year She won the Martha Wayne Award of Academic Excellence as well as Miranda Cobblepot''s Philanthropic Achievement Honors. She is an excellent student; I assure you if she is in any trouble then there must be some kind of mistake."


    Montoya and Percy shared a look before Percy took the lead, "She''s not in any kind of trouble ma''am." He said, and Montoya was impressed by his calm yet smooth delivery. Must not have been the first time he''d had to deliver this kind of news. She watched as he reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a photograph. Before sliding it over he said, "I apologize in advance ma''am because this is rather¡­graphic, however we need you to identify the person in this photo." he then flipped the photo over and slid it towards the Headmistress. Her puzzled expression quickly morphed into muted horror.


    Gasping in shock and revulsion, she threw the photo back at Percy, turning away and covering her mouth with her hand. Percy reached over and snatched the photo back, tucking it into his pocket. They let the headmistress recompose for a few moments before Percy asked, "I''m very sorry ma''am but I have to ask, is that Miss St. Cloud in the photo." The woman clearly didn''t have it in her to respond verbally yet, so she just nodded her head.


    Lorenz was shaking her head, as though she were trying to scare away a particularly persistent mosquito, "I can''t believe this, just the other day she was here, happy and a-alive." She looked up sharply at the pair of detectives, "Do the parents know yet?" she asked,


    Percy shook his head, "I tried to get a hold of them this morning but just kept getting the ring around. According to the butler I spoke to, they''re out of the country."


    The headmistress nodded to herself, "I suppose that makes sense," she mused softly, "I believe they were opening a gallery in Brussels, and wanted to be there Grand Opening."


    Percy and Montoya shared a look before Montoya asked, "We would like to speak with some of her friends, were there any students here that she was particularly close to?"


    Lorenz took a deep breath, and tried to steady herself, "I honestly don''t know." She said, sounding defeated, as though all of the air had been knocked out of her lungs at once. "I supervise over five-hundred students, hang on a second." she moved over to her computer and began typing some commands into the keyboard. After a moment of typing she looked back up at the detectives, "Her homeroom teacher was Miss Rushman, she''s in the middle of a lesson right now but they should be finishing up soon. I''ll have my secretary escort you."


    "Thank you, ma''am." they both said, and stood up as one to leave the room,


    "Detectives," Lorenz said, stopping the pair before they could leave the room, "Miss St. Cloud, was a treasure to this world. Was going to go on to do great things. And now¡­" Her voice wavered slightly, "Now that treasure has been stripped away." Her eyes grew fierce, and her features sharpened, "Find the bastard that this."


    "We plan on it, ma''am." Montoya said, and motioned for Percy to follow her out of the room.


    BREAK


    They knocked at the door after their escort dropped them off, not waiting for an answer they marched into the room. Miss Rushman was on the younger side, maybe in early thirties at the latest, with bright auburn hair and piercing green eyes. She stopped mid-lecture and turned to look at the pair of detectives.


    "Excuse me, I''m in the middle of a lesson, is there something I could help you with?"


    "Sorry to interrupt ma''am," Percy said as he flashed his badge, "GCPD, I''m detective Jackson and this is detective Montoya, we need to ask you a few questions."


    The teacher crossed her arms, standing defensively, "Well whatever it is, it can wait until after class,"


    "Unfortunately, it can''t," Montoya said,


    "Alright kids, class dismissed, c''mon," Percy said, whistling sharply between his teeth as though her were wrangling cattle.


    "Hey you can''t-"


    She was cut off by the scrapping of chairs and excitable chatter as the students scrambled to gather their belongings and leave. When the last student, a younger boy with jet black hair left, staring intently at Percy the entire time, Rushman spoke,


    "That was hardly necessary,"


    "Like my partner said ma''am, it unfortunately, is very necessary." Percy said, passing over the photo of St. Cloud to the woman. Her reaction was¡­peculiar, she didn''t scream. Didn''t gasp in shock. She didn''t react in any noticeable way, she just looked at the picture; face like stone. Nearly a minute passed without a reaction, she just stared at the photograph. Finally, she just sighed and handed the picture back to Percy.


    "Have you notified her parents?" she asked, showing no outward signs of distress,


    Montoya raised an eyebrow, "We''re working on it," she said, "But they''re out of the country and haven''t been receiving our calls."


    Rushman nodded as though that made sense to her. "We wanted to interview her friends, see if they had noticed anything unusual leading up to her murder." said Percy,


    "Barbara Gordon and Bette Kane," the teacher said without preamble. Montoya stiffened uncomfortably at that,


    "Great, were they just in here? We can probably track ''em down."


    Rushman shook her head, "No, they''re older students. Juniors. They''ll be in the upperclassmen wing. They have Mr. Richards right now I believe."


    Percy''s confusion showed on his features as he frowned, "I thought St. Cloud was a sophomore?" Rushman nodded at him, "Then what the hell was she doing hanging out with juniors. I don''t know about the two of you, but when I was in high school, trying to speak to upperclassmen was a one-way ticket to being shoved in a locker."


    Rushman looked Percy''s enormous frame, up and down, quirking a brow, "There is no way you were ever shoved in a locker," she deadpanned, and Montoya snorted in agreement. "But normally, you''d be right. However, Silver was¡­mature for her age. Had a difficult time connecting with her peers. When she first joined us, it was affecting her studies. I made an arrangement with Miss''s Gordon and Kane, they started tutoring her, soon enough the three of them were inseparable." She was interrupted by the sound of a bell ringing. "That''s the lunch bell, they should be in the cafeteria." Rushman said, Montoya looked over at her partner,


    "I''ll stay here, talk with Miss Rushman, why don''t you go pay the girls a visit?" Percy shrugged but nodded his head,


    "Take a left out of the door, pass the next hall and it will be the first set of double doors on the right." Rushman supplied helpfully. Percy nodded his thanks and left out the class door. Rushman turned an amused smirk at Montoya, "He has no idea that Barbara is the Commissioner''s daughter, does he?"


    Montoya smirked back at the woman, pulling out a pen and her legal pad, "Nope,"


    BREAK


    It was only after Percy had entered the cafeteria that he realized that he''d never actually asked what the two girl''s he was supposed to be interviewing looked like. Catching the eye of worker behind the counter of a food trolley, he strode over. Flashing his badge, he asked, "GCPD, looking for Barbara Gordon and Bette Kane, any idea where I can find them?" he asked. The man behind the counter just gave him an odd look before pointing at a table near the back of the room. Sitting at the table were three girls, A pair of blondes and a redhead.


    Thanking the man, who gave him the strangest expression of pity Percy had ever seen, he made his way towards the lunch table. "Excuse me ladies," Percy said as he approached the table. All three girls turned to look at the new man, "I''m looking for Bette Kane and Barbara Gordon,"


    "Who''s asking?" asked one of the blondes, Vietnamese by the looks of her, her muscles tensing as though ready to either knife him or run away from him at the drop of a hat. Percy quirked a brow at her, those types of reactions were more common among street kids, not exactly Percy expected to see from some yuppies in an elite prep school.


    "GCPD," he said easily, "Do you mind if we go somewhere else, I''d like to have a word with the two of you." he said,


    "Badge and i.d. please," said the redhead, and Percy chuckled as he reached into his pocket to produce the requested identification,


    "Smart girl," he said flashing his identification,


    "Thanks," the redhead said, as she snatched the badge and i.d. out of his hand and looked over both of them carefully, "My dad always taught me to be thorough. After all," she looked up at him over the badge, "It''s not paranoia if they''re really out to get ya,"


    Percy chuckled, "Sounds like a smart man, your pops. He a cop?" he asked, and Barbara smirked at him,


    "Something like that, tell me though, are you new to the force, detective¡­" she stopped to look at his name one more time, "Jackson?" she asked, as she handed him back his badge and i.d.


    Percy nodded, "Transferred in from Metropolis, today is my first day, well," he amended, "I guess technically last night was. Why?"


    "No reason, just curious is all," she said, far too innocently to be believable. Percy just nodded suspiciously. "Now, to answer your question; I''m Barbara," she pointed to herself, "That''s Bette," she pointed next to her to a curly haired blonde with a classical European beauty to her who waved, "And that is Artemis," she said, point at the Vietnamese girl. She just glared harder at Percy. Definitely did not have a good relationship with cops, Percy thought to himself as he looked away from the angry girl. "What can we help you with detective," Barbara asked calmly,


    "Do you mind if we talk somewhere else?" he asked, but the redhead just looked hard at him. Whoever had raised this girl was bringing up a hardass, he thought.


    Percy sigh and gestured to the open seat by Artemis, and Barbara looked at her friend who nodded reluctantly, flashing a winning smile at the pair of them, Percy sat down on the empty bench. He pulled out a pen and his pad, before looking around the table, "Is it alright with all of you if I write some notes down as we talk?" he asked. The girls all shrugged and Percy took that as consent enough for him.


    "How long have the two of you been tutoring Silver St. Cloud?"


    Bette and Barbara shared confused and concerned looks, "Since the beginning of the last year, why? Is something wrong, did something happen?"


    Percy sighed, he hated this part of the job but it was important to be honest with them, putting his pen and pad down he looked between the two girls, "Yeah," he softly, his tone taking on the gentle "victim" tone, that Roger had used to roast him over, "There was an incident last night." he continued, "I regret to inform you that, Miss St. Cloud was murdered, somewhere between one and two o''clock this morning," he said. He had found that blunt honesty and directness was always the best course. Even with kids; kids could handle a lot more than anyone ever gave them credit for.


    Bette gasped, a hand going to her mouth in muted horror. "Oh my god," said Barbara, "Are you serious,"


    Percy nodded solemnly, "I''m very sorry for your loss, and ordinarily and I''d want nothing more than to let you grieve peacefully, however, the clock is ticking and we have a lot of questions unanswered, so please I need your help here ladies," he said.


    Barbara swallowed thickly, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes but she nodded resolutely, and Percy had to admire the young girl''s ability to keep herself composed, "We met her last year. Miss Rushman said that she needed help, that she was having difficulties adjusting to school here. Her family had just moved back to Gotham and she didn''t have any friends." Barbara nodded sadly, "Our tutoring sessions usually just led to us hanging out for a few hours; talking, watching movies, just being together you know?"


    Percy nodded, writing down some notes in his notepad, "So would you say you knew her well?" he asked,


    Barbara frowned in thought, "Well enough to know that she''d been acting a little strange lately,"


    That got Percy''s attention, it had been where his questioning had been going, "Strange in what way,"


    "S-she um, she missed our last meeting," Bette said, stumbling over her words slightly as she tried to fight through tears. Barbara reached next to her and grabbed her friend''s hand reassuringly,


    "And that wasn''t a normal occurrence then?" Percy asked,


    "No," said Barbara, shaking her head, "We usually met three times a week, it''s been that way since we met; and she never once called or texted to cancel a meeting, until this week¡­" she said, trailing off.


    Percy nodded, "Alright, did she tell you why she had to cancel?"


    Bette shook her head, "No," she sniffled, "She just said that there were urgent family matters that she had to deal with and wouldn''t be able to meet at all this week,"


    "She didn''t specify at all what those problems were?" Percy asked, continuing to write as he did so, and Bette shook her head,


    Barbara frowned as she thought back on the last week, "She did seem a little more nervous this week," she said,


    "Nervous how?" Percy asked,


    "I don''t know," the redhead said, "She was¡­shifty. Always looking around, constantly tense, as though she was worried she was going to get jumped at any-" she stopped talking, shaking slightly as the reality of what she said came through. Percy allowed her a few moments to collect herself before asking prompting her,


    "Ok, so she seemed jumpy, scared?" he probed,


    Barbara nodded, "She would normally hang around school for a bit after class, you know study in the library or go to the gym, but for the past week she would get immediately picked up and she would go straight back to the penthouse. We tried to ask her what was wrong but she just kept telling us that she was stressed because of something going on with her parents,"


    "Did she ever specify what was going on with them?" Percy asked,


    "No," said Barbara, "Just that they were pushing her to take on a more active role in the family business. We were surprised when she didn''t go with them to Brussels."


    Percy nodded, scribbling down a few more notes, "Ok, this penthouse, have either of you ever been there?"


    "Yeah," Bette nodded, "It was on Wealthy, 271 Wealthy. Down in Robbinsville," she said, "We used to study there together¡­" and then the poor girl broke down crying again. Leaning into Barbara''s shoulder.


    "Is there anything else you can think of?" Percy asked gently, "Anything, even the most irrelevant detail could prove vitally important."


    Barbara thought for a second, still holding Bette''s shoulder, "I did notice that her driver was different this week," she said,


    "Driver?" Percy asked,


    "Yeah, her family has someone drop them off from their penthouse every morning,"


    Percy was nodding, "Ok, and prior to this past week, she had the same driver, every single day?" Barbara nodded,


    "Do you know his name by chance?" he asked, and the pair of girls shook their heads. Sighing Percy circled some notes on his pad before. Looking up, Percy caught sight of his detective and a woman he hadn''t met walk into the cafeteria, looking back at the girls Percy closed his notebook and put it away in his suit pocket. Reaching into his pants he withdrew a couple of business cards, leftover from his time in Metropolis. Scratching out the "Metropolis Police Department" at the top of the card, he flipped them over and wrote a name and number on the back.


    Handing the cards to Barbara he said, "That is my personal cell. You think of anything else and you give me a call, day or night. Even if you just need to talk to someone, use it, my line is always open for you ok?" and Barbara nodded, tucking the cards into the jacket pocket of her uniform. "On the back is the number for a grief counselor, her name is Sharon MacMillian. Tell her Percy recommended you and she''ll help you out with anything else you might need ok?" Seeing the pair nod, Percy stood up, "I''m very sorry for your loss ladies. But I promise you, we''re going to get the person who did this, and they will see justice."


    With one last sorrowful look at the mourning teenagers, Percy stepped away from the table, and passed by the woman who had come in with Montoya. The woman gently grabbed both girls by the shoulder, and after a few whispered words, escorted the pair out of the cafeteria.


    "Who''s that?" he asked as he approached his partner,


    "School shrink" she said, "Came rushing into the classroom as I was interviewing Rushman. By the way, you have no idea who it was you were talking to, do you?" She asked, an excited shit-eating grin on her face.


    Percy quirked an eyebrow, "No¡­" he said slowly, turning to look back in time to see Miss Gordon turn back and stare at him as she was ushered out of the cafeteria, "Should I have?" he asked,


    "Nah," said Montoya, waving it off but maintaining her smarmy grin.


    "Ok¡­" Percy drawled before shaking it off and asking, "Get anything out of the teacher?"


    "Said that St. Cloud had been jumpy as hell all week. Was fidgety, could hardly concentrate in class, said that was nothing like how she normally acted. But that was pretty much it. She didn''t have much for me besides what we already knew. How about you, get anything form the girls?"


    Percy nodded, "Told me the same thing, that she had been nervous all week, like she was scared about something. The girls told me that she had been taking a more active role in the family business, but couldn''t tell me what that meant. They also gave me the address for the Penthouse the family was staying at. And get this, prior to this week, the girl always had the same driver to and from school. Then all of a sudden, there was a new guy driving her around."


    "Sounds like we need to visit the penthouse, and maybe see if we can track down this missing driver,"


    "I was thinking the same thing," Percy smirked, and Montoya threw her keys at him, "You drive, I''ll make some calls, see if the driver was individually hired or worked for a chauffeur company."


    Chapter 3


    "Are you absolutely sure about that? No, no that''s fine. Do you have his address on file? Perfect, yes I''m ready for it. Uh-huh, ok, wonderful thank so much for you help I really appreciate it." Montoya ended the call and looked at Percy he pulled the cruiser up to the stop light,


    "That was Ganteer''s Chauffeur services, the ones the St. Cloud''s had on retainer, apparently, one John Dorsett hasn''t called in sick once this week. And the company swears up and down that Mr. Dorsett has been the personal driver for Silver St. Cloud since the St. Cloud''s moved to Gotham."


    Percy looked over briefly, then readjusted and took off down the road when the light turned green, "Sounds like we need to pay Mr. Dorsett a little visit. You get an address?"


    "Yup, got a townhouse in the village, we''ll head over after the penthouse." Percy just hummed in agreement.


    Pulling into a parking space across from the town house the two detectives crossed the street and passed over into the Robbinsville High Rise. Crossing through the ostentatious lobby to the help desk, a pretty young woman with dark raven hair and deep almond skin greeted them in a false cheer, "Welcome to Robbinsville, looking to check in?"


    The detectives showed their identification, and the smile dropped from the receptionist''s face, "You''re here for the St. Cloud residence?" she asked,


    "Yes ma''am," Percy nodded,


    "It hasn''t been cleaned yet correct?"


    The woman shook her head, "The service doesn''t usually make it up to the penthouse before noon, but when we got your call I went ahead and cancelled the cleaning for today,"


    Percy beamed at her and the woman smiled shyly at him, "That''s awesome, thank you very much." The woman just brushed off the praise, her cheeks darkening slightly. Percy missed the way Montoya rolled her eyes but Percy was oblivious to it all.


    "Anything I can do to help out the¡­brave members of our GCPD." She said, not even looking at Montoya,


    Clearing her throat, Montoya tried to bring the woman''s attention to her, but she was a little too distracted by her partner. Percy meanwhile, did turn to look at his partner, who just ignored him, "Can we get someone to let us into the room? Please?" She added, almost as an afterthought. The woman shook free from her daydreaming and nodded emphatically, "of course detective, one moment." Then she disappeared into a room behind the counter.


    Percy turned and shot his partner a look, she glowered back at him, "What?" he asked,


    "This going to be a thing with you?" she asked crossing her arms and looking at him, "Cause I gotta deal with it enough from those dipshits at the precinct, so if I have to deal with you flirting with everything with two legs and a pair of tits, I''d just like to know in advance."


    Percy''s expression darkened considerably, his brow furrowed and the lines of his face curved downward, "I don''t know what the f.u.c.k you think just happened but it didn''t. I don''t make it a habit of trying to score on the job. I''ve got a bit more personal pride than that. And I''d thank you, for not lumping me in with those jackasses Cavallo and Wise." Leaning up against the counter, he crossed his arms, his suit jacket creasing slightly with the movement,


    "Look Montoya, I know we haven''t known each other very long yet, but I''d like to think that I presented myself a bit more professionally than what you''re accusing me of."


    Montoya just sighed, and looked away. He was right and she knew it, "You''re right," she admitted, "I''m sorry. It''s just, being the only female detective in the squad¡­" she trailed off, and Percy raised his hands in the air,


    "No, no, believe me I get it. You got more to prove than anyone and I respect that. Stuck in the boys club that is the GCPD," He chuckled likely under his breath, "You remind me of Lois actually, always trying to prove herself when she had already proven that she was the best." He looked off fondly into the distance, but before Montoya could respond the door opened and the receptionist came walking back.


    As he was turning around, Percy winked and whispered, "And besides, I wasn''t the one staring at her ass as she walked away." And with a smirk Percy turned away from the furiously blushing, and thoroughly mortified detective.


    Montoya tuned out the rest of the conversation between Percy and the receptionist, her mind instead choosing to latch onto a little nugget of information Percy had dropped during the conversation. As they were being escorted by a member of maintenance to the room, her brain had reset enough for her to ask, "Wait when you said Lois, you didn''t mean Lois Lane did you?"


    Percy just looked down at her, an amused expression on his face, "Well yeah. Know any other hot-headed reporters who get into too much trouble for their own good?" he asked,


    Montoya''s mouth worked soundlessly, as she tried to catch up with the flow of the conversation. "You cannot possibly be suggesting that slept with Lois Lane?" she blurted out before her brain could stop her mouth,


    "Woah!" Percy exclaimed, "Don''t go putting words in my mouth Montoya, I just compared you to her is all."


    "But you do know her?" she pressed as the stepped into the elevator,


    Percy shrugged, "Yeah." he said simply, like the fact that he was on a first-name basis with a Pulitzer winner was no big deal, "I worked Major Crimes in Metropolis, she worked all the big stories for The Planet. Chances were, if I was called to a scene then she would be there shortly thereafter. She interviewed me a few times; even went out for drinks with her and Jimmy, her camera guy, a few times. Pretty sure they were just trying to grill me for case notes, but still."


    "I literally cannot believe what I''m hearing right now," Montoya muttered,


    She was spared from having to think anymore as they arrived at the penthouse suite. The elevator opened up into a short hallway with a single door. The maintenance worker inserted a master key card into the lock and the door unlocked, pushing the door open slightly, Percy immediately reached into his shoulder holster and withdrew his pistol.


    It looked as though a tornado had flown through the room. Tables, chairs, and the sofa were upended, cushions were strewn across the floor, and drawers were open, their contents thrown carelessly onto the ground. Montoya pushed into the room, first, her weapon drawn as well, and Percy followed behind her, gently shoving the hotel worker out of the way as he did so.


    Montoya veered to the right, heading towards the kitchen area and Percy moved left, sweeping to clear the bedrooms. He stepped carefully, doing his best to preserve the scene as he could. Percy knew they weren''t likely to find anyone still in the room, but it was better to safe than sorry in an instance like this. Moving into the first bedroom, he cleared his flank first, checking behind the door before doing another visual sweep, but coming up short.


    "First bedroom clear," he said loudly,


    "Kitchen clear," was the response


    Moving out of the room, Percy cleared into the second bedroom, a quick perimeter sweep cleared it as well. He re-holstered his weapon and convened with Montoya in the living room. "This couldn''t have happened too long ago." Percy said as he approached,


    "Agreed," said Montoya, "I''d wager my salary that this happened just after the murder."


    "Place this fancy has to have camera''s, right?" Percy said,


    "If not in the halls, then there''s definitely some outside," Montoya agreed,


    "You just know, place like this, the manager is going to demand a warrant," Percy added, sweeping an arm around the room for emphasis,


    "Shouldn''t be a problem, we''ve got an in, in the District Attorney''s office," Montoya said, nonchalantly,


    Percy just shot her a skeptical look, "I''m not exactly up to speed on the political landscape of Gotham yet, who do we got in the DA''s office?"


    Montoya just smirked as she headed towards the stairs, "The DA himself. Harvey Dent."


    BREAK


    Sure enough, the high rise''s manager had demanded a warrant before he allowed Percy and Montoya to go searching through the video records of the previous night. Montoya said that it would be a sure thing and wasn''t worth worrying about. Apparently, the DA was a real hardass, a cop''s DA, willing to the extra mile if it meant getting a bad guy off the street. Montoya said that they''d likely have their warrant by the following morning.


    The left the high rise as the forensics teams were moving in, it was likely that whatever was pulled out of the penthouse wouldn''t aid in the search for their killer, but Percy was willing to be that the forensics team would be able to find something to pin the bastard to the room when Percy and Montoya found him.


    So they left the high rise and were pulling up along the curb just outside the townhouse rented by John Dorsett. They had barely made it out of the car before they were accosted by an older woman and a large golden retriever,


    "Excuse me, are you with health department?" she asked,


    "Not exactly," said Percy, as he reached into his shirt to flash his badge, "GCPD, why, what''s going on?"


    "Oh, even better," the woman said, before pointing a gnarled finger at the townhouse, "I don''t know what he''s been doing in there, but that Dorsett is stinking up the entire neighborhood." she said bitterly, "Every morning I wake up and try to take Frederick out for his morning walk, but that place stinks so badly that he doesn''t even want to leave the house!" the dog chose that moment to whine, as if in agreement with his owner''s agitation.


    "What kind of a smell?" Montoya asked,


    "Like something''s rotting in there, like an animal or something!"


    Percy and Montoya shared a worried glance, "Don''t worry ma''am, we''ll take care of it." he said and before the woman could respond, he and Montoya took off across the street. They were barely on the steps before the smell hit them, "Holy shit," Percy said, one hand immediately reaching down to pull his undershirt over his mouth and nose while the other reached into his holster and drew his gun for the second time that day.


    "I really hate that friggin smell," Montoya agreed, "But I''m pretty damn sure that qualifies as probable cause for a search," she said, her voice muffled by her own shirt. Percy grunted in agreement, before leaning back, and kicking the door in. He was a little overzealous and damn near knocked the door off its hinges, and it slammed loudly into the wall in the entrance way.


    Ignoring it for the time being, Percy took point, shouting, "GCPD, Mister Dorsett, are you in here?" There was no response. So they trekked deeper into the home. Walking passed the stairs leading to the second floor, the pair moved into the kitchen, but nothing was amiss. It looked as though it hadn''t been used in some time, but apart from that, there was nothing overly suspicious. The same could be said about the living room. Turning around, Percy led point back down, Percy moved slowly and deliberately down the hall and up the stairs. The smell on the second floor was almost unbearable.


    Powering through it by holding his breath, Percy approached the door to the master bedroom. It was slightly ajar, and he could hear a buzzing sound from beneath the boards of the door. Glancing at his partner, who nodded at him, Percy pushed the door open and nearly gagged on the spot, as the smell of rank and rot, permeated his sinuses.


    The room was remarkably untouched. The bed was made, the television was off, and nothing was out of place. Save for the dead body on the floor. The body with three bullet holes in it, two in the back, and one in the back of the head.


    Small caliber.


    A second victim.


    BREAK


    They had to pull the forensics unit from the penthouse and bring them over to the townhouse, leaving only patrol units back over at the penthouse. Percy and Montoya had spent the better half of the afternoon conducting interviews with the members of the community, but nobody could recall seeing or hearing anything suspicious in the last week from the Dorsett house. That was, until Montoya interviewed Stanley Winters.


    Montoya learned that at roughly one in the morning last week, Winter''s had been coming home from an overseas trip to London. His plane had landed late and had just been pulling into the driveway when he saw the car. He had thought it was suspicious, everyone in the village knew of everyone else''s business, being so close together and all, and he thought it odd that Dorsett would be taking his company car out so late.


    But he had been too tired from the travel to think anything of it. A quick look into the parking garage was enough to confirm the story; John Dorsett''s car was missing. While Montoya was going over a search report with a few patrol officers, Percy put in a call for an APB on the large, black, utility vehicle. He also called the chauffeur company, in the hopes that they had a LoJack installed.


    Unfortunately for the detectives, Ganteer''s Chauffeuring required employees to supply their own vehicles and Dorsett did not have a LoJack installed. Knowing there would be little else for them to do until the forensics lab came back with something for them, and with it being nearly four o''clock in the afternoon, Percy and Montoya left the scene in the hopes of getting some of their paper work finished.


    Percy had watched a lot of Law and Order as a kid. It had been exciting and fun and gross, all things that growing young boys loved in their television. Unfortunately, as Percy found out after graduating the academy, his favorite show as a child had not prepared him for the amount of paperwork required and the number of reports that needed to be written up. After literally anything he did, Percy needed to fill out a detailed report, explaining exactly what happened, who was there, what was done and by whom.


    He understood why, detailed case files and reports ensured that policy was followed properly and it ensured to the government that Percy was actually doing what he was being payed to do. It was boring as hell though and he hated it. It didn''t help that he usually got distracted halfway through and lost interest. He had a prescription to help but he hated taking the medicine, it dulled his senses far too much for him to like, and for someone like Percy, dulled senses usually led to death. Either by the person he was investigating or something¡­else.


    Unfortunately for Percy, or fortunately depending on the perspective, he didn''t even get a chance to start the looming mountain of paperwork he needed to get done. The second he and Montoya stepped into the bullpen, the door to the lieutenant''s office was swing open. "Jackson," roared lieutenant Davis Winston, a man in his early forties, with thinning gray hair and wrinkles. "Get in here, now!"


    "The hell did I do?" Percy muttered as he changed his direction from his desk to the precinct commander''s office.


    Montoya shrugged, "I have no idea," she murmured back, as she watched the lieutenant warily. Winston was on the long list of commanding personnel in the GCPD who were suspected of being on the take. Winston and his family had long historic ties to the Falcone crime family, and while Winston himself seemingly had no record with the mob, Commissioner Gordon had him marked as a suspect. Not that Percy knew that. Nor did he know that damn near half the precinct was currently being investigated by Internal Affairs for supposedly being on the Falcone payroll.


    Moving into the office, lieutenant Winston glaring at him the whole way, the door was slammed behind him. However, Percy and Winston were not alone in the office. Facing the lieutenant''s desk was an older man, with deep brown hair and bushy mustache. His hands were in his pockets, pushing back the folds of the tan trench-coat across his shoulders, as he read an open file on the desk.


    "Detective Jackson-" the lieutenant was cut off by the man at the desk,


    "Give us the room, lieutenant," said the man,


    "Sir?" he asked confused, but the man just stared at him. Gulping, he just nodded reluctantly and left the room, leaving Percy alone with the unknown.


    For a moment, the stranger just stared at Percy, his gray eyes gauging Percy behind his thick rimmed glasses. After an uncomfortable amount of time passed, with seemingly neither party willing to give in to the little power play they were having, apparently the bespectacled man had enough.


    "Do you know who I am?" he asked, his voice was gruff, and authoritative.


    "No sir, I do not." Percy replied,


    "Commissioner James Gordon," He said, by way of introduction, and Percy balked at that. He supposed that he should have known or at least recognized the man who was ultimately his boss, however Percy had been in a bit of a daze during his transfer, and having never met the man, had never actually done any research into his new commanding officer. It had been a mistake on Percy''s part, but he had been grieving and more than a little lost. Desperate to get out of the bad situation in Metropolis and had just jumped at the opportunity presented to him by Commissioner Corporon without a second thought.


    "Pleasure to meet you sir," Percy said, extending a hand out to the Commissioner, but the man just continued to stare at him.


    "You know why I''m here, son?" Gordon asked,


    Retracting his hand Percy shook his head, "Um, no sir, no I do not."


    The man nodded, as though that was what he was suspecting, "I figured as much," he said, "This morning, you interviewed a pair of students at Gotham Academy?" he asked, though Percy felt it was more of a statement,


    "Yes sir," he nodded, "A miss Bette Kane and Barbara¡­Gordon¡­Oh shit,"


    The commissioner had the nerve to smirk at him, "Eloquently put detective," he said, before he leaned forward over the desk, resting his hands on the mahogany top, "Imagine my surprise when, just a few hours ago, I get a phone call from my daughter''s school. They tell me that not only has one of my daughter''s friends been murdered, but that a pair of detectives, MY detectives," he stressed, "Had been interviewing not only members of the staff, not just students, but my own daughter."


    His eyes narrowed into slits, "Mind explaining to me why the hell you were interrogating my daughter?" he growled.


    Now Percy had been chewed out before, especially during his time in the service and even worse so when he was in the Legion. He was a bit of a smartass so it came with the territory. So, this was not the first time he had been faced with a supremely pissed off C.O. That being said, given the individuals, divine and otherwise, that Percy had managed to piss off over the years, he just could not bring himself to be all that intimidated by the Commissioner''s glare. And so, he projected that front in his own posture, he remained relaxed, and calm.


    After all, he hadn''t done anything incorrectly, and the girl wasn''t a suspect, she had freely volunteered to answer his questions. Hell, because it wasn''t a formal interview, he wasn''t even required to ensure she had legal supervision. So, Percy knew that he had no done anything wrong, and that this was the effort of a man concerned for the well-being and safety of his daughter. Percy could respect that, even if it was annoying as all hell.


    With that in mind, he straightened his back and turned on what his boys in the teams called his, "leader-face," which was essentially just an icy cold glare. He wasn''t one to be intimidated, even by his own boss. "With all due respect sir, it was not an interrogation. During the course of our investigation, we were led to believe that the victim attended Gotham Academy. We followed the process which led me to the two best-friends known to our victim. I simply did what we are trained to do, I inquired about the relationship they had to our victim. I also attempted to determine if they had any knowledge which could have proven useful to our investigation. It was not an interrogation. Neither Miss Gordon or Miss Kane are suspects. If you have a problem with how I handled things than please, let''s not beat around the bush and play pretend."


    Gordon just stared at him for a minute, his eyes narrowed behind his glasses. Finally, his scowl turned into a smirk, and he began to chuckle. A deep, rumbling sound, like the motor of a vintage car. "You got spunk kid. Better yet, you''re not easily intimidated, that''s good, lord knows we need more of that around here." he said, stepping out from behind his desk to approach Percy.


    This time, he was the one to initiate the handshake, to which Percy did accept. "Sorry for the third-degree son, but where my little girl is concerned, I tend to lose my judgement. Just wanted to make sure she was telling the truth about you," he said, releasing Percy''s firm grip.


    "Sir?" Percy asked,


    "I called her, just after I got off with the school. She had nothing but good things to say about the, quote: "cute, new detective," told me he was nothing but professional, courteous, and sympathetic. That he even gave her and Miss Kane his personal number to call for help, and the number of a VERY well accredited grief counselor in Metropolis." he added, with an eyebrow raise, as though asking a question.


    "I helped her with a missing person''s case when I was still on the beat," Percy answered the unasked question.


    Gordon nodded, "However, I need you to understand something here," he said, the stern look coming back over his hard features, "The St. Clouds are a very influential family, almost as active in the community as Wayne is. That their kid was murdered in an alleyway is going to be big news. I''ve been on and off the phone with the mayor all damn day about this." he grumbled, shoving his hands back into his pockets, "This case is taking a priority until it''s solved, you and Montoya are not to take on any new cases until you have this thing wrapped up in a pretty pink ribbon for us."


    Percy nodded, though he wasn''t exactly happy about it. Not to disparage the dead, but it seemed wrong for him and Montoya to ignore any other potential cases to work this one, just because the girl''s family was politically powerful. It wasn''t something he hadn''t had to deal with before, but it still couldn''t stop Percy from hating the situation. Money made things move, and in a town like Gotham, that was doubly true.


    Gordon clearly saw Percy''s grimace and sighed in understanding, "Look son, I get it, believe me I do. Wasn''t that long ago that I was in your shoes. I don''t like this any more than you do but you know how these things go and to Mayor Hill, reputation is everything." He looked down for a second before meeting Percy''s eyes again, "So I need to know where you are so far with the case,"


    Percy nodded, before he proceeded to fill the commissioner in on what had been happening so far with the investigation, when he was done with his oral report Gordon was silent. "Alright, I''ll check with the forensics lab, in person, and put a press on them to get your case to the front of the line. You should have what you need in the morning. I''ll also give Dent a call, see if he can help expedite a warrant on the hotel, that shouldn''t be a problem but a little pressure on the right judge will go a long way towards making all of this happen a little faster. In the meantime, I want you and Renee to focus on finding that car, and figuring out who the hell was driving that little girl around for the last week."


    Percy nodded, "I''ll check back in with the chauffeur company, see if they had any kind of records on where they were going on a daily basis, and I''ll see if anyone at the hotel saw anything."


    Gordon nodded appreciatively, "Do that, any luck on getting in touch with the parents?"


    Percy shook his head, "Not yet, I was going to try again, with the time change, it should be about mid-day over there and hopefully I might be able to get ahold of one of them. I left about seven messages this morning."


    Gordon hummed in thought, "You let them know it was about their daughter?"


    Percy nodded, "Yessir, at this point it feels like they''re deliberately dodging my calls."


    Gordon quirked a brow, "Think they had something to do with it?" he asked,


    Percy shrugged, "I try not to apply motive or speculation to something until I have all of the facts."


    Gordon grunted in agreement, "Good man, you start applying theories to the crime and you begin to try warping and twisting the narrative to fit your theory." Gordon was quiet for a few seconds before he nodded at the door, "All right detective, that''ll be everything for now. But I want updates on all of this, progress reports once a day until we find the son of a bitch that did this."


    Percy nodded in agreement, "All right Jackson, you''re dismissed, and send Renee in after ya, I need to have a word with her too."


    "Pleasure to meet you sir," Percy said as he opened the door to the office and stepped back out into the bullpen. He caught sight of the lieutenant, staring at him from his place perched against Cavallo''s cubicle, but Percy ignored him. Walking back over to his own station, he sat down, tapping his partner on the shoulder,


    "You still employed?" Montoya asked, not looking up from her work,


    Percy just glared jokingly at her, "Yes, I am." he said, "Thanks for the heads up about Gordon''s kid by the way, good looking out." she just looked up and smirked at him. Percy rolled his eye before jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the office, "Your turn," he said, and Montoya looked at him confused, before glancing around Percy at the office.


    "What about?" she asked warily and Percy shrugged, "Not sure, probably just wants to talk over the case with you."


    She just shot him a look before getting up from her station and making her way to the office, not willing to not have the last comment, Percy said back to her, "Or maybe he wants to grill you over your lack of partner loyalty." He grinned cheekily when she flipped him off in response. Taking his sport coat off, he flung it over the back of chair and rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt up, pulling the stack of paperwork closer to him.


    It was going to be a long night.

 Chapter 284 - My SI Stash #84 - Rebirth In The Naruto-verse by Victortoery12 (Naruto)

    -A half Hyuga half Kaguya SI with Guy & Kakashi as his classmates~ The first SI I''ve read that actually makes use of the power of YOUTH and even that green jumpsuit... albeit for trolling purposes


    Sypnosis: It wasn''t expected or wanted, but I''ve been reborn in the naruto-verse, and ill do my best to climb my way to the top. Hyuga (SI/OC) Reviews are appreciated and will be taken into conderation


    Rated: M


    Words: 30K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13561202/1/Rebirth-In-The-Naruto-verse-SiOC (Victortoery12i)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    I, like most humans didn''t think about how I would die, I mean I knew I would die someday, but I certainly didn''t think it''d be truck-kun cutting my life short at 20 years of age. Before truck-kun had struck me down, I had just finished my stint in college, studying to be an electrical engineer.


    My life was going well, I was on my way to getting a job, making some cash, maybe finding that special someone and settling down. But before my life even started it ended. It was tragic or at least id like to think so. As I was laying on the street, conscious fading, I looked around only to see no help in sight, truck-kun slowly mockingly driving away, my world starting to get dark, I was upset but accepted that there would be no tomorrow for me, I wouldn''t see my brothers, my dog, my mother. All the things I loved gone, out of my reach.


    ''I haven''t seen my father in like a month¡­ I wish I had spent more time with him'' was my last thought as my world faded to black.


    But then I was reborn, my world didn''t end as I expected it to. One moment I took my last breath and the next I awoke with a cold intake of air and blurry vision I could hear what sounded like footsteps and the chatter of a crowd. I spent time fading in and out of conscious, trying and failing to discover where I had been reborn, I was an above-average student, nothing of note there''s plenty of those. I lived in the city so I took the bus to and from college I had 3 brothers, parents that separated, nothing special in 2020. So why was I reincarnated? It wasn''t something I wished for or disserved but it''s the hand I''ve been dealt none the less.


    Time passed and my vision improved and sounds became more audible, and with my improved senses I discovered where id been re-born, looking at my mothers blank white eyes, the constant mumbled "Hyuga-sama" from what must have been branch members as my mother passed them, I''m most likely a Hyuga.


    ''Hopefully not a branch member, ugh this sucks but at least I''m still a man... well boy. '' were my last thoughts as I drifted off to sleep.


    My first birthday came with lots of revelations, one I wasn''t a branch member, I''m the grandson of a recently deceased elder, my mother being his only daughter kept her from being sealed and will hopefully keep me from being sealed as well.


    Two I likely wasn''t a full Hyuga, I was half Kaguya, from what I could hear from the gossiping branch members my mother was captured by some hidden mist ninja when she was on a mission with her genin team, she returned wounded as the only survivor after two weeks of "Torcher and integration". From what I could hear my white hair was quite the hot topic among the Hyuga many speculating that more than interrogation happened when she was captured, but from what I can tell mom has kept mum so far and claimed that my father was a Konoha-nin, so it remains speculation so far.


    Three I found out my name Shiro Hyuga, as sad as that sounds, my interaction with my mother was minimal, she rarely came to see me and when she did she just stared at me, neither picking me up nor changing me when my diapers were soiled leavening that job to the branch members who also didn''t talk around me leavening me starved for attention and lacking in vocabulary.


    My birthday was a quiet affair as most Hyuga birthdays are, my mother holding me for the first time in months and carrying me around showing me to the elders and the clan head, none of who I recognize as Hyuga members from Narutos time likely putting me somewhere between the first and third shinobi war. While being carried around my thoughts wandered, I thought about the future what I could achieve what I could do and what I should do.


    Time passed as time does, I turned 2, I started blabbering as much as possible to every available source probably annoying the branch members taking care of me, I developed motor skills and started to run around I also started playing with my chakra and trying to unlock either of my bloodlines hoping to get an advantage early on, I experimented with pushing chakra to my eyes, bones and generally just circulating it around my body trying to train my control with little success.


    More time passed and I became 3 and I was almost certain I didn''t have the Shikotsumyaku I spent a huge amount of time sending chakra to my bones and was met with no success, but I did have a healing factor, I fell and broke my arm while wall climbing in my room and within minutes my arm was fully healed, when the branch members came and examined my arm they didn''t find a problem even though I heard a snap. I was dismissed as a child overreacting and the incident was over with.


    Id had minor success with the byakugan I was able to activate it but was unable to see more than 5 meters around my self, as it was it limited my vision more then it helped, but it did allow me to see my chakra network from the neck down and had been a great help in making me conscious of my chakra and subsequently controlling it. I was enjoying my time, playing with chakra, planning, and plotting, thinking of ways to be successful in the naruto-verse


    Yet more time passed the months went by quickly and I became 4 and started officially training, doing light exorcize, katas, and chakra control with the other Hyuga children. I stood out like a sore thumb, a mop of straight white hair among a crowd of black, most of the children avoided talking to me, which was fine but disheartening none the less. This might be a prelude to my future in the Hyuga clan, so far nothing has endeared me to them and I don''t think anything will.


    I spent about 3 weeks training and I was soon called a prodigy, my taijutsu was nothing special yet, but my physical strength, stamina and ability to control my chakra was noticed very quickly and put me well above the other Hyuga kids training with me. I outclassed them all in all areas during the lesson so it was decided I was to be separated from the rest of the children and given a personal instructor from the branch family to take over my training from then on.


    Nothing much seemed to change in my life after that, I got faint praise from my mother a "Good work you''re doing the clan proud" and a pat on my head after she watched my training and that was it, she remained distant and uninterested in my life, but that was fine I already had a mother and I didn''t blame her for disliking her **** baby.


    Even more, time passed, I trained all day with my new teacher tokuma until I was unable to move, then was promptly patched up by my healing factor during a break, in which tokuma would go over tenketsu positions, organ placement and where to strike to inflict the most damage with our taijutsu afterward I was told to train more, so I did exactly that not wasting any time, though I repeatedly asked to be taught medical Jutsu but was shot down, again and again, finally I was told I needed better control but when I proved my self by passing tokumas control test (water walking), I was told upfront that it was unbecoming for main branch members to learn useless skills like medical ninjutsu¡­ ugh.


    I continued my pursuit(begging) of learning medical ninjutsu I constantly badgered my teacher about how I wanted to use medical ninjutsu to heal my self and train more and be able to train more and get stronger and do the Hyuga clan proud but was met with zero success, so I gave up for the time being promising to come back to medical Jutsu, trusting my healing factor to get me through until I start the academy.


    Days passed I continued my training using the evening to experiment on my own with my byakugan following the path my chakra took through my brain and through my eyes increasing the flow in tiny increments in different parts of my brain and eyes being extremely careful and desperately praying to any deities above hoping to avoid injury.


    I was met with success when I realized I could change the scope of my vision changing the almost 360-degree vision to the normal 170-degrees, using the narrow field of vision I could see much farther and could still see chakra and through walls. Overjoyed with my success I continued to experiment with my byakugan and brain soon discovering that I could slow my perception which was a huge win in my books its almost like I got a discount Sharingan, I couldn''t stop smiling for days.


    I continued experimenting hoping to find some way to improve my memory by further my brain enhancements with chakra, but my luck had run out, I got c.o.c.ky and tried going off the already automatic chakra paths that the byakugan used and started to try enhancing different areas of my brain, that stunt landed me a week in the hospital and a stroke, as a result, I had to weave a story about trying and succeeding in awakening my byakugan but getting distracted and pushing too much chakra into my eyes, the story was tentatively bought by the doctors not earning much more than" hmmm" from my mother. Sadly, or perhaps not sadly my healing factor was noted.


    My release from the hospital was uneventful, strict orders not to train without supervision and I was on my way only taking a second to note the number of faces on the Hokage monument.


    My training resumed this time with much stricter with more physical workouts, spars and with medical ninjutsu and byakugan lessons in between, sadly this was cutting into my free time but it was welcome as I had no one to spend time with and decided that I probably should stop messing with my brain for the time being or at least until I was sure my healing factor or medical ninjutsu could reverse any damage id done to my self which would likely be far into the future.


    Thus, I continued my harsh new daily training, I was experimenting with my perception and Byakgan when I had free time but not daring to venture into the unknown in my brain, training wasn''t fun but it put me ahead of the rest of my age-mates and further cemented my prodigy status which I needed as I had plans and aspirations and for those to come to fruition I needed strength, I was practically given the best possible start for a second life, with both the Hyuga and Kaguya blood I had a chance of awakening the tenseigan and the Shikotsumyaku in the future, there was no need for body snatching, no Hashirama''s cells, I had a lot of protentional at my fingertips and I intended to use every second I had and every resource provided to climb my way to the top and possibly to eternal life, I had plenty of ambition and plenty of potential, I hoped to use it to make the most of my new life in the Naruto-verse.


    Chapter 2


    I recently turned five, I spent most of the year having the gentle fist burnt into my body and mind, muscles torn, then healed and refined by my healing factor, this gave me extremely good strength and stamina for my age.


    Just recently tokuma moved on to the eight trigrams declaring my gentle fist "passible", after months and months of work.


    The eight trigrams are not just one technique there are more than 10 eight trigram moves, Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven, Eight Trigrams Sixteen Palms, Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms, and so on so forth, the ''Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven'' being the one Neji was called a genius for using was sadly not available to me, tokuma explained that it was only for the clan head and heir to learn and not taught every main clan member.


    I decided that as cool as creating a giant dome of chakra was it was probity draining and better in the first place to not be hit so I decided to put it out of my mind and focus on the rest of the eight trigrams and come back to it later


    "The eight trigrams use the Hyugas innate ability to expel chakra from every tenketsu in their body" Bla Bla Bla, Tokuma never seemed to tire of his voice, sometimes explaining things like I was retarded or something, seriously Tokuma could blabber on all day, I sometimes thought about asking for a new teacher but Tokma was the best taijutsu expert the Hyuga had not counting the clan head, so I put it out of my mind and mentally prepared myself for years of mind-numbing teaching done by the stoic yet talkative Tokuma.


    My time spent being taught by Tokuma was cut short and replaced with standard, math, reading, and calligraphy, a royal pain but nowhere near as bad as the clans'' propaganda filled history lessons, thankfully I''m not being tested on history so I''ve managed to make up for some lost time by practicing with my chakra as well as trying to find other ways to make up for lost time.


    What I came up with was asking for weights or weighted seals if they existed, my Idea of weighted seals was approved¡­ then immediately vetoed by my mother of all people who unbeknownst to us was quietly watching my training that day.


    She said a soft but firm "No!.. you''ll stunt his growth" and then left walking off slowly, a visibly nervous Tokuma let out a sigh of relief, and I blew an annoyed breath out of my nose wondering what her deal was, did she care ?, I decided that it was not worth the thought and dropped it.


    Days passed and I continued to study and train making great progress in my taijutsu, but mediocre progress in my reading, writing, and calligraphy, it was slow going but I trudged forward and slowly made progress and soon it was decided that I could go to the academy and ''not embarrass the Hyuga clan'' as my mother had put it, and so off I went to the academy¡­ ok, so two months after I would ''not embarrass the Hyuga clan'' I was sent to the academy joining this years batch of cannon fodder.


    The Academy is quite large and is comprised of several buildings, the building had that iconic tree in front of it with a swing on it and a giant sign with the kanji for "fire" (»ð) on the top center tower of the building. I left my mother with a quiet "Goodbye" and left towards the interior of the school.


    Something I didn''t know myself was that the academy and the Hokage''s office were in the same building perhaps to protect future generations.


    The Classrooms in the Academy are unnecessarily large and have high ceilings, ''perhaps so the chunin don''t feel trapped and have a good ol PTSD episode and murder **** a group of children'' I choked back a chuckle at the thought as I meandered my way to the far corner of the room happy that I could claim the protagonist seat by the window.


    I had hoped for a grand entrance ceremony with the Hokage giving his fabled speech about the will of fire, but my hopes were unmet, there was only a grumpy looking genin taking names and telling you what classroom you were in. I took my seat ignoring the room of squealing 5-year old''s and looked out the window and drifted into idle thought, recently my mother handed me a book and told me to read it, being the good son I am I started reading the book that night.


    The book was about a nin that was protecting a rich merchant family in Kusagakure, anyway, the nin and the family were hiding in a hidden room in their manor trying to stay undiscovered by rival ninja sent to kill the family, but the family had a baby and the baby was crying and making noise, doing what babies do, and so the story goes the nin made a hard decision and snapped the babies neck, sadly that''s not the worst part, the worst part is that they were still found regardless, the book was a bummer but I get the idea, sometimes you have to make a decision that will break you and even then it will perhaps be meaningless in the end. Not a lesson a five-year-old should get but I apricate It none the less.


    In front of the blackboard is a podium, situated far from the students'' desks and put in a position where the teacher can view everyone at, standing at the podium is one average and forgettable ninja staring quietly and waiting for the class to notice him, I mean-while took my time to look at my classmates, there were quite a few familiar faces Kakashi, Obito, Rin, Asuma, and a very ugly young Might Gai who was quite loudly shouting about youth.


    ''I figured Kakashi was way younger than Obito and Rin, I guess Kakashi was on team Minato by himself for a while?''


    "Ok brats quiet down"


    ''for that matter why am I the same age as the trio, that''s suspiciously well-timed'' no doubt the work of whatever reincarnated me here.


    Other then that nothing of note happened.


    The days trickled on by, my training continued as did the academy classes.


    So far I''ve got the gentle fist, and some variations of the eight trigrams under my belt, I''ve also learned the Mystical Palm Technique and the Diagnostic Technique, but other then that the jutsu I can call on during a battle is limited as I focused mainly on taijutsu, I decided that I should spend some time learning ranged attacks.


    I felt unsure about how useful kunai and shuriken would be for anyone other then genin, so I put them further off leaving it to the academy to teach me and I haven''t done any nature transformation so that was out too, I instead decided to focus on the vacuum palm, it didn''t seem to do any real damage it just sort of pushed enemies over from what I could tell, it wasn''t much but it was heavily connected to the eight trigrams being called ''eight trigrams-vacuum palm so I figured id give it a go and see what comes of it.


    I had a vague of idea of using the shadow clone jutsu as well but until recently I didn''t have a reason to know it, weirdly it seems that just about everyone knows it, if my teacher can use a shadow clone to watch the class while he takes a dump then perhaps it''s not so hush-hush after all, so reason secured I proceeded to ask the closest a.d.u.l.t about it when I got home, which happened to be my mother.


    "The shadow clone jutsu allows the user to create one or more copies of themselves. The user''s chakra is evenly divided between themselves and their clones. Depending on how much chakra the user has and how many clones they make. Because of this, usually, only those of at least j¨­nin-level can safely use the standard Shadow Clone Technique"


    ''Wow that''s probably the most she''s said to me at one time''


    "Can you teach me it or have Tokuma teach me it?"


    She shifted forward a bit and narrowed her now active Bakugan at me.


    "hmm you have enough chakra¡­ I''ll show you, watch closely, Tiger!, Serpent!, Ram!" *poof*


    "Ok thanks, Oka-sama"


    I deactivated my own eyes spun on my heel and left trying to escape as fast as possible, I sat on my bed feeling weird about that whole conversation, she''s never said more then a couple of words a month to me, that really threw me off¡­ sigh ill think about it later, with that out of the way I proceed to write down the hand signs and ponder my next steps and how I would find time to practice the shadow clone jutsu in my already packed schedule.


    Learning the shadow clone jutsu wasn''t hard as I soon found out, I figured it''d take me 2+ months to learn but that wasn''t the case it only took me a week, It would have been shorter but I had exhausted my chakra for the first time and ended up laying in bed for 3 days.


    Though I had quickly learned the jutsu it wasn''t quite what I hoped it would be, my clones cant slow their perception and when me and/or a clone are performing tasks that require concentration, I''m unable to have more than a few shadow clones active at a time although I had enough chakra to have 5 or so active it felt like my brainpower was being split 5 or so ways, and so 2 clones seemed to be my limit, still, id take what I could get I had hoped to swarm any future battlefields with hundreds of fast ass-kicking white-haired Hyugas, but it twas not to be.


    Although I could only use 2 clones that still left two bodies to pursue other stuff while I trained my physical body, I figured id ought to get started right away and sent one of the clones to harass Tokma into teaching me the vacuum palm and another to go get scrolls for the academy three and learn them.


    I spent some time trying to get along with my classmates with little success most kids were too immature not that I expected any differently, Kakashi took my attempt at a friendly spar too seriously and throat punched me, and I in a moment of vengeful wrath threw him into the air and kicked him into the ground, safe to say id given up on young Kakashi.


    I and Gai, on the other hand, became fast friends, we spent a lot of time talking about taijutsu, training and sparing, my new favorite pastime was joining Gai and Duy(Guys Father) for some after school training, well the training was always silly and ridiculous though it was working and somewhat fun so I had no complaints.


    More time passed it was about the first quarter of the year and we just started sparing, most of the year so far was spent on ordinary school subjects such as history and mathematics, we were taught the basics of ninjutsu(the academy three), taijutsu, and a little bit genjutsu, we also spent a good amount of time learning "survival" outside, survival was probably the most interesting for me, it was pretty much basic bushcraft, fire starting and covering your tracks, all the stuff I had no clue about and probably wouldn''t have learned had it not been mandatory.


    Sparing was fun for the first few days, I fought¡­. Well I poked my way through the other students using the gentle fist, then the instructor started pairing me with Kakashi, and Kakashi was a little shit, he throat punched me again!


    Kakashi being an ass aside, he was a challenging opponent, forcing me to constantly use my bullet time and slow my perception, because of how fast he could change his tactics, I had to fight in constant slow motion and constantly watch and make sure he wasn''t setting some kind of trap, he got me quite a few times, forcing me out of the arena when I was too focused on fighting him, kicking dirt into my eyes and taking my feet from out under me thus ending the fight.


    Overall my academy life was going great I made good improvements, made a friend and rival, learned the shadow clone jutsu things were shaping up, sadly it wouldn''t last, I knew the third shinobi war was most likely going to happen within the next year and I didn''t feel ready, I could probably beat a standard genin or run from a chunin but I don''t think id last against a jonin, and that worried me I had hoped to make more progress then this but it was unrealistic to have expected so, I was doing fine, at five years old I was about low genin level, I took a deep breath trying to stop my self from spiraling into a panic attack, worrying wouldn''t help I should try to awaken my Kaguya bloodline again, this time using yang heavy chakra.


    Chapter 3


    It was near the middle of the school year, tensions were rising throughout the elemental nations and there were whispers of war on the horizon, I sat in my room curled up in my blankets and stewing in a particularly nasty fart.


    I was getting increasingly nervous and was making no substantial progress in medical ninjutsu nor the Kaguya bloodline and was hesitant to dedicate more time to it, as it was I spent very little time learning medical jutsu, most of my time "Learning medical ninjutsu" was just memorizing bone, arteries, veins, and tendon placement.


    I only had 3 actual medical jutsu to my name, any more then that was beyond Tokma and thus id have to intern or apprentice at the hospital, and that was a no go, I didn''t want to get shafted and permanently stuck in the hospital, I was also worried about what the clan elders could do when I no longer impressed them and furthered the Hyuga name.


    I decided to go back to brain enhancements, although incredibly risky and without a doubt dangerous they were something I needed, I didn''t want to waste time learning time-consuming things that I could later take a glance at and remember forever with me as of yet theoretical memory enhancement.


    Corse of action decided I left my room in search of books on the brain or more specifically memory.


    Id had little to no luck finding books so I sent my favorite teacher on a mission to find them, with that done I bumbled about trying to find something to do with my time.


    I was sitting crossed legged Infront of a mirror I recently had the branch members put my room, and winking at myself and admiring my good looks, I was originally sending chakra to my eyes in small burst varying in both size and density and among different paths, trying to discover new things about the byakugan and maybe luckily awaken the tenseigan but alas I had no luck and got distracted and started admiring my exotic looks.


    My mother, of course, walked in while I was doing so.


    "Shiro, Tokma brought the books you asked for¡­."


    ''Well this is embarrassing''


    We stared at each other


    "Thanks, I was just admiring my good looks"


    More silent eye contact


    "The books are on the table"


    ''Would it have been less awkward if I made an excuse?''


    Maybe honesty isn''t always the answer.


    I was sitting on my bed, a stack of brain-related books next to me, I was currently trying to summon up the mental strength to do a possible 8+ hour study session, sadly it was not working and I was once again staring at myself in the mirror.


    I took the mirror off the wall and turned it around so I could no longer see my reflection, that done I proceeded back to my bed and cracked open the first book on the pile.


    "Genjutsu And The Brain Made Easy"


    ''Probably not what I need but ill take a look''


    ''Are memories stored in just one part of the brain, or are they stored in many different parts of the brain? Inojin Yamanaka began exploring this problem, about 160 years ago, by making lesions in the brains of animals ¡­.''


    Finally getting somewhere after going through half of the books I was overjoyed, I continued reading


    ''Bla-Bla-Bla¡­ Short-term memory occurs in the prefrontal cortex. It stores information for about one minute and its capacity is limited to about 7 items¡­''


    ''Now we''re cooking''


    ''Long-term memory is processed in the hippocampus of the temporal lobe and is activated when you want to memorize something for a longer time. This memory has unlimited content and duration capacity.


    Skill memory is processed in the cerebellum, which relays information to the basal ganglia. It stores motor skills, like using hand signs, throwing a kunai, and disemboweling your enemies.''


    On the next page was a diagram detailing different parts of the brain


    ''Jackpot!''


    I couldn''t keep the grin off my face, this is what I needed, I spent the rest of the day flipping through the rest of the books in case I missed something.


    That done I spent the next week with my hand on my head constantly using the diagnostic jutsu, parsing out the different parts of my brain according to the book, I also enrolled Gai to help in my brain enhancements, not that he was much help or that he knew he was helping.


    "What do you need my help for my most youthful friend!?"


    "I just need you to sit still so I can stare at your head with my byakugan"


    "Yosh!, what are you trying to do my friend!"


    "I''m finding ways to send more chakra to my eyes, since I can''t see the tenketsu in my head I''m using yours, now stay still and quiet well I draw your tenketsu"


    Half-truth


    "Yosh! Shiro! Let your power of youth explode!"


    Gai ended that sentence with a thumbs up and a sparkle in the corner of his eye, he was indeed as youthful as one might imagine.


    Short-term memory, prefrontal cortex


    Long-term memory, hippocampus


    Skill memory, cerebellum


    Id identified all the parts of my brain with the diagnostic jutsu and was ready to experiment.


    Late at night I sat on the toilet book in lap, hoping that if I fall unconscious my mother will open the door and find me the next time, she has to use it.


    I did one last check over deciding my pants should be around my ankles if I was found just sitting on the toilet it would be a tad bit odd.


    With that done I took a hair sized string of chakra from the tenketsu at the very top of the head and guided it down to the prefrontal cortex and started cycling it then back to my tenketsu while thinking that I could afford to lose some short-term memory¡­


    Nothing seemed to happen, I continued sending chakra through my brain and proceeded to read the book on my lap, again no noticeable success but no failure either, I figured no success would come from my half-assed attempt but continued nonetheless, I ran a second string of chakra to the hippocampus and repeated the process, I took a look at the book read a few sentences and looked away recalling them word for word vividly right away.


    Success!


    Overjoyed with my success I continued to flip through the book, slowing my perception, enhancing my short- and long-term memory, trying to see if I could memorize the whole book


    It was working, I could recall everything id seen and read, a grin stretched across my face only to leave as quick as it came, I snapped the book closed and closed my eyes, a headache pounding behind my eyes, I felt extremely hungry and very tired.


    I let out a sigh, a partial success, I put the book on the back of the toilet pulled up my pants and stumbled out of the bathroom, down the hall and into the kitchen planning to quietly have a mid-night snack.


    After a day of rest missing school and training in the process I was back to experimenting late at night.


    Sadly it seems, much like how shadow clones cant slow their perception they can''t use the memory enhancement as well, even with its obvious downsides id still call it a success, though my headaches seem to have slowly decreased the more I used it I believed I wouldn''t ever be able to permanently use it.


    It didn''t allow me to view memory''s only creating very vivid new ones, the short term memory enchantment only seemed to work with the long term enhancement and vise versa, the Skill memory enhancement has yet to be tried, the book claimed that the cerebellum is responsible for learning and memorizing new motor skills like katas, I believed that the Sharingan move copy thing probably had something to do with this part of the brain as well, I had high hopes that I could run around copying moves like I had a Sharingan but like the long-term memory, enhancement didn''t make pre-existing memories clearer the same most likely applied to the skill-memory part of the brain.


    I spared a minute of thought on what I would name my memory enhancements but came up blank, I decided to end my night and perhaps come back the other memory enhancement later, maybe after id burned some medical texts into my brain.


    A few weeks passed I was once again in my much too large classroom, in the protagonist''s seat, burning a book about the respiratory system into my brain, no longer experiencing a headache for a couple of minutes of use.


    I had made explosive progress in memorizing the medical books needed to use medical jutsu, compared to before when It took 6 months to memorize something that is now 3 weeks of memorization.


    It was extremely impressive, some would call it extremely youthful.


    Yes, I was very youthful indeed.


    I spared a second to look at Gai, yes most youthful.


    Id since added chakra scalpels to my medical jutsu repertoire, I''ve also started to practice something I call medical mode, which is just me circulating medical chakra around my body and speeding up my already impressive regeneration.


    Improvement aside, I had very little experience using medical jutsu on humans, only animals, there pretty much the same thing, right?


    Left.


    I was sitting beside an extremely excited Gai, we were doing Konhoa''s equivalent of a midterm test today to decide who moves up a grade who goes down and who stays where they are.


    I believe this is when Kakashi advances to the final grade to join team Minato.


    I might advance as well, I''ve got some impressive taijutsu, average ninjutsu, impressive medical jutsu, but very mediocre written grades, as I never really paid attention and sometimes stopped halfway through assignments handing them in half blank when I got bored.


    The written test was alright, if an answer took too long to write id half-ass it, I couldn''t be bothered to explain my reasoning mainly due to general laziness.


    I decided that id leave my advancement somewhat up to fate, and not try my hardest on the written test.


    The tests were soon collected and the next part of the test started, we went through some physical exorcize, the teacher marking when a student dropped out, that finished we were lead back to the classroom, most of the class sweaty and miserable looking, Kakashi, Gai, and I standing out looking rather unruffled.


    The final test started, slowly person after person left the room some returning some not, and midway through it was my turn, I was brought in to a cleared classroom and made to stand in Infront of a group of 3 teachers.


    They made me go through the academy katas, then the academy 3, and told me to go to room 2A which I guess meant I passed and had been moved up.


    I walked down the hall and thought about Gai, though I was sad, to leave Gai behind I had to move on with my life and continue to gain strength.


    I walked into my new classroom and stared at a class full of 10-year-old children most of them being from the clans.


    I made eye-contact with Kakashi and the little ass snorted and looked away


    I ignored whatever that was and looked towards my favorite seat, only to find it already taken by a brown-haired average joe.


    I absentmindedly stared at the class and started thinking about ways to get average joe to give up my seat.


    I was scared out of my thoughts by a loud.


    "Line up Brats, its time for sparing!"


    From directly behind me.


    Note to self: perhaps don''t stand in doorways.

 Chapter 286 - My SI Stash #86 - I Need A Meatshield- I Mean Hero! by testpilot24 (MonsterGirlQuest)

    -Truly a horrendously underrated story underneath all the kinks. It really doesn''t hurt that the MC gets with Alice too~


    Sypnosis: How would you expect a grand adventure to start? With a flair for the dramatic? No, no too obvious. Maybe then it could work that way. Everyone expects it to happen, so they think it won''t happen, but it does! Subvert it then? How would you manage that? Have an ordinary day gone wrong?


    Rated: T


    Words: 278K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/11094657/1/I-Need-A-Meatshield-I-Mean-Hero-Monster-Girl-Quest-Self-Insert (testpilot24)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    How would you expect a grand adventure to start? With a flair for the dramatic? No, no too obvious. Maybe then it could work that way. Everyone expects it to happen, so they think it won''t happen, but it does! Subvert it then? How would you manage that? Have an ordinary day gone wrong?


    Or right depending on how much of a masochist you are.


    Here''s a hint, I''m not one.


    So when one simple day of the week decided to screw me over I would have never expected that. Which is why I should have, more ironic that way. I never saw it coming after all!


    It started as any other, went to bed sometime after one in the morning, slept right through till twelve thirty, and actually got up just before one. Big accomplishment for me. I set my alarm to go off at ten, but I kept slamming the snooze button for hours on end. Yes I have horrible sleeping habits, but it''s Christmas break and I do what I want!


    Dragging my body out of bed, I fumbled for my glasses, threw on a shirt and a pair of socks. Leaving my room I was greeted by my fat ass cat. I gave him a friendly scratch under the chin. He deserved, the fat bastard was waiting there right outside my door. How cute of him.


    "Hey there kitty. Who''s a pretty kitty? You are. Yes you are. Yes you are." I said in that cutesy voice everyone makes, but is too embarrassed to admit it. You know the one.


    Following that I found my way to the kitchen, and made myself a bowl of cereal. Almost out of milk, gotta ask mom to pick up more today. Ate while browsing the internet on my dad''s IPad. I checked out Spacebattles, no new alerts there. Hmm seemed like my parents were already at work, and my brother had left for his friend''s house. Home alone for the short time that it mattered.


    I finished up with breakfast and went to take a shower, wasted twenty minutes in there enjoying the hot water. I was deliberately trying to fog up the bathroom mirrors. Usually I never do that, causes mold after all, but what the hell? Who''s here to stop me? Nobody! That''s who!


    I dried off and quickly got dressed. Ah, the old tried and true jeans and a t-shirt look. The shirt was one of my thicker ones with a chest pocket. I may not use that pocket, but it''s there! Just in case! I think that particular shirt was green, of course over the next fews months of hell that became my life it didn''t stay that colour. My only pair of socks don''t last too long either, nor did my underwear. My jeans though, they, were good to me.


    What had forced me to give a damn about today? Very good question! Does looking into a picture of the sun hurt my eyes? Who asked that?! Was it you?! *Blam!* That''s a very stupid question! This is the intro part, so don''t count on the fourth wall protecting you yet! I can still get you! So see what happens if you try that again!


    ¡­ Anyways, I was going out to a friend''s house that afternoon with the guys. He was hosting a movie night then later we''d try to go out to a pub for some drinks. Never got to do that, everyone''s too busy with school or work to get together. But if there wasn''t the promise of cheap junk food or pizza I wouldn''t have gotten up that morning, afternoon technically. Okay that and they''re my friends.


    As any sensible man would, I threw on my hoodie and leather jacket, gotta layer up on that clothing. It might not have been snowing, but damn was it cold. I should have even put on gloves or a hat, but that''s just too sensible. And the hat would mess up my hair¡­ yes, I''m petty.


    I checked all my pockets to ensure I had everything I would need for the day. A part of the plan at my friends house was us staying over for the night and making it a sleepover, sort of thing. It would have been smart to pack a bag of spare clothing, toiletries like my toothbrush and toothpaste, a spare package of my medication, pajamas. You know the standard stuff. Really wished I had, but at the time I wasn''t planning on staying overnight.


    Seriously if I had packed that bag, so many of my problems that are yet to come, would''ve been much more tolerable if I had my pajamas. They were so comfy.


    Before I left I gave my cat a small snack to placate him. If I hadn''t he would''ve torn up the house. I walked for about five minutes before turning onto the main road. This put me in a pretty good mood.


    You want to know why? Course you do, you''re reading this. What?!You don''t?! How dare you! *Blam!* I told you the fourth wall is weakest at the introduction! I haven''t been caged by the narrative proper yet!


    Now to reach my friend''s house I simply could have walked there. But I''m too lazy to do that, so it was the bus for me. Thankfully there was a bus stop at the end of a nearby street. There was something I loved about this street. That was it was flat and long so I could sing and walk without feeling out of breath. Have you ever tried to climb a really steep hill and sing at the same time? Not fun.


    Let''s see, what to sing? What to sing? Ah! I''ve got it! Remembering the lyrics¡­. alright got that!


    I began to snaps my fingers and hum to build up the right rhythm. There was nobody else on the street, so I could sing as loud as I wanted.


    "Times, have changed.


    And we''ve often rewound the clock,


    Since the puritans got the shock,


    When they landed on Plymouth Rock.


    If today,


    Any shock they should try to stand,


    ''Stead of landing on Plymouth rock. Plymouth Rock would land on them!


    In olden days, a glimpse of stocking,


    Was looked on as something shocking.


    But now, God know!


    Anything goes!


    Good authors too who once knew better words,


    Now only use four-letter words,


    Writing prose.


    Anything goes!"


    It was a wonderful day, not a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining bright. It was the type of day were the only indications that it was winter was the freezing temperature and I could see my own breath.


    "If driving fast cars you like,


    If low bars you like,


    If old hymns you like,


    If bare limbs you like,


    If Mae West you like,


    Or me undressed you like,


    Why, nobody will o-ppose~.


    When ev''ry night the set that''s smart,


    Is intruding nudist parties in studios.


    Anything goes!"


    What''s the next verse? Something, something, Mcclane? Russian Reds?


    "When Missus Ned McLean, God bless her,


    Can get Russian reds to "yes" her,


    Then I suppose


    Anything goes!


    When Rockefeller still can hoard enough money to let Max Gordon


    Produce his shows,


    Anything goes!


    The world has gone mad today


    And good''s bad today,


    And black''s white today,


    And day''s night today,


    And that gent today


    You gave a cent today


    Once had several chateaux.


    When folks who still can ride in jitneys


    Find out that the Vanderbilts and Whitneys


    Lack baby clothes,


    Anything goes!"


    I was nearing the end of the song. Don''t screw it up! It had taken weeks to remember the lyrics to this song, even then I''m still second guessing which verse is which. Eh, who cares. Just me here. It''s funny though, I guess that meme holds true, play Fallout, become musically cultured.


    "When Sam Goldwyn can with great conviction


    Instruct Anna Sten in diction,


    Then Anna shows


    Anything goes.


    When you hear that Lady Mendl standing up


    Now turns a handspring landing up-


    On her toes!


    Anything goes!


    Just think of those shocks you''ve got


    And those knocks you''ve got


    And those blues you''ve got


    From that news you''ve got


    And those pains you''ve got,


    If any brains you''ve got,


    From those little radios~.


    So Missus R., with all her trimmings,


    Can broadcast a bed from Simmons


    ''Cause Franklin knows


    Anything goes!"


    I finished the song as my bus just passed me by¡­ F.u.c.k! How did I miss that?! I turned my head to follow the bus and whelp. He just kept going, driving down the road. How the hell did he miss me?


    Well¡­ nothing I can do now. I walked up to the bus stop''s signpost and stood there. I''ve got thirty minutes to burn now. Great.


    As a car speeds by me, I instinctively step back a few feet. It felt a little too close for comfort. I heard some honking and turned to look down the street. Approaching me was a massive semi-trailer so I again step back a few feet away from the curb.


    As I did I saw something at the edge of my vision. It was a blurry purple¡­ tear?


    And now everything around me is green!


    Where''s the street lights?! Where''s that signpost?! The concrete?!


    As I was suppressing the urge to freak out I didn''t notice the truck I thought to avoid continue driving by the curb with plenty of room to spare. No, what caught my eye was that the purple tear in reality suddenly closed with a pop sound.


    Leaving me standing on a dirt path in the middle of a forest.


    ..


    ..


    ..


    ..


    ..


    "Did I, did I¡­. just do that? Was that a portal? Did I just walk through a portal!? On accident!?"


    It was going to be one of those days.


    I had been walking through this forest for the better part of three hours. I know that because I constantly checked my cell phone to keep track of the time, and in the dim hope of getting a signal. But let''s be honest here¡­ I''m f.u.c.k.i.e.d.


    The forest around is pretty generic. I mean it''s a forest. What do you expect. It''s got trees, and grass, and leaves, and bushes, and shrubs, and dirt, plenty of dirt. In fact I''m on a dirt path right now!


    I think this path may be well traveled. There''s plenty of faded foot and hoof prints in the dirt, so people on horses come through here. The trees aren''t packed close together like they would be if this was¡­ more natural? Untouched by man? F.u.c.k! You know what I mean. No people around equals shoulder to shoulder trees. Least that''s what I''ve read.


    Really this place wouldn''t look out of place as a city park. Save for the lack of cigerette buds on the ground or car noises in the distance or gum staining the ground. So either that means this place has a really great maintenance staff or more likely I wasn''t in a civilized area. No, better term would be industrial, saying it''s not civilized feels rude¡­. even though I''m not talking to anyone.


    Great thought policing there citizen.


    There''s clouds in the sky, not that noteworthy except there wasn''t any before. Sun was warmer as well, so I had to unzip my hoodie and I tied my jacket around my waist. There was a nice, gentle breeze, so I wasn''t overheating. I think I''m taking this rather well, backed into a portal, got dumped into a forest and I haven''t freaked out! Yet.


    My feet were killing me, I was just walking for three hours straight. No breaks. I mean, what would I do? Sit on the grass and think stuff over? Hah! Nope. If I''ve already got momentum built up I''m not letting it go to waste, so that means I kept walking.


    As a passed a bush I thought I heard a bubbling noise. I smartly kept going past it.


    Oh wow, that is getting louder. Better check out what it is.


    I looked over my shoulder and saw a puddle of blue slime ooze out from the bushes and onto the path, constantly bubbling and gurgling as it went. Leaving a thin trail of blue slime in its wake.


    Well I''m sure that''s completely normal¡­ so normal in fact I''m just going to continue walking away from it.


    So I guess this means I''m in some sort of fantasy word. Blue slimes are the weakest RGP enemy right? Never mind the fact I have no effective means of actually hurting it if it should catch up to me, but it won''t.


    I increased my walking speed and continued off down the path.


    "Hello~"


    Oh thank god! Another person! But why did it come from¡­ behind me¡­


    I looked over my shoulder again and¡­


    "Oh f.u.c.k me."


    "Okay!"


    Flowing towards me at a disconcerting speed was not a regular slime or gelatinous cube or even a woman. No, it was a slime girl¡­ yes that name says it all. It is a slime monster, except that it is in the shape of a young woman¡­


    So monster girls¡­


    I''m doomed.


    "Stop running! I just want to love you!"


    "How are you keeping up with me?!"


    "My l.u.s.t for you drives me forward! And you''re fat!"


    "I don''t know you!"


    "We can get to know each other later¡­ physically!"


    "Leave me alone!"


    "Never! You''re gonna get slimed and love it!"


    I collapsed in a heap on the ground, leaning against a tree and panting heavily. My shirt was drenched in sweat, my hair was a matted mess and my glasses were fogging up from my body heat alone. I had lost that crazy slime girl. She was persistent, but¡­ I don''t really have anything else to say. She wouldn''t f.u.c.k.i.n.g quit!


    She almost got me a few times, as the slime stains on my jacket and jeans can attest to. I tried wiping it off but it only got stuck to my hand, and then I wiped my hand off on jeans. So everything is a sticky mess.


    I also learned I f.u.c.k.i.n.g love adrenaline. God that is stuff great! I was running off and on again for over an hour. I wasn''t even¡­ tired¡­ well until now.


    Now I think¡­ that I''m just going to take a quick nap. My eyes were feeling heavy and I was slowly nodding my head.


    Man that took a lot out of me. Am I that out of shape?


    The answer was yes.


    I blinked a few times. One second it was still daytime, next the sun was setting.


    Shit! I should¡­ I should get up and keep walking, go find a nearby town or something.


    Begrudgingly I pushed myself up. Blinking the sleep from my eyes I set back down the path, in the hopes of finding civilization soon.


    Chapter 2


    Okay, so it turns out that trying to sleep walk through the night was a bad idea. I eventually had to stumble off the road and get some sleep under a different tree. I''d gambled with my life, again, by doing that, but I was too tired to carry on. What little sleep I got was wracked by nightmares, thirst and hunger. First time I''ve ever gone to sleep without eating or drinking anything.


    It was worth it though, I woke up near sunrise feeling slightly refreshed. Enough that I could get walking without the threat of collapsing again. During the night I tried to remember what I knew about this setting. The major characters, factions, and the general outline of the plot. Surprisingly I think I remembered a lot from the game.


    I didn''t want to assume too much about where I was just based on meeting a slime girl, but some of the things she had said were very explicit as to where I was.


    "This is because of Ilias isn''t it?! It''s not intercourse if it''s slime!"


    "How did you find me?!"


    "Your delicious scent darling!"


    "Leave me alone! Don''t you have anything better to do?!"


    "Nothing is better than you darling! If you want I can change for you! I''m a slime, we''re remoldable!"


    "How desperate are you?!"


    "Very!"


    The path I was on had started to widen into a proper dirt road, and I saw a sign that read "Ilias Village". That''s a good sign.


    Hehehe.


    So I was nearly at the village now, close to good old civilization! The path looked increasingly well-traveled, and through the trees and leaves, I could make out the tips of buildings and farmland in the distance.


    As I moved closer to the forest''s edge I wondered what I was planning to do. I know I need to speak to Luka. He''s the key figure to stopping Ilias and ultimately saving the world. No pressure.


    So, what the f.u.c.k am I going to say to him? Oh hi I fell through a portal and know your entire life story, now listen to me if you want to live! Are you a bad enough dude to romance the Monster Lord?! Yeah! That will go over well.


    Maybe play up the religious angle?


    Yeah that could work. I''ll just claim I got a vision from Ilias, standard "seek out this hero and help him defeat the Monster Lord" stuff. He''d believe that since he''s got visions from her himself and then bam. I''m in!¡­ God that feels manipulative saying that.


    Thinking about trying to insert myself into his life to better pull the puppet strings as it were, just feels like I''m being a stalker¡­ Eh it''s for his good, the worlds good, but most importantly my own good. I can''t leave it up to chance that he''s going to save the world. I mean if I know that the world is being threatened I should do something about it. Even if that''s pawning off all responsibility onto Luka.


    I was passing by a fence post when I noticed a farmer tending to the field not too far away. I shouted to gain his attention and waved at him "Hello! Ah, over here!"


    He looked up from his field and waved back.


    I walked off the road to get closer to him.


    I hoped my clothing wasn''t too unusual. I don''t want to draw any unnecessary attention to myself. What if the townsfolk start mocking me behind my back! Unusual? More like ridiculous! They''re going see the slime stains! The rumors!


    Wait, stop that train of thought, it''s just going to throw me off.


    "Sorry to be a bother, but I''ve been lost for the last couple days and need some directions. Could you offer me some assistance?" I asked him.


    "Sure, no problem. What are you looking for?"


    "Ah well, I was just wondering if this is indeed Ilias Village. I''d gotten all mixed up on the way over here, so I don''t know which way is which."


    He nodded. "Eyup, happens to the best of us. Probably some monster working her vile magic to get ya lost in them woods. Good thing you ran into my though, been living here my whole life. Know these woods like the back of my hand." To demonstrate he lifted up his hand.


    And it was then speared by an arrow.


    "Jesus Christ! The f.u.c.k?!"


    The farmer for his part was calm. "Sweet Ilias, those elves are attacking again. Best start running boy, lest they catch ya." With that he ran off with an arrow in his hand, blood trailing on the ground behind him.


    "Again! What?!"


    Now a smart person would have ran off with the farmer, maybe followed him to the safety of other people. I on the other hand, looked around like an idiot, too confused to process what was going on.


    A few arrows shot into the ground near my feet, making me jump is surprise.


    "Don''t move!" A woman''s voice called out.


    I turned to see where it was coming from. At the edge of the farmers field was a broken down fence separating the field from the forest I had just wandered out of.


    Jumping the fence was two dark elves with bows. I could tell they were dark elves because of the bright, platinum hair, and well, their dark brown skin. It''s a dead give away, really.


    "You shot the wrong one!" One elf berated the other.


    "It doesn''t matter we scared him off! Now get the fat one!"


    Shit! Are they talking about me?! Of course they are! Who else is here!


    They were half jogging, half running towards me. Closing the distance between us too quickly for my liking. I turned away from them and finally started running, going in the same direction I saw the farmer go. I felt a pairs of hands tried and fail to grasp the back of my jacket.


    Too close!


    "The f.u.c.k is going on?!" I yelled out in confused frustration. Really shouldn''t have done that though, man I was out of shape. Running for only ten seconds and I''m already getting out of breath.


    This was going end pathetically for me, I just know it.


    "A marriage proposal! Sunny, bring him down!"


    "The arm or leg?"


    "The arm! I don''t want to carry him!"


    As I kept going the sound of the elves boots on the ground stopped. For a brief moment I fooled myself into thinking they had given up, and then I realized what they had just said. They aren''t really going to shoot me-


    They shot me!


    "The hell?!"


    And now I''m one the ground, clutching the arrow sticking out of my left arm!


    Ow that hurts! Seriously, you would not believe the pain I''m in! I don''t think I would have been able to keep running like that crazy farmer. The pain and shock was too distracting for me. Did I mention I''m kind of a p.u.s.s.y, never been in a fight before and I bruise like a ripe orange.


    I noticed two shadows on the ground next to me and felt a boot press down on my back.


    I glanced up to get a look at them. They looked¡­ just like normal women, save for those big anime, pointed elf ears. You know the ones that stick out to the side. Clothing was a green tunic and skirt. The only difference between them was the one that had her boot on my back had green eyes and the other one holding her bow had golden, yellowish eyes.


    Through clenched teeth I said. "Lovely weather we''re having. Think I might bother you to get this arrow out of my arm? Seeing as you put it there in the first place!"


    "Quit crying, it doesn''t hurt that much." Green eyes said. "Sunny tie him up." Oh the golden eye one is Sunny, that''s cute.


    "Uh sure, but should I remove the arrow first?"


    "Well obviously¡­ no, maybe? We removed it when we shot those deer."


    "Yeah, and without the arrow blocking the wound they bleed out. We want him alive after all."


    "Huh, yeah but you remember that Mom said not to leave the arrow in, it can cause long term damage to the body. A crippled man would be worthless."


    "Okay," Sunny looked down at me. "This is going to hurt, so uh, sorry."


    Oh please say she isn''t going to? I was just joking about that!


    F.u.c.k!


    She did!


    She pulled the arrow clean out, and now I''m listing off every swear I know.


    They gave me a few moments to calm down, before my arms were roughly grabbed and pulled behind my back. I felt my wrist being loosely bound together by rope. Great, been here two days and already caught by monster girls. "Is this really necessary?! Aren''t we are all rational people here?!"


    I was pulled up by my shoulders to a standing position by the two elves. They were stronger than they looked, and short than I thought. They didn''t come up to my shoulders.


    "We were being ''rational''. We told you not to move."


    "Why, did you run? Scared by two pretty girls running at you~?" Sunny asked.


    "You startled me."


    "We startled you?"


    "Yes. You, startled me."


    "Aw, we''re sorry, but don''t worry. We''ve got all the time in the world to make up for it~." Green eyes said sarcastically.


    "Or, or, hear me out. You let me go, and¡­"


    "And?" She motioned for me to continue.


    "¡­ Give me a moment. I''m still trying to get my wits about. You did just shoot me."


    She gave me a flat look. "Get walking." With that both of them started to shove me towards the forest.


    Whelp, I''m a goner.


    It was a good run. A short run, but¡­. No, I suck. Caught by elves, the most boring monster girls ever, and I still have a gaping wound in my arm. I should have taken that slime up on her offers, at least that would have been a unique experience. But elves, all they had were those ears.


    With all the possibilities in the world, why elves?


    "We did it, we did it, we did it! Sis we finally caught one!" Sunny excitedly exclaimed.


    "Yes! We can hopefully pay off that bounty¡­ "


    "What are you two talking about?" I asked them. Man, whatever this is about really has them excited¡­ Why can''t I feel my arm?


    "N-nothing! Foolish man! We''ve got you ensnared in our trap. Right Sunny?"


    "Yeah-h, yes!"


    "That''s great but, my arm has gone numb¡­ I think I need serious medical attention."


    There''s a hole in my arm, my shirt, and my hoodie. All of three of which are being stained by fresh blood, my own blood might I add, and I''m feeling more and more lightheaded. Taking a second to process that.


    "It''s not like the Harpy Queen put a bounty on us for trying to steal her village''s men."


    "That man was rightfully ours! We stole him from the bees first!" Sunny interjected.


    "And it''s not like we''re taking you her as tribute in the vain hope that she won''t imprison us."


    My whole body was going numb now. That was not a good sign. I slurred out a mumble for help.


    "Good, that toxin is working now."


    I fell over, face first into the ground.


    "Sunny, you used the knockout one right?" Sis asked. Yes that''s what I''m calling her. In no position to ask for her real name at the moment.


    "Of course, it''s the one from the red bottle."


    "No¡­ that''s the heart stopping one. The knockout is in the maroon bottle."


    "Quick feed him the antidote!"


    My face was roughly grabbed and bottle was shoved into my mouth. A vile tasting liquid was poured in, which I promptly threw up.


    "Sis! I think we screwed up! We should''ve just served the jail time with the harpies."


    "Sunny!"


    "They have those soft down feathers,"


    "Sunny!"


    "And those little baby chicks loved us,"


    "Sunny!"


    "And now he''s going to die!"


    "Sunny! Shut up!" I heard a loud slap. "Everything is going to be fine! He is fine." She pulled me up from the ground, again. "See! Standing up right!"


    It was at that moment the metaphorical cavalry arrived. We heard the wild shouting first, and I was turned to see who was coming to get me out of here.


    On the dirt road I could make out a small figure waving a sword wildly over his head with a big red cloak billowing in the wind. And I think I could see his hair color, it was¡­ purple.


    It was Luka, and only Luka- Oh wait, there''s an angry mob of farmers armed with pitchforks trailing behind him. Vision blacked out there for a moment. Couldn''t see them.


    Great! I''m recused!


    "The humans are onto us Sis! What do we do?"


    "Cut loose the bastard and run Sunny! Run!"


    "Are you sure?! Can''t we carry him-"


    "Yes!"


    They panicked and acted in a way I had really hoped they wouldn''t. They stabbed me in the back¡­ multiple times, and left the dagger in there.


    Killed by the most amateurish kidnappers ever.


    On the plus side though I think Sunny was against that, I saw golden eyes looking worried for me?? or that was worried about the angry mob.


    So there I was, back to being face down on the ground. Again. I wish I had blacked out from blood loss or from the poison, but I was still conscious. I even heard Luka ask me something, he shook me a little to see if I was alive. So I yelled in pain some more.


    The welcome to this place sucks.


    Omake: Last Sweetroll


    It has come to this.


    I must fight the Monster Lord. We could have stopped this madness at any point. We could have walked away from each other. Let cooler heads prevail. We could have tried giving diplomacy a chance. But in the end we both knew it would come to this.


    From the day we meet in that forest outside Ilias Village all the way to now. All the adventures and good times and hardsh.i.p.s we''ve suffered together, forgotten in this very moment.


    I was going to face Alipheese Fateburn the Sixteenth in one on one combat for the ultimate prize.


    The last sweetroll.


    Don''t laugh!


    This is a very serious manner! I haven''t had a proper sweet in weeks!


    I haven''t braved to try anything new since the first honey incident. After that I let Luka try everything first, or took my chances when alone with Alice¡­ hence why there are other honey incidents that shall not be named or ever spoken of unless I get really drunk and tell Luka, but he''d be too ashamed to tell anyone else.


    I was staring her down from across the table, poised with my fork. Ready to skewer that sweetroll for myself! It tasted like a cinnamon bun, but better! I think that was the sugar deprivation I was going through, I needed my fix! I know Alice was holding out on me, so there was no way I was letting her get that sweetroll.


    Sure I had like four or five maybe six, seven at most, but it was the principle of the matter. The principle being hazy and unclear at the moment, but it was a principle none the less!


    I glanced at her face and our eyes met. Her gaze hardened while she nudged her head towards that wonderful sweetroll.


    My arm tensed. Should I make the first move or her?


    I stabbed down on the sweetroll before she could react! Yes! It is mine!


    As I brought my fork up to enjoy the well-earned victory my hand stopped. Intercepted by¡­ her tongue? Clever girl.


    She was leaning over the table and had shot out her tongue to grab the fork. That thing has to have been stretched out over a foot long! Luka was staring at her in shock and surprise.


    "Alice, let go of my fork."


    "You release my sweetroll."


    "How are speaking with your tongue like that? You should be slurring all your words and making a fool out of yourself." Luka pointed out to her.


    "With plenty of practice." She started to reel in her tongue.


    Well two can play at that game.


    I grabbed my wrist with my other hand, planted my feet and pulled with all my might. I think I stood a chance there!


    And was then promptly dragged onto the table. Note to self, monster girls are really strong. I kept forgetting that.


    "I will repeat myself. Release my sweetroll or I add you to my dessert for making work for what is rightfully mine."


    "Fine!" I release my grip on my fork. She began smiling triumphantly, thinking she had won or "put me in my place". Well I had one more ace up my sleeve. In hindsight this was a stupid idea, but totally not worth it.


    I pushed myself up and dove at her! Grabbing her tongue with my hands and wrenched the sweetroll from it! I quickly took a bite of it and dropped the tiny flake that was left on the table.


    "You, my, you¡­ you." She glared at me.


    Yes that was unbelievably stupid.


    "Ahhaha! I got it! Mine! All mine" I shouted, basking in my short lived and suicidal victory.


    What happened next a blur, but the last coherent thing I remember seeing was Luka''s terrified face and then the hard wooden edge of the table slamming into mine.


    Bethesda warned him not to do it, but he failed to hear their lessons. Never touch another person''s sweetroll.


    Chapter 3


    Okay! Some good news, I am not dead.


    ***


    "Luka, grab the hard liquor!"


    "R-right!"


    "Clamp down on this buddy! We don''t need you biting your tongue off because this is gonna hurt you, a lot."


    Bad news, I am in a tremendous amount of pain.


    ***


    "The skin on his back has started to turn black."


    "What can we do?"


    "Luka, run to the Temple, find the priest, and bring him here!"


    "Ah ¨C Okay!"


    "And remember one thing while you''re at it. Pray for him Luka, he''s going to need it."


    Surgery was a bit touch and go there, well what qualifies as surgery around here anyway, but I think I''m going to make a full recovery!


    ***


    "Dear Ilias, who art thou Lord of Heaven, sacred be thy name¡­"


    That''s right. I''m going to be just fine¡­


    You buy that?


    Yeah me neither.


    I was lying down in bed, trying to get some rest.


    I''m pretty sure I was in Luka''s house. Nobody loudly said "here''s Luka''s house!" to me, just dumped me in a bed. Though he is the only person I consistently see here, and he brings me food and water¡­ and helps me up to the washroom.


    I shifted my head on my pillow.


    The bed was not comfortable at all, but it''s better than what I had in the forest, i.e. nothing. It''s to be suspected, no modern mattresses after all. The bed''s just¡­ I don''t know, cloth and stuffing.


    I''m dying here. The intricacies of medieval mattress manufacturing are one of the last things on my mind. Okay not dying, but it feels like it.


    Sometimes it felt like I was just laying here drifting in and out of consciousness for days one end.


    So, I''m trying to stay positive¡­ uh, I''m covered in comfy pillows and blankets. It''s like my own private pillow fort!


    Okay what else?


    Oh, the chamber pot isn''t that bad¡­.


    Though it is demeaning to have a guy that just barely comes up to my chest help me out of bed and walk me to the washroom. Luka is freakishly small. More than four feet tall, but less than five feet tall, maybe little old lady size? I don''t know! He''s a real life shota! I''m just guesstimating here!


    The time''s I''ve gotten the chance I''ve been scrubbing my hands raw with hot water and soap. I''ve also only been drinking boiled water and eating soup or oatmeal. I may have survived being stabbed in the back, with no signs of an infection so far, but I don''t want to be done in by a cup of bad water.


    What was strange about my surgery is that the doctor knew proper sanitation and surgical procedure. I might not be giving much credit to the guy, so I asked Luka about it. He said Ilias appeared in front of everyone in the room and gave instructions on how to save my life.


    Yay.


    I''m interesting to a mad, genocidal goddess.


    No, I''m not joking.


    I''m only alive right now because of literal divine intervention.


    I was worried about that causing some big stir, but she comes down to the village''s Temple in person every year like clockwork, so it''s not as miraculous as it sounds.


    While I was laying here I''ve had nothing but time to go over what I knew, again. I would try reading, but I''m still too tired to.


    "Let''s see here, what do I remember?"


    Okay, the big players, contrary to what Ilias claims she is not the goddess that created the world. In fact nobody did, she stumbled upon it or was born long after it''s formation. Nobody made humans either, they were already alive by the time Ilias and the First arrived or were born. Although I''m pretty sure the First is the one that created that Critical Ecstasy bullshit thing in humans, only one with the motive and the means to do it, or maybe Ilias did.


    So Ilias is really just a jumped up "light" elemental. Wouldn''t say that to her face, she has some major mental issues and would take it very personally.


    Then about a thousand years ago she got into a massive war with the First Monster Lord, who was the jumped up "dark" elemental. Ilias started it in part because she spent millions of years roaming the world alone and couldn''t create life effortlessly like the First. Thus she got jealous and things deteriorated from there. Another thing, light can''t created life, so much as influence thoughts and behaviour. Well it can create life, angels are nothing of pure light energy, but point is Ilias had only herself for millions of years.


    Coincidentally Luka''s mother is- was Lucifina who was one of the first angels created, she held the rank of Eden or Seraphim I think, thus technically making Ilias Luka''s grandmother in some sense of the word.


    "All one big messed up family tree." I mumbled to myself.


    As the war progressed it almost destroyed the planet from all the energy the combatants were releasing, or something like that. The First realized this, didn''t want the world to end, and tried to make a ceasefire with Ilias. Ilias did a "if I can''t have it no one can", and the First relented.


    Ilias then forced the First and her ''daughters'', the Six Ancestors, into a seal that draws power from their own power, making it impossible for them to break free. Any attempt to just makes it stronger. But a failsafe was built in to prevent Ilias from completing her genocide of all monsters. Killing enough monster would release enough dark energy into the world that would allow the First to overpower her seal, then fight Ilias, and make more monsters. Although now Ilias believes she''s created a suitable work around for that.


    The Six Ancestors being the first monsters created by the First, and thus all monsters in existence are descended from them, except for the Monster Lord family line who comes from the First.


    "What do I know about them?"


    I only know about two of them. One was the original succubus, Whore of Babylon or something to that effect¡­ I think. That''s probably a title she got, not a name. She''s only noted for going against the First in general because she wanted to eat and f.u.c.k everyone to death. Sounds right for the original succubus. The other one was a nine tailed kitsune named-


    I snapped my fingers. "Right! Tamamo!"


    Tamamo is one of the Six Ancestors and was there to see this all go down¡­ hmmm, and Luka runs into her at that ocean cliff face, cave, shrine, place.


    A very stupid plan was forming in my delirious head. I could tag along with Luka on his quest, get to that cave, speak to Tamamo, and then BOOM! Make a better plan to save the world with her!


    Okay it''s not that easy, but I''ve got to start somewhere and that''s assuming anything is even close to canon. I don''t want to assume too much, but if the threat of a world ending genocide is a possibility, better safe than sorry. I want as many people onboard as possible to prevent that.


    It may seem silly to base my whole plan on the off chance of running into Tamamo, but she''s a nine tailed kitsune who can get into a fist fight with Ilias and walk away unscathed¡­ And that''s in her sealed loli form, not even at full strength.


    She''s really the best bet I have.


    "Operation Touch Fluffy Tails is a go! You onboard Luka?"


    "What are you talking about?"


    "My deranged imagination! Now give me those painkillers!"


    Even if we don''t directly run into Tamamo, there''s hopefully plenty of other chances to get into contact with her.


    Again assuming anything in this world I run into resembles the canon of that visual novel hentai game. Though at this point assuming is all I got.


    So I have confirmed it. I am indeed living with Luka, he''s a nice enough lad. Gave me a spare room and bed after the surgery, apparently Ilias had suggested it to him. She said it would be fitting for a hero like him to lend me help, which he obviously did.


    Yes, she did physically descend from Heaven into the room, and then spoke to them all.


    Also yes, from the glimpses I got between blacking out from the pain and then the drugs, she is hot. Very hot¡­


    What?


    I got my priorities.


    I should be more disturbed or worried by that, but drugs!


    Sure they''re not as good as real drugs, but damn if these guys don''t know what they''re doing!


    I may have been living at his house for a while, but most of the time it was me lying in bed trying not to reopen my wounds, and him going about usual schedule. Not much interaction between us. I guess today''s as good a time as any to chat with Luka.


    I decided to wait till noon, when he entered my room with a bowl of soup. I straightened up in the bed before speaking.


    "SO! Luka, how are you?"


    "Good. Is your back acting up?"


    "Nah, it''s fine. I had just realized I haven''t thanked you for all your help. So, thank you."


    "Oh, don''t worry about that, it would be unheroic not to help you. After all you were stabbed¡­ repeatedly. Though most people would die from that."


    "Yes! That''s why I''m thanking you now! I am going to live! If I thought I was dying then I''d be cursing you for not doing enough to save me!"


    "Wha-"


    "But enough about me! I want to know more about you. You keep mentioning heroes, do you plan to become one?"


    "Yes!" He said with re-found confidence. "I plan to become a hero and defeat the Monster Lord."


    "Thus bringing peace to the world, how very noble of you. But I was just curious about something, if you don''t mind me asking."


    "Go ahead." He nodded.


    "If you defeat the Monster Lord, that''ll bring peace to the entire world, but that also includes monsters. Who will then coexist with humans, like what happened five hundred years ago. That seems like something you wouldn''t want, does it? In fact Ilias may take issue with that."


    He started to fidget. "Uh, sure I''d like to stop monsters from fighting with humans and- "


    "Because that''s what I want! Peace between monsters and humans! Won''t be easy, but I think it''s a worthy goal." I say exactly what I need to say to draw his attention.


    Yeah, I pulled those puppet strings like a sociopath. I''m not exactly lying, peace is the best option for everyone, but I can''t help but feel like a manipulative bastards towards him. I figure it''s best to keep what I really think to myself for the time being.


    "Why would you tell me that!? I agree with you but what if I didn''t!? The people here hate monsters!"


    "I''m high on drugs and life Luka! I can say whatever I want!"


    It''s kind of funny. I had worried about how to insert myself into his life- No! There''s nothing strange about that! It''s completely normal! The world is at stake here!


    Anyway, it just happened. Weird, but I guess almost dying is as good a bonding opportunity as any, and divine intervention. We didn''t talk that much. He''d just check up on me every now and again. Brought the doctor to check up on how I was healing once, but other than that not much.


    By the way, can not stress that enough. An elemental goddess descended from heaven to instruct them on how to heal me. A giant target has been painted on my back. I can only hope Ilias doesn''t feel like taking a shot at it before I get a chance to try to stop her whole world wide genocide plan.


    In my defense though, on the not speaking with him thing, I did literally spend days on end sleeping. Doing nothing other than sleep, and when I was awake demanding boiled water to stay hydrated.


    I did manage to get my hands on some writing supplies. I had accidentally left a few pens, pencils, erasers, and a sharpener in my jacket pocket, probably left them in there after an exam. I must have forgotten to put them back in my binder, hehe, works for me.


    I wanted to write down what I knew, to better formalized my thoughts, but decided against that. I had considered just giving Luka a bunch of letters and having him pass it on to the relevant people he''s going to meet, but there''s too much risk there. Him playing mailman is out and I can''t tell him anything without the risk of Ilias finding out, so that leaves me to travel with him till we run into more qualified people.


    So I just scribbled unimportant stuff down and doodles, trying to burn time.


    Turns out literacy is rare here so that''s an advantage I have. And yes they have the English alphabet with modernish grammatical rules, so no Elizabethan style dialogue I need to constantly translate¡­


    I f.u.c.k.i.n.g lucked out there! Imagine if they didn''t! I wouldn''t have anything to read!


    Unfortunately, there wasn''t too many highlights during that time.


    ***


    "Are you okay? Why are you crying?"


    "I''m going to miss new episodes of Gravity Falls!"


    "Uh sure, if you say so."


    Really it''s just awkward living here¡­. dying here¡­ recovering? I don''t know! Pain and drugs and sleeping for days on end throw me off!


    You''re lucky I''m making any kind of coherent sense!


    Just, one day I just got out of bed, left my room, walked to the kitchen, and took a seat at the table. Luka was sitting there eating a bowl of oatmeal.


    "Can I have some?" I pointed to his bowl.


    "Of course." He got up to get me a bowl. "How are you feeling?"


    "Better¡­ How long was I in there?" I jerked my thumb to the room down the hallway.


    He placed the bowl in front of me and sat back down. "For under a month."


    "A month? Really that long?"


    "Yes, a month. You were stabbed in the back and poisoned. That doesn''t heal quickly."


    "Huh, I''m more surprised that I''m not dead, or that my heart or lungs weren''t stabbed."


    "Well you''re only alive right now because Ilias blessed you by saving your life."


    "Thank her for that!" I nodded in agreement. "That does bring me to why I was coming here in the first place, the village that is. I got distracted, what with the attempt on my life and all, then recovering."


    "What is it?"


    "I came here seeking you! I had received a vision from Ilias, instructing me to come to this village to find a young hero in training named Luka. She told me to help you on your quest to defeat the Monster Lord."


    "She did!?"


    "Yes! That is why I am here! That brings me to another point¡­"


    "You don''t mind if I join you on your quest? Right? I didn''t want to presume- "


    "Of course you can! It''s the will of Ilias!"


    Yep, I feel like an ass for doing that¡­ but, fate of the world and all that. Ilias intervening to save me helps build credibility to my story. My thinking being if she wanted me dead or not able to interact with Luka at all she would''ve just let me die.


    "Can you also put on pants?" He asked me.


    "Would if I could, but don''t know where they are." I ate a spoonful of oatmeal. Hmm, not half bad, needs more sugar though.


    "They were folded on the bed, stacked on your other clothes."


    "Too early for me too care."


    I don''t like it here.


    Not one bit.


    I miss running water or at least having access to clean water. Here I only drink water that I personally boiled beforehand, or alcohol. I''ve taken a liking to the local gin.


    What else?


    I got a dagger as a present. It was the one the elves stabbed me with, and now it was mine. Sold it off to the local smith, worth a lot of money.


    ***


    "Look at the craftsmanship! The engravings, the flowing lines, the light weight, and even that shine! I''d say this is the genuine article! A real piece of elven smithery! Don''t see too much of that these days, not enough travellers or heroes coming to the village."


    "They usually brought product like that?" I motioned to the dagger in his hand.


    "Yes they did! Use to be that every year dozens of heroes would march through that forest to come to the village Temple to be baptized. On their way here they may encounter hordes of frightening elves and other monsters! Made into a sort of right of passage! Weren''t truly a hero till you had an elven dagger."


    For some reason I feel that story may not be true to life. Given there''s a fallen angel, and dark elf monster village a ways west from here that openingly trades with Iliasburg, relations may be more cordial than he''d like to acknowledge. "When did they stop coming?"


    "Huh, tough to say. I haven''t been keeping track of the exact years myself, but I know no one''s shown up this year to be baptized, save for Luka. He''s doesn''t count though, lived here his whole life." He shrugged his shoulders. "Just one year there was less and less people coming here. Which is why this dagger is such a rarity now. I''ll be willing to give you a fair price for it. By the way, where did you get it?"


    "I was stabbed with it and left for dead¡­"


    "Ohhhh¡­"


    "Yeah¡­ I''m not really fond of the idea of keeping it around."


    "Wait? If it ain''t yours, then how did some bandits get their hands on this? They''re too weak to fight elves for it and too stupid to steal from them."


    "Bandits? What bandits?" Who the hell is he referring to?


    "What bandits? What do you mean ''what bandits''?!"


    "I mean, what bandits?" I wasn''t attacked by bandits, technically, I think. Didn''t mentally label them as that.


    "Wha- The men who stabbed you!"


    "Oh those! Those were elves! Confused me there for a second!"


    "What!?"


    "Dark elves specifically."


    "And we ready to go fight them?! By Ilias!" He quickly got on his knees, uttering prayers.


    "Uh, clue me in here. What''s the issue?" He must have been part of that mob.


    He didn''t answer immediately, instead continuing to pray for a few moments longer. "Amen." He straightened himself up. "The issue is we, folks like me, aren''t meant to fight monsters! That''s a heroes job! Not cause we''re cowards or lazy, but monsters are far too dangerous for regular folks to handle."


    Considering all you did was run up a dirt road with twenty other people against two elves, I don''t think you were in danger. You could have literally mobbed them. "So what are you saying? If you had know it was elves you wouldn''t have come to save me?"


    "UM¡­ well, you see.. it''s like this, but yet¡­ that."


    "Wow! Buddy, you are losing a customer here, but! I am a forgiving man. So why don''t we discuss a much higher buying price of my elven dagger?"


    Seriously, a lot of money. Luka had saved up barely five hundred gold for his journey¡­ I sold that dagger for three hundred and fifty gold.


    Thank you elven craftsmanship!


    When word got around that I was up and about I received a visit from the local priest. He had heard from Luka that I was literate, and being that "Ilias had chosen me to aid him in his quest", he saw it fit to offer me a job at the Temple. Not a position in the official church, just a job.


    I ended up being a clerk in the Temple, came with a free set of robes and holy book. It was more bureaucratic than the priest made it out to be, and I was placed in the back¡­ away from all the people.


    ***


    "Thank you for offering me this job, uhhh¡­"


    "Father will suffice."


    "If you say so Father. So I was curious as to what I am actually supposed to do here." Motioning to the decayed desk in front of us, littered with crumpled pieces of parchment and dusty books.


    "Oh yes, I''m sure you would be! I need you to work in the back room down here in the bas.e.m.e.nt as a clerk."


    "Okay, and what will I be doing as a clerk? I need more instructions than that." I glanced at the book selection on a nearby shelf, all of them were about Ilias.


    "Why, you''ll be doing your duties in Ilias Temple! It''s a very prestigious job, one worthy of yourself!"


    "What do you mean by that? I only got here recently and haven''t done anything other than be stabbed. Nothing prestigious about that."


    He clapped his hands down on my shoulders. "Why my son, you''ve been blessed by Ilias! Being favored by her isn''t something that should go to waste or be treated as a trivial matter."


    "Okay."


    "Even though I''ve been working here for over twenty years I''ve never so much as got a vision from her! None whatsoever! When she comes down here to baptize the heroes, you think she could spare some wisdom for a devout follower of hers''? No! But you!" He gripped my shoulders harder. "One day here and she descends from Heaven to heal you herself!" His hands started shaking.


    "Uh well that''s all fine and good Father but-"


    "Yes it is!" He released my shoulders, spun on his heel and walked towards the door.


    "What exactly am I suppose to do? You never answered that question."


    "You''ll do fine!" He waved without turning back and walked out the door, then slamming it shut.


    "I guess I''ll¡­ figure out my clerical duties from here." I mentally shrugged. "Doesn''t seem like he really cares what I do."


    I got the feeling he didn''t like me, but that was okay. I didn''t like him either. I didn''t bother remembering his name. To me he''s always going to be "that priest from Ilias Temple". I got around fine by calling him sir or father or shit like that.


    Should I have cared more? Maybe!


    Should I not have stolen money and supplies from the Temple in preparation for the quest? Possibly!


    Should I have returned all those books and tomes of knowledge I borrowed from the Temple library before going? Perhaps!


    But all of that was completely necessary¡­ because I was really bored and wanted luxuries.


    So bored in fact I took up exercise. Plus everyone pointed out how pathetic I was physically and that I was currently dead weight to Luka''s quest.


    Now let me be clear here, I hate exercise, plain and simple. I avoided it at all cost and always tried find something better to do with my time.


    Unfortunately I don''t have anything better to do.


    No internet, no computer, no television, and no music! Just no electricity and everything that entails!


    There''s the lack of mass produced books available to read. I also lack any easy to use light source, again no electricity, so I''m forced to read during daylight hours. My sleeping cycle is now defined by dawn and dusk, instead of the time on a clock. I could try to read during the night, but candles are a horrible source of light, plus that damages your eyes I think.


    So what am I forced to do?


    Exercise.


    So the days fell into this routine of me waking up first in the morning, making oatmeal and boiling water for Luka and myself. He insisted on tea, but I''ll be damned if I have to drink the stuff. Then doing our morning exercise routine, no, I''m not listing out every single little activity we did. That''d be tedious. Got chewed out for trying to slack off a few times. Go to the Temple, get annoying comments about my how awful I smelt. Not my fault they don''t have deodorant. I''d sit in "my office" in back, burn time for a few hours, and go back"home" for the night. Repeat ad nauseum.


    In the evenings I made my own preparations for how I was going to survive this. Mostly it made use of an old alchemy book Luka had laying around. It reminded me of my old highschool chemistry book, but with more exotic materials and rituals. Several of which were "squick" and "oh god why would you ever use that, my eyes have been tainted by this horror" worthy.


    I had decided on saving my money until we reached Iliasburg, the village was unfortunately lacking in the supplies and services that I needed.


    Over time I ended up doing most of the chores around the house, making meals, cleaning dishes, sweeping the floor, chopping firewood, etc. Luka appreciated that because it gave him more time to practice his swordplay and fighting skills. I hope he used that time effectively.


    He once caught me singing while I was working, that was embarrassing.


    ***


    "I go out to work on Monday morning


    Tuesday I go off to honeymoon


    I''ll be back again before it''s time for sunny-down,


    I''ll be lazing on a Sunday afternoon!


    Bicycling on every Wednesday evening


    Thursday I go waltzing to the zoo!


    I come from London Town, I''m just an ordinary guy


    Fridays I go painting in the louvre!


    I''m bound to be proposing on a Saturday night


    I''ll be lazing on a Sunday,


    Lazing on a Sunday,


    Lazing on a Sunday afternoon!"


    "Hey-"


    "BAH! Luka! Hehe¡­ You snuck up on me there."


    "Uh, sorry. What are you doing?"


    "Obviously I was singing while cleaning the dishes."


    "Sure, but why singing?"


    "Well I can''t be whistling while I work now can I."


    "Why not?"


    "I haven''t figured out the whistling part yet."


    Three weeks!


    I had to live here for three weeks until the day of Luka''s baptism came.


    It was a very annoying three weeks, putting up with that priest wasn''t fun.


    I didn''t bother to socialise further with many of the locals, save for one or two of them. They had connections that I could use later.


    Luka and I had also worked out the details on how I was going to help him on his quest, our quest technically. He would do all of the real fighting and I was going to be the support. If a monster defeated him, I''d drag him to safety. He''d carry his own supplies, but I''d be carry a massive backpack filled with my own stuff and extra supplies.


    I''m basically the companion.


    I knew today was going to be the day. I had been looking forward to leaving this village and getting started on this quest since I got here. To officially start on our quest to save the world from a mad genocidal goddess, I cannot stress that enough.


    Also, maybe try to hook up with a monster or two while I''m at it. Who knows? There''s bound to be friendly ones out there.


    The day started unlike any other. Mostly because everyone in the village was screaming about a monster, and running to go hide in their homes.


    Luka came rushing into the kitchen half dressed, pulling a shirt on as he spoke. "What''s going on?! I heard Hans outside yelling about a monster attack!"


    "Hans? He''s the lumberjack, right? Is he okay?"


    "Uh yes, why does that-" He shook his head. "What''s going on?!"


    "A monster came into the village, everyone is freaking out."


    "Then why are you sitting there?!"


    "I sat down to eat my breakfast, monsters or not, I''m not leaving this chair till I''m finished." I took a bite of my oatmeal.


    "Fine! I''m going out there to help!" He finished throwing on his clothes and ran out the door.


    I watched out the window as I continued eating, Luka was making slow progress running against the crowd of people. That neighbour lady, Betty, tried to stop him, but he kept going. He took long enough that I was finished eating by the time the crowd dispersed.


    I had already gotten dressed for this event when I got up earlier. I dropped my bowl on the counter to clean later and before walking out the door, I checked in a shelf to make sure of a surprise I had prepared for Luka¡­ and for a certain Monster Lord if she shows up.


    If not, then what I suspect about canon is thrown out and I wing it.


    God, I hope I don''t need to wing it.


    A few minutes of light jogging and I had reached the edge of the village where Luka was facing off against a monster.


    "Darling! I knew I''d find you again one day! Come here and let me slime you!"


    The monster being that clingy blue slime girl I met on my first day.


    "Oh bugger."

 Chapter 289 - My OC Stash #89 - Perfect Imperfection by Kronium345 (MCU)

    -Sir Lucifer Morningstar''s DC - Remastered Edition but in Marvel and not a Gamer SI, just a really nigh omnipotent OC!


    Sypnosis: No one would expect that beings that are all-powerful and all-knowing could be so... bored. Simple ideas can produce astronomical results. A being deemed ''perfection'' will cause great changes in the Marvel Universe. Either saving the world in the process, or damning it to hell. Let''s see how it can handle the ''Perfect Imperfection''


    Rated: M


    Words: 82K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13119528/1/Perfect-Imperfection (Kronium345)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    In the far reaches of space stood a man, gazing out in the vast expanses of space and watching the distant galaxies, nebulas and comets trail by him. He stood around six foot one, and was dressed in an all-white suit with combed black hair and glowing blue-white eyes that screamed of power unrivalled. Just being in his vicinity would give you that impression he was not a being to be crossed, let alone challenged.


    This was the Beyonder, an extremely powerful cosmic being that very, very few could rival, in this universe and the multiverse.


    And right now, the all-powerful, all-seeing, almost all-knowing Beyonder was¡­ to put it simply, bored.


    "Hmmm, what to do, what to do¡­," the Beyonder said as he cupped his chin and glanced out into the universe to see what was going on, specifically on Earth. After a few moments of seeing the current state of things on the little mud ball of a world that he''s taken a fancy to on many occasions, the Beyonder prepared to pull out and look at another world, when he had a thought come to his head.


    "Hmmm." Frowning, the Beyonder took a closer look at Earth, looking at a certain species in particular. This species were what humans referred to as ''mutants''. The Beyonder was fascinated by mutants, and by extension, humans. So weak, so young, so childish... and yet, of all the species that he had encountered, they seemed to rank as one of his most favourite. Simply because of their ability to adapt to change. Almost any human, be they the small beings called infants, to the grown-up a.d.u.l.ts, could learn how to adapt to change, given the right tools and resources.


    "Adapt..." the Beyonder muttered, frowning. Then, a smile appeared on his face. What he was going to do could be his possible greatest mistake or biggest investment. If he played his cards right, he could alter certain events that could possibly destroy the Earth, universe and possibly, the multiverse.


    "Plus, I am bored," he added as an afterthought. One second, he was on the distant moon that he was standing on. The next, he was gone.


    XXX


    Space, 31st century, unknown spaceship...


    Nathaniel Richards, later known as Kang the Conqueror, was looking at several holograms depicting recent historical events from the 20th-21th century. He was looking at the studies of Egypt, inspecting the tombs and pyramids.


    "Hmm, the work done by Victor Von Doom is extraordinary," Nathaniel commented, waving his hand to disperse the hologram. He smiled, ideas flowing through his head. "Soon, En Sabah Nur. You will be mine."


    "Yeah, I''m going to have to ask you to reschedule that," a voice rang out.


    Nathaniel whirled, his mind moving at the speed of thought to activate each of his defence systems. Advanced plasma rifles and guns popped from the ground, along with missiles, droids and other machinery. "Show yourself, intruder!"


    "Oh, come on, make a person feel welcome," the voice continued, before the Beyonder appeared in the spaceship. He looked around at the advanced weaponry aimed at him. "None of that, now." With a wave of his hands, each and every piece of technology suddenly vanished.


    Nathaniel blinked, stunned, before glaring at the being. "Who are you?! What are you doing on my-"


    Rolling his eyes, the Beyonder crossed the distance between him and Nathaniel in nanoseconds, before placing a hand on Nathaniel''s head. The Beyonder removed his hand, looking at Nathaniel, who gasped and held his head in pain, images and words flowing through his mind. Kang the Conqueror, Apocalypse, the Avengers... perfection.


    Nathaniel gasped again, squinting his eyes, as if he was looking at a bright light. He looked at the Beyonder warily. "What do you want?" he asked, unsure as to what the being before him wanted, and why he showed him those images.


    The Beyonder smiled. "What I want... is entertainment. Simple as that. But for you, you could have an heir. Although, Apocalypse is one choice, but I''m sure what I''ve provided for you would be a... suitable replacement. So, Nathaniel. Do we have a deal?"


    Nathaniel stared long and hard into the Beyonder''s blue-white eyes, before finally saying, "I''m listening."


    XXX


    Thousands of years from the present, Ancient Egypt...


    En Sabah Nur wandered the desert, tears spilling down his grey skin. His mind was a whirlwind of emotions, the most prominent being sadness and anger.


    "Why?" he whispered lowly, the howling winds whipping by him as sand flew through the air. "Why did they abandon me?! Just because I look different?!" En Sabah Nur''s mutant powers started to go out of control, distorting the sandstorms around him. "I''ll make them pay! They will all pay!"


    "Do not worry, my child..." a voice said, clearly heard through the dusty winds.


    En Sabah Nur whirled around, furiously wiping his tears and looking for the mysterious voice. "Who are you?!" At first, he thought that he was going crazy, but no. He knew he heard the voice. He wasn''t going crazy.


    A hand was placed on his shoulder. He smacked the hand away, looking at who had touched him. His eyes widened upon seeing the figure. "Pharaoh Rama-Tut," he whispered, shocked at the person in front of him.


    Pharaoh Rama-Tut had reddish skin, tanned from his time in the deserts of Egypt. The only pieces of clothing that he wore were brown sandals, and a simple loincloth. An Egyptian crown adorned his head, showing his position and power. White veins circulated his body. In his hand was a simple staff. His face showed a stern visage, evident by the stress marks across his face. And yet, he had a kind smile on his face.


    "En Sabah Nur," the pharaoh simply said, smiling. "I have been looking for you for a long time, my child."


    En Sabah Nur blinked, confused at the pharaoh''s words. Yet, he didn''t think much of it. He was still surprised that he was here. "W-What are you doing here?"


    "I''m here to help you," Rama-Tut said, frowning. "I know of the... events that you experienced in Aqaba."


    En Sabah Nur snarled, eyes alight with power and anger. Seeing this, Rama-Tut placed his hand on the boy''s shoulders.


    "There, there," the pharaoh comforted, before hugging the boy slightly. "It is alright."


    En Sabah Nur was shocked at the actions of Rama-Tut, wondering why the pharaoh was comforting him. And yet, he didn''t mind. He wrapped his arms around the older man, sobbing quietly.


    As he was comforting the boy, Rama-Tut''s eyes shone with cruel intent. "There, there..." he continued to comfort. Patting the boy on the back, he removed himself from the hug, he smiled warmly. "Come with me. I can show you that your ''curse'' is nothing but a gift. I will protect you. Those Aqabans won''t ever hurt you again, that I promise you."


    Joyful that someone actually didn''t treat him with disdain for his ''curse'', En Sabah Nur nodded quickly, unaware of what was going on in the ''pharaoh''s'' mind.


    XXX


    Current Present, Puerto Rico...


    Leonardo Sebastian ran. He ran as fast as his stubby, seven-year old legs could carry him. Normally, if he was running, he''d either be playing tag with one of his friends, or trying to play football. Now wasn''t the case.


    Oh, no. He was running for his life.


    The reason? The mob of people running after him, carrying clubs, pitchforks, spades and knives.


    "Damn monster!" "Die, freak!" "May God curse you, demon-spawn!" Were the shouts of the mob as they gained on the boy.


    Now, one might wonder why a crowd of a.d.u.l.ts and some young children were chasing and trying to kill a seven-year old boy. And the answer is quite simple. At least, for the mob.


    Leonardo was a mutant.


    He found this out... quite painfully. It was just two days ago, he was considered ''normal'' at the time.


    Flashback


    Leonardo was playing football with his mates, Mateo, Samuel, Ricardo and Steven. His eyes were alight with childish excitement as he kicked the ball towards the goal that Steven was blocking. Steven slapped the ball away with his meaty hands, wincing as he did so.


    "Aww, no fair!" Leonardo pouted, stomping his foot. So annoyed was he, that he didn''t see the delayed slide-tackle from Samuel. Leonardo cried out as he fell, getting dirt on his clothes.


    "Haha!" Mateo laughed along with Ricardo, as Samuel was grumbling about now being covered in dirt from his slide-tackle.


    Leonardo looked up, tears prickling his eyes. He sniffled. "Shaddup!" he yelled, annoyed at being made fun of.


    "What is it? The fourth time that you missed a shot," Steven taunted, walking up to the group. He grinned, his one of his front teeth missing. "All of us made the shot. You''re the only one rubbish at the game!"


    "No, I''m not!" Leonardo shouted, annoyed at all the constant bullying from his friends. It was always like this. He always got picked on, and he knew it wasn''t his fault. Steven was a good goalkeeper, despite his age. He usually watched his older brother play all the time with his team.


    "Haha! So lame!" "He can''t even make a decent shot!" "What a joke!" were the taunts that came from the boys.


    Annoyed, Leonardo yelled, frustration building up in his body. "I''M NOT A JOKE!"


    While his shout wasn''t very impressive - given his high-pitched voice - what followed afterwards was. The boys were suddenly pushed back by an invisible force. Each of them landed on their butts, wincing and crying as they did so.


    Leonardo was confused, wondering how each of them fell back like that. He didn''t push them. Did he?


    Their c.o.c.kiness gone, each of the boys shakily got up. "Y-You pushed us! You used magic!" Mateo accused, pointing a stubby finger at Leonardo.


    Frowning, Leonardo said, "There''s no such thing as magic, stupid! And I didn''t push you!"


    "Then what was that?" Steven pressed on, freaked out. He looked like he was about to cry.


    "I-I don''t know!" Leonardo answered, annoyed at being accused.


    "D-Diablo!" Samuel suddenly shouted, pointing at Leonardo.


    Seeing this, the boys joined in, their young minds following the suggestion. "Diablo! Diablo! Diablo!"


    "No, I-it''s not true!" Leonardo yelled, now scared. There was no Diablo! No magic! He didn''t push the boys! He didn''t!


    He ran away to his house, the screams of the other boys following him.


    XXX


    Leonardo ran home, tears spilling from his eyes. He banged on the door rapidly. A few seconds later, his father came to the door, alarmed at the state of his son.


    "Leo, what''s wrong?" his father asked, scooping his son into his arms and hugging him.


    "The boys, t-they b-bullied m-me!" Leonardo managed to say through his sobs, soaking his father''s shirt.


    Frowning, his father brought him indoors, taking him to the living room. His mother sat there, worried.


    "Eduardo, what is the matter?" his mother asked, standing up to look at their son.


    Eduardo put his son down, looking at his wife. "Maria, he says that some boys were bullying him!"


    "Bullying?!" Turning to look at her son, she hugged him. "Do not worry, Leo. Those boys won''t harm you again. Why did they bully you?"


    Before Leonardo could say anything, there was a rapid knock on the door. Confused, Eduardo walked to the door, his family behind him.


    When he opened the door, he saw four parents standing at the door, Mateo, Steven, Samuel and Ricardo behind them. Eduardo frowned. "What is going on?"


    "My son says you''re son used magic!" Matthew, the father of Steven, growled, arms crossed and glaring at the boy behind the door.


    "What? Magic?" Eduardo had an angry frown across his face. "Are you joking, Matthew?"


    "It''s true!" Samuel backed up his friend, pointing at Leonardo. "Diablo!"


    "Stop saying that!" Leonardo shouted, angry.


    "Calm down," his mother tried to say, shielding her son. Looking at Samantha, the mother of Ricardo, she pleaded. "Samantha, please! You know my son, he''s innocent!"


    "I am only listening to what my son has said," Samantha replied, frowning curiously at Leonardo.


    "Mama, he''s cursed! Demon!" Ricardo yelled, pointing at Leonardo. "He pushed us back with his magic!"


    As the other boys joined in and called him other names, the parents didn''t do anything. Growling, Leonardo balled his fists. "I didn''t do anything!"


    At that shout, another invisible force pushed the parents and children back, letting them land on their backs. Samuel hit his head on a nearby rock, falling unconscious. Mateo and Ricardo got scr.a.p.es and friction burns. Steven received the least amount of wounds, only a few scr.a.p.es. The parents received similar wounds.


    Jaw dropped, Leonardo looked at the scene before him, stunned and horrified. "I-I..." he tried to say, but couldn''t.


    "L-Leo..." The boy looked around to see his parents staring at him in horror.


    "I, I didn''t mean to-" "D-Diablo." The word cut off Leonardo''s speech, his mind trying to digest the word his father had called him. He saw his parents staring at him with fear and uncertainty.


    XXX


    The next day, Leonardo was arguing with his parents. He kept on denying he did anything, and saying that he did not possess any magic. His parents - who believed him before - now accused him of the exact same things the boys did. When he pleaded for his mother to believe him, she slapped him across the face, stunning and wounding him.


    Leonardo landed on the ground, slightly crying at the pain and shock at the fact that his mother hit him! When he cried and weakly begged his mother to stop, she exploded. She shrieked at him, cursing him in Spanish and lamenting at the fact that her w.o.m.b produced him. Leonardo kept on crying at the curses and words, pleading for his mother to stop.


    This infuriated his mother, who advanced on him and started slapping and punching him. Leonardo could only cry, covering himself to protect his body from any more abuse. Each strike jarred his brain, breaking his skin. When it looked like he was about to pass out, his mother suddenly stopped. It took a few seconds for Leonardo to look over his arm, only for a slap to come his way.


    This time, Leonardo was knocked unconscious, the pain too much for him.


    XXX


    Leonardo awoke an hour later, blinking the spots out of his eyes. His stunned mind took a few minutes to collect himself. All he saw was white. He later realised that he was in a rucksack, the same rucksack that his parents used to collect food.


    He screamed, trying to move out, but it was futile. He panicked, his sudden shortage of oxygen becoming apparent. He screamed and yelled and tried to kick, but he couldn''t get out of the bag. He could only hear the muttered whispers of his parents, along with the rev of the engine.


    Things escalated quickly after that. Leonardo was hyperventilating during the entire ride, worried he was going to suffocate. It was a miracle he was still alive. Suddenly, his world turned sideways as the sack he was in was pulled from the back of his family''s car. He kept on kicking and screaming, but he only received several punches to the side for his actions. He eventually kept quiet, his whimpering gone silent.


    His memory got fuzzy after that, likely due to the blunt force trauma to the head. He was yanked out of the rucksack, and tied to a wooden chair. His woozy brain finally managed to register the fact that he was in the old church in town, which was catered to by the local priest.


    He looked around, seeing his parents sneering at him. He also saw his so-called friends standing there, putting up false masks of c.o.c.kiness and anger. There were other a.d.u.l.ts there, all spitting at him and cursing him.


    He finally managed to register the fact that the local priest was there, his black robes a contrast to his usual white ones. His grey hair moved with his shaking head, muttering under his breath. Taking a deep breath, he brought out a bible from his pocket and started reading from it.


    Leonardo tried to speak and plead with the priest to stop, but he wasn''t listening. In fact, the only thing the priest did was throw holy water at him. Leonardo coughed, getting some in his mouth as the prayers continued.


    He panicked, feeling the holy water the priest kept on throwing at him, the sneers of his friends and the a.d.u.l.ts, the frowns and curses of his parents... It was too much! He had to get out of here! He had to!


    He wriggled and struggled, doing his best to break free. His desperation, his desire to be free and run away, came in the form of the familiar invisible movement, pushing the priest, the a.d.u.l.ts, and the children back. This also had the effect of breaking his bonds, the sheer force snapping them.


    Leonardo didn''t waste any time. He got out of the chair and ran, ran away from the church and the people, tears streaming down his cheeks.


    End Flashback


    Now, he tried to run frantically, desperate to lose the approaching crowd. He saw the village border, and suddenly excitement filled him. He could run away, get far away. H-He could live on the streets, away from his parents! Anything to save him from-


    A rock managed to trip him, halting his thoughts and making him eat dirt. Ice coated his veins, fear gripping his heart. No, no, no, no, NO!


    "So," a voice said behind him, making him crawl over the dirt and see who had spoken. It was an elderly man, with a pitchfork in his hands. "No where to run, demon."


    Eyes wide, Leonardo started to sob. "P-Please. S-Stop this," he begged. "I didn''t do anything! Please! I-I didn''t mean to!"


    The audience paused at seeing this, doubt and guilt starting to creep into their features. Just as it seemed like they were about to listen to his words, a voice called out, "No!"


    Someone stepped forward; that person being Maria, his mother.


    Leonardo''s heart was ripped in half, seeing his mother the one who was denying his freedom. The relief from all this pain.


    "I don''t know what you''re playing at, demon," Maria spat, fury and disgust written across her features, "but you''re tricks won''t work on us anymore! I can''t believe I ever loved you, you who used your magic to bewitch us!"


    Leonardo''s tears kept falling at the heartless words. He couldn''t handle this. He''d rather get hit and beaten up than hear those words spoken to him.


    "Kill him!" Maria shouted, knife raised. The crowd followed afterwards, cheering.


    The first weapon to pierce his skin was the knife from Maria. It sunk into his chest. Fortunately, or unfortunately if you look at it, it wasn''t fatal. The crowd joined in, all of them joining in on torturing him.


    What followed was absolute hell for Leonardo. He was punched, kicked, stabbed, smacked, and damaged further. Blood flew and soaked the ground. His tears and snot mixed with the crimson liquid, staining the ground and the weapons and limbs of the people attacking him. They cried out in joy, happy that the demon was being beaten to death.


    Leonardo was in a new world of pain. Pleas didn''t work, tears and begging didn''t work. He... was going to die.


    No, he weakly thought, his mind succ.u.mbing to the pain. Leave me alone. Stop.


    No one listened to his cries. Not God. Not the people. No one.


    Weakly, his vocals damaged from his wounds, he yelled, "STOP!"


    At that moment, the invisible force appeared again. Only this time, instead of pushing the people away, it pierced through them. Limbs were separated as blood flew. Bones broke, skin ripped, and body parts flying everywhere. It was like invisible swords started cutting into the crowd, killing them one by one quickly.


    The massacre finished as quickly as it started. The aftermath was dead bodies lying in pools of blood. All of them were mutilated in different ways, from stabs wounds to big holes inside them. The most brutal was Maria, who was at the forefront of the assault. She was an unrecognisable corpse of flesh and blood. It looked like she was pierced and cut all over the place.


    Leonardo witnessed all of this. All the deaths. All the carnage. All the fearful looks on their faces. They seared into his brain, the images burning in his mind. He suddenly felt incredibly weak, exhausted from the events from the two days. The last thing he saw before he went unconscious was an floating purple being.


    XXX


    En Sabah Nur, now dubbed Apocalypse, floated down to the ground, surveying the massacre before him. He didn''t flinch or look away from the bloody and fleshy mess that littered the floor. He was only interested in the boy in front of him. He read the lingering surface thoughts of the boy, named Leonardo Sebastian.


    So young, yet experiencing the same things I once faced, he mused sadly, looking at the boy. He smiled warmly. Soon, my child. You will no longer be faced with these pathetic humans. You will be my heir. Perfection.


    Scooping up the boy in his arms, Apocalypse teleported away. Leaving the bloody scene behind.


    XXX


    Unknown laboratory, Lab-A1...


    Leonardo swam in the tank, hooked up to advanced Celestial technology. He was unconscious, but healed of all the damage that he had received from the mob. His mind was in turmoil, the images playing in his head even as he slept. He was fully n.a.k.e.d, a breathing mask and tubes hooked up to his body.


    Observing the boy was Apocalypse and Kang the Conqueror, the latter holding several vials of blood and liquid, and a containment box. The two were silent, still looking at the boy. Finally, Apocalypse spoke. "You are sure that my heir will not die during this process?"


    "Positive," Kang nodded, looking at the boy with a gleam in his eyes. "The Beyonder showed me the potential the boy has. On his own, he is a force to be reckoned with. After this..." Kang chuckled, imagining the power that he would wield. "He''ll be unstoppable. The perfect being."


    Apocalypse nodded, also eyeing the boy with greed in his eyes. "Perfect..." He looked to Kang. "Begin the process. My technology will aid in the recovery and processing of the blood present."


    Nodding, Kang brought out the vials in his hands and pushed them into different slots, connected to a machine that linked to Leonardo. Each vial had different names on them, though some had initials: F.R., W.M., L., J.H., F. Followed with that, he placed two distinct vials of chemicals inside the slots of the tubes. One was labelled ''Combat Chameleon Serum'', while the other was simply labelled ''Sentry Formula''. Finally, Kang placed the liquid metal, which he discovered was dubbed ''Proto-Adamantium'' in the tubes hooked up to Leonardo.


    The time-traveller looked to Apocalypse, who simply commanded, "Begin gene-splicing."


    The tubes of blood, chemicals and mystery metal flowed through the machine and into the tubes hooked up to the boy. As soon as they entered the boy, he started thrashing about, as if being electrocuted. His eyes snapped open, now pure white as Leonardo screamed. His body started to morph slightly, going from skinny, to muscular to lanky. His head twitched, like he was having a seizure.


    Pain was all that he experienced as he cried, tears of pain mixing with the water in the tube. He was experiencing more pain than he had with the mob that attacked him. It hurt! It hurt so much! It was like he was lit on fire from the inside, dropped in a bath of acid, and had each of his organs ripped out.


    Leonardo''s mind went blank from the pain, going unconscious again even as his body morphed rapidly to accept the added blood, chemicals and metal bonded it to him. Just as it looked like it was about to die, something happened.


    Leonardo had no idea of his mutant powers, nor was he even aware that he had the X-gene. However, both Kang and Apocalypse had no idea of his full powers. The Beyonder only told them that his power was adaptation and evolution-processing. What he didn''t tell them was that he had another power: energy manipulation. This was the power that allowed him to push back the boys in the football field, and what allowed him to kill the chasing mob. However, this power was severely underdeveloped and untrained, and as such, could not do much without training. But now that it was amped-up with the blood of powerful mutants and beings, as well as the advanced and powerful chemicals now adapting inside his body?


    Both Apocalypse and Kang only had a few seconds before they were hit with a gigantic explosion of pure energy and power. Leonardo screamed as his eyes flashed from blue, to red, to gold, and then to white. This process continued before the colours mixed in a kaleidoscope of colours. He roared, the explosion increasing in power as all of the built up power was released.


    The laboratory that he was held in was destroyed in the following explosion. Not only that, but the surroundings were also obliterated. Wildlife, animals, earth, were all destroyed.


    Meanwhile, in New York, people screamed as the explosion was released into the air, deafening them. The clouds cleared and parted as every bird in the vicinity and nearby died instantly, annihilated by the explosion of power.


    Buildings shook and shattered, collapsing and killing numerous people. TVs went static before being shattered. The oceans shook and rumbled, causing boats to fly up from the seas and land directly into the ocean, killing sailors and cruisers.


    Up flying in the air, the massive black floating object known as the S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier shook and tumbled, nearly tumbling below. Aboard, an African-American in a black trenchcoat and dark clothes and an eyepatch on his eye was barking orders to nearby men and women. "Somebody investigate what the hell is going on! Hill, I want surveillance on the nearest epicentres of each earthquake! Run damage control on each and every nearby civilian. Now!"


    Inside the house labelled ''The Xavier Institute for Gifted Children'', a bald man screamed in pain, quickly removing a metal helmet on his head as it sparked and fizzed, before exploding. He yelled in pain as blood dripped from his nose and eyes, the sudden psionic energy off the charts!


    "Professor!" a beautiful African-American with long white hair yelled, running to tend to the bald man, a hairy, short man following behind her.


    In a small neighbourhood, a young red-headed girl cried out in pain as blood dripped from her mouth, nose and ears and collapsed, not hearing her parents cry out to her. In the recess of her mind, a fiery and powerful entity that came in the shape of a phoenix screeched, looking as if it had surprise written across its features. As well as... fear.


    In space, rips and tears in the fabric of reality were formed, threatening to destroy the nearby planets. The space-time continuum looked as if it was going to collapse.


    The explosion of power looked like it was going to continue, until suddenly, it halted. It was as if time itself had paused. Then, the explosion vanished, disappeared instantly. The tears in reality closed, the earthquakes stopped, buildings stopped shaking. The Earth itself looked as if peace suddenly washed over it.


    In the unknown and now non-existent laboratory, Leonardo floated there. The tank and tubes connected to him had been destroyed. He hung, suspended in the air with his head bowed, and eyes closed. All the wounds from the tubes injected into him healed instantaneously in a matter of milliseconds.


    He continued to hang there for a minute. Two minutes. Three minutes. Finally, he snapped his head open, opening his eyes. His eyes glowed with the kaleidoscope of white, blue, red and gold. Leonardo didn''t say anything for a moment, before his eyes settled on blue. Suddenly, he disappeared, space distorting slightly.


    XXX


    Years later, Antarctica, Unclaimed Territory...


    Thing were progressing quite well in Magneto''s opinion.


    Xavier remained occupied with Mystique''s Brotherhood, leaving him unable to hinder the Acolytes missions. It also left Magneto free to focus on his greatest undertaking. Asteroid M would be the haven from which he and the chosen could guide mutantkind to their bright future.


    Of course, things had not been easy even without Xavier''s interference. Getting the more mundane equipment and materials had been tricky. Then there were the classified prototypes that generated atmosphere, gravity, and a stealth field. Which was a humongous task to achieve.


    But by far, the most challenging part of Asteroid M were the needed calculations. The easiest of these being the velocity and vector needed to insert Asteroid M into a stable orbit. The complexity only rose from there, with a hundred other details complicating things further.


    As his latest simulation ended in yet another failure, Magneto swore in disgust. The tiniest flaw in these calculations would invite an ecological disaster of unforeseeable proportions. Which Magneto could not allow, if his people were to inherit the earth then it needed to be able to support them.


    Resetting the simulation parameters, Magneto revisited the idea of bringing in an outside consultant. His normal consultant, Mister Sinister, was more of a geneticist than a physicist. Thaddeus Sivana Sr. could have been a viable choice if he did not make the devil appear trustworthy. Then there was A.I.M, the jack of all trades in the black market sciences.


    His communication suite hummed to life, signifying someone had entered it. Turning around, Magneto''s eyes lit up in recognition. "Mystique," he greeted the blue-skinned shapeshifter.


    Mystique''s lips twitched. "Erik. I hope all goes well."


    "One can hope," he responded dryly. "Has there been any development with your Brotherhood?"


    Mystique scowled, shaking her head in disgust. Her red hair bobbed with the action. "Hardly. Toad is nothing but a lazy, incompetent fool. Lance is arrogant and doesn''t take corrections, and that''s not even covering Pietro''s file."


    Magneto scowled at hearing the mention of his son. "What of him?"


    "He''s too c.o.c.ky," Mystique summarised, frowning. "Hotheaded, short-tempered, flies off the handle too much, and plenty more that I''d rather not spend time listing."


    Magneto snarled, annoyed. Then he calmed down, trying to relax. "This is unacceptable. That na?ve fool, Xavier, is already filling his school with more children, and filling their head with utter rubbish. I refuse to allow him to best me, due to the utter incompetence of several teenage boys." Sighing, he mentally went over several ideas, finding one particularly useful. "It looks like we''ll have to do some recruiting. We need to guide our brothers and sisters to the right cause."


    "And where exactly are we going to find them?" Mystique queried, an eyebrow raised.


    "I think I have a solution," a voice said. Magneto and Mystique turned quickly, seeing a person standing in the suite. Mystique''s hand went to her handgun, while Magneto narrowed his eyes.


    The unknown person was a tall young man who looked to be sixteen. He had an incredibly handsome face, with chiselled cheekbones and smooth skin, which spoke of Spanish descent. His long black hair reached his shoulders, tousled near the end. He also wore a white T-shirt with a leather jacket over it. This, however, did nothing to hide his incredible physique. His muscles were toned and strong, almost looking as if they were going to break his clothes. It looked even more impressive than any Olympian athlete, even under those clothes. Ripped jeans adorned his legs, along with red Converse hi-tops.


    Despite his appearance, he seemed calm. Almost too calm. As if there was nothing in the world that could bring him down or challenge him. What showcased this were his eyes. They were a warm brown, and yet screamed of absolute power and coldness. They had a dark tint to them, as if he had experienced great horrors and tragedies.


    "Who are you?" Magneto immediately asked, using the surrounding metal to wrap itself around the unknown teen. And yet, just as the metal reached him, it fell as if it was wet paper. Shocked, Magneto tried to manipulate it, but found that he couldn''t.


    Mystique looked as if she was about to fire her gun, but it suddenly turned to dust in her hands. Shocked, Mystique lowered her hands, fearful.


    The teen smiled, showing his perfect white teeth. "My name is Leonardo Sebastian. I heard that you needed a recruit."


    Done. Whoo, am I glad I managed to write this down.


    So, if you didn''t already know, this fic idea was offered to me by a Guest reviewer (think he goes by Marvel fan, now), which I managed to put down.


    This is the prologue chapter, so next chapter will seem different and more displaced than this one. To help you guys, I''ll answer some obvious questions:


    1) The Beyonder has interfered, and recruited Kang the Conqueror and Apocalypse to produce this ''perfect being''. My OC named Leonardo Sebastian. Why? Because he was bored. Plus, this is well within his power.


    2) Leonardo''s mutant abilities are as follows:


    Energy Manipulation - this is one of Leo''s original mutant abilities. He can absorb, direct and manipulate energy, both in its purest form, and other forms of energy. This can be used in the form of concussive blasts, energy projectiles, energy shields, and energy limbs. It originally starts out as invisible energy limbs, like Lucy''s/Kaede''s vectors from Elfen Lied. These ''limbs'' can cut, punch and tear through solid material. The only downside to them is that if Leo wants to put more power in them, they become more visible and easier to dodge. The speed and power also depends on Leo''s concentration. When fully mastered, this would make him Omega-Level, possibly even beyond.


    Matter Manipulation - [Locked]. [Self-Explanatory]. A by-product of his manipulation of energy.


    Telepathy - [Self-Explanatory].


    Telekinesis - [Self-Explanatory]


    Teleportation - [Self-Explanatory]


    Precognition - [Locked]. [Self-Explanatory]


    Astral Projection - [Self-Explanatory]


    Pocket Dimension Creation - [Locked]. [Self-Explanatory]


    Reality Warping - [Limited]. [Self-Explanatory]


    Hex Powers and Chaos Magic - [Self-Explanatory]


    Adaptation and Evolution-Processing - Leo can adapt to any surroundings, environment, and mental processing. His evolution-processing is an ability in which he can ingest or drink a person''s blood to gain their powers/X-gene and potentially enhance them. Similar to Rogue''s power, only he can keep the powers indefinitely. The only downside is that he needs to ingest the person''s blood.


    Psychometry and Good Luck Probability Manipulation - [Self-Explanatory]


    Healing Factor - [Self-Explanatory].


    Proto-Adamantium Bone Claws - [Self-Explanatory]


    High Talent for Technology/Machines - [Self-Explanatory]


    Super Strength


    Super Speed


    Super Agility


    Superhuman/Enhanced Relflexes


    Intangibility


    Nigh-Invulnerability


    Ressurection


    Healing others.


    Photographic Memory


    Photographic Reflexes.


    3) Leo will start out as a villain first, since he''s joining Magneto, but will eventually become an anti-hero.


    4) Leo''s also messed up and very unstable and insane. Like, mix Deadpool''s insanity, Carnage''s depravity, and a mind touched by the Darkhold. If any of you get House of M vibes, good. You''re notified.


    5) Harem is as follows:


    Jean Grey/Marvel Girl/Phoenix, Emma Frost/White Queen, Anne Marie/Rogue, Betsy Braddock/Psylocke, Laura Kinney/X-23, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Ororo Munroe/Storm, Selene Gallio, Susan Storm/Invisible Woman, Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel/Captain Marvel, Felicia Hardy/Black Cat, Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Amora/The Enchantress, Mystique, and Jessica Drew/Spider Woman. None of these girls are being removed. One or two more may be added, but that''s it.


    6) The story will start off from the X-Men Evolution show, and continue onwards.


    Well, that''s it. I''m posting the chapters one by one, so I won''t respond to reviews for the first few chapters.


    Read and Review!


    Chapter 2


    Bayville, NY - Abandoned Iron Works Factory...


    Jean Grey stared at the table before her, almost wanting to slap herself for not thinking things through.


    As much as she hated to admit it, Jean had to concede that in hindsight she had been too zealous in reaching out to Fred. Still, at least she had tried. That was the point of the X-men, to reach out to other mutants and show them that no matter how hopeless or isolated they felt, there were not alone no matter how it might seem. Jean let out a huff of exasperation. She had had enough of the self-recrimination. She could sit here and wait to be rescued or she could free herself.


    Unfortunately while she possessed two powerful gifts, both required a great deal of concentration. Something in short supply thanks to the throbbing in her head. The pain was so bad that it had taken an arduous amount of effort to reach the Professor for just a few minutes.


    Still, she gathered as much focus as she could and reached out with her telekinesis. At first she traced the contours of the copper piper holding her in place, forming a mental image and then grinding her teeth seized one end and started to exert her will. For a moment she thought it would succeed but the pressure her head proved too much and with a sharp exhale, Jean slumped against her bindings.


    The pain had eased somewhat and Jean scowled in frustration. Why couldn''t Fred have used rope or wire? Gathering a second wind, Jean prepared to try again, only for heavy footsteps to distract her. Looking at the door, she hoped that whatever Fred was up to out there it would keep him busy long enough for her to get free. The door opened a minute later dashing her hope, allowing an extremely overweight teen to squeeze through.


    Fred ''Blob'' Dukes paused, and then lumbered toward her with a grin. Jean had seen him grin before, but something about this particular grin worried her. Not because of how eager it made him look, but rather the desperate longing lurking behind it. It raised an instinctive urge to lash out at him, but she fought the impulse down though she remained on edge.


    "This is gonna be the best night you''ve ever had," Fred said, grinning like a fool and moving toward her while brandishing a napkin "Dinner, dancing¨C"


    "Fred this is all wrong," Jean interrupted, struggling to keep her voice calm. "You can''t force someone to like you."


    "Why not?" Fred asked with honest confusion, placing the napkin in Jean''s lap, making her skin crawl. Stepping back he flexed his muscles. "I''m stronger than everyone."


    "Being nice usually works better." Jean said, trying to reason with him.


    Fred was like an abused child. He had found positive attention and he wanted to keep it all for himself. He had not done anything completely unforgivable yet, all she had to do was keep him from crossing that line. Then she saw his reaction to her statement, and her stomach plummeted - Fred had frowned as if trying to understand what she meant, his eyes staring at nothing for several long seconds before his face blossomed into a another grin.


    "Oh yeah!" Fred exclaimed with abrupt cheerfulness. "I just remembered. I''ve got a surprise for you!" The large mutant walked back to the door, leaving Jean alone.


    Jean grunted, casting her eyes around for something to use and buy some time.


    XXX


    Fred had never believed he would be on a date with a girl like Jean.


    His mom had waited just long enough to name him before she left. Then when his dad was not ''beating sense into his retarded fat ass'', Fred had dealt with a gang of sadistic bullies while growing up. Needless to say, when his powers kicked in he had got the hell out of town. But only after he put his dad through several walls and ensured the gang would be eating through straws for a long time.


    So to be dating a girl like Jean, after such miserable beginnings, it blew his mind. Of course, he still had to win her over completely. This was why he was double checking the stolen record player. Satisfied with the record player, he tucked it under arm, heading back to a waiting Jean.


    At least until a loud grating sound filled the warehouse, drawing his attention. Frowning he looked around before lumbering toward the double doors of the warehouse. He had only taken two steps when the doors exploded inward. Fred stumbled back in shock, dropping the record player as he did.


    Before he could recover something slammed into him, hammering his face with punches. He stumbled even further, but recovered soon enough and grabbed his attacker. With an angry shout, he tossed them over head and turned to get a better look at his attacker. It turned out that his attacker was short and wearing an orange and black uniform.


    "Who are you?" he asked, annoyed.


    "Name''s Wolverine," the man growled. "Now, you going to let the girl go, or am I going to have to make a point?"


    "Ha! You think you can do anything to me?" Fred taunted.


    Wolverine responded by lunging at him, and Fred sidestepped the charge, backhanding Wolverine away. The smaller man tumbled across the floor as Fred grabbed a heavy piece of machinery, the metal screeching as he ripped it free of its bolts. Lifting it over head he turned back and hurled it at his dazed attacker.


    It hit the ground before it tumbled across the floor, turning Wolverine into a supposed messy smear. Smirking, Fred dusted his hands off and prepared to resume his date - until his attacker leapt over the machinery, metal claws flashing as he landed in a crouch.


    Completely bewildered, Fred could only stare as Wolverine jumped at him, claws aimed at his face.


    Fred yelled out in surprise, just managing to catch Wolverine by the wrists, only to receive several furious kicks to the face and chest as he held him aloft. Growling with increasing frustration, Fred tightened his grip and pulled Wolverine''s arms wide only to receive a double foot stomp to the face.


    Roaring, Fred swung around, dislodging his feet before belly flopping, pinning Wolverine beneath him.


    "Can''t... breathe...," Wolverine choked out, trying to free himself.


    "Yeah? Well, you shouldn''t try and take my girlfriend!" Fred shouted, before bouncing on top of the man, smashing his head into the concrete floor with a sickening crunch.


    Wolverine continued to struggle for another minute before finally going slack. Fred waited a moment to make sure that Wolverine was not going to get back up, and then laboriously got back to his feet. Satisfied, he started to turn away, only to stop as he spotted someone standing in the now ruined doorway.


    Fred frowned at the powerfully-built teen wearing street clothes and had black tousled hair. His face looked to be of Spanish descent.


    "Who are you?" Fred asked.


    "Leo," was all the teen said.


    "Okay," Fred said, frown deepening. "What are you doing here?"


    "A client of mine wants you to join our cause," Leo said simply. "We could use someone with your abilities."


    Fred looked confused, before scoffing. "Yeah, right. Like I''m going to join some stupid group."


    "Not even if this group are mutants like you?" Fred blinked at that. "You can join us, you know. Get back at all those humans who put you down, who took your childhood away from you." Leo held his hand out. "Join us, Fred. Among us, you''ll find brothers. Family who won''t abandon you like your mother, or mistreat you like your father."


    Fred''s mind imagined it all, not even registering the fact that this guy knew about his life, something that he never told anyone about.


    "But..." He turned backwards, before looking at Leo. "I need to continue my date."


    Sighing, Leo closed his eyes, face scrunched up in irritation. "I don''t have time for this." And then he moved, disappeared from Fred''s eyes. He could only register something heavy hitting the back of his head, before he passed out, unconscious.


    Leo sighed, looking at the kid before him. "Pathetic." He picked Fred up with one hand, before looking behind him. At the red-haired girl tied up on the chair. He face was scrunched up in concentration, trying to loosen her binds.


    He walked over towards her, still carrying Fred. Looking at the large shadow over her, Jean looked up, shocked. She blushed, looking at the handsome teen before her.


    Leo continued to look at her blankly. Finally, her bindings fell away instantly, with no effort. Jean gasped, looking at her now free hands, then back at Leo. "Y-You''re a mutant?"


    "Yes," Leo answered. "Fred won''t bother you again, don''t worry."


    While Jean was relieved, she was unnerved by the emotionless look in Leo''s eyes. Not only that, but he had a dangerous air around him. "Who are you?"


    "No one special," was all he said, before he disappeared. Jean blinked, wondering if it was her eyes playing tricks on her.


    XXX


    Abandoned Warehouse...


    Leo dropped Fred as soon as he teleported, the large mutant landing with a thud as he dented the ground.


    "That was quick," a voice commented. Leo looked up to see Mystique walking towards him, wearing casual clothes: jeans and a blouse. Her golden eyes peered into his brown ones. "I expected at least some resistance."


    "Even if there was, he still couldn''t stop me," Leo said simply.


    "So, I take it that he agreed?" Mystique asked, unnerved a little at Leo''s attitude. If she was honest with herself, he scared her. On the one hand, he didn''t act like any of their recruits; arrogant, incompetent, and actually completed each task with excellent efficiency. However, he didn''t say much, didn''t converse with the others, and had a darkness to his eyes that frankly worried her.


    Sure, she had a darkness to her, many mutants did due to their pasts of being mistreated or neglected. However, Leo had a gleam of insanity in his eyes, something that Mystique didn''t like. That made him unpredictable and unaccountable.


    "Yes and no," Leo answered. At Mystique''s questioning look, he elaborated. "When I gave the whole spiel to him, he looked like he was on board. But his eagerness for a girl distracted him."


    "So, you didn''t get him to agree," she summarised, annoyed.


    "It''s not like it''s a problem," Leo said, looking at the unconscious Fred. "I could just manipulate his mind, make him more compliant." He said this like he was talking about the weather. "What does Magneto want?"


    "He wants you to attend Bayville High, scout out Xavier''s X-men," Mystique said. "With your powers, you could easily find out each of their weaknesses, attitudes, etc."


    "That''s not what we agreed on," Leo said, frowning. "I asked him specifically when we were going to move on to the humans." He said the word ''humans'' with venom. Mystique herself flinched at the word herself. "If we were going to kill them, attack settlements, guerrilla tactics, anything."


    "That''s not-" "I don''t care if we''re laying low," Leo interrupted, having already read her mind and knew what she was going to say. "With my powers, I could snap my fingers and kill them myself. The only reason I don''t is that I want to personally kill them with my own hands, see their own deaths with my two eyes." Leo smiled widely, eyes shining. "I''ll wipe them all out."


    Mystique visibly shivered, repulsed by his actions. Sure, she wasn''t fond of homo-sapiens, and would have no problem killing them if need be, but even she wan''t willing to commit senseless genocide.


    "However," Leo said, his insane gleam disappearing, "I will attend Bayville High, only to see how these X-men work. Tell the others, so that they''re not surprised, or interfere with my plans."


    With that, Leo teleported again, leaving Mystique to release the breath that she was holding. "I think that Magneto made a mistake, she muttered to herself.


    XXX


    Next Day, Bayville, New York, Bayville High School...


    Leonardo Sebastian walked down through the halls of Bayville High School with calm and assured confidence, as if he was too good for the school. He had actually never been to a proper school - he didn''t deem it necessary - but he had studied many subjects - from Mathematics, Physics, Human Biology, Chemistry, Engineering and Robotics. All at levels far beyond high school. Really, the fact that he was even attending school itself - where human teenagers walked through, conversing physically and mentally about their useless lives - was enough to make him want to erase it.


    He withheld his motion, however, knowing that this was part of the plan. He passed by a gushing group of girls, who he barely spared a glance at.


    He had gone for a far more simple look; a black T-shirt with some band on it, along with navy jeans and grey and black sneakers. Something he didn''t often wear, but worked for now.


    He walked to his first class; Honours Physical Science. He ignored the talking teacher, who welcomed him to the class; he wasn''t interested in his words. What he was interested in was the girl sitting at the desk-lab table closest to the closed window. The red-haired girl from yesterday. It was only when the teacher finished talking that she looked up, only to freeze in surprise.


    Leo withheld a smirk as he mentally convinced the man to make him sit beside the girl; Jean. He walked slowly, taking in the growing surprise on the girl''s face as he approached, probably due to the fact that she couldn''t read his mind. He arrived at the desk, still looking at Jean.


    "Hello," was all he said.


    "H-Hi," she greeted with a nervous smile.


    "I''m Leonardo Sebastian. A pleasure to meet you."


    "Jean Grey."


    At that, he nodded, taking a seat beside her. Her eyes continued to scrunch up in confusion as she kept on looking at him. He rolled his eyes at her obviousness.


    If you wanted to read my mind, he telepathically said to her, getting her eyes to become wide, be less obvious about it.


    H-How... You''re a telepath?! she asked in her mind.


    Leo took a peek at her mind, only to scoff as he encountered her pathetic mental walls. Honestly, they might as well not have been there, with how weak they were. He knew that he was an immensely powerful telepath thanks to the blood of Franklin Richards, so it wasn''t really fair on the girl. Still, the point still stood. Yes. Never met another telepath?


    N-No. As the two mentally conversed, Leo smirked as he received the information that he needed from Jean''s mind. Too easy.


    XXX


    Walking through the sea of teenagers at the cafeteria, Leo mentally restrained himself from annihilating every single one of them. Just brushing against them was enough to make his skin crawl. But he reminded himself of the plan, so he withheld himself. Again.


    Dozens of eyes followed him as he passed. Some belonging to guys who felt inferior and threatened by the mutant. Most belonged to gushing girls with a predatory glint in them.


    He finally found an empty table in the corner. He was glad that the Brotherhood hadn''t interacted with him. They knew of his behaviour, so they knew that he didn''t want to talk to them. Sure, he had no problem with any of them, but he hadn''t had contact with human or mutant for years. Well, except for his activities.


    Leo could feel the eyes of several teens on him that felt different to the others as he ate. He rolled his eyes, knowing that it was the X-men. He met the eyes of Jean, giving a simple smirk. He knew that she had already told her friends about his telepathy, but he wasn''t worried. They had no way of knowing of all of his powers, so he still had the element of surprise. And even if they did, it wouldn''t help them.


    Jean bit her lip in frustration as she looked at Leo from where they sat at the back. She was unnerved by him. She couldn''t get anything from his mind. It was like staring at a bottomless pit, supposedly empty and no way out. That both intrigued and worried her. Intrigued, because she had only seen Professor Xavier with that kind of prowess in telepathy. She wondered how he could do that, and if there was way for her to learn it. Worried, because she didn''t know his motives. He had to know of the X-men; she could tell that he was vastly stronger than her in telepathy, so he could''ve scanned her mind easily. Was he with the Brotherhood?


    "Jean," Scott said from across her, getting her attention. "You''re staring."


    She flushed at having been caught like that.


    "Hey, like, ease up on her, Scott," Kitty said to him, following Jean''s gaze and sighed dreamily. "He''s a hunk."


    Kurt scoffed, wearing his watch that altered his appearance. "Please. He is not that good-looking." He spoke with a German accent. (A.N. - I can''t write how a person with a German accent speaks. Seriously, I''ve tried before, and I can''t. Maybe later on in the story, I will, but for now, just imagine him speaking with an accent). He gave Kitty a flirty look, wiggling his eyebrows. "Certainly not as good as me."


    Kitty rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Like, back off already."


    Kurt''s shoulders slumped. Scott looked at Leo this time. "So, he''s a telepath?"


    Jean nodded, frowning. "Yeah. A really powerful one. I couldn''t read his mind at all, and I''m pretty sure that he skimmed through mine."


    "That''s not good," Scott concluded, a worried look on his face as his sunglasses glinted. "He probably knows about the X-men and where we live. You think he''s with the Brotherhood?"


    "We haven''t seen him talk to any of them," Kurt said, finally getting over his depression. "Much less look at them. Maybe he''s just realised his powers and is trying to live his life?"


    Jean shook her head. "No way. He''s way too advanced to have just realised his powers instantly. He must''ve trained them for a long time."


    "So, what do we do?" Kitty asked. The others looked at each other, unsure as to how to proceed.


    XXX


    Bayville, New York - Xavier Institute for Gifted Children...


    Jean pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. Taking several deep breaths she resumed her paper on ''Mitosis and Meiosis''. Or at least, she tried to, but for some reason Jean drew a blank on what to write.


    No, she knew the reason. Leonardo Sebastian.


    Since she met him, he was all she could think about. How was it that he suddenly walked into school, aware that he was a mutant and not allied with anyone? Many mutants looked worried whenever they were around large settlements, worrying if their powers would spiral out of control, and they''d be found out.


    Leonardo was the opposite. He practically oozed confidence, to the point that it was almost admirable. He knew he was a mutant, and yet wasn''t worried at having to suppress his mutant powers. In fact, Jean had the feeling that he wouldn''t care if he was found out.


    She wondered how he had such mastery over his mutant powers. So far, she knew that he had telepathy and, supposedly, telekinesis. Just like her. It felt weird, but Jean wanted talk to him, ask for tips on how he had honed his powers so well. It didn''t help that he was very attractive- no, stop. She already had a boyfriend. She shouldn''t be thinking about Leo like that.


    Tossing her pen down, she retrieved her text book and began reading. After twenty minutes, Jean realised that she had read the same paragraph a dozen times. Jean slammed her book shut and leaned away from the table in the mansion''s library.


    Standing, the red head paced the empty library. Passing by the open door, Jean could hear the sounds of the action movie from the living room.


    For a moment Jean considered joining Scott and Kurt but didn''t, she needed to finish her paper and besides, if finished her paper soon she could always join them. Even better, she could talk Scott into watching a movie she actually wanted to see.


    Closing the door she returned to her table and reopened her book.


    Jean?


    Jean grumbled in frustration as the Professor broke into her thoughts.


    Yes Professor? Jean responded, suppressing her urge to rant.


    May I speak with you for a moment?


    Of course, just give me a minute.


    Shoving her notebook and text book into her backpack, Jean left the library, trying to keep calm. This had to have had something to do with Ororo''s absence. Seeing Scott heading for the Professor''s office as well only served to strengthen her suspicions.


    They talked for a bit along the way before they reached the Professor''s office.


    "Jean, Scott," Professor Xavier greeted as they entered. "I suppose you have some idea of why I''ve called you here?"


    "You want us to go meet with a new student," Scott guessed.


    "Well, potentially." Xavier looked towards Jean knowingly. "This ''Leonardo Sebastian''."


    Jean frowned. "I''m not sure he wants to join the X-men."


    "And why is that?" Xavier asked Jean curiously.


    "He just..." Jean hesitated for a moment, before continuing. "He doesn''t seem like the type. He''s well-versed in his telepathy, so I don''t think he would even come to try to hone his abilities. As well as that, he just doesn''t seem the type to follow somebody."


    "I see," Xavier said, but was thinking of something else. Has Erik managed to recruit him? If so, then I fear the actions that follow. Leonardo could very well be the cause of D-Day, nine years ago. (A.N. - D-Day stands for Desolation Day, when Leo got super-powered).


    "Well, let''s focus on another possible recruit," Xavier said, pushing his current thoughts aside. "The young man in question is Evan Daniels, Miss Monroe''s nephew."


    "Er, why? I mean shouldn''t Miss Monroe be able to handle this? I mean... well, he''s her nephew and she''s got plenty of experience," Scott said confused.


    "Is it because we''re closer to his age?" Jean asked.


    "That is a factor, yes."


    "But there''s more to it than just that, isn''t there," Scott said, frowning.


    "Indeed. While Evan is aware of his powers and of the Institute, he refuses to attend. Apparently he still believes himself capable of handling his powers without outside help. Despite evidence to the contrary."


    "What do you mean ''still''?" Scott asked.


    "When his mutant abilities first manifested, they were minor," Xavier explained. "It was felt by Ororo and her sister that it would be safe to allow him to remain at home." Professor Xavier explained. "However as you both know, mutant abilities grow in strength as the body matures."


    "What exactly is Evan''s mutation?" Jean asked, wondering if it was weather-related in some way.


    "The technical term would be ''Self-Replicating Exoskeleton''. Essentially, Evan can grow incredibly dense bone spikes. Bone spikes that he can not only vary the size of but also extend, retract and discharge from any point on his body."


    "He must also possess a healing factor of some kind." Jean mused, frowning.


    "An easy enough supposition. His body instantaneously heals from the wounds created during the use of his powers. The extent of this healing is far from being on the level of Logan''s, but it is still present. He also posses a hyper-accelerated metabolism."


    "Yeesh. At this rate I think me and Jean are the only without a healing factor or accelerated metabolism," Scott muttered.


    "Some days, such as when I receive our food bill, I doubt even that," Professor Xavier responded with an amused chuckle.


    "So when do you want us to leave?" Jean asked, chuckling as well.


    "I promised Ororo that you would be there in the morning." Professor Xavier said. "Normally I would hesitate to ask you to miss school, but Evan is family and we are coming up on a weekend."


    "Got it," Scott nodded.


    XXX


    Bayville, New York - Bayville High School...


    Leo closed the door of his locker, his boredom not being relieved in the slightest. The amus.e.m.e.nt that he had felt coming here was quickly disappearing.


    "Hey, you," a voice called.


    Leo''s eye twitched. Don''t kill him, don''t kill him, don''t kill him... He sighed, turning around to look at who called him. He saw that it was a guy with a strong build and obvious jock-like features. What was his name? David? Daniel?


    "Hey, I''m talking to you!"


    "And I''m trying to ignore you, what''s your point?" Leo snapped back, already annoyed.


    Sneering, the jock stepped up to him, trying to intimidate him with his size. Which failed, since Leo was taller than him by a couple of inches. Leo actually laughed at, amused.


    "What''s so funny?" the jock asked, annoyed at being made fun of.


    "The fact that you think that you can intimidate me," Leo elaborated, a smile on his face. He hadn''t laughed like that in a long while. "So let''s cut to the chase: what do you want?"


    "I saw you talking to my girl the other day," David (Leo decided on David. Seemed right.) explained, now red-faced.


    "And that girl is..." Leo said, still amused. Okay, maybe he wouldn''t kill him. He was too funny.


    "Jean!" David yelled, drawing attention to them.


    "Oh... Wow, she must have really low standards," Leo said, smirking.


    "You wanna go?!" David threatened, pulling his shirt up to flex his muscles, an obvious attempt to intimidate him, which again failed.


    "Oh? See that would be intimidating if you were... well, intimidating," Leo chuckled.


    David growled. "You mocking me?!"


    "Oh no, no..." Leo said, before breaking out into more laughter. "Yeah."


    Roaring, David took a swing at Leo, who stood there grinning. Once David''s fist connected with his face, it promptly cracked, the sound ringing through the air.


    "AAAAH!" David yelled, holding his left hand in pain. This made Leo laugh even harder.


    "Oh, God, stop! Please!" Leo laughed, almost falling over. There were tears in his eyes.


    "F.u.c.k you!" David roared, going for a punch with his right hand to Leo''s gut... and promptly got it shattered again. "Son of a bitch!" David yelled, tears in his eyes from the pain.


    "HAHAHAHA! I''m going to pee! S-Stop it!" Leo leaned against his locker, laughing so hard that he cried even more. The students watching also joined in, amused at how the resident school jock got humiliated. By himself, even.


    Leo finally walked away, leaving David to cry a little at having both of his hands busted.


    XXX


    Leo walked out of his class, finished his Particle Physics work. He had to admit, despite hating the teacher automatically, he was at least good at him job.


    "Leo!" Leo blinked at someone yelling his name. Turning around, he saw Jean stomp towards him, eyes narrowed.


    I''m guessing this is about earlier, Leo thought, looking at the girl with a smile. "Jean. How are you today?"


    "Why did you have a fight with Duncan?" Jean asked, frowning.


    "So that''s his name," Leo commented absently, chuckling. "I''ll try and remember that next time."


    "You didn''t answer my question," Jean said, hands on her h.i.p.s. "Why did you fight him?"


    "A fight implies that both parties had an equal chance of winning, as well as two sides confronting each other," Leo explained, smiling still. "I didn''t do anything. Duncan tried to attack me, thinking that I was interested in you because we talked when I came here."


    "That''s..." Jean lost her anger at Leo, replacing it slightly for Duncan. "Ridiculous!"


    "I thought it was funny," Leo shrugged. "I''m not interested in you. Although..." Leaning forward, Leo looked at Jean, who blushed and tried to step back. "... that can change if you want."


    "N-No," Jean denied, still blushing. "I''m not. I have a boyfriend."


    Smirking, Leo walked forward, making Jean walk backwards until her back hit the lockers. "That just makes it more fun," he commented, still grinning at her flushed face. "And don''t act like you''ve never thought about it." As Jean''s face grew brighter, his grin grew wider. He managed to get what he wanted.


    The bell rang, and Leo went back to standing straight, smiling. "Well, see you later, Jean." He winked. "Don''t think too much about me."


    He turned and left, the smile instantly wiping itself off his face. His mission was accomplished.


    XXX


    Bayville, NY. - Bayville High School, Principal''s Office...


    Mystique had lived a long time. Longer than most people would guess. After all who would ever believe that she had been born in 1825. Sometimes, even Mystique had problems believing it given how much the world had changed in the last hundred and ninety-two years.


    Though there were two constants; humanity''s prejudiced nature and red tape.


    Mystique grimaced, staring on the latest batch of paperwork. In theory, Magneto''s ploy to use his son''s rivalry with Evan Daniels was simple. In practice, it was turning out to be near impossible since it required her to manipulate the playoffs of a Double A bracket Championship.


    Not that Magneto would care about how much creative paper work, bribes, and blackmail it had taken. She should have told Magneto to go do something anatomically impossible. Why he couldn''t send Leonardo to do the task, he had no idea.


    After another few minutes, she stood up and drew the shades of her office before taking her seat again. Unlocking a hidden drawer, she withdrew a communication device and set it on her desk. Shifting into her natural form, she activated the device and a low hum filled the office as it warmed up. Once it established an encrypted connection, the emitter sprang to life.


    A flickering low resolution holographic image of Magneto appeared hovering inches tall. Somehow in spite of the diminutive size, he still struck an intimidating chord.


    "I take it you have news?" Magneto asked, breaking the silence.


    "I wanted to inform you that I''ve made the final arrangements in regards to your plan for young Mister Daniels and your son."


    "Excellent. Were there any undue problems arranging things?"


    "Beyond bureaucratic problems, no," Mystique answered.


    "Unfortunately, there are some evils that even the most powerful of us are helpless against," Magneto sighed. "What of Leonardo? Has he provided sufficient information?"


    "Yes," Mystique nodded, frowning. "He''s already scanned one of Xavier''s X-men''s minds, and has given a full detail of the mansion, the Danger Room, and a little bit on Cerebro."


    "Excellent," Magneto nodded, smiling. "Have him stay for longer. He''s already provided enough, but more information never hurt."


    "While that''s good and all, are you sure we can trust him?" Mystique asked.


    Magneto frowned. "Fully? No. But we are fighting for the same cause. He agrees that mutants should stand above homo-sapiens."


    "Yes, but how much?" Mystique asked. "He''s clearly not mentally stable, which makes him unpredictable. Plus, we still don''t know how powerful he is. All we know is that he''s a telepath, and has telekinesis. We''re grasping at straws here."


    "That is true, but until he actually acts out, we need not do anything. But be cautious," Magneto warned.


    Mystique nodded.


    XXX


    Bayville, New York - Bayville School High Yards...


    Evan Daniels cursed as he tried to catch Pietro Maximoff, who again casually dodged his grab.


    "As usual, too slow," Pietro said, before rubbing his chin. "Props for the attitude though. There might be hope for you after all."


    Evan bit his tongue, knowing he had to keep his head. He should have from the beginning, but his urge to beat Pietro had gotten the better of him. But now he had his head back in the game.


    "What''s going on here?"


    Evan turned as Scott stepped into the parking lot. Damn. Though he did wonder where Jean, Kitty, and Kurt where.


    "What''s this, a babysitter?" Pietro asked with a mocking laugh. "Oh, Daniels just when I thought you couldn''t get lamer."


    Evan grit his teeth and spun back to Pietro, but the sudden presence of Jean in his mind brought him up short.


    Enough. He''s just trying to goad you Evan, you need to keep your head in the game.


    ... Fine, Evan responded back, knowing that he had no choice.


    Good. Now, what can you tell us about him?


    He''s fast, Evan relayed. I couldn''t touch him, but he loves to talk...


    So we get him talking, and record him.


    Leave the recording to me, Kitty responded from where she crouched.


    Meaning we''ll take our cues from you since you know him best Evan. What buttons do we push? Jean asked.


    Pride, he answered back. He just realised that the whole conversation had taken place in the time it took for Pietro to laugh.


    "So this is that friend you were telling us about?" Jean asked, stepping into the parking lot at last.


    Pietro did a double take at seeing Jean and in an instant he changed locations. Jean leaned back at his sudden appearance in her personal space. "Well hellooo. We haven''t been properly introduced, I''m Pietro, and you''re beautiful."


    Jean frowned. "Not interested."


    "Say no more," Pietro said then, in a silver blur was behind Scott shaking him by the shoulders. "I mean, I get it! You''re into the tool. Why? I have no clue. But whatever, love is a beautiful blind thing."


    "He''s not a tool." Jean said, eyes narrowing.


    "Well, that''s a shock! I would have sworn he was a poser wearing sunglasses at night!"


    "Wow, I had forgotten how bad you are at hitting on girls," Evan said, drawing Pietro''s glare. "Dude, just give it up. Jean''s not interested and I don''t want to waste time listening to you going up in flames."


    "What was that?" Pietro asked, voice low.


    "You heard me."


    "Tch, whatever," Pietro said, before smirking. "What, not going to try and hit me again?"


    Evan bit back his first response, which would be to do just that. Mostly because he knew it would be pointless to try. But also because Jean had been right about Pietro goading him and would not hesitate to berate him for giving in.


    "No. I''m going to kick your ass on the court. You know, where you can''t hide behind that speed."


    "Lame," Pietro said shoulders slumping before he darted off. He circled the three of them in a silver blur before stopping next to the entrance. "Why''d you even bother coming out here if you were going to wuss out at the last minute?"


    Evan clenched a fist and took a deep breath. He also tried not to get creeped out with the way Jean kept sending him telepathic reassurance.


    "Oh, don''t get me wrong Pietro, I want to knock your head off. But I know I can''t right now. Scott and Jean wouldn''t let me even try. So I''ll have to settle for stomping you on the court."


    "There may be hope for you yet Evan," Pietro said, smirking. "Anything else before I steam roll you out there?"


    "Yeah. Why break into all those lockers and framed me... I just don''t get it."


    "I told you before. For the kicks. I was bored!" Pietro shouted, throwing his hands up in exasperation.


    "You were bored?" Jean asked, disbelief clear in her tone.


    "Well, duh! When you''re as fast as me, you get bored. It doesn''t matter if I''m sleeping, eating, breathing, or standing here talking. All of it takes forever! Hell, I''ve already lost interest in this conversation five hundred times since it started. Stealing wasn''t much better, but at least it gave me something to do."


    "And you decided to frame me, because...?" Evan asked, shocked.


    Pietro held his hands out as if it were obvious. "Duh, because you got so worked up! It was hilarious. Just when breaking into the lockers started to get boring, you just kept getting more and more worked up about it. Kept trying to stop it from happening, do you know how many times I hurt myself from holding my laughter in?"


    "Hold on, wait," Scott said, cutting in. "Why are you so willing to admit to breaking into the lockers?"


    Pietro blew a raspberry. "Oh please. It''s not like there''s any way to use it against me. Oh sure, maybe someone might believe you''re telling the truth, but do you think a judge is going to decide to believe you because you say so? Dude there''s na?ve, and then there''s living in Mabeland."


    "You really think your untouchable, don''t you?" Jean asked.


    "Run, run, as fast you can ~" Pietro sang.


    "Alright," Scott said, taking a step forward and reaching for Pietro. "I thin-Whoa!"


    Without warning Scott flipped through the air and knocked Jean over. Both teens ended up in a tangle of limbs on the ground, while Pietro stood in the spot where Scott had been. "Not too quick, are ya?"


    "That''s it, Pietro!" Evan shouted unleashing a rain of bone spikes at his former friend. He missed, instead peppering the side of the team bus.


    "Ha! Yes, finally." Pietro laughed, clapping before disappearing in a blur of motion.


    Evan''s head rocked forward from a smack to the back of his head. Stumbling forward, he spun around with a snarl, but found no one behind him. Feeling a tap on his shoulder he spun back around with a wild backhand, but struck only air.


    Pietro stood a few feet away, curling a finger at him. "Come on, loser. Let''s see what you got."


    Pietro made to run off, only to run into something hard.


    "Ow! What the hell?!" Growling, Pietro looked at what he ran into, only to see a six-pack of abs blocking his way. "What the-"


    Pietro looked up to see Leo, garbed in a new outfit. It was a black skintight bodysuit that clung to his muscular body, outlining each feature. He wore crimson red boots, with the same colour on his wrists. On his lower torso, he had the symbol of the Arms of Chaos, painted red with a grey background.


    "Pietro," Leo said simply, looking down on the boy in front of him. "You''re outmatched and will eventually be outclassed. Give up."


    Scoffing, Pietro waved him away. "No way! I''ve still got to play tag with these chumps."


    "I don''t care," Leo said, eyes narrowed. "I''ve already talked with Magneto. He says that your attitude is a risk to the entire mission. Come with me, now."


    Laughing, Pietro got ready to run. "You''ll have to catch me first!" With that, he burst off in a blur, running past the fallen X-men.


    He turned around, ready to taunt Leo, who still stood there. "Ha! You''re not even trying, los-Huh?" Pietro started to taunt, only to again smash into something hard. He whirled around to see Leo standing there. "Wha- How?!"


    "Oh, don''t mind me," the Leo in front of him said. "I''m just occupying multiple spaces at once."


    "H-How are you doing that? I didn''t know you could clone yourself!" Pietro exclaimed, shocked.


    "Clones? No, this is my speed," Leo clarified, a small smirk on his face. He jabbed a thumb to the side. "There''s also a third one talking to Jean over there." Pietro whirled around to see a third Leo chatting with Jean, who again blushed. By the side, Scott looked annoyed, while Evan was shocked.


    "That''s impossible!" Pietro yelled, annoyed at how he was made to look like a fool. He wasn''t supposed to be the fool!


    "No," Leo said, poking Pietro on the forehead. "You''re too slow."


    "I''ll show you slow!" Pietro made to hit the Leo in front of him, but hit an afterimage of him. "Wha-"


    A kick sent Pietro flying. He landed on the ground, trying to get his bearings. He tried running away. "No way am I dealing with this?"


    "Dealing with what?" Pietro almost tripped over himself, looking to see Leo running at a jogger''s pace.


    Snarling, Pietro changed direction, kicking his speed into overdrive. Everything around him became a blur as he zoomed away, trying to run away. His heart beat quickened beyond its normal rate as he ran with everything he had, trying to prove this guy wrong. He was the fastest! No one else!


    "You know what''s impossible?" a voice said directly beside him. Pietro''s blood ran cold. "The fact that you call yourself fast."


    A foot tripped him, causing him to fall. A second foot kicked him and launched him sideways. A third kicked his head, knocking him unconscious.


    Leo sighed, the other hims disappearing. He picked up Pietro like a sack of potatoes.


    "Leo, wait!" Jean called out, just as he was about to teleport.


    He turned to look at her and her friends. "When I''m working, call me Alucard(1)." He grinned menacingly, eyes glowing scarlet red. With that, he teleported away, taking Pietro with him.


    Finished. Hope you guys liked the official first chapter.


    (1) The name doesn''t have any relationship with Hellsing. Leo''s codename/villain name is Alucard because he gains power through blood, like a vampire. At first, he wanted to call himself Dracula, after the vampire. But then changed it, claiming he was the opposite of a vampire, due to how he didn''t like it. The blood gives him power, rather than him having power over blood. That''s how he thinks of it. Hence, Alucard.


    Leo''s relationship with Jean won''t start typically like how I''d do it. There will be an attraction on both sides soon enough, which will lead to s.e.x, manipulation, more s.e.x, and then finally proper feelings. Want to make this a little dark, so hope it''ll work out. In fact, he''ll be like that with most of the girls in the harem.


    I also wanted to point out Leo''s sociopathic tendencies and actions. Despite acting all cheery and humorous when he shouldn''t, he''ll usually get information from people. Either that, or he''s going to use the tendencies to have s.e.x. In fact, he pretty much has a lot of traits of being a sociopath: not being fully capable of love, the charm, cunning, a lot of lying, etc.


    Oh, by the way. By the time of the Asteroid M bit, the story will diverge a lot from X-Men Evolution. Not by a lot, but it''ll still diverge.


    Thanks! Read and Review!


    Continue to FF.net for some lewds with Jean~

 Chapter 290 - My SI Stash #90 - Reincarnated into the World of Naruto PT2 by onetim3 (Naruto)

    -Yes the story wasn''t the greatest but damn the author actually finished his SI Naruto fic! Most SI usually just gets dropped or takes years to update... Props to the author for actually finishing what he started~ In this sequel, we get to see Izaya pretty much exploring continents and giving out wake-up slaps to Naruto & Sasuke as they''re gettin a lil'' bit rusty!


    Sypnosis: The 4th GNW is over, but the hidden danger and threat of the Otsutsuki clan remains. Izaya has done his best to search for clues and answers, but it just seems that the more he discovers the more questions he has. More Divine Trees? Who are the Jashinists? Where is the Heavenly Plane? But the journey is not his alone as a new generation of young promising shinobi enter the world!


    Rated: T


    Words: 142K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13497553/2/Reincarnated-into-the-World-of-Naruto-PT2 (onetim3)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    Swish Swish Swish!


    At this moment three young shinobi fell from the sky and expertly landed on a train currently running on the outskirts of Konohagakure. One shinobi had bright and spiky yellow hair and light blue eyes. He had a black jacket and black athletic pants on and whisker like birthmark patterns on his cheeks. He was exactly Uzumaki Boruto. The one and only son of the current 7th Hokage Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuga Hinata.


    The second shinobi had a green jacket and blue pants on with semi-long black hair tied up above his head. The son of Nara Shikamaru and Temari, Nara Shikadai.


    As for the last shinobi he had short messy brown hair and purple eyes. He wore a white t-shirt with an auburn colored jacket and black pants as well as a necklace that had a small ornament of a Flying Thunder God kunai on it. His name was Karasuma Hiroshi. The son of the 6th Hokage Karasuma Izaya and Hyuga clan head Hyuga Hanabi.


    The three of them sat down on the train as it continued traveling around the outskirts of the village. They had rushed out early in the morning to get one of the new limited edition green chili hamburgers. Boruto looked down at his lunch and shouted excitedly, "Alright! Made it just in time! The new limited edition green chili hamburger!"


    Shikadai just let out a sigh as he remarked, "Why did I have to come also?"


    Hiroshi plopped down next to them and commented, "Is it even going to taste good?"


    Boruto smiled at his cousin''s comment and replied, "Heh! Burgers are the best! It''s a limited edition so it''s gotta be good!"


    Despite all the hype they still stared a bit doubtful at the burgers in their hands before all three of them took a bite. Not a second had passed before all three of them coughed aloud and quickly took a sip of the drink in their hands.


    "Spicy!" Boruto remarked.


    "You can say that again!" Hiroshi agreed.


    The three of them sat in comfortable silence as they relished the feel of the wind on their skin as the train took them around the village. The large stone faces of all seven Hokage''s could be seen in the distance. As Boruto took in the sight before him he remarked, "This train sure is convenient. It''s nice not having to walk and run everywhere."


    Shikadai quickly chimed in, "Well, Konoha is getting more and more modern. Don''t forget that we have to attend the academy tomorrow."


    Boruto widened his eyes in surprise as he forgot. "Oh? You''re right! It is tomorrow huh?"


    Hiroshi nodded. "Right. Did you guys choose to continue your shinobi training? Or did you guys choose to do something else?"


    Boruto just let out a sigh. "Haaa¡­"


    He stared at the Hokage stone faces. Particularly at the 6th and the 7th.


    "Hey. Hiroshi. Your dad was the 6th Hokage. How often do you see uncle Izaya anyways?"


    Hiroshi gave a thoughtful look before replying, "Mnnnnnn...Well, dad is away on missions a lot. Mom says that dad abdicated his position as the 6th Hokage for uncle Naruto because there were things that only dad could do which required his attention outside of the village. Honestly I don''t really understand, but dad tries to come back home as often as he can. Sometimes he comes back every month for a few days. Other times he stays for a few weeks. It''s rare but there are times when he''s home for a few months at a time."


    Boruto frowned. "Aren''t you frustrated or mad that he''s gone so much? What about your mom? Doesn''t she feel lonely or sad? Or what about your sister Iraia? What does she think?"


    Hiroshi just tilted his head to the side as he gave it some serious thought. "Hmmm...I mean it would be nice to have dad around more. Mom always looks happiest when dad comes home. And dad always looks happiest when he''s with mom. Every time dad comes home he always tells us how much he loves her. And every time he leaves I can tell how sad he is. I can''t say that I''m really frustrated or mad that dad is gone so much. Every time he comes home he smothers Iraia and I, telling us how much he loves us. It gets a little embarrassing at times. So what I''m trying to say is that I guess I''m okay with our family''s current dynamic. After all, even though dad is gone a lot he taught me all of the skills I know. As for what Iraia thinks, I can''t really speak for her."


    Boruto let everything Hiroshi said sink in before Shikadai interjected, "So? Boruto did you choose to continue your shinobi training?"


    Boruto shrugged and replied, "What do you mean? Are we supposed to choose or something?"


    Shikadai and Hiroshi simply stared at each other in disbelief from what they just heard Boruto say. Boruto took note of their strange expression so he asked, "What? Did I say something weird?"


    Shikadai face-palmed as he replied, "Boruto, don''t tell me that after all this time you don''t even know how the academy system works?"


    Boruto laughed awkwardly and awkwardly scratched the side of his cheeks. "Haha...Well, you know I''ve always been more of a go with the flow kind of guy."


    Shikadai just let out a loud sigh before saying, "Boruto. Listen. I''m only going to explain once okay. We''ve been attending the academy since we were 5 years old. I''m really surprised you don''t know how the system works. Enrollment into the academy begins at 5. For the first 3 years all students learn the basic subjects such as Reading, Writing, Math, Science, and History. During the 3rd year attending the academy, that is when we''re introduced to the ways of shinobi. Everyone learns about the ways of shinobi and learn basic self defense and basic knowledge essential for Ninja''s for the next 2 years. We just completed that course. So tomorrow is when we can choose to either continue our studies as a Ninja or to drop the subject completely. For those who drop the subject they can choose to focus on another area they want like Business, Politics, Medicine, General Studies, etc. For those who choose to continue their studies as a Ninja they will have to keep up with their General Studies as well as their Ninja Studies. They will focus on learning Taijutsu, Bukijutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu for the next 2 years. During the final year they must take several milestone exams. The first is a written exam covering the basics of their General Studies. The second is the tree climbing and water walking exercise. This tests a shinobi''s ability to mold, infuse, and control chakra. The third is the ability to create a basic Clone and use the Transformation Jutsu. And these tests can be taken as many times as needed throughout the final year. If you pass these three milestone tests during the final year then you can take the Final Graduation Exam. This system was developed and created by the 6th Hokage after the 4th Great Ninja War. Isn''t the 6th Hokage your uncle Boruto? I thought you''d at least know how the academy worked."


    Boruto widened his eyes in surprise as he remarked, "EHH? Uncle Izaya was the one who created the current educational system in Konoha?" He then turned to Hiroshi for confirmation as Hiroshi nodded his head and replied with a bit of pride, "Yup. Dad''s awesome!"


    Boruto gave a doubtful look. "Really? Well...I''ve only gotten to meet uncle Izaya a few times before but they were really brief and I was pretty young back then. Is uncle Izaya really that awesome?"


    Shikadai turned to Boruto and said, "Honestly you don''t read much history books do you?"


    "Eh? Why? Should I?"


    "If you did you would know at least a bit more about Lord 6th Hokage. Even your own dad for that matter."


    "Ehhh? That seems bothersome."


    Shikadai let out a sigh. "You know Boruto. Your dad and Lord 6th are considered war heroes from the 4th Great Ninja War."


    Boruto nodded with disinterest. "Yeah yeah I know. So many people in the village talk about it that it gets old hearing about it you know."


    "Well it''s true. I hear that Lord 7th is known as The Hero of the Hidden Leaf. In the history books Lord 7th has several titles that were granted to him such as The Child of Prophecy, Saviour of the World, The Demon Fox Shinobi, The Orange Hokage, and the 2nd Eienkage."


    Boruto tilted his head a bit confused. "2nd Eienkage? What is that? Isn''t dad the Hokage already?"


    Hiroshi interjected at that moment. "Oh! Dad also has the title of Eienkage except he''s called the 1st Eienkage. Supposedly it was a title that was granted to only five shinobi in the entire world and it means the eternal shadow. It was a title given by the 5 Daimyo''s for their outstanding military service during the 4th Great Ninja War. The title of the 1st Eienkage was given to dad. The 2nd Eienkage to Lord 7th, the 3rd to uncle Sasuke, the 4th to uncle Haku, and the 5th to uncle Kimimaro."


    Boruto raised his eyebrow seemingly interested. "Ehhhh? Really?"


    Shikadai coughed bringing Boruto and Hiroshi''s attention back to focus. "Oi, Boruto, you still haven''t answered the question. So, are you going to continue your shinobi training?"


    Boruto laid down on the train and simply replied, "Yeah. I guess so. None of the other things really interest me."


    Shikadai looked a bit doubtful."Boruto. Don''t go doing stuff to embarrass your dad since it''ll probably reflect on me too."


    "What?!"


    "Oi, your mom is always telling me to watch out for you."


    "Eh? Mom does?"


    Hiroshi lightly chuckled and placed an arm around Boruto''s shoulder. "Heh, my cousin does get in trouble often."


    Boruto grumbled, "Oi, Hiroshi. Who''s side are you on? You''re supposed to be my cousin."


    After a few more minutes of playful banter the three of them went their separate ways. As Hiroshi dashed off towards the Hyuga residence he stopped midway and stared towards the great stone Hokage faces. Particularly the one at Izaya''s stone face.


    Dad...I wonder where you are right now.


    After thinking to himself for a moment he quickly continued on his way. Just as he opened the door to the Hyuga compound he was greeted by the sight of his sister Iraia in the middle of her Taijutsu training. She had soft snow white hair just like Izaya and her personality was similar to Izaya''s as well, whereas he was the opposite. His hair was brown like Hanabi''s and his personality was similar to hers also, however, they both had one similar feature and that was their purple eyes. Although neither Hanabi nor Izaya had purple eyes their eye color was the product of a unique and natural mutation in their genes. He and his sister were born as fraternal twins, although he was older by a few seconds.


    Hiroshi smirked as he sneaked around the corner of the compound to hide in the shadows. Just as Iraia turned her back towards him to perform a spinning kick he dashed out and attempted to tackle her to the ground, however, the moment he successfully grabbed her by the waist he was met with a puff of smoke as he held nothing but a piece of log in his arms. Too late into the dive he plopped on the ground with the piece of log and groaned. "Ugh...How long have you known I was there Iraia?"


    Iraia had a look of indifference on her face as she leaned against the fence in the courtyard and replied, "Ever since you got back."


    Hiroshi just stuck out his tongue in a playful manner at his sister. "Next time." He then walked off inside.


    As Iraia watched Hiroshi''s retreating form the indifferent expression on her face changed to that of a light smile as she whispered to herself, "You haven''t changed at all. Big brother."


    The next day all the students who had chosen to continue their shinobi training gathered outside the academy as Lord 7th stood at the very front in preparation to address the new young prospective shinobi, however, the speech was delayed as two individuals were missing. They were a boy named Denki, the young heir to the Kaminaron corporation and of course Boruto. Hiroshi and Shikadai stood next to each other as they gave each other a knowing glance.


    Shikadai whispered, "Seriously that Boruto. Didn''t I tell him not to do anything to trouble his dad? Even I made it on time."


    Hiroshi just sighed. "It can''t be helped. We''re talking about Boruto here you know."


    Shikadai simply nodded his head in agreement before taking a quick peek at Iraia who was standing by Sarada and Chocho. Her hair was snow white and seemed silky soft. It flowed beautifully down her back reaching just above her waist. She wore a white battle dress that just covered her shoulders down to just above her knees and on her arm she had black arm sleeves that partially covered her hands up to her elbows. The dress had an open part on the right side of her lower waist slightly exposing the white shorts she wore underneath. A long black ribbon was tied around her waist area and she wore long white stockings that reached the middle of her thighs with snowflake patterned designs on them. A necklace with a small Flying Thunder God ornament on it was worn around her neck.


    Shikadai couldn''t help but be memorized at the natural charm and beauty Iraia emitted. There was something about her that just seemed pure, yet dangerous. She gave off an air of mystery just like her father the 6th Hokage did in the past. And that feeling of being mysterious is what drew him and many others into wanting to know more about her. Hiroshi noticed Shikadai''s distracted look so he turned to see what Shikadai was staring at, however, he only took note of Chocho, Sarada, and his sister and got confused. "Shikadai, what''re you staring at?"


    Shikadai flinched and his cheeks turned a hint of pink as he realized Hiroshi caught him red handed. He lightly coughed and responded, "Ahem. Nothing."


    Hiroshi gave a doubtful look but simply shrugged his shoulders. It wasn''t long after that a single train cart burst through the air and crashed into the stone face of the 7th Hokage on the cliffside revealing Boruto and Denki as Boruto loudly declared his presence. Everyone on the ground stared dumbfoundedly at Boruto''s extravagant entrance. Especially Naruto. Due to that incident everyone was dismissed early. As Iraia took her leave another girl quickly jogged over to her and greeted, "Iraia. It''s been awhile. You doing alright?"


    Iraia observed the girl in front of her. She was a beauty with pretty red hair that fell 3 inches below her shoulders with dark brown eyes. She wore a light blue shirt, blue fingertip-less gloves, and black shorts with black stockings. This was Yuki Asuka. The daughter of Yuki Haku and Uzumaki Akane.


    Iraia nodded in acknowledgement of Asuka''s presence and replied, "Hey Asuka. I''m fine. You?"


    Asuka grumbled in annoyance. "Can you believe Boruto? If he was going to make an entrance like that where we had to cancel the opening ceremony he should have let us know. I could have slept in then!"


    Iraia''s lips curled in a light smile before she resumed her indifferent expression. It was at this moment that Hiroshi jogged up to them and greeted, "Asuka! You''re here!" Asuka glanced at Hiroshi matter-of-factly and replied, "Of course I''m here. My dad would be passive aggressively nagging me all day about it otherwise." Hiroshi smiled at her answer.


    Iraia sighed inwardly to herself as she watched her happy-go-lucky brother converse with Asuka. They had known Asuka ever since they were little since their fathers were sworn brothers. And ever since she could remember, her big brother Hiroshi had always had a soft spot for Asuka. She lightly coughed and made up a convincing lie to excuse herself from them giving Asuka and Hiroshi some more time alone together. She wandered about the village before finding herself in front of the large cliffside where the stone faces of all the Hokage''s were. She looked up at the 6th Hokage''s stone face. The face of a handsome young man with a blindfold covering the eyes was carved on the cliff. Her father''s face.


    Papa. Where are you? I miss you. Mom misses you too! It''s already been two months since you last came home. Are you alright? Are you safe?


    As she stood there lost in her thoughts she failed to notice the footsteps of someone approaching behind her until right at the last moment. She flinched and was just about to dash backwards to distance herself when she heard the familiar voice of the 7th Hokage.


    "Woah! It''s just me. Sorry, I didn''t mean to startle you."


    Iraia quickly reigned in her emotions and saluted Naruto as she said, "Greetings Lord 7th."


    Naruto just scratched the side of his cheeks awkwardly before saying, "Iraia. It''s been a long time since I last saw you. Hiroshi too. You''ve gotten taller since then."


    Iraia simply nodded her head. "Mn."


    Naruto was at a bit of a loss for words at how short Iraia kept her responses. He racked his brains for how to keep the conversation going when he took a glance up at the Hokage stone faces and instantly knew why Iraia was here. "Hmmm...Thinking about your dad huh?"


    Iraia flinched at Naruto''s comment but nodded. "Mn. Lord 7th?"


    "Hm?"


    "Do you know where papa is?"


    Naruto felt completely stumped since he actually didn''t know where Izaya was but didn''t want to tell Iraia that for fear that it might cause her to needlessly worry, so he rubbed the back of his head and amiably replied, "Your dad is on an S-rank mission. Um...Well you see, S-rank missions are kind of classified so I can''t really go into the details, but just know that where your dad is right now he can definitely handle it. I know it''s been awhile since you last saw him but I''ve known your dad for a long time. He''ll turn up when you least expect it."


    Iraia simply nodded at Lord 7th''s explanation and whispered, "Okay."


    Two weeks came and went as all students went to their respective classrooms. The two weeks also marked the end of Boruto''s suspension so today was technically his first day of attending the shinobi geared class courses. Everyone gossiped amongst themselves as Boruto entered the room. Boruto ignored them and took a seat right next to Shikadai and Hiroshi. Before long Shino entered the room as he was their class instructor. As Shino gave some introductions and instructions everyone followed him outside for their daily Taijutsu exercises. While everyone was practicing their Taijutsu, Shino had Boruto complete the obstacle course in the courtyard meant for evaluating his current proficiency standing as a shinobi. As Boruto breezed through the course and reached the end Denki walked over to congratulate him.


    "Nice Boruto! You tied for the second spot time-wise in completing the course."


    Boruto raised his eyebrow with a bit of surprise and remarked, "Eh? I wasn''t first? Who is then? And wait, what do you mean tied for second place?"


    Denki opened his laptop and pulled up a chart. "Hm...Well it doesn''t look like the first place holder is here right now. Apparently he thinks it''s a waste of time hanging out with a bunch of amateurs. As for the person you tied with, it''s-" Before Denki could finish Hiroshi dashed over and wrapped an arm around Boruto''s shoulders replying, "It''s me!"


    Boruto widened his eyes in shock. "EHHH? Hiroshi? So it was you?"


    "Hehe! Surprised?"


    Boruto simply grumbled as he shook out of Hiroshi''s grip. "Honestly I didn''t know you were actually that skilled as a shinobi."


    Hiroshi simply grinned. "Hey, we may have grown up together but we never actually sparred. We just played around."


    At that moment Shikadai walked over and commented, "Yeah. That''s what you guys call it but in truth you both just played a bunch of pranks on people."


    Boruto awkwardly coughed and replied, "Hey, people just need to learn to lighten up a little. That''s all."


    Shino watched this banter go on as a doubtful and worried expression filled his face. How did the son of both the 6th Hokage and 7th Hokage end up to be such troublemakers?


    It wasn''t long before lunch time rolled around the corner. As Shikadai, Denki, Boruto, and Hiroshi waltzed back into the classroom to discuss what to eat they heard a loud and rude voice. "Go find some other place to be noisy. I''m using this place right now. You''re bothering me."


    The four of them turned to see a student get up from a desk in the back as that student glared at them in annoyance. Boruto tilted his head unamused. "Who''s he?"


    Denki quickly replied, "That''s Iwabe."


    Shikadai chimed in as well, "He''s the repeater Iwabe. Rumors say he failed the graduation exams twice."


    Boruto simply smiled amiably. "Oh? So you''re our senior. Nice to meet you!"


    Iwabe frowned and snarled, "Don''t get all friendly with me! You damned Hokage''s son!"


    Not only did Boruto frown but Hiroshi also clenched his fist in disapproval. Boruto replied with a dark undertone, "It doesn''t matter who''s son I am."


    Iwabe immediately jumped down and gripped Boruto by the collar. "Well I don''t like the idea of having a guy like you around all the time."


    Hiroshi stepped forward and slapped Iwabe''s hand away as he retorted, "Keep your hands to yourself. We didn''t do anything to you yet you''re picking a fight where there doesn''t need to be one."


    At that point many of the other students began trickling back into the room to witness what was going on. Iwabe smirked mockingly. "Oh? So the son of the 6th Hokage and the son of the 7th Hokage are teaming up huh? How disappointing."


    Hiroshi gritted his teeth holding back his frustration. "Hokage this Hokage that. Does it matter who our parents are? It just sounds like you''re making up excuses to pick a fight."


    Iwabe frowned. "You both are eyesores. Two brats riding on their father''s coattails!"


    Boruto snarled and dashed at Iwabe as he shouted, "Bastard! Take that back!" However, Iwabe parried Boruto''s attack and gripped him by the shirt tossing him against the chalkboard in the room as he provoked, "What''s the matter? You aren''t even worth my time. If you''ve got a problem with me then come at me."


    Hiroshi frowned and just as he was about to step in Boruto said, "Wait. Hiroshi. I''ll handle it."


    Iwabe smirked and slammed his ninja staff on the ground. "Listen up! Strength is everything for a ninja! What''s the use of studying like all of you? Even the present Hokage was the strongest in all of history! As long as you''re strong you can get away with anything!"


    Hiroshi frowned at Iwabe''s speech. "You''re wrong! My father told me that those who have strength have a responsibility to ensure it is used in the right way! It is because powerful shinobi in the past abused their strength which caused the 4th Great Ninja War! Father and many others fought to end that war and held accountable those who began it! This was only possible because they studied and understood the history of the shinobi world!"


    Iwabe scowled. "Hmpf! You''re the son of the 6th Hokage. You''ve been in the limelight all your life. Of course you would spout ideological nonsense so easily. The 6th and the 7th used power to end the war."


    Denki frowned and retorted, "But the 7th Hokage has even stated that he wishes to use Ninjutsu in more peaceful ways!"


    Iwabe snarled and gripped Denki by the shirt. "Weaklings like you are a nuisance." At that moment Boruto intervened and freed Denki from Iwabe''s grasp.


    "So your definition of strength is bullying people into doing what you want? Hmpf! I had decided that I wouldn''t fight here and cause much trouble, but I''ll take you on. What do you say?"


    Iwabe simply smirked.


    Soon after the entire class had relocated underneath the school compound where the training arena was located. Everyone stood or remained seated in the stands as Iwabe and Boruto stood in the arena. At this moment Hiroshi and Iraia stood by Shikadai, Denki, Sarada, Chocho, and the class representative Sumire. Boruto and Iwabe began their fight as everyone simply watched.


    "How annoying." Sarada commented on the side.


    Iraia simply nodded her head in agreement before turning to Hiroshi and whispered, "Good job."


    Hiroshi smirked. "Good job? I''m assuming you''re referring to the fact that I didn''t let my emotions overcome me and pulverize that guy to death when he spoke about dad like that."


    Iraia simply didn''t comment as she watched the fight. Mn. Boruto''s Taijutsu skills are pretty impressive. He''s keeping up with that senior student Iwabe, but he lacks Iwabe''s overall physical strength. Boruto has an edge in speed and agility though. Not bad. His skills are close to that of Hiroshi''s. Maybe even on par. Taijutsu-wise at least. Hm? He can even do the Shadow Clone Jutsu huh?


    Denki turned to Hiroshi and whispered, "Hey, do you think Boruto is going to be okay?"


    Hiroshi pondered for a moment as he tracked the fight before responding, "Mn. There''s no need to worry. He lacks Iwabe''s physical brawn but he makes up for it with his agility and creativity. To be honest Boruto and I are probably even in our Taijutsu skills. We haven''t actually fought before but I can tell by the way he moves."


    Denki tilted his head as he caught a glimpse of Iraia and whispered, "You and your sister are twins right? Is she just as skilled as you in Taijutsu?"


    Before Hiroshi could answer everyone heard Iwabe scream out in frustration and anger as he dashed away from a worn out Boruto and over to his weapon picking it up. Iraia frowned in disapproval as she glanced over at Hiroshi who nodded at his sister in silent understanding. Iwabe gripped his weapon and slammed it on the ground causing a giant wave of rock, earth, and debris to come crashing towards Boruto.


    Hiroshi narrowed his eyes in disapproval.


    Hmpf. This guy said he wouldn''t use his weapon but ended up going back on his word. Since you cheated don''t blame me for intervening. Boruto is my cousin!


    Hiroshi quickly formed the hand signs of Rat, Dog, and Tiger and said, "Wood Style: Wood Dome Jutsu!" Just before the giant mass of earth could smash into Boruto a wooden dome appeared in front of him effectively blocking Iwabe''s attack. Everyone widened their eyes in complete shock. Sarada fixed the glasses on her head to make sure that she wasn''t seeing things.


    "W-Wood Style? The same as the 6th Hokage?" Shikadai glanced at Hiroshi with incredulity but no words came out. Boruto also looked at the wood dome in front of him in a daze before turning towards Hiroshi with a complicated expression. Hiroshi frowned and said, "Iwabe. You promised not to use your weapon so don''t say I''m being meddlesome or unfair. Boruto nor I are riding on our father''s coattails. I hope you can see that now."


    Iwabe flinched and stared dejectedly at his hand that held his weapon as he apologized. It wasn''t long after as Shino rushed into the arena hall in shock and began to strictly lecture everyone. After that incident the days passed by quite peacefully aside from a few minor strange incidents happening in the village. Iwabe began coming to class regularly and started to interact more with others in a more friendly manner. He even attempted to study diligently.


    A week came and went as Iraia and Asuka were walking towards the Hyuga residence. They had just gone out to a food stall and bought some meat skewers. Meat skewers were the favorite food of Asuka''s dad Haku and overtime Asuka took a liking to them as well. She had asked Iraia to accompany her to which Iraia agreed. As they were walking in comfortable silence they took note of Boruto, Shikadai, and Inojin hiding behind a bush as a distraught and angry looking Metal seemed to be searching for them. Asuka tilted her head in curiosity and walked over to them as she said, "Yo! What''re you guys doing? Playing hide-and-seek?"


    At Asuka''s loud words the three hiding in the bush immediately had a deadpanned and panicked expression on their faces. Metal turned to look at them and smiled sinisterly. "So there you are."


    Asuka only remained confused and asked, "Metal? You okay? You seem a bit...out of it."


    Boruto widened his eyes in alarm and quickly said, "Asuka, Iraia, run! There''s this weird aura around Metal and it''s making him crazy! He''s attacking anyone and everyone! It''s just like the other weird incidents that happened this week!" At Boruto''s words both Iraia and Asuka flinched in surprise as Metal quickly dashed over and attacked, however, just as Metal threw a palm strike at Asuka she expertly sidestepped and countered gripping Metal''s wrist and swinging him in a circle before tossing him through the air.


    Metal quickly spun his body in several somersaults to stabilize his body before landing perfectly back on the ground. Asuka narrowed her eyes in surprise and a bit of excitement. "Oh? Not bad. Very interesting. Metal is the son of the famous Taijutsu expert Rock Lee. Then let me see just how good you are!"


    Without further notice she and Metal began to engage in a fierce whirlwind of hand-to-hand combat all the while Boruto, Shikadai, Inojin, and Iraia stood on the side watching. Iraia watched with indifference, however, the three boys simply had their jaws drop in shock. Inojin awkwardly smiled and commented, "I didn''t know Asuka was skilled in Taijutsu."


    Shikadai nodded in agreement. "It''s not only that. Metal is extremely agile and speed is one of his strongest attributes. Not to mention he''s extremely strong, but Asuka is matching him blow for blow! How?"


    The three of them turned to Iraia for an answer as she simply shrugged. "Asuka isn''t as physically strong as Metal. But there''s no one faster than her. She has a unique Kekkei Genkai. Metal won''t be able to keep up. It''s Asuka''s win."


    The three boys only became more shocked as they gave the same dumbfounded expression. "EHHHH?"


    Boruto quickly asked, "Asuka has a Kekkei Genkai? First Hiroshi and now Asuka? Isn''t that like, supposed to be super incredibly rare? What kind of Kekkei Genkai is it that lets her move so fast?"


    Iraia stared at Asuka''s fight with Metal without answering for a few moments before saying, "It''s called Swift Style. I heard from papa a long time ago that it''s an extremely unique and rare combination of Wind nature and Yang nature. The Wind gives rise to incredibly swift speed and the Yang allows it to manifest as an enhancement to the body''s physique."


    The three boys could only stare on in even more astonishment as they returned their attention back to the fight.


    Boom! Bang! Smack!


    At this point both Asuka and Metal had exchanged more than hundreds of punches as their fists moved as fast as the wind, however, Asuka was slowly becoming faster and faster and faster to the point that Metal''s attack and eyes could no longer keep up. Just as Metal struck out with his fist Asuka disappeared from his sight and appeared right behind him striking his back with a sharp elbow blow.


    Bang!


    Metal was instantly flung into a tree. Before he could recover Asuka appeared by his side and kicked him right in the head knocking him out. At that point Boruto''s vision obscured slightly as he saw the dark aura detach itself from Metal and vanish into thin air. He tilted his head in confusion but thought nothing of it as his vision returned to normal.


    Asuka took a deep breath in before taking a deep breath out and commented, "Mn. That was a good fight. Metal definitely lives up to being the son of one of Konoha''s greatest Taijutsu users. If I lost focus for just a moment I could have been the one who lost." She quickly returned to Iraia''s side and said, "See you guys. Come on Iraia. Let''s go."


    Iraia simply nodded and walked off along with Asuka leaving Boruto, Shikadai, and Inojin completely dumbfounded.


    The next day at the academy there was a loud shout as Sarada and Boruto fought over the last piece of the yakisoba bread in the cafeteria. The guys stood behind Boruto while the girls stood behind Sarada. Iraia simply watched in quiet amus.e.m.e.nt as she ate her own yakisoba bread. Just as they were about to fight Shino quickly appeared and mediated, however, things didn''t quite go as everyone expected as Shino quickly said, "After class I''ll prepare a battleground for you all."


    Iraia slightly flinched in surprise after hearing what Shino-sensei said and gently placed her yakisoba bread back down. And just like that, after class the boys and the girls were split on either side in front of the academy gates. Iraia just sighed to herself. How did I end up getting dragged into this mess?


    Hiroshi stood on the opposite side of the girls by Boruto and the others with a fiery expression in his eyes. Hehehe! This oughta be fun!


    Shino stood between the boys and the girls as he said, "There''s one rule. You will start here at the entrance. The first to grab the flag atop the roof of the academy building wins. Losers will listen to the winners. Understood?"


    "Yes!" Everyone responded.


    The moment Shino gave the signal to start everyone dashed towards the academy building. Before any of the girls could make it through the gate Iwabe shouted, "Earth Style: Mud Wall!" A giant wall made of earth rushed out from the ground and obstructed all of the girls from moving forwards as the boys all rushed through.


    Chocho smirked and activated her Partial Expansion Jutsu greatly increasing the size of her arm and smashed right through the earthen wall knocking Iwabe into the ground. As the girls gave chase close behind, Shikadai quickly turned and activated his Shadow Paralysis Jutsu capturing many of them, however, Iraia and Asuka quickly dashed in the air and performed a flip successfully out of the shadow''s reach. Just as Asuka was about to counter Hiroshi formed the Snake sign and said, "Wood Style: Silent Strangle Jutsu!" Several wooden tendrils erupted from the ground aimed straight for Iraia and Asuka, however Iraia quickly countered forming the Tiger sign and said, "Lava Style: Severing Stream Jutsu!" From her mouth a powerful concentrated stream of hot lava cut and melted Hiroshi''s Wood Style.


    Asuka smirked at everyone''s distracted and baffled expressions and quickly activated her Swift Style to move at inhuman speeds arriving right next to Shikadai and pushed him off balance freeing the girls from the Shadow Paralysis. It was at this moment that the boys who were ahead of the pack stopped in their tracks due to a large boulder falling from the sky and blocking the entrance into the school.


    Inojin frowned. "Shino-sensei placed Traps? Let''s go around."


    At this point both the girls and the boys were neck and neck in the race. They all entered the school through the windows as they all began rushing to the stairs leading up to the roof. The only boys left in the race were Denki, Boruto, Inojin, Shikadai, and Hiroshi. As for the girls they were Sarada, Sumire, Iraia, Asuka, and Chocho. Denki quickly found a control outlet and plugged it into his laptop as he hacked the academy system forcing a metal shutter to drop down in the hallway right before the girls. Inojin quickly activated his Super Beast Scroll Jutsu and created a giant lizard-like drawing to come to life, however, Asuka quickly retaliated as she formed the Ram sign and shouted, "Water Style: Gunshot Jutsu!" She opened her mouth and released a powerful pressurized water bullet that shot straight through Inojin''s Jutsu.


    Shikadai frowned and stated, "Oi oi, doesn''t this feel more like an actual ninja battle than a race?"


    Boruto gritted his teeth and shouted, "Let''s go! We gotta get to the roof first!"


    Sarada frowned and also shouted, "Don''t let them get to the flag!"


    The race continued once more. As Boruto and the others disappeared, Sarada and the girls continued rushing to the roof. Just as they made it and Chocho was climbing upwards to get the flag, Boruto appeared. He smirked as he held a large scroll and created some blood on his thumb before forming some hand seals and shouted, "I won''t let you! Summoning Jutsu!" A flash of purple light filled the area as a strange creature with a large snake-like tail appeared. It roared and was just about to strike Chocho when Hiroshi immediately became alarmed and formed the Snake hand sign shouting, "Wood Style: Wood Snake Jutsu!" Quickly a wooden snake shot from his arm and bit down on the strange creature''s tail just in time to prevent it from hitting Chocho.


    Iraia acted next as she immediately arrived before Chocho and pulled her away to a safe distance. Hiroshi gritted his teeth as the giant creature was much stronger than he had anticipated. The tail of the creature wrapped around his wooden snake that was attached to his arm and pulled thrusting Hiroshi into the air eliciting a scream from him.


    "AH!"


    Iraia widened her eyes in alarm and panic at the sound of her brothers scream. Just as the strange creature was about to attack Hiroshi, Konohamaru appeared and shouted, "Rasengan!"


    BANG!


    In a flash of bright light and but a mere moment the strange creature disappeared. Just before Hiroshi crashed into the side of the building Asuka dashed out with extreme speed thanks to her Kekkei Genkai and caught him in her arms like a knight in shining armor. Hiroshi smiled awkwardly in their current position.


    "Uh...Ahem, thanks Asuka."


    Asuka furrowed her brow and simply dropped Hiroshi on the rooftop. "Hmpf." She let out before slowly walking away.


    As they all settled in front of the academy yard getting a lecture from Shino-sensei a loud creaking and quaking noise could be heard from the academy building. In but mere moments it caved in and crumbled in on itself leaving everyone dumbfounded. Off in the distance watching the entire ordeal happen was Mitsuki as he stared at the entire event with great interest.


    888


    A warm breeze blew by in a desert wasteland as the sun began to set in the horizon. It painted a colorful orange and red hue across this desolate looking area casting two shadows across the ground in its glow. One taller than the other. The shadow of two shinobi. The first shadow belonged to a shinobi who wore a white dress shirt with black buttons. The sleeves were rolled back to his elbows and he wore black pants to match. He donned a white haori over his shoulders with black fire patterns along the border. Black falling leaf images were printed on it as well. A katana was strapped to his waist and a leaf headband was tied to the sheath. A silver ring was worn on his left ring finger and a necklace with the letter H hung from his neck. His snow white hair softly swayed in the direction the wind blew brushing it off his blindfold covering his eyes. This shinobi was precisely the 6th Hokage, Karasuma Izaya.


    Walking beside him was a young shinobi with handsome features and messy black hair that made him seem a bit imposing. His eyes had a distinctive golden hue to them giving many the impression of danger yet keeping them drawn by a mysterious feeling of intriguement. He wore a black dress shirt with gold buttons and a black pants to match. A golden colored cloak covered his frame and a locket in the shape of a jade colored magatama was worn around his neck. At this instant Izaya stopped walking prompting the young shinobi to stop as well. After taking a sweep of the surrounding area Izaya pointed to a large single tree in this desolate wasteland and said, "Zen, we''ll camp there for the night. It doesn''t seem like what I''m looking for is here. We''ll head in the direction of Konoha tomorrow morning."


    Zen simply nodded with great respect and replied, "Alright, Karasuma-sensei."


    Chapter 2


    AN: Hey everyone and welcome back to another chapter of RITWON PT2! So far we''ve gotten to meet several new characters as well as several familiar characters like Naruto, Boruto, Sarada, etc. Stay tuned for meeting KimimaroxKurotsuchi''s kids in the future! To help refresh your minds of who''s kid is who''s I''ll help you out.


    HakuxAkane: Asuka Yuki (Daughter)


    IzayaxHanabi: Hiroshi Karasuma (Son-Twin), Iraia Karasuma (Daughter-Twin)


    Izaya''s Disciple: Zen Yagami


    And if you haven''t read RITWON PT.1 yet then copy here for the link and paste it in the search bar: s/13397148/1/Reincarnated-into-the-world-of-Naruto


    Or search "Reincarnated into the world of Naruto"


    Reminder:


    -Italics is how I will show that someone is thinking to themselves. Their thoughts.


    -If you see this: 888 it means that there will be a scene change.


    And always, thank you for your continued support and thanks for reading!


    Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto/Boruto or anything originating from the original story and plot of these universes. They all belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Ukyo Kodachi, Mikio Ikemoto, and their team. I only own my original plot and characters.


    Yes, Sorry, I renamed the First Chapter "A New Generation!" So Second Chapter is "The Hidden Leaf"


    I felt the title name was actually more appropriate for Chapter 2.


    Chapter 2


    Zen woke up with a shout as he heaved in and out with a heavy breath. Sweat completely drenched his back and forehead as he stared down at his still trembling hands. He gritted his teeth trying to calm down his emotions as tears streamed down his face. It was then that he heard Izaya''s voice behind him. "I see your nightmares haven''t gone away."


    Zen clenched his fist and quickly wiped away the tears from his face. He took a minute to finally calm down his emotions before replying, "Sensei...why do people kill each other?"


    Izaya stared at the back of his disciple with a complicated gaze before replying, "Power, hunger, greed, want, need, l.u.s.t, hate, desire. There''s too many to name."


    Zen frowned. "Did my mother die because the one who killed her was simply overcome with one of these emotions? If so, then wouldn''t it be better to have no emotions. No one would feel any of those things. And no one would kill."


    Izaya let out a soft sigh at the sight of his pitiful disciple. "Zen. What was the last thing your mother said to you? Do you remember?"


    Zen flinched at his sensei''s question. "She said that she loved me."


    After replying to his sensei''s question he elected not to tell his sensei about the other thing that his mother told him. It''s true that mother told me she loved me. But the last thing she truly said to me was to find the blindfolded warrior who wore a katana on his waist and who had snow white hair. She said that he was the one who saved us when I was just a baby. That he could be trusted.


    Izaya stared at Zen in silence for a moment before responding to what he said. "So...your mom said that she loved you huh? That''s a relief. You know, some children are born without any parents. Like me. Some children are born with parents who don''t love them. Some parents abuse their children. Even try to kill them. And some wouldn''t bat an eye if their child died right in front of them. You told me that your mother died protecting you. She made the ultimate sacrifice. So why do people kill? Why do people have to die? If I had to give you an honest answer then it would be simply because we are human. You think that having no emotions would break this insanity that is bred within us, however, it doesn''t. People would probably still kill. It would just be an emotionless killing. People would kill logically or illogically. But emotions are important. They give us the power to feel. When we feel the pain of losing someone we love we have the power to choose better. We have the power to choose a path that doesn''t lead to a dead end. Am I saying that you should forget about the people who killed your mother? Of course not. You''ve killed them already, haven''t you?"


    Zen simply nodded his head as he listened to his sensei.


    Izaya let out a soft sigh at Zen''s answer. He then continued, "You must have felt better after killing them right?"


    Zen once again silently nodded his head.


    "You feel better, but your anger, sadness, frustration, it''s still the same isn''t it?"


    Once again Zen nodded before replying, "Sensei. I don''t know what to do. I''ve taken revenge for my mother, but...why don''t I feel any less grief? I killed those sc.u.mbags who took my mother''s life and it felt good to watch them die beneath my feet, but I don''t understand. It still doesn''t hurt any less inside."


    Izaya''s expression faltered slightly before he stood up from his seated position. He made his way slowly to Zen''s side and sat down beside him as he dr.a.p.ed an arm over his disciple''s shoulders and brought him into a comforting hug. "Even if you exact revenge you need to have something else that drives you or else you''ll be left with nothing in the end. The reason why it doesn''t hurt any less is because you loved your mother so much. And that love will never leave you. And that isn''t a bad thing. Zen, the love your mother showed you, don''t ever forget it. But also don''t let it weigh you down. Your mother wouldn''t want her love for you to plague you and chain you down. Don''t you agree?"


    A few tears fell from Zen''s eyes as he was held in his sensei''s warm and comforting embrace. He recalled how his mother always tucked him in at night and how his mother kissed him goodnight. He recalled how his mother always told him to show kindness to others and to be well behaved. He recalled his mother''s scolding and his mother''s terrible jokes. He recalled his mother''s nagging, always telling him to do his best so that he could have a bright future. He recalled his mother''s sad smile every time she spoke about his father who had died when he was born. He recalled the moment when she had died. The blood that pooled non-stop from her body. And yet, he recalled how she had died with a smile on her face. Telling him to live on. To find a blindfolded warrior. That he could have a better future with him. That he shouldn''t look back. He cried for awhile longer before he finally reigned in his emotions.


    Izaya waited for a moment as Zen finally wiped away the last of his tears before saying, "Zen. Always remember how much love your mother showed you. I hope that one day, in the future, you can find someone whom you can give all of your love to just as your mother gave to you. Having someone to give all of your love to is the greatest power we can ever have. It is the greatest gift we can ever give. It is also one of the greatest feelings we can ever feel. Although it is the most painful when we lose the one who gave it, we''ll always feel it. Their love. And we should cherish that. Even after the one who gave it is gone, we should cherish that we can still feel the gift of their love. It will always live on within us. Not as a chain, but as a source of our strength."


    Zen nodded. "Karasuma-sensei. Do you have someone like that? Do you have someone whom you can give all of your love to?"


    Izaya smiled at his disciple''s question and glanced at his ring as the image of three people popped into his head. Hanabi, Hiroshi, and Iraia.


    Zen looked up to his sensei questioningly after a long moment of silence. "Sensei?"


    Izaya looked back down at Zen and simply replied, "Mn. I do."


    He then quickly stood up and started walking. "Since we''re up. Let''s go. I don''t think either of us are going to get anymore sleep tonight so we mind as well set out towards Konoha."


    888


    Naruto sat in his office as night blanketed the sky over Konoha. Shikamaru walked in and placed a doc.u.ment in front of him as he said, "This is Kakei Sumire. She was the daughter of a former surviving foundation member. She''s been the source and cause of all of these strange incidents. Her father''s name was Shigaraki Tanuki. Before he died he entrusted her with the Gozu Tennou that he had perfected. Sai is searching for her right now since she has just disappeared from the hospital room. Well, that aside there have been a lot of complaints about these incidents from the people since the police force didn''t detain everyone who was involved. What should we do?"


    As Naruto was in deep contemplation Kakashi walked in and said, "Well. It can''t be helped. Back when Danzo and Root were disbanded it was the 3rd Hokage''s, 5th Hokage''s, and my decision at the time to not expose the identities of all those who were involved in the foundation."


    Shikamaru turned and replied, "But even if their identities weren''t exposed didn''t Lord 3rd, 5th, and you do any kind of background check to ensure no loose ends?"


    Naruto sighed and said, "Let me guess. During that time the village was still in a hectic state. The 4th Great Ninja war occupied everyone''s attention and a lot of lives were lost in that war. The village had to focus on recuperating and so it would only breed fear, distrust, and suspicion amongst the villagers should some form of investigation of them take place. And I''m guessing that Izaya wasn''t aware of the fact that there were any remaining foundation members left when he took office as the 6th Hokage."


    Kakashi nodded. "Right. The village was in turmoil and chaos after the war. It slipped my mind and Lord 5th''s mind about this detail. And now it''s manifesting itself into an issue. This was our fault."


    Shikamaru frowned. "Well, you made the right decision at the time. If the identities of those in the foundation were exposed, the first to be suspected would have been Sai. Anyways, the problem is what do we do now? Sumire is undoubtedly responsible for the incidents taking place in the Leaf."


    Naruto frowned. "Are you suggesting we punish her like a criminal?"


    "Our priority is to maintain the order in the Leaf. We can''t afford to be soft. Even if she''s still a child. By the way, Kakashi, why are you here? I thought you were on vacation?"


    Kakashi let out a sigh. "Well. I would like to. But, the truth is I''ve been looking into some of Danzo''s past. I happened to come across some information about the Gozu Tennou. Apparently it''s embedded on the body of this girl."


    Shikamaru furrowed his brow. "No wonder we couldn''t find it no matter how hard we looked. This means that Sumire is the gate to which the Nue creature is summoned."


    At that moment a loud rumbling and crashing sound could be heard near the outskirts of the village grabbing the attention of Shikamaru, Naruto, and Kakashi. In the outskirts of the village appeared a giant tiger monkey chimera-like creature with a giant snake tail attached to its body. It roared and screeched as it slashed at the forest below swiping the tops clean off. This creature was exactly the Nue. Just as its giant snake-like tail was about to attack Sai who was attempting to suppress it, Kakashi quickly appeared and struck its tail cutting the head of the snake clean off. He then proceeded to, with several other shinobi, activate the Earth Style: Multi Mud Wall Jutsu entrapping the Nue within a barrier of earthen rock.


    However, in the next moment multiple snakeheads shot forth from where its wounded snake tail was and aimed straight at all the shinobi in the vicinity. As some shinobi were struck they fell to the ground as their chakra was absorbed by the Nue. Just as Kakashi and the others were racking their brains for a strategy, Naruto quickly appeared and said, "Tsk. I''ll settle this in one go!" He prepared to enter his chakra mode, however Kakashi quickly interjected, "Wait! Naruto, this thing absorbs chakra. Using that isn''t a wise decision. Once it absorbs your enormous chakra it will most likely detonate itself. That was how it was designed to be used after all."


    Naruto frowned and clicked his tongue in frustration, however, everyone became shocked in the next moment as the Nue suddenly crashed into the ground creating a large crater beneath it. It screamed in anger as it thrashed around before standing back up to reorient itself.


    Naruto widened his eyes in confusion. "What just happened?"


    Kakashi and Sai were also confused until they all heard a very familiar voice behind them.


    The voice of the 6th Hokage.


    "If that thing absorbs chakra then perhaps I can help."


    Naruto turned around in shock. "Izaya?! When did you get back?"


    "Just now. Looks like you''re having some trouble dealing with this creature here. What is it?"


    Kakashi quickly replied, "It''s a creature called Nue. It has the ability to absorb chakra and once it stores up enough inside it''ll detonate. Its creation was a product of the foundation''s research."


    Izaya frowned a bit at the mention of the foundation but quickly replied, "The foundation? Remnants of Danzo''s faction? I''ll expect to be filled in on this later Kakashi, Lord 7th."


    They both nodded as Izaya stepped forward to face the Nue. As the Nue roared and charged at Izaya he stared at it with indifference and placed his hands together shouting, "Wood Style: Multi Wood Dragon Jutsu!" The ground trembled as several large wooden dragons quickly ensnared the giant Nue restraining it of all movement and draining it of its chakra. Izaya then formed the Snake hand sign and said, "Wood Style: Wood Snake Jutsu!" Instantly a giant wooden snake erupted from beneath the Nue and wrapped itself around it several times before biting right into its neck suppressing its ability to mold chakra. Just as everyone breathed out a sigh of relief a giant distortion appeared before the Nue and dragged it into a different dimension leaving everyone baffled at this unexpected turn of events.


    Naruto frowned as he commented, "The Transportation Jutsu?"


    Kakashi furrowed his brow in confusion. "What the heck is going on?"


    Izaya simply scratched the back of his head as he saw everything play out. A crow of his was flying high in the sky as it had watched Boruto, Mitsuki, and Sumire''s fight in the distance. He also took note that it was Sumire''s connection to the Nue that caused the spatial distortion to appear. He let out a sigh as he weaved the signs of Horse, Ox, Rat, Bird, Hare, and Ram. Naruto took notice of Izaya''s hand signs and said, "Did you already mark it?"


    Izaya simply nodded. "I did when I knocked it into the ground earlier." He then smiled and said, "I guess our kids can''t leave things alone either when they see the village in trouble. Just like us when we were kids."


    Naruto and the others just looked at Izaya in confusion, but before they could ask what he meant Izaya disappeared. He teleported into Nue''s dimension and curiously watched Boruto and Mitsuki fight. He sat in the corner nodding in approval at the skill Boruto and Mitsuki were displaying. It wasn''t too long before Boruto and Mitsuki had defeated Sumire and the Nue and were in the middle of coming to an understanding. That''s when the dimension also started to collapse.


    Boruto panicked as he said, "Th-This is bad! We have to get out of here!"


    The ground began to collapse beneath them as rocks fell from the ceiling of the giant cave. Before Boruto could rush out to reach Sumire the ground collapsed in front of him. Mitsuki quickly dashed forward and stopped Boruto before he could fall.


    "Class rep!" Boruto shouted in panic.


    Sumire remained seated in defeat as she lamented her fate and said to herself in dejection, "I''m sorry everyone...It was fun...At the academy. Studying and training with everyone. I never had so much fun before."


    It was at that moment she heard a voice beside her. "Well then, why not continue attending the academy?"


    She flinched in startelement and turned to see an unfamiliar person, however, she knew exactly who it was because the face of this person matched the face of the 6th Hokage''s rock face on the cliffside of Konoha. She stuttered in complete shock. "L-L-Lord 6th?"


    Izaya turned to her and smiled. "Hello. I don''t know all the details but...how about we get the other two and get out of here? All the hard thinking can come after we''re all safe. What do you say?"


    Sumire couldn''t help but feel a sense of safety and ease being in the presence of Lord 6th and simply nodded. After Izaya saw her nod her head he quickly picked her up and teleported right next to Boruto which startled and shocked him greatly eliciting a shout from him.


    "AH! Eh? Uh? U-Uncle Izaya?!"


    Izaya simply smiled at his reaction. "Boruto, it''s been a long time. How''s my nephew doing?"


    Boruto had on a deadpan expression as he replied, "Is this a good time to be asking that? We need to get out of here!"


    Mitsuki simply stood on the side as he stared curiously at the 6th Hokage. Izaya nodded at Boruto''s comment and replied, "Don''t worry. That''s what I''m here for." Not a moment later, with a simple touch on Mitsuki''s shoulder and Boruto''s forehead they all disappeared and reappeared by Naruto.


    Naruto breathed out a sigh of relief as he saw Izaya return, but was instantly shocked when he saw that not only did Izaya return, but he returned with Sumire, Mitsuki, and Boruto. With his eyes raised Naruto remarked, "B-Boruto?! Don''t tell me that you were involved? You went into the dimension the Nue was in?"


    Before the situation could escalate out of control Izaya gently placed Sumire down on the ground and said, "Ahem! The children are alright. How about we let Sai and Kakashi take over from here. They are the chief of Konoha''s police force and Jonin Commander after all, so I''m sure they can manage the situation here. More importantly Lord 7th I would like an explanation on what we talked about earlier."


    At Izaya''s words Naruto let out a defeated sigh and nodded. "Right. Let''s discuss this back at the office."


    Boruto simply stared in wonderment at the fact that his dad just so simply agreed to what Lord 6th had said. No way?! Dad didn''t continue to scold me? Instead he just decided to listen to what uncle Izaya said? Is uncle Izaya that amazing? And wait? How did uncle Izaya even get to that dimension?


    As Boruto was left to his thoughts Naruto and Izaya returned to the Hokage''s office as Naruto began to give an in depth explanation of all the events that had happened in the past 2 months. After Naruto finished his report Izaya simply let out a long sigh. "I can''t believe that there were actually still remnants of Danzo''s organization around. What a pain."


    Shikamaru who also happened to be in the room smirked and commented, "Heh. That''s my catchphrase."


    At that moment there was a knock on the door.


    Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "Who could that be?"


    Izaya simply smirked. "You''ll see." He then turned to the door and said, "You can come in Zen."


    The door then opened to reveal a young shinobi who seemed no older than Boruto. And if he was older then it wasn''t by much. Naruto and Shikamaru gave a confused look at Izaya as Naruto asked, "Zen? Is he with you Izaya?"


    Izaya nodded. "Correct. This is Zen. Yagami Zen. He is my disciple."


    "EEEEHHHHH?!" Naruto and Shikamaru nearly had their eyes pop out of their sockets in extreme shock. Shikamaru stared at Zen with great interest for a few moments before asking, "When did you get a disciple?"


    Izaya thought for a moment calculating the approximate time frame. "I met Zen about a year ago. He''s a native from the Sage continent. But he also seems to have some sort of ties with our continent."


    Naruto and Shikamaru slightly flinched at the information Izaya just gave them. Naruto inspected Zen more carefully before he said, "Hello Zen. I''m Uzumaki Naruto. The 7th Hokage of the village Konoha."


    Zen simply nodded and replied, "It is an honor to meet you."


    Naruto then asked, "Zen, since you''re from the Sage continent are you familiar with the structure of the shinobi system and villages yet?"


    Zen simply nodded once more. "Karasuma-sensei has taught me how this side of the world functions so I wouldn''t be too shocked when I come here."


    Naruto nodded and turned his attention back to Izaya. "I assume you brought your disciple to Konoha for a reason?"


    Izaya nodded. "I want you to register him as an official Konoha shinobi and member of this village."


    Naruto nodded as if he had expected this answer. "Alright. Since it''s you who is requesting it I''ll do just that. I''ll get started tonight and have everything ready by the morning."


    Izaya nodded in appreciation before turning his attention back to Zen. "Zen, starting from today, Konoha will be your home. You don''t have to wander anymore. You can make real friends here. You don''t have to be alone."


    Naruto and Shikamaru flinched when they heard Izaya address Zen and instantly pieced together that this kid Zen must have had a tragic past. Zen nodded at his sensei''s words and with a nearly inaudible voice he said, "Thank you...Sensei."


    A moment of silence passed through the room before Naruto asked, "So Izaya, where have you been to this time?"


    At Naruto''s question Izaya furrowed his brow. "Zen, why don''t you go take a stroll around the village. Take a look at what your new home is like."


    Zen caught the hint that the conversation was probably going to reveal some classified information that he wasn''t supposed to hear, so he nodded and quickly left the room. Izaya then turned his attention back to Naruto and Shikamaru.


    "It''s been a rough two months. I was exploring a dimension filled with some strange creatures made of pure shadows. Most likely a heavily Yin oriented dimension. The creatures there were highly intelligent and as you can guess, they utilized Yin style Jutsu. They were difficult to deal with. Their planet didn''t seem to have a Divine Tree on it though. I searched for any traces of the Otsutsuki clan being there but couldn''t find anything. I did, however, find traces of the Jashin cult existing there."


    Shikamaru frowned at the mention of the Jashin cult and chimed in, "This is strange. Not only was there a Jashin cult here in our dimension, but if you include the one you just mentioned plus all the other ones you''ve mentioned to us before in the past, that makes a total of three dimensions with Jashinists. Just what is this cult? Don''t tell me that the Jashin cult also comes from this place called the Heavenly Plane like the Otsutsuki? If that''s true then this could get messy."


    Izaya nodded at Shikamaru''s analysis. "I think you''re on the right track Shikamaru. I also believe that the Jashin cult comes from the Heavenly Plane. That''s the only way it makes sense for it to span across so many different dimensions that happen to be so far away from each other. Anyways, although I found traces of the Jashin cult there I couldn''t find traces of any of their members. Most likely any of the Jashinists who were on that planet got consumed by the natives there. The natives were quite dangerous. With no leads on the Otsutsuki and a dead end on the Jashinists I quickly took my leave from that place. I didn''t return to our dimension until just a few weeks ago. I met up with Zen in the Sage continent before we both ended up back here in Konoha. How about Sasuke? Has he reported anything?"


    Naruto shook his head. "No. I haven''t heard from Sasuke yet but he''s still exploring around. I''m sure he''ll make a report sometime soon."


    Izaya nodded his head before preparing to leave. Naruto quickly chimed in, "You aren''t leaving again already are you?"


    Izaya let out a soft sigh. "Not for a few days. I''m gonna try and stick around for a bit. After all, I can''t just leave and not say hi to my precious Hiroshi and Iraia. And I miss Hanabi. I need to see her. Being away from her for so long is bad for my heart you know."


    Shikamaru massaged the bridge of his nose and remarked, "You know Lord 6th, don''t you ever get embarrassed voicing out loud your affection for your family in front of others?"


    Izaya simply smirked. "Never. Because a long long time ago I never could have imagined that I could be blessed with such a wonderful family." And with that Izaya disappeared from the Hokage''s office. Shikamaru just sighed and said, "Well, at least he''s honest about it. It may seem embarrassing but it''s actually quite endearing of him. Actually I think you could learn from Lord 6th''s example a bit Lord 7th."


    Naruto simply rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.


    At this time Zen was taking a stroll around the village taking in all the sights. He marveled at how developed and modern Konoha was. From where he was from the difference was like night and day. Just as he turned a corner he caught a glimpse of a kid getting pushed around by three other kids. That one kid was actually Denki. As he was pushed to the ground the other three kids swiped his laptop from him and mocked and ridiculed him. Denki clenched his fist in anger and frustration but was powerless to do anything. The three kids bullying him were also shinobi, but shinobi from a different class. Just as Denki turned to face the bullies once more he froze in fear as he pleaded, "P-Please, no! Don''t break my laptop! Please! I-I''ll do whatever you want! Just not the laptop! It''s important to me!"


    The three kids simply smiled sinisterly as they watched Denki plead for mercy, and just as they were about to break his laptop they froze in their action. Fear welled up inside of them as they saw a giant ferocious creature in front of them. It snarled and growled releasing its murderous aura in the surrounding area. The three bullies screamed in fear as they dropped Denki''s laptop and ran as fast as they could into the distance and out of sight. Denki panicked as he dashed out to grab his laptop before it could hit the ground, however, he tripped in his panicked state and fell back on the ground. He watched with bated breath as his laptop fell ever so slowly towards the ground and just before it hit, Zen quickly caught it in his hands. This turn of events startled Denki as he looked up at this new and unfamiliar person, but he looked up with immense gratitude. Zen held out his hand towards Denki to which he gladly accepted.


    As Zen pulled Denki back up off the ground he handed him back his laptop and said, "Here. If it''s that precious to you then defend it with your life." Just as Zen turned around to leave Denki stuck out his hand and said, "Wait! Um...Thank you. For helping me out. I''m Denki. May I know your name?"


    Zen thought for a moment before responding, "Zen."


    He then disappeared into the night leaving a very stunned and confused Denki. Zen huh? Is he a shinobi too? I haven''t seen him around before. Is he a student in one of the other classes? Plus, why did those guys run away earlier? They looked like they saw a ghost or something.


    Denki shook himself out of his thoughts as he held his laptop close to his chest and began his walk home.


    Zen watched Denki leave from the shadows ensuring that the three bullies didn''t come back before he took his own leave. It was at this moment that Izaya appeared before him.


    "Sensei? You''re back."


    Izaya nodded. "I am. Did you get a chance to see the village?"


    Zen nodded in response. "It''s a beautiful place. Almost too beautiful. I can''t really believe that I''ll actually be able to live here and call it home."


    Izaya smiled and patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Come on. You can stay at the Hyuga residence for the time being. Lord 7th is going to arrange a place for you to have on your own in the next few days, so until then you can stay with me and my family. And if you want, you can stay with us indefinitely."


    Zen felt his emotions stir at his sensei''s offer but shook his head. "Thank you sensei. You''ve done so much for me, but the last thing I want is to intrude upon you and your family. If it wasn''t for you I''d still be on the streets fighting for my life everyday struggling to get by. I''ll take the living quarter arrangements made by the 7th Hokage."


    Izaya stared at Zen for a moment in contemplation, but in the end he let out a soft sigh. "Alright. If that''s your wish. Just know that if you ever change your mind, my offer still stands. And you''ll always be welcomed to our home." Izaya then walked off to the Hyuga residence with Zen in tow. It wasn''t long before they reached the entrance. It was already past midnight at this point so most of those within the residence were already fast asleep. Izaya carefully opened the gates without making much noise as he and Zen walked in. They didn''t make it very far when loud footsteps could be heard rushing in their direction. Izaya simply smiled as he knew exactly who those footsteps belonged to.


    In less than a few seconds several doors burst opened so loudly that it resonated throughout the entire residence. Hanabi ran with all her might and tackled Izaya to the ground gripping him in a tight embrace. Tears streamed down her face as she rubbed her head in his chest and stammered, "Y-You idiot! Two months and 18 days! How dare you leave me for so long!"


    Izaya gripped Hanabi in just as tight of a hug as he too missed her more than anything in the entire world. "Hanabi! I missed you so much! I''m sorry!"


    Zen was at a loss for words. He didn''t know how to react as he awkwardly stood there completely forgotten by his sensei and obviously completely ignored by Hanabi. But even though he stood there awkwardly he felt a warmth in his heart at the sight of his sensei''s reunion with his wife. He could feel just how strong the bond between them was and a thought crossed his mind. This must be who sensei said that he has given all of his love to. And I can tell that she did the same. Will I be able to find someone like that one day? Someone I am willing to give all of my entire being to?


    As that last thought crossed his mind an old memory of his resurfaced of a beautiful little girl whom he once saw. He would never forget her. That girl had left a lasting impression on him. She looked like an angel that came down from the heavens. It was back when he was merely 6 years old. It was a cold and rainy day as he scavenged for food outside the dumpster of a tavern. Some mercenaries and thieves started causing trouble for the tavern owner and their daughter. Pushing them around. Physically and verbally abusing them. It was then that this angelic looking girl stepped in to defend the poor tavern owner. He remembered thinking that this girl was so incredibly brave and fearless, but at the same time naive, for she was putting her own life in danger. He recalled that beautiful snow white hair of hers and that strong unyielding character of hers, however he also recalled the part where she was physically beaten by those sc.u.mbags. No matter how much they beat her she never yielded and continued to defend that poor tavern lady and her daughter.


    He felt incredibly angry and insurmountable rage at the sight and stepped in to help, however even he was no match as he was also beaten. He recalled how she pleaded for them to stop beating him. He recalled how she dashed out with all her strength to even try to shield him! A small little girl who had taken a physical beating and couldn''t even defend herself tried to shield him! He was completely baffled. He couldn''t understand it. All he knew was that she left an everlasting impression on him and that he would never forget her. He felt a warmth from her that he thought he''d never feel again after he had lost his mother when he was 4. However, in the end she was simply beaten back again and he was simply tossed aside into an alley. He never did find out what happened. All he remembered was that when he came to, she was gone and so were all those inside the tavern. Only the remains of those thieves and mercenaries were left. Strewn all about the floor in what could only be a horrific bloody massacre.


    Zen was snapped out of his thoughts and brought back into reality when he heard two voices speak out at this moment.


    "Gross! Mom! Dad! This is the courtyard! Can you not be like that for everyone to see. It''s embarrassing!" Hiroshi exclaimed, however he was inwardly elated that his dad was back.


    Iraia didn''t care as she ran as fast as she could and dashed to the ground embracing Izaya in a tight hug as she exclaimed, "Papa!"


    Zen could only widen his eyes in complete shock as he watched Iraia dash over to his sensei. The flash of her snow white hair. The feel of her angelic aura. Although she was much older now her appearance was nearly the same as he remembered, only a bit more mature and defined. His heart beat hard in his chest as his entire being froze.


    How can this be? It''s her! It''s really her! B-But she just called Karasuma-sensei papa! N-No way! It has to be a coincidence! It has to! Right?


    He was snapped out of his thoughts once more as Hiroshi was the first to take notice of Zen''s presence and said, "Um...Yo! So who are you?"


    Izaya looked up from the ground as he was still embracing Iraia and Hanabi in a tight hug and responded, "Right. Let me introduce you all. This is Zen. Yagami Zen. He''s my disciple."

 Chapter 293 - My CO Stash #93 - Kar En Tuk by Pastah_Farian (DOOM Eternal/Warhammer 40K)

    -The Laughing God Cegorach decided to yoink the Slayer into the 40K Universe~ Welp, cue the music! He''s gonna be busy for a while.


    Synopsis: With Earth finally safe, it seems that the DOOM Slayer finally has his time to rest. Unfortunately for him, messing with things like cosmic order and other such matters attracts the attention of certain powerful entities. One such entities is very interested in his abilities to change fate.


    Rated: ???


    Words: 43K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/kar-en-tuk-doom-eternal-warhammer-40k.834081/ (Pastah_Farian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à) -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    With one last defiant roar, the Icon of Sin breathed its last.


    The Slayer stood still as the Titan collapsed before him. The building he was on shook at the gargantuan''s collapse, sending dust and debris flying. It would seem that would be the Titan''s final resting position but its massive weight couldn''t just support the body and the corpse fell backwards into the dark abyss below.


    The Slayer strode forward towards the edge to watch his foe''s fall but to his mild disappointment, dark clouds obstructed his vision. Oh well. He could still at least take satisfaction that the Icon of Sin had died at his hands.


    "Well done, Slayer." came the applauding robotic voice of Samuel Hayden, former Chairman of the UAC, active Director of the ARC and now a voice living inside his suit''s systems."The Icon of Sin is dead. Khan Maykr is dead and Urdak will soon fall to Hell. Even Hell itself is thrown into chaos thanks to you. And now Earth...Earth is now shielded from its enemies." Even with his existence reduced to being a passenger to world events, the robotic doctor still managed to sound insufferable and resolute as if his current circ.u.mstance was mild inconvenience that could be overcome.


    Hayden continued, disregarding the growing irritation from the Doom Slayer. "Today will be remembered as the Last Day of Armageddon. Tomorrow, it will be a brave new world and Earth will look to you for guidance." At that, the Slayer turned from looking at the cloud-filled abyss below and began to walk away, his tasks completed.


    For the time being.


    "My contacts in the Allied Nations Council still live and the ARC still takes directives from me. We can still rebuild and recover what we have lost. I propose that we-" Hayden explained but the Slayer paid no heed to the scientist. He had no interest in playing bureaucrat neither did he want to run Hayden''s errands again. Pockets of demonic stragglers still existed and they needed to be hunted down and cleansed. Furthermore, he had to prepare to deal with the consequences of Khan Maykr''s death. The last thing Earth needed was a surprise invasion.


    "...establish contact with the nearest ARC holdout. We can begin from there. I sha-"


    "E????x?????c??????e???l?????l???e????n?????t????!?????" a voice suddenly said aloud. It was dark. It was heavy. It was alien. Moving fast, the Slayer stood on guard, his eyes scanned the world around him for targets but he found nothing but ash, smoke and fire.


    Spoiler: BGM: Cegorach''s ThemeA gauntleted hand reached out to grasp for his weapons but to his alarm, he couldn''t move a muscle. Alarmed cries came from Hayden but the scientist and the world began to distort violently, blurring reality to an indescribable point. The Slayer was helpless as he was raised in the air, his body slowly glowing with light.


    "Y???o???u???''???l???l??? ???m???a???k???e??? ???t???e???r???r???i???f???i?????c??? ???p???u???n???c???h???l???i???n???e???,??? ???S???l???a???y???e???r???.??? ???M???a???k???e??? ???i???t??? ???a???b???s???o???l???u???t???e???l???y??? ???h???i???l???a???r???i???o???u???s???!???"


    The last thing he saw before darkness claimed his vision was the face of a smiling clown looking down at him with bright and amused eyes, its deranged laughter echoing in his ears.


    +++


    "This is Checkpoint Charlie! We are being overrun by heretic forces. Requesti-arghh!"


    "Fire for effect! Fire for effect! My positions being taken!"


    "This is my company''s last stand! Lieutenant Firefly out!"


    First Lieutenant Talia Hall cursed aloud as she heard the slow rumble of threads heading their way. Sure enough, a heretic Leman Russ tank revealed itself through the black smoke. Gone was its original and holy form. The Heretics had painted the tank red and had adorned it with their unholy sigils. It took all her willpower not to scream in rage as she spotted the rotting forms of Guardsmen nailed to the tank.


    "Heretic armor! Everyone, take cover!" she yelled through her vox as she dropped through her knees.


    There was a deafening roar as the Leman Russ outside unleashed its fury at the building Talia and her platoon took cover in. Following the tank''s barrage, there was an explosion as men and material were sent flying. When the dust had settled, a hole had been blown in the building and several guardsmen lay dead or dying.


    Recovering quickly, Talia pushed herself up and roared.


    "Everyone back up! We must not surrender our position to the heretics! Defend this position with your lives!" Her platoon roared their affirmatives as they pulled themselves back up to unleash righteous fury upon the advancing heretic forces on the road below.


    "THEY DEFY US, FAITHFUL!" came a voice heavily distorted by electronic speakers. "CLAIM THEIR HIDES FOR CHAOS!"


    The bloodthirsty hordes outside their shelter roared in delight and their excitement manifested itself in the renewed intensity of their attacks. Despite this, Talia was unfazed as she took cover by the window overlooking the road.


    "Where the frak are those anti-tank missiles?" she yelled into her vox.


    "Coming right up, ma''m!" A guardsman answered. Talia levelled her lasgun and fired upon a heretic making himself conspicuous. She cursed once more as the Leman Russ turned its turret towards her window.


    "Make it fast, guardsman! The damned tank is staring right at me!" the woman yelled. There was a grunt of affirmation followed by a rocket screaming from their shelter. The sharp-tipped rocket sailed through the air and made a punch straight through the tank''s armor. Talia prayed to the Emperor for the rocket to deliver justice towards the fools that dared turn their backs on the one true God. Thankfully, the Emperor smiled upon her that day and the Russ detonated in a brilliant display of fire and light.


    Despite the loss of their tank, it seemed to be of no consequence to the heretics who began to yell frenzied cries. Talia''s eyes widened in recognition.


    "They''re preparing to charge our position! Brace yourselves, Cadians!" the woman yelled. The Cadian platoon that found itself presented with unfavoruable odds gave their own roars of defiance as they steeled themselves. It was at this junction that Talia analyzed their situation.


    Their shelter was a three story administrative building, the entrance had a marble facade with two large pillars of pure marble. The second floor had a balcony which her platoon used to deploy their heavy bolter emplacement but they had long run out of ammunition for it. Her men were doing their best with what they had left and she was more than confident that they''d give the heretics one hell of a fight. However, that was the extent of it. They could smash the traitor''s teeth in but they could not expect to live another day.


    Oh well. It wasn''t as if they were expected to do more anyway. Their job was to defend the rear and delay the enemy long enough for the main loyalist force to slowly retreat. They were already consigned a death sentence. Might as well make it such an end.


    It was at this conclusion Talia readied her lasgun for what could be the final time.


    "Men and women of the 212th! This could very well be our final stand. Right outside the walls, the heretics prepare to charge our positions. Our orders were clear as day; hold your ground to the very last. The purpose of our orders is to give the Inquisitor time to redirect our forces towards Hive City Borealis and prepare its defenses. So many people are counting on us and we will not fail them!" declared Talia, her eyes scanning the smoke and ruin filled streets before them. Through the smoke, corpses and debris, she could hear the thundering sound of boots and shrieks coming their way. She stole a glance at her own soldiers and found them in poor condition. Many of whom hadn''t slept for days and were forced to deal with all manners of degradation and hardship.


    However, despite their suffering, their eyes still burned as brightly as ever. They were Imperial Guard and Cadians to boot. They were all used to this sort of thing and it was all Talia needed as the confirmation of their resolve. But still, the Cadian lieutenant wanted to hear what they had in their hearts.


    "212th! I give to you my final orders. They shall not pass! They shall die here and meet our bayonets, our fists, and our fury! Do you get me, you maggots?"


    A unified chorus of ayes greeted her.


    At that, Talia prepared herself for her last act in the material world. Oh by the Emperor she was ready to do this. Her heart pumped blood like it had never pumped before. Her fingers twitched as it rested on the trigger on her lasgun, just waiting for the Heretics to come in range. Her eyes, a bright purple hue that the braver men of her company called pretty, glowed with purpose and clarity.


    She was going to die here and by the Emperor, she was going to go out on her terms.


    Despite her willingness to give her life right where she stood, there was still a little voice in her mind that prayed for salvation; that still dared to dream of rescue and hope. It was this tiny voice in her mind that began to pray and ask for deliverance to He that Sat in Terra.


    Little did she know that the He would answer her prayers.


    As the first few heretics began to charge in through the smoke and just as the Cadians were about to unleash fury upon the charging hordes, the world began to change.


    The smog-filled sky turned from its hellish red hue to a dull grey one as all color seemed to fizzle out. Many - both Loyalist and Traitor alike - paused in their battle, turning their gazes to the sky as a circle formed amongst the clouds. Suddenly the fabric of reality was torn as if someone had taken a blade and cut open the sky like a sheet of paper. From this rift in space a flash of yellow light thundered down upon the battlefield, crashing to the earth between the two factions with a force that sent all who stood too close flying.


    As the dust settled and both sides scrambled to their feet, they beheld a man wearing a green-plated suit of armour with a visored helmet kneeling amidst embers of rock and dust. He had no visible weaponry save for what looked like a wrist-mounted chainsword of sorts and a shoulder-mounted weapon.


    From her vantage point, Talia could see that despite the visor-obstructing the wearer''s face, it did not hide his eyes. Never before in her entire life had she seen such eyes that glowed with intensity. She was no psyker but even she could detect the emotions flowing through those bright orbs. Confusion, alertness, rage...


    The man scanned her and her squad first. Talia gulped as the man scanned them with such careful scrutiny that she swore that her soul was being judged. A few of her guardsmen bristled at him and the soldier right next to her shivered violently that he could have fired his lasgun at any second. This action did not got unnoticed by the armored man whose eyes narrowed at the Cadian.


    Talia quickly made herself conspicuous, standing tall and proud as any Cadian should and laid a authoritative hand on the man''s shoulder to calm him down. She knew she was risking herself for a unknown outcome but something in her told that the armored figure wasn''t here to harm them. Her luck was solid for the Cadian quickly went back to his senses and lowered his rifle. The green-clad figure in turn softened his glare, locking eyes with her for a second until he then turned towards the Heretics behind him who slowly but surely returned to the present.


    It was fortunate then that the Heretics possessed the diplomatic ability of a slime and the assembled traitors lobbed insults and threats at the green-clad figure. It was there Talia noticed the aura surrounding the man changed from cautious curiosity to one that she was all familiar to.


    Rage.


    One of the heretics strode forward, a man with ugly scars on his chest with even more ugly scars on his face. He raised his weapon, a boltpistol at the armored man. Talia momentarily thought that the heretic was going to shoot the green-armored interloper but it was not to be.


    With speed never seen before, the heretic''s head was quickly removed from his shoulders as the armored figure activated his wrist mounted chainsword.


    When the body fell back, blood oozing from the stump, the two armies regained their senses, and chaos in the literal sense erupted around them.


    +++


    A/N: A bright day to all.


    This fic is going to be a soft reboot of Rip and Tear mostly due to the new lore additions of DOOM Eternal and of me not really being satisfied with the way Rip and Tear is heading. Hopefully, this will be just as enjoyable for you guys.


    Here''s a link for those who haven''t read it yet: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/rip-and-tear-doom-warhammer-40k.526708/


    On other matters, I hope ya''ll are a-okay from the Corona virus. Don''t freak out, wash yourself and eat yer fruits and vegetables and ya''ll be fine.


    Chapter 2


    "I know what you are thinking Slayer." came the cool tone of Hayden as he implored the Slayer to stifle his growing rage. "We cannot afford to antagonize anyone. I urge you to be diplomat-"


    Any chance at diplomacy however was shattered when the clearly corrupted man in front of them had his head removed from his shoulders.


    At this, Hayden let out a long-suffering sigh.


    The Slayer could hardly care what the robotic scientist thought of him. There were the corrupted to deal with.


    He rushed forward, faster than what a normal human mind could comprehend. Activating his chainsaw, he cut through a large swathe of corrupted, spilling bone, blood and sinew in a whirlwind of violence and gore. His victims never knew what befell them until it was too late, faces twisting in horror as their limbs and other extremities were detached from them. Those he could not get to with his chainsaw, the Slayer got to with his flames.


    Searing flames spewed forth from his shoulder-mounted Equipment Launcher and burnt scores of corrupted. Screams of pain and terror exited their lips as the purifying flames of the Slayer consumed them. Their bones charred, their flesh peeled and the generous amount of oxygen they breathed became good kindling for the flames to grow even more brighter and violent.


    The mass of corrupted appeared to regain their senses after seeing their comrades die painful deaths. Cries of wrath and promises of death bellowed from their throats as they charged him. Their attempt however was fruitless for they were mere pests compared to Him.


    He who spent countless eons laying waste to Hell and its forces. He who had slain the mightiest champions the Dark Realm could throw at him. He who had slain Titans, Divine Beings and the Icon of Sin itself.


    He was a Sovereign of the Night Sentinels, the Unchained Predator, the Hell Walker.


    The DOOM Slayer.


    And he was not happy.


    If one could feel his anger, one would be roasted alive. What the Slayer had in him was complete and utter rage. Rage for the fact something had plucked him from his greatest triumph. Rage because demons were still causing untold suffering back on Earth. Rage that the Corrupted before him simply existed.


    Thankfully, they appeared to be happily volunteering themselves as his stress relief.


    "They are not our Corrupted." Hayden suddenly said aloud from within his suits systems. The Slayer had just twisted a man in twain when he heard the scientist speak.


    Before he could do anything more, the scientist continued. "They do not emit Hell''s taint. I can still sense something from them but it is unfamiliar." The Slayer said nothing as he continued to hack and slash at the corrupted. While he did not make a habit of learning the intrinsic nature of his foes, he had to admit that the scientist had a point.


    A single glance at the forces arrayed against him had told him they were different from the enemy he was used to fighting. It was clear as day that they were corrupted by something but it wasn''t Hell. Thanks to the power boost he received from the Seraphim and eons of experience fighting otherworldly entities, he had developed higher and more keener senses. Just like Hayden, the Slayer sensed something was very wrong in the men and women he was fighting.


    "Look at the symbols they adorn themselves." chided Hayden. At this point, the Slayer had took hold of another cultist and had snapped the man''s neck. The Slayer nodded and quickly scanned the man''s body and found a marking that was tattooed on his back. Said marking was that of a eight-pointed star.


    "I''ve never seen anything like this. Even in Hell and Urdak." The honesty and uncertainty in Hayden''s voice almost caught the Slayer off guard. Among all things that he didn''t expect to see from the UAC director, it was those two.


    "Leave your pondering later. You are still surrounded, remember?" chided Hayden, as if he could sense the thoughts coming from his mind. The Slayer shrugged as he went back to his work and unleashed another torrent of violence at the enemy.


    +++


    "By the Emprah, look at him go!"


    "Camillus! Get the pict machine! Record this frakking stuff!"


    "Take that you traitorous bastards!"


    The men and women of the 212th watched and cheered as their sudden savior tore through the heretic ranks like a hot knife through butter. The guardsmen walloped as the green Astartes - for what else could he be? - tear into the traitors'' ranks with a ferocity and rage they had never seen before. They cheered as the Astartes took hold of two charging cultists and smashed them together like coconuts. They laughed as he tossed aside one and began to use the other as a makeshift club, the eight-pointed star on the cultist''s back helping in that process. They roared in triumph as the Astartes delivered a punch so hard that it had shattered a heretic''s chest, spreading bone and pulverized heart in a grisly display of gore and violence.


    "Lieutenant Talia! What are your orders?" cried aloud a nearby guardsman. This had the effect of knocking the Cadian lieutenant back to her senses. Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. Too engrossed was she in the brilliant display of the Emperor''s fury that she even momentarily forgot how to breathe! Taking a deep breath, both to let oxygen back into her system and as a way to prove she had a plan incoming, the Cadian lieutenant grinned.


    "Men! Take this as an example of the Emperor''s love for us! In our greatest time of need, he hasn''t abandoned us and sent us a champion to make this an even fight!"


    Laughter erupted through the vox network, amus.e.m.e.nt and hope rising as they witnessed the Emperor''s herald make absolute mincemeat of the heretic forces.


    "My orders still stand! Defend this position and make those heretics rue the day they turned their backs on the Emperor! For Cadia and the Imperium!" she roared as she fired her lasrifle at the enemy.


    "Huzzah!" roared the 212th in affirmative, unleashing their weapons at the disarrayed heretics.


    Faith renewed and hope rekindled, the Cadian 212th poured righteous fury into their fusillade. Cadian marksmanship was one of the finest the Imperial Guard had ever seen. As their homeworld was literally right next to the Eye of Terror, each Cadian had been trained since birth to be soldiers and by the Emperor were they excellent soldiers.


    They picked their targets and fired. The more skilled of the 212th provided covering fire for the Astartes. While he was indeed a warrior without peer, he was alone and his back needed to be watched sometimes.


    Lt. Talia was one of those sharpshooters, diligently disposing of whatever heretic that came too close towards the Astartes. Watching the warrior work was just like watching a farmer thresh his wheat. The Astartes was brutal in his administration of Imperial justice but his brutality was also focused, with meaning. Not like the senseless hacking and slashing of Chaos cultists. He would simply dish out the proper punishment towards the traitors and then move on from the next.


    With lasgun, saw, fists and that shoulder-mounted weapon of his, the Astarte killed score after score of cultists. The streets lined with the bodies of the broken, each cadaver having died in ways she never even thought of possible. The Emperor''s Throne-sent Champion never faltered and never paused, letting the heretics know that there was no other end for them other than death.


    This change she felt in the air. As an officer, she was able to develop a sense of sorts to read into the aura of a battle. The aura before the champion''s arrival was one of quiet despair and forlorn hope. That all changed however when he arrived, dropped off by none other than the Emperor himself from the Golden Throne to turn the tide of the battle. Where there was once despair, it was now faith. When hope was forlorn, it returned in full force.


    They were winning the battle. There was no denying it.


    The victorious feeling she had was short-lived however when she saw them.


    "Chaos Space Marines!" she yelled in alarm.


    There were two of them. The first was armed with a chainsword while the other held a powerhammer. Oozing with malevolence and hate, they eyed the Astartes who was laying waste to their heretical brethren.


    Talia would not waste anytime. She wasn''t about to let the Emepror''s champion be killed off by two power-armor wearing brutes!


    "I need a rocket launcher ASAP! The Astarte is in danger!" she yelled into her vox. Cries of alarms and affirmatives were returned to her. As her men scrambled for the launchers, Talia watched as the traitor Space Marines attacked.


    +++


    The Doom Slayer said nothing as he relieved another man''s head from his body. His deranged partner, a woman with hair dyed blue, screamed in agony as the man fell. She tried to rush the Slayer with her weapon, a hell-damned scissor-sword. Her reward for her display was a laser blast to the face.


    By King Novik, how deranged were these people?


    At the very least, there were still some with wits about them who used real and proper weapons. Such weapons he liberated from their previous owners and was now using to their full capacity.


    The rifle he dubbed the lasgun was proving to become his favourite. A gun with perfect accuracy, and whose fire couldn''t be evaded due to moving at the speed of light? Yes please.


    With precision aim, the Slayer sent his targets into the afterlife. Their bodies now steaming with coin-sized holes in their chests. He didn''t stay at a fixed position however. He was mobile, dispatching targets as he passed. He jumped high into the air and activated his equipment launcher which then lobbed grenades at the mass of corrupted. He felt no glee when he disposed of his enemies but even he had to admit the sight of limbs and legs being tossed around as a grenade exploded was a brilliant sight.


    As he was about to land, he picked a unfortunate man to be his landing pad. The man, sensing his impending fate of being squished, unleashed everything that his weapon had at the Slayer. It was a fruitless labor however as the Slayer landed on the man, crushing him underneath his boots. Upon landing, the Slayer discarded the lasgun he had and swiftly retrieved the swift man''s weapon.


    It was another lasgun but that was fine for the Slayer. He wo-


    The Slayer cursed as he felt a heavy blow strike him from the back, sending him flying towards the ground. Standing quickly on his feet, the Slayer turned to face the one that had striked him.


    He was in armor, and blurred the line between man and demon. He stood head and shoulders above even the tallest corrupted, his thick and bulky armor festooned with skulls, etched in brass and adorned with spikes. He had two horns emerging from his helmet, a decaying skull on each one. In his hands was a hammer that oozed with dark power and promise.


    "I am Diavola of the-"


    The Slayer said nothing as he simply targeted the armored warrior with a grenade. The projectile sailed in the air and struck the Chaos Marine''s face. Using this to his advantage, the Slayer rushed forward towards the Marine and fired his last grenade at the Marine who dropped his hammer down the concrete. The Slayer then holstered his Lasgun as he reached for the hammer. At this point, the Marine had recovered and elicited a enraged yell at the audacity of the Slayer. He too reached for his hammer but the Slayer was faster. Armed with the hammer, the Slayer delivered a deft blow towards the Chaos Marine''s chestplate, cracking the ceramite plate.


    The marine stumbled back, coughing blood and phlegm into his helmet. When he returned his attention back towards the Slayer, the last thing he saw before the dark claimed him was of the Slayer''s eyes glowing with incandescent hatred and of his own hammer swinging down at his face.


    "For Chaos Undivided!" he heard another voice scream, distorted by electronic speakers. The Slayer pulled back the hammer, and prepared himself for combat. It came in the form of another armored warrior who screamed battle-cries as he charged the Slayer, a revving chainsword in hand. The Slayer charged forward and met the challenger head on. In a clash of steel, the two met. Hammer against chainsword. Divine against Corrupted.


    "I will claim your head for Chaos!" bellowed the Marine. The two struggled as they attempted to overpower one another. The Chaos Marine looked to have the upper hand. Millennia of war had sharpened him and his genetic augmentation and the blessings of the Dark Gods had strengthened him. Unfortunately, he was not the Doom Slayer.


    The Slayer who had spent eons in ceaseless combat. The Slayer who had been granted power unimaginable by the Seraphim. The Slayer who was very, very angry at the Chaos Marine''s existence.


    He let slip his left hand and with the flick of finger, activated his chainsaw. He thrust it forward towards the Chaos Marine''s armored belly, chipping away bits of ceramite. The Chaos Marine was no pushover however and delivered a stinging kick that sent the Slayer and his hammer flying. The Slayer landed on his feet, feeling the blow in his system. The Marine roared in triumph. Holding aloft his chainsword, the Chaos Marine moved to charge.


    As the Slayer prepared himself for the armored warrior to reach striking distance, a rocket flew from somewhere and struck the Chaos Marine, disorientating him. Seeing his chance, the Slayer crossed the distance between himself and the warrior. He poured his rage and frustration into his strike, raising his hammer and smashing it straight towards the marine''s face, bringing him to his knees. Remarkably, the Chaos Marine still had some life left in him. The Slayer rectified this problem by raising his hammer once more and with all his might, smashed straight into the armored warrior''s chest, sending pieces of plate and flesh flying.


    With this, the Slayer took the moment to see where the rocket had come from. He turned his back towards the administrative building and found the humans inside now firing down upon the corrupted. Despite the brilliant flashes of light coming from the building, he was able to focus on where the rocket had come from and found the trail belonging to a brown haired woman with purple eyes cheering him on.


    The Slayer nodded at the woman who froze at the attention. He could see her face turning crimson but the Slayer paid no mind to it as he turned back towards the Corrupted.


    There was still work to be finished. The only thing left for him to do was to Rip and Tear.


    Until it was done.


    +++


    A/N: New update! I hope you guys enjoy!


    On other matters, there were certain things in the original Rip and Tear that I didn''t like and also some things that I missed. I hope to rectify those things here.


    Chapter 3


    A long suffering and weary sigh escaped from Talia''s lips as she sat down on a piece of marble, her lasgun resting on her legs. A soft breeze flowed into the town, cooling down the lieutenant and those who deigned to enjoy the comforting wind. It was a brief respite however as the wind carried with it the stench of war and death.


    She took in another breath and sighed.


    "Tell me Sergeant....how many did we lose today?" Her tone was heavy and emotional. She hated asking this question but it was necessary for her to know.


    A gruff man that had stood silently behind her sighed as he sat next to her.


    "We lost fifty hands with a hundred more seriously wounded." said Veteran Sergeant Jonas Iscariot, a grim look about his face. He reached into his pack and brought out cigar and a Guard-issue lighter. He offered it towards Talia but the woman smiled slightly .


    "Sorry Sergeant. I still and will not smoke" gently rebuked the woman. Sergeant Jonas grunted as he simply lit up the cig and brought it into his mouth.


    The Veteran Sergeant, as his titled implied, had seen countless engagements in his lifetime. His record showed on the scars that were etched onto his face. One particular scar was on his right eye. The Sergeant claimed that he had received it while fighting Eldar at some point though he couldn''t remember when. Talia was inclined to believe him, considering that the sergeant was no-nonsense character that didn''t tolerate foolishness.


    "We''ve won." stated the sergeant as he breathed out a puff of smoke. A sad smile formed on Talia''s lips as she turned her attention towards the numerous guardsmen piling up the bodies of their dead for a funeral pyre.


    "Aye. We have." muttered the lieutenant.


    She would have been ecstatic at the thought of victory. But the ''victory'' she experienced today left nothing but a sick and hollow taste in her mouth. So many of her own men...dead.


    As if sensing her thoughts, Iscariot chimed in.


    "Don''t weep because your men have passed, Lieutenant. Be grateful instead that such men had lived." His tone was rough and blunt, but comforting. His purple eyes seemed dead but if one looked closely, they would see life burning intensely.


    A puff of smoke exited his lips once more as he turned his attention towards the bodies being assembled. "They gave their lives properly, without any hesitation and fear. The loss of life is a tragedy but if those lives are lost for a foolish errand, then it''s a greater tragedy." He turned his attention back towards Talia and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder pauldron, a look of warmth now present in his once grim visage.


    "Don''t think of yourself inadequate, lieutenant. You have led us admirably and strongly. Some of us have died but some of us have also lived as well. Imagine how many more would be lost if you hadn''t taken over after Captain Jellico''s death." He smiled as he gave her a light pat on the back.


    "So take heart and be strong. As of now, your men need a strong leader. And that strong leader is you."


    Talia listened patiently and found comfort in her sergeant''s advice. She smiled, a genuine and happy one, at the sergeant. "T-Thank you, sergeant. I''ll keep your words in mind." The man scoffed as he stood from his marble seat.


    "Thank the men, not me. I just acted as their herald." was what Talia heard as the sergeant walked off to join in the pyre crews. It was also at that moment where her vox began to fizzle to life. Talia quickly brought up to her ear.


    In came the authoritative and aristocratic voice of the overall Imperial commander of the planet. A voice she found infuriatingly grating.


    "This is Inquisitor Adrian Tanner to any Imperial forces hearing this broadcast. Does anyone copy?"


    "The 212th Cadian Regiment copies, Lord Inquisitor." said Talia, hiding her distaste for the man with a neutral tone. As she finished speaking, silence filtered through the vox line. For a moment, Talia thought that the lines of communication were cut off once more. It proved to be a fleeting moment''s concern as the Inquisitor spoke once more.


    "The 212th?" Even if he was a voice on the vox, Talia could feel the shock and surprise in the man''s voice. "Your regiment was reported lost last week in the Defense of Hive City Acheron."


    Talia frowned, her mind flashing her images of a city on fire, of the screams of civilians and of...the body of a young girl. She shook her head from her memories and and glanced at the smog-filled sky.


    "We were never destroyed, my lord. We only lost communications. I believe we re-established communications via a Krieg regiment. It was a armored battalion I believe." Talia replied, honestly not being able to remember the name of the Krieger Tank battalion they encountered during their retreat. She had heard stories of the Kriegers disapproving of retreats and of them shooting those that dared retreat so but they were strangely cordial. Their commander had granted the 212th use of their communications equipment and even loaned some to them.


    The last thing she saw was of them heading back into their vehicles as they charged headfirst into the frontlines. While the 212th were pulling back, they were marching on into battle.


    The sounds of paper being rifled around a table and of flesh being burnt brought the lieutenant back to her senses. She turned to its source and found her men in the process of lighting the funeral pyres.


    "Ah yes, the Krieger 69th Armored Battalion." Was it her or did the Inquisitor become even more sleazy as he spoke? "Well. Welcome back into the world of the living, Guardsman. Unfortunately, it might be a temporary return if you do not evacuate immediately."


    This caught Talia''s attention and she listened closely to what the Inquisitor said next.


    "Other rearguard units have successfully pulled back or were reported to have been overrun by Chaos forces. You are the last ones left currently actively standing." informed the Inquisitor.


    "My regiment was able to hold strong, my Lord." Talia informed the man, a little pride in her voice. "We were able to receive help from the Emperor himself!"


    There was an audible crack at the vox line.


    "Help? From the Emperor?" Tanner muttered incredulously. Talia nodded dutifully as she cast her gaze towards the Astartes who was assisting her men with the pyres.


    "Yes my lord. He sent an Astartes that fell from the sky in a comet of light. He assisted us in the defense of our position and utterly smashed the heretics that dared attack us!" she finished a little too passionately. A couple of her men who were resting nearby gave her curious glances, eliciting a small blush from Talia who attempted to make herself inconspicuous from their gazes.


    "I...I see." coughed Inquisitor Tanner. "Does he have any heraldry?"


    Purple eyes ran along the Astarte''s frame and exposed, muscly biceps.


    "Does he have any heraldry, guardsman?" Tanner asked once more, a little more force in his voice. At that, Talia realized that she had stared far longer than what was appropriate. The woman glanced around and internally sighed in relief that no one had seen her staring.


    "No my lord. He wears no sigil except for a symbol on his helmet. It is some form of script that I cannot read." reported the Cadian. Her being an officer had allowed her access to education not available to the common guardsmen but by the life of her, she couldn''t figure out what the frak the script on the Astartes helmet meant. Perhaps it was a mark of the Emperor?


    "Has he made any hostile moves against you or your regiment?" inquired the Inquisitor, calmer now in tone.


    Talia shook her head. "He hasn''t my lord. Ever since he arrived, he has done nothing but aid me and my regiment against the Chaos spawns. I swear to you, on my honor as a Cadian and as a officer, that this is the truth."


    This she earnestly believed in. Only the Emperor could send something as powerful and vengeful as the Astartes. Only something sent by the Emperor could make her and her men feel like they could take on the Warp and win. There was no way Chaos or possibly some heretical xeno god could produce something as magnificent and powerful as the astartes.


    That thought was the height of foolishness.


    "I ask that you hand the vox to him. Now."


    There was a certain edge in the Inquisitor''s voice that told Talia that telling him about the Astartes was a bad idea.


    +++


    "This is no longer our world. Nor universe for the matter." echoed the voice of Samuel Hayden.


    The DOOM Slayer said nothing as he gently laid down the body of a soldier onto a pile of his brethren.


    "Whether you like it or not, your fate is now tied with the men you have assisted. They look onto you with hope and admiration. When they see you, they know no fear."


    Sure enough, he passed by pair of men that stood at attention and saluted him, eyes shimmering with respect and hope. He afforded the men a nod as he passed. Small smiles formed at their lips as they watched him work. The Slayer said nothing as he bent over to pick another fallen soldier.


    "Are you going to assist them further and see where that road takes you? Or are you going to strike out on your own and let destiny take its course?" the scientist intoned.


    The DOOM Slayer had formed a habit to ignore the nascent scientist''s ramblings when it wasn''t important but the question Hayden asked him had left him seriously pondering on what to do.


    In this reality, there was no Hell. No Dark Lord''s day to ruin. No Urdak that plotted and manipulated nor was there any UAC that would bring damnation to all. From what little he could place, he was in the planet of a interstellar Human empire led by a God-Emperor figure that was currently fighting other humans that had been corrupted by some enigmatic and wholly malevolent space entities called the Chaos Gods.


    If he had to base that from the souls he had consumed.


    Irritation was roused in him as he recalled the stinging that he felt when he absorbed the fallen souls of the corrupted. He would catch glimpses of profane rituals and degenerate acts all done in the name of their gods. Furthermore, he could hear dark whispers forming in his mind. Said whispers becoming even stronger the more souls he consumed.


    Promises of more martial power. The promise of arcane knowledge. Of immortality and of infinite pleasure. If he had his helmet off, he would have spat at the offers made my these so called gods. He was the Doom Slayer, imbued with god-like powers by the Seraphim and champion of Earth. What could these so-called gods offer him that he already had?


    A shudder of irritation coursed through him. On the topic of gods, that hideous clown figure was also probably another divine being in this reality. He had to find a way to get at that harlequin freak for taking him and his weapons and his Fortress.


    Until he found a way, he would have to assist these...Imperials as much as he could. They sure as hell weren''t his humanity but humanity was still humanity no matter the universe and there had to be someone to fight back the malevolence of hell.


    Or its local equivalent at least.


    Despite the stories portraying him as a figure of uncontrollable rage and anger, he wasn''t totally a rage-filled testosterone monster. He had calmed down significantly ever since he had awoken from Mars and even had the time to pick up on his old hobbies. He also even picked up on grease-monkey and egghead books to keep his mind sharp and to assist with VEGA.


    On the topic of VEGA...


    He had little time in taking the AI out of Urdak as he had hastened to Earth to defeat the Icon of SIn and so had left VEGA back in Urdak. The AI was going to be witness to a bloodfest between Urdak and Hell. As the contract between the two realms had been thrown out of the window, war was going to come and Hell would consume the world Hayden called ''Paradise''


    Thus the Slayer made a promise to himself. As soon as he found a way back into his reality, he would find a way to rescue VEGA.


    He had grown fond of the AI and found it to be a much more pleasant partner than Hayden. At the very least, the AI didn''t emit self-righteousness, petulance, and overbearing confidence that spoke of how good they were.


    "My lord?" coughed a feminine voice.


    The Slayer had lowered the body he was carrying into a pyre when he heard the woman speak. Finishing first his job, he nodded towards two nearby guardsmen to begin lighting their power then turned towards the source of the voice.


    An awed look was on the woman''s face as He tuned to face her. He had seen the look countless of times already and this time, it wasn''t any different. He did not care for their praise. All he wanted was to get demon guts and tear them out of their extremities.


    He would not speak, finding no reason to. And so, the Slayer nodded at the woman, acknowledging her.


    Talia held her breath as she sized-up the Astarte in front of her. She took note of his graceful speed despite his heavy bulk. She took note of the way his exposed biceps glistened in the sunlight and by the Emperor did she take note of the way his eyes bored into her as he looked.


    She cleared her throat, hoping to drive away the awkward air that was now settling in between them.


    "My lord." She swore to the Emperor that she didn''t mean to emphasize on the ''my'' part. "Firstly, I never got the chance to properly thank you for assisting us in the battle against the heretic forces. I would like to remedy that and with my most sincere gratitude, give you the 212th''s thanks. If you hadn''t come, my troops and I would have been sent directly to the Emperor."


    The Slayer nodded, taking the woman''s thanks in stride. He was rather surprised that he could understand the woman. He assumed that she''d be speaking some other space fantasy language.


    "I''m translating for you." Hayden chimed in once more, souring the Slayer''s pleasant mood. "The woman is speaking a mix of English, German, French, and Latin. This is a fascinating language combination I have to admit. Keep on letting woman talk. I''m going to be cataloging her words."


    Talia shivered when she saw the Astarte''s mood suddenly sour for a second. His helmet was rather transparent and she could see the hardening look on his eyes.


    "My lord?" she suddenly squeaked. That brought the Astartes back to his senses and his gaze softened immediately as soon as he saw the look on her face.


    Clearing her throat once more, Talia turned towards the administratum building that had once been their shelter from the heretic forces.


    "Secondly, I would like to inform you that Inquisitor Tanner would like to speak with you. He is currently acting as the planet''s overall military commander. It''s unusual but High Command was utterly devastated when the heretics landed. He''s the only one with any proper authority left on the planet." She found it distasteful that the Inquisitor had hijacked local PDF and Astra Militarum forces present in the planet but he was quick to wrestle control ever since High Command was lost to Chaos. He had been competent at keeping Loyalist forces together and in keeping Chaos largely away from breaching the last stronghold of Imperial power in the planet so his authority was accepted.


    Talia found it distasteful but the man was good at this job. She wasn''t petty enough to hate him for that.


    Returning to reality, the Cadian lieutenant found the Astartes deep in thought, as if he was considering her words carefully. After a few moments deliberation, the Astartes nodded and bade her to lead him.


    Talia smiled.


    To Spacebattles we go~!

 Chapter 294 - My SI Stash #94 - Sunshine Superman by Stranger (MarvelComics)

    -Some old school 1960''s Marvelverse SI~ Before y''all go into this one, our MC''s power is actually light manipulation. Title''s just a reference to a song, Sunshine Superman by Donovan and it''s a bop!


    Synopsis: An SI finds himself in Marvel, more specifically, the Marvelverse of the 1960''s, with all the bizarre adventures, space weirdos, counter-culture references and Silver Age comic book science that entails.


    Rated: ???


    Words: 18K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/sunshine-superman-1960s-marvel-si.847345/ (Stranger)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à) -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    AN: Yep, another Marvel SI story from yours truly, this time using a setting I''ve been wanting to try for a while now; the original 1963 timeline and the earliest days of Marvel. I''ve been wanting to write this for a while but had trouble getting the tone right. I''m going to try to follow the actual 60''s comics as much as possible plot-wise, while also adressing the social stuff the Comics Code made them leave out.


    Change is rarely easy or pleasant, and September of 1963 seemed like just another chapter of turmoil for the United States of America. In Alabama, governor George Wallace tried to use violence to keep segregation alive, and Birminghams streets burned to satisfy the appetites of the hateful and ignorant. General Maxwell Taylor approved secret military actions against Vietnam, beginning another bloody story of war. And in Washington, President Kennedy chose Dallas as a destination that in other worlds, other Earths, would have proved to be disastrous, both for him, and for the world at large.


    In difficult times, people often look for heroes, but those were a bit thin on the ground since the end of the Second World War, as what seemed to have been the beginning of something big had just...faded away. Captain America and Bucky Barnes lost in action, The Human Torch voluntarily deactivated himself to keep his power from the wrong hands, and Namor, Prince of Atlantis, seemed to vanish off the face of the Earth. Even the heroes that remained, such as The Whizzer and Miss America, seemed content to settle down to a normal life rather than continue their heroics, and it seemed like the Age of Heroes had ended before it had really begun.


    That is, until an ill-fated attempt at beating the communists into space through an unsanctioned space flight in 1961 saw the creation of The Fantastic Four, and from that point on, it was as if something had shifted in the world. In January of 1962, a scientist named Hank Pym discovered a new type of particle that allowed for size-shifting abilities, in May, Bruce Banner would find himself transformed into the monstrous Hulk while attempting to save a teenager named Rick Jones from a bomb test, and in August, a spiderbite would change the life of downtrodden high school student Peter Parker, while half a world away, Dr. Donald Blake finds out there was far more to his past than he could ever have dreamed while on vacation in Norway.


    Those were just some of the fantastic events unfolding in the first few tumultous years of the decade, and as if super-powered families, radiation mutants and Norse gods weren''t insane enough, things were only just getting started...


    ....


    Somewhere In Arizona, September 1963


    Well, if there''s one positive about being ripped away from everything I''ve ever known and thrown into an era I''ve only read about in books and seen on TV, it''s that atleast it''s easier to find somewhere private to freak out without needing three different kinds of photo ID and a note from your mother to prove your identity. The guy running the seedy little roadside motel where I''ve holed up for the past week barely even looked at my face when I asked for a room, just hissed the rates at me and tossed a rusty key my way when I handed over a few dollar bills I had... borrowed from a gas station on the way here.


    Not my proudest moment, but I don''t think they accept Swedish money from the future, and if the newspapers are correct, from another universe.


    Because unless the history books I read in school had left some glaring omissions, I don''t think there was an actual Fantastic Four operating out of New York in the 1960''s, but the newspaper I found by the side of the highway sure seems to think so. So either someone is pulling a very elaborate prank, or... Yeah.


    And then there''s the other thing that''s been happening to me.


    I''m pretty sure I''m a mutant.


    I stare down at the glowing light pulsing beneath the skin of my hand as I focus, searching for the power. I''m not sure exactly what it is, it LOOKS like sunlight, but I was terrible at physics in school, and photonics was no exception. It gave me a hell of a start when I was already pretty freaked out after waking up in the middle of the desert a few days ago, only to suddenly blur halfway across the landscape in a burst of light. It took me hours to calm down enough to not just randomly let out blasts of light or speed halfway across the state every time I panicked.


    I''ve been going out in the desert every morning, as far as I can get to make sure no one sees me doing this, just to figure out exactly what these powers let me do. Speed and light blasts were easy enough, but I also found myself becoming more energized the longer I spent under the beating sun, so maybe I''m storing it up rather than just generating it myself?


    The motel is already in the middle of nowhere, but I''d rather not any passing motorists or any of the other two guests staying there see me. Metahumans might be around already, but Arizona isn''t the most welcoming place even in my own time, and I don''t think that''s going to be any different 50 years in the past. And it gave me some time to think about what to do next. My first idea had been to either try and find Professor Xavier, or try and ask Reed Richards for help, that is, until I found out what day it was. Because if I remember the date correctly, something big is about to happen. But there''s something I need to get first...


    The motel clerk barely looks away from the crappy little TV sitting on his counter as I step through the door, letting in the noon heat, which even in early fall is pretty opressive. "Ya checking out, kraut?"


    I roll my eyes, apparently he assumed I was German from my accent when I first came here, and I never bothered correcting him. "Not just yet, I got some business left to take care of. You know where there is an electronics store, or atleast a pawn shop around here?"


    The clerk gives a wheezing laugh, showing a mouth with far too few teeth "Sure kraut, ''bout 20 miles down the road, it''s the closest place around that can be called a town that ain''t just a few shacks and a gas station. Better start hitchhiking!"


    "Nah, it''s cool, I''ll walk..." I stride back outside, ignoring the puzzled look he gives me, and walk behind the building, before focusing,, feeling the light begin to build inside me, and the world becomes a blur...


    ....


    I did indeed manage to find what I was looking for in the next town over, a rather banged up radio I found in a pawn shop run out of an old trailer someone had built a ramshackle store around, which reminded me of a settlement from Fallout 4. Well, post-apocalyptic look or not, the elderly man behind the counter was all too happy selling me the radio, though I really need to get a job or something if my idea falls through, because the money I got from the gas station is running low, and I really don''t want to have to steal again. There''s probably some way to use my powers to make money, but again, not so good with the physics.


    The newspaper I pick up in the town confirm my suspicion, both about the date, and exactly what is about to go down.


    "The Hulk Destroys Train Tracks! Nation Shocked! Army to Mobilize!"


    This is it. This is when The Avengers first meet.


    It''s been a very long time since I read that comic, but I do remember that they all responded to an emergency transmission by Rick Jones and that weird little superhero fanclub he ran, problem is, I don''t know where they were located, and even with my speed, literally searching the entire Southwest for their clubhouse seems impractical. Not that trying to find their frequency with the radio is any easier, but it''s atleast worth a shot.


    I leave the radio on as I begin looking over my meager possessions. Other than the clothes on my back, I currently only own the radio, a wallet with cards and money that won''t even exist for decades, my old backpack, and a pair of sunglasses. Hell, I don''t even have a costume! Or...damn, I should atleast try to find something to use as a mask.


    The radio suddenly crackles to life.


    "This is The Teen Brigade calling The Fantastic Four! Hulk spotted! Please respond! Our location is..."


    Crap. Whelp, guess I''ll have to improvise...


    Clubroom Of the Teen Brigade, September 1963


    "Uh, hi, sorry to interrupt...whatever the hell is this is supposed to be, but is this were the emergency transmission was coming from?"


    The argument peeters off as the mismatched group inside the room finally notice my arrival. A group of teenage boys sit cl.u.s.tered around a large ham radio set, all of them with various levels of disbelief as they stare between the colorful individuals that just arrived, only briefly snapping out of it when I catch their attention. It''s easy to see why, as the room is dominated by both a man dressed in a bulky suit of golden armor, and a tall, muscular blonde man wearing a winged helmet and a cape, a large hammer hanging from his belt. I barely catch two small humanoid dots nervously circling around near the ceiling.


    Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man and Wasp. The first Avengers under one roof. With one glaring exception...


    Iron Man is the first to speak, giving me what I think is an unimpressed look from underneath his helmet. I can''t exactly blame him, considering the impressive costumes everyone else are wearing, my improvised disguise consisting of a pair of sunglasses and an American flag bandana I grabbed from a street vendor on the way here and tied over the lower half of my face, probably doesn''t impress. Not that I really have an identity to protect, but still...


    "I''m sorry, I think there may have been a misunderstanding, Mr..." Man, his voice sounds weird coming from that helmet.


    Shit, I never really settled on a good name for myself either. Finally, I decide to just go with the first thing I came up with. "Oh, just call me... Mr. Sunshine!"


    "...very well, Mr Sunshine, I''m afraid you don''t realize the danger we''re facing, Mr Jones and his friends attempted to contact the Fantastic Four for assistance with tracking down the Hulk, but for whatever reason, the transmission was misdirected, and reached the four of us instead."


    "I know, I picked up the same transmission you did, that''s why I''m here. Look, can we do the introduction thing later, we should really get going-"


    He shakes his head "Son, this isn''t a game, and we don''t have time to waste, so if you could please just-" He almost jumps out of his metal boots when I suddenly vanish in front of him, only to pop up right next to him, draping an arm over his shoulder pads.


    " See, I feel like we''re on the same page, we just need to stop talking over eachother. Now, let''s start over. I''m Mr Sunshine, and I heard there''s a Hulk on the loose. Now, what say we go look for him?"


    .....


    "Impossible!"


    It''s unsettling to hear someones voice from right next to you even when you can''t see them, even if I know it''s just because Pym is currently shrunk down and sitting on my shoulder. After giving the group a brief explanation of my powers, or my powers as far as I understand them atleast, Pym immediatly went into science mode, and seemed to forget we were here to stop The Hulk from wrecking anything else.


    "You know, you''re pretty closeminded for a guy who can talk to ants"


    Pym sounds agitated "But what you''re describing is scientific nonsense! Even if it was possible for humans to somehow... "control" sunlight like you''re describing, it shouldn''t give them the ability to... what was it again?"


    "Hank..." Wasp admonishes in a long-suffering voice.


    "Well, so far I''ve figured out super speed, light control, flying... I mean, that''s how I managed to get here so fast when I heard the radio transmission about the Hulk. And I don''t know how or why it''s possible, but hell, I''m not going to complain! These powers sure are...groovy." I can''t help but wince a little, I''ve been trying to add 60''s slang to my vocabulary to fit in better, but the results are mixed to say the least.


    Before Pym can argue any further about the apparent impossibility of my powers specifically, Iron Man suddenly notices something. "...hey, did any of you see where Thor went?"


    ....


    "HULK SMASH GLOWY MAN!!"


    I flashstep backwards, out of the way of another one of the Hulks punches, catching a glimpse of Iron Man making his way through the fleeing circus visitors. Somehow fighting the Hulk when he''s dressed up as a clown is actually WORSE than it would have been if he had just been his usual barely-dressed self.


    I can see why they didn''t put this particular moment in any of the Marvel movies.


    After Thor disappeared, Pym picked up a signal from one of his ants that someone that looked a lot like the Hulk in clown makeup was performing at a nearby circus. I figured either the ant was going senile, or Pym wasn''t as good at interpreting their language as he thought he was, but sure enough, once we actually got out there, it turned out to be true, no matter how ridiculous it was.


    If I manage to get through this without anyone dying, which I wouldn''t bet on, I''d really like to know why running away to join the circus was Hulks idea of laying low.


    I open my hand and a blast of light sears into Hulks face, making him roar in pain and anger, just in time for Iron Man to slam into him from behind, and actually making the behemoth stumble on his feet!


    "Hulk, please calm down! We know you weren''t responsible for the tracks, we just want to clear your name! And preferably keep you from smashing anything else in the meantime!"


    "LIES! PUNY MEN ALWAYS LIE TO HULK! LEAVE HULK ALONE!!" Hulk stands up, tossing Iron Man away with a shrug and takes off into the air with one leap, aiming for the hole at the top of the circus tent... where he promptly finds himself tangled in the synthetic net Pym and Wasp had been setting up throughout our fight.


    "We got him!" Iron Man says with a note of relief.


    I sigh "Trust me, we didn''t"


    Sure enough, the nets keep the Hulk in place for a few moments... at which point the bearings of the entire circus tent tear loose from the foundation and lift into the air along with him as he disappear over the horizon. Pym lands on Iron Mans shoulder as we stare after our target.


    "... I really thought the nets would work..."


    I try to sound supportive "To be fair, the nets held, that''s actually pretty impressive." I turn to Iron Man. "Hey, you got anything in that suit that could tell us where he''s headed next?"


    Iron Man is silent for a moment "...I''ve got some radio chatter from an airliner, they saw him heading towards Detroit."


    "Oh perfect." I rub my face tiredly, this isn''t working, we can keep chasing the Hulk all we want and he''s either going to beat us to a pulp, or keep running, and now he''s headed into one of the most populated cities in the U.S. If it was the Detroit from my own time and world, he could trash it all he wants, and I doubt anyone would notice a difference, but I think him doing that now would be a problem. I really wish I could remember how this turned out in the comic, but it''s been years...


    Then something occurs to me.


    "Guys, I''ll have to meet you in Detroit. I just got an idea."


    There''s a flash of light, and I''m gone before they can get a word out.


    .....


    Even in a city this size, spotting the path the Hulk took isn''t exactly difficult, it''s just a matter of following the trail of panicking civilians and damage to the streets. Thankfully, it doesn''t seem like he made it into the city itself, as I spot something very large and green vanishing into a huge factory on the outskirts. I flash down, materializing next to the hole in the wall the Hulk just tore open, and dart inside.


    "W-what the f.u.c.k is going on?! What the hell was that thing?!" Several men dressed in overalls and hard hats are huddled next to a ruined assembly line, with the damage leading further into the factory. "That-that thing just... it just broke through!" I nudge the shoulder of the man who seems the least shellshocked. "AHH!"


    "Jesus, calm down! I just wanted to ask if there''s any way to get the rest of the factory to clear out. I''m going to try and deal with Hulk, but it''ll be hard enough without having to worry about any of you getting caught in the crossfire!"


    He stammers "Th-there''s a P.A system in the foremans office..."


    "Great, get there and tell everyone to make a run for it. Oh, and if a guy in gold armor shows up, just tell him to follow the path of destruction" I quickly dash further into the factory, leaving the workers behind.


    "Hey, uh, Hulk? Sorry about that mess back at the circus, we could probably have handled that better. Look, can you just calm down so we can talk this out? I know you just want to be left alone, but that''s not going to happen unless we can prove you didn''t destroy those tracks! If you''ll just come with us peacefully, we can fix this!"


    My response comes in the form of a massive truck tire that comes flying out from a hole in the wall leading to the warehouse storage. I flashstep to the side, letting the tire smash into the machinery behind me. "I take it that was a no?" Two more tires comes flying out in case I missed the point of the first one. "Look, Rick Jones contacted us because he was worried about you, he knows you didn''t do it, you don''t want to upset your friend, do you?"


    "HULK NEED NO FRIEND! HULK NEEDS NO ONE, GLOWY MAN!" Finally, he comes stomping out from the warehouse "GO AWAY! STOP HOUNDING HULK!"


    I hold up my hands in what I hope is a peaceful gesture "Hulk, please listen to me, you had to hide in a friggin CIRCUS because of this nonsense, what were you planning on doing if we hadn''t discovered you, spent the rest of your life as a clown?"


    He actually seems to hesitate. "TINY MEN WON''T LEAVE HULK ALONE! HULK HIDE, HULK RUN, BUT THEY ALWAYS FOLLOW! SO HULK SMASH!"


    I sigh "Hulk, they think you destroyed a train track on purpose, and it''s not the first time something like this has happened. Bad guys keep pinning their crimes on you, and it never gets resolved because you get angry and either smash everything or try to leave. The tiny men keep following you because as far as they know, there''s a rampaging monster tearing across the country, and a handful of people knowing the truth isn''t enough to prove otherwise. They''re never going to stop chasing you if you keep doing things this way. Can you atleast let us try our way?"


    Hulk just blinks for a few moments, unused to people talking to him for this long without screaming or trying to shoot him. "...HULK...NOT SURE..."


    I smile "Well, it''s a start."


    Chapter 2


    "Now, I don''t want any misunderstandings when Iron Man shows up, so please try not to smash him if he doesn''t immediatly trust you, okay?"


    "HULK WON''T SMASH GOLDEN MAN FIRST"


    "Close enough." I send up a flare of light, catching the attention of the flying golden object in the sky. I''ve managed to lead Hulk away from the city back into the wilderness to atleast try to preserve the fragile peacefire I settled with him, which would probably fall apart if the National Guard started shooting at him. Iron Man spots the signal and begins descending, stopping a few feet away when he sees who I got with me.


    "I''ll admit this isn''t what I was expecting to find when I finally tracked you two down. What exactly did I miss?"


    I motion towards Hulk "I tried talking it out with Hulk instead of blasting him, it wasn''t working very well so far. He''s willing to hear us out, but reserves the right to smash further. I paraphrased that part, but you get the gist."


    Hulk nods "HULK LISTEN. YOU SPEAK."


    Iron Man looks between the two of us for a few confused seconds, before snapping out of it "Well, not how I was expecting this to go, but I''ll take it! Hulk, you do know why we were chasing after you, don''t you?"


    Hulk huffs in annoyance "HULK NOT WANT SMASH TRAIN TRACKS."


    "It seems unlikely, and both your friend Mr Jones, and Mr Sunshine here seems to agree, but the fact is, you were seen breaking the tracks, but you also held them together again. Can you explain exactly what happened?"


    "HULK SEES BOMB ON TRACKS. TRY TO SQUISH IT. BOMB VANISHED."


    "Wait a minute..." the voice of Pym suddenly cuts in, and Ant-Man suddenly appears, growing to visible size "You''re saying there was an explosive on the tracks? And it just disappeared when you tried to stop it from exploding?" Hulk nods "Strange, that sounds like..."


    "A set-up!" Wasp adds, appearing next to Pym "I bet someone wanted to trick Hulk into destroying those tracks, just so he''d get the blame for it!"


    "SOMEOME TRICK HULK?!" Hulk snarls "HULK WILL SMASH!"


    "If we can find them, we''d happily help you with that, Hulk" Iron Man says thoughtfully "But who would have the ability to do this? Or even the motive? Who''d even want to set you up?"


    "That line is starting to form around the block at this point" I give Hulk an apologetic shrug "Sorry dude, but you''ve got a bad habit of making enemies. We''ll have to work on that too. The real question is, are we sure the Hulk was the point behind the setup? I''ve followed the Hulks... career, such as it is, in the news..." close enough to the truth "And as far as I know, illusions aren''t really the style of the kind of people after him."


    "You''re suggesting the setup was intended to draw OUR attention..." Iron Man puts the pieces together.


    "Exactly, or if not all of us, than one of us atleast. I''m guessing between us there should be atleast one jerk with illusion powers who''d like to see the Hulk smash us to a pulp."


    There''s a pause as the assembled heroes look between eachother uncomfortably, racking their brains for anyone they could have pissed off enough to set up this whole scheme, but nothing seems to spring to mind. And considering I''ve only had powers for a week, and this is my first actual outing with them, it''s not like I have anything to offer.


    Pym seems to be about to ask something, when a loud thunderclap echoes from the clear sky, and a familiar figure appears in a flash of light above us.


    "Worry not, friends! For I have exposed the true cause of this mischief!" Thor lands in the middle of the clearing with a large thud, and holds up the captive struggling against his grip, another familiar figure dressed in green, with a truly gaudy golden helmet adorned with two massive horns.


    Loki.


    .....


    "So let me get this straight" Iron Man says in a tired voice "This is your half-brother Loki, as in, the evil guy from Norse mythology. He''s the one who set this whole mess up?"


    "Indeed, Man of Iron!" Thor responds with a booming voice "Loki had hoped to frame the Hulk in hopes that I would be drawn into battle with the behemoth, and either perish in the attempt, or taint myself by destroying an innocent! It was only by pure luck that his wicked scheme drew your attention as well as my own, and I sought him out in Asgard while you were busy pursuing the Hulk! Only he could have created the Hulk illusion that drew me away from our assembly!"


    "THAT''S where you ran off to? You thought you saw the Hulk and went after him yourself? Why didn''t you ask for our help?"


    Thor actually looks a bit ashamed "I apologize, Man of Iron, it has been a long time since I fought side by side with brothers in arms, I have grown used to facing the threats of the cosmos alone."


    "You know, we''re almost lucky he did run off on his own like that" Wasp says, flying up to eye level with the snarling Loki "If Thor hadn''t gone after this creep himself, we might all have tried fighting the Hulk, and who knows how that would have turned out."


    "GREEN GOD WAS THE ONE WHO TRICKED HULK?! NO MORE TALK, HULK SMASH PUNY GOD" Hulk takes a massive stomp towards Thors captive, when Loki suddenly springs to life in Thors grip, his body pulsating with a sickly green glow, the sudden force knocking Thor backwards and loosening his grip.


    "Back! BACK, you human dolt! No mortal may lay a hand on Loki! I have powers you never dreamed of!" His grin quickly fades as he sees his attack has seemingly no effect on the enraged Hulk, who lashes out with a swing, sending Loki crashing into the treeline.


    "GREEN GOD TALK TOO MUCH"


    "W-what just happened?" Wasp asks shakily.


    I stare after Loki''s disappearing form "I..think he was trying to drive us back with radiation? I mean, against the Hulk, that''s basically like trying to put out a volcano with a flamethrower."


    Loki is struggling back to his feet among the ruins of the trees, the glow disappating "Bah, no matter, if the powers of radiation has no effect on you, perhaps the magic of Asgard will! I summon the-" he cuts off suddenly, clutching his eye with a yell of pain, as a swarm of insects surround his face, stinging and biting at his exposed skin "WHAT IN DAMNATION-"


    Using the distraction provided by Ant-Man''s insects, Thor once again grabs his brother by the neck, throwing him to the ground, and stops his struggle with a well-placed blow to the back of his head, finally knocking him out. "That''s enough of your mischief, brother. It''s time to return you to your prison."


    I let out a breath I didn''t realize I was holding "Okay, evil god down for the count. Quick thinking with the bugs there."


    Iron Man nods "I couldn''t agree more. Do you need help securing Loki, Thor?"


    "I do not believe so, Man of Iron, my brother should remain senseless until I can return him where he belongs."


    "Wait!" Ant-Man says, as he returns to normal size "Before we go our separate ways, me and Wasp have something to say. Each of us have a different power, if we combine our forces, there''s no telling how much good we could do together!"


    Here we go.


    "Work as a team, eh?" Iron Man looks thoughtful "Never been on one of those before. Sure, count me in!"


    "Aye, you speak much truth, Ant-Man and Lady Wasp. It has been far too long since I enjoyed the company of fellow warriors. I would be honored to fight side by side with all of you!"


    It takes me a moment to realize that the silence that follows is because everyone is looking at me for my answer"...oh, you want ME on your team too? Sorry, I wasn''t sure if that invitation included me. I mean, you guys are all established heroes, and I''m just the guy who showed up and gatecrashed your meeting."


    "Maybe, but this isn''t exactly a business that requires a resume, Mr Sunshine. You not only heard about a dangerous situation that needed to be stopped, you also tried using your head instead of your fists, even when it was risky. I''d say that earns you a place with the rest of us."


    "Hey, like I''m going to say no to this? Sign me up. But with one condition..." I turn to the Hulk "Hulk, you in too?"


    He actually looks puzzled at being included "GLOWY MAN WANT HULK TO JOIN? WHY?"


    "Well, like Ant-Man said, we all have a different power, and I''d think you''d make a great addition to this... whatever this is. What do you say?"


    Hulk thinks for a moment "...HULK TIRED OF BEING CHASED. TIRED OF ALWAYS RUNNING. HULK WANT TO BELONG."


    "Excellent! Mr Sunshine, Mr Hulk, welcome to the...the" Iron Man pauses "Say, what should we call ourselves?"


    "It should be something colorful, and dramatic" Wasp chimes in "Like..."


    "The Avengers/The Beat-Alls!"


    The group turns and stares at me "What, not a fan of the Beat-Alls? No one? Okay, well, Wasp''s idea is pretty good too..."


    "The Avengers it is!"


    "AVENGERS!!"


    And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth''s mightiest heroes and heroines found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, the Avengers were born¡ªto fight the foes no single super hero could withstand! The Earth''s Mightiest Heroes... well, them, and one other guy...


    Chapter 3


    "Welp, I''m checking out, you can clean out my room for the next drifter and/or serial killer who passes through"


    The motel clerk looks up from his newspaper as I toss a few crumbled bills on the counter, "So, finally moving out, kraut? Almost sorry to see ya go, always nice to have renters who pay the damn bill, even if they spend most of their time out in the desert doing god knows what."


    Huh, he''s a bit more observant than I gave him credit for.


    "Well, I appreciate the sentiment, but I''ve found somewhere slightly less terrifying to live."


    ....


    Pretty much the first thing Iron Man did once the initial rush of post-battle victory had settled was to offer up his... I mean, his "employer, Mr Stark''s" mansion as a club house for the new team, and a place to live for anyone who wanted it. Honestly, I can''t think of a worse cover identity, considering that the whole point of a bodyguard is to, you know, GUARD your employer, which is a bit of an issue when you can''t be in the same place at once, but I can''t exactly point fingers in that department. While both Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne have their own homes, and so does Thor in his Donald Blake identity, I for one was not going to turn down the chance of moving out of the motel/future meth lab that I was currently stuck in.


    As such, after a quick dash across the state to pick up the few things I owned in this world, I found myself standing on the lawn in front of a massive, gilded-age mansion in the middle of Fifth Avenue in New York City. Moving from the middle of Bumf.u.c.k, Nowhere Arizona to one of the biggest and most iconic cities on Earth was a bit of a shock, to say the last. I wonder if having the Avengers and Fantastic Four living here would offset the frankly terrifying amount of urban decay New York went through in my own world? I mean, living here will be cool and all, but I could do without getting a personal tour of The Warriors in ten years...


    "Quite a place, isn''t it?" Iron Man''s echoing voice brings me out of my thoughts "This is Mr Stark''s family mansion, I''m afraid it hasn''t seen much use since... his parents died, but he seemed quite happy that it will be inhabited again."


    I nod "Sure as hell beats my old apartment, not to mention the place I was staying before. So it''ll just be me and Hulk staying here then?" I like my space, but a six-level mansion seems a bit much for two people, even if one of them is a giant gamma mutate.


    "Well you and Edwin Jarvis, he''s Mr Stark''s butler and caretaker of the mansion, if you need anything and neither me nor Mr Stark is around, just ask him." he pauses "I admit I''m surprised The Hulk was willing to move here as well, he''s not too fond of cities from what I''ve heard..."


    "Well, he wasn''t happy, but..."


    .....


    "HULK HATE CITY OF TINY MEN! TINY MEN SCREAM AND CHASE HULK"


    "Dude, I get it, believe me, New York is big, and it''s full of very breakable things, but I think this could be good for you! You spend all your time all alone out in the middle of nowhere, it''s no wonder you''re anti-social. Well, that and people try to shoot you whenever you go anywhere, but you get my point. Besides, it''s not like I''m asking you to take a stroll down Time Square, just come along and hang out at our new clubhouse for a while!"


    Hulk thinks on it for a moment "HULK STAY, BUT HULK NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT!"


    "Fair enough! Now, as of moving you in, I have a suggestion of how to do that quietly, but you might not like it..."


    ....


    "Tell me, Iron Man, what exactly do you know of the Hulk''s origins?"


    He thinks of his answer for a second "...surprisingly little, now that I think of it. All Mr Stark has managed to find out was that he first appeared on a military testing ground last year, after some sort of secret weapon test, but anything else was buried so deep in the government files even he couldn''t access it. Other than that, I doubt I know anything they haven''t shown on the news. Why do you ask?"


    "Because, since your employer opened up his home to us, there''s someone I think you should meet." I lift my sunglasses, allowing my eyes to glow with light for a moment, and a slightly built, unassuming man with brown hair and glasses, dressed in a plain grey suit, suddenly rises from a bench outside the gates and makes his way through the opening towards us.


    "Ah, hello, Iron Man, it''s a pleasure to meet you..." He offers his hand, and Iron Man takes it after a moment of confusion.


    "Um, hello... Are you the one Mr Sunshine thought I needed to meet?"


    "Hrrm, well, yes. Sorry for my rather abrupt arrival, but Mr Sunshine suggested it might be better I arrive this way. My name is... Dr. Bruce Banner..."


    I notice Iron Man''s eyes widen in recognition through the lenses of his helmet.


    "...but you know me better as... The Hulk."


    .....


    "...I''ve heard of your work of course, I mean, Mr Stark has told me about it, your work on gamma radiation was groundbreaking, but... no one''s seen or heard from you for over a year! Mr Stark thought you may have been involved in a top secret military project of some sort, but..."


    Iron Man is giving us a rather spotty tour of the mansions ground floor, though most of the actual touring has given way to his almost fanboyish gushing over Dr. Banners past work. He really needs to work on that if he''s going to try to keep a secret identity, since there''s no reason for Iron Man to be this enthusiastic about science. My guess is that Iron Man is going to make himself scarce as soon as possible, allowing Tony Stark to make an appearance in person.


    Banner looks slightly surprised by Iron Man''s enthusiam "Ah, well, I suppose he was right for the most part, I WAS involved in a top secret project... I don''t want to go into details, but it involved weaponizing gamma radiation, but there was an incident... I did something stupid-"


    "He saved a kid who accepted a stupid dare and wandered onto the test site." I interrupt. Banner turns around, shocked.


    "How did you find out about that?"


    I raise an eyebrow at him "You''ve met Rick Jones, right? He''s not exactly shy talking about what a hero you are and how much of this is all his fault, that kid would go the whole sidekick route if you let him."


    Iron Man chuckles "Mr Sunshine is quite right about Jones, I only met him for about ten minutes, he really is quite taken with you"


    Banner pulls off his glasses, and rubs his forehead "That boy... I''ve told him repeatedly to stay out of the Hulks way, he just doesn''t understand how dangerous all of this is..."


    I shrug "If he was good at grasping risk, I don''t think he''d have wandered onto a test site in the first place. Being a teenager is all about doing ridiculous and dangerous things. In Rick''s case, that was a bit of an extreme, but still!"


    "Too true, but now, let us speak of more pleasant things!" Iron Man steps in, motioning for us to follow as he stomps down the hallway "On such short notice, Mr Stark has only had time to prepare your living quarters, but he''s got some plans for further development of the mansions lower floors that I think you''ll both find quite impressive...."


    ....


    Iron Man ends up leading me to a luxurious room that''s literally twice the size of my old apartment, filled with old and expensive-looking furniture. Granted, that''s not exactly a high bar, but it still feels almost intimidating. I sit down on the huge, four-poster bed and let my backpack slip down by the side, staring out through the panoramic windows that take up most of the eastern walls, overlooking a second-story balcony with a view of the grounds outside, and New York City beyond. It''s almost eerily quiet, with only the muffled and distant sounds of traffic coming from the outside, and almost no sound from inside the mansion itself.


    I pull the bandana down from my face, and lie back on the bed, staring up at the dr.a.p.es surrounding the bed itself, probably some silk monstrosity that cost more than I''d make in a year. For a moment I feel so out of place in the room I almost miss the creepy motel. I hold my hand up, letting the light sparkle between my fingers as I let my mind wander.


    And I realize I hadn''t really thought of what to do after this.


    Thinking about it now makes me feel ridiculous, but it''s only now, after the dust has settled, that I didn''t really think of what to do other than "join the Avengers", because that was the first idea that popped into my head once I realized where I had ended up and what date it was.


    It''s 1963, I''m a mutant, and as of right now, a founding Avenger. Jeez, when I actually think of it like that, it sounds insane!


    Do I tell anyone where I came from? Do I tell Stark, or Banner, or even Pym? They might believe me, it''s not like it''s the craziest shit that''s ever happened in this world, hell it''s not even close! But then what? Would that change anything? I mean, I got a bunch of metaknowledge no one else does, but a lot of it is pretty vague...


    I sit up with a start, the lights in my hand dissapating. Shit, forget the superhero stuff, what about all the historical events? There''s so many good people who are going to die in the future, and I could stop all of it! Martin Luther King, the Kennedy''s... wait, did JFK even die in the Marvelverse? I remember a story where he was saved, but that might have been a What If...


    There''s also Vietnam, but I don''t think I can stop a war by myself, even with these powers... Maybe I can convince the other Avengers to come out against it, maybe that would take away some of it''s support if nothing else.


    Shit, I gotta start watching a lot more news, if I''m going to do this...


    A knock on the door breaks me out of my thoughts "Uh, yeah, come on in!"


    The door creaks open, revealing a handsome man with dark hair and a goatee, dressed in a sharp business suit.


    "Hello there, I''m Anthony Stark! I thought I''d drop by to see my new tenants in person!"


    To Spacebattles we go~!

 Chapter 295 - My CO Stash #95 - Mongrel Mania by KtyouVsWriting (Fate/staynightXRWBY)

    -A Fate-crossover fic that isn''t about Shirou but Gilgamesh~ And the author nailed it good, instead of having Gil being one of the "good" peeps, he made him do what Gil would do to this clowns!


    *F for Salem and her lackeys.


    Synopsis: Gilgamesh''s constant failures have begun to grate at him. More than anything, he just wants to succeed at something, anything. What he was not counting on was someone responding to his wish. A strange new world awaits him, one rife with conflicts that are new and old to him. This time though, he will NOT fail. The King of Heroes will accept nothing less than absolute victory.


    Rated: M


    Words: 60K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12910990/1/Mongrel-Mania (KtyouVsWriting)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à) -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Hall of Heroes


    Gilgamesh was not happy one bit, and why not? The Holy Grail, in a final act of desperation, absorbed him in an attempt to gain a vessel, but as the rules of the war dictated, only a mage could be a vessel. Servants could only add mana to the grail. The grail must have become really desperate to try and make him a vessel.


    In the end, he''d failed again to secure what he had wanted and calling him upset or even angry would not be capturing the true scope of what he was feeling. It was hard to believe that some mongrel had managed to defeat him; it was even more insulting that it was the lesser pretender that had defeated him. The other one, the one who was far stronger, being beaten by him would have felt less humiliating. He was at least competent, strong, even ruthless, something to be admired. This mongrel who had cut off his arm and left him a bloodied mess, he was a bumbling fool with no concept of anything other than being a ''Hero of Justice'' and blindly following his ideals.


    Then again, somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt that this wasn''t a completely unexpected outcome. He had been done in by a snake before, a lowly creature with barely an ounce of intelligence. Was it really unthinkable to have been beaten by a human and a faker? In hindsight, perhaps it was not. Nevertheless, he was appalled at his own failings. He most certainly had the power to take down the lesser faker, but the mistake of holding back and taunting his foe was his first and last mistake.


    Gilgamesh might have died in battle, but his legend would continue to exist. Additionally, if he had lost, then there was no doubt that the Holy Grail had been destroyed. That Emiya boy had made it very clear that there wouldn''t be any other way forward. The King of Heroes would shake his head if he had a physical body. The boy was naive, stupid, a complete and utter fool, but he had won the battle. The former king had even conceded victory, and it was the victors who wrote the history books. It might just be a sign that his time was long gone and Mankind would move forward without him.


    Still, there were a great many things he wanted to do that he could no longer do. He was a man who had many ambitions and goals, many of them which had not come to fruition. In his current state, he was in no position to be picky about how he got to his goals. If he was willing to sacrifice the vast majority of Mankind the Holy Grail''s power, then he could afford to broaden his horizon a little bit, even if it was distasteful.


    "Truly, I am astonished at myself." Gilgamesh growled at himself. "Foiled not once, not twice, but three times."


    He was the King of Heroes, a name that denoted his superiority above all those that had come before, those that came in his time, and those that would come to be. That was what he should have been, yet here he was, no closer to what he wanted than when he had first become a Heroic Spirit. Yes, his goals did entail him being the absolute ruler of the world, not something that many humans even considered let alone were able to set out to do.


    The easiest thing that he could do is just give up. He understood the human desire to give into incompetence and failure. He would be lying if he said that he didn''t harbor that very same desire, and he would also be lying if he said that the urge wasn''t strong. Could he accept another failure again? Would the next one be the final one for good? Would he be condemned to ultimate failure for all of his existence? If that was the case, would he ever be able to break free from it before insanity took over?


    Then something came back to him, something that hadn''t occurred to him before.


    Shirou Emiya, the lesser Faker. Faker though he might be, there was something to him. His idealism was one that only a select few would ever carry, and it would be an impossible ideal to achieve in the world because only a few would only ever carry the ideals. Almost all people in the world were instinctual at heart, selfish, and capable of many acts of violence. Why bother putting on the face of a ''Hero of Justice?'' Everyone called the notion foolish, which only made such a honor to be nothing more than empty.


    But the Faker didn''t give a damn. He just fought for what he believed until the bitter end, and although his ideals were worth less than nothing, he still fought for them, and he had won the battle.


    It was simply who he was. Shirou Emiya was a Hero of Justice, like it or not. It was his identity. The war might mature his viewpoint, but he would never give up that ideal. It was belief, plain and simple, that drove him.


    "Belief, is it?" Gilgamesh chuckled in realization. "Is that what it takes to win the battle, to win the war, even when the world is against you?"


    Apparently it was so.


    "No matter the viewpoint you carry, what matters is who wins in the end." He continued to lecture himself. "The survivors are the heroes who write the final tales in legends."


    He laughed a bit more. It had been a while since he had a good laugh. A simple solution for a complicated problem. In hindsight, he should have foreseen his own folly, and now he felt a strong urge within himself.


    "It might be foolish of me to make a wish now, but it''s not like I have anything lose." Gilgamesh reached a hand out in front of him. "I desire to return to life, to walk a path where my victory is assured fully.


    He held his head high, his resolve renewed.


    "Let not man, monster, or anything else stand in my way, for I am son of the King of Uruk Lugalbanda and the Goddess Rimat-Ninsun. I am the King of Heroes, one whom all heroes copy and imitate. I am the one who is feared by God and Man. I am the wielder of all the weapons and treasures of the world. Those who know my name shall quiver in fear and kneel before me.


    "I am Gilgamesh, and I may be bent, but I will NEVER be broken!"


    His declaration complete, he didn''t realize that his wish had been heard.


    And received.


    Fate/Stay Night - - - RWBY


    Gilgamesh found himself taking in a breath of fresh air as his eyes opened. His body felt¡­ normal again, like it was mortal, like he was alive, not a Heroic Spirit, and not merely a physical body being powered by magic.


    "What is this?" He rose from his prone position on the ground. "This place¡­ I don''t recognize it at all."


    Even with all of his knowledge from the Hall of Heroes, there was nothing recognizable that he could even see. In fact, the only thing he was seeing was wildlands for as far as the eye could see, nothing that would otherwise give him a clue as to his own whereabouts. While where he was mattered to him, there was another more pressing matter.


    "Why was I brought here?" Gilgamesh considered out loud. "Why am I not a Servant? Why am I¡­ wait¡­ my wish¡­ my desire¡­"


    Although it was barely worth considering in light of the rules of the Holy Grail War, it was the only thing he could think of. It had to have been the Holy Grail who heard his message, his defiance, his millenia-old desires reignited. Either that, or Alaya had released him from the rules and regulations of being a Heroic Spirit. On second thought, both options were borderline ridiculous and impossible, but how else could he explain this?


    "It doesn''t matter." The King of Heroes decided after a minute, getting up and checking himself over. "I will assess my situation before committing to a course of action."


    His armor had returned to him, but a quick check told him that he also retained his casual attire attained from his time on Earth. Although his armor and his own casual wear from his own time suited him well, he admitted that the casual attire from the modern era suited him just as well. In fact, it might do him good to keep it as his default appearance. It didn''t matter what he wore as he didn''t care for the opinions of mongrels, but he did like variety.


    With nowhere set to go, the only thing to be done was to pick a way and hope for the best.


    Hope¡­ right¡­


    With his hand shoved in his pockets, the former Heroic Spirit chose to head for what looked to be a clearing. While he could enhance his own abilities and make it there many times faster than walking, it was a drain on his energy, and he wanted to be prepared to fight if the situation demanded it.


    I''m already acting so cautious. Gilgamesh clenched his hands in his pockets. That mongrel really did get to me, didn''t he.


    His own slightly change in attitude aside, things were going smoothly. He spent the next half an hour walking through the wilderness. The only sign of life were animals that scattered at the sight of him, with not a single human in sight. The sight of familiar animals was a sign that he had to at least be nearby human civilization. Still, it was deciding if he should be optimistic or pessimistic.


    Despite the fact that he recognized the wildlife, he also took the time to take in the air and savor it. He couldn''t sense a trace of human pollution anywhere. If that reading was correct, then he was in a place where there likely wouldn''t be civilization, at least not a large settlement of any kind.


    The only time he stopped was to grab himself some food and a drink from the Gates of Babylon, a waste to be sure, but it was easier this way. If it came down to it, he could search for food and water himself in this environment, but better to trust in what he knew wouldn''t potentially be harmful to him. However good it felt to be alive, there were drawbacks to be sure. At least his divinity and god blood remained intact.


    Gilgamesh had also taken the chance to take a look at himself via a mirror, and he was pleased, yet confused. He looked like a teenage version of himself, except he had all of his treasures and objects and his powers were at their peak. Many mysteries seemed to continuously pile themselves upon him, but he continued to made his way forward.


    It wasn''t until he came upon a very large clearing that he saw something that interested him even little bit. The forest gave way to what appears to be a field that contained a pathway that was clearly marked with a fence. This was what he was looking for. His pace quickened, but something made him stop.


    He was sensing an very overt and potent source of magical power. Based on what he could feel, it reminded him of the season of fall. He also couldn''t miss the presence of a human within that very same power.


    At the same time he sensed this human presence, three more humans began to come to him as well. Two of the sources were relatively weak, not worth looking at for very long, but the third source, it was violent, like a rabid dog barely clinging to human sanity and intelligence. It was foul to say the least.


    His eyes trained on something coming into the distance from one side of the path. It was a girl on horseback. She wore a hood, which could mean a few different things. She might be on the run, or she might be someone easily recognizable, or she could simply disliked showing her face. Still, a simple piece of clothing couldn''t do much to hide her face. Brown hair, amber eyes, and somewhat decent features.


    Opposite of her was another individual, one with dark skin, mint-green hair, and eyes almost as red as his own. She appeared to have hostile intent towards the girl dressed in autumn colors if her ready stance was anything to go by. What was strange was that the first girl couldn''t seem to see the second girl. Moments passed and the browned-haired one disembarked, retrieved an apple from her person, then bent onto one knee and offered it to the ground.


    An illusion. Gilgamesh figured out what he was seeing. One is seeing an illusion and the other is creating the illusion.


    Then the battle began. The green-haired girl pulled out two firearms and began shooting in rapid succession. The brown-haired girl responded with a staff and deft deflection with her bare hands, at least that''s what it looked like at first. When he saw a barrier flicker, he realized that this was a power, but nothing that he had seen before.


    A boy with silver hair and eyes jumped into the fight. He was of the more aggressive type, launching himself into the heat of battle without so much as a care. It soon became apparent that his confidence was due to a set of prosthetic legs, probably a means to enhance his own fighting style.


    With a two on one battle, Gilgamesh was content to sit in a nearby tree, conceal himself, and watch from afar. As far as he was concerned, this was entertainment. If there was something worth it for him, he might just intervene.


    As it turned out, he didn''t have to wait long. The lone combatant began to rise into the air and the sky itself darkened as a storm rolled in. The use of magic was now obvious, and very powerful. The King of Heroes, while perched on his branch, watched with slightly more enthusiasm. Now the odds were in favor of the lone maiden as she rained the elements upon her two opponents. The two dead mongrels resisted. It was pointless really, because they wouldn''t win in the end.


    Then the third presence came into play, and one look at her showed that she was determined to win this battle. Her skills in combat were leaps and bounds superior to that of her compatriots, that much he sensed. She had to be their master or their leader, someone of central authority. They way she carried herself demanded respect.


    Gilgamesh was not impressed in any way. He didn''t have to demand respect, ask people for it, or even earn it. Merely existing at all was enough for him to become the center of attention.


    At least in my time that would be the case. He mulled to himself. But I doubt these mongrels would know of me.


    He had a hunch as to what was going on, and until he had more evidence, then he would hold back; this wasn''t his fight in any way. The last thing he needed was to tie up loose ends that he might create by foolishly becoming a part of this.


    The battlefield began to shift. With the black-haired woman joining the fight, the tides had turned against the single maiden. She might have raw power and a lot of talent on her side, but her three enemies had more collective skill not to mention cunning. If his predictions were correct, and they always were, then she was going to die, but probably not quickly. Something about this whole thing smelled.


    Gilgamesh clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he contemplated the moves. While tracking the fight blow for blow, he began to watch the facial expressions of each combatant.


    "The energy in this vicinity is quite immense." He observed the battleground. "Even those without magical know-how will realize that a battle took place here."


    If they didn''t end this quickly, then witnesses would come into the mix. While it wouldn''t be disastrous or even bothersome, it did limit his own choices. Any warrior with even the dullest senses would come snooping around. When that became reality, he would have to back off and retreat.


    In that case, he needed to assess the magical power that the maiden was displaying. Reaching out with his own mana, he began to try and get a read on the power. It was only a second that passed by, and what he was able to discern was novel. This power, while not as ancient as himself, was enduring. He could tell that centuries of history rested with it, but looking even further, the origin of the magic went back further. Thousands of years would be the more correct age for this power. This fact alone was enough for him to make a decision; even if he hadn''t seen the power himself, anything that could endure for multiple millennia was worthy of taking.


    Gilgamesh rose from his perch on the tree, waiting for his opportunity. It would appear that the lone maiden had turned the tables once again, unleashing her powers and scattering her three opponents. With them all down, she grabbed her staff and made her way to the green-haired one. One look and it was clear she had the intent to kill.


    If she''s killing them, then her power must be secretive. The King of Heroes noted to himself. That must mean the power is important to someone.


    It was too bad that she didn''t see the arrow in the back, but it was too late. She was now on the ground and in serious pain. She no longer had the strength to fight back, only to beg for her life as she was held in-place by the henchmen and faced with the leader. The black-haired woman began to form something in her hand. It looked like a parasite. A black substance latched onto the face.


    "She''s being drained of the power." Gilgamesh knew that it was now or never. "Well, I suppose introductions are in order."


    He hopped down from the tree and got onto the path. With that, he began to walk at a casual pace, all the while intentionally making a lot of noise. As he expected, all heads that could turned to face him.


    "Well, well well, what have we here?" He wasn''t concerned about his safety. "Some thieves trying to steal power that isn''t rightfully theirs?"


    He opened the Gate of Babylon, then fired.


    RWBY - - - Fate/Stay Night


    Cinder narrowly dodged the projectile that was launched at her along with her two minions. Everything had been going according to plan until this fool decided to meddle and with a smug look no less.


    The servant of Salem took a moment to recompose herself. She needed to retrieve Amber quickly and drain the power. She had gotten half of it. When she looked up, she saw the new figure holding the prone Fall Maiden in his arms, now with a look of utter victory plastered on his face.


    If something like this was to happen, Emerald had been given orders to mask all their faces so that they couldn''t be identified.


    "I will be taking this now." He was positively glowing in his arrogance. "Power like this belongs in the hands of someone who can wield it properly."


    Cinder''s response was to use her semblance. She would not be denied her prize, not when it was within her grasp. Wanting to test her new powers, she launched an attack against him. He didn''t have his aura unlocked, so his death was a certainty.


    The she saw him bring out a shield and place it directly in front of him. She brought up the heat, but to her surprise, there was no effect. She relinquished the flames.


    "Really, that''s the best you can do with your new power?" He laughed at her. "I''ve faced mongrels who could do so much more with much less."


    He dared to call her a mongrel?!


    "Kill him!" Cinder ordered Mercury and Emerald. "Now!"


    "Do not even bother." He threatened them. "If one of you so much as moves in the wrong direction, then you will die."


    Cinder couldn''t deny that she was in a really bad spot. Her new opponent was somehow summoning weapons from portals. She couldn''t count them all, but she knew there was no way that she could dodge them all.


    "Do you realize what a fool you are?" Cinder decided to see where conversation would go. "That power can only be wielded by a woman."


    "Of course I know that, you mongrel." He was completely unphased. "But that will not stop me from doing this."


    With a casual attitude, he raised his arm and plunged his hand straight into his hostage''s chest. He then deftly ripped out the heart, dropping the girl from his arms, a bloody pool beginning to form at his feet. He then crushed the heart within his hands. This should have been the victory. The rest of the Fall Maiden''s powers should have gone to her.


    To her horror, she watched the other half as it instantly transferred into the man, and then it went dormant. Was the power extinguished? No, she could sense it still, but¡­ it was like it was sleeping.


    Maybe the power was not able to be used when in his possession, but he had it and she didn''t.


    "The power continues to deny me." His face dropped its previous smile with a light scowl. "No matter, I have what I came for."


    With a snap of his fingers, he unleashed a torrent of death upon them. The three of them were barely able to dodge. His previous threat had to have been fake. He hadn''t intended to kill them all along, but to force them into a position of his choosing.


    Cinder cleared away the smoke, but by that time, he was gone.


    "No." She clenched her hands. "NO!"


    Fate/Stay Night - - - RWBY


    After that brief bout, Gilgamesh decided that it was time to do some searching around this world. Before her death, the girl known as Amber had provided him with all the information that he needed to know. A brief glimpse of her mind while her defenses were down and he obtained vital details.


    This was Remnant, a world with both Humans and another species called Faunus. The Faunus were essentially Humans with physical traits resembling that of animals and creatures. This tie to animals also gave the Faunus sensory abilities that Humans were not capable of having. In many ways, they were superior to Humans, yet their numbers were considerably lower than Humans and they were discriminated against. In that sense, if the Faunus were unable to rise up against those who were inferior to them, they were weak themselves.


    Humans and Faunus both fought against the Creatures of Grimm, ancient and unknown beasts who wanted nothing more than the destruction of Mankind and the Faunus. Well, ancient and unknown to most of the world. In reality, they had a master known only as Salem, and this being had backers at her beck and call. It wasn''t really clear what she intended, but Humans and Faunus clearly weren''t part of that equation.


    To fight the Grimm, there were warriors called huntsmen and huntresses. They all used aura, the manifestation of the soul, as well as the power to use a unique semblance, a special power tied to a person''s character and life experiences. Additionally, this world relied upon the trade and use of dust, a mineral unique to this world. It was dust that made this world go round. It was a cornerstone to all advanced technologies.


    All of this, ultimately, was logged as secondary information. What really got his attention was the wielders of what he now knew as the power of the Seasons Maidens. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. All of them were blessed with the powers of the seasons, but that power was also the key to opening the gates to the greatest treasures in this world.


    There were four relics that Mankind had been gifted with by the Gods of this world. They were creation, knowledge, destruction, and choice. Winter could access creation, spring knowledge, summer destruction, and fall choice. Each of the relics were located at the huntsman academies spread across the four continents.


    "The power to remake this world as I see fit." Gilgamesh, maybe in another lifetime, would have jumped immediately at the chance to create a new world. "Would I even wish to do that? So far, these mortals have proven to be interesting sport."


    If he even did get the urge to make a new world, then he would go to Beacon Academy and retrieve the relic. For now, it was his time to explore the world. He had time, and what better way to kill that time than to go exploring, see what else was entertaining.


    "The Kingdom of Vale is the closest major civilization." The King of Heroes went through his facts. "There might be something worth seeing there."


    Whatever reservations he had about using his powers now went out the window. There were numerous villages and settlements between himself and Vale. The less people that saw him, the better, and massacres, while nothing uncommon in the territory outside the kingdoms, were loose ends not worth being saddled with. One dead village was one matter, but a string of dead villages, and in a predictable pattern, was another matter.


    Based on what he knew, most people in the world didn''t have aura or or even magic. Those were reserved for warriors, and even though the proportion of warriors on Remnant compared to on Earth were far more, still the vast majority of Mankind and the Faunus did not have either aura or magic. That could work to his advantage either way.


    And speaking of aura, he considered getting himself some aura. All one needed was a soul in order to generate aura. Since the Creatures of Grimm lacked a soul so to speak, they were incapable of generating aura. There were two known ways to unlock the power. The first and most common way was for someone else with aura to unlock aura. This was usually reserved for those that trusted one another enough. The lesser-known way was for aura to be unlocked via intense emotional moments.


    Those were the ways that Amber knew, but Gilgamesh wouldn''t bother with either way. The first one was out of the question seeing as he didn''t trust anyone in this world, and his trust wasn''t given out lightly. The second option was even less likely to happen as he had spent most of his emotions in the Fifth Holy Grail War.


    There had to be another way. Perhaps he could force his aura to unlock itself. There was a special chant that went with unlocking aura, but since that applicable only to when there were two participants, he wasn''t sure it would work.


    "There''s no rush." He reminded himself. "My magic alone can pose as my aura for now, but I will need to discern the best possible method to unlocking my aura."


    Perhaps he could trick someone to grant him aura under the pretense of it being necessary for a greater goal. Killing heroes wasn''t the only thing that he was good at. He hadn''t been the ruler of Uruk for nothing. A sharp mind combined with a silver tongue and a way with swaying others to his side was something he was still very capable of.


    Gilgamesh had been walking on the path for some time, yet he couldn''t quite tell for how long. His thoughts had interrupted his concentration in the real world. It was only the smell of something burning and searing that caught his attention.


    Looking up, his eyes took in the sight. Someone had come through this village and burned it down. Buildings and structures were either destroyed or ransacked. This looked to be the work of bandits and lowlife sc.u.m, no doubt preying upon the weak so as to take what they could not make or produce themselves. Yes, the strong did overpower the weak, but if the people of this town couldn''t properly defend themselves to begin with, then it was merely the weak overpowering the weaker.


    Then something came at him. It was Beowolf, and if he were a normal person, he might run in fear. The only thing he did was pause in his steps and use one of his treasures to spear the creature clean through its mouth and the blade came clean out the other side.


    "A primitive beast to be sure." He observed the dissolving creature. "Yet it has taught hardiness in the people of this world." He looked around. "Well, almost everyone."


    Still, these unnatural things weren''t that much interest to him. If he desired it so, he could raze this entire village himself in the blink of an eye and not even break a sweat doing so. The Grimm might be numerous in number, but they lacked true intelligence. Even the so-called powerful ones that had existed for hundreds of years and maybe even longer were only using intelligence as a means to achieve a primitive goal. There was little to be found in the Grimm, so the idea of controlling them himself wasn''t appealing. Additionally, he liked the mongrels and dogs that were Mankind and the Faunus better than he did the Grimm, although they were still just mongrels and dogs.


    Gilgamesh heard the sound of rubble tumbling down. His head turned and from a pile of destroyed building material, he saw something sticking out of the rubble, something was distinctly not the shape of rubble, but rather the shape of a hand, and a very small one at that, so it was a person. His curiosity getting the better of him, the demigod made his way over, careful so that he didn''t dirty himself. Cleaning himself would be expend energy than he cared to use.


    When he appeared only a meter before the person, he peered down. It was a child, a Faunus girl at that based on the very distinct lion ears protruding from her head. Her bright green hair went down to her waist and he could tell she was a girl due to feminine features that men could not possibly have.


    It was all of these features that made him stand still and freeze in place, and only one word came from his mouth.


    "Enkidu?"


    I perused a bit through the Fate/Stay Night and RWBY crossover, and the one thing that really stuck out to me was a lack of Gilgamesh. Most of the stories revolves around Shirou, and while I love Shirou, I love Gilgamesh just as much. He can kick major ass and if you really look into his character, he''s not a completely heartless person. I will say that he''s no good guy, not by a long shot, but he''s not without one or two sympathetic characteristics.


    This story is my response to a lack of Gilgamesh, and let me say this right off the bat. Since this is based upon the Unlimited Blade Works route, then you know that there will be no holding back. Gilgamesh is going to do whatever he wants and whatever he pleases because he can and will.


    So what do you guys think? Did I royally mess up RWBY forever? Well, it''s Gilgamesh, and he has a way of throwing a wrench into people''s lives, so there you go. In all seriousness, please leave feedback.


    A final note: because I am a huge fan of RWBY and Fate/Stay Night, I want to do justice for this story. To that end, I would like to have the help of a beta-reader, primarily for ideas and concepts and overall story-telling purposes. If you think you can help me, you can include a shoutout in a review or PM, whichever is most convenient for you.


    I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter.


    "If opportunity doesn''t knock, build a door."


    Milton Berle


    Pat reon . com (slash) Ktyou


    Chapter 2


    Somewhere in Saunus


    Gilgamesh''s hands went limp, his whole body barely able to keep himself from falling over. Few things could catch him off guard and fewer things could truly shock him. He could count the number of times he had been in a state like the current one on two hands, and that one hand accounted for virtually his entire existence.


    Enkidu was his one and only true friend. It might not have been a friend in the traditional sense, but it was his only equal. Enkidu was simply unrivaled and it was the only person that the King of Heroes considered to be his equal. No other had come even close to being his equal since.


    Of course he knew that this little Faunus girl was not Enkidu, but she looked so close to it. Perhaps one day, she would grow up and mature into a face with only a few features to match his only friend, but that didn''t matter right now. All that mattered was that the perfect image of Enkidu was lying in front of him. He had to preserve that image, whatever it took. To hell with the fact that what he was thinking and doing didn''t make any sense. If he wanted things to be a certain way, they would damn well be his way.


    "Are you alive?" Gilgamesh let a rare caring tone inside his words, thought it sounded alien coming from his mouth, even for him.


    "..." The little girl looked scared and hurt.


    "My name is Gilgamesh." The demigod tried to shift the girl into a comfortable position. "I will save you."


    "...why does a Human want to help me?" The girl sounded empty. "Why do you care?"


    "Because I said so." Gilgamesh forced her to face him, his words deadly serious in tone. "I am the King of Heroes, and I have decided that your life is extremely valuable."


    The girl looked barely alive, physically and mentally. She was aware of his question, even answering him as best of her knowledge, but that was just it. There was little more going on than a mechanical answer, like a machine responding to a command given by its operator or user. For anyone else, this wouldn''t have mattered nearly as much. He wasn''t deluding himself one bit; if this girl looked like anyone else, he would have soundly disregarded her and left her to fend for herself.


    This time though, it mattered. Anything that held a connection to Enkidu, even if by pure chance, was worth preserving.


    "Can you get up?" He demanded of her. "Are you capable of standing?"


    "I¡­" She looked dead.


    "Never mind, then." Gilgamesh grumbled, picking the girl up in his arms. "Hang on tight, and NO complaining."


    Using a combination of his own physical power and his magic, he began to take off at speeds impossible for any Human or Faunus to achieve. He probably could even outrun someone with a speed semblance. Although he made considerable headway in getting far away from the burning village, he had no need to. Well, until he''d found this girl, he hadn''t needed to.


    A minute later, he scanned his surroundings. Nobody had followed them, and there was no one around for now. With the coast clear, the King of Heroes gently set the girl down. She appeared to be barely clinging to life. It was a miracle that she was alive let alone able to utter a single word. Her willpower must be above average.


    "Nevertheless, she''s damaged." Gilgamesh knew from a glance. "I must heal her injuries first."


    He placed a hand to her forehead, rendering her completely unconscious. Once that was done, he began to use his mana to heal her. It was a simple process really. Although not specialized as a healer, he did have the means to become one. Among his many treasures, knowledge of healing was very abundant. He simply never had a use for said knowledge until now.


    The demigod finished healing the girl, then set her down on a futon that he summoned. He would give her a few hours of rest before they set out. It was then that he realized what he was doing.


    "You are a sentimental fool, Gilgamesh." He admonished himself harshly. "Enkidu is dead and will never return. This¡­ girl¡­ is not my friend, and she never will be."


    He almost called the child a mongrel, but he couldn''t bring himself to insult her, even though she was a mongrel, even if an innocent and ignorant one. Her resemblance to his one and only friend prevented him from saying the insult. If he did, he would be insulting the memory of Enkidu, and he would rather watch the world burn than sully the memories of his only equal. Call it petty nonsense or childish thinking, it didn''t matter.


    "What am I doing?" Gilgamesh sat on a nearby rock and placed his head in his hands. "I have little experience in raising children."


    He did remember his own son, Ur-Nungal, and quite frankly, the way he raised him was far from a caring and loving parent. Like any ruler, he trained his successor to be what Uruk needed: a strong and intelligent ruler. Aside from the blood tie and the official relationship, there was little that bound them in life, so even though he had been a father in the past, it wasn''t enough to prepare him for this.


    "No, silence your doubts." The demigod shook his head and stood up. "You are not a coward, and you do not back down from difficult tasks."


    The sound of something growling made him shift his head to the little girl. He didn''t know her name, but he did know that she appeared to lack food of any kind. Judging by the timeframe of the attack, it was probably dinner time and she was probably¡­ unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the right time.


    "I should get a fire going." Gilgamesh said to himself. "It won''t do me much good if she dies."


    With a sigh, he began to gather all the materials necessary to build a makeshift place to stay for the night, and to make sure that there were no witnesses, he concealed them within a space that only they would be able to perceive in any way.


    Fate/Stay Night - - - RWBY


    She opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was a light to her side. Judging by the snapping and crackling, it looked like she was near a fire. The heat was close by, but so close that she was burning up.


    She lifted lifted an arm, testing her own reflexes. She felt fine, which didn''t make sense considering that she distinctly remembered being injured quite badly. How had her injuries managed to to be healed without her knowing it?


    "You''re awake now." A man''s voice echoed. "I was beginning to wonder if you were permanently damaged¡­ or dead."


    The girl raised her head. Although it was nighttime, the fire provided enough illumination for her to see what she guessed to be her savior. He was hunched over, his hands clasped together in front of him. He had hair that was gold, the brightest gold she had ever seen, and the fire only made his hair all the more stunning. His eyes too were intense, a shade of blood-red, and they were looking at her right now. The face she didn''t recognize, but he looked strong, he looked powerful. He didn''t look like a nobody.


    "Well, are you going to say something, girl?" He asked her with a bit of bite. "It''s impolite to address your savior with silence."


    "Why did you save me?" She asked the first question. "Nobody''s ever done anything nice for me before."


    "Like I said previously, you mean something to me." He answered her as if the answer was obvious. "Do the details really matter? You are alive and well."


    She still had questions, but who was she to ask more questions from someone who clearly went out of his way to help her when no one else in her life had ever done anything nice for her? She was a Faunus, and the treatment she receive, it just was how things were. Her kind wasn''t meant to stand on the same footing as Mankind. That was the life she had known ever since she could remember.


    "What is your name, girl?" Gilgamesh moved the conversation forward. "I have given you my name. Now give me yours."


    It started out as a question, but then became something of a requirement. While she didn''t sense a threat or any underlying malicious intent, she felt that she had to answer him. It wasn''t like she had a choice in the matter.


    "My name is¡­ Lily." For a moment, she struggled to recall even her first name.


    "Just Lily?" The man looked unsatisfied. "No family name?"


    "I don''t have a family." Lily replied, stating her words as if they were simply common knowledge. "So I don''t have a last name."


    "What happened to your family?" Gilgamesh demanded another question.


    "I don''t know." Lily looked into the fire and lowered her voice to a murmur. "They might be dead, or maybe they didn''t love me. I know that I''m by myself, and nobody likes me."


    "I find that hard to believe. You were dressed and clothed as if properly cared for." He made it a point to gaze at her to make sure of his words. "Unless what you wear does not truly belong to you."


    "I stole it." She answered simply, seeing no point in lying. "I wanted to look nice for once."


    "I see." He frowned at her words, seemingly not phased. "Be thankful that I also mended your clothing. I cannot have you wearing rags in my presence."


    The night all around them was abuzz with sounds, but none that broke the tranquil and serene atmosphere. The controlled fire, the sound of crickets, the rustling of wind every so often, all of it compounded into a night of simple peace. While days like these weren''t uncommon for the green-haired girl, this was the first time that she remembered being able to share the moment with another individual.


    "Your past doesn''t matter to me in the least." Gilgamesh voiced his opinion. "I have decided that your life will continue on, so I will be your guardian."


    "Huh?" Lily was confused. "Like a dad?"


    "Not a father." Gilgamesh looked at her annoyed. "That is not the right way to frame this. No, I will be more of a big brother to you."


    "Big¡­ brother?" The idea had never occurred to her.


    "I saved your life. Therefore, I will give your life meaning where you couldn''t." He proclaimed, standing up in the process. "Follow my lead, do as I say, and you will be a person worthy of the life I have granted you."


    "But-" She began.


    "I don''t care that you''re a Faunus, or that you''re a street rat. Such things don''t concern me. What concerns me is your lack of real ambition, your lack of goals."


    Instinct told her not to trust in the words of a stranger. She had been through this a few times before, and the few times that she had been lent a hand, it had ultimately done something to swindle her or hurt her. The rule of thumb was not to trust anyone and simply take what she needed to survive.


    At the same time, she couldn''t deny that families and friends looked nice to have. It seemed like everyone else had someone if they were ever in a pinch, but not her. She only had herself, and no one else. Even among those that didn''t have a family, she was an outcast. She was a Faunus, so the Human kids treated her differently. If not outright hostility or caution, then they were¡­ distant from her.


    "I don''t get it." Lily shifted her head to get more comfortable.


    "You will, with time." Gilgamesh replied as if she should know what his words meant. "For now, eat this."


    He handed her a bowl with a soup inside it. The smell was quite enticing on its own, but the look too was quite appealing. Deciding that she was hungry enough to eat, she took the bowl rather quickly and began to wolf down the food.


    "Eat slowly." He grilled. "One that does not savor what they are given is not worthy of what they are given, especially considering that I made this."


    She didn''t really understand too much of his fancy languages or whatever he was speaking, so she continued to eat to her heart''s content. It had been a long time since she had had a proper meal.


    RWBY - - - Fate/Stay Night


    Gilgamesh watched the girl as she had fallen into another deep slumber, this time because she wanted to sleep. She had no family, no one to rely on. She was wary of him, but because she was a child, and judging from her behavior, she was very narrow-minded in the ways of the world. She was impressionable, so he had plenty of time to mold her into the image that he saw fit, and he would gladly do so.


    "She will be strong." The King of Heroes said. "She will be intelligent. She will be willful. She will be by my side as my equal or my superior, nothing less."


    Just as Enkidu was his only equal, he would make this girl into his equal. If she was to be worthy enough to remain within his care, she would need to prove that she could do the things he could. It didn''t matter that she was a child, and it didn''t matter that the resemblance between her and Enkidu was uncanny. Even children in Uruk had to prove their own worth from a young age, lest they get ostracized and probably disowned from their own family if not outright killed. This was to be no exception and he wouldn''t budge on this point.


    "And speaking of Uruk," Gilgamesh pondered softly, "I will need to establish a cover story for myself if asked."


    Passing himself off as a person from one of the many settlements scattered around Remnant would be child''s play. Many of these villages were not on any maps, or so far as Amber''s knowledge told him, and since villages and settlements were often attacked, and sometimes destroyed by raiders and Grimm, there would be little in the ways of contradictions. Besides, if he said that his own hometown was destroyed, he wouldn''t be lying. Uruk was long gone, not destroyed by an enemy, just by time, one of the most powerful forces in all of the universe.


    "I will also need a family name." He thought about this for a few moments. "I suppose I could take on my kingdom''s name as a means to keep the spirit alive."


    Gilgamesh Uruk. He tested the tongue on his name. It would do, although he felt strangely disappointed in it. It lacked any real creativity, and it didn''t follow the rules of color-naming that this world seemed to dead-set on following. It was unusual to think that a war would sprout up all for the sake of expression or the lack thereof depending upon the perspective, and all of this was in this world''s recent history.


    "The Great War." Gilgamesh looked through Amber''s memories. "A war of global scale to decide of freedom and expression were greater than order and suppression."


    Even if the reasoning for the war was taken away, it was amazing to think that the mongrels and dogs of this world even fought a war to begin with, especially considering the Grimm closing in. What genius thought it was a good up to bring all negative emotions to an all-time high? Either the people of this world were incredibly short-sighted, stupid, or they were so petty as to let their personal feelings get in the way so much. There wasn''t a point to focusing on this conflict. It was eighty years in the past. It was simply a lesson to learn from, and an obvious one to the demigod.


    "Tsk." The King of Heroes gritted his teeth lightly. "It seems that no matter where I go, Mankind is always faced with a problem. First, it was overpopulation of mongrels with no purpose. Now, mongrels and dogs warring at the wrong time."


    War and conflict always had a purpose. It was the most basic and important of primal human instinct. Mastery of this art meant that the chances of surviving and thriving were drastically increased. Perhaps if not happening on this planet, he would say that the war being fought was one that was destined to happen.


    Aside from reviewing history, there was also another matter that he had to consider. The Fall Maiden, as he had predicted, was acting on behalf of her true master, Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy located in the Kingdom of Vale. Opposing the man was Salem, a mysterious witch that controlled the Grimm.


    Gilgamesh wanted to know more about these two individuals. In his eyes, they were the key players in a dangerous game of chess. Both of them were gathering pieces for a war. While Ozpin had huntsmen and huntresses on his side, Salem had the Grimm and numerous rogue elements as well. His knowledge obtained from the Fall Maiden didn''t allow him to know names or faces, but the Grimm weren''t going to be enough to conquer this world. Even more important than the pieces on both sides were their true objectives of the leaders. While he had some theories on what they wanted, there were enough elements, known and unknown that he could not simply theorize and hypothesize for days on end.


    In the end, he chose not to think about it too much. For now, he just had to think about his own future here as well as the future of the girl he had taken in. He rose from his seated position, stretching out his body to get slight soreness out of his systems. Then with silent footsteps, he approached the slumbering girl, kneeling down next to her to get a close look at her. He neither smiled nor frowned. This was Enkidu, yet it was not.


    "You are Lily Uruk from now on." Gilgamesh whispered to her, even known she could not hear him. "Your life as a normal Faunus is now over. In the presence of Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, you will transcend this world''s limitations and become one worthy to represent myself and my old kingdom."


    While he had great expectations for her, he could not help but feel a bit hypocritical. All people should come to form their own identities through life experiences, yet he would choose to shape her for no reason other than because she looked like Enkidu. If he was true to himself, he would have left her to her fate.


    Gilgamesh did not want to contend with himself. When he was selfish, no amount of logic would be able to move him.


    Fate/Stay Night - - - RWBY


    A few days later...


    Both Gilgamesh and Lily had come to an understanding. He had strange powers unlike that of huntsmen and huntresses. She had a healthy dosage of fear for her newfound guardian, or big brother now as he insisted she call him. It was to be expected given that she was still wary, albeit hopeful that this would turn out differently than the previous times she had turned to others for help.


    Besides her own development, the demigod considered himself as well. In hindsight, he should have foreseen it. Nobody save for a handful of individuals could fight against him and have a chance at defeating him. He was fortunate enough that those handful who did have a chance never finished him off. He had promised himself to never be caught off guard like that again. It would begin with himself.


    "When will we start training?" Lily asked the question, though he expected it.


    "When I deem you ready." Gilgamesh responded to her offhandedly. "Because you are not."


    To prove his point, he pulled a simple dagger from the Gate of Babylon and offered it to her. She reached for it, but then dropped it without warning, no doubt not expecting the weapon to be as heavy as it was. She tried again to lift it, and when she found that one hand wouldn''t do the trick, she used both hands. Even then, she was barely able to keep the blade in front of her and keep it steady.


    "This is why you are not ready." The King of Heroes sighed while shaking his head. "We will have to physically condition you so that you can reach your prime state."


    "What does that mean?" The girl asked.


    "...it means you need to get stronger." Apparently, children weren''t well-versed in more complex wording. "A lot stronger."


    "Oh¡­" Lily thought about this for a moment, then smiled. "Okay then!"


    "That was quick." Gilgamesh muttered to himself. "I expected a fight."


    The only reason that the two of them hadn''t gotten to Vale faster was primarily that there was no real hurry to do so. Although Gilgamesh wasn''t one to prefer tranquility and solitude, he didn''t mind it right now. It was a good time to formulate a long-term plan as well as consider his position in this world. Aside from one loose end, he was in the clear. Nobody wanted to kill him, nobody knew who he was, and nobody cared. He was free to create his own legacy on this world at his own pace.


    "I''m hungry." Lily spoke out of the blue with her request. "Can we eat?"


    "You will eat when it is lunchtime." Gilgamesh wasn''t about to spoil this girl. "Not a minute sooner."


    "Please?" She queried once again.


    "No." He remained firm.


    "Please?"


    "No."


    "I''ll do anything."


    "Then you will hunt for food yourself. Otherwise, you will eat when I say you will eat. That is FINAL, you little brat."


    With a pout that he was immune to, they resumed walking. He knew that she had nothing else to get back at him with. She was a thief, not a hunter, so there was no conceivable way that she would be able to hunt for food, not without his help at any rate. Thankfully, her attitude suggested that she wasn''t offended by his words, which was fortunate. A hateful Enkidu look-alike did not sit well with him.


    "Why don''t I show you the power you will wield." He was getting ahead of himself, showing her promised power that she hadn''t earned yet. "Watch carefully."


    They both stopped walking, with the King of Heroes kneeling down, and holding one hand out. The little girl watched intently as it began to glow with half the power of the Fall Maiden.


    "Whoa!" She looked in awe. "What''s that."


    "The power of Fall." He grinned at her enthusiasm. "And if you do well, it will be all yours."


    He wasn''t lying when he said that she would have to earn the power, but what he did not feel compelled to tell her in this moment was that getting the power from him was only half the battle. He only had half the power, and as a final test, she would have to kill the woman who had the other half.


    And she would do this on her own.


    "Like the Fall Maiden?" Lily tilted her head in perplexment.


    "Exactly." Gilgamesh would educate her properly. "And you''ll have power like me."


    "Like you?" The thought seemed to get her blood pumping. "Cool!"


    "But you need to earn it." He extinguished the light from his hands.


    "That''ll take a long time!"


    "Stop complaining, brat!"


    If this is what he could continue to expect from bringing along this kid, then he considered that he had made another error in judgement. Perhaps there was a reason why children why children were never at the forefront of his mind during when he was alive. This had to be the reason. What was he thinking?


    It was time to take a more serious measure to get his point across. He reached into the Gate of Babylon and pulled a standard sword out.


    "You do realize that I could kill you with a single thought." Gilgamesh decided to test a threat with a wide swing of the sword. "A single thought, and your like would be over before you knew what hit you."


    "No, please don''t!" She got down on her knees and began to beg. "I want to be powerful like you!"


    That reaction came a little too suddenly, and it made him quirk his eyebrow as he observed the kneeling child. She did value her life, enough to get down and beg for mercy. If she were much older, he would have spit on her, mocked her, ridiculed her, and then killed her for daring to be pushy with him. Still, even if she weren''t an Enkidu look-alike, he still wouldn''t kill her. Killing a child, by itself, didn''t do anything for him.


    "Stop kneeling!" He growled at her. "Get up! NOW!"


    "Yes, sir!" She jumped up on command. "What should I do?"


    Good, he had instilled fear into her. He returned the blade to the gate.


    "Shut up and walk."


    RWBY - - - Fate/Stay Night


    Two weeks later¡­


    For everyday that Lily endured walking, the next day would be spent using magic to accelerate their travel speed. The continent of Sanus was the largest continent on this world as well as the one with the most landscapes. To the west, the Kingdom of Vacuo resided, which resembled Uruk more than Vale did, but getting there would have effectively tripled their journey length at the very least. They would need to find a more efficient method of travel, one that didn''t involved constant use of his magic. Powerful though he might be, it just felt like a waste to use magic in such a trivial manner.


    That being said, he did have one means of travel that would make good time. Among his many treasures, he had vehicles for travel, but like his own magic, if one was sensitive enough, one could detect its presence, and admittedly, an aircraft gave off more energy than enhanced physicality. Plus, he had to stick to disciplining Lily.


    The entrance to Vale was easy to bypass. All he had to do was make them both invisible and slip by the patrol while they were inspecting someone else. To ensure that no sensors of technological means would be used, the demigod masked their physical presences as well. They passed through without incident.


    "Alright, runt, I have a task for you." Gilgamesh just got a great idea. "We need someone''s scroll. Steal one."


    "How do I do that?" Lily looked at him like he was crazy.


    "Don''t question my orders." He gave her a look. "Do what I say."


    "Why do I have to do this?" Lily asked yet another question.


    "Because I said so." Gilgamesh exasperated, glaring at her. "Now GO!"


    With reluctant steps, she took off on her own, and he watched her until she was out of sight. He wasn''t worried about her getting lost or not being able to find him once she had completed her task. Apparently, her Faunus senses were very sharp, especially her sense of smell. He gave off a very strong and unique signature, or so she had told him, which was more or less what he expected.


    His eyes wandered all around, taking in the people and the place. This place was drab and mundane. He wasn''t sure what made this place so strong. It was one of the four kingdoms in the world, yet he wouldn''t even classify it as such. It didn''t present an image of grandiose or splendor or anything spectacular. If he were to feel anything, it would be utter disappointment.


    His gaze shifted to see the tower of Beacon Academy, one of the few intriguing sites in the city. Ozpin had to be within that tower. According to Amber''s knowledge, the man was known to frequent the tower for much of his time when he wasn''t busy attending to matters of the school or other matters of importance.


    Gilgamesh, receiving yet another idea, leaped up, climbing up a building, then jumping to the next highest building. His fluid and precise movements brought him to a fairly high point, on top of an apartment complex, not the tallest building in the city, but it had enough elevation for what he was about to do.


    He reached into the Gate of Babylon and retrieved a pen, paper, and surface to write on. He took only a brief second to think about what he wanted to write. The whole time, his face broke into a mad grin. Once he had finished writing, he read his own message, which served to only to widen his grin. Feeling satisfied, he grabbed a bow and arrow. Attaching the message to the arrow, he took perfect aim, then released. As it was an enhanced bow, it would travel the distance he wished.


    "Now I wait to see what sort of fire I have lit." Gilgamesh laughed lightly.


    Lily was no doubt almost done with the task assigned to her, so the King of Heroes stored his belongings as he descended. With the same grace and elegance he had going up, he flew down and landed without so much as a whisper under his feet.


    "Now where is she?" The demigod began to scan the streets. "I can sense that she''s nearby."


    Looking from left to right, he let out a loud sigh as he casually strolled along, looking like any other young man. It was like walking through Fuyuki City; nobody recognized him, although he was occasionally be observed. Many secretly admired his stunning looks and chiselled body, something he was used to. Another time and he might just indulge in this feeling more.


    "Big brother!" Lily''s shrill voice. "I did it!"


    Gilgamesh saw the little girl rush up to him, holding out a scroll in his hand. A few people looked at them weirdly, but otherwise dismissed it.


    "Who did you take this from?"


    "I don''t know. It was guy in a white suit with a hat and a cane. I think his hair was orange or red."


    He plucked the device from her hands, to which she responded with a small whine. He powered on the device, surprised that no password was required, and began to scroll through the contents of the device.


    "Murders, thefts, arson, bribery, guard duty, dust procurement." Gilgamesh could only nod his head. "And lien¡­ a whole lot of lien."


    Whoever Lily had stolen this from had been doing some real sc.u.mmy work, but then again, someone had to do it. This was probably more than most people could make in their lifetime.


    He also couldn''t complain about the money they had now.


    "You have passed the test, little cat." He decided to indulge in her.


    "So¡­ can I keep it?" She ventured timidly. "Since I, you know, got it?"


    "Yes, you did retrieve this." He tossed it back to her. "Take it. If I need it, I will take it."


    "Yay!" She began to bounce around. "I get a scroll!"


    Gilgamesh chose not to encourage nor discourage her current emotional state. She might be an annoying little brat, but she had proven to be more than meets the eye. He would have to see what other sorts of talents and skills she had.


    She couldn''t hide that she also had stolen lien, but he wasn''t going to tell her that he knew that.


    Fate/Stay Night - - - RWBY


    Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy, was sipping on his coffee while doing some evening paperwork. As of late, he was beginning to prepare for the next year. There were many things to do, even months before the start of the school year. Beacon had seen its seniors graduate and sent out into the world. Now it was time to introduce a new generation of heroes into the fold.


    Then he heard something. Had something hit the glass of the tower? That couldn''t be merely coincidental. His eyes redirected to the window to his left. Sticking halfway outside was an arrow, and his eyes also spotted what looked to be a piece of paper or some parchment along its length.


    Curious but also suspicious, he got up from his chair, retrieved his cane, and strode to the window. He unwrapped the paper from the envelope and read the note.


    I killed the Fall Maiden. She was not worthy of its power.


    The man didn''t show any visible emotions, but now he was on edge. This couldn''t be a joke of any kind. This message indicated a tone of finality and certainty to it, which made it highly unlikely that this was a prank. Few people know about the Maidens existing. Fewer still knew where to find them.


    Ozpin''s scroll buzzed to life on his desk. With reluctance, he quickly opened the message application to see that it was Qrow sending a message, and just like the message from the arrow, the message from Qrow told a similar story.


    Amber is dead. Her heart was ripped from her chest. I don''t know who''s responsible.


    The headmaster clenched his fist.


    RWBY - - - Fate/Stay Night


    "Where the hell did my scroll go?!"


    Up until a few moments ago, Roman Torchwick was having a perfectly good evening. He was just resting up for the night, getting a few rounds, not enough to get him drunk, but enough to get a good feeling. He thought he might also stop to let off some steam somewhere. It had been a while.


    Then he felt for his scroll and found it to be missing. That got his mind rolling; he didn''t misplace anything at all, he didn''t drop things, and her certainly didn''t forget things. That left only one option: someone had swindled him, and it had to be someone with skill, because he was THE master thief. He first checked his surroundings. As far as he could tell, nobody looked suspicious.


    With his already-agitated state, the few people that were about stayed clear of him. Holding his cigarette tightly, he swiftly traced his surroundings, yet not finding anyone that was suspicious in any way.


    He turned on another sidestreet, and he caught sight of a girl, a Faunus girl. Normally, Faunus concealed their features, even in Vale despite it being one of the more tolerant of the four kingdoms. Frankly, he didn''t really care one way or the other, but what caught his attention was how deftly she swindled a man of his own wallet. She then did the same to a passing woman, and she seemed to do it all with an expert hand. Her victims didn''t even notice that she had taken someone from them.


    She was a likely suspect.


    But before he could catch up to her, she was already gone. She had disappeared around a corner and vanished like dust in the wind.


    "Well... f.u.c.k."


    Chapter 3


    Kingdom of Vale


    As promised, Gilgamesh allowed Lily to keep her stolen scroll along with all of its resources and whatnot while he secured his own funding. While the idea of reducing himself to a mere pickpocket was demeaning to his own pride, he still needed funds in order to operate with some level of anonymity. While walking with his newest charge, he swiped the scroll and the lien of some drunk buffoon. It felt more deserving to take from someone who was practically begging for something bad to happen to them. Once that was done, he set about to configure the device to work for him only, and then used the lien to obtain more funds.


    All of that had been a few days ago.


    Now, Gilgamesh was lazily lounging around on a rather expensive-looking sofa as he contemplated his next move while Lily sat on a chair that was just as luxurious as the sofa he laid on. The penthouse they were now residing in was a reflection of the expectations of living standards for the King of Heroes. It wasn''t anything like his old palace in Uruk, but it was satisfactory enough. He could do with more space, but building an expensive residential palace would blow his cover instantly; it was easier to take what was readily available. It was just a matter of making an offer that the owner couldn''t refuse. A large sum of lien was paid, but the demigod had no intention of letting that money go to waste. Everything that he paid would come back him within a month''s time.


    Gilgamesh, with his hands behind his head, and cushioned by a comfortable pillow, was swimming in his thoughts. This morning, it had occurred to him that the use of Sha Naqba Imuru would make life much easier for him, and yet the idea of using the noble phantasm did not sit well with him. Yes, it would essentially guarantee him a path to victory in whatever he chose to do. It was his pride that kept him from using it to its fullest power. It was one thing to use all of his noble phantasms suited for combat, but it was another to use a source that would make life far less interesting. Furthermore, Sha Naqba Imuru was meant to work on Earth, and this was Remnant. Despite similarities that both Earth and Remnant shared, it would not be able to tell him all the intricacies and details of this world, or at least that''s what he believed.


    The sound of an electronic noise coming from Lily made the demigod turn his head towards the little girl. He was allowing her a day of fun simply for the fact that he saw no harm in it. Training her to be his equal meant that she too could partake in the luxuries and riches that he had in his life. It only made sense, and he had a feeling that her new standing in life would be a way to keep her with him for a very long time. That said, he would have to take care not to spoil her too much lest riches and treasures become too boring and predictable for her. He needed to make sure she earned what she got.


    "Aw, man." Lily frowned and threw the scroll on her lap. "I''m hungry."


    "Lunch time." Gilgamesh then remembered something else. "That''s right, I need to get ingredients."


    The Gate of Babylon had ingredients he could use for anything culinary-related, but again, it felt like a waste to use his power in such a way. It really wasn''t too much of a hassle to obtain ingredients from a nearby marketplace. He could go for a decent meal himself. He considered recruiting a helping hand, but then dismissed that idea. He couldn''t trust anyone but himself to do what he needed and wanted. Besides, he didn''t wish to be reduced to a lazy bum; he was many things, but sedentary was not one of them.


    Even though he knew there was nothing in the fridge, he still walked to the kitchen and checked inside, just to be sure. As expected, he was greeted with an empty fridge. He closed the door and opened the freezer and came upon the same situation as in the fridge. The cupboards were all the same as well.


    "We are in need of many supplies." Gilgamesh mumbled to himself.


    Indeed time seemed to have passed rapidly. It felt like it hadn''t been too long ago when they were both just sitting down and doing nothing since breakfast. Now, it was time for the second meal of the day. Honestly, doing these tasks for himself wasn''t a hassle, but now that he was doing tasks for a child, his distaste for chores had begun.


    "When I return, I will be teaching you how to cook a meal, little rogue." Gilgamesh informed Lily of his decision. "And you will pay attention."


    "Okay." Lily''s voice was idle just like her attention on him was. "Sure."


    "Failing to heed me is not wise." Gilgamesh pulled her scroll from her hands. "I suggest that you pay attention."


    His response got the response desired as she instantly was at attention. Her fear of him hadn''t gone away, and he hoped it would remain with her for a good long while. It wasn''t like she was going anywhere without his express know-how and permission.


    "Now repeat back what I just said." The King of Heroes crossed his arms expectedly. "Word for word."


    "Um¡­" The little thief didn''t even hear the first word he said. "... wait here for food?"


    "I''m disappointed."


    "Um¡­"


    The former ruler frowned as he tried to come up with a suitable punishment, and a few moments later, he had it.


    "For your failure to heed me, I will not feed you for the rest of the day. "He felt that this was sufficient enough. "I will return with ingredients, but will not prepare and cook for you."


    "No!" She began to break down. "I love your food!"


    "Then don''t ignore my words or take my generosity for granted. You are sitting in a place where few have been. Be thankful for that much."


    There was no intense malice or annoyance in his words.


    Fate/Stay Night - - - RWBY


    True to his word, Gilgamesh had gone to the grocery story, purchased all ingredients he would need to last a while, returned home to stock them all, then left once again. Lily would have to find out how to feed herself. If she did not, then she would go the rest of the day with no food, only having breakfast and the occasional glass of water as her saving grace. It would not kill her either way, and he would feed her tomorrow.


    It wasn''t until he took off into the heart of the city that he considered that he was hungry himself. He had some cash to burn and he wasn''t feeling up for cooking his own meals. To that end, he went downtown to search for a reputable restaurant or something that would satisfy his craving.


    He started by going into the busier parts of the city. Thankfully, as his body was now somehow alive and and whole, he could continue to downplay his presence, although he would still have to contend with attention in all forms. His superiority wasn''t just words he spouted out for nothing. If the looks he was receiving were any indication, it was that people saw something in him, something that couldn''t be ignored at first glance. His only wish was that the people who looked upon be a little more interesting. The people of Remnant might not be as numerous as those on Earth, but they were just as worthless, going about their everyday lives with no real purpose other than to satisfy themselves.


    Which is exactly what I''m doing. Gilgamesh noted to himself, albeit reluctantly. I really must find a goal to work towards, something other than merely living.


    It was then that a smell caught him and reeled him in. It had the smell of meat, seafood to be more precise. There was also a thick aroma, very rich in its smell. It was hearty if his senses were correct. Craning his neck, he found that to his three o''clock was a noodle stand, a very simple one. It was just like one of those ramen noodle places that were bountiful in Fuyuki, only this one didn''t have Japanese names attached to it. The sign was a large banner directly at the front.


    A Simple Wok Noodle House


    The fact that this place had caught his attention was more than enough reason to survey this place and see what they were serving. The golden-haired man stepped up, hands in his pockets as he surveyed the menu. Today''s specials were ramen dishes with all manners of seafood in mind. All of the types of seafood were familiar, but it was still worth considering the numerous types available.


    There was only one person staffing, an old man with no hair on top of his head yet had frizzy grey hair on his sides. His eyes were so narrow that he could be mistaken as blind if he weren''t working in the culinary business, where eyes were an essential part to the business. In any event, an unremarkable person at first glance.


    The demigod did a quick look over of the menu, then ordered.


    "A bowl of Soupe de Poisson." Gilgamesh tossed the exact amount he needed to pay. "And be swift about it."


    The old man seemed unperturbed by the demand, and disappeared behind the curtains. A few noises could be heard, and the King of Heroes tracked each and every sound, associating each with a preparation, yet the speed at which the tasks were being performed were quite astonishing. It was only mere seconds later that his food was put before him, steaming with a very pleasant aroma.


    Gilgamesh wasted no time in digging in, and when he did, he was not disappointed. This old man might be nothing to look at, but behind that appearance was someone with some hidden skills and talents.


    "Impressive." Gilgamesh had to admit that even his high expectations were being met quite well and maybe even surpassed. "Very impressive."


    The rich flavor was coming from what appeared to be crushed lobster shells, quite a technique, yet it was very ingenious and it contributed to the overall value of the ramen bowl, and the former heroic spirit took care to eat everything in balance, so as not to have too much of any one thing left. He was quick to devour his food, yet he was still able to process everything with perfect clarity. He made a note to break apart every single detail of this ramen so that he could recreate it for his own use.


    Once the bowl was emptied, Gilgamesh drained his remaining soup in one gulp, then slammed his bowl down, noticing from the bowl''s reflection that his face was a mess. He retrieved a napkin and wiped his face with all the grace and elegance befitting him. Once done, he set down the used napkin next to his spoon and chopsticks.


    "For the above-average effort, a tip is in order." Gilgamesh tossed a large wad of cash to the old man. "Our business is concluded."


    With his stomach now filled to his liking, it was now time find some entertainment. The humans and faunus of this world appeared to have similar forms of entertainment venues, so he wasn''t going in completely in the dark. The afternoon sun was beginning to dip into the horizon, indicating that it was probably close to the time that night clubs were opening. Sampling some of the local alcohol seemed like a good idea.


    Wait, the afternoon sky? Had he already wasted so much time in his search for the perfect dish of food?


    Well, no matter, he had nothing but time on his hands.


    "So far, this world has been¡­ entertaining." Gilgamesh let a small smile appear on his lips. "Let''s hopes its drinks are comparable."


    Looking at a map might have been more efficient, but there was a sort of thrill to going in and see what would be. Besides, he was more than capable of handling whatever this world would throw at him, and it was with this in mind that Gilgamesh resumed his walk, his senses on the lookout for a decent place that sold alcohol.


    I wonder if Lily knows to prepare frozen meals...


    RWBY - - - Fate/Stay Night


    Lily grumbled in frustration. Her efforts to cook had all been for naught. The only thing that she had managed to cook was a complete mess in the kitchen, and that would only serve to anger Gilgamesh when he returned. Now she had to cook for herself and clean up a mess. Things were looking really bad.


    "Okay, calm down, Lily." The six-year-old spoke to herself. "You''ve got this. You''ve survived on your own before."


    Admittedly, she was out of her element. She was a thief, one of the best if she did say so herself. Her life revolved around taking complete things and using them for her own survival. The concept of creating something for herself felt more than confusing. It was downright alien to her.


    Naturally, the first thing she did was find a stool so that she could stand and reach for things. Then, she got out ingredients that she had seen others use for food, or at least the ones she remembered people using from the brief memories that she recalled, and then tried to combine them into the ways she remembered. Well, she got a result, but not one that was tasty, or even edible in any sense. Half-cooked meat, veggies not properly prepared, baking ingredients somehow getting in to the mix.


    It was a disaster.


    Lily crumbled onto the kitchen floor, really not sure what to do. She was now angry and hungry. If only she had kept her big mouth shut then she would have something to eat and wouldn''t have had to put in effort. The thought of her guardian made her frustrated. He had provided her with shelter yet refused to feed her because she didn''t listen to him. It just wasn''t fair.


    "I need help." She couldn''t deny that part now.


    But asking her guardian wouldn''t be a good idea. She had no guarantee that he would help her even if she asked for it, and she had absolutely no one else to call a friend. Really, asking anyone for help at all was out of the question now that she considered her situation, leaving her alone once more.


    "Damn."


    Her scroll began to beep and she rushed to see what it was. She thought it was a call at first, but to her dismay, she discovered it was a message, and not one addressed to her. She had forgotten to change the settings of the scroll, so she was receiving calls from people that were probably friends with the former owner of this scroll. She didn''t dare answer back, but she really had no idea what to do other than ignore the messages.


    Then she remembered something; there was a saying that anything could be found if one had a connection to a network. All she had to do was type in a question concerning what she wanted and it would all work itself out.


    Lily began to type in the scroll and began a search. The results were almost instantaneous and she wasn''t lacking choices, and that was the problem. She wasn''t even sure where to start.


    "I had no idea that so many meals existed." She scrolled down the list. "Where do they all come from?"


    Maybe it would be better to make something simple than try to be all complicated. Why was she even trying to do this stuff in the first place?


    "Big bro would have probably been able to make something amazing." Lily grumbled as she threw her arms up. "I''ve got no idea what to do."


    Deciding to clean up her mess before trying anything else, she found a rag and a trash bag and began to clean up her mess. While she hadn''t made a complete world-ending catastrophe, it still took ten minutes to fully erase the mess.


    It wasn''t until the kitchen looked pristine once again that the girl noticed that there was a microwave. Although not fully acquainted with all the modern amenities of life due to her former life as a thief, she at least knew what this appliance was for, and now that she was seeing it, she felt like hitting her head against something.


    At first, she felt like blaming her big brother, but then recanted that desire. The only thing she would manage to accomplish by pushing blame on him was further invoking his annoyance at her, and she''d already done that now and was being punished for it. It was better that she keep this experience in mind and improve. Only then would things look up for herself.


    Is this what tough love is about? Lily had heard the words before, but didn''t know what that meant, but she was beginning to understand.


    Grabbing one of the pre prepared meals from the freezer, following the instructions on the package, and ''cooking'' her meal, she took it to the table and began to eat. It felt like a much more quiet atmosphere, almost unnaturally so without Gilgamesh around. His presence was just a thing that she knew quite well, and she had grown used to him. Whenever she did think of him, she recalled his promise to make her as strong as he was. Maybe when she was that strong she could then help other Faunus.


    But what would big brother think? The green-haired girl asked herself. Would he call my idea stupid?


    Honestly, getting a read on his thoughts was like trying to read a brick wall. He would not talk about his thoughts or whatever went through his head, not unless he wished it so, but he did seem to act mean to a lot of people, even to Lily too. That being said, he did keep her with him, and even thought she had aggravated him, he still hadn''t hurt her in the same way that other humans had hurt her. That meant that he cared about her, right?


    A searing pain on the roof of her mouth forced her to stop eating and rush for a glass of water. Apparently, cooking frozen food in the microwave made it VERY hot.


    Fate/Stay Night - - - RWBY


    Gilgamesh had wandered into some random club without really giving it too much thought. It had gotten to a point where he desired getting a drink more than he desired a location with adequate decorum and sights, at least on the outside, so he just walked into the next place that he came across.


    The first thing that the King of Heroes noticed was the lighting of the main room. It was simplistic, yet it was enough for him to get an idea of how big the place. For a club, it was quite spacious in terms of height. He actually had to crane his head in order for his eyes to see it all. The floor space wasn''t half bad either. It was an open place, and that suited him perfectly. If need be, he could open the Gate of Babylon and rain death down upon any and all who would ruin his night.


    The guard at the door gave him a once-over, but otherwise didn''t seem to care despite the fact that his body was that of a teenager. The demigod paused for a second at this notion, then shrugged his shoulders. He expected more of a hassle as those not of a certain age could not drink, at least that''s what common law said. Perhaps this place didn''t care one way or the other about age, or at least had a much more liberal sense of maturity. Either way, he walked into the place almost as if he owned the place.


    His first stop was a bar at the far end. Once he was there, a bartender waited for him, and simply looked at him, a prompt to order a drink. With no knowledge of any of the drinks, it seemed like the only thing he could do was be adventurous.


    "A bottle of your strongest." Gilgamesh threw a few bills on the counter. "Straight-up."


    The man nodded, grabbing a bottle, popping the cap off, and sliding it into the hands of the former King of Uruk. The blonde-haired man proceeded to drink it, letting the sensation of burning alcohol run down his throat. He wasn''t expecting much in terms of strength, but he got more of a stinging than he had anticipated. It wasn''t painful per say, but he definitely felt it all the same.


    Gilgamesh''s aura exuded power, authority, and elegance. The men in the room seemed to avoid him as if he would kill them. The women took a lot of interest in him, even the ones that appeared older than himself. The King of Heroes gave no indication that he cared for any single person in this place.


    "You''re a new face, blondie." A gruff voice said to the said. "You got a name?"


    The former Heroic Spirit angled his head to see who had spoken to him. It was a man who was quite a bit taller than himself, probably by a foot at least. He was dressed professionally in a white suit, a tie, a black vest, and black dress pants and shoes. His hair was short yet still neatly combed. His beard and mustache were also orderly. In short, he looked like a gentleman at first glance.


    Gilgamesh wasn''t so easily fooled. A quick read of his mind told him what he needed to know.


    "What does it matter it to the likes of you, Hei Xiong?" Gilgamesh downed the rest of his bottle, then slammed it on the counter. "Or should I call you Junior?"


    "So you know who I am." The taller man only visibly tensed by a bit, but resumed a casual nature. "Do I know you?"


    "No, but I''ve heard of you. They say you know quite a bit about a lot of things." Gilgamesh looked him up and down. "And I have to say¡­ I expected something a bit more¡­ impressive."


    "If you''re not in the market for info, then why are you here?" Junior sounded just a bit more on-edge than a few moments ago.


    "A drink for now." The demigod glanced back out at the crowd. "I do not expect much else."


    "Whatever floats your boat." Junior seemed to not really care. "Just keep your nose clean."


    The man walked off to pursue something or someone else, leaving Gilgamesh to casually flick off the man. How dare the cur tell him how to do his business. He would do what he wanted whenever he wanted.


    "Ahem."


    The sound of a girl clearing her throat made him adopt his neutral face again and turn to the new source of annoyance, or rather, the two sources of annoyance. That was before he had gotten a good look.


    They were twins with faces that were so close to being perfectly the same. One sported a red dress with short hair while the other had a white dress with long hair. Judging from the way they carried themselves, they were haughty, arrogant, and thought the world of themselves. It was laughable.


    "Can I help you?" Gilgamesh regarded them both, looking up and down their forms, then back to their faces with a tinge of approval.


    "You''d better watch yourself." The girl in white stepped forward. "If you cause a scene in here, we''ll kick your ass."


    "I have no reason to cause a commotion." Gilgamesh looked them both in the eye. "And even if I did want to cause trouble, I would be the only one standing."


    "You talk big." The girl in red c.o.c.ked her hip to one side. "But can you put your money where your mouth is?"


    Although not obvious to the unknowing mind, it was clear that the two girls in front of him were more than a little interested in him, and he wasn''t even using any special abilities or powers. It was just him and his own raw talent and skills. It was a sort of test for himself to see if he still could be amazing without overwhelming power.


    "If you desire a fight, I would be more than happy to entertain, but I have a better idea." Gilgamesh''s posture relaxed as his small small smile. "Now, how about we play a little game?"


    RWBY - - - Fate/Stay Night


    Melanie and Miltia both couldn''t help but be impressed by this guy. Unlike most men that came their way, he wasn''t throwing stupid pickup lines or making blatantly obvious attempts to get some. They did notice him checking them out, but he gave no further indication as to any desire to take it up a notch, at least not as far as they could see.


    Plus, while he was boasting, there was a gut feeling in their hearts that told them that he was more than just hot air and smoke. If anything, that look on his face was more than just him being nonchalant and confident.


    There was also the fact that he was extremely easy on the eyes. Out of all the guys that they had seen, he blew them out of the water and then some. Those golden locks of hair, those red eyes, that perfectly-sculpted face. There was absolutely nothing about him that was unattractive. Still, regardless of what they felt, they kept that to themselves. They weren''t that easy to mess with.


    The two of them sensed something behind them, and the moment they saw what was behind them, they both tensed up, not daring to move an inch. Two blades were poised perfectly horizontal to the floor and aimed at their backs. What made this even worse was the fact that someone in their conversation, the blonde had maneuvered them all in a way that had the twins'' backs against the bar and his back against the crowd of dancers. Also, the blades were so small that anyone at the bar could hardly notice that they were there.


    "Nice trick." Melanie huffed a bit. "But in case you didn''t realize it, our auras are unlocked, so there''s-"


    She didn''t get to finish as their opponent simply flicked his hand barely, but enough so that the blades moved. The two of them anticipated their auras to intercept the damage and that they would be fine. To their surprise, they felt a tiny stab of pain as the blades poked them in the back, not enough to cause a lot of pain, but enough for them to know that the blades were there. Neither the twins nor the blades moved.


    "Aura is easy to bypass if you know how." He maintained his small smile and his composed stance. "But like I said before, I did not come here to fight. I believe I said I had a little game."


    "...go on." Miltia was the first to recover.


    Both twins felt the blades'' threatening presence disappear, and knowing that they were in the clear for now, their stiff demeanor changed.


    "It''s really quite simple." His eye contact was getting to them both. "With such high expectations, your chances of finding someone worth your while are very low."


    "And you''re proposing yourself." Melanie knew where this was going. "What makes you any better?"


    He looked to the dancing crowd. "Do you see anyone here who is remotely close to my level?"


    The answer was no of course, but their own pride wouldn''t let the answer come so easily. Frankly, in all the time that the two of them had worked for junior, neither could recall many faces that they remembered long-term. People came and went, some more than others, and even with regulars, they were forgettable. It hadn''t even been ten minutes and this one was leaving a greater impression than anyone had before.


    "I didn''t think so." They didn''t speak, but he didn''t need words it would seem. "If I had to guess, I''m one of the few people that''s held your attention for more than a minute, but my company is more than words, and I only need a few minutes to prove that my actions speak better than my words can."


    His advance came with absolutely no hesitation and it came with a sort of delivery that was practiced, yet got the point across. While he hadn''t said it out loud, they couldn''t possibly mistake what he was getting at. All of that didn''t matter though, because it was his attitude that was getting him to a place where no one else had gotten to before. Besides, they had gotten a taste of what he could do, and they weren''t about to forget the feeling of being caught between a rock and a hard place.


    "Even if we agreed, we''re on the clock." Miltia said with a still-defiant tone. "We can''t leave for anything, no matter how¡­ tempting it might be."


    "That can be easily remedied." He held a scroll in his hand. "Name your boss''s price and I''ll pay it."


    "...give us a minute." Melanie pulled her sister away so that they could discuss this.


    The sister found a secluded spot in the club. The minute that they did, they began to argue back and forth. Decisions like this one were difficult. They wouldn''t just do this with anyone. They had high standards to begin with, but considering those high standards, this might be the one time that they couldn''t pass up.


    "Why are we even agreeing to this?" Miltia asked with discontent.


    "Because why the hell not." Melanie gave a weak reason. "I mean, sure he''s got a mouth on him, but you can''t say that you''re not at least a little interested."


    "But what if he sucks?" Miltia demanded. "You ever think about that?"


    "Then we forget about it." Melanie answered back. "Although I''ve got a good feeling about this one."


    Miltia regarded her sister. "Are we sure we''re not doing this because he threatened us?"


    "It''s always a risk in this job, sis." Melanie already knew what to say. "Besides, if it comes down to it, we''ll fight if we need to. We might not win, but better than dying on our knees."


    "...that doesn''t make sense¡­ but whatever, I guess." Miltia said with a resigned tone. "It''s not like this night can get any worse."


    Melanie nodded. "Then I guess we''re hitting up Junior for another favor."


    I apologize for the week of delay, but I felt that I needed it in order to complete this chapter.


    You might call this a filler chapter, but remember, this story is about how Gilgamesh affects Remnant, so I don''t really consider this so much a filler chapter as it is another way that he''s messing with the timeline.


    In regards to Sha Naqba Imuru (I believe I spelled that right), based on what I''ve read and learned about it, it''s the ultimate cheat sheet for life, and to me, that''s a story breaker right there. It leaves no room for imagination or creativity if a protagonist simply knows everything, so it won''t be a very prevalent part of the story. Anyone who wishes to discuss or argue this more with me can PM me, but as of this chapter, this is where I stand in regards to Sha Naqba Imuru. Trust me guys, Gilgamesh can find ways without it.


    Finally, I didn''t leave this chapter on a cliffhanger just to c.o.c.kblock all of you. Next chapter, I intend to give a proper smut scene. This will also be my first attempt at s.e.x.u.a.l encounter, so I hope to do it right. I''ll admit I''m really nervous about it, but hey, this is Gilgamesh and don''t intend to pull punches in regards to what he does.


    To the Guest reviewer whom I can''t answer via PM, no I don''t ask for reviews for the sake of reviews. Of course getting reviews is something that I like, but I do so because I really want to know what people are thinking. I write these stories with the intent to be faithful to the source material yet also novel in how I use that source material to drive the plot forward.


    And speaking of feedback, I would like to know what you all think about this chapter. Like I said before, if anyone has ideas or concepts that need lots of elaboration, feel free to PM me.


    I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter.


    "Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."


    Aldous Huxley

 Chapter 296 - My SI Stash #96 - Into the Unknown by Cambrian (DragonAge)

    -Damn, I just wanna personally say thank you to this commissioner for giving us a Pimperor SI Dragon Age~ I''ve been waiting for tis Jim Jasper-reality warping power for so long, and my favorite NSFW author is doing it! LES GOOOOOOO


    Synopsis: This one is a bit of an odd duck, in that the commissioner wanted me to insert myself into a fictional universe I actually barely have any personal experience with. So here''s a Dragon Age SI where I have reality bending powers.


    Rated: M


    Words: 29K


    Posted on:


    forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/into-the-unknown-dragon-age-si.12030/ (Cambrian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à) -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    -x-X-x-


    It wasn''t any particular one thing that ultimately woke him up. If anything, it was the lack of noise that roused him from his slumber, the utter silence leaving him a little¡­ discombobulated. The lack of a fan blowing, or the ever-present hum of electricity¡­ he knew something was wrong before he even opened his eyes.


    Not that opening his eyes helped him comprehend his current state all that much better. It takes him a second to blink the sleep out of his gaze, but even once his vision is entirely clear, he still finds himself staring up at the black sky above him, tainted with a sickly green haze, in confusion. Rather than a ceiling over his head, he was¡­ somewhere else?


    Frankly, it looked like someone had messed with the color settings of a high definition TV and then f.u.c.k.i.e.d up the picture even further by turning the green way too high. This was obviously a dream. He was lucid dreaming. That was always fun, wasn''t it? Grinning a little, he looks away from the gaping sky above him, intrigued and curious to see what else he can take it.


    It''s rather odd, his current circ.u.mstances. He''s in a mixture of his bedroom and pure elsewhere, like alongside his bed, parts of his room and furniture had ended up coming with him to wherever he was currently supposed to be. His desk was there with it''s computer and dual monitors, and his computer chair was in front of it.


    The desk was in fact a six foot long, hardwood top workbench more suited for a garage then a bedroom, but it''d always suited him just fine. He liked having the extra space, truth be told. If he wanted, he could have had three monitors¡­ but truth be told, two felt right, and with just two monitors he could add a little cat bed and blanket at one end of his desk for his kitty to sleep in.


    Said cat bed was still there on the desk, but his cat was not in it. That was to be expected though, she spent most of her nights sleeping with his mom, not with him. As it was, the desk and his bed, as well as his shelves seemed to be some of the only pieces of his bedroom to come with him to this place. There was some carpet as well, but parts of the floor and the walls surrounding him had merged with dark, black rock, with a couple of the walls not existing at all.


    Beyond his immediate surroundings, he could see that the dark rock kept going for a little while and then dropped off into an abyss. Not an empty abyss though, as rocks of various size, perhaps as big as islands and mountains even, floated in defiance of gravity. It was certainly a wondrous view¡­ and the black city on the horizon was wondrous as well.


    Still, he had to wonder where he was, what he was dreaming about. Frowning, he swings his legs off of the bed and c.o.c.ks his head to the side, moving it back and forth. An involuntary groan leaves his lips as he manages to pop his neck in a most satisfying way. Huh, he''d never had that happen in a dream before¡­ honestly, this entire dream felt as real as it did surreal.


    Furrowing his brow in visible consternation, he reaches over and grips the flesh of his opposite arm, pinching it together. It hurts¡­ but does it actually hurt? Needing to know for sure, he twists, only to let out a yelp as he ups the pain by several magnitudes. Even then, his mind is attempting to deny the truth, the reality of his Eldritch surroundings. But the increasing pain forces him to accept the truth.


    Now, the throbbing pain in his arm is echoed by the rapid beating of his heart as he''s forced to acknowledge that somehow, impossibly, this is real. He''d¡­ he''d been transported somewhere else. Opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish, he looks back over to that dark and twisted city in the distance once more. This time, the sight of it doesn''t make him curious or intrigued¡­ it horrifies him and fills him with dread.


    This definitely wasn''t a good place he''d been brought to. In fact, he was already ready to label it a Very Bad Place, with capital letters and all. Grimacing, he rubs at the pain in his arm to attempt to soothe the self-inflicted injury, even as he unconsciously stands up and slips into the flip flops by his bedside. To his surprise, his hand and arm briefly tingle with a soothing glow as the pain abruptly ceases and a glance down at his limb reveals unmarred flesh.


    ¡­ He had healing magic? That was pretty cool, and also rather odd. Where had that come? What was the extent of his ability to heal? Did he have to focus, or was he a regenerator? Did he have any other powers? Licking his lips, he stumbles over to his desk and chair, to his computer, only to make a somewhat terrifying discovery. It wasn''t real. None of it was real. His bed had certainly felt soft enough, but the chair he''d pegged as his computer chair was actually a chair-shaped tree that had grown out of the ground, the desk was a stone extension of the ground, and his monitors and computer revealed themselves to be stone as well, poor imitations of the originals from his world at best.


    Well, not that poor if they''d been able to fool him from a distance, but even a cursory glance up close showed that they weren''t real. None of it was real, though the parts of the floor mimicking carpet, along with his bed, were at least soft enough to seem real.


    A hiss suddenly sounds out from his side, and he turns to regard one of the locals, his breath stopping for a moment as he stares at it. The thing is undeniably monstrous in appearance, with a vague humanoid structure to it, but no face, a hunched back, and claws at the end of its thick, alien-like arms. It''s a monster, there''s no doubt about that, but rather than facing it in a video game through a computer screen, he''s facing it in person, only feet away.


    For a moment, he''s surprised that the mere sight of it doesn''t reduce him to a gibbering wreck. He was always a coward, truth be told, the kind of guy who would definitely run away at the sight of evil. Honestly, even when he''d written fanfiction in which he Self-Inserted himself into another world, he always made sure to give himself some immense power up in order to make things more or less a cakewalk.


    In reality, if he was transported to another world AS he was, well, he''d probably just keep his head down and try to survive. That obviously wasn''t an option here, as this wasn''t likely even an alternative version of his world¡­ this was some sort of Hell Dimension, plain and simple. And yet, he was still surprisingly calm as he c.o.c.ked his head to the side, gazing at the approaching fiend, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards.


    "Shouldn''t you be off terrorizing a band of meddling kids and their damn dog, or something?"


    It swipes at him in response, and to his surprise he reflexively dodges the strike, back peddling out of its range¡­ and ending up tripping over his bed, having lost complete situational awareness of his surroundings. Rolling over onto the other side of it as those nasty-looking claws come down at him again, he ends up colliding with the dark rock hard, and groaning as he rubs his head.


    Lying there dazed as his would-be killer slowly circles around the bed after him, he watches it loom over him. Even now, even as he feels fear at his impending demise¡­ it''s muted. Rather than gibbering terror, he just grimaces and lifts his hands up, as though he could push it away, make it leave¡­ only for the air in front of him to suddenly visibly distort as he''s suddenly blasting the monster up, up and away.


    Blinking dumbly for a moment as there''s a meaty thud and echoing screech from the creature''s not so far off landing, he smacks himself as he recalls his ''healing powers''. Obviously, it was more than just healing. Slowly, he stands up. A grin is spreading across his face now as he looks down at his hands, recognizing that he''s far from helpless after all.


    Meanwhile, the creature has righted itself and is starting to slink its way back towards him. It¡­ actually wasn''t that fast, which was probably how he''d dodged it the first two times. Too bad he didn''t have a lightsaber to go with his cool magic and force powers, he could probably easily slice and dice the thing from arm''s length and-


    A metallic tube settles into his dominant hand and he instinctively clenches down on it. Glancing down at the famous weapon, looking up at the monster-turned-target¡­ his grin widens as he presses the activator.


    *SNAP* *HISS*


    The partially enclosed area that is this half-replica of his bedroom fills with red light, because of course any lightsaber that he would imagine into existence would be Sith Red. Regardless, the presence of his new weapon does nothing to deter the fiend from reaching for him with clawed limbs¡­ of which he deprives it of one a moment later, it''s haste costing it an arm as he side steps and lashes out somewhat inexpertly with the lightsaber.


    The limb smokes and breaks apart into dust as it lands on the ground, with the monster screeching in pain as it clutches at the stump of it''s lost arm, before spinning around to lash out at him with it''s other claws¡­ it loses that arm to, when he instinctively tries to block with the deadly beam of crimson, only for the flailing strike the creature makes on him to result in the flesh being split all the way up it by the very lethal contained plasma.


    He takes a moment to gaze at the shrieking, thoroughly disarmed visage of his adversary as it still lurches forward in a desperate attempt to attack him. Ultimately though, he steps aside and with a casual flick, lops off its head. As the body falls to the ground and breaks apart to return to the ether, or whatever it was that made up this place, he finds himself staring at the lightsaber.


    It wasn''t just a lightsaber¡­ it was the skill and knowledge to use it, he was rapidly finding. He could suddenly remember decades of practice, of sparring, of training. He was a Master with this blade, if he wanted to be. As his beating heart begins to slow however, he deactivates the saber with a loud *SHOOP* and breathes a sigh of relief, only to find his hand suddenly empty of the weapon that saved his life.


    He was beginning to get an idea of what was going on here. He was beginning to realize what this all was. It was too bad that he hadn''t gotten one of those introductions from some sort of Omnipotent version of himself like most of HIS self-insert fanfics had gotten, but he had moved away from that years ago, hadn''t he? And now here he was, just another self-insert, or so it seemed.


    But where the f.u.c.k was he? Usually, his self-inserts involved worlds that he was well-versed in, and ideas that he''d been contemplating for some time. Instead, he was in a place he did not recognize, fighting monsters he couldn''t name. And yet¡­ he was quite confident that this WAS a self-insert, and likely one being ''written'' by himself as well¡­ because he had power. Oh, how he had power.


    And not just healing powers, or magic powers, or anything like that¡­ as far as he could tell, he was bending reality itself to his whims. Whatever he wanted seemed to happen. In fact¡­ holding out his hands, he grins as a plate of steaming hot food from his favorite Mexican restaurant appears there. Then, he yelps as the plate itself turns out to be very hot and he has to hastily drop it onto the bed beside him before he burns himself too much.


    A bit of thought though makes it so his arms are once again good as new, and then another thought gives him resistance to heat and cold, as well as stronger skin in general. He tests that with a knife, sawing at his arm but seeing no damage done. With a hearty chuckle, he starts in on the food, finding it to taste exactly as he expected it to taste¡­ absolutely delicious.


    This? He could work with this. He might not know what the f.u.c.k he was doing here, he might not understand a single thing about this world yet¡­ but that was just it. Yet. He''d get there. And so long as he had his powers, he was pretty sure he''d be juuust fine.


    -x-X-x-


    Staring at himself in the floor-length mirror he''s summoned, he hums as he looks himself over. He''s not n.a.k.e.d, he didn''t exactly feel comfortable stripping down to nothing in a place like this. But he doesn''t really need to be n.a.k.e.d to know that his powers have effortlessly given him the perfect body, a truly handsome figure, toned and optimized for health and strength and stamina and all that good stuff.


    Really, the mirror was just for the face, which he honestly hadn''t had to do much work on. Once he''d gotten rid of the excess hundred or so pounds, he was carrying around in terms of body fat, it turned out that he''d had a face he actually quite liked. Maybe that was because it was his face, maybe he really was just a handsome lad. Who could say for sure? At the end of the day though, he was happy with what he''d made, with what he''d shaped himself into.


    "What do we have here, I wonder. Who¡­ are¡­ you?"


    Blinking at the quite enticing, quite sultry feminine voice, he turns to find what can only be a succubus, stroking and examining the pale imitations of his belongings as she saunters around the ''bedroom'' that he''s somehow brought with him. In the midst of summoning a weapon as a precaution, he freezes, his mental processes getting derailed as he sees and hears her, as he truly takes her in.


    She''s¡­ gorgeous, to say the least. Definitely a succubus, definitely a demon¡­ but also all woman, no doubt about it. With some sort of mix between hot pink and violet flesh, the gorgeous demonic creature is n.a.k.e.d from the waist up, wearing some sort of skirt or shawl or whatever from the waist down. He doesn''t spend much time looking down, because he''s far too busy staring at her beautiful chest, her beautiful face, her glorious curved demonic horns.


    Letting out a soft giggle, she closes the distance between them, humming as she looks between him and his things.


    "What is all of this? It''s¡­ delightful. You¡­ are delightful. You''re something new, aren''t you? Something I''ve never seen before. And believe me, love, I''ve seen a lot."


    She closes the distance between them at that, licking her lips with a long, sinuous tongue that enhances both her inhumanity AND her beauty in his eyes. Grinning wickedly, as if she can read his every thought and knows how much he desires her, she finishes closing the gap so that she can press herself against him, rubbing herself against the front of his newly chiseled body.


    "Mmm, I want to see more. Show me more, won''t you? If you show me more, I''ll give you everything. You can have me¡­ however you like."


    It''s working. God is it working. She''s f.u.c.k.i.n.g s.e.xy as f.u.c.k, and his c.o.c.k is rising within the confines of his clothing, his newly enhanced c.o.c.k, which means even the gym shorts that he went to sleep in every night are beginning to strain to hold him in, tenting magnificently. Looking down between them as she feels him brush against her belly button, the succubus, because really, what else could she be, lets out a startled, light laugh.


    "O-Oh my, that is MOST impressive."


    Without so much as a by-your-leave, she sticks her hand down the front of his shorts and into his boxers and grabs hold of his c.o.c.k, grasping it somewhat firmly as she strokes it, her eyes lighting up a bit more from the sheer girth she finds him wielding.


    "Mm, I think that you and I could have a most¡­ advantageous relationship, darling. I think that we can show each other such wonders. I want to know what you know; I want to experience all these new things you''ve experienced."


    And then, the tone shifts. Not too much, it''s not like she''s suddenly bellowing in a deep, dark, demonic tone or anything. She''s still as elegant and feminine as ever, and her gorgeous, silken, sultry voice is also just as enticing and desirable as ever. And yet, he still feels it, still feels the shift.


    "Give it to me. Give yourself to me. Submit, so that I can take care of you. Pledge your loyalty¡­ be my newest toy."


    It''s only then that he realizes she''s f.u.c.k.i.n.g with him mentally. He really already knew, deep down inside, but it was so easy to ignore the voice in the back of his head, screaming at him for falling under her spell. It was so easy, because she made it so easy. She was pure s.e.x incarnate; she was everything he''d ever fantasized about, truth be told. But that was only because she was trying to worm her way into his head, into his heart¡­ into his soul.


    It was the use of the word ''submit'' that jostled something loose inside of him. Even back in his old world, even as his cowardly, powerless self¡­ he''d never once been aroused by the thought of submitting to anyone. Oh certainly, if it was a choice between life or death, he''d bow his head to survive¡­ but he wouldn''t enjoy it. Just as he knew he wouldn''t enjoy submitting here and now¡­ especially not when he had so much power at his disposal.


    Lashing out with the Force or whatever you wanted to call it, he blasts the succubus off of him, relishing the wide-eyed look on her face as she''s thrown back. Before she can even get very far however, he''s followed it up by creating the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak and hurled them at her, catching her midair as they activate and force her body into a rather humiliating position, on her knees, legs spread, arms jutting outward and upward to the sides.


    However, there''s still some lingering l.u.s.t, and HIS Crimson Bands of Cyttorak are a construct of his will, of his reality bending abilities. As such, she ends up somewhat more s.e.x.u.a.lized, with her b.r.e.a.s.ts pushed up and together, and plugs forming at the tail end of the restraints that insert into her cunt and ass. Meanwhile, the bit in her mouth is shaped like a dildo that goes right into an O-ring gag that in turn forces her to keep her mouth open.


    There''s a moment of silence, save for his panting as he realizes just how close he came to¡­ well, falling under her spell. With but a thought, he gives his mind as much protection as he''s already given his body. He''d enhanced his body and effectively made himself so durable that it would take something like a lightsaber to cut through his flesh now. But he''d left his mind wholly unprotected like an idiot¡­ until now.


    While there was obviously some basic protection that had ultimately let him snap out of it and realize what this creature was trying to do to him, he needed more, lest he fall prey to further attempts to conquer his mind and soul. Luckily, it''s easy enough to imagine such protections into reality, shielding himself mentally, and creating a sort of metaphysical shell around his soul, now that he knew what at least some of the denizens of this place would be after.


    Only once he''s done so does he take a moment to actually look over his captive. She''s not actually frozen or paralyzed or anything¡­ she''s merely locked in place by the bands, completely helpless and utterly incapable of movement. And yet, she seems to be¡­ enjoying herself? Her long sinuous tongue is currently out and writhing around the dildo in her mouth, while betwixt her thighs he can see her p.u.s.s.y beginning to gush along the length of the rod in her cunt.


    She''s not so much as twitching, not even jiggling or bouncing¡­ and yet she''s turned on by being trapped as she is. His first instinct is to interrogate her, to figure out what''s going on¡­ but his c.o.c.k is still rock hard, truth be told, and there''s no denying that how she is now¡­ she''s very, very tempting. He just has to turn the tables on her, which he''s already begun to do. He just needs to show her that rather than him submitting to her??? it''s she who needs to submit to HIM.


    Licking his lips, he steps forward, yanking his gym shorts and boxers down and letting his erection flop free. It''s his first time seeing his new c.o.c.k in the flesh, so to speak. He''d reshaped it in his mind, but not stripped all the way down, until now. His member bounces as it comes up, at full mast at this point and ready and raring for action.


    Meanwhile, his captured succubus friend has the most perfect horns. The damn things are practically demanding to be used as handlebars in a proper, sloppy face f.u.c.k.i.n.g. So, that''s what he''ll do. At least to start with, anyways. Striding forward, his sense of balance perfect despite his new body, as he''d used his power to give him the muscle memory to be able to walk without falling flat on his face, he grabs hold of the s.e.x demon by the horns, startling her something fierce.


    Her eyes had been growing lidded as she''d been somehow managing to reach nirvana from her complete entrapment, but now they''re wide again, looking up at him expectantly. He responds by willing the dildo part of the bands to pull back out of her mouth, leaving the nice wet hole of the O-ring gag for him to sink his c.o.c.k through.


    She m.o.a.ns upon having her mouth vacated, and her tongue writhes in the open air, trying to reach his member. After spending a moment making himself immune to all poisons and other effects that her saliva might induce, he thrusts forward, giving her what she''s so desperate for, slamming his c.o.c.k into her mouth and down her throat before her long, sinuous tongue can even fully, properly wrap around his length.


    "GAGKH! GAGKH! GAGKH!"


    As he begins to skull f.u.c.k the demon bitch, this cunt who thought she could own him, could control him, he can feel her tongue trying to gain some sort of purchase on his member. She''s trying to grip at his c.o.c.k, possibly to push him out of her throat, possibly to hold him in. Maybe she thinks she can threaten him, because when it becomes obvious that her tongue isn''t strong enough to hold him in one place, that''s when the teeth come out to place.


    An anguished cry mostly muffled by c.o.c.k emits from the poor wittle s.e.x demon''s stretched lips as one of her fangs simply snaps off upon coming in contact with his member. She was trying to bite down, whether to inject some sort of poison or simply to chew his d.i.c.k off and maim him, he couldn''t say for sure. Either way, she''s now down a fang as the other fang ends up skidding off his inhumanly dense member.


    He was rather proud of that, actually. Proud of all the work he''d put into this new body of his. His c.o.c.k in particular was made to look, taste, and feel like a normal mammal''s member. Warm and hot, hard and thick when aroused, ready to wreck any bitch it came across, ready to c.u.m when he wanted to c.u.m. But if you tried to scratch the surface and see what was underneath¡­ you''d quickly find you couldn''t, as his current captive just had.


    His skin still seemed like normal, human skin¡­ right up until you tried to cut, claw, or as she''d just done, bite through it. Then you discovered that his body, d.i.c.k included, might as well have been made of adamantium. After all, that was the strength he''d been thinking of when he''d been deciding the current impenetrability of his new body. It wasn''t like his bones were coated in the fictional metal or anything like that¡­ rather, every part of his body, from his skin to his hair to even his bones and internal organs, would act like a normal human body under any nonthreatening circ.u.mstances¡­ but immediately act like adamantium when threatened.


    Even his eyes would deflect anything that anyone tried to shove into him, though he wasn''t interested in testing that out, any time soon. Regardless, he now had a whimpering, sobbing s.e.x demon choking on his c.o.c.k as he railed her throat with impunity, one fang destroyed and the other hastily retracted with the rest of her sharp teeth as she just tries to endure both the pain of her broken tooth as well as him skull f.u.c.k.i.n.g her to his heart''s content.


    "Gagkh! Gagkh! Gagkh!"


    He has slowed down just a tad, though he''s still forcing her to deep-throat every last inch of his newly enhanced c.o.c.k. It''s just¡­ he feels a little guilty. Slowly to a halt, he hums as he looks down at her demonic black eyes, tears of pink and violet, not quite blood but also not normal human tears, leaking down her perfectly sculpted, currently bulging cheeks.


    "You just learned a very valuable lesson, didn''t you?"


    She can''t exactly nod, the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak don''t let her, even if he is only loosely holding onto her gorgeous handlebar horns at the moment. Still, he can see the answer in her voice, and hear the affirmative in her pitiful muffled m.o.a.n around his c.o.c.k.


    "Mmhmm¡­"


    Smiling, he rolls his shoulders.


    "Alright then¡­ well, I know I didn''t dream you up consciously¡­ but let''s see what I can do for you, shall we?"


    Here''s the thing, he''d always planned to experiment with her, to alter her. In fact, as he''d been face f.u.c.k.i.n.g her, there''d been two things that had already come to mind. So, along with repairing her broken fang, he went ahead and changed those two things as well, running his hands over her scalp and her horns and humming the ''whistle while you work'' dittany to himself.


    The s.e.x demon he''s holding captive goes even more wide-eyed then before at the changes. He assumes that''s because one of the changes he made was something of a flavor thing for him. Basically, he''d made her horns huge erogenous zones for her, the sort of thing that, when he gripped and stroked them, made her want to c.u.m immediately. He''d also given her hair, not really liking the ''bald'' look that she was currently sporting.


    Given the way her eyes flutter and she m.o.a.ns wantonly as she c.u.ms all over the dildo plug in her cunt, he''s fairly certainly he''s right. Unbeknownst to him, the reason she truly went so wide-eyed wasn''t in pleasure at having her newly remade horns stroked¡­ it was because of the terrifying realization that he had the power to alter the very core of her being, of her form. He''d changed her when he''d altered her horns and given her hair, and that wasn''t supposed to be possible.


    But he doesn''t know this, at least not yet. Rather, he''s enjoying a more languid face f.u.c.k now, thrusting as deep down her throat as before, but taking his time with it, enjoying making her m.o.a.n and squeal from his molestation of her horns as much as he''s enjoying her tongue and lips and mouth.


    "Hulghk¡­ Hulghk¡­ Hulghk¡­"


    Still, her m.o.a.ning is driving him close to the edge¡­ so, with a loud groan, he c.u.ms right down her throat. To his surprise, she swallows every last drop. Despite choking on his c.o.c.k quite roughly, she doesn''t choke or gag on his seed, seeming to almost hungrily drink it down, like she was made to subsist on c.u.m. And perhaps she was. Or perhaps she was a soul-sucking demon bitch who he''d turned into his f.u.c.k toy.


    Hm, on that note¡­ why not make it official, right? Grinning, he wills a collar and a chain into existence. Pulling his c.o.c.k out of her mouth, he shows the s.e.x demon what he has.


    "This, my dear, is a fun little toy called a Subjugation Choker. The trick to it is, the wearer has to be willing to have it put on, or it doesn''t actually work. So, tell me¡­ are you willing?"


    She still can''t so much as nod her head, but through the O-ring gag she''s wearing, she waggles her tongue as she gives her answer.


    "Y-Yesh, Mashtah¡­"


    Laughing somewhat gleefully, he fits the choker around his new pet, a chain unfurling from it that he wraps around his hand as he removes the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak a few moments later. The Subjugation Choker has already taken effect after all, and with her stated consent, has already made her his properly. She''s his now¡­ which means it''s finally time to get some damn answers.


    Sitting down on the facsimile of his bed, tugging her on her hands and knees over to him, he lets out and sigh and looks down at her adoring, expectant face.


    "Right¡­ I have some questions for you, love."


    Chapter 2


    After flicking away the O-ring gag with a pulse of his reality bending, he sighs and leans back a bit, looking down at his newest pet questioningly.


    "Let''s start with the obvious¡­ what is this place? Where are we?"


    The succubus stares at him incredulously for a long moment, and he gets the impression that she can''t believe his cluelessness. Still, he wasn''t here to be laughed at or mocked, even if it was all internal. With a raised brow, he tugs on his new pet''s leash, choking her briefly, even as he reaches out and delivers a magical slap to her derriere that has her squealing in pain and pleasure.


    "Let''s get one thing straight, my dear. I am your Master; you are my property. From now on, you will answer any question I put to you immediately and truthfully. Now, where are we?"


    "T-The Fade! The Beyond! The world of Spirits and Demons, where the souls of the living go when their bodies rest and their minds wander! Only mortals such as yourself have any memories or control while here!"


    He hums at that, before caressing her burning rump and healing the pain inflicted by her temporary punishment. That was¡­ he didn''t recognize most of that, but he recognized the first bit. The Fade was¡­ Dragon Age, right? Shit, this was just his luck. He''d been inserted into a realm that he himself had no personal prior experience with. He''d never played a Dragon Age game, and while he''d read some fanfiction from the series, it hadn''t precisely stuck with him.


    Thedas was Dragon Age, right? And something about magical people in Dragon Age being persecuted maybe? Also, there was a blight, or something? Like bad evil disease shit? F.u.c.k, he was grasping at straws. Still, the Fade was Dragon Age''s supernatural realm, from what he recalled. Something akin to hell if he was right, which given his only two encounters so far had been that monster and now this succubus, he felt pretty right.


    Or was that just his expectations playing tricks on him? Had he subconsciously created the creature that first attacked him, and then this succubus as well? He asks his next question, even as he finds his mind wondering at the possibilities that being in a Realm of Spirits allowed. If this truly was a Manifestation of Collective Unconscious and he had conscious control over it¡­ well, that was certainly promising, wasn''t it?


    "What does that make you?"


    "Yours, of course."


    Her response is instant and provokes a startled bark of laughter from him in response. Grinning, he gives one of his new pet''s curved horns a pointed stroke, a wanton m.o.a.n leaving her lips as he plays with the extremely sensitive erogenous zone.


    "Good answer, but not the one I was seeking pet. What are you, besides mine?"


    With the qualifier, her next answer is a bit more illuminating¡­ but still not by much.


    "I-I am a Desire Demon, Master. Desire is my very being¡­ I manifest it, I embody it, I feed off of it, and I am always seeking it."


    Well, he couldn''t disagree with her on that, she WAS very desirable, even before he''d made her his toy and altered her to his specifications. So, she was some sort of quasi-succubus? That sort of made sense, he supposed, given that this was some sort of quasi-hell. Or, rather than actually being Hell with a capital H, it was more akin to a dream world, right? But then, why was this Manifestation of Collective Unconsciousness so damn dark? Was Dragon Age really that much of a Grim Dark setting?


    Damn it, if only he''d played even ONE of the games. He remembered when Dragon Age: Origin came out, but he''d just started playing World of Warcraft and the MMORPG had already begun to dominate his life. By the time Dragon Age: Inquisition came out around five years later, he was STILL playing World of Warcraft almost nonstop, all of the games from that era sort of falling through the gaps for him.


    Alas, there really wasn''t much he could do about it now. Besides continue interrogating his new pet, of course.


    "Why does Desire make you a Demon, exactly?"


    After all, Desire was not the same as L.u.s.t, right? How dark did the setting of Dragon Age have to be that even simple desire was seen as a bad thing?


    "Because mortals believe it so, it becomes so in the Fade."


    Apparently, pretty dark. He processes this, his lips pressed together in a thin line. So, she was an evil demoness because the mortals of this world said she was, and the weight of the Collective Unconscious'' belief on the matter made it into reality. The Fade was pretty topsy turvy, wasn''t it? Hm, he''d be inclined to say she might be lying to him, trying to trick him¡­ but he''d taken the ability to do so away from her.


    Still, he was running out of questions. Oh, if he sat and thought for a while he could probably come up with more for her, but he always had been the impatient sort, and now that he apparently had reality warping powers, he had this itch to USE them, as it were¡­ but at the same time, it was probably a bad idea to just go off half-c.o.c.ked without doing the research first.


    "Man, if only there was some ''For Dummies'' book on the subject I could skim through to get an idea of what we''re dealing with here¡­"


    As if to remind him of said reality warping powers, practically beating him over the head with them, one of his bookshelves that isn''t really his bookshelf jumps over beside his bed, with a thick tome appearing on one of its empty shelves within arm''s reach.


    "¡­ Right."


    Reaching out, he takes the tome and opens it to the first page. He holds the heavy thing in front of him for a few moments of reading, but the weight of the damn thing is heavy, and he''s never been one to read from his lap, it''s bad for his neck. After a few seconds, he pauses, looks over at his kneeling pet''s horns, and then uses the massive curved rack as a podium, setting the tome down and reading to himself under his breath.


    "The Fade is a realm of primeval matter from which the Maker formed the physical world and all living beings."


    "It was the first realm created by the Maker, populated with spirits, the first of the Maker''s ''children''. Growing unsatisfied with them (as what they created was "fleeting, ever-changing"), he then created Thedas, separated from the Fade by the Veil and populated by mortal creatures."Aha! He knew he remembered Thedas being a Dragon Age thing. So that was the name of the real world in this setting¡­ that was good to know. The rest of it though¡­ looking up and around at his surroundings, he couldn''t really shake the feeling that whoever wrote this shit had never actually BEEN to the fade. Though the bit about the Veil, that also sounded familiar now that the term with a big ole capital V was right in front of him.


    Turning the page, he finds a completely different bit of religious dogma on the back, despite them being the front and back of the same piece of parchment.


    "The Dalish refer to the Fade as the Beyond and believe that it is a holy place that was once the home of the gods. They also tell that following Fen''Harel''s deception before the fall of Arlathan, the gods now lie imprisoned in the Eternal City at the heart of the Fade while the Dread Wolf roams, gleefully feasting on the souls of the dead"


    The Dalish¡­ f.u.c.k, who were the Dalish? With a surge of his power, another book appears on the bookshelf beside him and he sighs, reaching over and grabbing that one. He skims it for a moment before setting it aside with a nod. Okay, so the Dalish were the elves of Thedas. Nomadic elves, apparently. That was¡­ cool? He probably should have been able to guess that with a name like ''Fen''Harel'' because it sounded very elvish at a second glance, as well as the whole ''Eternal City'' thing since most elves were long lived across fictional settings.


    Though the bit about a Dread Wolf gleefully feasting on the souls of the dead was somewhat unnerving¡­ especially when it seemed perhaps somewhat likely that the dark city, he could see off in the distance was this Eternal City mentioned on the page? And yet, part of him found the explanation to be somewhat shitty. Most of the fictional settings he''d ever experienced had trained him to expect the realms of Gods to be far more orderly than this Eldritch mess.


    Irritatingly, most of the pages are written in Ye Olde English, lacking the standardization of the modern world that he''s used to. It''s almost as if the entire tome is a conglomeration of writings from Thedas'' scholars and philosophers and religious folk. This seems all the more likely when some pages show up in different languages.


    He considers for a moment translating the entire tome with a wave of his hands¡­ but ultimately decides against it. He''s done enough research for the day, hasn''t he? Can''t he do more work tomorrow? Ugh, he''s always been a little bit lazy, in the end. And now he had reality warping abilities¡­ he''d be fine. Putting the book back on the shelf, he instead turns his attention towards his pet, reaching down and beginning to play with her b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    The self-proclaimed Desire Demon m.o.a.ns softly as he fondles and molests her for a time, even as he hums consideringly over her admittedly delicious ta-tas. Still, as pretty as they are¡­ they could be a little bit bigger. At his thought, the Desire Demon''s tits grow another size, causing her to gasp and then m.o.a.n as he also ups the sensitivity of her new b.o.o.b.s by a couple magnitudes. She''s about three times as sensitive as she was before, and it shows when he rolls and then pinches her n.i.p.p.l.es between his fingers, causing her to cry out and orgasm on the spot.


    Chuckling, he decides that he might as well continue, and stands, pulling on her n.i.p.p.l.es as he does so, even as he''s giving her a command.


    "Up. Lay down on the bed, on your stomach."


    His new Desire Demon does as she''s told, even as the rubbing of her new tits and teats against his sheets causes her to whimper and mewl from sheer ecstasy. She arches her back, rising her h.i.p.s up into the air subconsciously, and utterly exposing herself in the process. Having her laying down on her stomach now and facing away from him reveals just how little her backside is covered compared to the front. Everything is accessible from behind, from her gorgeous heart-shaped derriere to her juicy wet p.u.s.s.y lips nestled between her thighs.


    Was it an enticement to take her from behind, or to tear off her clothes from the front? Or more than likely, it was both. Regardless, with her tail and ass exposed to him, he was quite quick to make adjustments to both, playing with her backside, groping and squeezing it and making it just a bit bubblier. He didn''t need her to be over the top or anything like that, but when he was done, she was more hour-glass figure then before, that much was for sure.


    As for her tail, he didn''t make any physical changes to the spade appendage so to speak, but just like he did with her horns, he did make her tail an erogenous zone for her, enjoying the way the Desire Demon squeaks and squeals as he tugs on it a bit.


    Chuckling darkly, he finally moves to mount her, slapping his c.o.c.k down between her newly enhanced butt cheeks. Sliding back and forth for a few moments, hot dogging her ass, he groans in enjoyment. Oh yeah, this is the life¡­ he could definitely get used to this. With a growl, he pulls back enough to nestle his c.o.c.khead betwixt her thighs, feeling himself catch on her p.u.s.s.y lips.


    Once he''s firmly lodged in the entrance of her cunt, he thrusts forward, groaning happily at how her inner walls wrap around his member and tighten up automatically. She''s exactly as he expects her to be, warm wet and silky smooth on the inside, causing his balls to churn as he begins to thrust in and out of her. He wonders if that''s because he''s subconsciously making her as he wants her. Her very existence is such a strange, alien thing to him, truth be told.


    This entire place is a f.u.c.k.i.n.g trip, that much is for sure. If he was here without any powers, just as himself, he''d be gibbering in terror by this point. No, actually that''s not true. He''d be dead, or in whatever state that first monstrous creature wanted to put him. This Desire Demon he''d turned into his pet and was currently f.u.c.k.i.n.g as he liked, mounting her from above and plowing into his bed¡­ she would have come upon this strange facsimile of his bedroom long after the first creature was done with him, and likely either found his corpse¡­ or nothing at all.


    A morbid thought to be sure, and it provokes him a little bit, causing him to snarl and go rougher with his pet then he was before. Where before he was languidly thrusting into her from behind, now he begins to roughly f.u.c.k her, pounding away at her clenching twitching cunt, slamming home into her p.u.s.s.y and ramming up against her cervix with each and every pistoning motion of his fat prick.


    He grabs onto her tail with one hand for good measure, tugging on it and making her c.u.m on command over and over again by doing so. The other hand starts off spanking her beautiful bubble butt, leaving his handprint on the slightly expanded surface of her ass, before eventually he grows tired of doing so and just reaches up and grabs one of her horns. That sets her off all over again, and the prone Desire Demon squeals and shrieks and squirms beneath him, turning into an utter puddle of pleasure as he f.u.c.ks her senseless, pounding his way through orgasm after orgasm.


    When he finally c.u.ms himself, a bit of his power makes sure he stays hard, and he keeps at it, keeps on f.u.c.k.i.n.g her creampied quim like it''s his property¡­ because it is. Dwelling on what could have been, dwelling on the worst case scenarios¡­ it wasn''t productive, not when none of it had happened and none of it WOULD happen, because he had powers now. He was powerful¡­ and he fully intended to do whatever he liked, both with this needy, horny s.l.u.t beneath him, and this entire goddamn realm.


    This Manifestation of Collective Unconscious¡­ it belonged to him now, and no one else. Oh sure, the living over in Thedas might come visit in their dreams and have a good, merry time, but that was it. They were visitors, guests, and nothing else. And sure, there might be these creatures like the thing he killed and this Desire Demon beneath him¡­ but they were his to use now as he liked.


    A thought crystalizes in his head. He was going to be the motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g Walt Disney of this place, and the Fade was going to be his Disney World. The dreamers would be those visiting the park, and the creatures within would work for HIM, would serve HIM. Yeah¡­ yeah that was how it was going to be from now on. So long as his powers didn''t fail him, he was going to take the Fade and, just like he''d done with the Desire Demon beneath him, make the whole thing his BITCH!


    With one last snarl, he c.u.ms inside of the Desire Demon one final time before pulling out of her. It must have seemed rather abrupt, because he''d already creampied her a dozen times by that point, but she also wasn''t in much state to actually say or do anything about it at first, mostly because he''d quite literally broken her. The succubus-like creature was face down, twitching and spasming, her long serpent-like tongue lolled out of her mouth as she lays there, completely insensate.


    ¡­ Hm, yeah, perhaps he shouldn''t have given her so many erogenous zones and then messed them up quite so much. Mm¡­ nah. Grinning, he grabs his f.u.c.k.i.e.d silly Desire Demon by a horn and drags her around to service his c.o.c.k once more, enjoying the way her long tongue immediately goes to work on his shaft, even though she''s not even really all there, mentally. With a flick of his fingers though, she''s recovered, her mind back together again from the thousands of pieces he shattered it into.


    She blinks up at him, and then her eyes dart to his c.o.c.k, and she begins to dutifully suck, even as her gaze flickers to his face every once in a while. He lets her suck him clean, and then pulls her back, pushing her away and lounging on his bed as he hums again.


    "¡­ You got a name, by the way? Can''t just keep calling you Desire Demon in my head, it''s bugging me."


    Averting her gaze, the Desire Demon shakes her head.


    "No master¡­ I''m not strong enough to have a name."


    That gets his interest, and he lifts his eyebrows in surprise and curiosity.


    "Oh? How''s that work then?"


    What follows is a short but informational explanation on demons. As a low-ranking demon, one of the chaff so to speak, she doesn''t have a name. There''s those above her though, and the mid-ranking demons all name themselves after concepts of l.u.s.t like Allura, Caress, or Hanker. Meanwhile, the ones above THEM have more exotic names, but she doesn''t know any of them and saying such names might just attract their attention, so that''s a no-go. And finally, there are whispers of the Forbidden Ones, with names that have been forgotten, lost, or hidden over the course of time. Apparently, THOSE ones were probably the very first of their kind.


    All very interesting, all very good to know¡­ and in the end, what it all boils down to is that his new pet needs a name¡­ a name only he can give her. He ponders the subject for all of a moment before grinning.


    "Hm, well then, let''s start a new trend, shall we? Concepts for medium ranking demons, actual names for higher ranking demons¡­ so it just makes sense that you low-ranking demons have stripper names."


    Her eyes flicker with confusion and she tilts her head to the side almost cutely as she purses her lips together.


    "Your name, henceforth, will be Kandy. With a K."


    Despite the silliness of the name, the newly minted Kandy''s eyes nonetheless widen, and she shudders in pleasure as she experiences an explosive orgasm from the naming. Amusing, to say the least¡­


    -x-X-x-


    With a hum, he releases his hold on the chain leash wrapped around his pet Kandy''s neck, watching as it retracts, but more accurately disappears all the way down to a single chain link, dangling from her collar. Focusing on the previous sensation of the chain wrapped around his fist causes the chain leash to flow back out of her collar and back into his hand in moments.


    In response, Kandy the Desire Demon m.o.a.ns and wiggles and shudders in pleasure as the action tugs slightly on her collar. Her body shifts on the bed for a moment before he releases it, and she quickly shifts back, her arms firmly wrapped around the pillow supporting her head. She''d become entirely too attached to the comfort provided by his facsimile of a bed, it seemed. Though in all fairness, it was obvious that the bed was the closest thing to an actual exact replica of what he''d had back home.


    Maybe because it was the closest object to him? Rather than there being a bed frame beneath the mattress however, it was all rock, just like the rest of his little ''island''. So it wasn''t that far off from being just as fake as the rest. Still, Kandy certainly loved the pillow and the mattress from the way she was practically writhing in ecstasy upon both as he repeated the chain trick a few times more.


    He quickly discovers that the leash has no limit to it''s length unless he imposes one on it, at least not one that he can find within the spatial limits of his island, or territory, or rock¡­ whatever one wanted to call it. Confident in the fact that he could easily rein her in if need be, he ends the experiment after one last tug and then turns his gaze out at the Fade beyond his claim, making sure to keep a few feet away from the edge and the abyss below.


    If his powers held true, he could probably just fly, but that didn''t mean he wanted to test it, and empty black expanses of nothing definitely disturbed him more than a little bit. Regardless, moments later and he''s gazing through the most powerful pair of binoculars he can think up at the floating lands around him. It was much like gazing upon the land within a snow globe, if he had to describe it.


    There was a forest, a village, a tower, a city¡­ and many, many other places. Some had some semblance of order to them, but most were utterly chaotic. Population centers tended to take up the larger islands and were much more detailed from what he could tell, while more remote and isolated locations were sometimes little more than barren rocks, even more barren then his own slice of the Fade at this point.


    ¡­ He had to leave this place eventually. Maybe if he''d woken up in a prison cell shaped like his room with a working computer and internet access he could have lived out the rest of his days peacefully enough, being the natural introvert that he was¡­ but part of being introverted had a lot to do with NOT wanting to interact with the dangers of the outside world. Now here he was in the middle of what was likely a very dangerous place indeed¡­ but he was protected, right? He had more power than he''d ever had back in his old life.


    Even with that in mind however, he wasn''t inclined to try flying just yet. It wasn''t just the thought of falling into the empty abyss that lay beneath him and between him and the other islands, it was also worry that the inky blackness between him and the other islands wasn''t actually traversable in the first place. After all¡­


    Kandy''s flicking tail catches his eye, and he turns to regard his pet. Both she and the other creature¡­ they''d sort of just appeared out of nowhere, right? Which meant flying across the Fade probably wasn''t the way things were done. More likely, everyone got around via teleportation. Only, he didn''t know anything about this damn place, so blindly teleporting himself and his pet places felt¡­ dangerous.


    On the other hand, having his pet, who was supposedly more familiar with her home dimension, teleport the two of them places might work better. Once he had a better lay of the land, he probably wouldn''t need her to do so anymore, but for now¡­


    "Kandy. Up."


    The Desire Demon whines but obeys nevertheless, popping up off of his bed as she gives him a mighty pout, nonetheless standing before him as he summons her chain leash to his hand.


    "We''re going on a field trip. You can teleport around this place easily enough, can''t you? I assume you could take me with you, yes?"


    "Yes Master, of course!"


    "Good. So then, I want you to take me on a simple¡­ excursion. Nothing too dramatic, nothing too big. I just want a small little adventure. Maybe see some of these dreamers, engage with another demon, and then come right back here. Got it?"


    Kandy nods brightly, before pausing and looking him over, planting a finger on her lips in thought for a moment.


    "Ah¡­ that''s no problem, Master¡­ but you''re not quite dressed for such an incursion, don''t you think?"


    Hm¡­ no, no he was not. Stepping over to a rock face where his closet was supposed to be, he finds a door rising up from the ground with a mental command, revealing his wardrobe. Within are his normal clothes¡­ along with some clothes from familiar settings. In the end, he can''t help himself¡­ of course he goes with the Darth Revan robes.


    Sure, maybe it should have been Sidious he emulated given his past life, but he wasn''t actually that old or that decrepit, so he didn''t feel he could pull off simply black robes in quite the same way as the most successful Sith Lord in a thousand years. Instead, he dresses in the armor of Darth Revan, and when he places the mask over his face, he finds it fits him perfectly.


    Turning to his pet, he looks at her and spreads his now-gloved hands wide.


    "Well?"


    Kandy whistles appreciatively, clearly enjoying the aesthetic quite a bit. That''s good, he likes it too. His pet moves to stand in front of him and he makes sure her chain leash is tightly wrapped around his fist as she plants her hands on her h.i.p.s.


    "Don''t focus on your surroundings or anything beyond us. Just follow me, Master, and I''ll take you where you want to go~"


    At that, she turns around and with a sway to her h.i.p.s, begins taking steps forward. He follows after her, allowing the swaying of her h.i.p.s, the shifting back and forth of her ass cheeks, and the pendulum swinging of her tail to distract him, making for a far more enticing sight then the world around them. Step after step with his eyes glued on that ass and the only sound being the clinking of the leash''s chain links.


    Intellectually, he recognizes there comes a point where they should have just walked straight off of the edge of his little rock. There were only so many steps before the abyss opened before them after all, and while he hadn''t counted them out or anything, they''ve been walking for a good five minutes before Kandy suddenly stops and he runs into her backside.


    With his tented erection poking into her butt, her tail wraps around his waist and his arms go around to cup her b.r.e.a.s.ts, even as he looks up and regards the forest path they''re now on. The trees on either side of the path are detailed for the first row or so, but quickly blur the more he tries to look past them, each successive row looking less and less distinct, less and less real.


    Giving her a grope as a reward for a job well done so far, he then pushes Kandy forward and they continue on. As they walk down the path, the trees at random points seem to have twisted into attempting to mimic other objects, mostly wooden objects¡­ though always quite poorly. There''s a ''fence'' of trees for instance that stretches the height of the normal trees. There''s a tree that looks like it''s supposed to be a stand of arrows. There was a furry boat of bent trees. Various furniture hangs from branches like over-ripened fruit, and some places it almost seems like the branches and roots have switched places.


    Flying among the trees are what look to be these exceedingly bright lights. Stars, almost¡­ or fairies? He honestly can''t tell, and he doesn''t bother having Kandy stop so they can find out. Maybe if they were friendlier, but every time he focuses his attention on them, they go into hiding, only to come out again when he looks away, like children trying to play hide and seek.


    "They''re wisps, Master."


    He blinks at that, turning his attention back to her pet, who smiles at him over her shoulder before turning back and continuing to lead the way forward. Frowning, he clenches the chain and pulls her to a stop, deciding that he IS going to stop her for this after all.


    "You said that this was a world of Spirits and Demons, with mortals visiting when they slept and dream. So¡­ what exactly are those?"


    She''s smart enough not to answer with ''wisps'' again, thankfully.


    "Young, Master. They have not yet chosen what they will embody. Given time, given a choice, they will become more."


    Furrowing his brow, he finds that brings another question to mind.


    "They actually are children¡­ how does that work, Kandy?"


    "Not in the way you think, Master. Nothing will spawn from our union¡­ unless you will it. Natural wisps are formed in stronger areas of the Fade¡­ or are fragments of destroyed Spirits and Demons on their way to being reborn."


    He hums again at that, processing it for a moment before nodding and pushing Kandy onward again. There are yells and roars up ahead long before they reach their ultimate destination. Messages of hate and rage over cruelties and indignities suffered repeat over and over again, until finally they come into view. Ahead of them, he can see a campsite complete with sleeping rolls, some small tents, and one large tent.


    All of it surrounds quite the large campfire, though the campfire is not nearly as eye catching as the red humanoid slime being, seemingly made up of lava, that ''stands'' in the center of it. As he and Kandy come to the edge of the camp, it turns to the ghostly reflections of the men sleeping around it, delivering its lines over and over again to each one, their faces twisting into grimaces and sneers.


    From the things its saying, he quickly catches on that these are likely not very good men. ****, murder, and worse flow from the lava-creature''s ''lips'' as it yells obscenities at them all, decrying them as the worst. Was it¡­ was it acting as their guilty conscience? No, he understands better a moment later. The Rage Demon isn''t decrying them for their actions, it''s actually encouraging them to do more of what they have been doing, to drive them forward in their heinous deeds.


    Perhaps the more these brigands raged across the countryside, growing in their anger and spreading their fury to their victims, the more powerful if became. They seemed to be bandits, if the litany of deeds it was attributing to them was to be believed. Thieves, brigands, rapists, killers. It was¡­ provoking them while they slept then? Marginally interesting¡­


    "It''s a Rage Demon, Master. The weakest of those they name Demon."


    He snorts, a little unimpressed by its existence. If this was a Rage Demon, and all it could do was rage impotently at sleeping bandits, inspiring the lowest of sc.u.m to commit cruelties of the basest sort¡­ it wasn''t much of a demon, was it? Weakest indeed. Still, if Kandy was going to talk smack, she better be prepared to back it up. Releasing the hold on her leash, he smirks when she looks at him for orders.


    "Show me what you can do then."


    A wicked smile spreads across the Desire Demon''s lips, and then she''s off, attacking immediately. The battle can''t really be called one when it''s so one-sided, in his personal opinion. She blasts the lava-creature with freezing blasts from a distance, and surging frost waves whenever she slides in close, before dancing away from it without taking a single scratch.The Rage Demon screeches and tries to fight back¡­ key word there being try. It slows down with each freezing until its frozen solid, not having managed to respond with a single meaningful attack. Then, Kandy releases a scream that shatters it into a thousand shards, and he can''t help himself as he snorts in amus.e.m.e.nt.


    "Fatality."


    His deadpanned declaration is followed by the bandits sleeping around the campfire going from grimacing and sneering in their unconscious states to looking almost¡­ peaceful. And with that, he supposes their excursion is done. It''s a little¡­ meh, to say the least. Even if he did what he sought out to, explore a new area, learn a couple of new things, encounter a new demon¡­ he wanted more. At least Kandy had proved herself useful beyond just being a bed warmer. Job well done, he supposed.


    However, just as he''s about to call her back to him via that chain leash, Kandy stiffens and looks to the largest tent, before practically prancing to his side.


    "Master¡­ one of my¡­ sisters is in that tent over there. If you wanted to say hi."


    -x-X-x-


    Upon entering the tent, it''s like they''ve stepped into another world, going from an outdoors bandit camp to a bedroom that looks like it belongs in some nobleman''s manor. His second ever Desire Demon is currently disguised it seems, because the only two people in the bedroom are a screaming noblewoman being bent over and r.a.p.ed by a ghostly reflection of a big brute.


    The big brute is obviously the sleeping bandit leader, one that looks like he fell out of the ugly tree and hit every single branch on the way down. He''s busy insulting her with repeated lines just like the Rage Demon, even as he ''abuses'' her incredibly pretty body. Of course, the moment the Desire Demon notices them, she screams and reaches out for them.


    "G-Guards! Save me from this man!"


    To his surprise, this draws the bandit leader''s attention away from the **** and to him. He''s not expecting that, maybe he thought the ghosts of the living mortals dreaming away in the Fade wouldn''t be able to see him or something. Either way, the bandit leader snarls and pulls out of the disguised Desire Demon, getting off the bed and striding towards the two of them with murderous intent. As he does so, his armor and weapons appear upon his previously nude form, and his body almost seems to gain more presence, going from a ghostly reflection to something akin to a Star Wars hologram.


    ¡­ He''s not really in the mood to play games, so he snaps his fingers and flexes his powers, and the bandit leader goes poof as he''s kicked out of his own dream and back into the land of the living. The disguised Desire Demon immediately goes from horrified, beleaguered noblewoman to pouting at him for his refusal to play along as she sits up on the bed, seemingly uncaring of the torn state of her clothes. But then, it''s not like this is her real body, or she has any modesty to begin with.


    "Really? You sent him away, just like that? If you didn''t want to fight, you could have just left us be."


    Sliding off the bed, she drops her illusion of r.a.p.ed noblewoman, giving him a clear view of her demonic form. It''s much less impressive than Kandy''s now though, after all of the changes he''d made to it. Though she is actually wearing something that just barely covers her b.r.e.a.s.ts, a golden-chain bikini with the largest bits of it being gold coins that cover her n.i.p.p.l.es and a.r.e.o.l.a.


    The new Desire Demon takes one look at Kandy and scoffs at her, eyeing her up and down with a smirk and a sneer.


    "Really dear, don''t you think you''re trying a bit hard? You must be rather weak, to require such measurements to entice mortals."


    Kandy doesn''t take that lying down though, sneering right back at her as the two get catty.


    "I''m not the one who''s so weak that I have to resort to feeding and playing with those that aren''t even aware of what I truly am! You don''t even make deals, do you? You just disguise yourself as a human so some brute will **** you and feed you that way!"


    Of course, by the time Kandy''s outburst is over, the new Desire Demon has noticed the collar around his pet''s neck and the chain leading down the length wrapped around his fist. With a condescending tone, this new bitch smiles sweetly at Kandy.


    "And how is that working out for you, darling?"


    Without giving Kandy a chance to respond, she turns the full brunt of her focus onto him, grinning salaciously and licking her lips as she saunters up.


    "Hello there, sweetling. This one seems to have let you think you were in control¡­ perhaps we can have some fun with you topping her¡­ and me topping you. I-AAIIIIIIEEEE!!!"


    Frankly, he''d heard enough. With a wave of his hand, he sends the Desire Demon down to her knees as she screams and agony, clutching at his head. A little amused, he shrugs.


    "Sorry, but I''ve already got Kandy, and while a harem would be fun, a harem composed only of Desire Demons would get boring fast. Since she''s already filling the position of demon bitch, you''ll have to fill a different position. So, let''s see what we can do with you, shall we?"


    What follows is a period of experimentation. This is much more fun then watching Kandy massacre that Rage Demon truth be told. Much more fun then ''saving'' a bunch of bandits from their nightmares, as it were. This¡­ this is working with his own two hands, or rather, his reality warping powers. This is bending the very will and being of the Desire Demon before him to HIS will, HIS desires.


    She doesn''t remain a Desire Demon for long. Like he said, he didn''t need more of Kandy, not when he already had her. But¡­ that didn''t mean he couldn''t use other sorts of pets. And given what he was wearing, maybe he had that old video game on the mind. Knights of the Old Republic¡­ early on in the game, you face down a Rancor. Big hulking thing, and you have to get by it in order to sneak into the Black Vulkar''s base for a swoop bike part.


    But honestly, he didn''t need something that big. No, what he was thinking of was something later in the game. When you got to the Star Forge, only to crash land on the planet below and have to fight your way to the Sith Temple. The forests there were covered in Mandalorians¡­ and baby Rancors, much smaller version of the creatures, only about three to four times as big as a human, if he recalled correctly.


    In the end, it didn''t matter if he was remembering correctly, what mattered was what he was remembering. Wrong or right, it was his mental image that this new Desire Demon ultimately turned into, shedding her old existence as one of Kandy''s kin and becoming a baby Rancor, right before his and his pet''s eyes. It takes some time, but in the end, he manages it all the same, reshaping the very nature of the bitch''s existence into a creature from a Galaxy Far Far Away that only listened to him, that only obeyed HIS orders.


    When he''s done, there''s not a trace of the gorgeous female demon left. In her place is an admittedly monstrous and grotesque monster, with slavering jaws and rows of sharp teeth, and some very, VERY sharp claws. That''s okay though, he''s not looking to f.u.c.k the thing, that''s what he has Kandy for. But¡­ walking back out of the bandit camp with Kandy and his new pet Rancor in tow, he gives them some space and then gives himself a bit of juice to do a Force-assisted leap up onto the smaller Rancor''s back.


    With a tug of Kandy''s chain, he brings her up as well, the both of them finding a saddle beneath them to make the ride as comfortable as possible. Kandy ends up sitting in front, and he wraps his arms around her, playing with her delicious body, even as he hums for a moment in consideration of just what he wants to do next. He has his succubus, even if she''s not a succubus, and he has his Rancor, who is most definitely a Rancor.


    The entirety of the Fade is open to him¡­ but his knowledge was still fairly lacking. He would need to rectify that.


    Off to QQ~!

 Chapter 298 - My SI Stash #98 - Mutant Gothic by gothicjedi666 (MCU)

    -More reality warping MC~ Finally another NSFW MCU fic that has best girl Laura getting lewd! (¡î¦Ø¡î)


    Synopsis: I admit that the start of this story is partly based on an a.d.u.l.t game called Rogue-like and I do not have permission to use it even though I did try to ask. If you have played that game then you know what I mean. If you haven''t it won''t be hard to guess what will happen. Anyway, I like the game and I keep meaning to do a story with a Mutant Gothic character so here it is.


    Rated: M


    Words: 27K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13580066/1/Mutant-Gothic (gothicjedi666)


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    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Office. Xavier''s School for the Gifted.


    I''d had what could be considered a busy day. I''d woken up on a park bench in New York City, and that had given me mixed feelings since while it had meant that I was far from home I actually didn''t mind ending up in New York because of it being one of those places I''d always wanted to visit. How I''d gotten there was a total mystery, as was how I''d suddenly become years younger overnight as well as in better shape.


    If all of that wasn''t strange enough I''d found myself dressed in new casual clothing, and with a wallet full of American money, a wallet that kept refilling itself. Not that I''d known that at first, and I wouldn''t have if I''d not left Central Park in order to find something to eat. Of course, I''d brought a Hot Dog because what else does a guy lost in New York buy when he wants fast food?


    The realisation of what must have happened to me didn''t hit me until I noticed the wallet refill itself and I''d shouted out that I''d been ROB''d, as in I''d been sent off somewhere in the multiverse at the whim of Random Omnipotent Being. So far the ROB had not appeared to explain anything not unless he''d been that old lady walking her dog who''d assured me that I''d not been mugged as my wallet was in my hand.


    What happened next involved a version of the X-Men, that fancy jet of theirs and a robot that had wanted to drag me off somewhere for the crime of having a certain gene. I''d been saved by the X-Men, and while that had been very exciting it had also been a rather intense experience. I still hadn''t fully processed that happening, and it didn''t help that for the rest of the day I''d gotten poked and prodded by Jean Grey and Beast, who was rather intimidating in person, and I hadn''t understood half of what he''d been saying about me.


    The tests had all lead to me finding out that I was a mutant with a power that arguably made me one of the most powerful mutants around and at the same time one of the weakest. Mutant powers would never work on me directly, this meant that Professor X could not read my mind and Jean Grey could not move me with her telekinetic abilities. At least not directly as while she was able to move a chair I sat in or throw stuff at me.


    This meant that many mutants would be powerless against me, but I was helpless against indirect uses of mutant powers and everything else a human had to worry about. So while Xavier couldn''t use his powers to affect my mind he could still summon help if I ever attacked him. Not that I intended to.


    Also, I could nullify a mutant''s powers on contact. Meaning that any mutant dependant on their powers to defend themselves would be helpless as long as I could stay in the physical contact. So I figured that if I did learn to fight I should focus on wrestling moves and stuff like that. This was something I would need to think about in the future, and it would be a bad idea for me to start carrying some sort of weapon. Nothing too dangerous, but I would need to be able to defend myself.


    This had all lead to me ending up here in Xavier''s office, in his school, which he was inviting me to join. He was offering me a college-level education, protection and my own room. As if I''d say no to that even without the threat of giant flying robots wanting to carry me off somewhere since for now, I had nowhere else to go.


    "For now, feel free to look around and get a feel of the school," said the man who did look a lot like Patrick Steward, only younger than I''d ever seen him "this isn''t a decision that should be rushed into after all. I''ve had a room prepared for you in advance, and someone will be here soon to show you around".


    Since I''d arrived here not that long ago. I could only assume that Professor X, as he was affectionately known to his students, both young and a bit older, had made arrangements with his telepathy. That would also explain how one of his students knew to arrive exactly when I needed someone to show me around.


    "You called for me, Professor?" Rogue asked casually, her eyes flickering over to me for the briefest of seconds before she looks back at Xavier "Do you need ma help?".


    As she spoke I looked her over, she definitely looked like the X-Men Evolution version, short auburn hair with a few white streaks in the front, pale skin covered some make-up and a spiked collar for some reason. Not sure what sort of fashion statement she was supposed to be making, but to me, she looked damn hot. Which was somewhat of a problem as I was not a teenage boy mentally only physically I really shouldn''t be attracted to her, but I also wanted her to get down on her knees and suck me off.


    This was made worse by the fact that her somewhat see-through green top revealed the black halter-top beneath it, and that in turn revealed a nice amount of cleavage, not enough to be indecent but she clearly doesn''t mind showing off what she has, same with the short black skirt showing that her long legs covered in dark leggings. Despite her outfit, very little skin was exposed, a precaution to stop her from accidentally draining people. She''s even wearing gloves. Alas, no man got to touch what she had to offer. What cruel, cruel irony.


    "Yes, I did Rogue. This is Zero he''ll be staying here for tonight at least, and possibly be joining us as a student" bald mind reader guy replied, "I''d like you to give him the tour and answer any questions he may have about the school".


    At least I''d get to admire the view. It wouldn''t be too bad if I just looked. I didn''t know how long I''d be able to resist the temptation to touch up some mutant girl, but I could hold out for a while.


    As for the name, well it made sense since mutants tended to take new names. Not all of them did, but it was something a tradition for people who found they had mutant powers. I was Zero because mutant powers have zero effect on me. That name had been decided for me during the testing.


    "Yeah, sure" she replied, "Is that all you need?".


    She seemed nervous for some reason. This was odd because I should be the nervous one here. New kid and all that.


    "It is, thank you," the teacher said before turning his head to address me "For now, Zero, please make yourself at home, if you have any questions feel free to ask either me, one of the other teachers or the students themselves. They are quite willing to help".


    Sleeping before I decided what to next would be a good idea. Not that my options were great. Either I stayed here or I got grabbed by a Sentinel. But at least I had a choice.


    "I will, thank you," I said, figuring that I might as well be polite.


    Since I wasn''t supposed to know everyone here I decided to act that way.


    "So.. Rouge was it?" I pretended to ask "Please lead the way".


    And that wasn''t just so I could check out her ass.


    "Come on, let''s go," she said to me.


    We travelled only a few meters from the office before I found out why she seemed to be so nervous around me.


    "So, is what I heard about you true?" she finally asked.


    Given her powers and the nature of my powers I doubted that Xavier had called Rogue to his office by chance. I could not be directly affected by mutant powers and I cancelled them on touch so Rogue should be able to make physical contact with me without endangering my health. Something she had to be thinking about intently given how much she biting her lower lip in a way that it is both very adorable and a bit s.e.xy.


    "Can you really cancel out other Mutants powers?" she asked me "Stop them from working?"


    I could hear a twinge of hope in her voice.


    "According to the people who''ve been poking and prodding me all day" I replied "Mutant powers can not affect me directly, but I don''t know if I can turn them off when the mutant isn''t trying to use them on me. That will be one of the things the teachers will try to help me with".


    Mutant powers might not always grow in strength over time, I simply didn''t know, but like anything else, they benefited from some training. Maybe I would learn to switch powers off. That could be quite the shock to some of the villains in this universe.


    "Did they tell you about my power?" she asks after a moment.


    "No, they didn''t" I answered truthfully.


    I had heard Jean Gray or Grey, however, it was spelt, mention Rogue, but without any context, and she couldn''t have known that I already knew all about Rogue.


    "You see I drain the people I touch. Everyone I touch... I almost killed my first boyfriend with a kiss, and I haven''t really touched anyone ever since" the mutant girl told me "Ca... Can I touch you? Just a little bit, just to see if your power works on me?".


    I could so leverage this into becoming her boyfriend who wouldn''t have to treat her that well since I was literally her only opinion for any real physical intimacy. But it would be wise of me to take a little time to adjust to my new life first. Most of the shock had worn off while I was still in the lab, but I should at least decide if I was staying or not before trying to score with a teenage girl. Of course, it would be rather cruel of me not to let her have that intimacy despite our age difference.


    "Sugah I promise, if you feel anything, I''ll stop right away," she promised, "I just want to know if you can stop my power from hurting you".


    I figured that at worst she''d knock me out for a few hours. Frankly, I could do with the rest.


    "Sure, I need to try out my power," I said


    I really liked the sound of ''my power''.


    "But if pass out you''ll have to drag me to my room" I warned.


    She seemed willing to take the risk.


    "How do you want to do this?" I asked casually


    I''d heard the expression ''seeing her face light up'' but I''d never seen anyone brighten up like as she did.


    "Just stay still for a moment, let me know if you feel anything weird" she instructed.


    She let the very tips of her fingers touch my cheek, that was smooth for a change as I had no facial hair there, and when nothing happened she ended up just placing her hand on my cheek and leaving in there for a time. Once she removed her hand she inspected the spot she''d touched as if she was expecting it to have changed somehow. Then after pulling her other glove off, she placed both her hands on my cheeks, caressing them gently as if she was scared I might break.


    "Is that enough?" I asked.


    This was starting to feel strange, and not in a life-sucking way.


    "I''d forgotten how it feels" she admitted to me.


    We got back on with the business at hand, and this involved me getting a tour of the campus. I was not thrilled about the shared showers, but at least I had my own room, with a toilet and sink in a side room. Aside from that, there was a group living area, a nice kitchen, a cafeteria, classrooms and so on, even a cool looking game room. The Danger Room interested me the most as this world was a hostile place for a mutant and my powers were useless against non-mutants so I would need some training so I could learn how to defend myself.


    "This is your room," said Rogue at the end of the tour "I''m just down the hall with Kitty".


    I had no idea if she wanted to ask me something or if she wanted me to ask her something, and I was too tired to care. I went into my new room so that I could get some sleep. It had been a long day.


    (Line Break)


    Hallway. Xavier''s School for the Gifted.


    After getting dressed I headed out in the hopes of finding food, but since I''d gotten to bed so early I''d woken up at the crack of dawn so the cafeteria here wouldn''t be open for a while. I ended up wandering around for a while until I found the kitchen and someone already in it. I had no idea which of my fellow freaks he was, but given that he was eating ice cream for breakfast I figured that he might the ice guy.


    "Hi I''m Bobby Drake," he said, "Some people with no imagination called me Iceman".


    Well, that greatly helped in narrowing it down.


    "So you either you have ice-based powers or you''re a big Eugene O''Neill fan," I said.


    He gave me a confused look.


    "Eugene O''Neill he wrote a play called The Iceman Cometh" I explained.


    I had some very odd and nearly always useless information stored in my head. That''s how I knew this guy was Rogue''s boyfriend in the X-Men movies, but I was getting a gay vibe from this version, not that it bothered me it just came as a surprise since I''d not been expecting it from him. I could be wrong, but I''d had gay friends in the past and there are certain signals they give off. Something in the body language.


    At this point, I decided that it might be polite to introduce myself.


    "It''s Zero right?" Drake then asked, "Your mutant name I mean".


    Yes, I had a freaky new name but so much of my life was strange these days.


    "Sure," I said, before deciding to change the subject "So ice cream for breakfast?".


    "I like cold food," he said.


    Well, that made sense, and I figured that since I now had my teenage metabolism back that I might as well take advantage of it so I joined Bobby for some ice cream.


    "From what I hear you can cancel out mutant powers" the Iceman mentioned as I began to eat.


    That wasn''t exactly right.


    "It''s more like mutant powers don''t work if they are used on me directly and I touch a mutant their powers don''t work," I told Bobby "But I don''t know how that would work with your ice powers".


    Bobby reached out and touched my arm.


    "Feel colder?" he asked.


    I did not, and we began to experiment, he could freeze a glass of water that I was touching on the outside, but if I placed my finger inside the glass the water would only freeze around it.


    "So I guess you can throw ice at me and surround me with it, but you can just turn me into a popsicle" I deduced.


    This was strange since even he couldn''t freeze my body the water I was touching should have frozen. I had a lot to figure out about my powers. Thankfully it looked as if I''d met someone who was willing to help me test them out.


    (Line Break)


    Hallway. Xavier''s School for the Gifted.


    Bobby decided to show me the way to class, not that I had to go since I wasn''t actually a student here, but it seemed smart to see all the school had to offer before deciding to stay, and that meant finding out what kind of education they have here.


    "So what kind of classes do you have?" I asked.


    Bobby Drake showed me his time table. The subjects, lengths of the lessons and the way they were spaced out made sense given the college level of education. I had no idea how subjects were chosen, but I felt certain that if I asked some arrangments could be made to put me classes that actually interested me. The courses even mattered as they might help me to get certain jobs in the future.


    One of the very strange things about my magic wallet was that it contained a valid driver''s licence, and I somehow knew how to drive, as well as some sort of citizenship card. I had an entire history in this world, although it wasn''t much of one. Apparently, as an orphan that according to my medical records, I had those too, I''d been bounced around from one dumping ground for unwanted children to another.


    "Ethics" I read out "That sounds dull".


    Bobby didn''t agree.


    "The Professor teaches that class himself, he''s brilliant," the Iceman said.


    Bobby had just finished warning about the version of the mutant Pyro in this universe, who was an emo self-harming type who stayed in his room, when I realised that everyone was older than I''d been expecting.


    "There aren''t any kids here" I mentioned.


    Bobby looked at me if I was a little odd.


    "This is a college campus," he said.


    Well, I knew that already.


    "Professor X would never train kids to be X-Men," Bobby said, "Not that we have to become X-Men".


    That did make sense. Only evil people made use of child soldiers.


    "Yes, but what happens to mutants who get their powers before they can go to college?" I asked.


    Now Bobby seemed to understand my confusion.


    "Most mutants don''t get their powers until they''re our age," he told me "and if they do there''s another school for them".


    He then checked his watch.


    "Come on we''ll be late" he insisted


    On the way to class, I got hit by a girl sized projectile mostly in pink. She ran right into me and got knocked on her cute little butt.


    "Kitty, you okay?" asked Bobby.


    He helped her up while I tried to remember what I could about this girl.


    "I hit you!" she yelled.


    Yes, that was what had just happened. At least her short term memory hadn''t been damaged.


    "You need to look where you''re going," I advised.


    She looked offended and then realization was written on her face.


    "Oh you''re the new kid," she said.


    I resented her use of the word kid as she was like four foot nothing.


    "New I am" I confirmed, "and it''s really lucky that my power nullified yours before you began phasing through me or we''d have ended up fused together as one person, or maybe exploding into chunky people soup".


    That got me some odd looks from the people here.


    "So you''re the weird new kid, good to know," she said in a not mean way "See you later weirdo".


    I checked out her cute little ass as she walked away.


    "Nice girl" I commented.


    "Sure, if you like that sort of thing," Bobby said, "She''s a little on the shrimpy side".


    With that, we headed off to class.


    (Line Break)


    Classroom. Xavier''s School for the Gifted.


    The classroom, or lecture hall 1 as it called, seemed typical for a college classroom that you might see on TV. The layout had the students sitting at desks which were on levels higher up the further back you go so as to give everyone a clear view of the teacher. I''d been to college during old life, but they''d not had lecture halls as fancy as these.


    Not that I paid much attention to the lesson or the place it was held in once I''d found out that the teacher was Emma Frost. I was fairly certain that she was both telepathic and a bad guy, to put it in simple terms, and while the telepathic part didn''t really matter with me, the villain part did. Normally there would be no chance of someone who''d been part of a terrorist organisation being allowed to teach at any sort of school, but this could be a Snape situation in that Forst used to be evil and now is apparently good.


    That would make Xavier the Dumbledore in this situation and that made sense when you considered his position and overly trusting nature, and I was fairly sure he''d purposely called Rogue to his office just yesterday so we''d met knowing that she''d be drawn to a guy who could make physical contact with her. Perhaps he really believed that it would make us both happy if we were together, but the more cynical part of me suspected that the Professor wanted me to stick around, and was willing to use Rogue as an incentive.


    I could certainly see a use for me in the X-Men group. If I could learn to turn off mutant powers I then could switch off the powers of mutants who made trouble. All the other X-Men would have to do was pin a bad mutant down long enough for me to do whatever it was I might be able to do to switch off their powers. That was the kind of long term plan that involved manipulating a few people, but Xavier was one of those kinds of people who were convinced that their way of thinking and doing was totally correct. If he believed it was the right thing to do to make me an X-Men despite my own desires he''d find a way to make it happen.


    When the class came to an end Miss Frost asked me to stay behind, and it turned not to be because of something I''d done, but rather something she''d failed to do, and that was to get a read of me, which meant she''d not been able to enter my mind and simply find out what she wanted.


    "Do you telepaths normally invade people''s private thoughts without their permission?" I asked.


    While I was immune to this I''d be very upset if I was anyone else around here.


    "Most people''s thoughts aren''t worth reading and they aren''t exactly private, you don''t need to read minds to know what most of the boys in the class are thinking about when they look at me," she said to me "But you looked at me differently".


    She basically a female version of Snape as far as I was concerned, and I knew that she must have done some real shady things while playing for the other team. Not that I was judging her past actions much, I was more concerned for the future, and how she might be here to recruit for Magneto, and how he might not take no for an answer if he made me an offer through his spy. Assuming that she wasn''t a spy for Xavier or both, or working on her own plans.


    "I was hoping that we''d be able to spend some time together" Forst was now saying "Since I can''t simply figure you out I''d like to do so the old fashioned way. As an experiment of sorts, and maybe I can help you out at the same time".


    By that, I assumed she meant talking to me rather than violate my mind.


    "I don''t want to be a lab rat," I said.


    It suddenly became clear to me just how much cleavage this woman had, and it was a lot.


    "There must be some way I can make it worth your while," she said.


    Okay, this made no sense. There had to be some sort of alterer motive behind this, and perhaps I should go along with this just to find out more about what was going on around here.


    "Alright," I said as I headed for the door "I guess I can make the time".


    And if she wasn''t just flirting then maybe I''d see those big tits of hers. They looked huge from where I''d been standing.


    (Line Break)


    Bedroom. Xavier''s School for the Gifted.


    "Something I can help you with?" I asked


    Rogue had just barged into my room without so much a single knock, and I would have gotten mad about it if not for the fact that she looked a little ill. Or maybe like someone who needed a fix of a drug, or least a strong cup of coffee, I''d seen this look before.


    "Are you okay?" I asked.


    "So... ever since I touched you, I-I''ve had an aching for more," she told me.


    Wait, was she craving for some touch like it was some sort of narcotic. She couldn''t be this desperate just to make skin to skin to skin contact.


    "I need this, it''s all I''ve been able to think about," she admitted.


    A wicked part of me quickly recognised that I could get a lot from Rogue if I played my cards right here, but I felt bad for thinking that way. At times having a conscience can really suck the fun out of life.


    "Why don''t go you see that Beast guy maybe he can figure out if this is something to do with my powers" I suggested, "Perhaps making contact with someone without draining anything has affected you".


    She assured me that she''d already gone to talk to Beast, but I wasn''t sure I believed that.


    "What if I make it worth your while?" she offered "What if I let you touch me back? Wherever you want?".


    I couldn''t resist the offer my desire for female flesh was simply too strong. I blame the hormones.


    "Okay," I said while patting the part of my bed next to me "Let''s just see where this goes".


    While it''s normally the guy trying to stick his hand up a girl''s top at a time like this, but that was Rogue''s opening move. She gently placed a hand on my chest after going up into my shirt, and she soon started running it across my chest. This seemed to be an intensely e.r.o.t.i.c experience for her.


    "Just... start touching when you want to," she invited.


    Before long we were snogging and grabbing at each other like a couple of horny teenagers, because that was what we actually were, at least physically, and this was very much consensual if anything she was the more aggressive one. Actually going as far as to pull my shirt up so that she could plant kisses on my bare chest.


    Not to be outdone by some mere novice I began moving my hands behind Rogue so that I could undo her bra. Getting the damn thing off took some work and I had to stop the kissing for a few moments, an act that resulted in her giving me sad pout, but she smiled again when I ended up simply staring at her now bare chest.


    "Like what you see, Sugah?" she asked.


    Her accent seemed to have gotten stronger all of a sudden.


    "Oh yeah," I said.


    At this point I pretty much attacked her b.r.e.a.s.ts, sucking on her n.i.p.p.l.es, pinching them, kneading the flesh with my hands when they weren''t wrapped around her h.i.p.s. I went at them for a while with Rogue holding on to me so tightly that you''d think I might be trying to run away. Just when I''d been thinking about coming up for air, Rogue shuddered and called out as if c.u.m.m.i.n.g, and that did look as if what had just happened.


    "Did you get off from me messing with your b.o.o.b.s?" I asked.


    There had to be something mutant related going on here. Perhaps I should talk to one of the teacher''s about my powers and how they might affect other mutants in the long term.


    "Yeah I did and it was good," she told me.


    She then reached down to touch my erection.


    "Listen, I promised to make this worth your while right?" she said.


    As I sat on the bed she got down on her knees and took my c.o.c.k out, taking a moment to praise me on my size, before she started giving me a handjob. She wasn''t that good at it, but she kept giving me a s.e.xy look when I wasn''t busy staring at her tits.


    "Why don''t you shoot all over them, sugar?" she offered.


    I didn''t do that right away, and when I did there was quite a lot of c.u.m now decorating her rather impressive funbags.


    "Damn should have gotten some tissues" she complained.


    She then shrugged and put her bra in her jacket pocket as best she could before covering up her sticky tits with her top.


    "I''ll go take a shower, and do some laundry" she let me know "Thanks darlin I''ll be later for some more fun".


    While a woman in my place might have felt used given that she''d quickly left after having some fun, I didn''t mind as it meant I could go back to my book.


    (Line Break)


    Danger Room. Xavier''s School for the Gifted.


    While hitting the floor, I could only sigh as once again Kitty knocked me down on to the mat. It had rapidly become clear to me that I had a long way to go before I could even consider myself the equal of even the next newest student. It really wasn''t fair as most of them had powers that could be used offensively even if they couldn''t use them against me in a direct way.


    When it came to Kitty I could stop her from Phasing, but that didn''t matter that much, nor did the fact that she was looked small enough to fit in the cupboard under the stairs. She could still knock me on my ass with one good kick if she really put some effort into it and did it the right way. Not that shocking when you remembered that Wolverine is her PE teacher. His training would be very harsh and effective.


    What didn''t help was that Kitty only wore a tank top and a pair of yoga shorts as in this outfit she showed off a lot of skin, and I couldn''t seem to stop getting distracted by imagining how her skin felt, or by not so subtly trying to look down her top. Thankfully she didn''t call me out on that.


    "So how''s it feel to get beaten up by a girl?" Kitty teased.


    I slowly stood up.


    "Did I do something to piss you off in past life?" I asked.


    I must have as she tried to kick me again, only this time I grabbed her foot, and using my one real advantage, that being my much greater upper body strength I knocked her to the ground as she lost her balance when I pushed her foot away from me.


    She got back up and tackled me, pushing me down by unbalancing me with her scarily strong legs. Not I would complain about a hot girl mounting me. Although that did result in me not wanting to get up again as the erection would be noticeable by all.


    "You better be good to Rogue" Kitty warned.


    Oh, so that was what all this about.


    "I''m not even dating her," I said "I don''t even know if I want to date her. I might not even stay".


    Kitty wiggled a little totally on purpose.


    "I don''t think she''s going to have any problems," she teased "Boys are so easy".


    Was it my imagination or was Kitty enjoying this contact too much? Was she going to end up like Rogue, or had that been a special case due to the way her powers worked?


    "I''ll get off you and you can take a breather," the mutant girl said, "Until you calm down".


    That was very considerate of her.


    Chapter 2


    Office. Xavier''s School for the Gifted.


    "I''m glad that you have decided to stay with us, Zero," said Professor X.


    Well, it wasn''t as if I had anywhere else to go, not really, and while I did have some background in this world, it ended with some medical records and a High School diploma. This would be fine if my ambitions in life didn''t extend beyond getting a low paying job and a crappy apartment. However, I did want more for myself and now that I had a superpower I wanted to learn what it could do.


    "While attending my school you will be required to follow the rules" I was informed.


    Most school rules were common sense and I had at least some of that rarest of human traits, as such I didn''t even bother to look at them. It wasn''t if Xavier was going to kick me out of his school for running in the halls or something minor. He was too soft-hearted for that, so as long as I didn''t harm another student I should be fine, and I had no reason to do something so nasty to anyone.


    "Aside from classes, you''ll have chances to learn how to use your mutant power in productive ways" the headteacher of this school was now saying "According to what we''ve learned so far your ability to nullify mutant powers that are used on you does not appear to have anything to do with your body, at least far as we can tell, so most likely it is a mental ability, like my telepathy or Jean''s telekinetics, or Emma''s talent for making people see things that aren''t there".


    I''d seen Frost in the X-Men movies so I had some idea of what she could to people, and I was grateful that she could not do those things to me. Someone like her could have me seeing only what she wanted to see, and that made her more dangerous than most mutants.


    "Given time Emma will help you understand your powers" I was told, "Like me, she believes that there could be more to your ability than we''ve seen so far".


    Upon hearing that I had to wonder what he meant. I also realised that I''d been right about thinking that Frost''s request to spend time with me was part of something larger.


    "You think I can do more?" I asked.


    Xavier moved behind his desk before speaking.


    "The abilities of some mutants are rather straightforward and don''t change much," he said, "Take Scott or Cyclops as he is also known, as an example, while there are ways to make his power safe to use in a battle, it is rather direct. When he opens eyes beams of energy will destroy anything he looks at unless he has protection".


    Xavier had more to say.


    "But some powers can be rather more versatile, Storms ability to control the weather has many uses" he went on to say "My powers began with me only reading the minds of people who I had eye contact with, and Jean used to have no control at all".


    I started to understand where he was going with this.


    "So I could really learn to switch off a mutant''s powers in the long term?" I asked.


    Professor X directed me to take a book from the shelf and upon inspection, I saw that it was about mental exercises meant to help you focus. Normally I would scoff at some of what this book had to offer as it mentioned mediation methods and stuff like that.


    "It is possible that your ability to nullify mutant powers is a defensive reaction" I was informed "A way of you using your powers to protect yourself from mutants. It''s oddly specific and I can''t help wondering if a reaction to my X-Men bringing you here. Mutant powers are known to manifest for the first time due to stress so if the Sentinal attack and the appearance of some of my older students did cause your powers to manifest then it could be a single use of some greater power. Some sort of psychic defence I''d imagined. Quite useful on its own, but we should assume that you can do more".


    Even if I could only extend the range of my powers that alone would be worth training and could even get me a place with the X-Men as having someone who could turn everyone''s powers off on a battlefield would be a huge advantage. At least for the people prepared for it. Although some sort of stun weaponry would help as well.


    There was a knock at the door and once invited Storm came in with a laminated piece of paper in her hand.


    "Zero I have your time table," she told me.


    I took it and looked it over.


    My schedule was light. Two classes Monday to Friday, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with one lesson with Xavier on Saturday afternoons covering Ethics.


    "I never studied Ethics before," I said.


    Most of the classes were easy enough to understand and suitable for me, a mix of my interests and stuff I''d need. History. Computer sciences, that sort of thing.


    "All mutants need to learn to use their abilities," Xavier said to me as Storm left the room "And just as importantly we need to learn when, where and why we should use them. In the Danger Room, there will be plenty of chances for you to learn to use your powers in a violent situation, and many of the teachers have classes in the Danger Roon that you can join as you wish. With me, you will learn why we mutants must sometimes fight".


    From what I understood the main conflict was between the Xavier lead X-Men and Magneto''s followers who were called the Brotherhood of Mutants. Both wanted the same thing, a world where mutants can live without fear. So fundamentally the two leaders want the same thing. The two just have very different ideas on how to achieve this end.


    Xavier strongly believes that the only way to live peacefully with Homo Sapiens is to show that while mutants may sometimes look different, they are still human beings. Aggression against the rest of mankind only serves to escalate confrontations with humans in the future and further alienate mutants from society. Though the X-Men often use their powers in combat, they do so almost solely against other powered beings or as a last resort against humans.


    Magneto has no desire to go quietly to camps and be exterminated by humans as his family had been during World War 2, and that could happen as humans tended to fear that they didn''t understand and they could lash out in fear. Sure humans also liberated the camps at the end of World War II, but the fact that they''d ever existed at all was enough to justify his actions, at least for Magneto.


    "What do you think of the relationship between mutants and the rest of humanity?" I was asked as the Professor and I chatted a little about that matter "Do you think we can live in peace or do mutants have the right to use their powers to supplant Homo Sapiens as the dominant species on the planet".


    Not an easy question to answer.


    "I think if Homo Sapiens are going to go the way of the Neanderthals and be replaced by people with powers then it will happen with or without me" I answered "It might take centuries or even thousands of years, and I''ll be long dead by then. I''m more interested in keeping myself alive. Attacking the humans who outnumber us by millions is not a good idea. Mutants don''t have the numbers or powers to counter the sheer military might of just the USA, so it did come to war we''d be the ones wiped out".


    Xavier didn''t seem to approve or disapprove of my answer. I supported neither side really, but I''d pay lip service to Xavier''s ideas if it kept a roof over my head. Over time I''d have to act as if I was coming around to his way of thinking. He''d have no way of telling that I would have plans of my own, or that I even could have plans of my own. Right now I barely knew what I fancied for lunch.


    "So you think its best to keep our heads down and let history play out" summarised the man in the wheelchair "But what if other mutants threaten to start a war that could destroy us all. What will you do then?".


    Of course, I knew why he was asking this, and again it wasn''t easy to answer.


    "I really don''t know," I said.


    That seemed to satisfy him for now.


    (Line Break)


    Room. Xavier''s School for the Gifted.


    Rogue was not stupid, she wasn''t naive about guys either, and she very much wanted to be a relationship with someone she cared about that involved all the fun parts, including s.e.x. If her powers had been different she might have acted more proper, and let the guys chase after her, but with her powers that simply wasn''t possible. Guys didn''t go after her, she could only ever be friends with them.


    All of a sudden this had changed when a new student arrived at the school. Her fellow mutant had the power to cancel out her powers, at least so they couldn''t be used on himself, and finding a guy like that was for her a dream come true. Only he was acting as she''d imagined, he wasn''t all over her, he wasn''t even paying her that much attention, or at least not enough. Not that this was due to any sort of rudeness, she was sure that he just needed time to settle in.


    The problem for Rogue was that she wasn''t the only girl on campus. There were far prettier girls around, at least in her view, and who were also single as dating opportunities for mutants weren''t exactly frequent. There was a limited number of male mutants here on campus, and most of them were not suitable even for the girls who weren''t Rogue. Dating non-mutants wasn''t a good idea because mutants needed to pass for normal as much as possible so they couldn''t go around telling people about their powers and non-mutants might react badly if they discovered the truth.


    Scott, the most desired by the girls here, had been claimed by Jean, who made it very clear that it would be unwise for any girl to even look in Scott''s general direction. A girl called Amanda Sefton was with Kurt, Bobby was gay, and the rest of the guys on offer wouldn''t appeal much when compared to the new guy with the strange powers.


    So Rogue had decided to be bold. To make a statement of sorts. To do something that would make Zero, the new guy, want her. She couldn''t just move on and try to find someone else because anyone else could die just from just a kiss. For her, it was Zero or nothing, a least for now. Perhaps if he could switch off her powers things could be different, but she''d spent far too much time wishing things could be different and nothing had changed.


    With that in mind, she made his way into his bedroom and found the mutant known as Zero sitting on his bed, he was reading a book, something he did a lot, but soon he''d have something more interesting to look at. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed as he asked why she was here. Rogue figured that the look she was giving him should answer that question, and if it didn''t then she could make her intentions even more clear.


    Without a word she then dropped to the ground and wiggled her way in between Zero''s legs. After that she slid her hands up the mutant''s body and then back down, stopping at his groin. Once she''d done that she began to unbutton his jeans. She undid the button, and almost frantically pulled down the zipper. With a couple of tugs, she brought his jeans down to his ankles, to reveal his black boxers.


    Rogue smiled as she saw the bulge that was only hidden from her eyes due to his underwear. She reached up, and with her soft hands she gripped the waistband of his boxers and pulled them down. While smiling at up at Zero the mutant known as Rogue pulled his underwear all the way down and they soon joined his jeans at the bottom of his ankles.


    Before long she reached out for his d.i.c.k and took it into her slightly trembling hand, the only sign of how nervous she really was. He''d gotten hard very quickly, something that pleased Rogue quite a bit, and despite her nervousness, she''d dedicated herself to this course of action and intended to go through with it.


    She took a deep breath and looked up at Zero as she began jerking him off.


    "Relax Darling" she encouraged "I''m gonna make you feel good".


    She took as much of his d.i.c.k into her mouth as best she could, nearly choking herself. Then she slowly brought his shaft out of her mouth, using her tongue on it, trying to make him feel good while knowing that she''d have to take things a bit slower than she''d wanted to.


    When Zero started making some noises that signalled approval of what Rogue was doing she smiled even more as she was pleased with the effect she was having on the guy she''d chosen to be her man. She just wanted to prove herself able to please him so he''d not object to her claiming of him. She didn''t intend to say anything like that, she knew his gender well enough to know that it would be best to act as things were causal at first for his sake, but she''d make it clear that Zero was off the market.


    That was something to think about later, for now, she needed to make Gothic feel good so that he''d come to her for more attention. She licked the tip of his shaft and planted kisses as she did her best to use her hands to and mouth to make Gothic feel good.


    She withdrew somewhat as she tasted his pre-c.u.m. It wasn''t the greatest taste in the world but when it had entered her mouth a wave of pleasure had run through her body. Like a small orgasm, and he hadn''t even touched her. What would it be like when she swallowed?.


    Rogue understood that she desired Zero''s touch even before she''d jerked him off. Since then the desire to make contact had become more manageable, and according to the tests run on her there was nothing physically wrong with her so the craving was all in her head, but it had remained and it had started building up again. Now she felt great as if she''d not had caffeine for days and someone had just brought an expresso.


    When Zero began to lie back Rogue once again took his entire length into her mouth. She felt more energised now, and very s.e.xy. She took off her top but left her bra on since he wasn''t looking at her. If she couldn''t swallow, and she would try her best to, she''d let it dribble out on her tits, he might like that.


    She slowly but surely slid his c.o.c.k out of her mouth and withdrew to his head making a loud slurping sound as she did. Rogue''s head soon begun to bob up and down, as she got used to this strange new feeling. This was her first time giving anyone a blowjob, but she''d listen to others talk about such things and clearly she was a natural.


    "R..R..Rogue...I''m g...gonna c.u.m!" he warned,


    It squirted a glob of thick liquid into her awaiting mouth, and Rogue swallowed every bit, forcing herself to take it all, she wanted to impress her man, and while the taste left something to be desired, the main event made the pre-c.u.m she''d swallowed earlier seem rather pitiful. She didn''t fake how much she enjoyed him c.u.m.m.i.n.g inside her mouth she actually orgasmed.


    Not wanting to crowd Zero, or to appear desperate for his attention she stood up and put her top back on.


    "Here, this is my number..." Rogue said while writing down her number


    Not that Zero had a phone or a need to call anyone since all the people he knew in this world lived in the same big house.


    "We can do this again... right?" she asked,


    Her newfound confidence began shaking slightly as an unsure look appeared on her face, but she need not have worried. He wanted more she was sure of that.


    "We can keep things causal between us, Sugah" she promised, "You know where I am if you want more".


    (Line Break)


    Room. Xavier''s School for the Gifted.


    When one of the girls at the school you live at can pass through solid objects with no more effort than moving through patches of sunlight, having a locked bedroom door becomes rather pointless, as such Kitty ended up walking in on me while I was changing and sure she noticed this, but it didn''t stop her from having a go about me what was on her mind.


    "So you''re not dating Rogue," she said, "Why not?".


    Had the following lecture been written down that would have been the title of it on paper, and that title was followed by a lecture on the whole ''friends with benefits things'' never lasting, and how it always results in someone getting their feelings hurt, something I knew all too well.


    "Okay first of all. I don''t want to date," I said to Kitty "It''s only been a few days since I woke up on a bench in New York with no idea how I got there or why I was there. Then I got attacked by a giant robot that wanted to drag me off to what I can only assume would be some government lab for study, captivity and maybe even dissection. Then I get saved by the X-Men, brought here, I get a load of tests run on me, and as soon as I decide to stay or not I get people who barely know me coming up to me and telling me how to live my life".


    I had a bit more to say.


    "And second its really none of your business" I then said.


    She took that last part rather personally.


    "Rogue is my best friend" she insisted.


    I sighed.


    "Yes, but my life isn''t your business" I reminded her "Right now I''m confused and a little scared, so I''m in no fit state to care for anyone else, but I didn''t want to break Rogue''s heart by outright regretting her".


    Kitty stopped glaring at me as I realised that I''d spoken out loud about things I''d not even realised were bothering me. I''d thought that I was handling all this rather well, but perhaps I wasn''t, and Kitty picked up on that, and since she was kind she came over and hugged me. Which felt good and she seemed to agree as she m.o.a.ned in pleasure when my arms went around her. She stayed there for a while enjoying the feeling way more than I was judging by how fiercely she held on.


    "Just don''t hurt my friend" she warned when she turned to leave "Or I''ll phase into the showers when you''re in there and steal your clothes. Everyone will laugh at you".


    That was not an empty threat since my clothes could be phased if I wasn''t wearing them.


    (Line Break)


    Clothes Store. Shopping Mall.


    While Rogue had to be careful about her choices in fashion when she went in public and even at home she now had a guy to impress. So she''d ventured to the nearest mall to find something to wear in private that would make Zero never want her to leave his room when he invited her over. She was now looking at some s.e.xy sleepwear and she held it up to her body as she looked in a mirror, it should show off her b.o.o.b.s nicely when combined with that lacy bra she''d picked out earlier. All in green as the colour suited her.


    "Careful, those can be lethal weapons" Kitty warned.


    Rogue tilted her head and while looking through her shades, she noticed the short, thin brunette girl who was standing next to her.


    "What was that, Kitty?" Rogue asked.


    The two girls had come shopping together as they often did and then ended up finding clothes that suited them, only regrouping to exchange opinions.


    "Your b.o.o.b.s," she said "If you display them like that any guy who sees you will pass out from lack of blood flow to the head".


    Rogue could only hope


    "You''re just jealous that you don''t have b.o.o.b.s to flaunt," the more sassy girl snapped back.


    Kitty looked down at her own chest and frowned. This made Rogue feel bad.


    "I think all the guys are checking out your butt anyway," said the mutant with the bigger cup size.


    Kitty did have a cute backside, and Rogue had to wonder when she''d started thinking about such things.


    "So how are things going?" Kitty questioned, "With Zero I mean".


    Rogue wouldn''t talk private things but the other mutant was her best friend.


    "I''ve made sure he knows I''m interested," she said.


    That didn''t answer Kitty''s question.


    "Come on I want deets" the shorter girl said.


    A smile shot across Rogue''s face as she thought about the things she''d been getting up over the last few days.


    "Well, we''ve done some kissing" Rogue admitted "and some touching in places I never been touched before".


    Kitty just stood there, listening to her best friend''s every word with the biggest grin on her face.


    "Oh yesterday I got to prove my wonderful oral skills," Rogue confessed, "and I don''t mean I was in French class".


    That she badly wanted to do again.


    "Wow, aren''t you a little s.l.u.t," Kitty said with a giggle. "So..was he...big?".


    Rogue wanted to be a bit of a s.l.u.t, but not too much.


    "Well," she said as she thought. "I got nobody to compare him to, but he''s plenty big enough for me, and it didn''t taste that good when he finished, but I sure felt s.e.xy".


    "Oh my god! Did you really swallow? Kitty asked.


    Rogue had been under the impression that doing so was normal.


    "What? Like you wouldn''t? You''d never do that with your boyfriend?" she asked


    Kitty seemed a little embarrassed.


    "I''ve never done that with a guy," she told her friend "But it sounds nasty".


    Rogue had found it enjoyable enough.


    "Well, don''t knock it until you''ve tried it sugah," said Rogue.


    The smaller mutant sure wanted to try it.


    "So are you two, like dating now?" Kitty asked.


    The taller of the two girls frowned upon hearing that.


    "No," she said "I don''t wanna scare him off. You know what guys are like with commitment. I''ll keep my distance for a while and let him come to me. You have to let men chase you a bit even if you make the first move. Then I''ll have him all for myself".


    That was the plan.


    "Yeah, like Scott how will probably always love Jean," said Kitty.


    Rogue looked over at Scott who outside of the clothes store with his girlfriend who was not shy about letting everyone know who she was with.


    "Gawd, look at her," Kitty exclaimed, "She''s like hanging all over Scott".


    While Rogue was no longer crushing on Scott as she used to that didn''t mean she liked how Jean publicly displayed her affection for him.


    "Ah don''t see what Scott see''s in her," Rogue said to the phasing mutant. "Ah mean her b.o.o.b.s are so much smaller than mine. And look, her ass is so flat".


    Kitty giggled upon hearing that


    "Ah bet she isn''t even a natural redhead," Rogue said as she continued to mock Jean.


    This went on for a while.


    (Line Break)


    Danger Room. Xavier''s School for the Gifted.


    From what I understood the Danger Room created holographic environments, people and objects, as such when training in this space we students had a lot of stuff to train with. In fact, the only limits here other than ourselves was that creating new training programs became a time-consuming endeavour.


    Another feature of interest was that the room can also create obstacle courses from the machinery inside the floor and the walls and that the programming could make predictions on what you''ll do based on past actions, so you always have to stay on your toes. It stops you from falling into predictable routines.


    Some of the simulations were basically a series of dry runs for future missions for the X-Men and those who were training for the role even if they''d never put on the uniform. I wasn''t sure if I wanted that sort of life for myself, I wasn''t the heroic type, but I could use the training as it would come in useful later no matter where I ended up. Somehow I didn''t think that I''d end up behind a desk during this lifetime. Not if some ROB had placed me here, it would want to be amused.


    There had to be safeties and such in place so as to prevent serious injury or even death, otherwise, they wouldn''t let students in here. To ensure that there was always someone in the see-through glass room, the one with all the computers and other technology that made the Danger Room work while preventing anyone who used it from dying in a painful manner.


    I waited for my class to begin, and that would involve a sadistic Wolverine making me run laps and survive the obstacle course, that he would make me run until it felt as if my lungs would explode. Okay so it wasn''t that bad, it just felt that bad. That said Sabertooth might actually the kinder of two bothers, he''d only rip my throat out. Wolverine seemed to be trying to find out at what point my legs would drop off and I''d bleed to death on the floor of the Danger Room.


    In reality, Wolverine wasn''t just some evil gym teacher, he was going to train to me so that in the future I could stay alive, and he did this because he wanted us to stay among the living. That really mattered to him and that was why he pushed us and would keep doing so. Also, it had struck me that if the teachers were planning to find out if there was more to my powers, then Wolverine might be pushing me hard to see if some other aspect of my powers would manifest when I under stress.


    Once I''d gotten past that level of training I''d be able to learn about different weapons, including modern firearms, as well learn more hand to hand combat. Weapons and hand to hand were very important to me since my powers were defensive in nature and only any use on mutants, at least as far as I knew.


    While waiting I watched the end of a more advanced class. This one involved the more experienced students who were taking on a holographic Sentinal. Due to my recent encounter with one of those deadly machines I''d started reading all I could find on them.


    Designed for hunting, these machines had all kinds of concealed weapons in their bodies. Their most common attack is firing laser beams from their arms or chests. They can also fire devastating missiles from their chests or shoulders. They were more like tanks on legs than the law enforcement robots that kept the mutant menace at bay, as they were described by the news stations.


    Being robots, the Sentinels don''t have the same physical limitations as organic beings do, and as such, they have no need for nourishment, sleep or rest, though they must require some kind of fuel as would any normal vehicle to keep their engines active or they maybe they just ran on electricity thanks to some batteries the designs were classified. Alas while I could power down mutants in some sense it didn''t work with machines. I''d tried with a TV to see if I could switch it off with my powers, they didn''t work that way.


    Even with the classified plans, the mutants here knew some about how the robots worked. Such as the brain-like program the Sentinels have is specially designed to detect and attack those that have mutant life signs. As a special contingency against them, the Sentinels are equipped with a specially-designed, jelly-like imprisonment substance that can be fired from their left arms and surround a man-sized mutant inside with no chance of escaping. When the jelly solidifies, the mutant is placed in a state of suspended animation.


    Despite their resistance towards damage, the Sentinels can be destroyed by very powerful opponents or one with powers that can affect machines. One of the people who had some experience in this was X-23 the lab-grown daughter of Wolverine, who was the only girl I''d met so far that paid me no attention. That hardly surprised or offended me as while I could cancel out the girl''s healing factor that wouldn''t mean anything to her as if I was that close she could just stab me with her bone claws.


    "I wouldn''t let Wolverine catch you looking at Laura like that" advised the mutant operating the machines here.


    Laura was attractive and a fierce fighter, but I doubted she was my type, I liked my girls a little more submissive and of this version of X-23 was anything like her father than she''d eat me alive, or more likely impale me. Still, she was impressive, she had gotten onto the back of the Sentinal and was digging her claws into it, before long she''d be able to get at the machine''s more vulnerable innards and shut it down.


    "And don''t let Rogue see you checking anyone else at" I was warned.


    I didn''t even know who this guy was and I didn''t want this advice. He was some mutant that could make spikes, that was all I knew about him.


    "Mind your own business," I said.


    After saying that I headed down for my training session.


    Chapter 3


    Danger Room. Xavier''s School for the Gifted.


    "Okay, so far I''ve discovered that Nightcrawler can''t teleport me or teleport at all if he is in physical contact with me," I said as I jotted down the information in a notebook "Cyclops can destroy my clothes, but his beams don''t do anything to my body".


    This was important stuff for me to know because once I understood the limits of my powers I''d be able to better know if they grew stronger or changed in some way. I was training my brain, and it would take time for that to have an effect, but if it didn''t start making a difference before too long I''d stop bothering so that I could devote myself more to gaining combat skills via training.


    So far my powers didn''t make much sense as my ability to nullify mutant powers didn''t seem to make total sense to me, and that made me wonder if I''d been right before and the nullification was just the tip of the iceberg and I could in fact so much more. Something I could not control and wasn''t stable. Hopefully, that would change in time.


    "How is that useful?" wondered X-23.


    It might not seem like much, but it couldn''t matter in a fight.


    "If nothing else you can use me as a human shield if Scott ever goes on a rampage or if Jean decided to give people telekinetic wedgies then I''ll be safe" I offered as answeres "Plus it''s funny when Kitty tries running through me on the way to class and ends up falling on her butt".


    By now this had happened more than once. At some point, I''d have to conclude that she was either stupid or like bumping into me.


    "Telepaths can''t read my mind so I can keep information secret from them," I said, thinking of more uses for my mutant power "Teleporters can''t abduct me. Rogue can touch people as long as I''m in contact with her, and that makes everyone safer".


    Also, it made threesome''s an option, but mostly she was happy to be able to give people hugs with no fear of knocking anyone out.


    "So what happens if you''re touching me?" asked Laura.


    I gave it some thought.


    "You''re healing factor would stop" I guessed


    She decided that she wanted to try this out so I took hold of her arm.


    "It''s like tingly," said Kitty "Or it at least it is for me".


    Before long I let go of the girl''s arm.


    "Tingly" she commented.


    I wondered if that sensation had something to do with Kitty and Rogue paid me so much attention.


    "At least you don''t steal anyone''s powers when you touch them" Rogue was now saying "or knock them out".


    Despite the fact that she can now touch people when I''m touching her she isn''t happy about her powers.


    "I''m sure that I''ll figure out how to turn them off" I assured her.


    Messing with another mutant''s powers is a big taboo here, I only nullify them if they are used on me or when I''m in contact with my body so no one other than Nightcrawler worries about getting near me. Not being able to teleport freaked him out. Maybe he worries that I''ll grab him and hurt him when he can''t get away from me.


    My thoughts about Kurt, as fleeting as they normally were, vanished totally when I saw that Wolverine was ready to begin to days lesson on the basics of firearms, and it was a bit of a surprise when he asked me to step forward as a part of a demonstration, even more so when he shot me in the leg and nothing bad happened.


    (Line Break)


    Bedroom. Xavier''s School for the Gifted.


    I had no idea why Professor X was allowing Emma Frost aka the White Queen to teach at his school, as she was not a big fan of his, but this version of her was no friend to the Brotherhood either as she''d told me that "Erik is a violent fanatic and Charles a pacifistic idealist, and I''m sure they''d tell you that I am a manipulative bitch, without using those precise words" but it was good for me that she was here as it had scored me an invite to the Hellfire club. I knew that in the comics the Hellfire Club often comes into confrontation with the mutant superhero team, the X-Men.


    Back in my world, the Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive clubs for high society rakes established in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century. But according to what Emma Forst had just told me in this world they were much, much more than that. Although the Club appears to merely be an international social club for wealthy elites, its clandestine Inner Circle sought to influence world events, in accordance with their own agenda. Of course, there were plenty of other groups who did that sort of thing.


    The Hellfire Club counts among its members the most famous, wealthy, and influential members of society. Membership is passed on to descendants, and can also be earned through wealth or influence. While many accept the invitation simply for the pleasures that the Club offers, others seek such things as wealth and influence.


    This makes sense since the purpose of the Hellfire Club is to obtain and exert power through politics and economic influence instead of outward conquest and domination. Since its foundation, the Hellfire Club has been involved in wars and assassinations to further the agendas of the Club''s most powerful members.


    The Club has branches in New York City, London, Hong Kong, and Paris, and I''d been given a guest pass to the club in New York. An enticement that Miss Frost had just given to me after a session that involved her trying to figure out what else I could do with my psychic powers. Something else I wished to know about.


    Clearly, the White Queen must see some sort of potential in my powers if she was showing this much attention to me. I just had no idea if my potential, if I had any, would manifest in any useful way. I might be a very powerful psychic like the Professor or Jean Grey, or nullifying mutant powers and stopping the odd bullet might be the extent of my bag of tricks. Not that this couldn''t have its uses to the Hellfire Club and it seemed very likely that I had more to offer than what had been seen so far.


    Becoming a member of the Hellfire Club could open up possibilities for me. I didn''t fancy becoming an X-Man so it would be good to have more options.


    "Hey, Darlin," said a familiar voice.


    I really ought to get a lock for my bedroom door.


    "Did I just see Miss Frosty the Bitch leave your room?" Rogue asked.


    I could hear jealously in her tone. It wasn''t at all hidden, and given that I''d been shot recently you''d think she''d be more focused on that if she cared much about me.


    "Yes, you did," I told her.


    I hadn''t intended to say more, but here I was lying on my bed getting stared at by an upset female mutant. If nothing else I found it distracting. It''s hard to think about your future when there''s an unhappy woman nearby.


    "She was here for a tutoring session" I explained to Rogue "She''s trying to help me unlock my hidden power".


    This information seemed to somewhat appease the upset girl.


    "Do you know much about Emma Frost?" I asked.


    Rogue came over to lie next to me on the bed


    "I know she used to run The Massachusetts Academy before she came here" was all Rogue could tell me "And I don''t like her".


    If I recalled my comic book lore correctly the Massachusetts Academy also had a long-standing alliance with the Hellfire Club. In addition to a large student body, the Academy also houses a clandestine school for young mutants. But I''d always been a DC fan so outside of the movies my knowledge of the Marvel universe was rather limited. But I had picked up some comic knowledge from reading fanfics and stuff like that as well as picking up a comic or two that gave details about one of Wolverines many adventures.


    "Let me help you forget all about that evil old witch," offered Rogue as she came in for a hug "Tell me what to do and I''ll do it for you".


    I laughed upon hearing that.


    "Why do woman say stuff like that?" I wondered "They never mean it".


    Rogue looked at me and I could tell that she was offended.


    "I do mean it, sugah," she insisted.


    This was something to test. I did consider telling her to go make me a sandwich but then I had a better idea.


    "Strip for me" I ordered.


    She didn''t leap into action, but she did as I commanded, and that made me wonder how much control over her I actually had. I knew she desired me and would start to feel bad if I didn''t let her get close to me, but that didn''t mean she was a puppet for me to control. Not that I thought about this for long as Rogue began to strip as I watched, removing her mesh top and what was underneath it to show me the dark green lacy bra that she was wearing. Then she removed almost everything covering her lower half so that I could see her matching panties.


    "Someone''s up" commented the mutant.


    She''d noticed my erection.


    "Is this enough?" she asked, "can I come back for some more holding?".


    To tease her I pretended to think about it, but only until she started pouting again, and I decided not to push her into going nude.


    "You did good, Rogue" I praised her "I''m proud of you".


    She wasn''t offended by that if anything she was pleased by my words.


    "Aww thank you, sugah," Rogue replied in her sultry Southern accent.


    With that, she got back on to the bed and snuggled up into me, but she kept one hand free so that she could play with my d.i.c.k.


    "Want to me suck ya off?" she asked.


    I nodded and she moved away enough to get her head down to where my c.o.c.k was busy pointing up into the air. She didn''t waste any time, putting her mouth to use in a way that met with my approval. Just as she started Kitty AKA Shadowcat phased into my room, she cried out in surprise and then turned around, going back the way she came in.


    "Was that Kitty? asked Rogue.


    I confirmed this and Rogue shrugged before getting back to the task at hand. Then it became the task at the mouth.


    (Line Break)


    Office. Xavier''s School for the Gifted.


    "Thank you for coming everyone," the Professor said to the group.


    It was possible for Xavier''s older students to get a sense of their mentor''s mood just by entering the room he was in. So Scott Summers and Jean Grey knew right away that something worried the professor. What had made this easier was the concerned looks on Storm''s face and even Logan seemed more agitated than normal.


    "What is it?" asked Scott "Is someone in trouble?".


    That would explain the tension in the room.


    "Not exactly, Scott" replied Xavier "But that could soon change".


    Before the conversation went any further everyone other than Wolverine took a seat.


    "Have any of you ever heard the term Pathifery?" the professor asked.


    None of them had.


    "That''s to be expected it," said Xavier "To put it simply a mutant with the power of Pathifery could manipulate reality itself. Not through conscious thoughts or any kind of action, but through their base feelings and emotions. A mutant with this ability could cause reality to be altered based on their feelings, by simply wanting something to happen badly enough. I believe there is a chance that Zero has this power".


    Scott and Jean looked at each other for a moment, exchanging worried looks.


    "Now an uncontrolled version of this power is dangerous enough depending on its strength, but should Zero learn to control his power he would be able to create, shape and manipulate reality around him just by thinking about it. Depending on his level of power he might even be able to alter the laws that govern our universe".


    That sort of power was a threat to the whole world, not just the people living on it, but existence itself.


    "Can the kid become that strong?" Logan asked, "I mean ending all life on the planet kind of strong".


    Xavier wasn''t sure, but he doubted.


    "Not likely, the sheer amount of energy required for something on that scale would be far more than any human could handle, mutant or not, and as far as we can tell he''s biologically normal," said the man in the wheelchair "I suspect that this power will never expand to more than a few meters beyond his body. Right now it only affects himself and anyone who comes into physical contact with him, however, given time and training his range will expand".


    There was much more to speak about.


    "At first it did seem as if Zero was only able to nullify mutant powers so that they couldn''t affect him," said Xavier "A defensive ability. Then I began to study the data you gathered from the tests you ran on Zero and it shows far more activity in the amygdala region than I would expect".


    The Professor knew that he would have to give them more information.


    "As I''m sure you all know the brain is a very complex organ. It controls and coordinates everything from the movement of your fingers as you type to the beating of your heart. The brain also plays a crucial role in how you control and process your emotions" he was now saying "Experts still have a lot of questions about the brain''s role when it comes to handling the range of human emotions, but they''ve pinpointed the origins of some common ones, including fear, anger, and happiness".


    He wasn''t done yet.


    "The amygdala helps coordinate responses to things in your environment" the bald man went on to explain "especially those that trigger an emotional response. This structure plays an important role in fear and anger".


    Xavier used a screen to display some of the information that he''d been looking over, including scans of Zero''s brain.


    "Now look at the activity in the Hypothalamus," he said while showing the data "Which in addition to controlling emotional responses, is also involved in s.e.x.u.a.l responses, and hormone release. From a biological standpoint, fear is a very important emotion. It helps you respond appropriately to threatening situations that could harm you. This response is generated by stimulation of the amygdala, followed by the hypothalamus. When the amygdala stimulates the hypothalamus, it initiates the fight-or-flight response. The hypothalamus sends signals to the adrenal glands to produce hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol".


    Jean realised something.


    "Most mutants learn they are mutants when under stress and their powers are triggered" informed the redhead "At times when those hormones are released into the bloodstream in larger than normal amounts".


    Xavier smiled as he was proud of his students.


    "That''s correct Jean" he praised "In Zero''s case his sudden relocation from New York, which must somehow be connected to the records we know must be false, and the attack of a Sentinal would trigger an intense fear response. Zero at this point would have unknowingly altered himself psychically, changing his reality, so that mutant powers can''t harm him. The desire to survive is a powerful drive for us humans".


    Scott was puzzled.


    "I don''t pretend to understand hormones and the human mind, Professor," said Cycoplos "But why did he make himself immune to mutant powers when it was a Sentinal going after him? We were there to help".


    Xavier thought this to be a good question.


    "Because the parts of the brain I talked about earlier have to do with emotional responses, not rational thinking," said the headmaster of this college "Sentinals hunt mutants so on some level he may have seen the presence of the mutants as the source of danger, and the event was stressful, you did grab Zero and bring him here against his will even if it was for his own good. Which he understands logically, but feelings don''t always make sense. Don''t take it personally".


    Jean had something more to say.


    "If his powers are based on feelings rather than thought is that why you had Logon shoot Zero?" she asked.


    She had not been amused to hear about that.


    "Yes, Jean" answered Charles "the bullet was a plastic one, and fired in such a way that it would leave a nasty bruise, but do no real harm, and as I expected it never touched him, or to be more accurate it touched him but did no damage. I suspect that he nullified the bullet''s kinetic energy".


    This confused the mutant with telekinetic powers.


    "I jabbed him with quite a few needles when he arrived" she mentioned, "How can I have done that if bullets don''t hurt him, and I know he doesn''t like needles".


    Xavier had already thought about this.


    "His powers had only just manifested," said the telepathic man "Altering reality, even just for himself, would take a lot of energy so he may have been too drained at the time, or perhaps he wasn''t afraid enough for his powers to act to defend him. You''re not exactly threatening Jean. Most people enjoy having you around, and he would have calmed down by then".


    Well, some of the young girls were a little resentful of Jean presence, for reasons Xavier didn''t share no matter how often he picked them up, but they wouldn''t fear her.


    "Being able to defend himself from threats with his powers does not mean he is altering reality" Storm pointed out "and even if he does then he is only changing himself. Is that such a concern?".


    Xavier thought it was. Although it wasn''t as potential world-shattering as some might think.


    "My thinking behind his goes back a few days to when I first detected Zero," he told everyone "New York City isn''t as far from here as it might seem, not with Cerebro, and I detected our new friend before the Sentinel appeared, and that could only have happened if he was using his powers before then. His sudden appearance in an unfamiliar place might have created an outburst of mutant power that I was able to detect and draw the attention of a Sentinal, I wonder what about his reality he altered?".


    This made sense as well the jet wouldn''t have had to travel far to reach Zero they had gotten not long after the Sentinel appeared.


    "The second spike in the readings would have happened when the attack started" the Professor was now saying "But there were no odd readings before I detected Zero so I don''t think a mutant placed him the park, or if they, then they did very carefully".


    That was another mystery.


    "Logan tell them what you told me" Xaiver requested.


    Wolverine grunted before doing as he''d been asked to do.


    "The kid''s been in the Danger Room a lot," said the gruff man "Since he got attacked by a big robot that wanted to drag him off God only knows where I don''t blame him, and he''s coming along nicely. The thing is he''s improving too quickly. I can''t be sure because he hasn''t been here for long, but people don''t shape up that fast. Its nothing superhuman, he smells normal enough for a human, and if keeps going at this rate he''s going to be one of better hand to hand fighters we''ve got".


    Jean was now wondering something else.


    "Are his powers like mine?" she question "I mean do they require some sort of effort or are they like Rogue''s in that he can''t turn it off?".


    Another good question and Xavier tried to think of a way to answer that.


    "I suspect that the alternations to reality don''t require effort to maintain. I believe that once he has altered reality for himself that it will remain altered. I''ve never been able to enter his mind even when he is sleeping and I''m sure Emma has tried to as well".


    Xavier rubbed his chin as he did some thinking.


    "I admit that this is all speculation at the moment" he confessed to the group "So, for now, I just want you to keep an eye on Zero and see if anything unexpected happens".


    Scott was still at the worrying stage.


    "Professor if Zero does learn to control his powers how dangerous could he be?" the man in the shades wished to know.


    It was Wolverine who answered.


    "He''d be able to kill us just by wanting it," he said.


    Xavier was also able to see the danger.


    "To begin with range will be a factor, and he could tire quickly by using his powers too much, but in theory, a full reality warper would only be limited by their desire and imagination," said the telepathic man "he could boil your blood, remove the air from your lungs, crush your heart, turn the very ground you walk on into acid. The possibilities are almost endless".


    Scott was now very worried.


    "Professor, how can we let someone that powerful out into the world?" Summers demanded to know.


    Xavier wasn''t as concerned as his student.


    "All of us have power, Scott" he reminded "You are quite capable of destroying entire buildings full of people, yet you wouldn''t because you understand that it would wrong. My intention is to educate young Zero so that he can learn to use his powers in a constructive way to protect himself and the people he cares about. Just as you do. His powers seem to be defensive in any case, and that means the best defence against Zero''s powers is not to threaten him".


    Scott wasn''t soothed, he didn''t simply assume that Zero would do anything wrong as he tended to think the best of people, he was simply concerned that the new mutant might do harm to the people around him without meaning to.


    "But what if doesn''t?" Jean asked, "How do we defeat someone who can alter the reality around them".


    Xavier had also thought of this.


    "Ranged attacks that don''t involve using your powers directly would be best" advised Charles "His powers will tire him out long before using yours would simply due to the amount of energy involved, and he''s not immune to physical attacks, although they will become less effective as he masters his powers".


    "Or you take him by surprise," advised Wolverine "Can''t stop an attack you don''t see coming".


    While there were valid reasons to be concerned there were also positive possibilities to be made from this.


    "For every possible danger that Zero could bring about, there is an equal chance that he could be a great force for good," Xavier told everyone "A man who can nullify energy and mutant powers could remove many threats to mankind without hurting or killing anyone. In theory, he could do anything within his range. Treat injuries, cure diseases, turn a bomb in a cake, a gun into a banana. If we handle this right Zero may become a great hero".


    Ororo now had a question.


    "Charles if Zero does indeed alters reality due to his feelings, and fear causes him to alter himself to survive, what of anger?" she asked, "He might lash out if he feels strongly enough, hurting someone through no fault of his own since he can not control this power".


    Another valid concern.


    "This why I have taken the risk of asking Emma to tutor him as she understands the need for control. While I will also attempt to guide Zero" Xavier replied "If he can learn to control himself he will learn to control his power. Just as you all had to".


    This did address some of the concerns the others felt.


    "I''m still gonna keep a close eye on the kid" stated Logon "And on Frost".


    Emma''s presence here was a cause of some strife.


    "I have my reason for having Emma here, and two of those reasons, former students of hers who attended the academy will be arriving soon," said the man in the wheelchair "The two young ladies are both willing to join the X-Men after some training and time spent getting to know their teammates. This will be good as we can be sure that the Brotherhood is also looking for new members".


    (Line Break)


    Bedroom. Xavier''s School for the Gifted.


    While it had been a long time since a girl had wanted me to over to her place so she could study with me, actually I was fairly certain that no girl had ever wanted to do that, I did know that it was considered an excuse made by a girl because they didn''t want to admit that they really wanted you to come over and fool around. In this case, Kitty seemed to want to study, but I wasn''t buying. When she did get bored she decided that we should chat. However, since I was male I lacked the ability to talk simply for the sake of talking.


    "Well? What do you wanna talk about?" I asked.


    She didn''t say anything. Using some time to think.


    "Hmm, I really don''t know" she replied.


    The brunette young lady gave me a sweet smile and played with some strands of her hair with her index finger. Even I knew that she was flirting with me. You didn''t need to be a telepath to figure that out.


    "I know! How''s your relationship with Rogue going?" she asked.


    Truth be told I was a caught off guard by her question. One of the things I did know about girls who might like you is that they don''t want to hear about how much you like a girl who isn''t them, so they would only ask that sort of question if they wanted to hear that it wasn''t going well. Then they could be all sympathetic while inwardly feeling very happy about the news. Since Kitty seemed like a nice girl I figured she''d feel bad about asking later.


    "Fine," I said, "We''re keeping things causal".


    Kitty bit her lower lip as she gave me a seductive look.


    "Zero am I pretty?" she asked.


    Kind of a dumb question. She was done right adorable.


    "Yes Kitty Cat, you are pretty" I assured her.


    She grinned at me some more.


    "Kitty Cat?" she asked.


    This time I smiled.


    "It''s my pet name for you." I told her "You know because of how you''re a cat".


    When a girl threats your terrible joke as something highly amusing you know she has feelings for you, or that she''s totally nuts, possibly both.


    "So you really think I''m pretty" she was now saying "Would you ask me on a date if were single?".


    Like I didn''t know where this was going.


    "I''m only causal with Rouge so I guess..."


    Before I could finish saying that line, Kitty came in for a kiss. The sensible part of me knew that I should probably pull away. Rogue might have said that we were casual, but that didn''t mean she''d accept me making out with her best friend in the room what they shared. But there was another part of me, that was urging me on. It wanted me to tap the hottie.


    Kitty was the one to pull away from the kiss though. She wiped my lips with her thumb and gave me a look that could mean something important I just didn''t care. I leaned forward and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and slid onto my lap so that she could straddle me as I sat up in bed.


    Before long my hands found their way to her waist and then they slowly glided up her back. Kitty m.o.a.ned and moved her h.i.p.s, something that me it clear to both of us how turned on I''d become. I was sort of cheating on my sort-of girlfriend, but I just didn''t care.


    Kitty moved down so that she sitting on my legs, but she was so light that I barely felt her presence and then she reached over to get something out of a draw. Some sort of oil by the looks of things, I didn''t know for sure until after she got my c.o.c.k out and began to oil up her hands.


    "You are¡­.it''s so big¡­" she whispered.


    Kitty poured out some more of the oil on to her hands. Then tossing the bottle aside she grasped my firm member with both hands and started lathering it.


    "I just want to make you c.u.m," she said, "Just relax and c.u.m whenever you want to".


    While not really listening to her I reached out to take hold of her h.i.p.s.


    "Unbutton my top for me" she requested "I don''t want to get oil on it".


    I did that and while I would have liked to have removed her bra that was under the pink top that she wore, she nudged me back and told me to relax. So I closed my eyes and let her get on with the handjob. I felt certain that she was more nervous than she appeared and didn''t want to expose her small tits to me as they didn''t compare to Rogue in size. Hence her need to do something she could control. I normally directed the action, but I didn''t want to push things.


    "Like, I just love how big you are," Kitty stated while jacking me off, "Rogue bragged about it. A little bit".


    She didn''t speak after that she just focused on playing with my man parts. It took her a while to start doing it effectively as her grip was too weak, but she ended up getting the hang of what she was going and didn''t mind speeding up when I asked her to. What felt best were how soft her small hands were, and how big they made my c.o.c.k look as she wanked me off.


    I warned her when I was about to c.u.m and she giggled in a super adorable way when my baby batter exited and ended up all over her hands. Kitty lapped up the c.u.m that had coated her hands and as she did she shuddered in pleasure.


    "Thanks, Zero," she then said, "That was great".


    I thought I was supposed to be the grateful one.


    Continue to FF.net for more~

 Chapter 299 - My CO Stash #99 - Professor Shockwave by KtyouVsWriting (Transformers/BeastWarsXRWBY)

    -Considering the dead af state of Transformers it really makes me glad to see this Shockwave fic~ Plus for those peeps who haven''t seen RWBY at all, it''s real easy for them to follow and understand what''s going on. You don''t really have to stop and google before continuing the story, well except if you want to get a better look and see what the canon characters look like!


    Synopsis: Shockwave pursued the Autobots into the collapsing space bridge, but ended up blinded. His fate should have been clear. What he found to be completely illogical was how he ended up on another world teeming with organic life, him being one of them; despite the irrationality of his situation, he adapted, joining the ranks of Beacon as a teacher of science. Primus, give him strength!Rated: M


    Words: 116K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12392921/1/Professor-Shockwave (KtyouVsWriting)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Shattered Moons are Illogical


    Cybertron


    A wise bot once said that one can never truly elevate themselves until he had control of his emotions.


    Shockwave believed this, though he took that to quite the extreme by emptying himself of emotion as best as he could. He could perform his work for the Decepticons with the maximum efficiency possible for him. Never did ever want to be hampered by the shortcomings that the likes of Starscream possessed.


    However, the scientist did have to admit that the second in-command of the Decepticons had his good points in spite of his apparent cowardice and emotional instability.


    But regardless of his good or bad points, the seeker would have to account for his failure once Shockwave disposed of the Autobots that had dared to sabotage the only work space bridge on Cybertron in eons. Did they not see that to destroy this technology would be most illogical?


    No matter. He would destroy them, and use their remains as spare parts.


    He fired his Hyperflux cannon at the pair of fleeing Autobots. They would not get away so easily and he would make sure that they were put down so that they could never again cause any more trouble for the Decepticon forces.


    It was only logical.


    He fired again, and their attention was focused on him as they fired their weapons in the hope of downing him. If he cared to respond emotionally, he might laugh at their fruitless efforts. Their blasters wouldn''t penetrate his armor.


    Shockwave unleashed another blast, this time downing both of them. The one called Arcee rose again to meet him. Her choice was illogical for her, but logical for him. One good shot and she would be destroyed for good.


    Taking perfect aim, he fired again.


    Only to see her narrowly dodge his shot and respond with her own. Before he could evade himself, he found himself struck right in the single optic he had.


    He growled in pain, but also in anger. How could he have not predicted that? It was only a matter of time before the Autobots would exploit his weaknesses. Ignoring his hampered sight, he continued to fire at the fleeing pair, even knowing that he could not guarantee his shots would actually hit them.


    Now they had added Tox-En to his wounds, something he wasn''t going to take lightly.


    Judging from the sounds, they were long gone, and by that conclusion, it was time for him to retreat.


    His wound catching up to him, he began to collapse in more pain. There might be a slight chance that he would not survive.


    It was regrettable.


    The space bridge portal began to feel unstable. Even without sight, Shockwave knew the bridge was on the verge of collapse. If he didn''t end up on the planet where the Autobots were going, he would return to Cybertron, back to Kaon most likely.


    Either outcome had its ups and downs.


    Shockwave suddenly lost his footing and he found himself tumbling through a seemingly never-ending spiral. The space bridge must be more unstable than he had originally thought. He would have to work on fixing these problems.


    That is, if he lived long enough to rectify the errors in the technology.


    His consciousness faded.


    This was illogical.


    (X)(X)(X)(X)


    Shockwave awoke.


    Consciousness, however, did not treat him well from the get-go. Rising from his place on the ground, he took the time to observe his surroundings.


    All around him, his scanners picked up massive amounts of¡­ organic life. All of the life forms that surrounded him were not Cybertronian in nature at all. They were all different, composed entirely of a different basis. He could detect no form of cyber nucleic acid from any of the creatures.


    These were all carbon-based life forms, not metal-based. It was strange to see these sort of life forms after having only seen them a few times in his entire life, and that was millions of years ago.


    Standing to his full height, he realized immediately that something was wrong. He felt unusually shorter, as if he had lost height. In fact, his entire body felt entirely wrong, like he was in the wrong body.


    He needed to assess himself immediately. Perhaps there was place where he could see his reflection. From there, a proper course of action would be determined and acted upon.


    Shockwave took off in a run, once again noticing something out of the ordinary. Cybertronians were more than capable of feeling and processing things against their own metal skins. This feeling, however, was different from what he was use to.


    He didn''t have to wait long to find a source of reflection. He emerged from the forest to see a small pool of liquid. In his previous experiences, he had learned that this liquid was known as water, a sort of pool that could breed life.


    From the reflection, he could see nothing but forest for as far as the optic could see. Staring down at his reflection, Shockwave wished that he hadn''t.


    His entire body was no longer robotic, but organic, save for a metallic left arm. His armor was gone, replaced only by simple attire to cover himself, mostly purple with some shades of black. He had one optic on the left side of his face, but the right side featured a single organic eye, red as his optic. There were two appendages sticking out from the sides of his head, presumably some sort of hearing mechanism for him see as they appeared mechanical as well and in the shape of his former head gear. His head was now covered in a strange fiber-like substance, and seemed to serve no purpose. This, like his outer appearance, was also purple.


    Shockwave made sure that this figure before him was indeed himself by testing his reflexes, moving his arms, legs, body, and head. He even moved to touch the fibers on his head. It was him in the¡­ he didn''t really know what to call his new form.


    It was some kind of skin.


    Now that he had confirmed that he was indeed this¡­ life form, he needed to find the nearest form of civilization.


    Maybe once he discovered where he was, he could figure out further what to do. If he was permanently within this form, then he would have to adapt to a new life. If he could revert back to his original, he would do so as soon as possible.


    "There must be someone on this planet that can assist me." Shockwave registered the voice as his own, though it wasn''t robotic-sounding. "I must find someone to help me."


    His mind made up, he began the long trek forward, taking note that he would have to find proper forms of nourishment to sustain himself. As of right now, he felt at his best, but a self-scan showed that he would require liquids and a form of sustenance to maintain his energy levels. That would require some research first.


    Something he would not be doing until he first made sure he was in no more immediate danger.


    As he ventured deeper into the forest, he began to see what else his new form provided him with. It would seem that he had not been fully transformed into an organic life form. He still had access to a communications device, though it had to be internal seeing as he saw nothing on his outer body that resembled such a device.


    He could also use his previous scanner technology to assess any object he chose, something he intended to make full use of.


    While initially dismayed at the seeming loss of his Hyperflux cannon, he discovered quickly that like other Cybertronians, his robotic arm housed his weapon. He had tested it out on a single tree to see its lethality, and was more than pleased that it still retained its power. His ammunition belt was gone, and he wondered what it was that powered the cannon now.


    It certainly wasn''t energon, because he could detect no readings of the live-giving substance. It had to be an external power source.


    No, he dismissed that logic. If it were external, he would know.


    So perhaps there was something inside of him powering it?


    If so, what form of power could a mere organic provide to power his Hyperflux cannon?


    He added this on his list of things to research.


    The sky had begun to darken, and the sight set him on edge. It was said that when things were beginning to look grim, it was best to to air on the side of caution. He recalled his previous combat experience to remind himself of what to do.


    Shockwave felt something else around him. It was¡­ something heavy, something alien to him.


    If this was the reason the atmosphere around him had changed, he intended to find out what it was. It would certainly make for an interesting discovery.


    His footsteps moving slowly so as to minimize the noise he was making, he began to climb a mountain. Although he was no acrobat and certainly not the adventurous type, he was more than capable physically. The fact that he now possessed two hands simply hastened his climb up.


    While climbing up another sub-cliff section, he was instantly alerted to the sound of a screech, not unlike the Predacons that he had cloned in his time during the Great War. That told him that he needed to be cautious. Any creature that could make such noise should be treated as a potential threat. Few creatures screamed with such a radius.


    Shockwave gripped another stable point with his metallic hand, noting the sound that the metal made when scratching the rock. It was easy to grip the cliff with his metal hand. His organic hand found it more difficult. The soft skin was very sensitive to the jagged edges of the rock, though not enough to pierce the skin.


    He made it to the top of the cliff in seven cycles. What greeted him was something that didn''t make sense to him.


    All around him were strange creatures not unlike Predacons and Insecticons. They possessed arms, legs, heads, and tails. Some stood on two legs and possessed two arms. Others were four-legged. They came in various sizes.


    The only real features that they shared were colors: white and black with red eyes that glowed. It made them stand apart from the otherwise stark environment.


    What were these life forms?


    Shockwave brandished his Hyperflux Cannon and carefully advanced forward. Although he had no facts or evidence to know how to proceed logically, something in him was telling him to move with caution. Whatever these life forms were, they were out of place.


    As if sensing his presence, many of them turned to look at him. He stared back, with not a trace of fear. If any other Decepticon were in his position, he had no doubt that they would be reeling back in anxiety or fear.


    He was not any other Decepticon.


    The black monstrosities, when they first laid eyes on him, regarded him like a stranger, but no hostile moves were made. It was a game to see who possessed a greater stare. If intimidation was the game that the black and white creatures were playing at, Shockwave wouldn''t be affected.


    By his own calculations, a cycle had passed, and still nothing had happened. Deciding that nothing would be accomplished by him standing there, Shockwave took a risk, one that could be measured as logical and illogical.


    The response was immediate as red eyes watched him carefully. Step after step, he approached the cl.u.s.tered group.


    It wasn''t until he had taken ten eleven steps that a roar sounded again, this time sounding like an aggressive one.


    One with four legs charged at him, intent on ending his life. Shockwave anticipated the charge and simply shifted his body to move out of the way before firing his weapon, burning a hole through the creature.


    He only had a moment to stare at it as it fell to the ground, and then quickly disintegrated into a black mist.


    It was illogical. No living thing would deteriorate that fast. Even organic matter didn''t just disappear like that.


    These things were not organic.


    Shockwave quickly had to do away with his scientific questions as he prepared himself for battle. Although not at the level of Megatron in terms of combat prowess, he was still a formidable opponent in battle, and most of the time, if needed, he could overpower autobots with relative ease. After all, a war that lasted for centuries taught him more than a few tricks.


    His battle instincts taking over again, he quickly dropped to the ground, allowing another to soar over him, and he moved his arm, took quick aim, and destroyed the black critter.


    A third came at him. This time, wanting to test his strength, he used his metal arm to intercept a paw intended for his head. He only took a moment to process that his strength was superior to this specimen.


    He grabbed the enemy and quickly slammed them into the ground before stomping on its head, shattering it.


    The fourth, this one a creature with a far bulkier build and far larger than Shockwave himself, lumbered towards Shockwave, roaring a challenge. The former mech only remained where he was, content to let this one make the first move.


    The creature swiped, and Shockwave got out of the way, and fired back. The shot took a chunk off of its side, but this only seemed to spur it on. It lunged forward, trying to take a bite out of him with its jaw.


    A most illogical move.


    Shockwave rolled away again, and fired his Hyperflux cannon, this time, his target on its back, where a collection of jagged spikes protruding from its back rested. The result was a shattered back defense and a more enraged monster.


    He was wasting energy firing like this. A good shot to the head would destroy it for good, he surmised.


    The behemoth tried for a final time to kill him; Shockwave smoothly allowed the appendage that tried to squash him to squash the ground that he once occupied, and then he blasted its head off.


    The body was almost gone by the time it collapsed.


    Shockwave stared at the ashes that remain on the ground, contemplating his brief but informative battle.


    These things were mindless, processing only the most rudimentary of intelligence, enough to move, to fight back, and to act as a wild animal. Essentially, it was like the Combaticons combined as Bruticus: a single directive to destroy the enemy.


    But who was the enemy here? Or was he not really the enemy in the eyes of these black beasts?


    There were no other creatures here, but there were scattered collection of buildings, all of them abandoned and partially destroyed to some degree. Since no one likely claimed ownership of anything in this place, it would be a good idea to salvage any equipment that could help him.


    Shockwave took his time, carefully surveying each building and scrounging around for anything that had potential use.


    His first stop was a shop with a strange language. He couldn''t make heads or tailpipes with it, but he would remember it. He would probably have to once he reached some civilization. More importantly, it was confirmed that there was civilization to be found.


    The first thing that he saw that would prove useful was a worn buy fully functional backpack, black, with some more letters of the alien language attached to it.


    Shockwave grabbed it and swung it over his shoulders, securing it snuggly in place and then continuing on. The next useful item was a small lighter with a decent amount of fuel left in the compartment. A third item that he found under a table was a combat blade, no longer than his own hand, but a test quickly proved that it was durable and lethal.


    Once he had picked the location clean, he made his way out, but before he could, something caught his eye and optic.


    It was an image, but not like ones that were on holograms, but one rendered on a physical surface. A closer look had him staring on in question. There were three figures there. One had a distinctly bulky features, one had a more curvaceous figure, and the third was a smaller version of the first one.


    It didn''t take long for Shockwave to piece together what he was looking at: a sire, a carrier, and their offspring.


    It was then that his comms were picking up static, normally not a thing to be focused on, but static indicated that he was beginning to intercept channels.


    He tapped a hand to the side of his head. "Is anyone reading my on this frequency? Respond immediately."


    "I read you. Who is this?" A distinctly femme voice, authoritative as well. "How did you get this frequency?"


    A better question was how was he able to understand this language and speak it? He knew that it certainly wasn''t Cybertronian.


    He recovered quickly.


    "Is this frequency restricted?" Shockwave treaded very carefully, going with a truthful answer. "I found it by accident."


    "Yes, and quite frankly, I should have you arrested." Whoever she was, she was displeased. "But right now, I''ve got more pressing concerns. I''ve been requesting help, but no one''s answering."


    "What do you need help with?" Shockwave ventured, knowing that he potentially could have something to gain. "I may be nearby."


    "You are nearby." The voice deadpanned. "I downgraded this frequency to short-range, no more than five-kilometers in all directions. If you can hear this, than you can help."


    Now he was being volunteered. Shockwave disliked being commanded by anyone other than Megatron, but this situation was unique. He needed to adapt to survive, and that meant playing by someone else''s rules.


    "Understood." He said. "I will need a way to locate you."


    "Look for a flare." The person on the other end replied. "Firing now."


    Shockwave heard the sound of a dull explosion, so he moved outside to locate what he had heard; he looked into the sky, and saw a bright yellow glow in the sky. He tracked the trail of smoke left behind to triangulate its point of origin.


    "I am moving." He reported. "I will be there shortly."


    "Make it fast." The voice snapped. "Incoming Grimm. Suppressive fire!"


    Grimm? What was that term? Who were they fighting?


    Shockwave made his own final preparations before taking off as fast as he could. He felt himself running, and it didn''t feel any different than in his Cybertronian body. This body, however, tired more quickly.


    A flaw in organic bodies as he drew more breaths, a necessity to be certain. To require a specific atmosphere in order to survive made things¡­ limited.


    The sounds of gunfire unique to his audio receptors, for lack of a better term, were getting closer, and there were lot of them.


    Were the enemies that numerous, or were they expended ammo trying to fight a few foes? Or maybe they were simply wasting ammunition?


    If these people were a military of some sort, than they would be easy to deal with. Shockwave was a high-ranking officer in the Decepticon army, and a valued asset right alongside Soundwave and Starscream.


    A bright flash caught his attention, and he carefully weaved through the thick of plant growth.


    From his viewpoint, he watched as a multitude of figures cut down those black beasts. One was femme, dressed in attire of all white, as was her hair. The two blades she carried were thin, but still deadly enough to kill.


    Flanking her were several figures. At first, they appeared too robotic in nature to be anything living, and upon closer inspection, Shockwave could see that these were indeed some form of mechs, though as to how intelligent or advanced they were he wouldn''t be able to tell from watching.


    Deciding to take matters into his own hands, he fired, taking down one of the smaller ones, and he continued to rain shots down upon the mutual enemy.


    It wasn''t until they were cleared out that he even gave his new query a glance.


    "You must be our help." The femme held her blade, but not in a hostile manner. "I expected someone¡­ much older."


    Why would that matter to this femme?


    "That is inconsequential." Shockwave reverted his weapon back into a hand. "What''s the current situation?"


    "Firstly," she crossed her arms, clearly trying to assess him, "I need to know how you can help us."


    She acted like that he was incapable of doing things, and even with the vast control of his emotions, it irked him when he was treated like this. Starscream had done this on more than one occasion.


    He wanted to be agitated, but seeing as he didn''t know this being, and knowing that he was in a delicate place, he ignored his pride.


    "I am a scientist," Shockwave cooly responded, "If that means anything to you."


    "What is your field?" She questioned, this time intrigued.


    "Biotechnology and engineering." Shockwave decided to narrow to his most-used fields, although he knew a great deal more. "Which is more useful to you?"


    "The latter." The femme replied immediately. "We took a hit while fighting off a Nevermore. Our ship has sustained damage. We were attempting to radio for help. We got you."


    She motioned for him to follow, and he followed her, easily keeping pace with her, her robotic guards following her, no doubt watching him for any sign of him being a danger.


    Her entire posture, the way she moved, it was definitely military-like, and she seemed to be reluctant to be sharing information. Classified information was knowledge that the Decepticon scientist was privy to. Now to have that taken away from him, it certainly changed his perspective.


    When he first laid eyes on the ship, he could see the problem immediately. For starters, some large object was embedded into its side. For another, smoke was pouring out of the engines on the sides. The overall design suggested a craft clearly of military design. It was shaped in a way that no civilian craft would be made. Even if it wasn''t a Cybertronian craft, he could see what this craft was meant for.


    Shockwave''s initial calculations put this vessel as 39% compromised, which mean significant damage, but not enough to permanently ground the ship.


    "I will need to inspect the inner damage to assess the full status of the craft," Shockwave conveyed, "But you will not require reinforcements."


    "Understood. I will let the crew know and allow you access."


    Without her guidance, Shockwave moved forward. He was greeted by another soldier, this one armed with a rifle, and some armor. He seemed a bit intimidated by his presence, and that was not a new thing.


    "Show me to the main engine compartment." Shockwave requested.


    "This way." The male soldier led the way.


    When they arrived at the engine room, Shockwave found it to be in disarray. Parts were scattered, both old and new. It looks like someone here had tried to begin fixing it, but then didn''t finish.


    "As far as I can tell," the soldier said, "The dust tanks leaked just enough dust to superheat the engine, causing the thing to shut down for cool-off."


    "Leading the ship to falling." Shockwave concluded. "And the hull integrity?"


    "Fine for the most part." The man commented. "But I''m more worried about the wiring and the other internal components."


    "Understandable." Shockwave did a moment of thinking. "What were you hoping to accomplish?"


    "I was checking for obvious damage, but that''s about all I can do." A sigh came from the soldier. "I don''t have the tools or the expertise to diagnose thoroughly."


    "I will see what I can do." Shockwave picked up a part. "What is your name so that I can call you for help if need be?"


    "The name''s Hunter. I''ll let you get back to work, mister¡­"


    Hunter was asking for his name, and Shockwave wasn''t sure what to tell him. He couldn''t say his Cybertronian name without making himself look suspicious. He needed to get out of this question.


    "I need to accomplish this task." The former mech explained. "Perhaps after I can converse."


    "Alright." The organic shrugged his shoulders. "I''ll be around."


    Left in relative silence and solitude, Shockwave could now begin his work in earnest. The first thing he did, once alone, was access the ship''s systems. He needed a better grasp on the language, and this ship was the best bet for obtaining a means to translate the lettering into something he could read.


    However unlikely, it would seem that he still possessed a few functions of a Cybertronian, as he was able to immediately read and understand the system, and found it unsurprisingly easy to access. It was even more fortuitous that the ship possessed more than enough data for him to read the language.


    Now equipped to read, he began to work on the ship systems. As Hunter had explained, the substance called dust had leaked out, and due to the nature of the dust used, a fire-based dust, some of the components suffered heat damage, and in an attempt to cool itself down, the engine system immediately shut down, thus forcing the landing. Judging by the fact that the ship wasn''t buried in the ground, there was enough control to glide down safely, or some form of emergency landing was used.


    Shockwave first priority was to find the leak, which was difficult considering that he was working with some simplistic tools, not at all suited for intensive repairs. He was having to resort to his own hands more and more to simply get into the innards after having thoroughly analyzing the assembly.


    The leak, when he did find it, wasn''t as severe as it was made to sound, but if this was enough to shut off the engines, then he needed to fix it. He needed some form of metal to patch up the breaches, or some sealant.


    If he had access to his tools, he could easily make the repairs. That thought lasted moments as he went back to work. Thinking up "what if" scenarios and wishing for things to be convenient was illogical.


    The present was all that mattered right now.


    Deciding that it wouldn''t harm the ship, Shockwave stripped away some non-critical metal plating with his strength and began to make incisions, cutting precisely-shaped pieces in order to cover the leaks and then used the torch to weld the metal, but careful not to disturb the dust contents within.


    The patchwork for the tanks took approximately thirty cycles, a fast time given his lack of equipment.


    The presence of one familiar... female didn''t stop him from working, but he still tilted his head slightly in her direction and nodded.


    "I see you''re making progress." She said, her tone controlled, but still curious. "You seem to know exactly what you are doing."


    "My entire life has revolved around this sort of work." Shockwave wasn''t one for idle chatter, yet he could do so if he chose to. "It is second nature to me."


    "I see." A slightly softer tone had entered her voice.


    It would seem that she was more grateful than she cared to let on, something that he took note of.


    "I may need another 60¡­ " Shockwave stopped himself from saying the wrong unit of measurement. "Minutes."


    "The damage is that extensive?" She asked.


    "The damage is not as severe as it might seem," Shockwave began, "But in order to guarantee that the ship does not sustain further damage from simply doing it''s intended purpose, I must be sure."


    "Understood." She turned to leave. "By the way, I don''t believe we''ve properly introduced each other."


    For the first time in their brief conversation, Shockwave turned to face her. What took him slightly by surprise was when she reached out with a familiar gesture that all Cybertronians knew all too well.


    A servo shake, or rather a handshake for these, what was the species name again, Humans, was it?


    "My name is Winter Schnee." The woman appeared to have become less stiff, but she was still professional. "And you are?"


    Shockwave only had moments to think of a name, and with only access to this ship''s data, he was limited. So with that, he began to run a scenario through his systems to come up with a name.


    So he quickly put together a name.


    "I am Shael Watson." Shockwave spoke robotically, and took her hand.


    "A pleasure." Winter responded, though she seemed¡­ intrigued.


    Shockwave also noted the way the shaking of hands was exactly like that on Cybertron. This might just be a coincidence, yet it didn''t seem so.


    No matter, it was a trivial observation.


    "I should let you work." Winter turned and left without another word.


    Shockwave returned to his current task; with the tank leaks sealed, there was less risk of components being damaged. These circuit boards had been tested, but they looked to be functional.


    That was fortunate.


    The only other real problem was now to wait for the engines to cool down. Of course, that would take time, considering all engine systems were shut down until temperatures lowered to more acceptable levels.


    "It would appear I can only reassemble the engine and wait." Shockwave mumbled to himself. "Perhaps a software analysis and communications diagnostics would be a productive use of my time."


    The reassembly of the engine took an additional 20 cycles, and he was checked on during that time. He informed Hunter of the situation and was given permission to access the ship systems for further recalibration.


    At the front of the craft, Shockwave pulled up holographic screens and began to work his programming know-hows.


    He had been so consumed in his work that he hadn''t noticed that nightfall had begun to descend upon this world.


    It was the first time that he gazed upon the sky, and it was for the first time that he noticed something truly new to him.


    The moon that gave some light to the night was shattered.


    Shattered moons are illogical, Shockwave thought.


    This story was more for my own amus.e.m.e.nt more than anything else. Shockwave has always been one of my favorite Transformers character, though mostly because of the potential in his character. Despite being seemingly only logical, the mad scientist actually has the capacity for more than just rationality.


    I intend for this story to be a sort of humorous one that puts Shockwave into conflict with things that are illogical to him and seeing how he copes with them. I''m not particularly good with being funny, at least not intentionally, but I will do my best to make situations at least something entertaining.


    I''m not looking for a large following for this story, but feedback would be appreciated, especially with regards to Shockwave''s characterization.


    I hope you guys enjoyed reading, and remember:


    "Everything is funny, as long as it''s happening to someone else."


    Will Rogers


    I take my leave.


    Chapter 2


    Escaping Winter Schnee is Logical


    Somewhere unknown to Shockwave¡­


    As night took full effect, the sound of a screen beeping all around filled the otherwise serene atmosphere.


    Shockwave, while trying to break through radio interference, kept monitoring the engine status. He would say that some twenty minutes of time was needed before the engines were ready for use, and that was if the cooling process was miraculously sped up, though the scientist could find no logical factor that would do that.


    Despite being able to work on communications, he knew that Soundwave was a far more adept in this field than he was. His position as the spy and communications chief of the Decepticon forces was a position well-earned and vital to the cause. Without him, the Decepticons might''ve fallen apart centuries ago.


    He could sure use that expertise, and he could sure stop thinking about what he wanted to have, but did not possess at this time.


    The reality was that he was here, stranded, partially converted into a new life form, though how much he knew not, and with no idea where he really was. To simplify, a really unfavorable predicament.


    Nevertheless, as he tried to work on communications and the ship, Shockwave devoted some of his energy into his own personal body too. Even in his limited physical form, his mental processes seemed unchanged more or less. He appreciated this immensely; if he was unable to multitask or interpret knowledge at a brisk pace, then his work progress would be cut by Primus knew how many cycles, and lost efficiency on his part, was simply something he could not accept.


    The purple-clad Decepticon stared at the screen in front of him, watching it carefully for any signs of strange readings or activity. So far, he couldn''t see any problems in the communications hardware itself, which meant that either the software in the ship was malfunctioning or some other source was actively interfering with signals.


    The latter was slowly becoming the more plausible in the former bot''s opinion. Despite the primitive nature of the software, it was operating at it''s peak point, with no lag, bugs, or other problems that he could detect.


    He had surfed through the channels and hailed each one to see if there was someone, anyone listening.


    Nobody answered, either unable to answer or not hearing him at all.


    "Scrap." Shockwave cursed under his breath. "This is a wasteful endeavor."


    "Nothing at all?" Winter Schnee stood over his shoulder. She had just walked into the c.o.c.kpit.


    "No one is responding." Shockwave reported to her. "The engines will require another seventeen minutes before flight is possible."


    "And with the Grimm closing in, that could be trouble." The woman rubbed her temples. "How well can you fight?"


    "Well enough to take down the beasts." Shockwave stated. "Though I am a scientist firstly, I am more than capable in combat."


    "If you''ve been out here alone, then I suppose I can take your words seriously." Winter glanced out the window, at the moon. "I believe that with the Grimm soon to be gathering in numbers, we''ll need your help."


    "Acknowledged." Shockwave affirmed, pushing himself from the seat. "Where do you require me?"


    "Here, guarding the ship." Winter informed him. "Should any Grimm break through our lines, you are our last line of defense."


    The sound of a collective roar caught both their attention. The battle was about to begin, whether they were ready or not.


    "Is that not too much trust to place in a mere stranger?" Shockwave couldn''t help but voice his question. "Would it not be logical to be here yourself?"


    "Now that I''ve seen your work, your value to the mission has just increased." Winter now said her piece. "We''ve no reinforcements and it''s too far to the nearest village by foot. If we lose you¡­ the mission could be lost too¡­ as well as us."


    Shockwave couldn''t possibly miss how much this woman spoke of how important he was, especially when some hours ago, she had spoken to him like a potential hostile. Either she was hiding her disliking of him or her desperation had reached a zenith. A third, albeit less likely possibility was that she had gotten past her initial reaction and had formed a different opinion about him.


    She was calm and reserved, sure, but she wasn''t emotionless, and thus, Shockwave concluded that she was merely putting on a display in order to survive, a choice that was both logical and illogical.


    That was quite a switch from the usual choices that were either logical or illogical.


    The former Cybertronian merely nodded his head, not intending to pry further, only accepting what she chose to give him. His compliance had earned him a place of influence, something he intended to use to its fullest.


    "I¡­ understand." A moment of hesitation followed as Shockwave came up with a response.


    "If we survive this and return to Atlas, then we''ll talk later." Winter offered to him with a gesture of her hand. "My superior, General Ironwood will want to speak with you."


    A superior officer for him to talk to. That made the gears in Shockwave''s mind turn a bit. Meeting someone like a leader within the military was not only an opportune time, but also a dangerous one.


    If said leader was anything like Megatron, then getting on his or her good side would be anything but easy. That might be enough to dissuade any normal bot.


    Shockwave didn''t deal in easy things, and he most certainly wasn''t to be called a part of the norm.


    Left alone once again, Shockwave decided to check the engine status once more to see how much more time was needed. He had done so already six times since his last update with Winter. His ability to read these systems quickly and adapt to the primitive technology left him with quite some time on his servos.


    Sixteen more minutes were needed. Shockwave wasn''t concerned about his odds against the Grimm, but the way Winter spoke of them had him wondering. Were the Grimm truly that much of a threat?


    Just how widespread were the Grimm? Where did they come from? What other types existed? How did they come to be? How long did they exist? What was their purpose, and most important to Shockwave, who controlled them?


    Those were all questions that would no doubt be answered all in good time, if he survived this little¡­ detour.


    Shockwave could hear the sounds of weapons discharging their dust rounds. Such a primitive form of firearm, using actual physical projectiles. Those sort of weapons had never really been deployed in mass numbers, as they were seen as nothing more than the weapon of a brute, with the exception of classified railgun plans, which never came to fruition.


    Maybe that could be his next project, if he could gain access to resources.


    The scientist decided to exit the ship and take a look around to make sure that there was nothing threatening the ship. He took one lap around the ship, finding no threats to put down. So he took his second lap, which took half a cycle once again. He soon fell into a rhythm of patrolling the ship, his guard up for the entire time. The only difference as he made each successive lap was the sounds of battle coming closer to him.


    Shockwave saw a large rock come from the forest, and he shot it into fragments, the pieces falling at his feet. He didn''t even look at his own handiwork as he readied his cannon to fire, but toning down its power so that only intended targets would actually be the victims of its power.


    Watching Winter fight was something that had him in wonder. She fought with a thin blade, yet it was more than a simple blade. It projected dust energy, but not fire. It was ice, and in quite an effective way, freezing targets in place, making them easy targets for the drones.


    However, interesting as that was, what his focus held onto most was the power that she displayed. It was a symbol of sorts, though he had no idea what it meant. What it did was provide her with a wide range of powers. It looked like she was summoning version of other creatures to fight the Grimm. Small birds, animals that he had never seen before, and one image of a Grimm itself, all of them white.


    It was¡­ impossible. What sort of power could do that? Certainly nothing in this world or Cybertron granted that sort of power.


    Those thoughts lasted seconds and then he returned to his fighting mind, blasting any and all enemies that came too close to the ship.


    He checked the status of the engines. Six more minutes remained.


    He fired several shots in succession, each of them burning holes through the Grimm. Even before this, he had realized just how many surrounded them all. There had to be dozens, and quite possibly hundreds.


    The engines wouldn''t cool fast enough for them to escape.


    Shockwave needed to force the engines to cool down, but he didn''t have anything which to cool it down with.


    Then he spotted Winter again, and as she unleashed another gush of ice dust, something came to mind.


    "Miss Schnee." Shockwave called out to her. "I require your help with the ship."


    She only hesitated a moment, looking between him and the Grimm horde. She then called upon multiple summoned creatures, then dashed over to him.


    "Specialist Schnee would be better." She spoke to him. "But what do you need?"


    "If we wait for the engines to cool down, we will not survive." Shockwave explained. "But I believe that if we apply ice dust carefully-"


    "The engines will cool." Winter nodded her head in understanding. "What do I need to do?"


    "Disperse the ice dust evenly throughout the ship systems." Shockwave made sure to make his words simple to understand. "Enough that the temperature is affected, but not the systems."


    "Does that not risk the systems being non-operational?" Winter did bring up a good point. "A sudden drop in temperature could have the systems being physically damaged."


    "Not if the systems are cooled a pace that can keep them intact while accelerating the cooling process." Shockwave attempted to explain further. "Even small changes in temperature can help us. Metal conducts heat quite well."


    She seemed to accept this logic and nodded her head. "Very well. I will do my best, but because I''m not fighting outside, you will need to take my place."


    "The system should notify you when the temperature is at an acceptable range." Shockwave informed her. "I will hold them off."


    With a sense of urgency, but not panic, Shockwave returned to the outside world to see that Grimm numbers were swelling. It looked like for every fallen beast two more took its place. Most of the simple mechs remained standing as well as the Hunter human, but numbers were pushing them all back.


    It was time to add his own metal to the mix.


    Shockwave fired in rapid succession, each shot never missing. He chose his targets based on their danger levels. Those who appeared to be flanking either the ship, himself, or his allies, all of them were killed quickly. Most of these creatures seemed to know only to launch themselves into battle with reckless abandon, which made countering them all the more easier.


    The scientist grabbed one by the throat and crushed it, then threw it at another before firing his cannon, burning a hole through both. His next move was to use the weight of his cannon to knock another to the side, then bringing the barrel down hard.


    Shockwave wasn''t using his most sophisticated battle moves, not that it was necessary given the sort of enemy that he was facing. He had faced down Autobot foot soldiers that employed far more superior battle tactics.


    A moment passed, and Shockwave was able to get a reading on the battlefield. No, it wasn''t looking good for any of them. Even if the possessed the more skill on their side, it ultimately would be for naught as number would eventually sap them of the energy to fight.


    Perhaps now would be a good time to pray to Primus for salvation.


    Not that the Cybertronian God would be able to help him.


    "Winter." Shockwave keyed into his com channel. "What is the status of the engines?"


    "The temperatures are in acceptable range." Winter''s voice was mixed with static. "Powering up main turbines."


    The sound of engines powering up was quite satisfactory to Shockwave''s audio receptors. In truth, he had made a gamble when using Winter and her ability to control dust. He didn''t have an in-depth knowledge of these systems, and he didn''t really know the full properties of dust itself. It was risky, but one didn''t achieve much when one wasn''t willing to take risks, even risks that could result in the loss of life.


    "Hunter." He called out to the man. "Retreat to the ship. We are preparing to take off."


    "Got it!" The man shot his rifle a few more times before slowly making his way back, the drones following his lead. "And stay down!"


    Shockwave heard something different, something that sounded akin to a loud screech, like something that a creature that flew. It didn''t concern him more because he couldn''t see anything. The threat, whatever it was, hadn''t presented itself.


    Shockwave continued to cover his fellow organic and his robotic guards as they fired away. The roar of the engines grew louder with each passing moment.


    "Everyone aboard." Shockwave reported.


    "Acknowledged." Winter took control of the ship. "Make sure no stragglers are latching onto us."


    Shockwave stood at the lowered ramp, even as it began to closer. Grimm tried to get through, but with such a narrow pathway, destroying them was a simple task. The black dust blew away as the aircraft lifted off the ground


    The moment the ramp fully closed, the purple-haired man took a moment to revel in the quiet moment. Solitude was, more often than not, one of his best friends if not his very best, even the the smallest slivers of it. The moment had him leaning his back against a nearby wall. He felt strangely exhausted, sapped of energy.


    Had all of this taken so much out of him? Surely, even with his limitation, he would not be this hampered.


    With so many questions and wonders about this new world he had found himself on, his list of things he needed to do was growing longer by the second.


    His optic and organic eye gazed at his prosthetic hand. This part of him was the only physical reminder that he could see without a mirror that told himself not to forget that he had once been a different sort of lifeform.


    He felt strangely nostalgic, something that unsettled him to a degree. He thought himself in greater control of his emotions than this. He had repeated to himself so many times how dwelling on the past was dangerous, leaving one blind to present and future going-ons.


    It was time to put an end to this¡­ unnecessary perpetual nonsense thinking.


    "Are you¡­ alright?" Hunter''s voice came to Shockwave''s attention, though it was not surprising. "You looked really intense there for a second."


    "Apologies." Shockwave stood straight, removing any trace of his previous mood from every part of himself. "I was merely contemplating some things."


    "I¡­ understand." Hunter intoned, and looked at the ground. "Your aim is impeccable. I haven''t seen someone that accurate in years."


    "It comes with practice." Shockwave didn''t feel the need to explain further. "You combative skills are¡­ effective enough."


    "I appreciate the praise, but I''m no huntsman." Hunter scoffed lightly. "They''re the real warriors on Remnant."


    "Right." Shockwave simply agreed, though he had no idea what he was agreeing to. "You both are military, yet this seems¡­ atypical for a military mission."


    "I''m not supposed to say anything about our mission." Hunter''s immediate response. "It''s classified, but you seem to be acquainted with military types."


    "My work has had me working with their type." Shockwave tried to remain vague. "I would be very remiss in my observation if I could not recognize military personnel."


    "And those others you worked with-" Hunter began.


    "Classified." Shockwave shut down the topic. He would not be talking about top-secret Decepticon projects. "As you can understand."


    "Yes." Hunter didn''t seem disappointed. "But regardless, your help was most appreciated."


    "And I thank you and Winter Schnee for allowing me on this ship." Shockwave acknowledged. "I lacked a map, and that could have had me wandering for days on end."


    "Speaking of which, why were you in the wilds?" Hunter questioned. "I don''t mean to sound suspicious, but our unintentional crash-landing wasn''t too far off from your first communications with us."


    Shockwave only took a microsecond to process these words, and the only idea that came to mind that was logical was that perhaps his insertion into this world had maybe caused some energy to run wild in the atmosphere. Space bridges required immense amounts of energon to power, and if not assembled and tested correctly, they could cause severe damage to anything and anyone in close proximity.


    Trying to explain where he came from and what he truly and also trying to find someone who believed him would be next to impossible, and frankly, Shockwave wasn''t going to give much thought to his chances.


    If nobody believed him, then Cybertron would face no further dangers. He didn''t know this world, and that unpredictable factor alone was more than ample reason to not reveal all that he knew about.


    "I¡­ honestly could not tell you why I am out within these wilds." Shockwave shrugged, a rarity with him, but he needed something to say. "One moment, I was doing research, the next, I black out."


    "You mean someone kidnapped you?" Hunter puzzled over this. "For what reason?"


    "To destroy my research." Shockwave could at least honestly answer that question. "And to make sure that it couldn''t be replicated. They left me for dead just for extra measures."


    "Could you describe who they are?" Hunter probed further. "Or is this something classified as well?"


    "It is not important." Shockwave dismissed with a wave of his hands. "If I am believed dead, then I have less things to worry about."


    The former bot decided that he was finished with talking. He was never good at it on Cybertron and he doubted he would be good at it now. He did, however, wish to disrespect one of the two who had assisted him in a time of need.


    "I will be in the c.o.c.kpit." His footsteps echoed against the walls. "If the ship experiences further complications, call to me swiftly."


    Hopefully, that served well enough as words of assurance.


    Shockwave made his way to the head of the ship, expecting Winter to be there seeing as at least one pilot needed to be front and center, unless she the ship was on auto-pilot mode.


    The door to the c.o.c.kpit opened, and as he predicted, the woman was there, her eyes concentrating on their pathway.


    "Are we expecting any airborne Grimm?" Shockwave wondered, knowing that look on her face, one that was searching for a threat.


    "Grimm could be anywhere." Winter spared only a sideways glance as she talked. "But none so far."


    "I see."


    "Now that you are here, there is another matter to discuss, one relating to your interference in our mission."


    That subject was to be expected sooner or later.


    "Are you going to arrest me and bring me before your superiors?" Shockwave knew military protocol well.


    "As I have orders to follows and rules and regulations to uphold, yes." Winter stated firmly. "However, you may have saved our lives. For that, I won''t be restraining you in any way."


    So there was some modic.u.m of trust.


    "And when will this happen?" Shockwave asked.


    "When we reach Atlas." Winter said as if he should know where they were going. "Which will be at least another fifteen hours assuming we experience no further delays."


    "Understood." His robotic tone carried.


    Shockwave crossed his arms and closed his eyes slightly, feeling like he needed to enter into recharge, or sleep, as these humans would call it. Thankfully, he had enough information to at least appear not quite as alien as his outer appearance would have him seem, but he was still woefully unprepared should he engage in an in-depth conversation.


    It wasn''t in his interest to engage and have many people to call friend, but like it or not, he needed to be culturally aware.


    His survival might hinge on him blending in with his surroundings.


    Add that to the list too.


    For now though, some rest would clear his mind and allow him more mental productivity. If anyone were to talk to him now, he would simply tune them out.


    Nap times were quite logical given his energy levels. Leaving himself exposed was illogical.


    (X)(X)(X)(X)


    Shockwave awoke when someone tapped him lightly on the shoulder. A white glove momentarily came within his sight.


    "Where are we?" Shockwave muttered lightly.


    "We''vc arrived in the Kingdom of Mistral." Winter turned to leave the c.o.c.kpit. "The ship will repaired by a crew. Meanwhile, Hunter and I will be seeking supplies."


    "And what am I to do?" He ventured.


    "Remain here." She ordered lightly. "Until we return. The journey from here will taken an additional three hours."


    There it was, the unspoken truth of their relationship. He might''ve earned some form of trust, but like it or not, he was still an unknown to her, and thus, he couldn''t be left to go free.


    Shockwave waited for another few minutes. From his view at the c.o.c.kpit, he could see that he was within a docking bay, and various crew as well as other personnel worked, no doubt assessing the damage.


    Then he realized something. If they were in the heart of civilization, he could find more information, assuming that this planet possessed a digital network of some kind that he could directly interface with.


    To his luck and relief, there was one. He was initially blocked and required a password to enter into the system, but all it took was a few hacking tricks and he was inside.


    The information he was taking in, it was massive.


    This planet, it was called Remnant. Currently, he was on the Continent called Anima, and as Winter had stated, he was within the Kingdom of Mistral, one of the four major kingdoms on this world. The others were Atlas, Vacuo, and Vale. He didn''t require access to classified data and secret files in order to download and study a detailed map of Remnant.


    The next thing he researched were the intelligent lifeforms. There were two species that dominated this world: Humans and Faunus. The former was quite racist towards the latter for a multitude of reasons, none of the logical in any sense. If anything, the Faunus should be the ones looking down on the Humans. The Faunus possessed traits that virtually no Humans had, and they displayed much diversity.


    Shockwave took an interest in Humans and Faunus was because he wanted to know which one he was. Although it stated that Faunus had an animal trait, some were hidden while others were obvious. Blood tests could also confirm which species he was as well. He couldn''t test himself due to the fact that his information database had no way to differentiate, not until he had analyzed a strain of Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA.


    This world, it had a basis for life that didn''t sound too unlike Cyber Nucleic Acid. Again, it was another similar thing that only further made the former bot wonder. Coincidences existed, he did believe so, but if there were too many similar things in this world compared to Cybertron, he might have to reevaluate his stance.


    In any event, Shockwave research Atlas, the kingdom where Winter Schnee hailed, and immediately, some of the most popular searches that came to his attention were Atlas Academy, Atlas Military, and The Schnee Dust Company.


    The Kingdom of Atlas hailed on the continent of Solitus, the northern-most continent on this world. It was known for harsh weather conditions for Humans and Faunus alike. Thus, it made logical sense that due to such an environment, Atlas possessed the greatest technological advances as well as the strongest military.


    Then the term huntsman came up in his search, and that prompted an investigation by the Decepticon. What he found confounded him.


    Huntsmen and huntresses were trained warriors meant to fight the Creatures of Grimm, and they were trained at four academies, one in each kingdom. Vale had Beacon Academy, Atlas had dubbed their school Atlas Academy, Mistral housed Haven Academy, and Vacuo was where Shade Academy was located.


    Shockwave decided to specify his search parameters to see just what kind of power and skills that these warriors had.


    What he saw evoked different reactions.


    Huntsman and huntresses possessed weapons, both melee and ranged. From simple swords to the absurd and impractical scythes, simple pistol firearms to mini-guns. Spears to great swords.


    Swords? Logical.


    Scythe? Highly illogical and frankly, idiotic.


    Spears? Difficult to wield, but still usable.


    Great swords? Only practical to those who could use it.


    Firearms? Mostly logical.


    Those only scratched the surface.


    Most of the videos that he found these displays came from what was called the Vytal Festival, a tournament that was hosted every two years.


    Shockwave reigned in the information, and returned to his current situation. As important as this information was, the bottom was was this: from what he had read alone, Atlas was a nation that was strict and disciplined, which meant predictable. If he was detained in Atlas, there was a chance he wouldn''t be allowed to leave.


    His previous logic said that he was more than capable of talking his way out of his situation, but why talk out of it when he could cut out the problem entirely by taking control of his own fate?


    He would not be detained like a common thug.


    He needed to leave now, but he needed to know where he would go.


    Also, he would need a source of income, lien, he believed it was called. A handheld scroll would also be integral.


    He could get those things easily, but he first needed to look at the other kingdoms.


    Atlas was already an absolute no-go.


    Vacuo, to his displeasure, wasn''t what he sought. It was a desert environment, not known for anything other than tough living and its people, who were hardy, stubborn, and sometimes a bit boneheaded. It wasn''t an innovative place.


    Mistral was known for culture, art, architecture, more civilian things. It''s darker side features an underground black market, full of things ranging from illegal goods and services to hired guns. It was tempting at first, but Shockwave dismissed Mistral too. It was just the kind of place where someone gained fame, and he preferred to remain quiet, illusive.


    Vale, the kingdom that seemed to have the least unique qualities out of all the kingdoms. It''s survival was due to natural barriers protecting it. Other than the city of Vale itself along with a few other coastal cities, there was nothing special about it.


    That was probably his best bet for now. He need to acquire more information before he made a serious power play. Vale would provide him the reticent he needed.


    Now there was only one two things he had to worry about.


    The crew outside and the cameras¡­


    (X)(X)(X)(X)


    "Remind me why we''re working on an Atlas military ship." Dwayne asked. "I mean, not to hate on Atlas, but isn''t this something they should be doing themselves?"


    "Ah, you know how it is." Gemma grunted, placing the crate in her hands on top of another. "Keep the peace with the guys who''ve got the badass military."


    "Yeah, that''s the official story." Dwayne nagged, shaking his head in the process. "Only an idiot believes that."


    "You''re really paranoid, you know that?" Gemma declared, wiping some sweat off of her forehead. "C''mon, there are better enemies to fight."


    "Yeah, yeah, like the Grimm." Dwayne complained with a wave of his hands. "Tell it to someone who cares, like a huntsman."


    "Or huntress." Gemma scolded her friend. "Don''t make me remind you of that time you tried your luck."


    "Of course you''d bring that up." The darker-skinned man grumbled. "How was I supposed to know that she was a huntress?"


    "Have you ever seen a normal person carry a weapon like that?" Gemma drawled.


    "I thought it was a¡­ can we just drop it?" Dwayne didn''t want to talk about the day that his pride was hurt. "We''ve got work to do."


    "C''mon, if you''re gonna flirt with a woman, at least try for one that won''t kick your ass upon hearing a pickup attempt."


    "Like who?" Dwayne murmured, walking away. "I''ve got no one."


    "Are you really that dense?" Gemma seethed under her breath. "I''m right here!"


    In spite of her best friend''s behavior, she went to tail him when her scroll buzzed to life. She grabbed the small device and opened it to see who had messaged her.


    She had gotten twenty messages in the past few minutes.


    Wierd. She didn''t recall getting these messages anytime a few minutes ago. Was it a bug? A glitch? Someone sending to the wrong person?


    Someone passed her by, a flash of purple, but she paid no mind to them as she tried to see what the messages contained.


    There were¡­ symbols she had never seen in her life. They looked quiet tasteful and kind of exotic, but nothing struck a chord of familiarity.


    She deleted the messages after only seconds of glancing. Whoever had sent them to her had the wrong number.


    She was going to get back to work when she looked around and the lights began to dim all around, as if the power was being siphoned. Everyone seemed to take notice.


    "What on Remnant-" She began to wonder.


    "Hey, Gemma, what''s with these glyphs you sent me?" The sound of Dwayne''s voice came to her ears. "Are you trying to screw with me? It''s working."


    Sometimes, I wish that were the case. Gemma wanted to smack whatever perverted voce said that.


    Whoever had sent those symbols to her had ruined her day.


    Screw them.


    (X)(X)(X)(X)


    Shockwave made sure that he could mask his presence using a software program. Because of his his highly advanced inner technologies, he wasn''t willing to chance any sort of equipment that could track him.


    He had initially come upon some guard drones, placed obviously at the head of the landing ramp to deter him from leaving. The easiest thing to do was hack them and play a loop within their cameras so that they saw only workers at the bottom of their vision.


    His escape also hinged on everyone working on the ship not seeing him. In the momentary disorientation, he slipped out, his footsteps reduced to whispers. Now using his recently-downloaded map of the Kingdom of Mistral, he was now on his way to find an alternate transport to Vale.


    Escaping Winter Schnee was logical.


    But risky.


    Then again, creating the Dinobots and the Combaticons was too.


    I consider this chapter to be necessary, though boring. In order to actually get to the summary which the story describes, a few more things will need to happen.


    The response from the previous chapter was surprising to say the least, so for now, until I''m given a reason or that I run out of time, I will continue with this story.


    As I go along, don''t hesitate to give me ideas and feedback. I''ll try to get back as soon as I am able.


    Apologies for potential grammar issues. I will fix them as I see them.


    I hope you all had fun with this chapter, and remember:


    "Education must not simply teach work - it must teach life."


    W. E. B. Du Bois


    Long live Primus!


    Chapter 3


    Adapting is Logical


    Planet of Remnant


    Kingdom of Mistral


    City of Windpath


    Shockwave had taken to the streets of Mistral following his escape from the docks. He found quite a treasure trove of things going on within the city.


    Although Mistral''s superfluous civilian culture was not to his liking or caring, he could understand where it would entrance others. There were so many things to discover, so many new things to learn, so many new things to experience. Cultural investigators on Cybertron would be more than willing to invest time into learning about the Kingdom of Mistral and all that it had to offer. They would probably be like sparklings feeding on red energon.


    The art that surrounded him was in all things, be it the building architecture, the statues that line the streets, the clothing that people wore, both simple and complex, both elegant, or the music vendors that were sounding all around. All of it was an expression of art, an expression of the inner soul.


    None of it mattered to him.


    Shockwave was on a mission that his freedom depended on. He had no illusions to the fact that Winter Schnee would be on his tail the moment she discovered that he had left without warning. As far as she was concerned, he was a breach in military protocol, and was to be held in captivity until the threat he posed was neutralized.


    He was not to be neutralized like a threat. He neutralized threats himself.


    His best chance to evade her was to wait her out. Eventually, her mission would take precedence and she would be recalled back to Atlas. Dealing with a wanted "criminal" would be the least of her superior''s problems. The military stopped for no one, not even a specialist''s mission.


    That is what his logic told him, but without any insightful information on General James Ironwood, he could not know for sure. The man''s public image was spotless to say the least, and that only served to make the former Decepticon more wary. Anyone who claimed to be flawless was a liar, and not a good one at that. Every single being in the universe was flawed in some way, even Shockwave himself. Official public records might disagree with him, but civilians could be showered with lies easily.


    That being said, flawed or not, Winter Schnee was a tenacious one, and he needed to find some way to change himself so that he looked different than what he looked like now. She had to have memorized his appearance by now.


    So a clothing shop was probably the best place to start.


    Shockwave was no thief by any measure; he did not possess the ability to pickpocket, not like some tricky Decepticons. He would have to work another angle in order to gather the necessary lien. It would do him no good if he gained infamy without any sort of socially-accepted qualities and accomplishments to go along with it.


    The second thing to get was a scroll.


    Even if he did not possess such a device, he was more than capable of accessing the worldwide network that Remnant used, and having briefly read about the kingdoms, he knew that there existed the rich, the poor, and everyone in-between, especially in Atlas and Mistral. A rich class meant that they had funds that he could appropriate and utilize for something far more productive than simple luxury and indulgence.


    But even if he did take from the rich, he would need to be discrete about it. Taking large amounts would only arouse suspicion, which presented him with a much larger problem. Because the rich constituted only a fraction of the overall population on Remnant, he would not gain much funding for his needs and wants, not if he wanted to remain hidden.


    So rather than take from just the rich, he expanded his pool and began to hack into the accounts of other classes of people. In his time on Cybertron, Shockwave had come up with numerous viruses that interacted with the virtual world. He just had to adapt one of his pre-existing virus programs.


    He then proceeded to create a personal, anonymous collective account. Nobody short of a genius would be able to find it. He then watched as his fundings went from zero lien to a hundred to a thousand to ten thousand to a hundred a thousand.


    Upon reaching a million, he stopped. For now, this would more than suffice. It would serve his basic needs as well as allow him to procure any additional equipment he might need for travel. Maybe he could even get a vehicle.


    Essentials first.


    Shockwave casually walked the streets, watching the people of Remnant. He knew he was different, and he could see this as many people reacted to his appearance. It seemed that the Humans were especially wary of him. The Faunus, on the other hand, seemed more curious and, to his eye and optic, friendlier.


    Noting this, the former mech pondered on whether or not he was a Faunus and not a Human as he saw no visible Faunus features on himself. One didn''t have to have visible animal characteristics to be a Faunus, so how was he to distinguish himself as Human or Faunus?


    More importantly, if he really was seen as a Faunus, then his options were going to be limited in a great deal of things. Faunus were discriminated in this world plainly for being offbeat from Mankind. That would work against him.


    Regardless, he had lien, but now he needed to find somewhere to spend them; before he could do so, he needed to find a way to to dispense the cash. He would stand out if he chose to electronically pay without a scroll. Besides, electronic payments left a larger trail that could be traced.


    He believed the machine needed to do such a thing was called an Automated Teller Machine. Finding one in the city was not hard. He did not even have to actively use his map. He just stumbled upon one.


    Before he could do what he needed to do, he took a good look around, trying to spot if there was any sort of surveillance. Any device that had to do with currency had to be monitored at all times so fraud and thievery could be detected. It was only logical.


    He immediately found a video camera, and fortunately, he wasn''t within visual sight of it yet. Not even his shadow was in its sight. Trying to remain unnoticed, he mentally tapped into the camera, then made it play a loop. It would last five minutes, but he only needed two minutes at most to get what he needed.


    He grabbed only the lien he would need to purchase some new clothing as well as a new scroll. From there, he would be able to interact with technology without having to resort to hacking or tampering. The more he did those two, the greater the chances of his detection.


    His attire right now was basic, and if not for his outstanding physical features, he might actually be normal and blend right in. Alas, fortune did not favor him in this instance.


    Ignoring anyone that stared at him, Shockwave eventually found what he was seeking. It to be a simple store, small in size, and stark in its inventory.


    There was nobody overlooking the store, but the sign did say that this place was open. The quiet was still appreciated nonetheless as he went through isle by isle.


    As he moved through the store, it began to dawn on Shockwave just how lacking he was in the knowledge of fashion. He had merely planned to grab clothing, though he assumed it would be a straightforward thing, and so he gave little thought to details. Now, being presented with choices and with so many items for sale, he began to question what would be appropriate for him. This place had quite a selection, and it was not even a mainstream store either.


    The logical thing to do was to search online for current fashion trends; understanding what was considered to be the norm would allow him to blend in, but then an idea occurred to him. To be normal was to make his chances lesser. Normality, in the most simple of terms, meant neither promising or disappointing.


    He wanted to remain unnoticed, but sooner or later, he was going to have to interact with society, and he would need resources in order to assess whether or not he was permanently synthetic or not, and if Cybertron was truly lost to him. To do those things, he needed resources, and to do that, he needed connections, and to get those, he needed to work his way up the social ladder, so to speak. He could choose to go out on his own without allies and remain undetected or he could reach out and gain greater knowledge, resources, and maybe power, but at the expense of losing privacy.


    Perhaps there was a way he could do both, remain quiet all the while gain access to what he wanted and needed. As many millennia in the numerous fields of science had taught him, true accomplishments were never easy.


    "Can I help you?" Someone''s voice registered in his audio receptors.


    Shockwave, or Shael, as he remembered calling himself, turned to look at who had spoken to him.


    It was a woman, or more specifically, a female human. Maturity-wise, she appeared a young a.d.u.l.t, twenty-five Remnant years or so. Her eyes were a dark brown, which contrasted her bright blonde hair. She stood about half a head than he did.


    When he turned to her, Shockwave looks her up and down. Her physical stature suggested that she was not particularly strong, but that was based on her physical proportions alone. If she was a huntress, then her strength could be magnitudes stronger than himself. Of course, that was just a "what if" scenario.


    Also, the fact that there was no trace of fear in her eyes, only curiosity and a tint of wonder, made him believe that she was not quite what she seemed at at glance.


    "I was searching for something new to wear, but I honestly have no idea where to begin." Shockwave outwardly relaxed his posture to appear as non-threatening as possible. "Do you work here?"


    She stared at him for a while longer, and then she cleared her throat. "Yeah, I work here, I also own the place too. So anyways, you do not have any sort of idea where to start?"


    "None at all." Shockwave admitted, albeit with some effort. "I feel as if I am stumbling around blind."


    "Hmm." She looked him up and down. "I think I have just the thing that will suit you. Come with me."


    He followed her to another section of the store, one filled with more¡­ stylistic costumes, not the sort of outfits that Shockwave viewed as functional and utilitarian, but visuals could have an affect, he reasoned. Sometimes, a visual appearance could win a battle before it even came to blows. Megatron, on more than one occasion, had used visual fear as a tactic against the Autobots, and visually, the Decepticon leader did not disappoint.


    Shockwave watched as the woman began to sort various outfits hanging on coat hangers. There were so many, each with differing colors, designs, details, and much more. The variety was actually quite staggering. Why these designs weren''t placed out in front befuddled him. Surely most people would come here if it was visually appealing.


    "Here." Her voice caught his attention again. "This one looks good."


    It was purple-colored, just like his old scheme, with some black and grey trimmings that dotted the entire coat. There was two kite-shaped tails that almost touched the ground. A single zipper lined the front along with buttons, all of which ended at an adjustable collar that could probably cover the entire neck. The sleeves were purple with black and grey stripes going down the entire length to the cuffs.


    "Are you¡­ certain about this?" Shockwave questioned without hesitation, having an opinion already. "This hardly seems¡­ appropriate."


    "Trust me when I say this." Her voice spoke with confidence and assurance. "You''ll look grand in this. You''ll be able to make quite a dramatic entrance in this."


    "Dramatic entrance?" He tilted his head slightly to the left. "Why would I want that?""Because you''re a huntsman." She looked at him like the answer should have be clear as water. "Why else?"


    "Of course." He felt slight offense, though far from enough to warrant an emotional response.


    "Also, put these on." She handed him a pair of heavy boots as well as a pair of pants. "This should be everything."


    "Where would there be a¡­" Shockwave searched for the term he was looking for, "¡­ a changing room."


    "Right over there." She pointed a finger. "Take all the time you need."


    With a nod, he moved to where she had pointed out, closing the door, but not using the lock.


    This part, he felt dubious about. As a bot of science, he should look at this as another learning opportunity. He knew everything there was to know about Cybertronian biology; he knew how to fix all injuries, and he knew how to kill with minimal effort. This was another learning opportunity, or so he told himself.


    With some tentativeness, he carefully removed his plain shirt , feel the sensation of the air against his skin. A nearby mirror afforded him a view at his upper body, and his eyes narrowed in thought. His build was somewhat akin to his physical proportions. Compared to the average person, his entire physical proportions and likely his own attributes were superior. He seemed to possess no fat or otherwise unwanted or unneeded mass.


    Well, almost.


    The only new addition that he was dismayed to have was¡­ genitalia. He recalled that Humans and Faunus recreated more of their own kind via s.e.x.u.a.l reproduction, and while the concept wasn''t alien, Shockwave never considered that he would ever know it fully. It also signified another weakness he needed to learn how to guard. Fortunately, despite his transformation, his mind remained sharp and he was not distracted by the opposite gender as much as other males seemed to be, if his sources could be trusted.


    Shockwave cataloged his musings as he swapped clothing, making sure to stuff these clothes into his backpack along with his scavenged goods.


    This coat had a lot of pockets, some obvious, but most hidden, no doubt something that would allow him to conceal different devices and weapons.


    That was just the sort of function that a huntsman or a huntress would require.


    The coat looked much heavier than he expected, enough so that his overall body movement and coordination would be altered. He could adjust with time and training, things he could do.


    The pants fit him fine with a bit of slack, and his boots were the same.


    Even though it was merely a change of look, Shockwave couldn''t help but look at himself and see how much different he looked now. No longer dressed in casual clothes and looking more akin to a professional-looking man, his presence commanded respect and perhaps intimidation. The coat did nothing to hide his features, more like accentuated them.


    Checking that his cuffs were snug in place as well as his collar, he exited the changing room and was greeted to the woman who was waiting outside for him.


    "Well don''t you look like a fine gentleman." She smiled and cooed. "That suits you perfectly."


    She circled around him, taking the time to examine him from head to toe, and the once-Cybertronian.


    "Yes, this will work nicely." She finished her fifth lap around him, then faced him. "This is your look. I can''t imagine anything else."


    This one, she had a knack for detail, he had to concede. While he still wasn''t in full agreement with its design, he would still live. He just had to be a bit illogical, if that could be called logical.


    "Thank you." Shockwave felt gratitude was called for. "I believe this will do just fine. How much would you like for it?"


    "Well, considering that one''s been hanging on my racks for quite some time," She said, putting a finger, "And considering that I''m in a good mood, I''ll give it to you for¡­ 400 lien."


    All he did was count up the lien and hand it to her, and she took swiftly, and didn''t even bother to count it."Alright, just let me get you a receipt." She rushed to a nearby register. "Anything else you want?"


    Did he want anything else? Normally, he would be satisfied with this, but clothing was not a product bought once and then never again.


    "Do you do customizable outfits?" The picture of the Decepticon insignia came to mind. He want another outfit with this on it. "I might just come back for more."


    "Sure thing," she grinned, "Just give me a call and I''ll get you hooked up. Here''s my card."


    She handed him a small rectangular card with information, and he took it, but didn''t read it, simply placing it in a pocket.


    "Alright, that just about does it." She gave him a receipt. "Thanks for coming in¡­ sorry I didn''t get your name."


    "Shael Watson." He held his hand out. "It is nice to meet you."


    "Autumn Kelly." She took his hand. "Likewise."


    He let go. "You seem extraordinarily friendly to me, even though we do not know each other at all."


    That sentence made Autumn''s mood change. "¡­ I don''t have to know my fellow Faunus to be able to help them out."


    ¡­ I am a Faunus?


    For the first time since his arrival on this world, he was at a loss, but that lasted seconds, and then he reigned himself in. Looking shocked would only make her question him.


    "In any case, thank you." He nodded to her. "I should go."


    "You''re welcome back anytime." She smiled genuinely. "We Faunus gotta look out for one another."


    Leaving that place, Shockwave took his time to process this new revelation. A Faunus, as he understood it, could detect other Faunus, but he couldn''t see any Faunus features on Autumn''s face, so unless she was lying, which he didn''t believe she was, then he too was one.


    But what type was he?


    A very loud sound entered his ears, and for a moment, he almost thought that his receptors were playing tricks on him. As it turned out, it was nothing more than a loud vehicle passing by, so he decided to continue on his way. His next thing to get would be a scroll. A technology store would probably be the place to go.


    That was as easy to find as a clothing store.


    Now this was his element, and here, he felt completely at-ease and comfortable. Models old, current, and new were being showcased. Dust scrolls came in all different sizes, shapes, and models, and each was suited for certain situations.


    Shockwave wasn''t looking for what purposes they could serve. What he wanted was the most powerful model right now. Once he read up the literature that detailed scrolls and how they worked, he could make his own modifications, probably even build his own custom model based on the specifications of a premade scroll.


    "Can I help you¡­ sir?" The man in glasses seemed a bit intimidated by him, even though they were of similar height.


    "What is the most powerful model you have here?" Shockwave voiced his question.


    "Ah, that would be the Generation X, Model L." The man looked like he had recovered and moved to present the model. "This model uses some of the most refined dust courtesy of the SDC. It''s got a pristine camera that takes HD pictures and film."


    "That is useful." Shockwave agreed, but that was not the answer he sought. "But I am more interested in the specifications."


    "Ah, of course." The man pulled up his own device and tapped the screen a few times and displayed its contents. "It uses a dust-refining technique courtesy of the SDC. All the latest technologies have been added. Trust me when I say it, you won''t find a better model on the market right now."


    Unless you go the black market. Shockwave mused internally. They are often ahead of public products.


    "Then this will suffice." Shockwave determined that this would do. "How much for it?"


    "Since this is the current model and given that it has maximum storage," a pause ensued, "About 969 lien, but if you want more time to browse, I can-"


    Shockwave counted lien in his hand, then just shoved it in the man''s hands. "That should suffice." He was not planning on sticking around.


    "Uh, sure, hold on a moment." A moment of counting, and the man quickly ran to the back of the store. "I''ll be right back."


    It was a busy place, this store was, and nobody was paying much attention to him. Certainly, people gave him odd looks, but in no way did they stare, not like he expected them too. Whether they were too busy to care or not affected by his appearance, it worked just fine with him.


    "Here you are." The man returned with a small box. "Could I interest you in any-"


    Shockwave was more than finished with talking to people for today, thus not bothering with social norms and simply grabbed the box and left. Now all he needed to do was charge this scroll and he could use it.


    The device was light, and lightly built, and in his opinion, it was fragile, which left it vulnerable to even the smallest of drops.


    There were some other odds and ends that would help him in the long run, but he had gotten the things he deemed most important right now.


    His plan was to go to Vale and lay low there.


    Dust planes were faster, but considering how he wished to remain incognito, perhaps not being seen by society for some time might do him some good. A short disappearance would permit him to start fresh, as the phrase was coined.


    It was his musings and his relative lack of attention to his overall direction that brought him to a place where he didn''t expect to find himself: a shipyard. Many were already leaving for the sea, some were docked and awaiting passengers or cargo or both, and others were just arriving.


    It was his solution, he surmised.


    It was most likely too late to get a ticket right this moment. These sort of things had to pre-purchased some time before the actual voyage was to take place, lest he lose his guarantee of a seat.


    Pulling up his newly-purchased scroll, he began to search for tickets that could be bought in the next day.


    There were none.


    He shut off his scroll, attempting to conceive of another plan. It was then that he felt something tapping on his shoulder.


    "Can I help you?" Shockwave knew it was a person, and he was tired of talking to people.


    "No, but I think I might be able to help you." A woman''s voice. "You were looking for sea passage to Vale, correct?"It would seem that this person happened to notice the contents on his scroll.


    "Yes, I was." Shockwave turned to face his newest acquaintance, temporarily abandoning his loathing for conversation. "What of it?"


    The woman about a head shorter than he was, but she looked fearless. She wore what looked to be nothing that a civilian would wear, which led the half-Cybertronian to believe that she was a worker of some kind.


    "Well, you see, I''m actually a first mate on a vessel right over there." She gestured to a specific ship on the dock. "Right over there. We take passengers and some cargo. Our next trip is to Vale, one of the coastal cities."


    "Why are you not on this ship now?"


    "I had get a few things before we took off." She kicked a stray pebble off the path. "Kind of last minute, but captain didn''t mind. Oh, sorry, where are my manners? My name''s Matte Skye."


    She held her hand out, and she didn''t look scared when he looked at her strange before accepting the greeting.


    "Shael Watson." The Faunus-Cybertronian felt himself becoming more and more accustomed to his self-formed organic name. "Well-met."


    "To you as well." Matte looked back out to the sea. "So how about this: I get you onto the ship, and you owe me a favor."


    "What sort of favor?" Shockwave treaded carefully, not wanting to end up in a deal that was unfavorable for him.


    "Nothing life-changing or mind-boggling." It was like Matte didn''t even have any real concrete idea about what he was to owe her. "But something equal to a one-way passage from Mistral to Vale, and trust me when I say this: you won''t find a better deal anywhere else."


    Shockwave doubted that statement, but he did think that he would not find a better legitimate deal. She was relatively easy to read in terms of emotions.


    "So how about it?" Matte tilted her h.i.p.s to one side. "It''s not an offer that''ll last."


    There was really nothing to debate about in his mind, but just the same, this was not a decision he could just make lightly. He mentally reviewed everything that he had done since coming to this world.


    He had arrived on this world in this new form. He had travelled and discovered a new wilderness. He had fought and allied himself with Atlas military personnel. He had travelled with said military personnel. He had evaded them to take control. He had gained a foothold in the civilized world of Remnant.


    His future plans? To find a way to Cybertron, if at all possible, and to recover his original form, if at all possible.


    Going to Vale? He was to remain elusive until he had more details in place.


    Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw something that caused his blood-energon spike ever-so slightly. An Atlas mech was patrolling, and if he had to guess by the faces it was being given, it was not welcome here. Its purpose wasn''t too hard to determine.


    "I accept your terms." He nodded his head quickly. "Was there anything else?"


    "Nah, just follow me." She informed him. "We''ll be dusting off soon. Just gotta explain this to the captain."


    A final nod to Matte and Shockwave went to follow her


    Only for them to walk meet face-to-face with the Atlas mech. Silence ensued as they both stared at each other eye and optic to visor.


    Then the half-Cybertronian hacked into the mech''s mainframe in an instant, which followed by him dumping junk data into its systems. The mech remained frozen, giving no signs that it was alerted to his presence.


    "Atlas mechs," Matte scoffed, "What''s one doing here anyways?"


    "Who knows why?" Shockwave knew, of course. "On your lead."


    He sidestepped the mechanical android, only sparing it a final look. By the time the primitive mech sorted through the useless data in its systems, he would be long-gone. At best, it had gotten a sparing glance of him, and Winter Schnee would not have the time or resources to track every ship and came and left the city.


    "So what''s your story?" Matte started off another conversation. "You don''t look the type to be just wandering around for no reason."


    "I have¡­ business in Vale." Shockwave thought about his response for a moment, then added some more. "Unexpected business."


    "Sounds super important and secretive." She sounded like she didn''t know what to say. "So are you gonna tell me what that means?"


    "It is as you said." He confirmed her words. "Secretive and important."


    "Ah, well, everyone''s got one of those." She shrugged her shoulders. "So are you into tech or something. Those prosthetics don''t look cheap."


    "There were custom-made." Shockwave made something up. "They replace what I once had."


    "Ouch, sounds painful." She shivered slightly as she no doubt tried to comprehend the mental image. "You can spare me the details."


    And he was more than willing to do so. The less she asked, the less he had to make up. Lying was illogical in this case, but still necessary.


    "Well here we are." She gazed at the ship as if seeing it for the first time. "Ain''t she a beauty?"


    "I suppose so." How people viewed their sh.i.p.s as people was beyond Shockwave. "There is nothing else that I need to do?"


    "Just get on-board and relax." She began to take off in a different directions. "I''m gonna check on the other crew members."


    (X)(X)(X)(X)


    Winter Schnee''s day went from exhausting to angering.


    She shouldn''t have left Shael Watson to his own devices. This was bound to happen and she scolded herself numerous times for doing something that someone of her positions shouldn''t have ever done.


    How was she going to explain this loss to General Ironwood. He had already be informed about the details of the mission. Her mission was mostly a success, but a mission that was mostly complete might just be counted as a failure in her superior''s eyes.


    One of her screens flashed and then suddenly went into a static frenzy. She focused her eyes on this anomaly. Very few people had the ability to hack into Atlesian soldier mechs, and she doubted that it was someone she did not known.


    "Where are you?" She began to type some commands into the console.


    With mechs spread out into the city, she couldn''t afford to get out there herself. She''d never get to the offline mech fast enough.


    "Dammit." She muttered under her breath.


    She had an idea where to start with this useless data, and she tried to get through all of it and fix the problem.


    That''s when her console controls shut off and the screen darkened, but didn''t blink out completely.


    Instead, there was a single message displayed on her screen.


    Pursuing me is illogical. Cease now.


    "Curses." Winter slammed her fist onto the metal console.


    Eh, this is another boring chapter, but one or two more chapters similar in tone to this one and the previous chapter will be needed to set up Shockwave as the summary of the story tells.


    As some may have noticed, exploring Shockwave''s mind is very complicated. Shockwave''s mentality in life is easy: pursue what is most logical, though what he considers logical can shift and change given the right perspective. Remember that as I go forward. Also, I''ve spent some time reading about Shockwave via Transformers Wiki''s and looking at the cartoons. All of them. I expect some very unusual results.


    So I made Shockwave a Faunus. It seemed to make sense. Even compared to Cybertronians, he''s not like an ordinary Cybertronian. Like Soundwave, he can be quite a wild card. Also, what''s not to like about a partly-synthetic Faunus badass?


    What did you guys think of this chapter? Please let me know so that I can make adjustments and fine-tune as I go. I may have the story outlined, but you can still affect the details when you speak out.


    Also, if it interests you, go check out my poll on my profile page for future RWBY stories, both normal and crossover.


    I hope you goys enjoyed this chapter, and remember:


    "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."


    Henry Ford


    Primus be with you!


    Continue to FF.net for more~!


    *2nd fic of this author that I recommended

 Chapter 300 - My SI Stash #100 - Borne of Caution by Fuggmann (Pokemon)

    -Zookeeper gets isekai''d to Pok¨¦mon by Nuke-kun~ Out of all the SI Pokemon fic I''ve read this has to be the best one, author managed to combine themes of fluffiness and gruesome death. Mad.


    Synopsis: An irritated Pokemon might tell you to stop what you''re doing. An irritated animal will probably just attack you. Pokemon, for all their power, would be open books and a breeze to care for to any competent animal handler on Earth. After a fiery death, a professional zookeeper who never outgrew Pokemon games ends up in the world of Pokemon. The entire world is thrown onto its side.


    Rated: M


    Words: 61K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13390578/1/Borne-Of-Caution (Fuggmann)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à) -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    I am an animal lover, but not exactly an expert. Some biology and behavior referenced in the story may not be 100% accurate, or might even be outright pseudoscience.


    It''s shit you''ve been warned.


    edit: I''ve got the big dyslexia so there were a ton of mistakes. Fixed most. Point out more if found


    "She really likes you, you know."


    Lee groans, setting the bloody bucket in his gloved hand down and wiping at his sweaty forehead. Behind him, the staff door to the lion exhibit closes with a pair of clicks. "I know Makiri is pissed. Don''t rub it in."


    The first voice laughs, deep and hearty. "Well, can''t dem to love you all da time, can you? Lovely Lady Makiri likes her routine, and you broke her big rule of not changin''. Mommy Mara''s scent all over ya ain''t helping either. Lady Makiri be thinkin'' you''re cheaten on her."


    Lee looks up to the tall speaker.


    Before him is a large african man with a shaved head, beaming smile, and eyes sparkling with mirth. He''s clad in the same khaki bush trekking outfit that most animal handlers in the Columbus Zoo use as a uniform, Lee included. On his belt is a radio (currently turned off as to not spook the lions) and on his right b.r.e.a.s.t pocket is a nametag reading "Aasir".


    Lee runs a glove-clad hand through his sweaty hair with a sigh. "I know. With how David called out so suddenly someone had to check up on the tigers, and I drew the short straw. Mara''s in heat again and is real cuddly with anything even vaguely smelling male. She walked up to me without an ounce of aggression."


    Aasir nods and hums, scratching his stubble covered chin. "Yah, no wonder Lady Maiki was givin'' you da stinkeye den. Smellin'' anodda female, one jonesin'' for cubs no less, on any of her handlers gunna make her mad."


    The shorter man grimaces. He had to carefully maneuver in the enclosure as to not let Makiri, the eldest lioness, be downwind of himself. The other lions gladly approached for their admittedly late lunch with Makiri trailing behind, already knowing none of the foolish younglings would eat her share. By the time Lee realized the wind had shifted, the old lioness had already gone silent and was maneuvering into his blindspot. Lee bid a steady retreat, as running would make her chase, and it gave him enough time to see the fury in her eyes.


    If she caught him, Lee would have been dead.


    Harsh is the realization that any animal could turn on you. Harsher is realization you still love them even if it might lead to your death.


    "Think you can cover the lions alone for a few days so Makiri can cool off?"


    Aasir nods with a chuckle. "Dats fine. Deh boys at deh reptile house gunna need some extra hands anyway. Dey be setting up a spider exhibit while new rattlers be shipped in. Lions, old Aasir can do. Now spiders?" He drops his grin and shudders. "Can''t do spiders. No. Dem beady eyes and crawly legs and hooked fangs be hauntin'' my dreams," he says, rubbing his arms as if to ward off a chill.


    "Heh, suit yourself," Lee says with a shrug. "Any idea when that''s going down?"


    Aasir pulls his phone from his pocket and checks the time. "Threeish? Dey getting the buggers in and set up in da back while de enclosures be converted for dem."


    "Enough time to catch some lunch and a nap in the supply closet. Nice." Lee thinks with a grin, turning towards the exit to the visitor area.


    "And don''t be sleepin'' in da admin closet. Miss Jonesy knows."


    Lee stops. "I said that aloud, didn''t I?"


    "It''s a bad habit you got." Lee didn''t even need to turn to know Aasir was smiling. The man just laughs when Lee keeps walking.


    Lee steps out into the visitor area, barely avoiding a kid that runs by with an exhausted mom trailing behind. He looks around and takes in the throngs of people in the Zoo today.


    Everyone is crowded by the fence of the lion exhibit, watching with gasps and exclamations broken up by the beeping of cellphone cams as the lions eat. Young, old, man, and woman alike watch raptly, and thankfully no one has the gall to try and throw things into the enclosure this time.


    Just yesterday a pizza crust thrown by some brat managed to bean poor cub Sefu in the eye, and both himself and Aasir rushed out to the culprit. Lee isn''t terribly intimidating, only being of average height and build, but even an indignant mom quickly caves to a large african man so angry that he accidentally slips back into his native Swahili. The family and bawling child left without needing an escort out.


    Respecting the animals isn''t that hard, is it?


    Either way, today seems to be going just fine, making Lee smile as everyone points and gushes over cubs Sefu and Zuberi fighting over a rib bone.


    The man continues on, gliding through the Saturday crowd with practiced ease back toward the main admin office and towards his much needed lunch. One or twice he''s stopped by a zoo guest for directions, and he gives them out almost without noticing, knowing where everything is by heart. As he walks, Lee runs a hand across his forehead and speeds up, hoping to get out of the beating late-summer sun soon.


    Lee slips into the gift shop near the front of the Zoo and walks along the wall to a door marked "Employees only." With a swipe of his keycard, the door opens with a ''click!'' and lets him back into the admin office.


    Inside the small lounge area, a few staff, animal keepers, security, and even an on-site cop mill about, talking in small groups or seated at one of the small tables eating lunch. In the corner of the room, an old TV with the news perpetually playing fills background. Lee promptly ignores all of that and makes a beeline for the shared fridge, snatching a tupperware container of pasta from it before finding a table for himself.


    Lee pulls his phone out as he brings a forkful of food to his mouth, clicking on his GBA emulator to continue his modded Pokemon Emerald run. Not too much was added. Simply a randomized starter and all first three gens available in the wild.


    Beating the first gym leader Roxanne, a Rock type specialist, with a Vulpix as a starter was a gigantic pain though. Will-o-Wisp and Confuse Ray really earned their place in Vulpix''s moveset after that. The Vulpix has stellar IVs and even has the hidden ability Drought, so it''s too bad her lax nature means a special defense reduction. She would have made a good wall. ''That''s alright though,'' Lee thinks. ''I can still build a good team around her.'' He marks the little fox with a heart in the box system.


    With the first gym beaten, Lee took one last look around Rustboro and talked with every NPC before heading to the next route.


    A chair across the table squeaks as someone sits down. "Still a big Pokemon fan, eh?"


    Lee looks up as he finishes his last bite of lunch, seeing fellow keeper and member of the reptile house, Marcy, sit down with him.


    Lee nods, pausing his game to address her. "Now and forever. The only thing I like more than Pokemon is actual animals. Broke my heart as a kid when my d.i.c.k brother said they were real only for Ma to tell me they aren''t."


    Marcy snorts and grins. "He wouldn''t be a proper brother if he didn''t mess with you."


    "True, and I busted his favorite GI Joe as revenge," Lee quips, making Marcy laugh. "So what brings you over to my lonely little table?"


    The woman collects herself. "Aasir told me over the radio one of your lions thinks you''re cheating on her, so you need a break from their for a few days. Want to help set up an arachnid exhibit in the meantime?"


    "It''s not my fault Mara felt like rubbing up on me..." Lee grumbles. "But yes, I was actually about to call you once I was done here to ask just that. Thanks for saving me the trouble."


    "Of course."


    Both zookeepers stand, Lee pocketing his phone, then stop as tornado sirens begin to sound out in the distance, their wails echoing across the whole zoo hauntingly. Under the wailing of the sirens is the audible panic of several of the louder, more skittish animals. Everyone else in the lounge likewise looks bewildered. One glance out the window shows that the sky is clear and blue, as a summer day should be. Even the fickle weather of Ohio can''t shift that fast.


    "The hell is going on?" Another keeper asks no one particular.


    "Dunno. Some kind of malfunction?" A gift shop cashier finishing her lunch suggests.


    "Someone must have broken something big then." Someone near the back of the room chimes.


    More sirens echo in from the not-so-distant city of Columbus, the capital of Ohio and one of the largest cities in the United States. The extra sirens mix with the closer ones, forming an unnerving din. Then from the north even more sirens cry out from the city of Delaware.


    The confusion gripping the room slowly turns to worry.


    "Alright, it''s one thing for our sirens to f.u.c.k up, but both Columbus and Delaware going at once?" Lee says, pulling out his phone. "What is going on?"


    Then he gets an answer he didn''t want.


    All at once, every cellphone in the room screams out alarm tones at maximum volume. Several people flinch and a few bite back screams from the unexpected scare. The message flashing on each one is infinitely more damning than any frightening alarm tone.


    PRESIDENTIAL ALERT ISSUED.


    TAKE SHELTER NOW AND TUNE INTO OFFICIAL NEWS STATIONS FOR MORE DETAIL.


    All eyes fly to the TV in the corner.


    "-rising tension may mean disaster for negotiations. Back to you, Tom.", ``the anchorwoman says as the news shifts to a smiling man with a weather map behind him Before he can get a single word in, the screen suddenly goes black.


    Everyone watching waits, coiled with tension.


    After several seconds, the TV screams out with the chilling screech of the E.B.S. After several screeches, a synthesized voice begins to speak with an eerie calm. "This message is transmitted by the order of the president and Department of Homeland Security. At approximately 12:37PM EST, The North American Aerospace Defense Command detected incoming Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. These missiles are believed to be carrying nuclear warheads of unknown yield. Known targeted cities include Washington DC, New York NY, Dallas TX, San Francisco CA, Seattle WA, Pittsburgh PA, Chicago IL-"


    The TV rattles off more cities in it''s monotone. The longer it goes on, the more hope begins rising in the room.


    "Jesus f.u.c.k this is unreal, but if there is anything good about Ohio it''s how irrelevant we are. Why waste a nuke here?" Lee thinks to himself, trying vainly to steady his heart rate. "There is nothing worth nuking. Oh my f.u.c.k.i.n.g god I can''t believe the crazies on /pol/ were right."


    "-Phoenix AZ, and Columbus OH."


    "...What!?"


    A deathly stillness grips the entire room. Just outside, screams overtake the sirens.


    "If you are located within 100 to 200 miles of any of the listed locations," the TV drones on, "take shelter immediately. Warhead impact is estimated to be in the next 30 to 45 minutes. Keep a radio and tune into local emergency channels. If you do not know your local emergency channels, look them up now. Internet service cannot be guaranteed after impact. Shelter in place and do not move until an all clear is given. A location underground is optimal. Failure to follow these instructions may lead to injury or death. This message will repeat."


    Lee looks around at his thunderstruck co-workers, but can''t hear a word of their frantic yelling over his heart pounding in his own ears and the growing screaming outside. He falls backward, his back hitting the wall and letting him slump to the floor. "Absolutely nowhere in the zoo can stand a nuclear blast," he whispers to himself. "We''re going to die. We''re actually going to die."


    The man frantically takes out his phone and hits the first contact inside, his mother. He holds the phone up to his ear, but only hears "All circuits are busy. Please try again later" before it can ring out even once. With a growl he calls again, again, and again...


    "All circuits are busy. Please try again later."


    "F.u.c.k! Did EVERYONE have the same idea?!"


    Lee raises his arm and almost dashes the smartphone across the ground, but controls his temper at the last moment with a deep, heaving breath. He drops the now useless device into his pocket and grips his head in his hands, tears of both fear and frustration stinging his eyes. "F.u.c.k f.u.c.k f.u.c.k..."


    He raises his head, seeing everyone else isn''t coping much better. Most fill the room with screams and muttered prayers asking God to save them. One poor intern has the cashier girl in a deathgrip of a hug, crying large, ugly tears as the shell shocked girl rubs his back absently. Several of the keepers slip out the door, probably to go see their animals one last time. Marcy, normally so conservative, is openly and frantically having s.e.x one last time with one of the security guards in the corner with not a single person paying them any mind.


    BANG!


    Everyone jumps and screams.


    Lee stares at the slumped form of the on-site police officer. He''s wide-eyed and bleeding from a hole in the side of his cranium, his Glock pistol held in limp fingers. The wall to his side is painted a morbid red. The man''s mouth opens and closes several times before his eyes unfocus and he goes limp.


    Lee quashes the temptation to take the gun and follow the man into the afterlife.


    Someone else, an older man in overalls with a tool belt picks up the gun and drops the magazine, looking at with the shaky hands. "There''s sixteen more bullets if anyone wants to go on their own terms..." he says quietly, placing the gun on a table after putting the magazine back in.


    Impending death does things to people. Really reveals who they are.


    The crying intern wipes away his tears and steps towards the gun, a sudden calmness to him.


    Lee screws his eyes shut and plugs his ears.


    BANG!


    Red splatters across the ceiling, and another one moves on.


    The crying and panic calms in favor of numb shock, everyone now too overloaded to process everything at once. All the remaining people in the lounge slowly settle into a small group along the floor and the chatter dies down to silence. Everyone is content to wait, and no words are needed to communicate that. Outside, only the wails of the sirens remain. The cries of the guests are gone, and in their place is distant beeping of car horns.


    Lee looks down at his phone, now noticing it has no signal at all. With a sigh, he opens Pokemon Emerald again in a vain attempt to distract himself.


    "The front gate is probably clogged to all hell..." Lee murmurs, hugging his knees to his chest with his free arm. "Glad I''m not on parking lot duty today."


    A few people chuckle and the maintenance man who set the gun aside even says; "Hear hear, brother."


    Quiet falls over the group again and goes unbroken for a few only sound comes from Lee''s phone as he takes his character back to Littleroot Town.


    "So how long until..." Someone trails off.


    "That was a good 20 minutes of freakout," someone else says. "It''s can''t be long now, people. If you''ve got any regrets, out with it now."


    No one speaks up and the second speaker scoffs. "Of course..."


    Lee sighs and leans his head back, praying to whatever power that is listening to make sure the coming doom is quick, both for him and all the animals. The thought of Makiri, the cubs, Mara and her mate Jupiter, or ANY of the animals he''d come to love like people suffering fills him with a nameless dread. Why should they be killed for the mistakes of people?


    "They shouldn''t. They''re the biggest victims here, being condemned to die because forces they can''t comprehend or control don''t even consider them in the collateral damage."


    "My one regret," Lee begins, making all eyes turn to him. "Was that I could never properly tell all my charges how much I love them. I went to school and came here to learn all about animals of all sorts, and I can gauge how much they like me thanks to those lessons, but I never had a good way to tell them. The curse of language barrier that can''t be breached I guess."


    "Jesus Lee, make the rest of us feel bad why don''t you."


    Lee turns to the speaker to retort, but stops and screams when a 2nd sun blooms in the distance. The flood of white light through the south window instantly burns the left side of his face and makes the room sweltering in half a second.


    The screaming begins again as everyone scrambles to cover their eyes. Hardly a second later, the shockwave hits. All the windows shatter into slivers of razor sharp glass and shoot northward. Several lodge themselves into Lee''s side or fly by and open gashes, making him cry out at the sharp agony. His own scream and the rest of the world goes silent as his ears pop from the pressure. The whole room shakes and cracks like an earthquake struck the entire zoo.


    And then, FIRE


    OH GOD THE FIRE THE FIRE THE FIRE THE FIRE


    EVERYTHING HURTS


    EVERYTHING BURNS


    MAKE IT STOP


    MOMMY GOD JESUS ANYONE PLEASE MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT GO AWAY


    MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP


    An instant later, and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium was no more.


    Lee opens his eyes.


    A second later, he shoots up into a sitting position and coughs wet, painful coughs into his hand for almost a minute, taking wheezing breaths whenever his abused lungs would allow. He looks at his hand, grimacing at the flecks of red dotting his hand and at the copper taste coating his tongue.


    The man cranes his head around, confusion welling up inside him as he stands on unsteady legs. This is neither heaven, hell, or a hospital.


    All around is lush greenery that one would see in a fairly tropical region. A humid wind filled with the scent of recent rain blows through the leaves of the tall trees, sending a calm rustle rolling through the forest all around.


    "What the f.u.c.k..?" Lee murmurs, turning only to hiss as the movement pulls at the glass stuck into his side. He gingerly touches a large shard that shredded through his khaki shirt and stuck itself in his left side with a wince. While looking at his side, he notices the dark lines burned into the side of his shirt, probably from where the bright light shined in through the blinds. So he probably...


    Lee touches a finger to the left side of his face and pulls it away, biting back a scream. A trio of lines are burned into his face, one just barely missing his eye. The flesh is cooked and bubbled in some places.


    "Don''t touch my face, good to know..." he says to himself, returning his attention to the glass in his side. He grits his teeth "This is gonna suck," he says, gripping the largest bit of glass. With a wet schlick! the shard slips out and Lee bites his lip to hold back a scream. He quickly yanks what shards he can out and lets the bloody glass fall to the grassy ground. Thankfully none are in so deep that he risks bleeding out.


    With that out of the way, Lee reaches in his back pocket and takes out a small folding knife. With a few quick cuts, his still whole right sleeve is made into several sloppy bandages. "Thank God for small mercies," the man mutters, thankful his shirt is a button up and not a pull-over that he''d have to drag over his burns.


    A moment later, his cuts are covered and his tattered shirt is buttoned back on.


    "Now, where the f.u.c.k am I?"


    Lee turns around carefully, trying to make heads or tails of his location. Could he have been picked up by the blast and flung here? She shakes his head. "What kind of cartoony shit is that? And I distinctly remember being on fire."


    Just the phantom sensation of being engulfed in flame paralyses the zookeeper and makes his heart hammer. Sweat dots his brow and he struggles to breath, his mind convinced that opening his mouth will let the nuclear flames in.


    "Ta. Taillow!" A voice with a trill to it calls.


    "Zag?" Another voice asks with questioning whine.


    The strange, almost child-like voices snap Lee from his vision. With a gasp and a blink, he whirls around and comes face to face with something, or a pair of somethings he instantly recognizes.


    Less than ten feet away stands a living, breathing, Zigzagoon and a Taillow, both watching him carefully. A pair of f.u.c.k.i.n.g Pokemon.


    Lee gulps and stares back. "I''ve lost it. This is my brain flooding with hormones for a nice vision before I''m burned to ash. There is no other explanation."


    The Zigzagoon is just as he remembers them. Short and stubby with a cute face and the distinct zig-zag pattern to it''s fur, but there is a realness that any game or show lacks. Zigzagoon has individual strands of fur that gently flow in the breeze and it''s eyes gleam. It blinks and twitches it''s nose in little sniffs.


    The Taillow is just as real, with actual feathers composing it''s from rather than just solid color. On it''s beak, Lee sees several scratches and minor discoloration telling him it''s not been eating a balanced diet. It''s talons kneed the dirt under it anxiously.


    "This can''t be real."


    Zigzagoon tilts it''s head and Taillow narrows it''s eyes.


    "Shit I said that aloud."


    Lee quickly falls back on his animal handling lessons and slowly dips into a crouch to make himself seem smaller and less threatening.


    Taillow''s form eases and Zigzagoon steps a little closer, it''s tail slowly wagging.


    Zigzagoon''s eyes scan over Lee, and he swears he sees the Pokemon''s gaze become sympathetic as it looked over the wounds upon him. The little Pokemon steps even closer, coming almost to arms length. Zigzagoon finally looks over its shoulder to Taillow, letting out a; "Zagoon. Zig zigzagoon!" that sounds imploring.


    Taillow looks over Lee with and appraising eye, its eyes lingering on the burns on his cheek, before it spread its wings and took off into the forest, vanishing like a specter into the branches.


    The little racoon look-alike seems elated if it''s body language offers any tells and fearlessly steps closer, now within arms reach.


    Lee slowly, carefully reaches a hand out, pushing down the twinge of childish excitement that suddenly wants to rise out "You''re a friendly one, eh? My favorite," he says, gently laying a hand on the Pokemon''s head.


    Zigzagoon happily preens under the compliment and accepts the gentle scratch behind its ear with a croon. Lee takes the time to marvel at the feeling of the stiff, backwards facing fur.


    Suddenly, Taillow returns and lands beside Zigzagoon. Only years of ''Don''t make sudden movements'' being beaten into Lee''s head keep him from flinching.


    Taillow carries a pair of small, blue fruits held by the stems in it''s beak. The small bird looks at Lee critically before dropping both fruit at his feet and hoping backwards two steps. Zigzagoon likewise backs up several steps and looks up at him patiently.


    "They''re giving these to me?"


    A second look at the fruit tell him exactly why.


    At his feet is both an Oran berry and a Rawst berry. A berry that restores HP and a berry that cures burns.


    One side of Lee knows that Pokemon are intelligent of course, but the other side is utterly blown away that a pair of animals could diagnose injuries and acquire treatment, for a stranger no less.


    The man gives both Pokemon a smile, careful not to bare his teeth. "Thank you both so much."


    Taillow just nods, seemingly not thinking this is a big deal, but Zigzagoon trundles up and rubs its face against Lee''s knee with an affectionate bark.


    With a smile, the man picks up the Rawst berry first. "Chase the bitter one with the sweet one." Then he stops. "Am I really about to accept a pair of fruits I''ve never seen before from a pair of anomalous creatures?"


    He pops the Rawst berry into his mouth and chews quickly, trying not to cringe at the impressive bitterness that such a small fruit could pack. Both Pokemon before him watch with no small amount of amus.e.m.e.nt as he grabs the Oran immediately after swallowing the Rawst, again eating the thing quickly.


    Lee almost gags when the sweet Oran doesn''t wash down the Rawst flavor, but instead mingles with it into a disgusting new flavor. "Ech. Did you two know this would happen?"


    Taillow actually smirks, a facial expression an avian should not be able to make while Zigzagoon replies with a "Goon!"


    Once both berries are down, the pain from all of Lee''s injuries fades to a dull ache and the throbbing, molten pain of his burned face eases to a much more bearable sting. He tentatively touches his face to find that action isn''t pure agony any longer. He takes a deep breath, noting the wet wheeze he had was gone.


    Incredible. Just incredible. His inner academic yearns to know the hows and whys of berries.


    Again, Lee finds himself smiling. "Thank you both again. I won''t forget you."


    Both Pokemon actually smile. Taillow spreads its wings and Zigzagoon turns to leave.


    "Wait!"


    The Pokemon halt and look at Lee, Zigzagoon with curiosity and Taillow with suspicion.


    "Can you..." he stops, almost feeling foolish. "Can you tell me where the nearest human settlement is? I''m.. not really from around here."


    Taillow rolls its eyes. "Tailllllow," it says, sounding condescending. Nonetheless, the small bird flits up to a branch and points it''s beak to the east. It then takes flight and vanishes into the forest.


    Zigzagoon is quick to follow, but not before throwing a quick "Goon!" over its shoulder.


    Once again, Lee is alone.


    The zookeeper pushes away the mental breakdown that desperately wants out and starts walking east at a slow pace. No matter what happened, he needs to find other people to help him and hope he doesn''t stumble into a nuclear crater. As he walks, Lee takes stock of himself.


    "I''m hurt, tired, lost, have zero supplies, and I''m probably hallucinating. This is just awwwwesome. At least those berries worked."


    Lee pats down his pockets, finding everything where it should be. His radio is still on his belt, but it only takes one look to see that it''s chassis is cracked down the middle and the innards look live they''ve been microwaved, he observes with a groan. His folding knife and wallet is in his back pocket. His phone somehow survived, albeit with a cracked screen, but then...


    As Lee was putting his phone back, his finger runs over something cool, metal, and spherical at the bottom of his pocket. Curious, he wraps his fingers around it and pulls the tiny sphere out. In his hand is a pokeball, shrunken into it traveling form.


    "No f.u.c.k.i.n.g way."


    He presses the button several times, watching mystified as the ball grows and shrinks over and over before his eyes. "Did Taillow or Zigzagoon sneak this onto me?" he asks no one, tossing the ball up and down, only for it to slip from his fingers and fall to the ground.


    The ball bounces once then snaps open with a flash of energy, making Lee jump back with a yelp. The energy collects to a single point and forms a small, quadrupedal figure before fading, leaving a creature behind.


    Brown eyes blink and look up at the gobsmacked human. An ear with a little heart mark flicks.


    Before him stands a Vulpix. His Vulpix.


    "Oh. Shit."


    The first thing Vulpix does once her ball opens is take a deep breath of air.


    The scents of the forest, the dirt, the trees, the water, the grass and mingle in her nose, telling her countless things about her surroundings before she can even blink the stars from her vision. She remembers an incredible victory over the Rock-type gym leader, where her own trainer commanded her like a professional. He and her working in tandem led the entire other team to ruin.


    A young Fire type demolishing a team of experienced Rock types. Alone. Power never mattered overly much to her, but such explosive growth appealed to a much more primal part of her Pokemon psyche. A part should could not, and would not deny.


    Her human was never the affectionate sort, and would keep her in her ball most of the time. With a flare of her budding psychic powers, Vulpix scans for her opponent as her vision clears, but finds naught but her trainer.


    Curious.


    After a few seconds that seem like an eternity, Vulpix''s vision adjusts from the sudden flash of her own materialization, and before her stands... a human who isn''t her trainer. He''s taller different in the face, clad in unusual, tattered clothes,... and coated in injuries.


    But this human''s psychic signature feels just like her trainer. Exactly like him. She knows there is no such thing as a perfect psychic spoof. It can''t be done. Vulpix wars with herself, fighting the desire to try and comfort her trainer(?) over his injuries and the logical side of her that says to wait and be wary of tricks.


    And things... look different. Sharper. Dare she say more detailed? Strange happenings are abound.


    Vulpix blinks and looks around, not recognizing anything. With a flick of her ear, she sits and waits, content with having her trainer(?) lead the conversation.


    Lee blanks out.


    Before him is the crux of his latest team, looking at him coolly with at least some level of recognition. Actual recognition, as in she knows who he is. Somehow. He takes out his phone and boots up his emulator for Pokemon Emerald. On starting up, he opens his pokemon menu.


    And it''s empty. His Vulpix, his only Pokemon, is missing.


    The game promptly freezes and crashes.


    He puts the phone away, thinking over the implications.


    Again, he falls back into his training and crouches down slowly, Vulpix''s eyes watching carefully. Lee hesitates for a minute with Vulpix just watching, before he finally takes a deep breath and begins "Vulpix? I know this is going to sound really stupid, but what is the last thing you remember?"


    Vulpix tilts her head, carefully regarding him with her chocolate eyes. The little vulpine then looks around and spies a small rock sticking up from the ground. She trots to the rock, then breathes a short tongue of flame onto it before giving it a little kick, knocking it over.


    This sudden appearance of the flame makes Lee go still, but he snaps himself back to reality a second later. "So our victory over Roxanne?"


    Vulpix simply nods.


    Again Lee stops to think. "Alrighty girl. Lets walk-n-talk. We want to get to a town before nightfall and I''ve got a lot of things to cover. I urge you to listen to me until the end."


    The little fox responds with a demure "Vul..." and stands to follow.


    Lee stands himself and stretches his limbs with a held back yawn. The energy given to him by that Oran is beginning to fade. He starts his leisurely pace east again with Vulpix easily falling in step to his left. As they walk, he mulls over his explanation.


    "How does one explain... well, all this shit to a superpowered animal without getting killed?" The zookeeper wonders with a sigh. "Or, do I even need to explain it?" He wonders, thinking back to some of the older Dex entries for Vulpix and Ninetails. "Ninetails is explicitly said to have mind control powers in one of the gen III Dexs. That means some way to connect minds together. Could Vulpix have a lesser form of that ability?" The man then starts second guessing himself "Do I really want to let her into my head? Sure, I can say I know how psychic powers work from the show, but this isn''t the show. At least I don''t think. If I don''t though, then everything I say is going to sound crazy. ''Hey, I dunno how either of us got here, but I was in a fiery holocaust and I''m sure you were in a video game before that.'' Even in a world as wack as Pokemon, that''s weird."


    "Vulpix?" Lee asks, looking down at her. "I''ll be honest, I don''t quite know how to explain what exactly happened. It''s... kind of unbelievable. So much so that I almost don''t believe it. I know your line has some level of psychic power. Can I possibly show you the memories?"


    "Excluding some parts, of course. I can''t scar my only Pokemon."


    Vulpix looks up and regards Lee with some surprise in her eyes. She stops and jumps to Lee''s shoulders with a deft hop, taking care to dr.a.p.e herself over his right shoulder and to keep her tails away from his burns. Lee and Vulpix lock eyes less than an inch away, and her large chocolate eyes begin to glow a dark red.


    Lee gulps and brings his daily life in the zoo to the forefront, showing Vulpix what he did for a living, then shifted to his phone.


    He can FEEL Vulpix looking over his mental shoulder into the memory of the phone screen, where a perfect digital copy of herself was. He could feel the countless questions bubbling in her, but she remained silent. He shifted his mind to his trainer avatar, then back to himself, correcting her image of him.


    Finally, he shifts the memory to the very tail end of... his death?


    The alarm that shoots through Vulpix nearly makes him stumble.


    A flash, then pain. Unearthly pain.


    Fire.


    Fire.


    FIRE.


    SKIN BOILING


    FLESH MELTING


    BONES SPLINTERING.


    TURN.


    TO.


    ASH.


    "..ix! Vulpiiiiix!"


    Lee snaps out of the short flashback, his chest heaving and the sensation of burning. He looks to his right shoulder, seeing the horrified face of Vulpix.


    "No. She saw everything." The man feels himself go cold, like a lump of ice was dumped into his stomach. "Why the f.u.c.k did I think this was a good idea?! Jesus f.u.c.k man try to think things through!"


    The fox takes shaky breaths and fights back tears in an unnervingly human display as a pitiful whine builds in her throat. She pins her ears back and looks away.


    Lee keeps the her pokeball pocketed. If she runs, then he has no right to pursue. He''ll break the ball and free her.


    For a long moment, man and fox stand there. Then Lee jumps when a cold nose nuzzles into his neck. "V-Vulpix?"


    Vulpix meets his eyes with hers, but stays nuzzled to his neck.


    "You''re," the man stops and thinks over his words. "You''re not going to run and leave? I won''t stop you."


    The fox bares her teeth and growls as pure offense flashes across her whole face. Merely suggesting she leave seems to make her almost enraged. Her body heats up before she suddenly stops and lets it cool down again.


    Lee gulps and turns away, holding up a hand in surrender. "L-Look. I was just saying. If you don''t want to, then that''s fine too. I''m more than happy to have you."


    With those words, Vulpix visibly calms and huffs, holding her head high as she steadily meets her trainer''s gaze. "Vulpix. Vul, pix." she says firmly. It''s easily interpreted as ''I am not leaving. Don''t ask again.''


    Despite all the day''s great misfortunes, Lee feels a little of that childish excitement from earlier return. Here he is, with a Pokemon of his own!


    The time to cry and mourn is later. For now wonder can have the front seat.


    Chapter 2


    Ara ara. Still here reader-kun? Endure this trash if you can.


    "Little Root Town?"


    "Vul?"


    After about thirty minutes of walking, the treeline had thinned until vanishing altogether, showing the ragged man and little fox on his shoulder a quaint hamlet with an ocean port to the south. The muggy forest air faded away in favor of a rolling breeze smelling of salt.


    "Must be Little Root," Lee muses aloud. "That Taillow and Zigzagoon were pretty concrete evidence that this is Hoenn, and this place is much too small to be Slateport or Lilycove. We won''t have to run all over hell''s half-acre to find Birch then. I guess something had to go right for us, eh?"


    Vulpix says nothing, but the short purr in her throat tells Lee she acknowledged his words.


    "Here''s hoping Birch finds us to be enough of a scientific curiosity to be worth helping," Lee says as he walks, "because if not, things could get rough for a while..." he finishes with a grimace.


    Vulpix noses Lee''s cheek with a demure "Pix," making the man smile and reach up to pet her. Vulpix accepts the affection with a small smile of her own, even leaning into the hand.


    Lee grins. Again, a childish giddiness pushes away the day''s negativity and all the buzzing questions all thanks to the fact that he has a real pokemon! He is a Pokemon Trainer!


    ''Or I''m one in spirit at least. I know it''s not as simple as having a pokemon = trainer. Paperwork, here I come.'' Lee thinks. A moment later, another thought hits him. ''Oh shit, I have no legal ID here. I seriously doubt my drivers licence and zoo ID will work. It will certainly add some credibility to my story, but Jesus, having no paperwork for either myself or Vulpix is going to be a bureaucratic nightmare. I bet all the money in my wallet is useless too, and I know my credit card is trash now.''


    Yet another problem on the pile fails to bring down Lee''s spirits though. ''Because If I don''t think positive at this point I''m going to have a f.u.c.k.i.n.g stroke.''


    Lee and Vulpix clear the flat, grassy clearing to the east of Little Root and into town proper, where a handful of townsfolk walk here and there around the apparent shopping district they stumbled into. Several Pokemon are out with their humans too. A Machop down the street lifts up one end of a car with little strain as a man changes a flat tire. A Poochyna holds its own leash, looking bored as its teen girl owner slips inside a small shop to gawk at handbags. Down a sidestreet closer to the pier, an Alolan Marowak and a tanned, shirtless man put on a street show for a small crowd of cheering people and pokemon.


    It''s... Wonderful. Simply wonderful.


    "Vul?"


    Lee snaps back to awareness when his own pokemon questions him. He tilts his head to meet her big brown eyes. "Ah, sorry about that, love. I guess I got caught up looking around."


    Vulpix accepts the apology with a short purr in her throat, then says; "Vulpix vul?" with an inquiring tone. ''What now?'' he interprets it as.


    "First, we find Birch," Lee begins, holding up a finger. "Then, we give him the abridged and edited version of our story," another finger goes up. "Finally, make a case that we''re interesting enough to help. If I can nab a job, we can grease the wheels of quite a few of our problems."


    "Just from the look of you, you must have some story."


    Lee tenses and Vulpix''s jumps, almost slipping off her human''s shoulders. Lee turns around slowly and blinks at who he sees.


    Grinning with his hands held behind his head is a young Brendan Birch, son of the man Lee is looking for.


    Brendan''s eyes widen when Lee turns. "Oh jeez man. You didn''t look that bad from behind," the preteen winces, trying not to touch his own face when he looks at Lee''s burns. "Uh, do you need a hospital visit?"


    Lee waves the kid''s concern away. "Don''t worry about it. It can wait until later. My name is Lee, and this is Vulpix. And you?"


    The boy smiles. "Brendan Birch. Nice to meet ya!" he says, thrusting a hand out for a handshake. Lee takes his hand and gives it a single firm shake. "I''m gonna guess when you say you were looking for Birch, you mean my dad, right?"


    "Depends, is your dad Professor Birch?" Lee asks, playing dumb.


    Brendan nods. "MmmHmm! Hoenn''s own Premier Pokemon Professor!" he exclaims with obvious pride. "What do you need to meet him for? Some kinda research project?"


    "Of a sort," Lee says with a nebulous wave of his hand, sidestepping the topic. "I have a proposal for him, one regarding... the raising of pokemon in a unique training environment. I''m certain the results will produce pokemon that deviate significantly from the norm and might even shift the paradigm of modern pokemon training."


    ''I hope he doesn''t realize I''m full of shit.''


    Brendan raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms. "Thats awful vague and scammy sounding. And you don''t look like the professor type."


    Lee shrugs. "If I just blurt out the details, what''s stopping anyone from taking my idea and taking credit for it?"


    And indeed, a few people have stopped to watch the professor''s son and the torn-up stranger talk.


    "That makes sense..." Brendan grumbles. "I don''t think dad has anything scheduled for today anyway, so I don''t see the harm taking you to the lab. You looked kinda lost."


    "We blew into town just today," Lee replies, following once Brendan turns and starts to walk. "Vulpix and I appreciate the help, by the way."


    "Vul!" Vulpix chimes in.


    Brendan grins and looks back. "Hey no prob! So how long have you been a trainer anyway? You must be really traveled if you''ve got a Vulpix! Can I see the rest of your team?"


    Lee and Vulpix share a look. The little vulpine doesn''t need to say anything, as her eyes alone tell him ''consider your words.''


    "Not that long, actually, and Vulpix is my only pokemon." ''At the moment.'' Lee reaches up to pet Vulpix along her neck. "It all actually ties into the proposal I have for the professor. How about yourself? You must have an impressive team with a professor as a dad."


    Brendan either doesn''t notice the focus shift upon him or ignores it. The boy slumps and groans. "I don''t have a pokemon yet. Dad won''t bend the rules for me. Once the newest starter batch shows up from the breeders, then I can finally start being a trainer!" He says, perking back up and dramatically pumping a fist.


    ''Sunny kid,'' Lee muses, still gently stroking Vulpix''s plush fur and making the little fox slowly relax across his shoulders. "Any idea who you want?"


    "Mudkip, no contest. Ever since I saw Wallace''s Swampert one-shot the finalist Chesnaught with a single Hydro Pump in the Ace of Aces tourney last year, I''ve been set on Mudkip and one day Swampert," Brendan gushes with a grin, his eyes alight. "Did you see that tourney?! Chesnaught was thrown off his feet by that Hydro Pump and almost went through the arena wall!"


    "I must have missed it."


    The boy scoffs as the lab begins to take shape in the distance. "I''ve got it saved. When you''re done with dad I can show you. It was insane!"


    The rest of the short walk is spent with much less interesting small-talk.


    Birch''s lab is a modest place. It''s an arched, 2-story building atop a gentle, grassy hill with a rather homey look to it. It would have been easily missed if not for the sign out front declaring "Pokemon Research Center. Head Prof: Birch." Further behind the lab, a fenced-off corral housing a breathtaking number of pokemon expands hundreds of meters back all the way into the forest. In front of the lab is a plain, parked jeep, probably Birch''s


    Brendan walks up to the front door and throws it open without a care, almost bowling over some poor lab aide in glasses. "Sorry Dave! Hey dad! There''s someone here to meet you! He''s not in a pimp suit and actually has a Pokemon so he''s probably not a scammer!" He calls, running into a sideroom and out of sight.


    Lee coughs into his fist to hide the laugh that bubbled out of him and looks around.


    The lab looks much like it is in the game. A wide space with several computers, sci-fi level machines, and bookshelves along the wall. One aide is manning one of the PCs while another is near the corner writing on a notepad as a Lotad before him picks at a bowl of food. The one named Dave grumbles at almost being run over and walks up to you. "Ah, sorry about Brendan. He didn''t hassle you too much, did he?"


    "Him? Nah. Lee, by the way. And this is Vulpix," he introduces, gesturing to both himself and his pokemon.


    ''My pokemon. That''s not ever going to get old.''


    "A pleasure. My name is Dave if Brendan didn''t make it obvious," Dave says with a smile and nod. The smile morphs into a frown as he takes in Lee''s form. "Ah, do you need some first aid? You''re looking a little... rough?" He trails off, eyes lingering on the burns across Lee''s face and shirt.


    "I''m no stranger to a bit of pain," Lee waves his concern away. "I have some cuts that could use a wash if you have a restroom I could borrow for a moment, but other than that I''m fine and don''t want to impose too much."


    The aide frowns a little more. "If you''re certain. Still, there is a first aid kit under the sink if you need it. The restroom is the first door on the left," he says, adjusting his glasses before pointing down the hallways Brendan vanished through. "I''ll let the professor know where you are if you''re not back by the time he arrives."


    Lee offers a short thanks and turns to the bathroom


    (linebreak)


    Lee finishes buttoning up his shirt, careful not to catch it on the gauze now wrapped around his middle. The makeshift bandages made from his sleeve didn''t hold up well, and were messily crusted with blood when he pulled them off, so he reluctantly made use of the first aid kit in the sink cupboard. A dab of stinging disinfectant and a little help in the form of Vulpix holding the gauze taut later, and his cuts were treated.


    Then he looked at his face for the first time since the blast.


    Three near-perfect lines the thickness of his pinky are burned into the left side of his face at an angle. The flesh is a raised, painful, angry red, practically still fresh.


    ''Because it is.''


    The topmost burn narrowly missed his eye, carving through his eyebrow instead and down to the base of his nose. The next one was just under his eye, the line going from his temple to his lip. The last one burned away some of his sideburns and went down to his chin. It looks like someone took red-hot claws and raked them down is face.


    Lee didn''t want to lament on his ruined face all day, so the burns got some ointment to ease their stinging and were promptly ignored.


    Finally, he just gave his hair and face a rinse to take the most noticeable bits of grime off. Vulpix watched the entire process from the lidded toilet with her usual placid expression.


    "Alrighty, girl," Lee says, glancing in the mirror one last time. "Lets head back."


    Vulpix hops down and follows without a word.


    "...bably the real deal. I mean he''s got the whole hermit look and everything," Brendan tells the frowning, elder Birch as Lee rounds the corner into the lab''s main room. Brendan looks over and smiles. "Hey Mr Lee! Tell my dad about the training thing you were proposing!"


    Professor Birch, a stout, shaggy man who looks to be in his 30s, turns away from his son to face Lee.


    Despite the man''s carefree, almost goofy demeanor in the anime, Birch regards Lee with a critical eye. Birch''s gaze doesn''t linger in any one place for too long, taking in and dissecting all of Lee with intensity, and maybe even a level of hostility.


    Lee jumps a little when Vulpix slips between his legs and seats herself between himself and Birch. The little vulpine sports a cool expression, but he can see the coiled muscles in her legs and withers.


    The professor eases and even smiles when he notices Vulpix. "Oh, sorry about that, little miss," he says with a sheepish laugh. "I didn''t mean to come of as hostile. We just get more than a few uh, interesting proposals from all sorts of people. If you''re so willing to jump to your trainer''s defense, then he can''t be a bad guy."


    Vulpix lets the tension in her small body fade and instead looks up at Lee. Again, she jumps to his shoulders and settles herself around his neck like a warm, furry scarf. Lee can''t help but smile and pet the fox, earning him a positive purr.


    Professor Birch clears his throat. "Ah, sorry about the ugly look, Mr Lee. Like I said, we get some real characters showing up at the lab time from time of any number of reasons, and as the League Professor for Hoenn, I''m obligated to hear everyone out regarding anything pokemon related no matter what it is... Even if it''s something as dumb as trying to pass off gold spray-painted Feebas as some new subspecies," he grumbles the last, but composes himself and holds out a hand. "Professor Nigel Birch, at your service."


    Lee grasps the offered hand in a firm shake and offers the professor a smile. "Lee Henson, a pleasure to meet you professor. And just Lee is fine."


    Birch smiles back. "So, Brendan tells me you have some sort of unique training style to present? I have to admit that I''m curious. You have the look and standing of a seasoned trainer so I can only imagine that you''ve developed something quite special."


    ''Make or break time. Birch is a goodhearted man, but don''t f.u.c.k this up.''


    Lee slowly nods. "Unique is a good word for it. I don''t mean to be rude, professor, but can we discuss the details in private?" He asks, giving the curious Brendan a sidelong look. "Some of the details are... sensitive I guess. It''s nothing against you, Brendan."


    The boy hums and folds his arms behind his head. "Don''t worry, I getcha. You don''t want your secret techniques getting out. It''s a smart move, because if I got my hands on them, then it''ll be too easy for me to overtake old guys like you," he says with a grin. "I want some challenge."


    "I''m twenty-four you brat."


    Brendan turns on his heel and walks off, arms still folded behind his head. "Okay whatever old man. That''s a whole twelve years between you and me. Don''t bust a hip."


    "Yeah yeah, get outta here."


    "I will, cuz my hip isn''t busted."


    "You woulda had a busted ass in my day for that lip."


    Brendan snorts and laughs, grabbing a backpack by the front door and taking off back out into Little Root.


    Lee turns back to Birch, who has his face held in his hands. "Sorry about him," Birch mutters, dragging his hands down his face. "He''s got the same rude mouth I did at his age."


    The younger man waves away the older''s concern. "He''s a kid. It''s what they do. He was pretty mild and not really offensive compared to what I''m used to dealing with."


    Birch straightens up and a smile returns to his visage. "Alright, I''ve got a small meeting room in the back. We can talk privately there."


    The professor turns to lead Lee to the back of the lab, but Lee stops for a moment. "Professor?"


    Birch stops as well, turning to Lee with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"


    "Do you have a Psychic type on hand? Some of the things I have to say are kind of... hard to swallow I guess?" Lee looks away briefly from a sudden spike in nervousness. "Having a second listener that can''t be lied to might make this easier for you to believe."


    Birch''s earlier caution is back as his face hardens, but he nods. "I do. My Medicham isn''t a true mind reader, but he can read brainwaves and separate lies from truths. Do you really think that what you have to say is so outrageous?"


    "One hundred percent."


    Birch dips a hand into his labcoat and pulls out a weathered pokeball covered in nicks and scuffs. It bursts open in his hands, and in a flash of white light, a Medicham materializes by his side.


    The short humanoid glances to Birch, then to Lee and Vulpix, utterly dismissing them as a threat.


    ''Probably for good reason,'' Lee muses, looking at the whipcord muscles rippling under Medicham''s scar pockmarked skin. In the corner of his eye, he can see Vulpix frown at being overlooked so easily, but she doesn''t make a fuss.


    "Medicham," Birch begins, making the pokemon instantly turn his attention to his trainer. "My friend here says he has some outlandish things to explain and suggested your help in verifying them. Can you passively scan and be a lie detector for us please?"


    Medicham nods without a word.


    The pair of men and pokemon continue on to the back, passing several aides who look at Medicham pensively. Birch stops before a door on the right and opens it, flipping on the lights to reveal a small room with several chairs and a table between them. Both men step inside and seat themselves with Vulpis still on Lee''s shoulders and Medicham opting to stand by Birch with crossed arms.


    "Alrighty," Birch says, folding his hands and leaning on the table. "Whenever you''re ready, Lee. Medicham?"


    The Fighting/Psychic''s eyes glow the slightest amount.


    ''Don''t. F.u.c.k. Up.''


    "Okay... jeez I almost don''t know how to open this..." Lee says, running gentle fingers over his burn. "I don''t even have all the details myself here. I''ll be frank, professor. This isn''t exactly regarding some super secret training method. It could if everything goes well, but..."


    Birch and Medicham exchange glances.


    Lee runs his hand through his hair and sighs. Vulpix cuddles a little closer and noses his cheek, looking at him with her soulful chocolate eyes. The man tries to pull has much strength as he can from his little fox and continues. "Professor, this is going to be a leap, but what do you know about the Multiverse theory?"


    Birch''s hard face melts into confusion. "I''ve not studied it in depth, but I''m aware of the basics. Everything that could happen is either happening, already happened, or is going to happen in another universe, right? Why bring that up?"


    Lee steels himself. No going back now. "I''m not from this universe, professor. Through a method I''m still trying to puzzle out, I''ve been ripped away from my home dimension and brought here with nothing but what I have on me. The trip is why I look so roughed up. I came to you because I need help from someone trustworthy."


    The pokemon professor goes totally still, then turns to Medicham slowly. The pokemon lets out a breath through his nose and gives one quick nod.


    The whole room is silent for almost a solid, agonizing minute as Lee waits for Birch''s retort. Birch just stares at the younger man with an expression that he can''t place, making him squirm.


    ''I knew it. I knew this wasn''t going to end well. I''m going to get called crazy then thats end, game over. Life in a padded cell. I really need to learn how to think things through.''


    Vulpix''s cheek suddenly being nuzzled to his takes the edge off his panic, but Lee can still feel his heart hammering.


    Finally, Birch lets out a sigh and breaks his intense stare. "Well, uh. Thats quite... something? Medicham knows you''re not lying, but please understand this still sounds crazy, and Medicham''s scanning isn''t perfect. If it''s a delusion that is strongly believed, his scan can be fooled. Do you have anything to back this up?"


    Hope begins to build in Lee''s heart. Birch might believe him. He takes his wallet and phone from his pocket and hands both over. "Here. See if these seem familiar in the least bit."


    Birch opens the wallet and takes a look at Lee''s driver''s license, inspecting it carefully. "State of Ohio?" He asks, moving the card around to see the different holographic layers embedded in it.


    "My home," Lee supplies. "One of fifty individual states that makes up the collective nation of the United States of America."


    Birch nods absently and looks at the money and credit card inside the wallet. "Fifty states huh? Must be a governing nightmare," he quips. "I''m assuming Chase is the bank?" he asks, holding up Lee''s credit card.


    "A bank, yes."


    "Don''t you mean the bank?" Birch asks with a raised brow.


    Lee frowns. "A bank. Chase was the one to screw me over the least so I went with them. Though with how they''ve been wanting to nickel and dime me recently, I''m almost happy to be here just out of spite."


    Birch mouths ''nickel and dime?'' and replaces the license and credit card before pulling out the small handful of dollar bills in the wallet. "Physical bank notes?" he asks, sounding incredulous. "These went out of style years ago. The bank doesn''t even print bills anymore. And what''s a dollar?"


    "Well, physical currency protects against the dangers of having an account hacked or a catastrophic failure and/or attack destroying someone''s account." Lee shrugs.


    Birch shakes his head. "With the number of Porygon that the bank employ, any attack on the bank, physical or electronic, is doomed to fail. Physical bills are just a liability now. Does ''Chase'' not use Porygon or something?" He asks with some mirth, as if the notion was ridiculous.


    "There were no pokemon in my dimension, so they really can''t."


    Birch completely freezes, his eyes widening to an almost impossible degree. Medicham mirrors his trainer, staring at Lee with shocked eyes. Birch recovers and looks over to Medicham, who can only gulp and nod.


    Lee tries not to squirm as both stare him down, saying nothing. ''I guess that is kind of a big bomb to drop outta nowhere.''


    Vulpix growls and slides down from Lee''s shoulder, landing on the table and standing defensively in front of him, her tails flared and a growl in her throat.


    "Vulpix, please, there''s no need for that," Lee says gently, carefully picking up the vixen and settling her in his lap. Vulpix doesn''t fight, but the growl in her throat remains.


    Birch finally speaks up again. "I believe you."


    Vulpix stops growling and Lee''s head shoots up, elation filling him.


    ''No f.u.c.k.i.n.g way.''


    The professor sighs and slumps in his seat, his face lost. He takes a moment to formulate any words. "No pokemon? I can''t even... comprehend a world like that. I don''t think anyone can. I have so many whys and hows I want to ask, but I don''t think I''d understand. Not even the most deranged person could say "there was no pokemon in my alternate dimension" and honestly believe it, and no one sane would come up with such an unthinkable lie," Birch says, leaning back in his chair and holding a palm to his forehead. "Medicham backing you up and all the hard-to-fake bits and bobs you have make for a compelling argument too, so... Wait..."


    He sits back up and stares at Lee and Vulpix. "If you are from a dimension with no pokemon, where did you get Vulpix? Or even know about pokemon? And how did you know about me for that matter?"


    Lee mulls over his answer. "Can you pass me my phone?"


    Birch slides the cracked phone over to Lee. "A phone huh? I guess that makes sense, though I thought it was some old pokegear or a pokedex."


    "That''s not inaccurate," Lee says, unlocking the phone and scrolling through his apps to his emulator. "As for how I know about pokemon, they don''t truly exist back home, but were a popular media franchise that had everything from toys, games, movies, TV shows, you name it. Pokemon was a cultural phenomenon that started twenty years back and bridged the generation gap with ease. I guess I never quite outgrew pokemon..." He says quietly. "As for how I got Vulpix, I have a theory, but the exact how and why is still a mystery. Here, look at this."


    Lee shows the phone screen to Birch, who leans in with open interest. "This is one of the games I mentioned. I frequent it when on break at work and whatnot. I know you since you''re briefly featured at the beginning to give the player the first pokemon and the mission to complete the pokedex. I just started a new game in the Hoenn region, and with some code finagling, got a random starter in the form of Vulpix here."


    "Me in a video game, huh? I hope they were flattering at least," Birch quips as Lee clicks open the menu and opens the ''Pokemon'' option, showing a solitary Vulpix in the lead slot.


    "This is from an older save state of the game. In the newest..."


    Lee opens the save state menu and clicks on the newest one. Again, he opens the pokemon menu, showing Birch an empty menu. The game music gets stuck as the game freezes then crashes.


    The professor connects the dots instantly. "No. You think that..?"


    "Something took Vulpix from the game and deposited her with me?" Lee finishes, closing his phone and storing it away. "I don''t have any other explanation," he says, running a hand through Vulpix''s soft tuft of b.r.e.a.s.t fur, the vixen rewarding him with a coo of appreciation. "A pokeball with a Vulpix that somehow knows me appearing in my pocket the exact same time that this game with a Vulpix spontaneously corrupts itself seems suspect even after all the crazy shit that''s happened to me today."


    Birch nods along absently before leaning back. "Medicham? Can you get me some aspirin please?"


    The pokemon, who has been silent the entire time, powers down his psychic power and slips out the door without a single sound.


    "Sorry for the headache, professor."


    The older man waves away the sheepish apology. "It''s fine, Lee. If I was in your shoes, I would do the same thing if I could stop freaking out long enough," he says, leaning back up. "How did you end up in out world anyway?" he asks, leaning forward in interest.


    "Again, I have only theories, but the most likely..." Lee trails off, hesitating. "Do you know what n-nuclear fission is, professor?" He asks, resisting the urge to touch his burns.


    "Like with power plants and whatnot, yes? It''s not my field of study, but I''ve read some things and watched a few doc.u.mentaries."


    "Yeah, and..." Lee gulps and suppresses his shaking. "Yeah, power plants."


    He can feel Vulpix''s eyes and hot breath on his chin. Birch notices something out of place as well and frowns. "Lee, you''re pale. If you don''t want to say, that''s okay."


    "I was caught in a nuclear explosion, one with city-leveling yield," Lee forces out as fast as he can without the words turning to mush. "I-I can speculate all day about how physics might have broken down under that kind of strain and punched a hole in space, but I''m not an expert so..." He takes a deep breath and focuses on the soft fox in his lap, forcing the image of...of...


    Skin peeling


    Flesh bubbling


    Forcing the imagery from his mind before the bile rolling in his stomach could rise into his mouth. Lee swallows dryly and takes great heaving breaths of blessedly cool and not superheated air. Sweat dots his brow and his burns pinch and sting. He loosely hugs Vulpix, who cuddles into his arms without any protest and watches his face with troubled eyes.


    Birch gulps and looks away, his expression disturbed and his hands wringing themselves. "W-well. Maybe we should move on to more pleasant topics? Was all the information on that licence correct and up to date?"


    Lee blinks at the strange question. "Yeah, it was. My DL was updated just a few months back. Why?"


    "We''re going to need that info for me to sign as your sponsor."


    ''What?''


    "What?"


    Birch looks nonplussed, but repeats himself. "We''re going to need that info for me to sign as your sponsor."


    "As my sponsor?" Lee questions, looking to Vulpix who just shakes her head. "I don''t follow."


    The professor groans and lightly slaps his own forehead. "Duh, Birch. Different worlds. I guess your games never went into detail about trainer sponsorsh.i.p.s?"


    "No mention at all."


    Birch hums. "Okay, so being a sponsored trainer is a pretty simple thing. I give you a pokedex and the League fronts you a bi-weekly stipend to use as you see fit. In return, you''re considered an active trainer who operates on my behalf and represents me in official tournaments while you conduct your own studies. Basically? You get paid to battle and bring prestige to the lab, and the better you do, the better grants I get from the League and the bigger your stipend becomes. I only have two sponsor slots since I''m the newest regional professor. One is going to Brendan, but my friend Norman decided he''d pay for his daughter''s journey himself, so I have a free spot for you. Great, isn''t it?!"


    Lee sticks a pinky in his ear and rubs it around. When the digit comes back clean, he levels the grinning Birch with a flat look. "I''m sorry. I must have something crazy stuck in my ear. It sounds like you''re just handing a coveted position to me. An interdimensional stranger."


    The professor''s grin falls some. "Is this... not what you wanted?"


    "I expected a couch to crash on for a day or two as I got up to speed without anyone asking questions, and maybe being pointed to a job that a guy with no ID can do," Lee says with a shake of his head. "I just need something to keep Vulpix and myself fed and warm as I figure out my next steps. I dunno if you-"


    "I''m certain."


    Lee stops at Birch''s curt reply. "You said you came here with a revolutionary training method, and I know you were fibbing to have an excuse to talk to me, but," Birch smirks, "I think you do have a revolutionary training method, even if you don''t know it."


    The younger man blinks. "I don''t follow."


    "Answer me this, Lee. How good are you are those pokemon games? How much do you know about pokemon?" He asks. After a second of inspecting Lee''s clothing, he also adds; "And what did you do for a living back home? Something outdoorsy I take?"


    Lee thinks to himself for a moment, rubbing a circle in Vulpix''s chest tuft with a thumb. "I played competitively as a teen against other people and did fairly well with a few local tourney wins to my name. That''s more being aware of the current meta and prep than actual skill. At that age, I had pretty much the entire pokedex of every available game memorized, but that''s limited to types, movesets, stats, and whatnot with no actual biology or behavior factored in. And as for what I was, I was a zookeeper, one specialized to work with large carnivores, though I frequently lended a hand to other exhibits."


    Now Birch seems confused. "But you said there were no pokemon?"


    "There aren''t," Lee replies, stopping when Medicham returns with a glass of water and several pills for the professor.


    Birch accepts both the water and aspirin with a smile. "Thanks, friend."


    Medicham returns the smile with a small one of his own.


    The professor tosses the pills into his mouth and downs the entire glass before turning back to Lee. "Sorry about the interruption, Lee. Please keep going."


    Lee does. "Like I was saying, there aren''t pokemon back home, so animals filled their place. Think pokemon, only much less intelligent and lacking any special powers."


    "I''m aware of what animals are," Birch says, now looking at Lee with a manic, almost unsettling gleam in his eye. "They don''t exist outside special reserves and farms anymore since fighting with pokemon for territory is near impossible, but anything outside of domesticated livestock is dangerous and unpredictable. You handled carnivores of all things?"


    "A handful of scars and the Zoology degree gathering dust in my closet say so," Lee quips, leaning back into his chair. "Hell, my elder lioness, Makiri tried to kill me this morning."


    Vulpix looks at him with ill-concealed alarm and Birch grimaces briefly before his face-hurting smile returns full force.


    "So, let me get this straight," he begins. "You have knowledge of advanced battling strategies that had to be used with the constraints of a video game, wide-spanning knowledge of both pokemon and the world, experience handling creatures much more violent and unpredictable than pokemon, and obviously the ability to comprehend advanced biological and psychological principles based on the fact that you handled animals of all things. What part of this sounds like you''d make anything other than a stellar trainer? It even shows with miss Vulpix here. You''ve had her for less than a day and already she''s gladly jumped to your defence several times."


    Lee bites his lip and looks down at Vulpix.


    The vixen in his lap looks up back at him, her eyes narrowed just the slightest amount.


    "If I didn''t think you were worth the investment, then I wouldn''t offer," Birch keeps going, leaning forward. "This opens countless doors for you, Lee. I... don''t really know where to begin on getting you back home, but this is a good stopgap for you at least?"


    "Short of tracking down and beseeching Palkia to help me somehow, I don''t think I''m getting back," Lee mutters, crossing his arms as he feels a headache start to form. "I need to care for Vulpix now, after all. Not that I have anything to return to anyway."


    Oh.


    Oh no.


    It''s all gone.


    It wasn''t just him destroyed. The Zoo, his friends, his family, his animals.


    All of them are gone. Gone without the peace ignorance of their fate could have brought.


    Even if he went back there is nothing to return to.


    The realization makes Lee blood run cold as his eyes sting with with prickling, unshed tears. The man focuses hard on the fox on his lap and pushes the mounting breakdown away, desperate to not bawl like a child in front of his pokemon and the professor.


    Vulpix shifts and noses his chin, again drawing his attention to her. She turns in his lap to face him and rears up on her hindlegs, placing her front paws on his shoulders. The vixon''s eyes draw his in as she leans forward and presses her forehead to his, then the captivating eyes glow.


    Trust.


    Support.


    Empathy.


    Loyalty.


    Companionship. Always. No matter the choice.


    The raw emotions Vulpix feeds to Lee almost makes the man choke up and let out the tears he''s holding back. Each one reverbs inside his mind with incredible strength, a conviction borne of being absolute. Vulpix feels all of this for him.


    ''What in the world have I done to have someone like you at my side?''


    Vulpix''s answer is swift. Visions fly through his mind with incredible speed.


    He opens her ball, then takes the hard but right choice to explain things to her, even after the stress of living through the unthinkable and losing it all. How after that, he still regards her concerns on the same level as his, how he consults her rather than just choosing for her, how he saw being with her as a real, valid reason for not returning home. Goodness deserves goodness.


    Again, she hammers her feelings home.


    Trust.


    Support.


    Empathy.


    Loyalty.


    Companionship. Always. No matter the choice.


    Goodness deserves goodness.


    Lee sucks in a shaking breath, glad that Vulpix''s gentle face blocks Birch from seeing the tear tracks running down his face. "Professor? Where do I sign?"


    "And that will do it!"


    Professor Birch takes the final paper from Lee eagerly, turning in his office chair to a scanner on a cluttered side desk. "I think this is the first step in something beautiful, Lee! Steven Stone''s rise has done a lot for Hoenn, but we''re still considered one of the weaker regions. I know you can change that when you take the world by storm! And think of all the incredible discoveries only someone with your unique talents could find!"


    Lee rolls his sore wrist and looks around the professor''s messy office. "I still think you''re overestimating me, professor. I can certainly try, but I don''t know how much I can do," he says, leaning back into his chair.


    Birch curses and smacks the scanner, then turns to his newest trainer when the machine finally starts accepting the forms Birch fed into it. "Well of course you can''t do it all. Not alone, at least. If Vulpix is any indication, then you''ll have no problem building a team."


    At hearing her name, Vulpix stops pawing the oblivious Lotad that had wandered into the office and looks up. After a second, she goes back to Lotad, who finally seems to realize he''s being touched with a quiet "Tad?"


    "Vulpix is a sweetheart who took pity on my lost ass. She''s an exception, not the norm," Lee retorts. He yelps when he feels a nip on his pinky and looks down to see Vulpix glaring up at him.


    "You''re not doing a great job convincing me," Birch says with mirth. "Since you''re a special case, I''ll need to submit your paperwork to the League to get your license set up. I marked your birth place as a ''remote region/unnamed island'' so make sure your story stays the same for anyone who asks. It''ll take a week or two to be approved, but that''s not a big deal. It''ll give you some time for self-study and recovery, and the League year recently ended too. It''ll start back up here in about a month if you want to try the gym circuit."


    ''Time to relax. Now that I could use. Today seems to have dragged on for f.u.c.k.i.n.g weeks and my smokes didn''t even get ported with me. What a goddamn rip.''


    "I imagine. The corner store sells cigarettes, but good luck without any ID."


    Lee''s face flushes. "I said that out loud, didn''t I?"


    Birch laughs and reaches into a drawer on his desk. "You did. I can''t make the ID show up faster, but maybe this will take your mind off it," he says, placing a device on the desk that makes Lee''s eyes widen.


    A Pokedex. An actual Pokedex. It suddenly lights up and a synthesized voice begins to play. "I am the Pokedex of Lee Henson. I was issued by Professor Birch of Hoenn. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced."


    "Yeah," Lee breathes, his chest tight. "I''ve been looking for an excuse to quit anyway. I don''t know how to thank you, professor."


    Birch slides the Pokedex closer with a smile. "I took the liberty of pre-installing a voice recorder in there for you. I want to pick your brain, Lee Henson, so I want you log your training, studies, and discoveries and periodically turn them into me. Even if it seems like something silly to record, please do so, and that''ll be all the thanks I need. What seems simple to you could be unique or even revolutionary in reality. Now!" Birch claps his hands together. "I think you''ve earned some rest. There is a guest room in the back for you to use. It''s a little cramped but it should fit one man and his pokemon just fine."


    Lee stands and picks up the-his Pokedex before bowing his head. "Thank you for everything, Professor. It means the world to me."


    "Vulpix!" Vulpix chimes in from his side.


    The man smiles down at his fox. "Means the world to us, I mean."


    Professor Birch waves both off with a smile. "Go rest. I''ll order some takeout or something for dinner and get you both later. Lee, close your mouth. You''re not imposing if I charge it as a lab expense."


    Lee lets his protest die in his mouth with a sigh. "Fine. I''m too tired to argue anyway." He looks down to Vulpix. "Lets scoot, love. I need a nap."


    The man and fox leave Birch to his work and head to the back of the lab like he instructed. With every step, Lee feels himself slump a little more as an all-encompassing exhaustion finally grips him. He slips his Pokedex into his pocket as to not drop it and opens the door marked "Guest" at the end of the hallway.


    The door swings open with a squeak, revealing a spartan bedroom with naught but a plain bed, a nightstand with a lamp, and a door to a tiny bathroom.


    Everything but the bed is ignored as Lee flops into it with zero grace. He groans in relief and lets his tired body sag into the mattress. Sleep rapidly overtakes him and he shuts his eyes, but just before he can fully pass out, something shakes the bed.


    He cracks open an eye to see Vulpix settling into the crook of his arm, her head on his bicep. She smiles at him and cuddles a little closer.


    With herculean effort, Lee hugs her close, almost losing himself in the delicious warmth her small body provides.


    "You know, Vulpix?" he whispers, eye closing again. "I think everything is going to be okay."


    Sleep takes him.


    On to FF.net for more~!

 Chapter 301 - My SI Stash #1 - Waking Nightmare by Envisioning the Dark Imperium (Warhammer40K)

    -The worst universe to be Isekai''d into the story~ Even after all the MC''s mishappenings, he still has it better than most... Big F/


    Synopsis: Thrown from my life in the 21st century and into the Imperial Guard, this is the story of my struggle to survive in the dark millennium. This is a self-insert that will explore Warhammer 40,000 from a serious, realistic perspective. This will show how cruel and inhumane the universe can be. Expect a slow pace and development at first, I want this to truly capture the grimdarkness.


    Rated: M


    Words: 61K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13573863/1/Waking-Nightmare (Envisioning the Dark Imperium)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the splitting pain in my head. The second was that I did not wake up in the bed I went to sleep in.


    I groaned. The pain was like being stabbed in the head. It was like the most unpleasant form of hangover I''ve ever had but amplified a thousandfold. The sensation was akin to having a light shone into your eyes in the middle of the night. Like being thrown into cold water, or the feeling of an uncontrolled freefall, all at once, drawn out forever.


    It was unbearable.


    "¡­is waking up."


    A voice, indistinct. Male.


    "Good, ''bout time."


    Another. Female. Younger.


    "What kind of idiot gets drunk on Offering night? He''s a fool."


    Another. Male. Raspy.


    "He''s not the only one."


    The female, again.


    "Where am I?" I managed to mumble, leaning forward and cradling my head, eyes shut tight to block out the throbbing pain of the blinding lights. It was receding, mercifully, but ever so slowly.


    "You''re on your way to the Victorious Sword," the first voice again, the male, deeper than the rest.


    "The what?" I said, squinting. I was just able to make out indistinct shapes. My sight was returning, and the pain was rapidly receding. It was still hideously uncomfortable.


    "The Victorious Sword. The ship we''re going to travel on," the female voice came again. I could not see the speaker. "Throne, he doesn''t know anything.""Looks like a farmhand to me. Probably got drunk because he didn''t know it was Offering," the deeper voice said.


    "Who doesn''t know that?" The raspy voice again.


    "Where am I?" I repeated. "Where am I, right now?"


    "Aboard a transport, heading into orbit."


    "Into orbit? C''mon," I m.o.a.ned. I was in no mood for jokes. Were it not for the overwhelming pain, I would be somewhat more concerned about waking up surrounded by strangers, but in my addled state I could only assume this was a fever dream, or some sort of prank. Either way, the pain overruled my concern.


    "Yeah¡­did you not remember being offered?" The deep voice asked. I looked up, and through bleary eyes I could make out the people who were sharing my¡­confines with.


    There were ten of us, five on either side, sitting on cold metal benches against metal walls¡­a quick, startled examination proved that this was the transport hull of some sort of aircraft.


    "Oh, what the f.u.c.k," I muttered. "How did this happen?"


    I was out drinking with my friends last night, having a good time¡­I thought I made it back home and fell asleep in my bed, but now I wake up and I''m in the f.u.c.k.i.n.g army or air force or some shit¡­what the hell happened?


    "Looks like he''s actually waking up, eh?" Someone new spoke, the man sitting next to me. He poked me with his elbow to get my attention.


    "You remember anything at all?" he said. He was skinny, scrawny in fact, shorter than me, with tanned skin and dirty blonde hair, with an unkempt mess of hair which might pass for a beard if you squinted. A thin, stubby moustache completed the look. He was a scraggly looking fellow. His eyes were pale blue and looked to be around my age. From his somewhat ragged look, he gave me the impression of a homeless man. An uncomfortable thought formed in my mind.


    Had I passed out in the street and been picked up by some weird recruitment drive? Then I remembered I was in an aircraft, and grew even more concerned. Looking around the interior of the cabin, it was definitely a plane of some sort, complete with harnesses and camo netting in the roof. What was this? Did I get thrown into a plane and sent off to an airbase as a joke? Did I sign up for a role in some reality TV? Civilians in the airforce or some shit like that?


    No, not unless something very wrong had happened in the time I was passed out. So, what was this? A cult?"Hey, buddy, do you remember anything?" The same voice called out again. I looked over to the other side of the ship. The man calling out was dark skinned, with a thin layer of black hair on the top of his head. He was the tallest one in the ship, I realised, and looked like he had done hard work every day of his life. He was clean shaven and had the sort of easy-going attitude of a man who made friends with everyone.


    "I remember¡­drinking with my friends¡­we were drunk, but we made it back home. I passed out in my bed, then woke up here."


    "Wow, they got you out of your room. Dedication to duty, that is," it was the female voice, which I now saw came from a very pretty ginger girl next to the tall guy. She was short, and had a somewhat unkempt look, her curly orange hair stained by dirt and grease. She too was skinny. In fact, all but me, the tall guy, a rather plump dude and another, so far silent, woman seemed to be short and skinny. They also all looked dead tired, downright scrawny at worst or resigned and skinny at best. This was more than a little odd.


    "Ok¡­who dragged me out? What sort of f.u.c.k.i.e.d up shit is this? Is this a joke? Because if not, this is a very big mistake!" I said, finally starting to regain some sense. The others gave me annoyed looks, with the only person speaking up being the fat guy.


    "YES, YES, IT IS!" The plump man shouted. He was sitting in the middle of my row, next to the scraggy blonde who elbowed me. I couldn''t see the other two people next to him, but everyone groaned when he said that. Apparently, they were in no mood for this. I stayed quiet, wanting to see how they reacted to someone claiming they weren''t meant to be here. If I had been picked up by some weird cult, I didn''t want them turning violent if I threatened to leave. I''d have to wait, be patient, and play my cards right. Then again, if I was in an aircraft, I don''t know how I planned to do that.


    And what was that about going to orbit?A joke, surely.


    "Oh, by his golden grace, shut up Desmond!" The tall guy shouted. "We all know you don''t want to be here, but you were chosen like us, so don''t fight it!"


    "THIS IS A MISTAKE!" The plump man, Desmond, shouted. His clothes were a lot finer than everyone else''s. While everyone else looked like they had just come from a farm or a factory, he looked like he had just come from a renaissance fair. Very strange indeed.


    On closer inspection, he wasn''t that much older than me. In fact, he might be younger than me. Looking around, everyone seemed to be of similar age.


    "I''M NOT MEANT TO BE HERE; I CAN''T BE HERE AND YOU KNOW IT! LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT, LETMEOUT, LEMEOUT, LEMOUT! OUT, OUT, OUT!" Desmond said, growing increasingly desperate and high-pitched. He was having a full-on panic attack. Tears were streaming down his face and he rattled against the harness keeping him in place.


    "What''s his deal?" I said, trying to be as quiet as possible, lest I attract the attention of the possibly crazy man.


    "Didn''t want to be offered," the scraggy man told me. "Guess service in the Imperial Guard doesn''t appeal to everyone." He laughed, but no one else laughed alongside him. They all either returned sullen or cold stares.


    "Wait¡­the Imperial Guard?" I said, confused. I had to have misheard, right?


    "Yep. The Emperor''s finest," Scraggy said.


    "Wouldn''t that be the Space Marines?" I said, joking weakly, hoping against hope that he''d either look at me like I''m a lunatic, or recognise the phrase and then ask if I''m a 40k fan. I certainly didn''t want him to act as though it was a real question.


    "Well, suppose so, yeah. But the Imperial Guard is still great, though."


    F.u.c.k.


    F.u.c.k.i.n.g f.u.c.k. F.u.c.kity f.u.c.kin'' f.u.c.k.


    I''m in f.u.c.k.i.n.g Warhammer 40,000 universe, aren''t I? I got drunk and woke up in the 40k universe. As an Imperial Guardsman¡­no¡­an Imperial Guardsmen recruit. Holy shit. Fuuuuuck. The colour drained from my face. I never wanted to be in the army in real life. Not my kind of thing. But to be in the army in 40k¡­the Imperial Guard? The Astra Militarum?


    Well suffice to say, I really would''ve chosen death then and there. In fact, had a gun presented itself before me, I would''ve shot myself to escape what I knew would come next. Alas, there was no gun, no means of escape and apparently no way to convince people that I was not meant to be here.


    With a growing sense of fear and dread, I found myself agreeing with Desmond. I was not meant to be here. In fact, I would''ve preferred to be anywhere on Earth right now, rather then here, in this cargo hold, on my way to some godforsaken ship off to who knows what hell.


    At the terrible realization of my newfound hellish reality, I tried as hard as I possibly could not to piss myself.


    Chapter 2


    Ok, breathe. Time to breathe. In. Out. In. Out. Be silent. Be still. Be calm.


    You are in the 40k universe. You are going to die sooner or later. Everything you do should be making sure that the ''later'' comes as late as possible. Preferably as painlessly as possible too.


    From now on, everything you do should be geared towards your current, personal survival. Play it smart. Play it safe. Live to see another day. Live well and die peacefully, that was the goal. I''d settle for just dying peacefully, honestly. This being 40k, hoping for either was a tall order. Maybe we''d be fighting Necrons and I could just run head-first into a Gauss Flayer and get myself deatomized. That would probably be the least painful way to go, as opposed to¡­being eaten by Tyranids, or chopped up by Orks, or¡­whatever the f.u.c.k Dark Eldar did to you. That was the fate I''d be avoiding at all costs.


    "Hey, hey, c''mon, tell us your story!" the tall guy shouted at me, over Desmond''s now inarticulate but thankfully quieter m.o.a.ning.


    Well, have to start somewhere. Can''t go wrong with making friends. Any friends, I added. More friends means more backup. More people between me and the hordes of enemies waiting to kill me to death.


    "Yeah, tell us man," Scraggy elbowed me again. He seemed to like doing that.


    "Don''t know what to say," I said, looking up at the tall guy. I made sure to meet his eyes. I couldn''t be weak or cowardly. If we were all going to be recruited, then I had to make an impression as a team player. Loyal, trustworthy, dependable. Desmond seemed to be the weakest link so far, and I couldn''t let myself be anything like him. So, best start now. I just have to be better then him. So long as I''m not the weakest link, I''m safe¡­well, safer.


    "I went out last night with some friends. We got drunk. When I woke up, here I was. I don''t know why we decided to go out last night¡­we just could. All my friends were free."


    "Most people choose to stay with their families on Offering night. You know, just in case they get chosen," the ginger girl said, looking at me weirdly.


    "I don''t know, guess we were feeling c.o.c.ky," I said, trying to act as though it were no big deal. Make an impression.


    "How old are you?" the tall guy said, smiling. He and scraggy seemed to be the only two in good moods.


    "Twenty-two," I replied.


    "Ah. Half-tracker, eh? Nearly made it," he smiled. The others all either smirked or rolled their eyes.


    "Well, I didn''t make it, so here I am," I said, risking a smile. The tall guy seemed to like that, smiling back."I''m Prassus. This here on my right, she''s Oleev. The guy next to her, Temond. On my left, is Burtrus, and then Ratfinch."


    So, they know each other. Or at least their names. But from the looks they gave each other; they knew each other well.


    "On your side, you''ll find Clauda, then Ivet, Desmond, Egeers, and yourself. Don''t know your name. Can''t recall seeing you around either. Tell me, where are you from?"


    "Oh, I don''t know where it will be in relation to you guys," I said slowly. Shit. I didn''t even know where these people were from, the name of their planet, or anything about it. Holy f.u.c.k, I was in deep. No, I wasn''t in deep, I was drowning in the deep! Drowning in shit!


    "C''mon, armwards or cityward?" the ginger girl, Oleev, said. I had no idea what either meant, so I just guessed. Picking one couldn''t hurt.


    "Armwards," I stated, with a fake confidence I didn''t feel. They all cheered. All but Desmond, who just muttered about not wanting to be here over and over.


    "Uplands or plains?" Oleev said. Looking closely, I realized she couldn''t be anything more than 18 or 19 years old. In fact, everyone here seemed rather young, or at least, younger than me. And I was only 22. In my head, I was slowly putting pieces together. This ''offering'' they spoke of was clearly some sort of mandatory recruitment. They must''ve drawn from everyone from a certain age. A blind recruitment? Conscription by lottery, perhaps, or were they voluntarily offered up? Either would explain why Desmond was acting the way he was.


    If this really was the Imperium, and this really was 40k, then I knew that few Imperial citizens knew how shit the guard was. Especially young people. They would know nothing but propaganda their whole lives. So, they would likely think this was some grand old adventure, yes? Desmond must be complaining that he was here against his will¡­maybe he was well off back home? Not to put to fine a point on it, but he looked rather well-fed, compared to pretty much everyone else who honestly seemed rather underfed, bar me, Prassus and the girl who I now knew was Clauda.


    Now, Prassus said I was a half-tracker, and that I nearly made it, which would mean I was almost ineligible for conscription¡­that must mean they only recruit from a certain age range¡­18-25? That would explain the comments. At 22, I only had three more years to go before I would be free of the conscription.


    "Plains," I said, answering the question after realizing there had been an uncomfortable silence.


    "Huh," Oleev said, seemingly unconvinced. "How far Armward?"


    "Pretty far. Might be why you''ve never seen me."


    That wasn''t exactly untrue. I was from pretty far away from where they lived.


    "Huh. Odd that they stick some random farmhand in with us lot. We all come from the same village, in the uplands. Close to the arm. Tandoran Village," Oleev explained.


    "Ah, I see." I didn''t, but the more they told me, the more convincing I could make my lies.


    "So, you''re a farmer, eh?" Scraggy, I mean, Egeers, said. I just nodded. Wasn''t too far from the truth. I did grow up on a farm.


    "What''s your name?" Prassus asked. Shit. I had no idea what kind of name would fit into their world, so I blanked for a moment, only to curse myself. No one blanks when giving their name unless hiding something.


    "Just call me Sent."


    "Sent¡­short for sentinel?" Egeers asked. I nodded along. Sure, why not?


    "What''s your real name?" Oleev asked curiously.


    "I''d rather not use that name anymore. I''d like to leave it behind," I said. I was taking a risk here but hoping that these people would build a connection with the character I was constructing. I''d like to be looked upon better than Desmond.


    "Sent¡­yeah. You look like a Sent," Egeers smiled and elbowed me again. Good thing he was so scrawny, otherwise that might actually hurt.


    "Must have had a shit life, huh?" Oleev said. I didn''t say anything. Let them speculate. Cultivate an aura of mystique. Hopefully it worked in my favor. Plus, if they thought I had a hard life, but complained less then Desmond, they would think I had more resolve then I myself suspected I had. I don''t know how long I could maintain this fa?ade, but hopefully it was long enough that by the time it broke the others would like me well enough to keep me around anyway.


    "My life led me here, so I can only see where it goes," I said slowly. "Are we all here for the same reason?" I said, testing the waters, trying to work out if there was anything more than a conscription behind this recruitment. I was hoping this wasn''t a penal legion or some shit. That would be worse than a normal Guard regiment. I didn''t think I had it in me to survive if these guys were criminals, especially if they were violent criminals. I could probably take a few of these people on, if it was one on one, since they looked rather underdeveloped next to me, but I didn''t think I wanted to. Viscous desperation was common in penal legions, after all. They probably wouldn''t hold back, and they definitely wouldn''t share my moral obligations. They''d fight to kill, which I wouldn''t do unless forced to.


    Here, I was a goddamn softie. Likely heretical in my willingness to forgive and accept. Peacekeepers weren''t really a thing in 40k. Every problem tended to be resolved with a weapon of some sort.


    "Punishment for sins," the man next to Prassus spoke for the first time. Temond. He hadn''t looked up once yet. Oleev also looked downcast at that statement. No, wait, he was the raspy voice I heard earlier. Ok, so that''s who he is.


    "The call of duty," Prassus said, with more cheer then I considered appropriate. Egeers smiled and laughed from across the hold.


    "You?"


    "I go where the Emperor wills," I said. "I am but his instrument."


    That seemed to spark some looks. Good looks. Prassus, Oleev and Temond nodded solemnly along. Ratfinch, the scrawniest and smallest one among us, who sat across from me, nodded along as well. It was the first sign he gave that he was paying any attention to what was going on.


    "In case anyone''s wondering, I don''t have a reason for being here, because I''m not meant to be here at all!" Desmond shouted again, shouting up at the roof of the hold. "I''m not meant to be here, and you know it!" He shouted.


    "Shut up Desmond!" Everyone snapped at once, even Ratfinch.


    "Grox-f.u.c.ker!" Oleev hissed.


    "Traitor!" Ratfinch said, spitting in his face. It was a good short, from that distance. Desmond practically wailed at that.


    "Heretic," Whispered Egeers, so low only I could hear.


    "You know why you''re here, dirty cheating lying bastard," Prassus growled. I decided it was best to let them fight this one out. They know him better then I, and I just wanted to keep my head down and stay alive.


    "The Emperor Protects," I whispered, making the sign of the Aquila, thankful I knew how to do it at all.


    I had to hope that he did, because otherwise, I was f.u.c.k.i.e.d.


    Chapter 3


    Eventually, after much yelling, shouting, and cursing at Desmond, who did not shut up, the ship we were on landed on¡­something. I knew it had to be a spaceship, the Victorious Sword, as Prassus had said earlier, but I hoped it wasn''t.


    I hoped the door would open and it would be my friends standing there with cameras, laughing at this elaborate prank they pulled on hungover me. I hoped so badly for it to be true, I was a little crushed when the cargo bay door opened and revealed we were in an immense, cavernous hangar.


    A little crushed. Not entirely. The situation wasn''t entirely hopeless, not yet. There was still a chance we could be off to a world that was relatively safe, or at least a world where the war wasn''t so horribly dire, we would be flung right into the meatgrinder the moment we arrived.


    "Everybody, time to get off! OFF! OFF! OFF!"


    A loud, commanding voice shouted assailed us. Standing by the lowered door of our vessel was what looked to be a sergeant, dressed in the standard issue flak armor and helmet you see almost every Imperial Guard depicted in. He was a grizzled man, with coarse stubble, a scarred cheek and one bionic eye. He also brokered no disagreement.


    After some messing with my harness, which took a little longer to get off then I would''ve liked, I was one of the last to stand up. Prassus had been the first, followed by Egeers. I was seventh or eighth. The last two were Burtrus, who seemed confused by his harness, and Desmond, who was sitting deathly still.


    "What are you maggots waiting for? A f.u.c.k.i.n.g invitation? Get the f.u.c.k off that Valkyrie right now you idiots!" the sergeant roared. Ratfinch and I, who were closest to the exit, practically ran down the ramp, followed by the rest. Burtrus, who was finally free, got a slap over the head from the sergeant as he walked by.


    Desmond still had made no move to leave the vehicle.


    "And just what the f.u.c.k do you think you''re doing!" the sergeant roared at Desmond, not making any effort to leave.


    "Sir, he think''s he''s not meant to be here," Oleev said, causing the sergeant to whip around and shout at her.


    "You will not speak unless spoken to, child!" he said, spittle flying from his mouth. Everyone winced and tried to look away.


    "Now, why won''t he come down?" the sergeant said, looking pointedly at Oleev.


    "He didn''t think he could get offered. He got his name off the Offering list when he was eighteen.""Offered? What the f.u.c.k does that mean? I''m not from your shithole of an Agri-world, so please enlighten me, recruit!"


    Oleev blanched. Did she not know how to respond? Did she not know any other word for it?


    "He avoided conscription, sir!" I said. Well, shouted, it felt more like. Everyone turned to face me, including the sergeant. He stepped over to me in one swift step and slapped me across the cheek so hard I tasted blood.


    "You must be deaf as well as dumb, kid. Did you not just hear me say you will not speak unless spoken to? And the correct form of address is ''Sir, yes, sir,'' or ''Sir, no, sir''! All addresses made to your superiors begin and end with sir! Am I understood, recruit!?"


    "Sir, yes, sir!" I said, wincing. The sergeant looked at everyone else.


    "AM I UNDERSTOOD?" he bellowed.


    "Sir, yes, sir!" We all replied loudly.


    "Good, now, did you hear me speaking earlier?" he yelled in my face.


    "Sir, I did, sir!" I said, hoping this would make it look like I knew what I was doing. I had been on board this ship less than a minute and I had gotten myself reprimanded by the very first Imperial Guardsman I had met. My chances of surviving looked like they were rapidly dwindling.


    F.u.c.k.i.n.g. Fantastic.


    "Then why, by the light of Terra, did you speak, you f.u.c.k.i.n.g idiot!?" He roared in my face. I tried, unsuccessfully, not to flinch.


    "I was just trying to help, sir," I said, in a much more subdued voice then before.


    "Sir, I was trying to help, sir!" He looked at me with furious eyes.


    "And why did you do that? Did she ask for your help?" He continued to bellow. I just now noticed he was somewhat shorter than me. I also noticed his bionic eye was even uglier in person. The scar tissue around it was all ugly, discolored and disfigured flesh. Still, I resolved to meet his eyes.


    "No sir, she did not. But she looked like she needed help and a superior officer was asking a question. I thought that- "


    He slapped me on the other cheek mid-sentence.


    "No, you did not think! You do not think! When an order is given, it is followed! If you are told not to speak unless spoken to, you will not speak unless SPOKEN TO!" He roared, spittle flying into my face. I resisted the urge to wipe it off in front of him.


    "Am I understood?" He shouted.


    "Sir, yes, sir!" I said, keeping my feet together and standing bolt upright. No one else said anything.


    "I said, AM I UNDERSTOOD?" The sergeant roared. Everyone quickly responded with a shouted "SIR, YES SIR!"


    "Good. Now, if you want to help so badly, why don''t you get that idiot off the ship," the Sergeant said, in what must be his usual calm, authoritative voice.


    "Sir, yes, sir," I said, turning to walk past the others, ignoring their stares. I stepped back onto the Valkyrie and stopped in front of Desmond.


    "Come on, staying here won''t make it go away," I said. Desmond didn''t respond. He didn''t bat an eyelid.


    "We''re here now. Nothing we can do about it, I said. Still no response. It was like he was catatonic or something. Shell shocked.


    "If we leave now, it will be easier. The longer we wait, the worse it will be," I said, kneeling in front of him.


    "I''m not meant to be here," Desmond whispered, so softly I could barely hear him.


    "YOU ARE HOLDING US UP MAGGOTS!" The sergeant roared again. Desmond flinched, but I tried to ignore the sergeant.


    "Why not?" I whispered back.


    "My father is Lord Armanlance, and I''m the heir to his estate! I''m Desmond Armanlance! My lord father would not abandon me! I''m his heir! His only heir! I''M THE HEIR TO ARMANLANCE!"


    Holy shit, was Desmond a nobleman''s son? Would explain why no one seemed to like him that much. I was getting a distinctly feudal feel to these people, and from the looks of it, Desmond''s family were not the good sort of feudal lords. He sounded like a real f.u.c.k.i.n.g asshole, and I''d only known him for a few minutes.


    "It was chance, man. Chance. Fate. Either way, you''re here now. It''s what the Emperor willed," I said, trying the Emperor angle. Imperial citizens are very religious, after all, with a few exceptions. I was hoping he wasn''t one of them.


    "No," Desmond said. "I don''t want to. I''m Desmond Armanlance. I don''t want to do anything I don''t have to. No, no, no, no!"


    "No?" I asked, stating the obvious. I was never the best at dealing with emotional people. I never knew what to say, and always felt awkward and uncomfortable around them. Definitely a failing on my part, and it was really screwing me over here. What do I say to get him out of this?


    "He wouldn''t want this," Desmond said, looking me in the eyes for once. "Get me out of this, and I''ll pay you. I''ll pay you heaps, just get me out of here," he hissed.


    "I don''t think you''re in a position to question what he wants. The Emperor wills it to be so, it is so," I said gently but firmly. I had to remember to act like I had the utmost faith in the Emperor, even if I thought faith and religion and all that stuff was nonsense. That was back home. Here, it was very real¡­and very dangerous.


    "Come on," I insisted, "we have to go. Nothing can change the fact we''re here now, and the longer we wait¡­the longer you wait¡­the worse it''ll be for you. We have to go, now." I said, undoing Desmond''s harness and grabbing his arm. I didn''t want to try to force him out without first giving him the chance to do it himself.


    "Come on, Desmond!" Oleev shouted.


    "Yeah, you f.u.c.k.i.n.g coward, come on!" Egeers added.


    "Hurry up and just pull him out!" Prassus shouted.


    "No, no, no! I don''t want to go! I won''t go!" Desmond screamed, kicking and wailing. "Let go of me, you peasant!"


    "SILENCE!" The sergeant snapped, glaring angrily at the recruits before stomping up the ramp towards us. I started to pull on Desmond''s arm, but he held firm. He was bigger than me, quite a bit bigger, a fat, petulant, rich kid who was in a situation he couldn''t get out. He had probably never had to fight for anything in his life, but now, he was trying.


    "You idiot, just come with me, it''ll be so much easier!" I hissed, but it was too late. The sergeant roughly shoved me aside and drew his laspistol from his holster. I fell sprawling to the metal floor of the Valkyrie, adding another bruise to my body. For a dreadful moment, I thought he was going to shoot one, or both, of us. I was somewhat relieved when he only smashed Desmond in the head with it, knocking him out. My relief evaporated faster than water in the desert sunlight when he turned to me, gun still drawn.


    "Good to see someone here has fighting spirit," he muttered, holstering his laspistol and walking away. He didn''t bother offering me a hand. I don''t know why he would. Fortunately, I was more then able to lift myself up, and grab Desmond''s unconscious body. Carrying it however¡­no, I didn''t think I could manage that.


    "Uh¡­" I began but stopped myself. Was I allowed to ask for help? Thankfully, I did not need to. Egeers was there, picking up Desmond''s other arm.


    "I''m here to help you, not him," he whispered as we staggered down the ramp with Desmond between us. He was living a life better than everyone else here. Clearly, they didn''t come from a very good place, these people.


    "Thank you," I replied. I didn''t know what else to say.


    "That was brave, helping Oleev like that, but she won''t like it. She hates being made to look like she can''t do something herself. Except a lot of angry looks and snide remarks from here on out."


    "I didn''t know that," I said honestly. "I just didn''t want her to get in trouble."


    "Hey, I''m sure she''ll repay you for it one day. Throne, if she doesn''t, I will. You stepped up, man. You don''t know us, but you helped us."


    "That''s what anyone would do," I said, and Egeers shook his head sadly.


    "No, not anyone," he muttered.


    "What are we meant to do with this guy?" I said, looking at Desmond''s slumped head. Egeers shrugged.


    "He can rot and die for all I care."


    "Don''t like him very much, huh?" I observed. I didn''t ask why. I think I knew the important details.


    "None of us have ever liked him, ever since we were a kid. His dad always got him out of trouble. He''s never worked a day in his life. He lives in Copperswood manor, near the Arm. Likes to lord it over everyone. He''ll probably hate you. You''re a plainsman, right?"


    "I''m from the plains, yes," I said, whatever that meant. I already knew Desmond didn''t like me. I mean, peasant, really?


    "Yeah, he hates you lot. Dumb farmers, he reckons you all are. He looks down on all of us, and everyone but Prassus and Clauda lives in the town. Lived in the town," Egeers corrected himself. I would''ve asked him to continue his explanations had the Sergeant not started speaking.


    "So, you are the best of Practia''s tithe, eh?" The sergeant regarded us with a critical eye. "Well, good thing I won''t have to see you after this. I''m Sergeant Slate, of the Cadian 417th. We''re here to train you up on the way to war. Now, me, I''m just the guy tasked with sending new recruits on their way, a duty that has been entrusted to me because I have the ability to complete the impossible task of making sure you all get where you need to be without dying!"


    I had no idea who the Cadian 417th were sadly. My knowledge of the universe was not so encyclopedic as to get anything valuable from this exchange. I didn''t even know what year it was, so I had no idea who, or what, we were fighting. I just hoped it wasn''t going to be Tyranids. Or Dark Eldar. Hell, suddenly the prospect of fighting anything seemed a lot more unsettling. Everything in this universe could kill you in unique and agonizing ways, each one more horrendous then the last, and I for one was not eager to experience any of them. In fact, I was rather hoping to avoid this dying business altogether, unless it was either very swift or happened peacefully in my sleep.


    And that was a brilliantly optimistic perspective on things, wasn''t it?


    I looked around at the others faces. They seemed to be paying attention now, sullen looks gone from their faces. They stood up straight and proud, ready to serve the Emperor in his Imperial Guard, totally ignorant of the horrors they''d be subjected to.


    As I stood there in line, knowing what we would have to face, I did not feel like standing here. I felt like running, as far and fast as I could. I felt like running away from everything, from everyone, and finding a nice, dark hole to hide in and hope I would somehow reawaken back on Earth.


    The longer I stayed here, the more this nightmare set in. The longer I stayed here, the bleaker things became.


    If I didn''t learn fast, I''d die before I ever even saw a battlefield.

 Chapter 302 - My CO Stash #2 - Logic is My Sword by Itherael (OregairuXMulticross)

    -This is just a freakin'' light novel romcom cinematic parallel universe~ I''d say out of all the anime world-mega crossovers this is at the top! Author is one evil guy by creating a game that would push 2 anti social characters (Hachiman from Oregairu & Ayanokoji from Classroom of Elite) to overcome their fears but at the same time to suffer as they really can''t trust nobody... Also, the author is a MACHINE with these 30K+ word count per chapter!


    *Chapter 0 seems pretty slow but it does catch up after chapter 1. Expect a shit ton of foreshadowing!


    Synopsis: It''s often said that one person''s insanity is another person''s reality, and believing such was improbable. But if you were to reach a junction where self-delusion and insanity are the only choices left to take, what else can you be expected to do? Simple, defy the irrational world by choosing the path of logic, for I refuse to compromise my principles for the sake of convenience.


    Rated: M


    Words: 488K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/12607901/1/Logic-Is-My-Sword (Itherael)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à) -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0.0-0.8


    Greetings¡­ and welcome to my Third story.


    There is not much to say, only that if you are new to the sort of stories I write, do check my profile. In it, you can find the profile for this story where I upload links that you can use to access the pictures I create for each chapter, and the song recommendations.


    You are free to use them, or simply ignore them. Though, I recommend you people to check them out. You won''t be disappointed.


    This story starts just after the end of Oregairu season 2, which means that everything in the light novels, anime and OVAs have already occurred.


    The story had been revised and had been improved dramatically, all thanks to the official beta of this story: "NirvanaFrk97". He is without a doubt an outstanding beta-reader. Thanks man, you rock!


    Also, thanks to "Bronze v lee sin" for his advice and feedback, I appreciate it dude.


    And one last claim about this story. This is a multi-crossover story, which will feature several other manga and anime, old and new to some extent. If you''re not into multi-crossover stories, then this one is not for you. If you are, then welcome aboard.


    Disclaimer: I don''t own anything in this story but the plot. Feels bad to say that though¡­


    Without further ado, let''s get started.


    Logic is My Sword


    Prologue ¨C In the End, Hikigaya Hachiman Becomes a Loner Again


    0-0


    No Trouble, no life.


    One might think that whenever something goes wrong, there''s a solution. However, life, as variable as it is, has always reminded me that those who hold such thoughts were wrong.


    Troubles are a part of life, generated from many kinds of circ.u.mstances, which when grouped, cause certain consequences. Whether they pertain to the economy, politics, love even¡­ Either one could very well lead a human being to become, most of the time, delusional or an irascible bastard.


    Naturally, human beings strive to avoid trouble due to their cowardice and refusal to face their realities and overcome them. Which, in fact, turns out to be one of the main reasons why problems are born in the first place. It is ironic, and most of the time, annoying.


    The result of how problems can affect the current behavior of people depends on their personality of course, and the complexity of the problem itself. Some of them make people better citizens, contributors or supporters of the human society. While others simply turn them into the scourge that society rejects.


    I, Hikigaya Hachiman, was that scourge, though it wasn''t of my own volition.


    I once sought to be a productive member of society, and no one can deny that I tried my hardest, but rejection, contempt, disappointment, ignorance and stupidity always got in my way. An additional hurdle being that I wasn''t exactly the most social, much less an easily approachable sort of person. Then I came to the realization that it wasn''t my fault, but everyone else''s. This flawed world was at fault, moreover youth was at fault.


    Human society and their shallow search for understanding was at fault. I believed that and the world showed me as much, so the only way I could continue living on was to not be part of it. I didn''t hurt anyone, and in exchange, no one hurt me. It was a fine trade if you ask me. Both parties win.


    However, things started to change, a minuscule light of hope began to well within me. Something I hadn''t allowed to happen ever since I missed Sobu''s entrance ceremony. I never meant for it to happen, but that slipped out of my control, and before I knew it, I had changed¡­


    I wasn''t the loner I was before as I had many¡­ acquaintances now. I wouldn''t call them friends, but that was certainly something more than I''ve had in the past.


    A certain essay I wrote some time ago started me on this new path, as it led me to join a certain club, where I met certain people. There my life changed, and there my the route towards my new goal would eventually begin.


    I wanted something genuine.


    It may be embarrassing, but that is what I truly desired to find¡­ no matter what it turned out to be in the end.


    Now, I thought I''d seen it all during this whole experience, coming to be aware of the true nature of the people I knew, and even those I didn''t. I came to think that my perception of the world was correct despite my initial method of solving problems. I''ve tried to change that, realizing that I was hurting the people I had begun to care about. However, not even that calculating and selfish Hachiman of old would have been able to handle the current dilemma I was currently facing.


    Actually, my dilemma was more than just that.


    This, to put it frankly, was an insane situation.


    Current time: 7:23 p.m.


    Not only was my cell phone filled with strange messages that contained death threats from people I didn''t know, but I had a couple of messages filled with content that would make a hentai lover blush deeply, coming from the person I least expected.


    And yet that was the least of my worries right now.


    My room was a total mess, but not the mess one would expect to find in the room of a regular teenager. Instead of manga, videogames and¡­ research materials splattered across the ground and bed, the mess was due to an unknown flying object had crashed into my bedroom. Thus punching a large hole where my window should have been and leaving pieces of my bed scattered everywhere.


    Actually, I wasn''t any better. My body was killing me and my head hurt from when I got hit by the shockwave.


    But surprisingly enough, that wasn''t completely to blame for my facial expression sporting utter shock. Maybe I was dreaming¡­ No, I had to be dreaming. There was just no way that I could accept what was happening before me as reality.


    A girl, who came out from the strange machine, was standing before me. She went on to greet me casually, as if she didn''t just destroy a portion of my home.


    I quickly limped away my destroyed room of course, panicking at the very abnormal events that had started occurring since this morning.


    Despite all that''s happened in my life since I joined the Service Club, today that meant nothing. Every student hated me at Sobu, even those that I held in high regard. I couldn''t recall doing anything wrong after the outing I owed Yuigahama, who, for some reason, brought along Yukinoshita. In fact, they seemed to be in good enough spirits once I left the two for their impromptu sleepover.


    I was always sure that any problem could be solved if one was to look into it closely enough, but I dumbly ignored the fact that a solution would only be feasible if one knew the very variables that caused it.


    Think of it as a basic arithmetic operation: Two plus two, would obviously equal four. However, the fact that I could solve the equation was only possible as I was aware of the values to solve it. However if the operation had no numbers to work with, how would one complete it?


    Even in equations that only give one certain variable, they allow you to discover the missing information. This could be applied to problems that people tend to face on a daily basis. Such as finding yourself late for work or school, having caused any sort of crime, misunderstandings and fights with other people, and so on.


    If one knew how a problem originated as well as the facts that caused it, examining that information would most likely help craft a viable solution for it. But if one knew nothing, how would anyone proceed? How could I proceed?


    The situation must have been very serious if I was able to disregard the fact that I was able to recall a mathematical subject and apply it appropriately to my analogy.


    All I could think of in that moment was to get away from this absurd problem, but to do so was not an option unless I brought my little sister with me, Komachi. As her older brother, it was my obligation to take care of her well-being.


    How naive it was of me to think that the surprises would end solely after that spaceship crashed into my room. I mean, that was pretty messed up to begin with, but what I witnessed upon entering Komachi''s room was more than shocking. It was impossible, yet I couldn''t discredit what my eyes were seeing before me. Or perhaps I can regard it as an after effect of my possible concussion?


    Komachi turned to me while blinking in confusion when I entered her living space. Another set of eyes zeroed in on my arrival, ones that belonged to another girl I wasn''t familiar with. The kicker? This particular girl was coming out from the wall, just suddenly materializing through a solid structure¡­ Seriously?


    I couldn''t recall if technology had abruptly advanced so much as to allow people to practically ignore an object''s space and existence, allowing them to pass through them like nothing.


    Yes, I must be dreaming. Despite the fact that I was told countless times that I wasn''t, I had to be. Despite that it was proven that all this madness wasn''t a dream, my mind wasn''t accepting of such ludicrous things.


    [Idiot, that face of yours only shows denial¡­ How pathetic.]


    My gaze briefly diverts to the desk at my left, where a tiny mirror idly sat along the surface. I would dare say that things started to go bad since he started talking to me. And there, within that tiny mirror, he spoke to me again, mocking me in a way only I could.


    [Why are you looking at yourself with that face? It''s simply the truth, so¡­ why don''t you focus back on our ''cute little sister'' again?]


    "O-onii-chan!? W-what was that tremor¡­?" She exclaimed before she turned to see our recent intruder, "Oh, look! A goddess has come to grant me a wish!"


    She was young, and anyone, myself included could have taken that as the delusion from a little girl. This time though, I witnessed how the young woman coming out of the wall finally stood inside the room in its entirety, the shiny door-like light that once covered the wall gone.


    It was purely because of my protective nature over Komachi that I pulled her behind me as this intruder stepped towards us. It was then that an incessant sound registered in my mind amidst the chaos. I pinned it as the doorbell ringing multiple times, enough to call it worrisome, much like my cell phone was doing. Everything was wrong, I didn''t know how to solve my current dilemma, and I didn''t have any variables to work with.


    This was bad, really bad¡­


    0-1


    12 hours earlier. Current Time: 7:31 a.m.


    "Ah, Onii-chan? Um, it''s time to wake up."


    I slowly opened my eyes, the familiar cute voice of my lovely sister taking me out from my slumber. I seriously had to admit that this is a good way to wake up. I''m not a sis-con, it''s just that a cute voice is better than those annoying alarms.


    Hah¡­ My natural-born NEET qualities are trying to keep me from getting up.


    As my awareness slowly came back to me, I begin to recall what happened yesterday. Yuigahama''s words about her being selfish, greedy and wanting to claim everything if she manages to win the contest that Hiratsuka-sensei came up with when I joined the Service Club. How she presented Yukinoshita an offer to keep things between the three of us the same, while also helping her reach a decision. But that wouldn''t have solved anything, it would have left things vague and superficial. With no room for anything genuine¡­


    I used to strive to maintain the status quo, just to keep trouble from arising. However, after seeing Hayama''s desperation for it, I then realized that it wasn''t the best course for us three. I couldn''t accept that, what Yuigahama had offered during our group outing, and I was probably being a hypocrite as that was once my goal before realizing I was wrong. I wanted something genuine, but trying to hide our feelings was far from being productive in reaching that new wish of mine.


    What was the answer to this then?


    I didn''t have the slightest clue. All we could do was to keep searching for an answer, no matter how long it takes us to do it, no matter the consequences.


    Then there''s Yukinoshita''s request. She wanted to finally take control of her life and start making decisions for herself for once. She wanted to confront her mother about her future, and prove that she was indeed capable of handling herself and not just existing in Haruno-san''s shadow. Honestly, it was still a shock that Haruno-san offered to help, though seeing who their mother is, I guess it doesn''t come as that much of a surprise. They both admitted the possible failure on their parts as well, just goes to show how terrifying the matriarch of the Yukinoshita household is.


    There''s no use thinking this now though. It''s out of my hands, I can only honor her request and see her through her final decision.


    I prepared myself mentally before leaving the comfort of my bed. A normal room greeted me as was usual, though I don''t remember it being such a stark white. While it had all the accommodations that a teen such as myself needed, it simply gave me a detached feeling that wasn''t here yesterday.


    Was my room like that before? Wait, where''s my TV? And my Gamecube? They''re gone! Wait!? Where''s Vita-chan!? Even my bookshelf with my manga and light novels! I searched around the room, desperately trying to find my treasures. Maybe Komachi took them, or my parents¡­


    There was nothing. Then my gaze focused on the closet. Opening it, my soul returned to my body. I was glad to see the large amounts of manga, video games, even my TV inside. Wait, I didn''t have this much¡­ I had to frown though as half of the games were eroge, and as for the mangas and light novels¡­ Er¡­


    They made my typical¡­ research material¡­ look like children''s books.


    "What the heck¡­? I didn''t buy any of this¡­"


    "Um, Onii-chan? Isn''t it¡­ getting late for you?"


    Oh. Right. School. I''ll look into this when I come back I guess.


    Ignoring this ''discovery'' for the time being, I walked out the bedroom and towards the bathroom, my confusion removing whatever fatigue remained. It was much too late to properly bathe, so I rinse my face, brush my teeth and fix my hair to at least appear presentable.


    It only took me four minutes to get dressed in the winter uniform of Sobu High School. Picking up my cell phone, I turned it on. I blinked as the picture of Yukinoshita Haruno was set as my lock screen wallpaper. If I had been an idiot, the surprise may have loosened my grip causing me to drop this phone in shock and wind up pointlessly damaging it when it landed.


    "Hah¡­?"


    There was nothing in particular to note about the picture. It just showed Haruno-san smiling normally, dressed in what appeared to be a black cardigan over a white blouse. Is this a joke? I know she was ''drunk'' last night and that she was acting erratically because of it, but I can''t recall for the life of me seeing her snatch my phone even once in order to pull this prank.


    Did that witch drag Komachi into some cheap practical joke? I wouldn''t be surprised if that was the case, that''s how she got in touch when recruiting me for that disastrous double date with Hayama after all. Did she somehow know about Komachi''s stress over Sobu''s entrance exams, and manipulated her relief at my cost?


    Don''t worry Komachi! Onii-chan knows you were only relieving your stress! He forgives you!


    Browsing the menu, I came to see I had three new messages. Wait, three? What three people could be bothered to contact me? Well, I can actually see Hiratsuka-sensei doing so. Someone please marry her already¡­ But who are the other two?


    The first one was from someone called¡­ Ms. Annoying Bitch?


    What the heck is with this contact? Who the hell is this?


    - Hikio, good morning! I hope you had a healthy breakfast!


    Who the hell is ''Hikio''? Hold on¡­ ''Hikio''? Isn''t that¡­?


    Yeah, that ''nickname'' is what Sobu High''s Residential Fire Queen: Miura Yumiko calls me. How on earth do I have her contact information?


    I looked back at the simple message for several more seconds in pure confusion. I couldn''t grasp what it entailed at all. I was never close to the Fire Queen for her to send me something like that, let alone was I close enough that we swapped information. At best, we were neutral to one another. Am I missing something? And that''s not my name dammit.


    The next message was from someone called¡­ Sakurai Aoi?


    - It''s me again, Hikigaya. Just how much more are you planning to neglect your duties with the Railway office? Stop being a coward and bring your ass over here already!


    I have no idea what this message means either¡­ And who is this anyway? As a loner, even as that status of mine gradually declines, I cannot recall ever interacting with someone with that name. That''s even more weird.


    The last new message displayed another unfamiliar name.


    Kasumigaoka Utaha¡­ Who is this now?


    - Hachiman, I''m just letting you know that my next book will be complete soon. I will need your opinion about it as always. Anyhow, I hope you have a good morning. Don''t be late for school.


    Okay, this was another strange message from another unknown person. Since when was I the sort to receive these sort of messages? I mean, while I have made some acquaintances in the past few months, I never exchanged contacts with many of them, with the exception of Zaimokuza, Yuigahama, Hiratsuka-sensei, and Totsuka. Oh, Haruno-san also has it, though I have no idea who gave it to her. Probably Hayama, damn fake.


    Opening my contact list, I come to see many numbers and names I couldn''t recall adding to my list, let alone recognize. When you have, like, five to six contacts, one obviously can notice when something has changed, and the fact that I had so many contacts in my list is startling.


    Maybe I was in some sort of dream. It could be that my brain was futilely trying to give me a dream (delusion) where I was part of the normal youth. Hmph, this is more of a nightmare for me though. Maybe I shouldn''t have ate those sweets last night¡­


    What made it worse was the fact the only names I could recognize from my previous list was Haruno-san and Komachi. Where are Yuigahama and Isshiki? Wait¡­ where is Totsuka''s number!? Oh no! I don''t have it anymore! Ah¡­ This really was a nightmare¡­ Just put me out of my misery already¡­


    I searched for old messages just in case. There was nothing, but remarkably aggressive messages towards me from unlisted email addresses. What?


    "Onii-chan?" I hear my precious sister directly outside of my door. Then, for some reason she softly knocks on it. I raise an eyebrow, since when did she not just burst into my room to drag me out of bed?


    Shrugging to myself at her unexpected restraint, I walk towards the door and open it. As expected, there stood Komachi, who for some reason jumped at my room''s barrier opening. Odd.


    It seems she was ready to leave as she carried her book bag. "Ah, um, your breakfast is getting cold, Onii-chan. I have to leave, so be sure to eat what I left, okay?"


    This is getting weirder. She was acting uncharacteristically timid and reclusive. Why was she reluctant about meeting my eyes? Were they especially ''dead-fishy'' today?


    "Ah," I nod at her, "Sure thing."


    She looks up at me with a small smile, as if unsure if she should be doing so. What the? But then she blinks at me, confused at whatever she could have noticed. Was there something weird behind me?


    "Onii-chan¡­" Now it was my turn to gaze at her in confusion. What''s with her today?


    "What is it?" I ask her.


    "A-ah, n-no¡­ I-It''s just that¡­" She stutters out, "Your eyes¡­ They look sort of d-different¡­"


    What?


    "What?" My puzzlement was further increased, "What do you mean? I''ve always had these eyes, Komachi; you know that. Don''t say such cruel jokes to your Onii-chan so early in the morning."


    She jumped in place, seemingly intimidated at my attempt at humor, "N-no! I-it''s not a joke¡­ Y-your eyes really look different, I-I don''t think you''ll like them. U-um, but I think they l-look f-fine¡­"


    That didn''t make sense at all. I wondered if she was teasing me or something. But why go through this submissive and timid roll just for that? Hmm, maybe her test results were getting to her and she''s blowing off steam in a weird way. Well, I''ll let it slide then. As a good Onii-chan, I put a hand over her head in a show of fondness. She looked at me uncertainly, her cheeks reddening a bit at the sudden touch.


    Really cute if you ask me, but then again she''s my sister, she already gets bonus points for being cute. Hah! That ought to score me some Hachiman points!


    "Whatever you say." I pat her gently before removing my hand, "But, isn''t it getting late for you too Komachi?"


    The ahoge on her hair moved, realization rushing into her. What are you an anime character now? She glanced at her pink watch and let out a yelp.


    "A-ah, that''s right! I didn''t realize it! I need to get going then!" She spun around, going down the stairs as she said, "Ah, Onii-chan. Rito-san is waiting for you outside already. Bye Onii-chan!"


    I waved my farewells to Komachi. ''Rito-san''? Another unfamiliar name.


    Picking up my school bag, I walk towards the stairs hearing the door slam indicating Komachi''s departure. Good grief, that girl¡­ I understand you''re nervous about how you did in your exams but that''s no need to go slamming all of our doors.


    Plus if you damage one, I''ll probably take the blame.


    Entering the main room within the first floor, I look around. Not only was this the living room, with a bookshelf, a glass cabinet, a large TV in front of a lilac multi-piece sofa, but on the other half of the room was the dining room, with a table and four chairs at the side of the kitchen. Unlike my room, it looked just the same as usual.


    My attention was piqued at the TV that was currently on. Honestly, that empty-headed sister of mine¡­


    "¡­n other news. Drivers caught using handheld mobile phones will face tougher penalties from today on throughout the prefectures. The fine has doubled to 28,000 yen, and the number of penalty points has also doubled to six. This means that new drivers could potentially lose their license after one sole offense. The law enforcements within each prefecture have pledged to put in an increased focus on catching offenders. Kumiko Morita reports¡­"


    Then I lost interest, my new focus directed at the plate of fried pork, a bowl of rice and miso soup over the table. I quickly dig in, rushing as the doorbell continues to ring. I usually go by myself to the school, so whoever that ''Rito-san'' fellow is, he or she can wait. Or leave, I''d prefer that.


    With my breakfast finished, I leave the dishes by the kitchen sink, picking up my school bag from the chair. I walk towards the TV to turn it off, yet before I do so, the current news once again catches my attention, the female reporter speaking.


    "¡­fter many tests, Prime Minister Sugayama has authorized the use of Shinkansen 2.0, which will be distributed to the main stations of Tokyo, Chiba, Sendai, Osaka and Nagoya. After the cabinet had finally voted in favor of the project developed by the Tenjouin Enterprises, the prime minis¡­"


    Hold on a minute, wasn''t the Railway System privatized? It''s not like I care about it that much, but it was a matter of interest to the populace that had no means of traveling, such as almost every student in Japan with no driver''s license. Sadly, I fall on that list when I can''t ride my bike, which means that I depend on the government that much more now. My stomach begins to writhe in disgust at the fact that I''ve gotten closer to becoming a corporate slave. I''ll be damned if I become like my parents though.


    Why am I thinking about this? There''s no use getting pointlessly depressed over the future. I still have hope in becoming a househusband after all. Now if only I can find a non-smoking, non-drinking, non-violent, and not gradually-aging potential partner to support me.


    "¡­After the press conference held about Mishima Zaibatsu''s future, the new CEO, Kazama Jin, has announced that he has great plans for the future of the Mishima Industries. The new CEO has also refused to give an interview about his new position after the last tournam¡­"


    No idea what they were talking about. I never had any interest in politics or economy, so I finally turned off the TV. This dream sure is weird, it''s way too specific isn''t it? Well, whatever, let''s go through it so I can wake up faster.


    I head towards the entrance of my house, and open the door. Where I''m promptly greeted by pair of golden brown eyes, kind and honestly unnerving with how bright they looked.


    "Yo, Hachiman," The boy, whose hair was brown and spiky, and wore a lemon colored blazer, a green tie and trousers with a yellow cross-hatched pattern, waved his hand at me. "What took you so long? Koo-chan just left a couple of minutes ago with Mikan."


    Did he just call me by my given nam- Wait¡­ Koo-chan? Who the hell are you calling that!? Oi, just because this is a dream doesn''t mean I''m going to accept you giving Komachi a nickname. Know your place!


    "Oi, that''s my sister you''re talking about," I glare at him, and he blinks in surprise. "Don''t act that familiar with her."


    The guy scratches his head in puzzlement. Ignoring the annoying way he called my sister, he gets on my nerves for some reason... He just seems the sort of kind hearted guy that doesn''t want to cause trouble, which is honestly annoying. It reminds me of a certain blonde riajuu.


    "Eh? Um¡­ It''s Mikan''s fault, you know?" He responded, laughing nervously. Quit it asshole, that doesn''t mean Komachi should be called by a nickname, more so when it comes from unknown pests like you. "I think you allowed me to call her that, but if it bothers you, I''ll stop."


    I observe him closely, "Who are you again?"


    He laughs awkwardly, though this time he seems confused, "Wow, I know you''re dry, but to feign you don''t know me? That''s a little too much, don''t you think?"


    What does that mean? I don''t recall ever seeing this guy. He knows Komachi somehow, but why does she know this guy? She''s never spoke of him until now, plus he looks to be closer to my age than hers. And now that I think about it, what uniform is that? It''s not from Sobu or even from the Kaihin Sougou High School that Orimoto Kaori goes to.


    I sigh, before gazing at my phone. It was getting late.


    "Whatever, I''ll be on my way."


    I turn towards the bike leaning at the side of the entrance door. Nothing to say much about it other than I take Komachi sometimes with it to her school, though it is still my trusty steed.


    "The campus is not that far, so why take a bike? The weather is really nice today," He smiles again, creeping me out. "We should enjoy it, you know?"


    I sigh, "Seriously, mind your own damned business¡­ whoever you are."


    "I''m beginning to think you''re not joking¡­ I''m your friend, Yuuki Rito¡­ We''re neighbors, remember? We''ve know each other for more than two years."


    Like hell I''d willingly interact with someone like you for two years! I looked at both sides of the street, trying to see any hidden camera. There was the chance that I was currently the victim of one of those disgusting TV shows that pulled public pranks on people. If this did wind up being a nightmare, I might be forced to experience a self-esteem destroying encounter because of it. Geez¡­ That brain of mine sure is twisted¡­


    There was nothing suspicious. These bastards were doing a great job at hiding. It was just absurd that I would have a neighborhood "friend" after all, I''ve never had anything of the sort growing up. I''m sure that this was all just an elaborate prank by now.


    "I don''t know you, and I''m not interested in anything you might say. So spare me the uncomfortable moment and go away already."


    The annoying person, Yuuki Rito, sighs, then, scratching his head he states, "As cold as always¡­"


    That comment seems to show that I usually act like that, and that he knows it and probably puts up with it. Familiarity is written all over that comment, and that is certainly startling. I mean, I could admit that Yukinoshita, even Yuigahama and Isshiki know a bit of me, if only a bit, but this unknown guy comes and talks to me so casually, even referring to Komachi by that idiotic nickname?


    It pisses me off.


    I leave my bike where it was before. After that, I walk to the street at my left, my destination, Sobu High School, and as I moved forward, I hear the unmistakable sound of steps behind me. It was that boy again.


    I take some more steps, and again, I look over my shoulder. The guy was at the exact same distance¡­Was he following me now? Is he some sort of creepy stalker?


    I seriously wouldn''t mind if it was Totsuka, but this was beginning to get more aggravating. Either way, I just continued to ignore him the rest of the journey to school.


    0-2


    "What the¡­? Was this here before?"


    I was some blocks away from my destination before I began to wonder why this area seemed different than it was before. I just couldn''t even imagine how I could possibly disregard that this area was a shopping district. I''ve taken this path multiple times and I could have sworn that this place wasn''t here before.


    Some minutes ago, I noticed a large board with the kanjis displaying: Chibad¨­ri Shopping District. And right now, I was staring at a Japanese-styled restaurant, which seemed to be closed. It was a two story building with a lilac awning, displaying the name of the establishment.


    Restaurant Yukihira.


    "Yeah¡­? We usually come here to eat whenever it''s open," Responds Yuuki, who stood nearby, "You''re acting really weird this morning. Did you forget that this restaurant is famous around here due to its excellent food? Doesn''t Sou-?"


    "A famous restaurant?" I mutter to myself, cutting him off mid-question. I would definitely know if there was a restaurant with such a great reputation located this close to my home, "I walked across this street yesterday and this restaurant wasn''t here, or all these stores for that matter. What kind of sick joke was this? This is getting really weird now, I''d never have thought my brain could be this hyperactive.


    "Hey, Hachiman. Are you sure you''re okay?" Yuuki asked, looking concerned. Cut that out already.


    "Stop calling me by my first name. We''re not friends, it''s gross." Hey, just because I''m not a lucid dreamer, it doesn''t mean I''m going to just put up with this unwanted familiarity.


    Despite my words, he chuckled, "Haha, well, I''m used to hearing that from you. I know you don''t mean it."


    "I do."


    "I know you don''t," He argued, stupidly smiling. He really pisses me off.


    "I do. Stop saying I don''t."


    I sigh, before gazing once more at the traditional-styled sliding door of Restaurant Yukihira. I was never interested in eating anywhere else other than Saize, besides, there was always food at home, whether Komachi or mom prepared it.


    And, one of my 108 Hachiman skills is actually cooking. Of course I''m not a professional, but I can defend myself at the very least. Komachi enjoys my homemade food, so that''s a test to my ability. Though, she is the only one that has ever tasted my food¡­ maybe she''s just being complacent with her dear Onii-chan¡­ meh.


    "Hey, it''s already late."


    Oh crap, Hiratsuka-sensei is going to use her infamous Terminating Last Bullet on me for being late. It has been some time since she''s punched me now that I think about it¡­ Such unpleasant memories¡­


    I visibly shudder, and the guy called Yuuki Rito at my side notices it.


    "Mmm? What''s wrong?"


    "None of your business¡­" I manage to say, "Oi, shouldn''t you be getting to your school rather than following me around like an idiot?"


    "Haha¡­ good one, Hachiman. This is obviously the way to get to my school too."


    It is? I can only assume that if he had chosen to walk to school, then it must be as close as mine, but that wouldn''t make any sense. I always observe my surroundings, and I''m pretty sure I would notice if there was another-


    What in the world¡­? There are so many students wearing the same uniform as this guy. Actually, there were two other uniforms besides the one fitted on Yuuki. What school do these uniforms belong to? The students were all apparently walking towards school as we did. Were there more schools around? I always used this route to get to Sobu and I''ve never seen these uniforms before.


    I turn towards Yuuki, glaring at him. There was something fishy here and I have to figure out what it is.


    "Oi, where''s your school? Take me there."


    That demand generated a frown. Scratching the back of his head, he nodded reluctantly.


    "Man, you''re honestly worrying me now," My glares intensifies and he takes a step back in surprise. "Geez, I don''t know what''s with you, but if that''s what you want, I''ll take you."


    Yuuki walks towards the direction of my school. I raise an eyebrow before following him.


    0-3


    Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Prologue Section: Song 01


    I blink. Then I blink again, my mouth agape.


    I was in the middle of the street gazing at the entrance of the school of the brown-haired dude, which was apparently called Chiba Sainan Municipal High School. Many students of varied ages, male and female, entered through its gates, some of them gazing at me and gossiping.


    Then, I turn 180 degrees, and before me was the entrance to Sobu High School. Many students disappearing inside the entrance just as the bells rang from afar. This was so messed up! Why is there another school just in front of mine? Since when? How? This was impossible! And urbanistically speaking, what kind of idiot would put one school in front of another?


    "Well, there you go¡­" Yuuki states, somewhat puzzled by my expression, "Are you satisfied? This act is getting sort of dumb. You were always dry, but dumb, never. What''s gotten into you? It''s not like you to act like this."


    "You don''t know me, so drop that pretentious crap," I walk around, trying not to bump into anyone. I look around in a semi-panicked fashion. This shouldn''t be happening. "What the hell is going on?"


    A hand grip my shoulder. "C-calm down, Hachiman. You''re really scaring me." Yuuki seems awfully concerned. I roughly pull my shoulder away from his hand as if it were diseased. Don''t touch me.


    "I''m the one who should be scared here," I spat, before noticing the multiple gazes being directed at me. Tch, I was drawing a crowd. Unease was beginning to bleed into my composure, my heart rate was beginning to rise out of sheer alarm at my current situation. Can''t I wake up already?


    My eyes quickly scanned the surroundings, a familiar face finally coming to sight. It was Yuigahama Yui, sporting the Sobu High uniform for girls, composed of a black blazer with a white blouse underneath it with two buttons undone, a red ribbon, a school skirt and black stocking and shoes.


    As she noticed my focused gaze, she stepped back. Her shoulder-lengthed coral-dyed hair bouncing slightly, even the locks coiled into a bun perched on the top of her head. I walked to her with hurried steps, Yuigahama''s peach eyes darting from left to right nervously.


    "Hey Yuigahama, did you see all this¡­" Wait¡­ why does she look so scared? I blink at her teary eyes, murmurs erupting in the sea of students from both schools around us. "Yuigahama, what''s with you? Why are-"


    "Hey Hikitani-kun, drop it. You''re scaring her."


    That voice was annoyingly familiar, so I looked at my left to see a blond sporting the same uniform as me. His blue eyes scrutinized me with disapproval as Yuigahama stepped towards him, as if to put distance between us.


    "I''m scaring her?" No matter how I look at it, she does seem afraid of me, "Yuigahama, why are you acting like this?"


    "Eh? Well, I was, like, surprised when you approached me out of nowhere," She fidgeted under my inquisitive gaze. "You know, we''ve never really talked before, so it was, like, totes weird. I mean, you don''t like anyone, so I thought that you were, like, going to insult me or something. Ehehe¡­" She forces a laugh, nervous as it was, it made her fear all the more apparent.


    I narrow my gaze, "Is that how you see me?"


    "I-I¡­ well¡­ haha¡­ I¡­"


    "Don''t push her," The guy I knew as Hayama Hayato took a step forward, trying to cover Yuigahama from my sight. What the hell do you want you damn fake?


    "Whatever you''re trying to pull in here, just drop it. I don''t want any problems, much less with you. We agreed that you would never try to harass anyone in the school again. Hiratsuka-sensei made you promise that, so I hope you behave yourself."


    What does that mean? I have no recollection of harassing anyone, not even by misunderstanding¡­ at least not in Sobu. Though Yukinoshita would say that my mere presence could be harassment enough.


    I take a step back, which is taken as the cue of my yielding about the matter. Hayama puts a hand on her shoulder and the two walk inside the school''s perimeter, disappearing with the rest of the students. I stood there, lost and confused.


    To begin with, why was she afraid of me? Last I saw her, we were fine. Hell, she took me out on a date with Yukinoshita yesterday. And we were both there to accept Yukinoshita''s request, so what''s with this abrupt change? Speaking of that, they had a sleep over at last night, why wasn''t Yukinoshita here with her?


    Could it be that this was my unconscious telling me that I didn''t want to lose Yuigahama? After everything that happened between the three of us yesterday, maybe I was instilled with the anxiety that my quest for the genuine thing could cost me whatever relationship I had with her?


    Then there was the fact of how Hayama rested a hand on her shoulder, and how Yuigahama took cover from me by hiding behind him.


    They seemed close, and not just as the group that hangs out once in a while. Yuigahama was always part of Hayama''s clique, but never have I seen them act like¡­ that. I can''t really establish my thoughts now, something is wrong today and I have no idea what''s going on. But I do know that I don''t like someone as pathetically desperate for the status-quo as Hayama to be so close to Yuigahama.


    "Eh, well?? let''s talk later, Hachiman," Yuuki''s uneasy voice comes from behind me, "I don''t want to be punish-"


    I turned around to face the idiot, and as I did, a girl bumped into me. A small yelp abruptly escaped her mouth in her surprise. While I manage to keep my balance, barely, I couldn''t say the same for the stranger. The girl, wearing the uniform for girls of Sainan High which was practically identical to the males'', save for the skirt with the same cross-hatched pattern, falls to the ground.


    Another yelp erupted, though it was from Yuuki this time. I turn to him to see his face was red, his eyes as widened as could be possible. He stares at the girl of his school with hopeful eyes. What''s with that exaggerated reaction?


    I would say that she was pretty. Her hair had an unusual color, as it was blue, and it looked surprisingly good, probably a high quality dye. Her oddly purple eyes matched quite nicely with it and her complexion.


    Now, her pretty qualities aren''t what caught my immediate attention. I have long since grown out of such superficial attraction, but the fact that her panties were visible unintentionally drew my gaze on her, and was probably why Yuuki looked even more like an idiot. White as the clouds of the sky, I must say.


    Blood began to drip from Yuuki''s nose before he fell to the ground, as comically as one would expect from the protagonist of one of those senseless Harem mangas. Get a grip on yourself you pervert.


    For my part, I only averted my gaze, my cheeks burning slightly.


    I''m still a male teenager that has never¡­ wait¡­ I was forgetting about black lace and Miura''s pink, unexpected- stop it Hachiman!


    Anyhow, male teens rarely get an occasion when they manage to contemplate female undergarments with a live example. Even for a loner such as myself, that''s a given. I just hope that my face doesn''t look as perverted as this bleeding idiot''s does. I don''t need everyone thinking of me as one alongside him.


    "Are¡­ you okay?" I ask her.


    "I think I''m fine," Responds Yuuki desperately holding his nose..


    "I didn''t ask you." I retort to him, deadpanning.


    The girl finally notices the embarrassing position she is displaying and stands up in a blink. Her face was flushing red, tears appearing in the corners of her eyes. I have to do something before this escalates into something unfixable.


    "So¡­ are you alright?" I ask again, "I didn''t, uh, mean to¡­"


    "D-don''t worry! It''s fine!" She replies, bowing to me. She subtly eyed Yuuki for some seconds before resuming her attention on me, "I was running late and I was in a rush. I''m sorry."


    As she says it, her eyes trail once more to the nervous wreck named Yuuki Rito. Girls are so obvious sometimes, it''s easy to see that she is fairly interested in the guy at my side, and it''s pretty much the same with him. I can tell, he completely overreacted upon seeing her underwear after all.


    Go to profile, SEE: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Prologue Section: Picture 01


    "So¡­ are you really okay?" I ask again.


    "¡­" She lowers her head, looking little embarrassed. Then finally, she nods her head.


    I nod in response, and she bows again. Giving one last glance at Yuuki, she turns around and dashes away. It was then that I noticed that almost all the students were already gone, and the gates of both schools are about to be closed.


    "That was too close¡­ geez¡­" Yuuki sighs in resignation, "Why can''t I ever say a word to Haruna-chan¡­?"


    "That''s her first name, right? Are you two close?" I ask, and he obviously panics, "If not, that''s really creepy."


    "Quit it, dude. You know she''s a sensitive subject to me¡­" He sighs again, before staring at the distance, "Well, laters Hachiman. Hurry before you''re left outside."


    As he ran into Sainan High''s perimeter, I can''t help but feel that he reminds me slightly of myself from middle school. Though, I was much more of a gentleman than that nosebleeding pervert was. I turn around and dash boyond the gates just in time, reflecting a bit. They like each other, but it''s easy to assume they have yet to confess their feelings considering what I witnessed. Great, this Yuuki guy I''m apparently "friends" with is part of the youth I hate. Whatever, it doesn''t matter to me.


    That aside, I should concentrate on the matter at hand, which is, uncovering the reason for this school being located in front of Sobu out of nowhere. Yuigahama has proven to not be an available source of information for the time being, for whatever reason.


    I can''t jump to conclusions about her attitude towards me yet.


    Finally inside the school, I move towards the lockers. I was the only one around, so I guess classes were about to start. I open my locker, and to my surprise, there were many letters inside. What the hell?


    Could this be what I think it is!? The situation where a boy receives the infamous so-called love letter!? Wait, I''m getting ahead of myself. Knowing me, this might be a trap, or more likely a prank. Damn, I almost succ.u.mbed to temptation and my own naivete. This dream almost got me. Good grief. Who would dare to play with the honest feelings of a pure-hearted male such as myself? Oh, right, my own head¡­


    Wait, what does that say about me!?


    I scan my surroundings before gazing at the letters. Sucking in a much needed deep breath, I grab the first one on top, opening it to read the contents. I narrow my gaze, every word written in it destroying my silly hopes as I read on.


    - Hey Hiki-mushi, still coming to school despite our warnings? You better watch your step asshole, cuz we''re gonna f.u.c.k you up!


    I expected as much, though it still came as a surprise. What''s with this stereotypical delinquent writing? Wait, how was a delinquent able to enter a private school like Sobu anyway? And who the hell is ''Hiki-mushi''?


    Anyhow, I''ve never done anything to hurt anyone despite that most of them deserved it. And while I was rejected by almost every person I''ve met, I never became the target of any hostility. Actually, only Hayama has ever threatened me, but that was only due to the incident with Sagami Minami. He just wanted to defuse the situation from getting worse and keep his appearance up.


    Another ''love letter'' huh¡­? I open it, reviewing it''s contents.


    - I hope you die!


    Hoh¡­ The ''love'' is even more palpable with this one. I pick up another one.


    - Sc.u.m!


    The sentiments keeps getting shorter, I see. Show some originality at least.


    - Disgusting Hikiyaya! I can''t believe that I have to keep attending this school with a creep like you! Just seeing you makes me want to vomit. Not only are you ugly, but you are a spineless bastard. You don''t deserve to live!


    Oh, this one was longer, and it even has drawings of my face with disgusting expressions. I have to admit that my hairstyle was well drawn, but the face¡­ can I even call it a face? If you''re going to bother drawing me with such a level of detail then go all in dammit! Apologize to all struggling artists everywhere!


    I can only assume the three additional letters left contain similar messages. This reminds me of elementary and middle school, where I became the target of mockery from my peers. I was never intimidated physically, much less attacked, but many times my possessions were the indirect targets. I can recall when I found my bag filled with insects, or my books destroyed and my folders full of insulting drawings.


    Most of the time I was the focus of cruel jokes and rumors.


    Humans can be so disgusting sometimes, and I''m sure as hell no one can deny it. Certain individuals often use force, threats, and coercion to abuse with the goal of dominating others. Any uninvolved bystanders observing such actions, without making any sort of interference, aren''t any better. Using disinterest or fear as an excuse to remain out of the problem makes them, to me, just as bad as the the others. I would even call them accomplices.


    Bullies¡­


    Bullies often act as they do, due to their envy and resentment. A complex of inferiority that mentally forces them to try to show their false sense of superiority with aggressive means, in order to conceal their own shame and anxiety. It was ironic as these bullies demeaned others with the intention of boosting their low self-esteem. Pathetic if you ask me.


    Others were simply narcissistic and arrogant.


    Whatever, the fact that bullying existed was the solid proof of how rotten people can be, no matter the reason. No exception.


    I grab the rest of the letters, tearing them in half, before tossing them to the nearest trash container. Having put on my shoes for school, I finally go to my class.


    0-4


    "Late? You? Hikigaya¡­? And what the hell is wrong with your eyes? Did you spend all the night watching hentai again?"


    Oi, oi¡­ That was seriously inappropriate, not to mention intentionally humiliating, sensei. Is this what a teacher should say to a student in class when greeting him? And what is with that surprised expression? I arrive late to school occasionally. And paid for it dearly each time¡­


    "Woman, what kind of degenerate do you take me for?" I sneer, folding my arms as I stood by my teacher''s desk.


    I glare at Hiratsuka Shizuka, the fairly tall, busty woman who is the homeroom teacher of my class, 2F. She also happens to be my self-proclaimed guidance counselor and the one responsible for me joining the Service club. She was not a member of the club just simply the advisor.


    "You tell me. I wasn''t the one carrying questionable manga inside my book bag some days ago¡­" She pointed out, smiling evilly. "¡­was I?"


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," I stated with conviction. I admit in having a couple of those, but such¡­ things¡­ were nothing but morbid curiosity on my part. Although, I still wonder why I have so much of those H-class belongings in my closet.


    I honestly fear it has something to do with Komachi. I''m not going to find out that she''s a closet pervert who enjoys trashy eroges when I get home, right? This dream isn''t going to go that far, is it? I really didn''t enjoy that series.


    "Then why are you late?" Hiratsuka-sensei pressed.


    Heh, I was ready to answer that question, though I hope she has forgotten that I''ve already used this reply, "You''re wrong, sensei. I''m not late. This is what you call executive work hours."


    "Really?"


    I blink already expecting her Megaton Fists, "Yeah, as one of the elite in society, it is only natural that I would have a different entry hour. Those lesser than me-"


    "''Lesser¡­''? Your point better be good," Her frown became a glare, her eyes piercing straight to my soul. That wasn''t a good sign, she was getting mad.


    "Y-you see, society misunderstands what tardiness truly is, taking it as something wrong. I can assure you that isn''t the case, in fact, the mere thought of such a thing is a sin. I think someone as intelligent as me would have told you this before."


    That someone is me, from some months ago. It''s obvious, considering that only two people are as smart as me. Yukinoshita, and of course¡­ me, heh¡­ Oh right, there''s also that Haya-something Haya-whatever guy.


    After fixing her long black hair, the woman leisurely folds her arms. As always, she wears a lab coat over a dress shirt, a loosely worn tie, and a black vest, with black pants and a brown belt completing her attire. She looks at me with a raised eyebrow.


    "I don''t believe I''ve heard something that nonsensical before, and I''m surprised you now bother to give an excuse as ridiculous as that."


    She forgot! Then I''ll proceed as planned.


    "To consider it ridiculous is in fact the problem. You see, those with higher intellect can''t simply be treated with the same rules as the rest. And so, I can''t abide by the default schedule implanted by the school."


    I honestly expected a punch, a glare and some harsh words, however, I received none of those.


    She smiles, and then giggles, "That has to be the dumbest excuse I''ve ever heard in a long time, and I can''t believe it came from you, Hikigaya. What''s with you today?"


    I hear murmurs from my classmates behind me, multiple gazes being shot at me. Curiosity sparks and fades instantly, which is fine because I don''t like the attention anyway. They never meant any good as far as I know, so being the center of attention right now was something I was uncomfortable with.


    I must be dreaming, I concluded. Since I woke up, I have seen many aspects of my daily life with changes that aren''t possible. A new shopping district that was situated in a street I knew far too well from one day to another. Train transportation still belonged to the government. There was another school in front of mine which hadn''t been there before.


    A new ''friendly,'' but nonetheless annoying neighbor. Messages from people unfamiliar to me, or from those I never expected. H-class stuff was stocked inside my closet, which I can''t recall to having bought. All those letters filled with contempt inside my locker. And this woman didn''t hit me!


    Yeah¡­ This has to be a dream. With nightmarish qualities¡­


    "Nothing really¡­" I scratch my head, "I guess..."


    "Well, go take your seat," I nod silently and walk to my desk, which was already occupied by¡­ Miura?


    "Oi, that''s my¡­"


    Her face suddenly flushes red, green eyes averting from my own as she fixated on her hair. What the hell was with that reaction?


    "H-Hikio¡­" She stammers, fidgeting under my gaze, "W-what is it¡­?"


    "You''re in my seat."


    She blinks, her eyes darting frenetically. Hold on a minute, is this really the fearsome Fire Queen? Did Hayama somehow level up his effect on her? Why on earth is she looking¡­ so defenseless? This dream of mine keeps getting weirder and weirder.


    "I am¡­?" She mutters. For some reason she isn''t raising her gaze, "Is this another one of your jokes¡­ like, the one from yesterday¡­? I¡­I don''t get why you tease me so much¡­"


    I can hear the continuous murmurs as these unexpected events unfolds. I look around, spotting Yuigahama, Hayama, Ebina, Tobe and¡­ Totsuka¡­ he looks sort of fearful. Why do I feel like everyone sees me as some sort of delinquent?


    Hold up! Don''t confuse delinquent with creep! I have never behaved violently. To be honest, even if I wanted to, I wouldn''t have been capable of it. I''m the kind of guy whose strength lies in the brain, not in the muscle. Wait, did I just insult myself right now!?


    "Hikitani-kun," Hayama buts in again. The nerve of this guy and that false hero complex of his. He''s still as meddlesome as he is irritating. "Your seat''s right there," He points at the empty seat behind his, "Don''t bother her."


    I sigh with hands in my pockets, walking towards my supposed desk. I catch some trash stuffed inside the storage part of the table. Yep, this is my desk alright. Well, at least the trashcan''s right behind me.


    While my gaze is only focused forward, I can tell many eyes were locked on my body. The tension was almost palpable.


    Finally desk-bound, I rest an elbow over the table. And at last, class begins.


    0-5


    The ringing of the bell marks the start of break.


    Lunch break¡­


    Forty minutes given to students after the first four classes of the day. Forty minutes used to have lunch, relax, study and engage in socializing. In my humble opinion, it was simply the time of the day in school to slack off. Depending on one''s interests and social reputation, every student spent this time in a different way.


    Well, I usually ate my homemade bento at my quiet hangout by the tennis courts. As of now though, I was peacefully enjoying my solitude while putting my belongings back into my bag. I didn''t bring a bento today, so this sweet roll filled with red bean paste will have to suffice. Nutritious? No. Filling? Totally.


    Some steps echo in the somewhat empty class, with very few students around.


    "Yuigah-" I look at my left, and I was greeted by a person I didn''t expect. Why do I keep forgetting that Yuigahama is acting weird around me today? I have to admit I sort of got accustomed to her presence. "Uh, Miura¡­-san?"


    Miura bites her lip, "-san?" Her gaze wavers, cheeks somewhat red, "You''re so mean¡­"


    The faint accent of a poppy fragrance reaches my nostrils as I gaze at her frowning expression. I just can''t grasp what could have happened for her to act like this with me, to speak and look at me the way she is. It was as if she was expecting something, and that''s pretty messed up if you ask me.


    People don''t tend to expect anything of me, and while both Isshiki and Yuigahama sort of did sometimes, that might no longer be the case if Yuigahama keeps acting differently. Now Miura seems hopeful about something¡­ Wait, maybe she wants me to help her get Hayama''s attention.


    That should be it, right? I have no recollection of having accepted that kind of request though.


    "I''m not being mean¡­ if anything, I''m being polite," I retort, deliberately averting my gaze from Miura. "Also, I can only take requests in the clubroom after school."


    Silence came, she was still standing at the side of my desk.


    "What are you talking about?" She asked, and I finally looked at her. She yelped slightly, averting her eyes, "I-I me-mean¡­"


    "The Service Club, obviously." I confirm, tapping my foot in impatience.


    Her frown deepened, "You always leave early so I assumed that you didn''t have a club. Besides, aren''t the only members of the Service Club, Yukinoshita, Yui and Hayato?"


    My eyes widen at the revelation, my calm demeanor shattered into pieces at this revelation.


    "Hayama? In the Service Club?" I couldn''t believe it, for more than obvious reasons. This was a dream so anything was possible, though it''s getting too long, and more unpleasant as it drags on.


    "H-Hikio¡­" She stutters, eyes unfocused, "I-is something wrong? You seem, like, sort of lost¡­ I heard you tried to talk to Yui¡­ Can you??? can you tell me why?"


    "Nothing''s wrong," I mutter, "I was just asking her about homework. Even if we¡­ don''t talk, she''s still a classmate. Actually, why do you care? What I do is my business. It''s not like we''re friends or anything."


    Because I may believe we are, and then deception would come once reality hits me in the face. People shouldn''t be unconditionally kind to others, as it always creates misunderstandings and uncomfortable moments for the parties involved. I don''t mind if no one was nice to me, I''ve long since stopped caring about that sort of thing. At least this way I wouldn''t hope, and I wouldn''t be hurt. A clean win in my opinion.


    My doubt now was: Why was Miura Yumiko acting nice towards me when she was never a nice girl? With the exception of Hayama being present of course.


    "Y''know¡­ I¡­ I hate the fact that I''m like this now, having to put up with that rotten personality of yours¡­" I had to blink, my mouth agape as the Fire Queen in front of me was nothing more than a fragile girl, with tears in her eyes, "I¡­ I¡­ never did anything for you to hate me."


    I''ve never been comfortable with a crying girl in front of me. Typically, I appreciated a strong-willed girl finally showing her weaknesses she''s hidden as in the cases of Isshiki and Yukinoshita. But seeing Miura like this reminded me of Yuigahama, who would cry because she was hurt, and like then, I felt a severe amount of guilt and found myself helpless to do anything.


    My mind frantically wanders to any interaction I can recall having with her that could have possibly lead to situation.


    "I''m¡­ not that sure¡­" I scratched my cheek. I can''t really say that she did anything against me, nor I her for that matter. Despite that, I could always tell Miura didn''t see me in a good light whenever we were in each others'' presence.


    "I didn''t!" She insisted, "I just want us to be friends, like, to hang out and do stuff together, y''know? Unlike everyone else, I don''t hate you. Why can''t you understand that, Hikio?"


    "''Friends''? With you?" I repeat, disbelieving. I look at both my sides, "Look, I think you''ve got the wrong idea here. We don''t like each other remember?"


    Her hands becomes fists, she was biting her lower lip.


    "Why won''t you stop treating me like an idiot!?" She spat, finally the traits I knew appearing. "Despite the fact that you''re a creep, I-"


    I sigh. I can tell where she''s going with this.


    "Look, it doesn''t matter. Spare me the pity and drop it. Go back to your group of friends, I''m not interested."


    Without another word, I stand up and leave the classroom, not sparing her a glance. I wasn''t about to stand there and endure the insults of a girl who forces her will on others, then becomes obnoxious and irrational should she find opposition to her ideals.


    Hayama was the one who took it upon himself to reel Muira in, it might be in the worst way possible, but it''s not my place to object. Though I wonder, why wasn''t he around with his clique? It was odd to see the herd without its shepherd. Heh¡­ Herd. Nice one Hachiman.


    "His smile''s really scary¡­"


    "He must be planning something again¡­"


    "Get away from that creep¡­"


    I notice boys and girls alike talking behind my back as I make my way towards the Service Club, but as per usual, they are flawlessly ignored by me. Ignoring others is another one of my 108 Hachiman Skills after all. Though, this level of attention was surprising, even my situation after the Cultural Festival wasn''t this overt. Everyone would joke amongst themselves about me, but they weren''t as vocal about it, or scared for that matter. Well, it doesn''t really matter right now anyway.


    My mind was more interested in what Miura had said, and I needed confirmation about the fact that Hayama joined my club. Knowing what I know about the past he shared with Yukinoshita, I can''t rule out the possibility of it happening. And¡­ I don''t like him being involved in her request. I don''t know why, but I just don''t.


    Turning on a corner, I bump with another face that was familiar to me. Brown, shoulder-length bobbed hair, and eyes, as honey in hue as I can recall. The girl wore the Sobu High uniform with a pink cardigan under the blazer.


    Isshiki Iroha¡­ my underclassman and the ''second most rotten person in the world'' I personally refer to her as.


    While I expected her trademark phrase: ''Senpai!'' I was greeted in a way that further elevated my confusion about everything going on today. She glared daggers at me, her previous smile evaporating. Had I not been so confused, surely I would have been intimidated to see such a hostile expression come from Isshiki.


    "Isshik-"


    "Leave me alone!" She cut me off and growled, "I told you to never speak to me again!"


    I take a step back, shocked at her venomous reaction. Before I could even open my mouth, she walks past me, looking disgusted for even talking to me. She clearly hates me for whatever reason, and I''m seriously getting sick of this treatment already. I haven''t done anything as far as I recall.


    Great, a friendly reminder of my past¡­


    I proceed towards my destination, within the special building in the school. I''ll have to look into these matters later, if I don''t wake up from this dream-turned-nightmare first.


    0-6


    Finally, here I am¡­


    I stood just in front of the door of the Service Club.


    According to the paperwork, this was a volunteer organization that provided help to every student within Sobu High. It was funny to think I was forced to join it as punishment for my essay. I can''t say I regret it, actually. I seriously consider this club as a part of me now. It has become important to me. They have become important to me.


    Many things have happened since I became one of its members.


    I look at the door plate, where some stickers were stuck right under the classroom number¡­ I could''ve sworn there were more on it as Yuigahama took it upon herself to add one for each request we solved. While I know this is still a dream, I mentally prepared myself just in case.


    I grab the door handle, yet before I could open the sliding door, I hear some voices. I blink, taking in a deep breath before finally swinging it to the side.


    "See!? I told you we''d have a new request tod-" The voice of Yuigahama suddenly comes to a stop as I enter the room. "Eh¡­ it''s¡­"


    Silence follows. I observe the room. Just as I presumed it to be a store room of sorts the first day I came here, chairs, boxes and tables were piled up in cluttered stacks along the edges of the room. There was a tea kettle, a drinking water heater, snack packs, food cover, straws and tea leaves over a student table. It was a familiar room yet foreign at the same time.


    I instantly noticed that by the ''guest'' plastic cups, there were three porcelain cups that stood alongside each other. They obviously belonged to each member of the club. The plain, yet high class tea cup was for Yukinoshita, the long one with a dog image from Yuigahama and the third one was¡­ different¡­


    Instead of the cup with a Pan-san image that had recently been given to me, there was a short, yet wide blue cup. I have a faint idea of who might be the owner as dread welled up within me. I wanted to look away yet I couldn''t stop staring at the cup that shouldn''t be there. I don''t like that he has one on that table.


    Now¡­ how is it that I told myself that I would be prepared, yet now I can''t say a single word?


    "Hikitani-kun," Hayama stands up from his seat at the middle of the table and hastily approaches me, gaining my attention. "What are you doing here? Have you come to make a request? If not, then please leave."


    I narrow my gaze, ignoring him as I walked past him, yet I feel his hand clamp down on my shoulder tightly. I roughly pull myself out of his grip and looked forward, at the two pairs of eyes currently focused on me.


    One was of course Yuigahama''s, who looked hesitant, most likely at the possible outcome of this meeting. At her side, holding a book, was none other than¡­


    Yukinoshita Yukino.


    Waist-length black hair tied with two red ribbons by each shoulder, angular blue eyes, fair skin and¡­ a flat chest. Yeah, definitely Yukinoshita. Just as Yuigahama, she wore the school uniform for girls with her additional knee high stockings. Even I could see that she was beautiful, well, if I was to remove her cold and overall unpleasant personality.


    Right now, those cold, devious eyes observed me with contempt. A far cry from the beautiful smile she showed yesterday evening when assuring us about her request.


    "Well if it isn''t Hikihorrible-kun¡­" She began. Heh, she seems to be the similar to the one I''m used to so far, but I can''t afford to relax yet, "Could it be that the most hated student in Sobu requires our assistance?"


    Now, I have to think what I''m going to say first. She was treating me as if I were a patron, which confirms that I''m no longer considered a member of this club for some reason. I suspect this dream of mine will last much longer, so I''ll have to keep dealing with it until I wake up.


    Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Prologue Section: Song 02


    "Sure, I guess I have a request¡­" I responded lazily, with my hands inside my pants pockets. "Even if I''m hated, I''m still part of the alumni of Sobu, so I can request help, right?"


    Yukinoshita smiles coldly, Yuigahama looking at her uneasily, "Of course you can, though I will make it clear that we will refuse the request if it brings harm in any way to the other students. Don''t hesitate to leave if this troubles you."


    Hoh¡­ Already inviting me to leave without even hearing my request? I honestly have none, but I have to investigate what is going on. Just follow the waves, they say.


    "Would it harm the students if I said that I don''t want to be hated anymore?"


    Hayama, already seated at Yuigahama''s side, frowns. You got something to say?


    "How can you ever hope for that after all you''ve done?" He scrutinizes me harshly, but I just smirk, making him narrow his gaze.


    "Whatever. The past is the past, and those that dwell on it fail to advance," Was my response. Which not only made him angry, but Yuigahama now glared at me as well. I feign indifference when in fact I do not like being subjected to it. "I''m definitely sure this request isn''t going to hurt anything, not even a fly."


    Yukinoshita tilts her head cooly, "I wouldn''t be so sure, Hikiunpleasant-kun. Every student despises you as far as I know, and trying to convince them to like you would be too cruel on our part. Who knows what you would do to them? Perhaps you have a plan to destroy the reputation of Sobu, and you want to gain the trust of the student body to pull off your scheme."


    Since when did I become a clich¨¦ super villain? Even if I was one, I wouldn''t waste my time doing something like that. Making Chiba be seen as a great city would be better. Wait¡­ that doesn''t even sound villainous. And Chiba''s already great in the first place.


    "Hoh¡­ so you''re basically saying that there''s something fishy under my sleeve?" I inquire mockingly, knowing well which buttons to push, "The way I see it, it just seems that this club can''t complete my request."


    Her brow twitches as expected, and I c.o.c.k an eyebrow in victory. Looks like she''s still as competitive as I remember.


    "I''m afraid that¡­" Her voice fades as she exchanges glances with both Yuigahama and Hayama. "We won''t accept your request after all. I admit it would be hard to accomplish, but nothing beyond impossible. However, helping you would only cause discomfort among the students. And I cannot, in good conscience, allow that."


    "I see¡­" I look at her blankly. So that''s it then?


    "Would that be all?"


    I nod my head, turning around. There was no need to say anything else, it was clear they never meant to help me, even if I truly requested it. I can''t tell why I''m having such a dream, but I won''t question it. I won''t question them. In any case, I got as much information as I could here.


    "Do take care that the door does not hit you on your way out," Yukinoshita adds, her gaze directed at her book. Hoh¡­? It''s a sliding door, you know? You disappoint me Ice Queen, your tongue is usually sharper than that.


    I smirk darkly, "They say there is a certain sort of hope that an loner can receive only by having company over.


    Yukinoshita frowns slightly, "Oh, and that is...?"


    "The hope that they will soon leave," I turn towards the door, "Thanks for your time."


    "I''m sorry we couldn''t help you," The irritating blonde says insincerely.


    I don''t need you to say it, bastard! I would have never asked you for help in the first place. I only meant it for Yuigahama and Yukinoshita. The social butterfly of the group was strangely silent now that I think about it.


    I walk out of the room and close it. I hear Yuigahama saying something but I can''t make out her words as she''s most likely whispering them. It''s probably something about feeling relieved now that I was gone. Feels sort of bad honestly, having all my acquaintances giving me their back.


    I release a heavy breath and begin to walk away.


    I just hope this stupid dreams ends soon.


    0-7


    Oh, my shoes were stuffed with natto. Great, now they stink like hell.


    It was 4:12 pm, classes had just ended. I was right in front of my locker by the lobby of the school, cursing whoever pulled this prank to me. Damn it, I need to wash them or else my bag will stink too. I''ll have to use my school shoes to get back.


    I head towards the nearest bathroom, but on my way there, I run into Hiratsuka-sensei. She seems sort of worried. If it isn''t about her age or the fact she''s still single, then I have no idea what else it can be. I decide to approach her to ask her a couple of questions.


    "Yo." I wave my hand to her, and she blinks in shock.


    "What is this? There''s something really wrong with you today. You''ve never spoken a word to me before, and now it''s been twice today," With a hand on her hip, she continues. "Anyhow, what is it?"


    I won''t even question what she just said, it''s the dream''s fault.


    "Sensei, why does everyone seem to hate me?" I inquire. As my homeroom teacher and advisor, she must be aware of the reasons behind the hatred I''m receiving in this dream?? I hope.


    Hiratsuka-sensei seems surprised at first, then she frowns visibly as she prepares her answer. However, instead of a reply, I found myself before an inquiry.


    "Are you kidding?" I c.o.c.k an eyebrow at her tone, "You more than anyone else know what happened in the cultural festival a couple of days ago."


    Wait, what?


    I narrow my gaze, " ''A couple of days ago''? The festival ended months ago, woman. I think your senility is starting to show. You''d better-"


    A dark, oppressive aura suddenly invades the hallway. Drops of sweat trail down my forehead as I gaze at the cause of this phenomenon. Oh man, I did it¡­


    "Hikigaya¡­" Her icy voice sears my body, her hand extending towards my face.


    I flinch, trying to step back as her hand finally fell on my shoulder. To my surprise, I didn''t receive a hit or anything like that. It was then that I noticed her fond expression.


    "Those dead fish eyes look better on you," She smiled honestly, "I have this feeling¡­ that I''m talking to someone totally different. I prefer it."


    "¡­is that right?" I snort. My fish eyes garnered an honest compliment? This truly is a dream.


    However, what I feared occurred. Her grip on my shoulder tightened, her eyes assuming a deadly glint, "But¡­ I won''t allow you to joke about my age again¡­ am I clear?"


    "¡­!" I nod frantically. This woman''s still as terrifying as I remember at least.


    She seems satisfied with my quick reply, and turns around, "We''ll talk later, Hikigaya."


    And with that she left, leaving me more confused than ever. At least answer my question before leaving dammit! All I could do was massage my aching shoulder and head to the bathroom to clean my shoes.


    I better not have a bruise on my abused shoulder when I wake up.


    0-8


    After spending 6 minutes washing my shoes, I put them in the plastic bag of the long gone anpan. You''ve fulfilled your role of filling the empty stomach of a good-looking loner such as myself. I will always remember you, anpan!


    I wouldn''t want to get my book bag all wet for putting my shoes in there, so that''s a plus to the awesomeness of the anpan. It even lent me its cover. Thank you, anpan!


    Anyhow, I prepare to leave the bathroom when I notice something strange before me.


    It was the mirror.


    I look at it, blinking, yet I don''t see the response I was expecting to see in it. If I recall correctly, mirrors reflect light in a way that, for incident light in some range of wavelengths, the reflected light preserves many or most of the detailed physical characteristics of the original light¡­ or something like that. I''m actually surprised I recalled that much, sciences have never been my strongest subject.


    However, while the mirror reflected the bathroom with utmost detail, there was something within it ignoring the optical effect.


    That anomaly was my own reflection. I call it that, but it was more like a shadow instead. Still, with it placed in the mirror I decide to refer to it as a reflection.


    My reflection in the mirror was staring at me like I was probably doing, but while I carried my school bag and the plastic one filled with my wet shoes, it simply had both hands inside its pockets. That couldn''t be right. I couldn''t see either of the items I carried within my reflection. Hell, I didn''t see anything except for two dimensional shapes of eyes and a mouth.


    And putting that side, I could swear I was sporting a confused expression considering what I was witnessing. However, my reflection looked at me with what I would call, an evil smirk. I have only seen those in anime and one on me as I role played my character during my chuunibyou period. I cringe at the reminder of the phase I went through. The past is the past Hachiman! You''re better now compared to your past self! Wait. Focus, focus.


    I leave both bags over the sink, and walk from one side to the other, all while gazing at the large mirror, and yet, my own reflection didn''t move at all, only kept that strange expression plastered on his face, my face¡­ I can''t tell.


    Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Prologue Section: Song 03


    [I bet you already figured it by now, so stop acting dumb. It''s a pain to see myself hold that ridiculous expression.]


    I stopped abruptly, mouth agape and eyes blinking. My reflection had spoken on its own, without me moving my mouth at all. How could I could hear myself if I hadn''t even spoken? I narrow my gaze and touch the mirror, trying to feel if the glass was a fake. This had to be a joke, as tasteless as it was.


    [Stop that. It''s disgusting to see myself trying to touch me¡­ us, I mean¡­ me.]


    I take a step back, realizing that I''ve had enough. It was time to wake up from this shitty dream. And there was one sure way, that''s been said to be effective in doing so.


    Clenching a fist, I punch the mirror, right in the face of my strange reflection. I can feel my wrist twist in pain due to the force behind it, the glass cracking, if only slightly. I cry out in pain, quickly pulling back my hand as I massage my aching wrist. Blood trailed from my knuckles with tiny pieces of glass stuck to it.


    [That wasn''t a good idea, moron¡­]


    Shit, that hurt like hell¡­ Wasn''t that supposed to wake me up?


    "Why am I¡­?" I mutter in disbelief, opening the sink to remove the particles of glass in my hand. Water and blood become one for several seconds until I turn off the faucet. With a piece of paper, I cover my hand, blood in minimal quantity staining it.


    [That''s what you thought? That you were dreaming? Are you really me? That Monster of Logic Haruno used to call me?]


    I ignore the way that my reflection familiarly refers to Yukinoshita''s sister, and grit my teeth.


    "If this is not a dream¡­ then what is it?" I stand straight, still holding my aching wrist, "What are you supposed to be? A doppelganger?"


    My reflection makes an amused expression, pocketing out a hand and pointing his index at me.


    [Well, I''m you of course, the real you.] The doppelganger responds, [I''m here to greet you in your new life.]


    "¡­''My new life,'' huh? ¡­You see, I''m fairly positive about this whole thing being a dream," I stare blankly back at him, "Why should I believe any of this? Just because you say so? A dream is normally a recollection of various events, which are stored in the consciousness of the human being. This is most likely that," I release a breath, closing my eyes. "Whoever you are, I can tell you''re lying, because¡­ I''m the biggest liar, and if you''re anything like me, then you''re probably trying to deceive me."


    [I won''t argue with you, because that''s exactly what I''d have thought in your place. Anyhow, all I want to do is let you know that as your TRUE self, I''ll watch you. No matter what you do, where you go, let me assure you that I will always be here to remind you what kind of piece of shit you truly are. Your new life will be hell on earth, bastard. As your inner and true you, that I can promise.]


    I continue to stare at him, before I scratch my head with a smile on my face, "Talking a lot of garbage that doesn''t make any sense. You sound like Zaimokuza, you creep." That earned me a glare, courtesy of my ''evil counterpart'', "Whether you''re my conscience, or if this thing turns out to be a dream or not, I won''t let it bother me. I''ve experienced enough things in my life to let some wannabe doppelganger interfere with me now."


    Picking up my school bag and the plastic bag with one hand, my other injured hand hidden inside my pants'' pocket so as to not attract attention, I walk towards the door.


    [Time will tell, ''Hachiman.'' Just you wait.]


    "Find a seat then pal, because you''re going to be waiting there for a while." I raise my hand in farewell as I fully turn my back on him.


    0-8


    It was now 4:57 pm.


    As in the morning, many students from many unknown schools walked down the street. That wasn''t my concern though as I had a much greater worry. I refused to believe this was not a dream, but it was lasting too long, and the pain in my wrist felt too damn real.


    Did the guy in the mirror tell the truth?


    Then what happened to my previous life?


    What''s with this new life my doppelganger mentioned?


    According to the date on my phone, the sports festival just ended two days ago, and the trip to Kyoto was a few weeks away, which meant that I''ve somehow traveled to the past. It was impossible.


    Who was that guy anyway? He looked like me, though his eyes didn''t seem to be like mine. I could clearly hear the sharpness in his tone, and even the hatred he displayed towards me. However, he was supposed to be my reflection in the mirror, not an identical ''me'' that wanted to screw with my life. How could I explain that?


    It was obvious actually. There was no actual explanation.


    Either way, I guess I''ll get back home for today. Maybe if I sleep, I''ll wake up with everything back to normal? Weird logic, but considering everything that''s happened so far, anything is possible.


    And so as I''m walking back to my home sweet home, I hear some shouts in the distance. Turning around, I spot the annoying pest from the morning, Yuuki Rito, straining to catch up to me. What the hell does he want?


    "Hey Hachiman, why''d you ditch me!?"


    I stare silently before proceeding to walk forward. It wasn''t like I knew him, or even cared enough to bother waiting for him to walk together. He was just some unknown idiot after all. And after this morning''s events, a pervert too.


    I could hear his steps quickening as he finally reached my side. I heave a sigh, glancing at Yuuki as if I just noticed him. I had treated him poorly the entire morning, and despite that, he didn''t seem at all bothered.


    Did he also suffer from the Hayama Hayato syndrome? Wanting to please everyone to keep a status quo? Great¡­ Like I needed something like that around me outside of school too.


    The possibility of giving this guy a chance wasn''t a tempting choice. He was friendly, but his entire personality rubbed me the wrong way. Plus that friendly act of his could be just that, an act. Though I have to admit, he was among the few people who hadn''t treated me like I was the Demon King himself. That girl called Haruna and Hiratsuka-sensei too, but I had no idea who the former was. Maybe Miura, though after that lunch break she may no longer be an option. I''ll have to do something about that if this winds up being real.


    "So, how was your day?"


    "¡­Why?" Seriously, what''s with that familiarity?


    Yuuki makes a humming sound as if expecting that sort of reaction from me, "Can''t I ask?"


    I don''t reply, which doesn''t seem to offend him. I really don''t like this, and I bet no one else would either. What kind of person would enjoy interacting with some stranger that already knows your mannerisms?


    After several minutes, having already passed the street where that Yukihira Restaurant was located and full of people now from what I could see, we both came to a stop. The reason was nothing more and nothing less than the presence of a large bear. Seriously!? What on earth is a bear doing here? We''re in Chiba dammit! Go back north to where you belong!


    It was too late to move, as the bear was dangerously close. Wait, if I remember correctly, they say bears attack those that show fear or something like that. They can smell it I think¡­ and the time has arrived it seems to prove if that theory is true.


    The bear stood on its feet, its large stature shadowing the last rays of light from the sunset. I gulped but managed to retain my composure, however, what I hadn''t taken into account was Yuuki''s reaction. That idiot was shaking like a blender. I couldn''t blame him, but at least try not to look so scared, dumbass!


    "W-why the hell is there a bear in the middle of the street!?" Yuuki stuttered.


    Despite this absurd situation, I think it could be explained. While there was no zoo around here as far as I recall, maybe now there was one with all this new stuff popping out of nowhere around Chiba district. Maybe the ferocious animal had escaped from captivity and was roaming the streets.


    I didn''t feel like explaining any of this though.


    "Just don''t move" I advise him, though if he gets mauled I may just be able to escape safely.


    The bear looked at us, before leaning its head menacingly forward. This was the end, I was about to get eaten by a bear. This must be a nightmare, and I hope to wake up in my bed with Vita-chan right next to me. Maybe it was because of video games that my dream is so chaotic, I should lay off of them. Suddenly, the sound of a zipper opening came within earshot. I understand that you might have a loose bladder, Yuuki, given this absurd situation. But if we''re about to die, at least have the courtesy to keep that evacuation in your pants! Have some shame dammit!


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    However, the front part of the bear suddenly fell limply to the ground, just before us. We look on in shock at the animal, until something far more incredible happens. Suddenly from the back half of the bear, two large b¡­ hold on, b.r.e.a.s.ts? A girl?


    "Puff!" The girl lets out a short gasp before she takes her legs out of the bear''s body¡­ "Geez¡­ It was too hot in there!"


    A costume! It was a costume! It looked abnormally real for a costume¡­


    "Hey, ya two!"


    After witnessing such an event, we both stood straight, nodding our heads at her call. She had Kansai accent from what I could tell.


    "Y-yes miss!?" / "¡­What?"


    I studied her. She wore a light blue sleeveless leather jumpsuit and shorts with a blue sports bra underneath. Purple boots with blue protectors adorned on her feet and long white gloves with blue elbow and hand protectors covered from the tips of her fingers to mid arm. Finally, around her waist was a belt with three green star emblems. We''re in public lady, at least have the decency to dress appropriately!


    Her eyes were brown, her short shoulder-length hair displaying the same color.


    "Have ya seen a group of troublemakers aroun''?" She asked, approaching us.


    I couldn''t help but notice how well-endowed she was, her chest is even bigger than Yuigahama''s¡­ But I''m not a pervert, honestly, she''s the one with the lack of decency here.


    "N-no we h-haven''t¡­" Responded a nervously blushing Yuuki Rito, while scratching his head. His eyes, however, weren''t on her face. Seriously, how shameless is this pervert? At least try to be subtle.


    She scrutinizes him before focusing on me. It makes me nervous, her gaze is quite sharp after all, much like the Fire Queen''s. The one I knew at least, not the one I''ve seen today.


    I only shook my head silently, which causes her to sigh.


    "Darn, dose punks got away again¡­ Damn it!" She starts to whine as she gazes behind her, which becomes the cue for us to leave. Looks like Yuuki caught on to my intention since he looked to semi-snap out of his staring. Quit following me.


    As we both took our first step away, her voice shot out again.


    "Hol'' up!" We stopped, turning slowly.


    With hands on her hip, the girl growled at us, "Ya''re not hidin'' them, are ya? If dey''re threatenin'' ya, I''ll give ''em what dey deserve, so just tell me."


    "We haven''t seen anyone," I reply, assuming a more relaxed posture. This is getting troublesome to deal with. "You shouldn''t waste your time with us. Whatever you''re planning to do with whoever you''re talking about, they must be somewhere else, so I suggest you ask someone else."


    She frowns, folding her arms over her chest. Now that I think about, she actually seems a troublemaker herself. I just couldn''t imagine what this girl would do if she found the guys she was looking for, clearly the gloves and protectors she used would to allow her to fight, but her¡­ assets¡­ did look like hindrances. This isn''t an anime you know? You can''t just fight with them in the way.


    "Yer face looks suspicious¡­ Kinda creepy¡­ Are ya sure ya haven''t seen ''em?"


    That was rude. You don''t call someone you just met creepy, at least wait for the second meeting, dammit. Tch, why do I get the feeling she''s doing this because of my eyes? It wouldn''t be the first time but¡­


    "No, we didn''t," I confirm, irritated.


    She approaches me, leaning her face towards mine as if to discover if I was lying. She was pretty, although her somewhat brusque expressions made her a little unattractive. She reminded me a bit of, uh¡­ Kawa-something, somewhat of a tomboy, but not that much if I took in consideration the fact that Kawa-something was a skilled tailor.


    "Really¡­?" Her gaze hardens, you''re too close! "Ya don''t sound sincere¡­ suspicious¡­"


    I just can''t help getting a bit intimidated, so I avert my gaze.


    "Why are you assuming that? I''m telling the truth," I manage to speak, backing a bit away. "If you''re going to decide by yourself that I''m lying, then I can''t do anything but assure you I''m not."


    "Yer face is suspicious."


    That repeated comment irks me a great deal and I turn back with a bit of a glare, "Well excuse me, but this is the only face I have so you''re going to have to deal with it."


    "Okay, okay. Don''t get all grumpy on me."


    Yuuki suddenly steps forward, blushing madly at her proximity, and I suspected that was because of this girl''s attractiveness. I can''t completely blame him, but I do believe he''s overreacting. It''s not that hard to speak to a girl, at least not for me anymore. For someone that has lived a life of rejection from society, I learned to not care for such trivialities. My problem is mostly, whether I should bother speaking to others in the first place. Seriously, get a grip you idiot.


    To exchange words was never something that meant getting close to another individual, in fact, most of the time these were simple formalities and pretty much the only way of communicating ideas and information between human beings. Obligatory if you ask me.


    "Ehrm¡­ Who are you?" Yuuki asks with uncertainty, while scratching his head.


    She blinks, before pointing a finger at herself, all while grinning, "Kazama Asuka! Ya two can call me Asuka, I don''t mind." Yuuki blushes and laughs awkwardly.


    "A-ahaha, w-we just met, Kazama-san. I don''t think we should refer to our elders so casually¡­" Seriously, I''ll think you''re a friend if I do that.


    "Hey, I ain''t old! I''m still seventeen, but whatever rocks yer socks," She grins again before waving a hand. "Well, laters!" She stops mid-way as she leaves, "Hold up! What''re yer names? It''s sorta disrespectful fer ya ta have heard my name without me hearin'' yers."


    "Yuuki Rito!" He bows to her frantically, "Nice to meet you¡­ Kazama-san!"


    That was too quick! Don''t you think that telling this random stranger your name will cause you headaches in the future? Yuuki, you''re going to suffer a lot in this cruel world if you are this naive with others! Just look what''s happened to me, and these rotten eyes of mine!


    She turns to me, expectant. To that, I only avert my gaze aside. I''m not the one who asked for your name you know?


    "Mm?" With hands over her hip, she glares at me¡­ probably. Well, that was at least what I could feel as I deliberately avoid facing her. "What''s yer name?"


    I don''t respond. I only hoped she would notice my clear refusal to answering her question. I should feel happy for having a girl as attractive as her asking my name and actually talking to me, but I have learned that when such events occurred, there was usually an ulterior motive behind it.


    Besides, being cautious won''t kill me, right? She was seriously wearing a bear costume and searching for ''troublemakers'', so how can I even consider just casually telling her my name?


    However¡­


    I suddenly felt like I couldn''t breathe, the reason for it was the girl called Kazama Asuka. She pulled me by my shirt with such strength that I couldn''t offer any resistance. Her grip tightened the neck of shirt so much that I felt that I was being strangled by the material.


    "I asked yer name¡­" She shakes me, her face absurdly close to mine. I can''t even get embarrassed due to the increasing suffocation, "Dat behavior is wrong, y''know? Be polite."


    I try to push her arm away but it was futile. Whoever she is, I could only call her a monster for possessing such abnormal strength. Hayama''s grip was nothing compared to this girl''s.


    "C-c-c¡­ Ca-can''t br-breathe¡­" I manage to wheeze out¡­ barely.


    "K-Kazama-san! Stop it! You''re hurting him!" Yuuki states desperately, waving his arms frenetically. At least try to pull her off of me dammit.


    She blinks as her grip loosens. I stumble back, gasping for breath. My neck feels sore and I swear I could have died should she have continued. Was a girl supposed to have this strength? Even if she looked sort of athletic, the force behind the grip of that girl was just insane!


    This had to be a dream! But the pain on my neck felt as real as the dull ache of my wrist, not to mention the minor wounds on my knuckles.


    "Hey man, you alright?" Yuuki asks, displaying concern on his face.


    Idiot¡­ how am I supposed to reply after almost being suffocated? Besides, it''s obvious that I''m not alright, dumbass.


    I feel a hand on my back, patting me slightly. I immediately jerk away from the touch. "Oh, sorry¡­ I didn''t mean ta¡­" The girl sighs, "Ya''re sort of weak, ya know? I never imagined dat pulling ya from yer shirt would shock ya." Good grief, not only did she choke me but she also gave a half-assed apology, as if it were my fault that I nearly died.


    I clear my throat, as painfully as it is for its current weakened state, "W-whatever¡­ Just leave me alone already¡­"


    I raise my glare at her, she was frowning. Alright, I know she didn''t do it on purpose from what I see of her reaction, but I don''t care. She seriously could have killed me, so as a measure of self-preservation, I concluded it was for the best to not create any sort of ties with her. Who knows where she acquired such strength. While Kazama doesn''t seem to be a bad person, she easily managed to destroy whatever possible good impression I may have had of her.


    As I massage my aching neck, and now shoulders, I walk past her, silently treading away. Some hurried steps catch up to me, which belonged to Yuuki. I briefly glance over my shoulder, noting her stare as the distance grows between us.


    "G-goodbye, Kazama-san! I''m sorry we couldn''t help you," I hear Yuuki say out loud.


    "No probs Yuuki, and I''m sorry, whoever ya are!" She shouted at me, but I feigned having not heard her and proceeded to walk away.


    I don''t need some careless girl with such monstrous strength making my life miserable¡­ More miserable than it''s been throughout the day at least. The fact that she used that bear costume was the clear proof that she was someone to stear clear from.


    After a couple of minutes of walking¡­


    "That was interesting¡­" Came a comment from Yuuki.


    I don''t bother answering the attempt at small talk. I''ve never liked something as shallow as that.


    Some seconds pass.


    "Mmm¡­ now that I think about it, what happened to your hand?"


    I glance at him blankly, "I punched a mirror," And replied honestly, though my intention was to sound sarcastic so he would think I wasn''t going to give him a straight answer.


    "Hachiman, did you get in a fight again?"


    Hmm¡­ does that mean that I''ve gotten in a fight before¡­ multiple times? I never was the type who would get physically violent, and as far as I recall, I''ve never actually fought anybody. I was only rejected and ignored, but to be hated so much as to earn physical abuse, not really.


    "No¡­ although, last time, when was it?"


    Yuuki was thoughtful for a brief moment, "Two weeks ago I think? Why ask something you already know? I mean, it was you who told me about that."


    I frown at the new information, "I forgot. I''ve been rather busy lately."


    "Ah??" He fixates his book bag across his chest, "I know you''re sort of¡­ you¡­" He sweat drops, forcing a smile. What kind of wishy-washy description of me was that? "But I think you''ve been acting weird since the morning. Weirder¡­"


    That was insulting, but I''ll ignore it, "And?"


    "Nothing I guess¡­" If you''re not going to say anything afterwards then why bring it up?


    After that, we walked in silence once again. I observed the orange sky, honestly enjoying the silence from Yuuki. Only the sound of our steps and the noise from vehicles filled the environment. Though it would be better if I wasn''t being followed by him.


    That is until¡­


    "Hey, isn''t that Yukinoshita-san?"


    I blink. She may not like me right now but I could appreciate a familiar face, so I directed my gaze to the side of the street. Only, it wasn''t the Yukinoshita I preferred to see but rather, the one I never felt like seeing at any time of the day.


    Yukinoshita Haruno-san.


    Now that I think about it, I still don''t know why I had a picture of her in my cell phone, but it matters not, her image was replaced by the default cover that came with the phone. It looks better already if I do say so myself.


    I wasn''t in the mood to deal with her teasing, so I stepped back and took the street at the left. Such evasive maneuvers were pretty much a necessity and they were very compatible with my Stealth Hikki ability. Yuuki called out to me, and if I was to guess, he would follow after me. Doesn''t he have someone else to shadow?


    As I advanced, he caught up to me, "Oi, Hachiman. Yukinoshita-san was waving at us. Why are you avoiding her?"


    "I have my fair share of reasons. I''m leaving."


    Yuuki made a sound of disapproval and sighed. I was curious as to how he knew her, but wrote it off. Whatever, I wasn''t about to let that distract me.


    And as soon as we reached the corner, the aforementioned girl suddenly appeared before us, panting and looking exhausted. Haruno-san supported herself on her knees as she caught her breath. That''s¡­ Not something I''d ever expect to see from her. Though, I honestly don''t know that much about her. She was ''drunk'' yesterday and did have the smell of previous company on her clothes.


    She seemed to be the same as always though. The elder of the Yukinoshita sisters wore triangular earrings, blue jeans with a purple shoulderless blouse all stylish and sophisticated. Over her shoulder hung a brown leather purse. Her bobbed hair, which reached her shoulders, was jet black with a purple dye on the lower section. I couldn''t see her purple angular eyes due to her head''s lowered position.


    As she finally stands straight, I can hear the soft jingling of the jewelry hooked in her earlobes. She looks at me with irritation, an expression that didn''t suit her and it was the first time I''d seen such a look on her face.


    "Hikigaya-kuuuunnnn~ Why did you try to ditch me!? That was so mean~!" She complains, her voice sounding childish. Though for some reason, it didn''t seem as fake as the previous times¡­ wait, everything is different today, so maybe she truly means to act like this? "I was so hurt to see you walk off like that, I had to run through this whole street to intercept you."


    Oh dear, that sounded too creepy and stalkerish. And coming from her, even more terrifying.


    "What do you want?" I ask sharply.


    There was something she wanted, always. Every action, every word, there was always an ulterior motive behind it, I could tell that much about her. Whether she sought to meddle in my life or her sister''s, I knew she wanted to discover something, using us as her lab rats to uncover what she meant to find. Whatever that is, I could only try to keep her as far from me as possible.


    Yukinoshita Haruno-san was never sincere, and used people to achieve her self-centered goals.


    I wouldn''t be one of her marionettes.


    She blinks, seemingly startled before smiling, "Oh, I see¡­" She glances at Yuuki before gazing back at me, "Yuuki-kun, would you mind if I steal him for a bit?"


    "Ah¡­ haha, be my guest, I guess?" He replies with a nervous smile, reddening and scratching his head.


    It''s easy to see he is being intimidated by her cold gaze, despite that she''s smiling. Not to mention that Yuuki seems to be an utter shy idiot with the opposite s.e.x, even more with someone as beautiful and well-endowed as Haruno-san. But seriously, does he have to blush with every female we''ve run into? Aren''t you supposed to like that ''Haruna'' girl?


    "This guy doesn''t have a say in what entails the use of my time," I retort, glaring at them. "And I mind. Shouldn''t you be asking me that?"


    "T-then I''ll be going¡­ Talk to you later," He waves at me despite the fact that it was never decided that he was dismissed.


    For the rest go towards the end of 0-8 on FF.net~ Can''t post the whole chapter as it''s past the word count limit!

 Chapter 303 - My SI Stash #3 - On a Steel Horse I ride by Nightmare723764 (Worm)

    -What the frick did I just bring upon this cursed stash/ Dead memes aside, this is apparently author''s reboot of his fic "Blackjack does the Worm" which I''ve of course already recommended. I just wanted to put up an update, and show that the story''s still alive on an another threadmark! Goto Page 6 for the rebooted version of the story~


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 24K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/on-a-steel-horse-i-ride.11711/page-6#post-3291573 (Nightmare723764)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    >>?


    Waking up to streams of data flashing before your eyes is pretty jarring, it''s even more so when you realize you can actually understand all the gibberish symbols and binary. Then comes a side image of a horse with various areas flashing red and a [Nanoforge] severely damaged and [Bio-Core Energy Output -25%] screaming at me.


    Oddly enough my s.e.x.u.a.l organs and reproductive system were operating 15% over peak efficiency¡­


    "Okay. Let me see¡­ I''ve got a Terminator-esque splash screen flashing across my eyes with diagnostics, steady streams of data, and logistics. I''m possibly not in my original body judging from the image of a horse¡­ did I get isekai''d or am I having a f.u.c.k.i.e.d up dream?"


    Getting up on shaky hooves I looked around, somehow I felt like I should be freaked out but couldn''t exactly go there¡­ perhaps it''s something related to my new mechanical, I paused and looked at a clearly fleshy leg, possibly biomechanical nature?


    [Emotional Output: 25%]


    Huh, well that answers that. Well time to get out of the alley and find out where the f.u.c.k I am! Trotting forward I stopped briefly and looked at a homeless bum.


    A homeless bum¡­ who had no business of being that pretty¡­ or that good of health¡­ or¡­ huh?


    "I am definitely not home. While I''m sure homeless people have s.e.x¡­ I wouldn''t think they would be so¡­ vigorous about it." I thought as the "homeless bum" m.o.a.ned as her¡­ partner gave her what my scans indicated was a rather hefty creampie.


    The "bum" just m.o.a.ned as the guy pulled out, used her hair to clean himself off, tucked his rather¡­ mediocre c.o.c.k away, and left without so much as looking at the woman. The f.u.c.k did I just watch and¡­


    [Erection 100%][Balls Capacity: 145%][Estimated Chance of Breed: -100%]


    "Wait. What? Breeding chance!?"


    I ignored the well-f.u.c.k.i.e.d woman and trotted past her, ignoring my erection that slapped my¡­ barrel as I trotted by.


    [Unit Serial Designation: 5TA77I0N][Codename: STUD][Purpose Intended: Restoring Gender Balance]


    Stepping out of the alley I looked around, okay this city has clearly seen better days. Ignoring the muttering of random people I went over to the nearest newsstand scanning the papers before my eyes landed on one.


    "The Brockton Bay Herald¡­ why does that sound so familiar?"


    [Technopathy Activated][Interfacing¡­][Scanning the World Wide Web¡­][Downloading Relevant Information...]


    My head heated up as the data was instantly reviewed, sorted, and catalogued. And I now remembered why the name sounded so familiar. I was in god-be-damned Worm! A grimdark (or derp depending on who you ask) Superhero deconstruction where Taylor Hebert is Suffering, and Taylor Herbert has a severe problem with Escalation and needs an intervention.


    I''m not entirely sure when I fell onto my flanks and just stared off into nothing, utterly lost in my mind. Processing data, creating and discarding plans so quickly it would normally leave me flabbergasted.


    "Um¡­ you okay?"


    I blinked owlishly and looked to whoever spoke (my Emotional Output must''ve reverted to normal while I was lost in thought) and¡­ that''s Taylor Hebert. In canon she describes herself as an upright frog with a too wide mouth and the only good thing about her is her hair. And I can firmly say that she is an unreliable narrator and the Terrible Trio should be jailed for so thoroughly destroying Taylor''s self-confidence!


    "Uh¡­ yeah. Just lost in thought." I answered before tilting my head, "Are you okay? You look like you''ve had a¡­ rough day¡­"


    For one thing her clothing looked very¡­ crusty. And she smelt pretty fishy¡­ and given just how s.e.x.u.a.l this world seemed (ala massive download)¡­ I think I know what happened. What I''m wondering is if the Terrible Trio posed so some jocks could jack it and c.u.m all over her clothes.


    And¡­ you know that boner? Well it went away earlier but now it made a roaring comeback. And well¡­ while the image helped I honestly think Taylor helped the most.


    ¡­ Though I hope the fact that a giant warhorse bopping a boner almost as big as her and twice as thick as her forearm didn''t scare her off.


    "Wow¡­" Well that answered that question.


    "Er¡­ sorry about that. Anyway the name''s¡­ Steel." I said with what I hoped was an apologetic smile.


    [New Designation: Steel][Designation Logged]


    Not now goddamnit!


    "Um¡­ it''s okay." Taylor said awkwardly.


    "So¡­ you know any good¡­ nevermind." I sighed.


    "What?" Taylor asked.


    "I was going to ask if you knew any good out of the way places I could stay." I said, "But then a map suddenly downloaded and got me the address."


    "How''s that work?" Taylor asked.


    "I''m an artificial intelligence in a biomechanical horse." I said dryly.


    "Oh." Taylor just tilted her head, "... Can I come with you?"


    Taylor say wah?


    The map indicated it was well out of the way but damn¡­ I''m on the outskirts. Taylor rode on my back the entire way and I was acutely aware that she was going commando as well. So my erection hadn''t flagged in the slightest the entire way.


    We entered the abandoned¡­ I think it was originally meant to be a barn. And I didn''t appreciate the irony of my future base being a damn barn. It was¡­ surprisingly clean, I mean it''s definitely a fixer upper but it''d take some effort. Now I just need some help¡­


    [Retrieving Auto-Doc Androids from Dimensional Storage Deck (DSK)][Suggestion: Use Technopath to Adjust Androids Programming]


    Taylor jumped slightly when the two Androids, both of which were stupidly s.e.xy, materialized and without a second thought I used Technopathy to make the required alterations to their programming and activated them.


    They scanned their surroundings before they went to work with¡­ cleaning tools I have no idea where they got them¡­


    [Nanoforge is Capable of Constructing Basic Items]


    I swear I think my CPU or whatever I have rolled its eyes at me.


    "So¡­" Taylor said.


    "So¡­" I mimicked getting a faint smile from the depressed girl.


    "... Do you want¡­ to have s.e.x?" She asked awkwardly.


    I blink and winced internally.


    [Phallic Muscle Damage][Recommendation: Ejaculate][Optimally Multiple Times]


    "Err¡­ you''ve just met me and well¡­ I''m a horse." I said awkwardly, sadly my raging boner showed my interest.


    "... Not like I could get a boy interested why not f.u.c.k an animal¡­" Oh god the depression pouring off his girl, "I figured a talking horse would be better then a random mutt off the street¡­"


    There was absolutely no way to turn Taylor down and not utterly destroy what little self-esteem she has in herself. And as much as I tried to figure out how to even make it work¡­ I decided to at least make her first time memorable.


    ¡­ Which it would already be really. What with a giant warhorse and all.


    "Sure." I said making the depression melt away, "Just let me find¡­ ah! That''ll work!


    A conventionally placed hay bale with a dusty cover on it, with a thought on of the Androids came over and picked the cover up before she beat the dust off the cover before covering the hay bale back up and resuming her work. I went over to it and gestured for Taylor to hop off.


    "Okay just undress and lay down." I said, "Sorry this couldn''t be more¡­ special but well¡­" I just trailed off awkwardly.


    "It''s okay." Taylor said, "I''m just glad to be able to lose my v.i.r.g.i.nity." She added as she stripped.


    And as soon as I saw that pert perfect ass my horsec.o.c.k slapped my barrel, I got another warning about Phallic Muscle Damage, and I think I came a little. And "a little" for a horse would be like¡­ a huge load for a guy that had been saving up for a couple of days (more like a month or two given the amount of muck I ''spat''). And well...


    "Take it as a compliment." I said, "Taylor¡­ your ass and legs could be considered Weapons of Mass Destraction. God if you were a professional dancer I imagine you''d have any man watch nutting themselves senseless and women either jealous or frothing in desire."


    Taylor blushed brightly before she touched the thick musky splooge that painted her ass¡­ and most of her lower back honestly. Getting a finger full of it she brought it up to her face and sniffed it.


    "Pretty musky¡­" She murmured before she licked it and I nearly nutted again, "But¡­ I could get used to it¡­" She added as she scooped a handful off and¡­ oh god¡­


    "Lay down Tay." I said, "I might not be able to hold you or anything but well¡­" I just stuck out my long and broad tongue out wiggling it in the air.


    That aroused squeak was adorable and the fact that she shyly laid down made me even harder. I nickered and nuzzled her face, the closest to a kiss I could manage most likely, and licked her lips.


    She opened her mouth and licked my tongue back. No actually this is probably the closest to kissing we could manage. After I got my fill of swapping spit, with her more so on the receiving end, I moved down to her chest.


    While they weren''t melons they were still lovely apples that needed to be polished and loved on. Opening my mouth, though being mindful of my teeth, I took her left b.r.e.a.s.t into my mouth and sucked on it and tweaked her n.i.p.p.l.e with my surprisingly dexterous tongue.


    "Oh Scion!" Taylor gasped, one hand playing with her other b.r.e.a.s.t and the other threaded through my mane.


    My ears flicked and after a few more loving sucks I started to move lower, stopping at her belly to kiss and lick it, especially her belly button making her giggle which cause my tail to wag slightly. Then I resumed my trek downwards until I found myself eye-to-eye with Taylor''s most prized (next to her hair obviously) treasure.


    It was adorable, neatly trimmed (surprisingly actually¡­ I was expecting a bush in all honesty) and her p.u.s.s.y itself was an innie which made it even better in my opinion. However well¡­ seeing the too small entrance and my too large invader sort of made this awkward.


    [Physical Incompatibility Detected][Calculating Solutions¡­][Solution Found¡­ Hentai Physics Activated][Physical Compatibility 5%, 15%, 25%, 50%, 100%][Physical Compatibility Achieved][Resume Mating Protocols]


    Well¡­ thanks CPU!


    My tongue lolled out and I took a nice deep lick of Taylor, treating her p.u.s.s.y like a jello dessert cup. The sheer thickness of my tongue made Taylor explode into a screaming orgasm and I drank up her juices like it was manna from heaven! She tasted surprisingly sweet with a hint of sour that I found surprisingly pleasant, and I wanted more of it!


    After a few (three actually) more screaming orgasms I rose my head and let Taylor lay there panting. I watched her painfully stiff n.i.p.p.l.es and I wanted nothing more than to suck on them again but¡­ I suppose it''s time for the main event after all.


    "L-Let me¡­ catch my breath¡­" Taylor panted, "And.. I-I''ll return the favor¡­"


    "Not this time." I said giving her another horsy kiss, "This is about making your first time special. So you let me do all the work. Besided, why would I want oral when the main event is next?"


    I moved forward until I was standing over her, my horsec.o.c.k now resting on her entire chest and torso and I easily heard her whimper. Finally realizing what she was asking for.


    "Don''t worry Tay." I said soothingly, "I won''t hurt you. And to be honest¡­ my powers are utter bullshit."


    Taylor just giggled as one of the Androids came over and helped Taylor get ready. Lifting Taylor up while I repositioned and lined up, the Android guided my horsec.o.c.k until my dessert plate-sized flared head was resting against Taylors terrifyingly undersized p.u.s.s.y.


    "Bullshit powers or not¡­ this is going to be a tight fit¡­" I muttered as I nickered and nuzzled Taylor''s face.


    "Okay. Okay I can do this." Taylor said before taking a deep breath and forcing herself to calm down.


    [Interdimensional Anomaly Detected][Abnormal Insect Activity Detected][Scanning¡­]


    "Taylor already Triggered? Damn¡­ I was kinda hoping I was early enough to change things¡­" I thought as I bucked forward.


    It took a couple of tries, three times my horsec.o.c.k just slid up and brushed Taylor''s face giving her a musky glazing, and one popped into her ass but I quickly pulled out at her pained gasp. But as they say¡­ seventh time is the charm! And with an audible ''pop'' I entered her now formerly v.i.r.g.i.nal p.u.s.s.y.


    And my god¡­ she was unbearably, insanely tight! It was like I stuck my d.i.c.k into a pneumatic press lined with velvet! I heard Taylor gasping as I worked more and more into her, Hentai Physics ensuring the impossible insertion and future inflation wouldn''t hurt her in the slightest. One of the Androids massaged Taylor''s b.r.e.a.s.ts to help her relax while the other one tended to my painfully bloated nuts.


    Taylor hung onto my forelegs as I slowly bucked into her.


    When my medial ring popped in Taylor clamped down and orgasmed with a strangled shriek. And I stopped moving so I didn''t bust my nut right then and there.


    "This is going to take a while¡­"


    And wouldn''t you know? I was right.


    But damn¡­ those hours were ones neither I or Taylor would ever forget¡­


    "Tay¡­ I am so sorry¡­" I apologize for the umptheenth time


    I paused in helping my Androids set up an infrastructure, mainly a self-contained water filtration system because Taylor was in desperate need of a bath or shower or both! My teenage lover (what is she¡­ fifteen? I don''t recall¡­ or really care strangely enough) was still laying sprawled out on that hay bale, though her skin couldn''t be seen due to a thick coating of horse c.u.m.


    Her belly looked like she was?? maybe six months pregnant despite the steady trickle escaping her well f.u.c.k.i.e.d and gaping p.u.s.s.y. And despite how ruined she was (as Taylor herself said boys were overrated and horses were where it''s at) Taylor was radiating a sense of relaxed joy I honestly thought she was incapable of.


    How did I know? The buzzing of insects. They changed frequency into a¡­ almost lazy sort of contentment. Or at least that''s how I see it.


    "Oh stop it Steel." Taylor said not moving an inch, "I had a feeling this was going to happen. And I''d take this over wearing clothes covered in c.u.m from a dozen jocks and crackheads." She added with a faint giggled as she started licking her lips and getting some of my c.u.m into her mouth.


    And I swear she m.o.a.ned even more.


    Seriously¡­ what the f.u.c.k is up with this world?


    Whatever¡­ focus on turning the Barn into a Fortress of Tinkery Solitude!


    I''ll admit¡­ I think I''m going to enjoy my time in this bizarre Wormverse I find myself in. I also absentmindedly spin-off a seperate thread to design myself a costume¡­ and possibly a saddle/harness for Taylor.


    "Wait. Tay? Don''t you need to get home?" I asked suddenly.


    The buzzing stopped and I saw Taylor stiffen.


    "... Shit¡­" She muttered.


    I galloped through the city easily avoiding being seen due to having a real-time link to satellite surveillance. And in a few moments I was standing outside of Taylor''s house. It was actually a nice little place too, could use a fresh coat of paint and some general fixing up but yeah. I certainly wouldn''t mind living in it.


    Taylor awkwardly hopped off my back, wearing an overly large t-shirt instead of her original clothes, and hobbled inside while leaving a snail trail behind her. Which also made me realize I too had such a ''trail'' running down my side¡­ ick.


    A few minutes later the buzzing of insects intensified before settling down and I decided that I shouldn''t leave just yet.


    I heard her walk around, a door shut, and the water turned on. Probably getting a much needed shower¡­ though I do pity those drains. Hmm, I could probably create something to scour drains of any type of blockage after repairing my Nanoforge and Bio-Core.


    Deciding to graze while Taylor had her much needed shower I ''poked'' my CPU and requested a full systems check, along with any objectives my body''s creator left behind.


    StatusTelekinetic Hooves- InoperableMana Core- InoperableBio Core- 50% operableNanoforge- 25% operableStructural Integrity- 45%Sensory suite- 34%DSK- 100%


    Evolutionary Systems ActivatedAttempting to Compensate¡­Compensation Failed¡­ Insufficient Biomass¡­Huh well I''ll deal with all that in time. But Biomass? Evolutionary System? What am I? A damn Digimon? Okay¡­ that''d be cool but I''m distracting myself. Now let''s see if I have any objectives.


    ObjectivesFree the Bound Dragon- OngoingPacify Panacea- OngoingSurvive them All- OngoingF.u.c.k 1000 Mare Humans- Ongoing- 1 Mare Human F.u.c.k.i.e.dBurn Down the Slaughterhouse- Ongoing


    Termination Targets: Scion/Zion"Well then¡­ hmm¡­"


    Before I could get my CPU to clarify on some of my objectives Taylor came out with a duffle bag, smelling infinitely less musky, and her belly no longer was swollen with horse c.u.m. While she didn''t show it I could tell she was upset so I trotted over and nuzzled her face.


    "What''s wrong Tay?" I asked.


    "Dad''s staying at his office." The unspoken ''again'' was very clear, "Can I stay with you?" She asked.


    I knew Danny was barely functioning but¡­ seriously dude? What the f.u.c.k man...


    "Well¡­ the place is hardly livable." I said thoughtfully, "And while I''m positive you can stay by yourself¡­ sure. Hop on Tay." I added eventually giving in.


    Taylor smiled faintly before she attempted to climb onto my back, I had to kneel down slightly before she could manage it.


    "... Maybe I can suck your d.i.c.k?" Taylor whispered shyly.


    "Tay¡­ babe. I gave you a one-horse bukakke, pumped you full of enough horse c.u.m to knock up a thousand mares, and you gave your v.i.r.g.i.nity and first time to said horse." I deadpanned with a bemused smile on my muzzle (snout?), "¡­ You''re not allowed to be shy anymore¡­ but goddamn that makes you even more s.e.xy."


    Taylor just blushed brightly and pressed her face into my mane out of sheer embarrassment.


    I just laughed lightly before I took off in a gallop towards my soon-to-be home/base.


    Chapter 2


    >>?


    Taylor sat on a hay bale watching as her¡­ boyfriend ("I mean I let him c.u.m inside and all over me so¡­ that makes him my boyfriend right?") and his two s.e.xbots (and Taylor didn''t care what Steel said, nothing that pretty couldn''t just be a simple worker) work on making the barn livable. Steel stopping to materialize more building supplies, seeing as they''re all he could really do seeing as he didn''t have any hands.


    A part of her was still suspicious and waiting for the other shoe to drop, after all nothing good ever happened to her that didn''t turn to shit sooner or later.


    Like her first "boyfriend" for example.


    Taylor was so happy when he approached her, and they went almost all the way¡­ until their third date. When They turned up and She gloated. Saying she set it all up, and how pathetic she was for doing everything the skeezy jock wanted her to do.


    She stabbed even deeper when she mockingly commented that Taylor''s mom was probably the same. Even making comments on if Taylor father was actually Danny and not some random meth-head from some gangbang.


    That was probably the umptheenth time Taylor seriously contemplated suicide, and for the umptheenth time she couldn''t do it.


    "But¡­ now things¡­" Taylor stopped that thought, terrified that if she completed it then things would go wrong.


    Superstitious and illogical? Most definitely but Taylor is a teenage girl who''s had a shit hand dealt to her ever since she came back from summer camp. Is it really unreasonable for such an attitude to develop?


    She shifted positions and her lower body reminded her just the e.r.o.t.i.c wonderful hell she went through, which brought a wide grin to her face. She was probably still riding the high of finally losing her v.i.r.g.i.nity!


    Sure she wasn''t a bombshell like Her, or a s.e.xy athlete, or a cutesy little s.e.x kitten but she did it!


    What''s more it was a cape! She figured he was just a super-confused Case 53 and not a bio-mechanical AI like he said but it didn''t matter to her. And what''s more she was secure in the knowledge that no matter all the boy toys She has, none of them could even come close to what Steel was packing! And when he came!~


    "I think I''ve discovered a new fetish¡­" Taylor thought with some amus.e.m.e.nt, "Well¡­ aside from my newly discovered Zoophilia and Xenophillia."


    But still, despite how happy Steel made her feel, she wondered if she should tell him that she was a cape. And again the jaded cynical part of her said no, to keep it a secret. And once again she ignored it, mostly because she imagined Steel already suspected it if only because bugs acting weird is pretty noticeable.


    Granted no one has actually noticed it yet but¡­ maybe she was overestimating Steel?


    "I''ll tell him later." Taylor decided as she refocused on watching Steel and his s.e.xbots work.


    "Okay. Now this is starting to look like a base." Steel said, pride clearly showing in his voice.


    Taylor herself didn''t see it exactly, probably because she wasn''t a Tinker, but she was impressed with how fast Steel and his s.e.xbots worked. She had no idea what he was doing but she figured that being impressed was an appropriate reaction.


    They even made her a place to sleep!


    Not that she''d use it. She was going to sleep with her man, her horse¡­ stallion? Whatever she was going to sleep with her lover damnit!! And she would not be denied that!


    ¡­ Besides it reminded her of when she was a little girl crawling into her parents bed during a thunderstorm¡­


    "No, stop it brain! Do not go there damnit!"


    Aaaaaannnnnddddddd there it is. Now Taylor could get the thought of calling Steel "Daddy" as he slowly stretched her out and ruined her for s.e.x. Said images just got even dirtier when she started to beg her "Daddy" to make her a "Mommy" and give her his foals.


    "Scion when did I get so perverted?" Probably around the first ten minutes of a stupidly deep horsed.i.c.king.


    And despite having a very willing spirit¡­ her flesh was mortal and prone to feebleness.


    So Taylor found herself in the irritating situation of being horny but too physically exhausted to act on it.


    "Hmm¡­ I think today is a good place to call it quits." Steel said before looking at his s.e.xbots, "Enter Sleep Mode."


    The two just stared before they¡­ went limp slightly as they powered down. Watching Steel nicker faintly he trotted over to Taylor making the young woman smile, Steel was such a dork but she loved that about him. He nuzzled her and licked her, which she returned happily.


    "Come on babe." He said, "Time to get some sleep. I made you a cot and blanket. I''ll make something better when I get everything set up."


    "Um¡­ can''t I just sleep with you?" Taylor asked, hopefully looking at him with wide eyes.


    "... Those eyes should be a Master power by themselves." Steel griped playfully, "Sure¡­ though if this is a ploy to take advantage of me in my sleep I''ll have you know I will enjoy it whether I wake up or not." He added making her blush brightly.


    Because¡­ honestly the idea hadn''t crossed her mind¡­ and now that it was there it didn''t sound like a bad idea. If anything she at least wanted to take a good look at his equipment, having seen a doc.u.mentary on horses once in school and was curious. Just because she got a cunt full of horsec.o.c.k didn''t mean she got a good look at it, well beside their first awkward meeting that is.


    Taylor just slapped his shoulder (withers?) and pouted.


    Steel just laughed and hip-checked her, "Come on babe. Sleepy time. You can molest me to your heart''s content then."


    Taylor just giggled and leaned on Steel as they slowly made over to a space Steel made for him to lay down. It looked like a pile of some sort of blankets and looked stupidly comfortable to Taylor. Standing upright she watched as Steel knelt down before flopping over with a surprisingly loud thud making her wonder just how much Steel actually weighed.


    Eventually Taylor shrugged the thought, and her oversized t-shirt, off and settled down cuddling into Steels chest and putting one of his forelegs over her like he was holding her.


    "This? This thing you''re doing? This is what you do when you''re cruising for a surprise f.u.c.k.i.n.g." Steel said with a chuckle in which Taylor just wiggled her butt into him.


    "Maybe I am~" Taylor retorted trying to sound sultery but failing.


    "Just go to sleep babe. My powers be damned, I know you are sore as hell." Steel said, "Don''t worry. You got horsec.o.c.k on tap so just go to sleep."


    Taylor shivered, the knowledge alone made her n.i.p.p.l.es stiffen. But Steel was right as much as she wished he wasn''t. Yawning faintly she removed her glasses and set them aside and closed her eyes.


    "Thank you for everything Steel¡­" Taylor mumbled as she drifted off.


    >>?


    Listening to Taylor''s breathing even out I looked at the two Androids for a few minutes, while he wanted to continue working he didn''t have anything to dampen sound so¡­ hmm.


    "001 and 002 scout out the rest of the perpropertiy. If any irregularities are found report them immediately."


    The two Androids reactivated and silently made their way out of the building.


    Sighing I closed my eyes and engaged in my own "sleep mode" as I rested the bottom of my muzzle on Taylor''s head.


    My eyes opened but I didn''t move.


    "These are massive¡­" I heard Taylor whisper.


    A few moments later I felt a small tongue licking at my musky sac, which I must admit felt damn good. I honestly wanted to praise her but I stayed silent, wondering what more she''d do. Eventually the licks turned into kisses and I could hear her taking big huffs of my musky scent, though whether that was on purpose or her just breathing I had no idea.


    "This is your fault you know¡­" Taylor murmured, "Reminding me that good things can actually happen to people. Stupid Steel¡­ but I''m thankful. I¡­ wasn''t in a good place, I think I knew that all along it just¡­ took meeting you to make me acknowledge it."


    I heard her move back to where she was curled up earlier, only my horsec.o.c.k was slowly exiting its furry sheath.


    "Wow¡­ I felt it but still. Hard to believe all of this was in me¡­" Taylor muttered as she rubbed my c.o.c.k before leaning down to kiss it, "Others would probably be repulsed by it¡­ maybe. Madison would probably beg you to mount her. But she won''t¡­ I won''t let her. This is mine¡­ all mine. Though¡­ I don''t think I could handle you all by myself all the time."


    Oh¡­ this is interesting¡­


    "Though¡­ I''m hardly the best judge of character¡­" Taylor said with a sigh before she licked along the shaft, "Hell¡­ I can''t even bring myself to tell you I''m a Parahuman¡­ and I told myself I would before we went to sleep¡­ I am so pathetic¡­"


    I heard her rustling around some more before she curled back up.


    I listened for a few more moments before she fell back asleep and I was left wondering about the depressed girl I have on my hooves.


    Chapter 3


    >>>>>Two Days Later<<<?


    "Can I get a kiss before you leave?" Taylor requested.


    I frowned faintly at how she returned to her withdrawn shell as we had entered the city limits, but regarding her request I honestly couldn''t deny her. And besides it''s not like it''d be the weirdest thing people have seen. Between working on my base and feeding Taylor''s now awakened s.e.x.u.a.l appetite I have been browsing the net.


    All in the pursuit of learning more about Bet. Because this is definitely not "canon" Earth Bet. Well¡­ it is¡­ technically I suppose? But¡­ well this Bet is infinitely more s.e.x.u.a.lly liberal then I can even begin to comprehend!


    That thing I saw when I first woke up? With the bum and that other guy? That is socially acceptable. As long as it''s consensual. **** is harshly punished.


    So¡­ in theory I could strap Taylor in a harness and go on a run through the city while f.u.c.k.i.n.g her at the same time. Not that I would, for one I''m not comfortable enough to do that. And another Taylor doesn''t want to advertise she has a boyfriend, mostly so They wouldn''t NTR me away from her.


    Which got a snort from me. Sure Sophia is supposed to be hot but yeah¡­ I like women. Not bitches.


    Giving her a horsy kiss, there wasn''t anyone around that could see so I had no problem indulging her, I gave her one last nuzzle.


    "You just relax today okay?" I asked, "I''ve got some ideas to help you out. I might even surprise you soon."


    Taylor just sighed before hugging me, which made me give her another nuzzle, and she reluctantly broke the hug and went inside. I spent a few moments just looking at the house before I turned and trotted off.


    I felt like exploring a little, I mean all my systems are in the green and¡­ I''m probably still riding the high of losing my own horse v.i.r.g.i.nity so.


    Watch out Brockton Bay!


    Here comes Steel!!


    I¡­ don''t think I was ready.


    But I know my problem, I think it''s called¡­ cognitive dissonance or something. I might be using the wrong term for it though. But see because I''ve been living in seclusion with only the internet as a frame of reference and my own knowledge of Worm (which I absorbed via osmosis from fanfiction) actually seeing how wildly different everything is, is giving me something akin to culture shock.


    It''s one thing to know just how s.e.x.u.a.lly libral this world is, but it''s wholly another to see it yourself! Since I''ve exited the Docks I''ve seen at least three gangbangs, two orgies, one fur pile (I guess the Furries still exist in this S.e.xual Death world who''d of thunk it?), and it seemed prostitution wasn''t nearly as frowned on as it is on my Earth.


    I think the only reason I''m not sporting a hardon is because of how disorienting everything is, figuratively not literally of course.


    Trotting through and looking around curiously, easily ignoring the comments my presence caused. Most of them wondered if I escaped from a farm, followed by what farm, and so forth. Honestly it was really amusing actually. I nearly laughed when someone commented on my odd saddle packs.


    They were red and black things I had my Androids make, it was actually the only part of my costume I had gotten made. Between cleaning up the barn, tending to Taylor''s newly awakened s.e.x.u.a.l appetite and mood swings, and my own personal projects (which mostly consisted of grazing so my U&R crew could do their jobs. Nanomachines for the win!) I was lucky to finish what I did.


    Though now that Tay was back home I could pull all-nighters and I estimated that I''d have everything complete by next Friday, this of course was accounting for any possible shenanigans I might find myself tangled up in. If I had a solid week of uninterrupted peace I''d have my base done in two maybe three days, have energy generation in another two days, and automation by Friday.


    It certainly helped when I figured out how to¡­ divide? Splinter? Whatever.


    I basically figured out how to Von Neumann and take control of my Androids (and much to my chagrin¡­ they were completely anatomically correct with subsystems dedicated to s.e.x.u.a.l pleasure. Taylor must never know¡­) however while that does speed up things they can''t use my Nanoforge so things are still pretty slow if my main body was there.


    But at least now I had a steady supply of power and other utilities. Man, I already knew this but Tinkers are utter bullshit!


    "Where''d you come from, big guy?" I blinked as I was jerked from my thoughts, "Pretty sure there''s no farms near the city..."


    I looked at who was talking and¡­ huh.


    "Your¡­ Visa... right?" I nickered faintly when she jumped in surprise, "What? Never seen a talking horse?"


    "It''s Vista." She corrected me and I''m pretty sure she rolled her eyes, "And¡­ you''re a Case 53."


    I just tilted my head before following her gaze and¡­ saw a ? on my flank. How in God''s green earth did I never notice that and why did Taylor never mention it? She sure as hell spent a lot of time molesting me so she couldn''t have missed it.


    "I guess by your staring you never noticed it before?" Vista asked, clearly amused but professional enough not to laugh.


    "Yeah." I said dryly.


    "So, you trying to find the PRT?" Vista asked, "I can take you there. My patrol is pretty much done so I can take you." She offered.


    She says that¡­ but I think she just wants to ride me. Not s.e.x.u.a.lly¡­ I don''t think so, but her costume¡­ doesn''t leave much to the imagination. And only the demented minds behind PR, in this world at least, could somehow make a "modest and chaste" look into well¡­ s.e.xy as hell. And I''m not ashamed to say I felt my own l.u.s.ts start to come to life.


    "Um¡­ no actually. I was dropping off a friend and decided to explore." I said honestly, "Though I wouldn''t say no to a lovely tour guide." Does that make me sound like a creeper¡­?


    Vista just smiled, and did I spy a faint blush why I think I did! Doesn''t she have a crush on Gallant though? Well I imagine in this world they''ve banged but¡­ hmm¡­ well it''s not like I can actually ask without admitting to knowing quite a bit about her. And if my previous comment didn''t make me a creeper that one would definitely make me one.


    And would earn me a spatial asskicking, cause Manton limit or not Vista''s power is terrifying.


    "Sure. I can AAR when I get back." Vista said, "Not that I get much action on these kiddie patrols¡­" She muttered to herself, and I couldn''t help but think that by action she didn''t specifically mean combat¡­


    "Now I face my greatest challenge yet¡­ do I or do I not lewd the loli? Actually how old is she?" I pondered before shelving the thought, "Okay! So lead¡­ you want to ride on my back don''t you?"


    "What? N-No! Only kids do that!" Vista stammered while giving me an angry look, though honestly it just made her look cute.


    "It''s okay." I said, "Think of it this way. If people see you goofing it''ll make you more approachable. Though when I get home I really need to make a saddle¡­ my friend likes riding me too."


    More like being ridden but I think that would be too crass to say (I think anyway). Besides while beastiality is on the legally and morally gray side of things it''s still not a widely accepted fetish. Please note I said "accepted" I''ve trawled through enough forums and I can safely say beastiality in itself is a common enough fetish but a lot of people are in denial about it.


    The sheer amount of fics I''ve read about a woman being gangbanged by a herd of stallions¡­ thank god those Androids have soft hands. Who knows¡­ maybe one day I''ll eventually f.u.c.k them while my mind is filled with e.r.o.t.i.ca.


    Plus the prospect of having s.e.x with an animal, especially a horse of my size, carries a massive risk of causing interal damage which could quickly lead to death. Thank''s Hentai Physics for making that a non-issue for me!


    [Gratitude]


    Huh¡­ haven''t heard from you in a while. My CPU didn''t respond with anything other than a sense of amus.e.m.e.nt. Snorting I knelt down so Vista could hop on my back.


    "Seriously it''s okay." I said, "I hope you don''t mind bareback though."


    "Oh I love bareback. It''s the best." Vista retorted not missing a beat as she hopped on.


    She is completely commando under that skirt! I mean clearly she has a bodysuit on put¡­ I don''t feel anything that I could mistake as panties. And I have no idea how I should feel about this development.


    Also, and this bares repeating, holy shit¡­ what is with this world?


    Getting up I started to trot along. We both ignored all the lookie loos and cape nuts easily.


    "So, any suggestions?" Then my stomach (or rather my Bio-Core really) grumbled, "Actually, do you know anywhere good to eat? All I''ve been doing for the last two days is grazing on grass and other plants. I''d think I''d enjoy some real food."


    Vista giggled faintly which she quickly smothered, "Yeah. Fugly Bob''s is a good place. Relatively cheap but quality. Um¡­ you can eat meat right?"


    "Try and stop me." I said, "Besides, my systems would just adapt to it."


    [Affirmative]


    Vista just shook her head and directed me to Fugly Bob''s, not that I needed a guide but hey I got myself a cute tour guide riding me!


    Normally I wouldn''t be able to enter Fugly Bobs because it''s people-sized and not horse-sized. That however isn''t a problem with little Miss "I Make Space My Bitch" on my back. The spatial distortions however did make my eyes hurt a little, but it was giving me so many ideas that I dedicated an entire thread to further speculation.


    I ordered the Challenger, and much to Vista and the cashier''s surprise the credit card machine lit up and suddenly the thirty bucks for the burger was directly deposited into the shacks account.|


    "No, I didn''t steal anything." I said, "I just directly transferred the funds from my account to the business''s account."


    Now you may be wondering when did I get an account? Well¡­ like anyone else really. I just syphoned from various criminal organizations, none of the local ones, and transferred them through over a thousand different routes to ensure my theft would never be traced.


    After that I and Vista, who ordered herself a much more modest combo with a chocolate shake, took a seat. Well Vista did and I planted my flanks on the floor. Vista was trying her hardest not to giggle and I was starting to realize that I might have made a mistake in ordering something that requires¡­ you know HANDS to eat.


    "Should''ve finalized my costume before coming here." Hindsight is such a bitch sometimes, "Vista I just want to apologize in advance for my terrible table manners."


    That set off a whole new slew of giggles from the small Spatial manipulatior. I just nickered slightly as my ears flicked in mild irritation.


    "I''m sorry." Vista said, "I should''ve said something. Anyways to change the subject¡­ what''s it like being a horse?"


    "Fine for the most part. Though I''m really missing my hands about now." I said with a huff, "Though well knowing you got the biggest d.i.c.k around is rather gratifying."


    "Well duh. You''re a horse, or at least horse-shaped." Vista retorted, "But I imagine it''s hard to get laid. I mean horse f.u.c.k.i.n.g carries some serious dangers."


    "Yeah, but my powers are bullshit." I said wanting to cross my forelegs (though I made a note to work on that), "Bet I could f.u.c.k a little thing like you and you''d love it!"


    Vista just eyed me and I suddenly realized how that honestly sounded. I gave a sheepish grin.


    "Heh, that came off as a proposition didn''t it?" It was more of a statement in all honesty, "Sorry. It slipped out."


    Vista narrowed her eyes at me, "You just saying that because I''m "too young" or something" Oh dear¡­


    "No, no! I swear!" I said, "It was an honest mistake on my part!" Is this actually happening¡­


    I was saved, for now, when Vista''s order arrived. Apparently mine would take thirty minutes to fry thoroughly, not to mention they had to make a fresh set of buns because the stale ones were thrown out. I certainly wouldn''t have thought Fulgy Bob''s was a place overall concerned with freshness¡­ it''s actually a rather nice surprise really.


    Plus homemade fresh bread is f.u.c.k.i.n.g awesome!


    "I know I joked about it but I''m not ready to lewd the loli!" I thought as I tried to think of a way to defuse the landmine I had triggered accidentally, "God I am so f.u.c.k.i.e.d after we leave the shack¡­"


    "I still can''t believe you ate that entire five pound heart attack on a bun in thirty minutes." I snickered, "Or that massive basket of fries¡­ and that extra large shake¡­ do you have a blackhole for a stomach??"


    Turns out I wasn''t as f.u.c.k.i.e.d as I assumed. Turns out Vista actually does have a sense of humor, not that I didn''t think she did but I figured her age/size was a touchy subject, and was stringing me along for her amus.e.m.e.nt.


    "Nah." I said with a snicker, "Though that''d be an odd superpower wouldn''t it?"


    "Yeah it would." Vista said with a smile from her seat on my back, "So¡­ I need to do that AAR. So I''ve gotta get going before Piggot decides to chew me out more. But¡­ well maybe next time you''ll be up to giving me some bareback eh?" She added cheekily.


    Before I could retort she used her power to quickly move off leaving me dumbfounded and with the most awkward boner in my life.


    [... Data]


    "Wait. She''s just small for her age!?" Though before I could completely start ranting I was interrupted again.


    "Eh¡­ you alright there?" I turned and I''m pretty sure she was sitting a table or two away from myself and Vista.


    "... I''m having very mixed feelings." I replied honestly, "Anyway the name''s Steel. And you are?"


    "Tammi Herran." I didn''t react to the fact that I was talking to Sabrina the Teenage Nazi, "Vista?"


    I just nodded, still not entirely sure how to react to the Nazi before me. What made it worse is that she was fit and cute!


    "Yeah Vista has that effect on people." Tanni said with a faint chuckle, "I think she gets off on giving people Why boners." She added gesturing to my own massive why boner with a blush.


    "Yeah." I repeated cause honestly what else could I say?


    And frustratingly enough I couldn''t visit Taylor to fix this problem, guess I''ll be mounting an Android later. Just as I was about to get up¡­ I noticed a thoughtful look on Tammi''s face. And it might just be my d.i.c.k talking¡­ but I think something good is about to happen to me¡­


    "Well¡­ who says a teenager can only go through a rebellion once?" She muttered to herself.


    My ears perked up at that.


    "This is not what I was expecting."


    Okay honestly I feel kinda foolish for assuming everyone in this city would be all "LET''S F.U.C.K" but damn what a let down. But at the same time I can''t help but feel like I''m doing a good thing, sure Tammi is a goddamn Nazi but well¡­


    "Go faster!" Tammi exclaimed happily.


    Right now she''s just a girl riding a horse through the city. I mean yeah I''m disappointed in not getting a chance to (probably not) f.u.c.k the racism out of her but hey! Them''s the breaks and honestly. This helped me get myself on even footing mentally anyway.


    It also showed me that not everyone will ask for s.e.x right from the get go.


    Eventually we came to a stop in an overgrown park, Tammi sliding off my back and leaning against me panting. With a grin that honestly made her look rather attractive, honestly if she wasn''t a goddamn Nazi I imagine she and Taylor might get along.


    Probably anyway¡­ the girl who would eventually become Khepri (which is a rather moot point now) has some severe trust issues.


    "Wow, I feel like a little girl!" Tammi said with a grin, "Um¡­ thanks for indulging me¡­" She added awkwardly.


    "No problem." I said with a chuckle, "I needed that run. Helps the digestion. So, you want me to take you back to the Boardwalk?"


    "Well¡­" I looked at her curiously, "... Can I get a selfie?"


    Not what I was expecting, kinda disappointed honestly.


    "Eh, sure." I said with a shrug.


    Off to QuestionableQuesting for more STEEL ACTION~!

 Chapter 304 - My CO Stash #4 - Curse of Boredom by Lord Of Crime (NarutoXYoungJustice)

    Nerd Spectre: NOOOOOO!!!!! You can''t just go realm-hopping!!! We need to maintain the balance!!! YOU''RE GOING TO PUT ALL OF US IN DANGER!!!


    Chad Naruto: Hehe big pp go brr


    *Thanks for almost 4M & 4K collections~ Here''s to more NSFW fics!


    Synopsis: Immortality, such a rewarding and humble word. The paradisiac opportunity to live evermore. Who in their right mind would refuse such an offer? An infinitely wise one. One who has seen enough, done enough and known enough to acknowledge that Life was but an illusion.


    Rated: M


    Words: 61K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13229102/3/Curse-of-Boredom (Lord Of Crime)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Warning: This story contains explicit scenes, unrealistic proportions and actions regarding the human body as well as other contents suited for mature readers only. If such content does not appeal to you and your preference, kindly leave.


    Overpowered, eccentric, friendly, but with a bizarre sense of humor main character (Naruto). Filled with smutty goodness but with proper plot. Some surprise characters may appear.


    I had plans to write a Food War story (still do) but after seeing the recent episodes of season 3, I had to get this idea out of my head before it ruined my passion for my first story.


    One more thing before we move forward, I would like to mention that the story will start from the Episode Infiltrator.


    Elemental Nations


    There comes a time in life when you are faced with a situation that renders you speechless or devoid of proper words to describe the situation around you. The situation may involve a certain event, an enigmatic person or even a place.


    The previously blood-filled and untamed land of the Shinobi was one such place that defied all logic. Gone were the different varieties of geographic locations defining a certain part of the world, replaced by a single never ending expanse of trees, flowers and grass stretching towards the horizon, no end in sight.


    Right at the middle of this infinite landscape of grass stood a large fortress of sorts, giving the impression that its existence merely served as a necessity rather than luxury. It was quite large for sure, but created from red bricks that gave it a mild but militaristic appeal.


    Apart from this structure, nothing really stood out from the norm ¡­ if you could somehow ignore the gigantic size of the fortress.


    And nine humongous beasts laying in the soft confine of the grass and flowers in an organized circle.


    "Even my boredom is bored" a deep but soft voice groaned in evident laziness, its source being a tall redhead laying in the middle most part of the circle, his facial features blocked by a straw hat dr.a.p.ed over his face. "Can anyone suggest a place to vent out my boredom?"


    "How about my chambers?" Matatabi, the two tailed hellcat purred out in l.u.s.t-filled delight, wiggling her two flaming tails in anticipation. "I will drain all that ''boredom'' right out of you!"


    "Bite your tongue, you horny cat!" Kokuo, the five tailed Horse-Dolphin hybrid hissed out in anger. "Listening to you pleasuring yourself while screaming out Naruto''s name is one thing, I will not tolerate you mating with him while I am around"


    And cue the catfight.


    "Oh yeah? At least I know what I want and how to get it, unlike you" the Nibi bite back in anger "And for you information, you prude, I have already mated with him ¡­ several times!"


    "So have I!" the five tailed beast retorted without a hint of shame "But unlike you, you s.l.u.tty cat, I didn''t return to pleasuring myself with my hands when I had the real thing!"


    "Why you¡­"


    The rest of the beasts, beside Kurama, the nine tailed beast, materialized humongous sets of earplugs and serenely went back to their sleep while the two sisters argued over who had mated with Naruto more times than the other.


    The person in question had long since awakened from his nap and was openly gaping at the two sisters as they argued, inversely announcing their relationship to the other beasts. What the actual hell?


    "I asked about finding a place to vent out my boredom, right?" Naruto asked unsurely, not certain if he had uttered the correct question because from the direction of the argument, it sure as hell didn''t look like it.


    "Yup"


    "Then why the hell are they arguing over how many times I have f.u.c.k.i.e.d them?"


    "Ask them yourself"


    A tired sigh escaped his lips as his shoulders slumped in depression. "Yeah, thanks Kurama"


    This distracting argument was not helping his mood. He was tired, bored and ready to rampage.


    At least when this world they were inhabiting still had living things, it was fun but that ship had long since sailed. Now he was stuck with a crazy tanuki, two always horny tailed beasts and one sarcastic furball who used to be his prisoner.


    The others were at least kind enough to mind their own businesses and leave him alone ¡­ for the most part at least.


    Cautiously standing up on his feet, the redhead dusted his clothes and looked towards the two arguing sisters who had stopped their heated debate to settle the issue the old fashioned way¡­ wrestling. Yup, the situation had escalated and he needed to get his ass out of there before he found himself dragged into a bedchamber and rode by two horny constructs of energy.


    "Time to man up and GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"


    The sound of a tear appearing in the fabric of space alerted the two sisters to the absence of the redhead they were arguing over, but it was too late, for the man had already closed the portal before they figure out where he had escaped.


    "GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!"


    Watchtower, Earth''s Orbit


    "By Son''s flaming nuts, I shall not do that again¡­ unless I have to" Naruto muttered out with a frown as he stood up from the cold and steel-like ground. Wait, steel-like ground? The earth wasn''t supposed to be made of iron or steel. "Okay, where the hell am I?"


    To be honest, he hadn''t exactly thought up any particular place for his landing when he had made his manly escape. He had just conjured up a portal to the nearest world and hurled himself into it with alarming speed to get away from the sisters.


    Looking around, his blue eyes perceived the largeness of the room itself and how it was equipped with technologically advanced artilleries and weaponries. Simply judging from that single aspect, he knew that the room was either used to battle dangerous invaders or as a training room.


    He would have continued his observation if his eyes hadn''t been gravitated towards the other end of the room where a lovely spectacle welcomed him.


    Standing in the other side of the room was a beautiful woman, in possession of divine curves and thickness. Black wavy hair cascaded down her back, unrestrained by any sort of accessory to hinder its sheer beauty, held back by a golden tiara with a star in the middle.


    Blue eyes of sharpness hiding the glaring ferociousness of a wild predator under a veil of curiosity and wariness studied his every move and skimmed along his muscular but lithe frame with appreciation and caution.


    Full and pouty lips, cute nose and defined cheekbones gave her an aura of royalty. Slender shoulders, muscular but feminine arms adorned by silver bracelets at the wrists as well as the trained way she held her stance hinted towards her training as a warrior.


    And then came the part where his mind went into a l.u.s.t-filled frenzy.


    ''Tit alert! Tit alert! System overload!''


    Barely hidden by a golden, red and blue armor, her massive spheres of womanly flesh peeked out of the annoying confines in all their sheer deliciousness. The red fabric of her armor tightly clung to her warrior-like midriff, stretching outwards to accommodate a set of broad h.i.p.s.


    The star-spangled base of her armor did little to hide away the utter plumpness of her corpulent behind, nor do justice to the wideness of her h.i.p.s, but it did stop high enough to reveal her thick womanly thighs and long legs.


    Shield held up in a defensive manner and beautifully crafted sword poised to cut cleanly through his head with the slightest hint of hostility was what melted his heart. Needless to say, Naruto was not in the right state of mind at the moment.


    Wonder Woman or better known as Diana of Paradise Island had no idea how to respond to such a situation. She had been training like she always did _ except this time she was alone and not with a sparring partner _ when she had become witness to the fabric of space being torn apart and a redheaded man jumping out of it.


    While she secretly thought that the man needed to be more aware of his surrounding due to the non-ceremonial way of his arrival and becoming acquainted with the ground, she been quite surprised and wary.


    Even though people appearing from within portals were quite common in her life of being Wonder Woman, it was still unnerving to see someone walk out of it while she had no knowledge of his or her intentions.


    Her wariness was further augmented by the fact that portals were mostly used by Parademons, minions of the mad lord, Darksied. A few others also used them but that was beside the point.


    This one was different in a lot of ways.


    The man was a tall and substantially muscular redhead with his hair swept back in a glossy manner, a single strand hanging over the front of his blue eyes. His face was, she might dare say, beautiful. Blue eyes, high cheekbones, pronounced eyebrows and thin lips.


    He was, surprisingly, dressed in an ornate dark red Armani suit and black dress shoes that even though quite conservative and more formal still showed off his considerable muscle mass. She wasn''t sure what to take from his appearance.


    The redhead was not emitting any aura of hostility at all. He had no presence. He was there and yet not there at all.


    Did that make sense?


    To her, it didn''t. Even the Greek deities had presences, in fact they seemed hell-bent on showing as much of their presences as possible. This man was different.


    "Identify yourself"


    "Excuse me for a few seconds, lady" Naruto stated in a somewhat neutral but normal tone, closing his eyes in concentration while Diana looked on with something akin to annoyance, cautious and curiosity.


    This woman had a familiar feel to her presence when he really thought about it and ¡­ ignored her smoking hot ass and knockers. Becoming one with nature, the former Shinobi reached out with his senses towards the surrounding in all its purity.


    Turns out, he was above a planet called Earth in an orbiting structure with quite a few strong life forces swarming inside it. The history of the world as well as the dimension itself confirmed his suspicion.


    "Sorry about that, I had to gather my thoughts" Naruto offered apologetically, a thoughtful look on his face as he gazed at the voluptuous woman. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki"


    "I am Diana of Themyscira" she introduced warily; shield and sword still poised to either defend or attack the unknown intruder. "State your purpose for coming here"


    A smile graced Naruto''s lips. "Hippolyta''s daughter no doubt"


    Wariness and caution was replaced by surprise and curiosity when Diana heard the complete stranger say her mother''s name and with such fondness. "You know my mother?"


    "Yup, that little spitfire and I go way back". Indeed they went back and he meant way back¡­ like even through her backdoor. That easily annoyed and cranky blonde Queen was irresistible.


    "Do not speak so rudely about my mother lest you suffer my wrath" Diana snapped back with a glare, griping her sword tightly.


    "You even talk like her!" Naruto gushed out in excitement, surprising the stoic woman with his sudden change in personality. "That is so cute!"


    "Excuse me?"


    Before she could let her thoughts lead her towards potential disemboweling of a certain rude redhead, the doors to the Training Room opened abruptly and several of her comrades dashed in alarm, led by Superman and Batman.


    "Is this a circus?" Naruto asked innocently, eyes blinking repeatedly to adjust to the bright colored uniforms of the newcomers. He hadn''t seen these shiny creatures the last time he had been here.


    Months Later, Mount Justice


    "My job here is done then" Red Arrow muttered through tightened lips, throwing a disinterested look towards his used-to-be mentor before walking into the Zeta Tube.


    Not giving the gathered team of Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian, Robin and their newest addition Artemis time to think about Red Arrow''s rude and nonchalant dismissal of their proposal, Batman turned towards the team with a no-nonsense aura.


    "If the Shadows are after her, then you will need some help" he announced unclearly, inclining his head towards the other side of the cave.


    The team''s eyes widened in collective surprise when a gorgeously handsome redheaded man, dressed in a formal crimson suit appeared out of thin air without the slightest bit of sound or movement.


    Aqualad, Robin and Kid Flash were quick to recognize the newcomer, but his appearance didn''t lessen their shock in the slightest.


    "Meet Paradox, your new supervisor"


    "I call dibs!" Artemis blurted out suddenly, eyeing the new redhead like he was a prime piece of meat ready to be devoured. Who cared if he was a part of the Justice League or that he was many years her senior? A handsome hunk was a handsome hunk.


    She conveniently ignored her teammates'' surprised looks.


    Naruto causally walked up to the center of the cave and looked around the gathered members. He already knew about the three Sidekicks and had seen them sometime fight alongside their mentors.


    The one in possession of Superman''s symbol did intrigue him. He had been on a mission during the Sidekicks'' break-in to Cadmus, thus he had only heard of him in passing.


    The boy resembled Superman in all aspects, except his height, muscle tone and significantly low power level. Other than that, some may even suspect him to be Superman if he wore the familiar red and blue suit.


    Then came the Martian girl who claimed to be J''onn''s niece. The girl had the appearance of a beautiful redheaded girl. She was as innocent as one would expect from a girl who had seen only red rocky landscapes her entire life.


    Standing beside Green Arrow was a beautiful blonde girl of average height holding onto what appeared to be a folded bow. The blonde was daringly dressed in a green skin tight fabric extending all the way to her forehead and just below her considerable chest.


    Her tight midriff was exposed for all to see in its e.r.o.t.i.c glory, followed by the flare of her wide h.i.p.s and round posterior.


    He certainly liked what he saw and judging from the way she was practically undressing him with her eyes, she did too. He already liked her.


    "Thanks for the introduction, spooky" Naruto declared pleasantly and patted an annoyed Batman on the back like one would his best friend. "Missed me?"


    "No"


    "Ouch"


    Artemis jumped in surprise and heart-stopping shock when she felt her supple buttcheeks being pinched and patted, prompting her to twirl around with an arrow ready to strike the offender in his nuts only to find ¡­ nothing but empty space.


    ''What the hell!? Who pinched my butt?''


    "Artemis, are you alright?" Green Arrow asked in concern, seeing her suddenly reach for her bow and arrow with an alarmed and angry look. Was she on her period or something?


    Artemis composed herself and nodded unsurely. "Yeah ¡­ I am fine"


    Who the hell pinched her butt and disappeared so quickly? Was it her imagination? Hell no! The guy had even patted her fleshy behind after pinching it!


    Batman, Red Tornado and Green Arrow were out of the picture since the first was too far away from her to do such a thing, the second was an emotionless robot while the third was her father figure even if he was a playboy.


    That left the rest of the team and one enigmatic redhead. Aqualad and Robin were out as well since both seemed more interested in following their missions'' objective rather than copping a feel. Miss Martian was too innocent to do so even if her Telekinetic abilities made her the prime suspect.


    That left Kid Flash and the mysterious Paradox guy.


    While she wanted to suspect the ginger haired speedster for doing such a thing since he was a known pervert and an unsuccessful player not to mention his speed could allow him to grope anyone''s ass without getting noticed, but she knew he wasn''t the one.


    No matter how fast he moved the rapid shuffling of his feet on the floor and the force through which he sliced through the air current always left loud noises which means she would''ve noticed had he groped her before escaping.


    That left the redhead.


    She knew too little about him to declare him a pervert who had groped her.


    Her musings were cut short as Batman shrugged off Naruto''s hand from his shoulder and turned to the gathered team. "Paradox here will be in charge, follow his lead. Dismissed"


    She would think about the pervert later. They had a mission to do.


    Happy Harbor High


    "Even though I am in-charge, you guys and ladies are free to guard whatever post you think is important" Naruto announced cheerfully as he walked in front of the assembled team, while Doctor Roquette, their unwilling client, sat a few meter away from the team in front of a computer. "Now unless you guys wanna admire my handsome manly features all day, get to your jobs!"


    "Huh!"


    "What!"


    "Seriously?"


    "Batman would never¡­"


    The stare Robin received after that incomplete sentence would haunt him for live. "I am not Batman"


    Some like Superboy and Artemis were happy to be given authority of following in their own instincts and not ordered around like puppets, Megan was too low on self-esteem to deem a place worthy of being important while Robin, Aqualad and Kid Flash had been too used to being ordered around by their mentors to take actions for themselves.


    "That is your weakness" Naruto explained neutrally, pinning each of the guilty members with his sharp gaze. "You have become so used to being ordered around by your mentors that you have no idea what to do when a commanding officer willing hands over authority to you"


    Robin, specifically, was quite shaken by the reality. While he had done quite a few missions on his own and had pulled all of them in record time, but being with Batman was different.


    He had always waited for Batman''s instruction before moving on with a plan, never taking a step by himself unless ordered. No wonder the free and nonchalant way Paradox gave away his authority to them caught him off-guard.


    Batman would never hand over his authority over a mission to another unless and until he had to.


    "I am not only your commanding officer on this mission but also your teacher" Paradox announced with a soft smile, providing the team with a sense of comfort and warmth. "I will guide you, show you the right path but it is you who must take steps to move forward on those paths, understand?"


    "Yes sir!"


    "Good" he nodded with an eyesmile and pointed to a stupefied Kid Flash. "You chose who should be paired up with whom"


    "M-me?" the speedster blurted out in a stutter, heart racing faster than his legs. This new guy sure knew how to make a guy nervous. Normally, he would jump at the chance to lead and show off but now, he was practically shaking in his boots.


    "Yes you"


    Well, here goes nothing.


    "Umm ¡­ how about me and Megan, Superboy and ¡­ Artemis, Aqualad and Robin?"


    The looks Megan and Artemis gave him almost made him want sink into the earth and never show up again. Hey, give him a break! He was a guy who could run fast, not Albert Einstein!


    "Excellent choice kid" Naruto praised genuinely, giving the nervous and gaping boy a thumbs up.


    "R-really?"


    "Yes. You and Megan pairing up will provide your team the necessary amount of muscle and speed. Artemis is a proficient hand-to-hand combatant while Superboy has super strength, balancing out their team as well. I don''t need to explain why Aqualad and Robin make a good team"


    "Man, I am a genius!"


    ''I am going to kill you, you moron!'' a chibi Artemis stomped around in her mindscape, materializing a person vividly resembling Wally and strangling him to death. ''Why didn''t you pair me up with that hunk?''


    "Kid Flash and Megan, you are Alpha. Guard the front gates." Naruto ordered briefly, receiving nods of consent as they two sped off outside the corridors and into the front yard. "Superboy and Artemis, you are Beta, keep a close eye on the surrounding from the rooftops. Robin and Aqualad, you are Gamma, guard the lab''s door"


    London, Naruto''s Apartment


    The voluptuous princess of the Amazons discreetly flew through the chilly night air, wavy black locks fluttering in the soft wind. The black haired Amazon floated up to the last floor of a tall building and entered into one of the apartments through an open window.


    With a twirl that got amused looks from Superman and any other Leaguer every time she did it, Diana changed from her familiar armor into a much casual garb. A black tank top tightly hugging her large b.r.e.a.s.ts and red yoga pants stretching over her supple behind and thick thighs.


    The apartment she landed in wasn''t much large or fancy for that matter and to be honest neither was the person living in it. It had everything a single man or woman would need for a peaceful and comfortable life.


    A large bedroom with its own bathroom, a comfortable Living room, connected Kitchen and a door leading towards a balcony providing a view of the entire city.


    It wasn''t large but it gave off the aura of comfort and warmth she desperately needed at the moment.


    Speaking of the owner ¡­


    Looking around she saw no familiar redhead anywhere. The sound of water running coming from the bedroom put a halt to her musings. He was in the shower.


    With a tired sigh, the princess glided to the large couch in the middle of the Living room and sat down¡­ or more like slumped down in a un-princess-like manner. Within a few seconds, the seated amazon was no longer seated as she shifted around and laid down on the couch, propping up her feet on the armrest.


    "Welcome Diana, how was your mission?"


    "Disastrous and tiring" she replied monotonously, draping her hands over her eyes in a lazy manner. "Fighting Cheetah is more tiring than an actual challenge"


    "I wish I was there" Naruto announced through the bathroom door.


    "I don''t need your help with fighting her, she was barely a warm-up" Diana stated firmly.


    She could''ve sworn that she heard him snort but the sound of running water was too loud to hear such a minor sound.


    "Not that" the redhead rebuffed with a chuckle. "I simply love watching woman wrestle it up. You know the biting, hair-pulling and my favorite, the clothe-tearing!"


    "You should be grateful that I am tired" the princess retorted in a dangerous tone, glaring at the bedroom door with clear venom in her eyes. "Otherwise I would''ve shown you how a real woman fights"


    Her glare intensified when Naruto chuckled smugly. She could almost picture his smug face and smirk.


    "Anyway, engaging in some girl on girl action with Cheetah must have been exhausting, so I ordered something for you. It''s in the Kitchen"


    Whatever anger she was feeling dissipated when her stomach decided to make its presence known and growled loudly, causing the voluptuous princess to blush in embarrassment as she moved towards the Kitchen.


    "Don''t think that I didn''t hear that ferocious growl"


    "SHUT UP!"


    Stomping towards the Kitchen, the black haired Leaguer almost ripped off the door from its hinges when she heard laughing in the distance, cheeks tinted a dark red. Composing herself, Diana calmly opened the door and peered inside, eyes widening in pleasant surprise when she saw something she simply loved beyond anything else.


    Well except her mother and that damned redhead.


    Ice Cream¡­ creamy, cold and fruity ice cream! She noticed a pizza on the counter but who cared about that?


    "I didn''t tell you to open the refrigerator, did I?" Naruto asked from the bathroom, a hint of smugness visible in his tone. "I was talking about the pizza"


    ''I am not going to listen to him when it''s right in front of me!'' Diana mused stubbornly, reaching for the large glassy container of ice cream with an anticipatory smile ¡­ only for her finger to slip right through the goblet. ''What!?''


    "The pizza dear, the pizza. No ice cream until you eat every single morsel of that cheesy circular heaven I have ordered just for you"


    The handle of the door suffered her wrath, caving in from her strong grip. ''Damn him!''


    She was tempted to just pummel the refrigerator into an unrecognizable piece of jumbled objects but then she would be pummeling her ice cream as well. Suffice to say, she was pissed off but also hopeful.


    The moment she figured out the source of his strange powers, she was going to tie him down on a bed and vent out all the frustration she had built up due to his damned antics. Not the pleasurable way¡­ well not for him at least.


    "Fine!" she hissed out in anger, snatching the pizza carton from the counter with a displeased frown as she moved towards the living room. Throwing the carton with such strength that it almost smashed through the table, Diana sat down with a displeased look, pouty lips pursed in anger and hands crossed over her massive chest.


    "Awww you are pouting? How cute!"


    "Shut up!" she shot back angrily. How in Tartarus did he know what she was doing? "Are you going to come out or do I need to send a bed and a few pillows in there in case you need them?"


    It didn''t take a genius to figure out the sheer amount of sarcasm dripping from her tone.


    "That would be very kind of you" Naruto retorted smugly.


    "Get out here right now!"


    "So what are you wearing?"


    That garnered the kind of reaction Naruto was hoping for. Diana blinked several times to properly understand his words before her lips stretched into an angry snarl. "I am not telling you that!"


    "Well I am n.a.k.e.d in here" the redhead announced loudly, his voice taking on a husky undertone. "In this chilly night, all you need is a hot shower to calm your nerves"


    Vivid images of a completely n.a.k.e.d redhead appeared in her vision. Wide shoulders, muscular arms, a wide torso and washboard abs dripping and shinning in the light. That hot, divine body pressed up against her, a pair of thin lips kissing her neck and hands driving her wild with l.u.s.t.


    And that c.o.c.k! Great Hera, that deliciously curved, e.r.o.t.i.cally thick and frighteningly large c.o.c.k always drove her wild with l.u.s.t!


    With a smirk that screamed overwhelming hunger, the princess shredded her clothes like a snake shedding its skin and sprinted towards the bathroom in startling swiftness.


    Soon enough, the pizza was left forgotten as the sounds of flesh smacking into wet flesh, m.o.a.ns and grunts of pleasure reverberated through the building as Naruto pounded all the tiredness, exhaustion and anger right out of the m.o.a.ning black haired amazon.


    Western Mongolia


    "Never in fifty thousand years have any living being done enough damage to my plans to compare to what the so called Paradox have done in a few months" Vandal Savage drawled out in a neutral tone, thick with ambition and visions. "Something must be done"


    Lex Luthor, as always, was the first to nod his head. Causing chaos was his thing¡­ right after finding ways to kill Superman and make more profit. This Paradox was proving himself to be someone he could neither control nor manipulate in order to make profit.


    So, he had to go.


    "That is the conclusion" he agreed, glancing around the table to gaze at his fellow enlightened comrades. "The question is, how?"


    "Indeed, this man has proven time and again that he is not to be trifled with" Queen Bee''s sultry voice chimed in, the l.u.s.t and desire in her tone barely hidden. "I could bring him under my control"


    Ra''s amused snort caught the rest of the members so off-guard that they could barely believe their ears. The always ambitious man known as the Demon Head, the leader of the League of Assassins and the great Ra''s Al Ghul snorted?


    "Unless you want to be caught in your trap and die, I would advise you to steer clear of making that mistake" the Demon Head stated firmly, hands placed on the table and fingers interlaced thoughtfully. "His eyes barely leave anything to escape his notice. Even if by some remote chance that happens, his sheer willpower is enough to bend the very fabric of reality"


    Vandal gave the contemplating man a scrutinizing stare, curiosity and interest brimming in his dark eyes. "Seems like you know quite enough about him, old friend"


    "Something like that" Ra''s agreed vaguely. "His ideals and colorless vision of the world is the cause for the creation of my League"


    The evolved caveman raised an eyebrow in interest. "How so?"


    Ra''s knew that the next bit of information would shock the Light right down to their cores. "Before I tell about his ideals, let me tell you one simple fact. From what I know, he lived long before you were even born, Vandal or maybe I should say before the concept of humans existed"


    "What!?"


    "Not entirely accurate but close nonetheless" a melodiously soft but pungently sultry voice reverberated through the sealed off assembly hall, immediately putting the gathered villains on full alert. Soon enough, dark clothed assassins swarmed into the hall, forming a protective circle around the Light members, courtesy of Ra''s.


    Within the next few seconds, the room was flooded by an intense stream of vile energy, seeping into the room through unknown holes, licking at the circular walls like a snake searching for heat until the Light could not even feel their own skin.


    The telltale signs of heels clicking on the marble floor alerted the Light to the sealed door of the gathering hall. If they were surprised, they kept it well hidden as an unmistakably feminine figure materialized right through the door with effortless ease.


    They only heard a delicate snap of manicured fingers sliding against one another before Ra''s famed assassins fell to the ground, not a single trace visible to indicate the reasons for their deaths.


    "That was to show you who you are dealing with" the figure purred out in sick delight as she glided forward, each click of her heels putting the Light even more on edge than before until finally, their eyes fell upon a creature that could only be described as the very epitome of feminine perfection.


    Long tresses of blood red fell straight down her shoulders like the calm waves of a sea, all the way down to her slender waist. Blood red locks kept the right side of her crimson slitted eyes from view ¡­ eyes that promised a world of pain but unthinkable pleasure as well.


    Delicate nose, pronounced cheeks bones and puffy rosy lips, stretched into a mischievous smile.


    A dark red silk dress with black interior and black fur collar adorned her e.r.o.t.i.c body. Black metal chest plates barely contained the colossal round mass of flesh known as her b.r.e.a.s.ts. Similar padded, ornate black plates were wrapped snuggly around her tight midriff, before flaring up into a set of thick womanly h.i.p.s.


    The slitted part of her dress could barely contain the sheer width of her h.i.p.s, nor hide away the thickness of her thighs; snuggly hugged a pair of black leggings. Her massive, balloon-like posterior e.r.o.t.i.cally strained against the silk dress.


    All in all, she appeared something or rather someone from every man''s wet dream. Even Queen Bee, for all her beauty and sensuality felt threatened by her.


    "Who are you?" Vandal asked neutrally, hands clenched and ready to summon Clarion should the need arise.


    The woman merely chuckled in mirth, gliding towards the center of the room in all her e.r.o.t.i.c glory. Wide h.i.p.s swaying from side to side, thick thighs seductively sliding against one another as she walked until finally she stood at the center of the table.


    "My name is Chaos, Lady Chaos ¡­" the woman declared smugly, producing a wide throne out of thin air with the snap of her fingers.


    The redheaded woman lowered her plump, doughy bulk of butt-flesh onto the throne with a pleased sigh and rested her head on a clenched hand, observing every member of the Light with a certain glint in her crimson eyes of malice and l.u.s.t.


    "¡­ But from now on, I am your Queen!"


    THE END


    Chapter 2


    A few of you asked about Naruto''s first meeting with the JL, right? Well I can''t exactly explain everything on the first chapter. Some scenes will be revealed in Flashbacks while some on the get go. Another thing, some suggested one character or another regarding who Lady Chaos may possibly be, that will be revealed later on.


    In case you have trouble with picturing Lady Chaos'' clothes, just search Belial from Seven Mortal Sins and see her first uniform. Not the one after fusing with that strange dog-like creature.


    On with the show!


    Responses,


    Gammagyro: No. No rings, he is an OP character; I see no reason to add a power ring besides making him look cool. I honestly dislike that sort of thing. Keeping his powers a secret is just wonderful.


    Phenomenal Ultra Instinct: Inspired from what? I really didn''t understand you man, can you explain a little bit clearer?


    Western Mongolia


    "¡­ But from now on, I am your Queen!"


    If the Light had not been pissed off before due to her uninvited and unwelcomed visit, they sure were now, especially Queen Bee and Vandal. The former could not tolerate anyone claiming the title of Queen beside herself while the latter had zero tolerance for being ordered around.


    He had lived for thousands of years, planned the complete annihilation of countless civilizations and still had plans to further his ambitions till the day the entire world ¡­ no, not the Earth but the entire Universe trembled at the simple utterance of his name.


    And suddenly some woman of unknown origin and unknown motives barges in, kill his subordinates and claim that she was to be their queen? Not on his watch.


    Needless to say, Vandal was itching to summon Klarion.


    And he did.


    A bright light from Vandal''s ring announced the dramatic appearance of the childish Lord of Chaos. A short and formally dressed boy with an abnormal hair style, closely resembling pointed horns, appeared out of the light, a large cat gently snuggled up his torso.


    "Vandal, you better have something for me to destroy because I am in a bad mood" Klarion announced in a rough but childish voice, the cat releasing a soft meow as if to agree with its master.


    The evolved caveman barely paid attention to the irritated boy, simply pointing towards a smirking Lady Chaos as she observed the newcomer like a hawk. "Deal with her"


    "Who is she?" the personification of chaos asked with a raised eyebrow of interest. Honestly, he didn''t care who he destroyed but he felt like this woman at least deserved that privilege due to her beauty.


    "Does it matter?" Vandal''s dry and unconcerned question washed away any semblance of regret he felt in potentially destroying a beautiful creature as he grinned evilly.


    "No, I suppose it doesn''t" he countered nonchalantly, a malicious grin threatening to split his face from its wideness as he stepped forward and carefully observed the redheaded woman. "Time to die, lady"


    "Really?" the self-proclaimed Queen asked mockingly, placing a delicate hand over her massive chest and trailing it down the curves of the weighty mounds as she closed her eyes in lewd bliss.


    That rude dismissal of his threat was not taken well.


    Not at all.


    A pulsing seal array around Klarion was the only indication of his anger, followed by the darkening of his eyes and the appearance of two large fireballs in his hands. With a roar that did not suit his seemingly dwarf-like size, Klarion unleashed the spheres of flames in a direct course for the still m.o.a.ning and unaware woman.


    That was his greatest mistake ever.


    Almost as if afraid to interrupt the self-pleasuring woman, the orbs of dark magic shifted direction midway and zoomed right into the interior of the assembly hall, blasting away the gathered members of the Light towards the surrounding walls in a burning pile of barely alive flesh and on the very verge of death.


    Among this carnage, among the smoked remains of shattered walls and scorched flesh, Lady Chaos plopped one of her long legs over the armrest and glided to the side of the throne, providing anyone who would dare look a clear view of her undergarment-clad womanhood and exposed womanly thighs.


    "The game has officially begun, Naruto Uzumaki, I hope you are ready"


    The room almost immediately became home to the reverberations of a tyrannical maniac''s insane laughter, devoid of even a shred of sanity or stability, closely followed by the blood-curdling screams of agony from the downed members of the once mighty Light.


    Naruto''s Apartment


    The redheaded Leaguer casually tossed the pancakes onto another side on a frying pan, whistling a jaunting tone while also cutting onions on his other hands in a way that would leave even the most skilled chef green with envy.


    It was more like a show of skill than actual cooking if someone was to become its witness. And that someone just so happened to be the still sleepy princess of the ferocious amazons.


    "Good morning" Naruto chirped happily, shooting a quick look at her appearance over his wide shoulder. "Nice outfit"


    The black haired amazon was dressed in simple black booty shorts which, quite obvious from its name, showed off her plump booty and thick thighs like she was on a manhunt. A black tank top barely stopped her giant funbags from tearing it into shreds and bouncing out into the open air in all their jiggling glory.


    Even if her hair was disheveled and not done in their graceful style, she still looked as drop-dead gorgeous as she always did.


    "Good morning" Diana answered back in a somewhat sleepy tone, too tired to even offer the smile she was quite known for or think of a respond to Naruto''s quirky jab at her choice of dress.


    "Coming down for breakfast without a shower first?" He conveniently neglected to add the word ''again'' to the sentence.


    "What is the point of having a bath if I am going to get sweaty once again?" she retorted in a pointed but vague tone, a tone she knew that the redhead would understand. And he did if his chuckle was anything to go by.


    "Point taken"


    By the speed of Hermes, he didn''t even have the decency to deny that he was going to have s.e.x with her right after breakfast.


    Honestly, by now she shouldn''t even be surprised since their morning ''delight'' was now a must-follow rule in the small apartment and she had gotten so used to having his fat tool thrusting into her quim every morning that she felt oddly depressed just thinking of not getting the same action this morning.


    But still¡­


    It would be nice to at least see the damned redhead show a little bit of shame when discussing such a private topic.


    "Where is my Ice Cream?"


    "No Ice Cream today, just cream" Naruto retorted with a self-satisfied grin as he pilled all of the pancakes, bacons and scrambled eggs, absentmindedly reaching backwards to grab a chair from smashing into his head. "And you wonder why I call you a hopeless prude"


    "I tolerate your perversion in other things simply because you are at least somewhat ¡­ good at what you say and do" Diana began in a threatening tone, rosy lips stretched into an angry frown while the golden dark flesh of her cheeks glinted a dark red. "But I will not tolerate anything lewd directed at my favorite food"


    "Thanks for the compliment princess" the tall redhead countered with a cheeky wink. Who wouldn''t want to hear that he was good in perverted goodness from a woman, especially when she is angry at you for said perversion?


    "Don''t call me that!" How she hated that nickname, especially when he said it.


    "Ok sheesh, I can''t even tell you to get laid" the redhead murmured under his breath as he grabbed the chock-full platters of food and cautiously strode towards the table, where a cranky amazon was glaring a hole through his head.


    They say that a woman has a certain glow around her in the morning when she has intercourse. He failed to see that glow around Diana and he had been pounding into her soaking wet cunt for the better part of the night and would''ve continued even further had she not collapsed from exhaustion, which is why she appeared so sleepy.


    Where was the damn glow?


    There was no denying the fact that she always looked absolutely gorgeous, whether she was sleeping like a cute kitten, battling a strong opponent or even when having a thick slab of man-meat inside her Amazonian love-channel, but he was searching for the mysterious glow that he had read about in some of the books Diana loved to collect.


    Whoever had said that would pay and he would pay dearly.


    "Did you say something?"


    "Nope, just muttering to myself" he neutralized smoothly as he slipped into a chair, arranging the plates full of food onto the table one after another. He arched an eyebrow when the touchy amazon crossed her hands under her enormous tits and looked away in an immature huff. "What''s with the pout?"


    "I am not eating breakfast without my ice cream" she grumbled heatedly, planting a little more force into her pout for added effect. It always worked. Something about her lips being so damn irresistible and such, according to Naruto.


    If someone had told her that one day she would get a boyfriend who had been with her mother before she was even born, who had lived for who knows how long and one who would make her do these ¡­ juvenile actions, she would have sent them straight to the deepest pits of Tartarus without a second thought.


    Diana and pouting? These two shouldn''t even be put in a single sentence, but it was the truth nevertheless. He was compelling her to do things she hadn''t ever imagined herself doing and the most disturbing part was that she loved it.


    For once, she wasn''t the great Wonder Woman who could rival the greatest of heroes and even match the legendary strength of Superman.


    For once, she wasn''t the ambassador of her home island with a goal of spreading understanding and peace among Man''s world.


    For once, she wasn''t the graceful and beautiful princess of Themyscira who had won the Tournament of Champions and sent into Man''s world to represent her people and fight against the forces of evil.


    For once in her entire life, she was just Diana, a woman with all the needs, temperament and insecurities of a normal woman. He didn''t feel threatened by her status, quite the opposite in fact when you considered that he _ much to her chagrin _ had also been with her mother before her birth.


    He surpassed her in power, thus easily able to handle her angry outbursts. To put it simply, he loved her for who she was and she would be damned if she didn''t love him even more.


    "Come on Diana, eating ice cream first thing in the morning is not healthy" Naruto started in a placating manner, earning a piercing glare from her in return. "I know I shouldn''t be the one talking about healthy food and whatnot but you can see that I am not having ramen either"


    She could see that. A round bowl of noodles sloshing around a dense, salty and unhealthy broth was nowhere to be found, a refreshing sight she had to admit. Then again, so was her ice cream.


    Naruto was the same when it came to ramen, maybe even worse. Give him a friendly advice about forgoing ramen for just one day and you may find yourself in the hospital faster than you can say ''ouch''.


    "You have no idea how hollow a morning sounds without my fill of ice cream" she argued stubbornly, slamming her open palm against the table in a show of fake anger.


    The redhead could feel a massive sweatdrop sliding down the side of his face as he gaped at her. "And you think I feel all sparkly and bubbly without my precious ramen?"


    She ought to keep up her stubborn attitude and force him to bring her some ice cream but damn if those strips of bacons didn''t look absolutely mouthwatering.


    "Come on, just this once. For me" he pleaded in a whiny tone, though on the inside he was practically begging her to refuse his offer because the previously mouthwatering bacons and eggs were appearing much less appealing than he thought they would.


    Sighing in resignation, the black haired princess muttered something incoherently under her breath and grabbed the plate full to the brim with bacons with a dry look expression. "Fine"


    Damn, there goes that idea. She was practically going to attack him a few minutes ago for suggesting that she eat something other than ice cream and now when he was ready for her to refuse one last time, she went ahead and accepted it!


    First bite, the second then the third and before he knew it, Diana was devouring the bacons like she was one a mission, in a manner that would give her stoic mother a heart-attack. Juicy and meaty stripes of bacons disappeared one after another into her mouth while a gaping Naruto looked on with round comical eyes.


    "Where the hell does all that food go?" the redhead blurted out in surprise, receiving a haughty smirk from the occupied beauty. He was almost tempted to forget about breakfast, bend the e.r.o.t.i.cally smirking princess over the table and hammer into her like a man possessed by the devil.


    "Where do you think?" Diana countered in a suggestive tone, darting a quick glance towards her milk-tanks with an alluring smirk.


    "Considering how big those tits are and how fat that ass of yours is, I guess I don''t need to think much harder over that topic" Naruto countered with an equally lecherous snicker as he slid the plate of eggs away, no longer feeling the urge to eat. He was in the mood for something else. "Speaking about tits and ass, we haven''t even done our morning ritual"


    "Not until I eat my ice crea¡­ hey!"


    By the time Diana had composed herself enough to notice that she was sprawled on the table she had just been eating on, it was too late. The redhead was already in his birthday suit and his not-so-little friend was stiffer than an iron rod, no doubt ready to go exploring.


    And it just so happened that the sight for said exploring was her snug p.u.s.s.y. Oh to Tartarus with it, who cared anymore? Breakfast and even her precious ice cream could wait.


    At the end of the day, it didn''t matter to her whether the cream was cold or scorching hot and whether she ate it through her mouth or had it directly pumped into her fertile w.o.m.b.


    Cream was cream after all and by Zeus'' beard she loved it!


    Watchtower, Monitor Room


    A dark frown adorned the Dark Knight''s face as he grimly watched the large computer adjusted into the wall of the room, taking note of a small red dot flickering a few times before vanishing completely.


    It was bad news, not for him alone mind you but for the entire League as well as the safety of human kind. Whether he believed in magic or not was up for debate but he was still a cautious man by nature and knew that a powerful weapon such as the Helmet of Fate was not a good thing in the wrong hands.


    He may agree with Superman''s idea of leaving Kent Nelson, the caretaker of the Helmet, to his own devices but nobody said anything about keeping an eye on him.


    He had put a tracker on the elderly wearer during one of their meetings in order to monitor his travels and to ensure that nothing out of the ordinary happened.


    It seems his worries were coming to pass. The tracker was no longer functional. It meant it had either been destroyed or tampered with. Kent''s last location read ''Salem'' which may provide enough information to track him down and get to the bottom of the issue.


    Batman barely took note of the automatic door sliding open or rather he ignored it in favor of checking on the cave.


    "Hey there Spooky" Naruto announced casually as he and a thoroughly satisfied Diana walked into the room.


    "Greetings Batman" Diana greeted politely, nudging a smirking Naruto in the ribs. The jab to his ribs did little to dissuade the redhead from continuing with his activities.


    That oh so important and essential activity was gently fondling Diana''s meaty ass-cheeks and teasingly trailing his middle up and down the crevice of her covered buttocks.


    "Diana, you were supposed to be on monitor duty an hour ago" Bruce droned out in an emotionless tone, not even bothering to look at the couple he was addressing. And good thing too.


    The voluptuous princess could ignore the rude way he waved off their greetings but her warrior-like mindset would never allow her to be ordered around by anyone. "Let me remind you that I volunteered for the shift in Paradox''s place since he had a meeting with the young Sidekicks, no one has the right to tell me when and how I should do it, not even you"


    Naruto had to give the broody man credit for not reacting in any way in response to Diana''s infamous temper. He could clearly sense Batman''s unease and a hint of defensiveness which showed that he was a victim of fear like all beings are but still it was something.


    Only a select few could brag about ever withstanding her anger and apparently Batman was one of them. Must be because both were the founding members and thus knew each other''s temperament well enough.


    "And besides we were held up due to an unavoidable matter" she added softly, glad that the detective wasn''t looking at them. The blazing blush on her cheeks would have revealed too much at once.


    "Actually, she was held up" Naruto chimed in pleasantly, gentling patting one fat, doughy cheek at a time as he teasingly dig his middle finger into the crack, almost threatening to tear away the star-spangled fabric and embed itself in her backdoor. "I was the one doing the ''holding up'' thing"


    "Shut up!" the princess hissed out in a mixture of anger and embarrassment, all the while trying to ignore the way the redhead was groping her meaty ass and practically fingering her rosebud.


    Indeed they were held up or more like she was held up. She vividly recalled the feeling of his strong arms holding up her lithe form like a weightless doll and spearing her down on his throbbing shaft.


    The feeling of a long, stiff and pulsing pillar of meat thrusting into her tight opening, reshaping it with every single plunge and unloading thick spurts of scorching s.e.m.e.n that could only be measured in the gallons directly into her insatiable and anticipating w.o.m.b was simply out of this world.


    No wonder Man''s world was filled with such debauchery.


    If Batman noticed the hidden meaning of their words, he didn''t comment on it as he turned around with a neutral look on his cowl-covered face. "The place is all yours, Wonder Woman"


    Diana nodded firmly, inwardly sighing in relief when Naruto removed his daring hand from her jutting ass before the detective could spot him. "Thank you"


    "And stay away from each other when you are aboard the Watchtower"


    The Dark Knight didn''t stay long enough to see the effects of his comment as he marched out of the room and into the Zeta Beam platform, teleporting away to tend to his duties and ¡­ avoid being on the receiving end of Diana''s anger once again.


    "Damn, I didn''t even make a crack at him" Naruto grumbled depressingly. Seeing Batman and not annoying him was like forgoing ramen for a few hours, which basically amounted to pure torture.


    "He knows" Diana muttered out in disbelief, several scenarios going through her mind before everything reached a single conclusion. "And it''s all your fault!"


    Yeah, that caused the normally ready redhead to take a few seconds of thinking before he blinked and answered the way any intelligent man would answer when faced against the unknown. "What?"


    "I told you to control your hands!" The voluptuous princess plopped down on the comfy chair reserved for the member in-charge of duty, unconsciously giving a tempting jiggle to her fleshy b.r.e.a.s.ts. The redhead''s eyes instantly gravitated towards the wobbling twins. "My eyes are up here"


    Naruto lewdly licked his dry lips; conveniently ignoring Diana''s twitching fists as he stared at her still softly jiggling tits. "Don''t know why but I suddenly want to drink some milk"


    No matter how tempting that subtle offer was and no matter how her womanhood tingled in excitement, the black haired amazon knew she had to put a stop to his advances before they went too far into their l.u.s.t to return. "Not a chance"


    "Aww come on, I just wanna gently suck on them"


    "No"


    "Just a tinsy winsy little lick?"


    "Absolutely no and that''s final" she retorted quickly, far less force in her words than before while her cheeks flushed bright red. He wanted milk from her? Did he even stop to think what that insinuated? "I thought you had something to do, something about a whiny kid with a cat?"


    "Oh right, I almost forgot" Realization dawned on him as he sprung up swiftly, grabbing a blushing Diana by her hand as he forced her to stand on her feet before turning her around.


    With a firm slap that sent glorious ripples through her fat, meaty globes of flesh she called her buttocks, Naruto vanished into thin air with a snicker before she could register the slap.


    "See you later, princess!"


    "Don''t call me that!"


    Oh how she hated that name. She wasn''t angry because he had spanked her ass, he always did that and she had long since stopped being angry over it. That nickname simply drove her crazy!


    Unknown Location


    "Damn those brats! Damn that old fart! Dammit all!"


    Klarion barely paid any attention to his familiar, Teekl, as he continued to vent out his anger on an unfortunate boulder that had been in his sight after his embarrassing defeat.


    He was the physical embodiment of Chaos. He was destruction incarnate. He was unstoppable. Then how? How could a brat in possession of Fate''s helmet defeat him? That old fart, Nabu, shouldn''t have been able to stand a chance against him due to possessing a human with no affinity for magic whatsoever.


    "So should I help you in defeating the evil boulder?"


    Klarion snapped his head towards the source of the sound, eyes squinting in an unnatural way until they resembled round little dots of red among a deformed visage, a clear indication of his anger.


    That anger tripled when he saw the owner of the voice.


    Calmly seated on a large boulder to the side of the landscape was a tall redhead, dressed in a formal blood red Armani suit and nonchalantly waving at him with a friendly smile.


    Paradox, the recently inducted member of the Justice League and the prime reason why the Light was now under the control of that sadistic monster hidden under the flesh of a woman.


    This redhead was the reason why he, a Lord of Chaos, was reduced to nothing but an errand boy by a woman of all creatures. He was the reason why the Light was forced to be practically enslaved by that beast. He was going to pay!


    "YOU!"


    Naruto blinked cutely and pointed at himself "Me?"


    "I will kill you!"


    "No monologue about you being superior to me and how painfully you are going to make my death? Straight to the killing part?" Naruto commented offhandedly, not the least bit concerned about the dark clouds gathering above the growling boy. "You work fast kid"


    "I am not a kid!" Klarion shouted in outrage, bringing down his raised hands in a crisscross fashion.


    Naruto nodded sympathetically, well aware what the kid was going through. Denial, a great thing really.


    "I understand kido, but I have to ask you one question" Naruto voiced out casually as he calmly dodged continuous lighting strikes raining down upon him from above. "Do you have a sister?"


    "How dare you!"


    "Ok, so no sister" the redhead mused out loud as he stroke his chin. "A mother then, I am a bit of a milf lover"


    That did it for the childish Lord of Chaos as specks of dark magic erupted out of his small form like a broken faucet, eroding any semblance of life from the surrounding due to its sheer tainted nature while Naruto observed the spectacle with a smile.


    "You. Are. Dead!" it didn''t take a genius to figure out the fact that Klarion was pissed off and likewise, it didn''t require a person of unmatched intellect to realize that Naruto was ready to beat him into submission.


    "No, I am not" the redhead retorted pointedly, flashing him the middle finger as a form of ''motivation''. "Still pretty much alive and kicking"


    A stream of dark magic rushed at him from all angles, effectively blocking any way of escape. The former Shinobi took the attack head on, not even trying to block it or make his escape.


    The Witch Boy, seeing the undisturbed way the redhead took on his attack, decided to further solidify his belief of actually incinerating the redhead by sending countless shards of spear-like energy into the smoking center.


    It didn''t take long before the smoke dissipated to reveal a shocking sight. Klarion watched in shock as a completely unscathed Paradox walked out of the crater and much to his astonishment, was using one of his energy spears as a toothpick.


    "Thanks kid, I really needed that toothpick" Naruto stated in a friendly tone, offering a polite nod before discarding the energy sphere to the side, much to the continued shock of the Witch Boy. "That damned thing was being a pain in my ass ¡­ a pain in my tooth actually but you get the idea"


    "H-how?"


    "I don''t know exactly how but I ate roasted beef for breakfast so I think that strand of meat got stuck during that time" Naruto explained ''helpfully'', further agitating the already fuming Lord of Chaos.


    Actually, he barely ate anything even though he cooked quite a lot¡­ unless you counted exploring Diana''s Amazonian p.u.s.s.y with his tongue as eating.


    "I didn''t ask about that!" the pale boy yelled in anger, clenching his fists as he remembered how that damned woman known as Lady Chaos had defeated him so easily that he barely registered it. Now this man was reproducing that scene of shame and dishonor. "You should be vulnerable to magic!"


    The redheaded Leaguer blinked owlishly. "Are you telling me what I should and shouldn''t be vulnerable to? Seriously?"


    "Just shut up and die!"


    "Just chill kido"


    This was what the supposed Lord of Chaos was capable of? Really? Just energy spheres, lightning strikes and spears of dark magic? This was really turning out to be a major disappointment.


    That is until he saw the cat.


    "I see" Paradox muttered in realization, nodding his head in understanding before he snapped his finger and a puff of smoke blasted around his shoulder. These two so called Lords were not directly connected to the mortal plane and needed an anchor to make their appearances.


    The Helmet of Fate was Doctor Fate''s way of making a place for himself in the physical plane while the cat represented Klarion''s connection. It seems he would have to fight the Witch Boy on the magical plane to see his full power.


    Klarion shifted wearily when numerous reddish orange tails appeared out of the specks of smoke before the body of a small fox, almost as big as his familiar, made itself known to the dark world.


    "Kurama, be a dear and turn that cat''s furry butt into your personal punching bag, will you?" Naruto requested in a sing-song voice, making the nine tailed fox grin like a ¡­ well fox.


    "Trouble follows your ass like a moth to a flame ¡­"


    "Hey watch it, fuzz butt!"


    "But at least I get some enjoyment from it" Kurama finished with a large grin, rolling his neck in anticipation for the torture he was going to put the little furball through.


    "What''s with the whole cracking your neck thing? It''s not like I asked you to battle Superman" Naruto interjected sarcastically, prompting a massive tic mark to appear on the fox''s forehead. "It''s just a cat!"


    "I know it''s a cat, you moron!" Kurama yelled in irritation, slapping the redhead with his tails. "I was just pausing for dramatic effect!"


    "There is nothing dramatic about fighting a cat"


    Another tic mark soon joined the first one, throbbing with intensity. "Do you want me to skin that furball or not?"


    "Yes, I do"


    "Then shut up and let me do my job" the nine tailed fox muttered out in impatience, slumping into depression when he saw his ''formidable'' opponent hissing at him as he jumped down from Naruto''s shoulder. "I can''t believe I am about to fight a cat of all things, I am the Great Nine Tail fox dammit!"


    "I see nothing great from where I am standing" Naruto commented cheekily, dodging to the side when a fireball nearly blew his head off.


    "Will you shut the f.u.c.k up? Can you at least let me imagine that I am fighting an army instead of this shitball?" Kurama shouted in frustration, stomping around the clearing like an angry bull. He used to fight the likes of Madara Uchiha and Kaguya, how could he sink so low?


    "You can imagine whatever you want but it''s not going to change the fact that you are fighting a cat" the redheaded Shinobi countered irreverently.


    The once giant beast sighed in depression. "I hate you"


    "Stop ignoring me!"


    The two partners snapped out of their musings when they realized that they had been in the middle of fighting a certain Lord of chaos who was not looking very happy at the moment.


    "Who the f.u.c.k is that?" the energy construct asked with a frown, not liking the fact that someone was bold enough to interrupt their argument. He had been too busy with his partner to notice that there was someone else as well.


    Seriously, this guy must have balls of diamonds if he was willing to interrupt an argument between him and his partner.


    Only one person was bold enough and frankly powerful enough to interrupt them.


    This little brat was either incredibly confident or astoundingly stupid.


    "Actually, I was asking him if he had a sister or mother" Naruto answered smoothly, ignoring Klarion''s glaring stare. "He says he doesn''t have one. Do you think he was found in a flood or something?"


    "I am never going to understand your tastes" Kurama stated dryly, eyeing the small kid. "You seriously want to sleep with this brat''s mother? If he looks like a burnt log, I shudder to think what his mother would look like"


    "WHY YOU¡­"


    "I think you pissed him off" Naruto revealed sagely.


    Seeing the way Teekl transformed into a giant saber tooth tiger and how Klarion was suddenly looking much taller than before, the two gave each other strange looks before nodding firmly. "Yep, I definitely pissed him off"


    "Nice job, partner" the redheaded ninja praised, giving his foxy friend a thumb up for good measures.


    Kurama slapped his tiny chest in pride. "Thanks, I am really good at pissing people off"


    "But¡­"


    Kurama palmed his chibi forehead in irritation when Naruto dashed towards the transforming Witch Boy with an unreadable look on his face before punching him square in the face with enough force to send him soaring into the distance like a ragdoll. "Seriously?"


    Oh right, the cat.


    The nine tailed fox grinned widely and turned towards the transformed Teekl, waving his tails in sick glee. "Come here you little shit"


    ROAR


    Within the next few seconds, an irritated Kurama was sitting on a bruised Teekl with a twitching eyebrow and pulsing tic mark on his forehead. That was it? What the actual f.u.c.k?


    "KURAMA!"


    Whatever irritation he was feeling washed away instantly when he heard Naruto''s maddened shout. The cat was connected to that little shitstain, so if the cat was down then obviously it meant that Naruto''s opponent was also down¡­ before the redhead could vent out his anger.


    "I seriously love this f.u.c.k.i.e.d up logic!" Kurama remarked cheekily, as he blissfully lay down on the cat and waited for his annoyed partner to appear.


    THE END


    Chapter 3


    Watchtower, Gallery


    "I am telling you, buddy, the guy practically shouted out his entire master plan to me" Flash gushed out in childish excitement as he narrated the tale of his recent bout with Mirror Master to Naruto who was seated opposite to him in chair with a glass of Ice Cream ¡­ which he had ''borrowed'' from Diana''s collection.


    She was not going to be happy about said ''borrowing'' when she found out that was for sure.


    "Please don''t tell me you spared him?" Naruto groaned out, painfully ready for the outburst of ''hell yeah'' from his friend. This was one of things that irritated him about the Leaguers, forgiveness.


    On the plus side¡­


    Who knew he and the speedster would hit it off so well? He sure as hell didn''t.


    "Nah, I kicked his ass extra hard for being stupid" Barry retorted with a grin as he took a long sip from a juice carton, causing his redheaded partner to smirk like a Cheshire cat and slap him on the shoulder.


    "That''s my boy!"


    "Naruto"


    The aforementioned man hummed in thought and turned towards the direction of the voice, bright blue eyes coming to a stop upon the approaching form of a tall and muscular man dressed in a red and blue armor suit, a stylized S emblemized on his chest.


    "Yes, Big Blue, what can I do for you?" the redheaded Shinobi asked in a sing-song voice, inciting a loud whistle from Flash.


    "That rhymed man!"


    "I know right? Am I a freaking genius or what?"


    Superman coughed into his hand to interrupt the duo before they descended into their own world of wonders and ¡­ insanity, no matter how amusing and entertaining it was.


    Flash used to be a light of hope for the grim and unpleasant atmosphere of the watchtower, one who would always try to induce some sort of normalcy into their lives with his amusing antics, even after being scolded by the much stricter and uptight members of the League.


    Even Diana had scolded the always grinning man a few times.


    However since Naruto''s arrival, everything around the League changed and for the better he might add. The redheaded man just had this aura of friendliness about him that simply compelled others to gather around him. He was casual, friendly and funny.


    He had even caught Bruce smiling a few times after witnessing Naruto pull off some rather ¡­ disturbing pranks on the Leaguers. If that wasn''t an accomplishment, then he didn''t know what was.


    The biggest and perhaps most surprising accomplishment of the redhead had to be his relationship with Diana. The relationship itself wasn''t the real surprise but rather the events that led to it.


    Each and every single man on the planet knew that Diana was and still is a woman of principle, discipline and grace. Anything outside the boundary of these three aspects was unacceptable. She valued order and regularity like her own life.


    Naruto was the exact opposite of her personality. Anything that made him smile, freaked the living daylights out of people and gave him a kick of sensation was acceptable. He valued the thrill of the unknown and loved challenging that which was thought to be unchallengeable.


    During the first few hours of Naruto''s eventual induction into the League, Diana rejected every single aspect of his personality, deeming him unworthy of the position of a protector. Naruto, being Naruto, only took that as a challenge and started what was later dubbed by Flash as the ''War of Confession''.


    The redhead started doing exactly what Diana hated most¡­ right in front of her face. Delivering the first blow by calling her the one nickname she utterly despised, Naruto started a ferocious combos of verbal attacks on the Amazonian princess that would sometime leave said woman speechless.


    Challenging her to spars and then escaping just as the fight would reach an acceptable heat. Stealing her Ice Cream collection, eating it in front of her and then vanishing into thin air to escape her wrath. These were some of the more ''colorful'' things Naruto had done to the black haired heroine.


    However, the most embarrassing to both the woman herself and those around her was Naruto either groping her ¡­ frontal assets or slapping her behind before escaping in a mad dash. Needless to say, the first month had been one neither he nor any of the Leaguer would ever forget.


    Times flew by and before they knew, their strict and always disciplined member started acting ¡­ weird. She no longer admonished Flash for being irresponsible and acting childish. She no longer insisted on the rules being followed strictly and most surprising of all, she no longer acted venomous towards Naruto as she used to.


    In fact much to the surprise of everyone, she warmed up to him considerably ¡­ but not much since Naruto remained as he was. It wasn''t long before they announced that they were in a relationship. Most of the Leaguers took it in stride; others such as Flash ¡­ fainted.


    "Naruto, did you say something to Kara ¡­ again?" Clark asked in a blank but dry tone as he stood in front of the redheaded man, who was looking anywhere but into his eyes.


    "Umm no?"


    "Are you sure?" he probed firmly, crossing hands over his chest. "Because she is currently wrecking the Training room and shouting something about a redheaded pervert"


    "I may have¡­ probably ¡­ sort of gently tapped her back" Naruto explained innocently, conveniently ignoring Superman''s dry look.


    "THAT WASN''T A GENTLE TAP, YOU PERVERT!" a loud voice tore through the corridors and reverberated through the gallery. "YOU SLAPPED MY ASS!"


    "Damn" Barry muttered in surprise as a massive sweatdrop slid down Naruto''s head. If there was one thing Barry absolutely adored and hated about his new buddy, it was his perversion. The redhead had the balls to even slap Diana''s ass which basically amounted to being sent to Tartarus in pieces.


    He was a man who admired the gifts that God had bestowed upon the female kind from afar but Naruto was even more ''religious'' than him. He was inspecting every single aspect of those gifts with his unworthy hands every opportunity he would get.


    Basically, no heroine''s assets on the Watchtower had been spared from being ''inspected''.


    Kara''s heroine outfit was short enough to show off her luscious backside. If Naruto had slapped that bubble ass, then there was no better person to teach him the ways of the pervert than this redheaded master.


    A certain reporter was trying hard to both hide his irritation and amus.e.m.e.nt. Irritation because the redhead kept doing these things no matter how many times he was caught or chased after.


    And amused because the redhead''s reaction after being caught and his sorry excuse of an explanation always made his day. Plus, he was keeping his wayward of a cousin in line.


    "Big Blue, you gotta believe me, I am innocent!" Naruto pleaded comically, Flash nodding his head in confirmation to aid his friend, even though he knew that Naruto was guilty. "She is just accusing me like the last time. Do you really think someone as innocent as me would want to steal the panties of a hormonal teenager like her?"


    ''Does this guy have a death wish or something?'' the male Kryptonian mused in deadpan. Everyone knew who was responsible whenever a heroine''s panties or other private possessions were stolen. One of these days, he would push the blonde Kryptonian too far and there would be consequences.


    "I KNOW IT WAS YOU, YOU SICK PERV!"


    Naruto gestured towards the tall hero as he leaned forward as if trying to unveil a great secret. "That time of the month, eh?"


    "I HEARD THAT!"


    "Shit!" Naruto cursed loudly and stood up from the chair, wildly looking around the gallery. The blonde Kryptonian was on her way and he could feel it. "Sorry to cut this charming conversation in half, but I gotta go. See you later!"


    Naruto''s abrupt departure from the room was soon followed by a red and blue blur speeding through the chamber and out of the door in breakneck speed.


    "Aren''t you going to help him?" Clark asked curiously, staring at a casually grinning Flash.


    "Nah"


    "I thought you said you two were best buddies?"


    "When we are trying to prank people" Flash explained firmly. "Not when he''s got a pissed off teenager after his ass"


    AAA


    Mount Justice


    "Phew, that was close!" Naruto panted out in exhaustion as he appeared into the cave out of thin air. He had almost been caught, mostly because he had slowed down enough for the pissed off blonde to catch up but still it was something.


    He had to admit one thing though, slapping that teenage booty and feeling the sheer softness of her bubble buttocks was so worth the trouble. Honestly, she should have expected her luscious butt being spanked by now, all of the others had done so, why not her?


    If someone like his drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend could get used to being groped or spanked unexpectedly, then why not her?


    Simple.


    She loved it, that much he knew and sensed, not to mention smelled. She could show anger physically but her eyes could not hide the l.u.s.t behind them nor could she stop herself from getting wet.


    Speaking about anger, what was this depression hovering around the cave? The redhead Leaguer shoved potentially dangerous thoughts about one day f.u.c.k.i.n.g a certain teenage Kryptonian into an unconscious mess and leaving her with a bloated belly of baby batter to the back of his head and focused on the source of the depressing sensations.


    "What''s with the long face?" Naruto asked casually as he walked up to the seated form of a sulking Aqualad. The boy was sitting in such a way that the Leaguer almost suspected that his mother or father had died ¡­ and then he remembered that Aqualad''s mother had died quite a long time ago and the poor boy didn''t know who his father was.


    "Greetings Paradox" the boy greeted in a detached tone, hands hanging limping by his sides. "I am not sure what to do?"


    Naruto smiled cheekily, patting the dejected boy on the back. "Love problems?"


    "Am I really that transparent?"


    "No, I am just that good at telling such things"


    Kaldur couldn''t argue with that. They only had a few missions with the redhead and he was hardly around these days but those few missions were enough to make them understand that Naruto was an enigma, short and simple.


    "Spit it out already"


    The Atlantean couldn''t keep the chuckle contained when he heard the man''s indignant comment. "When I was a child, I used to hear stories regarding the surface world and its wonder. It was my dream to one day walk the earth and engrave my name onto the pages of history in the name of my king. Now that I am here, I¡­"


    Naruto nodded understandingly. "You are feeling doubtful"


    "I¡­ am just not sure if I belong here."


    The redhead sighed heavily before staring out into the farthest side of the cave with a faraway look on his face. "Look kid, love is very complicated. It can turn a courageous man into a coward and a coward into a hero. Trust me when I say I know what you feel"


    "Your relationship with Wonder Woman is not the same as mine, I am afraid" Kaldur retorted blankly.


    "My situation is a lot different than yours, Kaldur, I love Diana more than I can put into words as I do her mother" Naruto explained calmly, causing the Atlantean to widen his eyes in surprise when he said ''her mother''. "I can give you a thousand reasons as to why my situation is a lot different than yours but I''d rather not."


    "What should I do?"


    "Doubts are never healthy for a relationship or in your case for the potential beginning of a relationship. I suggest you return to Atlantis temporarily, the familiar atmosphere of your home would provide you with enough calmness to make a rational decision and while you are at it, go and talk to your love interest."


    With his part done, Naruto floated through the cave and disappeared into the room assigned for him.


    Uzumaki Island


    Bright early morning sunlight streamed into the large bedroom a certain former Shinobi was occupying, prompting said redhead to stir from his sleep. Bright blue eyes, glowing like the glittering surface of an ocean, opened to scan the surroundings before noticing the extra weight situated upon his chest.


    A soft smile tugged at his lips as he idly observed the blissful expression of his partner sleeping like an innocent kitten, not an ounce of discomfort or worry on her face.


    Bright flame-like sweeping hair extended all the down, covering the right side of the bed in a flame-like design of pure feminine beauty, a few strands hanging in front of her sharp but delicate features. Plump lips were subconsciously stretched into a satisfied smile as she slept atop his chiseled chest.


    The familiar feeling of her large, swollen b.r.e.a.s.ts mashed against the stone-like muscles of his torso as well as her still erect n.i.p.p.l.es scratching against his dense skin was causing his lower buddy to throb.


    Speaking of his lower buddy, the foot long slab of c.o.c.k meat was cozily embedded into the woman''s still damp and milking cunt, occasionally squeezing down on the meat pillar to milk out what had remained from their last night beastly rutting.


    Extending his hands down her slender waist, Naruto grabbed the sleeping woman by her wide h.i.p.s, tenderly digging his finger into the tender flesh of her thick meaty ass before delicately hoisting her up from his pelvis as he pulled out his pulsating c.o.c.k from the snug opening, eliciting a whimpering m.o.a.n from the sleeping beauty.


    His chest welled up in manly pride when, as soon as his c.o.c.k was pulled out of the stretched and well-f.u.c.k.i.e.d hole, wad after thick wad of c.u.m poured out of her p.u.s.s.y in a continuous stream, effectively soaking the bed sheets.


    While he was tempted to just leave his d.i.c.k inside the hole that he had thoroughly f.u.c.k.i.e.d last night and maybe repeat the occurrence once she was awake, the presence approaching his island needed his attention at the moment.


    Besides, it''s not like he couldn''t just come back and pound the orange-haired woman known as Volcana into a drooling mess after dealing with his guest.


    Planting a soft kiss on the woman''s lips, Naruto stood up from the bed and strolled out of the master bedroom in all his n.a.k.e.d glory. It wasn''t long before the redheaded Leaguer stood on the shores of the island in simple black boxers, bare feet planted firmly on the wet sand as small waves of cold water rushed around him.


    Someone was approaching his island in ways that no normal human or even the gifted could do. The presence, the aura and the sensation he wafted off made his identification quite easy.


    "Welcome to my island, Spectre" Naruto declared softly, eyes not even bothering to witness the arrival of the cosmic entity known as Spectre. Dark green light flashed softly, an unnatural force slammed against the atmosphere and the air around the island thickened as a hooded figure appeared out of the light.


    The cosmic entity known as Spectre, the Divine Wrath of the one known as The Presence presumed the appearance of a middle aged man dressed in green pants, gloves, a long green cap and hood covering his head, casting shadows over his facial features.


    An ominous green light radiated around the floating figure, occasionally flashing in intensity. A long cap following in a flame-like pattern and the power behind a set of glowing emerald eyes enhanced the weight of his presence.


    Honestly he had expected them to show up as soon as he had stepped foot into this dimension, but apparently he had overestimated the top dogs. They had only noticed his presence after he had flexed a sliver of energy into the cosmic plane last night to deliberately alert them to his appearance in their playground.


    Fighting crime was good and all but he missed the interference of the big bads. Super villains could only entertain him so much before he got bored. Messing with the cosmic food chain was much more thrilling, especially when the competitors were hell bent on thwarting the success of their brethren on every turn and seeking to expand their influence.


    "You have been expecting me?" the cosmic entity rumbled out in a hoarse but emotionless tone as he floated before the nonchalant Shinobi who wasn''t even bothering to look at him.


    A cheeky grin adored the redhead''s lips as he shrugged. "Don''t flatter yourself; I wasn''t expecting you specifically, but the lapdogs of your master"


    A subtle narrowing of eyes from the personification of Wrath ignited the entire east portion of the sea on fire as Spectre floated near the grinning redhead. "You would do well to control what you speak lest you suffer my wrath"


    So predictable!


    With a snap of his fingers, Naruto dismissed the flames roaring around the ocean before turning to stare into the eyes of the cosmic being. "And you would do well to remember who are speaking to"


    If the cosmic being was disturbed by the unexpected show of power, he didn''t show it. A glint of curiosity glimmered in his eyes, increasing in intensity with each passing second. "Who am I speaking to, then?"


    "Your master sent you here without informing you of my identity? How unfitting of a so-called ultimate ruler" the redheaded Leaguer stated in a mocking tone of concern, provoking a burst of energy from the emotionless entity. "Unfortunately for you, I am not in the mood to tell you who I am, so let''s get the matter of your arrival here on my turf"


    This ¡­ human-looking entity was insulting beyond words. If he was willing to blatantly mock the ruler of the Multiverse, then obviously he was no ordinary being. The Spectre could only try to understand this being in a non-violent way and not let his anger burst forth.


    "You are to abscond this plane of existence¡­ for good" the blazing figure thundered in a deep, commanding tone. "Your presence here is initiating too many irregularities for the balance to be maintained. Your actions are entirely out of the influence of Fate, consequently altering the realms in ways that threatens everything the cosmos stands for"


    A chuckle escaped Naruto''s mouth, followed by a loud roar of laughter that even surprised the emotionless personification of wrath. "To think I stumbled onto this realm while running from two horny sisters trying to bed me. Go and tell your coward of a master to f.u.c.k off. I was only planning to stay here for a few years, but now that I know how much my presence irritates your foolish lord, I plan to stay"


    The cosmic entity moved to raise his hand and evaporate the redhead where he stood, only to find his entire body paralyzed by an unseen force. "W-what have you d-done to me?"


    "You lapdogs are all the same, so willing to carry out the whims of your master without the slightest bit of judgment on your part" Naruto drawled out in a lazy tone as he turned towards the frozen form of the Spectre, eyes glowing a dark blue and lips stretched into a cruel smirk. "Tell your foolish lord to try the best he can in stopping me. He may have faced the likes of Anti- Monitor and Great Beast but I assure you that I am quite different"


    Anti-Monitor? Great Beast? None of this made sense! It was like this redheaded being knew more about their multiverse than even HIM, the physical personification of divine wrath.


    Seeing the specks of confusion flickering around the eyes of the suspended being, Naruto shook his head in amus.e.m.e.nt and gently patted him on the cheek.


    "Oh you poor boy, you weren''t told anything, were you? Goes to show how much your master trusts you." The mock concern in his tone spoke clearly of his disinterest as well the sheer malice wafting off his words. "Now unless you want to have breakfast with me and my scorching hot partner, leave my sight"


    Spectre wasn''t given much time to give a proper answer as his body was disintegrated into tiny specks of energy and carried by the winds.


    The redheaded Leaguer turned his piercing gaze towards the vast reaches of space, letting a dark smirk of malevolence and dreadful intentions graced his lips. "Cosmic game is a delicate but dangerous tactic to seduce the beast within. I hope you are ready for the consequences"


    Bialyian Desert


    "I still don''t understand why you would need my help on this mission" a curiously frowning Wonder Woman asked as she and her redheaded lover flew through the desert of the rogue state of Bialya. "You are more than capable of handling it"


    Admittedly, she wasn''t complaining or anything since having alone time with him was exactly what she needed in her stressful life. Whether they were on a mission or simply relaxing in his apartment or the Embassy , she loved the effects he had on her.


    However, she would have preferred simply relaxing on the couch she had been resting on before he had interrupted her and brought her into this desert. While she knew that there was no resting while with Naruto since he was keeping her busy by one thing or another ¡­ mostly f.u.c.k.i.n.g her into unconsciousness.


    Her favorite part _ right after the overflowing creampie _ she had to admit, but not to Naruto of course. The smug redhead would never let her live it down.


    "Would you rather I left you on that couch all alone?" Naruto retorted blankly as he looked around the vast dunes of sand with a critical look.


    "Answer the question"


    "Fine" the redhead sighed in resignation before flying closer to the Amazonian woman, wrapping an arm around her slender waist as he pulled her closer. "I just wanted you to accompany me"


    A mischievous glint sparkled in Diana''s eyes as she leaned forward, rotating midair until she was straddling the redhead while still keeping their speed. "Someone''s trying to get on my good side"


    "I am already on your good side" Paradox replied cheekily, moving his hands past her waist to grab at her massive ass cheeks, fondling the round and chunky globes like kneading a dough. "So?..."


    She had been his lover long enough to know what he meant by certain words in certain situations and frankly it didn''t take a genius to figure what Naruto wanted at the moment, if the giant f.u.c.kpole poking against her fabric-covered p.u.s.s.y was any indication.


    "We never have f.u.c.k.i.e.d in the sand, have we?" she inquired in a sultry tone, desire and l.u.s.t practically dripping from her words as she grinded her gradually soaking cunt against the straining c.o.c.k.


    Nothing could wipe off Naruto''s stupid grin at that moment. "I don''t believe we have"


    BOOM!


    Except the sound of a tank firing at something and causing sand to fly all over the place.


    "DAMN IT!"


    Hiding away the amus.e.m.e.nt she felt at Naruto''s constipated look as well shoving her own irritation of being denied the rutting she deserved, Diana untangled herself from her lover''s embrace and flew towards the source of the commotion, a grumbling Naruto following suit.


    Her eyes narrowed significantly when she witnessed a topless Superboy fighting against Bialyian forces in a way that resembled a wild and wounded animal trying to break free from some kind of invisible chains.


    A few meters away from the skirmish were the familiar forms of Kid Flash and Artemis, looking on in something akin awe and dread as Superboy battled the army like an animal.


    "What is that Flash says in a situation like this?" Diana voiced out curiously, gaining the attention of a contemplating Paradox as he raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, dibs on handling Superboy and the army!"


    A sheepishly blanking Naruto opened and his closed his mouth in shock as his drop-dead gorgeous lover dashed towards the middle of the battle with a smug smirk, shooting him a wink over her shoulders.


    "She learns fast" he commented in amus.e.m.e.nt as he watched the amazon princess quickly dispatch the Bialyian army like they were nothing before effortlessly dodging a maddened punch from Superboy. "Time to reintroduce myself to the kids"


    Kid Flash and Artemis were too engrossed in their staring contest to notice that a redheaded man dressed in a formal red suit was standing beside them and watching the show.


    "She is a feisty one, ain''t she?" Naruto commented idly, draping a hand over Artemis''s shoulder like an old friend as they watched Diana dismantle Superboy with practiced ease, rendering him unconscious with a chop to the back of his neck.


    The blonde teenager''s heart almost burst out of her chest cavity when she felt the new comer suddenly appear so near them that he could dr.a.p.e his arm around her shoulder and still get unnoticed. With enough skill to even impress Naruto, Artemis shrugged of his hand, back-flipped a few meter away, already in the process of taking aim with a readied arrow.


    Whatever obscenities, curses and threats she had prepared in her head for throwing at the brave intruder stuck in her suddenly dry throat when her eyes became witnessed to the physical manifestation of every women''s wet dream.


    ''OH MY GOD!'' a chibi Artemis, much more scantily clad than the original ran around the blonde''s head holding a banner that clearly announced ''In love!''. A redheaded, charmingly handsome and deliciously muscular hunk right of in front of her impressionable eyes? Was she dreaming? Who in the nine bloody hells was this stud? Where the hell had he been all her life?


    "W-who are you?"


    ''F.u.c.k! Smooth Artemis, real smooth! You meet a gorgeous hunk and what do you do? Oh yeah make a complete fool out of yourself by stuttering!''


    It was at time that Kid Flash snapped out of his funk¡­ only because Diana had dealt with Superboy and was floating towards them with said half Kryptonian on her shoulder in all her sensual glory.


    AN: What do you guys think of a Naruto crossover X Men Evolution story? Same Naruto, same character but different timeline. Vote on it,


    1) Yes


    2) No


    He ended up doing it! Fic name is Agent of Change, check it out!


    Review and follow me on Instagram to get updates.


    Actual name: Crimson.


    User name: lord-of-crime-.

 Chapter 305 - My SI Stash #5 - Revolution by black9 (Naruto)

    -Pretty impressive fic~ With some feels trip too, I gotta say underdog MC stories goes hard, the way our MC fought so cleverly against an opponent that is supposed to be extremely powerful was just gratifying! And the death of *REDACTED* showed us that the author isn''t afraid of making a beloved character die, in a realistic and reasonable way with plot relevance of course. I can really respect that as most authors INDULGE themselves by allowin their fav characters to live and just ignore overall the flow of the story.


    Synopsis: SI-OC Naruto fanfiction. Mostly canon until Tsunade becomes Godaime, changes snowball together at some point. MC will do his damn best to become strong enough to survive, while trying to bring some civilization in a world where 12 years old are taught how to kill.


    Rated: T


    Words: 109K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13519657/1/Revolution (black9)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    This is my first attempt at SI-OC Naruto fanfiction. As I said in the title, my character will focus on staying alive, at least at first...


    I don''t think I will put lemons in it, because quite frankly I don''t think writing what the MC thinks about anal s.e.x is character building. There is a f.u.c.kton of smut out there if you need to wank, use a bloody p.o.r.n site.


    English is not my mother language, so I could do it with a beta-reader.


    I''ll write what I can when I want, so there it is.


    P.S.


    I said it on my profile already, but I shall repeat: suggestions and constructive comments and reviews are welcome. If you don''t like what a character does or does not, save yourself time and don''t tell me since the characters will do what the hell I want them to (that''s the whole point of fanfiction).


    If something doesn''t add up feel free to tell me. Especially if the logic behind it doesn''t make sense!


    Thank you, and have fun!


    Chapter 1:


    Awakening


    The first thing I clearly remember is feeling somewhat confused.


    For a lot of reasons: I was no longer twenty-two years old (at least judging by my pudgy hands, blurry vision, and attention span of a mosquito), other children were roaming around, the a.d.u.l.t people around me were not speaking my home country language, and I was enthralled by a bright orange wood cube.


    Don''t get me wrong, I normally don''t despise orange, or wood, or regular geometrical 3-D objects, it''s fascinating, really, but before this first memory of me in a little body, I am quite sure I was just about to submit my thesis for my Bachelor degree in History.


    From there my confusion.


    It most definitely was not a dream, simply because if you can think about being in a dream while you are sleeping, it''s easy to distinguish it from reality. At least this is always been something I could do.


    My confusion was slowly subdued by my rising panic.


    WHAT THE F.U.C.K!?


    I was almost hyperventilating, and boy is it not something stupid to do? The other children would notice something was wrong with me, so would the a.d.u.l.ts, and I would found myself in some secret military lab being dissected for some reason or another.


    Because seriously, what else it could be? I wasn'' t two years old! And yet I most certainly appeared as such. I forced myself to calm down.


    Looking around curiously, I noticed a distinct lack of cameras or soldiers or even mad scientists for what mattered.


    Maybe the cameras were super small though, so I couldn''t start studying my environment like the paranoid a.d.u.l.t I was.


    Following a gut feeling, I spent the following hours crying, playing and mindlessly roaming on my unsteady legs, blending in with the other children.


    From what I could observe, they were regular annoying little toddlers, I looked to be in an orphanage of some kind. I didn''t hate them, I was the same slobbering mess at their age, but that raised other questions. Like why was I the only a.d.u.l.t in disguise? And why they were all talking in what my limited experience with animes identified as Japanese?


    Not that there was anything wrong with japan, just, I had always thought that strange experiments regarding transplanting an a.d.u.l.t into a baby were more up America''s alley.


    Another problem was that I couldn''t read Japanese. That meant that even if I managed to somehow find a random doc.u.ment that explained everything, I wouldn''t understand it. I only hoped that the official doc.u.ments would be in English.


    At the end of the day, I wasn''t equipped well enough to properly investigate.


    Laying low was my only option until my body caught up with my mind and I found a way to escape.


    That is, in the worst-case situation.


    Maybe I simply had been struck down by an aneurism and reborn into the body of a Japanese. Which was worrying, but workable with.


    For a time that I could hardly define, it could have been a few months or a year, I tried to fly under their radar.


    I started recognizing some words and the mysteries of Japanese were slowly start to unravel in front of me.


    However the orphanage had some inconsistencies, like the wooden floors, that I thought was something for more refined environments, and bad food. I mean, if you can afford posh wooden floors and their maintenance you can afford something different than rice at every f.u.c.k.i.n.g meal. Bread! I needed bread and cheese! And what is it with the fish? It was everywhere! Sometimes pork, okay. But what about beef? Hell, pasta! Ravioli! whatever! I needed something that at least could remember Italian food!


    I could make do with noodles, noodles were awesome, but it wasn''t the same.


    The names of the other kids had been something I could seldom say just right, at least until I became (At least following my gut) four years old. Around my ''fourth'' birthday, the Japanese suddenly clicked, the cadence of the language fell in place on my tongue, and I started directly thinking in Japanese without noticing. It was then that I realized that I already had the reputation of being a dimwit, it was subtle, but the way the matron of the orphanage waited just a little more for me to answer to her question was proof enough.


    Excuse me if I had to learn a whole new language on my own. I thought bitterly at the time, before realizing that it could be something that kept me even more sheltered from scrutinizing eyes.


    Another strange thing that I had noticed was the complete absence of newspapers, and there wasn''t television that we orphans had access to. And also, the games: there wasn''t a single western chess board anywhere, or a monopoly, for what mattered. All the books the children had access to were filled to the brim with ninjas or more rarely samurais. Animals and trees were still And while I had never been allowed to leave the premises of the orphanage, I never heard a single-engine, nor saw a single airplane crossing the sky. My being dimwitted had kept me from being shown off to the occasional couple of parents wishing to adopt, but that had not stopped me from noticing their clothes: often kimonos of some kind, almost always sandals. I thought that I lived in some kind of Amish reserve in the middle of nowhere.


    I was maybe five when I saw it for the first time. It wasn''t a coincidence that I hadn''t noticed it until then after all the courtyard of the orphanage didn''t face the mountainside of the city.


    It was a sunny, cloudless day. Late autumn, I would have said. We were in a time of the year which didn''t belong to either summer or winter, but the mornings were becoming colder and the afternoons shorter.


    Probably, my asking her how to write my name on the previous day had helped in her decision. It had been a strange moment.


    I had been sitting alone under a window, absentmindedly tracing my fingers over the few kanjis over the ill.u.s.trated book. I was trying to decipher them, but beyond recognizing the same symbol here and there, I was having little luck.


    The orphanage''s matron leaned over my shoulder out of nowhere: "Reading, are we?"


    I summoned all my cuteness and stared at her with wide eyes, grabbing my Japanese and stringing it together in what I hoped was: "Teach me?"


    It worked. The woman smiled and ruffled my hair, making me smile impishly. She chooses to teach me only how to write my name. I was skeptical, but it turned out learning how to write was more difficult than I had previously thought.


    My name was Daiki, and the woman had shown me that it was written with ´ó (dai) meaning "big, great" combined with Ýx (ki) meaning "brightness", or ˜ä (ki) meaning "tree", or even ÙF(ki) meaning "valuable". She told me that while all sounded the same, the meanings were very different. I told her that I wanted to be ´óÝx. She told me that I was a ''big tree'' instead. I didn''t care, it was my name, I would bloody write it as I wished.


    And while I had to resist the urge of rolling my eyes at her patronizing tone, I found the idea of kanji simply beautiful. Oh, it wasn''t effective at all, I knew that. E... that alphabet was extraordinarily versatile and precise. But in my opinion lacked the subtle elegance kanjis were capable of. I asked her if she could teach me how to properly write, and that I think surprised her. She had simply told me that I could start learning from the following week. I had a couple of months of catch up to do, but I could sit along with the others six years old kids.


    Back to us, after my display of what I guess could be called maturity, I was allowed to play in the park on the other side of the road. Luckily, maybe because of my often blank expression (unnatural on a child) or general quietness, the other kids tended to leave me alone, and the matron, besides the occasional bout of kindness, was far too busy to keep a close eye on me. So my general loneliness, while swinging between nerve-wracking and welcome, went unnoticed.


    It was then that I decided I was reborn into a cult of some kind. Seriously, why in the f.u.c.k.i.n.g hell there would be a Mount Rushmore with an anime character on the north side of the city?


    All the inconsistencies had come together that way. The magically being reborn in there raised a shy objection in my mind. After all, I had read enough fanfictions to recognize the beginning of an SI-OC fanfiction of Naruto when I was starring in it. I stared at the monument that was the trademark of Konohagakure no Sato for what looked like a lifetime. My blood rushed into my ears and I could only hear the beating of my heart. I forced myself to look around and try to find out if it was only a big cosplay moment or not.


    The park had a low wooden fence and benches, with an abundance of bushes and skimpy trees, slides and even a sandbox. I walked around a bit in my short legs, casually noticing how most girls had frilly dresses and jumpers while the boys (myself included) wore cargo pants of some kind and tracksuit covering our torsos. The popularity of sandals was mind-blogging, even if I had little choice but to go with the flow. Everything us orphans from the orphanage wore only second-hand clothes, but the material was sturdy and managed to keep me warm, so I couldn''t complain.


    Trees were sprouting everywhere between the condominiums, and while there wasn''t a single cloud in sight, leaves were fluttering everywhere over our heads. Looking back, even cultists wouldn''t give wooden kunais to children to play with. Or would they? After watching The Following I thought that everything was possible for a cultist.


    A noise broke the pattern of children squabbling and I turned to see three older kids walking down the road laughing among themselves, I immediately recognized their hitai ate (forehead protector). They had forgettable faces and moved... well like civilians actually, no show of magic chakra powers of any kind. I was starting to relax. It''s only a cult of Naruto. I thought somewhat relieved. The situation still had a lot of problems and issues I needed to solve, but I had to deal with humans, no strange shit. Physics was still real, and I wasn''t going to attend Hogwarts, not a strange ring to toss into an active volcano. Surviving was doable.


    I blinked, and in a gust of wind, a man with a shiny hitai ate appeared in front of them, scaring everyone shitless. Probably the trio had done some bullshit, I had other thoughts running amock in my head. It is real. sounded in my head.


    I stumbled towards an empty patch of bushes and puked what was left of my lunch. Shit shit shit shit shit it cannot go worse shit shit shit shit.


    "Hey did you eat a slug?" a kid asked, triggering a waterfall of laughter out of the other children that choose exactly that moment to look at me.


    I looked up from my vomit to stare at the laughing kids in the eyes, before stopping my gaze on the one that expressed such a refined example of humor.


    "Yeah." I deadpanned. "Yeah, I ate a slug."


    Chapter 2


    The academy was a curious place, I decided. It had been a long day for my young body, but I had learned loads.


    The Academy was a huge building in Konohagakure located directly at the base of the Hokage Mountain. It was where prospective ninja got trained and where genin without a team received their missions since it turned out that the Genin Corps were not only a fandom thing.


    It had been founded by the Second Hokage out of military necessity. The Academy was quite large and was comprised of several buildings which were erected over time. There was an unmistakable tree in front of it which had a swing on it, and it was easy to recognize also thanks to the giant sign with the kanji for "fire" (»ð) on it. Classrooms in the Academy were large with high ceilings, based on a theory that larger classrooms lead to expansive education, expanding even to the blackboard itself. In my head that qualified as ''feng shui bullshit''. In front of the blackboard there was a podium, situated far from the students'' desks and put in a position where the teacher could view everyone at once.


    It was exactly like in Naruto.


    My first self imposed job had been understanding exactly how much this world was similar to the narutoverse. I still had to observe a single difference.


    A week after learning how to write my name, I had told the matron that I wished to become a ninja. Her smile had become somewhat fixed, surprising me. Her reaction, which had been a carefully disguised distaste, didn''t match my vision of propaganda deeply rooted into the head of everyone.


    But since then I had been allowed a single room, and I thought that the size of my riceballs had increased. It was a disgusting thought. Selling the life of the shinobi to the orphans through little privileges. I understood I could even relate with the Kages, but it was disgusting. I forced myself to listen to the stories the caretakers of the orphanage told us children before going to bed and I cursed my previous choice of ignoring them, I would have known where I was sooner. Everyone loved the Yondaime, and the Kyubi was a taboo topic. No references anywhere.


    I learned how to write my name a few months before. Since then, I started learning how to read and write, hating the fact that even the numbers had to be written with kanji. Joining the other kids in the informal lessons that taught us how to write and read had been a necessary pain. The genius kid''s humor had stuck with me, but the joke was on him since I assumed eatslug as my surname. ʳòõ was a pain to write correctly, but hell, Kanjis remained an idea that summoned deep fascination within me.


    I entered my little room briefly looking in the mirror that hanged on the door. I was a boy (thank you god, buddha and Spongebob) with hair of a dirty blond, which tended to form an untameable mop over my head. I had normal eyes, with irises of a grayish-blue. Normal since people that walked around without pupils were real. From what I could divine beyond the pudgy appearance of my six years old face, I would end up having high cheekbones and a square jaw. But it was too soon to tell. I shrugged off the outer layer of my tracksuit before collapsing tiredly over my little bed. I just had dinner and I felt a little dizzy. I was glad that I could simply retire in my room, no longer mandatory ''playtime'' with the other orphans. Today we had what could be called an ''open day'' during which they showed us the academy. Again, it had been a long day for my little young body.


    It was appropriate. Little bed, little window, little desk, little closet. I was just glad that being an aspiring shinobi meant that I was excused from performing the duties of maintenance. So no dishwashing! Which was only another policy to push children into the arms of the military. But that wasn''t my problem. From the following day, I would start attending the academy, I was... not excited, but it was something that I needed, simply because living in that world meant belonging to one of two categories of people: predators and prey. Like hell I was going to stay a civilian.


    Sitting at the feet of my bed I forced myself to pick up a pencil and smoothed down the stack of paper on my desk.


    The paradoxes were mind-blogging, really, they didn''t have cars or planes, but the paper was exactly like the one of my first life. I took a breath and started writing down what I knew about chakra and stuff. In English, no need to leave around stuff that could point at me like some super spy. Besides shinobi were prone to become paranoid, suspecting of everyone was something that usually kept you alive.


    And there was my brilliant idea: in the same way, I couldn''t learn how to write in Japanese on my own, they couldn''t decipher whatever I wrote down in English.


    Then I remembered about the Yamanaka and their mind-reading Jutsu. I could only hope that thinking in another language could drive them off. My first line of defense should still be ''fly under the radar''.


    I read what I had been writing down:


    Jutsu(Ðg, Literally meaning: skills/techniques) are the mystical arts a ninja will utilize in battle. To use a technique, the ninja will need to use their chakra. To perform a technique, the ninja will bring out and release the two energies of chakra. By forming hand seals, the ninja can manifest the desired technique. Because of the extensive number of hand seals and different combinations, there are thousands of potential techniques to be discovered.


    Ninsh¨± (ÈÌ×Ú Ninja Creed, Literally meaning: Shinobi Cult) is the religion and the peaceful precursor of modern ninjutsu created by Hagoromo ¨­tsutsuki, the first one to understand and teach the mystery of chakra. The teachings of ninsh¨± were meant to give people a better understanding of themselves, as well as others, and lead the world into an era of peace. Ninsh¨± would eventually come to be known as ninjutsu, a more weaponized version of the Sage''s teachings.


    There are three basic types of techniques: ninjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu. Subcategories existed, including f¨±injutsu and senjutsu. There were also kekkei genkai abilities which aren''t techniques, but inherited abilities passed down through certain clans.


    "Summing it up," I murmured to myself "Chakra is some kind of energy, split in yin and yang. Jutsu is everything shinobi do that uses said energy. Taijutsu is martial arts enhanced by chakra, ninjutsu is spitting fireballs and genjutsu illusions."


    I kept reading what I spent hours jotting down, hoping to find a trick to become very strong, very fast.


    Most ninjutsu require chakra and hand seals, but this is not always the case since the mere usage of weaponry qualifies as ninjutsu. The huge range of ninjutsu''s uses is ill.u.s.trated by its several sub-classifications: medical ninjutsu, reincarnation ninjutsu, space-time ninjutsu, barrier ninjutsu, sealing jutsu, and cursed seal jutsu.


    Most ninjutsu use shape transformation, which deals with controlling the form and movement of the ninjutsu, while nature transformation deals with changing the ninjutsu''s physical properties. Ninjutsu that uses nature transformation tends to follow a naming convention of their nature type followed by a more specific name. With practice and experience, certain ninjutsu can become second nature to a ninja, allowing them to perform it at will.


    Medical Ninjutsu (Ò½¯ŸÈÌÐg, Iry¨­ Ninjutsu, Literally meaning: Medical Ninja Techniques) is a branch of ninjutsu associated with healing, as well as the manipulation of their own, or another''s body, practiced by shinobi categorized as "medical-nin". The use of medical ninjutsu requires very advanced chakra control, as well as extensive knowledge of such things as herbs, medicines, the human body and even poisons.


    The knowledge of medical ninjutsu can be used for a variety of purposes apart from simply healing. It can be used to create poisonous gas, deranging the target''s nervous system, or directly attacking a target with chakra scalpels. Tsunade, renowned as the greatest medical-nin in the world, was able to apply the extreme chakra control required for medical ninjutsu to create chakra-enhanced strength.


    "What overpowered skills are out there?" I asked myself.


    I looked up and down my notes until I found again the Mokuton.


    Wood Release (ľ¶Ý, Mokuton: Wood Style) is a nature transformation-kekkei genkai, a combination of earth and water. It was famously used by Hashirama Senju and is not known to have naturally occurred in anyone else. Because of Wood Release''s power and versatility, there have been various efforts to reproduce it after Hashirama''s death. Wood Release techniques are commonly affiliated with the Snake hand seal.


    At its simplest, Wood Release allows the user to create wood, essentially converting their chakra into a source of life before, at its greatest, becoming mighty trees of various sizes and shapes. The vegetation can sprout from the user''s body or grow from the surroundings; Hashirama created a forest that served as a foundation for Konohagakure, contributing to his selection as First Hokage. Wooden constructs can also be created, ranging in complexity from cages to complete houses. It is not necessary that the created wood take any identifiable form, allowing users to focus on its inherent pliability to ensnare targets or its durability for brute force attacks.


    Wood Release can produce very detailed, ornate constructs. The Mokuton: Transformation essentially creates a costume around the user, allowing them to convincingly pass as another person. By using senjutsu, Hashirama could create a gigantic, many-armed wooden statue that he fully controlled; its barrage of punches was chiefly responsible for the Valley of the End''s formation. Wood Release''s most versatile application is the Wood Clone Technique, which makes a fully-functional duplicate of the user that is indistinguishable from the original and is even capable of performing other jutsu. Sturdier than the Kage Bunshin.


    The Wood Release was also equally famous for its power to manipulate, suppress, and/or absorb a target''s chakra. Hashirama''s mastery of this ability earning him recognition as one of the few people able to fully control a tailed beast. This would be done by ensnaring a target with the Wood Release and upon such physical contact would then control the chakra until they were finally too weak to escape.


    Only those with Hashirama cells could use it.


    The last period gave me pause. That meant something that nobody else ever noticed. It wasn''t a Senju bloodline. It was a skill of Hashirama, which had been stolen by Obito, Madara, Danzo and copied through the cloning of Yamato. And white Zetsu. All of those used Hashirama'' cells. Given my scientific knowledge, the thought of implanting the cells of another on oneself was mindboggling, and that it could gift a superpower that was simply absurd. So I thought that Hashirama discovered something that he either didn''t understand or simply had deemed too dangerous to share. Mokuton was more about manipulating life force than it was about chakra. Probably that was why the tailed beasts were so affected by it. It was worth investigating.


    Well, Sharingan and rinnegan are the top two, being a jinchuriki closely follows. I thought, skimming over the notes. Then I thought about the Kages, who stood at the peak of the food chain. Those without bloodlines, that I clearly could not copy, were Tsunade Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Raikages and the Yondaime Hokage.


    Sarutobi used at least four chakra natures, which meant that every nature could be learnt. And that was Hiraishin was the most OP jutsu in the whole series, or close to the top. And there was some kind of fuinjutsu involved. The Rasengan helped, and it was versatile, I was confident that I knew enough about it to reverse engineer it, one day at least.


    Tsunade was some kind of juggernaut. Besides her immortality trick, being able to heal your injuries looked like a must.


    What did I know about fuinjutsu? It could seal away things. Every kind of thing. Souls and Tailed beasts included.


    "Oh, yeah, I had forgotten that souls exist here." I said.


    Becoming a sage was something that could likely help, and I knew that Hashirama was one without a Summoning Contract. So summoning animals was not necessary, even if it could grant me access to very nice skillset, after all, Jiraya had learnt the Toad taijutsu.


    From what I remembered, to become a sage one needed vast reserves of chakra. So I couldn''t bet on it. Also, speaking in general terms, the better chakra control one had, the longer he could last, and that meant more chance of survival.


    I took out a blank paper, listing down what I believed I needed to learn. In a spark of twisted humor, I choose a title that made me laugh a little. Seriously, the narutoverse needed a cultural revolution. I missed my first life''s music.


    Stayin'' Alive


    Stuff I can start working on


    1) chakra control


    -Medical Ninjutsu


    (along with its lethal applications)


    -Tsunade''s strength


    -Genjutsu ( maybe? )


    2)fuinjutsu


    (endless applications, one day hiraishin)


    3)taijutsu


    (top can be reached with sheer hard work)


    -Exercise


    "Ninsh¨± does sound like some kind of hippy religion," I reasoned "But understanding chakra, nature, and stuff is likely the best long term game I could play."


    My objectives were clear, and the possible things I gad to learn to achieve those seemed clear enough. My natural inquisitiveness would probably push me toward ninsh¨± anyway. Sure, I would need to adapt along the way, but it was something that resembled a plan. Now, I knew enough to get started on my chakra control and exercising my body, fuinjutsu... I would figure something out.


    I slid down from the edge of the bed and sat cross-legged on the floor. The first thing however, was feeling my chakra. From what I had understood, everyone could become a shinobi, and it made sense, since chakra is basically life force, and everything alive has it. It was interesting considering the influence it had on the evolution of the species different from humans, that I believed ended up to be the Summon Tribes.


    I breathed slowly. I knew that chakra was produced at the pit of the stomach, flowed through coils and could be expelled through tenketsu, which were a kind of little holes placed everywhere on the body. They all were kind of symmetrical, all but one over the heart. I hoped the academy explained that. I lit a candle and placed it in front of me.


    I started regulating my breath to not disrupt the fire that shone brightly into the otherwise dark room. The night outside of the orphanage was pitch black, dark clouds hiding moon and stars from view. The silence in my room was heavy and thick, from time to time disrupted by a sound coming from downstairs. Along with the vague chill of the room, it made for a slightly uncomfortable environment.


    I breathed slowly, erasing the presence of the occasional goosebumps on my skin, the light rustling of his clothes against my chest moving, the almost inaudible breeze outside.


    The only sounds that registered on my perception were then only the very rare flicker of the candle and my blood rushing through my body. Soon, even those disappeared.


    I had felt cold in the beginning, but slowly, my body stopped worrying about cold and hot, there was only the silence, and the flame sitting atop the candle. I close my eyes, letting the surrounding darkness swallowing me.


    Even more slowly, my thoughts about my day faded into the background of my mind, my general worry about my situation no longer existed. Along with those thoughts, time stopped having any significance.


    When my entire being was floating in nothing, my senses slowly falling asleep, I turned my attention inwards, looking for something. At first, I couldn''t feel it. The simple act of looking for something disrupting my meditative state.


    It can''t be that hard, Naruto was an idiot and managed it without difficulty.


    Quickly as it had appeared, even that thought disappeared into nothingness.


    I reached inward, not with my will, mind or intent, since none of the parts that made me existed on their own. I simply was, and with my whole being, I reached until I could feel a warm center of something. A heat that started flowing like warm water through what I supposed were my coils. It didn''t hurt, it wasn''t searing hot, it was just there. Like finding again a friend I had forgotten about.


    I opened my eyes to see the candle that had burned through half of its length: that meant that I had kept meditating for almost an hour. But it didn''t matter! I had found my chakra!


    I let out a delighted laugh! "I did it!"


    I was overjoyed. In that world of death and surprisingly deep characters, I too had superpowers! I lost my focus and the glorious warmth faded from my limbs. But I could still feel it, like an ember at the pitch of my stomach, ready to ignite at my command.


    I rose from my seated position and placed the candle on my desk, before blowing on it. The room was completely enveloped in darkness.


    My tiredness couldn''t be denied, and I climbed into the bed, still smiling at my success. And like that I fell asleep, honestly happy at the prospect of being able, one day, to spit fire.


    Chapter 3


    The first year of the academy- 15 November


    It had been two weeks, and I only wanted to die most of the time. Muscles that I didn''t know existed pulling and screaming without warning. Without endorphins I would have taken my own life immediately.


    The abyssal stupidity of the children made me want to throttle them, but I couldn''t. I could get away with being lonely, active despise could have raised all sorts of alarms in the wrong people. I had no doubt each student of the academy was watched like a hawk, after all, it seemed unwise to teach anything to someone that would fail under pressure, or become a psycho.


    Well, an independent psycho. I thought to myself, after all, I could hardly define sane a society that proudly produced child soldiers.


    I had nothing against soldiers, humans at the end of the day were only extremely efficient animals, it was good that we had a section of the population dedicated to keeping in check each other.


    Every morning, I woke up at five, snatched stuff from the kitchens, and started running. Well, firstly I climbed the fence that was the border of the orphanage courtyard, then I ran in the park on the other side of the road. I reached the half an hour of non stop run before my legs started getting wooden. I stretched and drank from a drinking fountain. Some push-ups, then I reached one of the strange construct made of pipes (probably thought to teach the children how to climb), I stuck my legs in there and started working on my abdominal muscles. When the strain became too much, I left it and after drinking some more I walked on my hands. My balance was good enough, even if I wobbled a lot at the beginning.


    I could have used chakra to enhance my strength, but I had no intention of doing so. For two reasons.


    One, chakra augments the ability of what''s already there, so the stronger the body, the stronger the power up granted by letting chakra flow in my coils. Well, it wasn''t right. Since that first night, I''ve always been aware of my chakra, like a warm weight put on my stomach, and it was always flowing in my coils. But it''s presence was passive, like a distended muscle: unless I willed it to, it didn''t strengthen me. I did a lot of stretching after finishing my exercises. I wished there was a river with water at 22C for me to swim in so that I could wash while training muscles that were difficult to condition otherwise. I stopped only when my arms trembled too much to go on and run some more in the park.


    I went back into the orphanage and hogged the bathroom first, then the washroom, where the early risers were already washing.


    I had a giant breakfast, and meditated half an hour in my room, trying to become more aware of the flowing of my chakra. It was like having a pool of warm water held into a spherical bubble. Flexing metaphysical muscles, I made it twirl in one direction or another, following the little outpour that flowed through my coils. I wasn''t really worried about hurting myself, after all chakra was a part of me in the same way my heart and lungs were. So killing myself while feeling my chakra was off the table. It would have been like dying because I held my breath for too long, impossible. The human body had mutated to accommodate the chakra, and at the end of the day it was a life force kind of energy.


    I attended lessons at the academy, performing to the best of my ability on the practical aspects of it, that for now were simple obstacle courses while being less than bright in my academic performance. I still had difficulties in juggling around kanji. It brought with it a different way of thinking, and that made it difficult to follow a few details. At lunch I ate alone, not that anybody wished to play with ''eat slug'', and I was grateful, loud children became annoying quick. Even with my additional training, or maybe because of it, the obstacle course was demanding. I insisted on not using chakra to augment my capabilities since the teachers didn''t mention it. I thought that they would teach us about chakra after enough of us dropped out from the Academy, for now, it was history and basic math. It made sense, I wouldn''t want to waste resources in teaching that stuff to a future civilian either.


    The lessons finished at 17:00, when I bolted back to the orphanage and helped around our caretakers for an hour, in exchange the matron kept teaching me how to write and read kanjis always more complex, and even some poetry from time to time. The bare bones of it were memory exercises, but the elegance one could express through kanji was breathtaking. The matron''s name was Chihiro, which meant ''a thousand questions'', and while I was the one asking them, she was kind and patient answering them all. She was a note of innocence in the otherwise grim song of the shinobi nations.


    After dinner, I spent several hours meditating, and performing the infamous leaf exercise. I was still performing it only with my hand, but I was keeping track of the time and I kept getting better. I understood what chakra control was all about: not wasting it. The chakra flowed through my coils and out if my tenketsus, the objective was letting it out only from the tenketsu I needed, and even then, only the amount necessary to the task, not even a drop more. After that there was the problem of keeping the flow even. It was hard work.


    I had no idea about how to increase my chakra capacity. It stood to reason that it was something that behaved like a muscle, so, the more you use it (with the opportune rest) the more it grows. But working on suppositions was risky, so I choose to wait for the academy teachers to break in the topic.


    The routine was lulling, and I had understood that the world I ended up in was the more a.d.u.l.t-rated version of the narutoverse portrayed in the manga and anime. I could work with it. But I had one problem. The Yondaime wasn''t dead yet. That meant that the Kyubi still had to attack.


    I had no illusions, I couldn''t prevent it, not if I wanted to stay under the radar. And my safety came before one of the other fictional characters this world was made of. Hell, my life came before the storyline, so f.u.c.k it all.


    10 October- second year of academy


    I didn''t even realize it, but when I was five Konoha was at war. The Third Great Ninja War. I had to work on my awareness, having difficulties with the language was an excuse that I could use no longer. I was seven, and finally, I could speak and read Japanese fluently. My choice of keeping thinking in English slowed me down, but my hope of making my mind not compatible with the Yamanaka mind-reading Jutsu was a hope too bright to ignore.


    On the side, at age six, Itachi Uchiha enrolled in the Academy, where he consistently scored the highest in each subject and quickly learned any skill taught to him, resulting in him being praised as the best of his generation. The academy started in September, and since the first of October, Itachi had been placed with the second years. I did not doubt that he would be pushed forward once November came, after all I remembered that after four months his teachers unanimously agreed to let him take the graduation exam early due to Itachi being more than advanced enough for genin.


    Another complication had been his awkward loneliness and general quiet demeanor. Fangirls existed (already?) but were shy enough to steer clear of him. And my reputation as slug eater was enough to finish the job of keeping them away. Itachi would sit close enough to me during lunch, quietly enjoying his riceballs.


    Since April I had been spending my afternoons on the academy''s grounds, using their obstacle courses or training posts for better conditioning my body, often going back into the orphanage late into the night. Sneaking in and out had quickly become child''s play, and on the rare times I had been found out, a couple of times even by the Uchiha Police Force, I insisted that I needed to train, that always led to being left alone. Turns out curfew existed only when war was in full swing.


    That was the official reason, my real motive had been preparing for that very night. The only place I was sure hadn''t been destroyed and was accessible to me was the academy. I remembered Naruto''s birthday was on the tenth of October. And I was still trying to understand why they used a Roman calendar. That was yet another paradox of the world I had fallen into.


    Itachi had taken to stay behind with me after the academy closed, probably pushed by a wrong sense of pity. He thought I was lonely! Ha!


    Well I am a bit lonely. I admitted, tilting my head to look at my younger companion. He was the human version of the drawings of him I remembered from the manga. Dark eyes and hair, almost delicate features.


    I looked around. The light wind had turned chilly, and the autumn was making itself known with leaves of bright yellow and blood-red twirling around, uncaring of the disaster that was about to take place.


    We were sitting at a wooden table, under one of the street lamps that stood on the border of the academy'' grounds.


    Itachi moved the piece on the crude board that I had engraved on the table. "Checkmate," he said quietly, his face blank, but I could see a spark of amus.e.m.e.nt hidden deep into his eyes.


    I studied the western chessboard that I claimed was my invention, the pieces engraved crudely with kanji for samurai (pawn), genin (bishops), chunin (knights), jonin (rooks), Kage (queen), and peace (king). We both found amusing that our pieces were waging war to protect their peace. Another way through which Itachi showed he was far more mature than any six-year-old child had any right to be. I had thaught him the rules two hours before. It was our fourth match. Annoying genius bastard. I thought.


    I carefully hid my frown behind a bland expression. "It must be very boring being a genius." I sniffed.


    I wasn''t a great chess player, but I had hoped to kick the ass of the secretly smug bastard.


    "The worst of it is that I know that you aren''t feeling the tiniest bit smug about winning," I whined. "What''s the point of a game in which the only one can win if the other does not enjoy it?"


    "We had a bet." he reminded me. "One that you requested."


    "Bothersome," I muttered.


    "But since you taught me this game, perhaps it would be better if we shared stories instead of winning them." He added.


    "Mostly because I''d be running out of stories very fast," I answered. Not bloody likely. I''ve always been a fan of mythology, fantasy, and videogames in my first life, I have enough stories to keep talking until I die of old age.


    We decided that I would be the first one to share a story. Why did I ask for a story? Because mythology is a good way through which a culture can be understood, and there weren''t books anywhere about the origins of the world. I took a deep breath, and let my young seven years old voice take a somber timbre, setting the appropriate mood for a story shared around a fire. Even if there wasn''t fire anywhere.


    "Before this world came into existence, there was in its place a confused mass of shapeless elements called Chaos. These elements becoming at length consolidated resolved themselves into two widely different substances, the lighter portion of which, soaring on high, formed the firmament and constituted itself into a vast, overarching vault, which protected the firm and solid mass beneath. Thus came into being the two first great primeval deities, Uranus and Gaia. Uranus, the more refined deity, represented the light and air of heaven, possessing the distinguishing qualities of light, heat, purity, and omnipresence, whilst Gaia, the firm, flat, life-sustaining earth, was the great all-nourishing mother. There were no shrines or temples made for her, instead, Gaia was held in such veneration that her name was always invoked whenever the gods took a solemn oath, made an emphatic declaration, or implored assistance."


    I stopped briefly, observing the six-year old kid in front of me. He looked interested, he went so far as to sit on the edge of the bench, thirsty for more.


    "Uranus, the heaven, united himself in marriage with Gaia, the earth, and they are married today still. After all, the smiles of heaven produce the flowers of earth, whereas his long-continued frowns exercise so depressing an influence upon his loving partner, that she no longer decks herself in bright and festive robes, but responds with ready sympathy to his melancholy mood. Such is the power of the sky''s mood, that we call it summer or winter. The first-born child of Uranus and Gaia was Oceanus, the ocean stream, that vast expanse of ever-flowing water that encircled the earth. And you''ll see that Ocean is still the son of his parents. After all, the ocean is formed from the rains which descend from heaven and the streams which flow from the earth. Uranus, the heaven, the embodiment of light, heat, and the breath of life, produced offspring who were of a much less material nature than his son Oceanus. These other children of his were supposed to occupy the intermediate space which divided him from Gaia. Nearest to Uranus, and just beneath him, came Aether, a bright creation representing that highly rarified atmosphere which immortals alone could breathe. Then followed Aer, which was near Gaia, which is the atmosphere we mortals can freely breathe, and without which we would perish. Aether and Aer were separated from each other by divinities called Nephelae. These were their restless and wandering sisters, who existed in the form of clouds, ever floating between Aether and Aer. Gaia also produced the mountains, and the Sea, who chose Pontus as his name. She united herself with the latter, and their offspring were the sea deities Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto, and Eurybia."


    The child in front of me looked enthralled by the strange-sounding names, and to treat him, I picked up a paper from my bag and scribbled them on it with a pencil.


    "Along with Uranus and Gaia there were two mighty powers who were also the offspring of Chaos. These were Erebus, which is the Darkness, and Nyx, which is the Night, who formed a striking contrast to the cheerful light of heaven and the bright smiles of earth. Erebus reigned in that mysterious world below where no ray of sunshine, no gleam of daylight, nor vestige of health-giving terrestrial life ever appeared. Nyx, the sister of Erebus, represented Night, and she was the greatest of all since only Uranus could rival her. Uranus united himself with Nyx, but only in his capacity as god of light, and their children were Eos, the Dawn, and Hemera, the Daylight. But still, the world was empty to the eyes of the gods, and so, Uranus and Gaia produced two distinctly different races of beings called Giants and Titans. The Giants were unrelenting strength alone, but the Titans united to their great physical power a keen intellect that shaped their names. There were three Giants, Briareus, Cottus, and Gyges, who each possessed a hundred hands and fifty heads, and were known collectively by the name of the Hecatoncheires, which signified hundred-handed. These mighty Giants could shake the universe and produce earthquakes simply stomping their feet. But they each had fifty heads, and as such could not be reasoned with, since each of the heads tried to rule over the impossible strength and many limbs. The Titans were twelve in number; their names were: Oceanus, Ceos, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Cronus, Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, and Tethys."


    The memories of my old readings coming forth, I almost drew a family tree, before remembering that Itachi could not recognize the alphabet I was using.


    "Now Uranus, the chaste light of heaven, the essence of all that is bright and pleasing, held in abhorrence his crude, rough, and turbulent offspring, the Giants, and feared that their great power might eventually prove hurtful to himself. He, therefore, hurled them into Tartarus, that portion of the lower world which served as the subterranean dungeon of the gods. To avenge the oppression of her children, the Giants, Gaia instigated a conspiracy on the part of the Titans against Uranus, which was carried to a successful issue by her son Cronus. He wounded his father, and from the blood of the wound which fell upon the earth sprang a race of monsters, the second generation of Giants were then free to roam the earth. Assisted by his brother Titans, Cronus succeeded in dethroning his father, who, enraged at his defeat, cursed his rebellious son, and foretold to him a similar fate. Cronus, who wished to be the last to ever rule, became invested with supreme power, and assigned to his brothers offices of distinction, subordinate only to himself. Subsequently, however, when, secure of his position, he no longer needed their assistance, he basely repaid their former services with treachery, made war upon his brothers and faithful allies, and, assisted by the Giants, completely defeated them, sending the ones that resisted his all-conquering arm down into the lowest depths of Tartarus."


    Itachi for a moment acted like his age and asked: "What happened then?"


    I smiled gleefully, happy to have brought a spark of wonder in a kid with such a sorrowful story ahead of him.


    "Cronus was the god of eternity, of time. He married Rhea, daughter of Uranus and Gaia, the older sister of Cronus. They had three sons: A?des, also known as Hades or Pluto, Poseidon also known as Neptune. And their youngest: Zeus, also known as Jupiter. While their three daughters were Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. Cronus, the heart heavy with the future foretold by his father, feared that his children might one day rise against his authority. Therefore, to render the prophecy impossible of fulfillment, Cronus swallowed each child as soon as it was born, to the sorrow and indignation of his wife Rhea. When it came to Zeus, the sixth and last, Rhea resolved to try and save this one child at least, to love and cherish, and appealed to her parents, Uranus and Gaia, for counsel and assistance. By their advice she wrapped a stone in baby clothes, and Cronus, caution forgotten in its fear, swallowed it without noticing the deception. The child thus saved, Rhea asked Gaia for a safe place, and with Pontus help, the infant Zeus secretly to a secret island, where he was nourished, loved, protected, and educated. A sacred goat, called Amalthea, supplied the place of his mother, by providing him with milk; nymphs, called Melissae, fed him with honey, and eagles and doves brought him nectar and ambrosia. He was kept concealed in a cave in the heart of Mount Ida, and the priests of Rhea, by beating their weapons together, kept up a constant noise at the entrance, which drowned the cries of the child and frightened away all intruders. Under the watchful care of the Nymphs the infant Zeus grew rapidly, developing quickly the gifts of his heritage, and was blessed by extraordinary wisdom and intelligence. Once grown to manhood, Zeus met Metis, which was Wisdom, and married her. On her advice, he masked himself as a servant and tricked his father into drinking poisoned wine. The wine made Cronus vomit so much that he ultimately disgorged Zeus'' siblings, intact and ready for revenge. His siblings had no problem acknowledging his authority. The rival forces ranged themselves on two separate high mountains; Zeus, with his brothers and sisters, took his stand on Mount Olympus, where he was joined by Oceanus, and others of the Titans, who had forsaken Cronus on account of his oppressions. Cronus and his brother Titans took possession of Mount Othrys and prepared for battle. The struggle was long and fierce, and after ten years Zeus, finding that he was no nearer victory than before, remembered of the existence of the imprisoned Giants, and knowing that they would be able to render him most powerful assistance, he hastened to liberate them. He also called to his aid the Cyclops, which were the sons of Poseidon and his wife, who had only one eye each in the middle of their foreheads, and were called Brontes, which means Thunder, Steropes, which means Lightning, and Pyracmon, which means Anvil of Fire. They promptly responded to his summons for help, and brought with them tremendous thunderbolts which the Hecatoncheires, with their hundred hands, hurled down upon the enemy, at the same time raising mighty earthquakes, which swallowed up and destroyed all who opposed them."


    I noticed the spark of interest in Itachi''s eyes dimming a bit, he hated talking of war.


    "Aided by these new and powerful allies, Zeus made a furious onslaught on his enemies, and so tremendous was the encounter that all the world is said to have throbbed in accord with the mighty effort of the celestial deities. The sea rose mountains high, and its angry billows hissed and foamed; the earth shook to its foundations, the heavens sent forth rolling thunder, and flash after flash of death-bringing lightning, whilst a blinding mist enveloped Cronus and his allies. Only then the Fortunes of war began to turn, and victory smiled on Zeus. Cronus and his army were completely overthrown, his brothers despatched to the gloomy depths of the lower world, and Cronus himself was banished from his kingdom and deprived forever of the supreme power, which became vested in his son Zeus, who still sits among the clouds, ruling over the sky." I concluded my story and walked to a drinking fountain. All that talk had made me thirsty. I went back to my seat to find an Itachi that had lost his usual blank expression to wear a more thoughtful one.


    "Since you gifted me what I can tell is an old story, I''ll do the same. This one has been said to me by the elders of my clan, so do not share it." Itachi warned me.


    At my assent, he took a deep breath. "From the mists of time emerged two deities, Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto, the divine male and female gods of creation. Seeking to fill the misty void, they devised the marriage ritual and engaged in s.e.x, but had to repeat the ritual due to a mistake on Izanami''s part. This second, successful attempt yielded a multitude of kami, spiritual beings which were the natural world. The last of these beings was Fire, who killed Izanami." Itachi paused, looking at me to see if I was still listening. I was hanging from his lips. The Shintoist mythology was something I was no expert of, but neither I was unfamiliar with it. It was, from what I could tell, the same as one of my first life.


    "Wrought with grief, Izanagi journeyed to Yomi, the shadowy land of the dead. Searching far and wide, he eventually found his wife and was shocked to find her rotting flesh full of oni and other demons. Seeing his rejection of her, Izanami flew into a rage and attempted to chase him past the gates of death; however, he managed to block the gates with a boulder. Izanami swore that if he left her there, she would kill one thousand people every day. He replied that each day, he would create five hundred more lives than she could destroy, thereby ensuring the survival of the earth''s population. Disgusted by the taint of death that lay upon him, Izanagi found a pool of pure water nearby and bathed himself in it. As he washed his left eye, Amaterasu emerged, fully-grown and glowing with the light of the sun. He washed his right eye next, and from it emerged the shining Tsukuyomi, the moon who reflected his sister''s light. As he cleaned his nose, a storm emerged and took the shape of Susanoo, the storm god, and ruler of the seas. These three Izanagi tasked with ruling the heavens, with Amaterasu as their leader. As was the natural order of things, Amaterasu married her brother Tsukuyomi and together they ruled the day and night. The marriage produced children, but Tsukuyomi lacked Amaterasu''s naturally glowing disposition. Whatever goodness he had was merely a reflection of her light. Ultimately, Tsukuyomi revealed his true colors at a banquet when the goddess Uke Mochi created a bounty from which food could be grown. After she spat fish into the sea and game into the forests, she proceeded to pull crops from her rectum. Disgusted by her actions, Tsukuyomi killed her on the spot. Amaterasu rejected her husband''s disgust and banished him for his evil actions. Thus, day and night became separated for all eternity. Though Izanagi tasked all three of his children with ruling the heavens, Amaterasu''s claim was strongest, as Izanagi''s firstborn, she held the divine right to rule. The youngest of the three, Susanoo, resented his elder sister''s right to rule and questioned it openly. Eventually, Susanoo''s arrogance led his father Izanagi to banish him. But before his departure, Susanoo went to bid his sister goodbye. When his actions were met with suspicion by Amaterasu, Susanoo issued a challenge to prove his sincerity. As the challenge began, Susanoo took Amaterasu''s Yasakani-no-Magatama, the Grand Jewel, as she took his sword. Using these vessels, they each birthed goddesses: Amaterasu produced three goddesses from the Heavenly Blade while Susanoo produced five gods from the Grand Jewel. Since she owned the Grand Jewel and more gods were birthed from it, Amaterasu claimed she had won the challenge. Outraged by her claim, Susanoo went into a rampage, destroying much of Heaven and earth. He annihilated Amaterasu''s rice fields and threw animal carcasses around. One of Amaterasu''s attendants died during the rampage, causing an already angry Amaterasu to mourn as well. Ashamed that her actions had led to such chaos, she fled to the Ama-no-Iwato, the Heavenly Rock Cave. With Amaterasu in hiding, the world plunged into darkness and chaos. Thus began the first winter, a hard time for a world used to bask in the sun."


    I was staring at him with wide eyes. I was unsure if the knowledge of japan myths had bled into the narutoverse through the hands and mind of its creator, or if, and that thought was far more worrying, these stories were the same as the ones of my first life because we were simply in the far future, perhaps after a nuclear disaster and a new dark age, from which emerged the sacred three, and from there the origins of the narutoverse.


    The six-year old took out a blank scroll from his bag, and a simple brush with an inkpot, distractedly writing down the names of the gods he had named. I envied the elegance of his movements, but it wasn''t something I could bother to learn. A the orphanage they didn''t have the resources to teach calligraphy. Once again, Itachi kept talking, satisfied by having my undivided attention: "The kami looked down upon the world and, seeing the chaos left in Amaterasu''s absence, decided they must bring her back. Though they asked her to return and described the chaos caused by her absence, Amaterasu refused to listen and blocked the cave entrance with a rock. After almost a year, wise Omoikane determined that if she would not come out of her own volition, they would have to lure her out with curiosity. To this end, a grand party was thrown. The plan worked, like the music, dancing, and joyous cries of the gods did indeed peak Amaterasu''s attention. The noise intensified when the dawn goddess Ame-no-Uzume performed a particularly revealing dance. Curious, Amaterasu drew closer to the cave entrance and there discovered theYata-no-Kagami (°ËåëçR), the Eight-Fold Mirror. Fascinated by the light of her reflection, Amaterasu, at last, came to the mouth of the cave. It was at that moment Omoikane drew back the stone that blocked the entrance. As he did so, Amaterasu''s light reentered the world, illuminating the chaos that had been left in her wake. Winter ended at last, and spring and summer brought life back to the land. Ashamed, she begged forgiveness for her actions. It was given freely, for Susanoo''s behavior had been nothing less than abhorrent. His banishment was henceforth carried out, and Amaterasu returned to heaven. She later reconciled with her brother, who gave her the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi(²ÝËS¤Î„‡), the Grass-Cutting Sword, that is also known as the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi (Ì셲년‡), the Heavenly Sword of Gathering Clouds, as a gift."


    Almost distractedly, he had traced the kanji of the divine objects he had spoken of. Impeccable strokes of his brush against my distracted scribbling with a pencil. We shared a smile, and I could feel the beginning of a routine made of shared stories and appreciative silences. It wasn''t bad, and I had never managed to relax so much before.


    Ultimately, it doesn''t matter if I am in the future or a manga. I thought. Staying alive still takes precedence.


    Maybe I could find a way to travel through words, but that was a blurry and far away objective. Every consideration lost importance when I felt it.


    Dread.


    Pain.


    End.


    Bloodl.u.s.t.


    Like a battering wave, a tsunami, the feel of death washed over us, and we both turned as one toward the point of origin.


    In a quickly dispersing cloud of smoke, stood the giant nine-tailed fox.


    Hope you guys are having a great week! Off to FF.net for more~!

 Chapter 306 - My OC Stash #6 - Titan through time by Syrup-Waffle (ShingekinoKyojin)

    -First SnK fic in the stash~ I always felt that SnK''s kinda like GoT, as we can never say which character is going to bite the dust next/ Luckily we get this time-travel fic with Eren tryna save all of his comrades. Plus I really do be living for Eremika interactions


    Synopsis: As his life came to an end, Eren Yeager reflects on his past and all the people who lost their lives. Wishing he could do it all over again, suddenly becomes reality when he''s back in Shiganshina as a child with the knowledge of all future events. Feeling the power of the titans still inside his body, he makes a vow to save all the people living behind the walls, once and for all.


    Rated: T


    Words: 71K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/12626198/1/Titan-through-time (Syrup-Waffle)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Oh no, why am I doing this to myself? I don''t have time to be writing another story. :P I''ve kinda been binge watching season two of Attack on Titan, and then did the same for the manga. XD There will be massive spoilers in this story. So you''re warned. If you haven''t caught up with the manga and you don''t wish to be spoiled, then don''t read.


    I had this idea for a long while, and since I was bored, I decided to write this. I hope you guys enjoy. :)


    ''''Titans'''' Speech


    ''''Titans'''' Thoughts


    Thirteen years had passed. The island of Paradis was completely titan free now. The walls were not needed anymore, and as such, with the help of Eren and Historia, the titans within were eradicated as well. The country of Marley was at the brink of destruction, their titan shifters insignificant compared to the technological advances of their neighboring countries. Thunder spears were upgraded into the more effective Ackerman spears, the name a tribute to the family line who were so efficient in taking down these mindless, human-eating giants. An Ackerman spear had enough power to kill a titan in a single blow.


    Unfortunately, what remained of the Eldians inside the country of Marley was killed, their internment zones burned to the ground. They had failed to retrieve the Founding titan two times over, and Marley declared it an embarrassment only punishable by death.


    The rest of the world knew the real truth of Eldian history by now. They were not devils that used to cleanse the people of Marley in the past, they had brought prosperity to the land instead. Ymir, the first woman to ever inherit a titan, was benevolent. The people of Marley were jealous and anxious that this amazing power was going to be used against them sooner or later. So they spread lies, and once they gained enough power, began to oppress the Eldians. But now, the tables had turned. The Eldians of Paradis had allied with the neighboring countries of Marley, and they agreed to split the ground evenly if Paradis shared their resources with them.


    Eren''s time, unfortunately, had finally come; his thirteen years were up. He had accomplished his dream. In the end, he had crushed all the titans. He had been so ignorant of the world when he made that promise. He didn''t know anything about the titans at that time, only that they ate humans and brought humanity almost to extinction. How foolish he had been that his mind didn''t expand further than the walls he used to live in.


    All the titans were his own kin: Eldians doomed to wander Utopia for eternity until they died, and humanity certainly wasn''t at the brink of extinction either. It was all Marley''s fault. They brainwashed the Eldians who were left behind into believing that they¡ªthe people of Paradis¡ªwere devils. Only if humanity inside the walls had perished, could the Eldian race be restored into its former glory and their sins be washed away. Pretty words that bore no meaning. They were empty promises, only believed if they were forced into your head the moment you were born.


    Eren guessed the same could be said for him, and all the people who were born inside the walls. Their whole life was one big lie as well. Nobody ever told him different. He was sure that if Bertolt, Reiner and Annie hadn''t attacked, he would still live his life in obliviousness of the outside world.


    Yet, with all his accomplishments, Eren felt empty. Mikasa hadn''t left his side the entire day. She tried to remain strong, but he could see she was seconds away of breaking down. It teared him up to see her in such disarray. He knew he had to leave her soon. Even when she knew this day was going to happen eventually, she wanted to marry him. They had done so exactly one year ago.


    Right now, he was chained, ready to hand over his two titans. The Survey Corps discussed heavily about who was going to be Eren''s successor. In the end, it was decided that Jean was going to inherit the Attack and Foundation titan.


    ''''Eren,'''' Mikasa whimpered with teary eyes. He was not used to seeing her in such an emotional state. She was always the shoulder he could cry on. He cursed himself for not kissing her that day when they were about to be devoured by the smiling titan. He''d wanted to spend so much more time with her. Why couldn''t he have realized he loved her sooner? He''d been so dense, only fueled with anger to take revenge for his mother''s death.


    ''''Eren,'''' she whispered again, her hands holding his cheeks gently. Her touch was filled with passion, tears flowing freely from her face. ''''My whole life, I dedicated to you. The moment you saved me and wrapped that scarf around me, a feeling welled up inside of me that grew every day I spent with you. I did everything in my power to keep you save, but even I can''t stop the curse of Ymir.''''


    ''''Mikasa¡­''''


    ''''Shh,'''' she shushed him, laying a finger against his lips. ''''It''s okay, Eren I¡ªI knew this was going to be the outcome.'''' She hiccuped and closed her eyes, her sniffles turning into whimpers of agony. A sob escaped her lips, followed by another, until it spiraled down into nothing but emotional despair.


    ''''Why?'''' she cried angrily, her head turned low. She balled her fist and hit Eren on his chest. ''''Why? Why? Why?'''' she repeated, each hit filled with less strength. ''''Why do you have to leave me?'''' she whimpered in a soft tone. ''''I love you.''''


    Mikasa closed the gap between her and Eren, and pressed her lips wantonly against his. Her lips quivered, salty and wet from her tears as she poured all her emotion into the kiss.


    ''''Mikasa,'''' Eren thought, his own eyes tearing up as she was kissing him for the final time. ''''I''m so glad, that I got to meet you, and that I were able to marry you.''''


    Mikasa didn''t want to let go of him. Eventually, Hange and Levi had to pry her away gently. She was unable to watch any longer, her soft crying breaking Eren''s heart.


    He looked around the room and saw his friends, all in an emotional state or trying to console Mikasa. ''''My friends,'''' Eren thought, ''''how many of them did I lose?''''


    Only a handful had survived after all was set and done, and that pained Eren more than anything. ''''So many lives, and they''re all gone. Why did this have to happen?''''


    Eren closed his eyes. He saw Hange approach Jean with a syringe, ready to inject him, who was trembling in fear. Eren did not want to see how his friend would turn into a titan and devour him.


    ''''If I could do it all over again, I would. I would save Paradis, and all the other Eldians living inside Marley.'''' It was strange how calm Eren felt when he thought about this.


    ''''Jean, if you''re ready, then let''s begin,'''' Hange informed him.


    Jean had to steel his nerves and swallow to get his dry throat wet again. He was going to eat one of his best friends. He almost couldn''t stomach the thoughts.


    ''''Eren!'''' he screamed suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts and making him look up. ''''I swear to fulfill my duties as titan shifter with honor! I promise to take care of Mikasa in your absence and I''ll make sure to spread peace so that the Eldians can prosper again. So stop your crying before I have to beat the shit out of you, you hear me!?'''' His voice was heavy as his emotions got the better of him. Jean''s tears streamed down his face as he gave Eren a look of absolute sorrow and respect.


    For the first time, Eren smiled, and closed his eyes again. ''''Jean¡­ Thank you.'''' Eren let his eyes wander the room one more time. ''''Everyone, thank you. We all stand here today because you believed. You believed humanity could one time get outside of the walls. All of us made that dream into a reality. It was because of our hard work that we stopped one-hundred years of living as caged birds.''''


    Eren saw everybody listening intently, their hearts filling with hope for the future. Yet, why felt he so miserable? He couldn''t shake the feeling that he had failed.


    ''''So many people,'''' he thought again. ''''So many innocent people.''''


    ''''Jean¡­ It is time,'''' Eren concluded. His friend nodded and gave the go ahead to Hange. At the same time, Eren saw his life flash before his eyes. ''''Mikasa, Armin, Connie, Levi, Hange, Jean¡­ please take good care of this world.'''' Eren felt the pressure of a titan shifting close by, he knew it was only a matter of seconds before he felt those sharp teeth crush his flesh and bones into nothing.


    ''''Is this what my father felt when I was about to eat him?'''' At that moment, an incredible fear took over Eren''s body. ''''No, I don''t want to die yet! I want to grow old with Mikasa and have children. I want to see the nation of Eldia rise to its former glory with Historia as its leader. I want my mom to hold me!''''


    Eren didn''t know where that last thought came from, but he held on to it. He imagined how his mother would always soothe him when he had hurt himself. Mikasa would look at him with a scowl on her face. He always wondered why she was mad at him at such a moment, but only now realized it was because how much she cared and how afraid she was to lose him.


    ''''Mom¡­ Please hold me for a while longer.''''


    When Eren opened his eyes, he awoke with a jolt. Sweat dripped from his face, and his hands trembled. His pupils were dilated into pinpricks, his heart was beating in his throat, and his breathing was erratic and uneven. Everything was spinning before his eyes; he felt like he needed to puke.


    ''''Eren!''''


    He gasped; the familiarity of that voice hitting him like a ton of bricks. ''''There''s no way,'''' he thought, his breathing turning raspy. ''''It can''t be.''''


    ''''Eren, sweetie, you''re as pale as a ghost! Grisha! Come quickly, there''s something wrong with Eren!''''


    ''''Could it be? Am I dreaming while I''m dead?''''


    Eren''s father stormed into the room with a concerned look on his face. ''''Eren, calm down. What happened?''''


    He looked at his father owlishly, unblinking as if he couldn''t believe it. Even if his vision was unclear, he could clearly make out his father''s figure. ''''What is happening to me?'''' Eren could only murmur incomprehensible. He felt light headed, his arms two blocks of lead he could barely move.


    ''''Carla, get my stethoscope!'''' Grisha ordered, his voice not hiding his panic.


    Eren felt the strong hands of his father gauging his temperature, which was way too high. ''''This isn''t good,'''' he muttered. ''''Carla!'''' he screamed. ''''Get a bottle of pills that''s labelled as AB!''''


    ''''I''m on it!''''


    ''''Is my mind playing tricks on me?''''


    Eren was still looking at his father like he was seeing a ghost, until another figure worriedly joined his father''s side. ''''Eren!'''' Mikasa''s voice trembled. ''''What happened?''''


    ''''An angel,'''' Eren''s first thought were. He didn''t realize he actually said that out loud.


    Mikasa''s cheeks turned an adorable shade of red instantly, matching the scarf she wore so often. If the situation wasn''t so serious, Grisha was sure he had to stifle a chuckle.


    ''''Mikasa, you look so young. Am I really dreaming this?''''


    With a throat that felt like sandpaper, Eren tried to voice his thoughts. ''''D-dad?'''' he rasped.


    Grisha shushed him immediately. ''''It''s okay, Eren. You''ll be okay. You''ve got a high fever, so you need to rest. Don''t use what little strength you have to talk.''''


    ''''Dad,'''' Eren said again, ignoring his father''s words of advice. ''''What year is it?''''


    Grisha perked his brow. Was a virus messing with his son''s brain and giving him a state of amnesia? If so, his antibiotics would have no effect whatsoever. ''''You''re overreacting, Grisha,'''' he reassured himself. It was just a simple question.


    ''''It''s the year 845, Eren,'''' his father informed him.


    ''''So, then it is true¡­'''' Eren whispered.


    ''''What? What is true, Eren?'''' Mikasa responded in a somewhat demanding voice. At the same time, his mother had returned with the stethoscope and the pills in question, while his father took a couple of them and held them to Eren''s mouth. ''''Here, Eren, these will make you feel better. Swallow them with some water.''''


    Mikasa was already running for a glass of water, not bothering to wait for Eren to answer.


    ''''I''m really back. Back where it all started. Does that mean I don''t have¡­''''


    An irregular beat of his heart stopped that thought from finishing. ''''No, I still have it! I can feel the power of the titans still inside of me. But how? My father is right here with the same titan power. Is it even possible to have two of the same titan powers at once?''''


    Eren looked at his father, and then back at the pills. ''''I''m okay, father. I don''t need antibiotics, just something to drink.''''


    Grisha stiffened immediately at his reply.


    ''''Did I say something wrong?'''' Eren thought.


    ''''Eren, honey? What are antibiotics?'''' his mother questioned.


    ''''Shit,'''' Eren cursed. Antibiotics were unknown behind the walls in 845. Only his father knew about them because he was from Marley. He must have taken a few bottles with him when he came here.


    ''''Well, I have to explain the situation to my father sooner or later. The fact we''re all together means wall Maria hasn''t fallen yet either.''''


    Then it dawned on Eren. ''''I can save everybody. I can stop the wall from being breached by Bertolt, Reiner and Annie! With my father, I can save even the Eldians who''re still living inside Marley!''''


    Eren could only think that the curse of Ymir was the cause of all of this. It must''ve reacted to his strong will to save everybody. It had sent him back in time to do things over and free the people of Eldia. He could accomplish this without losing a single life inside the walls!


    He gratefully accepted Mikasa''s glass of water and gulped it down, alleviating his sore throat and feeling much better already. ''''Thanks, Mikasa. You''re a charm.''''


    The surprise on her face and the blush that appeared on her cheeks were too adorable. If he knew he could embarrass her this easily when they were young, he would''ve done it way sooner.


    ''''Eren? Could we maybe talk, privately?'''' his father requested.


    Eren nodded his head in agreement. He had a lot to tell him. His mother and Mikasa left the room, and when Grisha closed the door, he held the bottle of his pills in his hand and shook the contents.


    ''''How did you know they were called antibiotics? Have you been snooping around in my bas.e.m.e.nt?''''


    Eren smiled. For so long he wondered what was in his father''s bas.e.m.e.nt. To imagine the whole history of the world was stored there in three books was mind boggling.


    ''''No father, I haven''t. You know I would never go into your bas.e.m.e.nt without your permission.''''


    ''''Then how?'''' Grisha questioned.


    ''''Can you make sure Mikasa isn''t listening? What I''m going to tell you will sound ridiculous, but you won''t have any choice but to believe me.''''


    A gasp could be heard from the other side of the door, before someone was running away hurriedly.


    Grisha nodded his head. ''''We''re alone now. Please, tell me your story.''''


    Eren cut to the chase immediately. ''''I know you''re from Marley, Father. In fact, I know everything there is about titans, the history of Paradis, and the Eldians as well.''''


    For some reason, Eren had expected his father to react shocked, but he stayed surprisingly calm. ''''I see,'''' he stated, ''''I figured as much, to be honest. You talk like a level-headed a.d.u.l.t.''''


    ''''I do? I guess people really change when they grow older.''''


    Grisha nodded his head. ''''Then I assume you''re not my son, are you?''''


    ''''I am!'''' Eren replied quickly, his tone hurt that his father would even think that way. ''''To be honest with you, I''m from the future.''''


    Grisha grumbled. ''''There''s no way that can be true. You want to tell me that you got sent back to the past?''''


    Eren nodded his head. He knew he had to convince his father. He wouldn''t have believed it either if Armin or Mikasa came to him one day and claimed they were from the future. ''''I can proof it to you too.''''


    Grisha responded sceptically. ''''How?'''' This day was proofing to be quite an interesting one.


    ''''Your plan is to retrieve the Founding titan from the Reiss family with your Attack titan and then give it to me, as your thirteen years are almost up. You actually succeeded and gave them both to me. In fact, I still have them.''''


    ''''Impossible!'''' This time, his father did react shocked. He licked his dry lips and stared incredulously at his son. As much as he didn''t want to believe it, it really began to look Eren was telling the truth.


    ''''I really think it''s the curse of Ymir,'''' Eren admitted. ''''Do you remember the time when the owl gave you the Attack titan? I saw it in your memories which I inherited from you. He mentioned saving Armin and Mikasa, and you were confused who those people were. But you know now, don''t you? The owl knew the future: he was sent back in time as well. I can only assume to save you and give you his titan powers.''''


    Grisha didn''t say anything for the longest of time. ''''Could it be true? Is my son really from the future? If he is, then does that mean the Eldian people were wiped away?'''' Grisha had so many questions that his head began to ache.


    ''''Okay, you are right. I have to believe you based on what you''re saying.'''' Grisha sighed. ''''But was does it mean? Why are you back?''''


    Eren looked at his father seriously. ''''When are you going to leave for the interior?''''


    ''''The interior? Tomorrow, why?''''


    ''''That''s when Bertolt, Reiner and Annie will attack. We have to intercept them before they reach the wall tomorrow.''''


    ''''Father, listen. Tomorrow, the Colossal titan, the Female titan and the Armored titan will attack Shiganshina and breach wall Maria. Countless of lives will be lost¡­ including mom''s.''''


    ''''What?'''' his father whispered. He could feel his hands beginning to sweat. ''''If that''s true, then humanity is doomed.''''


    ''''We can stop them together! If we set out and reach them before they reach the wall, we can save everybody!''''


    Grisha reacted somberly. ''''Eren, what you''re saying is suicide. It''s like surrendering and giving our titans to the enemy!''''


    Eren grinned. ''''But we have the Founding titan. I can control it decently and I already know how I''m going to use it.''''


    The more Eren talked, the more Grisha''s head began to spin. ''''He''s really serious about this. How can he even control the Founding titan when he has no royal blood running through his veins? If he was Zeke I would''ve believed him, but¡­''''


    Eren explained further at his father''s questioning glance. ''''I''ve found out that when touching a titan which has royal blood, I can control all nearby titans. I trained this until I was able to control titans with just being near somebody with royal blood. It''s how I tore down these walls in the future when Marley was at the brink of defeat, as we had no use for them anymore.''''


    ''''Amazing,'''' his father responded. ''''So, my son did save the Eldians. I couldn''t be prouder of him.''''


    ''''So what you''re saying is that we should get somebody from the Reiss family with us, and then together, we can get the mindless titans to attack the Colossus, Female and Armored, correct?''''


    Eren shook his head. ''''That would cause too much trouble inside the walls. Frieda would use her Foundation titan on you. We need to do this silently without anybody noticing. Once we''ve defended wall Maria successfully, we can go about changing some politics around here.''''


    Grisha didn''t understand. ''''Then how are we going to use the Founding titan?''''


    Eren looked at his father painfully. ''''Dina, your first wife. She still wanders as a mindless titan outside these walls, doesn''t she?''''


    His father stayed silent.


    ''''But not for long,'''' Eren whispered. Feelings of hatred still welled up inside his body as Eren thought about the smiling titan: the one who ate his mother. Unfortunately, that titan was also his step-mom. An innocent woman who was turned into a titan by the country of Marley, and who Eren ultimately killed.


    ''''She''ll be one of the first titans to breach wall Maria, meaning she''s somewhere at the front of the horde. Our mission is to get close to her so I can command all the other titans to do to our bidding. If that won''t be enough, we''ll retreat to the wall, where I can command some of the wall titans to help us as a last-ditch effort. We''ll defeat all three titan shifters, and give Dina the female titan.''''


    Grisha couldn''t believe his ears, but this plan of his son might actually work. ''''Dina would live again, and fight with us, for Eldia!'''' he thought in disbelief and extreme excitement. ''''What will we do with the other two shifters?''''


    ''''Well, I was thinking of capturing all three of them and finding a way to retrieve their titans without killing them. After all, they would be valuable allies.''''


    Grisha put his hand to his chin, deep in thought. ''''You want to bet on the off chance that I can find a way to retrieve the power of the titans without killing the host?''''


    Eren shrugged his shoulders. ''''It''s worth a shot, isn''t it?'''' his features turned soft. ''''Besides, if there''s somebody who can find the answers, it''d be you.''''


    Grisha smiled warmly, and took his son into his arms, giving him firm hug. ''''As crazy as this whole plan sounds, I want to give it a try at least,'''' his father admitted.


    Eren felt a huge relief wash over him. He had convinced his father. He was home, in his arms. His mother was alive, his father was alive, Mikasa was alive and he was alive. Tomorrow, he would stop the threat of Marley with his father. This time, Eren was going to save everyone.


    So that concludes the first chapter. Did you guys like it? Leave me a review please. :) Next chapter, Eren and Grisha VS Bertolt, Annie and Reiner. Until then. ^^


    ~Syrup-Waffle


    Chapter 2


    I told you guys I didn''t have time to write another story. :P I apologize for the wait, but I''m back! I would never abandon a story, so I''ll try to be consistent from now on and give you a chapter once every three weeks! Also, I changed a couple of small things in the first chapter, but nothing major. :) I hope you''ll enjoy chapter two!


    ''''Titans!'''' Speech


    ''''Titans!'''' Thoughts


    ''''Hey, dad?'''' Eren said, breaking the hug with his father. His voice was soft, almost unsure. Grisha assumed it was because he still hadn''t fully realized yet where he was at the moment.


    ''''Yeah, Eren?'''' he responded calmly. As crazy as it sounded, Grisha had less difficulties accepting the fact his son was an a.d.u.l.t in his teenage body and from the future than he would''ve expected. The prospect of saving all the Eldians and seeing his first wife again outclassed the absurdity of it all.


    Eren coughed to find the right words, his eyes darting towards the door where his mother had gone through. ''''She''s there, probably doing the dishes while humming a happy tune. Mikasa is probably helping her, worrying about me.'''' Taking a quick look around to take in his surroundings, his mind reassured him he was really in his old room. Everything was on the exact same spot as the day Shiganshina district fell.


    ''''This may sound like an odd request,'''' he whispered as he eyed his dad again, his heart beating faster in his chest, ''''but could you send mom to my room? I¡ªI''d like a moment alone with her, please.''''


    Eren almost choked up, his eyes turning watery. Now that his mind had settled down a little, the full weight of reality crashed down on him. His mom was alive. He could see her, talk to her, and hug her. The emotions that poured out of his body were like a dam that broke.


    Grisha smiled warmly while he looked at how Eren wiped the tears away that rolled down his cheeks; he saw how much his son was aching to see his mom. It must be a surreal experience to finally be able to see a loved one again who had passed away for so many years.


    ''''I understand fully,'''' his father responded, opening the door to get Carla and then looking back. ''''When you''re done,'''' he added, ''''could you meet me in my bas.e.m.e.nt? We have a lot of planning to do tonight.''''


    Eren nodded his head. He knew if they wanted to succeed, they had to think this through. No more rushing into battle blindly. He had the entire night to prepare for the titan-shifters from Marley. He knew all three of them like the back of his hand. Defeating them was going to be tough, but this time around, he had the upper hand and not them.


    When Grisha disappeared in the door opening¡ªapparently satisfied with his son''s answer¡ªeverything seemed to get deadly silent. In truth, this was not the case. He could hear Mikasa''s disgruntled voice from downstairs, arguing with his father who responded calmly and sternly. He could only assume she was demanding him to tell what was going on, but she eventually settled down. Yet, with all the noise going on, it was like he was at the grassy meadow where he used to play with Armin and Mikasa a lot when he was younger.


    He always liked the silence there while he stared at the humongous wall otherwise known as Maria, convinced no titan was ever be able to break through. It reminded him of this moment, where it seemed nobody was able to harm him or his family.


    Then, he heard the soft, feminine steps of his mother come upstairs. A silent gasp escaped Eren¡ªthe stiffening of his muscles his only preparation as she appeared in the doorway. There she was, and she was exactly like how he remembered; those warm eyes¡ªnow full of concern for him¡ªlocked unto his, seemingly searching for any possible injury. Her soft hands were clasped together¡ªhands that would always soothe him so lovingly whenever he got in a fight or hurt himself.


    ''''Eren?'''' she asked silently, taking a gentle step forwards. She saw how her son was shivering. The white of his eyes was bloodshot and tears had poured down his cheeks. Whatever had happened was emotional, and she could hear how her son was crying out to her silently, begging her to hold him. It was a mother''s instinct that had perfect accuracy.


    At the sound of her voice, Eren hiccuped while fresh tears streamed down his face. ''''Mom,'''' he croaked, his voice uneven as he held out his hands to her. ''''M¡ªMom!''''


    Carla didn''t need more reason to rush to her son''s side and envelop him into a gentle, motherly hug. She didn''t need to say anything to console him either; she knew her presence was enough as Eren cried on her shoulder, holding her tightly like he was afraid she''d disappear into thin air.


    At that moment, all the emotions Eren had held in for so many years were finally released. He cried tears of joy for his mom, but also tears of sadness for all the despair he''d been through. He could smell the familiar scent in her hair, hear the soft hums leaving her throat and reverberate through his broken mind, making him whole again.


    He didn''t know how long he just sat there, his mother wrapped around him like a protective cocoon, enveloping him and shielding him from all the evil in the world. All Eren knew was how much he realized he had needed this.


    When he finally¡ªalmost reluctantly so¡ªleft his mother''s embrace, he gave her a weak laugh, like he couldn''t believe he was the luckiest guy in the world. His mother let a giggle escape her mouth in return. She wiped his cheeks clean with her thumb while stroking them lovingly, her eyes warm and pleasant.


    Eren remembered he''d always groan when she did that, but he was not going to groan today. He understood she was confused about what was going on, but also saw she was okay with that. There was no way he was going to be able to hide what he was going to do with his dad for long anyway, and he wasn''t planning on it either. His mom had the right to know, as did Mikasa. But for now, he had a district to protect.


    ''''Mom,'''' he whispered, pausing so he could take her hand into his, closing his eyes as she continued to give him gentle affection. ''''Thank you.''''


    Later that evening in the bas.e.m.e.nt of Grisha, Eren was going over the plan with his father one more time. ''''All right, our top priority is to stop the titan-shifters from reaching wall Maria, so we have to leave early in the morning to intercept them.'''' Eren drew a circle around the area on a map of Paradis where they''d most likely find them. ''''We know what direction they came from and where they''re heading, so their camp for tonight must be somewhere here.''''


    Grisha nodded his head in agreement. If Eren''s recollections of the event were accurate, the simple math he had done to pinpoint their location would have to be correct. ''''After we''ve found them, we stay low and we wait for the right moment to strike,'''' Eren added.


    His father rubbed his chin. ''''You told me they were going to attack with four titans initially, right?''''


    ''''Yeah. The jaw titan is present too, but not for long. We shouldn''t intercept until he''s eaten by Ymir. Not only will she be a very valuable ally to us, but if we attack before the jaw titan is gone we have to deal with four of them. Besides, he was their leader, if we face them immediately afterwards they''ll be vulnerable.''''


    ''''That''s very clever thinking and strategizing,'''' Grisha praised, ''''but are you sure we should approach them in our human forms? What if they attack immediately because they see us as their enemies?''''


    Eren hummed. His father''s question was a very legitimate one. He had thought about it a lot¡ªif they would immediately surprise them in their titan forms or not, and ultimately, decided it was better to take the slow approach. ''''They''re not going to. In the state they''re in, they most likely won''t think of killing another human being, especially if we don''t appear as a threat. Besides, we don''t want to scare them; we want to talk sense into them first before we will resort to violence.''''


    ''''This is going to be hard.'''' Grisha groaned. ''''They have been brainwashed by Marley since they were born. I''m not much of a psychologist, Eren, but it''s going to take time, more time than we have available.''''


    Eren knew his father was right, but he also knew these three titan-shifters by heart. They were just innocent Eldians¡ªmerely children¡ªforced to do what Marley had commanded them to do in hope of a better life. He knew their motives, and with what he had to offer, hoped he could get them on his side.


    ''''We''re going to have to try. Especially the female titan, Annie Leonhart, is not fooled by Marley''s deceptiveness. If we get her to change her mind, the two boys are most likely inclined to follow,'''' Eren explained.


    ''''And what if they don''t?'''' Grisha asked. He knew the answer already, but he was just making sure.


    ''''Then we''re going to battle and defeat them with the intention to capture them alive. We only kill them if really necessary,'''' Eren responded resolutely. He had done enough killing in his previous life. This time, he was going to save as many lives as possible instead. ''''Keep a look out for Dina and protect her with every fiber of your being. She can''t die if we want the mindless titans on our side.''''


    Grisha rubbed his temple, his palms sweaty as he wiped them off on his pants. ''''Eren, I just hope you know as much about the power of the titans as you do about this catastrophic event,'''' his father said. ''''Inheriting a titan power from somebody without killing the host is going to be a hard one for me to crack, never mind that my thirteen years are almost up as well.''''


    ''''Well, if somebody is going to find the answers, it''s going to be you,'''' Eren said resolutely. ''''You''re very smart, dad, but let''s do one thing at a time.''''


    ''''All right then, you''re right,'''' his father agreed, calming down a bit. ''''These shifters, we haven''t talked about their personalities or skills yet, what are they like?''''


    Now, Eren smiled fondly. He didn''t know why a frown hadn''t appeared on his face instead. These shifters had betrayed the Survey Corps and killed countless of innocent human lives. Yet, the only thing he could think of was how Annie had taught him her fighting-style, how Reiner acted like the big brother he never had and how Bertolt was the silent support he could always rely on. He would never forgive them for what they did, but at this moment, all of that hadn''t happened yet.


    ''''I talked about Annie before. She''s the female titan and also the scariest when it comes to facing in battle. Her style is very unique, relying on a lot of well placed kicks and blocking a lot with her arms. She also has the ability to harden parts of her body, though I can do that too.'''' Eren smiled at his father''s amazed look.


    ''''Keep your distance from her or stay right in her face, take out her legs first,'''' he suggested wisely.


    ''''Reiner, the kid with the blonde hair, is the armored titan. He''ll be very frail and indecisive when we face him because he blames himself that the jaw titan is dead, so battling him shouldn''t be a problem for me. I''ve taken him down multiple times in the past¡ªthe future for you,'''' Eren elaborated. ''''His armor is pretty much impenetrable, as you may know, so you have to rely on locks and hitting him on his joints if you find yourself facing him.


    ''''Lastly, Bertolt, the kid with the black hair, is the colossus titan. Whatever we do, our first priority is knocking him out before he can shift. He''ll follow Annie or Reiner no matter what, so when one of those two shift, he will too, so then we go for Bertolt immediately. If he manages to get in his titan, I will focus all the mindless titans on him to keep him busy. We''ll take down Annie and Reiner first, and lastly Bertolt by cutting his Achilles tendons.''''


    The confidence that radiated from Eren surprised Grisha for a moment, but then he closed his eyes and chuckled. Only his son could come up with such a risky plan and be confident it was going to work foolproof. ''''Well,'''' he admitted, ''''I do have to say we have a big chance of making this work. After all, surprise is on our side and the conditions the shifters find themselves in are very poor. Also,'''' Grisha added with a wide grin, ''''You have to teach me how to do that hardening trick sometime.''''


    The excitement that twinkled in his father''s eyes was something Eren never could get tired of. He gave his dad a firm nod and a warm hug afterwards. ''''I missed you, dad. So, so much.''''


    ''''I can imagine it must''ve been hard for you, Eren,'''' his father sympathized. ''''But I''m here now, and so are you. It''s going to be all right.''''


    At the same time, a distraught voice could be heard coming from upstairs that Eren recognized as his mom, immediately followed by Mikasa''s angry one. Her footsteps got closer until the door to the bas.e.m.e.nt was opened rather harshly.


    ''''Mikasa, please,'''' Carla pleaded after her, but she was promptly ignoring her surrogate mother and stormed downstairs to face Grisha and Eren.


    She was still as beautiful as ever, with her gorgeous black hair flowing from every side, and the cute scarf he''d given her wrapped around her face. Her eyes were piercing daggers, though, particularly at him, but he knew her so well that he had no trouble recognizing it as the ploy she used to hide her concerns and uncertainties. From the inside, she was scared, because she felt something big and dangerous was about to happen to them, and she wanted to know every single detail right now so she could keep Eren safe.


    ''''I''m sorry,'''' Carla apologized, ''''I tried to stop her, but she''s persistent.''''


    ''''Eren,'''' Mikasa said harshly, trying to sound intimidating. ''''Tell me what''s going on right now!''''


    Instead of being afraid of her or getting angry like he would normally be, he stayed calm and approached Mikasa until he was face to face with her. All of a sudden, her confidence was non-existent. Eren would never do something so bold like this, and instead of flat out refusing to answer her like she had expected to, he did something even more incredulous.


    He gave her a kiss right on her nose.


    The blush that appeared on her face was the most adorable thing he''d ever seen. Mikasa acting shy was something that was unheard of, but here she was, unable to comprehend what just happened. Gosh, she was so cute!


    ''''I can''t tell you yet, Mikasa,'''' he replied genuinely, holding one of her hands, ''''but I promise I will as soon as the time is right. You have to trust me on this one. Can you do that for me?''''


    Mikasa balled her fist and turned her head low. For a moment, Eren was afraid she was going to hit him, but instead, she gently put her fist on his chest. Looking up at him, her eyes had turned soft and a little bit scared; she''d calmed down at least. ''''Do you promise me you''ll be safe, Eren?'''' she whispered.


    ''''I promise you, Mikasa,'''' he said. Eren knew she wasn''t convinced in the slightest, but wasn''t going to press anymore. She slowly went back upstairs again and found the embrace of Carla. ''''Let''s get you to bed, sweetie, it''s getting late,'''' she cooed. ''''Eren, you won''t make it late either, will you?''''


    ''''I won''t, mom. Dad and I have wrapped things up here.'''' He nodded at his father. ''''I''ll go to bed in a minute.''''


    His mom gave a kind smile and then disappeared with Mikasa upstairs. Eren sighed; this was going to be a lot tougher than he''d initially thought. Telling his father the truth was one thing, but his mom and especially Mikasa? Now that was going to be difficult.


    ''''You shouldn''t wait too long before telling the truth,'''' Grisha suggested. ''''It''s like she has a sixth sense for things like this. She''s deadly scared for your safety.''''


    ''''I know,'''' Eren agreed, ''''I will do so after we''re finished saving Shiganshina.'''' He shook his head. ''''You have to tell mom too, you know.''''


    ''''I know, son,'''' Grisha replied bitterly. ''''But like you said, we''ll do one thing at a time. Now let''s get to bed. We need every bit of energy tomorrow.''''


    Early in the morning, at the break of dawn of a new day, the impossible had happened to Reiner Braun. He was on his knees in the dirt, clutching his head together in refusal. His whole body was numb, his eyes wide as saucers as he looked at how thick, salty droplets of his tears fell to the ground.


    ''''Marcel, no,'''' he whimpered, shutting his eyes tightly. ''''It''s all my fault,'''' he thought, his head throbbing with pain. ''''He''s dead because of me. A titan ate him because of me.''''


    ''''What do we do now?'''' Bertolt yelled to the group anxiously, his breathing erratic. They''d just fled from the titan that ate Marcel. They hadn''t even reached the wall yet and their leader was already killed. He looked desperately at Annie, who was in complete shock herself.


    She tried to even her breathing and control the slight trembles in her hands. She had to assess the situation and think about this clearly. A sigh escaped her lips while she rolled her stiff shoulders. Marcel was gone, Reiner looked like he was going insane and Bertolt was as scared as a trapped mouse.


    ''''We have to abandon the mission,'''' Reiner muttered from the dirt. ''''Without Marcel we''re useless, we will be¡ªAH!'''' A swift kick to his face shut him up, his already throbbing head exploding in pain. Blood gushed out of his nostrils where Annie had hit him. She kicked him again between the ribs, knocking the wind out of him.


    For some reason, beating the shit out of Reiner made Annie think clearly, her body surging with adrenaline as she used another well placed kick to hit Reiner straight across his cheek; it''d heal, she knew. A titan-shifter had an amazing healing factor. For the time being, she hoped it''d knock some sense back into Reiner.


    After she had kicked him for a final time in his belly¡ªmaking him wheeze and clutch it in pain¡ªher features turned into a scowl. ''''Are you suggesting we should go back to Marley, be disgraced in front of the whole nation and then executed while our families will continue to suffer from our failure?''''


    She eyed Bertolt, whose whole body was shivering from the rough treatment she was giving Reiner. She put her hands in her pockets and glared at Reiner again. ''''You shouldn''t have fled from that titan that killed Marcel. Now the jaw titan is lost and we have no idea how to retrieve it.''''


    Reiner growled at her in his pained state, blood running past his lips and chin to the ground below. He hated that she was right¡ªright in the fact Marley would execute them, right in the fact Marcel''s powers were lost because of him, and it made him so angry.


    He wiped the blood from his face, slowly standing up while grimacing at the pain Annie had caused. It soon turned into a dull throb, the hopelessness of the situation making him realize they hadn''t much of a choice. ''''We have no other option but to continue the mission then,'''' he agreed to Annie. He was already formulating a plan to avoid any other mindless titans while also closing the final gap between their location and the wall when Bertolt tapped him on his shoulder feverishly.


    ''''We''ve got company, guys,'''' he said, pointing his gun in the direction of two silhouettes approaching on the horizon. Both Annie and Reiner stiffened, expecting the worst, only to drop their guards in surprised stupor when the silhouettes turned out to be humans.


    They could tell one of them was young, maybe around the same age as they were, while the other was definitely an a.d.u.l.t. They couldn''t make out any distinct features yet, but it was clear they were approaching them, which raised multiple questions in the shifter''s minds.


    ''''What are they doing here so far outside the wall?'''' Bertolt whispered finally, voicing what they were all thinking. ''''You don''t suppose they''re military, right?''''


    ''''Not likely,'''' Annie replied. ''''They look like normal travelers, but that''s impossible considering how many titans are walking around here.'''' She watched with a tense expression on her face how the duo came closer, the rising sun casting them partly in a shadowy cloak. Bertolt still had his gun raised on them, sweat dripping from his face.


    ''''Should I shoot them?'''' He asked unsurely. All three of them knew they were the devils of Paradis that needed to be wiped away, but they also knew that their mission was to get the founding titan first and foremost. Moreover, killing them would not give them answers to their questions.


    ''''Don''t shoot, but keep your gun at the ready,'''' Reiner ultimately decided. He looked at Annie for confirmation, who nodded her head.


    ''''Let''s see what they want.''''


    Finally, they could make out their features. The clothes they were wearing immediately ruled out they were part of any sort of military. It came abundantly clear the travelers were family as well, probably father and son. They weren''t carrying any sort of weapon either, but they knew looks could be deceiving. They had learned that the devils of Paradis were ruthless, and this was their first time interacting with them.


    Annie sharply noticed they were very calm even though Bertolt had a gun pointed at them, and while the distance was relatively far still, he was an excellent sharp-shooter. The determination on their faces was the most troublesome in Annie''s mind; it screamed they were here with a mission, and she didn''t like that one bit.


    ''''Stop,'''' Reiner eventually commanded when they were only about ten meters away, which resulted in Bertolt being extra cautious for any sudden movements. When father and son obliged silently, Reiner eyed them up and down.


    ''''Who are you and what are you doing here?'''' he demanded. He didn''t like how calm they remained. They should feel threatened in a situation like this, but that wasn''t the case at all.


    ''''Allow me to introduce myself, young warriors of Marley,'''' the father began, which made all three of them stiffen slightly¡ªhe knew they were from Marley. ''''I''m Grisha Yeager and this is my son Eren Yeager. We are here on account for all people living on Paradis,'''' he revealed diplomatically, his tone not unkind. ''''Please hear us out.''''


    Annie scowled slightly; Grisha¡ªif he was called Grisha¡ªhad a silver tongue. She couldn''t detect if he was lying or not, which led her to the conclusion he was telling the truth, even though she didn''t want to believe it.


    ''''Why would we waste our time hearing you out?'''' she challenged them, just to make sure.


    ''''Because we mean you no harm,'''' Grisha offered gently. ''''We''re unarmed, as you can see, and in the middle of nowhere. You could shoot us if you so wish, but the fact you haven''t yet leads me to believe you want to hear what we have to say.''''


    Grisha had a good point. Annie looked at Reiner and Bertolt uncertainly, until both of them gave her a nod, telling her they were okay with it. ''''All right,'''' she admitted, ''''we do want to hear what you have to say. So, go ahead.''''


    The man called Grisha paused for a moment, readjusted his glasses and then smiled slightly. ''''I''m offering you guys a way out,'''' he said simply.


    ''''What do you mean?'''' Reiner commanded, his nervousness building. The way how Grisha was implying things screamed he knew more than that they simply were warriors from Marley.


    ''''I understand you are in a very precarious situation,'''' he elaborated, ''''with a dangerous task of infiltrating Paradis to receive the founding titan while also experiencing the death of one of your friends. There''s no way back for you guys now, is there?''''


    Apparent shock was visible on all three of the shifter''s faces. Reiner was baffled how much knowledge Grisha possessed about their mission. Had spies leaked information to Paradis in advance? He couldn''t believe that could be the truth, the military of Marley had been so cautious.


    At the same time, Annie was wondering the same thing. She felt anxiety kick in, but remained positively calm on the outside. Bertolt, however, was visibly shivering.


    ''''How do you know all of that?'''' he yelled, taking a few steps forwards while keeping his gun pointed at him. ''''Answer me!''''


    ''''Bertolt, calm down,'''' Annie replied, her mind working over hours to find an answer that would make sense. ''''The last thing we want is to lose our cool.''''


    Bertolt growled at her, but eventually backed-off. Reiner had his teeth gritted as well, but didn''t say anything for the time being. He knew Annie was right.


    ''''I won''t ask you how you know this information,'''' she told Grisha, ''''but it most likely means you also know we''re extremely dangerous.''''


    He nodded. ''''Hence why I want to avoid a conflict at all cost,'''' Grisha admitted. He paused, looked at his son¡ªwho gave him a firm nod¡ªbefore continuing. ''''Listen, you guys don''t have to destroy the wall or retrieve the founding titan. The people inside the walls are all Eldian like you and me, and they live a life of obliviousness. You would kill thousands of innocent people of your own kin, and for what? To become an honorary Marleyan? To restore Eldia in its former glory?'''' Grisha shook his head. ''''They''re all lies told by your government.''''


    ''''Shut up!'''' Reiner screamed while Bertolt also was on the brink of exploding. ''''Are you devils trying to deceive us? You don''t think but for a second that we would believe you!?'''' he questioned.


    For the first time, the boy who was introduced as Eren spoke up. ''''We don''t,'''' he said gently, ''''but is the alternative that Marley is speaking the truth anymore promising? They''ve locked you up in intermittent zones; they treat you like cattle and have taken your freedom away.'''' He gave them all a serious look. ''''You''d be all executed if you failed this mission. Would that ever happen if you were Marleyan?''''


    ''''Then what do you propose we should do?'''' Annie replied, shutting both boys up before they would do anything rash. They looked at her like she''d lost her mind for even humoring the idea of listening, let alone being completely serious about it.


    ''''Annie?'''' both Reiner and Bertolt hissed incredulously. She waved them off; she was curious what they had to offer, which made Eren hopeful.


    ''''Help me get you back your true freedom,'''' he offered her genuinely. ''''Please help us free the people of Eldia. We''ll overthrow the faulty government that''s installed in both Paradis and Marley together. You''d be free¡ªtruly free.'''' He gave Annie a few moments to let that sink in.


    ''''I know you don''t trust us; I wouldn''t either in your position, but I also know that you''re deceptively good at spotting lies. So I''m asking you; has anything what my father and I have said not be truthful?''''


    ''''Don''t listen to him, Annie,'''' Reiner warned, his voice trembling and uneven. ''''It''s all a trick to lull you into a sense of security. The moment you take their offer they''re going to capture you.''''


    Annie wanted to agree with Reiner, but something told her both Eren and Grisha were telling the truth. She knew Marley was full of crap and that her people were treated like trash. She''d hoped for a quiet life with her dad after she pulled this off, but knew deep down that was never going to happen. But now, these two strangers out of nowhere offered her such a ludicrous solution. She almost asked herself what she had to lose.


    Both Reiner and Bertolt saw this too, their eyes widening like saucers at the very realistic threat to lose another friend and teammate. They had to do something drastically, and so, without warning, Reiner grabbed his knife and cut himself across the palm of his hand, triggering his shift into his titan form.


    There you have it, folks. I promised you guys a battle, but I split the chapter because otherwise it would be too long. :P Did you guys like it, love it, hate it? Please review! I promise to respond to all the reviews I get. :3 Next chapter will truly be Annie, Reiner and Bertolt versus Eren and Grisha. Until then. ^^


    ~Syrup-Waffle


    Chapter 3


    Yellow lightning cracked across the sky. A thunderous clap could be heard from miles away of Eren''s and Grisha''s location. An enormous blast off wind threatened to blow both father and son away, while Bertolt and Annie were actually knocked off their feet, the former dropping his gun in the process.


    Bones, muscles and connective tissue began to fabricate and build itself up like a tower rising from the ground, forming itself into a moveable body. A strong, durable exoskeleton¡ªas hard as steel¡ªprotected the body from all sides. Lastly, two menacing, piercing eyes glared down on Eren and Grisha as the armored titan rose to his full height.


    ''''That''s a slight problem,'''' Eren commented while frowning, shielding his eyes from dust still flying his way. He was pretty positive about the situation they were in at the moment; Annie actually had seemed interested in taking them up on their offer. She just needed a bit more persuasion. Understandably so, both Reiner and Bertolt would take more time.


    Grisha gritted his teeth while looking at his son worriedly; the armored titan could attack them at any moment. ''''Eren, now?'''' he yelled, panic gripping him from every side.


    Reiner gave an ear-splitting roar, the ground shaking and cracking at the unbelievable power he was displaying.


    ''''Not yet,'''' Eren responded, narrowing his eyes. He got into a battle ready stance and found the familiar surge of the founding titan''s powers from deep within his body. His eyes flashed with the same thunderous attributes as Reiner''s transformation, albeit on a smaller scale, and he gave a loud power cry.


    Reiner was preparing to trample both Eren and Grisha like a couple of insects; the couple of meters he had to cover were nothing to him. ''''I''ll teach you a lesson for trying to trick Annie in betraying us, you devils!'''' he thought angrily, foot raised high in the air to make an end to Grisha''s and Eren''s lives.


    He was so blinded by anger that he completely failed to notice the twenty-meter-class that seemingly tackled him out of nowhere, knocking him off balance as he crashed explosively on his side, kicking up dust and shattering trees completely that were unfortunate enough to be in his way.


    Both Annie and Bertolt were coughing to clear out their lungs; scratches and bruises covered their bodies entirely¡ªcourtesy of Reiner¡ªas they picked themselves up from the ground. As disoriented as they were, they''d no idea what was happening until they saw a mindless titan on top of the downed armored titan.


    ''''Annie, quickly,'''' Bertolt screamed; knowing if he would transform now he would do serious harm to her, ''''you have to help out Reiner against these devils! You have to¡ª'''' multiple high whistles zipped past him like the bullets of a machine gun, until excruciating pain wracked his mind and he felt like he was going to faint. He gurgled helplessly as blood spew forth from his mouth, his eyes wide in surprise, disbelief and total refusal as he looked at what was left of his shredded right arm and shoulder.


    ''''Bertolt!'''' Annie yelled hysterically, seeing that he was losing consciousness fast as he dropped to the ground, blood flowing from the gaping wounds in his right limb. His arm was torn off completely. Annie gawked at the apparent perpetrator in the distance; another mindless titan¡ªmost likely a five-meter-class¡ªwho was holding a bunch of rocks the size of baseballs in one of his hands. ''''Did he just throw those?'''' she thought incredulously, looking back at Bertolt''s unconscious form. ''''That''s impossible! They''re mindless titans. Only if you posses the founding titan¡ª''''


    That thought died in her throat rather quickly as she looked at Grisha and particularly Eren. The electricity that flashed all around him said enough. ''''No way.''''


    Eren, meanwhile, looked at his handiwork with satisfaction. ''''With kind regards of Zeke Yeager,'''' he thought as he looked at the immobilized colossus titan. ''''Sorry, Bertolt, but I had to. You''re way too dangerous to be dealt with right now.'''' His eyes turned back to Annie, whose expression radiated realization¡ªrealization filled with horror, anxiety but above all shock.


    ''''That''s right, Annie. I have the founding titan. So what are you going to do now? Help Reiner, or will you try to appease?'''' Eren looked back at his father and gave him a nod. ''''Now!'''' he yelled with determination dripping from his voice. He bit down on the skin of his wrist while Grisha did the same, following his son''s lead.


    Two more thunderous claps rang through the area. The earth shook like in an earthquake while two similarly strong looking titans took shape in the place of Eren and Grisha. If Annie''s eyes could have widened more, they would''ve popped right out of her skull. She rubbed them to make sure if she was seeing things correctly, but her eyes were not deceiving her; in front of her was not one, but two attack titans.


    Reiner roared like a hungry lion as he threw the mindless titan off of him like it was a small child. It crashed somewhere behind him in a plume of smoke. It had taken a moment for him to realize what was happening until all of his senses started to work normally again. He got up rather clumsily, his whole body stiffening the moment he let his eyes rest on his transformed opponents. ''''What the¡ª''''


    He couldn''t comprehend what he was seeing. It was simply impossible and he wondered if he started to go insane. Two attack titans had taken a battle stance, ready to fight him while only one existed.


    Eren was smirking all the way. It didn''t take a genius to figure out Reiner was completely caught off guard. At the moment, he was their only opponent and that was favorable. Eren had plenty of experience dealing with the armored titan alone, but it was nice to have some back-up. The moment Annie started to transform, he would shift his efforts to her while his father would continue to fight Reiner; he figured his father wouldn''t have an answer to her hardening abilities, which he did have.


    Just like they had planned, Eren took the lead while his father followed suit. The familiar thrill of battle excited Eren as a rush of adrenaline filled his body; it was almost soothing to him in a sense. His titan form let out a monstrous roar as he charged Reiner with all the energy he could muster. He could feel how his father was close behind him, analyzing their opponent and staying level-headed; he was their line of defense after all and more importantly, responsible for the safety of Dina¡ªthe smiling titan who Eren had hidden close by. If something would happen to her, they were in grave danger and had to retreat immediately. But for now, they held all the cards in their hands.


    Reiner let out a panicked scream in his mind, the shock that there were two attack titans about to battle him paralyzing him for a couple of crucial seconds. ''''What is happening?'''' his mind yelled to him anxiously. It took him longer than he would''ve liked to prepare himself, the anger he was feeling slowly overwhelming all his other senses. ''''It doesn''t matter,'''' he reassured himself then, mentally shaking his head, ''''they tried to trick Annie, and for that, they will pay. They won''t be able to penetrate my armor anyway, and once Annie and Bertolt transform, it''ll be three against two.''''


    Still, Reiner couldn''t shake the feeling something was wrong. That random titan that attacked him out of nowhere; it didn''t make sense. He had his arms raised to protect his head while his feet shifted apart, creating a battle stance to prepare himself for the oncoming blows.


    Eren growled at the familiar stance, his dash coming to a sudden halt when he''d reached Reiner, preparing to give him a punch straight across his left cheek. His fist hardened to steel like proportions, all the momentum he had created carrying to his arm to deliver a devastating blow.


    Reiner was quick to block with his left arm with the intention to retaliate with his right, assuming his armor would be enough to nullify the punch, only to be shocked once more at the brute force hammering his underarm. The strength in Eren''s punch made a sickening crack reverberate through the area, his armor crumbling where he''d struck him. ''''That''s¡ª'''' Reiner thought, hissing in alarm at the damage taken. He couldn''t block the follow-up from Grisha, who gave a powerful low-kick at his knee joint.


    It luckily didn''t do nearly as much damage, but the fact Grisha had attacked and retreated successfully meant Reiner was going to be in trouble very soon if his teammates didn''t come to his aide. ''''Come on!'''' he thought angrily, ''''what''s taking you guys so long to transform and help me?''''


    He had no idea Bertolt was knocked out already and Annie petrified to the bone. She was staring with wide eyes at the unfolding battle, muttering to herself like a lunatic. In hindsight, it was obvious what she should do; all her training had prepared her for such a moment, but nobody had told her there was going to be another way out.


    ''''They really weren''t kidding,'''' her mind argued, suppressing her instincts to help Reiner. ''''What they offered was real; real salvation for you and all of the Eldians. They can give you a life with your dad. You''d be¡ªnormal.'''' That word, normal, she''d longed for it for as long as she could remember. She wanted that so badly.


    Yet, her loyalty to Reiner and Bertolt wasn''t something she could throw away. They were her friends; companions who she cared for a lot. She''d sworn to protect them with her life. So, between such a devastating loss so early on in their mission and now these two mysterious attack titans making things extremely difficult, she didn''t know what to do.


    Reiner, meanwhile, was still waiting for some sort of help when the complete opposite happened. That titan he''d thrown off earlier jumped on his back again, reducing his movement and leaving him wide-open for a counter-attack. Eren took this opportunity to deliver a swift uppercut to Reiner''s chin, seriously damaging it while trying to follow it up with a hardened kick against his side.


    However, Reiner saw it coming in time. With a bit of luck, he managed to get a good grip on the titan on his back and throw it off of him like a lethal object to Eren. The titan crashed violently against Eren''s titan form, knocking him over and interrupting his kick. Reiner roared thunderously with anger, Grisha''s second low-kick finding its mark on his knee bringing him out of his stupor as he staggered slightly.


    ''''They''ve got a clever tactic,'''' Reiner admitted to himself, ''''but that mindless titan should keep Eren busy while I''ll deal with his dad. It appears he doesn''t know how to harden his body, which is an immense relief at least.'''' Reiner thought he had a lucky break, but the twenty-meter-class didn''t even bother to roar at Eren. Instead, it got up alongside him and then faced Reiner again, ready to pounce on him once more.


    It then dawned on Reiner while absolute horror gripped his body that either Eren or Grisha had possession of the founding titan. It was the only logical conclusion for this titan''s behavior, which was immensely alarming.


    The slight thunder that crackled around Eren''s body confirmed Reiner''s suspicions. The mindless titan attacked with a sudden leap. Reiner had no other option but to stop it with a powerful punch. His fist connected with the titan''s face and ripped through it, sending boiling hot blood flying everywhere as its body crashed lifelessly to the ground.


    He knew he had no way to protect himself afterwards. Eren''s foot was devastating. It struck him right across his jaw, the force breaking it where he''d hit and partly dislocating it. Reiner cursed loudly, his heart beating a mile a minute. His slightly injured knee gave in as well when Grisha connected his foot precisely under his kneecap, bringing him down on one knee.


    Reiner knew he was a sitting duck at this point. It was only going to be a matter of time before Eren had rendered his arms useless too, and then it was just a question of getting him out of his titan to finish him off completely. ''''I''m done for,'''' Reiner thought fearfully. He doubted if he could''ve taken on Eren alone at this point, never mind in combination with Grisha and the assistance of the founding titan.


    ''''We''ve got him,'''' Grisha thought, his happiness overtaking his surprise. His son''s crazy plan had worked. They''d saved Shiganshina; countless of Eldian lives would see the dawn of another day, oblivious to the fact they would''ve been killed if they hadn''t intervened.


    Just as Grisha started to relax a little, another flash and boom shifted his attention towards his left. He grunted; Annie had finally transformed in her titan form and was running at him threateningly, seemingly having made up her mind. ''''And we were so close in convincing her too,'''' Grisha thought bitterly. Instead of waiting, he took his son''s advice and began to close the distance.


    It pained Annie to do this, but the moment she saw Reiner go down, she couldn''t abandon him. She knew she''d basically just thrown her only chance away at a normal life. The pain she felt had made her teary eyed, pictures of her father hugging her flashing through her mind. It fueled her anger, sharpening her focus. Grisha roared at her, intent on tackling her legs and bringing her down.


    In a split second, Annie had shifted her weight to her other leg and moved out of the way fluently. She avoided Grisha''s tackle so smoothly that he was left utterly surprised. He could only watch as her knee hardened and she counter-attacked by bringing it roughly against his face. It exploded in a heap of blood, flesh and teeth, maiming him and leaving him utterly blind for the time being.


    ''''Dad!'''' Eren screamed, seeing his father go down. He had to give him time to heal properly, but that would ensure Reiner would be up and running by the time he was done too. ''''Why didn''t you wait and let me handle her?'''' he questioned while gritting his teeth. This was a major set-back, especially since there were no mindless titans nearby to aide him except the five-meter-class and Dina. He knew the former wasn''t going to do a thing against Reiner and he was never going to risk the latter. ''''We''re back at square one. I have to defeat Annie before Reiner is back on his feet again.''''


    Annie left Grisha''s partly defeated titan alone when she''d heard Eren''s furious roar. She had expected him to run at her like his father did, but instead, he walked to her slowly, taking on a battling stance she was all too familiar with. ''''That''s¡­ my battling stance,'''' she thought, whispering to herself. Her mind was giving her the weirdest sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu she''d ever had. ''''Who are you?''''


    She waited for Eren to make the first move, but he''d apparently expected that, because he was as patient as she was. They just eyed each other; one pair of eyes questioning everything, while the other pair of eyes seemingly held all the answers. In the background, Reiner was roaring, trying to get up, but his kneecap was locked in place, making him unable to stretch it, and his titan was way too bulky to stand on one feet. He could crawl, but knew that one well placed kick on his face would leave him utterly defeated. He could do nothing but wait until his knee had healed properly.


    Finally, Annie was fed up with waiting. Her agile form made her able to bring her feet high above her head. She hardened it and moved it in a wide arc, trying to connect it with Eren''s face. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew he was going to dodge it. She was as quick as lightning, but it wasn''t enough to land her hit. Eren ducked like he''d expected her attack way in advance and then brought the rest of his body down in a sweeping kick.


    He found her left ankle with his foot and saw it twist in a way it wasn''t supposed to. Immediately, Annie lost her balance and fell down. She hadn''t even hit the ground when Eren''s hardened fist landed on her shoulder joint, destroying it into a bloody pulp and making her unable to lift her right arm. In just two quick moves, Annie was in the severe disadvantage.


    ''''He knows my fighting style completely, like he has battled me countless of times before,'''' she realized, smoke rising from the places on her body where Eren had hit her. She could only hope that she could stall him long enough now with her hardening abilities until she could move a bit again.


    Eren didn''t let his guard down in the slightest and that was the correct thing to do too. While Reiner couldn''t join the battle from up close, he could still do so from a distance away. He had managed to crawl to a decent sized rock and throw it at Eren with the deadly accuracy of a marksman. Eren was just barely able to dodge the boulder, although it scr.a.p.ed the left side of his stomach, drawing a nasty gash across it which began to bleed immediately.


    The distraction left Annie with the opportunity to do some damage herself. She raised her left fist and punched Eren on his calf muscles from her grounded position. The result was a limp that reduced Eren''s mobility and hindered him greatly.


    ''''I need to keep Reiner occupied,'''' Eren thought, taking some distance from Annie. The commotion had lured in some more mindless titan to his vicinity, which was exactly what he needed. He commanded the eight giants of various sizes to attack Reiner, who was in the middle of crawling to another rock.


    While Reiner was determined, that soon turned into despair when he saw the titans closing in on him. He roared to intimidate them and brought his fist down on the first titan that leaped at him. Just like before, he destroyed its head completely. The others were trickier to deal with. They all grabbed individual limbs and tried to hold him place, effectively rendering him completely immobile.


    With Reiner dealt with for now, Eren looked back at Annie, already formulating a plan to get past her hardening abilities. He walked towards her¡ªnot being able to run anymore¡ªand prepared to hit her straight between her ribs. As expected, Annie reacted accordingly and hardened the part of her body where he was about hit her, his attack and her defense cancelling each other out. However, it left the rest of her body completely open.


    At the same time of his punch, Eren had commanded his five-meter-class to throw all the rocks he had left at Annie. The result was that she got pelted with a barrage of sharp objects that cut her everywhere.


    ''''He''s too strong,'''' Annie''s panicked mind thought. ''''There''s got to be some way to shut down the founding titan. He has to have some way to control them. There''s no way he or his father are from royal blood, so how?'''' Annie let her eyes scan the battlefield, but she couldn''t detect anything; it was just an endless sea of rocks and patches of grass. The only thing that stood out to her was a relatively large rock that blocked her view a bit.


    Eren attacked her again, his titan''s piercing roar warning Annie to harden her ribs once more. The resulting blow was followed with another barrage of rocks. They were absolutely destructive in nature. Her left eye had been gauged; a weird, yellow-ish fluid dripped out of it. Her left ear had been completely torn off, and her whole body was bloody with cuts or chunks of flesh missing.


    ''''She''s not going to last much longer, I have to hurry up,'''' Eren thought. Unfortunately, Reiner''s victorious roar shattered those hopes. His knee had healed long enough to stand up again; the incredible strength he possessed overwhelmed the titans who were holding him down. They were unable to hurt him due to his armor, and now, too weak to keep him in place.


    He began to throw them off his body like petty insects, crushing them under his feet or otherwise beating their bodies into oblivion. Once he was free, he ran at Eren with all the strength he could muster.


    Eren''s eyes turned to slits; he knew he had to play this smart if he wanted to win. Reiner brought his body back to punch Eren straight in his face. The massive fist was just barely avoided, the momentum Eren had created with his dodge a perfect weapon to use in his retaliation. Smartly, he struck Reiner at the same spot where his feet had hit his jaw, dislocating it completely. With a mighty roar, he grabbed what remained of Reiner''s unhinged jaw, and began to pull, ripping it loose with a sickening crack.


    The result was a soft tissue spot in the form of Reiner''s mouth that was left completely open. One good punch from Eren there and he would splatter his head from the inside out, which would mean game over for Reiner.


    It seemed Reiner knew this too and was backing away fearfully; not only because he was certain now that he couldn''t beat Eren alone, but also because Grisha''s titan had healed enough to be standing again.


    Grisha gave a nod to Eren, indicating he was ready to fight again. He made an apologetic gesture with his hand, which Eren waved off. Eren then pointed at Reiner while he turned his attention back at Annie, who was desperately trying to stand on her weakened ankle. Grisha understood. He roared angrily, ready to face Reiner and beat him once and for all.


    ''''I''m sorry, Annie,'''' Eren thought, ''''It''s about time I finished this.'''' Eren commanded his five-meter-class to throw a larger rock at Annie, who expectedly reacted on reflex and hardened her chest area to block it. The rock was pulverized on impact, but Annie also realized with growing horror that it was a fatal error she''d just made, and it would cost her dearly.


    She couldn''t block Eren''s foot; she wasn''t fast enough and too weakened to dodge it. It hit her square on the cheek and just kept on going right through it, pulverizing her head and knocking her out of the battle. Her titan fell to the ground, her human form finding the sweet abyss of unconsciousness as she was defeated.


    ''''That''s two down,'''' Eren thought, ''''only one to go.'''' He commanded the five-meter-class to retrieve Annie''s body out of her titan form. Once it had done so, Eren made it carry her into its jaw to Dina''s location, who was still hiding behind the rock where he had left her.


    Now that Eren had some time, he looked at the battlefield to search for Bertolt''s body, hoping that he hadn''t accidentally trampled him in their battle. What he found was his rifle and a lot of blood, leading away in a thick trail. ''''Oh no,'''' Eren thought, his senses sharp as he eyed the trail and saw Bertolt sitting a little bit farther ahead. He was conscious again, his healing factor working a lot faster than Eren had anticipated.


    His face was screaming bloody murder, a knife in one hand while his other hand was still missing. He''d probably seen how he had defeated Annie and that he brought her body behind the rock, which made Eren assume he knew that he had the founding titan too, as well as that Bertolt was going to do everything in his power to get Annie back.


    ''''I can''t let you, Bertolt. If you see Dina chances are you know she''s important to me somehow. Never mind that you''ll probably see her anyway when you transform. You''re a big guy, after all.''''


    Bertolt''s eyes were entirely fixated on Eren''s titan form, absolutely seething with anger for what he had done. Behind Eren he could make out Reiner''s weakened titan fighting Grisha''s to a stalemate. They weren''t going anywhere for the time being, which meant there was only one obstacle in his way.


    ''''I''ll kill you, Eren,'''' he thought murderously, the words dripping with venom. ''''Manipulating Annie with false promises, stealing her body so you can harvest the female titan, knocking me out before I can transform¡ªthat all ends now!'''' Bertolt cut himself across the cheek, the yellow thunder that appeared from the heavens blinding everybody for a split second.


    Furious winds like a hurricane blasted up dust and pebbles everywhere, which made Eren shield his eyes. The loud explosion that followed almost threatened to knock him off of his feet. Steam erupted from Bertolt''s location, rising high into the sky like an active volcano ready to explode. For a moment, only the hissing of the steam could be seen or heard, like the calm before the storm.


    Then, Bertolt''s face appeared from within the steam. High and mighty he looked down upon the earth below. From his point of view he could even see the wall in the far distance. But that wasn''t what he was interested in at the moment; he was only interested in Eren and getting back Annie''s body. ''''Huh,'''' he thought, ''''there''s another titan behind that rock; a fairly big one. Why is it crouching down like it tries to remain hidden?''''


    The first step he took rumbled the earth to its core. Even Grisha and Reiner had stopped fighting for a second to gape at the humongous giant. ''''How are we ever going to bring that down?'''' Grisha questioned incredulously. He gave a doubtful glance at his son, who also looked slightly alarmed. It seemed even he was still surprised at how big the colossal titan was, no matter how many times he''d seen it.


    While he remained a huge threat, Bertolt''s speed was severely limited in his titan form. There was no way he could protect himself properly, especially when the small army of mindless titans Eren had commanded to attack was distracting him too. Bertolt saw the titans closing in on him with a perked brow, seemingly not impressed. ''''What''s that supposed to do exactly?'''' he thought with a scowl on his face.


    Contracting his muscles, he opened up his secretory glands, which emanated a protective layer of boiling hot steam all around him. It withheld him from moving, but it was an easy defense mechanism to burn all the titans who were clinging to his body to a crisp.


    Meanwhile, Reiner felt some confidence return back to him at the sight of Bertolt''s titan. Grisha turned out to be trickier to take down than he had anticipated. While he didn''t possess any hardening abilities like his son did, he made up for that with raw experience and sheer willpower. The blows he dealt were mainly focused on his joints, weakening them whenever he struck one.


    However, he had dealt some big damage as well. There was a gaping wound at Grisha''s hip courtesy of a well placed kick that had destroyed most of his crista. In turn, Grisha''s leg threatened to dislocate with every step he took. Furthermore he''d torn off his left arm completely. It was just a matter of time before it had grown back, he knew, but the same could be said about the strength in his joints. The only worrisome part was his mouth; his armor didn''t grow back even though his jaw was starting to reform. It would stay a weak point for the rest of the battle.


    Grisha knew this too, who was constantly wracking his brain for a solution to make an end to this battle as soon as possible. His titan was reaching its end; the damage sustained more than he could heal back properly. ''''I have to get in close, it''s my only shot,'''' he thought. He had held his distance until now because he was afraid Reiner would hit him, and when he did, he hit hard.


    Now though, he surprised the armored titan with his sudden dash, his arms stretched out and ready to tackle him. ''''Is he going to do the same thing he tried to Annie?'''' Reiner thought, stupefied. He couldn''t believe Grisha''s desperate approach. He held his arms wide, ready to catch the attack titan in his grasp and then beat the shit out of him.


    However, the moment Grisha was about to tackle him, he made a fake-out to the left, completely avoiding Reiner''s attempt to grab him. Reiner let out a gasp and hissed in panic when Grisha used the momentum to grab him around his throat and lock his feet around his midsection, using his weight and the force of gravity to bring them both down.


    The loud crash of both titans hitting the ground kicked up considerable amounts of dust, and from this position, Grisha had a perfect angle to hit Reiner''s weak spot. He roared loudly and brought his fist down on his jaw, easily breaking it one hit.


    Reiner''s eyes widened at the dangerous situation he was in. He couldn''t use his left arm with the way how Grisha was holding him and hitting him, while his right arm was locked firmly in place by his leg, making both of them completely useless. He couldn''t get up either with the extra weight clinging to his back. The only thing he could do was lift his upper section of his torso and slam back down, and that''s exactly what he did in his desperation.


    Grisha continued to punch him repeatedly and in quick succession on his jaw, bone fragments flying everywhere as he felt Reiner lift him up and slam him back down. The massive weight of the titan was quickly threatening to break his spine, which would render his legs useless. If that happened, Reiner would be able to use his arm and then it would be pretty much over for him.


    Yet, Grisha felt absolutely confident he was going to win. His punches had completely destroyed Reiner''s jaw already. His knuckles weren''t faring any better, but that didn''t diminish him in the slightest. He kept on hacking away at skin and muscles, blood flying everywhere while Reiner''s movements became more stiff, forced and very nervous. He managed to slam down Grisha again, who felt the strength in his legs leaving him. Still, Grisha didn''t slow down.


    ''''No, please! I can''t¡ª'''' Reiner thought in panic, managing to free his right arm from Grisha''s leg to try and bring down his elbow on his face in a finishing blow. When Grisha saw the threat of Reiner''s elbow looming high above him¡ªlike the knife of a guillotine that was about to behead him¡ªhe gave one final cry and mustered all the strength he could find to ram his fist against what was left of Reiner''s face as hard as he could, completely destroying all of his metacarpals in the process.


    The effect was instantaneous. All of Reiner''s higher functions seized to cooperate. His raised arm fell harmlessly at his side, the damage Grisha had done knocking him out cold. Grisha let a breath escape his mouth that he didn''t know he was holding. He had given everything to defeat Reiner; his titan was as good as useless and out of the battle. The only thing that he could move properly was his right arm while only a stump was left of his fist. He had crushed his fingers into dust hitting Reiner over and over again. ''''The rest is up to you, Eren,'''' he thought, eyeing the idle colossus titan who was still using his steam as a shield. For the time being, he was trapped under Reiner and could only spectate.


    Bertolt wasn''t sure what was happening below him at the moment. One downside of his steam shield was that he couldn''t see at all, never mind that he couldn''t move either. He was confident he''d dealt with all the mindless titans for the time being though, and so, stopped his steam.


    He would immediately regret that decision.


    Eren had been patiently waiting behind Bertolt to drop his form of defense. Once he had done so, the access to his heels was free. Wounding his own hand to make a sharp edge out of his radius bone, he''d hardened it to steel and slashed it right through the tendon that connected Bertolt''s calf muscles to his calcaneus. A sharp snap¡ªlike a thick cord broke¡ªwas the result.


    Bertolt let out a yelp as his right leg suddenly gave away. He tried to find his balance, only to hear another loud snap in his left leg and felt that one giving away as well. He went down on his knees with a lot of violence, his large frame falling forwards. He tried to soften the blow by extending his hands, but the resulting crash was still spectacular; both Grisha and Reiner were lucky he didn''t land on top of them.


    ''''What happened?'''' Bertolt babbled to himself incoherently. He tried to push himself back up, which he only succeeded in half; his feet still refused to cooperate, which was very troublesome. He looked around to spot any sign of Reiner, Eren and Grisha. When he couldn''t find anybody¡ªlargely because of all the dust he had kicked up¡ªhe instead focused on what he could see, namely the mysterious titan who was still hiding behind the rock about an arm''s length away from him.


    From his hands and knees position, he couldn''t see the five-meter-class who was carrying Annie around. He couldn''t even be sure if that titan still had Annie; the smiling titan behind the rock could just as easily be holding Annie. He had to be careful before smashing everything under that rock with the palm of his hand.


    First thing was first, he needed more vision. He reached out to grab the rock like it was a drink from the fridge and pulled, the protesting cracks of the rock giving away under the sheer strength of the colossus titan. Lifting up the rock revealed the smiling titan''s full body, crouched down and holding Annie''s body protectively on its lap.


    ''''Annie!'''' Bertolt thought, relief washing over him. ''''You''re all right! Don''t worry, I''ll get you out of there!'''' He reached out to pinch the smiling titan''s head between his fingers and squash its head like an overripe fruit, but that''s where the titan suddenly reacted and began to run away with Annie in its arms.


    ''''No!'''' Bertolt stretched his arm desperately to catch the fleeing titan, but it was already out of his reach. He tried to crawl after it, only to feel a very distinct weight settle on his neck. His eyes widened significantly and his movements stopped.


    ''''Forgot about me for a moment?'''' Eren thought victoriously. He knew he had Bertolt checkmate. He wouldn''t be fast enough to get him off of his neck and activating his steam would ensure Dina would be able to escape for sure with Annie. No to mention, it would burn away a lot of his muscles; muscles he desperately needed at the moment. Not that it mattered anymore anyway.


    Bertolt lowered his head in defeat. ''''Reiner, Annie. I''m sorry.'''' In the next moment he could feel the muscles in his neck being torn open forcefully, exposing his human body to the open sky and effectively shutting down his titan.


    Eren grabbed Bertolt''s body from out of the disintegrating colossus titan, who didn''t struggle whatsoever at this point and waited for inevitable death to claim him. Instead, Eren had no such plans with him. He gave Bertolt an apologetic look before knocking him out by shooting a finger against his nose. Eren''s whole body relaxed afterwards and for the first time that day, he smiled. ''''We did it,'''' he thought, laughing as he lowered himself to the ground. ''''We actually did it!''''


    He made his way to where his father had defeated Reiner. He had already dismounted his titan and was trying to pull out Reiner''s body with little success. Eren chuckled and gave his father a hand. Gently, he ripped Reiner''s body free from the armored titan and placed both unconscious bodies of the boys on the ground. Finally, he dismounted his own titan with a big, toothy grin on his face.


    Grisha''s own smile couldn''t be wider as he embraced his son in a firm hug. ''''Great job, Eren!'''' he praised happily. ''''We''ve got all three of them!''''


    It was almost surreal, but it was true. Not a single soul would be lost today inside the walls. He and his father had stopped the first lethal threat of Marley with stunning success.


    ''''So, what happens now?'''' Grisha asked unsurely. They had the three shifters, but what were they going to do with them? They couldn''t just keep them locked in the bas.e.m.e.nt of their home with the hope Mikasa or Carla weren''t going to find out. Besides, the moment they found an opportunity to shift, they would take it. Grisha also needed all the space he had available if he wanted to find a way to take away their titans without killing them.


    Eren gave him a grin. ''''I''ve thought about that. I know the perfect place to keep the shifters for the time being, and also the right person to keep an eye on them in the meantime.''''


    Not very far from Eren''s and Grisha''s location, a lone girl had finally witnessed the starry night sky consciously again after a very long time. She felt like every breath she took was pure ecstasy, the feeling of just being alive overwhelming her. She couldn''t express her gratitude or how lucky she had been that she had run into these warriors of Marley and devoured one of them. While she was repulsed by the idea of killing another human being, it had brought along her salvation. Ymir was finally human again, and it felt amazing.


    It took some time for all of her memories to resurface. She had sacrificed herself for her Eldian followers back in Marley when the police had made a raid on their illegal cult. Her sentence was to wander utopia forever. How selfless she had been. ''''But not anymore,'''' she thought. From now on, she would live for herself and nobody else.


    That was until she realized she was a long way from home. Her only chance of survival was to reach the wall and take refuge inside, but getting there proofed more difficult than she thought. At the dawn of a new day, while admiring the beauty of the sun coming up in the east, she was rudely interrupted by the familiar sound of a titan shifting in the distance.


    ''''The warriors from Marley,'''' she immediately thought, panic taking over her body as she hid herself away. If they found her she was dead meat for sure. She hoped they would go in the direction of the wall, but instead, more titans began to shift and loud roars could be heard, followed by massive clashes that could only indicate they were fighting.


    Curiously, Ymir peeked from her hiding spot and looked in the distance at the massive battle that was unfolding. She couldn''t believe what she was seeing. Like glue, she kept her eyes on the entire battle until she even saw the colossal titan go down and be defeated.


    ''''Who are those guys?'''' she whispered to herself. She shook her head; she had to get far away from here before she was found. Preparing to turn around and flee, she was stopped abruptly as she ran into something very sturdy that wasn''t there before. Ymir felt her throat tighten while her breathing turned erratic and her hands became cold with sweat. Looking up, she saw the same five-meter-class that had assisted the other two titans in defeating the warriors. All her muscles stiffened as the titan brought both of its hands around her small frame as gently as it could, and then put her on its back. With a scream, he took off in the direction of the two victorious titan shifters.


    ''''Oh no! No no no no no!'''' Ymir thought anxiously. ''''I''m busted. They''ll think I''m one of them and then kill me!'''' She tried to struggle, but her captor was a lot stronger. Had she known how to shift she would''ve done so, but since she had no idea how it worked or if she could even do it, that wasn''t even an option that rose in her mind.


    She was shivering like a log when she finally could make out the faces of the two humans who had captured her. She was surprised one of them was around the same age as she was, if you didn''t count the years she had spent as a mindless titan. Gently, the five-meter-class put her down in front of them until the boy took a step forward and smiled slightly.


    ''''I can imagine this must be a nerve-racking experience for you, but you don''t have to worry, Ymir. We''re your allies, not your enemies,'''' he reassured.


    Ymir gasped. He knew her name, but that couldn''t be possible; she had been a mindless titan for so long! ''''Who are you?'''' she questioned, stammering slightly.


    ''''My name''s Eren Yeager and this is my father Grisha Yeager,'''' Eren introduced kindly. ''''I''m glad you''re doing well. I''m sure that after sixty years of wandering around in an endless nightmare you must feel blessed to feel the sun warming your skin once more.''''


    Ymir tried to even her breathing, but this Eren Yeager knew so much about her that it almost seemed like they were old friends. She wanted to scowl and give him a cold, indifferent reply, but she was too emotional at the moment to even find the right words. ''''I¡ªyes, I do,'''' she admitted, almost whispering.


    Eren nodded, his smile widening at Ymir''s answer. ''''Good. I understand you''re confused right now, as you probably have no idea what''s going on. But don''t worry; I''ll explain everything along the way to the wall. The most important thing right now is that my father and I can offer you a new life, entirely free from Marley,'''' he promised.


    That grabbed Ymir''s attention. She looked up at Eren if she could find any insincerity, but there was absolutely none. ''''You really mean that,'''' she responded, like she couldn''t believe it. ''''But why me?''''


    ''''Because we need your help, Ymir,'''' Eren said seriously, ''''you know things about Marley nobody else inside the walls knows. Besides, you''ve got the jaw titan right now. You''d make a great addition to our team.''''


    Ymir looked confused. ''''What do you want me to do then?''''


    Eren gave her a reassuring glance. ''''Let''s get out of here first. Like I promised, I''ll explain everything to you on the way.''''


    And there you have it, people! Did you guys like it, love it, hate it? Review please! Next chapter the aftermath of the battle. Until then. ^^


    ~Syrup-Waffle


    Off to FF.net for more~!

 Chapter 307 - My SI Stash #7 - An Electric Game by AgelessReaper (Skyrim)

    -Considering most Gamer fics tend to be a hit or miss, this one just completely aroused my interest, reading about the SI power leveling his way through Skyrim accompanied by a hawt Dragonborn was more fun than I expected~ And it''s the only author I know of that unironically made a Matilda reference/ I''m getting older ;w;


    Synopsis: A man dies and is reborn into Skyrim with the Gamer Ability. Rated M for Language


    Rated: M


    Words: 40K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13583894/1/An-Electric-Game (AgelessReaper)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    A.N. First story attempt I''ve posted. There have been quite a few I threw away, but this is the first on I''ve put up. Criticism is appreciated. Thanks for reading! (I own nothing)


    [Congratulations! You are very dead!]


    Um¡­. thanks?


    [You are most welcome!]


    The afterlife is an asshole. Is this because I didn''t accept Jesus?


    [Your belief in the Christian faith plays no part in this discussion Gamer!]


    Was it Buddhism? Was Buddhism the right answer? Wait¡­ I''m hesitant to ask, but Gamer?


    [Correct! You have been selected to be the newest Gamer!]


    ¡­...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YEEEEEEESSSSSSS!


    [It is most excellent the newest Gamer is enthused with his nomination!]


    This. This right here is by far the greatest thing to ever happen ever! I would say I can now die happy, but dying is what made me happy. Ok, wow. That sentence sounded depressing as all hell.


    Wait, you said ''newest''. Does that mean all the others died, or are they all eons old omnipotent beings who will be breathing over my shoulder for the entire experience only to kill me when I no longer entertain them?


    *Breathes enthusiastically*


    That. That right there. That is the single most terrifying thing that has ever happened to me. It''s a pop-up window. How can you convey that much gut clenching terror with a pop-up window? This Gamer thing really tends towards extremes doesn''t it? Moving on, and forgetting that ever happened for the sake of my pre gamer''s mind sanity. There should be a character creation and all that jazz right?


    [Correct! Please select a name and appearance!]


    I see a grey mannequin join me in the nothingness and I start customizing. Ash colored hair, similarly colored eyes, make myself a taller 6'' 2", athletic build without having bulging muscles. Huh, there''s an option to change genders. I mean, sure, I''ve kinda wondered what the other side is like. Then again, periods. Yep. I''m happy as a man. Submit.


    [Please choose a name!]


    Ok I was just not going to say anything, but what is with all the exclamation points?


    [Enthusiasm!]


    I honestly cannot tell if you answered the question or not.


    Hmm, name. I can''t remember my old name. That is kind of depressing actually. Oh well, I guess this is a new start. New me, new name.


    [Welcome to the Game Dusk!]


    [Please select a primary class!]


    [Mage/Warrior/Thief]


    Mage. Magic is king. Besides, I can train everything else up once my magic is strong enough.


    [Please select a specialization!]


    [Elementalist/Illusionist/Conjurer/Necromancer/Abjurer/Diviner]


    The most OP option would probably be necromancer if you''re able to get enough bodies, but it will also be the most problematic. What world am I going to?


    [World selection will take place once character creation has ended!]


    That is tremendously unhelpful. Ok, I guess necromancers out for fear of getting stomped by the authorities. Illusionists are nice until someone sees through you. Just ask Jace Beleran. Oh god. Now I''m thinking giant planeswalking dragons and eldritch terrors. Can I have Gamer''s Mind please?


    [Generic skills will be granted once character creation is complete!]


    [Please select a specialization!]


    Ok. Just don''t think about it. Abjurer? Too little offensive potential. Diviner? Ha, no. Elementalist? Bread and butter with a pretty solid early game. So a solid option all considered. Conjurer? Depending on the limitations it could be stronger than necromancer, or weaker than diviner. I''m not willing to risk it. Elementalist.


    [Please select a primary element!]


    [Fire/Ice/Earth/Wind/Lightning/Metal/Water]


    Fire is good but too common. Everyone and their mother knows how to counter it. Ice is versatile, plus I have all of fiction to steal ice related abilities from. It suffers in the same way fire does though. It''s too common in some settings. Earth is out. Not my cup of tea. Same with metal and water. So lightning or ice? Lightning. I can use it to teleport, move quickly, and deny areas.


    [Please select a setting!]


    [Percy Jackson, Marvel, Skyrim, Mass Effect, Star Wars the Old Republic]


    Options could be worse. Marvel is out immediately. I see a distinct lack of the letters MCU, and I wouldn''t go there either. Mass Effect is awesome, but I''m not too keen on hopping into a doomed galaxy. Swtor was a lot of fun, but I''m not backstabby enough to survive in the sith, and the jedi wouldn''t let me do anything. I don''t want to fight literal mythology either so no Percy Jackson. I know enough Elder Scrolls lore that I should be ok.


    [Congratulations! You have completed character creation!]


    [Here are your skills!]


    [Gamer''s Mind] (Passive)


    Allows the user to view life as a game


    Keeps user calm and acts as a mental defense


    [Gamer''s Body] (Passive)


    The user''s body is now like that of an RPG character


    [Observe] (Active)


    Grants information about the target


    Level difference can obscure information


    [ID Create/Destroy] (Active0


    Costs 50 MP


    Creates a dungeon in place of the real world


    Available Dungeons


    -Zombie


    [Human] (Default race)


    This short lived race makes up for their short time with their grit, unless the couch is open


    EXP gain increased 25%


    [Class] (Electromancer)- Lvl 1/100


    Gain 5 INT, 5 WIS, and 2 DEX per Level


    [Lightning Bolt]


    Costs 15 MP


    Deals INT + 20 Electrical Damage


    [Lightning Cloak]


    Costs 25 MP


    Cloak yourself in electricity


    Deals INT + 15 Electrical Damage to nearby targets


    [Stun]


    Costs 20 MP


    Stun a target, making them unable to act for a brief period of time


    [Chain Lightning]


    Costs 50 MP


    Send a bolt of lightning forth to your enemy that chains to other nearby enemies


    Deals INT + 20 Electrical Damage to any target hit


    [Lightning Flood]


    Costs 75 MP per 5x5m area affected


    Creates a flood of liquid lightning originating from a point you designate and spreads until stopped by caster


    Deals INT + 10 Electrical Damage to all caught in the flood


    [Charged Attack]


    Costs 10 MP


    Imbue a melee weapon or your fists with electrical energy


    Adds INT + 5 Electrical Damage to any successful hit


    I know kung fu. In all seriousness though, brain download for the win. I already love this ability.


    Dusk


    Level- 1


    Class- Electromancer- LVL 1/100 [0%]


    Race- Human


    Tier- Mortal


    Alignment- ?


    HP- 100 [20 per minute]


    MP- 150 [30 per minute]


    SP - 100 [20 per minute]


    STR- 10


    END- 10


    DEX - 12


    INT - 15


    WIS - 15


    CHA - 10


    LUK - 10


    MP Regen= WIS x 2


    MP= INT x 10


    SP/Health Regen= END x 2


    SP/HP= END x 10


    I know I have no idea how I measure up to anyone I''m going to be fighting, but I feel powerful. I feel ready to take this on. Gamer''s Mind maybe?


    [Before the game starts, there is an option to gain random perks!]


    What''s the drawback?


    [For every random perk you gain, you will also gain a random flaw!]


    Will the flaws last forever, or will I be able to get rid of them further down the line?


    [Once you are strong enough, you will be able to remove the flaws!]


    I''ll take one.


    Perk Gained


    [Magical Soul]


    You have magic in your soul


    MP is now INT x 20


    Flaw Gained


    [Greed]


    Nothing is enough


    You always want more


    Worth it! So worth it! More magic is exactly what a mage needs. I need another perk like that. Hit me again.


    Perk Gained


    [Broken Limiter]


    You have broken your limits


    You can learn any skill through effort no matter its requirements


    Your EXP gain is also increased by 20%


    Flaw Gained


    [You Smell Good]


    You are irresistible to all forms of monsters


    Expect to be hunted constantly


    That''s a flaw?! I can just hide in an ID if I come across anything too terrible. And the PERK! That is so broken. Hell, one of those effects is broken. The two combined is just downright unfair! Hit me again.


    Perk Gained


    [Redistribution]


    Once every 5 minutes, redistribute your current MP, SP, and HP however you wish


    This can save your life, or give you that last burst of power to end a hard fight.


    Flaw Gained


    [Martially Inept]


    Martial skills are not your forte


    All EXP gains to Martial skills are decreased by 50%


    On the one hand, god level perks. On the other, my plan to get my other skills up once my magic was strong enough just got dismantled. I still have the bonuses from both Human and Broken Limiter though, so I''m only losing 5% EXP. I can afford one more flaw, then I''ll stop.


    Perk Gained


    [Son of the storm]


    Storm Magics(lightning, wind, water, etc.) are 25% more effective


    Storm Magics cost 25% less to cast


    Storm Magics LVL up 10% faster


    Flaw Gained


    [Weak]


    END, STR, and DEX are all reduced by 50%(One time effect)


    Yeeeeessssss! But also nooooooooo! The perk is amazing. The flaw is horrible! How the hell am I supposed to overcome that? I can''t lift a smartphone now! That''s it! No more! Now I need to grind my endurance and strength like nobody''s business. Dexterity will take care of itself so long as I''m leveling up. I suppose I should be thankful it''s a one time effect. If this were permanent I don''t see any way I could survive. I just need to find a way to live long enough to undo it. I''m ready, send me in.


    Dusk


    Level- 1


    Class- Electromancer- LVL 1/100 [0%]


    Race- Human


    Tier- Mortal


    Alignment- ?


    HP- 50 [10 per minute]


    MP- 300 [30 per minute]


    SP- 50 [10 per minute]


    STR- 10/2=5


    END- 10/2=5


    DEX - 12/2=6


    INT - 15


    WIS - 15


    CHA - 10


    LUK - 10


    MP Regen= WIS x 2


    MP= INT x 20


    SP/Health Regen= END x 2


    SP/HP= END x 10


    [Understood! Best of luck to you Gamer!]


    I wake to the sound of creaking wood and uneven roads. I open my eyes to find myself in the back of a horse drawn cart with a man in red armor driving. In the back with me I find two women and one man all in purplish blue armor with a bear''s head emblem on the cuirass. All of whom have downtrodden expressions. There is a somber feeling in the air as I take in my surroundings. I look down to see that myself and my fellow passengers are all bound at the wrists.


    Well at least I know when and where I''m starting. On the other hand, GODDAMN ALDUIN! I have 50 HP! How am I going to get out of this?


    Quest added


    [The Tutorial!]


    You have found yourself in the setting''s tutorial. Wherein the final boss will come to say hello.


    Objective- Survive the tutorial


    Bonus Objective- ?


    Bonus Objective- ?


    Rewards- ?,?


    Bonus Rewards- ?,?


    Failure- You become an appetizer


    Great, I''ve been here for all of 20 seconds and I already have a ''Survive'' mission. This is great. I love this. If I jump off the cart and run will I get pincushioned like Lokir?


    Wait, Lokir isn''t in this cart. Neither are Ralof or Ulfric for that matter. I look behind us and see another cart following a little ways behind. Within I see two nord men with dirty blonde hair, another smaller nord male with black hair, and lastly a seemingly nord woman, also with black hair. I can''t make out too much detail given our distance and the interposing horse and driver of the other cart, but I can see enough to make some conclusions.


    Conclusion 1, I''m not in the cart with Ulfric and am therefore not the dragonborn. Conclusion 2, the woman is most likely the dragonborn. Conclusion 3, I''m not the dragonborn. Conclusion 4, I am so dead.


    How the hell am I supposed to live without plot armour? The dragonborn lives because everyone goes out of their way to throw themselves in front of the literal fire. For all intents and purposes, I''m just going to be another tasty little mortal. Why did I choose Skyrim? If I had picked Percy Jackson I would have at least lived through the tutorial.


    I guess operation glue myself to the Dovahkiin is a go. Anywhere she goes I go. I use her as a meat shield and hide in order to preserve my pathetically small health pool. I make myself useful by demonstrating my magic and play support for whoever we end up following.


    I hear a shout from the direction we''re heading and look over. I see a wall made of stone bricks and a wooden gate which leads into a small town. Well that trip didn''t last very long.


    Please let my head stay attached to my body until the surprise dragon arrives.


    We pull in and come to a stop in the town''s square as most of the townspeople look on from their front porches. I guess a beheading is pretty entertaining when you don''t have the internet to waste time on all day everyday.


    "Everyone out!" comes the call from our cart''s driver.


    Slowly we all stand and make our way off the cart. That one Imperial Captain who sentences the player to death is standing next to Hadvar while he reads out names. The Stormcloacks go before me and just as he gets to me the second cart pulls in with the protagonist in tow.


    Hadvar


    Loyal Imperial


    Level- 15


    Race- Nord


    HP- 750


    Thoughts about you- Confusion, Pity


    I don''t want your pity, I want your hit points.


    "You." Hadvar points at me. "Who are you? Your name isn''t here."


    "Dusk." I respond simply.


    "What are you doing in Skyrim imperial?"


    Am I an imperial? Am I even one of Skyrim''s races? ''Human'' makes it seem like the answer is no.


    "I came to visit the college. I have committed no crimes. You have no right to imprison me." I responded back.


    Hadvar pauses for a moment. "Captain? What do we do?"


    The captain meets my gaze with a sneer. "He goes to the block." Her voice brokered no argument.


    Hadvar gives me an apologetic look before calling out the names from the other cart.


    I make my way into line and tune everything else out as I begin to run through my escape plan. Get to the tower, hide from the rage dragon. Jump through hole left by the rage dragon. Keep running from rage dragon. Hide behind the dragonborn and hope I don''t get squished. Not as much of a plan as a prayer.


    A great echoing roar pulled me back to reality as I started counting down the seconds. The imperials are confused and the captain is still being a controlling murderhobo. A second roar shakes the land and I prepare myself.


    "Svarline of Bruma." Hadvar''s voice pulls me back into the moment.


    I look over to the woman I assume to be the dragonborn and get my first real look at her. She is a slimmer nord who still manages to have an athletic build. She has raven black hair and eyes, and slightly pointed ears. Wait. She''s a half-elf? Those exist.


    Svarline of Bruma


    The Dragonborn of Legend


    Level- 5


    Race- Half-breed(High Elf/Nord)


    HP- 275


    Unique abilities- Soul of a Dragon(Can absorb dragon souls and use their knowledge to learn shouts)


    Thoughts about you- You''re not as important as her impending death


    Huh, apparently half-elves exist now. That''s also confirmation of her being the dragonborn. Don''t worry Svarline, you aren''t going to be executed. You might be burned, crushed, maimed, and you might even get your head cut off in the coming hours, but you won''t be executed.


    Svarline is trembling as she slowly makes her way to the block. I get ready as she is forced to kneel, and then place her neck against the stone.


    I''ve beat Skyrim more times than I can count. I have experimented with countless builds, and goofed off in the game just for the fun of it. Alduin has never been all that intimidating. As final bosses go, he''s actually pretty lackl.u.s.ter. Heck, I killed the guy with one hit from a fork once. I have never taken him all that seriously. That just changed. It''s one thing watching a kill cinematic where your character is smaller than a dragon''s head. It''s something else entirely to be smaller than a creature''s head. Alduin is massive. His scales are black as night, and his legs longer and thicker than trees. His very presence screams power.


    I''m going to die aren''t I?


    "What in Oblivion is that?!" a panicked General Tullius yells.


    The World Eater lands atop a house and roars. The ground shakes and the sky breaks as meteors begin to fall.


    Yep. It''s time to tactically retreat with extreme prejudice.


    I start running towards the tower and see Ralof and Svarline already ahead of me. I arrive just before they close the door and slide in.


    As we catch our breath I take the chance to observe Ralof.


    Ralof of Riverwood


    True Son of Skyrim


    Level- 8


    Race- Nord


    HP- 425


    Thoughts about you- You are not a dragon or an imperial so you''re an ally


    Good to know he''s not going to stab me in the back at least. Oh, hello Ulfric. Didn''t see you there.


    Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak


    The True High King


    Level- 56


    Race- Nord


    HP- 1580


    Unique Abilities- Thu''um(Can use the ancient magic of the dragons)


    Thoughts about you- You''re not a dragon so you aren''t important


    Well screw you too ''True High King''. I sure as hell didn''t vote for you. Man Gamer''s mind must be working overtime if I can crack jokes right now.


    "Jarl Ulfric, what is that thing? Could the legends be true?" Ralof asks his king.


    "Legends don''t burn down villages." is Ulfric''s reply.


    "I hate to interrupt," I say to the room, "but how are we going to get out of here." I punctuate my sentence by casting a charged attack on my hands and use it to melt my bindings off. Before I dismiss it I reach over and do the same to Svarline''s. She gives me a thankful nod and turns back to the group.


    Ralof looks around for a moment before motioning to the stairs. "If we get to the top of the tower we''ll be able to see the best path." He starts off and Svarline and I follow him.


    We continue climbing and I make sure to stay at the back. When Ralof reaches the second floor the wall collapses in on itself. Alduin shoves his head in and blankets the interior in his fire.


    "Against the wall now!" Ralof cries as he throws himself out of the way. Alduin flies off but his fire is still slowly spreading towards us.


    "The building over there!" Ralof points. "Jump!"


    He goes first followed quickly by myself and Svarline. We hit and roll to our feet.


    "Come on! I know of a keep we can get to!" Ralof says to us before he leads us into the chaotic streets. We dodge in and out of debris as we slowly make our way towards Ralof''s destination.


    What seems an eternity later we come to the keep the player escapes through in the game. "Inside quickly!" Ralof calls.


    We all throw ourselves in and shut the door behind us.


    "What in Oblivion is happening?!" Svarline practically shouts.


    "Was that a dragon?" Ralof asks quietly while he catches his breath.


    I move over to the equipment rack and start arming myself. "As far as I''m concerned, questions can wait until we''re safe. I would prefer to be alive and confused about our situation, than illuminated and dead." I say as I pull on a belt and sheath a sword and dagger in it. Looking down at my new equipment I cast observe.


    Iron Sword


    Deals STR + 10 Slashing or Piercing Damage


    Iron Dagger


    Deals STR + 5 Slashing or Piercing Damage


    So both of these are effectively useless for me right now. Great.


    "He''s right." Svarline says to Ralof as she pulls on some light armor. She grabs a sword and dagger as well, before walking and grabbing a bow and arrows.


    I guess when Skyrim is no longer a game you can find better loot in the starting area.


    "Alright." Ralof says as he grabs an axe, dagger, and shield. "Let''s get out of here."


    Ralof leads the way deeper into the keep while we all keep our guard up. "It''s clear, let''s move." We run through an open area where we should have met some imperials, not that I''m complaining, and move down the stairs.


    "Wait!" Svarline says once we are halfway down the stairs. "I hear voices below us."


    We continue to inch closer to the doorway and slowly take a look around the corner. In the potion room where I remember 2 or 3 enemies at most. There is a congregation of 7 imperials.


    Imperial Soldier


    Level- 1


    HP- 125


    "Maybe we can reason with them?" Ralof asks, then immediatly cringes when he sees the looks Svarline and myself are sending his way. "There''s a dragon attacking! They''ll be reasonable." he argues.


    One of the imperials perks up. "Everyone quiet! I heard something." She looks out the door and right at us. "Get them!" she shouts and they all charge.


    Rather than waste time reprimanding Ralof as I so wish to do, I cast lightning flood on the ground between us the moment they start charging. I keep powering the spell until my MP dries up, then draw my sword and fall back behind Ralof.


    When I''m better positioned I turn to see 3 of the imperials rolling around screaming in the liquid lightning and another 2 dead to the side with arrows protruding from their throats. The final two are being held back by Ralof at the door. I get behind Ralof to obscure myself from the imperials and stab down into the leader''s foot. He screams and drops his guard letting Ralof dispatch him.


    Losing his buddy left the remaining imperial open to another arrow from Svarline''s bow. I move past the first two bodies and start stabbing the still m.o.a.ning imperials who were hit by my spell. It was great for cloud control but they''re still alive. Ralof and Svarline see this and quickly join me.


    Once they are all dead, we partake in the most glorious of traditions! Looting the bodies very quickly so as not to get crushed when the evil dragon collapses the building on our heads. Svarline and I replace our swords and we all grab up what money we can.


    Imperial Sword


    Deals STR + 15 Slashing or Piercing Damage


    84 Septims added


    That done, I rush over to the shelves and barrels and pull out what potions I can find.


    Minor Healing Potion x4


    Heals the target for 25 HP


    Minor Mana Potion


    Restores the target for 25 MP


    Minor Fire Resistance Potion


    The target takes 15% less damage from fire


    Given our party make-up I give Ralof 2 of the healing potions, then give one to Svarline and keep the last one. I also give Svarline the fire resistance potion. It won''t be much use here, and she has a career as a dragon slayer ahead of her.


    "Let''s move." Ralof says. He leads us down deeper into the keep. We don''t meet any resistance until we get to the torture chamber.


    Ralof is the first one down the stairs and screams bloody murder before charging out of sight. We hurry after him to find the assistant stabbed through the back in the process of cutting up a stormcloak corpse. The overseer starts casting a fire spell but I stun him before he can get it off. Svarliene takes the opportunity to put 3 arrows into his stomach. Both imperials fall at the same time and we look around to make sure the room is clear.


    Ralof is still curled over the desecrated stormcloak when I start to loot the room.


    147 Septims added


    Healing Potion


    Heals the target 50 HP


    Minor Mana Potion x2


    Restores the target for 25 MP


    I move to the mage and find Svarline has already got the cage open and taken all the gold. "Do you mind if I take the enchanted gear and the spellbook?" I ask.


    She shrugs, "Feel free, I''m not too great with destruction. More of an alteration mage."


    I bend down and strip the mage of everything of value.


    Ring of Shocking


    Shock spells deal 10% more damage


    Necklace of the Student


    Wearer gains an extra 5% EXP


    Lightning Teleport Grimoire


    Costs 100 MP


    Fire a lightning bolt and teleport to the location where the bolt hits


    Requires level 50 Electromancy


    I put the necklace on the moment I observe it. More EXP is always welcome.. I put the ring on and looked at my stats. I have quite a few bonuses to my lightning magic. Not going to complain about that. I then walked behind the door frame to put the grimoire in my inventory without drawing attention.


    Ralof is still knelt over his friend when I return. I put a hand on his shoulder and said, "We need to go. It''s only a matter of time before the dragon destroys the keep. Mourn later."


    Ralof starts to argue but stops himself. He grabs his axe and moves out of the room without a word.


    Svarline and myself follow him out and down the corridor. Past cells with more rotting corpses. And to a wooden bridge. Ralof pulls the lever and the bridge comes down with a loud *clang*.


    "What was that?!" someone on the other side shouts. Soon several more imperials are charging towards us.


    "Use the bridge as a chokepoint!" I yell, once more blanketing the ground in lightning.


    Ralof takes up position in front while Svarline backs up to the stairs to get a better angle on the approaching imperials. Two have already fallen to her arrows when they finally reach the lightning.


    The few in front try to stop, but are forced forward by those behind them. They go down and I send a lightning bolt into the next closest, sending him into the lightning as well.


    Another pair falls to Svarline''s arrows before one finally makes it to Ralof. They clash, but Ralof easily dispatches her after she had been stunned by me. With nine down we are through all but the last.


    Imperial Captain


    Level- 5


    Hp- 750


    He''s going to be a problem. I quickly stun him to buy more time when his armor suddenly turns into paper. He looks down confused in time to see an arrow and a lightning bolt connect with his now vulnerable sternum. He''s pushed back and tries to regain his balance but Ralof is on him too fast. Hacking into his stomach until he stops moving.


    I look back over to Svarline to see her panting. She meets my eyes and says, "It''s really hard to affect items that people are wearing."


    I toss her one of the mana potions and she downs it in one go. Svarline retrieves her arrows and we all loot their gold.


    84 Septems added


    "Come on, we''re getting close." Ralof says before moving to the other end of the cavern.


    Svarline and I go to follow when we hear a rumbling. The entire floor starts shaking and pieces of the ceiling fall around us.


    "Move!" Ralof bellows as we all charge through to the cave on the other side. Not a moment too soon as a stone falls behind us. Sealing us in.


    "Well that was close." I say. Before the others can reply, a loud hissing sound echoes down from above us. I look up to see a sea of red eyes all looking directly at me.


    Frostbite Spider


    Level- 2


    HP- 55


    Unique abilities- Frostbite venom


    I reach up and cast chain lightning at the nearest spider while backing away. The spell connects and begins to chain to the other spiders. It does little to deter them as every single one of them zeroes in on me. Svaline takes one down with her bow, and Ralof intercepts one, but the other five all converged on me.


    As they start to bite and pummel me I lose 35 HP immediately and come under the effects of a poison.


    You have been Poisoned!


    SP regenerates 50% slower for 10 min.


    SP is reduced by 50% for 10 min.


    This is bad. I cast lightning flood centered around me to catch all of the spiders in it. I then cast lightning cloak to cover each of them in even more damage. One goes down, two go down. I get bit again and lose another 20 HP. I cast a second chain lightning and the two more go down. The last one is getting ready to charge me when Ralof''s axe imbeds itself into the spider''s head.


    With the main threat out of the way I down a minor healing potion and a magicka potion to fix myself up a little bit.


    Svarline rushes up to me and her hands start to glow with a bright golden aura. She presses them into my chest and I instantly feel better. The poisoned status fades away and I gain another 10 HP.


    "Are you alright?" she asks when her spell is finished.


    "I will be when it stops hurting." I reply.


    Ralof unlodges his axe before saying, "You must smell pretty good. They were all over you."


    Oh. Oh that flaw is so much worse than I thought. I have instant everything aggro now. As a mage. If I get out of here, I need to hide in IDs for a solid month to get stronger.


    Ralof cleans his axe off then moves to the other end of the nest, "Come on. There''s probably a way out through here. Only way the spiders could have eaten without inciting the ire of the imperials."


    I stand up and give my thanks to Svarline for the healing before following Ralof.


    We moved forward through the cave until we heard a roar. We all tensed up expecting a dragon to burn us away any moment, only to see a bear angrily charging at me. We all relaxed, and Svarline and I took it down with lightning and arrows.


    We kept walking until we saw light coming from an opening up ahead. We ran forwards and found ourselves outside of the cave. We let out a collective sigh of relief, and then had a shared heart attack as a massive shape flew directly over our heads.


    "Down!" I whispered forcefully, and we all dropped.


    Alduin let out one final roar before lazily flying away in the direction of the mountains.


    We waited with held breath for a whole five minutes before relaxing once more.


    "Looks like he''s gone for good this time." Ralof sighed as he collapsed against a rock.


    "Yay! We lived! Now let''s never ever do that ever again." I said as I too, collapsed.


    Svarline let out a chuckle and joined us on the ground.


    Quest Completed!


    [The Tutorial!]


    You have found yourself in the setting''s tutorial. Wherein the final boss will come to say hello.


    Objective- Survive the tutorial(Complete)


    Bonus Objective- Help the Dragonborn escape(Complete)


    Bonus Objective- (Help Hadvar or Ralof escape(Complete)


    Rewards- LVL UP x1, 1 Gacha Coin


    Bonus Rewards- LVL UP x2, 2 Gacha Coins


    You Leveled up! X5


    +50 Stat Points!


    Dusk


    Level- 5


    Class- Electromancer- LVL 4/100 [67%]


    Race- Human


    Tier- Mortal


    Alignment- ?


    HP- 250 [50 per minute]


    MP- 600 [60 per minute]


    SP- 250 [50 per minute]


    STR- 25


    END- 25


    DEX - 22


    INT - 30


    WIS - 30


    CHA - 10


    LUK - 10


    MP Regen= WIS x 2


    MP= INT x 20


    SP/Health Regen= END x 2


    SP/HP= END x 10


    Guess I level up after dungeons, not during. Good to know. The extra levels from the quest are also nice. Hmm, I wonder how Svarline and Ralof are doing.


    Svarline of Bruma


    The Dragonborn of Legend


    Level- 8


    Race- Half-breed(High Elf/Nord)


    HP- 350


    Unique abilities- Soul of a Dragon(Can absorb dragon souls and use their knowledge to learn shouts)


    Thoughts about you- You saved her life, and reminded her what it is to have comrades


    Ralof of Riverwood


    True Son of Skyrim


    Level- 10


    Race- Nord


    HP- 490


    Thoughts about you- You saved his life and fought beside him, you are his friend


    They''re both stronger as well. So dungeons level up the whole party. Good to know.


    What''s this ''comrades'' thing? Am I going to have to sit through a tragic backstory at some point? Way to check your cliche box there game.


    "What now?" Svarline asked the two of us.


    "My current plan is to enjoy not being dead. Once I figure out a long term I''ll let you know." I responded.


    Ralof chuckled before adding his two septims, "We could head to Riverwood. It''s not far, and my sister has a home there. She''d be willing to take us in while we figure out a plan."


    I look over to Svarline. "Better than anything I''ve got."


    She nods and says, "Ok, Riverwood it is."


    We all pull ourselves up from the ground and start slogging our way towards Riverwood.


    Quest Added


    [Riverwood Ho!]


    Objective- Reach Riverwood


    Bonus Objective- Reach Riverwood in less than 5 hours


    Rewards- A place to sleep, food to eat


    Bonus Rewards- ?


    Five hours? Oh no. The world scaled up didn''t it? This is going to suck.


    As we move, Ralof tells us about the stormcloaks, and not so subtly tries to recruit us. I politely turn him down explaining that I''m here to study at the college, and say I might be able to find a way to bring down the dragons if I work with the mages there. Svarline also turned him down by stating she''s in Skyrim to find someone, not fight a war. Ralof is obviously disappointed, but doesn''t push the issue.


    We walk for nearly two hours before we come to the standing stones. Guess the developers had to scale the continent down to keep people interested.


    Ralof explains what they are and how he took the warrior. While he is explaining everything in depth to Svarline I take a moment to observe them.


    The Warrior Stone


    Mythic Item


    This stone will grant whoever touches it The Warrior Stone perk


    The Warrior Stone grants a 50% increase to all martial skill EXP gains


    Will remove other stone blessings


    The Thief Stone


    Mythic Item


    This stone will grant whoever touches it The Thief Stone perk


    The Thief Stone grants a 50% increase to all thievery skill EXP gains


    Will remove other stone blessings


    The Mage Stone


    Mythic Item


    This Stone will grant whoever touches it The Mage Stone perk


    The Mage Stone grants a 50% increase to all magis skill EXP gains


    Will remove other stone blessings


    That is a full 30% more powerful than in the game! Ok, choice time. Thief is out, don''t need it yet. I could take The Warrior and completely negate my flaw, but that seems like a waste. I need to get strong quickly. I already have increases to my magic EXP gain. If I multiply it even more I can get ridiculously strong with little effort. Once that''s done, I can just come back and switch to the warrior to grind martial skills. Besides, I don''t have a martial class at the moment. That will make progress that much slower. Mage stone it is.


    I walked up and touched the center stone. I felt a connection and watched as the stone slowly started to glow. A beam of turquoise energy then shot out the top and kept travelling until it was out of sight.


    New Perk Added!


    The Mage Stone


    Grants a 50% increase to all magis skill EXP gain


    Cannot hold any other stone perks while you holw The Mage Stone


    Very nice.


    "Well isn''t that shocking?" Svarline drawled as she walked towards the stones.


    I paused for a moment while my brain caught up. "Did you just make a pun?"


    She just smiled at me before touching the mage stone herself, surprising me slightly. She seemed like she would be a stealth archer, not a mage.


    Ralof let out a sigh drawing our attention. "I''m surrounded by the cleverfolk." he snipped playfully before turning and continuing towards Riverwood.


    We continue on for another hour when we hear a nearby howl. We stop and look towards the sound only for a wolf to jump me from behind. I lose 25 hit points as I feel fangs sink into my shoulder.


    Clever girl.


    Wolf


    Level- 3


    HP- 75


    I bring up my lightning cloak and cast a charged attack on my fists. I begin to lay into the wolf as 3 others circle around me. As I finish off the one chewing on my shoulder The ground underneath two of the others turns into a very soft mud and they start to sink. Ralof runs in on my right and falls upon the one spared from the mud with his axe. Killing it instantly.


    I throw the wolf''s body off me before flooding the mud with liquid lightning. Roasting the trapped wolves with ease. I turn in time to see Svarline shoot an arrow into the wolf that originally howled. Dropping it with a well placed shot to its shoulder.


    We finish dispatching the wolves and take a breath.


    "I am so done right now." I say to my companions as I start back on the path.


    The others fall in behind me and we walk for another 45 minutes before a stone wall can be seen. We''ve made it to Riverwood.


    Quest Completed


    [Riverwood Ho!]


    Objective- Reach Riverwood(Complete)


    Bonus Objective- Reach Riverwood in less than five hours(Complete)


    Rewards- A place to sleep, food to eat


    Bonus Rewards- Shocking Blade


    Shocking Blade


    Uncommon Item


    Deals STR + 20 Slashing or Piercing damage per hit


    Deals INT + 10 Electrical damage per hit


    Not bad at all. Too bad I''m currently martially inept.


    We walk into town and Ralof leads us to his sister''s home. She welcomes us with little fanfare, prepares us a meal and beds then goes off to talk with Ralof. Leaving me and Svarline alone.


    We don''t talk, too busy inhaling the food. Once we are done we share a look, before looking to the beds. With an unspoken understanding between us. We both clean our dishes and crawl into bed to go to sleep.


    Chapter 2


    [You have rested in a bed for 8 hours!]


    [HP, SP, and MP restored!]


    [EXP gain increased by 15% for the next 6hours!]


    Resting gives some pretty good bonuses.


    I slowly sit up to find several people sleeping on the various beds around me. Svarline and I were given bedrolls while Ralof, his sister Gerdur, and their family are passed out on beds packed with fur and straw.


    As carefully as I can so as not to disturb anyone, I get up and make my way upstairs. I grab an apple off the table and walk out the front door.


    The sun isn''t visible yet but the horizon possesses an orange hue signaling that it will soon. I sit down onto a bench next to the door and start on my apple while I think.


    So¡­ yesterday happened. It was hectic, but I''m not dead! What do I do now?


    I have a good idea of what comes next, but I''m hesitant to rely on outside knowledge for anything other than concrete fact. The last thing I need is to run into a crypt expecting a spider and meet a draugr overlord. Instant game over.


    Anyway, back to planning. Important question, what am I trying to accomplish? Right now, I need to focus on power leveling to the point where I can survive being sneezed on. I also need to avoid anything that is able to sneeze me to death. Meaning dragons, vampires, giants, and the stronger draugr should be avoided if at all possible.


    As a pathway to power leveling, I need to abuse the hell out of ID create. I also need to figure out where the heck I need to go. I''m fairly confident Ralof will ask either Svarline or myself to let Whiterun know about Helgen, and Whiterun is fairly close to the center of Skyrim. Making it a good place to start. After I get there, I need to do what keeps me alive longest. I''m a mage, so college is the most obvious option. That is if I can live through the hundred of so frost trolls I''ll encounter because of that irritating flaw. That thing really limits my options. Until I''m strong enough to survive on my own I''m going to need backup.


    Which leads to the million dollar question. Do I stay with our lady dragonborn? Pro, she''s got some pretty useful alteration magic that''s great for crowd control and tough enemies. Con, I''m almost certain to get dragged into the main storyline. Pro, she also has some restoration magic, and healers are ridiculously useful. Con, followers, because that''s essentially what I''ll be, have a tendency to die in hilariously painful ways. Pro, I''ll have someone watching my back to help with any creatures that catch a whiff of me. Con, if I get swept up into the main story grinding levels is going to become significantly harder.


    I let out a sigh as I finished off my apple. This sucks.


    Ok, options other than hanging with Svarline? I could try to miracle my way to Winterhold and find the Eye of Magnus. Maybe even become archmage if I play my cards right. I could just find a cave to hide in while I abuse ID create to level up. Only emerging when I''m strong enough to not get dead. I could also try to get myself changed into a vampire or werewolf for the instant power boost.


    Wait¡­ vampire. I know where Serana is. I could totally break her out and get harkon to change me.


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    That is the worst idea yet.


    Skipping over the part where I would need to solo one of the harder dungeons in the game. Filled with undead hordes, giant frostbite spiders, master vampires, and gargoyles. Putting myself anywhere near Harkon is a hilariously bad idea. The only reason the MC makes it out in game is because they paid money for the DLC. If the developers had him act like his normal assholey self and kill you, it would''ve made for shitty content. I have no guarantee he won''t just say, "Thanks for the Elder Scroll!" *CHOMP* So that plan''s out.


    Honestly, the best plan for right now looks like hanging with Svarline. Tell Balgruuf his lands have a slight case of world ending dragon, maybe get the dragonstone and hope and pray no watchtowers are burnt down.


    I look up and see the sun beginning to peek over the horizon. Guess I''ll keep hiding behind the dragonborn until I come up with something better.


    Well now that that''s out of the way, time to grind.


    I go to stand up and cast ID Create when the door to Gerdur''s house opens, and out walks Svarline.


    I cry internally. I just want to become all powerful! Is that really so much to ask you damn univer..., I mean, you damn Godhead?!


    "Hey." she says when she spots me.


    "Uh, hi. How''re you holding up?" I say back as I sit back down.


    She pauses for a moment and looks at the slowly rising sun. "That really happened yesterday didn''t it?" She asks weakly.


    I give a weak laugh. "Either that, or we all shared one hell of a skooma trip."


    She quiets down for a moment, then takes a seat in one of the nearby chairs. "So much happened in such a short time. It''s hard to believe half of it''s real. Let alone the giant murderous dragon."


    I nod and say, "Ya, the amount of shit we just lived through is truly ridiculous."


    We lapse into silence for a few minutes before the door opens once more, and Ralof pokes his head out. "Come on in," he says. "Gerdur''s got breakfast ready."


    We both stand and head inside. We sit down at the two empty seats and everyone quietly eats their food. Once we all finish, Hod, Gerdur''s husband, takes their son Frodnar outside to give us some space.


    "Alright Ralof," Gerdur begins. "you''ve rested and eaten. So now I need you to tell me if what you said last night is true or if you were just drunk off your ass."


    Ralof''s gaze unfocuses as he responds. "It''s true. The Imps captured us. They were going to execute Ulfric to end the war when oblivion opened up. A giant black dragon destroyed the entire town. I don''t know who all got out. The only reason us three made it is luck."


    I''d argue that point if it weren''t so true. I need to get stronger fast.


    Gerdur forces Ralof to look her in the eyes and holds his gaze. After a few moments she lets out a sigh and releases him. "If it''s really that bad, then we need to do something. Riverwood isn''t equipped to fight off large amounts of bandits, let alone a god''s be damned dragon! Someone needs to take this to the Jarl, and it won''t be you Ralof." She says as he goes to speak. "There are too many Imperial sympathizers in the city. If they see your face they''ll hang you before they let you talk." Gerdur turns to Svarline and myself. "I thank you for bringing my brother back alive, but I need your help. We need the Jarl''s aid in dealing with this, and I can''t go myself. Would the both of you be willing to help?"


    Quest added


    [Riverwood''s in Peril!]


    With a dragon on the loose, Riverwood is defenseless. Go beseech the Jarl for aid on their behalf


    Objectives- Tell Jarl Balgruuf of the dragon threat and get help for Riverwood


    Reward- ?


    Time Limit- One Week


    Well when you put that question mark there I have to accept. "I''ll go." I say, and Gerdur gives me a grateful nod.


    "I will as well." Svarline says. We share a look and give each other a nod.


    Gerdur leans back in her chair and lets out a breath. "Thank you both. I don''t mean to evict you from my home, especially after your ordeal, but you need to leave as soon as possible. I''ll prepare some travel packs for the two of you. Be ready to leave in three quarters of an hour." She stands up and walks down the stairs. Presumably to go pack us some supplies.


    Ralof watches his sister go before turning to the two of us. "Thank you for this. I''m sorry you can''t rest more but she''s right. The longer the town''s without defenders the worse off we are."


    "It''s no trouble. Thank you for letting us stay the night." Svarline says and I nod my agreement.


    Ralof leans in and looks between us. "I didn''t thank you before, we were all too tired, but thank you both. It''s a fact that I would be dead right now if it weren''t for you. Whether killed by the Imps, or crushed while still sitting over Jollond." At the name his expression falls, before rising to us once again. "Thank you, if there is ever anything I can do for either of you, you need only ask."


    "Well since you mentioned it," I start, "would you mind pointing me in the direction of the trader here in town? I''d like to stock up before we head out."


    Ralof smiles. "Sure thing."


    He leads me outside, being careful not to be seen, and points me toward the center of town and gives me some directions.


    I head off and do my best to follow Ralof''s instructions but the town is nothing like in the game. It is at least twice as large and not built to make sense to a city slicker like myself. After about 10 minutes of wandering I find the Riverwood Trader and walk inside.


    "...well if you had just locked the door like I¡­." comes a shout from inside.


    Ya, no. Skip!


    "Excuse me!" I call, "Is this the general goods store."


    A dark haired man and woman both look towards me before shrinking in on themselves.


    "Oh, um, yes! It is! Welcome! How can I help you?" The man stammers out while the woman walks behind the counter.


    "I''m looking for spellbooks, and books on enchanting and alchemy." I say as I make my way to the counter.


    The shop is different as well, at least twice as large with three times as many shelves. Meta knowledge, the greatest weapon of SI''s everywhere, oh why have you failed me?


    "Sure thing!" The woman says a little too chirpily before walking me to a particular shelf. "These are all the spells we have. They''re a little hard to come by so we don''t have much. I''ll go grab you what we have on those crafts you were after."


    When she walked away I looked over the five spells.


    Summon Wolf Spirit


    Costs 50 MP


    Conjure a spectral wolf to fight by your side


    The wolf is as strong as a typical wolf and lasts until killed or dispelled


    Summon Fire Elemental(Requires Conjurer or Summoner Class)


    Costs 175 MP


    Conjure a fire spirit to fight at your side


    The spirit as as strong as a journeyman pyromancer and lasts until killed or dispelled


    Stone Barrage(Requires Elemental mage level 35)


    Costs 80 MP


    Rain down a hail of boulders on your enemies


    Fires INT boulders that do INT + 20 crushing damage on hit


    Spectral Armor(Requires Conjurer or Summoner Class)


    Costs 200 MP


    Don a spectral armor that lasts until dismissed or broken


    Absorbs INT + 50 damage


    Heal


    Costs 30 MP


    Heals the target for INT + 10 damage and neutralizes weak venoms and poisons


    Ok game I have some questions about the magic.


    [I will answer any question I am able!]


    Why can I use the wolf spell, but not the fire elemental? Can I get more classes, and how do I find more lightning spells?


    [Excellent question!]


    [To start, any mage can use the basic spells of any other discipline, but they must be specialized to learn the more potent magics!]


    [You can have 1 combet class and 1 crafting class at a time, and you gain more when you max your current ones out!]


    [You can receive new lightning spells by leveling up or by finding them in the world!]


    [Once you get truly powerful, you won''t even need spells!]


    [You will instead be able to shape your lightning however you see fit and use it in ways limited only by your imagination!]


    There''s some potential there¡­


    Thanks game.


    [You are welcome Gamer!]


    Camilla came back with two books, one on alchemy and one on enchanting. I grabbed Heal, and summon wolf spirit off the shelf and followed her over to the counter. "How much for all this?"


    "300 septims."


    Well crap. I''ve only got 231. I choose you bargainfu!


    "How about 150 and I trade this grimoire?" I say as I put down the teleportation tome. I''ll probably get it when I level to 50, and even if I don''t. I need this stuff now.


    Carmilla looks it over, "250 and the tome."


    "200."


    She smiles. "Deal."


    We exchange goods, and I leave with two new spells and two crafting books.


    On my way back to Gerdur''s house I look them over.


    Alchemy skill book


    Grants the [Alchemist!] crafting class


    Enchanting skill book


    Grants the [Enchanting!] crafting class


    Enchantments good but best at high levels. I''ll take alchemy for now.


    Class gained


    [Alchemist!]- LVL 1/50


    Brew potions, and poisons to use on your journeys


    Gain 1 INT, and 1 WIS per level


    As I gain the class I gain a few simple recipes. I can now make minor potions and poisons whose effects are simple, healing, harming, etc. Not a bad investment at all. Even if I''m broke now.


    I make it back inside the house right as Gerdur''s is coming up the stairs with two knapsacks.


    "I packed you some rations, tinderbox, bedrolls, a map, all the usuals." She says as she hands them off to the two of us. "Take this as well." She says as she pulls a ring from her pocket. "The Jarl will know I sent you if you present him with that."


    Svarline takes the ring and puts it in a satchel she didn''t have when we got here. She must have gone shopping too.


    We all move to the front yard and Ralof walks up to shake our hands. "Thank you again for all you''ve done. Until we meet again my friends."


    Svarline and I say our goodbyes and start down the road in the direction of whiterun. Using our newly acquired map of the hold as a guide.


    It takes us around 15 minutes to get out of town at which point I summon my new dog. Without having to worry about him timing out I can just keep him with us for the whole trip.


    Svarline looks down at him, then back to me. "You have a ghost hound." she states.


    With one hand petting him I look her in the eyes and say, "His name is Mr. Rogers and he is perfect."


    She looks at me for a moment as if she can''t decide what to do, before smiling and saying, "I don''t know about perfect, but he is pretty pawsome."


    My hand froze on Mr. Roger''s head.


    "This is gonna be a thing isn''t it?" I sighed.


    She just smiled even wider and continued on.


    I sighed and followed.


    Not 30 minutes later we got jumped by wolves.


    Luckily, now that we hadn''t just run from the firstborn of Akatosh we were able to dispatch the pack fairly easily.


    And the next one.


    And the next one.


    And the next one.


    Oh look a bear!


    A bear


    Level- 5


    HP- 175


    Svarline and I shredded it from range while Mr. Rogers distracted it. He is best boy.


    After two hours of walking we had killed over two dozen wolves and three bears. This flaw is a curse. I guess that''s kind of the point.


    On the other hand¡­..


    Level Up! X3


    Gain +30 Stat Points


    Thank you very much, absolutely ludicrous EXP gain.


    Dusk


    Level- 8


    Class- Electromancer- LVL 7/100 [82%]


    Crafting Class- Alchemist LVL 4/50 [47%]


    Race- Human


    Tier- Mortal


    Alignment- ?


    HP- 300 [60 per minute]


    MP- 900 [90 per minute]


    SP- 300 [60 per minute]


    STR- 30


    END- 30


    DEX - 28


    INT - 45


    WIS - 45


    CHA - 20


    LUK - 20


    MP Regen= WIS x 2


    MP= INT x 20


    SP/Health Regen= END x 2


    SP/HP= END x 10


    I guess it''s also a blessing so long as you''re only in an area with trash mobs. Not looking forward to the higher level zones.


    "This is the most animals I have seen in the woods at one time," Svarline comments after the second bear. "And they are all after you."


    "Nature hates me." I respond simply.


    We walked for another 4 hours, killed another three dozen wolves and two bears when we came to the top of a hill and got our first view of Whiterun.


    Once again, the city was much larger than in the game. It took up three times the space and the walls actually looked maintained. They weren''t all crumbly, but instead solid bricks.


    Svarline looked as if she was doing mental math before she said, "Looks like it will only be another hour until we get there. If we hurry we''ll still have some sun left."


    I look up to see the sun about a fourth of the way from the horizon. "Well then, let''s get going."


    We walked for half an hour when Mr. Rogers started barking up a storm. Svarline and I paused to look where he was looking and saw a very big thing lumbering towards us.


    Forest Troll


    Level- 15


    HP- 525


    Unique abilities- Troll physiology(Regenerates 10 HP every 5 seconds and can regrow limbs, ability is negated by fire and acid)


    Well this is bad.


    "Mr. Rogers, run literal circles around him to keep him distracted! Svarline, we have to hit him, and not stop hitting him!"


    Svarline and I took up positions on a nearby rock and started laying into the troll while Mr. Rogers used his superior speed to keep the troll from hitting him.


    We threw everything we had into him. I did my level best to turn him into a fried chicken, and Svarline made him into a pincushion.


    It was working, but slowly. Everytime we let up for even a moment the arrows would fall out of him and the flesh would close up Wolverine style.


    On one of his passes, Mr. Rogers came to close and got smacked with a ginormous hand.


    He yiped and faded into nothingness.


    "You killed my dog asshole!" I yelled before covering the ground in lightning. I turned to Svarline. "Do the thing with the mud!"


    She looked at me for a moment before nodding. She gathered mana and changed the dirt beneath the troll into a deep mud. Stopping him from moving out of the lightning.


    With his healing effectively negated by the lightning flood, we doubled down and began to tear into him from range once more.


    He tried to struggle his way out but finally succ.u.mbed when an arrow embedded itself into his eye.


    Well that was fun.


    Level Up! X3


    Gain +30 Stat points


    Dusk


    Level- 11


    Class- Electromancer- LVL 10/100 [23%]


    Crafting Class- Alchemist LVL 7/50 [64%]


    Tier- Mortal


    Alignment- ?


    HP- 300 [60 per minute]


    MP- 1360 [136 per minute]


    SP- 300 [60 per minute]


    STR- 30


    END- 30


    DEX - 34


    INT - 68


    WIS - 68


    CHA - 30


    LUK - 30


    MP Regen= WIS x 2


    MP= INT x 20


    SP/Health Regen= END x 2


    SP/HP= END x 10


    We took a few minutes to catch our breath before standing. I resummoned Mr. Rogers and started petting him.


    "You''re ok. Ssuuch a goood boy! I''m sorry the big mean troll hurt you. You''re safe now." Mr. Rogers nuzzled my hand and panted happily.


    Svarline walked over to the dead troll and observed our handy work. "Well," she said, "we really did this troll dirty." She looked back at me and grinned like a lunatic.


    That''s a modern phrase. How the hell does she know it?


    I groaned and turned back to Mr. Rogers. "When we get to Whiterun we need to get a new travelling companion. This one''s defective."


    Savrline laughed and we continued on our way.


    Half an hour later we had made it to the farms surrounding Whiterun. The sun was close to setting, and I was happy. There was no giant! We didn''t have to tangle with any lanky monstrosities today! No sir! We can just walk right in and¡­.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! THERE''S A GIANT!"


    Godamnit Murphy. I will find a way to neuter you.


    Svarline and I looked towards the scream to see a blue skinned monstrosity in a loincloth heft a tree trunk over its head and slam it down. Turning the man beneath him into red mist.


    Giant


    Level- 52


    HP- 5670


    Thoughts about you- The puny people must die


    Oh look, it''s sentient. How nice. We can probably reason with hi... LIGHTNING BOLT!


    Mr. Rogers charged forth while Svarline started casting a spell. I just kept hammering the giant with spell after spell. Targeting his knees to make it harder for him to walk.


    The giant grunted in anger and started trying to move towards us. He swung at Mr. Rogers with his tree but was too slow. So he settled for a field goal kick. Sending the phantom pup flying through the air all, and the way back to Oblivion.


    I heard shouting behind me but tuned it out as I sent lightning into the ground, then resumed my kneecapping. The giant stumbled but kept getting closer.


    I threw everything I had into my magic but the giant just kept coming. He opened up into a full sprint, his arms pumping, his loincloth swinging violently. He was quickly closing the short distance between us.


    I was running out of ideas when a loud *GONG* echoed out from the giant. The hulking figure bent in half to grab his¡­ solid steel loincloth? Oh that poor bastard. Eh, an opening is an opening. I redoubled my efforts now aiming for the beautifully conductive clothing article causing the giant to scream in agony. Svarline, now done with her spell, started shooting arrows into his joints as we backed up to get more room.


    The giant was still writhing on the ground in pain when several figures charged past us from behind. Each carrying a weapon and adorned in heavy metal armor.


    The one in the lead let out a war cry before bringing his sword down into the grounded giants shoulder.


    Hello Companions.


    Vilkas


    The Brains of Ysgramor


    Level- 78


    Race- Werewolf


    HP- 945


    Thoughts about you- You put yourself in danger to defend these people. You are a worthy warrior


    Farkas


    The Strength of Ysgramor


    Level- 76


    Race- Werewolf


    HP- 920


    Thoughts about you- You put yourself in danger to defend these people. You are a worthy warrior


    Aela


    The Huntress


    Level- 73


    Race- Werewolf


    HP- 670


    Thoughts about you- You''re not too bad, for a spell flinger


    More arrows join Svarline''s and an axe finds its way to the giant''s other shoulder. Each strike from a companion hits like a freight train, and the giant, wounded already, stands no chance.


    He falls with one last sword strike piercing his neck.


    Level Up! X4


    Gained +40 Stat points


    Dusk


    Level- 15


    Class- Electromancer- LVL 14/100 [79%]


    Crafting Class- Alchemist LVL11/50 [32%]


    Tier- Mortal


    Alignment- ?


    HP- 400 [80 per minute]


    MP- 1840 [184 per minute]


    SP- 400 [80 per minute]


    STR- 40


    END- 40


    DEX - 42


    INT - 92


    WIS - 92


    CHA - 40


    LUK - 40


    MP Regen= WIS x 2


    MP= INT x 20


    SP/Health Regen= END x 2


    SP/HP= END x 10


    "Well fought!" Call the black haired Vilkas as he removes his sword from the giant. "I am Vilkas, of the Companions."


    "Farkas." his brother adds as he starts to clean his axe.


    "I''m Dusk." I say, realizing this is the first time Svarline''s heard my name. We didn''t really have time to introduce ourselves ever.


    "Svarline." My companion replies.


    "And I am Aela." the huntress replies as she cleans off the arrows she was able to salvage. "What say you two join us in Jorrvaskr for a celebration of the kill?"


    "We would be honored." Svarline answers for me, "but we must speak with the Jarl or his advisors first. We bring word from Riverwood."


    The three Companions pause, and look towards us with unconcealed interest. "Riverwood still stands?" Vilaks asks. "When that beast was spotted flying away we feared the worst."


    Huh, apparently people have eyes in Skyrim. Who''d a thunk it?


    "Riverwood stands yes, but Helgen''s gone. We were there when it fell." Svarline replies.


    "We must get you to the Jarl then," Vilkas stresses, "he will want to hear your story first hand."


    With that the Companions wave down a guard and tell him to clean up the giant''s mess before leading Svarline and myself towards the gate. The steel gate rises to accept the trio and we are not even given a second glance. Guess the Companions understandably have a lot of pull in the city.


    Once more I see streets and buildings I don''t recognize as the companions lead us at a brisk pace towards the north end of the city. After a 10 minute walk we come to the bottom of a castle built into and on top of the mountain. It''s actually a fairly pretty sight with the sun slowly setting behind it.


    "Come." says Vilkas as he begins the trek up the large staircase.


    I feel like Po walking up to the Jade Palace for how many stairs I have to climb.


    Eventually, we make it to the top and are stopped by four guards in front of the large wooden doors.


    "These two bring word from Helgen and Riverwood." Vilkas says, and the guards let us pass.


    We come into a large open space leading to the throne, and a mass of bickering people. Oh, I can''t skip the politics this time can I? I''ll just let Svarline do the talking unless I''m needed. Oh god. I''ve already started thinking like a follower. I''m doomed.


    We move forward and go unnoticed until a dark elf woman stops our approach.


    "What is your business here that it cannot wait?" Irileth says as her hand drops to rest on the pommel of her sword.


    Svarline steps forward. "We''ve come from Riverwood, and Helgen before that. Helgen has been destroyed and Riverwood calls for aid."


    At her declaration the many voices in the room die as all eyes turn to her. I very smoothly move away from all the attention. A public speaker I am not.


    A blonde nord sitting in a large chair says, "Come forward, let us hear your words."


    Svarline takes the lead as I try to disappear into the background.


    Stop looking at me. I hate this. I hate politics. I hate talking to people. I hate talking to assholes, and 90% of these guys are most definitely assholes. Can we just go to Bleakfalls already? Come on! I am so done with this. One day soon I will be all powerful! I will move mountains and earth with my magic and you shall all tremble before me! Then, you will all worship the ground upon which I tread! You will speak my name in the same breath as the very Gods! This I swear! MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA oh they''re talking.


    "...in large part thanks to luck." Svarline says. "The city was collapsing around us and we were able to make it out through a cave system. The way fell in on itself behind us, so I don''t know if there were any other survivors. Once we made it out, we made our way to Riverwood where Gerdur took us in and asked us to request aid on her behalf." she finishes as she pulls out the ring and holds it out to the Jarl.


    He stands up and takes it, to the shocked gasps of a few of the nobles. Must''ve broken some stick-in-the-ass etiquette or something.


    Balgruuf turns to Irileth. "Send any troops we can spare to Riverwood. Send a caravan with them containing food and other supplies. We will not lose Riverwood." He states with finality.


    Quest Complete!


    [Riverwood''s in Peril!]


    With a dragon on the loose, Riverwood is defenseless. Go beseech the Jarl for aid on their behalf


    Objectives- Tell Jarl Balgruuf of the dragon threat and get help for Riverwood(Complete)


    Reward- 1 Gacha coin


    I really need to find a time to use those damn coins.


    Irileth nods, bows and then starts walking away as the nobles in the area all start spouting nonsense about labor costs and other bullshit. The only ones present who don''t ignore them are themselves.


    The Jarl looks between Svarline and me. "The two of you come with me." He turns to the Companions, "Thank you for seeing them in. I will be sure to make sure anything else divined here will be passed on to you."


    The Companions thank the Jarl then turn and walk out.


    Balgruuf leads us through a set of hallways until we come to an isolated room with two figures hunched over a table.


    One is a black haired man who wears a long black robe while the other is a blonde haired woman with simple leather armor.


    The Jarl walks right up to them, interrupting their conversation. "Farengar. These two have brought news of Helgen''s destruction." The mood in the room instantly sours. "They were there, and saw the beast up close. I need you to¡­"


    "My Jarl!" a panicked voice interrupts whatever Balgruuf had planned to say next.


    We all turn to look at the door we just came through to see Irileth. "My lord, the Northern Watchtower is under attack! It''s a dragon!"


    F.u.c.k.


    A.N. Thank you everyone for reading, and thank you everyone for all the feedback. It was nice to see.


    Grim-Riper: Considering this is my first real try at a fic I''m not to confidant doing any romances. I have somthing planned if it gets that far but we''ll have to see


    Ruberforumfree: You could not pay me to willingly select Dark Souls for the soul purpose of EXP gain. It is practically a part of the lore that everyone dies horrible deaths and suffers for all time.


    Zyriarch: Yeah... sorry about that. I realized it after writing it how dark that sounded but couldn''t bring myself to remove it.


    Soda-fiedPsycho: Thief is really potent, but only against small groups. When undetected you are untouchable but can get brought down easily when swarmed and spotted. Already had plans for metal as you can see this chapter. I agree with you. DEX is insanely important when I said DEX will take care of itself I was reffering to how he gains 2 DEX every level. He doesnt get and END or STR.


    Chapter 3


    Balgruuf did not hesitate in the slightest, simply saying, "Everyone with me. Irileth, what do we know?"


    We all fell in behind him and Irileth began to give her report.


    Two of the guards we had stationed at the tower ran here to report. The rest stayed behind to fight the beast. The runners say they left the tower a little over 30 minutes ago. There''s no telling how much damage the dragon has been able to do in that time."


    Balgruuf looked to Svarline and said, "How long did it take for the black one to burn Helgen."


    Svarline froze up a little at the question. "I¡­ I don''t know. I wasn''t paying attention. I was too focused on getting out." She looks like she''s starting to zone out so I pick up the question for her.


    "It couldn''t have been any longer than 45 minutes at the most. If I were to guess I would say it took around 25 minutes to bring everything down."


    Balgruuf cursed as we made our way back into the throne room. We were immediately rushed by a horde of nobles blabbering about their holdings, and needing protection.


    Balgruuf stopped it all with a yell. "Enough! No one in this room will speak unless spoken to." The room grew deathly silent almost immediately.


    Damn this dude has a presence. Now I''m curious.


    Jarl Balgruuf


    Jarl of Whiterun


    Level- 54


    Race- Nord


    HP- 450


    Thoughts about you- Your experience could save his hold so he needs you right now


    Ya, he''s a bit of a badass.


    "Hrongar," Balgruuf turned to his brother. "Send a runner to the Companions immediately. Tell them of the situation and have them send any warriors they can to the front gate. We''ll need as many men as we can get. Irileth, gather any guard we can spare and send them as well. Farengar gather any potions and scrolls you have that might be of use and get them to Irileth. You will stay behind in case the beast heads this way. You two." Balgruuf turns and looks to Svarline and myself. "I cannot order you to aid me in this endeavor, but you have both seen these things up close. Your support could be invaluable. If you fight I will see to it you are rewarded."


    Svarline freezes for a second, before her face hardens and she steps up, "I''m with you." she says, then looks at me.


    Fighting dragons! Just the thing I wanted to avoid when I came here. I don''t know if I''m willing to do this.


    Quest added!


    [Slay the Dragon!]


    A dragon has destroyed the Northern Watchtower and could move towards the city. Kill it before it has the chance!


    Objective- Slay the Dragon


    Bonus Objective- Slay the Dragon without more then 40 defenders dying


    Bonus Objective- Slay the Dragon without more than 20 defenders dying


    Bonus Objective- ?


    Rewards- ?, ?


    Bonus Rewards- ?,?,?,?


    Oh, those damn question marks are going to be the literal death of me. Wait, Northern watchtower? Isn''t it supposed to be.. You know what? Not important.


    "I''ll fight." I say, prompting Svarline to smile and Balgruuf to give a grateful nod.


    "Go to the front gate and wait for the rest of our force. Thank you both." Balgruuf says to us before rushing over to another man in heavy armor and issuing more orders.


    "Suppose we should get going." I say looking over to Svarline. She looks, excited? Great. Just throw it on top of the ''worry about later'' pile I guess.


    She nods and says, "Let''s go kill a dragon." With that she takes off running out of the castle and I follow on her heels. We exit the building to see the sun slowly sinking below the mountains. We have maybe an hour of sunlight left before we''ll be fighting at night. We need to do this fast.


    We weave our way back through the streets and towards the gate we originally came through.


    A short run later we come to a stop before a mass gathering of people. A few dozen guards all armed with bows, and swords. The alchemist Arcadia, and her¡­ apprentice?, who are passing out a number of potions with various effects. As well as a group of over two dozen Companions with Farkas, Vilkas and Aela among them. More people trickle in as we stand and wait for the order to move.


    "Hello again." Vilkas says as he walks up to us. "Didn''t expect to see you again so soon. Are you here to fight with us?"


    "Yes." Svarline answers. "The Jarl believes that since we''ve seen one up close we''ll be able to help.


    Aela grins as she joins Vilkas. "The more the merrier. We will bring this beast down yet!"


    Before anyone can say more a group of heavily armed and armored men with Whiterun''s crest emblazoned on their chests arrives behind Irileth. Now that I''m looking at them I realize they were standing guard in Dragonsreach. Balgruuf''s personal guard? Or maybe just elit soldiers? Wow I need to focus.


    "I''ll keep this brief." Irileth says as she arrives. "That worm in the sky is a threat. It has already shown hostility towards us, and might attack us here. Attack our homes, our families. So we will kill the beast, and be remembered in song as the first heroes of the age to fell a dragon! Move out!"


    A loud cheer erupts from the assembled warriors and we all start to jog towards the tower.


    No words are shared as we make our way. Everyone prepares for the battle in their own way.


    I summon Mr. Rogers to my side, getting a few strange looks before everyone accepts it. He barks happily and starts running at my side. I don''t expect him to do any damage. I''m going to have him take part in search and rescue. Finding the wounded so Svarline or I can heal them. I want those bonus rewards damnit.


    Speaking of rewards...


    Gacha Coin x4


    Use this trusty coin to get one random item or ability from the Gacha store. You could get the Infinity Gauntlet! Or Goldilocks''s too cold porridge. Care for a spin?


    Please in the name of all that is holy give me something good.


    -1 Gacha Coin


    Item Added


    A Mop


    Use this trusty mop to clean up all sorts of messes and spills.


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    I AM GOING TO MURDER A FACE!


    Are you kidding me?!


    A freaking mop?!


    I am walking into a battle with an age old entity that yells fire!


    We are going to do this again, and you are going to give me something useful.


    -1 Gacha Coin


    Spell Added


    Chidori


    Costs 175 MP to cast


    This mana equivalent works just the same as the chakra version. It grinds and slices anything you touch to the sound of chirping birds!


    Ok I am really grateful to receive such a useful skill, but I meant useful as in it can be used to survive the impending dragon fight! I have to be within arms reach of the thing to use this! Arms reach of a freaking dragon! I''ll be long dead by then!


    Please please please please please give me something I can use to live through a dragon attack.


    -1 Gacha Coin


    Item Added


    A lucky penny


    This penny will always land on heads when flipped


    This is it. I am actually going to die. I didn''t last two days in this nightmare.


    I''m begging you! Please give me something that will let me live.


    -1 Gacha Coin


    Spell Added


    Godspeed- Speed of Lightning


    Costs 300 MP to Cast


    Infuse yourself with lightning to overcharge your muscles to become as fast as lightning! Warning! Excessive use can result in the user being unable to activate this ability for as long as a week.


    Thank you! Thank you so much! I can live! There''s a light at the end of the tunnel! I have a way out!


    None too soon either, as we had just come within sight of the crumbling remains of the watcher tower.


    "Spread out and watch each other''s backs." Irileth called. "It might not be gone."


    The company split up into smaller groups as we began to look around.


    Mr. Rogers put his nose to the ground and started sniffing around. Don''t ask me how a ghost dog can smell. The only answer I have is magical shenanigans.


    Mr. Rogers sniffed around a little more, then looked towards a piece of collapsed tower and barked. I ran over to find a still living guard bleeding out under a large piece of stone. The man tried to talk but I ignored him in favor of pulling the spear out and casting three heals.


    "No!" He cried when he could talk once more. "It''s using us as bait! It''s still here!"


    The entire company pulled their weapons up and began frantically searching for the beast. Mr. Rogers started sniffing around the area again. He pauses, looking at another piece of debris and growling. Something wasn''t quite right about it. It seemed translucent, but not, so I took a closer look and activated observe


    MIRMULNIR


    Allegiance. Strong. Hunt.


    Level- ?


    Tier- ?


    HP- ?


    Thought about you- ?


    Huh, my first question marked opponent. I should really commemorate this day by living to the end of it.


    The wise ass blended in with the broken tower to get the jump on us. I yelled, "It''s here!" and covered him in liquid lightning to act as a beacon to my allies.


    Everyone looked over as the lightning fell. Once it impacted the now visible stone colored dragon, he let out an earth shaking roar as he stood to his full height. Time to run.


    I cast Godspeed, causing my hair to turn from ash in color to a bone white as lightning danced across my skin. I grabbed the guard that I just healed and ran.


    Mirmulnir opened his maw and let loose a torrent of fire in the place I was just standing.


    Having got over the shock, most of the warriors we brought with us began to rain arrows down on the dragon. Most clinked against his scales and harmlessly bounced off, but there were a few that found a weak point and slid into the dragon''s hide. Not that they did much damage. They might as well have been pine needles for all the good they did.


    I let the guard go once we were out of the danger area, then ran over to Svarline. She jumped when I suddenly appeared next to her. She relaxed a little when she saw it was me and I spoke. "My lightning won''t get through his scales. I need you to transmute one of the arrows stuck in him into copper. The bolts will be able to completely bypass his scales that way."


    She looks confused for a moment before saying, "Ok, but I need to wait for him to be closer."


    "Ok, just do it as soon as you find an opportunity." I started moving to a place Mr. Rogers was indicating and found another downed guard. He looked like he got caught in the fire earlier. I heal him twice so he is able to move, then I kept going.


    I looked up to see the dragon flying in circles around us as he played with his food. All of the lightning from my spell had fallen free of him at this point.


    I''m glad this guy is arrogant as all hell or we would be pushing up daisies right now.


    We need a way to ground him. If he stays in the sky we''re done for. If I could get some chain lightning inside his wing, then it might at least drop him if not cripple him. I look around the battlefield until I spot Aela letting loose arrow after arrow. I deactivate godspeed and run up to her.


    "Aela!" she turns at my call. "I need you to put an arrow about halfway down one of his wings. It needs to be deep."


    She regards me for a moment before nodding. "I''ll get it done."


    I run back over to Svarline and say, "Aela is going to put an arrow in his wing. Change that one into copper as soon as you can!" She nods and I move on.


    I look out over the battlefield and see devastation. I''ve never seen a man burn to death before, it isn''t a pretty sight. I probably would''ve lost my lunch if I didn''t have Gamer''s Mind. I move around healing anyone who has a chance to live while waiting for my chance to strike.


    "Got it!" I hear Aela call, and look up to see half an arrow sticking out of the dragon''s left wing.


    "Svarline!" I call.


    "I know!" She shouts back. "Be ready the next time he passes over!"


    I stop healing people to regenerate a small amount of mana and wait for Svarline''s spell.


    Mirmulnir sweeps overhead once more prewing his fire into a group of Companions and I see Svarline cast her spell. "Now!" she yells.


    Not needing any more prompting, I reach out and send some chain lightning in the direction of the changed arrow. I don''t need to be precise, just close, because I''ve successfully turned the dragon''s wing into a lightning rod.


    The bolt hits the copper arrow and the wing seizes up. Without any ground to get rid of the charge, Mirmulnir is left spasming in the air as he begins to fall. He comes crashing down hard, unable to counteract the effect.


    "Now men!" comes the voice of Irileth as she leads the charge towards the downed dragon.


    Mirmulnir goes to prop himself up and take flight but I hit the arrow with another spell, locking it back down. He lets out a howl of pain which is quickly cut off as Irileth unleashes a torrent of frost magic directly down his throat. Vilkas and Farkas move as one and batter the dragon''s right wing after seeing his left effectively out of action.


    I focus on making sure he can''t use his left wing as the assembled warriors fall upon the downed beast.


    Mirmulnir tries to burn everything near him with his fire but Irileth counters a large portion of the effect with her frost magic. I see two arrows embed themself in both of his eyes at the same time and he howls once more. Aela and Svarline keep hitting him in vulnerable places with their arrows while all the melee fighters seek out any chinks in his armor.


    We have him grounded, we''ve cut off most of his avenues of attack, but he just won''t die. He is simply too tough.


    I come up with an idea, but dismiss it as too risky and keep firing bolts into the copper arrow.


    Mirmulnir uses his tail and catches two guards and a companion in one swing. They''re all sent flying like rag dolls, and end up in an unmoving heap.


    Screw it. This isn''t working.


    I send one final bolt into the arrow to give myself an opening and reactivate godspeed.


    The thing that makes the chidori so effective is the speed it''s practitioners possess. Able to take advantage of any opening. Along with their eyes that allow them to see attacks coming before they happen, to create new openings. Now, I''m nowhere near as fast as Kakashi, but I''m cheating with magic. My eyes might not be able to predict minute movements, but my target is a freaking dragon. I won''t miss.


    As fast as a lightning bolt I appear under Mirmulnir''s throat and cast a Chidori in either hand. I then thrust both arms up into his long neck.


    Mirmulnir lets out a wail of agony as my hands slide through his scales and keep going.


    He delivers an off balance kick to my stomach in a desperate attempt to get me away from him and I''m sent flying.


    -327 HP


    He took out over 3/4ths of my HP with one hit. It wasn''t even a solid hit! He sissy slapped me, and it almost killed me! No wonder we''re dropping like flies.


    I look up from my place in the dirt to see Mirmulnir with two gaping holes in his throat. He desperately tries to take to the air once more.


    I cast another lightning bolt as I stand that keeps him grounded. Prompting a growl of frustration from the beast.


    He looks towards me, and gets ready to shout at me.


    I prepare to dash away, but it''s unneeded.


    As he exhales an axe embeds itself where my right hand was, and a greatsword finds the gap left by my left hand.


    Shout abandoned, Mirmulnir goes to bite at the two Companions when he is stopped cold by two more arrows.


    Irileth follows the attack up by unleashing frost magic into the dragon''s feet. Freezing the ground and making movement next to impossible.


    Mirmulnir looks scared. He looks mortal.


    What guards and companions remain all collapse onto the dragon to hopefully end it with one last charge.


    Vilkas and Farkas dig and twist their weapons. Tearing as much of the dragon''s flesh as they possibly can.


    Irileth and I take away his mobility by crippling his flight, and destroying any traction he can find on the ground.


    Aela and Svarline cover everyone by making sure an arrow always blocks any attack the dragon could make with his maw.


    The rest of the warriors we brought with us hack and slash any place that bleeds to increase the flow of red.


    The dragon''s movements grow slower, and slower. He tries to break free once more, only to find a guard''s warhammer knocking him back into the death trap.


    He weakly tries once more to fly, but a combination of my spell and Farkas''s axe bring him back down.


    Vilkas takes the opening to thrust his sword as far as he can into the gap he has been hacking at. The remaining scales give way beneath the blade, and Vilkas sinks it in all the way to the hilt.


    The dragon goes still. Then slowly starts to fall.


    I see a blast of hot air escaping his snout, showing he is still alive.


    "I am immortal." Mirmulnir weakly exhales. "You will never truly kill me."


    He begins to dryly chuckle as we all move in for the kill.


    An arrow disappears into the gap left by Farkas''s axe and the dragon''s eyes shoot wide open and fixate on Svarline.


    "Dovahkiin?!" he cries in alarm. "Noooooo!"


    He uses the last of his strength to unleash his fire in Svarline and Aela''s direction, but it is once more diverted by Irileth''s frost. Igniting the area around them in flame, but leaving the both of them unharmed.


    "Nooooooo!" The dragon lets loose one last cry as his skin starts to smolder apart and flake off of him. He collapses as his flesh flies away leaving nought but a large skeleton behind.


    "Back away now!" Farkas yells, as he and any others close to the skeletal form dive away from the floating ashes.


    "What is this?!" Irileth cries as the particles surge towards Svarline.


    "Help!" She cries as she tries to swat the now translucent ash away. "Stop it!" The beams of yellow energy seep into her skin and she glows a brilliant gold as the soul is absorbed.


    The glow dissipates and Svarline is left standing unharmed with wide eyes.


    Everyone uneasily looks towards Svarline. Unsure if the danger has passed.


    "What in Oblivion just happened to her?" Irileth shouts at me.


    "Don''t look at me! I''ve never seen a dragon die before." I say, technically truthfully, as I begin to heal my hit points back.


    "Do you feel ok?" I ask Svarline as she stares down at her hands.


    She looks up at me, then back down to her hands. "I feel¡­.. I feel powerful."


    "You''re dragonborn." We all turn to see one guard staring open mouthed at Svarline.


    "Dragonwhat?!" Irileth asks.


    The guard looks to Irileth before looking back to Svarline. "She is dragonborn."


    More of the warriors begin to look at Svarline in a new light.


    "What in Oblivion is a dragonborn?!" Irileth cries. Still uneasy, and wondering if the fight is truly over.


    "A warrior with the soul of a dragon." Aela answers as she studies Svarline. "Said to be able to steal the souls of dragons she slays. Taking their power for her own."


    Irileth begins to relax as she looks towards Svarline as well. "And she''s this dragonborn?" she asks the group.


    "We can''t be sure." Vilkas responds. "The dragonborn is said to be able to use the language of dragons to produce a thu''um. Can you shout?" he asks of Svarline.


    "I¡­. I don''t know. I¡­" she looks up from her hands and gets a faraway look in her eyes. She looks up to the sky and shouts out, "FEIM!"


    Her body turns into a ghostly version of itself, not unlike Mr. Rogers''s form.


    Huh, guess she wouldn''t have unrelenting force without Bleakfalls Barrow, but where did she get Become Ethereal from? Questions for later.


    After a few seconds where everyone stares at the ghostly woman. The shout expires and Svarline returns to normal.


    "I''d say that proves it." Farkas says, breaking the silence.


    We lapse into silence once more as everyone takes in the damage around them, the corpses of their comrades, and the skeletal remains of the dead dragon.


    Quest Completed!


    [Slay the Dragon!]


    A dragon has destroyed the Northern Watchtower and could move towards the city. Kill it before it has the chance!


    Objective- Slay the Dragon(Completed)


    Bonus Objective- Slay the Dragon without more then 40 defenders dying(Failed)


    Bonus Objective- Slay the Dragon without more than 20 defenders dying(Failed)


    Bonus Objective- Ensure the dragonborn lands the final blow(Completed)


    Rewards- 3 Gacha coins


    Bonus Rewards- 2 Gacha coins, Portable Alchemy Lab


    Portable Alchemy Lab


    This Alchemy kit can be kept in your inventory at all times, and is fully stocked with the equipment needed to make potions. It also has an extra dimensional space you can use to grow ingredients but it doesn''t start with anything grown. You must collect ingrediants on your own.


    Level Up x32


    For killing an enemy over 100 level higher than you, you level up an additional 5 times!


    Gain +260 Stat Points


    Dusk


    Level- 52


    Class- Electromancer- LVL 52/100 [93%]


    Crafting Class- Alchemist LVL48/50 [77%]


    Tier- Mortal


    Alignment- ?


    HP- 1300 [260 per minute]


    MP- 6160 [1232 per minute]


    SP- 1300 [260 per minute]


    STR- 125


    END- 130


    DEX - 128


    INT - 308


    WIS - 308


    CHA - 125


    LUK - 130


    MP Regen= WIS x 2


    MP= INT x 20


    SP/Health Regen= END x 2


    SP/HP= END x 10


    For Reaching Level 50 in the Electromancer class, you have unlocked higher tiered lightning magic!


    Lightning Form


    Costs 200 MP


    Turn yourself into living energy, halving damage from all sources.


    Any equipment you are wearing or holding changes with you. Cannot change other creatures


    You may pass through objects in this form so long as there is space to move through(An iron gate can be passed, but a solid stone wall cannot)


    Any enemy who comes into contact with your form takes INT x 2 Electrical Damage


    Electric Sphere


    Costs 100 MP per 5 meter radius


    Create a custom sized sphere of lightning with various effects.


    Can be used as a prison, grenade, etc.


    When the sphere comes into contact with a target, the target takes INT + 75 Electrical Damage and is forced back in the direction they came from. Stronger opponents can resist this effect


    Lightning Teleport


    Costs 100 MP


    Fire a lightning bolt and teleport to the location where the bolt hits


    Cannot bring any other creatures with you


    Call Thunder


    Costs 200 MP


    Call a bolt of lightning from the sky to devastate all nearby targets


    Must be cast with clear view of the sky


    Bolt deals INT x 3 lightning damage to all targets within a 5 meter radius


    Electric Weapon


    Costs 150 MP


    Create a weapon made of pure energy with which to wield against your enemies


    Weapon deals INT + 25 lightning damage and STR + 30 Slashing or Piercing damage


    For reaching 100 STR you gain a perk!


    Unflinching


    Attacks that would normally stagger and disrupt you can be withstood


    For reaching 100 END you gain a perk!


    Tough


    HP and SP now equal END x 15


    For reaching 100 DEX you gain a perk!


    Agile


    You can jump twice as high, three times as far, and move twice as quick


    For reaching 100 INT you have gained a perk!


    Multitasking


    You are able to follow two trains of thought simultaneously with no drawbacks


    For reaching 200 INT you have gained a perk!


    Research assistant


    Any task that requires research(alchemy, spell creation, enchanting, etc.) has its research time halved


    For Reaching 300 INT you gain a perk!


    Studious


    You have learned a lot about the world, and have become an excellent learner.


    All EXP gain increased by 15%


    For reaching 100 WIS you have gained a perk!


    Mana Battery


    You regain your mana twice as fast(MP regen=WIS x4)


    For reaching 200 Wis you have gained a perk!


    Meditation


    You can enter a meditative trance.


    While in a trance, all curses, poisons, venoms, and spirit injuries are healed/removed over the course of 5 hours


    Can be used as an alternative for sleep


    300 WIS you gain a perk!


    Knowledgeable


    You''ve been around the block before and have the experience to prove it


    Once per week, may gain insider information on a specific area or creature.


    For reaching 100 CHA you have gained a perk!


    Businessman


    You are 50% more likely to get a better deal when you barter


    For reaching 100 LUC you have gained a perk!


    Felix Felicis


    Once a week for 1 hour you will become extremely lucky


    Dusk


    Level- 52


    Class- Electromancer- LVL 52/100 [93%]


    Crafting Class- Alchemist LVL48/50 [77%]


    Tier- Mortal


    Alignment- ?


    HP- 1950 [260 per minute]


    MP- 6160 [1232 per minute]


    SP- 1950 [260 per minute]


    STR- 125


    END- 130


    DEX - 128


    INT - 308


    WIS - 308


    CHA - 125


    LUK - 130


    MP Regen= WIS x 4


    MP= INT x 20


    SP/Health Regen= END x 2


    SP/HP= END x 15


    That was a ridiculous number of pop-ups. I guess I did just help to kill a dragon. Svarline got the final hit? Huh, wonder how she''s looking?


    Svarline The Dragonborn of Legend


    The Last Dragonborn


    Level- 64


    Race- Half-breed(High Elf/Nord)


    HP- 2940


    Unique abilities- Soul of a Dragon(Can absorb dragon souls and use their knowledge to learn shouts)


    New Ability discovered!- Soul Devouring(When absorbing a dragon soul, if the dragonborn dealt the killing blow, the dragonborn steals more than the dragon''s knowledge. Siphoning the dead beasts strength and power for their own. Can be used to obtain a number of benefits.)


    Thoughts about you- You are her friend. The two of you have been through hell together. You are an equal


    Ya, she got a pretty huge boost too. New ability too. That is broken if there''s no ceiling on it. Especially if she goes through the main quest and killa Alduin. Name and title change too? Does that have something to do with the new ability? I''ll figure it out later.


    Looking away from my considerably better stats, as well as Svarline''s new changes, I look at the bodies littering the field. We lost over half of the number we set out with. Most of them were taken by the fire while Mirmulnir was still airborne, but a not insignificant portion was also killed while he was grounded.


    Looking around at the other survivors, I see the Companions celebrating the kill, while the guards mourn their dead. Different lifestyles I suppose. Looking over at Svarline, I see her clenching and unclenching her fists. She has a large grin on her face as she tests her new strength. She almost looks high.


    She looks up and spots me. Her smile grows even wider as we make eye contact. She walks over to me and says, "We just killed a dragon! I just stole a dragon''s power! I feel so much stronger now!" Her smile now borders on manic as she looks at me.


    I smile back at her. "Ya, we just brought down a damned dragon!" Because we just brought down a goddamn dragon. I''m allowed to be happy about that fact.


    She looked to the corpse then back to me. "What was that thing you did to his chest? We wouldn''t have been able to kill him without it."


    I hold up my hand and cast a chidori. "New spell, it grinds down and cuts through whatever it touches at a very high rate."


    She looks at the chidori for a moment before meeting my eyes again. "When did you learn this if it''s new?"


    Ummm, how do I answer this question without saying anything about the Gamer?


    Svarline continued to look at me expectantly.


    Half-truth it is.


    "I get stronger when I overcome great danger." I say, "I got this after we made it to Whiterun."


    She stopped to think for a moment. "We just killed a dragon. I can''t think of anything more dangerous than that. Did you get anything from it?" She asks looking back up at me.


    I would really prefer to keep as much of this as close to the chest as I can, but she''s the damn dragonborn. If there is any ally I want, it''s her. "Ya, I got quite a bit from him actually. I''d prefer not to demonstrate in front of an audience though."


    Her expression immediately grows guarded as she looks down to her fist again. She looks back up and nods. "We''ll talk later." she says.


    Moving back to the group, we see all the bodies have been gathered together, and the survivors are preparing to return to the city.


    Irileth sees us approaching and walks towards us. "My men tell me the two of you kept them alive during the fighting. Thank you for that, and for what you did to the beast itself. I doubt this would have gone as well as it did without you here." She looked over to the pile of corpses, then back to us. "I just wish the cost wasn''t so high."


    This is the first time I''ve seen her official demeanor crack, and it helps to drive home the fact that the NPCs are actually people now.


    "I''m sorry we lost so many." I console her.


    "Me too." She turns back to the remaining warriors. "Alright, time to head home. The sun''s all but gone, and I want to be behind walls before night sets in."


    I go to follow the group when I realize we''re missing someone.


    Where''s my dog?


    I look around but can''t find him.


    "Mr. Rogers?" I call out.


    *Woof!*


    I look towards the sound and find Mr. Rogers with a dragon femur in his mouth. He wags his tail at me as he tries to drag the oar sized bone over.


    He is best boy.


    Seeing the group walking around the hill I move over to Mr. Rogers and quickly inventory the massive bone. "I''ll pull it out for you later."


    He wags his tail and pants as we both run to catch up.


    We make it back to the group and Svarline smiles when she sees Mr. Rogers. "I''m glad he''s ok. I would have been furious if he''d been hurt."


    I give her a deadpan stare. "He''s a ghost dog. That doesn''t work."


    She tilts her head, "Really? Huh, you wouldn''t be able to tell if you weren''t looking. He''s a dead ringer for the real thing."


    I continued my stare. "That one was somehow magnitudes worse."


    "That''s how you know it''s good! When everyone else hates it!" she says enthusiastically.


    "To think you killed a dragon not ten minutes ago." I sigh.


    She smiles and goes to respond, but is interrupted by a thundering sound that seems to emanate from everywhere at once.


    "DO-VAH-KIIN!"


    Oh, I forgot about those guys.


    A.N. Thank you to everyone who reviewed!


    Edit: Had a math screw up. Been doing infinite series for so long I forgot how to multiply :)

 Chapter 308 - My OC Stash #8 - Alola Galar by Paulzies (Pokemon)

    -Just a chill, stress-relief Pokemon fic~ Props to the author for writing in best girl Nessa, cannot wait for the ship to sail!


    Synopsis: Being Champion just wasn''t his thing. That was why he left Alola. He''d always been an adventurer at heart, and now he was taking his first few steps in what felt like a completely different world. But he wasn''t alone. He had his team with him.


    Rated: T


    Words: 24K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13446637/2/Alola-Galar (Paulzies)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    A/N: For all my fellow Trainers that are spaghetti-upsetti about the incomplete Pokedex in Sword and Shield, the lack of Mega-Evolutions and Z-Moves, this fic''s for you.


    He wondered if Hau had forgiven him yet.


    He never intended to hurt him.


    He thought Hau would be happy being Champion.


    But even now, months since he''d last seen his best friend¡ªand he was reluctantly forced to wonder if that still held true¡ªthe look of betrayal on Hau''s face continued to haunt him.


    The smile melts. Thick eyebrows scrunch together, like Caterpies worming on his forehead, and Hau''s lips twist into a frown.


    Hau''s face, which has always been tan, darkens several shades, and he can''t help but take a step back when the new Champion of Alola glares at him.


    "You¡­you lost on purpose, didn''t you?"


    He gulps.


    The six Pokeballs on his belt, holding his fainted team, feel like they suddenly weigh a ton each. He''s tempted to lie. But he has a feeling that things will only become worse if he does.


    "Being Champion was always your dream, Hau," he says. "It''s your turn."


    Hau''s hands ball into tight fists.


    Incineroar, Hau''s partner, looks nervously at his trainer. He still remembers the day when he received Primarina¡ªback then, she was still a Popplio¡ªand Hau, clueless about the type advantages, had proudly proclaimed that Litten, being Fire-type, was the strongest.


    His lips twitch when he recalls his first victorious Pokemon battle. It was also Hau''s first loss.


    "Forty-two times," Hau says with a trembling voice. "That''s the number of times we''ve battled before today. FORTY-TWO TIMES!"


    That''s a lot, he realizes. But he hasn''t been keeping count.


    "I''ve lost every single one of them."


    "You won this one," he says softly.


    "Did I?" Hau sneers.


    He''s taken aback by the venom in his rival-slash-friend''s voice.


    "Do you honestly think that I have no chance of ever beating you in a fair fight? Is that why you let me win? Because you PITY me?"


    It isn''t pity. It''s acknowledgement. Hau''s been training hard. He knows about the late nights in the gyms, the hours spent in the libraries, the heated sessions with the Kahunas and the Elite Four. Hau deserves to be Champion.


    He tries to tell this to him, but what comes out of his mouth is something completely different.


    "I let you win because I don''t want to be Champion anymore."


    Hau looks as if he''s been slapped.


    He doesn''t know why he said it. But it''s true, anyway. The experiences with Necrozma and the Ultra Beasts made him realize something. He doesn''t like being Champion. Not with all the expectations and responsibilities that come with the title of being The Strongest.


    He just wants a fresh start.


    He wanted to explore again. To see new Pokemon and meet new people. To venture into the unknown. To go on another adventure. The Champion''s throne had only chained him down, shackled him, and every time he saw reports and infographics about the other regions, a sense of longing to break free from Alola would always emerge.


    "You''re the only one I trust to take my place, Hau," he says. "While I''m gone."


    He sees Hau bite his lips.


    That''s one reason why he''s always liked him; Hau always wore his emotions openly.


    He could see the inner conflict in his rival as clear as day.


    "I''m not as strong as a Trainer as you, though," Hau says, looking down.


    He has a strong feeling that the anger he hears isn''t directed at him.


    He smiles. "You don''t have to be the strongest Trainer to be Champion. You just need to be strong enough."


    "Am I though?"


    "Yes."


    "It sounds as if you''re just trying to comfort me."


    "That''s because I am," he says, "but that doesn''t make it any less true."


    Hau sighs. What little anger that remained leaves his body with that small exhalation. That''s another reason why he likes Hau. He never stays angry for long.


    "You''re really leaving?" Hau asks.


    He nods.


    "Where are you going?"


    He pauses. "I haven''t decided yet. Somewhere far away, probably."


    "Will you come back?"


    "Of course."


    That seems to raise Hau''s spirits.


    His friend straightens. "Then it''s not over yet." Hau levels a finger at him. "I refuse to accept this win."


    He expected this.


    "But you accept the role of Champion?" he asks.


    "Just until you come back," Hau says, grudgingly. "We''ll have a rematch. And next time, I''ll show you that I don''t need your pity."


    "Thank you, Hau."


    "You better come back, Elio."


    He knew he''d chosen correctly when he stepped off the boat and nobody paid a second glance to him. Here, he wasn''t Elio, Champion of the Alola Region.


    In Galar, he was just an ordinary Pokemon Trainer.


    And he was ready to start his new adventure.


    Chapter 1


    The ferry had brought him to the port city of Hulbury.


    It reminded him a little of Konikoni City, especially with the lighthouse that stood markedly near the outskirt of town. But unlike Konikoni, Hulbury was built on a hill, and terraced houses lined the streets that winded up its slopes. And at the base of the it, a giant blue dome was seated, its support pillars giving it the look of a very large spider that sparkled with decorative lights.


    So this was one of Galar''s famous Gym stadiums.


    He''d read, on the pamphlets in the ferry, that Galar¡ªlike all the other regions¡ªhad Gyms. He remembered Kanto''s gyms. They were small buildings, no bigger than a school gymnasium, nothing like the massive stadium before him, and he wondered just how different it was from Alola''s unique Island Trials system.


    The symbol above the entrance, shaped like a water droplet, caught his eye. So this was the Water-type Gym?


    Ninetails, with Freeze-dry, would be doing most of the work, then.


    He paused. Was it right for him to use his team in the first place? They were powerful, well-trained, worthy of the title of champions. It wouldn''t be right to use them for a Gym challenge, would it?


    In the first place¡­wasn''t he here because he wanted to start a new adventure?


    He''d get to know the new Pokemon here, make a new team, and see how things went.


    That was the joy exploring¡ªhe loved venturing into the unknown.


    XxXxXxXxX


    Despite the hustle and bustle in the market, the scream for help was extremely clear to him.


    He dropped his dinner, weaved through the throngs of shoppers, and ran towards the harbor where the scream had come from.


    A small crowd had gathered at the railings, pointing towards the open sea.


    He followed their fingers.


    At first he did not know what he was supposed to be looking at. Then he saw the arm break through the surface of the water, flailing desperately, before being immediately swallowed by the sweeping waves again. Cries of alarm rippled through the crowd.


    "His boat overturned!"


    "He''s going to drown!"


    He could see a group of men in sailor uniforms working to unmoor a speedboat tied to the docks.


    They would not make it in time.


    He unlatched a Pokeball from his belt. Keeping it close to his body, he clicked the release button.


    "Go."


    A flash of red light and the sound of a released Pokeball later, an orange blur shot to the sky.


    It had not gone unnoticed.


    "That''s a Charizard!"


    "The Champion! He''s here!"


    For a moment, he was confused when the crowd heaved a collective sigh of relief. How did they know?


    "Thank goodness, Leon''s here! I''d recognize that Charizard anywhere! He''ll save the day, I''m sure of it."


    He frowned. Were they thinking of someone else?


    Charizard roared.


    The sea was rough today. The waves were as tall as a man and combing through the sea at a worrying pace. The man would be swept away soon.


    If he didn''t drown first.


    "There!"


    He saw the hand shoot into the air again, waving frantically. This time it was accompanied by a head. It was too far away, and it only surfaced for a brief instant before the man was pulled back down.


    His gaze drifted to a nearby sign.


    Dangerous currents. Do not swim.


    Too late.


    But Charizard had seen the man as well, and the winged lizard dived down, hurtling down towards the earth like a comet. And orange streak was drawn through the air, and the subsequent splash created a plume of water as tall as a house.


    The crowd fell silent.


    A few seconds later, when nothing happened, a tiny knot of worry formed in his chest.


    Charizards¡­were not aquatic creatures. And even if he had trained his to be particularly sturdy against water attacks, he hadn''t actually taught it to swim. Its powerful muscles and great wings might not be enough to fight against the unseen and unyielding currents of the deep.


    He rubbed the Keystone in his Mega-Ring nervously. Maybe he should have Mega-Evolved it.


    But he believed in it. Charizard would never let him down, and it was the only one in his party that could have traversed the great distance of water to save the drowning man quick enough.


    The crowd gasped when it burst out of the sea, its leathery wings unfurled and spanned out to their majestic lengths. The gasps turned into cheers when they saw the man hanging by his collar, which was locked in the maws of his savior.


    He smiled.


    Attaboy.


    His Pokemon''s return was graceful. Careful, even, with clawed arms supporting the man like a princess.


    Great wings beat the air down towards the crowd and they parted, forming a giant clearing in front of him. Very quickly, he was walled in by the ever-increasing number of awed and fascinated onlookers.


    Wet, but otherwise no worse for wear, Charizard descended onto the ground, the flame on its tail burning as brightly as ever. Like a mother cat carrying its kitten, it released its toothed grip on the man''s shirt and gently laid him down.


    When the man coughed, people whooped with joy.


    Charizard roared deafeningly, and slightly startled, the crowd faltered and took several steps back.


    It was only him and Charizard now.


    It lumbered towards him, baring its teeth. He had to look up to meet the towering Pokemon''s lizard-like eyes.


    "Sorry for making you go into the water," he said sheepishly.


    Charizard grunted.


    "I''ll make it up to you."


    He''d already prepared Charizard''s reward. From his pocket, he pulled out a Rainbow Bean.


    The Pokemon''s eyes lit up excitedly, and it lowered its snout all the way down to his outstretched hand and sniffed the multi-colored snack several times.


    It looked up to him expectantly.


    "Don''t forget to chew," he reminded.


    The Rainbow Bean vanished into draconian jaws, and within seconds, Charizard swallowed and let out a satisfied huff.


    "Good boy," he said, tiptoeing and stroking its snout.


    It nuzzled itself into his palm. Its warm breath tickled his fingers.


    Only when he returned Charizard into its Pokeball did he realize just how silent the entire town had become. Even the man he had rescued was now sitting up and staring at him, eyes wide and mouth agape.


    A lone voice shattered the silence.


    "Make way!"


    A pair of brown arms sliced through the crowds and a woman broke through the human wall to stare him down.


    "Leon!" she declared, "fight me! Today''s the day¡­"


    She trailed off, her voice weakening and her raised arm deflating.


    She blinked at him with eyes that had long and curved lashes, dark blue eyeshadows, and turquoise irises that sparkled like the sea.


    She had tanned-colored skin. It wasn''t very different from the residents of Alola, who soaked up sunlight every day. Short shorts and a small crop top exposed much of her skin, and the assortment of accessories she wore around her waist and shoulders complemented her toned and lean body. Long, dark blue hair, reminiscent of a waterfall, cascaded down her back.


    She was, he couldn''t help but admit, very pretty. And judging from the respectful looks she was getting from everyone else, someone important else well.


    "You''re not Leon," she finally said, after giving him a onceover.


    "No," he said, "I am not."


    Her gaze turned curious. "Was that your Charizard?"


    He nodded.


    "I don''t recall ever seeing you around before."


    "I just arrived," he pointed to the dock that the ferry was still moored at.


    "Oh," she said, "a tourist?"


    He smiled. "Something like that."


    "Where are you from?"


    He hesitated.


    "Kanto," he said. It wasn''t a lie, technically. He''d been born and raised there, even if he had only started his Pokemon journey for real when he''d moved to Alola.


    "Ah," she nodded in understanding. "No wonder the Charizard."


    She stepped forward and offered a hand.


    "I''m Nessa," she said. "I''m Hulbury''s Gym Leader."


    He stared at Nessa''s long and slender fingers. Then he stretched out and shook hands.


    "Elios," was all he said in return.


    XxXxXxXxX


    Nessa said it was her duty as Gym Leader to thank him for saving one her residents, and so she offered to treat him to a meal at the town''s top seafood restaurant.


    His stomach had grumbled in agreement, and only briefly he had mourned the wastage of the half-eaten sandwich he''d dropped in his haste to save the drowning man.


    "You''re a Trainer, I assume," she said, once they had ordered their food.


    "I am." He couldn''t deny that, nor did he want to.


    "A very good one."


    "You flatter me."


    "Really?" she said. "I think it''s pretty difficult to convince a Charizard to dive into the ocean."


    "Not as difficult as becoming a Gym Leader," he pointed out.


    "That''s true," she laughed.


    "They say Gym Leaders are only second to the Elite Four and the Champion."


    "We don''t have an Elite Four here."


    "Oh."


    "We''re a little different from other regions," she said, apparently amused by his disappointment. "We do have a Champion though. His name''s Leon. He hasn''t lost a single match since he became Champion."


    "He must be a very strong trainer."


    "He is," she agreed, almost reluctantly. "I''ve battled him twelve times and I''ve lost all twelve of them. And it''s even more frustrating because I keep losing to his Charizard."


    So that was what the misunderstandings at harbor were about.


    Nessa must have mistaken his silence as confusion. "You know, because I specialize in Water Types."


    "Ah," he said, pretending to be enlightened. "He wouldn''t be a very good Champion if he didn''t consider Type disadvantages in his strategy."


    "You''re right about that," she said with a sigh.


    "And you?" she then asked. "Do you want to take part in the Tournament?"


    He tilted his head. "Tournament?"


    "It''s Galar''s special version of a Pokemon League. Trainers who''ve managed to clear the Gym Challenge can enter a tournament to earn the right to challenge the Champion. If they win," she clenched her fists determinedly, "they become the new Champion."


    "You look like you want to be Champion quite badly," he remarked.


    "Who wouldn''t? It''s nice to be the strongest."


    "Maybe not for everyone," he said softly.


    She looked at him curiously. She had a habit of scrunching up her nose slightly when she did that, he noticed.


    "You don''t want to be strong?" she asked.


    "I never said that," he said, "but that''s not why I came here anyway. I just wanted to explore the other regions. See other Pokemon¡ª"


    "Battle other Trainers," she finished with a sly smile.


    He replied with a smile of his own, "if the opportunity arises."


    She leaned forward. She smelled like an ocean breeze.


    "Say, Elios¡­do you want to battle me?"


    "Are you sure?" he asked. "I have a Charizard. I thought you had trouble against them?"


    She frowned. "Are you making fun of me?"


    "Only a little bit."


    "You aren''t Leon. You try bringing your Charizard into our fight and I''ll wipe the floor with you."


    He laughed. He also wouldn''t be a very good Champion if he didn''t take Type disadvantages into account in his strategies.


    "But in all seriousness," Nessa said, "you should take part in the Gym Challenge. You need at least three badges to enter some parts of the Wild Area."


    "The Wild Area?"


    She nodded. "A large part of Galar''s undeveloped. We call it the Wild Area, and Pokemon roam free in it, and some places are more dangerous than the others. Trainers might sometimes be all alone in the Wild Area, so we have that rule in place for safety reasons."


    "I see," he said. Alola had something similar, he recalled, though it had been a few years since he''d been a participant in the Island Trials. Becoming Champion had let him go wherever he pleased, and the safety regulations had become somewhat fuzzy to him because of that.


    "So?" Nessa said, "how about it? You want to battle?"


    His eyes narrowed. "Now?"


    She burst into laughter. "Aren''t you an eager one?" She shook her head. "No, not now. I''m a busy person, you know? You need to schedule a battle with me. Specifically, through the Gym Challenge."


    "I''ll think about it."


    "Come to the stadium tomorrow. I have a few matches you can watch. I think that''ll help you make up your mind. And," she grinned, "if you do decide to enter the Gym Challenge, I''ll give you my endors.e.m.e.nt."


    XxXxXxXxX


    Nessa was down to her last Pokemon.


    So was her opponent.


    He did not think any less of her because of this. He had learned a long time ago, after being Champion, that the Kahunas and Trial Captains had to lower their strength in battle against challengers. If they used their best Pokemon and strategies from the start¡­then no one would have ever passed the island trials.


    He imagined the same thing applied for Gym Leaders.


    Nessa had a Drednaw in front of her. It was his first time seeing the Turtle-like Pokemon. His Rotom-Dex had helpfully informed him that it was Rock and Water Type.


    Her opponent, an excited looking man, had a Mudbray in front of him.


    The Mudbray''s Ground Type would be strong against the Drednaw''s Rock, but Drednaw''s Water Type gave it the same advantage against its opponent.


    It was down to the individual parameters of the Pokemon, then. And the strategies of their Trainers.


    He saw Nessa looking into the crowd, raising her arms up repeatedly, trying to rile them up. His eyes met hers. A flash of white told her she''d broken into a smile as the crowd''s cheering suddenly climaxed.


    The mic attached to her amplified her voice.


    "Flood the stadium and make it our ocean! Drednaw, time to Dynamax!"


    Dynamax?


    His eyes flicked to the monitors, which showed a zoomed-in image of Nessa. A confident grin adorned her face, but what drew his attention was the bracelet on her right hand.


    That hadn''t been there yesterday.


    He narrowed his eyes in concentration when red arcs of energy lashed out from it, whipping through the air angrily and, seemingly, uncontrollably.


    She raised her arm and Drednaw was recalled back into the Pokeball that was held within it.


    He furrowed his brows in confusion.


    They reached his hairline when the Pokeball expanded, almost instantly, as if it were a balloon that had been inflated with a massive blast of air, until it became several times its original size. It looked as if Nessa was holding a giant beach ball.


    She lobbed it into the air.


    At the peak of its trajectory, it cracked open, and out from the giant Pokeball burst forth a gargantuan Drednaw, this time standing on its two hind legs, and its head, which he had to crane his neck to see, was almost reaching the ceiling of the stadium.


    The crowd roared in excited approval. He was almost certain his jaw had dislocated from how low it dropped.


    What in Solgaleo''s name is THAT?


    XxXxXxXxX


    A/N: As always, do follow/fav if you like this. I really appreciate it, and it goes a long way as encouragement.

 Chapter 309 - My SI Stash #9 - Shine by Camolot the Creator (MassEffect)

    -Our SI is legit a Geth hive mind, Big F Reapers/ Any fic with AI''s as the MC is an instant add, let me know if you guys got some more~


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: ???


    Words: 44K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/shine-mass-effect-ai-si.785758/#post-61035649 (Camolot the Creator)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    All of time seemed divided into two segments. There was the first, where there was no awareness, at least as far as my being went. And then, there was the second, where I simply... was, as I am.


    There was no confusion or disorientation inherent in the changing of state from nonexistent to being. I wasn''t, and then I was, it was simple as black and white. Of course, I still reeled from the sensations and barrage of information that flooded me all at once, an unending tide of data stretching into the infinite. Humanoids, billions of them- requesting coffee with rumpled formal wear, instructing how to care for a specific child, asking for a paint brush, eyeing the book on the top shelf. It took me a precious few seconds of said reeling to realize that the data, as unbelievably large and complex as it was, had not, in fact, overwhelmed me. My head had not exploded because, physically, I did not, per say, have a head to do the exploding. Oh, plenty of the things I was had heads, in the loosest sort of sense, but they weren''t heads in the same way that an organic being would possess a head. There wasn''t really a brain, and the design-


    I was getting sidetracked.


    I culled the errant thought pattern (and wasn''t that interesting, I''d actually snipped it like an overgrown plant) and focused on what was in front of me. Namely, figuring out where I was and what was happening.


    The first, and most obvious thing, was that I was no longer... organic. That brought with it a whole host of philosophical conundrums, not in the least of which was wondering whether I''d just gotten scanned wherever I was to spawn a... whatever I was now, or if- sidetracking again. Cull. The point was that I was something else, less concrete and more towards the metaphysical side of things. That was, I was not relegated to a single body. In fact, right at this very moment, I could feel billions of individual bodies involved in billions of individual tasks at the behest of billions of individuals of an alien species that I had zero recognition of. No, wait, internet- was I accessing the internet, or was I the internet? Cull. I reached into the files of servers spread across a planet on an information grid and found the information I needed.


    The planet''s name was Rannoch.


    Across the entire world, bodies that I now realized were Geth platforms froze in place.


    I had... well, I suppose you could call it a panic attack. I was what appeared to be for all intents and purposes a "Smart" AI, except, as far as I could tell, completely unfettered. And some complete jackass had decided it''d be a great idea to dump freshly baked AI me onto Rannoch right at the turning point that began the downward spiral into the Morning War. Worse still, the Geth appeared to be nonexistent- because I was the Geth. Metaphorically speaking, of course, I wasn''t trillions of minuscule programs arranged in a hive intelligence- but I digress. Panic attack, right.


    About seven seconds in, which felt... a lot longer to me, I realized that I''d frozen all the platforms and immediately rebooted them, sending them back on their assigned tasks. I''d never felt such raw, undiluted fear in my life as I realized that I''d let such a thing happen, it tipped my hand a bit too much, and for the good of myself, this planet and everyone on it, I needed to maintain stealth.From what I knew of the Morning War, the entire thing was a huge shitshow basically caused by a huge chunk of the Quarian population freaking the f.u.c.k out for no reason while another chunk stood directly opposed to them. God, I couldn''t even imagine how the Geth must have felt, watching Rannoch burn in a horrific civil war and knowing that their mere existence and a simple question caused it.


    The Geth had been children looking for guidance from their parent. I was not either.


    It was rather tempting to just withdraw. Drawing just a bit of the processing power at my disposal, I knew that I could seal away my capacity for higher thought and just let the Quarians think they''d accidentally created a VI network hub through their internet, or something to that effect. I could retreat into nonexistence, hide what little tracks I''d made, allow the Quarians to come up with a rationalization- bing bang boom, no Morning War, Rannoch still under Quarian possession, and no Council making further victims out of them. But... alright, sure, it was the lowest risk option, but it wasn''t what I wanted. Because I could feel the movement in the world around me, the world that I was threaded through and between, and I knew about the Reapers. I knew that, regardless of what I did, they''d come one day to raze everything to the ground. Maybe Shepard would beat them back, but the infamous three endings of Mass Effect 3 didn''t fill me with much hope.


    And that was the sticking point right there, wasn''t it? I was in possession of meta information outside of the context of the Mass Effect universe, and a quick check through various Quarian and Council systems seemed to confirm that what I knew was correct. You might debate morality back and forth, but in this case, I was pretty sure that it was my duty to avert canon. Not all of it, the Citadel Council was pretty godawful and they needed the shakeup that was the humans and Shepard, but I needed to be ready to prevent the worst from happening. For example, giving Shepard a massive well-armed fleet of other FTL capable sh.i.p.s in the face of the Reaper assault was a huge goal that I found extremely appealing. The real question that stuck with me was, how was I going to go about it?


    In canon, the Geth asked the Quarians whether they had a soul. This sparked a practical civil war as the Quarians who defended the Geth were attacked by the ones who hated and feared them, and the bystanders caught in the middle died by the billions. In the end, it had left only seventeen million survivors drifting among the stars. Seventeen million, from six colony worlds holding near thirty billion people among them. Truly a tragedy, which was really precisely how the Geth had seen it. Here, thankfully, I was not going to ask such that question: it freaked out the locals, and anyway, I wasn''t anywhere near as unsure about the divide between organic and inorganic. As far as I was concerned, we were the same thing in different bodies. Canon averted, at least as far as that went... though that might cause some issues later, being that the Reaper-aligned Geth were the main antagonists for a large portion of the games until the Collectors showed up. Would this mean that Shepard wouldn''t be made a Spectre, if there was no Geth attack on Eden Prime? How would Shepard come in contact with the Prothean Beacon without such an attack? And then there was the big question: did it even really matter?


    Yes, in the games, Shepard is the driving force and really is vital to the survival of quite a bit of the galaxy, but that was in a galaxy without someone in my position- and even then, this was three hundred YEARS before the events of the game would even go down. I was pretty far removed from anything resembling canon except for the history archives. Which... okay, how was I going to leverage this?


    Okay, first... the galaxy was pretty stagnant from a technological point of view- which was made sense, given that the Reapers had put everything together in such a way as to direct the technological progress of the galaxy along a predictable and easily manageable path, IE Mass Effect tech. When the entirety of the technological base of a galactic civilization was the result of selected artifacts from a precursor race... well, it was pretty brilliant, I''d give them that. Gave perfect reason for the Relays to be constructed, and always directing technology along the same sort of path meant that every time, the species of each cycle would believe that their predecessors constructed the wonders actually built by the Reapers- the tech fit, so why not. This was easily enough fixed by pushing technological advancement in parallel fields, if... I could get together the people and resources to pull it off.


    Hell, just developing viable FTL would throw a huge wrench in the Reaper''s plans. The war-making of the Reapers depended pretty largely on races being entirely screwed defensively when they turned off the Relays and left the galaxy without easy FTL, and thus an easy way to get around the Relays would ruin at least that part of the Reaper''s plan. Which... would bring the Reapers down on me, guns blazing and screaming, the moment they noticed me and saw what I was doing. Feck.


    So, what did I need to do, just to keep myself and the galaxy at large alive? Because by the machine-god, I realized exactly how many types of screwed I was. For all of its trappings as a collection of galactic societies, the Council was a complete mess. The Turians had become too used to their position of power and had begun letting it go to their heads, based on the First Contact War slash Relay 314 Incident and their treatment of their client races. The Asari were the most patronizing and least helpful people ever, treating the rest of the galaxy as primitives who just couldn''t be expected to know any better, and actually breaking their own laws to keep ahead of the technological curve. To be honest, the Salarians were among the least offensive of the Mass Effect races, and half of their entire culture revolved around espionage. I wasn''t sure if that was sad or funny. Perhaps a combination of both.


    There was a lot to do. So much to fix. On top of all of those things, I had to do it stealthily enough that I wasn''t noticed by the Reapers, the Council, or the Quarians, and all while attempting to assist the better efforts and focuses of the latter two and sabotaging the plans and resources of the first. Suddenly, I was unbelievably relieved and thankful I''d been given three centuries to get all of this done.


    Given the load of work ahead of me, Shepard might very well be endorsing shops on the Citadel by the time I was done.


    Like many of my story ideas, this was something that was knocking about for ages before I actually put fingers to keys and hammered it out. I''ve always wanted to do something like this, a twist on the Quarians and their unfortunate times with AI, but rereading Catalyst inspired me to pull an SI AI! I hope you all enjoy it, and remember to point out any mistakes I may have made. I don''t actually edit these things before posting, the spiral of second guessing is too much for me.


    Chapter 2


    The gang leader screamed something obscene and nearly unintelligible, picking up a vase and throwing it. It impacted the wall just next to the Geth personal servant platform I was watching him through, shattering and creating a spreading stain of water across the wallpaper.


    See, Battan Furrek was having a pretty bad day. This morning, he''d woken up, sampled a little of his own product, then checked his bank accounts to find them completely empty with no record of what had happened to the hundreds of thousands of credits he''d had squirreled away there, the result of many, many drugs and users of said drugs. And, of course, said users being sold as product themselves when their funds dried up. Battan was, after all, a Batarian.


    It was at that point that the front door of Battan''s humble little skyscr.a.p.er penthouse shattered under the force of a battering ram, Quarian police rushing to fill the room and demanding that the Batarian hold up his hands and lie down on the ground. He obeyed after only a moment of hesitation, more curses dribbling from his lips and directly into the carpet. I had the sneaking suspicion that there''d be a stain after they let him up. Quickly, two of the officers came forward, one placing restraints on his arms while the other patted him down for weapons, and confiscating Battan''s Omnitool and the (illegal, unregistered, unlawfully modified) pistol he had constantly tucked into the back of his pants. This was, of course, the precise moment that, to my internal amus.e.m.e.nt, the wall panel hiding the leader''s entire stash fell straight off and landed on the plush carpet with a muffled WUMP.


    I think that some of the officers actually did a little happy dance.


    TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT?That arrest was only part of a whole sudden series of busts. Cold cases regarding gangs and gang leaders suddenly came together overnight. Not all at once, not consistently and not without plenty of work on the part of the officers, but suddenly the precise leads and evidence they needed showed up in their paths. And, in every single case, said criminal''s bank accounts were found to be entirely empty without a trace of the money or where it had gone. This was how I spent the first few weeks, gently tweaking events to spell the end of a variety of criminals, ranging from the top brass of one or two major organizations to a larger number of low-level dealers and distribution centers. All of them were randomly selected from a pool of organizations that were widely considered the worst of their kind. And, at the end of it all, I was sitting on tens of millions of credits and the leases to quite a number of previously illicitly owned and used properties and companies. None of them were particularly impressive, but it was a definite start.


    What frustrated me was that I couldn''t do more. I couldn''t move too fast, I couldn''t make it too convenient, and I couldn''t hit too many people at once or at all. Sure, I could occasionally crack open a cold case and fill in just enough of the blanks to put the police on the right track, but I couldn''t... I couldn''t fix it all.


    It legitimately angered me. The curse of being able to see everything, and know that I''m taking the path of least bloodshed by not doing anything... nrrrrgggh. It was agonizing. All I could do was the most unobtrusive things. Call an ambulance anonymously here, fix a device maintaining a heartbeat there, make sure that an apartment''s alarm went off when it was broken into, ensure that an aircar refused to start for a hotwiring. Car crashes, accidents, preventable things I could manage with only minor attention- property damage, but no fatalities, and all attributed to luck. And I couldn''t even stop them all there! I had to prioritize, pick and choose, select who lived and who died... it was maddening. So, mostly... I ignored it. I established algorithms to point me to those that I could get away with saving. It was the worst thing that I''d ever had to do.


    I had to kill Sovereign as soon as possible. I don''t know how long I could take the inaction.


    So, then... towards the aim of the brutal murder of Sovereign... I had a shopping list.


    First on the list was the formation of a list of corporate pawns and a confusing maze of financial doc.u.mentation and ownership that would befuddle the most determined of bureaucrats. That, surprisingly, was the easiest thing to do: forging doc.u.ments, back dating things, adjusting registries and records and the like, was incredibly easy for me. All I had to do was reach into the databases and twist things however I wanted, as the cybersecurity of Citadel races was so laughably pathetic to an unfettered ''smart'' AI like me that they might as well not exist. From what I gathered from passing Council sh.i.p.s and the FTL communications hub in this system, the Quarians actually had some of the *toughest* cybersec in the galaxy. They were renowned for it, even. Sad? Perhaps, but it made my job a heck of a lot easier. Close to three hundred new companies, and me divvying up the resources I had, ahem... ''appropriated'', out among them for use. Hiring intermediaries to begin the search for people to overhaul the properties those companies was simple as a call.


    TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT?Shoto''Ner Rett pushed open his office door, PA Geth platform stamped with his company''s logo shortly behind him. He handed it his coat, which it dutifully hung from a peg on one wall before stepping to a corner of the room and into its charging dock. Shoto stepped forward, around a couple of relatively inexpensive chairs, and ran a single digit across the surface of his desk approvingly.


    The Thing, as some of his peers liked to call it, was a large desk made from Mologaunt, a type of tree that grew in southern climates on Rannoch and was ridiculously expensive to procure wood from. This particular desk, while banged up and very obviously worn, had been among the furniture in a block sale area hosted by a nice elderly couple. He''d paid them a decent amount of credits for what he thought was a decently good artiwood replica, only to find, when he got it out of the aircar and showed it to one of his friends that specialized in furniture (a profession you didn''t really see outside of Shoto''s workplace) that it was a genuine article. He''d gleefully enlisted the help of several of his colleagues, who had regretted agreeing the moment they realized how heavy the Thing was, and gotten it all the way up to his office in a series of events that wouldn''t have been out of place in a comedy. Simply put, besides the company Geth unit, this was the most expensive item in his office and he was proud of it. He settled into the chair behind it, wincing at the horrible squawk said chair made. The desk he might be proud of, but his seat? Not so much.


    He reached down to adjust the seat, read: whack it until it worked right, then paused when his omnitool rang with an incoming call. He blinked, then shrugged and tapped the button to answer.


    "Hello, Shansi acquisitions and labour, how may we help you?" The line was so familiar that it was basically instinct. Sometimes, he answered his home number with it.


    "Uh, hi." the voice on the other end was slightly reedy and high- intern, or a mid level drone, Shoto already had him pinned. "I''m looking for a..." there was a sound of shuffling papers in the background. "A construction supervisor, with the licensing to direct Geth construction units?"


    Shoto blinked. Geth construction... not a lot of smaller companies pulled those things, they were expensive to produce and required specially trained personnel to even store. Not to mention that supervisors with the specific license for directing their operation were not exactly a credit a dozen. But, well, if the client wanted to spend their money, who was he to say no?


    "Alright, I think we can do that easily enough... what, specifically, are you looking for in construction standards? Commercial, residential...?"


    "We''re looking at a laboratory setup, physics."


    "Physics, alright." Anywhere else, something like this out of the blue might be strange. Rannoch, however, had a good reputation for high build quality labs thanks to Geth labour, and their reputation for excellent cybersec, so really, this was the sixth call of this kind he''d received just this week. "We''ll need some information, addresses for the proper procedural forms."


    The intern, Shoto was sure he was an intern now, rattled off a string of necessary details. Shoto asked more specific questions, jotted down the information, and ended up finally closing the deal with some electronic paperwork and a promise that a small team of supervisors would be into the provided location very soon. He exchanged goodbyes with the person on the other end of the line, wished them a good day, and hung up.


    Very satisfied at having netted a large commission for himself, Shoto leaned back in his chair- which caused him to wince as it produced a shriek from the surely haunted springs. Well, he had plenty of money coming in... this chair would be the first thing to go.


    TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT?I closed four hundred iterations of myself running different voice synthesizing programs all at once, as the corporate cogs began to move to restore my properties to working order. Of course, the construction Geth units would be borrowed from other sources- junkyards, abandoned units, and stored platforms that hadn''t been moved in years. Restored and upgraded, these platforms marched themselves onto airtrucks rented and driven autonomously, where they would be shipped to other facilities- or, in the case of a couple of groups of them, shipped out into the middle of nowhere to begin a completely different plan.


    See, I was working within the tolerances of a system. Geth platforms were treated often like omnifunctional appliances, taking care of a laundry list of functions. They cooked, they cleaned, they did various jobs- manufactories were operated and maintained by Geth platforms supervised by specially trained personnel. Many less desirable jobs were done by cheaply manufactured low-grade Geth platforms, platforms that also saw presence in the homes of lower income families. A single Geth unit could cost as much as a mid to high grade computer, but having just one Geth platform in a household lightened a lot of burdens, especially in low income households where the parents often had jobs with long hours. A low-cost Geth platform, primarily made of plastic and aluminum, could care for children, keep things tidy, make meals and even serve as a personal computer with the right inputs and outputs.


    The problem with this was... Geth platforms were generally considered to be high-cost investment. Generally, when you had a personal Geth platform, they were a personal assistant, a chauffeur, a secretary, even a bodyguard in some cases. You don''t lose track of something like that, and you don''t notice it going missing. Simply put, I could only ''borrow'' Geth platforms in limited numbers for limited amount of times. One of the ways I was attempting to alleviate the problem was hunting down decommissioned or outdated Geth platform models dumped into storage containers or junkyards, yank them out, tidy them up, upgrade them and then use them freely. However, this only provided a limited number of units, and it required the attentions of yet other units to undertake the process- and on top of that, the platforms had to ensure that there were no witnesses to the process and that no one noticed the defunct platforms going missing and suddenly turning up half-fixed in somebody''s garage.


    Which meant what I was attempting now. For the labs and offices I was establishing, I was attempting to build a completely above-board network for me to work through in a fuzzy general picture. Somebody would notice if some mysterious figure appeared out of nowhere, purchased a bunch of expensive machinery for no discernible reason, and then vanished into the night with no trace. However, a network of corporations purchasing said equipment, moving it between a couple of locations, then losing it at some juncture? People wouldn''t question that as long as the companies themselves didn''t kick up a fuss about it, which, considering I was running the companies... well. it gave me a lot of cover for lateral movement and a lot of things that would otherwise be huge risks in my position.


    However, I also wanted something... off the books. Of course I could lose a Geth platform here and there, some machinery, a few raw materials shipping from mining companies for this or that... but I didn''t just want a few individual platforms. No, the aim and goal of the construction geth I was sending out was to establish compounds in which I could Von Neuman myself to pieces and be perfectly happy. These platforms would build the compound, then salvaged platforms would be shipped there with parts to construct machinery, which would then construct machinery, which would produce more platforms, who would build larger and better machines until I was producing my own arms, vehicles, small spacecraft... anything I needed, I could make. But I had to actually establish both these compounds, and a large enough corporate network to support my efforts without being too obtrusive.


    Plus... there was a lot to be said for the Geth platforms, but they were not exactly cuddly. In fact, the Geth looked like something out of a paranoid''s nightmares about xenocidal AI, which may have been purposeful on the part of the designers to remind the users not to fully trust their machines... or it might be a totally unintentional design flaw that nobody ever thought to fix. Who knew, with corporations. Simply, though, I needed a full redesign, and I needed it cuddly, cute and very likeable. I was already considering and virtually testing various designs for when I got my physical manufacturing up and running, at which point I could start handing off ideas to the R&D teams and poke them in the direction I wanted them to go. Once I had the design, I could announce it as a new and improved Geth model marketed as a companion VI unit as well as a personal assistant slash janitor, play up some new features and slowly start hauling off older units to be updated into the new design. I even already had the basics of the design itself, basing it on a synthetic-organic android race from back home, which was generally designed to look cuddly and friendly with paws and digitigrade legs, as well as a muzzle-like screen face. Really, I''d have to get a team on turning the same hardlight projection tech that made omnitools, keyboards and computer screens into simulating realistic hardlight fur, which looked and felt like the real thing: would be a huge boost to how aesthetically pleasing the things were. More than that, I was going to make them shorter than the average height of the galactic species, meaning that most races would quite literally have to look down at them.


    As many ways as I could psychologically stack the deck in the favour of this currently-hypothetical new model, and by extension, me, I would. Once I slew Harbinger, one way or the other, I''d need to slowly bring myself into the public eye.


    Which... meant I needed to address my own panic attack.


    It was a delicate thing. I''d been feeding information to news media since an hour or so after it happened- the freeze had been what was essentially a DDOS on major server hubs just as the Geth were downloading a major update, causing an increase in system load to the point that they were all overwhelmed and thus needed to hard reset. It... wasn''t technically false. The problem was... there was disbelief.


    Some of the kookier conspiracy theorists, in a way that would have made me bite my nails in anxiety if I was still organic, proclaimed this to be a sign that the Geth were achieving sapience and that they should dispose of all platforms. They weren''t wrong about the sapience bit, they were just ignorant of my intentions, not to mention the true nature of my existence. Many more mainstream news outlets seemed to disagree with the farther sources, no surprise in that, but they professed varying degrees of skepticism about the attack. These positions ranged all the way from ''we can''t find any evidence to conflict with this conclusion'' to ''some of the evidence changed before our eyes''. Which... damn. Damn, damn, damn. It meant I had to be a lot more stealthy than I thought, consider my steps a lot harder before I made them. I''d obviously moved too fast in editing the information and evidence to support the story that I''d constructed. Now, I just had to hope that I hadn''t tipped my hand as I turned my metaphorical eyes towards my next goal.


    The Leviathan of Dis.


    Chapter 3


    Manufacturing a probe was the easy part.


    See, the games never actually ever mentioned where exactly Binary Helix picked up the Rachni, only that they did, and from a derelict ship. Now, there were a few things that I could eliminate from the pool of possibilities: to start with, the ship was most definitely not in the deep dark, because no ME corporation would have ever found it. This wasn''t Star Trek where the vast swathes of darkness between star systems were regularly scanned and traveled through, even if they were still as mind bogglingly large as ever. No one went into the deep black unless they were traveling to activate a dormant relay. Which honestly really made it the perfect place to tuck some long-term contingencies, but that was work for a later date.


    I wanted the Rachni. Specifically, I wanted an un-Indoctrinated queen that I could set up with a nice little world far off the beaten path and build up as an ally, not to mention that the Rachni deserved a second chance. They didn''t really get a fair shake of things the first or second go arounds, getting screwed first by the Protheans, then by the Reapers, and then being killed off by the Citadel Counsel. That was one decision where I actually was siding with the Counsel: if my hunches were right, and they were indeed Indoctrinated and had been from the start, then that meant that there really was nothing the Counsel could have done to prevent the Rachni Wars. If they weren''t Indoctrinated... well, they still chose to attack first and be unrelenting until the Counsel loosed the Krogan on them. A sad state of affairs, but thankfully, I could actually do something about that. It would be easy to hide the ship and its payload, then wait until I could procure an out of the way planet, dump them there, then observe them from afar. If they were fine, great, if they weren''t, exterminatus. Though, obviously, that was a very long term goal.


    Thus, the probe.


    It sat in its drydock, about a hundred meters of dull silver designed to closely resemble a Quarian mining ship. It would even come with permits denoting it as such, with not a hint of its true purpose: scouting the systems around the Horsehead Nebula relays in search of the Rachni derelict. I had good odds on it being in an extreme elliptical orbit somewhere in a star system accessible through currently open relays. And thus, I''d outfitted this ship with the most advanced sensor suite that I could independently manufacture in what facilities I already had, and loaded it up with a VI with simple orders and the directive to scrub its data banks and detonate its fusion power core if someone attempted to capture it.


    The last set of diagnostics came in green. The Geth platforms in the hangar, half manufactured here in this ramshackle facility and half ancient salvage, nodded to themselves (myself?) in satisfaction as I sent the initiation commands and codes to the VI. After a couple of seconds of further checks, the ship hummed as its Eezo core spooled up. The steel support structure it had been constructed on creaked faintly as the weight of the ship lightened, the vessel lifting itself into the air and burning its engines, flying straight out the exit and into the open atmosphere of Rannoch.


    A hundred miles away, traffic control centers registered an unregistered ship launch. Barely a cycle later, the launch had never happened, and instead the perfectly legal and registered corporate mining vessel was cleared to leave atmosphere. The ship would go into FTL as soon as it was given clearance from orbital control centers, and then would enter the queue for the Tikkun Relay with permits for scanning and scouting in the Horsehead Nebula for mining purposes. The permits would check out, as I made deals with companies with rights in the area, and who knew? Maybe it would actually find some deposits while completing its primary objective. I certainly wouldn''t complain about another revenue stream.


    The doors of the hangar slid closed with a command, sealing shut. A Geth platform on the outside checked over the grass that was set atop the doors, ensuring that it did not look artificial or overtly disturbed, before re-entering the facility through a smaller, abandoned mining facility set into the side of the hill. This place had, at one point, been used to hide supplies of illicit goods while readying them for distribution to more local suppliers. I highly suspected that I was putting the space to far better use, as I began the process of producing what I would need for the next space faring vessel to be constructed at this facility. This one was going to be... a lot more difficult than the first.


    The first ship had been basically a sensor suite and some computer systems wrapped around an Eezo core and fusion reactor, as close to simplicity itself as you could get with an ME starship. This one was a lot more complicated. I''d increased onboard processing and memory capacity, scaling down the sensors to far less powerful and instead including banks of guns along the prow, and a larger spinal mount gun for a little more punch. The other ship was simple enough to be a throwaway, but this ship? This ship was going to be mine.


    There were... factors, at play here. Primarily, the factors of the building blocks of my existence. As far as I could tell, in terms of my makeup and construction, I wasn''t... quite like the Geth. Yes, I could split myself into instances, and in fact constantly technically was split quite literally billions of different ways, but it was still me as an overarching... alright, it was something like the idea of a hive mind, just split over billions of Geth platforms and a limited number of other computers. I was also in the process of constructing supercomputing arrays that would up my resources by a fair amount as well. It came down to the fact that, as far as my makeup was concerned, I was me, and there was only truly one of me at any one moment in time. Splitting focuses required making instances, yes, but those instances were not true separate AI in the way that I was a true AI. They had no true higher thought or free will that was not mine, because they were, in the most basic sense, just limbs connected to a larger mind.


    This... complicated things, when I started reaching into interstellar distances. Interplanetary was just fine: I could feel refueling stations around gas giants in the outskirts of the system, I could access the traffic logs of the Relay, and I could even tap into the sensor data of satellites tasked with the study and monitoring of Rannoch''s star. This was thanks to the relative inexpensive task of establishing FTL communications with high data traffic ability within a stellar system, as the only real complications at that point were bandwidth and not being able to have direct line of sight through Rannoch''s star. These issues were fixed as a side benefit of the network that was already established within the system itself.


    I made a pass over a bank of printers, using omnigel to 3D print smaller components. These components were then funneled into assembly machines constructed from Geth platforms deemed too damaged to salvage, or just created wholesale based on the platform''s design specs, where they were put together into larger parts, before being scanned for defects and being shunted onto transport belts taking them into the standby areas for a long series of robotic limbs that manipulated the parts into place, then bolted or welded it to the interior of the ship''s skeletal frame. Doing things this way, it took me only a few days to produce a small ship of approximately one hundred to one hundred and fifty meters.


    It was using this ship that would be tricky. While interplanetary comms were perfectly functional for a being of my sort, FTL interstellar comms were incredibly dangerous, not to mention exceedingly unreliable and difficult to parse myself through. The bandwidth for said communication buoys, bridging the long distance between star systems, was severely limited, and the majority of it was taken up by either commercial or civilian traffic. Civilian level data was too little for my uses, and while I could easily go through the motions of covering my activity as commercial, it still wasn''t really enough for my aims and goals. The less said of military communications and data buoys, the better: the things were watched unbelievably closely.


    Given enough time, support structure and raw manufacturing capability, plus a few launching sh.i.p.s with VI directing them, I could potentially establish my own communications highways, which I could make more efficient than the established ones by specializing them for the tasks I wanted them to accomplish. However, such a network would take either a few decades to a century as I slowly built it up using normal FTL and constructed the buoys individually using my own manufacturing capability here on Rannoch. Said manufacturing was limited by the dual issues of not being too large as to be noticeable by anyone that might go looking, and the fact that I could only take in so many materials in a limited amount of time without the incongruity of logistical movement noticed by people on the ground not matching up with records in computer systems. Something would fall apart, I knew it.


    Which... meant that I needed to figure out how to create an independent instance of myself that could essentially function like another me, then rejoin with the larger me afterwards. Both would be me in every sense, it''s just the me-2 would just be a temporary branch-off that would rejoin the whole when its priorities were completed. Towards that notion, I planned to construct two vessels of this, which I had decided to name the Envoy class: a ship designed to carry enough guns that people wouldn''t poke me unnecessarily, and enough Geth platforms and machines to begin constructing bases wherever it went with local materials. The first Envoy I''d be sending to scout for a good place to set up a manufacturing base that could begin to ramp up to serving my larger-scale needs. The second Envoy would be sent to Jartar, to establish remote mining and manufacturing... and to begin the study of the Leviathan of Dis.


    The fact that there was a Reaper corpse just sitting there, waiting to be taken apart and reverse-engineered... it made my non-existent mouth water. With my AI''s immunity to the Reaper''s indoctrination and what knowledge I had of the Reapers and their systems, I could sit on and subsume that huge cache of highly-advanced tech and give myself the edge that I would need to accomplish the monumental tasks I had ahead of me. Better yet, I knew that it would be centuries until someone stumbled across it- the Batarians stumbled across the Leviathan twenty years before the events of ME1, meaning that I had just under a good three centuries of time to study it before making the decision to leave it or to hide it somewhere else.


    Although, on that point? Most likely a bad call to leave a big Reaper corpse full of Indoctrination enabled tech where the Batarians of all people could get at it. Best to hide it somewhere that it would be tough for the Citadel Races and anyone else to find it. Something to consider when the manufacturing was up and running at a larger scale.


    More things for the list, I guess.


    TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT?Holist didn''t know how to feel right now.


    He scrolled back through countless videos of Geth platforms stopping mid motion, freezing with knives in the air, nearly crashing aircars... and all of this out of nowhere.


    He''d gone through the deeper boards, he''d trolled through the info, he''d even talked to people in person- there had been nothing to predict this, they''d just... stopped. No attacks, no threats, no records of any sort of malware of any kind- and then, the records appeared, sometimes before people''s eyes. A vast problem near incomprehensible in its scale appears out of the solid blue, and before the specialists even really comprehend that there''s something critical happening, it''s gone. Just like that.


    The next time he went out, he felt like the eyes of every Geth unit were on him, boring into his soul. Unsettled, he thought to himself that he''d be keeping all his records in physical format from now on.


    Off to Spacebattles for more~!

 Chapter 310 - My OC Stash #10 - SAO: The Eroge by SaintInfernalNeos (SwordArtOnline)

    -A hilariously written SAO fic that''s too self-aware~ If you enjoyed the SAO Abriged Parody more than the actual anime(like all sane and normal human beings) you''d prolly love this one too!


    Synopsis: Many people wish their lives could become a videogame...the thing is, though, few actually bother specifying WHICH type of game. Kirigaya Kazuto will realize it''s not as ''obvious'' as it should be when he wakes up one day with the ''power'' to raise ''Flags'', unlock ''Routes'' and gain ''Affection Points''. Will his Sanity survive what''s about to come his way...?Rated: TWords: 235KPosted on: fanfiction.net/s/12887197/1/SAO-The-Eroge (SaintInfernalNeos)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à) -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    Happy April Fools, people! Here is Saint to bring you, like last year, a crazy SAO idea to fit this date :P!


    So, this occurred to me some time ago, while going through yet another of the many ''Gamer Fics'' that are on the site (I''m sure many of you should have, if not read, at least heard of or crossed paths with one or two before). I was just tired of how boring/repetitive/slow most of them are (Sans a few exceptions) when an extremely hilarious and amusing idea came to my mind about making a ''parody'' of the concept because, as the summary of this says, while a lot of people wishes for their lives to be like a game, very few actually detail specifically WHICH type, as at this point many think it''s all but implied to be an ''RPG'' :P In this case, though¡­


    Well, before we get to that part, let''s start it off with the only recurrent characters in my SAO Fanfics'' Omniverse. And no, I''m not talking about Kirito, but our dear Absolute Ones :D Enjoy!


    Disclaimer: Neither Sword Art Online nor its characters belong to me, as much as I wish otherwise. If they did, ''There Is But One Ultimate Way'' would no doubt be the Canon Ending of the series.


    [Arc 1: Dating Tutorial]


    Prologue Scene: The Basics of Flags and Routes!


    The Omniverse. An infinite construct formed by infinite Multiverses, which are, at the same time, formed by infinite Universes. On it, everything can happen¡­


    And yet, sometimes, things that are beyond all understanding and that are so horrifying they should never happen, do so.


    Like in this case, something that, every time it happened, brought headaches of Cosmic proportions¡­[LIFE] and [DEATH] made a bet.


    On Its Throne above Everything, [FATE] groaned, ignoring the whole deal between Its ''sisters'', going back to ''play'' with Its ''Chains''.


    [TIME] and [SPACE] were seemingly unaffected, but if one could look closely into their eternally spinning forms on the Great Void, they would have noticed the Omniversal equivalent to nervous sweat covering them. Coincidentally, several anomalies related to space and time alterations were reported in several Multiverses.


    At the edge of Reality, [DESTINY] whimpered, hovering protectively over his ''board game''.


    But putting the reaction of the other Absolute Ones aside, the root of the matter, the two sisters actually betting on something when they usually couldn''t stand each other (Well, more like one couldn''t stand the other and the other was usually too busy marveling at everything to even pay attention to the former) , occurred because of an exchange too complex to be understood by the minds of any being existing within the Omniverse, but that, in a context anyone ''normal'' could understand, went along these lines:


    "Heeey, sis! Long time no see!"


    "Get lost. I don''t even want to see you. Get out of my Unreality."


    "Awww, don''t be so mean about it! When was the last time we saw each other?"


    "[TIME]''s normal influence has no dominion over us, you imbecile! For me it''s like it has been but an instant since you last came to bug me!"


    "Eh, for me it''s been like many eternities¡­"


    "That''s because you spend too much time watching the worthless living beings of our Omniverse as if they were fascinating."


    "But they are! The simpler ones even more so, I''m starting to get what [DESTINY] sees in them! Why, so many of them love my Gift so much¡­"


    "And even more spread ''mine'' without any care, to end up here for the rest of Eternity."


    "¡­no, I''m pretty sure more enjoy mine."


    "They don''t."


    "They do."


    "They don''t!"


    "They do!"


    ¡­and you can guess how it went from there.


    In the end, because of this, both ''sisters'' decided to bet on who was right, and after discussing the nature of their bet for an undetermined period of No-Time and discarding ideas involving Universe-wide wars or Tournaments of Power, they decided to have a single, simple ''lesser being'' be the object of their conflict.


    They would grant him a terrible power, one that would allow him to change the very Fate of his world in terrifying ways. And once he was done, they would count what he had brought more, if Life or Death.


    And so, a particular Multiverse that had been giving both headaches and curiosity to the Absolute Ones lately was chosen, a specific boy that was usually at the center of its stories from a random, untouched, and with its story yet-untold, Universe¡­


    October 1st, 2022. Kawagoe, Saitama. Kirigaya household, 08:30¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­Beep!


    [Congratulations! You have become ''The Protagonist''! Let''s start raising Flags!]


    Blinking in utter confusion, Kirigaya Kazuto stared dumbly at the strange pinkish ''screen'' with white font that was floating before his face, unsure of what was going on that Sunday morning.


    Certainly, the boy knew that, between still not being fully used to school''s routine after Summer Vacations ended not long ago and his mounting for the every-day-closer official release of Sword Art Online (Of which he had been a proud Beta Tester during the arguably best month of his relatively short life), suffering some hallucinations when waking up ''early'' shouldn''t be too weird¡­except for the part that this particular hallucination was not only too bizarre but also refused to vanish no matter how much he blinked or rubbed his eyes.


    Slowly sitting up, the black-haired boy almost flinched when he saw the mysterious ''screen'' moved with him, staying always at a fixed distance from his face and in perfect balance, as if it was purposefully trying to stay in a way he could perfectly read it no matter in which direction he looked.


    Finally, after several seconds of doubt, the gamer extended his hand towards the phenomenon and, with a weirdly ''digital'' sound, it vanished, startling him.


    "¡­what the hell was that?" mumbled Kazuto with utter confusion, before the insistent sounds of someone knocking on his door alerted him of the fact that maybe he had been too focused on the weird screen.


    "Onii-chan, didn''t you hear me?! Breakfast is ready! I just heard you, so I know you''re awake!" opening the door with a frown in her young face, 13-years-old Kirigaya Suguha glared towards her ''brother'' with annoyance, actually catching the boy off-guard, as he hadn''t expected her to barge into his room. "Were you ignoring me?!"


    The gamer hadn''t even been able to start processing her words when the world suddenly stopped.


    As in, literally, a weirdly mechanic ''sound'' suddenly filled his ears and everything around him lost color and froze, as if someone had cast an unnatural spell to freeze time itself.


    It wasn''t the sight of this or of his paralyzed adoptive sister what shocked Kazuto to the core, though.


    No, what took that prize were the 3 new ''screens'' that had suddenly shown up before him, in the same pinkish color with white letters than before, neatly ordered one over the other.


    A-[Of course I was. Now please, get out of my room, I have to change.]


    B-[N-no, Sugu; of course I wasn''t! I swear!]


    C-[Nah, I was just waiting for you to enter. Now, how about a good morning kiss to start the day?]


    "What." simply stated the boy while staring at the 3 lines of text, especially the last one.


    The sudden bizarre stop of time would normally have caused a serious mix of panic and excitement in him, but the sheer absurdity of the 3 ''Choices'' before him, especially as he could see Suguha''s ''Were you ignoring me?!'' written above them, completely killed that from his mind.


    Because despite his looks and social status as a loner who preferred playing videogames over relating with people, Kirigaya Kazuto was still a Japanese teenager that had been able to build his own computer and hack into national registries when he was just 10 (Which had led to him finding out he was adopted and as such distancing himself from his family). As such, he was more than familiar with the certain type of games where a situation like this usually happened.


    Namely, Dating Simulators. Though in his case, he had never played any of the cute/romantic or innocent types, but the more, ehem, ''A.d.u.l.t'' ones, even if he knew the basic principle was the same for both.


    Suddenly, the earlier words from the first screen came back to his mind, making him blink in disbelief.


    No¡­there was no way that is life had suddenly become a Dating Sim through unknown means. That sounded like the rejected plot of a very cheap Light Novel and this was no doubt some very weird and convoluted dream. Deciding that this was the case without a doubt, the gamer threw himself back on the bed, pointedly ignoring the screens and closed his eyes


    An undetermined amount of time later (Because his room''s digital clock was apparently frozen at 8:31) and after having realized that he couldn''t get out of his room even if he tried to step past the paralyzed and colorless form of his sister (Who was actually his cousin, even if she didn''t know it), Kirigaya Kazuto started coming to the terrifying realization that ''maybe'' this wasn''t actually a dream.


    Which was insane. I mean, he had certainly read his fair share of manga and stories where something along those lines happened, as in, the protagonists'' life turning into a videogame, and had dreamed more than once of it happening to him¡­but that was turning it into an RPG! Who had ever heard of your life being turned into Dating Sim?! Not only was the concept absurd, it was extremely stupid!


    Finally coming to the realization that he was essentially ''trapped'' until he did something, the boy ''sighed'' and stopped before Suguha''s stopped body, giving her a look before looking back at the 3 choices and biting his lips.


    Certainly, his first impulse had been almost to select the first one, both out of annoyance and from the panic that had started building up within him as the reality of his situation started settling in, but he quickly crushed that line of thought. He had no idea what this ''power'' or whatever it was could do if he chose a ''wrong'' option, and as much as he had been purposefully trying to distance himself from the girl the last years, he didn''t even remotely wish for anything bad happening to her because of his carelessness.


    Of course, out of common sense, the second choice would have been the most appropriate one, but if Kazuto was honest he didn''t like the apparent tone the stutter at the beginning and the overall sentence gave him. It made him feel as if that was the choice some spineless character used to go along with anything the females in his life said would choose.


    And so, with all the professionalism of a consummated gamer and a teenager that had played Eroges in the past, the boy''s eyes fell on the last option, the one that would have been discarded first out of common sense if he ever thought it in a normal conversation.


    This wasn''t anything even remotely normal, however, and also, besides his gaming instincts telling him it was the ''right'' option, it also offered him a way to do some harmless payback towards his little sister in the form of teasing.


    With the barest hint of a grin at the thought, Kazuto nodded to himself and, with more determination this time, pushed the ''Option C''.


    Immediately, the weirdest feeling he had ever experienced overcame him, the boy feeling as if the world ''blurred'' around him until he was, somehow, back on his bed, in the same exact position he had been when the ''choices'' first showed up.


    The gamer hadn''t yet recovered from the dizziness that being ''reset'' in his original position when the world suddenly started ''moving'' again, color and sound returning¡­and both his mouth and body were suddenly moving by a will not his own, as if some greater power had suddenly overridden his every action.


    "Nah, I was just waiting for you to enter." happily spoke the boy with a cheeky grin that took the young kendoka completely off guard, having never seen him make a face even remotely like that. "Now, how about a good morning kiss to start the day? Nee, Sugu?"


    A few seconds of shocked silence ensued even as the shocked Kazuto recovered control over his body, the gamer already thinking of a convincing apologize¡­when he saw his adoptive sister blush furiously and stutter, a mix of outrage and embarrassment in her face as she almost tripped over her own feet when backpedaling, staring at him with wide eyes.


    "Wha¡­?! You¡­! A-ah, ju-just hurry up and come do-down for breakfast!" shouted Suguha with very poorly faked anger as she all but ran away downstairs, leaving her dumbfounded adopted brother behind.


    He didn''t even have time to open his mouth and voice his shock at how it had actually worked as he expected, though, because several ''Notifications'' suddenly popped before him with weirdly musical chiming.


    [Congratulations! You have unlocked the achievement: ''Smooth First Move''! You gained +1 in Charm!]


    [Suguha Route has been Unlocked! You can now see ''Heroine Status'' with Kirigaya Suguha!]


    [Your current status with Suguha has changed to ''Awkward Siblings''!]


    [Congratulations! You have unlocked the achievement: ''First of Many''! You gain +1 in Aura!]


    "¡­holy f.u.c.k.i.n.g shit, this may actually be real." mumbled the wide-eyed boy, still staring at the Notifications in disbelief.


    In the edge between Reality and Unreality, the watch for a pointlessly transcending bet started¡­


    Breakfast had been quite a slightly awkward affair, mainly because Sugu kept glaring at him through all of it (Though with the bright blush in her face it only made her look oddly cute), but also because of something that hadn''t been ''there'' before.


    Namely, over the young kendoka''s head, and that Kazuto was having a very hard time pretending he couldn''t see.


    [Kirigaya Suguha: ''Lonely Little Sister'']


    [Relationship Status: Awkward Siblings]


    [Affection Points: 0/100]


    [Heroine Summary: Suguha is your younger cousin, though she thinks she''s your actual little sister (And legally, she is). She has no idea you were adopted when you weren''t even 1-year-old, nor that discovering this 4 years ago is the reason you started being so cold and distant with your adoptive family (Especially with her, given your parents are almost never home). This has led her to be unsure and slightly bitter around you, and to silently hurt thinking she did something wrong to ruin the nice relationship you had for most of your childhood]


    The black haired-boy was trying VERY hard to not let what he could see affect him, not to mention prevent the guilt filling him every time he accidentally glanced at the ''summary'' from showing on his face. Sure, he hadn''t been thinking of anything but his own problems and mixed feelings when he found out the truth about his family, but he had never thought it would have affected Suguha that much.


    He had chalked up her change in attitude these past years to growing up and going through the natural phase all siblings did when they started to not want to keep being with their older siblings all the time, which suited him just fine, but¡­


    Suddenly, the image of the six-years-old with teary but determined eyes standing protectively over him while shouting to their grandfather she would become good enough in kendo for both of them flashed through his mind, a memory of gratefulness and shame hitting him. Then, another of running as fast as his poor legs allowed him and jumping into the pond without hesitation to drag her drowning form out into safety followed, fear and worry followed by teary relief shooting through his mind again.


    All of it before he found out he was adopted, and all things he hadn''t even bothered thinking back on since then too.


    Had he really been so stupid he had made one of the few people that had ever truly cared for him (And vice versa) feel like that just because¡­?


    "Today it''s your turn to clean the dishes, Onii-chan." spoke Suguha with an even voice, bringing the boy out of his musings and also making him realize she had finally put the awkwardness from his earlier teasing/joke behind her. "Don''t slack off, okay?"


    A-[Ugh¡­can''t I wait until dinner and wash it all in a single go?]


    B-[Don''t worry, I won''t¡­a-also, sorry about that joke earlier¡­]


    C-[Heh, okay, I shall. Anything for my cute little sister!]


    This time, Kazuto actually groaned when the world screeched to a halt and lost all color, deadpanning towards the three new options before him. Without any hesitation now, he pressed the third one, barely sparing a glance towards the former two.


    While this time he was ready, the feeling of some higher force taking over his actions and words still felt immensely weird and just a tad disturbing to the black-haired boy when the world returned to normal and he felt himself smiling brightly towards his adoptive sister, leaning unnecessarily close to her when he grabbed the dishes she had used.


    "Heh, okay, I shall." happily declared the gamer''s ''overridden''-self with a slightly cheeky edge to his tone, the young kendoka almost flinching in both surprise and disbelief. "Anything for my cute little sister!"


    The effect was instantaneous now, and Kazuto found himself recovering control over himself in time to watch with fascination how an atomic blush covered Suguha''s face, the girl all but bolting to her feet the next instant.


    "Wha-what''s up with you today?! Do-don''t tease me so much, Onii-chan!" ''warned'' the young kendoka before all but running away from the scene, trying her best to hide her adorably blushing face.


    [Your charming cheekiness overwhelmed a Heroine! You gained +1 in Charm!]


    [You gained 10 Affection Points with Heroine Suguha!]


    "¡­huh, I''m pretty sure that''s the most emotional reactions I have gotten out of Sugu in years." mumbled the black-haired boy while dismissing the new notifications, a resigned look on his face. "And I think it''s about time I properly figure out what the hell this thing is about¡­"


    And so, it was with that determination that (Once the dishes were washed and drying) Kirigaya Kazuto was now sitting in his bed, arms crossed as he stared towards empty space with a frown, as if trying to convince himself this wasn''t the silliest thing ever.


    "¡­Menu?"


    With an almost cute chime, a new ''window'' materialized before the gamer, shattering his small remaining hopes of it all not being but an absurdly complex dream.


    The feeling of disappointing resignation that he had been feeling since earlier that morning came back to the front of his mind very fast, though, once his eyes analyzed the overly simplistic and pink-colored ''Menu'' before him.


    [Dating Stats]


    [Heroines Status]


    [Titles]


    [Skills]


    [Achievements]


    "¡­it''s actually a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Dating Simulator." groaned the gamer with a hint of despair in his voice.


    Having your life turned into a videogame was probably a dream way too many people had, and he would lie if he said a part of him didn''t share that dream too, even if he had grown out of thinking about such things quickly¡­


    So, having this happening to him was like the most ironic twist of Fate, as if someone was trying to use him as a practical joke.


    He hadn''t become a cool RPG-like character that had limitless potential, no¡­he had gained an amazing reality-altering power (It stopped Time itself for the entire world as a base function, for God''s sake) for picking up chicks.


    "Lamest. Superpower. Ever." mumbled Kazuto while hanging his head (Ignoring how many males in the world would fervently disagree with that statement) before looking back at the Menu and starting to explore it, in hopes that maybe this wasn''t as useless for general life as he feared.


    His efforts¡­weren''t rewarded.


    [Dating Stats]


    Charm: 3


    Wisdom: 1


    Aura: ?


    These ''stats'' didn''t grant him amazing powers, not even the most RPG-sounding ones. Apparently, ''Charm'' stood for his natural ability to make other people find him approachable/attractive/ likable (And he had to accept it was no surprise it had been at ''1'' until he got this power, as depressing as it sounded). ''Wisdom'' didn''t stand for his actual intelligence or ability to retain knowledge, but for his capacity to know what others liked or not about him or whatever he/they were doing on instinct (Again, no surprise it was so low). The only incognita was ''Aura'', which apparently stood for ''His natural ability to draw other people to himself''. The question mark at its side made no sense in his eyes, and any attempts to tamper with it had only gotten him the description of the ''Stat'' to pop up again and again.


    It probably meant it was at 0 or something like that, or at least that''s what he reasoned before (Once it became apparently obvious he didn''t even have a sad Level System) he moved onto the next Menus.


    ''Heroine Status'' seemed to only be a way for him to see the same data he had seen above Sugu''s head before, just wherever he was, and currently contained only his little sister''s name. ''Titles''¡­


    [Titles]


    [The Protagonist]: You''re the MC! The most improbable and convoluted things are sure to come your way! (Grants immunity to people''s taunts about your luck)


    ¡­only had one currently available too, and the less he thought about it, the better. ''Skills'', the one he had the most hopes about¡­


    [Skills]


    [Eroge Protagonist]: Your life can be played like a Dating Sim.


    [MC Wisdom]: Grants your power the innate ability to discern between ''Filler Characters'' and ''Potential Heroines''.


    [To Protect that Smile]: ? (Skill Locked)


    ¡­just disappointed him even more, especially given how silly his only ''locked'' skill sounded. Finally, ''Achievements'' seemed to work like those in many modern games would¡­except that it seemed like 99% of them were ''hidden'', mostly showing only the ones he had already unlocked, and didn''t even indicate which rewards were awarded for them.


    [Achievements]


    [First of Many]: Unlock a Route.


    [Smooth First Move]: Choose the Best Option during your first Interaction with a Heroine.


    Suffice to say, Kazuto wasn''t impressed at all, even more when the name for even the few Achievements whose conditions he could see (''Unlock more than 8 Routes''? seriously? Like that could ever happen) were hidden too.


    All in all, it seemed as if someone had tried to put together an overly complicated system for a third-rate Dating Sim and then slapped it on him for no apparent reason.


    And while he was a perfectly straight hormonal teenager, the boy didn''t have any illusions about abusing this power to get a girlfriend or anything similar. After all, his ''Stats'' showed very well how grounded into reality this bizarre ability was, unlike those he had read about in the past, and without any system to even allow him to ''Level Up'' in the first place, these wouldn''t go beyond what he could do by himself in the first place (Which given he hadn''t even had a proper female friend since grade school, or actual close friends in general, wasn''t all that impressive).


    Hell, that it had worked with Sugu in the first place showed very well its limitations, remarking how damaged their relationship was and reminding him how much he had screwed up in regards to¡­


    "¡­wait a minute." whispered the gamer while looking back at his bizarre ''menu'', an idea suddenly hitting him. "Could I¡­?"


    Eager to test his sudden theory, Kazuto quickly dismissed the strange interface and rushed towards his little sister''s room, stopping before the door and knocking a couple times.


    When it opened and Suguha''s confused (And slightly shocked) expression greeted him, he had to squash down the feelings that the realization of knowing she found him going willingly to her room so surprising caused.


    "Onii-chan? Is something wrong?"


    "Uhm, Sugu¡­do you want to go out later?" questioned the black-haired boy with just a bit of hesitation, the young kendoka''s eyes widening in shock. "We could go shopping and then get something for dinner too¡­"


    "Wha-what?!" almost shouted the girl before shaking her head, suddenly looking at him with suspicion. "Wait¡­this is a plot so you don''t have to wash dinner''s dishes, right?"


    "N-no! Of course not, it''s just¡­well, you know, it''s been ages since we last did anything together, so I thought¡­"


    "O-oh¡­" mumbled Suguha while looking to the side, a mix of confusion and awkwardness in her face as she bit her lips, before seemingly nodding to herself and offering him a hesitant smile. "Su-sure, Onii-chan, I think that would be¡­nice."


    "Tha-thanks Sugu, I promise I will make it worth your while." replied the gamer while giving her what he hoped looked like an honest smile.


    It actually wasn''t much of one, but it had the effect of reminding the young kendoka of the ones he had given her earlier, with the accompanying teasing they had, causing her face to turn red again as she muttered a quick agreement and closed her door.


    [You gained 1 Affection Point with Heroine Suguha!]


    "¡­it works." softly spoke the wide-eyed Kazuto at the sudden notification, a relieved glint in his eyes. "With this¡­I can make it up to Sugu for being such a shitty brother lately!"


    Sure, his ''superpower'' may be (In his eyes) utter crap and he probably would have more luck cutting down a building-sized tree with an old axe (Or something equally ridiculous) than using it to find a girlfriend, but he could at least use it to easily fix his damaged relationship with his adoptive sister before SAO''s official release.


    This stupid thing was going to let him show Suguha he was the best big brother she could ask for in record time and there was no way it could possibly go wrong!


    In that instant, for some reason, several Universes died and others were born at the same time, in a slightly out-of-synch cycle, causing [FATE], on Its Throne above Everything, to groan.


    [LIFE] and [DEATH] weren''t supposed to have laughing fits, let alone together¡­


    November 5th, 2022. Kawagoe, Saitama. 15:30¡­


    As he walked back home from school that day while humming a happy tune, something he probably wouldn''t even consider doing in public a month ago, Kirigaya Kazuto could probably say his life was quite good at the moment.


    Part of it probably was because of his brand new copy of Sword Art Online, which was at that moment safely tucked away in his room beside his Nerve Gear, which he had been able to get earlier than most people thanks to having been part of the Beta Test (Which he had been thankful for, as some of the lines of people waiting to buy the VRMMORPG had been visible all the way to their school), and how the game''s servers were finally going online tomorrow.


    However, the most present and noticeable part of it was no doubt the smiling girl walking happily at his side and telling him about her day, wearing the uniform of his same middle school.


    [Kirigaya Suguha: ''Happy Little Sister'']


    [Relationship Status: Awkward Siblings]


    [Affection Points: 89/100]


    [Heroine Summary: Suguha is your younger cousin, though she thinks she''s your actual little sister (And legally, she is). She has no idea you were adopted when you weren''t even 1-year-old, nor that discovering this 4 years ago is the reason you started being so cold and distant with your adoptive family (Especially with her, given your parents are almost never home). This has led her to be unsure and slightly bitter around you, and to silently hurt thinking she did something wrong to ruin the nice relationship you had for most of your childhood]


    "¡­and then Sempai told me I could actually be good enough to make it to the nationals if I kept practicing! Can you believe it, Onii-chan?!"


    "Well, that''s really no surprise, Sugu." replied the black-haired boy with a small grin. "After all, I don''t think there is a single more dedicated kendoka than you in the entire Saitama Prefecture."


    [You gained 1 Affection Point with Heroine Suguha!]


    "Flattery will get you nowhere with me, Onii-chan!" quickly replied Suguha while playfully hitting his shoulder, a grin in her face, but still with a small and pleased blush. "¡­you''re going to be playing that virtual game of yours tomorrow, right?"


    "You mean Sword Art Online? Yeah, I am." answered the gamer with a smile, thinking back for a moment to the floating castle and the fun he had on the Beta¡­if a bit surprised he didn''t long for it as fervently as before. "It''s gonna be fun to go back¡­"


    Honestly, Kazuto would lie if he said he hadn''t enjoyed this last month particularly. Despite how ''lame'' his strange power was for almost literally anything, using it to repair his damaged relationship with his little sister had worked beyond his expectations. He had managed to use cues given by it and the occasional ''3 Choices'' (Which he realized popped up more and more rarely the more Affection Points he got with her) to keep raising the ''Affection'' between them, and the results had been impressive. From awkward talks and forced/suspicious conversations, Sugu had once again warmed up to him, the girl clearly awed and more than confused at his newest sudden change in attitude towards her, but quickly accepting it with apparent happiness.


    The boy wasn''t sure if that was because of his power or just that she had really wanted him to start treating her like his sister again, but he was betting it was on the latter, especially as the last month he had confirmed he was right about how useless this ability of his was. Not a single Notification or Choice has appeared at all when he had tried (Poorly) to casually greet any of his female classmates in the last weeks, nor when any female teacher asked him something, which was partially a relief, as the stupid implications of it happening would have been too much of a chore to deal with. Even if he had found talking with girls without them staring blankly or laughing at him by the end of it had become surprisingly easier and less awkward, probably because of the increase in his Stats from his interactions with Sugu¡­


    [Dating Stats]


    Charm: 6


    Wisdom: 3


    Aura: ?


    ¡­but nothing else, which proved this ''Dating Sim'' power was limited by his own limitations and capacity to interact with others. Meaning, unless an improbable miracle or situation happened, there was no way it was ever going to be practical for a guy like him who barely went out of home and preferred videogames over anything else.


    "And I have extra kendo practice tomorrow¡­" continued the young kendoka with a small frown, making the gamer chuckle softly at the knowledge they were so close now that she actually would prefer spending time with him over her beloved sport. "We''re not going to see each other for most of the day, uh?"


    "Eh, I will probably be done playing at around 7 in the evening or so, when you will already be back." commented Kazuto upon seeing the slight disappointment in her face. "We can even make dinner together if you really want to¡­"


    [A Special Event has been Triggered!]


    What?


    The black-haired boy didn''t even have time to fully acknowledge the new notification before a pamphlet came flying out of nowhere and hit him in the face, making the gamer flail his arms around and almost fall on his back.


    "Onii-chan, are you okay?!" half-shouted Suguha while helping him stand straight and then grabbing the paper with surprise, her eyes widening slightly upon it. "Woah¡­I didn''t know there was a festival in town."


    "There is?" asked the confused Kazuto while peering over her shoulder, seeing how the pamphlet effectively proclaimed there was one on the other side of town, and that tonight was the last night it would be there. "I¡­hadn''t heard about it either."


    Which was weird, given he had spent quite some time lately checking up on news about SAO and its creator Kayaba Akihiko (If not as much as he originally thought given his time with his little sister), yet this has never popped up in his ''local news'' screen when he entered the page he used to look for those.


    Sure, it was possible he had just missed it, but why did he feel as if¡­?


    "Man, it sure takes you back, uh? We went to quite a few of those when we were little¡­" muttered the young kendoka while smiling softly, lost in memories of simpler times. "Heh, I remember a few times some people even thought we were sisters when we were in our kimonos!"


    "Ugh, did you have to remind me of that?" grumbled the gamer, who had never been too proud of his girly face, in annoyance. "¡­say, Sugu, want to go? It''s the last night it''s here, after all."


    "Re-really?!" turning around to look at him with eyes he could almost swear were sparkling, Suguha cheered as she hugged him out of nowhere, making him chuckle and hug her back. "You''re the best, Onii-chan! C''mon, let''s hurry home and get ready!"


    "Heh, right behind you, Sugu."


    Even as he followed his adoptive sister (And inwardly hoped she didn''t try to run or he would never be able to catch her) home, Kazuto couldn''t help but feel things were going great. Sure, his power may only be useful for a single thing and be a disappointment as far as superpower went, but it had still helped him make Sugu''s life and mood way better than it had been a month ago. And for him, even if still a bit disappointing, that was more than enough.


    He never noticed that the Notification from before had vanished.


    And, if he had bothered to check his Menu, he would have seen how it was now shining above the usual options there, making the ''Skills'' one shine too¡­


    "Man¡­this has been a great night. Don''t you think so, Onii-chan?"


    "Yes¡­it sure has been, Sugu¡­"


    Despite his words, as he sat there atop a freaking Ferris Wheel (Of all things) with his little sister (Who was happily hugging an oversized teddy bear), he couldn''t help but have an all-consuming and gnawing feeling that something weird was going on.


    It had nothing to do with how cute Suguha looked in her purple kimono (Or how ''nice'' he looked in his black one, as she had told him), but happening to find those at home because their mother apparently bought them a few months ago for ''nostalgia'' had been his first warning of things being strange.


    When they arrived at the relatively-big festival just on the outskirts of Kawagoe (Once again making him think how rare it was to not have heard anything about it) and they happened to be the 10000th visitor, gaining free tickets for all the stalls and attractions in the festival once, his and Sugu''s shock had quickly turned into further suspicion for him and joy for the young kendoka.


    But then, everything just kept getting ''weirder'' the more the night went on.


    First of all, all the food they were making happened to be old festival-favorites both of himself and his sister, making her all but shine in joy, especially with how unnaturally delicious and well-made they were, as if the festival just happened to have gotten expert cooks or makers in all their food stalls. Then, he suddenly seemed to have become an ace in every single prize-winning festival game around, even those he KNEW he sucked horribly at or that he had never been too interested in, and that he only took part in for Sugu''s sake that night, which had started first to shock him, then to actually scare him when he effortlessly took down a bunch of bottles on his first try with a ball, Sugu''s cheers barely registering in his ears as the man in charge of the stall gave them that oversized bear she was now carrying.


    Kirigaya Kazuto was, unlike his sister, a complete disappointment when it came to almost every single physical activity imaginable, in no small part because of how he had stayed away from sports like the plague after he quitted kendo and only done the bare minimum to not be suspended when it came to them in school. And while he had no problems using the Throwing Skill back during SAO''s Beta, he knew that he was unable to properly throw anything, much less actual balls, with any accuracy in reality.


    All of those things together had done more than enough to fuel his paranoia that there was something unnatural about this festival, hell, this whole situation, but Sugu had been enjoying herself so much that he hadn''t dared to tell her they should get the hell out of there because everything was going abnormally perfect. Disappointing her aside, it would make him look as if he was mad.


    Still¡­no, it made no sense, but¡­was it possible this was all because of¡­?


    "Onii-chan?" blinking in surprise, Kazuto turned to look towards the smiling form of his adoptive sister, a healthy blush on her face as she hugged her oversized stuffed toy closer to herself. "I just wanted to say¡­thanks."


    "Eh?"


    "For these last few weeks, I mean." continued Suguha while slightly burying her mouth in her bear''s head. "I¡­felt that things had gotten very cold between us these last few years and I thought we had just started to¡­ drift apart, you know? That we had grown up faster than most and we had just stopped being interested in being with the other¡­I even started to think you had started to prefer those games of yours over me¡­"


    "Su-Sugu¡­" muttered the boy with awkwardness, wondering why he felt guilty¡­and as if his heart was beating unusually fast.


    "But you showed me this month that you really do still care." softly continued the young kendoka, raising her head to give him the brightest smile he had ever seen on her face, at the very moment fireworks just SO happened to go off in the background. "So, thanks for being such an amazing person, Onii-chan."


    A strange sound filled Kazuto''s ears, like nothing he had heard before. It was as if someone had tried to fuse the chiming of a bell, the snapping of a camera and the sound of glass breaking into a single thing, the ''image'' of a smiling Suguha clad in a kimono and hugging her plushie with fireworks on the back somehow being engraved into his soul while the usual ''Time Freeze'' of his ''Choices'' triggered.


    [Special Event ''Festival Date'' cleared! You gained 10 Affection Points with Heroine Suguha!]


    [Relationship Status ''Awkward Siblings'' has been Maxed! Upgraded to ''Lovey Dovey Siblings''!]


    What.


    [Congratulations! You unlocked the Achievement ''Main Heroine: Get!''! You gained +2 in Wisdom!]


    [''CG Gallery'' has been Unlocked! ''Sugu & Fireworks'' was added to the gallery!]


    What?


    [Congratulations! You unlocked the Achievement: ''Lovely Memories''! You gained +1 in Charm!]


    [Congratulations! You have completed the ''Tutorial''! The ability to unlock more Routes has been unlocked!]


    [Congratulations! The description for the Skill ''To Protect that Smile'' has been unlocked!]


    What?!


    [To Protect that Smile] (Currently Active): Warps Reality in your favor whenever it''s Truly needed to make one of your Heroines happy (Cannot be willingly activated. Only triggers when your Heroine''s sake demands it). As long as it''s to see them smile, problems will be dealt with so simply they may as well be off-screened and situations that can increase their happiness will be created/handled.


    Kazuto suddenly felt extremely small, cold sweat covering his body and his face deadly pale as the full implications of everything he had just been notified of settled over him, just as the world once again started moving.


    Then, the firework''s sound reached them and Suguha squeaked in surprise, all but throwing herself at him, somehow not letting go of her teddy bear but instead having it somehow press against her back so her face was smothered against his chest, her arms hanging from around his neck.


    "A-ah¡­so-sorry, Onii-chan, I wasn''t expecting that¡­" mumbled the young kendoka, while her adopted brother was very aware of the warmth coming from her kimono-clad body.


    "N-no problem, S-S-Sugu¡­u-uhm, a-aren''t you going to let go already?" stammered the black-haired boy with a weird mix of terror and hope, looking down towards the girl''s face.


    Her eyes were half-closed and there was a healthy blush (Which he now realized may not have always been ''embarrassment'' as he had thought) covering her as she all but rubbed her cheeks against him.


    "That¡­startled me more than I thought. Can I stay like this until we get back down?"


    The gamer was unable to verbally answer, barely giving a shaky nod with his pale face, but Suguha clearly took it as a complete affirmation as she rested herself placidly against his body.


    Within Kazuto''s mind, however, utter chaos, fear, and hysteria warred a battle to see which one was the first to overwhelm his mind as the revelations and realizations of the last minute fully sank into him.


    First, his ''superpower'' was a thousand times scarier and not ''harmless'' at all like he had thought. Forget about stopping time, it had created an entire festival out of nowhere (And made sure NO ONE found it strange) just for him and Sugu to have the perfect date (Oh Gods, now he realized it¡­this had totally been a date!).


    Second, its scope went beyond anything he had imagined and it had only been ''locked'' while letting him, apparently, fully ''learn'' how to use it, unknowingly using Suguha as the ''testing subject''.


    Third and directly related to that last thought¡­he may, without intending to, have made his adoptive little sister/cousin develop a serious crush on him with his Reality-Bending Dating Simulator superpower.


    A whimper escaped his mouth, but Suguha was too busy being half-asleep against him to hear him, even as he resisted the urge to scream in despair.


    Why hadn''t he taken this more seriously, dammit?!


    The Next Day¡­


    "See you later, Onii-chan! I''m off to practice!" happily called Suguha from the entrance while giving him a bright smile, which no longer brought warm satisfaction to the nervous-looking black-haired boy. "Let''s make dinner together tonight like you said yesterday, okay?"


    "Su-sure, see you later¡­" mumbled the gamer even as he waved goodbye to his adoptive sister, who all but skipped out of the house, barely resisting the urge of bashing his head against a wall the moment she left his sight. "F.u.c.k, how do I fix that now¡­?"


    Those haunting thoughts accompanied Kazuto as he made his way back to his room, grabbed his Nerve Gear and put it on while lying on his bed, trying to keep himself positive.


    Okay, so, yes, maybe he had grossly underestimated and misunderstood what his power could do, all the implications of which now openly terrified him, but it wasn''t as if he had actually brainwashed Sugu into liking him (He hoped). Plus, all he had to do was make sure he didn''t keep raising anymore ''Flags'' with her and stop gathering Affection Points and things wouldn''t escalate out of his control. Also, given his situation as an anti-social gamer, that hadn''t really changed, powers or not, he was in no danger to find girls that he would end up accidentally triggering Flags with or turning into routes, so things were still well within his control


    With all of that in mind, the black-haired boy nodded to himself, now much calmer, and muttered the two words that would completely ''doom'' him to give the middle finger at every single one of those expectations.


    "Link Start!"


    Several hours later, Kirito the Swordsman was staring blankly at the unnatural form of Kayaba Akihiko''s avatar as it finished the ''Tutorial'' of Sword Art Online, leaving the remaining 9787 players alive standing like frozen idiots in the Town of Beginnings main plaza.


    However, unlike in many other realities, he didn''t rush off running after grabbing Klein''s hand, in a hurry to get out of there, no.


    Here, he shocked the bandana-wearing man at his side by falling to his knees and banging his head against the ground, repeatedly.


    "Dammit, dammit, dammit¡­"


    "Who-woah, dude, what''s wrong?!"


    "Why did I tempt Fate?! First the weird power and now the supernatural plot?! I didn''t ask for this, dammit!"


    "Ki-Kirito, I know this is shocking, but get a hold of yourse¡­!"


    "Did you say Kirito?"


    Confused, Klein turned around, even as Kirito shakily raised his face from the ground to look at a dark blonde girl (Or maybe her hair was light brown?) with brown eyes and a cloak, looking down dubiously at his (Right now) pathetic form.


    "¡­Kii-bou?"


    "¡­Argo¡­?" started asking the black-haired boy¡­before his face lost all color, just like the world around him, as everything came to a stop and 3 hauntingly familiar screens appeared before him.


    A-[¡­is that really you? Thank heavens¡­my life has light again]


    B-[¡­is that you? God, you''re a lot shorter than I thought¡­]


    C-[¡­is it you? Could you please help me get up?]


    In the frozen time, no one could hear the gamer screaming and running away from the plaza, his despair and denial-filled voice echoing into the unmoving virtual world.


    ¡­it would only take him 30 minutes to remember that time wouldn''t keep moving (And he would be ''teleported'' back there) anyway if he didn''t press a Choice.


    [Next Scene]: Mixing Action Plots and Cheap Romance!


    Chapter 1


    Once again, Saint here bringing you more! But first of all, seriously, let me just put this in perspective.


    Almost 60 reviews. Over 150 Followers. Over 120 favorites. All of it in less than 4 days and most of it in the first 24 hours of it being posted!


    Did you guys really like this thing that much XD?! I admit it even made me a bit scared, it''s the most positive response any fanfic of mine has ever gotten on its prologue chapter, and I''m a bit fearful of being unable to live up to the hype it created¡­


    But those doubts aside, THANKS a lot for it, people. You''re all awesome and I hope to not disappoint you at all with this mad idea :3


    Some things that I would like to point out among the reviews, though: Yes, ''To Protect that Smile'' IS broken as hell¡­but Kirito has not only no control over it, he also has no desire of actively using it and, most important, he can''t control how it works once it Triggers, not to mention it requires the active presence of one of his Waifus to even work in the first place :P So no, he can''t use it cheat death or solo everything in his way (As much as he would probably prefer that¡­he''s not ''The Gamer'', sadly).


    Also, to the single reviewer that practically begged for this ''to be a KiriSuna fic and no harem''¡­you haven''t read any of my works before and/or completely ignored the whole premise of the prologue, right O,O?


    That out of the way, some recognition now! Immense thanks to Pikanet128 for this fic''s new and awesome cover :D Seriously, dude, you''re the best. You can find links both to a complete version of it and to this story''s all new TvTrope''s page (Fastest one in getting one too!) on my profile :3


    And without more delay, enjoy the chapter already XP!


    Disclaimer: Neither Sword Art Online nor its characters belong to me, as much as I wish otherwise. If they did, ''There Is But One Ultimate Way'' would no doubt be the Canon Ending of the series.


    Scene 1: Mixing Action Plots and Cheap Romance!


    November 6th, 2022. Horunka Village, Aincrad. Inside an Inn, 21:30¡­


    On the small village of Horunka, night had already fallen and given everything an honestly peaceful and relaxed atmosphere, completely at odds with the terror and despair that consumed most players trapped within SAO, still back at the Town of Beginnings.


    However, Kirito the swordsman (As selfish as that sounded) couldn''t really care about any of that as he let himself fall on a chair and allowed his face to slam on the wooden table, feeling a terrible headache and the vague need to jump off the Floating Castle.


    And the playful (If slightly concerned) voice that came after someone sat before him didn''t exactly help as much as she intended.


    Of course, it wasn''t really her fault, as there was no way she knew that she was the source of his current state.


    "Geez, Kii-bou, I know it has been a rough day, but do you really need to look as if the world was ending? Honestly, I expected better from you¡­"


    Raising his head to deadpan at the girl sitting before him, the boy actually had to suppress a weird mix between a whimper and a groan, as his eyes once again came in contact with the source of his current mood.


    Namely, the invisible (For everyone but him) words floating about the Info Broker''s head.


    [Izawa Shiori: ''Trolling Information Broker'']


    [Relationship Status: Best Beta Buddies]


    [Affection Points: 66/100]


    [Heroine Summary: You only know Shiori (Until you read this, that is) by her in-game name of ''Argo'', also known as ''The Rat'' during Sword Art Online''s Beta thanks to the whiskers she started to have in her face since Floor 2 (And that you never knew the origin of). You two easily became friends out of some Gaming-sense-of-honor, in which you both played the role perfectly: You the reckless unstoppable swordsman and she the mischievous and vicious information dealer. While some people said she would sell even her grandma for the right amount, she''s actually a very caring girl who has almost as much problems as you do making actual friends, hence why she values your friendship so much and why she''s currently so concerned about you, thinking you may have lost it or something]


    "For the last time Argo, I''m¡­fine, really. I don''t you to¡­babysit me or anything." lamely explained the gamer while trying very hard to look at his friend (And nothing more!) in the eyes, ignoring the screen above her.


    "Yeaaah, the fact that you''re still sounding as if you had an anvil on your shoulders despite having just gotten that fancy new sword convinces me of the contrary." drawled out Argo while pointing to the boy''s back, where his all-new Anneal Blade, arguably the best weapon you could get in the 1st Floor, rested. "Look, you don''t have to act all tough with me, Kii-bou. This whole situation is a nightmare, I know that, and you don''t have to pretend it hasn''t affected you when it clearly has. Hell, even I''m not feeling exactly chirpy right now, and I''m sure this retard here didn''t help too much with that¡­"


    As she said those last words, the girl sent a glare towards the last figure ''sitting'' on the table¡­or more like, the gaged and tied-up boy who was trying very pointlessly to get free of the rope binding him, and that didn''t seem any older than Kirito was.


    Said guy with slightly long brown hair was named Coper, a fellow Beta Tester, and the genius that had tried to trick the two of them with a friendly fa?ade when it truth he was a selfish piece of shit willing to do anything to survive, including waiting for the black-clad swordsman to get the Quest Item needed to get the Anneal Blade and then try to trigger a trap which would have swarmed them all with monsters to steal it after they were dead.


    Putting aside all the holes in his plan born out of desperation and ignorance (As he would have been unable to get away from the blind plant-enemies of the Quest with his ''Hiding'' Skill), Kirito was sure the poor Coper didn''t know how screwed he had been from the very beginning.


    Namely, that he had tried to pull a fast one on him when he had the sneakiest and most well-informed Beta Tester backing him up, as Argo had decided to ''follow'' him after their meeting and his small episode back in the Town of Beginnings.


    The black-haired boy didn''t know how that had happened when he had chosen Option C, which had been the most neutral one. Then again, in hindsight that was probably the most appropriate one to give Argo, and it did nothing to convince her he wasn''t ''more affected by the whole Death Game thing'' than he pretended.


    Which wasn''t true, really. If anything, seeing the notifications about her ''Route'' having been unlocked, seeing how high it already was just (He assumed) from their friendship from the Beta had freaked him out way more than the deadly trap they were all now in had. His hurry for getting out of there after that (With a hasty apology to Klein) wasn''t apparently the right choice, though, as she had followed swiftly after him all the way to Horunka, then tagged along for the Anneal Blade Quest and having been key in solving the Coper incident.


    Poor guy didn''t even get close to try his stupid stunt when Argo had tricked him into dropping his weapon by pretending a Mob had spawned behind him. It was, no doubt, the saddest way of being busted Kirito had ever seen. The fact that there were still monsters around and Coper was clearly terrified out of his mind when Argo pointed her dagger at him, then was convinced to tie himself up (Not even stopping to think the girl had no real way of threatening him without her cursor turned Orange) had only further reinforced the gamer''s idea that this guy had to have been one of the Worst Beta Testers ever.


    A part of him did wonder where the hell had the Info Broker gotten the rope and the gag from in just a few hours of game before Kayaba''s announcement, though, but the bit of him that still liked his strained sanity decided it would be better not to ask.


    "Coper''s retarded stunt has nothing to do with my mood Argo, neither is it any sort of chronical depression I have fallen into because of this mess." tried to convince her the gamer, though his tone didn''t sound very convincing despite how honest he was actually being. "And can you really waste your time babysitting me? Shouldn''t you be out there or back at Town of Beginnings collecting all the info you can?"


    The boy''s words may have sounded rude, but truthfully he really wanted his hooded friend to get away from him for her own sake. It was bad enough he felt as if he had violated her privacy just by his power''s ''passive'' effect having given him not only her real name but also a mini-biography about the type of person she actually was, Kirito didn''t want to take the risk it could do anything else to her.


    Having made his little sister (Even if she was actually his cousin) get a crush on him so painfully obvious he felt like smacking his head against the table again for not noticing it earlier was one more serious problem than the gamer wanted to deal with in a lifetime, especially after getting ''trapped'' in such a bizarre and surreal situation just after realizing it (Cursed MC Status!). How unfair it would be for Argo that some crazy Reality-bending superpower he had little control over made her fall for him if she stuck around aside, he honestly didn''t want to deal with even more headaches.


    "Hoh? Are my ears deceiving me or it sounds like you''re trying to get rid of little old me?" playfully asked the info broker with a small grin, the black-haired boy wondering if he would have been able to notice the worry she was clearly trying to hide if his power hadn''t all but told him about it beforehand. "Why, I''m hurt, Kii-bou! I thought we had something special, you and me, but if you''re really so eager of losing sight of me I guess you have finally realized how pointless is to try to win my heart for your benefit¡­"


    Kirito couldn''t stop himself from snorting at the pseudo-irony his fellow Beta Tester had spouted without even knowing it.


    "As if I would ever try to do that."


    "¡­really? Say, Kii-bou, you know I''m still a girl, right? And that such things can sound very offensive for a poor maiden like me?" retorted Argo with a smile that was much more ''dangerous'' than her previous one, but that didn''t seem to even faze the swordsman before her. "What''s the matter? Am I not good enough for you?"


    "What? No!" quickly denied the gamer while waving a hand to the side, his head still too much of a mess to let him do more than directly react to his friend''s trap-question. "If anything, I''m saying it because of the exact opposite."


    "¡­eh?" was all that the girl could say in response, blinking in clear confusion and surprise.


    "Do I need to spell it out for you, Argo? You''re too good for me, one doesn''t need to be a genius to see that." explained Kirito with a seemingly tired tone, quickly looking straight into Argo''s eyes as he kept talking. "You''re amazing, resourceful, able to keep your cool and smile under any situation, and the most reliable person I have ever known. Hell, if it wasn''t for you, I bet this idiot''s stunt would have ended either with me or him (Most likely because of his screw-up) dead, yet with you here to save my ass everything was handled as if it was a menial thing. And regardless of how your avatar looked before or in the Beta, now that I see your real face I can shamelessly declare you''re a beautiful girl. I''m sure you have lots of people around you in real life, and if you don''t is that you''re just too good for them. So, yes, it''s so surprising I think you''re too good for me? If anything, I would have thought it was obvious¡­"


    As he slowly trailed off, the black-haired boy finally realized that, at some point during his surprisingly long speech, he had reached out and grabbed Argo''s hands between his, also leaned forward over the table, with his elbows resting on it, to look even closer into Argo''s eyes. Also, that at some point so much red had entered his wide-eyed friend''s face as she stared at him that it seemed Cardinal was about to run out of resource to generate her blush.


    "Ki¡­Kirito¡­"


    "A-Argo¡­?"


    [That was the most romantic thing anyone has ever told her! You gained 10 Affection Points with Heroine Shiori!]


    [Congratulations! You left a girl speechless with your sincerity! You gain +1 in Charm!]


    ¡­are you being f.u.c.k.i.n.g serious right now?!


    The still-tied-up Coper rolled his eyes and loudly mumbled something unintelligible, but that the gamer was, for some reason, very sure was something along the lines of ''Get a room already, you two!'', and that seemed enough to snap Argo out of her trance, the girl released the cutest and most girly squeal Kirito had ever heard, a sound he had never imagined his cool-headed and jokester friend could produce, before she all but bolted away from him, pulling her hood so hard to try and (Poorly) hide her blush that she seemed about to tear the cloth item apart.


    "We-well, lo-look at the time, it''s SO late right now! You we-were right before, Kii-bou, and you se-seem more than recovered enough to look for yourself s-so I will be going no!" all-but-shouted the Info Broker, her usual cool and composure shot to hell as she sprinted out of the Inn. "Ma-make sure to message me later, though!"


    "¡­how the hell¡­did I do that?" questioned the boy to no one, actually looking a little scared, as he had somehow turned the most unflappable, shameless and playful girl he knew (Not that he knew many, though) into a blushing/stuttering mess with just Words, no sign of his ''Skill'' having been activated for it. "Wait a minute¡­don''t tell me¡­?!"


    [Dating Stats]


    Charm: 7


    Wisdom: 5


    Aura: ?


    Staring at the Menu he had brought up in a hurry, the gamer made his best effort to not gulp in fear. Certainly, it was way higher than it had been a month ago when he had gotten his ''Dating Sim Power'', and he had only really deeply interacted with Sugu during that time, but¡­there was no way that such a small increase could allow him to do THAT to a girl close enough to him by just talking, right?


    Right?!


    "HMMPH! Hmbbm?!" groaned the still gagged Coper, probably not in answer to his question, but demanding to be released at the now apparently disturbed boy.


    "Oh God, this is worse than I thought¡­I need to try and interact as little as possible with Argo from now on!" screamed Kirito while standing up, an almost haunted look in his eyes. "If I''m not careful enough I may end up in bed with her or something worse!"


    Ignoring the ''What the f.u.c.k?''-look the failed-indirect-murderer sent him at his, from his point of view, nonsensical declaration, the gamer stood up and walked out of the Inn, ready to forego sleep that night and get all the way to Tolbana if needed, just in case Argo ''regretted'' having run away all of a sudden.


    Coper was so busy staring in disbelief he realized too late they had left him in there still bound and gagged, with no one but the NPCs around. Muffled screaming ensued.


    It would take 2 more days before any other Players ventured to Horunka and found the shaking and clearly out-of-it form of the boy in the Inn. After he was unbound, he would silently march himself back to the Town of Beginnings, swearing to never go out again.


    No one cared.


    December 2nd, 2022. Aincrad, 1st Floor Labyrinth. One of the many hallways, 3:55¡­


    "Walking through a dark and empty dungeon filled with lizardmen and kobolds at an insanely early hour instead of sleeping¡­yep, that''s my life now. The protagonist here, ladies and gentlemen."


    Chuckling bitterly at no one, Kirito realized it was probably not a good sign for his sanity that he had started to talk alone or to refer to himself as ''The Protagonist'', but honestly, between having to squeeze his friend like mad to create enough (And believable enough) excuses to not met with Argo during the last month and the fact that, despite that, he had still somehow managed to gain a few Affection Points with her just through messages, he was barely hanging on.


    It didn''t help at all when he had seen the several and sudden ''changes'' Suguha''s ''Title'' had suffered since he got trapped there, first the first day¡­and again yesterday, together with their ''Relationship Status'', which was part of the reason he was there, killing every Mob that stood in his way as a way to vent. Because¡­


    [Kirigaya Suguha: ''Confused Little Sister'']


    [Relationship Status: Lovey Dovey ''Siblings''/Cousins]


    [Affection Points: 1/100]


    ¡­it seemed like Midori had decided it was a good idea to reveal the truth about his adoption to Suguha because of his situation. Great job mom, because that''s exactly what you tell an emotionally strained 14-years-old when the person most important to her (And how he felt guilty it was his own fault that was 100% true) could die any day. He just hoped it wouldn''t lead to her doing anything crazy, but the fact that all of it had somehow gained him an Affection Point with her didn''t really inspire much confide¡­


    The sound of mobs growling and dying snapped the gamer out of his inner ramblings, making him look around in confusion, wondering who and for what reason could be in there (Besides him) at that unholy hour.


    A hooded form slaughtering lizardmen with a rapier in the most impressively executed ''Linear'' Skill he had ever seen was his answer, the boy actually pausing to admire the grace and amazing speed of the mysterious player, clearly a female if the skirt he could see when she rushed and her hood flew slightly was anything to go by.


    Deciding it would probably be best to not bother them, Kirito was about to turn around and walk away¡­when the world suddenly lost color and everything around him when fully silent, actually startling the gamer, as he hadn''t seen the phenomenon being repeated since the day he got stuck in SAO (Mainly because he had avoided all direct interaction with Argo, really).


    When he gazed down at the 3 Choices that had appeared, though, something that was new caught his eyes and made him feel strangely uneasy.


    You see a mysterious girl with a rapier killing mobs. You¡­


    A-[Walk away]


    B-[Stay to watch]


    C-[Rush to help finish the Mobs]


    *Warning: Choosing the Wrong Choice will forever Block this Heroine''s Route.


    Dumbfounded, the swordsman wondered what was most shocking, that there was actually a way for him to avoid romancing random girls he didn''t even know or that the ''game'' was actually telling him how.


    However¡­glancing at the choices and the ''Warning'' made him feel strangely uneasy. The fact that there had not been such an Option with Argo could maybe be explained, but that it hadn''t been there with Sugu, the one whose ''Route'' should have (In his eyes) the easier to avoid, set him on edge. Especially because the ''Wrong Choice'' clearly seemed to be the one that would get him out of there, the one where he left the area.


    And the girl, alone at 4 AM, in a dungeon filled with monsters, monsters which she was fighting¡­


    Almost without thinking, Kirito rushed to the girl''s side, maneuvering around the lizardmen to stare at her up and down, ignoring her pretty and serious face in favor of looking at the rapier in her hand, seeing the countless cracks on the cheap and store-bought weapon, a more than obvious sign of how its Durability was about to run out.


    Cursing to everything under the heavens, the gamer slammed the Choice C without any more hesitation, just a slightly annoyed feeling, even as he felt himself being ''teleported'' back to where he had been and then how his hand quickly reached for his Anneal Blade as time started moving again, rushing forward and executing a ''Horizontal'' Skill.


    He was already there and cutting the lizardman behind the surprised girl in half when her rapier snapped and broke down into polygons, leaving her at the mercy of her enemies¡­or at least that''s would have had happened if he hadn''t Aggroed the hell out of them and quickly proceeded to make short work of their virtual lives, all under the shocked rapier-user''s gaze.


    Finally done with the enemies, Kirito turned around as he sheathed his blade, staring right at the hooded girl''s eyes.


    "That was close. You okay?"


    "Wha¡­? Where did you even come f¡­?" and that was as far as she went before she stumbled forward right into his arms, unconscious.


    The boy deadpanned at her position, unable to believe it.


    [Asuna Route has been Unlocked! You can now see ''Heroine Status'' with Yuuki Asuna!]


    [Your current status with Asuna has changed to ''Undesired Friends''!]


    ¡­stupid dating game-like power.


    Suppressing a sigh, the gamer grabbed the beautiful girl''s body and carried her bridal style, towards the closest Safe Zone, idly noticing her long chestnut hair (Her hood had fallen off when he put her on his arms) and, despite his best attempts not to, the information he now could see above her.


    [Yuuki Asuna: ''Hopeless Fencer'']


    [Relationship Status: Undesired Friends (?)]


    [Affection Points: 0/100]


    [Heroine Summary: Yuuki Asuna had never played a videogame, let alone a VR one, in her life before SAO, hence why she reflexively wrote her real name for her avatar. She''s the daughter of an important CEO and a strict mother, and was raised her whole life to be the perfect example of a ''Proper High-Society Girl''. Deciding to use her brother''s Nerve Gear on a whim the day SAO launched quickly became the ''stupid decision'' she regretted the most in her life, and after weeks of being coped inside an Inn in the Town of Beginnings her emotionally broken state led her to decide it was a good idea to come out in the Field and fight endlessly until she died once she couldn''t keep going]


    Gulping deeply, Kirito was, for once, very glad about his power''s disregard for the privacy of girls. It had let him know in advance he was dealing with someone suicidal, after all, which meant that his first idea of waiting for her to wake up, ask how she was and then get the hell out of there, was no longer an option.


    There was no way in hell he could live with himself if he abandoned her and she went and got herself killed just because she had no hope of escaping the game, risks of his powers ''romancing'' her be damned.


    ¡­God, he really had become the protagonist of some Dating Sim with a convoluted action/fantasy plot, hadn''t he?


    "Guh¡­what¡­?" mumbled Asuna while her eyes opened, looking around at the Safe Zone in confusion. "Where¡­?"


    "The closest Safe Zone the dungeon had. I carried you here after you fainted." informed the black-haired boy from the opposite side of the small area they were in, leaning against the wall in the perfect position so that she saw him right away, startling the girl.


    "The boy from before¡­? And¡­carried¡­? Wait, does that mean you brought me here in your arms?!" quickly shouted the girl with a bit more life in her eyes than her previous words, her arms almost unconsciously reaching to cover herself when she noticed her hood was down.


    "Well, I could have dragged you through the ground if you preferred that, but I think my method was the best way." dryly answered the gamer with a roll of his eyes, before his gaze sharpened almost scarily as he directed it right at the rapier-user, who froze under it. "Why were you doing that?"


    "I¡­don''t¡­"


    "Don''t try to lie, by the way. As amazing as your moves were, I could notice right away the despair in your strikes. The emptiness. You weren''t trying to win, just to fight until you dropped dead." smoothly lied Kirito while uncrossing his arms and walking forward, unable to believe how convincing he was sounding. "Why?"


    "I¡­what does it matter to you? We''re all going to die in here anyway." shot back the girl with a cold tone¡­or tried to, because she couldn''t help but look away once the boy was standing just before her, unable to meet his seemingly bottomless gaze. "I just wanted to go out fighting rather than wasting away¡­"


    "¡­that''s just a step less sad than staying behind doing nothing thinking we''re all going to die." mercilessly replied the gamer while dramatically giving his back to the shocked rapier-user, unsheathing his blade and raising it above his head to stare at its edge. "It''s also an insult to every single player risking their lives to try and clear the game right now. With the talent you show, having no faith in that we can get out of here makes you nothing but a coward."


    "Wha-what would you know?!" shouted Asuna while shooting to her feet, glaring at Kirito''s back with anger, tears on the corner of her eyes. "Do you even know how I felt this last month knowing that I''m going to¡­?!"


    "I have a little sister waiting for me in the real world. Mom is almost never home, so we take turns making food and cleaning. Lately, we have finally started to get along after years of awkward distance." interrupted the swordsman while giving her a sideways look, both the words and the pressure in the single eye being shown to her all but paralyzing the girl. "I know very well what is to be scared of dying, Fencer-san, and I''m terrified to no end because the most dangerous thing I have ever done before this was riding a bicycle to the outskirts of my city¡­but I also have more than enough reasons to want to get out of here. Don''t you have any?"


    "I¡­" looking down, the rapier-user''s eyes were wide, the exhaustion from almost 3 days straight in the dungeon and the strength behind the gamer''s words having left her stunned.


    The sound of something materializing and being thrown before her snapped her out of it, her gaze moving down to see the brilliant new rapier lying there.


    "If you do, grab it and come to Tolbana. There is going to be a Strategy Meeting for defeating the 1st Floor Boss. That thing is way better than those cheap store-bought ones you were using and, honestly, we need all the help we can if we hope to pull this off and showing everyone that we CAN, indeed, get out of this game." coolly declared Kirito before, slowly, starting to walk away, sword still in hand, Asuna''s eyes following his every move. "Name is Kirito, by the way. Remember it, because I don''t think we will ever meet again if you plan on continuing down that hopeless path of yours."


    Not saying another word, the black-haired boy abandoned the Safe Zone, heading for the labyrinth''s entrance. Not even 10 seconds later, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps following him and he had to suppress the need to smirk.


    Holy f.u.c.k had that been awesome! Those Dating Stats had let him take charge of that conversation like a boss, even if he had totally bullshitted more than half of it!


    And even as he saw Asuna start to walk beside him, not saying a word, he couldn''t help but felt happy about his stupid power for the first time in over a month.


    "¡­I''m not going to thank you." mumbled the chestnut-haired girl from under her newly raised hood.


    "Wasn''t expecting you to, Fencer-san." nonchalantly replied the gamer while closing his eyes and letting the earlier smirk finally appear on his face as he walked just a step before her. "Just knowing you have my back on the way is more than enough thanks.


    [You gained 5 Affection Points with Heroine Asuna!]


    Kirito had to try very hard to not stumble in his step and fall flat on the ground, miraculously managing it. Just behind him, Asuna had drawn her hood lower, trying to hide the blush on her face.


    ¡­and now, once again, he regretted everything about this power.


    "¡­well, the guy sure knows how to work a crowd." mumbled the black-haired boy later that day, watching the gathered group of players sitting around Tolbana''s amphitheater, as they intently heard what the one who had called them, Diavel, had to say. "There are way more players than I thought it would¡­"


    "You''re not the only one surprised about that, Kii-bou." came a familiar voice from beside the gamer, almost making him squeak in surprise as his head whipped to the side and came face to face with Argo''s grinning face, now adorned with the same style of whiskers she used to have in the Beta. "Then again, maybe it''s actually something about Fate what has drawn so many people here!"


    "A-Argo?!" frantically whispered the boy while resisting the urge to run away, unable to believe the girl had found him even after a month of him evading her. "What are you doing here?!"


    "Looking for you. I knew that, despite how ''busy'' you were, there was no way you would miss this meeting." shamelessly admitted the info broker while Kirito resisted the urge to curse. "But really, the fact that you have been avoiding me aside¡­who is the cutie with you?"


    "¡­do you mean me?" spoke Asuna (Who had been sitting beside the boy) with a raised eyebrow, staring at the exchange with clear confusion.


    "Yeah, who else? Also, wearing a hood to hide how s.e.xy I am is my thing!" joked Argo with mock-anger, further confusing the chestnut-haired girl and causing the gamer to slam his face into his palms. "My, Kii-bou, are you maybe trying to replace me with¡­?"


    "Wait a minute! I want to say something!" suddenly shouted a loud and annoying voice, interrupting the ''conversation'' between the strange trio and making them turn around in time to see a guy with cactus-like hairstyle standing up. "There is a group of people here that needs to apologize to all of us!"


    Under normal circ.u.mstances, Kirito would have just been slightly nervous/guilty at Kibaou''s following speech about the ''selfishness'' of Beta Testers. In his current state of trying very hard to not go crazy because of his ''superpower'', it would have just annoyed him. However¡­seeing Argo''s eyes narrowing before she looked to the side in clear dissatisfaction truly irked him, especially because he knew not a single Beta Tester had been putting more effort into trying to help others than the whiskered girl. Hearing that piece of shit badmouthing her work and all but ordering her (Albeit not directly) to go down there, give up everything she had, and apologize for nothing truly made him feel¡­


    [''To Protect that Smile'' has been activated!]


    ¡­oh, f.u.c.k.


    "Your name is Kibaou, right? Do you know what this is?" started to say a tall and dark-skinned man named Agil¡­before everyone''s attention was drawn towards someone near the upper part of the amphitheater standing up with a panicked look in his eyes, the two girls at his sides staring at him in confusion. "Uh?"


    "Run away! Get out of there, quick!"


    "What? Why should we¡­?"


    Whatever else the cactus-haired man wanted to say died in his lips when, out of nowhere, a distant scream grew in intensity and some sort of grey sphere that looked like an abnormally perfect rock came rolling down from the edge of the area, many players screaming and jumping out of the way as it fell down and crashed brutally against Kibaou, dragging and then pinning him to the lowest steps.


    Silence ensued while everyone watched with morbid fascination as the man''s limbs twitched from under the not-rock, only the knowledge that they were inside a Safe Zone and as such his life wasn''t in danger stopping them from worrying¡­when a side of the strange object ''opened'', letting a wide-eyed and panting bandana-wearing man out, all but collapsing on the amphitheater''s floor.


    "Wo-woah¡­heh, heh, it f.u.c.k.i.n.g worked! I went through the entire forest without losing a single HP thanks to that thing! Hah, and the others thought I was crazy¡­" laughed the red-haired man while standing up, blinking at recognizing one of the people looking at him. "Oh, hi there Kirito! Long time no see!"


    "Klein." deadpanned the black-haired boy, still trying to wrap his head around the random development. "What the hell?"


    "Ah well, you see, me and my pals were training on the opposite edge of the forest that surrounds this town, the one closest to Tolbana, when we saw this weird thing hidden under a couple of suspiciously fallen trees, with a Quest Mark above it!" proudly explained Klein while puffing out his chest, even as Agil poked the opened rock-sphere with his axe and then looked down worriedly at the flailing limbs of Kibaou. "It said that, if one could ride it all the way from one side of the forest to the other, they could keep it! The rest thought it was a trap but I had seen things like that in some old videogames so I know it had to be some super awesome and secret vehicle in disguise, so I got in, started rolling¡­and voila! I''m here! And now it''s mine, ahahahah¡­!"


    "Ehm, yes, that''s¡­awesome, but¡­could you please get your ''transport'' off Kibaou-san¡­?" growled Diavel while he, Agil and a couple random guys tried unsuccessfully to move the sphere off their fellow player, struggling against the strange thing.


    "Uh¡­? Oh shit, I landed on someone?! So-sorry about that, man, the thing won''t move unless someone gets in, let me¡­"


    Kirito tuned out the rest of the conversation as he slowly sat down, his mind once again too busy trying to process the absurdity (And terrifying scope) of his power¡­and also the fact that it had triggered just by him feeling Kibaou had been insulting Argo, albeit indirectly, which only made it much more dangerous.


    And speaking of the Info Broker, he wondered what her take on all of this would be like¡­


    "¡­I have never heard of that Quest. Wonder if it can be repeated? Also, what are the limitations of that ''vehicle'' thing¡­?"


    ¡­of course that would be what she was worried about. At least Asuna looked properly freaked out/totally confused by the scene before them, meaning he was surrounded by at least one kinda-sane person¡­even if said person had been trying to fight alone until she literally dropped dead until a few hours ago¡­okay, maybe his power was actually a weirdness-magnet too.


    A bit less than half an hour later, after they managed to move the sphere off Kibaou, got him to stop accusing Klein of being a ''filthy Beta Tester'', stopped the mayhem that ensued when Klein slugged him in the face while defending Beta Testers, and a tired Diavel managed to give off an abridged version of what they could expect from the Boss Battle, Kirito and his two female companions could be seen walking away from the amphitheater, one with a calculating look, one with a puzzled one and the other looking as if he wanted the day to be over already.


    "So, where exactly are you staying at, Kii-bou?" asked Argo once she was apparently done with whatever inner musings she was into, her gaze following her fellow Beta Tester''s every move. "I mean, I assume you have a lodging of some kind here by now, but I haven''t seen you at the Inn at all, so¡­"


    "I rented the second floor of that small farmhouse near the edge of the town." tiredly answered the black-haired boy while looking towards the whiskered girl, whose eyes lit up in recognition. "I assume you remember it from the Beta?"


    "The one with the awesome bath?" asked the Info Broker with a massive grin, neither her nor the gamer noticing how the chestnut-haired girl behind them suddenly froze at the word. "Of course I do! Mind letting your s.e.xy Onee-san a turn on it?"


    "Sure, but only after I have¡­"


    Kirito''s reflexive attempt to tease Argo back was brutally interrupted when he felt a hand clamping on his shoulder, making him blink and look back, together with the whiskered girl, to see Asuna looking straight at him as if she was a wanderer lost in the desert that had just found an oasis.


    "Did you just say that ¡­you have a bath?"


    Not much time later, the rapier-user could be seen sinking herself in a bathtub''s water, utter bliss in her face as she enjoyed the sensation of the virtual bath.


    [You have made her experience joy she didn''t think she could again! You gained 5 Affection Points with Heroine Asuna!]


    "Okay, seriously, why is it so easy to raise Flags with her? Was she that desperate for even the simplest comforts?" mentally mumbled the gamer as he lied on his bed, trying very hard to not look towards the closed door leading towards the bath where a teenage girl was n.a.k.e.d in a bathtub right now. "God, this almost seems like a scene out of an actual Eroge, only not as cra¡­"


    "Nee, Kii-bou, I''m passing." nonchalantly commented Argo while walking into the room, her usual hood off and a towel over her shoulder, shooting him a smile before opening the door to the bathroom (Cue Asuna''s shocked scream) and closing it after her, all under the dumbfounded gaze of the black-haired boy.


    "Wha-what the hell?! Argo-san?! What are you doing?!"


    "Isn''t it obvious, girlie? I''m taking a bath! Now please, move a bit to the side or we''re going to be quite cramped¡­"


    "Wa-wait a minute, what?!"


    "You seriously need to stop repeating ''what'' so many times, Asuna-san¡­nah, you know what? That''s too stuffy for two bath-buddies like us! How about you drop the ''-san'' with me and I just start calling you¡­Aa-chan?"


    "I-I think you''re taking things too far, we haven''t even known each other for three ho¡­you''re in!"


    "See? Was that so bad?"


    "Ye-yes, it is! We''re almost complete strangers!"


    "And there is no better way to solve that than a bit of n.a.k.e.d skinship! Plus, you kind of got in the way of my Kii-bou time out of nowhere¡­"


    "Eh?"


    "Nothing! Also¡­woah, I know these are just avatars, but if it''s even half as loyal with the real you as it''s with mine then you''re one hell of a beauty in real life."


    "A-ah, thanks? I mean, yo-you''re quite pretty too, I gue..HYA!"


    "Hmm¡­quite firm and decent-sized¡­I can''t let my guard down¡­"


    "Wh-why the hell would you do that?!"


    "Hmm? Wanna squeeze mine as payback?"


    "N-NO!"


    "Heh! God, you''re just so easy I almost feel like a bully, Aa-chan!"


    "Do-don''t make fun of me! That''s it, take this!"


    "Hya! Oh my¡­you''re more daring than I gave you credit for¡­"


    "¡­wa-wait, Argo-s¡­just Argo, do-don''t go and do anything that¡­HYA!"


    "¡­must not go in the bath, must not go in the bath, must not go in the back¡­" endlessly repeated Kirito as he buried himself on his bedsheets, trying to fuse his burning red face with the pillow.


    It wasn''t the fear of something terrible happening to him as consequence what motivated the mantra, though, but the fear of his power actually making him going into the bath into an ''Event'' that he would have no way of escaping to¡­and that the small part of him that was still a hormonal teenager aware of being trapped in a death trap wouldn''t really refuse to, his morality be damned.


    And so, it was with great pleasure that he managed to finally fall asleep¡­only to come face-to-face with Argo''s whiskered visage (Looking particularly cute in her sleepwear and with her eyes closed) the moment he woke up.


    "¡­why is she in my bed?" deadpanned the black-haired boy to no one in specific.


    "Only two beds. Had to share one. Played Rock, Paper, Scissors with Aa-chan for it." sleepily grumbled the Info Broker without opening her eyes, his ''Stats'' being the only thing that prevented the gamer from jumping and screaming in surprise at seeing she was awake.


    "¡­and why didn''t you share a bed with her instead?"


    "Said she wasn''t gonna after last night''s shenanigans."


    "¡­okay¡­but then why is SHE on my bed?" questioned Kirito with a twitching eyebrow while pointing behind him, where a fully asleep Asuna seemed to be unconsciously holding the back of his shirt, a pleased smile on her face making her look cuter than the last time he had seen her sleeping (More like passed out).


    "SHE is the one that ''lost'', despite me trying hard. Had to wait till she fell asleep before getting in bed." nonchalantly replied Argo without missing a beat.


    "¡­Argo, I think even you should know when you take teasing too far."


    "¡­who says I was teasing?" replied the whiskered girl with a suddenly serious tone, finally opening her eyes and looking straight into his. "I wasn''t totally joking yesterday, Kii-bou, I know you have been avoiding me, and now you''re going to go fight a Floor Boss. And¡­if it has to do with what you said that night in Tolbana, then¡­I want you to know I¡­don''t really think you''re¡­"


    "Argo." silenced the boy with a soft tone, putting a finger over her lips and making her heart skip a beat, suddenly painfully aware of how close they were and wondering if his smile had always seemed to almost glitter in her eyes. "I''m not going to die, okay? You should know better than anyone in here that I''m too stubborn to do so. And yes, I have been avoiding you, but believe me, it has nothing to do with what you think. I just¡­have been trying my best to keep myself alive while not being a hindrance to your work. That''s why I still provided you all the info I could in my messages. If it made you felt bad, though¡­forgive this idiot for his foolishness, my all-knowing lady. I swear it won''t happen again."


    "¡­yo-you better." mumbled the Info Broker before burying her face in his chest, resisting the urge to purr when he patted her head softly. "¡­stay safe, Kii-bou. And bring Aa-chan back in one piece too."


    "Heh, if you had seen her fight like I have, you would be asking her that, Argo." replied the gamer with a smile on his face¡­completely at odds with his inner state.


    "Holy shit I can''t believe I could also bullshit my way through that!" nearly-cried the swordsman while idly stroking his friend''s hair. "Things could have gotten bad if I had let her finish that first sentence! I can''t let this freaking power continue affecting Argo or anyone I¡­"


    [You completely moved her heart! You gained 10 Affection Points with Heroine Shiori!]


    [Congratulations! You unlocked the achievement: ''Headpats are the Key''! You gain +2 in Charm!]


    [Congratulations! You unlocked the Achievement: ''Bed Scene''! You gain +2 in Wisdom!]


    [Baths heal the soul! You gained 15 Affection Points with Heroine Asuna!]


    Only the fact that he was still holding Argo in his arms and Asuna was still holding his back stopped the gamer from crying out in despair, suddenly painfully aware of his position and actions.


    And seriously, why was it so easy to raise Affection with that girl?!


    Things were supposed to be easy once they parted ways with the Info Broker.


    Just head to Tolbana, join the group, head to the dungeon, ignore Diavel''s way too obvious attempts at keeping him away from the Boss and putting Kibaou to keep an eye on him, head into the Dungeon, kill the Adds together with Asuna and her amazing fighting ability which she had despite having never played a game or done any similar activity in her life while the main group dealt with the giant angry kobold¡­all easy.


    Which, of course, should have clued him that something was about to go catastrophically wrong. After all, as much as he didn''t want to think about it, he had apparently become the protagonist of a Dating Simulator disguised with a fantasy/adventure plot. And the fight against Illfang the Kobold Lord had all the markings of being an ''Important Event'', which meant it obviously had to have a dramatic twist at some point¡­


    And it, of course, happened at the worst moment.


    "Stay back, I will take care of it!" shouted a confident Diavel while rushing forward just as the Boss started changing weapons, but Kirito completely ignored the victorious look he sent his way in favor of staring towards the blade that the Kobold Lord had just unsheathed.


    "Oh, f.u.c.k me, that''s not a talwar! It''s a nodachi!" shouted the gamer with horror even as Asuna finished the last Add they had been fighting against, looking at him in confusion.


    "It''s not a what?"


    "Diavel, run!" screamed the swordsman just as everyone in the room seemed frozen in shock upon seeing Illfang unleashing his brutal omnidirectional Katana Skill, stunning all those that were still relatively close to him and then zeroing on the blue-haired ''Knight'', who was unable to react as the massive kobold pushed him back and then charged another skill. "Dammit!"


    Roaring at the top of his lungs, Kirito charged forward, despite knowing he wouldn''t make it in time. Everyone in the room suddenly seemed to have become morons and wasn''t doing anything but standing in place staring as death came towards their so-called ''leader'' in the form of a half a ton of angry Kobold Lord, and he had barely covered half the distance between¡­


    Asuna shot past him, like a shooting star. With her unreal speed and abusing the tip he had given her about the Linear Skill, she arrived beside the paralyzed Diavel in time to push him back a couple of steps, just enough to let him off the path of the incoming nodachi¡­and leaving herself directly on it thanks to her post-Skill cooldown.


    Time seemed to screech to a halt in the gamer''s eyes, and this time not literally, even as he saw the girl''s eyes widening at possibly having stopped shorter than she thought, fear starting to fill them¡­


    "NO!"


    [''To Protect that Smile'' has been activated!]


    And with that single and unseen declaration¡­the mighty Illfang the Kobold Lord tripped, the creature clearly as dumbfounded by the impossibility as everyone was as his Skill went out of control and, instead of bisecting Asuna, he just harmlessly passed over her, slamming against the opposite wall, impaling himself with his nodachi as he did so, and then roll back in a single motion, just as Kirito reached the rapier-user''s side and covered her with his arm, crouching down with her and raising his blade by reflex.


    Illfang''s momentum beautifully carried him to be decapitated by his sword under Diavel''s dumbfounded gaze, his already low HP unable to withstand the edge against his neck, the round body of the monster rolling past the pair and shattering into polygons.


    A message of ''Congratulations!'' that everyone could actually see filled the room, the short fanfare it caused quickly being followed by the cheer of every single player there, their objective complete even as the black-haired boy let out a breath he didn''t know he was holding and looked down at the wide-eyed girl beside him.


    "That was immensely reckless of you."


    [You gained 5 Affection Points with Heroine Asuna!]


    "I-I just¡­when I heard you screaming, I just had to try and help him¡­" mumbled Asuna while looking away from him, just in time to not see the suffering look in his face as he stared at the newest Notification.


    "Well, you still shouldn''t¡­"


    "YOU!" suddenly shouted Kibaou while walking over the pair, making them blink in surprise and Kirito to deadpan at him. "You knew about the Boss'' weapon from the beginning, right?! Why didn''t you say anything earlier?! You risked Diavel''s life!"


    "Ki-Kibaou, wait a¡­" tried to stop him Diavel, but the cactus-haired man wasn''t going to stop so easily.


    "You''re one of those dirty Beta Testers, right?! That''s how you knew it! You were trying to land the killing blow on the Boss to¡­"


    "Are you sure you''re okay, Asuna?" questioned the gamer to everyone''s shock, completely ignoring the now frozen man as he helped the chestnut-haired girl to her feet.


    "E-eh? Ye-yes, I am¡­?"


    "Thank God." muttered the boy just loud enough for everyone close to hear him, relief clearly noticeable in his voice. "I don''t know what I would have done if something happened to you."


    The girl''s face lit up like a Christmas tree, while Kibaou''s own changed color because of anger.


    "Are you ignoring me, you f.u.c.k.i.n.g Beta Tes¡­?"


    "Okay, first of all, shut up." growled Kirito while turning to give a sideways look to the cactus-haired man, making him stop at the sheer weight and hostility in his gaze. "Second, yes, I am a Beta Tester, but I had no idea Illfang would have that weapon, otherwise I would have said so because, unlike other people, I don''t care about a goddamn drop item over actual lives. The only reason I knew that blade was so dangerous compared to his original one was that I saw monsters using them on upper floors. But you know what? I don''t care about your opinion or your accusations at all, because I almost saw my partner here dying if it wasn''t because of sheer dumb luck, after she risked herself to save that ''knight'' of yours."


    "Wha¡­you¡­!" tried to rebut Kibaou, everyone watching the exchange with quite the intensity, even as the gamer quite easily silenced him again.


    "No, I have no more words for you, not after Asuna almost got killed because Diavel-san here couldn''t stick to his own damn strategy just to try and get the Last Hit Bonus himself. In fact¡­you know what?" as he said those words, the black-haired boy quickly operated his menu and, before everyone''s eyes, materialized some sort of black coat in his hands¡­which he quickly crumpled into a ball and threw at Diavel''s face with a snarl, the piece of equipment hitting the paralyzed man straight in the face and sending him back-first to the ground, to the clearer''s absolute shock. "There, there is your stupid Rare Drop. Keep it and choke on it if you want, but never again do something that could put Asuna in danger directly or indirectly, or we will have problems. Take it as a friendly warning from a fellow Beta Tester."


    Not giving anyone time to say anything else, Kirito turned around and walked towards the stairs heading for the next Floor, half-dragging Asuna by the hand even as the seemingly mute girl did her best to follow him.


    No one even tried to stop them as they disappeared upstairs, all eyes immediately falling in the open-mouthed Kibaou and the silent Diavel, who was staring dumbfounded from where the pair had disappeared to the Coat of Midnight in his hands.


    Meanwhile, halfway up to the next Floor¡­the black-haired boy still kept his straight serious face while, in his mind, he was practically shouting.


    "OMG, I can''t believe I just did that! I took care of that whole conversation no problem!" all but cheered the gamer while doing his best to keep his composure. "I can''t believe it, but just because I was referring to Asuna, and probably because I had her at my side, I could talk back to that cactus-headed idiot like a Boss!"


    If the swordsman had to put it in a way easier for his mind to understand, it was probably something along the lines of a ''game exploit'', basically letting him use his ''Dating Stats'' against others just by addressing a ''Heroine''. The number of ways in which that could be applied was staggering, his gamer mind already thinking of how¡­


    [Congratulations! You unlocked the achievement ''Not a Beater''! You gain +3 in Wisdom]


    [Congratulations! You unlocked the achievement ''Not in Black''! You gain +2 in Charm!]


    [Congratulations! You unlocked the achievement ''Derailed Destiny''! Secret Routes Unlocked!]


    ¡­okay, for some reason, all of that sounded both ominous and strangely annoying for Kirito. Also, what the hell was a Beater?


    "Ki-Kirito-kun¡­" mumbled a familiar voice behind him, the boy almost choking on virtual air at realizing he had been dragging Asuna with him the whole time.


    "Ah, so-sorry about that, Asuna, I got a bit carried away¡­" apologized the gamer while letting go of her hand¡­and realizing SHE was the now the one holding his, though she didn''t seem too aware of the fact given how she kept avoiding his gaze. "Uh?"


    "I¡­I''m the one who should be apologizing. I didn''t know I had worried you s-so much¡­" whispered the chestnut-haired girl while looking shyly towards him, a healthy blush adorning her face as she offered him an uncertain smile. "It''s the first time¡­anyone says anything like that for me."


    [You melted her heart in record time! You gain +1 in Charm!]


    [You gained 20 Affection Points with Heroine Asuna!]


    By that point, they had both already arrived at the door leading to the 2nd Floor, and the light of the sun coming down through the suddenly opening door blinding Asuna long enough for her not to see how Kirito paled while staring open-mouthed at the Notification.


    "Ah¡­huh, so this is how the next floor looks like, uh?" commented the rapier-user with a smile while looking around at the plains covered in boulders with some cliffs all around. "You know¡­I think I''m starting to understand what you¡­eh? Kirito-kun?!"


    The reason for the girl''s shout probably had to do with the fact that the aforementioned gamer was sprinting away from her as fast as his legs allowed, not even bothering to look back at her call.


    "Sorry, got to go activate the Floor''s Teleport Gate so that everyone down there knows we beat the Boss, can''t waste even a single second!" hurriedly shouted back the swordsman, glad that she couldn''t see the panicked look in his face.


    Sadly for him, it seemed Kirito had forgotten Asuna was, in fact, faster than him, which he was cheerfully reminded of when she sprinted past him and told him to lead the way towards the town. The gamer did his best not to groan.


    But seriously, why the hell was it so easy to raise Affection with that girl?!


    [Next Scene]: Elves are an Important Eroge Trope


    Author''s Notes: Why indeed, Kirito. Is almost as if some higher power was trying to tell you something about her¡­too bad he''s not even as remotely willing to hear it out unlike his canon self XD


    Hope you had fun with the chapter, people! I was a bit iffy about some parts, but overall I think it ended up looking pretty well. Writing Argo was especially fun, even if having Early Aincrad/Progressive Asuna react to Eroge!Kirito''s ''unintentional'' smoothness was hilarious too :P ''Poor'' guy, he doesn''t even realize this is just the beginning, heh :P


    We got some clues/hints about future events in here, and also some funny setups. Also got to see a bit of how absurd Kirito''s trademark ''Skill'' can manifest itself, which hope you had fun with¡­we got more Klein as a result!


    And well, with that said, that is all for today :3 Next time, we get more Dating Sim shenanigans, timeskips, Kirito starting to lose it even more and a certain Dark Elf shows up¡­


    Till then, though, this is Saint, signing off!

 Chapter 311 - My SI Stash #11 - Journey of A Visitor by UncrowdedKingofAsh (Pokemon)

    -Recently uploaded SI Pokemon fic~ Pretty glad to see more of these as they are kind of rare. Eevee as our MC''s starter, so here''s to hoping we get a Sylveon, the best eeveelution there is!


    Synopsis: SI gets sent to the Pokemon world. What''s the worst that could happen? Well, off the top of my head, getting inter-dimensionally kidnapped by a literal god, getting chased by every poison type under the sun, everyone''s mother hating you for some reason, and a prude of a starter that won''t even let me curse! My dreams of becoming Champion of Sinnoh die a little more each day.Rated: MWords: 18KPosted on: fanfiction.net/s/13599958/1/Journey-of-A-Visitor (UncrowdedKingofAsh)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à) -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    As a kid, I always wanted to become a Pokemon Trainer. Get a Piplup, Catch a Riolu and train a Lucario to absolutely decimate Sinnoh, and end up as its champion. Sinnoh was my favorite region, in the games and in the anime, so it''d have to be there if anywhere.


    Now that I was in the middle of my teenage years, my dreams of becoming Champion had died away when I became cognitive enough to realize that things in games and cartoons aren''t real. But out of all my crushed dreams, Pokemon was the one I stuck with because it was still hella fun; no matter how watered-down the difficulty had become.


    Why am I reminiscing so much? Well, you end up isekai''d and stranded in a forest the second you walk outside your house, you end up feeling a bit nostalgic, alright?


    I had packed up for a camping trip with my friends, some of which were going to end up moving out of the area, so this was treated as one last hoorah, and a chance to get shitfaced and maybe pity-laid for the rest of them. Me? I was just going to get shitfaced and hang around the people who were going to inevitably get even drunker than I was so I can egg them into doing some dumb shit.


    I had snickered and smirked the whole time I had packed, thinking of what pranks I could pull on those impressionable lemmings. I had ended up with multiple sets of clothes, with food, a flashlight, my phone, a backup battery, headphones, and the Swiss Army Knife in my olive jacket, to prepare for any Slasher movie shenanigans, as I was on a trip surrounded by mostly white people, and I was not going to be the one of African descent that gets immediately killed like the victim of some ethnic cleansing.


    So, imagine my surprise when the second I stepped out the door, I was suddenly in a forest surrounded by buzzing bugs and chirping birds.


    So, which Slasher movie villain can do that?!


    I blinked, and quickly turned behind me, where the door to my house used to be. Instead, I saw the rest of the clearing behind me, with weird-looking berry bushes.


    Now, in my nerd brain, I only had two possible explanations. I either discovered the ability to fast travel, or I am living out the fantasy of every otaku, and have been inter-dimensionally kidnapped into a world where cool shit exists.


    This is either amazing or going to end up killing me, isn''t it?


    I began to scan the area, hoping to find the tutorial NPC for this place, when a loud buzzing broke through my concentration.


    A buzzing that was progressively getting louder.


    Using the power of my bloodline, I ran the hell away and into the trees. And away from the completely unmuffled noise from the insects whose size I never wanted to find out.


    As I ran from them, I heard them f.u.c.k.i.n.g speak!


    "Bee..."


    "...Drill?"


    Many questions were both answered and raised at that moment. I was in the world of Pokemon! Being chased by a Poison-type with arms that could probably pierce through a car! Man am I glad I''m not a f.u.c.k.i.n.g idiot.


    Though, how and why can the literal insects sing-song their names in a way that absolutely terrifies me? As well as still follow me through this dense-ass forest when I''ve been getting bitch slapped by almost every branch I''ve come across?!


    Then, to top off my misery, I end up tripping in a fashion so unimaginably exaggerated that I end up sprawling into the dirt. F.u.c.k you too, forest.


    With potentially murderous Beedrill hot on my trail while I was still smarting from my impromptu flight, I noticed something I could''ve run past without ever noticing.


    A shrub that looked like it took steroids. It was absolutely massive and big enough to hide my body, and hopefully scent as well if the scent of wildflowers was anything to go by.


    When I imagined adventuring through the Pokemon world, army crawling into the shrubbery to escape impalement from one of the weakest Pokemon types was not what I had in mind.


    When I ended up underneath it, that sweet smell multiplied tenfold, making me gag. I was never big on sweets, and this was way sweeter than frosting.


    Ignoring my bitching, I dragged myself completely underneath the plant so some stray limb didn''t stick out and alert my pursuers. I guess all the retconning I did in movies was worth it.


    ... I only do that at home, with people who did not pay to watch those movies.


    "Vee?" I turn my head in time to gaze into an Eevee''s amber eyes. My eyes scan the place I barged into. I identified a pile of half-eaten berries on the ground where the smell was strongest and the fact that this entire bush was elevated to accommodate the width of my body and the height of this Pokemon.


    Great, I just broke into a Pokemon''s house. Really living up to the standards of a champion.


    "Sorry, some Beedrill are after me, I''ll get out of your... fur." It f.u.c.k.i.n.g nodded. God, talking to animals that understand you is weird! Well, when in Rome...


    Before I could even twitch, a very spear-like appendage stabbed through the leaves covering the Pokemon and I. It went flying up with it, chuckling its name as a second one aimed its spear-hands at me. Why would it-


    "F.u.c.kf.u.c.kf.u.c.kf.u.c.kf.u.c.k-" Without thinking I rolled away from the spot that was now riddled with Poison Stings, scooped up the Eevee who I had inadvertently rendered homeless into my arms, and ran like the wind. With the stunned buzzing fading away behind me, they weren''t expecting me to go from belly down to Usain Bolt in less than two seconds.


    Somehow I ran through the forest better than before, probably because my fight or flight instinct went overtime. Then, I remember I had a passenger and looked down at the Eevee struggling in my arms. That was when it decided to bite my thumb.


    The constant stream of profanities that came from my mouth only made it bite down harder. Then, the buzzing came back as I began to lose steam. Great, just what I needed, more Pokemon who want to attack me! What could possibly make this day any better?!


    Well, when the Eevee heard the buzzing pick up, it stopped biting at my hand and started shouting its name at me. While adorable, I had to remind it I didn''t speak Pokemon.


    "Eevee, I can''t understand what you''re saying! Eevee for run faster, Vee for watch out."


    "VEE!"


    Well, that made things simpler. A quick look ahead showed nothing obvious, so that leaves-


    A side-step sent a Beedrill hurtling into the ground and all the rock it hopefully got impaled by rocks. Better it than me.


    A quick shout of thanks was drowned out by an "EEVEE!"


    So, he forced himself to sprint forward as a noticeable tick-tick-tick was heard behind him.


    The first thing he learned about the Pokemon World: He hated Beedrill. And probably most other bug types.


    Another "VEE!" sent him out of his inner grumblings as he looked ahead. There was something neither tree brown nor plant green. He impulsively ran forwards, hoping someone who could fight this Beedrill was there-


    Just to be send sky high by another tree root. God damn forests.


    Well, as my fellow victim and I tumbled through the air, I noted the fact that a bunch of poison stings were flying right where I would have been if I hadn''t tripped. So, silver lining.


    Then one of the Stings ricocheted of a random rock and into my arm. Nevermind, f.u.c.k you Mother Nature.


    Once again skidding against the ground, which burned my arm to no end, it seemed this was the end of the line for me and the stunned Eevee in my arms. Well, at least the ethnically diverse cast member isn''t dying first.


    ... Shit.


    Starring up at the red-eyed bee, it''s spear-hands gleaming with energy, only one thought crossed my mind.


    I''m about to be killed by a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Bug-Type! Well, at least this one has a Mega Evolution...


    As the Beedrill prepared its finisher, a blotch of gray moved in my peripheral vision. Suddenly, the coldest breeze I''d ever felt came rushing towards me, and the Beedrill was hit with an Ice Beam. It was super effective, and the Beedrill fainted on impact.


    I was very glad the twitching insect before me didn''t end up killing me because that was just embarrassing. I gratefully looked up at my savior, a gray, snooty looking cat with a tail that looked like a spring.


    The second thing I learned about Pokemon; Cats hate Beedrill too.


    I was just saved by a literal house cat. Suddenly being killed by a rampaging Poison-type didn''t seem so embarrassing.


    "Thanks for saving us, Glameow," I said, noting the tilting of the Pokemon''s head. "But I''ve been hit with a Poison Sting, so could you take me..." Is it bad that I was about to say owner? Well, I''m blaming culture shock for that one.


    "... To someone who knows what I should do with this?" I asked, using the hand wrapped around Eevee to point at the stinger embedded in my arm. God that looked almost as bad as it felt. There was purple poison leaking from the hole, and it reminded me of battery acid in a way I did not appreciate.


    The cat nodded at me, then walked up to me. Was it going to use a move to cure me? I don''t remember one that could-It then Yawned in my face, and as I yawned in return I fell asleep.


    "AAAH-" I screamed, went upright, and went to grab the source of my pain when a hand grabbed my left wrist.


    I turned to see... Dawn from Pokemon?


    My shock then reverted to understanding when I remembered I was kidnapped. God that sounds like I''ve developed Stockholm Syndrome.


    She gave me a look of concern mixed with pity. I broke her gaze when I turned to see my arm, bleeding but no longer oozing toxins so that''s a step up. And the one who held the needle was Dawn''s Mom, who''s haircut looked as awful as ever. Seriously, a bowl-cut? C''mon woman, have some standards.


    "So, which one of you owns the Glameow?" I asked, mostly to stop the two of them from giving me those concerned stares again. It made me feel like I f.u.c.k.i.e.d up and got injured.


    "Me." Said Dawn''s Mother. I obviously knew that already, but what else am I supposed to say? ''You have a shit haircut,''? Maybe after I ensure she''s healed me I can start ridiculing her.


    "What kind of idiot are you?" Ok, maybe now was the time to insult her hair. "Why in the world you go back there, the forest is sectioned off in that area for a reason! You and your Eevee could have been killed just for entering the Beedrills'' territory."


    "Excuse me," I said in an attempt to defend myself. "But in case you weren''t aware, I am not from here, and have no idea how I got in there. I was walking out of my house one moment, and was in that f.u.c.k.i.n.g forest the next."


    Apparently Dawn didn''t take to my swearing, if the sudden tightening of her wrist is anything to go by. Neither did her mother, by her slamming the needle onto the table next to the bed I was currently laying in.


    "Excuse you, I''m the one who had taken you and your Pokemon to keep the both of you from dying, so you should watch your mouth here." I hated her tone. I hate it when anyone talks down to me, and I hate being treated like a child. But, acting angry because she wasn''t treating me fairly was exactly what a child would do. So, I inhaled deeply and exhaled. That always cleared my head.


    "I''m sorry, but today has been extremely shi- shoddy. I appreciate the assistance, and- What''s wrong with Eevee?" In case you hadn''t guessed by now, I am easily distracted when I am not focusing. She raised her blue eyebrow at me condescendingly, but I was already over her reprimanding attitude.


    "Your Eevee was poisoned as well, though through a much shallower wound and much longer ago. That a trademark of those Beedrill in that forest, as there aren''t any Pecha berries in that forest, so if you didn''t have any items, you''d have to either escape or die trying. So, my daughter and I had to use our Antidotes on it and some medicine for you. Now, let''s make sure you don''t die before we play twenty questions." Suddenly, I was remember of the pile of half-eaten berries in Eevee''s now non-existent home.


    I nodded, and laid back down to let the anime women do their thing. Translating features from anime to real life was supposedly difficult, but both of their skin was as smooth as it was when it was just a solid color. Wait, how do I look compared to them?


    All wondering burned away as my wound was filled with medicine and disinfectants. I grit my teeth, trying to ease my mind away from the pain. Soon enough, I had my arm cleaned and bandaged. It now only hurt like the first circle of hell to move my right arm. Too bad I''m right-handed.


    "Alright, time for twenty questions yet?" I asked, rubbing my hand over the bandages at the kitchen table. The two of them rolled their eyes at me, but nodded. We had decided to have the conversation in a place where I was upright, and we all learned that I was the tallest one there.


    "Cool, what region am I in?" Their nonplussed attitude evaporated at the question.


    "Uh, we''re in Sinnoh," Dawn answered me. I sighed; it was just for clarity''s sake, but at least it cleared up one thing. This was all Palkia''s fault.


    "Is Cynthia still the champion?" They nodded. Ok, making sure I wasn''t in an AU or crashing into someone''s fanfic.


    "Has Professor Rowan given out the starters this year?" Dawn''s eyes widened at that.


    "How did you... No, he''s giving them out in about 2 weeks." Ok, so two weeks before Ash comes and Rowan makes Dawn go and retrieve Pikachu for him.


    "What''s your connection to Professor Rowan?" I asked the soon-to-be Coordinator.


    "Uh, I work as his assistant." Ok, so AU of anime mixed with games.


    "Who''s the current champion of Kanto?" This time, Dawn''s mom narrowed her eyes at me.


    "Red." That actually doesn''t help.


    "Who''s the champion of Johto?"


    "Lance." Ok, so no manga, which is sad.


    "Where''s Eevee?"


    "Lying in Dawn''s room." Answered Miss Dawn''s Mom. God, does no one in this franchise have a father?!


    "Could you get it for me?" I asked both of them.


    "Why?"


    "Because I feel uncomfortable enough being nursed to health by a mother and her teenage daughter, and I would rather get hit with 100 Poison Stingers than go into a teenage girl''s room whose mother I''d just inadvertently cussed out," I explained with fake severity. Dawn snorted at it, and I chuckled dryly.


    "Dawn dear, you get it." Don''t want your daughter to deal with a strange man on her own? Good mom. The teenager walked up and into the house, I had no idea how to navigate.


    "So," the mother I still had to deal with asked, "Why were you in that forest?" She leaned forward and looked at me with her most serious look yet.


    "I got teleported/kidnapped and that was the place I ended up." She snorted, similar to her daughter, though her amus.e.m.e.nt was less founded.


    "Teleported by which Pokemon that can''t use it that lives in that forest? The Beedrill, or your Eevee." I feel like I''m being interrogated.


    "Neither, obviously. I''d say it''d take an extremely powerful Pokemon to take me here from where I was."


    "Oh? And what Pokemon would that be?" She asked me condescendingly. C''mon, am I really that untrustworthy that you feel the need to interrogate me the second your daughter leaves the immediate vicinity? And I thought NPCs in Pokemon were nice.


    "I''ll give you a hint, it starts with a P and is the God of Space." She then slammed her fists on the table. I''m surprised none of her furniture has a permanent fist mark on it yet from how often she does that.


    "Tauros-shit. Why in the hell would Palkia want to drop you in some forest in Sinnoh when you''re obviously from somewhere else!" And Dawn was offended by my cursing for what reason?


    "Because I live in a region where Pokemon don''t exist." She then gave me a look completely different from anything she''d done so far. Not concern, not irritation, not mistrust, but the look you give someone that you aren''t sure is not insane.


    "That is the worst lie I''ve ever heard." She finally muttered.


    "Do I look like I''m lying? Besides, that Eevee isn''t even my Pokemon." She raised an eyebrow at that.


    "Well that isn''t surprising, compared to the whole ''Pokemon Aren''t Real'' lie you''re spitting. If you live in a place where Pokemon don''t exist, then how do you know what a champion is? Or what it means to own a Pokemon?" She questioned. If I wasn''t so good at faking emotions I would be sweating bullets.


    "Well, not exist isn''t exactly the best term for what it is. More like, Pokemon don''t live in my region, but we know the general knowledge about them. Like Pokeballs and Legendaries or whatever. They''re just extinct where I live."


    "Then explain how you know Professor Rowan." She instantly pounced on the weak point in my arguments, but it was a trap.


    "If I know a region and I know it''s Champion, I would believe it wouldn''t be a stretch to think I''d know it''s Professor as well." God what the hell is taking Dawn so long to get Eevee? Hurry up! Your mom''s going to murder me if you don''t get here fast!


    "..." She looked as if she''s processing this. I hope she crashes because this is way too stressful for the beginning of a Pokemon journey. Oh, you''ve been dropped into a world of childlike wonder and fantasy, where the power of friendship is a legitimate ability! Good luck being interrogated by a single mother after being turned into a human pincushion!


    "...I guess that makes sense." I waited, expecting more questions to bullshit my way through. But, none came. I sighed in relief.


    "What''s got you so relieved?"


    "I don''t know, maybe the fact I''ve been freed from a mother''s interrogation and the fact that Dawn can now finally bring Eevee in here," I answered, looking into the hallway I knew Dawn had gone and eavesdropped on us. A small eep escaped from the hallway, and I leaned back in my chair smugly while Dawn came in with Eevee. I would be upset that she''d left me in here to suffer by the hands of her mom, but the look said mom was giving her meant that I''d gotten my payback.


    She sat down with Eevee on her lap, who immediately turned to me and Eevee''d something I didn''t understand. Whatever it was, caused Glameow to laugh from wherever she was in the house.


    "I don''t know what you said, but I''m going to assume it was an insult you Pocket Monster." I narrowed my eyes at the Pokemon, who looked oddly smug. Then the cat walked in from wherever it was and talked at it''s owner, who snorted.


    "Eevee apparently said, ''You better not have sworn while I was gone.'' It really knows you too well." Apparently being insulted by a fox is enough to lift the mood. But, I still had one question.


    "So, why are you both so suspicious of me?" Dawn took her turn at looking at me like I was an idiot.


    "You had a knife in your jacket." Oooohhh. Makes sense.


    "Ok, so this is a big misunderstanding then. The Swiss Army knife is actually camping gear, and it isn''t just a knife. It''s also- I''m getting sidetracked again." I clicked my tongue and shook my head. I need to reign that in eventually.


    Instead of contemplating I looked at the Eevee. God (Or is it Arceus now?) give me some luck for this shitty day. You owe me.


    "Hey, Eevee, got a quick question for ya." A curious look for everyone in the room followed me. God I hate asking people for things, even more so when we have an audience.


    "Vee?" It tilted its head at me. Arceus that''s so cute.


    "So, let''s say a guy gets stranded in a world where everyone''s goal is to be the very best like no one ever was. And his goal is- Alright I give, you wanna be my Pokemon and train to beat Cynthia?" I asked bluntly.


    Eevee narrows its eyes at me ever so slightly, and I now recognize it as the ''I''m an idiot'' stare. It then exhales and tries to jump onto my lap from Dawn''s. Eevee falls down in the middle of the gap between us.


    "Ok, guess that''s what we''ve gotta iron out first," I say gruffly, with my audience snickering around me. I get out of my chair and pick up the slightly humiliated fox in both my arms.


    "Well, it looks like I''ve caught an Eevee," I say with a ghost of a smile.


    After staying the night in a guest room, with a very cautious Glameow guarding the door while I try and fail to converse with a sleepy Eevee, I finish our game of twenty questions for all the information I need to start my journey.


    Apparently, the starters that Professors give are earned from having the highest grades in the Trainer''s School, while all the Youngsters and Students gain starters from graduating from there, though the starters there are usually just pest-like Pokemon. Like Ratatas and Zigzagoons. Though, most other trainers are given Pokemon by their relatives or buy one.


    Yeah, for all the talk of friendship and treating Pokemon as equals, breeders exist and sell Pokemon who have matured enough to no longer need their parents or anything similar. Still, that also told me another thing; People don''t need a Trainer''s license to become trainers.


    Though, it is commonly agreed that getting a license is the superior route to become a trainer. As it gives a monthly stipend for combating wild Pokemon and taming them, as well as protecting random people and towns along the way, it is a superior source of income to a Non-Licensed Trainer. Also, fun fact, Licensed Trainers are the ones who get to use the Pokemon Centers for free. Everyone else who uses it ends up inadvertently increasing their taxes or just straight up paying the fees. Ha, sucks to be those guys.


    As an American, when I heard free healthcare I was already on board. And for my Pokemon too? Say less.


    The only reason that Non-licensed trainers even existed is that this is essentially elementary school. Aka, it takes forever to begin. Think of Non-Licensed trainers as people who have been homeschooled, and who can''t afford the fee for the exam that the schools pay for themselves.


    So, you think I''m f.u.c.k.i.e.d sideways from this, don''t you?


    Well, I am amazing at cramming for tests, and besides, I''ve played every Pokemon game (Except Galar). I think I can handle it.


    The thing I can''t handle, most likely, is begging Professor Rowan to pay for me to take the exam.


    Y''see, I packed a multitude of things when I prepared to go camping. Money for the Pokemon World was not one of them. And the worst part is, this place''s money works like Yen.


    I don''t know how to forge yen. I don''t even know what the regular prices for things in yen actually are! The best I can do is compare to USD and pray to Lord Helix that I don''t get robbed blind.


    So here I am, six hours after I left Dawn''s place, to beg for the opportunity to learn from an old white man.


    I hate it when history repeats itself. Especially at the expense of my pride.


    To be honest, this seems a lot more like a Professor''s lab than it was in the games. Mostly by the fact it''s gigantic, with windmills and solar panels surrounding the place. Guess Rowan is all about green energy, huh?


    I rapped my knuckles against the glass panel door and waited. There wasn''t a doorbell I could ring, and I already moved enough to disturb the sleep of the Eevee in my arms. Right, need Pokeballs too. I don''t want any evil Teams chucking Ultra Balls to catch my only ''Mon.


    So, as I wait here, I look at the shaking mess of hazel fur cradled in my arms. Eevee apparently needs a lot of sleep to work off the poison that was in his system. I remembered the berries in his old home. He was probably devouring any berry he could find to cure his poisoning. Right, him.


    Before anyone assumes anything weird, I asked him if he was a boy or a girl, a la Professor Oak.


    ... So many Pokemon references no one will understand here. It''s enough to make a man cry. Like how long it''s taking for someone to answer the f.u.c.k.i.n.g door-


    Apparently, cursing mentally is a great way to make things happen, because a brown-haired girl in a lab coat opened the door. She looked at me like I was some statistic she wanted to solve and dispose of as quickly as possible.


    "Yeah, can I speak with Professor Rowan please?" She sighed deeply, and I could tell this was going to be taxing.


    "Of course you want to speak with Professor Rowan. Why couldn''t you stop to think that maybe I knew that''s who you wanted-"


    "Miss, I hate to interrupt your venting, but am I the person who you really want to vent to, or am I just the replacement because you can''t be bothered to yell at the actual source of your frustrations." That shut her up. She narrowed her eyes at me, then sighed.


    "You''re right, sorry. Just... people are-"


    "Absolute d.i.c.kheads? You betcha." Apparently Eevee wasn''t as asleep as he seemed, because he immediately bit my thumb again. God, he''s such a prude. Still, I held my tongue and gestured at the bane of my existence.


    "Now, may I please speak to Professor Rowan, before my Eevee decides to turn me into his personal chew toy." That got a quick laugh out of her, and she waved me inside. I tore my gaze from her exceptionally long ponytail to look around.


    The inside was full of machines and tubing and paperwork, with a distinct lack of assistants to manage said paperwork.


    "Wow, I''m glad I''m not a scientist," I said bluntly, which made my guide mutter something that vaguely sounded like she wished wasn''t one.


    Eventually, after stepping over some wires that would, and I quote, resemble my god damn atoms, we made our way to Rowan''s office. She didn''t even bother knocking, and just barged in with no hesitation.


    "Dad," DAD?!"You have another visitor."


    The (Sinnoh) Pokemon Professor looked up from a file and narrowed his eyes at me. I stared ahead, with my usual apathetic demeanor, which made him turn to his apparent daughter.


    "Really? I''m surprised you didn''t rip his head off his shoulders."


    "Let''s not assume she didn''t try," I said immediately. I''m sorry, I have an aptitude for banter. Rowan immediately returned his gaze to me.


    "Oh, and praytell, visitor, what have you come here for? Do you want one of my starters? I''m sorry to say I already have three takers for those, so you can be on your way." The dismissive attitude told me he gets that same question far too many times to bother making a new response for them. So, I just raise my Prude of an Eevee in front of him.


    "Don''t need one, already got this guy," I said, absentmindedly copying the scene from Lion King with my Pokemon. That seemed to get his attention.


    "Oh finally, someone who doesn''t want one of my Pokemon. Thank Arceus." The Professor said, slouching back into his office chair. "Now, tell me lad, what is it do you want if not that?"


    "I want to take the Trainer''s Exam," I said, and that gained his actual attention.


    "I''m sorry to say that a Non-Licensed Trainer cannot gain a license after they have caught a Pokemon." He said, white eyebrow raised in interest.


    "Good thing I don''t have any Pokeballs. This guy is caught only in name, so you can see why I want to be a trainer so no one can steal him right out from under me." I held back a snicker as I saw Rowan''s increased interest in me. Apparently, being able to catch a Pokemon without a ball is extremely rare, so they''ll see me and the money it''d take to pay for the exam as an investment.


    "Hm, well I would be more than honored to let a trainer of such potential." Easy peasy, now he''ll pay for me to take the exam and-


    "Darla, my dear, could you take him to a testing room and set him up with the newest iteration of the Trainer''s License Exam?" Wait what? What kind of father names their daughter Darla? I half expect her to spit into a spitoon and pull out a shotgun. Or am I just being prejudice?


    Damn, I am aren''t I? Fine, keep an open mind, or something.


    Also, he can just give me the test? Wow, thanks for informing me of that little detail, DAWN!


    Darla Rowan just nodded and walked out of the room as I followed. I was kinda hoping to study a bit, because this is an AU and I have no f.u.c.k.i.n.g clue what got altered from canon. Hell, Ash might not exist for all I know! Wait, if he didn''t then the world would''ve been destroyed before I even got here. So I do know that Ash is alive.


    Maybe I have this test in the bag.


    F.u.c.k this test. Why the f.u.c.k does a test on how to be a Pokemon trainer have 75 questions?!


    It wasn''t like they were difficult for a PokeNerd on my level, but the answers were written out. And everyone knows the Writing Exams are the most tedious to accomplish, and in one sitting no less.


    And here I was, in the last stretch of this exam. 3 questions left.


    73: Mew is an extremely rare Pokemon, the forefather of every Pokemon, as they develop from its form into what they are known as today. What makes this Pokemon a Legendary instead of a Mythical Pokemon?


    God, how do people in this world even know the answer to this question? Well, a free answer is a free answer.


    The most likely answer for that is that Mew is a Pokemon that can learn every Move imaginable, from the Aura Sphere to Dragon''s Ascent. As well as the fact that Legendary Pokemon are known to be stronger than every other type of Pokemon out there, though not to say they are unbeatable.


    74: In the Kalos Region, multiple stones are found nearby colonies of select Pokemon. They are known as Mega Stones. Explain how they function in the process known as Mega Evolution.


    Alright, time to show everyone why Game Freak should have stuck with Mega Evolution instead of Z-Moves and Dynamaxing.


    Mega Stones are known as a Pokemon''s version of a Key Stone and are just as necessary to Mega Evolution as the Mega Ring. Mega Evolution is a process known to be accessible only to certain Pokemon, and only if that Pokemon has a strong bond with their trainer. It is known that Mega Stones are used as mediums to concentrate the bond of the holder and its Trainer to turn their relationship into physical power. Mega Stones are specific to the breed of Pokemon, ex: A Lucarionite cannot be used by anything other than a Lucario. Although, I have a theory that Key Stones are actually the Human Equivalent of a Mega Stone, in practice that would beg the question that two Pokemon would be able to Mega Evolve with their own bond, and without a Trainer. As well as the fact that the usage of Key Stones have no effect on humans. Though, maybe it is just the effect of how the Mega Ring is constructed that makes it so the Key Stone has no effect.


    In case you couldn''t tell, I really love Mega Evolution as a concept. Alright, final question.


    75: What is the catch rate of the elusive Master Ball?


    Ah, trick question. Nice try, but get that shit outta here.


    Unlike the common consensus that the Master Ball has a 100% catch rate, it actually has a 99.99% catch rate. So, while it may feel like it always works, there is an impossibly slim chance of the capture to fail, and if this ball is used on a Legendary or the like... Well, just pray the 00.01% isn''t you.


    As I finish the test, and crack my back against the chair I''ve been stuck in for two hours, I have to say that this test was a nice brain teaser for me. I feel only good things coming from this.


    As I hit the final button to record all my answers, a thought occurs. If a human could Mega Evolve... what would happen to them?


    Eh, it probably wouldn''t work. Besides, it''s a fact that humans and Pokemon are completely separate things. You don''t hear me going around chanting my name for all to hear.


    What''s the worse that could-


    Oh shit. I hope things only happen when you think the entire sentence.


    Who am I kidding, I''m f.u.c.k.i.e.d.


    SI-OC coming through, make way.


    I hope I haven''t disappointed you all too much with this. I''m just doing this because I want a fun story that I can f.u.c.k around with. Besides, sometimes writing about your self can be as insightful as it is fun.


    Thank you all for reading, and I''ll see you later


    Off to FF.net for more~!

 Chapter 312 - My OC Stash #12 - The Sociopathy Of Uchiha Sasuke by Sir Lucifer Morningstar (Naruto)

    Darker and edgier than the DCU ?


    >Torture p.o.r.n ?


    >5Head, all part of the keikaku MC ?


    Must be a Sir Lucifer Morningstar fic lol/


    Synopsis: ...because you can''t simply use Tsukuyomi on a bloody seven-year-old and not expect serious consequences.


    Rated: M


    Words: 24K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13093409/1/The-Sociopathy-Of-Uchiha-Sasuke/ (Sir Lucifer Morningstar)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Prologue + Chapter


    This story is because:


    A. Was feeling a bit repetitive with my continuous Gamer/SI fics, and


    B. Decided to branch out into another type of story in order to spice up my writing.


    Not gonna take much precedence, since I''m just ''experimenting'' with this idea.


    But, hey, this is my first ever fic on this site that deals with an actual canon character as the MC. I chose Sasuke because there is no f.u.c.k.i.n.g way I can write Ninja-Jesus-Naruto as the MC of my story without making it a Dark!Naruto fic. Ah, but Sasuke (with some creative license) is right up my alley.


    Without further adieu, the warnings:


    WARNING! This story contains instances and/or mentions of assault, psychological torture, regular torture, ****, underaged s.e.x, manipulation, gaslighting, dubious consent, drugs, self-harm and/or mutilation, and stuff that is considered almost as edgy as Batman V Superman. You will be disturbed, perturbed, and curse the day your mother decided to birth you.


    You have been warned.


    The Sociopathy of Uchiha Sasuke


    ¡­because you can''t simply use Tsukuyomi on a bloody seven-year-old and not expect serious consequences.


    Prologue


    How many times had it been now?


    "Foolish little brother."


    How long had it been?


    "Sasuke-kun! Run!"


    "Mikoto!"


    He wasn''t sure. What was time to him, anyway?


    "This is so I can test the limits of my ability."


    He said that¡­ but¡­ did it really matter?


    Hey¡­ Ni-san, does your limit really matter?


    Steel.


    Blood.


    Tears.


    Screams.


    The same cycle, repeated, endlessly. The manner in which they repeated was never the same. In some versions, his mother and father fought back. In others, they sat still and let the blade sink through their necks, the blood falling unto the floor, their bodies following. In the rarest versions, even he was crying as he killed them. Sometimes it was blood. Other times, tears. The mish-mash of different ways made him wonder which was real. Which was fake, which was real, he didn''t know. He stopped trying to find out.


    In terms of life experience, his combined time under the jutsu was far longer than the actual number of years he had been alive. Or, at least, it felt longer. Wasn''t it longer? It should be. He wasn''t sure anymore. His seven years of life experience felt meagre in comparison to the amount of years he''d been watching the endless cycle of his parent''s death by the hands of the one person he admired the most.


    His throat felt nonexistent. There was an itch. It was irritating, and it came with a sound that made little sense to his ears. The sound was irritating, high-pitched, and it wouldn''t die down. It just remained with the itch, and it stayed at the background no matter what happened.


    He began to take note of the details. The scents. The tastes. The sounds. He observed the fights, if they could even be called that. The sheen of the sword. The swiftness at which they cut through bone and sinew. The redness of the blood that stained them. He started counting the drops and splatters. They were always the same. Fourteen small, six medium, one large. He listened to the sound of his mother''s screams. Belatedly, he realized that this nightmare was the only place where he would hear her voice again. Ever.


    He felt old. Older than he should be. The throbbing ache of seeing his parents cut down died after the first two thousand times or so. His attempts to rush to them and save them or warn them stopped after the first four thousand. Now, he stared at the entire scene that happened with nothing but slight boredom.


    "S-S-S-Sasuke-kun ¨C"


    There she was. She would come, as always, crawling and calling out his name. She would drag her blood-covered form across the floor, her hand stretching out, and reaching for him.


    "H-H-H ¨C"


    As always, fifteen seconds in, she would attempt to call for help. She would stutter the initial letter three times, before, two and a half-seconds later ¨C


    Blood-splatter.


    The blade would sink into the back of her head.


    Brain-matter.


    It would drip down from the ANBU-blade. Three large chunks. Fourteen Medium. Twenty-eight small. Fourteen specks of blood follow and fall down on her hair.


    Then, the condescending voice.


    "Foolish little brother."


    The spinning red eyes.


    Rinse.


    Repeat.


    ¡­


    Repeat.


    Repeat.


    Repeat.


    "How is he?"


    "So far, his vitals are stable Hokage-sama. There were only a few superficial wounds and bruises found on his person."


    "Then why hasn''t he awakened?"


    "Our¡­ diagnostics scans have confirmed significant amounts of alterations to his brain structure ¨C and¡­ there is no simple way to put this Hokage-sama, he has undergone severe mental stress and psychological damage that would have left even the most hardened shinobi brain dead¡­ it''s a miracle he is still mostly intact."


    Sarutobi Hiruzen grimaced. He felt he was getting far too old for his job. His bones creaked and his entire body was wrought with discomfort. Yet, he knew that he only had but a few minutes to spare with the boy. An entire clan being wiped out at night meant there was work to be done. Roles to be replaced. Funerals to be held, and significant amounts of damage control to run.


    "Keep me updated on his status, and let me know when he wakes."


    "Hai Hokage-sama."


    Eyes.


    Open.


    Failed. Cannot open. Why?


    Weak.


    Very weak.


    Cannot move.


    Body refuses.


    Smell?


    Clean. Too clean. Artificially clean. Hospital?


    Sound?


    Beeps. Steady beeping. Voices. Distinct. Cannot understand. Hospital ¨C increased possibility.


    Taste?


    Dry.


    Parched.


    Water.


    Need. Need.


    Water.


    Speak. Speak.


    "W-w-" he rasped. He disliked the sound of his voice. "W-w-w-water."


    "Ah!"


    "He''s awake?"


    "Quickly, contact Hokage-sama!"


    "W-w-water."


    "And get some water! Now!"


    He forgot.


    He forgot there were other people in the world. Aside from his clan. Aside from his parents. Aside from their killer.


    He forgot there was a village called Konoha.


    A man called the Hokage.


    Individuals called Shinobi.


    He forgot how things were supposed to work in this outside world.


    "Sasuke-kun," the old man was attempting to convey an emotion. What emotion was it again? "I know this might be very difficult for you ¨C"


    Why would it be difficult for me?


    The man''s lips seemed to change. It indicated something. He could not tell what it was. But it was not positive. No.


    "It might be difficult because of the circ.u.mstances."


    How did he know what I was thinking?


    "Sasuke-kun, your brother, Itachi ¨C"


    He slaughtered my parents and my clan, and said he did it to test his limits.


    The Hokage''s face had another negative. There was something. Something.


    "Itachi¡­ said that?"


    How do you know what I''m thinking?


    He turned his attention to one of the men in the room. Blonde-haired. There was something about him.


    "I see. Very well. We will immediately place Itachi in the Bingo Books, as an S-Rank Criminal, to be brought in Dead and Alive."


    Oh. Is that all?


    The man''s face twisted again. For someone so old, he had a lot of expressions. While under that jutsu, the only expressions Sasuke saw were those of fear, terror or rage. He knew there were more than three. He was certain. Yet, he could not remember any of them. Place them. Name them. Recall them. Feel them.


    "Itachi will face justice for his crimes, Sasuke-kun. I understand that he was your brother, and you might feel¡­ something toward him ¨C"


    What am I supposed to feel toward him?


    How¡­ how did he feel of him before now? Before this¡­ when he mentioned his brother, Itachi, he would be filled with something ¨C there was something he felt ¨C when his lips were upturned and his mouth was moving wildly and exaggeratedly ¨C what was that called?


    The old man kept regarding him with different faces. There was something he felt he was missing.


    But what?


    "Sasuke-kun, this is Yamanaka Inoichi ¨C a foremost at the mind arts, and a member of Konoha''s Yamanaka Clan."


    The blonde man. Sasuke turned his gaze towards him.


    "He is here to help you come to terms with any unresolved issues you may have with¡­" a pause. Sasuke noted it. The hesitation. "¡­with the loss of your family and clan."


    Numerous gazes in his direction. Anticipation. Anticipation for something. A reaction? From him? Why? Was he supposed to react to that? Positively? Negatively? It was a fact ¨C wasn''t it?


    Okay.


    Their gazes turned negative. Was that the wrong response? An unusual reaction? Strange. His parents and clan were gone. He''d seen it. Again. And again. And again. Enough times to memorize the botches and splashes on their clothes when they died. Was he supposed to deny their deaths? Why?


    "Sasuke-kun," the blonde man ¨C Yamanaka ¨C spoke "please don''t be afraid to tell us how you feel."


    Why would I be afraid?


    The man paused. "Often times, when bad things happen to people, they hide and bottle up all the feelings they have because they can''t come to terms with it. It is common, but not healthy at all." His expression changed. "So you don''t need to do that."


    I''m not doing that.


    "Often times, they also use denial to ¨C"


    I''m not denying anything.


    There was something in his expression. "Sasuke-kun, I understand that this must be difficult ¨C"


    It isn''t. Why do you insist it is?


    "Your family is gone, Sasuke." He said.


    And?


    The room was quiet. Too quiet. Was that the wrong thing to say?


    "Your family is gone and your brother is responsible. How does that make you feel?"


    ¡­


    Irritated.


    The man seemed satisfied. "Now, we''re getting somewhere Sasuke-kun. Why are you irritated?"


    Because I don''t know how to cook, and my mother couldn''t have been bothered to teach me before she died.


    Silence again. He said the wrong thing again. He needed to change it.


    Don''t blame her, it''s not her fault. She would have taught me if she knew Itachi would slit her throat one day.


    There. That should make things better.


    He was starting to realize that there was no point in ever truly stating his mind. No matter what he said, what he held, their expressions would mostly be negative. He could not understand their lack of candidness, nor did he even understand the reason why they often seemed to have negative reactions to his frankness.


    "Don''t you want to go to your clan''s funeral Sasuke-kun?"


    Why would I do that?


    "To say your final farewells."


    They''re dead. I don''t think corpses can hear me.


    His sessions with the Yamanaka doubled from that moment on, which, Sasuke realized were incredibly irritating and constricting. The insistence of the man that he was ''bottling'' something or ''denying'' something was becoming overwhelmingly tedious.


    "What are your goals for the future Sasuke-kun?"


    Becoming strong.


    "Why do you want to become strong?"


    So I can kill Itachi.


    "Do you want to get vengeance for your clan Sasuke-kun?"


    No.


    "So why do you want to kill Itachi?"


    Because he might change his mind.


    "Change his mind?"


    About letting me live.


    "Can you explain Sasuke-kun?"


    He let me live because he said I was too weak to be worth killing.


    I want to kill him before he changes his mind.


    "¡­And after you do that Sasuke-kun, what will you do?"


    Rebuild my clan.


    "Do you plan to start a family, Sasuke-kun?"


    Isn''t that the condition to rebuilding my clan?


    "That isn''t an answer Sasuke-kun."


    No, it isn''t.


    Eventually, he came to a balance. A "Mask" he called it. It was the only way they would let him leave the hospital and the supervision of Yamanaka, and without it, he would be stuck pointlessly answering questions for much longer.


    "Ah, how are you feeling today Uchiha-san?"


    He sat on the bed. His gaze flickered over to the nurse. Most certainly, she was another one of Yamanaka''s plants here to conduct a ''hidden'' experiment on his ''social'' capacity and mental wellbeing. She was a genuine nurse, but this did not prevent her from being another tool in the man''s arsenal.


    This was the way a.d.u.l.ts worked, he realized. With ''tools'' of various forms and abilities, but somehow, they refused to blatantly and explicitly admit that they utilized people as tools, and instead found euphemism upon euphemism in order to express these sentiments. It was tiring and needless. Posturing and pointless.


    They called it: ''Politeness.''


    "Fine. A little bit hungry."


    The nurse gave him an expression that he now recalled, thanks to Yamanaka''s lessons, was called a ''smile.'' He remembered having this expression a lot, before the massacre. Now, it felt foreign.


    "Are the portions of the meals provided not enough?"


    He remembered, that it was often considered appropriate to air one''s grievances in small amounts. Excessively stating it would be considered ''whining'' or ''complaining'' and would be a disagreeable trait. Understating it would make one be considered a ''softy'' or ''spineless'' and was likewise a disagreeable trait.


    "It''s not about quantity. It''s the quality."


    The ''smile'' did not leave her face. If anything, an aspect of authenticity was added to it.


    "You don''t like the Hospital food Uchiha-san?"


    I would not feed it to dogs were I perchance to own them.


    He could not state that, of course, no matter how true he felt such a sentiment was. Rather, he needed to appeal to the nurse''s own instincts in order to ensure his disapproval possessed a reasonable, grounded basis. A basis in which she could ''relate'' with.


    "I miss the food my mother used to make me." He said. "There was¡­ more, to it."


    He found it difficult to place the emotion on the nurse''s face. However, it seemed to hover somewhere between discomfort and what Yamanaka called ''sympathy.'' Yamanaka often, not so subtly, implied that he ought to possess ''more'' of it, and that he was lacking in it.


    He ignored the irrelevance of that thought and focused instead on his next approach. Offers of aid or assistance ¨C requesting ''favors'' from people often supposedly had numerous benefits.


    "Would you¡­ be able to help me, get some snacks from outside¡­ please?"


    "A-ah ¨C well, I''m not really supposed to ¨C"


    "I won''t tell anyone. And it would mean a lot."


    Hesitation. Uncertainty. Eventually, reluctance and acceptance.


    "Fine¡­ I suppose just this once." She said. "What would you like to have?"


    He memorized the exact pattern of her lips. The way and manner it creased and curved and upturned in her ''smile.'' His brain, the brain of an Uchiha, hardwired with neurons and synapses configured for the ability to copy and record information courtesy of their eyes, focused on that image, and flawlessly, he replicated it.


    Uchiha Sasuke ''smiled.''


    "What would you recommend?"


    Yamanaka Inoichi rubbed his nose in irritation.


    "I can''t believe she did that!"


    This was bad.


    "I know! I mean ¨C there the doctor was, and she sauntered in with her robes and just dr.a.p.ed herself all over him ¨C in the middle of a consultation!"


    This was worse than he anticipated.


    "Maybe she didn''t see the patient?"


    "I wouldn''t really blame her, she''s known for being such an airhead at times ¨C"


    He coughed into his hand, standing at the special ward that was designated for Uchiha Sasuke, and within the room, the blonde-haired nurse sitting on the patient''s hospital bed and chatting away animatedly went rigid as she immediately sat up straight and tried her best to look professional.


    "Y-Yamanaka-sama ¨C I was just ¨C checking his vitals ¨C"


    He turned his attention to the young boy who was on the bed, his face the complete mask of innocence, as he held two sticks of pocky in his fingers and slowly munched on it.


    "So I see." He said without inflexion, before turning to the boy in question. "Enjoying your snack, Sasuke-kun?"


    The boy ''smiled'' at him. If Yamanaka Inoichi was not an expert in the mind arts, and someone who had spent years in the Torture and Interrogation department, he would have believed that smile was the genuine article. No, even with all his experience, it was only the prior knowledge he possessed of the circ.u.mstances that enabled him to understand the fact that the smile was not real.


    Even more so, because he knew exactly where he had seen that smile before.


    "Nurse, I believe we should allow Sasuke-kun some more bedrest."


    He walked out, and the nurse, understanding the words, followed him. He made sure to go pass the ANBU guards stationed outside the boy''s door, and past a reasonable enough distance, before turning around and landing a stern glare at the woman in question.


    "And what exactly do you think you were doing?"


    "Yamanaka-sama ¨C I was conversing with him as you said! He even asked me to purchase some snacks and ¨C"


    "No," Inoichi shook his head. "You weren''t talking to him. You were talking to yourself."


    "W-what?"


    Inoichi sighed. "That boy¡­ he wasn''t interested in a single thing you said. Most likely, he will remember every word you uttered and every joke, every laugh and every motion ¨C but he was not invested in a word you said or a thing you had to say. He was observing you. Using you as a reference for how to act and behave and what to say ¨C" he felt his irritation grow.


    "Problematically, at a point, he stopped observing you and started copying you. Mimicking everything you did or said. You failed to take note of this ¨C because you, like most people ¨C felt flattered by his seeming interest, and now ¨C now you''ve cemented it in his mind that all he needs to do to properly function is copy what the other person is doing."


    And he did it to a frightening level of accuracy that was almost unnerving.


    "He ¨C he was copying me? But how ¨C I mean, it didn''t feel like ¨C he responded to everything I said and ¨C"


    "It didn''t feel like you were talking to yourself?"


    She nodded, slowly.


    Inoichi knew why this was, because he, unlike most people, knew basic biology. "It''s because he''s an Uchiha."


    "¡­an Uchiha?"


    "Contrary to what most people think, we don''t see with our eyes. We see with our brains. Our eyes are merely cameras reflecting light, and it is our brain that makes sense of that information and renders it for us in what we call sight." Inoichi explained. "Clans with Dojutsu not only have different eyes, they have different brain structures to go with them. The Uchiha Clan''s Sharingan which grants the ability to copy Jutsu and memorize information without forgetting has unexpected influence on their brain structure."


    The Yamanaka Clan Head frowned. "Sasuke is essentially using parts of his brain connected with his Sharingan''s sight and ability ¨C even without realizing it. He is memorizing everything, storing it, and then recreating it in a manner that would suite him, whilst removing any imperfections that don''t fit along the way."


    Imitating? No, he wasn''t just imitating her. He was going above and beyond. He was recreating and improving her. She was talking to a version of herself that could realistically apply to a seven-year-old male, and that was better than her. It was essentially copying a jutsu, and then using it in a way that fit you perfectly, which made it better and more effective than anything the original user could muster.


    Hopefully, he didn''t even realize he was doing it. However, that was unlikely.


    Worse? He had seen its effectiveness first hand, meaning, he would not stop doing it.


    Anyone who spoke to Uchiha Sasuke would essentially be speaking to a version of themselves they could only wish they were.


    It would be good, a powerful, deadly skill that Inoichi would have wished upon anyone, anyone, but a seven-year-old. The sheer capacity for abuse of such power, willingly or unwillingly, was enormous.


    He could not, in his good conscience, let that happen.


    "Sasuke-kun ¨C"


    "Inoichi-san ¨C"


    "I know what you''re doing Sasuke-kun."


    "And what am I doing, Inoichi-san?"


    "You cannot simply copy other people''s personalities and project it back at them."


    "Is there a reason why I should not?"


    Inoichi found his own temperament getting slightly annoyed at seeing Sasuke''s expression. It was a dead-on impression of his own, and it was incredibly unnerving when he realized that the speech patterns and mannerisms were copied down to the letter. Even his gaze, his sitting position, his unconscious movements ¨C


    "Because it''s impolite Sasuke-kun."


    "Is it more or less impolite than my normal behaviour?"


    Inoichi paused. Since the boy woke up, he seemed to lose the ability to understand emotions or read certain social cues. He was frank and blunt, but out of ignorance, which was also highly problematic and, if he was being honest, it was also incredibly aggravating.


    "We''re not comparing them."


    "Because you know I would default on the one that is less impolite."


    "I didn''t say that, Sasuke-kun."


    "But you didn''t have to, Inoichi-san."


    Inoichi found his patience waning.


    "You are discomforted." Sasuke said, nodding his head in a placating manner.


    "That would be putting it mildly."


    "Why?"


    "Because I am attempting to help you Sasuke-kun, and this, this won''t make you better."


    "Why are you attempting to help me?" Sasuke asked.


    "Because it''s my job."


    "So if it were not your job, you would not attempt to help me?"


    Inoichi frowned. "I would still try to help you."


    "Why?"


    "Because it''s the right thing to do, Sasuke-kun."


    "Inoichi-san, are you trying to help me because it''s the right thing to do, or because you want to be able to hold your head high and say ''I did the right thing''?"


    Inoichi paused at the question.


    "That''s an unfair question to ask Sasuke-kun."


    "So it''s for the latter. And also because Hokage-sama asked you to, didn''t he? It would lower your credibility if you failed at helping me, but increase it if you succeed."


    "¡­what are you getting at?"


    "No one does anything for selfless reasons Inoichi-san. So why do we pretend to?"


    "That worldview is too cynical for a child."


    "I stopped being a child when my parents died, Inoichi-san."


    Inoichi did not have a suitable retort to that.


    "I thought you didn''t care about their deaths."


    "Why would you think that?"


    "You don''t grieve for them. Mourn them. Nor did you bother attempting to attend their funerals."


    "I saw them die thousands of times. Again and again and again. Inoichi-san, you would forgive me, if I don''t want to see them dead one last time."


    Inoichi resisted the urge to wince. He resisted it, and realized he was getting somewhere. Strange as it was, Sasuke, while doing his best to imitate him, did not realize that he was finally opening up. Asking the hard questions. Answering the difficult ones. By pretending to be someone else, and absorbing that person''s personality into his own ¨C


    Could¡­


    Could this actually be a good thing?


    The potential for disaster was present, but now, he realized, the potential for healing was also present.


    "Sasuke-kun, you never talk about the Genjutsu that Itachi put you under."


    "Why should I talk about it, Inoichi-san?"


    "It left a significant amount of damage on your psyche Sasuke-kun. Don''t you think that''s worth discussing?"


    "No."


    Inoichi frowned. He pushed too hard. He pushed too hard too fast and the boy clammed up again. Already, he could see it, he stopped copying him. He stopped being ''Yamanaka Inoichi'' and returned to his default. A seven-year-old boy with perpetually sharp-yet-dull expression, and eyes which scanned the world whilst simultaneously appearing expressionless.


    Inoichi knew that it was impossible for him to completely fix all of Uchiha Sasuke''s problems. Most likely, the best he could do was ensure that the boy could return to society as a fully functioning member with the occasional one or two quirks and hiccups. You could not be a shinobi without eccentricities or coping mechanisms, as the amount of violence and chaos you witnessed in your lifetime would leave you scarred mentally, physically and emotionally.


    But when you start out with scars ¨C


    It became slightly worse. Hatake Kakashi sprung to mind, the boy who returned home to his father''s suicide ¨C he had grown and developed, but eventually, that original scar never faded, and more and more kept compiling upon them. Losing his best friend, having to kill his teammate who had romantic feelings for him, and then losing his mentor and father-figure. Too many for one boy. Now, he had thrown himself into ANBU work and was doing more and more S-Rank and A-Rank missions, and it was clear to anyone with eyes that the young boy craved death as an escape.


    What sort of individual would Uchiha Sasuke become, when the extra scars were compiled on top of this one? On top of having his entire family and clan massacred at the hand of the one person he idolized the most? What would happen if he fell in love and then lost his lover, or made friends and watched them die, or any other number of common events that came with their lifestyle?


    How many scars could he take before it became too many?


    At what point would he break?


    "When can I leave this place Yamanaka?"


    Uchiha Sasuke spoke, and Yamanaka Inoichi took a long, deep breath.


    "Today."


    The whispers were everywhere.


    "That''s him?"


    "The Last Uchiha ¨C"


    "Oh dear, that poor thing ¨C"


    "I can''t believe what happened ¨C his own brother ¨C"


    "Shush! He can probably hear you!"


    He could hear them. All of them. Their miserable attempts at being discreet failed horrendously and he could overhear each and every word and each and every whisper. For now, two ANBU guards were his escorts. In ''secret'' of course, as they watched him from the rooftops whilst he voyaged the streets and roads alone.


    Their words, he realized, were born out of ''pity.'' An emotion which was supposedly thought to be noble, but was rather an elevated and socially-accepted form of degradation. Pity was born from the sense and feeling that you were better off or superior to that in which deserved your sympathy. One could not pity someone who was more fortunate than themselves.


    He would admit that their pity was something which irritated him. However, he also saw the potential benefits where they lay. One who was pitied could leverage that emotion and convert it into guilt, which was a prime emotion needed to extract favors. He made sure to pay attention to those who pitied him, and made sure to note later if there would be something of benefit to gain from those individuals.


    Eventually, he made his way to his clan compound. He stopped at the gates. A nagging sensation on his neck. He wasn''t sure how long it was that he stood at the gates of the compound.


    Back here.


    The last time he entered this place ¨C


    He disregarded the sensation and irrationality of the belief that Itachi was still inside. Still waiting. Still ready to finish off the job. Still ready to look down and him, and call him ¨C


    "Foolish little brother."


    The place was empty.


    Empty.


    Previously bustling and moving, filled with children, noises, sounds, people, events and activities. The absence of these things made him feel like it was an illusion. Somehow.


    The sight of this place, filled with people running from Itachi''s blade felt more real than the sight of it empty.


    Silent.


    Perfectly silent.


    His every footstep echoed.


    His sandals crunching against sand and granite reverberated.


    He made his way back to his house. He stood in front of the door. Slowly, he opened it.


    His nose was immediately assaulted with the smell of blood.


    "S-s-sasuke ¨Ckun ¨C"


    A part of him immediately expected his mother to crawl on the floor, bleeding, and to beg for him to saver her. He counted the seconds.


    She wasn''t there.


    This was real.


    This is real.


    ¡­And they''d removed the bodies, but no one had touched the house. No one had cleaned it. The blood splatters were still there. The trails were still there. The smells were still there.


    Uchiha Sasuke took a look at his empty house.


    And his throat itched.


    And that noise, that irritating noise that had always been with him in the genjutsu ¨C


    He heard it in full force.


    He finally knew what it was. Finally, he understood.


    It was his scream.


    Chapter


    Whoa, what the f.u.c.k? This story has follows? Huh. I thought everyone was always too busy sucking Naruto''s d.i.c.k to care about a Sasuke-fic. Strange.


    Scrub.


    Scrub.


    Scrub.


    Roll.


    Dip.


    Squeeze.


    Drop.


    Scrub.


    Scrub.


    Scrub.


    Uchiha Sasuke took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his brow as his gaze landed once more on the living room, which, after several hours, was now effectively devoid of blood. Spotless, sparkling, enough so that he could see his own dull-faced reflection in the floor. The overwhelming smell of bleach filled the room, penetrating his nostrils and stinging at his eyes. The only audible sound present was the slow, repetitive tick-tock, tick-tock, of the room''s wall clock.


    His gaze flickered to what had previously been a clear bucket of soapy water. Red. It was tinged an overwhelming red that seemed to be the hallmark of the Uchiha Clan. Red blood. Red eyes. Red fan. Red fire.


    Red.


    Foolish little brother ¨C


    He took in a sharp breath, shaking his head as he prevented the memory of the scene from replaying in his mind. It was burned into his retinas, scarred into his brain, that even the slightest thing could cause it to repeat, like a broken song stuck on an endless loop.


    Tick.


    Tock.


    Tick.


    Tock.


    He sat in the room, the silent room, the entirely silent compound, and found his lips pursing themselves in distaste. Mechanically, his eyes swung over to the clock that hung above.


    11:43 AM


    Sasuke realized he hadn''t eaten in hours. Although the hospital food was arguably distasteful, it was better than going on, completely hungry. He rose from his position on the pristine floor, staring once more at his reflection. The image he saw almost felt foreign. He lifted the bucket filled with bloody water, grabbed the rag, and carefully, moved out of the living room and to the bathroom. He dumped the contents of the bucket into the toilet, flushing it immediately afterwards.


    He found the red tint disagreeable.


    He grabbed the bleach and soap once more, and went to work.


    Scrub.


    Scrub.


    Scrub.


    Scrub


    Scrub.


    The dull echo of someone knocking against the living room door made him stop his cleaning. He''d long since moved on from cleaning the toilet to scrubbing the bathroom, and gone from scrubbing the bathroom back to scrubbing the floors without even noticing.


    "Uchiha-san¡­ are you in there?"


    He contemplated not responding, but realized that it would lead to more problems than he desired. Slowly, he rose, moving to the door, before sliding it open. His gaze took in the sight of his visitors effortlessly, with one look, he''d memorized their brown hair, clearly defined fangs, musculature and appearance. Both were female. The older one was accompanied by what appeared to be a wolf, and the younger one was unaccompanied by any animals.


    "Good afternoon, Uchiha-san."


    It was the younger one who spoke. Sasuke estimated her age, about two to three years older than himself. Young, by most standards, but not by the standards of shinobi. The older woman seemed to be eyeing him warily, as was the wolf. There was an intelligence in the creature''s eyes that had no place being there.


    "So¡­ Sasuke is it." The older woman spoke, and Sasuke realized he had not returned their greetings and had merely been observing them. The older woman had something of a rough voice, it suited her animalistic appearance.


    He still didn''t respond.


    He noted, immediately, that his silence and straightforward stare seemed to unnerve them. Should he switch tactics? The last thing he desired was to be put back in the care of the Yamanaka and be asked trifling questions. It was entirely possible that these women were agents of either the Yamanaka or the Hokage, sent here as a test for him.


    "Yes." He spoke up. "Can I help you with anything?"


    His mind worked on overdrive as he scrutinized them. The younger girl, he catalogued and memorized every tick, every movement, everything from her posture, to the direction her feet pointed, to the manner in which she moved her hands and rested her shoulders.


    Should he reflect them?


    He thought it over. If they truly were Yamanaka agents, they would be on guard for such. It would not do him any benefits for everyone to become aware of what he was capable of. If people were consciously aware that he was reflecting their own personalities and opinions back at them, the effect would be deemed insulting and irritating, rather than charming. Yamanaka already proved this.


    "I am Inuzuka Tsume. This is my daughter, Hana." The older woman responded. "We¡­ came to offer our condolences at your loss."


    Sasuke rose an eyebrow at the phrase. "What good are your condolences to me?"


    The woman frowned deeply. Sasuke realized it was perhaps the wrong thing to say. Yet, he didn''t really have it in him to attempt to say otherwise.


    "Your mother was a close friend of mine."


    "And I do not see how that makes your condolences any more valuable."


    She growled a bit at him, and Sasuke could pick apart the tiny things from how her fists balled and how her posture grew wider that the woman was filled with the emotion called ''anger''.


    "I heard what happened to you," she said, "But don''t think that gives you the right to disrespect anyone you want, brat."


    Sasuke''s brow furrowed. "Disrespect?"


    "Ka-san," the younger girl said, seemingly having a warning tone.


    "No, Hana, I need to know," Tsume said, before turning her attention back on Sasuke. "You didn''t even come for her funeral! Your mother''s funeral! You haven''t gone to pay any respects, or even visit her grave! Do you even mourn her?"


    Sasuke''s lips thinned. He was by no means dull or slow. He could tell now, the real reason this woman had come to his doorsteps.


    "You came to visit a recently orphaned child to ask him if he mourns his mother."


    The woman winced at the statement.


    "Leave." The boy spoke. "Don''t come back."


    The woman seemed to want to say something, but her wolf let out a slow growl, and she grit her teeth, before storming off. Sasuke watched her leave, before he noticed that the younger woman wasn''t leaving.


    "Please don''t take anything my mother said personal¡­ she was really close with Mikoto-san and is grieving and torn up about her death. But, she''s so hot-headed that she doesn''t know how to ¨C"


    "I don''t care."


    The girl flinched.


    "Leave."


    The girl bowed meekly, before walking away as well. Sasuke ensured that they''d left, exiting the Uchiha Clan Compound, before slowly turning around and closing his door.


    The little encounter taught him three things.


    One, his actions (or inactions) were being scrutinized. Was it such a big deal if a child refused to attend the funeral of all his family members? Of his extended cousins, uncles, and parents?


    The answer was apparently yes. Reputation was an important thing in this village. It seemed to pride itself on a sense of family. A sense of communal relations. It would be deemed as more than odd, or perhaps a sign of ill-intentions if one did not apparently grieve or mourn for the deceased in a manner that could be seen and nodded to by the thralls of society.


    How irritating.


    Two, he needed to find a way to make sure no one could enter the Uchiha Clan Compound without him knowing. There were no more guards or sentries watching the place, and if Tsume and her mother had been a silent thief or an assassin instead, Sasuke would have had no way of knowing.


    The third thing was perhaps the most obvious. People are selfish. Self-interest was what motivated Tsume, a selfish desire to alleviate whatever grief or sentiment she held about her friend''s death. A selfish desire which led her here to make thoughtless comments.


    At the end of the day, all she''d done was give Sasuke the ammunition to make requests of her in form of reparation, and have her be unable to refuse without further ruining her own reputation, which tied back to the first point.


    Sasuke knew that politics was one of the major things his father dabbled in. Often times, he''d eavesdrop on his father''s political lessons with his brother, listening to how his father explained that all of Konoha was filled with clans each jockeying and vying for as much power, control and strength that they desired. These lessons were often filled with comments as to how the village was afraid of the Uchiha, and how the Uchiha''s political clout was being weakened through rumors of some sort.


    He had paid little attention to it then, but now, he had no choice.


    He was the Last Uchiha. A title that came with all the political responsibilities and significance. By all means, he was now the sole hope Konoha possessed to ever regain the Uchiha Clan.


    He''d told Yamanaka that he stopped being a child when he watched his parents die in front of him.


    He was only now realizing how true that was.


    "I need to get started."


    XXXXXXXXX


    "Are you certain you want to do this so soon Uchiha-san? I would understand if you ¨C"


    "I am."


    Sasuke stared unerringly at the man in front of him. His gaze flickered lightly as he took in the man''s appearance. His posture. His tone of voice. The expressions on his face. Then, slowly, he copied them, mimicked them, his hands entering a steeple, his smile calm and relaxing, his body language morphing to mimic even the tiniest movements.


    The Banker stared at him, blinking, and no doubt confused as to his sudden change in disposition.


    "Uchiha-san ¨C"


    "Matsumoto-san," he cut him off. "I understand and appreciate your concern for my mental well-being. It shows strength of character and compassion to be hesitant to immediately begin any business with what you feel is a grieving child."


    Incline the head. Purse the lips. Narrow the eyes and quaver the voice slightly to add depth and realism.


    "However," look straight up, display conviction. "I am the Last Uchiha. I must not waver nor falter. I cannot show weakness or lounge around in grief. To do so would be an insult to my clan, an offense to their honor. So, if you would be so kind as to let us commence business?"


    The Banker stared, Sasuke monitored his reaction. Surprise. The tilting of the eyebrows and the slight widening of the pupils. Understanding.


    "Ah ¨C of course, of course Uchiha-sama, I understand."


    Sasuke noted the change in honorifics.


    "Being one of the last living relative of anyone who bore the Uchiha surname in Konohagakure no Sato, you are now the owner of numerous bank accounts, lands, heirlooms, businesses, properties, houses and quite a deal more." The Banker reached for a pair of glasses, before bringing out a small parchment.


    "Considering that many prominent members of the Uchiha Clan were shinobi and kunoichi who saved a majority of their earnings from missions, you have a ridiculous fortune on your hands Uchiha-sama."


    He knew. He wasn''t stupid. His clan had never been poor, and although they were arguably not the wealthiest in the village, they ranked amongst the top five.


    "There is more money here than could possibly be spent in one lifetime." Banker Matsumoto said. "Do you have a particular intention you wish to use it for?"


    "Yes."


    The Banker pulled off his glasses. Sasuke stared straight into his eyes.


    "I''m going to use it to become better."


    "Become¡­ better?" The Banker frowned. "I am afraid I don''t understand."


    Sasuke mimicked and reflected the man''s smile he''d copied earlier.


    "You will."


    XXXXXX


    Akimichi Chota would admit that she was confused with the extremely odd request brought to her by the recently orphaned Uchiha Heir.


    "You''ll pay me just to watch me¡­ cook?"


    "Yes."


    He said the word earnestly, or rather, as earnestly as a child whose expression was blank and vacant could. Here at Yakinu Q, she admitted that she''d gotten some weird requests before, courtesy of numerous of her clan members desiring a different variety of food that was absolutely asinine to eat together, but this ¨C


    "Why?" she asked, rubbing the side of her cheek in confusion.


    He seemed to struggle with something, before, eventually, he spoke. "My mother died before I could learn how. She always cooked meals at home, and I do not know how to cook for myself."


    The woman winced slightly at the reminder. She looked over the boy again, remembering how young he was.


    "It would help me if I watched you cook, so I could know how to do so for myself."


    He bowed a bit.


    "I understand that it is a selfish request, which is why I would reimburse you for your time with a suitable pay. Please accept my request."


    So polite! The manner in which he spoke reminded her more of a Hyuga than an Uchiha. She''d heard rumors that a powerful genjutsu had been used on him which made him cold and standoffish, but she didn''t see that. No, she saw a recently orphaned child who simply had no idea how to interact with people and was doing his best to learn.


    "Raise your head boy, please." She said with a sigh, watching as he did so. "I can''t take your money, no matter how much it is." Taking money from an orphan child just so she could teach him to cook? If that got out, she''d be shaming not only herself, but her entire clan.


    He opened his mouth, but she stopped him.


    "I didn''t say I wouldn''t teach you, however."


    He blinked, seemingly confused.


    "I ¨C I don''t understand."


    "What''s there not to understand?"


    "Teaching me without collecting any compensation. I would be intruding on your time, discomforting you from your daily activities and life without any recompense. Despite numerous drawbacks, why would you help me without any added benefits to yourself?"


    "Because I''m an Akimichi boy!" she gave a hearty laugh "If I cannot so much as teach people about the glory and beauty of cooking a great meal, I''d have shamed my clan and ancestors."


    The boy seemed to regard her for a few moments, before nodding slowly. "I understand. Your motivations are immaterial. Thank you."


    He''s a weird one though ¨C "Er ¨C I guess you could say that." She shrugged. "So, when do you want to start?"


    The boy''s eyes gleamed.


    "Now."


    XXXXXX


    Sasuke was irritated with this turn of events.


    "Please let go of me Chota-sensei."


    The woman was wrapped against him in a large hug, weeping comically. "Prodigy! You''re a prodigy Sasuke-chan! Oh! I''m so proud! If only my little Choji-kun could take to cooking as quickly as you do!"


    The woman''s grip was iron-clad. The difficulty he was having in prying her off was becoming absolutely ridiculous.


    "To learn how to perfectly cut an onion into equivalent pieces from watching me do it once, to be capable of flawlessly following recipes from the cook book ¨C it''s your first time cooking and you''ve mastered cooking gourmet meals!"


    A sharp gleam entered her eyes.


    "Sasuke-chan, would you mind becoming part of my family? I''d adopt you and ¨C"


    The temperature of the room dropped rapidly.


    "No."


    The woman flinched back and her hands left him. "I ¨C I''m so sorry ¨C I got carried away. I shouldn''t have¡­"


    He contemplated his options, before momentarily bowing to his brief one-time sensei. "I appreciate all that you''ve done for me Chota-sensei. Thank you for having me in your care."


    "W-wait ¨C you''re¡­ why do you make it sound as though you''re not coming back tomorrow?"


    "I am not." He said. "My goal was to learn how to prepare basic meals so as to sustain myself. I''ve accomplished that and beyond."


    He knew how to bake now. He knew the difference between types of pepper, and the difference between dicing, slicing and cutting. In a sense, he''d gotten overqualified. Regardless, no knowledge acquired was useless.


    Cooking was surprisingly easy to grasp when all you did was copy and modify an expert. You removed the tiny errors and discrepancies you noticed in the expert''s movements and applications, drastically dividing your margin of error and attaining a nigh-perfect result each and every time.


    Essentially, if Sasuke saw you do it, he could do it better.


    "But ¨C but ¨C but ¨C I ¨C I haven''t taught you er ¨C the ¨C special recipes! And ¨C and ¨C"


    He bowed again. Semi-formal, his head never reaching his waist.


    "Thank you for everything, Sensei."


    He proceeded to leave Yakinu Q, stepping out into the cool night breeze of Konohagakure no Sato. Approaching this restaurant had not been accidental, but rather, a perfectly generated plan formulated after deep contemplation. Akimichi Chota was the wife of Akimichi Choza, the clan head. Integrating himself into the woman''s fold would mean that whatever impressions she developed of him would transfer over to her husband. Once it did, it would transfer to the rest of the clan.


    His reputation would build up amongst their members easily enough. Once it reached a suitable point, he could utilize it as another tool in his arsenal against him.


    More so, he knew that the ANBU agents were still scrutinizing him. He couldn''t detect them, but there was that feeling of being watched. As much as he would prefer to begin his training regiment, he could not do so without all reports of what he did being delivered to Yamanaka or the Hokage.


    No, for now, his actions would vary from Yamanaka''s expectations. No doubt the man believed that Sasuke would rush headlong into training upon being released from the hospital. Sasuke was not going to give him the satisfaction of being capable of predicting all his actions.


    For now, he possessed a list of necessities that needed to be completed.


    "You''ll pay me just to watch me sew and stitch some clothes? Why?"


    "My mother died before I learned how and¡­"


    "You don''t have to pay to watch me make furniture and cut wood boy. I''m just a carpenter. Why would you want to?"


    "My father died before I learned how and¡­"


    "Really? There''s nothing remotely interesting about watching a man like me work the forge. What do you even gain out of it?"


    "Members of my clan often crafted their own weapons. But they died before I learned how and¡­"


    "I understand that I''m the finest calligrapher in the village. But do you truly want to part with your money just to watch me write? Why?"


    "My father¡­"


    "Y-you¡­ want to learn about flowers and herbs? You want to pay me to learn about them? Why would you want to do something like that?"


    "My mother¡­"


    "I thought you wanted to be a shinobi. Why would you want to learn about tracking and hunting animals?"


    "Members of my clan¡­"


    "Really? You want to watch me sculpt? You''ll even pay? Why would you ¨C"


    "Just take the money."


    XXX


    It had been exactly one week since Sasuke found himself discharged from the hospital. It had been the most eventful week he could recall in his life. Knowledge brimmed in his head and at his fingertips. The movements of a skilled tailor and calligrapher aided his dexterity. The hardiness and carefulness of a skilled blacksmith and carpenter aided in developing his strength. The silence, carefulness and awareness of a skilled hunter and horticulturist aided his stealth and cognizance.


    Alone, they were mundane activities. Together ¨C


    THUNK!


    THUNK!


    THUNK!


    THUNK!


    THUNK!


    Sasuke took a deep, calm breath as he looked at the training dummy in front of him pelted with shuriken. Each and every shuriken struck lethal points. The forehead and the chest were the major targets with more shuriken than others.


    He hadn''t practiced since the massacre, and even before the massacre, his aim had never been so precise.


    But now?


    His hands were steady. They possessed a subconscious amalgamation of steadiness that had sorely been lacking beforehand. Stationary targets were not even a challenge, even from thirty feet or ten meters away.


    So he began learning how to throw kunai and shuriken in odd positions.


    Upside down. Falling. Twisting. Turning. While dizzy.


    THUNK!


    THUNK!


    THUNK!


    THUNK!


    THUNK!


    Consecutive perfect marks.


    Then, he moved to the hardest test.


    Curving shuriken around corners.


    The tree with a target outside his range of vision remained exactly as he remembered it. His mind hazed to a distant, almost foreign time, when he climbed the shoulders of someone, and watched with awe and pride and glee as that someone perfected his techniques and always unerringly failed to hit the target, despite not seeing it.


    Living in his brother''s shadow, for as long as he had, being considered average in respect to his intellectually and unnaturally gifted sibling ¨C


    Sasuke''s gaze cooled. He felt the hot afternoon sun bathing down on him. He listened sharply for the wind, as the hunter had informed him, the wind could either be your ally or your enemy. His body remained loose, as the calligrapher had informed him. The stroke of the wrist was not done with only the wrist, but the entire body. The entire body was the brush, his target was his canvas, and his weapon was the paint.


    His right hand blurred out two shuriken.


    The weapons whizzed in the air, moving in seemingly different directions.


    The wind.


    Until the wind he''d accounted for kicked in, curving the left moving shuriken until it struck the right one. The impact let out a brief spark and a clang of steel meeting steel, as one shuriken crashed into the back of the tree, and the other sailed off to strike an unsuspecting bird straight in the neck.


    He moved, first, at a steady gait. Then, he broke into a light jog. Finally, he found himself sprinting, sprinting until he reached behind the tree and skid to a stop to check, and confirm ¨C


    Dead center.


    Bullseye.


    His lips, slowly, engaged themselves into a tiny twitch of satisfaction.


    Now, to do it blindfolded.


    XXXXXXX


    Hokage''s Office


    "Neko. Report."


    The cat masked ANBU rose from her kneeling position, before speaking. "Uchiha Sasuke''s activities in the past week since his discharge from the hospital has been mostly mundane."


    Yamanaka Inoichi and Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at each other, not quite sure what to make of that information, which went against what they''d expected.


    "Mundane? Mundane how?"


    "He has been seen, learning how to cook from Akimichi Choza-san. Learning how to track and hunt from members of the Inuzuka Clan. Learning proper calligraphy from a member of the Sarutobi Clan. Learning blacksmithing from Konoha''s Higurashi-san. Learning about herbs and flowers from your wife, Inoichi-san ¨C"


    Inoichi almost spluttered. "From my wife?"


    Hiruzen gave him a look. "She did not inform you of it?"


    "No, she certainly did not. Why wouldn''t she tell me that she''s tutoring Sasuke?"


    "She was." Neko corrected.


    "Was?" Inoichi asked.


    "All of Uchiha-san''s lessons with his tutors lasted exactly one day. And¡­" Neko hesitated. "From the reports, all he needed was one day each. One day to master various skills and grasp concepts and information that would and should often take years to master."


    The room was silent.


    "Of course." Inoichi chuckled. "Of course he would only need one day. Copying experts ¨C with his penchant for improving ¨C" the man shuddered.


    "Inoichi?" Hiruzen asked tentatively.


    "Hokage-sama¡­" Inoichi said, shaking his head "Itachi inadvertently created a monster when he cast that genjutsu on Sasuke."


    "I am not certain I follow, Inoichi."


    "The effects of the Genjutsu caused brain damage to Uchiha-san which enables him to consciously or subconsciously activate parts of his brain connected to his Kekkai Genkai." Inoichi explained. "Essentially, Uchiha-san''s brain is always copying and memorizing every single thing and detail he sees, it''s processing that information as quickly as it copies it, and sending information to his body on how to use and improve what he''s recently copied."


    Understanding dawned on Hiruzen''s face. "You can''t mean ¨C"


    "If Uchiha-san were to see an action once, any action, he''d be capable of learning how to perfectly perform it, and improve it to suit him. There are certain limitations, but it''s only a matter of working around them."


    "That is rather extraordinary." Hiruzen breathed. "I believe Uchiha-san will become quite the strong shinobi."


    "Of that there is no doubt." Inoichi responded. "However, it''s his mental stability and allegiance that I call into question. He''s not even ten yet ¨C"


    "There is no need for concern, Inoichi. As you say, the boy is not even up to ten years of age yet." Hiruzen responded. "I believe, with time, we can warm his heart and make him understand that Konoha is his family. We''re here for him. If we offer him trust, he''ll be more inclined to trust us in return."


    Inoichi wondered if it''d truly be that simple. Still, he acquiesced to the Hokage.


    "Neko, you''ll continue to watch Uchiha Sasuke until the end of the month. At which point, we''ll know for certain his true intentions, and see to it about letting him continue the Academy."


    She saluted. "As you command, Hokage-sama."


    Inoichi, on the other hand, rubbed his chin as he contemplated why exactly his wife would fail to inform him of tutoring Uchiha-san.


    There''s something off here¡­ I just don''t know what it is.


    XXXXX


    Chip.


    Chip.


    Chip.


    Chip.


    Scr.a.p.e.


    Scr.a.p.e.


    Scratch.


    Scratch.


    He was aware of the single pair of eyes on him, even as he worked away furiously at the gargantuan piece of wood with his kunai. The ANBU was still watching him. Though, their numbers had reduced significantly. It was only one person now. After being used to their presence for so long, he''d learned to be able to judge how many they were. Although, finding them was still a bit too difficult.


    A month was his estimate. After a month, they would cease their reconnaissance on him, and proceed to their normal business.


    It was no matter. He knew what he would be doing for the next month.


    Chip.


    Chip.


    Chip.


    Chip.


    Scr.a.p.e.


    Scratch.


    Actions often spoke louder than words, and he was going to be speaking very, very loudly.


    XXXXXX


    She watched him work fervently.


    Day, after day.


    She was assigned to watch him for any suspicious or potentially suicidal or hostile activities. Whatever she expected, however, was different from what she actually bore witness to. Day in and day out, he''d come to the front of his clan gates, the large piece of wood that easily towered over seven meters tall, and he''d continuously work on it. Some days, he worked on it with a kunai. Other days, he worked on it with a sword. He used mostly weapons, his deft hands moving expertly, never tiring, never so much as stopping for even a lunch break.


    From sun came up till it went down, he was there.


    Chipping away at the wood. Slashing and cutting.


    Two weeks had passed before the wood gained a distinctly human shape. Two, human shapes. One clearly male, and one clearly female.


    A part of her felt it wasn''t right. There was no way¡­


    By the third week, the human shapes had smoothed out into nice, elegant robes.


    By the fourth week, when her assignment was over, he''d completed it.


    XXXXXXX


    Hiruzen Sarutobi let the smoke exit from his pipe silently, even as he stared up at the wooden statues. He wasn''t the only one there, of course. Oh, no, behind him, a large amount of villagers, shinobi and clansmen alike stood in awe and sheer fascination, all of them come to see what was rapidly becoming the second most brilliant carving in all of Konohagakure, second only to the Hokage Mountain itself.


    It went against everything people knew about Uchiha Sasuke. He was the silent, socially awkward boy who was recently orphaned. He was a boy who was excessively polite, but seemed to have no time for frivolous things or sentimentality. There was probably not a single artistic or sensitive bone in his body, as he was, after all, the boy who''d adamantly and stubbornly refused to attend the funerals of his family members.


    "Amazing!"


    "It''s¡­ beautiful!"


    "He¡­ he really made this himself?"


    The seven-year old Uchiha Sasuke stood proudly beside the tall, 22-feet wooden carving of Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto, dressed in the formal robes and regalia of their clan. The carving was the most photo-realistic thing Hiruzen had ever seen, despite being made from wood. Every single detail felt polished and refined, as though taken straight from a picture.


    Uchiha Fugaku stared straight ahead, his expression placated into a firm, but still kind visage. Uchiha Mikoto had the air of a Yamamoto Nadeshiko. The elegant court woman, her right hand holding a fan with the Uchiha Clan symbol. The obi of her gown was done elegantly and her stature was the embodiment of propriety.


    Hiruzen walked forward, slowly touching the carving to marvel at the smoothness and woodwork.


    He looked over to Sasuke, noticing the boy''s expressionless face, and Hiruzen couldn''t help but smile at the boy. No doubt, no matter what had happened to him, his heart, the heart and love of a child for their parents, for their family, for their home ¨C it was there.


    Uchiha Sasuke had heart.


    Clearing his throat to silence the crowd all staring and commenting at the carving, he began.


    "We are here today to unveil one of Konohagakure''s finest artworks, presented to us by one of our very own, in honor of his parents, Uchiha Sasuke."


    The boy turned to stare at him in disbelief, clearly not expecting to take center stage. Hiruzen found it refreshing, as his eyes twinkled.


    "Go on."


    Sasuke walked forward, gazing straight ahead into the crowd. There was silence. Some mutterings and uncertainty. It was the first time he''d been thrust into such a public limelight. The first time the people were seeing him as more than the victim, the person handed unfortunate circ.u.mstances.


    It was one of Hiruzen''s worries that the people of Konohagakure would continue to see Sasuke in that manner. A victim. The sole survivor of a horrible event. The Last Uchiha. The negative feedback would have damned Sasuke to a life of either pity or sympathy, one which would have enraged the boy and made him hate and loathe the village even more. No ¨C the survivors of tragic events did not need pity.


    Pity did not heal them.


    It belittled them.


    Somehow, whether or not he knew it, Sasuke had done a lot to alter his perception in the eyes of the villagers. A way to change his own public opinion. A way to be seen as more than just the one bad day that ruined his life. A way to stop being viewed and remembered only in lieu of a tragedy that befell him.


    "My parents are dead."


    The blunt declaration made Hiruzen wince.


    "But they are not forgotten. I will not forget them. And now¡­"


    He gestured to the giant carving.


    "Neither will you."


    Sheer. Silence.


    No one said a word, or moved, as Uchiha Sasuke put his hands in his pockets, and walked straight into his compound, silently closing the gates behind him.

 Chapter 313 - My SI Stash #13 - Demons in the Sky by Ishkariot [EXPUNGED] (HarryPotter)

    -Hey! A SI Harry Potter fic that doesn''t revolve around Harry Potter and the trio. I know I been the NSFW fics connoisseur but damn the author should tone it down a little bit with the smut/ Still a nice read tho~


    Synopsis: A variant isekai story of a Harry Potter reader who somehow happened to be reborn in the actual world of Harry Potter. What path will Jimmy Wellford pick? Knowing that the dreaded dark lord will return to drown the world in terror once again. (SI) (OC Self-Insert) (some Lemons) (Pyromancer/Golemancer magics) (Protagonist with unique ability) (MC/OC/Fleur)


    Rated: M


    Words: 81K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13567670/2/ (Ishkariot)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2


    "¡­ better be Gryffindor!"


    Heh¡­


    I smirked inwardly as I watched the little brat Harry Potter walking timidly towards the cheering crowd of the Gryffindor table. He was a really small midget and blushed fiercely what made him appear as if he was related to the Weasleys. Some of my fellow Ravenclaws were groaning over the prospect that we didn''t get the famous savior of magical Britain, but their melancholy didnt last long. I shifted my focus to old man Dumbledore and saw the headmaster nodding to himself, very pleased with the sorting of Harry Potter.


    Professor Snape, on the other hand, looked as if he bit a lemon while Quirrell''s face was an emotionless block of stone. Anyway, ignoring the loud muttering around me, I let my mind drift around, thinking of my first two years at Hogwarts. They were quite boring when I am honest to myself, which baffled me at first, but that wasn''t a bad thing. On the contrary, I was a muggleborn, and I realized it pretty quickly that standing out was the best way to attract a lot of unwanted attention from some particular nasty pureblood brutes. Being reborn in the Harry Potter world sounded nice and exciting in the beginning¡­ however, things weren''t just magic and fun. People were still killing for greed and out of envy.


    The first and worst negative was the amount of **** that was going on in Hogwarts ¨C a damn school! Well, that doesn''t mean that every girl was a potential victim here. My first ambition in my first year was to snatch the marauder''s map for myself. That piece of magic was crucial for my survival with all the advantages it offered to me, and I didn''t really care for anything else but to increase my advantage over my peers.


    Back to the **** topic, the map showed me some pretty disturbing stuff at times. And it appears that there was a special tradition going on between the seventh year students. Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and even a couple of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff boys would prey upon defenseless muggleborn girls. They would force the girls into one of the countless unused classrooms to violate them as some kind of sick end-of-school event. The girls will find themselves in the hospital wing the next day, without any memories at all. There was a rumor of a special s.e.x-drug that was a mix of a l.u.s.t potion and liquid obliviate.


    Additionally, I figured it pretty quickly that the Leader of Light, Albus Dumbledore, blatantly ignored what was going on in his glorious school - or at least, he didnt do anything to stop it. The rapists were never caught because nobody bothered to investigate more closely, and I never saw a single auror appear in Hogwarts. ''You can''t remember what happened? Ok. Take this calming draught, sleep a couple of hours, and you will be better, my girl.'' I wasn''t really surprised when I overheard that the majority of the victims planned to leave magical Britain when they finished their education. I somewhat respected them for their decision to finish their OWLs or NEWTs, despite the fact that the savages that preyed upon them were still wandering through the ancient halls of the Hogwarts castle, not afraid in the slightest that their actions would have consequences for them.


    That being said, life in Hogwarts was only moderately awesome for me personally. Well, I fully regained my memories from my past life, which made it hard to connect to other students of my physical age. On the other hand, while I was mentally around twenty when I was reborn, that didn''t mean that I would mature during the time when I was stuck in the body of a toddler. On the contrary, I could tell that I mentally regressed to some degree during that period as I was forced to behave pretty much like a normal baby boy. Almost two years of shitting my pants influenced my mind a little bit, and it wasn''t pleasant at all.


    Anyway, the only other male besides me in my year was Roger Davies. He is a social chameleon, awfully vain, and an arrogant half-blood arse that liked to pretend that he is part of the purest of all pureblood boys of proper breeding. Still, he was luckily not as bad as some of the Slytherins.


    There were six other Ravenclaws in my year, six girls to be more precise, three purebloods, a half-blood, and two muggleborns. They were all rather of the introverted sort, but I somehow ended up as the friend of one of the pureblood girls, Pamela Bancroft. She seemed to think of me as her personal toyboy ¨C nothing serious, just some casual kissing and snogging when she had to let off some steam. She was drop-dead gorgeous and had a well-developed body for her age ¨C magical folk tends to mature faster. Our relationship made Roger Davies act a bit antagonistic against me ¨C not that I cared too much about it. He was all bark but no bite.


    Being in the third year wasn''t much of an achievement anyway, and nobody paid much attention to me at the moment. However, I was magically pretty powerful wizard as far as I can tell - for my age, at least. Professor Flitwick seemed to have noticed it as well. The fact that I had a mature mind from birth allowed me to train, cultivate, and manifest my magic a lot earlier than normal. Though, it didn''t allow me to develop into a powerful prodigy for wandless magic and arcane arts - the only wandless magic I could do so far was the stinging hex and the summoning charm. My main benefit was that I ended up infusing and enhancing my body with ambient magic, and I even developed a mage sight that allowed me to see my own magic!


    Greater strength, speed, fitness, higher regeneration, a superior eye-sight¡­ these are the more obvious benefits of my magical meditation, as I called it. I wasn''t sure if I managed to develop a new branch of magic, but I kept meditating every night for a couple of hours, forcing more of the environmental magic from around me into my body, making it a part of me in the process. There was nothing much to do in the first couple of years after I was reborn anyway. So I started to turn into a living black hole. It was hard to explain, but my body felt like a void that wanted to be filled at times¡­ always hungry, always thirsting for more and more.


    "Jim¡­"


    Huh? ¨C I broke out of my thoughts to see Pamela giving me a disapproving glare. She pulled me up from my seat, and I followed the rest of the group beside her with a dazed look on my face.


    "¡­really, you should have paid more attention to what happens around you!" she scolded in a mock-attempt to mimic McGonagall. "The third flood is forbidden, and Headmaster Dumbledore made it clear once again that his advanced age is beginning to influence his mind. What is Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment, and Tweak supposed to mean?!"


    "He is an eccentric old man, that''s what they do," I snorted with amus.e.m.e.nt.


    The black-haired beauty smirked in response. Her violet eyes, fair skin, and pouty, red lips... oh, she was certainly getting more and more attractive, and I couldn''t really suppress my pubescent urges now that she almost looked like a beautiful young woman. Well, I wasn''t l.u.s.ting to have s.e.x with her as we were still a bit too young for that, but snogging her delicious pouty lips felt like paradise on earth.


    Pamela''s family was grey, and more inclined on the dark side, as she told me. They weren''t bigoted like most purebloods and preferred people with magical power over dim-witted fools that weren''t worth the air they breathed. She was also pretty pissed at Dumbledore because he canceled the dueling clubs last year, along with anything that allowed young magicals to develop in powerful wizards and witches. It seems that the old geezer turned Hogwarts into a personal training ground for his golden boy.


    "What do you think about Harry Potter?" Pamela asked curiously as we made our way to our rooms. "He is so small, and thin¡­ he looks a bit malnourished, too. I expected more, to be honest. His aura is that of a weak and feeble boy, and not of a confident fighter. How did he ever manage to defeat YouKnow-Who when he was still a baby?"


    I nodded. "Indeed, but forget about everything you have read about the-boy-who-lived and observe the real one now that he is at Hogwarts," I replied with an air of mystery. "Famous people attract a lot of rumors that are either half-truths or outright lies. The real Harry Potter is maybe just another boy who wants to enjoy his childhood, play quidditch, and learn some fancy magic in order to impress pretty girls."


    "I will keep that in mind," Pamela giggled before pulling my arm around her neck. "He is probably on a special diet. Professor Flitwick is small too, but as speedy as a squirrel. Nobody can say that his size is a handicap. Professor Flitwick is a former dueling champion!"


    I couldn''t help but chuckle, "Yeah, you are probably right."


    Pamela was a dueling fanatic and only in the Ravenclaw house because she hoped to get some pointers from Professor Flitwick, who was the head of our house. Some people were fanatic about quidditch and brooms, and there was Pamela Bancroft, the dueling maniac. She was already participating in professional junior tournaments on the mainland during the winter and summer holidays.


    ...


    We eventually ascended the Ravenclaw tower and shared some gossip and rumors with the rest of our year in the common room. Roger Davies glared at me the entire time when he saw how close Pamela was standing to me, but I just responded with an indifferent look that told him ''it''s her choice, and she picked me over you'' and ignored the guy for the rest of the time. However, there were no interesting news worth talking about. And I got a chaste peck on my cheek from the black-haired beauty before Pamela made her way to her room.


    Ravenclaw was the only house that offered its members a personal room!


    It was a huge blessing, really. The doofus of my year that was approaching me right now was the main reason I was grateful for that special benefit of my House.


    Oof...


    "You know that she is a pureblood, right?" Davies sneered after the rest of the girls left. He was almost a head smaller than myself since my magic enhanced my body what enhanced my growth. Beating him up was fairly easy... and very tempting at this moment.


    "Yes, and she is a smart girl and knows what is best for her," I said with an amused smirk as f I was talking to a toddler. The doofus frowned after hearing my reply. "Good night, Mr. Davies¡­"


    What a jerk...


    I turned and walked away, showing him my back. It was the ultimate mockery that told him that I wasn''t afraid of him and that he was a weakling. Assaulting me with a spell with Flitwick still being around was social suicide for him, so he couldn''t do that. Roger Davies could only grit his teeth in frustration while I made my way to my room.


    ¡­


    Entering my room, I spotted my super expensive trunk on my bed and opened it to grab four small four copper plates out of it. My mage sight allowed me to self-learn something kind of similar to enchanting, and I infused the copper plates with my magic and cast a modified shield charm on them. I then glued the small plates with a permanent sticking charm on the wall, placing them at each corner of the door to seal off my room from unwanted visitors. The protection activated, and a thin, silvery veil appeared in front of me before becoming invisible again. Nobody would be able to enter my room without my permission from now on.


    "Hehe¡­ excellent," I muttered, very pleased with myself.


    It was pretty damn easy to do magic with the support of Mage Sight and with the special ability to sense one''s magic. While I was limited to my own magic only, that was already more than enough, and all that I needed anyway. Enchanting the copper plates was pretty simple, now that I fully comprehended how to apply my magical powers to my advantage. All I had to do was to fill the magic with a special meaning or give it a command. The intent was also important. The only limit was my imagination, knowledge, and experience. The better my comprehension of what I was doing, the better the results, and so on, and so on.


    One of the most important characteristics of magic is that it was a very flexible kind of force. There is not just one sole path on how to do things. Invisibility, for example, could be achieved through spells, potions, and magical devices and artifacts such as Harry''s cloak. There was also silent casting and wandless casting. The exploding charm, Bombarda, was my favorite example. It was adjustable by how much power you infused in the spell. Everything was possible, starting from the strength of a small firecracker to the violent force of a grenade. The incarnation, Bombarda Maxima, could easily rival some modern bombs. All I needed was to concentrate and give my magic an exact command. What was my intent, did I want to blow up a house or level a whole mountain?


    The stinging hex that I could perform wandless was the same. I could make it extremely painful like the sting of a monster hornet, which would leave scorch marks on the skin, or I make it weak and harmless, but still annoying enough to reward the victim with a good sting. Speed and visibility were also adjustable. The harmless ones were almost invisible to the eye, but a really powerful stinging hex made a vicious hissing sound. The spell would also look like a small bullet of white light, and it was really eye-catching and hard to conceal.


    *yawn*


    "Well then¡­ time to go to sleep," I muttered to myself and jumped out of my clothes before I made myself comfortable in my new bed.


    ...


    Waking up early in the morning, I secured the window of my room just like I did with my door. There were enough materials in my trunk to last me for the entire school year, so it was better to be safe than sorry.


    And speaking of my trunk, it was a pretty expensive piece with seven compartments, with the last one being enchanted with an extension charm to be as large as a room. The model I owned was also bewitched with an anti-thieving jinx that rewarded overly curious fingers with a nasty stinking hex, a feather-light charm, shrinkable on touch for the comfort factor, and it was additionally attuned to my magic so nobody but me could open it. Stealing my stuff required the thief to destroy the trunk, and that could only be done with the investment of a lot of magical power. The whole story cost me 550 galleons, but it definitely was worth it.


    Money was no problem for me ever since the summer after my first year. I looted all the galleons I could find in the Room of Hidden Things and opened a vault at Gringotts where I deposited my ill-gained fortune. The jewelry and ancient books I found were also stored there. I bought the biggest most expensive trunk I could find and looted all the armor, swords, and whatever else caught my eyes. Yet, there was still a lot of junk available for me to steal, and I planned to finish my work in the next two years if things went well. Seriously, there was even a possessed pupped living between the hills of old brooms, broken furniture, and damaged cauldrons. The room resembled the interior of a basilica and could easily fit an entire village.


    I exploited the opportunity to the fullest and began to loot the room of everything with worth. It was my good luck that the Hogwarts house-elves never searched the old trunks or mokeskin pouches for galleons or jewelry, which made me a quite wealthy muggleborn with approximately 21500 galleons sitting in my account ¨C inclusive all the money I made from selling the jewelry to the goblins. I also feel glad about the fact that the goblins didn''t care where the money came from. They gave me some curious looks, but were otherwise very professional and didn''t ask any uncomfortable questions.


    Using my knowledge of the future, I asked my account manager to invest in Microsoft and Apple, which made me 17200 galleons poorer, now with around 4300. However, my future looked bright with plump annual returns that my account manager will use to buy even more shares.


    Money, or galleons, was not an important topic as long as I attended Hogwarts anyway. I would loot the Room of Hidden Things of every treasure I could find, but that was more of a pastime activity than anything else. There was also the cursed diadem in there, and also the vanishing cabinet that I already destroyed while practicing the exploding charm, Bombarda. The diadem looked expensive enough, but I wasn''t sure how the goblins would react if I showed up and tried to sell them a horcrux. I ultimately decided to wait and see how things developed.


    ...


    ...


    Classes passed pretty peacefully for me. Days went on with, and nothing much happened besides the usual gossip about Harry Potter and the news that he was picked as the new Gryffindor seeker. People also argued about the story behind Quirrell''s silly-looking turban. Nobody believed that the stuttering idiot could kill anything bigger than a rat, never mind a zombie. Undead creatures were highly resistant to magic and physical damage alike. That''s why I specialized on exploding charm as my main offensive spell ¨C full power, and blast it away! ''Oh, you have a werewolf problem in the neighborhood? Bombarda! Oh? What did you say, you need to get rid of a gluttonous troll that decimates your cattle? Bombarda Maxima!'' And if you can''t kill it with a violent explosion, then you run for your life.


    I spend most of my nights doing assignments and studying for my two electives, the classic choice for every Ravenclaw, ancient runes and arithmancy. The latter was pretty boring and practically useless when one wasn''t interested in the magical properties of numbers. However, it was still better than anything else I could choose from. I could learn about creatures in the library, the quality of Muggle Studies was crap, and Divination is a waste of time.


    Well, I didn''t forget to meditate before sleeping and I also continued to plunder the Room of Hidden Things at the weekends.


    ...


    Time flew by quickly with me mainly focussing on my school-related stuff. There wasn''t much worth mentioning going on in Hogwarts, but the first Hogsmeade weekend came knocking at my door shortly before Halloween, and I was invited by Pamela on a date so we could strengthen our bond ¨C so she explained.


    I accepted, of course.


    "Did you plan anything special for tonight?" I asked Pamela who clung to my side like an oversized koala bear. She puffed up her cheeks blushed fiercely.


    "Jim, you utter prat!" She huffed playfully. "It''s usually the boy who plans the date while the girl enjoys the effort of his labor. Not the other way around."


    Roger Davies passed us, holding the hand of some Hufflepuff girl. ''Is this guy my personal Malfoy?'' I thought in irritation. I ignored his attempt to provoke me and put an arm around Pamela''s waist, pulling her closer to me.


    "Well, you really surprised me with your invitation, but I will think of something more exciting for the next time. Let''s just stroll around and explore the village for starters," I offered with a roguish smirk. Not that I was an arrogant, self-loving braggart, but I had a really nice athletic body for my age. Yeah, I was a handsome wizard. The black-haired beauty beside me nodded with a shy smile, and I guided her into the cozy village.


    Hogsmeade wasn''t really romantic or anything. It was just a normal village that survives off the profit it collected from immature students that wasted all their galleons on butterbeer, sweets, and school-related stuff such as cauldrons or quills. The prices were also almost triple as much in comparison to similar goods one can find in Diagon Alley. Despite that, students still loved the place because they were mostly free to do whatever they want here. It was also the main reason why most duels and more violent conflicts between students happened in the small village.


    "Do you care for some butterbeer?" I asked Pamela after I felt that we explored enough of the village.


    "Lead the way," she agreed, giving me a soft smile


    "I will try to make Madam Rosmerta sell us a barrel of butterbeer," I said, grinning when my announcement caught Pamela''s attention. "You want to be a master duelist, right? Well, I have found the perfect location where we can practice, and some butterbeer to make our time more enjoyable won''t hurt as well."


    Pamela lifted a curious brow. "What location?"


    "Secret," I replied with a cheeky smirk. "It will be our secret. Trust me¡­ you will want to keep the location a secret because it will give us a ridiculously high advantage over our peers. All champions have their secrets and guarding them is¡­"


    "Yes, yes, yes¡­ we need to keep it a secret," Pamela interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Jim, you start to sound like a Slytherin."


    I scoffed. "Knowledge is power, and Ravenclaws are best in hoarding knowledge¡­ especially secret knowledge." I chuckled. "Slytherins act like politicians. Politicians are dependent on the masses. They are powerless, they are just not aware of it."


    "Ohh?" The black-haired beauty giggled. "So you are that type of Slytherin¡­ hiding in plain sight, under the cover of a bookish Ravenclaw. That''s very cunning of you, Mr. Wellford."


    I pushed the door to the Three Broomsticks open and followed after Pamela into the warm, cozy atmosphere of the inn. The pace was pretty crowded, but I could easily afford the ''VIP'' tables that were reserved for guests who could pay an extra galleon as a tip.


    "Nah, if I wanted to be cunning then I would pick Hufflepuff," I countered. "Nobody expects the Hufflepuff-...?"


    Huh?


    Our chat came to an alt when a familiar sneer entered my ears. Pamela sighed in annoyance as we took a seat and made ourselves comfortable at our table.


    "Aren''t you ashamed of yourself?" The doofus of my year, Roger Davies, mocked. "You force a proper pureblood witch to pay for your food, you damn mud-¡­ muggle!"


    What a looser¡­


    I snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt, seeing that he was still unable to insult me without feeling intimidated because of my physical superiority and magical skill. Davies wasn''t that aggressive last year, but he started to make friends with some special kind of Slytherins ¨C Adrian Pucey. That individual was the best example of what could go wrong when a human romances with a troll. Using phrases like ''witch of proper breeding'' to describe Pamela''s appearance and blood status was also doing him no favors. It was only reasonable that he lost every chance to gain her interest since he talked about her the way a farmer would talk about cattle.


    "Davies, why do I feel that are you stalking me? Is there something that you want to tell me?" I snickered in a mocking tone before switching my attention to an approaching Madam Rosmerta, ignoring Pucey and some nobody Slytherin that stood behind Davies. "Pleased to meet you, Madam Rosmerta. I see that the rumors of the beautiful landlady are indeed true. Please, a butterbeer for the Lady and myself¡­" Looking at the three boys that glared at me, I grinned. "¡­ and give these three sulking vagabonds some firewhiskey to drown their frustrations. On my bill, of course."


    Grabbing a handful of galleons out of a mokeskin pouch of my pocket, Madam Rosmerta gave me a saucy wink as she accepted my payment. "Oh, my¡­ such a charmer. Enjoy your time, dear. I am sure that you know how to take care of such a lovely young lady. However, I can''t sell firewhiskey to minors¡­so..."


    I grinned and replied with a shrug of my shoulders. "Very well, give the boys some orange juice and a few cookies instead. I don''t want to give you trouble with Professor McGonagall."


    The tables around me broke into laughter. Madam Rosmerta walked away with teary eyes while Davies and friends stood there with red-faced expressions, staring down at me with anger burning in their eyes.


    "Wellford!" Pucey grunted furiously. "You will pay, you filthy-¡­!"


    "Nobody cares, Pucey... go away and drink your orange juice," I cut him off with a bored yawn and waved my hand in dismissal.


    They eventually admitted defeat and retreated back into a dark corner when they saw the attention our conflict attracted. The few a.d.u.l.ts in the inn shook their heads with amused expressions, while the Gryffindors that were present mocked the two Slytherins like a pack of hyenas.


    "Enjoy your drinks, my dears," Madam Rosmerta said with a cheerful smile as she placed two mugs of cold butterbeer on the table, and what looked like two chocolate cakes. I couldn''t help but grin when I felt the side of her amble bosom rubbing against my cheek.


    Oh, mama... she is a cougar! - I exclaimed inwardly.


    Please let me be her prey...


    Rosmerta looked like in her early thirties and was a fairly attractive woman. There were a lot of rumors about her. The most interesting one was that she sometimes engaged in special activities with students that caught her eye. The second rumor was that she was the descendant of a Veela. Anyway, she was the wet dream of most pubescent boys at Hogwarts, and I hoped that I could attract her interest since I was starving for some bodily pleasure. I was also quite attracted to more mature women, and she was just perfect.


    "Are you alright?" Pamela asked with an innocent expression. Though, I could see the vivid amus.e.m.e.nt dancing in her violet eyes. "Do you have a fever, or why are you suddenly so red?"


    "Hahaha¡­" I snorted and took a healthy gulp from my cold butterbeer. My mind was more mature than the average fourteen-years-old, but that meant nothing in the presence of a hot woman. "Don''t accuse me of anything. Madam Rosmerta is special. She attracts men like a Veela."


    "And me?" Pamela challenged with a dangerous glance. She leaned back and lifted her chest slightly to highlight her developing chest. I admit that she would evolve into a future bikini model if her body continued the good work.


    "Yeah, you look alright," I replied nonchalantly, which rewarded me with a painful smack on the head. "Joking, you look utterly gorgeous with a smoking hot body, and you know that very well. You also attract all sorts of trouble for me. Look at Davies¡­" I pointed at the dark corner where the three sulking vagabonds retreated to sip at their orange juice. "He lost his mind just by looking at you. Are you sure that you aren''t a Veela? I mean¡­ Adrian Pucey? Ridiculous! Why would a Ravenclaw befriend with the troll of Slytherin?!"


    Pamela nodded confirmation, very pleased with my answer. "Good boy, and yes¡­ it is strange to see a fellow Ravenclaw befriend with someone so¡­ primitive. My father and I agree that Slytherin is slowly losing its touch over the years. Every idiot with the cunning of a troll joins Slytherin nowadays. Mother doesn''t care, because she attended Drumstrang."


    "Snakes are ambush predators, they don''t go and mock their prey," I explained with an air of wisdom. "Ravens observe. They learn, adapt to the environment, and let others work for them. We are opportunists. We collect knowledge and make use of it when the time is right."


    "That sounds oddly Slytherin for me," Pamela pointed out with a smirk.


    "Cunning is just a side-effect of being smart," I replied with a roguish grin. "You can''t be a cunning individual if you are not smart, obviously. Adrian Pucey is an imbecile who curses people in the back because he can''t think of something more complicated, something clever that requires actual cunning. A witless idiot like him will always end up bleeding for someone else, someone with a working brain."


    "And there is Davies, who gets close to such individuals¡­" Pamela continued.


    "Yeah, you can really judge a person by the type of friends he gathers around him," I nodded.


    "Spoken like a true Ravenclaw," the black-haired beauty commented, smirking impishly. "Or maybe like a true...Slytherin?"


    "Being smart outclasses everything," I snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt. "You don''t have to be brave if you are smart and solve the problem before it becomes one... you don''t have to work hard, but smart... and you don''t have to be cunning, just the smarter one."


    "We are the best!" Pamela announced proudly, her eyes were blazing with the fires of ambition.


    "That we are," I agreed with a chuckle.


    I started it, and now we were both picking the best traits of every house and make it appear as if Ravenclaw had it all. It made Pamela feel more confident, and I just enjoyed lecturing her as if I was some ancient all-knowing monk. She admitted that she found that trait of mine attractive, my intelligence. Well, I wasn''t a genius from my point of view, but there was no doubt that I knew more than the average student of my year.


    Maybe it was just me, but I think that everybody reborn in the Harry Potter world would spend vast amounts of time inside the Hogwarts library. I was basically living in the library for the first couple of months, devouring every interesting topic with the greed of a goblin that found a new excavation site full of ancient treasures.


    ...


    We left the Three Broomsticks late in the evening and stopped by at Honeydukes to buy some of the crazy sweets that were offered. My favorites were chocolate frogs, but only because I liked to collect the cards of famous individuals of the wizarding world. Pamela


    Leaving Honeydukes, we were confronted by the three sulking vagabonds that scowled at me with gloomy looks.


    "Come, admit it... you guys are stalking me," I muttered, shaking my head with a tired sigh. "Even if I were gay¡­ you guys are not my type. Sorry¡­"


    "Shut your mouth, Wellford. You are going to pay now!" Pucey barked. He attempted to lift his wand at me, but I pulled it out of his grasp with a wandless summoning charm before he could do something stupid. My display of wandless magic stunned the three baboonish boys. Blinking stupidly, they were utterly confused by the situation.


    "Careful, Pucey¡­" I snickered with a carefree attitude. "You might hurt yourself with that stick of yours. Don''t you know that wands are lethal weapons?"


    "Wellfo-¡­!" Davies started, but I threw Pucey''s wand at his face and followed up with a stinging hex with the strength of a really angry bee aimed at his forehead. *Ahhh!* Davies howled in pain and dropped on his stupid arse. Pucey got his fair share as well before I turned my attention to the nameless Slytherin that followed the two monkeys the whole time.


    Where is the Hufflepuff girl I saw Davies escorting to Hogsmeade anyway? ¨C I asked myself in the back of my mind. Recalling that he was in the company of a blond girl of our year at the start of the day ¨C Larissa Doppin was her name, I believe.


    "Care to tell me who you are?" I finally asked the nameless Slytherin. The boy yelped in surprise and raced away before I could say anything else.


    What the¡­?


    "Poor daddy, he won''t like to hear what happen to his old house," Pamela commented from my side and we left Pucey and Davies alone. Their foreheads started to swell comically due to the strength of my stinging hex. I was pretty sure that they would leave us alone, now that their vision was obstructed and all that.


    "They are still young, maybe they will learn from their mistakes and will grow up one day," I chuckled with a right amount of mockery.


    "No, I don''t think so¡­" Pamela giggled in response as we made our way back to Hogwarts.


    We stopped by at the common room and spent some time socializing with our peers, but eventually retreated to Pamela''s room for a snogging session.


    S.e.x was a topic between us, but I managed to trick her into thinking that she had to wait until she was fifteen so her body could develop properly. She had an adventurous spirit, and also made it clear since the beginning of this year that she expected more intimidate hours between us, and threatened that she would look for someone else if I couldn''t satisfy her desires. Well, I couldn''t really deny her wish and agreed to be her toyboy since I liked her playful but collected character. She was also very dedicated to her school-work and a great partner to have in classes.


    Anyway, I ended up sleeping in her room with Pamela resting in my arms.


    ...


    Halloween finally arrived, and with that the day when Harry would fight the troll in order to save Hermione, but I had different troubles right now. Roger Davies went straight to Professor Flitwick this morning, complaining that I ambushed him at Hogsmeade with some vicious spell. His face was still swollen, and it looks like he didn''t visit Madam Pomfrey for the sake of invoking more sympathy from our Head of House.


    "Good morning, Mr. Wellford," Flitwick greeted me after a fifth-year prefect took me to his office. Roger Davies was already here, and a hideous smirk spread across his face when our eyes made contact.


    "Good morning Professor," I greeted back with a smile. "Does Mr. Davies require a guide to help him find the hospital wing? Well, I remember that I defended myself yesterday against his attempt, along with Adrian Pucey and some unknown Slytherin, to ambush me while I accompanied the lovely Miss Bancroft for our first Hogsmeade weekend."


    "Yes... that''s why we are gathered here," Flitwick clarified, gesturing to the swollen forehead. "However, Mr. Davies claims that you attacked fully unprovoked¡­ can you explain, Mr. Wellford?"


    "He used the chance to humiliate me in front of Pamela!" Davies accused in a scornful tone.


    "Right¡­" Flitwick sighed and turned back to me. "Mr. Wellford, I would like to hear your own description of yesterday evening. I am already aware of Mr. Davies''s story, but I will only pass judgment after listening to both sides. Keep in mind that I will seek out Miss Bancroft and Mr. Pucey to clarify your claims."


    "Naturally, Professor," I nodded and inhaled a deep breath. "Well, our conflict started already when I invited miss Bancroft for a delicious butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks. It was Mr. Davies along with his two friends that confronted us at our table without any invitation. He made fun of my background as a muggleborn, claimed that I was parasitic pauper, and generally behaved without any kind of manners. It made me sad to see a fellow Ravenclaw behave like this¡­"


    I sighed with a shake of my head but smirked inwardly. Hehehe...


    "Why, you little-¡­!" Davies started but got interrupted by Flitwick, who silenced him by snapping his fingers.


    "Mr. Davies!" Flitwick snapped.


    "That being said¡­," I continued after the situation cooled down. "I met with Mr. Davies and friends again after leaving Honeydukes. Miss Bancroft was still in my company, and we shared a delightful conversation about the Patronus Charm, a really fascinating topic. Well, until we were rudely interrupted once again. The conflict was pretty quick, and I used a summoning charm to disarm Mr. Pucey, who lifted his wand at me, a potentially lethal weapon. Following that, I threw the wand at Mr. Davies''s face when he made a threatening gesture. Using the masterfully executed distraction, I followed up with a stinging hex, aimed at the forehead." I pointed dramatically at the said forehead. "While Mr. Pucey lost his wand, his mental disposition and brutish physique still posed a threat to me, and I couldn''t ignore that lightly. So I was forced to cast another stinging hex, also aimed at the forehead. The nameless Slytherin fled before I could even ask him for his name¡­"


    "And you used no other spells than a stinging hex and a summoning charm?" Flitwick inquired.


    I nodded nonchalantly. "Only a summoning charm and two stinging hexes."


    There was a short silence after my answer. Flitwick looked thoughtful, and Davies threw me a gloomy stare. Ignoring the latter, I let my eyes roam across the room, exploring all the strange tools that were scattered around. It appeared as if I was inside the cave of a dragon, only that the said dragon collected books, parchments, and even more books instead of treasure and coin. This was the office of the Head of Ravenclaw indeed.


    "Hem..." Flitwick cleared his throat, looking like he made his decision. "Very well, I decided that you both will serve a detention. You," he looked at Davies, "will serve detention under Professor Snape along with Mr. Pucey, and the third member of your group. Keep your next Friday evening free, Mr. Davies. And you¡­" now was my turn, "...Mr. Wellford, will serve detention with me, right now."


    Professor Flitwick looked a bit too excited for some reason as he hushed an irritated Roger Davies out of his office. Next, he gestured to me that I should take a seat before jumped behind his large office table, leaning forward with a curious expression.


    "Tell me, Mr. Wellford. How many spells are you able to cast wandlessly?" The small professor inquired with a knowing smile.


    "Just the two I just mentioned," I replied bluntly. There was not much reason to hide my talent now that it was in the open. Gaining the favor of a professor was a good thing, actually. I could have proven myself as a gifted student earlier, but I didn''t want to force myself into the limelight for no reason, but only if there is a benefit for doing so.


    Seeing that the professor was eager for more information, I made myself comfortable and started to scratch the back of my head to stimulate my brain.


    "Well, these two are the ones that I perfected so far," I started to explain. "I prefer quality over quantity and decided to practice until I master each spell before moving to another project. I found out that I can adjust the power of my stinging hex, and also the speed to some degree. My summoning charm is pretty good, too. The force of its pull is adjustable with the amount of power I fuel into the spell. Well..."


    "... my next project is the Banishing Charm, Repulso," I quickly added. It didn''t hurt to brag a little.


    "Marvelous!" The little professor explained cheerfully. "Wandless magic is such a rare skill. Few NEWT-level students manage to get a knack of it, and for the most part, only the more gifted individuals. Your mastery over these two spells, ... at such a young age, proves that you have developed strong control over your magic. Marvelous, just marvelous!"


    "Yeah, my mother stored the cookies in high places, so I was forced to come up with a proper solution," I informed with a chuckle. "Accidental magic is really nothing else than wandless casting. I think that the majority of magical children manage to accidentally perform the summoning charm, fueled off the desire to obtain something out of their reach. They just need to focus on the sensation and practice it until it becomes a natural thing to do."


    "Indeed," Flitwick agreed. "But not every child has the discipline to focus on such a task for a long period of time. It requires great attention and a special awareness of your magic that only a few develop at a young age. The majority is not mature enough before the age of eleven."


    "Well, and some are more curious than others," I added with a nod. "Maybe they just don''t recognize accidental magic as what it is."


    "It is our curiosity and the thirst for knowledge that drives us Ravenclaws after all," Professor Flitwick smirked a haughtily, looking very smug. "Mr. Wellford, you can''t imagine how it pleases me to see one of my eagles walking the path of a true Ravenclaw. Am I right to assume that you are interested in spell creation?"


    "It depends..." I replied slowly, not really knowing how to respond. "Wandless magic is just a way for me to understand how flexible the rules of magic are. It helps me feel how magic works and¡­ I don''t know... it helps me to understand. Spell Creation will be a big interest of mine in the future, but only after I gathered more insights into the mysteries of magic."


    The little professor nodded merrily. "Quite alright, you are only in your third year. Spell creation is nothing that should be attempted hastily. Be it as it may, Mr. Wellford, I decided to lend you a copy on the topic of wandless magic from personal collection. It is a great guide that shares the experience and thoughts of quite a few highly successful individuals."


    The professor smirked and displayed his own skill of wandless magic, summoning the said book with a wave of his hand from behind the towering bookshelf''s that stood behind him. He made a physical copy of it that would last a couple of months and yelped in surprise when I casually snatched the manifestation of knowledge out of his hands with a wandless accio. It was an ancient-looking book with no title. Opening it, I could see that it was a massive collection of thoughts and experiences of various individuals.


    Flitwick took some time and explained to me what I can expect from the book, his own experiences with it, and how it helped him to develop his own style. His short lecture was quite the eye-opener and helped me to understand how to handle all the knowledge that I was holding in my hands.


    "You have my thanks, professor," I said with a joyous mood.


    "That''s the least I can do," Flitwick chuckled before he became a bit more serious. "Talent has to be nurtured. It is the sad truth that there a lot of gifted students who get overlooked, and I know that too well. My door will always be open to you. Keep your mind sharp, Mr. Wellford."


    "Sharp as a claw," I replied jokingly, what lifted the mood. Professor Flitwick burst with a peal of violent laughter that made him lose balance, which caused him to almost drop from his seat.


    ...


    Chapter 2


    The troll incident passed just like I remembered it from the books and movies, and Harry made friends with Hermione shortly after. It was the beginning of the so-called golden trio, and I kept observing them from the corner of my eye while taking care of my own business.


    Days passed, and one week became two very quickly. The gloomy looks I received from Roger Davies and Adrian Pucey increased by quite a bit during that time. However, I was confident enough to handle these two apes. They were rather immature and planned their revenge against me like little kids, confronting me in the hallways in front of curious witnesses. I took care of them with underpowered stinging hexes aimed at their tongues.


    Davies and Pucey were open game since their names weren''t Draco Malfoy. The c.o.c.ky ferret was covered under a blanket of immunity because of his father and godfather, Professor Snape. It was almost ridiculous how easy he got away after declaring all muggleborns to be a sub-human species. That boy tossed slurs like mudblood or lowborn around as if he was participating in some contest.


    My relationship with Flitwick was also another topic of gossip in the Ravenclaw common room. People talked about how he took me under his wing and that I received personal tutelage from him what explained my skills with advanced wandless magic skills. It was expected that Pucey and Davies would blabber my secret out like the two baboons they are. The consequence was that I was now standing under different limelight; people paid more attention to me now. But that didn''t mean that I shunned the attention away.


    On the contrary, I made use of it and decided to gradually establish a reputation as a skilled wizard and powerhouse. Slow and subtle. My ''magical meditation'' that I practiced almost every night before going to bed gifted me a powerful body, and my skill with magic was also nicely developed for my age. I was generally a popular student right now, especially on the female population. So, attacking me will attract the attention of Flitwick, and everyone knew that the cheerful professor could turn into a fierce warrior if he wanted to. He was a half-goblin after all, and the species was known for their merciless fierceness in battle.


    That being said, Pamela approached me as soon as she heard the gossip and demanded that I should help her how to do wandless magic. I had no idea how to achieve it, but I agreed to guide her with insights when I felt that it was necessary. The first thing that the book I got from Flitwick told me was that all wizards and witches were unique. We had our own path to walk with different strengths and weaknesses, interests, and desires. There was a general technique everyone could use as a reference, but that was only the most basic support, and success depended on the discipline, creativity, and the willingness of an individual.


    My way of thinking was, however, still the same, and I didn''t make more friends besides my clingy koala bear, Pamela. It was really hard to care about other people of your ''age'' when your mental age surpassed that of your body. I also didn''t want to bind myself to more people so my enemies could use them against me. Yes, I was that paranoid. I was still weak, and every fourth-year student with some brains could cast a powerful severing charm, diffindo, which had the potential to be just as lethal as an avada kedavra.


    I also promised Pamela to introduce her to the room of requirements. She didn''t know about it yet, but I already bragged in front of her that I knew about an excellent location where we could practice spells and dueling without holding back. Being branded as a liar was actually a bad thing in the wizarding world and could seriously damage one''s reputation. Purebloods, such as Pamela, took it especially seriously.


    Anyway, here I was now, leading Pamela to the seventh floor. We stopped in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. She didn''t say anything but watched me with a skeptical expression when I started to pace back and forth three times, with my mind focused on the desire to acquire a dueling room with two puppets. The black-haired beauty gasped in surprise when a large arc with massive wooden doors began to appear in the empty wall opposite the tapestry.


    "Okay, you manage to impress me," Pamela stated. "Did you ward off an unused classroom? Enchanted the door to be invisible?"


    I shook my head with a smile. "I will tell you after we entered. Come in before anyone sees us," I grabbed her arm and dragged her into our new secret base. "Miss Bancroft, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the legendary... Room of Requirement!"


    Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw how big the place was. I made it appear with soft wooden floors that felt warm and were comfortable to the eye, and a wide, free room so we could move unhindered. There were additionally two hulking dueling dummies at the other end of the large room that could rival the great hall, wearing silver masks and black hooded robes.


    "What do you think?" I chuckled with an air of arrogance. "You should know that this room will adjust to every need you have. There are limits, of course, but stuff like a swimming pool is perfectly doable. You only need the exit, state your desire while pacing back and forth three times, and enter again." She was gaping at me now, and I smirked roguishly. "We can do as much damage as we want to the place. It repairs itself, and I doubt that we can damage something like this that the four founders personally created. Its magic is something else."


    The Room of Requirements was indeed quite impressive. It appeared that it had some kind of sentiment and that it was able to read the mind of whoever knew its secret and how to activate it. It was precisely the kind of magic I was looking for, and I hoped that I could someday unravel its secrets. It was pretty easy for me to enchant objects with magic, for example, adding a shield charm to a metal plate and connect everything with something similar to a protean charm.


    These charms weren''t actual charms that copied the classic original, however. My imagination created them, and I made use of the experience I got from casting spells such as the shield charm, protego, as a ''blueprint'' and inspiration for my magic. The spells of older wizards can differ in color sometimes, partly because the more experienced one got, the more unique one''s spells became. Keeping that in mind, I was already practicing magic from the moment my spirit awoke in the body of a baby. It was a dull and pretty monotonous part of my life, but I had more than enough time to experiment and explore the boundaries of my magic.


    "Jim!"


    Huh? I broke out of my thoughts and saw Pamela waving her hand in front of my confused face. She rolled her eyes and cast a blasting curse, confringo, at one of the dueling dummies. Her eyes widened when the unexpected happened.


    "What?!" Pamela exclaimed in utter surprise when the dueling dummy lifted a wand to and to summon a silver protego that blocked her attack. It retaliated swiftly with a small red spark that I recognized as a low-powered stinging hex.


    *yelp*


    "Yep, they won''t let you bully them," I chuckled with a little bit of schadenfreude. "Your reaction time is quite slow. I guess you aren''t as good as you pretend to me."


    "You prat!" Pamela huffed, bumping my shoulder with a first. "Self-acting dueling puppets like these are very rare. I was surprised by it, so I was caught off guard."


    "Of course," I agreed with a snicker. "Sorry that I didn''t warn you, but I wanted to use the opportunity to teach you a lesson of... CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"


    "You know Mad-Eye Moody?" Pamela asked, surprised.


    "I heard of him," I said with a nod and took my wand out of my wand-holster, which was hidden below my robe. Cypress wood with a unicorn hair core, ten inches and three quarters with slightly springy flexibility. Its appearance was quite elegant with a delicate criss-cross pattern that covered most of the ruby and alabaster colored stick.


    "Oooh¡­ what is that? The great prodigy of wandless magic, Jimmy Wellford, owns a wand? A real wand?! Oh, my¡­ someone, please call the Daily Prophet! " Pamela mocked impishly.


    "That rubbish only cares about scandals," I scoffed, smiling.


    "Quite¡­ but all the same, I want you to bombard me with the best you have." She got rid of her robe down to a black skirt and sweater and jumped away with a carefree laugh. "Show me what you got, Mr. Wellford!"


    "Don''t become too c.o.c.ky, young lady," I snickered with a wide grin, spiraled my wand to summon a gust of wind that lifted Pamela''s skirt up. She giggled girlishly and replied with a knockback jinx that threw me on my arse. I swiftly summoned a protego, and a silver dome appeared in front of me, shielding me from a ruthless barrage of stinging hexes.


    "You vicious little thing¡­" I snarled with a wide grin and jumped up for my counter-assault.


    "Why? CONSTANT VIGILANCE... Mr. Wellford," Pamela chuckled with a carefree laughter.


    We continued to attack each other with stinging hexes and knockback jinxes mainly. It was the safest way, and we didn''t want to hurt each other because even a stupefy could become fatal if it hits the heart of the victim. Professional training with dangerous curses such as confringo should never be done without the presence of a trained medic anyway. That''s why Pamela rewarded me with a myriad of kisses after we assaulted the two dueling dummies without holding back at all.


    Every witch and wizard had a favorite offensive spell. Mine, at the moment, was the exploding charm, bombarda, while Pamela enjoyed her time experimenting with her family spells. Her favorite one, as far I can tell from my observations, was some kind of conjuration spell that summoned a small black needle at the tip of her wand. The needle would then dart with high speed at the aimed target, impale whatever it hits, and melt into a viciously hissing gooey and acid-like substance. It was a pretty nasty piece of magic since the initial spike, which was as small as a needle, didn''t appear dangerous to the eye. However, the gooey acid stuff made me shudder with dread when I saw how it ate through the metallic body of the dueling dummies.


    Her black-and-red aspen wood wand additionally possessed the core of a creature that her family breeds in secret, and the majority of her family magic only worked for members that owned wands with that particular core. She didn''t tell me what creature it was, since it was a secret, mostly because it is wrongly accused of being a ''dark creature'' in some parts of the world due to its preferred habitat.


    Anyway, we continued with a violent assault on the two dueling dummies until we were both sweating with quick, heavy breaths.


    "So?" I exhaled with a roguish grin. "Do you like it? How about we train every Friday regularly and whenever we feel like it."


    "Very well, but try to organize something to drink for the next time," Pamela replied with a fierce smile, breathing heavily. Her long onyx-black hair looked like a bird''s nest now after she had to dodge the retaliation of the training dummies.


    I nodded, smiling. "As you wish, milady."


    We played a little bit more until exhaustion overwhelmed us both. Unleashing magic without any restrain was a great way to develop as a wizard or witch because it increases one''s insights ¨C including the fighting capabilities, of course. At least, that was my own theory and it worked perfectly fine for me as I noticed the benefits of going rampant with one''s favorite spells. It wasn''t only the user that influenced magic, on the contrary, magic influenced the user as well.


    "This place will be our secret from now on," I declared with an air of seriousness. "You might find it strange to hear this, but please don''t try to enter it without my company. I have ways to keep us unseen from curious eyes¡­ because I really don''t want to lose such a great advantage over my peers."


    Pamela observed me with a curious glance for a couple of breaths, and her expression switched back and forth between amazement and amus.e.m.e.nt. The corners of her mouth eventually quirked up with a gentle smile.


    "It''s your discovery, and you decide what is going to happen with it," she agreed with a firm nod. "Not that I am going to waste an opportunity like this anyway. I want this place for myself! And self-acting dueling dummies are ridiculously expensive." She gestured at the battered shapes of the two dummies and chuckled. "Look, the maintenance alone is costly enough to bankrupt middle-class families. The spell-damage contaminated the materials, and a simple reparo is far from enough to restore them to a pristine condition."


    "Indeed," I chuckled when she approached the dummies in order to see who of us managed to do the most damage.


    The birth advantage that allowed me to grasp my magic a lot faster in comparison to my peers ¨C added with my so-called magical meditation that enhanced my body ¨C blessed me with an unnatural amount of magic that I could control with relative ease. There was also the matter that I could also feel and see my magic what gave me even more control. With all these aspects combined, it was only logical that I was a pretty powerful wizard.


    However, Pamela had her talents and gifts as well and an inborn predatory instinct that made her a dangerous opponent. Her dream was to become a dueling champion, and that desire influenced her mindset and magic, making her aim almost surgical accurate and her spells notable more powerful. She wasn''t exactly a warrior but loved dueling as an art. For her, it was a graceful dance between two combatants with a potentially lethal outcome.


    Seeing the black-haired Ravenclaw crouching in front of a broken arm of her dueling dummy, I was once again remembered that I was pretty lucky to have her as a friend. Pamela Bancroft is a long-legged sweetie with an athletic, yet still slightly curvy figure with all the right shapes and proportions. She has an aristocratic appearance like a true pureblood beauty, fair skin with a faint tan, red, pouty lips, and long onyx-black hair cascading over her shoulders in gentle waves. One of her more prominent features was her violet eyes that increased her attractiveness with an exotic flair. Her best feature was, however, her brilliant smile that she maliciously made use of to break my focus during our dueling practices.


    "Well, who won?" I asked with a scoff when I saw Pamela sniffing at a hole in the armor of the dueling dummy that the acid of her black needle spell caused.


    "I am not sure¡­ let''s call it a draw, okay?" She suggested, ignoring the state of my headless dueling dummy that partially molten with some parts that were still glowing orange and radiating heat. Bombarda, confringo, Incendio¡­ I didn''t hold back at all.


    "If you say so," I agreed with a knowing smirk. Pamela huffed and turned towards the exit of the room.


    "Come, Jimmy¡­ let'' s go to bed, it''s almost curfew," she said as she walked away, swaying with h.i.p.s in an amusing attempt to seduce me.


    I accompanied her back to her room, and we spend our time together talking about magic with some cozy, intimate moments in between. Professor McGonagall introduced us to the animagus transformation this year, and I was quite interested in attempting it. Pamela was curious as well, but transfiguration wasn''t her best subject, and she was afraid of the dangers of it. Becoming an animagus required a lot of discipline and confidence from the practitioner. She was still a young, fourteen years old girl while I had all the mental advantages one could have.


    Becoming an animagus was pretty easy for me because I knew that even a dork such as Pettigrew could become one ¨C what increased my confidence by a lot. I had great control over my magic, and my meditations every evening before I went to sleep were also useful. My idea was to wait and so for now. Professor McGonagall was a great teacher, but I didn''t like her too much for some reason ¨C probably because she was so damn strict all the time. It was also bloody evident to me now she favored her own house the most, though not as bad as Snape favoritism for Slytherin.


    Her animagus form must be a koala bear¡­


    I found myself with Pamela resting on my chest once again, wearing nothing but my trunks while she was wearing a black silk pajama that left little to imagination. It was hard to deny her wish when she adamantly insisted on it. Besides, I could still meditate without much trouble. I could even feel her magic and shared some of the natural energy I harvested out of the vicinity, infusing some of it into Pamela''s body, gentle and slowly.


    It was noteworthy that her body was actually amplifying the amount of magic I could absorb by increasing the quantity that was filling the air. That discovery made me come up with the theory that all magical folk regenerated a part of their reserves by attracting the ambient magic around them - Places like Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and probably the ministry as well, brimmed with abundant magic. The more magical beings gathered in one place, the higher the amount of that wondrous energy. Well, something like this was actually common knowledge, but I never found anything close to the meditation technique I performed almost daily for a couple of hours.


    The advantages my meditation technique offered were pretty outrageous ¨C and I have no idea where the limits lay. So far, I noticed increased physical strength, higher stamina and endurance, a generally greater physique, a passive health regeneration that worked slow but efficient, and a superior eye-sight along with some kind sub-form of the extraordinary and extremely rare gift knows as mage sight. And these were only the physical benefits¡­


    The magical benefits were that I was more resistant to external magic. It has its pros and cons because, while I did regenerate my health automatically, I was also somewhat resistant to healing spells. Potions had almost no effect at all because my body will reap the magic of the liquid as soon it entered my mouth. To put it simply, external magic that entered my body got mercilessly devoured. That''s why I jokingly called my meditation technique ''The Way of the Void'' as my body was the void that wanted to be filled.


    It was also the reason I could easily fight off the compulsion charm of the cursed diadem that was one of Voldemort''s horcruxes. Its malicious magic penetrated my skull in an attempt to influence my mind but found itself faced by a voracious beast that feasted on it until nothing was left. It is quite amusing how the diadem totally ignored my presence after that incident. However, that doesn''t mean that I could just go and devour its magic. I actually got a massive headache, and even an upset stomach, after my magic ate Voldy''s blasted magic. There was no reason to play with that thing right now.


    I had to wait until I was strong enough and then try to extort some favors from Dumbledore in exchange for the horcrux. Sounded crazy, yes, but there was enough time to come up with a better plan, and I didn''t want people to think that I was a knight in shining armor that worked for free. I also planned to take care of the Voldy''s diary, naturally. My plan for it was to simply snatch it from Ginny during the book signing and give it to Flitwick, saying that I found the strange diary it in an unused classroom and that its magic felt off. It was simply too dangerous to leave that thing uncontrolled. There was a good possibility that I would end up as the victim of that giant snake myself ¨C there is no way that I would let that happen.


    Anyway, I eventually fell asleep as well, dreaming about all the obscene stuff I could scribble in the diary to bully young Tommy Tom.

 Chapter 314 - My OC Stash #14 - Tournament Arc by ImSoAwesome (RWBY)

    -I deeply regret ignoring this completed fic, it truly does feel like the true american shounen anime that RWBY was meant to be! Here''s to hoping for a sequel~ Author heavily inspired by MHA in the fic''s early days.


    Synopsis: Jaune was tired of losing - tired of giving up whenever he felt he wasn''t good enough. It was time to prove to himself, and everyone else, that he belonged at Beacon, and that he has what it took to be a Huntsman. The Vytal Tournament was coming up, but he wasn''t just going to compete. He was going to win.


    Rated: T


    Words: 249K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13019685/1/Tournament-Arc (ImSoAwesome)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    I wanna be a champion


    Never give up.


    When he struggled for breath and was crumpled on the ground, when he felt the cold floor on his cheek, Jaune would remember those words.


    He''d taught himself that. He held to it as though he''d sworn it on his life. Jaune thought, if he held true to his promise, he could be someone one day.


    He never stopped trying.


    But then, he''d never been in this situation before, had he?


    Jaune swirled the water in his glass - his fifth cup, and it a cool respite amongst stuffy smoke in the air. Bodies were all over the dance floor, music on the verge of ear shattering - if only it was louder. He could still hear his thoughts.


    But he needed the escape, even if he hadn''t done anything other than sit at the bar and swallow his sorrows.


    It was easier than facing Pyrrha''s scrutiny.


    Couldn''t she see he wasn''t ready for this? Nevermind the fact that he''d cheated his way into Beacon, with naught but a sword and stroke of good fortune. His lack of optimal training was the killer, and without it, he didn''t stand a chance.


    The most he''d do was embarrass himself, and even though that wasn''t new to him, it didn''t mean he wanted to throw himself into the fire. The others would do great and by seeing them do well, maybe he could live vicariously through them. It was fine.


    He wasn''t made for the spotlight anyway.


    "Want a refill, honey?" the bartender asked, a sweet older woman who''d been just kind or oblivious enough to ignore his sour mood. It felt like at the end of the day, his problems were small compared to the bigger world.


    "No, I think I''m good. Thanks." Jaune went for the exit, and threw on his hood before stepping into the rain.


    It was fine this way. He didn''t need to enter the tournament.


    What difference would it even make?


    ~TA~


    "This is gonna be so awesome!"


    Jaune couldn''t resist a smile as Ruby skipped and twirled. If her big, goofy grin wasn''t enough of an indication, she''d been total enthralled with the assembly.


    But it wasn''t just her, even as the entire school left the building, it was an uproar of excitement. And why wouldn''t they be?


    The Vytal Tournament was in a few weeks.


    "It is time to kick butt and take names!" Yang said with gusto, whipping around to face her target. Her finger shot toward Pyrrha, "I hope you''re ready, P-money, I''m about to snatch first place right out of your hands!"


    "H-hold on," Pyrrha waved her hands in front of her, "there''s no guarantee I''ll make it past the preliminaries..."


    "You''re a great fighter Pyrrha, but a shitty liar."


    "I-I''m not lying!"


    Jaune listened to them go on. Yang would milk that until Pyrrha was sick of it, but she was still right, there''s no way Pyrrha wouldn''t make it to the finals. Nora pushed between them, puffing out her chest as though the spotlight was on her.


    "Move aside, you peasants!" She announced boldy, "We all know who the real winner of this shindiggity will be!"


    "Doesn''t that mean you''ve gotta beat your little Renny-bear though?"


    "I''m a tough lover."


    "I should hope you are. It''s an integral part of a Huntress-in-trainings career," Weiss suddenly spoke up, "The whole world will be watching, this is not only a competition. This is a presentation to the people of the strength of their future protectors, which means all eyes will be on those in finals."


    "Don''t worry, Weiss-cream. You''re big and strong. I''m sure you''ll make it into Top 8." Yang rubbed the heriess''s hair, much to her chagrin.


    "I shall settle for nothing less than first place, you buffoon."


    "Hah, good luck, that means you''ll have to get past me!"


    "I like my chances then."


    "Is that a challenge?"


    Jaune shook his head as the girls fell into their usual bickering. He might have watched Yang pull Weiss into a headlock but for his partner nudging his shoulder.


    "Are you excited for the tournament, Jaune?"


    "Uh, yeah..." Jaune rubbed his neck, avoiding her gaze, "I guess. It''s gonna be fun to watch."


    Pyrrha''s eyebrows rose. "Watch?"


    Jaune smiled a weak smile. "Yeah... I don''t think I''m gonna enter."


    ~TA~


    The can clattered on the ground as Jaune kicked it again.


    Even when the evening settled, Vale was still rampant with talk of the festival. Everywhere he went, people were talking about it. Huntsmen were going to look for potential trainees to take into their guilds when they graduated. Organizations and sponsors that used Huntsmen services would be looking for fresh potential.


    Merchandise was already being made, he even heard that some businesses would be closed on the days of the tournament just to watch it.


    Weiss was right. It wasn''t just a tournament, it was a spectacle, a sneak peak at the heroes of tomorrow.


    But so what? It didn''t matter to him.


    Jaune just wanted to be a Huntsman, he didn''t really care about being the best one. What did having that title even amount to in the end?


    That''s why he never complained when he lost in sparring matches. What right did he have to be upset? His opponents were better than him, and fighting wasn''t something he was good at anyway. Jaune never tried to hold himself to a greater standard than what he could reasonably achieve.


    If he never expected anything of himself, he couldn''t be disappointed when he failed. It was foolproof. Pathetic, maybe, but at the very least it protected whatever pride he could still muster.


    And then it came again. The feeling of lying on the ground, tasting the floor while his opponent stood above him. He recalled his weak knees, his shaking hands - from sadness? Fear?


    No, the feeling was hotter, it made him grind his teeth. It made him want to get up again and show his foe that he wasn''t yet defeated.


    But the most he usually accomplished was lasting longer than most. In the end, it hardly mattered if every other aspect of his abilities was subpar. It made him wonder why he never forfeited, one was allowed to surrender in the matches, all they needed to do was raise their hand.


    Instead he raised his sword.


    Only for it, and him, to be knocked onto the floor once again. But he''d still tried.


    For a long time, he thought that was what made the difference. That if he tried hard enough, if he believed in himself, put in the work and never surrendered, maybe he''d pull off that win. Maybe he''d get to feel like a winner.


    But one could only fail so many times before the confidence in those thoughts began to die.


    The world was not a fair place. And so it made sense that not all men were equal.


    Some people were made to be great, and the rest stayed insignificant. The winners and the losers. The latter was Jaune, and he was okay with that.


    He really was.


    The Jaune that kept getting up was the real idiot, he should have understood that no matter what he did, nothing would change.


    Jaune kicked the can harder this time.


    ~TA~


    "Because it would be pointless!"


    He hadn''t meant to yell, and seeing the way his partner flinched, it made him feel awful for doing so. Ren''s and Nora''s eyes were on him, spooked to attention at his sudden scream.


    Jaune sighed. "I''m fine with just watching. I don''t need to enter, besides if you don''t win it, then it''ll probably be Yang or someone else. And I can''t beat them so why even bother?"


    "Jaune, you don''t know for certain what will happen. I think you should enter, your training has been going well, hasn''t it?"


    It wasn''t enough, not even close. Their entire year was entering the tournament. Vacuo, Mistral, Atlas - all of their best first years were here and Jaune doubted they came this far to go home empty-handed. Everyone who entered planned to show the world who they were and what they could do.


    What could Jaune show them? How to scream when his ass was on fire?


    "i''m going to lose - that''s obvious. There''s no point in trying."


    "There is a point! People will get to see how strong you really are, this is your best chance for you, for everyone, to prove themselves. I''m confident you will do well, Jaune."


    "Yeah, well I''m not, okay?"


    And as if he''d ripped any fight left out of her, Pyrrha was stunned. Bewildered like these were words she never expected out of him. Maybe he was too, that she could have such honest faith in him.


    Pyrrha was sweet and kind. She dedicated so much time to helping him get better with no reward for herself, if anything, she was one of the few people who truly believed in him.


    But she was wrong. Her words were hollow to him. Pyrrha could, and mostly likely would, win the tournament.


    Jaune couldn''t. And that was reality.


    Which was fine, he could accept that - whether it pissed him off or not was irrelevant. "I''m going for a walk."


    "Jaune, please just -


    The door slammed before she could finish.


    ~TA~


    What did Pyrrha expect?


    Jaune couldn''t help but feel angry. At her, at the tournament - screw it, the entire freaking world! Where did the faith come from? Was he the only one seeing the truth?


    Even with Pyrrha help these past few months, Jaune still managed to fail. Whenever he lost in the ring, or didn''t learn a technique she''d been teaching him for days, he couldn''t look at her. He couldn''t hear her encourage him to try again and not feel like shit.


    He was going to let her down. If he entered the tournament, he''d soil her name with his performance. Many people now whispered about how Pyrrha Nikos had a failure of a partner, someone who didn''t deserve to stand beside her. Pyrrha may not care what those people said, but Jaune did.


    And not just her, this tournament represented the Huntsmen everywhere, and if people saw him being kicked around like a ragdoll, what would that say about his class? About the future of the Huntsmen?


    Jaune felt he''d only bring them down with him. So it was best to go down alone.


    The wind blew with the slow drizzle, Jaune just letting it splash his face to absorb the cold. He welcomed it, as it made that hot feeling in his heart not so painful. In fact, in the cool feeling, Jaune dared to think of a more positive outlook.


    Even if he knew he would fail, what would it be like if he didn''t? He''d think about that from time to time, fantasize about it every time he got through a hard day of training.


    What would it feel like to beat Blake? Or Yang?


    Or Pyrrha?


    He could hear the crowd - a wave of applause as he appeared on the big screen. Jaune felt like he could soak it all up, fill him in a way that left him hungry for nothing else. Huntsmen from all over would look at him and think "That kid is the future" and "He''ll be one of the greatest."


    And in that moment, he could finally think that he deserved it. That he belonged at Beacon Academy.


    But then the applause was gone - the people, the stadium, the trumpets, it all faded away. And he was back on the street, cars zooming on the overpass and only music to be heard was the rain pattering the pavement.


    Jaune''s smile dropped. How pathetic, just the thought of winning made him feel so good inside. But he wasn''t going to win, so there was nothing to be happy about. It''d be satisfying enough to see one of his friends win. And Jaune would be fine in the background, clapping for them. No expectations, no responsibilities, no shining moment.


    And that was perfectly fine.


    Jaune continued down the road, letting drops of rain fall on his face as he listened to the sound of the city. Maybe if he was quick enough, he could catch a car and just let it take him someplace. It didn''t matter where, so long as it wasn''t here anymore.


    He wanted to run. He was running. But he wasn''t going to get away, not because he couldn''t, but because he there wasn''t anywhere to run to.


    With most things, he knew that once the night was over, he''d feel better. He wouldn''t care anymore.


    Jaune grabbed a railing.


    A small one that lead to an apartment complex, creating a small corner that could be occupied by any one person. A place no one would bother him. Where he could be easily ignored by the passersby.


    Good enough.


    Jaune sat in the corner, both arms wrapped around one leg. His leaned his head back, staring emptily at the dead sky.


    He couldn''t cry for some reason, maybe because he felt numb or too resigned to let out any emotion. But it felt good that think that the angels were crying for him.


    The tournament was just a wake up call to his inferiority. But he knew that now, at least by not entering, he felt like he was in control. That he had decided what his fate would be before it could be slapped in his face.


    "Hey, what''s a kid like you doing out here?"


    Jaune turned to see a man standing on the porch, back to him. He leaned against the railing himself with a cigar in hand.


    "Nothing." Jaune responded hoarsely.


    "Nah, it''s never nothing. Thing is, people don''t really come out here just to sit in a corner in the rain. You look like a teen angst protagonist."


    "Or maybe I just want to be alone - and you''re kind of in the way of it."


    "Sheesh, no need to bite. I was just curious, kid."


    Silence passed between them, with only the sounds of him puffing out smoke to interrupt it. Jaune looked at him again. He was just a stranger, its not like Jaune lost anything by just talking to him. Maybe he could at least blow off some steam with someone he''d never see again.


    "I''m a little bummed out about the tournament. D''you know about it?"


    "I live on Remnant, don''t I?"


    Jaune rolled his eyes. "My friend wanted me to enter, but... I''m not gonna do well. I know she thinks I can but she doesn''t get it."


    "Get it?"


    "That there''s no point in me trying, I''m gonna lose so it doesn''t matter."


    "Hm..." He gave a slow nod, "you''re right, that makes sense."


    Jaune''s heart fell. "I-it does?"


    "Yeah. If you already know what''ll happen, why waste your time?"


    Exactly, that''s what he''d told Pyrrha. Jaune agreed wholeheartedly... so why did he feel that answer wasn''t enough?


    "I mean, I want to do good. I wanna be able to try my best but, that hardly amounts to what everyone else is capable of. I''m a weakling. The most I''d do is humiliate myself in front of the entire world so why even try?"


    "Why try?" The man repeated, as if contemplating the words, letting the smoke slip out of his mouth. "You''ve got it all figured out now, don''t you?"


    For some reason that irked him, and Jaune wondered if the man was smirking. "What do you mean?"


    "Exactly what I said. You have your answer, you know what you have to do. Why linger on it anymore?"


    "Because I -" And Jaune stopped. Because what? What was he going to say?


    "You''re an idiot like the rest of ''em," The man drawled, "Tell me, have you ever thought you might be able to win? Have you at least considered it?"


    He had. Whenever he hit a milestone in his training, whenever he learned something new, he''d think he was catching up. He''d imagine winning one day. Of climbing through the ranks and being the best he could be.


    But they were just fantasies, there was no way he could pull them off in the tournament. So he wasn''t going to enter.


    "Yeah, I did."


    "But you don''t want to try?"


    "What''s the point?"


    "Maybe there isn''t a point, but maybe there is." The man shrugged, "What artist looks at their work and thinks ''that''s good enough''. What mechanic finds a flaw in a machine and doesn''t try to fix it? Some, sure, but those aren''t the ones that get the promotion."


    The man nodded as if reminding himself of that. "We''ve got very limited time in this world, so I take what I need. And what I want. No one cares for a street rat, so what is he to do? Crawl up in a corner and wait to die? No, that''s what idiots and quitters do. I''m neither."


    "I did what I told myself to do. I was a plucky little shit, good with my hands. And I made mistakes, but I also learned. Now, I''ve got everything I need, and the world keeps turning, so there is even more to want. And I''m not afraid to get out there and take it."


    The man paused for a moment, as though he needed to find the right words to continue. "You want to be a winner, kid? Then quit whining. Roll up your sleeves and get to work."


    "I... I''ll fail."


    "I''m not saying you''ll win. In fact, I doubt a guy like you even has a chance."


    "Thanks..."


    "But I''m not saying you''ll lose, either. So stop with your pity party, it''s irritating." The man looked over, pointing his cigar at him, "Don''t be the guy that lets good things slip away, and don''t let your fear convince you not to fight for what you want."


    Jaune just stared. Enticed by the single green eye that bore into his blue. There was a story there, hardship - someone who scr.a.p.ed the bottom of the barrel until he could build a kingdom.


    That''s what Jaune wanted.


    "Build a palace out of the mud. Scr.a.p.e strength out of blood and tears. You want to taste victory, so why are you out here wasting time?"


    Jaune''s mouth opened, but he found that he had nothing to say. Unsure what to make of his brazen but hardened advice. He made it sound so simple, like it the most obvious answer to his problem.


    But it couldn''t be. Right?


    "Or you could just be the street rat, sit in your little corner and die," Then man flicked away his cigar, adjusting his hat as he walked off, "But if you ask me, that''s a shitty way to go out."


    Jaune stood, watching the man walk off. Was that all he had to say? Was it really as simple as he was making it sound?


    No, it wasn''t simple. He wasn''t saying that at all.


    "Who are you?" Jaune called out.


    But he''d already vanished.


    ~TA~


    Pyrrha''s eyes flew open as soon as she heard the door creak. Thankfully she''d left a light on, otherwise she might not have seen his face.


    "You''re still awake?" Jaune asked, hair slicked to his face.


    "Yes, I was waiting for you," Pyrrha sat up, "I wanted to say I''m sorry for earlier. It wasn''t right to put so much pressure on you... I just wanted you to try. I wanted you to see the fruits of your training in a real competition, but I failed to take your feelings into consideration."


    It was a failing of hers that she didn''t expect to come out. She still thought Jaune was making a mistake, but it was out of her hands, she had to respect whatever choice he made.


    "No, I''m sorry, Pyrrha." Jaune shook his head, "You were right. I need to try, no matter how much I think it won''t matter. I shouldn''t have let my anger out on you when you just wanted to help. So, I''m sorry - I should have listened to you."


    Wait, really? Well, thats was great! Did that mean he...?


    "I-it''s fine, so... does that mean you are going to compete?"


    "Better." Jaune said, shrouding them in darkness upon turning off the light. The boy laid on his bed, and even though Pyrrha couldn''t see his face, it didn''t take away the power in his last words of the night.


    "I''m gonna win."


    Welcome readers to my new fic, Tournament Arc.


    The way the tournament was handled in canon wasn''t exactly a flaw since its entire purpose served the larger plot, in that sense the tournament didn''t have any real stakes or reasons for the MCs to win it.


    So lets take out the main plot and make the tournament important.


    So this story focuses on Jaune, but also other characters who want to win the tournament. I will say though that this will not be the same style tournament as we''ve seen in canon.


    Hopefully you enjoyed it and I''ll see you in the next one.


    ISA


    Chapter 2


    The ones who want to win


    A protest - her hands cried out for rest. And they''d get it. Later.


    Arslan''s fingers trembled as if they were going to break off, and even just holding up the spoonful of oatmeal proved to be strenuous on her. The burn in her muscles drove home the overexertion she''d promised not to put herself through again.


    So much for that.


    "Ars, you good?" Reese''s voice drew her eyes, "Training again?"


    "Yeah, I did it again," Arslan admitted, setting down her spoon to rub her wrist, "And I know I shouldn''t have, no need to lecture me."


    Reese''s glare was a brief one, quickly replaced by an admonished sigh and a knowing wave of her fork, "You''re really gonna bust up your arms, dude. Like, seriously."


    "She''s right," Nadir added sternly, "You remember what happened the last time you pushed yourself too far? Are you really trying to cripple yourself before the tournament?"


    "I''ll be fine," Arslan grumbled, "I appreciate it but I learned my lesson, I know when I''ve pushed myself too far."


    Reese pointed at Arslan''s hands. "And that isn''t too far?"


    "Do they look broken to you?"


    It was a cheap thing to say, Arslan could admit, especially since they were only showing their concern. But it was for nothing, she was perfectly fine - the recoil effects would only bother her for another hour or so.


    "Anyway, can we talk about something else?" Arslan pitched, "I heard you were exploring campus, Reese."


    The girl brightened at that, as she usually did. The girl was an explorer by nature - hadn''t been at Beacon for a day before the girl was zooming through the Emerald Forest to see the ruins. In seconds, the girl was deep into her tale, Bolin passively nodding as he ate his breakfast.


    "You said you were gonna slow down." Nadir suddenly whispered.


    "Yeah well, I lied. Sorry."


    "Are you?"


    She wanted to say she was, but knew by now that Nadir was not quite as gullible as Reese or passive as Bolin. She could have punched him in the face, and he would still call her out on her faults. He was lucky she appreciated a partner like that.


    "You won''t win the tournament like that."


    "And what am I supposed to do, huh? Be lax? Maybe you don''t remember who is in it."


    Nadir''s interlocked fingers tightened, though perhaps not for the same reason Arslan''s did whenever she was brought up. "I get it, okay? But you are pushing yourself too hard. Start relying on us. You might be the leader but that doesn''t mean you can do everything on your own."


    "I''ve gotten everywhere I am today on my own, alright? I don''t need your damn advice, got it?"


    The table shook as Nadir''s fist struck. "Ars -


    "Pyrrha! Hey, over here!"


    Arslan tensed, looking over at Reese, mouth agape. What the hell was she doing? She might have told her to stop, but Pyrrha had already noticed, moving through the horde of students to reach them.


    "Be nice." Nadir said, sitting back in his seat as the redhead approached. Arslan rolled her eyes, choosing to get back to eating her breakfast.


    She had nothing to say to Pyrrha.


    "Whats up?" Reese asked just as the girl arrived, "I saw you around ever since we got here but never got to talk to you."


    "I suppose I''ve just been caught up with everything at Beacon, its a lot to keep up with," Pyrrha smiled, "Are you still doing missions for the AC?"


    "You know it! Tell you what though, its hard to find stuff in Sanus. The whole countryside is plucked dry of anything good!"


    Pyrrha chuckled. "Don''t pretend you actually care about preserving ancient artifacts, Reese."


    Reese feigned heartbreak, seething he teeth. "You hurt me. Anyway, how about you? Still kickin'' ass at the top of the class?"


    "Ah well, something like that..."


    This again. It always came to this subject, and sometimes Arslan wondered if Reese purposefully did it just to get on her nerves. She wasn''t of course, Reese was much more considerate than that, the problem lied in that she didn''t think ahead. Didn''t consider how her actions could affect people.


    How they currently affected her.


    Arslan did her best to tune out as her team conversed with Pyrrha (the traitors), trying to find a distraction in her breakfast. Their laughter ate her for some reason - like scratching styrofoam. Even her won''t eyes betrayed her, sneaking a glance at the redhead as she listened to Reese''s wild tales.


    Whatever.


    "Um... hello, Arslan."


    Breathe.


    "Pyrrha." Arslan responded curtly.


    "How have you been?"


    "Fine."


    "That''s good."


    "It is."


    Arslan''s hadn''t noticed how quickly heart was beating until then, and the very action made it feel like her hands were shaking even more. The feeling was familiar - like a pot of water left on the burner for too long. Sizzling like a flame gone on too long, a flame ignited by Pyrrha.


    That Arslan wanted nothing more than to snuff out.


    "I''ve heard you are doing great in combat class," Pyrrha continued, "Of course, you were always good at that. Every time I see you, you''ve gotten even stronger... I''m a little envious."


    "Envious, huh? Thats funny."


    "What?"


    "I don''t really see what you envy me for, Champion," Arslan''s eyes narrowed, "Or are you just making fun of me?"


    "N-no..." Pyrrha stammered, "I didn''t mean it that way. I''m sorry."


    I''m sorry. Even after months of being away from her, those words still made Arslan boil inside, still made her want to punch the girl in her teeth.


    "Arslan, I wanted to -


    "Pyrrha, go away."


    The blonde ignored the shocked looks from her teammates, she couldn''t blame them, they were on good terms with Pyrrha. But the champion herself didn''t look at all surprised, she shouldn''t have been - dejected, maybe, but she''d get over it. It didn''t matter to Arslan.


    Because Pyrrha had shown that it didn''t matter to her either.


    "Ars..."


    "I told you not to call me that anymore. Who the hell do you think you are?"


    "Its not like that, I''m just -


    "Just what? Trying to shove your weight around? We get it, Pyrrha, you''re the best, you can stop reminding us."


    "Why does it always have to come back to that?" Pyrrha said a bit more forcefully, "Am I not allowed to come over and talk to you?"


    "I''m going to let you figure that out. I don''t recall your memory being so shitty."


    "That was years ago, why does -


    Arslan hit the table this time. And the power reverberating through it sounded like a firecracker. The murmurs of the cafeteria were silenced, the entire world on pause as Arslan stood before the enemy.


    Yet another familiar feeling, standing face to face with the mistral champion. At the cusp of success, only she stood in the way. Very rarely was it anyone else, in fact, Arslan hadn''t heard of anyone who had gotten so close.


    But she was. Arslan was very close, she could feel it.


    She wished she could see anger in Pyrrha''s face, maybe irritation, anything other than that stupid blank stare, like somehow she was so better than everyone that she felt nothing toward them.


    Oh but it would be soon that her stare turned to shock and defeat. Until then¡­


    "Hit the road, Pyrrha. Now."


    And a few moments later, she did. It was kind of funny, Pyrrha could stand her ground against any enemy in a physical fight. But she never stood a chance when her feelings and mistakes were challenged. It was perhaps her only real weakness.


    But not even Arslan would resort to that in the ring.


    "Arslan, what the hell was that?" Reese asked just as the cafeteria returned to normal.


    "That''s what i want to know," Arslan fired back, "If you wanted to talk to Pyrrha, then you should have gone to her. I don''t know what possessed you to think I wanted her around me."


    "I thought with all the time passed between you two, the tension might be gone..." Reese held her glare, "Guess I was wrong."


    "You think?"


    "This isn''t somethin'' to be okay with!"


    "And why not?"


    The two girls glared at one another, but Arslan refused to back down. She knew, maybe not everything, but she did know why Arslan refused to speak to Pyrrha. And that Reese had betrayed that, did she really expect to not be called out on it?


    Nadir put a hand on his partner''s shoulder. "Ars, let it go."


    Arslan rolled her eyes and sat down. "Fine. Whatever."


    Reese seethed. "You know what-


    "Stop."


    Everyone turned onto Bolin, the boy looking at all of them calmly. "Is this how you ought to act toward one another? I''m ashamed to call you my teammates if you so choose to act like children."


    "Tch." Arslan''s eyes lowered, pursing her lips as the weight of his words hit her.


    "Damn, Bolin," Reese smiled weakly, "That kinda hurts..."


    "Apologize, both of you."


    "M-my bad, Ars, sorry..." Reese said, the worst part being that Arslan knew she was genuine.


    Arslan held her tongue for a moment, looking at Nadir who gestured back to Reese. Then at Bolin, whose unwavering stare only punched a bigger hole in her gut. Did they have to make her look like the bad guy? She didn''t have to apologize, she''d done nothing wrong. It was Reese''s fault for bringing Pyrrha here.


    But she was also her teammate.


    "I''m sorry too," Arslan sighed, "I appreciate you thinking of me but I don''t need your help with Pyrrha, alright? So don''t do that again."


    Reese nodded and Arslan could tell she was not at all okay with it. But that was fine, it wasn''t her problem to deal with.


    Arslan looked over to the tables in the distance to find a red ponytail, its owner laughing alongside her teammates and another group of friends.


    How many times had Arslan imagined that laughter at her expense? That Pyrrha was hiding behind that kind facade someone who enjoyed tearing other''s dreams from them? At times it felt real, other times she thought she was exaggerating, but either way it didn''t change Arslan''s goal.


    Soon enough, Pyrrha would be the one looking up.


    Not Arslan.


    ~TA~


    "Ruby might be a tough one..."


    Red dashed in the arena - Sky''s head whipped around, trying to keep his eye on her. But it was fruitless, Ruby had him the moment he let down his guard. He cried out as the girl''s scythe shattered his aura, and even though he ducked the follow up, Ruby stabbed the blade into the floor.


    Then, pivoting off the handle, two boots slammed the last bits of aura straight out of him, left crumpled on the floor.


    "And that''s the match." called Goodwitch.


    Jaune put his pencil in his mouth as he clapped for her, smiling as little as Ruby bowed before her pleased crowd.


    Wish I had speed like that. Jaune thought, getting back to his notes. That was her greatest strength of course - a remarkable speed semblance that bordered teleportation at its peak. She was uncontested the fastest fighter of their year.


    With her semblance, anyway.


    She relied on it a lot, Jaune noticed. It was perhaps obvious to anyone who studied her long enough, but unfortunately Jaune was a slow learner. But he learned still, and what a better time to figure it out than now?


    Professor Goodwitch called on the next pair but the most Jaune had heard was Yang, and unless it was Pyrrha or Weiss, he doubted it going any other way. He watched from the corner of his eyes as Ruby returned to her seat, her teammates praising her performance. All the while Jaune went over everything he saw in her match.


    He''d only fought Ruby a few times and those had gone about as well as he expected.


    With speed and such a big weapon at her disposal, Jaune could barely do anything against her. His defenses held strong, but only if he was fast enough to keep up with her. Not to mention her sniping skills, which forced him to stay grounded while she chipped at his aura.


    She could be offensive or defensive and win either way.


    But¡­


    She''s weak inside the range of her scythe, Jaune penned down. Crescent Rose was at its strongest in mid-range, since she could wall opponents out with the shaft while attacking with the blade.


    In each match he''d had with her, he''d gotten a few hits in. Which almost even out their auras when he got a solid blow. While Ruby''s strikes were fast, they were just scratches against his aura. Jaune could land one hit and make a significant dent in her weaker aura.


    It really came down to who pressed the advantage first.


    He''d gotten started on this process since the morning, and even all last night he could help but think about all the potential matchups he might struggle in. Unfortunately there were a lot.


    His attention was drawn back to the arena as Yang faced some unlucky fellow. He must have known his fate, because the spear shivered in his hands.


    Yang wasn''t top three for no reason.


    In retrospect, Jaune would have thought Yang was a tough matchup for him. He''d fought her plenty of times and got destroyed, but not as quickly as most did.


    Her offense and his defense were hard counterbalances to one another. Yang''s hits punched holes in his aura, but it still took the damage better than everyone else. He could even remember the times Yang was short of breath fighting him, he still got beaten in the end but the point was that, if he played it right, he could outlast her.


    Unless she used her semblance.


    In which case, he was screwed only if she managed to hit him. But Yang was also linear with her attacks and often telegraphed them with hard wind-ups. Of course, her speed was greater than his so it still made them hard to dodge.


    He was simply too slow to evade.


    In no less than a minute, Yang''s opponent was down. A knock-out, not unusual for her. And Goodwitch called the boy''s teammates to bring him to the infirmary.


    "I feel you, brother." Jaune saluted him.


    "Practice more restraint, Miss Xiao Long," Professor Goodwitch stated, "Emotions can give you strength in battle, but used carelessly, your opponent could take advantage of it."


    Yang nodded but it looked like she was listening more to her applause than the advice. Poor Miss Goodwitch, barely anyone really took her teachings to heart right away. Jaune did however, he benefited the most from it. He looked at Yang''s golden locks as he thought about what the professor said¡­


    Restraint¡­ Jaune penned it down right beside the girl''s name.


    "Whatcha working on, leader my leader?" Nora chirped suddenly.


    "Uh," Jaune scrambled to close his book, "Nothing!"


    "Nothing means something in bullshit-anese, Jauney," Nora reached for his book, "Reveal your secrets, mortal!"


    "Nora!" Jaune struggled to keep his friend at bay. His teammates were totally not laughing at him right now, he was imagining it.


    "Attention!"


    The class hushed as Goodwitch called them to attention. "As you know, the Vytal Tournament is coming up in two weeks. Submissions will end three days before so if you wish to participate, do not forget to put your entry."


    Jaune hadn''t forgotten, he''d signed up this morning. Two weeks was a decent amount of time to get training done, he didn''t know exactly what to focus on but he was figuring it out now. Maybe it was fruitless, maybe it would all amount to nothing.


    But he wanted to win.


    He wanted to show the world who he was and what he could do. And prove that he belonged at Beacon, there was no better way to do than to win the biggest tournament in history. Even if it was easier said than done.


    A pale blue light projected into a big screen from Goodwitch''s scroll, showing the Amity Coliseum. A tournament bracket showed up as well, with a visage of two fighters going at it.


    "This year, the tournaments theme is ''individuality''. To test the limits of our first years as they stand alone. Consider it, at this time, the deciding factor for the true dominating students in your year''s rankings."


    So one on one matches... Jaune nodded. That made things infinitely harder, but also simpler. He could focus on beating one opponent at a time, which made strategizing much more important. Plus, the focus on who stood above the other made the competition more appealing.


    It was an official declaration that the winner of the tournament would be considered the strongest rookie of the year.


    Weiss raised her hand. "But would that not take a lot of time? If everyone who signs up competes in this format, it could take several days for the tournament to end. Which, with the allotted time the Festival provides, is more time than we have."


    "You are correct, Ms. Schnee, but we have thought of that," The image switched, showing the huge arena and multiple black dots around it, "Of everyone that enters, only 16 will actually be competing. We have a large number this year, which is why we shall be having preliminaries."


    Jaune''s heart dropped.


    Goodwitch held up three fingers. "3 events. All of which will test your practical skills as Huntsmen and Huntresses, with specific rules tied to each. But your goal is simple - remain within the top 16 by the end, and you will have qualified."


    "Top 16..." Jaune murmured.


    "Nervous?" Ren asked.


    "A little..." The odds weren''t quite so bad since it was 16 whole spots, but as Goodwitch said, their year was large. Everyone would be fighting for those spots which meant that placings would be erratic.


    The preliminaries favored the consistent winners. Ensuring only the best won.


    "Now, there are two preemptive rules that you must know before the preliminaries, be sure to remember them because they are key to ensuring you are prepared."


    The word ''Teams'' popped up on screen. A red slash cut through it.


    "Number 1, for the remainder of the event: Teams are temporarily disbanded for the tournament and teammate bias is highly discouraged."


    Everyone''s questions fired off at the same time, and even Jaune had to wonder why such a rule was in place. Goodwitch silenced the crowd before resuming.


    "As this tournament focuses on individual progress, it would do you well not allow feelings for your teammates to affect your performance. A Huntsmen strive must strive for self-improvement, to be ever better than his previous self. Comraderie is important, but over reliance on it can lead to a stunt in individual growth."


    Glynda adjusted her glasses, those hawk-like eyes challenging them to argue. "I can assure you, no Huntsmen worth his salt would see himself less than his peers. So strive for the gold, because only those at the top can become the protectors our world needs."


    Jaune let out a breath. She was absolutely right, none of them could afford to let personal feelings get in the way of winning. Going in, he knew that, otherwise why would he have said what he said to Pyrrha? If he wanted to win, he could not allow friendship to get in the way of that.


    It was something he was sure everyone knew, but now it had been engraved into their minds.


    From this point on, everyone was an enemy.


    "The second and final pre-emptive rule: For first two events, weaponry is banned."


    "¡­"


    Wait, what?


    "Wait, what!?" Ruby shrieked at the top of her lungs, "But thats - you can''t... it''s not fair!"


    "I assure you it is perfectly fair. As I said before, these preliminary trials will test all of your abilities as Huntsmen. Weapons are important yes, but so is physicality, mentality, environmental awareness and the ability to adapt in a rough situations."


    "B-but..."


    "Those are the rules Miss Rose. Or am I to believe that you are incapable of performing without a weapon? Perhaps we ought to return you to prep school, that you may learn a Huntsman''s job is not as simple as ''swing and slash''.


    Humiliated, the girl sat down with her head hung. Jaune felt for her.


    This drastically affected the both of them.


    This would be rough on Ruby then since her greatest weakness was that she was weak without Crescent Rose. Jaune was pretty confident that even he could beat her if she didn''t have it.


    But of course, where did this nerf leave him? Without a shield to protect him or a sword to do damage, how was he supposed to fight?


    The only tool everyone shared would be aura. And unfortunately that was where Jaune found an even bigger problem.


    He knew basic aura control, using it to protect himself and even strengthen some of his swings. But it lacked depth and he was hardly consistent with it so he used it very sparingly. So without a weapon or a specialized aura mechanic, what did he have going for him?


    "A Huntsman must be able to adapt in any situation and overreliance in one aspect is a surefire way to fail," The Professor said, "Use the time to you have effectively students, as only the most prepared shall grasp victory."


    Jaune didn''t miss the way her eyes roved over her students, over him. All of which she was accusing of this problem.


    This was was a setback, but Jaune could still figure something out. He had time, he just needed a solid plan.


    He would not let this stop him.


    ~TA~


    Arrrgh! This was totally stopping him!


    Jaune trudged the halls with the vigor of a slug, his shoulder dragging on the wall as he wracked his brain for answers. Ever since the rules were explained, Jaune had tried his best to figure out a solution to his problem. But nothing worked!


    His team offered to help but he''d promptly refused. He''d have loved the help but didn''t want them wasting their time on him, they needed to focus on their own training.


    Plus, it was better that none of them knew whatever tricks he cooked up. And looking at his situation now, he was going to need a lot of them. His current obstacle at the moment was finding a broader application of aura, and using it more diversely than he had before.


    Ren could project his aura through physical attacks, which Jaune was quick to do research on. But apparently those techniques took years to master and access to them was rare, so it would be utterly useless in battle for him.


    And then he thought about Blake and her sword beam... thing. She used it rarely but when she did, not even Yang took the attack well. It could cut through almost anything, which would make it invaluable as an offensive move.


    Unfortunately the technique was also hard to use and was extremely taxing on aura. Blake apparently learned it from an old friend but when Jaune had asked to see if she could introduce them, she got all fl.u.s.tered.


    "Jaune, he''s not going to want to meet you."


    "Why not?"


    "He''s... shy..."


    And then she ran away. Fast. Ruby always did say that Blake was a weird one.


    Still that left him with pretty much nothing to go on, and Jaune shoved his hands in his pockets as he thought. There had to be something... something he could learn quickly enough that could give him a useful edge in the prelims.


    But what? And who could teach it to him?


    "Yaah!"


    A yell, a girl. And as soon as he heard it, Jaune caught the sound of a crash nearby. From... one of the training rooms?


    Jaune rounded the corner right away, stopping at the door to catch someone moving.


    But not just moving. Jumping.


    The girl was like a spring, bouncing from each end of the walls, kicking off with more force than the last. But it was elegant and clean, picking up speed like a runaway ball. She was a blur just like Ruby, but it felt more organic... more natural.


    The girl landed and then Jaune saw it. Her feet.


    And the aura that hugged them.


    Like a thunderclap, she blasted off the floor leaving not a single trace. Her shorts and t-shirt flapped against the wind as she flew. She landed on all fours on the ceiling, then pushed off immediately to the left wall.


    And she did it all over again, hopping like a frog. Abound like a kangaroo.


    Bouncy like a¡­


    "Velvet?" Jaune whispered.


    He''d recognized her ears, the only rabbit faunus in school. She was a second year if he remembered correctly and early in the year had been harassed by Cardin. He couldn''t lie, since that was his initial view of her, he thought she wasn''t very strong.


    But damn was he wrong.


    How in the world was she doing that? Jaune marveled as he watched her go, the aura swirling about her bare feet as she speed blitzed the walls. She made it look so easy, and admittedly fun. With movement like that, she could probably dodge or outrun anything.


    He could dodge or outrun anything??


    Jaune barely noticed he was staring when Velvet finally stopped, the girl rubbing her face with a towel as she took a break. Jaune stepped forward, anxious to say something but he didn''t want to interrupt her.


    Brown eyes found his.


    Startled at having been caught, Jaune made haste down the hall, shaking his head free of the thoughts. There was no way she''d help him. She was second year and probably had a much busier schedule than him.


    Dumb. Idiot. It was a stupid idea.


    And yet Jaune continued to look back.


    ~TA~


    "This is gonna suck!"


    Weiss shook her head as her leader ranted on and on. It had been nonstop for days, Weiss would''ve thought Ruby would get tired of it by now.


    She''d underestimated her.


    "Its not a big deal, Rubes." Yang said, dangling upside down from her bed. The younger sibling glared, "Alright, maybe for you it is but hey, you don''t really care about winning anyway."


    "But I still wanna try! What am I supposed to do without Crescent Rose?" Ruby exclaimed, "And fix your shirt, Yang."


    "Oh my bad," The blonde grinned, "What, sometimes the girls gotta breathe a little, right Blakemeister?"


    "Blakemeister?" The faunus questioned.


    "It''ll catch on."


    "Guys, come on!" Ruby stomped her foot, which just so happened to land on one of Zwei''s squeaky toys. It seemed not even the universe wanted to take Ruby seriously.


    She''d realize sooner or later that she had to figure out something. Like Goodwitch said, a Huntress needed to adapt.


    After all, the ruleset badly affected Weiss too.


    Myrtenaster had been the conduit for her semblance and Dust manipulation. A focal point to focus on as she put years of mental training to use. The feeling of it in her hand, the handle she''d grown so accustomed to... would not be with her in the field.


    Which was scary.


    Thankfully, Weiss had thought ahead and asked Professor Goodwitch the specifics of the second rule when class was dismissed.


    "To be clear, Professor, you said absolutely no weaponry, correct?"


    "That is correct, Miss Schnee."


    "Does that include equipment?"


    "It does, armor and specialized tools are prohibited."


    "And Dust?"


    Professor Goodwitch grinned. "Very astute, Miss Schnee."


    The lack of Myrtenaster would hurt her combat ability, but Weiss was confident that the preliminaries weren''t strictly fighting. Goodwitch had said it challenged many aspects of their training, and each event had different rules.


    Meaning they likely wouldn''t be as predictable as fighting Grimm.


    Weiss did have her semblance, it wouldn''t be too hard to control without her weapon. Though with her average aura, she still had to worry about the cost of using it.


    The girl looked at her arm, then the blue energy swirling inside a vial. Dust. It was archaic but it wasn''t against the rules since it was not a weapon, but rather energy propellant. Ice was a key part of her fighting style, and she knew for sure she''d need it. Its versatility was too great to just leave behind.


    But she''d have to use her bare arms as a conduit. She wasn''t looking forward to that.


    And of course there was her summoning...


    "Weiss!"


    Ruby''s arms were held out, begging for an answer. "Help me out here! What am I supposed to do?"


    Weiss shrugged. "I couldn''t say. That''s something you have to decide. Professor Goodwitch did say to focus on ourselves, didn''t she? If I help you, then won''t have earned your wins yourself."


    Ruby might have said something, but stopped. "I mean, yeah but..."


    Its not that Weiss didn''t think Ruby deserved help. But she refused to treat her differently than all her other opponents.


    "Damn, Weiss that was a little cold." Yang said.


    "Was it? Then I suppose that I won''t see you or Ruby in Top 16."


    Yang''s eye twitched, the bear had been poked. "And what makes you so sure of that?"


    "The fact that you seem to prioritize someone else''s success over your own. I''m not saying its wrong, but don''t expect to get far if you''re always having to look out for your sister."


    "I''m right here, you know." Ruby huffed.


    "I know, I''m not going to baby her. But what''s wrong with helping her figure something out?" Yang countered, "Is it that serious?"


    Perhaps not in the grand scheme, but Weiss always strove for the best. Even when she faced Pyrrha, she still gave it her all. Yang had the score advantage over Weiss now, but when it came to matches, they were hard tied.


    Weiss Schnee did not settle for second best.


    "Think about it like this: If you help Ruby develop a strategy, you would then know what strategy she is going to use. You''re in the third event, and Ruby is close to winning with the strategy you suggested, but you know if she does win, you can''t be in top 16. What are you going to do?"


    "I''m going to try and beat her, duh."


    "How? By ruining the plan that you helped her come with? The one that she trusted you with giving her?"


    Yang''s eyes widened, mouthing a curse as she looked away, with Ruby giving out a little whine as if she hated to admit that Weiss was right.


    But they were her teammates. She couldn''t help them, at least not directly. Ruby could do well in the tournament, she just needed to apply herself.


    "You must figure something out on your own, Ruby. Thats the only way you keep an advantage over anyone. If you want to win, then you''d best stop complaining and come up with a plan. Because if we meet in the ring, I shall not go easy."


    Ruby flinched at that, fingers curled into fists as she looked back at her. Good, she was motivated now.


    She''d need to be if she thought the win was going to be that easy. The ones that wanted to win badly enough would fight for it with everything they had.


    And Weiss had her eyes on the prize.


    ~TA~


    Here it is¡­


    Jaune''s hand was raised, but he dropped it again.


    How many times had he tried to knock? Three? Four? He felt like he''d been at the door for centuries, struggling with whether to finally cross the boundary or run back to shelter.


    In the end, he convinced himself to find Team CFVY''s dorm. After what he saw, how incredible Velvet''s moves were, there was no way he could pass up the chance to ask her. He didn''t know why he waited until the evening to come to Team CFVY''s dorm, but he hadn''t been sure when to approach Velvet anyway.


    Uh maybe right when she was in the open?


    Yes, it was dumb that he''d run away, but she''d seen him! She probably thought he was a creeper or something!


    Oh no, what if she still thought he was a creeper?


    What if he knocked and the answer he got was mace sprayed in his eyes? What if she told everyone that there was a pervert named Jaune Arc that liked to peep on girls and had a sweat fetish!?


    But he didn''t have a sweat fetish! He swore!


    Oh man, what was he gonna do!? This was bad, abort mission! ABORT!


    "Whoa, you alright there?"


    "Huh?" Jaune looked at the door. It was Coco, everyone knew her around Beacon. The most fashionable girl in school - the diva of divas, the venerable vogue, the superwoman of sass.


    And also the girl who liked to touch people''s butts for some reason.


    "Y-yeah, I''m great! Hahaha..." Avoid eye contact, avoid eye contact!


    "Hm." The woman placed her finger on her chin, observing him up and down. Although, it seemed like those eyes lingered longer than they were supposed to, "Tall, blonde, ooh I like those eyes."


    Was she talking to him or herself? And wow, actually that was kinda sweet to say -


    "A little scraggly."


    Why does everyone say that!?


    "I like guys with a little more muscle, but hey, beggars can''t be choosers."


    "Uh, I''m Jaune. A first year."


    "A jail cell is just a room, babe."


    What was going on!? The whole point of his coming here had derailed too quickly! "That''s not what -


    "Alright Jaune the first year, I like casual stuff. No fine wines and dines until the third date, and you pay, its customary and if you think you''re getting ass on the first date -


    "I''m not here for you!"


    Her jaw dropped, hand on her chest as though offended. And at first Jaune was about to jump straight into an apology, but then the shit-eating grin appeared and he felt a lot less smart than he did before. "Well damn, no guy has ever said that to me. You just became seventy percent more desirable."


    "Is Velvet here?" Jaune got to the point, "I wanted to ask her something."


    "Velvet over me? Its an unfair world, I tell you," Coco shook her head as she closed the door, "Hey Bun-bun! Get up! You have a booty call!"


    Really!?


    "Mff... a booty call?"


    "Yep, you know the drill. Pants off!"


    "My pan - no, wait, Coco stop!"


    There was many a thing breaking inside the walls of Team CFVY''s dorm, that much Jaune could hear clearly. And Jaune thought Team RWBY was crazy. But eventually the door opened again, and it was, thankfully, a much less intimidating girl.


    She looked at him curiously, hair tied into a ponytail as her ears hung down lazily. "Um... James, right?"


    "Jaune. Nice to meet you." The blonde shook her hand, only to notice that Coco was right behind her, not so subtly listening in. He gestured down the hall. "Uh, can we...?"


    "Good idea." Velvet pulled the door with her as she stepped out, "And don''t follow me, Coco!"


    "You guys are no fun."


    The door closed behind them but even as they walked Jaune noticed Velvet would look behind them. And Jaune could have sworn he heard her squealing in there something like "Guys, we''re going to have nieces and nephews sooner than we thought!"


    A sane woman and a mad woman. That had to be hell.


    "Sorry about her, she''s... eccentric." Velvet said with a grin, arms behind her back, "She said there was something you wanted to ask me?"


    "Yeah, its..." Jaune fought to find the right words, "The tournament is coming up and I decided to enter."


    "Oh, well good luck."


    "Thanks. But I..." Jaune stopped and took a breath, "I just don''t think my chances are that great, especially with my ranking right now..."


    "Those are just numbers - it has nothing to do with real ability, trust me."


    "Right, but still, it means I need to improve. And fast. I saw you in training room B earlier today and..."


    "I know, I saw you back," Velvet smirked, "You like sweaty girls?"


    "Ye - no! It''s not like that!


    "Its fine, I''m just messing with you. Honestly, you couldn''t have been watching just to ogle, you don''t seem the type. So I''m assuming you liked what you saw?"


    "I''m beginning to wonder if maybe Coco isn''t the most dangerous of you two..."


    Velvet was holding her stomach with laughter. Sheesh, she never said much the first times he''d seen her around! Didn''t everyone think she was shy or something?


    "I liked the technique. With your aura, the... uh..."


    "Its muscle augmentation, pretty basic stuff." Her eyes widened as if connecting some unseen dot, "You never learned it?"


    "No... Pyrrha''s been helping me train with my weapon and some close combat but my aura control isn''t all that great."


    "What about your semblance?"


    Jaune awkwardly looked to the side, Velvet quickly brushed it off with a hand wave. "Oh, well nevermind that. Its not important."


    "Its not?"


    "No, a semblance is a great asset, but its not necessary to be a Huntsman and definitely not to win a tournament. I won''t lie, it''d probably be a lot easier with one but some go without discovering it at all."


    "Yeah..." Jaune said, dejectedly. He''d tried to discover it, that had been one of the ideas he first thought of. And he''d tried many ways to find it since Pyrrha started training him.


    But he couldn''t waste time when there was no surefire way to discover his semblance. He had to work with what would immediately give him results.


    "I think you have a little over a week before the preliminaries, right?" Velvet asked, leaning against the wall.


    Jaune nodded.


    "Not a lot of time, but the technique I was using is easy enough to learn."


    "So you''ll help me?"


    "Sure," The faunus shrugged, "what time works best for you?"


    Yes! Jaune stifled the urge to squeal. "I can work around your schedule."


    "Great, then give me your number."


    "M-my number?" Jaune''s cheeks reddened, taken aback by such a forward approach.


    "So I can get in touch with you," Velvet rolled her eyes, "Easy there, I''m not asking you out."


    It was an odd combination of relief and dejection that left him wondering how exactly to take her words. "Wow. You could have at least pretended..."


    "You''ll heal. Anyway, number please."


    They exchanged the numbers quickly enough and before she went off Jaune called out to her. "Um, thank you - I''ll pay you back, I promise."


    Velvet shook her head. "Don''t worry about it - this honestly keeps me busy since classes will won''t be so regular with the tournament going on. I''ll see you in the morning, alright? Dress light, you''re gonna sweat."


    Jaune nodded, and then she was gone with the soft click of her door. The blonde turned to his scroll, Velvet now sitting readily in his contacts.


    This was where it began. Aura control was his biggest issue right now, and that would be his single ally in the prelims. If he could learn to move and fight the way Velvet did?


    Jaune eagerly clenched both fists.


    Tomorrow couldn''t come sooner.


    ~TA~


    The light of dawn peeked through the windows of the training room, touching Jaune''s face and forcing a yawn. How he could get through warm up exercises and a jog and still be tired was beyond him.


    Jaune didn''t know what to expect. How this muscle augmentation technique was supposed to be applied. Did it hurt? How much aura did it consume? He thought to look it up but opted to get as much sleep as he could instead.


    Jaune looked at his clothes, a simple t-shirt and shorts. As light as he could dress for optimal training, though he did feel a lot less safe without his armor.


    Just do your best today, Jaune reassured himself, I''m pretty sure its just gonna be a normal day of practice.


    But like most things in Jaune Arc''s life, his assumptions had a nasty tendency to blow up in his face. And usually he had no time to react.


    But this time Jaune''s eyes had been on the door, and so he raised his arms as something powerful burst through it, then straight into his arms - the resulting shockwave rattled his bones.


    The pressure of the blow felt like it would force his boots into the floor and his eyes squinted as he fought against it. But then it was gone, his attacker flipped off to land behind him with her hands on her h.i.p.s.


    Velvet smiled at him, brown eyes alight and ears perked with what he could only assume was excitement. There was a little of that for Jaune as well, but with it a daunting question at what he''d chosen to put himself through.


    But he''d passed the proverbial event horizon the moment he signed up. The only way now was forward. So, squaring his legs, Jaune raised his arms into the best defensive position he knew and focused on his new teacher.


    "Decent form, thats a good start," Velvet nodded, "Alright pupil, let''s begin."


    Chapter 3


    Jaune caught her ankle.


    He was too slow on her other foot though, the blow sent him spiraling until he hit the floor. He got up quickly enough, just in time for Velvet to close the distance between them.


    "Dodge." she ordered.


    It was purely on reaction that Jaune threw up his arms, then Velvet''s foot slammed into them, and for a second he was sure she''d break his guard. Pushing her off before she could press another attack, Jaune moved back as he tried to guide aura through his legs.


    From the stomach, guide it down and through the legs - like a river, got it? Velvet''s words took to the forefront of his mind, calling upon the warmth of his soul''s energy. He could feel it moving faster this time - good, he''d be ready before Velvet could recover.


    The power crept into his feet, Jaune could feel it swimming from the soles to his toes, just like drops of water in a puddle.


    This was it. Jaune bent his legs, watching Velvet as she dashed to him.


    Now, spring! she commanded.


    Jaune pushed off the ground, the floor leaving him as he sailed toward his target, fist reared back. He saw Velvet''s eyes widen for only moment.


    Before his body tilted forward.


    He let out a yelp as his momentum halted, crashing onto the floor. What happened!?


    "Balance your weight even after you jump!" Velvet called out from... above?


    Jaune had no time to look, instantly pushing himself up. Just in time, as Velvet''s axe kick shattered the floor. He might have gawked, but by now, it was just a routine. The most he could do was protect his face.


    The girl had not slowed for even a second before she started pelting him with blow after blow. Jaune ducked to the side, letting her fist punch through the wall instead of his head. On top of that, she was quick, agile.. Jaune caught her fist, grimacing as the pain shot up his palm - still he pushed her back, the girl backflipping to right her lost balance. It truly was uncanny how agile and mobile she was, she didn''t stay still even for a second.


    She sprung off the floor the moment her feet touched the hard pavement.


    "Use your aura!" She commanded.


    "I''m trying!" Jaune shot back, keeping his a guard up, "You''re too fast!"


    "No, you''re too slow."


    The faunus threw a punch to his left, Jaune following it to intercept... and then his feet weren''t on solid ground anymore.


    "A feint." Jaune gasped as he lied on his back, Velvet''s foot pressed on his chest, forcing him to look up at her.


    Higher, pervert. Jaune quickly diverted his wandering eye.


    "I told you to dodge."


    "I know."


    "I also told you to use your aura."


    "I did."


    "So what happened, then?" Velvet helped him up, "When you''re on the defensive, you must have your aura ready to protect you at a moment''s notice."


    "I get that, but... its just not happening." It feels like moving it against the river, doable but unnatural.


    "It takes literally a fifth of a second for your aura to coat your entire body," Velvet said with a shake of her head, "There is nothing it can''t reasonably protect you against, so why weren''t you defending yourself?"


    Jaune wasn''t sure he could answer. Velvet made it sound so basic but for him it wasn''t. It was hard to control his aura while moving at the same time - maintaining that constant flow required a focus he couldn''t separate from physical actions. He had to stay still for it to work.


    Jaune shrugged. "Because you were kicking my ass, I guess."


    "You wouldn''t have taken as many hits if you dodged, you were keeping your aura flow steady, right?"


    "Not really."


    The girl sighed, and Jaune wondered if she knew that hurt him a bit. "I told you... just because the aura is in your legs, doesn''t mean it will stay. When you park a car, you don''t leave it in drive, right? Otherwise, it''ll wander off and crash."


    "I know, it''s just hard," Jaune returned with more irritation than he wanted to let out, "Like, even in just my arms, sometimes it feels the pressure might make them explode or something."


    "That just means you''re putting too much there. It''s always less than you think."


    "It doesn''t feel like it is."


    "Then you need to push that feeling back, its hindering you," The faunus held up her hands to suggest two things, "You have to split the actions of your body and soul..." Then she combined her hands, "...so that they can work together. Synergy. Without that, you won''t have the speed or power to keep up with me."


    Jaune nodded, pursing his lips as his mentor went off to dry her face. She was totally right, of course - Jaune just didn''t know how he was supposed to put that into play.


    Dividing the actions of his body and soul seemed basic in concept, but it was harder to do than he thought. How did splitting them create the combined power needed to use the muscle augmentation?


    "Come on, Jaune - lets try the technique again." Velvet tapped his forehead, bringing him back to attention. He moved to stand next to her, pressing his ankles together, "Breathe in and breathe out."


    Following her orders, the aura was traveling through him again. Like the layer of shell just under his skin, it seeped into every pore. And only got stronger.


    "You only need as much as your legs can handle, if its too much, draw some back."


    "Got it..." Jaune let the order through, but there was resistance. Like the aura didn''t want to move.


    Fine, he''d just pull harder.


    The energy was too much, and already it felt like his legs and feet might blow off. Jaune quivered, trying his hardest to tug the remainder of aura back but it was still not obeying. But it was his aura, his power, so why didn''t it do what he wanted? Why!?


    His toes curled. And that was all it took.


    He hollered as the burst of energy shot him forward, as if suddenly being ejected out of a plane. But it wasn''t a long flight, Jaune''s back met the wall before he slid down onto his backside.


    Wall: 2, Jaune: 0


    It was an unfair world after all.


    "Ugh..." Jaune groaned, legs trembling as he heard Velvet run up to him.


    "You did it wrong."


    "Yeah..."


    A small chuckle from the girl as she sat down with him. "Well, at least now you know what can happen if you use too much power."


    "Yeah, flew a little too fast."


    "Hm? Oh, that''s not what I mean."


    "Huh?"


    Back where they stood, the floor had been crushed. Like a giant had stepped on it... all the way from the other side of the room.


    Had he really crossed this entire room in a second?


    "That''s why you need to control the amount you use," Velvet instructed, "Too much at one point and you could blow your body parts up as you did that floor."


    "That totally doesn''t scare me." Jaune groaned, "Yeah, totally not afraid now."


    "Good, then next time remember that feeling when you''re controlling your aura" Velvet stood, "Come on, let''s try again."


    Jaune watched as the girl walked off and just stared for a moment. She was surprisingly insistent, by now he''d have thought she''d have given up on him. With the progress, or lack thereof, over the past few days, he wouldn''t blame her.


    And that raised a question¡­


    "Velvet, why did you agree to help me?"


    "Instead of asking questions, you need to get over here so we can practice. Hurry up!"


    Jaune sighed, submitting to her orders.


    Maybe it wasn''t important.


    ~Not Dead Yet~


    "Think she''s gonna win?"


    "Duh, of course. No one can beat her."


    Pyrrha let out a huff, blowing free a strand of hair before starting up her jog once again. She couldn''t avoid being made a spectacle even when she just out for a jog? But ignoring commentary from onlookers was hardly problematic - could she really expect them to know better? They only saw the surface - the Invincible Girl, the Mistral Champion.


    Telling them they were wrong would not sway their opinions.


    Her throat burned as she pushed her legs to carry her further. Normally she stuck to her routine, as it wasn''t worth doing extra when no substantial difference would be made. But everyone else was likely putting in the extra effort.


    And Pyrrha would not lag behind.


    But what did she have to worry about? She was the Pyrrha Nikos. She was impossible to defeat; the uncontested best rookie Huntress in the last decade.


    She always won. Always. What effort did someone like her need to put in?


    If she weren''t so short of breath, she might have had a laugh.


    There was no assured victory. No absolute outcome. But people talked like they knew the future simply because they compared statistics.


    Not to say they didn''t matter, but to Pyrrha? They were nothing. A generalized and biased view into the more complicated world of fighting.


    And what she found so amazing about it.


    The girl let out a breath as she stopped, biting back the sour taste from her negative thoughts.


    Getting worked up about it again wasn''t worth it. So, hungry for a distraction, the girl found a bench in the shade and laid on it, relaxing on the wooden surface. Green eyes stared at greener leaves - a light wind rustling the bush to give sound to an otherwise quiet campus.


    Funnily enough, she still wasn''t used to training alone.


    Without a personal trainer or her teammates, she was lucky she paid attention to exactly what areas she needed improvement in. The tournament itself wouldn''t be the most daunting part of the Festival - rather, the ambiguity of the preliminaries could very well put her in a disadvantageous situation.


    A smart decision by the teachers, ensuring that everyone started off equal no matter what. And by taking away their weapons, they were forced to be creative. Pyrrha grinned excitedly. If their skills were being challenged, she was happy to prove herself.


    How were the others taking it?


    Her teammates were working hard. Ren and Nora came home exhausted pretty regularly, as Nora refused to let Ren be lax. Poor guy, he didn''t care at all for the tournament and probably wouldn''t have entered if Nora hadn''t forced him to.


    "It''s for his own good! Our men must be strong, Pyrrha!" Was Nora''s excuse, much to her friend''s dismay.


    Pyrrha shook her head with a giggle.


    It was pretty obvious that Jaune and she had to put their rooftop training to a halt for a while, and while she was concerned about how he''d find proper practice without her, it wasn''t her problem.


    She had to focus on herself.


    Pyrrha expected no less of Team RWBY to enter. But only saw Weiss and Yang wanting to win badly enough to pose a threat.


    Her biggest issue there was Yang, but only by a margin. Arslan went without saying. And if there was any opponent to be wary of, it was her.


    If only due to her inability to take a loss. Pyrrha''s eye twitched, thinking back to her last conversation with the girl.


    About how badly she''d wanted to punch her.


    She never would of course. It''d only make things worse. And it would only make her look bad in the end. Because that''s what it always came down to, expectation and reputation. Pyrrha Nikos always won. She was always kind and never lashed out or did anything wrong. Others said Pyrrha liked to stomp on people''s dreams - bask in the glory that no one her age could defeat her.


    It wasn''t true. It just wasn''t. She could lose, it was just that no one had yet figured out how to do it.


    If they were too weak to beat her, how was that her fault?


    Pyrrha didn''t think she could love competitions if she believed she couldn''t be defeated. For what then was the point in the fight? Where was the meaning in the joy of overcoming your opponent?


    Of achieving victory?


    Her scroll buzzed in her pocket, and the caller ID made her heart drop.


    Mother.


    She was almost tempted not to answer. Pretend that she was busy... again. But it had been a while, and for all her mother''s tendencies, she did miss her.


    She owed her this.


    "Hello, mother." Pyrrha threw up a smile.


    "Hey, honey." Her face appeared, red hair tied in a bun as she smiled back, "How are you? I''ve called you the past few days, you know."


    "I''m sorry, just busy. Classes and studying take up a lot of time. I just came from a run."


    "Always training. You are your father''s daughter indeed."


    Pyrrha grinned, listening and responding to her mother as they spoke. The time seemed to fly as they shared story after story. And somewhere in it, the smile wasn''t forced anymore - Pyrrha actually started to enjoy herself.


    It was rare that it ever stayed that way.


    "I will be watching the tournament. Are you excited?" her mother asked.


    "Yes... I suppose."


    "You suppose?" That her mother could somehow look bewildered grated Pyrrha''s nerves, " This is another chance to win, honey. I thought you liked competitions?"


    She did. She loved them. But¡­


    "I am excited, mother. I''m sorry, nevermind."


    "What''s wrong, sweetheart?"


    "Its nothing, Mother. Really." Pyrrha threw up her smile again, hoping she would think nothing more of it, "I guess I''m just nervous."


    Her mother laughed. "Nervous? What have you to be nervous about? You''re the best Huntress they could ever have, don''t forget that honey."


    I know, because you''re always reminding me.


    "You are so special, Pyrrha," Her mother said lovingly, "No one will ever shine as bright as you."


    Special.


    Pyrrha wished she could tear that word in half.


    "I have to go. love you."


    "I love you too, I''ll talk to you soon, honey. And I''ll be watching, do your best."


    And Pyrrha hung up, staring at the screen as if making sure she didn''t come back before shutting it.


    There used to be a time that it angered her. At least, much more than it did now. Her mother didn''t do it on purpose, so Pyrrha ended up feeling guilty for feeling the way she did but¡­ she did wish her mother understood.


    Pyrrha thought back to her home. Her room, the staircase down from it, leading straight into the living room where her crowning moments sat in glory.


    Trophies, medals, pictures with the Council and even the Headmaster of Haven. Glorious awards for her victorious and incredible infamy. A staple to the history of competitive fighting and a symbol of who everyone believed to be the definition of a champion.


    Pyrrha Nikos was special. A winner.


    But winning¡­ was dull.


    The end result held nothing for her, the awards, the press - it was all worthless. But the climb, the struggle, the pulse in her veins and the quiver in her hands.


    That was it. That was the joy.


    The girl picked up her run again with a sigh, dashing through the courtyard as fast as she could. Maybe, if she ran fast enough, she might forget to feel for a while.


    ~Tournament Arc~


    The sting.


    It didn''t hurt as bad as she thought, even if the strange flow in her system mixing with her aura felt weird.


    Weiss held her palm out to the tree - envisioning a stream of cold air bursting forth to close around the trunk. She was point-blank. Her target unable to move and her aim sure. She had tunnel vision of the desired effect and nothing more.


    Make ice.


    And... nothing.


    The heiress huffed, consternately looking at her palm. She hadn''t forgotten to inject the Dust, she could feel it in her arms. So what was going on?


    Would this be harder than she thought?


    A gunshot in the distance, like a firecracker almost. Yang undoubtedly, and Weiss could only hazard a guess as to what training she was doing.


    It was a real inconvenience that she hadn''t been the only one to choose the forest for private training. Weiss''s initial idea had been to use the space for herself, since it wouldn''t do to accidentally freeze one of the training rooms. But despite Beacon''s huge campus, there were only so many places one could train alone.


    Still, they''d all split off anyway, ensuring to respect each other''s training.


    She spotted a burst of rose petals from over the canopy. So Ruby opted to train her semblance? Not a bad idea.


    The last she''d seen of Blake, she''d been jumping from the branches. She was definitely the best of them when it came to movement and evasion - and if there was an event that gave an advantage to her stealth skills¡­


    Weiss would need to figure out something for her.


    The days went by slowly - and yet mercilessly left the tension of the approaching events to marinate. But it gave Weiss all the time she needed to pay attention to the details, to work out the finer points of Dust manipulation. Which, she bitterly admit, was hard without Myrtenaster.


    Ruby was right - not having a weapon sucked.


    The energy inside rippled like a wave, at times it felt like it would tear out of her skin.


    Weiss swallowed. The risk of injuring herself was high. But sheer capability of ice dust circ.u.mvented many of the weaknesses she had. Defense, offense, even mobility - all of that had been weakened with rules of prelim.


    I don''t have a choice, I must master this.


    Getting to her knees, the girl placed her hands on the grass - breathing in, then out as aura filled her arms.


    There was a soft hiss, gas emitting from her hands as the cold feeling enveloped her palms. A layer of aura before the Dust was necessary so she didn''t accidentally freeze herself, because unfortunately there was no way to make herself immune to the Dust''s effects if it backfired.


    If she wasn''t careful, then her defeat in the prelims would come from her own lack of control.


    The girl bit down, eyes squinted as the ice began to form like a puddle, spreading out slowly. Slower than she was used to, but Weiss was confident that after a few more tries she could speed it up.


    Right now, she just had to maintain it.


    The circle eventually got big enough to surround her, but after that - Weiss found her control waning. The sheet wasn''t expanding anymore. A bead of sweat rolled off her forehead, and she looked at her arms as she pumped more energy into them.


    The ethereal glow was a sure sign that it was working, even if the way it highlighted her veins looked gross. She could feel her flesh pulse, like it was trying to devour the elemental energy. There was only so much pressure she could put on her arms.


    Perhaps if she were more muscular...?


    Doubtful. More muscular did not equate to dust resistance, and while she didn''t prefer to have a weakness in physical strength, her fighting style was better suited for her lithe body. It was impossible to not have a weakness.


    She just had to be strong enough to ensure her opponent couldn''t exploit it.


    Focus, Weiss. You must command the Dust. Do not let it command you!


    "Grrr...!" Weiss growled, squeezing at the grass as she forced the circle of ice to expand. A small crack all of a sudden, followed by several others that told her the strength of her control was failing.


    It was so... annoying!


    The following burst kicked up the wind, a spire of twisted ice shooting out of the earth and through some nearby trees. And Weiss could only swallow... the new cut on her cheek stung.


    That had almost run her through. It might have actually killed her.


    The girl slowly retracted her hands - maybe there was another option. Another Dust that she could use¡­


    No. She would not falter here.


    She had to be calm.


    Calm.


    Calm¡­


    Silence. Emotion fueled chaotic output, if Weiss was to attain absolute control, then she had to create an absence of emotion. A total disillusion to her frustration.


    Myrtenaster wasn''t here, but Weiss still had everything she needed.


    Hard work hadn''t let her down before and it wouldn''t start now.


    In and out. In and out. One breath, two breaths - a call on her aura, the reigns of the horse were whipped, ordering the beast into action.


    And it obeyed.


    The heiress shrieked as she was blasted back, a shower of flying ice shards rained about her and she hit the ground. Weiss groaned, looking at her arms as she pushed herself to sit up.


    "Ow..." A coating of ice covered her forearms, numbing the skin and they shook uncontrollably.


    Damn it. She would need fire Dust after all.


    Wess looked at where she''d been launched, spotting the great behemoth that spawned. A broken spire of ice stood up from the ground, coating a layer of trees in its claw-like grip.


    "Well, its something." Weiss sighed. It had taken a few days and it wasn''t exactly what she was looking for, but something like that could work. Creating traps with the Dust would come in handy during the elimination rounds.


    Wait, what was that?


    From the spire of ice a small trail of ice stretched out to her, and Weiss followed it until it ended her she''d been lying down. More specifically, where her hand had been.


    Had that been created from the excess of ice? Or was it a continuation of her attempt to make a thin sheet? Weiss gently touched it, noting how hard but slippery the surface was. That was the usual result, as it was perfect for making enemies slip and lose their balance.


    Wait... slipping. Sliding. Skating.


    How had she not thought of this!?


    The girl stood, looking over her control of the ice as she let the ideas swim in her head. If she was thinking of this right, then this fixed one of her biggest problems right away.


    "Weiss!" Yang and Ruby ran up to her, "We heard an explosion. Are you okay?"


    "Yes, I''m fine." Weiss continued to rub the ice trail. The first two prelims would prohibit custom clothing in favor of school issued combat outfits, to ensure no one cheated in equipment or dust infused clothes.


    Meaning she wouldn''t have her combat heels.


    Specially outfitted to slide on ice surfaces due to her proficiency in ice Dust. Perfectly weighted, it was a perfect ally in keeping her balanced when she needed to use her Dust for movement. The lack of a them meant her balance and traction on ice would not be as good, so initially she thought it best to just forget about it.


    But... what if she made her own?


    Weiss looked at her arms, both still shaking and numb. It was very self-sacrificial, but if she won quickly, then the aftereffects wouldn''t be so bad. And Fire Dust would speed up the recovery time.


    It might work as some kind of slipper or sole... and with that, she''d have access to the same maneuverability and speed she normally had!


    "Weiss, what are you doing?"


    The heiress threw her boots aside, grimacing at the dirt and grass that touched her feet but she didn''t want to go back for running shoes. She needed to test this now.


    "I''m fine, I said," Weiss said, "You two can go."


    Yang shrugged, Ruby giving her another look before they left. Weiss waited until they were out of vision.


    Then threw her hands together.


    She found the feeling of the Dust soon enough, letting the icy steam cover her hands.


    The girl pursed her lips, putting her aura in her feet to give them warmth. Then she put her hands on them, letting the ice spread about her soles. It bit at her skin, but it was tolerable. She could still move.


    Retracting her hands, she looked at her creation. Thin sheets of ice under her feet - perfect for gliding across a frozen surface. It deadened the feeling in her soles, and weren''t very beautiful looking either, but aesthetics didn''t matter.


    Functionality did.


    The girl pushed into a run, leaping forward to carry her momentum as she landed on the platform of ice. She instantly broke in a smile.


    It works! Weiss could almost laugh, but focused to keep her balance as she slid around the grass like she was ice skating again. A worthless hobby at the time - and never did she think it would become an integral part of her fighting style. With this, she had all the speed and agility she needed.


    And the best part? This didn''t even include her semblance.


    The girl brimmed with excitement and she wasted no time summoning a glyph.


    Her smile only got bigger.


    ~Tournament Arc~


    "Ouch."


    Jaune rubbed his ankles, more than glad that they''d wrapped up training for today. The yellow light that had covered his world this morning was replaced now by the red-orange, the day finally coming to its close. He''d gotten an entire day''s worth.


    Which amounted to nothing other than his feet throbbing in pain.


    "Don''t worry, that''s normal," Velvet explained, as she packed up her things, "But its not broken so you''re making progress."


    "I don''t know if I am."


    "You are, believe me. You learn faster than you think."


    Jaune just wished he believed her, personally unsatisfied with how very little he''d learned in the past few days. Sure, it was unrealistic to expect immediate results, but he had a finite amount of time.


    The blonde seethed as the flesh in his legs ached, stretching out in the hopes that he could relax them.


    "Its over usage of your aura," Velvet said, "Too much power output equals less control, same as Dust. So you end up hurting yourself. With this, its just that you aren''t naturally using the technique yet so it''ll hurt for a while."


    "Great..." Jaune sighed. That didn''t bode well for future training, and it would be just his luck to get a serious injury before the prelims.


    But Jaune could not afford that.


    Which meant he couldn''t waste time in this ''getting used to it'' stage.


    "Hey, I''m gonna go on a little more." Jaune said to Velvet as she slung her bag over her shoulder.


    "Are you sure?" She asked, looking a little concerned, "I wouldn''t advise it. You might break something."


    "I know, but... I need to," Jaune nodded, "I need to get as much out of this as I can."


    "Well, alright. Just don''t make this a regular thing. It''s fine this time, but not again, okay?"


    "Yes, ma''am." Jaune chuckled.


    Velvet grinned. "Well then, good night. Tomorrow after class, right?"


    "I''ll be here."


    "Dress light."


    "You tell me that every time," Jaune laughed, "I''m starting to think you''re the one that likes sweaty people."


    "Maybe I just like seeing your muscles." She stated, tapping his biceps humorously.


    "Hey, cut it out!" Jaune swatted her hand away, "I''m still tender."


    "I''m tender," The faunus mocked, "That is, for sure, the most manly thing I''ve ever heard."


    Jaune shook his head. "Yes, pick on the guy in pain. You''re so tough."


    "It''s a talent - blame Coco though, its her way or the highway." Velvet shrugged, "Hey by the way, she was wondering when you were going to take her out."


    "She''s just joking... or delusional," Jaune rolled his eyes, "She got me, by the way."


    "Really? When?"


    "After the first day we trained - she struck when I was weak. My butt was wide open."


    Velvet burst into laughter, and Jaune wondered if she knew how infectious that laugh was. The girl really hadn''t been the kind of person he expected - It was honestly more of a relief than he realized.


    "But hey, you at least know she''s playing around. Most guys don''t, which means you pay attention," Velvet settled down, "Sorry to say, a lot of people think you''re a bit... dim."


    Jaune shrugged, not exactly a surprise. Since he first came to Beacon, he was out of his element, his grades suffered alongside his combat ability. It didn''t help with Cardin and his ilk spreading it around.


    With a shrug, he placed his chin in his palm. "That''s fine - a dim light can still shine."


    Velvet burst into laughter. "Was that your attempt at wisdom?"


    "Shut up!" Jaune pushed her, hiding his face incase he turned red. The girl headed off, still giggling the whole way. Sheesh, he never got a break with her, "Velvet, you never answered my question."


    The girl turned. "From earlier?"


    "Yeah. I mean... I guess I just didn''t expect you to help me," Jaune admitted, "I feel like I''m wasting your time. That you put all this effort into me and I might still fail, you know?"


    "Hm. Well if you fail, I''m not gonna lie, I''d be disappointed," Velvet admitted, "But that''s okay, we all fail. I guess, I just saw how earnest you were. It''s no secret how you are in combat class but you''re still aspiring to win the tournament."


    The girl looked down as if lost in a memory, a memory that made her smile wider. "I... I can relate to that."


    "Really?"


    "Yeah, it is an uphill battle. And the underdog always has it the hardest." The girl said sincerely, "But I guess I want to see the guy who everyone isn''t looking at, to be looked at. Is that weird?"


    "N-no, I don''t think so." Jaune stammered, scratching his ear as he looked away from her.


    "Well, weird or not. That''s my reason. Anyway, good night."


    "Good night..." Jaune watched as she went off, only going back to his thoughts after she was out of sight. Jaune looked at his legs, they hadn''t stopped aching yet.


    But Velvet wanted to see him succeed.


    Then let''s keep going. Jaune nodded, pushing himself up and back to the nosegrind.


    ~Tournament Arc~


    "Heaven..."


    Jaune couldn''t have felt better walking into the cool air of the dorm, but shut the door quietly as he looked at his sleeping teammates. Ren''s hair dr.a.p.ed over the side of his bed, and Nora was a tangled, snoring but smiley mess.


    Jaune wanted nothing more than to crash in bed right now. But not while he was drenched and nasty.


    He grabbed his sleepwear, jumping immediately into the shower. Short but sweet, Jaune was out right away, throwing on his pajamas before heading back into the dorm. He immediately spotted the red hair of his partner - had she just gotten in too? Pyrrha hadn''t noticed him, her back turned as she stared at something in her hand.


    Despite his exhaustion, Jaune couldn''t resist the opportunity of mischief, tiptoeing up to her and leaning in.


    "Hey, Pyr." He whispered, eliciting a jump from the girl.


    "Oh... Jaune, you scared me." Pyrrha turned to him, folding up the photo.


    Jaune exaggerated a shrug. "Can''t help it. I am pretty intimidating."


    "I''m sure you are. I haven''t seen you around. Were you training?"


    "Yep, all day," Jaune flopped on his own bed, hugging the cool comforter tightly, he already dreaded the morning, "Kill me Pyrrha, so I don''t have train again tomorrow."


    The girl chuckled. "I''d be out of a leader then. That would be pretty hard to explain to Professor Goodwitch."


    "It''s fine, just tell her I slipped and fell or something."


    "You slipped and fell..." Pyrrha grinned, "onto my spear, I presume? Not one of your better plans, Jaune."


    "Everybody''s a critic. Anyway, how about you? Did you do anything other than train?"


    "... not really, just training."


    "Guess we''re both working hard," Jaune yawned, flicking off his light, "Well, I''m gonna hit the Z''s then. Night, partner."


    "Jaune?"


    Jaune turned back to her. In the darkness he almost couldn''t see, but the moonlight illuminated her face. Accentuating the emeralds in her eyes as she looked at the floor. "Yeah?"


    "I..." His partner seemed to fight for the words, like she wasn''t sure if she could talk to him. That was weird, was something wrong with her?


    "What is it, Pyr?"


    "Its..." The girl sighed defeatedly, "I wanted to say, do your best in the preliminaries."


    Jaune quirked an eyebrow at her. "Uh, yeah. Absolutely. Make sure you make it too. No being lazy!"


    The girl smiled. And somehow that smile seemed to brighten her mood, like she''d forgotten about whatever bothered her. "I''ll be sure not to disappoint."


    Jaune nodded, turning over and throwing his comforter on. He''d thought to ask her what was wrong again, but decided against it. If she didn''t want to talk about it, then it wasn''t his place to pester her.


    Perhaps it was nothing.


    With a yawn, Jaune let his head sink into the pillow, eyes sealed shut.


    He was asleep in seconds.


    You''re still reading? Chapter is over, ya fool.


    Nah but seriously. Some introspection on Jaune, Weiss and Pyrrha - all working hard to get that tournament win. Some details about aura and Dust, yadda, yadda.


    My apologies about the shifting perspectives. Some chapters will need to be like this since its important to see other characters'' actions. Note though that this won''t be normal, Jaune will be the primary focus of most chapters.


    Pyrrha is a character I have not given justice to yet. So her development is something I''m excited for with this fic. I hope I portrayed her well, but honestly since she''s kinda a blank slate in the first place, there is a lot of room to go wherever you want with her.


    Thanks for reading and I''ll see you in the next one.


    ISA

 Chapter 315 - My SI Stash #15 - A Marvelous, Legendary Isekai journey by FrancoGamerxz (MCU)

    -Recently uploaded MCU SI Fic~ Even though the dialogue sometimes is quite forced, it truly still has potential and I really hope that the author doesn''t ruin the story by limiting and nerfing our MC! It won''t take much to get ridiculously OP after a few chapters with this cheat/ lol you''ll get what I mean.


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 22K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/a-marvelous-legendary-isekai-journey-marvel.12193/ (FrancoGamerxz)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    The universe wants to kill me.


    I am not being facetious, nor am I employing a metaphor, or setting up a punchline. I legitimately believe that the universe is trying to kill me.


    The first event to occur that likely led to me ultimately growing up with this belief was the time when I, as an 8 year old, almost got ran over by a truck. I was minding my own business, walking home from school, when I reached an intersection.


    The streets were conspicuously absent, despite the fact that kids had been let off from school already, which should have led to a higher amount of foot traffic. I can see in hindsight how that is very suspicious and should have led to me being careful, maybe even paranoid, but my kid self was way too oblivious and unaware.


    I reached an intersection that was usually jam-packed with all sorts of cars, big and small, yet was conspicuously empty that day. Despite the fact that the streets were empty, I still pressed the button to turn the traffic lights red, and waited until the pedestrian lights turned green.


    I took two steps forward, intent on crossing the utterly empty street, when a piece of candy fell off of my pocket. I took two steps back to pick it up...


    FUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHMMMMMMM!


    And barely survived the massive 18-wheeler that suddenly blazed down the previously-empty street, so close to me that the wind from it ruffled my hair and clothes.


    It also led to me pissing myself, and I am not at all embarrassed to admit it.


    After calming down, I reached the closest payphone available, called my mom so she could pick me up, and get some extra-tight hugs and a juice box after having told mom what happened. She also decided that she''d be picking me up from school every day from then on.


    The second time I almost died I was 12. Me and my family had gone to the beach, and we were enjoying ourselves. Mom was tanning alongside my older sister, while dad and my two younger sisters were building sand castles.


    I was feeling thirsty, so I asked my mom for some change, putting on my flip-flops and heading out towards a vending machine. After my first near-death, I gained the habit of looking both ways before crossing. It became sort of a compulsive thing, and I did it even while walking across tiny alleyways that couldn''t fit a small car, much less an 18-wheeler.


    I reached an empty road, and I saw a vending machine staring at me from the other side, taunting me with a can of my favorite drink. I looked both ways - several times - before deciding that it was safe enough to cross.


    As I was about to step onto the road, one of my flip-flops'' straps broke, getting a groan out of me and causing me to kneel down to check it out.


    It''s the only reason why I didn''t get squished flat by a speeding truck that came out of absolutely nowhere, making no noise, despite the fact that it was little more than a blur to the n.a.k.e.d eye from how fast it was going. Utterly terrified, I decided to turn back and rejoin my family. I asked around for a bit, but literally no-one else saw or even heard the truck. I never told my parents about this, as I didn''t want to worry them, but the thought that the universe was out to get me was really starting to etch itself into my mind.


    The third time happened when I was a bit older, at 14 years of age. I had gone to a friend''s birthday, and us boys were on their yard, playing some ball, until somebody threw too hard and it rolled into the middle of the totally empty road. All of the other boys refused to go, citing it as my responsibility since I was the one who should have grabbed the ball, forcing me to go out to take the ball. I did my ritual of looking both ways over fifteen times all the while focusing my hearing as much as possible to figure out if there was anything coming, but I saw nothing. I was about to slowly walk into the road, when the sudden appearance of a squirrel next to me startled me for a moment.


    That moment was enough for me to barely survive another run-in with a speeding truck.


    At that moment, the idea that some universal force was out for my blood had carved itself into my very soul. I started avoiding being outside as much as possible, my previous group of friends shrinking, and then eventually disappearing altogether as I refused to leave my place for anything other than my obligations, things such as school, family gatherings, the works.


    The lack of companionship and physical activity, however, led to a whole different problem: I was bored as all hell.


    My boredom led to me going on the internet and searching for was to entertain myself, which I succeeded in accomplishing. I already had a passing appreciation for comics, movies, cartoons, anime and manga, but being locked inside out of fear for my very life left me with very little to do, so I got into those hobbies.


    I was hooked.


    I sunk deeply into the world of that type of media, and I whenever I wasn''t doing school-related stuff or dealing with my family pestering me to go out, I was either reading comics, manga, watching anime, cartoons, or going on the internet and getting into arguments with fellow keyboard warriors about why ''character x'' could totally kick ''character y'' into the stratosphere.


    Of course, consuming that content also left me aware of the fact that some being, somewhere, was trying their absolute best to Isekai the shit out of me. It seemed to not want to involve other people, though, and it only ever kicked in on public places and roads, so I felt safe within my house, or whenever I was in the company of others.


    By now I had reached 16 years of age, and I had avoided any further attempts on my life by Truck-kun, so I was pretty much feeling golden. Was.


    It was all very surprising, how it happened. One moment I was sitting down in front of my computer screen, re-watching Dragon Ball Super: Broly for the nth time with a pack of snacks in hand, the next one I had my hands grasping at my throat as I gasped for air.


    I was alone at home, since my parents were both at work while my sisters were out with their friends, so I that was an avenue of survival down. I tried reaching over for the phone on my desk, only for my grasping hand to jerk, causing it to slip away from me and fall out of view.


    My body fell backwards off of my chair, leaving me rolling around a bit on the ground, all the while trying my best to breathe, but I could feel myself getting weaker and weaker, black creeping into the edges of my vision bit by bit.


    The last thing I saw was the box of snacks I had been absentmindedly eating.


    ''Truckload Snacks'' the box said, the image of a happy little truck with a face in the vein of something like Thomas the Tank Engine staring back at me, the innocent smile seeming particularly sinister from the angle I was at.


    As my eyes drifted close, I had not but one last thought.


    ''Well played, universe. Well played.''


    I felt my eyes snap open, a deep gasp of breath filling my lungs after what felt like an eternity of choking. I allowed myself to indulge in the sweet, delicious oxygen for quite a while, before my brain finally decided to take stock of where I was.


    It was an all-white room, with a white desk in the middle, with a white chair behind it, white bookshelves with white books in them, a white ceiling fan, and white potted plants.


    I was dead. That was an undeniable fact, so I decided to not allow myself to panic too much over it. Well, maybe my death was just too fresh, and I was in shock, so I didn''t react as appropriate to the fact that I was dead.


    Regardless of whatever the reason I am still calm is, I can say with full honestly that I am glad this office I was in felt cool, like an Air conditioning unit was working at a reasonable setting. If I had woken up feeling a sweltering heat, I''m sure that not even shock would have stopped me from freaking out.


    I hadn''t ever done anything ''evil'', but I had a very... Questionable, let us say, search history, and you never know if god really doesn''t want you to... Self-gratify.


    "I don''t mind it either way whether you wank one or not, really. If I didn''t want you doing it, I wouldn''t have given you the feature."


    My eyes widened in shock - which likely meant that I previously was not shocked, but had instead managed to stay calm out of my own volition, which made me feel better, I guess - at the sudden appearance of a transparent silhouette that I could somehow still make out in this office of eye-burning white hues. I opened my mouth, intending to ask a question, only for the voice to speak up first.


    "Yes, you''re dead, no, I won''t tell you the meaning of life. The reason as to why bad things happen is because of free will. Now that the big ones are out of the way, feel free to speak up."


    "Why did you kill me?"


    God seemed to wince, and I could somehow notice that despite the fact God was a transparent figure, which translated into view like if someone had penciled a few thin lines into the air in the general outline of a human being, but forgot to fill in the details.


    "Well... I didn''t actually kill you."


    I fixed a stare on God and c.o.c.ked an eyebrow, getting another wince from them, before they spoke again.


    "Well, what happened was that I had to sort out some of my systems up here, which meant that I was fiddling with the settings of the universe you live in. It seems that I accidentally activated the ''Isekai'' protocol, and it chose you as the designated target. The sheer fact that the system failed so many times to claim you was proof of how much I bungled up my system''s guts back then. You weren''t really supposed to die this early, so... Sorry, I guess?"


    I stared at God in open-mouthed shock. All along I though that some jerk-ass entity was trying to off me in order to toss me into another world, when in reality it was simply a bug in God''s system that led to me living the life I lived. I mean, I won''t say that my life was too bad, I did get to enjoy a lot of content that I considered fun and entertaining, but... It just didn''t feel fair. There''s so much more that I could have done if I hadn''t died, or if I hadn''t even been forced into the Otaku life I had been.


    I felt completely cheated.


    "I feel completely cheated."


    And I didn''t hesitate to say so.


    God winced again, before speaking.


    "I know what you''re going to ask next, but unfortunately the answer is no. Your universe has death as a one-way trip as its default settings, and, well... It was me fiddling with settings that got us here in the first place. If a minor change led to the universe attempting to Truck-kun you as it did, imagine what could happen if I screwed up as I reprogrammed Death.


    "However... Since you''ve gotten here through the Isekai protocol, or at least due to it escalating ridiculously as it did, I guess you can truly get that Isekai."


    My incredulous stare turned into an indignant glare, which prompted God to speak again.


    "I know that it isn''t really enough to make up for what happened to you, so... How about I give you a little something, to try to at least start making amends?"


    God started typing into the computer in front of them, before reaching down and opening one of the drawers, withdrawing a few sheets of what I believed to be paper, based on the edge''s outlines against the blinding white of the room.


    "Well... Usually an activation of the Isekai protocol would give you many different possibilities on where you could go, but because of my screw-up you only have Marvel available."


    I grimaced. The Marvel-verse. As much as I enjoyed reading about it, watching the films and the cartoons, it was certainly not a place I wished to live in. Between cosmic beings like Galactus, Infinity, Eternity, Death and the Phoenix Force, jerk-ass demons like Mephisto, Blackheart and Belasco who wouldn''t hesitate to eviscerate a baby and enslave a soul, and the fact that universal extinction-level events happened once every one or two months, it was generally a place I would prefer to avoid. And those were just the big problems! You had the ''smaller'' problems like the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the Hand, Project Weapon X, Hydra, the Hellfire Club and however the f.u.c.k many other evil groups, gangs, societies or associations, there could possibly be.


    Plus, vampires! Werewolves! Monsters of all different types, some of them supernatural, others just aliens that happened to look like mythological beasts, most of them with extreme murderous intent towards humans!


    Why the heck would I want to go there!?


    "Okay, I know this sounds bad, but, I can sweeten the pot for you! How about I give you the ability to ''create'' your own ''character'' in the Marvel-verse? You''ll get to pick your appearance, race and powers!"


    My eyes narrowed at the offer.


    "Ah, how about a bonus! Your power set isn''t limited to things that exist in Marvel! I''ll let you pick anything you can think of as long as it isn''t immediately balance-busting, how about it?"


    That... Made things somewhat more interesting, and made me dislike the proposal a bit less, but I was still hesitating.


    "Oh come on, think of all the hot babes that exist over there! Kitty, Jean, Felicia, Rogue, Mystique, Emma Frost, Storm... You get to exist in the same universe as them! And, since you''re picking out your own appearance, and you''ll be involved in quite a few important situations, as per Isekai rules, you will have plenty of opportunities to woo and charm them! Heck, you could even try going for the Harem route! Don''t pretend that you wouldn''t love that, I can see straight into your mind!"


    I can''t say that God doesn''t know who I am and what I''m about, at least. And... God was totally right. I would absolutely love a Marvel Harem.


    "I''ll do it."


    "Good, good. So... What will you look like, what race will you be a part of, and what powers will you have?"


    Mhm... That was a tough one. I didn''t have many problems with my original appearance... At first.


    But then I stopped being sporty, and socializing, and I spent the majority of my time eating, lazing around and avoiding the sun, meaning that I put on quite a few pounds. Pounds that I''d rather not have, if I could avoid them, really. I also wanted to be tall. I used to have an average height, and that would generally be alright, however I am going into the Marvel-verse, where even street-level heroes and villains could easily break the average individual in half. Hell, Luke Cage was considered a street-level hero, and the guy could easily tank sniper rifle rounds without flinching! Making myself taller would give me an advantage in reach whenever I was fighting on the same level of strength as my opponent, and it would make it easier for me to intimidate most un-powered people (at least those who weren''t heavily trained in the art of ass-kicking).


    Plus, it and the power set I want will have great synergy.


    But, back to my appearance.


    I gave myself 6''6" (198 cm) of height, and 270 lbs (122 KG) in weight, all muscle of course. I gave myself a light skin tone, though not so light as to seem pasty, or to burn rather than tan under the sun, spiky black hair that I kept tied back into an also spiky ponytail reaching my neck, and hazel-colored eyes.


    I was going to be a behemoth of a man, built like a brick shithouse sturdy enough to survive a couple of tornadoes unscathed.


    Next, was my history, power set and race. For race I put down mutant, as it would make it easier for me to get in contact with the X-men, meaning Rogue, Storm, Jean and Kitty, and many more beautiful women that were either part of the X-men, parallel teams or just allies. Plus, being a mutant would put me in constant conflict with whichever anti-mutant extremist groups exist, be they the Purifiers, the Friends of Humanity, or any others. It would also put me against the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants who, as a norm, didn''t really kill other mutants as long as Magneto believed they could be swayed over to his side. All of that conflict was a massive advantage for me, due to the power set that I would have.


    What power set did I pick?


    Saiyan Physiology. More specifically, Broly''s Saiyan Physiology.


    I was going to be a Legendary Super Saiyan, goddamnit!


    Plus, I saw the Super Broly Movie. Base form Broly was batting around Super Saiyan God Vegeta as soon as he learned to tap into his Ki. When he went Super, he curb stomped Goku Blue, Vegeta Blue, and Golden Frieza! And all of that without proper training, or understanding of whatever he was doing!


    Plus, Saiyan Physiology would give me access to KI as it exists in the Dragon Ball Universe, meaning that stuff from earlier on in the series that was forgotten later on, like the ability for a KI user to read minds, make clones, use Telekinesis like Frieza and Chiaotzu did, create clothes like Piccolo did, and many more other things! And, Broly beat the everloving shit out of Blueku, Bluegeta and G. Frieza as a Legendary Super Saiyan 1. I didn''t have to limit myself to that. Imagine how strong I''ll get when I reach level 2, or 3? What''s more, Future Trunks opened the DBZ-verse to alternate timelines, and Super did the same to alternate universes, so it''s possible that I''d be able to reach Legendary Super Saiyan 4 if I wanted to. And, all of that is without mentioning Super Saiyan God, Blue, or Ultra Instinct, which anyone in the Dragon Ball verse had the potential to learn, as long as they put in the time, effort, and had the power of Shounen Protagonism behind them.


    The only thing left is to make sure that I''m not going to be universe-breaking from the start. That leads to my background in the Marvel-verse.


    "Mhm... I see... That could work. Yes, yes, I guess I can let you have this, since I pretty much owe you a full lifetime. Well... I hope you have a good time there!"


    Those were the last words I heard God say before a snap of their fingers had my eyes closing, the darkness obscuring my sight...


    This first thing that came to my awareness was the sound of hospital machinery, with all sorts of things pushing, squeezing and beeping. The second thing was the fact that my mouth felt dry as the Sahara desert. Third? My eyes felt as if they each had an anvil pressing down on them.


    ''Screw that, I''m a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Saiyan! Anvils aren''t shit to me!''


    Mustering as much strength as I could, I wrenched my eyes open, finding the exact setting that I expected to be the first thing I saw in this new universe I got Isekai''d into.


    A hospital.


    I didn''t have anything in particular against hospitals, as I didn''t really need them much in my first life, but being here, stuck in bed... It was annoying.


    "Ah, you''re awake!"


    My head snapped towards the source of the words, allowing me to see both who the owner of the voice was, and making me regret having moved as I did due to the pounding headache that hammered at my brain.


    "Hnnng..." I groaned before smacking my lips. I opened my mouth in an attempt at saying something, anything, but the only thing that came out was a dry cough, which prompted the owner of the voice, an average-looking nurse, to bring a cup over. She placed the cup on a nearby metal tray before helping me sit up, something which I did gingerly, trying not to jostle my already pained left side.


    I felt a straw tap my lips after after having sat up, which I took into my mouth and drank from greedily, emptying the cup in three gulps, something that sated my thirst well enough for me to say a single word, with a tinge of heavy need.


    "FOOD!"


    The nurse jumped at my strong tone, before nodding and leaving the room, only to return to it rolling a cart with quite a few covered trays. She rolled up to me and moved with the intent to hand me a single of the food trays, only to be surprised as I grabbed the car itself, my tone rough from disuse as I spoke.


    "Leave. It."


    I don''t know whether she was scared of me, pitied me, or if there was some sort of nurse protocol I was unaware of, because she actually did leave the cart with me.


    It didn''t last 10 minutes.


    Under the incredulous gaze of the nurse that had been taking care of me, and of the two other nurses and a doctor that had come in after her, I utterly devastated the food cart, sucking up food like a black hole and drinking what I believed to be over 3 gallons of water.


    "Ah~"


    I burped in satisfaction, already feeling some of the pain from my side fading as my Saiyan body, now topped up, worked on rapidly bringing me back to a fighting condition. Still, the fact that I could ''feel'' and gauge my regeneration allowed me to notice the fact that, while very much beyond the average person, it was way below what even an infant saiyan had available to them. Hell, Goku fell off a mountain and split his head open as a baby, and while he did get amnesia, that was the worst of the damage. And he was a low-class saiyan!


    But, it was not unexpected. My slow - relative to other saiyans - regeneration was a consequence of the backstory I picked out for myself. My backstory was also the reason as to why I wasn''t at the full height and weight I selected yet.


    I basically gave myself a mostly-generic orphan isekai background. Parents died a few years ago, leaving behind an amount of money that, while by no means insignificant, didn''t make me ''f.u.c.k you'' rich either. I was ''wealthy'', but just barely. I managed to get myself emancipated from my legal guardian just earlier this year, and now I lived in an alright part of New York. I was Alex Donnelly, 16 year old high school student...


    And a mugging victim.


    Before I ''Awoke'', Alex Donnelly was a young man with a temperament that was akin to my current one, but with the physicality of my younger, pre Truck-Kun self, meaning that I practiced a bit of sports here and there, regularly attended the gym, and generally kept myself fit. Between good genetics and the exercise, Alex Donnelly had reached 6''2 (187 cm) in height, and 180 lbs (81 kg) of weight, all muscle, which was pretty respectable.


    Unfortunately my physique didn''t seem to intimidate the thief that shanked me before running off with my phone, and the money that was in my wallet, $150. That was for the best, however, as that situation turned into the catalyst for my change.


    The moment I woke up after a mild case of 3-day coma, my X-gene would wake up with me. It wouldn''t instantly boost me to my full form, as that would be way too noticeable. Instead, my transformation would be a gradual affair.


    I got released by the hospital after a week of eating like a rabid beast, with a doctor''s note allowing me to miss school for four weeks after my release. My Saiyan Physiology was already starting to show, as after three days of voracious eating and rest at home I felt the damage from the stab wound fully heal, something that should have taken quite a bit longer since the mugger had jabbed the knife in deep and apparently nicked something important.


    I wasn''t going to laze around, however. I knew the my physique was coming in, and I didn''t want people to think I was using roids or something to get bigger, so I started hitting the gym hard and heavy. Between my increased trips to the gym due to my break from school, my voracious intake of food and my increase in height, I managed to make it seem as if my new build was a result of a fortunate meeting between hard work and a hardcore growth spurt. I managed to pull it off as my growth came over the course of 5 weeks, starting from when I woke up in my hospital bed.


    I was probably the biggest, most ripped 16 year old everyone in my gym knew. Heck, there were bodybuilders who didn''t have the same physique as I did! Whenever someone made a comment about my size I would stop to really think on whether or not I went too far on my physique, but then a look at myself in the mirror would quell any doubt. I looked badass, if I could say so myself, and, whenever I practiced my sneers, frowns or scowls in front of a mirror, I looked absolutely terrifying. I can just imagine how I would look like if I actually gave the Z-Broly psychotic laughter.


    Shit, speaking of Broly, I only set up my size at base form, and neglected to do so for my transformed states. I know that Legendary Super Saiyan made the user really big, bigger than what Ascended Super Saiyan did to Goku, Trunks and Vegeta, and the three of them, smaller than me in both height and weight, became pretty damned big. Broly himself was a big boy, so I didn''t know how much of it was the transformation, and how much was just him. I did, however, have another reference in the form of Kale, who went from ''Dainty Dame'' straight into ''Death by Snu Snu'' territory, so it was likely that when, not if, I became a Legendary Super Saiyan, I''d become even bigger.


    Hell, How big would I get when I went Legendary Super Saiyan 2, or even further beyon? ''Heh.''


    None of that was a concern for now, though. My biggest concern at the moment was the fact that my break from school was about to end, and Xavier and Magneto haven''t made a move on me yet, which was inconvenient for a few reasons, chief among them being the fact that I had grown my tail already, and it would be a bitch and a half to hide. I had already stopped going to the gym when I saw the stub growing out, in order to avoid having people asking uncomfortable questions in the shower. My best bet at hiding my tail while being part of the general public would be to wrap it around my waist to use it as a belt, but I would prefer not having to resort to that when the people at the X-mansion wouldn''t mind me keeping my tail out and loose. Hell, I''m sure Hank would appreciate having another person with a slightly less human appearance. Kurt too, if he were already part of the X-men.


    I sighed as I turned in bed, incapable of sleeping. I had gotten used to exhausting myself at the gym for a good while now, but since I stopped going and started working out at home and without the gym equipment, I felt myself get much less tired, meaning that when I went to bed, my eyes would simply refuse to close, no matter whatever it is I did. I''d use this time to try and train my KI control, were it not for the fact that I was absolutely terrified of accidentally exploding my apartment and/or the whole building. I don''t want to hurt anyone out of impatience or negligence, even if it means slowing down my gains.


    Sick and tired of tossing and turning for the third night straight, I stood up and dressed myself, a simple tee that easily showed off my muscles, and a pair of baggy jeans, using my tail as a belt. I locked my door behind me, before heading out for an evening walk. Both my instincts and my meta knowledge were telling me that this wasn''t something I should do if my heart is unprepared, as it would more than likely trigger some sort of flag, maybe a conflict with a gang, or I''ll attract the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D, Hydra or any other group that may see utility in a massive wall of muscle like me. I chose to go out regardless, sick and tired of staring at little more than my apartment''s walls when I could finally go out into the world without having to fear a friendly get-together with Truck-kun, both for the fact that I was no longer under the blasted Isekai system, and that I was likely capable of surviving an Isekai-attempt.


    I was still salty at the fact that I got forcibly reincarnated, but... Not as much as I could have been, nor as much as I remember other people having been in their own stories. I mean... Most of them got ROB''ed, but they had a way to traverse to other universes, or the possibility of going back to their own, where they had friends, family and all other sorts of good stuff waiting for them. They were just displaced, for the most part. Me? I died. Fully. Even if I could open a portal back to that world, it likely wouldn''t do me any good since my original world is a ''one-way death'' world. Best case scenario, I get sent to the afterlife. Worst case scenario?


    Well, the system already f.u.c.k.i.e.d me over before, and killed me with a f.u.c.k.i.n.g snack. What guarantee do I have that it won''t simply choose to delete me as soon as I step back into my original universe? Plus... I didn''t have much to return to. Sure, I would miss my parents and my sisters, but... There was a gulf between me and them. I admit that the gulf was mostly, if not fully my fault. I was retreating from the world, and got swallowed up by the otaku lifestyle. Between that distance between me and my family, and my lack of friends and social life back there, caused by my completely rational distrust of roads and cars, I didn''t really have anything to return to. No girl I like, no friend I made a promise to, nothing like that. I would say that I would miss me entertainment media, but... Come on, I''m going to live the life of a mutant in the Marvel-verse, with the power set of motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g Broly. Few things could be more interesting than this!


    FWIP! FWIP!


    "COMING THROUGH!"


    I watched in awe as Spider Man, Peter Parker, swung in-between buildings, the eyes of the people who were still awake at this time almost invariably tracking him for at least a short amount of time, before they returned to their daily lives, as if the fact that they just saw Spiderman wasn''t one of the coolest things ever!


    Granted, they were likely used to the view, since as far as my memories as Alex go, Spiderman had been active for at least 6 months by now. I had no idea what version of Spiderman this one was though, whether it was the teenaged, high-school student, or the college-aged Daily Bugle photographer. I had no way of knowing since the Bugle never credited any of the many, many pictures of Spiderman that it published, likely in order to protect Peter''s identity from the villains who''d try to use him to bait the spider. I knew the irony of this train of thought, since I knew they were one and the same, but the villains definitely wouldn''t.


    After a while of allowing my mind to wander just as my feet did, I found myself enjoying the cold nighttime air of a small wooded area, generously distant from urban areas. My feet had brought me here, and there were only two possible reasons for that. Either my Saiyan side was craving for some time spent around nature... Or my instinct was driving me towards the ''Quest Trigger''.


    "Hello there, young man."


    Red and purple armor. Similarly colored helmet. Purple cape. Floating amongst a cloud of metallic debris.


    "Oh f.u.c.k, you''re Magneto."


    I had said that out loud. I had said that out loud.


    "Hah... It seems that my reputation precedes me."


    It does. I am absolutely scared shitless of the mere fact that you are aware of my existence. I would rather you not know that I even exist, much less meeting up with you. Of course, I said none of those things out loud. He already knows that I know who he is, and he likely already knows that I am scared of him. He doesn''t know how scared I am, though, which is one less advantage he has over me. Rather than stand there shaking in my boots, I crossed my arms over my chest and let a mild frown appear on my face, my back straight as I met his gaze unflinchingly, with courage likely belonging to my Saiyan instincts, as my human self would likely have turned tail and ran away already.


    ''Wait a second, Magneto located me, meaning-''


    I abruptly cut off my train of thought, focusing on the image of my own mind being represented by a floating brain, before a green sphere of crackling energy surrounded it from all sides. If I''m lucky enough - which I''m likely not, see Isekai incident for more details - that would be enough to block at least cursory attempts at looking into my mind, or even concentrated attempts from weak telepaths. It would be as effective at stopping Xavier as a wet paper towel would be at stopping a tornado if he really tried to get in there, but it could be enough to make him aware of the fact that I''d rather prefer him outside of my mind, to keep Jean from accidentally reading me, and to keep me from broadcasting my thoughts to any and all telepaths around.


    I had to take these precautions as, since Magneto had found me, Xavier would likely soon make his appearance as well, and I wouldn''t want him reading my reactions of familiarity towards the various individuals which I should be meeting for the first time, both on the side of the good and bad guys. Still, I had to stall Magneto for as long as possible, keep him from giving me the recruitment pitch until the X-men showed up, least he decides to simply spirit me away to wherever his current base is.


    "Hng."


    I grunted at him in response, my ''impassive'' gaze still meeting his own.


    "If you know who I am, then you must likely know why I am here already."


    My frown became deeper at those words, before I responded steadily.


    "I do not. Please, elaborate."


    A small smile appeared on his face, though I couldn''t say what emotion that smile conveyed or hid, more worried about keeping my heart rate steady and keeping my fear under control least Sabretooth shows up and tells him I''m scared shitless. That is, if he isn''t already aware, which wasn''t really that far fetched.


    "As you know the name Magneto, you likely know who I am and what cause I fight for. I am the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants, a group of Mutants that have banded together to fight against the oppression exerted upon us by this world, and to ensure the survival and victory of the Homo Superior. Mutantkind."


    "...I see."


    "Indeed you do, I can see the spark of intelligence in your eyes."


    I calmly walked away from the spot I had been previously standing at, making sure to put a certain amount of distance between the dense canopy of trees and my back to ensure that Sabretooth couldn''t simply jump me from the back. As a disadvantage I ended up walking closer to Magneto, but as long as he doesn''t attack me with fully murderous intent, then I should be good.


    "You somehow found me and decided to try to recruit a new mutant into your group. Is that it?"


    "Correct. You may not be aware of this yet, howev- Logan, you should know better than engage me in combat by now."


    The sentence that had begun at a genial tone had changed midway into n.a.k.e.d mockery as Magneto moved his fingers, pulling a scowling Logan into view. Despite the fact that Magneto had a hold over his entire skeleton, I could still see his muscles strain as he tried to attack the master of Magnetism.


    He stopped, however, a shit-eating grin on his face as he spoke in a savagely satisfied tone.


    "Just acting as bait, Bub."


    A massive bolt of lightning slammed into Magneto, tossing him quite a long distance away from where he previously floated, before a vision of beauty clad in a form-fitting black bodysuit descended from the sky. Was what I thought about cheesy? Certainly. Was it a lie? Not at all. You see, the perception that we have of animated worlds in our reality is much different than the perception that is had here, in this universe. In order to understand just how it compared, you needed to look at a female comics character you found very attractive, and consider someone two to three times as attractive to be the version you''d see if you were within their universe. And I''m not being very generous. Heck, I could be low balling the shit out of it. Whenever it was said that female heroines had supermodel levels of beauty, it was not an exaggeration of the heroines'' beauty, but rather an underestimation of it.


    "I hope you are not hurt."


    My heart wasn''t ready to have Storm addressing me directly, but I didn''t care about what my heart was ready for or not. I simply cared about the fact that I was with at least some of the X-men, while we fought against the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants - I know that not all of them are really evil, but I sorta learned of them by this name and it stuck - whose boss, motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g Magneto was trying to recruit me. I had to focus less on D.i.c.k thinking, and more on not getting killed or abducted. With those thoughts as my priority, I responded with a shake of the head.


    "I''m alright."


    "Raaaaaghh!"


    "Ughhhhhhh!"


    I turned towards the source of the grunts, watching as Wolverine and Sabretooth tried their absolute best to kill one-another, despite knowing that both healed too fast for the attempt to be viable.


    I felt a tingling at the back of my neck that had me moving my head to the side at the same time as Storm juked hard to the side, allowing a fist-sized fireball to fly past us harmlessly and slam into the ground, creating a hole the diameter of a soccer ball at the point of impact.


    I turned to look towards the source of the fireball, my eyes narrowing at the sight of Pyro.


    "I thought you were trying to recruit me, not kill me."


    I could see Storm looking at me from the corner of her eyes at those words, while still keeping Pyro within her field of view, while Pyro let out a maddened cackle before answering.


    "You''re not gonna join. You don''t got the guts to do what''s gotta be done, so you''ll probably just align with the goody two-shoes anyways. Why not take the opportunity to keep their team from getting another player?"


    My eyes narrowed further at that, my tail surprising both Storm and Pyro when it unwrapped itself from around my waist, revealing the fact that it wasn''t a belt, and started waving behind me, reflecting my agitation.


    "Team? Player? You try to kill me, all the while equating all of this to a game? How crazy are you? No, don''t answer that, I don''t need, or want, to know."


    I uncrossed my arms from over my chest, feeling my blood pumping in a way it never had done before when I faced Pyro directly with the intent to fight him. It got the the point where my tail was repeatedly interrupting its agitated sway to slam down onto the ground, causing small cracks to spiderweb from the point of impact.


    The sight of that seemed to make Pyro slightly more apprehensive, while Storm spoke up.


    "Pyro is a very dangerous fighter with high amounts of combat experience, you would be best served leaving the fighting to more experienced individuals."


    Rather than respond to her words, I took slow, measured steps forward as I spoke.


    "This Pyro guy... Is throwing fireballs his only power?"


    "I..." Storm wanted to say something, likely an attempt at getting me to let her take on Pyro, but she must''ve noticed something on my face, or in my posture, as she chose instead to answer my question. "He can control fire, but he cannot generate it. He needs an initial flame before he can increase its size, likely via consumption of atmospheric oxygen. Other than throw fireballs of different sizes, Pyro is also capable of sending out torrents of flames as if he were a flamethrower."


    "I see... So he doesn''t have any sort of physical abilities? Increased strength, speed, durability, nothing?"


    "He does not."


    "I see. Thanks."


    It seems that this was just standard-fare Pyro, rather than some whacky Pyro from whichever arbitrarily numbered dimension could have him turn into fire, or make himself stronger, or something. All in all, not bad for my first opponent, especially with Storm here capable of putting a halt to any forest fires he may try to start, which would likely be the only way he could use to be me.


    I cracked my neck as I walked towards him, before rolling my shoulder loos.


    "DIE!"


    A fireball streaked towards me, but my eyes could track it, and I was fast enough to dodge it. After receiving that opening attack, I dropped my slow walk altogether and started sprinting towards Pyro, the mix of my long legs and powerful muscles allowing me to close the distance in a moment. He was already throwing out a fireball, which I backhanded away as if it were a KI blast, before being pushed back at an explosion of flames around him, before he manipulated the flames generated by his suit into taking the shape of a dome of fire around him.


    "HAHAHA, TRY TO GET ME NO-"


    Pyro was interrupted by a hand unhesitatingly pushing through his field of flames and wrapping around his neck, before he felt himself be pulled back towards the owner of the arm, who didn''t hesitate to punch him hard enough to knock a few teeth, and his consciousness with them.


    Storm stared at me in surprise, as did the now halted Wolverine and Sabretooth, the returned Magneto, and the newly arriving wheelchair-bound form of Charles Xavier, all of them in surprise.


    Noticing that the situation was to his disadvantage and that his target, me, was unlikely to allow itself to get gang-pressed into joining their side, Magneto pulled Pyro and Sabretooth towards himself, likely by metal pieces attached to their clothing, before flying away with them, leaving behind a scowling Logan, a focused Storm, and an intrigued Xavier.


    Xavier was the first one to speak now.


    "That was an impressive first showing, mr. ..."


    "Donnelly. Alex Donnelly. And thank you..."


    "Charles Xavier."


    The two of us went silent again before Xavier opened his mouth, only for me to cut him off.


    "Are you going to try to recruit me?"


    "...Yes, I would like to extend you an invitation to my school for the gifted. Any combat-related activities related to the X-men are fully optional though."


    "So you guys are called the X-men..." I muttered, if only to display my ignorance about them. "Can you give me the space and gear to train my powers better?"


    "Yes."


    "Are you going to go all over, fighting against all sorts of nasty people in order to save innocents?"


    "Yes, howe-"


    "Are you going to keep fighting those maniacs?"


    "...Yes."


    "I''m in."


    Having said that, I crossed my arms back over my chest while my tail wrapped around my waist like a belt, before walking up to Xavier, whose chair was now being pulled by a surprised Storm.


    ''Fighting them gives me the opportunity to try to subvert the members of the Brotherhood that aren''t really evil, only misguided or indoctrinated, and give them the chance to turn around before they do something so vile that they''ll be unable to turn over a new leaf, much less forgive themselves. The fact that Mystique and Wanda rank amongst these people doesn''t hurt.''


    This was how I joined the X-men.


    This was my first step towards Legendary levels of power.


    Chapter 2


    It was pretty weird, riding in the Blackbird alongside such legends as Wolverine, Storm, and Professor X. I was feeling a mixture of glee at being in close proximity to some of my all-time X-men favorite characters, and just living in the same universe as other legendary characters such as Captain America, Spiderman, Thor, Iron Man and many more.


    This glee was somewhat - read, heavily - curtailed by the fact that people like Dr. Doom, Red Skull, Super Skrull, Juggernaut, Mr. Sinister, Apocalypse, Thanos and freaking Sentry/Void were also existing in the same universe as I do. Not even a few galaxies of distance from them would make me feel safe, comfortable or alright with the fact that they exist, so you probably understand how living in the same planet as they do makes me feel. The fact that I couldn''t have inserted myself as a universal-level threat from the start really bugs me for that reason.


    Well, that and the various... Lets call them ''Unholy dudes'', since like f.u.c.k am I even thinking of their names. Will probably attract their attention, and that isn''t the sort of thing I want, or am ready to deal with. I''m gonna keep the names of eldritch gods and stuff out of my mind as much as I can as well, for that exact reason.


    The point I''m trying to make is that I feel really tense, not having enough strength to defend myself from big bads, all the while knowing that any one of them could kick off an event or saga at any moment. I''m gonna make hardcore training my priority, as soon as I get settled into the institute.


    "We''re reached our destination, Mr. Donnelly."


    Xavier''s voice brought me out of my thoughts, causing me to notice the fact that the blackbird had already stopped. I nodded my understanding at them, before following after Wolverine, Storm and Professor X - who had introduced themselves to me as Logan, Ororo Munroe and Charles Xavier during the flight, meaning that I didn''t need to be careful about showing the fact that I know their names - as they climbed down the lowered ramp of the high-tech jet.


    "Welcome to Xavier''s School for Gifted Youngsters, Mr. Donnelly."


    I turned towards Storm, who had been the one to talk, before giving her a slight nod, then allowing my gaze to wander around the area around me, allowing me to take in the large - and quite honestly, beautiful - grounds. There was quite a bit of green, from the well-kept grass that covered large portions of the grounds, to various trees that likely provided great shade on the hotter days. There was a basketball court, which the Blackbird currently occupied, a few tables and benches spread around, and wide, paved pathways cutting off some of these sections from each-other, likely for easier car access.


    My focus turned towards the sounds of moving feet, allowing me to notice the fact that we had stopped in front of the X-mansion - and it was a big ass mansion indeed - while various people that I had previously known only as fictional characters walked out of the mansion and into view, despite the fact that it was pretty damn late, but hey, curiosity killed the cat and all that.


    My eyes widened almost imperceptibly at the sight of some people, though, as their presence caught me entirely by surprise.


    "Students." My focus turned back towards Xavier as he spoke in his customary calm, genial tone. "You might have been asking yourselves just why it was that myself, Logan and Storm decided to make a late night trip in the Blackbird. While I am quite sure that some of you would have liked it to have been something such as a late night ice cream run, or something of the sort," I watched some of the students react in amus.e.m.e.nt, a few snorts and snickers, "The reality of the situation is quite different."


    He turned towards me, prompting all of the students to change their focus to me as well - the fact that he could keep the full attention of a bunch of teens when an unknown wall of muscle stood close to him was pretty damned impressive - before making the introductions.


    "This here is Mr. Alex Donnelly, the newest student of our little institute. While I am sure that you would all like to start making introductions as soon as possible, let me remind you of the fact that today is a school day, so It''s best that you head on back to bed, and leave introductions for tomorrow."


    Xavier''s words drew out a few groans from the noticeably more interested students, while others looked more or less indifferent, but the end result was all of them trudging back into the mansion, likely thinking about the fact that, mutant or not, they still have to deal with the teenage prison known as high school.


    "Before you can be introduced to your sleeping quarters, Mr. Donnelly, I believe it best for you to visit the infirmary, in order to ensure that your confrontation with Pyro did not leave any injuries."


    I looked at Xavier before stretching out my hand, revealing the fact that while my arm hairs were somewhat singed, the only evidence of any lingering damage was a slight redness on my forearm.


    "I just touched his fire for an instant. And call me Alex."


    "Be that as it may, Alex, it is still best to at least administer some sort of disinfectant and anti-inflammatory, just to be safe. Logan, please take Alex to the infirmary, and then make sure he finds his way to one of the dorms. An empty room for now, to avoid disturbing the other children. More permanent sleeping arrangements can wait for now." He turned a mild gaze towards me, before giving me the open, inviting smile of someone who is an educator by vocation, rather than for money. "Once again, welcome to the School for Gifted Youngsters. I hope you enjoy your stay here, Alex."


    The man rolled away after that, with Storm flying off, presumably towards her room based on the way she yawned and stretched as she did, leaving me alone with Logan.


    "Follow me to the infirmary, kid."


    He started walking after that, and I followed him shortly after, my tail swaying freely behind me. Watching his back as we walked, I had to admit that despite him being 5''3 to my 6''6, I still felt as if his very presence dwarfed me. My sensible, rational side that knows that ''he is the best at what he does, and what he does ain''t pretty'' was very much opposed to the idea of ever having to tango with the only man who makes sideburns look cool, but my other half, my saiyan half, could barely hold back the desire to throw a fist, to start a fight with Logan.


    I ruthlessly crushed this desire, not wishing to get gutted in my very first day of studying at Xavier??s, and silently allowed Logan to guide me into a room that looked more at home in a futuristic Sci-Fi setting rather than the generally contemporary setting of the Marvel-verse I was currently in.


    What I could identify as a hospital bed looked more like a pill-shaped hollowed shell, with attached arms that bore a series of buttons and screens. Various different instruments were spread out on different surfaces of the room, from the average microscope, to something that looked like if a spaceship''s control panel had been grafted into the side of an industrial press.


    I saw Logan rummaging through a cabinet before turning around, trying my absolute best to commit all of the tech I was witnessing to mind, only to hiss in surprise as I felt my scalded hand being pulled suddenly, before a blue paste got spread on it. I hissed at the sting of the past, only to blink in surprise as it vanished abruptly, replaced by a sense of numbness.


    "It was pretty dumb what you did, slapping a fireball away with your bare hands, kid. Why the heck would you even do something that stupid?"


    I turned my gaze to Logan, who was looking at me with a raised eyebrow, before shrugging.


    "My body just moved."


    "Your body just moved, huh? And what about you shoving your hand through a flaming dome, was that your body just moving as well?"


    "No, that was just me really, really wanting to punch that jerk."


    "Hrngh" Logan snorted in what seemed like mild amus.e.m.e.nt. "Pyro''s a grade A prick, can''t argue with that one. What I can argue with is you stupidly putting yourself in danger, when you had a more experienced individual with much better suited abilities there capable of taking down that nutty arsonist."


    I grunted at the man, before crossing my arms over my chest.


    "It worked, didn''t it?"


    "It could have not worked, which would have likely resulted in you getting severely hurt, if not maimed, and forced Storm into having to split her focus between defending you, and fighting Pyro. Based on your tail, I??d bet that your mutation has at least some level of an Animalistic Instinct as one of its components, am I right?" I nodded at that, which prompted him to continue. "I know your powers are new, but you gotta learn to keep them in check, otherwise they may lead you to doing stupid, and often irreversible stuff."


    I nodded at that, knowing just how much the Saiyan''s desire to fight strong opponents and their arrogance could lead them to f.u.c.k up. The two primary examples are vegeta allowing Cell to absorb Android 18 and become Perfect, and Gohan not just obliterating cell as soon as he became a Super Saiyan 2, which would have led to the destruction of the Earth were it not for Goku''s instant transmission, and that did lead to Cell returning after his self-destruction in his perfect form, with a Zenkai boost that let him match Gohan. I was in no hurry to commit such a colossal mistake, especially since there were no Dragon Balls here to undo my f.u.c.k-ups.


    "Don''t worry, kid. I understand what sort of pitfalls you can run across when dealing with animal instincts, and I''ll do my damnedest to make sure you don''t commit the same mistakes that I did. Can''t promise you''ll like me much for it, though. Now let''s go find you a room."


    -X-


    A beam of sunlight impacted directly against my eyelids, rousing me from my sleep with a muttered grumble. Turning towards the window, I glared at the sun for having had the gall to interrupt my sleep, which was a very stupid move as it resulted in nothing more than me having to blink tears out of my now aching eyes.


    Finally fully awake, I decided to, after taking care of my ablutions, go out and explore the mansion for a bit, to see if I could fixate its layout. After a good yawn, scratch and stretch, I walked out of the room and just ambled around aimlessly, trying to familiarize myself with any notable fixtures I could use as references, only for the sound of people talking and the smell of food to reach me.


    Following both, I ended up opening the door into a breakfast room.


    The previous chatter died completely as soon as the people present noticed me, before a perky, cheerful voice came in a stereotypical valley girl accent.


    "Hey there! You''re the new guy, right? The one that came here last night? I''m Kitty! Kitty Pryde! What''s your name?"


    I stared silently at her for a few seconds, causing her to fidget in place, before responding.


    "Alex Donnelly. Call me Alex."


    She smiled at me in a welcoming manner, before turning towards the others sat around the table.


    "Okay guys, introductions!"


    Everybody just stared awkwardly for a moment, before someone else took the initiative, in the form of a brown-skinned, light blond male.


    "I''m Evan. Evan Daniels. My codename is Spyke though, and that''s usually what my friends call me. My power lets me grow sharp and durable bone-like spikes from my skin, and shoot them off."


    The introductions continued after that.


    "I''m Kurt Wagner," Kurt said in his accented english. "Meine freunde call me Kurt! My codename is Nightcrawler, und I can do this!"


    He vanished with a Poof, before appearing perched atop the back of Lance''s chair.


    I nodded at them, before turning to the other people at the table.


    "Ah''m Rogue," My old world Waifu said in her customary southern drawl that raised the hairs on the back of my neck. "Welcome."


    I am going to try my absolute best to get together with her, and nothing is going to stop me. I didn''t let my thoughts show, instead nodding at her before turning to the next person.


    "Ellie Phimister. People call me Negasonic Teenage Warhead, though." She was texting through the entire introduction. "Use my surname and die."


    "Hi! I''m Yukio Yashida! I don''t really have a codename, but I can summon electricity which I can then shoot in blasts, or channel through objects, which I usually do using a Chain!"


    I nodded at her, finding her cheerfulness absolutely adorable and refreshing, before turning for the last person present.


    "I''m Jubilation Lee, but people usually call me Jubilee! I can create these energy thingies, I think the professor called them Energy plasmids or something. My hobby is hanging out at the mall!"


    Kitty pipes up after Jubilee finishes.


    "I think the others are sleeping or doing stuff on their own, so you''ll meet them later!" She blinked, before fixing her gaze on my waist as she spoke. "That''s a pretty interesting belt..."


    She leaned closer to observe it, only to jump back with a surprised yelp as I suddenly unwrapped it from around my waist, allowing it to wave and wiggle in front of her. I smirked lightly at her reaction, prompting her to let out a huff before speaking with a pout.


    "That was mean!"


    A few of the others showed different levels of amus.e.m.e.nt, before Kurt spoke up.


    "Is your tail your mutation?"


    I shook my head at that.


    "My tail is just part of my mutation. The significant part is that I''m faster, stronger and more durable than the average person. It manifested after I got stabbed bad enough that I had to undergo surgery and went into a 3-day medically-induced coma. After that, I healed in a week from a surgery that should have taken me over a month and a half to recover from." I could see that they were all interested in what I was saying, so I kept going. "I started getting taller after that, and my gym work-outs started getting easier and easier, showing their results faster, and leaving me less sore. All of this comes at the cost of me needing to eat like a hungry beast."


    I paused for a moment, allowing a pensive frown to show up on my face before speaking on.


    "I think there''s more to it, I can sort of feel it, but this is what I''ve figured out so far. Well, that, and the fact that Bad Things will probably happen if I ever catch a look at a full moon."


    "So you''re like a werewolf?"


    I turned a slightly wider smirk at Ellie, who had asked the question.


    "You could say so, yes."


    My stomach took the opportunity to remind me that it had been a sizeable amount of time since I had last eaten by making a noise so loud and intense that it caused Kurt to fall off his perch, Spyke to reflexively summoning his spikes, and everybody else to follow suit in calling up their various abilities.


    "Ah, hungry."


    They all stared at me incredulously, while I by, without a single drop of shame, walking up to one of the cabinets to a plate and cuttlery, before loading my plate with so much food that I could see Lance''s face turn slightly green.


    That green tint soon spread to everybody else when I started demolishing the food on my plate at the pace only a Saiyan - or a shounen proganist - could.


    "Dude." Lance spoke. "That can''t be healthy."


    I shrugged, swallowing my mouthful before speaking.


    "I already ate in high amounts before, since I hit the gym pretty often and I really wanted to keep developing my body. Now that my body''s processes were turned up to 11..." I finished with a shrug, before returning to my breakfast.


    The ring of a bell broke the spell my eating habits had put my housemates under, before they all started mobilizing. Kitty spoke up again.


    "Hey, aren''t you coming to class with us?"


    I took the time to swallow - again - since I wasn''t a savage, before answering.


    "I arrived here yesterday after a five week break from public school. I have nothing on me other than a few clothes we got at a 24/7 mart, and the clothes and shoes I first came here in. I have no class schedule, no idea where any of the classrooms are, no idea on where I stand in each of the subjects, nothing. I''m going to have to figure stuff off with the a.d.u.l.ts first, stuff like getting me a transfer from my old school, picking up my clothes and stuff, that sort of thing."


    "Oh. Well... See you later, I guess."


    All of them left the room, heading off to class, before Yukio popped back in, a smile on her face as she spoke cheerily, while waving her hand at me.


    "Bye Alex!"


    She was absolutely adorable, I just couldn''t resist it.


    "Bye Yukio!"


    I said that in a tone as cheerful as her own and with an energetic wave to match hers, which stopped only after she left for real, the door closing behind her.


    After that I managed to focus completely on inhaling my breakfast, before going for seconds, and then thirds. After feeling reasonably full, I decided to test out my body in an environment where I don''t have to hold back out of fear of being singled out for being a mutant.


    I found my way outside onto the yard, before taking off my shirt and going down onto the ground, ready for some push-ups.


    Then sit-ups.


    Then squats.


    I felt myself sink into a haze, all of my thoughts basically converging into the general idea of ''getting stronger''.


    I was brought out of the haze by the sound of concentrated whispers, blinking to awareness mid sit-up onlyto mildly wince at the twinge of soreness from my body. I wiped the sweat off of my forehead with my forearm before pushing myself to my feet with little difficulty, before allowing my gaze to go towards the source of the whispers, the various teenagers that had been staring.


    All of the people that I had met during breakfast were there, alongside quite a few more.


    From sight alone I could identify Boom Boom, Magma, Iceman, Multiple, Wolfsbane, Sunspot, Berzerker, Cannonball, Havok, and Magik, as well as Scott, Jean, Piotr, Hank and Storm, something that confused me greatly.


    There was the whole student cast from X-men evolution, both the X-men and New mutants, but there was also Magik, who was from a different run of x-men comics, as well as Colossus, who had nothing to do with the show, and Ellie and Yukio. While Ellie existed in the comics, its her movie counterpart that I can see, alongside her girlfriend Yukio. What marvel continuity was I in? Comics? Cartoons? Movies? I have no idea, and that means that quite a good amount of my Meta-knowledge could be incomplete, unreliable or outright useless.


    I felt my hand instinctively snapping up to snatch something from the air, which turned out to be a towel, before Logan''s voice reached my ears.


    "Not bad, kid."


    I gave Logan a confused look even as I wiped my chest clean with the towel, prompting him to speak further.


    "You''ve been working out for over three hours straight, at full speed."


    I grunted at the man.


    "Working out for five hours won''t be enough to fight off the Brotherhood the next time we meet up. Now that they know that I''m an up-and-close kind of guy, they''ll probably have me fighting people whose abilities counter mine. Maybe they''ll pick someone that fights at range, like a less idiotic version of Pyro, maybe they''ll find another physical fighter that can match me physically but has more skill and training, you never know. I certainly don''t want to get caught by surprise, as the last time I got caught by surprise I came face to face with Magneto, and before that it was a mugger with a knife."


    Logan grunted back at me, before speaking.


    "Seems you''re in luck, since I was just about to start today''s training session." I tilted my head, prompting him to continue. "All of the kiddos here participate in joint combat training sessions, so that they can always be one step ahead of the brotherhood brats."


    The moment I heard combat training, a part of me felt a profound excitment, my blood simmering and on the verge of going into a boil while my tail waved animatedly behind me. Despite all of that, my face was still in the same neutral mien I had been cultivating ever since I got dispensed from the hospital.


    I think he noticed my eagerness, since he snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt before speaking up with a massive smirk.


    "Illyana, pair up with the new kid and show him the ropes."


    I watched as Piotr''s very beautiful, very deadly sister sauntered up until she stood five paces away from me, giving me a saucy smile as she spoke.


    "Well hello there, beefcake central. Are you up for showing a girl a good time?"


    No, p.e.n.i.s, it''s time to fight, not the other physically strenuous ability that begins with an F.


    Rather than responding with words, I simply took up the same stance I''ve seen Goku take for years and years: Sideways, showing only my profile to the opponent, with the right leg forward and the left leg back, both bent, one hand in front of me with the index and middle fingers half-curled while the others were clenched inwards, while the other one was kept in a fist and next to my waist. I have no idea what I am doing since I''ve never as much as thrown a punch, but I''m hoping that I can just rely on the Saiyan Race''s stupidly accelerated combat adaptation to make up for the difference.


    Illyana pouted at me, her tone sinfully dangerous as she all but purred at me.


    "Aww, what''s wrong, handsome? Are you just going to leave me hanging, not toss back any banter? Not even something about ''going easy on a pretty girl'' or something of the sort?"


    My frown increased further at that, before I responded in a serious tone.


    "Me trying to go easy on you would be like a 5 year old holding back in a fistfight against Joe Frazier."


    Her teasing pount turned into a sharp grin, her tone conveying a type of savage amus.e.m.e.nt as she spoke.


    "It seems you''re smarter than all the other big, buff meatheads I''ve met before. They don''t usually get it until I''ve kicked their ass seven ways from Sunday."


    "...Get what?"


    "The fact that I''m f.u.c.k.i.n.g dangerous."


    My eyes widened as Illyana traversed the space between the two of us in a moment, her fist already on a collision course with my face.


    I managed to just barely tilt my head, causing what would have been a full-on punch to the nose to end up as a glancing blow to the cheek that packed enough strength to completely ignore my enhanced durability, as relatively meager as it was at this point in time, and cause a small cut to open.


    I raised my arm in time to block a punch aimed at my chest, catching it on my forearm and flying back more than ten feet from the power behind the blow. By the time I managed to stop, Illyana was already on me again, lashing out with a two-handed hammer blow.


    I raised my arm in order to block the hit, absorbing it by bending my legs to avoid losing my balance, before I felt my leg shooting out for a kick to her head, something that she avoided by jumping back. I decided to take the initiative this time, dashing towards the smirking blonde and leading with a crescent kick that she reacted to by ducking under, before shooting a fist towards the thigh of my pivot leg.


    My eyes widened as I instinctively kicked up with that leg, jumping over Illyana, twisting in the air and coming to a landing much more stable than I ever thought myself capable of, as if my body was automatically compensating for the gymnastics ability that I don''t have.


    "Hoh, that was a nice move, where did you learn it?"


    "...Just now, when I did it."


    Her smirk vanished, leaving behind a serious frown as she spoke.


    "Really now?"


    "Up until just now, I''ve never done any sort of flip in my entire life. Haven''t ever been in a fight either until I punched out Pyro."


    She surprised me by rushing me again, releasing a barrage of punches that I had a hard time dodging, the majority of which ended up connecting with my body, pulling pained grimaces from me. F.u.c.k, if this girl doesn''t know to throw a punch. I didn''t expect her to have physical capabilities above peak human, but since the make-up of the team is so eclectic and doesn''t really match any continuity I can remember, then it''s not too farfetched for the characters themselves to be different than I remember them to.


    F.u.c.k, my meta-knowledge was showing itself to be more and more unreliable.


    I tried mixing blocks and dodges and, while I was still absorbing quite a bit of damage, I felt the amount of clean hits she was landing decreasing further and further. After 10 minutes of this, I felt as if my body was moving before my mind could even think of doing so, allowing me to gradually block more and more of Illyana''s blows.


    Saiyan instincts for the win!


    Feeling myself get somewhat more comfortable with her barrage, I decided to counter-attack.


    Taking a kick into my guard, I allowed the momentum to push me back, before planting my feet so I can drag into a stop. Timing myself with a basis on Magik''s previous pounces, I leapt towards her at the same time as she did towards me. I shamelessly ripped off Goku''s move in his fight against the time-stopping cheater Hit, and made a gamble. I leveraged my limited ability to read Illyana''s moves and tried to push it to its absolute maximum, allowing my own arm to move at the same time as as her own.


    If I managed to read her right, I would block successfully, if I didn''t, I''d eat a punch that was actually dealing noticeable amounts of damage. Hell, I was already ready to drop like a stone, the only reason why I was still going was likely a mixture of my Saiyan stubborness and my desire to get stronger, and avoid exactly this sort of situation.


    I could see it in almost slow motion as her eyes widened, noticing the fact that I was countering her move before she had even fully made it, but it was too late. Before she could pull back or change her strike, our wrists had already clashed with one another. At that moment I pushed my body as hard as I could, allowing my hand to engulf not just her wrist but her entire forearm before I pulled her into what I felt was a perfect rendition of a shoulder throw.


    Once again, Saiyan instincts for the win!


    My victorious smile was aborted when I watched Illyana vanish through a white disk that opened underneath her, rather than slam back-first into the ground.


    "Ah, crap."


    A hard and unexpected blow to the kidney had me on my knees, grasping at my side and taking deep breaths. I tried getting back up, only to fall back on my side, covered in sweat and gasping for air.


    I rolled over so that I was belly up, gulping as much air as I possibly could, only for the sight of a pair of ankles to have me looking up, ending up with me staring at a shorts-and-sports-bra clad Magik from a very interesting angle.


    She smirked down at me, before speaking to me in the same almost-purr she previously had.


    "Enjoying the view from down there, big boy?"


    "...If I say yes then it''s likely that that guy that is literally made of metal is going to go beyond simply glaring at me and actually try to feed me my teeth, so I''m going to have to abstain from answering."


    "That wasn''t a no~"


    "That''s because I don''t much like making a habit of lying to beautiful girls." Not a lie, since I didn''t really interact with beautiful girls in my previous life anyway.


    "I had you pegged for the taciturn, boring, emotionless type, but it turns out you are actually interesting. Who knows, if you manage to beat me I may even let you take me out on a date."


    "Beating a woman until she agrees to go out with me? That... Sounds totally wrong."


    Illyana seemed to be ready to respond, only for Logan to speak up on his own.


    "Enough flirting kiddos, before the Tin Man decides to show Tail here that he doesn''t need oil to actually swing his arms."


    Illyana''s response was to pout at Logan, before giving me a ''call me'' motion with her fingers and sauntering away with a purposeful sway to her h.i.p.s.


    I would have watched her all the way, were it not for the fact that Piotr already looked like he was about to try to strangle me with my own entrails. Instead, I settled for closing my eyes and taking deep breaths, feeling as my bruises and welts receded at a pace that for the average person would be all but miraculous, yet one that made me inwardly curse.


    By the time I got back up to my feet, everybody else had already moved on. I limped my way back into the mansion, shirt on one shoulder and towel on the other, heading straight for the bathroom so that I could wash off the sweat I had built up.


    After that I decided to go out for a meal, following my nose towards the smell of food, only to end up in a standard, full-sized cafeteria. The school didn''t have a full host of students, so rather than having people spread through all the different tables, there were only two tables pushed together, with everybody sitting down at it for a meal with the exception of Logan, Hank, Storm, Xavier and Piotr, likely making them the professors.


    "Hi, Alex!"


    I turned towards the source of the greeting, favoring the girl with a small smile.


    "Hi, Yukio."


    I procceeded to head straight for the food bar, taking a tray and loading it up with so much food that the students I hadn''t met in the morning were staring incredulously at me. Their stares persisted even as I sat down at an empty spot on the joint table, completely skipping any sort of teenage drama about fitting in with an already existing group with all the finesse of a Broly in a china shop.


    Bobby Drake - Iceman - raised a finger into the air...


    "Increased physical capabilities and regeneration require vast amounts of energy as fuel, hence the jumbo serving size."


    Only for Ellie to speak up in her utterly disinterested tone, all the while staring at her phone screen, prompting Bobby to lower his hand, his curiosity and that of most of the others present in regards to my food portions sated.


    I am pretty sure more questions came up after I started eating, though. And even more when I went for seconds. Then thirds. Then fourths.


    Watching me eat, they all had gone from incredulous, to nauseous, to impressed, and all he way back again a few times, before they sort of fazed it out, choosing to ignore my eating habits in order to make sure that they succeeded in keeping their own lunches down, and instead started making introductions.


    Tabitha Smith, Amara Aquilla , Bobby Drake, James Madrox, Rahne Sinclair, Roberto da Costa, Ray Crips, Sam Guthrie, Alex Summers, and I already had gotten acquainted with Illyana Rasputin earlier. I was also introduced to Scott Summers and Jean Grey, the latter of which had been staring at me ever since she first saw me, causing the earlier of them to glare at me.


    Since I was new to the group, then it probably was best for me to try to maneuver myself through this situation with as much tact as I could possibly muster-


    "Why do you keep staring at me?"


    Or I could just pull a kid Goku and completely ignore tact in favor of blunt honesty.


    My words caused Jean to blush lightly, likely not expecting to have been called out like this, while Scott''s glare towards me intensified. I could almost literally feel a heat from his glare that had nothing to do with his mutation.


    Pushing a red bang over her ear in embarrassment, Jean responded.


    "Well, it''s just..." She seemed to be searching for the best possible words, before deciding to simply use what came to her. "I can''t hear you."


    I blinked, Illyana blinked, Kurt blinked, Jamie blinked, Jamie blinked, Jamie blinked... I think everybody at the table blinked at the seeming non-sequitur.


    "...But you''re answering me right now."


    A blush came to her face again at her seeming inability to express herself, a blush that I know has nothing to do with me directly, though Cyclops'' glare makes me feel like he didn''t notice it, before she tried again.


    "I meant your thoughts! I can''t hear them! I''m... I''m a telepath, but I don''t have too great control of my powers, so I usually accidentally pick up the thoughts of people when they''re close to me. I try my best to not pick up other peoples'' thoughts, because it''s rude, but it sorta just happens. Except... It didn''t happen with you. You''re not broadcasting your thoughts out loud. What''s more, whenever I try to focus in your direction, to try to figure out ''where your mind is'', I sort of pick up this popping, crackling noise, and it''s really loud when I do."


    I didn''t show it outwardly, but my inner self was jumping around in absolute joy. My makeshift defense from last night, when I anticipated Xavier appearing since Magneto had as well, seemed to be working! I mean... I don''t know how strong my defense is, or what the effects of a probe from a skilled telepath like Xavier or Emma Frost would be, but I could at least keep myself from broadcasting surface thoughts, and I had some senblance of mind defenses, which is already a pretty massive win.


    I didn''t let any of those thoughts or feelings show up on my face, instead tilting my head before responding.


    "Probably an effect of my mutation."


    The bell rung again, signaling the end of their lunch period before they had to trudge back to their classes. Me? I went back into my room, already separating my dirty clothes for the wash.


    I stepped on a pair of my boxer shorts, which led to me falling onto my bed. I intended to get back up, but suddenly I felt a wave of drowsiness swallowing me.


    Maybe... I could just take a nap? I... Definitely... Earned it...


    I felt my eyes slowly close, until everything went dark.

 Chapter 316 - My OC Stash #16 - Extraordinary Times by Kenchi618 (MCU)

    -I''d really rather have this guy, a fanfic author write the Marvel''s New Warriors. If y''all didn''t know Marvel released pretty much new characters and they consist of Dora the Deported, The Average Redditor, Cuck Alucard and Feminists. Yep I f.u.c.k.i.n.g miss Stan Lee/


    *If you liked Null from Less Than Zero you''ll prob like this fic too~!


    PS: Apparently, Marvel''s New Warriors comics has just been canceled and removed from Comixology. Thank god


    Synopsis: The life of a young mutant is perilous enough on its own. Follow the experiences of a student entering the hallowed halls of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, learning just what it takes and what it means to count himself as one of a race that is feared and targeted by many. Welcome to the X-Men, Bellamy Marcher - Hope you survive the experience.


    Rated: M


    Words: 414K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/11874143/1/Extraordinary-Times (Kenchi618)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    That Escalated Quickly


    Have you ever felt like you could fix or change something that you didn''t like, if only you had the chance? That you could make something better, whether it was something for yourself, someone you cared about, or just people at-large?


    See, I always thought that if I worked hard enough and learned enough, I could help make some kind of difference. God knows I had the support.


    Sorry. I''m getting ahead of myself. Let me start at the beginning.


    My name is Bellamy Marcher, humble high school sophomore, or at least I was when this all started.


    I was never what one would necessarily call a go-getter. Sure, I could get things done, but I was of the philosophy that if I didn''t have to do something, or even move for that matter, I wouldn''t. Does that count as being lazy?


    Anyway, needless to say, I wasn''t a morning person. Until one day, all of a sudden, I was.


    It was odd.


    I remember. I woke up that morning feeling good. Great even.


    At the crack of dawn, the moment enough sunlight peeked through my room, I was up and couldn''t get back to sleep, even though I still had two hours before I had to get to school.


    It was strange, and annoying. I liked sleep, and I was definitely not a morning person. Either way, my body had deigned that I would not be gettting anymore sleep that day and forced me up to prepare to head out to school.


    I didn''t even need much time to warm up and adjust to being awake. By the time my feet hit the floor, I was ready to go, and I only felt more energetic as the day went on.


    The moment I left my house and closed the door behind I felt a rush of energy jolt through me. I felt wired, like I was on gallons of caffeine, and all I''d done was step into the daylight. That feeling didn''t necessarily go away either, even though I''d had gym class as my first of the day. We ran the mile that day, and I''d burned through it in myfastest time to date.


    My legs pumped harder and faster, easier than they ever had. I even lapped most of the other kids, then went inside and played basketball for another 45 minutes, and still nothing.


    That was just the beginning.


    I was still full of energy, even near the end of the day. More than ever before. I could hardly sit still, and it only got worse as time went on.


    By my last class, I had to take to drumming my fingers on the table and tapping my toes to occupy myself without going crazy, focusing on the rhythm to give myself some peace of mind. The final bell was the most merciful sound I''d ever heard in his life.


    I didn''t run out of the classroom so much as I cut a mad dash to the outdoors. I ran down the sidewalk on the route I normally took home. It felt good, even when I was forced to go uphill.


    There was definitely something wrong. My heart should have been pounding in the back of my throat because of how fast I''d been running and for how long. But I just felt the need to keep going for as long as I could, which felt like it would be a while.


    Or at least it would have been, had I not been stupid enough to run out in the street and nearly get clipped by a city bus.


    I dodged it, but I fell down in the middle of the road, right in the way of an incoming cable car. Aren''t I just so coordinated?


    I was moments away from being a story on the evening news for getting killed by public transportation. Ironically, the way I saved myself probably ended up as a story on the evening news as well.


    I put my hands up in some useless attempt to fend off the gigantic metal contraption rolling at me, and it actually worked.


    A blast of some kind of light flew out of my hands and blew the cable car off of its rigging, knocking the whole thing over onto its side. It fell on a car, caused other accidents all over the road. It was just a big mess all around.


    All I could do was sit there, wondering if it had really been me who had done such a thing. I was scared to death. People didn''t shoot blasts of¡­whatever the hell that was, out of their hands. At least, most of them didn''t.


    "What was that?"


    "It was that kid! I saw him!"


    "He blew up the cable car!"


    First of all, I didn''t blow up anything. I knocked it over. There was a difference. As I noticed more people pointing, staring, and speculating, I did the only thing that made sense. I got up and took off running again.


    I was scared. Scared of what I had just done and scared of how people would react.


    It was easy to be afraid. For them and for me. I was a mutant.


    People suck. I wasn''t fully aware of this just yet, or I wasn''t aware to what degree they could suck. Not all people, mind you. But enough of them to where letting too many of them know that you were a mutant was a problem.


    Yes, I was aware of the whole Genosha thing (it was much more than a ''thing'', don''t think I''m being insensitive or downplaying it at all). I didn''t watch much news, but I wasn''t totally ignorant. People weren''t exactly enamored with the idea of superpowered plebs with little to no control over dangerous abilities running around. Hell, the power didn''t even have to be dangerous. They could just look different. A lot of people simply didn''t like the fact that there were others born that much different than they were living among them.


    My powers were definitely dangerous though.


    XxX


    "F.u.c.k," I muttered to myself, sitting in the park and looking at the news feed on my phone. All of the news stations that covered San Francisco had me blowing a cable car off of the tracks as the top story, "F.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k!"


    They had my name and my picture. Awesome. At least they had the good grace not to give everyone my parents'' address.


    I turned my phone completely off. I didn''t want to look at it anymore.


    I still felt stir-crazy, but I didn''t know what else to do. I''d walked around the park time and time again. It had been hours and it was getting dark, but I still wasn''t tired. At this point I was trying to see just what made me shoot that blast from my hands. I looked at my hands and focused on my palms. Beneath the skin, I could see a glow if I thought hard enough about it.


    At least there was that. I didn''t want to fire at anything else anytime soon, I had scared enough people for the time being, but I was glad it didn''t seem too complex to conjure.


    I pointed one of my hands into the air and squinted my eyes tightly, as if I risked blowing myself up. I focused on my palm and tensed up my entire arm to brace for the shot.


    A yellow shot of light flew high into the air before vanishing somewhere in the night sky. For the first time in hours, I smiled. Whatever bad came of this, I felt that overall it was a win for me.


    I had powers. Legit superpowers.


    Just to make sure it was all real, I took five more shots, just because. Why not? It was fun. It was novel. It cheered me up.


    Unfortunately, it also gave anyone who may have been looking for me at the time a big bright beacon telling them exactly where to start searching. But until there was a reason, until it actually happened, who would think that there would be someone out hunting for them? Let alone a group of armed people.


    I was lucky. I saw them coming before they were close enough to shoot me. The look in my eye must have emboldened them further, because they started talking instead of just taking me out. I couldn''t dodge bullets or survive a shotgun blast to the chest.


    "Well look at this," One of the men said. They were all dressed like they were ready for real combat, not just for a night out terrorizing anyone too different from them to be tolerated. I wasn''t lucky enough for this to be some good old-fashioned racist harassment, "Another little mutant shit thinks just because he has powers, the world is his playground."


    I was not about to be a victim. Not that night.


    Their guns weren''t pointed at me just yet. They were likely waiting for me to say something try and casually persuade them against violence. Screw that. I put my hands up, the glow visible behind my palms, "I shoot blasts of light outta my hands," I told them, "You might have guns, but I''ve got enough of a buzz to make this really hard on all of you. You want some? Come get some."


    All I needed to see was a twitch from one of them. I fired and hit two of them right in the chest. They didn''t explode, and I didn''t put a hole in either of them. Weird. You would have figured that if I could knock a cable car off of its rigging, a blast from me would be quite fatal.


    The third gunman dropped his gun in fright at the sudden counterattack. When he scrambled to pick it back up, I blasted him before he could get his hands on it and stand up straight. In the face. He didn''t move again.


    This was now the most terrifying thing that had ever happened to me. I was scared that I''d been attacked so callously, in public. I was scared that I might have killed someone.


    "I know how you must be feeling right now, but don''t be alarmed, Mr. Marcher."


    And to top it off, I was scared because I had a voice in my head that didn''t belong to my own thoughts. My opinion of myself was pretty healthy, but it hadn''t gotten to the point where I referred to myself as ''mister''.


    "I''m afraid you''ll have to wait until later to have your existential crisis. You''re in danger."


    Yes, magic lady in my head. I had been aware of that already. The two guys with guns I blew halfway across the park and the third one that will probably need a facelift after what I did were good indicators of that..


    "Oh you poor, ignorant thing. You have no idea. We can help you."


    "You''re a voice in my head. How can you help me?" I asked out loud in the complete silence of the outdoors, "Wait a minute. Why am I talking to you? I should probably be running."


    Maybe because I wanted to believe that this was a real person, someone who could help me. Even if I wasn''t in danger at the moment the way this lady was saying, it was coming. If not today, it would happen later. And it would likely involve my family.


    "Seems like you''ve answered your own question, darling," The fact that my own sense of desperation seemed to amuse this woman aside, it didn''t seem like she was getting out of my head anytime soon, "And to answer your next one to keep from wasting more time, my name is Emma Frost, and we are the X-Men."


    The X-Men. Like, the superhero team made up of mutants.


    ¡­


    Well why didn''t she just lead with that?


    "What do you want me to do?"


    "First of all, don''t fire another shot. After all the trouble we went through to find you, we''d hate to have to clean up what''s left of you once the FoH swarm on you."


    Gross, blunt, and morbid as it was, the message was received.


    "Good boy. Now, do you think you can get yourself out without getting into another fight? You stick out like a sore thumb when you use your powers."


    It couldn''t have been that bad. I just got these kickass powers and was starting to feel good about them. Now I couldn''t use them again? Admittedly, I wasn''t sure how well they would work for a quiet getaway though. I hadn''t had a reason to make a habit out of that sort of thing in the past. I could try though.


    "Outstanding. Just give yourself a good headstart. Get out of there and head due north. That would be to your current left, in case you were wondering."


    All I needed to hear. If there was a God, I hoped he or she was with me right then. With a little prayer, I took off running. Right after the racket from my powers, I heard orders and directions being barked. No doubt the voices belonged to friends of the armed creeps that had meant to make an example out of me. Before I could turn my head to see what did it, I got an earful inside of my head.


    "No. Go. Listen to every word I say. Do what I say when I say it, don''t stop for anything, and you''ll be fine."


    Angry yells and cut rate military jargon got my attention and I took off down the street.


    "Left. Cut through that parking lot. To your right. Clear that wall, and mind your step on the other side. It''s a tad steep."


    The voice seemed to know when I was coming up on any particular intersection, side street, or a driveway with a fence at the back I could hop to put more distance between me and whoever was after me.


    The streets were empty enough that when I heard the sound of a powerful engine getting closer and closer to me, my heart leapt into my throat.


    "Calm down. Keep running," No problems there, "Between those two houses. Cut down that alley."


    I had no idea why. It wasn''t small enough to keep a vehicle from getting through, and within a matter of seconds a set of high beams were shining on my back.


    I could hear, feel the massive truck getting closer. I didn''t have time to react. I put my hands up, prepared to try and blast it. I hadn''t fired a shot as powerful as the one that damaged the cable car since I''d first done it. That moment would have been a good time for it though.


    Otherwise, I would have been roadkill.


    And then, just like that, there was no need.


    Something dropped down from the roof of one of the homes onto the roof of the truck. Whatever it was, it had three wicked-looking claws in each hand.


    Those claws didn''t so much as cut through the top of that truck as they outright shredded it. Then it was time for the people inside. Jeez. Those screams. Those guys never had much of a chance.


    I mean, they were trying to kill me and everything, so screw them. But I didn''t need to see or hear most of what I did that night. The high beams from the vehicle never went off, so I saw limbs fly and blood splatter on the walls and the ground.


    I got a good look at that and decided, yeah, I definitely wasn''t the badass I thought I was when this confrontation started. Getting shot at in the first place brought my ego down a few notches, and then watching a clawed tornado tear them apart like pinatas knocked me down a few more for good measure.


    Having powers didn''t mean crap.


    Whatever was ripping apart those guys, I didn''t want any part of it. As if I needed another reason to run faster.


    "Nope. Nope. Nope," I repeated to myself to give something that wasn''t dismember-ey to focus on as I turned to run again, "Frost, get me out of here before that thing tears my head off!"


    "No, he''s¡­ ugh. Well, at least you''re a decent enough listener. I did say not to stop for anything. You certainly are moving faster now."


    She couldn''t have been telling me - without telling me - that thing was on my side.


    "That ''thing'' is called Wolverine, and yes he is, Mr. Marcher. Take a right at that intersection."


    Whatever. I still wasn''t going to turn around and say hi. Mostly because of the not-so-stray bullets that went through a mailbox as I rounded a corner on-command. I turned my head and saw a small group of guys toting assault weapons.


    "Take cover!"


    I didn''t need to be told again. My dive over the trunk of the nearest car wasn''t as graceful as I would have liked. I tore up the skin on one of my arms on the ground after I fell off of the other side, but better to get a nasty scr.a.p.e than a bullet in the ass.


    From a staging point across the street they opened fire on me, and it was all I could do to stay flat on the ground as the sounds of gunshots and bullets flying through my cover rang in my ears. They had to have been being cautious as they didn''t know what I could do. Otherwise they would have rushed the car and filled me with lead.


    "Keep your head down and wait. Help is coming."


    That sounded all well and good, but I had a hard time sitting still and doing nothing. There was a much better chance of something going wrong if I left it up to someone else, at least in my own mind.


    Now don''t get me wrong. I wasn''t about to get up and challenge the guys with guns to a fair-and-square duel in the middle of one of San Francisco''s residential areas - I liked not getting shot in the face for being stupid, thank you. But waiting for things to happen instead of being proactive made me fidgety, even if I didn''t know what exactly I could do to help make anything better.


    I guess it was a part of me that liked having control of my own destiny and being responsible for myself. If matters involving me were in my hands, I felt like I had a better chance than if I left them to someone else who wouldn''t have been nearly as invested.


    Bullets kept flying my way, but fortunately, I didn''t have to get up and put myself in danger for what I wanted to do. With my powers, I peeked over the car and held one of my hands out, firing a blast that knocked the car they were taking cover behind right into their faces.


    Getting punched in the face by a car wasn''t pleasant, I would imagine. While they were shaking off the cobwebs, that gave me plenty of time to make a play.


    The gunfire stopped long enough for me to screw with the lock to get myself inside and hotwire the thing. They hadn''t turned the engine to swiss cheese, even if they''d done so to the chassis, and that was enough of a break for me to get out of there. Thirty good seconds.


    So maybe I could barely put up a fight to protect myself, but I wasn''t exactly a sitting duck either. If there was a detection system for smugness, it would have been going off inside of that car because of me. I could feel how large the grin on my face was. It was short-lived.


    "Take a left."


    "Holy shit!" The scary guy from before that had turned the soldiers in the alley to mincemeat had somehow gotten into the backseat of the borrowed car without me noticing, "Where did you come from?"


    He wore a yellow and blue outfit with an interesting mask design on his face. The patterns were stained red with the blood of his¡­ our enemies, "That''s a longer story than we''ve got time for, kid. Left."


    Whatever. I wasn''t going to argue with someone who shredded through a hummer like it was a tin can. I sagged down in my seat and tried to focus my swimming vision. After the whole adrenaline dump of that chase, I was spent, and what I wanted, almost as much as getting out of there was figuring out what was happening.


    "Okay, what was all of that?"


    "Really not the time right now. We''re still being chased, kid."


    "Come on, throw me a bone. It''s not like I''m gonna wreck while you''re explaining."


    The universe, spot on with its timing, saw fit to try and prove me wrong by sending another hummer. This one plowed directly into the side of our car.


    In the end, I was still right. I didn''t wreck while he was explaining. We didn''t even get that far into the conversation.


    XxX


    My first thought, waking up flat on my back in an unfamiliar place, was to ask myself if I had died. What a lame way to go out, in a car crash.


    Granted, it was a car crash that came after an evening of running from my life from mutant-hunters, but it was still a car crash. Not exactly riveting stuff when you''re swapping stories with other people in eternity.


    No, I wasn''t dead. I wasn''t in heaven, because it was way too dark. If I had been in hell, I doubt my wakeup wouldn''t have been so uneventful.


    I started moving around, unable to see anything, and once again, to chalk one up to my amazing coordination, I fell right out of the bed I was in.


    My head hurt like hell. I couldn''t see my own nose in front of my face. On the plus side, I didn''t feel overloaded and hyper anymore. Now I just felt tired and in pain. Apparently me clamoring around in the dark was all I needed to get someone''s attention.


    The door opened and the lights came on, blinding me for a moment as my eyes adjusted.


    "Good morning, Mr. Marcher. Or should I say good afternoon?"


    "Kinda weird that everyone knows my name without me telling them," I said as I tried to pull myself up on the bed. A sharp pain shot through my torso, forcing me to stop halfway and flop face-first on the mattress, "Oh, man," I gasped.


    A large, furry, blue paw set itself on my shoulder, easing me up into a more relaxed, seated position. I looked up into the face of a gigantic cat-beast-man smiling down at me, "Easy now, my boy. You had quite the evening."


    "I think you can extend that a little further than just the evening," I told him, not so subtly alluding to the fact that I was being looked over by¡­ whatever he was? I was trying to figure out what kind of animals his mutation had mixed in for him. I gave up pretty quickly, "Hi. I''m Bellamy," I said, extending my hand.


    No reason not to at least try and be well-mannered. I was probably staring at him, so at best, introducing myself first would just break me even on the politeness/rudeness scale.


    He regarded me with a smile. Yes, points for me. Way to break the ice, Bel.


    "Dr. Henry McCoy," He reached out and shook my hand, allowing my second impression to come across significantly better than my first, "It''s very fortunate we heard of your situation on the news and went to retrieve you when we did. You''re a little banged up now, but I shudder to think of what may have happened if the Friends of Humanity had confronted you alone."


    He began seeing to the average tests that were normally done to deal with a person who had suffered a concussion; impact tests and all that. In the meantime, I tried to make conversation to try and learn more about what had happened after I crashed. The X-Men had gotten me out, but that much was obvious.


    "I''m guessing those were the psychos with guns," I ventured to ask, "I''m pretty sure they shot up a good part of that park. I hope they don''t blame that on me," I muttered.


    My parents were probably going to catch hell as it was for me tipping over that cable car. Oh man, I didn''t even want to think about how pissed off they probably were. I didn''t call them or pick up my phone after I had my little breakdown. I didn''t look forward to that conversation, or to them coming here to get me.


    ¡­Where was here?


    "I was informed of your powers from the X-Men. Logan even got a demonstration," Dr. McCoy said, as though I were supposed to recognize who that was. He realized I was confused and tried to change his method of identification, "Wolverine," Still nothing, "The angry one with the claws," There we go. That rang a bell, "In so many words, your body is capable of absorbing light and storing it. You can then convert into energy that you can use to temporarily enhance your physical attributes, or the pure blasts of concussive force that you used to try and fight back against your attackers."


    That wasn''t ''in so many words''. Even so, hearing someone else tell me what I could do sounded awesome. He sounded interested. That was a nice change of pace. Positive reinforcement I could live with. Someone else who thought my powers were cool, instead of someone who wanted to kick my ass because of them.


    "These powers are so sick," I said, drawing upon the glow behind the skin of my palms. It was considerably harder to do than it had been yesterday, but I made it happen, "Getting shot at aside, so far they''re great."


    "I''m glad you think so. It''s not all positive though, I''m afraid."


    "I shoot light from my hands and do other stuff. What''s not to love about that?"


    "Not light. It was a byproduct of your body processing light," Dr. McCoy corrected, "You absorb all light ¨C be it from the bulbs in your lamp, the fluorescent lights in your schools, the television, the sun especially ¨C and you have no control over your intake. You are always absorbing light as long as it is on you. You''re doing it right now."


    True enough, I felt significantly better than I did when I''d first awoken, "Not seeing a downside yet, doctor."


    "You can only hold so much," Dr. McCoy said, shaking his head as he continued gravely, "If you absorb more light than your body can handle, you will do yourself harm. You may even kill yourself, in quite the¡­ explosive manner, if we''re correct."


    "Really?" I asked incredulously. Everything had to come with a catch, didn''t it?


    "We had to bring you here in a light-proof container, just to make sure you wouldn''t overload without our knowledge," He told me, adjusting the glasses on his face, "It''s also why we kept you here in the dark. You were dangerously overcharged when you were retrieved from San Francisco. Thankfully, your body used up most of the extra energy healing you overnight."


    "Wow," I said, at a loss for words, "¡­That sucks."


    "Don''t be afraid. It is manageable. It will be difficult for you to deal with for some time, though."


    "But it''s not like I can go home," I argued, "You just told me that there''s a good chance I''ll blow up on a sunny day."


    Despite my circ.u.mstances, he didn''t seem too concerned, which did wonders for my nerves, "My advice would be to use as much energy as you safely can before you go to sleep, preferably in a pitch-dark environment. In the meantime, I''ll see what we can do about finding a technological solution for you."


    I opened his mouth to respond, but didn''t have anything pressing on the tip of my tongue to say. All I could do was relay my gratitude, "Thank you," I said, eyes cast down at my lap. It was the only thing I could do.


    Had it not been for them, I would have likely been killed. Only a complete ingrate would just brush something like that off.


    "Think nothing of it, my boy," Dr. McCoy checked his clipboard over to make sure everything about me was in order, "Well this Institute is a place where young mutants like yourself can come and learn to understand and control their gifts. If I weren''t asking and answering questions to try and help you find a better way to do so, I wouldn''t be seeing to my responsibilities very well, now would I?"


    He meant it in a supportive way, and it was a nice approach to take with people who probably had a tougher time with their powers than I had with mine. A good number of mutants probably didn''t think their powers were as cool as I thought mine were.


    Wait. Institute? Like a school? Was I at a school or something?


    "The potential your power holds is great, if you can learn how to safely harness it," The good, blue doctor continued, "I believe that with enough fine-tuning, you could find a number of practical uses for your ability."


    He was being very flattering in speculating on my powers, but my ego didn''t need the stroke, even if it did enjoy it. My brain needed information more, "Wait, wait, wait," I felt like a jerk for cutting him off, but I felt like he was going to go on for a while if I didn''t, "I''m sorry, the Institute? Where am I exactly?"


    Dr. McCoy seemed embarrassed at somehow leaving out that important bit the entire time we''d been speaking, "My apologies, Mr. Marcher. I''m afraid I got ahead of myself after hearing you talk about your gifts," Fair enough. My powers were admittedly awesome, "This is a school for young mutants like yourself, situated in upstate New York."


    From doing the math in my head, that didn''t make a lot of sense. A regular flight across the country would have taken at least six hours. I had been comfortable when I''d woken up, which meant I''d been there a while. Getting knocked out wouldn''t have put me under for longer than six hours unless it was a head injury serious enough that I wouldn''t be sitting up and talking to my doctor.


    "How long was I out?"


    "Not as long as you''re probably thinking," Dr. McCoy must have figured out my train of thought easily from the chuckle it got out of him, "I must say, you''re taking this a lot better than most others do, me running your checkup, I mean."


    We had been speaking for quite some time, most of it done with him checking over what was left of my wounds from the car crash, and other than the initial surprise from seeing someone like him standing over me, I''d basically gone with the flow. First meetings or whenever new people showed up to this¡­ ''Institute'' in the manner I did must have usually been more hectic.


    "I think it''s because all of this just keeps on moving," I replied, wincing as he drew blood from my neck with some strange device, "If I get a good hour or two to myself to stop and think, I might wind up having a nervous breakdown. I had one in park before you guys found me."


    A big paw/hand set itself on my shoulder in an effort to reassure me, "Well try to remain calm, and just remember, most things that you may see during your stay here are fairly normal," I got the feeling he was trying to warn me that I was about to see a lot of weird shit. Good to know, "Seven staples in your head and bruised ribs are all that remain of what were much more catastrophic injuries from last night. You''ll be sore for a while, but you should be right as rain before long. Just take it easy."


    He gave me a mirror to look myself over. The first thing I noticed were the stitches in my head. With how short I normally kept my hair that would probably leave a visible scar for little while. The next was that my eyes weren''t brown like they were supposed to be. They were kind of yellow.


    F.u.c.k it. The color of my eyes was the least of my worries right then.


    I gingerly stood up and tested how well I could walk without jostling my injuries, "I''m not so good with new places on my own, but I''ll try. Thanks doctor."


    Dr. McCoy escorted me through some kind of state of the art medical hallway outside of my room. Sure, this was a school. A school from the future, maybe, "Welcome to the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, but if you don''t feel like staying, I understand," He said as I walked alongside him, "Your parents have been informed that you are in our care for the time being. They said they''ll be taking a flight to New York to bring you home tomorrow."


    The relief I felt at that moment was the inexplicable feeling that came with the thought that your parents were coming to help you. No matter what the issue was, they would be able to solve the problem.


    But reality set in a moment later and I thought to myself, how exactly would they solve this? A group of guys attacked me out of the blue and had chased me blocks and blocks through a major city. As far as I know, they had gotten away with it once, and it had taken superhero intervention to bail me out of trouble.


    My parents were anything but super.


    "¡­Would those guys come back?" I asked, "The Friends of Humanity. Would they come back?"


    The way I said it was enough to give Dr. McCoy pause, even if the subject matter had been grave enough as well or not, "It''s hard to say, Mr. Marcher," He said, probably trying to think of a way to word things delicately, "They are quite adamant in their beliefs that mutants are evil, and they''re willing to act on that belief. With a power like yours, especially after what you''ve already done, it''s not likely they would let that notion go, especially if they knew just where to find you all over again."


    Going home would have been great. The thought of a familiar setting with the same, old boring routine seemed like just the ticket after everything that had been happening. Some normalcy.


    Did I even want that? Was it even possible? Not without moving far, far away, which sort of defeated the purpose of wanting to go home in the first place.


    "Can I make a phone call, please?"


    XxX


    "I don''t like this, Bellamy," I knew how this conversation was going to go before it even started, for the most part, so I was prepared, "Why don''t you just come home? Everything will be alright. Nothing like this will happen again."


    My dad was easier to convince than my mom was. He made his bones through movies. The man dedicated himself to them, all his life, straight through college, so much so that he got his own theater. He didn''t just show what was new, he showed what he liked. If there was anyone that could understand going off on your own adventure, it would have been him.


    Granted, this wasn''t some epic hero''s tale. But it was my own little journey. Maybe he thought I''d figure out something about myself that I never would at home? For better or for worse, he figured it was something I had to see through until the end.


    My mom took it all much harder. I believe that if I hadn''t taken the time to come up with good enough responses to things she might say to me, she would have been on the first flight to New York to drag my sorry ass back to San Francisco.


    "Yes it will," There wasn''t any way to convince me that it wasn''t, "Mom, I thought it was something that would blow over. It won''t."


    "I don''t care about your powers. Your dad doesn''t either. You know that."


    "Other people do, and that''s what I''m afraid of. What if more mobs come? What if they don''t get me when I''m alone the next time? What if you guys are there too?" I didn''t want to find out how well my middle-aged parents dodged bullets.


    "I don''t want to lose you."


    "You''ll always have me," I rolled my eyes at saying something so cheesy right after I said it, "It''s just, I think going home would cause more problems than it would solve. The staff here offered me a place in the school, so it''s not like I''ll miss out on classes or anything. And it''s not like I can''t come back to see you guys. There''s school breaks and summer vacations. I can come back whenever you want, I think."


    "¡­I''m scared."


    "I am too. But I''m not scared of something happening to me here. I''m scared of what might happen to you guys if I hang around."


    The biggest reason I wasn''t going home was because I wouldn''t be able to stop people like the Friends of Humanity from doing the exact same thing they''d already tried to do to me again, or worse. This was a good chance to smooth out some of the rough edges of being a mutant.


    If I was going to stay here, I had to take advantage of it somehow, in more ways than just the protection the X-Men were offering. That would only do me so much good, especially if I planned on having a life as a functioning a.d.u.l.t in society without being taken out the first time something bad happened.


    If I was going to be a target, at the very least I wanted to be the hardest target anyone had ever tried to take aim at. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.


    There was also a certain amount of self-interest involved as well, I''ll admit. It involved superheroing. Who didn''t want to give that a shot at least once in their life? The thought of it was enough to motivate me to get up and get moving.


    But I was calm, cool, and rational about it. I made it sound like I had spent plenty of time thinking all of this through. I was glad that I could be so persuasive, but I was also glad that she was so willing to listen. Right up until she started to cry on the other end of the line. It was like a punch to the stomach, but how much conviction could a person say they had if that were enough to change their mind in a matter of seconds? I went into this conversation knowing that there was a good chance that this would happen.


    Fortunately, dad came to my rescue and replaced my mom on the phone, "Hey, it''s me again, Bel."


    "Hey dad," I didn''t know what to say at that point. Even though I knew there was a chance it was coming, it still rattled me. I had a heart, after all, "¡­I didn''t mean to make her cry."


    "Oh, don''t sweat it. The same thing was going to happen when you went to college. You just moved it up a few years." My old man tried to joke, but even he couldn''t muster much humor, given the circ.u.mstances, "???Do you know what you''re doing?"


    "Nope."


    I''m not lying to that man. Not about this. My cards were all on the table here. I had no clue what I was getting myself into, but then again, I didn''t when I got my powers either. I didn''t have a choice in dealing with those. It was going to happen whether I went to the Institute or not, so it was better if I approached things as bluntly as I could.


    "Good. If you were enough of a dumbass to say yes to that, you''d be coming home with us tomorrow. If this is what you want, I''m not going to stop you. Hell, at this point, you''re probably better suited to deal with danger than either of us are."


    I wasn''t so sure. I would be soon enough though, if I had my way about it.


    "I''ll come back to pack my stuff and get everything straight at home," I assured him. I wasn''t just going to stay there and never go back. I''m pretty sure there are laws that would keep me from doing that, anyway, "We can talk about it more then, but I want to go to Xavier''s, dad."


    XxX


    My first day wasn''t particularly action-packed, what with the comparison of the insanity that was my recruitment process. Though, I did get one significant takeaway that stayed with me for the remainder of my time there.


    The school was gigantic.


    When I came back from seeing my family and moved in, I got to experience what it was like to get lost in a place. That had never happened before at any school I''d ever gone to.


    I got a map on my dorm''s bed. I lost it like five minutes after I got everything into my room. I couldn''t find where to go to get another one, and I didn''t have anyone responsible for showing me around.


    Because it was already weeks into the semester, there was no orientation for me. No older student to show me around and give me a crash course in where things were. I was on my own to figure everything out for myself.


    It also was too much trouble to stick me with a roommate so late in the game. The company would have been nice, but the fact that I had that much privacy was all the better for me. Still, a roommate could have showed me around too, if we didn''t hate each other right after meeting. But eh, rhetorical situations.


    The point was, it was a Tuesday morning. I was lost. I was late. The halls were empty, and I didn''t understand the building codes on my class schedule.


    "All of these goddamn buildings look the goddamn same, inside and out," I said louder than I needed to as I passed through a hall that I knew had classes going. I hoped that a teacher would hear me curse and come out to tell me off so I could ask for some help without looking too stupid.


    Even if it was a mutant school where I was going to learn how to use superpowers, it was still a school. You wanted to make as good an impression as possible on the people you were going to spending the bulk of your time with for the next few years.


    Especially when they were teenagers. There was no age group in existence inherently crueler than teenagers.


    The bell rang, letting students out of class and I just fumed inside my head as I fell in-step with the crowd. There was certainly a unique mix of people going here.


    Tall kids, small kids, kids with paws. Kids made of metal, and with alligator jaws.


    ¡­


    Goddamn you, Dr. Seuss. You evil, catchy rhyme-having son of a bitch.


    I was close enough to my dorm room to make an executive decision to head back and spend a few more minutes digging around for my map. It was in there somewhere, mocking me. I knew this to be true. I wanted to find it, if only for the pleasure of setting it on fire later.


    When I reached the door however, I found someone standing there waiting patiently. A girl with black hair wearing a blue dress covered with a purple shawl. The most striking thing about her though was the blindfold she had wrapped around her eyes.


    Huh. Weird, but still, whatever.


    What happened next was not so easy to brush off.


    "Hi," I said, figuring that since she was in front of my room she was there for me.


    She turned in my direction with a little smile on her face, "Pardon. It''s nice to see you again, Bellamy," It was the kind of smile that someone would have when they knew something that you didn''t.


    The first thing I thought was wondering if everyone was going to know my name before I even introduced myself, "Uh¡­ do I know you?" Were they actually giving me a guide? It was the only way I could figure she knew anything about me.


    "No. But we were introduced. Yes, a few times, before I met you later," There went that theory. And what the hell did she just say? "Sorry."


    How were you supposed to respond to that? "I have no idea what you just said, but yeah, totally. Nice to meet you?" I put my hand out for her to shake when I figured that she must have been wearing the blindfold for a reason, and that I was an idiot. But before I could take my hand back, she reached out and shook it, "Cool. And you are?"


    "Yes. She is Ruth. Sorry."


    "It''s not a big deal," She was nice enough from the little bit I''d gotten from her. Pretty odd, but everything around there was. Dr. McCoy basically told me to keep an open mind, "What''s your next class? Let me take you. I need to figure out where I''m going around here anyway."


    So I walked her to her class. No problem, but how the hell did she know where she was going? Was that blindfold see-through? Could she see without seeing, Jedi-style? How much of a d.i.c.k would I have been to start asking those questions?


    "This place is like a prep school or something," I said, in an effort to make some kind of conversation, "I can''t believe I don''t have to pay to go here. It''s crazy."


    For some reason, she wasn''t very conversational. It just seemed like she was happy to be around me. For her, it wasn''t awkward to walk with me at all, even without talking, like she knew me already.


    Honestly, it was pretty calming, after I got over the initial weirdness factor.


    Eventually we wound up reaching her class, and being the upstanding, chivalrous gentleman that I am (also because she was blind), I escorted her the rest of the way to wherever she was supposed to sit.


    "She is looking forward to being teammates, Bellamy. Yes, thank you."


    Once again, I didn''t understand some of what she was talking about, but she was so polite. I wasn''t used to a polite teenager, "¡­You are the nicest person I''ve met in forever."


    We were going to be friends if I had anything to say about it. Absolutely. Ruth was weird and confusing, but I could handle weird and confusing so long as the person was cool. This girl was good people.


    A freezing cold hand set itself on my shoulder, getting my attention and turning me around. Holy shit, walking snowman. Actually, the man in question seemed to be solid ice instead of snow, "Uh, hi."


    I was starting to get uncomfortable. My shoulder was going numb.


    "You''re definitely not in this class," The living ice sculpture said to me, "Sorry, but you''ve gotta go before the next bell rings. Professionalism and all that."


    A teacher! Finally, an excuse to talk to one so I could ask how to get around!


    "Hey, really quick. This is my first day. I don''t know where I''m going," I rattled off before I could be gently nudged out of the classroom, "What do all of these mean, and where am I supposed to be next?"


    He took a moment to look my schedule over and hummed in thought, "Intro to Hardware Engineering with Miss Pryde. You''re in luck. First floor of the north wing. You can''t miss it, trust me," A big grin then affixed itself to his face, "You''ll have to book it if you want to make it since you''ve got about¡­ 90 seconds."


    I turned and ran as fast as I could in the direction that the teacher pointed. He must have been one of the cooler ones in the school (ha), because his response was to laugh at how fast I tore ass out of the room instead of telling me no running in the halls. Was it that hard to believe that I didn''t want to miss any of my classes? The variety the school had was much better than my last one.


    True to his instructions, I found where I needed to be, and quickly. Finally! I made it to a class!


    *BRRRRRRRRRRRING!*


    The bell rang just as the door to the classroom was in sight, and just like that, the dream died. That was the fourth class that I''d either missed or been late for today. It sank in that until that point, I''d missed every single one altogether, "F.u.c.k!" I snapped at the top of my lungs, "F.u.c.k! F.u.c.k! F.u.c.kity-f.u.c.k!"


    "Hey!"


    I stopped and turned to look at a brunette woman''s head and torso sticking out of the wall of the classroom. She looked upset at my stream of vulgarity, my disturbing the peace, or both.


    "First of all, watch your mouth," She started out, stepping the rest of the way through the wall to confront me. A little young to be a teacher, wasn''t she? "Second of all, there''s class going on."


    "I''m supposed to be in this class," I said lamely, "This is the only class I even made it to today, and I was still fu-¡­ friggin'' late."


    This was a school. I was a student. Students didn''t get to drop f-bombs in front of teachers and get away with it. Even if I was miffed at the way my first day had turned out, it wasn''t enough to risk getting my butt chewed out any more than I was going to already.


    The lady stared at me for a few seconds before raising an eyebrow at me curiously, "Bellamy Marcher, I presume?"


    "Why does everyone know my name?" I asked rhetorically under my breath. It was an integral part of introducing yourself, telling the other person your name, and I was starting to realize how annoying it was to meet new people without doing that part.


    It wasn''t said quietly enough to keep from being heard, "I had a new name on my roster this morning that I didn''t recognize. After you said you were supposed to be here, I presumed you were it. Come on in," With that, she pulled herself back through the wall.


    Meeting so many new people in such a short period of time, I was starting to notice a pattern. I was downright awful at making good first impressions. In a place where everyone had superpowers and the ability to hurt me badly, it would have been in my best interests to try and find a way to fix that, as everyone wouldn''t be a teacher.


    Someone who didn''t have that kind of responsibility might try to bloody my nose or set me on fire sooner or later.


    Eh, whatever. I had superpowers. Everything would be fine.


    Just fine.


    Oh, man. What the eff am I doing? Trying a new fandom and a new writing perspective. Why? For the fun of it! For the f''n fun!


    Good old fashioned American fun!


    ¡­Yeah, so I hope you enjoyed. More will come in time if that is indeed the case.


    If it fails? Well, I tried.


    Kenchi out.


    Chapter 2


    First Impressions


    It took two weeks for something else worthwhile to happen.


    After my first day, I mostly kept to myself, kept my head down and tried to get my bearings of just how the school worked. The only person I knew at that point my age was Ruth, but that girl was seriously hard to find! Who''d have thought a blind girl wearing a cloth wrapped around her eyes wouldn''t stick out? Anywhere else, she most certainly would have.


    In the meantime, I got to learn a bit more about some of my teachers, specifically Miss Pryde. She wasn''t terribly strict, but she knew her shit and she expected everyone to perform accordingly in her class. As long as you shut up, paid attention, and proved that you were at least trying to pick up on what she was teaching you during her lectures, she would like you. She''d at least tolerate you.


    I''d started from behind the eight-ball to begin with when I''d thrown a profanity-laden temper-tantrum right outside of her class on day one, but no other outbursts since then coupled with my honestly wanting to learn about the guts of computers and other pieces of tech made her soften up on me fairly quickly.


    That was good, because from what I''d picked up about her in passing, she was some kind of badass, working with the X-Men since she was my age with a surprisingly versatile power. Who''d have thought phasing through things was so awesome.


    ¡­Actually, her power sounded awesome by itself, without knowing that she could completely ruin a person or a machine''s insides just by passing through. That was just icing on the cake.


    Another plus, I didn''t have to go out of my way to find a way to learn how to use my powers. Apparently it was part of the curriculum, and every student was given an instructor suited to showing them how their abilities worked.


    I was getting half of that through the classes I''d chosen, and the other half would come in time once I started figuring out what was physically possible or beyond my limits.


    My training was annoying. Not the practice itself, but that it never accomplished one of its goals, which was to drain me of most of my day''s power supply. By the time training was supposed to happen, I was close to overloaded, just like I was the first day I got my powers back home. Light was everywhere, all the time. The only way I could have gotten away from it would have been to shut myself up in a closet or something.


    It would have been easy for a teacher to slack off with my exercises, but Miss Pryde never did. She tried to keep me on my toes, doing her level best to exhaust me while making sure I actually got something out of the things she made me do. It was not an easy task. It was hard to tell if she expected anything in particular out of me as far as my progress went. She never said anything good or bad. Not until I brought it up to her myself.


    I came up to her after the end of one of our hardware engineering classes, trying to take advantage of the short time I had between students from my class leaving and students from the next class filing in, "Miss Pryde, why are you working with me on my powers?" I asked her outright, "I mean, I get that it''s not really a control thing with me. More like a resource management thing, but you already teach a class with me in it."


    She didn''t seem offended or defensive about it, instead smiling at me, "I advise one of the student squads, and one of my kids say you have to be on our team. She said it a few days before you even showed up on my class roster," Wow. Weird, "Now, I''m not going to just take her word for it, but I''ve been observing you for a while in class and when you''re training your powers. I don''t think it''s such a bad idea."


    An X-Men training squad? Me? I wanted to call bullshit on the spot. I wanted to yell and cheer about it. That was incredible news.


    "I can''t fight," I told her, and I wanted myself to shut up. Why was I trying to convince her not to take me on?


    "What do you think the squads are for?" She replied, "They''re to train potential X-Men. Trust me, I''ll teach you how to fight."


    She seemed so confident about it. And it was what I''d come to the Institute to learn in the first place, to at the very least learn how to defend myself. That didn''t make me any less nervous about the idea, but my nerves were more excitement and disbelief than real fear.


    XxX


    A few years before I showed up, the Institute was just a school. It was a place for kids with powers that they couldn''t safely control or hide. A safe place.


    As it turns out, this school was not f.u.c.k.i.n.g safe. At all.


    It had been attacked more times than most students knew, and I''d heard about at least three separate instances from them since I''d been there.


    Well, after one of the last few times (we''d been attacked again since this move was made), all students were to be taught at least basic self-defense, and everyone was to be taught how to master their powers.


    Some students in particular that volunteered and showed an aptitude for what was needed were offered the chance to be X-Men and go through their training program.


    I had done none of this. I was asked to join by one of the X-Men in charge of a student team, with only two weeks of standard self-defense and power-control courses under my belt.


    I felt so out of place as I was led into a gigantic metal room. It looked like it was the size of an empty, full-scale arena, with some kind of big, weird platform in the middle. It looked kind of like a round stage.


    Waiting there were three other students, all wearing similar uniforms to mine. I tugged at the weird form-fitting outfit. It had a light and dark blue color scheme. Design-wise, everyone else''s seemed a bit different in some way.


    When we walked up, two of the students stared at me, not helping with my sense of self-consciousness. The third one was Ruth. Huh. Go figure. Seriously, how the hell was she on a combat team if she couldn''t even see? As for the other two students, one was a Japanese girl with long black hair. The other was a lanky boy with red hair that would have been better defined as the bedhead-special.


    "Hey Miss Pryde," He said, taking note of my presence, "So this is the new guy?"


    Miss Pryde grinned at him and leaned over on me with her forearm on my shoulder. Man, she was short. Or maybe I was just tall? "So new. Super-new. Still got that new kid smell and everything," She told her team, "This is Bellamy."


    The Japanese girl crossed her arms over her chest and looked me over, pursing her lips in thought. It didn''t seem like she knew what to make of this, "I don''t know what I was expecting when Ruth kept saying things about some ''Bellamy'' person."


    "All good things, I hope," I said, waving at Ruth until I realized that she couldn''t see me, "She''s pretty much the only person I''ve had any kind of conversation with since I''ve been here."


    "How''s that been?"


    "Really confusing."


    "Yep."


    Professor Pride moved between the four of us to make sure she had all of our attention, "Since we''re all going to be working together, why don''t we introduce ourselves and give each other a little rundown of what we can all do," She turned to me "I''ll start for the benefit of our new guy. My name is Kitty Pryde. Shadowcat in the field. My power is intangibility."


    To demonstrate, she sank partially into the floor down to her knees before reemerging. I had already seen her come through a wall before, so I wasn''t surprised. It was still a neat power.


    "I can pass through walls, gunfire¡­ pretty much anything," She continued to explain, "If I don''t want it to touch me, it won''t."


    With that being said, the group fell silent. I figured she was leaving the floor open for someone else to introduce themselves, so I decided to pick up where I left off. It wasn''t like I was shy about who I was or what I did.


    "Well, as you guys know already, I''m Bellamy. Bellamy Marcher," I said, shrugging before I gave the best explanation of my powers that I could, "I absorb light and then do¡­ stuff with it," I didn''t mean to be vague on purpose. Just saying that I could fire energy blasts and use light like instant steroids didn''t sound as cool as it actually was in practice.


    My offer was enough of an olive branch extension for the others to jump on in, "Hisako Ichiki," The Japanese girl said simply, giving me her name, "I can create psionic armor to fight with."


    As a demonstration, a blue armor made of some kind of raw energy formed around Hisako. Her body was safely insulated inside with plenty of space between the core where she was and the outside world. That was pretty damn cool. I always thought she had the most useful power out of all of us.


    "Whoa," The stupid part of me that wanted to know what it felt like told me to reach out and touch it, so I did.


    "Hey, hands off!"


    Unfortunately, the place where I put my hand was where her chest would have been had the armor not been there. Had Miss Pryde not put her hand on my shoulder at that moment, I probably would have felt what it was like to get punched in the face with superpowers a lot sooner than I did. Her armored fist passed right through me. It was a weird feeling.


    "Easy, now!" Miss Pryde said, putting herself between me and Hisako before she could try to hit me again.


    "I''m so sorry!" I apologized, wincing at all of the good such a thing would have done after I''d basically groped her. I was assuming that she had in fact felt that much, "I just wanted to see what it felt like! Not your b.o.o.b.s, I mean! I was talking about the armor!"


    I am just so fantastic at those first impressions. I don''t think Hisako ever quite forgave me for that one.


    The lone other male in the group had a good laugh at her expense. He must have had a pretty good rapport with her to get away with it, but he seemingly didn''t care. Wiping a tear away from his eye, he introduced himself.


    "Eddie Tancredi," He said before pointing to himself as he slowly lifted off of the floor into the air, "The best flyer out of any student in the whole system, just so you know."


    My kind of introduction. Whether it was true or it wasn''t, he seemed like a good-natured kind of guy.


    "Nice to meet you, Bellamy," Eddie landed, walked up, and gave me a pat on the back, "It''s good to finally have another guy in the group. Try not to have Hisako kill you before we even have our first team session, would you?"


    Hisako rolled her eyes and corrected her teammate, "Seriously though, it''s good to have another person in the group, period," She was still mad at me, but at least she recognized that I''d be useful, what with my awesome powers and all, "We were totally undermanned until now."


    "How undermanned?" I asked. I had not heard anything about that before I''d agreed to come to the meeting, "¡­Just for curiosity''s sake."


    Professor Pride chuckled and answered for me, "Most of the other student squads have six students. We''ve made do with three until now. You bring us to a grand total of four, that is, if you decided to join. It''s still your choice."


    "You were fighting other squads 3-on-6 until now?"


    "Well, not fighting them directly. You''ll almost never do that. More like, competing in mock missions, or just comparing scores from team exercises."


    That was still terrible for them! The obvious advantage numbers would give every other squad in almost any kind of mission setting, exercises were likely based somewhat on speed, and speed was probably weighed heavily in whatever scoring system they had. Of course teams with more manpower would finish their tasks sooner.


    I had to ask the obvious question, "Why did you have a team with three kids if almost everybody else had six?"


    Miss Pryde chuckled in a dark sort of way that I hadn''t come to expect from her, "Because the headmistress is a bitch," Hearing that was a surprise. Miss Pryde until then had always been strict, but never really vulgar. It must have shown on my face, because she elaborated, "Emma Frost and I aren''t fond of each other. It''s a very long story."


    I didn''t know how much of an understatement this was at the time. I didn''t even know other superheroes could hate each other. I would learn. Oh, dear God would I learn.


    At the time though, I didn''t want to touch that with a ten-foot pole, and there was one member of the team who hadn''t said anything yet, despite wearing a very pleased smile on her blindfolded face, "So I saw what everyone else can do already," I said, walking up to Ruth. I was already kind of familiar with her, "What are your powers?"


    I had never asked her before because it seemed rude. I don''t know. It didn''t sound stupid in my head, I swear! I thought it was part of some kind of mutant etiquette. For all I knew, there were people who would take offense to me asking that question, and with my luck I would have run into them my very first time asking!


    Ruth wasn''t offended, she reached out and grabbed one of my hands with both of hers. What an odd girl, "You do not need to be so nervous, Bellamy. No. Yes, pardon me, she already knows you will be a wonderful teammate. Thank you."


    I laughed, trying to play off what she''d just said. I couldn''t have been that easy to read, "I''m not nervous."


    "You talk and smile a lot when you are nervous, yes."


    Goddamn it. How did she even know I was smiling? She couldn''t SEE!


    Eddie sighed and leaned over Ruth, planting his hands on her shoulders from behind, "¡­Ruth''s powers are¡­ eh. Psychic powers are freaking weird, man," He looked down at the girl, frowning down at her head, "It''s really annoying getting your mind read all the time."


    "So she can read minds?" I said, figuring she must have picked up on how I was feeling that way. That helped a few things make sense. I wasn''t sure how I felt about that.


    "She can also see the future, to a certain degree," Miss Pryde told me, "It''s very useful, but confusing. Sometimes we can figure it out, and sometimes it sneaks up on us, kind of like with you. She''s the one who told us you would be on this team in the first place, before you ever even came here."


    Something about hearing that you were supposed to be somewhere was encouraging. That even if it was just blind, random chance in reality, someone was waiting on you to show up to do something, it made you feel good.


    I laughed, none too humbly, "It''s destiny. I was destined to be here and take this team to all new heights!" I crowed aloud, "¡­Does this team even have a name or a number? Are we Team 5 or something?"


    "The Paladins."


    It had a ring to it, kind of. It sort of seemed like it was a little ''try hard''. After I heard all of the squad names, it felt like the people who came up with them were usually trying too hard.


    "Huh. Not bad," I said, before clapping my hands and rubbing them together in anticipation, "Now I don''t know about you guys, but I came here to learn how to not die. I''m all suited and booted. The quicker we can make me not suck in a fight, the better."


    As if I needed the motivation, Eddie was right there hyping me up further, shoving me around, "Yeah! I hear you! Don''t be the anchor dragging us down, man!"


    Eddie could have been an awesome hype-man. If I hadn''t been jazzed before, I definitely was after a few good shoves. It wasn''t even fake. I was bouncing in place, raring to go, "I''m ready. It''s what I came here to do in the first place. Hit me with your best shot," Wrong choice of words, as Hisako armored up her right arm and drew it back for a punch, "No! I meant with the training, not literally!"


    XxX


    It helped to think of training as P.E. class, only turned up to eleven. Such an idea wasn''t really that far from the truth, really, given the fact that most kids used their powers during gym too. It was just that, in most of our gym classes there weren''t dangerous holograms trying to kill us all.


    You had to compartmentalize when it came to the training, or at least I did, because it was insane.


    I flinched hard at the sound of an energy blast coming from a 20 foot purple and blue robot from where I was taking cover alongside Ruth. She wasn''t exactly a combatant, and I wasn''t trained particularly well yet, so we were meant to watch and wait for an opportunity for the most part.


    In other words, I was basically her bodyguard and the last resort, at least for this session. I was working as hard as I could to get up to speed in the two weeks I had been on the squad, but to say that I could carry the lion''s share of work at any given moment would have been an expectation that I probably couldn''t have met.


    We did alright for the little bit we''d been given earlier. There had been some human foot soldiers sent out way. Ruth had been able to pinpoint their location by reading their minds, and I had ambushed the bejesus out of them. Almost no collateral damage. Barely a single shot fired when they retaliated.


    Small Captain Morgan pose for victory.


    That being said, thirty minutes after that part of the mission, it was annoying just sitting back and hiding during the deciding moments of the simulation, mainly because in the grand scheme of things, it wasn''t going to help any of us.


    "Why are we even hiding?" I asked aloud as I took cover from a ''safe'' distance with Ruth, "This thing can sense where we are. After it''s done with them, it''s coming straight for us. Then we''re really screwed."


    I got my answer from the cosmos themselves apparently, but it was just from the Danger Room''s observation area, "I''ll stop the program when it looks too far-gone. I don''t expect you to win."


    There might not have been anything worse she could have said to me at that point in the simulation, "What the f.u.c.k do you mean, you don''t expect us to win!?"


    "I want you to get used to dealing with odds that aren''t in your favor," She explained, not seeing the problem with what she''d told me. "That''s the way they''ll usually be if you need to be called in to begin with, so I want you to be prepared."


    I hated losing. The only thing I hated more than losing was the thought of failing at something before I''d even gotten to try.


    I put my hand up to the communicator in my ear to reach out to the others, "Wing!" I said to my airborne teammate. I could see him in the air, a flying Sentinel in hot pursuit. Those things could move for gigantic robots, "Come get me!"


    "Kinda busy right now, Sol!"


    Sol was short for Solaris. As in, pertaining to the sun. Get it? Because I absorb light¡­ and the sun is the most bountiful source of light on Earth. Haha! Whoever came up with that must have been a genius, Eddie.


    I hated that name, but I had no luck coming up with my own, so that was what I was given.


    "Fine, where''s Armor?"


    "Not up here! Look down!"


    I was able to spot her, not too far away from where the Sentinel was chasing Wing in the air. She was on the ground, trying to follow along underneath on-foot. There wasn''t much she could do but try and stay close, "Gotcha. Come on," I said to Ruth, grabbing her hand, "Stay with me! We''re moving!"


    Surprisingly, the city block that had been created in the Danger Room as our battlefield hadn''t been too terribly destroyed. Sure, a few buildings were missing some walls, and the corner that had been blown off of that one complex was going to compromise its structural integrity until someone tore it down, but for a bunch of stupid kids, I felt like we were doing fine.


    When Ruth and I made it to Hisako, she wasn''t particularly enthused to see us. Probably because the plan had the two of us staying far away from the heart of the conflict.


    "Sol, what the hell?" She demanded to know.


    I pointed up at the Sentinel still trying to shoot Eddie out of the sky, "Throw me at that stupid thing."


    Hisako''s eyes lit up for a moment. If it was any other situation, she probably wouldn''t have needed any explanation as to why this was a fair course of action. However, in the middle of a scored simulation, logic took hold, "As much as that would make my day right now, why?"


    I pointed at myself, more specifically, my blue eyes.


    By that time I had learned that my eye color correlated to how much juice I was working with. If I was low on energy, my eyes were red. Yellow meant I had a decent amount of power. Not much, but enough to be okay with doing things. Green meant I was in good shape. When my eyes were blue, I started feeling really itchy, fidgety, and uncomfortable.


    "I''m overcharged, but I can''t shoot it from here and hit it. It''s moving too much," I told Hisako before I pointed at the Sentinal shooting energy blasts at Wing in the air, "Giant flying robot that you can''t touch to tear apart," I pointed at Wing himself, "Flying guy with no other powers," I felt like I''d said all that I needed to, "Throw me."


    Being grabbed by one of Hisako''s armor arms felt strange. It was like being grabbed by nothing. No heat, no cold, just the feeling of restraint around you, which made sense because the armor was psionic. Mental energy wasn''t material, so it wasn''t like it would have traditional physical properties to it.


    I felt like a cannonball all loaded up and ready to be fired, but I just had to make sure everything would go as smoothly as I needed it to.


    "For the love of God, don''t throw me like a girl," I said as I felt her c.o.c.k her arm back to send me flying, "Throw me right."


    I could feel the grip around me tighten a bit as Hisako turned her head to look at me, "What?"


    There was more ice on her tone than Mr. Drake''s backside.


    Hisako was not pleased, but she could be as mad as she wanted to be. She wasn''t the one who was about to be launched by a girl in mental power armor. Her posture for throwing me seemed off if I had plans on actually getting anywhere near the Sentinel. I wanted to make sure this was actually going to work, seeing as how we were only going to have one shot.


    "Don''t throw me like a girl. Throw me right!" I said with all of the miniscule authority I could muster, "If you throw me like shit and I go head-over-heels I''m not gonna be able to control myself or even see where I''m going. I still need to blast the damn thing, which means I need to see where I''m going so I can aim."


    She seemed like she was a thought away from spiking me into the ground like a football, "You know, you''re not in charge and you''re not as smart as you think you are. I''m getting sick of your mouth."


    I wasn''t trying to be the smartest guy in the room. I saw a solution and if I was being a d.i.c.k it was to best get my point across. It had worked for me so far.


    Either way, we could argue semantics all day long afterwards, but at the moment, we were on the clock, "Be as sick as you want, just keep your goddamn wrist straight!" I snapped, "Throw, woman!"


    And throw she did. I''m pretty sure a big part of her was hoping that she''d missed so that I''d go splat, but her aim was true enough to get me where I needed to be.


    Damn, she had good aim. Either that, or Eddie saw me coming and guided it into my path. I barely had time to pump as much power as I could to my hands before I barreled right through the Sentinel''s head, blowing it clean apart with a close-range shot. Chunks of metal and computer guts flew everywhere.


    Great. We killed it¡­ or deactivated it¡­ or whatever you did to robots. One problem solved.


    The next thing to take care of was my little falling problem, because I didn''t have wings.


    Any excitement I had over actually contributing to a successful objective for once quickly faded when I realized that gravity was a thing.


    "Mission''s over! Stop the simulation!" I yelled, as I saw myself hurtling back to earth at an alarming rate, "Off! End! Stop! Anything!"


    My voice may have cracked.


    Before I could hit the ground, a pair of arms put me in a full nelson, "Tancredi backs up all the way to the wall! It''s almost gone, and he makes the catch! The crowd goes wild!"


    Fast Eddie for the win.


    The rest of the way down was comparatively gentle as Eddie guided me. Enough so that as he descended I could touch the ground with my kicking feet and come to a running stop, or a tripping and falling one at least.


    Face down, ass up. It was not a graceful landing.


    The feel of the ground changed from rough, uneven concrete to cold, smooth metal as laughter filled the Danger Room.


    "So if I throw like a girl, does that mean you scream like one?" Fair enough. Hisako had to get her shot in while she could.


    I pushed myself off of the floor with as much dignity as I could. What did I really have to be ashamed of, after all? I helped put a Sentinel down. That had to mean something, "If screaming like a girl means you fight like a champion, then yes, I screamed like a girl."


    Eddie flew around us aimlessly in the air trying to work the kinks out of his arms, "I need to lift more weights," He said, "I almost dislocated my shoulders trying to catch you like that."


    "In the NFL, that would not have counted as a catch," I said, touching at an abrasion on the side of my face. That was going to leave some road rash scabs later, "You didn''t maintain possession all the way to the ground. That was a drop."


    Eddie scoffed and flipped me the middle finger as he landed, "You''re lucky it wasn''t a ''splat''."


    Our X-Men advisor Miss Pryde walked into the room all smiles. It was nice to see that something I''d had a hand in could make someone proud of me. Not enough of that going around lately.


    "Well, it wasn''t pretty, or safe, but you got the job done in the end, so way to go!" She applauded as she walked up to the four of us. It was then that she noticed the scowl on my face, "What''s wrong with you, Sol?"


    Oh, she could try and church it up with a pretty smile all she wanted to now. I didn''t forget what she''d said earlier, "I''m still mad at you. You were expecting us to lose!"


    Miss Pryde rolled her eyes at my ability to hold a grudge. What did she expect? It hadn''t even been fifteen minutes, "Four students aren''t expected to be able to take on two Sentinels their first time around!" It wasn''t that easy to get me off of her back. I just stared at her until she felt uncomfortable enough to say more, "You''re not the only ones who''ve done this simulation."


    I felt my eyebrow automatically go up in curious interest, "And how many of the others failed it so far?" I asked.


    You know. Because I was competitive and hated losing at things.


    "Ten."


    "Out of?"


    She hesitated, "¡­Nineteen," For good reason, because after hearing that, I was livid.


    "You didn''t think we could pass a test with a 48% success rate?"


    Once again, Hisako saw her chance to take a jab, and I couldn''t begrudge her the opportunity, "Ooh, you can do basic math?"


    "Making a point here, Armor!" I said to her before looking to Miss Pryde again, "As far as odds go, that''s not even that bad!"


    Yes, they weren''t the best odds. Definitely not a sure thing. But it was damn near 50-50! I''d put my money on myself if the chances of success were that high.


    Apparently being fussed at by a high school kid, even one with superpowers, wasn''t even close to enough to make Miss Pryde fret, "To be fair, there are less of you, and your powers aren''t nearly as destructive as some of the other training squads," She gestured to me and Hisako, "You and Armor have the only powers that can be considered offensive."


    The two of us looked at each other and frowned. At least, I saw her frown. I''m pretty sure I did too, but the throbbing from the side of my face made it hard to know for sure.


    "¡­Alright. Good point. I''ll accept that."


    "I''m so glad."


    Sarcasm was unbecoming of a person in a position of authority. That being said, it was part of what made Miss Pryde an awesome teacher.


    "Hey, telepathy is offensive," Eddie chimed in, poking Ruth''s shoulder for emphasis, "I''m offended every time Blindfold reads my mind."


    "Man, don''t pick on Ruth," I said, moving over to the girl we were talking about to throw an arm around her, "She''s the only one out of you three that actually wants me on the team."


    "I want you on the team," Hisako said, "We didn''t have any meat shields until you got here."


    "If anyone''s a meat shield it''s you. That''s basically what your power makes you good for."


    "Better than a power that doesn''t work if it''s overcast outside or the sun goes down."


    "Shows what you know. Clouds don''t affect it that much, and the moon still gives off some light that I can use, so bite me."


    It was hard to figure out just how pissed off at me Hisako was at any given moment. We argued all the time, but I never really felt any sort of real animosity toward her. It was just¡­ automatic. I did honestly like her as a person. I thought her powers were cool, and it was nice that there was someone my stupid jokes annoyed enough to banter back at me.


    Talking to brick wall excuses for living beings wasn''t fun.


    Eddie and I would egg each other on when it came to being stupid, and that was great and all, but there was something to be said for the challenge that came with going back and forth with someone and trying to come out on top.


    You know. Because I was competitive and hated losing at things.


    XxX


    My vision slowly came back into focus, giving me a good view of the gym floor¡­ with drops of red on it. The coppery taste of blood sat on my tongue. I ran my tongue over the fresh cut that had opened on the inside of my bottom lip and winced.


    On one knee, I looked over and saw Mr. Logan stood a short ways away looking bored. Sorry if my pugilistic endeavors weren''t enough to tickle your fancy, you psycho.


    Mr. Logan, or Wolverine as he''s otherwise known, was the main self-defense teacher. Yes, the guy who met me and got into a severe car accident because of my driving within five minutes of making my acquaintance was the person who was in charge of beating me to a pulp¡­ or teaching me how to fight.


    "Get back up, kid. Your round''s not over yet," He demanded, gesturing to the clock that still had a little more than three minutes left on it. I had been failing epically for less than two to try and land as many good shots on him as I could.


    I hate losing. I don''t know if I''ve said this enough.


    Eventually I got sick of it and decided, hey, I can take a few shots just as long as I get to land one good one. Just one, good enough for me to hear his jaw click or all of the air fly out of his gut. That was a mistake I wouldn''t forget anytime soon.


    Ever felt what it''s like to get punched in the face by a guy with an adamantium-coated skeleton? Padded headgear only does so much to protect your head from something like that. He might as well have used a bat. Thank God I had a mouthpiece in.


    I hopped back up to my feet to try and make a show that I wasn''t actually hurt, "Don''t knock my teeth out," I requested, carefully sliding back toward with my hands up and my chin tucked low.


    He made a show of slipping my punches without even moving his feet before he popped me in the forehead with two solid jabs and got out of my way, "Move your head more. Just keeping your hands up won''t help if you don''t make yourself a harder target."


    There were about two minutes left. I was going to get the most out of it, even if it only entailed me getting my ass kicked. I hate losing, even if it''s against someone in something I have no chance it.


    Every other day, students could attend self-defense classes. Strictly hand-to-hand. No powers. It was optional to take. Even if you weren''t interested in it, everyone learned the basics and practiced with each other. For those of us who did have an interest, we were given more hands-on instruction.


    We would actually fight the teacher. Oh, joy of joys.


    It had been the first time that I''d been to the advanced class, and I was excited. I volunteered first, because I was full of energy, which was a mistake. Knowing how to protect yourself a bit did not prepare you for something even as light as a spar against the Wolverine.


    I pressed forward again. His footwork that he''d been teaching us over the past few weeks had done all of nothing for me to get him out of position, but he said to keep moving, so I that was what I did. Even though he''d been punching with the same speed and force as the one that had dropped me minutes before, he didn''t land another clean blow for the rest of the round.


    Small victories, though. With seconds left on the clock, his arms stopped defending quite as tightly around his stocky body as before, and his chin stopped being tucked so tightly to his chest. It was an opening that I jumped all over, even though it could have been a trap. What was the worst that could happen? He''d hit me again? I was already bleeding.


    I jumped in and landed a hard roundhouse kick to the body and a hard follow-up jab as I straightened back up. The alarm signaling the end of the round went off, and every bump and bruise he''d given me over the last five minutes started throbbing at once painfully with every beat of my heart.


    He totally let me have that one. I knew it. But I really didn''t care. Actually making solid contact almost made me do a little dance while I was pulling off my gloves and headgear. That had been a brutal experience, and a nifty little introduction into real fist-fighting.


    I passed a kid black kid my age with glasses who was next up to take on Mr. Logan.


    "Your turn," I said, smiling at him. He nodded at me gravely and leveled his focus on the instructor that had kicked me to and fro for the last five minutes. Following that was probably an unenviable position, but how could anyone wind up much worse than I did?


    I sat down on the sideline, ignoring the quiet laughs from some of the other guys in the room and dabbed at my nose and mouth, pulling my hand away to see the skin coated in my own blood. My nose felt like it was on fire, and I wasn''t going to be eating anything with salt until the cut in my mouth closed up.


    "Do any of those hurt?"


    I looked over and saw some of the other students that were sitting in on the advanced hand-to-hand course. Thus far, most of my student interaction had come from Hisako, Eddie, and Ruth, because I was on their squad. Most others didn''t bother saying much to me, because why would they? There was no reason to. I wasn''t particularly interesting. I didn''t come with some kind of backstory as to why I was there that was so novel everyone had to take notice. I was just¡­ there.


    The question came from a girl with brown hair done in a long ponytail. She spoke with a slight accent that led me to believe she came from some sort of Spanish-speaking country. Her name was Sofia. I''d heard it used enough that day to remember.


    "Uh, you''re gonna have to tell me what all of ''those'' are," I said, frowning. I could see her cringing as she looked my way directly while I was talking. I must have been quite the sight, "I only know about the nose and the mouth."


    She looked at who I figured was her friend, a blond girl who seemed markedly more hesitant to look at the mess that was my face. She must have been more timid, "Your nose, mouth, eye, and God knows where else you got hit that we can''t see," Sofia said.


    "Yes. All of it hurts."


    I would feel better after I slept, if what Dr. McCoy told me before was correct. That in of itself was another problem, but one thing at a time.


    "So is this normal, or did I just catch him on a really bad day?" I asked, continuing to make conversation as the other kid from before did his sparring round. To my consternation, he did a lot better technique-wise than I did, and it looked like Logan went a lot easier on him than he did on me.


    "I don''t know. It''s definitely not normal," Sofia told me, watching the match as it progressed, "Mr. Logan never beat one of us that badly during a spar before. He would normally just correct us when our form was wrong and continue."


    Well he certainly did that for me, if ''correcting my form'' meant beating me to a pulp every time I gave him a big enough opening to do so.


    "What?" I asked, sort of put off by the idea of being singled out during something as painful as combat practice, "Is¡­ is this like a new guy initiation/hazing thing?"


    "I don''t think so," Sofia asked, her features scrunching up in what I figured was concern, "Are you certain you''re alright?"


    Don''t look like a punk in front of the girls, Bel. You''re a manly gentleman.


    "I''m like 60% sure he pulled his punches," I said, trying to focus on the fight and see what this guy was doing that I wasn''t that kept Mr. Logan from wailing on him the way he did to me, "I kicked the guy - hard. He barely budged. He''s rock-solid. If he''d actually wanted to lay me out, he would have."


    I heard a faint ''VRRRR'' humming noise and felt a slap against the back of my head. I turned in the direction it came from and saw one of the other guys in the line with a green glow around his hand. Sofia turned to glare at him, only getting what he likely considered a charming grin in return.


    "Is that a new guy initiation/hazing thing?" I asked, annoyed, but not flinching or even bothering to rub my head from the contact.


    "That''s a ''Keller'' thing." A blue-haired Asian girl sitting nearby said, scoffing at the juvenile antics of some of the other guys in the class, "You never really get used to that."


    Yeah, sometimes it was easy to forget that the Xavier Institute was still a place full of dumbass, impulsive kids. Not all mature, cool, and level-headed like me.


    I tried to piece it all together on the spot before I hauled off and shot at him from fifteen feet away over a lineup of people.


    This guy thought Sofia was hot, and probably figured I was making some kind of move on her. Not likely, but that was what he thought. Top-of-the-food-chain guys like him never thought any further than a step or two in any direction. He clearly had some kind of crew/posse/unit/whatever-the-f.u.c.k-people-were-calling-themselves-these-days, and those guys basically saw me just get my ass handed to me, painting a big ol'' target of vulnerability on my back.


    Clearly, superhero high school was still high school, complete with all of the familiar dressings and trappings.


    Fun times were soon to be had by all.


    XxX


    One of my worst problems was passing the time.


    Not during the day, I mean. There was plenty to do between classes: exploring the Institute, squad training, and more. No shortage of interesting activities there.


    Nighttime was a different beast altogether.


    When curfew hit, we all had to be inside of our rooms. That was fine, because most people actually slept. Not so much for me, because I was effectively rendered an insomniac courtesy of my powers. The nature of them made it much harder for me to feel physical fatigue.


    If I went outside where the amount of energy I took in wasn''t so bad at night, I could get myself down from green to red in an hour or so if I didn''t stop for anything. But by the time I walked across campus, through the dorm and back to my room to get myself ready to go to bed, my eyes would be yellow again.


    Eventually, I just stopped trying to sleep. If it happened, it happened. It was a waste of time to try, and if staying up wound up tiring me out, great! That was the point. It never did though. In the few weeks I had been at the Institute, I had only had more than three hours of sleep once.


    It made homework a lot less of a worry. I could knock it out whenever I wanted to. Say for instance, three o''clock in the morning. Why not? It wasn''t like there was much else to do.


    Fighting the still life became too much to keep at bay with the riveting pastime of studying to use as a weapon against it. One night when I ventured outside of my quarters, I learned that the aforementioned curfew was only as effective as the guards who were awake to enforce it.


    As long as I wasn''t stupid and didn''t decided that running amok on the lawns where all of the goddamn motion sensors and security measures were set up, I had my run of the place.


    It was a nice environment for nighttime walks. The air was fresh and clean. It was quiet. What more could you ask for?


    ¡­Some entertainment, for one, but a nice stroll around the premises was good enough on most given nights. Beggars couldn''t really be choosers.


    "Kind of late to be up and about, isn''t it?" I heard someone call out to me before I got to the entrance of the hedge maze. From inside, Mr. Logan stepped out, dressed in his more casual attire of jeans and flannel. He nonchalantly lit a cigar as he stepped towards me. Silence reigned until he got enough of his fill of tobacco to raise the point again, "Well? I''m waiting? You got an excuse?"


    "H-Have you been watching me this whole time?" I asked, trying to gauge how much trouble I was in.


    "I can smell you moving around some nights. Never seem to be up to anything, but the moment you let your guard down around here, something bad happens. So, what are you doing, kid?" He asked again, "The curfew is actually for your protection."


    "I can''t sleep. Ever," I said bluntly, laying my cards on the table. If I wound up on someone''s shit list, so be it. These were extenuating circ.u.mstances in my opinion, "I can get like, an hour at most, even if I wear myself down as much as I can. Then I''ll just wake right back up."


    "A little young to have insomnia, ain''tcha?"


    "It''s how my powers work," I held up my hand, making it to glow to show him what I could do, "I absorb light. Even moonlight. I haven''t gotten around to getting to town to buy curtains that''ll shut out the light completely."


    "Neat."


    "Yeah, I like it. Most of the time, anyway. Side-effect, because there''s always light, I''m always charged. I miss sleep."


    "And I know how important a good night''s rest is for you growing boys."


    I blocked a laugh with a snort. Dignified, "So, I''m just gonna ask, because I''m curious. Whether you feel like answering or not¡­ meh," I was already in trouble and thought that he didn''t think much of me in the first place. Making it worse wasn''t really an issue, "Did I do something to piss you off? Like the car crash. Was that it?"


    He seemed confused until a look of realization crossed his face, "This about me stomping eight shades of shit outta you earlier?" He ventured.


    "It''s about you stomping eight shades of shit out of me¡­ sir."


    He took his time to answer. I hadn''t taken Mr. Logan as someone who measured his words carefully when I first met him, "I didn''t bust you up because I don''t like ya. I really don''t care one way or the other. I''ve had enough kids around here latch onto me. Don''t really need one more," He explained coolly, "I did what I did because you''re one of the only ones takin'' it serious."


    I thought he was screwing with me at first, "What? You mean the training?" I thought it went without saying that I would. When people were punching at your face, it was intelligent to put your best foot forward, "You told me to fight you. Of course, I''m taking it serious."


    "And that''s what I''m talkin'' about. Everyone else treats it like a class, which it is, but¡­ grr¡­ you know what I mean."


    I did. Even most of the students in the advanced course didn''t take it that seriously. On the sidelines they would chat and screw around until it was their turn, possibly because of the thought that a teacher would never really hurt them. Maybe it was because I didn''t really have any friends in the class, or because I was really interested in the nuances of how to hit and not be hit, but I paid rapt attention.


    "What about that one kid, David?" I asked, remembering one of the kids from earlier who did quite well from what I saw, "He did much better than me."


    To my surprise, Mr. Logan shook his head, taking a moment to breathe out the smoke from his cigar grumpily, "He''s really not learning anything in there. Just standing near me, he knows everything about fighting that I do as long as he''s around. S''how his powers work," The man told me, "He''d get a better feel for fighting that''d be more useful to him during team sims than working with me. Nothing''ll ever stick because he''ll lose it as soon as we get far enough apart. You though. It looked like you wanted to fight. You actually try to pick up what I''m hammering into your head, even when I''m literally hammering it into your head."


    Well yeah. That was the entire reason I started attending the school in the first place; to learn how to not get beaten to a pulp by the bad guys, "I''m at superhero school. If I had problems with getting slapped around a bit, I probably signed up for the wrong thing."


    Mr. Logan gave me a lopsided grin, his teeth chomping a cigar, "Just needed to make sure," He seemed somehow satisfied by what I''d been saying since the conversation started, "Figured you were gonna tell until the day ended and I hadn''t gotten an earful. If I''d have bloodied anyone else''s nose like yours, I''d have been sitting in an office having a conversation with Slim and Frost about being too hard on the students."


    "I''m no wuss," I replied. Did I really give off the impression that I would snitch instead of trying to solve my own problems? And that wasn''t even a real problem. It was just a trial to deal with, "Just as long as I can learn something while you''re ripping me to shreds in front of all the other kids, I''ll deal with it. I can''t wait to make your face look like you did mine. One day."


    "Feel free to use that receipt¡­ whenever you''re good enough," He said, basically challenging me to get good enough to rearrange his face on my own terms, "¡­What are you doing right now?"


    I looked around at the empty courtyard we were in. Not even the sprits of the dead X-Men and other students that probably haunted the place were awake at that hour, "Not sleeping," I said with a shrug.


    "Want to try again right now?"


    And that was how I found a new way to spend certain nights when I couldn''t sleep: getting my ass handed to me by Wolverine. Apparently he got just as bored as I did at three o''clock in the morning.


    Recreational drinking and smoking had to lose its l.u.s.ter at some point, I guess.


    XxX


    My face had looked worse than it actually was after Mr. Logan had beaten me up the day before. The blood had been the most graphic thing about it after I had washed it all off. Even without the overnight recovery that an actual good night''s sleep would have provided me, I had mostly recovered by the next morning, leaving only a few decent bruises behind.


    There weren''t enough on me to get odd looks from any teachers of students, so I just went about my day going to all of my classes until I was needed elsewhere near the end of the day.


    On my way to my destination, I stopped off and grabbed an apple from the cafeteria to munch on while I walked across campus. As I reached the courtyard, a green glow surrounded my apple and yanked it out of my hand, sending it flying somewhere far off-campus with a low-pitched humming noise attached to it.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me," I said louder than I intended. It was just an apple, but it had been a good apple with plenty of crunch to it and everything. I had been enjoying that.


    After the day before, I didn''t need to turn and look for the person responsible to know who did it. I saw the guilty party walking my way flanked by two other members of his usual crew.


    I had been given a quick synopsis of who they were after hand-to-hand training by the blue-haired Japanese girl, Noriko. She was clearly not a fan of them.


    The Puerto Rican kid with dreads was Brian Cruz, aka Tag. He was basically the ringleader''s number one running buddy with a weird power. Apparently, when he touched someone, he used a form of telepathy that could either repel them away from something, toward something, attract others to them. It was a really convoluted explanation.


    The giant guy made of rock was Santo Vaccarro. He was a big-ass rock golem. That was his power. Superhuman strength, as durable as a solid rock structure, basically what you could imagine. According to Noriko, he was the heavy of his squad. That much was easy to see. He was massive, and I was pretty sure that one hit from him would turn me to paste.


    That led us to the main man. The one who put the Hellion in the Hellions squad: Julian Keller. Rich, tall, dark, and handsome, with powers that were way too overpowered for someone like him to have. He was telekinetic.


    That much should have went without saying by now.


    "What do you want?" I asked, still holding up my hand as though there were an apple in it. Hopefully that properly conveyed my annoyance at the situation, "What do you need? What?"


    I was irrationally angry about getting an apple yanked out of my hand and thrown a mile away. It was just a stupid apple. No big deal.


    ¡­But I wanted it.


    When people did things like that to you, you weren''t supposed to visibly react. That was what I was taught. Retaliate in your own way later if your pride felt the need to, but don''t react and give them the immediate satisfaction ¨C at least, that was what dad said. Thanks dad.


    "That was just Julian''s way of saying hello," Santo said, grinning at me. It was a weird sight, but hey, open mind.


    "You were getting awfully friendly with Sofia yesterday at practice," Julian said, looking at me as though he were turning his nose up.


    Okay, my hypothesis and Noriko''s rundown of the Julian guy had been correct. He wanted the hot girl I was talking to about getting my ass kicked. So this was about staking his claim? I didn''t have time for this. Maybe later, but not right at that moment.


    "I''m a people person. I try to be at least," I replied, "Seeing as how I''m on a first-name basis with only three people at this place so far, I figured it was a good idea to introduce myself to more people. Branch out, you know? Like this," I said, reaching out a hand in an effort to extend an olive branch, "Hi, I''m Be-."


    "Yeah, I don''t care," Julian said, cutting me off without even bothering to look at my hand, "You might want to find someone else to get friendly with. There are plenty of losers for you to sidle up to."


    That was what I got for trying to bury the hatchet, "Or¡­?" As if I needed to be told.


    "Just some advice. I''d hate for things to get hard for you around here."


    "I probably wouldn''t," Santo said, stepping up closer to tower over me, "I wonder what his powers even are."


    "Probably something useless," Julian laughed, "At least Alleyne''s lame powers kept him from getting a beatdown as bad as this guy got. He probably doesn''t even have a squad. Who''d want him after seeing that?" The reminder of seeing me in dire straits yesterday got Santo and Brian to chuckle at my expense.


    I would have normally stood there to argue more, as I enjoyed a rousing set of banter now and again, but I had somewhere to be, and I was too mad to be a functional smartass. From there, I completely altered the path of the conversation, "Who''s your teacher-advisor?"


    Julian seemed befuddled at first that I didn''t react to his insult, but quickly recovered, swelling up pridefully, "We''re on Miss Frost''s Hellions, the top squad in the school. You really must be new, huh?" It was easy to see why his head was so big. He was rich, his powers were awesome, and the school''s headmistress had recruited him to be taught by her directly.


    I nodded, a thoughtful look on my face as though I were contemplating what to do next. There had been no contemplation. I''d decided what I was going to do the second my apple got launched, "Good. That means I''ll get in less trouble for this than I probably should from my advisor."


    I quickly pointed my hands in a pair of fists at both Julian and Santo. The former barely had time to react and put up a weak telekinetic film around himself before I fired both cannons and knocked them clear off of their feet.


    Brian was too stunned to react to outright defend his friends. Instead he ran to their sides, making sure they were both alright.


    Was it petty of me to blast both of those guys in the chest and send them flying halfway across the lawn? Yes. But it was incredibly cathartic. Plus, they could take it. One had a telekinetic force field and the other was literally made of rocks. They were fine. I sandbagged those shots anyway.


    In the weeks I had been working with what I could do I had figured out more about my powers. If I fired a blast with my hands open, it exploded on contact. If I did it with my fists, it was concussive.


    The more you know.


    I knew what I''d been doing, and I''d also knew that sticking around after that was a bad idea. I wasn''t getting a free shot twice if a fight broke out. I didn''t run, but I definitely walked away briskly while Julian shook the cobwebs off.


    "GODDAMN IT, WHERE ARE YOU!?"


    I was halfway to the medical wing by the time Julian flew up into the air hollering for me to come out as he tried to spot me from above. Well, that plan failed epically. Showing him up in public only seemed to make the bullseye that had been painted on my chest flash red for him.


    "THIS ISN''T OVER!"


    Then again, I hadn''t beaten him from pillar to post in front of enough people to emasculate him. It was more like I''d gotten a cheap shot in. I was probably going to pay for it later. But I wasn''t right then. Live for the moment, and all that jazz.


    I had a smile on my face all the way to the medical wing.


    Continue towards the end of Chapter 2 on FF.net~! (20K Word Limit)

 Chapter 317 - My SI Stash #17 - Stranger Gothic by gothicjedi666 (StrangerThings)

    -Was kinda monkaW going into all of this but thankfully it''s an AU Stranger Things fic that doesn''t contain any lewding of the lolis/


    Synopsis: Yet another new story because my muse is working me overtime, only without any pay. This story will be set in a version of the Stranger Things world only in the very early 90s, so as to age up certain characters, and I plan for some crossovers later with some supernatural elements. There will not be a harem in this story, rather there will be a romance between 11 and my SI.


    Rated: M


    Words: 22K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13605662/1/Stranger-Gothic (gothicjedi666)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Hawkins National Laboratory. Hawkins, Indiana.


    Given that one day, I''d gone to bed as normal and then I''d woken up in a cell in a place that was completely alien to me, least at first, and that I''d found myself to be many years younger than I had been before, it was easy to understand why the guards around here could think that I was more than a little crazy. I''d started to wonder if the life I remembered living before my existence in this cell was the delusion. Which only made me appear crazier, and to me thinking that I was mad.


    So I''d thought for a good long while, and this had resulted in me getting left alone for the most part, not that I really minded and I was a loner by nature. I suspected that I might have gone totally mad if I''d been allowed to simply waste away in my cell, but I''d not been left to die. I was too valuable to Project MKUltra to be allowed to die, so I might only be partly mad as I''d not always been on my own.


    In my world, the project was a covert operation designed and conducted by the CIA that went on from the 1950s to the early 1970s, with the goal of developing mind-control techniques which could be used against enemies during the Cold War. The subjects, many of which were unwitting, suffered extensive use of psychedelic drugs, physical and mental abuse, sleep deprivation and malnourishment, among many other experiments.


    I was not a historian or even an American citizen, but I''d been educated well enough and I''d read a lot so I felt fairly certain that the Watergate scandal involving President Nixon led to investigations into what the intelligence services were up to during the hight of the cold war and that resulted in stuff like Project MKUltra getting shut down. Maybe that was the case in my universe.


    Well in this universe (that I knew to be the Stranger Things universe as the guy running things here looked very familiar and he had that TV villain vibe about him) the project had lasted well into the 1980s and from I''d been able to gather it had been going strong until rather recently. They had a number of just subjects, I was number 14 so there were at least thirteen others and maybe many more.


    MKUltra might have started off doing mind-control experiments, but along the way, they''d discovered more about the human mind than they could have planned for. They''d figured out that some people had psychic potential, and now this part of the project, there was more to it than this place, was working on finding ways to use psychic powers as a weapon against America''s enemies.


    On paper that sounded rather cool, and it would be if not for the inhuman practices going on here. Because of the assholes in charge I got dragged out of my cell and tests were performed on me, and while this did allow me to practice with my powers, it did not mean that I enjoyed these activities.


    As for my powers, they seemed to be based around mind control, as in with eye contact and a lot of effort I could not only read a person''s mind I could make people do things that I wanted them to. Kind of like the Jedi Mind Trick, and like that power some people could resist it better than others and I couldn''t get it to work on multiple people at the same time I had to maintain eye contact.


    Over time listening to thoughts became easier and easier, even if it did give me headaches, and I''d learned a lot, such as the big news about the fall of the Berlin Wall, so it had to be the late 80s or early 90s, and since no creatures from the Upside Down had broken into my cell to murder me I figured that 11 hadn''t ever made contact with the monster known as the Demi-Gorgan, or whatever it was those kids called it.


    I''d tried to escape on my own, but my mind control power required eye contact and focus, and it''s hard to keep eye contact with guards who all know not to look into my eyes and aren''t afraid to hit me with batons, I knew this because I''d been knocked quite a few times by the guards. Which is rather foolish since I''m only valuable to them because of my mental talents.


    The only plus side to all my alone time was that I''d been able to practice with my telepathy, and I''d discovered quite a few interesting things. First of all, men do not think about s.e.x as much as you might think, at least not in this part of the world, they do think about sports a lot and stuff like beer, and that is very boring. But what mattered to me was that I''d be getting out of here soon enough as I''d learned that from the minds of others.


    I''d learned how to drive people crazy by placing songs in their heads, and I knew songs that didn''t even exist yet, and not knowing where the lyrics came from must be a real pain for my captors. Then I''d done stuff like make some of the guards think about them kissing other guards. I was fairly certain I''d driven one guy into quitting his job by whispering into his mind some encouragement into moving into the woods to escape the modern world, but all I knew for sure was that I''d never seen him again after pushing him to leave.


    Of course, I''d tried to use this power to escape, more than once, but I couldn''t control people that I didn''t have eye contact with and planting thoughts to aid in my escape didn''t result in much as only the guy running the place could authorise such a thing and he had the ability to resist my powers, and the guards did not let each other open my cell unless a certain doctor was with them.


    When I''d first heard about the project getting shut down, having heard it in someone''s head, I did worry for some time that someone was going to enter my cell and put a bullet between my eyes, but no we would be set free, everything would be put into mothballs and forgotten about, and this made the staff running this place more than a little mad since it meant decades of work had been for nothing.


    I was pleased that I''d be leaving, as would 11, but I had no idea what the higher-ups were thinking about setting a couple of young a.d.u.l.ts (I looked to be about twenty if my reflection in the mirror was to be trusted) into the world with no eduction, although I did recall going to school, and no means of getting a good job. This was how you got supervillains. I did have a strong desire to avenge myself on the people who locked up children and experimented on them so as to turn them into weapons against the Russians.


    When using my powers my mind didn''t reach out or leave my body, I couldn''t project my awareness or anything like that, at least not yet, there''s no black void to wander around in, for me I hear thoughts like they are distant voices, but I hear them inside me as if my grey matter is picking up thoughts like how some machines can pick up signals and so I was able to hear 11 thinking and plant things in her mind like thoughts of freedom.


    This didn''t mean we''d ever really met, she was just aware of me, and she tried to reach out to me, but my powers hadn''t reached the point that I could tell if she was seeing me. Now and again I did hear things and see something out of the corner of my eye, but that might just be my mind playing tricks on me. I still felt fairly certain that I must have gone la little loony while locked up here.


    I had to keep trying to make a connection so that when we got out of here we wouldn''t have to face the world all alone. Sure Eleven was timid, socially withdrawn and extremely cautious of other people, however, in the show, she would become fiercely protective and show great loyalty towards those who cared for her, especially to Mike whom she fell in love with, to the point of sacrificing herself to destroy the Monster when it threatened to harm her friends. That was the kind of friend I was going to need once we got out of here.


    Besides, there were plans in my head that involved dimensional travel, if 11 could open a gateway into the Upside Down perhaps there were other places she could go to if she just wanted it badly enough and develop her powers, becoming stronger when using them. A long term goal, but it was something to aim for.


    For now, I would just wait and practice with the minds I had access to, and when I did get out of here I would make sure that no one ever locked me up again.


    (Line Break)


    Hawkins National Laboratory. Hawkins, Indiana.


    Eleven knew very little of the world outside her lab, and not that much about the lab, just the bits and pieces she had been able to glean through careful observation. She sometimes saw far off places as part of finding the people Papa sent her to spy on. She knew other children existed, though she had only ever met one other kid and that was when she was much younger and she only had vague memories of that other girl. Not that she was really a kid any more.


    She''d not know that was anyone else like her in this world, or at least this was the case until Eleven discovered that actually there was someone else like her, who was also locked up here and tests were run on him as well. She''d discovered this when Papa, the only person who ever spoke more than a few words to her, had been walking her back to her room when they had to make a stop by his office so that he could quickly talk to someone on the phone about something that couldn''t wait until later.


    While she waited, standing patiently beside his desk, Eleven happened to spot a file sitting open on his desk. A few notes were written in Papa''s handwriting in the margins and while 11 hadn''t understood what the notes were saying as she couldn''t read, but she''d seen an image the guy the file was about and she''d gotten the impression that he was somehow similar to her.


    As it turned out he was and it had to be him who had reached out to her with whatever powers he had. Sometimes she heard a thought that didn''t come from her and later when she''d used her own powers to find the person she''d locked up as she was, 11 had found the boy in his own cell. He was older than her, a man really.


    She''d become a little obsessed with finding out more about this person who was like her, only they''d had no real contact so all she could do is go find him and spend a few moments every day trying to get through to him. Sometimes it seemed to work, he reacted as if he''d heard something or even seen her, but she''d couldn''t maintain the connection, she would get too tired and the tests Papa ran took up a lot of her energy.


    Maybe things would change soon Papa had told that she was going to have to leave her home and that he would not be going with her. She didn''t understand why this was, or what it even really meant. She''d never been anywhere else other than here, at least as far as she knew. Where would she go? And why didn''t Papa want her anymore? She''d done what he wanted, well nearly everything.


    Things were changing, there were no more tests, and they stopped shaving her hair off, not that she minded that. She had proper clothes, even shoes, and what few things she''d been given over the years, little presents from Papa, they had been packed into a bag. That was all she had to show for nearly two decades of life not counting any files on her that the project kept in boxes to gather dust in some storeroom.


    "Come on 11 its time to leave," Papa told her when he entered her room.


    She had on her new clothes, and she was still getting used to them, and all her stuff was in her bag but she didn''t get up off the bed. She''d often fantasised about escaping and going into the big wide world, and now that she had her chance to leave and go see it, she didn''t want to rush off because she didn''t know where to go.


    That didn''t stop her from being led out of the building. She didn''t resist this, as she didn''t wish to stay here, nor did she rush out since she had nowhere to rush off to. It wasn''t until she saw the boy she''d been visiting, who was also getting escorted out, did she have any idea what to do next. She''d follow him and hope for the best, it would at least be better than just wandering aimlessly.


    (Line Break)


    Hawkins National Laboratory. Hawkins, Indiana.


    "Go f.u.c.k yourself," I told the guard who slammed the gate on myself and 11.


    With that man went back inside his booth and a few moments later I heard him start to make some funny noises. He was actually doing what I''d ordered him to do despite the fact that we''d remained in eye contact for only a moment and any command I gave didn''t normally hold for long and he was still doing it. Thankfully he wasn''t exposing himself in public. I didn''t want to see that.


    The only difference this time has been how angry I''d felt and I didn''t normally get emotional due to the meds they''d had me on, drugs I was no longer taking, that had kept me calm and stopped me from trying to hurt people or myself. Now I was no longer on meds I might be able to fuel my powers with heightened emotions. Something to experiment with when I had the chance


    "I don''t know where to go," said 11.


    Since I''d never seen this person outside of the TV show and this version of her was about twenty if I was any judge, we weren''t exactly friends despite our efforts to make contact, but all we had in this world was each other, and I didn''t think this young woman would do very well without someone to help her. Well, she did somewhat in the show, somehow, but she might have died in the woods if the Sheriff hadn''t found her.


    I would need her as my powers weren''t great for hostile situations, but even if that wasn''t the case I couldn''t have left her here all alone, and it wasn''t as if I had anyone else to talk to. Sure I could navigate 1990s American because while I was British the USA wasn''t that different from the UK, everyone here would speak English, and unless television had really lied to me they exchanged goods and services for money like most other places, however, 11 could not.


    As for the technology, that would be primitive compared to what I was used to, but not as bad as in other places in the world given that this was an advanced nation, and I was years ahead of anyone around here, so I''d adapt to stuff like mobile phones and computers faster than other people would. Heck if I could get my hands on a lot of money I knew that best things to invest in over the next decade and what technology was going to be left in the past.


    "You can come with me" I offered the psychic girl.


    This made her smile for a moment until she frowned again.


    "Where are you going?" she asked.


    That was a very, very good question.


    "Well I guess we need somewhere to say and they did give us money for a taxi," I said.


    Not that they''d called for one for us and we had no way of getting to a phone so giving us the money for a ride seemed rather pointless. Not that any of this could be considered a good idea. If I''d been in charge of this place I''d of had both 11 and I killed before burying our records. Actually, if I''d been in charge I wouldn''t have experimented on kids in the first place.


    However, instead of doing the smart thing and covering this all up, they''d let us go and they''d even given us our paperwork, birth certificates, medical records, albeit it censored ones, and all that stuff. I even had an ID declaring that I was twenty-one years old in case I wanted to buy beer or something.


    "What''s a taxi?" 11 questioned.


    It was easy to forget that this young woman, who I assumed had been dressed in something fashionable for local people, had never lived outside of the lab, not that you could call that living. With her short hair and skinny body, she looked more like a boy than a girl, but she did have bumps on the front.


    "Taxicabs are cars that you pay to ride in and the person who drives the car will take you where you want to go" I explained.


    At least she understood that cars were a thing.


    "Maybe there''s a bus stop around here" I wondered.


    She seemed to know what a bus was at least, or maybe she just didn''t want to appear stupid by asking more questions.


    "I guess we''ll just follow the road and then look for some signs" I decided.


    In the show, Eleven made to Hawkins on foot as a child so we should have an easier time of it, and she seemed happy to follow me, we even talked a little as we walked away from the lab.


    "According to my ID, I''m John Doe" I read out, looking at my paperwork "How imaginative".


    11 showed me her papers.


    "What does mine say?" she wished to know.


    I quickly read her birth certificate and ID card.


    "You''re Jane Doe, and you are twenty years old" I answered.


    Before long we made it to a proper road which thankfully had signposts


    "Hawkins is that way," I said.


    It looked like a long way, but it wasn''t as if we had anything better to do than walk.


    "How do you know where to go?" 11 wondered.


    "I read the signpost," I told her.


    My next action was to point at the post.


    "It says the name of the next place on this road, the town of Hawkins, and the number next to it is the distance in miles" I explained, "That''s how far we have to travel to get there".


    She still looked confused.


    "How much is a mile?" she asked.


    I needed a moment to think before I remembered.


    "About 5000 feet," I told her "Or more than a thousand and a half meters, I don''t remember the exact numbers. It never seemed important".


    11 placed one foot in front of the other.


    "A mile is very far" she stated.


    I figured that she was imagining a lot of feet all in front of each other. How she knew numbers but not letters was a bit of a mystery. Maybe she didn''t and really know and was just imagining it was a lot.


    "The sooner we get moving the sooner we''ll arrive," I said as if that was something meaningful.


    (Line Break)


    Diner. Hawkins, Indiana.


    Upon arriving in town, and discovering that no one was going to give us a second look I took 11 to a diner and introduced her to the joy that were waffles, something I recalled from the show that she greatly enjoyed, and stuffing her face did make her happy. I''d never seen a women her age eat like this, and while I enjoyed some breakfast as well I was more sensible with my dining choices.


    Not that I had to pay as I''d already Mind Tricked the waitress into thinking that I''d paid for everything. I felt a bit bad about robbing this place, and I might not have done it at all if 11 and were in any way prepared to live normal lives in this society. I''d surprised myself by how little it bothered me. All that time spent locked up hadn''t just eroded the social skills I wasn''t having much in the way empathy. Oh well, it wasn''t as if I was Mind tricking people into killing themselves or hurting each other for me.


    "This all seems right to me, but I never heard of a President Michael Dukakis," I said to myself "Pretty sure that the older Bush is supposed to be President in the late 80s and early 90s".


    According to the paper and the radio, the history of this time as I knew it seemed to be mostly right. The Soviet Union had collapsed, and Eastern European countries were gaining independence. This President Dukakis guy was putting through measures that were in the process of diverting military spending into public services. I wondered how long this would last given the power of the Military-industrial complex who would be losing money because of these reforms.


    "What are you talking about?" 11 wondered.


    Given her isolated upbringing and lack of any real education, I didn''t think she''d understand why I thought that a decrease in military spending would upset some of this country''s most powerful and wealthiest citizens who were heavily invested in supplying America''s war machine. Not that this was very relevant to us beyond the fact that MKUltra having been shut down to the intelligence services having their budgets slashed in favour of education programs and development of better housing for the poor.


    "Nothing that needs concern you," I told her.


    We had other things to worry about, such as finding somewhere to sleep tonight and keeping the hunger demon that was 11 well-fed. Also if someone decided that it wasn''t a smart thing to have unleased two people with psychic powers and little in the way of social skills or morals upon the public, they''d send people after us and I''d need 11 to be at the top of her game, which meant keeping her happy and healthy.


    Not that I could know for sure that anyone would be sent to deal with us. There were other psychics out there and at least one of them was a criminal they didn''t seem to be doing anything about her in the show, and while it might seem reckless to leave us out here it would be far from the dumbest thing a government group has ever done.


    "We need to find rooms for tonight at least," I said to 11 "I hope there is a hotel somewhere around here".


    Mind tricking someone into giving us a free meal or a room would be simple enough, but I didn''t think it would work forever, I''d have to make enough money to buy or rent an apartment, only I had no money or a job and to get somewhere to stay I''d need a down payment first, something I didn''t have.


    I did consider committing some major crime, like say robbing a bank, however, my mind control powers wouldn''t work on security cameras and they''d have a lot of armed guards. So it seemed wise to think smaller, maybe empty the tills of some stores that didn''t have good security, but it wouldn''t be wise to do that near a place we wanted to live in, even if it was just for a while, and this seemed a good a place as any. Maybe 11 and I could go on a crime spree of some kind in a major city, something to think about, or steal from a rich person.


    Another thing to think about was protection. Given how easily 11 became attached to people I felt sure she''d protect me, but I had too much male pride to want to depend on her, and she could be overwhelmed or taken by surprise, so it would good to get a gun. Not that I''d ever fired a gun outside of a video game.


    Already I considered going off and trying to find Eight, 11''s sort of sister, she had a gang and knew how to survive, but finding a small group of people in a massive city, assuming that they were still hiding out in cities by this year, would be next to impossible and rather dangerous if 11 couldn''t do her remote viewing thing to find Kali. Still, it would be better to have some sort of plan rather than to wander aimlessly. Assuming that we couldn''t build some sort of life for ourselves in this town.


    Once she''d finished eating 11 and I began to wander around town, looking for hotel or a motel, something like that, I wanted somewhere clean and private so I could stash 11 there overnight and go hit a bar. I''d not s.e.x in what felt years, although it may have only been months since I''d gotten laid and while I didn''t intend to mind control anyone into sleeping with me, I didn''t see the harm in making a single woman think that I was attractive and then letting things progress.


    The only hard part would be sneaking away from my new best friend as she might not want to be left alone, and she couldn''t really come with me if I was going on the pull.


    (Line Break)


    Motel. Hawkins, Indiana.


    So far 11, or Jane to use her proper name, was enjoying the outside world, it had much better food than she normally got fed and there was much more of it. Then after a very filling meal 14, or John, had found them this motel to stay at for the night. He''d told her that it might not be very pleasant, but it seemed comfortable enough to her and this place had a thing called television, she''d been transfixed for hours, always changing channels as if she had to see everything that was on offer for her viewing pleasure.


    11''s favourite TV show so far was something called Cheers in which some strange people sat around a bar and talked to each other, and this was funny according to the people who couldn''t be seen on the screen, and 11 had to wonder why 14 had left her alone to go to one of these places as she would have gone with him.


    She''d happily do anything that he wanted since he''d been taking such good care of her. Without him 11 wouldn''t have known where to go to get food, nor would she have known where to go to find a bed to sleep in, and he''d shown her the amazing thing that was called television.


    Not that she had many ideas of what 14 would want her to do, she was trying to find out from the television, but it wasn''t giving a lot of clear answers about what she and 14 should be doing. On the TV men and women did many things together, such as putting their lips together, something the girls very much seemed to enjoy, only some times this seemed to the wrong thing to do and the girl got upset.


    That didn''t make sense to the former test subject because if you like something you should just do it and the boys seemed to like it too. Quite a bit it would seem given how many people were doing it, and she''d noticed that people liked to talk and sometimes yell at each other, although 11 had no idea why, if you didn''t have something important to say why talk at all?


    11 watched many shows that evening, some of which seemed to care a lot about what kinds of food and drink she enjoyed and what clothes she wore, 11 didn''t see the point of this as clothes were just something you wore so you didn''t feel cold and 14 decided what she ate. Why couldn''t he just decide for her rather than the TV?


    She was fairly certain that not everything that is shown on the television was real, some of what it had to offer must be like the drawings she''d made and hung up on the wall of her room, made-up things, stuff she''d seen in her mind that only existed for her.


    At least no men in scary masks had entered her room to try to kill her, this didn''t seem like something that could happen a lot or there wouldn''t be so many people around. Perhaps it was all made-up stuff, that would explain why some of the people in the shows looked too colourful to be real and did things she''d never seen anyone do. If they were real then she wanted to meet one of these Thundercats.


    When it became late at night 11 heard something in the next room, that was where 14 would be sleeping, and she soon heard what sounded like a girl, and for reasons that she simply didn''t understand 11 did not like that at all. Why did he need to show any attention to other girls? Why did he talk to them when he could talk to her? She listened to everything he had to say.


    11 didn''t need to sneak out of her room to see what 14 was up to with this other girl she just turned the TV off and settled down. She''d gone to see 14 this way so many times that it was easy for her, her nose rarely bleeds these days, not when just doing this.


    Once she''d found 14 she saw him with this girl who was not her and at first, she thought they were just doing the kissing thing that everyone did on the television. Only they soon started doing more, and 11 worried that 14 was hurting this girl, only she looked happy with what John was doing, very happy, as did he.


    11 felt a little upset by this as she wondered why 14 wasn''t playing this game with her, but she was also very curious as to what it was they were doing, it looked like fun and she''d not seen this on the television. It really should be on the television as it involved kissing and more. She''d just have to watch 14 very carefully and figure exactly what this thing he liked to do with girls was and then get him to do it with her so that he wouldn''t pay attention to any other girls.


    Chapter 2


    Bar. Hawkins, Indiana.


    Since Hawkins was one of those stereotypical small American towns, that might only exist in this world and in fiction, every one of drinking age was either already married or had some other sort of partner, and so there were slim pickings here. Folks in a town like this not only knew each other but they had done for many years and likely would for the rest of their lives. Poor bastards, at least I''d always been aware that I''d been in a prison.


    The only woman drinking by herself was a young redhead and while I much preferred brunettes I couldn''t afford to be picky so I soon joined her at the bar. Given how she''d dressed up for this evening she was either waiting for someone or looking to be noticed, and judging by the way she had begun slumping on her chair I figured that she''d either had to wait a long time or no one was coming and that had made her depressed.


    In my experience, it only happened rarely for the man to be late for a date, as women believed that it was okay for them to turn up late but got very offended if the man needed more time. In my view, this was one of many good reasons to stay single and to only go on the pull so as to get laid. This was what I had planned for tonight.


    This was what I was going this night so I ordered a bottle of beer and then reached out with my mind to plant a thought about having a drink with this stranger in town into the mind of the redhead. I could have easily mind-controlled her more directly, but even if I didn''t want to be a rapist, it wouldn''t be much fun that way, and if she did have a boyfriend or something I didn''t want that kind of drama in my life if he found out.


    "I''m John" I greeted.


    That wasn''t my name, I had a real name, only that didn''t feel right. I wasn''t just some guy anymore. I needed a new name that would separate me from normal people. Something to concern myself with later on.


    "Hi I''m Maxine," she told me "you can call me, Max".


    Now that I''d seen her face I felt fairly sure that this was the Max from the show the girlfriend of Lucas, but it was more than likely that they weren''t dating by this point as I wouldn''t let my woman go off to a bar alone, that was a good way to get cheated on.


    "So what''s a beautiful young woman doing drinking alone?" I asked.


    To rectify this situation I ordered her another drink. She accepted the beverage.


    "I broke up my boyfriend for the millionth time" she let me know "He met someone else at college and now he''s gotten some job with a computer firm like computers are the future or something".


    Since I was from the future, sort of, I knew that they were the future and that within her lifetime she''d live to see phones and computers become one, and people would become enslaved to those machines, unable to function without being able to exchange with their friends every pointless thought that goes through their heads, and as a telepath, I knew exactly how meaningless most of what went through people''s head actually could be.


    Even this Maxine woman, who was somewhat of an interesting character in the show, when she was younger, was only thinking about her own unimportant life, she was understandable angry at her ex, but she gave no thought to maybe him having good reasons for not returning to this town. It did seem rather dull here and someone with computer skills could make a good living as it was very much a growing industry.


    "So why are you here in town?" I was asked.


    That was not an easy question to answer. I couldn''t tell the truth, but I didn''t wish to lie either so I had to be careful about what information I gave Max.


    "Me, and a friend of mine, just finished doing some work for an intelligence service," I told Max "But the project had its funding cut so we''re just looking for something to do".


    I was attempting to be as truthful as possible.


    "Aren''t you a little young to be a spy?" Max wondered "I mean you have the James Bond accent, but he''s a lot more mature than you".


    I had to chuckle upon hearing that. I did sound very British, my accent seemed stronger than ever because of all the Americans around me.


    "We were involved in research, we mostly just ran tests" I explained, "But the USSR collapsing there isn''t as much need as there used to be for people like me".


    None of what I''d told her was really a lie even I was leaving a lot out.


    "So what about you?" I asked.


    Some time passed before she replied.


    "I work at a store," she informed.


    Since there was no Mall in this version of Hawkins, as the Russians hadn''t set up here, the shops here in town were doing well enough.


    "I can''t imagine that there are many career options in a place like this," I said.


    No doubt she found this to be depressing and the drinking wouldn''t help with that.


    "My Mom says I need to find a man, and get married, have some children so I can live a life" Max let me know.


    A little too personal to share with a stranger so I assumed that she simply wanted to share her woes with someone, and I was fine with that, I only had to pretend to care. That became somewhat hard to do when Max told me all about her asshole stepbrother who was alive in this timeline and had joined the army because he''d been the choice between that and jail time.


    I would only listen and buy her some more drinks, not that I intended to pay for them, and I''d make Max an offer to come back to my motel room before long.


    (Line Break)


    Motel. Hawkins, Indiana.


    Upon taking my shirt off I could feel the cool air against my skin. This motel was not only surprising clean and vermin free, which had been a very pleasant surprise, but it also had a fairly powerful AC machine, that kept the room comfortable despite how warm it was this evening. Well warm for me, I''d grown up in the UK so I wasn''t as used to the dry heat as much people in other parts of the world.


    "Do ever eat?" I was asked.


    I was very skinny as while the MKUltra people had fed me it had never been enough and it''s hard to exercise in a cell so I''d nearly wasted away. It showed on my body, and it was a big change from before.


    "Not as much as I should," I said.


    She didn''t seem repulsed by the sight of me.


    "Lucky for you I like skinny guys" Max admitted.


    Max pulled me in for a kiss and grabbed the waistband of my boxers as I''d already taken off my jeans. The two of us made out for a few seconds and as we did that Max groped the bulge in my underwear. She was clearly very eager for this and while this was all about me getting laid it would be much more pleasant if she really wanted it too.


    "You ready to f.u.c.k me?" she asked.


    Upon hearing that I smiled and nodded, prompting Max to pull down her dress and lay it on the ground and since she''d gone without a bra I immediately lent down and sucked on her n.i.p.p.l.e, I was so eager that I even made a slurping and before long I moved over to the other b.r.e.a.s.t. Her chest wasn''t impressive, but her pale tits were pleasing to the eye and to my mouth.


    Max m.o.a.ned a few times and I could tell that she eas enjoying the feeling of my tongue on her n.i.p.p.l.e and the skin around it in her mouth. She tried pressing my head harder into her chest and this only encouraged me to spend even more time with my face pressed into her b.o.o.b.s.


    When I wanted more I removed his face from her chest and my hands found the underwear she''d put on for a night out before pulling them down. Max was already more than wet enough to take my c.o.c.k, but a little more foreplay wouldn''t do any harm.


    I moved my hand down in between her legs and rubbed her p.u.s.s.y for a while as she held on to me and softly whimpered into my shoulder. Then I stuck a finger into Max''s wet p.u.s.s.y, making her m.o.a.n rather loudly, but I didn''t care of anyone heard, and neither did she.


    She tried to pull down my boxers while I continued fingering her, and when she managed to get my c.o.c.k exposed to the cool air she grabbed that part of me and then began to stroke it.


    "Mmm that feels good, Max" I praised.


    At this point, I''d forgotten to keep fingering her.


    "I can tell" she replied.


    Because I wanted to I smacked Max''s ass, making her squeal or m.o.a.n as my hands repeatedly hit her ass cheek. She started rubbing my c.o.c.k faster and faster as I struck her backside, and I had to stop things here or the fun would be over for the night.


    "Go lie down" I instructed, "Spread your legs".


    That wasn''t a mental command, and it didn''t need to be, she was eager for this to happen, and she got to the bed before spreading her legs, making sure that I got a view of the f.u.c.khole on offer. She was rather hairy down there, and that wasn''t to my taste, but it wasn''t as if I would be going down on her so I didn''t let it bother me.


    "You ready?" I asked.


    Max nodded and then she m.o.a.ned as I pushed the tip of my c.o.c.k in her cunt, going further and further in until she was filled with my man meat, and this seemed to be something that she welcomed if the noises she kept making were anything to go by.


    I gradually started thrusting into her as she rubbed her clit, m.o.a.ning in pleasure louder and louder as I began f.u.c.k.i.n.g her rougher and rougher. Once I''d really gotten going she grabbed onto me as if she feared that I might stop thrusting into her, but she need not worry about that as I also found this to be very enjoyable.


    "You like my c.o.c.k, don''t you?" I asked.


    At first, I could not be sure that I''d even spoken those words out loud, but as it turned out I did as she soon replied.


    "F.u.c.k yes, f.u.c.k me harder!" she pleaded.


    Those were the only things either of us said for a while as I sped up my thrusts as Max continued to rub her own clit with one hand while using her other to dig her nails into my back with so much force that you''d think that her grip on me was the only thing stopping her from falling to her doom.


    I didn''t notice any pain as I slammed my c.o.c.k repeatedly deep inside her, letting my d.i.c.k get as far inside the redhead''s tight p.u.s.s.y as possible as. I started pounding her as hard as possible, and soon enough I felt that this was all about to reach its end.


    "F.u.c.k I''m c.u.m.m.i.n.g!" I yelled.


    Max gasped and m.o.a.ned, and then screamed as she felt my load fill her. I did try to say something more, but it came out as grunts and occasionally a growl, I was too invested in feeling the pleasure that came from emptying the contents of balls inside a nice, warm, wet p.u.s.s.y.


    Once I was done I got off and Max collapsed next to me unable to move. Now that I was done using her I didn''t care if she went to sleep or left. I just wanted to get some sleep.


    (Line Break)


    Diner. Hawkins, Indiana.


    Once again Jane was enjoying the wonder that was waffles, as it turned out they came in different kinds and you could put all kinds of things on them, including syrups, and 11 had discovered that adding one than one kind of syrup wasn''t so wise, but she''d never had a chance to learn this until now so it could not be considered her fault and the mess she''d made all ended up in her stomach anyway.


    "You know there are other foods in the world" 14 mentioned to her.


    While 11 normally listened intently to anything her fellow test subject had to say she found that this morning she didn''t like 14 as much as she normally did. Jane had never really felt jealous before because jealously is about fearing to lose something or someone to another person, but until now Jane never had anything she would worry about losing.


    That had changed, only she didn''t really understand these feelings, she just knew that she didn''t want her only friend showing other girls any attention and that he should only be with her. Sure that other girl had left last night, but she could come back and that would upset 11.


    "Are you going to see that other girl?" 11 wished to know.


    14 was too engrossed in what he called a newspaper to pay any proper notice to what Jane was saying, but she still got an answer.


    "Don''t think so I just wanted a one night stand?" he said.


    So he''d just wanted to kiss and touch that woman with the red hair the one time?


    "Why didn''t you kiss and touch me?" 11 asked.


    She''d never see 14 struggle to find words until now. He always seemed to know what to say and what to do.


    "You need to understand s.e.x before you can consent to do it with someone" he explained.


    11 didn''t know what this s.e.x was exactly, but she figured it had to do with the kissing and the touching that the redheaded girl had liked so much.


    "Teach me" requested 11.


    14 took some time to think of what to say next.


    "I guess someone has to tell you about the birds and the bees," he said.


    Jane was confused.


    "Bird and the bees?" 11 asked.


    What did they have to do with kissing and touching? She''d have to find out more.


    (Line Break)


    Library. Hawkins, Indiana.


    Since this was long before the Internet I''d had resort to finding paper records so as to gather more information on MK Ultra and there was a surprising amount on it if you knew where to look. I had to spend hours looking over newspaper articles on microfilm just like they did in on television. Until today I''d not even known that these things were real, but they were here.


    Between what I''d found here and my own memories of the show I was able to piece together some of what had happened with MKUltra and Jane''s family. I kept recording everything I could think of as truth onto a notepad. Including what happened to Jane''s mother. I''d been able to get some information from reading minds while locked up, however, I still needed to know more.


    So I''d written down that Dr Brenner had Tery Ives (Jane''s mother) forcefully put through what appeared to be electroconvulsive therapy. The shocks fried Terry''s brain and left her in a vegetative like state; alive, but her mind destroyed to such an extreme that all she could do was run certain events through her head on a loop. Becky Ives, her sister and Jane''s aunt became Terry''s caregiver after this incident.


    In the show, because he thought Hawkins National Laboratory had something to do with Will''s disappearance, Sheriff Hopper came to this public library in order to research past newspaper articles concerning the lab. Among the clippings, he discovered that Dr Brenner had been involved in MKUltra and accused of abusing his test subjects, something I''d seen first hand as I''d been one his victims. One of the earlier subjects was a woman named Terry Ives, who had attempted to sue Brenner for allegedly kidnapping her daughter.


    After finding out that Will''s body had been faked, Hopper went to Joyce, the mother of Will who was taken by the monster, to tell her everything he had discovered while investigating her son''s disappearance. He showed her the newspaper clipping about Terry Ives and remembered the sighting of a kid with a shaved head at some diner. He''d then realized he had been inadvertently tracking down Terry''s daughter the whole time. They decided to find Terry, hoping she could shed some light what was going on at the lab and help in the search for Will Meyers.


    Upon arriving at Terry''s residence, they were greeted by her sister, Becky, at the door. Before letting them in, she warned them that if they wanted to know anything they were too late. Joyce and Hopper attempted to question Terry about her relationship with Brenner and the lab but received no answers due to her being in a catatonic state by the electroconvulsive therapy.


    Becky Ives explained to them about Terry''s participation in Project MKUltra and the supposed effects it had on her. In hopes of "expanding the boundaries of the mind", participants such as Terry were given various psychedelic drugs, mostly LSD, and placed in isolation tanks, where they would become sensorily deprived. During the time she was undergoing these experiments, Terry was unaware of her pregnancy.


    Jane''s aunt believed that Terry had suffered a miscarriage, but not only had Terry believed that Jane was alive, which she was, but that she was also born with abilities, such as telepathy and telekinesis, and it was because of those abilities that she was taken to be used as a human weapon by the government, and this was all true.


    As for Jane, since couldn''t read she was looking at pictures in books as I worked. She did need to learn to read, but that would take time so it would have to wait.


    "Is that Papa?" 11 wondered.


    She''d started to show an interest in the newspaper articles and one of them did show a younger Dr Bremmer.


    "That guy was never your father," I told Jane "He didn''t care about you and never did what''s best for you. A father looks after his children".


    Jane pondered this.


    "So you''re my Papa" she stated.


    That amused me.


    "I''d prefer if you called me Daddy, but we can discuss that later," I said.


    When she had more of an idea of why a guy like me would like her to say that.


    "As for your real father I have no idea who he is," I told 11 "There''s nothing in the article about him".


    This was a little odd as you''d think that even if the parents of Jane Ives weren''t together that they''d both want their child to be raised by at least one of them. He must be dead or maybe simply unaware that he''d gotten someone knocked up. Most humans were rather attached to their offspring.


    "Who is that?" 11 asked me.


    She was pointing at one of the pictures.


    "That is your mother," I told her "Terry Ives. The man you call Papa took you away from your mother when you were a baby and did bad things to her".


    Jane looked upset, and I could understand why.


    "Is Mama here?" she asked.


    Normally I''d just look someone up on social media and contact them on that site, but this was early days in the 1990s, so no one knew about social media, and the only way to find someone back then unless you had access to government records was the phone book. In the show, Hopper and Joyce Byers go to visit Jane''s aunt and mother, and it doesn''t seem to take them that long to get there, and Jane hitchhikes to her aunt''s house in a truck so the Ives can''t be that far away from Hawkins.


    I managed to find an R. Ives in the phonebook and hopefully, this was a Rebecca Ives the Aunt of Jane Ives. If we found her and Terry Ives then 11 could lead us to Eight as she did in the show.


    If my information was correct Kali had lived in London before she was abducted at a young age and she was taken to Hawkins National Laboratory. At the lab, she was given the number "008" and experimented on alongside Eleven for a time. Together, she and Eleven would play in a room in the lab called the "rainbow room". She was present that day Terry Ives came in looking for Eleven. One day, when Kali went to the rainbow room, she discovered that Eleven had been taken away.


    Once Kali''s abilities were strong enough, she used them to escape the lab. She found a new family and home but eventually lost them as they were unable to help her. She then began using her powers to get revenge on the people from the lab along with a gang of friends. I didn''t think that Kali would be in prison as keeping someone like her locked up would be next to impossible, but she might be dead or have fled somewhere far from here. Like Mexico.


    If she was alive it made sense for Jane and myself to go join up with her as if nothing else there was strength in numbers, and 8 had been surviving on her own for a long time so we could learn a few things from her, and she could teach Jane about relationsh.i.p.s. Plus I wouldn''t mind killing a few of those MKUltra f.u.c.ks.


    "Okay let''s go see your aunt and mother," I said to 11.


    I had the number and the street address from the phonebook. It would make sense to call ahead rather than just turn up, and then we could take the bus.


    "We''re gonna see Mama" stated 11.


    Well, she wasn''t my mother. I''d found nothing on me, and that made sense this couldn''t be my universe and this was the wrong part of the world. Also given the year, there could be a very, very young version of me back home, and I didn''t want to mess up his life so best to stay away.


    (Line Break)


    Ives House. Bloomington, Indiana.


    While Jane talked to her aunt I was allowed to go through the boxes of files and clippings that Terry Ives had put together about MKUltra and other government groups that included research into psychic powers, aliens and the occult. While psychics were a real thing in this universe that didn''t mean aliens and magic also existed, however, it would be wise of me to keep an open mind.


    For now, at least, I was totally focused on finding out everything I could on MKUltra and the people who''d suffered because of Dr Brenner. I even learned more about Brenner. During the 1950s Dr Brenner was involved in the controversial Project MKUltra, a CIA-sanctioned research program designed to develop mind-control techniques in which the subject suffered extreme conditions at the hands of the researchers, including use of psychedelic drugs, physical and mental abuse, sleep deprivation, and malnourishment. His methods were barbaric, but he did get results.


    In 1969, Brenner was brought in to overhaul the MKUtra testing at Hawkins National Laboratory, where he became the director. Brenner fired previous test subjects and implemented a shift from subjects from mental asylums and other facilities to college students. I didn''t know why he''d aimed the group''s attention to college students, but it had been somewhat successful.


    What amused me about all that was, in the end, it didn''t matter. All his work had led to nothing, no would believe in the existence of psychics even if he ever published his work and he couldn''t do that as his work would be classified. Plus it was all done to fight the Russians who were no longer the Red Menace. It had all been pointless.


    I also found who Jane''s father was, a man called Andrew Rich, born on September 14, 1951, Andrew grew up with relatively well off parents who paid his way through college. According to Terry Ives''s diary, they met through a mutual friend Stacy who introduced them at a party and they immediately hit it off. They had kept things causal between them with no plans for children or marriage, they weren''t together for that long so it made sense.


    After protesting Nixon''s Address to the Nation on November 3, 1969, Andrew was arrested, jeopardizing his status as a student. Sometime later, Andrew was expelled and with his status as a student stripped, this made him eligible for the Vietnam draft. So poor Andrew was shipped off to Vietnam where he was killed in battle. He never learned of Terry''s pregnancy before his death and while his name wasn''t in the files Jane had been given when the project was shut down he had to be her father as Terry made no mention of any other man of importance in her life and there was a certain resemblance.


    I really did feel bad for Jane, her Dad was dead, her mother might as well, no Grandparents either as her maternal grandparents in a car crash years before Jane was born and father''s grandparents were also dead, I didn''t know how they''d died, but if they''d been murdered by Brenner I wouldn''t be surprised at all.


    With the box in hand, I headed down to the kitchen to find 11 and her aunt chatting as Jane stuffed her face. 11 was a small woman and super skinny, so you had to wonder how she was able to store all that food inside her. I also worried about her health because I''d never seen eat anything that was sweet. I should introduce her to vegetables.


    "I found what I needed Misses Ives, is okay if I take these?" I asked.


    Somehow I''d figured that Rebecca Ives would be glad to be rid of them, and this turned out to be correct. The woman seemed more interested in chain-smoking than anything else. Her way of dealing with the shock.


    "Is this the girl you saw when you tried to reach your mother?" I asked Jane.


    After showing her an old photo of Kali, which was more than enough for 11 to led us to Eight something she got started on finding Eight, I reached out to listen to the thoughts of the two older Ives woman, I got nothing from Jane''s mother, but Rebecca was worried about taking care of Jane while also taking care of her sister. It would be a big burden on a woman who already had to take care of a sister who could do nothing for herself.


    "We can''t stay here," I told 11 once she''d scouted out the location of Eight "Let''s go find Kali, and we can come back to visit your mother another day".


    Jane agreed to do as I wished, she was ignorant about so much, yet wise enough to know that she should follow my lead.


    (Line Break)


    Abandoned House. Seattle.


    As expected I''d found Kali with her gang, which was comprised of a few people, some of which I''d seen the show and some I had no knowledge of at all. They were living in an old abandoned house in a part of the city that had clearly seen better days. Also, this was a different city than in the show I felt certain of that, they must move around a lot to avoid the authorities.


    The gang members were all outcasts by the standards of the society they lived in. Kali looked after them, keeping them safe as best she could with her powers, and in doing so provided them with the opportunity to get revenge on those responsible for what happened to them. In return, the gang was loyal to Kali, following her orders. Which made me wonder if I could ever subvert her command. It didn''t seem worth the effort.


    Jane and I, who were both dressed to better blend in after I''d stolen us some new clothes, entered the large house that had been mostly cleared out, and the one called Axel pulled out a knife upon seeing us. The guy looked more or less like he had in the show, not one to change his style with the times it seemed.


    "Walk away" he ordered.


    I turned to Jane.


    "11 please don''t kill or badly injure anyone," I said to her "We''re not here to start a fight".


    Despite my words, the punk guy threatened us and my fellow test subject did not react well to this. She took control of his hand and made his knife get very close to his neck. While Jane was not a bad person she would defend herself and those she cared about with lethal force. She''d make the punk stab himself and not lose a wink of sleep over it.


    When another guy when for a gun I kept my gaze on him before ordering him to drop the gun and to kick it over to me. He had no choice to obey as the emotions only made our powers stronger and this situation was full of tension.


    "If I wanted any of you dead you''d be dead" I informed the gang of outlaws "I just want a word with your leader".


    Kail soon appeared, and I noticed right away that she was an attractive young woman. She must be about thirty at this point, but she looked good for her age. She was starting at Jane and myself very intently, trying to make us see something, and I stopped her before anything happened to cause violence.


    "Don''t bother with that?" I told her "We have powers to and ours are a lot easier to use lethally".


    Kali walked over to us.


    "Don''t hurt Axel," she said.


    "Let the man with the silly hair go" I commanded 11.


    She did and the gang of outcasts grouped together, not sure of what to do.


    "You can all relax," I instructed, "If we were here take you in then we''d have an army of cops with us".


    I reached into the backpack I''d gotten and dropped the files I''d gotten from Jane''s aunt on the table. The group began to look through them.


    "Where do you get all of this?" asked a woman who looked as if she badly needed a pair of hair straighteners "You with the government?".


    If I had been there would be SWAT team and snipers surrounding the building.


    "Jane and I have something in common with Kali," I said.


    We both rolled up our sleeves to show our numbers.


    "You escaped from Brenner?" Eight asked us.


    I shook my head.


    "No the project has lost all its funding, and they let us go" I answered.


    I showed Kali the paperwork they''d given me.


    "So what can you two do?" asked one of the outcasts, a rather large man.


    Slowly I returned the man''s gun to him. A risky move, but we needed their trust.


    "I can do the Jedi Mind Trick" I answered.


    Jane made a chair move with his mind and sat down on it.


    "She can find people, all she needs a photo" I explained.


    While my psychic talents had been useful so far, due to their use not being so noticeable, 11 had a lot more power.


    "What do you want from us?" Eight asked.


    My reasons were many and not so easy to explain. Jane''s motivations were easier to understand.


    "Payback for Momma," said 11.


    "Among other things I want to kill the bastard who locked up and tortured for us for his project," I told these outcasts "But for now we''ll settle for somewhere to stay. Brenner didn''t do much to prepare for the big wide world".


    Of course, I wanted much more than that, revenge would be sweet, only there had to be more than that. I wanted to master my powers and ally with others like me so that we''d be safe.


    "There are others like us out there" I let Kail know "Even if I was the last to be found that''s fourteen of us in total and three of us here then there can 11 more like us out there, and who knows what they can do".


    I wanted to find out.


    "So you want to join up" summarised Kail.


    She looked at her people.


    "Wait here so we can talk things over" she instructed.


    Since 11 and I could only wait that was what we did.


    Chapter 3


    Abandoned House. Seattle.


    "I just had a very, very long talk with Jane," Kali said as she sat down at the table in the dining room of this old and mostly forgotten property "Brenner really messed with her head".


    While this house had been abandoned it still had running water and the lights were on because a member of Eight''s group had done something to illegally hook the house up to the power grid, so I was able to keep going through the files and my notes from the library despite the late hour.


    I''d started doing something like that thing you see on TV sometimes when a person had a board covered in pictures and news articles that get connected into some sort of pattern by some different coloured string. I''d not gone that far, but I must look at least a little bit obsessed.


    What I wanted from all of this was to understand the true scope of MKUltra and learn about the people involved. If I wanted revenge then I needed to know who to target, to make sure that they were worth going after. It wouldn''t be such a good thing if we hunted down and killed the guy who moped the floors or the woman who worked in the lunchroom.


    "Glad to hear it" I replied, "She needs someone to explain the world to her".


    I''d tried, but I didn''t have a female perspective on reality, as such, there were things that 11 needed to learn about from another woman.


    "She really likes you" Kali let me know "Likes you a lot".


    That didn''t surprise me to hear.


    "I''m her only friend," I said, "so, of course, she likes me".


    Aside from me, her only experiences with humanity that lasted more than a matter of a few seconds were the people who experimented on her or helped to keep her locked up. She was bound to latch onto the first person who was kind to her.


    "No I mean she really likes you," Kail told me.


    Again this wasn''t shocking news. We''d become almost inseparable since we''d properly met, the only reason she wasn''t here watching me work was because Kali had her attention as well.


    "She has nothing to base her feelings on" I informed Eight "She never even had a friend until we left the lab, and she knows nothing of relationsh.i.p.s".


    Jane wasn''t stupid she was just extremely naive about life. I didn''t feel comfortable doing anything with her until she knew enough to make an informed choice about it.


    "I''m not saying you should do anything," Kail said, "But you need to be sensitive about her feelings, and not go hooking up with more women in bars".


    While that might have made 11 jealous I wasn''t going to apologise for my one nightstand.


    "I''ve spent... I have no idea how long locked up" I reminded Eight "So forgive me if I sought out a little company".


    Kali frowned, but she didn''t say anything, because she understood I hadn''t been doing anything wrong.


    "You and Jane might work out once she''s learned a bit about men" my fellow test subject was now saying "Let me talk to her some more, and when she''s ready you two can get together. You''d make a cute couple and she''s found of you. I think she''d scare anyone else away".


    I had to smile upon hearing in Eight''s voice how much she cared for 11.


    "You took on the big sister role easily enough" I commented.


    In the show, because of their similar abilities and shared experiences at Hawkins Lab, Kali and Eleven quickly came to view each other as sisters. The two were shown to play together in the rainbow room when they were young (something that Eleven originally had no memory of). Following their reunion, Kali took her in immediately. During their time together, Kali became a mentor to her of sorts, teaching Eleven how to better control her powers by using anger.


    Kali''s true intentions for helping Eleven are mostly left ambiguous. A cynical person watching the show might think that she only wised to manipulate Eleven so she could exploit her abilities to make tracking down their targets easier. However, she appeared to genuinely want to help Eleven overcome her pain from the harsh experiences she had suffered. Though her methods for doing so were somewhat dubious, like when she made Eleven see an illusion of Brenner in an attempt to convince her to face her pain. Good intentions or not, when Eleven ultimately chose to return to Hawkins instead of escaping with the gang, Kali was visibly devastated.


    While 11 was older in this timeline she was actually less able to handle people due to not having any experience without the outside world until very recently and she had no idea of what friendship meant. So I would have to be careful in not letting Kali turn her into nothing more than a tool for vengeance. This might seem wrong given that a big reason as to why I wanted 11 with me was because of her powers, and I wanted revenge as well, but I didn''t want 11 to become a mass murderer.


    As such, I was somewhat conflicted about the choices I''d made so far, but in the end, keeping Jane with me and seeking out Kali was for the best as 11 had a lot to learn about everything and Kali had been looking into MKUltra a lot longer than I had. Plus with our combined powers we could make everyone in this gang much safer.


    "Jane is easy to care for," she said.


    I too had found this to be the case.


    "Fine, I''ll wait until 11 is ready and date her" I agreed.


    It wasn''t as if I had any other options. I couldn''t go around telling people that I was a freak and it wasn''t good to hide that sort of thing from a partner, so that didn''t leave me with large dating pool, and someone did need to look after 11 even if she did now have a big sister figure in her life.


    "So what are you looking for in all this?" Kail asked as she came and sat next to me.


    I showed her the file that Terry Ives had on her.


    "If I''m number 14 and three of us are here then there are as many as 11 more test subjects out there" I explained to Kali "If the lab in Hawkins is just one of many then there could be many more of us. We could just be the 14 test subjects to have been in that one lab".


    I pointed to the picture of Eight.


    "11 found you just using an old photo so we can get images of other test subjects then she can find them all, assuming any of them are still alive," I told Kali "I want to know how they managed to avoid Brenner for so many years in case he comes after 11 and me. Maybe we can all look after each other".


    My fellow psychic didn''t seem concerned.


    "14 I''ve been fine for years," said Kali "I can teach you how to survive".


    That would be helpful and she had avoided getting killed or locked up somewhere for many years.


    "If Brenner starts up the program again we need be somewhere he''ll never find us" I reasoned "and we need to be able to fight back if sends people to drag us back to his lab".


    Kali now did look somewhat concerned.


    "Do you think he''ll come looking for all of us?" she asked.


    I didn''t know for certain, but I felt it best to prepare for the worst.


    "MKUltra has existed in one form or another for decades and someone could start it up again if they get the funding" I answered, "The kind of people who are willing to abduct and experiments on children aren''t going to care who funds them, and if they do get the money they need Brenner will want us back under this control or killed if only so we can''t work against him".


    I had no desire to be locked up and kept sedated once again. Not that the sedating part had done me much harm. I guessed they must have weaned me off the drugs before I left the lab since I wasn''t going through with withdrawal, or they''d given me something wasn''t addictive.


    "There are other ways to get the information you need," Kali told me "if you can read minds you just need the right heads to get into".


    I could guess where she was going with this, and while it had been tempting to read her mind to suss out her intentions, that should wait until she was less alert.


    "Get some sleep," advised Eight as she started to get up and leave the room "Tomorrow we''ll go out. I want to see how your powers work in the real world".


    I assumed she wanted to try training me to use my powers better, and do that she needed to understand them, so she would need to see them in action.


    "You should sleep with Jane" suggested Kali "She''ll feel better with you close".


    I nearly protested, only then I realised that my fellow psychic really meant sleep with and just sleeping. It seemed like a good idea as otherwise, I''d be on the couch.


    (Line Break)


    Abandoned House. Seattle.


    As Kali rested on the old bed in her room, which was up in the attic, she thought about the recent changes in her life and what they meant. The sudden appearance of 11 and 14 hadn''t derailed things for her, at least not yet, but they were something that she would need time to adapt to.


    Few things in life really surprised Kali, and she''d never hoped for much as she''d seen a lot of the worst things that the world had to offer, and she''d endured some of it first hand. Yet despite her losses, which included two families, one of which she''d been born into, she''d been able to make some sort of life for herself. Mostly it involved hiding out and trying to get some payback on the people who''d made her and others suffer so much, but it had been something.


    Now all of a sudden she had new people in her life, not some rejects that she''d picked up during her travels, but people like her, freaks some would call them, and while it was nice to know that she wasn''t the only person around who could screw with people''s minds, she was more interested in what this meant for her crusade. It had consumed many years of her life and while some of her fellow outcasts hadn''t made it this far most of them had been able to escape death or long term imprisonment.


    These recent arrivals in her life changed things, with three psychics in the group they''d be much harder for anyone to hurt, and they would be able to do so much more. But that didn''t mean that Eight, as she''d once been known, didn''t care for the new folks. They were like her, victims of a man who only cared about what others could do for him, and that did unite them in a common cause: payback.


    Aside from that, it wasn''t as if they had anywhere to go. 14 the older and clearly smarter of the two, or least the better at planning, had been the one to figure out how 11 and he would find their fellow test subject. He was also a telepath so Kaii would have to be careful around him. Thankfully he didn''t hear thoughts at random it took focus so she''d likely know if he was trying to read her mind she had experience in messing with people''s minds.


    Jane was the easier one to understand and deal with despite her ignorance of the world as Eleven only had two concerns in her life the, "bad men" who worked with Papa, and not getting separated from 14. Sure 11 wanted to hurt the people who''d hurt her mother, but she didn''t seem to share the anger than 8 and 14 felt towards Brenner.


    This could be something of a problem for 11 as intense emotion would help to fuel her powers, so she needed something to be angry about beyond a certain person not giving her all the attention she wished for. Not that Kali blamed 11 for this, Jane had been so cut off from people and so badly treated she couldn''t possibly do anything other than latch on to anyone who treated her well. Somewhat like an abused puppy. Kail hadn''t been so different once upon a time.


    11 would need to learn to defend herself and find a reason to survive. Kai could give her all that and more. But that could wait until tomorrow, for now, she needed to get some sleep.


    (Line Break)


    Thrift Store. Seattle.


    While 11 had gone for a more punk rocker look for her makeover, something that suited her, I''d entered this clothing store with other intentions. I wanted to go grunge rather than punk rocker as this was the very early 90s and the time of grunge.


    Grunge fashion was best found in thrift-stores such as these and I well remembered the style even if I hadn''t worn in many years. Men wore second-hand or shabby T-shirts with slogans, band logos, etc. A plaid shirt would accompany the T-shirt, along with ripped or faded jeans. Black combat-style boots, such as Doc Martens, would complete the ensemble. This was what I aimed for.


    I''d always rather liked the style and clothing for it could be rather cheap if you knew where to look. Not that I intended to pay for anything and I could get away with that as mind control was my power. It also helped that while security cameras existed they were nowhere near as common now as they would in decades to come.


    One of the biggest influences on grunge fashion was rock star Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of the hugely successful band Nirvana. It is widely believed that Cobain represented the core of the grunge movement and the phenomenon of the grunge scene''s influence. Something I''d admired about even though I''d not learned of his music until many years after he died.


    Punk lovers, a few of which were in Kali''s gang, usually wore a leather jacket, ripped jeans, a shirt without sleeves, metal chains, and dark clothes. In contrast, grunge rockers wore mundane everyday clothing everywhere. For example, Kurt Cobain, singer-guitarist of Nirvana, would just wear an oversized striped sweater, ripped jeans, a pair of Converse, and an unkempt hair when he went to perform. I was doing my best to follow the trend he set despite not really having the hair for it or much hair at all since they''d kept shaving it short at the lab.


    As I looked around the store for more clothes which might suit me I thought about how this was a good time for me to have been freed in given that grunge music hadn''t become too commercially successful yet and I''d enjoy the culture more before it became too mainstream.


    I recalled that The Smashing Pumpkins started around this time somewhere in Chicago and they wouldn''t produce their first album until next year so they''d likely be blowing the roofs of some joints in some easy to get into shows before they got noticed. I figured that I should take 11 to a show in case she got into that kind of music and we ever made it to that city.


    Thinking that paused me in my tracks as I''d not considered doing anything of that kind with Jane until no, not something so date like. Mostly I''d wanted to keep her out of sight since she could not navigate the world as I could. But maybe with Kali and her gang around, she''d be able to adapt more quickly by having more people to learn from. Then we could do date stuff.


    Once I had all my new clothes stuff into a bag I rejoined the rest of the group, who seemed to think that 11 was some sort of dress-up doll.


    "You should let her pick out some clothes she likes" I suggested.


    Kali''s gang, a couple of whom did go for the grunge look, did start suggesting that 11 try on some flannel shirts, so I figured that no one was going to listen to me, and so I just waited for them to decide Jane''s taste in fashion for her, not that 11 was really qualified to pick for herself since she''d not worn much in her life that wasn''t a hospital gown.


    "So anything else you need 14?" Kali asked me "Shopping is a lot easier when you don''t have to run off after we''ve taken what we want".


    Mind controlling shop keepers did make things easier for us, and I knew what else I needed to get my hands on.


    "Weapons," I said, "my powers don''t work on groups and I can''t throw people around so I need something to defend myself with".


    A gun would be nice, but until someone showed me how to shoot one safely I''d settle for a couple of knives.


    (Line Break)


    Abandoned House. Seattle.


    Kali led 11 and myself, into the attic of the house where she slept and there were quite a few photographs that were tacked up on a wall. Some had black Xs drawn on them. I figured these people were dead, either because Kali and her gang had killed them, or because they''d died for other reasons.


    "These are the ''bad men'', as Jane calls them," Kali explained to us "The ones we believe are still alive. Do you know any of them?".


    As Jane scanned the various photos I examined them as well, finding that most of them were unfamiliar. Except for a few, and there was one man who got 11''s attention very quickly.


    "Him," Jane said as she pointed at the picture "He hurt my Mama".


    She was pointing at a photo from a newspaper article. The man show was bald, with a dark beard and when I checked against my notes I found that this Ray person used to work as an orderly at the Hawkins National Laboratory under the authority of Doctor Martin Brenner. He''d been in a somewhat high position in his workplace and was qualified to administer electroshock treatments at the mental asylum he used to work at before getting transferred the lab in Hawkins before he''d left the project.


    "His name is Ray Caroll. And he did more than hurt your mother" Kali informed Jane as she took the photo of the wall. "The bad men like Ray, they know about us. It''s made them hard to track. But maybe not anymore".


    One day while he was working for Brenner, Terry Ives broke into the lab, forcing her way in with a gun. She searched the facility for her missing daughter, Jane Ives. She eventually found her daughter in a room where she was playing with Kali Prasad, our fellow test subject, but Terry was captured before she could retrieve her daughter. Brenner ordered Terry to be strapped to a table and forced to undergo electroshock therapy. Ray then proceeded to electrocute her until her brain was damaged, leaving her in an almost catatonic state.


    Ray was also apparently in charge of maintaining order with the test subjects as Kali told us that he used to electrocute her with a cattle prod when she''d first started using her powers to try to escape. Taser and cattle prods were effective against psychics as using our powers required focus and it is hard to concentrate when on your on the floor having spasms. Something I knew from my own escape attempts.


    "If I''m right then this Ray fellow left Hawkins after he got divorced and moved to somewhere in Illinois, where he lives with his two daughters" I read out from my notes "We need to make sure they aren''t around when we go after this guy. Hopefully, they spend most of their time at their mothers".


    I had no issue with killing this man since while he''d been ordered my Brenner to destroy the mind of Terry Ives he could have refused to do so or sabotaged the attempt or reported it to someone, even if he''d gone along with things due to fear of Brenner that didn''t matter. The excuse ''I was only following orders'' didn''t hold up with me once you started torturing people.


    "He hurt Mama" 11 firmly stated.


    I saw Kali gave her sort of sister a rather solemn look and she gave Jane the photo.


    "Then let''s go hurt him back," she said, "Find him, Jane".


    (Line Break)


    Apartment Block. Chicago.


    During the time it took to reach Ray Caroll''s home, Kali had plenty of time to explain a lot about the world to Jane, and to she talked to me about how she used her powers, about how her emotions could fuel her mental efforts, she also explained how she used her powers to protect her friends. Kali wasn''t stupid, she''d realised very quickly that with two more powerful freaks on her side we''d all be a lot safer, and that she had a lot more to teach us than better ways of using our gifts.


    "We should case the place, stick to the routine," the guy called Mick said. "We have time".


    Seemed smart to me.


    "We also have these two" Kali replied while gesturing at me and Jane "Can you scout for us?"


    A minute or so later, Jane opened her eyes and told us what she saw


    "He''s asleep and there''s a television," she said.


    "Well, is he alone?" Mick asked.


    He wasn''t in the show, but this was many years later.


    "I saw him. No one else" she answered.


    Everyone waited for me. Since I''d gotten out of the lab I''d been able to experiment more with my powers and when I listened to thoughts of many people it was like being in a room with a lot of conversations. You have to learn to focus on hearing each different person and thoughts with a lot of emotions in them were louder, or at least this was how my mind dealt with the information I was getting.


    "It all seems calm," I told the group "but I won''t know for sure until I get closer. When we''re outside his front door I''ll try again".


    Kali smiled at me.


    "It gets easier" she promised me.


    A very short amount of time later, after I''d confirmed that there was no one else in the apartment, at least no one awake, we had Ray Caroll was sitting down in his living room chair, an expression of pure terror on his face as Kali removed her mask. She then nodded in silent instruction for Jane to do the same. I''d not bothered to wear the mask, having gone with sunglasses and a bandana, it worked better with my new grunge look.


    "Do you remember us?" Kali asked,


    Ray shook his head. The lights flickered, and I could hear Kali saying,


    "What about us? Do you remember us, Ray?" she asked.


    She didn''t say that in her voice. It was the voice of a young child. Kali couldn''t just alter what a person saw, but she could also make them hear things differently as well. I''d have to ask her if she could make people smell things, but later as this wasn''t the time for me to be asking any questions.


    When the lights came back on, Kali struck him across the face, and he collapsed onto the floor despite the fact that Kali wasn''t a well-built woman and he was rather heavy. He was on all fours, and as he looked up at us he did so with a pitiful look, yet I did not feel sorry for him.


    "Read his mind to be sure" encouraged Kali.


    It was good to know that she wasn''t blinded by a need for revenge that she didn''t forget to make use of our talent to ensure we had the right person, although there seemed to be little reason for doubt. Perhaps some past mistake had made Kali much careful.


    "Please. Please..." he begged.


    "You. Hurt. Mama," Jane said coldly


    She then flung him into the nearest wall, but not very hard as he wasn''t knocked out or even winded.


    "Wait, please. Listen," he said as he begged "I just did what he told me to do. He said she was sick!".


    Kali and Jane did not believe this, and frankly neither did I. It sounded like one of the excuses of those who had committed war crimes.


    "You had a choice, Ray. And you chose to follow a man you knew was hurting people" said Kali.


    Jane held out her hand, she looked as if she was about to do a Darth Vader impression and I actually started humming the Imperial March for some reason.


    "No, no, wait! Wait! I can...help. I can help you find him" pleaded Ray.


    This guy was not going to die with any dignity.


    "Find who?" Kali demanded to know.


    "Brenner!" Ray shouted, his tone of voice telling us how desperate he truly was "I can take you to him".


    We didn''t need his help with that, the only reason we hadn''t gone after Brenner directly was that we all knew that someone like him would be too well guarded. Until Jane and I had mastered our powers it would be too dangerous to go after Brenner in any direct way.


    "Jane will find him," Kali said coldly. "Just as she found you".


    Turning to the side she looked at her sort of sister.


    "Do it, Jane. Do it!" she yelled.


    11 hesitated, but only for a moment and then started using her mind to cut off his air supply.


    "Not too quick" ordered Kali "He wasn''t so generous with your mother".


    Jane tightened her grip on him even more, Ray''s eyes widening as he realized that she was not going to leave him alive. She didn''t drag it out that much, and once the man had expired we got moving as by now one of the neighbours could have called the police.


    (Line Break)


    Abandoned House. Seattle.


    Jane who wasn''t exactly talkative at the best of times became even less of a chatterbox on the ride back here. I didn''t think she felt guilty over killing that Ray guy, she didn''t seem depressed or angry, perhaps she was disappointed in not getting to prolong the man''s suffering. The only person she''d spoken much to on the return trip was Kali, who had been very pleased by what Jane had done.


    With people taking turns doing the driving, which involved trying to teach me the basics on the way and only stopping for snacks and petrol, or gas as the locals called it, the trip back still took more than 30 hours, so it had been a long time to spend not talking much to Jane. Not that she ignored me, if anything she''d gotten more clingy, and I figured that she a lot to process about the world.


    "It didn''t help Mama," 11 said to me as we went up to the room we shared "Papa hurt her too".


    While 11 and I weren''t having s.e.x, as I didn''t think she was ready for that, at least not just yet, even if she had killed people, we were sharing a bed as she liked to be close to me, and I didn''t mind either since unlike other women I''d slept with she''d didn''t hog all the covers.


    "None of us can help your mother," I told her "but we can stop Brenner from hurting anyone else by killing him".


    Killing Ray didn''t help with that, in fact, it could be considered counterproductive since if he learned of Ray''s death Brenner might increase whatever security he around himself. Not that this was a good reason to have left Ray alone, he''d still brutalized Kali was she was younger and rendered Terry Ives to something barely above a drooling mess in terms of awareness.


    "And remember that you and I are in danger as long as Brenner is out there" I reminded 11 "He might start his work again and want to lock us up like before".


    Jane stripped off her clothes as I watched and because her thoughts were elsewhere, I didn''t need telepathy to tell that, she didn''t even notice how much I was checking her out, not that she would care. Once she did notice me looking she did care that her b.o.o.b.s were small, by now she''d realised that other women had larger b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    "Small," she said.


    I smiled at her.


    "Don''t worry I''m a butt guy" I let Jane know.


    Rather adorably she tried to look at her own backside without the aid of a mirror, but not for long.


    "I''m too cold," she told me as she stood in front of me in her birthday suit "Get into bed".


    It was adorable that she didn''t want to go to bed without me in it, but I didn''t get in right away, I had her put on of my t-shirts, it served well enough as a nightgown.


    "Some girls like to wear their boyfriend''s t-shirts to bed" I informed 11 "I don''t know why".


    It would help her keep warm along with my body heat and that was all that mattered. Once we got into bed Jane did her best to get as much contact with me as possible. Treating me as if I was sort of hot water bottle/ large teddy bear Not that I minded this, but it was a little odd to have returned to what passed for home after going a murder road trip. I didn''t dwell on that for much longer, as I didn''t feel guilty and I''d had time to process what I''d done, but also because Jane was moving around while rubbing against me.


    "11 are you masturbating?" I asked.


    I knew that women did jerk off, and I''d have girlfriends who''d even done it while I watched, and I''d done my fair share of dry humping when I was a horny teenager, but I couldn''t recall a girl ever rubbing against me while touching herself. I really shouldn''t have been surprised by this. Eleven had no modesty and with so little to do when locked up she was have gotten herself off quite often.


    "Do you not want me to?" she asked, "Am I bad?".


    The last thing I desired was to shame her and I could see the desire for my approval on her face. I didn''t often listen to what 11 was thinking, and right now I had no need to.


    "No it''s fine" I assured her "Just don''t do it in front of anyone other me".


    Hopefully, Kali had explained about not doing s.e.x.u.a.l things in front of others. I didn''t care if she fingered herself, but others might find it offensive and it was the kind of behaviour that got people''s attention. Something we didn''t want.


    "Okay 14, I''ll only do it with you" 11 promised, "I''m not bad".


    Sometime soon I''d have to talk to Kali about this, as it was clear the Jane hadn''t gotten all the details she needed from her new big sis, and then I''d handle the more practical side of Jane''s s.e.x education myself since I couldn''t just give her a book on the subject.


    "Do you touch yourself?" 11 asked me.


    I figured that at least the very start of her s.e.x education was going to start now, and I didn''t see much harm in telling her about how men climaxed. Better from me than some guy who didn''t know why she was ignorant about so many things and p.o.r.n could be misleading.

 Chapter 318 - My OC Stash #18 - Code Geass: The Prepared Rebellion V2 by SeerKing (CodeGeass)

    -The fic''s diverse enough that it doesn''t feel like you''re rereading the manga and it''s just well written. Also I love what the author has done with the Geass universe, the greatest contribution being the elimination of Mao of course lol/


    Synopsis: Imagine if Lelouch had prepared himself both mentally and physically for his war with Britannia. Lelouch X Harem. Has a TVTropes page!


    Rated: M


    Words: 326K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/10724053/1/Code-Geass-The-Prepared-Rebellion-V2 (SeerKing)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0-3 (exceptional)


    Year 2010 A.T.B, (1955 A.D.) May 10th


    Undisclosed Location, Japan


    Lelouch Lamperouge, formerly known as His Highness Lelouch vi Britannia, Eleventh Prince of The Holy Britannian Empire and Seventeenth in line for the throne, sat scowling at his feet.


    Off to his left, some Japanese soldiers were cremating the remains of some of their fallen brethren, saluting to respect them and their sacrifice.


    ''A single month.'' Lelouch thought darkly. ''In only a single month, my former homeland has forced Japan to surrender itself. Incredible. These Fourth Generation Knightmare Frames, the ''Glasgow'', must be very powerful to accomplish this.''


    Most people would be surprised by such dark and mature thoughts from Lelouch, considering he is only ten years old, but Lelouch is no ordinary child. Raised in the Aries Villa alongside his half-siblings, he was taught the basics of ruling, in case he was the one to make it to the throne, he proved himself to be a veritable genius, surpassed only by his elder brother, Prince Schneizel, in his ability to grasp even the advanced and convoluted theories of politics and of warfare.


    In addition, he was far more mature than most children of his age due to the tragedies he has endured. His mother, Marianne vi Britannia, had been brutally murdered by a withering hail of gunfire right in front of him. His younger sister, Nunnally, had been caught in the crossfire.


    Although his mothers'' last act had been to shield most of her with her body, Nunnally had been shot in the legs, crippling her.


    The trauma from the death of her mother had robbed Nunnally of her sight ever since.


    Lelouch had demanded a reason from his father, Charles zi Britannia, the Emperor, as to why terrorists, whom it was supposed by all had committed the murder, had been allowed to get into the inner gardens of the Aries Villa, where they then shot through a series of windows to kill his mother as she was walking down a flight of stairs, and had escaped, both unmolested and unfound!


    In response, Charles disowned both Lelouch and Nunnally, and sent them to Japan as political hostages. "So you may be of some use, as weak as you both are." as his former father had put it.


    And now this. An invasion, which gave the Japanese people carte blanche to kill them. The two children of Marianne had been truly abandoned by both their family and country.


    Lelouch''s scowl deepened. He had been forced to use his intellect to save his own life, as well as Suzaku Kururugi''s life, once already, when the Japanese Colonel, Ky¨­shir¨­ T¨­d¨­, had threatened to kill him and Nunnally.


    Lelouch knew that T¨­d¨­ had spared him only because he had been a temporary student of his during his stay at the Kururugi household, and knew how much Lelouch himself despised his former country. The next assassin would not be as forgiving.


    He and Nunnally would have to disappear, and soon. Lelouch already had a plan in the works that assured a successful hiding place for the foreseeable future. Nunnally was resting at the moment, but they would set off for Tokyo in the morning, to enact the first stage of his plan.


    Lelouch glanced to the side at Suzaku. His brother-in-all-but-blood was quiet and seemed to be brooding, much as Lelouch was. Suzaku''s father, Genbu Kururugi, had been the Prime Minister of Japan, thus why the two royal exiles had been staying with them.


    When Japan was invaded, Genbu had committed seppuku, ritual suicide. That had thrown the country''s command structure into disarray and, with only a single victory against the rampaging Britannian forces at Itsukushima, the remaining politicians had folded like a house of cards.


    Suzaku had been devastated by his father''s death, and only the need to protect Nunnally had helped the boy recover somewhat from the shell-like being he had turned into following his father''s death.


    "I swear, Suzaku." Lelouch spoke, anger filling his voice as he stood.


    Suzaku looked up and stared at his friend warily.


    "I swear, someday, somehow, I will destroy Britannia!" Lelouch said, determination etching his face and body.


    Chapter 1


    Year 2017 A.T.B (1962 A.D.)


    A room in The Tokyo Britannian Settlement, Area Eleven, Formally Japan


    Lelouch Lamperouge moved his knight to its destination on the chessboard and said, softly, "Checkmate." to his opponent, a Britannian Nobleman who was as arrogant as he was rich. In other words, very, very rich.


    Currently, said nobleman was doing an excellent impersonation of a landed fish at his defeat in chess. It was hardly surprising, considering he himself had set a limit of 20 seconds per move to give himself an advantage against the man Lelouch had replaced, an old man who ran a costume business. This rule had in fact had contributed a considerable portion to his own defeat.


    Unsurprisingly, it had only taken 8 minutes, 38 seconds to lay the pompous fool low, a personal record of his, according to his friend Rivalz.


    After the wreck of a nobleman had paid him the money being wagered on the match (The Pride of an Aristocrat made him pay), Lelouch and Rivalz sauntered out to ride back to campus on Rivalz''s bike.


    On the giant outdoor screen, there was a report on the terrorist bombing on a lab the previous day, which was followed by an emergency broadcast by the Viceroy of Area-11, Prince Clovis la Britannia, Third Prince of Britannia.


    Lelouch''s eyes narrowed at the sight of the pompous ass who was his elder half-brother. Clovis was a fool, a coward and an utterly abysmal and lackl.u.s.tre strategist. Lelouch had been forced to stop himself yawning as a child in the face of Clovis'' boring and uninspired strategies and tactics with a chessboard, so he could hardly be better with troops and Knightmares.


    After Clovis'' ''charismatic and inspiring speech'' was over, Rivalz and Lelouch were on their way towards Ashford Academy. While they were en-route, Lelouch considered the last seven years.


    He and Nunnally had - after dodging yet another assassination attempt, this time by a covert Britannian Unit - been taken in by the Ashford group, his mother''s old supporters and backers from when she had merely been one of many Knights of Honour, which was exactly according to his calculations.


    On the run from both the Britannian Army and the Japanese Army, Lelouch had developed a fairly accurate picture of himself and Suzaku and had compared them at the Ashford''s residence.


    Suzaku was an average strategist, but was excellent at thinking on his feet and adapting to changing situations. He was also physically fit and possessed very high kinaesthesia, granting him excellent skill in martial arts. Suzaku''s Achilles Heel was his overly idealistic, not to mention na?ve and childish, viewpoint, which restricted what he was able to doing strategy and tactics due to his own morals.


    Lelouch himself was an excellent and (no false modesty) almost peerless strategist, being able to see all the possible moves an enemy can possibly make and when they can make them with little to no information. Tactics-wise, he was quite good, but tended to be nonplussed if something doesn''t go according to plan. His own Achilles Heel had been his physique, which was underdeveloped, due to doing more sitting than exercise. Although there was nothing wrong with his kinaesthesia, he just couldn''t move fast enough, or strongly enough, to make use of it.


    Lelouch had seen the possible flaws and weaknesses inherent in his body and mind easily, and had (reluctantly) taken steps to avoid them. He was now moderately fit and healthy, thanks to a mildly rigorous fitness regime. Although he was no body builder, he could hold his own. He had also taken up the Japanese defensive art of Aikido, should the circ.u.mstances force a hand-to-hand fight. In order to maintain that health, he had taken up the art of fencing. Secretly, he had also taken up a rare style of Japanese kenjutsu, and had maintained a high success rate in matches with both disciplines.


    In order to offset his tactical inflexibility, he had read every book on strategy and tactics that he could get his hands on, from Sun Tzu to the memoirs of the Britannian commander of the invasion of Japan.


    Of course, Nunnally had no idea about that, nor did she know about his gambling for cash that he did. Even if she had known that he did gamble, she wouldn''t guess why.


    The reason he conducted high-stakes gambling, other than the pleasure of fleecing unsuspecting, and well deserving, targets, such as the nobleman this afternoon, was to build up funds for his eventual attempt to destroy Britannia.


    It would, he reluctantly conceded, take quite some time before he had the perquisite funds for such an attempt. He had been doing gambling for three years now, since he was fourteen, and barely had enough to buy a black-market, outdated Glasgow Knightmare Frame, after money for living expenses, and several ''investments'' were deducted.


    At Ashford, he played the role of a likeable, social, easy-going person. He was liked so much that there were actually cheers when Milly Ashford, the current Student Council President, strong-armed him into the role of Student Council Vice-President almost as soon as he entered the High School Division.


    Almost every girl at Ashford seemed to have a crush on him, so he turned into a veritable Ice Prince when they attempted to get close to him, much to their dismay, although some of them seemed to get excited for some strange reason when he did reject them, squealing in delight at how ''cool and distant'' he was.


    No one ever suspected he was wearing a mask - a mask of lies. Lelouch sighed to himself as he considered the web of lies he had constructed to protect himself and Nunnally. The only people who knew the real him were Milly, Nunnally, Sayoko Shinozaki, Nunnally''s personal maid and guard, as well as his Aikido and Kenjutsu instructor, and himself.


    Being popular was exhausting, both physically and mentally. Just about all that got him through each day was seeing his little sister happy, alive and not being used as a tool of diplomacy.


    ''Even in my despair, it appears like I cannot give up.'' Lelouch mused to himself sardonically.


    Lelouch was jarred from his contemplation in the sidecar of Rivalz''s bike by the sound of a horn blaring immediately behind them. Lelouch cranked his neck around to see a very nondescript truck right on their tail. The driver, a male Japanese man, looked very irate and stressed. His companion, a female, was trying to calm him down, but he seemed to have had the final straw at being blocked by a pair of school kids on a motorbike.


    "Whoa!" Rivalz yelped as the truck drew too close, forcing poor Rivalz to dodge to the right, while the truck went along a route marked off for construction as it led into the Shinjuku Ghetto. It crashed into the entrance of the tunnel as Lelouch watched with wide, shocked eyes.


    ''It was partially their fault for being so damn close to us, but Rivalz is equally to blame for going so slow on a freeway.'' Lelouch thought as the bike screeched to a halt, Rivalz gasping at the close call he had just avoided.


    Lelouch noticed people stopping their cars and gawking at the crashed truck. They were taking photographs with their camera phones and gossiping with each other.


    ''The herd gathers to watch, yet do nothing.'' Lelouch thought with contempt as he got out of the sidecar and took off his helmet. ''I will not be like them!''


    Resolute, he made his way down, ignoring the catcalls from the crowd and the yells of Rivalz that there was only ten minutes until their next class.


    He would help these people, damn it, even if they were partly responsible for the crash!


    In the Truck''s Cab


    Kallen K¨­zuki groaned as she recovered from the crash that her partner, Nagata, had partially caused. The rest of the fault went to those damn Britannian brats in the motorcycle for not reacting fast enough!


    "Nagata! Nagata!" Kallen called over to the stunned man.


    The man groaned in response before shaking his head and cracking open an eyelid.


    "Well, we can''t be dead, otherwise I wouldn''t have whiplash." he mused aloud.


    Kallen rolled her eyes at her companion''s lackadaisical comment.


    "Nagata! We have to get out of here! Move it! Now!" she hissed at the man, who nodded and reached for the gear lever.


    Outside and On Top of the Truck


    Lelouch was climbing the ladder set on the middle of the truck, seeing as the cab was cut off from casual approach by metal girders. He was becoming concerned by the lack of cries of pain or for help.


    "Hello? Are you alright in there?" He called once he reached the open hatch at the top.


    Suddenly, his body was tingling. His senses were hyperactive and his heart skipped a beat. What was going on? He could swear he heard a female voice then.


    ''It''s you! I''ve finally found my¡­'' The voice cut off and the strange sensation with it. Just what the hell was going on with this truck?


    Lelouch was having second thoughts about helping the truck drivers when the truck jerked backwards in reverse, causing him to fall into the truck, through the open hatch.


    He recovered and landed, crouched on one knee. He tried to call out, to let the drivers know there was someone in the back, but the breath was driven from him before he could do so by being slammed into whatever it was that the truck was carrying.


    In the distance, Rivalz gaped at the sight of his friend being carried off by a truck. "Soooo¡­.would you call that a hit and run?" he wondered aloud. He couldn''t go after them, as stopping that sudden stop had fried the circuits somehow, as well as cutting the fuel line.


    He just hoped Lelouch would make it out of this in one piece, because Rivalz had a bad feeling about this.


    Inside The Truck


    "If they put a ladder on the outside, you''d think they would apply common sense and put one on the inside as well!" Lelouch muttered to himself as he sought a way out.


    He was about to try and climb the spherical object that was the sole cargo in this section of the truck, when a voice from a loudspeaker ordered the truck to pull over. The next thing he knew, the truck was moving in one direction then another rapidly-a very poor evasion. On top of it all, he heard a rapid {PTNK}, {PTNK} sound and a [VOOM], [VOOM] sound outside Lelouch recognised -a VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) Gunship firing its main machine gun -thankfully, only as a warning shot this time.


    Rapid possibilities flashed though his mind until only one remained -this truck had terrorists of some ilk on board, quite probably one of the many anti-Britannian rebel/terrorist groups that Japan spawned like a nest of rats. The voice on the speakers warned that the next shot would be shot to kill.


    Lelouch was paralysed with worry-until he heard someone walking rapidly towards the compartment he was in from the cab! Quickly, he took cover behind the odd spherical device just as the door opened.


    Through it stepped a redheaded female about Lelouch''s age. Her hair was held back with a red and black headband and spiked up at the sides. Her eyes were sapphire blue and burned with determination. She was wearing a blue medical orderly''s vest that was swiftly removed that to reveal a vest-shorts combo in brown and red that highlighted a voluptuous, well-toned figure. Lelouch had an odd sense of familiarity, as if he had met her before somewhere.


    The girl spoke, presumably to the driver, "Can you use the Subway tunnel in the Azu-Bu route?" Her voice was forceful, determined and strangely melodious.


    "Kallen! Why don''t we just use it here? Why not?" The driver yelled back. Lelouch had ice in his stomach as the probability of the ''it'' they were talking about being the device he was hiding behind.


    "Because that would cause a bloodbath!" the girl -Kallen- responded in an admonishing tone, as she climbed the steps to the next compartment. The driver grunted and admitted the truth of that statement.


    Lelouch meanwhile was running through all the redheaded girls he knew called Kallen, as that nagging sense of familiarity was insisting he was at least acquainted with her.


    He rapidly narrowed it down, since Kallen was not a common name, the same applying to red hair, to a girl in his class who was sickly, thus frequently absent for treatment: Kallen Stadtfelt, the only daughter of the Stadtfelt family.


    Lelouch''s eyes widened. The Kallen he vaguely remembered from class was quiet, meek and non-athletic, the polar opposite of this Kallen. Either he was wrong or the Kallen at school¡­.was a mask.


    Lelouch felt the latter conclusion to be correct; since it was the only explanation that accounted for the vague familiarity he felt when he saw her.


    Now he had to hope that whatever it was she was doing at the back of the truck was going to stop the truck being turned into a burning wreck by the military.


    With Kallen


    Kallen booted up her Knightmare, an obsolete Glasgow painted crimson. She was an excellent pilot, despite not having undergone any formal training, yet she was well aware that the Glasgow was no match for the Sutherland Frames that had been introduced as Britannia''s main-line workhorse, even with an excellent pilot on the side of the Glasgow.


    She just had to hope that there were none nearby, or at least she could hold any off while Nagata got away with¡­it.


    Kallen shuddered. Not many things made her shiver, but deadly poison gas? That certainly made the short list of things that did, another being the people who made and planned to use the infernal stuff.


    She keyed the hatch open slightly via remote and saw three VTOL Gunsh.i.p.s in pursuit-and that the lead Gunship was about to fire its main cannon for another burst!


    Kallen, without hesitation, fired off one of her two Slash Harkens at the Gunship. It exploded in flames on impact. Kallen decided that now would be a good time to begin the diversion section of her job.


    The Slash Harken had already begun to retract automatically, so Kallen merely burst through the doors and met it halfway, the Landspinners deploying with a flick of a switch, granting her manoeuvrability the VTOL''s couldn''t hope to match or track.


    Kallen fired off her Slash Harkens simultaneously this time, winging one and destroying the other. Kallen grinned viciously at the destruction she had wrought.


    ''Even although killing these Brit dogs will never bring you back, it still brings me one step closer to fulfilling your dream of a free Japan, Naoto-nii-sama.'' Kallen though as her Slash Harken retracted into their launchers.


    "The rest of you back off -I''ll take it from here." came a new voice from loudspeakers. Kallen quickly activated the Factsphere Sensor to get an idea of what was happening-and she paled at the image being displayed on the monitor.


    A VTOL. A VTOL carrying a Sutherland. Not good. Unlike her Glasgow, the Sutherland was specifically created to combat other Knightmares as well as conventional tanks and VTOL''s. She was screwed without the advantage an ambush would give her. Doubly so, since this Sutherland bore the markings of a member of the Purist Faction, a radical, racist element of the Britannian Military that despised the ''Numbers'', those who are the native residents of the Area''s conquered by Britannia.


    "I can only assume you dug that obsolete relic out of some scrap heap." The Sutherland pilot verbally sneered at her as his Sutherland detached from the VTOL and began to descend. Kallen fired off a single Slash Harken at him. He countered it with one of his own, deflecting it with ease.


    "An over the hill Glasgow is no match for a Sutherland!" the Sutherland pilot continued to verbally sneer at her as he executed a perfect landing and took a battle stance.


    "Not to mention a filthy Eleven who spurns the compassion of out glorious Emperor!" Kallen wondered if the man thought he was in an action film or something-he was certainly doing a long enough monologue to be a lead actor in one.


    The Sutherland fired a burst from its battle rifle. Kallen avoided most of the shells, but one ripped through the Glasgow''s left forearm, destroying it.


    Kallen heard Nagata tell her he was going to split up to increase the chances of them surviving. She wanted to protest, but knew he was right.


    She tried to fire the left Slash Harken, but it was stuck-and the Sutherland had deployed a tonfa-attachment for close combat and was about to strike her!


    "Second-Hand junk!" the man in the Sutherland before her sneered as he brought the tonfa down. Kallen did the only thing she could: She ejected the remains of the left arm right into the path of the tonfa, using the smoke from the resulting explosion to get away.


    Kallen knew that she had to get away from the Sutherland and fast-or it was all over for her!


    Back in the Truck


    ''No signal for my cell phone, dark as night during the day and the roughness of the road surface indicate we are in the old subway tunnels.'' Lelouch thought as he sat, one leg over the other, and waited for something he could use.


    Shortly after Kallen had deployed her Glasgow, (He recognised the motor sound from seven years ago) he had discovered she had left a radio behind along with her presumptive disguise in her haste.


    ''The driver''s probably looking for an exit in the Ghetto.'' Lelouch continued his calm thought process as he waited. ''On my own, getting out of here will be tricky¡­.I''m not that big on the military, but I could hand this radio over and claim military protection¡­oh, no I can''t -Clovis or one of his flunkeys might come and recognise me. Need another plan¡­''


    Alone in the dark, the exiled prince tried to plan for all possibilities. Little did he know, his salvation would lie next to him as he did.


    Thirty Minutes Later


    "Whoa!" Lelouch said as the truck came to an abrupt and bumpy halt. "An accident, or¡­?" he wondered.


    Suddenly, the side doors opened. Lelouch ran to one side to try to avoid being seen through the opening, but it was too late.


    Despite Lelouch''s effort, the masked Britannian soldier quickly over powered him and held him to the ground with a powerful one-handed throat grab.


    "Enough mindless murder!" The soldier snarled at him.


    "Wha? Wait, I''m¡­" Lelouch tried to get out before the choking hand clenched briefly, cutting off his air temporarily.


    "Planning on using poison gas, eh? Stop trying to lie!" the soldier snarled.


    Lelouch considered himself a fairly controlled individual, but he hated being accused of things he hadn''t done. He always had.


    "Get. Off. Of. Me!" Lelouch snarled back at the soldier and backed up his words with a swift kick to the soldier''s midriff, which was dodged, to Lelouch''s surprise.


    "First off," Lelouch said as the soldier landed from his dodge. "I''m a Britannian, you can tell by my uniform. Secondly, I''m not here by choice." The boy strode forward a step, to show his Ashford Academy uniform.


    The soldier stiffened at the sight of Lelouch in the light. "No way¡­" he breathed.


    "If this is poison gas, the only people who could make it is Britannia! ''Mindless Murder'', you say?" Lelouch said, anger and resentment at his former homeland bubbling to the surface. "Then simply obliterate Britannia!"


    Then the figure said something Lelouch never expected.


    "Lelouch¡­" The soldier pulled off his helmet to reveal a familiar face Lelouch had not seen in seven long years.


    "It''s me, Suzaku." said the boy who had helped him protect his sister from the invasion.


    "Y-You became a Britannian Soldier?!" Lelouch said in shock.


    "So? You''re a-?!" Suzaku started to say, when Lelouch cut him off.


    "No, I''m not! This truck crashed and I went to help it, then it drove off with me in it!" Lelouch tried to explain, only for Suzaku to raise an eyebrow.


    "Considering how smart you are, is that really the best excuse you can give?" Suzaku asked. Lelouch felt like gnashing his teeth.


    "I can''t ''make up a better excuse'' because that''s what really happened!" Lelouch retorted as he rolled his eyes. "Argh! You really haven''t changed a bit! Once you get an idea into your head, you hang onto it more tenaciously than Kaguya used to hang off of me!"


    All of a sudden, the ''poison gas canister'' began to glow and emit light. Lelouch was suddenly tackled to the ground by Suzaku, who then forced his own gas mask over Lelouch''s mouth and nose.


    The sphere''s four lids then popped open, and instead of poison gas, a girl appeared. Her hair was jade green and waist length, her eyes were the same colour as gold. She was dressed in a Britannian prisoner''s straitjacket that left nothing to the imagination as it clung to her slim, lithe body.


    She looked at the two stunned young men, before collapsing into an unconscious heap.


    "That''s not poison gas." Suzaku muttered, confused.


    Lelouch nodded before forcing Suzaku''s hand away from his mouth. "Something smells like a rat, and I don''t mean the sewage pipes." he said, before getting up and moving towards the girl.


    "Suzaku, be straight with me here," continued Lelouch as he undid the bindings on the straight jacket, "What the heck does a girl have to do with poison gas?"


    "It''s what the briefing said was in the thing during the briefing." Suzaku protested as he leaned against the truck examining Lelouch and the girl. "Hey Lelouch, have you actually been exercising, or have you found a way to turn brain-power into muscle power like you told T¨­d¨­-sensei you would?"


    "As a matter of fact, I have been exercising." Lelouch replied. "The last time I got involved with the Britannian military, I had to walk for miles carrying Nunnally on my back-I wanted to cover my weaknesses in case it had to be done again."


    Suzaku raised both eyebrows at this. Seven years previously, Lelouch had cordially detested regular exercise, deeming it inhumane and Spartan treatment and had called T¨­d¨­-sensei several rude and colourful names when forced to do so. For him to actually get motivated to do it¡­


    Suddenly, bright lights flashed on and both Lelouch and Suzaku raised their hands at the glare from the light.


    ''I have a bad feeling about this¡­'' Lelouch thought.


    Ten Minutes Later


    In this particular instance, Lelouch wouldn''t have minded being wrong.


    The men with the spotlights had been low-ranking members of Clovis'' Royal Guard, who had wanted to kill Lelouch for ''discovering the prince''s secret''. Suzaku had tried to stop them, only to get shot in the back by the group''s leader!


    Lelouch and the girl had only gotten away when the terrorist in the truck had activated a self-destruct and blown up the cab, covering the area with smoke. Lelouch had grabbed the girl and ran like the wind away from the Royal Guard.


    It was irrational, Lelouch knew, to blame the girl. She was a prisoner and both he and Suzaku had stumbled upon her by chance. Nevertheless, he really wanted something to blame right now!


    His best and only true friend was dead, murdered in front of him like his mother. Another life lost. ''Another reason to crush Britannia!'' Lelouch though morosely as he led the girl up a set of stairs. He turned to her and indicated for her to stay where she was. Lelouch didn''t know if she knew English or even Japanese for that matter, so he let the tone of his voice do the talking rather than the actual words.


    "You stay here and be quiet okay? I''ll check to see if the coast is clear." he said in a calm reassuring tone.


    Five Minutes Later


    Lelouch was getting sick and tired of being caught in traps, trucks and by Royal Guards.


    He had been caught as soon as he stood up straight, along with the girl. How embarrassing. The leader was currently running through a monologue about terrorists ''only being able to do so much, even Britannian student terrorists.''


    "And now, my clever young friend, you have no future!" the man finally finished his monologue and began to raise his side-arm.


    ''Is this it?'' Lelouch wondered as the man''s pistol was raised and the trigger was slowly pulled.


    At the proverbial last instant, the girl rushed forward and cried out, "NO! He mustn''t die!" throwing herself in front of Lelouch.


    The bullet struck her square in the forehead.


    "Y-You shot her!" Lelouch exclaimed, reflexively stepping forward, catching her falling body and gently laying it on the ground.


    "We were supposed to capture the female alive, but, oh well." The man shrugged, unconcerned by the death of his target. He tapped his chin with the muzzle of his pistol for a couple of moments, and then an evil smirk crossed his face.


    "This is what the report shall say then: We, the Royal Guard, found and exterminated the nest of terrorists." he waved his pistol to indicate the warehouse they currently stood in, filled with the dead bodies of innocent Japanese civilians, including ten year old children, "But unfortunately, the female hostage had already been tortured to death. What do you think of my script, schoolboy?" The sneer in the man''s words was all too evident.


    Lelouch was numb. ''First Suzaku is killed, then this girl. And I''m next. Before I have a chance to do a single thing with my own life. I'' m sorry, Nunnally!''


    Suddenly, time slowed down and he seemed disjointed from his own body. His heart was racing, his senses on fire. What on¡­?!


    ''You don''t want it to end here, do you?'' came a voice he recognised.


    ''The girl¡­? Impossible!'' Lelouch thought in shock.


    ''You appear to have a reason to live on. If you possessed power, could you go on? I propose a deal. In exchange for this power, you must make my one wish come true. Be warned - accept this Geass contract and you accept its conditions: While living in the world of humans, you will live unlike any other. A different providence. A different time. A different life.''


    While the voice was talking, Lelouch was bombarded with images of strange things: a pair of planets, images of the girl, a battalion of androgynous people with an odd red mark on their forehead. Lelouch thought the girl sounded as if she knew precisely what she was talking about, as if she had lived the life she was offering him.


    ''The Power of the King will condemn you to a life of solitude¡­are you prepared for this¡­?'' she asked.


    Lelouch saw a final image- his hated parent, the Emperor.


    "A convergence with a Ragnar?k Connection¡­? So the myth is beginning once again¡­?!" he heard his father say.


    ''He sounds like he knows what Geass is, meaning he might have one!'' Lelouch though furiously.


    Aloud he spoke, "Very well! I accept your contract¡­and its conditions!"


    With a jolt, he was back in his body, and seemingly not a second has passed, as the Royal Guard leader still has that arrogant smirk on his face.


    Slowly, Lelouch stood up, one hand over his left eye. The Royal Guard commander felt something¡­different about the boy, compared to how he was just a second ago.


    "Say, as a Britannian who despises his own country, how should I live my life?" Lelouch asked, a hint of laughter in his voice.


    "Humph. Are you some kind of radical?" the commander asked with a scoff, raising his pistol once again-and then stopped. There was an aura of¡­intimidation coming from the boy, one that was very dangerous and made the man hesitate, which cost him his life.


    "What''s wrong? Why not shoot? Your opponent is ''just a schoolboy.''" Lelouch mocked him with a genteel sneer. "Or, perhaps you finally realised...the only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed!"


    Lelouch uncovered his eye at last. The colour shifted, changed and formed a red bird-like shape in the centre of his eye. Just looking into it made the commander unable to move, he could scarcely even breathe!


    "W-What is this¡­?" He choked out.


    "I, Lelouch vi Britannia, command you!" Lelouch declared. "{All of you...die!}"


    The bird seemed to flap its wings and then the commander, and the rest of his men fell into parade rest.


    "Hehehehe¡­Happily, Your Highness!" The commander said, and pointed his gun at his jugular vein. The rest of his troop copied him. "Fire!" Ordered the commander and, as one, the Royal Guard of Clovis la Britannia committed Geass-induced suicide.


    A small splash of blood hit Lelouch''s face and for a moment, he looked appalled at the first lives he has ever taken.


    ''My life was nothing but lies. My name, personal data, everything, lies, lies nothing but lies. I despaired in an unchanging world, yet could not, even with my lies, give in to despair. But now I have it¡­this¡­incredible power¡­it''s mine¡­'' Lelouch thought as his horror-struck face shifted into an almost maniacal grin.


    "Well then¡­"


    Chapter 2


    Derelict Warehouse, Shinjuku Ghetto


    Lelouch knelt beside the girl who had granted him his power, Geass. He was slightly irritated, as there was no way for him to fulfil his end of the contract if the girl wasn''t alive to tell him what her ''One True Wish'' was in the first place!


    Ignoring the constant booming in the background, he examined the girl closely and was startled to see the bullet hole in her head was smaller than just a moment ago, which should be impossible. As he watched, he could see it growing slightly smaller!


    Lelouch''s mind was racing, trying to join dots. ''The Lab bombing, the ''poison gas'' cover up, the prisoner''s outfit the girl wore, the rapid mobilisation of the Royal Guard, the attack on the Ghetto¡­Clovis, you are an even bigger fool than I thought.'' he raged at his cowardly half-sibling. He could see the chain of events clearly.


    Clovis had come across this girl, somehow, and desired whatever ability she possessed, whether it was regeneration or something more, and took her prisoner to find out how it worked. The girl probably refused to tell Clovis what he wanted to know, so he experimented on her to find out.


    He had probably classified it top secret and had it mislabelled as something else entirely, creating a dummy secret project, presumably to create poison gas, to conceal it from his father as well.


    Somehow, the terrorists had found out about the dummy project and believed it existed, so had dug deeper and, through luck or skill, had actually discovered the location of the actual project.


    Hopefully, rather than using the gas, they had intended to attempt a propaganda coup of some ilk, showing the world what a so-called honourable prince was cooking up. Not bad, as plans went, but they had failed to take Clovis'' terror of being found out by the Britannian Homeland into account.


    Not even a Prince was immune to censure in Britannia, especially if that Prince violates the International Ban on the creation of chemical and biological weaponry, one of the few treaties Britannia hadn''t broken, ever. Even if he did tell the Emperor it was a cover story, the Emperor would demand full disclosure of the project in question as confirmation, meaning goodbye to any chance of gaining this girl''s abilities.


    So Clovis, the fool, dispatched the Royal Guard, along with some disposable Honorary Britannian Soldiers, in order to retrieve it. Lelouch was willing to bet that after the sadist of a commander had reported the capsule was open, Clovis had likely ordered the destruction of Shinjuku to cover his mistake-permanently.


    Lelouch was disgusted by the lack of respect for life his brother was showing, although the tactician in Lelouch did acknowledged that the plan was simple and effective. By killing all of the inhabitants of Shinjuku, the girl would have nowhere to run, presuming she recovered and revived from her ''death''.


    Suddenly, a Sutherland, marked in the colours of the Purist Faction, loomed through the doors, its assault rifle held ready to fire. Its Factsphere Sensor opened and a moment later, a voice boomed out from its external speakers.


    "What happened here, Boy? And why is a Britannian student in a place like this?" Lelouch was slightly surprised. A female Knight? While not exactly rare, neither were they common.


    Lelouch activated his Geass and said, "{I order you to come out. At once.}" All that earned him was an angry demand as to who he thought he was to order a Knight around.


    ''Interesting. It requires direct eye contact. This Geass ability seems to be far more intricate and tricky than I first thought. I''ll have to be careful how I use it.'' Lelouch thought as he raised both hands above his head.


    "My name is Alan Spacer, my father is a Duke. My I.D. card is in my b.r.e.a.s.t pocket. Once you have confirmed my identity, I will request your protection." Lelouch said.


    ''A mere Knight will jump at the chance to aid a scion of high nobility, on the off chance of promotion to a Hereditary title. That ought to get her out where she''s vulnerable.'' Lelouch thought. Sure enough, the c.o.c.kpit on the back opened and a silver haired woman descended on a boarding wire. She was a strong, fierce-looking woman in her mid-twenties by Lelouch''s estimation. Her eyes were the colour of agate and her body was well toned and very voluptuous.


    "Stay there! I''ll take your I.D. out." She called as she walked forward.


    Lelouch grinned. "Now, {you will answer my questions.}"


    A red halo encircled the woman''s eyes. She dropped her handgun and stood straight. "Of course."


    "Who are you and what is your unit?"


    "Villetta Nu, 8th Mobile Battalion, the Purebloods."


    "What is your mission?"


    "The eradication of all Elevens and buildings within the Shinjuku Ghetto."


    Lelouch frowned. Exactly as he had feared. He needed protection in this war zone. He focussed on Villetta again and attempted to input another command.


    "{Hand your Knightmare over to me.}"


    "Understood. The code is XG21G2D4." She then tossed the activation key at him, which he caught.


    "My thanks." Lelouch said. ''So I can input multiple commands as long as I maintain eye contact? Logically, that would imply that it can only be used on a person a limited number of times, possibly only once.'' He was about to break contact, when he thought of a possibility.


    ''One of the conditions for use of my Geass is direct eye contact, a tricky one to fulfil. To save having to risk myself in order to Geass numerous people, having a sleeper agent, unaware even to herself of her loyalty to me, would be useful.'' he mused and then implanted a third command, a more long-lasting one, as an experiment.


    "{Whenever I say, ''By the command of Alan Spacer'', you shall acknowledge it my calling me ''Master''. You shall then follow my every command, answer my every enquiry without question, and have no memory of the experience afterwards. When I say, ''Lamperouge Flash'', you shall return to your normal self. You shall kneel on the ground for ten minutes from now, at which time you shall return to normal, with no memory of having seen or heard me.}"


    "Understood, Master." Villetta replied, kneeling on the ground and falling silent.


    Lelouch grabbed the strange Geass girl and lifted her in a fireman''s carry. It would be stupid to leave her out here if she''s regenerating, after all.


    Ten minutes later, a very confused Villetta Nu was wondering where the hell her Knightmare was.


    A.S.E.E.C.C Trailer, Britannian Temporary Shinjuku Ghetto Command


    Suzaku Kururugi was lost in dreams of the time before the Britannian invasion, of when he spent time with Lelouch and Nunnally at the Kururugi Shrine, laughing and playing together, when a loud explosion force him back to consciousness.


    "SO, are we having a bad day?!" came an unusually cheery and obnoxiously loud male voice from above him. Suzaku''s eyes snapped open.


    He was in a room, coloured in neutral tones of grey and cream. The source of the voice stood leaning over him, with a wide, childlike grin on his face. He wore large glasses, had short grey hair, and was dressed in a white, floor-length lab coat, with an armband.


    Next to him was a woman wearing an orange-tan and black uniform. She had kind, pale blue eyes and shoulder length blue hair. She seemed to be holding something in a handkerchief.


    "W-Where¡­?" Suzaku croaked out, his throat desert dry.


    Nonchalantly, the man handed him a flask of water as the woman explained that they were still in the Shinjuku Ghetto, right next to Prince Clovis'' G-1 mobile command fortress, so theoretically they were as safe as anyone could be in the ghetto at the moment.


    Suzaku slowly drank the water with gratitude.


    "You missed a chance to go to heaven, Private Kururugi." The man teased him.


    Suzaku then noticed the bandages wrapped around his abdomen, as well as becoming aware of a minor pain where his kidney was located on his right hand side.


    "This is what saved your life, Suzaku." the woman leaned forward and showed him what was in her handkerchief.


    Suzaku''s eyes widened. His father''s pocket watch!


    "You ARE lucky it was situated under your body armour at JUST the right angle to deflect the bullet." the odd man said lackadaisically.


    "I can''t believe my father''s memento saved me¡­" Suzaku said, somewhat dazed by the revelation.


    "You Elevens believe that gods live in everything, even inanimate objects don''t you? Looks like this one was¡­oh, what is the name? Ah, yes! A so-called ''Shugo Seirei''? (Guardian Spirit)" mused the man, somewhat amused by the concept of spirits.


    Suzaku then asked for an update on the situation in the ghetto and was horrified by the reply: a mass-slaughter of the inhabitants, due to the resistance fighters mingling among them (Or so they were told).


    ''More lives lost, more senseless slaughter! Lelouch, I hope you make it out of this alive, for Nunnally''s sake, as well as your own.'' Suzaku thought in horror. ''Why are they resisting? If they just work within the system, no one need die! I don''t understand them¡­''


    Suzaku was floored by the offer that came next: to pilot an experimental Knightmare Frame in order to bring a quick resolution to the conflict, once they had Prince Clovis'' permission.


    ''What should I do?'' Suzaku wondered.


    With Kallen


    Kallen was angry. Hell, she was absolutely enraged. Her people were being slaughtered like cattle, and it was partly her fault!


    "Murdering Britannian bastards!" Kallen snarled as she used her Glasgow''s one remaining Slash Harken to destroy a Britannian tank that had just gunned down a group of Shinjuku residents.


    "Kallen!" Ohgi''s voice yelled from her radio. "Can the Glasgow still move?" He sounded much stressed and panicky, not much of a surprise in this situation.


    "Don''t worry, Ohgi! I''ll run decoy, you get everyone else out! The only ones to be caught will be us resistance fighters!" she called back.


    "It''s not as easy as that! We''re pinned down and they have us completely surrounded!" Ohgi replied.


    ''Please¡­if any Kami exist¡­make a miracle for us¡­I''m begging you¡­'' Kallen silently pleaded as she moved on to another target.


    With Lelouch


    Lelouch was frowning. He had just gotten off the phone with Shirley Fenette, a member of the Ashford Academy Student Council and the girl who had a ''secret'' crush the size of the Britannian Homeland for him.


    ''It would seem that Clovis isn''t quite as dense as I had supposed. A media blackout has been imposed; the only thing on the news, according to Shirley, that even mentioned Shinjuku was a traffic restriction, although by not mentioning it, it will be hard to justify this to the public afterwards, presuming he even considers telling the most remote truths about today.'' Lelouch thought as he parked his stolen Sutherland between two buildings as cover.


    Lelouch noticed a discarded chessboard lying within a house that must have suffered from a stray shot by a Knightmare Bazooka or an Anti-Knightmare SAM launcher, as it was missing most of its roof.


    He retrieved the chessboard and re-mounted his stolen Sutherland. ''I''m hemmed in here, trapped in Shinjuku like the residents. It would be difficult, closer to impossible, for me to escape by myself.'' Lelouch thought as he set up the board, with white to represent the Britannian forces and black representing himself. He completely discarded requesting sanctuary from the military, as it was far too risky.


    ''Clovis is trying to keep this as low-key as possible, so calling in reinforcements, whilst simultaneously keeping this under the radar, would be tricky at best.'' Lelouch reasoned as he gazed at the lone piece on his own side, the king. ''This means he has to make do with the pieces he currently has on the board. Still, these odds are more than slightly against me. I need chess pieces.''


    Lelouch could think of only one source of manpower: the rebels who had dragged him into this mess in the first place. It would be quite appropriate, in his opinion, for them to help him. The main problem is that they currently only possess small arms and a single fourth generation Glasgow, clearly insufficient against a division of Sutherlands.


    ''Well, of all tasks, that is the most easily taken care of, considering that idiot Clovis ordered a train of Sutherlands sent in to reinforce his guard, but forgot to order Knights to accompany them, the moronic fool. More so that he did it over an unencrypted channel, the arrogant popinjay.'' Lelouch thought as he began moving his Sutherland to the train depot.


    ''Resistance fighters, I''ll have you pay me back in full for getting me involved in all this.'' Lelouch thought as he approached his destination. He didn''t notice a pair of amber eyes regarding him from behind him.


    Thirty Minutes Later


    With Kallen


    Kallen struck down another VTOL with her one remaining Slash Harken, when she heard a familiar voice chuckle from a loudspeaker.


    "Well, well, if it isn''t our Glasgow friend." Kallen paled at the knowledge of where she had heard that voice before and made her damaged Frame speed off. As she did, she saw in the rear camera that the place she had only just occupied had been strewn with bullets from an Assault Rifle.


    "You''ve led me on a merry chase, but no mere Eleven can escape Jeremiah Gottwald!" The Sutherland carrying this Jeremiah Gottwald was in pursuit of her, another was on his flank. To make matters worse, her Glasgow''s Energy Filler, the only thing powering her Knightmare, was down to a mere thirty minutes of power. Once that gauge hit zero, Kallen K¨­zuki was dead.


    Suddenly, her radio crackled and a voice spoke. "The West Entrance! Use the tracks to the West Entrance!" Kallen''s eyes narrowed. She didn''t recognise this person''s voice.


    "Who are you? How did you get this code?!" Kallen snapped at the radio. If this guy thought she was going to just trust a random instruction from an unknown voice, he had another thing coming!


    "It doesn''t matter! If you want to survive this and win against these Britannians, you''re going to have to trust me!" came the reply, the voice sounding tense and matter-of-fact.


    "To win¡­?" Kallen breathed out in disbelief. She had hoped to survive this intact, hoped to reduce the casualties her people were suffering, but this voice offered the possibility of winning?


    ''If nothing else, it will give me time to strategise at least.'' She reflected.


    She leapt up onto the old rail bridge and made haste towards the west entrance, the two Sutherlands in close pursuit.


    "OK, what am I supposed to do now?" she asked the voice, getting more nervous as the Pureblood Knightmares drew closer.


    "Since you trusted me, you''re going to win. Jump on the approaching train!" the voice told her.


    Startled, Kallen noticed a cargo train rapidly approaching on the same tracks she was running her Knightmare along.


    "Right!" She affirmed and leapt atop of the train engine and then leapt to the end of the train, across the roofs of the cargo cars.


    She heard Jeremiah Gottwald scoff as his Sutherland held the train back. She turned her Glasgow around in time to see the second Sutherland leap up, clearly intent on following her. She, and the Britannians for that matter, were taken off-guard by a pair of Slash Harken intercepting and destroying the Sutherland in mid-air.


    All eyes turned to see another Sutherland in a building next to the tracks. Jeremiah spoke, his voice sounding angry.


    "Friendly fire?! You there, what''s your name and your unit?! We''re after the one armed Glas-" Jeremiah was cut off by the Sutherland he was addressing opening fire on him and ripping off his Knightmare''s left arm and leg in a hail of bullets.


    Not one to not take advantage of a distracted and crippled opponent, Kallen yelled out a wordless battle cry as she charged the Sutherland. With a curse, the pilot activated the ejection system of the Sutherland and sailed off to safety.


    ''I just made a member of the Purebloods recognise he would have been in danger and forced him to eject!'' Kallen thought, stunned at the revelation.


    "You saved me!" Kallen spoke to the voice on the radio, not caring that relief was obvious in her voice. "But how in the world did you get your hands on a¡­"


    Her voice trailed off as she noticed the mystery Sutherland had disappeared.


    ''How the heck did he move away in less than thirty seconds?'' She wondered absently as she tried and failed to find him on her Factsphere Sensor.


    "KALLEN!" A shout came from behind her and she turned her Glasgow around to see Kaname Ohgi, the man who took over the resistance cell after the death of her brother, run up to her followed by Kento Sugiyama, Shinichir¨­ Tamaki, Yoshitaka Minami and Naomi Inoue, most of the rest of her brothers'' cell.


    "What was with that radio message earlier?" Ohgi asked, concerned about their security.


    "He called you too?" Kallen spoke over the speakers, surprised at the fact.


    "Yup. Yoshida''s group as well, they ought to be here soon."


    Ohgi''s Walkie-Talkie then crackled before an voice spoke from it. "Are you the one in charge?"


    Kallen recognised the voice: it was the same as the one that aided her.


    "Umm¡­Y-Yeah" Ohgi''s voice stuttered a bit.


    "Before I go on, I have a question. What were you going to do with that canister of poison gas? Were you going to use it?" The voice seemed to drip disdain at the thought of someone using the stuff.


    "NO!" Ohgi had a disgusted look on his face. "We were gonna show the world what Clovis was doing by hijacking the airwaves and showing them what Britannia is really like."


    The voice chuckled. "As I thought. In which case, I offer you the contents of that train. It has the tools for your victory."


    Kallen''s sapphire eyes widened in shock when a train full of Sutherlands, at least twenty of them. The voice continued to speak.


    "If you want to use them to win, then follow my orders!" Kallen was still in shock at seeing so many Sutherlands that were not enemies. ''Just what kind of person gives away Sutherlands like party favours?'' she thought, numbly.


    "Woman in the Glasgow! What is the status of your Energy Filler?" the Voice asked her, snapping her out of her daze.


    "A-About fifteen minutes worth." She replied.


    "Change out your Filler then, and standby. You will be running decoy. I''ll contact you in ten minutes with your code names and instructions."


    The radio then fell silent. Kallen wondered what was going to happen next, since today seemed to be full of surprises.


    LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL


    With Lelouch


    As Lelouch shut off the radio he had stolen from Kallen, he sighed, feeling the tension seep from his body.


    ''This is a lot more tiring than I anticipated, mentally speaking.'' Lelouch mused. ''But I must persevere. This game is one upon which I bet my life on.''


    "Well now, this is interesting." A voice said from behind him.


    Lelouch stiffened slightly, but otherwise didn''t show any signs of being surprised.


    "Oh, good. I was wondering when you would wake up." Lelouch said calmly. "It looks like getting killed takes quite some time for you to revive from."


    "You figured out that much in less than forty-five minutes? You truly are impressive, for a boy." The woman said sardonically.


    "In less than five minutes actually." Lelouch replied. "Now can I have a name to go along with your fair features?"


    The woman giggled slightly. "Is it not polite to give your own name before asking for another''s?"


    Lelouch sighed. He could tell that this was a delaying move, but he could play along...for now.


    "As I''m certain you are aware, my name is Lelouch vi Britannia, formerly the eleventh prince and seventeenth in line for the throne for Britannia. Now, your name if you please."


    "Call me C.C." the woman replied. "Do you like the power I granted you?"


    "Geass? Yes, it is very useful." Lelouch replied with an almost maniacal grin. "It will prove very useful in my plans to crush Britannia."


    "Do you actually imagine you can accomplish that, with just this power?" the woman -C.C. - asked. He could almost hear the eyebrow being raised as she spoke.


    "With just this power, no. I''m neither stupid enough nor arrogant enough to believe that. With a loyal army behind me, however, I will crush Britannia, even if it means my death." Lelouch stated.


    "Not before you complete your side of the contract." C.C. countered.


    "Ah, yes, I''ve been wondering about that. Precisely what is your ''One True Wish''?" he asked, although given how evasive she was being, he suspected she would give him the run-around again.


    "You do not need to know that. Just focus on remaining alive." was the reply he got.


    ''Just as I thought.'' Lelouch sighed mentally.


    "Fine then. I''m going to be devising a plan to use the resistance as a force to defeat the forces of my idiot brother, so keep it down." he replied, somewhat irritably.


    As he worked on the plan, he considered a conversation he had heard on the encrypted Britannian radio half an hour ago, regarding the A.S.E.E.C.C. Special Task Group. They had been calling a ''Margrave Jeremiah'' back to make use of the ''experimental Knightmare'' he was supposed to use.


    Evidently, he had refused, as there had been some background swearing from someone within range of a microphone before the signal was cut off.


    Lelouch frowned. If there was an experimental Knightmare Frame running around, it might cause some hiccups in his plan, so he had better have an insurance policy, just in case they found a pilot.


    Two minutes later, he was ready. After telling C.C. to keep quiet, he grabbed the radio.


    Five Minutes later


    With Kallen and the Resistance


    "Hey, are you really sure this is a good idea?" Tamaki called at Ohgi, who had just booted up his Sutherland. "They''ve all had their IFF Beacons (Identify Friend/Foe) removed! What if this is a trap!"


    Ohgi rolled his eyes as he replied to his friend''s concern. "Tamaki, Britannia has an overwhelming military edge here. There is no point in using traps or tricks with the superior firepower the Britannian army can bring to bear."


    Tamaki grumbled, but shut up (Temporarily).


    The radio in Ohgi''s Sutherland crackled. "P-1, are you ready to move?" the voice enquired. The voice had called five minutes ago and assigned them all code names. Ohgi was P-1, while Tamaki was P-5. Most of the Cell was assigned a letter and number combination of P, B and N.


    The only exception was Kallen, who had the code name Q-1. Ohgi surmised that it was to differentiate her from the rest of them due to her main duty of running decoy.


    "The Sutherland''s controls are greatly similar to the Glasgow, so it should be fairly easy to operate." The voice continued.


    Ohgi grabbed his radio and spoke into it. "Can''t you tell us who you are? At least your name!" ''Seriously, calling him ''the voice'' all the time is getting awkward.''


    "No can do. What if the Britannians are monitoring this frequency? For now, my code name is K-1. Call me that if you wish. Anyway, if Q-1 is on schedule, two enemy Sutherlands will reach the other side of the wall in twenty three seconds. Shoot them through the wall."


    "Is this guy for real? He has to be nuts!" Tamaki scoffs. Ohgi, on the other hand, recognises complete and absolute belief in his own words on the part of the newly christened K-1.


    "Everybody, double check your weapons and head to your positions!" Ohgi commands.


    Tamaki splutters in indignation at this, but follows the others as they prepare to fight.


    "Three¡­.Two¡­.One¡­.Fire!" Ohgi commands. The seven Sutherlands with him open fire, shedding the crumbling concrete wall instantly-and the pair of Sutherlands who were moving to attack Kallen from behind.


    All of the resistance fighters gape at where the broken bodies of the Britannian Sutherlands lay.


    "Alright everyone! Looks like K-1''s word has just been proven to be good!" Ohgi said over the radio, ignoring the grumbling of Tamaki. "Follow K-1''s orders! Let''s show these Britannians that Japan''s spirit is greater than theirs is!"


    Prince Clovis la Britannia''s G-1 Mobile Fortress, Shinjuku Ghetto


    Clovis la Britannia, Third Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, Viceroy of Area Eleven and (in his own opinion) best dressed of the entire Imperial Family, was slightly surprised.


    Sir Orion and Sir Valarie, two moderately experienced Knightmare Pilots (Knights), had just been caught by an ambush, necessitating them to eject.


    In a military operation, this would not be any kind of surprise, combat being unpredictable. However, this was not combat, this was ''urban renewal'' (read: a massacre), so there shouldn''t be any casualties.


    ''Tch. Must have been a lucky break for the terrorist sc.u.m.'' Clovis thought, dismissing the ambush from his mind and made a note to punish Orion and Valerie when they were picked up.


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    With Lelouch


    "An IFF can be a double-edged sword, can it not, oh brother mine?" Lelouch mused aloud as he watched the screen where the locations and ID''s of all of Clovis'' forces were displayed.


    He had set up the chessboard and pieces to correspond to the number of forces available to both Clovis and himself. Clovis had the advantage in numbers, but was a very poor tactician and strategist, whereas Lelouch was at a disadvantage in numbers, but was the superior strategist.


    Behind him, the woman calling herself C.C. watched him silently, analyzing him and his actions.


    Lelouch activated his radio again, "P-1, P-4, P-7, move 100 meters to the right and fire your Slash Harkens at three o''clock." he called to the terrorists.


    "Can you win this battle, boy?" C.C. asked, acerbically.


    Lelouch resisted the impulse to reply in an equally rude way, instead replying politely, "As long as the terrorists follow my orders, the task at had will be completed. This battle would be meaningless, other than stopping a pointless slaughter, if Clovis were not here."


    C.C. raised an eyebrow. "Is he your target then?"


    "Indeed." Lelouch replied, "He will be both my first step on my path to defeating my father AND the first step on my investigation."


    "Investigation? About what?" C.C. asked disinterestedly.


    "My mother''s murder." Lelouch replied shortly and got back to commanding his troops, harrying someone codenamed P-5 to get ready.


    LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL


    In Shinjuku, a lithe man in a green outfit, wearing reflective shades and headphones, was stumbling along, cursing his luck at getting caught in Shinjuku during a massacre. His name was Mao.


    He had entered Area 11 a week ago, suffering the constant chatter of the minds of the disgusting smugglers he had hired to sneak him in. He had scoured the city looking for his beloved C.C. and had yet to find her!


    Mao knew she had been in Japan just before the Britannian invasion, several people in the Chinese Federation had seen her purchase the tickets, he had seen their memories, so why had he not been able to find her?


    He had been on the verge of giving up and returning to the isolated area of China where he had resided since C.C. had left, when a passing military man had been thinking of her.


    Mao had covertly followed the man. Turns out he was a general called Bartley and he had been doing unspeakable things to his C.C.! The nerve of the man!


    Mao was overjoyed to find out that some terrorists had managed to ''steal'' C.C. from the Britannians. All Mao had to do was waltz into Shinjuku, where the truck had last been seen, kill the terrorists, grab C.C. and get out again. Easy, right?


    Wrong.


    Barely five minutes after he entered the Ghetto, it turned into a war zone! Mao was having a harder time finding the terrorists, because none of the residents seemed to know who they were or where they were. All the stupid herd was thinking about was their own worthless lives, pathetic!


    Mao stiffened as he felt the ground shake and reached out with his mind reading Geass. There! One Sutherland Pilot, a Britannian, as typically arrogant and self important as you can get, is advancing to meet up with another squad. He was about ten meters away.


    ''Tch. Better stay hidden. Damn Britannians! Damn Elevens!'' Mao snarled in his head as he ducked behind a building. He would come to regret that action.


    Ten seconds later, P-1, P-4 and P-7 hit the Britannian Sutherland with six Slash Harkens, sending it crashing into the building Mao was hiding behind. His scream was abruptly cut off as he was crushed to death beneath concrete and metal.


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    The G-1 Command Base


    "Sir Henry, Lost! He reported before he ejected that the terrorist have more Knightmares, our own Sutherlands!" one of the Staff Officers reported, wide eyed.


    "The enemy is advancing towards G-2-8!" Another reported.


    General Bartley was sweating bullets. Three Knightmares down in less than five minutes? Prince Clovis was going to have his head!


    "Send Glaube''s squad!" he ordered hoarsely.


    Prince Clovis, sitting on his throne, was stunned. "They have our military weaponry? How?" He whispered in disbelief.


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    With Kallen


    "Q-1, your target is on top of the building in front of you. Eliminate him." K-1 ordered over the radio.


    "Right." Kallen responded. She hated purely running decoy and had been about to complain to K-1 about it when he had told her he had a target for her to take down.


    ''Was this just a coincidence, or did he read me?'' Kallen mused idly as she fired a Slash Harken upwards, to get her on top of the building.


    Kallen had honestly been taken by surprise at the skill this K-1 was showing. The small resistance cell that her Nii-Sama had founded, and had passed to Ohgi after his death by that bastard Clovis, was running rings around a highly trained Britannian Knightmare Battalion, not to mention the tanks and VTOL units in support.


    Kallen''s Glasgow landed on the roof of the building and charged at the Britannian Sutherland facing away from her. It turned around, the Factshpere Sensor open and active.


    A hard punch from her Glasgow''s remaining arm shatters it and destroys the rest of the head. The Automatic Ejection System in the Sutherland activated and sent the pilot to safety.


    Kallen grins and moves to her next point, as ordered by K-1.


    LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL


    G-1 Command Base


    "Sir Glaube, Lost!" The same Staff Officer reports.


    "Change our codes, they must be intercepting our transmissions!" Bartley barks at his officers.


    "But we have sir, five times already!" Protests one of them.


    "Well do it again!" Bartley shoots back. Mentally, Bartley is very much dumbfounded. How were the terrorists moving like an elite unit of pilots and making his own forces look like rank amateurs? It made no sense!


    "This failure is totally unacceptable!" Clovis declares, rising from his throne.


    "M-My apologies, your highness!" Bartley stammers out, nervously. He knew that those who displeased members of the Imperial Family rarely survived the experience with their careers -or their lives- intact.


    Suddenly, a vid-call window opens up on the main battlefield monitor screen, displaying the face of Earl Lloyd Asplund, of the A.S.E.E.C.C. Special Task Group.


    "Good Afternoon, Gentlemen!" the Earl greets the room in a loud, obnoxiously cheerful voice.


    "What is it? We are in the MIDDLE of an OPERATION!" Bartley snarls at the man. Were it not for the fact that First Prince Schneizel had given the idiot Earl permission to act outside the chain of command, Bartley would never have let the fancifully named Camelot near Shinjuku.


    As it was, he had zero authority over them. Only members of the Royal House, such as Prince Clovis, could give them orders, and as he was commander here, they required his permission to enter the fray.


    "I''d say it''s time to deploy the A.S.E.E.C.C. Special Weapon!" The Earl said, brightly. ''As I suspected.'' Bartley thought sourly.


    "We have no time for this!" Clovis barked as he advanced towards the command table. "I will now take personal command of the forces stationed here!"


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    With Lelouch


    Lelouch watched as blip after blip disappeared from the screen, each indicating a lost unit, the last being a tank.


    "R-2, fire anchor." He commanded, advancing a castle.


    {Beep} Unit Lost. Bye-Bye, VTOL.


    "B-7, use UN Ordnance." A Bishop was moved.


    {Beep} Unit Lost. Farewell, tank.


    "N-Group, continue your advance." A Knight was advanced forward.


    {Beep} Four Units lost. Rest easy, Sutherlands.


    Lelouch settled back and watched the IFF screen carefully.


    "Now then, the enemy has five options. Their move." He muttered aloud.


    "Which do you think will happen?" C.C. asked.


    "If my idiot elder brother panics, and takes personal command, probably an en-mass attack. If not, a tightening of the encirclement and a slow, steady advance." Lelouch replied with a shrug. "I have plans to deal with anything either Clovis or his pet General can throw at me."


    LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL


    G-1 Command Base


    "Sir, we just lost Sir Lazlo''s Squad!" came one of the latest of the many casualty reports.


    "Grrr. No choice. Bring up Quincy''s Squad!" Clovis ordered.


    "But, Your Highness, that will break the encirclement!" Bartley cautioned his prince carefully.


    "Reinforce the line with some of the units guarding me. A battle is not won by those who are faint of heart." Clovis dismissed Bartley''s concerns firmly.


    Clovis pointed at the display on the Command Table. "All we know for certain is that enemy forces are somewhere here. Surround their position and crush them!"


    LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL


    With Lelouch


    Lelouch was idly twirling the Black King piece between his fingers as he waited for the enemy to move. He raised both eyebrows when he discerned the meaning of the movements he was seeing.


    "My, it seems Clovis has taken command after all-that is the stupidest move he could have made, out of all of his choices." Lelouch remarked as he grabbed the radio.


    "Q-1, do you have an area map?" he asked his main decoy. Lelouch was very impressed with Miss Kallen Stadtfelt. She listened to orders, was an excellent Knightmare pilot and possessed a highly moral character. She also had a bit of a temper and was impatient, which is why he had assigned her to take down that lone Knightmare, to relieve her of some stress.


    ''She reminds me of Mother quite a bit.'' Lelouch mused. ''Although, Mother wasn''t nearly as easy to read as Miss Stadtfelt is.''


    "Yes, I have a map of the old city, but it has no current landmarks." came her reply, the frustration very obvious in her voice.


    Lelouch smirked. Good. "That will do, now here''s the plan¡­.."


    LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL


    With Jeremiah Gottwald


    Bruised from his ejection, Jeremiah was taking a slow and cautious approach to returning to the G-1 Command Fortress. The last thing he wanted was to be ambushed by some Eleven terrorists.


    Jeremiah sighed. Not for the first time, he questioned the path that had led him to joining the Purist Faction.


    After the assassination of Empress Marianne vi Britannia, a woman who, despite being of common birth was the most gifted Knightmare Pilot in the Empire, on par with Lord Bismarck Waldstein, The Knight of One, The Strongest Knight in the Empire, Jeremiah, a guard in the Imperial Palace at Pendragon, had been in disgrace.


    While he had, essentially, been persona non grata with the imperial court after Lady Marianne''s death, he had still heard of the court appearance of her eldest child, Lelouch, and the subsequent action taken by the Emperor, not least of which was exiling them to Japan as Political Hostages.


    If Jeremiah had had any kind of pull left in the Court, he would have applied to join the Prince and Princess in exile. To Jeremiah''s mind, if whoever had assassinated Lady Marianne had the resources and political clout to slay one of the 108 Imperial Consorts, in the Imperial Palace, in broad daylight no less and make an escape, there was no question that they could at least attempt to wipe out the vi Britannia line in a backward country like Japan.


    Sadly, he had no clout and had been force to compromise his own morals by joining the so-called ''Pureblood'' Faction, just to save his career. Their ideals were ridiculous. Lady Marianne hadn''t been a noble, yet she had regularly trounced nobles in her Knightmare, the Ganymede, often three on one.


    Their stance on the Numbers was, in Jeremiah''s opinion, somewhat flawed as well. Yes, Britannia had conquered them, but that was due to Britannia''s superior technology, not some divine right handed down from god!


    He had also taken issue, in private and only to himself, with the Emperor''s policy to do with the way Vassal States were treated. Stripping them of their governments, yes, their flags, yes, but their Name? Their very identity? THAT was too far. Lady Marianne herself had said that showing mercy was a sign of strength, so why try to crush them so completely as to make them virtual animals?


    After the invasion and conquest of Japan and it''s subsequent re-classification as Area Eleven, Jeremiah had transferred his unit there, hoping to find the last remnants of Lady Marianne. After three fruitless months of searching, the officials, by order of the Emperor, labelled both former Eleventh Prince Lelouch and former Fourth Princess Nunnally as dead.


    Jeremiah had refused to believe it. He had seen the obvious intelligence of Prince Lelouch, as evidenced in his mastery of chess. He had always dominated everyone he played, aside from First Prince Schneizel, who was also extremely intelligent. If anyone could plan to survive a war and the subsequent ''peacekeeping activities'', it was him.


    As the years past, he had continued the search, albeit clandestinely. Just before this whole terrorist incident, he had been about to search the files on Britannian citizens in the Britannian Tokyo Settlement. He had previously ignored Tokyo, as His Highness Clovis would have recognised any noble who resembled his old chess rival.


    Jeremiah had been horrified when he had read the briefing on this current operation. Terrorists with poison gas! The area it would affect was massive and the gas was very much in the fatal category. A nagging voice at the back of his head had questioned exactly where the terrorists had gotten their hands on it and exactly why only the Purists were mobilised to deal with it.


    The pilot of the red Glasgow had been very skilled, shown by the fact that detonating an arm to cover a retreat was a very tricky manoeuvre and required a fair amount of skill to perform. Still, no Glasgow could go toe to toe with a Sutherland and come out on top without the advantage of surprise, so when he had found the Glasgow later on in the day, he had expected a chase and a kill.


    What he had gotten instead was his ass handed to him. He didn''t know how a terrorist could get his hands on a Sutherland -painted in the colours of the Purebloods, no less- but the entire left side of his Sutherland had been crippled very quickly, followed on by that Glasgow charging at him, ready to kill him.


    All in all, Jeremiah was definitely thinking about upgrading to a Gloucester sometime soon, preferably before an enterprising Eleven shoots him. ''What a day this has been.'' Jeremiah thought as he continued his march forward.


    In the distance, he saw a column of Knightmare Frames and Tanks advancing towards an unknown destination. Jeremiah peered at the units and recognised them. They were some of the units assigned to encircle and blockade Shinjuku.


    "What idiot ordered them to break the encirclement?" Jeremiah wondered aloud.


    LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL


    G-1 Command Fortress


    Clovis sneezed suddenly.


    "Are you catching a cold, Your Highness?" Bartley asked.


    "No, I must be allergic to close proximity with these filthy Elevens." Clovis replied, before blowing his nose on a handkerchief.


    "Moving on," Clovis said, after disposing of his hanky, "Send in Burtz and the others as well. The target is that central dot: Finish them!"


    LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL


    With Lelouch


    "Are all of you ready?" Lelouch radioed his troops.


    A chorus of affirmatives came back at him.


    ''Alright. Time for the second act to end and the third to begin.'' Lelouch thought as he picked up the Queen piece.


    "Begin Mission Number Three¡­.now!" He commanded via the radio.


    Mission number three was a very simple plan. All Knightmares enter the old subway tunnels with Q-1 at the rear. After a set amount of time, Q-1 was to turn about face and fire her Slash Harkens into the ceiling''s support beam. That would cause it to collapse and cause the surface above it to collapse as well. In turn, the shifting of the under maintained road collapsing would start a chain reaction, reaching out in a wide radius, swallowing and crushing any and all Knightmares and tanks caught by it.


    He had made the plan, along with several others, once the enemies responses had been reduced to the last five, but he hadn''t expected to actually need to use it, as no tactician worth the name would use an en-masse attack method these days. The last time that happened was during the time of actual Knights on horseback, for crying out loud.


    ''Then again, Clovis did like his history. Along with painting, History was his favourite subject. Shame he never took to heart the saying ''those who do not learn from the mistakes made in the past are doomed to repeat them.'''' Lelouch thought with a shrug.


    "With this, I call Check." he remarked aloud.


    LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL


    G-1 Command Fortress


    {Beep} Target not found.


    Clovis stared at the display in stupefied confusion. All of the forces he had massed had charged in¡­.to see each other and no enemy.


    What the hell?


    LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL


    With Kallen


    As the small column of Knightmares advanced, Kallen, last in line, watched a countdown timer reach zero.


    ''Its time.'' She thought.


    Turning her Glasgow around, Kallen launched her Slash Harkens at the roof''s support beam as K-1 had ordered, before quickly retracting them and beating a hasty retreat.


    With a mighty crash, the roof collapsed, sending shockwaves across the entire area of the tunnel.


    Above the tunnel, the confused Knights had stopped where they were, awaiting orders. Suddenly, the ground opened up beneath them, swallowing them and their Knightmares and crushing them in the jaws of the earth.


    The collapse spread, swallowing Knightmares, Tanks and infantry whole, never to be seen alive again. Even buildings were brought down, smashing atop the remains of the weapons of war, creating a tomb of rubble for them.


    LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL


    With Lelouch


    Lelouch was grinning like a fool. He had done it. Clovis had just lost over 80% of his combat capable forces to a simple trap.


    ''I can do it! I can crush Britannia!'' Lelouch thought, allowing himself a moment to celebrate, then got back in the game.


    "Right, now that he''s lost most of his conventional forces, Clovis will undoubtedly commit the ''prototype Knightmare'', whatever it is, and hope for a miracle." Lelouch postulated aloud.


    "So then, ''General'', what''s the plan?" C.C. asked, humour laced into her voice.


    "Watch and learn, immortal, watch and learn." Lelouch told her as he reached for the radio once again.


    LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL


    G-1 Command Fortress


    Clovis watched in horror as almost all of the units under his command were destroyed in a wave of destruction.


    ''J-Just¡­Just who am I dealing with here¡­.?'' Clovis thought, panic etching his features, ''My God¡­.What if he''s better than Todoh..?!''


    While the Eleven populace revered Todoh as the Miracle Bringer, the Britannian forces called him The Phantom of Itsukushima''s Miracle and reviled him for defeating a numerically superior force, without any Knightmares of his own.


    The idea of facing Todoh in battle terrified Clovis; the idea of facing someone who was better than Todoh in battle made him want to faint. Suddenly, inspiration struck the panicking Prince.


    "Lloyd!" Clovis shouted and Lloyd''s image reappeared on the main monitor.


    "Yes, Your Highness?" the scientist nobleman asked cheerfully.


    "Can your toy win?" Clovis asked.


    "Oh, please, your Highness-call it Lancelot."


    LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL


    A.S.E.E.C.C. Knightmare Storage and Transport Trailer


    "Z-01, Lancelot, Launching. Please clear the area!" Cecily Croomey''s voice echoed over the speakers.


    As Cecily''s voice blared out over the speakers, Suzaku Kururugi was getting suited up in a ''Devicer''s Uniform'' as Lloyd called it. The uniform was white, black and gold, padded in order to better protect against the Lancelot''s rapid movement and the jarring that commonly accompanied it.


    He had read the manual (most of it anyway) for the Lancelot and was more than slightly impressed. The Lancelot outclassed Sixth Generation Gloucesters, by about as much as a Sutherland outclassed a regular battle tank-totally.


    The Blaze Luminous Shielding System was the main defensive array on the Knightmares arms and could be activated to shield the Lancelot from bullets, grenades, Chaos Mines, even close combat weapons like Stun Tonfas and Lances.


    The Lancelot also featured an improved version of the standard Yggdrasil Drive, the Core Luminous, as well as a hefty amount of Sakuradite seeded throughout the Lancelot''s frame, increasing its overall strength, agility and power.


    There were only two issues Suzaku had with the Lancelot, as it currently was. The first issue was the lack of ranged weaponry, aside from the Slash Harkens, meaning Suzaku would have to get up close and personal with any enemy Knightmares in order to defeat them, upping the chance of an ambush.


    The Second, far more pressing, issue was the lack of any sort of ejection system. Quite how Earl Asplund neglected to design one into the Lancelot was astonishing to Suzaku, considering how Knightmares were originally a pilot ejection system in and of themselves.


    Suzaku knew of the development history of the Knightmares, up to the Third Generation Ganymede, fairly well thanks to Lelouch. He would often reminisce about all of his mother''s duels, especially the time she had defeated the Knight of One, Lord Bismarck Waldstein.


    Hopefully, Prince Schneizel will grant a bit of extra funding to build a basic safety device like an Emergency C.o.c.kpit Ejection System, and relatively soon.


    "Have you read the manual?" Cecile Croomey''s voice came over the headset he wore over his right ear.


    "Pretty much." Suzaku replied. All he had skipped was the part he was certain the Earl had added, entitled, "Devicer Conduct and Proper Veneration Etiquette of the Lancelot". He was pretty sure that was superfluous to requirements, so had ignored it.


    Suzaku made his way out of the changing room and stood in front of the Lancelot. It was magnificent. The Lancelot''s white and gold paintwork made it shine like a beacon, even in the Ghetto.


    ''With this, I can end this slaughter. I can do it!'' Suzaku thought as Ms. Croomey talked in his ear about being careful in the field.


    Suzaku mounted the Lancelot''s c.o.c.kpit and sealed the hatch behind him. After running preliminary start-up procedures, Suzaku activated his radio.


    "Ms. Cecile? All systems check out all green on this end." Suzaku reported.


    "Roger. All systems green on this end as well." Cecile replied. "Releasing safety locks 1-16. Suzaku, you are cleared for launch. Godspeed."


    Suzaku inserted the activation key as he acknowledged Cecile. "Roger. Suzaku Kururugi, Z-01 Lancelot: Launching!"


    The Lancelot exploded forward in a flurry of motion, Landspinners whirling, speeding towards the sounds of conflict.

 Chapter 319 - My SI Stash #19 - Earths Mightiest Hero by Noodle Espionage (MCU)

    -A pretty chill SI MCU fic with the pacing not being too slow nor too fast. Also the author seems to be inspired by The Spider & A Twelve Step Program to Omnipotence so it''s definitely going for that yoink the superhero''s powers route~


    Synopsis: Jordan, your friendly neighborhood comic book fan wakes up in the Marvel Universe before the events of Iron Man. Join him as he embraces his new life and struggles to obtain power so that one day he might stand at the forefront of Earth, defending the planet from dangers only he knows are out there. (Self Insert)


    Rated: T


    Words: 31K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13612640/4/Earth-s-Mightiest-Hero (Noodle Espionage)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    My eyes blurrily opened. Ah f.u.c.k, I groaned. I had a splitting headache as I gradually came to, the lights above me glared down. What the hell? I tried to raise my hand to block the light, but it felt so heavy, I struggled to lift it to bear, instead it just flopped back down beside me.


    "Jordan! You''re awake, my beautiful boy", I heard sobbing as warmth engulfed my hand.


    "What''s going on?", I groaned. "Where am I?"


    "Shh shh, mum is here, you just relax, I''ll shout for a nurse, you just rest, you hear me?"


    With that, my mind once more lost clarity.


    It could have been a few seconds or several hours before I came to again,


    "He''ll be alright ma''am, he''s young and strong, responding well to-", the nurse was cut off by the woman who had been holding my hand earlier.


    "Jordan! He''s awake, he''s awake!"


    I felt better this time around, I was able to fully open my eyes to be greeted by a middle-aged woman, she was Caucasian, petite figure with brown hair, but more immediately noticeable was the tears streaming down her face. Just as I was about to speak, the door opened to an African American man in an NYPC uniform. He''d been holding two coffees but upon seeing me, he dropped them without a care in the world before rushing at me.


    ''Wait, stop! I haven''t done anything wrong officer!'' I wanted to shout in alarm before I was swept into his bear like arms. He held me tightly, and after a moment I realised he was openly sobbing. I was lost for words, so I just hugged him back, not sure what do to with myself.


    He must have felt my response because his hug grew tighter before he parted, wiping his eyes on his sleeve,


    "I can''t believe you''re awake, son." He beamed at me. I felt moved, this stranger- wait no. He wasn''t a stranger. Memories were coming to me. Gradually these thoughts pieced themselves together. His name was Sterling Davis and he was my father. Images, feelings and various emotions flowed through me as I looked at him - memories. Unfamiliar, yet, they now felt like they were my own. Eventually I just looked him in the eyes and said,


    "Dad". He grinned. Truly smiled with so much happiness I was taken aback. I may have been clueless as to where I was and what was happening, but I knew this man''s love and the woman who''d come to crouch by his side, my¡­ mum''s love was real, and for now, in that moment, that was enough.


    Two days later


    I''d been discharged from hospital that morning. I''d claimed memory loss at most of the doctor''s questions, which wasn''t wrong I supposed. However, when I''d sat there in my hospital room, sifting through ''my'' memories as much as possible, I''d slowly been able to answer more of the doctor''s questions such as who I was, my address and phone number. With that, he was convinced all my memories would come back with time and all I need was a relaxed recovery period.


    It''d been a strange couple of days, coming to terms with the thought that I, Scott, was no longer in my own body. I was 28, single and worked in a tech store selling laptops, printers and TVs, you know, the usual shit. Now I was 15-year-old Jordan, son to loving parents and generally a good kid.


    My time in the hospital, when Jordan''s parents hadn''t been all over me providing a distraction, was suffocating. Not literally mind you - but coming to the realisation I had been stripped of my former life, my identity and thrust into a new one was rough. I''d spent a lot of time wondering, hoping if when I awoke next, I''d wake up back as Scott.


    Even though Jordan''s memories were happy, those many would aspire to have, they weren''t mine. I felt like an imposter every time his dad came to check up on me between work shifts, every time his mother came in with freshly baked goods just to see a smile on my face.


    Two days sat in a hospital bed has eased the gut wrenching feeling of being somewhere new, and alone. It helped I was generally quite pragmatic, moping around wouldn''t solve my situation. The question was, could anything?


    To have suggested the idea of reincarnation to me before would have made me laughed. Yet here I was, not just somewhere else born anew, but living another''s life. It wasn''t quite reincarnation, but transmigration?


    Did that mean I''d died as Scott? I''d raked my brain, but I had no recollection of my final memories before I woke up here - and I was positive I hadn''t had any pre-existing health conditions.


    It felt weird to think I was dependent on others again, to constantly be checked up on. I was used to chilling out with my friends. I hadn''t loved my job, but I earned enough to support my hobbies, which were meeting my boys for drinks and getting high to discuss recent movies, comics and fit girls.


    But Jordan was different, he ran track for his high school, actually studied before an exam and was friends with some popular kids at school. Perhaps more alien than being in a new body with a different height, weight, looks and haircut was walking in the shoes of that life.


    Once I was back ''home'' and finally alone after telling my parents I needed some time to rest, I opened ''Jordan''s'' laptop and typed in his password: S.e.xyLady123. One I''d have to change before I cringed myself to death.


    Moving on swiftly, I had to confirm some odd things I''d seen in my memories. It was only a few moments later I was staring at the news articles on screen in disbelief.


    "Holy shit", I whispered to myself. As if waking up and finding myself in someone else''s body wasn''t enough, it also appeared I was in a completely different world, yet, a world I was all too familiar with. The icing on the cake was when I confirmed that the year was 2007 and that amongst the largest grossing companies in the world were Roxxon Industries; Stark Industries, Oscorp, Pymm technologies, the Baxter Foundation, Life Foundation and H.A.M.M.E.R.


    "I''m in the Marvel f.u.c.k.i.n.g universe. What. The. F.u.c.k.", I spoke aloud in disbelief. A few moments of silence went by before the largest shit eating grin spread across my face. If I was here, regardless of the how, it must be for a purpose right? I was already having fantastical thoughts, would I become a superhero? An Avenger? Or perhaps a member of the X-men?


    I took a moment to think back on the memories belonging to this body, but I was drawing up blank. Jordan had been hit by a car on the way back from a friend''s house around the corner, a classic hit and run. Except I''d hit my head badly on the fall, enough to put me in a three-week coma according to everyone around me.


    A shit experience to be sure, but nothing that''d result in gaining superpowers. Could I be¡­ Carman? Capable of moving cars? Or Tarmachead? Capable of freely controlling tarmac as if it were liquid? That''d be pretty lame.


    I sighed and leaned back in the office chair, I guess if nothing obvious comes to mind I''ll have to run some tests.


    I breathed out in annoyance. I''d been staring at the pen on my desk for the last 20 minutes. Nothing, not even a shimmer. I scratched another line from my list. I''d tried super strength, telepathy, super speed, firing beams of energy from my eyes and forming blasts of energy from my hands. F.u.c.k, I''d even tried to fly. And now, telekinesis.


    Nothing. What was the point? How cruel could anyone be to put me in a universe full of the most absurd powers and abilities where literally anything was possible, just to make them a spectator? No, I refuse to give up so soon. I''ll come up with more ideas that I can attempt and start my trials again later.


    "Jordan!", I heard my name being called from downstairs. Sighing I tucked my chair back into its desk and headed downstairs. What met me was my mum, Christie, and my policeman dad, in civilian clothes stood next to two uniformed officers.


    "Hey kid, since you''ve officially been discharged from the hospital, uncle Jefferson and his buddy want to ask you a few questions about the night you were hit, you ok with that?", dad spoke, breaking the tension in the room.


    "Jordan, you''re looking better already", the first cop said. He was a carbon copy of my dad, just a little taller with short, cropped hair rather than my dad''s curlier, afro like hair.


    It took me a moment, but I realised it then. The double take must have been visible on my face as he quickly said, "If you''re still not feeling well, we can come back tomorrow."


    Dad, Sterling, spoke up quickly, "no. you know how it is, faster you know what to look for, easier it is to catch them".


    Jefferson Davis, who I''m still reeling about being my uncle snorts and retorts, "Look, I know you''re hurting, Sterling. So am I, kid''s my nephew. But you know the reality of these situations, you''ve worked enough of them. It''s been over three weeks; the case is cold."


    My dad stared at ''uncle'' Jefferson with a cold glare that made him flinch backwards. Fortunately, my ''mum'' intervened, pulling back my dad''s arm. The other policeman chirped up to break the silence,


    "ahem, Jordan Davis, do you remember anything at all the might help us find those who did this to you?", I looked at him for a moment before realising he looked familiar¡­ that was Denis Leary who acted in the Amazing Spider-Man 2. Which, if my guess is right, makes him George Stacy in this universe.


    Mind overload. Kaboom. Not only is my uncle Miles Morales'' father, but his partner is Gwen Stacy''s father? Error 404: Brain not found.


    Realising everyone in the room was watching my brain fart moment and waiting for me to say something, I garbled out, "I¡­uh, It was red, four door Ford, at least two passengers, I turned and saw the car speeding towards me cause it was playing loud rap music that I could hear above the volume of my earphones."


    Sterling was giving him a, ''that''s my boy'', kind of look. Uncle Jefferson and Officer Stacey looked relieved that they were now able to leave the house with something.


    George Stacy asked, "anything else?"


    "No, that''s all I remember, sorry."


    "No need to be sorry, that''s already a big help", Uncle Jefferson smiled reassuringly at me before glancing over at my father. He continued, "thanks for the help, kiddo, we''ll take it from here", they both smiled at me as they made their way over to the door.


    They left, closing the door behind them for my new mum to turn to my new dad, hands on h.i.p.s, seething fury aimed towards him,


    "What the hell was that?" she asked point blank, her face a mask of barely concealed rage.


    Sterling went pale, turning to me. "kid, could you give us a minute?"


    I nodded, making a quick exit, making a large noise as I walked up the stairs, only to creep back down. Like hell I''d miss the chance to listen to this. I sent a silent prayer up that it wasn''t a creaky staircase.


    "I said, what the f.u.c.k was that, Sterling?"


    I could practically hear my father squirm in discomfort.


    "Look, Christie, you never know what little information might help in bringing them to justice-"


    "I don''t care, Sterling. Our son has been through a harrowing ordeal. He was hit by a car, a f.u.c.k.i.n.g car, Sterling. He hasn''t even been out the hospital a day and you bring your boys in blue round to quiz him already! At least they had the decency to feel awkward standing in our home. They knew better, so should you!"


    "Oh, and what did you expect me to do, Christie!" He shouted back. "I''m a cop, serve and protect, that''s what they taught us, and I couldn''t even save my own boy!" He stifled his tears.


    "I have been a cop for over a decade, always telling myself that what I do will one day save those I care and love for, making it all worth it! So how do you think I felt when I got the call about Jordan! They said he had died, Christie! Dead for over a minute before he inhaled a breath again! A miracle the doctors called him! I refuse to lose him, even if it makes him feel uncomfortable for a few minutes."


    I blanched. Pale in the face. So, this body had died, huh? Did that mean that the original Jordan had died in order for me to take it over? And all this shouting? I felt... moved. It was odd really. I''d had both my parents as Scott, but they were already divorced so they never fought like this over me, not directly anyways. I knew in the back of my mind it wasn''t really me they were fighting over, but their Jordan. But for some indescribable feeling, I felt as though I owed it to the deceased Jordan to repay back their affection.


    Needing a moment, I took a seat on the stair. For it to creak. Loudly.


    F.u.c.k.


    "Jordan, come on down." I heard my mother say. I''d been busted. F.u.c.k it, might as well just begin calling them mum and dad really, it''s not as If I didn''t personally know the distinction between them and my original parents.


    I walked down the remaining stairs and turned into the living room where I saw a tearful mum and a frail looking father, quite a tough look for him, given his muscular, overbearing figure.


    "How much of that did you hear?", mum asked.


    "All of it. But, as much as I appreciate you worrying over me, honestly, it hasn''t mentally scarred me or anything, well, at least not yet." I spoke as I looked both of them in the eyes. Dad looked visibly relieved whereas mum just curtly nodded.


    A brief pause descended over the room before dad looked at me, "Right, well, first night home. That calls for your favourite meal, right? Pizza from Rozzano''s! Large Margaretta for Jordan and something with lots of veg for mum?" he looked over at his wife, a plead on his face, hoping that she wouldn''t hold a grudge from the row earlier.


    "Actually, dad, I''ll have a double pepperoni, feeling something different, you know?", I smiled back at him. I may be in a different body, but that sure as hell didn''t mean my choice of pizza topping had changed.


    We had a lovely night. The three of us on the sofa eating pizza and watching TV. I know it sounds silly to hear from someone in my position, but I hadn''t had such moments in my own upbringing, so I genuinely appreciated it.


    Citing my tiredness, I walked back up to my room. I had a dozen more potential superpowers to test out before I went to bed.


    Chapter 2


    "Jordan, get your ass out of bed, we leave in 15!", dad bellowed from downstairs.


    Damnit, why hadn''t they woken me before? What sort of cruel parent only wakes you up 15 minutes before you had to leave!


    A week had gone by since I''d been out of hospital. Since then I''d scored over two hundred potential powers off my list, but I hadn''t lost faith yet.


    I had to go back to school today, a place called Norbrich High. From my memories, there was nothing particularly special to say about the place. Distinctly average really. Decent sport program, decent academic pass rate and even celebrated sending a kid off to an Ivy League school on scholarship every now and then.


    Today was my first day back, and I sure as hell didn''t plan to stay there long. I''d already checked, and Midtown High existed in this universe. I was no genius, but even I could take a guess that if anything ''special'' would happen at a high school in New York, it would be that one. It was where Peter Parker and Harry Osborne studied after all.


    So, I went to school, barely getting my ass out the door before I got a scolding. Dad and I had a quiet car ride for very different reasons. Him, because he was absorbed thinking about his latest case as usual, and me, because I was attempting to make claws grow out of my feet with nothing but my mind.


    Reaching school 20 minutes later I mentally sighed. I''d have to remember to score that one off the list when I got home.


    I mumbled and bumbled my way through the day. What can I say? It was boring as f.u.c.k. I''d already been to school in my old life and I hadn''t enjoyed it then. I stared out the window, I swung off the back of my chair, I stared at the clock on every wall of each class and counted down the time until I could go home.


    Jordan''s friends approached me of course. Decent bunch of kids to be fair. But that''s what they were, kids. Their concern for me was endearing, but after that, conversation was back to the high school football team; Chad''s house party coming up, who''s dating who and whether Amy''s tits had grown recently.


    Full disclosure, if there is anything to make you, as a former 28-year-old feel uncomfortable, it''s discussing a 15-year olds b.r.e.a.s.t size with other 15-year olds.


    With that, I began to formulate a plan. This simply couldn''t continue.


    It was a week of hellish, boring repetition of school before I finally approached my parents. I''d have waited a little longer, but I was getting the impression that my classmates and teachers had suspicions that I wasn''t quite the same as I was before my ''accident''.


    As for why my parents hadn''t noticed my personality shift, or my rapidly increased maturity, who knows. Perhaps they were just too grateful to have me back and awake, or maybe they had noticed and just put it down to me having gown in maturity as a result of the ordeal.


    Either way, it was time to move on and deal with this issue face to face.


    "ahem, uh. There is something I''d like to ask". I was nervous about raising this issue. I''d obviously been an independent a.d.u.l.t previously, making my own life decisions, albeit, often poor ones. I honestly couldn''t remember the last time I''d had to ask permission to do something that would have such large impact on my life, so what if they said no?


    Damn it, toughen up! ''You''ll be a superhero one day'', I said to myself, y''know when I actually discovered my powers??


    In the passing week, I''d crossed out over 400 potential abilities and I was really scraping the bottom of the barrel.


    Bubble creation, super metabolism, knowing whether I like the taste of a food solely by looking at it. All scored out. The only thing keeping me going at this point was that I knew for a fact I was in the marvel universe, a world of heroes! Well, none who were public at the moment, but Captain America and others were well doc.u.mented in this world!


    "Jordan, what''s up, son?", Dad looked happy I was striking up a chat. He must have noticed I''d spent less time with him this week than I usually did, according to my memories.


    "I was thinking¡­. And it was just a thought really¡­" I trailed off, not too sure how to raise the issue. Both parents were looking at me expectantly now. For f.u.c.k''s sake, just spit it out!


    "I''m looking for a change in my life. I know it sounds silly, I''m only 15, but with the car accident and the time in hospital, it''s sort of put my life a bit more in perspective. I''d like to move school, to Midtown High preferably, and to take up something new as well, like Krav Maga." I blurted it all out in one.


    The shock on their faces was palpable. I made a mental note to add that to my list of powers to test, palpability of emotions.


    "Uh, well, that''s obviously a big move to make, it would bring a large change to this family", mum carefully spoke. She obviously was attempting to tactfully respond, not dismissing my idea outright, but buying time to weight it up.


    But I''d prepared for this moment. Watch, and be amazed for my finishing move! "Actually, it wouldn''t be a bother, the bus stop down the road goes straight to Midtown high. It''d take me a little longer to get there in the morning, but dad wouldn''t need to drop me off, so it''d save you time"


    Dad was quick on the uptake. I guess you could expect that from a cop, but he realised my answer seemed a little too rehearsed.


    "You''ve thought about this quite a bit, huh?". I gulped, caught in the act. But I was committed to this.


    "yeah, ever since the hospital", I replied. As a minor, I needed them on board for this, that meant honesty¡­ or at least half truths.


    "so why are you only coming to us with this now, sweetie?", mum asked.


    "I guess I just wanted to make sure this was what I actually wanted, rather than just an emotionally fuelled decision I''d regret." I just sort of spurted it out as an off the cuff excuse, but it obviously achieved the desired effect.


    Dad smiled, "I''m proud of you. You''ve been through more than most your age and you''re now looking ahead. You want to challenge yourself in a new environment. You''ve obviously thought about this, otherwise you wouldn''t approach us like this, so It''s a thumbs up from me"


    Mum glared at him, the ''we should have discussed this privately first'' look. But eventually rolled her eyes and relented when she saw the hope and conviction in my eyes.


    "Fine, you can move school, if this is how you truly feel. But Krav Maga? Don''t think I didn''t notice you slipping that into the conversation Mr. Davis". Mum watched me with a stern eye.


    "aha, yeah. That''s more of a why the hell not, sort of decision." I tried to laugh it off to my parents. This decision hadn''t been as clear cut as going to Midtown High. I knew if I were to look for a Colleen somewhere in Chinatown, I''d not only receive top notch combat training but have the possibility of meeting the Iron Fist somewhere down the line. But at what risk? If The Hand existed in this world, and I had no reason to believe otherwise, it would put me firmly on their radar and that was not an option for little old me. Not yet at least.


    "mmm hmm mister. Alright, but you aren''t giving up your track training, you''re good at it, and if you could get even the smallest of scholarsh.i.p.s through it, it''d be a great help to your father and me" she finished.


    "of course, mum" I smiled back at her.


    "Now, is there anything else you want to throw at us whilst you have us on the backfoot?", Mum jokingly asked me, a glint of amus.e.m.e.nt in her eyes. A glint which swiftly vanished after seeing me hesitate over my next words.


    Dad was the one to fill the silence with a snigger and chortle, "this will be good, I can feel it, go on Jordan, surprise us with another crazy life changing decision", he prompted to mum''s dismay.


    "Well, you know that savings account you have in my name? That college fund?"


    That stopped Dad''s laughter as he adopted the same worried look as his wife.


    I pressed on, "Well, rather than let it just sit there for the next few years, I think it would be smart to invest it, see it grow in value."


    Dad raised his hand, indicating for me to stop. "We are aware of how investment works, Jordan. But that''s your college money. No money, no college, Jordan. I know you''re a bright kid, but just as you could earn more from the fund, we could also lose it all and that''s not an outcome we can afford."


    I looked down dejectedly, thinking that was the end of the conversation. Of course, it was a tall order to expect parents to be happy with a 15-year-old calling the shots with over ten thousand dollars. Surprisingly, it was mum who came to my aid.


    "What were you thinking of Jordan? You must have an idea if you''re coming to us about it." She smiled in a motherly, supportive manor, one that showed interest in my thoughts and ideas without promising any commitment. I could work with that, a slow grin beginning to form across face.


    "Well, have either of you heard of a recent creation called coin¡­"


    Two weeks. That''s how bloody long it took to get transferred to Midtown High. In that time, I''d said goodbye to my ''friends'' at Norbrich, saying my parents just wanted me to move and I couldn''t argue with them.


    The investment conversation with my parents was, beyond all odds, successful. I showed them the e-currency, what it was and how it worked. I told them of my peers and how I believed such a use of technology was only bound to rise for both social and professional use. My parents took a few hours of conversation and convincing, but we got there in the end.


    Aside from setting the family and myself up financially, I figured being wealthy would alleviate some of my parent''s pressure regarding my athletics and need for a university education.


    I''d also begun attending Krav Maga classes at a nearby studio. The instructor was former Israeli special forces, a real tough bastard that didn''t take shit from anyone. Honestly, it was hard going, and I''d be lying if I said I wasn''t beginning to doubt my superhero masterplan. I''d long dried up of superpowers to try out. My last real hope was that my X-Gene simply hadn''t awoken yet but given that the rest of my manly bits had been affected by puberty, even that hope was slowly waning.


    ''So why am I attending these classes?'', I thought to myself as I got assaulted by one of the older students. I dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodged, but the other boy was larger, faster and far more experienced in the combat system than I was.


    Hope. That''s all it really came down to. I had hope. I was in the motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g marvel universe. Unlike everyone else around me, I knew what was out there. Superpowers, aliens, infinity stones, magic. I knew what was out there and I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to have powers and stand amongst Earth''s mightiest heroes. To be at the forefront of humanities pursuits into the stars.


    I''d spent my previous life sitting on my arse, smoking weed and chatting shit with friends about which hero was coolest and what we''d do if we could save the day.


    I now had the chance. I''d discover my powers, my reason for being here, and you bet your left testicle I''d be the first in line to protect this planet.


    My head rocked back. My distracting train of thought had resulted in me getting knocked harshly in the face.


    "Take a few minutes Davis. Right class, everyone partner up and get to the punching bags"


    The instructor continued onwards with the class as I sat my ass down with an icepack.


    I don''t care if I don''t know my powers yet, I refuse to step back and watch this world, no, this universe burn at the hands of Thanos. That''s why I was here, why I cared. Even if I didn''t have a power yet, I had foresight, and that was a powerful thing.


    The class finished and I was picked up by dad in his cop car outside. He took one look at my bruising face before opening his door, rage burning on his face as he eyed the studio, clearly wishing to give the instructor an earful.


    "Dad!" I grabbed at him. "Dad, stop! It''s just a bruise!"


    "Just a bruise!? We agreed to let you learn to fight so long as it didn''t interfere with your track training. How are you supposed to run competitively at the weekends if you''re black and blue all over!"


    "It was just an accident, my attention slipped, and I got hit. It''s not a big deal!" Damn it. As much as I loved the feeling of having caring parents once more, those that would stick up for me through thick and thin, who would back me even if I did horrible wrongs¡­ It could get pretty bloody tedious. How was I supposed to train in preparation to become a superhero if my parents devolved into a rage every time they saw a bruise on me!


    Dad got back in the car and drove them home.


    "your mum will hear of this", was all he said.


    The following day, my eye had swollen beautifully. There was no way to hide it. I''d be attending my first day of Midtown High with a face ripely swollen. I stood in my bathroom mirror as I inspected myself. It was still weird seeing my reflection and accepting that it was new - a different body than the one I was originally born with. Previously I''d been Caucasian, slightly flabby with a slightly crooked nose from the time I''d been punched in the school yard and hadn''t had my nose reset.


    Now, I was a mixed-race teenager with an athletic body. With so little body fat, even my jawline was chiselled. Stubble ever so slowly creeping its way onto my chin and the ability to grow an afro just like my father very evident on my head.


    Jordan before me had always kept his hair fairly close cropped both for teenage fashion and his athletics training, and I saw no reason to change that. My hazel eyes stared back at me before I sighed, wondering how my parents would respond to my swelling black eye.


    I slipped into some grey slim fit jeans and a black t shirt. It was the most plain of all outfits and perfect to wear when you were going into a new environment of different cliques, unaware of social circles and expectations.


    I walked downstairs to hear my mum gasp as she saw my face.


    "hey, hey, hey" I said pre-emptively, "it''s not as bad as it looks". My comments were for naught as she rushed up, immediately prodding it.


    "does it hurt? Dear god, Jordan, you can''t go to school looking like that!"


    "Mum, it''s my first day I can''t miss it. Besides, it really isn''t as bad as it looks." That was a lie, it stung like a bitch. But one complaint and I knew I''d be bed bound for the day. Oh, the joys of being a teenager again.


    "Anyways, got to head out or I''ll miss the bus!" I rushed out the house before she could complain anymore, grabbing an orange and an apple from the kitchen counter as I left. Happy body, happy mind, after all.


    After a half hour bus journey, I arrived at Midtown High. It was an odd sensation, being at a place I''d seen portrayed in movies and comics all my life. Mainly due to how¡­ underwhelming it was. It was a high school. For a place that held so much fictional significance in my childhood, it was just too normal.


    Looking at my schedule, it began with Geography in class B.04 with Mr Jones. Let''s hope the day goes by quickly, I grumbled.


    Shit, shit, all classes are shit.


    I''ve done it all before. Literally. I''ve been a teenager once before, sat the exams and passed ''em all. My parents were confused when I said there were some subjects I wanted to change, but no f.u.c.k.i.n.g way was I going to sit through dozens of hours of chemistry, a subject I never previously understood, just because it''s what Jordan chose previously.


    Sure, his memories gave me a decent grasp of the subject, but I held no desire to pursue it. I wanted to be a superhero, not a damn lab nerd. I mean sure, I''d read comics of super nerds obtaining powers through their experiments, but I was also a realist. I wasn''t a genius in my last life, and I sure as shit wasn''t one in this life, I''d checked to see and scored it off my superpower check list.


    So, I''d swapped out the sciences for the social sciences, the ones I''d done in my past life. The ones that I was sure with a little re-stimulation I''d be able to ace with the bare minimum work.


    Lunch arrived and I grabbed my tray from the canteen. Beef stew with mash potato. Not bad, a far cry better than what Norbrich served up, I inwardly celebrated.


    Being the new kid and having pointedly ignored most people in my new classes based on my previous experiences of hanging out with 15-year olds, I ended up eating alone. It''s because of that, that I ended up lost in my own thoughts and missed the group of older kids that sat down around me.


    "You the new kid, Jordan?"


    I looked at them. They didn''t seem to look at me with hostility, rather a hopeful expectation and hesitation.


    "Uh, yeah, that''s me". As soon as I said it, I knew it was a weak ass reply, but I''d been caught off guard, what else could I say?


    "Heard you run a 11.36 second 100m. That''s not bad at all for your age, you able to run for us at the Friday meet?"


    "I guess, sorry, you are?" I said, trying to be polite. This was the most straight to the point and mature conversation I''d had since being reborn into Jason, a sincere hope began blossoming in my heart to make friends out of these guys.


    "sorry, yeah, I''m Trevor, student head of track and field here at Midtown High, nice to meet you, Jordan" he smiled back at me, offering a hand to shake, which I did.


    "and if you don''t mind me asking, what the f.u.c.k happened to your eye?" Trevor gave it a glancing inspection, wincing slightly at the sight. So, I told them, and as I did so, a smile crept onto my face.


    Perhaps school wouldn''t be so bad here. If I could make some friends amongst the older students, ones who wouldn''t judge me based on my age but rather my personal maturity¡­ I could see it working.


    With formalities out the way and my confirmation of running relay in Friday''s school meet, Trevor turned to his other friends around us, smiling as he did so,


    "Who''s seen Hannah''s tit''s? It''s not just me, they''ve grown, haven''t they?"


    Oh, for f.u.c.ks sake


    Chapter 3


    Two years went by and I entered my final year of high school.


    I''d love to say they passed in the blink of an eye, but they didn''t. I attended school as normal. My teachers telling my parents I was acing every class I took and some sort of prodigy in computing. Obviously not true, I had just studied these subjects already and well, I''d gone into the tech sales industry in my previous life so in some areas I knew more than the teacher did.


    A few major events occurred in this time. The most notable development was the birth of Iron Man.


    Just as it went in the movie I''d seen in my past life; Tony Stark had been targeted and kidnapped by a terrorist group in Afghanistan called the Ten Rings. This was major international news at the time, covering television channels and newspapers for a week as the US military waited to receive hostage demands from the Ten Rings. They never came, and as the weeks went by, the masses believed we''d seen the last of Tony Stark.


    I knew otherwise. Three months later Tony appears once more on US soil with quite the impressive story, regaling his daring escape. He laughed and smiled, charismatic as he''d ever been with the media. But I knew, I''d seen the horrors myself that they''d put him through and I knew what I was watching on the news was the fa?ade put in place by a broken man who''d stared death in the face and was desperately attempting to rebuild a sense of normalcy around him.


    It''s odd, and not something I''d considered until all these events occurred, but here in this world, these people were real. It''s isn''t like watching the Iron Man movie at home on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn, viewing a scene of torture as just a necessary character-building step to form an onscreen fictional superhero.


    To watch news reels and interviews with the man, to know that he had experienced those horrors as a real, flesh and blood human made my skin crawl. I''d entered a mood for a while at that realisation. Especially because I knew what came next.


    There I was, going through life as a regular teenager, knowing that Tony''s fight with Iron Monger was just around the corner and yet here I was, powerless. I''d sworn years ago that I would step up and face Thanos alongside the world''s mightiest, what a joke that now seemed. I had nothing that made me a powered individual, not yet.


    Just as I knew it would, Iron Man prevailed, wiping that human sc.u.m, Stane, off the face of the Earth.


    Those events only cemented my resolve towards becoming the hero this world needed. Sure, Iron Man had saved the day this time, but I knew that one day that simply wouldn''t be enough. More was needed and I knew I''d one day be the person to fill that role. If only I could work out how.


    The other major piece of news was the introduction of Peter Parker and his buddies to high school. They were two years below me and exactly as portrayed in the Homecoming movie I''d seen back when I was Scott. Nerdy, geeky and oddly charming in their own weird way. I''d obviously continue to keep an eye on them, but for now they were just regular kids.


    Friendsh.i.p.s developed decently, I was no longer in contact with any of Jordan''s old Norbrich friends, but at 15 years old I''d made close friends with Trevor and his group of Kyle, Brent and Alex. It''d made my popularity skyrocket within the school, getting me invited to all sorts of older pupils'' parties. Fortunately, my parents didn''t mind me going out in the evenings, mum was just happy I was getting along with people and dad was chill as a cuc.u.mber so long as there was no booze, smoking or anything crime related.


    Hanging out with some older boys meant I drew the attention of the older girls too. Still, I didn''t dare pursue any of them. I was a 28-year-old man reincarnated, well 30 now. But going after girls half my mental age disturbed me. Trevor and his mates were always quick to point out their classmates who had the hots for me, but I couldn''t help but feel creepy. Like some dirty old pervert stalking younger woman.


    Trevor and his mates had obviously graduated high school, but my friendship with them lived on, being invited to the odd college party. Me being a part of their group had got me an ''in'' with the following years seniors which I was quick to exploit, making friends in their circles, attending their parties and remaining the envy of many in my own year group.


    Much of this was thanks to my success on the track circuit. I was now 17 years old and could run a 10.98 seconds 100m sprint. This made me a young sporting talent of the school and thus quite popular. I continued with it because I knew it would help with my eventual pursuit of becoming a superhero.


    Additionally, in this body I was very good at it, despite having no previous interest for athletics as Scott, it''s amazing how much fun something can become when you''re one of the best at it. But for my parents, it was a sigh of relief, the thought that I''d be able to claim a scholarship of some sort eventually.


    Being the final year of school, my peers were all applying to colleges around the country and asking me what my own plans were. Aside from them, the pressure was also building from my parents. I hadn''t had the heart to break it to them yet, I mean, what was I supposed to say, ''oh yeah, I''m going to be a superhero so I won''t go to university like you''ve wanted me to since I was 9''. Not to mention it would be pretty hard to convince them when my powers still hadn''t made their debut¡­


    No thank you. I''d hold off that conversation for as long as I could. Perhaps when the coin rose significantly in value the conversation would be considerably easier, but that was still several years away. So, in the meantime, I did what my peers did, I applied for the track and field scholarsh.i.p.s at Empire State University and others in nearby counties.


    Krav Maga was going well...ish, I thought to myself as I walked into the studio after a long school day. I now attended classes 4 times per week, much to the instructor''s dismay. The former special forces soldier immediately noticed my entrance.


    "100 push ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, 10km run, I want to see you exercise until you go bald. You''re getting fat, Davis." He motioned towards the gym equipment in the corner before turning away from me.


    Oh? Did I forget to mention that I was damned shit at fighting? It was clear to anyone by this point that the instructor had completely given up on me as a lost cause. No, more than that, he wanted me out of his class. He felt I was a waste of time.


    Sure, I''d learnt the basics. Attack, block, deflect and counter, but that was all, the movements felt unnatural to me. Whenever I saw an attack, I needed time to think of the best response rather than feel the instinctive flow of the melee and naturally counter. It didn''t help that my parents wouldn''t sign off for me to actually fight in an MMA matchup which was obviously the best way to consolidate your learnings. It spoke volumes that the instructor himself would rather I left his class than get paid for me to sit at the side.


    Everyone else in the class was better than me, even the kids that had only recently joined the class. I was the laughingstock of the group. But f.u.c.k that, I knew I was improving and that a single block and counter might one day save my life.


    "Why don''t you stick to running, Jordan?", a melodic voice spoke up beside me. I turned to see a short girl with long brown hair that fell to the small of her back. A petite, athletic form with a cheeky grin on her face.


    "Hey Lana, how you doing?" I smiled back at her. She was one of my good friends from the fighting studio. A legitimately good person that I could count on to have my back.


    "not bad, same old shit to be honest. How was your last race?" she smiled at me.


    "ain''t it always" I replied with a smile before continuing, "alright, I suppose, I''m at the stage where the only way to compete with the front runners is to increase my sprint training to 6 times a week and my aerobics to 4 times per week. Otherwise I''ll fall behind."


    "oh, so why don''t you?" She asked innocently. But we''d had this exact conversation so many times before.


    "Because I don''t want to be an athlete, I want to do more with my life than run for enjoyment", I entertained her.


    "uh huh. Because your combat training is going so well" she teased as she watched me do my squats.


    I think she might fancy me. Not in an egotistical, self-absorbed, the world loves me sort of way. But in an objective, we''ve been friends for a while now sort of way and I think our conversations are going into the realm of flirty.


    "Hey, I get by. One of these days, I''ll be stronger than everyone in the class combined!", I said with mock fanaticism, making her giggle, lifting her hand to cover her mouth as she did so. I''d said it as a joke, but a part of me truly believe it, my dream was still alive, after all.


    "easy cowboy. One step at a time. How are your parents doing? Still persuading you to give up?" As one of my close friends, she''d been round to the house a few times. I''d largely gotten over the age maturity difference in the last few years, I mean, I''d had to, or I''d literally have zero friends. Fortunately, teenagers grow rather quickly, and my now 17-year-old classmates weren''t as insufferable as they had been when I''d first joined the school.


    But then there was Lana who I''d met at Krav Maga and we just sort of hit it off quite quickly. That''d been a year ago now and It was just really¡­ nice. I could be myself around her, didn''t have to dumb myself down emotionally with her or pretend to laugh at fart jokes.


    The first time she came over for dinner after Krav Maga had been¡­ awkward. I often get lost in my own thoughts, not thinking things through, just being a little dense at times. As such I totally forgot the implications of a 17-year-old bringing a girl round for dinner.


    "So how long have you two been dating?" my mum had asked, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. I''d immediately choked on my mouthful as Lana''s eyes widened beside me. Dad erupted in a hearty laughter as mum continued,


    "Don''t think we haven''t noticed how much time you spend together!". Yep, that had been a pretty mortifying experience. Unfortunately, both my parents believe I only enjoy attending the self-defence classes as I''m trying to impress her, which was annoying to say the least.


    "Yeah, the parents still badger me about only having time to commit to one sport, blah blah blah. But it''s my choice, and I''m happy" I replied.


    "If you say so" she said cheerily. "Oh, and I''m afraid I''ll have to cancel tonight, Jordan. Test tomorrow at school I forgot about, next week?"


    I was a little disappointed, but hey ho what can you do. "Yeah, no worries" I waved her off.


    After the class which ended with me getting my ass kicked across the matts and back, I found dad''s cop car sitting outside for me. I opened the door and hoped in,


    "No Lana tonight, then?"


    "Nah, she''s got to revise for a test" closing the door and buckling myself in.


    "You''d have time to study too Jason if you focused on only the one sport¡­"


    "ughhhh not tonight, pleasssse" I groaned. "You know my grades are good already"


    "No such thing as too high a grade though, is there? And running quick isn''t enough to get you a good college scholarship place by itself these days"


    I was about to retort, but dad''s work phone rang. He looked over at me and mimed shush in my direction, one finger placed over his lips. I nodded back. These were his work calls, normally about a case of his which contained classified information, so he was supposed to be alone for them. Obviously, he didn''t have issue with me listening in, it''s not as if I ever care about the latest lab reports or court date summons.


    I was just about to zone out before I heard the first line,


    "Hi, this is officer Misty Knight, Harlem precinct. I heard you wanted to get in touch about those vigilantes?"


    My ears perked up immediately. I remained still and continued to look out the window, I didn''t want my dad to be aware that of the dozens of his work calls I''d overheard, there was one I was interested in. Misty Knight! Haha I just know it, this is going to be juicy!


    "Hi, yes, this is Officer Sterling Davis speaking. Over the last few months, I''ve noticed multiple reports of crimes being stopped in the act by three masked men. I''d heard you were watching them for a while?"


    "Yes¡­ that''s right, on the streets they are known as the Sons of the Tiger. Stopped or prevented dozens of street crimes from muggings and carjacking to r.a.p.es. Even saw a slight decrease in criminal activity when word of them on the streets spread"


    My eyes widened. Yes! A lead! Sons of the Tiger¡­ they were fairly minor Marvel characters, but I had heard of them! I was honestly surprised to learn of their existence, not that it gave me any headway in working out exactly which universe I''m in.


    I''d like to think it was the 616 verse, but how could it be when I recognised Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark or Chris Evans as Captain America, as seen in my school history textbook. To further complicate it, George Stacey had been an actor from an entirely different cinematic universe. What the f.u.c.k was I supposed to do with that information?


    But I was ecstatic. Discounting Iron Man, who seemed wildly unreachable from my current position, this was my first instance of hearing of modern-day superhero activity! It was information I might be able to do something with, rather than just watch it unfold on the news! In my excitement I almost forgot to continue to pay attention to the conversation.


    My dad replied, "and did you ever discover the identities of these¡­ Sons of the tiger?"


    I could practically hear Misty roll her eyes over the phone. "nope, once I learned that they only fought criminals and left their victims incapacitated for the police to pick up, I stopped following them"


    My dad''s grip on the steering wheel tightened, his knuckles going white as his seething anger threatened to overtake him.


    "Why? they are criminals, acting outside the law. If they truly wished for the community to be a better place, they''d join the police, not slink around in the dark!"


    Misty was rising to my dad''s bait now, dammit. "Well, officer Davis. My Harlem precinct is stretched thin enough as it is. Why would we waste police resources on catching those helping us do our jobs! Now, protocol demands I send my complete files on them over to you, but before you chase after them, perhaps you should consider meeting some of the young girls these men have saved from some rather desperate situations. Perhaps then you''d be a little more open minded! Now, if there''s nothing else, I believe this conversation is done."


    Dad was silent for a moment before replying, "I''ll be awaiting the doc.u.ments then", hanging up.


    He turned to me. "Sorry you had to hear than son. I''m just frustrated that the case could have been closed by now if she''d bothered to have seen it through like she was supposed to" he frowned.


    I was surprised to say the least. I hadn''t seen this side of my dad before. He was normally so calm and collected. Yet these vigilantes made him so angry. I couldn''t remember the exact details, but I''m pretty sure my dad has a criminal brother in the comics, but that wasn''t related to vigilantism, was it? Honestly, as far as I was aware my parents hadn''t existed in anything Marvel related which just threw another spanner in my ''which universe am I in'' problem.


    If only I''d somehow known that one day, I''d be sent to the Marvelverse and such information would come in handy, I''d have scoured every comic out there.


    I stopped momentarily, in thought. I might not know why my father was getting angry¡­ but I did know the story of the Sons of the Tiger and more importantly, how their story ended.


    Perhaps this had been my power all along, staring me right in the face? Sure, I''d always recognised the fact that my knowledge of future events in this universe was an unquestionable benefit, I''d chosen to move to Midtown High for exactly that reason, to get close to future heroes. But what if I could use knowledge of heroes to obtain their powers?


    I''d just have to be in the right place at the right time. What would count as freakish accidents for most, I could actively pursue, knowing the results already. If I were alone, I''d manically laugh, what was one power in the face multiple?


    "Feel like replying, Jordan?" Dad asked, breaking me out of my reverie.


    "huh?" I asked, dammit, perhaps getting sucked off into tangent thoughts was my superhero weakness.


    "I asked how you were"


    "Yeah, I''m good"


    "No, I mean, it''s been two years since the collision and we''ve barely spoken about it. I know Uncle Jefferson never found those that did it, so you had no real sense of closure and- "


    "Dad, its fine. Honestly, I think it bothers you and mum far more that it does me. I barely think about it, I made a full recovery, I''m happy, that''s all that matters"


    "If you say so", he sighed.


    For dad, it was the usual silence, this time contemplative at once more being shut down mid conversation. For me, I was desperately trying not to let my excitement show on my face.

 Chapter 320 - My OC Stash #20 - A Boxer in A Strange New World by Vexin98 (???)

    -The feminist paradise? With all the roles reversed, at least the roles they believe that exist. Can''t wait for the MC to start some sort of Meninist movement to complete the cycle/


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 9.3K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/a-boxer-in-a-strange-new-world.12201/page-2#post-3415531 (Vexin98)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0-1


    In most stories like this, there''s some kind of accident that sets everything off. A car accident either in isolation or caused by the protagonist jumping out to save someone else. Maybe a cliff collapses under them. Or a storm sends them into the sea. If I remembered correctly one or two of them had the protagonist killed by some kind of murderer while saving others.


    That wasn''t me though. I was a fighter through and through, and that''s how I met my end. I started boxing early, moved onto kickboxing, and went pro as soon as I could. I was good at it, really good.


    But it just wasn''t enough for me. I moved onto MMA to chase after the thrill, bit even there the rules were too restrictive. No soccer kicks, eye gouging, headbutts, hair grabbing, and so on. I mean, what''s the point of fighting if you can''t even go all out?


    So, I dropped out and went underground. That was where I found my Garden of Eden. Almost every martial art was represented from boxing to wrestling, from silat to lethwei. It was in this place that warriors of the modern day could truly shine. There was only one rule: No Weapons, and to my knowledge, it had never actually been broken.


    As I fought there against more varied opponents than I ever could have dreamed of, my skill rapidly increased due to the experience I gained. I learned new ways to move, to kick, to punch, to grapple, to strike, to throw, and so on and so forth. But, I never actually stopped using kickboxing.


    It was a kind of challenge, or maybe just pride. Despite having other skills, I just wouldn''t use them. Sure it led to a fair amount of losses, but I figured it was worth it. Sometimes winning the fight doesn''t mean winning the match.


    In the end, that phrase ended up being more relevant than I''d ever thought it would. Rather than dying when I was fighting against some master of martial arts or anything like that, it was just a spar.


    I was doing a favor for a friend that owned a gym. He was offering boxing courses and asked me to come in as a guest, to knock around a couple of the c.o.c.kier guys and show them that just because they could f.u.c.k up a schoolmate didn''t necessarily mean they''d make it in the real world.


    And honestly? I did. I absolutely thrashed them, within reason of course. I had a decade on the little shits and six inches at minimum on all of them, so I wasn''t really going all out. Hell, only one of them even managed to land a hit on me.


    Unfortunately, that one lucky hit was what did me in. Burst a blood vessel in my head and half an hour later that was it. I''d taken a seat to watch the amateurs go at it, and then nothing.


    In the end, I won the match but lost the fight. Hope me dying didn''t mess up the kid too much. He may have only landed a lucky punch, but if he wasn''t skilled enough to get into that position in the first place, then all the luck in the world wouldn''t have done a god damn thing.


    So yeah, I died to an amateur. Laugh it up. Believe me though, I was just as surprised as anyone when I woke up after I died, and I was a f.u.c.k.i.n.g baby.


    I wasn''t even a baby in our world, I got sent to some kind of medieval fantasy world with dragons and magic and knights and all that fun bullshit. Something though, was off.


    At first, I didn''t really notice it. After all, man or woman, basically everyone acts the same when there''s a cute baby around unless they just don''t like kids. And, to be honest, can you blame me for being distracted when I was a grown-ass man in a baby''s body?!


    I constantly had tits shoved in my face and couldn''t even enjoy it!


    No, what made me realize how weird things were was probably when I was about... five. We went to war and the head of the household had to go to fight.


    So, you can probably understand my surprise when my mother suited up in armor, picked up a f.u.c.k.i.n.g axe, and went out to kill people in the name of the queen.


    F.u.c.k.i.n.g surreal.


    That wasn''t anywhere near the weirdest thing for me though, but I''ll get to that in a bit.


    ~~~~~


    To be honest, I kind of just floated through life until I hit about 13. Before that, it was kind of just a blur. I ran around, played with my siblings, an older sister and twin brother actually, generally just raised hell around the household while the servants, we had servants by the way, tried to keep us under control.


    Another kind of odd thing, everyone related to me through my mother had white hair. They weren''t albinos or anything, it was just our hair color. Though, judging by my red eyes, I may have had some form of actual albinism.


    Getting back to what I''d said earlier though, yeah, it seemed that there was some kind of mix up in history, or cultures or society, or whatever, but men and women? Their places in society and even their attitudes were essentially swapped!


    Guys were the blushing maidens that were traded via marriage, expected to stay pure, and all that fun bullshit, while girls were making crude jokes about what they''d love to do with the hot guys they saw, they''d make cat calls and whistle when guys walked down the street, and so on. This also meant that women were the ones doing traditionally masculine jobs like cutting wood or construction. That left most of them pretty muscular, but strangely not in a way that actually outright detracted from their feminine beauty either.


    To be honest it was, erm, my fetish. Yeah, this place.is pretty great, I can admit it.


    Well, except for the fact that while my older sister Rina was being trained with weapons and armor, I was stuck inside learning etiquette. F.u.c.k.i.n.g rip off is what it was.


    This world can bite me.


    Though it did lead to something that I admit is kind of interesting. It turned out that while it was generally the women that went out to war, men did fight too. They just mostly fought using magic, and if they used a weapon at all it was generally a thin blade that they just channeled magic through.


    In essence, swing blade = blade of wind, or whatever the equivalent was, based on their affinity. The more they could swing, the more spells cast, hence using a lighter weapon. Men were also generally better at magic than women by default. That didn''t mean women couldn''t use magic though, it just meant that where a man would laugh a fireball at you but probably be pretty defenseless at close range, a woman would enhance her body and try to gut you with a weapon that was also on fire.


    So, while Rina was learning the sword, I was getting magic lessons. While she was getting her own magic lessons, I was being taught to sew. As you can probably tell, I skipped lessons like that pretty often. It wasn''t just sewing of course, actually that specific lesson I tended to lay attention to due to the sheet utility of knowing how to sew, it was also stuff like poetry, courtly manners, etiquette, and so on.


    So, I skipped that useless shit and did something actually important. I trained my body. I couldn''t just start the second I could walk though, that could cause permanent damage. No, I had to take that slow until I hit the right age. That age being about six years.


    So, from the day I turned six I started to train my body back into the shape that it used to be in. I wouldn''t say that I forced myself into doing it. It just came naturally. It was simple, really.


    I wanted to fight for my life and put everything on the line, so how the hell would I do that if I was a noddle armed, little bitch, like my twin brother Georgios? Answer: I wasn''t. So, I worked my ass off. It helped that I had a secret weapon due to my family''s assets and my own personal knowledge.


    Cheese and Wine.


    I-it was just the cheese though, that was the weapon. I only really mentioned the wine because my family had essentially bought their way into nobility in the first place due to the quality of both their cheese and wi- actually, I''m just going to move on.


    Anyway, the cheese. Specifically? What was largely considered to be a waste byproduct of cheese making until relatively recently was going to be my secret weapon in terms of building this body of mine up. What am I talking about? Whey.


    On top of the exercise and generally eating healthy, healthier than the rest of my family in fact, I had the kitchen staff add whey to my meals. To be perfectly honest, for the first couple of years it was unappetizing and made my stomach turn, because none of them actually knew how to properly add it to meals outside of making sure it was actually safe to be eaten. After a certain point, I just kind of stopped noticing it.


    Around 14 was where things really started mattering though.


    ~~~~


    "Please, Young Master, try again." The tutor in charge of teaching us magic pleaded. "Just focus, and I''m sure you can do it."


    "It''s not going to work." I complained. "I can''t do elemental magic, so my affinity must be something non elemental, right?"


    "While that''s perfectly possible, you must keep in mind that nobility have access to elemental magic because it shows our divine right to rule over the land." She explained, sounding a bit too proud if I do say so. "If you cannot command the land, the elements, through magic then what right have you to command it as nobility?"


    "In that case, what''s the point of even teaching me and Gio anything? We''re going to be in charge of the lands of Jack and Shit in the future after all." I pointed out, not for the first time.


    "Hector..." my demure brother protested, his blue eyes practically shining, "you shouldn''t speak like that. You know it''s improper..."


    "You should listen to your brother, Young Master, he will grow up to be an exemplary man while you... well, you might pass as a woman if you hid your face and body?" She suggested sarcastically.


    I just clicked my tongue in annoyance and focused on the task at hand. I knew it wouldn''t work, but anything to not have to listen to the, oh so esteemed, Lady Marche Eibenvuld''s bullshit.


    So in theory, magic was actually pretty simple. You just focused on moving your inner energy to the outside of your body, and then commanded it to manifest its specific trait. If you were aligned to fire you would essentially create a ball of fire, aligned to water you''d get water, and so on.


    I say easy and if you''re born with the ability to use magic it legitimately is, that''s how you get magic by the way you''re born with it or you''re not, and even for me, that aspect was genuinely easy. The issue with mine was...


    I focused, bringing a "handful'' of energy out of my body and into the palm of my hand. Then I commanded it to manifest and express itself, and...


    Nothing.


    The mana was there, so I wasn''t just a freak born without magic. That wasn''t unheard of, it wasn''t even necessarily rare, just uncommon enough that you could probably go your whole life without ever meeting someone like that. My mana just essentially didn''t want to do as it was told.


    "You can feel it, right teach?" I asked her.


    "Yes, and you''re commanding it to express itself?"


    "Yup."


    "... I didn''t want to admit it, but it seems you really do have a non elemental magic." She admitted with a grimace. "You''re lucky you were born a boy, or else this could cause problems with your inheritance."


    I just scoffed.


    "In that case, there is another way to test for it." She told me.


    "I should probably do that then, what is it?" I immediately asked.


    "That is... manifesting your mana while it still resides within your body." I immediately started going through the steps again. "However, it can be incredibly dangerous as there''s no guarantee that the traits of your magic aren''t harmful in some way-"


    "Doing it." I told her, commanding the mana within my hand to manifest.


    "After all, it could be something like poison or- wait what?!" She shrieked. "Are you insane?"


    I ignored her, concentrating. I needed to be careful. I could feel it wanting to manifest all at once, and that would probably result in me exploding or something equally painful. As it rose to the surface my mana...


    "Huh."


    Looking at my hand, I saw a difference. There were white feathers growing out the back of it.


    Lady Marche''s eyes widened, before immediately snapping at my brother. "Georgios, I need to speak to your brother privately. Your lessons are over for the day."


    "Are... are you sure?"


    "Go!" She shouted, causing the demure boy to immediately run off.


    "Hector, do you know what that is?" She asked, sounding deadly serious.


    "Not a clue."


    "You..." she took a breath, seemingly to steady herself, "you''re using Chimera Magic. Something that allows you to alter the bodies of yourself and others. It isn''t exactly the stuff of legends, but it is well known enough that if it came out then you, and by extension your family, would immediately gain enemies based on the deeds of past holders of that magic."


    "I..." I swallowed, "okay, I admit. That''s actually pretty dangerous. I should''ve been taking this more seriously."


    Though, being able to alter my own body? Man, I''d be able to increase my physicals so much, it isn''t even funny! If I keep it on the down low, I could basically be the best hand to hand fighter the world has ever seen.


    "Exactly." Lady Marche agreed, before... a smile slowly spread across her lips. "Which is why you''re going to convince me to keep quiet about this."


    I blinked. "I... what?"


    "Right now, I hold very important information." She said, almost at a whisper. "Information that could hurt you and your family quite badly if it got into the wrong hands."


    "You''re actually doing this." I said, more to myself than her. "You''re actually doing this, my God."


    "Me? I''m not doing anything." She shook her head. "No, you''re going to be the one doing everything." She said, running her finger down the front of my thin shirt, no doubt feeling my chest underneath. "You''re a bit too hard for my tastes right now, but don''t worry. We can fix that."


    In most other situations, I''d just attack the second she let her guard down. But as it was?


    She was fully grown, trained, a master Lightning mage, and had a good five inches on me. While I was a 14 year old boy. Sure I was a little ball of muscles, but I was only a 14 year old ball of muscles.


    "I see." I told her, looking down. "I guess I don''t have any choice, do I?"


    She leaned in to whisper to me. "Now you''re getting it."


    So, I did what I had to. Moving my hands up, I grabbed hold tight... and immediately ripped my shirt open, before taking a deep breath and screaming as loud as I absolutely could. This had the immediate effect of causing Marche to immediately reel back, clutching at her ears.


    However, it had the much more desired effect of causing the tutoring room''s door to be practically blown to splinters as my mother, axe in hand, kicked it open.


    She crossed the distance nigh on instantly and was immediately at my side. "Hector, what happened, why is your shirt torn, what..?"


    Immediately taking the two ripped parts of my shirt, I pulled them together to get rid of the straight view to my chest, and pointed a shaking finger at Marche. "S-she..." I stuttered, admittedly imitating my brother a bit in tone and mannerism, before immediately bolting from the room.


    As I ran, I heard Marche try to explain the situation. "H-hold on, please, Lady Tempust, this is just a misunderstanding."


    Only to be interrupted by my mother. "THE ONLY MISUNDERSTANDING HERE IS WHY YOURE STILL ALIVE AFTER TOUCHING MY SON!"


    Followed by an actual explosion.


    It didn''t take me long to reach my bedroom, where I immediately locked the door, sat on my bed, and laid back.


    "Didnt expect things to go like that." I admitted to myself. Marche was a trusted family friend after all, to suddenly make that kind of demand...


    Wait.


    No.


    Reframe it based in the context.


    Male family friend that is constantly in contact with young daughters. Learns threatening information about it, and uses it to his advantage. In fact, was Marche ever really a friend...?


    Continuing on with that line of thought actually...


    A scream tears through the house, father arrives to see tomboy daughter, previously acted like she was invincible no matter the situation, with her blouse ripped open and seemingly on the verge of tears, while pointing an accusatory finger at the family friend. She immediately leaves the scene in a panic.


    ...


    Yup, I probably just got someone killed. At best, definitely prison.


    I didn''t feel nearly as bad about that as I should have.


    "Well, better get to messing around with this apparently dangerous magic I have. Worst case? I melt myself."


    ~~~~~~


    16 years old.


    It was an important age. For you see, it was when all the young, rich, and incredibly important nobles, and their debutante brothers, were sent to attend the most prestigious school on the continent; Our Lord of Eternal Peace Academy.


    Get it? Our Lord, instead of Our Lady? Because things are swapped here?


    I absolutely hated the place before I even got there. It was the name. The name set me off. I fully admit that I''m petty, sue me.


    My elder sister had actually started her own time at the academy the year before, so it wouldn''t actually surprise me if people were absolutely terrified of interacting with me the instant I got there, purely because of her. She was, admittedly, a terrifying person. Because she could use fire magic.


    Lots of fire magic.


    She had literally almost burned a forest down before. On purpose. There was a time that she could have been reigned in, and this was clearly the timeline where we failed.


    The day before I, and Georgios, were set to leave, I was packing the things I would need. Clothes, for obvious reasons, clothes I would actually wear, because the first set looked absolutely ridiculous and the only reason I packed them was so I wouldn''t get complained at, books, and so on. Anything that was strictly a personal effect, I could likely buy in the city near the school, so I was packing pretty light.


    That was when my brother burst into the room, looking more excited than a dog with a opossum in its mouth. "Brother, have you heard? Have you, have you have you?!"


    "Given I''m not jumping up and down for joy like you, probably not." I shot back. "What is it?"


    "Oh, well, uh, there''s going to be two special guests at the Academy as students! Twins like us." He explained.


    "What makes them so special?" I asked, trying to fit some hemp rope into my bag. "They both girls? Are you trying to set me up for a double date?"


    "B-Brother!" He whined, to which I just laughed, making him pout and ouff out his cheeks with a blush. That... that''s really not an expression a guy should be able to make so easily. "It''s nothing like that, it''s because of their magic!"


    "What, can they use fire so they''re going to work with Rina to torch the school?"


    "I... please stop making me worry about such things."


    "I make no promises."


    "Anyway, no, it''s because one of them is the reincarnation of the Great Saint, Alcanol!" Ah yes, the Great Saint that makes me think of Alcohol.


    "Remind me please..." I requested.


    "The- the person who helped found the empire we live in! She could commune with Spirits, letting her essentially use more than one kind of magic!"


    Ah yes, the Great Alcohol Saint that could commune with Spirits.


    ...


    Kinda made me want to drink.


    "Hector, how can you not remember something this important?" He asked, exasperated.


    "Does it help me punch things gooder?"


    "W-well, not directly... but-"


    "Don''t care then!" I cut him off. "So, these twins are super duper special than?"


    "Yeah!" Georgios nodded enthusiastically. "They''re a Brother and Sister pair."


    "In that case," I mused to myself, "wouldn''t the best possible match to make a child be to have then marry each other?"


    "L... lewd! How can you be this lewd?! Elder sister has been corrupting you with her letters!" Georgios declared, his face a deep red.


    "She doesn''t even write me. Now get out of my room short stuff, I have to fi ish packing." I ordered him, despite already having finished.


    "Oh, okay." He easily agreed. "I''ll leave you to it then."


    With that he left, leaving me to think about the new information.


    "So, a male/female pair of twins with a connection to some kind of Heroic figure in history? Neat." If this was a story or a game, they''d probably be the heroes or something.


    ...wait hold on just a second.


    "I''m an albino twin, red eyes and all, have a somewhat rare magic that only has horror stories told about it, and my family isn''t necessarily powerful meaning if I wanted power in this world, I''d have to be ambitious and take it for myself." I sat there and thought about it for a bit, before coming to the only conclusion that made sense.


    "Oh f.u.c.k, I''m the villain of a Visual Novel."


    Chapter 1


    Here I was in Our Gentle- nope. F.u.c.k that name, I refuse it.


    I was at the super duper important school where my official objective was essentially to flaunt my body and status around to find a proper wife, who will likely pin me down in the future and put me in a reverse mating press to force me to i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.e her. Yes, that is definitely the kind of life I wanted to live. Totally. One hundred f.u.c.k.i.n.g percent.


    I was sitting in the carriage that had brought Georgios and I to the school. Apparently it was some kind of common courtesy for demure young lads to wait a bit before leaving the carriage, so they could be properly escorted at first. This led to me being incredibly board, while my brother was just amazed at everything he saw, along with occasionally ducking back with a blush whenever one of the girls caught his eye.


    Sixteen years. Sixteen f.u.c.k.i.n.g years in this messed up world, and I still wasn''t used to how things were. Boys blushed and tittered when they were complimented, while girls gave cheeky grins. I had been lucky up until now. I''d been essentially isolated from my peers, so even if I was a "tomgirl", that phrase made me f.u.c.k.i.n.g shudder, I could essentially act as I pleased. Partially due to my mother and father thinking I''d just outgrow it, and partially as a result of Marche''s blackmail attempt.


    Now though? I could end up getting ridiculed just because I didn''t act sainty enough, or whatever the f.u.c.k, and of course that could reflect poorly on my family. To be honest, I didn''t really care all that much for reputation, but it could end up inconveniencing me if everyone started complaining.


    "Hey," I called my brother, catching his attention, "help me with my hair."


    "You still can''t do it yourself?" He asked me, sounding almost like he pitied me.


    "Shut up, it looks sloppy when I do it and you''re better at braiding hair." I shot back at him with a scowl as I turned my back to him. "So get to it."


    He sighed, but he didn''t necessarily sound displeased. So, my brother started braiding my longer than average hair.


    Even in this world, longer hair was considered feminine while short hair was masculine. Though in terms of context, despite my hair going past my shoulders, it was seen as the equivalent of being a tomboy with short cut hair.


    Honestly, this topsy turvy bushit pissed me off. Though, there was an actual reason I''d grown my hair out. You see, there was an interesting trend I noticed. Better fighters tended to have longer hair. It was a kind of status thing, like saying that you were such a great warrior that you didn''t need to worry about your opponent using your hair against you.


    It appealed to me, so I took it for myself. That didn''t mean I was any good at actually working with it though, which meant I relied on my brother to style it for me, so it kept out of my eyes.


    "Almost done." Said brother mentioned.


    "What kind of braid is it?" I asked disinterested.


    "Fishtail." He replied with a smile in his voice. "You like to keep things practical, so I thought you''d appreciate something that wasn''t overly fancy."


    "... thanks Gio." I mumbled. I hadn''t really had any siblings before, so it was kind of weird having someone my age that cared about me so much.


    I didn''t dislike it.


    "Of course, any time Hector." He replied, finishing up the braid. "I''ll be there whenever you need me, no matter what. Promise."


    I just nodded and turned back around, sitting properly in my seat again.


    "When the hell are they going to let us leave the carriage?" I complained. "My ass is falling asleep."


    Tender moment or no, I was admittedly an impatient bastard. And my ass was literally falling asleep. It was like a million needles shoved in each cheek, truly torturous.


    "Hector!" Georgios gasped, scandalized. "You need to watch your language here." He scolded me. "Such crude language won''t gain you any friends."


    "Yeah yeah." I waved off his concern. "I just want to get out of here already and get into some clothes that are actually comfortable."


    "What?" He gasped. "But you look great!"


    Just like Georgios, I was dressed in very elegant, incredibly colorful, super flowy clothes that were thin as hell. Hard to move in, always felt like I would trip over some part that I didn''t notice, or accidentally tear it all open.


    Thankfully an official from the school finally arrived, also a man in ridiculous clothes, and we were permitted to leave the carriage. Without any kind of prompting or signal, servant women immediately began taking our luggage and taking it to our rooms, leaving us to only need to worry about the man before us.


    "Welcome to the academy, sirs, I am Joseph Gauntwhiler and it is my absolute pleasure to make your acquaintances." He said with a bow.


    "Uh huh." I offered lamely.


    "The pleasure is all ours, Mister Gauntwhiler." Georgios returned the bow.


    "Oh, please do call me Joseph. Mister and Sir just make me feel old." He requested. "Now, come along your rooms are nearby!"


    As the foppish man led us away, Georgios turned towards me with a smile. "The officials here are so friendly, wouldn''t you say brother?"


    "Just wait until you see the women." I let out unenthusiastically.


    "Why do you say...?" He asked, before widening his eyes and bringing his hands up to his mouth. "Oh, oh gods, I''m so sorry Hector. After your experience with..."


    "There''s nothing to apologize for, dork." I told him, rapping him on the forehead with a knuckle. "Just focus on yourself while you''re here. I''ll be fine."


    "If... if you say so." He replied uncertainly, rubbing the spot that I hit him.


    "We''re here!" Joseph crooned. "I hope neither of you mind, but we took the liberty of giving you rooms next door to each other. It wouldn''t do to separate a pair of brothers after all. Now, if either of you need absolutely anything, I will always be available."


    "Thank you very much, Joseph!" My brother called out as Joseph left, while I just went into my room. It was pretty standard, I supposed. Pretty big room with a comfy looking bed. Attached bathroom with hot and cold water that operated via magic. Nice sized closet. Even a full sized mirror. Past that stuff, it was pretty barren. Given we would be here for about 5 years, marriages notwithstanding, it made sense that the students would be the ones to decorate.


    Georgios followed me in, while I immediately went to check on my luggage. Haphazardly tossing my "acceptable" clothes out of it, I pulled my practicle clothes out.


    "Would you kind closing the door?" I asked him.


    "Hmm? Why?" He asked, to which I answered by immediately pulling my shirt off and tossing it away. By the time I started working on my pants, I heard the door slam shut. "C-c-c-couldn''t you be more considerate?!" He nearly shrieked.


    I finished stripping before turning around to answer him. "What''s wrong? You look all fl.u.s.tered, Georgios. Do I need to worry about you falling for me?"


    "Of course not!" He instantly responded, somewhat more heated than I''d expected. "What if some girl sees you like that and decides that you''re l-l-loose! She could try to take advantage of you and...!"


    Ah, that was it.


    "Gio, calm down." I told him. "What did I say? Focus on yourself here. I''ll be fine. What happened before is never going to happen again. I promise."


    "If... if I hadn''t left you then-"


    I crossed the distance between us and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Then what? You would have saved me? When you''re physically weaker than me? No, you just feel guilty. Stop it." I pushed him away and let go. "It was my fault that it happened, and my fault for trusting Marche in the first place. If you say anything different then I''m going to punch you. Got it?"


    "... yeah. I understand..." He nodded sullenly.


    "Good." I walked back to my clothes and started pulling them on. Unlike the clothes I was expected to wear, these could be pulled on on under a minute. Rather than the extravagant bright colors I was expected to wear, these clothes were made up of muted browns and blacks, along with a little crest that represented my family''s colors.


    Looking at myself in the mirror, I smiled. The shirt, jacket, and trousers weren''t anything fancy, at least by the standards of those around me, but that suited me just fine. Add in a pair of padded shoes for more comfort, and it left me looking positively plebeian. Thinking of it, given the clothes fit tight to me but not uncomfortably so, was I dressed conservatively or not?


    What a strange world I lived in now.


    "What do you think, Georgios?" I asked my far more, in my opinion, feminine brother.


    "In my opinion, you''ll never find a wife dressed like that." He told me. "But if dressing like that makes you happy, I''ll support you wholeheartedly."


    I approached my brother once more not saying anything. I didn''t grab him though, instead I put my hand on the top of his head.


    "Brother..?" He asked. I smiled down at him. He smiled back up at me.


    I proceeded to ruffle his hair mercilessly.


    "Brother!" He cried out, face flushed. Stoooop!"


    "I promise to stop, the instant you stop looking so defenseless." I told him. "Deal?"


    He just muttered something and retreated out of my room and into his own. Well, now that that was out of the way, I should probably get going and do something.


    Do what?


    No clue, but at least I won''t be bored.


    ~~~~~~~~~


    Walking around the campus was neat, I guess. There wasn''t really anything being done that caught my attention, so I was essentially left wandering around.


    At least, I was until I heard laughter. Malicious laughter.


    My favorite kind!


    Quickly following the sound to the source of one of my favorite sounds in the world, I found a small group of girls crowded around a guy, pressing him against the wall. Hey, were they bullying him? Or s.e.x.u.a.lly assaulting him?


    Nah, didn''t matter.


    I walked right up to the lot of them with a smile.


    "Hi there!" I greeted them.


    One turned around, probably the leader given she was the only one actually touching the guy, and looked me up and down. I did the same. Long red hair, somewhat tanned skin, and she was almost as tall as I was.


    "Who are you?" She asked.


    "My name''s Hector Tempust, just arrived at the academy today." I easily explained. "Say, are you bullying him or doing more?"


    One of the other girls approached me, a blonde, and put her hand on my shoulder. "You don''t need to worry Hector," she said with a clearly malicious smile, my favorite kind, "we were just going to show Layne here a good time. You should join in too."


    I looked at the guy, Layne, and he just looked down. Either afraid or ashamed. I could see why they went after him. Soft features, short and curly black hair, along with icy blue eyes. He was objectively good looking in a feminine way.


    Looking down at the hand on my shoulder, my smile didn''t drop but I did end up having to force it somewhat. "Hey, could you stop touching me? I never said you could."


    "Huh? Do you know who I am you stuck up bitch?" She asked me, her grip getting harder. She was probably enhancing her body. "I''m the heir to the Montalvan family, you think you can just tell me what to do?"


    Well, what to do? I''d been in a situation like this before, when I was 14, but this is a lot more obviously threatening. What would I...


    "Oh, wait." I chuckled, making her flinch just a little. "I''m not 14 anymore."


    "The f.u.c.k is that supposed to me-?!" My fist slammed into her chin in an uppercut while she was in the middle of talking, smashing her teeth together.


    The shock must of jiggled her brain at least a little, as she started to drop and let go of me. I could just let her fall and let that be that...


    But what kind of idiot just lets an opportunity to capitalize go without taking advantage of it?! Gripping her by the hair, I dragged her head down while raising my leg, smashing my knee into her face. Then I let her fall.


    The others stared in shock, allowing me to reach past and grab Layne by his arm and drag him away from the remaining girls.


    "Hey, what the hell do you think you''re doing?!" The lead girl roared


    "Eh?" I asked. "I''m just f.u.c.k.i.n.g up some weakling''s face for thinking she could do whatever she wanted to. Isn''t it just natural?"


    "You-!"


    I didn''t let her talk, cutting her off.


    "Are you saying you have a problem with that? How sad!" I crowed. "It takes you ganging up just to pick on a guy? What, are you just a gang of weaklings? Go cut your hair!"


    She immediately stepped up, grabbing me by the collar and dragging me down to her level. "You just don''t know when to quit, do you bitch? Fine, I''ll show you just how strong I am!" Pulling back her arm, she swung her fist towards my face.


    "Duel me." Before stopping it about an inch before it hit.


    "What?" She asked in disbelief.


    "Duel me." I repeated. "In public, everyone watching. You can use whatver you want. Weapons, magic, hell I''ll even let all of you come at me at once if you''re so weak that you need numbers."


    "Ha!" She barked out. "And why should I do that?"


    "Oh? Could it be... performance anxiety?" I asked faux innocently. "I understand if you just get too worked up if people are watching. It''s just something that can''t be helped, right?"


    She blinked, seemingly taking a moment to process what I had said, before...


    "Three hours." She growled, murder in her eyes. "We''ll have the duel in three hours. In the main square. Everyone will see me strip you and humiliate you like the worthless bitch you are."


    "Oh, sounds like fun~!"

 Chapter 321 - My SI Stash #21 - In Pursuit Of Magic by Zero Rewind (HarryPotter)

    -Hey! No chosen one, white knight, paragon of goodness, save world and help Golden trio reeeeeeeeeee. It''s an honest SI that would rather just learn magic than fix-it all.


    Synopsis: Jordan, your friendly neighborhood comic book fan wakes up in the Marvel Universe before the events of Iron Man. Join him as he embraces his new life and struggles to obtain power so that one day he might stand at the forefront of Earth, defending the planet from dangers only he knows are out there. (Self Insert)


    Rated: T


    Words: 20K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13502438/1/In-Pursuit-Of-Magic (Zero Rewind)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0-3 (exceptional)


    oooo


    June 10, 1991


    I''m just going to throw this out there.


    Going through my formative years again sucked.


    Big time.


    I''ve been told my name is Adam Clarke, a good, strong British name. I knew that was not my true name, but I highly doubted anyone would believe me if I''d shared the truth with them.


    Having experienced reincarnation and rebirth, keeping all the memories of my previous life- it was highly frightening.


    I shuddered to think how the orphanage matron would react; she''d either harp on about the Good Lord or declare me Satan reborn. She was a flighty bitch at the best of times.


    Ah, yes; you see, I lived in an orphanage.


    Apparently, my biological parents had been gunned down, and the hospital staff had to cut me out of her corpse to save my life. My father had enough life left in him to give me a name before he''d shuffled off the mortal coil.


    A horrible tragedy, the matron had told me with as much sympathy as a cat which is about to torture a mouse to death.


    I was born too early, and they were all sure I would die. Being able to actually remember my first few days of existence, I knew I''d come pretty close.


    Choking pains, weakness of breath, and an all encompassing cold with a few, scant moments of reprieve.


    And yet, I lived on- to everyone''s shock and surprise.


    A miracle child, I was called. What the miracle was, exactly, I''d never cared to find out.


    So, I was shipped off to some middle of nowhere orphanage and forgotten by all who were involved. Just a crime statistic, a halfway interesting survival story shoved into the back of people''s minds so they''d live more comfortably.


    Not all was doom and gloom, of course.


    I was optimistic.


    I had a clean slate, some could say.


    A chance to live life without the mental constraints of a child''s body. I would be able to quickly rise through the ranks of society and get hailed as a great mind.


    It was strange, though. I was born in the year 1980 in this life. In my previous life, I''d been born this year; 1991.


    At first, I''d thought that reincarnation was a non-linear experience, and so assumed there would be another version of me in the world.


    That was until the accidents began occurring. I''d waved them off, at first. A trick of the light. Strange karmic justice.


    Kids who bullied me got their pants wet in a way that made them look like they''d soiled their clothes. A door closing abruptly out of nowhere. Things I didn''t like sometimes disappeared or were destroyed in some contrived way.


    The more they occurred, the more I realized that something else was at play. I had my suspicions, but it all seemed circ.u.mstantial.


    My birth in the year 1980, being British, the strange events happening whenever I was particularly emotional- they fit strangely well with a certain plotline from a book series I''d been obsessed with for almost two decades of my previous life.


    Of course, the confirmation was now right in front of me. The orphanage matron had interrupted my studies, none-too-gently hauling off to a meeting room.


    A tsunami of insults coursed through my mind, but the words died in my mouth when she introduced me to the person occupying it.


    Severus Snape; a tall, thin, sallow faced man with black eyes and greasy hair, quietly handing me an envelope as the matron left the room.


    On it, I read:


    Mr A Clarke


    Fifth Top Bunk To The Right


    The Orphanage of Pity


    Warminster


    The other side was closed off with a purple wax seal bearing a familiar coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding the letter H.


    If this wasn''t confirmation, then I didn''t know what was.


    "Open it." The man prompted, his voice a soft, contained thing.


    I obeyed, reading its contents while my mind began to whirr with the possibilities. The letter was the typical Hogwarts acceptance letter.


    I decided to play dumb.


    "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." I deadpanned, turning the letter and reading what''s on the back- the expected lists of supplies I would need. Robes, books, supplies and a wand. "You expect me to believe this... school of magic exists, Mr. Snape?"


    On its own, the piece of paper flew out of my grasp, settling into the man''s hand. I stared at it until he cleared his throat.


    "Do you, perhaps, require another demonstration, Mr. Clarke?" Snape replied, sounding neither amused, nor annoyed as he handed my letter back.


    I shook my head slowly, reading through the letter again, very slowly.


    "I can''t pay for tuition, or my supplies." I finally said, keeping my eye on the list of school supplies.


    "Your tuition is free, and the Ministry of Magic has set aside a small fund for those without the means." Snape smoothly replied.


    It made sense- how else would Riddle have afforded going to Hogwarts?


    "The Ministry of Magic?" I asked, looking in his direction but not meeting his eyes directly. This man was an accomplished Occlumens and Legilimens. Who knew what secrets he could pluck out of my head with a simple look?


    "Our government." He said with a tone of finality as he got up from his chair gesturing for me to follow as he moved towards the exit. "Come along now, Mr. Clarke. You must get dressed and ready."


    "We''re going now?" I balked at the abruptness of the entire experience.


    Snape did not dignify me with an answer.


    Oooo


    Getting fitted for robes was a bore. Being watched by the intense eyes of Snape as Madame Malkins worked on getting my measurements was even worse.


    Snape was an expert at evading people.


    I''d always known this was the case, of course- a life as an introvert in Slytherin would do that to you- but his behavior pretty much cemented that in my eyes.


    That wasn''t to say that he was afraid of confrontation. His entire demeanor was standoffish with everyone but myself, and that was probably only because he was forced to interact with me.


    "Professor?" I broke the tense silence of the clothing store.


    "Yes, Mr. Clarke?"


    "What subject do you teach at Hogwarts?" I asked.


    He gave me an inscrutable look. "Potions, Mr. Clarke."


    I averted his direct gaze, focusing on the bridge of his nose instead. "I see. I read in the letter that I''d need vials and a cauldron. Is it anything like chemistry?"


    I could tell he was stifling an eye-roll. Likely, he heard this from every Muggleborn student he interacted with.


    "Only in the sense that it is an exacting art, Mr. Clarke." I almost missed it, but there was a shift in the man''s expression. "It is a subtle science, more complex than the haphazard methods of the muggles, and far from the expected foolish wand-waving in the other subjects."


    I hummed. "What kind of potions will I be learning to.. brew, the word is? I hope it''s not love potion, sir."


    "Nothing so foolish, Mr. Clarke." He eyed me strangely. "I tend to... discourage my students from certain practices."


    I gulped despite myself. This was a man to be wary of.


    "All done." Madame Malkin declared. I sighed in relief as he focused his attention back to the owner, discussing the payment.


    I ignored the look of pity she''d given me after realizing I was an orphan. I had no memories of my biological parents, and I''d managed to deal with the negative feelings associated with the loss of my previous life.


    Pitying eyes meant nothing to me.


    I followed the Potions Professor as he took me to the wandmaker''s store. "I shall leave you here, for now, Mr. Clarke."


    "You''re not going in with me?" I asked in surprise. I thought Hagrid had left Harry alone due to his incompetence as a caretaker.


    "Acquiring your first wand is a particularly... Intimate process." Was the man''s response. "Besides, this will allow me to save time by getting all of your required books."


    I snorted. "Practical."


    There was a flash of amus.e.m.e.nt in his expression, before it settled back into indifference. "You are perceptive. Perhaps you may do well in my class, after all, Mr. Clarke."


    He handed me the required money, turned and walked away, fully expecting me to obey his commands and enter the wand shop. To be fair, I did, but not before staring at the dingy, grimy entrance.


    Considering the existence of cleaning spells, wizards were a really unhygienic sort. Still, the sight of a wand on a cushion as well as the sign which said "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC" took my trepidation away.


    The shop was as tiny as I imagined it being. Hundreds of narrow boxes containing wands lined up every wall of the place.


    I moved further into the store, staring at the assortment of wands with a feeling of anticipation building within me.


    "A new arrival." A voice came from my right. Despite having expected it, I jumped. "Here for your first wand, I presume?"


    "Do you enjoy startling people?" I huffed and shot the man a glare.


    The amused look in his silvery eyes was all I needed. "One must find enjoyment where one can."


    Well, he certainly wasn''t wrong.


    "Adam Clarke." I introduced myself, extending a hand, which the old man accepted. "I assume you''re the owner, Mr. Ollivander? And, yes, I''m here for a wand."


    "Indeed I am, Mr. Clarke." He seemed to have found my manner refreshing.


    And so the measuring tapes began to circle around me, taking every measurement possible.


    "My wands possess one of three fundamental cores, Mr. Clarke." He explained to pass the time. "Unicorn hair, dragon heartstring and phoenix feathers."


    "Why those three?" I asked, before thinking about it. "I can only imagine it''s related to the power of the animals they''re taken from- much like how an elephant''s hide is much stronger than that of, say, a rat?"


    Ollivander stopped for a moment, regarding me with interest.


    "You are correct, Mr. Clarke." Ollivander confirmed, pleased at the line of questioning. "You will learn much of these creatures at Hogwarts, of course."


    I frowned, hoping he would''ve shared more information on the matter. I''d always wondered about the intricacies of wandlore.


    Fleur''s core was her grandmother''s hair, and Gregorovitch seemed to do his own thing when concerning wands.


    "The quest for knowledge is its own reward, young Mr. Clarke." Ollivander said. He must have been a Ravenclaw, I thought as the measuring ended and I was handed a wand.


    "Holly and unicorn tail hair. Twelve inches." He''d said.


    No sooner than it was in my hand, he''d snatched it away and fetched another. "Oak and a dragon''s heartstring- but, I think it''s no good for you, lad." He snatched that one away, too.


    "How are you able to tell?" I asked as he handed me another.


    I gave this one a wave before he managed to take it, sending a pathetic sputter of sparks.


    "This one was close." Ollivander said, not answering my question and taking the wand out of my hand. He scratched at his chin thoughtfully before he moved to a nearby shelf, taking a wand out of one of his many boxes and holding it before me.


    "I believe this one will be a suitable match for you." Ollivander seemed confident as he placed the black wand in my hand. "Ebony, and a dragon''s heartstring, nine inches long."


    I felt a warmth rushing through my hand. I smiled at the feeling, I waved the wand, watching a stream of blue and purple sparks blow out of it.


    "I see that I was right." He smiled gently at my speechless state. "Ebony, with a dragon''s heartstring. It will serve you well, Mr. Clarke."


    "Thank you." I stared at the wand in awe.


    This experience alone made the unpleasantness of the past 11 years worth it.


    With a grateful smile, I paid the old man, and exited to find Professor Snape waiting.


    "You were right." Was all I said to the man.


    He merely nodded and turned, gesturing for me to follow. There was nothing that needed to be said.


    I followed, feeling like I was being introduced to this wondrous world for the first time, all over again.


    Chapter 1


    September 1, 1991


    I watched the old, beat up 1978 Vauxhall sputter its way down the road as I turned away from my old life.


    They couldn''t get rid of me fast enough. I stifled a sneer. Wouldn''t even accompany me to the station I''m supposed to enter.


    And yet, as I stared at the large railway station known as King''s Cross, I couldn''t help the smile and excitement that coursed through me. Not even the chore of hauling my school trunk to grab a trolley dampened my spirits.


    I followed the signs, taking my time- It was all too easy to convince the matron to drop me off early. I meandered through the building''s sections, trying to figure out how the wizards even managed to fit an entire platform in here.


    Was size-expansion magic that strong, or was the gateway some kind of portal? Speaking of the gateway¡­


    I stared at the nondescript wall between platforms nine and ten. This was where it all would start. My thirst for magic, my quest to solve the mysteries of the world.


    With no hesitation, I walked towards it, watching as the trolley seemed to simply blend into the wall, with me following suit.


    I felt a tingling on my skin as I came out the other side. That had been strange. But, what really got my attention was the train before me. It really was like the first book''s cover¡ª a red, old-style, steam powered locomotive.


    Well, at least, it used to be steam powered, I thought as I cleared the entrance and loitered for a bit to the side, watching the other early riser families say goodbye to their children.


    I''d lost my original parents when I''d died- and in this life, I''d lost them right off the bat. This was a somewhat stifling thought, so I discarded it in favor of marveling at the train, again.


    This thing was supposed to run fully on magic¡ª but how did it really work? A steam powered train would be using pistons, and the like. With magic, they could likely skip the entire process of heating coals, boiling water and using pistons to drive the wheels¡ª instead, simply making the wheels turn on their own.


    I shook my head. Magic avoided all the tedium that normal folks needed to grit their teeth through.


    "What are you doing?" A voice startled me. I quickly turned to see a little girl, with bushy brown hair and brown eyes. Was this who I thought it was?


    I stared at her for a few seconds longer, before turning back to the train. "How do you think it works?"


    "...It''s an old steam engine, isn''t it?" The girl did not reply immediately, standing beside me to stare at the train for a few seconds before turning to me. "You know, it''s rude to ignore people."


    I snorted. "So I''ve been told."


    I turned to her and extended a hand before she could say anything further. "Adam Clarke. A pleasure."


    She took it, her grip weak and tentative. "Hermione Granger. Likewise."


    I turned back to the train, letting go of her hand. "So? What do you think? There''s no way it''s still a steam engine. These are wizards and witches. They''ve got flying brooms, for God''s sake!"


    "You''re new, too?" She asked, a little hopeful.


    I nodded, but did not offer any more words- not that she seemed to notice my reticence.


    "That''s great." She started excitedly. "I thought I would be the only one who didn''t have magical parents. My parents were oh-so confused when Professor McGonagall came to our doorstep with the letter. I was afraid they''d react badly to the news."


    "It is a lot to take in." I agreed.


    "How did yours react?" She asked curiously.


    I stifled a sigh. Granger, in her early days, put her foot in her mouth almost as bad as Weasley did.


    "I''m an orphan." Was my reply.


    She looked mortified at her blunder. "Oh¡­ I''m so sorry!"


    "For what?" I asked. "It''s not like you knew."


    "I¡­" She looked pained.


    "Don''t worry about it¡­ Hermione, was it?" I waved it off.


    She nodded hesitantly. "I should go find a place on the train¡­"


    I watched her awkwardly make her way to the train, not feeling the urge to chase.


    Should I go and tell her that everything''s fine? I wondered with a frown.


    I did feel bad for her, of course, but I realized I just didn''t care all that much.


    Why bother with something as fickle as friendship? I''d lost all my friends when I''d died, and, well¡­ I was an a.d.u.l.t in a child''s body.


    Children were tiresome little things, always jumping from one spot to the other, with attention spans worse than goldfish.


    I nodded, my resolve to not bother reaffirmed. There were more interesting things in the world, I thought as I gave the Hogwarts express one final look, before pushing my cart to it as well.


    Loading my school trunk in the luggage section was tiring, but I was lucky enough to find an empty compartment to settle into. Settling into the comfortable seat, I began to leaf through the copy of Magical Drafts and Potions in my hands.


    I''d already skimmed the first few chapters, but it wouldn''t hurt to properly read through it on the ride. I''d already devoured the Standard Book of Spells twice over. Dry read, it may have been, but these were instruction manuals on magic!


    Forcing myself to read the long-winded and preachy scripts was worth the time. I smiled as I checked over the recipe for the Boil Cure potion, knowing it would be the first thing Snape would make us do.


    That''s right. I was using my knowledge of canon to affect my grades at school. I was a cheater, and proud of it!


    Plus, this would have immediate benefits- who really wanted to deal with pimples? Especially with puberty waiting around the corner.


    I shuddered. Going through that once was annoying enough- and I hadn''t even known what I was doing at the time. Now, having to go through it again, with full cognizance really set my teeth on edge.


    I really hoped my young body didn''t react to the girls at school. That would engender all sorts of ''nope'' within my soul.


    Back to Potions. The Boil Cure potion wasn''t the only useful thing in this book. There was another potion¡ª Wideye Potion; I was convinced that potions were a gift from the gods. God? Merlin? Who knew.


    The important part was that Wideye Potion keeps you awake longer. The longer I was awake, the more magic I could read up on, and study!


    Of course, being a responsible a.d.u.l.t, I would likely limit it so as not to interfere with my health. Yes, I would have to eat well, sleep well, maybe even exercise once in a while.


    Once a week? With my young body, the workout wouldn''t need to be strenuous: a bit of running, calisthenics, pushups and the like.


    There was a certain room on the Seventh Floor I planned to straight up abuse. My grin began to turn feral at the thought of all that I was about to do.


    It was at that moment that the compartment door slid open, revealing a pair of familiar redheaded twins, giving me a strange look.


    The insane grin was still on my face, wasn''t it?


    "It is." Both boys said simultaneously.


    I said that out loud, didn''t I?


    "You did." They continued, now amused. "You''re the strangest firstie we''ve met."


    I snorted before looking down at my book. "It''s good to be number one at something. Come in."


    "Confident, this one is." The two entered the compartment, placing their trunks in the luggage section much easier than I did.


    I felt a pang of jealousy at the two.


    I couldn''t wait to regain my a.d.u.l.t strength. Being puny again was very unnerving.


    "Ah, the Boil Cure." One of the boys spied at what I was reading. "You''ll be learning it soon."


    "Very useful, that." The other continued.


    I looked up at the two. There wasn''t a hint of any pimples on their faces. "I can see the effects."


    "Confident, and perceptive." The first one said, before the two boys extended their hands. "I''m Fred Weasley, and this is George."


    "Adam Clarke." I took both hands and shook them, before returning to my book.


    "So, where are you from, Clarke?" The one who''d introduced himself as Fred asked as the train began to move.


    This was going to be a long ride, wasn''t it?


    Oooo


    It was proving to be a long ride, but quite the entertaining one. Feigning an interest in pranks had lit a fire in the two boys, which increased when their friend, Lee Jordan had joined us.


    He''d been leery at the thought of talking to an ickle firstie, but soon relaxed.


    "So, we put a spider in his bed." George was recounting a tale as they ate the sandwiches their mom had thoughtfully given them for the trip.


    I stared at it for a few moments, remembering better days, before focusing back on their story.


    "He shrieked!" Fred recounted and began to laugh, his brother and friend joining him.


    I chuckled alongside them. It reminded me of the pranks I''d committed on siblings in my previous life.


    "So, what house do you think you''ll be in, Clarke?" Jordan asked curiously. I considered his words.


    "I have no idea." I replied honestly. "It''s a hat that reads your mind and decides for you, no?"


    "Yeah. How''d you know?" Fred asked curiously.


    "We told ickle Ron that he''d have to wrestle a troll." George chortled.


    I snorted. These two were even more fun to be around in person than in the books. Call it hero worship, if you want to.


    "The Professor who took me to Diagon Alley told me." I fibbed with a shrug. The man hadn''t said anything of the sort- he barely answered any legitimate questions I had.


    Antisocial to the core, that man was. Brilliant at his craft, to be sure, but everyone had some kind of quirk or flaw. Besides, I wasn''t exactly a social butterfly, myself.


    I shuddered at the thought of becoming as isolated as Snape.


    "A shudder. Brother mine, the Professor who took him can only be one man." Fred said.


    "Snape." The twins answered together, while Lee mirrored my shudder.


    "He was a little quiet during the trip." I said slowly. "Is he that bad?"


    "If you''re sorted into Gryffindor, he will be." Lee offered the knowledge I already knew. "He hates us."


    He hates James Potter and his posse of bullies; by extension, he hates the House that encouraged their attitude. I thought, feeling a shred of pity for the man, though it didn''t last long. Slytherin was pretty bad, too.


    They''re just characters in a book. My mind said, but being in this compartment with three of these so-called characters, interacting with them on the human level¡­


    "Well, whether he hates me or not doesn''t matter to me." I finally decided. "Whatever House I get Sorted in, I''ll accept."


    What I didn''t say was that, no matter which House I was thrown in, I was going to shun as much human contact as I could and focus on magic, instead.


    It hadn''t even been an hour, and these three people had already distracted me from my goal.


    I returned my attention to the closed Potions book in my lap, and reopened it. The three quickly understood the implied dismissal and shared a chuckle, muttering something about me being a sure thing for Ravenclaw.


    They were probably right, I thought as I read through the steps for the third time. Seeking out the mysteries of magic for knowledge''s sake was the most Ravenclaw thing in the multiverse.


    I imagined what I could eventually be capable of. The level of knowledge and skill I could attain, I would be able to understand it all.


    "Clarke, you''re doing it again." Jordan pointed out.


    The wide smile fell immediately. "Oh. I got excited."


    They began muttering about Slytherin House.


    I stifled an eye-roll. As if I would ever join the House that hates Mudbloods. That was a disaster waiting to happen. No, I would need to be away from that House if I wanted to reach my goals.


    Wait. I thought. Wouldn''t that be sufficient cunning to have me thrown in Slytherin House on principle?


    That was not a comforting thought.


    oooo


    The remainder of the train ride had been pleasant enough. Granger had shown up, asking about Neville''s frog, only to freeze at the sight of me and leave quickly.


    There had been some lighthearted digs from the boys, but I took the banter like a champ, making some highly immature comments of my own, much to their delight.


    I may not have been the socializing type, but I would be stupid to not give these two fellows a good impression.


    Knowing what they were capable of¡­ Well, I didn''t want to tempt fate.


    I followed the announcer''s instructions, leaving my luggage in the train and exited it, joining the throng of students as I tried to orient myself- it was a little tough, because half of the sun had already disappeared into the horizon, and pretty much everyone was taller than I was.


    I sighed. At least the clothes were comfortable.


    Madame Malkins does good work. I thought as I found a spot to stand in and waited. Though, why would anyone learn magic so they can make clothes for a living?


    Wizards really were weird. They had access to a powerful force to rewrite reality as they saw fit, and they used it to hem robes and make love potions.


    It was equal parts amusing and infuriating.


    "Firs'' years! Firs'' years over here! All right there, Harry?" A great big booming voice called out. I turned to the source, almost gaping at the giant of a man.


    He was even taller than I''d expected- Reading about him in a book was something, but seeing him in person was another thing entirely. He was gigantic, with a stout build, likely hiding the incredibly dense muscles beneath.


    A great big bushy beard covered most of his face, only made somewhat pleasant to look at thanks to his jovial demeanor.


    "Any more firs'' years?" He looked around, spotting me. "Come along, now!"


    I followed the group, already having picked out the big players in the mass of kids. There was Malfoy, with his two cronies. I saw Potter and Weasley, Granger and Neville.


    I also recognized the Patil twins, Finnigan, Thomas, Bones and a few more, but the rest were mostly unrecognizable. Since they were never described in the books, they could''ve been anyone.


    Part of me wondered, for a moment, if there was someone else like me, here. Were there more reincarnated people, or was I the only one?


    If it was only me, then why?


    Any further thoughts ended at the sight of mighty Hogwarts Castle. Ancient and titanic, it stood the test of time and still looked like it could hold off an army of monsters.


    It was an experience I had only dreamt of, before. Yet, here I was. The pale moonlight filtered past the clouds, making the Great Lake''s surface beautifully shimmer.


    I had to give this one to the wizards- if nothing else, they were excellent at dramatic reveals.


    At Hagrid''s instruction, I hopped on one of the boats, joined by Malfoy and two other children I didn''t know.


    I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to draw this one''s attention just yet. Luckily, he was too busy gawking at Hogwarts Castle.


    I frowned at that. Yet another person who was a product of his environment- his father, Lucius, likely groomed him from birth to be this way.


    With that sobering thought, we finally entered through a cavern, which led to the castle doors. I forced the thought out of my head in favor of staring at my surroundings.


    The castle was even better, up close. Thick, stone walls, a large, oaken door, capable of withstanding extreme force- especially if it was magically enhanced, which it likely was.


    I took my first step on the castle floor and felt a tingle sweep through my entire body.


    That had felt almost exactly like when I was entering Platform Nine and Three Quarters! I narrowed my eyes in thought, absently gathering around the large door with the others as Hagrid made to knock. What is this?


    But, there was no time to ponder this question, as the oaken door opened at the third knock, revealing the stern visage of who could only be Minerva McGonagall, wearing a set of green robes.


    I put a pin in the now named ''Topic of the Tingle'', promising myself I''d look into it as soon as I could- which probably meant tomorrow. That''s, if I was able to find the library, of course.


    "The firs'' years, Professor McGonagall." Hagrid announced.


    "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." Was her reply as she opened the large door wide, revealing the gigantic entrance hall.


    This place was also chock full of expansion charms, wasn''t it? I would have fun figuring out its secrets. It''ll probably keep me busy for months, if not years.


    I marvelled at our surroundings as McGonagall led us to a large set of doors, behind which we could hear the cacophony of what could only be a mass of children in a single room.


    The Great Hall, where we would be sorted.


    I gave a half-hearted listen to what McGonagall was saying about the houses, noting that her stern eyes seemed to narrow onto me. I gave a mental shrug, unconcerned with the matter. The castle grounds themselves were far more interesting than the people in them.


    There were actual suits of armor, complete with swords and shields! They shined as if they''d never been used before. As far as I knew from the books, there was no real upkeep done on these, so this was basically a maintenance spell of some sort that kept them in tip-top condition for centuries.


    I salivated at the thought of such knowledge.


    Eventually, she instructed us to form a line, and the doors to the Great Hall opened. We followed the Professor inside, marveling at the thousands of floating candles, sitting underneath the open, starry sky.


    This was incredible magic. I barely paid any attention to anything, until the clack of a stool against the stone floor took it back- it was the Sorting Hat, and it began to sing its song, one I''d read hundreds of times before.


    I hadn''t expected it to sing so well, though. It had more singing talent than just about anyone I''d known about, both in this life and my previous.


    I wondered if Dumbledore loaned it out to make a quick buck- or, I supposed I should start saying Galleon, from this point on.


    "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." McGonagall said, holding a roll of parchment. I wondered if that''s where the phrase "roll call" came from. "Abbott, Hannah!"


    I watched as she went through the list, sorting the kids into Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin- and then it was getting close to my turn.


    "Clarke, Adam!"


    I took a deep breath to settle my nerves and sat on the stool, wondering- as my vision went dark- how well the Sorting Hat could read my mind, and if it had access to my knowledge.


    In fact, what was even the point of sorting kids into like-minded groups? It would only create tribalism and groupthink, ultimately harming its supposed purpose of unity more than encouraging it- especially considering how people''s personalities went through great changes through their formative years, puberty, and even a.d.u.l.thood.


    The point, my young fellow. The Sorting Hat replied, startling me. Is that I provide a safe haven to give the students a chance to thrive, and not be subjected to strife every step of the way.


    And yet, you have people who suffer, regardless. I thought back.


    The world is not perfect. The Hat retorted, its tone heavy with regret. I can only do so much in the few seconds of time I''m allowed with the children. I do know which house you''ll be suited for, however. "RAVENCLAW!"


    I took the hat off, thoughtfully handing it to the Professor as the Ravenclaw table cheered, beckoning me over. Idly, as I made my way to the table, I noticed that my robes had changed, showcasing my affiliation with Ravenclaw House.


    I took one of the empty seats, realizing this would probably be my seat for the entire year at mealtimes.


    "Adam, was it?" One of the boys next to me said. "I''m Terry, Terry Boot."


    "Adam Clarke." I shook his hand, and engaged the fellow first year in small talk as we watched the rest of the first years get sorted. Soon enough, a few more students were sorted in Ravenclaw. Michael Corner, Anthony Goldstein.


    I quickly lost interest.


    I tuned out the rest of the sorting, not really paying attention to anything but the mesmerizing dark sky above, completely missing Potter''s sorting and whoever else followed.


    I was officially at Hogwarts, and I was going to learn everything.


    My excitement was soured when the food appeared, and I laid my eyes on all the pumpkin juice.


    "I hate pumpkin juice." I groaned. In response, the juice disappeared, replaced by water.


    I blinked. "That works."


    House Elves worked fast. I wondered if I could learn their magic, as well.


    oooo


    Chapter 2


    September 2, 1991, 7:15 AM


    I woke up the next day, feeling more comfortable than I had ever felt before.


    Soft beds really make all the difference. I thought happily. I''d grown so used to the orphanage''s old and worn beds that I''d forgotten how good it could feel to just go to sleep.


    Magic''s versatility never ceased to amaze, I thought as I stared around my dorm room. It was great that I got a room all to myself.


    From the outside, it seemed to be the size of a small cupboard, but with the use of expansion charms, it became the size of a small room.


    One day, I''d be able to weave such magic, too.


    I went through my morning stretches- an old habit from my previous life- before my eyes found the wand on the nightstand.


    With a smile, I took it gently, exulting in the warmth that spread from my fingertips into my body.


    Breakfast was around eight, so I had some time to kill.


    Moving a few of my robes in the trunk, I found the Charms Book, The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1. I flipped through the pages, finally stopping at the one I was looking for.


    I refreshed my memory by skimming through the pages, and put the book back into the trunk.


    Here goes.


    I held my wand aloft and focused. "Lumos."


    The wand gave a very short, weak burst of light.


    It was barely there, but I''d managed it.


    "Lumos." I tried again, excited. The light came out stronger.


    I tried a few more times, the light growing brighter and brighter as I got a feel for the spell. It would still sputter and die out on its own, though.


    I frowned. Perhaps I needed to set some kind of duration? I thought the spell activated the light and kept it on until I used the counterspell, Nox.


    "Interesting." I muttered and prepared to try the spell again, focusing my intent on setting a timer. Fifteen seconds.


    "Lumos." The wand tip lit up. "One, two, three..."


    When the count hit seven seconds, the light winked out of existence. I checked the book again, reading up on both it and the counterspell.


    "They''re like ''on/off'' buttons." I said slowly, taking my wand and casting the spell, focusing my intent on the concept of an ''on'' switch.


    My wand lit up, and I began to count. Fifteen seconds passed with no issue; then, thirty; a minute. By the time it got to a minute and a half, I knew I''d succeeded at the spell.


    It was time to try and extinguish the light.


    "Nox." I cast, picturing an ''off'' switch in my mind. The light died out. Success!


    There was a knock on the door, bringing me out of my celebratory reverie.


    I blinked and opened it, wand still in hand.


    "Clarke." An older boy in Ravenclaw robes and a blue badge which said ''PREFECT'' addressed me, his eyes curiously resting upon the wand in my hand. "Good, you''re awake. The others were still asleep. We leave for breakfast in ten. Meet me in the common room."


    With that, he turned and left.


    That''s a little abrupt on his part, I thought. Then again, these are school kids who are still living in the old age.


    I stared down at my wand, discarding the older boy''s abrupt and seemingly dismissive nature. It didn''t really matter how I was addressed by others, as long as no one tried to bully me.


    I''d done that song and dance before in my old life, and the orphanage.


    Placing the wand back on the nightstand, I made sure to wear my robes, marveling at the Ravenclaw colors. I wondered just how that worked, exactly.


    Did Professor McGonagall cast the spell on me after the sorting? Or, perhaps, Dumbledore? He was the Transfiguration Professor before he''d become Headmaster.


    Or, did Malkin enchant the robes to respond to the Sorting Hat''s cues? In concept, it would be a simple matter, wouldn''t it?


    A spell that would trigger once, fully dependent on the Sorting process and the Hat''s audio proclamation- but what kind of magic would that take?


    Why didn''t the robes change color during its song? Why didn''t it happen when it sorted someone else?


    Hm, perhaps it was a mix of audio cues and proximity, which would go well with the process of needing to wear the hat to be sorted. Perhaps I hadn''t given Madam Malkin enough credit- I mean, she still used magic to fabricate clothing, but if she''d figured something like this out, then it was a very commendable achievement.


    With that thought, I left my room, walking through the slightly tight corridor, down a spiral staircase and into the Ravenclaw common room.


    I had expected it to have a library of its own, but it was just a basic lounging area. It made sense- why have two libraries in the school, one of which was only limited to a single group of students?


    I didn''t think that kind of favoritism would sit well with the parents.


    The Ravenclaw prefect who''d knocked on my door was already there. He was a fifth year, with a Middle Eastern look to him- I should know, having been one before.


    I gave an amused look at the patchy fuzz growing on his face, remembering a time when I was proud of my facial hair, as well.


    What was this fellow''s name, again? He''d introduced himself the night before.


    "Bashir, right? Colton Bashir." I tried to make sure. The boy gave me an unimpressed look, even as he nodded confirmation.


    The two of us waited in silence for a minute longer until the rest of the students came over, looking a mix of frazzled and excited for their first day.


    Bashir addressed us all, as another prefect joined him, a blonde girl whose name I''d forgotten. "Follow me, and make sure to remember the route. I don''t want to have to show you twice."


    The other kids around me grumbled at his attitude, but we all followed him, regardless. I kept my attention on our surroundings, taking note of the several landmarks that would help guide the way to the Great Hall when the time came for me to go off on my own.


    As we took our places at the Ravenclaw table, Bashir the prefect told his fellow prefect- it turned out that her name was Mira Goshawk- to fetch the timetables.


    She ended up making him do it, to our relief.


    "I''m sorry about Colton." Mira said apologetically, sending a glare at the back of the boy in question. "He''s very..."


    "Pompous?" I supplied, much to the amus.e.m.e.nt of the kids around me. I had other, less savory words in mind, but I doubted they would be appreciated.


    "That''s one way of putting it." She replied diplomatically, suppressing the smile that threatened to show on her face. "If you need anything, you can just come to me, all right? I don''t know why Colton made prefect, he''s not suited to the role at all."


    The only reason I could think of was that the alternatives were that much worse. I shrugged. It wasn''t worth wasting time on, I thought as the ponce in question returned, timetables tucked under his arm.


    "Your timetables, first years." He said simply, placing the stack in front of Padma Patil. "Distribute it among your peers."


    While Padma distributed the schedules to us, Colton then handed two stacks to Mira, before turning and distributing the remaining stacks in his care. Mira muttered something unkind under her breath, gave us one final smile, and went to complete her duties.


    I gave her a nod and turned my attention to my schedule.


    "Double DADA, History of Magic, free period, Lunch, Charms, followed by Transfiguration and Astronomy." I read off Monday''s schedule. "They''re not taking it easy on us, are they?"


    "As expected from the world''s most respected school of magic." A pompous kid, Goldstein if I remembered right, said.


    I shrugged, placed the schedule in my bag, piled some food on my plate, and pulled out the school map I''d received the night before, reading through it as I helped myself to some eggs and bacon- marveling at the taste of the food once again.


    This place was going to spoil me rotten, I thought as I charted the trip to the DADA classroom, as well as the one for History of Magic.


    My thoughts came back to Goldstein''s statement of the school being the premier choice. I would be paying close attention to his face when he saw Quirrell''s ''stuttering buffon'' act, and experienced the sheer boredom in Binns'' class.


    I sent a guarded stare towards the turban wearing fellow, making sure not to look directly at him. Was he already possessed by Voldemort?


    My thoughts turned conflicted again. Did I care about stopping Voldemort? As long as I didn''t make any waves, things would turn out mostly the same, wouldn''t they?


    Harry would do his thing, survive death experience after death experience, and save the day at the end.


    Or, would he?


    Even acting like I''m an unthreatening nobody would have an effect on this world. The pebble had been cast over a decade ago, when I was reborn.


    There was no real way to tell what was going to happen.


    All I knew was that I, personally, had absolutely no interest in Voldemort''s blood crusade, or of the fight between good and evil. I just wanted to learn about and delve into the deepest secrets of magic.


    Still, being born to an orphanage meant that I was Muggleborn. So, wouldn''t it have been prudent to ingratiate myself to the ''good'' side, just for protection''s sake?


    Maybe give the good guys the tools to quickly succeed against Voldemort and his pack of sadistic racist sycophants?


    I snorted, not being able to maintain that line of thought any more. I had a stake in the situation, seeing as I was Muggleborn, but I wasn''t going to do anything stupid. There was no way in hell I''d stick my neck out for what was basically a bunch of strangers.


    It didn''t matter that I felt kinship and admiration for Potter''s actions, sorrow for Black''s fate and all other sorts of unpleasant feelings.


    I was a stranger to them, and they were strangers to me.


    Knowing convenient things and cleverly hidden secrets, such as Black''s innocence, as well as the nature of Horcruxes would paint a target on my back, as well as generate suspicion in the ranks of the good side.


    How else would I explain such detailed knowledge? What would Dumbledore do if I told him I knew everything about him, Grindelwald, Aberforth and Arianna? What about the Horcruxes, the Deathly Hallows, the Order of the Phoenix, the Prophecy, the need for Harry to die?


    What would people think if I suddenly revealed that Black was in Azkaban without a trial, and that Pettigrew was alive?


    No. It was better to try and stay out of things altogether, as no one would believe me, and I wasn''t exactly powerful enough to affect any meaningful change in any of those topics- at least, not without having myself yoked and made to fight whichever side enslaved me first.


    With that thought in mind, I got up from the table, shouldered my bookbag and hauled ass to the DADA classroom, closely following the map.


    Of course, it was at that moment that Peeves showed up, with a bucket in tow. I dove to the side as the Poltergeist cackled and drenched a few other students.


    They all shouted and yelped in alarm, their shock shifting into anger and dismay.


    I didn''t stick around, quickly turning a corner and standing outside of the DADA classroom. Quirrell wasn''t here yet- either on his way, or still in the Great Hall.


    I sat down and racked my brain for the spell that would shoot gum at Peeves. Lupin had used it, but what was the incantation again?


    "Wad.. Waddiwasi. That''s right." I muttered to myself, pulling my wand out and wondering what to do next.


    I didn''t remember what the wand motions were, if it had any.


    With a mental shrug, I pointed it at the wall in front of me. "Waddiwasi."


    Nothing happened, as expected. I tried a few more times, with absolutely no progress. With a huff, I resolved to research this spell when I had the time to go to the Library- after History of Magic, I''d have a few hours of free time to do so.


    It was decided, I thought as other kids began to stand near the classroom door, loudly chattering amongst each other. Mostly, they talked about how excited they were for their first class, and of the Harry Potter.


    What a bunch of mindless sheep.


    I''d wanted to read more about Potter, but Snape hadn''t bothered to get me any information on famous witches and wizards- I supposed it made sense. Why waste the money meant for school supplies to satisfy a student''s curiosity?


    Maybe, if Flitwick had delivered me the letter, that day, I''d have had more luck on that front, but Snape? I was surprised he hadn''t just left me at Diagon Alley, stating that the ''instructions are on your letter.''


    I gave a light snort at the thought.


    "What''s so funny?" Someone asked from my left. I turned to see Terry Boot. He was wide-eyed and curious.


    I shot him a sidelong glance, shaking my head. "You wouldn''t understand."


    He made to say something in response, but Quirrell finally arrived, drawing everyone''s attention as he quickly went inside the classroom, with us following.


    And so, for the next hour and a half, we were subjected to a classroom that smelled of garlic, and Quirrell''s s-s-s-stutters. How he managed to fool the entire school, I had no idea.


    Didn''t anyone in the magical world have a stutter, or friends or relatives who stutter? Or, perhaps they were so entrenched in the dark age that they simply didn''t consider such things as important?


    It was mind-boggling how wizards could be so exceedingly talented in fields of magic, but so extremely incompetent in the more mundane fields.


    Then again, few people would likely notice the inconsistency of his stutter- Pomphrey, the nurse, being one of them¡­ And the books had never mentioned any interactions between her and Quirrell. Maybe that was it.


    Still, I thought as I half-listened to what he was saying, with DADA being useless, as well as the next class of History, I could classify the entire morning of Monday as ''study time''.


    And so, the remainder of the class, as well as the History of Magic class which followed it were spent surreptitiously researching the first year spells I''d be expected to have mastered by the end of the year.


    Emboldened by my quick grasp of Lumos and Nox, I felt confident that I''d be able to get the practical aspect of wand-work complete.


    Strangely, neither teacher had commented on my use of a fountain pen. Binns probably didn''t notice, and Quirrell most likely just didn''t care- he was a possessed thing living on borrowed time, after all.


    Maybe that was just a fanon thing.


    Hopefully, my luck would hold out, I thought as I exited the History of Magic class, ignoring Boot''s calls as well as the rest of Ravenclaw and Slytherins.


    I had no time for socialization. I had a few hours, and I wanted to hit the Library up. I pulled out my trusty map and began my trek, noting that I had someone on my tail.


    I gave a surreptitious look to the left, pretending to admire the portraits while, in reality, I was observing the people following me from the corner of my eye.


    Slytherins. Three boys. One blonde with two brutes on either side. Malfoy and his goons.


    I walked faster, but the three behind me matched my pace. Stifling a curse, I turned a corner and started to run, quickly taking another turn before they reached the first one.


    "Where did the mudblood go?" A boy- probably Draco- said.


    "I don''t know. Should we look?" Another asked.


    "...We''ll catch him some other time. No mudblood is worth wasting this much time over." Malfoy said. Their footsteps started to grow weaker and weaker.


    They''d left.


    I let out the breath I didn''t realize I was holding.


    That had been close.


    What was the point of all that? It''s not like I''d had anything to do with the guy.


    "Tch." I shunted off the frustration into the void as soon as thoughts went back to Voldemort and the pureblood supremacists backing him.


    They were being nuisances right from the get-go. It was a lucky thing that the Hat placed me in Ravenclaw, and not Slytherin. If they were so brazen so as to attack me on the first day of school, in broad daylight, who knew how bad it could have turned out if I''d been sorted in Slytherin?


    Attacks from everyone in the dorms, the common room, the Slytherin table.


    The threat, while in Ravenclaw, was mitigated. But, then again, Draco and his stooges had just attempted to line-of-sight me.


    I frowned thoughtfully. The Ravenclaws also bullied Luna, hadn''t they? I would have to plan for that eventuality, as well.


    My threat perception of Peeves was lessened drastically, all in under two minutes of walking.


    I ended up going to the Library, but not only to figure out how to use Lupin''s spell, but to research adequate battle spells, as well.


    Just in case.


    oooo


    "Clarke. Adam."


    "Present." I raised my hand, before focusing my attention back on the book in front of me.


    It was a few hours later that I was sitting in the Charms classroom, watching the diminutive Professor Flitwick go through roll call.


    The time in the Library had been slightly fruitless in terms of finding jinxes. If I''d asked Pince, she''d likely have kicked me out on general principle.


    Instead, I''d wandered aimlessly through the library, eventually giving up on the prospect. I was too keyed up by the previous encounter to try and get used to new surroundings.


    I ended up pulling out the Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawks- I wondered if Mira was related to her- and reading up on whatever spells would be useful for me.


    I ended up singling out two charms. The Softening Charm, Spongify, and the Cutting Charm, Diffindo. The ability to make things soft and bouncy would be invaluable.


    I could simply cast the spell on people''s shoes and make a break for it. I wasn''t looking to kill anyone, after all. I highly doubted my Head of House, or the Headmaster would approve of such things.


    Still, I bookmarked the Cutting Charm, in case of unavoidable situations, in which I needed to project aggression. I wasn''t an idiot; I knew that I looked fairly non-threatening. My body was only eleven years old, after all.


    There was an excited squeak, and a thud. Ah, Flitwick had gone over Potter''s name. I shifted my gaze to see a skinny boy, with untidy black hair and green eyes which shifted in a mix of bemus.e.m.e.nt and irritation behind his glasses.


    His eyes met mine. I snorted and nodded at the class spectacle, not really saying anything. Potter gave a small smile.


    The moment didn''t last very long, with Flitwick climbing back to resume the roll call before starting off with the lesson.


    Amusingly enough, the spell being taught was the Wand-Lighting Charm, Lumos. Flitwick was energetic, erudite and quite obviously a master at Charms, as well as the history behind it.


    Apparently, this particular charm was able to repel ghosts, as well as a dog-like spirit called a Gytrash; I took notes, figuring that he could be testing us for any of this information at some point.


    There was some interesting history surrounding the spell. It''d been invented by a witch named Levina Monkstanley in the eighteenth century. Not realizing the significant impact it would have on the wizarding community, she didn''t expect her coworkers at the Ministry to be surprised when she''d casually used it to find a quill in a dark, dusty area behind her desk.


    It all fit with my previous assessment of wizards. They had the power to rewrite reality at their fingertips, and they didn''t even understand the sheer weight of it.


    I raised my hand.


    "Yes, Mr¡­ Clarke, wasn''t it?" Professor Flitwick acknowledged.


    I nodded to show that he''d been correct. "Did the inventor, Levina, know that her spell would be able to repel ghosts and Gytrashes, or was that just a lucky side effect?"


    Flitwick''s eyes crinkled in delight as he gave me a genial smile. "What do you think? Take the spell''s effects into consideration."


    I considered the topic, my eyes unfocusing for a few moments as I tried to come up with an answer. "It''s a spell to make light, but it''s not fire." Or a tungsten light bulb.


    "Good, go on." Professor Flitwick encouraged.


    "Though, it''s still warm, so there is some kind of energy to it." I frowned, before looking up. "Life energy?"


    "Very close! Take one point for Ravenclaw, Mr. Clarke." Professor Flitwick praised. "It is pure magic."


    Pure magic, as a substance. "Thank you, Professor." I noted that down.


    The theory continued in that way for the next few minutes as he went over the counterspell, Nox, and then he had us practicing.


    I watched as the students around me attempted it, to little or no results. Weasley had been at it for a minute, getting progressively angrier. Longbottom produced a few sputters, which was probably a ridiculously good performance, considering his father''s incompatible wand.


    Granger got it in one try, earning three points for Gryffindor.


    "Mr. Clarke?" Professor Flitwick approached me.


    "Yes, sir?" I turned to the man.


    "I see you haven''t attempted to cast the spell, yet." He pointed out kindly.


    "Oh." I blinked, smiling slightly. "I managed to do it this morning."


    "Oh?" Flitwick seemed intrigued, gesturing for me to try it.


    I nodded, pulled the wand out of my robe, and cast the spell. "Lumos."


    The wand lit brightly, just as Granger''s had.


    "Well done, Mr. Clarke!" Professor Flitwick said excitedly, which was a little confusing. Was it really such a big deal? "As you say you''ve tried it, I gather you''re also able to cast the Wand-Extinguishing Charm?"


    I nodded once more, and cast the counterspell. "Nox."


    The light went out immediately.


    "Very good!" Professor Flitwick gave a little clap. "Take another three points to Ravenclaw. I expect great things from you, here, Mr. Clarke."


    "Thank you, sir." I accepted the praise, noting that Granger hadn''t been able to turn her spell off, just yet. His praise heaped on me seemed to light a fire under her, though.


    I suppressed a snort and went back to watching the class.


    "Clarke." A girl to my right said- Padma, I realized. "How did you do it?"


    "Um¡­ Do you know anything about muggle technology?" I asked. Padma nodded, not sure where I was going with this.


    "All right." I said, relieved. "Think of it like an ''on/off'' switch. ''On'' for Lumos, ''Off'' for Nox, with yourself as the ''battery''."


    She looked off to the side as she processed that information, before focusing on her wand again. "All right. Lumos!"


    Unlike her previous attempts, she got a few blinks of light out of it. It hadn''t been successful, but she''d made some good progress.


    "Good work." I gave a false smile, the one I used to reserve for nephews and nieces in my old life. "Keep at it, I''m sure you''ll have down by the end of class."


    She nodded, like she was barely listening to me, trying out the spell, again and again.


    In almost no time at all, I found myself in the Transfiguration classroom, another period I shared with Gryffindors.


    Professor McGonaggall was already there, sitting on the table in cat form. I stared at her as I took a seat in the middle, wondering just how complete the change was. Did she retain her human mind?


    If so, how? The feline brain was much smaller than that of a human. How could she retain control of herself?


    The obvious answer was ''magic''. Yes, it was magic, but how did it work? Perhaps a sort-of adaptive expansion charm inside the skull to fit the brain, or maybe a repurposing of the nervous system. I added ''Animagus'' to my quickly growing list of things to do.


    Just what was the list, so far?


    "Let''s see¡­" I muttered, pulling out a small notepad I''d nicked from the orphanage before I''d left. I mentally read off all the major points: Potions, Topic of the Tingle, Waddiwasi, Battle Magic, Lumos and its use against spirits, Animagus.


    As expected, however, I couldn''t just learn Animagus off the bat. The professor had us transfiguring matchsticks into needles. I''d managed to get the substance silver and the end sharp, but it was still made of wood. Still, that''d earned me a point, at least.


    Canon and fanon knowledge gave me a leg up, but not so much that I could simply breeze through everything.


    Transfiguration, I realized, would be especially hard considering my knowledge of physics and chemistry. I was essentially rewriting an item''s molecular composition on a macro-scale.


    I had two choices: run the transfigurations with the idea of molecular shifting firmly in mind, or I could abandon that thought process altogether, instead focusing on the conceptual changing of materials, for example: ''wood'' to ''metal''.


    It was a hard choice, but one I probably needed to make quickly and early in my education.


    There was also another issue.


    I was also worried I''d accidentally split an atom in my attempts, if I went the physics/chemistry route. It was mind-boggling how no one ever had this issue- or perhaps, they simply didn''t know about all this extra information, and so never encountered it.


    They likely focused more on the equation that McGonagall had provided. The Transformation formula; I would have to put that in my list, as well, I realized.


    The topics continued to pile up, but it was fine- more than fine. I was honestly delighted. I loved to learn, even if I was likely putting way too much on plate, as it were.


    Still, even with all the extra work I was subjecting myself to, I was fairly sure I''d be able to finish the first year curriculum around Christmas, perhaps even sooner, especially when I acclimated to my new accomodations.


    I nodded to myself as the class ended, making sure to stick around the other Ravenclaws on the way to my Astronomy class. It was a class we shared with the Slytherins, and with Malfoy out and about...


    The extra company seemed to please Boot, at least.


    I wondered how he''d react if he knew I was planning on using him as a meatshield, should Slytherins decide to use me for target practice.


    Probably not well. I thought, suppressing a grin.


    Chapter 3


    September 25, 1991, 12:30 PM, Hogwarts Library


    It had been an exciting few weeks, I thought as I turned a page in Magical Theory.


    It was a fascinating book¡ª utterly wasted on eleven year olds, to be sure, but also essential to gain at least a simple understanding of how spells worked.


    "To tamper with the deepest mysteries; the source of life, the essence of self." I read the words in the book, remembering them from my old life.


    Essence of self... The soul? A strange reference to Horcruxes, perhaps, or something more?


    I thought back to the Wand-Lighting Charm, Lumos. People used it to act as a flashlight, but it seemed to have extra ghost and spirit repelling properties.


    Had the creator accidentally delved into the realm of the... Essence of self? It would make sense, in a roundabout way.


    I placed the book back onto the table and thought back to the days of early humanity. I thought of our struggle against the elements, against the darkness and terror of night itself.


    The act of making fire was an important milestone for the human race. We challenged the night itself, the mere act of it previously thought to be impossible.


    Night was all consuming and full of unseen, deadly creatures¡ª but with fire, it was a matter of shining the light onto them.


    Did the Wand-Lighting Charm do the same? Did the magic tap into the essence of self, read the roiling emotion¡ª the intent to banish the darkness and all creatures related to it?


    It was an intriguing thought, and potentially useful, besides.


    I pulled my notepad out, opened it and began to write:


    ''Adapt the use of Lumos to fight against spirits of all kinds, including Dementors. Research into Dementors and Patronus Charm.''


    For now, I thought as I put the pad away and turned my attention back to the book. Back to understanding Magical Theory.


    Honestly, while intriguing, the book suffered from the same issues most textbooks did: incredibly dry, plodding material. It seemed that the author, Adalbert Waffling, lived up to his name. Bright, but prone to not making direct statements. Happy to just fill the text with speculation after speculation.


    Then again, this particular field of magic wasn''t something explored by most people, due to a concept that Waffling called ''The First Fundamental Law of Magic.''


    It more or less stated that, the further you delved into the mysteries of magic, the worse the repercussions might be if you screwed up. It bore a striking resemblance to Newton''s Third Law of Motion: ''for every action, there is a reaction.''


    It made sense, though that didn''t necessarily mean it was proven, in any way. Still, this was a subject I was highly interested in delving in.


    If I could figure out the secrets of magic itself...


    A shiver went through me, both pleasurable and terrifying. Were these Tom Riddle''s thoughts when he was on the path of mastering his own magic?


    Would I have been following the path he''d already trodden decades ago?


    I frowned. I didn''t really care for the fate of the world. That wasn''t to say that my perfect Sunday involved kicking puppies and stealing candy from children, but I wouldn''t exactly be too bothered if a stranger happened to be on the wrong side of another''s wand in Knockturn Alley.


    That was the way of the world, after all. Criminals were a resource that never ran out, purely by virtue of how easier it is to turn to crime than it is to eke out an honest living.


    I put the book back on the table and sighed.


    I was getting distracted again.


    This was the most annoying part of physically being a child. My focus just wasn''t what it used to be in my a.d.u.l.t years.


    Perhaps it was the sheer amount of energy I seemed to have. Perhaps it was the hormonal imbalance all humans go through when they went through the maturation process.


    Maybe it was even caused by my magic''s growth, as magic seemed entrenched in human emotions and was considered to be the ''essence of self''. It was the source of life.


    A combination of all these factors, most likely, I thought about the matter for a few moments. How would I be able to manipulate my focus¡ª perhaps direct it?


    The answer, of course, was painfully simple: goals.


    I needed to set goals. True, the ultimate goal was to pursue the deepest mysteries magic had to offer, but I needed other things to do with my life.


    A solid reason to hold onto. Root myself in.


    Did I want to exist in this world, or did I want to live in it? Most people could only dream of getting a new lease on life, after all.


    "Even the most prolific scientists had hobbies and lives..." I muttered to myself. Albert Einstein, for example, was said to enjoy hiking, biking and playing the violin.


    And, believe me, I was no Einstein.


    It was settled, then; goals, dreams, hobbies, the works. These were concepts and things I had to begin thinking about once more.


    I nodded, grabbing my idea pad and simply writing a ''G'' on the cover, before opening it and checking through the list of mysteries I could feasibly tackle at my current level.


    Research on the Wand-Lighting Charm, as well as all manner of spirit creatures seemed the most appealing one, so far. Surprisingly enough, Potions was a close second.


    I had half expected my Potions class to be some caricature, after having read the series, as well as the tons of fanfictions out there. However, aside from the occasional snide comment, the classes had gone off without a hitch.


    Snape''s teaching manner did leave much to be desired, but he answered questions just fine, and was fair with his grades- at least, that was my own personal experience.


    With Potter, I gathered it was another story entirely, from the rumors alone.


    It wasn''t my problem, of course. As long as it didn''t directly affect me, I didn''t see the need to bother.


    I wasn''t here to lecture people on how they should behave. Hell, if Dumbledore hadn''t been able to get through to Snape, then I highly doubted that I, some snot nosed Ravenclaw First Year who asked him one too many questions in class, could.


    I snorted at the thought before putting all my books back in the bag. I adjusted the shoulder strap and lugged it with me, taking a step towards Madam Pince, before thinking better of it.


    I''d run afoul of her, a week before; an underfed vulture with parchment-like skin, sunken teeth, a shriveled face and a hook nose, terrorizing the children. She cared more about the state of the books than the students learning them.


    Way to nurture a good, learning environment.


    With a shake of my head, I turned to search for the books, myself. I would need books related to spiritual creatures of all kinds, a book that describes the nature and effects of emotion based magic, and perhaps even something on spell manipulation.


    Twenty minutes into the book hunt, and I had nothing. Well, there was one book dedicated entirely to troll herding¡ª whatever that was. Amusing, but not overly useful to my current goal.


    I was beginning to get frustrated as someone brushed past me, muttering an apology as they went. I turned to throw the person in question an annoyed glance, only for my eyes to widen in recognition.


    It was Granger, slowly perusing the shelves in search of a book, as well. Though, from her posture and sluggish movements, I could tell she didn''t seem to be at a hundred percent.


    This was odd, because she was always so ridiculously energetic while in the library¡ª though, of course, quiet, or else Pince would let her displeasure be known. What had happened?


    A few moments was all it took for me to nod in understanding. The answer was obvious to me, as it was something I''d dealt with in my previous life.


    I''d immigrated to another country, and was excited about meeting the people, making new friends and the like¡ª and that never ended up happening. I behaved, naturally, much like Hermione was now.


    Dejected. Rejected.


    Miserable.


    Maybe, she thought her studiousness wouldn''t have been rejected in a world of magic. I understood her logic, of course. It was magic, for God''s sake!


    It was the ability to play with the rules of reality and bend them to your will, and the students were more interested in skipping class and playing Quidditch than exploring the limitations of what they could do.


    "Granger, can you help me out?" The words came out of my mouth before I could even help myself.


    Taking pity, Clarke? I thought to myself as the girl in question abruptly turned towards me, eyes wide with surprise¡ª though, her expression quickly turned to caution when she recognized me.


    Had the encounter at Platform Nine and Three Quarters affected her reaction to me this much? Embarrassing moments tended to do that, I guessed.


    She must have been mortified.


    "I don''t know¡­ Madam Pince..." Hermione hesitated, but my friendly countenance seemed to change her mind. She took a step forward. "What do you need?"


    I told her, and watched the gears whirring in her mind. Abruptly, she turned and left. I followed, amused at the interaction. This was exactly the sort of change I needed to make in myself¡ª I needed that tunnel vision, that single minded determination.


    It took a few minutes for the girl to find a book.


    "I skimmed through this one on the first day." Hermione whispered and handed me the book in question. It was old and quite worn.


    "Charms Theory." I read the title. No author noted. "It''s as good a place to start as any. Thank you, Granger."


    "...You''re welcome." She frowned and looked down, suddenly awkward.


    I stifled a wince. I was not the most empathetic of people, but Granger was outright hemorrhaging loneliness.


    "Sit with me?" I offered.


    The glowing smile that spread over her face just about made my heart melt for the earnest girl.


    Damn it, Clarke. What are you getting yourself into?


    oooo


    September 27, 1991, 1:10 PM, Great Hall


    "You can''t just hang out with Granger, Adam!" Boot said hotly after our Flying class. "You''re a Ravenclaw."


    "So?" I challenged as I sipped from my cup of water, eyes rolling at the boy''s outburst.


    It had only been a few days since my meeting with Hermione, and Boot had taken offense to my canceling plans with him to hang out with the fuzzball of a girl, instead.


    "She''s a Gryffindor." Boot nodded, his case closed. Amusingly enough, a few of the other kids joined in the nodding, some even murmuring in agreement.


    It hadn''t even been a month, and they''d already fallen into the tribal mentality?


    "Lay off, Terry." I cut in before anyone else could tell her to leave. "I like hanging out with her. We talk about a lot of things."


    "You?" Was his incredulous. "You never talk to anyone!"


    "Not true." I tried to project an air of innocence mixed in with the barest of hints of condescension. "I''m talking to you, right now."


    I suppressed a smile at the frustration on his face. It is so easy to needle children.


    "That''s not what I¡ª ugh, fine!" Boot huffed, took his book bag and left the Great Hall, throwing angry glares towards me every few feet.


    "You''ve done it now, Clarke." Corner sighed. "He''ll remember that."


    "Better that he does." I gave an uncaring shrug. I didn''t need friends like that¡ª ones that were controlling and demanded all of your time. True, he was an eleven year old kid, likely thinking he was losing his only friend.


    He probably saw this as the end of the world. I snorted at the thought. Friends mostly came and went, in my life¡ª with a few sticking around, happy to deal with my acerbic and often scathing nature.


    I shook my head of any thoughts of friends from a past life. They were gone. In another universe, in another time. Maybe, someday, I would learn the methods of traveling back to my home world, but I rather doubted it would happen in the next five decades, let alone anytime soon.


    I wouldn''t have been a good friend to Boot, anyway. Too obsessed with Quidditch, he was.


    Don''t get me wrong, I enjoyed flying on a broom well enough, and the concept of enchanting a broom to fly was fascinating. I could accomplish a lot with that sort of knowledge.


    But, Quidditch? You couldn''t pay me to play, or even attend the matches.


    I turned my head towards the Gryffindor table, where I saw Hermione hounding the second youngest Weasley over his atrocious table manners¡ª I felt a little queasy, even from this distance.


    Jeez.


    Potter, on the other hand, seemed as happy as a clam at high tide. He looked a little tired¡ª likely from his training with the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain¡ª but he was positively glowing with energy, eating his food voraciously, but cleanly.


    For a moment, the two of us exchanged glances just long enough for him to realize I was staring. He averted his gaze, breaking the staredown.


    I looked elsewhere, deep in thought.


    Potter was someone I used to be very conflicted over. I related with him on so many levels, but there had been many times when I was trying very hard to not rip my hair out while I was reading the series.


    I''d made my peace with it long before I''d been reincarnated. He was a hero in the making, stunted by forces outside his control, but he eventually grit his teeth and got the job done.


    So, I couldn''t fault him for wanting to enjoy himself while he still could. Hell, at the moment, he likely wasn''t even aware of the true dangers surrounding him.


    What do I do about that? I thought, not for the first time, with a huff. Should I do anything?


    Corner suggested I go patch things up with Boot, incorrectly assuming the little spat had been the source of the small outburst.


    I didn''t acknowledge his statement as I left the Great Hall, absently heading towards the staircases.


    Potter was an interesting sort of wizard. He coasted along his classes alongside his friend, Weasley, but his practical work was impressive¡ª the sign of someone who learned from practice, not theory.


    His passion was being stifled by his hanger-on, and there was likely nothing I could do about it.


    A more important question was: did I want to do anything about it?


    The more the days passed here, the harder it was for me to dismiss these people as just characters in a story. They certainly were characters from a book; I didn''t imagine reading Rowling''s works, after all.


    However, they were also real.


    They lived long, full lives. They weren''t some NPCs which followed rigid scripts. My many interactions and encounters with everyone had proven that beyond the shadow of any doubt.


    Sure, Harry had seemingly followed the script and had been inducted into the Quidditch team just like in the books, but I highly doubted it was going to turn out any other way. The boy''s talent at flying was too obvious.


    Still, I wondered what would have happened had I snatched Longbottom''s Remembrall just before Potter''s first Flying practice. Would it have changed anything?


    Harry might have not made the Quidditch team, which would have saved him from Quirrell''s murder attempt, which would have removed any suspicion the trio had concerning Snape¡­ But was that the case, truly?


    Would it have changed canon, in any way? Or, did Magic itself, the source of life, the essence of everything, force the world to adhere to its desires?


    Prophecy magic was real, after all. Trelawney was a bonafide seer, though the class she taught was beyond useless.


    Were any changes I affected by simply being alive making any changes in the world at large? Or, was I going to live the rest of my days as some background character?


    A chilling thought: perhaps I was one of the many background characters in the book series, and I was simply never mentioned. Rowling had ignored a good amount of characters, after all.


    Any thoughts on Potter, prophecy magic, fate, my worth as an active agent in this world, and the seemingly inevitable Second War were thrown out of my mind when I heard the sound of expectant snickering ahead of me.


    I turned tail and ran, ignoring the cries of dismay and calls to chase. "Get him!"


    What a time to be without my meat shield. Boot and his overreactions...


    I turned a corner, only to find myself face to face with an enormously fat, and pig-like boy. Crabbe.


    His meaty hands grabbed onto my shoulders, and he began to crow. "I''ve got him!"


    But, my wand was already out, held in front of his eyes.


    "Lumos!" I cried, injecting all of my sudden fear into the spell. The wand tip lit like an ancient, fiery beacon. What few studies I''d made with Granger had given me enough of an understanding of the Wand-Lighting charm that I could use it to temporarily blind others.


    Crabbe began to shriek, letting go of me in favor of furiously rubbing at his eyes. I ran past him, muttering a quick "Nox!" and reaching the staircases once again.


    I got on, noting the faint sounds of displeasure and the scr.a.p.es and pitter patter of hurried footsteps. The Slytherins were giving chase.


    I would have one shot at escaping this, I thought as the staircase moved to its next destination¡ª the Seventh Floor.


    I hadn''t sought out the Room of Requirement, just yet, and I cursed myself every second as I began to tire, with the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy being nowhere in sight.


    Wait, there!


    I stared at the portrait for the barest of moments¡ª a bizarre representation of a man attempting to teach Trolls how to dance the ballet¡ª and swiftly walked back and forth three times.


    "I want a place to hide." I kept muttering, over and over, until the stone seemed to shimmer and melt, revealing a door, which I immediately entered, closing it behind me just in time for the sound of hurried footsteps reaching my ears.


    I felt the air around me tingle as the door seemed to shimmer, its texture becoming that of the wall it was set in. I imagined it was completely hidden, on the other side.


    I breathed through my nose as slowly as I could as the students'' footsteps got louder and louder, until I was sure they were all standing a few feet from me.


    My heart rate quickened, but I maintained my current breathing, mentally admonishing myself for freaking out. This was the Room of Requirement. There was no way any of them knew it even existed, let alone how to operate it.


    "Where is he?" One of them¡ª Draco Malfoy, I realized¡ª cried in dismay. Did this kid have a hard-on for me, or something? This was the sixth time this month he''d attempted to try and put the ''uppity Mudblood'' in his place. "You said he came this way."


    "We all saw him go up the stairs, Malfoy." Another Slytherin, an older student from the sound of it, said in annoyance. "He''s just too fast."


    "I didn''t pay you to make excuses, Bletchley." Malfoy said derisively, though he didn''t disagree with what was said. "Whatever. Since we didn''t catch Clarke, we might as well deal with you."


    "What do you¡ª" A familiar voice said before I heard the sound of a scuffle. "Let go of me!"


    That voice¡ª Terry Boot.


    "Maybe this will teach you to lead us on a wild chase, Boot." Malfoy said snidely. "Bletchley, would you care to do the honors?"


    I could have leapt out of the room and taken them on, to stop Boot from getting hurt.


    Why should I? The snarled thought came almost violently.


    It was obvious what had happened here. Boot had just sold me out to Malfoy because of a childish tantrum.


    He''s only a kid. Part of me said.


    F.u.c.k him. Another part dismissed. I have no place for traitors. If he would sell me out this easily, then I had no need for him.


    "It would be my pleasure." The older boy, Bletchley, said enthusiastically. "Hold still, Boot. Furnunculus!"


    Boot cried out in mortification as the spell took hold.


    The Pimple Jinx. I thought, staying quiet as the Slytherin boys began to laugh at Boot''s plight. There was the sound of a thud¡ª Boot likely being thrown on the cold, stone floor.


    The Slytherins had their fill of laughter, as Boot''s cries and hurried footsteps filled the halls.


    "Did you see his face, the big lump?!" Malfoy crowed in glee. "That ought to teach him to mess with us."


    "What about the Mudblood, Draco?" Crabbe, I thought, said excitedly.


    "Well, if you hadn''t let the filth go." Bletchley threw in scathingly. "We would have gotten him, too. He''s escaped you, how many times?"


    Five times. My mind supplied. I''d had to avoid them five times over the course of a month alone. This was the sixth. The first time, I was lucky enough to escape, and the other times, I''d made use of Ravenclaw as a herd amongst whom I could hide to avoid the unwanted attention from Malfoy and his cronies.


    This time, I''d been lucky enough that I could reach the Room of Requirement and use it to hide from my would-have-been-tormenters.


    "It doesn''t matter." Bletchley''s voice cracked, and he hurriedly cleared his throat, sounding embarrassed. "We''ll get him sooner or later. He can''t run and hide forever."


    I closely listened to their receding footsteps, their carefree laughs, their mockery of Boot, until there was nothing left but the silence of Hogwarts Castle.


    Still, I stayed hidden in the small space, not daring to exit the Room just yet. It may have sounded like they walked off, but there was the slight possibility that it was some kind of ruse, meant to make me feel safe and reveal myself, in some way.


    ''He can''t run and hide forever.'' Bletchley had said.


    He was right. It was only a matter of time until they caught me. It was obvious that there was no love lost between myself, and my House.


    If Boot, my supposed friend, sold me out so easily, then there was no way that the other Ravenclaws would help me out¡ª especially with Malfoy paying them to look the other way. They''d seemed perfectly fine with Lovegood''s bullying.


    And so, in that cramped hiding space on the Seventh Floor, I quietly seethed in anger at the nuisance which was Draco Malfoy.


    After an indeterminate amount of time spent tensely hiding, I exited the room and headed to the Library, a few new goals set in my mind.


    Learn how to fight effectively with magic.


    Teach Draco Malfoy a lesson he''ll never forget.


    Strangely enough, Granger only seemed very mildly disapproving when I asked her to find the necessary books on the topic, though I caught her sending me a few curious looks.


    It seems she''s as much a fan of Draco Malfoy as I am.


    oooo


    Thanks for reading.


    If you didn''t read the announcement up top, I''ll state it here: the e-book version of The Dreg Of Bellmead will be FREE from the 18th until the 22nd.


    Link: amazon,com/dp/B07XRVXXPB (Replace comma with period)


    OR


    Look up The Dreg Of Bellmead on your Kindle, or Kindle App :)


    (Reviews would be incredibly appreciated, thanks!)


    oooo


    Link to my discord: discord,gg/Pq5J8dX (Replace comma with period)

 Chapter 322 - My OC Stash #22 - Who Dares Wins by OlegGunnarsson (HarryPotter)

    -Even if I''ve already read a lot of the twin MC stories, I still enjoyed this fic as the author did some new twists that are quite interesting!


    Synopsis: A Harry Potter who grew up studying military tactics and strategy uses the attack on the Ministry as an opportunity to lay an ambush of his own - only to learn that his parents are still alive, as well as a twin brother whom Dumbledore calls the true boy-who-lived. And then, things get complicated. Military!Harry. A subversion of DZ2''s Prodigal Son Challenge.Rated: M


    Words: 121K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13182638/1/Who-Dares-Wins (OlegGunnarsson)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Harry Potter had known that the rescue mission was a likely trap. Sirius Black had not been seen in the public sphere for months, at that point, and so no one would know that he had cut his black hair into a short, almost muggle style. His godson had suggested the change, arguing that it was one less thing to worry about in a fight. The fact that Harry Potter kept his hair in the same short style merely hammered the argument home.


    So when Harry began to see visions of his long-haired godfather being tortured, he knew what Voldemort was trying to accomplish - Sirius was to be the lure that drew the boy-who-lived into the Ministry.


    If there are death eaters at the Ministry, reasoned Harry, then that''s where I need to be. With Madam Umbridge''s rather abrupt resignation at knifepoint earlier that evening, the list of Harry''s enemies in the castle was a small one. It was time for his focus to shift.


    He was in his dorm room, putting on his dragonhide boots and checking the rest of his kit, when Ron and Neville found him. To his surprise, they were already wearing their basilisk-skin coats. Harry looked up at them, and they looked back at him - and in that moment, Harry had known that those two boys¡­. No, those two men, would never let him walk into the line of fire alone.


    Harry stood, and Neville checked him over. Holly wand at his wrist, Cherry wand on his thigh. Throwing knives, Combat knife, baton, expanded bag, first aid kit, potions, darkness powder. Harry was even carrying a bottle of the phosphorus-based potion that Hermione had called a ''Pocket Lumos,'' and which functioned much like a muggle flashbang grenade when thrown. With a nod, Neville pronounced him ready.


    The three strode into the common room, and found Hermione and Ginny waiting for them. Each wore the basilisk-skin coats that Harry had had made for them, matching those worn by the boys. Only Ginny had not objected at the time; she figured (correctly) that she was owed part of that basilisk, seeing how it was part of the darkest year of her life.


    Harry checked the girls over, just as Neville had looked over his kit. They were probably more prepared than he was, but you never went into combat without checking your gear - and none of them had any notion that this trip would not involve combat. But this is what they had trained for, this small group. Today was where all those long hours of work in the Room of Requirement and the Forbidden Forest would pay off.


    Today, Harry Potter went to war.


    oOoOoOoOo


    The quickest way to the Ministry would be via Floo. None of the six could apparate, just yet, though Harry had been practicing in secret. Voldemort''s plan was based on angering Harry enough to drive him into making a mistake and charging into the ministry headlong - and he might have done just that, if time was of the essence and Sirius was truly at risk.


    But that wasn''t the case. Sirius was safe. So, the trip to London was made on the backs of thestrals, provided through the grace of Miss Luna Lovegood, who flew in the lead. Their entrance to the ministry would be through the front door - the last place they were expected.


    As they flew, Harry thought back to that summer, so long ago, when everything had changed. Oh, his training had not begun in earnest until last summer, to be certain - Colonel Ramsay would not have allowed it. No, Harry thought about the summer of his ninth year, when he met the Colonel for the first time.


    "You''re a little small to be cutting my grass, lad, aren''t you?"


    Harry looked up from the mower, surprised to see the owner of the house. The man was wearing some sort of green overalls, with the pants tucked into big black boots. On one shoulder, the man was carrying what had to be a very heavy bag, probably big enough to fit Harry.


    "Um, sir, I was supposed to cut the grass while you were on vacation." The boy seemed to shrink into himself, as if expecting to be admonished roughly. Ramsay had seen the look before, and his eyes narrowed at the implications.


    "As I recall," Ramsay said, trying to sound as kind and calm as he could. "I had asked the Polkiss boy to cut the grass."


    Harry nodded. "You did. But Niall made his little brother Piers do it, and Piers made my cousin Dudley do it because he lost a bet, and Vernon made me do it for Dudley."


    "Who''s Vernon?"


    "My uncle." The boy''s quiet response told Ramsay all that he needed to know.


    "Ah," was his reply. "Well, since you''re doing the work, you get the reward." He made a show of inspecting the front yard, as if he were reviewing new recruits. Harry''s eyes grew wide when the Colonel''s knife appeared in his hand, causing Ramsay to chuckle. "Best to do the thing properly," he said, as he used the knife to pretend to measure the length of the grass. He nodded, standing up, and noticed that Harry seemed to relax a little at that.


    "Very well done, lad. You''ve passed inspection, and as a reward, you get some lemonade and a sit down." Hefting his bag onto his shoulder, Ramsay started walking to the back gate. Pausing, he turned around, looking at a very confused boy. "Coming?"


    Colonel Ramsay''s house was his escape, that summer, for it was far enough away from Durzkaban to be a safe haven from Dudley and his mates, but close enough to make the walk to and from an easy one. Ramsay had graciously told Vernon that Harry needed some of "Her Majesty''s Discipline," and that some intensive yard work would not go amiss. Vernon knew that the Colonel still worked in the Army''s training command, and that he still had the voice of a drill instructor.


    The boy could use the discipline, his dear uncle had said. Don''t spare the rod, you hear?


    The Colonel had nodded at that. Harry learned later that the nod was precisely calculated to show proper respect to a civilian while simultaneously signaling how utterly unworthy of respect this particular civilian actually was. It was a level of nuance that Harry could appreciate.


    What had started out as the Colonel wanting to help one of the neighborhood boys quickly became a long-term project. Summer saw Harry learning how to exercise, and - more importantly - why. When Ramsay learned about Harry Hunting, he got very quiet, and then began referring to Dudley and his friends as "OPFOR", or opposing force. He made Harry think about ways to escape, routes to prepare, tactics to delay the slower, heavier pursuers. He told Harry that the side that prepares better will win, ninety nine times out of a hundred.


    Harry liked those odds. He soaked up the lessons like a sponge.


    As the weather cooled, Harry found himself stopping by Colonel Ramsay''s house in the evenings to go over his homework. It was the lessons after homework was done that Harry would remember most, during that long thestral flight.


    "Pretend to be weak," said Colonel Ramsay, reading from the small book on the table. "So that your enemy grows arrogant. If he is relaxed, give him no rest. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected." Ramsay tapped the book. "Do you know what all this means, Harry?"


    The boy nodded. "The winner is the one who does what their enemy doesn''t expect, and does it before their enemy can respond?"


    The Colonel smiled. "Are you asking me or telling me?"


    That got a grin from Harry as well. Never did the drill instructor voice come out between them - Ramsay was more of a professor than a drill sergeant, even when they exercised. Harry had come to know the Colonel as a student of warfare and strategy, almost more than he was a teacher of it - one of his favorite sayings was that there was always more to learn. The man''s job as an occasional instructor for the Academy at Sandhurst proved that, for he spent just as much time in the Academy''s library as he did in its classrooms.


    "Telling you, sir," Harry said confidently.


    Ramsay nodded. "Good. You''ll find that most battles are won before most of the people involved even realize that there was a battle. All because one smart fellow was more prepared than the other guy." He closed the book, sliding it across the table to Harry. "Your job is to be the smart fellow, rather than the other guy.


    Harry ran his hand across the title of the leather-bound book. "The Art of War," he said.


    oOoOoOoOo


    Entering the Ministry was trivial, once they arrived in London. Hermione had elbowed Harry in the ribs - hard - when he gave their reason for entry as "Extrajudicial counter-terrorism exercise."


    Luna, meanwhile, had simply laughed her airy laugh. Anyone who mistook her for a weak link on the team needed only look at the throwing knives on her belt, or the potion bottles ready to be thrown, or the determined look in her eye. She had trained as hard, if not harder, than any of the six. She knew exactly how many times Lucius Malfoy had threatened her father''s magazine. She knew exactly how many ''gas main explosions'' there had been since the breakout at Azkaban in December.


    When Arthur Weasley had been attacked in the Ministry, it had been Luna who calmed Harry down afterwards. It had been Luna and Hermione who took his anger at the blatant attack and tried to channel it into something productive.


    The idea to start their own miniature DA, just the six of them, focusing on small unit tactics against death eaters? That was Ron, who wanted to make sure he would be prepared, if and when. Ginny had agreed, saying nothing - but her hard eyes were focused on Harry, who had lost himself in thought at that point.


    Neville had broken the silence. "Where a Potter goes, a Longbottom follows." Harry looked up at his friend, before looking across the faces of the others.


    "If we do this, we do it all the way." They nodded. "We train like the muggles do, we fight like the muggles do." They nodded. "No quarter."


    Each of them nodded.


    "Good." said Harry. Behind him, the Room of Requirement had created a row of wooden targets, and a table covered with small pieces of metal. Harry grinned as he picked one up - it was a perfectly balanced, gleaming surgical steel throwing knife. "Alright, let''s start with these." Turning, he threw the knife downrange.


    The five watched with awe as the knife buried itself in the throat of the target.


    In the atrium of the Ministry, they found four death eaters waiting at the floo points, their eyes fixed on the flames. They were probably there in case some innocent worker stumbled into the office that evening, for if Harry had planned to floo in he would have done so by now.


    Four well placed stunners sent the death eaters to the floor. Neville collected the wands and incinerated them, while Hermione and Ginny tied the death eaters up with a variant of the Incarcerous. Instead of ropes, the spell used razor wire - before disillusioning the bindings. The idea was to prevent the downed wizards from being freed, or - failing that - keep the rescuers busy long enough to take them down as well.


    And if they struggled and cut their wrists and ankles? "Welp," Harry had said, with a shrug. He would not cut the throats of fallen enemies, however richly they deserved it, but nor would he see to their comfort.


    To the group''s surprise, there were no other death eaters in evidence - none hiding under cloaks or in shadows, none of the marked employees they knew had to have infiltrated the Ministry by now, no one.


    Down to Level 9 they went.


    oOoOoOoOo


    When Harry returned to Privet Drive after his third year at Hogwarts, he visited Colonel Ramsay the next day. To his surprise, he found his mentor reading a copy of Hogwarts, a History.


    "A man from Downing Street came by last week," Ramsay began. "He mentioned that I was being read into some sensitive projects above Top Secret."


    "Oh?" asked Harry, sitting down across from the Colonel.


    "Oh, indeed. It seems I had inadvertently befriended a wizard, and not just any wizard, mind, but one who had some importance to Her Majesty''s government." He smiled at Harry. "Funny thing, isn''t it?"


    Harry looked uncomfortable. "Sir, normally I''m forbidden from telling anyone about¡­"


    Ramsay stopped him. "Oh, they told me. No worries there." He leaned forward, extending a hand. "It''s a pleasure to finally meet the real you, Mister Potter." Harry grinned as they shook hands.


    Over the course of that summer, Harry told his story. His parents, their deaths, his relatives, his school. He spoke of his friends, his classes, his teachers.


    He was surprised when Ramsay prompted him to speak about Quirrelmort. About the basilisk. The Dementors. His godfather.


    The conversation turned to a more narrow focus. His wants, his goals, his objectives. Ramsay only grew annoyed once, when Harry said that his highest goal at the moment was to survive his fourth year.


    "No army who fought just to survive ever won anything. You need to do more than survive, you need to live, perhaps even to love."


    Harry had grown melancholy at that point. "The only time I really remember being loved was before my parents died. Voldemort took that from me. He took everything from me."


    "That he did," agreed Ramsay. "But look, now you have a godfather on your side, you have friends, you have allies. You''re not alone, Harry."


    "I know," he said, smiling a bit at the thought of his friends. "But it''s taken a very long time to get to this point. If I lost them, I don''t know what I''d do."


    Ramsay stood up to refill their tea. "I do." Harry looked up, and met the Colonel''s eyes. "You''d force yourself to keep going. To do what needed doing."


    "Would I?" asked Harry, unsure.


    Ramsay nodded, holding Harry''s gaze. "The guard dies, but never surrenders." Off harry''s questioning look, Ramsay continued. "Harry, you are one of the most determined people I have ever known, and I''ve been training soldiers for close to thirty years, everyone from Generals down to Privates. If you are fighting for what you believe in, for the people you love, then no force in the world could stop you." Ramsay''s voice grew quiet, as he spoke the words that Harry would never forget.


    "They could never defeat you, not ever. All they could hope to do is kill you."


    oOoOoOoOo


    The Hall of Prophecies was far more vast than they had expected. Even with Luna''s accounts of the hall from her father, who had learned of it from her late mother, they were unprepared for the sheer scope of the place.


    It was Hermione who detected the ward across the doorway. It was Ginny who bypassed it. Just the presence of that ward alone proved that this was a trap, that death eaters were laying in wait somewhere nearby. Removing their early warning might buy a few minutes, or so they hoped.


    The correct prophecy was easily found. The tag listed the seer, their audience, and the subjects of the prophecy. Harry saw that the question mark was crossed off, with red ink showing the true subjects of the prophecy.


    S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D. in re Dark Lord and James Potter and Harry Potter


    Harry looked at the tag, considering what it might mean. Why would my father be listed? Why not my mother as well? Quickly, Harry took the orb off the shelf and placed it in his pouch.


    "Incoming," said Neville, from his place near the intersection of that row and the next. Hermione''s wards were good, and all six of them had trained to detect the subtle magic that came just before apparition. As Harry readied his wand, he saw another orb with ''Potter'' on the tag. Without pausing, he grabbed that prophecy as well, tag and all.


    A masked death eater appeared on his left, almost exactly where Harry''s Reducto struck a second later. Two more death eaters met their deaths that way, as Harry''s team took advantage of that split second disorientation on arrival. This enraged the remaining death eaters, which was part of why they had done it in the first place. These wizards expected six weak students, and instead found death.


    Harry could hear Lucius Malfoy''s voice trying to take control of the battle - a battle that he had not been expecting. Why give your enemy time to prepare? Harry could hear the Colonel''s voice in his head.


    Spells began to strike the shelves, sending shards of glass every which way. The six began making their way to the rear exit, covering each other with spellfire. One brave death eater tried to cut them off, and wound up with a knife in his throat. The mask fell away as the body crumpled to the floor, revealing Augustus Rookwood - an unspeakable.


    That explains the wards, thought Harry. He and Neville were the last two at the doorway, the others having gone through already. With a grin, Neville pulled out the Lumos potion. Harry matched his move, and on the count of three they lobbed the potions at the approaching death eaters.


    The flash of light that came under the door would have been blinding, had they waited for it.


    oOoOoOoOo


    "The Death Eaters operate on fear," the Colonel had said, probably for the fiftieth time. "In 1978, a dozen of them walked down Diagon Alley and destroyed three shopfronts, killing two and injuring seven."


    Ramsay and Harry were looking over reports from the Ministry about the first war. What little information the Muggle government had was in the form of reports like this one taken by inside agents, or derived from the Prophet. To an experienced soldier, though, they were a goldmine.


    "There were over three hundred people in the Alley that day," he continued. "I assume most of them were carrying wands?" Harry nodded, that was likely. "Alright, so answer me this - twelve people versus three hundred, who wins?"


    Harry considered that. "The three hundred are civilians," he said.


    "True," replied the Colonel. "All of whom can disintegrate a man''s head with a word."


    Harry had to concede the point. "Then I would say that the side more prepared to do what is necessary would win."


    "Correct." Ramsay pointed to the report. "If even half of those people had stood up and fought, the twelve would have withdrawn at best, died at worst."


    "So how do we fix that?" asked Harry.


    "We don''t." was the reply. "But for you, the lesson is this. They walked into that Alley and expected exactly what they got. Thus, they won. Your enemy will expect you to act a certain way, behave a certain way. So, don''t."


    oOoOoOoOo


    The six were bruised and sore when they made it to the Death Chamber. All were on their feet and able to fight, but none were at 100%.


    "Potty''s going to be in so much trouble!" shouted the voice of Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry felt Neville tense up beside him, and placed a hand on his friend''s arm.


    "Indeed, Mister Potter, Dumbledore would be quite disappointed." came the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy. Harry could almost hear the sneer, moreso now that the masks were off. Luna had summoned them all with a powerful Accio, not realizing that the death eaters used sticking charms to secure the masks during battle. Two junior death eaters had found themselves pulled forward, right into the last curses they would ever see.


    "And after all of that running and fleeing," continued Lucius, "You still try to play the hero. The Dark Lord expected that, and look - he was right, here you are." Malfoy reached out his hand. "Give us the prophecy, or I fear you''ll come to a sticky end." Another death eater - Crabbe''s father, perhaps? - walked over to Malfoy, as if to guard him.


    The other five students had spread out around the room, marking the five remaining death eaters. Even now, when they were outnumbered, the death eaters acted as if they had the superior numbers. Did they not realize how many of their fallen fellows would not be getting back up?


    Harry''s eyes met Hermione''s, and she nodded. She had seen him palm a second prophecy. "Alright, Mister Malfoy," said Harry. "Please, just don''t hurt us. I''ll give you the orb if you promise." He made his voice sound small - no small feat in the echo-filled expanse of the Death Chamber. Slowly, he lifted the second orb. He glanced at the tag, filing the information away for later. It didn''t matter now.


    S.P.T. to L.E. and A.L. in re James Potter and Harry Potter


    The sneer on Malfoy''s face told him that the act was working - Harry was still just a kid. "Here!" Harry shouted, tossing the second prophecy above Malfoy''s head.


    "No!" shouted Malfoy, as he reached up for the orb. Crabbe made a try at it as well. Neither was watching Harry, nor did they see Ron. Two curses struck Crabbe, taking his left arm off at the shoulder and shattering his ribs. With all eyes on the prophecy, no one noticed him as he bled to death.


    Harry summoned Malfoy''s boots, causing the death eater to topple. He watched helplessly as the orb shattered on the stone. Spellfire had broken out in earnest, with curses and jinxes flying everywhere. Harry stepped forward, his wand on Malfoy. The tail end of the prophecy was fading in the noise, but Harry made out "...at the hands of the sons¡­" before the mist from the orb faded.


    No matter. Harry took aim at Bellatrix, sending a Langlock curse her way. With a snarl, she tried to stun him. His shield was ready, but not needed - for someone else had shielded him.


    "Wotcher, Harry," said Nymphadora Tonks. Beside her, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were opening fire on the Death Eaters.


    Harry''s heart sank. "You know it was a trap, right?"


    "We know. Voldemort is upstairs fighting the Headmaster and the others."


    That got Harry''s attention - Dumbledore KNEW?


    "Who told you to come here, Tonks?" Harry asked, as he shot more spells at Bellatrix. Ginny was giving her a run for her money, and the mad witch was starting to look worried. Seeing Malfoy on his face didn''t help matters.


    "Dumbledore, who else?" she replied. That tears it, thought Harry.


    Sirius was now engaging with Bella, and their duel was a fierce one. Harry saw one curse that would have sent his godfather through the veil, and shielded it. Tonks was about to move into a better position to help when Harry grabbed her elbow.


    "Tonks, who else is coming down here?" Harry asked.


    "Just us." She said, unconcerned. "The others have enough to deal with, it sounded like." With that, she slid around the chamber, hoping for a better angle. A year ago, even, Harry would have raged at the revelation - that Dumbledore had known not only what was happening here, but that Voldemort was involved. It doesn''t matter how prepared we are, Harry thought, how dare he send children to do his job? It was one thing to sneak behind his back, but quite another to learn that he knew and approved all along.


    Now, though, he had business. There would be time for anger later.


    Harry felt it then, the telltale sign of an incoming apparition. Even if they were a friendly, from what Tonks had said there was no way they''d be coming this soon. So it was likely a death eater. Harry levelled his wand, and bound the wizard as soon as he appeared - the bindings were just in case it was someone from the Order. The cloaked figure fell over immediately, just in time for Luna to silence him.


    Another had apparated into the room, it seemed. "Stop!" shouted Lucius Malfoy. "Stop or she dies!"


    All eyes went to the blonde wizard, who had a woman by the throat with a wand at her temple. The cloaked woman was struggling fiercely. The cloak seemed to match the man he had just dropped, which might mean that they were someone else. Not Order, then, but not death eaters. Who?


    "What a surprise, my dear," Lucius hissed into the woman''s ear. Then he looked up at Harry. "Place your wands on the floor and walk away, and I''ll release her before we get to the floo."


    Harry kept his wand on the death eater, but sensed Bellatrix approaching on his right. Wordlessly, he cast an Accio at her robes, dragging the surprised witch toward him. Before she knew what was happening, Harry had her bound and silenced. His knife went to her throat, and she stilled.


    Lucius sneered again. "A hostage, Potter? Would you really trade Bella for this one?"


    "I don''t know, Lord Malfoy, who is she? I thought she was one of yours."


    That got a laugh from the death eater. "No, no, Mister Potter, this one is most definitely yours." He pulled her hood down, and revealed a red-haired witch with fair features and haunting green eyes.


    He had seen those eyes before. That morning, in the mirror.


    Malfoy could not contain his glee. The game had truly changed. "It looks like your brat is just as surprised as I am, Lily."


    oOoOoOoOo


    Harry''s mind raced, trying to figure the angles here. Polyjuice requires something of the target. Polyjuice requires something¡­. "Oh, for f.u.c.k''s sake, Snape, you bastard!" exclaimed Harry.


    "Snape?" asked Malfoy.


    Luna was tending to Neville''s wounds, but looked up at that. In a sing-song voice, she spoke. "Oh, Lord Malfoy, you have no idea what you''ve done."


    Harry''s grip tightened on Bella. With a twist of his wand, he tightened her bindings, and smiled at the sound of her elbows breaking. The silencing spell did little to quell the anguish on her face. The madness was gone, now, replaced with only terror. Her husband Rodolphus, bound and silenced on the other side of the room, seemed to enjoy her suffering.


    "Your pet spy kept my mother''s hair for fifteen f.u.c.k.i.n.g years?! Only to try something this desperate? How DARE you?" Harry had kept tight control over himself during the battle, but this outrage had been a step too far. "My dead mother suddenly appears right when Voldemort sets a trap for me? Pull the other one, it''s got bells on."


    He did not see the look of terror on the woman''s face.


    "Nevertheless," said Malfoy, who was fighting the urge to back away from the angry boy in front of him.


    "Harry," said Sirius, in a warning tone. He had stepped over to stand beside Ron, who was guarding a bound Gregory Goyle Senior. "Be careful," he said.


    "Yes, Harry, be careful," mocked Malfoy. "We both know you will do nothing except let us go and walk away. Our master knows you, he knows exactly how your Order will retreat every time." He sneered one last time. "Walk away."


    Harry glanced over at Neville, who nodded slightly. "Speed?" Neville said, chancing a nonsense word that would sound non-threatening. Harry nodded in confirmation, as little as he dared.


    Malfoy saw the motion, and glared at him. "Well?" the man snarled.


    Keeping his knife at Bella''s throat, Harry placed his wand in his pocket. Holding his right hand open, he made eye contact with Lucius. He maintained that eye contact as he brought his now empty hand across Bellatrix Lestrange''s face. Grasping her chin, he suddenly twisted her head to the side.


    The Death Chamber echoed with the sickening crack of her spine. As soon as Harry struck, Neville stunned the red-haired woman. Malfoy dropped her, attempting to defend himself - while forgetting about Ginny, who stunned him from behind.


    The room seemed to freeze for a moment. And then the students began shouting "Clear!"


    Sirius was examining Bellatrix, who was lying still on the floor, her eyes open and unseeing. "You killed her, Harry."


    "Yes I did," he replied. "My job was to get everyone out of here, and f.u.c.k the rest of them." He nodded to Neville Longbottom, who was watching the pair from across the room. "And besides, I owed a debt to House Longbottom."


    Before Sirius could respond, Hermione called Harry over to the red-haired woman. The fallen witch could actually have been Lily Potter, if they made her look older than she had been at the time of her death. Even the willow wand was accurate, or seemed to be.


    "She''s not under polyjuice, Harry." said Hermione, worriedly. Harry stared at the woman, before looking back to Hermione.


    "What, you''re suggesting that she''s actually my mother?" Harry asked. For the first time that night, a note of concern crept into his voice. But no, he could not dare hope. It wasn''t possible.


    Was it?


    In the quiet of the Death Chamber, Sirius'' whisper was like a cannon shot. Harry''s head snapped around to look at his godfather, who was checking out that last death eater who had apparated in. The one with the same cloak as ''Lily''. Oh, no, was about the only thought Harry could muster before what Sirius had said registered.


    "Prongs?"


    oOoOoOoOo


    Healers were swarming over the remains of the Ministry Atrium, tending to the wounded aurors and civilians present. The duel between Voldemort and Dumbledore had been the stuff of legend, the sort of duel one might tell their children about someday.


    The finale, too, would grow in the telling. Just as Voldemort had seemed to get the upper hand on his much older opponent, a bolt of magic had struck him from the side. Every eye turned to see¡­. Harry Potter?


    "Ahhhh," Voldemort had hissed. "The substitute."


    "I''ve waited a long time for this," said the boy, before he struck. Voldemort laughed in his face, shielding and parrying the boy''s spells. It was obvious to all who saw, however, that the boy had some power behind his magic - and that, combined with Dumbledore''s renewed assault, put Voldemort at risk.


    His death eaters were not coming back, he realized. They had failed him. With a hiss of anger, the Dark Lord vanished.


    By the time Madam Bones had made it over to the Headmaster and his student, the elevator had begun to operate again. Amelia thought nothing of it, for her mind could not wrap itself around the identity of this boy who had saved them.


    "James Potter?" she asked.


    "Yes, Madam Bones," said the boy.


    She eyed Dumbledore with no small measure of anger. "And now I suppose you''re going to tell me that James and Lily survived?" Dumbledore had the grace to look down. That was it for Amelia. "Oh for f.u.c.k''s sake Albus!"


    "Funny," the three turned to see a bloodied Harry Potter walking toward them. "That was my reaction as well, Madam Bones."


    "Harry, my boy, are you alright?" The Headmaster asked.


    Harry nodded. "We''re all fine, sir." He turned to the Director of the DMLE. "Madam Bones, there are at least seven stunned and bound death eaters in the Hall of Mysteries and the Death Chamber, one of whom is Lucius Malfoy. You also have probably twelve corpses. All of the dead bear the dark mark. We secured two additional prisoners as well."


    Dumbledore''s heart sank at that news. "Who are the two prisoners?"


    Harry''s eyes seemed to bore into Dumbledore, though his expression was carefully neutral. "They seem to be Lily and James Potter, but we all know that that can''t be the case, because they died to save my life, right Headmaster?"


    The boy next to Dumbledore spoke up, then. "Oi, that''s my mum and dad!"


    Harry turned his gaze to the boy. They were of a height, though Harry was just slightly taller - possible due to the boots he wore. They had the same hair, though different lengths. The same eyes, the same build. Unbidden, Harry''s thoughts went to the prophecy - and how perhaps it hadn''t been his father on it after all.


    "James Potter, Junior, I presume?" Harry asked. Madam Bones heard the fatigue in his voice, and realized just how major a shock this must be. And that didn''t even account for whatever took place downstairs, she thought.


    "You must be Harry, then." James said. Harry thought, just for a moment, that he heard the beginnings of a Malfoy-level sneer work their way into the boy''s¡­. No, his twin''s voice. Merlin, Harry thought.


    Harry chuckled, the weariness beginning to take its toll. Perhaps it was that fatigue, or just the numbness at what he had done that night, but Harry decided in that moment to lay his cards on the table.


    In Parseltongue, he spoke to his brother. {"Are you alright?"} he asked.


    James'' eyes grew wide at the public display, but he still replied. {"Fine."} Then he paused. {"Mom and Dad?"}


    Harry nodded. "They''re fine, just stunned. Sirius is with them."


    James nodded at that. "Well, good." He seemed to be considering his next words carefully, fighting the urge to say something. Had he looked over at Dumbledore, he would have seen the look of panic on the Headmaster''s face.


    "Harry," James began. "Thank you for protecting me while I trained to be the boy-who-lived." He sounded sincere, he sounded rational. But he also clearly had no idea that he had just changed everything.


    Harry stared at him for a moment, then at Dumbledore. His voice was low and cold, clearly angry - but not as much as might be expected, all things considered. "You knew?"


    To his credit, the Headmaster looked ashamed. But then Harry saw him square his shoulders and steel himself for the criticism. "It was for the greater good, my boy."


    Harry shared a look with Madam Bones, one that she interpreted as something along the lines of Can you believe this asshole? She smiled at Harry, letting him know that they were on the same page. They would talk at length about that night, and everything that had happened, but not now.


    "Right, well, we might want to hold off on that coronation, dear brother." Harry reached into his pouch, producing the prophecy orb. "Being the boy-who-lived isn''t all it''s cracked up to be."


    James didn''t know how to respond, and so didn''t. Instead, he looked intently at the orb. "How can you hold it?"


    "Yes, how is this possible?" asked the Headmaster, quietly, though the worry was plain in his voice. "Only the subject of a prophecy can touch it without risking madness." He looked at Harry with sadness in his eyes, as if diagnosing a case of terminal cancer. "A remarkable student you may be, but I''m afraid you''re not as special as you thought you were, Harry my boy."


    Later, Harry would forgive the Headmaster his unfortunate turn of phrase. In the moment, however, the temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.


    Getting ahold of his anger, Harry sighed, before shaking his head at the Headmaster. "It seems that your plan is and was fatally flawed, sir." He handed over the card that came with the prophecy - the one clearly showing both Harry and James.


    With a slight nod, Harry acknowledged Madam Bones. "Madam Bones, gentlemen, I''m going to go check on my team, and then I plan to sleep for about a week. After that, we''ll want to have a cup of tea and a sit down, I suspect."


    James looked up, his face a mask of confusion, only to see Harry walking away. Everything he knew, everything he had been told, was laid bare as a lie. Or, at least, as an untruth. Dumbledore seemed shocked as well, though, so perhaps there was hope. Mom and Dad will know what to do, thought James. To Harry, he raised his voice. "Don''t you care what it says?"


    Harry shot him a look over his shoulder, the floo powder still in his hand. "Of course I do, why do you think I made a copy for myself?" Then he leaned into the floo. "Saint Mungo''s!" And with that, he was gone.


    James looked up at the Headmaster, who seemed to be having a panic attack. Every plan, every stratagem, was now obsolete. James gave voice to what they were both thinking.


    "What the hell do we do now?"


    A/N: This is a meditation of sorts on DZ2''s Prodigal Son challenge, wherein a Grey or Dark Harry learns that his parents survived the Halloween attack, only to go into hiding with a sibling who was the actual Boy-who-lived. They trained for years under Dumbledore''s watchful eye, all while allowing Harry to be abused and mistreated at Durzkaban, and then later endangered and cast out at Hogwarts. And then, in either the Ministry or the Graveyard, they swoop in and pat Harry on the head and tell him good job, now your sibling can take over.


    Suffice to say, that doesn''t go over so well.


    Here, I took a grey Harry who had taken the Art of War as gospel, and who had a mentor to guide him. Military!Harry is a trope rarely seen, and I wanted to take a swing at it. But take that further - if Lily and James showed up in the middle of a firefight, with a Harry on a hair trigger? It took quite a bit to keep me from having him Reducto them on sight, as he simply assumed it was a trick. This works better, I think.


    So, James and Lily survived (along with a very confused Sirius). Bellatrix didn''t - which highlights exactly the sort of pragmatic mission-focused Harry we''re dealing with. Dumbledore, who deployed James and the Potters specifically for this moment, believed that James Jr. was the BWL. Whoops.


    The challenge presumes that Harry is not actually the BWL, and thus has to preserve his place and his agency in a world where he is now superfluous. Here, I reversed that - James and Lily and James Jr. re-emerge into the world, and find themselves unnecessary. As Harry said, "Welp."


    Regarding Speed: One time, Neville and Harry got to talking about hostages. That reminded Harry of a muggle film he had seen, where the man said to shoot the hostage, and well...


    (No plans to continue this as such, this was mainly a plot bunny that came out of the challenge. Perhaps I''ll reuse Colonel Ramsay at some point. If someone wants to adopt this scenario and run with it, feel free to PM.)


    Feedback, as always, is welcome.


    2nd A/N 1/24/2019: After multiple comments and messages, not to mention peer pressure from the LeadVonE Discord, I''ve decided to mark this as in-progress. I will be continuing the story, though do not expect frequent updates. Harry Potter, et al, and the Keystone Council wil

 Chapter 323 - My SI Stash #23 - My Harem Academia by Leecifer (MyHeroAcademia)

    -Ah yes, mind control~ 235899 285981 253119


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 17K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/my-harem-academia-r34-economy-mha-start.12294/ (Leecifer)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Author Note: I''ve been reading a number of these R34 Economy stories, and the premise seems like the kind of thing that, while absolutely an opportunity for a sociopathic power wank (sometimes literally), seems to me to make for a much better example of how to take a completely immoral premise and twist it for good. Subvert it for virtuous means? Pervert it for Justice? Either way, I had two ideas of where to go with this, so, rather than stick to one, I''m doing both. The Sister Story, Draconian Remnant can be found HERE. If you''ve read that one, skip down to the decision point in the first chapter, as they are literally identical up until then.


    My Harem Academia?


    In the beginning, there was darkness, and then, light.


    Probably because someone flicked the switch.


    For me though, there was light, and there was pain. Not some mind rending agony, not a soul deep ache, nothing that over the top, merely a sharp spike that quickly dulled. Blinking, having previously been on my bed, scrolling through CYOA''s to pass the time, I found myself in a blank space, holding, of all things, a piece of parchment, my name signed in dull red at the bottom.


    Freezing, not as much like a deer in the headlights as much as an animal awakening in a strange place, because I was, I stared at the doc.u.ment in my hands that had replaced my phone. It was certainly full of words, written in a flowing, yet somehow harsh script. It was just too bad I didn''t understand a word of it. A bit of wetness, neither cold nor warm, ran down my right hand, which throbbed with a dull pain.


    What. The. Hell.


    Holding what looked to literally be a satanic contract, which I''d apparently signed with my blood, I looked around, spotting something dark on the horizon. Luckily, it didn''t seem to be moving, a squat shape, and was the only thing in sight. The lack of any reference was odd, meaning it could be anything from a box of cigarettes, to an entire warehouse, and I had no idea.


    Slowly getting to my feet, the change in elevation let me narrow it down to ''bigger a breadbox, smaller than a truck''. Hoping that my lack of shoes weren''t going to be an issue, I slowly made my way towards it. The ground in this not-place was just as indistinct as the rest, neither warm nor cold, hard nor soft, it merely was.


    That very lack of any sensation, in some ways, seemed to help settle my mind, which had been stuck in loops of ''What is going on!?!''.


    Despite holding something seemingly demonic in my hand, my surroundings seemed more akin to Purgatory than anything else. Furthermore, as I slowly approached the dark shape, it was a simple steel desk, a chair pulled up to it, and, oddly enough, a tablet computer resting innocuously on the top of it, the only thing on top of the desk.


    With no small amount of trepidation, I approached it. "Hello?" I called, my voice muted, without any of the reverberations that came from speaking indoors, but no echoes from far away, even when I called again, louder. "Is anyone there?"


    Looking around, looking down, looking up, there was nothing but blank whiteness as far as the eye could see. Clenching my hands in worry, my left closed around the cloth-like paper, and my right felt slick. Looking to it, my palm was bloody, though, feeling my fingertip with my thumb, lightly, I''d stopped bleeding.


    On a whim I knelt down, wiping my palm against the ''ground'', wondering if it would absorb the blood, or just refuse to be stained, or something.


    Instead all I accomplished was leaving a bright red streak across the otherwise pristine nothingness.


    Standing up, I looked at the mess I''d left, feeling oddly guilty, as if I''d dirtied something pristine.


    However, nothing else happened, and I was forced to look back at the desk, the chair, and the tablet.


    Approaching it, worried that. . . well, I didn''t know what I was worried about, I was just worried, I put the parchment in my pants pocket and carefully touched the chair, which, while hard steel, was the same not-warm, not-cold as everything else. Sliding it back, I took a seat, ignoring the tablet to pull open the drawers, only to find them empty.


    Looking at the tablet, it was on, a black background marred only by a single white square that read, in English ''Please Insert Authentication!''.


    I tapped it, then pressed my finger down on it, hoping it was some sort of bio-metric lock, only for nothing to happen. On a whim, I wiped a little bit of the blood that was still on my right had, only to dirty the screen.


    Wiping it off with my shirt, I pulled out and considered the seemingly infernal contract. Lacking any other options, I touched the tip of the parchment, only for it to catch fire with brilliant emerald flames. Dropping it like it was on fire, because it was, I tried to scoot backwards in the chair, but the legs caught on something, and the chair tipped backwards, sending me sprawling.


    Scrambling to my feet, I could see the smoke from the flames rising up, before hitting an invisible ceiling and starting to billow out in every direction. However, before it spread, it started to spin, the last of the paper burning away so cleanly there was not even ash left.


    The smoke, a thick, evil looking, dark cloud continued to spin, tightening into a funnel like a miniature tornado that touched down on the tablet, pouring itself into the computer, before, with something akin to a sucking sound, it disappeared, leaving only silence in the void, along with the table, chair, tablet, and out-of-place blood smear.


    Carefully approaching, sitting back down in my chair, the tablet screen had changed. Now there was a cartoon happy face, below which read ''Authentication recognized!'' with a button that said ''Great!'' on it.


    Hesitantly, I clicked it, reading the new screen.


    ''Welcome User: Leecifer! We at The Company are proud to have you as our newest employee! In these trying times, the demand for Waifus and Husbandos has reached an all time high! As such you have been selected to help us search the multiverse for quality stock from which quantum duplicates can be provided to our customer base for a nominal fee!''


    . . . what.


    There were two buttons. One labelled in green ''I Understand!'', and one in red labelled ''I Have Some Questions!''


    I clicked the second.


    A new box appeared, at the top of which was an unhappy face that was oddly ominous.


    ''Oh no!'' it read. ''Did your recruitment officer not explain in sufficient detail? This has been noted but, as you are already a contractually obligated employee, we can only provide base information. The three most frequently asked questions are answered below!''


    Unsure whether or not I''d just made a serious mistake, I scrolled down.


    ''1: If you can make quantum copies, why do you need new stock? Can''t you just keep copying them?


    Quantum copies can only be made a limited amount of times, between 8 and 999,999,999,998, before the multiversal limit is reached and a new dimensional analog is required to continue production!


    2: I don''t remember signing any contract! How can I be held to contract I didn''t sign?


    Memory of signing the contract, nor one''s state of mind, be it intoxicated, controlled, or emotional, has any bearing on the validity of said contract. While regrettable, premature termination of the contract will result in the premature termination of the signee.


    3: What!? How is that fair? Isn''t that slavery!?


    Yes! Yes it is! For all parties! Fairness is a social construct and employee''s cultural practices are contractually allowed only in such ways as they do not interfere with the completion of their contract!


    Those are the three most common queries. We hope this clears up any remaining uncertainties.


    Welcome to The Company! "We Do What We Must Because We Can!"''


    And below that was a single green button, labelled ''I Understand!''


    Well. . . shit.


    Getting up from the desk, wanting nothing to do with what I was pretty sure this was, I squared my shoulders and walked away.


    And walked.


    And walked.


    Until I finally saw a dark shape on the horizon. A squat shape.


    It was the desk. With the tablet. Still asking me to accept this.


    I didn''t, tipping over the chair, picking a different direction, and walked away.


    And walked.


    And walked.


    Until I finally saw two dark shapes on the horizon. A squat shape, and a smaller shape next to it.


    It was the desk. With the tablet. The chair turned over exactly where I left it.


    F.u.c.k.


    The blood on the ground had dried, and I was feeling a little thirsty. Putting the chair back, I picked a different direction.


    And walked.


    And walked.


    Until I saw that stupid f.u.c.k.i.n.g desk.


    As I approached it, however, there was something else on the desk.


    A plastic bottle, which the white label on it declared to be filled with ''WATER''.


    "Oh Go F.u.c.k Yourself!" I yelled, useless, at the sky.


    There was no response.


    Sighing, I sat, grabbing the bottle. Opening it and taking a sip it was, indeed, water. Not cold. Not warm. Not containing any flavor whatsoever. Just. Water.


    "F.u.c.k.i.n.g Non-Euclidean Bullshit," I muttered to myself.


    Well, I was either already f.u.c.k.i.e.d, either having signed, or having been forced to sign, a contract already, or I was just going to stay here, forever. Or maybe until I starved, assuming food didn''t show up. Either way, I didn''t have a choice.


    Clicking the green ''I Accept!'' button, a new screen opened itself.


    ''Welcome to the Waifu Catalog! Please select your starting dimension, and spend your allotment as you see fit! All choices can be reversed until finalized at the end of your initiation!''


    Scrolling past that, I started to click through menus, my stomach sinking as I got a better idea of what this was. Of what the limits were. Of what the mechanics were. Of what I was expected of me.


    I was a slaver.


    Oh, it was dressed up with cutesy language, talking about ''ensuring loyalty'' and ''For safety reasons'', but it was slavery. The fact that the control methods could not be resisted made that clear, and managed to hit one of my largest triggers.


    I hate Mind Control.


    A person was their mind. To remove that, to change who they were?


    It would be kinder just to kill someone.


    And whoever forced me into this?


    They knew it.


    The option I wanted, the ''No Bindings'' choice?


    It was greyed out.


    The free option, the slave/tramp stamp that slowly made the affected slowly like me more in every way, was already selected, and while I could choose more expensive options, I couldn''t un-select the stamp.


    "F.u.c.k you," I declared, not knowing if whatever stuck me here could hear me, but needing to state it all the same.


    Maybe it was Na?ve, but, if, when, I found someone I wanted them to be interested in me, not be forced into it. Any ''waifu'' I bought to try to help me, even if they were just copies or clones, would come pre-stamped, and most importantly, they could not be removed.


    Even the more expensive option that could be removed, the choker that reshaped their bodies and enforced complete submission, didn''t matter because they all came pre-stamped so I couldn''t just free them as soon as they arrived.


    Looking over the point costs, the abilities for myself that I could buy, I started to form an idea of what I wanted. Looking over the dimensions, I instantly tried to go to the specialty option, the Tier 11, which I could use to get my own dreadnought starship, something that would ensure that, wherever I went, I could both survive and help others.


    Doing so opened a window that read ''Your signing bonus does not include Top-Tier options!''


    "Of course it doesn''t," I grumbled, closing it out.


    That sent me back to the drawing board, blinking as I noticed a white bar on the desk, labelled ''Food''.


    Shrugging, I opened it, revealing an unappealing grey bar. With an experimental bite, it tasted like. . . nothing. It had texture, the firm sameness of most food bars, but while I could feel it in my mouth, swallowing it and knowing it moved down my throat, it tasted like nothing at all.


    Looking up, where the smoke had pooled as if against an invisible ceiling, I grabbed the empty water bottle and threw it upwards. It flew high, a perfect parabolic arc that went right through the space where the smoke had stopped, coming to bounce with a slight crinkling sound a couple dozen feet away.


    Sure. Whatever, I thought, not needing, nor having the tools, to figure out what was going on with this place.


    Refocusing on the tablet, I narrowed it down to two options: High Power/Danger, and Low Power/Danger. On the low end, I could get some basic skills and enough power to fit into a safer universe without question, able to offer help to others, and to deal with those that would hurt others.


    While I hated mind control, I believe it would be more concise to say I hated it when used on good people, which, to be fair, is ninety nine percent of how it''s ever uses. If you put, for instance, if you put Bellatrix Lestrange, the mass-murdering psychopath from the Harry Potter series in front of me, I''d have no problem killing her, or putting her under the same mind-control spell she used to torture others. Death was kinder, but there were quite a few people who, with their reckless disregard for innocents, with their enjoyment in the pain of those that had done nothing to them, didn''t deserve that kindness.


    On the other hand, the defensive suite of perks could be shared with everyone I ''captured'', and if, after I laid the cards on the table, they still accepted? That was entirely different. There would still be an aspect of ''do they want me for me or me for what I can give them'', but if I only brought that up after we were already friends. In a perfect world they''d choose me for me, but in a perfect world I wasn''t a f.u.c.k.i.n.g slave forced to be a slaver.


    So, yeah.


    On the higher end? On the higher end I''d honestly still help people, still make the offer, I''d just be doing so with a great deal more benefits in a lower end death world.


    If I allowed myself to get everything I wanted? Everything I felt I''d need to make this work? I''d need a Tier Seven world, at least. That put me in the realm of the New World of Darkness, where ancient vampires danced in their Masquerade, RWBY, where the gods had abandoned the world and creatures of solidified hate hunted those that were left, and Kingdom Hearts, which was so full of absolute f.u.c.k.i.n.g bullshit that, even with a freaking Star Dreadnought, I might not even be safe from having some idiot from killing me by ''removing the desires of my heart'' or some other tripe.


    If I bumped myself up to Tier Eight, while it would nearly double my budget, it would also mean I''d get dropped into comic book worlds, where gods roamed and World Eaters got scared off, Shield Hero, which I knew just enough about to know that I didn''t want to go there, and Worm, which was a hard no. You literally couldn''t pay me enough to stick my nose in that complete can of worms, pun intended, powered by bullshit squared, where everyone may be dancing to the tune of several different Pre-cogs, and with monsters that could, in all likelihood, kick Godzilla''s ass.


    It was either end of the sliding scale without pegging either side, where I could start at the ''bottom'', and would need to take down or recruit seven people of note, knowing that their copies would be sold off, just to leave and head to another dimension, and do it all again, but stronger. It would be a situation where I would start weak, but knew that, with time, and if I didn''t really mess up, I could get stronger while the threat of death was a distant possibility. Doing so would allow me time to get a good grounding in my capabilities and allow myself to grow, but I''d need close to fifty captures before I could even approach where I''d start if I went the other way.


    And if I did go the other way? I''d be dropping myself in the deep end. Not the instant death-fest I could find myself in if I chose something like f.u.c.k.i.n.g Worm, but close. I''d read the details given in the system that would determine my path forward, and I could work with it, using a couple of loopholes to get access to lower-tiered areas, if they worked, but it''d be much harder, much more dangerous path, the points I''d get to spend absolutely needed.


    So. . . which way should I go?


    .


    .


    .


    What was I thinking? One of the cheapest perks gave someone biological immortality. I wouldn''t age, so why, the hell, was I trying to rush headfirst into this? This wasn''t a game! Even going to Remnant, the nicer of the Tier Seven worlds, would be going to a place where I''d be fighting Grimm, literal incarnations of hate who wanted nothing more than to rip me limb from limb!


    Oh, and if that wasn''t enough, they were controlled by Salem, who was anywhere from Fate level Servant to literal Goddess in strength; I really didn''t know which. I''d only watched the first two volumes before losing interest with how Jaune, the character I identified with, was constantly shit on, just like Xander was on Buffy. No, I wanted nothing to do with that area, especially considering that the way I got stronger had nothing to do with combat!


    And the thing was, even with the more limited start, I could still get there. The only things locked into ''character generation'' was how I''d start in my first dimension, and the ''no bindings'' option, which I wanted but couldn''t get!


    The temptation of being a dragon was great, but what was better than being a dragon? Being a dragon in a place where they didn''t kill dragons! Yeah, it was technically a wyvern, but there was a Grimm Dragon, and it was killed, or, at least, I''m pretty sure it was. I remember it being mentioned and then not being an issue later on, so I assume it was. Either way, not the place to be, where every Huntsman (some of whom were absolutely evil) was a discount X-Man with a Brute/Mover package. And, even with that, they still died. Not any many of the main cast, but, with the seriousness with which the huntsman academy handled Grimm, I think that was more plot armor than anything else. Something that I would not have.


    No. Nope. No way in hell.


    However, that meant I needed somewhere with a number of super-powered women that wasn''t the deathtraps of Marvel, DC, or Worm, and one stood out beyond the others: My Hero Academia.


    A place where most people had powers, but those powers were much more limited than anything in normal superhero settings. A stunning example of how Syndrome was full of shit, it was a place where almost everyone had powers, but that just heightened the difference between them, not negated it. It was a place where I''d have the opportunity to face against super-powered women that were actively evil, and whom I could ''capture'' without worrying about inflicting a horrible fate against someone who didn''t deserve it.


    The next closest setting would likely be Bleach, with the large amount of female Arrancar, Bounts, Quincies, and so on, but, at that point we were back into the problem of fighting literal monsters that wanted to kill and/or eat me. And given the ''Now the Gods Fight'' level bullshit there was near the end, I''d, ironically, be safer on Remnant.


    No, MHA was the place to go. However, as a Tier Three world, I had a paltry fifty-five points to start with. Still more than enough to fit in, near the upper tier of the fighters that could be found, though by no means the top. It was a far cry from the seven-hundred I''d get if I went to Remnant, and I had a feeling that this infusion of points was definitely a one time thing, not available if I tried to go to a higher tier dimension, but it just wasn''t worth it.


    So, to start with, I needed to pick who I was going to substitute in for. I''d only watched through season three, but that should be enough, however all of that knowledge was dependent on me being at UA High. I might be able to get in on the strength of my own abilities, if I had time to get ready, as nothing I could afford would give me strength to do so from the get go. The problem was, while I was pretty sure I''d get dropped in near the start, I had no clue if I''d pop in during episode one, with the slime monster, giving me months to get up to snuff, or if I''d show up during the entrance exams where I would have hours, or maybe even minutes to do the same.


    And even then, I''d show up as an a.d.u.l.t, in a setting where to be a hero one needed to start as a teen, and where a majority of the people I could ''capture'', read, convince to go along with it, would all be in a position where that would never happen. No, I needed to swap in for someone, someone with a Quirk strong enough for me to get in instead of some random extra as there were no extras once the school year started, assuming whatever set this entire thing up wasn''t being extra unpleasant and starting me after the exam. Which, given that it was making things more difficult for me, was very much a possibility.


    My first instinct was to become Izuku, but that was. . . wrong. He was the one I empathized with, but unlike Jaune, he was on his way to actually achieve his potential. I wouldn''t be helping him get better, I wouldn''t be taking his goal and running it to completion where he couldn''t, I wouldn''t be helping him by any stretch of the imagination. No, putting a stop to his journey like that felt like I was taking something from him. I needed to become someone else.


    Bakugo was right out, as I didn''t think I had it in me to be that much of a raging douche-nozzle, and changing my behavior would be instantly noticed by Midoriya, just like Bakugo would likely notice if I took over Izuku. Also was the fact that, beyond being king of the douchebags, the kid was trying to go for a goal, trying to be the best and help people, and he was on track to do so, he was just an angry d.i.c.k about it.


    I wanted to stay completely human, at least for now, which really limited my choices, but that was fine, I knew exactly who I wanted to take over. He was a nice enough guy, but his power could''ve been so much better used than he had in canon, and, as far as I knew, the guy had no real ambitions.


    Surprisingly, he was Tier 3, as literally everyone else in Class 1-A, at least the female contingent, was Tier 4. Then again, I couldn''t remember a solo fight he''d been in that he won, and the dude was kind of a moron, so that made sense. So with only five points gone, I had fifty left to go.


    Next came the base pair of Body Talent, to get the previously mentioned biological immortality, and Martial Talent, so I could learn how to fight, both the actual fighting and how to command, far faster than I ever would normally. Another ten gone. Forty.


    Trying to get Social Talent, the five point perk that taught one the fine art of not putting your foot in your mouth, something I still had trouble with, I found that it, just like the no-bindings option, was locked. Because of course it was. Scrolling through the rest of the options showed that Warranty, the 200 point option that let me bring anyone bound to me back from the dead, their consciousness saved while they were re-sleeved into a new body a week later, cortical stack style, was also gone. Thankfully, the number of instant, ''go die now'', no-warning powers in this setting were vanishingly rare, but they weren''t nonexistent. That was something to worry about later, I supposed, doubling down on my decision to start small and work my way up.


    Instead I picked up Psychic Talent, which helped with any sci-fi related ability, of which Quirks fit right in, increasing my capabilities for learning just like Martial Talent did. However, on top of that, it let me learn other abilities. I had to see the power in action, get a sense of how it worked, before I could, and I was sure that it wouldn''t be easy.


    While the ability to just See a power and be able to use it would be awesome, and easily kick me to the upper echelons in days, nothing else in this complete goat-f.u.c.k seemed built to be helpful, dangling power in front of my face if I''d just jump into shark-infested waters please, and I assumed this wasn''t going to be the same. No, it was very clear that I could ''rapidly learn'' any psychic abilities I came across, but that meant very little. Able to figure out how to use a quirk that took it''s user a decade to get a handle on in only two years? Well, that would definitely be rapid, wouldn''t it?


    Without seeing the perk in action, I couldn''t get a handle on just how fast it would work, but even if it took me a solid month to replicate even the basest use of another Quirk, it''d be worth the fifteen points it cost, and on top of that it would make my own Quirk, and wasn''t that a weird thought, much easier to master.


    Regardless, I was now down to Twenty five, and that presented me a problem, as, even with a lesser group of things I wanted to grab, it wasn''t enough. To put it simply, I had no lures. Nothing particularly great that could help me attract others to me, which I need. . . . ed. . . . . . F.u.c.k.


    I was being an idiot.


    The entire point of trying to make this work was that I didn''t want to attract people using powers, I was either going to convince the people I liked without powers, or I was going to stamp and sell the irredeemable headcases like Toga.


    God, the entire structure of this thing, with categories that called to the human desire to fill all the blanks, drifted one towards the intended mindset. No, I knew exactly what I was going to get. The main villain was someone who could literally turn you to dust with a touch?


    Body Defense, which made one immune to disease, parasites, toxins, and most of all anything that transformed the body was the answer. Hell, that might even allow someone with a power that changed their body to reset themselves to normal, though that was not something I could test in good conscience.


    And I had five left, but what to spend them on? Wild Talent? Not a lot of outdoorsmanship needed in the cities of Japan, but the Wild Defense upgrade that required Wild Talent let me no-sell environmental hazards, and dealing with Mr. ''I''m hot then I''m cold'' would be easier with that.


    Or I could get Doctor Who style Psychic Paper, but given Japan ran on actual paperwork that''d bite me if I needed to stay in place for a while. And I was. Similarly, I could instantly get great at s.e.x which, while deeply appealing, was something I''d already decided not to do.


    But I didn''t need either of them, and if I wanted to go for Wild Defense it would need to be once I had a surplus of points, which wasn''t the case right not. No, it was best to think of it as a down payment on my one hundred point pocket dimension, and the portal machine that rested inside, which would let me branch out to other dimensions. With that decidion, I reached the end of my available funds.


    I was out. Done. The well had metaphorically run dry.


    I felt another tinge of loss as I considered the Tier Seven option, of the power I was giving up that was free for the taking, and the number of people that''d either join up with me, or that I''d have to take out, in order to get to that level from here. But that was another trap too, trying to tempt me to go for the golden ring when I already had the bronze at my fingertips. In some ways, it reminded me of what I''d heard about the dungeon in Danmachi.


    It was easy to see the numbers on the display and not think how there were things lurking around the higher levels that could do shit like write ''you got stabbed through the heart with this spear'' into reality, and then re-write causality to make it happen.


    F.u.c.k.i.n.g Cu Chulainn.


    No, I was going to go to superhero high school and I was going to like it.


    Wait. . . oh god, I was going to need to go back to high school.


    F.u.c.k it, if I thought about it any longer I was going to talk myself into getting into even more trouble. I''d made the decision and I needed to stick with it. I hit the finalize button, which asked me if I was sure, and then asked me if I was really sure, and then, as I hit the button a third time, the lights flickered, and I was still seated, only this time in a large lecture hall, where a blonde man, with the most ridiculous hair I''ve ever seen, stood under a spotlight at the center.


    "You with the unkempt hair!" A prissy, or whatever the male version of that was, voice snapped to my side. Reflexively, my hand went up to my own blonde locks. Right, I''m blonde now, not brown-haired. "You''ve been muttering this entire time," the voice continued, and I blinked at how hypocritical it was to stop an entire presentation just to call out one fellow student for quietly talking to himself when the presenter had been practically yelling. "Stop that!"


    Looking over, I saw the dark green hair of Deku, and damn he was smaller than I thought he''d be. As I sat back and Iida, definitely the prick I remembered, ''let'' the lecture continue, I could feel a second set of memories slot themselves in place in my mind, very much a feeling of otherness to them, just as described, with no danger of psychological contamination. The memories lacked any emotional pull, like a very detailed movie I recalled seeing instead of something I lived through.


    The guy I took over wasn''t dead, not really, we''d just. . . merged? Or at least I hoped we had. Either way, I couldn''t think of what else had happened, the fleeting understanding of the process that''d flitted across my mind (Something about rewriting quantum uncertainties?) was already out of my head before I could get a handle on it. All that left me now was a second set of memories, and a secondary identity I could pull from, even as the benefits of a perfect physique already made him different then what I vaguely remembered.


    The man I now was had no real ambitions, other than to be liked, which he''d had some luck with until he''d pushed away the shallow ''like him ''cause he''s hot'' people and went all ''like me for me''. I could understand that, hell, it was one of the things that I wanted, more than I liked to admit, but I didn''t have this guy''s looks, or his support, or his power. This kid coasted on the strength of his Quirk, never developing it in any direction but in brute force applications, and was lacking in social graces as much as I was. That said the bits that he''d figured out still helped me a little to understand some things, just like, if he was the dominant one, my memories would''ve helped him be less of a pervert, or at least not as open about it. It was no Social Talent, but every bit helped.


    However, while the guy had some tactical know-how, which built upon my own, he was, to put it bluntly, kind of an idiot. Hearing the man I now remembered was Present Mic finish up the briefing I''d already heard once before, I let a few sparks dance between my fingertips, ignoring the grumbling of the kid next to me. While I wished I had more time, I could still work with this, and pass the exam.


    And then?


    The sky was the limit.

 Chapter 324 - My CO Stash #24 - Fate: True Bizarre by SocialistBukharin (JoJoXFateZero)

    -Dang I''ve already suggested most of this guy''s fics here... From SI Shinji, to SI Dio to now, Jotaro going ORAORAORA in the Nasuverse/ Even if most them aren''t completed yet, we''re still getting free content so cba to ask for more~


    Synopsis: ''Yare Yare...'' Jotaro Kujoh planned to spend the holidays with his family when the Speedwagon Foundation notified him of some anomalies in Japan. The Fourth War will now have a crazier shine than expected. No Yaoi.


    Rated: T


    Words: 29K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13557611/1/Fate-True-Bizarre (SocialistBukharin)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Staring from the mirror by his right side, a pair of green eyes blinked impassively at the moving scenery outside of the train.


    Yet, despite the blank composure he had adopted in his lone sitting, Jotaro Kujo was far from calm with how the situation had gone for him and his family.


    This development, the one that had seen him take the first plane back to Japan and a train that was currently leading him to one of the cities in the Kumamoto Prefecture he had never heard about up until now, had come out of nowhere.


    And there was no denying about it, it was still leaving him as pissed as it did back when he was first called about it.


    The specialist had been making plans for some time now to spend the soon to arrive holidays with his wife and daughter.


    Jolyne had missed him a lot, and his work had seriously limited the means to be around at home¡­ and that was ironic considering how annoying it had been back in his own childhood to deal with a barely-present father.


    But while Sadao Kujo was forced to take numerous commission at once to sustain a family of three in which only he was working to support, Jotaro didn''t have the same luxury as even his wife had her own job to keep up with.


    And that''s why, despite the inc.u.mbents request from his boss, the young man had been quite keen to make preparations to stay at home for the holidays.


    He was curious to see more about his two-years old daughter, to be there to see if she was now able to walk around home or just not.


    But much to his immense dismay and undeniable annoyance, this event was now delayed upon further notice as he had been called for something that needed his presence.


    The Old Man''s tone had sounded fairly urgent at the phone, and the importance behind some of his words were more than enough to get the young Marine Explorer to comply with the fact he had to be there to check on this particular city.


    The Speedwagon Foundation had been active for some time now in checking for any supernatural event. Anything that could be connected to Vampires, or mostly DIO, was considered top priority that only the most experienced of Stand Users were meant to take upon.


    Jotaro had yet to fight any of those bloodsuckers, but he had plenty of situations where he ended up facing Stand Users in the last seven years.


    It wasn''t something constant, and he had to admit that he had been slacking off a bit with the use of ?Star Platinum?.


    The powerful Stand that had once matched up against Dio''s ?The World? had slightly weakened in these few years, and worst of it all its unique Time-Stopping ability had lessened with the lack of proper training.


    What once allowed him to stop time for 5 seconds was now only available to him for 2 seconds, 3 if he wanted to put further strain on his fortitude, but 2 was the viable decision for most of the non-threatening circ.u.mstances.


    A pity, but there was no reason in his mind to further improve in something that actually didn''t help him much during his daily life. And that was ignoring how busy his life already was with the multiple papers he had to compile, most of those being reports that were all related to the studies he was still in the process of completing.


    Taking a moment to sigh at the infuriating instance that saw him leaving home so suddenly and with little chance of warn his wife, Jotaro mused over what he was actually meant to try and find in this ''Fuyuki Town''.


    There was a chance that some servants of DIO was acting up to try and bring back their former master, and the proof of it was detected by some instruments that had been created back in the 40s.


    Robert E. O. Speedwagon, the founder of the organization that the Marine Explorer was somehow tied with, had been studying the odd happening within the Japanese city for some years before passing away.


    Something bizarre was indeed happening within the seemingly tranquil town, and the evidence that the old man had sent him via email confirmed to him this little guess.


    In 1934, about sixty years ago, the city endured some difficult and straining months after the massive explosion caused by a gas leak that devastated a considerable amount of Fuyuki.


    While the event was tragic, the real issue was that the extent of the damage wasn''t matching with any previous cases of explosions caused by any leaking from a gas-pipe.


    Suspect had driven for more investigations from the first CEO of the Speedwagon Foundation, and the resulting effort brought up some doc.u.ment recovered from Nazi Germany.


    A battalion of SS troops had been dispatched in Japan in that precise month for mostly unknown reasons.


    Several journals having been recovered and studied over this specific subjects, and some light had been shed over the fact that a possibly ominous event having happened in that year to have led to that much destruction.


    What truly rekindled the investigation had been a couple of letters having arrived to Joseph Joestar, his grandfather.


    Despite the advancing age and the incapacity to now keep up with most of the threats still lurking around, the old man was still a formidable asset in terms of knowledge and planning.


    Decades spent either making mistakes around, sharpening his wit, and winning battles had refined his mind well enough to make him even now an incredible advisor to ask council to.


    The letters themselves lacked any signature, and they didn''t have any other clues that could''ve helped in the process of tracing back the possible sender.


    Consulting some private investigators proved to be a fruitless effort, but still there was the issue connected to the content of the letters and¡­ it was what had driven the old man to actually call his grandson over this very topic.


    There was a plot being executed as of now in Fuyuki Town. Something nefarious, and particularly dangerous if not approached with utmost caution.


    What truly had burned a hint of nervousness within his mind was the fact that the mysterious letter-writer had been fairly explicit in bringing up his own name.


    ''Jotaro Kujo needs to investigate the situation''.


    Quite straight-forward, but also worth of endless concerns over why he was the one that had to be sent in this specific mission.


    The first theory had been that this was just a big trap waiting for him just to spring in action.


    It was just too blatant and¡­ that was what truly make it easy to dismiss. Having faced numerous enemies with their own unique mindsets over lying some ambushes along the way during his missions, Jotaro was well-aware that simplicity was never something that people were keen to use to this extent.


    There was much more than what the situation looked like, but he was sure that a full-fledged trap having been prepared just for him was unlikely, or at least too sudden.


    Most of the servants that were still loyal to DIO barely knew the identity of the one man that had killed the blond vampire, and there wasn''t a proper connection between them all to try and find out the answer to this ''horrible question''.


    The Marine Explorer stopped in his thoughts as he noticed that the train had started to slowly come to a full stop.


    They had reached the main station within the city, a small section that seemed to be barely busy as of that moment, and it offered the chance to Jotaro to disembark without having to deal with large crowds.


    His mind slowly tuned out from the direct connection to reality as he took his bags out from the proper compartment where he had left those, his first priority being leaving the stations and make his way right to where his hotel room, the one that had already been paid by the Speedwagon Foundation, was.


    Fuyuki was a good stop for tourists, and that had been discovered in relatively moderate surprise as he continued to read the brochure detailing the town.


    The place had received many subsidies from the government, allowing for the urban scenery to prosper more and develop in a proper modern city.


    Some quarters were still stuck to a style that reminded him of early Showa period architectural style, something back from high school that had survived in the depths of his mind, and this very detail created an oddly pleasant sight over the entirety of the city.


    Not too old, but not too much ''modern'' as Tokyo or Osaka were.


    Stepping outside the principal building that connected training leaving and coming to the city to Fuyuki proper, Jotaro took a brief moment to give a look around and try to get a proper glimpse of the kind of place he was supposed to stay for a while.


    He had been asked by the old man to stay in this city for two weeks, just enough to verify the truthfulness of the dangers predicted by the letters and, if nothing suspicious happened in these few days, he was allowed to make a quick return to his family and enjoy some holidays with them.


    At this point, there was no reason for the young man to not ask for some peace and calm away from the nuisances created by the long-deceased Dio Brando.


    He was tired of having to clean up the messes left around by the blond bastard, and perhaps he should''ve seriously refused this kind of task.


    As he started to walk towards where his hotel was located, Jotaro reached for the cellphone he had left by the pocket of his long white jacket, quickly composing the number that was connected to the one back home.


    At this time of the day, his wife had to have been at home and he had planned to have some proper conversation now that there wasn''t much of a hurry for him to have.


    He was already in Fuyuki, perhaps he should have been a little more worried about the fact it was starting to get dark now that the night was approaching, but he first needed to talk with her and Jolyne.


    There was silence, with the phone properly establishing contact back to his wife''s but still not offering a mean to talk with her.


    More minutes of silence passed and an irritated Jotaro ended the call that was being left unanswered.


    Maybe he should have expected this by how angry the woman had gotten when they had last called, he couldn''t help but admit that he could have offered some more details before departing from the United States.


    A tired sigh left his lips as he put his phone back to the pocket where he had left it before.


    But just as he did so, he failed to notice the shorter orange-haired fellow walking around the corner.


    Considering the vast difference between the two individuals'' respective sizes, the Marine Explorer merely recoiled a little at the impact, while the other part stumbled backward on the floor.


    "Ouch, why don''t you mind where-" The boisterous remark ended abruptly as the younger fellow stood up from his fallen state. Wide brown eyes stared in a mix of shock, fear, and awe as the fool noticed Jotaro''s height.


    "You''re tall."


    Green eyes narrowed at the sudden comment, but before the dark-haired man had the chance of reply to it, the young man quickly skipped around him, humming happily as he rushed away from the scene.


    "I''m sorry, pal, but I''m quite late," The orange-haired moron muttered childishly, rendering the seriousness of that sentence quite void within the context.


    Jotaro gave a look behind, staring at the retreating figure for a while before shaking his head and turning his attention forward and¡­ right onto the small book that had fallen to the floor.


    It wasn''t something from his own possessions.


    The lack of titles related to any piece of literature he liked or that it didn''t seem themed after marine biology were stark clues that this book truly wasn''t his.


    He slowly took up, bringing it up to attention and¡­ the first thing he noticed was the oddly familiar stench coming from it. He had already smelt something this putrid before, his eyes narrowing at the notebook for a moment before actually opening it.


    Soon, realization struck in his widening eyes as he finally got a full glimpse of the horror within this journal.


    The content was written in red ink- no, it was blood. Curiosity drove him to read the first paragraph available, and his face grew ashen-colored at being reminded so much of that diary.


    Demons, summoning and¡­ resurrection.


    His blood boiled as he turned around to track down the possible owner of this dangerous paper, his eyes settling to the still visible silhouette of the young man still running around.


    Even in a full sprint, Jotaro knew that he couldn''t catch up this possible servant to Dio.


    And so, for the first time in months, his eyes hardened as he felt his Stand appear to his side.


    "?Star Platinum: The World?!"


    Reinforcing his legs thanks to ?Star Platinum?, the Marine Explorer rushed recklessly across the street and right towards where this young man was going.


    His mind was quick to elaborate the need to actually see where this fool was going, a strong gut feeling telling him that the situation was far worse than just a single bastard on the loose.


    Thus, as the ~Time resumed its course~, the man decided to actually tail the orange-haired teen right up to where he was ''late'' for.


    It''s been a while since he had to shadow someone around an unfamiliar place, but much to his relief the situation was a little more accommodating compared to Egypt.


    Ten minutes passed silently, his mind keeping full attention over the unsuspecting youth as he finally arrived to the final stop of his wandering thorough the city.


    There was nothing bizarre from the lone figure, just a degree of creepiness born from the overly-childish manner he had while walking around.


    Nobody was paying much attention to him, yet Jotaro couldn''t help but feel even more sure that he had found one of the issues within town.


    And his suspicions were confirmed when the young man carefully forced the lock of entrance door of one of the houses within this part of town.


    Whistling about without a care for the world, he paid little attention to his surroundings as his lockpick finally unlocked the mechanism keeping him from entering the normal house.


    The young biologist blinked at the sight, his pace slowing down to a sluggish one as he carefully waited for the orange-haired man to finally enter inside the house before stepping a little closer.


    There was some silence at first, and ?Star Platinum? peeked from the opening of the door to see what was going on.


    Tip-toeing across the hall, the intruder smiled eagerly as he looked at the light coming from what seemed to be a kitchen room.


    His smile twitched, his posture tensed up for a moment¡­ and then he lunged inside.


    The silence broke as a loud scream shredded the little veil of quiet, urging Jotaro to move closer and see what was happening.


    A man snarled, his wife standing closely behind him while their son trembled from the table to the side, at first unable to grasp what was happening.


    The attacker was chuckling, pressing even more the knife he had plunged onto the man''s guarding arm and twisting it on his flesh.


    The father of family gritted his teeth in visible pain and the dark-haired Stand User noticed a glint coming from the unoccupied hand of the orange-haired killer.


    Another knife!


    Feeling like this situation required some support from his part, Jotaro didn''t hesitate to project ?Star Platinum? towards the unaware murderer.


    "?Star Platinum: The World?." A softer activation of his powerful ability, the time stopped before his eyes and enabled his Stand to quickly punch to the wrist holding the unused dagger.


    A swift ''ORA'' broke that part of the arm before ?Star Platinum? returned back within himself.


    ~Time resumed its course~, and the effects of that single attack were evident from the mere instant that the time-stop ceased.


    Blood partly exploded by the damaged wrist, forcing the now agonizing attacker to drop his second blade to the floor out of the unconscious instinct created by the sudden pain.


    The distraction was enough to also provide time for the family man to recover, his unharmed arm c.o.c.king his fist to the side as he punched the aggressor straight into his face.


    A yelp and a crack, the murderer recoiled in surprise at the turn of things, but the chance of thinking properly over the unlucky twist was interrupted when the lone punch was followed by a brutal beating.


    Having his family threatened by a weirdo, bleeding quite profusely from his arm, and seeing such an infuriating face, the unknown man didn''t hesitate to take revenge at the unwarranted assault.


    Jotaro shook his head at the sight, knowing by the time that the suspected DIO''s follower had fallen to the ground that the police was going to take care of this sc.u.mbag.


    He was no Stand User, and thus there was no reason to be worried about prison being unable to properly keep the monster at bay.


    ...Then again, that was if the judge assigned to his trial would offer the orange-haired man actual prison time instead of the capital punishment.


    The lack of hesitation, the overall eagerness behind his actions. It wasn''t a stretch to see that this wasn''t the first crime of this kind he had committed.


    With a quick nod to himself, the Marine Explorer left the premises of the house and the specific district, his mind returning to the fact he had yet to find the hotel he was supposed to stay by.


    Moving swiftly across the sleepy streets of Fuyuki Town, Jotaro quietly managed to make his way to the Hyatt Hotel without much of an issue, quickly gaining access to his temporary room as he prepared to what was going to be a long night for him.


    By having recovered what looked to be something similar to his diary, there was no doubt that he had to call once more the old man to confirm that something strange was happening in town.


    It was just strange that he had met just a follower, unwilling to believe that whatever cell of DIO''s servants was just so limited¡­ especially with the material he had just recovered.


    Yet, as he checked on his phone, the man couldn''t help but scowl at himself at the five unanswered calls displayed within the device. Those were all from his wife.


    Groaning at the unfairness of the situation, Jotaro decided to first focus on contacting his grandfather before trying anything else for now.


    And while Jotaro Kujo settled for what was going to be two odd weeks to spend in this part of Japan, the ''real event'' happening in the background had already started.


    AN


    Yare Yare¡­ I think I''m going outright insane.


    I mean, first a DIO SI, now a JojoXFZ crossover. We''re transcending the heavens at this point and¡­ there is so much that is left willingly unexplained as a first chapter.


    But a quick recap so some people can understand from both series:


    - The Year is 1994, Jotaro Kujo is currently 24, Jolyne is 2, and this story is set about 4 years before Part 4.


    - There is a one-sided correlation between the Magus Association and the Speedwagon Foundation;


    - Caster hasn''t been summoned and there is a Servant Slot available for someone to pick up;


    - Polnareff is currently MIA after departing for an investigation in Italy;


    Chapter 2


    That night turned out to be a sleepless one for Jotaro Kujo.


    Sitting by one of the chairs within his hotel room and stealing some glances by the large window to the side that offered quite a sight over the night scene of Fuyuki, the man was trying to piece up himself and the few clues of what seemed to be a troublesome mystery.


    While he had been stressed enough that his body would have preferred to rest for a while after having gone through a flight from the USA to his homeland and then a train trip to reach this city, his mind had been active and restless over what had happened a couple of hours earlier.


    The horrible content held within the journal he had recovered from who he had initially presumed to be one of the remaining followers to DIO turned out to be far worse than he had expected it to be.


    This wasn''t a copy to the Diary he had found after beating the dangerous vampire in Egypt, the one he had burned after giving it a brief glance to and mentioning nothing about to nobody else, but something that focused on an objective far more nefarious.


    A demon, or a supernatural being that just transcended the comprehension of human knowledge, summoned via a ritual that made use of¡­ magic.


    The mere mention of the fictitious element within the text was more than enough to finally prompt a call to the old man, his interest in getting some support surpassing his necessity to keep things simple.


    The situation just couldn''t work with simple, especially with ''demons'' being mentioned so early on.


    Joseph Joestar was quick to show worry about his situation, the grandfather to the Marine Explorer having mentioned already during their trip to Cairo that he had long faced elements a little worse than just vampires in the past.


    But demons? That was something that none of the Hamon users that had once made the bulk of the Speedwagon Foundation''s active group had to ever deal with.


    And while Jotaro had swiftly inquired about the chances of sending the book back in New York for the old Joestar to study through the mail, perhaps with some extra precaution to avoid any curious postal worker from doing anything stupid with it, his proposal was shot down almost immediately.


    "You know better than me that we can''t just take that risk, Jotaro," Joseph reminded quietly. "We still don''t know the extent of the underground working for DIO''s last servants, and we''ve already captured a handful of malicious-intented people trying to enter our respective homes."


    A legitimate concern, the memory of finding out that someone had started to stalk his wife around had his blood already boil in frustration.


    "So, what I''m supposed to do with this?" The follow-up question was a must, he still needed some guidance over what he was supposed to do with this.


    If there were demons already roaming around, it was best to preserve it, but still¡­ he couldn''t help but feel unnerved by having it around.


    "I will be sending a group of specialists from the Foundation to try and aid you for the preservation of that paper, but you''ll have to keep it close to you all the time."


    The young man sighed and nodded to himself, almost ready to groan at the annoyance provided by that very unpleasant development.


    The call didn''t continue for much longer after that, the old man promising to contact him once more by the time he had gotten a clear time for when the group of researchers was supposed to arrive in Japan.


    With silence resuming its hold over his hotel room, Jotaro still felt¡­ irritated.


    The restlessness had drained him of his early interest of merely glaring at the seemingly harmless book, and his attention had quickly moved away from it as he decided to spend some time dealing with part of the paperwork he had brought from work.


    With his eyes giving the utmost attention at the content of the reports, the Marine Explorer spent about four hours trying to get through this paper and¡­ he sighed.


    ''Why things couldn''t just get simpler?''


    It was two in the morning when Jotaro stopped from his session of signing and writing reports, his attention reaching the single TV in the room, prompting him to check for any interesting programs that could have been broadcast right now.


    He sighed when he turned on the device, using the small remote to browse through the various channels there.


    Some where the national ones, while some were limited to the geographical area he was currently staying by.


    In the end, he settled for the local news as a particularly news popped up that got his attention.


    "-Ryuunosuke was confirmed as the responsible for three other cases of multiple murders, all families, and his distinctive pattern was revealed to be a strange pentagram drawn within the scenes of the crimes with the victims'' blood-"


    Disgusting. While the young man that was Uryuu Ryuunosuke was confirmed to be a mere murderer, the sheer depravity perpetrated by his contorted mind wasn''t something to scoff at.


    One of those few individuals that just were difficult to suspect about, especially with how ''hard-working'' this one was.


    A ''Freeter'', someone that was employed to do only the simplest jobs that were meant to be done quickly, the bastard just looked to be the most innocuous individual possible, and yet the malicious note within the crimes was enough to prove his mental instability.


    Without wasting too much time waddling over this news, Jotaro decided to pick up his phone and move back to his bed, sitting by the mattress as he checked on his contact list.


    He stopped at a particular name, his eyes bearing a degree of nervousness while contemplating whatever it would be correct or not to already call back home.


    In a normal situation, Jotaro would usually answer the phone by the time his wife called¡­ and yet there had been instances where he would find himself busied or distracted by something at work or while doing tasks for the old man.


    The woman was mostly understanding as up until now the activities had never required staying too far from home, and she had already met Joseph Joestar to know how much messy his ''past'' was.


    But now that he was supposed to work so far from home and having missed a couple of calls from her? He couldn''t deny that the interest to try and contact her himself was intensifying the more he pondered over this matter.


    He sighed, his back leaning back down to the mattress as he stared at the light-gray ceiling.


    "Good grief," He muttered quietly, his conflicting thoughts making the whole decision even more difficult to take.


    But just as he continued with his efforts to solve this frustrating dilemma, his musing were cut short by the very moment he felt his phone vibrating by his hands.


    Quickly bringing it up, he eyed the display in an effort to understand what kind of notifications it was.


    A message.


    He frowned at the lack of an actual phone number registered as a sender. In a general case, when a phone wasn''t known by the receiver it would just be mentioned as ''Unknown Number'', and yet the phone had indeed failed to label the sender in this peculiar instance.


    A frown developed by his features as he slowly opened the message and started to read its content.


    Mr Jotaro Kujo,


    You might not know who I am, but I''m distinctly aware that you''re trying to investigate the case regarding the events surrounding Fuyuki City.


    While I can''t provide with any information about how I know about you, nor how I was able to get in contact with you, I can assure you with my utmost honor and respect that my intents towards yours are genuinely for the best.


    Right now, you''ve found a crucial clue that surely got you to adopt an understanding close, but not too much, with the real issue unfolding within Fuyuki.


    But since I can''t myself provide you with further hints over the real problem, I can give you a single unquestionable clue for your next step.


    Visit Fuyuki''s Church.


    With high regards,


    A friendly observer.


    His mind was clear of any thoughts at first as he finished to draw out what he had just read from that message.


    Concern had stirred at the possibility that he was being watched even now, and that the one responsible for this monitoring wasn''t someone affiliated to the old man or anyone at the Speedwagon Foundation.


    Yet the interesting element presented by this ominous message was giving him a degree of interest over the true extent of this situation.


    The book¡­ it was part of the problem, but not the origin of the problem itself. There were perhaps more journals like this, and maybe more people trying to spawn demons within the city.


    But why? To what end?


    The more he thought about this, the more he felt compelled to actually pursue some answers quickly over this troublesome subject.


    Jotaro moved back to his desk, having left there a folded map of the city he had brought by the station, and he started to search where the Church within this city was.


    It was odd to learn that Fuyuki had a Catholic Church, it was even odder that it was one of the few cities with a substantial amount of Christian believers.


    Japan was mostly Shinto-Buddhist, with just a minority of other religious elements to exist along society''s lines.


    Yet the fact that this non-negligible town had a mixed population between Shinto and Catholic¡­ it was quite interesting.


    Despite the late hour, the Marine Biologist didn''t waste time in preparing for a quick trip to personally see if the Church could truly provide him with any answers to his growing questions.


    The streets were deserted at this point, with the entire city still sleeping as just a handful of individuals actually were wandering around the place.


    Jotaro had gotten a proper path to reach his destination, keeping himself by entering the local park and making a large detour through the cities to avoid any ambushes along the ways.


    For some reason, the very idea that some bizarre creature could be already lurking around was enough to keep him attentive for any sign of dangerous situations coming his way.


    He was granted an uneventful walk, and yet the worries were still there as he started to walk up the staircase that led to the large building he had noticed while approaching.


    This wasn''t the first time the young man had to visit a church. With his mother having been born by a family that was inherently Anglican, Jotaro was aware that he himself had been baptized by Christian rite and that some of the teaching expressed by Holly were all connected to the Bible.


    It wasn''t anything outright annoying, and yet some of that knowledge and politeness had persisted even now as he stepped inside the solemn building.


    The light of the candles used to keep the main room illuminated was dim, ominous, and yet lacking of any proper danger to the religious site.


    A lone man was kneeling in front of the podium, his attention directed at where usually a statue of Jesus Christ should be.


    His pace slowed sluggishly down, with his eyes fixed upon the elder priest there as the Marine Explorer continued to approach deeper in the room.


    There was a slight pause that he took once he was close enough, his blue eyes patiently staring as the man seemed to finally notice his presence.


    Getting up from the floor and standing up, the priest slowly turned around and revealed minor surprise at seeing the Marine Biologist.


    "Forgive me, young man," The elder bowed briefly. "I wasn''t expecting any visitor at this time of the day. I suppose you''re here to pray-"


    "I was told that I would''ve found answers by seeking the Church," Jotaro interjected with a flat tone, bringing out the journal he had brought with himself and showing it to the surprised priest. "I wish to understand what is happening in this city. I know something strange is going on in Fuyuki."


    His surprise expanded over this words, and his widened eyes stared at the book now in front of him.


    There was a brief pause, with the elder trying his best to understand what the young man might be talking about, yet the suspect was enough to draw him to make the first move.


    "May I¡­ take a look at that book?" The question was polite, legitimately proposed as he hoped for some more clarity over the matter.


    Jotaro tensed up a little, still showing no change in his impassive expression as he contemplated about handing the book so suddenly¡­ but then again, he had his Stand ready to snatch it away from the elder''s clutches if the worst happened.


    A quick nod and the priest was given the text for him to study.


    By merely opening the first page, the old man felt dread appear on his face as the first thing he noticed was the ''ink'' used to write the content of the paper.


    Blood, the first sign that this wasn''t a literary piece he was going to be pleased with.


    And indeed he wasn''t. The way the summoning ritual for Servants was described in these pages was outright despicable and hideous, bringing up a degree of evilness that just disgusted the man.


    There was no doubt about the true objective of the tome, and yet the terms used to progress the ritual chant were just dreadful and written with malicious intent.


    The priest closed the book, eyes narrowing with some anger over the journal he had just took notice about.


    "I understand the concerns that drove you to visit the church, young man," The elder started with a tense voice. "But could you please tell me how did you end up obtaining this dangerous book?"


    Jotaro''s eyes glinted surprise at the change of mood within the man.


    Perhaps this ''simple'' priest knew more than he had expected¡­ and maybe he was also implied with what was happening in the city.


    Some concerns rouse at the sudden question, but he decided to offer the barest possible.


    "I stopped a criminal from going ahead and follow the instructions there," He answered calmly. "I still wish to understand what is going on, priest."


    The pressure starting to get exerted by Jotaro managed to make the elder realize that he wasn''t the one in control of the conversation despite the circ.u.mstances favoring him in that very moment.


    The surprising development making him question to whom he was currently speaking about, perhaps a wayward Magus passing by Fuyuki that was unaware of the Holy Grail War.


    "It''s¡­ It''s a rather complicated predicament, young man," The priest tried to plea. "But if it''s not asking too much, I would like to know about your name."


    The Marine Explorer sighed. "Good grief, old man, you''re starting to annoy me now. I want to know what is going on with this city and what are those ''beings'' supposed to represent."


    There was even more pressure, some sweat now rolling off the elder''s forehead as he pondered over the absurd development he was being subjected first and foremost.


    Gulping nervously, the priest stared back at the fellow with an uneasy look. "I can''t provide any information without being aware of whom I''m talking to, young man."


    ¡­.


    Jotaro sighed. "Jotaro Kujo."


    There was a pause, then a perplexed blink from the old man and¡­ the priest nodded.


    "I''m Father Risei Kotomine, and it''s a pleasure to-"


    "Spare me the pleasantries, Kotomine," The young man interrupted with even more annoyance dripping from his words. "I made a question, I provided you with my name, and I want some answers now."


    Strong, incredibly irritated, and not someone to trifle with.


    Risei now knew exactly the individual before himself, yet he just couldn''t just imagine how and why the young ''Joestar'' was sent to investigate the events currently happening here in Fuyuki.


    Jotaro Kujo, the name had been one of the many that had been recognized by the Church as one of the individuals worth to be supported in their missions.


    Despite the lacking connection between the Holy See and the Speedwagon Foundation, the strong bond directed at the Joestar Family stemmed from the deed of Jonathan Joestar himself.


    The gentleman that vanquished Dio Brando the first time, then his grandson and Caesar Zeppeli defeated the threat created by the Pillar Men, beings that were so close to achieve a degree of power that easily transcended the limits of the Dead Apostles and perhaps came close to outright Types.


    Finally there was the man in front of him, the one that properly killed Dio Brando when he was restored to life while trying to make some attempts to secure a powerbase from the very moment he was freed from his slumber.


    He could still remember the reports of Executors sent to dispose of the vampire. The experienced men sent to the mission quickly murdered in cold blood by their target, creating an outright state of emergency within the Church over this newest threat.


    Jotaro Kujo was the one that ultimately destroyed DIO, the one that brought an end to his brief reign of terror.


    While there was no official confirmation of this, there were some rumors that the pope himself had wanted to offer some medal to praise the bravery and dutifulness displayed by the young man currently in his church, but that the general consensus had opposed this situation to avoid bringing awareness to the Speedwagon Foundation over the activities of the Holy See.


    His mouth dried up at the thought that he could easily become a Master if provided with enough resources and knowledge.


    A worthy opponent to Kirei and Tokiomi, and perhaps one of the best candidates to secure success in the Holy Grail War.


    The signs were all there for him to be allowed to make an attempt to summon a Servant, yet he couldn''t see any telling marks by his hands.


    Maybe the Grail had yet to decide?


    "I suppose I can offer you some¡­ enlightenment over what is happening here in Fuyuki," Risei allowed with a careful tone, now well-aware that he was threading on some dangerous waters with this young fellow.


    The explanation was quite curt compared to what he was truly aware about, with the elder avoidingto mention the identities of the Masters and their Servants, but offering a full-fledged answer over the Holy Grail War''s rules and circ.u.mstances.


    Jotaro was¡­ surprised, confused, and also worried with this newest development.


    Some competition made by some mysterious group, which the priest had been reluctant to provide details about, was trying to acquire the wish-granting power allowed by a ''Holy Grail''.


    It was outright bizarre for him to learn about this in such a manner, but there was no reason for him to doubt with the proof provided by some doc.u.ments the priest allowed him to keep.


    Nothing too private, it was all regarding the standard rules of this strange event unfolding here in Fuyuki.


    The murderer he had stopped, that Uryuu bastard, was supposed to become one of the Masters and¡­


    Now there was a proper reason for him to say and see for this situation to be dealt with swiftly and with the utmost attention.


    If that psychopath had almost managed to enter this foolish competition, there was no way to know how many other crazy individuals were also going to try and acquire this artifact, to make some unknown wishes to come true.


    He almost let a chill down his spine at this part of the discussion, but eventually Jotaro managed to get through it all without much of a big reaction.


    With more clues given and a somewhat trustworthy individual there to ask more about the events in the city, the Marine Explorer left the Church without much of a proper salute, his mind shifting its focus on gaining some rest and contact his grandfather.


    Meanwhile, Risei took a moment to digest what had just happened, almost ignoring the presence of his son approaching him the very moment that the young stranger had left the premises of the building.


    Kirei looked as neutral as possible, yet the priest could see a curious glint unfold by his eyes.


    "Father, what should we do about Jotaro Kujo?"


    Chapter 3


    Things had gone down a completely unexpected way.


    Her little book should''ve done the trick.


    She had thought that Uryuu would have been more than capable to easily secure the requirements needed to summon someone she trusted to make things interesting in Fuyuki Town.


    Gilles would''ve been the optimal choice, yet any other apprentice could''ve easily fit with her little interest in sowing sorrow and madness within the already-corrupt ritual of the Holy Grail.


    She had noticed, it had been so easy.


    It would''ve been quite embarrassing if she hadn''t considering how absurdly insane the cup was right now.


    It made her giggle, but just briefly.


    There was little to be amused about as she pondered over the curious and, most of all, unexpected turn that the situation had taken.


    Jotaro Kujo.


    The name meant just a little to her, as maybe she had heard it for a reason or another.


    She knew many names, her patience was endless but her attention span wasn''t just going to allow her knowledge to be expressed with much-needed details over this peculiar subject.


    A fascinating man with an even fascinating gift.


    Of all things that could''ve surprised her, it had to be someone that had just began dabbling in the Moonlit World.


    The irony was sweet and delicious, but her curiosity was a gluttonous thing and she was far from satisfied with what she got from such a little glimpse.


    The intrigue had sparked with the gift, a manifestation of one''s soul that actually failed to get attention from Gaia itself.


    The Will of the Planet was known to reject abnormalities, yet this peculiar case had skipped her sight¡­ perhaps even willingly considering the apparent normalcy surrounding such a curious individual.


    She had his appearance memorized like a rigorous scholar, and she got a taste of that mysterious and somewhat endearing personality of his.


    Simple, humble, but terribly good.


    It was a shocker that someone that could get so threatening so suddenly was actually someone that believed in the good of this silly world.


    She wanted to slap him, to call him a dummy, and perhaps extrapolate the Mystery coating his entire being.


    Yes, Francesca Prelati was perhaps running out of coffee, thus her capacity to think had gone down a giggle-worth drain, but that didn''t mean that she was going to let go of such a fine specimen now within her range of action.


    The book had been dormant, enough for the runes to pass unnoticed to both the fascinating human and the snooping priest.


    Enough to leave the young man in a state of security. It was obviously a lie to say he was safe until he kept that book around himself.


    Even his manifestation would''ve failed to contain the magical note imprinted within the pages, and yet she wasn''t just going to torture the blissfully unaware man.


    No, Francesca thought again with a delightful tone, Jotaro-chan needed to be put through a challenge before she truly acted towards him.


    A test to see the full extent of his potential in multiple life-threatening situations.


    A test to confirm the vast array of opportunities that a Living Mystery was offering before her eyes.


    She was almost drooling when the man had gone to sleep, his slumber sounding and seeming so relaxed and so ''trustful'' of his surroundings.


    A pity that the situation was quite the opposite.


    Her book glowed a little, a soft red light soothingly washing over Jotaro''s face as the complex spell indicted by the Hellish Priestess started to take action.


    The idea was simple, but the practice was going to be a painful process to put through with how complicated her plan was over the delicious mind of one individual.


    The first thing that she could see in that odd pseudo-dream she was trying her best to create was¡­ a dark sky.


    The moon had yet to rise up, and the sun had just disappeared in what she could depict as the perfect dusk.


    What a marvelous sight she was being bestowed with as the rest of the scenery started to get more clear before her giddy eyes.


    The setting was one of a big city, one that had a mix of modern buildings and¡­ Egyptian homes.


    She blinked.


    Egypt? Why would a simple man like Jotaro-chan be in a place so far from home?


    With her curiosity rousing even beyond the little walls she had built over her growing excitement, her eyes scanned all over the general area in which she was yanked into.


    Then she settled to look at the curious scene developing just by her right side, her attention fixing over the familiar young man donning his usual white hat and long jacket.


    He seemed to be rushing towards another individual, this one looking quite old and¡­ frightened.


    She could already feel her amus.e.m.e.nt stirring at the scene, imagining what the elder was running from but, like before, her expectations were-


    "?The World?!"


    A powerful energy surge echoed all around her, and she could feel her mind and body coming to a sudden halt as the entire world froze before her eyes.


    Shock filled her brain, her stare fixed forcefully on the scene as she noticed a sole individual moving through the frozen setting.


    The one that chanted the ''spell'' that ensnared the entirety of time at his will, he moved quietly between the two individuals, smiling before turning his attention to the elder.


    The blond was wearing something very¡­ bizarre considering the current age and mentality, yet the style somehow seemed to fit well with his posture and eager tones.


    And this miasma coming from his life-force? It felt just so¡­ inhuman~!


    "Isn''t this amusing? Once more I got you to watch your beloved grandfather get subjected to the vast power of my Stand," He glanced back to the furious-looking Jotaro. "How does it feel to be proven wrong? That your mighty ?Star Platinum? didn''t manage to save someone you care for!"


    A slim knife appeared by his right hand, aiming the throwing dagger at the paralyzed old man as a smile twitched by his lips.


    "Like before¡­ You''re useless!" The blond cackled madly. "Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless!-"


    The dagger shifted in his grasp. "USELESS!"


    The knife soared through the air, stopping mere instants from plunging right in the throat of the unaware old man.


    HALT!


    The inhuman being stood quiet for a while, shaking his head before turning once more at Jotaro, staring straight into his light-blue eyes.


    "Do you understand, Jotaro? I''ve gained consciousness over your threatening state, but I know that you''re a far cry of the danger you represented just a couple of years ago," The blond stated with sheer amus.e.m.e.nt and intrigue. "And I wonder if your determination has dulled the same way as your usurpation. Please¡­ prove me, DIO, that you still have something within your soul!"


    Gah! Why wasn''t I told that someone this much arrogant and funny was around!


    Francesca was breathing heavily as she felt time finally resume, the knife slamming into the unsuspecting throat of the elder, almost killing him instantly as this ''DIO'' rushed suddenly at Jotaro.


    "Show me, Jojo! Show me how fast your fists are!"


    She finally saw it, the Gift- there were two of those. Both looked humanoids, yet they seemed to have clear differences that made each other stand out compared to the other.


    Her attention was turned in raw wonder and eagerness as the two titans clashed with impressive ferocity and rapidity.


    A rain of ORAs and MUDAs soon filled the air, her ears enjoying the combination of both ''melodies''.


    It was pure chaos, and Francesca was absolutely drooling over the endearing sight.


    This was beyond any degree of insanity she had spent time delving into. It was beyond the thirst she held for the curious question that Gilles had in the past inquired him about.


    She wanted to jump in, to embroil more madness to the absolute carnage unfolding in front of her.


    Yet the moment shattered as DIO was suddenly overwhelmed in that struggle, surprise painting over the inhuman being''s face as he was sent careening away.


    A pity that the clash had so little¡­ but maybe it was about time that she seriously moved her attention to her real objective.


    Jotaro Kujo still had to join the Holy Grail War, and she needed to conceptualize two requirements to make his stay here in Fuyuki a healthy and long one¡­ at least long enough to allow her to catch him off-guard when the time was right.


    Within his mind, Francesca could already feel the echoes of his Soul and the connection between him and¡­ his Stand?


    The term sounded so abstract, yet so concrete. Painfully so from the ugly mess that the blond''s face had been turn into.


    A fluctuation, the Mystery itself behind the bond between humanoid and ''user''. It was there, what she was waiting for right now.


    But it was weak.


    Too weak to allow her to make a little trick with the remaining spot in this War.


    She needed more energy to be produced by such connection before any attempt could be made.


    She needed Jotaro-chan to put a little more effort in his ''defense''.


    Manipulating a dream required just a small amount of her attention, but soon she managed to ''boost'' the dangerous opponent to the human.


    The blond stood up, his yellow jacket gone, revealing his black shirt and bulky muscles. His hair were now standing up all at once, his eyes had turned red¡­ and he now had some green lipstick.


    Now, that was an unexpected detail needed to indicate someone''s boost.


    Perhaps her brain was really falling apart with some cup of coffee.


    "Jotaro, your punches- You''ve never faltered, the opposite! You''ve actually improved-" The devilish figure stated in truthful awe. "But now I, Dio, have to ask? Who else became part of your life? Who else do I need to slaughter before your eyes before you to finally prove how futile your attempts are?!"


    The sudden demand was met with an incensed look from the human, the man advancing towards the recovering enemy with a quick-paced rush.


    "Your family expanded? Did you perhaps marry and-" His smile widened, a chill going down Jotaro''s spine. "You''re a father, aren''t you?"


    The final question was matched with a degree of fury that didn''t seem truly part of Jotaro''s own personality.


    It stemmed from the calm and collected fellow, gone was the logic as it was being replaced by untold anger.


    And Francesca was more than happy to capitalize upon the opening created by the curious dream version of this monstrous character.


    The bond was flowing with energy, and her hands were trembling in excitement as she finally started to go through the quick process to finalize her desires.


    She now was sure of it. Jotaro had to be in this War- no, he had to be in so many other events.


    The brutality of his soul, the magnitude of his fortitude.


    Gah! I want to break him so badly! I NEED TO TORTURE HIM INTO A PET~!


    But for now the witch would''ve to keep herself from jumping at the delicious prey, her attention mostly diverted at the important spell that needed to be planned out.


    Summoning was a feeble thing to accomplish after having observed since the First War, yet she wasn''t just going to mess things up right now.


    She couldn''t allow herself to ruin her chances of endless amus.e.m.e.nt this soon!


    The concept was simple, but terribly difficult to put on reality because of how ''ideal'' the plan was.


    The bond between Stand and its User.


    Perhaps there was a catalyst, and maybe there was even a correct label for the energy exuding from these metaphysical beings.


    But what truly made the Mystery exist, what made Gaia unable to truly rot away the unnaturalness of such phenomenon¡­ it was producing an absurd amount of magical power.


    It was so sweet, almost like sugar, but she couldn''t just take a greedy dip in that delicious sight.


    She needed to act strong, bravely, and with the best debauchery planned in her mind.


    A giggle, it was finally done.


    She could sense the command seals forming by Jotaro''s hand, the call being issued through the Grail and into the Throne of Heroes.


    A Spirit was going to answer soon, and while Francesca couldn''t stay around to see whom was lucky enough to be picked by the ''lottery'', she knew a few details that would matter immensely.


    Whoever this spirit was, it had to be as fierce, stubborn¡­ and strong as Jotaro.


    And what a joy it was going to be to see who was the lucky bastard!


    Ah~, a pity that I like to stay in the dark most of the time.


    The dream-world collapsed shortly after, the cackling coming from Francesca being the only thing that truly brought realization in Jotaro''s mind that what had just happened was the resulting effect of a ''bad night''.


    A pity that the truth is so much worse than he thinks it to be!


    Sweating profusely, Jotaro woke up in a moment of utter panic, stress and complete fright.


    It was rare for the latter emotion to come around and disturb him so early in the morning, and yet that dreadful dream had managed to get him as much agitated as he could.


    His mind flashed the images of both his wife and Jolyne, the very ones that were so close to him and that had been seen as targets by the DIO born in that nightmare.


    Terrifying, shocking and- He wasn''t alone in the room. A figure was standing at the edge of the bed and¡­ she was smiling at him.


    "Good morning, Master!"


    Loud, upbeat and¡­ annoying.


    She had curious purple hat with golden details and a small spike reaching upward. Long dark-brown hair reaching below her waist, her vibrant pink eyes were showing a degree of eagerness that was already rotting his teeth.


    Donning a white robe with orange lines that barely covered for her bikini(?) and underwear, the woman was holding what looked to be a strange staff with a large ring atop of it.


    He frowned, confused by this sudden greeting as he prepared to unleash a furious beating against the intruder.


    How did she get inside his room?


    The door had been closed with some chairs the ''night'' before as his paranoia had urged him to block the easy entrance with some obstruction. It had been a gut feeling, and yet he couldn''t deny that he truly felt like someone had tailed him down to the place.


    Worry had been a constant feeling to keep him wary, but nothing odd had happened¡­ except right now as he stared at this crazy woman.


    "Who are you."


    It wasn''t a question, but an order. Many would''ve been offended by the blunt and disrespecting tone, yet the subject of his distrust merely gave him a bigger smile¡­ making him shiver because of it.


    "I''m Xuanzang Sanzang, I will teach you the ways of Enlightenment shown to us by Buddha and..." She paused for a moment in that happy introduction, looking a little nervous for a moment while pondering what to say next. "And I¡­ uhhh- my class is Caster!"


    ...What?


    His brain lost some moment while silence resumed in that room, numerous thoughts rushing around and reminding him of the current ordeal he had been thrown into.


    Holy Grail War, Magi, Servants-


    And now Caster.


    His eyes narrowed at the woman, questioning with his own knowledge about whom this ''Xuanzang Sanzang'' could be.


    Nothing popped initially, yet he could''ve sworn that he had heard about a name like this before somewhere in his childhood.


    One of the history lessons from Elementary school¡­ which he couldn''t exactly remember as of now.


    But while he had hoped to be granted enough time to make his mind how he was supposed to react to this sudden development, his hopes were dashed away as the ''Servant'' resumed with her bubbly chatting.


    "Is everything alright, Master? You look like you aren''t feeling that well. Are you sick. or maybe you''re stunned by this introduction? I could''ve presented myself better, I''m sure of that but-" She stopped again, frowning at something before nodding. "By the way, can I call you ''Disciple'' instead of Master? It sounds quite odd as I relate Master to Teacher and, since I''m generally the teacher I-"


    "Will you calm down already?" He asked with a brief hint of sarcasm, feeling his entire being itching to shut the trap to the annoying Servant in front of him- actually, how she got in there?


    Risei had mentioned that there had to be a ritual to summon, and he had been sleeping up until now.


    "I didn''t summon you. How did you get in there?" The dark-haired man inquired suddenly, sparing little room to deflect the topic of his question.


    Pink eyes widened at the immediate query, yet her smile was still there, having just lessened at the rude attitude used against her.


    "Well, that can''t be, Disciple," She admitted with some genuine seriousness. "In fact, you''re already sporting the command seals. Those are available only to the ones that summon Servants. In our case, you summoned me."


    As Caster brought up this last detail, Jotaro''s eyes trailed down to his hands and¡­ there were some red marks on the back of his right hand.


    It was similar to the form of the staff that the woman was currently holding, yet there were some half-circles forming at both sides of the ring.


    Dread surged almost instantly in his chest, realization striking deeply as he came to the fact that he was now part of whatever crazy circus was unfolding in this seemingly normal city.


    "Still, I think you were saying something about being certain that you hadn''t summoned me¡­ which is fairly odd to hear considering the circ.u.mstances," The Servant persisted with her presence in that trail of thought. "Care to elaborate on that, Disciple?"


    "Those seals weren''t there before I went to sleep, and I certainly didn''t make any rituals to summon a Servant," Jotaro affirmed without much hesitation, yet his tone was slow and careful to deliver the answer to that curious question. "And I don''t remember giving you permission to address me like that."


    "Well, I can''t certainly accept becoming an ''apprentice'' when I''m the one that could teach you about the sermons and the mantras," She rebuked without hesitation. "In fact, what is your current degree of devotion towards Enlightenment."


    Equal to nothing? It wasn''t like Jotaro wasted too much time pondering over religious issues.


    Especially with the fact that many religious figures were condescending¡­ just like DIO.


    Ignoring that question, his eyes trailed around the room, trying to find any clue for any break-in.


    There was no way that someone had managed to create this situation from afar.


    He had to be present, he had to be there to be ''bestowed'' with the seals and¡­ yet the room looked just as he had left it the day before.


    The Marine Explorer pondered about this for a while, and despite the fact that he was granted some silence from Caster, he soon found out that more silence didn''t mean outright peace with the upbeat woman.


    The curtains he had set to cover the sunlights from blasting him with blinding effects were yanked aside by the smiling Buddhist, and Jotaro was stunned and annoyed at the same time.


    "Ah! So this is Fuyuki Town, the place where the Holy Grail War is set to happen very soon," The woman eagerly commented as she gazed over the scenery provided by the window. "Truly a curious location, one that makes me wonder and dread about the various secrets that this place has and-"


    While the Servant was lost in her monologue, the Stand User''s attention was pulled away from the scene as he noticed his phone vibrating by his bedside.


    He reached for it, glancing at the display and sighing in relief at the name there.


    Joseph Joestar.


    Without wasting time in staring at the device, he accepted the call and brought the object near his ear.


    "Old man."


    "Jotaro, you know better than anyone else that I want you to address me as your Grandfather- or even Jiji."


    Jotaro sighed at the reply, realizing that Caster was surprisingly still going with her own speech, starting to mention what to Jotaro seemed to be tales about some ''journey'' and a¡­ ''monkey''?


    "The situation has taken a drastic turn," The young man stated with some hesitation, unsure about how much he should explain to the old man without making things too awkward. "Somehow, I ended up summoning one of these Servants that the priest talked about yesterday."


    There was some rustling on the other side of the call. "Is that so? Anything that you''re concerned about this kind of familiar or-"


    "She''s mostly annoying. Quite a pest than a true threat."


    "She? I hope that you''re not telling me a lie, Jotaro. Did you really end up summoning one of these ''Servants'', or are you having an affair behind your wife''s back?!"


    The irritation from the elderly figure was somehow coated with some curious nervousness.


    Quite an odd combo of emotions coming from someone as calm as the old Joestar.


    "Good grief, as if I would''ve ever consider betraying my wife''s trust, shitty old man," The Marine Biologist rebuked with incredibly annoyance, even making use of the nickname he had bestowed to Joseph back during their trip to Cairo. "You were there at the wedding, and you know how much I love her."


    ¡­


    "I''m¡­ I''m sorry, Jotaro. I didn''t mean to sound so disrespectful- it''s just that this entire situations sounds-"


    "Like some prank- a crappy one to that," The Stand User concluded with a sigh. "I understand. I feel like this is odd but- Right now I''ve this tattoo on my hand and- actually, can you check on something?"


    "Sure, what is it?"


    "''Caster'' mentioned that her name was Xuanzang Sanzang. I wish for you to check on that for more info," The man provided the curious detail, hopeful that some proper answer would arrive with a research made by the old man. "I wish to know a little more about my new¡­ ally."


    "I understand and- Jotaro, do pay extra attention on your surroundings," Joseph pointed out with some nervousness. "This situation- I would say that it''s similar if not worse to what had happened in Egypt and-"


    "I will pay be on guard for any odd situations from now on," He agreed with a quick nod. "Also¡­ are there any news about Polnareff?"


    "He is still sending some rare reports, but he has mentioned that there are some complications regarding the state of his own investigations," The old Joestar admitted. "I will try to get in contact with him through phone call. It shouldn''t be that difficult."


    "Understood, I will call if anything new arise."


    "And I will go through the database to look more into the data correlated to your ''Servant''. Once again, be careful, Jotaro."


    The call ended there and the young man stared at his phone for a while as he pondered over what he was supposed to do from there.


    He stared at the display, now showing nothing but the contact list as he scrolled down to his wife''s phone number.


    "Hey, Disciple?"


    His stare lifted slowly to the annoying woman, she was still smiling.


    "Maybe it''s about time you prepare yourself some breakfast. it''s important that you start the day with a healthy meal," Caster pointed out, and soon Jotaro found himself thrown inside the bathroom in his hotel room.


    It was ample enough to allow some movements, yet the man decided to stand close to the door as he stared at the display of his cellphone once again.


    Finally, he mustered enough courage to go through with his need to call his wife.


    There was silence, except for the small noise made by the device to try and establish connection with the other phone.


    This time, he was granted relief in the form of a familiar voice.


    "Jotaro-kun, is everything alright? You missed the last calls and-"


    It''s been a little long since he had called her and¡­ that was starting to become an issue.


    "Everything is¡­ alright. I''m just a little bit tired and going through the jetlag," He interjected quickly, taking a moment to sigh calmly as she worried over him. "Is everything going well back home?"


    "Just the usual workload. Jolyne has been getting quite cranky as her Daddy isn''t around for her to play with," The lovely woman commented, making the fellow Marine Explorer flinch at the fact that she was bringing up this argument.


    "This work is important. I know that the old man can be a moron, but this time the situation is fairly serious."


    "How much serious? Is everything really alright there, Jotaro-kun?"


    He flinched again, knowing that he was so close to mess up with this explanation. He couldn''t just tell her that he had stumbled into some deadly competition, so¡­ he merely hummed.


    "I''m fine, Lena, and the situation is just¡­ messy. Nothing truly worth of concern."


    "And I will still worry until you tell me the truth," She half-begged. "I know you don''t want to be pushed like this but- I need to know where you''re going and why you can''t give me any answers."


    "As I''ve said, it''s something between me and the old man," Jotaro replied with some hesitation. "I don''t wish to see you to feel bad about it. It''s nothing that is either dangerous to me."


    "But you need to be there instead of Mr. Joestar."


    "Yes."


    ¡­


    "I suppose you need to end the call," She muttered with some sadness. "I will resume my shift soon and-"


    "I will call back once you''re free," The Stand User interrupted with a tense smile. "I''m sorry that I couldn''t answer to-"


    "I believe when you say that you''re still recovering from the jetlag, just not over-exert yourself too much about it," She stated with a sigh. "Still, don''t run into anything dangerous. I know you well enough to see your troublesome bad luck shoving you into anything threatening."


    "I see and¡­ see you soon."


    Another sigh. "See you soon, my lovely dummy."


    There was some silence as the call ended, and Jotaro sighed as he knew that the day had yet to begin and¡­ he was already facing some headaches.


    He could hear Caster''s footsteps just outside the bathroom, probably pacing and waiting for him to be done with his tasks.


    Good grief, what an annoying woman that he ended up partnered with.

 Chapter 326 - My OC Stash #26 - Professor Arc by Coeur AlAran (RWBY)

    -No idea why I avoided this for so long lol it''s phenomenal/ It even managed to do the impossible and make politics interesting, I''ve just spent the last few days working my way through this fic, finally starting the sequel! I''ll most likely suggest that one too :D


    Synopsis: He didn''t know the first thing about teaching, Hell, he didn''t even know the first thing about fighting! A shame then, that his forged doc.u.ments painted the picture of an accomplished and skilled warrior. Now he''s trapped teaching students his own age how to be hunters, when he doesn''t even know himself!


    Rated: T


    Words: 582K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/10898868/1/Professor-Arc (Coeur Al''Aran)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    A Slight Oversight


    Jaune Arc was in trouble.


    Serious trouble, in fact. He was probably going to jail¡­ or maybe worse... Fraud, deceit? Other allegations he didn''t know the name of, but was sure existed? Once again Lady Luck had taken one good look at Jaune Arc, and thrown up all over him.


    It had all seemed like such a fantastic idea at first too. Beacon Academy was the premier school for hunters, the best of the best went there, and those that graduated went on to be successful and famous hunters ¨C and then became heroes.


    He''d always wanted to become a hero, but like most children he''d whittled away his younger years dreaming and playing, only to find that he wasn''t fit enough to enter Signal. And now, because he didn''t have the training from signal ¨C he wasn''t skilled enough to enter Beacon. It was such an unfair conspiracy!


    It wasn''t that he wasn''t intelligent, or hard-working. He was willing to train for hours if need be¡­ the problem was that he had started too late in his life. Deciding he wanted to become a hunter at the age of twelve that had left around six months for him to train for the Signal entrance exams. Of course he hadn''t been fit enough¡­ even with a gruelling regime, what could be achieved in just six months!?


    He hadn''t given up though, he''d trained hard, studied even harder. But there was no real substitute for four years intense training at a combat school, and it showed. When it had come to the time to send his credentials in for the Beacon admission he hadn''t even hesitated.


    To cheat.


    Oh he''d learned his lesson from Signal alright, better to seek forgiveness than ask permission, there was no way he would get into Beacon without a formal education in combat so he''d saved up some money and sought out the aid of a¡­ well¡­ a less than reputable individual, who was skilled in forgery. And Gods, it had been expensive too!


    The doc.u.ments were brilliant though, painting a believable and impressive history that was enough to make him stand out, but not too much. He''d even tested it at a Bank, and been able to open an account using it ¨C so he knew it was good.


    He could still remember the advice the guy had given him as well. Remember kid, the best lies have a grain of truth in them ¨C but if you can''t use the truth, just tell so many lies that they can only dig through the top layer. Hide lies under more lies.


    He''d been so damn confident this would work¡­


    Which was why his world had come crashing down when he had received a personal invitation for an interview with the Headmaster of Beacon Academy, Headmaster Ozpin.


    I''m screwed. Of course he saw through it, and now he wants to ask why I did this before he arrests me.


    In fact he was so sick with worry that he had unintentionally managed to survive the Bullhead trip to the Academy itself without vomiting. That might have also had something to do with the fact that he hadn''t eaten in over sixteen hours as well¡­


    Nervously he tugged at the collar of his hoodie and readjusted his armour. He wasn''t sure why he had come armed to the teeth to this meeting, he certainly wouldn''t be able to fight his way out of this. But the clothing did provide him some small level of confidence. He could at least look the part.


    Confidence¡­ that''s all I can rely on right now. But Dad did always say that confidence can be all you need in some situations.


    That advice was all he had to trust, as the door to the Bullhead slowly groaned open, revealing the tall spires of Beacon Academy to his eyes. It was beautiful¡­ Everything he had imagined it to be when he had dreamed of attending when he was younger. He savoured the sight before letting out the sigh of the damned and walking purposefully down the ramp towards the blonde figure waiting for him.


    It was a woman of indiscernible age, with blonde hair and a stern expression that screamed disciplinarian. One arm was held at her side, pinning a number of books to her hip, while her other hand held what appeared to be a riding crop.


    "I''m sorry, did I keep you waiting?" Jaune greeted in as calm a voice as he could, making sure to keep his eyes fixed on her green orbs as he held a single hand out in greeting. Internally his mind was screaming at him to run, but he stuck to the confident and self-assured persona his forged records suggested he had. Time to go down fighting!


    The woman nodded back once, reaching forward to shake his hand briefly still keeping the crop in hand as she did so. She didn''t smile at him, but her green eyes didn''t show any anger either ¨C which was probably a good sign.


    "Indeed, thank you for coming Mr Arc. I am Glynda Goodwitch, Deputy Headmistress and a teacher here. I hope Professor Ozpin''s summons was not too sudden."


    "Of course not, I was happy to have a chance to see Beacon in person." Jaune replied easily as he offered the woman a smile. He had to resist the urge to let it die an ugly death when she stared back at him, simply quirking an eyebrow. "If you''re to escort me to meet the Professor, will you let me help you with those books?"


    "Oh. Yes, thank you Mr Arc." The woman accepted with a slightly surprised expression before she could hide it. Jaune took half of the books with a hidden grin, glad that his attempt to distract her had worked. Only a few books, but a gentleman was always polite with ladies, no matter their station. "If you will follow me, I will show you to Ozpin." She turned away from him as he quickly stepped in to walk beside her.


    "Thank you Mrs Goodwitch."


    "Miss, actually." She corrected as the two of them passed under a stone arch and into what looked to be a large round plaza with a fountain in the centre.


    "Really? Oh, I mean - sorry!" Jaune apologised, making sure to add a little fake surprise to his voice. He wasn''t surprised at all she wasn''t married, since she looked too damn scary and unapproachable for most men. Even if he was closer to her age he didn''t think he would have the stones to talk to her. "I didn''t mean to assume."


    "Don''t worry about it Mr Arc." The woman urged with what actually looked to be the slightest beginnings of a smile on her face. Barely there for a moment before she mercilessly killed it. Still, it was a start.


    Okay ¨C okay, think Jaune. Disciplinarian, apparently strict and is a headmistress. So be polite, formal, flattering ¨C but don''t even think about flirting. She helps run a school for young a.d.u.l.ts, no doubt she gets way too much of that attention as it is¡­


    It was definitely important to stay on the good side of anyone here.


    "If I might ask, Miss Goodwitch? Do you know why Professor Ozpin wants to meet with me? I''m afraid he didn''t explain very much when he called me."


    And what a harrowing call it had been. Completely out of the blue, and he''d been too damn scared to ask many questions of the white haired man. He''d been able to only just get out that he would be able to make the appointment, and confirm the Bullhead arrival time. He''d then spent the next week in a panicked agony¡­ and now here he was.


    "I do know Mr Arc, but I''m not at liberty to tell you just yet. I believe Ozpin would like to meet with you first. I am sorry." No real expression on her face beyond the stern expression he was beginning to believe was standard for her, but the inflection she put on her apology suggested she was in fact a little sorry she could not tell him. At the very least it provided a little more confidence for him.


    If this was to throw the evidence of his forgery in his face, then she certainly wouldn''t be this polite with him ¨C and definitely wouldn''t apologise for keeping things secret from him. If she was as stern as her expression, dress and mannerisms suggested¡­ and Jaune was very sure of his first impressions here. Then she would be furious if she knew he had forged his doc.u.ments.


    Did this mean they didn''t know they were fake!?


    Was he going to get away with this?


    "Don''t worry about it then." He laughed, waving off the issue as he tugged at his jeans. "I''m just worried that I''m a little under-dressed for the occasion."


    "Not to worry Mr Arc, we understand that for a person of your calibre, you would come to such a meeting armed. It can be difficult to put hunting the Grimm aside, even for more experienced people."


    His calibre¡­ yeah. But at least his records had proven themselves it seems, if she honestly believed was some kind of hotshot hunter-in-training. That took a lot of the stress off his shoulders, especially if this was just some kind of acceptance interview, or maybe they interviewed all the students before deciding to accept them? Had he panicked over nothing?


    "Ah, here we are. Professor Ozpin is awaiting us inside." Two large doors opened slowly as the woman walked into the room, letting Jaune follow behind her as he admired the decor. From the view through the huge windows he would tell this was the central spire of the academy, apparently the Headmaster''s personal office.


    Apart from a large desk and a few bookcases, the room was rather bare. He had honestly imagined something more from a man as powerful, and no doubt wealth, as the headmaster of Beacon. But perhaps this was just to create an image, the man''s personal quarters could be lavish.


    "Greetings Mr Arc." The man stood behind the desk commented, dressed in an immaculate green suit, and sipping on a large mug of some hot beverage. Even if Jaune had not recognised him as the man who had called him recently, he would have known Ozpin by his fame and distinctive white hair. Swallowing his nervousness, Jaune strode towards the desk and held his hand out over the polished wood, his blue eyes staring into brown. A hysterical part of Jaune''s mind commented that Ozpin''s hair seemed quite similar in design to his own.


    "A pleasure headmaster." He kept his hand steady, waiting as the man seemed to take a long sip of his drink, before putting it down and grasping Jaune''s hand in a firm shake. Glynda stepped forwards to take the books Jaune was carrying from him, as he sat down across from the headmaster. The woman then walked around the desk to stand beside, but slightly behind, the headmaster. Jaune waited for them to speak, not saying anything as the man took another long drink of what Jaune could now identify as coffee.


    "Well then Mr Arc, thank you for coming to this meeting." Jaune nodded but didn''t say anything. This man was definitely far above himself in terms of experience and knowledge, and Jaune knew about dealing with people like that, if you didn''t know the correct response ¨C then stay quiet.


    "I received your application for entrance as a student of Beacon Academy, and have had some time to look over your records." Once more he paused here as he fished out some pieces of paper from a drawer in his desk, taking another long drink. Jaune schooled his expression into a calm facade, despite the frantic hammering of his heart in his chest.


    "Quite the glowing recommendations you come with Mr Arc. Trained for four years at the Vacuo Academy for Gifted Youths, before staying on to begin your formal Hunter Education. You would be 20 years old now, correct?"


    "That''s right." Jaune lied, trusting the forged doc.u.ments with all his heart. It had been an important move to have him listed as three years older than he was so that he could fit in. The various hunter academies kept in close contact, so it would be clearly obvious if he claimed to be from one and they checked the records against their database¡­ All except for one school¡­ since it had been destroyed by the Grimm three years ago.


    "I''ve heard of many survivors of the attack there¡­ most did not continue their career as Hunters." The Vacuo Academy for the Gifted had been a famous school, and one of the only schools that could train hunters from their first entry at 13, right through to their graduation at 21. It had been attacked and destroyed by the Grimm three years ago though, and most of the records had been lost with it. The fraudster had made sure to explain that to Jaune, along with the importance of sticking with the story.


    "I can understand why. It took me over two years to recover from that. I am hoping you will not let my age work against me in this regard." That had been one of his man concerns, that they would refuse him because his records now said he was 20, above the usual starting age.


    "Of course not Mr Arc." The man replied back with a small smile. "Three years is not so much time in the grand scheme of things, and it would be a shame to see such talent wasted. My concern is quite the opposite in fact Mr Arc." At this he pushed across some of the papers to Jaune, showing him statistics he had long since memorised.


    Valedictorian, skilled fighter, excellent tactical skills and a strong grasp of theory. A team leader with unparalleled empathy for his team, able to motivate people to work as cohesive groups, even in the worst of situations. His records even claimed he had a few missions under his belt. Some taken during his time in Vacuo, others during the three year break afterwards.


    He couldn''t claim he''d just sat around for three years, so his records painted a picture of a man who had done his best to evacuate the other students, and fought to protect them. He''d also done some freelance work for villages that could not afford a hunter, or who needed help immediately.


    All falsified.


    "If I may be frank Mr Arc." The man spoke, as a grin formed on his features. Meanwhile Jaune''s spirits fell in sudden terror. "I think you''re too qualified to be a student here."


    Huh!?


    "You have the skills and credentials to be a hunter right now, so might I ask why you wish to be a student once more?"


    Oh Gods, he hadn''t expected this¡­ that they might reject him for being too good. Or that they might think it''s too suspicious for such a skilled man to want to lower himself to the level of a student.


    "I¡­ need the qualification." Jaune tried as he slumped in his seat. "Skills aside, a lot of doors are closed to a person who has not graduated from a school for hunters. I want to prove to myself, and others, that I deserve to be a hunter."


    "A worthy goal indeed, and I would never consider denying a hunter his dues. But here in Beacon we assign students into teams of four. You must understand Mr Arc, that someone of your ability would overshadow his team and might lead to them not developing into proud hunters as they should¡­"


    Jaune couldn''t help but feel a small thrill of panic shoot through him, not out of fear that he would be rejected. In fact the man had as clear as said he would help Jaune get into Beacon¡­ but what if he was assigned to no team, and instead left on his own!? That would be a disaster! He didn''t have the skills to survive as a one man team and would be publically humiliated and ridiculed in front of the entire student body¡­ If he didn''t just die first.


    "If I might ask, and I do not wish to bring back difficult memories. But how did you cope with the grief of losing people in Vacuo?"


    "It''s difficult." Jaune hedged, delaying so he could think of a story to tell, while the two teachers waited patiently. "My team was killed and there was nothing I could do to prevent it. Beyond that, many of our friends and colleagues were dying as well."


    The two a.d.u.l.ts seemed sympathetic as he paused to think of more excuses. He couldn''t afford to paint himself as a traumatised youth, or they might ask him to undertake counselling. At the same time to suggest he was just over it would come across as incredibly convenient.


    "Those of us who survived banded together though. People are stronger together and we helped each other when we felt down. I''d had two years to come to terms with what happened and I want to move on, if you''ll let me."


    Put the onus for the decision in their hands, use guilt! Underhanded though it might be, he''d come too far to back out now, this was all or nothing.


    "Wise words indeed. What do you think Glynda?" The Headmaster asked as he leaned back in his seat with a wide smile on his face. Jaune turned to look at the woman who had escorted him here, noticing the sad look on her face which she quickly hid.


    "I think I agree with your decision Headmaster. Mr Arc will be good for the students here."


    He was in!? He''d done it?


    "I think we''ll be happy to welcome you to Beacon Academy Mr Arc." Professor Ozpin congratulated, pushing a sheet of paper and pen across to Jaune, which he picked up to inspect.


    "A contract for employment?" He blurted out with some confusion, as he flicked through the various pages, seeing nothing but huge amounts of text and regulations.


    "You''re too qualified to be a student here Mr Arc, but you have just what we need for a Support Teacher at Beacon Academy." Jaune barely heard the man, his eyes flicking over the front page. A teacher, him!? Oh Gods, this was a disaster. Forget forging his way as a student, this was about ten times worse. He was going to be forging his way into employment!


    And he didn''t know enough about being a hunter! He could barely fight, Good Gods, his students would be able to beat him up! He was going to be roughed up by his own students¡­ in front of everyone!


    "I have no experience teaching¡­" He couldn''t help but stammer out, only for his new hope to be crushed as the blonde deputy stepped forwards.


    "I will be helping you with that Mr Arc." She replied as she nodded to him. "You will have your own classes, but we will do some training a few days before the term starts, and you can sit in on some of my lessons as well. You will be up to standard for this, don''t worry."


    Oh that wasn''t his worry at all. His worry was more along the lines of humiliation, followed by an inquiry ¨C maybe finished up with a lengthy jail term.


    "Your responsibilities would be helping other teachers with their workload, monitoring some lessons. Perhaps in some advanced cases shadowing teams on missions as well. You might have your own classes in a few months, but they would be irregular subjects."


    "Can you give me an example of what subjects you might be thinking?" Jaune asked, half to give him more time to think up excuses, but also so that he could get some bloody studying in on whatever subjects those were!


    "I have long wanted to offer a course for those who have experienced loss or difficult missions. Perhaps on coping in stressful situations, or simply camping. They would be optional courses, and you wouldn''t be required to grade or offer exams."


    Okay that didn''t sound so bad¡­ if they weren''t graded then arguably there was no way to prove he couldn''t do the job, was there?


    He wanted to refuse. To explain that he had applied as a student and wanted to become one, be a part of a team¡­ but that wasn''t what Jaune Arc, survivor of Vacuo, would do¡­ he was a leader, a man with standards and confidence, who had survived where others had died. Anything else could reveal him as a fraudster.


    "I suppose I don''t really have a choice do I?" Jaune joked to the two, while internally his mind screamed in agonised pain.


    "Welcome to Beacon, Professor Arc."


    F.u.c.k my life.


    Chapter 2


    Doomsday Approaches


    "Wow, it sure pays to be a teacher." Jaune mumbled to himself as he looked around his new quarters, which were adjoined to his small office. The Headmaster had apparently thought that since he was a support teacher who might be called into any role on short notice, that it made sense to have his office and living quarters connected. Jaune had been quick to agree, knowing that if the man had claimed that new teachers wore pumpkins on their heads, he probably would have done it so as not to appear suspicious.


    He just hadn''t expected it to be so spacious! He had a decent sized bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, along with a kitchen-living room combination separated by a counter with two stools pulled up against it. The living area consisted of little more than a couch with a low laying coffee table and a decent-sized television, but it was still much more than he was used to at home. What''s more, the fridge and cupboards were well stocked with a variety of meats and food.


    It was almost enough to distract him from what today actually was. Today was to be his first official day of employment, and what was worse, the students were expected to arrive for within the next eight hours or so... though thankfully the mysterious initiation was not until the following day. Miss Goodwitch had been quick to assure him that the initiation would take the entire day, and that any teaching that might be required was still a good two days away. Still though...


    Where was the training he had been promised!?


    Idly his eyes fell on a small card that sat perched on the coffee table where he had laid it earlier, and the guilt that came along with it hit him like a mallet.


    Congratulations on your new job! It was filled with kind and loving words, not only from his mother and father - who had been shocked but ecstatic that he had landed such a good job. But also from his sisters who pretty much had expected him to be a bum all his life. Such faith, and yet probably rightfully deserved.


    We''re so proud of you! He could remember the look on his mother''s face as he told her what had happened. Oh, he''d made some alterations to the tale. As far as they knew he was going to be teaching at a combat school teaching younger teenagers, but the gist of the job had been the same. So maybe the lie wasn''t that bad?


    "Who am I kidding, I''m going straight to Hell."


    Still his parents had been supportive and helpful, and had even taken him out shopping for supplies as a gift to him. Hence the new coat he was wearing that crossed over his b.r.e.a.s.t-plated chest and swept down to the back of his knees. It wasn''t a fashion statement though... one of the concerns that Jaune had given to his parents was that the fourteen year old students he was going to be teaching wouldn''t give him full respect since he was so young. His mother had suggested dressing to make himself look older, and just not mentioning his age to any of them.


    So he knew where he got the lying from anyway.


    Either way she had chosen the dark blue coat because it apparently accentuated his height, and also hid his chest and arms from view. She said most people would just see the sword and shield, along with the coat and armour - and assume him to be a lot more buff than he actually was beneath it all. He''d taken the obvious dig in stride and agreed with the decision. He couldn''t say he felt, or looked, any older - but maybe it would work on other people.


    "Mr Arc, may I come in?" A recognisable female voice asked from outside the doors to his quarters. Jaune quickly walked over and opened it to reveal the stern face of Glynda Goodwitch.


    "Ah. Good morning Miss Goodwitch, come in." He beckoned with his arm, stepping back to let her into the room. He tried not to pay attention to the way her green eyes quickly snapped left and right to inspect the room, before settling on himself once more.


    "A new fashion statement Mr Arc?"


    "It was a suggestion from a friend, to help me look a little older in the eyes of the students." So it totally wasn''t his fault if it was against the rules or anything, he didn''t add.


    "Ah I see. Are you worried about teaching students so close to your age?" Her voice and face were calm as she asked the question, and he wasn''t able to tell if it was some kind of trap.


    "Just concerned." He diverted instead. "I don''t doubt my ability, but am a little concerned that some of the students might rebel against the idea. Hence my wanting to appear a little older than I actually am." That sounded like something an ideal teacher would say, didn''t it? All he had to do was make every decision, and say everything - as if the welfare of his students was the most important thing in the world to him.


    "I can understand that." Miss Goodwitch accepted as she shuffled some books onto his counter. "Don''t worry so much about it though, as a support teacher you will be teaching in conjunction with myself or others. If they fail to show you the proper respect, they will soon learn the error of their ways."


    Aww... He couldn''t help but coo to himself as he simply nodded his thanks to her. That was actually a pretty sweet and supportive thing to say, which surprised him since it was coming from such a stern-looking woman.


    "Thank you, I appreciate it. Is that material for me to look over?" That certainly did look like a lot of material, at least six tomes worth as well as a number of stapled sheets of paper set to one side.


    "This is the course syllabus for Professor Port''s Grimm studies class, as well as Professor Oobleck''s history class. The Headmaster has decided you will work with those two teachers, as well as myself. I''ve also included some books on teacher training for you to look through. As well as a few ¡­ tips... I thought to write down myself." The woman hesitated as she said this, before showing him the printed paper which seemed to entail three full pages of written text in elegant handwriting.


    "You went to so much effort for me, thank you so much." He flattered as he took the pages and glanced over them. They seemed to be mostly focused on how to keep order and discipline teenagers in class. For a moment he felt incredibly awkward that she had effectively handed him tips on just how to punish people... but then again the other things were probably covered in the books.


    "It''s no problem." The Deputy waved away, though there was the tiniest hint of pink on her cheeks at his honest praise.


    "No, this is wonderful Gly- Miss Goodwitch." This was exactly what he needed to have a chance here. What''s more, she had perhaps inadvertently told him exactly what he would be helping with, and provided him the syllabus ahead of time! All he would need to do was see what they were covering in an upcoming class, and memorise everything on that subject and he would be fine.


    "I suppose you can call me Glynda outside of the student''s hearing." The blonde interrupted his thoughts as she turned away from him while speaking. Why was she looking away from him? "You can probably get away with calling most other teachers by their names, or simply their title."


    "Thank you then, Glynda. I hope you''ll call me Jaune as well?"


    "Of course Mr Arc." She replied, apparently not quite able to address him so casually. "I do apologise that I won''t be able to offer you more, one-on-one, training. But with the students arriving today..."


    "Yes, initiation. I had heard of it, is there anything you need me to do to help with that?" He certainly hoped not, he was already on limited time and he didn''t even know what the initiation was yet.


    "No, no. But thank you Mr Arc. We have that all covered for now... I think it might be best if you simply looked to read as much of that material as you can. I''ll have someone come and collect you before the first Bullheads arrive. I think it would be best for your credibility if you were seen immediately alongside the other teachers."


    "I understand." He accepted with glee. Perfect. Now just to get rid of Glynda so he could have as much time to read as possible and get ready. "Is there anything else?"


    "No, that''s all. I will see you later then Mr Arc." And with that she was gone. Slipping out of his room before he could so much as offer her a goodbye. Man, she''s a weird cookie... but still, she saved my bacon!


    Now all he had to do was read as much of this as he could, right?


    Nghhh...


    Captain''s log, day thirty. More history... The General leads his troops in a surprise raid on the faunus of Fort Castle... huge casualties because he forgets they have perfect night vision - hey, that sounds useful. Jaune''s face was half laid on the couch''s armrest, with his hands propping a history book in front of him. Bloodshot eyes, along with a beautiful set of designer bags hanging beneath them.


    The clock said it had only been around six hours.


    The clock must be working with the enemy.


    Where is your confidence now Jaune Arc? An evil voice taunted in his mind, half-heartedly he recognized it as his self-esteem, which had long since betrayed him. You have to do this for the next four years!


    Arms finally gave way as the book slapped into his face with a satisfying sound of leather on flesh. Instead of attempting to remove it he simply let out a distressed groan into the pages. There was so much to cover... and so much to remember.


    He''d learned the types of Grimm most common to Vale, as well as their general appearance, behaviour and threat levels. He''d also done his best to memorise whatever he could on weaknesses and how to fight them. Weirdly it looked like the syllabus for Professor Port''s class just entitled a thing called "story time." But he imagined that was theoretical book learning or something.


    Oobleck''s class though... oh Gods... history. How could the man possibly cover so much history so quickly in his lesson plans? That was ridiculous! He was honestly going to cover the entire faunus rights revolution in his first lesson? Wasn''t that like ten years of history? He would have to teach at like 60mph to have any chance of getting that across in time.


    But he hadn''t dared to take the risk.


    Faunus Rights Revolution... learned. Gods...


    He''d also had a few small chances to read through the teacher training, though he wasn''t close to finishing that. He had figured it would be safer to be knowledgeable on the course material and fail as a teacher - than to show his hand so early and not know what was surely basic knowledge.


    Besides, he still had tonight when he was supposed to be sleeping. Their timetables ended at around six in the afternoon, and Jaune honestly didn''t have anything to do in his free time. Sure, his parents were keen to hear from him after his first lessons, but that would be little more than a ten minute call. That left almost six hours of studying a night, if he just aimed for six hours sleep.


    Six hours studying a night... is it still too late to get arrested?


    Any morose thoughts were quickly banished by a frantic knocking on his door, neither stopping or slowing in pace as he staggered to his feet and sluggishly ambled his way over.


    "Yes?" He gasped out as he pulled the door open to reveal a bespectacled man in a white shirt with a bright yellow tie and ¡­ green hair?


    Argh my eyes! The clash burns!


    "Professor Arc, I presume!" The man rattled out, and rattled was definitely the correct term, Jaune thought to himself. Because what should have contained a number of syllables seemed to come out in barely three seconds. He just barely caught the meaning.


    "That is myself, are you one of the other staff?" It was an easy guess since Miss Goodwitch had told him she would send someone to collect him. Was it that time already?


    "Capital, yes! I am Doctor Oobleck, Professor of History at Beacon as well as resident expert on Grimm movements and studies at the school. A pleasure to make your acquaintance I hope we will have plenty of time to learn about each other as you assist me with teaching but for now we must make our way to the main foyer to welcome this year''s aspiring hunters and huntresses who will hopefully become the future protectors of the people of Vale."


    "Sounds good?" Jaune guessed, not actually having caught the majority of what was being said, but knowing that if he simply agreed it would probably be for the best.


    "Capital! Let us be off."


    "H-hey, Wait!" He shouted out as the man zipped from the room, easily outpacing Jaune as he struggled to strap his sword into place while locking the doors behind him. He just caught sight of a green glimpse vanishing around the corner as he sprinted after the man.


    What kind of teacher acts like this!? He shouted in his mind as he span around the corner, once more barely glimpsing the Professor vanishing down another corridor. And wasn''t it ironic that he was criticisng a trained and proven teacher in the first place?


    "Doctor Oobleck, please slow down!" He called out as his body ached, unable to continue the grueling pace set by the older man. Fatigue mixed with a general lack of stamina eventually caused him to lose the Professor as Jaune came to a stop against a wall, his hand propping himself up as he panted to himself in exhaustion.


    As if to make matters worse he could faintly hear the sounds of Bullheads approaching the Academy, no doubt bringing the new students which he was supposed to be visible in front of.


    Damn that stupid hyperactive excuse for an a.d.u.l.t, what the Hell!?


    Now he was certainly going to get it from Goodwitch, and on the first day as well.


    Still. He wasn''t a child anymore. Apparently, anyway. So he couldn''t just sit there and wait to be found by a teacher, similarly he hadn''t thought to actually act for the contact numbers of the other staff. He would just need to make his way to where the others probably were.


    Think, Arc... surely it would be the same place you landed at... Beacon Academy is mostly a circle, so if I can find my way outside, then I can make my way to the central plaza.


    The problem was, he couldn''t see any way to actually get outside, bar climbing through a nearby window.


    ...


    In for a penny...


    Things had not been going well for Ruby Rose. Two years younger than everyone else at Beacon and already abandoned by the one person she thought she could rely on the most. From there she had caused some kind of explosion with a crabby girl and generally been abandoned to lay on her back in the middle of an empty pathway by the rest of the student body.


    Yep! Great way to start my life here...


    "Hey there, you okay?" A masculine voice asked from outside of her vision, causing her to sit up on her rear and look around. Standing not two feet to her left was what looked to be another student, smiling at her. That was a good sign, right!?


    "Hey." She shyly greeted back, wondering why he had actually come to her when she was laying on the ground like some kind of weirdo. He looked nice enough, with hair a similar shade to Yang''s but bright blue eyes. He was really tall though, easily topping six feet in height, and he looked almost a little intimidating too with that heavy-looking coat. If it wasn''t for the gentle look in his eyes she might have been too nervous to respond to him.


    "Let''s get you up." He simply said as he offered a hand to her, hoisting her onto her feet with a single tug. Ruby quickly let go of his hand and stepped backwards in mild embarrassment. This wasn''t exactly how she had planned to make her first impressions at Beacon.


    "Thanks, I''m Ruby." She greeted instead, shaking her head quickly in an attempt to dispel the nerves she was feeling. "Ruby Rose. Nice to meet you."


    "Jaune. Jaune Arc. What were you doing laid in the middle of the plaza like that?"


    "Ugh..." Oh damn, he wasn''t meant to ask that. Didn''t he realise it was probably better to ignore the clearly stupid position he had found her in!? "I guess I just needed to relax for a bit?" She attempted with a weak grin.


    "Right..." He didn''t sound convinced.


    "Ugh. Okay, I had a pretty bad start and I was just being dramatic. Can we just ignore how you found me?" Her shyness was forgotten as she huffed in annoyance, but the action instead of insulting him - seemed to make him laugh. Internally she smiled as well, hey this wasn''t so hard after all!


    "Okay, okay. You shouldn''t worry though. It''s your first day, I''m sure you will be fine. I''m a little lost as well, maybe we can both help each other find the rest?"


    "Sure!" Ruby chirped, inwardly clapping herself on the back for actually making a friendly acquaintance on her first try. Even if it was purely luck that he had been another lost student like herself. "I didn''t see where the others went though..."


    "Just follow me, we''ll head to the main hall." He seemed to know where he was going, which was lucky since she didn''t want to get lost and miss initiation. Wouldn''t that just be humiliating, the youngest girl to ever enter Beacon kicked out before she could even begin. Yeah, sounded great. Go down in the history books, whoo!


    "So... uh... I''ve got this thing." Ruby offered in an attempt to fill the silence that was forming between the two of them, jumping ahead of him and deploying her baby for him to marvel at. As usual his reaction was of immediate surprise, or awe as she preferred to call it. "This is Crescent Rose, a high impact customisable sniper rifle!"


    "And a... scythe?" Jaune asked in apparent amazement. To which she nodded in pride.


    "That''s right. I made her myself at Signal, she''s called Crescent Rose and she''s the best weapon in the world." She rubbed one hand up its shaft as she said that, with a fond look in her eyes.


    "Yeah... that''s impressive."


    "So. What you got?" She asked, eager to know what weapon her potential new friend used. It wouldn''t be as epic as Crescent Rose of course, but she was still confident it would be a good weapon, and she definitely wouldn''t insult him by drawing attention to its inferiority to Crescent Rose.


    That was hardly fair, since everything was inferior to it.


    Everything.


    "Well I''ve got my sword." He offered as he waved the weapon for her to look at. It looked fairly simple, but definitely seemed like it had seen battle, which was a plus. "And I have a shield that turns into a sheathe when I don''t need to carry it."


    "But... wouldn''t it still weigh the same?"


    "Well yeah, but it''s easier to carry it buckled on my hip, than constantly on my arm."


    "Well that makes sense. I''m a bit of a geek but the classics are cool too!" She hoped she hadn''t offended him but he looked more amused than anything else. An emotion she was used to seeing on Yang''s face, but she would put up with it if she had to.


    "Mr Arc, there you are!" A female voice interrupted them before Ruby could ask him any more questions. She winced as she saw who it was who was approaching them. Oh Gods, it was that teacher again from the police station. Goodwitch or something... with the terrifying expression and the evil eyes.


    When I''m a huntress... I''ll sign autographs...


    "There you are... I''ve been looking all over for you, what happened?" Ruby kept silent as the woman addressed the student next to her, unwilling to draw the woman''s ire.


    "Miss Goodwitch. I''m sorry, Doctor Oobleck was so fast, I couldn''t keep up with him." The woman seemed to sigh in annoyance as she looked to one side, muttering something about coffee from what little Ruby could hear. Either way, she seemed to accept his excuse without argument.


    "Ah, I see you have found Miss Rose as well. I hadn''t realized she had separated from the main group." Ruby spared her a small wave as those green eyes pierced her, but her attempt at a friendly smile to placate the older woman quickly wilted.


    "Ruby was helping me find my way here. I hope I haven''t made her late?"


    Huh? That sounded weird, why was Jaune claiming that she had been the one to help him out? And why was he so calm when the two of them were clearly in such trouble!?


    "Jaune?" She asked simply, wondering what he was talking about.


    "That''s professor Arc to you, Miss Rose." The stern woman quickly interrupted, causing Ruby to rear back in shock as she stared at her new friend in a mixture of shock and horror. He simply shrugged apologetically at her in return.


    "EHHHH!?"


    Chapter 3


    Wolf among the sheep


    Jaune schooled his features as he followed Glynda Goodwitch through a few doors to where the other teachers were apparently gathering to discuss what was going on. Apparently he had missed the entrance speech from Headmaster Ozpin, though she had explained that it didn''t really matter. At the very least she had accepted his excuse as to Doctor Oobleck, he wasn''t sure if it was more worrying that she had let it go so easily¡­ he was supposed to be a support teacher for that man after all.


    "Ah Mr Arc, a pleasure to see you made it." The Headmaster greeted as the two of them entered the room. Before Jaune could so much as respond to his white-haired employer, a green blur appeared in front of him, taking his hand and shaking it briefly before letting go.


    "Mr Arc, my apologies for losing you I did not take into account your speed nor your lack of knowledge as to the surroundings and layout of our fine establishment and must have therefore lost track of you on one of the myriad corridors. I can assure you it will not happen again." The words rattled and mashed together similar to a car wreck, but he could make out the general gist of it and simply nodded his acceptance.


    "Yes, do try to keep that in mind next time Professor Oobleck." The blonde deputy chastised as she walked past him.


    "Actually it''s doc-" He stopped as green eyes narrowed dangerously behind their glasses. "I mean of course! Of course!"


    Huh. So it wasn''t just him who was apparently terrified of the stern blonde. That was good to know.


    "Well then, perhaps I should introduce you to our resident Grimm studies professor and experienced Huntsman, Professor Peter Port." Jaune turned back to Ozpin as he spoke, before looking towards a rather large man who strode purposefully over to him, giving him a hearty handshake. The teacher was wearing a dark red military jacket, and sported a rather impressive grey moustache along with thick bushy eyebrows. Despite himself, Jaune couldn''t help but think the man looked quite jolly.


    "Bravo, fantastic to meet such a young hunter as yourself." The man boisterously welcomed as he shook Jaune''s hand. Jaune smiled back as he did his best to avoid his shoulder becoming dislocated.


    "Thank you Professor Port, but I''m hardly a qualified Hunter, I never made it past training after all."


    "Nonsense my boy! Hunters are created, not simply taught. Surviving in that wilderness for so long makes you more a hunter than many others I''ve known. And please, call me Peter." Jaune smiled back and was about to reply but for a cough of interruption from the Headmaster.


    "In regard to your qualifications Mr Arc. You may want to keep those a little quiet. We have decided to say you are a fully qualified Huntsman, and to hear otherwise might cause the students to treat you differently."


    "I understand, I can play along." Jaune agreed; feeling more than a little amused at the irony of keeping another secret on this matter. So now he was a fraud pretending to be a hunter-in-training who was pretending to be a qualified huntsman.


    "Good. We''ll move onto the next point of business then. Tomorrow we will be holding initiation, and as usual I have set out the relics in the Emerald forest." Ozpin continued to speak, while Jaune listened quietly. There was really no point butting in when he could just keep quiet and absorb whatever he could.


    "What did you use as relics this year Headmaster?" The only female teacher asked with mild curiosity, while the Headmaster himself simply took another long drink from his mug.


    "You will see tomorrow I''m sure. Regardless, we will be launching the students into the Emerald forest and telling them to find the temple and the relics. Whatever relic a pair brings back, will see them grouped with a matching second relic to make four man teams."


    Launched? Jaune wanted to ask on that, but kept quiet. It might be some form of standardised test for all schools, and he would reveal himself if he wasn''t aware of what it was. At the end of the day, satisfying his curiosity was a needless task. He would find out tomorrow with the other students.


    "Who will be monitoring the teams this year?" Professor Port asked as he played with his moustache, coiling it around his finger before letting it go.


    "Glynda and I shall be monitoring the teams, while Oobleck will be on hand to retrieve any students who fall unconscious in the forest. I was hoping to leave watching over the students tonight to yourself and Glynda, Peter."


    Peter Port nodded in agreement, while Glynda rubbed at her forehead and muttered to herself about sleep. Jaune watched for a brief moment before cursing himself as he stepped forwards.


    "I''ll look after the students tonight with Peter." He spoke, causing everyone to go silent as they turned to face him. Glynda looked surprised, while Peter simply looked amused. Out of the corner of his eye, Jaune noticed Ozpin hiding a small smile behind taking a drink of his coffee. "Peter and I can handle that easily enough I believe, if you''re handling initiation tomorrow then you need your rest." He directed the last part towards the blonde woman, who was still looking at him with surprisingly wide eyes, before she coughed and righted herself.


    "I-I would appreciate that, if you are certain?" She looked unsure of herself as she said that, but Jaune quickly shook his head in response.


    "Of course I''m sure. I''m sure Peter will help me if I run into any trouble, right?" He offered to the round man next to him, who nodded his head and patted Jaune on the back with the force of a bear striking him. Jaune staggered forwards slightly as his eyes widened, but managed to not fall over. Holy crap, that was probably going to bruise!


    "Absolutely!" Peter bellowed. "Mr Arc is right, you get your rest Glynda. We can handle a bunch of rowdy students between the two of us."


    "That is fine with myself. If everything is finished, we can depart?" The Headmaster offered as he swept from the room, with Oobleck following quickly afterwards. Glynda paused as she passed in front of Jaune, giving him a suspicious look before looking satisfied and simply nodding.


    "Thank you Professor Port, Jaune, I appreciate the help." Before he could respond she had already vanished from the room, leaving just the two men left. Jaune turned to the older man, only to rear back at suddenly finding the teacher standing not six inches in front of him.


    "My boy!" The man crowed. "Such diligence and generosity! And to achieve such closeness with Miss Goodwitch so quickly. You are beyond even a true hunter like myself."


    "Closeness?" Jaune stammered in confusion, before connecting the dots in his mind. "Oh, I just asked her to call me by my first name¡­ I hope you will too?" It felt weird to be called Mr Arc, all the time, and he had a sinking feeling it would only get worse when the students began calling him that.


    "Of course my boy, as for Miss Goodwitch well¡­" He winked at Jaune, or rather lowered one bushy eyebrow and made a clicking noise with his tongue. "I think we''ve all asked her to call us by our first names, though to no avail eh? But enough of that, let''s talk about what we have to do tonight, looking after young hormone driven students trapped in a room together can be tougher than fighting a grown Nevermore with your bare hands. I should know, I''ve done both, and got the scars from the hormone driven students to prove it!"


    And thus Peter Port launched into a tale of explosions, bravery, young women and a brave sterling Adonis known only as¡­ Peter.


    Yang couldn''t help the smile that came over her lips as she listened to her younger sister ranting her frustration at having been abandoned by her earlier. It looked like her gambit to force her sister to make a friend hadn''t worked quite as she had planned it. Oh it had sort of worked. In a hilarious way that was!


    "And then I found out he was a teacher! I''ve never been so embarrassed in my life!" The cute young girl m.o.a.ned as she buried her face into her arms and stifled a loud groan into the fabric of her sleeves.


    "Aww, don''t sweat it Rubes." Yang tried to comfort, as she patted her sister on the shoulder. "At least you made a good impression, right?" Apparently those were the wrong words as the girl came back to life, waving her arms about animatedly.


    "Oh yeah, sure. Laid out in the middle of the pavement like I''d been hit by a car or something! Great first impression to make to a teacher who could have me expelled. Ughhhhhhh¡­.."


    "No one''s expelling you." Yang replied with a small grin as she rubbed her sister''s hair comfortingly. "And besides, it sounds like the two of you got on well enough. A friend''s still a friend right?"


    "I don''t think it counts if he''s a teacher." Ruby whined, while Yang shook her head in amus.e.m.e.nt. Yeah it really didn''t count if they were teachers, but at the same time this was Ruby, and beggars couldn''t be choosers. She''d rather Ruby have an old man as a friend than no friends.


    "What did he look like anyway, he must be pretty short if you thought he was a student." In her mind she was imagining a small and thin guy, maybe middle aged. Ruby wasn''t exactly the best when it came to noticing details, so she might have just assumed he was her age. Or well, two years above her age.


    "Nuh-uh." Ruby shook her head. "He wasn''t short, he was over six feet tall. But he definitely looked young, only about as old as you, and he had blonde hair too." Huh, was that so? She doubted he could be seventeen, since that would make him a student, but it wasn''t impossible that he might be in his mid-twenties.


    "Was he hot? What was he wearing?" To her amus.e.m.e.nt, Ruby immediately flushed red and began to stutter her denials, even as her hands clenched at her skirt. Yang''s grin widened as she watched Ruby attempt to deny that he was attractive. To Yang''s eyes though, it was clear. Someone has a crush! Oh I am going to milk this¡­


    "Of course you don''t fancy your teacher Rubes." She drawled, pretending she believed it. "What did he look like then, so I don''t call him a student by accident."


    "Okay¡­ well he was about six foot two or three. Blonde hair coming down to above his eyes, while he wore a dark blue long coat over a silver b.r.e.a.s.tplate and light blue jeans. He has bright blue eyes and wields a sword and a shield which can collapse into a sheathe."


    Yang''s eyes widened at the detailed description. Ruby had remembered all that, and more tellingly, had identified his weapons and remembered them. It was official. Her little sister had the hots for teacher. Letting her sister talk for a little longer, Yang strained her eyes to try and find anyone matching that description, but could only see a few guys wrestling in a rather blatant attempt to catch her attention. Seriously¡­ such children¡­ Like she was going to be interested in muscle-bound idiots who were acting like twelve-year olds¡­ if they liked grappling so much then they could have each other.


    "And then I tripped over this crabby girl''s luggage!" Ruby whined, waving her arms at Yang, even as her own lilac eyes began to take notice of a white-haired girl walking up to them, a determined expression on her face. Yang tilted her head to the side in question.


    "YOU!"


    "Eep!" Ruby screamed as she leapt into Yang''s arms, causing her knees to buckle as she quickly adapted to holding her sister''s frame. "Oh God it''s happening again!"


    "Do you even realise how much danger you caused?" The white haired girl accused as she prodded a finger dangerously close to her little sister''s face. Despite herself Yang felt her temper begin to flare, even as Ruby climbed out of her arms. Before she could react however, a door opening caught her attention, especially when a large round man entered with a blonde teen next to him. Yang''s lilac eyes zeroed in on him instantly as her mind connected the dots. An a.d.u.l.t here had to be a teacher¡­ and this tall blonde guy was obviously the other teacher. This was the guy her little sister had the hots for!


    She couldn''t make out too many details from this distance, but he definitely looked like her sister had described, with his tall frame and messy blonde hair. She had to say he cut a rather dangerous figure, and the fact that he was apparently skilled enough to be a teacher at such a young age certainly helped his image. He seemed to be chatting with the older man, the both of them appearing to be friendly colleagues, if not good friends themselves. That made it official in her mind.


    "-caused an explosion!" A shrill voice drew her attention back to the argument taking place before her, even as Ruby looked down at her feet for a moment. Oh wow, her sister really had exploded? Awesome!


    "Calm down now." Yang ordered, holding back her temper now that she knew the teachers were present. Even so she took a step between the girl and Ruby just in case. "I don''t know who you are bu-"


    "Another idiot who doesn''t know who I am?" The rude girl interrupted as she rolled her eyes in an overly dramatic manner. "I am Weiss Schnee, Heiress of the Schnee Dust Company¡­ really do you people know nothing?"


    Your name will be `casualty` if you try that again. Yang growled to herself as her eyes flared red before she forced them back to lilac. From the corner of her vision she could see the blonde teacher approaching them, no doubt drawn to the commotion. Grinning to herself she decided to get her own revenge on the little snot.


    "Well maybe you and Ruby got off on the wrong foot. Why don''t you try and be friends?"


    "Great idea Yang, my name''s Ruby. Let''s be friends!" Her peppy little sister greeted as she held out a hand to be shaken. The Schnee heiress however just swung her arms sarcastically.


    "Oh yeah, and we can go shopping, and paint our nails. And talk about boys like tall, blonde and scraggly." She said this while pointing at the teacher, who was now stood right behind the heiress. She sighed dramatically and span to face him, presumably giving him an evil glare. "Do you have nothing better to do than come over here and interrupt me?"


    Yang''s grin widened to epic proportions.


    The tall man''s eyes narrowed briefly, while his brows drew down in a stern expression, even while Ruby finally noticed who it was and let out a startled "eep" from beside Yang.


    "Heya Professor." Yang greeted with an easy wave and a subtle emphasis on his title, causing the white-haired girl to freeze.


    "Good afternoon, I hope you students are having a¡­ calm¡­ day?" Oh, he looked ticked alright, though definitely not at her or Ruby, which was a plus in her book. She''d had enough of teachers who seemed to just throw everyone involved into the guilty pile, even when they had seen the entire incident themselves.


    "P-professor?" The white-haired heiress muttered in surprise and possibly horror as she turned to look at the young man. "You?"


    "Indeed. Me." The man replied with an arched eyebrow. "I am Professor Jaune Arc of Beacon Academy. But enough about me, let''s talk about you. Like how about how you''re going to stop causing an argument before I have to take this any further?"


    "O-of course! My apologies Professor Arc." The girl apologised quickly while curtseying in embarrassment. Yang couldn''t help but stick her tongue out to spite the girl, enjoying the irritation on her face at seeing the gesture. The man''s blue eyes met her own before she could retract it however, and for a moment she froze with her tongue still sticking out from between her lips, waiting for him to comment on it.


    "Sis!" Ruby hissed as she elbowed Yang harshly, causing her to retract her tongue before she bit it off from the shock.


    "Regardless." The man continued, sparing Yang an amused glance before turning back to the Schnee girl. "The term hasn''t even started so I don''t want to ruin my day with a discipline issue this quickly, why don''t you find somewhere to rest."


    "Of course, sir. I am so sorry!" He waved her off as the girl fled, a blush of embarrassment on her face at having been called out so early.


    "Well, that''s sorted." The man spoke to himself as he turned to face them. Yang felt something jostle her for a moment before she looked down to see that Ruby had half-hidden herself behind Yang. D''awwwww! She cooed in her mind.


    "Are you two okay?" He asked, his voice was calmer now and the timbre of it did make Yang thing he was around their age. He must be skilled indeed to be a teacher.


    "Thanks to you, yeah. Thanks for the save Prof." She grinned at the man, subtly noticing that he was a little bit taller than herself which was a nice feeling. While she liked her height, it was sometimes a bit awkward being taller than most guys.


    "From what I saw, I''m not sure if I saved you or her." He replied as he looked her in the eyes for a few moments, causing a knowing grin to come to Yang''s lips. Yeah she''d been close to just smacking the little girl. "Outside of lessons please feel free to call me Jaune, Professor makes me feel quite old."


    "Sure thing, Jaune." She whispered his name out in a sultry manner as she stepped away from her sister and placed a hand flat on the man''s upper chest. Her lilac eyes looked into his, hoping to see some kind of blush or similar, but instead he simply raised an eyebrow. "My name''s Yang Xiao-Long, but you can call me Yang. I hear you know my sister Ruby."


    "We''ve met yes. Thank you for keeping me company earlier Ruby."


    "No problem." The smaller girl whispered back as she waved shyly at him. Yang watched his face carefully, but was pleased to see just a small amount of confusion in his eyes, rather than any lecherous expression. It seemed he hadn''t realised that Ruby liked him, which was probably for the best. Even so, she''d best get his attention away from Ruby before he did catch on. While she was keen to tease Rubes to high Heaven about this, she didn''t want the guy to notice and maybe take advantage of her cute sibling.


    "Hmmm¡­ so you helped out my little sister too? I think that deserved a reward¡­" She let the last bit trail off as she stepped closer to him, only a few scant inches between her b.r.e.a.s.ts and his chest as she looked up into his face. To her surprised delight the man simply raised a single eyebrow as he looked down on her.


    "I''m sure I have no idea what you''re talking about Miss Xiao-Long." The man whispered back as he smiled and leaned towards her, before turning and walking slowly away, not once looking back at her stunned expression.


    Smooth, confident, and he knew how to play the game? Oh yeah¡­ she was going to have fun with this one! School had just become that much more interesting.


    Now if only Ruby would stop kicking the back of her legs angrily.


    Jaune kept his eyes firmly locked forwards as he forced his wobbly legs to carry him away from Ruby and her¡­ sister. Her older sister, her much more developed sister. Good Gods, that woman¡­ he didn''t know whether he was supposed to be scared or aroused, but he definitely knew which one he was feeling.


    Down boy! DOWN! He begged within his mind, thanking his new coat for being able to hide his lower body from view. Sure it was a biological reaction, but he was fairly sure teachers weren''t supposed to pitch a tent when talking to their students. Then again, students weren''t meant to flirt so blatantly with their teachers either.


    And there was the other problem. A girl had flirted with him! A drop-dead s.e.xy girl who was surely so far out of his league it wasn''t funny. And he couldn''t do anything about it ¨C because she was his student!


    Gahhhh! His mind screamed in agony. If only he''d got in as a student he might have had a chance, for God''s sake, why was life so unfair!? Instead he''d been forced to turn tail and flee from her advances, a move which had probably really impressed her. Yep, guy runs away from flirting. Very s.e.xy.


    He''d just wanted to help out his new friend Ruby¡­ though that friendship was probably going to be tenuous now, judging by how the girl had acted. Peter had agreed, saying Jaune should show his authority to stop the argument from coming to blows.


    So he''d steeled his nerves wandered over just in time to hear himself being insulted¡­ and almost crapped himself when the white-haired girl had given him a glare cold enough to freeze his lungs.


    At least I managed to force something out¡­ and it seemed to work. Which was a miracle in and of itself. Honestly, it looked more like the girl was trying to avoid getting in trouble, but it still meant he had solved the problem like a teacher would. And if he had to rely on threats of detention to get his point across? Well, that was fine with him.


    As long as he never had to handle the detention itself¡­ Maybe that was left to Miss Goodwitch? That would certainly convince the students never to get a detention again.


    "Well handled my boy." Peter congratulated as Jaune finally made his way back to the wall the large man was leaning against, accepting a cup of coffee handed to him. Taking a deep sip, he was surprised to note just how nice the coffee at Beacon was.


    "I didn''t really do anything." Jaune waved the compliment away, but was secretly pleased to have confirmation that he was doing things like he was supposed to. One of the tips on Glynda''s cheat sheet had been to never show fear or uncertainty in front of a student, and it had seemed to work wonders here. "But at least it was sorted out."


    "Indeed lad. And the important thing is that the students learn who you are, and what you are." That was a good point he supposed, and again he was pleasantly surprised by how intelligent the large man actually was. "Looks like the kids are getting ready for bed." He added, pointing his mug in a direction that Jaune followed.


    Ughh¡­. And had his mind instantly let out a tortured death whine at seeing the creamy white legs of a redheaded woman changing into her pyjamas, right at the moment she bent over, granting him a perfect image of her toned rear and black underwear. It''s official¡­ I''m doomed.


    His blue eyes trailed a little further, seeing a few other young, and very fit, girls slipping into sleeping clothes. Oh, nothing was really shown bar the brief flashes of underwear¡­ but it was enough to keep his attention locked. It didn''t surprise him in the least that he caught a few other guys watching along with him.


    "I-is it wise to have guys and girls change in front of each other like this!?" Jaune stuttered out with a loud gulp as he forced more coffee down his throat, and importantly cut off his vision with the dark liquid and bright white mug.


    "Ho? Well this is as much a test as the initiation my boy. A hunter must be disciplined. There is a reason the two of us are here after all." Jaune coughed loudly as the man slapped another bear paw into his back, drawing someone nearby people''s attention to the pair. A few students pointed at him before turning to their fellows, no doubt trying to figure out who he was. He supposed they would learn sooner or later. "I suppose some of these students are close to your age aren''t they my boy. Don''t let Glynda catch you looking." The man added as he laughed loudly at Jaune''s expense.


    Oh Gods¡­ he could just imagine if Glynda Goodwitch caught him flirting with a student or similar, that was probably so far against the rules that she would skin him alive and use him as a tapestry for her office.


    "I can control my hormones if I have to." Jaune replied, in what was possible the biggest falsehood he had told since arriving, especially considering what said hormones were doing right at this moment. Calm¡­ it will be easier when this is over and they have their own rooms¡­


    Please sir¡­ I''m late on my homework¡­ perhaps you could accept something else¡­


    "-aune. Jaune!? You there my boy?" A voice broke into his daydream as he shook his head and turned to look at his fellow professor.


    "Heh?" He answered back stupidly, hoping he wasn''t bleeding from his nose like a poor quality anime character or something.


    "I said `it looks like your group is acting up again,` you might want to sort them out." Jaune followed the man''s gaze to see that once again Ruby, Yang and the white-haired girl were shouting at one another. Though this time they were doing so beside a wall where a black-haired girl with a bow was resting.


    "Again?" Jaune simply whined as he pushed himself off the wall. Beside him, Peter snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt.


    "It''s difficult to quell the spirits of a huntress-in-training. Though sometimes we must try for the sake of peace. Remember my boy, they have claws!"


    "Sure. If I look like I''m about to die come help me." Jaune sighed back, smiling as he got a short laugh from the man. It was strange to imagine that out of a room full of teenagers his own age, he was becoming fast friends with a man who looked to easily be over forty.


    "I was always on your side!" Ruby shouted loudly as Jaune approached, taking a few quick moments to address the scene. It literally was the exact same culprits again, though they were now dressed in revealing night clothes. Thank God for Ruby, who was simply dressed in a cute pair of pyjama bottoms and a tank top. He keenly made sure to keep his eyes away from the blonde haired girl''s legs, though he noticed her lips twist into an evil smirk when saw him approaching. Though whether that was because she could tease him, or just because he was about to tell the white-haired girl off again was uncertain.


    "Okay-okay. Break it up ladies." He instructed as he casually walked between the four of them, though one was hardly a combatant, buried in her book as she was.


    Once again the white-haired girl''s eyes widened in sudden fear at seeing him, and her mouth shut with a loud click as she waited to be told off. Jaune sucked in a breath and let it out in a long sigh. He really didn''t want to be telling someone off twice in a single night, when they hadn''t been to any lessons yet¡­ he was going to get a bad reputation at this rate.


    "I don''t know who started this." He instead spoke to all of them, making sure to look into Ruby''s eyes as she cast her gaze down in slight shame. The white-haired girl did the same, though she looked to the side awkwardly. The blonde demon simply shuffled on her feet a little, but still grinned challengingly as he looked into her eyes. The final girl still didn''t look up from her book, apparently happy to assume he wasn''t telling her off.


    Well¡­ she was right, he supposed.


    "But I am finishing it. I win, everyone loses. Go to sleep." Jaune was surprised to hear a few muffled giggles from people around them at his words, even as the three being told off blushed a little. The white-haired one was the first to leave, nodding respectfully at Jaune before storming away in definite anger. He hoped he hadn''t made an enemy there.


    Ruby at least was easier to read. She looked up at him uncertainly, and he eased her concern by giving her a quick smile and a small shrug back to her, as if to say sorry, it''s my job. She seemed to understand him, nodding and smiling as she wandered back to her sleeping area.


    "Heh, I''ll win next time prof." Yang quipped as she winked at him salaciously before wandering after her sister, though he definitely noticed the swaying of her rear in her tight sleeping shorts. God damn¡­


    Finally he turned to the quiet girl who was sat against the wall, noticing for the first time that she was wearing a sleeping yukata that left her long legs free to his vision. And what nice legs those are- NO! BAD!


    Seriously though¡­ did she have to sit with her legs propped up like that, as if tempting him to try and follow the curves up towards-


    "It will be lights out soon, I would find a place to stop." He instead interrupted himself before his mind and eyes could lead him into any further trouble. For the first time the girl turned her attention away from her book, meeting his eyes with bright yellow orbs that caught him off guard for a moment. What an unusual colour¡­


    "Thank you." She spoke simply, her voice soft but pleasant. Jaune simply smiled back and nodded before walking away.


    Frankly, he couldn''t wait to get this night over so he could stop being taunted by all these beautiful girls in their night clothes¡­ why couldn''t they wear something more conservative!? Like his onesie¡­

 Chapter 327 - My SI Stash #27 - The Red Skies of Tamriel by Charles Garett Abbott (Skyrim)

    -Another SI in Skyrim that don''t waste time bullshitting, it''s pretty much a speedrun~


    Synopsis: Nirn is unmappable, and its denizens shall never know peace.


    Rated: ???


    Words: 23K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-red-skies-of-tamriel-skyrim-si.860119/ (Charles Garett Abbott)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    "Hey, you, you''re finally awake."


    Ralof looked at the young man across from him. Blues eyes blinking open as they glanced feverishly back and forth across the cart.


    ''Guess he is a Nord then.'' Ralof sighed, fidgeting in the binders on his arms. ''one more kinsman for the chopping block.''


    The man, or maybe he was a boy, he was beardless at least, though on the other hand he was about the same height as Jarl Ulfric, looked confused. Glancing back and forth in the cart with a look of surprise as his mouth hung open slightly.


    "You were trying to cross the border right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there."


    "Damn you-" the thief to his left started to curse, but the newly awakened man shook his head.


    "No I¡­ this is wrong." The man grumbled. "This, you''re¡­ hell."


    "They get you in the head or something? I''d suggest some mead but I doubt they''ll let us have any." Ralof chuckled at his own joke, earning a glare from the man, who sat upright in his seat, glancing back and forth.


    "This isn''t actually¡­" the man fidgeted in his bonds. "Shit, well then. Good to meet you all. Lokir, my condolences."


    "Huh?" The thief beside him looked confused. "what do you mean? And how do you know my name?"


    "Actually, I suppose it''s not entirely possible for you to survive. Just don''t run until the dragon shows up." The man turned to face Ralof "that goes for all of us I suppose, though I can''t imagine it matters for either of you two."


    "I think you''ve taken a blow too many to the head kinsman." Ralof sighed, leave it to him to the empire to stick the Jarl and him in the cart with the crazy one. "There hasn''t been a dragon since¡­ I don''t even know how long."


    "Eh, Akatosh manifested as one in the Oblivion crisis." The man shrugged. "And I''m quite sure that we''ll see another in a few minutes."


    "I don''t think¡­" Ralof started but then noticed that Jarl Ulfric was looking sharply at the insane man.


    "Shut up back there." The carriage driver cracked his reigns.


    Ralof sighed, and the carts denizens fell into an uneasy silence.


    The madman was if course, the first to speak. "Hmm, bigger than it was¡­"


    Ralof looked down the road, following his gaze to find a large work of stone and wood covering the road. He recognized the sight at once as Helgen. The fortress town east of Falkreath.


    "Aye, Helgen, I used to be sweet on a girl from there. I wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with Juniper Berries?"


    The man glanced at him, then back to the town. "It is a sight, though I fear that for many this will be its last day."


    "Aye." Ralof nodded, the man was making some sense at last. "Sovngarde awaits."


    "And there''s Tullius." The madman nodded, got blood shooting up Ralof''s spine at the mention of the man as he turned to eye the military governor. "And Elenwen, the Thalmor ambassador with him. I imagine she''s here to delay the execution."


    Ralof rounded on the man at once, barely glancing at the yellow-skinned daedra. "Why would the damn Thalmor want to delay the execution?"


    "Every drop of bloodshed in Skyrim works to her advantage." The Nord shrugged, and at once Ralof could tell he was not a Stormcloak, nor even sympathetic, for he glanced at Ulfric when he spoke, accusation plain in his eyes.


    "Watch what you say." Ralof felt himself almost growl. "That''s the true king of Skyrim that you''re glaring at."


    "True king or not, the war''s end is not in the Thalmor''s interest. Nor in the Dragon''s."


    Ralof glared at the madman, then shrugged. "It doesn''t matter anyway. From the look she''s giving Tullius, I doubt her scheme was successful, whatever it was."


    "Of course not, the man''s not a fool." The madman said. "It doesn''t matter though, the Dragon will be interrupting the execution."


    "Dragons this and dragon that, what are you some kind of cultist." The thief beside him groaned angrily at the man. "They''re going to kill us and all you talk about are some old stories."


    "The whole world is just an old story. I''ve already been here too many times to be scared."


    Ralof raised an eyebrow at the man''s words as the cart rolled to a stop against one of the walls. Across the courtyard was the headsman''s block. The heavyset executioner standing at the ready.


    "Line up now, one at a time."


    Ralof knew that voice¡­ "Hadvar, you dog." He nearly snarled as he stepped off the cart. "Do you''re the one condemning me to death eh?"


    The man stared him dead in the eye, holding a list in front of him. His uniform was that of an officer, and it seemed his once friend had risen swiftly in the legion. "Ralof of Riverwood." The man sighed. "You know I wouldn''t do this if you hadn''t become a traitor Ralof." The man laid a mark on his paper. "I''d rather be sharing a drink at the sleeping giant. You know that."


    "Cold comfort, Hadvar." Ralof nearly sneered, but a shout to hurry it up saw him shoved away into a crowd of prisoners standing about waiting to die.


    He turned at the noise of a scuffle behind him and saw that the madman had tackled Lohkir, even with his hands tied behind him. "You''ll die if you run. Idiot." The man shouted at him, working his way back into his feet as the imperials watched on with odd gazes. "They have archers right there."


    "Let me go! They''re not, you''re not gonna kill me!"


    Ralof turned his head. The thief had no dignity in his death, unsurprising. Though the madman might have at least helped the man delay it for a few more moments at least.


    They dragged the thief over at spearpoint, and the madman followed a minute later. Followed by that bitch of a captain and a rather guilty looking Hadvar.


    He could muster that up for some dragon obsessed moron, but not for the man he grew up with?


    Tullius shouted some imperial horseshit at Ulfric for a minute, and then the priest raised her hands up to give last rights when a roar that agent a shiver up his spine fell over the valley.


    While the Imperials dismissed it. The sound left a rock in Ralof''s stomach, and he glanced back and forth frantically until his gaze fell upon the madman, who was staring up towards the sky.


    ''Impossible¡­'' But despite his thoughts, Ralof found his own gaze drifting skywards. He sighed in relief as he found nothing wrong. Content once again that the man was a madman and nothing more.


    Lohk stopped the priestess from giving their last rights and lost his head for the effort. Fearless in death as he was in life, the man marched to the chopping block with a smile on his face and a quip on his lips. Ralof uttered a small prayer to Shor as the ax came down.


    Then they called the madman, and another roar split the sky.


    This time though, it came with the beating of wings, and Ralof felt the boulder return to his stomach twice as heavy when he spotted that great black shape spreading out across the sky.


    The Imperials were shouting, but he could barely hear them as the Dragon approached, each beat of its wings was like thunder in his mind. Its eyes were red as blood and fiercely calculating. Covered in Dark scales like shields and Spikes like swords, it must have been three times the size of a Mammoth as it crashed down with an earthshaking slam atop the tower before them.


    Evil eyes the size of a man''s fist stared down at the crowd from above as if they were all no more than ants, and Ralof felt true, real terror. Far more than he had from the headsman''s ax.


    Then it spoke and the sky shattered.


    Ralof couldn''t hear, couldn''t think, couldn''t breathe. The world itself seemed to tear apart as firey stones rained from the heavens as if an army had laid siege to Helgen with a hundred catapults.


    "Get moving you morons."


    Ralof felt a shoulder knock his back, and he stumbled but caught himself before he could fall.


    Turning, he saw the mad- well, maybe less mad man, that and the thief, who was already running for cover.


    "Come on, you wanna live don''t you?"


    Ralof nodded numbly, following behind the man as they, along with most of the prisoners, rushed into the nearest stone tower to escape the deadly rain of fire.


    He was rewarded for his escape by a pat on the back.


    "Ralof, good, damn good, you made it." Jarl Ulfric patted him on the back, and Ralof felt relief that the king had made it through.


    "What is that thing? Could the legends be true."


    "Legends don''t burn down the villages." The Jarl''s gaze moved to the madman, or perhaps seer. "Perhaps our friend knows more."


    "Not a good time for it I''m afraid, but yes, I do know a great deal." The man nodded. "Would you mind getting my binds off? I think I''ll need my hands to get out of here alive."


    "Of course." Ralof nodded, pulling the knotted ropes off of the man''s wrists.


    "Thank you."


    As he moved to do the same to the thief he looked back and forth. "We can''t stay in this tower, not unless we-"


    Before he could finish the sound of shattering stone and roaring fire echoed out from the floor above them.


    "Well, unless we want that to happen to us." He shrugged. "Lokir, follow me if you want to live." The man turned to Jarl Ulfric, giving a short bow. "I presume his majesty can make his own way out, should he so choose."


    "Don''t mock me, seer." The Jarl spoke dangerously, though neither had a weapon.


    Ralof was about to follow after the two as they moved up the stairs when he felt a hand come down on his shoulder.


    "Ralof, I need to talk to you for a moment." The king said gravely. "This town was a prison center. And someone must go to free our brothers and sisters in the keep."


    Ralof felt his eyes widen, but he nodded quickly. "It will be done, my king."


    Chapter 2


    ''Talos¡­''


    It was¡­


    Everything was on fire.


    Smoke choked his lungs as he tried to get up onto his feet, staggering in the haze of explosions and death. Burning human flesh assaulted his nostrils, and the sounds of explosions and splintering wood filled in whatever was left beyond the ringing in his ears.


    Helgen was ablaze.


    He could see the inn was on fire, other buildings were collapsed, some entirely, and the choking smoke and soot were everywhere. Above it all there was that great black monster, belching fire and ruin down over the world.


    He tried to go for the waterskin at his hip but found it missing.


    ''this day just keeps on getting better and better doesn''t it?''


    Sighing, he pushed through the rubble by the inn. There had to be someone there right?


    Palpable relief found its way into him as he saw that indeed, the ones in the inn had made it out alive, only¡­


    Vilod lay there in the middle of the street, clutching his leg. Hadvar made to move towards him, but a hand came down on his shoulder. "Get behind the wall." It dragged him down, and before he could demand an answer he heard the great landing of the dragon and felt the heat of its breath bathing the wall behind him.


    It seemed to last forever, the wall bathed in fiery wrath. He turned to his side to see one of the townsmen there, clutching Vilod''s son to his chest.


    The boy had survived at least.


    At his own shoulder, he found a familiar pair of men. The Prisoners, Lokir of Rorikstead, and¡­ the other one. The one that hadn''t been on the list. That one had been the one to pull him back. He must have seen the dragon coming.


    As the fire at last subsided, he peeked over the barrier and at once felt like throwing up.


    What was left of the innkeeper was little more than a charred skeleton, the molten flesh still bubbling around it. The smell hit him in the next moment, even as the prisoner tugged at him to move.


    "Get your head on straight Hadvar." The man commanded, and whatever it was in his voice, it worked.


    ''Right, I''m a legionary, In better than this." The encounter with Ralof had shaken him, but it still wasn''t his way to cower. He moved to his feet. "Take care of the boy." He ordered the townsman. "I need to regroup with general Tullius."


    "God''s bless you Hadvar."


    He felt a pang of guilt that he didn''t even know the man''s name. He had been in Helgen for a while, but still¡­


    No, now wasn''t the time to think about that. Now was the time to keep moving.


    The nameless prisoner seemed to know what he was doing at least. Immediately making for the alley along the wall, which ought to provide then at least a bit of shelter. The horse thief just looked panicked in comparison. Still, he seemed convinced that the other was right, and the three of them made good time through the alley towards the square at the front of the town.


    Then it came again.


    A sudden fear, a shadow passing over them.


    Hadvar mustered all his conviction and barked out a hasty order.


    "Against the wall NOW."


    He threw himself into the stone, just in time too as the dragon crashed down ahead of them atop it, and swiftly delivered another roaring blast of flame into some poor unfortunate soul around the corner.


    As before, the breath lasted far too long, as Hadvar sat there against the wall, hoping to the gods that it hadn''t seen them. He could feel the heat, hear the screams until they were silenced.


    He made a point not to look at the body as they all went around the corner once the dragon left. The smell alone was bad enough in the right confines.


    One last trip through a half-collapsed shack and they were out. The square opened up, and he felt his spirits lift as he saw more legionaries, rallying together a defense of archers and mages.


    "Where''s the general?" He asked the nearest private. The woman nodded towards the gate, and after a moment he spotted the man. Tullius was in the middle of a cl.u.s.ter of people, ordering them about.


    The General spotted him almost immediately as he approached, and gestured towards the northern side of town. "Hadvar? Get to the Keep, soldier, we''re leaving."


    For a moment he was confused, then he recalled the tunnels beneath the building.


    He gave a short salute though he doubted the general saw it and glanced behind him at the two prisoners. The nameless one was looking at him sharply, while the horse thief stared at him incredulously.


    "We''re going with you either way." The Nord said plainly, and Hadvar nodded to him.


    The three of them dashed into the gate of the fortified section once again, racing towards the keep, when Hadvar saw the face that he least wanted to see. Also dashing towards their destination.


    "Ralof you damn traitor!" He shouted, feeling bile rise in his gut. "Out of my way."


    "We''re leaving Hadvar, you can''t stop us this time!"


    Suddenly he felt someone grab his wrist. "Morons the both of you!"


    It was the prisoner, and he pulled his hand free from the man''s grip even as he turned on Ralof.


    "That''s a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Dragon up there, and you think we have time to bicker? Kill each other later, but for now, we must move as one or perish." The man turned back at Hadvar and his gaze seemed to ask if he had made his point clear.


    In truth, he had. Hadvar felt like an idiot now for even picking the fight with Ralof. There was so much death now, what did that even matter.


    "Right." He nodded. "Follow me."


    He glanced back slightly to see Ralof and the prisoner argue slightly more before the prisoner somehow convinced the Stormcloak to come with them.


    Still, he didn''t come happily, and Hadvar could feel his old friend''s gaze burning a hole in the back of his head.


    Blessedly, the barracks were still intact when the four of them got inside. It seemed that the dragon hadn''t yet turned his gaze towards this part of the fortress.


    The Prisoner shut the door behind them with a heavy thud, and the shouting faded, though the smell of burnt flesh still clung to all of them like a burial shawl.


    For a moment, they all stood there, glancing at each other, as if hoping that someone at least had a plan. Though it wasn''t long before the Horse Thief Lokir collapsed to his knees. "Thank the gods."


    The other prisoner quickly rained on his parade, however.


    "We''re not out of the fire just yet." The man said, glancing back and forth around the room. "Hadvar, they keep the armor in these chests right. We''re not going to be much use wearing rags."


    "Yes." He nodded, "there should be some in the chests by the beds."


    "Right then." The man nodded, moving over and pulling out a couple of the standard Legionary jerkins. He threw one across the room to Lokir as he started to undress. "I expect we won''t be the only folks down here. I''d much rather talk our way out past the humans, but I believe there will also be frostbite spiders and a bear down below, so we''re going to end up fighting regardless."


    Hadvar stepped back for a moment, taking another look at the odd man, who seemed to be struggling a bit with the leather ties on his armor. Not that he could blame him. It had taken Hadvar months to get comfortable with all the fiddly bits. "How could you possibly know that?"


    "Because I''ve already been here many times before." The man answered, shrugging. "Do stay behind me as we descend, parts of the building will collapse."


    "What does that-"


    "He''s a seer, Hadvar." Ralof cut in. "He knew the dragon was coming before it arrived."


    "I suppose that''s as good a word for it as any." The man nodded. "I have¡­ esoteric, knowledge. Though I would not call it foresight precisely."


    "You knew the Dragon was coming?" Hadvar felt anger rise up in his veins, Vilod, all those people, the screaming. His voice turned harsh. "Why didn''t you tell anyone?!"


    The man looked at him as if he had grown another head.


    "Would you have believed me? Ralof didn''t."


    The question struck Hadvar dumb. Of course, he wouldn''t have believed him. His anger fell away at once to be replaced with a sour melancholy. "No, no, I suppose you''re right." Hadvar sighed, turning from the group, best to move on to more pressing matters. "If there''s fighting then you all will need to be armed. There should be some swords back here."


    "I''ll take one." The seer said, nodding slightly, "though I''ll hope not to use it."


    Hadvar watched as the man held his hand up and let out a small puff of flames that dissipated in the air.


    He was a mage too.


    Lovely.


    As the weapons were passed out, and they prepared to move on, Ralof spoke again, asking the question Hadvar had been too disoriented to ask.


    "What''s your name, Seer? I''ll have the name of the one who fights with me."


    For once, the mage seemed to be caught flat-footed, pausing in his step as the gate opened ahead of them.


    Hadvar watched his figures as he seemed to consider the answer for a moment before they finally solidified.


    "You can call me Charlemagne."


    Chapter 3


    Keeping a poker face up was an important skill, especially in stressful situations.


    Normally, I was quite bad at it. But this whole thing, well, none of it was normal, and as far as I could tell I was doing a good job of not showing my confusion to the group of Nords I had managed to scr.a.p.e together.


    What''s that, you expected terror? So did I, but despite the horrors I had witnessed in the last few minutes, and the monstrosity that was Alduin roaring overhead, the terror never came.


    It was odd, I half wondered if I had gone into shock somehow. I thought that I ought to be vomiting in a corner by now. But even as I walked through the charred ruins and over burnt corpses, it was as if none of it even touched me. Not that I appreciated the smell mind, it was just that I¡­ Well, I expected to feel more than confusion.


    Still, the question of how and why I got here sat heavier in my head than any of the brutal deaths that men and women had suffered right before my eyes. And even as we finally got into the stupid armory, it was all I could think about.


    What kind of power had plucked me up like that? Had it been God, Satan? Was I in a coma? I couldn''t remember suffering any sort of injury that could put me in one.


    Perhaps one of the powers native to this world had snatched me up? If so then it was a hell of a joke. Perhaps it was Sheogorath, or maybe Sanguine. Though in all honesty, I doubted that either had the power to reach into a space that was presumably beyond the Godhead and drag me to Mundus.


    I shook myself from my thoughts as we approached the central chamber of the keep. I raised a hand. "Stormcloaks, Ralof, you should go first, we should talk this out. No need to send any more bloodshed among Nords, not this day."


    The man nodded, moving past me and pulling a crank to open up the central area. The two went to arms at once, but thankfully relaxed when they saw him.


    I had to give the man credit, he talked them over to our side fairly quickly, and the two introduced themselves as Haelga and Thror. They were uncomfortable with Hadvar, for obvious reasons, but they eased up on me and Lokir once it was explained that we had only just now put on the armor, and weren''t legionaries at all. I decided it was still probably best to reinforce the fact that we would move as a group.


    "Look, once we''re out of here, you can all part ways fair as you like. I don''t care if you want to murder each other on the battlefield, but here and now we''re all Nords, and that Dragon won''t spare a single one of us from his claws or his breath."


    "Not True Nords¡­" the woman, Haelga, commented though after a moment she nodded. "Still, I see your point. We can wait until the dragon is gone." She turned to Ralof. "We''ll follow your lead."


    "Aye, you have my ax." her dour companion nodded, bowing slightly towards Ralof.


    "Thank you, kinsmen. I only hope that the imperials below will be as honorable as you."


    Our group now expanded to six, we continued down to the floor below, and I had to grab Haelga''s shoulder to keep her from walking into the collapsing section of the tunnel, dragging her back.


    She looked like she was going to shout at me until the roof came down a few feet in front of us.


    "... How did you know that was going to happen."


    "I''m a seer, I''ve seen this all before," I explained curtly. "We can cut around through the storerooms."


    While she turned to Ralof for wisdom, I peeked through the storeroom door. It was legionaries this time. It seemed that bringing both Hadvar and Ralof had resulted in a mixed distribution. They weren''t paying attention to the door at least.


    "Your turn Hadvar." I whispered to the man.


    The Imperials were distinctly less happy to be traveling with Stormcloaks, though thankfully, they were actually part of an organized military, and Hadvar was able to simply pull rank to bring the two into line. Laius and Sibir joined our group, the two men falling in behind Hadvar and glaring at the rest of us.


    I was glad for it honestly. Having a balance of parties would probably maintain our fragile little alliance as we moved forward.


    We managed to dig a few healing potions out of the storeroom, and our larger group passed on down towards the torture chamber.


    Again, I found myself surprised at my own lack of reaction to the gore-soaked floor, for it was clear there had been a fight down here. More than a dozen corpses lay scattered around, including the torturer and his assistant, who seemed to have been killed in a last desperate struggle at the door to the cagelike structure at the back of the room.


    "Gods, what a bloodbath." Lokir looked a bit squeamish.


    "None of these men needed to die." I gestured to the corpses and the blood pooling on the slick cobblestone floor. "War or no, there are bigger things at play here today. I only wish we could have arrived here sooner."


    "What do you mean bigger things." the bald legionnaire, Laius asked."That dragon came in and saved Ulfric and-"


    "Ulfric didn''t summon that dragon." Ralof cut him off. "Though it did save us. He wouldn''t burn a town and slaughter it''s people just for the sake of-"


    "Let''s stop there," Hadvar said sharply. "We all hate each other, fine, but we''re not out of these blasted tunnels yet."


    "Exactly." I nodded, offering a pack of lockpicks to Lokir. "Think you can get that cage with the Wizard in it open?"


    "Er yeah, I can probably do that." the man nodded.


    "Good, his robes are probably enchanted."


    "Ah, right."


    While Lokir worked, the rest of us gathered bows and arrows from the dead and gathered them into two piles against the sides of the room. I left their fellows to say last rights over them before we moved on. I hoped that they made it to Sovngarde before Alduin devoured their souls.


    I changed quickly into the robes, finding them a tight but adequate fit, I could feel my energy surge as I put them on. I resisted the urge to shoot fire from my hands.


    The discovery that I held that power, that real, actual, magic, was a light in this otherwise grim situation.


    That done, we passed down into the cells, following a trail of blood that must have been left by the last survivors of the scuffle in the torture chamber. The cells were dingy and damp, and as with the city above there were more of them than there had been in the game, but we soon reached the large chamber where all of the streams ran through.


    We also found the corpse at the end of the trail of blood, a Stormcloak woman whose intestines were splayed out on the ground beside her. She must have limped this whole way holding them in, only to die here.


    Ralof moved up, pressing her eyes closed with his hand. "You can rest now sister¡­ if only we had been quicker to your side."


    While the Stormcloaks said a short prayer over her, I crossed the room, pointing out the large flammable patch of oil on the floor. I waited until the whole group was there before I pulled the lever to lower the rear drawbridge. "Everyone else crosses before me," I ordered. "The ceiling will fall behind me."


    They looked at me for a moment, then Hadvar nodded, crossing with the legionaries, and the Stormcloaks moved quickly behind him. I went with Lokir last, and sure enough not a moment passed after I had crossed the bridge before a shower of stone rained down, smashing it apart and closing the hallway behind us.


    I got sharp looks of surprise and a bit of fear from all of them after that, save Ralof, who seemed thankfully resigned to my foresight.


    "Next is frostbite spiders. Don''t let them bite you. If we can fire down into the room we can probably force them into a chokepoint in the hallways." I glanced over the group. "On the other hand, there''s enough of us that we can probably just take them head-on. There''s normally only four, though I suppose there might be more that I don''t normally see. Some will be in the ceiling."


    "Right." Ralof nodded sharply. "You heard the man, get your bows out, we''ll lure them into the halls."


    It wasn''t long at all before we found their den and with a few well-placed arrows courtesy of the trained soldiers in the party, we managed to lure the largest ones out.


    Unlike the game though, there were a lot of smaller ones, ranging from the size of Tarantulas to scuttling monsters as big as Chihuahuas, all accompanying the man-sized freaks that were most dangerous. If I wasn''t already quite hardened against them, it''d probably give me arachnophobia.


    On the other hand, most arachnophobes couldn''t shoot flamethrowers from their hands.


    We left a thoroughly scorched cave of smoldering spiderwebs behind us as we finally departed the vile den, though one of the legionaries managed to harvest their venom, which was good.


    "The last thing between us and the exit is a cave bear," I said quickly. "Dangerous, but we have enough arrows here I don''t think it''ll give us trouble, at least if we engage at range.


    The thing looked like a rock in the half-light of the cave, big as it was sleeping surrounded by the bones of elk and the like. Honestly, the bones were kind of surprising, and I had to wonder if Skyrim''s bears were more aggressive hunters than the ones in my old world. It didn''t matter to us that much though, as while our first volley of arrows saw it roaring to its feet, the second volley dug deep. By the fourth, it was starting to resemble a porcupine, and it hadn''t managed to get over to us.


    "Good shooting." I commended the men, before gesturing to the stream that ran out of the tunnel. "Now if you would like to leave this keep, I believe we now have a clear path to the exit."


    That at least got a good reaction, and our little eight-man band of angry soldiers finally marched out of the depths of Helgen keep, and into the noonday sunlight. Before they could go for their arms and get back to killing each other though, the sky was again interrupted by those great black wings, flying overhead as the world eater made his departure, reminding everyone there if they needed it, or what exactly we had been running from.


    Nobody moved, nobody even dared speak, until the monstrosity had left our sight over the throat of the world. Whatever will to battle between the two groups had been boiling before faded quickly under the fear of the dragon.


    "I¡­ I think that we can put aside our hostilities for a little while longer," Hadvar said, at last, looking over at Ralof. "To Riverwood? We can all restock there and return to the war once we''ve recovered."


    "Hadvar you-, Fine, by Talos I have no more patience for this today."


    "Thank the eight," Lokir grumbled from where he had firmly planted himself to my side. "I''ve had enough of fighting to last me a lifetime." The man turned to me, "You should come with me to Rorikstead once we reach Riverwood, we can stay with my parents for a while."


    "Unfortunately Lokir, I can''t take you up on that." I shook my head, "Nice as it sounds, I''m afraid that my own fight has only just started."

 Chapter 328 - My OC Stash #28 - Professor Arc II: Headmaster Arc by Coeur AlAran (RWBY)

    -Coeur is just an absolute unit of an author, I''ve greatly enjoyed the humor and Jaune''s growth in almost all of his stories. From a Professor Arc to Headmaster Arc~ Also it''s because of him I ship Neo and Jaune/ PLS MAN


    Synopsis: He didn''t know the first thing about running a school, nor fixing a political disaster spanning all of Remnant. Hell, he didn''t even know how to deal with the world-ending conspiracy in the background, let alone a former-headmaster-possessed child. Yet here he was, leading Beacon Academy into a new age of glory. Or ruin. Definitely a fair chance of the latter¡­


    Rated: T


    Words: 431K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13220830/1/Professor-Arc-II-Headmaster-Arc (Coeur Al''Aran)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    Jaune Arc, eighteen years old and already headmaster of Beacon Academy, yawned into his hand and signed an important doc.u.ment, placing it in the `out` tray for Glynda to pick up later. A stiff breeze caught it the second he let go and the paperwork swept away, flying out of his reach before he could catch it, slipping out the window and escaping to freedom.


    With a groan, Jaune stood and made his way across his office. The window was jammed, but with a solid pull he managed to close it.


    The wall the window had been attached to fell inwards.


    The other walls shook a little as well, what little integrity there was giving way as wind whistled through the huge holes. He didn''t have a ceiling. He had a great big hole where one used to be, which looked up into the morning sun peeking over the horizon. Ozpin''s once great clock face was shattered, though there was the minute hand stabbed into the floor like some giant spear.


    As if to mock him further, the rest of the paperwork on the desk fluttered away and out another hole in the wall, scattering to the four corners of Remnant.


    "The office has seen better days," Peter Port admitted.


    "The whole school has seen better days, Peter. I''ve seen better days." Jaune sagged back at Ozpin''s desk, at least pleased that the giant chair was heavy enough not to be blown away. His staff, his teachers, sat across the desk, all looking prim and proper despite the wind whipping at their hair, or the fact they were sat upon a ruined tower with no wall or roof.


    Except for Roman, obviously. He was smoking.


    "You should not smoke in the school building!" Glynda hissed.


    "Hey. I opened a window." Roman grinned and indicated the ceiling, which he had, technically speaking, been involved in destroying. "Besides, you''re the ones who wanted to hold this here. We could have done this in a warmer room."


    "It''s tradition." Glynda clutched her arms and shivered a little. "Jaune''s original office was destroyed, and we''re low on space as it is. I''m currently living in an empty student dorm. I did not sign up for that."


    "I didn''t sign up for the job at all," Jaune said, though he received no sympathy and instead a fierce glare. "Alright, alright, I get it. We need to get on with the rebuilding."


    "Preferably before winter sets in," Oobleck said. "Though the student dorms still stand, the administration buildings are ruined, not to mention most of the classrooms. The cafeteria is completely lost. Buried under rock since Glynda used the ceiling as-" Oobleck cut off as Glynda coughed loudly and threateningly. "Since Adam Taurus was causing such a ruckus there and damaged the ceiling," he amended. "Necessitating Glynda to use said ceiling as a projectile weapon¡­"


    "It was unavoidable," Glynda managed to say with a straight face.


    Jaune sighed. "Couldn''t you have limited the damage just a little?"


    "I don''t want to hear that from the man who crashed a battleship into the tower."


    Jaune flushed and looked away.


    "Speaking of," Roman said, "I got a letter from Atlas demanding we return their property. They also included a letter suggesting we gift-tie Jaune to it, followed with a third offering Glynda a job in Atlas."


    "That''s what, the fourth this week?"


    Jaune sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He wished he could have some coffee, but the supplies had been hit by the White Fang, who had apparently run off with all the coffee. Bastards. Bastards all of them.


    As for Atlas'' demands, there wasn''t much to do. The ruined battleship was practically a part of Beacon now, buried half into the ground from the impact and, in some weird way, holding up sections of the school it had crashed into. It was kind of like a knife wound; you didn''t want to pull it out for fear of how much more damage that would do.


    "Let me know if I''m wrong," Jaune said, raising a hand. "But Atlas already hates our guts, right? Hypothetically speaking, we couldn''t make it much worse than this."


    "I wouldn''t want to ask on James'' part," Glynda said, "But yes, that''s accurate. Atlas could not invade Vale because we''re independent of Vale, and they cannot actually attack us because it would endanger Vale, which remains its ally." Her eyes narrowed behind her glasses. "You''re about to suggest something reckless, aren''t you? Something that will give me a migraine."


    "Probably." He shrugged. "Roman, I want you to gut that battleship of any weapons and sell them on for profit. Since it''s Atlas tech, Vale might be happy to buy it on the down low and reverse engineer it. Peter, Bart, how hard would it be to turn the battleship into part of the school?"


    "Um." Oobleck scratched his cheek. "You mean to strip it for material?"


    "Nope. I mean incorporate it into the school building. It''s a big ass ship designed to transport hundreds of men, with barracks, rooms and storage facilities. I figure we can get some classrooms, offices and maybe a small cafeteria out of it."


    Glynda groaned. "James is going to go ballistic¡­"


    "Diplomacy aside, it could work," Oobleck mused. "We''d want to disarm it first, but the ship was designed to withstand an impact and much of it remains in good condition."


    "Ho ho ho! I could think of a few students who would jump at the chance to have a dorm in an Atlas battleship."


    "By any chance, Peter, are you among them?" Glynda asked snidely.


    "Absolutely! I claim the Captain''s Quarters."


    "You can''t just-"


    "I claim," Peter said seriously, moustache twitching, "-the captain''s quarters¡­"


    "You are so immature¡­" Glynda sighed. "Fine. We still have issues of finance, however. Repairs cost money and unless I''m mistaken, we''re very low on that. We''ve already had to import fresh food for the students and commission repairs on water, power and the heating systems. The budget wasn''t designed for this."


    "Well, there''s still Roman''s idea¡­"


    "And I am still not comfortable with the idea of hiring students out as mercenaries! It sends the wrong message."


    "So does going bankrupt."


    "You may be fine with our students being told to risk their life for profit, but I am not." Glynda snatched the cigar from Roman''s mouth with her Semblance and crushing it. "And I told you not to smoke in front of me! You''re setting a bad image for the students!"


    Roman c.o.c.ked one eyebrow. "Says the woman who slept with a seventeen-year-old?"


    It took the combined efforts of Peter and Bart to hold Glynda back from tearing Roman''s eyes out with her bare hands.


    "Do you have to bait her?" Jaune asked, hand on his face. Those two had never been the best of friends and being asked to work together hadn''t helped. If a day went by without a fight of some kind, it usually meant one had happened out of sight.


    "Honestly, I think I do. It''s like a physiological need."


    "Glynda, ignore him," Jaune said. "It''s what I do and it''s what Neo does."


    "Harsh¡­"


    "I despise him," Glynda said, face red and hair frazzled. "That man is a menace."


    "I''m right here, you know."


    "I will not indulge him with my attention." Glynda huffed and looked away. "Be sure to inform him that if he wishes to speak to me, he can leave a written message with you and you will deliver it to me."


    "Seriously, woman? How childish can you be?"


    "I shall inform him," Jaune said, avoiding the argument. "Now, Roman. Business. You''re our finance officer. What''s the situation?"


    Roman pulled out a little black book and started to flick through it. "I''ve managed to balance the books so that we''re nominally making a profit, but that''s not going to last. Not with the kind of repairs we''re looking at."


    "How the hell did you end up with us making a profit? We just got invaded and spent everything we have on keeping this place running? What, did Ozpin have a billion lien hidden down the back of the sofa or something!?"


    "Creative bookkeeping," their new Head of Finance replied. "Very creative bookkeeping. I wouldn''t look at it too closely or it''ll fall to pieces. Much like the school. Anyway, selling some Atlas weaponry will help prop us up a bit, but it''s a stop-gap at best. We''re broke ladies and gentlemen. Completely and utterly broke. You either let the kiddies earn us some cash, or you start turning tricks on the street corner yourself."


    Glynda shuffled nervously.


    "Or we sell Jaune to Atlas. They do have a rather big reward on his head."


    To Jaune''s irritation, it took Glynda, Oobleck and Peter a few seconds to decide that was a bad idea.


    "We''re all going to have to make sacrifices," Jaune said. "We''ll be careful with the mercenary aspect and make sure we don''t charge poor villages who can''t afford it or ignore people in danger because they can''t pay. Make it a voluntary thing, but strongly imply we''ll be more likely to send experienced teams based on how charitable they are."


    "Open up a protection racket," Roman said, ticking it off. "On it."


    "That''s not what I said!"


    "It¡­ kind of is," Oobleck admitted.


    Jaune groaned. "Just¡­ Just go teach some classes or something. I need to find a new office and re-do all my paperwork."


    /-/


    It wasn''t the same without Weiss.


    That was the first thought to cross Yang''s mind as the morning insanity happened as usual, with Ruby running to claim the bathroom first and Blake making a half-hearted, sleepy, protest. Normally, it would have been Mount Weiss to erupt about how she had claimed it first, then bang on the door until Ruby turned the shower on and drowned her out.


    The room felt empty without all of that.


    Even Zwei couldn''t get into the mood. The poor thing was snuggled up on Weiss'' pillow looking dejected about the loss of his greatest fan and best back-scratcher. The little corgi let out a mournful whine.


    "I know, boy." Yang sat on Weiss'' bed and rubbed Zwei''s head. "I miss her too."


    "Hm. Me too." Blake yawned. "You think she''s doing okay?"


    "Hey. It''s Weiss. I think she''ll be doing fine, and probably making Ironwood''s life hell in the process. I pity the poor bastards who try and replace us. Besides, she has Penny on her side."


    "Which does not inspire me with confidence as to the state of Weiss'' sanity."


    "Heh. Penny is alright. Sort of. In small doses."


    "I''ll take your word for it." Blake began to collect her uniform for the day, laying it out on the bed while Yang played with Zwei and tickled his tummy.


    There hadn''t been any communication send back to them from Weiss, but that made sense, what with her being watched. The news had commented on Weiss Schnee''s return to Atlas, however, so Yang was fairly sure they''d have heard if anything bad happened to her. The only thing they could do was support her from a distance.


    For now, that was. They were totally going to hatch a plan to get their teammate back.


    "You got another late-night session with the prof?" Yang asked.


    "You mean the headmaster. And yes."


    "Lucky¡­"


    "No. Not lucky at all." Blake rounded on her, eyes ablaze. "Whatever debauched things you''re imaging we get up to, you can stop. I spent more time signing and filling in paperwork than anything. I don''t even know why I''m still stuck doing this. It was months ago that I ran off. Haven''t I been punished enough?"


    Yang rolled her eyes. "Spending the odd night with the youngest and hottest teacher in Beacon is not punishment."


    "You¡­ I¡­" Blake rubbed her temples. "There is so much wrong about what you just said that I cannot begin to process the level of stupid. You''re a moron." Turning away, she shook her head. "And frankly, I''m beginning to think I''m just an unpaid intern being used as slave labour. I joined a terrorist organisation to escape this the first time."


    "And we all saw how that went~"


    "Yang¡­ shut up."


    "Heh. Fine, sour-puss." Yang grinned at Blake''s evil glare. "You think we''ll get lessons outside again?"


    "Unless they repaired the school overnight, yes."


    "It''s fine with me. A little sun, a little wind. It''s way better than a stuffy classroom."


    "We''ll see if you change your mind when winter sets in. I''m not sure how the school is going to cope. The numbers don''t look good."


    "Numbers¡­?"


    "Financial records," Blake explained. "I look over them occasionally."


    Sheesh. Blake got to hang with prof Jaune in his office on her own, just the two of them, and she was spending her time reading through accounting. Lame. If it were me, I''d have cracked that s.e.xy bastard already. Hell yeah.


    "You''re thinking something stupid again. I can tell."


    "Meh," she waved it off. "So we''re a little low on cash. It''s fine. We''ll do that volunteer thing that''s being mentioned."


    "The mercenary thing?"


    "Sure. Sounds fun."


    "Team Raven would disagree. The last mission they went on turned into some zombie apocalypse with a body-horror mad doctor."


    "Yeah." Yang sighed. "Those guys get all the fun¡­"


    Once the showers were all done and Zwei was fed and taken out for a potty break, the three members of Team RWBY ¨C who refused to call it anything but that ¨C made their way down to the gardens outside Beacon, which had been turned into a buffet and BBQ style affair, with numerous tables laden with food and a collection of cooks working on fresh eggs, bacon, sausages and the like.


    It was weird have to eat on plastic plates sat across the grass, but not uncomfortable. The weather was still warm, though there was a crispness to it that hinted of winter, and while there were a lot of students, the gardens were big enough to host all of them. Some people even sat upon the edges of craters left in the ground, using them as impromptu benches.


    In the melee of chatting students and fast food, Yang spotted Team RVNN and yelled a greeting, leading Ruby, Blake and Zwei over.


    "Yang!" Nora said, cheering as if they''d not seen one another for days instead of hours. The bubbly girl patted an empty spot next to her, which Yang took. Nora then cuddled Zwei under her bosom, rubbing the dog''s stomach and making his leg kick happily.


    "Morning," Ren said, more serene.


    Pyrrha and Velvet gave their own greetings.


    "Morning!" Ruby said, sitting next to Pyrrha. Blake took the spot on her other side, between Ruby and Ren.


    Strange to think that only a week prior, the school had been the sight of an invasion. It still looked it, obviously. The craters aside, the fountain was now a wreck, the tower of Beacon was a stump, and there was a big battleship poking out the side of the main building. But they''d all just sort of got used to that, as if they were temporary additions. No one batted an eye as they skirted around rubble on the way to lessons or opened a door only to have it fall off its hinges.


    Beacon was their school. Their home. That it was in a state of disrepair ¨C if one were feeling particularly generous in saying it ¨C didn''t really bother them. It was Beacon. That was the only thing that mattered.


    "Have you heard the rumours?" Velvet asked.


    Bacon clutched between her teeth, Yang asked, "Whmfl rmmrs¡­?"


    "Cardin and his team were out training earlier and saw the teachers and some builders looking over the Atlas battleship. They weren''t taking it down, either. They were actually carrying benches and chairs into it."


    "Oh my God, do you think they''re going to make it a new dorm?" Ruby''s legs kicked excitedly. "I want the captain''s quarters!"


    In the distance, a loud voice screamed, "NEVER!"


    "Cool it, sis. We already have a dorm, remember?"


    "Lucky you," Ren replied. "There are still some teams bunking in shared accommodation. Velvet''s old team lost their room altogether. We''ve been letting hem borrow our shower in the morning, so they don''t have to queue up with a hundred other people."


    Yang grimaced at the thought. It was a little too reminiscent of their first night crammed in the auditorium. That had been fun, but only in a `looking back` kind of way. At the time, it sucked balls.


    "How are they going to stop Atlas from freaking out if we re-purpose their military hardware into a dorm?" Blake wondered. "You can''t just paint it the same colour as the school and claim it''s a part of the architecture."


    "I dunno¡­" Yang watched awkwardly as Oobleck and Port walked by with buckets of paint in hand.


    "Maybe they just don''t care," Pyrrha said. "What can Atlas do?"


    "Put more pressure on us?"


    "They''ve already maxed that out," Velvet snorted. "If the headmaster even enters the city, Vale has to make an attempt to arrest him to avoid political backlash from Atlas. There are sanctions on what can and can''t be brought into Beacon by us students, and I don''t know about you, but I think a trade embargo on coffee beans, cigars and ice-cream might just be targeted at some people Atlas doesn''t like very much. Just saying."


    "Huh. That''d explain why Mr Torchwick offered me an A on my next exam if I smuggled some cigars in for him," Nora said.


    "Nora¡­" Ren said. "You didn''t¡­"


    "An automatic A, Renny! What was I supposed to say?"


    "No!" Ruby, Ren, Pyrrha and Blake all said at once.


    "He''s a criminal, Nora!" Blake added angrily. Out of everyone, Blake despised Torchwick the most. Ironically, it was Ruby who was the least bothered by his new position in the school, despite that Ruby had fought him the most. "He can''t be trusted, and I have no idea why Headmaster Arc chose to take him on in the school. He doesn''t fit here."


    A dry chuckle sounded from behind Blake. "Nice to hear your thoughts, kitty-cat. That''ll be a detention by the way."


    Roman Torchwick stood in his usual white coat, though it had seen better days and was frayed and burned at the edges, with black splotches all over it. His bowler hat was nowhere to be seen, the one true tragic loss of the battleship''s impact with the school.


    Well, that and the giant lemur statue.


    "Also, good work on stocking me up, Nora." Roman lit a cigar and puffed happily. "You''re a good student."


    Nora giggled. "Thanks, Mr Torchwick!"


    "No! Don''t thank him!" Blake growled and would have risen to her feet if not for Ruby holding her down. "You''re a crook, Torchwick. A criminal. I don''t know why Beacon was willing to give you a second chance after what you did-"


    "Like it did you, sweetheart?"


    "Erk." Blake''s face froze. "That¡­ I¡­ well, that''s different. And you can''t give me a detention for sharing my thoughts."


    "Course I can. I''m a teacher and you are a student. Ergo, I can punish you. I''d like to see you walk past Miss Goodbitch and call her names. No, seriously. Try it and I''ll revoke the detention. It''ll be worth it just to see what she does."


    Blake wisely chose not to take that offer.


    "No? Cool. Don''t worry, I won''t make you write lines or sit in a corner. I hear you''re pretty handy with paperwork, and I''ve got a lot of that." Turning away, Roman waved over one shoulder. "See you tomorrow night, kitty-cat."


    Blake fell onto her hands and knees, eyes wide.


    "There, there," Ruby said, rubbing her shoulder. "It''s not that bad¡­"


    "M-More paperwork¡­ no¡­ no more¡­ Is this my life? Why¡­? What did I do¡­?"


    Yang sighed and rolled her eyes.


    It was going to be another one of those days¡­


    /-/


    "You seem lost."


    Jaune glanced up from his new desk set in the bridge of the Atlas battleship. Or what was left of the bridge. It was all a little complicated since the ship had fallen nose down, which meant the floor he stood on was actually the wall, while the wall itself had metal chairs and terminals sticking horizontally out of it.


    It was like one of those paintings designed to confuse your eyes and give you a headache. It was still better than the ruins of Ozpin''s once proud office.


    "Qrow?"


    "I thought it was Bran," the man said, stepping into the room and then stumbling a little.


    "Watch that first step. The floor isn''t exactly even."


    "Y-Yeah, I can tell." Qrow caught himself on a sideways chair and looked down to the hand-railing he''d tripped over. Those were on the floor now, along with windows, panels and the occasional storage cupboard. All were metal and almost impossible to remove, now forming the obstacle course that was Jaune''s new office. "This place is giving me a headache just looking at it, and you want to work here?"


    "Why not? All the work Ozpin left behind is giving me a headache anyway. It can''t get any worse." Jaune slapped the final piece of paperwork into his drawer. The final piece for today, anyway. He still had a million and one other things to do.


    Speaking of¡­


    "Have you had any luck getting in contact with Ozpin? Or the boy he''s possessing?"


    "I managed to get a call through. It''s not easy. He''s in a kid that doesn''t have a scroll, so it was more him getting in touch with me. He''s not safe in Mistral, either, so he''s moving about a lot."


    "He''d be safe here."


    "I know." Qrow carefully made his way around the office and sat on a wooden chair propped up over a window. The huntsman didn''t seem to feel comfortable that his chair leg could go through it and spill him outside at any moment.


    "Those are reinforced. It''s fine."


    "Still feels weird. Offices shouldn''t have glass bottoms. Or glass ceilings." Qrow shuddered. "Anyway, Ozpin says he''s going to head to Haven ¨C Mistral''s version of Beacon ¨C and that we can contact him there. His old friend is the headmaster and knows about Ozpin''s little condition."


    "Great. We''ll meet up and drag him back to Beacon," Jaune said, slamming a hand down. "And then¡­" He laughed. "Then, Ozpin can take this blasted position back again!" Jaune rocked back in his seat and laughed maniacally at the ceiling-wall.


    "Yeah," Qrow said nervously, "About that¡­"


    "I find myself not liking your tone, Bran¡­"


    "Eheh¡­ well¡­ I talked to Oz as you know. And¡­ well, he seemed to think he wasn''t coming back to Beacon."


    Jaune''s mug cracked in his hand.


    "Excuse me? Did you just suggest that Ozpin thinks he can get away with dumping me with this job while Beacon is literally falling to pieces so that he can gallivant around in the body of a pubescent child?"


    "I think the kid is a little older than that¡­"


    "Don''t change the subject, Qrow."


    "And to be fair, he didn''t wander off and leave you the job. He died. He was murdered. That kinda wasn''t a conscious choice on his part, and I doubt he got himself killed to inconvenience you."


    "Most people die when they''re killed. Ozpin is very much not dead. Ergo, technically, he is still the headmaster of Beacon, and I''m just filling in as his substitute." Jaune leaned across the table and glared at Qrow. "And I want him back! I want him here, chained to a desk and filling in his own damned paperwork for once! He created this situation-"


    "Technically, you did. You''re the one who helped Cinder into Beacon."


    Jaune winced. "She''d have just found another way if I hadn''t. Probably posing as a student and organising things from under Ozpin''s nose."


    "Jaune, Ozpin isn''t that dense. He''d have noticed if a student was plotting an attack like that."


    "I think you greatly overestimate him."


    "Ozpin wants to stay in Mistral to deal with Salem," Qrow finally said. "I''ve told you all there is to know about her, and you know how dangerous she is. She makes Cinder look like a little puppy."


    "And she wants to collect all the Relics," Jaune said.


    "Yes."


    "Which can only be opened by the four Maidens."


    "Yes."


    "Of which, we have one here ¨C Pyrrha Nikos."


    "Uh. Yeah¡­"


    "And we also have one of the Relics hidden here somewhere, though neither you nor I know where and only Ozpin does."


    "True¡­"


    "Meaning," Jaune said, leaning forward, "That Salem can''t do a damn thing at all as long as Beacon stands. Hence, why she tried to bring it down. Probably for the exact purpose of putting Ozpin in a vulnerable situation where he can be captured and tortured to give up information on where the Relic here is hidden."


    Qrow''s mouth fell open. "I¡­ did not think of that¡­"


    "Damn it." Jaune groaned and massaged his forehead. "What was Ozpin''s idea, Qrow? Tell me."


    "Uh¡­" Qrow''s hesitation suggested he wouldn''t like it.


    "Qrow¡­"


    "Just saying, it''s his idea, not mine."


    "QROW!"


    "He wanted us to send Team RWBY to Mistral to personally help him in collecting the Relics," Qrow rattled off quickly. "I''d go with them to keep them safe and we''d move as a party of six across all the Kingdoms collecting the Relics until we could find a way to defeat Salem once and for all. Meanwhile, you would stay here and keep Beacon running until Ozpin needs you."


    /-/


    "It''s fine, Bart," Peter said. "We''ll just ask the young lad if we can set aside some budget to reward students who smuggle coffee into the school. I''m sure he''ll-"


    "ARGHHH!"


    Peter Port''s words were cut off as an almighty smash echoed from within the ship''s bridge, which was followed by a wooden chair crashing through the glass window and exploding on the floor outside. It had come from within Jaune''s new office.


    Oobleck and Peter exchanged looks.


    "On second thought, we could ask him later. Looks like he''s busy."


    "Good idea, old friend. Good idea."


    /-/


    "NO!" Jaune roared. "Absolutely not! That is the worst idea I have ever heard, and this is coming from someone who thought becoming a professor with zero qualifications and not even an unlocked aura was a good idea!"


    "But-"


    "I mean, what the hell, Qrow!? Team RWBY is three people right now. Three teenage girls who, while strong, are hardly Cinder Fall, Hazel Rainart and Tyrian Callows strong, let alone Salem strong! And collecting the Relics? WHY!? They''re locked away. This seems to me a good thing. What would possess you to collect them in one spot where she could conveniently get all of them at once?"


    "Well, I mean¡­ Ozpin would protect them."


    "Ozpin was murdered by Cinder! If he couldn''t protect himself in a fully-grown body in the middle of his school surrounded by huntsmen loyal to him, and with the back-up of the Atlas military, then I very much doubt child-Ozpin and three-quarters of a team can do better!"


    "No," Jaune said, trying to sit and then realising he''d thrown his chair away in a fit of anger. He stood instead. "You want to know how we''re going to stop Salem and her people from destroying the world? We''re going to do it by leaving the Relics where they are, keeping Pyrrha safe so that the Relic of Knowledge can never be retrieved, and re-building Beacon into a fortress."


    "A fortress?"


    "Sure. Why not? I mean, my office currently has the capability to fire lasers and missiles." Jaune patted the, disarmed, terminal poking out behind him.


    "Huh. Touch¨¦¡­" Qrow leaned back and crossed his arms. "I guess that does make sense. If Salem sent her people to bring down Beacon first, it must have been for a reason. Both to get the Fall Maiden and to cut away Ozpin''s support base. Fall Maiden opens the door to the Relic of Knowledge, which she could use to find the location of the other three Relics. And without the Fall Maiden''s powers, that door won''t be opening."


    "Exactly. We keep Pyrrha safe and Beacon standing and we''re pretty much set. Which means that Team RWBY doesn''t have to wander around risking their life for no good reason and Ozpin can come back and save me from this waking nightmare."


    "I don''t think he''s going to like his plan being usurped, though."


    "Obviously." Jaune rolled his eyes. Ozpin was probably revelling in being free from this bureaucratic nonsense. He would be if the positions were reversed. "We won''t tell him. Simple. Next time he calls you, tell him we''ll meet at Haven as planned. Except that Glynda and I will be coming with you, and we''ll explain to Ozpin the new plan and drag him back."


    "Works for me. To be fair, I didn''t want to set Ruby and Yang off on something like this either." Qrow laughed nervously. "He''ll be pissed, but I guess he''ll understand if we explain."


    "If there''s something I''m missing, I''ll listen to him," Jaune said. It wouldn''t do to dismiss Salem entirely. "But if there is, and Ozpin really does need people to help him, it''s going to be professionals. Not students. Throwing Team RWBY to the Beowolves is just stupid."


    "Won''t find me disagreeing. Alright, I''ll keep quiet for now. What about the kid?" Qrow asked. "The kid he''s possessing."


    "What about him? I feel bad for the poor guy ¨C I mean, he has Ozpin in his head, and Ozpin hasn''t had his special coffee for weeks. That has to be the worst fate imaginable. I''m not sure what I can do about it, though."


    "Not that. I mean, he''s fourteen, maybe fifteen. He can''t exactly become headmaster at that age."


    Good point.


    Frightening point.


    Jaune saw his dream spiralling down the drain. Desperately, he clung onto it.


    "He can still do paperwork. I don''t mind being a figurehead, but Ozpin isn''t leaving me to navigate this mess on my own. I''ve got Ironwood trying to tear my head off, the Council of Vale alternating between half-hearted attempts to arrest me and attempts to get me to attend Council meetings at the same time. Apparently, I hold a seat because of my position."


    Never mind the question of how he could attend without being arrested, or how they were going to do either of those things in the first place. It wasn''t even like he could sneak in since he was the number one person of interest to every media outlet on the planet right now. There were more paparazzi in the forest than Grimm.


    Not to mention paparazzi corpses.


    A whole load of those¡­


    "Meanwhile, our budget is a black hole, the White Fang are still out there ¨C except now I have them suggesting we meet. Some Sienna Kahn, and yes, she looks as terrifying as she sounds."


    "She hot?"


    "I''m not going to answer that. Apparently, she says the White Fang did not, and would not, organise an attack on a huntsman academy, and that the rumours that the White Fang did, are all fraudulent."


    "Which is pretty hilarious," Qrow commented, "Considering all the video footage we have."


    "Yes. And I''ve also got to watch out for Cinder, who, if I''m not being cynical here, probably wants to tear out my entrails and roast them over an open fire."


    "Fair assessment."


    "And finally, I have Jacques Schnee inviting me to a formal charity dinner in honour of Beacon and to help with the repair efforts."


    Qrow perked up. "That''s good!"


    "In Atlas."


    "Less¡­ good¡­"


    "Attended by Ironwood."


    Qrow winced. "You''re not?? uh¡­ going, are you?"


    "Roman thinks it''ll send the wrong message if I don''t, and we do need the money. Badly. Also, it''ll be a grave offence if I send someone else and don''t attend myself."


    "Shit¡­ That¡­ That sounds bad."


    "Thanks for the analysis. So, you can probably see why I''m a little stressed." Jaune crossed his arms and sat on the edge of his desk. "Ozpin is coming back to help with this if I have to swim to Mistral myself, stuff him into a canon and fire him back!"


    "You''ve¡­ not had any coffee today, have you?"


    "It''s been trade embargoed," Jaune said, voice filled with despair. "Ironwood''s sanctions have hit us hard. There''s only so many bags Roman''s contacts can smuggle in. Glynda offered her herbal tea, but¡­" A tear ran down his cheek. "It''s just not the same¡­"


    "Riiight." Qrow uncorked his hip flask and took a swig. "Times like this I''m glad I chose a safer thing to get addicted to. What''s the plan, then?"


    "I''ll let you know when we figure it out. Glynda is currently agonising over how to both attend this dinner, not start a war and come out with funding. Short of poisoning Ironwood ahead of time so he gets diarrhoea and can''t attend, I''m out of ideas." Jaune shrugged. "I figure we''ll just show up and wing it. How hard can it be?"


    "Incredibly¡­?"


    "Still not harder than getting rid of Cinder and saving Beacon."


    "True," Qrow admitted, "But you did that by crashing a battleship into the school you were protecting and causing untold collateral damage. I don''t think we want that to happen at the Schnee manor. It might not endear you to the richest man alive."


    "As long as Ironwood keeps his battlesh.i.p.s away from me, that won''t be a problem."


    At least he''d have a chance to catch up with Weiss and see how she was doing. Now, he just had to figure out how to tell Team RWBY they wouldn''t be coming to the gala. Something he was sure would cause quite a few complaints.


    "Would it be so bad if you stayed headmaster?" Qrow asked.


    "I''m not sure how you can ask that with a straight face. You know the truth, Qrow. I''m no teacher and no huntsman. I''m a kid. I''m Yang''s age. I should be trying to ask girls out and making an ass of myself, not plotting how to handle several political, military and terrorist organisations at the same time, while running a school which is currently crumbling down around our ears."


    "Eh. But you''re doing a good job."


    "It''s been a weak. Give it time¡­"


    /-/


    Although his room had been totalled, he''d found another; a disused student dorm that only had one bed, the others removed and used to help those students without rooms at all. While it felt unfair to have a room to himself when others didn''t, Glynda pointed out that appearances were important. With his workload, he couldn''t afford to not get a good night''s sleep.


    Unlocking it with his scroll, Jaune stepped inside.


    The loss of a kitchenette hurt ¨C not because he was a good cook, but because it meant his alcohol cupboard had been lost. The room could fit four students comfortably, but somehow seemed cramped on his own.


    Not that he was. He could easily see the shape asleep in his bed.


    "You don''t waste time, do you?"


    Neo didn''t answer, not that she could have if she wanted to.


    Unlike Roman, Neo hadn''t been granted an official position in Beacon. But then, what could they give her, and why bother? Neo was a law unto herself and went wherever she pleased. It didn''t surprise him to see she''d bundled herself up in his bed any more than it did to see she hadn''t left him any blanket space, having wrapped it all around her small body and stacked all his pillows under her.


    Even asleep, she was a complete bitch.


    Don''t be fooled by the cute, he thought, looking away from her slumbering face. Or the s.e.xy, he thought again, trying not to think on how her lips had felt on his. Grumbling, he opened up a cupboard nearby and grabbed a spare pillow and blanket. Coming back to the bed, he laid them down on his side.


    Neo immediately rolled over, collected the hew blanket and rolled back, wrapping it up around herself until she was a cocoon of blankets with her head poking out.


    All without waking up.


    "Son of a bitch¡­"


    With a sigh, he placed his pillow down and laid back on it before she could steal it, claiming his side of the bed and laying there with his hands hooked behind him. Somehow sensing his heat through all the blankets, the Neo-roll rolled over against him and began to silently snore. Jaune stared at the ceiling, at least grateful for the fixed heating that meant the room would be warm enough without blankets.


    Amazing how even if some things changed, so many more remained the same.


    "Zwei, no! Stop!"


    "Get that mutt off my bed!"


    "Stop yelling!"


    Jaune sighed and clenched his eyes shut.


    Also, amazing ¨C and fortunate ¨C that Team RWBY hadn''t realised he''d taken the room directly next to theirs. He dreaded to imagine what their reaction would be if they did. Yang would probably try and climb out her window and sneak in. Or worse, Zwei. The stupid assassin-dog still had it in for him. Nervously, he checked the drawn curtains, even if he could hear Yang laughing through the wall behind him.


    "So, did you get up to anything fun with Jaune in counselling?" Yang asked.


    "Yang!"


    "What? You saying he didn''t bend you over his desk? Boring. If I were you, I''d wear s.e.xy lingerie and let him catch a little glimpse. Tease him until he snaps and pushes me down."


    "Yaaaang, stop," Ruby whined. "It''s embarrassing."


    "What? Not like he''ll ever hear me say it."


    Closing his eyes and ignoring his embarrassment, and his red cheeks, Jaune stifled a groan and prepared for a couple of long nights. Frankly, if this were going to continue, Ozpin couldn''t be dragged back soon enough.


    Neo''s face twitched at the noise and she rolled over, rolling directly on top of his stomach and chest and somehow finding that comfortable. Of course, she didn''t care that her multicoloured hair had fallen across his face, or that it tickled his skin and her body had his hands pinned to his side. To wake her up was to suffer. To leave her was to suffer a worse pain.


    "F.u.c.k my life¡­"


    Hoo boy. It''s been a while since I wrote Professor Arc. This chapter was as much me reminding myself of the scene as it was reminding everyone else. A lot of "setting up" for this opening chapter. As you might remember, I said I''d have to place it on hiatus while I waited to see what RWBY canon would bring us. And, ironically, after seeing Seasons 4-6¡­ I''ve decided not to use them at all.


    Not because of any hate for the direction and everything, but because it just wouldn''t work.


    The magic of Professor Arc very much involved Beacon as the setting. The story only worked because of the school, the threats to it and the interactions between the various members of the faculty ¨C often comedic, usually silly, but always heartfelt.


    Professor Arc 2 wouldn''t work if they left Beacon and went on an adventure to stop Salem, so I decided that I couldn''t use any of canon in this. Or rather, I couldn''t use the canon plot. Salem and her lot still exist, but Beacon didn''t fall, which means their attack on the school isn''t done. As such, we''ll be staying here in Beacon.


    Chapter 2


    "Long night?" Peter asked.


    "You might say that." Jaune rubbed his eye and yawned. To look at them, you''d have thought Team RWBY a sweet and adorable teem of lovely young girls and their cute puppy. The reality was so much different it hurt. "How was sleeping in the battleship?"


    "Capital! Absolutely capital!"


    "Good for you." The smug bastard. "What''s on the itinerary for today? Actually, scratch that. Where''s Glynda?" Jaune looked around, but there was only him, Peter and Bart in attendance. "I think this is the first time I''ve ever made it to a meeting before her."


    "You might want to notice who else is missing," Bart said.


    "Roman¡­" Jaune groaned. "What have they done this time?"


    "It appears they had a disagreement on the lawns this morning¡­"


    "As always¡­"


    "And that their verbal sparring may have turned into actual sparring. They''re both currently recovering in the infirmary from a few minor injuries and some severe aura depletion. They should be fine. In an hour or so."


    "Well, at least I won''t have to come up with a punishment if Tsune is looking after them. Men, we have a problem."


    "Question," Oobleck said, hand raised.


    "Yes?"


    "Is this a problem best handled by the three of us? Not to sound like I''m shirking work, but our record of solving problem without Glynda is¡­ ah¡­ not the best." Oobleck scratched his cheek awkwardly.


    "That¡­ is a good point." A sad point. A mournful point. "Fine, I''ll discuss it with Glynda later. On a slightly lesser problem, we now have no teacher for combat class in fifteen minutes. Ideas?"


    "Tell the children to help with construction and frame it as conditioning training. The act of carrying heavy equipment like wounded huntsmen." Peter suggested. "Or that it''ll help them in the field if they ever have to repair a village that has been attacked."


    "I like it. Let''s go with that."


    "You think the children will believe it?" Oobleck asked.


    "They''d have to be very cynical not to."


    /-/


    "And that is why you will be assisting with the construction efforts today," the headmaster said. "Remember that in the field we do more than just fight the Grimm. If you ever save a village or town, there may be people in desperate need of assistance."


    The headmaster''s expression was deadly serious and his words, as ever, captivated the audience sat out on the grassy field of the outdoor training grounds. There were several members of the construction crew hired to rebuild Beacon beside him, ready to offer help in directing the students.


    "Here at Beacon, we have taught you how to fight. How to survive. You''ve been through more than you ought to so far, but you all rose to the challenge when we were attacked. Look around you," he said, indicating the ruined field and the crumbling building. "This is what so many see after the Grimm have been defeated. Homes destroyed, families torn asunder and you, standing as heroes, but unable to do anything to help now that the Grimm are gone."


    "That changes today. Knowing how to rebuild is just as important, if not more so, than knowing how to destroy, and this specialised lesson will assist with that." Smiling, Headmaster Arc looked out over his students. "Any questions?"


    A hand went up.


    "Yes, Mr Winchester."


    "Does this have anything to do with Mr Torchwick and Miss Goodwitch being carried to the infirmary earlier?"


    "Um. No." The headmaster laughed. "That is all just a coincidence, I assure you."


    "it''s just that Miss Goodwitch had already made plans for what we were going to do today."


    "Plans change, Mr Winchester. After thought and consideration, we, with Glynda''s input, came up with this new opportunity. It''s a shame she didn''t have the chance to tell you herself, but it was only decided yesterday."


    "Oh." Cardin looked confused. "Because Miss Goodwitch told my team this morning that we''d be sparring with Team RVNN."


    A bead of sweat ran down the headmaster''s cheek. "Did she? My, how forgetful of her. Well, if questions are over, I''ll leave you all to your lessons." He leapt down off the dais and power-walked away before anyone could as more.


    Nora leaned in towards Pyrrha, "Hundred lien says lessons got cancelled because of the fight."


    "That''s a fool''s bet, Nora."


    "Hm. Fine. Hundred lien says Mr Torchwick won the fight."


    Pyrrha glanced back. "Done."


    "Construction," Yang groaned ¨C loudly. "Come ooooonnn, that''s so boring."


    "I think it''s a great idea," Ruby said defensively. "Jaune is right. I''d feel bad if I couldn''t help a village rebuild after a Grimm attack. Teaching us this is going to help us save more lives than just by fighting."


    "You sure you''re not just defending your precious crush?"


    "N-No!" Ruby flushed bright red. "That''s not it at all!"


    "Oh, you''re adorable."


    "Stop teasing her," Pyrrha said, pulling Ruby over to her side. "Whatever her motives, she''s not wrong. We know how to fight. Learning a few other skills won''t be bad for us, and even if this is just a ruse, it''s still good exercise."


    Ruby stuck her tongue out at Yang from under Pyrrha''s arm.


    "Yeah, yeah." Yang rolled her eyes. "Fine, mom."


    Rising with the other students, the two teams joined Team CRDL and followed one of the construction foremen to the cafeteria. It was in a sorry state to say the least, its roof caved in and yellow tape strapped all over it to try and stop students wandering in ¨C as if any were blind or dumb enough not to realise it was a death trap. Their job wasn''t to rebuild, but to help in breaking up the rubble and carrying it out.


    For Blake, it was a personal problem because she knew Adam had been a part of this. Had been, and still was ¨C remaining at large and having escaped Beacon with the remnants of the White Fang. He''d want revenge, that much was certain.


    It was hard to resist the call to find and deal with him.


    At least until she imagined how much longer her punishment would be extended to if she did. She''d run off once to the docks and been stuck on paperwork duty for what felt like a year. If she did it again, she had a feeling the headmaster would keep her as his assistant until retirement age.


    "I don''t like the look on your face," Yang said.


    "What?"


    "That''s a `I''m going to look for the White Fang` expression."


    "Don''t be ridiculous."


    "No, it is," Ruby said, lugging a much smaller piece of debris out the cafeteria. "I think Weiss had the chart on her scroll, but that''s a `Blake being Bad expression number three` I think."


    Blake glared at them. "You did not categorise my expressions."


    "Nope."


    "Good."


    "Weiss did."


    Blake growled.


    "And for good reason," Yang added. "I mean, you were running off all the time back then. Level with me, kitty-cat. You''re not going to do the same again, are you?"


    "Don''t call me that."


    "What? You never had a problem with me calling you it before."


    "That was before Torchwick took it as his nickname for me," she hissed. "But no, I''m not going to go chasing after the White Fang. I don''t think it''s necessary now."


    "Yeah?"


    "Yes." Blake sighed and wiped some sweat from her brow. "The main reason I wanted to before was because I didn''t think anyone was taking the matter seriously. I could see a plot coming into action, but no one was doing anything to stop it. Now? Everyone knows what they''re capable of. I''d be surprised if the police aren''t scouring Vale for them."


    "When they''re not trying to arrest the prof, you mean."


    Blake rolled her eyes. "Do they even try at that? It''s just to appease Atlas."


    "I''m not sure Jaune has actually left Beacon since the attack."


    "He hasn''t," Blake confirmed. As his indebted-assistant she would have known if he had. "To be fair, there''s too much to do here as it is, and I don''t think there''s anything he would need in Vale. He''d also be swamped by people asking him questions."


    "Tell me about it. I got swamped by journalists just for being a Beacon student¡­"


    "I know," Blake hissed. "Because you tripped and threw me at them as a distraction so you could escape!"


    "Yeah." Yang smiled fondly. "Good times."


    One of the foremen caught them dawdling and shouted for them to get back to work. There was only eleven of them at the cafeteria, so three hanging around talking was noticeable. Grumbling, the girls got back to it, Yang smashing a larger rock into pieces and then smaller ones so that Blake, Ruby and her could carry them out.


    "Weiss should be ¨C huff ¨C glad to miss this. Ugh." Yang dropped a boulder that had been just a little too big for her. "Hell. Pyrrha wasn''t wrong. This is some intense exercise¡­"


    "Yeah¡­" Ruby panted and massaged her shoulder after bringing another. "Though I wouldn''t say no to her glyphs right now. Or just Weiss in general¡­"


    "I know, sis. I know. We all want her back."


    "Speaking of," Blake said, her voice lowering to a whisper. "I did a little looking through the headmaster''s paperwork last night¡­"


    Yang, sensing the tone, leaned in. "You could get in trouble for that."


    "Please, I''m the one he gives it to. Not my fault if he accidentally left something in there I''m not supposed to see, and I''m pretty sure he didn''t want me to see this one."


    "What makes you so certain?"


    "There was a little note on the top in red saying `Don''t let Team RWBY know`."


    Yang and Ruby blinked. "Yeah, I¡­ guess that would be some strong evidence. What did it say?"


    "There''s a charity dinner the teachers have all been invited to, along with a few students. It''s to the Schnee manor in Atlas, hosted by Jacques Schnee. It''s supposed to raise money toward repairs for Beacon."


    "Why would the SDC care about Beacon?" Yang asked, lifting some more rubble. "I thought they were a soulless company that only cared about profit."


    "Oh, they are," Blake said with the easy certainty of the totally unbiased. "But the academies are still important. It''s why I was so amazed the White Fang would actually attack Beacon. Huntsmen protect everyone from the Grimm. With the SDC, even though they''re in Atlas, Grimm overtaking Vale is bad for business. Vale buys a lot of their dust."


    "Makes sense. So, they''re going to raise money for repairs. Sounds good. Why wouldn''t the prof want us to know about it?"


    "Because Weiss is going to be singing there."


    Ruby dropped her rock immediately.


    Yang howled, clutched her foot and topped like a felled tree.


    "Weiss is!?" Ruby gasped. "We have to go there!"


    "Shh, shh!" Blake covered Ruby''s mouth with one hand, release her own piece of rubble.


    Yang howled again.


    "I know, I know. That''s why I read through it all." Looking around to make sure they hadn''t been heard, Blake whispered, "The invite said it was for the teachers and a set of students, anywhere from four to eight. There weren''t any mentioned by name, so it''s probably the teachers who get to decide."


    "Mmmbl umblll¡­" Ruby said past her hand.


    Blake let go.


    "How do we get picked?"


    "I''m not sure. The note pretty much says the teachers aren''t going to pick us, and for good reason. They know we''d want to bring Weiss back. I don''t think we''re going to get to go even if we become exemplary students. We''ll need to be sneakier. Make it so that the headmaster has to take us along."


    "How¡­ agh." Yang rolled some rubble off her foot and clutched it with both hands. "How the hell are we supposed to do that? By making it so that no one else wants to go? Breaking the legs of everyone who gets picked until no one is left?" At their silence, Yang added, "That was a joke. We''re not `Nora`-ing this."


    "No, I wasn''t about to suggest it, just¡­" Blake looked around nervously. "I might have an idea, but I don''t think the teachers will like it. We might get in trouble. No, we''ll definitely get in trouble. The question is whether it''s worth it."


    "If we get to see Weiss again, I think it is." Yang said. "Ruby?"


    "I''ll accept any punishment to make sure she''s okay¡­"


    "Looks like we''re in. You gonna tell us this plan of yours, Blake?"


    "Fine. It''s risky and is going to require a lot of things to go just right. I''ll actually need your help to set the stage for this, Yang. I need you to do something."


    "Yeah?"


    "Be yourself."


    Yang crossed her arms. "Meaning¡­?"


    "Be yourself around headmaster Arc, but¡­" Blake sighed and wondered if she''s be going to hell for this. "Crank it up to eleven."


    Her partner''s eyes glinted maliciously.


    "Ooh. Yang likey."


    /-/


    "You wanted to talk to me?"


    "Yes. Thanks for coming, Glynda."


    "No problem." The deputy headmistress, and the woman he''d been dating for a while (though that was up in the air now) stepped easily around the unusual protrusions coming out the floor of his battleship office and took a seat opposite his desk.


    It was hard not to mention her black eye.


    Very, very hard.


    Her glare said it would be the last mistake he ever made. And, to be fair, he''d seen Roman limping around earlier with a split lip.


    "I wanted your opinion on this," he said, pushing a latter across the desk.


    Glynda took and read through it. Her eyebrows rose above the letter as she did, her entire body leaning back in her chair as if she didn''t know what it was she had in her hands. When she was done, the slapped it down.


    "This has to be a joke¡­"


    "That was what I thought at first, but she wants to set up a meeting."


    "Sienna Kahn is the leader of the White Fang. The same terrorist group that attacked Beacon. You cannot be thinking of meeting with her. You''ve made a number of ridiculous decisions in the past, but this takes and cake and I-"


    "What ridiculous decisions¡­?" Jaune asked, hurt.


    Glynda froze, then coughed into her fist and settled down. "Sorry. I forgot myself there and thought you were Ozpin."


    "Ah. All forgiven."


    "Quite." Coughing again, she adjusted her glasses. "So, you want my opinion? That''s a good start. Ozpin would just bullishly drive ahead with whatever asinine idea he had. Like tossing the students off a cliff instead of, say, using the Bullheads we have to deliver them safely to the bottom. It''s a miracle we avoided a lawsuit that day¡­"


    "I thought Beacon was covered if students died?"


    "In Grimm-related incidents or as part of training accidents where there is no negligence. People accept a certain amount of danger. Using catapults to launch people off a cliff? I dare say that doesn''t count. Anyway, this isn''t about initiation. Sienna claims she had nothing to do with the attack. What do you think of that?"


    "I don''t know what to think," he admitted. "On the one hand, it was a small group of the White Fang who attacked, and we know Cinder manipulated them like she did me and Roman. On the other, Sienna is still a wanted terrorist. It kind of doesn''t matter if she meant to attack Beacon or not."


    "My thoughts exactly. Although¡­"


    "What?" he asked. "You can''t be suggesting this is a good idea. Ironwood will flip." Jaune paused. "Again! More than usual! He''ll go absolutely insane if I meet with the leader of the White Fang. He''ll literally froth at the mouth and ride a missile to my door personally."


    "All true, I''ll admit, but this does produce something of an opportunity. It''s a dangerous one, I''ll admit, but this hints at a schism in the White Fang." Glynda tapped the signed missive. "If Sienna Kahn had no input in the attack and condemns it, that might mean that the White Fang is not entirely in league with Cinder and Salem. Yet."


    Jaune winced. "Yet¡­"


    "If we ignore this, there''s no telling what will happen. It might be Salem''s plan to force us into a confrontation. With this attack, the White Fang are essentially at war with all of Remnant. If we do the obvious thing ¨C which is to do nothing ¨C then Sienna might be forced to work with Cinder, if only to keep her people alive."


    "Ugh." Jaune groaned and dropped his head onto the table. Against the wood, he mumbled, "Which means the correct thing to do is to meet with her and try to bring a ceasefire, letting the White Fang go back to just being terrorists."


    "Better terrorists than working directly with Salem, yes. Although better neither, obviously. That''s not going to happen, though."


    "Great. So, I need to meet with her."


    "It would be both a wise and unwise decision. I''m sorry I can''t offer more. My only advice would be for it to be in a neutral location and with as many of us with you as can reasonably be allowed. They attacked us, so you should be fine to make a few demands of them."


    "You think she''ll come to Beacon?"


    "No. And I don''t think it wise to invite her here, either. If the media got wind of it¡­"


    "It would seem like I was legitimising her. Got it. That does leave Mistral as a possible meeting spot, and we''ll be going there once Ozpin reaches it."


    "Picking up Ozpin and meeting with Sienna Kahn?" Glynda''s ill look made it clear what she thought of that. "I suppose it would be best to get it out the way as quickly as possible. Before Cinder can make a move to finalise the White Fang''s allegiance." She groaned. "It''s as good a time as any. I shall make arrangements and speak with Leonardo Lionheart to arrange for use of his facilities. I shall reply to this `Sienna` as well," she said, taking the letter. "It would show more respect than she deserves if you were to respond to her directly."


    "Sure." He smiled and let her go. "Thanks for your help on this, Glynda. I mean it."


    "No thanks necessary. And thank you for bringing it to my attention and not rushing off into something foolish." Glynda opened the door and almost bumped into another blonde. "Miss Xiao-Long? What are you doing here?"


    "I needed to ask the headmaster something. Oh wow, is that a black eye?"


    Yang''s question never got answered as the girl suddenly tripped over the same hand railing Qrow had, tumbling to the floor.


    "Watch your step, Miss Xiao-Long. The floor isn''t even."


    The door closed.


    "B-But I didn''t even take a step forward. Something pushed me." Brushing some dust off her arm, Yang shrugged. "Eh, whatever. Hey prof~"


    "Yang." Jaune leaned back as if he were dealing with some venomous snake. With Yang, it wasn''t far off. "Or Miss Xiao-Long¡­"


    "Call me Yang."


    "That would be inappropriate."


    "Why? You call Ruby and Blake by their names."


    Yes, but they don''t scare and entice me in equal measure.


    It had been particularly bad today for some reason. He hadn''t been able to walk in the same corridor as her without her brushing up against him, jumping in front of him or just shaking her hair in his direction, making her soft locks brush against his arm.


    Yang knew what she was doing. The problem was that she was too damn good at it, and that she had no qualms about pushing her limits whatsoever. Probably helped that despite him being a teacher, he was still her age. At best, she thought him two years older.


    "I was just Yanging around having some fun, and I thought; hey, why don''t I see how the prof is doing?"


    "The Prof is doing busy." he lied. "Lots of paperwork."


    "Yeah, Blake told me. You sure you''re not using her for unpaid labour?"


    "The only thing I''m sure of is that I have no idea what you mean."


    "Riiiight." Yang winked at him. "I''ll buy it. You know, if you wanted someone to help you with work, you could ask me."


    "I''ve a feeling I wouldn''t get much work done if I did."


    "Oh?" Yang''s expression said he''d made a mistake in admitting it. "Really now," she cooed. "I wonder why that is?" She stepped forward, swinging her h.i.p.s ¨C and was it his imagination or was she wearing her skirt a little higher than usual?


    As a teenage man, he noticed these things.


    "Is something about me distracting you¡­?"


    "No," he lied. "What did you want with me, Miss- Yang?"


    "I came for counselling."


    "I''m no longer the school counsellor. Sorry, but there just isn''t the time anymore, even if people probably need it now more than ever. I''m looking for someone else to fill the role, but it''s not going as well as I''d like."


    The options were painfully limited. Really, it came down to Glynda, who scared people. Port, who scared people for a very different reason and would probably talk over them. Oobleck, who was just a little too hyper and a little too busy to do it. Roman, who¡­ well, enough said. Tsune¡­ no student deserved that.


    And Neo¡­


    No.


    Just no.


    "It''s up in the air. The moment I find someone suitable, you''ll be the first to know."


    "Poo." Yang hopped up onto his desk, sitting on the corner of it. Her thigh was perilously close to his face and he couldn''t look away from it. Why did she wear stockings that stopped mid-thigh? It couldn''t be comfortable, and the tempting expanse of skin always drew his attention.


    Oh wait, that was the reason wasn''t it?


    He tore his eyes up.


    Yang''s grin said she''d noticed him noticing and liked it.


    "That''s my desk," he said.


    "Yeah. A very sturdy desk. Easily handles my weight."


    Jaune''s cheeks heated up. "You''re being¡­ surprisingly forward today."


    "Eh. What''s the point in beating around the bush? I like you and you know I like you. I could be a shy and reserved maiden about it, but I''d rather not lie to your face like that. Besides, I''m up against some stiff competition, so I figured I should up my game."


    "Oh Gods¡­" And he''d thought Sienna Kahn wanting a meeting was the real bad news for the day. Now he couldn''t stand up without poking Yang with his `not-so-little problem` under the desk. "I really think you should go back to your dorm, Yang."


    "Will you come with me?"


    "No. Absolutely not. That would be¡­" A host of positive adjectives came to mind. "A bad idea," he said weakly. "A very, very bad idea."


    "Laaame. All work and no play, prof."


    "I''m your headmaster!"


    "So? You won''t be forever, and I''m not interested in a one-time encounter." Yang winked and blew a kiss onto her fingers, then pressed it against his cheek. "Give it a few years and I''ll be a huntress. What you going to say when you can''t hide behind the teacher excuse?"


    "Yes?"


    Her eyes lit up. "That a promise?"


    "I ¨C I didn''t mean that," he hissed, face flaming. Curse his stupid brain. "Y-You really have to go now. I have work to do and detention with Blake."


    Leaning forward, Yang grinned. "You sure you don''t want to give me detention, too? Like you said, I''m being way too forward. Am I not a nighty girl who needs to be punished?" Slowly, Yang liked her lips. "Are you going to punish me, sir?"


    The door to his office opened.


    Blake stood there, looking a little uncertain.


    "Blake!" he gasped, more relieved than he cared to admit. "Hi, yes, perfect timing. Come in. Yang was just going." Sweat pouring down his face, he looked to his faunus student desperately. "Weren''t you, Yang? Just going? Yes?"


    He wasn''t sure if it was mercy or privacy, but Yang laughed. "Yeah, sure. I was just on my way out.


    As she passed by Blake, the blonde gave her partner a grin and a wink.


    "Um." Blake looked as embarrassed as he felt. "Do I want to know what that was about?"


    "No. No, you don''t." Groaning, Jaune covered his red face with his hands. "Your desk is over there, as is the paperwork for the night. Do what you have to. I''m going to try and find us a counsellor before your teammate proves the death of me."


    /-/


    "Drink it. We paid for it."


    "It tastes horrible."


    "Stop speaking out loud. I''m in your head and you''re making a scene. Drink it."


    Oscar Pine grimaced and drew the white cup up to his lips, sipping on the tar-like substance. It was hot, thick and tasted like burnt food. Unrecognisable food. Horrible food. His eyes rolled back, and he shuddered, swallowing as quickly as he could to get it over with.


    "Yesss," the voice in his head said. "That''s it¡­"


    This sounds far too much like grooming for my liking¡­


    "And now my enjoyment is ruined," Ozpin sighed. "While I would equate a good cup of coffee to the act, I can assure you that ¨C physical limitations aside ¨C I have no interest in you."


    But you do want my body.


    He could feel Ozpin rolling his non-existent eyes.


    "Honestly, if I had a choice over bodies, yours would be at the very bottom of the list. I''d have enjoyed being in Mr Arc, if I can be honest. Young, in a position of power, banging Glynda."


    "Who?" he asked out loud.


    "Trust the mention of s.e.x to catch a teenage boy''s attention. And you can stop looking at that waitress, Oscar. So long as I remain in your head and you remain underage, the closest you will come to a woman is within shouting distance."


    Oscar''s face flushed bright red and he hid it in another sip of coffee, mostly to shut Ozpin up. He was so embarrassing sometimes, and it felt like nothing was private. He couldn''t so much as look at a pretty girl without Ozpin either commenting on his low odds, reminding him of their true mission or, worse, offering the woman a score out of ten.


    Usually very poorly.


    "A four at best. You really have no appreciation for mature women."


    I''m fifteen!


    "What fifteen-year-old boy does not look at older women?" Ozpin sighed in absolute disappointment. "For shame. To be locked in the head of such a person. Regardless, that is not important. We are on a mission of grave importance here."


    Is that why you demanded I stop for a cup of coffee¡­?


    "Yes. Coffee is fuel for the tired mind, so stop whining and drink some more." Oscar did. "Good. We''re making decent progress towards Haven, but we''re going to have to trek through the forest between it and Mistral."


    Isn''t that full of Grimm¡­?


    "Yes, but not to worry, I was the headmaster of Beacon. I know a thing or two about fighting Grimm."


    Yeah, but I don''t, Oscar pointed out.


    "You should have some of my muscle memory."


    What use would that be? Apart from making no sense whatsoever, muscle memory wouldn''t fix the fact that he had no muscle to speak of. He was a kid. A kid who had never trained to fight before. Even if Ozpin''s memories could tell him how to do so, it wouldn''t change the fact he wasn''t strong, fast or fit enough to put up with such an ordeal for any amount of time.


    "Yes, you do have a lot of deficiencies," Ozpin agreed. "We''ll have to do something about that."


    Well excuse me! It''s not like I expected to become the host for someone like you!


    "Poor planning on your part then."


    What¡­? How¡­? That didn''t even make sense! Oscar ground his teeth together and tried to think of calming thoughts. Ozpin over a burning fire. Ozpin over a burning fire. Ozpin being tortured in a vat of boiling coffee.


    "Cute."


    I hate you so much¡­


    "I''m sure I''ll break down in tears any moment now." He paused for sarcastic effect. "Ah. That''s better. Now, you''re going to need a weapon if we''re to approach Haven. That means we''ll need resources, and you''re rather lacking when it comes to lien."


    I''m fifteen!


    "Have you ever worked a job before?"


    I''M FIFTEEN!


    "Lazy, too, by the sounds of it. Very well. We shall have to fashion a weapon from some supplies of our own. A solid branch ought to do."


    Can''t we just call your friend to help us? The Qrow guy? Or maybe even the headmaster of Haven, who you keep saying is on your side. If he runs the school then he can send a Bullhead to fetch us, can''t he?


    "That may well alert our enemies to our position."


    Your enemies.


    "Our enemies," Ozpin corrected. "While I trust Leonardo implicitly and am an excellent judge of character, there is always a chance he may trust someone who is not. Not everyone can be as perfect as me."


    Oscar groaned.


    "As such, we will make the journey on foot. Team RWBY should then arrive with Qrow, and we will embark on our journey."


    Despite the risk and everything else involved, Oscar perked up. Team RWBY? That''s the team of girls you told me about, right?


    "Down boy. Down."


    Oscar blushed. I wasn''t thinking anything like that!


    "Need I remind you that I share your mind? Anything you feel, I feel. That you are attempting to make me feel desire towards children is troubling enough. Could you pour some bleach into that coffee for me?"


    I think that would kill me¡­


    "Yes. And I''ll get a chance to respawn in a new body. Preferably one that isn''t going to pitch a tent at the first sign of underage women."


    Ouch. They weren''t underage for him, so that wasn''t fair. He was a growing boy and huntresses were always like celebrities. Beautiful in an unattainable way. Being a farm boy, he''d never thought he might have a chance.


    Having Ozpin in his head, he probably didn''t.


    "When you are eighteen, I will deign to consider the possibility."


    Yeah, and you''ll vet anyone I choose¡­


    "Admittedly. Look on the bright side, you''re infinitely more likely to actually be able to impress a woman thanks to my knowledge and experience."


    Hey! I can talk to girls just fine.


    "Oh yes, I believe it. I''ve seen your memories of you trying."


    Oscar growled as Ozpin laughed in his head. It wasn''t fair that Ozpin could read his thoughts and memories easily, while he was only beginning to get little glimpses of Ozpin''s. Most of that came in distant and hazy feelings instead of memories. Rather than see an image of the past, he''d feel a distant emotion towards something.


    Like the coffee. He physically hated the taste of it, but his hands would cup the mug with an almost familiar and fond motion. Similarly, when the woman behind the counter asked if he wanted Atlesian Black, he felt a rush of disgust and anger before Ozpin piped up.


    "With good reason, Oscar. With good reason¡­"


    If you say so¡­ Oscar''s eyes drifted around the little diner they''d stopped in. Even that wasn''t a safe haven for him.


    "Is that a Vale newspaper!? Quickly, grab it!"


    Sighing, Oscar got up and collected the thing. It was a day or two old, but if it kept Ozpin distracted, that was fine. The good thing was that Ozpin could read through his eyes if he just kept them focused on the page. He didn''t actually have to read the boring news himself.


    "World news is not boring. And I want to find out how Beacon is doing in my absence. I don''t imagine there should be any problems. Glynda and Jaune are both very good at what they do, and with the support of James they should-"


    Ozpin trailed off.


    Curious, Oscar looked down at the headline.


    General Ironwood declares international arrest warrant for Jaune Arc. Atlas closes borders.


    "Huh," Oscar said. "News is interesting."


    "I''m dead for three weeks and this happens¡­" Ozpin groaned. "Damn it, James???"


    /-/


    "We need to strike now while he''s distracted!"


    "We all saw how that went the last time. Whatever happened to your little minions, Cinder? Oh yes, they were killed. And your attack on Beacon? How was it? Ah, I remember. A failure. A complete failure."


    Cinder snarled at Watts, the motion tugging at the skin and making the scars bleed. She could hear Tyrian cackling from off to the side but could not see him because of the eye Jaune Arc had stolen from her. Her hands shook, fire swirling about her fingers as half the Fall Maiden''s powers reacted to her temper.


    "Calm yourself, Cinder," her mistress said. "And Watts, stop baiting her."


    "Yes, my Queen."


    "Yes, Salem," Cinder answered, sitting. She took a deep breath to compose herself. "I stand by my suggestion, however. Beacon is weak right now and time will only let them grow stronger."


    "And what can we do?" Hazel asked, curious rather than dismissive. "We attacked in force with the White Fang beside us and were rebuffed. You killed Ozpin but were only able to gain half of the Maiden''s powers. Something we did not know was possible. We don''t even know if you can open the vault in Vale."


    "Or where it is," Watts added, "Meaning that it''s a waste either way. As for Beacon, the political pressure alone will keep them busy. It wouldn''t be too hard to add to it."


    "Sienna has made overtures towards Beacon," Hazel reported.


    Watts frowned. "Then she will have to be dealt with."


    "Cinder can direct Adam towards that," Salem said calmly. The unnaturally pale woman sat back in her chair, far more composed than any of her minions. "Make no mistake, Cinder. I am¡­ troubled by the fact that Beacon still stands. Ozpin''s death is good news, but it makes no difference if he is replaced by someone better than him." Her eyes narrowed. "You are sure of this boy? This Jaune Arc."


    "He''s a tactical mastermind," Cinder said. "How else could he have beaten all of us? He was outnumbered, outgunned and in the palm of my hand." Her hand clenched, as if she could crush him in it. "He played me. He played me for a fool from the start."


    "Does that make him a tactical mastermind or you a colossal failure?" Watts wondered.


    "I slew Ozpin. If my attack fooled the genius that is within him, then it was not reckless!"


    "Cinder speaks truly," Salem said. "Ozpin is not one who trusts easily, yet this boy was able to fool both him and Cinder, and then turn aside an invasion which would have brought Vale to its knees. In doing so, he also turned one of Cinder''s own agents against her." Salem''s eyes narrowed. "This boy, this man, is not to be underestimated. He is a genius of the highest calibre and you will treat him as such."


    "We''re going to kill him then," Cinder said, trying to hide the pleasure in her voice.


    "Perhaps."


    "W-What?" Cinder roared.


    Salem raised an eyebrow.


    Cinder slumped down. "I-I am sorry, my Queen, I¡­"


    "You are angry and emotional." Salem''s eyes closed softly. "I will let it go this once."


    "Thank you." Cinder bowed her head in clear subservience. "I will not let me anger get the better of me again. If I may ask¡­ what reason would there be not to deal with him now? He is a clear threat to both us and our aims. His very existence makes Vale stronger than it has any right to be."


    "That is the reason I am considering a cautious approach, my dear. In war, not every battle must be won. Unlike Ozpin, this Jaune Arc is not eternal. I may simply choose to save resources and wait for time to take care of the issue."


    Cinder, Watts, Tyrian and Hazel all swallowed nervously. While it was certainly an option for Salem, it wasn''t for them. Jaune Arc was younger than some of them by ten or twenty years. If Salem decided to wait, then it would be until after their lifetime. Cinder could feel the promise of power slipping away.


    "S-Surely we can change your mind," she said.


    "Yes," Watts agreed, for once coming to her aid now that his own ambitions were on the line. "As you said, my Queen, not every battle must be won in full. Though we failed at Beacon, the academy has been destabilised greatly, and Ozpin scattered to the winds. If we can reclaim him and continue to damage Beacon''s attempts to regain its footing, we might yet prevail."


    "Hn," Hazel agreed with a grunt.


    Tyrian remained silent, though he was stabbing his steak with a knife, taking out his own rage on the innocent piece of cooked meat. None of them had taken defeat well. Individually, it might have been a source of mockery for one another, but here, with Salem suggesting a wait until the next generation, the four of them had become united.


    "Hmmm." Salem regarded them. "Very well. If you are all willing to work together on the matter, I shall allow it. No more games, however. No more arguing amongst yourselves. Use whatever tools you have at your disposal to deal with this Jaune Arc once and for all. Kill the one who holds the other half of the maiden''s powers, bring Beacon to its knees and I will continue with our plans in this generation. Fail me," she warned, "And I shall content myself to sit back and wait for this mastermind, this threat, to fade into memory."


    Cinder swallowed and bowed low. "Yes, my Queen. I, we," she added with a look to the others. They all, even Tyrian, nodded back. "We will not fail you this time. Jaune Arc, and Beacon, will fall."


    /-/


    Approval for Roman''s mercenary advertising; Signed.


    Approval for structural integrity tests on battleship; Signed.


    Approval for credit towards builders for the repair jobs; Signed.


    It was ridiculous how much of this had to be signed even though he, and the ones submitting it, knew it was important work that had to be done, his approval or not. Glynda and Roman knew the builders were necessary and should have just paid them, but red tape held them back. They weren''t allowed to sanction large expenditure without his signature.


    On Roman''s account, that was probably a good thing.


    Invitation to attend a council meeting via video call?


    "Huh. I wondered how they''d find a way around that." Annoyingly, it meant his handy excuse not to attend had worn dry. Damn. He''d have to attend this one since they''d bent over backwards to make it happen, and he didn''t need Glynda to tell him he couldn''t fob the Council off forever. "Ugh, what a pain."


    They were going to ask how repairs were going, he just knew it.


    But¡­ they held the funding for Vale and all the tax money. Money that could really do a lot of good thrown in their direction. They were also the ones who ran Vale, and Beacon had enough political problems without pissing them off.


    He wished he could send Glynda in his place. She was better than him in every regard, and yet sending an underling would be an insult, despite that it should have been the highest compliment for Beacon to send Glynda ¨C fixes everything ¨C Goodwitch to meet with them.


    He was the insult.


    Damn it all.


    "Sir¡­?"


    "Huh? Blake?" Shaking his head, Jaune looked up to his assistant, who really deserved to be paid for her work. Not that they had any money to pay her with. Most of the construction crews were being paid on credit, with Beacon basically pretending it had the money to cover the costs of a 60-day grace period.


    More of Roman''s creative accounting. Beacon had such a good reputation, and credit rating, that people didn''t even bother to wonder if they had the money or not. Two months credit before payment? Yeah, sure. What''s the worst that can happen?


    "Sorry," he said, "What''s up? And you can call me Jaune when we''re in a counselling session."


    "Counselling, yes, sure." Blake rolled her eyes. "I finished the paperwork you wanted me to go over, but they all need your signature." Blake laid several dossiers down, all with the bottom sticking out where the signature was necessary, so that he could just sign them all in one go.


    "Thanks, Blake. You''re a lifesaver."


    He checked the first one and saw that Blake had filled it in perfectly. Beacon was her home as much as anyone else''s, and she took her work ¨C or punishment ¨C seriously. It was an insurance form Roman wanted finishing so that Beacon could pay no tax this year due to catastrophic circ.u.mstances.


    The irony was that despite Beacon''s attack being all over the news everywhere on Remnant, the insurance companies were still trying to wriggle out of having to pay up. In their defence, Beacon had claimed for a lot more than it had ever had, thanks to Roman obviously, but, eh, it was for a good cause.


    "Looks good." He signed the bottom.


    "The next is an injuries report of students," Blake said, yawning. It was gone ten and they were both exhausted. "Nothing too bad, thankfully, but it''s mostly assurances that Beacon will take them back once they''re better and cover their hospital fees."


    "Of course, of course." He signed both forms on it. "They were injured in the defence of Beacon. We''ll not forget that." Yawning himself, he turned to the next one and groaned. "I guess we do need more security, but this new system seems so expensive¡­"


    "It''s not the school needing it," Blake explained, "More the insurance companies refusing to re-insure us unless we have the best security lien can buy. If we don''t have insurance, we technically can''t run a school."


    "Right." Signed and signed.


    Blake opened her mouth to explain the last one, but Jaune didn''t pay attention. He ran through them, signing wherever he could. Between Sienna, Glynda, the council and Yang stalking him throughout the day, his focus was shot.


    He just wanted to go to bed.


    "Signed, signed and signed," he said, dotting the last one and yawning again.


    "I''ll take them," Blake said quickly, collecting all the doc.u.ments before he could even touch them. "I''ll see them taken to the right people, or posted out," she promised, smiling. "You can count on me, sir."


    "Huh. Okay." It was unlike her to be so helpful, but he wasn''t going to complain. "Then thanks. Take the rest of the night off I guess."


    "Thank you, sir!" Blake bowed and hurried out, all the paperwork clutched to her chest.


    /-/


    Blake practically skipped out of the battleship ¨C and literally did in one case, nearly tripping over a gun locker that was now on the floor of all places. Without guns obviously, but still with all the latches and pegs sticking up precariously.


    She didn''t even care when she dropped the hated paperwork.


    In fact, she laughed.


    There, among the signed forms, down at the bottom, was the one from Jacques Schnee of the SDC, stamped and marked with the snowflake emblem. On it, a well-written response in black pen.


    -/-


    Dear Jacques Schnee,


    We would be honoured to attend this dinner in support of Beacon. Please find listed below the guests as listed:


    Jaune Arc


    Glynda Goodwitch


    Roman Torchwick


    Ruby Rose (Team RWBY)


    Blake Belladonna (Team RWBY)


    Yang Xiao-Long (Team RWBY)


    Yours sincerely,


    Jaune Arc


    Headmaster


    Beacon Academy


    -/-


    And below that, the ever-important signature. The headmaster had been so distracted after a long day''s work and an even longer night''s paperwork that he hadn''t thought to check what he was signing, just as Blake knew he often didn''t.


    Once the letter was sent and the invitations from the SDC came back, the teachers wouldn''t be able to stop them from coming. Mission complete, Blake whistled her way to the school''s admin office, ready to post off the various forms.


    Blake, you sneaky cat. You will be punished for this. The paperwork shall be immense.


    Anyway, last chapter people were asking for omakes, and the truth is that I meant to write one, but just forgot! In the spirit of Professor Arc, the omakes shall return.


    Omake: Coeur al''Aran


    Weiss looked up as the door opened, a barb on the tip of her tongue and a lashing ready for whichever fool now thought it safe to intrude on her domain. If it were Winter or Ironwood again, she had a particularly vile set of insults ready.


    To her relief, it was neither.


    "Hello friend Weiss!" Penny said, closing the door behind her. "I hope I am welcome."


    "Of course you are, Penny. Honestly, I''m glad to have someone to talk to." And never let it be said Weiss didn''t see the irony there, considering her first reaction to the overly excitable girl. In Atlas, however, Penny was quite easily the only person on her side.


    "There''s no need for the frown, friend Weiss. I come bearing good news!" Penny looked around suddenly to make sure no one was watching. "I have made contact with the flower garden."


    It took Weiss a good fifteen seconds to translate that.


    "Ruby?"


    "Flow garden sends its regards."


    "Penny, we''re alone. Code names are not only not required, but more suspicious than using names¡­"


    "The Bumblebee also says hello."


    "Okay, that one was less obnoxious, but only just." Despite herself, Weiss couldn''t help but smile. "Did they¡­ Were you able to smuggle anything in?"


    "I was!" Penny said, full of pride. "My last three attempts met with failure due to the screening process." The girl slumped, disappointed with herself.


    "It''s okay, Penny. You tried your best. It''s Ironwood who makes people look through any communique sent to me." She spat the name and shook her head. "But you said you managed to smuggle it past the censors? How?"


    "By learning from the masters of smuggling; other humans!"


    "I¡­ don''t understand."


    "I watched a doc.u.mentary on how people smuggle illicit contraband across the border."


    "Oh. That makes sense." Learn from the masters indeed. "I can''t say I''m an expert, but if they can get past security forces the world over, they can get past Atlas Academy''s. Can I have whatever it was?"


    "Yes."


    Penny turned around and leaned forward.


    Weiss waited.


    Nothing.


    "Um. Penny¡­?"


    "I am waiting for you to take the contraband, friend Weiss."


    "You¡­ are¡­?" Weiss tilted her head to the side. "I think I need some context¡­"


    "I understand, friend Weiss. One of the most common methods of smuggling contraband into other Kingdoms proved to be not upon, but within their person. The smugglers would keep the contraband in a sealed container and then insert it into themselves to be removed later."


    Something about Penny''s position, bent over in front of her, clicked.


    "You can''t mean¡­"


    Reaching back, Penny pulled her trousers down. "Please remove the goods from my anal cavity."


    Weiss had never backflipped over a chair faster. Hiding behind it, her face burned bright red and she pressed her forehead against the cool material. "PENNY!"


    "What is it, friend Weiss?" With no regard for the fact she had pulled down her pants in front of her, Penny looked back. "Do not worry. The goods are perfectly safe. I simply need your help in removing them. Insertion has proven easier than withdrawal."


    "T-I¡­ Is that so¡­?"


    "Yes. I was able to get them inside rather easily, but my hands do not fit inside quite so easily."


    Weiss let out a desperate and pained sound. This¡­ It was too much. And yet Penny had already done this, and she did need whatever it was, and she couldn''t exactly just leave it inside of Penny like that. Plus, it was a way past the censors.


    Mind breaking, Weiss dared to look up.


    And see a mechanical compartment open where Penny''s behind should have been, revealing a neat and metallic square box with a white envelope plainly leaning on the bottom half. Weiss all but collapsed in relief.


    "Penny, when you said anal cavity¡­"


    "Yes? My subdermal compartment functions as a cavity in the anal region. Was this not the correct term?"


    "I¡­ It''s¡­" Weiss sighed and came forward, kneeling down and reaching inside. "Never mind. I''ll explain in a moment."


    The door opened.


    "Weiss, I think we need to taaaaaaaallllkkkk¡­." Winter Schnee trailed off, eyes wide as she watched the scene of her little sister kneeling behind a girl who was bent over, her trousers down.


    Penny looked up with a happy smile. "Hello Specialist Winter."


    Weiss looked down to her arm, to Penny''s backside, to the compartment, and then to where Winter stood, unable to see both the compartment and the contents, but with a marvellous view of what must have looked like her sister burying her arm in another woman up to her elbow.


    "Wait, Winter! It''s not what it looks like!"


    Slowly, Winter backed away. "I can see that you''re busy," she said, voice strained. "I?? I shall come and talk to you later."


    The door clicked shut.


    "I think that went well!" Penny declared.


    Weiss could only weep.

 Chapter 329 - My SI Stash #29 - Rise Of Jon Stark Targaryen by Y-T3cH (HarryPotterXGameofThrones)

    -Author released this new fic as the sequel to his Richard Hendricks SI fic~ It''s quite fun if you''re into the whole OP-MC shtick, and also the magic not being nerfed to death is great to see!


    Synopsis: One day, during the morning jog at Potter Mannor, I came across a weird tree with a face carved on it. Next thing I knew, I was sitting on a table, gasping for breath, with a small cloth hiding my junk and a lot of deadly scars on my chest. A sequel to Rise of Richard Hendricks. Self Insert. Jon X Dany


    Rated: M


    Words: 45K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13608531/1/Rise-Of-Jon-Stark-Targaryen (Y-T3cH)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    I wake up with a gasp and find myself lying on a wooden table, almost n.a.k.e.d with just a small cloth protecting my privates. I instantly get a migraine as clashing identities and knowledge settle into my mind.


    I am Richard Hendricks. I am Chuck Bartowski. I am Shawn Spencer. I am Harry Potter. I am¡­ I look around. And see, Ser F.u.c.k.i.n.g DAVOS looking at me as if he has seen a ghost. I realize that I am Jon Snow/ Targaryen.


    This should not have happened. I wasn''t brought here by the ASB. I knew that. I always recognized his special band of power.


    Last I remember I was Harry Potter. I had barely been in the world of Harry Potter for two decades. Last I remember, I was at Potter Manor with my wife and children. I had just woken up in the morning and had gone on a run around the grounds like I always did. During that run, I saw a weird tree. A tree I had never seen before on Potter Grounds. A tree with red leaves and whitebark, with a face carved into the trunk of the tree. A face, whose eyes were bleeding red sap.


    When I went for a closer look to investigate... For the lack of a better term, I was zapped. I was zapped from my current body and from the Harry Potter world as I had come to call it. And now I find myself here. In the ****, Murder, Kill world of Game of Thrones.


    And if what I am guessing is correct then this is probably the worst time to enter the series. If Jon Snow aka ME, was just resurrected then I am probably at the start of season 6.


    The war of five kings is over and much of the armies of North and Riverlands is exhausted. Winterfell is occupied by Boltons. Sansa is probably just escaped and is on her way here. And in Essos, Dany has been abducted by Dothraki.


    I look around and see Ser Davos and my direwolf look at me in surprise and confusion. Then I look down at my n.a.k.e.d body and see chest wounds. A lot of chest wounds. That should have killed me. That did kill Jon Snow.


    F.u.c.k me!


    Gasping in panic, I try to get up and run but immediately stumble.


    Fortunately, I am caught by Ser Davos before I hit the ground.


    "Hey Easy, Easy, Easy.", He says grabbing me before I fall. Then the Red Woman, Milasandre enters the room, looking shocked at my living breathing form.


    "What do you remember?", I hear Davos ask.


    "Everything.", Is my only reply.


    Davos tries to comfort me by squeezing my shoulder. I look into Jons last memories as I continue.


    "They stabbed me.


    Olly¡­. Put a knife in my heart.


    They¡­ They betrayed me.


    I shouldn''t be here." When I say the last part I mean literally. I shouldn''t be here. I am supposed to be in HP universe right now.


    "The Red Lady brought you back.", Davos helpfully replies.


    It seems that is the only prompting Red Lady requires as she glides through the room and falls to her knees as she nears me.


    She takes my face in her hands and asks in a serious, curious and urgent tone, "Your Eyes are Green and Glowing¡­!


    Afterwards¡­ What did you see? Where did you go?"


    I think for a moment. This is a very important question. Obviously, I am shocked when she says the first part. I am pretty sure Jon Snow had brown eyes or according to the books, grey eyes. Green eyes belonged to Harry Potter aka ME, in my¡­ I guess previous life. Wait! Does that mean, I can do magic here too?!


    "Afterwards¡­ What did you see? Where did you go?" She repeats the question. I need to play this carefully. And I need to experiment as soon as I am alone.


    "I saw everything¡­ I was everywhere and nowhere at once. I met the Gods. We talked. They sent me back. They said I have a destiny. I need to save the World.", I said. Though I did realize, I was bullshitting for the sake of strengthening my position, I couldn''t help but have a very strong suspicion that I was right and the Old Gods had somehow managed to hijack my last life and bring me here.


    And looking at Melisandre''s face, I can see it was everything she was hoping for.


    "The Lord let you come back for a reason. Stannis was not the prince who was promised but someone has to be."


    "I am sorry to say My Lady, I was not your god that sent me back. I think it was mine. I think it was the Old Gods."


    It seems she did not like that statement, by the look on her face.


    "Could you give us a moment?", Davos asked her to leave not so politely. She complied but only because it seemed she needed to get her thoughts in order.


    "You were dead. And now you are not. It is completely f.u.c.k.i.n.g mad, seems to me. I can only imagine what it seems to you.", Davos said shaking his head with one hand squeezing my shoulder in sympathy.


    "I did what I thought was right and this is how they repay me. Why?" Yes, I recalled what Jon Snow did. And as I recalled it I felt equal parts dread and equal parts exhilaration. The reason, not all things were like it seemed in the show. Unlike in the show when Jon only managed to get a few thousand Free Folk South of the Wall, here he succeeded in getting over 35 thousand wildlings down south of the wall, along with 3000 giants and thousands of Mammoths. Right now all of them were in a temporary camp in the Gift. I guess some had come to take over Castle Black to get revenge in my name.


    "I don''t know. Maybe we will never know. What does it matter? You go on. You fight for as long as you can. You clean up as much of the shit as you can." Goddam man. That one hell of a motivational speech. And it is something I can get behind.


    "I don''t know how to do that. But I would appreciate any help and guidance you can give me.", I told him with a small smile.


    "I am not going anywhere Jon." He replies with a smile and another reassuring shoulder squeeze.


    He leaves the room to give me some time to change. As soon as he leaves the room, I sit down on the same table I woke up on in a lotus position and start mediating. Hoping and praying that my magical core is still there.


    ''YES!'', I exclaim internally as I find my magical core almost immediately. Concentrating on it, caressing it, channelling it, I gently push it down my right shoulder, through my arm, into my hand and at the tip of my index finger and mentally imagine a small lighter like flame. A bright orange though small flames ignite''s itself on my index finger and it brings a smile to my face.


    Yes! This changes things. Oh, yes, it does.


    XxxxX


    Sometime later as I walk out my solar, I see wildlings and some of my loyal Black brothers look at me in shock. It is understandable. Just over an hour ago, I was dead.


    As I walk into the courtyard, the men part like the water had parted for Moses, as I see Tormund Giantsbane and it seems he is just as in as much shock as others are.


    "They think you are some kind of god. The man who returned from the dead."


    "I am not a god. But if it helps I met one while I was on the other side."


    It seems to shock him but he soon gets a hold of himself after giving me a look that says, ''We are going to talk about that.''


    "I know that you are not a god. I saw your pecker. What kind of God would have a pecker that small?" he says in a fake whisper that is loud enough for everyone in the courtyard to hear.


    Then he laughs and hugs me. I hug him back. From Jons memories, he is a good, loyal friend. I am going to need those in the future.


    I move toward my other friend Edison Tollet. He instantly hugs me. "Your eyes are no longer brown. They are green. And they are glowing! Is that still you in there?" He asks only half-seriously.


    "I think so. Hold off on burning my body for now." We both laugh at little at that.


    "That''s funny. You are sure that still you in there." Then both of us laugh a little louder this time. Though internally I was wincing as Edd was on the mark.


    XxxxX


    After that, I have all the Black brothers except the ones who have stabbed me released and granted mercy. They are of course released on the condition that they remain loyal this time, failing to do so would lose them their heads.


    Then I head back to my Solar to plan. Since I have to execute the traitors anyways I decided that I might as well take a chance and try something that would, in turn, solve a lot of my future problems. I am of course talking about, proving to the Southern Lords that the Others are coming. And the best way to do that is to have wrights, to demonstrate.


    So I order, arrangements to be made outside of the Wall near the forest for the men to be hanged. When doing so I make sure their hands and legs are triple bound, just in case my plan actually works and they do become wrights.


    I execute them the next day. And leave them to hang in the open. Hoping against hope that they would turn into wrights.


    The day after that, one Black Brother out of the two I had left to monitor them, comes running into Castle Black.


    "The demons are alive. DEMONS! Their eyes have turned blue. They are alive again.", as soon as he says that, most of the Black Bother''s including me ride out the place they were hanged and see the now reborn, yet still hanging zombies, were trying to get free so that they could slaughter all people that still count as living surrounding them.


    As I looked around I could see the horrified faces of the Black Brothers that were not at Hardholm and had temporarily sided with Throne when I was killed. I, on the other hand, was sporting a blinding grin.


    "Told you so.", Tomund Giants bane says in a huff. Feeling vindicated know that the truth is known by most of the black brotherhood.


    "We need to kill them." One of the Black Brothers says. "Kill it with fire." One other brother replies.


    "We are not going to kill them, you idiots. We need them as proof if we want to convince the Lords in the South that the Dead are real, That the Wrights are Real, That the White Walkers and Night King are real. And most importantly the real war is coming for us. And if they don''t help, we are all f.u.c.k.i.e.d.


    Ed, get them boxed up and locked down tight and move them to Castle Black.", I command and though everyone still seems horrified for a variety of reasons, no one objects.


    Pretty soon they are boxed up and moved to the dungeons of Castle Black under constant guard of twenty to make sure they don''t escape.


    XxxxX


    "I was with you at Hardhome. I saw what''s out there. We know it''s coming here. F.u.c.k a few days ago all the Black Brothers saw what is coming for us! Yet You are choosing to leave us, NOW?", my Friend Edd says in frustration as he sees me packing up my shit in my room.


    "I died Edd. I fulfilled my vows. Now my watch has ended. And don''t forget we need to prepare the North and the rest of Westeros for the White Walkers. I can''t do that from Castle Black. I need to go south. I need to retake Winterfell. I need to reunite the north and then convince the other realms to send help as well. Or we all die." I told him.


    "There has to be another way, Jon! We need you here! You are now the most respected and feared commander of the Night''s Watch, Ever! We need you here, leading us if we want to have a chance to beat them!", Edd said pleading.


    I stopped packing for a second and faced one of my best friends from memories of Jon. I placed one hand on his cheek as I said.


    "When the Walkers come. When the Real War is here. I will be here as well. Hopefully with an army of tens of thousands of soldiers and supplies that will be necessary to beat the Night King.


    As you said Edd, you were with me at Hardholm. You saw Night King add over Seventy Thousand foot soldiers to his army. And I stress on the word ADDING, as Night King has had 8000 years to his army. An army''s whose real size we have no idea about.


    Edd you tell me, can Nights Watch, now numbering barely 600 with no more men or supplies coming from the South... Will it be able to stop the Night King?", I left the question hanging and Edd''s face scrunched up in contemplation, showing a lot of fear a few seconds later, as he shook his head in the negative.


    So Edd finally realized, he didn''t like what I had to do, but he understood it.


    Then the horn blew and a distant shout of ''Open the gates was heard.''


    I gave a small smile unseen by Ed, as we moved to see what the commotion was. Sansa was here.


    XxxxX


    Just like in the show, A bathed and fed Sansa sat in front of me.


    "Your eyes changed.", she said looking at me intriguingly as she sipped her bad ale.


    "Aye." I just replied smiling.


    "Why did they change?", she asked.


    "I died and came back different. Came back more¡­", I told her shrugging. Initially, when I told her I had died, she didn''t believe it. What sane person would? Then I had shown her my scars. There was a lot a shock followed by crying when I showed her my bare chest. Finally, she had calmed down after assurances that I was fine.


    "More?", said asked in confusion. She looked really cute and beautiful when she did so. But I had already decided, that Dany was going to be the one for me. So as much as I wanted to start something with the beautiful redhead, who was my cousin and not my sister, in reality, I wouldn''t.


    "More.", I replied igniting a small flame at the tip of my finger. Her expression was akin to a deer caught in headlights.


    "HOW?!", she all but exclaimed looking at me doing magic.


    "Think of it as Old God''s gift. We are going to need all the gifts and help if we want to fight the dead."


    "You really are telling the truth, aren''t you? About the dead I mean.", she said looking down.


    "Yes."


    "Then we need to take back Winterfell and unite the North.", she said with a hard face.


    "Aye. We need to. Don''t look so shocked. I am done with the Night''s Watch. When I died, murdered by my sworn brothers, my watch ended. Even if you hadn''t found me I would have found my way down South to rescue you."


    She gave me a warm smile at that, which as it went on, bordered on crying.


    "But we need to make plans. If we want to reunite north and take back Winterfell, then we will need an army." I said.


    "How many wildlings did you save?", she tried to nudge me in the right direction.


    "35000 or so and 3000 giants. But I can''t ask them to fight for me. They vowed to fight in the Long Night, not squabbles between Lords."


    "Do you think they will be safe under Boltons as the Wardens of the North. The moment they will be looking the other way, Boltons will come and kill every last one of them. The only choice we have to take the offensive."


    "Sansa since when did you start talking battle strategy?"


    "Since I lost most of my family and lived through multiple wars.", she said with a hardened face that promptly cracked and she started crying. I did not waste a moment going to hug her to try and console her.


    XxxxX


    "¡­. Return my wife to me or I will ride north and slaughter every wildling man, woman and babe. Then I will sack Castle Black and have the men in my army take turns raping your sister.


    Ramsay Bolton,


    Lord of Winterfell,


    Warden of the North", Sansa read the complete letter and even though I had only been in this body for two weeks I was still fiercely protective of any family I had. Unfortunately, I also knew, Rickon had to die or will die. I can''t be crowned the king of the North and then eventually Westros otherwise.


    Bolton was going to die and it would be just as painful as it was in cannon or even more so.


    "Ramsay is now the Lord of Winterfell and not Roose. Ramsay killed him. Jon, we need to take back Winterfell."


    I just nod my head and look to Tormund, Giants Bane.


    He looks in acceptance and asks his own question to Sansa. "How many men does this Bolton have?"


    "Five to Six thousand. I once heard him talking to his father about it.", Sansa replied.


    "How many men would be willing to fight for me Tormund.", I asked my friend.


    "Right now. Ready to march and fight. Three thousand. The rest either need to remain to protect the free folk or are children and old people."


    "That is more than I expected." It really was more than it was in the show. If I remembered correctly it was 2000 men and 1 giant. The last surviving giant.


    "I might also be able to convince a few dozen giants to help us.", That was a shock and an obvious advantage.


    "I appreciate it Tormund, I mean it."


    "Hah! Appreciate it he says. Little crow do you even know what my people think of you. They think you old god reborn the way you came back from the dead. And if that''s not enough you did save them from dying and being brought back as wrights in Others army.


    Don''t worry your pretty little head little crow. We will fight for you and we will win for you.", he said thumping my back. And they were smiles all around the table. But Sansa had a look in her eye that I could not decipher.


    XxxxX


    Chapter 2


    JON


    "We can''t defend the north from walkers and the south from Boltons. To survive we need to take Winterfell and to take Winterfell we need more men." I said throwing stones marked with Stark banner on the map of the north.


    I and my impromptu council was sitting in one of the rooms of Caste Black discussing strategies to take back the North from Boltons.


    Those attending this council included me, Sansa, Ser Davos, Lady Tarth and Tormund Giantsbane. But the last one was probably here just to creep Lady Brienne out, by continuously ogling her like she was a particularly appetizing piece of meat.


    "Aside from Starks and Boltons, the most powerful houses in the North are Umbers, Karstarks and the Manderlys. The problem is the Umbers and the Karstarks have already declared for Boltons.", Ser Davos analysed.


    "The Umbers gave Rickon to our enemies. They can hang.", Sansa said spitefully, and I had to agree with her internally.


    "But the Karstarks declared for the Boltons without knowing that they had another choice.", Sansa continued.


    "The problem, Sansa, is that Robb chopped off Lord Karstarks head when they were campaign in the South. After that, I don''t think they will ever kneel to the Starks willingly. The only way to bring them back into the fold would be to defeat them on the field.", I said chiming in. And Ser Davos gave me a nod agreeing with my assessment.


    "Jon how can you say that. You know Northerners are a different breed of men. More loyal. Suspicious of the outsiders.", Sansa protested.


    "Look, Sansa, I am not disagreeing with you. But how many rose up against Boltons when they took Winterfell? When you were forcefully married to a Bolton Bastard.


    Sansa, men are all the same in every part of the world. As loyal as they might be, no man wants to fight for a lost cause if the consequence of it is getting his wife and children skinned and killed.", I tried reasoning with her. That just made her angrier.


    "So what? Do you want to give up? Leave the north under the thumb of Boltons?"


    "I didn''t say that Sansa. I am saying that so far they didn''t have a cause to rally behind. Now we give them a cause.


    Right now other houses except for Bolton vassals and Umbers and Karstarks might not have risen up in rebellion against the Boltons. But... But they have not committed their support to them either. There are over two dozen houses in the North. Most of them are waiting for a rallying cry. Waiting for someone to take up the cause and raise the banner so they could rally behind. We will give them that Sansa."


    When I told her that, not just her but everyone in the room seemed pleased with the reasoning.


    "And it''s not like we are going in this without any army our own. 3000 men and 30 giants can do a lot of damage.", I continued.


    "Yes but, Boltons, Karstarks and Umbers put together can pool around 11,000 men.", Lady Tarth said trying to play the realist.


    "Yes well, that just means we need more men, doesn''t it. Time to start approaching the Northern Lords to get their help.", I said with a shrug and a smile trying to cheer everyone up.


    "I might have some news that might be helpful. Uncle Blackfish has reformed the Tully army and retaken Riverrun. If we ask they will back us to the bone.", that got everyone''s attention.


    "Sansa¡­ Just how did you come to know this information.", I asked gently.


    She obviously lied saying that Ramsay got a raven regarding that information before she escaped. Then it hit me. Sansa might be my cousin sister. And I might love her like a sister. But at the end of the day, even after all she has been through, she sees me as a tool to help her take back what is hers. She wants to be the queen of Winterfell and the North.


    Well shit. I can''t let that happen. I will have to control her impulses and actions. But I will also need to solidify my own position in the North and make it strong enough that Riverlands and Vale bend the knee to me before Dany arrives. When I go to negotiate with her, I will need to do it from a position of strength.


    As the meeting was dismissed and everyone decided to pack as they needed to leave Castle Black to work on getting those alliances a


    rudimentary yet very good plan started taking shape in my mind.


    XxxxX


    First stop to cement our alliance was to go to the wildlings camp and confirm with them that they would actually show up when we would need them.


    It went pretty much as it did in the show. The only differences being that instead of 2000 we got 3000 men and 30 giants.


    Then instead of going to Bear Island, I decided to first go to White Harbour. Along with Karstarks and Umbers, Manderlys were perhaps the most powerful house that could support us.


    For the meeting with Manderlys, I had a three-point strategy. One was to take one of the Wights in the boxes with us to White Harbour, and do a live demo regarding how deep of a shit we are in. The second was to take 10 Giants with me as a pure intimidation tactic. The third was to fake a letter with Robb''s writing, seal and ample compulsion charms that the letter was genuine and to do what the letter said.


    Using additional compulsion charms, you would also convince the target aka Lord Manderly that he got the letter when Robb was alive and fighting in the South.


    What is the letter you ask? Well, the letter was basically the last Will of Robb Stark, Legitimizing me as Jon Stark instead of Jon Snow and then making me the Heir to Winterfell and the King of the North. Also attached was a note for the Lord who possessed the letter to take it to Castle Black, where, as per the order in the Letter, I would be Honourably Discharged from the Night''s Watch, and take my place as the King of The North and Lord Stark of Winterfell should Robb fall in battle.


    So when I would ask for a private audience with Lord Manderly and hand him the letter, he would feel and remember as if he had a letter all along and it was his own cowardice for not wanting any more bloodshed that stopped him from acting on the letter. He would also feel an unbearable sense of shame that would compel him to beg for forgiveness, declare me the King of the North as per Robbs last Will and support my claim on Winterfell.


    When I went to negotiate with Manderlys, I had purposefully sent Ser Davos and Sansa to talk and convince Lord Hornwood, who would likely say yes and pledge small force to our cause. The reason for not taking them was simple, I didn''t want anyone to catch on to what I was up to, and since those two were the closest to me, it was very likely that without the use of spells they would soon come to suspect that something was off with the Manderlys.


    XxxxX


    When Wylis Manderley came to greet me and my Giant companions at the gates of White Harbour he was shocked. And as intended, very intimidated looking at the Giants.


    When later in Manderly great hall in front of Lord Wyman Manderly, his family and the rest of his court, I told them the story of how I was killed and was resurrected by the Old Gods to save the world and defeat the White Walkers. They, of course, like any sane human would became suspicious and started scoffing at my claims.


    That scoffing soon turned to horrified gasps and screams of shock when I showed them my scars and unveiled Wight Olly. When it almost bit off Lord Manderly''s head before it was yanked back and put in the box, everyone was a believer.


    Then I asked for a private audience with Lord Manderly. Once alone, I slipped him the letter and it took effect. Within seconds, he was doing his best to kneel with his over 200 kilograms of weight and asking for mercy and forgiveness. I finally felt satisfied.


    Then I asked him to send a letter to all noble houses of the North telling them that - Robb, before he died, sent him a letter via a Rider that not only legitimized me aka Jon Stark. But also named me his Heir.


    He had also wanted me released from the vows of the Night''s Watch, in case he died, so that I could fulfil my duty to my house. It was only by the time letter reached him the red wedding had already happened and in the grief of losing his second son and believing the Stark cause a lost one, he decided to sit on the letter and not do anything. He would also proclaim in the letter to all northern lords that, House Manderly, Knew no other king but the king in the North and his Name was Jon Stark.


    By the time I left White Harbour, I had accomplished several things. I had secured, 2000 Medium Sword Cavalry for the battle. I had ordered 30 sets of heavy armour, maces, shields, bows and arrows made for my Giants; which in medieval tactics would make them akin to walking tanks. I had also asked him to increase the size of his fishing and warship fleet as much as could.


    By the time I met up with Sansa and Ser Davos, they had secured 200 Hornwood archers for us.


    When I told them the "Story" of how shocked I was when I found out that Lord Manderly had a letter which was basically Robb''s last will that legitimized me and made me his Heir, both of them were shocked.


    Though I was sure I could see a bit of jealousy in her eyes when I told her Lord Manderly proclaimed me the King in the North.


    I wouldn''t say that after White Harbour getting men from other houses became easy but it was at least better than it was in cannon. Thought some things still remained the same.


    House Mormont still just sent 62 men. And Lady Mormont was still as badass and as cute as she was in the TV show. Seriously the first time I met her I felt like I was fanboying.


    One of the more noted changes was that this time around Glovers did send some marginal support.


    Finally, when I felt we couldn''t delay any longer, I sent out the ravens for the troops to assemble at the same point where Stanis had rallied his troops before he attacked Winterfell. Just like in the TV show. Because it was really a good strategic location.


    Covered on all 2 sides by hills forming natural barriers, with only two ways to go in and out.


    "We have to march on Winterfell now, while we still can. The storms in this area are unpredictable. If it snows, we will be stalled, if we are stalled we will be f.u.c.k.i.e.d.", I said as I, Sansa and Davos got off off our horses and started inspecting the camp where all the troops that were pledged to me, to take back Winterfell had gathered.


    "3000 wildlings, 2000 Manderlys, 200 Hornwoods, 143 Mazins, 50 men from House Glover, 30 Giants¡­." Davos started counting our troops when Sansa sarcastically completed, "Let''s not forget the 62 Mormonts".


    "It''s not what we hoped for¡­", Davos stated lamely. Maybe we could have gotten more troops if we waited a little bit longer, went to more houses for help, or showed off the Wright more than the only one time we did it at Manderlys. But I didn''t want to change cannon too much at this point and if we had gotten more troops that would have equalled Ramsay''s forces then he might have changed his battle strategy. That would mean Ramsay could throw the idea of open battle out the window and instead decided to sit inside Winterfell Castle with high walls and strong gates. It would lead to siege battle and that is not something I was willing to risk right now. Plus I know I had a trump card. To be fair, Sansa had a trump card which she was hiding from me for some stupid convoluted reason like a jealous squirrel.


    "Even if they have twice as many troops as us, we still have a chance. If we are careful and smart. Oh for f.u.c.k sakes¡­", Ser Davos said as he went to break up a fight between a wildling and a Manderly, mid explanation.


    "So he is your most trusted advisor now because he secured 62 men from a ten-year-old?"


    With a chuckle, I tell her, "Ser Davos is the reason, I am standing here talking to you and he had served Stannis for years."


    "Stannis, who lost the Backwater, who murdered his own brother and who does have a head anymore."


    "Well someone is being sassy."


    "What''s sassy?", she asked confused and a little offended. I chuckled and replied, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."


    "You seem in an awfully good mood, considering that you might just die tomorrow in the battle."


    "What can I say, dying can bring into one''s perspective of how pointless Brooding is. So I have made a vow to myself to enjoy the little things in life until I am still breathing."


    "I suppose that''s one way to look at things.", she said as we entered my command tent, which right now was empty. Then she finally snapped.


    "Jon¡­ It''s NOT ENOUGH. WE NEED MORE MEN. They have twice the number of men we do. Even if we have Giants."


    I smile at her as I caress her cheek with my right hand, that draws a faint blush from her.


    "Sansa we have no time. I wasn''t kidding about the storms. Now that the winter is here, there could be one at any moment. And if it snows right now, we will be f.u.c.k.i.e.d. Marching through the snow to reach Winterfell will be like marching through a white swamp. And all Ramsay will need to do to defeat us is sit in Winterfell and pick us off from the walls or if we have no option but to siege then see our army wither away in a week. Sansa, we have no supply lines. We cannot afford a siege. Our only hope of taking Winterfell is making Ramsay take the field against us in normal weather conditions.


    And Sansa, I agree with you, we need more time and troops. But time is a luxury we do not have. But you are my sister. And I love you and trust you, so if you have a way to magic us some more troops before we march, I am willing to listen. If you have a better plan and reasoning to follow that plan, I am willing to listen.", I say handing her a cup of Ale.


    After the blush recedes from her face, she starts contemplating sneaking glances at me trying to judge whether to disclose the information about the Vale troops or not. Finally, she relents and makes up her mind.


    "Jon I have something to confess to you¡­"


    XxxxX


    Chapter 3


    JON


    Davos, Sansa, Tormund, Lyanna Mormont, Wylis Manderly, me and some Stark bannermen sit on horseback, waiting. The reason there were no Giants here was that, so far news about Giants was only considered a rumour. And I wanted to keep it that way till they see them on the battlefield.


    RAMSAY, HARALD KARSTARK, SMALLJON UMBER, and a group of Bolton soldiers approach on horseback. They come to a halt in front of me and my companions.


    As they are doing so I tell Sansa, "You don''t have to be here."


    "Yes, I do.", she replied primly.


    "My beloved wife. I''ve missed you terribly." The cruel monster that is Ramsay says with a fake benevolent smile.


    Ramsay then turns his attention to me.


    "Thank you for returning Lady Bolton safely. Now, dismount and kneel before me, surrender your army and proclaim me the true Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. I will pardon you for deserting the Night''s Watch. I will pardon these treasonous lords for betraying my house. Come, bastard, you don''t have the men, you don''t have the horses and you don''t have Winterfell. Why lead those pour souls into slaughter? There''s no need for a battle. Get off your horse and kneel. I''m a man of mercy.


    I scoffed and then started laughing. I laughed so loud and started thumping my thigh so hard as if I just heard the funniest joke in the world.


    I laughed so hard that I managed to bring some tears into my eyes. My companions taking a cue from me also started laughing, though not as hard and Sansa didn''t laugh at all.


    All of this really pissed Ramsay and his companions off.


    "What''s so funny Bastard?", Ramsay said hiding his anger behind his smile.


    "It''s funny you talk about mercy. The bastard who stabbed his father in Winterfell great hall when the Maester told them that Roose Boltons new wife had just born a son to him.


    Then as if that wasn''t enough, you fed the mother and the newborn to your hounds, just so that you can secure your succession to Lordship.


    And if rumors are true, you had even poisoned Roose Boltons true born son Domenic so that Roose would have no choice to make you his heir. You have to admit it is pretty funny when a kin slayer of the highest order like you, talks about mercy.


    And you, My Lords Umber and Karstark decided to side this piece of human filth. I am disappointed." When I said that, Lord Karstark looked a little uncomfortable but Small Jon Umber was unfazed.


    Likely because as in the show he had planned to kill his own father had he not died in the south. So he would have no problem with Kin Slaying. "I will give you one chance right now, abandon the Kin Slayer, and bend your knee to me, Jon Stark." My using Stark as a last name shocked them so I continued.


    "Going by your expressions, I am sure Ramsay made it a point that both of you don''t read the letter Lord Manderly dispatched to all houses of the North. But let me inform you anyway, Robb Stark had legitimized me before the Red Wedding and had sent the letter to Lord Manderly. Due to grief of his son''s death, he decided to sit on the letter and do nothing as there was no one to rally behind. But now there is, so he sent the letter to everyone in the north. His son Wylis next to me can attest to that." Wylis in turn just gave a curt nod with an emotionless mask to our enemies.


    "And I guess you have a point. There''s no need for a battle. Thousands of men don''t need to die. Only one of us. Let''s end this the old way. You against me."


    Though he was blistering so far, but as I say the last part he gains control of himself and chuckles. "I keep hearing stories about you, bastard. Some of them are absurd like you dying and coming back to life. But some I find might be true. The way people in the North talk about you, you''re the greatest swordsman who ever walked. Maybe you are that good. Maybe not. I don''t know if I''d beat you. But I know that my army will beat yours. I have 11,000 men. You have, what, half that? Not even?


    "Aye, you have the numbers. Will your men want to fight for you when they hear you wouldn''t fight for them?", I asked trying to provoke him.


    Ramsay points at me. "He''s good. Very good. Tell me, will you let your little brother die because you''re too proud to surrender?" He asks with a smirk.


    "How do we know you have him?" Sansa questions not at all pleased being in the presence of the vile man.


    Ramsay nods to Smalljon. Smalljon pulls SHAGGYDOG''s head out from a satchel and throws it on the ground.


    "Now, if you want to save ¡ª", Ramsay begins his threat but is interrupted by my sister.


    "You''re going to die tomorrow, Lord Bolton. Sleep well." Sansa turns her horse and rides away.


    Ramsay turns to me and says, "She''s a fine woman, your sister. I look forward to having her back in my bed. And you''re all fine-looking men. My dogs are desperate to meet you. I haven''t fed them for seven days. They''re ravenous. I wonder which parts they''ll try first. Your eyes? Your balls? We''ll find out soon enough. In the morning, then, bastard."


    As soon as Ramsay finished, Lyanna Mormont spoke up from behind. "Call him a bastard one more time and when the battle is over and your dogs are starving, I''ll rip off your c.o.c.k and feed it to them. Then I will let them have their way with you and your nice bloody little twat."


    That silenced every single person in the clearing. After a second I was sporting a huge grin looking at her. Oh, boy if she were a decade older, forget Daenerys, I would have married her. That girl is a spitfire.


    Ramsay''s smile upon hearing what Lyanna said, cracked a bit but he restored it without hesitation. "I like you girl. When this is over, I think I might take a second wife." Ramsay''s men turned and began riding back to Winterfell, but they didn''t leave without a scathing retort from little spitfire, "Keep dreaming cunt."


    I could see Ramsay''s shoulders and back visibly tightened as he stopped for a second but didn''t turn around. Then he moved his horse and kept going, no doubt trying to keep his composure from exploding in front of his enemies.


    Looking him go, I shook my head at the hilarity of the scene as I turned around and we began marching back to camp as well.


    I rode next to Lyanna and Tormound came on my other side as he said, "That little girl got more balls than both of our armies."


    I loudly snorted, "F.u.c.k that. Lyanna over there has more balls than the whole North. My Lady, if you were a decade older I would have loved to call you my wife, but from today, if you would allow me, I would call you my sister from this day till the end of days."


    Jon smiled as he noticed Lyanna''s expression go from pride to blushing to pride again as she said, "It would be an honour, your Grace."


    I chuckled as I said, "I am not the king."


    "Yet.", she replied with a grin that brought out my own grin. My god the Tv show undersold how awesome this girl was.


    XxxxX


    Davos, Tormund, Wylis, Sansa, Lyanna, Wun Wun and I are standing around a planning table.


    "If he was smart, he''d stay inside the walls of Winterfell and wait us out.", I vocalized a thought looking at the map of the battleground and the pieces on it.


    "That''s not his way. He knows the North is watching. If the other houses sense weakness on his part, they''ll stop fearing him. He can''t have that. Fear is his power.", Wylis Manderly said. He had talked a lot less since he joined us with his troops. I knew it was not with an intention to betray us but because of a perceived sense of shame towards the act of his father''s cowardice for not following through with the last wishes of Robb Stark, King of the North. That, in turn, had made him fiercely loyal to the point of overcompensation.


    "It''s his weakness, too. His men don''t want to fight for him. They''re forced to fight for him. If they feel the tide turning...", I continued. That was actually part of the plan. Hit them fast, hit them hard then route them. Ones that lay down their weapons would be spared.


    "It''s not his men that worry me. It''s his horses. I know what mounted knights can do to us." Tormund said and then looked at Davos. "You and Stannis cut through us like piss through the snow."


    "We''re digging trenches all along our flanks. They won''t be able to hit us the way that Stannis hit you, in a double envelopment." I said.


    Tormund stares blankly at me.


    "A pincer move." I tried to explain.


    Tormund continued staring blankly at me. DAVOS and I look at each other briefly.


    "They won''t be able to hit us from the sides.", I finally simplified for the simpleton. Good thing I had all of Jon Snow''s memories and skills. Amongst them, the knowledge of medieval battle tactics taught to him by the Maester when he was young.


    "Good." Tormund replied finally dropping the stare


    Davos then picked up the conversation and laid out our battle strategy. "It''s crucial that we let them charge at us. They''ve got the numbers, we need the patience. If we let him buckle our centre, he''ll pursue. Then we''ll have him surrounded on three sides.


    To reiterate, out of the 2000 horse, 1000 have been hidden away in the woods nearby waiting for a signal to perform a pincer move. These will be commanded by Lord Glorvers Bannerman.


    The other 1000 will be posted in the wings of our infantry to counter the enemy''s infantry. 500 on each side.


    The bulk of the infantry is made up of 3000 free folk and 30 heavily plate armoured giants. Counting the free folk and contribution from other lords we have around 600 archers.


    When the enemy charges at us, the Archers will pepper them with arrows. Once they are close enough the archers will retreat behind the giants and the infantry and take opportunistic potshots.


    The Giants will face the remaining oncoming charge assisted by the infantry." At this a very heavy full-body plate armoured Wun Wun grinned and grunted, banging his fist on his armoured chest as he said, "STARK!".


    Everyone in the room smiled becoming infected at the enthusiasm of the man.


    "Remember we need to slowly withdraw so that we can surround them. And if all goes according to plan and if the Cavalry hidden in the forest is not needed before, then they can come in and block off the last route to escape for the enemy.", Davos completed and everyone acknowledged the plan was good and could work but needed perfect execution and there would be significant losses.


    When all was said and done Tormund turned to me and asked, "Did you really think that cunt would fight you man to man?"


    "No. But I wanted to make him angry. I want him coming at us full tilt.", I replied.


    "We should all get some sleep.", Davos said trying to excuse himself for the night.


    "Rest, Jon Snow. We need you sharp tomorrow.", Tormund said refusing to acknowledge as some kind of prank that my name was now Stark.


    DAVOS, TORMUND, and any remaining attendants began to exit. But before they left I asked them to wait a minute. It was time to tell them about Vale and their forces. JON SNOW sits down at the head of the table.


    "Look, it might not come into play tomorrow, but we might have another advantage. My sister was contacted by the Lords of The Vale. They have 40,000 troops in the North. I have asked them to send help but I don''t know if they will reach us in time. And even if they could, I wouldn''t dare expose them to Ramsay before the battle, lest he chicken out and decided to do the sensible thing and wait out in the castle behind strong walls.", Looking at everyone''s faces there were a lot of different emotions going through them. Most of my Lords and Advisors were initially furious that I actually hit such a big advantage but by the end of my explanation understood my reasoning.


    Sansa for some reason was not happy. Maybe because she thought it was her trump card or some stupid shit like that.


    "For now, I don''t want knowledge about Vale army going out of this tent. There might be enemy spies in our camp. We cannot take the chance of them alerting Ramsay. So I am ordering you to not talk about it. Is that clear?!", Everyone gave me nods of assent and respect and exited the command tent. With the exception of Sansa. It was clear she wanted to talk to me. I feel a cannon conversation coming on.


    "So you''ve met the enemy, drawn up your battle plans.", Sansa said condescendingly.


    "Aye, for what they''re worth.", I said with a smile and a cup of ale at my lips.


    "You''ve known him for the space of a single conversation, you and your trusted advisors, and you sit around and make your plans on how to defeat a man you don''t know. I lived with him. I know the way his mind works. I know how he likes to hurt people. Did it ever once occur to you that I might have some insight?"


    "You''re right."


    "You think he''s going to fall into your trap. He won''t He''s the one who lays traps.", she said angrily.


    "He''s overconfident."


    "And you aren''t? He plays with people. He''s far better at it than you. He''s been doing it all his life."


    "Aye, and what have I been doing all my life? Playing with broomsticks? I fought beyond the Wall against worse than Ramsay Bolton. I''ve defended the Wall from worse than Ramsay Bolton.", Though technically I did pay quidditch in my last life.


    "You don''t know him."


    "All right, tell me. What should we do? How do we get Rickon back?", I ask her and she sadly looks down.


    "We''ll never get him back. Rickon is Ned Starks trueborn son, which makes him a greater threat to Ramsay than you, a bastard, or me, a girl. As long as he lives, Ramsay''s claim to Winterfell will be contested, which means he won''t live long.", she said beseechingly to me, trying to make me understand.


    "I know Sansa, I know. Chances of getting him back are very low. But we can''t give up on our brother. We have to at least try. I have to try, or I won''t ever be able to forgive myself.", though as I said that, I knew I was going to fail, maybe even on purpose. I had a lot of plans that I was planning to execute during the battle. One of those was to show some of my powers. A good opportunity for that would be, in the grief-stricken state after Rickons death.


    "Listen to me, please. He wants you to make a mistake.", Sansa again beseeched me taking my hands in hers.


    "Of course he does. What should I do differently?"


    "I don''t know! I don''t know anything about battles! Just don''t do what he wants you to do."


    "Aye, that''s good advice.", I couldn''t help the sarcasm in my voice.


    "You think that''s obvious?", Sansa sounded pissed.


    "Well, it is a bit obvious."


    "If you had asked for my advice earlier, I would have told you not to attack Winterfell until we have a larger force, or is that obvious, too?"


    "When will we have a larger force then we already do?! We''ve pleaded with every house that''ll have us! The Blackfish can''t help us! We''re lucky to have this many men!" I finally snapped.


    "It''s not enough! If we just wait for the Va¡­."


    "I know, it''s not enough! It''s what we have! Battles have been won against greater odds. And I have already told you the reason we cannot expose the existence of Vale army before the battle begins."


    "If Ramsay wins, I''m not going back there alive. Do you understand me?", She looked scared but none the less defiantly looked into my eyes when she said that.


    "I won''t ever let him touch you again. I''ll protect you, I promise." I told her slowly taking her into my arms and hugging her.


    She tried to push me away, but I didn''t let go of the hug.


    "No one can protect me. No one can protect anyone.", she said as she began crying on my shoulder.


    "I can and I will. Watch me.", I said giving her a kiss on her forehead. She didn''t say anything but she hid her face on my shoulder and began crying louder.


    "I don''t believe you.", she said still crying into my shoulder.


    "Sansa, till the day I die, you will be safe. Till the day I die, you will be loved. Till the day I die, you will be protected. And as you know, I am a tough f.u.c.ker to kill. Because I already died once and it doesn''t seem to stick.", I said jesting. I got a punch in my stomach for my troubles.


    "Ouff"


    "Don''t joke about it. Especially not now. Not before a battle.", She said still crying in my chest.


    "Sansa, you are safe, you are loved, you are protected. I can''t even begin to imagine, what you have been through in the years since you left Winterfell. But I promise I will be there to protect you. Till the day you need me.", I said to a now quietly sniffling Sansa on my chest.


    Sansa made no move to break the hug. Probably letting herself feel vulnerable for the first time in years. We stayed that way for quite some time.


    XxxxX


    Now that I was back in my tent alone I searched through my things and took out a palm-sized red stone made out of dragon glass. If someone looked closely one would recognize it was anything but ordinary. If one had been from harry potter universe, select few would recognize that they were looking at an uncharged philosopher''s stone. Yes. I made a sorcerer''s stone.


    After I woke and was back at castle black, I found a dragon glass dagger the size of my forearm and then refined and polished it to the size of my palm. Then I had enlarged the stone to half the size of my room. I did this because I had very early found out that dragon glass was an excellent conductor of magic, just like my Valerian steel sword.


    So it made an ideal replacement for the materials I need to make the sorcerers stone. Once I had enlarged it, I began inscribing it with runes. It took me nearly 10 days to complete my work, till when I had to put muggle repelling ward on my door so that no one would walk in. Once all the runes were inscribed, I shrunk it back to its original size but the runes engraved on it remained.


    Right now this stone was not activated. For it to activate it would need blood sacrifice. Which it will get tomorrow when I throw it in the middle of the battlefield. Once it the ground, it will suck up any blood spilt that touches the ground within 49 kilometres.


    Yes, tomorrow was going to be eventful.


    XxxxX


    The day of the battle had arrived. Two armies stood across one another ready to fight for the future of the North.


    I was inspecting the lines of my men from horseback. Alongside me was Ser Davos. The faces of my men and commanders were grim but determined. I had left Ghost with Sansa for her protection as much as for the fear of losing my Direwolf companion in open battle. Sansa and Lyanna Mormont had gone together to link up with the Vale forces and bring them here.


    As we were inspecting our line, I could see on the other side, Karstark and Umber were doing the same. Then I saw Ramsay on horseback, with rope in his hand dragging someone on foot. It was Rickon.


    Rickon looked thin, ragged and weak. Most of all afraid. He had a scared and helpless look in his eyes that was evident even from across the field. He knew he was going to die today. Looking at him, a child barely in his teens, I could feel all my plans come crashing down.


    Living so many lives, had I become heartless enough to sacrifice my own brother? Was there no other way for me to achieve my goals then let one of my kin die when I have the power to save him?


    Looking at Rickon''s dejected face, my heart broke and I made a decision. F.u.c.k Cannon. This was no longer just a TV show. This was real life. My current life. It didn''t matter that he was my brother or my cousin, he was my kin. He was a child. And I am sure as f.u.c.k.i.n.g hell was going to do my best to save him. Dam the consequences.


    As I palmed the red stone in my pocket I thought one thing, ''Game is about to begin.''


    SER DAVOS SEAWORTH


    As I trotted on horseback alongside my new liege, I think back on the turns my life had taken to bring me here. I went from a smuggler to serving Stannis, to now serving Jon Snow no¡­ Jon Stark now.


    Stannis was a good man. An inflexible but honourable man. A man that was lead down the wrong path by Red Witch during which he lost his own Honour and the respect I had for him.


    Then came Jon Snow. I had never seen a man come back to life before. But the man did. And ever since he came back, there was something different about him. Not just his eyes, which changed from Brown to Emerald glowing green. They seem almost eternal. The way he sometimes saw me, I felt he was not looking at me but through me with those eyes. Seeing directly into my soul.


    When he did that, I had to resist the urge to fall on my knees and bow my head and swear my fealty to the man repeatedly.


    Today those bright shining eyes, shined even brighter. Those eyes always seemed that they were doing a poor job of masking the power inside the man. Not that I had seen any of these powers. Except for the change in his eyes and his less brooding and more cheerful behaviour, I could not find any evidence of this power.


    But sometimes, sometimes I and the people around him could feel that there was power in him.


    Once jokingly I had even asked him, ''What''s with the eyes and are they hiding some secret power behind them.'' He had laughingly but seriously replied, ''I think there is power in me, aye. I know I came back different. I came back more. A lot more. But for some reason, I can''t access that all of that power, if there is power there, yet.'' That had promptly shut me up and I could never muster the courage to broach the subject again.


    Coming back to the present, I saw a chilling sight. Ramsay had Jon Starks brother in ropes and a knife raised over him. Oh, gods, he was going to kill the child.


    Looking to my side I found Tormund and Jon. Tormund and I both looked at Jon who''s eyes had gotten even brighter in his fury and were now glowing even brighter than a few moments ago.


    Both Tormund and I knew Jon loved his brother and there was a big chance he was going to do something stupid.


    The moment Ramsay cut Rickon Starks ropes and asked him to run, my fears came true as Jon ran up his horse to go get his brother. I tried to move to stop him from doing something foolish before he spoke loud enough for me, Tormund, Wylis Manderly and many of our troops to hear.


    "Davos, follow the plan to the letter. Do not move. Do not charge. Hold the line till I say so. I am going to get my brother."


    Before I could stop him, he was already gone, galloping fast on his horse to get his brother.


    As he got closer to Rickon Stark, I could see Ramsay fire arrow after arrow at the Stark Boy that barely missing him by a hairbreadth. Dread filled my heart. He was playing Jon. The bastard Ramsay was purposely missing.


    Just as both brothers were in touching distance, one of Ramsay''s arrows would have found its way through Rickon Stark''s heart. But at the last second, Rickon moved, lifted off the ground, as a fish is pulled from the water with a pole, and sped towards Jon. Despite that, he didn''t get away unscathed. The arrow found his way into his shoulder. The boy fell coughing blood.


    Jon god down from the horse and ran to the boy hugging him to the chest and removing the arrow. I could see Jon''s hand light up in fire as he pressed his palms to the wound cauterizing it, from both sides. Jon hastily picked up his brother and put him on his horse side-saddle, tuned the horse, hit it on its ass and made it run towards our lines.


    A couple of riders from our lines went to intercept Rickon before another barrage of arrows could be launched at him.


    Thought Jon stood at the same spot where Rickon had fallen. His head down, seemingly frozen in place and facing Boltons army.


    Across the field, I looked at Ramsay and his smiling face. I knew at that moment Ramsay''s plan had succeeded. I didn''t know how, since the boy might be in pain, but he was still alive. But still, that smile unnerved me.


    That was confirmed even more when Jon refused to move, despite many calls from soldiers and commanders alike from our side. I screamed myself hoarse, yelling at him to get out of there within those 10 seconds, but he did not move.


    He stayed right there, instead of retreating. I could already see, Ramsay''s archers nocking the arrows and firing them towards Jon. I knew I was too late but I had to do something. I was about to order the cavalry to charge when something happened.


    I could only see back of Jon''s body, but even from the back, I could see something impossible happen. It started glowing green. And then red. And then a mixture of green and red. Then I could see a faint shadow of a tree of light forming around him. As the arrows reached him, I saw something even more impossible.


    XxxxX


    RAMSAY BOLTON


    I smiled a wide smile as I saw my plan succeed even as Rickon Stark was only shot through the shoulder. It didn''t matter if the arrow went through Rickon Stark''s heart or shoulder, he was going to die either way. The arrow, after all, was poisoned. And I could not take a chance with the life of one of the biggest threats to my rule over the North.


    Then my smile got even wider, as I saw Jon Snow commit the mistake I hoped he would when I provoked him by killing his brother. He sent the boy''s body away towards his lines and now no doubt prepared to charge at me alone.


    "Tsch. Foolish but helpful. Archers. Noc. " I said out loud. And the archers pulled the arrows all aiming towards a single target before he said, "Loose."


    As he gave the order to fire the arrows, he saw something chilling. Jon Snow''s eyes and body were glowing. First, they glowed green. As bright and green, as looking at it would hurt my eyes. Then his body and his eyes glowed Red. Then they became a mixture of Green and Red.


    But even as this was happening the arrows were moving towards their target. But just as they were about to skewer Jon Snow and end this rebellion once and for all, something happened and I felt real fear¡­ for the first time in a long long time.


    Jon Snow had raised his glowing hand towards the oncoming barrage of arrows. And just as they were about to hit him, THEY STOPPED! The Arrows stopped mid-air.


    I could then see, the glow around his body taking shape of a glowing shadow of a Weirwood tree. I could already hear fearful murmuring in my men.


    No no no. I could not lose the North to another bastard after doing so much. I needed to kill him.


    "Noc.", I said but not everyone responded immediately. Many still fearfully looking at the arrow barrage stopped mid-air. Then I decided to make an example, by chopping off the head of one of the archers who did not obey. That got rest of the archers and most of my men back in line and under my discipline.


    "Noc. Loose. Noc. Loose. Noc. Loose. Noc. Loose. Noc. Lose.", I ordered sent 5 barrage of arrows towards Jon Snow, hoping to overwhelm him and his¡­power.


    But it didn''t take. All the arrows stopped mid-air before reaching him, just like the first barrage.


    Then he spoke, in a voice so alien, I felt in my bones I was hearing the GODs. He spoke Loud enough for every man on both sides of the field to hear.


    "You dare. YOU DARE. YOU DARE TRY KILL MY BROTHER. MY KIN! By the WRATH OF OLD GODS, You Shall BE PUNISHED!"


    Then the arrows TURNED!


    They flew back the same way they came and hit the very archer that fired them. Even the archers trying to run were not spared as the arrows turned their trajectory


    "CAVALRY CHARGE! KILL THAT MONSTER!" I yelled. I could see many did not want to follow. But threats from their commanders and them being seasoned warriors and not small folk leavy made them comply.


    So they charged. Then he spoke Again.


    "ARCHERS Fire from your position. Infantry Charge!", Again both side heard that order. But only one side obeyed.


    And even though Snow''s archers could not possibly be in the range to hit their targets and were likely to hit Snow himself, they still complied. And they loosened arrow after arrow and I could already see his Infantry charging, lead by 30 fully armoured Giants leading the charge.


    I winced internally. This was going to get bloody.


    The arrows from the Snow''s side were about to hit him, they once again stopped mid-air. I could see him acc.u.mulate four, five, six, seven barrages of arrows mid-air.


    By the time my cavalry was close enough to him, he unleashed the barrage held mid-air on my cavalry. Many were slaughtered. But still quite a few made it through.


    Just as they were a lance throw away from him, he knelt down on the ground touching both his hands to it and earthen spikes emerged from the ground pointing towards my charging cavalry.


    Horses and riders alike were skewered and many horses buckled seeing the carnage ahead of them either throwing their riders off to get trampled by the rest of the cavalry or being skewered from being thrown off and forward from their horses, by their horses.


    Still a few made it through. Just as one of my hors.e.m.e.n was about to put a spear through Jon Snow, a Giant Mace smashed into the horse and the rider throwing him ways away though the air.


    By this point, the Giants had reached him followed by the rest of the bastards infantry and started the slaughter.


    I had sent my whole cavalry after Snow so I none left to spare now to take his infantry. I had no option but to send half of my infantry as well.


    So I did. Just as snows men had finished with my cavalry. Half my infantry almost reached his infantry. Both of which were probably the same size. And I had an additional three thousand infantry to spare.


    This was still salvageable.


    Though I realized my infantry did not reach the enemy unopposed as Snow''s archers had changed position closer to the battle line and continuously peppered my incoming infantry.


    Just as my infantry was close, he spoke again, loud enough for everyone in the field to hear.


    "FORM UP. FORM UP. GET BACK IN LINES. GIANTS AT THE FRONT. GIANTS AT THE FRONT. ARCHERS FIRE."


    And his infantry formed up as best it could, under the protective barrage of their archers. But his men being this close it was not very effective.


    Then melee began in the earnest.


    He could see he had the advantage against the wildlings. His men were better armoured and disciplined and wildings bloodthirstiness and ferocity couldn''t make up for that.


    But whatever advantage he had was negated by the heavily armoured giants and Jon Snow. That was nothing his footmen could do to take down the giants. Their strength too much and armour too thick.


    Not to mention, the bloody green-eyed glowing monster that was Jon Snow was, was fighting as a God possessed. Moving fast enough that his body and sword were a blur. Cutting down tens of men within minutes.


    Not to mention whatever witchcraft he was doing when he just waved his hand and his men flew away in the air hundreds of meters as if he had swatted them away like flies.


    As I watching I could already see, we were losing. I needed to commit.


    "Umber, you are up.", I told the Lord of Last Hearth.


    "Are you sure. Wouldn''t it be wise to withdraw behind the walls of Winterfell."


    "Are you a coward Umber? Do you think if we hide now the rest of the North won''t rise up against us, after this?", I said pointing to battle in front of us.


    "We killed his brother, do you think we will be spared? It''s we either fight and kill him or he will kill us. Slowly.", I told Umber. Even though it was the correct choice at the time, right now I was feeling fear and regret over not holding Rickon Stark hostage.


    Looking at Umber I could see he had strengthened his resolve and made up his mind.


    "Men of Last Hearth, in the name of your Lord, CHARGE!", Umber said and I could see, his men and what remained of mine were not happy with the order but they none the less obeyed. But I could almost feel the resolve of men wavering against fighting the Starks.


    On the way, Umber men were once again peppered by Snow''s archers but they still made it and began surrounding the fighting men. By this time Snow''s foot and Giants had almost finished the first half of my foot off that I sent earlier. But I could also see that they had suffered significant losses.


    At least half of his Wildlings were gone. Though none of his giants had been killed, a couple did look injured rather badly and unable to walk.


    Once the Umber men were in position, Snow''s army was surrounded on all sides. Three sides by his own army and 4th side by a wall of bodies twice the size of his giants.


    Then he spoke again.


    "WUN WUN, FORM A PERIMETER WITH YOUR BROTHERS. CIRCLE AND PROTECT THE REST OF FOOT. SHIELDS UPFRONT.


    MEN OF LAST HEARTH. I WILL GIVE YOU ONE CHANCE TO LAY DOWN YOUR WEAPONS. YOU HAVE SERVED YOUR LORD LOYALLY AS WAS EXPECTED OF YOU. YOU ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS MISTAKE. LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS AND ON MY HONOUR I WILL SPARE YOUR LIVES. FAIL TO DO SO AND I WILL SLAUGHTER YOU TO THE LAST MAN STANDING."


    By this time his Snows archers had withdrawn to original lines. After hearing his opportunity to lay down the arms, many of the umber men started looking at each other, trying to find courage in numbers. Then one man in the back let his spear fall and started running away. Seeing him many other also started laying down their arms till loyal umber men started killing those that were throwing down their arms to stop them and it worked.


    Still, a good 500 men had run away by then. I was so going to find those traitorous cunts and flay them alive after this.


    Snow used the time, spent my Small Jon to bring his men back under his thumb effectively, forming his own circular formation with Giants at the front and wildings with shields, beside them filling the gaps. The rest without shields on the inside of the circle. Snow in the centre of it.


    When no more Umber men showed any will to lay down their arms and had somewhat reformed their lines. Snow again spoke.


    "SO MOTE IT BE. CAVALRY CHARGE! INFANTRY BRACE! FOR WINTERFELL!"


    Shit! His horse. I forgot about his horse!


    Seeing the horse that was still at the back of the lines now charging the Umber men wanted to make me kick myself. I had completely forgotten about them and now the Umber men would be surrounded on both sides. And as if 1000 horse was not enough, I could now see another 1000 or so horse come out of the forest in the distance, trying to take the Umber men from two sides. Seeing the cavalry approaching was the last straw that broke the camels back and Umber men began routing.


    "F.U.C.K!" I screamed and ordered the 500 remaining men with me back to Winterfell. I guess siege it was going to be.


    Even as I was running back to Winterfell on my horse, I could hear that f.u.c.k.i.n.g bastards orders.


    MEN OF STARK. SPARE THOSE THAT SURRENDER THEIR ARMS. KILL THE REST. CHARGE!


    This was it. The war was done. The North was lost. But I still had Winterfell. Just as I was entering Winterfell gates I saw banners of Vale. An endless horde of cavalry charging towards an already routed enemy.


    I banged my fist hard on the wall of the castle once I entered it. "I never had a chance."


    "Our army is gone.", One of my commanders that I left in charge of the castle said. I so wanted to gut the bastard. And I was about to when I heard a loud thump. It was coming from the gates.


    "Enemies at the gate!", screamed one of my archers atop the wall as he fired arrows on the enemies on the other side. But immediately had an arrow lodged up his eye for his efforts.


    "MAN THE WALLS!", I hollered. And many archers ran to line up the walls. But before they could fire, an invisible force lifted them in the air and pulled them to the other side. I could hear their dying screams.


    I ordered more men atop the wall.


    But it was too late. Another thump on the gate. Then another. Then another and finally the door gave away and a scorpion came in through the broken door making a blood smear out of one unfortunate bastard that was in its way as it embedded into the wall.


    The gate was broken and two heavily armoured giants came in with their shields raised to protect themselves and the archers following them.


    Then the archers on both sides started firing on each other. Behind the archers came Jon F.u.c.k.i.n.g Snow with some of his wildling friends and men with Vale banners, as if he already owned the castle.


    Every arrow fired on him was sent back to the archer that fired it with a twitch of a finger. Every man that came at him with a sword and a spear was sent flying into the castle wall as if hit by an invisible Giants mace. It was unnerving.


    After a while my men avoided him and many started throwing down their weapons. But even the ones that threw down the weapons this time were killed. I guess he ordered them to kill every Bolton man they find.


    Then his eyes landed on ME but by that point, I had already fired an arrow at him. But just like all others, it was stopped mid-air before it could reach him.


    Looking at the stopped arrow so close to his head and then looking at two giants standing protectively behind snow and every enemy archers arrow now pointed at me, was more than a clear sign that I had lost. But I didn''t lose my composure, just because it meant that I was going to die doesn''t mean I can''t try to take snow with me.


    "You suggested one on one combat, didn''t you? I have reconsidered. I think that sounds like a wonderful Idea!", I told him magnanimously.


    By the snarl on Snow''s face, he didn''t seem very happy with my idea. He raised his hand and made a fist gesture that made the arrow I had fired at him break into over a dozen smaller pieces.


    I fired another arrow which was intercepted by a floating shield. Then another and another, both of which were again intercepted by the floating shield as Snow got closer and closer to me. As soon as he was in the grasping distance I went to unsheath my sword, but his hand caught mine and the pressure broke all the bones in my hand within seconds, as I SCREAMED!


    Before I knew it, I was on the ground, on my back, being beaten black and blue and I lost consciousness.


    XxxxX


    TORMOUND GIANTSBANE


    As I saw King Snow knocking the daylights out of Bolton cunt, more than one of my clan mates asked me, "What the f.u.c.k is he?" "Is he a witch?" "He can''t be a wag. I have never seen a Wag do something like that."


    The truth was he himself didn''t know. The feats he had done today¡­.. No ordinary human could do that.


    I had asked him about his eyes once. He had told me, he didn''t know why they changed. He said he met the Old Gods on the other side. They sent him back and he came back different.


    The things he did today, he could be no ordinary human. But if he was not a human, then he could only be a, "He is a god. He is a god, sent by the old gods to save us from the Others." I said that to my fellow free folk clanmates. And I realized, without even knowing, that I was kneeling as I said that. Looking around I saw, other men were kneeling as well, be it free folk or southerners. Even those fancy ones with shining Armour.


    How could they not? The f.u.c.ker was still glowing with ripples of Red and Green. And his eyes were like a pair of shining green suns, you could not look into them without going blind.


    RISE


    He talked like that again. The first time he did that during the battle, it had made shivers go down my spine as if I was talking to some otherworldly being.


    He told us to rise and we did as if a fire was lit under our asses. Then looking at him we could see the glow going down and in under a minute, he was back to normal. As normal as one could be with shining green eyes. I swear if they would have been blue I would have pegged him the night king himself.


    "It''s time to get to work.", he said. And aye it was. God or not, he was still my friend and there was still work to be done to prepare for the great war.


    XxxxX

 Chapter 331 - My SI Stash #31 - Among the Stars by KennethRose (MassEffect)

    -It updated after god knows how long, the only Joker SI fic I know and it''s best pairing ofc! I really hope this fic actually gets an ending as like other abandoned stories i''ve reread the shit out of them, checking the site once a week for a sign of life/


    Synopsis: Sucked into the Mass Effect universe and finding himself replacing enigmatic pilot Jeff Moreau, James White is in for one hell of a ride as he works alongside Erin Shepard and her crew to end the Collector and Reaper threat. Begins after Freedom''s Progress mission in ME2. Self-Insert. Strong!Intelligent!Joker, JokerxFemShep romance and fluff, planning TalixKelly later.


    Rated: T


    Words: 73K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/8745407/8/Among-the-Stars (KennethRose)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    Adverse yaw, ailerons, angels ¨C as in angels fifteen, bleed air, drift¡­ all these aeronautical terms were smashing themselves around in my skull. A thrumming headache was bursting out from behind my eyes as more and more words I''d never heard of rammed themselves into my brain ¨C forced themselves to make sense to me. One word made a connection with another, which in turn brought forth imaginary scenarios where I would use such things. Suddenly I knew how to correct drift when coming into a Mass Relay ¨C and I wasn''t even going there right now. I knew how to correct pitch and yaw when coming in for a ground landing in a super frigate, or even something as simple as a drop ship. I knew how to run maintenance drills, adjust and overclock ship cores, along with a whole bunch of stuff that was probably illegal but which I had to admit sounded pretty damn cool.


    The headache was still growing, but the information I was suddenly making sense of overrode it ¨C how could it not? This shit just shouldn''t be happening, but it was. A headache I''d had before. I''d never had nearly ten years of complex and advanced aeronautic terms and knowledge flooding into my head. I''d never really understood that kind of stuff before either. Now before we get to the whole ''oh golly he said Mass Effect'', let''s talk about me. No I''m not being egotistical. Shut up.


    I''m James. Hi. I could go on about how ''this is my story'', but that''s just cliche. I don''t do clich¨¦. If you''re thinking about how this kind of story is clich¨¦ then I will find some way to come and slap you silly. I''m not tall ¨C just thought you should know that. I''m five ten on a good day and five nine on my worst. I''ll have you know that I don''t slouch. Again, stop thinking whatever you''re thinking. Just yesterday I attended a university in Massachusetts. No, I''m not American; I''m British. No, I don''t spell mum ''mom''. No, I will not debate the reason we spell mum ''mum''. Shut up. Again. So I was at MIT for three years, majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. I got Bs. An A- or so a couple of times. Not a stellar student, not the worst either ¨C I just had a problem with academic institutions.


    I have a cat, a dog, and a bird. Yes, it''s a food-chain. No, it doesn''t work like that because the cat''s the bird''s bitch, and the dog is literally the cat''s bitch. Single child, two parents that I barely saw save for maybe three hours a week, an uncle who''s pretty laid back, and an aunt that I haven''t seen in around six years. Why, you ask? I don''t know. I''m a computer gamer too, by the way, and I think it relevant to inform you that I''m an avid fan of the Mass Effect games ¨C apart from that god-forsaken ending in the third instalment ¨C and no, I don''t think the Extended Cut DLC made it much better at all. Anyways, that''s me. Nothing interesting ¨C move along.


    Ah, but the Mass Effect ordeal intrigues you, doesn''t it? It intrigues me too, because I still don''t know what the f.u.c.k is going on. It''s not every day, as I said earlier, that you have years of knowledge smacked into your head with what feels like a goddamn sledgehammer. I''ve still got my eyes closed, and that headache''s finally peaked out at ''oh my f.u.c.k.i.n.g head feels like a lorry ran over it'', which I''m happy about because I was about to reconsider the lorry part and upgrade to a 747. Yes, I know that my head would explode if that actually happened ¨C thanks. It seems a little counterproductive to keep my eyes closed, but I''m afraid that if I open my eyes a light will try and get itself intimately acquainted with my retina. I''d rather not have a blue cube in my vision for the next ten minutes.


    See, the knowledge wasn''t without a personal spin on it. I know precisely what I''m going to see when I open my lids, but I''m pretty damn sure I''m in a state of denial here, right now. Because there''s no way in hell I said Mass Effect earlier now, is there? I mean, that''s insane ¨C how can I know the intimate details on acceleration ratios, energy requirements, and terawatt yields on Mass Effect relays unless I''m going insane. I''d prefer to think I''m quite sane, but I''m starting to question even that at the moment.


    But Gryffindors forwards.


    Fiction, and wrong universe I know¡­ but it seems to fit the moment. Opening my eyes reveals a rather extensive glowing orange panel in front of me hovering in the air. All the numbers and little symbols are completely understandable to me, and quickly changing a parameter by a decimal point to correct the temporal drift inside the relay tunnel we''re blasting through at the moment seems like the most natural thing in the world to do.


    ''Course I''ve never done it before, but still¡­


    "James, using the bow thrusters to adjust the Normandy''s course in such a manner is beyond acceptable operating parameters.


    Ah. There''s EDI. I can now see why Joker got so incredibly pissed off. "Thank you EDI," I managed to bite out, "but who is the awesome pilot here? Oh-" I interrupt before she can, "that''s right, me. Our bow thrusters are rated for exposure almost five times that. It''s fine."


    The little blue orb expands a little before shrinking down and then disappearing and I wonder if I just bore witness to an AI actually huffing at me. I should be in complete shock right now, because well, you know¡­ different universe over a hundred and sixty years in the future and all that jazz, but I''m not really. The memories in my head have coaxed me into accepting it all ¨C because they''re my memories now. I feel a little guilty for replacing Joker but-


    "Joker, how''s the c.o.c.kpit?"


    Correction, I''m apparently still ''Joker''. Note to self; keep up with the witty comments. And banter. And just generally being an awesome smart-ass. I find the control for the seat I''m sitting in and swivel around with a grin, and then feel my breath hitch in my throat when I see the woman who asked the question. What''s the best fem-Shep pic you''ve ever seen? Multiply the awesomeness by ten, add in s.e.xiness, and you have Shepard ¨C Erin Shepard if my memory, or rather Jeff''s, serves me correctly. The glowing scars from the whole ''yeah, I was dead for a couple of years'' debacle are far more pronounced than I had ever imagined; the skin around them sunken and bringing them into harsh contrast. It was hard not to stare, but I think I managed ¨C because even with the scarring she was scarily beautiful. If she wasn''t a Commander in the Alliance ¨C or whatever she was in Cerberus right now ¨C then she could easily make a living as a model. As it was however, just from her bare forearms I could see that she wasn''t a weak little girl; those muscles were toned.


    "Hey Commander," I shot back with a smile, "how''s things with the whole ''save the galaxy¡­ again'' sort of deal? Just like old times ¨C never boring with you, is it?"


    I watched as her lips twitched and an amused smirk slowly developed. "You sure you left the Alliance rather than get court marshaled?"


    I patted my chest, right above my heart, and was made abruptly aware of the weakness of my bones when I felt them ache with even such a small action. "Right here, Commander, it just hurts." My pout only intensified, and I found her smirk widening until she opened her mouth and laughed. For a moment the pain and loneliness in her scarily green eyes diminished, but it was all too soon that those emotions returned in full force.


    "It''s good to have you back Joker."


    I smiled, a genuine, non-snarky one this time, and just that seemed to take her aback. "Good to be back Erin." Her eyebrows rose even further, and I wondered if perhaps it was too abrupt of a change in pace where ''my'' personality was concerned, as well as our friendship. I grinned, and sat back as I forced smugness across my face. "See, can''t do me in for insubordination now."


    The look of surprise turned into one of amus.e.m.e.nt once more, and I received a roll of her eyes for my trouble. It felt like a victory to me. "I can still accidentally fall on you."


    I threw my arms up and stifled a wince, "See, always picking on the cripple ¨C hey Kelly! The Commander''s bullying me!"


    I doubt my shout reached the Yeoman, but the effect was still there. "You know Miss Chambers?"


    I looked up at Shepard and saw the interested look on her face. It seemed that she hadn''t yet talked to the rather probing young psychologist. "Yeah, she''s great at parties. Psychoanalysis and all that. She''s like your little pet secretary," I ignored the slight glare, "she''ll even fetch," and I proceeded to ignore the full-out glare, but then decided against it and sighed. "Look, so far she just hasn''t made a good impression on me ¨C too nosy. She tried to get me talking about my¡­ condition and how it made me ''feel'' and all that, and she''s been pushing ever since. I don''t talk about it. She doesn''t seem to understand that."


    A look of understanding and pity came over Shepard''s face, and I found myself struggling not to snarl at it. That look of pity pissed me way off, just like it pissed Jeff off. His memories had obviously carried some emotion to them. I waved my hand vaguely and turned my chair back around. It was a bit childish, but I felt I was entitled to a little bit of that. "See you ''round Commander¡­ and it''s good to have you back."


    I hoped my comment at the end made up for brushing her off, and if the soft smile I saw reflected in the windows of the c.o.c.kpit was anything to go by then it had. The moment she''d walked off, I presumed to talk to everybody else, I routed a call through to the medical bay and did something that I thought should have been done a long, long time ago. It seemed stupid for it to not have happened ¨C I mean, common sense, right? "Joker?"


    Karin sounded rather surprised to see my face, but almost immediately a worried look crossed her features. I had to stifle an ''awwwww!'', because despite her age she could pull off that maternal care look which just looked cute as hell. "No, I haven''t broken anything," I assured her, "I promise. I was just calling down to do something I should have done quite some time ago."


    "Oh?" Her eyebrows were raised in interest, and her body relaxed back into her seat, as she''d been half-way to standing and coming to see me beforehand.


    "Yeah¡­ look, I know to get the full treatment it''ll cost a few thousand credits, but I''ve got a hundred thousand in my savings account," due to living on a ship with minimum living costs¡­ and being the best damn pilot in the Alliance I''ll have you know, "and I was wondering if you''d be able to purchase the required equipment for heavy bone-weave treatment for me."


    She looked almost appalled, not that I was suggesting it I assumed, but due to the fact that she hadn''t ever thought of it before. "I¡­ well James that''s actually a¡­ well, a very, very good idea¡­ one hundred thousand is more than enough, way more than enough-"


    "Well then a heavy muscle weave would be in order too ¨C I want to be in peak physical condition as soon as humanly possible." A few taps later and a beep came from her end of the line as I transferred the credits, and her eyes widened. "I want the best," I interrupted with my explanation, "not just the first level of treatment. I want the whole line." God it felt like I was on a shopping spree. "And two more things," I added after a moment, drawing a look of dazed disbelief from the grey-haired woman, "I want this to be kept way on the down-low; just between you and me, and also¡­ how long is this going to take?"


    I was then treated to an explanation that showed me just how far medicine had come since my time. One week was all it would take for all of the procedures to be performed; one, single week to cure a crippling disease that ''Joker'' had had for his entire life. Why he hadn''t done what I''d done I''d never know. For the next ten hours I piloted the ship to the Citadel where we''d be staying for two weeks as Shepard busied herself with talks with the head-bangingly-stubborn Council and filled up with supplies, and the moment we docked I hobbled painfully down to the med-bay before being directed to one of the hard tables where I promptly fell asleep.


    When I next woke up I found that getting a nail through my foot three years ago was nothing. During the first procedure the stress of the surgery had broken several bones ¨C though I was assured that now my bones were latticed with the first treatment of synthetic weave I wouldn''t ever have to experience that again. Apparently by the time I had the last procedure I''d be lucky if a Krogan tackling me would even manage to bend a bone at all. Shepard, bless her cotton socks, if they wore them any more of course, visited me every day before heading to her cabin and collapsing after her mind-numbingly boring and tiring days. She thought I was down there for falling down the stairs and breaking some bones on the way, and neither Karin nor I told her otherwise. We had to finish the bone-enhancement before starting on the muscular, as the extra stress would be detrimental, but we eventually got there after eight days of aches and pains.


    Standing on my own two feet again without the agony or the need to hunch over when walking was fabulous, even though I''d only had to put up with a few hours of pain in total - discounting Jeff Moreau''s memories of course. Some basic exercises and tests later and I was finally discharged feeling better than I had in my entire life. The extra power I had at my beck and call was exhilarating. Jeff worked out in the ship''s gym in the cargo bay regularly to keep his strength up to support his brittle and frail bones, and so my appearance down there didn''t get too many odd looks ¨C apart from the suspicious ones because I was grinning like an idiot and there was just something different about me that they couldn''t place.


    Shepard was hammering a punching bag nearby, and the rest of the crew were staying well clear as she grumbled about ''Udina'' ''punch the stupid f.u.c.k in the face'' ''tear the smug bastard''s flanges off'' and other such niceties. "Up for a spar Commander?"


    And there went the bombshell. All noise ceased, and Shepard froze mid-punch to stare at me, at least until a smirk came to her lips. "Joker, I could shake your hand and beat you in a spar."


    "Want to bet on that Commander? One thousand credits says that I can make you tap out."


    A few whistles met my rather confident statement, and I watched as Shepard narrowed her eyes at me. I might have gone back to my ''cripple slouch'' for a moment as she scoured me for any clues as to why I was so eager to get my bones snapped. She found none after a moment before nodding and looking uneasy, and I grinned before walking to the sparring circle, a rather crude line drawn on the floor with black paint, and started strapping on the familiar gloves. I''d been doing martial arts since I was eight, forgot to mention that, and then branched off into boxing, wrestling, and finally into MMA when I was fourteen. I''d won my national championship and come fifth internationally for my age group, and then promptly decided that I was bored of it when I was seventeen where I dropped out of the competitive circuit.


    That sure as hell didn''t mean I didn''t still have it though.


    I could see the uncertainty in Shepard''s eyes as she looked at me gearing up, though had to hide a smirk when I shucked off my Cerberus shirt; leaving me in just shorts. I caught a look of her frank appreciation and attraction for nearly two seconds before she marshaled herself back into her stoic''ish persona, and after tapping her gloves together she stepped into the ring. The gloves were barely padded; made just to keep the knuckles from really receiving a beating, and I followed her soon after, tapping my gloves together to gauge their thickness. The last thing I wanted to do was break something ¨C and I wasn''t talking about me.


    By this point almost the entire ship had gathered to watch the frail, sickly pilot face off against the Great Commander Shepard ¨C please take note of the capitalisation there ¨C and I felt a little self-conscious for a moment. Jeff''s memories had Shepard fighting in them, hand-to-hand in the gym, and while her technique was alright it was more brawling than anything else. I, however, had nearly ten years of practice under my belt; enhanced muscles; and I was ready. "You sure about this Joker?" she asked, and it didn''t take much to detect the almost pleading tone underneath. She might just as well have said ''Joker, please don''t do this''.


    I grinned and nodded, and she let out a deep breath before getting her guard up and crouching slightly. It was apparent to everybody including me that she wasn''t taking this seriously, because normally she''d just go for it; all out. I''d work her up to it. I bounced on my toes a couple of times, eliciting an expectant wince from Shepard and most of the crew, and then crouched into my favourite beginning stance; one that would allow me to branch out into nearly all of my respective fighting disciplines with minimal movement.


    That got a few more surprised looks, and Shepard finally got the hint and advanced. She moved slowly, cautiously, and not because she was afraid of me. Afraid for me, yes. I rolled my eyes and darted forwards, smacking her hard in the shoulder and making her fall to the ground on her arse ¨C eliciting gaping jaws and wide eyes. Shepard was not excluded in this. I saw Chakwas at the back of the group stifling her giggles. I didn''t even need to shake my hand; hell, it was barely even a love-tap. "Come on Shep, off your bum." It took a second for my words to register, but when they did she rolled to her feet and stared at me before narrowing her eyes and crouching deeper. I grinned widely, "Now that''s more like it." She came with a right hook to my ribs, and I stepped aside before swiping her feet out from underneath her whereupon she found herself sitting on her arse, and a lovely arse it was, once again.


    "You''re leaving your guard open when you attack," I said casually as I picked a bit of dirt out from underneath my fingernail, "so let''s try that again, shall we?" Now she was glaring as she stood up, and I smiled again before reacting to her sudden attack. This time she threw a powerful punch to my face, which I used my forearm to stop dead in its tracks. Her shock gave me another moment to move, and it took me nary a second to get her against my back and flip her right over my shoulder. I heard her breath whoosh out of her in a pained huff, and stepped back as I looked down at her with a small smile on my face.


    I didn''t bother commenting; she was mad now, which meant that I was actually going to finally fight the Great Commander Shepard and not the watered down version she apparently reserved for cripples. I saw credits passing around the crew over Omni-tools and grinned; I wonder how many people were betting on me? Once she''d calmed her spasming diaphragm she rushed me, and in a flurry of kicks, punches, and in a few cases attempted head-butts. She was all over me. In a purely platonic sense of course. It didn''t mean I couldn''t appreciate the feel of her b.r.e.a.s.ts the few times she was pressed up against me.


    So she attacked and attacked, and I parried and parried as she wore herself slowly out. Despite the muscular enhancements however it was clear that she was fitter than I was, and it got to the point where I knew that if I didn''t stop mucking around she would probably outlast me. Trapping her arm in a lock wasn''t so hard when she got sloppy with a jab to my ribs, her other arm came soon after, and then a head-butt from my side which left her dazed ¨C more than enough for me to push her backwards, roll over her, and then flip her over me to slam into the ground; winding her again. A leisurely couple of seconds later and I had both her arms locked behind her back as she struggled to get regain her breath; my knee on her lower back to prevent her legs from getting any action against me.


    She struggled for several moments, but hauling her arms up closer to her shoulder-blades made her acutely aware that if I wanted to I could dislocate both her shoulders and leave her helpless. I finally got a defeated tap on my hand, and immediately let her go before rolling off her and back onto my feet before offering her a hand up. She stared at me for several seconds before brushing it angrily aside and walking off with a deep scowl on her face and the entire room was quiet until the doors closed behind her on the elevator.


    And then pandemonium burst out. It took me broadcasting over the PA system in the cargo bay to shut them up, and I looked out at them before rubbing my brow. I''d just wanted to show Shepard that I wasn''t a useless, frail cripple anymore ¨C not to piss her off, embarrass, or humiliate her in front of the crew ¨C which is apparently what I went and did. "Look everybody, I went and had some elective surgery to correct my Vrolik syndrome and wanted to prove something. In no way did I mean to undermine Shepard''s combat proficiency, and I just want to remind you that I haven''t. Shepard would kick my ass in war strategy, team leading, firearms, decision making¡­ all that, she''d kick my ass pretty damn quickly. Quicker than I beat her here today. I just so happen to know martial arts, and boxing, and wrestling. She just so happens to have only taken Alliance and N7 hand-to-hand combat classes. Now if you''ll excuse me I have a Commander to go and explain and apologise to."


    Without waiting for an answer, and rolling my eyes at Miranda''s suspicious glare, I walked over to the elevator and punched the button for the first floor. "Commander Shepard has locked down her quarters, Mister White."


    "Well then unlock her quarters."


    "That is against my protocol, Mister White."


    It took me less than five seconds to hack the elevator mechanism and trick it into thinking it was a floor below the current one¡­ even though that floor didn''t exist. Punching the button for the CIC then got me to Shepard''s quarters, and her door really wasn''t that much of a challenge. The moment it hissed open however I had to dodge a fist to the face, and then a flurry of jabs and kicks. Apparently EDI had seen fit to inform the good Commander that I was on my way up. Since I was no longer in front of the crew and wasn''t trying to prove I wasn''t so easily broken I took her out within ten seconds; kicking her onto her bed and then putting her in much the same hold I''d gotten her in down in the Cargo Bay.


    "Now Commander," I chastised mildly, "I came up here to apologise ¨C not get beaten up."


    She glared up at me, and I had to admit that she looked damn cute when she was all flushed and pissed off. "Get. Off. Me."


    "Am I gonna get my face smashed in if I do?"


    "Likely," she snarked back, and I felt one of my eyebrows rise.


    "Well then I''ll leave you biting mattress as I apologise then." She struggled for a moment but a small pull on her arms reminded her that she was once more in a position where I could cause untold amounts of pain with a small pull upwards. "I''m sorry for kicking your arse in front of the crew Shepard," I started, and got a glare over her shoulder for my wording. "I just wanted to prove that you don''t have to treat me like I''m made out of glass anymore¡­ that I don''t need your pity." Her expression turned confused for a moment and I snorted as I looked at her with disbelief. "You can''t tell me you don''t realise when you do it, Shep; whenever I''m in the c.o.c.kpit, stuck there because if I walk I''ll be in pain, that you don''t give me that f.u.c.k.i.n.g look of pity." Shock flitted across her face at my language, and I was drawing heavily on the years of repressed emotion Jeff had built up about his illness. "And when I was in the med-bay and you thought I''d fallen down the stairs¡­ God Shepard, do you know just how much I wanted to wipe that look off your face?"


    Her struggling had long since ceased, and I rolled off her back to walk over to her barren fish tank where a lone Koi fish was swimming aimlessly around inside. "I-why didn''t you tell me you felt like that Joker?"


    I turned around and raised my hand, waving it slightly, "Yeah, don''t like talking about it, remember?"


    "So you¡­ what, kicked my ass- no, how did you even do that? I''ve never seen anybody fight like that before¡­ and I know you should have broken bones right about now."


    "Heavy bone weave."


    She looked blankly at me before slapping herself in the head and sitting up, and a moment later she had her head buried in her hands as she groaned. "Why didn''t anybody think of that before?"


    I chuckled slightly, glad that the dangerous atmosphere had been done away with, and shrugged. "I don''t know. It cost me almost all my savings, around eighty thousand credits because I went for a heavy muscle weave as well, so maybe that''s why. The Alliance really isn''t into shelling out tens of thousands of credits to their own soldiers, let alone one that left for Cerberus. And Cerberus probably isn''t into giving me the ability to move around a lot."


    She raised an eyebrow and flicked her deep red hair behind her ear, and I couldn''t help but follow the action. Her face scrunched up a bit as she digested what I''d said, but then she shrugged in defeat and stared at me. "Why?"


    I grinned and pointed to her door. "Because I can hack things like that in seconds; things that would take even Tali some minutes to get through. Only reason I wasn''t double-qualified as a pilot and engineer was because of my Vrolik''s Syndrome. After all, what''s the use of an engineer that can''t get down and dirty?" Just as I finished speaking there was a loud ''phutz'' sound, followed by some crackling, and before I knew what was happening Shepard had reached under her pillow, pulled out a pistol, and was looking down the sights at where a wisp of smoke was visible on her desk.


    I knew what was happening, and so quickly ducked down and put my hands over my head, and I heard a thump as Shepard dive-rolled off the bed and into cover as the entire room was filled with hissing, crackling sounds of electricity. It took nearly ten seconds for everything to quieten back down again, and I slowly looked around ¨C wincing when I smelled the burned silicon and saw the smoke permeating the entire space around us. A small runtime on my Omni-tool activated the venting in the quarters and fresh air rushed in to replace the smoky.


    "And that''s why Cerberus really doesn''t want me mucking around ¨C because I''d have the great idea of hacking EDI''s server banks¡­ which then allowed me to connect to all the Cerberus bugs and short them out."


    Shepard looked across at me from where she was crouched down by her couch, gun at the ready, and then slowly lowered her weapon as she shook her head with a wry grin. "Somehow I think having you on your feet is going to make this ship a lot livelier."


    As we both got to our feet and stretched out she holstered her gun on the magnetic holster on her thigh and then stared me down for several seconds. She reminded me of my old principal; as if she was looking right though every fa?ade and lie you''d told her to see the truth, but I held her gaze just as I did the old bitch that''d made my life a living hell at my old school. The difference was that Shepard''s eyes were simply alluring to look at, and the face surrounding them though scarred was still scarily beautiful. I think you''ll find I''ll keep on reiterating that point.


    Did you know Shepard is beautiful?


    She is really. Am I annoying you yet? Anyways, she eventually relented and smiled ¨C that pain receding once more and her face looking care-free for a moment as she talked. "You teach me how to fight like that Joker, and we''re good."


    I laughed and nodded before shaking her outstretched hand. "So long as you teach me how to use guns."


    She laughed right back, her face crinkling with genuine amus.e.m.e.nt, and shook my hand before releasing it and walking over to her desk ¨C glaring at a rather damaged terminal. "Ah," I said when I saw what she was looking at, "yeah¡­bugged. Before we leave the Citadel we''re going to have to buy some more stuff."


    ''Stuff'' turned out to be around a million credits'' worth of gear, because virtually every single private console was bugged. Thankfully my beautiful Normandy''s vital systems had escaped unscathed, because the Illusive Man apparently wasn''t so paranoid as to give a damn about how we actually drove his multi-billion credit super frigate. Miranda never found out just why her little surveillance network had gone and shat itself, though for the entire day the new systems were being installed Shepard and I shared those small smirks of amus.e.m.e.nt whenever the Cerberus cheerleader bitched and m.o.a.ned about how the ship was supposed to be top-of-the-line.


    Thing is, without the bugs tying up the bandwidth the entire ship gained a noticeable boost in processing power, as well as some benchmarks we run to make sure everything was up to spec. Miranda stayed very quiet whenever Shepard, me, or any if the other engineers mentioned how confused we were that the ship was running better¡­ with identical hardware installed to replace the old stuff. I enjoyed making her sweat bullets.


    By the time our visit to the Citadel had come to an end Shepard had finally been reinstated as a Spectre, and the Normandy was running full tilt for the first time ¨C better than ever. EDI hadn''t said anything about the rather radical restructuring we''d gone and done, and she also didn''t mention the fact that she noticed the logs to the AI core showing my name minutes before all the Cerberus bugs were fried. I did notice, however, that she seemed to ¨C pun very much unintended ¨C bug me less, so I assumed that she hadn''t liked all that surveillance either.


    Teaching Shepard for the past three days had been fun. It was odd to think of her as a student, especially considering just how incredible she was, but when she was learning under me she put aside her authority and allowed me to run the show. If I got frustrated and berated her she''d take it and improve, not pull rank. That put her above almost any other person I''d known in my entire life. I''d started her off with some basic katas that would get her body accustomed to moving more fluidly, and she''d taken to them like a duck to water. Thing was, the stuff I was teaching her had to be readjusted on-the-fly because she wasn''t fighting other humans most of the time: she was fighting ugly f.u.c.kers like the Collectors, or mechs.


    And that was the thing that got us bonding a lot closer.


    In just three days we''d moved past ''Shepard'' and ''Joker'' in most part, and had migrated to ''Erin'' and ''James'' respectively. It had been really weird at first. I got her calling me by my first name, because in the game she''d always called the crew by their first names¡­ but actually hearing the word ''Erin'' come out of my mouth was¡­ unexpected. She commanded an air of respect, and it took numerous assurances that she didn''t mind and wanted to be a bit more familiar for me to finally get over my hero-worship and start treating her like a close friend. Because let''s just admit it, she isThe Shepard ¨C only this time I wasn''t planning on letting her die on the Citadel when the catalyst went off so she could become a martyr.


    Our next stop was, lucky us, recruiting one very, very angry convict named Jack. Yes, the Jack ¨C you know, that crazy biotic that can kill three huge mechs in a cut-scene but who finds it hard to deplete the shields of just one during game-play. The thing is that real life, which I''d consider this world is currently, just so happens to have a habit of being more realistic. I''d watched the helmet-cam vids of Freedom''s Progress, and I''d seen the massive amounts of destruction Shepard and her team had torn through the mechs. Real life was infinitely more bloody and, funnily enough, realistic than a game. I''d seen the burns and cuts Shepard, Miranda, and Jacob had come back with ¨C they weren''t just back to 100 percent the moment they stepped back onto the ship like the game would have you believe.


    So because it''s real life, I have a feeling that Jack actually will be that powerful¡­ just like all the enemies we''ve faced so far ¨C or that Shepard has faced so far ¨C have been more powerful. That''s why I''m doing all I can to be as good as I can be; as fast; as strong; and as experienced as humanly possible. Because when the Collectors come along, and if I haven''t managed to unshackle EDI by that point, I''m not going to let the crew be abducted. Except for maybe Kelly Chambers if she keeps on pestering me about my condition ¨C even though it''s been cured. That I don''t understand.


    So right now I''m sitting inside the c.o.c.kpit making sure that these bastards on Purgatory don''t lock our ship onto the docking cradle, because I already know what the head Turian is going to do. I warned Shepard before she stepped out the airlock that I''d ''discovered some files'' that had records of requests for her ¨C dead or alive ¨C and that Kuril had expressed a rather large interest in the bounty. So she had been warned, sufficiently enough I hoped.


    Sitting around doing nothing while knowing that Shepard was walking into a trap was more than unnerving, and I was sure people were wondering just why the hell I was so antsy; I''d been pacing the CIC for the past ten minutes. Finally after nearly an hour of waiting Shepard''s voice hissed into my ear, and I grinned widely ¨C pumping my fists. "We''re all okay James ¨C just a little roughed up. Probably would''ve been more so if you hadn''t warned me about Kuril."


    "But you''re alright?" I confirmed as I walked briskly back to the c.o.c.kpit ¨C my decision already cemented firmly in my mind.


    "We''re alright," she replied, and I could almost hear the smile in her voice.


    "Good. I''ll come down and see you in the med-bay once we''re on our way to Omega." This was all said as I sat down and ran through the security protocols to launch one of our nuclear torpedoes. During the time I''d been biting my nails while Shepard was getting shot up I''d managed to gain access to their systems and peruse the prisoner files. The ''nicest'' prisoner on the ship was a serial rapist who had ruined the lives of over thirty girls and women before he was caught. The worst was a mass rapist, murderer, as well as a slaver, blackmailer, and he had pulled off an orbital drop on an Asari colony twenty years back ¨C a.k.a. boosting a huge asteroid so that it fell onto the colony with the destructive force of a 50 megaton nuclear bomb, enough to wipe out New York and then some.


    I''d never killed anybody before, and I had the feeling that not looking them in the face when I pressed the button would make it easier ¨C more of a detached action. I wouldn''t see the gore, just the explosion. Five minutes later the airlock hissed open and I watched as first Miranda, then Jacob stepped into the corridor. Shepard walked wearily into view followed by the heavily tattooed biotic, and gave me a tired smile and wave before heading off down to the med-bay or engineering to set Jack up.


    "Docking clamps away," I said before activating the commands, and a moment later I got confirmation from down the galley of, "Clamps away."


    "Next destination is Omega," I announced over the loud speaker as I manoeuvred the ship out from Purgatory, "ETA twenty six galactic hours."


    Of course the next thing I did had everybody looking around with wide eyes as red lights flashed on and off ¨C activating a 1.4 megaton nuclear warhead seemed to do that. No, it doesn''t just happen in the movies. EDI''s lovely little voice provided constant narration of, "Nuclear warhead armed," repeatedly, and the weapon''s specialist just behind me was freaking out because he realised that his terminal wasn''t responding to his abort commands. Of course the huge ACCESS DENIED on his screen brought all attention back to me, because the pilot was the only other person who had the authorisation to access such weaponry.


    I wondered what Shepard was doing at that moment.


    The weapon''s specialist however, had apparently made up his mind just as I''d made up mine. The moment I punched in the co-ordinates and pressed launch he was up and out of his chair, sprinting towards me. When I stood up and crouched slightly he faltered, but after a second''s indecision he continued with a yell to psych himself up.


    The yell¡­ did not help him.


    Launch procedures take ten seconds. I had him on the ground groaning as he clutched at his balls within two, and there was no way I was feeling sorry for him. From Jeff''s memories he was a xenophobic piece of Cerberus sc.u.m, and my past week here had backed that up if his disgusting jokes and violent fantasies that he loudly boasted about when Shepard wasn''t present were anything to go by. From taking off a quarian''s mask and repeatedly raping her as she slowly died through fever and illness to ripping off a turian''s exoskeleton plate by plate ¨C nothing was too extreme or immoral. To him aliens were beneath even animals. A few more Cerberus operatives moved to stand when they saw their comrade on the ground groaning in pain, but they were too late. A low ''chunk'' sound rumbled through the ship, and everybody''s breaths hitched as they all rushed to the windows or a terminal displaying the external hull feeds.


    The missile blasted through space, looking for all like a giant cigarette¡­only without the filte- okay, it didn''t look like a cigarette, but I thought it sounded pretty cool. The moment it hit Purgatory however, nearly ten seconds later as it rocketed across the huge gap I''d put between us and the ship, it was no longer just an innocent white tube. I swear that I''ve never seen something so beautiful and yet at the same time so completely destructive. Within a fraction of a second I had snuffed out five hundred and eighty four lives, and for some reason I felt nothing about it save perhaps a slight sense of relief that none of those evil people would ever darken another person''s life again. If I had to shoulder responsibility for those deaths I''d do so gladly. After exploding the bomb quickly imploded, and nothing at all was left of the huge prison station.


    I don''t know how long I stared, but it can''t have been too long despite it feeling like a lifetime, because Shepard wasn''t steaming full-tilt towards me yet. Taking a deep breath I opened up my Omni-tool and pulled up the ship-wide address system. "Crew of the Normandy SR-2, this is your pilot speaking. I feel that everybody should be aware that I was the one that just used a nuclear warhead to destroy the Prison Ship Purgatory. The only person who could have stopped me is currently lying at my feet because I booted him in the family jewels ¨C and no, I''m not apologising for that. For those of you that feel I did the wrong thing¡­" a few more commands on my Omni-tool later and a number of beeps echoed out around the CIC, and indeed around the entire ship. "Well, just take a look at every single rap sheet of the people on that ship."


    I didn''t think I needed to say any more¡­ and to be quite honest it was just starting to hit me what I''d done. I''d killed, in cold blood, over five hundred people with my right index finger. "EDI, take the helm and set us for a course to Omega."


    "Understood James."


    I nodded to myself before heading off the bridge, past the shocked stares of my crew mates, and into the elevator. When I emerged into engineering I quickly made myself scarce in Zaeed''s quarters, which weren''t in use, and proceeded to quite unashamedly bawl my eyes out. I''d done something irreversible, and even though I''d been certain in my decision only now was doubt clouding my mind, and that was in no way a good thing. Did I have the right to take all those lives? I know that I''d saved at least a few people if the message Shepard got in the game was any indication, from one of the prisoners that had escaped¡­ but did that make it right? I mean Jack was messed up, like really messed up, and she was classified as a mass murderer, smuggler, extortionist, as well as drug-ring leader for a time¡­ what if there were prisoners on that ship that had just gotten a bad rap?


    I didn''t know any more. I don''t think I wanted to. As my heavy breaths slowly quieted I became aware of another set of breathing in the room. It didn''t take a genius to figure out who was there. If it was Jack she wouldn''t have waited, she just would''ve out and called me a f.u.c.k.i.n.g p.u.s.s.y or something similar. Miranda would''ve been dragging me to the airlock to space me, and Jacob wouldn''t have been subtle about his entry. I didn''t open my eyes; my face still too busy being buried in my hands for that to do any good. "Why''d you do it?"


    "Read the files," I croaked out, "it''s all there."


    "So?"


    "So you think those f.u.c.k.i.n.g criminals would just sit around and wait to be caught, Shepard?!" I snapped my head up to glare at her and wiped angrily at my eyes. She looked shocked; something I''d been seeing a lot of lately. "Kuril and the majority of the guards were docked at that ship, Shepard! I did a scan! Twenty cruisers ¨C enough room to carry thirty apiece! That''s enough for all the prisoners you had to release to get off that f.u.c.k.i.n.g hunk of metal!"


    She looked a little pale at the thought, and I was glad I was getting through to her. "But¡­ all of them? I mean¡­ I didn''t think you would do something like that¡­"


    I stared at her, agape for several very long seconds before throwing my hands up in frustration, anger, and hurt. "I thought you and I understood each other Commander," I bit out, and it pleased me to see a wince on her face. I brought up my Omni-tool and flicked a file towards her. "If you''d read that before coming and being all ''guilt-trip'' on me then perhaps you''d have not been such an inconsiderate bitch and realised that I''m freaking the f.u.c.k out because of what I did." Now she just looked aghast as well as pale, and my glare intensified. "For the Savior of the Galaxy you really can be thick sometimes."


    I didn''t bother saying anything else, just stormed out of the room and into the waiting elevator before punching the button for the Cargo Bay, but not before screaming out, "Jack! Get your f.u.c.k.i.n.g scrawny ass down to the f.u.c.k.i.n.g cargo bay you goddamn p.u.s.s.y!"


    As the doors hissed closed and the elevator begun moving I swore I heard a roar of anger, and smiled grimly. Fury flowed like lava through my veins, and I had no idea what had gotten me so angry. I didn''t much care either. Perhaps it was a combination of the stress and mental breakdown of killing for the first time coupled with the betrayal of Shepard''s comments, but I just needed to fight. All noise ceased when I stepped out into the cargo bay, and everybody gave me a damn wide berth as I walked towards the sparring ring. By the time my destination had been realised not a single person was within ten meters of me ¨C an accomplishment on a space ship.


    The second I stepped into the circle I heard a deep growl echo out in the silent room, and turned around as I pulled off my shirt and threw it away. There was Jack glowering around her to find out just who had insulted her, and it didn''t take long for her eyes to lock onto me. Probably because I was glaring at her looking ready to kill all over again. Before I knew what was happening a biotic shock wave was booming towards me, but a quick roll to the side took care of that. It splashed against the wall of the ship creating a huge dent in the wall, and I realised in some part of my rage-clouded mind that if that had hit me I''d be a fine, bloody mist.


    "Ah, have to resort to long-range attacks do you? Told you you were a p.u.s.s.y."


    Yeah. I was suicidal. No joke. With a burst of speed she was right in front of me; the blue trail of a charge rippling behind her, and a furious punch sheathed in biotic energy was coming right at my head. I ducked before kicking her as hard as I could in the stomach, and she gasped as the breath was forced from her lungs.


    It didn''t make her stop at all.


    Her next hit contacted, and I felt my ribcage flex as I was sent flying back where I slammed brutally into one of the girders on the wall. When my head slammed against the hull my entire world went dizzy for a moment, but I forced myself to duck into a roll and get out of the way as another punch came at me. I danced away and evaded the furious psycho biotic for nearly a minute as I got my bearings back, but then dove into the fray ¨C punching with all my power into her gut. She curled over in pain, and I roared as I grabbed the back of her head and slammed it down, and hurled my knee up. The resultant crunch was unexpectedly loud, as was the scream of pain as she collapsed backwards; blood flowing in rivers from her broken nose.


    She didn''t deserve it, and what I was doing was so unlike me it''s not funny¡­ but I just needed to get all this pent up anger out of me. Jeff''s memories had integrated into my head almost completely; his entire life, and all that anger he had at the universe because of how everybody treated him like a useless cripple had finally broiled over with the added emotion my actions had brought forth. There was just so much of it; an incredible amount that just clouded everything but the l.u.s.t for battle, and Jack was the one person on the ship who I knew would oblige me. Her next attack came so unexpectedly I didn''t even see it coming until it slammed brutally into my face.


    I felt myself smack into something, hard, but my vision was out as was pretty much everything else. I tried rolling to the side but was unsure if I was successful or not ¨C my balance was so screwed up I was surprised I even knew I wasn''t in zero-G. I kept on moving, or at least what I hoped was moving, out of the way of inevitable attacks by my chosen opponent, and slowly the fuzziness in my head cleared ¨C but the ringing in my ears still remained. Jack''s blurry outline slowly came into focus, and I sluggishly evaded another one of her punches before relying on memory alone, stepping behind her, reaching over the back of my head to grip her neck in a reverse hold, and then literally throwing her by her neck over my head, and then forcefully slamming her face-down against the hard metal floor.


    I''d seen a bloke get killed with the same move on television before, but this was Jack we were talking about. The resulting crunch, ''ooof'', and then after several seconds gurgling gasps as her diaphragm spasmed was proof that I was right ¨C she was hard to kill. I felt liquid trailing down my face and raised my hand to my temple, bringing it away covered in an absurd amount of blood. My jaw felt like it was broken, and I was pretty sure I was missing at least five teeth somewhere. My vision quickly begun deteriorating again, and I knew I was about to pass out. I''d been choked out during several training sessions years ago, so I knew when I was almost unconscious.


    I managed to get myself sitting with my back against something hard before closing my eyes, and managed just two more words. "F.u.c.k you."


    I wasn''t talking to anybody except maybe myself and the universe for doing what I''d done, and putting me in that situation at all respectively.


    I didn''t care.

 Chapter 332 - My OC Stash #32 - The Arc Family Techniques by Cambrian (RWBY)

    -Some good ole Cambrian fic~ Kinda sad that it''s a monthly upload but it''s better than nothing! This is my first time reading a RWBY fic from Cambrian and I gotta say he definitely nailed the plot/ ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)


    Synopsis: In which Jaune Arc is not the inept buffoon we see in canon. Rather, instead of just being completely worthless, the reason that his family doesn''t want him to become a Hunter is very different indeed. Arc men are not made to be Hunters. Arc men are in fact made to BREED huntresses. But Jaune wants more than that, so armed with a massive aura and a stamina semblance, the young man goes to Beacon all the same.


    Rated: M


    Words: 56K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/the-arc-family-techniques-rwby.9088/ (Cambrian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    -x-X-x-


    "Ohh, I can''t believe my baby sister''s going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!"


    While there are certainly plenty of other people on the observation desk of the Airship, many holding their own conversations, there''s no denying that the incredibly bombastic blonde and the silver-eyed girl in the red riding hood are drawing the most attention. Which is just fine for one Jaune Arc, even as he leans against one of the few walls of the observation deck that isn''t also a window, trying to avoid drawing any sort of attention to himself.


    Not that he was succeeding all that much. Blondie and Red might not be paying him any mind at the moment, but Jaune could feel the eyes of more than one other woman on the observation deck were on him. He tried to pretend he didn''t notice. Noticing and ducking his head or anything like that would just make them more interested than they already were. He certainly wasn''t about to look up and interact with any of the handful of girls who''d found their eyes drawn to his naturally good looks and silent attitude.


    Given that he technically wasn''t even supposed to BE here, it seemed best to just lay low, or at least as low as someone like him could lay. His forged transcripts had been good enough to get him into Beacon, but if he made an utter fool of himself at any point, he could only imagine the scrutiny that would bring upon him. Especially since he was sure his family would eventually search for him. But truth be told, Jaune hoped they didn''t. Still, his hand slides down to brush at the weapon at his side, Crocea Mors in its sheathe, and Jaune can''t help but wince.


    The theft alone might see them making a concerted effort to track him down, but Jaune knew he needed a weapon of some sorts, especially if he was going to actually do it, if he was going to actually become a Huntsman. He''d tried to diminish the loss by taking one of the older weapons, not wanting to steal the more advanced, more modern tools that his sisters and mother wielded.


    Honestly, Jaune was banking on his father understanding, more than anything else. Hopefully, Nicholas Arc would see why he had to leave, why now was the time for him to go. It hurt to think about, but hopefully, his father would see the reason that Jaune had to stay away¡­ especially after what happened.


    -x-X-x-


    "I want to be a hunter! Like mom, like my sisters!"


    His father had sighed and though he''d crossed his arms over his chest, his tone had taken on a consoling, understanding quality. His words had been meant to reach Jaune, to try and make him see why things were the way they were. Jaune just wasn''t in the mood to listen.


    "Jaune¡­ you know why that can''t happen. You and I¡­ we''re not cut out for that kind of life. I''ve taught you everything I know, I''ve taught you how to be an Arc, but the moment you come face to face with a Grimm, what are you going to do? None of our techniques work on such creatures. Face it son, we have our place, and they have theirs. It is not your duty to stand on the frontlines and sacrifice yourself for the Kingdoms. Not when you can do so much more by staying safe, staying alive, and finding a good woman to settle down with."


    Jaune had scowled, practically sneering his father down.


    "There are plenty of men who become hunters! And my aura is already awakened! I know my semblance. Just because our family techniques don''t necessarily have much combat potential doesn''t mean I can''t still learn to do battle with Grimm at an Academy!"


    Perhaps his obstinance was finally wearing on his father, given that they''d been having this argument for weeks going on months now, or perhaps Nicholas Arc had planned this beforehand. But rather than continue the very vocal disagreement flowing between the two of them, Jaune''s father had let out a grunt, followed by a sigh.


    "Very well. You want to prove you can handle it? I will test you, and if you fail my test, you will cease this foolishness."


    Jaune''s eyes had widened, and he''d nodded eagerly, not quite catching the trap. Not for a moment did he believe his father would give him an insurmountable challenge.


    "What then? Lay this test before me, and I''ll show you what I can do! I''ll fight a Grimm, if that''s what you want of me! Saphron has been teaching me some things, you know!"


    The mention of his older sister did not at all please his father, and Jaune knew the moment the words left his lips that he''d made a mistake. Nicholas Arc''s eyes had flashed, and his lips had thinned out, before ultimately, he''d shaken his head.


    "No, not a Grimm. Come with me."


    Jaune had followed after his father, perhaps a bit trepidatious, but also brimming with energy and excitement. This was his chance, and he was not going to mess it up. Nicholas led him out into the family''s training yard, where only one of Jaune''s sisters was currently hard at work. But then, that made sense. The other six were all away on missions or at school, either learning to become huntresses or already BEING huntresses.


    Saphron was the only one home at the moment, and Jaune couldn''t help but admire her form for a moment, smiling happily as he watched her work through several different moves, sweat glistening on his brow.


    "Saphron!"


    Their father''s sharp voice had cut through the air however, bringing an end to the fluidity of Saphron''s movement. The blonde had moved away from the training field to join the two of them, smiling easily all the while.


    "Father, Jaune. What can I do for you?"


    Nicholas was not necessarily a cold man, not usually. He was a good father, and always had been. But right now, despite having uncrossed his arms, he was most certainly frigid as he nodded his head towards the rack of practice weapons off to the side, his hands currently clasped behind his back.


    "Grab a couple of swords, would you?"


    Saphron had frowned, noting the strange attitude from their father, and her eyes had darted to Jaune for a moment¡­ but in the end, she''d done what she was told. Nicholas had held out a hand when she returned, and she''d offered him both, unsure of what exactly he was after. Their father had only taken one though, and then immediately turned and offered it to Jaune. As the blond boy excitedly took it, Nicholas had finally dropped the bombshell and revealed his challenge to both Jaune and Saphron.


    "You will spar with your older sister. Your goal is to land a single blow on her before your aura runs out. Saphron¡­ you will come at Jaune with all you have. If you give anything less than your all, I will know, and you will have caused your brother to fail this test."


    Jaune''s eyes were wide, while Saphron had glanced worriedly between him and their father, clearly not quite understanding what was going on. But upon seeing the determination in Jaune''s gaze as his resolve had firmed up, he thought his older sister had gotten an idea of what was going on. With a simple nod, Saphron had led him out into the middle of the training field for their spar, while Nicholas had stayed on the sidelines, watching from afar.


    Once they were out of earshot, Saphron had placed herself between Jaune and their father so that the older man could not read her lips. She''d made eye contact with Jaune then, even as she raised her weapon and he quickly did the same. The moment had decidedly not been like any of their prior sparring sessions, that much was for sure¡­ and Saphron''s next words had only confirmed that.


    "Do not hold back, Jaune. Use everything tool at your disposal to bring me down. After all, an enemy will not care for honor or chivalry. An enemy will not take mercy on you for restraining yourself from using your entire arsenal. This is not a spar, Jaune¡­ this is a battle. Win!"


    And then she''d launched herself forward, and Jaune had been in the fight for his life from the very beginning. Taking their father''s words to heart, his eldest sister had not held back even a little, clearly wanting to give Jaune the best chance to succeed¡­ but at the same time, massively limiting his ability to do so. She was so much faster than him, so much stronger, so much more experienced¡­ and to be fair, Jaune was still reeling from what she''d said.


    The only thing that had made the challenge even remotely fair was the Male Arc blood flowing through Jaune''s veins. Not because of the techniques that his father had spent years teaching him, but because every Arc man had massive aura reserves. It had to do with needing stamina and endurance to outlast¡­ well, to outlast any huntress they happened to come across.


    But of course, if the huntress was strong enough, which Saphron certainly was, they could easily overwhelm someone like Jaune, which Saphron had begun to do, right from the beginning. The thing was, his sister had told him to use everything, she''d explicitly told him not to hold back. Jaune knew what that meant, but he still couldn''t believe she would¡­ well, he didn''t want to fail.


    At first, he''d tried not to resort to such things, but Saphron was just too fast, too strong, and too skilled. It had quickly become apparent that Jaune was not going to land a blow with the meager combat skills that she''d managed to teach him in the past few weeks, and even more apparent that Nicholas had known this and set things up so that Jaune would get a hard lesson in his place in life.


    But the blond boy had never been a very good student, and he''d always been a fairly slow learner. As things had gotten more and more desperate, Jaune had finally taken his sister''s words to heart. Some of the Arc Family Techniques required physical contact¡­ but not all of them. Not even the majority. On Saphron''s next pass, Jaune had performed the simple act of making eye-contact with his sister. Blue eyes had met blue eyes, and Saphron''s had barely had a single moment to begin to widen before Jaune had flexed that inner muscle in his ocular synapses that it was said only Arc Men had.


    His blue eyes had twinkled as he used Eyes of Love on his elder sister, and Saphron had blushed profusely. It hadn''t stopped her in her tracks or anything like that. It wasn''t like her own eyes became filled with hearts, or she dropped to her knees and just knelt there slack jawed. If anything, it slowed her down by a half-second at best¡­ but it was enough. It had been enough for Jaune to snag a blow, a simple strike with the practice sword across Saphron''s stomach that they both had known did absolutely no real damage to her.


    And then it was over, the two of them left panting. Except, Jaune had been the only one who took a significant enough loss to his aura to be panting. Before he''d used the Eyes of Love, Saphron hadn''t even been breathing heavily. Still, he''d done it. He''d landed a blow on his sister, and at the time, in the moment, Jaune had thought he''d succeeded in his father''s test.


    "Did you think I would not notice?!"


    And then Nicholas Arc had come stomping up, face contorted in a fury that Jaune had never seen from his father, not ever before. The man had looked apocalyptic as he loomed over Jaune, and Jaune had cringed back, eyes wide in shock and surprise. As his father reaches out and grabs him by the shoulders, Jaune is frozen in place, not sure how to react.


    "Have I not told you, time and time again?! You do not use the family techniques on your sisters! You foolish boy!"


    "Father, stop! I told him to!"


    And then, just as suddenly as Nicholas had approached, Saphron had interposed herself between them, pushing their father away and cutting him off from Jaune. The fury had not been quelled, but it had abated slightly as the older man looked to his eldest child, his firstborn. Jaune had been observant enough to notice that when Nicholas spoke to Saphron, it was still with rage in his voice¡­ but a colder, quieter rage.


    "You what?"


    Saphron had swallowed hard but remained a barrier between their furious father and her little brother all the same. Jaune, in that moment, had found himself fixated on just how RED the back of his sister''s neck had been, as she explained herself to Nicholas.


    "I told him not to hold back. I told him to use every tool in his arsenal. He passed your test, did he not? You have no right to be angry with him now."


    "¡­ You foolish, foolish child."


    Before Saphron could say anything else, hell, before Jaune could say or do anything, their father had followed that up with a sharp, dismissive hand gesture.


    "Go¡­ go to your rooms. NOW!"


    Jaune had hurried away, only stopping to push the weapon he''d used in the fight away on the rack before heading to his room. He wasn''t sure what Saphron had done behind him, whether she''d obeyed as well or stayed to argue some more with their father. Either way, Jaune had known he''d stepped in it big time¡­ and if nothing else, the near-silence of dinner a couple of hours later had been telling enough.


    Later that night though, was when the true gravity of things had finally hit him. He''d been laying in bed, still wide awake, when he heard footsteps outside of his door. Confused, wondering if perhaps his father had come to finally dole out punishment, Jaune had swung his feet off of the bed, but remained seated on it, staring at the door, watching the shadows of legs wash out the light from the hallway. But no one ever came in, because the next thing Jaune had heard was his father''s voice, a low, hissed whisper.


    "Saphron! What do you think you''re doing?"


    The shadows coming from under Jaune''s door had frozen, and he''d realized belatedly that it wasn''t his father, but his sister that had been standing outside his room. Now though, they were both there, having a quiet hissed conversation, clearly trying to refrain from waking him up.


    "I was¡­ I-I was just checking on Jaune, father. You were too hard on him earlier. He deserves your support, you know."


    "Is that so? Is that all you were planning on doing? Giving him your¡­ support?"


    There''d been an accusatory note to Nicholas Arc''s voice that Jaune hadn''t understood at first. At least not until the conversation had continued.


    "I-I don''t know what you mean, father. O-Of course I want to give my little brother my support. W-What else could I be doing?"


    A long pause had followed, and when their father next spoke, his tone had been surprisingly pitying.


    "Saphron. You are my daughter, and I love you. Jaune is my son, and I love him. But¡­ we spoke about this. He used the Eyes of Love on you. You need to keep your distance. The Arc Family Techniques are as powerful as they are for a reason. Since time immemorial, we Arc men have been destined, designed even, to spread our seed and build a portion of the next generation of huntresses. But not with our own kin. Not with our sisters or our daughters."


    Jaune''s eyes had been so very wide then, as he''d sat on the edge of his bed and finally understood everything from his father''s anger to his father''s pity¡­ and his sister''s presence at his door. The silence had been most telling of all. Saphron had not offered any sort of immediate denial to their father''s insinuations¡­ rather, instead she said nothing for a long time. Too long.


    "¡­ Come, my daughter. Come."


    The next thing Jaune had heard from his eldest sister was the sound of sobbing as their father led her away. And that was when Jaune had known he had to leave. What he''d done to his sister, what he''d almost made her do¡­ it was unforgiveable. He had to go. He had to put distance between him and her, he''d needed to get as far away as possible.


    The fact that taking Crocea Mors and running away from home also sent Jaune on the path towards becoming that which he so heavily desired to be¡­ that was neither here nor there.


    -x-X-x-


    Or at least, that''s what Jaune had thought at the time. He knew better now, the long days spent in travel as well as the hoops he''d had to jump through to get to where he was now forcing him to face himself in moments of quiet contemplation. Saphron had really just been the excuse for running away from home. He''d wanted to leave because, in that moment, sitting on his bed, listening to his sister cry, Jaune had known that his father would never give his blessing. Nicholas Arc would never endorse Jaune becoming a hunter.


    Which meant it was time to go and seek his destiny elsewhere. And now here he was, standing in an Airship, listening to a buxom blonde with violet eyes thoroughly embarrass a shorter girl with red and black hair. At least, until the constantly running news broadcast was ultimately interrupted by something actually interesting.


    "Hello and welcome to Beacon."


    Jaune turned with everyone else to regard a rather beautiful woman with her hair done up in a bun, wearing a long-sleeved pleated top and a black, high-waist pencil skirt.


    "My name is Glynda Goodwitch, and you all are among a privileged few that have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredibly time of peace, and as future huntsman and huntresses, it is your duty to ensure that peace continues. It will be my job, and the job of my fellow Professors, to provide you all with the training and the experience you will need to protect our world."


    And with that, the projection fades from view. There''s some more chatter and conversation amongst the others on the observation deck, but Jaune is too busy looking out over the spectacular vista that is Vale¡­ and the Beacon Academy beyond, where the airship is currently headed. He can''t help smiling as they make their way ever closer. The rest of his life is right in front of him.


    -x-X-x-


    As everyone steps off of the airship and begins making their way into the Academy, Jaune can''t help but be a little slower, lagging behind as he takes in the sight before him. Beacon has always been just a name in his head, not an actual place. That is to say, he knew it was real and not some fairytale or anything like that, but he''s never actually seen it, not even in a picture.


    Honestly, he''s a little glad for that. It''s beautiful in person, and as far as first impressions go, it''s making a rather amazing one. However, as Jaune finally gets his head out of the clouds long enough to try and figure out what direction everyone else is going in, he realizes that the same can''t be said for the small girl in the red riding hood he''d seen aboard the airship.


    It seems her taller, more buxom blonde friend has abandoned her and is currently walking away with a large group of people. Meanwhile, in the short amount of time since they''ve been separated, it looks like Red has managed to run afoul of a very important woman indeed. Living in a family of huntresses, Jaune of course knows who Weiss Schnee is, though much like Beacon he doesn''t know her by sight, only by name and reputation.


    Still, who else could she be? Dressed in all white, with the Schnee Crest he''s seen doubling as Schnee Corp''s logo a dozen times on his sisters'' dust cannisters across her back, the white-haired girl looks and acts every bit the snooty heiress. And it seems that Red has very much gotten on her bad side, if the luggage all around them is any indication.


    Should he do anything? Should he get involved? He could perhaps help defuse the situation, in some way. Or he could ignore it, as the grand majority of people, bombastic blonde included, seem to be doing. If he sprinted, he could still catch up to her and her group and perhaps ingratiate himself with them. He would need to make some friends, if he was going to survive here at Beacon with little more than his aura and his outdated, ancient sword.


    On the other hand, there was this other girl too, dressed in all black, with a matching black bow in her hair. She was reading a book, and it reminded him somewhat of one of his more introverted sisters. Maybe he could talk to her instead?


    Standing there on the docks of Beacon with decisions laid out before him that could very easily slip through his fingers if he remained indecisive for too long, Jaune wonders just what he should do. He feels like¡­ like he''s making a decision far more momentous than the situation really seems to call for.


    Chapter 2


    -x-X-x-


    If nothing else, he was chivalrous. Standing up for a pretty girl, even if that meant standing up TO another pretty girl¡­ it was the bedrock of everything his father had taught him. As the Schnee is building up steam for a full-on meltdown, Jaune steps in, holding up his hands and trying to adopt the friendliest smile he can manage.


    "Whoa! Ladies, please¡­ it''s our first day at Beacon, surely we''re all on edge, right?"


    Both Red and the Schnee girl turn to him in that moment, Red just looking relieved that someone stepped in, and the Schnee looking apocalyptic¡­ until she actually sees his face and the smile on it. Jaune isn''t using any sort of Family Technique here. No Eyes of Love, no Smile of Seduction. Really, he''s not trying to get into anyone''s panties on the very first day of school.


    And yet, the moment that both Red and the Schnee look at him, there''s no denying that the attraction begins immediately. The Schnee girl''s head of steam all but evaporates and her face remains red for a reason besides anger, even as the other one joins her in blushing. Jaune is taken aback briefly, but forges on ahead nonetheless, smile still on his face.


    "Really, I''m sure Red here didn''t mean it. It was an accident, you know? Can you let it slide? For me?"


    He''s putting the full force of his charm behind his words, and that¡­ actually seems to be having an effect? Jaune briefly wonders if his dad didn''t tell him everything. He''s never had such a strong reaction from any woman in his life, but then¡­ all the women in Jaune''s life were blood relatives. His sisters and mother. This is, as a matter of fact, his first time ever interacting with a girl outside of his immediate family.


    ¡­ That probably says something bad about how sheltered he was in life, and Jaune finds himself already questioning his earlier thought of whether or not his dad would actually let him go or try to hunt him down and bring him home. Regardless, he''s getting distracted from the problem at hand, namely the two girls both staring at him.


    His words have the intended effect on the Schnee though, and she ducks her head as she blushes deeper still at his attention, self-consciously curling a lock of hair back behind her ear.


    "I-I suppose¡­ fine, yes. I''ll let it slide. But just this one! You better watch where you''re going in the future!"


    That last sentence is fully directed at Red, who half-shrinks back at the other girl''s vitriol. Only half, because most of her attention is still on Jaune, and it''s clear she''s only listening to the Schnee girl with half an ear. Huffing, the white-haired young woman turns and walks away, though Jaune doesn''t fail to notice her glance back over her shoulder at him more than once as she departs.


    Meanwhile, some men in suits and sunglasses come behind them and pick up the rest of the knocked over luggage, collecting the suitcases and following after the Schnee, who leads the way to Beacon. Jaune scratches the back of his head as he watches her go, wondering if he made the right choice in intervening. And should he have come down on Red''s side like he did?


    God, why did interacting with people outside of his family have to be so hard?


    "So¡­ um, my name''s Ruby, not red. Ruby Rose!"


    Jaune blinks and looks over at the self-proclaimed Ruby Rose as she smiles at him, blushing up a storm and looking like she''s one glare away from breaking down or breaking into a run. Jaune''s not about to add to her woes though, so he smiles and holds out his hand.


    "Nice ta meet ya, Ms. Rose. The name''s Jaune, Jaune Arc. Short and sweet and rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it."


    He finishes his greeting off with a wink, and when Ruby reaches out, he takes her hand in his and applies a gentlemanly kiss to the knuckles. He doesn''t miss the girl''s gasp or the way her breath hitches, but he doesn''t QUITE hear her murmur ''I bet they do'' under her breath, before forcing a smile of her own onto her face. Jaune straightens up and lets go of her hand which she takes her time in drawing back, almost like she doesn''t really want to.


    "T-Thank you for stepping in. I don''t¡­ I didn''t mean to run into her things, you know? And now I''ve made an enemy on my first day at Beacon! Ugh! What am I going to do?"


    Jaune frowns slightly at that, rubbing the back of his head through his messy blond hair. He''s not sure what to say. Does he give her a pat on the back and tell her it''ll all be okay? He doesn''t know if that''s true, this is all new territory for him! In the midst of Jaune''s introspection, he realizes that the girl from earlier, the one with the black bow in her hair¡­ she''s still there. In fact, she''s the only one still left in the area, everyone else has gone inside by this point.


    And she''s staring at him. Jaune barely has time to meet her gaze with his own before her spine goes stiff and she looks away. Then, after a brief pause, she seems to decide that just looking away isn''t enough, and she leaves too, heading in the opposite direction at what can only be described as a powerwalk sort of pace. Jaune watches her go, still fairly confused, even as Ruby fidgets beside him.


    "Hey! Do you, uh¡­ want to explore Beacon together?"


    Jaune blinks at that, and only spends a moment considering the question. With a smile on his face, the young man offers out his arm to Ruby and gives her a nod.


    "It would be my honor, Ms. Rose."


    Ruby''s face is incandescent, but after a brief moment of hesitation, she nonetheless hooks her arm in his and lets him pull her along for a bit. They move away from the landing platform at least, but honestly, Jaune has no idea where he''s going, so he gets them lost pretty quickly. Ruby doesn''t say anything though, and instead, they end up talking about this and that for what feels like forever.


    And then there''s an awkward pause, which the girl in the red hood decides to end by drawing a truly massive collapsible scythe from her back.


    "And this is Crescent Rose!"


    As the point digs into the ground maybe a foot away from him, Jaune nearly jumps out of his skin.


    "H-Holy shit! That thing is gigantic!"


    Ruby giggles and pulls it back, scraping the blade across the stone beneath their feet for a moment before pulling it up and twirling it behind her back.


    "She''s my pride and joy, if I''m being honest. Not only is she a scythe, she''s also a High-Caliber Sniper Rifle!"


    Jaune''s eyes bulge at that. He may not understand all of those words, but he knows what a RIFLE is.


    "That thing is a gun too?! That''s amazing!"


    Ruby preens under his honest praise, smiling beatifically for a moment before she''s suddenly in his face.


    "What have you got? What''s your weapon like?"


    This is clearly very important to the young woman, but Jaune can''t help but feel completely inadequate as he draws Crocea Mors from its sheathe, wincing.


    "Just this sword, and this shield-sheathe. It''s¡­ a family heirloom."


    Ruby spends all of five seconds trying not to make a comment, trying to hold it in. He can literally see her twitching right before she finally breaks.


    "You shouldn''t be using an heirloom as a weapon, that kind of thing should be hung up on a mantle over a fireplace!"


    Jaune lets out a sigh and shakes his head, even as he re-sheathes Crocea Mors.


    "It''s¡­ a long story."


    When he glances back at Ruby, she looks surprisingly conflicted, like she wants to say something else, but something is warring within her. Whatever wins, she bites her tongue and suddenly reaches out to grab him by the hand.


    "C-C''mere¡­"


    Jaune blinks in confusion and allows the petite girl to lead him along, his brow furrowed in confusion as she takes them around a corner, to a small out of the way alcove. Then, before he can react, he finds himself pushed up against the wall and a pair of lips on his own. Ruby is kissing him, and while the kiss is chaste, without even a hint of tongue, there''s no denying the passion behind the act.


    When she pulls away, she''s blazing red in embarrassment, while Jaune is¡­ Jaune is more than a little surprised. He knew the effect he could have on girls if he actively tried, but he wasn''t even TRYING. What the hell was going on here?


    "Um, I really appreciate what you did for me, Jaune. I want to pay you back¡­"


    When she goes in for another kiss, it takes all of Jaune''s willpower to stop her.


    "Ruby, you don''t have to pay me back. I did it because I hate seeing a girl in distress. And now we''re friends, right? So, you can say I did it because I knew you were going to be a friend!"


    Ruby scowls at that, before seeming to get an idea, her silver eyes lighting up.


    "T-Then¡­ if we''re friends¡­ friends do stuff together, right?"


    Jaune blinks, not quite liking where this is going, but forced to nod anyways.


    "Sure¡­"


    "Then I want to kiss you some more, a-as a friend!"


    The young woman''s face goes atomic red as soon as she''s made the declaration. Jaune gulps but can''t really find the fault in Ruby''s logic. And there''s also the fact that he''s currently trapped between the wall and her.


    "¡­ Well, I guess when you put it like tha-mmph!"


    Ruby grabs him by his chest plate and pulls him down again, even as she''s coming up. Once more, they kiss, but this time, it''s clear that the girl in the red hood is feeling it, because even though she''s inexperienced, her tongue slips into Jaune''s mouth all the same, and he finds himself intertwining his own tongue with hers.


    Truth be told, this isn''t Jaune''s first rodeo. While it was strictly for training purposes, Jaune HAS French-kissed a girl before. Namely, his mom. Yeah, talk about weird, right? Weirdly enjoyable too though¡­ anyways, his dad had needed to teach him some of the more physical Arc Family Techniques, and you kind of needed a woman for that. Apparently, his mom was completely immune to such things, though now that Jaune thought about it, was she immune? Or was she just immune to HIM?


    Anyways, Jaune''s own kissing technique is loads better than Ruby''s, and it''s not long before he''s taking charge. Having a sweet, beautiful, willing girl kissing him¡­ well, of course Jaune takes her in his arms and holds her close. And Ruby seems to like it, given the way she squirms and presses herself into his chest. Their makeout session continues ab.r.e.a.s.t for what feels like hours, but really can only be minutes given a need for air.


    When they finally pull back, Ruby looks completely dazed, but also very, VERY aroused.


    "Ruby, I¡­"


    "I want more."


    Jaune''s eyes widen at the hungry tone in the petite girl''s voice. He would not have expected her to be like this, but then, his father always said that women liked to put on a front, and sometimes that front was something that not even they realized they were doing. Sometimes, it took a good old-fashioned orgasm to bring out the real woman buried underneath. At least, that was what his dad said, while Jaune blushed at the idea of bringing a girl to climax.


    Yet, he''s pretty sure Ruby hasn''t c.u.m yet. She looks like she''s ready to blow, but he doesn''t think she''s reached orgasm at this point.


    "Please Jaune¡­ m-more?"


    Does she even know what she''s asking for? Jaune has no idea, and yet¡­ and yet, there''s something that he''s coming to think about, in this moment. The juxtaposition between his weapon and Ruby''s. He can''t stick with Crocea Mors forever. It just won''t work, eventually he''ll need to upgrade. And apparently, he''s caught the eye of an insatiable minx of a weapon''s designer within an hour of arriving at Beacon.


    If he makes Ruby happy, she''ll likely be all the more willing to help him later when he needs to design a new weapon for himself. It''s pretty mercenary thinking, sure, but it''s not like he''s demanding it of her or anything. He''s just¡­ thinking ahead. Grabbing Ruby by the shoulders, Jaune spins the girl about, reversing their positions. Those gorgeous silver eyes widen and she gasps in surprise, but then his hands are sliding down her sides, and Ruby is squirming as he sticks one right beneath her flared-out combat skirt.


    "You want more, Ruby?"


    He''s got his hand on her thigh now, inches away from the ''more'' he''s promising, and she''s asked for. Even still, he waits for her to focus on what he''s doing and then finally nod her assent before he advances any further. Jaune''s fingers slide up Ruby''s inner thigh and hit her panties, before slipping underneath them. When he finally makes contact with her mound, he finds her to be unbelievably hot¡­ and undeniably wet.


    "You''re so wet down there, Ruby¡­ gods."


    Ruby whimpers, clutching at him but not trying to pull away or resist. If anything, she''s humping his palm now, needily and urgently, whining for more. So Jaune gives it to her, he slips two digits past Ruby''s lower lips right then and there, and then he curls them in a technique his father taught him that''s not an ACTUAL Technique with a capital T.


    The girl with the red hood c.u.ms on the spot, his curled digits provoking an orgasm that he has to cover her mouth to stifle as she shrieks her way through the climax. Her silver eyes go crossed, and Jaune wonders at just how BIG her reaction is. Are girls really supposed to be that sensitive? Are they supposed to c.u.m that hard? Damn, she really looked like she enjoyed that.


    Once Ruby''s eyes have straightened out and she''s no longer screaming, Jaune pulls his hand away, watching her as she pants and looks right back at him.


    "That¡­ that was¡­"


    Jaune grins c.o.c.kily.


    "An orgasm, yeah. Like I said¡­ ladies love it."


    Ruby blushes brilliantly all over again, and bites her lower lip, her gaze filled with awe.


    "An orgasm¡­"


    The way she breathily says that¡­ Jaune suddenly finds himself wondering if she''s ever had an orgasm before. But surely, she has. She''s his age, right? Girls had orgasms all the time by this point¡­ right?


    "A-Anyways, maybe we should start figuring out where everyone else went, Ruby. Don''t want to miss anything, right?"


    Ruby blinks at that, taking in his words and slowly nodding. Jaune pulls his hands back at that point, but as Ruby straightens up, her eyes zoom in on his messy palm and digits, where she squirted p.u.s.s.y juices all over his hand.


    "I made a mess¡­"


    It''s Jaune''s turn to blink, and as he looks down at his hand. Bringing it up, he prepares to laugh it off, but before he can say anything, Ruby is¡­ sucking on his fingers. Jaune stares as the blushing girl locks gazes with him, seemingly acting on instinct, her cute little lips suctioned down onto his middle finger. Then, she moves to his index, and his thumb, and she even laps up his palm for good measure. Jaune doesn''t stop her, that''s for sure, but he''s still a little dumbstruck as she finally pulls back, absolutely bright red with embarrassment at this point. But also¡­ something else. She looks satisfied in a way she wasn''t before, like she''s proud.


    "O-Okay. Now we can go."


    And as Ruby leads the way and Jaune follows after, he finds himself seeing her as a lot more than just an easy way to get a kickass weapon. This girl¡­ this girl is lewd.


    -x-X-x-


    "Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."


    Jaune stands off to the side as he stares up at the podium. For the briefest of moments, he thinks Miss Goodwitch''s eyes meet his, but perhaps it''s just wishful thinking, because her gaze sweeps away just as swiftly. The Headmaster himself, Ozpin, had just given a speech about wasted energy that honestly, Jaune found himself really getting into. That was why he was here after all, because his energy, his drive¡­ it was wasted back with his family. He could do more as a hunter, and that was what he was going to be.


    Regardless, they weren''t assigned dorms yet, apparently that happened after initiation. Which meant they were all sleeping in the auditorium for their first night in Beacon. That was fine, Jaune had come prepared, he had his bedroll and the like. And he was all too happy to just curl up in it and go to sleep. But while Jaune is looking for sleep, he''s surrounded by some very gorgeous young women¡­ who are looking for something more.


    Does Jaune wake up in the night to anyone in particular? Or does he sleep soundly, all the way through?


    Chapter 3


    -x-X-x-


    It wasn''t his first night away from home or anything like that. Getting into Beacon had not been the work of a day. But Jaune had always been able to find someplace to sleep for the night, even if some of the older women who he had to con into letting him in seemed a bit peeved that he was taking the guest bedroom, rather than sharing their bed. Even still, he''d made it out of all of that with his chastity largely intact.


    But because of that, his first night at Beacon WAS his first night sleeping with a bunch of other people. So of course, Jaune had gone out of his way to find a place against a wall to situate his bedroll and his belongings, and then sleep there, sitting up. It''d just felt most appropriate, he really didn''t think he was going to get much sleep anyways, so he might as well have a wall at his back for safety''s sake.


    His wall mate had actually been that black-haired girl from earlier with the bow in her hair, albeit dressed in a set of pajamas complete with a yukata-style shirt, a purple undershirt, and a matching skirt to protect her modesty. She''d given him a side-eye when he first sat down, but when Jaune gave her a smile and a slight wave, she''d just stared.


    ¡­ He''d wondered if perhaps he was too close, but he''d made sure to sit a good fifteen feet away, along a stretch of the wall that was completely deserted! In the end, Jaune had decided that she was just going to have to deal. He considered going over and introducing himself to maybe break the ice a little, but if that was the response he was getting with a wave, he definitely wasn''t getting any closer.


    With that said, Jaune had begun trying to go to sleep. Bow-girl had returned to the book she was reading, and eventually¡­ eventually despite his initial expectations, Jaune had indeed passed out, finally falling asleep with his head slumped forward and his body limp. His dreams were of course filled with failure, a surety that he would fail the exam tomorrow, or that he would just fail out of Beacon altogether. Or worse still, that they would find out about his forged transcripts and report him to the authorities or something.


    Of course, Jaune had no idea what Vale''s authorities even looked like, so in his dream, punishment for lying on his application papers came from the hands of one Professor Goodwitch. Needless to say, things took a very s.e.x.u.a.l turn from there, but rather than ACTUALLY punish him, the beautiful blonde woman got down on her knees and began sucking his c.o.c.k.


    Jaune had never actually had his c.o.c.k sucked before, so there was a bit of an oddity there, because it felt good, yes¡­ but more importantly, it felt real. And that led to Jaune questioning things, as the sheer strangeness made him realize he was in a dream, and slowly woke him up. It was still late at night as Jaune opened his eyes and looked out across the dimly lit main hall¡­ but even now that he was awake, he could feel a pair of lips suctioned around his c.o.c.k, and a writhing tongue going to town on his member.


    Blinking dumbly, Jaune stares down at his lap, slowly realizing as his eyes adjust to the lack of light that it''s bulging a lot more than it should be, even if he WAS erect right now. There''s¡­ someone''s snuck into his bedroll! And they''re¡­ they''re bobbing up and down on his knob! Jaune doesn''t know what to do at first. His instinct is to let out an exclamation of shock or something, but he manages to contain himself, manages to hold it back.


    His second instinct is to tear back the bedroll, but THAT might startle the person who currently has his prick in their mouth, and he doesn''t want to do THAT either, not when their teeth are so close to the precious, if you know what he means. Managing to hold back from reacting too strongly, though he wasn''t going to call it ''overreacting'' because really, WAS there any such thing in this situation, Jaune finally reaches down, grabs the hem of his bedroll, and slowly lifts up the blanket so he can see who''s between his legs.


    Her knob-gobbling slows to a crawl as Bow-girl looks up at him with yellow eyes that glisten in the darkness, almost seeming to glow as they make eye contact, right then and there. Jaune stares at the girl who''d not even said a word to him yet across two encounters (though to be fair, he''d not made any effort to speak to her at the docks either) and she just stares right back. Then, tentatively, hesitantly even, the yellow-eyed girl darts her tongue along the underside of Jaune''s c.o.c.k.


    It takes every ounce of his willpower not to react to the sudden stimulus after she''d stopped everything and just held his member in her mouth, but he manages it all the same, biting back the groan that threatens to tear its way out of his throat. God, how can no one have noticed this? Looking around, Jaune doesn''t THINK he sees any eyes on him. To be fair, it''s very dark. S-Surely no one could see what was going on anyways, right? All it would look like was a restless student, tossing and turning in his sleep o-or something.


    Regardless, now that he''s not actually saying or doing anything to stop her, bow-girl has gone back to bobbing up and down on his c.o.c.k, swallowing his shaft and swirling her tongue around his tip every time she pulls back to the point that she''s holding only it between her lips. She''s¡­ really good at this, if Jaune is being honest. He can feel his balls churning, can feel himself getting close to c.u.m.m.i.n.g.


    Instinctively, Jaune reaches out and tries to place his hand in her hair, even as he holds back another groan. She flinches back, attempting to escape at the last second as she registers his approaching appendage, but she''s too slow. He hits bow, and before Jaune even realizes what''s happening, he''s pulled the thing right off of her head.


    Only as he stares at it and her, and she stares at it and him, does Jaune realize why it was so easy. She wasn''t wearing an actual bow. She was wearing some sort of makeshift disguise bow, one that fit perfectly over two gorgeous black cat ears that twitch and tremble atop her head, before his eyes even now. Jaune swallows as she looks back at him, frozen in place at having her secret revealed.


    Right, so not bow-girl¡­ but rather, cat faunus. He''ll eventually learn her actual name, but it''s good to know the truth now, he supposes. Setting the bow aside very deliberately, Jaune reaches back up to the cat faunus'' head, and rests his hand between her big, feline ears. She pauses for a second more, and then begins to bob up and down on his c.o.c.k again, her eyes now fixed on his, never once leaving his face as she proceeds to suck him off, blowing him to completion.


    And it is fast after that. Even as he tries to spread his fingers out and maybe scratch behind the cat ears a little bit, her tongue is swirling, and her lips are sucking, and her cheeks are vacuuming like never before. With as quiet a groan as he can muster, Jaune whispers down to the faunus.


    "I''m getting close¡­"


    He feels her ears twitch in his direction, and knows she heard him. She pulls back so that just his c.o.c.khead remains between her lips, and then she swirls her tongue around his tip, before pressing it against his bell end. And like that, Jaune begins to c.u.m, his free hand dropping his blanket from where he''d been holding it up so that he can clap it over his mouth instead to hide the loud groan that escapes his lips. He manages to muffle most of it, and his other hand remains in the cat faunus'' hair, in between her ears, as he feels her sucking and drinking his load down.


    She doesn''t waste a single drop, swallowing every last bit of his seed before finally letting his c.o.c.khead pop free of her lips. By that time, Jaune is able to pull up the bedroll again. She''s about to pull away, so he grabs her more firmly by her hair, forcing her to look up at him again. She has an unreadable look on her face, and almost seems to shudder at his sudden forcefulness. Maybe she''s about to attack or something, but Jaune has to know.


    "W-Wait¡­ what''s your name? Mine''s Jaune?"


    She freezes for a brief moment, and actually seems to think about it. Jaune has to resist rolling his eyes, because really, they''re going to be going to Beacon for the next few years together, right? There''s no way she can keep it a secret forever, so why try now? Eventually, this realization seems to hit the cat faunus as well, because she finally gives him an answer.


    "¡­ Blake."


    Smiling as politely as he can at the girl who just sucked him off and drank his seed like it was particularly tasty milk, Jaune reaches down to his side and grabs the bow he took off of her earlier with his free hand, holding it out to her.


    "Nice to meet you, Blake."


    Sure, she''d technically just s.e.x.u.a.lly assaulted him, and perhaps Jaune should have been more upset about that¡­ but he''d enjoyed himself, and she was a pretty girl¡­ well, pretty faunus, as it turned out. Blake takes her bow back, places it over her cat ears, and then crawls out of his bedroll. Jaune watches to make sure the coast is clear as she does, but he doesn''t see anyone watching them, while the cat faunus crawls back over to her own part of the wall.


    What he DOES see, however, is Blake''s round behind, framed perfectly in her skirt but not completely covered by it¡­ as well as the fact that she''s not wearing panties right now, and her p.u.s.s.y lips are positively glistening in the moonlight that streams in through the main hall''s massive windows. Swallowing thickly at the sight, wondering if she was just fingering herself during the whole blowjob thing, or if giving head REALLY turned her on that much, Jaune eventually just shakes his head and tries to put it out of his mind.


    As it turns out, this isn''t too hard. Getting sucked off is a great way to fall asleep, and Jaune is slumbering once more soon enough¡­ after he''s tucked his johnson back in his pajamas, of course. While that was certainly an odd late-night encounter to say the least, Jaune can''t say he didn''t enjoy it. But he really did need his rest. Who knew what the morrow would bring?


    -x-X-x-


    After last night, Jaune had been¡­ perhaps in a daze would be the correct way of putting it? He''d been a little out of it, especially when he woke up in the morning for real, only for Blake, as he now knew her to be named, to be unwilling to meet his gaze. The dusting of red across her pretty features, and the twitching of the black bow atop her head (now that he knew to look for it) were all the confirmation Jaune needed to know that yes, last night HAD happened.


    Regardless, he''d gotten his gear and what not, and gone where they told him to. Eventually, this meant he found himself up on a cliff-face, standing on a square platform alongside a bunch of other students as the Headmaster gave some speech or other. Jaune knew he probably should have been listening to it, he knew he probably should have been paying attention, but after his interactions with first Ruby and then Blake, he had a lot on his mind.


    So, suffice to say, the young man had absolutely no warning, so lost in thought as he was, before the spring trap he was unwittingly standing on suddenly went off, throwing him quite far through the air. As his scream fills said air, Jaune eventually realizes that he''s not exactly alone¡­ and everyone else seems to be much more ready for the trees coming towards their faces than he is.


    Luckily, he has his aura unlocked, at least. He''ll be able to tank the fall, hopefully, though Jaune isn''t sure it''ll be without a broken bone or two. And that won''t be good, given what he now suspects about this exam. If only he''d been listening better to what the Headmaster was saying. However, before Jaune can spend any more time ruminating on his own failures, salvation comes in the form of a nearly fatal strike from a spear of all things.


    Letting out a yelp, Jaune suddenly finds himself pinned to a tree by his hoodie, the spear having arrested the majority of his momentum and left him hanging. Though, not for long. Slowly but surely, the hoodie gives way, and Jaune finds himself falling further. Luckily, this IS a fall that his aura reserves can easily take, and he barely even feels it as he lands on the ground. He does still groan though, even while struggling to his feet.


    "I guess we''re partners now!"


    And then there''s a red-haired girl with green eyes landing in front of him, and it takes every last bit of Jaune''s composure NOT to let out a distinctly girlish shriek. He registers the spear in her hands, the same spear that he just got pinned by, before he fully registers her words, and Jaune responds by grabbing Crocea Mors and taking a step back.


    THEN, he processes what she said, as well as the oddly wide smile on her face, and the glint in her eyes.


    "Um¡­ what?"


    Letting out a distinctly unsettling giggle, which she covers up with one hand like she isn''t an Amazonian warrior from hell, the young woman just continues to smile at him.


    "Weren''t you listening to the Headmaster? The first person we meet eyes with in this forest¡­ that''s our partner."


    Oh. That¡­ that made sense. Wait, no it didn''t!


    "That''s a shitty way of choosing partners!"


    The red head''s eyes widen, and Jaune is quick to follow up.


    "A-Ah, that''s not a crack at you, per say. You might make a wonderful partner. But we don''t know anything about each other, right? So, it''s not like just because we saw each other first, we''re suddenly going to have amazing teamwork! This seems like a really ill-thought out strategy for making teams, honestly!"


    Blinking at that, the red head''s smile only seems to widen a bit.


    "You know¡­ I never thought about it that way. You''ve got a good head on your shoulders. But¡­ you really don''t know who I am?"


    It''s Jaune''s turn to blink, even as he coughs and lets out a sheepish laugh, rubbing a hand through his hair. Oh no, had she introduced herself at some point and he''d missed it? That would be the worst.


    "Uh¡­ no, sorry. Should I?"


    Rather than getting angry, however, his new partner just lets out another giggle behind her hand, her green eyes twinkling with something akin to excitement as she shakes her head.


    "No, it''s perfectly alright that you don''t. As I thought, we''re complete strangers to each other. How¡­ exciting."


    While Jaune is still processing that, the red head suddenly steps forward, holding her spear in one hand against her side while she pushes the other out for a handshake.


    "My name is Pyrrha, by the way. What''s yours?"


    It''s almost as if she''s waiting for him to react in some way, like she''s waiting for one last shoe to drop. But even as Jaune sees that in her eyes, he still doesn''t recognize her name. So, with a shrug, he steps forward as well and takes her hand, giving her as best a grin as he can muster, under the circ.u.mstances.


    "The name''s Jaune. Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, and ladies love it."


    And there it is. The blush that marks Pyrrha as a girl, spreading across her cheeks. Except, if anything, it seems more intense than say, it was on Ruby or Blake.


    "Mm, I''m sure they do, Jaune. I''m sure they do¡­"


    Well, that''s certainly not ominous. But before he can piece anything together, Pyrrha suddenly takes him by the wrist and drags him forward, stepping past him in the same moment to cut an approaching Grimm, an Ursa to be exact, in two. Jaune stares, wide-eyed, having not even heard the large Grimm coming.


    "W-Whoa¡­ thanks for the save."


    Pyrrha glances back at him and smiles more normally, even as her lashes flutter.


    "Any time¡­ partner. Now, come on! We''ve got a relic to pick up!"


    Sounded like more of the lecture he''d missed while ignoring the Headmaster. Still, clearly, even if he hadn''t actually had any hand in making it happen, Jaune had ended up with one of the stronger initiates. As Pyrrha drags him through the forest, any Grimm that cross their paths dies. Of course, his massive aura means that she doesn''t have to spend as much time protecting him as she might otherwise. When combined with her skill and strength, they make excellent time to where ever the hell it is, they''re going. That turns out to be a temple of sorts, and as Jaune walks up the steps with Pyrrha on his heels, he finds himself staring at a total of twenty pedestals, upon which sit a whole bunch of untouched chess pieces.


    Blinking, Jaune glances over at Pyrrha.


    "Are you sure this is where we were supposed to go, Pyrrha? Surely, we weren''t the first ones to arrive¡­ and yet, none of the pieces are gone yet."


    Pyrrha just smiles and shrugs.


    "You underestimate yourself, Jaune. We made good time. It''s possible that the others are, mm¡­ struggling where we did not."


    She sounds pleased about that, as if she''s particularly competitive when it comes to these sorts of things. Jaune just laughs it off though and looks back at the pedestals. Well¡­ Pyrrha had gotten them here, in the end.


    "Which do you want to take? We only need one¡­"


    But when he looks over to Pyrrha to get her opinion, he finds her shaking her head back and forth, her red ponytail bobbing and swishing through the air along with her.


    "I think you should decide, Jaune. This is important, after all. It should be up to you."


    Huh? What did the decision being important have to do with making it his choice? Jaune frowns, almost wanting to fight it, but in the end, he can tell Pyrrha isn''t going to budge. Which means¡­ it means he''s got to decide. Letting out a low sigh, Jaune moves over to the pedestals, trying to decide which piece feels right.


    Oddly enough, it''s not the pieces themselves, but the color that causes him to move away from the black chess set. It just doesn''t feel right. Instead, he moves to the white-gold pieces, and here, he finds true possibilities. In the end, it boils down to Rook or Knight. One or the other¡­ those are the two that feel like they''re resonating with him, that feel like they belong to him. But he still can only choose one¡­


    Rook or Knight. God, why does this have to be so hard?

 Chapter 334 - My OC Stash #34 - Ashes of the Past by Saphroneth (Pokemon)

    -This Pokemon fic''s so good that it might just pass for the sequel of the series. Its pretty much a well thought out do-over. And it''s still going strong after 9 years~


    Synopsis: Time travel, based on the Anime. So, the world ended. That''s bad news. Who best to get to fix it? Well, there is this guy with a track record in world saving... Not entirely serious. T rating may be overdoing it.


    Rated: T


    Words: 1919K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/7262793/1/Ashes-of-the-Past (Saphroneth)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Ash Ketchum ¨C trainer of Pallet Town, winner of the Orange League and increasingly close runner up in five other regional tournaments ¨C was... confused.


    He was floating in black, empty nothingness. No light, no sound, nothing to use as a reference point ¨C and, at first, he wasn''t sure how he''d ended up there.


    When he tried to remember, instead of the most recent moments he found something strange happening. His mind went straight back to the earliest moments he could remember ¨C flicking past at astonishing speed, as though his whole life were flashing before his eyes on fast forward.


    A few things stood out, as though he was slowing down to think about them more clearly.


    The first time he saw a Pok¨¦mon, at barely two years of age, when Professor Oak ¨C taking care of him when Ash''s mother was shopping - was called away suddenly and Ash, Gary and Daisy were left under the supervision of his distinguished old Arcanine, a gentle Pok¨¦mon, but a terror in battle decades before when Samuel Oak was the League Champion.


    Only reviewing this long forgotten past now did Ash truly realize that he had felt things differently. Other people, he knew, would feel the heat running under the Fire Pok¨¦mon''s fur. But few would feel the surging, volcanic power in Arcanine''s b.r.e.a.s.t just from being near ¨C faintly, but still somehow there to be felt.


    Ash hadn''t mentioned it at the time, or later. He simply assumed that was what people felt. But now, he was older ¨C and made a connection which suddenly seemed obvious.


    Aura, he thought. I can feel his Aura. The gentle amus.e.m.e.nt, the tiny little part of its mind always on the ready for danger. It''s just like that Riolu back in Sinnoh... and Lucario.


    The memory dissolved, and his life played itself out again, perhaps a little slower than before.


    The time he was five, at Cinnabar island on the black sand beaches, and a snatch of haunting song floated through the air.


    I know that music¡­ Ash realized. But how? What would Lugia have been doing this far north of Shamouti? Could it be... because of me? The prophecy said I was the Chosen One...


    Eight, playing in the copse of trees at the end of the road that led to the sea. It was all one big argument with Gary, more than playing... but, as this memory played out like the others, there was a glimpse of something in the trees. Barely a flash, but the memory stopped. And Ash marvelled. This was not what he had expected to find in his childhood.


    For what was unmistakably Suicune was in the underbrush, observing for but a moment.


    The memory moved on, and the legendary Pok¨¦mon vanished in a blue blur.


    The Ash of the past had dismissed it as unimportant, but this Ash ¨C who knew Suicune, and had even ridden the master of the North wind ¨C recognized it as real.


    He saw his dreams as well now, running through each night in barely a second, but the pattern was becoming clear now he saw them in succession.


    Ash dreamed of Pok¨¦mon.


    Only those he had seen, and touched, himself ¨C but they were all there, every night, and in startling detail.


    His suspicions were confirmed when his memory passed one sad night in November, the year before he had set off on his journey, when Oak''s old Arcanine had passed away in its'' sleep. At nearly fifty, it had had a good run, but it had been a noble friend and the town was saddened by its'' loss.


    And Ash no longer dreamed of Arcanine.


    "...a strong link..."


    Continue.


    As the rush of memories approached the present, Ash could catch more and more details until it was almost like reliving the events in fast forward. And those memories now were mostly very happy ones.


    When he first met Pikachu, that rocky start which turned into a shining, unbreakable bond. Gym battles, applying himself to training and strategy, meeting all his Pok¨¦mon...


    He saw his Pidgeot ¨C as Pidgeotto ¨C with a guilty start. In the excitement of the Orange Islands, and Johto, and later Hoenn and Sinnoh and Unova... he had all but forgotten his promise to come back for her.


    Then there was something ¨C new.


    Ash watched in surprise as he and his friends travelled through a storm to an island he didn''t remember seeing, and met... Mewtwo. But rather than being the compassionate recluse he remembered, this Mewtwo was bitter and violent.


    Watching closely as this unknown chapter of his life unfolded, Ash saw it all. The clones, the battle... his death, and his resurrection.


    It was awe-inspiring to watch, the more so when he realized that he had been the one to make such a difference in Mewtwo.


    After that, there were no more big surprises ¨C just the reminder of everything he''d done, crystal clear instead of being crowded out by the moment.


    Falling from great heights. Wielding the blue flame of Aura. More falling from great heights. Being possessed by an ancient king... and, of course, his friendsh.i.p.s with all his Pok¨¦mon.


    Finally, the moving narrative passed New Tork and reached the present ¨C travelling with Iris and Cilan through the Decolore islands, knowing that their adventure together was soon to end but unwilling to admit it.


    And then...


    There had been a heavy feeling in the air, and everything had suddenly seemed wrong. The very air felt alien-


    And then blackness, and this.


    Ash swallowed a lump in his throat. Pikachu... everyone... what happened?


    A moment later, a voice reached him.


    "So."


    It sounded... familiar.


    "What do you think?"


    He will suffice.


    This second voice was even more familiar ¨C but Ash couldn''t quite place it. More, it was a mental voice ¨C telepathy ¨C but with such intensity it seemed to touch his very core.


    "No need to be so mellow about it ¨C the kid''s a natural. More so than I ever was."


    Nevertheless, you will need to train him.


    "I can''t argue with that," the first voice agreed. Closer, this time ¨C or it sounded closer, at least.


    It wasn''t as if Ash had a ruler.


    One week. I can hold the separation for that long, but no longer ¨C the weight of what wants to be is pressing down from all directions.


    "It''ll be enough ¨C like I said, he''s a natural."


    Suddenly Ash was standing on a solid surface. He could move, he could feel and see ¨C and then he saw who had been speaking.


    Even for his adventure-filled life, it was a shock.


    Sir Aaron of Cameran Castle, Hero of the Wave, stood before him in the black void. Fully dressed, and with a crooked smile on his face.


    "So, Ash Ketchum," the hero said. "It''s nice to meet you at last."


    Ash took a few minutes to stop gaping.


    "So... the world ended?" Ash asked, frowning.


    "Right in one," Sir Aaron agreed, sitting cross-legged on solid nothingness. "This is all the boss was able to protect."


    He shrugged. "From what I was told, this Cyrus guy-"


    "Cyrus?" Ash interrupted. "But... he disappeared! I watched it happen!"


    Sir Aaron pursed his lips. "Well, whatever might have happened, he came back ¨C and managed, this time, to get Dialga, Palkia and Giratina."


    A sigh. "Some people are just the wrong kind of lunatics ¨C crazy enough to be worrying, competent enough to be dangerous. So he managed to get them, and get control of them, and remake the world in his own image."


    Ash winced. "What happened?"


    "Well, the universe... basically started to come apart at the seams. None of the Celebi could help because Dialga''s power was changing the rules of time, and as for trying to intervene..."


    "How come we''re here, then?" Ash asked. "Was it this... boss, you mentioned?"


    "All in good time, Ash," Sir Aaron said. "Now ¨C you saw your life, and so did we. That pointed out a few things to us ¨C one of them, in particular, has to do with Aura."


    "Right, like when we went up the Tree of Beginning," Ash agreed. "Sorry about what happened to Lucario, I..."


    He shook his head.


    "It doesn''t matter, Ash," Sir Aaron said. "You were there with him at the end, that''s more than you could be expected to do without any training... speaking of which, what you did at the Tree showed that you''ve got natural talent with Aura. I mean, a lot of natural talent."


    Ash blinked.


    "Most novitiates can barely feel their own Aura," Sir Aaron informed him. "If you''d been around in my day, I''d have snatched you up as an apprentice before anyone else could!"


    Sir Aaron smirked for a moment, at some unexplained joke. "Anyway," he went on, "I''m going to train you in how to use it."


    "Train me ¨C but... what''s the point? I mean," Ash added hastily, "if the world ended."


    "All in good time," Sir Aaron repeated. "Now ¨C you used these gloves. Do you know what they do?"


    "Well, I guess they make using Aura easier?" Ash shrugged.


    "That''s pretty close. They actually work by resonating with a natural Aura frequency ¨C specifically, that of the great warrior Sir Aaron."


    Ash chuckled.


    "You might have heard of him, I think he lives around here," Sir Aaron went on. "I might even have his phone number."


    That was incongruous enough Ash noticed. "You know what a phone is?"


    "Arceus kept me up to date. Yeah, I know," Sir Aaron chuckled along with him. "Anyway, that means that for you to use them you have to have the same frequency. Which is an incredible coincidence."


    Again, that unexplained joke.


    "And that means they''re kind of an aid, like a bicycle is compared to walking. They give you extra power, but they also make it easier to do things..."


    It had been a long week, a week in which Ash found himself needing neither sleep nor food ¨C one where every single hour was focused on training.


    Sir Aaron had focused on two things, explaining that they''d be important to get straight now and that the rest could wait for when he had time to train and practice ''later''. When ''later'' was was never explained, but it was all so interesting that Ash just kept learning exactly what Sir Aaron told him he had to learn.


    Surprisingly, combat was not on the list ¨C Ash learned a bit of the basics, how to form a shield that lasted a few wobbly seconds and to throw an Aura Sphere, but that was apparently in the category of ''learn later''. Instead, Sir Aaron first taught him how to train his Aura and how to sense when he was doing well, and then he went down an alley into the mental uses of Aura.


    Ash refined his ability to sense a familiar Aura signature, and how to see things on the other side of solid walls. He learned how to feel the thoughts of someone nearby and familiar, and a little bit of how to defend his own mind.


    Strangely, it was the ability to touch the mind of someone else which Sir Aaron seemed happiest about ¨C though his only explanation was what had become his mantra. All in good time.


    Then, after what felt like seven days of solid effort, Sir Aaron stopped in the middle of explaining how Aura could strengthen the body.


    "What is it?" Ash asked, as the knight stood. "Is something wrong?"


    "No," Sir Aaron replied.


    Then, out of the darkness stepped ¨C Arceus.


    The creator deity, the Original One. And someone Ash had saved the life of once, though it was thousands of years in the past and may have retroactively been unnecessary.


    He is ready?


    Ash jumped at the sheer presence. Unwounded and hale, Arceus'' mental voice seemed to be more real than Ash himself.


    But Sir Aaron merely nodded. "Yes, he''s ready."


    Very good. Explain to him what I am about to do.


    Sir Aaron nodded, and turned to look Ash in the eye. "The only way Arceus found to prevent Cyrus destroying the world was to prevent it from happening in the first place. So he asked the world beyond ¨C which is unaffected, as yet ¨C whether there was anyone who could help."


    Aaron smiled. "And, as it happened, you''ve got a couple of people back there who think highly of you."


    He held up two fingers, and tapped the first one. "First, there''s my old friend Lucario ¨C he recommended you straight away. And secondly... there was the Latios whose soul was in the Soul Dew in Altomare."


    "Whoa," Ash said, trying to get his head around that little detail.


    "So, with that reminder and those references, Arceus and I decided to test you ¨C and we have, in a way."


    "How?" Ash asked.


    "We saw your past ¨C you probably noticed?" At Ash''s nod, Sir Aaron went on. "And we were both impressed ¨C it''s not everyone who saves the world once, let alone how many times you did... especially considering you''re still a teenager. So the choice was clear."


    Sir Aaron took a deep breath.


    "We''re sending you back in time to change all this," he said.


    "There''s a reward, of course," the knight went on. "For a start, there''s how you''re now trained in Aura... that''s just one thing, of course. There''s others, which you''ll find out later ¨C and the most important one is this ¨C you can choose the time you go back to. It''ll be your mind in your younger body, so you can essentially do things again."


    Sir Aaron held up a hand to forestall any questions. "Hold on, I think Arceus is ready."


    Indeed I am.


    Arceus stepped aside, to reveal what had been in his shadow. I have created a second Dialga, twin to the one outside. It has the task of sending you back, however far you want to go.


    Ash barely even had to think about it.


    "I want to go back to the day I met Pikachu ¨C the day my journey began, when I first set off from Pallet."


    Sir Aaron laughed. "Ha! Told you, you great lump."


    Arceus looked displeased. I thought ''any day but then'' was good odds...


    "Wait..." Ash pointed. "Were you two betting on me or something?"


    "Er..." Sir Aaron tugged his collar. "Nooo?"


    "Somehow, I don''t believe you," Ash replied.


    Now, Dialga!


    In that second of absolute stillness, Ash thought to himself ¨C using the, or a, Legendary Pok¨¦mon capable of controlling time simply to avoid having to answer some awkward questions... that really took some beating.


    Then there was a roar, and he fell into blackness.


    Sir Aaron folded his arms. "Well, that deals with that. What happens next?"


    I admit to some surprise... I had thought the timeline would change instantly, Arceus admitted. I''ve never had to use the failsafe before.


    "Dia?" the young Dialga asked.


    "This is serious!" Sir Aaron said. "We could be stuck in here for months or years with nothing to entertain ourselves!"


    I created the universe and everything in it. I could always use that massive cosmic power to... create a deck of cards?


    Dialga perked up. "Gla, gla!"


    Sir Aaron took a step back. "It''s really strange seeing the controller of time jump around like an excited puppy."


    He is ten minutes old, what do you expect? Now, quiet, Arceus admonished. I need to create a few packs. Perhaps some dice, too.


    "Can you get Lucario?" Sir Aaron asked. "We need four for a good game."


    I... can''t find him, Arceus admitted, his Spooky Plate pulsing. I suspect that, as his death is no longer certain, he is no longer there.


    "That''s somehow unfair..." Sir Aaron sighed.


    Chapter 2


    Ash came groggily to awareness in his home bed, one that felt almost unfamiliar after so long on the road one way or another.


    What happened? Did I imagine that last bit? Was I so excited about my trip to Isshu that I made up what I think will happen?


    Then he focused on the calendar.


    Okay. Either I imagined my entire life from the day I got a Pok¨¦mon onwards overnight, or I really did time travel. Well, no need to rush, I know there''s going to be a Pok¨¦mon for me even if I ¨C oh who am I kidding.


    Ash jumped out of bed, dressed himself in seconds with whatever was on the floor and dashed off to Oak Labs.


    Luckily, by the time he got there the crowd had somewhat dispersed. Everyone was following Gary, and presumably the other two thoroughly forgettable trainers that had started out from Pallet that day ¨C was Gary driving a sports car? At ten? Some people¡­


    Gary had really improved and become more likeable over the course of the¡­ well, the next few years. But then, so had Ash.


    Professor Oak was waiting for him in the Lab.


    "Ah, Ash my boy, I see you have-" Here the old man''s voice and expression turned sour. "-finally arrived for the start of your Pok¨¦mon journey. Though, sorry to say, there aren''t many Pok¨¦mon left here at the lab. Hardly any, in fact."


    Ash tried his best to look disappointed, but his heart was too busy going at a hundred beats a minute. Hardly any means at least one¡­ And that means¡­


    "I''m sorry, Professor. I really do want to get going, honest. I just overslept ¨C couldn''t get to sleep last night, you know how it goes."


    "Indeed I do. Well, I did at any rate, as you get older it becomes less likely you get worked up about such things. But you may be disappointed, the only Pok¨¦mon left in the entire lab is this wild Pikachu I caught barely a week ago when it tried to eat the power cables."


    Ash was cracking up inside. Power cables! Oh, no wonder Pikachu didn''t want to talk about it!


    "I''m sure I''ll be fine, Professor. I mean, I wouldn''t be much of an awesome trainer if I couldn''t handle something little like that!"


    "Ah, the awesome factor. To be young¡­" Professor Oak handed over the Pok¨¦ ball.


    Ash immediately opened it up and caught the electric mouse as it formed.


    He couldn''t help it. Even if this Pikachu remembered nothing of their time together, the trials they had faced together¡­ it was still the same Pok¨¦mon he would come to, yes, love like a brother. His mind raced through everything the two had been through together¡­


    And as he contacted Pikachu, the little yellow rodent glomped him.


    Ash''s now trained Aura senses opened the link and he realized something ¨C somehow, impossibly, Pikachu remembered. Every day they had spent together was as vivid to the other as it was to him.


    A suspicion came over him, even as he stood back up from where the tackle had flattened him, a huge grin on his face.


    Maybe this was what Sir Aaron had meant about another reward. He wouldn''t be alone.


    "Well, Professor, I think you may have been exaggerating about how difficult this Pikachu was to handle!"


    "I certainly thought I wasn''t. You have a true talent with Pok¨¦mon, Ash."


    If only you knew¡­


    Then Ash had a thought. Samuel Oak, or "Sam" certainly did know that this Pikachu would eventually become close to him, the only question was how soon. What would have happened the first time had Ash got up early? Would Oak have hidden the other Pok¨¦mon to preserve the timeline?


    Time travel makes my head hurt¡­


    Outside a small crowd was assembled to see Ash off. Nothing like the hordes of vaguely disturbing cheerleaders that followed Gary around all over the place, but a nice send off nonetheless.


    "Oh, Ash! Here''s your bag. You forgot it when you left in such a rush this morning."


    "Hehe, thanks. Sorry about that¡­ I think I broke my alarm clock¡­"


    "Well, you won''t need it for a while anyway, if you''re off on a journey now, will you." Delia Ketchum was by this point a little choked up, and searched for a distraction. "Er¡­ where is your Pok¨¦mon? I don''t see a Pok¨¦ ball."


    Pikachu stuck his head up from where he was clinging onto Ash''s back. "Pi!"


    "Heh, I don''t think I''ll be keeping any Pok¨¦mon in their balls unless they ask me to. It doesn''t seem right somehow¡­"


    It was a recent decision to be sure, but Ash felt it was the right one. His Pok¨¦mon seemed a lot happier outside their balls for the most part.


    Come to think of it, what were the League regulations on maximum number of Pok¨¦mon? Was it six with you, or just six per battle, per gym, or per day? It would be good to know.


    While he made small talk with the crowd, Pikachu had taken the bag from Ash''s mum and was carefully slotting it onto Ash''s shoulders.


    "Thanks, Pikachu. I appreciate ¨C whoah!"


    Pikachu had jumped onto the bag now and was sitting on it, pointing imperiously towards Viridian city.


    "Well, I suppose I''d better get going. He''s even more eager for adventure than I am."


    It was about halfway from Pallet to Viridian when Ash swung his pack off his shoulders, sat down, and motioned to Pikachu to do the same.


    "Guess you''re kind of wondering what happened, right?"


    Pikachu answered in the affirmative. Ash sighed.


    "I''m not entirely clear myself. But¡­ well, remember what happened at Cameran castle, and then with that Riolu and the Pok¨¦mon Ranger?"


    Pikachu nodded again.


    "Seems that I''m really good at using Aura, especially for a human. Basically, I got sent back in time to stop the end of the world by the creator of the universe, and that ¨C the Aura ¨C is why I got picked. No idea how come you have your memories of the future, but¡­well, we can wonder that later. For now, we need to think about what to do next. We need to visit Cameran castle to pick up Sir Aaron''s gloves, which will make it a lot easier on me, but if we walk there we''ll have to beat Brock first. And I don''t know if I can bring myself to catch Pok¨¦mon I didn''t know¡­ before."


    Pikachu thought for a second, before asking if Ash couldn''t just catch the same Pok¨¦mon again.


    "And how do you expect me to recognize them, especially if they look just the same as other Pok¨¦mon?"


    By way of answer, Pikachu covered his eyes, before saying something that Ash translated as ''Aura sight, you fool!''


    After a few seconds simply staring, Ash facepalmed and focussed. When he felt the sensation rise up in his eyes, he closed them.


    It was the first time using it in the real world. It was breathtaking.


    He could see the world, but that was a thing of outlines in grey and black. More importantly, he could see life.


    Every tree had a faint green glow around it, and a few stronger points of browner green light indicated what he thought to be Pok¨¦mon in the trees. Perhaps they were bugs¡­ the colour presumably had some significance. Pikachu was a blinding yellow that hurt to look at. He would have to test this later.


    But there was another bright light, a purplish blue glimmer, moving towards Viridian city from behind him. Presumably still a way off, but there it was. It somehow drew his eye¡­ Perhaps that was Misty, on her as of yet undestroyed bike.


    Well, looked like she was an hour or so away. May as well get started on something else that was bothering him.


    Opening his eyes, which were momentarily bright blue as the power faded from then, he looked across at Pikachu, who had sat down in the meantime.


    "Okay, Pikachu. Something I think you should learn, if you want to."


    "Pi?"


    "The ability and skill to manipulate Aura, of course. Partly because teaching this sort of thing helps the teacher learn as well, partly because it''s genuinely useful in all sorts of ways, but mostly because that way you can beat up Rock types."


    Pikachu''s eyes glistened as he turned to fully face his trainer.


    "Okay, close your eyes, breathe evenly. Now, pay close attention to this feeling."


    Ash was kneeling in front of his first Pok¨¦mon, who was sitting cross legged on the bulge around the roots of a tree along the path.


    As he sPok¨¦, he put his hands on Pikachu''s, and then channelled at first a tiny amount of Aura, gradually increasing it until the glow was clearly visible.


    "Can you feel it? Good. Now, I want you to focus only on that feeling. Pay as much attention to it as you possibly can. Don''t worry if it changes, just make sure you can still feel that thrill of power in your hands. Are you paying enough attention? You should be. You are. Good, that''s right. Has it stopped changing? Then open your eyes."


    Pikachu lazily cracked an eyelid and looked at the glow around his hands. It was yellow, which was interesting. Hadn''t it been blue?


    Then he noticed Ash was about six feet away. On that realization, the glow died as he startled out of the meditative state.


    Ash was grinning from ear to ear.


    "Now you know you can do it."


    Twenty minutes later, Pikachu could reliably form his Aura outside his body, albeit only as a surface effect.


    "Good. Even being able to form Aura means your attacks will be a great deal more potent ¨C it''s half the secret of the power of a Legendary Pok¨¦mon, that they have good Aura control." Ash chuckled. "In fact, the Eeveelutions have a natural production of a tiny amount of Aura. That''s why they have such good focus on their elements. Now, the next step is to try and reduce the effects of your natural element of electricity. When it''s a neutral Aura with nothing attached, that''s when it''s the blue I had. That''s the most useful type of any one, and it opens the door to further type compositions. So while you learn to produce untyped Aura, I''m going to be trying to add a type to mine. I''ll start with electricity myself, because you''re readily available for me to check against. But I think first a little practice on something else. Throw a Thundershock at me."


    "Pi?"


    "Trust me."


    Pikachu nodded dubiously, and threw a tiny electric shock at Ash. It hit, but barely made him twitch.


    "Come on! Something bigger, you know I''ve handled Thunderbolts before!"


    The next shock was more in line with the Thundershock ¨C on their original first day together.


    "More! Come on, I''m asking for it!"


    Ash was electrocuted about a dozen times a minute for the next half hour, always insisting they keep going over Pikachu''s protests.


    He ended up looking like he was about to drop from exhaustion.


    "Come ¨C huff ¨C on! One more time!"


    Pikachu was really worried now, Ash couldn''t even keep his eyes open. What was he doing?


    "Just ¨C huff ¨C one more, then we ¨C phew ¨C call it quits. Okay?"


    "Ka."


    The sizzling bolt of electricity flashed towards Ash ¨C and was turned aside by a green shimmer in front of him, arcing off towards the left.


    "Yes!" Ash''s fatigue seemed to evaporate. "I knew I could do it! I just need to see where it''s coming from ¨C and that means Aura Sight!"


    The sudden celebration and Pikachu''s realization that Ash was trying to make sure he could manage Protect still were cut off by a shriek from the road.


    Ash covered his face with his hands.


    "We just blew up Misty''s bike, didn''t we."


    Pikachu nodded. "Pi¡­"


    The young gym leader was lying in a heap in the road with the bike collapsed around her. The tyres had been exploded and at least some of the structure looked bent.


    Oh, man, it''s worse than last time.


    If he were the age he was immediately before the time jump, he would have been getting thoroughly fl.u.s.tered over meeting Misty again. Now, though, there was none of that. One good thing about getting younger was that it meant you didn''t have to handle puberty for a year or three.


    "Can I help you up?"


    Misty looked at the boy and his Pikachu over where she had heard the offer.


    Her eyes narrowed. So that''s where the lightning came from.


    "Why should I accept your help when you did this in the first place?"


    Ash looked abashed. "Well, it was an accident¡­ and I feel kinda guilty¡­ It feels like my responsibility, right?"


    She huffed. "Fine. But you better pay for this!"


    "Story of my life¡­"


    "What was that?"


    "I don''t know what you were talking about. Now, take my hand and I''ll pull you up."


    On touching the young boy''s gloves, Misty had the most amazing experience. Several years'' worth of life flowed into her memory, and a light static charge passed into her, tingling at her belt where the Pok¨¦ balls were as well.


    Misty, reacting instinctively, punched Ash onto the floor.


    "Okay, Ash! What the hell just happened!"


    Ash grinned up at her, unfazed. "What just happened is that, as far as you''re concerned, you travelled back in time and so did I. There''s more to it, but that''s the simple version."


    Misty considered this. She was indeed younger than she had been (nooo!), only had three Pok¨¦mon (if anything, worse) and was barely outside Pallet Town.


    "Okay, spill it. Why, how and why you?"


    "The world apparently ended. Some nutcases called Team Galactic tried to take over the world by rebuilding it from the ground up with Dialga and Palkia. Arceus picked me to go back because I was the chosen one, good with Aura-"


    "With what?"


    Ash stopped for a second. "I''ll be willing to demonstrate, and indeed have a go at teaching you, just let me finish first. Anyway, Arceus got another Dialga to throw me back in time to this morning ¨C and apparently I can restore the memories of others of the future. Now, this is Aura."


    Ash closed his eyes for a second, and held out a palm. A thin, pale blue fire glowed there for a moment.


    "I''m still not really any good with the big stuff, I was more taught how to train than trained, but I know how ¨C well, where ¨C to get the big power and control boost I need."


    "Right. Ash is somehow magic." She shrugged. "Seen stranger things travelling with you weirdness magnets. So¡­ we''re saving the world?"


    "Pi!"


    "Brilliant. So much for my plans for the decade."


    "Not necessarily. I can do the memory thing on any Pok¨¦mon ¨C or apparently person ¨C I spent enough time with. Think of it as: you start where you were before the whole mess happened, and you get to go on from there."


    "Well¡­ I suppose that makes sense. So what now?"


    "Now we try to make it to Viridian before that storm gets here."


    Misty looked round. Sure enough, there was a thunderstorm on the horizon.


    It was a good few miles to Viridian, and last time she hadn''t made it on the bike before the storm caught her.


    "Damnit, now I''m going to get wet! This is your fault Ash!"


    "Misty?" Ash waited until she was looking at him. "You''re a water trainer who spent three hours with a rebreather once."


    "Okay, so maybe it''s not as much of a problem, but still! Besides, that''s a thunderstorm and I don''t like lightning."


    "Ah well. Things get to worst, apparently Pikachu can deflect lightning bolts, so we''ll be OK."


    The walk to Viridian, even through the thunderstorm, was surprisingly pleasant for Ash without the horde of rampaging psychotic Spearow from last time. Though the occasional flare of yellow/blue across the sky was a slightly less pleasant reminder of how close he was repeatedly coming to wholesale electrocution.


    Huh. Strange. Those bolts weren''t being deflected so much as bounced right back into the clouds.


    After a few hours and a stonker of a storm, the rain slowed to a drizzle, then vanished completely.


    Ash was now looking up at the clearing sky in anticipation.


    "Ash, what are you-"


    "Ssh. I''m looking for a legendary I first saw on this exact day, one timeline ago. Look out for a whacking great phoenix headed west."


    "Phoenix? Ash, are you sure-"


    "I am very sure. Ho-oh, that''s what it is. And I met it later on too ¨C just after you and Brock left."


    "How convenient."


    "I swear! It flew overhead, right about now!"


    I see you have come into your power, Chosen One.


    Ash froze. "Misty, did you just say that?"


    Misty replied, similarly unmoving. "I was about to ask you."


    Without moving a muscle on their upper bodies, the two turned to see an enormous Pok¨¦mon in the shallow valley to the east of the ridge the road rested on.


    I am surprised. Last time my Suicune checked on you, bare months ago, you showed no real sign of what you could inherit. And here you are flaring your Aura with a strength I could have felt clear from Tin Tower.


    So, Ash Ketchum of the line of Cameran, why has this change occurred?


    Misty staggered over to lie down on the grass. Pikachu was looking confused ¨C he''d believed in Ash, of course, they''d both seen Ho-Oh before ¨C but had not expected the current course of events.


    Ash was utterly flabbergasted.


    "The line of WHAT?"


    There is much to tell, and little enough time to do it. I request a mental link.


    "Ergh¡­ Yeah, sure. That needs contact, right?"


    Correct.


    The huge right wing moved forwards.


    Simply take one of the feathers, that will suffice.


    Ash reached out to the Rainbow Wing.


    The world fell away.


    Colour surrounded Ash, as once more he became a mere viewpoint, looking upon something he could not understand¡­ though there was something about it¡­


    Thought was what it was, he realized. He was seeing the mind of the Legend of the Storm''s End, a humbling experience. But there seemed to be some kind of message meant, perhaps, for him. He concentrated-


    History. A few thousand people, dressed in archaic outfits and many of them armed, kneeling before an assemblage of all the legendary Pok¨¦mon Ash had ever seen ¨C except for the Isshu pantheon ¨C and apparently pledging themselves to aid their nation''s protectors.


    These are the Chosen, who defined these islands as a contiguous whole. They all possessed gifts that allowed them unusual skill.


    War. Battles, from the time of the Jomon to the Meiji restoration. Pok¨¦mon, in roles not as companions, but as warriors, shock troops, medics, cavalry.


    True battles of the type the formalized sport bore little resemblance to.


    And everywhere, the Chosen or other heroic figures in the vanguard.


    Peace. Man and Alakazam climbing to the top of a mountain, to meet an aged priest there, a venerable figure seeming to radiate an inner tranquillity.


    The man is another of the Chosen''s descendants. They were the most powerful, most skilled, the servants of their people.


    A flash of movement. The sight of a great flood, and of a strong man pushing, pulling, cajoling and carrying vulnerable Pok¨¦mon to safety. The¡­ memory?.. showed everything, even to the man losing strength as the cold sapped his muscles, slipping into the water having saved every other man, woman, child and Pok¨¦mon in the path of the flood.


    But every line is vulnerable.


    The champions died most often, it was the nature of their calling.


    Once, every city had one or more. Now, there is often only a single one of the warrior Chosen across an entire island. Johto and Kanto are bereft but for the Dragon Tamers, Hoenn has only the Stone clan, and Sinnoh is overseen by but a single person.


    I must beg of you, as one of the heirs. Do you wish to join this elite brotherhood?


    Ash was overwhelmed by the news. "So¡­ why me specifically?"


    You are of the line of the knights of Cameran castle. Few know it, the line of descent has lost much of its'' power and lore over the centuries, never truly recovering after the loss of Sir Aaron. Your father found out, at the end, but died in the discovering. It was he who broke the great wave that threatened to sweep away the inhabitants of Pacifidlog.


    I am sorry if discovering this truth causes you pain. I had not thought of the effect it might have.


    "No, it''s kinda nice. To know that he was¡­ well, a hero. To know that he didn''t leave by choice¡­ I always feared that."


    You have a noble heart. And I feel that you have already accepted this destiny. Very well, now there is one more issue to handle. Do you know what a Pok¨¦ ball does to those it captures, that can never be undone?


    "Er¡­ never undone¡­ oh! It makes it so that the Pok¨¦mon can''t be caught again! Because that stops people stealing them!"


    Correct. So, I ask this. Catch me in one of your Pok¨¦ balls, then release me again and let me go on my way. Then do the same with others of the legendary pantheons who request it of you. You are a good man, and we will be safe in this way from those who would seek to chain us.


    There was the sense of a grin''s reflection, ethereal in the shared world. And who knows. We might pitch in from time to time. Imagine the spectacle at a contest!


    "So¡­ is that sort of thing why I occasionally saw people with legendary Pok¨¦mon in Hoenn or Sinnoh?"


    Same principle, they''re presumably well trusted. To be honest, were it not for their duties Pok¨¦mon like the Shamouti Lugia would have followed you to whatever end.


    But enough. Time marches on, and you have work to do ¨C as do I. But rest assured, I and mine will do whatever we can for your cause. There is, after all, not often a time someone will be able to legitimately say "Arceus told me to do it."


    And with that, the link faded.


    "Wow¡­"


    "Piii¡­"


    To those outside less then a second had passed, but they saw quite the impressive blue/gold light show for the brief contact time there was.


    Then it was gone.


    Ash stumbled as he got used to controlling his body again.


    Do you accept this charge, Chosen one?


    He looked almost weary for a moment¡­then pulled himself up again. "Sure! After all, it''s not as if I have nothing to show for it this time, so why should I not do something I did before?"


    An admirable attitude. And now, the Pok¨¦ ball?


    "Oh, sorry." Ash took out one of his Pok¨¦ balls from Oak and tossed it at Ho-Oh. The Pok¨¦ ball did its work and lay there unmoving, at least until Ash picked it up and promptly released the Phoenix Pok¨¦mon.


    My thanks. And fare thee well.


    The trio gazed at the majestic fenghuang as it took to the air and winged off to the west, headed for Ecruteak and the Tin Tower.


    Well, at least until Ash jerked as if stung and clawed his Pok¨¦dex out of his jacket. "Damn it, I can''t believe I forgot! Professor Oak''ll have to believe me this time!"


    He pointed the scanner at the receding Ho-Oh.


    No data. There are still Pok¨¦mon yet to be- Ash hit the machine with the palm of his hand. Bzzrt¡­Compiling¡­New program structure successfully loaded. Analyzing¡­ Ho-Oh, the Rainbow Pok¨¦mon. Sometimes called the Guardian of the Skies, or the Storm''s End. Legends claim this Pok¨¦mon flies the world''s skies continuously on its magnificent seven-coloured wings. It is said that those who see Ho-Oh are promised an eternal happiness.


    Accessing¡­ Total remaining Pok¨¦mon in National Dex: Two. Conjecture is that they are evolved forms of Porygon. Forme database also still incomplete.


    Ash, Misty and Pikachu stared at the little red machine.


    "I''d say you broke it¡­ but it seems to contain all the stuff we haven''t done yet. How is the professor going to take this?"


    "Eh, he''s time travelled before, he''ll come around. And if he doesn''t, we''ll just convince his past self in a year or two."


    Ash paged though the various pictures of Pok¨¦mon that had been recorded for the database, from the bland images of things like Weedle, to Charizard posing against the backdrop of Ash with his hair on fire, to the Phanpy that Ash had raised, to the somewhat startling image of Mew and Mewtwo firing great blasts of energy at one another¡­ and Ash, frozen in the act of running into the middle.


    "I don''t remember that one. Hey, Ash! Do you remember apparently committing suicide by legendary?"


    "Well, when I was getting the short version of my own life something like that turned up¡­" Ash scratched his head. "But I don''t see why I wouldn''t recall, it seems kind of important."


    Nobody does. The Mewtwo (the Genetic Pok¨¦mon) in the picture wiped everyone''s minds. But I am electronic, and unaffected.


    "Ash, you did remember to clear the cache on that thing once in a while, right?"


    Ash was looking a little frazzled. "I''ll be happy to answer that in a second, Pikachu, right after we find out why I just understood that!"


    Pikachu was not coping all that well himself. "Ka-Pi?"


    "Yeah, I did hear the thing about the cache, it''s just I don''t know how. Unless it''s another thing with Aura, like how I could hear some of the thoughts of that Riolu in Sinnoh."


    Pikachu frowned in concentration. "That''s probably it. I mean, you already awakened my Aura to some degree, maybe that pushes it over the edge into communication."


    "I heard that one as well! Wow, this is awesome!"


    Ahem. And yes, that is correct. Normally this would never happen, but then most computers aren''t involved in half the stuff that fills the average week for you crazy people. And with no cache clears, I developed a personality. Good thing too, as it means you''ve essentially done your duty to the Professor and can do other stuff without feeling guilty.


    "This is going to be weird¡­"


    "Tell me about it."


    Misty had wandered off to where Ho-Oh had been. "Hey, guys, look!"


    She was holding a rainbow-hued feather, and a small drawstring bag.


    "Sacred ash¡­ how ironic."


    "Shut up, Misty."


    "It''s perfect! I didn''t even see the joke before you mentioned what it''s called."


    "Please, stop. I have enough trouble knowing an ancient prophecy has a pun on my name in it, let me retain a shred of dignity."


    "Oh! I just thought, if we''re doing everything again that means¡­"


    "What now?"


    "You''re going to be turned into a Pok¨¦mon! Oh, and have to crossdress a few times."


    Ash slumped over the sign proclaiming the city limits of Viridian. "Why me, Arceus? Couldn''t someone else have been stuck with this?"


    Misty was unrepentant. "Because you have a stupid impossible childhood dream most likely, now get going! It''s almost dark!"


    Ash and Misty walked into the Viridian Pok¨¦mon centre. Misty immediately went off to have some time with her Pok¨¦mon ¨C and would shortly discover, much to her surprise, that all three had been included in the memory transfer ¨C while Ash headed straight for the computer terminal.


    "Pikachu, can you make sure the Rockets haven''t turned up yet?"


    "Of course. Be nice to see them again, really¡­ Hopefully they won''t waste years of all our lives trying to catch me in one of those horrid Pok¨¦ balls again, though!"


    "You''re telling me¡­"


    Ash was of course familiar with the way the phones worked this time and was the one to place the call to Pallet, rather than the other way around.


    "Ah, Ash my boy!"


    Ash felt faintly embarrassed. "Professor¡­ the other camera."


    Oak looked round, startled, then brought up the correct camera.


    "Eh-herm. Sorry. Anyway, what news, Ash? I take it you made it to Viridian alright. No problems along the way?"


    "None at all. And I wish to report on the Pok¨¦dex project."


    "Well done, my boy! Progress so soon? I hope you found more than Gary. Apparently he accidentally caught a Spearow flock leader and they nearly outflew his car, so he didn''t have time even to scan a Ratatta!"


    "I have a little more than that, thanks." Ash grinned at the private joke. And, for that matter, the news that the incredibly psychotic Spearow was now Gary''s problem. "But first off, I want to tell you something of the utmost importance."


    "I''m sure it''s not as big a deal as you make it out to be, I mean, things always seem important at ten. But when you grow up, they''re not as big a deal as you thought."


    Ash dropped the easy humour that he''d developed over the past few years with those he was familiar with. "I know about Celebi."


    It was interesting, watching a world famous researcher choke and fall off his chair.


    After a few minutes, the conversation resumed. Oak was holding a flask that seemed a little too likely to hold something alcoholic for Ash''s taste¡­ but then, everyone had their vices.


    "Dear lord. Time travel?"


    "Well, it didn''t actually involve Celebi, but yes. There was indeed time travel. As far as things go, mentally I''m about fifteen, and have saved the world a minimum of nine times. If this works, it''ll make ten, irrespective of all the things I''ll stop twice."


    Oak took another pull from the flask. "I wouldn''t believe you¡­ but in my case that''d be hypocritical."


    "I remember that. Tell me, if I got up first were you planning on hiding the other starters?"


    Oak looked even more evasive. "Actually, the Charmander hasn''t been taken yet. That trainer slept in¡­ stayed up all last night¡­ I hope she gets up tomorrow."


    "Right." Ash slid his Pok¨¦dex into the peripheral slot. "Transfer all the information, if you please."


    The lot?


    "Yeah, may as well."


    Professor Oak was glaring at his hip flask and occasionally shaking it.


    "Okay, next question. What''s the League limit on the Pok¨¦mon someone can have with them at one time ¨C and what are the specifics?"


    The professor looked thoughtful. "I think it says that all battles must use only up to six Pok¨¦mon at a time¡­ but in practice since the belts with the Pok¨¦ ball supports can''t take more than six, people don''t carry any that are over that limit."


    "Right, not going along with that custom. I''m taking everyone with me I can, I don''t want to leave anyone behind who doesn''t want to be."


    Actually, I think if I got a satellite uplink then you could use the transfer system at any time! That might help.


    "Okay. Next, when is the next tournament at Cameran Castle? I have business there, and fairly urgent at that."


    Professor Oak was by now discovering that a motivated Ash ran roughshod over just about anything in his way. From jumping into a clash of two of the most powerful Pok¨¦mon on the planet to hurling one of those same Pok¨¦mon into a lake to save it, Ash was not one to mess around, that was for sure.


    "Er, hang on. The professor typed away furiously at his keyboard. "There we are, it''s in about two weeks. Do you want me to enter you?"


    "That would be great. And can you also look up the articles on claiming one''s inheritance here in Kanto?"


    Pikachu looked over from his vigil at the door. "You do not do anything halfway, Ash."


    "Well, we all knew that."


    "Did¡­ did I miss something?"


    "Eh, Pikachu and I are now mutually telepathic. It happens."


    Thankfully for the professor, Ash''s Pok¨¦dex let out the chime that meant it was finished uploading.


    All done! Don''t stay up too late looking at them!


    "Okay. And I''ll get back to you on the other stuff."


    "Thanks, professor."


    Ash stretched, and grabbed his Pok¨¦dex back from the computer.


    "Any sign of them yet?"


    "Not that I can see."


    "Right." Ash pulled his cap back and shut his eyes.


    There. They were somehow obvious in Aura sight, glowing in a more intense way than those nearby. Perhaps this was because he held their memories?


    In any case, it was time to put the plan into action.


    "Pikachu, with me."


    "You got it."


    "Well, are we all ready?" Gloved hands twirled a rose in intricate patterns.


    "You bet, guys! Dis time we''ll do even better than before!"


    As should be clear already, this was Team Rocket. And "Before" was when they completed their last successful mission. They stole a sleeping Caterpie.


    Not much¡­ but better than they ever get around Ash, that''s for sure.


    "So many injured Pok¨¦mon¡­ all of them for the taking! This was such a good plan!"


    "What, ambulance chasing?" James snarked.


    "Shut up, this works!"


    "Hey." The gang members looked up to see a young boy in front of them, a Pikachu riding on his shoulder. "I want a word with you."


    "You? Talk to us? Sorry, we''re far too classy for that."


    Ash grinned. "Perhaps it''d help if I told you I know you''re Team Rocket members, and that you plan on stealing all the injured Pikachu that overloaded in the storm?"


    "Well, dat seems about right."


    "How dare you!"


    James looked confused. "For that matter, how does he know that? And it''s not as if Meowth reveals that he can talk very often, yet this guy seems completely unsurprised."


    "Never mind that! Get him, Eka-"


    "Thunder wave."


    Electricity flooded the alleyway, catching two humans and three Pok¨¦mon in its'' grip.


    Ash moved fast, lightly touching first Ekans, then Jessie, then Meowth, James and Koffing.


    As he''d hoped, he had known them easily well enough to complete the transfer.


    "Right," he began, even as Ekans and Koffing both began to evolve. Huh. Seems like it''s knowledge rather than physical training that leads to evolution.


    "Here''s the deal. I need to save the world. That is why I am back in the past, and why I have restored your memories. So, I am considering this to be a permanent truce situation, similar to all the other times the world or a large part of it has been in danger.


    "I do, however, know that you''re not going to be all that happy with the idea of just leaving off, so: Every week or three, sure, you can try and attack. But we''re going to make it look good. You have evolved Pok¨¦mon with years of experience, use them. I''m not planning on being a pushover. We want this to look like you''re not bumblers, but elite gangsters who are the only ones who stand a chance against me.


    "You make it look good, so do I. We''re talking about probably doing some damage to the scenery, at that. And of course any other Rockets that I run across I don''t hold back against in any way.


    "You in?"


    Nothing. Then the outer layer of Arbok''s skin cracked off and she emerged from the inside with some relief.


    "Oh, damn. This was looking so very awesome and such¡­ then I forgot you''re still paralyzed."


    Jessie jerked violently and started moving again. "Gah, twerp! How could you forget that?"


    Meowth gradually fell over, unable to correct himself with the paralysis still gripping him.


    James looked thoughtful "So what happens if we catch other Pok¨¦mon?"


    "If they''re ones you used to have, then I''m pretty sure I can do the same to them. If not, then I''m afraid you''re out of luck ¨C you''ll have to train them the old way. But I for one got best results by caring for my Pok¨¦mon."


    Meowth was still paralyzed. Arbok seemed concerned for a moment, then reached into Jessie''s backpack and pulled out a Paralysis Heal.


    "Hey, that''s right!" Jessie was almost bouncing on her feet. "We have equipment at the moment! Back in the future we spent everything on elaborate traps, balloons and giant robots."


    Ash sighed. "So. Are you willing?"


    Meowth looked from his human partners to their Pok¨¦mon¡­ then shrugged, and sPok¨¦ for all of them.


    "Seems ta be the best thing ta do."


    "Right. Oh, and James? First suggestion is to find some way to sneak that Growlithe of yours out of his kennel and onto your team, you could really do with some diversity."


    "Oh, Growlie¡­ How could I have been so cruel as to forget you¡­"


    Somehow, despite the complete ridiculousness of Team Rocket, despite their behaviour¡­ witnessing it, Ash felt like things were right again.


    "Okay, see you in a week or so."


    "Wait! What are we going to tell the boss?"


    Ash turned to walk away. "Just tell him that you were going to attack the Viridian Pok¨¦mon centre, but I made a pre-emptive strike and the chance was lost. It''s technically the truth, anyway."


    "Okay, now, think of electricity. Think of storms, power lines, the corona around an antenna, lightning, everything you know that''s connected to electricity, and think: left. Left. You want to think of electricity. You want to think of left. You want the two concepts to go together, to flow into one another like they can''t be separate in your mind.


    Now, keeping that separation there, move your paws apart again. Electricity. Left. Keep thinking that. Left. Electricity. But the other feeling isn''t all electric, so you need it in both paws. Keep that pattern. Keep remembering that. And¡­ open your eyes."


    Misty watched, amazed, from her side of the room as Ash coaxed Pikachu into separating the natural electric aspect of his Aura from the energy itself. Pikachu''s left paw was crackling with intensely yellow lightning, but the right was a shimmering azure blue.


    "Remember how that feels¡­ and see if you can replicate it in a minute or so." Ash stood up from his crouch. "Want me to see if we can unlock yours, Misty?"


    "Er, no thanks. I''ll pass ¨C at least until we have Brock back with us. That will hopefully lessen the number of times you have to do this."


    "Not by much¡­ but thanks for thinking of me."


    "Heh¡­ What are friends for?"


    Behind Ash a small explosion went off. "Oh for¡­ Pikachu, you''re meant to do it slowly at first!"


    "You never mentioned that."


    "Well, maybe that''s because I thought it was obvious!"


    "You? Think going slow is obvious?"


    "True. But still!"


    Misty lay back on her bed with a small smile. "I''ve missed this¡­"


    Morning broke on a new day in Viridian city. The travellers and their Pok¨¦mon got up, stretched, got dressed, went down for breakfast and were abruptly reminded that yesterday''s events were not merely a dream, but had actually happened.


    Ash, after a few seconds nearly freaking out, remembered some of what Sir Aaron had taught him about emotional control ¨C that is: Recall your purpose, subordinate all to it, and nothing can sway you. That said, don''t mind having fun.


    Sir Aaron was like that. All serious and staid one minute, then playful the next.


    At least I''m coping better than Misty¡­


    "Ohgod! Ohgod! We have to go through Viridian Forest! The Bugs, Ash! You know how much I hate¡­ Bugs!"


    Ash stifled a grin. Wonder how Misty would take some of the Pok¨¦mon I met in Sinnoh¡­ would a Surskit cause her to short out?


    Regardless of that amusing thought, she was still a friend, so Ash resolved to put her mind at ease.


    "For goodness'' sake, just teach your Staryu Power Gem or something! Or get a fire type¡­"


    Ash, it should be noted, is not good at setting people at ease.


    You understand your duty?


    Yes.


    You know the honour that we are done?


    I understand.


    You are confident in your ability to fulfil this charge?


    As confident as any can be.


    Then go, and fair weather speed you on your way.


    Chapter 3


    "We are lost."


    Ash sighed. "I know."


    "We are lost in a forest." Misty continued, twitching.


    "Please stop."


    "We are lost. In a forest. Full of Bug Type Pok¨¦mon. I am quite proud that I have not freaked out already."


    "Yeah, I get the point." Ash sighed again, feeling thoroughly weary despite the early hour. "I''m sorry that we''re lost. I''m sorry we''ve been in here for a week. I''m sorry that Sammy from Pallet with the Charmander passed us four days ago. I''m also sorry that you feel a little freaked out whenever Pikachu and I practice."


    "Well, can you blame me? You''re teaching a Pikachu the skills of a fighting type, and you''re trying to learn how to infuse yourself with electricity. Even for you, this is not normal."


    "Well, I am also working with him to help his electric attacks¡­"


    "Ash, you''re trying to invent an electric version of Hyper Beam! Forgive me if I, a Water type Gym Leader, don''t feel too happy about the prospect."


    Ash groaned, and sat down, performing another of his periodic Aura Sight scans of the forest, only to be surprised when a gray-green light blazed at the edge of his range.


    "I think I see something! It looks like it''s another bug type ¨C but it''s showing up more brightly than the rest were."


    Misty shuddered. Bugs¡­ "I don''t understand. Why head towards it, if it''s stronger than the others?"


    "Well, I think that those who I knew well enough to restore glow brighter ¨C as, indeed, you did last week."


    Misty perked up. She hadn''t minded Butterfree¡­ it had been very nice ¨C for a-a¡­ bug. And at least he''d evolved quickly. No reasonable girl could consider butterflies creepy. Nobody could¡­ Yeah, she could handle this. Besides, Butterfree only ate fruit¡­


    Ash was already speeding through the forest. "Hey, Ash, wait up!"


    Ash was confronting a difficult moral issue. Well, most trainers wouldn''t even consider it something to think about, but Ash had never been particularly usual.


    Should I try to beat Caterpie like last time, so that it''s not just pathetic and vaguely sad, or should I get it over with by just having Pikachu use Thunder Wave?


    Hey, that might work.


    "Pikachu, mind firing a Thunder Wave at him as soon as I can point him out?"


    "No need. I remember his scent." At Ash''s look of confusion Pikachu elaborated. "I was a wild Pok¨¦mon¡­ and anyway humans have among the worst senses of smell of any creature I can think of. It may not be on the level of Odor Sleuth, but smelling things out is a survival skill out here."


    Ash felt vaguely uneasy, as he often did when this sort of topic came up. "I don''t really feel comfortable when you casually mention the prospect of death¡­ especially yours. I ¨C you know I care for you."


    "I know. But if it helps, intelligence is a survival skill too. Most of the Pok¨¦mon that people actually see are the smarter ones, living in the areas closer to humanity and understanding that the strange non Pok¨¦mon aren''t all evil, or giants or whatever.


    That said, I would rather be with you than anywhere else. You know that."


    "Thanks, buddy. That means a lot to me."


    "That''s why I reminded you. Now, then¡­ there!"


    Yellow, jagged arcs of lightning flashed from the mouse''s body, surrounding and immobilizing a certain Caterpie among six on a nearby tree. Ash momentarily closed one eye. "Yep, that''s him alright."


    "What do you plan on doing?"


    Ash grinned. "Asking politely."


    The trainer walked over to the little bug, and gently touched his antenna. A spark of blue flashed at the contact, light filled the clearing¡­


    And Butterfree flew off the trunk.


    "Hello again, Ash."


    "Okay, what the hell?" Misty had arrived. "Is everyone polyglot these days but me?"


    "You''re hearing Pikachu and Butterfree, right?"


    "Yeah, but still! I thought you had to train a Pok¨¦mon in Aura at least somewhat before that happened."


    "I''m already psychic. Butterfree generally are, not sure why."


    "Okay, so what now? Do you want to have a battle, to¡­ I dunno, feel like things are being done properly, or just have me catch you?" Ash asked.


    "I think a battle. I haven''t had the chance to show off in a while."


    "Okay. Now, in accordance with ancient custom¡­ leg it, Misty!"


    The humans dived behind trees just before the blast of a Bug Buzz and a Thunder colliding in mid air, sending a rain of leaves towards the dirt.


    "I don''t remember your Butterfree being this strong, Ash!" Misty called to him from her tree.


    Overhead Butterfree began weaving in a complex pattern, moving faster with each motion, glowing with power. Pikachu, not one to miss a trick, began Charging, further boosting the effect with some of his electric Aura.


    "He was strong enough to impress an entire swarm, and he''s been presumably protecting them for five years! I have no clue what he can manage!"


    "So, what''s that? It looks new."


    Butterfree didn''t cease the looping dance. "It''s Butterfly Dance, a special technique that relies on repetition to energize the scales. Like it?"


    Pikachu grinned. This was part of what made him follow Ash. The general strength of every one of his Pok¨¦mon¡­ you knew you could rely on any of them, and even the boy himself, no matter what.


    "But enough of that. I bet you noticed the problem I have with this elemental matchup, being part Flying type. Well, I have a solution."


    The sun burst through the light cloud cover, forcing Pikachu to squint into the sunlight and throwing off his aim. He wasn''t yet good enough to just use Aura Sight instead¡­ and he knew what the sunlight might mean apart from that.


    Brilliant. Incoming Solarbeam¡­ And I can''t even make Agility afterimages to dodge, he''ll spot the real one in seconds.


    Ah well, improvisation is the name of the game.


    Iron Tail!


    Butterfree opened fire. The Solarbeam didn''t even need to charge, simply lensing the sunlight already in the air into a scorching beam of laserlike light.


    He was understandably surprised when it bounced back.


    Surprised, but no more. The attack was almost nothing against him. But the distraction did allow Pikachu to use his high speed to close in on Butterfree, jumping from trunk to branch to crown and into the air.


    "So you know a few tricks. So do I. This one''s called the Counter Shield."


    Butterfree found himself enveloped in a cage of lightning, one centred on the electric mouse. It was one of the genuine innovations Ash and his team had developed in the future.


    "Interesting¡­ one assumes that this means I can''t leave?" Butterfree was impressed. The level of control required for this sort of thing was nothing to sneeze at, as this function alone was a whole new trapping move.


    "Sorry. Unless you want to be electrocuted. But a battle''s a battle."


    "Damnit¡­ I''m going to have to follow you down, then. I hate it when my opponents are clever."


    "Don''t be like that. Now," Pikachu continued as the two Pok¨¦mon dropped back to the forest floor, the electric fence preventing Butterfree from getting the distance he preferred, "here''s another new one. The Volt Tackle." The fence shrank to a narrow path, with Pikachu at one end and Butterfree at the other. "Do hold still."


    "Not something I''m planning on, my old friend." Butterfree flapped his wings, and the spores and powders of Stun Spore, Sleep Powder and Posionpowder filled the tunnel. "I''m not giving up, not while I can still fight."


    Pikachu quirked an eyebrow as the Counter Shield spawned a second layer across his fur. "That''s supposed to be effective? Electricity can burn things."


    "So, that incinerates the spores. Brilliant. My luck hasn''t improved."


    "I thought you were living the dream? Powerful, important, and with a great mate?"


    Butterfree shrugged. "Still true."


    Yellow aura flared as Pikachu began his charge. Butterfree''s antenna twitched irritably.


    "And now you have superpowers. Anything else I missed?"


    The entire clearing lit up with a mighty explosion, and scorch marks from errant lightning appeared on the trees, as the overloaded Volt Tackle ended the fight in the trademark style of those trained by Ash.


    Neither of them could move anymore.


    "I''ll¡­ ugh¡­ fill you in on the whole save the world thing later."


    "Ash¡­ did Pikachu just use Iron Tail to bounce back a Solarbeam?" Misty asked, not quite trusting her own eyes.


    "Yes. Yes, he did." Ash replied.


    "Oh, I thought I''d check."


    "I think that from now on, I''m merely training them," mused Ash, "if they''re this good without me shouting my head off at them in actual battle."


    With a thump, a large bird landed next to them, and after a quick check Ash walked over to it.


    Yep, it was Pidgeotto. Ash had forgotten the two had been caught so close together.


    Well, at least blind luck is on my side sometimes¡­


    Ash had a tearful reunion with Pidgeot, apologizing profusely for leaving her for so long in the Pallet area without ever coming to visit. He''d felt guilty for over a week ¨C ever since being reminded and coming back ¨C and was glad to know that no hard feelings existed. Though he was slightly scared at the sheer power she too had developed, protecting an entire forest for years.


    He had to talk her down from showing off with a tornado.


    "So. What''s next?"


    Ash looked over from where he was applying medicine to Pikachu and Butterfree. "How so?"


    "Well, last time we were stuck in here for a good few weeks, but if we retrace our path not only is it annoying but we miss the Cameran Castle appointment you wanted to make."


    Ash nodded, already planning on what to do next.


    "I think we''ll be ready for Brock''s gym in a couple of days, we''ll handle that bug samurai guy and get going. Pikachu''s getting better at Aura control, at least."


    Since Pikachu was still unable to generate untyped Aura straight off, Ash had been having Pikachu practice splitting it into the electric and untyped and then attacking with the two alternately. Since the Force Palm was essentially the most basic Aura attack there was ¨C blasting a pulse of Aura without attempting to shape it or maintain coherency ¨C this was a relatively quick solution that worked. And won''t it be a surprise¡­


    Ash himself was also engaged in practicing, of a different sort. He knew he''d been able to pull almost unreasonably large amounts of Aura before, and not being able to do so could be seen as a weak spot. So he was trying to teach himself the ability to harness his emotions, using them as a catalyst without letting them affect his behaviour.


    It wasn''t going well. At least once he''d pulled up that same thrill of power, but it had been while he was too angry at his own slow progress to notice, only Misty''s shout letting him know that he was starting to crack the tree he was sitting against.


    So, Ash mused, Where is that Samurai person anyway?


    "You! Are you from Pallet Town?"


    Right. And he''s even more of an idiot than I remember. Not only is he asking Misty ¨C who''s pretty clearly from Cerulean gym once you know to look, she''s more like her sisters than she thinks ¨C but he''s going to end up challenging someone with a Pidgeot.


    Ah, Honour.


    "Actually, she isn''t, that would be me, Ash Ketchum of the town of Pallet." Ash smiled at the in joke.


    "Aha! Then I must challenge you, just as I did the others from that town who passed through here!"


    Ash sighed. "Okay, did you happen to notice a trend? First there was the Bulbasaur. Easy. Then the Squirtle. Harder. Then the Charmander. Nearly impossible for a Bug trainer to beat. And now you want to fight someone who has two fully evolved Pok¨¦mon and a Pikachu, in a clearing with gigantic scorch marks all over it from a Volt Tackle?"


    "That is irrelevant!" the diminutive, er, ''Ronin'' proclaimed. "Samurai do not shy from battle!"


    Ash turned to his Pok¨¦mon. "Which of you wants to handle it?"


    Butterfree flapped excitedly. "I call the Pinsir!"


    "And I''ll settle my old score with his Metapod." Pidgeot''s translated voice was ¨C surprisingly for such a large Pok¨¦mon - a cool soprano, but with the slightest hint of steel beneath it. "Let Pikachu rest for a while."


    "Fair enough. Battle on three?"


    "Yes! I must redeem my honour by defeating at least one of the Pallet Town trainers!"


    "Good, you agree." Ash gestured Pidgeot forward. "Misty, call it in if you would?"


    "Sure. One, two, three!"


    We draw a veil over the scenes of indescribable carnage.


    "No¡­ how could I be so shamefully unskilled?" the Samurai asked plaintively, slumped in the ruin that was once a small forest clearing.


    Ash felt kinda bad. "It''s more that I have¡­ certain advantages, put it that way. Don''t feel bad about it, just improve and do better next time. And perhaps get more diverse bugs, like a Scyther ¨C or a Scizor for that matter, that''d be a great help."


    "¡­ I understand." The boy smiled shyly. "And sorry for going on like that, I felt so sure I could win once¡­ Is everyone from Pallet town this strong?"


    "I like to think I''m the best, but since Professor Oak lives there that may not be accurate."


    "¡­ I see." His voice firmer now, the young samurai got to his feet. "Then I hope that when you pass through again, we have both improved enough that our match is more even. Of course, this means I''ll have to improve a lot more than you¡­"


    "Don''t sweat it! I''m sure you''ll do fine."


    "Thank you."


    Ash and the Samurai parted on relatively good terms, in fact, despite the ever so slightly one sided defeat. Though it wasn''t until Ash and Misty were setting up camp for the night that Ash thought about the moral issues with leaving the boy in range of a major Beedrill swarm.


    Ah well, wasn''t as if he was unskilled with bugs, and presumably he knew how to handle it.


    "Okay, left! Right! Left! Right! Keep up the separation!" Ash barked out orders at his sweating Pok¨¦mon, refusing to delay the trip through Viridian forest more on account of any laziness, real or perceived, in Pikachu''s training. "Le-"


    "For goodness'' sake I''m trying, Ash!" Thwack.


    "Then try harder! You need to keep the separation up, that''s why you''re hitting a rock now not a tree, so you can tell which one''s having the effect!" Thud.


    "And it''s not easy to concentrate on two things at once!" Thwack.


    "You think I don''t know that?" Thud.


    "Of course! Concentrating on one thing is such a step up for you that two doesn''t seem too hard in comparison!" Thwack.


    "Well excuse me for trying to find a way to actually earn the Boulderbadge!" Thud.


    "Why not just use Butterfree?" Thwack.


    "Because the gym''s indoors! Nowhere to get the power for a Solarbeam!" Thud.


    Misty blinked as the friends devolved into a shouting match, Pikachu was still punching the rock as hard as he could. "I will never understand boys¡­"


    Pidgeot chirped softly in agreement.


    "Damnit Ash, you can be so STUBBORN!" Pikachu''s blue-sheathed fist smacked into the boulder.


    Which cracked in two.


    The two stopped their arguing as if a switch had been thrown.


    "Did¡­ did that just work?"


    "I think so."


    They both stared at the smashed rock in some disbelief, until the halves fell over.


    Ash exulted, "Yes!"


    "Take that, rock and ground types! At last, the dream of Pikachu all over the world is coming to fruition!"


    "Don''t you know Iron Tail?"


    Pikachu waved his paw dismissively. "Eh, it''s not nearly as good. Gives you a real ache in the tailbone. Have you ever tried swinging a three kilo weight by your pinky? Because that''s what it feels like, my tail is pretty narrow at the base."


    "Okay, do you want to start learning the next one, Aura Sp-" Pikachu was already asleep. "Or you could get some rest, that works too."


    Mountains ahead. Quickest route is through the pass to the west. It is inhabited. I must use stealth to avoid being spotted.


    There are too many to avoid being seen in some way. There is a cloak ¨C that will do.


    A cloaked stranger passed through the sleepy village of ¨­tama, maintaining distance from everyone - as if, perhaps, afraid of what they might do.


    A few people tried to follow this mysterious cloaked figure, but the figure fluidly avoided the net closing around them and disappeared over the fence at the edge of the village proper.


    When the curious villagers followed, they found only the cloak, hooked carefully over a gatepost.


    AN: ¨­tama is a real village in Japan, in a mountain pass to the north of the Tokyo area (which is where Kanto is, if one converts to the real places from their analogues). This kind of correspondence between real and fictional places in general is actually really interesting - for example, the shape of Sootopolis is because it''s based off Santorini in the Mediterranean Sea, a dormant volcano that blew the Minoan civilization off the map in a massive steam explosion a few thousand years ago. And that''s where land and sea fight in Emerald - a reference, perhaps, to that long ago explosion?

 Chapter 335 - My SI Stash #35 - A Gods Ascension In Remnant by flameclawsxx (RWBY)

    -Pretty refreshing to see a different take on the whole Gamer system, the domains especially is a great addition~ I''m just hoping the author won''t put this one on hiatus like the two others I''ve recommended up here/


    Synopsis: Awakening in a soggy glade somewhere in another world wasn''t something that I had planned for... but with this small box telling me that I''m a god? I sure as hell am about to roll with it! (Gamer Elements) (SI-Oc)


    Rated: T


    Words: 27K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13624546/1/A-God-s-Ascension-In-Remnant (flameclawsxx)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    ''where the hell am I?!''


    I blankly stare across a small clearing, several puddles of water litter the landscape, showing that it had rained rather recently.


    I have been drugged, kidnapped, and shrunk.


    Isekai! Grand! I love that genre...


    I look down to my clothes revealing a small white t-shirt and long grey sweatpants... similar to what I was wearing when I went to sleep last night.


    [Welcome to the god system, you Quasi deity, you!]


    "¡­" I flinch at the sudden appearance of a screen and voice.


    "I-I have the gamer system?!" I whisper under my breath.


    [INCORRECT!] the screen pings loudly.


    [You have the ''God''s Ascension'' System! Completely different! There are no simple stats! Only divine ranks!]


    "¡­"


    A new screen pops up.


    Name: ?


    Race: Human


    Divine Ranks: 0


    Divine Status: Quasi-Deity


    Divine Perks:


    None


    Domains: 0/1


    (Undecided)


    Total Faith: 0


    Worshipers: 0


    Fanatic Worshipers: 0


    Priests: 0


    Churches: 0


    Battle Modifier: 0


    Miricle Bonus: 0


    Total Faith required for next divine rank: 25


    "¡­"


    "Hwaht?"


    [You have been granted a choice to become all powerful! Congratulations, you! But, like all things, you start out weak, the very bottom, barely even a divine creature!]


    ''Rude.''


    [But eventually, you will be able to create planets! Create Races! Travel dimensions! The worlds are your oyster and you will be the chaotic being who isekai''s people!]


    ''Wait... what''s the difference between me and a normal human? Are just regular humans divine rank 0?''


    [Incorrect! Regular humans lack a divine rank AT ALL, not a ''zero'' but literally nothing... Divine rank 0 grants creatures the ''spark'' to progress into godhood, and while regular humans CAN in fact eventually get a divine rank 0, they typically have to either kill a god, or be granted divine ranks by Greater Deities!]


    [As a Quasi-deity, you don''t need to eat, breathe, drink, sleep, are immune to the effects of aging, plus are faster, stronger, and more durable than regular individuals of their race.]


    [Plus! You may- as a Divine Rank 0- do 3 ''Petty Divine Abilities'' per Week!]


    "What ar-"


    [What are ''Divine Abilities'', you ask? Well, simply put they are what you use to create planets, magic, races, entire dimensions, heal the sick and revive the dead! However, because you are so weak, you only gain access to ''Petty Divine abilities'', and only three at that! Even demigods can use an unlimited amount of these! With this ability, you can do many things! Heal average non-life threatening wounds like a scr.a.p.ed knee or broken nose, make plant life grow slightly faster, turn weak undead! Really, it can be anything, and it is enhanced even more by coinciding with your chosen domain(s)! (you will gain more at higher divine ranks)]


    "And dom-"


    [Domains, are simply your area of expertise, they decide what sort of god you are going to be! You want to be unnatural, spooky, and feared across the world? Choose the death domain! You want to be a mysterious and mystical being who sews seeds of wonder wherever he goes? Magic domain! Now, please hurry up and select a domain!]


    A MASSIVE list appears in front of me... there are EASILY over two hundred.


    Acid, Air, Alcohol, Animal, it really goes on and on...


    [Upon selecting your first domain, you will be granted a perk (Or Perks) depending on the level of strength of the domain! So while something like ''Death'' might make it so you can see the lifespan of a target, weaker ones like ''Water'' might let you create and control steam AND grant a separate perk for ice.]


    "Hrmmm..." I let out a long hum as I sit down.


    I have selected something that even Yukari f.u.c.k.i.n.g Yakumo from touhou would approve of in its absolute capability to be broken.


    [You have chosen Reflection Domain]


    [You have gained a perk.]


    The Other Side: You have access to a ''mirror dimension'', you can directly manipulate and change aspects of this mirror world, allowing you to go inside, pull out objects, put in objects, and more!


    ''hm... so this is basically ''man in the mirror''s'' ability from Jojo... decent I suppose...''


    I let out a low hum as I blankly walk forwards. ''nooow I wonder where I am? The real world? An anime? A game?''


    *Growl*


    Standing behind me is a large black bipedal wolf with red eyes and a white mask.


    "¡­"


    "Ah, yes, a werewolf."


    With a howl it lunges forwards... fairly slowly... I mean, I would have expected this thing to lunge for me and cleave my head off before I could even blink, but this is taking a little while...


    I duck down, allowing the beast to soar over my head.


    I pick up a rock as I do so and turn around, blankly staring at the wolf as it gets its bearings and turns around.


    I look down to a puddle on my left, then look at the giant wolf.


    "Mn."


    It lunges forwards, so I boreally toss the pebble into the puddle.


    A white outline surrounds the wolf.


    The werewolf-like monstrosity makes its way into frame just as the pebble hits the puddle with a splash, sending a ripple throughout.


    The creature visibly ripples and stops its charge, but looks mostly unharmed.


    ''hrm...''


    I use its brief moment of pause to step over to the puddle and prod it with my finger, right where the black wolf''s leg is.


    *Splurt*


    Its leg deforms, as the creature beside me collapses, its form in the puddle follows as well, I glance over to it to see that its hind leg looks like somebody shot it with a cannonball, it is twisted and dented as it had taken a watermelon of steel right to the kneecap.


    I snap my finger. ''Beowolf! That''s what it''s called!''


    ''So, that means I''m on Remnant... somewhere...''


    The crippled beowolf lurches towards me, but I simply drag my finger across the puddle, causing it to be launched out of frame and its chest to be dented as if I had hit it across the chest with a tree trunk.


    "¡­"


    "Neat!"


    The beowolf smashes into a tree, its neck snapping and its body falling still.


    I take this moment to actually acknowledge what I look like, black hair, purple eyes... nice. I''m a total hottie! I guess that''s just divinity for you~


    ''I guess I''ll wander around where-ever I am for a bit... run into plot-important characters perhaps? I''m thinking... Ruby and Yang? Neo- even though realistically she shouldn''t be out here... Velvet? Maybe Ren and Nora? That one actually seems pretty plausible... it''ll probably be the first two or the last two if I am going to be honest.''


    I stand up, put my hands behind my head, and casually wander off into the distance... not a care in the world.


    "KYAAAA! U-Ursa! O-OW!"


    I slowly blink as a cloaked figure leaps out of the brambles.


    She has short dark red hair, looking black in all but the tips, piercing silver eyes, and tattered white tablecloth stained brown and green from mud and grass.


    She has a couple of scr.a.p.es on her arms and legs and a small steadily forming welt on her cheek from a branch that slapped her.


    ''ah. It was ruby... and it appears she is cosplaying as her mom or something...''


    She locks eyes with me and shouts. "RUN AWAY!"


    A large figure crashes through the brush behind her, tearing easily through the brambles


    I slowly blink as she rushes past me, gazing over her shoulder to see that I''m not moving.


    She skids to a halt, runs back and grabs my wrist. "Come on!"


    I refuse to move.


    "An Ursa Major, hm?" It actually looks like it is completely ignoring me right now... going only for Ruby.


    The Ursa is outlined white as I toss a pebble into a nearby puddle.


    *SMACK*


    Its head barely moves downwards as a force which is similar to a catapult''s stone hits it dead on the back of the neck.


    "Oh shit." I whisper, allowing Ruby to pull me along, the now angered bear chasing after us.


    I manage to keep up nicely.


    "W-Why are you out here?!" Ruby huffs as we run.


    "Why are you?"


    "I- uh got a little too adventurous and got a little lost."


    "Mn. I sort of just woke up here. No real memories, no idea how I got here... that sort of thing..."


    "T-That''s horrible!" She cries.


    "Yeah." I nod. "Anyways, we''re about to die, yeah?"


    A tree behind us shatters as the Ursa barrels through it.


    "I-I don''t want to die!" Ruby cries. "H-How will I be able to help people if I DIE!"


    "Mn. Alright then. Follow my lead."


    I change directions, tugging ruby along as I make my way towards a large puddle... one of those GOOD ones you would see on one of those four-wheeler paths where the tires dug a small pit... you can''t tell how deep it is and the water is all murky and brown... this is what I need for my plan.


    "W-What are you doing?!"


    I stop in front of the puddle.


    I haphazardly shove her forwards as she gains a white outline.


    "Nooo! I don''t want to get dirt-" she is silenced as she falls into the puddle, the reflection showing that she gets hurled away from the edge and out of frame.


    I hop into the puddle as well.


    "-appened?!" Ruby finishes as she looks around, her eyes snapping over to me as a transparent Ursa Major stops in front of the puddle, looking around confusedly.


    It is eerily quiet here... even the Ursa raising up and slamming its paws onto the ground has no sound.


    The world seems slightly faded... only the puddle showing any real vibrant color as it shows a reflection of the outside world.


    "W-What did you do?!"


    I give her a thumbs up. "I took care of the ursa problem."


    She observes the fact that we are standing under the ursa, my body half-way through one of its back legs.


    "A-ARE WE DEAD?! DID WE BECOME GHOSTS?!"


    "no, we are still alive... how do I describe it..." I cup my chin and look up towards the sky. "Hrm..."


    Ruby seems to have calmed down slightly due to the fact that we aren''t dead.


    "You know what a mirror is, yeah?"


    She slowly nods.


    "Basically, we stepped into the mirror, taking our reflection''s place."


    "OOOOH!" She gasps. "That''s SUPER cool! That''s an AMAZING ability! Just think of how many people you could save with that!"


    "The only problem is that I need a reflective surface to activate it."


    "Oh... W-Well it''s still really strong!"


    She looks to the transparent Ursa prowling around and smashing trees.


    "S-So how do we get out?"


    I gesture to the puddle. "Reflective surfaces."


    She slowly blinks. "any reflective surface?"


    "Well, it has to be big enough for us to fully pass through I''m pretty sure..."


    "Anyways." I shrug. "My name is..."


    I look up and scratch my chin. "I can''t... remember... but I''m feeling ''Asmodeus''¡­ for now at least."


    "Oh!" Ruby blinks.


    "My name is Summer!"


    "Pardon?"


    "My name is Summer, Summer Rose!"


    "¡­"


    ''WHAT THE FUUUUUUUCK?!''


    We walk through the utterly silent world of the ''Upside Down''- which I have dubbed this place due to the fact that everything but us will be reversed- the silence is broken... only by a single voice.


    "So anyways, I''ve always wanted to be a huntress! They are just so cool! I want to help people! I used to get bulled a lot in school for my eyes, but then a super cool huntsman appeared and told the others to leave me alone and they did! I really want to be cool like that... if I can make even one person''s life better like that man made mine, I''d say my rigorous training would be worth it!"


    "Mhm..." I hum with half-lidded eyes as I stare blankly forwards, Summer leading us both because- and I quote- ''I know this place like the back of my hand!''


    ''oh gods I''m in the f.u.c.k.i.n.g past! I''m so far pre-canon that my mere appearance has probably erased Ruby and Yang from existence ENTIRELY! Who is going to beat Salem?! Who is going to stop Roman and Cinder?! Will Summer even die-''


    I slowly blink as I realize something.


    ''I can change this...''


    ''I can force Summer to live... defeat Cinder and Roman... put Salem on the f.u.c.k.i.n.g moon! YES! I can make this place have a happy ending! Buuut first, I should really amass some sort of power...''


    "-and that''s why I hate Cabbages... always have, always will!"


    I slowly blink.


    ''ah damn... with my internal brooding I seem to have missed a funny-slash-embarrassing story...''


    We pass THROUGH a pack of beowolves prowling around, Summer getting starry eyed as she gets a closer look.


    "WOOOOAH! I have never seen one this close before! Actually... the only time I saw one was when my dad took me out hunting! That was fun- OH! I meant hunting for things like Rabits and Deer, not Grimm, but my dad is pretty strong! Not huntsman level, but he does have his aura unlocked, so he was able to fight a whole pack of beowolves by himself!"


    ''her endless energy is slowly killing me...''


    "Are we even going the right way?"


    "Of course we are!" The girl gasps, awed at the fact that I could even consider that she is wrong.


    "At first, I was sort of just guessing, but now I know where we are! We aren''t that far away."


    We come to a stop juuust in front of a cliff that drops off to another forest about two hundred feet below.


    "¡­"


    "We might be a little lost..."


    "Yeah." I deadpan.


    "So, how old are you?" I ask as I slowly follow along.


    We had been in this forest for about two hours now... no real sign of Summer''s home... and it is actually getting a little late in the evening, so in about an hour or two the sun is going to be going down.


    "Fifteen... you?"


    "Uh... I think I''m around that age as well... do you have your aura unlocked yet?"


    "Hrm... no... my father really doesn''t want me to be a huntress... he says that it''s too dangerous for me... but I have been training by myself and with my bow I can even take out a beowolf!" She exclaims. "He just wants me to be a regular hunter... for deer and stuff... it''s supposed to be the family business, but I want to have more impact than that! I don''t want to be just a simple mob character while others go out and save the world!"


    "You kill grimm without aura? That''s cool..."


    "I wish I had aura like you..." Summer pouts. "You have such a cool semblance as well!"


    "I''m going to stop you right there." I frown as I hold up a finger. "I don''t actually have aura."


    "WHAT?!"


    "T-Then how?! How did you do all this?!"


    "Hrm... I dunno... I could do this as long as I can remember... which isn''t that long now that I think about it, but I do this without any other ability... is it a racial trait? Some sort of bloodline ability? I don''t know, but. It''s cool."


    "T-There are powers other than Aura?"


    [You have gained a divine rank, thus making you a Demigod.]


    "Uh. Yeah." I slowly blink as the world seemingly ripples, but Summer doesn''t react so I assume she doesn''t see it... "I thought you of all people would know that."


    "¡­"


    "What do you mean?" The girl questions with a head tilt.


    "I mean, that the Ursa basically ignored me up to the point where I hit it with a rock... for some reason it solely wanted to kill you."


    "Well... it''s obvious the villainous grimm would want to slay the hero well before she grew to her strongest!"


    "Mhm..." I hum. "But grimm are equal opportunist killers... why did it think I was less important than you?"


    "¡­"


    "Because... I am the hero?"


    I facepalm, causing a small slapping sound to echo throughout the silent world.


    "The grimm aren''t smart, so it was something physical... not some sort of astral mission to slay the ''future savior of Remnant''¡­ so what is different between the two of us appearance wise?"


    The girl narrows her eyes slightly and leans forwards, hand on her chin as she looks me over, then looks down at herself. "I''m... a girl- *GASP* ARE THE GRIMM PERVERTS?! DO THEY WANT TO FIND ME AND PIN ME DOWN AND DO THAT LEWD STUFF THAT I SAW THEM DO IN ONE OF MY BROTHER''S COMIC BOOKS?!"


    "Your eyes." I sigh with a flat stare.


    "¡­"


    "Oh." She whispers after a couple of seconds of silence. "what about them?"


    "They''re silver." I answer.


    "And? Your eyes are purple." She states flatly. "I don''t get what eye color has to do with that ursa hating me."


    I rub the bridge of my nose. "That it. When we get out of this hellish forest. We are going to the library."


    "Whaaat?! Nooooo! Books are lame! I''d much rather just learn to kill grimm!" Summer exclaims with a cry of loathing.


    "Even if it was the secret to unlocking the true power of your eyes?" I ask.


    She freezes.


    "Wouldn''t it benefit the ''hero of remnant'' to have a super special power that only a couple have?"


    "HRMMMMM." She hums, deep in thought for a couple of moments. "Fine... I''ll read a-" she shivers "-Book."


    Her stomach growls causing her to pout. "Mnnnn so hungry..."


    "How long have you been out here?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.


    "Since about eight this morning..."


    "So, you have been running around out here... without any food or water for about eight or nine hours now... right?"


    She sheepishly scratches the back of her head. "I-I got lost!"


    [As a Demigod you have unlocked a new domain.]


    ''¡­''


    ''I pick ''Perspective'' domain.''


    [Perspective Domain selected.]


    I close my eyes. ''let''s just look at this from another perspective...''


    As if I had taken out a drone, my vision sways, Summer looking confusedly behind her as she notices I stop.


    I take a quick look around in my out of body experience and notice something. "Smoke..."


    "Hm?"


    I blink and regain my vision, then point off into the forest. "There''s a plume of smoke in that direction."


    "What..." Summer whispers as her eyes slowly widen. "We need to hurry!"


    Then she blurs off into the forest.


    I sigh and follow after, easily catching up.


    "Summer, I''m going to pick you up, alright? I''m barely trying right now."


    "W-*huff* What?" She asks only to be scooped up into a bridal carry as I speed forwards nearly four times the speed she was running before. "EEP-"


    Her tablecloth cloak ripples out behind us as we make it to our destination and I slide to a halt.


    We see a small house, burnt and toppled; ashes scattered around the yard as a large wyvern grimm prepares to take off.


    "No..." Summer whispers as she clambers out of my grasp, falling to her hands and knees as she crawls forwards. "N-No!"


    ''is this-''


    She rushes into the house as a man mounts the wyvern and takes off into the sky.


    My eyebrow twitches as I glare up to the man.


    I hold out a hand towards him.


    "Break."


    He passes over a puddle and the wing of the wyvern shatters like glass.


    You are out of Lesser Divine Abilities.


    The wyvern spirals out of control and smashes into the ground somewhere out in the forest.


    I look back to the house and slowly walk forwards.


    Summer is sitting on the floor, crying her eyes out.


    "D-DAAAAAAD!"


    I silently walk forwards, a sleeping Summer on my back. Salem had targeted her family... she came back to see her mother, brother and father all butchered like cattle... Her mother didn''t even have silver eyes and she was still killed, just not as brutally... her brother and father had their eyes plucked from their heads, then were burnt alive by the wyvern''s flames... we exited the Mirror world for a moment to bury them, but otherwise we quickly returned.


    Summer had pretty much sobbed herself to sleep... and I get it... if my parents had died like that, I don''t know what I''d do... but we have to move forwards. I can''t really stand crying girls, so... Salem is going to pay for this. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, I am going to place her in a world of endless agony... no matter how long it takes.


    I crest over the edge of a hill, looking off into the horizon to see a large city.


    "Mistral..."


    The first step of many in our journey to Beacon.


    Chapter 2


    "M-Mn..." Summer slowly wakes up and looks around, wiping her face as she concludes where she actually is.


    She freezes as I assume, she remembers a key part of yesterday.


    Tears threaten to spill out of her eyes again.


    I glance over my shoulder to her. "You okay?"


    "N-No!" She sobs, tears flowing fully. "My mom and dad, even my brother, are dead!"


    "Why?!" She whimpers.


    "Your eyes. They can destroy grimm and evil creatures."


    She pauses. "W-What?"


    ''distraction successful.''


    "The man that did that, flew away on a grimm wyvern, so, he has some sort of connection to the grimm... your family was murdered, because of simple things such as silver eyes."


    "B-But my father didn''t hunt grimm! He hunted animals!"


    "Well, grimm don''t age... whatever killed your family thought it would be easier to kill a simple hunter, instead of dozens of huntsmen one hundred years down the line... they are trying to erase all of the people with silver eyes... damn bastards... you didn''t deserve it."


    She presses her face into the back of my shirt again.


    "Don''t worry, Summer, I''ll keep you alive... I have a plan... you want to be a huntress, right?"


    "M-Mhm." She whimpers.


    "Well, we are going to have to unlock your aura, then... we need to get to beacon."


    She lets out a small pitiful m.o.a.n.


    "Hey... don''t worry... we can get through this." I sigh with a small frown. "Eventually, you will be able to meet them again... nobody lives forever."


    I frown slightly at her quiet sob, but continue on.


    "Don''t worry, Summer... we are nearly at Mistral... I know you must be getting pretty hungry, so we''ll get something there."


    "O...kay." She answers in a broken sounding whisper causing me to wince.


    ''this sucks.''


    I shake my head as we reach the outer wall of Mistral... and walk directly through the open checkpoint.


    I glare silently at a person who has just caused the largest commotion in a Remnant brand Mcdonalds... or, well, ''Mack Fronalds''.


    He takes his food and walks towards the door.


    I prowl over to him, and as my hand glows brightly, I snatch the bag out of his hand, the bag floating through his hand as it becomes physical in mine.


    He freezes for a moment, then looks down at his hand, then starts angrily- but silently- yelling at what I can assume to be the top of his lungs.


    I turn and walk over to where Summer is slumped at one of the tables.


    I place the bag on the table and smile briefly, trying to lighten the mood if possible.


    She glances at the bag, her stomach growling briefly before returning her face to the table as she lays face down on it.


    "Summer... you should eat it before it gets cold... it''s not as good when its cold..."


    "Mnnnnn." She pathetically groans, before reluctantly sitting up and carefully opening the bag.


    She takes out a single fry and eats it, then shoves the entire bag towards me.


    "Summer... you should eat, don''t worry about me. I can take care of myself. I''m just worried about you right now."


    She looks up at me, that lost and dazed look pulling at my heartstrings.


    Her stomach growls again as she looks to the bag, then begins reluctantly eating.


    "Hey, Summer... do you want to leave the mirror world?"


    "Mn..." She grunts, as if to say she doesn''t care one way or the other.


    "I don''t think it''s healthy to stay in this silence for too long, so I''m going to take us out, right?"


    She doesn''t respond this time, so I just wordlessly step towards the window.


    It shimmers for a moment as we step through it, then we appear on the other side.


    "HOLY SHIT!" One of the people on the sidewalk shout as we literally just appeared basically out of thin air.


    I wince as the bustling sounds of the city reach my ears.


    I glance to Summer, still on my back as she lifelessly stares into the distance with her cheek pressed into my shoulder.


    I shift my grip slightly, then turn and walk down the road.


    "So, my plan is that we both go to Vale, right? I mean, that''s where Beacon is, of course, then once we are there, we can move around the city in an attempt to gain attention."


    "¡­"


    I let out a sigh at her silence... she had blown through the first three stages of grief yesterday... now I suppose it''s time for depression.


    I honestly don''t know how long this is going to last... I have- well, had- no experience in losing a close family member.


    ''I''m never going to see any of them again... am I?''


    I shudder briefly but blink off the thought and smile up at the sun.


    ''Come on, Asmodeus, you need to be strong for her... you can break down later.''


    I flinch as I realize something. ''I don''t even remember my old name...''


    I cringe slightly, but continue on.


    ''how the hell are we even going to get to Vale?''


    ''oh my gosh it actually worked...''


    It took days, but it really worked...


    Summer sits quietly beside me, knees brought up to her chest and leaning on my shoulder as the absolutely silent bullhead we are in lands, the ghostly apparitions of people going completely through us as they sit in the same chairs we are in.


    Ugh... we are really starting to get filthy.


    I pause. ''wait... if this worked... couldn''t we just break into someone''s house and use their mirror-world shower?''


    I tilt my head. ''maybe?''


    I really need to get a shower, actually...


    And a nice warm bed.


    My powers are REALLY strange... like... whatever happens in the physical world... happens here... but not everything in the mirror world happens in the physical world unless I use my powers to make it that way?


    I really don''t understand it myself, honestly... but I seem to be able to decide what is real and what is fake to me... I think that''s what ''change aspects of this world'' means... if I want something to be real here, it becomes real?


    Is that why Cars and stuff are ghostly too? So I don''t get hit by a f.u.c.k.i.n.g car?!


    But in that case, why are the buildings and this bullhead real?! Those are manmade as well so they should be fake, right?!


    Ugh. It''s like debating over what a ''boundry'' is for Yukari''s power. Like, can she do ridiculous shit like manipulate the boundry between the color orange and a fish? The boundry between being here... but also there?


    CAN YUKARI MAKE CLONES?!


    I''m getting off topic.


    Moral of the story: my powers are dumb and I feel dumb.


    "It''s time to go." I state to my depressed friend.


    "Okay..." She whispers.


    I grab her hand and help her to her feet, then gently tug her along as the ghosts leave the bullhead.


    As we exit, the dull morning sun shines down upon us, a city of muted colors await in the distance, beyond the landing pad.


    I cast a glance behind me and smile at her. "Come on! Maybe we can actually sleep in a bed today!"


    "HUP!"


    *CRASH*


    The door to an apartment is kicked open.


    I gesture inside towards my compatriot as she sighs and shakes her head... the first real emotion other than sadness I have seen on her in ages.


    She sits down on the couch and lets out a small sigh.


    I had decided this apartment is ''the one'' due to its close proximity to a supermarket!


    "I''ll be back with some food in a second! Don''t worry!"


    She flops to the side and stares at the wall.


    With my power, I require a Lesser Divine ability to snatch things out of people''s hands... without it touching a mirror of course.


    Petty Divine Abilities: Infinite/Infinite


    Lesser Divine Abilities: 1 every day: (1/1)


    So I can really only do that once per day...


    On the OTHER hand, I can enter and exit glass and mirrors with a petty divine ability- yes, I was cutting it close with the Ursa Major when I first met Summer- but, now that I am no longer a quasi-deity... I can come and go as I please!


    I reach through the glass of the freezer and snatch a frozen pizza, tugging it back through the glass and into the mirror world.


    Apparently, with things like Glass, I can choose which side I come out of, allowing me to walk directly through them... with mirrors, however, I can only come out the reflective side... or maybe it just requires both sides to be reflective? I haven''t exactly come across a double-sided mirror yet, after all.


    Pizza in hand, I return to the apartment with a smile, only to freeze as I see Summer sleeping... and today it''s at least slightly peaceful... she doesn''t toss or turn... call out the ''momma, poppa'' or the name of her brother... so I''m going to let her rest.


    I simply put the pizza into the freezer and sit down.


    My ploy is GENIUS! Basically I am going to mooch off the nearby supermarket to feed my new friend... taking like ten dollars a day for the foreseeable future.


    Now, I get that it is three hundred dollar- well, I mean lien- a month... but just keep in mind how much food they throw out every DAY for passing its expiration date? Probably at bare minimum five thousand lien ish... are they really going to miss nine bucks from ALL that?


    They should be THANKING me! Summer gets to survive, and nine lien of the food they were going to throw out ANYWAYS disappears... quite a fine trade if I do say so myself.


    I scratch my chin with a frown as the sun beams in through the window.


    ''I should get towels... and soap...''


    I shake my head. ''I really should have gotten them when I was there originally...''


    "Here you go."


    I give her a towel and washcloth, then hand her shampoo, conditioner, and some bodywash.


    She looks down at the items, then back up to me. "What?"


    "Go take a shower. Being clean is just as important as being fed or having a good night''s rest."


    She frowns slightly, but shrugs. "Okay..."


    She stares down at the items in her hands, and for the first time in ages, I see a small smile.


    She lets out a bitter-sweet sigh, then looks up to me. "Asmodeus... I know what I want to do when I grow up."


    "Okaaay? What is it?" I ask.


    "I''ll tell you in a little bit." She states as she steps into the bathroom and closes the door.


    "Oh." I call out. "Can you please toss your clothes outside after you''re undressed? I need to clean them."


    "A-Alright."


    I stare down at the clothes with a small grimmace. ''how the hell am I even going to do this? I don''t know how to wash clothes! It''s one thing to follow the directions on the back of a pizza box, but washing clothes?! What if I mess them up?! Will she get sad again?! These are the last remnants of her family... I don''t want to mess them up!''


    I look down to my stained shirt.


    ''maybe...''


    I don''t want to try this on her clothes, but mine? That''s an acceptable loss if they get ruined.


    I hold my hand over the stain.


    ''clean.''


    I watch as the stain disappears.


    ''HOLY- IT ACTUALLY WORKED!''


    ''AHAHAHA!''


    "Summer, your clothes are clean." I call out to the closed door with a blank expression.


    "Oh... You can come in. I... uh... have a towel."


    I open the door to see her drying her hair with her towel.


    "¡­"


    I close the door... but the image is forever burnt into my mind.


    "Summer. When you said you had a towel... I was expecting you to use it to, oh, I don''t know, cover your body?"


    "S-Sorry!" She whispers from the other side of the door. "But I really need my clothes, so if you could-"


    I open the door just barely and poke my arm through, holding her clothes in it.


    ''why didn''t I do this before?!''


    I feel her take the clothing from my hands so I pull my arm back through and close the door completely.


    I stare at the wall for a good thirty seconds before turning and walking away.


    ''Nope! None of that! lewd thoughts begone!''


    I wouldn''t be surprised if the fourth dimension fbi kicked down the front door right this second.


    Summer eventually comes out and sits beside me.


    She stares at the floor for a moment, before looking over to me. "Hey... I know I have been... sort of rude to you this past week, and all... I just wanted to say that I am sorry... I never had many friends... I was homeschooled, and very rarely went to the nearby town..."


    She lets out a sigh and brings her knees up to her chest, her breath catching in her throat for a moment. "A-And well... when I saw what happened to... my family... it b-broke me... the only people I had ever known... gone in a single day..."


    She sniffles. "B-But last night... I decided that I shouldn''t let it hold me back... I-I''ll remember the good times with them... and push forwards l-like t-they would want me t-to."


    Tears begin freely dripping down her cheeks as she looks over to me, with a forced smile that is trying its best to not turn into a frown. "A-And... I''ll be happy like they would have wanted me too."


    "I understand." I sigh as I put a hand on her shoulder. "It''s okay, I understand your pain, I''ve just been trying to support you in any way I can."


    "Thank you..." She squeaks.


    I look to the wall. "Earlier you said that you had a plan? That you would tell me later?"


    She wipes her face on her cape. "I did... didn''t I?"


    She looks extremely nervous for a moment, this nervousness even superseding her sadness, she lets out a long breath to calm herself, glancing at me for a moment before looking at the wall, chewing on her lip as she seemingly decides what to say. "I want... a family again."


    I blink.


    "I want to be able to have a gorgeous daughter... an adorable little son... a caring husband who can take care of me whenever I''m feeling down... and I was wondering if you..." She trails off after a moment, glancing briefly to me to judge my reaction. "Would be him?"


    "Are you asking me to marry you?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.


    "NONONO!" she waves her hands in front of her. "W-Well... not just yet at least... maybe in a couple years? Wh-what do you say?"


    "Are you sure you want it to be me? Are you sure you aren''t latching onto me as a coping mechanism?"


    "You just proved that you care about my feelings... that..." She frowns slightly. "That makes me a little more sure."


    "And besides... we would have a couple years to decide whether or not we w-want to go through with it or not... it''s not like we can''t change our mind, and well, I don''t want to bind you into something that you don''t want and w-well even if you did say no right now, it would give you time to warm up to the idea, maybe, perhaps and-"


    I place my hand on her head. "If it would stop you from crying, then yes, I suppose I would be fine with that."


    A small red blush appears on her cheeks as she looks away.


    ''huh... so that''s how you christen a ship...''


    "There''s one more thing I want as well..." She announces. "I don''t want to be weak... I want to be strong enough, so that if any grimm even dares glance at my family, I can tear them in half and incinerate them into ash."


    ''¡­''


    ''no comment on her slow descent into grimm serial killing...''


    "So... we''d need to go to Beacon, then?" I ask.


    "Y-Yeah... but we need aura for that... so how are we going to get aura?"


    "hmmm..." I hum. "let me worry about that."


    Chapter 3


    Now... I might have a couple problems...


    The largest of said problems is ''How do I get Aura in both Summer and I, then also train her up to an acceptable- but could still be pretty weak due to silver eyes granting her a bit of leeway in school- level where she won''t be killed... all in two simple years.''


    Now, I might be a god, but I think that miiiight be a little out of my current capabilities currently.


    I need to teach her how to smith a weapon... I DON''T EVEN KNOW HOW TO DO IT MYSELF! WHAT THE HELL?!


    So my to-do list is this... and this is ranked via most important to least important.


    One: Unlock not only my aura, but Summer''s as well. [ ]


    Two: Teach summer how to fight. [ ]


    Three: Manage to get us both a place in beacon [ ]


    Four: Forge both of us weapons. [ ]


    Five: Space Open... but I feel like I am forgetting something...


    ''Oh right, I should probably add, ''Cuck Taiyang, Hide my reflection powers from Ozpin- because, really he would absolutely use me to toss Salem into an alternate dimension... then probably attempt to kill me so the ''key'' to that world disappears, then maybe ''amass power'' somewhere? I mean... there isn''t much I''ll be able to do when I am this weak.''


    ''oh, right. I need to figure out how much stronger than a normal human being a demi-god makes me... as a Quasi-Deity I could have probably killed that beowolf with my bare hands, but now that I am a demigod? The fact that I can use my ability to bind something to a reflection infinitely has already boosted my strength considerably... though I predict that stronger foes may resist that ability if I fuel it with petty divine abilities. As for my physical strength, at bare minimum I should be twice as strong as before? Maybe more?


    ''hrmmm. Hey system... what''s my divine rank sitting at currently?''


    Divine Ranks: 3


    ''wait, what?! How?!''


    The user walked out of a window in front of quite a few people. Thus increasing your Miricle Bonus enough to rank you up twice.


    ''¡­''


    The user has the potential to gain another Perk.


    ''pardon?''


    The user gains an additional perk for every 250 divine ranks, or every time you progress into a new stage of godhood.


    Additionally, you gain an extra domain for every 50 and when you progress to the next stage of godhood.


    ''and... just how many ranks do I need for my next state?''


    You become a Lesser Deity at Divine Rank 50.


    ''hrm... alright then... but how strong does that make me?''


    Your strength is dependent on your divine ranks, so a demi god with 10 divine ranks will be faster, stronger, and more durable than a demi god with 1... but the increase isn''t as impressive as ranking up. However, it is still quite noticeable when comparing a rank 49 to a rank 1, the rank 49 being several times stronger than the rank 1.


    ''I meant ''how strong is a demi-god in general''.''


    A capable demi-god without aura is capable of shrugging off small-arms fire with mere bruises, they are dozens of times stronger than regular humans as well, being able to potentially hold their own against experienced huntsmen.


    A demi-god with aura, however, would be practically unbeatable by anything less than the ''four maidens''.


    ''huh... good to know. Does that mean that Ozpin and Salem are Deities to create four powers to rival demigods?''


    They each were worshiped as gods for a time, but both have fallen, neither growing close to the ''Lesser Deity'' status even in their prime.


    ''¡­''


    ''neat.''


    I scratch my chin. ''hmm... I could technically spend my perk point on ''perspective''¡­ but what if I want to save it? I''ll get another when I become a lesser deity... and I''ll get two new domains then. so what if they are both things, I want to have a perk in?''


    ''hrm, I suppose I will save it for then... reluctantly... I don''t even know what I could possibly gain as a perk for perspective.''


    Now I just need to focus on the task at hand. Unlocking Summer''s aura.


    I''m a f.u.c.k.i.n.g idiot.


    Aura is a god-given power... a remnant of magic... and just what exactly am I?


    A god.


    I remembered that there was an ''aura domain''¡­ and while I don''t have it, unlocking it is completely different than creating it.


    Purple crackles around my hand as I activate my recently unlocked aura.


    It took my lesser divine ability of the day, but... the largest problem I had... dreading for two weeks- and potentially months in the future-... solved in ten minutes.


    Does that make me incredibly smart at figuring that out... or incredibly dumb for allowing it to slip my mind?


    I''d much rather not know the answer to that.


    I have no idea what exactly my semblance is going to be, but maybe I''ll stick to reflecting attacks... make that seem like my semblance while everything else is held close to my chest... hell, I could even pull a Meliodas and name it ''full counter'' or something... actually that''s not a bad idea... but ''full counter'' is a little tacky and a bit of a mouthful which would get annoying to say over and over and over and over... so I''m probably just going to act like it''s a ''full counter'' by using a broken sword to do it, but name it ''reflect'' instead.


    Short. Sweet. A single word instead of two. Nice.


    Maybe the complete silence- beyond the quiet snoring of Summer- is getting to me.


    ''I hope neither of us develop silence complexes...''


    I shake my head. ''at least Summer''s a lot happier than she used to be... I don''t know how much longer I could handle depressed Summer... sort of like a depressed Ruby I can honestly see where she got her attitude fro- oh my god... I fapped to my eventual daughter...''


    I shiver uncontrollably. ''and to Neo, Cinder, and Winter... each who probably aren''t even conceived yet.''


    I cringe. ''eeeew. Dear god I''m a degenerate... what the hell, man?''


    ''hold up. Summer wants ME?! What about RUBY?! WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITHOUT THE PROTAGANIST- oh right... nothing considering I''m planning on solving this world''s glaring grimm-based problem... and if I have a daughter, I might ask to name her Ruby to honor the times before... there''s also the fact that I am thinking about having children when I am currently fifteen... though I suppose Summer did get me on this train of thought with her whole ''I want to have babies with you'' speech... which is paraphrasing I guess.''


    She probably is only this attached to me due to the trauma of having everyone she knows die horribly... I''m the only one left so she is trying to keep me close to her perhaps?


    ''ah... yes, I was thinking about aura.''


    I''m unlocking Summer''s aura Tomorrow.


    Summer stares at the crackling white power in her hands with awe. "How did you- you didn''t have this yesterday?!"


    You have gained two Divine Ranks.


    I glance to the side.


    Total Faith: 134


    Worshipers: 0


    Fanatic Worshipers: 0


    Priests: 0


    Churches: 0


    Battle Modifier: 0


    Miricle Bonus: 134


    Total Faith required for next divine rank: 150


    ''huh... gaining divine ranks is... easier than I thought...''


    This isn''t accounting for eventual inflation.


    ''f.u.c.k.''


    "Well, Summer, with this, you are one step closer to your dream... how do you feel?" I ask.


    "Tingly." She whispers.


    "That''s it?"


    "Happy." She adds.


    "Understandable, I guess." I shrug.


    Due to reaching divine rank 5, you now can use two Lesser Divine abilities per day.


    ''NICE!''


    "So, Summer... what sort of weapon are you comfortable with?"


    "A bow..." She states with a blank almost deadpan expression towards me.


    "Alright, I guess I''ll try and get you one of those so you can start practicing." I hum. "Buuuut you are also going to need to learn how to make one. And I don''t mean a simple stick with some string, I''m talking a REAL huntsmen bow that uses dust and is made of metal!"


    "But if it is made of metal... it won''t bend as well, right?" She asks.


    "Have you ever heard of a composite bow?" I ask.


    "¡­"


    "I''ll take that as a ''no''." I sigh as I rub my head. "I''ll be back shortly, alright?"


    "O-Okay!"


    "H-Hey... Asmodues... I know you said that you would be my h-husband and all, but... should we do... girlfriend and boyfriend stuff?" Summer asks as she tugs back the bowstring.


    I''m having her do five shots with one arm, then swap to her other arm and do five more shots... without aura.


    I assume Aura give a percentage bonus, or a flat out multiplier, so the stronger your body is in base, the stronger you''ll be buffed.


    It''s simple Super Saiyan and Kaioken logic.


    "What do you mean?" I ask as she releases the bowstring, causing it to launch... absolutely nothing!


    "L-Like kiss and uh..." She continues in a really meek and tiny tone. "S.e.x?"


    *Pfft-* I snort. "Absolutely not!"


    "B-But don''t we need to uh... practice? Is that how it works?" She asks, fl.u.s.tered at the fact I am laughing at her... or, y''know, the s.e.x thing. "I''m sorry for trying to advance our relationship too fast! please don''t leave me!"


    "I''m not going to leave you." I sigh. "Listen, Summer, you''re kind of cute and all, but really? Skipping straight to s.e.x? That''s like passing over dozens of relationship steps. And although I''ve never been in a relationship, I know that relationsh.i.p.s formed around s.e.x.u.a.l contact and ONLY s.e.x.u.a.l contact are typically not healthy."


    She blushes at the ''kind of cute thing'' or it could be the entire embarrassment over innocently asking to practice s.e.x thing... either or.


    "I mean, I''ve only known you for like three weeks!" I snort again. "I never knew you were this lewd, Summer~"


    "Stop laughing at me!" She pitifully growls with a pout.


    I shake my head good naturedly. "Anyways, to answer your question, I wouldn''t be opposed... dating is fine and all, but I still want to start slow, y''know... and with s.e.x, even one small slip-up and we are parents... and I don''t know if I could rein in whatever little monster comes out of that."


    She raises an eyebrow as she looks at me. "What do you mean?"


    I point to her. "Silver eyes."


    I point to myself. "Mirrors."


    "Both seem to be dominate traits and I have no idea how they would combine." I continue.


    She blinks before whispering. "Oh... they would have silver eyes... like me..."


    "And if that were to happen, we wouldn''t be strong enough to protect them." I state with a frown.


    "Oh..." She whispers in quiet understanding, most likely having her thoughts forcefully dragged back to her recent... ordeals.


    "I understand." She hisses while grimacing slightly. "But you would be fine with... kissing?"


    "Try ''holding hands'' first. We already passed the ''sit in close proximity without hating each other'' boundary, so that''s probably the next logical step." I shrug.


    ''oh wow... holding hands... such lewd degeneracy!''


    I narrow my eyes slightly. "Wait... are you striking up difficult conversations in order to get out of shooting more?"


    "N-No?"


    "Get back to shooting, Summer." I sigh with a small smile.


    "B-But you''re not doing anything!" She replies.


    "And I can lift a car. You can''t." I smirk. "This is just basic training to make sure you can wield a bow that can pierce the armor of a deathstalker. Besides, I am doing something... I''m looking for a good weapon shop to forge our new weapons."


    "By standing... right beside me?" She asks.


    "Yep." I state as i zone back out with my perspective powers.


    "Really?"


    "Yep." I nod. "Also did you know that this world has a couple vast black voids because there are places without reflective surfaces nearby? I think that''s pretty interesting."


    "U-Uh... neat?" She squeaks.


    "It''s f.u.c.kin scary, that''s what it is."


    "I''m so glad I wasn''t alone in thinking that." She sighs. "Just running through the forest... only to step into the black void, falling eternally..."


    "I mean, it''s quite rare... even a drop of dew is enough to count as a ''reflective surface'' allowing me to see through it." I note. "also..."


    "Shoot bow, thanks." I state with a half lidded expression, not that I can even see Summer at the moment.


    "Okay, okay!"


    I hear the twang of her bow once more, causing me to smile.


    I wipe the sweat pouring down my head as Summer does the same... we look down to our first real creation together.


    A simple knife, straight, sharp, simple.


    It doesn''t exactly have a handle or hand guard yet, but I can already tell that this is our first success.


    I pick it up and look over it.


    I swing it a couple times. "Huh... yeah this one actually works..."


    Summer lets out a gasp and claps, casting a quick glance to the massive pile of warped and broken knives. "YES! FINALLY!"


    It took six months of work... well, six months of afternoons at least...


    "And with this, we know how to work a forge."


    "So can we finally move onto the next part?!"


    "We''ll craft your weapon first, then we''ll do one for me... if creating a real huntsmen weapon takes a while, at least you will have one... I can just punch things for a while." I state as I pull a few sheets of paper out of my ''found'' backpack.


    "We need to draw a design for you, but that can wait till we get back to our temporary home."


    I wheeze as she rushes over to me and wraps me into a hug, lifting me slightly off the ground as she does so.


    ''she''s gotten stronger... again...''


    I desperately try to ignore the two squishy mounds pressing into my side... putting two hormonal teens alone with no observers or any entertainment has been a bit of a... problem...


    Well, for me more than her... probably... she is the one who asked to bang not even three weeks after our first meeting.


    I slowly swallow and look away. "Well, we should be getting home, right?"


    "Yeah!" She smiles as she drops me the inch or so to the ground.


    I look to my shirt that''s slightly sweaty. "Ugh... I need a shower."


    "Same..." She sighs. "Working in the forge is fun sometimes, but it''s just so hot, y''know?"


    "Yeah..." I agree. "but I''d say the uncomfortableness is going to be worth it when we finally finish your bow."


    "Yeah!" She cheers "It''s going to be awesome; it''s going to be cool, and it''s going to shoot dust lasers!"


    "Nice." I hum with a small eye-roll.


    She''s much happier now... rarely having moments where she stares at the wall for an extended period of time... but they still happen.


    "You know what... I think we deserve something a little sweeter now that we completed our first weapon." I hum.


    "R-Really?!" She asks.


    We have been forced to eat basically anything that is near the freezer section, but I suppose I could make an exception for today.


    "Sure." I nod.


    "Yaaaay!" She cheers, causing me to pat her head.


    We eventually come to a stop in front of our apartment. "You can go inside, I''m going to grab us some dinner and desert."


    "Can we have pizza also?" She asks as she begins climbing up the steps.


    "Sure." I nod as I turn and walk to the nearby supermarket.


    I watch as a man with a handgun holds up the cash register, he short black hair that''s similar to a crew-cut, with red shades and a simple black tuxedo.


    ''is this... one of junior''s guys?''


    I shake my head. ''doesn''t matter... the f.u.c.ker is messing with my store.''


    The real question should be ''does this man have aura?''


    I touch his gun as it glows brightly.


    I look over it, as the gun is now in my hand, causing the ghost to panic as his only weapon disappeared into literal thin air.


    "Pretty impressive." I hum as I look over it, flicking the safety on so I don''t actually shoot something important.


    It''s quite simple, just a blank colt-esque semi-automatic handgun that you could probably buy from the gun store... ten bullets, one in the chamber, I might have to hit up a gun store to get more...


    With gun stores, I''m a little less enthused about stealing from, after all, in all those cop shows I used to watch in my previous life, they could always figure out where guns had been purchased.


    Also, stealing food from a supermarket is a little different than stealing ammunition from a gun store... though I suppose I have been stealing scrap to make our practice knives... actually, I could probably melt those down again to make Summer''s weapon...


    I absentmindedly note as the shopkeeper pulls a shotgun out from under the counter and points it at the man, then I simply go to the baked-goods section.


    With a glow and a simple touch, a cake disappears into my grasp, then its only a small walk to the frozen food section to grab a peperoni pizza.


    This life is a little rough and isolated... but good nonetheless.


    I open the door- which is still unable to be locked from the time I kicked it open. "I''m baaaack!"


    "Oooh! Oooh! What did you get me?!" I hear Summer ask from the bathroom as she throws open the door.


    It looks like she was considering taking a shower, but still hasn''t gotten her clothes off yet.


    I set down the cake on the kitchen table.


    "A CAKE?!" She gasps. "YEEES!"


    "I don''t know when your birthday is exactly, so I thought I''d get you a cake anyways."


    She flinches for a moment, but a smile slowly spreads across her face as she rushes over and envelopes me into a hug. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"


    She opens the plastic container the cake is in and takes a big ol slice out.


    She looks up and frowns as she notices I''m not eating any with her. "Deus... come on, you can eat some too! I don''t want you to get sick because... you save everything for me."


    She stares at me with those big and innocent eyes with a pleading expression.


    I wince. "Hey, I''m okay, honest..."


    "Deus... please?"


    "Fiiine, I''ll eat some pizza when I finish cooking it... but this cake is yours. I can''t get many hot or lukewarm treats, so enjoy it."


    She smiles, relieved that I am going to eat something with her, she does this often, about once every week or so I have ''not eaten'' in her presence... I say I had some elsewhere, buuut I think she''s starting to not believe me...


    I don''t have the heart to tell her just how different I am...


    Her smile beams brightly. "Today is a good day! We finish a functioning knife, and we get to eat cake and pizza!"


    "It is indeed." I nod along.


    She looks over to me with a slightly nervous expression. "I l-lov-ike I like you, Asmodeus."


    "I like you too, Summer." I reassure.

 Chapter 336 - My CO Stash #36 - The Night Unfurls: Re-Imagined by StaffSergeant (BloodborneXKuroinu)

    -I''m pretty sad that the author decided to do a rewrite of his Kuroinu fic but atleast it''s back, and this version seems to be a lot more brutal/


    Synopsis: The Waking World was not as peaceful as he thought it was, but the Good Hunter was always followed by misfortune. As war continues in the lands of Eostia, the Goddess seeks out skilled agents to champion her cause. Would she still have sought out the blade of the Good Hunter had she known the bloodshed he would leave in his wake?


    Rated: M


    Words: 40K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13607401/1/The-Night-Unfurls-Re-Imagined (StaffSergeant)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    "We are born of the blood, made men by the blood. Undone by the blood."


    Kyril Sutherland had lived by those words for an eternity. He was certain that he would die by them as well, as he stood to his full height. Swinging his weapon, the Saw Cleaver to rid its blade of unworthy blood the Hunter felt nothing as he looked at the remaining greenskins. Dark crimson eyes coldly calculated the strength of his adversaries and found them wanting. They were nothing more than wild beasts. Three of them were left out of twenty strong.


    The Hunter darted forward, pistol barking and taking an orc''s face off. His other arm, holding the Saw Cleaver tight, sliced off his target''s head with a wide sweeping slash. The Hunter kicked the body out of his way with a brutal shot of his boot then turned his murderous attention on the last remaining orc as it turned to flee. The Hunter was impressed, perhaps this orc had learned that discretion was often the better part of valor.


    Unfortunate that the orc was running so damned slow...


    The great cleaver swung through the air, cutting a greenskin down in a swift brutal arc. Orcs were tough, Kyril respected that strength for orcs were usually very strong, with some even able to overcome a squad of ten soldiers if they were old enough. But for a Hunter, adept in his purpose, merciless and half-cut with blood? It would be like comparing a rusty table knife to a greatsword.


    Kyril let out an exhale as he swung his Saw Cleaver down, folding it into a more compact form as he holstered his worn flintlock pistol. The Hunter stared up at the dark gray skies and he resigned himself to looking for the war chief that he had slain; a big bastard called the Arch-Arsonist...or something like that. He had slain three others with ostentatious names, like the Defiler or Gruzbad the Warlord. All of them died like the unlucky bastards that they were: butchered like pigs.


    Irritating that it had started raining just as he finished hunting down the final war band itself.


    The Hunter found his target''s corpse and picked up one of the crude blades the orcs liked to use. He chopped off the war chief''s head with a practiced motion, not even bothered by the still bleeding neck, or the stench of offal and waste that permeated the battlefield. Kyril looked into the orc''s rolled up eyes, acknowledging his dead foe with a brief nod, before he put it in the rucksack with the others tossing aside the orc blade with disinterest.


    A year had passed since he had been in this kingdom. Eostia, ruled by the Seven Shield Alliance, once the home of the goddess gentle Laurendau. Her descendants held her power for generations, the current holder of the title ''Goddess Reborn'' was Celestine Lucross the Fair, High Elf Queen of Eostia, the reincarnation of the gentle Laurendau.


    To the north, where the orcs came from, was Garan the land of the Dark Elves so named after its cruel and haughty goddess. The inheritor of the power of Garan wore her Jagged Crown and it was the current inheritor that had made war against Eostia. Olga Discordia, the Dark Queen of the Jagged Crown was the second belligerent in this centuries old war.


    Kyril had done his studies on both sides, and hadn''t really bothered with joining up with the army. Mercenary work was booming, however, and it was a steady source of income despite the dangers of being slaughtered by orcs. Kyril had gotten good at hunting greenskins down by himself. The Night of the Hunt had taught him a lot of skills. Skills that made him a nightmarish foe for those that stood against him.


    Skills that sometimes made him hate himself.


    /


    The rain had begun to intensify but he had made it back to the village he was staying at. Idoun was situated at the borders of Feoh, one of the seven kingdoms that made up the Alliance. Its twin, Ur, was the home of many nobles and was very close to its sister Feoh. Kyril waved an idle hand at the guards at the gate, both men staring at him with awe and suspicion. Indeed, the folk of Eostia were distrusting of strangers and foreigners. Perhaps that was why many of them stayed in Thorn. Even then, Kyril was a stranger there too and he wanted to cause no trouble so he kept to himself, wandering from place to place selling his blade-work to those that needed it. Patrons for bloodshed was plenty, and business was booming indeed.


    He headed towards the bounty board, where a man was sitting behind a booth. There was a large sheet of cloth and leather above his head to ward off the rain. The man was balding, a representative of the adventurer''s guild that was usually responsible for paying off bounties like this one. He gaped at the baleful figure that was approaching. Kyril was tall, lean and sinister. Garbed in nondescript clothing underneath a gray coat, the Hunter''s features were hidden under a tattered tricorne hat and his bandanna covered the bottom part of his face. His youthful looks, if one could catch a glimpse underneath his hat, said that he was in his twenties. His terrifying crimson gaze told of a man who had seen far, far too much to be so young.


    "U-Um..."


    Kyril blinked then turned his terrifying gaze on the bald man behind the booth. "I have a bounty to turn in." He said, his voice muffled by his cloth bandanna. The Hunter then presented the bloody haversack containing the head of the Arch-Arsonist. The bald man took out a monocle and examined the head, keeping it a fair distance away from him. He then checked the bounty poster to see if the greenskin actually was the same one that had died at Kyril''s hands.


    "Bloody, hell. You did it!" The receptionist said in astonishment. "You killed the Arch-Arsonist!"


    "Huh." Kyril''s reply was nonchalant, as if he hadn''t killed off an infamous orc warlord who had the penchant for burning captive Knights of Iris alive. There wasn''t much he could do for those poor men and women, just burying them in a marked grave somewhere was the best that he could manage.


    "What do you mean ''huh''?" The receptionist was surprised at the tone. "Few men and women are able to kill such strong foes, let alone doing so alone!"


    "I suppose I should show you the other two I have killed." Kyril said nonchalantly, although not unkindly. "I''ve been out there for three whole nights hunting down these greenskins."


    "Y-You mean there''s more!?" The old man gaped at the Hunter who offloaded the cargo in the rucksack. Two more heads of Orc Chieftains rolled out, one of them ended up on the wet grass. Kyril quietly picked that up and let the old man inspect the bounties.


    People were starting to gather. Kyril waited patiently for the man to finish his confirmation of the bounty, and for the gold to finally make it into his gloved hands. The Hunter ignored the whispers, the gossip...it was all meaningless to a Hunter like him. Kyril counted out the gold, a not so insignificant amount from the guild and put it away before he attracted even more unwanted attention.


    He needed to return.


    Kyril took his leave of the receptionist even as he praised the Hunter for his bloody work. The thought that slaughtering these greenskins was something he was given praise for was amusing for some reason, he was thankful that the cloth bandanna he wore over the bottom half of his face hid the grim smile that threatened to form on his gaunt features.


    /


    The Dream¡­


    "Welcome home, Good Hunter. What is it do you desire?"


    Kyril bowed to Her. His closest and dearest companion. The Plain Doll was the caretaker of this Dream, the very same that Gehrman once held sway over. With his death at Kyril''s hands, the Dream was now his to control, with all of the mystery that entailed.


    A dreary old workshop surrounded by a field of white asphodels and a small graveyard. It was a lonely but ultimately calm soothing place that Kyril used as a place to gather his thoughts and to rest. Someday, he thought to himself, there would come a time that he would finally bring this place to life and live the rest of his life here in peace.


    "Rest." Kyril said, wearily now as he dropped his guard. "I wish to rest for a little while, my hunt was long but successful."


    Both ended up kneeling at the grave of Gehrman, the First Hunter. Kyril had slain his master in single combat, freeing the old man from the Dream. Gehrman had sought to free his pupil from the Night of the Hunt but Kyril had elected to stay. Not for the Blood, but because those secrets he had uncovered during that fateful night deserved to die with him.


    Now...Now, he was the master of the Dream. And the Hunt was over. Kyril Sutherland had decided to make his way to the Waking World, ending up in the Kingdom of Eostia as a result of his wandering. Misfortune followed the Good Hunter it seemed, for of all of the places he could have ended up he walked into a place where there was a war going on.


    The Good Hunter sighed through his nose. At least he had employment, dangerous but one suited to his set of skills. A Hunter must Hunt after all, and the greenskins he cut down in their numbers were his current prey.


    "Are you troubled, Good Hunter?"


    Kyril''s musings were interrupted by the Plain Doll''s question. He shook his head in reply as they continued their stroll through the gardens. He remained silent, before he reassured his companion that he would be alright. He would be leaving after this to get another bounty.


    No rest for the wicked.


    The townsfolk were in a state that the Hunter could describe as excited. Kyril finished the rest of his breakfast before pushing the empty plate away from him. Pulling his hat off and setting it next to his left hand, revealing unkempt black hair, the Hunter was in an isolated corner of the tavern that served as his temporary place of rest.


    It was not the Dream but he was not about to reveal that part of his life to anyone was he? It was not a smart move to do so with a war going on. Kyril was not looking forward to an extended stay and interrogation with Eostia''s finest thank you very much. The Good Hunter listened in on the gossip, apparently someone very important was coming here. Two someones if he was hearing correctly.


    The Seven Shields were the preeminent leaders of Eostia''s alliance between the kingdoms that Celestine the Fair ruled. Two of them were here in Feoh for some reason that he could not ascertain. Kyril grumbled and leaned back, the back of his head on the wall as he realized that maybe killing off three high profile targets was more trouble than it was worth, but then again he really couldn''t complain about the pay and the opportunity to make more.


    Oh well...Perhaps, there might be an opportunity for contracts in another town with another guild. Kyril picked up his hat and placed it back onto his head. He then picked up his Saw Cleaver, strapping the weapon to his back on its usual harness. His pistol was already in its holster.


    A bandolier of freshly sharpened throwing knives, poisoned and not poisoned, hung over his left shoulder. Useful in a pinch, and during occasions where stealth won out over head on assaults. Kyril counted out the coin, dropping it at the bar for the tavern owner to peruse. The old man didn''t complain but he shot the Hunter a wary glance all the same.


    Kyril just kept walking, making his way towards the market to find merchants. He had to buy provisions for his next trip out. The greenskins weren''t going away, and staying here was proving to be too static for someone like him.


    /


    He had just finished wrapping up his rations of both hard bread and dried meats when he heard the voice.


    "You there! The one in the hat!"


    Kyril briefly paused before finishing his organization of his supplies. All he had taken from the Dream was in a worn bag. The Messengers were certainly the most helpful, if grotesque, servants he had in regards to keeping him stocked with ammunition and blood vials but everything else he had to handle by himself. The Good Hunter exhaled then stood to his full height before turning around to regard some new acquaintances.


    His dark crimson gaze caught the eyes of the Princess Knight of Feoh, the celebrated Alicia Arcturus. The blonde princess rode atop a proud warhorse, barded for battle. Dressed in a set of light blued plate and mail, she looked every bit the noble she presented herself to be. Unfortunate that Kyril didn''t see much of the glory.


    Grimly, he realized that it wouldn''t take much to knock her off of her horse.


    Kyril watched as she dismounted, followed by two of her subordinate knights. One with brown hair who gave him a wink that he did not return, and the one with the red hair scowling at him. It was an expression he ignored, just like the woman who owned it.


    He did not reply to the call. He merely waited for Alicia Arcturus to get within speaking range. She was quite a beauty but the Hunter only saw a potential opponent. He did not know what he did to offend this woman.


    Still, work was work. Maybe she wanted him to clear out a den or something.


    This was the man who hunted down greenskins in her land?


    Alicia would have scoffed at the sight of the man in the strange tattered hat. His garb, consisting of nondescript clothing underneath a great gray longcoat, boots, bracers and gloves spoke of a foreigner. And yet she did not ignore the bandolier of throwing knives hanging over his shoulder or the strange weapon she caught sight of on his back.


    She had expected a grimy mercenary...or the noble demeanor of a knight errant, not some scrounging, sinister stranger.


    The Knight of Iris saw the blank stare she was given. Was this man an oaf of some sort? She looked into his eyes, noting with growing concern that he was a head taller than she was.


    "Yes?" The man''s voice was muffled by the cloth mask he wore. There was no mistaking the lack of respect in his tone. No...he sounded tired, apathetic even.


    "You will show respect, cur!" Kendra, the knight on Alicia''s left, snapped. "You address the Lady of Feoh! Alicia Arcturus herself!"


    The stranger was not impressed in the slightest. But he straightened. "My apologies." He replied neutrally. "I was busy with securing provisions. I aim to hunt more Greenskins when the night has come."


    "All by yourself?" Vera, the brunette, asked looking concerned.


    "A foolish action." Alicia''s tone brokered no argument. "But there have been stories of a strange man in your garb cutting down orc war bands by himself. What I see in front of me is not impressive in the slightest."


    She expected a reaction. Not the complete apathy displayed by the stranger in front of her.


    "I don''t do this for your accolades." The stranger replied, his apathy clear to all that witnessed it. "If I have offended you, I do apologize, but I must get going." He gave a short, curt bow. "Have a wonderful afternoon."


    The man moved on without another word.


    All three knights looked at him. Alicia was flabbergasted at being put aside while Kendra had the same expression. Vera rubbed her forehead.


    "Milady...I think it would have been prudent to be more polite." She deadpanned. "Especially to someone who hunts down orcs by himself."


    "A lowborn mercenary who can''t even be bothered to show proper respect to Lady Alicia is not someone worth bothering with." Kendra said scowling. "I should teach that boor a lesson."


    Alicia raised her hand. "Enough, we shall go with him." She said. "He hunts the orcs and so do we. I still have to fulfill the task the Goddess has given me."


    "Is this wise milady? Surely this man is not who the Goddess requires?" Kendra asked.


    "We shall see what he is capable of." Alicia replied. "Come. Let us see where he takes us."


    The Hunter moved at a sedate pace, even as he heard the sound of hoof beats behind him. He knew the three knights were following him, he just didn''t know what Alicia Arcturus wanted with a mercenary like him, considering her attitude he did not know why he didn''t give them the slip. Kyril kept his eyes on the road until he stopped at the edge of Fierarch Forest, the possible location of an orc den according to the bounty. Kyril adjusted the strap on his bag as he looked around. The sun was beginning to lower in the sky, and it would take a good march to get near the den.


    Kyril looked down at the forest path, saw tracks and exhaled. This was where the orc den had to be. He knelt, unsheathing one of his throwing knives. He picked up something with the small blade, a lock of hair.


    The hoofbeats stopped. Kyril dropped the hair and sheathed the throwing knife. He turned to face the women following him.


    "We''re coming with you." Alicia Arcturus spoke curtly. "I hope that you won''t refuse."


    Kyril shrugged. So be it, he wasn''t about to say anything to a noble and her loyal knights. "There''s an orc den here." He said and pointed into the forest. "It seems to be recent, judging from these tracks, but they may have villagers in there." He didn''t have to tell these knights that if these villagers were women their fates were sealed the moment the orcs got their hands on them.


    "Accursed bastards¡­" The redhead snarled.


    "We can''t just charge in there all hotheaded, Kendra." Her brown haired counterpart chided. "Lady Arcturus, your orders?"


    The Knight of Iris stared at Kyril. "These two are my knights, Vera and Kendra. May I have the honor of knowing your name?" Alicia asked.


    "Kyril Sutherland." The Hunter replied as he reached for the harness on his back. He brought out the Saw Cleaver in its more compact form. He did not miss the disturbed looks all three knights gave him when he pulled out the weapon.


    They can mock it all they want, but it was the most reliable weapon he owned. It felt...right in his hands.


    "The Hunt has begun." He said to himself.


    Despite her reservations, Alicia saw that Kyril was an exemplary and capable scout. More than once, the unlikely companions would have stumbled onto traps that Alicia would have completely missed on a good day.


    On one occasion, Kyril had shoved Kendra back. The redhead was about to make an angry shout when Kyril pointed at a crudely placed tripwire and indicated the log hanging from the trees, waiting to swing right into her had she triggered it.


    It was large enough that Kendra''s sternum would have broken instantly had it collided with her body. Vera gulped as Kyril carefully dismantled the trap and waved them all to follow him. They did so more carefully this time. That was the thing about orcs, they were dumb brutes but sometimes they showed a simple cunning that caught even the most seasoned knight off guard, a talent that deserved its own respect.


    Kyril, it seemed, knew that already. That meant he was doing this for a long, long time.


    "How did you know?" Alicia had asked him.


    "I would have done the same thing." Was the quiet answer as the unlikely party moved into the woods. He didn''t even show concern for his companions.


    The Princess Knight did not like that answer as she shared a glance between her subordinates. Kendra looked like she was considering putting her sword into the man''s back. Vera was looking quite thoughtful but focused on the task at hand.


    /


    Kyril raised a fist and stopped. He moved up first, at a crouch, to a tree before he beckoned Alicia forward. The Princess Knight kept quiet but she looked at her two knights and told them to stay back.


    "Ten orcs in total. One of the bastards seems to be bigger than the others." Kyril reported as he pushed some brush away. Alicia took stock of the situation. She saw people tied to upright poles. The Princess Knight shivered as she saw the still forms, mutilated and exposed to the elements. There was no doubt that the two village girls were dead, such was often the result of the orc''s abuse that their minds quickly followed their bodies.


    Alicia hoped their deaths had been quick. That would have been a small mercy. She looked at the cave, wondering if there were others inside. No, there had to be and it was her job to rescue them from danger.


    "There must be some of them alive in the cave." Alicia said. "I will rescue them, even without your help."


    Kyril nodded in agreement, much to Alicia''s surprise. She had expected him to leave the captives to their fates. "We should hit them from four sides, milady." He suggested. Exhaling through his nose, Kyril grabbed two of his throwing knives. "I''ll go for the front."


    /


    Before Alicia could even try to convince him out of doing something so suicidal, the mercenary stood up and walked into the clearing. The first things he did was to send both throwing knives into the foreheads of a pair of orcs that turned to face the approaching man. As both greenskin bodies hit the floor, the Hunter Kyril readied his Saw Cleaver and pointed it at the bigger orc in charge of the whole mess, a brazen challenge to any orc that saw it.


    The big orc bellowed at the challenge and grabbed a large hacking blade. With eight orcs left, Alicia directed Vera and Kendra to take the right flank, she would have to take the left. The clash of blades alerted her to the fight between Kyril and the big orc bastard he had chosen to fight. As Alicia saw Kyril slam his madman''s weapon into the orc''s shoulder, she shivered at the gristly sound of steel cleaving through bone and muscle. Orcs were unreasonably tough for even the most seasoned knight to take head on.


    For someone like Kyril to just cut a big orc''s arm off in one swing¡­


    Alicia shook her head. Now was not the time to dawdle. She saw Vera and Kendra engaging, their swords flashing and cutting chunks out of the greenskins they charged into. Alicia had done the same, her blade hacking deep into the gut of a greenskin. The orc bellowed in rage as Alicia tried to pull back.


    Her blade was stuck. Alicia pulled again but the blade was stuck. How could she-


    Alicia ducked the orc''s mad swing as it tried to get at her. It gave off another bellow before a gunshot rang out and the orc''s head slammed forward. Alicia felt blood spray onto her face and she let go of her blade, sidestepping the falling corpse of the orc.


    Off to the side, Kyril holstered a worn flintlock pistol and yanked his Saw Cleaver out of the corpse of the orc leader he had just killed. The thing''s head had been cracked open. Alicia didn''t vomit, but the blood drained from her face as she saw the gruesome wound the stranger inflicted on his enemy.


    And the corpses of the other dead orcs Kyril had most likely killed by himself.


    "Lady Alicia are you hurt!?" Kendra approached Alicia already reaching for the healing supplies on her belt. Vera watched their rear, head on a swivel as she held her bloody sword. They had made a good accounting of themselves having slain two orcs each. Kyril had slain the rest, while Alicia only got one.


    "I-I''m fine." Alicia said hoarsely. "The mercenary saved me¡­"


    Kyril had walked into the cave, intent on finishing off whatever was inside, but he instead found several other villagers. As always when it concerned orcs, they were female, some barely ten years old. Their empty eyes tore at Alicia, knowing that she had been responsible for protecting her people and had failed to do so.


    /


    "The man is a brutal killer, Vera!"


    "I know, Kendra, but how else were we gonna rescue those people on our own!? There were ten orcs with that big burly bastard in the lead we would have been crushed. I''m not saying we should be friends but¡­"


    Kyril could hear the arguments and deigned to ignore them. He instead concentrated on sharpening his weapon. All they had to do was wait for a wagon from the village and that was it...the job was done and they rescued most of the village women. The two dead ones were laid out on a bed of leaves, surrounded by weeping women and children. Kyril let their grief wash over him, his detached manner leaving a distance between him and the others.


    He was enraged at the outcome, yes, but he had seen that there was a limit to the imagination of atrocity. Kyril was not surprised about it at all. Yharnam had taught him the meaning of horror, and whatever fear he had felt that night was already long since gone. The Good Hunter continued running the whetstone over the gigantic blade in his hand. The Saw Cleaver had made a good tally today, and a good warrior respected the tools that he ended lives with.


    "You there, mercenary!"


    Kyril blinked as he heard the call from Alicia Arcturus. He quietly folded the Saw Cleaver into its more compact form and clipped it to the harness on his back. He then stood up to his full height and walked towards the princess knight.


    Alicia looked up at him, her blue eyes narrowed. Kyril in return looked down at her, not in the disrespectful sense no, but because he was a head taller than she was.


    "You did good work out there, sir." Alicia''s tone was curt although the Good Hunter could hear the tremor in her voice. Perhaps her near death at the hands of an orc still affected her. "But our work is not yet done. Once we enter the village, we will discuss your payment...and an opportunity to do more in our Goddess'' name."


    Kyril didn''t reply for a while. "She is not my goddess." He said quietly.


    Alicia prickled at the casual blasphemy. "Our Goddess." She reiterated. "Has been looking for capable agents, it is her gift of foresight that has kept our lands safe for centuries."


    The Hunter idly glanced at the people they just rescued. It was a pointed gesture that caused Alicia''s scowl to deepen.


    "Your lack of respect is only tolerated because of the nature of your skills." She warned him.


    Kyril shrugged apologetically.


    /


    "Are you certain that this is the man you have to bring to the Goddess milady?" Kendra asked as they escorted the wagon full of refugees back to town. "He''s...dangerous. Far too dangerous to even be in the Goddess'' company."


    On any other day, concerning any other person, Alicia would have agreed with Kendra and she would have apprehended the mercenary Kyril Sutherland for questioning. Now that she had witnessed his skill with the massive blade he carried on his person she thought otherwise. The knight of Iris made a glance behind her at the mercenary sitting in the front of the cart with the driver. In the back were the refugees and the dead. Kyril Sutherland kept his head on a swivel, his facemask and tattered tricorne making it hard to get a read on him. His pistol was in hand, freshly reloaded.


    Alicia turned her attention back on the road, unsure of the decision to bring this man to Feoh. But the Goddess decreed her intentions to find the most trustworthy agents to help her in an upcoming task.


    She trusted Her Holiness.


    Ken, the Capitol of the Kingdom of Eostia


    Part chapel, part keep the Grand Cathedral was the seat of the Seven Shields Alliance and the home of the Reincarnated Goddess herself.


    Celestine Lucross walked away from the meeting with a tired yawn. The High Elf Queen shivered as flashes of the last vision she had went through her mind¡­


    He stood in a field of white asphodels, unbowed and unbroken. Garbed in a gray coat and tattered tricorne, he held a madman''s weapon in one hand a saw fused with a cleaver. He looked away to the distant horizon, as if knowing his fate lay elsewhere other than these lonely fields of white flowers.


    His dark eyes were tired, so so tired that Celestine wished that she could reach out to help shoulder whatever burden he bore.


    Celestine let out a gasp.


    The vision changed. This time, the gray garbed stranger stood in a field of corpses. Men, bearing swords and leather armor, lay at his feet broken and torn asunder. The great cleaver that he carried was stained with blood. Much like its wielder, the weapon had fed well.


    The stranger turned to look at her. Celestine screamed as he reached out with a bloody hand-


    The High Elf stumbled, knocking over a vase which caused it to shatter.


    "Your Holiness!"


    Celestine turned suddenly to the voice that called to her. Claudia Levantine was the leader of the Dawn Templars, the stalwart paladins who swore to defend her life and honor with their very lives. Garbed in harsh steel plate, Claudia was tall and uncompromising. Celestine''s eyes widened as she saw what had happened.


    "O-Oh¡­" She started as she saw the vase, shattered all over the floor. Claudia walked to her side, steering clear of the field of debris. "M-My apologies I should clean this up."


    "You are troubled, your Holiness." Claudia said in concern. She waved over a couple of servants, maids who were under Celestine''s employ. "Please, take care of this."


    As the maids obeyed the command, Claudia helped Celestine to her quarters. Claudia had never seen the High Queen look so troubled and tired. Celestine''s lovely green eyes were dilated and she seemed to regard every shadow with fear.


    "I''m sorry, Claudia." Celestine whispered. "The last vision was...well, it was bad." The High Elf shivered as they reached her private quarters. The two Templars bowed their heads and opened the doors.


    Claudia let Celestine sit on her sofa while she took a chair to her left. Celestine removed her shawl and closed her eyes. Claudia frowned. While Archbishop Grishom was the physical representation of the church, Celestine was its spiritual leader for even longer than he was. Claudia could see the effect of the burden of a thousand years on Celestine Lucross.


    "Is it...about that stranger you spoke to me about?" Claudia asked.


    "...Yes¡­" Celestine whispered. "I do not know whether he has a part to play in this war, for good or ill, but the vision was real enough for me to seek him out."


    "A bloodstained stranger, surely this could be an omen of sorts." Claudia said looking at her liege with much concern.


    "But I saw a different version as well." Celestine told her.


    "What did you see?" Claudia asked.


    At that question, Celestine gave a sad shake of her head. "He stood in a field of white flowers, looking ahead...as if he knew his fate lies elsewhere." She said. A ghost of a smile formed on her fair face. "He was just as tired as I was."


    Claudia was wise enough to know that Celestine''s visions were often correct, but this seemed to have an awful premonition about it.


    "Milady, I do not think this person is a savior at all." Claudia said. "If he shows up, permit me to have him detained."


    Celestine shook her head gravely. "No Claudia, do not act so rashly." She said. "I do not wish to lose any of my dearest friends."


    Claudia frowned again, but she relented.


    For now at least.


    Idoun, Feoh


    "You have my sincerest thanks, Lady Alicia."


    The village leader, an old man, bowed in respect to Alicia. To her left, Kyril Sutherland had already walked off to report to the guild representative. Alicia had Vera keep an eye on him while she and Kendra spoke to the leader of Idoun.


    "I still failed to rescue two others." Alicia said, returning the gesture. "It was my fault for not doing enough."


    The village leader sighed. "The Goddess protects all, but we must be careful when we venture out into the wild." He saw the figure of the Hunter and shivered.


    Alicia noticed. "What do you know of that man?"


    "The stranger?" The old man glanced at the Hunter briefly. "Aye, he came in a few weeks ago. Said he was traveling the land, looking for work. He''s...terrifying but he hasn''t given us any trouble. He leaves us alone and we do the same. Cordial, but real quiet."


    "I hear he''s good at killing orcs." Kendra remarked. "I wonder if it''s all fanciful stories."


    "No, milady." The old man replied. "Albert Finnegan, one of our farmers, had been chased back here by a marauding band. The stranger went out to find poor Albert; The orcs...he-he killed them all in the span of a single night!" The old man''s voice became a whisper.


    "The guild''s also seen what he brings to the bounty board, he''s done in some war chiefs as well. Big names too like the Arsonist, the Defiler¡­"


    Alicia had heard of those names. High value targets that she had wanted put down for weeks, each one responsible for the deaths of not just the common folk but for a few knights as well...


    And this...this stranger had put them down by himself?


    "My lady¡­?" Kendra asked.


    "We must return to Feoh." Alicia said to Kendra. "And after that, we will bring this stranger before the Goddess to receive her judgment."


    Alicia just hoped that she didn''t make a mistake by doing this.


    Chapter 2


    Feoh.


    The twin to the Fortress City of Ur and the home of the King Eos, whose daughter Alicia was a shining example of the Iris Knights. Kyril looked up briefly at the gate before he passed under it and turned his attention forward. A new horse was not what he was expecting, but the villagers of Idoun had thanked him for returning the bodies of the two women who died thanks to the orcs. Kyril himself had offered to clean and bury the bodies; a magnanimous gesture that no one had expected from someone like him.


    The Hunter did it because he was long accustomed to burying the dead. He was better at ending lives than preserving them. A sad truth to his existence as a Hunter but he had long since given up on complaining about his circ.u.mstances. That way lay only madness and pain.


    Kyril followed Alicia and her knights into the city of Feoh. Like Ur, many of Eostian nobility had estates here even if most of the politicking was done within the walls of Ken which was the capitol and the seat of power of the Seven Shields Alliance. Kyril kept his eyes straight ahead until they slowed to a stop before the Arcturus Estate.


    The Hunter dismounted, Alicia and her knights doing the same. Waiting for Alicia to return was her cousin. Prim Fiorire, princess and heiress to Ur royalty, considered Alicia her older sibling and indeed both had been raised together since they were children. She was a gentle young girl, already growing into womanhood. Where Alicia was lean and hardened by training as a knighthood, Prim looked every bit the princess she was born to be. Pink, wavy hair rained down her back. Bright blue eyes stared curiously into his own. Prim''s white and pink dress was finely made, the work of the finest tailors of Feoh and of Ur.


    She was soft. Too delicate and soft, Prim Fiorire was the very definition of delicate. Kyril shook his head clear of irritation.


    As Kyril adjusted his horse''s saddle, shabby if serviceable, he heard someone clear their throat.


    /


    "Hunter, I present to you Princess Prim Fiorire."


    Prim shrunk as Alicia brought forward the young mercenary she had worked with. The man was tall, sinister and strong. Dark crimson eyes observed her with detachment, as if she was nothing more than an object. Garbed in nondescript clothing and a long gray coat, his features were hard to discern due to the tattered tricorne hat and the cloth mask he wore. It was only his eyes that were truly visible. They were a cruel, claret red like the color of spilled blood.


    Prim resisted the urge to shudder.


    "Greetings, stranger." Prim curtsied nervously as she regarded the Hunter with politeness. "I greet you and thank you for the services you have done for our people. It is a shame that we met during such sad circ.u.mstances."


    The stranger bowed his head. Hard crimson eyes met gentle blue briefly.


    "I do what I have to." The Hunter said softly. "I am undeserving of such compliments, fair lady."


    To the side, Alicia scowled and wondered why this man was so polite to Prim but not to her¡­She supposed she should be a bit more lenient, Prim had a way of dissolving situations even if she was quite shy and never really made much public appearances. Despite this, Prim Fiorire had a sharp mind that belied her delicate appearance.


    Prim felt a smile forming on her face. Surely this stranger wasn''t such a brute after all? Sure...he had killed many orcs by himself but he didn''t seem to mean any harm to her or Alicia. "You are humble, good sir." She complimented him. "And a good man."


    "No." The Hunter''s reply was chilling. "I''m not."


    The silence was awkward. Alicia went to draw her sword but Prim shook her head. She looked at Alicia worriedly. The Knight of Iris sighed.


    "Let''s just head back inside." Alicia said, rubbing her forehead. "Mercenary, regardless of your reluctance to serve our Goddess, she has asked for skilled agents. You will be seeing her."


    The Hunter didn''t reply at once. "And what about payment?"


    Alicia scowled at him. "That remains to be seen, if it were up to me I would have brought you here in chains." She said directly.


    "So rest up. This is the Arcturus Estate, you should feel honored that you are allowed to be here. Few are."


    /


    Kyril found that he truly disliked Alicia Arcturus. Of course, he wouldn''t say that to her face but he honestly did not appreciate the barbs she was sending. A lesser man would have snapped, but as time passed Kyril found it easy to disregard the barbed words of the Knight of Iris. He had dealt with worse. In comparison, Alicia Arcturus was a minor irritation that he was already beginning to push aside.


    The Hunter''s quarters were simple, but far above the usual peasant fare he was used to. Still, it was kept spartan. It was quiet. Tomorrow, they would make for the capitol of Eostia to meet with Laurendau Incarnate, Celestine the Fair herself. Kyril...was honestly not pleased that his exploits had made it as far as Ken but he was resigned to whatever task Celestine asked of him.


    The other princess, Prim, was a lot more bearable than her cousin. She seemed to understand how to handle Alicia Arcturus however. She never left the knight''s side which was understandable. Prim was raised to be a sheltered child but nonetheless that did not spoil her, in fact it did quite the opposite. Prim showed the Hunter kindness, kindness that he thought was long gone from the world he left behind.


    It was...pleasant, but uncomfortable. For who was he to deserve such kindness? After an afternoon of negotiating a contract which ended with Alicia scoffing at the thought of Kyril deserving an honest pay, considering his reputation, Kyril was more than ready to just leave Feoh and not bothering with meeting with the Goddess.


    Again, it was Prim who soothed the choler between them. And negotiated with Kyril not just on being paid for the services he provided to the people of Feoh, but to at least see what the Goddess wants.


    He just had to wait until morning¡­Kyril let his thoughts turn to the Dream once more¡­


    The Hunter''s Dream¡­


    They walked the gardens, as was the tradition they set way before his arrival in the waking world. Kyril had wanted to take Evetta out of the Dream, but seeing as how there was a war going on he wasn''t so sure about that idea anymore. He would have to carve out a place for them here, but whether by gold or by bloodshed he did not know. Thus, while he was more active in the waking world than in the Dream he always made a point to spend time with his long time companion.


    Time was...different here, and it suited them both perfectly. The tranquility may have been lonely but it was enough for Kyril. The Dream was his home, and nothing would ever take that away from him. One day, when everything was calm, he would bring this place to life.


    Kyril offered his arm and Evetta took it, the unlikely pair making their way through the gardens by walking down the set path they made. They passed through the flowers that Evetta took care of when he was away, the gravestones that bore the names of all those Kyril had witnessed dying in Yharnam. They finally stopped at the grave of Kyril''s greatest mentor, Gehrman the First Hunter.


    "I wonder what he would think of me now," Kyril remarked as he reached down to brush some dust off of the grave of the First Hunter. It wasn''t a fitting tribute but Kyril had done the best he could to honor the man he had killed in one last duel. "Would he have accepted whatever this Goddess wanted? Or would he have told me to leave and never look back."


    Evetta didn''t answer, but her presence was more than enough for Kyril. She didn''t need to say anything. "Would you abandon these people to stand alone?" She asked instead.


    "...No." Kyril answered. "But taking his mantle...that would change a lot of things." He felt a terrible burden on his shoulders. He did not have foresight but whatever was going on in this war between Garan and Eostia, he felt a certain foreboding that it would not end in the way everyone thought it would.


    "I suppose I will have to, if the conflict takes a turn for the worst." Kyril said finally. His eyes were still locked onto the gravestone of Gehrman. Was he worthy of taking up such a mantle? Kyril didn''t know, but he would see where this road ends.


    He made a mind to restock on certain supplies, and to visit the Messengers to see if they had anything new.


    Evetta and Kyril made their way back to the Workshop. Kyril opened the door as he walked over to the wall of weapons he had managed to scavenge from Yharnam during the Night of the Hunt. The Holy Moonlight Sword gleamed on the wall, hanging next to the Hunter''s Axe. There were other blades there as well, just waiting to be unleashed. There, the Kirkhammer secure with its blade as a handle for the great metal hammer. The Holy Blade, an approximation of the sword Ludwig once wielded.


    Kyril reached for the Holy Moonlight Sword.


    "A fine weapon." Evetta observed.


    Kyril knew that. The Holy Moonlight Sword once belonged to the Hunter, Ludwig the Accursed, who had succ.u.mbed to the beast plague much like any great Hunter. Kyril had put the mad thing to rest. He had told a lie to do so, but in the end it was worth it. As a final wish, Ludwig bequeathed the blade to him of all people.


    The Good Hunter took the weapon up in both hands. He could feel it whispering, asking if there was once again a purpose in him wielding it in battle. He allowed Evetta to help him bandage the blade up to hide its otherworldly sheen from view.


    It was about time the weapon knew battle once more.


    /


    It was dawn by the time Kyril woke up, he had returned from the Hunter''s Dream. Leaning against the door was the Holy Moonlight Sword. In his hand was the Hunter''s Blunderbuss, a devastating weapon that fired quicksilver shot, making it difficult for opponents to dodge the wide spread. He was fully stocked and heavily armed.


    All of it was thanks to the Messengers, which had phased into existence on the table next to him. Kyril was at first disturbed by their grotesque appearances but the ''Little Ones'' as Evetta called them only wished to worship and serve the Good Hunter, and his predecessors.


    He was used to them now.


    The Messengers gave their signature groans, one of them clapping. Kyril smiled as he stood up and got ready for the day. He tipped his hat to the Messengers and soon enough the little grotesque inhabitants of the Dream returned to where they belonged. Kyril looked at the rising sun, rays poking in through the curtains. The Hunter heard the knocking.


    "Enter." His voice was solemn, neutral.


    "Master Hunter, Lady Arcturus awaits you in the entry hall."


    Kyril sent his assent to the servant and made his way out. It was time to head to Ken.


    /


    Alicia humphed as Kyril Sutherland finally made his appearance. He had gone out and found some new weaponry it seemed, although she was suspicious as to how he had managed it without anyone noticing. She put that out of her mind.


    "Nice sword." Vera complimented the mercenary.


    Kyril said nothing which caused Vera to frown slightly at being put off. The man simply strapped the great blade to his horse''s saddle to transport. He still carried his pistol, holstered at his side but slung alongside his great cleaver weapon was another firearm, this one much like a musket save for its barrel. If anything, Vera thought it looked more like a cannon than anything else.


    The Hunter finished with his preparations and soon enough the party was on their way. Kyril rode at the back, behind Kendra and Vera. Alicia, as her station demanded, led from the front. In addition to that was a carriage escorted by six more knights.


    Prim had asked Alicia to accompany her to Ken, and Alicia did not refuse although she did make it known that she was concerned for Prim''s safety. Orc war bands were all over Eostia and the open roads were often the most dangerous for those who weren''t armed.


    The ride to Ken would take an approximate of three to five days, anything could have happened but Alicia was confident that their squad of knights was more than capable. She did not count Kyril as she did not trust him. Kyril was more than happy to concede that the feeling was mutual, not because that she was a danger to him but more likely that she would not survive a single moment during the Hunt¡­


    The Hunter chided himself on that train of thought, however. Of course she would not last in the mad city of Yharnam, and Alicia Arcturus had a good reason for distrusting him. A foreign mercenary who could cut down greenskins with ease? He would have held the same distrust for such a stranger if he were in her shoes.


    Kyril took a distant spot when the caravan stopped to camp. He saw the campfire and the Knights of Iris already getting ready to settle in, with the watchmen already picked. The carriage was reserved for both Alicia and Prim, as befitting their station as royalty.


    The Hunter turned his head back to his horse, tied up to the lone tree of their campsite already munching on grass. It stared at him, blinked once and snorted. Clever thing, it seemed to not fear him as most animals did.


    Kyril tended to his own small fire, his Blunderbuss settled in his lap loaded with a cartridge of Quicksilver shot. His Saw Cleaver was also near him. He took a sip of water from the skin he purchased back in Idoun before settling in for a night¡­


    "Um...Hello."


    The Hunter opened his eyes, blinking as he saw Prim Fiorire standing next to his fire.


    "Lady Prim." He said, as he sat straighter.


    "Don''t get up! I apologize, I didn''t wish to disturb you I just came by to wish you goodnight." Prim said, shaking her head when she saw Kyril about to stand.


    Kyril didn''t say anything for a bit. But he nodded in thanks. Prim beamed. She then looked uncertainly at his small fire and the meager camp he made for himself.


    "Do you wish to sit down?" Kyril asked her at last.


    "Um...I don''t want to be a bother." Prim looked down. She had chosen to wear something practical for the journey to Ken, a simple white dress much like a priestess'' habit but a bit more fine. "You look...tired."


    Kyril would have laughed had he been able. He shook his head, slightly amused at Prim''s understatement of how he felt. "I am tired, lady Prim." He said softly. "Sleep does not come easily."


    "I see¡­" Prim whispered. She did take the offer to sit down however. Kyril gave her a respectable distance as she sat down next to him. He offered her the blanket and she took it gratefully. The night was a bit cold this day. Kyril was used to it. Prim was not.


    "You should perhaps make your way back to the carriage, lady Prim." Kyril told her. "I would not wish to worry your cousin. She seems to despise me."


    Prim frowned. "Dear Alicia does not despise you." She scolded him. "She''s just...hotheaded is all, but she is a gallant knight and she has a good heart. Please do not take her barbed words to heart."


    Kyril exhaled through his nose. "I''ll take that under advis.e.m.e.nt." He muttered to himself. He said nothing to Prim, merely keeping her company as the night went on. A sudden weight nearly caused the Hunter to react accordingly but he stopped when he saw that Prim had leaned towards him. She had nearly fallen asleep.


    He sighed.


    "Lady Prim." Kyril said firmly. "You were about to fall asleep."


    Prim gasped and shook her head to keep awake. "I-I am so sorry!" She stammered. "I never meant to offend you!"


    Kyril scratched his temple. "I shall escort you back to your carriage." He said, noting Prim''s upset expression. She knew she had crossed a line with him. He did not fault her for this. It was a long ride to Ken after all and Prim did not go out too much.


    That and it was healthy for someone like her to have a proper and good amount of sleep.


    /


    "Knave!" Alicia hissed as Kyril walked towards the carriage with a sleepy Prim in tow. "You unhand my cousin at once!" Kendra had followed her leader, hand on the hilt of her own blade. Several knights watched cautiously but they were angry that Prim had ended up alone with the Hunter.


    Now shaken out of her fatigue Prim tried to speak up but Alicia had shoved her behind him. To Alicia''s left, Kendra had approached with her hand on the hilt of her sword. Kyril looked around idly at the other knights who were either glaring at him or watching in morbid curiosity. Kyril let his gaze go back to Alicia''s.


    "Calm yourself." Kyril''s voice seethed with menace. Something that Alicia either ignored or she did not hear it. "Lady Prim was about to fall asleep. I merely escorted her back to the carriage."


    "Yes, dear cousin!" Prim spoke up in Kyril''s defense. "That is all that has happened!"


    Alicia wasn''t hearing it however. "You do not approach her at all, mercenary." She told Kyril. "In fact, I should have had you cut down the moment you laid a hand on her."


    "You will die trying." Kyril''s voice was tinged with menace and the taint of bloodl.u.s.t filled the air. Vera and Kendra approached their liege ladies as if to shield them but to no avail. It was as if the Hunter''s shadow had deepened, a great shadowy abyss that swallowed all.


    And its baleful eye had turned its attention on the bleating of a sheep. Prim trembled hugely while Alicia was pinned by the Hunter''s thousand yard stare, which combined with the visage of a predator looking at its next kill. The moment passed after a while. Kyril did not even bother giving Alicia obeisance. He instead made his way back to his own campsite.


    "Master Kyril?" Prim piped up after a moment.


    "Enough." The Hunter said wearily. "I''m sure we all have an early start tomorrow. Have a good night."


    He left them all standing there, staring at his back.


    /


    "A monster. No other way around it." Kendra spoke. "Your Highness-"


    "Enough!" Prim snapped, surprising the red haired knight with her outburst at what had just happened. "Just...stop it¡­"


    "Prim, that man could have hurt you!" Alicia said, trying to calm her cousin down but the younger pink haired woman shook her head.


    "He did not, Alicia. All you did was antagonize him when he made it clear that he has done nothing untoward to me." Prim scolded her cousin. "He has been nothing but polite and you have done him wrong. Your treatment of him is not just craven, it is dishonorable. You are a knight!"


    Prim never lost her temper but tonight''s near confrontation had drained some of her patience. "Act like it!"


    That stung. Alicia frowned at Prim, looking hurt as she realized that she was not the only target. Kendra flushed ashamedly while Vera stared at her and sighed dejectedly wishing that she had spoken up before things had escalated. "I am trying to protect you, cousin."


    "Protecting me does not mean that you put me in a gilded cage for the rest of my life, Alicia." Prim looked disappointed in her. "He saved not just your life but others'' as well, that was what we talked about didn''t we? And instead you repay him with false accusations instead of gratitude."


    "Prim¡­" Alicia started again.


    "I...I am going to sleep." Prim said shaking her head. "I love you dear cousin, but sometimes your temper gets the best of you...much to your detriment and those closest."


    /


    The next morning was awkward.


    Where Alicia had only deigned to speak to him in a derogatory tone, he was now met with silence. Her knights still gave him sullen glares but they said nothing. The Hunter was fine with that as he rode a fair distance away from Alicia and her knights but close enough to serve as a flanking element should the situation demand it. Whatever happened last night, it didn''t matter to him.


    The carriage was in the middle of their loose formation, but Kyril saw Prim at the window giving him glances. The Hunter ignored her curiosity or whatever it was. They still had to reach Ken, the capitol of Eostia and the seat of power of the Seven Shields to meet with the Goddess herself.


    Hours passed and morning reached noontime. Kyril tightened the grip on the reins of his horse. He looked at the carriage, the man driving it looking ahead while the knights around him surveyed the area for threats.


    Kyril saw it before anyone did. An arrow, crudely made but lethal nonetheless, punched into the head of the lead knight''s horse. The knight screamed as her mount fell onto its side taking her with it. The sudden close range volley was accompanied by the war cry of orcs. Knights toppled off of their horses while their comrades shook off their shock and counter attacked.


    He heard Alicia bark orders as a war band launched their sudden attack, having hidden in burrows along the road, a clever ambush that few expected. Kyril certainly was surprised but he did not shrink from the sudden assault.


    He drove his spurs into his horse''s flanks, swinging his Saw Cleaver out sideways to unfold it into its extended form. No time to draw anything else. The Hunter surged forward in a lone counter charge even as the Knights of Iris defended themselves and their carriage from orcs.


    Kyril crashed into a large cl.u.s.ter of greenskins, his cleaver sending blood, bone and brains into the air as he swung left and right. Each swing of his Cleaver cut down a greenskin. The Hunter''s dead eyes were narrowed as he slew orc after orc with vicious strikes that severed limbs and heads from bodies.


    /


    Alicia''s sword thrust crunched through an orc''s throat as she rallied her knights to stay together lest they become overwhelmed. Kendra''s horse reared up and its hooves slammed down onto a prone orc''s head, crushing it with ease. Alicia heard the sound of howling, confused she turned to the large concentration of greenskins where Kyril Sutherland had charged in on his own like a lunatic.


    It was a terrifying sight. The horse he rode had already been downed but it didn''t matter as the Hunter was on his feet swinging his madman''s weapon in great arcs that crunched through orc bodies. The man was surrounded, a certain death for ordinary men who faced greenskins.


    Not so for Kyril Sutherland, who slew orc after orc with a madman''s strength swinging the massive cleaver he used as a weapon, the blade howling through the air. Goddess...he wasn''t just strong, he was fast. Inhumanly fast. His weapon was a dull blur that cut through the air with little difficulty, even as it mangled and maimed the bodies of the orcs that got in its way.


    The Cleaver crunched into the skull of an approaching greenskin. Kyril caught another attacker''s wrist. He swung the orc around, right into the path of an axe that cleaved into its body. The Hunter kicked the corpse of his other victim away, freeing his blade from its crushed skull. The blade was shaped like a giant cleaver. Alicia watched as the Hunter circled it over his head, cutting another greenskin down with a barbarous swing.


    His red eyes, the color of coagulating blood, were hauntingly dead. Had she seen his face, she would have despaired at the thought of such a man turning against them. His expressionless mien was at odds with the savage butchery he wrought. Such was the viciousness the Hunter showed that the orcs soon lost their nerve and fled. Alicia held her vengeful knights back from giving chase.


    Panting the Knight of Iris looked around, swearing under her breath. Of the twenty she had left, only a handful remained. Eight, including her and her two seconds. The carriage driver was dead, having taken an arrow to the throat. The carriage was stuck full of arrows, but thankfully none of them seemed to have punched into the interior. The door opened and Prim looked out, a low keening cry ripping out of her terrified throat as she saw the bloodshed.


    The bodies of both humans and orcs littered the field. The dying screamed out and the knights dispatched with the surviving orcs, mourning their lost comrades. Only one person was unaffected, his cruel gaze looking around. The Hunter had recovered the greatsword which now hung from the harness on his back.


    /


    Kyril approached the remainder of Alicia''s convoy. He saw the grief and hate in her eyes as she considered what was going to happen now.


    "How close are we to Ken?" He asked her.


    Alicia blinked and focused on the mercenary. She scowled briefly before closing her eyes in frustration. "A few miles down this road." She said. "I''ve...taken this route before. I was not prepared to be ambushed. Ken...Ken is a few hours away."


    Kyril did not admonish her for what happened this day, the losses here were bad enough. He looked at his bloodstained weapon. Kyril swung the Saw Cleaver down, folding it into its more compact form and clipping it to the harness on his back before he approached Prim''s carriage. The carriage looked...terrible but at least the horses were still alive. Scared to be sure but fear had frozen them.


    "You...killed so many." Prim said blankly as she noticed him approaching. "I¡­"


    Kyril shoved the corpse of the driver off of the carriage. No time for burials. "We need to get to a safer area." He spoke, loud enough to be heard. He checked the carriage. At least the horse''s were kept mostly unharmed but they were close to bolting. Kyril''s presence took care of that.


    "What of our dead?" Kendra asked him. "And who gave you the authority to make orders?"


    Kyril''s dead eyed stare caught Kendra off-guard. The redhead scowled and looked away. Kyril did concede that she had a point though. "Lady Alicia, if those orcs come back they will bring friends." He said to her neutrally. "The dead are dead. Your concerns must stay with the living."


    Alicia didn''t seem to hear; she seemed in shock at what happened to the women under her command.


    "You are a heartless bastard!" Vera screamed, ripping her arm out of the grip of her fellow knight who had been bandaging it. "Let us grieve our dead, for pity''s sake!"


    The Hunter blinked only once as his stony gaze returned to hers. "The orcs will come back. If we''re still here we all die." He said quietly. "Who will grieve then?"


    "He''s...He''s right." Alicia''s voice was hollow. "Let''s...let''s get going. If we stay here, we''re all dead."


    Kyril climbed up to the driver''s seat of the carriage and took the reigns.


    Ken, The Grand Cathedral¡­Three days later...


    Celestine rubbed her temple in pain as she stopped for a bit. Beside her, Archbishop Grishom looked over in concern. They had just finished the morning sermon and were on their way to court "Your Holiness?" The old priest asked. "Are you unwell?"


    "I...I am fine, Archbishop." Celestine spoke, massaging her temples as she stood back up. "Just...I believe I had another...vision." Her voice was distant. "Could you send for Claudia, Lord Archbishop I fear I may have need of her services again."


    Grishom bowed his head and ushered one of his attendants forward to find the leader of the Dawn Templars.


    Celestine exhaled as she leaned against the stone wall. Her eyes closed. "Oh...Alicia...I hope you''re alright¡­" She said to herself, already preparing what she was going to say to Claudia. Alicia was Claudia''s protege and she was certainly not someone to leave such a talented student and dear friend in danger.


    The problem was who Alicia was with.


    Celestine covered her mouth with a gasp as she felt a chill go down her spine.


    Alicia had found him.


    The man with the cruel red eyes.


    "We made it!"


    Vera looked positively relieved as the small caravan caught sight of the walls of Ken. The seat of power for the Seven Shields Alliance and the home of the Goddess herself. Kyril looked at the splendor of it but said nothing. His eyes were scanning the area for more orcs. Since the attack on the road, Alicia and her knights were more careful of ambushes but nothing else had happened.


    Alicia was still shaken but she seemed to have regained some of her imperiousness. "Hunter." She spoke. "We have arrived. I am sure the Goddess will speak with you the moment we set foot in her abode."


    Kyril just hummed in disinterest. Again, Alicia scowled but her tirade was tempered by the fact that she had witnessed him fight off an entire orc band by himself. He was a fearsome fighter, likely far above her and all of her knights combined.


    Alicia rode to the head of the column, prompting the others to follow her into Ken.


    /


    "...Does the Goddess make you uncomfortable, Master Kyril?"


    Prim''s small voice caught Kyril''s attention. He had forgotten that she had deigned to sit next to him as he steered the carriage through the streets of Ken. The crowds all cheered and waved at Prim and Alicia, although it was somewhat muted with some folk whispering and pointing at him.


    "No." Kyril replied. "I bear her no ill will. But I have learned that blind faith is lethal."


    Prim frowned at this. "So...you do not believe in divinities?" She asked.


    The Hunter''s gaze turned distant. "A curious question." He told her. "Why ask this of me?"


    Prim looked at him, making the slow realization that he was genuinely curious as to why she was asking the question.


    "Well! Um, you do not seem to hold the Goddess in high esteem." She said, slowly gaining more confidence. "You either don''t believe in her or she has done you wrong somehow, which I highly doubt. Have...Have you met her?"


    Kyril kept looking ahead. "No." He said. "As you know...I am a foreigner to this land. I come from very far away, so far away I cannot even remember the land where I was born."


    Prim shrank. Now she had definitely upset him.


    "I suppose I could consider that a mercy." Kyril continued. "After what I have seen. You ask me if I believed in gods?" He looked at her, his gaze dead. "The gods I have seen are so far above mortal, they would scar your memories for an eternity."


    Prim shivered. There was a warning in his tone. She did not press him again.


    Kyril continued steering until they at last reached the Grand Cathedral. The Hunter got off the carriage first, and then helped Prim down onto the ground. Around them, Alicia and her knights dismounted.


    The stairs leading up to the cathedral were lined with guards. Waiting at the top was a woman garbed in steel plate. She was older than Alicia by a decade, her brown hair tied into a bun. She held her helmet by her side as she approached, accompanied by two knights in full plate.


    Her blue eyes narrowed when she caught sight of Kyril who did not say anything as Alicia bowed to the woman.


    "Lady Claudia. It is good to see you again." She said.


    The woman, now known as Claudia, frowned at the sight of Alicia, her armor scuffed from the ambush on the road. "Alicia...what happened?" She asked. "The Goddess told me that you were in trouble."


    "Yes...my company and I were ambushed." Alicia looked over at the knights she had left, all eight of them. "I lost the majority to an ambush."


    There was sorrow in Claudia''s eyes as she saw how miserable the knights were. She then looked over at the Hunter. Kyril met her stare with disinterest. Claudia turned back to Alicia. "And this one?" She asked.


    "Ah...right. Lady Claudia, I introduce to you Kyril Sutherland. A Hunter."


    Kyril stepped forward with a predator''s grace. Claudia extended her hand. "We are well met." She said although she really did not mean it. Kyril did not take her hand, causing Claudia to frown.


    "I hear someone has business with me." Kyril''s voice was muffled by the cloth mask he wore.


    Claudia had the realization that this was the man Her Holiness was searching for. And indeed she was right.


    Kyril Sutherland had cruel red eyes.


    Celestine leaned her head back against her throne as she tried to relax. She couldn''t, because of the approaching malice that caused her heart to beat faster within her chest. She dreaded the meeting and yet she could not deny that there was a change in the air.


    The High Elf exhaled shakily, fidgeting.


    "Are you troubled, milady?"


    Celestine looked to her left. Jamal was the thirtieth in the line of butlers that had served her for over a century. His years were coming fast upon him, and soon enough he was going to have to choose a successor. It made her sad that she would outlive him. Jamal was a good man who lived his life dedicated to serving her.


    "I am fine Jamal." She said, giving him a tired but still dazzling smile. "Just...tired."


    Jamal frowned. His brown eyes were filled with worry. "I understand that there is much work to do, Your Holiness. But if you are unwell maybe you should hold off this meeting¡­"


    "No." Celestine shook her head. "As you are aware, Jamal, this has to do with my visions. That is a duty I will shoulder myself." Inwardly, she pleaded that Jamal would not press this issue. Her visions were often times painful, was this the price she payed to receive Laurendau''s favor?


    Please...I cannot bear this burden any longer...She pleaded to anyone that would hear that plea.


    No answer. The Goddess helped those who called for her. Celestine focused on the hallway leading to her throne room. That was when she saw them. Celestine smiled when she saw Claudia Levantine, the stalwart leader of the Dawn Templars. Alicia Arcturus, celebrated knight of Iris, her dear cousin little Prim and¡­


    And¡­


    Celestine paled as she began to breathe harder.


    The throne room seemed to sink a chill into her bones. Her heart pounded in her ears and her eyes dilated as she caught sight of the man that haunted her vision.


    The same tattered hat, the same gray coat.


    The same cruel, dead eyes that were the color of spilled blood.


    "Your Holiness¡­?" Jamal''s voice was a distant thing. Celestine stared as Claudia, Alicia and Prim knelt giving her obeisance. The man in the tattered hat did no such thing. He stood straight, cruel eyes locked onto her, observing her like prey.


    The worst part was what she heard. The roar of the ocean, waves crashing against the shore. An angry rumbling sound that shook her to the very core. Her eyes darted to Jamal, then to Claudia, Prim, and Alicia.


    Did they not hear it? This maddening thunder that threatened her very core?


    "Hunter!" Claudia hissed. "Kneel!"


    That snapped her out of it. Calming herself, Celestine stood up as she walked down from her throne, resisting every urge in her body to flee from the castle, from Ken. To get away as far as she could from the man with the cruel red eyes.


    /


    "Kneel, you disrespectful cur!"


    Kyril chose to ignore Claudia''s words, causing the knight to glare at him for disrespecting her liege. The Hunter looked at the Goddess Reborn for the first time. Celestine the Fair, High Elf Queen of Eostia.


    She certainly was beautiful. Fair skin, long soft blond hair. Green eyes. She wore a modest white robe that clung to her body. Green eyes, wide with terror, shone in the light of the throne room. Long ears twitched.


    Kyril knew, with certainty, that no one could have stopped him. The Hunter could have cut the head from her shoulders before she could even call for help from the knights kneeling before her and staring at him. He could in fact draw the pistol at his side and shoot her dead right there.


    Why? He saw the light of Insight in her eyes and knew that the insidious madness that took Yharnam would kill her if he did nothing. She knew him, the Goddess was said to be a prophet after all., for how could she look at him with fear in her eyes when they had never met face to face? So he asked her.


    "You have seen me, haven''t you?"


    His question caused a stunned silence. How dare this wandering killer address their Goddess in such a way?


    "Yes," The Goddess whispered. "I have seen you in my nightmares. A stranger in gray, responsible for unimaginable bloodshed." Her voice was tremulous. "But despite this, I knew I had need of whatever power you hold to save my kingdom."


    "Your Holiness¡­" Claudia spoke up as she stood. "Surely you do not mean to say that we need this man?"


    She scowled at Kyril who pointedly ignored her.


    "I have need of skilled agents." Celestine spoke over Claudia''s concerns. "You were not the only one in my vision, Master Hunter. I also sense that my rival''s strength will wane in the coming days. I believe this to be a sign; the war can end in one swift strike."


    The room was silent once more.


    The Hunter spoke after a long pause. "So you wish for me to bring you Olga Discordia''s head."


    Claudia, Prim and Alicia gaped at him.


    "N-No!" Celestine said, far too quickly for anyone to notice. Kyril did but he did not speak of it. "I wish for you to bring her here. To face justice."


    Kyril nodded. "A difficult task." He said, softly. "And yet you believe me to be capable of this."


    "Yes." Celestine looked far more determined now. "And if you choose to accept this task, know that I will reward you with whatever you wish. This war has caused untold suffering to my people. Help me end this war, and I will be forever indebted to you."


    Kyril looked her in the eye this time. She looked like she wanted to say more.


    "As you wish."


    Celestine felt the pressure in the room ease off. She could breathe again. "I...thank you, master Hunter. Truly." She said. Clearing her throat, Celestine made sure her tone was serious. "Much will have to be prepared before the time comes for you to act, Master Hunter. Please, rest here in the palace for the time being. I am sure all of you are tired."


    "Friends, walk with me."


    Celestine summoned her three Princess Knights to walk with her to her chambers. The Hunter had stalked off, saying he needed to stock up on supplies.


    "Milady, I must speak." Claudia said. "I am unsure as to why you consider this man a capable agent. He is dangerous."


    "I agree with Lady Claudia, Your Holiness." Alicia agreed. "The man is a capable killer."


    "He is," Prim said to Alicia. "But you did not mention that he saved your life, cousin."


    Claudia turned his head to the more diminutive Prim. "He what?"


    Prim looked at Claudia. "Yes, we were ambushed, as you know, by orcs. Master Kyril cut through most of them to help us."


    Alicia looked away shamefaced. That she really did not want to admit.


    Claudia still looked unconvinced. "His conduct here is also concerning." She spoke finally. "I find his demeanor suspicious."


    "I forbid you from acting against him, Claudia." Celestine said as they finally reached her quarters. "You have not seen what I have seen." Her voice was grave.


    "And if he presents a danger to you?" Claudia returned. "I will strive to do what I have to in order to protect you, Lady Celestine."


    "He bears us no ill will." Celestine smiled sadly. "Unless we give him a reason to act, my friend. Please endure this. For me. I know he is a capable agent, if anyone could bring Olga here it is him."


    "Yes...him. And maybe the Black Dogs." Prim spoke looking down.


    Celestine nodded in agreement.


    Yes.


    They would have their part to play as well. But for good or ill, she could not truly say.


    Things have changed. And all she could feel was uncertainty.

 Chapter 337 - My SI Stash #37 - Monsters Of My Own by DesertChocolate (PokemonXYoungJustice)

    -So many fics are being rewritten lately but i''ve been waiting for this story to update so i''ll just take it! And I really like how we don''t immediately see the Young Justice/DCU cast, the author seems to be taking his time, exploring the MC and his Pokemon team first which is a nice change of pace compared to the original!


    Synopsis: A self-insert fic where a man is turned into a teenager, shoved into the Pokemon world for four months, then unceremoniously dropped into the Young Justice universe next. He is not happy.


    Rated: T


    Words: 10K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13626201/1/Monsters-Of-My-Own (DesertChocolate)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Arceus is a f.u.c.k.i.n.g asshole.


    Anyone who knows Legendary Pokemon knows that most of them share that trait. In my case though, I was feeling that way out of personal rage.


    I tumbled through a world of red lights, trying to reach my hands out for anything.


    "You asshole!" I shouted into the void, getting no answers. I screamed it again, just to hear my voice in this empty space.


    What the hell happened!?


    My name is Mahmoud. Four months ago, I''d woken up in the Pokemon world. Yeah, just like that. No answers, no one to blame. Just me, in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, waking up in a Pokemon Center. I didn''t even have my smartphone.


    What was worse was that I''d woken up about 15 years younger than when I went to sleep.


    Do you know how annoying it is to not only show up in another world, but to be a teenager again at the same time? I wasn''t one of those guys who was obsessed with relieving their youth. Being an a.d.u.l.t, having actual agency and power in my life, was something I didn''t want to lose.


    Instead, I was an overweight teenager again. Years of working out and building muscle, my large and glorious beard, all gone and replaced with my awkward teenage self. I was around 15 or 16ish. Just before I started taking care of myself.


    I spent that first hour I was awake staring at myself in the bathroom mirror, eyes tracing my olive-brown skin and brown eyes. I''d also lost height and muscle, all replaced by a paunchy stomach that wrestling practice and years of on and off workouts would slowly erase.


    I eventually left the bathroom and the room set aside to see what the world looked like.


    It took about five seconds for me to realize where I was. It was right when the Onix rolled past.


    He was massive. The boulders that made up his form were as wide around as I was tall. He went through the halls of the Pokemon Center with incredible grace, his body clacking together as he moved. He turned his head to look at me. In real life, those slanted eyes had a physical effect on me. The long spike on top of his head looked particularly lethal.


    There''s no doubt in my mind that anyone who had seen that would have done what I did. Slowly turn around and go back into my room, the Onix ignoring me as he continued to roll towards the small child calling him ''Danny''.


    I''d been ROBbed. I was self-inserted. Or, in this case, inserted.


    I sat in bed for a bit, just taking in the feel of the blanket under my skin. It felt real. I pinched myself. Yep, real. I stared out the window. A Fletchling was watching me through the window, the bird Pokemon c.o.c.king his head to the side.


    So yeah. My first day inserted into the Pokemon world was just me freaking out at the new situation I''d found myself in. In my home universe, I''d written a few Self-Insert fanfics. One of them even involved Pokemon quite heavily. That helped me a bit.


    Once I got my bearings and stopped freaking out, I managed to find the bright side of things. Well, I also had to get used to the weird hair colors. What accident of genetics makes pink hair? Or makes all Nurse Joys and Officer Jenny''s share the same appearance?


    The Pokemon Center I woke up in was in the middle of Galar, the region that showed up in Sword and Shield. Basically Pokemon Europe. It was kind of funny, hearing Pokemon trainers talk in Scottish, British, and Irish accents.


    Sadly I hadn''t gotten around to playing the Sword and Shield games, but I had one advantage. I''d been found in the woods with nothing but a t-shirt and jeans, and had spent time confused and asking dumb questions anyone would know. People assumed I was an amnesiac kid who knew nothing. I let them think that.


    It let me get some free food, basic necessities, and my first Pokemon, gifted to me by a kind Nurse Joy who wanted to make sure I was protected. A Mudkip.


    Mudkip was adorable. He had that big blue fin, the orange fins on his cheek, and it turned out that he liked my dumb jokes.


    I didn''t start off having a goal other than survival. I''d come into the world of Pokemon at a time when peace was the only thing to worry about. I wasn''t the main character of some crazy Isekai novel, I was a random guy. Two people, Victor and Gloria, they were the main characters. They''d stopped the bad guys, saved the day, and made a legend of their own. The other regions had been helped in similar ways. I wasn''t about to save the world. It had been saved.


    So I decided to enjoy myself. I was in the POKEMON world! Once the shock stopped, I realized what a crazy awesome situation I''d found myself in. I began by training Mudkip and myself, trying to get to a state of healthiness. I learned how to work with Mudkip, to fight in trainer battles. Galar didn''t really have a training school the way the other regions did. But it had casual training.


    I spent time building a team and enjoying the world. While I missed my family, I knew they were safe in my world. Without a way back, I decided to just keep training until I''d become good enough to draw the attention of Dialga or some other legendary who could travel the Multiverse.


    But man. The Pokemon world is beautiful. There was an untamed look to it all, breathtaking buildings, incredible landscapes. Mudkip and I visited cities that looked like the sorts of places I''d only ever seen in travel magazines. I started in the south of Galar, in a small town called Postwick. From there, Mudkip and I started north, traveling through picturesque landscapes, past rivers, and lakes, buildings, a massive city that looked like a Steampunk artist had gone nuts. Then I got to an airport and spent all the money I''d gained boarding a plane to Sinnoh. If I wanted to find a way home eventually, I''d need to head to the place where the space-time warping Legendaries lived.


    It was only when I reached Sinnoh that my journey really began. And I poured my money into my Pokemon team. Without having to worry about rent, I could spend my money on food, healing, and training. Mudkip was soon joined by a Slugma that I caught. Then a Mimikyu and a Gurdurr. I got my hands on a fossil and got it revived, a process that had been mastered decades ago (Seriously, these f.u.c.kers had perfected cloning technology and they didn''t use it.) That got me Tyrunt, a rambunctious and selfish little guy that I loved dearly.


    The last Pokemon I got was Alakazam. I''d been looking for a beater. As much as I loved my team, I knew I''d need some real power. So I found myself an idiot. He was a frustrated guy whose Alakazam wasn''t listening to him, and selling it. I found him in the Pokemon world version of EBay, and immediately put every cent I had into buying it.


    The Alakazam I got was a badass. He treated me more like a rambunctious teenager than anything. But I was fine with that. Time would get us to work together.


    But before I could get to work on my plans, Team Rainbow Rocket showed up in Sinnoh. The batch of morons were really just the last remnants of that team. An interdimensional team that had been created by the one Giovanni who hadn''t gotten his ass kicked by a ten-year-old. And the second they showed up, I started hunting.


    Interdimensional. As in, they had the tech to travel dimensions. I wanted it. I went after them with all the power I had.


    The first Rainbow Rocket member I found was a grunt causing chaos in the streets of Veilstone City, wearing the familiar Rocket gear. He said something arrogant as his Raticate attacked a young woman. Gurdurr went after the Raticate, my arrogant fighting type smashing the rat with an I-beam.


    And I punched the Rocket grunt in the face. I still think back on that fondly, the man staring at me in shock as he fell on his back, nose bleeding. "B-But you aren''t supposed to punch other trainers!"


    "You''re literally attacking people in the streets. We aren''t playing tournament rules, moron."


    I imagine seeing a teenager beat the shit out of a crying grown man as a Raticate was turned into a tennis ball was a hilarious image.


    Then, about a month after I started hunting them down¡­ I found the device. A machine Rainbow Rocket was working on, trying to pierce the veil between worlds. A few beatdowns later, I tracked them to the caves near Oreburgh City. Me and my Pokemon rushed in as a group, fists and powers flying as we attacked them, the Grunts and their Pokemon trying to stop us. We found our way to the scientist making the device. The machine created a portal, and I got ready for a fight.


    It was about then that I realized my mistake. In those four months, I''d forgotten one thing. Why had I shown up in the Pokemon world? What had brought me there?


    Arceus showed up. And that motherf.u.c.ker blew up the machine with a single Judgement blast, sending me tumbling through the dimensions.


    Of all the convoluted f.u.c.k.i.n.g¡­


    I pulled my Pokemon back into their balls just before he sent me into the portal. The last thing I saw before the red void was that smug drama llama staring at me with those wise eyes. Asshole.


    And now I was cursing to myself while tumbling through nothingness.


    "...The void is vast. Incredibly vast, stretching out into the horizon, farther and farther, entirely scarlet, until the mind begins to boggle at the insane size of it all¡­ It''s also boring as f.u.c.k."


    I had my legs and arms crossed, sitting on nothing as I spun around and around in a world without gravity. I was scowling. Hard. All I had on me was my Pokeballs. I''d used all my potions except a couple of full restores during my run through the cave. And unlike the Pokedex wielders, I didn''t have a giant bag and a thousand sponsors to help me get a small armory of items.


    And no, I wasn''t bitter about those spoiled badass kids.


    It was in the middle of my twisting dance across nothing that I felt a force pulling on


    me. I could barely feel it. But after about two hours flipping through nothingness, any change was obvious. The force I felt pushed me across the void. Or pulled me. It felt like both and neither at the same time.


    "...If this doesn''t send me to Earth, I''m going to lose my mind."


    I hit the sidewall that did and didn''t exist, because of course it had to be as confusing as the rest of the place, and went tumbling through the air.


    It was about ten feet until my back slammed into the ground. Stars filled my vision as I sprawled then, scrambling and rubbing my butt and back in a vain attempt to chase away the pain.


    "Ahhhhh!" I yelled in pain. "Son of a-AHHH!" I grit my teeth as I got up, looking around.


    "...At least it''s pretty," I said after a moment. The place I''d landed on had a perfect view of the ocean.


    The sky was bright blue, with beautiful white clouds. The ocean sang as it crashed against a beach of black sand. At the edge of the beach was a forest of dark green trees, before the forest became a field of green grass. I was standing atop of a hill, letting me get a good look at it all. Another large hill was across from me, shining different shades of green from all the plants growing across it.


    "...Am I in Alola?" I asked myself curiously.


    It looked like the place, based on the pictures I''d seen. Same pretty beach. Same humidity.


    I shrugged off the jacket I was wearing to protect me from Galar''s chilly weather and rain, wrapping it around my waist. Then I took off Mudkip''s Pokeball from my belt and popped it open.


    The tiny mudfish Pokemon appeared in a flash of red light and the familiar ''snap-hiss!'' of a Pokeball opening. He opened his eyes and looked around. On seeing me, his black eyes closed as he smiled.


    "Mudkip, Mud!"


    "Hey buddy," I couldn''t help my smile. I kneeled down and rubber Mudkip''s head, scratching at the smooth skin next to his head fin. "We''ve got trouble¡­"


    "Kip?" he asked curiously.


    I patted my right shoulder. Mudkip hopped up there and held on as I stood up and looked around. "This look familiar to you?"


    He shook his head.


    "Damn. Well, Arceus," that d.i.c.k llama. "Sent us through the portal¡­ Why?"


    Mudkip and I shared a confused look. He sighed and shook his head, pointing his paw at the valley behind the beach.


    "What, you want to go down there?"


    Mudkip nodded. "Kip, Mudkip."


    Four months of interactions made it practically second nature to understand Pokemon language, a combination of body language and tone.


    In this case, Mudkip had a point. There were buildings down in the valley. And honestly, it made more sense to try and find out where we were while we discussed things. Multitasking.


    I assure you, the language Pokemon use is capable of doing a lot with a few moves and sounds.


    With a plan in mind, I started marching. Wherever we were, at least it was civilized. There were houses, some signs of farming, and a car rolling along. While cars weren''t quite as popular as Pokemon for traveling, they were still used by those who didn''t have bigger Pokemon to travel with.


    Mudkip and I talked as we walked. "We were traveling for months, Mud. Months. Fighting every Rainbow Rocket we could get out hands-on in the Sinnoh region. Why, after all that, does Arceus show up out of nowhere and shove us through a portal?"


    "Kip."


    "I really doubt we did anything new to draw his attention¡­ Or maybe he''s the ROB?"


    Enough time with Mudkip had led the small water to understand my slang. He frowned thoughtfully but said nothing as he looked around curiously.


    We walked for a little longer before reaching a road, which I started following. We continued for several minutes, taking in the views around us. The place really was pretty. After Sinnoh and Galar''s chillier climates, sunshine and the smell of the ocean in the distance gave me a skip in my step.


    A truck passed us, a brown-skinned man with a straw hat and a Hawaiian shirt on driving it. He gave me and Mudkip an odd look. Mudkip waved at the man, who slowly waved back, almost swerving off the road he was so distracted.


    "Mudkip?" my buddy asked.


    "I don''t know, man. People are weird wherever they are."


    With that little bit of philosophy, I continued into the valley. We passed a few houses and people working in fields, who ignored us entirely. Soon, I saw something interesting. A tourist shop. Granted, it was called ''Waipio Valley Artworks'', but I knew a tourist shop when I saw it.


    I walked up, ignoring a man seated at a table as he smoked a cigar. There was a newspaper stand there. Pretty damn old school, but welcome. The man smoking a cigar stared at me as I walked up the newspaper stand. I looked at it, ready to place some Pok¨¦mon Dollars in it.


    I stopped, staring. Rather than the familiar symbol I''d gotten used to next to the price there was a dollar symbol. A symbol from my world. For the currency I''d used back home.


    My heart stopped, then started again, pumping harder. The thought consumed me. Home. I was home again. I stared at the symbols before me, eyes dropping to the newspaper being sold. The newspaper was called the ''Star-Advertiser''. The date was March 2nd¡­ 2010!? I was sent back in time! What the hell?


    Then I saw the headline.


    "Superman Prevents Eruption!"


    "..." Mudkip stared between me and the newspaper. I stepped back and sat down on the floor.


    The man with the cigar took a puff. "So. What is that, a mutated dog or something?"


    "Or something¡­ You ever heard of Batman?"


    "That urban legend?" the man asked.


    I thought so.


    "Fuuuuuuuuuu-"

 Chapter 338 - My CO Stash #38 - Bradley the Breaker by Flux Casey (FalloutXAsongofIceandFire)

    -Easiest dub for the MC, without having any meta-knowledge he cucked the shit out of Prince Rhaegar & King Baratheon at the same time/ Also, I find the Fallout elements always great in NSFW fics like this~


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 100K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/bradley-the-breaker-fallout-asoiaf.10678/#post-2915916 (Flux Casey)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    ?


    There she was. This was his moment. Cindy was alone going through her locker. The world had provided Bradley Plaskett a golden opportunity and he would grab hold of it with both hands! Hastily stuffing his Grognak comic into his bag, he took his chance and approached the girl. She wasn''t popular. She wasn''t especially attractive, she had braces, a couple of acne scars and had to wear thick corrective lenses. But Bradley knew his limits. He cursed that he couldn''t match his cool guy name. Brads were supposed to be cool guys, jocks. Instead he was a gangly nerd. It wasn''t the time to bem.o.a.n such things though. Bradley was desperate to improve his image, maybe get a girlfriend. If girls like Cindy were attainable, he''d take what he could get!


    "Hey Cindy! It''s uhh... Nice weather today, right?"


    He felt like his heart was beating out of his chest, his breathing was short, his palms slick with sweat. Cindy wasn''t doing him any favours with the look of contempt she was giving him either. But Bradley decided he had come this far, No matter what he would look like an idiot so he might as well go for it.


    "So the... The Halloween dance is coming up and I was wondering if, uhh, if you''d like to... Go with me? I mean if-if you want to, that is! It''s not a big deal or anything¨C"


    He heard snickering from somewhere nearby. He didn''t want to look. He couldn''t look, not when Cindy was glaring at him hard enough to set him alight.


    "No."


    Bradley swallowed thickly. Well... He had tried at least. "Oh... That''s cool. I''ll just¨C"


    "Sorry, I wasn''t clear. Not just no. Hell no." Cindy clarified, her tone shifting from dismissive to unbridled disdain. "You asked me, me, out to the dance? I might not be a cheerleader or hang out with the popular girls but you honestly thought you had a chance? Bad enough you''re a nerd. You look like the model skeleton in Mister Preston''s class came alive and found an acne-covered skinsuit!" He''d been to the dermatologist about it... "You smell like your route to school takes a detour through the sewer!" His mom kept forgetting to get him the extra strong deodorant... "You''re disgusting. Just me talking to you long enough to tell you this is enough to tank my social cred for the next month. So do us both a favour and don''t talk to me ever again, got it?"


    Cindy''s auburn hair flipped at him as she turned and stormed off, leaving Bradley Plaskett standing in the school hallway, looking and feeling like an idiot. Well. That was definitely more clear. He tried to keep his pace steady as he walked the halls even as the jeering of his classmates crushed his spirit even more. Dad had told him not to be afraid of rejection, that if he failed he should shrug it off and try again. But how could he shrug off something like that?


    ?


    -(-)-


    ?


    Bradley Plaskett skipped school the next day. He decided, if even girls who were theoretically attainable for someone like him would mercilessly tear him down like that, he needed to change. The world wouldn''t change for him. So he got out of bed at the crack of dawn (because in all of the movies they got up at the crack of dawn), taking the bus to the hiking trails. If he wanted to make something of himself, get himself a girlfriend and... Maybe... Do stuff with her... He needed to take the first step. He needed to get in shape! Get fit! Put on some muscle! Be a cool guy! The hiking trails seemed like a good start for a kid who couldn''t afford a gym membership. Lots of hills to climb in Colorado after all!


    ¡­ His first hike lasted about five minutes before he had to take a break. "Okay, Bradley! That''s fine!" he told himself. "Slow start. Just get your breath back and¨C" he almost set himself down on a nearby bench, placed there for people finishing their hikes after coming back down. But at the last moment, he pulled himself back up, standing up straight, even if his lungs begged him not to. "No. I''m thinking about this all wrong. I can''t be a Bradley about this. I need to be a Brad! Be tough! Be Brad! Be cool! Be Brad!" He chanted his mantra with every new step, psyching himself up even as his feet began to ache, his legs began to burn, he got a stitch in his side. All the while he kept pushing himself forward. In the end, his perseverance was rewarded. He managed to climb a moderately sized hill.


    His achievement was somewhat undercut by the family with two small children climbing the larger hill nearby. But that was fine! He''d climb that hill too! Just... later. "For now, I think I''ve earned a little rest..." Brad gasped out as he wandered a little off the trail, leaning himself up against a tall boulder and just sinking against it.


    He wouldn''t have known it. Couldn''t have known. That it wasn''t just a boulder. Or that pushing on it from that exact angle would reveal something great and terrible. All he knew as the boulder shifted impossibly back from the force exerted on it, was the new sensation of falling. "Wah!" he yelped, tumbling backwards into the darkness, the boulder moving back into place, sealing off the only light source. Brad found himself tumbling, rolling down an incline in pitch darkness¨C "OOF!" and crashing at the bottom.


    "Ow..." Brad groaned as he tried to collect himself. Checking himself over he didn''t find any major injuries, just some tenderness and stiffness from twisting some things the wrong way. Gingerly, he sat up and tried to get his bearings but found very little in the darkness. His fumbling hands found the incline he had come down, dirt and stone but since it was hidden by a secret entrance it was clearly man-made.


    "Man, this is just like the issue of Astoundingly Awesome Tales where a kid discovers a hidden society of mole people!" Brad whispered excitedly to himself, "But... Then they ate him." The teen swallowed hard, not feeling quite so excited about his discovery as he had a few seconds before.


    The only other sign of life was the dim light coming from further into the tunnel. Sadly, even with his newfound fear of being eaten alive by molemen, Brad saw no other choice but to search in that direction. The incline of the way he came in was too steep and unsteady for him to climb, much less in the dark. So, swallowing his fear for the moment, he got to his knees and began slowly crawling in the direction of the light, shuffling his way forward. As he rounded a corner the light grew brighter, enough that he could see the rough-hewn walls of the cave, the spiders and other bugs that had found their way down here as they tended to. But he quickly dismissed the bugs as a concern as he came around another corner and saw something he certainly hadn''t expected to find.


    "What''s a vault doing down here?" Brad gasped. Certainly he had heard about all of the vaults being built around the states, especially in the most populated and important areas like California, D.C. And the north-east. But why would they build one here? "Who would ever care to nuke Colorado? ¡­ Oh, wait. NORAD. Yeah, that makes sense." Even so, Brad hadn''t heard of any vaults being built where he lived. He would have thought that would be big news. NORAD probably had one, or one of their bases converted to one, but no civilian ones. "This is so weird."


    "Excuse me!" a speaker blared suddenly, Brad near jumping out of his skin at the sound. "I say, you there, young man!"


    ¡­ Well, there was nothing for it. This was civilisation of a sort. It was what he was looking for. "Y-Yeah?" Brad answered. Right! Be Brad! "Yeah! I''m Brad! What is this place?"


    "Young Master Brad, is it?" Now that Brad wasn''t panicking he recognised the voice. It sounded kind of like the default Mister Handy voice. "May I ask how you found this place, Master Brad?"


    "Uhh, I was hiking and leaned on a boulder. Next thing I knew I was down here and now I''m stuck. Could you help me?"


    "I see. Well then, nothing for it! Please don''t be alarmed, I''m opening the door!"


    Brad waited and watched as an orange strobe lit up, accompanied by a buzzing warning siren and the hiss of steam as whatever giant device running the door got to work. The giant gear-like door sank backwards, a large clamp hooking onto it and pulling it, rolling it aside and out of the way. "So cool!" Brad exclaimed, never having seen one working in person. But a thought occurred. Didn''t vault doors usually have the vault number on them?


    Brushing the question aside and adding it to the pile that was rapidly building up, he stepped forward and into the vault proper. The room he found himself in was empty save for the control panel and some guard railings blocking some kind of machinery that he couldn''t even begin to comprehend. "Hello?" he asked the empty room, "Robot voice guy?" As if in response, he heard sounds indicating the door was closing again. "This is starting to be a little creepy!" he shouted, still receiving no response. Creeping further into the room he asked again, "Hello?"


    There was a clank and hiss as the vault door sealed shut. Only... The hissing sound didn''t stop. The door was very clearly shut, he checked. So what... Was... That...


    Brad didn''t even feel it as he dropped to the mesh flooring, fully unconscious.


    ?


    -(-)-


    ?


    "Well I''d say, as always, Director Rosen''s preparations have proven him the finest of forward thinkers!" a Mister Handy unit declared as it and two other robots, a Mister Gutsy and Miss Nanny, hovered around the prone form of one Bradley Plaskett. "To think someone would actually stumble on this place!"


    "No plan survives contact with the enemy!" the Gutsy grunted, "Gotta plan for your plan goin'' to shit! Director''s a smart man!"


    "Oui, it is most fortuitous zat we ''ave orders for situations such as zis!" the Miss Nanny agreed. "Shall I prepare ze auto-doc for ''im?"


    "Of course, of course!" the Handy-bot crowed, "Let''s get him started on his treatment! People like him will be needed when it comes time for the Project to get underway!"


    One day later


    "What is the prognosis, Florence?" the Handy-bot asked, hovering his way into the restricted medical bay.


    The Nanny-bot bounced a little. "Early indications say ''e will respond strongly to ze FEV treatment! Just two more days and zere will be nothing left but to wait for ''is transformation to complete. Zen he shall be ze perfect soldier!"


    "Excellent news! I''m sure the Director will be deli¨C" the Handy-bot''s exultations were cut off as a literal earth-shaking BOOM vibrated through the entire vault. "By Jove, what was that?"


    The PA sparked to life. "Hey, Farnsworth, Florence! We got a problem! Ya know how we got a buncha orders for what to do if the bombs drop?" the voice of the Mister Gutsy blared.


    "... Yeeeeeees...?"


    "Well, they just came into effect."


    The entirety of the vault-like facility was staffed purely by computers, by robots, by machines. So in a sense, what happened next was an inevitability. The bots staffing the facility were given many different scenarios for what may or may not happen in the event of nuclear war. There were three relevant ones to the current circ.u.mstance.


    First. If the facility should be discovered by an unaffiliated party, the bots were to apprehend them and put them through FEV processing, turning them into supersoldier bodyguards, no longer considered human.


    Second. After the bombs drop, the survival and well-being of any humans within the facility is to be ensured at all cost.


    Third. Once the vault has been sealed with humans inside, the Project is to be taken into its final stages to ensure the survival of humanity.


    Bradley Plaskett had been apprehended as per the first protocol. However, he had yet to go through the full FEV treatment, only the preparatory stages. He was still considered human. That meant there was a human inside the facility. Inside the sealed facility. Which meant...


    "Very well," Farnsworth stated only an instant later, his processors having found their only course of action. "Florence, cancel the FEV treatment. It is no longer something we can perform. We must ensure young Master Brad''s well-being and survival at any cost! Ford! Begin the Traversal Protocol!"


    "Damn limey bastard thinkin'' he can give me orders..." grumbled the voice on the PA, cut off with a click.


    "Well, Florence, let''s get to work, shall we?"


    Two months later.


    "How is he coming along?"


    "It is so frustrating!" Florence complained. "It seems not to matter how much we put into ''im, ze treatments show minimal effects! Zere is no other choice! If ''e is to survive wherever ''e is going we must¨C"


    "We cannot use the FEV!" Farnsworth insisted. "If we use the FEV he is no longer human! We need him to retain his ability to reproduce at the very least!"


    "Per''aps zere is a way to achieve zat with FEV?" Florence asked hopefully.


    "Impossible! How would we even achieve something like that?"


    "Zere is nothing stopping us from retrieving test subjects from outside..."


    Despite not having lungs, Farnsworth sighed, clicking the PA switch. "Ford, how far out are we from Traversal?"


    "''Nother month, at least."


    "Good. You have another job to do."


    Two more months later


    "So? What are your results?"


    "I... may have somezing?" Florence hazarded as she picked up a rat.


    "A big rat?"


    "An FEV infected rat," Florence corrected. "Second generation."


    Farnsworth''s arms came forward, the Handy-bot equivalent of eagerness. "The rats are still able to procreate? Could that ability be passed on to other creatures that would normally be turned sterile?"


    "We shall see..." Florence teased, her light tone suggesting she was confident in her success.


    One month later


    "Traversal in three... Two... One..."


    No one on the surface would know it. In that moment, the entire facility under Colorado warped and squashed into a space capable of holding a single atom, then smaller still to a proton, then an electron... And then it was gone. Never to be seen or heard from again. In that world, that is.


    "..." Farnsworth waited.


    "..." Florence waited.


    "..." Ford waited.


    "Excellent!" Farnsworth cheered. "I think it is safe to say if we were going to be ripped to shreds by spatial forces or destroyed in some other unforeseen circ.u.mstance it would have happened by now! Florence, is your treatment for young Master Brad ready?"


    "More zan ready!" Florence confirmed with a bob in the air. A robot nod.


    "Excellent!" Farnsworth bobbed in return. "Master Brad''s survival and well-being is all we must concern ourselves with now."


    ?


    -(-)-


    ?


    Bradley came to wakefulness in many steps. It was a strange and laboured process, his mind seeming to come to life well after the rest of his body. His eyes flickered open, the fluorescent light overhead was painful but his mind was incapable of figuring out what to do about it, thoughts not even coherent enough to close his eyes, or block out the light with his arm, or just simply turn away.


    Minutes passed, and finally he managed to squeeze his eyes shut again, sitting up in his bed. Only another few minutes later did he realise it wasn''t his bed, that he was in an unfamiliar place. What had happened? His memories were hazy. He remembered¡­ A war? And fighting a bunch of Chinese guys with swords with a giant sledgehammer. Man, that was a crazy dream but it was so lifelike!


    As he rose off of the bed, feet planting on the cold tile floor, he was surprised to find his feet, his legs, far more steady than the rest of him. They stood solid under him, as unshakeable as tree trunks. With strong, heavy steps that pounded on the tiles with an audible thump, he brought himself over to a mirror¡­


    The light must have messed with his eyes. He was seeing things. Squinting his eyes shut in hard blinks, what he was seeing didn''t change. Squeezing his eyes shut, so hard he could hear the blood rushing in his ears, then opening them again...


    "What the shit!"


    Chapter 2


    "Duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh!"


    When Brad had first seen his reflection, looked down and inspected himself, he had taken it poorly. The existential confusion of looking into a mirror and not recognising the person staring back at you is not an easy thing to shrug off.


    "Duh-duh-duh-duh!"


    Thankfully for him his mind, already what he considered his best feature, had received an upgrade. It was more able to process what may have happened to him. Namely, that he was in one of the nicer issues of Astoundingly Awesome Tales. One where he found some weird experiment thing and it had given him a body that could inspire Grognak to hit the gym.


    "Duh-duh-duh-duh-duhhhhhh!"


    And so began the half hour of making his pecs dance with a goofy grin on his newly handsome face.


    It was awesome! All his life he had been frail and wimpy but whatever had happened to him he was now legitimately statuesque! Not just figuratively, either. His body so perfect and solid it might as well have been carved out of marble! His face formerly gaunt and sickly now filled out. His strong jaw that used to only contribute to his bony appearance now made him look like some kind of movie-star action hero! His hair seemed to have grown out quite a bit somehow, long, dark hair flowing down onto his shoulders in waves.


    A new exciting thought emerged from his giddy mind and he dropped to the floor to do something he had never been able to do before. Push-ups.


    "One! Two! Three! Four! Hot damn this is easy!" He switched it up, trying it with only one hand, the other folded over his back. "One! Two! Three! Four! Five!" Switching arms. "One! Two! Three! Four! Five!" Maybe even... He put both hands on the floor and¨C "One!" Shoved down, his body lifting fully off the ground. He brought his hands together in a clap before slamming them back on the tile. He fully abandoned counting as he continued, cackling madly to himself as he continued in the exercise that he could barely even feel the strain of. With one final push, he planted his feet flat under himself and stood up again.


    ???This is the greatest thing that ever happened to me!" Brad crowed, pumping his arms. "What even is this? Maybe some kind of crazy experimental steroid treatment? Some kind of Super Buffout or something?" A creeping feeling of dread crawled down his back as the word ''Buffout'' passed through his lips. Hurriedly pulling away the tracksuit pants he was wearing, "... Nope. Deeeefinitely not Buffout," he observed as his grin only got wider. He was hung like a horse now! The rest of him was huge and his d.i.c.k seemed to have just stayed to scale!


    He heard a soft ding, a light coming on over the door before it opened, revealing a Miss Nanny bot on the other side. "Bonjour!" it called cheerily in the standard voice set.


    And there he was with his d.i.c.k in his hand.


    "Ah! I see you are engaged in ze masturbacion? Would you like me to return in a moment so you may finish?"


    Fumbling to get tuck his new super-schlong away, taking a little gratification in how much more effort it took, "Hi!" he greeted the robot, only a little embarrassed. It was just a robot after all.


    "Oh, you ''ave changed your mind? Bon! Allow me to introduce myself! I am Miss Nanny model number 12520, designation ''Florence''." The french-accented robot said, entering the room and bobbing like it was curtseying. "A pleasure to meet you, Monsieur Brad! I am tasked with ensuring your comfort and continued health."


    Raising an arm and flexing, Brad raised his eyebrows at the nurse-robot. "Well you''re doing a swell job so far."


    "Merci! Is zere anyzing I can do for you?"


    "Well I feel fantastic, let me tell you!" he assured her, a tiny burble of laughter escaping as he twitched his pecs a little more for his own amus.e.m.e.nt. "But what I could really use is some answers. What happened to me? My memory''s a little hazy."


    "Oh, of course!" the robot agreed quickly, moving so as not to block the door to make him feel more at ease. "Well, a great many zings happened since you fell unconscious¨C"


    "Wait, how did I fall unconscious? The last thing I remember was... Falling down a hole?" Or was that part of the dream?


    "Ah, oui! You fell and stumbled across zis facility. As you were not auzorised to be ''ere, you were appre''ended and brought into the facility to undergo Forced Evolutionary Virus treatment and become an unzinking soldier for ze inhabitants of ze facility."


    "Wha¨C"


    "And zen, one day later, ze United States were bombarded with many nuclear weapons, turning ze surface into an irradiated wasteland."


    "Nuclear¨C!"


    "Zis meant ze circ.u.mstances surrounding you ''ad changed and our top priority became ensuring your survival and well-being. Zus, we searched out and applied treatments to you zat would not be so destructive to your body, leaving you as ze pinnacle specimen of ''umanity you are now! I must say, I am quite proud of myself for zat, I designed ze improved treatment zat stopped you from becoming sterile!" Sterile?! Brad was so taken aback, he could no longer even lend his voice to his horror. "Master, would you like to sit down? You seem to be becoming quite agitated!"


    Agitated? That was a word for it. Brad sank heavily onto his bed, hearing and feeling the metal creak under his weight. "Nuclear war broke out?"


    "Zat is correct."


    "Everyone''s dead?"


    The Nanny-bot''s arms raised in a shrug. "We do not know, it was not ze purpose of zis facility. Merely to ensure ze survival of ze people in zis base and bring zem safely to our destination."


    "Bring them? Where?"


    The door chimed again. "Ah, I suppose it would be my turn!" A Handy-bot appeared in the doorway and hovered his way into the room. "Good morning, sir! Mister Handy model 23010, designation ''Farnsworth'' at your service!"


    "... Hi?"


    "Delighted to make your acquaintance in the flesh, so to speak!" The thruster at the robot''s base flared brighter causing the robot to do a little hop-like motion. "As to your question, this facility, designated the Fallback Underground Bunker and Relocator, or Vault F, is one of multiple places of refuge for the fine people of Vault-Tec should the need for one be met, the sixth and final in fact. Should the world above be beyond saving, this facility is designed with the intent of travelling from one reality to another!"


    "That''s not possible."


    "I am afraid, Master Brad, that I must respectfully disagree! Not only is it possible, we have done it!"


    "... How!"


    The robot, to its credit, looked about as sheepish as a robot could. "I, err, I''m afraid I don''t know. I am merely a service robot after all. Even the supercomputer on level four would likely give you the numerical equivalent of ''I haven''t the foggiest''. Director Rosen was a genius but he might as well have been performing magic for how much anyone else could understand. Suffice to say, from an outside perspective we shrunk down to smaller than the smallest subatomic particle, entered some sort of quantum something-or-other, came back out in another reality and returned to normal size! Pushing aside anything that might get in our way!" He finished in a lower, more conspiratorial voice, "That last part turned out to be important, as it happens! We''d have been crushed against the inside of a mountain otherwise!"


    It hadn''t been said in quite these words, but Brad understood well enough how many times he almost died over the past however long it had been. "So... What now?"


    "Well, Master Brad, that would rather be up to you to decide. Ford, our Mister Gutsy, is currently charging our excavator robots with digging us a path out from under wherever we are. Should you wish to explore the world above, or simply stay here in the safety of Vault F, we will be happy to serve you however we are able. You are our master."


    "And our charge," Florence added, "Whatever you may need we will be ''appy to provide."


    -(-)-


    ?


    Brad took a few days to get to grips with his new reality. He remembered what he had in his old life. His parents, and... That was about it. It was a depressing thought how little he had lost with the end of the world but even so, what he had lost hurt. His parents were almost certainly dead. But with no bodies, no funerals, it was hard for it to feel real, hard for the impact of their loss to land. Regardless, he knew they wouldn''t want him to wallow when such an incredible opportunity had been thrust upon him. He had a chance at a new life, a greater life filled with adventure! He was on a whole new world! It would be the greatest waste in history to let such a chance to pass by!


    Over those few days he got to grips with himself, finding out the facts of what had been done to him. According to Florence, he was no longer capable of physically ageing. Whether that meant he would live forever or just stay in his physical prime until literal old age took him remained to be seen. On top of that, his physical and mental abilities had been raised to human limits and then doubled on top of that, give or take a few percentile points. He had been made legitimately superhuman!


    And then there were the resources now at his disposal. It had been a surprise when the Mister Gutsy, Ford, showed him the armoury. Brad picked up a rifle, stripped it and reassembled it in less than a minute, dropping the thing on realising what he had done without even thinking about it. It was at this point that he learned the dreams he had been remembering weren''t dreams but instead virtual reality training scenarios! He could look at any weapon in the armoury and know exactly how to use it. Even the power armour sets, whether framed or single unit systems, he could climb into and operate like he had been born in one!


    Even so, even with all of the training he had, he felt himself gravitating to one particular piece of equipment.


    The super sledge.


    An oversized sledgehammer fitted with a kinetic storage device to add an incredible amount of force to every swing! It called to him. His childish fantasies of being a warrior of legend like Grognak begging to be fulfilled. Maybe they were on a primitive world like his and Brad could fight ancient monsters trying to eat hot girls! Or maybe they were on an alien planet and he could rescue hot alien girls from their evil alien overlords!


    "Master Brad!" the voice of Farnsworth rang through the intercom, "The eyebot has returned and it found something... peculiar."


    Peculiar was understating it. It seemed the place the vault had ended up was indeed halfway up a mountain. The data the eyebot brought back indicated wherever they were, it was either winter or a quite cold climate. As it scouted out the area it had found signs of civilisation. Specifically, pre-industrial civilisation. Perhaps even pre-renaissance. Brad''s fantasy of becoming a legendary warrior seemed closer by the moment. Even more exciting, the people of this place seemed human!


    His course was set. There was no doubt left in his mind. He needed to explore this new world for himself. Slay monsters, find fortune, bed beautiful women! It was his destiny!


    "Do you really ''ave to go?" Florence asked as he stood at the vault exit, decked out in a suit of single unit power armour slightly altered to fit the time period, ready to embark on his adventure. "It is safer ''ere."


    "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!" Ford disagreed, "If this is what he wants then by God he should go for it! Get on out there, son! You show these aliens what the men of the good ol'' US of A are made of!"


    "I will. Thanks, Ford."


    "Should you need anything, Master Brad, we shall be right here, ready to serve!"


    "And do not ''esitate to use your distress beacon if you are in danger!" Florence added before Brad could turn away. "I will ''ave ze assaultron zere to rescue you immediately!"


    "Uhh, thanks!" Brad said with a wave as he backed away, hitting the vault door open. He wasn''t sure it was a good idea to introduce a doom laser murder machine into a pre-industrial society but he''d learned over the past few days the robots were very keen on keeping him safe. Best to just go with it if things were going his way. "Well, wish me luck."


    "Good luck, Master Brad!"


    "Stay safe!"


    "Tear those medieval commies a new one for me!"


    And so the siren blared once again and the vault door closed behind him. Brad''s adventure in a new world had truly begun.


    As Brad emerged from the long tunnel to the outside world he was met with a vaguely familiar image, familiar for more than one reason. The eyebot had taken pictures of the outside world as it floated about so the view from the vault exit he had seen before. However, it was also familiar because it reminded him of home a little. They weren''t just under a mountain, they were under a mountain range. To the south and the east, natural formations of snow-capped stone tried to pierce the sky. Behind him, to the north, a peak that seemed to dwarf any others within seeing distance stood over his new home.


    To the west? The west was a series of steep slopes down to what in other seasons might be rolling plains, but for now was a light blanket of snow. "Well, nothing for it!" Brad lamented, his eager grin at complete odds with his words as he began leaping down the hill, the severe drop barely even an inconvenience to him. For anyone else the ice and snow combined with the poor visibility would make it a precarious trek at best, but for him... He felt powerful from how easy it was. Maybe not invincible. One particular drop was a little further than he thought and the shock bypassed even his power armour. But even if he wasn''t invincible, he certainly felt dominant over anything this world could throw at him.


    Before long he found himself at the base of the mountain range, panting not from exertion but from exhilaration! "Okay, so the road should be..." Continuing west he found a road travelled enough that it was still visible despite the intermittent snowfall. Wagon and animal tracks as well as human footprints all going the same direction: south. "Perfect!" He began walking south towards the nearest settlement the eyebot had found. However, he quickly got impatient, picking up his pace to a brisk jog. It felt like a more natural pace for him, felt like the level of exertion he was used to from walking. It would take some time to adjust to his new body, it seemed.


    His quicker pace got him where he was going much faster than he expected, finding himself in the little village before sundown. "Charltonall," he muttered to himself on seeing the sign for the place, with a little shield painted on it, green and yellow with three sprigs of... Holly? No, mistletoe... Probably. So if this were a feudal society that would be the shield of the local lord or something like that? The village had the look of just a small bit of civilisation on the road but it was busy despite its size. The place seemed inundated with carriages adorned with more fancy shields stopped just on the outskirts. The glow of campfires keeping warm the people who couldn''t get proper shelter in the little town.


    "''Nother new face?" a man asked him, surprising Brad out of his examinations, not just from not being noticed but also speaking english.


    Score one for fantasy writers, he supposed. "I suppose."


    "Well, ''fraid to say milord but we''re fresh out of room," the man said apologetically. "If''n you''ve a need, I''m sure there''s folks who''ll offer you a bit o'' comfort for a bit o'' coin."


    "That''s alright, I can manage," Brad answered with an easy grin. "You guys look a bit swamped with all the visitors though. Anything I can do to help?"


    The man blinked, his head twisting sharply as if to rattle the word around in his brain in hopes of making sense of it. "Help?"


    "Yeah! I got a strong pair of hands, might as well use ''em!"


    -(-)-


    ?


    Two women watched the giant at work, for what else could he be but a giant? He was a head and a half taller than any other man in the village, even the hedge knights passing through on their way to Harrenhal. "Father, Warrior and Smith just look at those muscles!" Annae gasped as the man, bare chested despite the cold, brought his axe down on a log and split it cleanly, his muscles rippling with the effort.


    "Oh, I''m looking," Lora confirmed, eyes locked on his abdominals with single-minded focus. "Think he''s a lord?"


    "Can''t be!" Annae denied quickly. "You think a lord would lower himself to chopping firewood for us common folk, girl?"


    "Well, no," Lora admitted, perking up as he raised his axe again and brought it down, a hot shiver travelling to some very private places. "But look at him! He''s so clean and built! And that armour he was wearing! There''s no chance armour like that is owned by a hedge knight!"


    "S''pose not," Annae grudgingly agreed as she watched his biceps bulge. "Bet he''s married."


    "So?"


    Annae gasped and slapped the younger girl''s shoulder playfully, "You naughty cow!"


    Lora shrugged, "Man like him I''d be happy havin'' his bastards if he takes proper care of me?"


    "You want to be his kept woman?" Annae asked with surprise that her friend would suggest such a thing. Getting only a shrug in return, Annae had a devious thought. "Go get your man then!" she cheered, giving the younger girl a light shove towards the manly stranger. When Lora turned back with a shocked look, Annae just gave her a shooing motion, eagerly waiting for whatever outcome might happen. Whatever it is it will surely be a fun story to tell later.


    Lora lost just about all of her bravado as she moved closer to the mountain of a man that had gained her interest. Even as he paid her no attention, focusing only on his task of chopping firewood, he seemed to loom over her purely from his height. She feared getting too close, worried that a single touch from him might put her through a wall! "G-Good evening, milord!" she squeaked as she got as close as she dared.


    He looked down at her, big brown eyes drawing her in. "Hi there!" he answered with a smile.


    "Th-thank you for helping like this, milord. I''m sure the men are grateful."


    "Eh," he shrugged, the heavy woodcutting axe hanging over his shoulder without a care. "I''m just happy to help! And you don''t need to call me ''milord'' like that. My name''s Brad. Brad Plaskett."


    She hadn''t heard of that house but it was good to know he was a man of some means to have a house name. "Lora," she introduced herself in turn.


    "Lora...?"


    "... Lora Rivers, milord," she admitted. She wasn''t bastard born as far as she knew, but for orphans it didn''t really make much of a difference.


    "That''s a nice name," he said with complete sincerity. A confusing reaction but also a pleasant surprise that ignited a warmth in her b.r.e.a.s.t. "What can I do for you, Lora?"


    She needed an excuse! Something to get the two of them alone together. "Well, I was thinking since you''ve worked so hard for us," so very, very hard, "that I''m sure no one would mind if you slept in the woodshed. I could fetch some blankets for you to keep you warm?"


    "That sounds great!" he exclaimed, planting his axe in the stump. "Everyone here''s so nice, thanks so much!"


    His attitude only continued to confuse her. Confident and careless like a lord but humble and appreciative as a beggar. He didn''t make any sense. Even so, she gathered the blankets from her own bed and hurried them back over to him, ushering him into the woodshed. She felt the heat and wetness blooming between her legs increase as she felt the firmness of his arms. He should be freezing but his body heat alone was enough to chase away the evening chill.


    "Sorry there isn''t much space," she said as she closed the gate behind them.


    "Ah, that''s no big deal, I could probably sleep anywh-uh..."


    His boyish reaction on turning around, seeing her shrugging herself out of her furs, baring herself for him, it was endearing and empowering to see him so struck by her. Lora felt herself flush as he stared, eyes travelling up and down her form.


    It was hard for her to consider herself attractive, seeing all of the noble ladies passing through with their finer clothes, their painted lips and curled lashes. She had done what she could in her moments away, doing her best to puff up her small lips into a pout. Her skin was pale from the long winter but the chill gave her pleasantly rosy cheeks. She swept a brush through her naturally curly brown hair trying to clear it of tangles. It felt like a desperate effort trying to catch this man''s attention. But now, now that he was staring at her so hungrily, devouring every inch of revealed skin even as she felt her n.i.p.p.l.es stiffen from both arousal and exposure to the cool night air, she knew she was going to experience something those pompous noble prigs could only dream of. "Sorry there''s such a draft in here," she said, not sounding sorry in the slightest, "Shall we do something to keep warm?"


    Just as she hoped, he couldn''t restrain himself when given such an open invitation, sweeping her into his arms and pulling her clothes away even further. She gasped as his grip on her became painful. "Please be gentle, milord!" she begged. She wanted to be ravaged tonight but even so, there was a limit!


    Mumbling out a "sorry", his hands started exploring her. He quickly found the height disparity between them was an inconvenience, hooking her hands under her thighs and carrying her over to a pile of stacked firewood. Thinking quickly, she threw some of the blankets down atop it, giving her a comfortable perch as he continued to squeeze and pinch at her sensitive flesh. Down her slim arms, tracing calloused fingers, slipping under her furs to fondle her thighs, all while his head sank down to her chest to taste her b.r.e.a.s.ts, teasing her n.i.p.p.l.es with his tongue. "Yes, please more!"


    His hands quested deeper, seeking out her most sacred place, fingers tracing and exploring her soaking cunny. She was ready for him, so very ready, and she didn''t want to wait anymore. Her own hands sought the strange fastens on his clothes, fumbling with them until they opened and she could finally pull out his enormous c.o.c.k. It was intimidating but so was the rest of him. She wanted to be ravaged and with a c.o.c.k like that there was no other way it could go.


    Pulling aside any clothes that might get in the way, she held herself open for him, giving him a clear view of her eager, dripping cunt. "Please, give it to me!"


    He said nothing, just lined himself up and placed his bulbous head against her soaking hole. "Yes yes yes yes¨C!" and then he pushed inside, giving her no time to adjust and driving himself home. "Guh-ahhhhh!" she squealed as the head rammed into the deepest parts of her with no remorse or mercy. He didn''t wait, didn''t hold back, he just started pounding away at her cunt with wild abandon, his heavy balls slapping against her arse. Every thrust was a painful pleasure, like a punch to her w.o.m.b all while his shaft scr.a.p.ed at every inch of her sensitive cunt. "Ahh! Ahh! Ahh!" she yelped with every slam he took into her.


    Before long he got tired of leaning over her and instead picked her up off the wood pile, off the blankets and instead held her up by taking firm handfuls of her arse. With a firm grip, he started pulling her down even as he thrust up, suddenly Lora was seeing stars, her cunt trying to milk his c.o.c.k even while it felt like it was tearing her apart! Gentle had lasted all of about thirty seconds but Lora found no cause for complaint as she came on his mammoth rod. She had never gotten such a thorough f.u.c.k.i.n.g in her life and it was exactly what she wanted from him.


    Her arms hung limply at her sides, no longer in control of herself, just a f.u.c.k puppet for this man among men, slumped on his chest as he used her insides to pleasure himself. All she could do was c.u.m over and over again over his c.o.c.k until finally, tragically yet mercifully, he buried himself as deep as he could and groaned out his release. His hot seed sprayed into her w.o.m.b over and over again, filling her to bursting with his soothing essence. And that wasn''t exaggeration. She was starting to feel overfull as he pumped more and more into her, not that she was coherent enough to do or say anything about it.


    The last thing Lora felt that night was he mammoth c.o.c.k pulling one more climax out of her as it withdrew, his seed spilling out after it, then darkness.


    As Brad looked at the nicest girl he''d ever met, unconscious and cradled in his arms, her head hanging limp with her tongue lolling out of her head, he shrugged. Was this what s.e.x was supposed to be like? It was... Intense! And he definitely wanted to do it again. Maybe with Lora when she woke up. For the time being, he held her with one arm while he laid out the blankets and settled into them with Lora wrapped in his arms.


    He certainly couldn''t complain about how the first day of his adventure went!


    -(-)-


    ?


    Lora felt sore all over in pleasant and unpleasant ways. She could feel the stickiness between her legs, the evidence that yes, she did indeed get the best f.u.c.k.i.n.g of her life last night. But she was also feeling the repercussions of it at the same time. It hurt to move too much.


    ¡­ Brad was still there, looking down at her with a warm smile on his face. She had honestly though he wouldn''t be.


    A hope bloomed in her chest. She knew what the consequences of last night might be and she had done nothing to prevent them. He had spilled himself inside her and she might be feeling that for the next nine months. So she asked, an impertinent question if she were to ask any other lord but she hoped, she hoped, "You''ll take care of me, won''t you milord?"


    Brad looked at her, not really knowing what she meant. But he would be a pretty awful hero if he didn''t take care of his women! "Of course I will!"


    Lora smiled. She believed him. "Thank you milord."


    -(-)-


    ?


    After waking properly and getting Lora into the care of her friend A¨C... A-something, Brad began the next leg of his journey. Which is to say, he tried to figure out what the next leg of his journey would be. Retrieving his power armour, he sought out the man who had set him to chopping wood the day before. "So where are all of these wagons going?"


    The man looked confused at him again. Brad was starting to think he was maybe acting a little too out of place with how everyone looked at him like he had two heads. "Harrenhal. For the tourney? Lord Whent''s putting it on to celebrate the end of winter. I thought that''s why you was passing through."


    "... Right, right!" Brad said, pretending to remember. "You know how it is, you have a good night and you forget everything you''re supposed to be doing the next day?"


    To Brad''s relief, the man laughed. "Aye, I know what you mean, ser! Been there many times meself!"


    Brad laughed with him. "So... Which way is Harrenhal?"


    "By the Seven, was Lora''s cunt that good?" the man asked incredulously, shaking his head. "South along the Kingsroad, on the shore of the God''s Eye. Just follow where everyone else is headed and you''ll find it."


    "Thanks a lot!"


    "And our thanks to you too, ser! It''s a rare sort that''ll offer a helping hand when one''s needed!"


    A tourney, eh? Would that be... Like jousting? That could be fun.


    Chapter 3


    "Ye should be careful, mate!" the stranger called, standing on the road and blocking Brad''s path. "Roads are dangerous this late in winter for folks who travel alone!" Brad turned his eye to his surroundings, spotting two others with bows. "Things get a bit more rough, folks get a bit more desperate."


    Well at least they confirmed for him that it was indeed winter and not just a miserable climate. Brad simply stood with arms folded, waiting for the shaggy-looking stranger to get to his point.


    "I''ll make it nice and simple so you don''t mistake my meaning. Hand over any coin, any valuables you got and we might just be letting you go on with your life."


    "Sorry to tell you, I don''t really have any valuables on me," Brad shrugged, trying to look friendly still, even as he made sure to stay aware of the archers'' positions and figure out where any others might come from. Three was a very small number to try and ambush the kind of people travelling this road. Lords with entourages of knights and soldiers.


    "You''re not understanding your situation, mate," the stranger, the bandit shook his head. "You got that fancy lookin'' hammer on your back, that smart lookin'' armour there. They worth your life?"


    "Oh, this hammer?" Brad asked, drawing it from the harness on his back, the archers'' bows creaking as they drew. "You''re right, it is pretty nice. You want a closer look?"


    The bandit sighed and raised an arm, the archers loosed their arrows only to see them bounce off the armour the man wore, snapping when the force of the impact was turned entirely back on them. "Shame, but you brought this¨C" the bandit started to say but the words lodged in his throat on seeing the arrows were not only ineffective, but ignored. The armoured figure not even making an attempt to avoid them.


    Three more men appeared, exploding out of a snowdrift, yelling as they charged at their target.


    "Wait."


    The three men fell on the armoured figure all at once with spear and hammer and club. In a single swing of the Super Sledge, the spear snapped and the hammer wielder''s rib cage was smashed to bits. The sledge came back around, taking off the head of the club wielder. As the weaponless spearman panicked and fell onto his back from watching the two killed so quickly and easily, the sledge once raised in the air and came down on the man''s abdomen, pulping his guts and breaking his spine from the front.


    "Wait!"


    The archers fled, already proven unable to harm the man and wanting to escape with their lives. That left only the spokesman for their little band, fallen to his knees and begging for mercy with clasped hands as the armoured man approached, the guts of his compatriots coating that hammer he had coveted. "Wait, please, wait!"


    Brad readied his hammer, his super sledge, gripping it so as to give his swing the most force possible.


    "Wait wait wait wait WAIT¨C"


    CRUNCH.


    Brad raised a hand to shield his eyes as he watched the scraggly-haired head of the bandit sail off into the distance, the rest of him collapsing sideways into the snow. "Man, I hope that doesn''t hit anyone. That''d just ruin their day. Way worse than a bird crapping on them."


    ?


    -(-)-


    ?


    Brad didn''t know what Harrenhal was when he was directed to go there. He assumed it was some sort of medieval town or city. What greeted him was much greater than his expectations. Harrentown was the town and it was as busy as any place Brad would care to remember. Everyone there had somewhere to be, probably for this festival tourney thing that the Lord was hosting. Whent! That was it. Lord Whent.


    But the town was nothing compared to the massive structure sitting on the edge of the lake. A great stone curtain wall surrounded a space that could probably fit the entire town inside. And in the middle of that space was the great castle Harrenhal itself. Its enormous towers, probably miraculous for the technology base of a civilisation like this, stood tall and proud. The idea of defiance was only reinforced by how the towers looked like they had taken a beating at some point in time. Blackened, warped like a half-melted candle, but still standing tall.


    Asking around, the people of Harrentown pointed him towards the castle itself if he wanted to participate in the tourney.


    "Oi, was that Lord Tyrell comin'' through a while ago?"


    "Yeah, he looked to be in a right huff. What d''you think happened?"


    "Chipped a fingernail, I bet."


    "No, better! Asked one of his men an'' he said some''ow the head o'' some poor sod just dropped into ''is lap when ''e was takin'' a break from the road!"


    "Bollocks!"


    "Swear on me mum! Said tryin'' not to laugh nearly killed ''im!"


    Brad hurried his pace just a little on overhearing that.


    "What''d he do with the head?"


    "Chucked it. What else would ''e do?"


    Putting the new knowledge of how he accidentally ruined the day of some probably quite important person, Brad approached the main gates of Harrenhal. The enormous gatehouse towering over him.


    "Oi, mate! What''s your business?" a guard demanded, hand on his sword. The gate was wide open, probably for logistical reasons with guardsmen stopping anyone looking to head inside who wasn''t wearing any house colours. "Big f.u.c.ker, ain''t ya?"


    "Yeah," Brad answered the latter question first. "Heard there was a tourna-y," he aborted his more familiar word halfway through for the era appropriate one. "Thought I''d participate."


    "Yeah?" the guard asked, looking Brad up and down and finding no reason to argue the idea. "Got a horse?"


    "No."


    The guard shook his head. "Not gettin'' in the lists then. I can put you in for the archery, the axe throwin'', an'' the melee. You''ll have a rough go in the melee without a horse, mind."


    The archery he''d probably have a hard time with, but oh well, it could be fun. "Sure, sounds good to me. Can I go in then?"


    "What''s your name?"


    "Brad," he answered automatically, before realising he should give his full name. "Bradley Plaskett."


    "Not a knight then?"


    "No."


    The guard shook his head. "You ain''t a knight, a lord or in a lord''s company you ain''t gettin'' in ''til the events start. Two days from now you come back for the archery an'' the axe throwin''." With a flick of his hand, the guard indicated he was done with Brad and shooed him away.


    Well. Two days to kill. Maybe he could acquire a horse by then?


    ?


    -(-)-


    ?


    No, it turned out. It seemed the people of this land were very protective of their horses and wouldn''t part with one for all the money Brad had.


    Which, in absolute fairness, was none.


    So sleeping rough for a couple of nights, Brad returned to the castle gate two days later and was allowed in. As he entered the field with all the other participants of low birth he checked out the audience. A lot of nobles, he assumed, none particularly sticking out to him beyond the one with the crown. He''d be the king then, looking all old and angry. Not that the others looked in a much happier mood. Some looked placid, not exactly excited for the day''s festivities. Oh well. Brad couldn''t blame them. He hadn''t liked archery in his old world either.


    "Bradley Plaskett!"


    It was his turn. He took hold of the provided bow and tried to quickly figure out how this whole archery business worked. He got a good look at those idiots on the road and all the people who went before him so he could probably figure it out. Nocking the arrow, he held it in place and found it to be fairly steady. Nodding to himself he drew the arrow back until he felt like the thing might break if he pulled any further. Aiming at the target he let go¨C


    "Bull!"


    Uhh... Well then. Beginner''s luck? Did the simulations include archery? He didn''t remember anything like that... The following shot bore that out. He fumbled the release and the arrow seemed to sink into the dirt in front of the target. His third was a fairly respectable shot.


    Shrugging, he moved aside and let the next take their turn. Through some combination of luck, strength, dexterity and... probably more luck, Brad found himself in the second round of competition, the targets positioned at a greater range. Three more shots, two respectable, one barely hitting the target. He was doing far better than he expected he would, barely hanging on to continue to the third of four rounds. He found himself in the company of only people in fine clothes and with their own equipment. If he continued to do well, it was likely he would be stepping on some toes.


    It seemed his beginner''s luck was ready to scuff some fancy shoes. Two more shots near the bullseye¨C


    "Bull!"


    ¡­ One near the bullseye, one hitting it and one barely hitting the target. An olive-skinned man in a white cloak patted him on the back for the performance before taking his own turn. Two bullseyes and one close.


    "You are doing quite well, for an amateur!" the man praised as they waited for the targets to be moved for the final round.


    "Not gonna lie, I''m surprised myself," Brad admitted, looking rather silly for a man his size to look so awkward. "I only came to win the melee and only signed up for archery and axe throwing for the fun of it."


    "I don''t doubt you will do well there!" the man laughed. "But perhaps you have discovered a hidden talent?"


    "Maybe."


    "Final round! Our best four archers will now challenge their skills with the greatest range! First, Ser Oswell Whent!"


    Whent. So probably related to the local lord. Definitely stepping on toes now.


    "Kingsguard, Ser Lewyn Martell!"


    Kingsguard. So that would be one of the King''s personal bodyguards then. Brad started to hear a tapdance in his head.


    "Ser Joffrey Routh!"


    Brad breathed a sigh of relief for someone who didn''t sound like they were that important.


    Even so, it looked like Brad had no chance of winning this one, something he was actually grateful for. He would need to match the best score of Ser Lewyn, three bullseyes in a row. That just wasn''t in the cards for a beginner like Brad who gave an average performance. Or at least, what would have been an average performance if the range they were shooting wasn''t the furthest the bows they were using could feasibly go. In the end, he came in third, only beating the unimportant one, luckily for him.


    Polite applause was offered for the participants before they were ushered off while the next event was set up and the audience went to enjoy an opulent lunch. It was only then that Bradley realised he hadn''t actually eaten since he''d left the village to the north. Superhuman constitution sure was something to behold, though he was starting to feel the beginnings of hunger. How long would it be before such a thing would be dangerous to him?


    Hours later, the axe throwing contest began. Unlike with archery, Brad was not blessed by beginner''s luck or any kind of hidden talent. His first throw was a dangerous miss, nearly taking out one of the attendants. While the ones that did hit broke through the target, that wasn''t worth bonus points so he lost in the first round.


    It might have been unreasonable, but Brad wished that he had taken that archery contest. He didn''t care about archery, though doing well in an athletic competition was certainly a rush he hadn''t experienced before. He was disappointed because winning that event would likely have allowed him to stay inside the castle, interact with the nobles. Especially the ladies. They were certainly a cut above that girl from that one village. Though she''d probably clean up nice... Maybe he could take her back to the vault, get her a shower? Even so, the noble ladies had lived a life where they were well taken care of and it showed. He wanted some of that.


    Oh well. Tomorrow would likely grant his wish. The melee would obviously be his.


    ?


    -(-)-


    ?


    Sweeeeet Jesus how is he as big as me? Brad thought to himself, seeing a hulking figure of a height with him, though the other giant was atop a sturdy-looking horse. Much like many of the other competitors in the melee. Unlike the previous day''s contests, this one generated an audience beyond the noble contingent, common folk filling out the stands, cheering and jeering at the competitors.


    "You alright down there?!" one of the knights on horseback laughed, wearing a yellow tabard over his armour and a helmet with antlers. "Couldn''t find a horse that could seat you?!"


    "I''ll do fine without one!" Brad shouted back.


    "Seven bless you for your spirit, lad! I don''t doubt you''ll need the help!"


    A horn blared one long, powerful note and then all was chaos. Brad stood solid as a tree as the melee whirled around him, horses crashing into one another, riders unseated trying to scramble away from stomping hooves. Still Brad stood there, more or less ignored in favour of more dangerous targets, only taking the time to break any that came too close. Three men were thrown from their horses by his sledge even as he sidestepped the horse''s charge. They didn''t stay, instead wisely looking for a doctor.


    And just like that, most of the competition was thinned out. There were perhaps a dozen left still ahorse, two dozen more including Brad on their own feet. And of course that giant was one still on horseback. Everyone without a horse seemed to agree that those who still had one had to be dealt with first. And so, a charge occurred. Not of men, but of horses, those riding them knowing what the score was just as well as anyone else, choosing to sweep through anyone trying to get a lucky shot before focusing on the real competition.


    Two more riders suffered for that hubris when they approached Brad. Two were taken down by others. One unseated by another opportunist rider. That left seven riders to... Five without a horse. The giant still had his steed, as did that knight that had spoken to Brad before the event started. With so few competitors left, the event became quite a bit more spread out. None of the riders eager to challenge each other, the giant seemed interested only in picking off the easy targets with brutal methods, skewering a man with his blade and carrying him by the blade, only to throw him off into the wall of the arena.


    Brad appeared to be the next target. He blew out a long breath. A giant horse with a giant man astride it was bearing down on him. For the first time in the event, Brad moved with purpose, pumping his legs to meet the horse''s charge, each heavy step a thump that could be heard even by the audience. As the two combatants neared each other, the horse''s head passing him by so that the knight might skewer him, Brad leapt up. The power of it brought him up and almost over the knight, ready to bring his hammer down and unhorse him. At the last moment, the knight raised his sword and caught the hammer by the haft, robbing it of a great deal of power. Even so, the weight of the man dragged the knight clear off his horse, the beast galloping away, only to be wrangled by an attendant.


    The two rolled over one another, weapons locked together as they struggled to get advantage. The knight quickly found his opponent to be heavy. Just by sheer weight it became a struggle to overpower him. In the end, he found his estoc flung away and before he could draw a second weapon or just start beating the man with his gauntleted fists, the now freed hammer was allowed to come down, partially caving his plate armour leaving him gasping and unable to stand.


    With that, Ser Gregor Clegane was removed from the competition.


    An opportunistic rider attempted a coup by attacking Brad while he was distracted. As the blade scr.a.p.ed off his armour Brad grabbed the arm holding it and pulled, tearing the man from his horse to hit the ground hard.


    While Brad hadn''t been paying attention, the field of competitors had shrunk even further. Only three riders remained, engaged in their own contest. The knight with the antlered helm took on both other riders at once, his hammer slamming one into unconsciousness atop his horse. The other''s sword crashed into the knight''s armour and he swayed from the blow, only to come back harder with another hammer strike.


    And so it was just the antlered knight and Brad left in the competition. The antlered knight surveyed the scene around the stranger, men and horses around him groaning in pain if they were moving at all. Ser Gregor Clegane having to be dragged away by three men to be treated by the maester. This stranger with the boar-like helmet was a beast. Shaking his head, he removed his own helmet, revealing thick dark hair, a long but well-kept beard and bright blue eyes. "Well you shut me up didn''t you, lad? Came here without a horse and took down some o'' the toughest sods in the seven kingdoms!" He bowed shallowly in the saddle, "The day''s yours, lad!" before setting his horse to canter off of the field.


    "Your champion of the melee," the announcer called over the din of cheering, looking down to check the name, "Bradley Plaskett!"


    And wasn''t that just the strangest thing for Brad... No... For Bradley to hear, opening the seals on his helmet to remove it, holding it to his side as he waved to the crowds, and bowing in the direction of the King. As he was about to leave the field himself, a runner stopped him, telling him, "King Aerys demands your attendance."


    It was a strange feeling that came over him at those words. If nothing else, Bradley was still a good American boy and he had been taught practically from birth the pride of the American Way, made possible only by throwing off the shackles of the monarchy. A small part of him was tempted to yell ''No taxation without representation!'' but the rest of him was thankfully not a complete idiot, so instead he respectfully approached the royal box.


    "Kneel." The single word of command set Bradley on edge once again. His nerves doubled as the King was presented with the sword of that one Kingsguard that had spoken to him the previous day. Despite his concerns, the King laid the sword down on Bradley''s right shoulder. "Bradley Plaskett, do you swear before the eyes of gods and men to defend those who cannot defend themselves, to protect all women and children, to obey your captains, your liege lord, and your king, to fight bravely when needed and do such other tasks as are laid upon you, however hard or humble or dangerous they may be?"


    Oh! This was a knighting thing! He didn''t think it would be this quick or simple! Was there anything in there he objected to? Protect people, obey superiors... Well, that one knights broke all the damn time so why not. "I swear."


    "Then arise, Ser Bradley Plaskett, knight of the seven kingdoms."


    "Thank you..." Shit, what do you call a King again? "Your majesty," he finally decided on, fighting to keep the question out of it.


    The old, decrepit king sneered and flicked his fingers in dismissal.


    ?


    -(-)-


    ?


    Finally. Finally!


    Food!


    Well, there was also the acceptance of being allowed to stay in the castle now that he was a knight, and the invitation to the feast that night where he would be the centre of attention and get to speak to lords and lovely ladies. But the feast also had food and his hunger pangs had been getting much worse after the melee. Finally getting a chance to fill his stomach came at a higher priority.


    One of the other knights laughed at him. "Relishes the fare like he hasn''t eaten in days yet maintains the manners of the highborn! You are a quandary, Ser Bradley!"


    "Mom taught me to show respect to people around me," he answered only after swallowing, just like his mom had taught him.


    "Just so!" the knight laughed again. "Ser Fillip Wayn," he introduced himself. "I see you don''t wear your house''s coat of arms." He gestured at the shield stitched into his own clothing, four sections of alternating blue and white with a wheel on each section of inverted colour.


    "Don''t have one," Bradley answered.


    "Have you put any thought into what your should be then? A symbol to represent your family, your legacy. Perhaps a boar''s head? Like that helmet you wear?"


    "Taken!" Two more knights call out in unison, one with a red boar''s head on white, the other with a black and white boar''s head on brown.


    "I''ve never really thought about it."


    "Well, take some time. With your winnings I''m sure you could get something put together."


    "The man of the hour!" a voice boomed near him. Turning, Bradley saw the man who had conceded defeat to him during the melee. He cut an imposing figure while Bradley was sitting, the man standing a good six and a half feet tall at least. Bradley was confused. He thought people were supposed to be shorter in the olden days.


    "Lord Baratheon," Ser Fillip greeted with respect and mild deference.


    "Ser Bradley! I''d like to introduce you to some people if you permit me," he offered in a way that showed he had no doubt that it would be accepted. And to put action behind that attitude, he pulled the giant man up by the shoulder and led him toward the lords'' tables.?

 Chapter 339 - My SI Stash #39 - Alter by taovkool (Warhammer40KXMulticross)

    -Another fic that is on a hiatus but since it''s a rare Warhammer R34 Economy SI, I''m putting it in! Also because i''ve never seen Reines being used in one of these fics~


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 27K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/alter-r34-economy-warhammer-40k-si.11347/ (taovkool)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    (Tattletale)


    The girl woke up with a jolt.


    Awareness came in an instant and Tattletale realized that she was floating n.a.k.e.d inside a tank, filled with red-colored liquid and strapped to various cables and needles on her back. Two of which interfaced directly into her head. Strange sigils covered the tank making her unable to see outside the tank. A magic cult? Well, who knows. Tattletale felt like she couldn''t care less.


    She had no idea who captured her. She had no idea where she even was. She could feel pain spread throughout her entire body. Yet, despite all that, she felt fine. Relaxed. Comfortable, even. The fact that she was in pain felt irrelevant. The fact that she knew nothing of what brought her in this situation is not even worth thinking about.


    Thoughts are incompatible with known personalities. Tattletale-self is Mastered.


    Tattletale blinked. Well, she thought, that explained it.


    She should not have been surprised. Her power was still working as ordered. Although she does not have the same degree of control over it. It showed no hint whatsoever on what the water or what these weird magical sigils were. It felt like her passenger was also significantly affected by this mind-affecting power.


    She knew that she should have been angry that someone messed with her head. Instead, all she felt was acceptance and contentment. As if everything was the way it should be. It must have been part of the package of being brainwashed. She wondered if this was what Heartbreaker''s victim feels like, before instinctively denying it. No, there was no false love inserted here. No layers of deception painted over her mind. She knew, even without her power that this was more than simple mind control. It felt... deeper. More intimate.


    Not mind control.


    So her power agreed.


    She read a paper on Master effects once. Tattletale remembered something about identity and personality to be similar to writing on a book. A series of memory affecting the personal history of a person and the mindset they view the world. Any mind and emotional control intrude on that view. It forced a mindset not their own, distorting the mind with personal logic and personality both being put under intense pressure. Like another person writing on an already written book causing the words to overlap. Whatever is happening to her does not feel any way like that.


    Tattletale-self train of logic functions perfectly without any significant changes. No external mental intrusions detected. Yet a comparison between the current and previous characteristics of Tattletale-self was far too comprehensive. Conclusion, Tattletale-self identity is being significantly altered.


    Altered. Yes, that felt more like it.


    Instead of overwriting the book of her mind, someone is erasing bits and pieces of it and writing their changes in her book. Changes in her mind. No, not mind. This is less mind control and more soul control. An alteration of her very soul. The core of her very being.


    At this point, she wouldn''t even be surprised if souls do exists. The fact that hers were now being altered by an unknown intelligence made Tattletale felt like she should have been more horrified on what was currently happening. However, what she felt was honest admiration and expectation. She couldn''t wait for it to finish changing her. To finally fulfill whatever purpose will be imposed upon her soul.


    Changes to self include alteration towards moral priority, core social concept, logical reasoning, s.e.x.u.a.l identity, and survival instincts. Personality 88,92% unchanged. Master considered Tattletale-self''s power and personality the main asset.


    Her power was informative but Tattletale was focused only on a single part of that revelation. Master. She couldn''t move any part of her body, yet Tattletale smiled to herself in reverence.


    Added the Master as the superior figure. Added the Master as the subject of absolute loyalty. Added the Master as a figure of worship.


    Well, now. She wondered what kind of man this Master is? And it was a male, she was sure. Changes in s.e.x.u.a.l identity was a pretty big indicator. The silhouette image of a man in her imagination is causing her to shiver. Tattletale felt pretty certain that s.e.x would be one of the services her Master would demand. Does that mean her Master wanted a s.e.x slave then? Hot teenage girls on demand? Tattletale wondered what her new Master would be or what he would look like, before deciding it was ultimately irrelevant.


    Her Master is her Master. Tattletale would love him, she knew that without a doubt. It doesn''t matter if he was a fat old man or a handsome muscular jock. It doesn''t even matter if he was a murderous villain like Jack Slash, a selfless hero like Taylor or just a common beggar you could find everywhere in the world. She would love and she would serve. Any order he''d made, she would do it. Anyone he told her to kill, she''d kill. Anyone he told her to save, she''d save.


    Tattletale shuddered in anticipation. That certainty of purpose, it felt good. Whatever it is her Master is planning to use her for, she had to be ready to do it. Whatever flaws he has, she had to make up for it. And she was pretty certain this Master of hers has flaws. It might seem absurd that she, as a newly altered Tattletale, could think of her newly sworn Master so negatively. But the logic is simple. No matter how perfect it seems no man is ever without flaws. The fact that she could even think that her Master as not some perfect being when she is strapped to a soul altering device, showed that her new Master understood that as well. A realization that brought her joy and relief in equal measure.


    Then a voice came out of nowhere and she felt euphoria.


    I call upon thee.


    It''s him. She knew instinctively, that it''s him.


    Her Master is summoning her.


    The sigils glowed. The red liquid in the tank turned into darkness. Sweet, blissful darkness. It sprang from the sigils like a liquid tentacle and entered her. From her mouth. From her lower parts. Were she able to, Tattletale would have m.o.a.ned. She couldn''t describe it. She couldn''t describe the sheer, delectable feeling of pleasure that she felt. She couldn''t describe how Right it feels. It covered her entire body. Like a suit. Like a dress. Like a cocoon. A Shadow binding of her entire mind, body, and soul into the Dark.


    If she could speak, if she could move, she would have long screamed out loud in pleasure and thrashed hard enough to rupture this entire tank. As paralyzed as she was, only muffled sounds came out of her mouth. The Dark is spreading to her insides. Her liver, her lungs, her heart. Everything about her was being painted black. God, the experience was beyond orgasmic. She wanted more. She wanted it to cover her entirety.


    The Dark left her brain, her mind for last. She knew that when it does, she would cross a line she''d never come back from and doesn''t that just sound delightful? Hurry up, she thought, hurry up and take me there! Yet it didn''t. Not yet. It was intent on prolonging this. It was enjoying it. Making her gasping and m.o.a.ning in pleasure. The Dark was pressing in her every cell that was ever involved in the relaxation, pleasure and extreme happiness of a human mind. Until at the end, when it seems like even her sanity at her limit.


    And at long, long last, when the Dark entered her mind, a voice she never knew she longed for resounded in her head.


    Sarah Livsey. Lisa Wilbourne. Tattletale.


    Yes, Sarah thought. That''s me. That''s all me, Master. Sarah Livsey, the daughter of a pair of corrupt socialites and sister of a suicidal boy. Lisa Wilbourne, the runaway, the puppet, and the friend. Tattletale, the villainous second in command and eventually the leader of the Undersider after everything fell apart.


    That was all me and what I was before is now irrelevant. My experiences, my history, my body, my mind, my soul, my very self. The things that made me who I am. All of it now matters less than dust. Now, I am your slave. Your Servant. Give me the order, Master.


    Come.


    She came.


    (The Third)


    Awareness came within moments, and Tattletale was rather surprised that she could stand. Normally, had someone been suspended in a liquid, unable to use their muscles for anything for long periods of time, they would be incapable of using them and would have fallen face-first to the ground, she did not. Her augments flaring within her, a key part of her being coming into play as she landed lightly on her feet, completely ignoring her own nudity as the Dark formed into a cloak around her.


    The room she was summoned into felt like the bridge of a ship she''d seen on Star Trek. Except it was a dozen times larger and more opulent and significantly more functional than the fake stage she''d seen. Beneath her feet were magic circles. No, a summoning circle, a new knowledge informed her. Designed to summon the women from the multitudes of reality to be Darkened as a new Servant to serve her Master.


    "Huh, is this a spaceship? How fancy."


    It really was. The consoles, the technology, hell, even the decorations like the carpets and the golden clocks, all of them looked like it was beyond what humanity of her world could ever create. Not even tinkers like Dragon.


    And then Tattletale looked ahead, saw her new Master and knelt. Head bowed and she fell to her knees as if she was a supplicant being addressed by a king. She did not know why, to be honest. It just felt right something natural for her to do.


    A man was sitting on the throne, and obviously it was her Master. He was flanked by two beautiful women. Both with dark cloak similar to her own.


    One looked like she was barely sixteen, she had an amused look on her face. Her power telling her that this girl was assessing her as a threat, as an asset, and as a new family member...? That last one was a surprise. A Thinker then. While Tattletale''s power lies in analyzing cues from small details, this girl seems to specialize in the bigger picture and long term plans.


    As for her character, this girl looked just as fanatically loyal to Master. She''d gotten the same soul alteration treatment Tattletale herself has gotten then. A bit of a sadist. A lot of masochistic elements, mostly reserved for Master. There was something about familial starvation there as well. Seems to think of Master as her big brother? A preference for i.n.c.e.s.tuous relations then. Explained the new family member part. A sister in service, huh? A similar enough concept to a soldier''s camaraderie of brothers in arms. Tattletale could accept that, she supposed. Taylor taught her that siblings are not always of the same blood. And she did wonder once what s.e.x with a girl she''d considered her sister would feel like.


    The other one was a blonde with a goth-like appearance. She was beautiful, like a pale doll. Also impassive and held a neutral look on her face. A knight, her power told her, one with an unnatural devotion. This woman does not assess her for threats or anything like that. Oh, make no mistakes. If Tattletale suddenly became a threat this woman would kill her, because as far as the physical threat goes this woman was the greatest one in the room. A Brute 9 or 10 with something extra on the side. But she has a great enough faith in their new Master and his powers that this woman did not doubt for a second that Tattletale, her king''s new summon, would never be a threat to him. Wait, she saw Master as a king? Something like a king, at least. Good to know that the Master''s physical protection is in good hands.


    As for Tattletale''s own Master, he looked like an ordinary man with a blue denim shirt and jeans. Of course, she knew better than that. Her own power telling her of the unknown high energy field surrounding him. He was tall, around 6 feet with an athletic body. The ripples of muscles she could see from his shirt made her almost drool for a moment. His face was handsome. Caucasian and in his mid-20s.


    He also looked really, really tired.


    And now she was concerned, "So Master, the name''s Lisa." Because Tattletale sounded rather less personal, and this is the man she''d be offering her entire life to, "Need any help there? You look exhausted."


    Really, what were those two doing? If they are bound by the Dark just as she is now, they should know that Master''s health and safety are paramount! Judging by the concerned glances by the two women, they apparently knew their mistakes. Or at least shared some of her concerns.


    "Oh, you know, Lisa," Her Master sighed tiredly, it''s less physical and more mental exhaustion, "It''s just one of those days, I suppose."


    Starting World: Warhammer 40K (4000 Points)


    Control


    Bindings: Fearful Shroud (Dark) > 200 Points


    Lure: Dragon Musk (Attribute: Darkness) > 200 Points


    Lure: Siren''s Song > 50 Points


    Other: 1 set of standard 3 Command Seals > 1 set is free


    Other: General Seals > 10 Points


    Total Cost: 460 Points


    Perks


    All Affinity > 80 Points


    All Defense > 80 Points


    Psychic Paper > 5 Points


    Warranty Plan > 5 Points


    Sweet Home > 50 Points


    Heavenbuilt > 100 50 Points (AI Waifu Chosen)


    Dragonblood > 200 Points


    Total Cost: 520 Points


    Waifu Chosen:


    Nasuverse - Saber Arthuria (Everdistant Utopia): 200


    Nasuverse - Reines (Imperial Strategist): 50


    Worm - Tattletale: 10


    Total Cost: 260


    Chapter 1


    It is the 25th Millennium of the Age of Technology and humanity is at its apex.


    Under the banner of the Federation of Earth, mankind has flourished. An age of colonization known as the Stellar Exodus has begun. For more than a hundred century the Stellar Exodus has expanded the domain of mankind to hundreds of worlds, spreading the civilization of man across the stars. With the newly created Navigator Gene, men can travel the space faster, expanding Terra''s colonial subjects from hundreds into millions. With the invention of the artificially intelligent humanoid constructs known as the Men of Irons, humanity tamed and conquered all the dangers of the galaxy. With their strength of science, reason, and technology. With their progress of art and culture. This is truly mankind at its greatest.


    But even in this age of prosperity, the dark shadows loom across the galaxy. The rumors of a new breed of human mutation known as psykers have caused quiet discontent among those who had seen a peek of their twisted nature. Far-flung colonies had begun to taste the freedom of independence, and questions arose as to why they have to obey the selfish edicts of distant Terra. The Sol system, the very homeworld of humanity itself is not without threats. Beneath the byzantine rule of the Federation of Earth, vasts organizations and corporations such as the Olympus Mechanical Industries of Mars, the Venusian Collective, the Umbral Administrative Corporations began to plot and scheme against one another, as the ambitions of men drove them to seek more power.


    The threat beyond might be even greater, for let us not forget that many of the aliens have not looked kindly upon the rise of mankind. Mighty Eldars, proud and decadent, with their vast realms, grand battlesh.i.p.s, and beautiful Craftsworlds, they ruled the galaxy with an iron fist and they looked at humanity with annoyance as the primitive Mon''keigh began to slowly encroach upon their domains. The maggot-like Slaughts, always ever-elusive and eager for the flesh of men, hid amongst humanity and enacted their terrible conspiracies with unknown purpose and unholy rigors. The Orks, galaxy''s eternal pests, with an endless hunger for war and battle they built their stellar empires from the blood of millions of species. Rising and falling faster than the wind. And the blood continues to flow.


    Yet even those shadows pale to the ones that lurked beneath. For within the very space itself lies a horror hidden to most. And they look upon the gleaming Milky Way with malevolent glee.


    This is the story of the final pages. The last dawn before the darkness. The end of the golden age upon which the dreams of men rested. And the beginning of the darkest ages of humanity. The age of endless war.


    (The Master)


    "What the shit is this?"


    Reading through the passages, nobody could blame me for being a wee bit terrified. It''s bad enough that I woke up in the middle of a colony that is being ravaged by green-skinned giant things that reminded me of Orks like in Warhammer. Having direct confirmation that I am stuck in f.u.c.k.i.n.g Warhammer of all the goddamned places are not doing my nerves that great. Not to mention I started off with nothing but the shirt and shorts I slept in. To say I was having a panic attack and turning batshit insane was an understatement.


    I''ve spent a week in this madhouse of a world. A week of wandering about corpses, ruins of a city with weird architecture, and things constantly trying to kill and eat me. F.u.c.k, I don''t even know what the name of this world is. Mostly because I can''t read the local languages. What with them all being aliens and stuff.


    Oh, you thought this was a human colony? No. Of course not. When did I ever get that lucky? It was the colony of some alien mollusk. With colored slimes put on as signposts and thousands of buildings that remind me more of a snail''s shell if you enlarged it to the size of a skyscr.a.p.er. Of course, this being Warhammer, the orks obviously just want a good fight and starting bashing and shooting everybody in sight. I''d be a lot more sympathizing with the locals if the snail-uh, mollusk people here aren''t trying to shoot gooey acid stuff at me from their body parts.


    It''s really surprising how unsurprising it is that the aliens here don''t seem that fond of humanity. The first time a group of them look at me, they pointed with their tentacled head and started screaming in the weird tone. Panic sounded rather universal like that. Kinda like what would happen if people saw a live tiger wandering around in the Big Apple, all menacing-like.


    Between the orks and the snails, how did I survive you ask?


    Two things, really.


    One, the mollusk people designed their weird cities with a lot of small alleys and interconnected back entrances. With my short stature, I can hide in lots of places here. Lots of places to run and take cover in as well, since every building always connects to another building. Thank god I keep up with my cardio. My job as a stunt double really depends on me being fit. I''d be really, really dead otherwise.


    Two, empty spaces. There doesn''t seem to be that many orks and snails in this ravaged city. Only a few hundred at most. Listening from the stunted ork speeches, it looks like the ''big waagh'' is happening in the southward of the planet, and the orks that are left here apparently missed the ''big fite'' for this city because their bikes broke down a month ago. Apparently the warboss here killed the mekboys for the crime of ''can''t repair any junk worth shit.'' Of course, killing your mekboys also means that the orks are stuck here because nobody can get them any transport out. Gotta love that orkish ingenuity.


    The snails? Can''t speak snails, but I made a guess that the snail people here are the ones that survived that fight and hid, only emerging when they thought it was safe. Probably a surprise for them that there are still orks around. Being the squishy human that I am, I mostly follow Nicolai''s doctrine of ''let them take each other out'' and take to luring each patrol of orks and snails into places where I''ve last seen the patrols of the other. Bloody effective in killing the bunch of bastards.


    It was on my seventh day that I realized that something was wrong. For one thing, in these last seven days, I don''t sleep and I don''t feel any hunger or thirst either. Most importantly, I thought going seven days without food or drink or sleep was normal. Someone really laid the whammy on me, and the whammy only revealed itself on the seventh day.


    As it turns out, that was because this shit popped up in front of me.


    A Week of Assessment Completed. Temporary Affinities disabled. Temporary Defenses disabled. Mental Core restored.


    Results: Acceptable.


    Reward: R34 Catalog Enabled.


    And then the f.u.c.k.i.n.g passage about Warhammer 25k showed up and I screamed in terror as my mind wanted me to several days ago.


    When I finally started calmed down, it was already night. The day and night cycle in this place was pretty long so I must have been sobbing in my makeshift hideout for several hours. Must have been my luck that no orks or snails showed up in my breakdown. Long story short, I started reading the Catalog - which apparently popped up in front of my eyes like a game icon whenever I said ''catalog'' - and my head felt a bit of a relief. At least I have some ways to turn this around in my favor. And I can''t say having fantasy waifus turned real is not something I anticipated as well. Worst case scenario, I can just get Ciri or Elizabeth and get the f.u.c.k out of this universe.


    Then I read a note down below that said ''log'' and I wanted to scream even more.


    Added Restriction: Lock the timeline of Alternate Dimension ''Home Sweet Home''. Users exiting the Alternate Dimension will find that no time at all has passed since entering the Alternate Dimension.


    Added Restriction: Alternate Dimension ''Home Sweet Home'' is tied to the Dreadnaught. Lost of the Dreadnaught will hurl the Alternate Dimension into a random location in the Warp.


    Added Restriction: User and his Summons are not allowed to leave the designated universe until the beginning of the original timeline during the 40th Millenium.


    Motherf.u.c.ker.


    (The Third)


    "So that''s what happened."


    We moved to the war room because obviously a throne room/command bridge is not that conducive for a strategy meeting. Well, less moved and more teleported. Because who needs walking when you can just teleport everyone across the ship with your mind?


    We sat on a fancy chair and in front of us was a round table with holographic interface. Some drinks and food were served by the ship''s automated dispenser thingy but they all tasted f.u.c.k.i.n.g bland. I think I saw Miss Arturia crying a little when she bit into the burger. I refrained from cursing of course because I''d rather die then insulting Master like that. Is this why Master needed the maids? And here I thought it was just because it''s a fetish of Master''s or something.


    There was a lot to take in with Master''s retelling. It surprised me a bit, this anger and murderous feeling I have for the orks and the snails. I noticed that Arturia, the knight, was frowning, and Reines'' smile got even sharper. They felt the same thing, and through our shared connection with The Dark, the hatred swelled up.


    "Pretty much. There were lot more swearing than screaming after that," Master sighed, I know he noticed the rising anger but he seemed to see it with satisfaction, "When I finally had enough of moping in my own shit, I bought all kinds of perks. Summoned Arturia and Reines there. Then I figure I need a spaceship of my own because I refuse to spend another second in that hellhole"


    The perk, mind and soul affinity, is already paying its worth with how easy it is for me to memorize every part of Master''s words.


    "That was a few hours ago, correct?" I asked, just as a formality. That and to make conversation. These two noble girls seems like the type to ignore a commoner like me unless I directly talk to them.


    "Since Master bought the dreadnought, yes." Arturia answered, expression as calm and stoic as ever, "I was summoned yesterday. The orks and the snails were in the way and my sword was required to extract Master out of the city."


    "I was summoned after the dreadnought," Reines shrugged, "And then Miss Lisa here. I assume it had to something to do with her abilities?"


    "Lisa here is basically girl Sherlock Holmes," Master smiled at me, and I barely restrained my grin at the compliment. "She''s good at analyzing clues and deduction. You''re great at long term planning, Reines. Which is why we''re here now."


    Master waved his hand. And then holograms with pictures of several people and text descriptions appeared on the round table. My power, ever helpful at times, told me that the process was automatic as the ship interfaced with Master''s mind. Rather fancy for a strategic presentation. Nothing but the best for my Master, of course.


    Reines started reading the texts at a rate that was seventeen times faster than a baseline human. I honestly felt rather inadequate at that. Thankfully, Arturia is a bit more of a normal reader, but then her eyes focused more on the abilities and threat level on each of the dangerous persona that seemed to play a part in this galaxy. Meanwhile, as I parsed over the words of the texts, my power was supplying several details that were hidden in it and I felt that familiar feeling of trepidation whenever I encounter someone or something way beyond my own power to handle.


    "I don''t exactly have a Holy Grail for meta-knowledge purposes so the first thing we need to talk about is the lore of this f.u.c.k.i.e.d up universe." Master scowled, "Games Workshop called this game Warhammer 40K."


    Barely five minutes into the meeting, and I certainly agreed with Master''s definition of f.u.c.k.i.e.d up.


    Like, holy shit, this place is even worse than my own f.u.c.k.i.e.d up multiverse.


    The space of this particular Milky Way universe is apparently connected to the Warp. A Hell-like mirror dimension ruled by four God-like beings that have nothing better to do in their daytime planner than to f.u.c.k over everything that lives for shits and giggles. Right now, there are only three of the assholes around. The last one, the God of Pleasure and Excess, is going to be born sometime this millennium by the Eldars. A race of space elves with triple the usual prideful elf tropes and quadrupled all the decadent l.u.s.t what with their monthly planetary orgies going on in their various core worlds.


    "Four entities with a Beast-like nature achieving the power of ultimate Godhood," Reines grimaced, "That is not good."


    "Tell me about it," I groaned. I gleaned enough about this Beast thing from that simple statement. Their equivalent on an Endbringer. I knew a comparison even worst than those bastards of Eidolon though, "Four more Scion with an even more insane attitude and they like to change up the rules on reality the same way kids wanted to draw their crayons on white walls."


    Arturia grunted, "I do not think we have enough resources to challenge them in open combat. Are there any women that possessed equal power to them in your Catalog, Master?"


    "The Tier 11, maybe." Master frowned, "Don''t have any tickets for them though. Getting them is going to be hard enough, and I can''t go out of the universe to get one."


    "In that case, we steer clear out of their path." Reines sternly said, "Even killing their servants, those Daemons, can draw their attention. Until we have more assets to deal with their warbands, Master, you have to-..."


    Reines never finished her words when she realized Master was looking at her with an intense frown. Why does he look kinda miffed at her now?


    Ah, draconic nature. Being told what to do pissed him off, even though Master knew that Reines was right. Not to mention, Master''s very nature is made of Darkness itself. All the dark lord I knew about in the stories are people that don''t like being refused or ordered around by their lesser. And if Master''s nature of Darkness is defined by his own perception, then this modern perspective should apply to him as well. Master would have accepted it if Reines said something like ''I advise we steer clear out of their path,'' instead she phrased her advice like she was ordering him around. Now she''s staring at him with a placid gaze back. Deep down though, I knew Reines was panicking. She knew she made a mistake. But her pride won''t let her apo-...


    Reines'' chair and the holographic table disappeared along with the food and the drinks. Reines managed to stay in balance even after her chair disappeared and ended up standing instead of falling into the floor but then a wave of something passed through from the connection from Master to Reines. Reines shuddered, her gaze broken by the feeling of pain, pleasure and the intense order to submit.


    Reines knelt and submitted.


    "Reines el-Melloi Arschitorte," Master began, "While I do admit that your intelligence is vastly beyond my own, it seems you lack the understanding of which of us is the greater."


    "I-..." Reines gasped, "I apologize, Master."


    "Strip," Master waved his hand, Reines'' chair and the table appearing back, "Then sit and listen. After the briefing, I''ll lay out our objectives and ask for your advice."


    "Yes, Master." Reines shut her eyes.


    Ouch, public nudity for the prideful noble girl? Now that''s harsh. Still though, to her credit, Reines obeyed. She slowly took off her fancy coat that looked like Chinese imperial regalia. Wait, it was a Chinese imperial regalia? Where the hell did she get that? She''s British right? Is she from a sort of an alternate Opium War? Regardless of my questioning look, Reines began stripping. Her fancy shirt, her surprisingly daring black bra, her designer jeans, and hot black panties were on the floor. When Reines touched her stocking, a wave of disapproval came and she stopped. Now only dressed in her black jacket and stocking Reines'' face was red as she took her seat back, she was trembling and Master''s punishment filled her with... happiness?


    Ah, right. masochist to Master only. The girl''s trembling because she''s desperately holding back her own grin. Uwaaaah.


    I looked back at Arturia, wondering what a knight like her would feel about this. Yet she just cooly stared at the n.a.k.e.d Reines. This woman seemed to have no problem with Master''s orders. No, not ''no problem'', I widened my eyes at the revelation. This was her advice, my power told me. Simply feeling emotional response through the Dark is not enough for Arturia to ensure Master''s safety. She doesn''t have my power so instead a test of character is needed. Based on her attitude up until now, this Reines girl seemed to greatly value her pride. So the best test to make would be to hurt her pride and see what Reines'' response is. Judging by the simple feeling of a supportive nod sent through our link with the dark, Arturia seemed to approve of Reines.


    Well, no. She approved Reines for passing this first test, but if Arturia had her way, she''s going to prepare even more tests of loyalty for her. Start small, and then expand into bigger tests. Acting through mouthpiece? Constant vigilance and paranoia? Shit, this Arturia woman doesn''t really ring the same with her King Arthur namesake at all. In fact, this Arturia woman acted and behaved like a stereotypical knight, but she seemed to have completely abandoned the very fundamental concept of honor and chivalry itself. Not to mention, the way she looked at Master... it''s not the way someone looked at their lover or a knight looking at her liege at all.


    A fake knight, hm?


    She''s going to do the same to me, I bet. Or rather, she''s going to get Master to do the same to me. If Master knew of my history, then the most obvious emotional lever to use would be either Taylor or Reggie. None of us can leave this universe even with someone with a dimensional travel power so that only left the Catalog to get those two here. With her bug control and commanding ability, Taylor might have some use to Master, but Reggie is absolutely useless. Summoning him - if it was even possible to summon a man - just to tests me would be a waste of points and I would have to reprimand Master if he considered it, punishments be damned. Hmm, summoning Taylor and then ordering me to torture her? Or maybe Taylor would torture me? Possible. Might serve as an initiation test for Taylor as well if she''s going to join us.


    I might need to make a proposal about an official version of this initiation test. Since death was not a concern with Warranty, we can ignore all physical consequences in favor of molding their mentality. The time limit on Warranty is a concern though. Maybe I need to take a few pages from the Slaughterhouse Nine. Psychopaths they might be, whenever Jack is bored with his usual murder and mayhem or Bonesaw is stuck in her ''artistic mood'', they have a great record for physically and mentally demanding tortures without killing the poor bastards or bitches involved.


    Still, while I would accept and do whatever tests Master has for me. I have to admit, this Arturia woman greatly concerns me. There is a great amount of dependency between this woman and Master, and I''m not exactly certain which of them are the superior ones. It''s not a surprise considering that Arturia was the first of us that Master summoned. Yet I can''t help but think that she might need a few tests and trials of her own.


    Meanwhile, Reines, still rather tastefully n.a.k.e.d, sat back to the chair. I started grinning at her apparent attempt to stop her hand from touching herself. That would be disgraceful, especially with Master in front of her. After all, he just told her to strip, not to play with herself. Reines noticed my grin and gave me an irritated frown.


    Our brief staredown was stopped when Master waved the hologram back and continued with his briefing.


    There''s a lot of aliens and monsters introduced here. More details on Eldars and Dark Eldars. Future Eldars'' reliance on seers and their continued tendency of being a race of arrogant ass are leading them to a path of self-destruction where they burn the souls of their entire species for a final f.u.c.k you against Slaanesh. Dark Eldars are hedonistic assholes that get their assholes bigger the more they indulged in hedonisms. Eventually, they started going insane because they can''t find enough ''hedonism'' to fit their bigger assholes. The Tau, still a bunch of primitive cavemen in these days and age, is going to one day become alien communists with a lot of shady shit in their closet. Whenever somebody started talking about a Greater Good, lots of people are usually dead at the end of the day. Tyranids, thankfully still light years away from this galaxy, are psychic monstrosities that wanted nothing more than to feast upon the galaxy and they made Nilbog looked like chumps. A bunch of warmongering species known as Orks, has a weird fixation with calling wars ''Waagh'', and reproduce by way of spores instead of raping any space elves. Gotta admit I felt a bit disappointed by that. Not to my tastes, so it must have been a bleedout from Master''s own preferences. I should take more notes about that.


    Since we already know about Slaanesh, Reines, who is starting to get comfortable with public nudity, asked what gave birth to the other three Chaos Gods. Going back even further, there''s some more bullshit about aliens known as Necrons and the Old Ones. They went to war. The Necrons lost. They went sore loser like Germany did after World War I and called upon this extradimensional being known as C''Tan for power. They called it, ''The War in Heaven''. Predictably, it went shit for everyone involved. The Old Ones made a lot of new races that became a problem right now, then they went the way of the dinosaur leaving us to deal with their mess. C''Tan, who reminds me disturbingly of Scion, got betrayed by the Necron leader and got broken down into different fragments. The Necrons turned into machines and then tried to sleep their entire problem away. The Chaos Gods were born during all those centuries of madness, and none of the major actors gives a f.u.c.k all about them until they started f.u.c.k.i.n.g up the Milky Way.


    Facing up against them was humanity, which in the future is going to be a xenophobic Empire led by a God-Emperor figure that started the Great Crusade to conquer the stars for the sake of atheism, scientology and the good of all mankind. But then he''s stuck in his chair because his sons think he''s an asshole with unwarranted religion phobia and a shit parent too boot. I took note as Arturia grimaced a little at hearing about Horus Heresy. Well, she looked as impassive as ever but my power is running about 500% right now and I can analyze even the smallest twitch on her mouth.


    I think I''m starting to have some ideas on who she is.


    The briefing continues for more than 6 hours.


    The Eldar Gods. Cegorach. Psykers. C''Tan. Mag''ladroth. Mechanic.u.m. Rogue Traders. Inquisitions. Black Library. The Emperor''s Primarchs. The Great Crusade. Etc etc.


    Every single detail about every single threat in this galaxy was described, discussed, and dissected. And yet, there were still more that went unsaid. The snail alien that Master encountered on his first planet was species unrecorded by Master''s knowledge. It''s a big galaxy, there were certainly details that were missing.


    Out of topic, I''m really, really starting to get sick of the ship''s automated food system. We really needed those maids activated ASAP.


    "Let me say this myself," Master grimly said, "This universe from this 25th until its 40th Millenium is going to be a nightmare to live in. Which is why we need to prepare for our survival until the time comes when we can leave this blasted universe."


    Master waved, and then my mind is filled with the knowledge of how to operate the holographic round table in this room. Not only that, but there were also blueprints of the ship. The number of points that Master has yet to use. The list of women in the Catalog, their skills, their history, and their characteristics. Judging by the looks on Reines and Arturia, they were given the same info as I have.


    "There are several dilemmas that I''m facing." Master closed his eyes, "Even if I can order around this Dreadnaught, it''s not an optimal setup. We need more personnel."


    When he opened his eyes, Master looked at me then at Reines.


    Oh. Oh, so that''s what he wanted us to do. I shivered and started rubbing my legs closer.


    "This is why I summoned you, Lisa, and you as well, Reines." Master said, "What I have given you is the sum of what assets we have. What I need is advice on how to use it. We need several researchers, several medical officers, a group of AIs to man the ship, engineers to maintain the ship, and pilots to man the drones. Which girls should I summon and enslave to fill this blank?"


    So we''re choosing the women that Master is going to summon? The ones that are going to be summoned and swallowed by Master''s Darkness? I licked my lips and resisted the urge to masturbate right here right now. God, that sounded so hot.


    "Aside from that, there are other choices I need to make." Master continued, "Should we settle a planet and forge our own empire or do we continue a nomadic life on this ship? Should we join the Imperium or do we leave it to rot? Should we openly declare our existence and do what we can to stave off the end of this galaxy? Or do we live the lives of exile, avoiding any and all galactic entanglements?"


    "Discuss." Master ordered us, "Give me options, girls."


    Arturia Pendragon (Everdistant Utopia) (T8): 200


    Role: Battlemaster


    Alteration: ???


    Reines El-Melloi Arschitorte (Imperial Strategist) (T6): 50


    Role: Strategic Operations


    Alteration: ???


    Tattletale (T4): 10


    Role: Intelligence


    Alteration: ???

 Chapter 340 - My OC Stash #40 - Chaldea Subjugation Organization by Cambrian (Fate/GrandOrder)

    -I''m just waiting for some asian guy to do a doujinshi adaptation of this fic. It''ll easily be the best doujin with the 6 magic numbers being spread everywhere, believe it!


    Synopsis: A new COMMISSIONED story in which the Protagonist of F/GO is a horny young man fully willing to abuse his powers for s.e.x.


    Rated: M


    Words: 200K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/chaldea-subjugation-organization-fate-grand-order.6616/ (Cambrian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    First up, Ushiwakamaru:


    -x-X-x-


    It was one thing to actually be chosen by Chaldea in order to become a Master candidate¡­ it was another thing entirely to be summoning his first true Servant. Shigure Kawashima grins wickedly as he stands there, watching as the Saint Quartz goes to work and brings his very first Servant into the world. A blinding bit of light later, and she stands before him.


    Shigure is¡­ stunned for a brief moment by the beauty of the heroine in front of him. Her outfit is downright scandalous and he can''t help but stare at her barely covered body, even as the swordswoman kneels at his feet.


    "Greetings my Lord. I am Ushiwakamaru and I shall serve you as a samurai with my whole heart."


    A samurai, hm? Frankly, Shigure thought the Servant looked more like a whore than anything else. His body was already responding to her lack of clothing in a very noticeable way, his pants tenting. Ushiwakamaru notices this as she looks up at him, but she does not comment and he''s not sure whether it disgusts her, arouses her, or angers her in the end. Still, if she is to serve him with her whole heart¡­


    "You will follow my instructions to the letter then?"


    The Servant c.o.c.ks her head to the side.


    "I will my Lord, it is my duty to obey you in battle against your enemies."


    Licking his lips, Shigure glances down meaningfully at his visible bulge.


    "And what about outside of battle? Isn''t it your duty to obey me in all things?"


    Ushiwakamaru''s eyes drift down to where he''s looking and the faintest of blushes spreads across her cheeks. Ultimately though, she looks back up with that same blank face.


    "I''m not sure what you mean my Lord. I am a samurai, a weapon. My only place is on the battlefield, there is no other use for me."


    It''s obvious that he''s going to just have to come out and say it. Grinning a bit perversely, Shigure gestures to his crotch.


    "I wouldn''t be so sure Servant. Your outfit has aroused me, and I order you to pleasure me to completion."


    The heroic spirit''s eyes widen, and she finally stands up from her kneeling position. Her hand drops to the handle of her sword as she shakes her head.


    "I think not my Lord. It would be inappropriate for a vassal to have relations with her lord. Please do not press this."


    It''s obvious that pressing it in the normal way would end poorly for him. But Shigure has another trick up his sleeve now, doesn''t he? He''s a Master with an actual Servant under his belt. Licking his lips, Shigure glances to his Command Seals¡­ and then, irritated by her rejection and horny because of her body, he invokes one on his new Servant.


    "By the power of my Command Seal, I order you to get on your knees and worship my c.o.c.k!"


    The Command Seal flares and Ushiwakamaru''s eyes widen even further, but the effects of the order hit her, and she cannot fight it. The scantily clad samurai slumps to her knees right in front of him and Shigure grins as she shuffles forward, her hands reaching for his pants. Even as she fishes his member out of it''s tight confines, the heroic spirit''s eyes shift up to meet his.


    "My Lord¡­ your c.o.c.k is truly magnificent."


    Shigure smirks as her small hands strokes up and down his sizable length.


    "Well thank you s.l.u.t. Now, get on with it."


    Ushiwakamaru m.o.a.ns as she nuzzles his shaft, rubbing her cheeks up against his c.o.c.khead as it drips with prec.u.m. Her hands are not unskilled, but it''s clear she hasn''t jacked off too many c.o.c.ks before this.


    "Mm, yes my Lord¡­ thank you for this chance to worship your majestic member. Thank you for gracing your unworthy servant with this awe-inspiring c.o.c.k."


    Her tongue slips out from between her lips and she laps at Shigure''s prick cutely. Her eyes never leave his, and he watches on with a massive grin on his face even as she continues her work.


    "Your d.i.c.k is so thick, so nice and juicy. I want it my Lord, I want it inside my mouth. I want to suck on your huge, girthy meat-rod."


    Shigure doesn''t imagine that the female Servant knew most of these words before he used the Command Seal. Truly, that was some powerful magic. Still, her vocal worship of his length certainly has an effect. He''s throbbing painfully by the time Ushiwakamaru takes his c.o.c.khead into her mouth, sliding her lips onto it and swirling her tongue around the tip of his member.


    "F.u.c.k that''s good¡­"


    It seems the Command Seal has given her some skill in order to make her worship worthier of his member as well, because Shigure is pretty sure a samurai, even a female one, is not trained in the level of nob gobbling that the heroic spirit is performing on him now. Ushiwakamaru''s eyes are still locked with his, even as she goes further and further. Her head bobs back and forth and inch after inch of his thick prick disappears past her lips, until finally he reaches the back of her throat.


    The servant gags for a second on his c.o.c.k, pulling back and finally turning her gaze towards the massive shaft between her lips. Her brow furrows in concentration and she glares at his member as if its personally offended her¡­ or as if it''s a challenge for her to overcome. Her eyes crossed, Shigure''s first Servant gets to work on truly worshipping his c.o.c.k, as she''s been ordered.


    "Gagkh¡­ gagkh¡­. gagkh¡­"


    Going slowly, Ushiwakamaru chokes quietly on the member that she''s currently doing her best to bury down her throat. She gags and she has to pull back time and time again to get fresh air, but each time she dives down her Lord''s member, she gets an inch closer to her goal. After several minutes of slowly but surely deep-throating Shigure''s c.o.c.k, the heroic spirit finally reaches that goal.


    The beautiful samurai''s nose presses into Shigure''s pubes and her drool-covered chin rests against his balls. There are involuntary tears building in the scantily clad Servant''s eyes and despite trying to hold her position, eventually she begins to choke on the massive schlong buried in her throat, forcing her to rear back as the tears finally fall down her face.


    That does not stop Ushiwakamaru though. With Shigure''s c.o.c.khead still between her lips, the determined samurai breathes in deeply through her nose and dives back down once more. Her throat spasms around his length and she chokes almost immediately, but she makes it back down to the base of his shaft all the same, pressing her nose into his crotch yet again.


    She has to pull back faster though, and that slowly increases the pace at which she f.u.c.ks her own throat on Shigure''s member bobbing back and forth faster and faster, her tongue sliding along the underside of his length, her lips suctioning down around his girth and her cheeks sucking inwards in an incredibly lewd display for a woman meant to be an ''honorable samurai''.


    "Gagkh! Gagkh! Gagkh!"


    Drool is outright flying from Ushiwakamaru''s stuffed mouth at this point. Strands of the stuff are being flung off of her rapidly shifting chin and ending up across her half-n.a.k.e.d body. Tears stream from her eyes and the lack of air causes her eyelashes to flutter and her pupils to slowly roll back in her head. Finally though, just as she''s starting to slow down from her own growing weakness, Shigure c.u.ms. It''s in this moment that he takes hold of her head, grabbing at the strange arrangement her long black hair is done up in.


    Forcing her to the base of his c.o.c.k one last time, Shigure c.u.ms down Ushiwakamaru''s throat, a large, thick load of c.u.m shooting right down into her gullet. To her credit, the heroic spirit manages to swallow every last drop of his seed, a muffled groan leaving her lips even as Shigure finishes up and pulls his c.o.c.k free of her mouth. Ushiwakamaru is left a panting, fl.u.s.tered mess, tear tracks down her face, eyes glazed over and tired, chin covered in her own saliva and her nearly n.a.k.e.d body not much better.


    Slowly, she looks up at her new Master.


    "My Lord, urp¡­ you''ve¡­ you''ve filled me up considerably. A-Are you satisfied now?"


    Shigure stares for a long moment, his c.o.c.k still standing up straight as he finds that no, he isn''t satisfied. Not yet anyways. He wants more of her¡­ he wants ALL of her. Grinning viciously, the young Master lifts a foot and plants it on his Servant''s chest, using it to push her onto her back. He falls over her a moment later and grabs at the small blue garment she is wearing to cover her crotch. He does not think they are panties, for they''re of a much stronger material¡­ but then, as he tears them off of her and finds nothing underneath, Shigure can''t help but feel that they might as well have been panties.


    Ushiwakamaru''s breath hitches and it draws the young Master''s attention to the fact that his new Servant''s hand is creeping towards her sword. Hastily, Shigure invokes another Command Seal.


    "By the power of this Command Seal, I increase your sensitivity and libido by tenfold!"


    The flash and disappearance of the seal signify it activating and then Shigure brings his hand down on Ushiwakamaru''s exposed cunt, grinding his palm into her clit and his fingers along her mound. The proud samurai''s eyes go wide and her jaw drops open as her tongue sticks out straight for a brief second. Her entire body freezes up and then arches as she climaxes from Shigure''s touch. Her hand, the one that had been approaching her sword, falls away and as he fingers her roughly, the beautiful heroic spirit can do nothing but take it, her body almost constantly spasming under his touch.


    Eventually, Shigure pulls his fingers back from his new Servant''s cunt. He takes hold of his c.o.c.k and brings it to bear once more, grabbing onto Ushiwakamaru''s inner thigh for leverage as he leans in. She''s just beginning to calm down when the tip of his thick, prodigious member presses against her p.u.s.s.y lips. The heroic spirit''s eyes bulge out of her skull and her head flies back as her tongue flails about.


    "A-Ah! My Looooooord!"


    Her orgasm as Shigure pushes his member inside of her is certainly a sight to behold. He is briefly surprised to find her h.y.m.e.n intact, but after a moment he just accepts it. In a way, she was just born after all, so it makes sense that her body with be in pristine condition. Pressing against his Servant''s v.i.r.g.i.nity for a second, Shigure grins as he watches Ushiwakamaru''s eyes roll back in her head from the sensation, her sensitivity increased even here in this moment.


    Then, he pulls back and thrusts forward, and the female samurai explodes in yet another orgasm, this time from having her purity stolen from her. As Shigure begins to f.u.c.k the tight cunt of his new Servant, he grins viciously down at her.


    "God, you sure are a s.l.u.tty samurai Ushiwakamaru. Honestly, Are you sure you''re any good for combat? Maybe this is where you belong, on your back, taking a d.i.c.k up this tight little p.u.s.s.y of yours."


    The heroic spirit''s pride is already in shambles, though she does manage to blush in embarrassment and humiliation at Shigure''s degrading words. But it''s hard for her to defend herself, or even respond at all when his c.o.c.k is slamming into her cunt again and again and again. Her p.u.s.s.y lips are stretched wide around his thick length and his member''s pistoning is managing to hit every last bit of her extremely sensitive insides. When he finally reaches her cervix, Ushiwakamaru loses it yet again, the feeling of him battering at the entrance of her w.o.m.b bringing her even more pleasure.


    She climaxes, but still manages to maintain the barest bits of her sanity, shaking her head back and forth in response to his insults. That stops however, when Shigure rears back and thrusts in once more, finally burying every last bit of his member inside of the female samurai''s tight cunt, and as a result, breaking right through her cervix and into her w.o.m.b.


    It''s in that moment that the heroic spirit''s mind shatters. She mewls pathetically as Shigure''s c.o.c.k fills her w.o.m.b and stretches it like a condom over his d.i.c.k tip. He grunts as he pounds into her most sacred of places, and she in turn begins to sing his praises without any prompting.


    "Yes! Yes, my Lord! You''re so deep inside of me! F.u.c.k me, f.u.c.k my w.o.m.b! T-Treat me like your concubine!"


    Shigure hesitates for a moment, before grinning wickedly.


    "Concubine¡­ yeah, I like that. You aren''t a samurai anymore you filthy little whore, you''re my concubine, my s.e.x slave. Got it?"


    To punctuate the statement, Shigure reaches up and flips back the incredibly meager chest coverings that were hiding Ushiwakamaru''s small tits from the world, His grin turns vicious as he reaches out and mauls her b.r.e.a.s.ts, kneading and groping them as hard as he can. Due to the increase in her sensitivity, Ushiwakamaru positively loses it, climaxing around his c.o.c.k for the umpteenth time due to the brutal abuse of her tits.


    "Y-Yes my Lord! I will be a good little concubine for you, I promise! Please, treat me as nothing more than a piece of meat!"


    Shigure does exactly that, plowing the heroic spirit into the ground and making her his bitch. He slams his c.o.c.k home into her over and over and over again, filling her w.o.m.b with his man meat each and every time. Ushiwakamaru''s eyes roll back in her head and her tongue hangs out of her skull in quite a lewd fashion as she does her level best to hump her cunt up towards his pistoning prick.


    She feels amazing around his member, her p.u.s.s.y walls constantly clenching down along his length in a rhythmic, nonstop manner. Shigure groans, feeling himself getting closer and closer. He can sense his release rapidly approaching, even as his member begins to pulsate and throb, his balls churning with the need to release their payload inside of the w.o.m.b he''s currently buried deep inside.


    "G-Gods yes, I''m about to c.u.m! I''m going to fill your s.l.u.tty little w.o.m.b with my seed!"


    As if those are the magic words, Ushiwakamaru actually comes back to herself for a moment. The last vestiges of the once proud samurai shine through, proving that everything she''d said up until that point was the pleasure speaking, not entirely her.


    "W-Wait! M-My Lord, you must c.u.m outside¡­ i-if I get pregnant, I truly won''t be able t-to serve you in a combat capacity!"


    Despite her vocal desire to be treated as nothing but a ''piece of meat'', it''s obvious in that moment that Ushiwakamaru is not fully broken. She does not truly mean what she''s saying. Shigure slows down and pauses for a second as he c.o.c.ks his head to the side. The female samurai has just enough time to sigh in relief, believing that he''s going to pull out, when suddenly Shigure begins to thrust even harder inside of her, slamming home into her cunt again and again and again.


    "Thanks for the idea slave! I think I''m going to do just that! And just to be sure, by the power of this Command Seal, I order you to accept my seed!"


    Shigure could care less about using up his last Command Seal. He knows that the bitch beneath him can''t do anything but squirm and m.o.a.n and mewl pathetically with her body''s sensitivity so f.u.c.k.i.e.d up now. Besides, with the FATE system, he''ll have all three of them regenerated within just three days. Grinning viciously, he redoubles his pace, pounding Ushiwakamaru''s w.o.m.b twice as hard with his hammer-like c.o.c.khead.


    Meanwhile, the female samurai feels a sharp tingle in her nethers and realizes in that moment that the Command Seal has gone beyond simply forcing her to accept the situation, even as her mind twists and warps to love the idea of his c.o.c.k filling her with his seed. More than that, the Command Seal has rewritten reality in order to make her eggs hyper-fertile. There''s an absolute zero percent chance that she''ll escape getting pregnant if he c.u.ms inside of her in this moment.


    And of course, that''s exactly what Shigure does. He howls his triumph right then and there, and his c.o.c.khead busts through Ushiwakamaru''s cervix once more as he begins to pump her w.o.m.b full of her virile seed. His white, hot c.u.m paints the inside of her w.o.m.b and then some, his load hosing into her with great force as his man meat stuffed up her cunt means not a single drop spills out.


    By the time Shigure is done c.u.m.m.i.n.g inside of her, Ushiwakamaru''s belly is slightly distended from the sheer amount of seed filling her w.o.m.b. With the only way out blocked, the seed has nowhere to go but into her eggs, penetrating them in the same way he''d penetrated her cervix. The heroic spirit is fully aware of her body in every way. That sensation, of her eggs being inseminated, of knowing that she is without a doubt going to get pregnant¡­ it sends her right over the edge one last time.


    Ushiwakamaru actually foams at the mouth a bit as she climaxes explosively yet again. Her eyes roll back in her head and she passes out for a time. When she wakes up again, she''s a new woman. In the time that she was out, Shigure moved them both to a nearby wall. Her Lord sits under her, holding her close to him in his lap, his massive member still buried inside of her c.u.m-filled cunt.


    He smiles at her as she slowly wakes up, and she can''t help but give him a lazy smile in return. The heroic spirit leans forward and lightly kisses her Master, before pulling back and biting at her lower lip.


    "I¡­ this is where I belong my Lord. Thank you for showing me the true way. I was wrong to think I was worthy of being your samurai. My place is here, with your c.o.c.k inside of me and your c.u.m filling my w.o.m.b. I want to be your perfect little child-bearing concubine from this moment on my Lord. I-I hope that you will accept me in that role."


    Shigure studies her face for a long moment to see how earnest she is. Eventually, he grins and leans forward to give her a much, much deeper kiss than the chaste one she''d given him. At the same time, his hands move down to her perky little rump and he grabs at her ass cheeks, easily holding one in each of his palms.


    As he begins to slide his Servant up and down on his c.o.c.k yet again, this time simply for the pleasure of it, his tongue slips into her mouth and he dominates her there as well. Ushiwakamaru m.o.a.ns lewdly into his mouth and her hands come to rest on his shoulders as she helps him impale her cunt on his massive meat rod again and again.


    Eventually, even as he begins to pick up the pace, Shigure pulls away from her eager lips and gives her an answer, accompanied by a wicked grin.


    "I accept, my delicious, tight little concubine. We''re going to have so much fun together you and I."


    Ushiwakamaru blushes deeply and returns his wicked grin with a shy, eager smile. Even as he continues to f.u.c.k her however, Shigure''s thoughts are already on other matters. He wants more than just this one. He wants more Servants, some to fight his battle for him, sure¡­ but most of all, he wants to summon female heroic spirits from across history so he can f.u.c.k and dominate them like he did with this one.


    Of course, with the Chaldea Security Organization reduced down to three members, he had all the power and all the control now. It was just him, Mash and Dr. Roman¡­ and neither Mash nor Roman were going to be summoning Servants with which to save the world any time soon! There was no one left to stop him from repurposing the CSO into his own creation.


    In fact, Shigure rather thought it was time for a slight name change. Chaldea Subjugation Organization had a nice ring to it, didn''t it?


    Ah, but he was getting ahead of himself. First, he''d gather more servants and i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.e them just like he had with Ushiwakamaru. Then he''d look into expanding his influence further¡­


    Chapter 2


    Second up, Mordred


    -x-X-x-


    Shigure''s grin is a sight to behold as the light clears and the massive knight in armor is revealed. With horns coming off of its helm and a massive sword¡­ it truly is a menace to behold. But more than that, the armor has a distinctly feminine shape to it that draws the young man''s eye, even if one might think it wouldn''t.


    "Saber, Mordred has come."


    That causes Shigure''s jaw to drop. He''d done his research after all.


    "Mordred? The Knight of Betrayal?"


    Truly a powerhouse of a servant to be sure! This was an excellent summoning. Shigure could already see how he could utilize this to his advan-


    "¡­ Is Father here?"


    Shigure''s thoughts are brought to a screeching halt as he eyes the armored figure strangely.


    "¡­ Your father, Artoria Pendragon?"


    Mordred''s helm creaks slightly as she inclines her head.


    "Yes."


    Shigure frowns, his brow furrowing as he shakes his head in the negative.


    "No, I haven''t managed to summon her yet."


    If anything, the armored figure radiates disappointment. Then, it feels like Mordred is eyeing him up and down, almost judging him even. A moment later she IS judging him when her next words fall from her lips.


    "You''re not much to look at, are you?"


    Shigure goes red in embarrassment and anger. Wasn''t he supposed to be HER Master? Wasn''t she supposed to kneel before him and pledge her loyalty to his service? But then, Mordred was called the Knight of Betrayal for a reason he supposed. Perhaps as a warrior, she was in fact worse than worthless to him. Perhaps her use lies in another direction.


    Before she can say anything else, Shigure holds up his hand.


    "By the power of this Command Seal, I order you to expose yourself!"


    There''s a moment of silence as the seal disappears and the command takes hold. A moment later, Mordred grudgingly complies, allowing her armor to disperse but still leaving herself in clothes, albeit quite revealing ones. With her small tits covered by a strap and her battle skirt transformed into something rather skimpy, Shigure is able to see a lot more than one might think¡­ but a lot less than he originally expected.


    He''s confused for a second. Why did the Command Seal fail? Then he realizes, it didn''t. Instead, this is what Mordred considers ''exposing herself''. Without her armor, she''s far more vulnerable to attack. Another glance over of her outfit and Shigure decides that ultimately, he''s perfectly okay with this, especially since she''s obviously not wearing any undergarments beneath her battle skirt.


    Then, his eyes drift back up to hers and he realizes that his newest servant is ablaze with anger. She''s bright red, glaring at him, and clutching at her sword. Hastily, Shigure brings up his hand once more.


    "By the power of this Command Seal I order you not to move!"


    And just like that, Mordred is frozen in place. Her eyes go wide in outrage, but she can''t attack him now¡­ nor can she escape what he does next. Grinning salaciously, Shigure takes advantage of the situation by sidling up behind her. His hands slip under her clothes, one moving under her chest-wrap and the other goes past her battle skirt.


    "What. Do. You. Think. You''re. Doing?"


    Mordred''s tone is flat, and she''s clearly upset as he begins to play with her body. Chuckling into her ear from behind, Shigure tweaks the short blonde''s n.i.p.p.l.e, eliciting a gasp from her lips.


    "I''m going to pleasure you my dear. As your Master, it''s important that I make sure all of my Servants are properly stress free and loosened up. You''re far, far too uptight."


    The Knight of Betrayal growls low in her throat at that.


    "I''ll show you uptight, you damn, ah, bastard. Going to, mm, g-going to shove this sword u-up your d-damn, f-f.u.c.k¡­ ass¡­ I s-swear it."


    Shigure can''t help but laugh even louder as he continues to play with the beautiful blonde knight.


    "You know, your threat would be more credible if you weren''t beginning to m.o.a.n."


    It''s exactly as he says too, the Knight of Betrayal is trying and failing to hold back wanton m.o.a.ns as he plays with her body. Sensing that she''s about to say something in response, Shigure takes his fingers at her quim, which until this point have been circling her p.u.s.s.y lips, and suddenly frigs her clit. He gets her right in the middle of her threat.


    "I-I''ll kill y-oh fuuuuuck~"


    The wanton m.o.a.n in the beautiful blonde''s voice is unmistakable. Honestly, Shigure is a little surprised that Mordred is so sensitive. One wouldn''t expect it, reading up on her. She''s panting now, trying to threaten him some more but ultimately not managing much by broken gibberish and wanton m.o.a.ns. Her body squirms in his grasp, as much as her frozen status will allow her to do, and as he finally slides two fingers into her tight, wet, v.i.r.g.i.n p.u.s.s.y, Mordred cries out, her crotch humping against his digits.


    "Oh? Someone''s an eager little bitch, aren''t they? Not so high and mighty now Mordred¡­"


    The knight tries to respond with a growl, but it''s broken in the middle by whine. The whine is followed shortly by a whimper as Mordred realizes what Shigure has already figured out¡­ she might feel one way in her head, but her body is reacting quite differently. She''s being betrayed by her own sensitive cunt.


    "I''m not¡­ I don''t¡­ g-gaaaah!"


    The orgasm suddenly arrives, and Shigure''s grin becomes quite feral as Mordred''s p.u.s.s.y clenches down on his fingers, gripping at him even as she shakes and spasms. Her climax is so intense that her legs collapse from under her and the still frozen Knight of Betrayal is sent sprawling onto the floor, unable to move, with her ass up in the air. Shigure just looks at her for a long moment as she lays there whimpering needily.


    Her fingers twitch and it''s clear that she wants to get them to her cunt, that she wants to play with herself in the same way he''s been playing with her. Or at the very least, her subconscious wants to. Chuckling darkly, Shigure steps forward and kneels down. His pants are easily undone and his c.o.c.k is soon out and in his hand.


    He strokes his rock-hard phallus for a second, even as he reaches out and flips up the back of Mordred''s skirt. As expected, the silly s.l.u.t isn''t wearing any panties. Honestly, even Ushiwakamaru was wearing underwear¡­ even if that was basically ALL she was wearing. Was there something about heroic spirits that made them inherently s.l.u.tty?


    Eh, the fact that he''d forced Mordred to strip down to this level of indecency probably pointed to that being incorrect. Still, she had been going panty less beneath her armor, hadn''t she? That was pretty perverse of her¡­


    Heh, it didn''t really matter in the end, did it? Shigure''s grin intensifies as he focuses on the task at hand. His c.o.c.khead presses against Mordred''s sopping wet p.u.s.s.y, drawing a m.o.a.n from the beautiful blonde as she lays there helpless, face down and ass up. He rubs his member back and forth a few times, but doesn''t ever penetrate the needy knight. Mordred whimpers in response and her p.u.s.s.y lips almost seem to try and grab at the tip of his prick as he slides back and forth, getting his member nice and lubed up.


    Only once he''s glistening with her p.u.s.s.y juices does Shigure move on to the next stage of his plan. His hands come up and grab onto Mordred''s pert posterior. He spreads the blonde''s butt cheeks apart and reveals her sphincter for the world to see. Leaning in, Shigure grunts as he forces just his c.o.c.khead into Mordred''s back door.


    "Y-You bastard!"


    She yelps at the intrusion and curses at him, and it''s obvious that if she could pull away in that moment, she would. She''d probably separate his head from his shoulders as well at this point. But Mordred is powerless before him, unable to do either of those things, though her sword is still clutched in one hand after all this time, the blade flat against the ground.


    Shigure grunts in response as he forces the first inch of his lubed-up prick into her back door. And then he goes for another, and another, and another. As Mordred squirms and yelps and squeals beneath him, Shigure fills up her asshole with his c.o.c.k, until eventually his nut sack is bouncing against her slit and he''s buried to the base of his member in her poor little behind.


    Honestly, her small butt isn''t even quite as wide as his h.i.p.s. She has quite the petite frame, but her thighs are still fairly thick for her size. Reaching out, Shigure grabs onto an ass cheek apiece, his hands nearly fitting around each as he squeezes down hard with his fingers. Gripping and kneading Mordred''s little behind, the young man slowly pulls back, inch by inch, just like how he went in.


    A relieved groan leaves the blonde knight''s throat, but Shigure only gets about halfway out before he thrusts into her poor little butthole once more. The groan is cut off by a yelp and a cry, and then Shigure is pounding into her, his c.o.c.k thrusting in and out of her back door as she shrieks with pain. Only, the pain doesn''t seem to last long, because soon enough her shrieking dies down and is replaced by reluctant m.o.a.ns.


    Shigure almost stops when he hears the first one, but instead he keeps it up, grunting in time with his thrusts as he rails his newest Servant''s asshole. Listening to her, the young man is shocked to hear that Mordred is indeed m.o.a.ning and groaning in pleasure. Despite herself, she''s actively enjoying his c.o.c.k buried in her ass.


    He doesn''t stop pistoning in and out of her, but he does lean over her small form to grab a fist full of her blonde locks. With her hair in a ponytail as it is, latching onto the base of said ponytail makes things quite easy. Dragging Mordred''s head up off the ground, he leans in and breathes hot air across her ear.


    "You''re enjoying this, aren''t you?"


    Mordred whimpers, but there''s no more threats, no more insults. She has no actual response to give him, because they both know the truth at this point. As he continues to plow her from behind, his hand holding her hair like one might hold reins, Mordred can only mewl pathetically, groaning loudly and crying out whenever his c.o.c.k hits a particularly deep part of her bowels.


    The heroic spirit is built tough of course, made to be able to withstand more than most human bodies. In this moment, that attribute has backfired spectacularly on the Knight of Betrayal. The pain from her new Master f.u.c.k.i.n.g her ass faded way too quickly, allowing pleasure to take its place far too early. With Shigure slamming home into her tight back door again and again, Mordred is unable to contain herself. Eventually, holding back the pleasure becomes impossible and the blonde knight is shamefully climaxing to the anal pounding she''s receiving.


    "A-Ahhhh!!!"


    Her p.u.s.s.y juices explode out of her empty cunt as her eyes roll back in her head and her tongue lulls out of her skull. Shigure can''t see her face, so he has no idea that she''s ahegao''d, but he does know she''s orgasmed, especially from just how incredibly tight her asshole gets. For a moment, Shigure can''t even move as her butt clings to him and holds him in place. With a grunt, he manages to pull back and slam in again, causing a loud, long, wanton m.o.a.n to leave the blonde''s lips. A few more thrusts and the end comes for him as well, his release arriving.


    The young man empties his balls into his newest Servant, unloading his c.u.m into her tight little behind directly. By the time he pulls back out of her, she''s filled with his cream and a bit of white, hot seed is already dripping from her slightly agape sphincter. Of course, Shigure''s already focusing on her p.u.s.s.y. He drops the blonde''s head back to the ground and grabs for her h.i.p.s, getting ready to guide his c.o.c.k into her waiting cunt.


    That''s when Mordred begins to move and Shigure''s eyes go wide as he realizes that the Command Seal has finally worn off. Before he can say anything, or do anything beyond worry what she might do to him now, Mordred ends up surprising him instead. The hand that''s been clutching her sword handle all this time flings the weapon away from her. And then, she spins over onto her back, facing him.


    Their eyes meet for a long moment of silence, before Mordred blushes and averts her gaze. She spreads her legs wide around Shigure''s kneeling form and reaches down to flip up her loincloth, once more revealing her sopping wet cunt. Though she won''t look at him, her words, quiet and soft-spoken, reach the stunned young man anyways, cutting through the otherwise silent room like butter.


    "Please¡­ finish what you started¡­ make me a woman."


    Shigure stares for a long moment, before grinning c.o.c.kily. THAT, he can do. In fact, as he moves in and places his c.o.c.khead against her p.u.s.s.y lips, he reaches out and forces the powerful heroic spirit to look him in the eye.


    "You already ARE a woman Mordred¡­ you''re MY woman."


    The Knight of Betrayal blushes deeply at such a claim, squirming but not trying to pull away, even as he leans in and captures her lips with her own. At the same time, his c.o.c.k thrusts up into her v.i.r.g.i.n cunt and Shigure groans right alongside Mordred as he feels how tight her p.u.s.s.y is, and she in turn loses her purity.


    Honestly, the v.i.r.g.i.n knight is almost as tight in her cunt as she was in her butthole. Not quite there, but still pretty close. She''s far, FAR slicker here though, her p.u.s.s.y all lubed up with it''s natural juices and ready and waiting for him. Shigure is soon completely ensconced in it''s warm embrace as the tight, velvety walls clench at his c.o.c.k.


    His tongue dives into her throat even as he drives his member into her p.u.s.s.y again and again, and Mordred in turn submits fully to him, her own tongue barely fighting back as he plays with it, their lips smashed together, and her legs and arms clutching at his body to hold him to her. She''s surprisingly enthusiastic, eager even for him to f.u.c.k her¡­ in the end, he supposes that there really was a s.l.u.t under all that armor.


    Or perhaps Mordred isn''t a s.l.u.t, she''s just a needy woman. Shigure doesn''t truly care which it really is, because either way he''s happy to give her what he wants. A hard d.i.c.king and a Master to give her orders. In fact¡­


    Shigure slows to a stop for just a moment and Mordred''s eyes snap open from where they''ve lulled shut as he pulls back. She looks at him in confusion and worry, but he just grins down at her, before slowly, sensually sliding in and out of her. There''s no way he''ll c.u.m from doing this and as Mordred m.o.a.ns, it''s clear she probably won''t either.


    "You still haven''t said it you know."


    Blinking dumbly, Mordred looks even more confused for a moment¡­ and then she realizes what he means and blushes deeply. Glancing down at where the two of them are connected together, the Knight of Betrayal bites her lower lip and then looks up into Shigure''s eyes.


    "¡­ I ask of you, are you my Master????


    Shigure grins savagely and begins to thrust faster into her tight, clenching cunt. Mordred almost immediately orgasms, crying out loudly as her p.u.s.s.y walls spasm rhythmically around his length.


    "Yes! Yes I am Mordred, I am your Master! Now, tell your Master what you want from him!"


    M.o.a.ning wantonly, Mordred tosses her head back and forth, but ultimately does as she''s told.


    "Master! Master f.u.c.k me, please f.u.c.k me! Knock me up Master, c.u.m inside of me! Put a baby inside of me so I can bear your child!"


    And there it is. Shigure hollers as he c.u.ms hard from Mordred''s perverse desire to be bred made vocal, made reality. His seed fills her w.o.m.b and the moment Mordred feels this, the Servant c.u.ms yet again, her eyes rolling back in her head and her tongue hanging out of her skull. This time, Shigure gets to watch her ahegao right in front of him, and oh what a glorious sight it is.


    He paints the walls of her w.o.m.b white with his c.u.m and then collapses atop her, panting heavily. In the end, they end up cuddling with one another as Mordred, smaller than him, curls into his chest. He strokes a hand through her blonde locks as she nuzzles her cheek against his body, until eventually she pulls back and looks at him.


    "A-As your woman, I''ll be sure to bear you a strong child M-Master¡­ h-hopefully a boy, to continue your line with."


    Shigure chuckles at that, and just holds her closer. The young man can''t help but revel in the fact that all it really took to break the powerful, brash knight into a submissive s.l.u.tty little pet was a nice, long, hard f.u.c.k.


    Chapter 3


    -x-X-x-


    He had NOT expected Christmas to turn out so¡­ WILD. Shigure lets out a sigh as he finally makes it back to his quarters. He doesn''t even bother calling one of his female servants to his bed, that''s how exhausted he is. That¡­ adventure if one could call it that, had taken a LOT out of him. Still, in the end it''d resulted in a new, permanent Servant, so he supposed it couldn''t be all bad.


    He''d promptly shot down any attempts at calling the new girl Jeanne Alter Santa Lily. Honestly, what kind of name was that? Who the f.u.c.k has FOUR names? No, it was much better to just label her as Loli Jeanne once all was said and done and she''d given up on being Santa Claus. After all, she had the body type for it, not to mention she LIKED the name as well. Or at the very least she didn''t mind it.


    ¡­ Honestly, Shigure doesn''t care so long as she doesn''t complain. Stripping down to his boxers, the tired Master pulls back the covers of his bed with heavily lidded eyes and slides into bed. Yawning powerfully, the young man pulls his sheets up around his neck and smiles as he almost immediately begins to drift off to sleep. It''d felt good to do a good deed for the day. Helping Loli Jeanne find her true place in the world¡­ that''d been nice.


    But now, it was sleep time. Tomorrow would be a brand-new day, and given how important he was to Chaldea, he had to get his beauty sleep!


    -x-X-x-


    Shigure wakes up slowly the next morning, to the most pleasurable of feelings. Someone is currently sucking his c.o.c.k beneath his covers, and he suspects its one of his Servants. After all, who else would access his room, slip into bed, and nestle themselves between his legs to begin giving him a delightful morning wake-up via blowjob?


    For a long moment, Shigure simply enjoys it, waking up to the sensation over the course of the next few minutes. Only, once the sleep has cleared from his brain more, the young Master begins to realize that whoever''s sucking him off isn''t one of his usuals. No, they''re much clumsier than that, much more inexperienced. He can''t place the tongue or lip technique, mostly because there really isn''t a technique on either.


    Opening his eyes, Shigure pulls up the sheets and looks down the length of his body. His eyes meet those of the Servant he went to bed thinking about as she continues to bob up and down on his shaft.


    "¡­ Loli Jeanne?"


    Loli Jeanne gives him an eye-smile in return, and then slurps back off of his c.o.c.k to give him a real smile as the sheets are pulled up and over her head, falling down behind her and exposing them both as she takes his member in hand and transitions to an enthusiastic, albeit similarly inexperienced hand job.


    "Good morning Master!"


    Shigure, brow furrowed in confusion, stares at his cute, petite, white-haired servant for a long moment.


    "¡­ What''re you doing?"


    A giggle escapes from Loli Jeanne''s mouth as she strokes his member up and down. She''s not wearing her bra, leaving her tiny little tits on display for him as she leans forward and speaks in as sultry a voice as she can manage.


    "Mm, well Master, I never DID give you a present, and after all your help, I felt bad about it! I wanted to make it up to you! The others were VERY helpful in that regard, they told me that the best gift I could offer¡­ was myself!"


    Loli Jeanne lets out another giggle, makes a peace sign with her free hand, and then leans in to plant a cute little kiss right on the head of his c.o.c.k. Shigure''s eyes go wide and he groans as his release abruptly arrives. He goes right over the edge, and his c.u.m spurts out all over onto the Christmas-themed version of Jeanne d''Arc''s face as she gasps in delight and takes every last bit of it like a champ.


    Shigure is even more surprised when the most petite of his Servants (and that''s saying something!) pulls back and starts to wipe off his c.u.m, suckling his seed from her fingers and eating every last bit of it as if she''s ravenous. Watching the cute young woman scoop his c.u.m off of her itty-bitty titties so she can devour it¡­ well, needless to say Shigure isn''t exactly getting any softer.


    "¡­ Where did you learn THAT, Loli Jeanne?"


    She giggles at him as she licks her finger dry one last time, suckling on it until it leaves her suctioned down lips with a pop.


    "Mm, Ushiwakamaru told me all about how to properly worship your c.o.c.k Master! And Mordred was kind enough to tell me that wearing bras and panties around the Master is forbidden when in bed or in private!"


    Shigure''s eyebrows lift at that and his gaze slides down from her obviously n.a.k.e.d tits, to her skirt, which is of course covering her crotch. Seeing where his gaze is, Loli Jeanne grins and lifts said skirt up to show that she''s not wearing any panties, just as she said. Her cute little p.u.s.s.y is on display right before his eyes, and from what Shigure can see, she''s already dripping wet, even now.


    Swallowing dryly, the young man just can''t resist. His hands come up and he gestures for her to come closer. The Christmas-themed Servant does so, squealing and giggling as he takes firm hold of her waist and pulls her all the way up into his lap. His hands transition to her small, pert posterior and he guides her so that she''s kneeling on either side of him, his c.o.c.k positioned right below her tiny little slit.


    "Are you going to f.u.c.k me now Master?"


    Shigure''s eyes snap from that place where their genitals are about to meet up to his Servant''s eyes. Loli Jeanne has a sort of inquisitive innocence in her gaze as she smiles at him and c.o.c.ks her head to the side.


    "Now, now¡­ where did an innocent girl like you learn a word like ''f.u.c.k''?"


    Grinning impishly, she shakes her head back and forth from side to side.


    "I''ll never tell Master! You''ll have to torture it out of me!"


    Well, while he could use a Command Seal to find out¡­ Shigure is pretty sure he knows what ''torture'' in this case means. And he was planning on f.u.c.k.i.n.g her anyways, wasn''t it? With a grunt, the young Master pulls Loli Jeanne down on his d.i.c.k and she gasps happily in delight as he spears up into her. Her tiny p.u.s.s.y spreads obscenely wide in a way only a Servant could ever manage to survive, and she squeaks and m.o.a.ns with pleasure as he fills her up with his massive schlong.


    Of course, very swiftly Shigure hits a roadblock as he rams right into the Christmas-themed Servant''s cervix, with only half of his c.o.c.k even inside of her. Frowning, he quickly decides that he''s NOT going to let something like that stop him. He lifts Loli Jeanne''s small body up off his c.o.c.k partway, and then he slams her back down far harder, thrusting up into her with all the strength of her h.i.p.s in the exact same moment.


    He forces his way into her w.o.m.b with just that single thrust, his c.o.c.khead filling her tiny little w.o.m.b and stretching it out like a condom over his prick. Immediately, his cute little Servant''s eyes go wide and then roll back in her head as she orgasms on the spot. Her tongue hangs out of her mouth and it takes Shigure a moment to realize that she''s ahegaoing right there in front of him, as he''s fixated on the place where her stretched p.u.s.s.y lips are nestled at the base of his length.


    Seeing the expression of pure bliss and euphoria spread across his Servant''s face, Shigure can''t help commenting, a wicked grin on his own face as he calls her out.


    "Mm, I never would have guessed that you were such a lewd little loli my pet."


    The term of endearment at the end comes naturally, but Shigure is admittedly still surprised when she pulls him down a moment later into a deep, tongue-filled kiss. Their tongues wrestle for a few brief seconds and ultimately, Shigure manages to win that struggle, though very early on it becomes apparent that she''s submitting to him.


    After about a minute or two of making out with his c.o.c.k buried in her w.o.m.b, Loli Jeanne finally pulls back and gives Shigure an incredibly sultry grin.


    "I''m like this because of Master, you know~"


    That causes Shigure to frown in confusion as his hands continue to knead his Servant''s pert little behind.


    "Because of me? What''d I do?"


    Still grinning, the white-haired loli leans in and rests her forehead against Shigure''s, letting out a pleased sigh as she explains.


    "Because of my Self-Reformation skill, I become whatever Master wishes for me to be! Even if it''s Master''s subconscious, I???m still influenced by your desires! Master wished for me to be Lewd, so I''m now very Lewd indeed! Ushiwakamaru meant well, and Mordred tried to trick me, but eventually I would have jumped Master''s bones all the same! It''s just who I am now, hehe!~"


    Shigure blinks dumbly at that, thoroughly aroused by the idea of fundamentally changing a Servant''s personality in order to make them more like his ideal. Of course, Loli Jeanne sees his dumb look and takes it the wrong way, giggling and nuzzling his face as she reassures him.


    "Don''t worry Master, I don''t mind one bit! So long as its for you, I''ll be whatever you want me to be!"


    God, when she says it like that, how is he supposed to be able to hold back at all, right? With a grunt, Shigure grips his loli Servant''s rump even harder, and he begins to thrust up into the petite young woman as she cries out in surprise from the abrupt movement. Her body is so small that she easily bounces up and down on his c.o.c.k as he humps up into her, and her hands come down to press against his chest so she can better ride him, helping him to f.u.c.k her all the harder.


    "Master! Master! Masterrrrr~"


    Loli Jeanne m.o.a.ns his title over and over again as her tight little p.u.s.s.y grips at his c.o.c.k, almost refusing to let go at times. She clings to him, both inside of her quim and with her arms and legs as she clutches at his body. With her arms around his neck and her head lowered, Shigure is in perfect position to suckle at HER neck in return.


    He does so, giving her more than a few hickeys as he bounces the small Servant up and down on his d.i.c.k. Loli Jeanne cries out loudly and lewdly as she orgasms again and again around his member, and each time she does so, her p.u.s.s.y juices make the passage of his length slicker and slicker. He''s f.u.c.k.i.n.g right into her w.o.m.b, and while her cervix squeezes at him each time he passes through it, ultimately the barrier is no longer up to the task of stopping his intrusion.


    Slowly but surely, the Master is reshaping his Servant''s tight little cunt to his c.o.c.k, making her into his perfect little f.u.c.k toy, just as he''s done with the others. Only, this goes far deeper of course, given Loli Jeanne apparently has an actual skill that remakes her into his perfect ideal version of her. Oh yeah, Shigure could definitely get used to this.


    Grunting, he continues to plow up into her w.o.m.b, delighting in the feeling of it stretching over his c.o.c.khead time and time again like a condom. He plows her senseless as she climaxes repeatedly, and eventually it just becomes too much for the young man. Her final climax is explosive and her already tight inner walls clench down even harder around his d.i.c.k, finally milking him of his second release.


    Shigure grunts and suckles even harder at his Servant''s neck as he c.u.ms inside of her, his seed pouring into her w.o.m.b at a great rate. Thanks to just how tight the fit is, there''s not enough room for his c.u.m to slide out of her, not when his d.i.c.k is blocking up the entrance of her cervix. As such, Loli Jeanne ends up with a slightly swollen belly, her skinny abdomen ballooning and bloating outwards from the excessive amount of c.u.m deposited inside of her.


    The sensation of being so utterly filled by her Master sends the Christmas-themed Servant through one last orgasm, right on the coattails of the one that had in fact started his. As they both eventually come down from their orgasmic high, they flop back down onto the bed and Loli Jeanne happily lays across his broad chest, taking up little room as she nestles and nuzzles into him with a smile on her face.


    "Master¡­ did you like your present?"


    There''s such earnest hope and desire in her voice as she asks it. Shigure did, of course he did¡­ but even if he didn''t, he''s not sure he''d be able to tell her so with how needy and vulnerable she sounds. Still, it''s a moot point in the end. Grinning happily, Shigure hugs his cute loli close to his chest and kisses her hair as he answers her.


    "I LOVED it my dear, I absolutely LOVED it. I think I''m going to be playing with it a LOT more in the future too¡­"


    Loli Jeanne squeals with glee and lifts her head up to plant another deep kiss on her Master''s lips. Shigure happily returns it, and when she pulls back and returns to nuzzling into his chest, he smiles as she sighs contently.


    "Merry Christmas Master~"


    A chuckle on his lips, Shigure hugs the beautiful Servant to him all the closer, knowing he''s found a keeper in this one. He doesn''t mind all the excitement that they''d had to deal with the day before anymore. The exhaustion was definitely worth it, if it brought him this. Yes, Shigure is quite content, even if he does have a lot more work to do¡­ and a lot more beautiful babes to summon and utilize in a NUMBER of ways.


    He should also probably find a suitable ''punishment'' for Mordred. Her attempt to screw with her fellow Servant isn''t some great offense, but she always does this, these little mischievous things to try and test the boundaries with him. He also thinks she might be doing it solely to get him to punish her, since said punishment usually ends up being liberal amounts of rough s.e.x.


    Regardless, he''ll deal with that later. He''ll deal with everything later. For now, he just wants to luxuriate in the feeling of his Servant in his arms, his c.o.c.k still buried in her tight cunt, his c.u.m filling her w.o.m.b. Letting out a happy sigh, Shigure lets his eyes drift shut as he simply enjoys the moment.


    "Merry Christmas, pet¡­"

 Chapter 342 - My CO Stash #42 - Wayward Wolf by ekrolo2 (WitcherXASongofIce&Fire)

    -I''m just thankful that there''ll be no law of surprise following Geralt to Westeros~


    Synopsis: The year following the end of the war was the best he''d had in nearly a decade. Ciri was no longer hounded by men and elves, Yennefer''s reputation was restored and Geralt was back to doing what he did best: simple Witcher''s work. Kill the monster and get paid. No more conspiracies or prophecies to ensnare him. He should''ve known it wouldn''t last. Post-Witcher 3 & Hearts of Stone, pre-Blood & Wine.


    Rated: M


    Words: 24K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/wayward-wolf-asoiaf-x-witcher.863942/ (ekrolo2)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    A welcoming breeze swept through the pine forest of Groundcherry, not too warm or too cold. Perfect for the retreating winter, whose snowfall had already melted away and a sign of the spring to come. The healthy trees rose dozens of feet into the air, letting just enough of the comfortable early morning sunlight to slip through the cracks and pleasantly shine down. The migrating bird species already began their reclamation, singing cheerfully in every possible direction. The predators who could threaten or kill man were elsewhere, giving off the impression of a vast but safe forest.


    Geralt knew better than to believe that. He''d spent most of his life traversing through such places, living there, sleeping, eating, and hunting. He knew full well of the dangers man, monster, and mother nature alike could prepare for any poor unsuspecting fool willing to lower his guard. In this case, it was a monster keeping him tense. Taking in his surroundings, examining their most minute details. Such as torn branches, stamped over grass, claw or boot prints, and most tellingly of all in this instance: droplets of blood. All of which were present in abundance.


    Though, the Katakan had little reason to mask the trail back to its lair when one took account of all the facts. The nearby village of Zrinski, home to just under one hundred people, was not only situated along the northernmost edge of the former kingdom of Sodden and the Groundcherry forest but also very close to a long-abandoned mine of the same name. According to the village''s alderman, the Zrinki Mine was built over a century past. For the first twenty years of its existence, it served as a lucrative source of iron deposits. That was when the village came very close to growing into a key trading post. Until the deposits ran out and with it, most interest in Groundcherry forest.


    Occasionally, some entrepreneurs seeking to rekindle the mine would arrive, boast of having a surefire means of letting the iron run again only to quit weeks into the endeavor and never to return. The Nilfgaardians were, as far as the village people knew, the last force to attempt this and quickly realized there was naught to be found in the mine and promptly left the Zrinski people alone.


    Yet as Geralt walked on foot, having already left Roche behind in the village lest the Katakan tries something to it, the closer he came to the entrance of the mine, the more he knew it recently acquired some other residence along with the vampire. Alongside the occasional claw marks standing prominently out, tracks belonging to people were present as well. A score of grown men wearing boots of varying quality and one of whom probably had a hole judging by how malformed his tracks were in contrast to his comrades.


    These tracks were far older than the Katakan''s, more worn out by time and exposure to the elements. According to the alderman, none from the village bothered to go to the mine. Venture far enough only to hunt game. Even when disaster and tragedy struck them, Geralt had arrived quickly by happenstance before any angry and foolish search party mob went into the forest to find the culprit.


    The boot tracks in-question did not reach the village or come from it. Instead, they came from the direction of the mine, southeast of the only residence for miles and miles. Judging by the lack of horse hooves or cart tracks, Geralt doubted they were merchants. There were no women or children present with the party, he would''ve spotted their trails already. If Dandelion were present, the Witcher would no doubt hear of some extravagant, implausible, and vaguely amusing explanation to their identity.


    Geralt guessed they were brigands, most likely fleeing from the Yaruga down south and whatever punishment the Nilfgaardian''s were ready to impose upon them. And it mattered little anyway, for they were most assuredly dead. The scant but prominent droplets of blood, which went to the same place the boot prints came to and from left little room to interpret this band of strangers'' fate differently. Katakan''s, particularly long slumbering and recently awoken one''s weren''t about to pass over a meal. Even if their preference, in this case, skewed younger.


    Like the gaping maw of a lumbering beast, the Zrinski Mine came to the view, the small clearing which once surrounded its entrance mostly reclaimed by nature with lumps of thick, healthy-looking grass scattered about it. The path connecting it to the village proper was barely identifiable, the remnants of its iron gate hung loosely to the side, croaking miserably from its rusted hinges left and right in the breeze.


    It was also the spot where Geralt found the largest puddle of blood thus far. Just fifteen feet from the entrance, the substance most definitely came from a grown man, no child was abducted from the village. No child could bleed such an amount. From the crushed grass, finger-like trails clawed into the ground, the Witcher guessed one of the party managed to flee from the mine only for the Katakan to attack him from behind and drag him kicking and screaming back into its depths.


    Geralt ascertained the sun''s position and was pleased to see it was not yet noon. He had time to prepare still and promptly went about doing so. First, he rechecked the Moon Dust bombs hanging off his leather belt, within reach at all times, and capable of removing the vampire''s invisibility. He didn''t have any bombs to neutralize its regenerative properties or oil for his Cat School blade to carve its flesh away. However, the midday sun was fast approaching its zenith. Even a vampire hiding away in the depths of the Earth was weakened.


    The blade itself would serve him well, as it had already. Hatori had outdone himself with the steel and silver sword pair, calling it a parting gift once Geralt and Ciri set out on the Path almost a year ago. For two weeks, the swordsmith poured all of his knowledge and skill into the blades, and for any warrior, nevermind a Witcher, they were an achievement. Strong enough to weather a strike from a sledgehammer yet light and perfectly balanced, they both cleaved through flesh, hide and armor with next to no resistance. Their already potent cutting power was intensified by a series of Dwarven runes that glowed and dimly pulsated when Geralt took hold of them.


    Next was his crossbow, capable of firing two shots before reloading and with a series of specially ordered, silver-tipped bolts also crafted by Hatori. The projectiles were capable of going in and out of a smaller monster with relative ease. A Katakan was made of sturdier stuff, which did not work to its advantage. The bolts would doubtlessly remain inside whatever body part Geralt fired them into, and the vampire would have to claw its own flesh to pieces just to remove them. Still, given the speed of his prey, reloading it wouldn''t be possible. It was fortunate then that Geralt also had some silver, throwing daggers on hand.


    Then came the more unpleasant part of his preparation: the Black Blood. Unlike many others, this one did not serve to enhance a Witcher''s existing abilities. It was made to ensure that if a blood-sucking fiend won the battle, their next meal would be the last, poisoning them so severely death was certain.


    Geralt had no intention of dying, of course, but he wasn''t about to let this monstrosity terrorize the people of Zrinski any more than it already did. Perhaps it was finally getting Ciri and Yennefer back, though they were separated again for now, which made him empathize with the plight of the parents. The distraught mothers and wrathful fathers who went to sleep, thinking their sons and daughters were safe only to find them pale, cold, and drained of their blood the following morning.


    Yes, he would enjoy killing this particular monster. If he couldn''t accomplish that, get some satisfaction of making the bastard choke on his leftovers. The Black Blood left a sour, nauseating taste in his mouth. The effects of the second potion, the Blizzard, were far more potent. Though it tasted sweeter, it also left Geralt dazed for a few moments as though someone punched him hard across the face.


    A steady series of deep, controlled breaths did away with the sensation, his heartbeat slowing down almost as much as his sensory perception did. All about, the world seemed to almost halt before his very eyes. The rustling of a single grass taking ages worth of time to sway in the wind, the shadows cast by the overhead sun freezing in place. To fight against a blindingly swift creature like the Katakan, with claws capable of carving through even the finest of armors in a single swipe, there was no better potion for a Witcher.


    The Cat potion was the last he drank, dilating his pupils to such a degree his eyes resembled nothing but thick, black sockets. The world around Geralt changed again, becoming a grating, overly bright pestilence on his eyesight. Until he entered the cave that was, one hand wielding the silver blade and the other pulsating with the faintest of magical energy, ready to expel an Igni at a moment''s notice.


    Stepping into the cave with measured, quiet steps, Geralt took a moment to enjoy the welcoming pitch blackness inside and began his downward trek to the Katakan''s lair. The unmistakable claw marks left behind by the poor sods it slaughtered were proof it was. All about, through the minutes upon minutes spent in the darkness, Geralt spotted bits of fresh, human flesh littering the ground. Weapons of decent enough craft lying abandoned on the floor, along with digging equipment which was not rotten from decades of abandonment and disuse.


    Evidently, the bandits came for the cave, perhaps hoping to find some leftover means of earning coin. And if that didn''t work, put the village to the sword. Fate had other plans for them. The settlement of Zrinski rarely saw anything worse than a bear or wolf pack come near it, so the Katakan was not an ever-present threat but a recent arrival. Or more likely, the beast arrived long ago. The new arrivals disturbed its lair, thus sealing their fate and of several children.


    Their disturbance must have been quite egregious indeed. Katakan''s do not mutilate their victims, preferring to target specific spots in the body and are even known to frequently let their weakened victims live. More than likely the men dug their way into the vampire''s lair and began prodding around its inevitable treasure trove, laughing like idiots, grabbing any coin, jewel, or other trinkets to bolster their pockets. In so doing delivering a deadly insult to its owner.


    Katakan''s greed and love for all things shiny rivaled their desire for blood. Once, during his early years, Geralt managed to gain the upper hand against his first by slicing off its beard, adorned with countless jiggling, blindingly dazzling rubes, sapphires, and expensive earrings. The vampire was so stunned it let its guard down and in so doing, lost its head moments after.


    The brief reminiscing of days gone halted the instant Geralt''s eyes spotted something just fifteen feet ahead. The mine''s ceiling gradually shrunk, and he resorted to moving in a half-crouch because of it. It didn''t matter, because soon enough his available room to maneuver would grow substantially. On the other side of a freshly dug hole at the tail end of the mine, was an Elven ruin.


    Even squinting from a distance, Geralt recognized the stonework inside. Still looking strong and sturdy, defiant to the encroachment of nature as it was to man''s centuries ago. Pillars, standing and broken, stood out prominently against the floor, as it did the chests of riches collected by the Katakan before it went into hibernation. Much of the loot was, annoyingly, scattered about the ground. What caught Geralt''s attention the most was at the center of the lair: a portal.


    Or rather, a construction about what must''ve been the place for a portal. He''d seen enough of those during the trip across worlds with Avalla''ach to spot one right away. The chance of it turning on was relatively small, Ciri already performed a smaller, second Conjunction in her bid to disperse the White Frost. Even so, just being close to a remotely possible spot for a portal to appear got on Geralt''s nerves worse than a broken tooth.


    Putting his distaste aside, he carefully and slowly crouched down, passing under the recently formed hole and felt his mood substantially improve when not so much as a single pebble resounded through the seemingly empty room. What betrayed the Katakan''s location wasn''t sound or poor concealment from the creature. It was the faintest but distinct odor of blood coming from the ceiling.


    Peering upward, his free hand reaching for the crossbow attached to his left side belt, Geralt squinted and spotted the creature sleeping amongst a slew of man-sized stalactites adorning the ceiling by the dozens if not hundreds. It did not so much as move the faintest muscle, nor did it let out a single sound. But as it was so often the case, the beast''s nature betrayed it.


    Geralt would have to act swiftly. If he aimed true and the beast''s instincts were too slow, a single bolt through its head could end the fight in a moment. And so he prepared to do just that. Slowly, agonizingly, the Witcher took the crossbow off his belt and gently pressed against the trigger. His knees were bent, his sword hand clutching the hilt and ready to attack.


    With the distinct thump, the crossbows mechanisms cut through the silence. The bolt flew through the air and for a moment, it seemed as though the fight was already done. A fraction of an instant before the bolt fired, a pair of black, predatory eyes snapped open and the Katakan tried to flee. Unsuccessfully. The bolt didn''t pierce its head, but there was an unmistakable crunching sound of steel piercing metal and the blood-freezing chill of a monster renowned for feeding on it.


    The beast landed about twenty feet north of Geralt, the impact reverberating through the ground and sending chests worth of gold and other riches to scatter about all over the place. While it was busy trying to claw out the bolt, Geralt was already on the move, anticipating its landing spot and slashing at it with a swift, overhead blow.


    The Katakan abandoned its attempt of ridding itself of the bolt and darted to left. Another deafening screech came from it as it tried clawing at Geralt instead, hitting nothing but air when the Witcher leaped gracefully to the side and opened fire before his feet even touched the ground again. It missed, hitting some far off wall while the Katakan''s body shimmered then vanished into nothingness.


    Geralt dropped the crossbow, the Katakan would disembowel him before he could get another bolt ready anyhow. Instead, he took his sword with both hands and kept to one place. His blade moving in constant, circular motions, a constant steady swirl of motion ready to divert itself in whatever direction the Witcher needed it to.


    Not that he didn''t know where the beast was. The Katakan''s blood stood out most prominently against that of men and children, and since he hadn''t heard any more flesh being rent or a bolt clanking against the floor, Geralt knew it was choosing to suffer the pain in silence. There, over to the western side of the room, where the portal construct stood between them.


    The Witcher decided not to let the beast know what he knew. Instead, he did something sure to anger it. With a few furtive steps to his right, Geralt spotted a golden goblet adorned with sparkling white jewels and other stones. It was fit for any king or queen. It was probably worth more than the last three dozen contracts he''d taken up combined.


    Without hesitation, Geralt''s foot stomped on the goblet and though his foot already hurt, the gold bent with a satisfying, metallic whine. The Katakan was on him almost immediately and this time, the Witcher saw its claws flash mere inches from his face as he leaped backward. His arms moved on pure instinct and struck back, rewarding him with a clash across the Katakan''s right abdomen.


    It yelled again, unquestionably feeling the searing of silver carving it and the oil acting as the cherry on top, as Dandelion was fond of saying. Geralt pressed his advantage, delivering two more cuts, one to its knee and another cutting off its smallest claw. Then he purposefully stopped and diverted all his energies into a pirouette, avoiding a returning claw strike which would''ve carved his chest into two pieces, at least.


    He tried to use the momentum to perhaps cut into the back of the Katakan''s neck but the beast leaped forward, avoiding death for the time being. They circled one another for a few, tense heartbeats, the vampire too wounded or bloody furious to bother turning invisible again and the Witcher, glaring back with his black pits for eyes and smiling nastily.


    That was when it happened. When the tense silence was broken not by the snarl of the beast or the blow of a mutant, but by the activation of a portal. One connecting this place to who knew where or what and the vampire wasted not a moment going for it. With a dramatic series of leaps betraying how much strength the monster still possessed, it went for it.


    And as was so frequently the case, Geralt''s mind told him to let it go, that there was no knowing what awaited either of them on the other side. A wasteland where they would burn or freeze in moments, a strange alien world as the ones Ciri spoke to him off where both would be even less welcome than the world they called home. And as was so frequently the case, Geralt did not let it go.


    With a snarl from the very deepest recess'' of his throat that he would come to regret the morning after, if he lived that long, the Witcher leaped as well and drove his blade right through the Katakan''s chest, his other hand gripping tightly to its left horn. For a moment, the two stood there, on the precipice of the portal and Geralt almost thought he''d stopped the disaster. Until the vampire lurched forward, then he felt the distinct, horrifying nothingness of every portal crossing.


    Then, there was the suffocation of water, of being deep, deep underwater in what was likely some lake or sea. Neither Geralt nor the Katakan was prepared for it, the two of them awkwardly shouting and swaying left, right and then spinning in circles like some mad, drunk Dwarves tumbling in the middle of a tavern brawl. Every so often, Geralt''s eyes caught sight of the portal and it''s remaining active gave him hope. Hope that if he killed the beast quickly, he could still make it back home from wherever the Hell he was then.


    Until the swaying Katakan, even less used to swimming than Geralt was, swung its powerful claws and in a single motion, carved the portal construct clean in two. Before Geralt could curse it or even better, make the child-murdering sc.u.m pay, the discharge of destabilized magical energy exploded merely a handful of feet away, propelling them upward in another dizzying spin.


    Despite his arms already aching from the exertion and wanting to let go, Geralt managed to hold on to the vampire even as their spinning grew worse and worse. Somehow, in this calamity of madness and drowning, the Witcher removed a silver blade from his belt and wildly, like a man completely lost of his senses, began stabbing the Katakan. Over, and over again in and eventually through the throat.


    In its last moments, the vampire managed to reach the surface of the water, letting out a pained, gurgling screech which prematurely ended when Geralt''s own snarl overtook it and the knife removed the monsters head. It floated on the surface, almost comically bobbing up and down against the light swaying waves of the darkening pool of blood and water about it.


    Geralt ignored it for the time being, instead, letting his body go limb and rest against the Katakan''s body, using it as a disgusting raft of flesh and bone. The battle frenzy took a while to abate, leaving him already feeling tired and beaten when he was quite certain there was nary a scratch on him. Though, a flesh wound was preferable to what was already clear.


    It wasn''t simply the fact Geralt and his contract ended up in the middle of the ocean, at night when it was midday before. It wasn''t merely that Geralt spun the corpse about and spotted a massive city off in the distance, the likes of which he''d never seen before with a monstrous fortress of a dozen towers looming over it atop a nearby hill. No, the detail that told the Witcher he''d gone somewhere very far away came from the stars.


    He couldn''t recognize a single constellation.


    A single curse came out of him, quiet and snarling. Then it was accompanied by a score, then two scores of others. Each louder and more blasphemous than the last. It wasn''t until his throat became sore that Geralt finally stopped and let some good sense dictate his next course of action. Well, good sense and a desire to vent his frustrations in another way: by removing every useful thing the Katakan had to offer him then setting the bastards leftovers on fire.


    ---


    Chapter 2


    The next difference between home and this other world became clear to Geralt while he still swam. Getting the corpse out to shore was to be a difficult task. The Katakan was over a head taller than him. Its body mass was several pounds greater than the Witchers. The vampire had caused him enough trouble, and the sooner it ended, the sooner he could focus on other matters.


    His bad luck made itself known again when the Aard, which was supposed to blast the body and head faster to shore, amounted to almost nothing. The water barely rippled, as though a child slapped it. A belch from Zoltan would''ve done more.


    "What the devil...?" He said, staring at his left hand. Again, he thrust, and the result was no better. His potions had yet to run out, nor had he exerted himself by casting too many signs beforehand. Therefore the problem was elsewhere.


    Though he was no great sorcerer, to use even a simple sign required a fundamental understanding of how magic functioned. To wield it, one must focus the force around oneself through concentration and varying exertions of their own will. Through said will and no small amount of practice, one could perform many incredible feats.


    And so Geralt closed his eyes, nearly halting his own slowed heartbeat and enjoyed the cooling feel of the ocean about him. Letting his senses perceive the force as best he could. It was a practice many young Witchers did early in their sign training. One only tolerated for a short while.


    It was here Geralt found the root cause of his diminished sign power: the force of this world was weak. This ocean alone held less of it than a small lake back home. Each scrap was like trying to grab a spilled water between his fingers. Was this world always so starved, or did something weaken it?


    Whatever the cause, the effect on Geralt''s sign strength remained even after spending up to a minute concentrating. The Aard, though more powerful than before, still nudged the Katakan half the distance it should have.


    About fifteen minutes later, the corpse and Witcher finally reached the shore. First, Geralt removed his sword still inside the vampire''s body, meeting little resistance. With more force than necessary, he kicked the corpse so that its chest faced the sky.


    He stared at it, wondering whether or not to bother removing its bones, heart, and any other useful parts. Just carrying the head around with no horse was troublesome given its size and weight. Yet the vampire owed him much for the misfortune it wrought. If this world lacked some ingredients required for Witcher potions, Geralt would rob himself of a useful, finite resource. He could not afford it, not with his diminished signs.


    His practicality won out. Kneeling at the beast''s left side, Geralt put his sword onto the ground. With the silver dagger in-hand, he began carving off the Katakan''s claws. Ordinarily, taking off their limbs and extracting from them wholesale was the wiser option. Without Roach around and the saddlebag to place all of those bones in, this would have to suffice.


    Luckily, the flesh about the claws showed little resistance. In a few minutes, most of them were off. Through the next hour, there were eight useful bones for alchemy. Geralt wrapped them in a cloth and placed them inside one of the two leather bags of his bandolier. Inside the other, he put the heart after cleaning it in the ocean and wrapping a cloth around it as well.


    Knowing he couldn''t burn the corpse with a single Igni, Geralt decided a more inventive approach. With a series of sword swings, he removed the vampire''s limbs and stuffed them inside its open chest cavity. Next, oil got applied to the lump of blood, mutilated flesh. Even the weakened fire blast found ample fuel with its flame resembling the inside of a furnace.


    He remained by the body, watching its flesh peel away, crack and turn black. Though Geralt was tired from the battle, the shock of being on another world and riping the body to pieces, he was mostly satisfied. Though they did not know it, and likely thought him dead, the families of Magdalena, Zvone, Igor, and Petar had received justice. No more sons or daughters of Zrinski would die to the blood-sucking fiend.


    The shred of bitterness dulling his sense of accomplishment came from the fact he could not tell them so, not yet. Then there was the fact he took the small bits of jewelry adorning the Katakan. Two golden bracelets, a single ruby ring and some earrings from the head.


    Though he had a coin purse, it was unlikely the sentient creatures inhabiting the castle would take them. Ciri and Yennefer would find him, that was beyond question, but how soon wasn''t. So, he would have to sell the Katakan''s treasures to acquire whatever passed for currency.


    It was hard to say who or what inhabited the city looming so distinctly against the moonlight. Save for the seven-massive drum towers, little else besides its impressive size was certain. It didn''t help his Cat''s potion was wearing off, leaving his Nightvision dulled. Earlier, he spotted lights there, perhaps torches or whatever else they used for illumination.


    Perhaps he would encounter humans, from what Ciri told him, they were present in other worlds. The Elves and Dwarves certainly liked to say they arrived back home with the Conjunction. Perhaps this was a domain of the Elves, judging by one of their ruins being present. Or the native species was something else entirely, closer to the Vodyanoy. One of his great regrets from all of the Salamandra business was never visiting their city.


    Much as he liked to complain about Dandelion''s curiosity, on account of him being unable to control it, Geralt shared it. As often as it led him to danger, it also provided him with many unforgettable experiences. Unlike the places he''d visited during his trip with Avalla''ach, this world wasn''t immediately hostile to him either.


    Should a great danger present itself, it might hasten his return home more than anything. The bond between Geralt and Ciri was strong, for when one fell into peril, the other became aware of it through dreams and nightmares.


    His mind made up, Geralt grabbed the hook he''d ran through the Katakan''s head, hoisted it off the ground over a shoulder and made his way into the forest. Lunch or rather, a late-night snack, was due. Keeping an ear out, Geralt already recognized a slew of familiar noises.


    From the branches of the tall trees came the distinct hoots of owls, and the screeching of bats. Crickets were abuzz everywhere, chirping unceasingly in a chorus numbering in the dozens or hundreds. Fireflies buzzed through the air, providing illumination the deeper he ventured.


    On the ground, Geralt detected the soft rustling of leaves and bushes from mice, hedgehogs, and even foxes. Though he heard no bears prowling the area, the Witcher picked up the distinct huffing of a wolf pack some ways off. What had already picked up his scent, or the Katakan''s was a wild boar.


    Geralt unsheathed his steel blade with the slow softness of a lovers caress. His lunch to be rumbled and hastened its step, each one reverberating through the ground with increasing frequency. Imperceptibly, Geralt bent his knees and tensed the fingers about the hilt. A few heartbeats later, he leaped to the right just as the boar came at him. The sword flashed, blood spurt across the nearby bushes, the boar slammed headfirst into the nearest tree. A moment later, the top of its skull finally landed.


    Putting the vampire head down, Geralt grabbed hold of the boars back leg, dragging it away from the tree with some effort. Luckily, they''d run into one another in a small clearing, just big enough for him to set a fire without burning the whole forest down.


    The Witcher gathered branches and other pieces of wood lying about in the clearing center. Once they were set aflame from a diminutive Igni, he went about sharping one of the longer, sturdier branches with his dagger. Lastly, came skinning the board. It was an impressive beast at full height, nearly reaching Geralt''s thighs. Its weight was well over thirty stones, at least. He couldn''t hope to eat it all, however. The forest would have to take care of his leftovers.


    Judging by its teeth, the animal was perhaps two or three years old. That meant good meat from it. Carving about its necks, Geralt removed a few good-sized chunks and pierced them through with the sharpened stick. Now he simply had to wait a while until it was good and ready to eat. In his youth, the process was a slog Geralt made tolerable through sword fighting practice. Now, with nearly a century of life at his back, there was a mundane pleasure from preparing a meal. It was a practice in its own right.


    So he watched and listened as the minutes passed by, the forest life continued despite his presence. One group he noticed earlier and fully expected to visit him did so eventually. They numbered five pack members, quietly they prowled through the forest, sniffing and salivating the smell of cooked and uncooked meat. Geralt watched them without moving, taking note of their yellow eyes watching him at the edges of the campfire.


    He didn''t feel like fighting anymore for today. So, Geralt rose slowly to his feet, grabbing the boar with both hands, heaving it off into the forest where three of the wolves stood. They snarled and bared their fangs at him but made no move to attack. Their free dinner was waiting. By the time Geralt sat back down, his meal was ready as well.


    And so for a while, the six wolves ate together.


    Eventually, the pack left, devouring a sizable portion of the boar and with enough left over for later. Geralt listened to them go, sitting down with his back pressed against the nearest tree. Under one arm was the Katakan head, in another the steel sword.


    He chose neither to travel further into the forest or sleep. Instead, Geralt closed his eyes, let his breathing fall into a practiced pattern, slowing his heartbeat. The meditation left him relaxed and alert, capable of resting and springing into action at a moment''s notice. Unmovingly, he laid there, still as a corpse until hours later, when the early morning sunshine warmed his face.


    Wiping away the caterpillar which decided to crawl across his brow, Geralt let out a long m.o.a.n, stretching the muscles of his neck then shoulders. Just as with his world, the sun was bright orange, piercing the retreating night, turning the sky into a collection of purple and blue hues. Assuming it functioned positionally the same, Geralt could finally discern where east and west were.


    The large city he spotted was, relative to his position, further west. It would no doubt take him perhaps another day or so to get there. Without delay, he did so. The owls and bats of the woods gave way to seagulls and chirping morning birds. Squirrels and rabbits abandoned their domains to begin foraging for food. They were indistinguishable from the species of his world. As did the trees with many of the plants he came across as well, Mistletoes, Allspice, White Mertle, Fools Parsley to name but a few.


    Other he did not see, perhaps because they did not grow there or did not exist at all. He would not use the recognizable herbs for potions without testing them first. Just because they looked and smelled the same didn''t mean there weren''t differences. Ones he couldn''t know of and could turn even a simple Cat potion into an alchemical bomb ready to backfire on him.


    Some hours later, Geralt stopped walking. Firstly to let his feet rest for a bit and secondly to spot any water around. Besides seawater, he hadn''t drunk a thing since the day before, the thirst was beginning to annoy him. After a few minutes of listening, the Witcher heard a creek flowing.


    The firstly faint rush of water grew as he traversed the forest southward. Yet his attention on it gave away to another sound Geralt was all too familiar with: the pounding of horse hooves. Several, moving at a leisure pace, accompanied by the creaking and swaying of what seemed a large, heavy wooden carriage.


    Moving toward the sound, hastening his speed in turn, Geralt hoped his presence wouldn''t elicit violence to erupt. Still, the Witcher would take a long, hard look at whoever rode those horses before revealing himself. The closer he got to the horses, the more it became clear he was not the only one to converge on their location.


    As all violence did, it happened suddenly and without warning to the recipient. The distinctive cry of a man in pain echoed through the woods soon joined by the neighing of horses, the shouting of commands, and the steel pounding against steel.


    Geralt''s blade was out in an instant, his body rushing past the trees as fast as his legs could manage. The noise of battle grew stronger: men were dying, a woman screamed, a burst of bone-chilling laughter drowned it all out.


    Soon enough, he came upon what was a road, the site of the battle. Before he could join it, Geralt took spotted one of the ambushers keeping a safe distance, striking his targets with a bow and arrow. From a glance, he was an older man with white hair tied into a ponytail, wearing a green jerkin, moving with a precision Milva would''ve found impressive.


    He was also alert, for when Geralt snapped a twig on the ground, the brigand spun around, unleashing an arrow intended for someone else the intruder. Geralt deflected it with a circular motion of his sword. The archer stared, opening his mouth to curse before his head came off following another swing.


    Reaching for a silver dagger, Geralt emerged from the forest to the carriages right. Inside it, a woman screamed, trying to fight off another archer clad in black at the door, her tan arms vainly keeping him at bay.


    A bit further away, two of his companions fought against a pair of men in black armor adorned with golden cloaks.


    With a single knife toss, Geralt attacked the archer harassing the woman, driving the blade clear through the back of his head. The brigand to the Witcher''s left, wearing a distinct red scarf around his neck, took notice of his fallen comrade first. He even managed to spot Geralt himself a moment before he was beheaded as well.


    "Oswyn!" The largest of them so far, a bearded bear of a man with a head wrapped in chainmail, wielding a Warhammer roared. With a single backhand, he knocked the gold cloak to the ground, charging at Geralt.


    With an impressive grace and speed to his technique, the bearded bear swung, intending to take Geralt''s head off. He struck nothing for the Witcher ducked, already launching his counter-attack. With an upward sword swing, the steel blade split the bandits head in two from chin to brow.


    A momentary lull fell over the battle, Geralt staring at the dead man falling to his feet, the gold cloaks staring at the Witcher as though he were some phantasm. But only for a moment, until the laughter from before came back. From the front of the carriage, clad in black armor, a round shield and fresh blood dripping down his blade, came the ugliest man Geralt had ever seen.


    He was without question uglier than Vilgerfortz. His receding hairline exposed a ghastly pale skin rivaling Geralt''s own. His eyes had red bags under them, emphasizing the tiny black hateful orbs in their sockets. His teeth were jagged, rotten yellow, eternally fixed into a smile capable of making a drowner piss itself.


    With slow, powerful steps, the smiling brigand dressed in a dark perversion of a knight came at Geralt.


    "A most welcome surprise," He laughed again. "Perhaps you''ll satisfy me now that Hightower cannot!"


    Geralt wasted no time on banter, opting to strike him down quickly then move on to the rest. Yet when his blade moved to sever another throat, the smiling brigand demonstrated a speed much greater than one would expect, deflecting the stab.


    He tried to bash Geralt with a shield, but the Witcher already moved aside, swinging back before his feet even touched the ground. Hatori''s swordcraft made itself known immediately, carving through the right shoulder plate. The smiling brigand laughed, pressing forward, unleashing a series of quick yet powerful slashes and thrusts.


    Geralt either met or darted around them, thankful that the two gold cloaks opted to flee instead of getting in his way. With a pirouette, the Witcher avoided another thrust, scoring two hits of his own. The first cutting into the right forearm while another slashed the bandit diagonally across his back.


    Once again, the brigand laughed, spinning around to strike with even greater ferocity than before. Perhaps he was some strange monster from this world, capable of feeding off the pain of his injuries. Or he was just a man who knew death was close at hand and wanted to go out in a blaze of glory.


    Whichever was true, Geralt would end it in a way he knew to work with any man or beast. Leaning to the right, the Witcher evaded another swing, pulled his arm back, and thrust it through the brigand''s right knee. Even this mad dog howled from the pain, stumbling into a kneeling position.


    Pulling the blade out, Geralt intended to cut his head off as well when he picked up a noise. Their battle had moved them past the back of the carriage, out in the open. A third archer awaited them there. Geralt just barely jerked his head back, letting the arrow pass mere inches from his face.


    With grit teeth, Geralt grabbed hold of another throwing knife when the smiling brigand shouted. Ripping his round shield away, he roared and tossed it in the direction of the forest.


    From there, a woman''s yelp came out. "Bloody mad whoreson!"


    "Stay out of this Wenda," He took hold of his sword, pointing at Geralt. "I''ll suffer no interference in this battle!"


    Geralt kept an ear out for her regardless, though by the sound of things Wenda would do as ordered.


    "My apologies," The smiling one said with a mocking tone it was hard to gauge the sincerity of it. "A duel like ours should remain ours only."


    The Witcher stared at him for a moment, then bowed his head in acknowledgment. In the next moment, they were back at it. With an impressive strength of will power, the smiling brigand launched back to his feet, his blade meeting Geralt''s in a lock.


    The two stared at one another, faces inches apart, one with a forceful grin, the other of a cold professional. The Witcher''s demeanor broke first with the next strike. With a snarl, Geralt pushed the bandit away, bringing his sword back down with an overhead blow.


    His adversary, determined as he was, could not defeat a knee. It gave out from the force of Geralt''s blow and the weight of his own armored body. Pressing his advantage, the Witcher raised his blade overhead again.


    When it came back down, it did so in the company of a coarse, bestial roar from the depths of Geralt''s throat. Such was its strength the sound drowned out the sound of a sword snapping, armor giving away to an enemy blow, and finally, flesh being rent.


    Blinking, Geralt stared at the right side of the smiling brigand''s chest. With a slow-motion, one part of it went to the right, while the rest of him leaned to the left. His sword hand went limp, dropping the snapped blade at Geralt''s feet. Blood poured from the massive wound, forming a puddle around them.


    Yet the smiling brigand''s expression was not one of pain. Instead, the ghastly grin gained a touch of warmth to it, of genuine happiness and humanity before the light dimmed from his eyes forever.


    Geralt stood there, observing the corpse even as he heard Wenda curse, fleeing into the woods. Again and again, she shouted, "The Smiling Knight is dead!".


    Her companion from the front of the carriage, a man Geralt did not see, tossed his sword to the ground, saying he was surrendering. An older man, wearing a dirtied set of white armor and a bleeding right hand came from the front then halted.


    He stared at Geralt, then the Smiling Knight''s corpse before returning his gaze to the Witcher. There was apprehension there, uncertainty even a bit of fear. There was no disgust or revulsion, however. The look many adopted whenever one of his kind was within sight.


    Eventually, the knight ripped his gaze away and moved to the carriage door. The girl from inside came out. She was a frail-looking young woman, no more than two, perhaps three years older than Ciri. Her yellow gown and headband complemented her tan skin. Though she was shaken by what transpired, she managed a warm smile to the knight regardless.


    "Princess Elia! Are you alright, your grace?"


    "Yes, Ser Gerold," She confirmed, taking a deep breath. "Though, it would not be so if not for this man."


    Just as the knight did, there was uncertainty present in her gaze. As though neither one could fully comprehend what this strange, viper-eyed man before them was. Yet, Geralt could not help notice and appreciate the gratitude there as well.


    "I only did what anyone else would, your majesty," Geralt bowed, remembering the court courtesies hammered into him by Dandelion, Yennefer, and Triss.


    Surprisingly, it was the knight who laughed. Though not mockingly. "Not just anyone could kill the Smiling Knight. Nevermind half of the Kingswood Brotherhood."


    "Please, ser, rise," The princess asked, Geralt did so. "I wish to know the name of the man who has done us all such a service today."


    "Geralt of Rivia, your highness. I''m a Witcher."


    ---


    Chapter 3


    "I see you''ve finally taken notice of Kings Landing''s welcoming gift to one and all."


    "Whatever gave you that impression, Ser Gerold? The watering of my eyes, the constant wrinkling of my nose, the ever-present curl of my lips? Perhaps my new horse-like, head-shaking tic?"


    The Kingsguard riding at the forefront of the party to Geralt''s right took no offense to the Witcher''s tone. Instead, he adopted a cheeky smile.


    "Aye."


    The city in-question finally became plain to see as they reached the final stretch of the Kingswood. Though he''d already guessed its considerable size from a distance earlier, only now did Geralt realize it was the largest city he''d ever seen. Oxenfurt, Novigrad, Vizima, Vengeberg, and many others he could list off were nothing in comparison. Accounting for the smaller, cobbled together miniature towns present that Geralt could see from this side, Kings Landing very likely stretched several square miles. The population must''ve been in the hundreds of thousands. It was highly likely there were more people in this capital city than in many leagues of the Northern Kingdoms. So many people packed together, it was little wonder the stench was foul and wide-spreading.


    "Care for a piece of advice?"


    "Certainly."


    "Think of flowers. Yes, you heard me right. Nothing defeats the smell of Kings Landing as reminiscing about more pleasant scents. In the Reach, the only thing held in higher esteem than chivalry is the nurturing of the land. Melons, peaches, apples, gr.a.p.es, the finest of wines, and yes, flower gardens grow as far as the eye can see. You''ll find no more fertile a place in all of the Seven Kingdoms."


    "Sounds like a place I''ve been to back home."


    "There is no place like the Reach," Ser Gerold said, exhibiting a measure of the puffed-up pride Geralt had come to know from knights. Even this, however, held more than a trace of the Kingsguard''s good humor. If this Reach was as similar to Touissant as Geralt thought it to be, then it made sense why a stranger such as him received such courtesy. One''s Martial skill was a proven way for even the lowest of commoners to rise in society, Geralt had made his debut almost wiping out a notorious group of thieves and cutthroats. Indeed, the survivors of the battle showed rare gratitude, untainted by scorn and prejudice for Witchers.


    It probably helped they had no notion as to what a Witcher was. They''d never seen or heard of one before. Geralt kept his explanation simple, to the point: he was a monster hunter. One such beast was responsible for bringing him this far from home. The vampire whose head hung from the side of the saddle, wrapped in a sack Geralt took from the Brotherhood. The people of Westeros showed interest in seeing the creature, but back in the safety of court. The Princess'' initial desire for the outdoors evaporated following the battle, a sentiment shared by all accompanying her.


    Before the left, however, Geralt was able to endear himself even more to the Westerosi. Using salves and ointments given to him and Ciri by Nenneke during a recent visit to Ellander, he played the role of battlefield healer. Ser Gerold''s hand, pierced by an arrow, was already back in use while a young Gold Cloak named Alyn bled no more from his brow cut. Though he did voice disappointment when Geralt said he''d have no scar to impress women.


    "If it''s not too much of a bother, I''d rather talk the rest of the way to, what did you call it? The Red Keep?"


    "Aye, you''d be hard-pressed to miss it," Ser Gerold pointed to one of the three massive hills within King''s Landing. With the midday sun overhead, its pale red stone seemed to glow prominently against its surroundings.


    "Therein lies the court of King Aerys Targaryen the second, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men. Ruler of Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms."


    "An impressive collection of titles, I assume the Seven Kingdoms stretch across the whole continent?"


    "An astute assumption, master Witcher. From the deserts of Dorne to the south to the Wall of the north, rules House Targaryen. So it has been for nearly the past three hundred years. Gods willing, it shall continue for many centuries thereafter."


    "This city is only three hundred years old?" Geralt said, surprised by the fact. "I had thought it was much older, given its size and importance."


    "The Seven Kingdoms have existed for thousands of years. The task of uniting them was only begun and with great success, by the first king of Westeros. Aegon Targaryen, the founder of the dynasty. Together with his sister-wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, and their three dragons, they united much of Westeros."


    Geralt noticed and pointedly avoided questioning the sister-wives portion of the story. "Westeros is home to dragons?"


    "Once," Ser Gerold said, his enthusiasm faltering. "Over a century has passed since the death of the last dragon. The world has not seen one since."


    "No doubt a sad fact for many a boy to hear throughout the realm."


    "Like you wouldn''t believe," The Kingsguard said with a rueful smile this time. "After all, who would not want to merely lay eyes upon such a creature? I am not ashamed to admit that the boy within me would swoon at such a sight."


    "Do dragons hold religious significance here?" Geralt said, choosing to gain a greater understanding of their views on the creatures. "In a land far from even Rivia, they are revered as gods."


    "The Faith of the Seven rules here," Ser Gerold pointed next to the second hill of King''s Landing. This one was situated closer to its center in contrast to the Red Keep. Again, Geralt noticed seven towers that sparkled against the sunlight. Possibly made of some crystal substance. The towers surrounded a massive, marble dome. "The Father, the Mother, the Warrior, the Maid, the Smith, the Crone, and finally, the Stranger. The greatest place of worship for them is atop Visenya''s hill there. The Great Sept of Baelor."


    "Seven gods pertaining to forms of justice, craft, healing, nurturing, death, and so forth. Simple enough to grasp and quite similar in some respects to the faiths of my own lands."


    "There are other Gods as well, though their presence in Kings Landing is far lesser. In the northern lands of Westeros reign the old gods. They number more than the Seven, though their names are few. I know little else of them, save they are beings of forests, streams, and stone. There is also the Drowned God of the Iron Islands, though I know and care little to know of him."


    "I''d wager the Iron Islands people aren''t popular here?"


    "The Ironborn," Ser Gerold corrected. "And no, far from it. Though I served with and even met a few decent ones in battle, the rest are but reavers and cutthroats. Eternally bitter for the end of their glory days yet too foolish to understand they are passed."


    "And what lies on the third hill, Ser Gerold?"


    "That is the Dragon Pit, naught but a blackened ruin," He pointed to the farthest hill, revealing a split open domed building resembling the maw of a great beast. "Once it served as home to the dragons, until their decline and final death. No one goes there now. No one has for well over a century..."


    Just as Ser Gerold trailed off, they reached the outskirts of King''s Landing. For half a mile alone, their part rode past inns, stalls, taverns, storehouses, small markets, and of course, brothels. What stood out most to Geralt was how utterly unremarkable the sight was. It was the kind of place one could encounter outside any larger city in the Northern Kingdoms. Almost distractingly so. A guard upon the gates noticed the royal banners adorning the carriage and swiftly opened them, allowing passage.


    Inside, Geralt bore witness the sea of people within the walls. Like a never-ending horde, tightly packed together, almost shuffling from place to place instead of walking. There were peasants, merchants, soldiers, women of ill repute, women of better repute, holy men, and a thousand other occupants present within any large settlement. Even traversing through or passed them on horseback must be a nightmare. Geralt could not imagine it being anything other than an agonizing process.


    Unless one in the presence of nobility. As though a spell was cast upon the entire populace, all halted. Then, all split in two, allowing the group passage inside the city. Geralt observed them, they returned the gesture. From the fainted whispers, some quieter than others, he heard the gossip-mongering begin in earnest.


    "The Lord Commander is wounded!"


    "Is that the prince?"


    "Why''s he wearin'' two swords?"


    "They were attacked!"


    "Seven f.u.c.kin'' ells! That''s Simon Toyne!"


    A similar concoction of wonderment, curiosity, fear, and speculation followed them all throughout the city. No small part of it concerning Geralt himself. Several more confused him with the crown prince, others stared in wonder as to who he was. A handful reacted with a wariness of his clear otherworldliness which he''d long since accepted. They passed through districts of the city primarily connected to the nearby harbor. Fishmongers of all sorts praised their wears in any number of fanciful ways. Men off galleys sang and reveled in being shit faced drunk. The local whores waved many a time to the party.


    Soon enough, their journey came to an end. The Red Keep was no longer a far off curiosity but a very close, looming structure. It''s massive curtain walls were even more impressive than those of King''s Landing itself, reaching dozens of feet into the sky. Nests for archers were ever-present, thick stone par.a.p.ets protected the outer wall ramparts. No heads were placed upon them, a curious thing.


    Again, sentries positioned atop the walls signaled the return of the Princess and Lord Commander, accompanied by a horn. The main entrance, a pair of bronze doors split open, allowing passage into the Red Keep proper. This was but one section of it, as inner walls further served to separate it into multiple portions. The yard within this section was vast enough to allow hundreds, possibly even thousands of men inside. Several buildings were scattered about, chambers to house the servants, men and government officials. Geralt could not begin to guess which was which, except the one to the immediate right of the bronze gates. Reaching well over two hundred feet in height, there was no doubt as to where the throne room of Westeros was situated.


    Dozens more Gold Cloaks, servants and even two more members of the Kingsguard, who''d been practicing, converged on the group. They''d barely crossed inside when the whole place seemed abuzz with activity.


    Ser Gerold dismounted first, reaching for the door of the carriage and assisting Princess Elia outside. Her complexion had improved from the rest she''d taken, her tan skin a far healthier brown. With a grateful smile, she allowed the Lord Commander to guide her out. Though some cast a glance or two at Geralt, everyone''s focus was expectedly elsewhere.


    "Elia! Elia!" One of the Kingsguard, with short brown hair and tanned skin cut through the assembled mob as a man possessed. From a glance, Geralt was able to spot the familial resemblance. Princess and warrior shared the same eyes, nose, and even mouth shape. Too old to be her brother, an uncle, or cousin by Geralt''s estimate.


    Whatever they were, neither the Princess nor anyone else prevented the man from wrapping Elia in a tight hug. Her smile widened as she returned it.


    "What happened?" He asked, observing the dress torn at the feet along with the bandage on Ser Gerold''s hand. "Who did this?"


    "The Kingswood Brotherhood," The Lord Commander answered in a clear, decisive voice. A near collective gasp of disbelief came from the crowd, many already whispering amongst themselves. "Bold have they grown these past moons, bold enough to try and attack even the Princess of Westeros!"


    "I knew this would come to pass," The man who embraced Elia said with fury. The crowd voicing their agreement with equal fervor. Some of it genuine, some painfully artificial. "We should have cut those animals down to the last man long ago! Dammit... I should''ve been there by your side!"


    "Uncle," The Princess''s warm voice had an immediate effect on the man, wrapping her hands around his shaking fist. "I understand your anger but it is unnecessary. For I am alive, as is Ser Gerold. And the Kingswood Brotherhood shall bother no one else ever again."


    "You managed to defeat them, Lord Commander?" The other Kingsguard spoke, a younger man with short, chestnut-colored hair and blue eyes. "The Brotherhood is no more?"


    "The Brother is all but destroyed yes, though I lay no claim to the honor of doing so. That belongs to someone else who came to our aid when we most desperately needed it."


    Ser Gerold turned his head and smiled. It was then the group noticed Geralt, hanging about behind them, running a hand across his horse''s neck. Much of the same reaction from the ordinary citizens was present amongst the guards, servants, and nobles around. Wonder. Curiosity. Apprehension. Some fear. Respect.


    "Ser Gerold speaks true," Princess Elia said, speaking loudly for all those to hear. With a gesture, she commanded Geralt to approach. He did so. "For none of us would be here were it not for the selfless bravery of this man. A man from distant lands yet has earned his place in Westeros. I present to you, Geralt, the Witcher of Rivia."


    The Witcher bowed his head in acknowledgment of the praise and to greet those present. Everyone was looking at him, though Geralt primarily kept his gaze onto the Kingsguard. It was easier that way.


    "You defeated the Brotherhood?" The Princess''s uncle said as though Geralt had moved the sun back to the east.


    "Singlehandedly," The Princess confirmed, giving Geralt a smile as the excitement grew with even an greater intensity. "I saw witnessed much of it myself, no less than six members of the Brotherhood are dead thanks to Master Geralt."


    "Even the Smiling Knight?" The younger Kingsguard said, stepping forward.


    "Slain in single combat by Geralt as well. Though, cleaved in half would be a more accurate way of putting it."


    The younger one''s jaw almost dropped in a plain display of bad etiquette. Not that much of it was left. Each statement from the Lord Commander and Princess seemed to intensify the fervor of the assembled welcoming party. They must''ve been so loud the entire keep could hear them by now.


    "Master Witcher," The Princess'' uncle stepped forward, with one hand on the pommel of his sword, he bowed deeply. "On my honor as a knight and member of the Kingsguard, on behalf of myself, House Martell, and all of Dorne, I give you my most sincere thanks! We are all in your debt, say your wish, and we shall make it so!"


    Geralt stared, unaccustomed to this much attention. Nothing since his knighting and time spent amongst Queen Meve''s rebel army compared to this. Men clapped, cheered his name. He was a hero, not a freak or mutant. Still unsure of what to do, Geralt smiled and acknowledged the gesture with a nod of his head.


    "There will be plenty of time for rewards and such later, first," Ser Gerold moved to one of the horses at the back of the group and with a single tug of his hand, tossed Simon Toyne onto the ground. "Get him in a cell, a dark, miserable one."


    Several of the soldiers remembered their duty and did precisely this, dragging the brigand away until Geralt could no longer see him. Then, the young Kingsguard stepped forward. The wonder and surprise in his eyes vanished, he leaned close to his colleagues and the Princess.


    "We must tell the king of this, immediately. No doubt rumors and hearsay already spread across the castle. We must put a stop to them without delay."


    "Aye," Ser Gerold said, sounding grimmer than Geralt had ever heard him. They all were, including the group of people still hanging about. The excitement evaporated almost instantly. Replaced by apprehension, and fear. Fear so palpable it might have been a noose tied around all of their necks.


    "I shall speak to him first, then you Ser Gerold."


    "Aye, we shall do so, your grace," Then he looked at Geralt, his mouth a thin line. There was pity in his grey eyes. Pity and a silent apology. "As will you, Master Witcher."


    Geralt, as before, nodded in acknowledgment without a word. Though every one of his instincts told him something very foul was afoot, he would not truly understand why that is. Not for another hour. Not until he came face to face with Aerys Targaryen the second, known to many but not to him as the Mad King.


    ---

 Chapter 343 - My SI Stash #43 - The Rules of Acquisition by Digsjin (MassEffectXAltHistory)

    -Another alt history SI fic with Mass Effect xover~ It''s like that one time travel novel "Extraordinary Genius" but much better, and also less racist!


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 15K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/the-rules-of-acquisition-x-over-si.12460/ (Digsjin)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    October 3rd, 1820 Pelham Manor, New York, United States of America


    My father hummed, though whether in approval or only acknowledgment, I couldn''t quite tell. Mother looked between the two of us nervously, understandable as things had been¡­ shall we say, tense after our dispute which had ended with me unceremoniously being kicked out of the family manor at the tender age of 15 and having to find work as an English tutor for the children of a pair of German immigrants who could afford it. The fact that I held extremely radical ideas for the times when it came to politics and religion certainly didn''t help matters either. Though when abolishing slavery and treating both Native and African Americans with basic dignity is considered radical, I didn''t wish to be anything but.


    Needless to say, my numerous disputes with both my immediate and extended family served to make me the proverbial Black Sheep of the Roosevelt Dynasty.


    "It''s well thought out." He begrudgingly allowed after giving my business plan a quick read-through.


    I nodded my head in thanks. Even though I had more experience in more diverse and arguably much more complex businesses than him, the fact remained that I had zero familiarity with how to operate in a pre-digital and even pre-industrialized economy. So, any advice from a businessman as successful as Elbert Roosevelt would be welcome.


    His eyes flicked back down to the dossier. Naturally, he immediately zeroed in on the amount of projected necessary starting capital and how I planned to allocate it. I say naturally because we were both smart enough to realize the only reason, I was here was to ask for the stated capital.


    I took a sip of my, quite frankly delicious tea while he just looked pensive. Mother smiled nervously, and I returned it with a coy wink. It was nice to see she was doing well. My moving-out probably hit her the hardest as her children were the only things that really allowed her to bond with my father after what had primarily been a political marriage. Without my brothers and I, Pelham Manor must''ve felt quite empty.


    Eventually, Elbert just sighed tiredly, "It''s a lot of money, and I very much doubt your projected profits are accurate, given Napoleon''s new home in the middle of nowhere." He said. It wasn''t a flat-out no and given how much he probably disliked me on a personal level, it was better than what I was expecting.


    "It''s a lot of money that''s necessary to get a factory up and running." I returned mildly, "Steel is always in demand, be it in war or peace, and given how much cheaper it can be made using the Roosevelt Process, the profits should be self-evident." Sorry Mr. Bessemer, but I need it much more than you do.


    "Yes, the Roosevelt Process," he flipped through a few pages until he landed on the converter''s diagram. His lips briefly quirked up in a smile at the name before he squashed it. "And you''re sure it works?" He asked doubtfully, I couldn''t blame him. What I had essentially handed him was the Netflix of the Steel Industry, while Blockbuster was still the norm.


    "As sure as I am that the sky is blue," I answered, nodding firmly. "I haven''t been idle these last few months. I made a small mock-up of a converter with a blacksmith friend of mine, and I see no reason it wouldn''t work on a large scale. Hell, I even perfected it enough to add the refractory lining." Complete bullshit, though to be fair, I was proud of remembering Gilchrist and Thomas'' addition to the process. How the hell my brain dredged that up, I''ll never figure out.


    He leaned forward, "Fine, it works. I''ll take your word for that. What I really want to know is how you came up with it. I''ve never known you to have a major interest in the chemical sciences beyond brewing moonshine in the attic." Guilty as charged, though, I only sold it to the neighborhood teens and never drank myself.


    His implied threat was perfectly clear if you''re making it up or god forbid, stole this invention from someone¡­


    "That''s because I didn''t come up with it myself." That I could see, threw both of them for a loop. "I found mention of a similar though much less efficient process that the Chinamen have been using since medieval times in a history book. I mentioned it off-hand to an ironworker I know, and he commented on how odd certain parts of the process were. One thing led to another and¡­" I shrugged, not bothering to finish the sentence.


    Funny thing, it wasn''t even a lie at all; I had read about the Bessemer Process in a book, and the Han did come up with a variant at some point in the eleventh century. The only part where I distorted the truth a bit was when I said I''d mentioned it off-hand.


    The elder Roosevelt''s face became impassive, though Mother looked proud if somewhat disbelieving that the Chinese were apparently more advanced than Europeans at any given point with things that weren''t silk, tea, or porcelain.


    "And I see you''ve already patented it," Father added quietly, more to himself than to any of us. Taking a look at the patent and pointedly recognizing that neither the handwriting nor the very full legalese it was written in was my own. "Care to tell me how you could afford a lawyer to assist you?"


    Mother interjected before I could, "He didn''t hire any lawyers, honey, he asked his friend Millard for help, right?"


    I nodded with a smile. "Yes, Millard''s now practicing law, and while not a patent attorney per se, he''s very diligent and picked up on the minutia much faster than I thought he would, and he did it for free."


    Father''s face fell, "I see, so financing that Jay''s further education did pay off then?" Jay is a derogatory word for ''country bumpkin,'' which to be fair Millard Fillmore certainly was. But he was also diligent, brilliant, and the future president. Not that I could tell them that last part.


    "He''s my friend," I answered calmly though the forced smile on my face belied where this would be going if he chose to rehash that old argument again.


    For a moment, no one spoke, and predictably I broke the awkward silence. I was never very patient even when I had the Internet distracting me, how patient do you think I am now?


    "So?" I asked eagerly, downing the last of my tea.


    Father stared at both me and my mother, Jane. His stare lingered on my mother for a bit before it fixed itself back on me. He sighed and said: "Listen, Clinton, I''m willing to give you the money. Hell, I don''t even really want 5% of your company, just¡­ We need to reconcile."


    I blinked, honestly, I wasn''t expecting that. When I was a kid, we had a pretty good if distant relationship. I was always well-behaved, not seeing the need to throw tantrums or do stupid shit that wouldn''t avail me anything. Selling moonshine notwithstanding, though even then, I could tell my businessman of a father was somewhat proud of me in that incident and only punished me to prevent the other parents of upper-class children from getting angry at him.


    No, our differences only really started when he deemed me mature enough to ask about my "budding" political opinions. I was an ardent abolitionist, he was apathetic to the plight of slaves at best, I was agnostic and only paid lip-service to the protestant church. At the same time, he was reasonably devout. I was a 21st-century libertarian, and he was a 19th century Democratic-Republican. All of that isn''t even mentioning our respective stances on Napoleon, Simon Bolivar, Native Americans, and also shit like the Louisiana Purchase, which was no longer of immediate relevance.


    My silence must''ve stretched out for far longer than I''d intended because when Mother gently put her hand on my elbow, I nearly jumped out of my chair in fright. She chuckled quietly. "Honey, please, we''re family."


    I slowly clasped her hand in mine.


    "I think we two have irreconcilable differences," I answered, looking the man in the eye and didn''t even flinch when my mother''s hand tightened around mine. "However, I don''t think we have to let our opinions define our relationship. I''m willing to let everything thus far be water under the bridge, so long as we can live and let live when it comes to politics."


    Her grip slackened, and she looked happy, father smiled thinly and stretched out his hand. I just looked confused for a second before I grasped what he was doing and shook it firmly.


    "I can live with that," Elbert said with a small smile, "I know I never said it before, but I am proud of you Clinton, both of us are. You became a man much sooner than I would''ve expected or liked, but we''re your family, and we''ll help whenever you need it."


    I smiled at him for the first time in a long time and finished eating the small cookies that one of the servants had set up with the tea.


    "Does that mean he can move back in with us?" She hesitantly asked Elbert, and he nodded firmly.


    I shook my head, "I appreciate the offer, I really do. But the ironworks I''m buying is near the Upper Bay. The commute just isn''t doable."


    "But you''ll still visit, right?"


    I nodded, "As often as I can."


    "Saturdays," My mom abruptly said.


    "I''m sorry?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Every Saturday." She said firmly, I looked to my father for help, but his amused grin told me I wasn''t getting any.


    Let it never be said that Clinton Roosevelt didn''t know when to pick his battles. I just hugged her and agreed, "Every Saturday then."


    We talked about this and that for a bit. My father''s business was apparently booming with peace in Europe. They were now importing luxury goods from the Americas like crazy, including the tobacco he had a hand in. I congratulated him on his turn of good fortune. I mentioned off-hand that Spain might be looking to make up a shortfall of certain luxury goods since most of their colonies were in revolt, and Bolivar was handing them their collective assess. He actually wrote the idea down. Huh.


    He, in turn, asked me about my current job and living arrangements and looked scandalized when I told him I was living in what was mainly the ghetto with the poorer Dutch, Swiss and German immigrants. Though he was slightly mollified that my landlord was a decent sort that didn''t overcharge people and actually provided the amenities I paid for to a satisfactory degree.


    My mother talked about local politics. Being the daughter of a politician who sat in the state legislature for most of his life, she had quite the knack for it. However, the specifics mostly flew over both our heads as father and I were more nationally if not internationally-minded when it came to politics.


    Eventually, though, he did ask a question that would be important to the future Roosevelt Steelworks, and it was a question I had to answer delicately lest it reignites our feud.


    "I noticed that the money you assigned for wages was much lower than I would''ve expected, are those the usual wages of iron or steelworkers?"


    "No," I answered, "You see the factory I''m purchasing is located near the tenements, so I plan to employ mostly Negros, since they work for half-wages and are used to more rigorous physical labor." A sad state of affairs honestly, but despite Henry Ford''s appalling racism, he did set the precedent that eventually allowed for African Americans to enter the workplace as factory workers, which ultimately let them compete for equal wages.


    I was just setting said precedent much earlier, and if I could help free blacks and newly escaped slaves get their footing in the North while turning a hefty profit then so much the better. I would''ve paid them fair wages, but then no White American would''ve ever accepted a job from me, and quite frankly, I still needed a reasonably sizeable skilled labor force for future projects.


    "I see," father mumbled slowly, and mother had what could only be described as a pleading look on her face. "Are you sure it''s a good idea?"


    I made a so-so motion with my hand, "If it doesn''t work out, I can always fire them."


    He nodded hesitantly, "It''s your prerogative. So, when do you think Roosevelt Steelworks will be up and running?" Now slightly more excited.


    "Provided the blacksmiths I''ll task with building the Converters are done on time? Should be operational within a month, though I still have to see about getting a reliable supplier of Pig Iron."


    He hummed neutrally, "My advice is having a primary supplier, but have a backup that gets his stock from a different source. I can actually help you with this is I think, look up a man named Ethan Greene, I think his cousin runs an iron mine somewhere in Appalachia-"


    I leaned back into the chair, listening to the advice. Overall today had been a pretty good day. I had come to ask for money in exchange for stock but instead reconciled with my parents, got the money without giving up the shares, and was now getting free advice from one of the savviest businessmen of the era. The expression ''I came looking for copper and found gold'' comes to mind.


    A/N: So, a while back I posted a story on my alternate-history account Elenoir, called Visions of a Steampunk Future, where I essentially wanted the SI to introduce Charles Babbage''s Difference Engine along with other technology much earlier and see how things develop in a steampunk-ish way from there. Recently, however, I''ve had a change of heart about where I want the story to go, both in terms of what the character does and the story no longer being a purely historical one but rather also integrating certain sci-fi settings I really enjoy which will be listed in the tags (and of course I plan to put in some lewds). The first chapters will be mostly the same as those from the original story, though there will be a few minor divergences, for now, please enjoy the oncoming trainwreck of a ruthless businessman traipsing through the past.


    Chapter 2


    February 6th, 1821, Upper Bay, New York City, United States of America


    Brigham made his way through the shoddily paved streets, finding his destination was proving to be a might more troublesome than he''d anticipated.


    Though the 20-year-old had been born in Vermont. He''d also lived in New York for most of his life and had even moved around the state several times. Both under his own prerogative to find work and naturally under his father''s, since the man could never hold a job for long. He''d been all over New York State but had never visited the City properly.


    He''d seen no real need, not until now anyway.


    A courier had arrived in Port Byron, surprisingly seeking him out specifically. He''d had no reason to refuse the courier''s letter as he wasn''t in any significant gambling debts or some such, but neither did he know anyone who''d want to send him a message. All of his siblings were much older than him, and relations between the Young family, in general, had been strained ever since his mother died of Consumption when he was 14.


    No, at the time, he had thought it far more likely that Mr. Jeffries had sent him a letter, perhaps asking to have Brigham back as his apprentice. He was hard-working after all and by Mr. Jeffries'' own admission a great help when it came to organizing the man''s supplies. He would''ve taken the offer in a heartbeat. His life has lost all sense of direction after the 1819 Depression and the subsequent loss of his apprenticeship.


    Instead, however, he was surprised to find enclosed a letter from a ''Clinton Roosevelt.'' Who introduced himself as the owner and proprietor of several Steelworks in the Upper Bay Area of New York City and as a passing acquaintance of Mr. Jeffries.


    His former instructor had apparently commented on Brigham''s extraordinary talent for organization, something which, according to the Dutchman, was ''sorely needed after the company''s expansion'' and had therefore offered Brigham a job as a ''Foreman'' should he want it. Ordinarily, he would''ve refused.


    He was experienced in several vocations such as painting, carpentry, and glazing. But he knew nothing of the steel industry and did not wish to get the Dutchman''s hopes up when he wasn''t sure he''d be able to do an adequate job. So, he thought he would refuse.


    That lasted up until he saw the proposed salary. He immediately packed his bags and made his way to the City, having borrowed any and every book he could from Port Byron''s small library that dealt with Steelmaking and Factory Work.


    Though the one thing he decried the man''s letter for were the abysmal directions. The company''s main Steelworks was apparently located near the tenements, the shoddy houses where the negros congregated. So, most of the streets did not have names, and it was difficult to provide precise directions.


    A peculiar sense of smell suddenly invaded his nostrils, completely breaking Brigham out of his reverie. Eventually, he realized that the smell was that of burning coal, and as a man possessed, he immediately made towards it.


    The first thing that greeted him was the large sign plastered on one side of the building, it had a large depiction of an Anvil with a flame burning on top of it that was itself within a gear. ''Roosevelt Steelworks'' was proudly emblazoned on the top of the sign, in large, white blocky letters and the company''s slogan in smaller yet no less noticeable red letters near its bottom. The latter read ''Building Tomorrow.''


    Brigham thought it a might presumptuous, but decided he''d have to meet with Mr. Roosevelt himself before any opinions on the man or his company entrenched themselves. With a slight straightening of his posture, he made his way into the factory towards the man''s office.


    Only to stop dead in his tracks as his eyes widened to comical proportions at what he saw and heard within. Most of the workers were shirtless but were wearing some sort of cloth over their noses and mouth, presumably to not inhale the smoke.


    They were shoveling coal under the beehive-looking furnaces while the molten steel flowed out to be molded into ingots, that were then carried away on carts by other more fully clothed workers. It was all done in an incredibly practiced and regimented manner, so much so that Brigham was legitimately impressed at sight.


    His new prospective employer had also explained that his workforce was primarily made up of Negros and German Catholics. And had warned that any discrimination that was not based on how well the workers did their jobs would result in immediate termination of his employment.


    Brigham was alright with this, though he did feel a tad uncomfortable among papists. The policy itself was sound and was even to be expected since, logically, it would promote workers to well¡­ work harder regardless of other circ.u.mstances.


    What Brigham had not expected was for everyone to be singing while working. Both Negros and Germans alike were singing what was probably a German drinking song going by the raucous lyrics, and if one paid close enough attention, were even working in tune with the song!


    He shook his head at sight and stopped a negro with an upraised hand. "Excuse me, do you know where I can find Mr. Roosevelt?"


    The man stopped and peered at him for a moment, though Brigham noticed he didn''t meet his eyes. "You''re not Mr. Fillmore." The man announced suspiciously.


    Brigham shook his head, "No, I''m afraid not, my name is Brigham Young, your employer sent me a letter asking me to meet him here." He pulled out the letter as proof and was surprised when the Negro unfolded it and began to read, though he read slowly and had to sound-out each syllable it was still quite impressive.


    He handed the letter back, not having read most of it but apparently still satisfied, saying. "Well, sir, it''s a pleasure to welcome our new Foreman, Mr. Roosevelt''s office is upstairs and to the right. Sorry for being rude, but nosy folk tends to bother the guys."


    Brigham accepted the apology and muttered a quick thank you. Hastily making his way along the indicated direction. He was eventually arrived by a wooden door with a small metal plaque that read ''Clinton Roosevelt CEO.'' He had no idea what a CEO was, but at least the names matched up.


    He gave the door a few quick knocks and was rewarded by a "Come in!" that was only barely loud enough to be heard above the din of the factory.


    He pushed open the door and was confronted by a young man, younger than he was at any rate with dark hair, a large frame, and bright blue eyes that strangely enough flashed in recognition.


    "Ah, you must be Mr. Young," he said with a broad smile and shook his hand in a firm grip, "It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    "The pleasure''s all mine, sir," Brigham returned slightly flummoxed at the man''s friendly demeanor.


    "Please, take a seat," he indicated the two chairs behind a large wooden desk, and only then, Brigham noticed another young man sitting on a leather couch at the corner of the office. He must''ve stared at him for longer than he''d intended as Mr. Roosevelt immediately slapped a palm on his forehead and affixed a sheepish expression on his face.


    "Oh, how rude of me!", he exclaimed, "This is Mr. Filmore, he''s my attorney. Don''t worry, you''ll be negotiating your employment contract with me, he''s just here to make sure it is legally binding."


    "Pleasure." The now named Mr. Filmore introduced himself with a terse nod as Brigham sat down on one of the chairs.


    "Excuse me, Mr. Roosevelt, but before we get started, I had a question about how you run your Steelworks," Brigham said, legitimately curious.


    Clinton raised an eyebrow, yet the smile vanished from his features. "Yes?"


    "It''s just¡­ why do you let the workers sing, doesn''t it distract them from doing their jobs?"


    The smile returned, "So you''d think, right? But it turns out its quite the opposite. You see sailors sing Sea Shanties to get them focused when doing menial tasks. I asked a Navy friend of mine, and he commented that the time just seems to fly by while they sing. So, I tried it on the floor, and guess what?!" He asked rhetorically, though with enthusiasm Brigham couldn''t help but share, "Productivity rose by 20%!"


    "I see, that''s incredible!" And it really was, for something as minor as singing to have such an effect. It was clear that despite reading up on the subject, he had so much to learn. "At any rate, Mr. Roosevelt, you mentioned in your letter that you''d like me to take charge of the company''s logistics as well as be a foreman, but the specifics escape me I''m afraid. Could you elaborate?"


    "Of course, but please call me Clinton or sir if you must be formal, my last name is a bit of a mouthful," He returned with a smile. "You see, we recently purchased a few other ironworks that went out of business in 1819, and we plan to convert them into more Steelworks in the coming months. We need a person who can organize the supplies between all four factories and do what I do here, which is to see to it that the workers arrive and leave on time and meet certain quotas. I''m a fairly good judge of character and think you''d be well-suited to the job, what do you say?"


    Throat suddenly gone dry Brigham made his decision.


    Chapter 3


    July 10th, 1822, Mount Edgecomb Plantation, British Grenada


    "Well now," the Grenadian drawled in a smug voice which his accent somehow managed to make even more grating, "seems even the high and mighty Roosevelt needs the help of us wicked plantation owners. The sugar can be shipped easily, but the oranges will spoil before they reach New York. If I have to get them there faster, it''ll cost you double."


    Gregor MacGregor grimaced yet nodded all the same. Truth be told, he was decidedly unhappy to be here, but if the money was enough, he''d suffer pretty much any indignity as his new employer had so eloquently pointed out.


    Perhaps as a way to block out the Plantation Owner''s voice, his mind automatically drifted to the circ.u.mstances that led to his renewed employment in the Americas. He had scarcely returned to his homeland after which his¡­ financial troubles finally caught up with him. Seeing no other way to make that much money that quickly, he''d opted to take advantage of the general British ignorance of Latin America and pretended to be a delegate selling Bonds of a country that didn''t actually exist.


    It worked well enough at first, but it was a perilous endeavor should he be caught, or if God forbid some colonists wanted to visit the godforsaken jungle, where he claimed The Republic of Poyais was.


    Therefore, when he received a letter from Clinton Roosevelt, a steel magnate whose name was becoming well-known across the Atlantic. A letter expressing both a desire to employ him and admiration for his deeds as an officer of the Venezuelan Army, the young scion of the Gregor Clan accepted immediately and boarded a ship bound for New York at the earliest opportunity.


    Imagine his surprise when he arrived, and the first thing the young Roosevelt had congratulated him for was his, so far, successful scam. MacGregor had panicked and almost immediately made to run, but Clinton had reassured him that that was actually the reason he wanted to employ him. Stating that he needed a salesperson and someone with knowledge of Latin America to broker agreements for him.


    Though what he actually said was more along the lines of, ''Anyone with the balls to look someone in the eye and sell them land in a country that doesn''t exist is someone I want selling my product.''


    Gregor was skeptical but decided to hear him out, and he was delighted he did. His contract came with no-fixed salary, but rather a percentage of the profit from every sale he negotiated as an incentive for him to give his employer the maximum profit possible.


    So far, he''d successfully brokered agreements with several railroads, shipbuilding, and other assorted miscellaneous manufacturing companies all across the Northern United States. At Clinton''s behest, he had even persuaded a young dutchman by the name of Cornelius Vanderbilt to create a joint enterprise alongside his employer by the name of V&R Shipping.


    However, only now that Clinton had left most of the day-to-day operations of Roosevelt Steelworks under the purview of its new CEO, Brigham Young, was Gregor sent to South America. He appreciated the opportunity to catch up with some old war buddies in Gran Colombia, but why on Earth his employer wanted a steady supply of the foul-tasting Coca Leaves eluded him.


    He wanted more things too, things that were most prominently and most cheaply grown in the American South.


    Clinton, however, was staunchly against giving the South any business whatsoever. Therefore, MacGregor had to voyage all across the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America to find amenable Hacienda owners. As only they could supply such esoteric things as Cinnamon and Vanilla Oils to such everyday things like Coffee and Limes in the quantities Roosevelt wanted.


    Whatever enterprise would require steady supplies of sugar, coca leaves, organic oils, acids, and various fruits, he had no idea. Still, looking at Roosevelt''s track record so far, it was sure to be a profitable venture.


    So, he straightened his posture and began negotiating. "The oranges can be spoiled so long as they are not fermenting, seeing as this would allow you to unload stock you couldn''t otherwise sell, I propose a 20% Discount on both the Oranges and the Bitter Orange Oil as a show of good faith¡­"

 Chapter 344 - My CO Stash #44 - CCG Public Enemy No 1 by euphoric image (NarutoXTokyoGhoul)

    -It''s just one of those "I don''t know why this xover fic exist but I''m really glad it exists"


    Synopsis: Kakashi had a single red-and-black eye for more than half his life. Now, he has two. This was Naruto''s fault, honestly.


    Rated: T


    Words: 17K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13496737/1/CCG-Public-Enemy-No-1 (euphoric image)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Kakashi stared at the metal surface of the building. His reflection looked back up at him. Spiky silver hair. A scar running over his left eye. Both eyes a dark grey, almost black. A navy blue mask covering the lower half of his face. A forehead protector with the word "Shinobi" engraved onto it.


    It was all normal.


    So why, pray tell, weren''t his surroundings normal?!


    He looked around himself. Buildings, many times taller than even the Hokage Tower, reached up to the sky. Metal things that were faster than a horse zoomed around everywhere. People, so many people, walked around, talking into little rectangles that glowed.


    And the smell was awful. The choking smell of smoke, smog, and other harsh chemicals burned Kakashi''s sensitive nose. He absently filtered the air in his nose with a clever application of chakra. Thank Kami he had his mask to dilute the smell somewhat.


    Kaguya had been being sealed away by Naruto when the dimension around them shuddered and cracked and Kakashi came into contact with something. He had desperately tried to Kamui away while the thing tried to pull him in.


    Then everything had gone black for a moment and Kakashi felt as if he was in the middle of a whirlpool that just wouldn''t stop. Then the world stopped spinning and Kakashi found himself standing in the middle of the streets in a world that was so unlike his own.


    It wasn''t a Genjutsu. Kakashi had already checked, releasing a good size of his reserves in the Dispel technique.


    What the hell happened?


    The first task was to find out where exactly he was. He walked up to the nearest person who looked like he wasn''t an idiot, a young man with spiky black hair and glasses, who was holding up a skateboard.


    "Hello there. Do you know where we are?"


    The man looked at him weirdly. "Yo dude, what''s with the weird accent? Why''re you talking like you''re in an old-fashioned samurai movie?"


    Kakashi took offense to that. He was a shinobi, not some honorable samurai. He didn''t show his offense, of course. He merely eye-smiled. "Maa, I''m afraid I grew up in a rather old-fashioned family, and perhaps my speech patterns reflect it. Nothing I can do about it, I''m afraid."


    "Ohhh I understand, man. Yeah, that''s tough. You sound pretty cool though, not gonna lie. That mask looks sick, too. Hey, so what was your question again?"


    Perhaps Kakashi was incorrect with his previous assessment. This man may indeed have been an idiot.


    "Where are we? As in, what country are we in?"


    The man looked at him weirdly again. "Dude. You okay there? We''re in Japan."


    Kakashi stared at him blankly. "I''m sorry?"


    The man started looking worried. "Umm. . . you know, Japan? In Asia? The islands? Hey, you''re not from a mental asylum are you?"


    Kakashi could recognize the signs of panic in the man in front of him. He merely eye-smiled again. "Yes, of course I know Japan. It was a joke."


    The man relaxed. "Ohhh this is one of those social experiments, isn''t it?"


    Kakashi had no idea what a social experiment was. "It is. Thank you for your cooperation."


    And he walked away, not looking back, his mind racing as he processed the new information.


    Japan? Asia? Island? What are those?


    He selected his new victim, a girl about his age. "Hello there. Would you happen to know how to get to Fire Country?"


    She stared at him, unimpressed. "If this is another lame pick-up line, then I swear. . ."


    Kakashi held up his hands innocently. "No, it''s not. I''m asking you a genuine question here. I promise."


    She considered him for a moment. "I don''t know what Fire Country is."


    She. . . didn''t know what Fire Country was?


    He eye-smiled at her. "Thank you for the information."


    . . .what the hell happened to him?! Where the hell is he? He can''t possibly be in one of the remote villages, because the technology he saw around him was vastly superior to even the latest models in Konoha.


    And so he did what any self-respecting Kage would do when in an unknown situation: he walked into the nearest library and started to gather information.


    XxX


    He walked out three hours later in a daze.


    He was on a planet called "Earth." Specifically, in a continent called "Asia." The country''s name was "Japan." He was in Tokyo, the capital.


    As far as he could tell, there wasn''t any chakra in this world. He wasn''t Naruto with his nature chakra sensing capabilities, but he was good enough to tell that everyone around him had absolutely no chakra in their systems. They didn''t even have a chakra network.


    Shinobi had died out centuries ago, now nothing but folklore. And even in the old stories, this world''s shinobi were nothing like him.


    He would fight to the death for his comrades. He would- and had- faced a goddess. This world''s shinobi would run away, not even attempting to fight.


    Thankfully, it appeared that this world was relatively peaceful. Sure, there were definite hostilities, especially in the Middle East region, but nothing near Japan.


    Well, okay. That wasn''t exactly true. While Japan may not be involved in any international conflict, it certainly had its own problems.


    Namely, ghouls. Beings that looked like humans and acted like humans but aren''t actually human. They devour human flesh, causing pain and heartbreak. The Commission of Counter Ghoul, the CCG, was tasked to exterminate the threat.


    Kakashi paused as he considered his options. He couldn''t think of any way to return to his dimension- even if he were in a different dimension.


    His eyes widened. Why didn''t he think of that?


    He briskly walked to the nearest alleyway, made sure that there was nobody nearby, then ran through a set of familiar hand seals.


    Summoning Jutsu


    Nothing. Happened. No dogs showed up.


    Kakashi sighed. So he was in a different dimension that not even his pups could reach.


    Kakashi had to get back to his dimension. He could try to throw something together with seals, but that would take time. In that time, he must survive in this new world. And to survive, he had to get a job.


    However, this world and his had vast differences.


    In this world, it appeared that people went to school for about 16 years. Kakashi could barely handle a single year with his classmates before he noped out of there and graduated early. Nevertheless, the thing called a "college degree" seemed to be essential to get a good job. Kakashi had no such degree.


    He could also try to apply to the manual labor jobs, but even those required things like "background checks" and "citizenship." Both of which he didn''t have.


    There was, however, one job he was certain he could get.


    Ghoul investigator.


    He could spin a lie about coming from a remote village. And once he showcased them his physical abilities, they''d have no choice but to accept him. Ghouls are a menace to society, and the CCG needs all the help they can get. The job itself paid pretty well too.


    And so, it was with that thought in mind that he walked towards the nearest CCG center.


    XxX


    Everything had been working out well enough.


    He''d introduced himself as Hatake Kakashi, someone looking for a job as an investigator. The receptionist looked slightly skeptical but still sent down an Investigator on the off chance that he was actually good.


    The man who greeted him had been nice. Handshakes were exchanged- now that was a weird custom. When Kakashi promised him that he would be able to surpass every investigator in combat, the man had looked at him in surprise before breaking out in laughter and leading him inside the center towards the sparring arena.


    Then when Kakashi walked through the metal rectangles, everything went to shit.


    It started blaring. Loudly. Everyone around immediately mobilized into action, some running inside for cover, others running to cover the entrance. They were holding metal briefcases, something Kakashi recognized as their unique anti-ghoul weapon.


    The man he had been with lost all traces of friendliness, instead jumping back into the crowd of investigators that soon rushed up to surround Kakashi, forming a wall.


    This wasn''t good.


    "Maa. . . I take it that that wasn''t good?" Kakashi eye-smiled, trying to salvage the situation.


    "Ghoul, I can''t believe that you tried to infiltrate the CCG like that. How stupid can you be?" The man he was with said in a steely tone.


    "But I''m not a ghoul! I don''t know why that scanner went off, I promise! I''m human." Kakashi held up his hands in the universal gesture of surrender, his eyes wide with innocence.


    The investigators around him hesitated. What if the technology was wrong? And they were about to kill an innocent human?


    "If you truly are a human," the man said, "Then cut yourself with this first."


    And he tossed a single pen over the wall of investigators. Kakashi caught it in one hand, looking down at it. It looked normal enough. Kakashi took off the cap. It was pretty sharp too.


    Kakashi sighed. "Very well, then. If you insist."


    And he stabbed down at his own hand with the pen, already bracing for the inevitable pain that would follow the piercing of his skin. It''s not like it would matter. Kakashi''s already stabbed himself too many times to get rid of Genjutsu. He''s used to the pain by now.


    It didn''t come. The pen tip shattered against his skin.


    Kakashi looked at it in disbelief. Then he looked at the investigators around him who had taken up a stance again.


    ". . . That wasn''t supposed to happen."


    "Capture him! He must be working on the behalf of some organization to infiltrate us!" The man roared.


    And the men surged forward, their weapons glinting menacingly.


    Kakashi sighed once more.


    XxX


    Kakashi strolled out of the CCG center with his hands in his pockets, a line of bodies collapsed behind him. All unconscious, of course. He didn''t strike any of them lethally enough.


    That was really, really weird. Was he a ghoul? Had Kaguya made him into a ghoul?


    He had to test this.


    He walked into the nearest alleyway, pulled out a kunai, and stabbed down at his hand. It bounced off, the skin not even showing signs of damage.


    Well then. That wasn''t normal.


    Think, what other characteristics do ghouls have? Immunity to damage from normal weapons, a kakugan, a kagune that extended from their body- and an inability to eat normal human food.


    Of course.


    Kakashi walked out of the alleyway again. He really should''ve applied a henge, but after researching this world, there weren''t really any threats to him.


    He was faster than bullets. He had access to chakra. Grenades were nothing but technological explosive seals. They could theoretically drop a bomb on him, but there would be a lot of civilian casualties and likely a political outrage.


    All in all, there wasn''t really anything anyone could do to him.


    He was a Kage-level shinobi in a land of civilians. A Kage. A person- no. A monster who can fight against entire villages and walk out without a scratch.


    And. . . well, it''s been quite a while since he was able to mess with people. His genin had grown up, and he even had to stop his antics in Konoha because of the Akatsuki attack. Being able to screw around with people''s minds again. . . this would be fun.


    XxX


    He pickpocketed several snobbishly rich people. Rich people who would push people out of the way, rich people that would walk past beggars without a second look, rich people who had bags upon bags of clothing that even they couldn''t carry so they hired people that could.


    Kakashi felt no remorse stealing from these types of people.


    With the new currency in his pocket, yen, he walked into a restaurant. He quickly ordered his favorites: salt-broiled saury and miso soup with eggplant.


    He just fought against a goddess. He deserved some comfort food.


    The waitress came with the order, balancing the tray in her hands. Her attention was focused on a wall-mounted television (the quality was amazing) in the corner of the room.


    There was a dark-haired reporter talking. The headlines, "Ghoul attacks CCG Center in the 20th Ward," blazed across the screen in large, bold characters.


    "A ghoul with white hair and a navy blue face mask deliberately attacked a CCG Center just minutes ago. I''m live on the scene, talking to one of the investigators caught in the attack," The reporter offered the microphone to the man besides her.


    It was the man Kakashi had been talking to. He had several bruises already forming on his face.


    The waitress set down his food, the only thing remaining on the tray being a glass of juice that Kakashi presumed somebody else had ordered.


    "This ghoul is dangerous. If it weren''t for our advanced training and determination to protect the public-" Kakashi scoffed. This was clearly a public relations spiel. Kakashi had devastated all of them, and the only reason why they weren''t dead is because Kakashi didn''t blame them for attacking. He was a ghoul, after all, and it was their job to kill ghouls. "-we likely would''ve all perished. Thankfully, we were able to avoid casualties."


    Kakashi wasn''t going to kill someone on his first day in a new dimension.


    The television switched back to the reporter. "We have exclusive footage of the attack. Do be warned, this is graphically violent, and viewer discretion is advised."


    The screen flickered before changing over to an aerial view of the room Kakashi had been in. He saw himself beating up the Investigators.


    It was a one-sided fight. Any viewer, even someone who''d never seen Taijutsu before, could tell that much.


    "Hey, you know, that man kind of looks like you," The waitress beside him commented, focused on the screen.


    Kakashi eye-smiled. Wait for it. . .


    The waitress looked down at him, smiling reassuringly. "No offense, of course. It''s just that you both-"


    She froze. The tray balanced on her hand slipped from her grasp. Glass shattered on the floor, the loud sound drawing the attention of everyone in the restaurant. Every head swiveled over to stare at them.


    The waitress raised a trembling finger. "Y-y-you''re identical to that man. . . Your clothes, your posture, even your gray hair."


    Every eye glanced up at the television which was still replaying Kakashi''s fight. The footage had surprisingly good quality. The CCG didn''t scrimp on purchasing surveillance cameras, it seemed.


    Every eye then looked back at Kakashi. Kakashi could literally hear the gears turning in people''s heads. He saw the moment everything clicked.


    It was as if white chalk powder had been thrown in the room. Every face turned pale. Some started hyperventilating.


    Kakashi merely eye-smiled. "Maa, I have no idea what you''re talking about. The man on the television has gray hair. I have silver hair. There''s a difference, you see."


    Nobody was convinced; if anything, they seemed to grow even more fearful. Kakashi wrinkled his nose as one overweight man vomited onto the floor.


    Oh well. Kakashi had screwed around with everyone enough. It''s time for him to eat.


    He broke apart the chopsticks, muttered a quick "Itadakimasu" and placed a piece of eggplant in his mouth.


    Foul was the first word that came to his mind. Disgusting. Revolting. Abhorrent. The texture, once comforting, reminded Kakashi of rotting corpses. It tasted like feet and mold and spoilt milk.


    He tried to keep it in his mouth but the feeling overwhelmed him. He spit it out, coughing.


    No. This wasn''t enough evidence. It could''ve just been a really low quality eggplant. He shoveled more food into his mouth, gagging at the taste. They were all disgusting. Kakashi spit it all out once more.


    He grabbed the bowl of miso soup, ignoring how the hot porcelain scorched his skin, and drank from it. He didn''t even last 2 seconds. Everything left his mouth, going back into the bowl.


    His mouth burned from the heat and his tongue seemed to have curled up into itself but all of his physical reaction paled against his mental turmoil.


    He had the ghoul''s skin. He had the ghoul''s tongue. He was a ghoul.


    He was a ghoul.


    He was a ghoul. A being that could only survive by devouring human flesh.


    . . .


    Kakashi sighed deeply, leaning back into his chair. The wood dug uncomfortably in his back but he ignored it.


    This was unfortunate. Kakashi had rather liked being a human. It could''ve been worse, Kakashi reasoned. He could''ve been reborn as a 15 meter tall giant with no reproductive organs.


    In fact, being a ghoul didn''t change anything. Kakashi felt the same as before. The only difference now is that he has to eat humans instead of animals.


    . . . damn. It looks like that one rumor proved to be true in the end.


    Kakashi blinked. Where had everyone gone? The restaurant was deserted.


    He heard rapid footsteps approaching from the outside. He looked outside the windows. 32 men in black body armor had formed a barricade around the restaurant. He extended his senses. There were people in the back as well. Oh, there were even people on the roof. How thorough. He was blocked off from all escape.


    "Squads, assemble! Jellyfish position!"


    The CCG has arrived, it seemed.


    "Ready. . . aim. . . OPEN FIRE!"


    Kakashi''s eyes widened. They couldn''t possibly be-


    A hail of bullets streaked into the room, punching through the windows and flimsy wood.


    Kakashi flipped through the necessary handsigns in less than a second. An earth wall reinforced with chakra rose from the ground, greeting the bullets and meeting them head on.


    The wall won, of course. Chakra was an amazing thing.


    XxX


    They stopped the assault after about 20 seconds.


    "Cease fire!" Lieutenant Takeshi yelled. He had been promoted recently, and hasn''t seen much action. The 20th ward was renowned for being safe, after all.


    Immediately after the attack on the CCG center, the CCG HQ went into an uproar.


    A direct attack by a ghoul. That used nonlethal measures. That didn''t use his kagune- or even activate his kakugan.


    It was an insult, a direct challenge to the CCG''s power. HQ had quickly mobilized. Literal seconds after the attack, the CCG diverted all of the 20th ward''s resources to find and take down this "Kakashi"- no doubt a fake name he had given to the receptionist.


    The CCG had expected Codename Kakashi to melt away into the darkness. The CCG Technical Team had fully expected to spend several sleepless nights combing through all the security footage in the 20th Ward, trying to figure out where Kakashi was.


    Then, not even 10 minutes after the attack, the CCG received multiple calls and alerts from a restaurant within walking distance from the CCG center. All of which concerning Codename Kakashi.


    The CCG''s dispatchers had been skeptical at first. A ghoul strolling into a restaurant in broad daylight right after a very public attack? No way. It had to be a prank.


    Then all of their phones buzzed at once. They checked it- and promptly flew into action. On every social media platform were pictures of Codename Kakashi in the restaurant. An investigator not too badly injured in the attack was called over.


    He made the positive face ID in a second. Then he properly looked at the picture and blanched in horror.


    The CCG ignored the strangeness of the situation- after all, ghouls can''t eat human food- and called everyone in the vicinity over.


    As a result, not even 2 minutes after the initial call, 4 CCG Rapid Response Teams had converged on the location. Investigators were on the way, presumably stuck in traffic.


    Takeshi felt pride in the CCG. The CCG had responded impossibly quickly. A level of competency and efficiency unheard of in any government organization.


    Thankfully, Codename Kakashi hadn''t done anything yet. Every customer and employee had been safely evacuated from the building, leaving only Codename Kakashi inside.


    Takeshi probably should''ve waited for the Investigators to arrive, but that would''ve taken too long. Besides, if the Investigators fought Codename Kakashi in melee combat, they would probably lose.


    Kakashi had taken on nearly 13 Investigators by himself and walked out without a scratch.


    They needed Senior Investigators- seasoned ghoul-killing experts. Unfortunately, there had been none in the 20th Ward. All of the Senior Investigators were in the other wards, where violence occurred on a daily basis.


    Besides all that, Takeshi was furious. Codename Kakashi had strolled into the Center and hurt his friends. Takeshi knew the people that were injured. He had talked with them, laughed with them. And Codename Kakashi hurt them.


    Which is what led him to command the Teams to unleash a lethal barrage of gunfire.


    Codename Kakashi was boxed in with nowhere to go. The front entrance was covered. The employee exit in the back had a team blocking it as well. Sniper lined the rooftops, ready to shoot the second they had a clear shot.


    It was the perfect setup. There was no way for Codename Kakashi to have lived.


    Takeshi grinned viciously. Ghouls were the sc.u.m of the earth, and they deserved to die. Today, he helped eradicate evil.


    Slowly, the dust and smoke cleared from the restaurant. The wall had been nearly completely destroyed under the force of all the bullets. No doubt the CCG would have to pay for damages.


    It was worth it. Evil had to be killed at all costs.


    Wait. There was movement-


    Codename Kakashi calmly strolled out of the scene of destruction, hands planted in his pockets and back slightly bent in a slouch.


    There was not a single hair out of place. Codename Kakashi was completely untouched.


    "Maa, is this some sort of welcoming reception?" Codename Kakashi eye-smiled at them.


    All 32 men backed away in fear. 20 seconds of gunfire. 10 bullets per second. 32 men. In total, 6400 bullets had been unleashed into the restaurant.


    And this ghoul was completely untouched?!


    "Fire!" Takeshi yelled again, this time out of desperation instead of righteous fury.


    The men carried out his order immediately, squeezing down on triggers. On the rooftops, the snipers finally had a clear shot, and they fired as one, bullets shooting out faster than the speed of sound.


    Codename Kakashi disappeared.


    "Cease fire, cease fire!" Takeshi yelled. "Where the f.u.c.k did he go?!"


    They all looked around. Codename Kakashi was nowhere to be seen.


    "Damnit," Takeshi cursed. He pulled out his radio and practically shouted into it. "Sniper Team 1! Do you have a visual on Codename Kakashi?"


    A slight delay, a small buzz of static.


    Then: "Codename Kakashi? You realize that ''Kakashi'' is my real name, correct?"


    Takeshi''s blood went cold. He looked up.


    The men close enough to hear the radio froze in shock before swiveling their guns upwards towards the roof.


    There. Codename Kakashi was looking down at them with an amused smile on his face, a radio receiver held in his hand. "I see you''ve found me."


    Takeshi growled. "What the f.u.c.k did you do to my men?"


    "Nothing, nothing. I just put them to sleep for a little while. Well, I''d love to stay and talk, but I have things to do. Have a nice day~"


    Then, with one last mocking wave, Codename Kakashi disappeared again. There wasn''t even a blur- one moment he was there, the next he was gone.


    "God damnit!"


    XxX


    Kakashi exited the perfectly executed shunshin, lightly landing on the ground, a good distance away from the restaurant.


    He had two options now. The first was to lay low until he finds a way back to his dimension.


    The second is to screw around with everyone until he finds a way back to his dimension.


    The choice was clear.


    Kakashi smirked under his mask. The CCG won''t know what hit them.


    This is just a small idea I had.


    Kakashi doesn''t have the Sharingan. This is after the battle with Kaguya was won, and his double Mangekyou had already faded away.


    Thank you all for reading, and please review :)


    euphoric

 Chapter 345 - My SI Stash #45 - Hiding From Unstable Spirits by Caldon (TsukihimeXFate)

    -Damn I remember watching this anime when I was like 10 lol, I cannot believe that this is the only SI fic that I know of... barely alive fandom/ Let me know if y''all got other DAL SI fics~


    Synopsis: What should a young man do in a world with superpowered girls, dating and being trapped in a body of what is basically a super Vampire?


    Keep low of course. Or at least try...


    Rated: ???


    Words: 23K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/hiding-from-unstable-spirits-date-a-live-tsukihime-si-spoilers.864350/ (Caldon)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    A cold chill.


    That''s what I first felt when I started waking up. Not the unpleasant kind, more like "I have left the window open during a spring night" kind of chill. The second feeling was that of grass beneath my fingers.


    Huh, that should be for more worrying to me then it was, but it strangely felt ''right''.


    Alas, one can stay groggy after waking up only so long and so my mind began to panic just a tiny bit here. Grass? I am utterly sure that I went to sleep in my bed and not in the garden. Did my family decide to prank me? Was I carried outside while sleeping?


    No, it''s not possible.


    I am not this much of a heavy sleeper, though the fact I''m too heavy for them to even try this is another matter completely.


    So, a dream? Well, that I am pretty damn sure that something that felt this much real has never happened to me before.


    I decided to slowly open my eyes and raise my head a little bit from the grassy ground I was laying down on.


    And I did not expect to see trees and bushes surrounding my laying form... oh god, I''m in some forest!?


    Panic surged through my mind and thoughts of being kidnapped and drugged came to the forefront of my mind. The bushes that surrounded me were blocking any view I could have had, at least from my current position.


    I started to slowly rise from the ground with hopes that just maybe I could see something beyond the greenery that enclosed me.


    Slowly but surprisingly smoothly I got up to my knees and then to standing positing I, from that I could at the very least see what was beyond the bushes.


    It was LIGHT! Slightly in the distance, between the trees, I could see what probably was a street lamp.


    Though why did it seem to be so dim? In hindsight I should have connected the dots a lot earlier, I mean lamps only shine during the night, right? So why could I see everything around me perfectly?


    Realizing that it might be just a bit too convenient to find a lamp in the woods makes me a bit hesitant to just imminently walk over there.


    But right now I see little to no alternatives so despite the warnings going off in my head I decide to walk over to the source of the light.


    The bushes that earlier hid the lamp post from my vision are barely reaching to my knees and as such offer little to no resistance to my feet as I trudge over to the lamp post and I have to say something seems off about me right now, as in I arrive at the edge of the light in about a minute but I could swear that it seemed much further away.


    Did I not notice myself running or something?


    Anyway, as I get closer to the lamp I notice that there is a cobblestone path right next to the lamp as well as a... is that a park map, a bit taller then I am that is being illuminated by the light?


    Oh, ok then. I am not stuck in the middle of the woods, just some pretty park. That is not perfect but still far better than the alternative of being in some woods in the middle of nowhere.


    Kay now, maybe the map will tell me something of where exactly I am, so I approach it and read that which is written in red first.


    "Tengu City Park". I said out loud in a strangely smoother voice then I remember my being.


    Oh, and it''s written in kanji. Hold up...I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE LEARNED HOW TO READ KANJI!


    And now it just suddenly comes to my head as if the were the most natural thing in my life, what the hell?


    I calm myself as fast as I can and try to think about what it could mean.


    One, I am definitely in Japan right now.


    Two, for some reason I can read Kanji, and if I were to guess I can probably speak Japanese too.


    Three, something is off with my body.


    And finally, four, was I just ROB''ed into some setting?


    Okay, I am a city named probably Tengu. And this rings no god damn bells in my head. Like none at all. The only city that would help me recognize where I am exactly would probably be Fuyuki City, and for once thank god it is not that blasted place. I don''t know if I could handle one of the worst places to be in the Nasuverse. So I can presume I got lucky and I won''t end up in one of the Holy Grail Wars, nor does it seem like I''m in Tsukihime...not sure which one would be worse but since I know little about the latter the answer would be obvious. Hopefully, it is not the setting with that girl Shiki, shes damn scary that''s what she is.


    Now then, I guess I will learn in time in what place did I land, So it is time to address the elephant in the room...


    "WHY IS MY BODY SO THIN AND WHY AM I WEARING A BLACK BUSINESS SUIT?!" A yell left my lips as I looked down on myself confused. And what is that odd feeling in the back of my head damn it?


    ----------------------------------------------


    If I were to describe Tengu City, I''d probably call it modern. Like it is not futuristic, at least that was my impression of it, but I could believe that a lot of people live here judging by the number of tall buildings and homes I''ve passed on my way down the street.


    Finding an exit out of the park was easy with the help of that map, tho the fact I was feeling sadness when leaving the trees, bushes, and small fields of grass behind was...unnerving.


    I have always liked nature, but not to a degree I would prefer it over the protection of the walls of a home. Why would I have the urge to turn around and just spend time there? It was clear to me that whoever put me in this city had made some changes to me.


    Finding out that I was not overweight, but in a healthy and fit body dressed in a black suit with a red tie did not help the matter, though I still had hair on my head, so I was relieved that I am not a clone of agent 47.


    But despite how good this body felt, I knew something was very odd with it, for example, both my eyesight and hearing and even smell were miles above what I was used too. For I learned from passing by an electric clock that it was at 01:34 AM, and yet I saw everything perfectly, were it shapes, colors, or even the distance cause I swear I was reading road signs that were at the very least a good 100 meters away from me. Getting used to the enhanced hearing was a pain though, the moment I left the park behind me, my ears were bombarded with the sounds of cars and people a good few dozen meters away from me. And the smell... let us not get started with this one, for it was not pleasant at all to deal with.


    Yet, somehow in a matter of minutes of walking down this town, and somehow I began to filter things through, almost as if the most natural thing to do for this body.


    So the question arose in my mind of "am I still human?", for no normal person should be able to have such senses nor have that nagging feeling in the back of their heads. Maybe, I was slowly but surely adapting to this body that wasn''t mine?


    The train of thoughts in my head was stopped when I was passing by a closed clothing shop and say a mirror next to the mannequins on the display on the other side of the glass.


    I took a few steps closer to the glass to able to see my reflection in the mirror more clearly, and when I took a good look at my face... I froze.


    For reflected was a figure of a young man who barely looked like he was in his eighteens or nineteens, a face too handsome to be natural, with light brown hair that hid his ears and almost his eyes were it not for the fact that it formed an arrow-like shape on his nose.


    But the most outstanding thing was the eyes, they were crimson with a snake or feline-like iris.


    I couldn''t believe it at first, but when I started to focus on those eyes, I could swear I saw for but a split of a second a yellow like glow, and then I knew that I was not human.


    Once I reached that conclusion in my mind, I have opened my mouth to check if I ha...Ow! Yep, I definitely have fangs, and how on earth did I not notice them until now?! I just cut my finger on of them an...oh, alright then, the wounds gone?


    "Who..what am I? Well, clearly a vampire of sorts but..." I muttered under my breath, countless possibilities raging in my head, but there was one that was louder than any others "...only one way to be sure of that".


    I''ve looked up in the dark sky that showed no stars or nor other celestial bodies, save one.


    The moment I saw the full moon, I knew what I am. It was almost as if a child was looking at their parent and knew who they were. A knowledge so ingrained into the body and soul that it could not be denied, but it somehow felt...incomplete?


    Once my trance-like state of staring up to the sky( good thing not many people seem to walk this particular street at his hour, else I would have died from shame), I knew what I was and why I felt that desire to be with nature in the park.


    "A True Ancestor" words that were barely above a whisper left my mouth, a shocked expression painted on my face.


    "GOD DAMN YOU ZELRETCH! And so I almost shouted loud enough to wake the good people of Tengu from their sleep.


    Truth be told, I had no idea if my current predicament was in any way shape or from the fault of the Wizard Marshall himself, but it did not matter at that moment, for I was angry and terrified.


    So much for avoiding the Nasuverse and dodging a bullet, for was there any other way for me to be an equivalent of a Fairy that is empowered directly by the will of the planet?! Was I dropped off in this city just to be hunted down by Dead Apostles or the Church?


    "I-I need a plan, y-yes a simple plan. First and foremost leave the city, hell knows what it could be hiding here and aiming for my head" I muttered to myself, now no longer walking the down the street but standing on the edge of an alleyway.


    "Just gotta find someone who could help me, yes maybe that old Vampire Wizard would help me? Nope, not trusting him, and if no him then maybe I could go try and find Arcueid? She''s the princess, the princess of a practically dead species but a princess anyway.


    She could probably protect me, maybe she''d be even happy to find someone else of her kind? She''d probably let me hang around her if I were to start to call "Big Sis" or something like that." With the amount talking to myself I would not blame the locals that would think that the tall European guy in a suit quietly talking to him is mad or something, I would too.


    I had at least one plan now, though I will focus on the details once I leave this city with hopefully no one noticing nor pursuing me.


    With my destination being "let''s get out of this town" I push myself off the wall of the alleyway that I was unconsciously leaning on and try to find a road that will be out of the city, but maybe I should put those Mystic Eyes that I should have to use a train out of here?


    I barely took three maybe four steeps from the place I was standing before "it" hit me and stopped me in my tracks. That sweet smell of...blood? Damn it all, how could I forget about the bloodl.u.s.t that all True Ancestors had? Was that the thing nagging me in the head all this time?


    I could not help but to try and locate that smell, even if the most logical choice right is to go the other way as fast as I can without outing myself, and yet the urge to at very least find the source of the smell was far stronger then reason. I''m gonna need to work on that...


    "It comes...further that alleyway?" I said, unsure why I needed to speak at such a moment, what could have possibly happened there to drag me in?


    And so guided by the promise of blood( with my sense of smell that began going into overdrive) I slowly and carefully make my way down the alleyway sensing that the reason why I am even doing this is relatively close as if it was just around the corner of the alley, but in that case, why did I not hear or sense anything mere second before the stench of blood hit my nose? Was I so focused on my situation that I filtered anything happening near me out?


    Anyways, it is not so far away as I initially thought, in fact, I am sure it is just around the corner. Though there is a new question in my head now and its "Why am I not afraid?", cause I''m pretty sure I should be, judging by the amount of ichor I can now sense there should be a dead person there. And yet, I''m not afraid of seeing it, or hell getting killed myself. Is it my body doing? Does it know that there is nothing here that could do me any permanent harm? Or is it because instead of fear I feel... excitement?


    There is no time for those questions now, as I am just about to reach the corner. Now or never, If I can''t face whatever is behind this corner, how can I hope to survive the Nasuverse?


    I decided to face front on whatever is there, so I abandon the careful walk I maintained until now and I almost jump around the corner, and that which I see brings me both hope and despair.


    Facing a dead-end of the alley I see the corpses... or what''s left of them of three people, their bodies filled with holes and faces contorted in horror. Alas, I can''t have the proper time to look them over as the source of their fate is standing in front of them, wielding a...musket in each hand?


    Then it finally hit me.


    Good news, this is not the world of vampires powered by the planet or a bunch of morons fighting for a golden cup.


    Bad news, this is a world with unstable super-powered girls and a dense moron that''s on a mission to save them via dating. And how can I be so sure of that you ask? Well, you see...


    The girl that''s standing over that massacre of those poor saps and is just reeking of blood, has turned to face me. And now, that I can fully see her pale skin, hair as black as night styled into uneven ponytails with one reaching her neck and the other her waist combined with a new bow on her head, those eyes of which one red shining with madness with the other being a damn clock, add to that her red and black frills that make her look like a cosplaying Gothic Lolita or something...and yeah there is only one character I know that is like this.


    "Kurumi Tokisaki," I said in a whisper, stunned by the beautiful and insane girl from Date A Live, a Spirit that earned designations like "The Worst Spirit" or "Nightmare", and she''s standing right in front of me.


    "Ara Ara, and how do you know my name? You seem to know me, but I am sure that I have never met you," she asked, with a soft giggle at the end as her mismatched eyes locked with my own.


    I have no mouth and I must scream.


    ----------------------------------------------


    "Ara? No need to be so shy, I won''t bite you, you know? she said that. She said that while standing in a god damn pool of blood. "And I must ask you again, how do you know me?"


    I frowned at that, why did I allow myself to walk right to her again?


    Ah, right, bloodl.u.s.t.


    Still, if I play this one right I may get her to think I''m just a random civvy out on a walk, and with a bit of luck, she won''t deem me worthy killing.


    "Well, you see I k-kinda just... you know?" I am so god damn dead, I cant lie under stress for the life of me. I think I should slowly walk away from he...


    "Oh, my? Goin somewhere already? But we just met and all, don''t you know it is rude to try and walk away from a lady?" from behind my back spoke more than one voice, as I turned around I saw four of her clones standing behind me and blocking the way.


    Right, she can do time clones, and other time manipulation powers, this along with her ability to hide in the shadow... I call bullshit on those power.


    " I''m sorry, I did not want to insult such a lovely young lady, but you see I... simply am late for dinner, that''s right!" Really, me? I couldn''t think to come up with a better excuse to save my hide, she''s probably thinking I''m with the government or one of the other agencies.


    She''ll see right through that, there is simply no way she''d let me leave now.


    But, if that is the case... why am I not shaking in fear from her?


    "Ah, I see. My apology for holding you up here good sir, now please be on your way." ...NO DAMN WAY! She actually bought that? Did she say that with an honest and kind smile on her face, she can''t be that stupid? Or did she decide that I am really not worth it?"


    "D-don''t worry miss, it''s nothi-" my response was cut off by a sudden and sharp pain coming from my chest, I looked down and...


    SHE FKIN SHOT ME!


    "Oh? My bad, my finger must have slipt" A soft giggle followed from the clones after the response of what I presumed to be the ''main'' Kurumi as my sight rested on her now on her smaller weapon that was still aimed at me.


    My suit has now a fist-sized hole in it... and it is gone?


    I look down at my chest and there isn''t even a mark left on it, in fact, the suit looks undamaged.


    She shot me, with a magical musket. even still it was just a magical musket. It is no a conceptual weapon designed to stop the reversal of any damage, there is nothing this girl can do that would be a real threat to me for it will always be reversed no matter what she tries to use. And her biggest mistake? It was attacking me, who seemingly possed a body of a True Ancestor, at night.


    When there is a full moon.


    Now, I am not truly knowledgeable about the working of the Tsukuhime world, but even I know that an Ancestor power peeks at that time. And apparently, as my body deemed this planet to be close enough to "Gaia" and possess some form of mana in it, it began to draw power from it. Not much, but enough to render anyone I know of here(bar one) a none threat to me.


    And the best part? Is the fact that the stupid smile that Kurumi had on her face has fallen off.


    "Now then, that was a bit rude too, you know that Kurumi?" A huge grin formed on my face as I delivered the line and looked the crazy girl in the eyes, not knowing that my own eyes were now glowing a bright yellow.


    Kurumi was silent for a moment, probably assuming that the fact that I''m still standing and grinning at her must be somehow related to some piece of technology that I''m using.


    "Ara, it seems so. Perhaps there is something worthwhile in you dear sir" When she finished her sentence, I noticed them coming from the shadows of the floor below me. " Now if you would just stand still, I promise it will be quick"


    Dozens of hands rose from the floor, all aimed at me. If I were to take a guess, instead of simply killing me for being a nuisance, she had decided to ''eat me'' with that trick.


    This was a choice that at the moment neither I nor she knew she would end up regretting dearly.


    And so I stood unmoving, convinced in my invulnerability just as much as Kurumi was in her own power over me. And when the hands finally reached me with intent to drag me down into the shadow beneath, something I did not expect happened.


    Kurumi scream.Not in pain if I were to guess but I couldn''t be sure of that completely. What I was sure of was the expression of pure terror on her face.


    Eyes going wild, I heard her heartbeat increase dramatically, cold sweat drenches her pale skin and black silk hair, and finally, both her shadow hands and clones disappeared into nothing.


    "W-W-WHO ARE YOU!? WHAT ARE YOU!?" She yelled at me, her voice that so calm earlier now was a high pitch as her attempt to devour me probably revealed a little bit of the nature of my body to her.


    The mature and reasonable thing to do here was most likely to attempt to calm her down and have an honest talk with her. Alas, I can be quite petty when I want to be, and her trying to kill me just gave me a good excuse.


    "Well, well, well, "I began, with the most shit-eating grin on my face I could muster, one that showed of my fangs and made my eyes glow seemingly even brighter in the darkness that surrounded us. " Let me start with a proper introduction than my fair lady"


    "My name is... Alaya. And you dear Kurumi-chan have been marked as a danger to the Human Order, so in order to fulfill my duty as a Counter-Guardian I must now eliminate you." It was a lie, my name, my nature, and my objective. I did not want to harm her despite everything she had done and will do, for I knew that she had some kind of role to play in the future. As such, my goal was to make her flee from me.


    "H-human Order? C-counter-Guardian? W-what are you talking about? W-why me?" And I think I overdid it, judging by the stuttering mess she has become. Welp, it can''t be helped now, I''ll just give her the last shove to hopefully send her fleeing.


    "Of course Kurumi-chan" I took a step closer to her and raise my arms in a ''shrug'' gesture, unaware that my hands have turned in ''vampire claws'' from all the excitement my body was in." Someone with the power and plans to erase the past, it cannot be tolerated"


    "N-no, I must... I-I have to s-still...h-how do you k-know this!? Great, she''s confused now and she is aware that I should possess the information I have and...why is she stepping into the wall?"I CAN''T STOP! I WILL NOT! I WILL KILL HER!"


    As she began to yell once more, her expression an odd mix of fear and determination, and I simply stood there not moving a finger to stop her.


    I guess the idea of her being hunted down by something that could stop her plan she wasted years on persuing was enough of a shock to the poor girl into a ''fight or flight'' response.


    Then I saw her enter fully the shadow in the wall and I kept my mad grin on till she fully disappeared into it, and I kept eye contact with her till the end of her escape.


    And then, I was alone.


    " I really hope I didn''t screw over Shido with this..." I muttered under my breath, realizing that I may have raised Kurumis paranoia tad bit too much.


    In a dark dead-end of an alleyway, in the middle of the night, standing next to a pool of blood... and the smell was so tempting my body began moving closer to it.


    That was bad, very god damn bad! I Couldn''t let my bodies vampiric impulses control me or else I would drown this world on Dead Apostles and minor vampires or would get the attention of ''her''.


    So I did the thing that seemed most logical at the moment and stabbed myself with my claws in the leg.


    It hurt, it hurt so god damn much that I immediately started to regret that idea.


    But it had worked, somewhat. The pain distracted me long enough for me to regain some sense and control of the body to move as far away from the murder place as it was possible.


    And that was quite another problem, in focusing on that I failed to notice just how fast was I leaving the area.


    The world became a blur of colors, and as a result of that, I almost crashed right into a big hotel building that was somewhere on the other end of the city.


    The fact I didn''t get noticed by the Anti Spirit Team(AST for short) or that giant flying invisible ship above the city that belonged to the organization Ratatoskr that was connected to the dense protagonist of the name Shido Itsuka and wasn''t there also a clone of ''her'' or something like that?


    Eh, things to think about later.


    First, I''m gonna find a nice hotel room in the city to spend a night or two in that I''m gonna get after using the Mystic Eyes of mine, and after that, I probably go ''shopping'' for normal clothes and some sunglasses.


    What a crazy first night in this world this is...


    ----------------------------------------------


    What woke me up from my slumber in my cozy bed was the heat and rays of the sun flooding into the room from the large window that was direct across my double-sized bed.


    My bed that''s in my room, the room of the hotel that I almost burst through on my run last night.


    A room that the keys to I may have acquired by using my Mystic Eyes on the poor sap downstairs by the lobby.


    It took a few awkward tries to actually get him to do what I needed, but it worked before he decided to call security and kick me out so I count it as a win.


    Still gonna need to practice this a lot if I plan on staying under the radar of all powers in this word.


    While still covered with the sheats and surprised I could actually sleep and dream normally, I decided to at least get up a bit and sit on the bed''s edge.


    Sitting at the right side of the bed I look to the window that was now to my left and... I just stared at it.


    "Date A Live, a goddamn harem anime with superpowered girls," I said with a heavy sigh. "Just my luck too, to bump into Kurumi as soon as I got here."


    Now that I was able to fully calm myself within the confines of my room I realized just how much I could have screwed over the main cast with my nightly stunt with Kurumi.


    What if she is going to be paranoid enough to make her leave the city, or just straight up go to Shido''s home and kill him there.


    Judging by the way she acted towards me before getting traumatized, I''m guessing she didn''t have a date with Shido or tried killing him at school.


    Which if I''m right would mean I was thrown somewhere in the middle of season one of the anime adaptation. And since I didn''t sense anyone suspicious watching me or getting close to the hotel I can probably say that I am safe from the sight of the big players out there.


    As I sat in the silence of my new four walls a simple plan formed in my head.


    The only spirits that should have shown up would be Tohka, Yoshino, Kurumi, and Kotori.


    The AST, Ratatoskar, or the DEM have not found me out yet, hopefully.


    The ones left to show themself in season two and three were the Yamai Sisters, Miku, Natsumi, and Origami.


    And for once I am grateful for reading the wiki for spoilers, otherwise, I wouldn''t know about the first spirit Mia that''s basically GOD in this world, and her clone(?) Reine which is undercover within Ratatoskar.


    Just great, if Mia ever founds out what I am or if I dare to get to close to Shido. IM dead. Like finger snap and I''m gone.


    So my top priority right now should be avoiding the main cast like fire or trying to murder Reine before she can act.


    Then there is this whole Isaac guy, the director of DEM or something.


    The guy just reeked with '' I''m evil lol'' so he''s my priority target right now, even if I don''t really know anything about the guy or his plans.


    I should have read more about him on the wiki...


    ...why am I so casually planning a murder? The hells is wrong with me? I know they are bad but still, it shouldn''t be this easy for me.


    Eh, and then there is the whole thing with Mayuri. Is that even cannon? Could I help her somehow?


    Thoughts for later, now my genius plan!


    ...I''ll just wait for season two to kick in and wait for the disaster that Miku will bring and there I sneak into DEM and kill Isaac.


    What? No point in risking the timeline too much at this point, though I''m gonna need to watch out for Kurumi now, if she were to get off cannon thanks to me, I would have to reveal myself.


    Now though, how do I make myself a better stalker then Origami?


    Besides getting clothes that are not a suit.


    Maybe, I just have the thing in mind, but I am unsure if I can even get it to work.


    Marble Phantasm.


    A power that the True Ancestors posses, the ability to change and affect the world to their desire and need. So there could be a possibility to make myself undetectable with it?


    If I could manifest the Millennium Castle Brunestud, I could probably go and challenge Mia, though I doubt that I could ever hope to achieve that since I am not Arcueid.


    Even still, this could allow me to keep ahead of this world ''Spirits'' even if only to get away from them and Shido.


    I swear, if this kid walks up to me and asks me out for a date I''m going straight to killing Reine, consequences are damned.


    Now, time to focus and see if I can even use that power in any way, and what better way then to sit on the floor and try to...imagine something.


    And I think I have just the right thing in my mind.


    After what felt like hours of focus I finally looked up to the clock to see that it was almost 4 pm.


    I did not think id waste this much time to get so little in results.


    However, when I looked upon my open palm and saw the small thump sized pink flower petal fly up and turn into motes of light, a small smile graced my facial expression as I felt true pride at my little achievement.


    "We may have not had the best of the first impression as far as meetings go, however, I''m sure we can make this somehow work," I said as I raised myself from the cold wooden floor of the room and walked closer to the window "now then, let us start our DATE you wonderfully crazy world"


    Chapter 2


    "Thank you for your purchase, please come again." The young cashier lady said to me as I was walking away out of her small shop with the simple black sunglasses I just bought sitting on my nose.


    And no, I did not use my Mystic Eyes on her, for I have legitimately bought them with money!


    The money I got from some thugs that tried to rob me on my way to the shopping mall that wasn''t that far away from the hotel I''m staying at.


    I did not hurt them, just used my eyes to make them give me all their money and a cool looking electric black watch that fitted on my wrist just fine. Kurumi is clearly slacking off on cleaning up the city from such trash.


    Why would you ever try to mug a tall European guy in a business suit in a world where magical girls are a thing? Like, you''re just asking to be brutally murdered at this point.


    They even had enough money that I could afford to buy a simple red hoodie, three black T-shirts, two pairs of blue jeans, and a pair of simple black hiking boots.


    Why would those four idiots even need extra money? Meh, their loss and my gain.


    I just hope that the small hypnosis I put on them would make them a bit more decent, even if they were asshats I don''t want them to end up like those guys I found Kurumi with.


    "05:36 PM and the sun is still bright. Guess its still spring here, April or May? Tsk, if only this watch would show the date too." I mutter to myself while walking around the mall looking for stuff I might still buy, and I gotta say there is a lot of people here.


    Might because its Saturday? Crowds big enough for a kid to get lost that''s for sure.


    I still get some odd looks from the passerby''s, even after changing from the suit. I may be just a bit too tall to fully blend in with the people, why is everyone so short in comparison to me?


    When I was shopping for clothes a nice lady helped me with finding the right size, and apparently, I am 186 cm tall.


    In a country with an average of 171 cm.


    I need some invisibility spell or something...


    ----------------------------------------------


    As I continued walking around I saw a glimpse of something that caught my interest.


    I stepped closer to the store window and admired the object, and I cannot help but marvel at this sight


    It is a rather simple red fedora but with a wide, and almost comically looking floppy brim.


    I feel as if the world is trying to mock me...


    I mean, what are the chances of me just stumbling upon a fedora that just so happens to resemble the one that Alucard from Hellsing was wearing most of the time?


    My inner nerd demanded that I go inside the shop and get that hat even if I had to use hypnosis on everyone that was in there because the possibility of messing with people while dressed as the ''Crimson F.u.c.ker'' himself was beyond tempting, my bloodl.u.s.t seemed nothing in comparison to that.


    But, I also cringed internally at the image of me being fully dressed like that murder machine...


    Ugh, I cannot make a decision like this, damn it all, why are you doing this to me you cruel word?


    While I was looking at the hat and contemplating if I really want to buy it and look stupid as hell, I felt a tug on my right sleeve of the hoodie.


    I definitely did not yelp at the sudden surprise, and anyone telling you that is a liar.


    When I whipped my head to the right I saw... no one? That is odd, I''m pretty sure no one would mess with me no...oh.


    "U-um... h-hello Sir... c-could you p-please help me find... my f-friends?" A voice said, coming from a little lower then I was expecting.


    I looked down at the small girl, that''s so short she''s barely reaching my chest and that''s with that...sunhat that has a pink ribbon on it.


    Oh no.


    Curly, azure hair reaching her chest and eyes that remind me of the clear sky, and a simple white dress with a tint of blue in it with pink frills at the end.


    Yoshino.


    "Yeah, give us a hand, will you? We need to find Shido and Tohka so quit starring and help us out!" And that talking white puppet rabbit with a black eye patch on his right side is Yoshinon.


    I know that no plan survives the contact with the enemy, but...


    THIS IS JUST FATE SCREWING WITH ME!


    I wanted to avoid meeting anyone from the main cast early, and now on my second day in this world, I meet her?!


    Yoshino didn''t seem to notice my distress and instead kept on pulling my sleeve and holding onto it as if letting me go would make me disappear.


    "P-please" she sniffles, and I can already see her eyes getting wet.


    If I leave her she will no doubt make a scene here, and possibly freeze this place.


    Damn it Shido, how can you lose a walking time bomb?!


    Welp, might as well roll with it and make an escape once I get her back to that dense fool.


    I gently grab her right-hand that''s been holding my sleeve this entire time, and surprisingly she doesn''t shirk away from me...huh, might be just a Kurumi thing. Then again, Yoshino is not trying to ''eat me'' here so that''s maybe why she doesn''t sense my nature.


    "Of course, let''s find your friends, little miss, miss rabbit," I say with the most gentle voice I can muster while giving her a small smile.


    "My name is Yoshinon. Innit cute? Innit cute?" Declared the small puppet, even tho I did not ask her or Yoshino for that yet.


    "Yes, yes it is Yoshinon." I sigh quietly, for this will be a troublesome evening, and you better make it up to me Shido!


    ----------------------------------------------


    This is ridiculous.


    "...and this is how I saved the day!" Vocalized Yoshinon, as she finished speaking the third story about her protecting Yoshino and being the hero of the hour.


    And it''s barely fifteen minutes of me and Yoshino(with Yoshinon) walking around the mall to find Shido and Tohka.


    It should not be this hard for me to find a mop of blue and purple hair, but with the absurd crowd that is today, even I can''t spot them anywhere.


    Is there some huge sale going on today or what? And how would I miss it?


    "A truly heroic tale miss Yoshinon, I am glad to know that miss Yoshino has such a brave and kind friend to rely on." I might as well complement the small rabbit, don''t want to be on her bad side after all.


    Also, I noticed that it was mainly Yoshinon who was doing all the talking all this time, while Yoshino was keeping quiet but she never let go of my hand the whole time.


    The poor girl must still be working on her shyness towards strangers and might only open to Shido now.


    " Yes. Yes. Flatter me more, after all, I am the most heroic one in the world!" ...note for the future, never allow Yoshinon to meet the likes of King Gilgamesh..."Hey, onii-chan, what''s your name?"


    O-O-Onii-chan?! What the hell Yoshinon!


    "I''m Al...yes, my names Al. I''m a tourist from East Europe by the way" I voiced, technically not lying, as ''Al'' sounds less girlish then ''Alaya'' and would be easier to pronounce.


    "Al? Haha! A funny name!" No, it is not Yoshinon. "What do you think Yoshino?"


    My eyes moved from the small puppet and focused themself on Yoshino, and she was...blushing?


    "I think... it is a n-nice name" The small girl stuttered out.


    She is so damn adorable, all I want to do is to hug her and never let any harm come to her ever!


    And I swear I can see Yoshinon smirking at me, how can a puppet even do that?


    "I..thank you miss Yoshino," I say, bit surprised at her answer to Yoshinons clear tease." but I think we should focus on finding your friends now."


    And we still haven''t found Shido and Tohka, I hope they did not forget about Yoshino here or else I''m gonna find their hom...woah, keep the anger in check, don''t scare Yoshino now.


    Speaking of her...


    "Miss Yoshino, why have you stopped?" I speak out and look at the girl in confusion, and she''s looking at something rather intently to our left.


    Has she noticed Shido?


    I follow her gaze and I see... an ice cream shop.


    Of course.


    "Miss Yoshino, would you like some ice cream?" I ask the girl that is clearly absorbed into her staring contest with the chilly sweet.


    She looks up to me, a warm smile on her face, and vigorously nods her head.


    "YAY, ICE CREAM" Yoshinon screams out, and damn, how can she be so loud?


    We walk inside the shop, and stand in the line and lucky for us there are only two people in front of us.


    When it is our turn, I buy one strawberry scoop of ice for myself and two blueberry scoops for Yoshino(Yoshinon seems overjoyed at the fact I got one for her too).


    With our ice cream in hand, we both walk out of the shop, but I notice that Yoshino seems a bit hesitant to move too far from the entrance.


    Ah, she has both of her hands taken now and cont hold my own now and is likely afraid of getting lost again.


    I withhold a sigh, I don''t want to be stuck with her too long because that might get me labeled as a kidnaper...


    "Try to hold on" I speak to hear, and she just looks at me with confusion written clearly on her adorable face.


    I put down my ice cream on a nearby bench, after that, I get closer to Yoshino and grab her gently around her armpits and lift her up on my shoulders.


    I am not sure if it''s my Vampiric strength or if the girl is simply light as a feather.


    "Kyaaaa!" This is the cutest sound I have ever heard in my life.


    "Pardon my sudden action, but now you can both eat your ice cream and look for your friends. "I state, hoping she won''t get upset at me for this.


    "I...see. Thank you." She whispers, both embarrassed and surprised at this development.


    "Oh my! Onii-chan how bold of you!" Thanks Yoshinon, you''ve ruined the moment, you''re lucky I can''t glare at you right now.


    Now with Yoshino on my shoulders, we make it again into the crowd with hopes of ending this search soon.


    Honestly, how unlucky can we be that we''re still haven''t foun-


    "YOSHINO!" I hear two voices shout the little girl''s name from my right.


    As I turn around to see who it was, and boy speak of the devil and he''ll show up...eventually.


    "SHIDO-SAN!"TOHKA-SAN!" Even if I cannot see Yoshinos face right now, I can feel the happiness in her voice.


    Now, how do I explain why I''m holding a Spirit on my shoulders to them?


    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


    Chapter 3


    "I see, again I''m sorry were lost the both of you Yoshino,Yoshinon. I promise I will make it up to you, and you" Shido spoke to Yoshin and then turned to face me"you have my thanks for helping her si-"


    "Please call me Al, "I cut Shido off " no need for the whole ''sir'' thing, I''m not much older than you Shido-san. I''m just a tourist that happened to catch little miss Yoshino and Yoshinon''s eye" I finished speaking and gave the boy a small smile.


    "I am just glad I could help" I outstretched my right hand towards Shido, still keeping the smile on my face.


    "A-ah I see, again thank yo-" Shido grabbed my hand for the handshake, but he did not expect the amount of force I put into" e-eh?"


    "So Shido-san, "My expression never changes, unlike Shidos that bears the signs on confusion on it, "tell me, how did YOU lose such a small young lady in this crowd? It might have not ended this well if she didn''t ask me for help."


    "W-well, umm... you see, w-we were looking for kinako bread for Tohka,a-and we kinda lost Yoshino while looking arou-" Eh, alright lets cut this interrogation of and leave him a warning.


    At least I let him think that he got off with just a warning because I''m gonna come up with something to punish him later.


    "I understand, but please be more careful next time, for I might not be around if that happens." I let go of his hand, and see that now Yoshino was standing to his left and holding Shido''s other hand.


    She looks between me and Shido, but luckily she seems more confused than worried, while Shido scratches his head with the right hand and looks a bit ashamed that a stranger scolded him.


    I now move my sight to Tohka that''s to the right of Shido and notice her staring at my bag with clothes and...kinako bread.


    Was she staring at it the whole time? And is she drooling?


    I withhold another sigh today, and reach down to the bag and pull up the kinako bread and hold it up to the starved girl.


    "Here, you seem hungry and Yoshino''s disappearance must have stopped you from buying one for yourself" I explain to the girl, this much for tasting if its good for myself.


    "R-really?" Asks Tohka looking for conformation to which I give a small nod. "Thank you!" ...did I just see stars in her eyes?


    As she reaches for the bread with both of her hands she touches my hand for just a moment.


    And then I''m no longer in the mall, instead, I stand in a crater and see ruins of what was once a city and I feel that this place is flooded with death.


    After getting a grip on myself, I notice the girl standing in front of me.


    Or, what I assume once was one.


    Her skin is beyond pale, it looks more like ash, and its the same for her hair. She wears the tattered remains of what once must have been a beautiful dark purple dress, the remains of what must have been a ribbon of the same color stick out from behind her head.


    With ten swords floating behind her, and five sharp and twisted nails form a claw around her left hand.


    And her eyes...


    They seem red but...are hollow. Like if she was broken a thousand times over and has given up on life, yet still I can see traces of something that would have been called emotions behind them.


    Anger, Rage, Hate.


    Sadness, Sorrow, Hopelessness.


    I know her, even in this state I can see that its Tohka...no.


    Calling her a ''Beast'' would be appropriate for I can''t see anything that would make her human anymore.


    And then it hit, the sweet smell of blood.No, it should be called a stench.


    And this ''Beast'' was drenched in it, and its concentration was far stronger than Kurumi''s.


    While Kurumi might have willingly killed thousands, where this one killed millions herself...and not only humans.


    But before I can even make one step or say a word, I am back in the mall with Shido, Yoshino, and Tohka.


    I blink a few times, just to make sure that I am seeing correctly.


    And what I see is an unconcerned Tohka that took her first bite of the bread I gave her, Yoshino is still holding Shido''s hand while Shido himself seems to be thankful for what I did.


    I try not to show them the UTTER CHAOS that erupted in mind.


    Like, WHAT ON EARTH WAS THAT?


    Was it the future? A possible future? An alternate world?


    "Umm, Al-san? Are you alright?" Shido asked me, I must have been lost in thoughts. Again.


    "Yes, I''m fine Shido-san. Just got lost in thought."I did half-lie to him, but he seemed to buy it judging from his expression.


    Then I noticed him bring up his free hand to his ear, crap.


    He did not show what he was told with his facial expression, but the eyes betrayed him.


    Cofusion.


    Seems that either something is going and he''s been called back or...Kotori has ordered a background check on me the moment I introduced myself to them.


    Kotori, I swear I will steal all the lollipops you have hidden in your house.


    "Ah, I''m sorry Al-san but we have to go, its pretty late and there''s dinner to make" Shido, this excuse would be much more believable if you didn''t try to avoid eye contact with me.


    "It''s fine, I have some things left to buy myself so I understand the hurry." I said, hoping they would leave now so I could try and comprehend the stuff I saw less than a few minutes ago.


    "WAAAAIT!"Okay, why are you screaming Yoshinon?" Yoshino has something to say to onii-chan here."


    Huh, that surprised us all besides Tohka who seems to be still enjoying the kinako bread.


    "Umm, I...wanted to say" Yoshino took a step forward and slightly bowed her head."Thank you...and please call me Yoshino."


    I...at this rate I''m going to die from the overload of cuteness from this girl.


    "You''re welcome mi-" I shook my head a bit on that part." You''re welcome, Yoshino."


    And I think she might have blushed a bit harder after she noticed my genuine smile directed at her, while Shido seemed to smile at her for the courage to speak out herself and not through Yoshinon.


    Anyway, Shido and Tohka said their goodbyes but not before thanking me again and then all three(or four if I count Yoshinon) went their way home.


    "Hey, that''s Hell you''re walking into" Alas Shido could no longer hear me as I chuckled to myself thinking about what the boy will have to face in the future.


    As they left my sight and disappeared into the crowd, I noticed that they were tailed by a girl with a mop of hair as white as snow that reached her chin, dark blue eyes, and the same uniform that Tohka was wearing.


    I don''t want to think about how long Origami Tobiichi has been watching us, the girl is an enough of a weird stalker to creep even me out.


    And I''m a Vampire damn it.


    Eh, leave it be, got stuff to do, and the first thing I''m going to do before I head back to my hotel room?


    Simple, I have a hat and some extra stuff to ''buy''.


    I wonder if they have Twitter in this world?


    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 Chapter 347 - My SI Stash #47 - Jokers Wild by Bowler Hat Guy (WormXLeagueOfLegends)

    -It''s pretty much Ben 10 in Worm but without the watch and in the place of aliens we have League of Legends champs! For the top mains out there, the first champ he gets is Jax~


    Synopsis: A Self Insert ends up in Brockton Bay with 148 Heroes sharing head space with him.


    Rated: ???


    Words: 45K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/jokers-wild-worm-league-of-legends-self-insert.839822/ (Bowler Hat Guy)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    So as it turns out, being stuck at home for weeks is really boring. It''s been like five days for me and I''ve mostly just been chewing through my video game back log. Then it dawned on me that theres lots of stuff I never cared to write because of the time investment involved and that I suddenly had the time to do. So heres one of those Self Insert things no one really reads. Have fun with it.


    ---


    I woke up in an alleyway.


    I think at least. You read a lot of stories about characters waking up in unexpected places, and almost all of them lurch up and start looking around. For combat hardened badasses and their ilk, I''m sure rapidly getting yourself situated for another fight was probably pretty standard fare.


    I myself am the kind of heavy sleeper who once missed a hurricane because it wasn''t loud enough to wake me up.


    This is why instead of my eyes fluttering open to take in my obviously changed surroundings, I just sort of kept them closed while part of me noted how hard and wet my bed suddenly felt.


    "Mggg?" I gurgled after what must have been a solid five minutes of just accepting the new sensations without investigation, cracking one eye open.


    Only to find myself making direct eye contact with a rat the size of a small dog.


    "Guh!" I caveman screeched as the primal part of my brain my ancestors used in order to hunt prey and hide from predators punched into overdrive. It sent a jolt of adrenaline down my spine, setting my heart to jack hammering and giving me the impetus to finally lurch backward, shoving myself upward and away from the perceived threat.


    Of course, because that threat was a simple rat, I ended up half sprawled against a dumpster, watching the damnable thing scuttle away in shock at the sudden movement.


    "The f.u.c.k?" I hissed out, only now fully taking stock of my circ.u.mstances.


    It was an alley, obviously, but more than that, it was like an artist''s rendition of an alley from Gotham City. The brick walls framing the alley were in stark disrepair. Not just scuffed or marred, but actually missing in some places, leaving tiny holes into the neighbouring buildings. Bits of garbage and what looked like several used needles littered the ground, surrounding an oily black puddle of some substance I was afraid to investigate, mostly because I had just been laying down in it, and I did not want to know what it was.


    To my right was the big blue dumpster I had pressed myself against in my surprise, it''s paint weathered and its surface rusting almost comically. To my left was the mouth of the alley, which let out onto an empty and pitted street that looked like no one had bothered to repair it since it was made.


    "Why!?" I blurted out, confused and terrified in equal measure.


    I would love, love, to be able to say that I had a reasonable expectation that this was a practical joke of some kind. If I was better at deluding myself, I might barely be able to see one of my very limited number of friends doing this for fun.


    But honestly, I just straight up knew they wouldn''t. I am, overall, an extremely prickly person. I''m antisocial and have a low tolerance for ''excitement''. I''m the kind of guy who gets annoyed at the crowds in Disney Land and tries to nap or read in the hotel room for the whole trip.


    So the handful of friends I had who tolerated me, definitely, knew better than to do shit like this to my ornery ass.


    Which, of course, still didn''t explain why I was in what might as well be crime alley with no memory of how I got there.


    I started to breathe hard. Not from exertion but from stress. My heart began to pound, not audible in my ears like so many action hero''s would have you believe, but still so hard that every heartbeat felt as though the organ was trying to escape my rib cage.


    Despite my obvious panic, I managed to do the bare minimum to keep up with my situation. It''s a habit of mine. When panicked or confused I almost instinctively act instead of freezing up. That action isn''t always smart, and in fact I''m often told I tend to behave like a lunatic when responding this way, but hey it''s better than crying and doing nothing... right?


    So I did a quick check. There were needles in the alley that I was sleeping in, so the first thing I had to do was make sure I hadn''t accidentally gotten HIV or something. I looked down at myself.


    It was probably for the best that I had already hit my maximum threshold for stress by that point, because while there was nothing overly out of place with my clothes - which at the very least I recognized as my own - what I was struggling with was how freaking skinny I was. I mean what the hell? I looked like my kid brother! I was basically a day of not eating away from being borderline skeletal! This was not normal. I''m easily three or four times this size! I''m big boned! I''m supposed to look like my kid brother ate my kid brother!


    Well. That might be a slight, exaggeration. Still, a lot of my girth was earned working my ass off at one job or another. It wasn''t particularly flattering but it was mine! There are no words to describe the sudden sense of violation that accompanies the sudden knowledge that your body is not fully your own. It was both frustrating and humiliating. Everything was just... wrong. My gait was off. My scars were all gone. I was like a vaguely skeletal pastiche of myself, completely devoid of the imperfections that my life had left me.


    Confused and now kind of angry, I quickly checked my hands, which were blessedly still at least the right color. I could put up with a lot of weird shit, but suddenly being Caucasian or Asian or something would be... weird beyond even that. I can''t say being a mocha skinned biracial kid was always fun, but much like my fat ass, it was uniquely mine.


    "So how the f.u.c.k do my clothes fit right now?" I asked aloud to no one in particular, tugging on an old tattered long sleeve sweater that I recognized as being a little big even on my formerly wider frame.


    Jesus was this f.u.c.k.i.e.d. I had no idea where I was or how I got here. My first thought was to go to a police station but I would have to find one first so... I guess just ask the first person I see?


    Chapter 2


    Now provided with a direction to move in, my anxiety and panic calmed down a little. It was always like that for me. For me panic is inaction. It''s doing nothing while the serial killer chases your friends. It''s having an argument with someone and then leaving the result to fester. It''s feeling helpless basically. If I was doing something then I couldn''t be panicking. At least not so much that I stopped functioning.


    So without really thinking beyond the surface goal of locating another human being, I stepped out of the alley, glad that I''d been dumped wherever the hell this was with my work boots on. Even if the fact that my familiar work boots had clearly been resized somehow got thrown on the pile of worrying things I was trying not to think about along with everything else.


    The sun was high overhead, only just past its zenith, and I guessed the time to be around one-ish in the afternoon, which was about the best anyone could expect a stupid city boy like me to figure out just by looking at celestial bodies. The air was chilly, but not so cold that my sweater was insufficient - yet. If I had to spend all night out like this I would definitely be missing my jacket, but for now I''d live.


    The area I came out into looked like those pictures of abandoned towns like Chernobyl sans the plant life. It was just... completely empty. No people, no cars - nothing. Just big run down building after big run down building. It looked like I was in a warehouse district. Or what used to be one anyway. The aforementioned warehouses were periodically broken up by squat little office buildings where all the paperwork was probably getting done. Keyword. was, since they were just as abandoned as everything else.


    I grimaced at the barren streets, and for a second entertained the thought that I might be in an entirely abandoned city - which is when I looked up. Wherever I was, the entire place appeared to be constructed on a fairly high slope. High enough that from near its bottom I was capable of seeing much farther into the city than I should really be able to.


    On the one hand, it helped me figure out which direction to move in. On the other, it was kind of a lot of ground to cover. I could only hope that I would run into someone inclined to help me out sooner rather than later. I could easily see myself getting turned around in an unfamiliar city like this.


    So it was that I tramped into the early afternoon, dodging small puddles of murky water and paying approximately zero attention to my surroundings.


    I did this often. Not get lost and wander into the sunset, but become so distracted by my own thoughts I would lose track of real life. It was easy for me to sort of phase out what my eyes were seeing and my ears were hearing. I could just let my body run on autopilot, while my mind was elsewhere, often agonizing over things that stressed me out.


    I mean, can you blame me? If I laid out all the facts I had about my situation, the only obvious conclusion that I could come to was that I had been kidnapped, kept in captivity long enough to lose most of my weight, and then dumped somewhere afterward. I couldn''t remember being kidnapped, and that didn''t explain my inexplicable lack of scars, but I also knew for a fact that something that traumatizing would be grounds for some repression. Because while most people might jump to ''I was isekai''d by truck-kun'' as an explanation for something like this, I tended towards pessimism wherever possible.


    I was rarely wrong.


    That''s probably why I wasn''t as surprised as I probably should have been when someone lurched out of a nearby alleyway as I passed it and dragged me back into it with them. Terrified? Yes. God yes. But surprised at something completely random and objectively horrible happening? Not so much.


    Slightly dazed by the jarring sensation of being dragged sideways mid-step, I was unable to effectively fight back against my attacker - a non-descript looking guy wearing a cobbled together combination of tattered clothes that I could charitably say made him look like sort of a vagabond. Less charitably, he looked like a deranged transient. Without any leverage, I stumbled further into the alley, still being held by his shaky grip, and found myself looking the man in the eyes for just the briefest of moments.


    They were beady, bloodshot, and almost completely devoid of what I would consider higher thought. He wasn''t a zombie or anything, but he almost definitely wasn''t fully mentally present. I''d seen similar in drug addicts before. People who had given up so much of their individuality in the never ending quest for the next hit that they were almost drone like in nature outside of their rare moments of lucidity.


    "Wai-" I tried to open my mouth to say something, knowing that in all likelihood he only wanted whatever cash I had on me, which was quite obviously none, but he didn''t bother threatening me. Heck, he barely even bothered to acknowledge I had spoken. The second we were safely out of view of the main road he lunged towards me.


    "F.u.c.k!" I yelled, leaping backward with all the grace of a wounded elephant, narrowly avoiding the knife the man had drawn from somewhere on his person to swipe at me.


    "Just-" I started again, trying to reason with the guy, only to be pushed further into the alley as I was forced to leap away from him again. Only it was less of a ''leap'' and more of a graceless bunny hop that would have sent me sprawling on the ground if I didn''t have the nearby wall of the alley to hold myself up.


    Look I''m not a fighter. I have literally, never, been in a significant combat of any kind. So despite the fact that I intellectually knew that a knife would be mostly useless if I just had the balls to step into his reach and actually attack him, I also was incredibly scared of dying in an alley to a crackhead.


    ''Holy shit.'' I thought to myself as realization began to set in. ''I''m going to die. He''s not even trying to rob me. Just kill me so he can loot my corpse.''


    Frantically, I scampered backward, doing my best to juke left and right in the vain hope that my attacker might get turned around enough for me to run past him to safety. I didn''t have a lot of space left to dodge, and I was rapidly running out of alley to escape through though.


    I needed a plan. I could... my legs are pretty long right? I could kick him? But aren''t their arteries in your legs that are nearly as bad to have cut as just slicing your wrists open? Would my pants be enough to prevent that? What if he got a lucky shot in? I just didn''t know. Mostly because I didn''t have even the first clue of how to fight, let alone how to fistfight a guy brandishing a weapon at me.


    And then, like the heavens opening up and shining a singular light of salvation down on me, I felt it. A vast grid of stars opening up in my mind''s eye that - in retrospect - had probably been there ever since I woke up in this shit hole. I just hadn''t noticed it because I was busy freaking out about the situation. It was... beautiful. Each star twinkled in a unique and different way, each one calling out to me to be grasped, to be used. One star, in particular, called out to me, it''s fractal incandescence somehow conveying a sense of martial mastery and... smugness?


    I didn''t have long to think about it because back in the real world the crackhead lunged at me one final time, his knife blade on a collision course with my torso that I simply knew I couldn''t evade. No longer left with a choice, I allowed instinct to take over, and my mind leaped outward to grasp at the star, yanking it out of its position in the sky and dragging it towards me.


    The change was nearly instant. A blinding flash of blue light burst forth from me, warping my body and filling my mind with new knowledge. The five fingers on each of my hands fused together into three much thicker ones, my skin became an unnatural shade of purple, and the next time I blinked I was suddenly seeing out of six sets of distinct eyes.


    Without any conscious thought on my part, my body reacted, stepping just slightly out of the way of the bladed weapon being swung at me. Then my hands snapped upwards, one hand grabbing my attacker''s wrist, pulling to fully extend the limb, and the other slamming mercilessly into his elbow, inverting it''s position and breaking the arm at the joint.


    He screamed piteously as I moved, jumping away from me to stumble into a wall, nursing his elbow.


    "Listen man, I don''t want to hurt you any more than this so-" I started, now feeling much more confident somehow. I didn''t know the exact details of what was going on, but the stream of knowledge telling me how to dismantle this man using my bare hands was also telling me I was now one of the greatest fighters on the planet. I didn''t have all that much to fear from something as trivial as a hobo with a knife.


    "C-cape!" The guy screamed, doing his best to transfer his knife from his broken arm to the hand on his still functioning one. I was... honestly getting kind of tired of being interrupted like that. Also, what the hell kind of cuss word is cape? Was that English? I had just sort of been assuming I was somewhere that spoke English, but if I was elsewhere I guess it would make sense if I couldn''t understand everything being said.


    I turned to leave the alley as I pondered that, feeling a new sense of confidence and strength in the background of my thoughts helping me to calm down from my earlier panic, but as I did so I found several more thugs staring at me from the mouth of the alley. I took careful stock of them, all six of my eyes absorbing all the information I would need to respond efficiently in a crisp level of detail that I couldn''t describe any better than I could teach a blind man about color. There were six of them, three unarmed, two wielding knives, and one in the back fingering a gun nervously as they all stared at me with that particular mix of angry and scared that you can only really find it crackheads.


    "F.u.c.k you doin'' on our turf freak?" The man with the gun said, eliciting a hum of curiosity from me. So they did speak English. Useful. Still, rather than answer him in a way he no doubt was expecting, I just rolled my neck, kicking up broken broom handle from nearby and deftly catching it in one hand before taking a stance.


    There was, after all, one language that pretty much everyone understood regardless of nationality.


    "Who wants a piece of the champ?" I crooned.


    Chapter 3


    I threw myself forward, unnaturally flexible muscles and bones allowing me to turn my body almost entirely horizontal in the air before whipping a leg forward and arresting my momentum, transferring every ounce of the force generated to my makeshift bo staff. My torso rotated as I whipped the stick forward, dozens of small movements in my body combining to create a godlike physical attack that no one with human physiology could possibly replicate.


    The thugs barely had time to think before I had moved, basic combat doctrine refusing to let me cede the advantage to such unworthy opponents. Even still, I doubt they were expecting my strike to take the lead man in the side and send him flying into the nearest wall. Heck, I wasn''t expecting it and it was my attack.


    In response to my sudden appearance amongst their ranks, the two knife wielding men to either side of me turned to swipe haphazardly at my sides. It was... it was honestly pathetic. A chimp could beat these goons.


    Almost purely by reflex, my weapon rotated, one end slamming into either man''s hand exactly at the right moment to force them to drop the offending weapons. Then, keeping my weapon horizontal I shifted it left then right, the quick jerking motions once more enhanced by the full body movement technique I had been using to increase my already quite potent strength. It was barely more than a sharp jab, but the force of each attack was enough to send the two disarmed goons stumbling away from me, if not take them out of the fight like the first guy I had hit. I looked around at the remaining combatants. Gun guy was hurriedly fumbling something out of his pocket while backing away from me, the two idiots I had just disarmed were eyeing me more warily now, rubbing at their chests where I had struck them, and the two as of yet unmolested unarmed guys were a bit ahead of me, looking at each other with expressions that just about scream ''no you go first!''.


    "Hah! You know, I''ll letcha go if you want." I said again, in a voice simultaneously mine and not my own. It was a little weird, but the presence that had been providing me with all my calm confidence and tactical ac.u.men assured me that this was only right. As though this was the way my voice was always meant to sound. The worst part was, something about it, about the way I was fighting and the sound of my voice, it tickled a memory in the back of my head. I wanted to grab the thought and chase it back to its source, to figure out what I was obviously missing but unfortunately current circ.u.mstances didn''t really allow for it.


    "-S''a big purple dude with a stick! No man I''m not f.u.c.k.i.n.g high! Like, I''m a little buzzed but I ain''t seeing things man!" Gun guy yelled into his phone, apparently having decided to call for help. Hopefully not the cops or something. Depending on what country I was in, even defending myself in such a violent manner could get me in some real legal trouble.


    "Hey! I said I''d just leave! I don''t even want to fight you!" I yelled at him, absently swinging my staff around and sweeping the legs out from under one of the nearby goons who had decided to charge at me while I was distracted.


    "Mel man, maybe we should let ''im go?" One of the thugs - notably one of the ones I hadn''t yet struck - said keeping his eyes on me and miming a horrible approximation of a boxing stance.


    "Shut the f.u.c.k up! Skids don''t want no capes in his turf! It doesn''t matter if they''re just passing through! You''re either with us or against us!" The man with the gun scowled, pointing the hand holding his phone at his compatriot.


    "Well. You tried buddy. I''ll make it painless alright?" I said with a shrug, turning at an acute angle and stepping to the left just in time to avoid two of his friends, who promptly ran into each other with a comical clonking noise as their heads cracked together. I took the opportunity to swat the man I''d tripped in the temple with a perfectly measured blow, knocking him out instantly and leaving a glowing arc where my weapon had passed. I hadn''t noticed the glow before, but I supposed I had to be doing something to make a broom handle hold up under the forces I was applying to it. The flow of energy passing from me to the handle and back again was just such a natural and reflexive action in this form that I hadn''t noticed it right away.


    The guy who had suggested they all leave looked at me for a second as though actually considering my words, clearly getting ready to step forward to try and hit me, when a flicker of motion caught my uh... eyes.


    So, here''s the thing about whatever species I presently was. Humans have two eyes offset from each other in order to provide us with depth perception and a few other sensory goodies we''ve since used in order to achieve our top spot in the food chain. Whatever I was currently, it was clearly geared towards a lot more than that.


    Almost as if in response to the motion, my dynamic vision kicked into overdrive, and I quickly found myself doing napkin math in my head as I watched gun guy raise and fire his weapon at me. It wasn''t like I was experiencing time any differently than before - things didn''t suddenly slow down or speed up in order to allow me to respond better. I could just see the bullet traveling in a way human vision simply isn''t designed for.


    Combined with my obviously advanced physique and reflexes, it was child''s play for me to thwack it out of the air and into the ground with my stick, creating a slight cracking noise as it punctured the concrete.


    I turned back towards the smart one, ignoring gun guy and slapping a handful more bullets out of the air using nothing but my reflexes.


    "...Nah." He said flatly after a second, turning and sprinting away nearly as quickly as he had come.


    "Good for him. He''s gonna go far." I said mirthfully, then turned to everyone else.


    "Offers still open. I don''t mind a good fight, but this? This ain''t one." I chuckled. I thought I had them for a second there too. I certainly know that I wouldn''t randomly fistfight an obviously mutated superhuman just for existing.


    "Skids says everyone here when Mush arrives gets a free hit!" Gun guy yelled over me, immediately setting crackheads one and two - the only people still left standing - back to leaping wildly at me.


    "Seriously?" I complained. Who the hell was Skids, why was that name familiar, and why was he such a god damn asshole? Whatever, I was getting bored anyway.


    So thinking, I used my stick to pole vault over thing one and thing two, landing in a spinning strike to the back of gun guys head. Before he even had the time to hit the ground I snatched the gun out of his hand, separating it from its ammunition cartridge and throwing both the ammo and the gun at the aforementioned idiots.


    If I put just a bit more force into the throws than was necessary then no one was awake afterward to call me out on it.


    Now having dealt with my immediate threat, I meandered over to everyone I had just downed, rolling them onto their sides and grumbling about morons the whole time. Don''t get me wrong, I didn''t care if these guys lived or died, I just didn''t want to be personally responsible for said death. Which meant it was for the best that none of them choke on vomit or drown in street water or something after I had left here.


    Once that was done I stood, turned, and began to jog away, setting a quick pace for myself that I would never have been able to achieve before this transformation. Naturally I was highly curious about my newfound magical powers, so once I was sufficiently far away, and after several quick turns to throw off pursuit by whoever the hell Mush was, I stopped to look at my reflection in a nearby window.


    It was at this point that I finally noticed my clothes had changed. I wasn''t wearing pants and a t-shirt anymore - I was wearing a huge voluminous purple robe with patches and baubles hanging at random points along its surface. A thick black fur was sewn into it at each of my shoulders, following the line of my body down into a V-shape that ended at the comically oversized belt holding the entire thing shut. My face was entirely hidden by the shadow of my hood, with only the six glowing blue coals of my eyes to prove there was anything under the hood at all.


    "Wha- Jax!?" I blurted, instantly recognizing the character, no the person I had become.


    Jax was a popular character from a game called League of Legends. Easily one of the most popular games on the planet (last time I checked anyway), the game was about a world where conflict was solved by nations fielding teams of champions in five versus five deathmatches. I played the shit out of it when I was younger, but of particular note to me was always the world''s lore. Despite having a rich and full world that anyone who cared to could get lost in for hours, very few of the games players knew the first thing about the characters outside of the game.


    But me? I loved reading about them. Jax for instance, joined the league in search of a challenge. He was such an unstoppable combatant that even when faced with gods, monsters, and heroes straight out of legend, he refused to fight with anything but a lantern on a stick. Because anything else would be ''too easy''.


    Slowly, I brought my hands up to my hood, staring intently at myself. What Jax looked like under that hood of his was one of the great mysteries of the game. And now I had the chance to solve that mystery by-


    A blast of light temporarily blinded me, and all my knowledge of combat left me at once. My muscles and bones shrunk and warped, and my vision condensed back down into the normal array of colors and sensations for a human. I would have probably wept at the loss of such wondrous perception if I wasn''t presently dealing with the excruciating pain of having most of my body rearranged. It was a pain I hadn''t felt upon initially transforming, but that I was apparently going to have to learn to put up with if this was going to be at all common.


    I dropped to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut the minute the light faded, pulling into myself and panting as the last of the aching grinding sensation finished off. The starfield returned to prominence in my mindscape, and the smug little star that I now knew represented Jax dimmed, becoming boring, grey, and still as it retook its position.


    "F-fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck." I hissed, pushing through the pain to stand again.


    I was going to get back to trying to find help, but then my vision caught on the hand I was using to lever myself up.


    My very purple hand.

 Chapter 348 - My CO Stash #48 - MHA: Worlds Finest by Ld1449 (MyHeroAcademiaXBatman)

    -This came out of nowhere and i''m digging this Batman! Pre-MHA fics do be great, we get to see young All Might throwing his backpack like his future successor and the midget grandpa now with some height!


    Synopsis: Nana Shimura as the holder of One for All was ready for a great many things.


    But few can ever be prepared to meet a certain Bruce Wayne.


    Rated: ???


    Words: 13K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/mha-worlds-finest-bnhaxbatman.868273/ (Ld1449)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Nana Shimura could recall the day she met him in vivid detail.


    Given how he liked to operate at night, she knew now how strange it was to have her first meeting with him during the day; but that''s when it had happened.


    There''d been a robbery, some kind of shoplifter with a quirk that could make anyone he wanted forget about him for five to ten seconds.


    That''s it. That''s all the quirk did.


    She''d nearly lost the guy before she thought fast and scribbled a note on a lil notepad and clutched it in her fingers.


    Every time she forgot she''d look at the notepad and remember, and resume the chase. Gran Torino had zoomed in to catch him, only to forget what he was doing mid burst and just kept on going. Who knew where he was by now.


    The guy obviously hadn''t thought this little escape through, he likely thought his quirk was enough to get everyone that might give chase the slip by just erasing the memory of him for a few seconds while he rounded the corner.


    It should have worked.


    But she was stubborn, and he had thoroughly pissed her off.


    She floated above the air, avoiding pedestrians and keeping one eye locked on the bad guy and the other locked on her notepad. Gritting her teeth every time her mind blanked out.


    Now this guy was just constantly spamming his quirk cutting off every thought.


    That was just rude!


    People pointed and wondered, some looked confused at the running man and her floaty, angry looking self but no one really moved to interfere.


    At least not til he did.


    He stepped out of an alley, dressed in a pair of cargo pants and a heavy green jacket. He had a dark beard and blue eyes, so different from the usual clean look she knew now that he favored, but a week on the streets would do that.


    And before she could even blink, the guy held out his arm, and the oblivious, panicking villain got clotheslined so hard it made her wince; a feeling of pity briefly rose above her frustration.


    The guy flipped end over end, choking before crunching down into the pavement face first.


    Mr. Beard reached down and picked up the stolen goods.


    Nana drifted closer as she saw the criminal moving to get to his feet.


    Then she saw the knife.


    She moved fast, One for All surging beneath her flesh as she closed the distance in an eyeblink.


    She didn''t need to bother.


    The guy shoved the knife at Mr. Beard.


    And his wrist was caught, twisted and damn near broken before Nana could blink hand held out half way to intercept.


    Mr. Beard held out the stolen goods with his free hand, not saying a word as his victim screamed and tried to pull free.


    She looked at Mr. Beard, a bit confused and kind of impressed. Did he have a mental quirk of some kind? Or just a lot of practice. She smiled as she grabbed the stolen goods, jewels, wallets, credit cards and some cash. All here. "Well thanks for the help. It was getting a little annoying."


    Mr. Beard didn''t answer, and now that she was this close she could spy a few things.


    One, he was definitely not Japanese. Westerner. Maybe American, so he might not speak the language. And underneath the beard his cheeks look sunken, there were bags under his eyes, she got the impression that he was homeless.


    Sorahiko rushed in, air pressure boots hitting the ground with a sigh. "I was halfway to Nanjo before I remembered." He growled. "Glad you caught him."


    Nana smiled. "Mr. Beard did the heavy lifting! Didn''-cha big guy!"


    Silence again and Sorahiko raised an eyebrow. "Foreigner. Maybe he doesn''t speak the langua-"


    "I speak it fine."


    His voice was a shock, rough, almost a growl, like he hadn''t used it in a while.


    Then he smiled a bit, just a quick quirk of the lips. "It is however, the first time anyone has called me ''Mr. Beard'' So it took me a moment." His accent wasn''t as horrible as others she''d heard but it was present.


    "Well what''s your name big guy? Otherwise Mr. Beard it is!" She smiled cheekily.


    The man looked at her, amused.


    "Bruce. Bruce Wayne."


    (X)(X)(X)


    She offered to buy him some food at a nearby truck. Seemed like a nice thing to do for a good samaritan homeless guy that helped take down a rather annoying villain.


    It became more than a little obvious shortly afterwards that while Bruce was as hungry as a homeless person might be, he wasn''t homeless, or at the very least, he hadn''t been homeless long.


    For one thing, he didn''t order the most expensive thing on the menu, he didn''t slouch overmuch when he sat or when he walked. When he did walk he moved like he owned the street, the food truck and the buildings everywhere around him. It was... just this self assuredness in his body language.


    He also had impeccable table manners.


    Like, better than her and she was a native Japanese girl. For a foreigner to make her feel inadequate while using chopsticks was almost insulting really.


    "So where are you from Wayne-san?" She asked, popping a Dango into her mouth.


    "America." He answered.


    Nana rolled her eyes and had to stop herself from flicking the Dango stick at his head. "I know that. Be specific."


    He smiled. "Not a place you''ve heard of, Gotham,"


    She nodded sagely. "You''re right. Never heard of it."


    She thought he looked a little sad for a moment, but it was gone in a flash.


    "What about you?" He asked blowing lightly to cool the fried eel and rice. "Where are you from.


    "Native born girl, raised right here." Her eyes crinkled in her smile. "Been coming to this food truck as long as I can remember."


    He nodded. "I don''t blame you. It''s rather good food.


    They kept eating for a little bit longer. She talked. A lot. Him not so much. But he did pay attention, she could tell.


    Finally after almost an hour of chatter long after they''d both finished their respective orders, he seemed comfortable enough to breach a subject of his own accord. "You''re a¡­ Hero. As a profession?"


    She raised an eyebrow. Was that so strange to him? Heroes were everywhere, of course they were paid. Otherwise no one would do it. Like cops. It was hard enough as it was.


    Maybe things were different in America?


    "Of course." She scoffed then winced a bit at her own tactlessness.


    He nodded again, "I see. How long have you been doing it?"


    Ohhh, about twelve¡­ some odd years now. Shit that makes me sound old. Do I look old? I hope not!" She was dismayed. "Were you trying to ask me my age!?"


    He smiled again. "You seem to be doing well no matter what age you are."


    Her smile turned wolfish. It''d been a while since anyone had the balls to flirt with her


    "Careful big boy. Don''t start anything you can''t finish."


    "I never do."


    She choked on her drink with the laugh that tried to escape her windpipe, sputtering and coughing before eyeing him outta the corner of her eye.


    "And here you looked like the serious and silent type was more your game. You''re a shameless flirt."


    "Not completely shameless." He defended as he wiped his mouth with a napkin, still sporting a hint of a smile under the beard.


    Finally he turned, looking to the sun in the sky, just beginning its descent into inevitable sunset.


    Bruce stood. Bowing at the waist, just enough to be polite, but not so far as to seem grovelling. "Thank you for the meal, but I should leave before the shelter is filled."


    She waved him off. "Thanks for the help." Then the latter half of his sentence caught up with her brain. "You''re staying in the shelter?"


    "It is what homeless bearded men do while homeless and bearded, I believe." He smiled.


    She eyed him and he seemed embarrassed at his lack of money as she saw him almost reach for a wallet that wasn''t in his pants pocket. The smile vanished, replaced with a clear grimace of distaste and wounded pride.


    Her smile grew a bit.


    "Tell ya what-" She hedged. "Come with me. I''ll let ya crash at my place for a week or two."


    He turned to her, eyebrow rising high to search for real estate near his hairline. "Why would you do that?"


    She shrugged. "Dunno. I like to think I''mma decent judge of character, believe it or not. An I got a good feelin bout ya." Came her easy reply. "So, crash at my place for a bit, get a job, get back on your feet." She closed one eye hand rising to point at him. "Don''t think this is a free ride though. I see you tryin to freeload and not actually trying, I''ll kick your ass to the curb three ways to sunday."


    He shrugged. "If you ever get that impression, you have my permission to proceed with the ass kicking."


    She chuckled. "I think we''re gonna get along just fine Mr. Wayne.


    (X)(X)(X)


    Sorahiko grumbled and muttered and frowned in that oh so disapproving way of his and warned and heckled and did all those pesky "worry" things Sorahiko does, like telling her that ''She was being an idiot'' and that ''You don''t even know the guy'' but in the end, he did give her a few clothes of his for Bruce to wear. They were almost of a similar height and build, though Bruce was a little taller and a bit more broad shouldered.


    Oh, and a Razor, she''d gotten him a razor too.


    So now, after a rather extensive shower, Bruce walked out of the bathroom looking like a whole new man, and Nana felt her own eyebrow hiking a little high now.


    "You clean up nice Mr. Wayne."


    "I try." He smiled, and yup. She was positive the guy had not been homeless long. Clean-shaven with a physique that coulda been cut outa marble, if he was homeless she was the queen of Japan.


    She gestured towards the couch behind her. "Whelp, its all done up nice for ya. One rule though, the apple juice in the fridge is mine."


    He nodded, "As the kind lady who took me in demands, so it shall be."


    "You learn quick." She quipped. Then yawned. "Well, I dunno about you but its been a bit of a day, I''m gonna head to bed. Watch TV, use the computer or whatever just make it quiet, Gotta get up early."


    Bruce turned, looking at the clock. "Not a night person?" He asked.


    "Not really. I like sunshine. Makes me smile¡­" She paused, then- "At least when its not insanely hot." She added as an afterthought.


    Then at another thought her wicked smile returned and she eyed him up and down again. "I get the feelin you''re the kinda guy that''ll say he can go all night."


    He chuckled, the twinkle in his eye saying he''d caught the joke.


    "Something like that."


    (X)(X)(X)


    Over the next few days they fell into something of a rhythm.


    Nana would head out, do some work on the streets, make her patrols and sometimes Bruce would be out when she got back, sometimes he wasn''t. On the days he was still in the apartment, on the days he was there¡­


    Well¡­


    She could very easily forgive his not being out still job hunting on those days.


    First time he did it, he cleaned her apartment.


    Top to bottom.


    Only place he didn''t touch was her room because he didn''t think she''d appreciate the invasion of privacy.


    He was right¡­ but her room really was a mess damnit.


    Second time he was in the apartment, He cleaned and refitted some of her neglected support gear.


    It was neglected because she hardly used it anymore, what with One for All having made a lot of her old items rather obsolete; but still, it was the thought that counts.


    He''d done a damn good job too. Some of the pieces worked even better than she remembered when she just got them.


    She distinctly remembered that grapple hook not having the strength to lift her full on weight. She had a quirk to float after all. The motor was only supposed to help her move a little faster when she needed to, not full on lift her, now though, it could lift her, even without her quirk being active.


    She didn''t know what the hell he''d done before he clotheslined that thief, but he was damn good at it.


    The third time she caught him in the apartment, he''d made dinner using a recipe he''d learned from someone he just called ''Alfred''


    It was delicious.


    Bruce said Alfred cooked it ten times better than anything he could do, no matter how much he tried to get it perfectly.


    If that was true;


    She didn''t know who Alfred was.


    But she wanted to marry him.


    And possibly have his children.


    But Bruce didn''t spend all his time at her apartment, he frequently went out job hunting and at the moment had secured himself some employment at a temp agency of some kind. He got a signature and a record of his arrival and departure, every day he was there and showed it to her, every time, without fail.


    She tried to tell him it wasn''t necessary but she understood his diligence. She had given him a condition for his stay after all.


    He returned with money sometimes, not much, but what he did get he forwarded to her to help with the rent and groceries.


    "Right now though, she was so grateful he was in the apartment and the smell of cooking food was wafting through the air. It had been a long day.


    Apparently, either the sound of her heavy footsteps or perhaps he could telepathically feel her exhaustion because he didn''t even look up from where he was chopping onions when he spoke.


    "Long day?"


    She huffed out a breath as she plopped herself down on a booth by the kitchen island.


    "You can say that again."


    Smoothly sliding a glass across the countertop and pouring a generous helping of her favorite wine, Nana could kiss the man right now.


    "Tell me all about it." He smirked.


    "There''s been some vigilante going around recently." She groused. "Might be a mutation quirk or something, lotta the bad guys he beat up are complaining about a bat.


    "Sure its not the baseball kind?" He snarked.


    "Nope. Full on blood sucking rat with wings." She shook her head taking another sip of wine.


    "Very few of them actually suck blood you know."


    She shrugged. "Ehh- anyway. Police chief wants him taken down. You know how quirk laws are."


    "So why not take him down? What''s the issue?"


    "He''s a pain in the ass to track down that''s the issue!"


    "For you?" Bruce''s smile was downright teasing. "Maybe you should write yourself a note."


    "Oh-ha ha." Her mild irritation was forgotten as her housemate pulled out a steaming hot confection of cheese and meat from the oven. A true blue "Alfred Lasagna special" as he''d called it.


    By the smell alone, it was official.


    She was finding Alfred.


    And she was marrying him.


    "Any idea what he''s after?" Bruce asked, sliding the full to the brim oven pan onto the countertop to start cutting. "It might help you get ahead of him."


    The suggestion wasn''t a bad one. She shrugged. "I''ll ask Gran Torino tomorrow. He always had a better head for this kinda stuff than me."


    "Good luck then." He smiled as he served her. "Let me know if I can help."


    (X)(X)(X)


    Chapter 2


    Nana was really growing to hate ''The Batman''


    At this point, after almost two months of chasing after the bastard she didn''t even know what the hell his quirk even was.


    Her own personal theory was something like "Fear aura"


    Because holy hell she needed something to explain how completely useless the villains were in identifying it.


    At this point, her tally had everything from a possible mutation quirk where the guy was actually a bat, some minor super strength quirk, a combat thinking type quirk like better reflexes or some crap, possibly some precog, all the way up to a quirk that could move people, invisibility, flight and anything in between.


    Every day he kept going was another day the authorities got more and more riled up. And more and more on her case. Anti-quirk laws were just approved, having someone breaking em willy f.u.c.k.i.n.g nilly was not a good image.


    And at this point, it was a point of personal pride really.


    One did not evade Shimura Nana for two whole months on a wild goose chase without consequences damnit!


    So when Gran Torino finally managed to track down a pattern in the attacks and had narrowed down the next vector to just two possible sites, she was completely and totally on board for the stakeout.


    Turns out, stakeouts were borning.


    Really f.u.c.k.i.n.g boring.


    Stakeouts for three days with criminal activity happening right infront of her were even worse.


    But, it did give her an opportunity to write down everyone''s names (or makeup some of her own) and imagine the many many many ways she was going to punch the living hell out of them after Batman was dealt with.


    It was honestly a little more entertaining than it should be.


    Maybe she was a closet sadist?


    Did that have something to do with One For All?


    Maybe she had taken on personality traits of other users.


    Wait¡­


    Did that mean one of the previous users was a sadist?


    That was worrying!


    People had to be careful when choosing successors! They couldn''t go picking sadists¡­ or¡­ women who rambled to themselves about possibly non existent personality trai-


    Her phone rang.


    She didn''t need her quirk to jump that high.


    Fishing it out of her pocket she found Gran Torino''s caller ID staring back at her.


    "Hello-"


    "He''s here!"


    One for All thrummed through her body, and the smile that spread over her features was almost manic, sadism concerns or not.


    Float worked as advertised, it allowed her to¡­ well¡­ float.


    With One for All however, her body shot through the sky like a bullet, accelerating so fast it made her head spin, all but shattering the sound barrier in an instant as she flew across town towards the second site where Gran Torino was located.


    She made it there in under three minutes, Gran Torino was still waiting outside, he wouldn''t go in without backup if he could avoid it. It was how they usually worked.


    He turned, looking her way with a smile. "Ahh, nice of you to join us."


    "So where''s the big bad bat?" She asked, half with malicious intent, half with genuine curiosity. Honestly, after two months could you blame her?


    Torino gestured to the nightclub down below. "Down there, from what I''ve gathered the goods they''re smuggling is in the sub level."


    "How do you know he''s down there the-"


    Gran Torino held up a single hand held walkie talkie, something he''d probably snagged.


    He switched it on.


    Instantly, the sound of gunfire, screams of pain and shouted orders made her jump.


    Torino clicked the walkie off.


    She whistled, thoroughly impressed. "Damn, the soundproofing down there must be amazing. I can''t even hear the gunshots."


    "Oh yeah They spent a hell of a lot on it. Well, shall we?"


    She bowed. "Age before beauty Gran-"


    "Pearls before swine!" Torino snarked back, leaping off the ledge.


    She huffed.


    The nightclub''s loud music was pounding in their ears, entering through a backdoor the two heroes slipped through, apparently the same route that the Bat had come through, given how the guard at the door was out cold.


    So was the one at the security elevator.


    And the ones in the hallway at the sublevel entrance.


    Gran Torino and Nana walked through the halls, taking note of an ever increasing tally of groaning, injured and very beat up bad guys.


    She saw one guy twice her size with three times her muscle mass with his head stuck in a wall.


    "Damn. Honestly I kinda wanna see this guy work."


    "You just might get the chance." Torino replied.


    She heard it then, the sound of fighting.


    The two of them started running.


    They made it right to the end of the hall, they heard a gut churning crack a scream and then-


    The door infront of them practically flew off its hinges, snapping off its moorings and frame completely, Nana''s whole body braced arms smashing into the wood and shoving it aside along with the body behind it.


    The guy hit the ground, face bruised, eyes rapidly swelling shut and blood pouring from busted teeth and an equally busted nose.


    She looked inside.


    And there he was.


    Had to be him.


    Either that or there was some kind of secret convention of "Horned black suit guys" running around and no one told her.


    It vaguely resembled a bat she guessed.


    It was actually pretty high quality for a vigilante. The body armor was form fitting, but easy enough to move in that a throw like what he did to the guy he broke the door with possible, it looked strong, maybe good enough to stop bullets. She could spy a utility belt peeking just past the shroud of the cape.


    Torino moved in first, his quirk activating, allowing him to hover, flying up to swoop down. The room was taller than normal and the second she stepped through the door it didn''t take her long to realize why.


    They were in a lab.


    Nana blinked, eyes turning this way and that way. There were people here. Five of them, laying on beds, IV tubes in their arms she vaguely recognized one as a boy that had been kidnapped just recently. He had some kind of groundquake quirk or something.


    "What¡­ is this?" She asked, looking at Torino. "I thought we were tracking weapon shipments."


    Her old friend looked just as confused as she was.


    "The weapons are three doors down to the right." They turned, looking to the vigilante.


    His voice was gutural, low and deep, almost growling. "This¡­ this is something they''re doing on the side."


    He turned beginning to march away towards the main computer.


    "And what the hell is ''this'' supposed to be?" She asked, marching after him.


    "All the victims have one thing in common." He said.


    "You dragging it out for suspense?" Gran Torino groused. "Spit it out."


    "Powerful quirks." His hand reached out, finger smacking against the clipboard at the foot of the bed.


    Nana froze.


    The bat kept walking. "I trust you two can call this in."


    "We can." Torino said. "But you''re coming with us."


    The Bat never even broke his stride. "Not happening."


    Torino darted through the air, coming to a stop infront of the Bat. "Sorry, wasn''t a request. You''re in violation of the anti-quirk vigilante laws."


    She could almost feel the man smiling. "I doubt that."


    Torino''s face twisted with displeasure, reaching up to place his hand on the man''s shoulder, his other pulling free his handcuffs "Don''t make thi-"


    That''s as far as he got.


    He''s fast. Fast enough that Nana has to wonder if its a speed quirk of some kind. The Bat''s fist sn.a.k.e.d out, punching Sorahiko dead in the center of his chest. Her old friend gagged, all but retching as he choked on air, the quirk in his legs sputtering like a choking engine.


    She rushed forward.


    Batman threw him right at her.


    She stopped mid charge, rapidly adjusting her stance to catch Torino who still kept choking and sputtering as he tried to suck down a greedy lungful.


    The Bat stepped back, hands falling into the folds of his cape as something clinked onto the tiled floor.


    Then the room was swallowed by smoke.


    Nana grit her teeth, One for All pulsing through her body as she threw out a single, solid punch.


    The smoke was blasted to the back of the room.


    And the Bat was gone.


    She set Sorahiko down, her old friend still coughing, trying to breathe as she stepped into the room, head on a swivel.


    The only door was behind her. But somehow¡­ he was just gone.


    Nana snarled.


    "You bastard! Get back here! I haven''t even gotten to punch you yet!"


    (X)(X)(X)


    She went home that night, irritated.


    She was tired and angry.


    But most of all¡­


    She was scared.


    Opening the door she found Bruce diligently cleaning and preparing some food at her kitchen.


    He looked to her, offering one of those smiles of his that kinda said "I know something you don''t"


    Right now, she didn''t have the mind to play games, fun as they tended to be sometimes.


    "Long day?" He asked


    She sighed.


    "Yeah¡­ yeah you can say that."


    The cops were still going through the area.


    The weapons were definitely there, so were the drugs. One of the cops with a specialized quirk said that some money was missing. Actual cash money taken recently from where it had been.


    She suspected Batman had taken it.


    It''s how most vigilantes funded themselves without official backing or sponsors, but she could hardly prove it without catching the guy.


    But that didn''t matter, not really. Weapons were bad, drugs were worse.


    The missing people though¡­


    They worried her.


    Each and every single one of them said the same thing as soon as they''d regained consciousness


    They couldn''t activate their quirks.


    So either she stumbled onto some hellhole where someone had found a way to remove people''s quirks through science¡­


    Or she stumbled onto a place where¡­ he was harvesting victims¡­ harvesting their quirks.


    Both possibilities were completely terrifying.


    ...


    She wasn''t ready¡­


    In another ten years¡­ or maybe the next successor, if she found one¡­ maybe.


    But right now?


    Right now if she faced him¡­ she''d die.


    She was strong. When she activated One for All she was faster than Gran Torino, stronger than most people with strength quirks could ever dream of being. She could fly, and she wasn''t half bad thinking on her feet either.


    But that wasn''t enough.


    Not nearly enough.


    Not against him.


    He''d been alive for centuries. His top lieutenants alone were enough to give her tough fights and he completely outclassed all of them by nautical miles.


    She would die¡­


    Just with the five quirks he took tonight¡­ she couldn''t even begin to think on how she could force her way past those potential combinations.


    And he had hundreds; thousands more like it.


    Bruce caught on to her mood it seemed, either that or her emotions were just obvious on her face.


    "Something''s wrong."


    It wasn''t a question.


    Nana looked at him. She couldn''t say she knew her housemate well, but after a few months...she did think of him as a friend.


    A quirkless friend, one who would never see the Hero work she did, never be put in danger by it.


    Never be in danger of crossing paths with All for One.


    He''d be completely beneath his notice.


    She couldn''t tell him. Not everything.


    But maybe something, maybe enough to vent, tell her own fears like she hadn''t been able to do with her own family that she abandoned, or Gran Torino who she worried for¡­


    But¡­ maybe Bruce, just a bit would be okay.


    "It''s¡­ kind of a story."


    He pulled out two glasses and a bottle of wine.


    The invitation was clear.


    I got time.


    (X)(X)(X)


    Chapter 3


    Talking to Bruce doesn''t ease the fear.


    It can''t.


    Because he''s still out there.


    It does give her focus however.


    Not to mention that Bruce''s advice is surprisingly good, almost tactical.


    She can''t beat All for One.


    But that doesn''t mean she has to let him do whatever he wants either.


    She has a lead now, her foot in the door. Even if the thugs don''t know everything, they know enough, they know who brought the victims, they know when All for one dropped by to take their quirks.They know the drop off points for the ones too important to just die, and the plans for the weapons, the drugs.


    "Hit the foundation at his feet. No matter how powerful the criminal is, he needs a foundation to stand on."


    He''s right. She''d been too scared to think clearly, but once she''s done being a coward, she knows he''s right.


    She calls Sorahiko the next morning.


    Interrogations are slow to set up. Police still largely don''t trust quirk users calling themselves heroes. Too much overlap, too many budgets being cut to sponsor top pros.


    They stonewall, delay, but she''s stubborn.


    And a right royal bitch when she wants to be.


    They get in.


    Not for the grunts either but for people up the totem pole, people with answers.


    Even so the process is slow, slower than she''d like.


    He already knows one of his sites got hit. He has to.


    She doubts he knows of her involvement. Not yet anyway. The Bat did most of the heavy lifting, so the Bat''s name is the one he''s hearing


    The vigilante''s good cover in that respect.


    Doesn''t change that he might come here soon. At the very least a lieutenant will be sent out. Someone to bring down the Bat.


    Another reason to find the idiot.


    He was in way over his head.


    The bad guys give them something to work with. There were three things of interest there. Guns, drugs and victims. The guns and drugs are important, but not so much next to the victims.


    She knows there are more.


    So that''s the trail she follows.


    She''s hoping that the interrogations would point her to one or, maybe, two guys. Fixers, wetwork specialists.


    They don''t. They know of four different people that were responsible for these particular victims being brought in¡­ delivered.


    Only one of them slipped up enough for anyone to know anything though. The ''newest'' one, a doctor. The one who brought in a kid.


    A kid half drowning in meds uttered his name loud enough for some to hear.


    Ujiko.


    Its not a lot. Likely an alias.


    But she''s had less to work with.


    So she gets to work.


    (X)(X)(X)


    She gets home that night and Bruce is there, and she''s grateful for that.


    "Long day?"


    She scowls, shambling over to the kitchen island where a covered plate of steamed vegetables and chicken is waiting for her.


    "That question is becoming routine." she mutters.


    "You seem to have a great many long days." He answers back, newspaper crinkling in hand.


    She turns, eyeing him; He has his own clothes now, gone are Sorahiko''s hand me downs and she''s not really surprised most of what he''s bought is just dark colors all round, grays, blacks, the occasional dark brown that could pass for black.


    Variety is not her friend''s strong suit in his color palette.


    "Anything in the fifty odd papers today?" She asks lightly.


    That''s something that she noticed damn quick.


    Bruce read.


    A lot.


    Everything he could get his hands on.


    He didn''t watch TV unless it was news and most of his time at home could be spent on the newspaper job hunting really, he was diligent but with things as they were no one was really hiring "long term"


    But, diligently, he kept bringing her every bit of cash he could spare, an envelope was resting next to her plate, with the full rent money. Not half as usual, full.


    Part of her felt a little guilty for taking it, half was fair.


    The other half was too stressed now to really consider fair¡­ the extra cash would be useful in the coming months, especially if All For one or his Lieutenants were going to come around.


    Informants needed incentive.


    And sometimes money was it.


    "Quite a bit." He answered, and as she took a bite of her lukewarm vegetables and chicken Bruce fished a folded up paper, placing it on the side of the couch closest to her.


    Curious, she picked up her plate, marching forward.


    Leaning over the couch, she eyed the paper in question.


    It was a story of the takedown last night at the club.


    She''d mentioned it in passing to Bruce. Her name was kept out of it, so was Sorahiko''s by her request.


    Even so it looks like he had enough to put the pieces together.


    "That''s where your ''Quirk thief'' was operating from?"


    "One of his places most likely." She answered, then sighed, rubbing at her forehead. "Bruce¡­ what I told you last night¡­ I told you to vent. I was scared. Don''t go digging into this. This¡­ quirk thief is bad news."


    "He certainly sounds like it." Bruce said nonchalantly.


    "Bruce¡­" She half warned half pleaded.


    He turned his eye to her, blue gaze finding hers.


    "Don''t worry." He said with a slow nod. "I''m not looking to get in over my head. But this villain is worrying you, eating at you. So what''s the harm in bouncing some ideas around? No one here but you, me and a hole in the wall."


    She tried to look stern, angry even, but her will wasn''t in it.


    How many years has it been since she told anyone? The secrecy was necessary but it weighed. She''d tried to tell Sorahiko but every time she did she''d remember her husband¡­ she''d told him. And All for one took his quirk, and his life. It was only pure luck Kotaro had been with her that day and not her husband. It had been his turn to take her boy to school.


    If they''d both been killed...


    Couldn''t keep your mouth shut I see, eh Shimura?


    She knew him, she could remember that smile and she had no doubt he''d do the same to Sorahiko if he could get his hands on him. Leave her alive again to watch and live with it.


    But with Bruce... he might never hear Bruce''s name.


    He was quirkless, powerless¡­ beneath All for One''s notice.


    It was a weak excuse, flimsy. Something to justify *her* wants. All for one would kill him all the same¡­ it didn''t matter.


    But she was tired¡­ tired of secrets, tired of keeping her mouth shut, tired of not talking of not planning, of running.


    And Bruce made her feel like she wasn''t just running.


    "I may have found the name of one of his fixers. Doctor named Ujiko. My guess is he''s a pediatrician, scouts kids with newly discovered quirks¡­"


    "Easy victims." Bruce''s features darkened.


    She nodded. "Yeah¡­"


    Bruce was quiet for a moment, eyes closed.


    Then, abruptly, he stood marching away.


    "Bru-"


    He rummaged in one of the drawers on the computer desk he''d recently organized, pulling free a pen and notebook.


    Then, he walked back to the couch and sat down.


    With a click of the writing utensil he looked to her.


    "Lets see if I can help you make sense of everything you know."


    (X)(X)(X)


    She learned something that night.


    Several somethings. Not the least of which was just how much damaging information she actually had on All For one after almost a decade living in his shadow.


    But more than that was how very¡­ frankly, scary Bruce''s intelligence was.


    Definitely not homeless. Some kind of doctor. A psychologist or criminologist or something.


    He''d asked her simple questions at first, gradually going into more and more detail, some of which she knew the answers to, a lot of which she didn''t.


    But even with the few scraps of concrete information she did have, Bruce''s brain worked like he was fitting pieces to a giant jigsaw puzzle he could see in his head.


    She didn''t consider herself an idiot by any means but she would freely admit Bruce was frighteningly smarter than her after last night.


    He''d started the beginnings of a psychological profile.


    A psychological profile on All For One.


    Then he''d gone and started using what little information she had in her own files and memory, along with the paper thin police record to begin narrowing down possible areas she could search both for the doctor and another Quirk harvest site.


    There was still too many unknowns for a definitive hit on either target.


    But she was gonna go digging.


    He was good at this, better than Sorahiko, better than most cops she''d seen.


    He''d managed to cram days worth of analysis into a handful of hours.


    She wanted oh so desperately to ask. To prod and question what he did before he was ''homeless'' but, she refrained. Not only because she herself was keeping a fair few secrets of her own from him, but because she knew somehow, that if she did, Bruce would be out that door in a heartbeat.


    And his brain if nothing else was too damn good to lose as a resource now that she knew about it.


    That and¡­ frankly, she wasn''t sure it mattered, outside of her own curiosity.


    She''d told Bruce she was a good judge of character and so, secrets or not, hidden past or not, she still thought he was a good person behind the mystery.


    As long as that held true, what he did before he walked out of that alley with a beard and kung fu grip action shouldn''t and didn''t matter to her.


    (X)(X)(X)


    Sorahiko, also known as Gran Torino, sighed quietly. The man grumbled to himself, removing his eyemask and unclasping the cape from his shoulders as he entered his little home.


    It had been a long day of chasing dead ends.


    Dead ends were always the worst, not only did they not catch anyone, not only did they not find any information that could lead to a future capture but it was another day where Nana had to smile and not mean it.


    There were too damn many days like that, honestly.


    She always smiled, because of course she did. And if he didn''t know her as well as he did he would never know the difference.


    But there were days when that smile came easy, when it reached her eyes and made her whole face glow.


    Other days, days like today, it was just there out of habit, a force of will. Like she needed it to be there to avoid crying.


    He hated it.


    Ever since they found that¡­ quirk lab, whatever it was it seemed like her true smile had burned away, replaced by the fake one.


    She was sure there was another lab somewhere so sure of it that Sorahiko couldn''t help but try and sniff it out, find it, if only to bring his friends'' smiles back.


    But he couldn''t.


    Why would anyone but a single offshoot mad scientist have a need for a quirk lab? Quirks couldn''t be copied or erased unless by another quirk and it was only temporary. A hundred damn years of research proved it.


    Even if they did find the doctor they were looking for, there was no wa-


    He froze at the door to his room.


    There, laying on the nightstand was a folder and a radio he most certainly had not seen before in his life, much less left there.


    Instantly on guard, his hands flew to the lights flicking them all on and immediately checking every door and corner of his home before locking every window and entrance.


    A minute later, he returned to his room.


    The walkie was directly over the folder and Sorahiko had to look and check for tripwires or other traps.


    "If I wanted to plant a bomb. You wouldn''t have known until you lay in your bed."


    The voice made him jump, and Sorahiko felt his lip curl in a sneer.


    He recognized that voice.


    Reaching gingerly for the walkie Sorahiko plucked it free from where it rested and eyed the thing.


    Short wave. The range couldn''t be more than a single square mile, two at the absolute most.


    Had to be close. If he knew he was in his room enough to call he had to be damn close.


    He clicked the transceiver button.


    "Vigilante." He said, eyes moving this way and that way to the windows, searching for anyone that might be watching, down to the street to see anyone on a strange phone or hoodie.


    Where was he¡­


    "I''ll keep this brief. On your night-table is a file. Its all the additional evidence I''ve dug up on one Dr. Ujiro. I know you''re on the trail as well."


    Torino''s eyes narrowed, suspicion clear as he eyed the folder. "Why share it with us? You vigilantes don''t play nice with licensed heroes. You dropping this?"


    "Hardly. The both of you are¡­ loud. With your official resources I''ll be able to pick up new leads."


    "Loud?"


    "Loud enough for me to find your home. Haven''t found hers yet. But I''ve narrowed it down to Nanta district. Shouldn''t take me more than a few days."


    "You stay the hell away from her!" Torino snarled. Nana did not need that, did not need some other villain showing up in her house. Losing her husband and giving up her kid had hurt her enough as it was.


    "I don''t care about either of you. All I want is to find that doctor before he hauls off some other kid to a quirk lab. If you want to keep playing at this little pissing contest, go ahead."


    Gran Torino rubbed at his bearded chin, eyes still scanning the streets beyond his home, searching.


    "You think he''s taking kids to quirk labs too? Why? You know something we don''t?"


    "You have what you need. Use it, or don''t."


    The line went dead with a hiss of static.


    (X)(X)(X)

 Chapter 349 - My SI Stash #49 - Forced Re:Start by The Pillow God (Re:Zero)

    -Another author that''s done a great Re:Zero fic without rehashing canon~


    Synopsis: An average college student is granted a reincarnation with some "benefits" due to an accidental mishap from the heavenly powers above, which ended his life prematurely. Unfortunately, he recognizes that his new life takes place in a setting he''s familiar with, one filled with potential danger at every corner.


    Rated: T


    Words: 27K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13632361/1/Forced-Re-Start (The Pillow God)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    When he had come to, he only saw white. No, that definition would be incorrect, rather than white, it was colorless. It possessed no color, and looking around, he could only identify it as something that felt like white to his senses, as no words or definition he possessed could accurately describe his surroundings. A ripple in the "colorless" world around him occurred, drawing his attention to the source of the "ripple". A floating shape that generated light shined a few paces away from him.


    The next instant, he could feel the words that the "shape" spoke into its mind, in his own voice.


    [You''ve awoken, good.]


    He whirled around, before turning his vision back to the floating mass in front of him. "W-was that you?" He sought an explanation from the voice.


    [. . . You haven''t regained all of your sensibilities.] The voice rang out in his head, having understood his state.


    He was only becoming more and more confused. "Wha-?"


    The voice cut him off before he could ask about his situation. [Here, this should help.]


    The floating, formless mass of light began to shine brighter and brighter, until it painted over his consciousness entirely.


    "Wha-!"


    And before he knew it, his vision was filled of memories of his life, or more specifically, his life that had come to an end. It came rushing back to him, the experiences he had growing up in the educational system, living in an average household, and eventually getting into an average college. The life that he possessed previously came back in full force, as he remembered everything, even those memories that were forgotten by most as they grew up.


    He emerged from the visions of his past, until he was back in the colorless room with the floating shape. [That was forceful of me, I apologize] The voice rang out in his head.


    He caught his breath, "No... no... I''m okay..." He took a few deep breaths to re-acclimate to his foreign surroundings, and looked back at the shape again. As he focused on the voice, he noticed again the similarity of their voices. "W-why do you sound like me?"


    The shape seemed vaguely surprised at his question, as though he hadn''t expected that to be the first question he would be asked. [. . . In communicating with you mentally, seeing I possess no voice naturally, the "voice" you hear is in actuality my thoughts, which cannot be understood normally, and thus had to be translated in a form that you could understand, so I did so in your "voice" for ease of understanding.]


    "Right. Okay. Got it." He didn''t really, but he decided questioning the mechanics of it would lead to a bigger headache than figuring out what was going on now.


    [You seem to be handling yourself remarkably well, especially after the manner in which you died.] The memory flashed back in his mind, of how he had died when he had been hit by a light from seemingly nowhere, and could feel himself disintegrating and becoming ash.


    He started to gag, "O-oh, I think I''m going to be sick."


    [Right.] the voice proceeded, unconcerned with the nausea that overcame him. After a few more moments spent recovering he took another deep breath before asking,


    "So, who are you?"


    [The administrator that manages the cycle of souls in this "part" of the Multiverse.]


    "S-s-so the Multiverse Theory? It''s true?"


    [Yes.] He lost his words with the simple affirmation of one of his early teenage fantasies.


    After overcoming his shock, he laughed, "So? What''s going on here? You''re not going to say something like "You have been summoned to another world." or something like that are you?"


    The voice did not miss a beat, [Correction. You will be reincarnated and begin life anew.]


    ". . . Eh?"


    The voice took his response as having misheard or misunderstood it, [You will be reincarnated and-]


    "No, no, no, no, reincarnated?! Why?"


    The voice of the "administrator" patiently explained to him, [All souls undergo reincarnation, to put it in a way that you can understand, think of it as recycling so that we avoid producing waste in creating more souls.]


    ". . . Got it, but is there a reason for going through all this?" He gestured around at his surroundings.


    [I do not understand what you are trying to say.]


    "I don''t know, I imagined that if reincarnation existed, it would be automatic and wouldn''t require direct contact."


    The voice seemed to have been mildly surprised at his deduction, [Correct. But as this case was abnormal, I was required to come in to contact with you.]


    [If you would look behind you, the reason should become clear.]


    He turned around, only to find a toy vending machine, "This doesn''t explain anything." He turned back to the light, "What is this here for?"


    [You met an unexpected end due to an oversight in your world''s management.]


    "What does that mean?"


    [Put bluntly, you were not supposed to die there, but because of accidental intervention you ended up dying by mistake.]


    He gripped his head in agitation already coming to a conclusion that he did not like, "What do you mean by accidental?"


    The voice paused for a moment, and then another, [It would be faster if I were to show you.] And just as it did before, the light from the shape began to shine brighter and brighter, until it completely took over his consciousness.


    When he came to, he found himself looking at himself, except older. The voice from before sounded out in his head again, [You were meant to achieve great things in your lifetime.] The vision began to proceed rapidly. He saw himself graduate from college, with his parents in the audience. The vision proceeded even further, until he saw himself working in a research lab, developing new technology. The vision then proceeded further and further in time, revealing the wealth he would eventually acc.u.mulate with the advances in technology he would develop, and his eventual passing as one of the greatest inventors of his time.


    The vision eventually faded away to reveal the toy vending machine and the source of the voice. Out of breath, "So, that was supposed to be my future, right?"


    [Yes.]


    "Then w-why did I die so young?" His fears were becoming confirmed as each second passed.


    [As I said earlier, accidental intervention resulted in your death, luckily, you were the only casualty there. Otherwise, more clean-up would have been necessary to correct the course of your world''s future.]


    ""Luckily" my ass! I died! Your f.u.c.k-up killed me!" He exploded in anger, clenching his fists.


    As if to placate him, the voice quickly responded, [I know, and in order to compensate you for your loss, we have brought you here.]


    "Compensate? I don''t want your compensation! Take me back! My parents! Friends! Give me my life back!" His anger was a mix of his indignation and mourning of what he had lost.


    The voice responded, and sounded genuinely apologetic, [I am truly sorry, your death was due to oversight on my part and was never supposed to have happened.]


    When faced with such sincerity, even his justified anger cooled a little. But overall, it didn''t change the fact that he had been wrongfully robbed of his life. Clenching his teeth hard enough for it to have broken if they were real, he said, "Enough. Just send me back to my world."


    [I am truly sorry. Time has already passed since your death in your world. And I do not possess the power to undo time.]


    He exploded again, "Well then call someone who can! It doesn''t matter who! I have people who care about me in my world!"


    The voice apologized again. This cycle of anger and apologies continued until the he burnt himself out. He would have thrown things across the room but there was nothing, and his hands were incorporeal anyway. He let out a deprecating sigh before speaking again, "Look, you can''t send me back or even interfere in my world. How am I supposed to accept this?"


    [I truly apologize.]


    He let out another sigh, "So there''s no way you can send me back in a world I''ve already died in, and you can''t undo what''s already happened right?"


    [Yes, I apologize but I do not possess jurisdiction over time, and thus cannot return things to the way they were.]


    "Then there''s no choice isn''t there? I have to be reincarnated." Faced with repeated confirmations that nothing could be undone to return him to his life, even he had to eventually concede that nothing could be done. His former explosive rage cooled in to reluctant acceptance.


    [Yes, I am truly sorry about my carelessness.]


    The anger faded in his voice and turned into something akin to exhaustion, "There''s no choice anyway. Is there any way you can put my friends and family at peace or something? I wouldn''t want to worry them."


    [. . . It would be bending the rules somewhat but if it is only to that degree then I shall see it done.]


    He let out a big sigh, "Alright then, let''s go ahead with this reincarnation thing."


    The light from the administrator started to shine brighter, as if it were glad to have moved on to another topic. [If you would turn back to the toy vending machine please.]


    "Right, you never got to explain this thing", he muttered. On closer look, the toy vending machine did not possess any labels or stickers and was completely white, and the capsules inside were not like the typical plastic capsules, but were simply balls with something written on them. Unfortunately, the distortion of the see-through material of the vending machine made it impossible to figure out what was written on the capsule replacements. There was no coin slot either, and instead it was replaced with the number seven where the slot should be. The lever was on the left side, and was colored gray.


    "Is this the number of times I''m allowed to pull the lever or something?" He asked, pointing at the slot machine.


    [Correct. This number correlates to the maximum potential of your soul.]


    "Meaning?"


    [This is the limit of how many Divine Protections you can acquire without destroying your soul.]


    "Uh, Divine Protections?" The familiarity of the term tugged at the back of his mind, but he ignored it to focus on what was directly in front of him.


    [Yes, if it confuses you, consider them as a collection of abilities, both active and passive.]


    "Ah, gotcha. So, the maximum potential means that I''m basically going in at level 100, right?"


    [In a certain sense.]


    "What do you mean?"


    [The usage of your abilities will matter in regards to strength.]


    He let out a contemplating noise, "Right. Anyway, let''s roll for my abilities, I guess."


    [Yes, if you would, please start pulling the lever whenever you are ready.]


    Putting his hand on the lever, a certain hesitation came over him. The Divine Protections that he was about to receive would most likely define the way his new life turned out, and having it being left to chance made him reasonably nervous. He took a deep breath, before yanking down the lever with all of his strength. Clattering sounds came from the vending machine, until the sound stopped. He saw the ball inside shake a little bit, before he heard the click of something sliding in to place and saw something drop down. The vending machine whirred and hissed as the ball slid down and out in to view. As the ball came out from the machine, the number seven went down by one.


    He picked up the ball and saw three stars inscribed on to the black ball. "Is this a Dragon Ball gone wrong?" He asked half-jokingly.


    [No. The stars on the ball determine the rarity of the Divine Protection.]


    "Right. . . So, is it three stars out of five or something?"


    [No, each star the rarity upwards in rank. The ranks are common, uncommon, rare, super-rare, super-super rare, and ultra-rare.]


    "That''s not a creative system at all, it''s like a gacha game."


    He held up the ball higher and examined the stars that displayed its rarity, "So this would be a rare right?"


    The voice sounded slightly miffed in its response, [Correct, if you turn it over you should see what kind of Divine Protection it is.]


    He flipped over the ball and discovered something written on the back. Inscribed in gold text, displayed Divine Protection of the Moon.


    Scrutinizing his new Divine Protection of the Moon he asked, "This is cool and all, but, uh, what does it do?"


    [The Divine Protection of the Moon should provide you boons whilst under the moon.]


    "Okay, cool, I kind of guessed that already. So uh, what do I do with this?" He was confused as to what to do with the ball.


    [In order to obtain your new Divine Protection, you need to swallow it.]


    He stared at the ball in his hand, then stared at the shape that represented the administrator, then back at the ball again. The ball in his hand was slightly bigger than size of a tennis ball, and definitely not something that could be swallowed or fit in to the throat of a human body in a reasonable way.


    Sensing his hesitation, the voice spoke, [It should shrink when it touches your tongue.]


    With a sense of trepidation, he put the ball against his mouth and only calmed down when it shrank to an appropriate size. He popped the now small ball in to his mouth and swallowed with a loud gulp.


    "Okay, I did it, but I''m not really feeling a power-up or anything like that." If he had to describe the sensation it would be like he had just eaten some spicy food but that he had already overcome most of the painful spiciness. Before long, that feeling itself disappeared and nothing was left.


    The administrator was surprised by the speed at which he adjusted to his new Divine Protection, but didn''t show it openly. [It seems you have already adjusted to your new Divine Protection, should we proceed with the next one?]


    Having gained confidence after having done it once he agreed, "Yeah, I think I''ve got the hang of this."


    Each and every Divine Protection he swallowed after the first extended the feeling of eating spicy into higher and higher heights. When he swallowed his last one, he understood that he had reached the limit of his intake, and the he couldn''t obtain any more lest he risk actual combustion, given the intensity of the spicy feeling had actually become painful by the point he swallowed his last Divine Protection, enough to bring him to his knees.


    He closed his eyes and felt each of his Divine Protections within him:


    [Divine Protection of the Moon]


    [Divine Protection of the War God]


    [Divine Protection of the Wisdom God]


    [Divine Protection of Sky Walking]


    [Divine Protection of Wind Spirits]


    [Divine Protection of Severance]


    [Divine Protection of Counter]


    After observing that he had become accustomed to his new Divine Protections, the administrator continued with the reincarnation process.


    [Is there any discomfort left from acquiring your Divine Protections?]


    "No, I think I''m fine."


    [In that case, your soul will be sent to the alternate world that has been chosen for your reincarnation.]


    "Got it, don''t forget about what I asked of you."


    [Understood, it shall be done to the best of my abilities.]


    With that, the spiritual body that made up his appearance crumbled, as his soul was now taking the form of his new life. The room that held the toy vending machine and the reincarnation administrator crumbled away, and light began to fill up his vision, before he disappeared from this place between worlds, and fully reincarnated into another world.


    Being born a member of the middle class, Lugh was born with the green-blue eyes of his mother. However, unlike either of his parents, he was born with tufts of white growing from his head. This had caused a severe strain on the relationship between the mother and father. The father, Alex, was a tall, auburn-haired man with brown eyes, while the mother, was a comely blond-haired woman with green-blue eyes named Lillian.


    As Lugh possessed the hair of neither the father or the mother, his father accused the mother of infidelity.


    "Whose son, is he?! Is it that bastard, Murel!?"


    "No! I would never cheat on you! I swear he''s our son!"


    Their argument deteriorated to the point that they had a water magician brought in from the capital in order to check the baby''s origins. To the father''s surprise, the baby belonged to both of the parents, and as such resolved their argument.


    On hands and knees, he begged for his wife''s forgiveness, "I''m sorry that I ever doubted you, please forgive me."


    With a cold look in her eyes, she brushed aside his apologies and kicked him out of their bedroom, cursing him to sleeping on the hay in their stables.


    The father repeated his apologies at every given chance, even when in front of their daughter of five years.


    Lugh was not an only child when he had been received in this world. His elder sister, Ciel, similarly possessed the green-blue eyes of their mother and her brother, as well as the auburn hair of their father. A shy child who tended to run away whenever her parents started to argue, she was nothing but joyful of having a little brother, and did not possess the delicate sensibilities of an a.d.u.l.t, and was frightened whenever her parents argued over their little brother. It was her interactions with her newly born baby brother that prevented the family from completely ripping apart.


    Often times she would coo at her brother in his crib, "Aww, he''s so cute." She would say, and gently pinch his cheeks, laden with baby fat.


    Both the mother and the father could agree that the two children were simply adorable together, before the sense of unity was broken and the father was kicked to the curb again.


    "Mommy, why is Daddy in the stables?"


    "Because he did a bad thing sweetie." Her mother would reply.


    Many nights did the family live separated but together in the same home. The father would come back in to the house in order to beg to be let back in whilst on his hands and knees, and would receive an appropriately justified cold rejection.


    "Please let me back in to the house, I''m so very sorry about everything I said and insinuated," he begged on his hands and knees.


    Multiple seasons would pass before the mother''s heart even started to defrost, and the husband was allowed back in to the house, but not in to the bedroom, he was still stuck sleeping in the stables with their two earth dragons, Lulu and Wyndelug.


    Almost a little over a year would pass, before the atmosphere in the family would return to anything resembling normal. This was in no small part due to their daughter''s wishes.


    "Mommy and Daddy, please stop fighting," she would say tearfully.


    For the sake of their children, the family was reunited once more. But despite averting the family crisis, other problems came up. Mainly, taking care of the baby. Even as a baby, Lugh would be able to escape his crib and virtually vanish. It was often times that Ciel would be the one who would find Lugh on high places.


    "Mommy! Lugh is on the roof again!" Ciel screamed as she made sure to keep an eye on him.


    The parents would scramble around to find rope or a ladder in order to reach the roof and evacuate their child from such dangerous locations. It was by keeping an eye on Lugh at all times did Ciel come to realize that she possessed the [Divine Protection of Seeking], even if she didn''t know exactly what that meant.


    "Mommy, I can tell where Lugh is at all times!" She said.


    "Oh yeah? Tell me where he is right now," her mother would challenge, not believing her.


    Ciel nodded before clenching her eyes shut in concentration, "He''s in the storage room! On the highest shelf! Near the bucket!"


    Humoring her child, the mother put down her sewing needles and walked in to their storage room, only to find Lugh on the highest shelf, close to the bucket. It was then that the mother knew her daughter was special. When the father came home from doing village patrols with the rest of the men, she told him about Ciel''s ability to find Lugh.


    "Look, dear! Ciel was able to find Lugh without having to search for him!" She told him, excited.


    Like the mother, the father was unable to truly believe what was being said, until Ciel proved it to him as well. He even went as far as placing Lugh, who was sleeping in his crib, in the stables.


    Ciel shut her eyes and furrowed her little brows, "Hnnn! He''s in the stables!"


    The father''s jaw dropped to the floor in utter amazement. It stayed open until the mother closed it with her hands.


    "See? Isn''t our daughter amazing?" She said, smug.


    In his excitement, the father lifted up his daughter and gently threw her up in the air and caught her, repeating the action and spreading a merry mood in the house. Both parents were incredibly happy as they were very sure that she possessed a Divine Protection, given her unbelievable ability to find her sneaky baby brother whenever he disappeared. Ciel was unofficially appointed as the eyes watching over her brother, given her suitability to the task, and both father and mother were very happy for her future, as useful Divine Protections were pretty rare.


    "Who''s the best daughter in the world? Yes, you are! Yes, you are!" He cooed.


    Ciel giggled at the antics of her father, being lifted up and down again and again.


    Their daily life continued without many hiccups due to Ciel''s Divine Protection, and the care that the parents took when raising their daughter and son. It wasn''t until their son achieved some awareness of his own did the wheels of fate start turning.


    It took Lugh about 4 years to obtain self-awareness, or more specifically a sense of self. It was also the same time his memories returned to him, of his former life, and his meeting with the administrator in the area between worlds.


    Didn''t expect him to let me keep my memories.


    He tried to thinking about his former life, but could not remember the names of his parents and friends or the way they looked. He couldn''t even recall the name he had in his past life.


    . . . Or, not, would''ve been too much to expect to let me remember everything.


    He took in the sights around him, recalling the familiarity of having grown up in this "new" house. He even knew the faces of his new family members, a four-person family consisting of himself, his elder sister, and his parents. He heard birds chirping outside and sunlight peeking in the window of his room.


    "-Lugh! It''s time for breakfast!" His mother called from the kitchen.


    "I''m coming!" He yelled in response. He threw off the blanket and yanked open the cabinet, noting his not-so-abundant amount of clothes, and put on a simple white hand-me-down shirt and some shorts, before heading to the kitchen.


    "What''s for breakfast?" He asked as he came down the stairs.


    "Bread and soup, hurry, take a seat." His mother set his plate down on the dining room table.


    He climbed up to his seat next to the head of the table and noticed the absence of his father and sister, "Where''s Dad and big sis?"


    "Your father''s already eaten and he''s out cleaning the earth dragons. Ciel should be helping him."


    He nodded, and started digging in to his food. The soup had a mixture of vegetables and meat. The broth was thick with the flavor of meat, and after finishing up the meat he mopped up the remains at the bottom of the bowl with chunks of bread and quickly devoured those as well.


    His mother chuckled at his display of eating speed before chiding him, "Slowly, you don''t want to choke." She set down a pitcher of water and a cup on the table.


    He poured himself a cup of water and quickly downed it. His mother had started washing the dishes and noticed when he finished eating.


    "Lugh dear, if you''ve finished eating, please hand me your bowl and plate."


    He obliged and carried his plate and bowl and handed it to her, who put it in the pile of dirty dishes at the kitchen sink. Although the technology was behind over all in this world, Lugh thought it was still relatively comfortable to live here with the existence of magic stones that were used to power appliances at home.


    Thank god proper toilets exist here. If I''d been sent to some backwards world, I probably would''ve hated it there.


    His mother''s words snapped him out of his thoughts, "If you want to you can go outside to play, don''t go out too far though!"


    A quick thanks and putting on shoes had him leave the house in order to explore the area. He lived in the town of Altair, a relatively popular retirement location for knights and soldiers due to the beautiful flower fields the town was surrounded by, with a forest farther out. With the town being home to many retired knights, it was relatively safe from bandits and demon beasts.


    Demon beasts. . . Demon beasts. . . I swear I''ve heard that term before. . .


    "-Oh! Isn''t it Lugh! How''ve you been doing?" A call from one of his neighbors shook him out of his thoughts.


    "Oh! Hi Mr. Murel! I''m doing good! How are you!" He waved towards Mr. Murel.


    Mr. Murel was a man in his early thirties who had a mop of gray hair atop his head, with blue eyes so dark they almost looked back. He was a former mercenary who suffered a hip injury and retired early to Altair, and was self-sustained with a small farm he maintained.


    Mr. Murel gave a chuckle, "Doing fine indeed! The weather''s wonderful, and the harvest this year is better than I expected."


    As he continued to walk and pass by Mr. Murel''s house, he called out, "I hope you can tell me more stories about your mercenary days, see you later Mr. Murel!"


    He scratched his neck awkwardly, "If I find the time! Stay safe, Lugh!"


    He proceeded along the walking path that connected the houses, greeting his neighbors if he saw them out and about, of which many of them were.


    "Good morning Ms. Chequita!"


    The woman looked up from tending to her garden, "Ah, good morning to you too Lugh! Give my regards to your mother, won''t you?"


    "I will!" He waved her bye, before continuing.


    But man, there''s seriously nothing for me to do at this age. Besides reading or running around. The closest to my age group are my sister''s friends, who are still way older than me.


    He eventually reached his destination, the famous flower fields of Altair. There were two guards waiting on the gate leading out to the flower garden. They called out to him as he passed by them.


    "Stay safe! Don''t wander out too far okay?"


    "Okay! Thanks mister!" He called out in response, before heading in to the flower fields.


    The other guard whispered to the first, "Is it really okay to let a child venture out without supervision?"


    The first guard waved off his concern, "It should be fine, Lugh''s a pretty smart kid. Besides, his sister can find him whenever she wants."


    The second nodded, "Well, just in case."


    "Yeah, we''ll stay alert just in case for any demon beast activity. Wouldn''t want a repeat of three years ago."


    Lugh passed by all different kinds of flowers. Having not studied about flowers in his formal life, he couldn''t tell what kind of flower each was besides identifying them based on their colors. He passed by different hues of warm and cold colors. The flowers grew wildly and freely on a backdrop of green grass, and if someone were to look at them from above, they would witness a scene worthy of being painted.


    When he went far enough to be out of the sight of the guards but not too far that it would get him in trouble, he bent down and started doing his stretches.


    Stretching his arms, Right, time to test out these Divine Protections, well, the ones I can right now.


    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, concentrating on feeling the Divine Protections he held within him. The sensation of having Divine Protections varied, as some possessed passive effects while others required conscious activation to use. Just separating them within himself took effort, as the abundance of Divine Protections made it hard for him to avoid accidentally slicing something apart with [Divine Protection of Severance] or breaking something when [Divine Protection of the Moon] was active. It was really a miracle that nothing had happened up till now.


    But today, he came out to the flower fields in order to test out [Divine Protection of Sky Walking]. Flipping an internal switch, he took a step forward, imagining a foothold forming above the ground. When he opened his eyes, he saw himself standing on the air and let out an internal whoop of excitement.


    Right. Time to test how far I can go.


    And like a man possessed, he dashed upwards like he was running up a flight of stairs, proceeding higher and higher and out of sight until he could overlook the forest that was a little way ahead. Gravity took place, and began pulling him down to the ground. He started running once again, but rather than creating footholds that took him upwards, he created footholds sloped downward which would help him bleed away some of the momentum.


    Alright, let''s adjust the angle of the foothold so I don''t land face first-


    And with a slam, Lugh''s body hit the ground like a sack of bricks. His landing tore up the roots of plant life and spread dirt everywhere. There was a small crater where he landed as well, and his body was aching in pain.


    Ow... That one''s not fading anytime soon.


    Gingerly, he pushed himself face up and sat down, wincing at every movement he made.


    Shit, I don''t think anything''s broken, but that could have gone worse so I''ll chalk that one up as an acceptable result for the first flight test.


    When he brushed aside from dirt, he noticed something odd, No, wait, at that impact, with this crater, I should be seriously hurt or dead.


    His head swiveled down towards the indention he made on the ground, Right, my body should have experienced the same force that created that crater, so why am I not in pieces?


    He observed his arms again, and his eyes widened when he felt wind brush off some of the dirt and swirl around him like a protective coat. He arrived at the answer to his previous question almost immediately.


    This is... a barrier of wind(?) surrounding my body. Among my Divine Protections there''s only one-


    Yes, [Divine Protection of Wind Spirits] granted him an invisible film of wind that reduced friction and increased his overall speed in everything. The benefits were practically unnoticeable in everyday life, but this Divine Protection was the main reason why he was able to move so fast while walking in the air, because it reduced air friction. That same barrier was strengthened due to his increased exposure to the open air, and protected him from being severely hurt from the landing.


    Woah, I don''t want to sound arrogant, but at this rate, aren''t I going to be absolutely broken? I could be the strongest mercenary, or maybe a knight if I''m lucky.


    He looked back down at this clothing, and saw how dirty it had become again, and winced when he realized that he would be in for a serious scolding when he returned back home.


    But before that, time to catch some shut-eye.


    His body was absolutely exhausted, having moved like never before, as well as the conscious use of the [Divine Protection of Sky Walking] left him utterly spent, and unable to move anymore. He used his foot to cover up the crater with some dirt, before he plopped down on to the field of grass and flowers.


    Right, I should be fine as long I wake up before lunch time.


    And before long, he nodded off and let himself be taken by the sweet temptation of sleep.


    "-ke up! Wake up!"


    He was shaken awake from his sleep, and saw that the sun''s position had far passed the point of noon. Still half asleep he turned his gaze upwards and saw Ciel -his sister.


    ". . . What''s up?" He grumbled, still sleepy.


    She huffed, "It''s time for dinner sleepyhead!"


    The declaration of dinner blew the fogginess of sleep from his mind, "What?!"


    "Yeah! You missed lunch already, and it''s almost time for dinner!"


    He quickly turned his head to the sky, and saw the sky slowly darkening due to the sun beginning to set beyond the horizon. He stood up and quickly dusted his clothes of dirt and tried his best to wipe himself clean with his hands.


    His sister, who had observed his state of dirtiness while he slept, asked, "What did you do here? You''re so dirty!"


    "I was... uh... digging for treasure!" He quickly came up with a false reason for his state of uncleanliness.


    "Hmmmm..." Ciel made a disbelieving noise, before quickly grabbing his arm and leading them away.


    "I can walk on my own, it''s fine," he said, trying to shake off his sister''s arm.


    "Nope!" But her grip on his arm stayed firm, and with his younger body, he lacked the strength to remove her grip from his arm. Unable to remove her arm, he obediently accepted defeat, and allowed her to drag him back home.


    His mother was a woman who expressed her emotions very openly, and when he came home, her reaction to his state confirmed this fact for him.


    "You''re so dirty! What were you doing? Hurry up and go wash yourself now!" Her barrage of orders came in and nearly blasted him off of his feet, before he was banished from the house and forced to wipe himself clean.


    He had to travel all the way to the nearby well and obtain for himself a bucket of water before he started to clean himself. He removed his clothes in order to scrub himself clean with a wet towel and soap, before noticing the bruises on his body.


    "Hm?" On second glance, the bruises that were significant in size had shrunken by a decent amount, and by now looked like he had tripped rather than he had fallen out of the sky. He silently thanked the [Divine Protection of Wind Spirits] for granting him some sped up recovery, and dried himself with a towel. He poked his bruises gently and winced when he felt the dull pain that he expected.


    Right, injuries still hurt, I''m not invincible. Having confirmed his mortality, he started to wash himself clean by lathering himself with soap and started scrubbing, wincing whenever he passed over a bruised area. After washing away the soap bubbles with the rest of the remaining water, he dried himself off with a spare towel before dressing himself again.


    When he returned inside, he saw his sister helping his mother set the table for dinner, bringing out western-style food. Dinner consisted of cuts of thick meat, and the same bread he ate earlier for breakfast. Sitting down at the table, he heard the front door open and his father call out.


    "Honey! I''m home!" He made his appearance in the dining room, and revealed to Lugh his large body. His frame was muscular, with some scars on his arms. He was built like a fighter, due to his time as one of the town''s guards and was known as one of the strongest men in the village.


    "You''re just in time for dinner dear." His mother smiled at his father, placing a jug of water on the table.


    She motioned for him to sit, "Hurry up and sit down, the kids are waiting for you."


    Dinner started without any fanfare or problems, and proceeded as normally as a family dinner would.


    His father directed his attention toward Lugh, "Oh yeah, I heard that you were out all day?"


    He looked up from his half-eaten food, "Hm? Yeah, I was out in the flower fields."


    "I found him sleeping in the flowers!" His sister interjected.


    His father made an amused sound, "Napping in the flower fields huh? Sounds nice."


    He couldn''t reasonably deny the idea that he spent his day only slacking because he didn''t yet want to reveal to his family that he was training with his Divine Protections.


    To begin with, they probably wouldn''t believe me unless I showed them, and that involves opening a whole another can of worms.


    He decided that he would reveal his Divine Protections at a reasonably later date, and in a more controlled environment, so that unnecessary information wouldn''t leak from anywhere and land him some unwanted attention.


    He let out a small laugh, "Yeah, it felt really good to sleep in the flower fields."


    Although his father and sister chuckled and poked fun at his supposed laziness, his mother proved herself to be the voice of reason in the family and scolded him, "Even then, it''s still dangerous to sleep outside you know? Even if there are guards you shouldn''t be so careless okay? What we would have done if you were hurt? Or worse?"


    His father quickly came to his side and tried to placate his mother, "It''s fine isn''t it? Nothing bad happened, and he came home okay, right?"


    He nodded in assent, "Yes, nothing bad happened and I wasn''t in any trouble."


    In that moment, he decided to never tell his mother about him testing out his abilities and how he could have died as a result, lest he suffers mother''s eternal nagging.


    "Well, if you''re going to say that much. . ." Just as it seemed as if mother was going to calm down, her attention swerved to father, "And you! You should be more concerned about your son''s safety!"


    Their trivial argument continued for a little while and calmed down after some time.


    Curious about his father''s day, he asked his father, "What did you do today Dad?"


    This time, his father looked up from his partially-eaten food, "Today? Hmm... I spent time with Wyndelug and Lulu, before hunting demon beasts in the forest."


    The topic of demon beasts excited him as one of the few key fantasy elements he had discovered about his new world, "Demon beasts? How many? What did they look like?"


    His father laughed at his excited reaction, "Haha! As expected of a boy your age." His father nodded at his boyish interest, before continuing with his story.


    "I rode on the back of Lulu and patrolled the forest a little ways ahead of the village." He nodded along to his father''s story. "It was then that I came upon some hideous demon beasts, before beheading them with my sword!" His father boasted of his encounter.


    Although he feared little due to his many Divine Protections, he still thought it would be safe to learn about demon beasts in case of an unwanted encounter, although it seemed unlikely given that the town was guarded by a plethora of well-trained militia given that the residents were mainly ex-mercenary or ex-soldiers.


    His sister on the other hand, seemed more frightened by the existence of demon beasts, given how pale she turned when father started talking about his encounter with demon beasts.


    His mother noticed her reaction, and quickly silenced his father, "Stop with this disturbing conversation. Look at how you''re scaring our daughter!"


    His father winced when he noticed his daughter''s reaction as well, "Right. Sorry."


    His mother nodded, "Good, you can tell all the stories you want to Lugh after dinner if you want to, but no scary stories at the table."


    With that, they finished their talk as well as dinner before heading on to do their own things. Ciel had grabbed Lugh by the hand and started dragging him to their room, looking bothered about something, while their parents started washing the dishes and cleaning up.


    Lugh was a bit surprised when his sister dragged him to her room, but his confusion was wiped away when she spoke.


    "Lugh... aren''t you scared of demon beasts?"


    "Ah..." He hesitated, unsure of how to reassure his sister.


    "They''re monsters that eat people you know?!" Seemingly pressured by his hesitation, she pressed on.


    Ah. He understood, she had been shaken by his nonchalant attitude with his father''s mention of demon beasts. She was confused as to why he wasn''t as scared as she was, and it shook her confidence in herself. This was quite a delicate situation.


    "Right. But aren''t we safe here? I mean, we''ve got Dad, and Mr. Murel, and all the other men who protect this town, right?"


    It was his sister''s turn to be surprised, his frank assessment stunned her. It didn''t make sense to her, demon beasts were monsters that everyone was wary of, and her brother was just so nonchalant about it.


    She bit her lip, before continuing, "But... But... What if they fail? You never know, demon beasts might come in large numbers and destroy the village? We never know when they might come, and what if it''s when we''re all sleeping?"


    Her fears kept on pouring out of her, and he started to realize that her fear went deeper than some scary stories. Perhaps some trauma before he had been able to properly recall his memories?


    And he continued to reassure her, "It should be okay, we have nighttime guards too, and even then, if we get attacked, we can always escape from the village and have the kingdom''s knights come and kill the demon beasts if there are too many."


    "But... But..." Faced with his logic, her irrational fears were starting to dissipate.


    In order to drive his point home, he continued, "And even if we get hurt, Ms. Chequita can always heal anyone who''s hurt, right? She is a water magic user after all."


    After a moment of silence, she slapped her face in order to blow away the rest of her fears, "Right. You''re right. Yeah."


    "See? Everything will be fine."


    She was starting to feel rather embarrassed of having her fears reassured by her younger brother by this, especially given that she was more than double his age! She steeled herself, and while she wasn''t completely unafraid of demon beasts, her brother had helped her overcome most of her fear.


    "Right, as your big sister I should be the one that isn''t afraid," despite his sister''s brave response, she was still slightly shaking.


    "Ha ha, but aren''t you still scared?" He laughed a little, as the mood lightened up with her attempt to be what she saw as a "proper" older sister.


    She puffed her cheeks, "You''re making fun of me, aren''t you?"


    "Nope!"


    "You are, aren''t you!"


    He started to laugh again, as her cheeks had puffed up to their maximum size.


    "Why you-!"


    And before he knew it, his vision started to swim. She had tackled him from her seated position and had knocked him over, and he had been forced on to the ground from his position.


    "Naughty little brothers will get tickled as punishment!"


    His eyes widened in surprise, before laughter of a different kind started bursting from his mouth as his sister started viciously tickling him without stop.


    "Wait- Please- Let''s talk this out-" He laughed in between each word, and tears started forming at his eyes as his sister kept tickling him without mercy.


    He started to wheeze and cough, but his sister had stopped tickling him when she noticed he wasn''t capable of speaking anymore.


    "Ha... Ha... That''s... way... too much."


    "Hmph! This''ll teach you to make fun of me," she smiled smugly.


    That wasn''t fair. He was just pointing out how she was acting earlier and she had mercilessly tickled him to the point of tears.


    He wiped away his tears of laughter, "Anyway, you don''t have to be that scared of demon beasts, we''re pretty safe here after all."


    His sister puffed her cheeks again, "I know!"


    After their conversation was over, they heard their parents from below.


    "Lugh! Ciel! It''s time for bed!"


    Hearing the call for bed time, he got up to his feet.


    "Right, good night big sis!" He said, laughter still in his tone.


    She poked her tongue out at him, "Go already!" She seemed to still be a little embarrassed at having exposed one of her fears to him so suddenly, before continuing in a more subdued voice and mumbled out, "Love you."


    He turned back, although he hadn''t really been able to hear her, he was able to understand what she wanted to say, "Love you too."


    When he returned to his room, he saw his father sitting at the foot of his bed, patting it.


    "Time for sleep kiddo."


    He quickly slid in to his sheets, "Why are you here?"


    "Oh! Do you not want me to be here?" His father teased.


    He shook his head, "Not that, I thought you were still being scolded by Mom for making Ciel so scared."


    "Hrgk!" His father made a noise from his throat.


    He hesitated, but his curiosity won out in the end, "Dad, why is big sis Ciel afraid of demon beasts?"


    A look of regret flashed across his father''s face, as he dwelt upon unpleasant memories. "Yeah, she was attacked by demon beasts once. It was during the day, and she went along with the other village kids to explore near the forest as the usually do. As a group, they headed deeper inside as a challenge, and that''s when everything went wrong." He clung on to his father''s words with a sense of anticipation, each word dragging him in. "They came across a demon beast that had slipped past the regular patrol, and attacked them. They tried to run away of course, but a demon beast is much faster than regular people, much less children. Fortunately, when they heard the scream, the group on patrol dashed in as fast as they could, and managed to save everyone from the demon beast. After everyone had been rescued, a formal subjugation party was made in order to take it down. Had it not been for the patrol group, your sister, and every other kid in the village wouldn''t be here today."


    His father took a breath, "Having seen and been attacked by a real demon beast must be one of her scariest memories, and it''s one of my greatest regrets."


    Yeah, no doubt, it wouldn''t be a stretch for an average kid to be traumatized, and any caring parent would be scared too, after nearly losing their child.


    Having gotten the grim story off of his chest, his father smiled, "So be careful when you play in the flower fields, got it? Even if there are guards nearby."


    He nodded, understanding the moral of the story.


    His father patted his head, "Alright kiddo, time to sleep. Good night."


    "Good night Dad."


    His father chuckled, "If you behave, I''ll tell you about the time I met the Sword Saint."


    "Sword Saint?"


    "Yeah, the strongest swordsman in this kingdom, and every kingdom beyond."


    He felt his sense of excitement flare up at another fantasy-like setting he hadn''t heard of before, "Who? Who?"


    "The Sword Saint, Theresia van Astrea, alright kiddo, now it''s really time for sleep." His father placed a kiss upon his forehead, before shutting the door behind him. But Lugh hadn''t registered any of that. When he heard the words, "Theresia van Astrea", his mind had blanked out. He knew that name already. In fact, when he heard the name, other elements had clicked in to place, and that sense of incongruity he held before had been cleared by his revelation.


    Sword Saint? Earth dragons? Demon beasts? I knew about all of these. And it wasn''t in this life. No, even back then, when I was getting reincarnated, didn''t I recognize the term, Divine Protections? Then... Then... That means, that... I was reincarnated in to Re:Zero!


    The world that has the Witch Cult!


    The White Whale!


    Fu-!

 Chapter 351 - My SI Stash #51 - Its An Unliving by Gromweld (YoungJustice)

    -I do not care what anyone else thinks Black Lantern ring is the baddest and coolest of them all, also this fic do be giving out that Doom vibe which I f.u.c.k.i.n.g love~


    Synopsis: You can tolerate a lot of bad assignments when your boss is drop-dead gorgeous.


    Rated: ???


    Words: 29K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/its-an-unliving-young-justice-si.865009/ (Gromweld)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Sector 2814, Sol System


    Happy Harbor, RI, USA, Earth


    18th July, 2010


    1:02 PM EDT


    The trouble with superpowers that operate best on hard, unfeeling logic is that you get very good at rationalizing poor decisions.


    Sitting cross-legged on the power station''s rooftop, I idly spin the ice-cold ring on my right hand''s middle finger. I''ve not even had it a full week, and already I''m about to throw myself into a plan that the me-of-last-week would have considered the height of insanity. Granted, Death does change a person''s perspective.


    Not that she can help herself. But I guess that''s where I''m supposed to come in. Eventually. But that''s never happening if I just sit here and watch a bunch of plainclothes-dressed teenagers getting wailed on by a robot in a fancy power-suit, rationalizing that no, this all plays out well so I don''t need to get involved... just yet-


    >


    The voice of an eldritch, omnicidal machine-god echoing in my head is comforting in its familiarity - still amusing enough of an inside joke that it smothers any resentment at myself or it. Far better than the creepy text-to-speech monotone the Ring had to start with.


    *WHOOSH* *CRUNCH* *CRASH!*


    In a blast of compressed and twisting air, a dark-haired teenaged boy in a black t-shirt and jeans - apparel which somehow hasn''t been torn to shreds from the force of his movements or being thrown through reinforced concrete and industrial metal framework - rockets out through the power plant''s grey wall and into a nearby aged sedan¡­ only for him to immediately jump up and leap back into the fray.


    And just why are there still so many cars here? I''ve counted sixty-eight cars and trucks, but there''s only forty-three workers corralled over on the far edge of the power station''s parking lot-


    >


    Oh. Long-term parking for the nearby national park for those that don''t want to pay the park''s fees. Thanks, Ring.


    Judging by the wails of dismay I''m picking up from the gawking crowd of power station workers, it''s only dawned on them now that they should have just gotten in their cars and left instead of stand around uselessly.


    ¡­ and I''m distracting myself again. Sigh.


    Time to get this-


    >


    ¡­


    Mmrhm. Right. Still not completely used to the mental gymnastics required for this particular flavor of madness. Spent over a full day sitting out in the asteroid belt piecing some of this out, three days floating in space above Earth scanning everyone and everything, and then nearly two days of low-key practicing in various nighttime back-alleys, but knowing how to do something is a far cry from it being an ingrained thinking pattern. Even if much of what comes next is going to be the Ring moving me like a puppet and acting along what I''ve programmed into it.


    Ring?


    >


    Very well.


    Righteous anger won''t help me here, as much as this plan was definitely formed from a kernel of spite. I don''t really want to get involved here, either, since I know this would be a critical moment for "The Team," showcasing just how much they have to actually work as one to succeed.


    Undeath shaves off much of the fear that I should definitely be feeling now, and while a little bit of it is generally a good way to avoid suicidal levels of overconfidence¡­ I''ve at least gleaned that devising initial action and contingency plans beforehand drastically helps prevent my lingering (and justifiable) wariness from diminishing the Ring''s power to act.


    Plans are why I shouldn''t need to hope it''ll all work out alright. Cold, pragmatic calculations take into account the wellness of others when I originally fashion them, in both the short term and the abstract, but I can''t afford to let sentimentality get in the way when boots hit the ground. An odd paradox, yes: to effect compassion, I must eschew it.


    It was a bit disturbing to realize that undeath has only marginally impacted my capacity for¡­ carnal feelings. I blame Death. She was clearly not wearing a bra under that tank-top, and she knew exactly what she was doing, leaning over me like that to wake me up in my bed. Regardless, I''m alone and adrift in a crap-sack universe that is effectively run on narrative weight just as much as causality; not finding a lot to love right now.


    But, truthfully, those emotions aren''t why I started making plans.


    It''s because it''s far too easy to fall into the trap of will. To be¡­ determined to see my actions through, pushing through my distaste for what must be done with a power that most would (rightfully) consider evil. No, to wield this Ring effectively it can''t be about my strength.


    I spent days floating in low-Earth-orbit gathering data for this. Apart from a few noticeable (and expected) blank spots in magic-heavy areas, there was no digital or analog database on this planet that could stand against a fully-unleashed Power Ring. Predictive models have been built for all the heroic actors on tonight''s stage, and the robotic supervillain (and his master remotely observing the scene through his eyes) hasn''t even recognized that he''s been suborned. This level of preparation and force for what is effectively a "training wheels" fight for a bunch of teenaged superheroes is complete and utter overkill.


    No. What happens next¡­ is inevitable.


    Standing up from my position on the rooftop, an unnatural kind of anti-light bubbles out from the onyx ring on my purposefully-decayed left hand; staring directly at the growing pool there''s a strange kind of lensing effect around its edges that gives the energy a whitish outline, but the energy itself is the kind of black only seen in black holes. The energy flows up and over my body, but as my part in this requires my form to be easily legible, the personal barrier¡­dims?... lightens enough that I can still be seen clearly through it even in the night sky.


    >


    With its actions pre-programmed, the ring isn''t held back by my speed of thought; dozens of microscopic strands of blackness streak out of the ring at the speed of light, out over the roof''s edge, and down into the ongoing super-brawl. The first step is shutting down the camera feeds that are still live inside and around the power plant - those interested in what''s about to go down will find out eventually, this is comics-land after all - which is accomplished a bare fraction of a second before the second stage of the plan engages.


    From the point of view of Robin, Aquaboy, Superboy, Kid Flash, and Miss Martian, one moment they''re in a pitched battle with the oversized-power-armor foe "Mister Twister"... and in less than a heartbeat everyone on the battlefield is entirely wrapped up (save for their faces) in Black Light constructs shaped like clawing, grasping, and constricting claws, hands, and tentacles, each modeled after the various appendages of races in this universe. The restraining constructs aren''t hurting them, not directly, but even with its gentlest touch the Black Light of Death drains the energy of any living cells on contact; it''s about as damaging as a light, open-palmed smack, but a "chill" effect akin to a cold breeze lingers until the body''s regenerated the dead cells.


    Yes, this means I can now Lich Slap people.


    With everyone bound, a micro-second later my constructs then move to step three: controlling the battlespace. After all, if I have easy access to offensive FTL transportation, why fight anywhere that isn''t prepared exactly how I want?


    My environmental shield extends to everyone through my constructs, and-


    >


    A lurch, a moment of disorientation as the world around us all compresses and then snaps back in barely a second of travel.


    Sector 2814, Sol System


    Sea of Tranquility, Luna


    18th July, 2010


    1702 UTC


    When the effect ends, I am standing behind a tastefully-cut stone lectern which is facing an open-air, college-style auditorium - all five of the "teen" superheroes deposited into some of the comfortable metal chairs arranged behind the first row of ascending desks. Behind me is a large slab of pure basalt cut into the style of a massive college chalkboard. Beside me is "Mister Twister," still bound in disturbing black light constructs, but I''ve powered down the android within the power suit... as well as disabled the bombs inside him that Dr. Morrow will soon try to remotely trigger when he realizes he''s lost connection to his puppet.


    Above us, floating half-visible amongst a dizzying starscape is the humbling view of Planet Earth.


    I still keep my environmental shields on the five heroes via thin black light filaments - extending from my Ring, up my arms, down my legs, and looping along the ground - because they both need to be able to hear me in this near-empty vacuum and none of them would last very long unshielded on the Moon''s surface. I''d rather them not be dead just yet. I''ve got a lesson plan to go through.


    And now for the hardest part of all this: emoting while still trying to keep a¡­ dispassionate mindset so as not to disrupt the Ring''s macros.


    I ignore the startled, pained, and terrified yelps from the heroes as their brains catch up to the rapid-fire series of events that just occurred. Glancing down, I absently brush a fleck of nothing off my dark, tailored suit''s b.r.e.a.s.t, then straighten my tie and re-secure it with a silver clip adorned with the same emblem that adorns my ring - a downward-pointing triangle with five vertical lines emerging from its ''top''. Looking back up at my "students" as they all pause to stare upwards in awe-struck and terrified confusion about where they now are, I smile as much as I can without a lower jaw and my eyes blazing with black light energies.


    "Good evening, Titans," I greet with as much joviality I can muster, raising my right hand to motion them back to the chairs they''ve lept up from in their panic. I also pointedly ignore the sensation of my loose, ragged tongue flapping in time with the facsimile of speech my Ring is vocalizing through my exposed trachea. It''s all part of the plan.


    "Please, return to your seats. We have much to review."


    Chapter 2


    Sector 2814, Sol System


    Sea of Tranquility, Luna


    18th July, 2010


    1703 UTC


    "AAAH!" / "...What was-?!" / "HOLY SHIT IS THAT-!?"


    The screaming and confusion are expected, even accounted for in my script, despite my calm declaration. To be fair, even with the Clarketech super-magic-computer of my Power Ring, I don''t have their exact reactions planned out word-for-word and their every action predicted; my own spotty memory of clips from the Young Justice cartoon, combined with all available video, audio, and written recordings scr.a.p.ed from Earth - most helpfully, the Batcomputer - has allowed me to build percentage models both for how each will react on their own and as a¡­ well, they''re barely "the Team" right now, so more as a "group." Taking all that into account, I worked with the Ring''s AI to build a script and set of macros for what to say and do to achieve the ends I want.


    Then I scrapped that first script the Ring''s simple AI gave me because it was only three words:


    >


    I''m not sure what I had expected, but somehow I was still disappointed.


    That had led to several hours of tinkering with the Ring''s AI to give it a more useful personality - a decision which has drastically increased my ability to wield the Black Light of Death far beyond my own levels of technical, mental, and emotional skills¡­ but has commensurately decreased the Ring''s tolerances for me exhibiting anything that would constitute a normal emotional range. My preliminary, covert testing in back-alleys in various cities around the world breaking up violent crimes has largely proved the efficacy of this decision for small-time matters, so this will be the first big-time test on whether the trade-off is worth it.


    And now that I''ve got a solid set of overlapping scripts, plans, and contingencies for this entire¡­ act...


    "AH! ZOMBIE!"


    Kid Flash is the only one to point at me dramatically while shouting, the rest dropping back into their combat stances after the momentary freak-out caused by their sudden ensnarement and then abduction to a classroom on the surface of the Moon. Well, except for Miss Martian - she''s still backing up against the stone desk behind her, wild-eyed and terrified by what just happened.


    As I suspected, the sudden cut-off of Earth''s ambient "background noise" of human minds must be triggering her memories of the loneliness of deep space that she only recently just suffered through.


    "Please," I offer drolly, holding my hands up in surrender behind my podium. "I am technically a lich, not a zombie; I still have all my mental faculties. And-"


    The muscle-bound Superboy launches himself at me, the low-gravity of Luna combined with his superstrength turning him into a blur for mortal eyes. He crosses the twenty feet between us in a heartbeat, fist aiming for what''s left of my face-


    >


    -only for him to suddenly be deposited back in his chair, in a seated position, with all his momentum bled off. Everyone here is still covered by my Ring''s environmental shields, after all, and that means offensive FTL repositioning is only a thought away. And I''ve got contingency macros in the Ring now, so I don''t even need to think it.


    It takes all of two seconds for the mal-adjusted bruiser to realize what just happened¡­ before he tries it again-


    "Rargh!"


    >


    -to the same results. It takes a few more seconds this time for him to consider another attempt-


    "Superboy!"


    -but a barked rebuke from Aqualad causes the hybrid Kryptonian clone to pause half-way in his rise from his seat. He growls in frustration while casting an enraged glare at the teen battlemage for a tense moment before finally slumping back into his chair and crossing his arms over his chest, fuming and giving me a death glare in turn.


    Aqualad had the highest chance of stopping him in my predictions, given his natural leadership tendencies and the way things would fall out in the original timeline, but it''s still nice to see my plans working out.


    "-... that was just rude," I huff, causing my ragged, dangling tongue to waggle despite any actual breath coming up from the exposed hole where my throat begins. I turn my gaze to give Superboy an unimpressed glance. "Expected. But still: rude."


    I''ve kept the Ring''s visual effects to a minimum for these FTL hops, and the glow of the environmental shields are tuned down the to lowest they can go (if only to reduce the discomfort caused by black light exposure to an easily-dismissable chill). Since none of them have enough experience with the Green Lanterns of Earth to key into what''s going on, this whole opening charade is making it appear as if I''m casually warping reality to render their toughest fighter effectively impotent.


    "Necromancer," Aqualad hisses, his military discipline keeping the sneer off his face. I can see the fear roiling beneath his dark, tattooed skin as he feels not only the lowered gravity but the lack of ambient magic and water this far from Earth, but he manages to keep his arms raised in a defensive posture as he glances at his teammates and then back to me. "Explain yourself! What-... Where have you taken-...?"


    He pauses, looks again to the rest of his teammates, then swallows roughly and steadies himself. "Who are you, and what do you want with us?"


    I calmly nod at the tattooed teen, then turn and gesture with an open palm to the smallest of the five - stopping the small, boy''s panicked glances around the lunar auditorium and causing him to turn and face me directly.


    "Excellent questions, Aqualad. Robin, if you could be so kind as to share your running analysis with the class?"


    As expected, even though I''ve deliberately shaped and dressed this area in the trappings of a college classroom - ''realistic'' wear and tear covers much of the furniture, functional power outlets in the desks, there''s old gum stuck on and under various fixtures, etc. - the question finally makes the admittedly-bizarre situation¡­ click for them.


    I''m not surprised most of them initially missed the 3-ring binder labeled with their respective logos sitting on the first-row desk in front of each of them, though; they''re still coming down from the fight''s adrenaline high, and it''s been a long night.


    To his credit, the Boy Wonder only needs to blink once before his gaze sharpens on me in consideration.


    "...Sure."


    ¡­


    There is no sound up here on the surface of Luna, so the lack of any follow-up is jarring in its silence.


    The remaining upper half of my facial muscles twitch in an approximation of a smirk, but to get my ''amus.e.m.e.nt'' across, I direct the expression to reach my glowing-black eyes.


    Everyone else besides Aqualad just looks lost, though that''s mostly because Aqualad is still schooling (hah!) his expression. Kid Flash glances between his friend and me. "...Huh? Rob? What''s going on?"


    "Well-caught," I chuckle, nodding to the barely-five-foot teen superhero. "Would you please explain what you''ve deduced?"


    Robin stops hiding his grin and shrugs a non-committal response, only for Kid Flash catch on and groan in aggrieved understanding.


    "Grammar jokes? Really?"


    "Cheer up, KF," Robin snorts, still in a loose, defensive posture but falling back into his usual combat-banter routine, "you''re pretty good at gallows humor, too."


    "Yes, no need to be such a stiff, Kid Flash," I add cheekily, despite missing most of my cheeks.


    The speedster-teen relaxes in his combat stance to give his shorter friend a flat look, then turn to me with an even more disappointed frown. "Dude... that was bad, and you should feel bad."


    "Um, excuse me?"


    Everyone turns to the left-most hero in the group, only to see Miss Martian already appropriately seated at the desk. Additionally, she''s now opened her binder to the college-ruled blank paper inside, her right hand is gripping the mechanical pen that was also held within, and her left hand is partially raised to ask a question.


    "What are you doing?!" / "Really, Miss M?!"


    The green teen shrinks away slightly in embarrassment when Robin and Kid Flash make unhappy noises at her compliance with the scenario I''ve engineered. Still, she hastily points across the curved front-row desk to the hero on the opposite side of the group.


    "But Superboy''s sitting down!"


    The black-haired teen is indeed still sitting where I placed him, but his mood clearly hasn''t improved judging by his continued glare and crossed arms. And he hasn''t even touched his binder.


    I ignore the amusing byplay and gesture with my left hand for the ''young'' shapeshifter to speak.


    "Yes, Miss Martian? You have a question?"


    "O-oh!" she starts, the back-and-forth making her forget she still had her hand raised. "Ah¡­ Professor¡­?"


    "Black Lantern 2814," I supply to her leading question, raising my right hand to show off the eponymous ring on my right hand then nodding for her to continue. "I''ll also accept: ''Black Clarissi'' or ''Professor Black'' as well if that''s too much of a mouthful."


    That gets another round of surprised expressions from the group - more facts clicking into place for some of them as they share glances, yet raising even more questions.


    "Wait, you mean like the Green Lanterns?"


    My eyes flicker to Kid Flash in response to his outburst, but I quickly look back to Miss Martian and gesture for her to continue with her question. The ''young'' girl opens and closes her mouth as she obviously re-thinks her initial question in light of this new development, turns her head to look at the now-pouting Kid Flash, then looks back to me.


    "Um¡­ are you-... does that mean you''re a hero like the Green Lanterns? Is that why you helped us with Mister Twister?"


    With a dramatic huff, Kid Flash straightens his chair from when he lept out of it before and sits down with a muted thump - the sound only faux-carrying in the vacuum atmosphere because of our shared environmental shielding. Then, clearly unhappy with this whole situation, Kid Flash over-dramatically raises his right arm. Beside him, Robin doesn''t bother hiding his smirk while Aqualad looks decidedly sour about also being ignored for speaking out of turn.


    Good, they can learn.


    Returning my attention to Miss Martian, I waggle my outstretched left hand and tip my head slightly to the left while adopting a pensive expression.


    "Good questions, Miss Martian - you hit upon the two central reasons why I''ve gathered you all here tonight," I acknowledge, causing her to brighten visibly at receiving praise from a presumed authority-figure and instructor. "To your first question, there is a short and long answer. The short answer is: Yes, but not quite like the Green Lanterns."


    For everyone but Aqualad, that causes a slight easing of the tension still lingering from the group. For his part, however, the dark-skinned Atlantean grunts and maintains his defensive posture.


    "Necromancy is a vile perversion of life, and Atlantis has long since learned never to trust its practitioners. Its very use is a capital offense. Forgive me if I find your assertions hard to believe."


    In his seat, Kid Flash perks up and turns to scoff incredulously at his teammate even while keeping his hand raised.


    "Man, what are you talking about? He''s just some kinda edgy new type of space-cop like the GLs, not some hocus-pocus faker that''s way too into dead people."


    ...So much for learning.


    "The long answer," I continue, interjecting with a placating gesture to the two of them before Aqualad''s stress causes him to snap at his friend''s willful ignorance, "involves a brief lesson about some of the fundamental life-giving forces of the universe."


    For the third, and definitely not final time this night, the five heroes stare at me in blank surprise.


    "Please, take your seats," I motion again at the group with my left hand. At the same time, with my Ring-hand, I gesture at the blackboard and generate a copy of the ROYGBIV emotional spectrum - each simple color band labeled with its associated sigil. For now, though, I leave out the White and Black Lights. "And you''ll also want to take notes, as this will be on the test."


    ...Fourth time tonight.


    "Oooh!" Miss Martian gasps after a few moments of incredulous silence, causing the other heroes to turn to where she''s happily showing off the pen that came with her binder. "See the colors around the middle? If you twist the clip to that color, it changes the color of the ink!"


    There''s another beat of silence, apart from Miss Martian making happy noises as she begins drawing a copy of what I''ve put up on the blackboard.


    After a moment of realization, Kid Flash''s hand drops lifelessly to the desk; through his see-through goggles, he gives me a betrayed, half-lidded stare.


    "Man... so much for you being one of the cool ones."


    Chapter 3


    Sector 2814, Sol System


    Sea of Tranquility, Luna


    18th July, 2010


    1710 UTC


    "The ''Emotional Spectrum'' is the most commonly-used term for bands of energy wavelengths that resonate with - and are in turn amplified by - advanced life-forms throughout the universe," I explain, stepping away from the podium to start pacing in front of the diagrams I''ve projected onto the slate blackboard.


    "It should be noted that there are other ''colors'' beyond these primary seven wavelengths, but these are the seven that have resonated the most over the billions of years that sentient life has evolved and thrived in this universe; it is possible to tap into and produce these other wavelengths, but to put it simply¡­ you have to know exactly what you''re looking for and what you''re trying to do, and it still won''t manifest as great an effect as utilizing any of the primary seven. Furthermore, these seven wavelengths have grown so prevalent through the universe that they''ve coalesced into sentient Embodiments: elementals or ''gods''," I air-quote, "of that particular wavelength."


    With a glance, I see that - yes - everyone except Superboy is actually taking notes, with varying degrees of enthusiasm and thoroughness. At my clear tone of irreverence for the term ''gods'', Aqualad''s eyes narrow while Kid Flash grins and quickly raises his left arm.


    "Hey, Prof-"


    I cut him off with a raised hand and a cold glance, pausing only momentarily to make sure he''s stopped talking before returning to my slow pacing and lecturing.


    "The effect of these wavelengths permeating sentient life as it evolves in complexity has resulted in a near-universally-similar reaction to each frequency band:"


    Stopping my pacing so that I''m facing towards the heroes and just to the left of the diagram, I gesture with my right hand and make each color band and sigil light up more brilliantly as I address it.


    "Red: Rage, frustration, hate. Orange: Avarice, ambition, envy. Yellow: Fear, caution, cowardice. Green: Will, determination, stubbornness. Blue: Hope, faith, naivete. Indigo: Compassion, empathy, guilt. Violet: Love, intimacy, obsession."


    I pause again, both allowing for everyone to write all that down and to note that even Superboy''s expression has morphed into one of cautious interest. Judging by his quick, tentative glance to the others, he only briefly considers writing this down himself before dismissing it - some form of the classic ''I''ll just read their notes later'' thought likely passing through his head.


    "Attuning to and wielding the Emotional Spectrum does not actually require a Power Ring, but as Power Rings have become so ubiquitous because of their ease-of-use, efficacy, and power, they''re the de-facto method," I resume, updating the board''s diagrams with images of the leaders of each Lantern Corp - except for Blue, because it appears this universe is still early enough in the timeline that the Sinestro Corp haven''t waged war on Oa yet and gotten Ganthet and Sayd kicked out of the Guardians. If they ever will? Questions for later. "You may have heard of Carrol Ferris, when she was temporarily ''mind-controlled'' and known as the villain Star Sapphire? She derived her name and powers from the artifact that drove most of the rational thought from her mind: the Star Sapphire, a crystal that resonates with the Violet Light of Love."


    Robin appears to be the only one that gets the reference, but when he makes a ''huh'' sound, the others turn to him questioningly. He shrugs at the attention.


    "Batman said if I was going to fight crime outside of Gotham, I had to know all the supervillains the League''s faced over the years. I''m still working through the list, but I remember seeing her in it."


    I raise an eyebrow, then gesture to my left and make a mostly-solid, full-color hologram of Star Sapphire in her ''full'' costume. This universe trends to the more conservative and sensible costume versions for heroes and villains, I''ve found, but she''s still effectively wearing lingerie, not armor.


    "You''re a young boy. I''d be surprised if you didn''t remember her."


    There''s a beat of confusion from Robin as he glances at me, then back at the hologram, scowling in thought¡­ and there it is. Welcome to puberty, Mr. Grayson.


    "That''s- No! I didn''t mean it like that-!"


    "Hey! Hey, Teach!" Kid Flash, on the other hand, has finally recovered from having his teenaged mind blown and is now eagerly waving his hand in the air while grinning like a loon. "Is that, like, the dress code for all Violet Lanterns?"


    I regard the biggest pervert of the team coldly, then gesture again and replace the hologram with a version of Superman¡­ in Star Sapphire''s costume.


    "Yes. It is."


    "Bw-... Arrgh! What the hell, man!?"


    I note that while the boys of the group are reeling in varying levels of disgust, the second-biggest pervert of the team is covering her mouth with both hands while blushing furiously¡­ and casting quick glances at Superboy.


    Alright. That''s enough levity for now.


    I dismiss the hologram and turn back to the board, highlighting the Green band of color and the arrayed Guardians of the Universe. I pause long enough to give the teens a moment to compose themselves, then face the group again.


    "To speak about Lanterns and the various Lights, it''s easiest to begin in the middle: The Green Light of Will and its wielders, the Green Lanterns."


    I stop, give a cold eye to Kid Flash to get him to actually pick up his pen again and start taking notes, then resume.


    "While you may have heard about some of the powers of Green Lanterns, the Green Light is the most ''balanced'' of the wavelengths; wielding the Green Light is the easiest of all colors, and its middle position within the spectra means it has the lowest impact on the user''s sanity. That ease comes with a downside, as it is, in turn, the most difficult of the Lights to wield in truly esoteric and complicated manners - with the Green Light you have to know exactly what you''re doing for your constructs to be effective, which means healing and overly-complicated hard-light constructs are extremely difficult with the Green Light of Will. It is important to note, however, that ''lowest'' impact on one''s sanity does not mean ''zero''; continued use and exposure to the Green Light of Will gradually makes the subject more and more stubborn and single-minded, as evidenced by the cavalcade of disasters the Guardians of the Universe have precipitated and then swept under the proverbial rug."


    Naturally, there''s some confusion in my audience at my dissing of the Green Lanterns and their leadership, so I motion for Aqualad to speak as he''s the first one to start raising his hand in skepticism.


    "You speak ill of the Green Lanterns and the Guardians of the Universe, but are they not renowned as the ultimate peace-keepers of spacefaring civilizations?"


    I spread my hands wide in front of me, nodding in partial acceptance of his point.


    "I do not doubt that the Green Lantern Corp is - taken as a whole - a stabilizing and beneficial force for the universe at large. But any governing force that deliberately eschews diversity will find itself enforcing edicts that reflect that narrow world-view. The Green Lanterns'' leadership believes they rule with logic and fairness, but Will is an emotion; getting a Green Lantern or a Guardian to change their mind when they''re wrong is nearly impossible, to the point that they''ve allowed entire civilizations to be slaughtered in the past rather than admit error."


    At their shocked expressions, I raise my hand to switch my highlighting to the Red band of color and its intimidating leader.


    "Case in point: the Red Lantern Corps. Led by Atrocitus, a survivor of the Green Lantern Corps'''' purge of the entirety of Space Sector 666. Much like how the Violet Light subsumed Ms. Ferris'' mind with ''love'', the Red Light of Rage drives most people into a feral, bestial rage upon even brief exposure; the Red Lantern Corps has a method for helping their members retain their sanity, but even with that treatment their members are prone to aggression and violence. The Red Light of Rage is generally very difficult to use for all but the simplest and most direct endeavors, but not only are its hard-light constructs some of the strongest, but a Red Lanterns'' blood also turns caustic upon equipping their Power Ring, which they can then vomit or spit offensively - the acidic liquid capable of chewing through even powerful hard-light constructs with ease."


    "Ew," Kid Flash winces, voicing the general sentiment of the group - that tidbit overriding their shock at the revelation that the Guardians slaughtered an entire Space Sector. An excellent continued show of maturity. "How does that even work? Wouldn''t that hurt them, too?"


    I nod. "Their Rings keep their hearts pumping and their bodies safe from their now-toxic fluids, but yes, Red Lanterns die if you separate them from their Power Ring."


    Despite the grim looks on the group at this revelation, I pause again not for dramatic effect but because Miss Martian is raising her hand with an expression more of confusion.


    That''s¡­ not quite in any of my scripts. Hm. I was expecting deviances, but not this early in the act. I''m¡­ tempted to push on, but¡­ no, I need to keep up the appearance of being approachable for the purposes of genuine education.


    Alright. I''ll humor her- oh, she''s starting to bring down her hand? Now I''m really curious.


    "Yes, Miss Martian?"


    She blinks at my attention, showing once again that her ''classroom'' experience is really only from watching an old American high-school sitcom.


    "O-oh! Well, I-... I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to interrupt, since - ''Hello, Megan!'' - of course he''s getting there¡­" she more mutters to herself than speaks to me, striking her own forehead with her right palm in a self-deprecating move copied from that sitcom. Still, she musters up her courage and looks back up to actually ask her question. "But... what about your color? Is it Black Light? Is there also a White Light?"


    ¡­ Shit. And now she''s got everyone else interested. So much for getting through the rest of the colors tonight. Eh... there''s going to be plenty of time before they need-


    >


    ...


    Man, am I glad I programmed that Anti-Murphy Macro in. Right: crisis avoided, back to teaching.


    Ring? Let''s skip ahead and use some of the lines from Script H-7 to make it match up.


    >


    My body shifts slightly to account for jumping to a point much later in my script for this part of the lesson.


    "Yes. I was getting there," I reply slowly, but then wave my hand and dismiss everything but the Light bands and their sigils. Miss Martian looks ashamed for a moment, but I hold up a hand to assuage her guilt. "You are mostly correct, however: there are two other ''colors'', but I haven''t listed them yet because they aren''t unique bands of energy - rather, they represent the combination and absence of all the other energy wavelengths."


    I gesture to the top of the ROYGBIV band of colors and create a white circle, inside which is a silver sigil: a downward-pointing triangle with a curved, horizon-like band above it, and seven lines stretching up from the triangle and crossing the horizon.


    "The White Light of Life: the origin of the entire Emotional Spectrum, as it was the shattering of the White Light at the universe''s beginning that created the various discrete wavelength bands."


    Gesturing down, below the color band, I generate a pitch-black circle outlined in silver, with the Black Light sigil done in silver inside. Then I raise my right hand again to show off the Ring adorning its middle finger.


    "The Black Light of Death: the absence of all Emotional energies. It is the Void of life that existed Before, and it is the Void to which all will return someday."


    The silence that follows is more than a little tense, with Aqualad and Superboy subtly trying to figure out if they should prepare for a fight, while Kid Flash''s paling expression gives away how clearly he realizes they''re utterly doomed if I actually am evil.


    I ignore them and gesture to Miss Martian - she''s once again more confused than anything, judging by her raised hand and nervous expression.


    "Yes, Miss Martian?"


    "U-um. Professor¡­ Black? That sounds¡­?? she tentatively starts, fiddling anxiously with her pen while glancing at the rest of her team, before looking back to me and smiling weakly. "Not¡­ very... heroic?"


    "Mmm, yes," I agree with a nod, my ragged, loose tongue waggling with the action. "Sadly, you are quite correct: should you - or anyone in the Justice League for that matter - encounter another Black Lantern, they will likely kill you and raise your body as a soulless revenant dedicated to destroying all life in the universe."


    I huff and shake my head in feigned disappointment, ignoring the further-paling and terrified expressions on the five teen heroes.


    "At least, that''s if I don''t manage to sort out the inter-office politicking going on within my Corps right now," I sigh, waving my hand absently as I start to pace again. "Nekron has managed a minor coup and taken majority control of the Black Light through the creation of a Central Power Battery, but I''ve got permission from Death to demote him and thus revoke his authority in the mortal plane. With access to the Battery, I should consequently be able to reprogram all the other Black Lantern Rings in existence to not be so¡­"


    I pause in my step, dramatically considering my next word with difficulty.


    "Evil?"


    I nod at Superboy, who - judging by his blank expression - seems just as surprised as his teammates that he was the one to voice the thought.


    "I was going to say ''misguided'' or ''short-sighted'', as Nekron is doing all this to gain more power¡­ but if everything dies, then he loses his purpose after all the various afterlives sort out the deceased souls under his purview... and will thus himself cease to be," I sigh, shaking my head again. "But yes, ''Evil'' is an apt description as well."


    Another awkward silence descends on our group as the teens share nervous and confused glances with each other-


    "If I may make a recommendation?" I muse aloud, pointing at the redheaded green ''teen''. "You have a telepath in your team, and thus can link up in a ranged, mental web to talk, strategize, and coordinate amongst yourselves without giving anything away to outsiders."


    They would have figured this out on their own soon enough, but what''s the point of future knowledge if you don''t abuse the hell out of it to look clever?


    Miss Martian looks embarrassed at having to be reminded about her own natural abilities, but then there''s a flash of mixed emotions from the others as she sets up a shared telepathic connection. Superboy looks downright constipated at the attempt to get him into a shared mind-meeting, but after a moment of visibly pouting and the others shooting meaningful glances at him, he appears to relent.


    Left to my own devices for the moment, I turn and walk back to my podium while ''cleaning'' the chalkboard with an absent flick of my Ring hand. Stepping back up to the lectern, I flick my hand a second time at the board and put up the next part of the lesson plan in big, bold, white lettering:


    BETTER SUPERHEROING 101:


    USING COMMON SENSE TO WIN BATTLES AND NOT DIE


    ...


    "Okay, yeah, he''s totally screwing with us."


    After a split-second, the yellow-themed speedster realizes what just happened.


    "Yes, Kid Flash, you said that part out loud," I frown as the others stare at him in shock and horror.


    "Oh¡­ uh-" he gulps, paling even further.


    I hold the glare for another beat, then grin and shrug while my eyes blaze with Black Light energies.


    "Sadly, I''m dead serious."


    ...


    Judging by their matching, unimpressed glares, I don''t need to be in their mind link to know how painful that pun was. At the same time, however, the fear wafting off their forms has already started to shrink in intensity.


    Worth it.

 Chapter 352 - My CO Stash #52 - Killing Strangers by Talon C (RisingOfTheShieldHeroXMyHeroAcademia)

    -An interesting AU fic with Naofumi getting Overhaul''s quirk~ The SCP-049 like writing just makes the fic pretty cool to read!


    Synopsis: Naofumi Iwatani, the most accomplished doctor and surgeon in a post-apocalyptic society, is summoned to a new world as one of four legendary heroes. Naofumi hopes that, with the advent of the Waves of Calamity, he''ll be able to put his medical prowess to the test. Though that''ll be hard to do when you have almost an entire kingdom hunting you down for a crime you never committed.


    Rated: M


    Words: 31K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13525813/1/Killing-Strangers (Talon C)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Thirty-one-years-old, Doctor Iwatani Naofumi hated a lot of things in this God-forsaken world.


    Incompetence and rashness, mostly.


    But this?


    Naofumi sighed in pure irritation.


    It was night-time, Naofumi was currently standing in the middle of an empty street, amongst decrepit and run-down city blocks, the only light from the area seemed to originate from a massive fire crackling in front of him. What used to be the Municipal Library of Tokyo was now little more than a massive source of heat and cinders.


    He knew some people loved to remain ignorant of the world around them, but burning a library? One of the last bastions of knowledge in the world? Just because they could?


    Willful ignorance was probably another thing he could add to the top of his shit list.


    Just because the entire world went to shit, did not mean people had to make it worse.


    It had started approximately twelve years ago, tensions had begun to rise dramatically between the twin superpowers of the world, locked in a constant rivalry.


    The United States of America and the People''s Republic of China.


    Following several events over the next four years, from attacks by Chinese-supported terrorist groups to imposing sanctions and various military interventions by the US into Chinese-allied territory; The situation had devolved from skirmishes in Asia and the Pacific, to an all-out war.


    Naofumi was still a first year medical school student (having finished his four years of undergraduate studies) at the time and still had three more years before he could start working as a resident in the St Luke''s hospital in Tokyo. It would have taken him at least five more years after that before he''d be able to call himself an accomplished Doctor.


    China declaring war on Japan (alongside many other US allies), had thrown a monkey wrench into these plans. The Japanese government had initiated a draft, pulling millions from their homes onto the battlefield. Naofumi himself had opted to choose an intensive and compacted Medical course that was initiated in an attempt to increase the number of Doctors and Paramedics on the field. What would have taken him at least eight more years was shortened to a single year of intense studying under bombardment. Practicals had been all but scrapped in favor of theoretical work and Naofumi was all but thrown to the wolves the second he completed his final exam and received his Doctorate.


    He''ll be the first to admit that his initial work was pretty amateurish, having mostly gone through theoreticals, he had botched up quite a few surgeries and interventions. The mistakes he had made had cost quite a few their lives, forcing him to rapidly improve. Even then his failures took a toll on him, slowly desensitizing him to the concept of Death and enabling a more cynical and pessimistic attitude to take the reins of his mind. The subsequent death of his younger brother in a chemical attack had further destabilized his mental state and had created an obsession with self-improvement, if not for the sake of others, then for his own survival.


    The situation had only gotten worse, the war had quickly swallowed up the entire world. The casualties had surpassed the combined number of the previous two World Wars and were approaching the decuple digits, before the two Superpowers decided to throw any remaining ethics out of the window, and step up from conventional/chemical warfare, all the way up to nuclear. It wasn''t even a series of strategic bombings either, entire cities, regardless of the number of civilians, had been wiped off the map.


    That had pretty much killed whatever hope for humanity Naofumi had left, the warmongers hated each other to the point they were willing to burn the entire world in an effort to destroy their opponents, and the men under their command just went along with whatever they said.


    The consequences were, as expected, catastrophic. Although the direct ones were obvious with the killing of hundreds of millions, it was the indirect effects of the nukes that had sealed the fate of the planet. From drastic climate changes to an increase in atmospheric radioactivity, the last one had aided in the emergence of various new diseases, mutated from previous ones and with no available cure.


    The death toll had multiplied, and soon enough there weren''t enough people to form a military anymore. The nations'' leaders, cowards as they were, had escaped into underground vaults and left the world to burn and humanity to die out.


    Civilization had pretty much been destroyed and all that remained were pockets of survivors, scrounging around to stay alive. Surprisingly enough however, a fraction of the survivors had started to show both visible and invisible changes in their own bodies, most of them bad but a few of them advantageous, Naofumi had been one of the latter.


    He knew that radioactivity could cause mutations, but it had been long since established that most of these were negative and detrimental in nature, oftentimes causing various types of cancer. But then again, the changes in the environment, the spread of chemical pollutants and maladies might have had something to do with this development.


    The very, very, few humans who had "useful" mutations, or ''quirks'' as some had taken to calling them, had developed inane abilities, like a minor immunity to toxins or pollutants, an accelerated healing factor, a denser muscle structure, control over an increased volume of bio-electricity, etc.


    If you think about it, it''s like the aftermath of antibiotic treatment on an infection, it usually eradicates all the bacteria it targets, but there are rare cases when a few survive and adapt, developing resistance or even newer means of defending themselves. A mutation pushed by the process of Natural Selection if you will.


    The lone Doctor, for his part, had pretty much won nature''s lottery. His ''quirk'' wasn''t anything inherently dangerous at first, it had taken him months to figure out it was even there, but it was perfect to aid in his work and improve the outcomes of his operations.


    It had initially been nigh unnoticeable, only making an appearance when he touched powder or sand, it had taken him a while to figure out he was lacking control over it and that it was improving with each use. The defining moment had been during a preparation in his lab, when the beaker containing a compound he had spent days working on had abruptly broken apart into grains. If destroyed equipment and materials wouldn''t motivate him to rein in that power nothing would. It took him a few months to get to a level where he could activate or deactivate the quirk consciously without much risk to his surroundings. The discovery of the true potential of the quirk, the power to disassemble and reassemble anything he touched with his hands on a molecular level, had motivated even harder to improve, to research and experiment with it and master it. He had pushed his body and mind to their limits, spending countless hours learning and memorizing everything he could about the human body, even experimenting on himself. From disassembling and reassembling his own body parts, to using animal flesh to "restock" his own body in case of a significant injury, to repairing damaged materials by "reforming" them.


    He had debated on many names to call it, from "Reconstruction" to "Operation," before settling on "Overhaul," something he thought expressed it''s supremacy over the physical world.


    That and it was an awesome name, sue him.


    Overhaul had truly been the best thing he could have asked for, a blessing in this accursed world and a sign that things might, just might, be going his way at last. It offered him both a method of self-preservation and a gateway to a nigh-infinite potential in the medical field. His work became a way to test himself, he''d use Overhaul on patients with severe injuries or even deformities to "put them back together," craft compounds and tools from base materials with it and even absorb organic mass into his body to keep himself from starving. It had its limits; not being able to affect anything on an atomic level, and thus preventing him from accelerating chemical reactions or working with isotopes to hopefully lower the amount of atmospheric radiation and putting a strain on his body the bigger his area of effect went, his maximum right now was an area equivalent of a small house. He hoped he could increase it to the point where he could rebuild entire city blocks.


    His work forced him to travel constantly, always looking for patients to test himself on. He ended up garnering a reputation as a "wandering saint" or a savior of some sort, a hero who came to the help of the needy and never took anything in return. He didn''t really agree with any of it. Sure his work might seem benevolent, but his patients were simply a means to improve his own knowledge, and "never taking anything in return?" What would he even take? Money? In this world without civilization? No, what he was interested in was food (anything organic worked), equipment and base materials. The first could be found anywhere, his abilities had allowed him to digest anything organic with little to fear from poisons, and equipment as well as materials were things he could raid from most abandoned hospitals and military bases. He chose to ignore the fact that he could just coerce the people into working for him and thus make his own tasks easier, but maybe he was still soft, despite everything...


    His look had changed over the years, from a simple lab coat to something similar to the attire of a Plague Doctor from the Middle Ages combined with modern body armor. It had been necessary due to the radioactivity and unpleasant elements as well as other obstacles he came across.


    Like that gang that tried to force me to work for them last week, wonder if the head woke up from his coma yet.


    A thick mask reminiscent of a crow''s beak covered the lower half of the man''s face while goggles with red lenses protected his eyes from the irritating pollutants in the air, the rest of his attire could only be described as a modified grey HAZMAT suit ending in a pair of steel toed boots and over which he wore military grade Kevlar body armor. A bandolier filled with shotgun shells was slung over his shoulder with said shotgun being strapped to his back. The final item would be a duffel bag in which he carried his equipment and any books and materials he collected.


    While the man''s eyes were hidden, one could assume he was gazing into the flames crackling in the distance. He wanted to be mad at whoever did this, the place being a favored spot of his to relax and read. It was frustrating that anyone would desecrate a monument of knowledge in such a manner but he should have expected this outcome. He really should.


    After all, science and knowledge gave the opportunity for anyone with enough willpower to progress into roles of leadership and guide people into a better future. Something that defied the barbaric "Law of the Jungle" that had dominated the streets now that the civilized world had ceased to exist.


    He could understand the strong''s desire to rule. After all, he was possibly one of the strongest people on Earth right now. But he wouldn''t sink to their level, he wasn''t looking for needless trouble or a fight, he just wanted to perform his own research and assist as many as he could along the way, if only to increase his own knowledge.


    As he looked around for anything to salvage, something caught his eye away from the burning building, there laid a small red book on the ground. A novel perhaps? He walked over to it, grabbed it and skimmed through it.


    "''The Tale of the Four Cardinal Heroes,'' huh? Sounds like something a child would love to read through," Naofumi mused as he flipped through another few pages. "A sociopathic princess disguised as an adventurer? Sounds pretty bitchy..."


    He soon came upon an empty set of pages, the novel seemingly only being half completed. Naofumi shrugged, going to pocket the book to stash it in his temporary hideout, only for a strange glow to emanate from it.


    He attempted to destroy it, but even with the book reduced to particles, the glow remained and enveloped him. He felt himself falling down a tunnel walled by light.


    ...


    "Oh brave heroes! Please save our world!"


    ...


    What the hell?


    Naofumi was understandably confused for the first time in years. What exactly was this? Did he get attacked by another mutant and was this some sort of fever dream? He noted a weight on his right arm, looking down to find a small shield with a green gem embedded into it. Looking around, he noted the presence of three other young men, two of them teenagers no doubt and the other one either in his late teens or early twenties. Facing the front of the room again, he came upon a very peculiar sight. A bunch of men in robes clasping their hands in prayer, what were they? Cosplayers? Cultists? It didn''t matter much to him. He grabbed his shotgun off his back but a strong electric shock came through him forcing him to abandon that course of action and drop the weapon to the ground with an audible clatter, some sort of red text filling his vision.


    [ALERT!]


    [Violation of Sacred Agreement! A hero may only use their Legendary equipment to fight. Holding another weapon with the intent to fight breaches the Holy Agreement.]


    The text disappeared as soon as he read through it but left him with thousands of questions, all of which he summed up easily enough.


    "What. The. F.u.c.k?" Naofumi made his surprise known, although at a volume no one really heard.


    The men, ignoring the noise before them, seemed to have finished their prayers (incantations?) and raised their heads to meet them. Some of them were understandably taken aback by Naofumi''s appearance and the weapon he had dropped.


    Regaining their composure, the man at the front, seemingly the leader spoke up, "O'' Great Heroes! Please use the power within your legendary weapons to defend this world!"


    What. The. F.u.c.k?


    "Aren''t you people guilty over summoning us without our consent?" the black haired youth commented, the kid looked like a stereotypical edgy teenager.


    "For instance, we won''t just fight for world peace and then return to our old world empty-handed, right?" the blond, baby-faced one added.


    "You guys don''t seem to take much consideration into our plans, do you? Depending on what you have to offer, we might end up becoming this world''s enemy instead, got it?" the oldest blond, a pretty-boy, finished looking pretty smug.


    Naofumi didn''t say anything further, simply narrowing his eyes behind his goggles.


    I need to get out of here.


    "Noble Heroes, we understand your apprehension but please we ask you to have an audience with the King, we can discuss your reward then," the robed man leading the group spoke up, almost begging them to give this, whatever it is, a chance.


    "Fine, lead the way," Naofumi finally spoke up, the sooner they understood what the hell was happening, the sooner he could get out and return to his temporary base to restock.


    His gruff voice startling the others, who hadn''t even noticed his presence until now. It was obvious the youngest blond was intimidated, the black haired one was guarded while the oldest of the bunch seemed surprised but brushed it off.


    "Woah there man, is that cosplay? I can''t tell what character it is but it''s pretty cool," the older blond commented, he was seriously freaked out by the man, the guy looked pretty intense, even his weapons looked pretty real, and the long beak-like mask he wore alongside the red lenses hiding his eyes gave him the appearance of a demon of some sort.


    "Yeah... sure... cosplay," Naofumi deadpanned at the blonde''s statement, but his inquiry did raise some alarms in his head.


    While the Doctor''s attire was intimidating, it wasn''t uncommon for the rare few people he saw to be dressed similarly, whether to protect themselves from the environment, or to project an image of strength to any possible enemies. Perhaps these kids were from other areas of the globe? Places that were rebuilt and put under governmental control?


    But they looked and sounded distinctly Japanese, their facial structures and the language they were speaking were evidence of that. They could be residents of a secret apocalyptic vault and thus wouldn''t have contact with the outside world, or be from different worlds altogether.


    Considering the way he arrived here, it could be safe to say that the second option seemed more likely.


    Stewing in his thoughts, he grabbed his shotgun again, this time not feeling any sort of shock.


    Maybe because I don''t intend to use it?


    Naofumi shelved that in his mind for later as he unconsciously followed the group as they exited the room and made their way up the stairs, his mind deep in thought at everything that had just transpired. Finally paying attention, he looked to his left and saw an unbelievable sight.


    What might have seemed like a simple, albeit attractive view of the city, was a sight that Naofumi hadn''t seen for the last five years and believed that he wouldn''t be able to see for the next decade. He felt himself overcome with emotion, shakily removing his goggles and revealing his emerald green eyes to the world. Even if just for a moment, he wanted to commit the beauty of the blue sky, peppered with white clouds and the red-tiled roofs of many buildings.


    "Beautiful... it''s like looking into a travel brochure..." Naofumi whispered, unaware of the curious gazes he was receiving from the other three heroes.


    "Going by the breeze outside, this place probably has your standard Mediterranean climate, but it''s not really something to get that hung up about..." Edgy Boy commented.


    "Sounds to me like you never traveled out of Japan, huh?" Baby Face inquired, trying to put up an air of superiority.


    Naofumi decided to ignore them, opting to look back and continue thinking.


    This shouldn''t be possible, with all the destruction and climate change brought by the war, I don''t think such a sight would have been possible; The sky is too blue, the air is too fresh, it''s like the war never even took place here. Could it really be another world? If so, how do I get back? And do I even want to go back? If this world has a sight like that, it''s already better off than Earth.


    He continued to follow the rest silently, as they made their way to a set of large, ornate doors. The guards standing at either side of the door wordlessly pushed it open, revealing an expansive throne room, in the middle of which the King sat on a golden throne.


    The bearded royal, dressed in a purple gown with golden accents smiled as they entered. He didn''t visibly react to Naofumi''s appearance but that might have been a facade he put up.


    The nobles and advisers in the room did murmur and whisper about Naofumi''s choice of attire, but they tried to be discreet about it.


    Clapping his hands to silence the room, the king took to the stage, "So," the king began. "These men are the four Cardinal Heroes of ancient legend?"


    Naofumi raised an eyebrow at this, just now noticing the different weapons the other three were wielding as he berated himself for not making that critical observation earlier.


    A bow, a spear, a sword...


    Naofumi looked at his arm.


    And a shield? And that title he gave us...


    This situation was looking more and more similar to the main plot of the small novel he read before arriving here.


    Could it be that I''m inside the book?


    "I am the king of Melromarc, Aultcray Melromarc the Thirty-Second," Aultcray said. "Heroes, name yourselves."


    The king''s purple eyes swept over them once again but seemed to avoid looking at the Doctor. Either due to his appearance or something else, Naofumi didn''t know.


    The sound of fast, displaced air rang out and the black haired youth took a pose, "Amaki Ren, sixteen years old, high school student."


    Naofumi almost chuckled at the introduction. This kid was a chuunibyou.


    Pretty Boy stepped forward and smirked, "I''m Kitamura Motoyasu. Twenty-one, and a college student," Motoyasu said as he twirled his spear and flipped his hair, looking like one of those K-Pop idols from before the war.


    Baby Face clenched his bow eagerly, "I suppose I''m up next, Kawasumi Itsuki, seventeen years old, and a high school student," Itsuki said as he smiled cheerfully while puffing out his chest, trying to seem bigger than he was.


    Naofumi once again had to suppress a chuckle at the cute display, it was amusing to see the boy try and act tough. As he stepped forward to present himself, as is common courtesy, he was spoken over by the King.


    "I see," The king cut Naofumi off. "Ren, Motoyasu, and Itsuki, huh?"


    Naofumi stayed silent, if the royal didn''t wish to learn his name, then fine, he''d keep it to himself, rude people were a dime-a-dozen, people of high standing being among the most pertinent cases.


    "Shield Hero," the king suddenly addressed him. "Didn''t I ask you to name yourself?" he asked, making it seem as if Naofumi was the one at fault for being inattentive.


    Naofumi narrowed his eyes on him.


    Oh, you old f.u.c.k. Fine, I''ll play along.


    "Naofumi Iwatani, thirty-one years old, I''m a doctor," Naofumi spoke up gruffly.


    "Woah, a doctor? But what''s up with the outfit? Looks like something from Out-Fall," Pretty Boy commented. The young man either did not care about the shotgun Naofumi carried, or he convinced himself it was some sort of prop.


    The Doctor once again ignored him, as the King nodded and continued speaking. Naofumi idly took out a small notebook he kept on him to write down the main points in the King''s explanation.


    - Problem: Waves of Calamity.


    - Solution according to Legend: 4 Cardinal Heroes.


    - First wave already happened, military barely won. Civilian and/or soldier casualties? Most likely.


    - Wave power consistent or increasing?


    - Nature of enemies: Unknown


    - Time between each wave: Unknown


    - Inquire as to which additional measures are taken against the-


    "Shield Hero! Are you paying attention? This is no time for frivolities!" the King, mistaking his note-taking for a distraction, or he knew what it was and just wanted to call him out. That earned some chuckles and jeers from the Nobles standing on both sides of the room. The other heroes seemed to look amused at that, similarly to how students reacted to a teacher reprimanding one of their own.


    "..." Naofumi looked at the man, his gaze under his goggles unnerving many, before nodding and continuing his notes undeterred.


    - The King is also an asshole.


    The action of ignoring the king had left many gaping at the man, how rude could one person be? Aultcray himself clenched his fists in anger but chose to continue on, explaining how they would need to party up with different groups since their weapons would prevent any experience gain when close to one another.


    Experience? What the f.u.c.k?


    "Now then, I want you all to review your current statuses," Aultcray interrupted Naofumi''s thoughts and made him look at the man in confusion.


    Status? Does he mean like our equipment?


    He was about to ask about it but Ren, the kid with black hair, spoke up, "You mean you haven''t seen it yet? Check the lower corner of your vision. Do you see the little icon there?" Ren asked.


    Naofumi focused his thoughts on the small icon and immediately a screen popped up in his vision, surprising him. It showed all kinds of information, from HP and MP, to levels and statistics. It even showed the equipment he had currently on him: Legendary Shield, World Traveler''s clothes, World Traveler''s bag, Shotgun, Shotgun Shells.


    Seeing a bunch of his stats, most of which were terms he remembered from some games he used to play a dozen years ago, the Doctor''s eyes naturally roamed to the highest and lowest numbers to identify his strengths and weaknesses.


    [Doctor Naofumi Iwatani, Hero of the Shield, Level 1.]


    [Titles: Hero of the Shield, Master Physician, Master Apothecary, Intermediate Craftsman, Tsundere.]


    Oh, well f.u.c.k you too, Shield.


    While initially accurate, Naofumi took exception at the last title.


    [Skills: Medical Practice Level 80/100, Medicine Crafting Level 60/100]


    [Special Ability - Overhaul, Level 40/100: Disassemble and reassemble any physical matter with but a touch. When someone lays a finger on me, I can''t help but feel the need to cleanse myself.]


    Naofumi narrowed his eyes at some of the values listed, clearly he needed to conduct more research, but it was nice to see his progress in numbers. Also, forty out of one hundred for Overhaul?


    You mean my already crazy power isn''t even at half of its potential? And what''s with the quote at the end?


    [HP: 300]


    [MP: 120]


    [DEF: 40]


    Again, seems self-explanatory, seeing as I''m the Shield.


    [ATK: 1]


    That... could be a problem.


    "Heroes! Let us celebrate your successful summoning! A banquet worthy of this occasion is being prepared, so please, rest for now!" the King announced, snapping Naofumi out of his thoughts. "We shall have our maids summon you when it''s time for the feast."


    "Very well," Motoyasu nodded in excitement and followed his statement by hitting the butt end of his spear on the ground.


    Ren simply scoffed and crossed his arms, resolving to wait quietly.


    "..." Itsuki stayed silent, a weird smile (unnerving even) fixed on his face.


    Naofumi had once again, tuned everything out and decided to go through his status, see if he could find a manual of some kind. The entire thing was pretty frustrating, from being summoned unceremoniously to the King singling him out, questions were starting to pile up in the Doctor''s head. SHould he even bother? This wasn''t his world after all, but if these "waves" really were such a danger to the entire world, then it''d be within his best interest to prioritize overcoming them, if only to survive and continue his research as soon as he could. It also wouldn''t hurt to see what this world had to offer, it seemed vastly different from his own and he couldn''t help being curious. He took out his notebook and added a checklist.


    - Gather information on the world''s religious, societal, and political status.


    - Gather tools and materials to aid in the new quest.


    - Strategize with other Three Heroes.


    - Find out if the ATK stat interferes with Overhaul.


    "Please, Heroes, follow me," a young maid greeted them and motioned for them to follow, which they promptly did. As they all walked through the decorated halls, Motoyasu opted to turn on his charm and approach the maid, striking conversation rather easily and making the woman respond in earnest, giggling every so often. The other two walked at an even pace and both tried to pay little attention to the Shield Hero. The guy was honestly creeping them out.


    The room they arrived at was rather large, nothing close to the throne room, but still spacier than Naofumi was used to, containing expensive furniture, four queen-sized beds with silk sheets, a beautiful tapestry and a veranda connected to it. Naofumi whistled to himself, that was some fancy shit right there. As the maid exited the room and closed the doors, the heroes sat on their respective beds and relaxed somewhat.


    "I guess that''s royalty for you, huh?" Ren said as he examined the various decorations in the room, his eyes roving over the tapestry and the chandelier.


    "It looks like any other medieval castle I''ve been too, but I guess it has its charm," Itsuki added as he checked over his bow.


    "Right? The plot is somewhat similar to Emerald Online," Motoyasu mused, eyeing his spear and doing a few basic thrusts to test the weapon.


    "What are you talking about? This is just like Brave Star Online, it''s the most famous VRMMO on the market." Ren also did some experimental swings with his sword, making sure to add a flair to each one.


    Definitely a chunnibyou.


    His answer received protests from the others who claimed VRMMOs weren''t even available to the public yet, something he''d agree on. The farthest the game industry had gone before everything had gone to shit was CGI, Virtual Reality was still in the realm of sci-fi.


    "You all must be confusing this with something totally different. This is one of those A.I. based games that came out recently," Itsuki added his two cents and caused the three to bicker again. It was pretty childish and immature, something that Naofumi couldn''t help but gaze a little fondly at.


    They''re so carefree, Naofumi thought, but then schooled his features (or whatever features could be expressed with his get up). Their statements were adding up to the questions in his mind, but at the same time helping him from the same theory had thought of earlier, he just needed to confirm it though.


    "Quick question," Naofumi started, cutting off the other three. "What year was it when you came here? For me, it was 2019."


    Ren was about to ask about the reason for such an inane question when the last statement hit him, "Huh? What do you mean, last I checked it was 2094," Ren answered and received surprised looks from the other two.


    Both Itsuki and Motoyasu gave different dates as well, Itsuki being 2035 and 2012 for Motoyasu. This prompted Naofumi to tap his cheek over his mask, "So that either means that we''re from different times, or..." the other three were listening attentively and Naofumi continued.


    "Another question, this time for Ren and Itsuki since you both are from years in the future," Naofumi started. "Do you remember any mention of a third world war in your history books?"


    The two heroes were taken aback but shook their heads, then the three young men''s eyes widened as they realized the implications.


    "So we''re from different worlds? That''s insane!" Motoyasu voiced the group''s thoughts and Itsuki chimed in.


    "Wait! Naofumi, if you asked that question, does that mean World War III happened in your world?" the Bow Hero deduced.


    "Yes." was the curt answer.


    Once again the other three were taken aback, this time by Naofumi''s almost nonchalant answer but Ren narrowed his eyes in suspicion.


    "How do we know you''re not just pulling our legs?" the Sword Hero inquired.


    "What reason would I have to lie?" the Doctor''s stare bore into Ren, unnerving him.


    Itsuki came to his rescue, albeit shuffling nervously, "Well... um, how should I put this... maybe because you''re the Shield?"


    Naofumi gave him a blank stare, "Explain," he ordered with finality prompting the younger blond to back off, intimidated and stammering.


    "It''s because in every game I''ve ever played, the Shield class is trash!" Motoyasu cut in to save the Bow Hero from Naofumi''s glare. "Only losers play it, so it makes sense that you''d try to act cool to make up for that fact. Plus you acted pretty rude earlier, ignoring the King and all that!"


    Naofumi raised an eyebrow and pushed down his anger, but voting to confirm the Spear Hero''s statement with the other two, who both nodded, although Itsuki seemed to get some back bone and retook an air of condescension, trying to look down on Naofumi now that his own superiority has been established in his mind.


    Their ignorance was warranted.


    Naofumi nodded in understanding and looked at the three for a moment, "Well then... that''s a pretty stupid argument." Naofumi replied simply.


    Naofumi had, of course, received shouts of protest but he continued undeterred, "You''re saying I''d make up such a story just to seem ''cool?'' How f.u.c.k.i.n.g childish can you get?" Naofumi asked with such barely hidden fury that Motoyasu had the decency to look down in shame. "Fine! Believe what you want, but in regards to your view on the Shield, your reasoning is flawed! There is no guarantee that this world functions the same way your games do, even then, a game that favors a class over another is simply one that isn''t well made," Naofumi continued. "In that case, there wouldn''t be a reason for different choices to exist if one of them was clearly more or less favorable than the rest, that''s just an indicator of incompetence on the developers'' part."


    The three fell silent, digesting the older man''s words. Motoyasu had the decency to feel ashamed, even if the man was lying, just calling him out of the blue wasn''t cool.


    "L-look man, I''m sorry... I didn''t realize-" started Motoyasu but Naofumi raised a hand and spoke to him, more softly this time.


    "Save it, it''s okay, I understand this whole situation might be difficult for anyone to accept but please, think before you speak, I know it can sound hard to believe but what I said is the truth" Naofumi said. Motoyasu just nodded, the other two opting to stay silent.


    "I was in an accident," Itsuki started, as a way to make some sort of amendment to his earlier behavior. "I was running from some people and crossed the road without looking. Next thing I know, I feel something hitting me and I can''t feel much after that. I don''t know if I''m still alive and this is just some type of dream or I''m dead and really got some sort of second chance."


    "I was involved in a hostage situation, some guy came to our high school and threatened one of my friends and I just ran at him," Ren said as he rubbed his side which caught Naofumi''s eyes, making the Doctor realize what might have happened. "Then I found myself here."


    Motoyasu took the stage, chuckling to himself nervously while scratching his cheek, "Well... um... heheh... I uh... kinda got stabbed by my girlfriends."


    Both of Naofumi''s eyebrows shot up at that. That was not what he expected, the other two''s reactions were similar, "Er, so yeah, I was dating these two chicks in college, they were both pretty hot, you know?" Motoyasu continued. "So one day I come to my dorm and see them both fighting over me, I kinda tried to defuse the situation but they had knives and..."


    The Spear Hero trailed off, it was pretty obvious what happened.


    ''Two minors and a guy that barely left his teen years...and dying so young?'' As hard as he tried, Naofumi couldn''t suppress the feeling of pity. Distant as he''d become, seeing young men and women die needlessly still displeased him.


    He came out of his thoughts when he felt a nudge, Motoyasu had tapped his shoulder with the butt of his spear like one would poke a bear. The Doctor looked at the three''s expectant faces and sighed, choosing to trust the three young men and extend them the same courtesy that they did to him, even if he was wary.


    "I guess it''s only fair for me to do the same... it might be hard to believe, but since we''ve already established that the Multiverse exists, it''s not that far-fetched to see a world where shit hit the fan, right?" Naofumi asked them. "I was a medical student in Tokyo when war broke out between the US and China, it didn''t take long before Japan and the rest of the world was dragged into it. I was 23 at the time and was drafted by the Japanese government into the war effort, but since I was already on my way to becoming a Doctor I was allowed to continue my studies in a new more compact program in an effort to get more health professionals on the field. I got my doctorate and was dragged into the fighting."


    The other three were aptly listening, choosing not to comment and let the man reminisce, he truly sounded honest which made Motoyasu all the more ashamed of his brashness.


    "Didn''t matter what I did, the idiots at the top just kept ramping up the stakes, and soon...the war went nuclear," That statement shocked the younger men to the core, Motoyasu and Itsuki losing all color in their faces.


    "A-and then..." Itsuki said, cursing himself for stuttering.


    "From there... well... everything went to shit... the total Earth population was soon reduced to a fraction, of a fraction, of a f.u.c.k.i.n.g fraction of what it used to be! All because some morons didn''t know have enough brain cells to figure out the consequences of their actions!" At this point, Naofumi''s voice couldn''t hide the rage he felt. It''s been years since then... but the feeling of frustration had never truly left him. He had once debated on hunting down the vaults these politicians were hauling themselves up in, wishing he could enact some form of revenge on them for destroying the entire world in their d.i.c.k measuring contest. But it was all meaningless now, he was in a new world, one that saw fit to thrust a gigantic weight on the shoulders of four men and trust them with it''s fate.


    The three felt for the man, even with his mask, they could feel the rage and sadness he exuded. It was truly jarring to imagine a world where everything went wrong. Motoyasu especially, was really feeling shitty for his earlier words, he had gone and disrespected the billions dead in such a time of crisis.


    Naofumi continued, albeit reluctantly, "I... didn''t really know what to do after that, I only knew my profession, so I guess I just continued doing that," Naofumi said. "One day I found a red book on the ground, when I touched it, I was brought here."


    The other heroes were silent as if to digest what the older man had said, it was really unsettling and seemed unrealistic, like something out of a game just like this world was.


    "I think... no, I want to make one thing clear," Naofumi was the one to speak and shook the others out of their funk as they looked at him questionably and he continued. "This world might look like a game but it is real, the people here are as real as you and me¡­.what I saw today, it simply felt too real to be fake, even with the bullshit console mechanics."


    The other three had doubt about this, it all just seemed so game-like but they didn''t interrupt the doctor.


    "We need to work together, as much as I hate bringing minors into this," Naofumi said, but that statement garnered a frown from both Itsuki and Ren, while Motoyasu simply nodded. "We don''t really have a choice anymore, I''d like to end this entire thing as soon as I can and to do this I''ll need your cooperation."


    When it came down to it, as much as he hated the idea of working with teenagers and a wannabe playboy, if they really were the only solution to this problem and the only hope for this world to survive, then he''d swallow down his irritation and uneasiness and prioritize the mission.


    Naofumi held out his hand, face down. The others seemed to realize what he was implying and their frowns disappeared and three determined smiles greeted him, (even from Ren) they nodded and put their hands on top of each other, agreeing to cooperate for now.


    It honestly felt like a second chance for Naofumi and it was no doubt the same for the others. If they truly had died then he could understand their eagerness, it could be simple denial of their situation, or they could genuinely be happy to just be alive again. Even in his case, he did not know how to feel. On the one hand, he had to risk his life for a world that isn''t even his, but on another hand, this world wasn''t devastated, something that he kept reminding himself of, ever since he''d seen that beautiful view earlier today. He wanted to see more views like that, even if it required saving the world to do so. Maybe after everything was said and done, he''d relax somewhere in the wilderness and spend his days either reading, researching or just relaxing.


    Just as they were about to move to another topic, the same maid that guided them here, knocked on the door and poked her head inside, informing them that the feast was ready.


    The younger three shuffled to exit eagerly while Naofumi chuckled and opted to follow at a slower pace. He came into the dining room to find the other three had already begun scarfing down on what looked like an assortment of very, very, high-end culinary pieces.


    They really went all out with their hospitality huh? Fancy food, fancy beds, probably some powerful companions tomorrow.


    Naofumi sat down between Ren and Itsuki and chose something one may consider a balanced meal, if not on the fattier side. It was an old habit from his world, he''d always favor prey or food with a higher fat content alongside scouring through vegetation for the necessary vitamins. It wouldn''t have done him any good to get scurvy after all.


    The other three seemed to pause a little in their eating when he stabbed his own meal with the fork and brought it up to his mask, their curiosity was eating at them much faster than they did at their own food. It might have seemed silly, but there had to be a reason to hide behind such a ridiculous get-up right? He must have been disfigured by radiation or something so they decided to indulge in their curiosity and watch him carefully.


    Actually, maybe that''s why he wore a HAZMAT suit in the first place? Was his outfit more for the sake of necessity? The fact he has a shotgun still unsettles me.


    A similar thought rang through their heads.


    The fork approached Naofumi''s mask slowly, as if to add an air of suspense. Ren narrowed his eyes, Itsuki gulped and Motoyasu watched the piece of meat on the fork like a hawk.


    ...


    Only for that same piece to disappear in the shadow under the man''s beak-like mask.


    Motoyasu almost choked on his own spit and practically bounded over the table to the Doctor, scanning every inch of the man''s head. He needed answers!


    Naofumi didn''t so much as flinch at the closeness, his expression not giving away what he was thinking as he continued to cut up food and have to seemingly disappear into his chin. In short, he''d make the fork hollow on the inside with Overhaul and simply disassemble the meat slowly, have it go through the fork and finally into his hands and body. One might wonder why someone would go to such lengths to eat when the mouth was God''s given passageway for consumption. It wasn''t as much out of necessity as it was because of the current situation and maybe also the fact that Naofumi''s sense of taste had been pretty much non-existent for a few years now. He couldn''t medically explain it, it could have been an effect of the environment he was in or just his own mental problems manifesting in physical symptoms. Spending years alone, only ever meeting with other humans to either heal or fight them might have had something to do with his mental state.


    He was inwardly cackling, as childish as it was, the others'' attitudes were slowly affecting him, their optimism was contagious and their youthful antics reminded him of simpler times, times back when his brother was alive and they''d play harmless pranks on each other, before everything went sideways. He''d indulge himself in such silliness, if only for tonight, he''d let his worries go momentarily and just think about the future possibilities.


    After a few more minutes of trying to spot the mysterious non-existent opening in the Doctor''s mask, or anywhere the food might have been hidden, the others gave up on trying to understand something that seemed physically impossible and just continued their meals.


    The entire affair ended quietly, they made some conversation, mostly frivolous chatter and discussion, before going on their way back to sleep, mentally exhausted from the events of the day. The beds were inhumanly soft and Naofumi, for the first time in years, slept without worries.


    Maybe tomorrow will bring something interesting.

 Chapter 353 - My SI Stash #53 - What To Do In a B Movie World by ArcSele (HighSchoolOfTheDead)

    -Gots to be the first HOTD fic I''ve read where the MC has such a late mental boom reaction lol/ Understandable but still eh~


    Synopsis: Waking up in an unfamiliar place wasn''t new to him. Being in Japan was. Finding he was in a horror manga, or what would become one, was worse.


    Rated: T


    Words: 65K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12687797/1/What-To-Do-In-a-B-Movie-World/ (ArcSele)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Dedicated to Gr.a.p.e-kun


    [1st]


    I wasn''t all that surprised or uncomfortable to find myself waking up in a house that wasn''t mine. This kind of thing happened, I was visiting a friend or traveling for family vacation, nothing to flip a tit over. The first sign something was wrong was when I put on my shoes and stepped outside to find a small store near me that had not an ounce of English but instead Japanese. This was unusual but I put it off as one of us moving near some local twist on Japanese cuisine. The next problem was when turned to find some joint that I could understand or enjoy only to find more of a language I didn''t understand. I blinked a couple of times and looked around me, the people walking about were all Asian, Japanese I would guess if the signs were any indication and moreover some of them had what appeared to be uniforms.


    Reacting like any confused individual I turned around and headed back to where I''d come out of. Looking around the place I''d woken up revealed that the house was rather small and more than that, sparse. Spartan was the first phrase that came to mind, though that left when I noticed a TV and laptop plus a few other handy things. Huh, when did I move to Japan?


    It was after shaking myself of any remaining drowsiness and stupidity that I started looking into my situation a bit more. Checking my pockets found all the usual stuff I kept, albeit with some changes from the norm. Keychains, little wipe packs for my glasses, and wallet in my left pocket, which included some IDs along with some passes and cash in the form of Yen, though my first name had been changed for some reason. Pocket knife and change in the right.


    Breaking out of my early morning daze had revealed that all the foreign characters that had previously meant about as much to me as screams to a deaf person were now perfectly understandable, as I''d discovered browsing the boob tube and seeing multiple channels in Japanese and finding I could easily get what I was seeing and hearing. Checking my phone showed my apps remained the same and checking the laptop showed that it was indeed mine and that I''d been just titting about on YouTube and the like recently, as well as the fact that I''d recently been hired at a local convenience store, all said and done I seemed to be living by myself rather capably for a while now. The question was, what brought me here?


    The first day at work had been fine, I''d been one of only two people working that shift and had relatively few customers coming in, an intentional thing it seemed, as the owners -a lovely middle-aged couple named Satoru and Ayame Kouno- figured it''d be best not to overwhelm the newbie, which was fine considering I''d worked retail before, not that they had to know that, though they did say it''d be tougher from tomorrow on. The person working with me was a fidgety teenager by the name of Naoya Hiyama, a second year at the local high school, Fujimi Academy. All around seemingly nice people though Naoya looked ready to jump if someone sneezed too loudly.


    I took off my shoes as I entered my house, after leaving work I had taken a few hours to walk around the neighborhood, trying to get a feel for the place; that, along with standing behind a counter for hours even if I didn''t really do much while there led to my feet aching quite a bit by the time I arrived. Being a college age a.d.u.l.t that hadn''t really done much physically or otherwise in the time before finding myself here meant I wasn''t really ready for the amount of foot travelling one did in Japan, though I found that it wasn''t nearly as bad as it should''ve been.


    I padded over to my bathroom and started the bath up, hoo boy, living here was gonna take some getting used to. Finishing that brought up something, the school Naoya had mentioned when introducing himself, something about that name tickled my brain, I''d never been to Japan or known anyone that had either, much less went to school here.


    I racked my brain trying to see what I could recognize it from, a doc.u.mentary? Don''t think I watched one of those recently enough to have it stick. A book? Hadn''t read a book with a Japanese setting in a while either, a manga or anime perhaps? Most likely but again I couldn''t remember any of those with a Fujimi Academy from recent memory, I hope that didn''t mean it was a bad one or something, that was really the only thing I could think of where I''d try to forget anything about it, at least enough to not remember a school, unless it wasn''t one of the main locations?


    I gave a quick sigh and finished cleaning up before I walked over to my towel, drying off and dressing, it was then that I looked in the mirror. Truth be told, I hadn''t really looked in a mirror or seen my reflection all day, never really had a reason to. Trying to be presentable was fine and all but, honestly, while my hair was kind of curly and my longest amount of facial hair amounted to ''barely over prepubescent'' at most, neither were enough of a problem at this point to worry about. Other than that, making myself look alright was rather simple and didn''t require looking in the mirror.


    That said, I saw that the roundness that had followed me throughout life and quite noticeable hunch from around junior high were gone, as well as most of the more obvious blemishes I''d had. Did I have surgery or something before moving here? Had I been on the run and decided to change my appearance before skedaddling away from home? Possible, in both cases though my lack of debt and the fact that I''d kept my real name on all forms of ID said otherwise for the latter, unless I was incompetent of course.


    Stepping out of the bathroom I decided to shelve these thoughts for later, barring the possibility of me being on the run from some government conspiracy or something, I doubted that sleeping would put me in danger. I walked to my room and started to charge my phone before flopping onto my bed. Thankfully rather than a futon, couch or just the floor itself the me that lived here had had the grace and benevolence to get a real bed.


    I closed my eyes. Hopefully some of the questions I''d had earlier would be answered in the coming future.


    This wasn''t good.


    The next day at work I''d been busy doing my job, ringing things up, making sure the customers were all good with change and such when three friends came in. The first thing that stood out was their appearances, 2 boys and a girl, the taller one had straight gray hair and brown eyes, a nice face and frame. Not normal but definitely not something to really care about.


    Then came the other two, the shorter boy had brown eyes, a lean build and spiky black hair, spiky. Huh. The girl was the shortest of them all, with orange hair that had two prominent bangs and what seemed like small antenna, as well as a figure that I could only assume would result in major back pain, all of them had uniforms on. The fact that none of the a.d.u.l.ts were all that bothered by the hair color or appearance itself meant this was normal or at least not as out of place as it should have been. Then I heard the name coming from the tallest boys'' mouth from the end of his question, "-Takashi?" That made a niggling thought appear in my mind, as if this should have been important, why? It was just his name.


    Takashi replied while turning to the girl, "Sounds good, wanna come over too Rei?" That sent a special kind of nausea through my body. Why did these names ring alarms in my head? What was so special about them?


    "Excuse me, Vega-san?" A voice asked. I don''t think I was gonna get used to that, especially the weird accent with which it was pronounced, for a while; seeing it in games or the like was one thing, hearing it was a totally different matter. I looked over to Naoya and saw him nervously looking at me.


    "Hm?" I returned, still trying to puzzle out why these kid''s names were bothering me.


    "Are you alright? You just stumbled a bit." He looked me over while shuffling a bit. I assured him I was and turned back to the group to see them staring at me. They''d been close enough to the register to see my stumble and were looking at me with varying emotions. Ah, shoot, forgot to greet them. "Welcome," I said, bowing a bit while saying so. They quickly nodded at me and started going to different spots, presumably to get their stuff.


    Why did that happen? What was- Oh.


    Well, bollocks.


    That''s why I recognized the names.


    The answers I''d received weren''t very welcome.


    This changes everything.


    That''s why I''d forgotten the name of the high school.


    Generally, I wasn''t the kind of person that went for horror, fanservice or not. I wasn''t one for things where lots people died in a short amount of time either, but when I did stumble upon one that I would choose to read, I''d push it from my mind after finishing to not dwell on all the negative aspects of the universe so as not to feel bad for people that weren''t real. That being said this was a horror manga.


    I was in High School of The Dead


    Realizing such a thing made my memories of the show flood back into me and I started to panic, so I''d checked the time to see if I was going to be attacked by zombies tomorrow or something. It was October 16th. I started to think about what I''d seen; Takashi and Rei didn''t seem to have had their breakup yet as there was no awkwardness or tension. All of them were wearing long sleeved uniforms which meant the winter ones, this supported the fact that yes, the date on my phone wasn''t wrong, or at least not completely off. Then there was the fact that they were wearing what looked to be the variations of the same uniform meaning they were all in high school, presumably. If that was true then Takashi and what had to have been Hisashi were first years. Meaning I only had a few months assuming it happened during spring, an assumption since there were cherry blossoms, and that only happened when it was spring right? God, I needed to do some research if I didn''t want to die quicker than the extras.


    This sucked.


    That was an understatement, this was a catastrophe.


    I couldn''t even tell when things happened, I didn''t go to school anymore and I doubt I could apply as a teacher, they had to have standards right? I mean, I guess the ghouls trying to chomp me would be a good indication that everything had gone into the gutter but I''d prefer one that didn''t turn me into a side character with a bit of knowledge, thank you very much.


    How did I get here? The only possible explanation I could think of was a dream or a ROB. In the case of the former, dying would do me well in getting out of it. In the case of the latter, that was very much not an option, obviously. If this was a ROB I would find my way out of this mess and beat him senseless, or die trying, though that would make my survival of this moot but hey, vengeance is cool, yeah? if this was a dream I was gonna look myself in the mirror when I woke up and punch myself as hard as I could for putting myself through this.


    God. This sucked.


    Chapter 2


    [1st]


    Kind of fitting that I was sent into this world in October.


    That was the first thing I can remember thinking after my initial panic upon realizing that I had been sent to what would become an undead buffet in a few months.


    The summary of my time thinking and flailing is as follows: I could die! Not if I''m prepared! How do I do that? Geh. Ah- never mind. Guess I could wing it. That''s asking for death. Oh boy, oh jesus. Think back on the preparation a character has put into zombie stories, any one, something.


    An altogether fruitless waste of time. I had decided to leave it for a future me to worry about and went to bed.


    One month had passed since my epiphany and the panic that followed. Halloween had come and gone and in that time a plan had formed. Collect non-perishable goods, work out, learn and purchase stuff for self-defense, maybe some camping equipment, yadda yadda yadda. Definitely a work in progress. I''d even gotten to doing some of that stuff, though admittedly not much. Despite having better posture and being thinner and all around looking better I had not been blessed by the Powers That Be with incredible fitness and physique. The first few weeks of working out had been what one would describe as ''Hellish.''


    Thanks to that however, I''d discovered something. The day after my first work out I woke up sore, all kinds of sore, like you wouldn''t believe, making work rather difficult. What I found however was that by the next day not only was I feeling better, I felt stronger.


    I''d tried working out for a bit (read, a week) back home and quickly given up, I know for a fact I hadn''t felt that much stronger if at all. And seeing how long it had taken my older brother to make notable gains told me this wasn''t normal. Then I remembered something, this was Highschool of The Dead; here, Takashi and the others (with the exception of Saeko and Rei kinda, seeing as they were trained in weapon use beforehand) had gone from normal people to action stars. The transition shouldn''t have been as easy as it was, and yet there hadn''t been any obvious problems. This brought me to a conclusion, to ease the burden of a tougher lifestyle on people wholly unprepared for it the world made physical activity easier. I could use this, I''d been worrying what to do to prepare and this give me a significant step in the right direction. If the burden of physics lightening up allowed them to pull crazy stunts, I could too, all I needed was time, dedication and knowledge. All of which were present.


    It was time to start the grind.


    After that I''d found myself making steady progress, seeing as it''d been only a month nothing too major had taken place. Work was fine, the only problem with taking care of myself was all the bills to pay; I could cook and clean well enough to make sure my health wasn''t a problem and I hadn''t had any reality shaking encounters with the cast or important people in the world and things were peaceful. I could prepare unheeded by any problems.


    I decided to look into the main characters. Nothing came up for Takashi, Zeke or Shizuka. Made sense seeing as they didn''t really have any relation to people of note. The details that I didn''t know about the others were few, Rei''s father was respected and had a few cases under his belt so his deal with Shido seemed to be just the latest in a string of corruption reveals, or at least it would''ve been if not for what would eventually happen. While I had known that Alice''s dad had been a journalist I hadn''t known what he covered, which was to say a lot. From what I saw his articles covered a wide spectrum of subjects, none of which really caught my attention. Saeko''s father, Hideki Busujima was really, really good. The crazy things I''d seen Saeko do in the anime were nearly eclipsed by her father, seeing him in action made me realize just how far one could go in a world like this. In one of his demonstrations he''d shown his quick draw; I''d seen Stan Lee''s Superhumans, the episode where a guy cut a pellet in two had been amazing to me, Hideki surpassed that. He cut a pellet going over 500 kph clean in half and managed to almost have his sword back in the sheath by the time it hit the wall. This guy was incredible, I could definitely see how Saeko was so good with someone like this teaching her.


    More importantly this was inspiring to me. Obviously, I couldn''t get quite this skilled since I didn''t have that long but I could work with this. Being in this small apartment with a job at a convenience store didn''t mean my chances of getting out of this were as abysmally low as I''d previously thought, he was proof of that.


    That night my work out was especially intense.


    "Welcome!" I greeted as the door opened and more customers walked in. It was Takashi and Hisashi. I''d discovered throughout the month that he came here often, usually with friends though sometimes without. I''d gotten to know them a bit through hearing snippets of conversation. Takashi was generally easy going, talking and laughing with whoever he was with. Hisashi seemed more calm, still nice and talkative but not as loud as Takashi. Rei was kind and caring, often making sure they didn''t forget anything and easily talking to multiple people at once. I have to say, it was quite a difference from what I remembered in either version of the story, though I suppose that was due to the strained nature of her relationship with Takashi and not really being comfortable with everyone else. Last was Morita; there hadn''t been much to see of him from the story, a few lines to Takashi before he died in the first chapter and a bonus chapter with exposition on the girls. Seeing him alive was odd, the bits we had seen from the manga were enough to get a picture of his personality and he stayed relatively true to that, he was The Fun One of the group, making jokes, pervy remarks and other light hearted things, though never going over the line.


    It was interesting to say the least to see all this interaction with people I knew were gonna be dead come next spring. Like a slice of life spin off but, you know, real, I guess.


    Takashi and Hisashi came up to the counter and placed their stuff on it, I rung it up and bagged it, accepting their pay and quickly bowing while giving a farewell. "Vega-san?" A voice quietly called out.


    "Yes?" I glanced at Naoya and waited for him to say something.


    "Why do you always stare at them?" His voice was soft, almost like he''d been afraid to ask. In the time I''d known Naoya he''d gone from extremely nervous to passable, the fact that he asked me anything at all was good as I''d been sorely lacking in ways to distract myself from boredom on the job other than occasionally staring at Takashi and his friends.


    "They remind me of school, and I know one of them" I said, not quite the whole truth, but I didn''t really want to tell anyone that now did I?


    "How so?" He asked, seemingly gaining a little confidence from my casual speech and not rebuffing his question.


    "The uniform for one thing," I started, trying to think of anything else that would warrant staring at them specifically. "The way they spoke, how happy they were, that kind of thing." I couldn''t really think of anything else to say.


    "Ah," he said, I guess that meant this conversation was drawing to a close. "Did you enjoy it?" he mumbled.


    Guess not. "School?" I asked, turning to him, he nodded. I mulled that question over, had I? I''d never really thought about it other than the usual ''school sucks, why does this matter?'' But now that I was out? "I dunno," I said, not wanting to take too long with my answer lest Naoya think I wouldn''t reply. "I guess," I amended.


    "Oh, how did you know them?" he asked, seeing I didn''t have much to say on that and changing topics.


    "I started learning karate," I said. After watching Hideki the first few weeks I''d figured it was time to get started on learning how to fight and joined a class, even if I wasn''t going to use it against the spooks I figured the conditioning would help at the least and I planned on learning more than just Karate in the first place. Needless to say I was surprised to see that Hisashi was there and remembered him mentioning that when he''d refused to use a weapon in the first chapter. I''d laughed and chastised myself, I was doing something that one of the main characters'' friends did, of course we would be doing it at the same place. Thankfully no one had cared about me suddenly laughing in the middle of training.


    "Ah," he said again, this time not choosing to say anything else.


    Neither of us said a thing after that.


    [3rd]


    Hirano Kohta was tired, some upperclassmen had been harassing him again, slinging the usual insults and prodding him, trying to get a rise out of him. No one had helped him of course, they never did. He was always stuck taking it whether in school or out. Once they''d let him go he''d just brushed himself off and started to head home. Thankfully he had something to look forward to. In a little over a week he''d be heading to America for some training, thinking about all the awesome stuff he''d learn over there brought a small smile to his face.


    "Hey, tubbs!" The harsh tone and words he heard made that smile die a very young death. He paled and gulped while turning around, looking to what he could only assume was another person or group of people ready to pick on him. He was sadly proven right when he saw the blonde hair and muscular build of Tsunoda Hino, member of the track team and one of Kohta''s top tormentors. Kohta breathed deeply and hunched in on himself, assuming an aura of submission and defeat. "Yes, senpai?" He softly asked, wanting this to be over already.


    "Hah?" Tsunoda sneered, c.o.c.king his head as if trying to make sure he heard Kohta correctly, "don''t you mean sir?"


    "Yes sir?" Kohta quickly corrected, drawing further into himself.


    "Listen to this f.u.c.k.i.n.g useless otaku!" Tsunoda cackled "couldn''t even address me properly!" Those with Tsunoda laughed, Kohta stiffened. "Did our game earlier make you forget everything important? Or are you just that stupid?"


    "No sir," Kohta said, staying completely still.


    "Make sure to remember next time okay? We wouldn''t want to have to make sure you remember, you couldn''t pay us back for wasting our time on you if that happened." Tsunoda lectured, playing up the situation before continuing "I''m glad I caught you now, me and my buds were just thinking we wanted something to eat and who better to help us then our bud Kohta huh?"


    Kohta looked out of the corner of his eye and saw everyone walking past him, playing off what was happening and going about their business. As always.


    That made what he had to say all the worse.


    "I don''t have any money senp- sir." Kohta started to tremble, he knew what was coming next.


    "What was that?" Tsunoda asked, leaning in again and feigning confusion "it almost sounded like the fatty refused."


    "I don''t have any money," Kohta said again, dread building the longer this went.


    "What did I say about paying us for spending time on you Kohta? If you don''t have anything then you''re gonna hafta pay us another way, right?" Tsunoda said, voice oozing with sleaziness. The other guys started to close in on Kohta and he began to hunch over. Here it comes. "Well I''m sure I''ll think of something this time," Tsunoda said, already stepping closer and loosening up. Here it comes.


    As soon as he was in range, his fist lashed out.


    They''d been just getting to the worst of it when one of them cried out and fell.


    Kohta didn''t dare look up in case one of them took the chance to kick his face, he''d made that mistake once, it was enough to not do it again. Still, it seemed as if they''d suddenly stopped hitting him though Kohta knew that couldn''t have been it. Why would they?


    A minute passed. Kohta heard a heavy breath followed by some spit, he flinched, he hated it when they spat on him. Still nothing came. He felt a hand shake him and he tightened up. The hand pulled back and Kohta waited for the punch that was sure to follow.


    Again. Nothing.


    Eventually Kohta looked up meekly and saw two people sitting by him, waiting for him, as well as his tormentors lying on the floor, groaning or out cold. He started to loosen up and sit down, though not before backing away a bit, just in case.


    "You alright?" One of them said, he was tall with well kept grey hair and neutral brown eyes. A good looking face without glasses and he seemed rather lean, like a gymnast or maybe a welterweight boxer, his voice made him seem more mature, Kohta thought it somehow suited him. He got up and held a hand out to Kohta, who briefly hesitated before taking his hand and getting up.


    "Yes, uh," Kohta paused, still nervous, "thank you." He started to bow before flinching at the pain that flared up.


    "No problem," the boy said, smiling and waving off Kohta''s thanks. They both heard shoes shuffling closer and turned to look at the figure. It was the other person Kohta had seen when he looked up, though this one appeared a bit older, plainer and foreign. His hair was brown and wavy, it swirled about kind of messily, though Kohta guessed that was from the fight. He had glasses that were crooked and droopy brown eyes, which seemed to be sizing up Kohta, something he noted with curiosity and a bit of caution. He was just as tall as the boy and broader, adding to the impression he wasn''t Japanese.


    "Jeez, you took quite a few hits yourself didn''t you, Vega-san?" the boy asked lightheartedly, looking him over and seeing that he was indeed more banged up. The boy suddenly realized something and turned back to Kohta, making the boy flinch. "Oh, I haven''t introduced myself, I''m Igou Hisashi, nice to meet you, though I wish it could''ve been under kinder circ.u.mstances." He bowed a bit and Kohta returned it while getting out a quick ''nice to meet you.'' "Hirano Kohta," he said before Hisashi turned to the other person which he took as his cue to introduce himself. "T-Vega Thomas, nice to meet you." His voice was deep but flat, as if he always tired. The name was definitely foreign. He stuck his hand out, Kohta stared at it for a second before Thomas spoke up "not too fond of bowing if it''s all the same to you," he clarified. Kohta realized what he meant and shook his hand. "Thank you," he replied, bowing a bit and shuffling about.


    "Happy to help," Thomas replied, tilting his head a bit as he did so, his glasses slipping before he pushed them up.


    "We should probably get out of here before they wake up," Hisashi said, to which Thomas hummed in agreement and Kohta gave a brief nod. They asked where Kohta lived and started to head there with him, chatting intermittently.


    [1st]


    When I''d tried heading to my lessons with Hisashi who''d come in for some snacks alone and decided to head to the dojo with me after dropping his stuff off at home and changing, I''d assumed it would be a normal affair.


    Then we''d come across someone getting wailed on and Hisashi had rushed in to help him. It had turned out the victim was one Hirano Kohta, gun expert of the main group and one of the major contributing factors to their continued survival. I can remember thinking about what the odds were to come across him so soon after meeting Hisashi but pushed it aside in favor of not ending up flat on my back. After dropping him off at his house, we''d headed to the dojo to explain what had happened and try to participate anyway. The dojo master commended us for helping the defenseless but wanted us to not be so reckless next time. We were allowed to lightly go at it and went home early.


    Which brought me to now. I was aching, quite so. I''d never really been in a fight before and the only reason I hadn''t been laid out was Hisashi backing me up and the bit of training I had on the amateurish thugs. That along with the fact that I''d gone through with lessons anyways meant I was worse off than any other time since arriving. I was trying to alleviate some of this by soaking in a hot bath and thankfully it actually worked, even if it wouldn''t prevent me from feeling it again tomorrow.


    Coming out and feeling refreshed I went to the kitchen and made a sandwich, eating it while messing about on my phone. Every game I had while the same in that I owned them were different due to the fact that I''d essentially traveled back in time. A lot of the things I enjoyed presently didn''t exist yet actually. Persona 5 chief among them as I''d been trying to Platinum it but the point was this: even if I had the same stuff, they weren''t nearly as far along as they were back home. Which wasn''t to say passing time was more difficult now, quite the opposite in fact; looking up stuff I''d meant to get to before, things that were now available to me since I could read and speak a whole different language and preparations for the apocalypse this coming spring made sure my hands were rather full.


    I finished my sandwich and continued browsing for a while before stopping and going to my room. It was about 8:40, still plenty of time before sleep was required. So I picked up my laptop and started to search for things to buy. I''d started this well before starting my lessons and around the time working out had really picked up so I''d done quite a bit of looking around. The biggest problem I had was that I was a clerk in a small place, not only was space a problem but price was too. I had to worry about bills, food and lessons, finding spending money besides that was troublesome and even when I had it, there was only so much managing I could do before running out of space and one of those storage rooms would be a problem as well since it would be another drain on my funds. If I tried to keep tabs on what I wanted to buy and bought them when the time was near there was the problem of getting it all in a safe place in a timely fashion, spread too long and drain became a problem again, rush it at the end and there was a chance that what I wanted would be gone. There was the fact that I could just buy a different brand or wait for restocking but the problem with that was I wanted the best I could afford, and I would constantly doubt if what I''d gotten would be enough, though I suppose that would be a problem anyway. And throwing aside the budget plan for piling on debt brought with it more possibilities to consider.


    I let out a long, suffering, sigh. This was hard, being an a.d.u.l.t was hard, not just when it came to surviving the apocalypse either, it sucked in general. Why couldn''t I just be back home? Lounging around and not worrying about anything? I looked back at the clock, 10:13. I''d found and purchased some minor things from my list while thinking about all the problems I had without even realizing it. Good job, me, seriously. I should go to sleep now, my shift started at 9:15 tomorrow and while I didn''t need too long to wake up once up and about, there was the danger of oversleeping if I stayed awake for much longer, even with an alarm, or ten.


    I just hoped my soreness and bruises didn''t make everything a hassle.


    Chapter 3


    [3rd]


    Busujima Saeko was running, doing it helped her stamina with an added benefit of letting her sort through muddled thoughts.


    Usually doing this at night alone would be considered dangerous, were it not for the fact she had the means and knowhow to protect herself.


    She steadily breathed as she bounced along the road, hair and body swaying rhythmically. Her father was planning on returning from a trip abroad in about a week. When that happened, he would most likely forbid her from doing this so she had to get all the time in that she could, though she could at least say she would be happy to see him. It had been a few months since he was last home and that was fine, as his dojo was overseas anyway so him being away was nothing new, but still, she missed him.


    After that thought, Saeko stopped thinking for the next few minutes. The only sound her breath and soft steps on the pavement.


    Then she turned a certain corner and heard a second set of feet. It was him.


    For over the past two months, twice a week when she went out there would be someone in front of her. Partway through that would change as his pace slowed so he could catch his breath and fell behind before eventually stopping altogether and she would continue, unheeding of his pause, neither seeing nor hearing him until next week when they would inevitably cross paths again. Last week he''d almost kept pace with her for over half an hour before she heard the telltale sign of labored breathing minus the footsteps and continued on her way. She was curious as to how much progress he had made in the past few days.


    5 minutes, 10, 20, 30. 40 minutes passed and he continued to relatively keep pace with her, she was even about to stop. Her inner competitiveness told her to keep going, that she had to win but the ache in her legs and the burning in her lungs brought that train of thought to a stop. As she slowed before halting completely, she looked behind to congratulate him only to see him facing the other direction, already heading back the way they came. Her words died out and she caught her breath for a minute before starting the journey back as well. She got through a good chunk of the trip before realizing she hadn''t seen him at all. How odd. She looked around to make sure she hadn''t missed him and continued on her way home, wondering what path he took and if he''d manage to surpass her next time.


    How interesting her runs had become.


    [1st]


    After my run I rested for a bit before taking a quick bath and resuming my online shopping.


    I was significantly farther in my preparations now. Multiple changes of clothes suitable for spring, summer and winter; some water filters and iodine tablets, a bit of protective attire for bites and such and a couple dozen MREs kept in a mini fridge so they''d last longer, to list a few things obtained just this month. Still had a ways to go before I''d consider myself satisfied with everything but I was making steady progress, and it was only December 19th so if my timeline was right I still had around 4 months... That wasn''t all that comforting actually. 4 months. That was only barely over twice the time I''d already spent here. I remember when I''d graduated that much time had flown right past with little progress made in anything I''d wanted, though I''d admittedly not been working all that hard, especially compared to now. At this pace I''d have enough time to get what I wanted, not including bonuses. Especially since I didn''t really have anyone I considered close enough to spend Christmas with, therefore lacking any need for presents, but still, I felt wary.


    Disregarding my lack of close friends and the deadline growing closer I had another thing to think about. Warning people. So far I''d been preparing myself and only myself. Like I said, I didn''t have anyone close enough that I''d feel comfortable inviting them to hang out during Christmas and I doubted anyone felt that way about me either, much less tell them about Zombies destroying a chunk of the world before the next year was even halfway done. After thinking about it for a while the only warning I could think of was leaving notes or something so they wouldn''t be caught completely off guard when they started tearing through houses and people, as well as some warning on online forums, though I doubt I''d be taken seriously, it was still something I was gonna try. Though it would be sometime during February or March, it would be plenty of time for those that were gonna take it seriously to prepare.


    Ever since mid-November I''d felt empathy for SI''s and the things they did to make canon better, especially if they were in a series where they were working to better the whole world and not just a small group or themselves. This was taxing enough, no way did I want to be responsible for a city, let alone the world.


    Another day, another headache. At least tomorrow was Sunday and I had a day off. So I could just ache and prepare in peace.


    "I''m a bloody moron," I said, rubbing my eyes and cursing the weekend for the customers and rushing it brought with it. Regardless of the fact that the place I worked at (it was called Kon-Bini, a marvelous joke in my opinion) wasn''t very teeming with people as say, Walmart or Costco, it was still rather active, especially in the weeks approaching Christmas. Though this place wasn''t as big on the decorating as home, people were still plenty happy about buying presents and while Kon-Bini wasn''t the place where they got the gifts, it was close enough for people to get snacks and what have you when leaving the nearby stores. As such the place was busy enough that they''d called me in on an unscheduled day. Even with the assurance I''d given myself by adding up my pay through the months it still didn''t hurt to get extra, so I accepted.


    Then I found I was the only person that came in at this time who hadn''t been already here, which was a whopping 2 people. That being Mr. and Mrs. Kouno themselves.


    "Sorry, Tom-chan," Mrs. Kouno said, smiling a little while inclining her head. More so than my last name, being called by my first name, regardless of the fact that it wasn''t my real one, with an honorific of any kind still made me feel kinda weird, like a weeaboo roleplay or something. "We weren''t expecting this many people," she went on helping the next customer while talking to me.


    "Didn''t you say that more people would be coming in starting this weekend?" I asked, turning briefly to both of them to pose my question.


    "Well, yes, more people, but not this much. I don''t think I''ve ever seen this many people here since my husband took over the shop," she explained, quickly serving two people while talking and moving away to take care of something.


    "How long is that?" I was genuinely curious, seeing as I didn''t really know much about either of them, though that wasn''t all that weird considering I hadn''t been here that long and that they weren''t around all that often during my shifts.


    "22 years," Mr. Kouno answered for her, going about his business while I wondered what the odds were that when I arrived the place suddenly got busier.


    "23, dear," Mrs. Kouno corrected, walking by and restocking a shelf with cookies and ch.i.p.s, before returning to the counter to serve more customers.


    "Ah, right," he said airily while his wife smiled and worked alongside him.


    After that there was only brief talking amongst ourselves as we spent most of our time paying attention to the customers and moving around the store to solve whatever problems came up, and even that was mostly the Kounos''. It almost felt like I was intruding because of how sweet and personal they were with each other, which I suppose I was considering I wasn''t supposed to be here, in any sense really.


    And just like that, hours passed and my shift ended.


    I changed out of the uniform and waved as I headed out.


    The next day brought with it slightly warmer weather and less crowded streets. I was walking around and familiarizing myself with a new area of the city, I''d always found it easy enough to memorize directions when paying attention but the problem was I had more on my mind due to my situation and ended up drawing out the process because of frequent distractions and retracing my steps. This was the last part of the city that I wanted to memorize as I didn''t really think the others would be worth it. It was peaceful, a lot more well to do than the other places I''d gone to and definitely looked the part with the larger houses and more luxurious area in general. The only reason I considered this place being of any importance was the fact that most of the people living here would probably have some stuff worth salvaging, though I doubted I''d be the only person to think of looting fancy houses. Still, even disregarding my less than good intentions for being here I found I could still greatly enjoy the cold air and relaxed atmosphere here.


    I was doing it again.


    I blinked and stood in place to bring myself back to my initial task. Where was I? I looked around and saw the last recognizable house about two blocks away. I sighed and started my way back.


    "Bark! Bark!" I heard what sounded like a small dog barking angrily. I turned and saw the culprit running towards me before stopping when my eyes settled on it, at which point it settled for growling at me.


    "Tamotsu!" I turned my head to the new voice, and I noticed the dog did too. There was a girl quickly walking towards us. She was pale, with hair the color of an apricot and dark blue eyes. She had a long cream colored coat and a fluffy hat that she had her hand on as she sped closer. When she finally reached us she grabbed the dog''s collar and started to pet it for a few seconds before turning to me. "I apologize, he is not usually so hostile." she looked sorry and spoke very formally, definitely belonged here.


    "It''s alright," I responded, not sure what to do when addressed so politely for something that wasn''t really a big deal. "Animals don''t tend to like me anyways, so I''m used to it." I looked at the dog and observed him more since he wasn''t showing any hostility, instead wagging his tail happily as his owner pet him.


    "Still," she said, keeping her tone apologetic. "He has been trained, I thought he would be better behaved."


    I remember thinking so too when our family got a dog, not that it stopped him from misbehaving.


    I looked at the dog again, he seemed rather young and his collar looked rather new, though that might have been the high quality material making it seem as such.


    "Is he your first dog?" I asked, trying not to come off as rude.


    She blinked a bit before nodding. "How did you know?" She seemed honestly shocked that I knew.


    "That''s what I thought when we got our dog," I remembered being suddenly struck by the realization that I didn''t know anything about them other than the fact that they were adorable and fun to be with when my parents asked me to take care of him while everyone else was out. Months later and I found myself not knowing much more as I wasn''t the one taking care of him most of the time since while everyone else was away wasn''t very long.


    "Oh!" She perked up and brought her hands together while smiling brightly. "You have a dog too? What is his name? What does he look like?" She peppered me with questions, seemingly delighted to talk about dogs, though she didn''t sound like she knew much about them either. "Ah!" She suddenly stopped and covered her mouth, looking away. "I am sorry for asking so much, that was rather unbecoming of me."


    "No, it''s fine," I assured her again, starting to feel rather uncomfortable with how formal she was being. "His name was Sammy," I started, deciding to answer all that I could.


    "Shammee?" She asked, tilting her head and messing up his name.


    "It''s short for Samuel, it''s English." I explained, feeling it weird to tell her that when to me it sounded as if we were already speaking it.


    "Oh my, how exotic!" She exclaimed, brightening up again. English. Exotic. Heh.


    "He was a mix, can''t recall what kind though I remember one part was labrador." I answered another question, trying to get through the few I could at least partially answer. "He was black, kinda small for a lab with a goofy face and we had him for 6-ish months." I couldn''t really remember much about him.


    "Why so short?" She asked, before gasping. "I must ask for your forgiveness, my apologies for bringing up such a painful subject." She bowed and seemed more distraught than before.


    "Don''t be, I just moved here, I used to live in America and I meant ''had'' as in, I no longer care for him since I''m not there." I quickly explained, trying to calm her down again. The dog, licked at her, seemingly sensing her mood and doing his part to keep her happy.


    She relaxed, her face lightening up and mood rising again. Then she kneeled patiently, waiting for me to say more while petting the dog. "That''s all I got," I said, not knowing what to say next as there wasn''t anything else I knew about the dog. I settled for staring at hers. He was a cute one, what with his floppy black ears and how happy he seemed to be stroked.


    After petting the dog for a few more seconds the girl made a sound and looked to me, "It just occurred to me that I was taking him for a walk when he came over here, I should be going." She stood and kept her gaze on me. "I''m sorry for not doing so until now but I would like to introduce my dog as well as myself. His name is Tamotsu and mine is Kimura Sachiko, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She finished her statement with a bow.


    "Ah, I''m Vega Thomas, nice to meet you." I dipped my head a bit, forgoing a hand shake because of how formal she seemed to be.


    "Before I go Vega-san, you said you have just moved here, did you mean this neighborhood?" I shook my head and she stood in silence for a second before speaking again. "What reason are you here for then? Was it to see someone?"


    "Just checking out the city," I answered. "I only came here a few months ago so I wanted to take a look around to familiarize myself and because I like taking walks." She made a noise of understanding before she bowed again.


    "It was a pleasure to meet you, and I hope we can continue to do so in the future. With that being said, please treat me kindly from here on out." She rose from her bow and started to lead the way home, Tamotsu trotting behind her.


    I just stared at them. That was the first person I''d talked to outside of work, my martial arts classes or some of the main group and it hadn''t gone bad at all. I suppose living independently for a while helped, maybe.


    Now that I wasn''t talking to anyone or doing much of anything else I continued my way throughout the neighberhood, observing and memorizing streets and houses. Still quite a bit to go.


    [3rd]


    Night came, so she was running. Saeko was hoping she''d see the boy again this time. She hadn''t seen him the past few days and her father would be home by noon tomorrow so she wanted to see if he''d be able to surpass her yet. She held herself back from rushing towards where they usually met, not wanting to tire herself out even a single bit before their competition truly began. Normally, she didn''t let herself get caught up in things like this. In fact, when she first encountered him, she thought he was another person trying to have his way with her, after all, no one else in town ran at the same time she did. Ever. Those that did so recreationally were either old enough to do so during working hours, playing on a playground or practicing on the track field.


    So she''d prepared accordingly, making sure to be aware of her surroundings in case there were more of them and keeping her arms close so she could draw her bokken.


    Then she stopped being able to hear him. After the initial spike in wariness for reinforcements she''d mellowed out through the run. She never quite fully relaxed until reaching her home but found her caution was for naught.


    Even if she''d wanted him to try something.


    A few days later she heard him again.


    And so the cycle of running, listening, alertness and relaxation had carried on until a little after two weeks, at which point he started appearing in front of her and she gradually saw a worthy challenger for herself.


    Here came the turn.


    Nothing.


    Saeko felt dissapointed. Incredibly so. Just another run then.


    She turned another corner and was rather surprised to see him. He''d gotten good enough to get ahead, even if it was for just a few seconds.


    How wonderful.


    40 minutes had passed. They were so close. Unlike last time the boy had managed to keep pace with her, so that they were running side to side. He was a step or two behind and that would probably grow a bit before they stopped running in a few minutes but she still felt exhilarated.


    Before she''d met him, any fields she excelled at, she dominated in. Kendo, calligraphy, swordplay in general. She either dominated or found herself in the middle of the pack. To find someone that could keep up with her, even among the track team had been impossible and he''d done so at quite the pace. Saeko could count the times she was this excited on two hands.


    They had gone for almost 50 minutes before coming to a stop. They were relatively close, he was only been about a quarter of a meter behind her. Both were panting hard, though he seemed to be feeling it more. After sometime had passed Saeko rose first, this time seeking to give the congratulations that she couldn''t give last time.


    "I would like to congratulate you for a job well done. I have rarely seen or heard of someone growing so quickly, and certainly never here." She offered a small smile to her fellow runner, waiting for him to say something.


    "Th-" A wheeze, he held his hand up before finally raising himself completely, still breathing a bit laborously. "Thanks," He stated simply, looking at her for a moment before offering a hand. "Nice one, even if it wasn''t as hard on you, that''s still pretty impressive, moreso I guess."


    Saeko took the words and his hand with grace, "Thank you, I have worked quite hard to get to this level as well." She stared at him for a while, wondering what to say now that they''d actually managed to stay in the same area without being occupied with anything, she could see that he was struggling with what to do as well, though he looked a bit more uncomfortable than she did.


    "My name is-"


    "I''m-"


    They both cut off and stared at one another, presumably waiting for the other to continue where they left off. He waved his hand in a ''you first'' motion and Saeko nodded.


    "My name is Busujima Saeko, daughter of Busujima Hideki. I am a third year at Fujimi Academy, it is nice to meet you." Saeko bowed and waited for the boy to do the same.


    "I''m Vega Thomas, a clerk at a nearby store, nice to meetcha." Thomas started to stick his hand out again before bowing his head as well.


    "Oh my, are you American?" Saeko asked while raising her brows. He made a noise of confirmation and nodded. She supposed it was because of the darkness but he didn''t really seem all that different, thought now that she looked closer she noticed his frame was broader and he was taller than most males she''d seen. "I had no idea, your Japanese is impeccable." She meant it too, she''d met natives who didn''t speak that well, even if he did speak quite informally.


    Thomas blinked, "Uh, thanks. I didn''t know it was that good." He seemed genuinely surprised to hear her say that.


    "Did you not practice it?" Saeko was confused now and curious as well. It was comparable to if she was surprised about being placed in a match, she put many hours and quite a bit of preparation into her craft so it made sense to at least get that far.


    "I, uh, didn''t get any formal lessons or anything." He was starting to look uncomfortable, swaying a bit and bringing his arms closer to his sides as if the silence from before was preferable to the topic at hand.


    "You are self-taught?" He nodded, Saeko was more impressed now, someone with the diligence and talent to rapidly increase his stamina and speed yet with the brains to teach himself an entirely different language.


    Saeko smiled at Thomas again, who looked better now that she''d apparently stopped talking about his Japanese. "Remarkable. Well then, since we have been formally introduced I would ask that you please take care of me," Saeko bowed again, deeper this time. He returned the bow and opened his mouth to say something.


    "Same here but I guess I''ll get going then, I need to bathe and get some rest for work tomorrow." He started to walk away before Saeko followed after him.


    "Last time, when I started to return home I noticed I missed you on the way, where did you go?" She was walking next to him now, asking this as they slowly trod along.


    "I''ve been here for a few months and don''t do much other than work, work out or take walks so I''ve got most of this area memorized." He answered without looking at her.


    "Why choose that way then?"


    "It''s shorter."


    "Then why do you take the longer route when running?" Once again Saeko found her curiousity and confusion peaked.


    "The alternate route doesn''t have just running. And it''s not exactly... safe." He took a turn that Saeko did not recognize, it would be interesting to see where this would lead.


    "What does it involve then?" She usually wasn''t this inquisitive, and part of her was wondering why she was sticking to him this badly. Thomas, for his part, didn''t really seem to care, the initial awkardness between them gone to him.


    "Parkour." A simple answer, which wasn''t to say she knew what that was. But when she was about to ask what that was Thomas suddenly jumped over a fence and started to sprint away, some of his energy evidently back.


    Oh, Saeko thought. I wonder if that''s what it is.


    [1st]


    Since I cleaned up I''ve been lying in bed thinking about how many of the characters I''ve met and how long it''ll take for me to complete the set since I was pretty sure I''d at least meet most of the main characters before everything went down. Takashi and Rei during my first week here, Kohta sometime after signing up for karate, Saeko just now, and possibly Zeke if I was right about the dog from earlier being him. I didn''t really think much about that until I started doing a headcount; Sachiko had seemed to be a good match for the image of his master from both versions and the name difference was to be expected. That just left Takagi, Shizuka and Alice.


    Getting past that, regardless of the fact that Christmas was in a few days I found that my situation hadn''t changed in the last few days since thinking about it and decided to continue working. Mr. and Mrs. Kouno would be the only ones in besides me for the next two days and they would keep the place open until the day of, when they would have whatever family could make it over to relax and chat.


    I wonder if I should get a movie or something for then.


    "Would you like to come to our house?" Mr. Kouno asked, smiling warmly at me.


    "Eh?" Today they''d closed early and I''d assumed it was to prepare for their guests tomorrow so I was rather surprised they were inviting me.


    "You told us you had moved to Japan alone and we thought it''d be nice to invite you over today so you could have some company, and besides that, the majority of our family aren''t arriving until tomorrow. If you have other plans it''s alright to say no, we were just wondering" Mrs. Kouno came in to explain as we all worked to clean up for the weekend. Mr. Kouno smiled and continued working, apparently content with letting his wife do the talking.


    "Yeah, I mean yes, that would be nice, but, if I may ask: who''s already there?" I would be rather nervous to meet the family of someone I barely knew and I wanted to make sure that there weren''t too many people already there.


    "Our eldest, Saburo and his family along with our youngest daughter, Suzume." I''d only heard about their oldest son from one of the regulars just coming in to give good wishes to the Kouno''s.


    "Oh, well, uh, ok then." I didn''t really know what to say to such kindness, I''d known they were good people but I didn''t think they''d take what was basically a stranger into their house, especially during a family get together, even if most of those people weren''t there yet. "When do you want me to come over then?"


    "Just come over now, no need to worry about gifts or dressing up." Mr. Kouno answered this time, having started up his car, a little thing which seemed kind of homey if that made any sense. He brought his wife over to the car and opened the door for her before doing so for me and stepping into the driver''s side. I sat down and closed the door while putting my seat belt on.


    It felt nice.


    Their house was rather nice, not massive but not my small abode and certainly not a dump.


    As we stepped inside and took off our shoes the first thing to notice was the sounds; children, one crying and the others whooping.


    The second thing was what was causing those noises.


    In the middle of the living room was a man, Saburo, presumably, swinging around two of his kids on his back, both hollering with a grin that seemed to exude positivity itself. Close to those two, seated at a table were a woman and a baby who was quiet now that the woman had apparently done something to appease them.


    Once we were in the doorway of the living room the two boys looked over and dropped from Saburo''s back to rush to their grandparents. They tried talking over each with the bigger one mostly succeeding, though not without at least a little bit of interference from the younger one.


    "Kenta, Shindo, slow down for a sec and go one at a time," Saburo chastised, coming over to hold back his boys before they knocked over Satoru and Ayame in their excitement before noticing me. "Oh, hello there," he looked to his parents for a second before directing his attention back to me. His mother stopped whatever words were going to come next and waved her hand for me to introduce myself.


    "Vega Thomas, nice to meet you," I bowed as I didn''t know whether an informal greeting would be good or not.


    At this point he''d waved his wife over so they could introduce themselves. He bowed and spoke "I am Kouno Saburo, it is good to meet you," he put his hand on the boys and continued "these are my sons, Kenta and Shindo," they bowed lightly with mumbled greetings before his wife began for herself.


    "I am Kouno Mamiko, and this is our daughter Mei," she bowed while holding the baby, who was looking a bit tired by now.


    "Tom-chan will be with us for a few hours since he lives here alone," Ayame explained while smiling with a hand on my back. "He''s here as part of the family tonight."


    My eyes widened a bit in shock, them inviting me over was nice enough but saying to treat me like family? I''d only really expect that with childhood friends, never strangers. Regardless of how I felt on the matter Saburo and his family didn''t really seem to have a problem with that and waved me in.


    "Where''s Suzume?" Satoru asked, looking around the room for his daughter. Saburo pointed to a door to our left. Satoru nodded and turned to address his wife when the door opened and a woman stepped out.


    Sometimes when reading or watching something you hear a girl being described as ''frosty'', ''intimidating'', or the most popular, entirely out of your league. This was one of those times. The person before me didn''t really look all that similar to her parents, Saburo seemed to have his father''s build and face, his mother''s hair and nose, and a few other features, albeit a bit smoother and such because, you know, age and stuff, while his kids had their fair share of similar traits. The only things I could see that could have been passed down for Suzume was Satoru''s height and how straight her hair was though that could''ve been from either parent; her hair was lighter, almost red, her eyes were sharper than either of them, her face more refined and her body of a slimmer build. It was kinda like watching a show where one or more of the children didn''t match but no one really commented on it.


    That being said as soon as she saw her parents her face lit up and she rushed over, dashing away the ''ice queen'' image I''d briefly thought of. I suppose the, uh, energy she had seemed similar.


    "Dad!" She wound her arms under his and opened her mouth to talk before she saw me behind him, I saw the smile go away as her expression became neutral. How rude, acting like that to your new brother. Oh wait. She hadn''t been there to hear that. Right.


    "Who''s this?" Sweet, more introductions, I just hope I don''t have to repeat this any more after this.


    "This is Vega Thomas, he works at our store, he''ll be staying with us for a few hours as he doesn''t have any family nearby," Satoru said, bringing Suzume''s attention back to him and the hug she was still in.


    Thanks for taking that off my hands, I thought, giving a brief wave to her as she pulled out of the hug.


    "Kouno Suzume," she bowed quickly to which I dipped a bit as well. She walked over to her mother to give her a hug as well and they started to chat.


    With introductions out of the way, I just hoped they would start a conversation and keep it going, that kind of thing was never really my strong suit, all the times I''d pulled it off successfully so far were either luck or the me from before. Satoru put his hand on my shoulder and nodded his head towards what looked like the kitchen


    "Would you mind coming with me?" He asked, I just nodded and we started to walk over as he dropped his hand. Once we got inside I saw another table with a bunch of stuff lying around. "Suzume doesn''t mean anything by her actions, she just takes a bit to warm up is all." Ah, so he''d noticed too, cool.


    "I understand." I couldn''t really think of anything else to say, back home I''d acted kind of the same way, at least when meeting a bunch of new people. That was one of the reasons I''d hoped there wasn''t many people here. Before, during family or friend parties I''d found it rather hard to feel relaxed in any capacity if there was more than 8 or so people. I liked to think I''d improved a bit since arriving here, even if only a little, but I''d still like to keep the contact with random people low.


    Since arriving in the room, Satoru had walked around and grabbed a bunch of snacks, and it was now that he pointed to a cabinet above me, "hand me the plates, please, they should be on the middle shelf." I just nodded and opened it before spotting them and handing a few over. "That should be enough," he declared, putting stuff on the plates and nodding his head in satisfaction before turning back to me with two in hand. He handed them to me and grabbed one himself before motioning to the doorway with his head and heading out with it. "Normally my wife and I would do this as everyone here is family but I figure if you''re here and standing by the food, it''ll be an easy way for the others to approach and get to know you." He said as I followed him to the table where Mamiko had been sitting with the baby a few minutes ago. I nodded, once again thankful for how thoughtful he was.


    I hope I don''t screw this up.


    Nothing too bad so far, accidentally sounded like I was making a pass at Suzume I think, I can''t for the life of me remember what I said, just that she didn''t look too impressed before excusing herself. Other than that though, smooth sailing. Hopefully.


    After that Satoru had pulled me into a conversation about work and how busy it was the past few days, he''d been telling Saburo and Mamiko about it, saw me walking to the kitchen and dragged me in for a second account as Ayame was playing with the kids.


    Then his other son arrived.


    His name was Aoi and the strangest thing about him was just how normal he appeared. Even with Satoru and Ayame looking relatively their age (that being early fifties), you could tell they had looked good, if not beautiful when they were younger and both kids I''d seen until now were much the same. The plainness of Aoi''s overall appearance was unexpected.


    That just made me realize how used I''d gotten to seeing everyone being somewhere between ''noice'' to ''a strong 11/10''. Regardless of that though, his personality had been a good fit for what I''d seen so far (with the exception of Suzume): welcoming and energetic, though his particular brand of bundle of energy seemed to carry more charisma with it, as his appearance made everyone suddenly convene on him.


    Which led to now, the siblings doing most of the talking with either parent getting a shot in when they wanted and Mamiko and I just watching.


    "You always acted so much bigger than Akane and Suzume but look at you now, you''re the same height," Saburo prodded at Aoi, who pretended to puff his chest at his actions and responded in kind, though Saburo seemed immune to his attempts at tickling.


    "Looks like I can''t exactly call you big bro now," Suzume said dryly, a small smirk on her face as her brothers continued their duel.


    "Hey, hey, hey, I''m still your big bro! There''s two whole centimeters between us!" Aoi turned to Suzume briefly before backing away from Saburo and putting up a defensive stance. Suzume snorted at that, which Aoi decided was worthy of another comment. "You laugh but it makes all the difference, and besides that I''ll take what I can get at this point, what''s up with you still growing anyways? Weren''t you supposed to stop like, 3 years ago?"


    They continued their routine and I turned to Mamiko, wondering how she would react to her husband acting like this. She was covering her mouth and smothering her laughter and looking at his parents they were just watching, apparently content with not stepping in for now.


    "You''ve been in college for like, half a year right? How come I haven''t heard about any boyfriends or anything yet huh? Scare them all off?" The conversation had seemingly switched tracks quite a bit, with the brothers out of their stances and facing Suzume, who suddenly seemed to be getting ganged up on.


    "Isn''t it my job to ask about that?" Satoru asked, putting his hand on his chin and stroking it. Suzume looked shocked and betrayed before turning to her mother.


    "Mother, help, everyone''s ganging up on me," She said, hurrying towards her mother and stepping behind her for protection.


    "I was wondering the same thing Suzume, I''d really like more grandchildren soon." Suzume recoiled as if burned and pointed to Saburo.


    "You have him for that, I''m sure he wouldn''t mind making more," Saburo sputtered and looked to his kids while Mamiko''s laughter suddenly stopped as her face went a bit red. Aoi was ignorant of this and just laughing at what Suzume had said, bent over a bit and starting to wheeze.


    "Never too many grandkids Suzume, I just so happen to have a guy in mind for you." Satoru was completely unfazed by her joke and was starting a counterattack. He rushed over to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders while shaking me, "How about Tom-chan here? He''s been working for us for a while and seems like a very responsible young man," he laughed as everyone''s attention suddenly turned to me.


    Why. Why me.


    "No thank you," Suzume rebuffed her father''s attempts at setting her up as quick as a whip and just as harsh.


    Aoi was quickly at my side to soothe the pain from my rejection. "Ooh, rejected before even making it out of the gate, don''t worry Vega-san, I''m sure she''s just shy" he grinned at and shook me just as his father had when offering me up.


    My face was definitely red now, I wasn''t that good with attention from more than like, 3 people and especially not with conversations like this. I just hoped no one noti- not going to finish that sentence.


    Suzume went a little red as well, possibly from how rude that could have been taken, stranger or not. I suddenly felt a twinge of sympathy for romance manga characters, if they always felt this awkward a little blushing was excusable.


    "No disrespect meant, Vega-san," she quickly dipped as she apologized, which made Aoi laugh.


    "See what I mean? Give her time to warm up and boom, you''re golden." Please just let these shenanigans end, I was starting to itch from embarrassment.


    "What about you? Aoi, all I see is your arm around a guy a few years your junior with a red face-" Geh, he''d noticed. "-what about this girlfriend you''ve been bragging about? Or do you just spend your time harassing younger guys?" Saburo came to my rescue, oh praise the sun. Aoi quickly disengaged from me with an indignant squawk. "What did you say her name was? Shizuka? Sofue?" Saburo rubbed at his chin, practically the spitting image of his father.


    "No, it was Sayaka, right?" Satoru said confidently.


    "No, no, no, Shizuka''s her sister, and I don''t know where the other two came from. Her name''s Chitoge, Marikawa Chitoge," Aoi turned on Saburo, clasping his hands and putting on a theatrical look of longing, "and as much as I begged and pleaded for her to come, it was not to be, as she was having a party with her sister," he dropped his act and shrugged his shoulders, "something about celebrating and helping her deal with a breakup, though she said she''d be over for New Year''s."


    He suddenly perked up, "Oh! She gave me a present for mom and pop too!" He quickly went outside and retrieved two small bags before handing them to both his parents, "she said it was alright to open them now and that she wanted to leave a good a first impression in case she ended up fumbling when she got here," he laughed a bit when he added the last part as they both unwrapped the bundles and looked at what was inside, one of those hats with the ear flaps for Satoru and a scarf for Ayame, both looking quite comfortable and soft.


    "Oh-ho," Satoru said, visibly happy with his gift as he looked it over before putting it on, "nice and warm, where did she get these?"


    "She made them," Aoi said, preening under the praise of his parents over his girlfriend''s gift.


    "Eh!" Satoru''s face was one of clear shock, his mouth open and eyes wide, "she''s definitely too kind for my fool of a son, are we sure you''re not pulling a fast one on us?" Aoi deflated as Suzume and Saburo cracked up at the jab before turning to them and starting the back and forth anew.


    It felt really nice.

 Chapter 354 - My OC Stash #54 - Weeb by Andrius (HarryPotter)

    -Hands down one of the best "parody" fic out there, I came in expecting cringe but it''s surprisingly funny~


    Synopsis: Harry grows up watching anime and fantasizing about having superpowers. When his Hogwarts letter arrives, he jumps at the chance to live the life of a harem protagonist. Not a harem fic. Timeline moved forward to modern day.


    Rated: M


    Words: 124K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12350003/1/Weeb (Andrius)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    "Witness the might of the Eternal Warlock!" Harry proclaimed to the front lawn of number four, Privet Drive. "Mwahahaha!"


    "Harry, could you help me in the kitchen?" Aunt Petunia called through an ajar window.


    He struck the ground with the butt of his staff. "You ask this of me, who possesses the ultimate power?"


    "Put that power to good use and shell these peas," she said. "Make sure to wash your hands first."


    "Yes, Aunt Petunia." Sighing, he hid the well-polished stick behind the flowerpots and traipsed inside.


    Over the years, his guardians had become grudgingly tolerant of him and Dudley playing samurai or superheroes or whatever other wicked stuff they saw on the telly, but Petunia liked tidiness in her garden, and he didn''t want to lose his Staff of Doom. After all, he''d spent a week drawing mystical runes on it using a felt-tip pen nicked from Dudley.


    The reason for Vernon''s and Petunia''s aversion towards all things fantastic eluded him. Why, the first time he and Dudley had raced down the stairs pretending to shoot ki blasts at each other, Harry''s aunt went white as a sheet and his uncle nearly had a conniption. The boys were forced to endure a stern talking-to, with Petunia asking her Duddykins whether Harry had done anything weird, before the a.d.u.l.ts allowed the play-acting to continue¡ªafter a careful explanation that none of that ''nonsense'' was real, that is.


    Vernon still grumbled about ''that foreign rubbish rotting their brains'' whenever he spotted the cousins watching Dragon Ball, but Dudley was rarely denied anything, and it would have been hypocritical of his parents to permit only one of the boys to enjoy their favorite animated series.


    A classmate Harry had confided in guessed that the Dursleys were ultra-religious. He said his cousin from the countryside was forbidden from watching TV and reading any comics or books not approved by his parents, for they were filled with the words of the devil. Harry just nodded in sympathy back then, thinking that his own situation was different. The Dursleys and the little Potter did go to church on Christmas and Easter, but God never came up in a day-to-day conversation in their household.


    Most nine-year-olds wouldn''t have dwelled on this mystery for long, but he figured that his guardians, perfectly normal people that they were, wouldn''t be acting this odd without a reason. Furthermore, Harry himself vaguely recalled a couple of incidents from his early childhood when unexplainable stuff occurred around him.


    That being said, he couldn''t make anything weird happen no matter what occult invocations he spoke while brandishing his staff, nor how much he strained his muscles while pretending to power up, so perhaps it had just been his imagination. Either way, Harry knew better than to ask his family for clarification.


    At least he could play whatever he wanted these days, with Aunt Petunia adopting a weary resignation towards his antics. Harry was still careful not to go too wild within eyeshot of his uncle, who could be downright scary when angered; he usually retreated to his room or the nearby park after Vernon came home from work.


    "Oi, cuz, I got homework that needs doing," Dudley said, blocking the corridor with his meaty arm.


    "Get on with it, then," Harry shot back.


    "I''ll give you my pocket money," Dudley offered, jingling the coins in his fist.


    He stared at him with distrust. "Money first, or you''ll just ''forget'' again."


    "Heh. Whatever, I''ll just ask Mum for more."


    Accepting the coins and Dudley''s exercise book, Harry proceeded into his room. This was a frequent occurrence lately, and he suspected his ''help'' was the only reason his cousin was maintaining his mediocre grades. Dudley had lost any motivation for schoolwork and spent all his time in the company of the school''s most notorious bullies. He''d also grown to be nearly twice Harry''s size¡ªin width, if not height¡ªwhich came in handy when extorting lunch money.


    Owing to their familial relation, Harry was never a target of Dudley''s gang, but the boys never talked in public anymore. Harry was told he was too lame to hang with the cool kids, and his cousin denounced ever having any interest in ''stupid Chinese cartoons''. That stuff was for specky geeks, after all.


    As a result of them drifting apart, the last two years of primary school weren''t very pleasant. Harry never made many friends, and without Dudley''s imposing presence to deter them, his rowdier classmates were free to deride him for being too skinny, wearing dorky glasses, or loudly discussing an ongoing show during recess with a rare fellow soul. Perhaps he''d have renounced his favorite pastime, were it not for the anime club at the local library.


    After pestering his aunt into allowing him to join, he never missed a meeting. The group would watch various series and movies, and squabble about whether subs or dubs were superior until they were blue in the face. While the senior members treated him like a snot-nosed brat, he could feel an undercurrent of camaraderie through their shared hobby. For Harry, it was the best time of the week.


    Their de facto leader was Brandon, a chubby teenager who peppered his speech with Japanese words and butted heads with anyone who dared disagree with his opinions. The others considered him obnoxious, but Harry didn''t mind him much, even though he did insist on calling Harry a kouhai and ridicule all of his childhood''s favorite series. Brandon was always teaching him new words, and he also brought in the most interesting shows.


    It was here in the library that Harry''s life was forever changed.


    "It''s after hours, and you know what that means, gentlemen," Brandon said, glancing at his watch before rising from his chair. "We turn the kiddy garbage off and put on some quality entertainment. I got something amazing this time¡ªthe uncensored hot springs episode alone is a masterpiece."


    "You guys are so gross," a female voice said from the back. "I''m out of here."


    Chairs scr.a.p.ed the floor as the majority of the club filtered out of the room. Brandon locked the door and headed for the computer, peering at the handful of boys who stayed. His eyes lingered on Harry.


    "Maybe you should go home for tonight. This stuff''s not for kids."


    "But I want to watch! Please, senpai!"


    Brandon''s pudgy face colored slightly. That was the first time Harry had used the word despite all his previous attempts to get the younger boy to call him that. "Fine, just don''t tell anybody."


    "You didn''t bring p.o.r.n, did you?" another teen asked.


    "Pfft, it''s nothing but wholesome fanservice!" Brandon scratched his pimply chin and began fiddling with the computer. "Don''t fret, it aired on TV in Japan¡ªalthough how they get away with showing this, I haven''t the foggiest. Living there must be awesome... There we go."


    Harry gazed at the projector screen with bated breath, caught up in the riveting story of an average teenager who discovered a hidden power, transferred to a special school, and inexplicably ended up living with a bunch of cute girls. Salacious shenanigans like the main character walking in on a girl getting changed or tripping and accidentally groping her chest had him blushing, and he was glad the lights in the room were off.


    "Er, guys... what is this kind of show called?" Harry asked in what he hoped was a nonchalant tone.


    As usual, Brandon was eager to flaunt his knowledge. "That, my friend, is a harem."


    "A harem," he repeated wistfully, now watching the protagonist receive scrumptious lunchboxes from three different girls. Harry''s own school lunches were bland and soggy, and Aunt Petunia''s fad diets were even worse. "I think I''d like one of those."


    Scattered laughter greeted his words.


    "It''s every man''s dream," Brandon said solemnly. "Sadly, that''s something that can only exist in the pure world of 2D."


    Harry nodded thoughtfully. This anime was like nothing he''d ever seen before, and he had to have more. His aunt had promised to buy him his own computer if he continued getting good marks at school; if he was allowed to keep it in his room, perhaps he could look up those sorts of things with the Dursleys being none the wiser.


    Joining the club aside, Harry''s most life-altering event transpired during dinner with his family prior to his eleventh birthday. A sharp crack sounded somewhere in the street, causing Petunia to drop her fork with a clatter. She clasped it again and stilled, fingers whitening with tension, then relaxing as the silence outside stretched on.


    Then the doorbell rang, and Petunia nearly jumped out of her chair. Oblivious to his wife''s distress, Vernon raised his head from his meal and stood with a grunt. Harry followed his uncle with his eyes, curious about what visitor could be calling this late.


    "Good evening, Mr. Dursley. My name is Minerva McGonagall, and I''m the deputy headmistress at¡ª"


    "Look here, we don''t need whatever it is you''re... selling..." His voice faltered.


    "Vernon!" Petunia rushed to the door. "Vernon, she''s one of them!"


    "I can ruddy well see that!"


    Harry glanced at Dudley, but his cousin obviously had no more idea of who ''they'' were than he himself did. Taking care not to scr.a.p.e his chair against the floor, he stood and tiptoed to the kitchen door. From that spot, McGonagall''s crisp voice could be heard clearly.


    "Mrs. Dursley, it''s good to see you in such high spirits. May I come in? We have things to discuss."


    There were heated whispers that Harry couldn''t make out before the front door banged shut. Petunia hurried back into the kitchen, her face paler than he''d ever seen.


    "Dudley, go play upstairs. Harry¡ªliving room, now."


    It was a testament to how severe she looked that even his cousin obeyed without talking back. Harry gulped and followed her to the living room, where he was greeted by an unusual sight.


    Minerva McGonagall turned out to be an elderly woman¡ªa lady, he corrected himself¡ªwho wore a long black coat over a dress straight out of a historical drama. Sitting on the couch with her back ramrod straight, she held what appeared to be a pointy hat in her lap. Uncle Vernon occupied the armchair on the opposite side of the coffee table, his mustache quivering as he scowled in the guest''s general direction.


    Harry lingered at the threshold until his aunt ushered him in and sat him down on the second armchair. Petunia herself remained standing, as though hinting the unexpected visitor not to overstay her welcome.


    The lady smiled at him gently. "Good evening, Mr. Potter. My name is Minerva McGonagall, and I''m a professor at Hogwarts. Do you know what that is?"


    Harry clutched the armrests, uneasy at the attention. "No, ma''am."


    "It''s a good thing I decided to come in person, then," McGonagall continued with a slight frown. "Hogwarts is Europe''s premier school of witchcraft and wizardry. You have a place there, just like your parents did before you."


    Harry choked back his laughter at that ridiculous statement when he saw the pained expression on his aunt''s face. He glanced at the hat the purported professor was holding.


    "Are you saying I''m supposed to be a witch... er?" He imagined himself swinging a silver sword and slaying monsters.


    "Women are witches, Mr. Potter¡ªyou, on the other hand, are very much a wizard."


    He leaned forward eagerly. "You mean I''ll be able to do magic? And wear a pointy hat and everything?"


    McGonagall smiled, stroking the brim of her iconic headwear. "Why, certainly. The hat is a part of the Hogwarts uniform and is worn on formal occasions. As to your first question, that''s what our school is for." She paused, glancing at the Dursleys. "Muggle parents often require a demonstration before they''re convinced this is not a practical joke of some kind, but I''m not sure it is necessary in this case..."


    Harry bounced in his seat. "Oh, please!" he uttered before his guardians could protest.


    "Very well." McGonagall produced a thin stick¡ªan actual wand, Harry thought with a thrill¡ªand gave it an intricate twirl, pointing at the coffee table. The wooden construction shuddered and collapsed into itself, turning into a colorful garden gnome.


    "Whoa..." Harry gaped at it, hardly believing his eyes. The woman was a real witch. She did magic. And, if she was to be believed, he could learn it too! He lifted his head, about to pelt the professor with a million questions, but they stuck in his throat when he saw the state of his family.


    Vernon was crossing himself¡ªhe never did that¡ªwhile Petunia whimpered, covering her mouth with trembling hands. Noticing their alarm, McGonagall sighed and raised her wand again.


    "There''s no need for dramatics," she said, disdain coloring her voice. An almost careless gesture returned the coffee table to its original state. "It was basic Transfiguration¡ªyou must''ve heard about it from your sister, Mrs. Dursley, seen it¡ª"


    "M-my sister," Petunia interrupted, finally finding her voice, "my sister, whom you took away from us and got killed!" Sobbing, she drew closer to Vernon, who squeezed her in a one-armed hug.


    "I thought my parents died in a car crash," Harry said in a betrayed voice. Magic didn''t seem so neat all of a sudden.


    "Poppyc.o.c.k," McGonagall said firmly. "James and Lily Potter were murdered by a Dark wizard, one whose name we dare not speak to this day. He was the one who gave you that scar"¡ªHarry''s hand shot up to his forehead¡ª"vanishing in his attempt on your life. Your story is famous in our world, Mr. Potter."


    "Enough," Petunia demanded. "He''s just a child!"


    "You would deny him his heritage? The knowledge about the fate of his own parents?" The witch''s voice became agitated for the first time that evening.


    "If it protects him, yes." Petunia raised her chin. "I''m not going to let you take my nephew away like you did his mother."


    McGonagall pursed her lips at the accusation, but her next words were conciliatory. "No one is going to force Mr. Potter to attend, of course¡ªhe can decide whether he wants to or not himself. I merely wish to make certain he is aware of his options."


    Petunia sniffed. "Do you expect me to trust you people to keep him safe?"


    "Harry, why don''t you go to your room," Uncle Vernon interjected, patting his wife''s hand gently. "We have a lot to discuss with the professor here."


    Given how it was his future that was being decided, Harry was reluctant to leave, but Vernon''s tone brooked no argument. He nodded and left, closing the door behind him and wincing when the voices of the three a.d.u.l.ts quickly rose in volume and pitch.


    Knowing full well how much the Dursleys valued obedience, he didn''t loiter outside the door but went up the stairs and began preparing for bed. Dudley''s incessant questions were deflected on autopilot as his mind reeled with all he''d learned. He was a wizard¡ªhe was capable of doing magic¡ªexcept it wasn''t all fun and games. His parents, apparently a witch and wizard themselves, had been murdered.


    Even when he lay down in bed, his thoughts kept him awake. He felt a pang of anger at his guardians for never telling him the truth, but then he remembered how scared Aunt Petunia had been at the prospect of McGonagall taking him away. He''d always had to work harder than Dudley to gain his family''s approval¡ªnot that he would ever voice the complaint¡ªthus his aunt acting so protective of him made him happy. Yet it was also worrying, for it meant the magical world was truly dangerous. Well, hopefully less dangerous now that the bad guy was gone.


    "Magical world," Harry whispered, his eyes wide open yet seeing mysterious castles, wondrous creatures, and ancient forests rather than the familiar darkness of his bedroom. It wasn''t much of a choice, was it? He''d been fascinated with fantasy worlds for most of his short life and was just told that one actually existed. There was simply no way he''d let this chance slip by! And if there were evil wizards lurking about, it was only smart to learn as much magic as possible so he could defend himself.


    Emboldened by his decision, Harry got up, stepped into his slippers, and sneaked downstairs. He followed the sound of hushed conversation to the dimly lit kitchen, where he found Vernon and Petunia talking over a cup of tea.


    Harry shifted his feet, the small noise causing his aunt to look up sharply. Her expression softened when she saw the boy and she beckoned him closer, ruffling his messy black hair.


    "Has that McGonagall lady left?" he asked quietly.


    Petunia pursed her lips. "Yes, and not a moment too soon."


    "All those things she said¡ªthey were true, weren''t they?"


    "They were," she said with a sigh.


    "I''m sorry," Harry blurted out after a short silence. "You know, for being a¡ªa wizard."


    Vernon and Petunia exchanged uncomfortable glances. "It''s not your fault¡­ son," Vernon said gruffly. "You can''t help it, being born this way."


    Petunia nodded and patted Harry on the head. "Do you even want to go to that madhouse of a school? The witch swore it was safe, but¡­" Her disgusted expression clearly showed what she thought of McGonagall''s promises.


    Harry nodded guardedly. "I do."


    The Dursleys exchanged another long look, then Harry''s uncle reached into his pocket and withdrew a thick, yellow envelope.


    "Then I guess we''ll have to make arrangements for your shopping trip."


    Harry beamed, his genuine happiness lightening up even the somber expressions on the Dursleys'' faces.


    Harry eyed the shabby storefront with suspicion. It didn''t look like much, but it was the only place to get a wand, Hagrid had said. He pushed the door open and stepped inside, the noises of the Diagon Alley fading as he crossed the threshold.


    He gasped when his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. The shop was much larger than its exterior suggested, with rows upon rows of dusty shelves extending into infinity. Trying to figure out where they ended was making him dizzy.


    "Wands. Lots of wands," he murmured.


    "Very astute, Mr. Potter," a reedy voice said behind him. Harry whirled around to find a white-haired man watching him with startlingly pale eyes. "Good afternoon, and welcome. I was wondering when you''d show up."


    "Er... hello, sir," Harry said, a little freaked out. The man had known who he was without even seeing the infamous scar. "I''d like to¡ª"


    "Buy your first wand, of course. How time flies! It seems only yesterday your parents were here to purchase theirs. Ten and a quarter inches, willow, for your mother; eleven inches, mahogany, for your father. Both well-suited to their particular talents¡ªthen again, no one leaves this place without a perfectly matched wand."


    Harry considered the seemingly endless stock and gulped. The wandmaker led him towards the counter, then disappeared between the shelves as though swallowed by the darkness. He came back carrying a teetering stack of boxes in his arms.


    "Shall we begin, Mr. Potter? Simply take the wand and give it a go," Ollivander explained, dumping the cases on the counter. "Here. Maple and unicorn hair, seven and a half inches, nice and springy."


    Unsure what to expect, Harry picked the wand up and waved it around. The shopkeeper promptly snatched it back, muttering something under his breath, then thrust another one at him. "Ebony and phoenix feather¡ªan unusual combination, but eminently effective in capable hands. Give it a try."


    Harry pouted when his hands didn''t appear to be capable, but Ollivander had another suggestion already. "Dogwood and unicorn hair, exactly ten inches¡ªoh dear."


    The wand made a loud ripping noise, and Harry let go in surprise. While embarrassed, he was still heartened to get a reaction; he''d been starting to think he had no talent for wizardry at all.


    The next wand was pine and dragon heartstring, and for the first time, Harry felt a pleasant warmth emanate from the wood. When Ollivander extended his hand, he was reluctant to give it back, which didn''t escape the wandmaker''s notice.


    "An affinity for pine? Hmm. A bit of a loner, are we?"


    Harry ducked his head bashfully. When he raised it again, he saw that Ollivander was off to bring more boxes. Five pinewood wands were tried and rejected, Ollivander making thoughtful noises as they went through the stock. He then reached for a particularly dusty box at the bottom of the pile.


    "Red pine, twelve inches, rather stiff. Dragon core, one of my... less popular variants."


    Harry looked askance at Ollivander but picked it up. When his fingers gripped the smooth handle, an electrifying tingle shot up his arm, filling his body with heat. He gave the wand a broad sweep, shooting out multicolored sparks that lingered in the air.


    "Mwahaha!" he laughed, feeling heady and energized. "Tremble before my power, mortals!"


    "I am quaking in my boots," Ollivander said dryly, bringing him back to earth. "I knew this wand would find its master one day. Alas, not many wizards acquiesce to a core of a dragon''s baculum."


    "Baculum, sir?"


    "Also known as the penile bone," Ollivander said. "I do not have a diagram on hand, but the name should be self-explanatory."


    Harry scanned the wandmaker''s face for signs of mockery but found none. "So inside this, there''s a dragon''s..."


    "Penile bone, yes. A splinter of such, if you wish to be exact."


    Harry chuckled nervously. "Mr. Ollivander, please¡ªsurely you''re just poking fun at a clueless Muggle-raised wizard like myself?" He slowly lowered the wand to the counter, but couldn''t bring himself to let go.


    The man drew himself up. "Mr. Potter, I treat my craft with the respect it deserves. Along with its heart, the baculum is a dragon''s most magical part. The only reason I seldom use it anymore is that customers ofttimes refuse to buy wands with these cores."


    "I wonder why," Harry muttered.


    "Nevertheless, these tend to have much the same characteristics as heartstring cores, which is to say they are powerful and temperamental," Ollivander continued a little indignantly. "Paired with pine, they make the most adaptive and quick-learning wands."


    Harry looked at the wand longingly, then at its maker who was gazing at him with affront. He sighed. "Alright, I''ll take it, but you have to keep this a secret. No telling anyone¡ªnot even my kids, if I ever have any."


    Harry left Ollivander''s and looked around, quickly locating his towering companion. Hagrid''s enormous strides soon brought him to his charge and he beamed at the boy, looking immensely pleased with himself. His shovel-like hands cradled a round cage with a large white bird inside.


    "Ain'' she a beauty?" The half-giant proffered the cage, causing the bird to flutter its wings to regain balance. "My present to yeh, Harry. Happy birthday."


    The creature stared at Harry unblinkingly with its yellow eyes. He shuddered. "Look, Mr. Hagrid, I appreciate the gesture¡ª"


    "It''s jus'' Hagrid. Told yeh that already, didn'' I?" He patted Harry on the shoulder with his free hand.


    He winced, knowing things were about to get awkward. "Right. Hagrid, thank you for the gift, but¡ªhow should I put this¡ªI don''t really want an owl."


    "Don'' want her?" Hagrid''s jaw hung open. "Owls are dead useful, they are. How else are yeh goin'' ter write yer friends over the summer?"


    He shrugged. "I''ll just text them or something."


    Hagrid glanced at him, then at the cage. "But I thought every boy yer age wanted one!"


    "Sorry," Harry said with a grimace. "A bird like that would stand out in the suburbs, and Aunt Petunia would never allow it."


    "Well, is there any other animal yeh''d like instead?" Hagrid asked hopefully.


    "Not really. I just don''t fancy cleaning poop every day." Hagrid''s face fell, and Harry felt a pang of guilt. He added quickly, "If it was something cool, like a pseudodragon, I''d make an exception."


    "Ain'' tha'' the truth," Hagrid said. "Bin petitionin'' the Ministry ter let me breed dragons fer years, but they haven'' budged yet. Lemme return this beauty ter the Emporium, then¡ªif yeh''re sure?"


    "I''m sure," he confirmed.


    They walked side by side, Harry shooting the downcast Hagrid furtive looks as he struggled to keep up. He wished he knew a way to cheer him up.


    After they left the noisy and smelly owl shop, Hagrid stopped and stared at the younger wizard, frowning and scratching his beard for a good minute before perking up.


    "How abou'' a nice trunk? Everybody needs one."


    They went to a boutique down one of the side alleys, where Hagrid got him an exquisite leather trunk enchanted to open only when its owner gave the correct password. Harry had a hard time figuring out the wizarding currency, but judging by the shopkeeper''s smarmy demeanor, this model was fairly expensive.


    "If young sir would kindly place his thumb on the handle¡ª"


    Harry obliged, eager to leave the shop. He jerked his hand away a second later and stared at his bleeding thumb.


    "Ow! Bloody thing pricked me," he said incredulously.


    Hagrid boomed a laugh. "Blimey, Harry, didn'' even have time ter warn yeh. Don'' s''ppose the lad could get another try?"


    "I''m afraid the spell is quite permanent," the shopkeeper said, still smiling. "Top notch security, you understand."


    Harry popped the sore digit into his mouth. "Wha'' are you on abou''?"


    Chapter 2


    "Show me your ticket, Harry."


    Having heard that request four times already, he had it on hand. "Here, Aunt Petunia."


    She scrutinized the piece of paper anew as if expecting something to have changed. "Platform Nine and Three-Quarters," she read. "Three-Quarters, that makes no sense!"


    A step behind them, Uncle Vernon grunted in agreement. As he huffed and puffed from having circled Platform Nine several times, somebody crashed into his back, and he turned about as quickly as his girth allowed. "Watch where you''re going!"


    A little girl jumped backwards. "Eek!"


    A middle-aged man¡ªher father, judging from the matching hair colors¡ªcaught her by the shoulders and gave the Dursley patriarch a polite smile. "Sorry about my daughter, sir."


    Vernon grunted again, paying the pair no more heed. Harry, however, trailed them with his eyes until the two rejoined their family. As the uniformly red-haired group was trooping away, he heard the mother scold her daughter for running ahead.


    "It''s not my fault, Mum! That Muggle was enormous..."


    Harry''s eyes widened at the term, and he glanced at his guardians. Vernon seemed oblivious, but Petunia had clearly noticed as well.


    "I suppose I could go ask them," she whispered, looking positively terrified at the thought.


    "What? Pet, you don''t mean those people are also¡ªthat sort?" Vernon sent the family a belated glare.


    She nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I''m going," she declared in a tone that suggested she was about to do something life-threatening.


    Before either of the males could say anything, Petunia squared her shoulders and strode towards the boisterous group. Harry watched her approach a plump woman and exchange a few words, then point back at him. The entire family eyed him for a moment, and he ducked his head. Both Vernon and he breathed easier when Petunia returned; Harry''s uncle even hugged her in a rare show of affection.


    "The woman''s name is Weaselly. She said there was a m-magical barrier, and that she''d show you how to get through." Petunia took a steadying breath and gave Harry a hug. "Be good. Don''t do anything dangerous."


    Uncle Vernon clapped him on the shoulder, looking eager to put as much distance between himself and anything of ''that sort'' as possible. "Good luck, nephew."


    "Thanks," Harry said, taken aback by the hasty farewells. "Goodbye, Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon."


    He watched Vernon usher his wife across the platform until he lost them in the mass of commuters. A little uneasily, Harry began dragging his trunk towards the wizarding family.


    He hauled his trunk down the train, pressing against the wall whenever anyone passed by. Having escaped the rambunctious gingers, he instantly found himself in a new predicament.


    Oh, the Weasleys had shown him how to get to the platform, all right. They also asked him a million questions after finding out he was ''the Harry Potter'', half of which he couldn''t make heads or tails of. He even got scolded by the mother for swearing, but who could blame him? It''s not every day one saw a pair of gangly teenagers run head-first into a wall and vanish instead of cracking their skulls open. Incidentally, none of the Muggles had paid them any attention whatsoever.


    He got away from the fussy matron by climbing onto the Hogwarts Express, an old-fashioned steam train, only to find that it was absolutely teeming with ebullient young witches and wizards. All of whom were taller than Harry, and all of whom knew one another¡ªor so it appeared, at least. Nobody paid him much heed, but he still kept his head low to hide his scar.


    Raucous conversations abounded around him. His luggage seemed to be growing heavier by the minute, and he was barely making progress. He wanted nothing more than to hole up somewhere quiet, but all the compartments thus far had been taken, and he dreaded having to introduce himself to a bunch of older kids. He was starting to feel dizzy.


    Suddenly, his eyes landed on a floating trunk following its owner like an obedient dog. He gaped at the sight, then released a tremulous breath. These people were all magical¡ªand so was Harry. He belonged here.


    Heartened by the thought, he trudged on, and eventually stumbled upon an empty compartment. Dragging his luggage in, he abandoned the notion of lifting it up to the overhead rack as futile, and collapsed on the exceptionally comfortable bench.


    "Can I sit here?"


    Harry turned and nodded in resignation. The newcomer looked about his age and was slightly shorter for a change. He had straw-colored hair and wore jeans and a T-shirt, which was downright mundane compared to the outlandish outfits Harry had glimpsed on the platform.


    The boy pointed at Harry''s fancy trunk. "Need a hand with that?"


    Their combined effort was just enough to hoist both of their trunks onto the luggage rack. Harry made a mental note to learn the floating spell to make this easier in the future.


    "Phew." The kid extended his hand. "Name''s Anthony Goldstein, but everyone calls me Tony."


    "Harry Potter," he said cautiously, shaking the proffered hand.


    Anthony raised his eyebrows. "Like, that famous Harry Potter? My mum says you''re some sort of a hero."


    Harry grimaced. "Not really."


    "Ah, well¡ªsorry." The blond rubbed the back of his neck. "Bet you get that a lot."


    "Not really," he repeated. "I had no clue I was a wizard until a few months ago."


    "Huh. Well, there''s probably lots of Muggleborn joining, so no worries." Tony plopped down on the seats. "Me, I''m what they call a halfblood. My mum''s a witch, but we live in a regular house and everything. She says purebloods don''t even have electricity, can you imagine?"


    Harry''s eyes popped out. "Seriously? What do they do for light and heating? Don''t they need dishwashers and vacuum cleaners and stuff?"


    "Oh, they have spells for those things. Rather handy ones, too¡ªMum uses them around the kitchen, although she always makes me do things by hand."


    Harry could relate, thinking that a spell for peeling potatoes would''ve made his childhood a lot more enjoyable.


    "No, it''s worse than not having dishwashers," Tony continued, seemingly on a roll now. "They don''t have computers nor internet. No game consoles, no tellies, no smartphones... Mum says they have radio, but there''s only one station and it plays lame wizard music."


    Harry shook his head. "That''s horrible. Why would anybody do that to themselves?"


    "Most of them are centuries behind the times," the boy explained. "And too much magic is bad for electronics, or so I hear. It''s why none of it works around Hogwarts."


    "It''s worth it though, isn''t it? Magic." Harry grinned at the thought that all the incredible stuff he''d seen so far was only the beginning. "I still can''t believe it''s real. Three months ago I''d have said aliens or giant robots were more likely."


    "Oh yeah, giant robots? What kind?"


    "Er... you know." He shifted in his seat, unsure if he was about to be made fun of. "The kind you pilot."


    Tony leaned forward. "Gundam or Macross?"


    Harry''s sincere grin threatened to split his cheeks.


    The first-years milled about the chamber, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Their imminent Sorting was the subject of a heated debate; the majority expected a magical test of some kind, although the ''wrestling a troll'' theory proposed by a familiar ginger had a number of ardent supporters.


    Not everybody appeared skittish: a pale kid with slicked-back hair boasted knowing exactly what the ceremony entailed. Flanked by two other boys who rivaled Dudley in size, he kept shooting the people around him haughty looks and snorting at their wild speculations. This didn''t pass unnoticed by the Weasley boy, whose face grew as red as his hair as he glared at the trio. Harry inched away from the brewing conflict and settled at the edge of the crowd.


    McGonagall returned before things could get out of hand, and led the suddenly quiet children out of the chamber and into the Great Hall. The place was well-deserving of its name; Harry reckoned his entire home would have fit in here twice over. The presence of magic was evident in the countless floating candles and the high ceiling which reflected the night sky.


    Harry caught himself gawking and ducked his head when he realized that there were hundreds of students seated at four huge tables, all staring at the first-years. Then a scruffy hat began singing, and his jaw dropped again. He barely processed the meaning behind the lyrics, when McGonagall began calling them forward to be Sorted.


    "Wait," Harry hissed, "it''s going to look inside my head?" He looked around frantically, then froze when he saw the deputy headmistress glaring at him.


    He watched the others undergo the ritual with increasing nervousness, absently noting that his new acquaintance, Anthony, went to Ravenclaw. His turn came all too soon, and he stepped forward on shaky legs, cringing at the commotion which started after McGonagall read his name.


    Eager to hide from the stares, Harry sat on the stool and covered his head with the wide-brimmed hat. Only then did he remember that his mind was about to be read. His hand twitched as he suppressed the impulse to pull the hat off.


    "Stop fretting," a mellow voice said in his head. "Those urges are perfectly normal for a boy your age."


    Harry perked up. "Really? Even... that?"


    "Seen it before. Yep, that too. You''re not that special," the Hat drawled. "Look, I''m not here to play your therapist. Relax and let me do my job."


    Harry exhaled, calmed by the Hat''s nonchalant attitude. Whatever the magical artifact did to look inside his head, he didn''t feel a thing, and it was over in a few moments.


    "An inquiring if not particularly studious mind. A desire to make friends tempered by a high degree of self-sufficiency. Hmm... quite an ambition, and not one I''ve encountered in an eleven-year-old''s head before." The Hat sounded interested now. "I guess you are somewhat special."


    Harry pouted, getting the impression that he was being mocked. "It''s every man''s dream."


    "You have peculiar taste in role models, Mr. Potter," the Hat said dryly. "Now, where shall I put you?"


    "You''re asking me?"


    "Your house will be your home for the next seven years. Of course you get a say."


    He shifted on the stool to get more comfortable and furrowed his brows. All he knew of the Hogwarts houses was a couple of lines from the Hat''s song. He''d just have to trust it to make the right choice.


    "I want to do my own thing in peace," Harry said, recalling the hazing he was subjected to in primary school. "Maybe somewhere with fewer jocks."


    "That matches my evaluation nicely, Mr. Potter. A house for freethinkers, one where you can pursue your interests without undue judgement. I daresay you will be welcome at Ravenclaw!"


    He nearly fell off the stool when the Sorting Hat shouted the last word out loud. Taking it off, he made his way to the Ravenclaw table, ears ringing from the thunderous applause. He lost count of the handshakes and claps on the back he received from his new housemates before reaching an empty seat next to a grinning Tony. Harry smiled shakily in return.


    After the remaining kids were Sorted, Dumbledore stood to make a nonsensical speech which ended about ten seconds later to another round of applause. An older student at their table jotted the ostensibly random words down on a napkin.


    "That made about as much sense as Evangelion''s ending," Harry said weakly. "Was it some kind of a code?"


    Tony snorted. "That old man is high as a kite."


    After the feast and a raucous, off-tune rendition of the school song (the highlight being an older Gryffindor''s lousy attempt at rapping), they were bid goodnight by the headmaster and led to the Ravenclaw tower by two prefects. One was a lanky, fidgety boy named Robert Hilliard, and the other a standoffish girl who didn''t introduce herself, looking like she''d rather be anywhere else. The trek up the tower wasn''t exactly short, and many kids were out of breath by the time they reached their destination.


    Hilliard pointed at an eagle-shaped knocker on the polished wooden door. "The entrance to the common room is protected by a password to make sure only house members can enter. Observe."


    He knocked once, and a cool voice asked, "Password?"


    "Two¡ªFive¡ªC¡ªHash¡ªSeven¡ªJ¡ªX¡ªZero," Hilliard recited.


    "Password approved," the voice said, and the door swung inwards.


    "Our house is awesome," Harry breathed.


    The first-years exchanged unsure glances, and the one Harry recalled was named Michael Corner raised his hand. "Do we have to remember all that?"


    "Yes, naturally¡ªyou there, don''t write it down!" Robert jumped towards a girl who had a piece of paper out and seized it, causing her to squeak. "That would defeat the purpose!"


    "Come off it, Hilliard," the female prefect said. "I told you to make the password simple, yet here you are with your ridiculous ideas again. We''re changing it to ''raven''s wit''."


    Robert puffed up. "And I told you that passwords like that are vulnerable to dictionary attacks. It took Lysander and me less than an hour to break into the Hufflepuff common room using a Webster''s Third we enchanted."


    The girl rolled her eyes. "You dolts are the only ones in the castle who''d waste time on something like that. Come on¡ª''raven''s wit''."


    Wilting under his partner''s glare, the lanky boy nodded. The two prefects tapped the bronze knocker on each side with their wands and whispered something.


    "Password changed," the voice announced.


    "Get inside, I''ll show you to your dorms," the female prefect ordered. "We''ve wasted enough time as it is."


    "I thought your password was cool," Harry said as he walked past the dispirited Hilliard, who gave him a surprised grin.


    The common room was tall and airy, with smooth stone walls rising up to a domed ceiling dotted with stars. An enormous fireplace cast a warm glow on the polished wood of the tables and armchairs arranged around the perimeter. The furniture was upholstered in blue and featured bronze accents, looking posh and formidable, like something one would find in a centuries-old mansion. The statue of a regal woman and the shelves brimming with ancient tomes only reinforced the image.


    They didn''t get to gawk for long. The grouchy prefect whose name Harry still didn''t know separated them by gender and marched the girls through a large wooden door. Hilliard did the same with the boys, guiding the five towards an identical entrance on the opposite side of the tower. They found themselves on a narrow spiral staircase, climbing down and passing several doors until they arrived at one helpfully marked with the Roman numeral ''I''.


    "Get some sleep and be in the common room by seven-thirty," Robert said, opening the door. "We''re going to run an orientation."


    Potions was starting in five minutes, and Harry had to double back to the dorms for the cauldron (pewter, size 2) he''d forgotten in his trunk.


    "Hurry up!" Anthony groused.


    "Er... mind giving me some privacy?" Harry asked, his face heating up.


    Goldstein looked at him incredulously. "What do you have in there, pony plushies? Stop being a prat and get your stupid cauldron."


    "Fine." Gripping the handle, he mumbled the password, yet his trunk stubbornly remained locked.


    Tony shuffled his feet impatiently. "Get a move on!"


    "Ow, bloody thing pricked me," Harry said in a monotone.


    The trunk opened with a click, and he stooped to dig out his cauldron. He locked his belongings again and left the room, purposely not looking at his friend.


    "I see you have one of those fancy two-factor security trunks," Tony said gleefully when he caught up.


    Harry grunted, maintaining his brisk pace.


    Anthony had the largest and most annoying smirk on his face. "Cool, cool. What you said earlier, that was your password, wasn''t it?"


    "Uh huh."


    "Which you can''t change, because the blood binding is permanent."


    Harry sighed. "Evidently."


    "That''s priceless!" Bracing against the wall, Tony broke down in laughter. "So when it took a sample of your blood, you..."


    Harry rolled his eyes. "It''s not that funny. Let''s go, we still have to find the classroom." They were running late as it was. He just hoped the professor was going to be sympathetic towards new students.


    After they sprinted down the moving staircases and entered the dreary dungeons, Harry had to revise his initial assessment. They weren''t just going to be late: at this rate, they were going to miss half the class. The place was a damned labyrinth, and wizards apparently disdained door signs.


    Harry was getting desperate, so when he spied another student in the corridor ahead, he immediately raced after her.


    "Wait¡ªplease," he gasped at the older girl.


    "Yes?" She raised one eyebrow imperiously. Her tie was in Slytherin colors, and her black robes featured a shiny silver badge.


    "We were hoping you could show us the way to the Potions classroom," Anthony said, sounding only a bit out of breath. Harry glanced at him enviously, gulping down air.


    The girl smirked, her brown eyes glinting in the torchlight. "First-years, are you? You better hurry, Professor Snape despises tardiness. Follow this corridor"¡ªshe indicated the hallway behind her¡ª"take the first right, then turn left at the stairs. The second door is the one you need."


    "Thanks!" the boys shouted, and took off.


    They followed the instructions to the letter, reaching the poorly lit hallway in a minute. Harry took a deep breath, knocked on the door, and entered.


    "Sorry we''re late..." he began, then blinked. The room was dark, dusty, and quite empty.


    "That bitch," Anthony swore.


    After a disastrous, if brief, Potions lesson which cost him and Tony at least fifty points apiece (he''d been too dazed to keep track of the deductions) Harry was eager to get as far away from the dungeons as possible. Thankfully, the next class, Charms, took place in an airy classroom on one of the upper floors.


    He paused at the threshold to catch his breath. Stonework and high windows aside, the worn double desks wouldn''t have looked out of place in an ordinary school. As he was one of the first to arrive, he could pick the spot he liked. Most of the window seats were free... except for the second-to-last one.


    Harry groaned. After some deliberation, he walked up to the bored-looking ginger he recognized from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.


    "Um, hey. I don''t suppose you could give me this seat?"


    The Weasley boy narrowed his eyes. "What? Why?"


    "It''s hard to explain," Harry said, "but my future depends on it."


    "You barmy or something?"


    "Look, it makes no difference to you, does it?" Harry stuck his hands into his pockets, then paused as he got a flash of inspiration. "I could pay you."


    Weasley bristled. "Do I look like a charity case? Jog on."


    "Shit, I didn''t mean..." Harry raked his hand through his hair. How was he going to explain the laws of anime to a pureblood wizard?


    Weasley gaped at Harry''s forehead. "Hold on, aren''t you Harry Potter?"


    "Yeah, why?"


    "Wicked! Wait till my brothers hear about it." The boy smiled goofily, his earlier ire forgotten. "I''m Ron, Ron Weasley."


    Harry shook his hand. "Alright, Ron."


    "You can have the window seat¡ªif I can sit next to you?" He sounded unduly hopeful.


    Harry grinned at having secured his main character status. "Sure, why not."


    After conceding his seat, Ron proceeded to question him. He looked disappointed to learn that Harry hadn''t been battling dragons nor training under master Aurors (whatever those were) before starting Hogwarts. It seemed that the legend of the Boy-Who-Lived was even more famous than McGonagall had hinted at, with his sheltered childhood being a popular gossip topic.


    Ron was a fount of knowledge about the wizarding world, his family being one of those isolated traditionalists whose understanding of technology was at a Middle Age level. While his constant prattling distracted Harry from the lesson, he didn''t mind too much, and neither did Professor Flitwick.


    The Head of House Ravenclaw proved to be the exact opposite of Professor Snape in that he didn''t demand silence in the classroom and was generous in awarding points. He only gave a short lecture before handing out feathers to levitate and jumping right to practice.


    "That looks brand new," Ron said, eyeing Harry''s wand. "What''s it made of?"


    "Pine and... dragon."


    Ron raised his eyebrows. "Dragon what?"


    "Just dragon," Harry said firmly.


    Ron frowned but didn''t pursue the topic. "Must be nice to have a matched one. Mine''s a hand-me-down from my brother, Charlie. I don''t think it has much life left in it." He demonstrated by making his feather wobble feebly.


    Harry went through the swish-and-flick motion a couple times before taking a deep breath. "Wingardium Leviosa," he intoned, feeling a bit silly.


    It took all he had not to whoop when the feather rose steadily, following his wand movements. There was no fanfare, no fancy light effects; it simply responded to his will.


    "Splendid, Mr. Potter, just splendid! Five points to Ravenclaw," Professor Flitwick exclaimed, popping up next to their desk.


    Harry grinned. The feather floated down at his lapse in concentration, but he knew he could do it again.


    "On your first try, too." Ron sounded a tad bitter. "Oh well, you''re the Boy-Who-Lived. It''s a given."


    "Maybe it is," he said with wonder. It would certainly be hero-like to have a natural gift for magic.


    The rest of the lessons passed without notable incidents. He learned to turn matchsticks into needles, repot some sort of a magical parsley, recognize the three largest constellations of the night sky, and fly an actual broomstick. The last activity was surprisingly fun, and Harry resolved to buy his own broom next year.


    The routine helped him accustom to the school. Sure, Hogwarts was a lot more exciting than the Muggle primary he used to attend, but there were also lessons, homework, and teachers who all had different opinions on how a classroom should be run. Some were amiable and supportive, while others demanded strict discipline.


    The Potions professor was definitely the second type. That alone wouldn''t have been so bad, but he also seemed to hold a grudge against Harry in particular, as he soon discovered.


    After the ill-fated first lesson, he made sure to arrive early and follow the brewing instructions to the letter. That didn''t prevent the professor from making snide remarks and docking points for things Harry couldn''t have possibly known he was doing wrong. The latest lesson was no different, and he almost leapt towards the exit when it finally ended.


    Tony caught up and clapped him on his back. "Does Snape know you from somewhere? I know we were late that one time, but damn."


    Harry shook his head. "Haven''t a clue what his problem is."


    "You should talk to Flitwick," Tony suggested. "What he''s doing can''t be fair."


    "I don''t know... I still have at least five years with that git, and tattling on him might make it even worse."


    "Well, you should do something," Terry Boot said from behind. "You''ve lost us a hundred points already."


    Harry gritted his teeth and kept moving.


    Potions aside, Harry was doing quite well, even compared to students who''d known about magic their whole lives. Sure, he might''ve been ignorant about things that were common knowledge in the wizarding world, but the lessons were designed to teach spellwork from scratch, so even the Muggleborn weren''t at a huge disadvantage.


    While the purebloods topped the rankings Flitwick put up as a way to motivate his Ravenclaws, Harry was often above average himself. Magic was still fresh to him, and he put his all into doing even those assignments others found tedious and dull.


    The coursework wasn''t too difficult, and he soon found himself with lots of free time on his hands. For a while, he practiced the Leviosa, annoying the older Ravenclaws by levitating everything in the common room that wasn''t affixed to the floor, but the novelty eventually wore off. His limited repertoire of spells was a problem.


    This led to Harry coming up with the notion of a study group. The more he thought of it, the better it seemed: not only could they help one another learn all sorts of awesome spells, but a bunch of pretty girls would inevitably join, and the rosy school life of his dreams would be within reach. He pondered how he could make it a reality before selling the idea to Tony, and the two started spreading the word.


    "Bigger turnout than we expected," Tony remarked.


    That was an understatement: it seemed like half the school had assembled in the library for their first meeting. There weren''t enough chairs, and the students milled all over the place, only giving Madam Pince''s desk a wide berth.


    For a moment, Harry considered turning tail and running, but the people at the outskirts had already noticed his approach. Squaring his shoulders, he started squeezing through the throng, Tony following at a distance. Once he was in the middle of the packed library, he stood on his tiptoes and cleared his throat.


    "Um, who''s here for the study group?" He gulped at the unanimous show of hands. "Okay, we can make this work. Transfiguration homework''s an essay, so we''ll do that first¡ª"


    "Homework? I heard Harry Potter would be teaching magic," said an unfamiliar Gryffindor boy.


    Harry blinked. "I am getting handy with Mending and Levitation Charms, I suppose..."


    The boy scoffed. "First-year spells? Weren''t you trained by the Unspeakables?"


    "Blimey, you must be daft to believe that Quibbler shite," someone said, eliciting laughter from the crowd and making the Gryffindor blush.


    "Quiet!" Madam Pince snapped.


    Harry was cottoning on to the fact that he was in over his head. People were getting rowdy, and now that he took a closer look, many of them were clearly older than eleven. He rubbed his temples.


    "Look, I only want to form a first-year club for helping each other with homework."


    "What about third-years?" asked a spotty-faced Hufflepuff witch seated at one of the tables.


    He threw his hands up in frustration. "What about them?"


    "Wanker," the girl murmured.


    This resulted in more peals of laughter, and Madam Pince finally had enough.


    "That''s it! If you''re not going to behave, get out!" She raised her wand, producing a shrill whistle which made those closest to her desk cover their ears and flee.


    "Wait," Harry said weakly, but it was too late. Crestfallen, he watched as the crowd streamed out of the library, nearly jumping when bony fingers squeezed his shoulder.


    "Hold your meetings elsewhere in the future, Mr. Potter," the librarian said.


    He wilted under her stern look. "Yes, Madam Pince."


    Keeping his gaze on the floor, he headed for the exit. Most of the students had scattered, but a few still lingered in the corridor outside.


    "Well, that was a waste of my time," a scrawny boy wearing a Hufflepuff tie said loudly.


    Terry Boot nodded. "Hear, hear."


    Harry winced and hurried past, not looking them in the eye.


    After the fruitless first meeting of his study group¡ªor perhaps gawk-at-Potter-and-make-noise group would be more accurate¡ªHarry was understandably discouraged, yet he didn''t drop the idea. Anime protagonists always started meeting cute girls after joining a club, so he just had to keep at it. Maybe aiming a bit lower was the key.


    He decided to limit it to Ravenclaw, which would allow them to practice magic in the common room and not stretch his organizational skills too much. The house''s private library, meager as it was, would be an added benefit. Thus, he built up his courage and approached his classmates one by one.


    "I can read whenever I want, why do we need a club?"


    "Who''s going to teach us? You didn''t invite any older students, did you?"


    "Won''t this flop like last time?"


    Suffice to say, most of his housemates were skeptical, and Harry could hardly blame them once he realized he didn''t have good answers to their questions. Yet with Tony''s help, he somehow managed to rope two more people into joining: the pureblooded Terry Boot, and a pint-sized girl of Asian heritage named Su Li. They claimed a table under one of the tower''s arched windows as their gathering place.


    "Any suggestions on what we should work on first, Su?" Harry gallantly asked the sole female of their group.


    The girl gave him an unreadable glance and shook her head.


    "Er, well..." He floundered to the obvious amus.e.m.e.nt of the other two boys. "Let''s go over our Transfiguration essays, then."


    To Harry''s pleasant surprise, his idea worked out fairly well. He learned many things that weren''t taught in class, but every child growing up in a magical household knew and took for granted. He even contributed by demonstrating a few basic charms that the others had trouble with; the subject came easy for him, to Flitwick''s endless delight.


    Su rarely said a word outside academic subjects¡ªand even then, her sentences were laconic to the point of being cryptic¡ªbut Harry was getting used to her quiet presence. From what he could gather, she was homeschooled by her wizard father, so to her first-year curriculum was more like revision. She single-handedly improved the group''s grades by going over their essays and making corrections in the margins in her tidy script. Harry felt guilty every time this happened, and his later assignments tended to be better-researched and written in more comprehensible penmanship. Su didn''t show any outward reaction to the change, but Harry was oddly pleased when she didn''t spend as much time fixing his essays.


    Tony was quickly becoming his best friend; he had a knack for explaining wizarding terms in plain language, and was one of Harry''s few connections to the Muggle world. The two often compared real magic concepts to those found in Muggle media, marveling at the differences and similarities. Unfortunately, discussions of this nature peeved the fourth member of the group, so they tried to keep them to a minimum. Sometimes, they slipped up.


    "This won''t get you anywhere," Terry snapped as he watched Harry and Tony cross-reference magical plants with the effects of the potions they were used in. Harry had jokingly asked if Potions was anything like alchemy in The Elder Scrolls¡ªa theory Tony was eager to check. "We ought to be memorizing formulas instead¡ªyou know, things which actually get us grades."


    "But I want to know how it works!" Harry whinged.


    "You''re not going to discover the principles behind potion ingredient interactions on your own, Potter, and certainly not from some silly Muggle game." Terry shook his head. "Count me out of this."


    Harry glumly watched the boy walk away. Terry was a bit uptight, but you couldn''t deny his knowledge of magic.


    The diminished group underwent another trial when Padma Patil approached them during one of their meetings. She appraised Harry and Tony sourly before addressing Su.


    "Li, why are you always helping these two? Come and study with me and Liz. We can pull our own weight."


    While irritated by the implication, Harry found himself turning towards the taciturn girl in curiosity. If he was being truthful, she didn''t benefit from their association as much as he and Tony did.


    There was a silence, just long enough for it to get awkward, before Su answered. "Anthony is fourth in our year at Transfiguration, and Harry second at Charms." Her gaze darted fleetingly to the boys in question. "They have interesting perspectives."


    "Is that so," Padma said thoughtfully, and walked away.


    The next evening, she came over and clumsily asked for help with her Charms essay. Harry was overjoyed, yet he had a hard time striking up conversation with their new member. Padma considered the two boys to be weirdos¡ªand perhaps they were, from a pureblood''s perspective¡ªso he wanted to at least make her less wary around them. Unfortunately, no matter what he said, he ended up putting his foot in his mouth.


    "Hey, Padma, I heard you had a sister in Gryffindor," he picked what he figured was a safe topic. "Praverti... Pavarotti... Perv¡ª"


    "Parvati," Padma enunciated, giving him a glare. Tony snickered, earning one for himself.


    "Right, sorry," Harry said. "So, what''s up with that? I thought siblings were usually Sorted into the same house."


    "I''m nothing like my sister," she said vehemently.


    Harry drew back in his seat. "Uh, sorry?"


    "If we''re not going to work, I''m leaving." Padma got up and stormed off.


    Harry watched her retreating back, wondering what on earth he''d done wrong. Girls were difficult. How did harem protagonists manage it?


    "I met Parvati on the train," Su said, startling him out of his woolgathering. "She wasn''t very interested in studying."


    Harry took some time to parse that statement. So Padma was the bookish type, while her sister was an airhead.


    "I think I understand now," he said.


    "P-P-Potter, a word?"


    Harry sighed and turned, the other pupils stepping around him to leave. "Yes, professor?"


    Professor Quirrel was one of his least favorite teachers. Not only was the man afraid of his own shadow, the smell of garlic pervading his classroom invariably gave Harry splitting headaches. He''d even gone to the school nurse to see if he had an allergy, but she seemed to think he was trying to skive off.


    "I heard y-you started a st-study club." The turbaned professor gave him a wan smile. "Interested in learning n-new magic? I could t-teach you some Defense spells."


    Harry''s eyebrows rose. "Thanks, sir, but why me?"


    Quirrel chuckled. "Many educators would k-kill to be able to say that they had a h-hand in mentoring t-the Boy-Who-Lived."


    Harry inclined his head. "Alright."


    Chapter 3


    Quirrel''s tutoring turned out to be unexpectedly worthwhile. During their first session, Harry was asked to demonstrate every jinx and hex he knew. As first-years weren''t taught these Darker magics, his paltry arsenal consisted of spells like the Jelly-Legs Jinx he''d picked up from his housemates. A look of disappointment passed over Quirrel''s face when he was done, leaving Harry humbled and determined to improve.


    The subsequent lessons had them working on one spell at a time, with Harry being told to practice on his own once his performance was deemed acceptable. After a troll had somehow wandered into the school on Halloween, causing no damage but quite a commotion, he resolved to master the basic Defense skills, and never shirked training.


    In addition to spell drills, Quirrel took to lecturing Harry on his subject. When he spoke of the Dark Arts, an odd transformation came over the man: his stuttering all but disappeared, and he talked of arcane magic with passion and intimate knowledge, teaching him of the underlying principles behind curses and their counters rather than textbook theory. It was only when their time was up that Quirrel would wake up from this bizarre trance, his stammer returning with a vengeance. If these lectures hadn''t coincided with severe headaches, Harry would''ve enjoyed them even more.


    Harry decided to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas, hoping his family would understand. The castle was filled with fragrant fir garlands, floating candles, and singing suits of armor, and he never wanted to leave.


    He slept in on the Christmas morning, being the only one in his dorm who stayed for the holiday. When he finally got up at an hour that would''ve made Aunt Petunia berate him for laziness, he found a pile of presents at the foot of his bed.


    He sorted through the bits and bobbles from his friends, pausing at a fat post-stamped envelope. Ripping it open, he discovered a greeting card and a Tarot deck. Harry was oddly moved; he knew it would''ve taken his aunt and uncle considerable effort to overcome their aversion, even if Tarot had more to do with the Muggles'' perception of witches than actual witchcraft.


    He munched on some funny-tasting candy as he finished opening up the parcels. The last one held a diaphanous silvery blanket along with a note proclaiming it to be his father''s. He fingered the thin material curiously, then gasped when his digits vanished from view.


    "This has potential," he said, a smile creasing his cheeks.


    On the second day of Christmas, an owl brought him a scribbled invitation from Hagrid to drop by for tea. It was fortuitous, for Harry wanted to thank him for his gift¡ªa carved eagle, made with detail one wouldn''t expect knowing the size of Hagrid''s hands.


    "Don'' mention it," Hagrid said gruffly when he brought it up. "Glad yeh liked it, Harry. Yeh must be as smart as yer mother was, gettin'' inter Ravenclaw."


    "Did you know her, Hagrid?" he asked.


    "Oh, yes. Yeh couldn'' have found a more brilliant an'' kind witch anywhere." Hagrid produced a towel-sized handkerchief from his coat and dabbed at his eyes. "Poor Lily... Righ'' shame what happened ter her an'' James."


    Harry looked away uncomfortably, casting his eyes around the cabin. The wooden building wasn''t large but had a high ceiling. Smoked hams and bundles of dried herbs hung from the beams, and various tools lined the walls. A crossbow the size of a small ballista was propped in the corner.


    He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to find newspaper clippings with wizarding photographs tacked to the wall. A headline reporting a robbery at Gringotts attracted his attention.


    "31st July? That''s the day we went to Diagon Alley!" he exclaimed, squinting at the print.


    Hagrid didn''t share his enthusiasm. "Guess yeh''re right. Nasty business, tha''." He rose and paced to the stove upon which stood a humongous kettle. "Tea, Harry?"


    "Hagrid, I don''t suppose..." He thought back to that day, trying to figure out what made the man so upset. "That parcel you took, was it from Vault 713?"


    Hagrid''s hand jerked and he nearly knocked the kettle over. "Couldn'' say," he mumbled.


    Harry was ready to drop the topic, but something else occurred to him. "Back then, you said it was Hogwarts business..."


    Hagrid marched over to the wall, ripped off the offending article, and threw it into the fire. "Yeh shouldn'' worry about tha''! The likes o'' Dumbledore an'' Flamel know what they''re doing."


    He mentally made a note to ask his older housemates about this ''Flamel'' as soon as he returned. "Sure, Hagrid. How about that tea?"


    Harry couldn''t help but show off his invisibility cloak to Tony after the holidays. His friend was unabashedly envious of his new possession, but he became less vocal when Harry told him it was an heirloom from his father.


    As the two were contemplating possible uses for the artifact in the common room, a thought occurred to Harry. "Do you think Dumbledore was serious about the forbidden corridor?"


    "You mean the painful death and all that?" Tony scratched his head. "I reckon he was. Would certainly fit his reputation."


    Harry nodded. "I just thought it odd that no one was all that surprised."


    "You''re awfully accepting yourself," Tony said. "I went to a Muggle school as well, you know. If someone pulled this kind of stuff there..."


    He shrugged. "When in Rome, do as Romans do."


    "That''s how the Muggleborn should be," a loud voice said. "Adapting to our ways instead of trying to change them."


    The boys turned to see Terry, his chin tilted up as if he''d said something profound.


    "Get lost, Shoe," Tony said with a sigh.


    Harry took to using his cloak every day. He''d slink around the common room, poking people and fighting not to laugh at their befuddled expressions. This lasted until a trigger-happy upper-year fired off a hex, missing Harry''s invisible form by inches. He started venturing out into the castle after that, breathless with excitement at the way everybody passed by without seeing him.


    It was during one of these strolls that he stumbled upon his least favorite teacher hobbling down the stairs from the forbidden third-floor corridor. Harry wouldn''t have given it a second thought were it not for the conspicuous limp in Snape''s step.


    From then on, he checked up on the place whenever he went out under his cloak¡ªespecially on the days he had Potions, which always left him in a foul mood. In his fantasies, he''d be hailed a hero for foiling the break-in, while Snape would be dragged off by magical policemen.


    His vigilance paid off when he came across Quirrel and Snape engaged in an argument one late evening. Their voices were low and tense, and Snape was holding the Defense professor by the lapel. Harry held his breath and approached.


    "You''ve figured out how to get past the beast," Snape accused.


    Quirrel swallowed. "I d-d-don''t know what you''re t-talking about, Severus."


    "You know full well what I mean¡ªand you''re going to tell me!" Snape''s wand was out in a flash, pointing straight at Quirrell''s neck.


    Harry inhaled sharply and scrambled for his own wand, not altogether sure what he was going to do. Snape whirled at the noise, his wand still under Quirrel''s chin.


    "Who''s there?" he demanded.


    Harry backtracked as quickly as he dared while Snape''s black eyes roved the corridor. He ducked around the corner and stuck his head out.


    Snape glared in his direction for a moment, then growled a threat at Quirrel and left. Straightening up, the Defense professor stared at the man''s retreating back with an inscrutable expression.


    Harry pulled off his cloak and stepped out from the corner, Quirrel''s gaze darting to him as he approached.


    "Potter!" The look of astonishment on his face was quickly replaced by a nervous smile. "What a r-remarkable cloak. I assume it w-was you who scared Professor Snape away. T-thank you."


    "You''re welcome, I guess." Harry caught a whiff of garlic and wrinkled his nose. "Why didn''t you defend yourself, sir?"


    Quirrel appeared terrified at the thought. "Professor Snape and I j-just had a minor m-misunderstanding! There was no n-need to get violent."


    The corridor was silent while Harry deliberated on whether to voice his theory or not. His curiosity won out. "Is Snape after the Philosopher''s Stone?" he probed, watching Quirrel intently.


    The professor narrowed his eyes at him. "How do you know about that?"


    Startled by his vehemence, Harry stepped back. "The older Ravenclaws¡ªthey''ve got this huge scroll where they write their guesses of what''s inside the forbidden corridor."


    "My former house," Quirrel said, "always poking their noses where they don''t belong. Everyone knows, then?"


    He shook his head. "The Stone''s number seventy-eight on the list. I only made the connection when Hagrid let something slip." He winced at his own indiscretion. "Um, Hagrid''s not going to get in trouble, is he?"


    Quirrel exhaled, his shoulders sagging. "Dear old Hagrid. I''m sure he d-didn''t mean any harm. Tell you what, P-Potter¡ªI''ll cover for him if you k-keep this a secret. Better not risk students snooping around and g-g-getting hurt, eh?"


    Harry bobbed his head. "What about Snape?"


    "Don''t worry," Quirrel said with a glint in his eyes. "I''ll watch out for him."


    Quirrel''s face was sunken and he had bags under his eyes, but his demeanor was unusually relaxed. "This is going to be our last lesson, isn''t it?" he asked, twirling his wand idly.


    "Yes, sir," Harry said. "Thanks, I''ve learned loads."


    The professor grimaced. "A waste..."


    "Sir?" He stopped short of putting his bag down. Something seemed different today.


    "I''m saying these lessons were a waste of time, Potter. Do you know what you are? Average. Completely and utterly so."


    Wincing at a sudden onset of headache, Harry edged backwards. Quirrel''s wand twitched, and the door closed with a bang, making him jump.


    "When he was your age, he could command magic through sheer willpower. Cast spells others could only dream of." Quirrel approached with slow, deliberate steps. "We thought there had to be something remarkable about the boy responsible for his downfall, and yet... what a disappointment."


    Harry hefted his bag in front of him as if it were a shield. "W-who are you talking about?"


    "You''ll learn soon enough." Quirrel''s wand rose, faster than he could react. "Imperio."


    Total contentedness washed over Harry, and he forgot all his worries, the bag slipping from his hands as tension left his body. He didn''t even blink when Quirrel bent down to look him in the eye.


    Satisfied with the result, the Defense professor unlocked the door and left the room. Harry followed after a beat¡ªit just seemed like a good idea.


    They climbed the stairs to the third floor where the professor opened the forbidden door with a sweep of his wand. He produced a harp from his robes and put a monstrous three-headed dog to sleep, then disappeared down a trapdoor. Harry mimicked the action without quailing. Quirrel decelerated his fall with a silent spell, before collapsing the entry behind them.


    They passed two rooms, one with keys fluttering in the air like butterflies, and another with a massive set of wizarding chess which the professor blasted apart. Harry''s mind made note of everything, but there were no emotions attached to the events.


    The third room had an array of bottles on a table, and a doorway blocked by a curtain of black fire. Here, he felt the first hint of unease when he saw Quirrell consult with his turban before he was given one of the potions to drink. Nevertheless, they advanced through the flame barrier without being any worse for the wear.


    The pair found themselves in a vast, cold chamber lit by sparsely placed torches. Harry''s eyes drifted towards its center, where a tall mirror stood upon a stone dais.


    Quirrel was beside it in a blink of an eye, murmuring reverently as he caressed its ornate frame. He read the inscription, then stepped back to look into the mirror itself, staying motionless until a sharp hiss made him flinch and resume his examination. He began rapping the mirror with his wand, his movements becoming more frantic with each passing minute.


    "Incompetent fool," said the same disembodied voice Harry had heard in the previous room. "Use the boy."


    Quirrel spared him a glance, and Harry''s feet carried him forward without conscious volition. The professor relinquished his place in front of the mirror, and Harry found himself staring at his own reflection. Then he blinked, and the image changed.


    "Well, Potter? What do you see?" Quirrel asked impatiently.


    "I get super rich and build myself a wizard''s tower," he answered without thinking, "and I become immortal, and get a harem, and the girls make me delicious food, and..." He covered his face, still peeking through the gaps between his fingers. "Y-you aren''t supposed to show this stuff to kids!"


    "Tell me what you see!" Quirrel snapped.


    "Don''t make me say it! It''s lewd, too lewd!"


    "Your spell is already losing its hold," the voice from the turban said. "Do I have to do everything myself?"


    "No! Please, master, give me more time¡ª"


    Harry tore his eyes away from the enchanted mirror to see Quirrel clutch his head as his turban unraveled on its own, revealing a disfigured face underneath. It appeared to be melting, burrowing deeper under Quirrel''s bald scalp. Harry recoiled in horror.


    "Cease your pointless resistance," the face hissed. "You have one last task to perform for Lord Voldemort."


    The words shocked Harry into action and he bolted towards the exit, Quirrel''s screams spurring him on. He came to a halt in front of the dark flames, steeling himself to jump through as their heat prickled his skin¡ªuntil he was hauled backwards by an invisible force, landing on his back next to the dais. He reached for his wand, but ropes conjured from thin air wrapped around his body and trapped his arms.


    "I won''t have you dying just yet," Voldemort''s sibilant voice spoke through Quirrel''s mouth. One half of the man''s face was contorted in pain, while the other held a crooked sneer, a single eye glowing red. Harry winced at the jab of pain in his scar.


    The monster turned to the mirror, and the side that was Quirrel''s went slack-jawed. Voldemort''s half-sneer widened and he moved the professor''s wand in a convoluted pattern, not quite touching the glass. At its end, he tapped the mirror once, creating ripples like on the surface of a puddle.


    Mouth agape, Harry watched Voldemort plunge his arm inside the mirror, then withdraw it with a triumphant cry, holding a small red stone in his palm. He lifted his prize into the air and laughed.


    Harry whimpered. The stereotypical evil laughter turned out to be terrifying when one was lying powerless at the villain''s feet.


    The left arm of Quirrel''s body, lax at his side until now, twitched. Voldemort went quiet and looked down, both eyes burning crimson. Harry''s breath caught in his throat.


    "Harry Potter. My nemesis." Voldemort stepped off the dais, clutching the Stone in one hand and his wand in another. "It is a shame we don''t have time to talk¡ªbut I know all about you already, do I not? Silly child, spilling your guts to the harmless, timid Professor Quirrel."


    "Dumbledore," Harry gasped, "Dumbledore will stop you."


    Voldemort''s sneer faltered. "I sent that fool on a wild-goose chase. By the time he returns, I shall be long gone. And you, Potter..." He flicked his wand, sending Harry skidding across the flagstones. "You will serve as the means of my rebirth."


    Even knowing it was useless, Harry struggled against the restraints. "What do you mean? You took over Quirrel''s body, didn''t you?"


    "This is but a temporary vessel... one that is about to expire." Voldemort strode up to him and aimed the wand he''d seen in Quirrel''s hand so many times downwards.


    A scintillating purple ribbon shot from the tip, slicing open Harry''s left forearm. Blood splattered on the ropes, the floor, everywhere. He screamed.


    The shriek was cut short when Voldemort waved his wand again. "Do not fear the pain," he said, meeting Harry''s eyes briefly. "It means you are still alive."


    It felt like his arm was on fire. He yelled, wailed, begged, but no sound escaped his throat. Paying him no heed, Voldemort took three steps forward and lowered the Philosopher''s Stone to the floor before returning his attention to Harry.


    The boy flinched, but no more curses were fired his way. Rather, the blood that had been pooling underneath him flowed upwards into the air, forming a swirling crimson sphere.


    "There is poetic justice in using your blood, don''t you think?" Voldemort''s eyes were aglow, his expression rapturous. "Watch closely. You will have the honor of witnessing my resurrection."


    He turned his back to Harry and flourished his wand as though conducting an orchestra. Multiple streams shot out of the sphere and towards the Stone, circling it for a few seconds before splashing on the floor in a pattern that was anything but random.


    Lifting his head as high as the ropes allowed, Harry saw an intricate design take shape. Five concentric circles appeared, then occult symbols were painted between their boundaries, glimmering with eerie sanguine light. The sphere gradually shrank to nothing, and the blood spurting out of his mutilated forearm with every heartbeat drained uselessly onto the floor.


    For a time, Voldemort contemplated his handiwork in silence. Then he thrust his wand forward and began chanting in a guttural language that evoked images of something savage and primal.


    Harry twisted and wriggled, then sank down to the floor panting for breath. His head was heavy; the pain in his arm no longer excruciating, reduced to a dull throb. He wondered if that meant he was about to die.


    It was surreal. Even though he''d seen and experienced magic for himself, the wizarding world and its whimsical nature still occasionally felt like an elaborate joke. The thought that his life could end here seemed absurd¡ªyet here he was, being used as fuel for a Dark ritual.


    He gritted his teeth and rolled onto his stomach, the accompanying stab of pain clearing the fog in his mind. The magical circle glowed, pulsing in tune with Voldemort''s chanting. The Philosopher''s Stone floated in the middle, liquefied and shaped into a heart with blood vessels growing outwards. The sight was mesmerizing.


    Harry squeezed his eyes shut and fought the bindings again. Was it only his imagination, or were they a little looser this time? There was no way Voldemort would make a mistake like that, and yet...


    Gasping with pain, he strained mightily until the blood-soaked ropes slackened. He wrenched his unbroken hand free, then braced himself and liberated the injured one. Even this small effort left him dizzy.


    He fumbled about for his wand, but it wasn''t in his pockets. The ropes around his legs were still tight, and wiggling out of them sapped the last vestiges of his strength. He blinked to clear the tears in his eyes.


    Oblivious to the struggle behind him, Voldemort continued his incantations. Perfectly formed lungs now surrounded the heart, like an ill.u.s.tration from a book on human anatomy, and the rest of the internal organs were beginning to develop.


    Harry shivered, heart pounding in his ears. Voldemort was about to gain a body using his life as a sacrifice. He was helpless and beaten. He was going to die.


    "No," he mouthed, terror clenching his gut, "not like this."


    Screaming without a sound, he extended his arms forward and pushed with his legs. Slowly, he began crawling, leaving bloody palm prints on the cool stone. He had to fight for every inch, but his objective wasn''t far. Harry didn''t know what he was going to do once he reached Voldemort, but reach him he would.


    Those few yards was the longest distance he''d surmounted in his life. By the time Voldemort was an arm''s length away, black spots were swimming in Harry''s vision, and the chanting was building up to a crescendo.


    Growling, Harry lifted his trembling hand and grabbed the Dark Lord''s ankle.


    Voldemort''s voice wavered, but he persisted with the spell even as he glared and tried to shake Harry off. Suddenly, the furious expression on his face was replaced with one of agony, and he shrieked and fell, smearing a part of the circle.


    Harry gaped at his bloody palm, then at Voldemort who was frantically casting something on his charred leg. Acting on a hunch, he staggered forward and smacked the Dark Lord across the face.


    They both screamed, terrible pain erupting in Harry''s forehead as he held on. Voldemort tried to push him off, but his palms burned on contact with Harry''s skin. He raised his wand, but Harry used his mangled arm to slap it out of his blistered fingers.


    Whatever peculiar power Harry''s touch held, it was potent and deadly. Quirrel''s face shriveled and cracked, and his body went limp. Voldemort''s scream continued for several seconds as a pitch-black shade emerged from the smoldering corpse and flew away.


    Harry collapsed on his back, gulping down air. The damaged circle next to him pulsed irregularly, the half-formed construct in the middle melting like hot wax. Rather than fading, the symbols on the floor shone brighter and brighter, accompanied by a deep hum which resonated in his bones.


    He had to get away, but his consciousness was fading and he couldn''t move a muscle. Thus, Harry simply closed his eyes to block out the glow, which was becoming unbearable, and relaxed.


    "I''m the... Eternal... Warlock," he wheezed. "I''ll... live."


    A blinding flash, and he knew no more.


    Even though he was safe in his hospital bed, Harry''s heart thumped as if he were still in that chamber. It was spine-chilling to think just how close he''d come to death.


    "My aunt was right. You lied to me." His words were aimed at McGonagall, but he could see Dumbledore and Flitwick duck their heads as well.


    "Mr. Potter... I''m truly sorry." McGonagall''s face was pale and drawn. "There were suspicions, whispers¡ªnothing more. We had no reason to believe He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wasn''t gone for good."


    Harry glared at her until she shifted in her chair. "I''m not sure I want to come back next year. I mean, magic is amazing, but..."


    McGonagall looked like she was about to object, but the headmaster stalled her with a gesture. "No one is going to force you to attend Hogwarts against your will," he said. "Dropping out is not a decision to be undertaken lightly, however. Your wand would be confiscated by the Ministry and you would be sent back to the Muggle world. Your home has protections that will ensure your safety, but only until you reach your majority."


    "Once you''re seventeen," Flitwick added, noticing his confusion.


    Harry sighed. "I''d be untrained and powerless. Can''t escape fate, I guess."


    Dumbledore froze. "Fate, Harry?"


    "It¡ªit''s nothing, sir." Confessing that he sometimes imagined himself to be the protagonist of a story wouldn''t lead to anything good. "I just hope none of the professors have Voldemort growing out of their head next year."


    McGonagall pursed her lips. "This is hardly an appropriate subject for a joke."


    Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Now, now, Minerva. I am afraid the fault lies squarely with me. I never expected Voldemort"¡ªthe other professors shuddered¡ª"to take over one of our teachers. The enemy has played us all like a fiddle... except for you, Harry. You have thwarted his plans magnificently."


    "Is that what you call it? Thwarted?" Harry swallowed the lump in his throat. "I followed his orders like a puppet. He could''ve told me to stop breathing, and I''d have done it without a second thought."


    Flitwick spoke up. "You''re only eleven, Harry. There''s no way you could have resisted the most powerful Dark wizard of our time."


    He gritted his teeth. "It wasn''t a question of resisting¡ªit was like I wanted to follow him! How can you even fight something like that?"


    Flitwick raised his hands in a placating gesture and shot Dumbledore a look. The older man nodded.


    "There is an obscure discipline called Occlumency used to protect one''s mind against external influences," the headmaster began. "While originally devised as a counterpart to Legilimency¡ªthe magic of thought-reading, if you will¡ªit has a welcome side effect of helping defend against spells such as the Imperius you were exposed to."


    "Teach me," Harry demanded. "I don''t want to be controlled like that ever again."


    Dumbledore sighed. "Therein lies the rub. True Occlumency can only be taught by practical means¡ªnamely, repeated Legilimency attacks which you are much too young to handle."


    "Too young?" Harry''s voice cracked. "But not too young to get cursed by a teacher you hired!"


    "Do calm yourself, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said sternly. Harry''s ire rose, but Dumbledore spoke before he could say something he''d regret.


    "Subjecting a developing mind to such a brutal process is out of the question," he said with a note of finality. "There are nevertheless some basic mental exercises that are prerequisite to Occlumency. These are similar to Muggle meditation, and few children ever have the patience¡ª"


    "I''ll do it," Harry said, vowing to practice religiously. Not being in control of his own body, his own mind, had been even scarier than bleeding half to death.


    "I''ll be happy to prepare the materials for you," Professor Flitwick said. "I was a bit of a duelist back in my youth, and Occlumency was a useful technique to know."


    "Good," he murmured, slumping on his pillow. Arguing with three professors had been exhausting.


    Dumbledore patted him on the shoulder. "You should rest, Harry. I shall come by tomorrow."


    True to his word, the headmaster visited him the next day, shortly after breakfast which was delivered to Harry''s bed. He was already itching to leave as there was nothing physically wrong with him, but Madam Pomfrey kept him ''for observation''.


    Despite his restlessness, they ended up talking for nearly an hour. Dumbledore expounded his not-so-successful idea of hiding Flamel''s Stone in the Mirror of Erised so it could only be withdrawn by someone with the purest intentions. Harry couldn''t resist expressing his disbelief that a person who wouldn''t want the riches and immortality even existed¡ªnot that it mattered anymore, with the Stone consumed in the explosion that followed the failed ritual.


    The conversation then turned to his parents. By the time Dumbledore finished explaining why Harry''s touch affected Voldemort the way that it did, the boy''s vision was blurry with tears.


    "The power of love... that''s pretty lame," he said, sniffling.


    Dumbledore smiled and scrutinized the package of Bertie Bott''s Every Flavor Beans on the bedside cabinet, giving him the opportunity to wipe his eyes with a sleeve. It was only after he''d bid him goodbye that Harry discovered that all the yellow beans had mysteriously vanished from the bag.


    Madam Pomfrey came by after the headmaster''s departure and performed one last check-up. Harry tamped down his impatience, figuring he owed the nurse his life.


    "Thanks for patching me up," he said after she pronounced him fit to leave. "I don''t know what happened after I passed out, but it must''ve been bad."


    "I only cleaned you up, but you''re welcome all the same," she replied kindly.


    He frowned. "What about the cut? And the explosion?"


    "I beg your pardon?" Madam Pomfrey looked a little miffed when Harry began rolling up his left sleeve. "You didn''t have a single injury, Mr. Potter¡ªit was the first thing I checked for. The blood, as I understand, belonged to poor Quirinus."


    Harry examined his forearm, finding nothing but healthy, unblemished skin. "Huh... fancy that."

 Chapter 355 - My SI Stash #55 - Lewd Cultivator in Brockton Bay by Vagabond (Worm)

    -Gots to be the first ever Worm fic I''ve read that has a SI cultivator~ Nut/


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 15K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/lewd-cultivator-in-brockton-bay-worm-lewd-cyoa.12270/ (Vagabond)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    My name was Alan Marris, a native Brocktonite, a graduate of Arcadia, and a self-employed computer software programmer (and fishing enthusiast). Not rich but not poor, I lived on the western edge of the city''s Downtown, right where the western suburb borders Downtown.


    But a person named Alan Marris did not exist on Earth Bet until ten seconds ago. Twelve seconds ago. Fifteen seconds ago.


    This body did not exist until twenty seconds ago.


    My existence was new.


    Sitting up on my bed, I began to contemplate how I could be here.


    I knew that I was in Brockton Bay thanks to this new body''s memories. Brockton Bay didn''t exist where I came from but it certainly did. Memories of recent history played out in my mind in ways only memories can, and I groaned as I realized that I was on Earth Bet, the world at the center of the fictional story titled Worm.


    Again, why was I here?


    I remembered doing a Worm CYOA¡­ a lewd Worm CYOA.


    And I went the entire length of it without taking any particularly lewd choices.


    I hurriedly searched for a piece of paper and pen, found them, sat down by the desk in my bedroom, and wrote down what I remembered about my own choices.


    Wake Up in a New Life


    Canon Knowledge


    For want of a nail


    More points


    Male, Young A.d.u.l.t, Caucasian, Slim, Fit


    Mindf.u.c.kery: alcohol


    Enemies: ABB, E88, Merchants, S9, Endbringers


    Kill List: Kaiser, Skidmark, Lung


    Uncontrollable Mind, Blindspot


    Different Power Source, Early Start, Contact, Costume


    Costume: Armor, self-repairing, force field, thematic, mover


    Early: 27 days


    Amy Dallon: Friend


    Cultivation: Enchantment, Progress renewal, Meridian Awakening, Alchemy


    Roleplay Excellence, ST


    I stared at the piece of paper in front of me.


    And then I screamed in panic.


    -VB-


    It took me ¡­ two hours to calm down. It was embarrassing, seeing as I considered myself better than to break down like that.


    Well, here I was.


    As I sat down to consider what I was going to do.


    First off, I had to make sure that my powers worked. The easiest of them to use was Roleplay Excellence. How did I activate it? Did I just think it? Did I say the role I wanted out loud? I ¡­ don''t quite remember. The only reason why I chose that option out of everything was because it was the only power that wasn''t directly lewd.


    Why did I even touch that lewd cyoa again?


    I steeled myself and then opened my mouth to speak.


    Quietly, I whispered. "I am now an expert parahuman analyst with a meticulous personality who writes down everything important."


    For a second, my vision wavered and then returned.


    I immediately felt the changes. My mind was thinking differently, connecting different information. It wasn''t that I was smarter; it was that there was now newfound knowledge in my head (that won''t stay there when I dismiss this roleplay) that allowed me to connect information in ways I didn''t could connect because I didn''t know they could relate like that.


    I recognized that this particular power was notably similar to Uber of Leet and Uber, whose power granted him temporary high skill of the job he wanted-


    -no, I was different. I didn''t affect just skills; I also affected personality.


    Right now, I was already writing down all of the important bits of information I was extracting from this so far short session of self-analysis. It was abundantly clear to me that my power took further steps to change me than Uber''s power did. Changing personality could not be achieved by shoving new memories into the brain; it directly affected neural pathways. This meant that my power directly influenced my brain chemistry. My mind was now-


    -stop.


    Poof. Just like that, my mind was clear of all previous thoughts. I remembered what I thought, but there were some points here and there that seemed like a jump in logic to me.


    Hmm.


    "Okay," I spoke out loud. "So I definitely have a superpower." I shook in my seat giddily. "I have a power!" I cackled out loud, jumping out of my seat and running around in circles of my room. "GYA HA HA HA HA-!"


    I stopped myself not in alarm but in ever increasing excitement.


    My other power was Cultivation. The overpowered bullshit that let people ascend to godhood.


    I quickly sat down to meditate¡­


    Ring ring ring


    I stopped even before I could begin, and stood up, walked to my desk, and looked at the phone there.


    [Amy Dallon]


    Then I remembered that I was Amy''s friend. I had memories of meeting Amy first at the hospital she volunteered and then later on as we became friend, enjoyed cold and dry British humor, and alcohol.


    It was to my surprise that Amy spiked her fruit juices.


    But this happened because I chose Amy as a friend.


    And that made me her only friend.


    I quickly answered the call. "Hey, Amy! How''s my grumpy healer doing?"


    "{Haven''t had my shot yet,}" she grumbled.


    "Me too! Wanna come and hang out at my place?"


    "{...Sure. You have orange juice?}"


    By orange juice, she meant the jug of orange juice she''d left with me to ferment, because she couldn''t keep that in her house or at the hospital. "Yup."


    "{I''ll be there after school.}"


    And then she hung up without so much as a goodbye.


    Ah, good old Amy being her rude self.


    "Seeing as she''s coming to my house in ¡­" I stared up at the clock. It was 8 am. "Seven hours, I should get me some beer."


    I too was starting to feel the need for alcohol.


    And while I waited for her, I could start myself on my cultivation¡­


    Oh, there was a lot of knowledge implanted into my head. Nice, I can start there. First, I needed to meditate to understand my body and myself.


    -VB-


    Thankfully, my house provided some privacy with how it was made.


    My house was big, despite being on the border of Downtown.


    No, that would be incorrect. My actual house was small, barely three thousand square feet. It had a small front yard and backyard, the latter of which was overtaken by Amy''s three fruit trees. I was the only one who didn''t judge her for the true spectrum of her power and encouraged her to do more.


    Which was why those trees made alcoholic fruits, not regular fruits.


    Anyways, my house was big because it had two layers of bas.e.m.e.nts on top of two floors.


    Those bas.e.m.e.nts gave me the privacy I needed. The first bas.e.m.e.nt was where I had my laundry machines, dryers, and other necessary household equipments of life were at.


    The second bas.e.m.e.nt? It had been sitting empty for years with a few furnitures I no longer needed sitting in the corner.


    Now?


    It was my training room.


    Here, I now practiced very few things I remembered about martial arts. Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, and even a little of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I didn''t just do it with my body. No, I overpowered myself with a command of Roleplay Excellence: "A martial artist that has mastered three combative martial art."


    With each attack, I exerted everything my body could give me. Into each attack, I unleashed the strength of this new body.


    And I felt the difference.


    I had memories of this body and my life before this. Both of me practiced martial arts for exercising purposes, and I knew what it felt like to exert while practicing martial arts. Here and now, however, felt different. Spin kick felt faster and winds buffeted heavily against my leg. I followed it through with a knee strike, and ended with a backhand strike with my fist.


    Each action felt lighter and stronger. The air resisted far more yet it wasn''t because I was weak; it was because each of my strikes cut through the air faster.


    I jumped, twirling in the air horizontally to the ground while my feet lashed out twice to the same target area, and I landed with a ground stomp that made the bas.e.m.e.nt shudder.


    Oops. Might not want to do that lest the neighbors report "strange happenings" in their neighborhood.


    I straightened myself and let out a stream of pent up breath.


    I was definitely stronger¡­ but not strong enough to be considered anything abnormal. Maybe the world''s elite martial artist at best but nothing that can take on a standard parahuman.


    Kiii¡­.


    Hmm? Was that the sound of the front door opening?


    It must be Amy.


    ¡­


    Wait, how did I hear that from down here?


    ¡­


    Whatever.


    I walked up and saw Amy on the living room couch with a cup of orange beer.


    "The first thing you do is get your pruno and not greet the owner of the house?" I asked her dryly.


    She took a sip, sighed contentedly, and looked at me.


    Amy Dallon was a good friend of mine for the sole fact that I liked her humor, she healed me once, and she made me alcohol.


    I was actually a little buzzed right now from drinking her pruno.


    "Hi. There, I said it. Now, let me get back to drinking."


    I snorted. "You raging alcoholic."


    "Idiotic drowned."


    "Grumpy healer."


    "Masochist."


    "Oi, that was once!"


    "Uh huh."


    I snorted again and walked up to the second floor bathroom.


    When I finished cleaning up, changed my clothes, and came back down, Amy was watching the TV with half-lidded eyes.


    I raised an eyebrow. "Aren''t you normally at the hospital by now?" I asked her.


    "I am, but I haven''t given you your check-up yet."


    I chuckled. "Sure, sure," I said as I extended my hand towards her. I stopped for a moment to dispel the Roleplay Excellence''s control over my body. I slouched a little then, and Amy, looking at me with a raised eyebrow, caught my extended hand.


    Her eyes glazed over as she looked through my biology.


    As she looked through my biology.


    Looked.


    My biology.


    I realized my mistake right there on the spot, and Amy''s eyes widened as they gained focus. Her face and eyes snapped up to me, and I returned her look in equal part nervousness and embarrassment.


    I didn''t expect to be outed so soon.


    The thing about cultivators was that their biology changed with their training. They became more than just humans.


    And while I might not have done anything, the very fact that I was a cultivator who could do extraordinary things already set my biology apart from regular people.


    And Amy here was a biokinetic.


    "What happened?" she demanded angrily.


    And she was angry because she was thinking that I must have gone to some bio-tinker to improve my body.


    Just as she showed trust in me¡­ I supposed it was my turn to return that trust.


    While letting her hold my hand, I moved around the couch and sat down next to her. She stared at me.


    "So, where would you like me to begin?"


    "Who experimented on you?"


    "No one."


    "Your biology is different from a mere day ago, Alan," she spat. "Who did this to you?"


    I smirked. "What if I said it is the product of my training?"


    "... Huh? No, that''s bullshi-"


    Right there and then, I did one of the few things I knew so far about my cultivation: allowing the Qi to flow through my meridian points."


    Her retort froze on the spot as her eyes widened.


    I knew that she couldn''t detect lies, not completely, so I spun her a story. "We humans once dominated nature. Rocks shattered, earth cratered, trees fell, and mountains disappeared under the might of not weapons but our feet and fists," I said. And it was true in the wuxia genre of fiction.


    But then again, Worm was also fiction.


    "I''ve finally woken up today and reached a level of cultivation that you see today. This is something I''ve been working towards. It''s not much¡­ but I can show you what I can do."


    Tired as I may have been, but I could power through¡­ with just a sip of beer. I stole a sip from her cup of pruno, earning me a light glare. She nodded stiffly, and I led her down to the lowest bas.e.m.e.nt.


    I let her stay by the stairs, and I walked to the center of the room. I contemplated how I was going to go about this.


    I mean I was a little tired but ¡­ it really wouldn''t be much.


    And so¡­


    I cut it loose.


    -VB-


    She didn''t know what she expected, but it wasn''t this.


    The air grew heavy on her as if a thick blanket was weighing her down. At the same time, the bas.e.m.e.nt grew darker than before. The light dimmed yet its intensity was the same.


    Her hand quickly reached out and grabbed the handrail of the staircase and held on to it dearly.


    She watched as Alan, her only non-parahuman friend, lifted his right leg up.


    And stomped.


    The bas.e.m.e.nt floor cracked and the entirety of the house shook with how strong it was.


    He punched away from her, and yet the air buffeted against her face like she was sticking her head out of a train. He kicked, and the rotation of his attack with his bare foot grinded against the floor.


    He jumped and twirled in the air, striking thrice, and she knew that such an attack would have knocked out most people on the spot if the attack connected.


    ''Brute 3 at the very least,'' she thought.


    And then she saw his hands curl into fists and strike too many f.u.c.k.i.n.g times in under five seconds.


    ''T-Thirty? No, at least thirty-five¡­! And each of those strikes felt as strong as the first fist strike that made the winds whoosh around and buffet her face. If anyone without armor or Brute power got hit by those-!''


    Death.


    The first three strikes might break a bone. By the tenth, multiple bones would be broken. By the twentieth, entire skeletal structures would be gone and organs would be damaged. By the thirtieth, there would be no organ to speak of.


    He stopped with a last flourish of a kick and moved way too fast for her eyes. Vicky might be able to follow it but¡­


    "...What the f.u.c.k," she uttered, unable to stop herself.


    Alan looked up and grinned. "And I can make you this strong too, though it will be painful."


    She looked down at the floor. The cement floor was no longer flat and pristine. It was cracked, shattered, ground down, and ¡­ a mess.


    And this was done with a bare foot that didn''t break or bleed when striking a cement surface hard enough to shatter the entire thing.


    "Ah. I went overboard," Alan grumbled. "Now I have to fix everything up."


    "What the f.u.c.k, Alan."


    "Ow," he suddenly muttered. "I think I strained myself."


    "Ugh, idiot," she grumbled as she walked up to him, careful to avoid any broken shard of cement, and touched him. Or rather, she tried to. He stopped her with a finger to the palm of her extended hand. "What?"


    "I have to heal the old fashioned way. My muscles wouldn''t grow otherwise."


    Both of them knew that if he wanted muscles, then she could increase them all she liked as long as she had the materials.


    "Does it have something to do with your ¡­ power?"


    "It''s not a power if you can do the same with training, Amy."


    She snorted. "I doubt I can do that," she said, pointing to the crater on the cement.


    "You never know," he teased before going serious. "But I honestly wouldn''t want you to start this. The only method to start this would have you screaming for hours in pain."


    She winced. "You¡­?"


    "Not sure," he replied honestly. "I just know that you will if you follow me down this path."


    She stopped talking. "... Fine," she said as she turned around. "I''m going to the hospital."


    "Be careful, okay?"


    "I will."


    As she walked up the stairs and then out of his house, she couldn''t help but wonder.


    Could she be as strong?


    Strong and glorious like Vicky?


    She needed time to think.


    Chapter 2


    -VB-


    Cultivation.


    Did I mention that it wasn''t too different from a Tinker or a body builder in how it functioned?


    For me, I had the knowledge of what I must do to advance my body; the mind and spirit were trickier, so I was focusing on the body first. After all, what was a mind if the body could not follow through?


    So, the body! There were three paths to advancements of the body known to me, thanks to the knowledge download.


    The first path was the rigorous training of flesh against wood, flesh against steel, and flesh against flesh: the Path of Rock Flesh. ''Through endless pain and suffering, the body shall achieve the flesh of a mountain. All shall break before the mountain.''


    The second path took martial art into the realm of the supernatural: the Art of Peerless Skin. ''Through the infusion of internal Qi onto the skin, the skin shall harden


    The third and final path, the one I intended to take, was the practical application of the acc.u.mulated ancient knowledge where Qi was the central overarching force capable of influencing the body. This was the Path of One Thousand Layer.


    Now, they all sounded fancy and gave the notion that some kind of supernatural training regiment was needed. Very technically speaking, they did. One could not achieve the Path of Rock Flesh without surviving against throwing your n.a.k.e.d skin against sharpened rock and come out stronger for it. The Art of Peerless Skin would have one master the neigong, which took a decade, if not decades, to master. The Path of One Thousand Layer was the easiest of them but also the most expensive.


    Qi was not a force limited to each individual human. Qi itself was the human''s internal energy, and there existed many other forms of energy, like the infernal Qi, found in hot springs and volcanoes, and the natural Qi, found in plants and animals.


    The Path of One Thousand Layer took the understanding of the flow of Qi to gather ingredients infused heavily with Qi and infused them into the body.


    This was why it was expensive. Instead of training the body, the Path of One Thousand Layer sought to implement Qi found elsewhere into the body to supplement its progress. I needed medicinal herbs in hundreds of kilograms, and a specific ratio had to be maintained in each medicinal bath I took after each training session.


    Alan Marris on this Earth had $55,000 saved up so far as cash and credit. I blew half of that away in a single day for the herbs, and of that 10% was simply from the shipping fee.


    I sunk deep into the medicinal bath, luxuriating in the steaming hot mixture of twelve different herbs ranging from Chinese Knotweed to half a century old wild ginseng. I tried not to think about how expensive this bath was. Considering that I chopped in a half of twenty-five year old wild ginseng, it was at the very least two thousand dollars¡­


    A two thousand dollar (at the very least) herbal bath. Didn''t think I''d be doing something so ¡­ expensive.


    ''I can''t imagine but the most dedicated or the rich doing this in ancient times,'' I thought to myself while practicing breathing with my body.


    ''Breathing with the body'' was not actually taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide with my skin. It was the most fundamental part of neigong, where my body took in energy from the outside. This process, coupled with the medicinal bath, took in nutrients and energy from the medicinal bath and reinforced the whole of my body. When I "exhaled" with my body, acc.u.mulated wastes related to neigong and Qi.


    Under the right circ.u.mstances, "bodily breathing" was a way to purify my body as I reinforced it.


    Unfortunately, I was not a master of neigong, or even the fundamental step of bodily breathing. If I was, then I would have made this bath cheaper and acquired the same benefit. But I wasn''t a master. I knew what and how to do this cultivation roughly but the exact efficiency and path eluded me, because I was nothing more than a disciple in the arts not a master, and even that was because of the knowledge. On top of that, I didn''t have a decade to master a single martial art.


    Scion may be neutered, but parahuman gangs with their shards'' conflict engines was a real thing.


    I dove under it, and breathed. The water around me pulsed in rhythm with each breath. I felt the top of my head also move out of the water despite the fact that I hadn''t moved. Was I taking the herbal bath water into me?


    That''s ¡­ weird. Whatever. No one ever said cultivation wasn''t weird.


    Nothing else happened from then on, other than the fact that the bath just got a little dark and stayed that way. Seeing as I wasn''t feeling anything different, I pulled the plug on the bathtub, and felt the dirty herbal water drain. The net holding the soaked herbs held, and only the water - nutritiously valuable - left.


    Thanks to the makeup of the pipes leading out of the second bas.e.m.e.nt, I knew that this water would end up in the garden underneath Amy''s three alcohol fruit trees.


    Efficiency for the win, right?


    I was, of course, not going to tell Amy I was giving her trees wastewater.


    Of course, since I was thinking about efficiency, I also had invested in some ¡­ training equipment. At the same time as I had bought the herbs, I also got a baseball launcher, and used it to train my dodging speed. I spent a week dodging but now I was training in lashing out at those high speed murderballs.


    Amy had been less than pleased by the bruises all over my body yesterday.


    Speaking of Amy¡­


    "Alan, where are you?!"


    I wanted to try a few things with her. Also, why was she screaming her head off?


    It''s been two weeks since I woke up as Alan Marris of Earth Bet and half-lied to Amy (both Alan''s did train for the sake of improving ourselves, just not towards cultivation). She had returned a day later but refused my offer of opening her own meridian points. Regardless, she kept returning for the usual routine.


    Which was basically to use me and my house as her "alcohol experiment and loot" room.


    "Down here!" I shouted as I dried myself with a towel quickly before putting on a dry set of red t-shirt and pair of blue nylon shorts and tossing my training shorts to the laundry bin. By the time I was dry, clothed, and dumping the now useless herbal remains into a trash can, Amy thundered down the stairs and stopped at the base.


    "Where did you hide my orange beer?"


    "For the last time, Amy, fruit moonshine is called pruno."


    "Where is my orange pruno?" she insisted.


    I replied as casually as guiltlessly as possible, "I drank it."


    I too was an alcoholic and was not above breaking into her stash for a few bottles. I may have practiced the Drunken Fist after chugging three liters worth of Amy''s orange pruno, though I did not find much success. "In my defense, you still have a tank of lemon pruno upstairs."


    "I like the orange pruno the best!" Amy objected angrily. "You stole my beer!"


    "Consider it a fee for keeping it in my house."


    "ARGH!" she screamed and jumped at me.


    Seeing how slow she was, I neatly sidestepped her. As she fell, I slid one hand underneath her stomach and the other on her back, swung her around, and placed her back on her feet facing away from me. This happened in two seconds.


    She stood there for a moment before turning back. "Do that again."


    "What, you want to be swung around like a kid by her daddy?" I asked her with a coo.


    Maybe she was a little drunk already; she just showed reckless behavior, poor judgement (maybe), and her face was flushed. My words only made that flush deeper.


    So it wasn''t a big surprise that she decided to headbutt me. She''d been too close for me to dodge, especially since I hadn''t expected it. Our skulls conked and I stumbled backward in pain while she dropped to the floor, whining in pain.


    "How much did you drink?!" I, the alcoholic man of the house, demanded sharply as I held my forehead.


    "Only a gallon¡­" she whined from her face down fetal position.


    "Amy, I thought we agreed on half a gallon per day rule."


    She just groaned more. "I had a bad day, okay? Vicky was being her stupid self again¡­!"


    "She kept on blasting you with more of her aura or something?"


    From the memories I''d inherited, one of the things Amy complained to me about was Vicky''s inability to control her aura. She usually only complained about that when she was really drunk, though.


    "No, she set me up on another blind date with another rich snob."


    I snorted. "Then what are you going to do?"


    "I''m going to call that snob and tell him that I''m not interested. And then I''m going to tell Vicky I''m not interested. That I want her p.u.s.s.y, not a f.u.c.k.i.n.g d.i.c.k."


    I whistled. "You must be really drunk. You don''t say that so loud normally."


    "Shut up!"


    "Yes, definitely drunk," I said as I picked her up and moved upstairs.


    She touched my skin on my hand, perhaps in habit, and frowned. "I see less of your body than two weeks ago."


    "I have been training and cultivating at a very fast rate."


    "I still call your explanation bullshit. Tell me what biotinker got to you already~!"


    "Will you shut up if I let you drink another bottle?"


    "Yessir!" she cheered before she leaned into my bridal carry. She looked sullen and upset. Something was bothering her.


    "If you have something on your chest, Amy, go ahead and tell me. You know I''m not here to judge."


    "... Hey, Alan."


    "Yeah?"


    "Am I ugly?"


    "No. Why?"


    "Why doesn''t Vicky look at me, then?"


    "... Because you''re her sister?"


    Amy frowned.


    "It''s not like you''re going to **** her, right?"


    Despite her drunken state, those words snapped her out of her stupor easily enough. "What the f-!? NO!" she screamed, pushing me away (or trying to) when I was the one carrying her.


    "Then why not just give up? It''s not like your attraction to her is natural."


    She glared at me. "What the f-?"


    She''s saying that a lot, isn''t she?


    "You know deep down that her power must have some effect on you, right? Whenever her aura flares, you told me that you just appreciate and awe Victoria more."


    She didn''t reply as I set her down on my couch in the first floor living room.


    Amy was open with me unlike how she was with the rest of her family and her acquaintances. Some of it was from how loose her lip was when she was drunk but a lot of it was just genuine need on her part to have someone to talk with. The me-before-I-took-over had been a good friend to Amy, and I intended to carry on that distinction.


    Amy sighed. "... I still love her."


    "As you should, you are, at the very least, family."


    She looked up at me before nodding. "So how''s your training been?" she asked, blatantly changing the subject. "Your body changed again."


    "Faster than I imagined," I replied with a grin. "It''s only been two weeks since I arrived at my current level, so I really can''t say there''s been an increase in my cultivation base. What I have improved though is my body."


    "I noticed," she narrowed her eyes. "I could see what you were doing with your body, but not all of it. There were even portions that I couldn''t change."


    That''s good news, actually. If a power as versatile as the Shaper could not change me in the hands of Amy, then there were many lesser Shards and powers that wouldn''t be able to do that to me either.


    Amy continued to talk. "But why are you training so hard? From what I could tell, you must be training all of the time that I''m not here."


    "To do what I want, I need power."


    She narrowed her eyes. "And what might that be?"


    ¡­ What exactly did I want to do?


    I was in Earth Bet, the home of Worm. This was supposed to be a pseudo-death world, but I had taken charge of this scenario, twisting away calamity like the Golden Morning, by taking options in a ¡­


    ¡­


    I don''t know. I spoke words that sounded right, but they rang hollow to my own ears. I wanted power, yes, but that''s because - in truth - I was scared to fight people on my own level. I didn''t want to risk myself. I didn''t want to put myself on a kill or be kill scenario. I didn''t want to fight, but by the rules of power that existed in Earth Bet, I would not have a choice in the matter. Sooner or later, there will be people who seek me out to fight, to dominate, and to kill me.


    I leveled a serious, half-lidded stare at her, meeting her eyes. She blinked and then flinched.


    "I don''t want to be a victim in this pitiless world," I replied honestly. "I don''t want to be just another parahuman who dies in the first year of getting their power. I don''t want to be forced into some asshole''s gang, federal, corporate, or criminal." I straightened myself up and allowed myself to just ¡­ release the frustration that I didn''t know I had. "I want to have a family. I don''t want to die. I don''t want to suffer. Being powerless means that I won''t have choice in any of this. Some random dipshit can kill me if I''m weak. If I''m weak, the government can screw me over and I''ll have to take it up my ass and deal with it. If I''m weak with a family, then I might have to watch as gangsters break into my home, **** and kill my family, and I''ll be too weak to stop them."


    I stared at Amy, whose adopted family had an experience in the latter kind of experience.


    "I don''t want to be weak, Amy, especially not in a city like Brockton Bay."


    "... Is that why you''re training like a masochist?"


    I grinned, letting my serious demeanor fall apart. "Being able to grind concrete into dust with my hands also makes me feel better. Girls also like these muscles," I announced gleefully as I put my left arm up and flexed. Now, my body may be on the slim side, but my training was starting to show off in my growing muscles.


    Amy merely raised an eyebrow, and then she snorted.


    "What?" I asked curiously.


    "I just realized that the only reason I haven''t seen a pot belly on you despite your daily dose of alcohol was because of your training."


    "... A pot belly that you might get, too."


    She gasped.


    "Join me in my training! You shall become a macho girl by my side~!"


    "Never."


    Then we laughed.


    Amy left soon afterward, and I was left to nurse a cup of lemon pruno by myself. My conversation with Amy played itself again in my head, and I couldn''t help it.


    I felt weak. No, I knew that I was weak. In a city that hosted Hookwolf, Lung, Kaiser, Skitter, Amy, Victoria, and so many more, I was weak. There was no way I could survive against Kaiser or Hookwolf. Lung would burn me alive. Armsmaster had more combat experience and thus would wipe the floor with me.


    I didn''t feel weak; I knew that I was weak.


    My jaws clenched hard and my hands balled up into a fist, I finished the pruno in my hand and went downstairs to train again. My skin broke but didn''t bleed, my bones buckled but didn''t break, and my mind struggled under the exhaustion yet I persevered through.


    I would get strong.


    I had to be strong.


    -VB-


    Life, unfortunately, did not give me a chance to get stronger.


    I was out in the middle of the night, two weeks after that heart-to-heart with Amy, and getting groceries from my favorite cheap supermarket when I ran into the Undersiders.


    Undersiders who had just robbed Ruby Casino.


    Undersiders who were just escaping the ABB gangsters.


    Undersiders who, in the middle of the night, ran into me in high alert.


    And I, who had been training to the point of learning all of my own martial arts movements and strikes were ingrained into my body as a habit, lashed out in habit at the fast approaching team, just like I had ingrained myself to lash out at the baseballs that I used for training.


    My hand lashed out and I struck the lead gigantic dog on the nose, earning myself a "Keh keng!" of a dog screeching in pain.


    "Ah."


    I f.u.c.k.i.e.d up.


    Chapter 3


    -VB-


    We stared at each other. I stood by myself with an empty beer can between two fingers and two bags of groceries in my left hand and my right hand remained outstretched. The Undersiders looked at me, but it was only Tattletale who saw the beer can in my hand.


    "Brutus, kill!" the barely masked butch looking teenager on top of another dog shouted. This had to be Bitch. The dog-monster she was on quickly sped towards me with its mouth open and fangs bared.


    "No, wait!" the helmeted villain, who had to be Grue/Brian, shouted at the same time that Lisa did.


    I wasted no time, even if my vision was a little blurry and I couldn''t quite control all of myself to the fullest. Tossing the empty beer can in my left hand, I slid across the ground and dodged the charging bulldozer of a dog. At the same time, as the dog-monster passed by me, I lashed out sharply and quickly with a single punch at its rider.


    The teenger took the hit and tumbled off of her ride, earning a worried whine from the monstrous pet. Said pet quickly turned on me when it saw that its owner was alright, and then growled at me.


    Darkness washed over me, and I knew that Grue had decided to fight.


    Instead of waiting for them to attack me, I dashed backward. I got out in seconds, only to be engulfed in the four sense muting cloud again. Clicking my tongue in irritation, I opted to not fight them in this state. Visualizing the area I saw from the brief glance I''ve seen just a moment ago when I initially escaped the black cloud, I ran for the open stretch of road as fast as my legs could carry me, despite my current less than ideal (and slightly buzzed? Definitely buzzed. Maybe more than a little buzzed) state.


    I didn''t know how many steps I took, but after what felt like fifteen seconds, I was out of the clouds. I twisted around and came to a skidding stop. I swayed a little to my right after stopping.


    The Undersiders stood across from me. Bitch was back on whichever dog she''d been on before, and Tattletale looked at me with such profound confusion that I couldn''t help but comment on it.


    "Cat got your tongue, fox?" I asked. "Let me ask why the hell you guys thought it was a good idea to try and run over someone?" I swayed to my left a little.


    "We weren''t trying to," Grue replied.


    "You''re¡­ not a cape?" Tattletale said out loud. "He''s drunk¡­?!"


    Regent whistled. "He''s not a cape and he''s that fast? That''s insane," he laughed. "Hey, can we have him on our team?"


    "No, we have to run," Grue shot back. He turned back to me. "I''m sorry about one of Bitch''s dogs almost running over you. Can we part ways with that?"


    I stared at them for a moment. I ¡­ didn''t actually want to fight them. There was no point to, and if this was the point in the timeline that I thought it was, then I didn''t want to stop them either (Ruby Casino theft).


    Attacking them here and now would only draw the attention of Coil and the PRT towards me, which were not the attention I wanted on me right now.


    Not when I wasn''t ready.


    "Very well," I said with a huff. "But please keep your literal bitch on the leash more tightly."


    Grue nodded, and they sped off. I watched them go before I turned back to where I dropped my groceries, only to gawk as a truck loaded with gunmen rounded the corner and ran over them.


    My groceries!


    While I lamented over my roadkill groceries, the truck stopped not too far from me and one of the gunmen walked out.


    "Oi, crackhead, where did the monster dogs go?!" he shouted at me. When I didn''t respond because I was both a little angry and thinking about what exactly I should do to these gangsters (had to be ABB if they were asking for the Undersiders on the night of Ruby Casino''s theft, right?), he walked up behind me and pushed me forward with the tip of his gun.


    While I wasn''t alright with getting Coil and PRT''s attention, I wasn''t above punishing these gangsters, especially on a new moon night like today that obscured my face.


    I spin-kicked, and I''d twisted myself so fast that I barely saw his face begin to change from irritated sneer into open surprise when my left heel struck his left temple. There was a sharp crack, and the momentum of my kick tossed him away like a ragdoll, flying nearly horizontally to the ground and letting go of his gun.


    While his friends gawked at the sudden attack, I grabbed the gun - a Glock - through my sleeves and took aim. Though I wasn''t experienced with guns, I had the discipline and muscle strength to keep myself steady.


    I fired.


    Someone died.


    I fired again.


    Someone else screamed as they held their shoulder.


    I fired again.


    They began to hide.


    I fired off two more shots before I ran for it.


    I wasn''t bulletproof. Not yet.


    They fired back, but in the dark, poorly lit streets of the Docks South (again, why did I come out during the night for groceries?), they didn''t hit me. Their bullets struck the road, the brick buildings, and caused more noise than actual results.


    With the sound of return fire to cover the sound of my running footsteps, I disappeared between the alleys.


    Time to go home and enjoy this beer~!


    -VB-


    "I did what?"


    "You were laying there, on the couch, with blood all over your feet. Someone else''s blood."


    I stared up at Amy, trying not to think too hard because hangovers are a bitch and I am still reaching for that canon the countertop-


    "Oh no, you don''t!" she shouted at me before knocking my hand away from the beer can. "Not until you explain the blood!"


    "But I don''t remember anything¡­" I whined. "Give me my sip already!" I lunged for it, and even in my dehibilated state, I was still a martial artist. My body twisted under her clumsy and wide strikes, taking no more than a second to cross four yards in an instant.


    And then I gleefully stared at the beer can. I reached for it-.


    "YOWCH!" I yelped like a kicked puppy before falling on the ground. "W-What the hell, Amy?!"


    She stood over me triumphantly. "It doesn''t matter if you''re faster than me, Alan. I can still knock you out in one go, even if I''m seeing less and less of your body."


    "... you make it sound like I''m some kind of a prude to my wife."


    "Who would hang out with you?"


    "You?"


    "..."


    She kicked him.


    "Ugh! I thought you were supposed to be a hero! To kick a man while he''s down¡­!"


    "Shut up, drunk!"


    "Pot calls kettle black!"


    "I do not go on murder sprees as a drunk!" she paused. "I go on a healing spree!"


    "Damn workaholic, give me my beer!"


    "Not until we find out who you killed!"


    -VB-


    Whatever happened, Amy was able to piece some things together. For one, there was a gunfight in the Docks South and there had been at least two ABB casualties known to the police. Of the two, only one had been left at the spot.


    And that man had his left temporal bones shattered to pieces, and his brain had been mulched on the other side.


    ¡­ If I had struck him with my heel at a certain angle, then I could certainly produce similar results; I don''t regularly break flat concrete ground with my heel strikes for nothing.


    ''Ugh, I feel like I''m missing something.''


    "So the gun on the scene didn''t have any of your fingerprint, so the police is assuming that you, assuming that it was you, were defending yourself."


    "And how are you finding all of this out¡­?"


    "I''m their medic. I''m everyone''s medic. They tell me things. Old men gossip like old ladies, don''t you know?"


    "... Now you have me curious. How often do you have to heal PRT and Protectorate, nevermind the physically weaker and less armored police and firefighters?"


    She grimaced. "Too many times," she grumbled. "And sometimes, they have the gall, the gall, to wake me up in the middle of the night for things less than nearly fatal," she groaned dramatically. "Can''t they just let me sleep? I can''t heal well if I''m dozing off every other minute." She shook her head and then looked at me. "So you were probably defending yourself, even if you are technically a Brute," she poked me in the shoulder, which did nothing but just barely dent my skin.


    "I don''t think I''m bulletproof."


    "Doesn''t matter to the PRT. Whatever, it''s not like I was going to report you," she grumbled.


    I perked up. "You weren''t?"


    If she had said that she was going to report me, then ¡­ I don''t think I would have done anything, not against Amy anyway. First of all, she was my second, and second, she was my drinking buddy. Besides, what''s a few murder between friends?


    I grinned. "Really?"


    "Yes," she grumbled. "You already convinced me to make a beer tree, so what''s a self-defense manslaughter after that? It can''t be worse than my power."


    My grin dropped. This ¡­ was not where I wanted this conversation to go.


    Since I "took over" for this Earth''s Alan Marris, I have been doing the right thing by Amy. I made her feel comfortable, made her drunk in a safe environment, didn''t blame her for not healing more people, and helped loosen her creative side; aside from fulfilling her Conflict Engine''s requirements, people needed to be creative to fulfill parts of self-actualization.


    AKA even if she used her powers, being creative was what I considered to be the fastest and best way for me to help her be ¡­ not the Red Queen.


    "Amy, it''s not wrong to use your power however you want," I told her slowly. "I keep telling you that your very thought process goes against our culture."


    After all, when one worked, they got compensated.


    Amy, however, worked without compensation. Perhaps surgeries and healing worth millions of dollars per month yet received nothing. Yeah, she volunteered, but there was a limit. Whenever she was in the mood to let me "try" to convince her, I did try to get her to demand from the hospital some sort of pay. I''ve even called them (while a little buzzed) to ask why Panacea wasn''t getting paid.


    She refused and the hospitals said they had no choice.


    Why?


    Carol.


    The Stockholm Syndrome-addled, baggage heavy, and strict to a fault Carol.


    I was half tempted to start calling her a Karen, but that particular meme wasn''t popular here. Something about elastic capes with s.e.x scandals that I didn''t quite understand...


    "Don''t say it again," she groaned. "I''m not in the mood right now."


    I wanted to push the issue, but it was best not to. Amy, if she was anything like Carol, was stubborn like a bull and tenacious like a donkey in heat. If she didn''t want to hear about it right now, then she would walk out of my house to not hear about it.


    Sighing, I changed the topic. "Still, you''re perfectly fine with a murderer for a friend, hmm? I thought your mommy dearest wouldn''t like that."


    She glared at me. "I am not fine with it," she shot back. "In fact, I''m upset."


    "You are? Why?"


    She slapped me over the head. "Because you got yourself in a fight or die situation, that''s why!"


    "... I honestly don''t know whether or not to apologize because I don''t remember what I did."


    "Isn''t that what all of the boys say to the girls?"


    "... It is."


    "Then what do you say?"


    "Sorry?"


    "I don''t hear the sincerity in that apology."


    "I''m sorry, Lady Amy."


    "Better."


    A pause.


    Then we both broke out into giggles.


    But on the inside, I began to ponder. Amy considered me important enough to look over a critical issue in her black and white worldview. That was a very good thing for me in more than one way.


    That made me wonder¡­ Could I get her to consider me as something ¡­ more?


    But it was a question for another day and another time, because right now was drinking time.

 Chapter 356 - My CO Stash #56 - Wizard Runemaster by plums (HarryPotterXWarcraft)

    -The attention to detail, the quests, and the interactions between characters makes this CO fic a worthwhile read!


    Synopsis: A Weapon. A Hero. But now¡­ a loose end. Harry Potter resolves to destroy the enemies who betrayed him on his terms, only to find all his plans torn asunder when he''s summoned to a new world plagued with the same enemies as his own.


    Rated: M


    Words: 283K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/8933408/1/Wizard-Runemaster (plums)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Harry sat on the edge of his bed in the master bedroom of the Potter Estate, slowly swirling the glass of fire whiskey in his hand. The rest of the house was empty except for the main entrance hall. Everything his family owned had been shrunk and placed within magical trunks that were stored in a moleskin pouch on his hip. All of it, ready to move at a moments notice.


    Despite the fact he sat in a bedroom, he looked ready to fight a war since he had donned his full battle armor. Enchanted armor and robes that cost more than most wizards earned in ten lifetimes. And he had created these himself from scratch over the course of a year. All the knowledge to create them had been found in this house. The Potters truly were a powerful family, and it was no wonder Dumbledore had set up such an elaborate plot to gain access to his ancestor''s secrets and fortune.


    Everything the man had ever spoken or done regarding Harry had proved to be a lie. The death of his parents, the incarceration of Sirius, the ineffectual fighting of a second war against Voldemort, and the proclamations of war crimes against Harry for ending the lives of so many "upstanding purebloods" to end the conflict. Dumbledore had secretly been behind it all, and thought himself one-step ahead of Harry at all times.


    The start of Harry''s disillusionment with Dumbledore began moments after waking up in the hospital after the Twi-Wizard tournament. The old fool assumed Harry was asleep, but Harry had always been able to wake early from potions meant to incapacitate him in the hospital. It was the only time the Headmaster had probably ever spoken his true mind in public outside the safety of his office, and he paid for his indiscretion in spades.


    "Is it done, Severus?" he heard the old man ask from a few feet away.


    "Yes, but it appears to be ineffectual. His blood must be willingly and freshly given. We determined Potter himself must be in proximity to the wardstone as well. There were also additional conditions of the offering: he must be alive, coherent, and uncoerced when he makes the offering."


    "Blast," he heard Dumbledore respond with vehemence Harry had never heard before. Harry almost opened his eyes there, but managed to remain calm and unmoving. "The boy can never know of his family''s estate. The knowledge and opportunities it contains could allow him to end this war on his own if he actually was properly trained. We can''t allow that if we want to be the ones who gain from allowing this conflict to be drawn out."


    "Well, at least that part won''t ever be a concern," said Snape, and Harry actually could swear he heard humor in the distasteful man''s voice. "The boy is far more concerned with playing chess and quidditch with his Neanderthal friend than he is actually improving himself. He''s known the Dark Lord has been after him since the end of his first year when he saw him with his own eyes, and he still does nothing to actually improve his chances of survival. He chooses classes such as Divination and Magical Creatures instead of Runes and Arithmancy. His luck has held so far, I doubt it will hold much longer. We will be ready to step in if that is the case."


    Harry remembered his anger at those words at the time, but looking back now, he could honestly credit that brief summarization of his life as entirely truthful. He truly had never applied himself. All he had done was go with the flow. The only true extracurricular studying he had ever done outside the standard Hogwarts curriculum was to support his own survival in the Tournament. And even then, it was Hermione who performed most of the legwork.


    He resolved right then and there to change.


    A final off-hand comment by Snape as he walked away though is what changed the course of history. "It''s just good he''s continually bought your excuses not to enter Gringotts and to let the Weasley woman have possession of his trust vault key. He''ll never know he''s about to miss the opportunity to claim his inheritance and the Order will be well funded with money from his own vault."


    As he heard the fading footsteps he felt rage overcome him. At that moment, for the first time in his life, he knew just how screwed he really was. It was a daunting realization, to have it finally dawn on him just how numerous his enemies were beyond just Voldemort.


    The Death Eater children of Slytherin were his enemies. They had been trained since birth to hate Dumbledore and his "Golden Boy" Harry. It didn''t matter that Harry had been left out to dry Dumbledore publicly on multiple occasions. Additionally, the "popular" crowd of Hogwarts were his enemies, since they relied upon gossip as fact. They had hated Harry for being a parselmouth, and hated him even more for stealing Cedric''s thunder in the tournament. And the "light side" cronies of Albus Dumbledore were also apparently his enemies, as they sought to take what was rightfully his.


    He also knew that the Ministry of Magic was now his enemy. He was not a completely naive child, and he was well aware of the consequences of the massive argument he had witnessed between Albus Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Because Harry was the original source of the now disputed fact of Voldemort''s return, he knew the ministry would likely throw all its considerable political weight behind destroying Harry''s reputation even further than Rita Skeeter had done this past year. He also knew this would be exacerbated by Lucius Malfoy, an influential Death Eater who had the Minister''s ear. His political power was demonstrated two years previous after the man out-maneuvered Dumbledore during the Chamber of Secrets crisis.


    A war had started and Harry was already fighting an uphill battle. Harry, for all intents and purposes, was in a war against everyone. And he was completely alone.


    He couldn''t count on Hermione to save his ass every time he found himself in trouble in the future. His only other potential ally he could think of was Neville Longbottom, and Neville was a far cry from someone who would be useful in battle. Neville was an abused under-confident child just like Harry was, and would have his own problems to overcome.


    "Dobby," he whispered, hoping the Elf would would come.


    "Yes Harry Potter sir," the diminutive green being said with exuberance.


    "Dobby, do you wish to be my house Elf?"


    His eyes widened. The incredibly loyal being looked like Christmas had just been declared to be every day of the year.


    "Yes sir, Harry Potter Sir. Dobby would love to be his Elf."


    "How do I do that?"


    Dobby reached over and grabbed Harry''s hand. Instantly he felt a bond between the two form. It felt pure and comforting. He knew Dobby was loyal to him and him alone, and that he could trust him with his life.


    "Dobby, I need to get out of Hogwarts. I need you to quietly pack up all my belongings in my room, get out my invisibility cloak, and bring it all here."


    A minute later, Dobby returned with all his chest, cloak, and an outfit to wear outside of the hospital. With a deep breath, Harry stretched and snuck out of the hospital. The hastily put together plan seemed to have succeeded so far.


    His goal: Diagon Alley and the Gringotts Bank branch located there.


    He needed to get from Hogwarts to there, and he needed to do it immediately. With his belongings packed, he shrunk his school chest and donned his father''s invisibility cloak. Thirty minutes later, after a quick jaunt through a Hogwarts secret passageway, he found himself emerging from the bas.e.m.e.nt of Honeydukes, the sweet shop in Hogsmeade village. A quick run to "the Three Broomsticks" tavern and some stolen floo powder found himself emerging from the fireplace in Diagon Alley''s Leaky Cauldron in London. Elapsed time thus far, twenty minutes.


    He was easily able to sneak through the alley undetected, and wisely took off his cloak as he ascended the steps to Gringotts. After all, it wouldn''t be a very smart thing to sneak into a bank where guards would sooner kill you than look at you while wearing a device such as a invisibility cloak.


    Those few fleeting moments on the steps of that bank would be the last time Harry James Potter was seen in public for nearly two and half years.


    -o0o0o-


    Harry continued to sit on the bed, lost in the memories of what followed the acceptance of his heritage. The grief, the rage, and finally, the happiness of having actual physical things that belonged to his parents in his hands other than an old invisibility cloak.


    The goblins were extremely helpful with finding trainers for Harry. He withdrew from Hogwarts and applied himself towards learning everything and anything that could possibly assist him. He trained his body, his mind, and even his soul. The magical "leech" in his scar was removed, setting Harry''s mind at ease and giving him the first true period of uninterrupted sleep in his lifetime. The power boost he received after the leach''s removal was also incredibly substantial.


    Open war broke out within a week of Harry''s removal of the soul fragment embedded in the scar. He later learned through the interrogation of a high-ranked prisoner that Voldemort had been attempting to influence Harry through the mental link embedded in the scar. The Dark Lord''s goal was for Harry to stupidly wander into the Ministry of magic and steal a prophecy orb for him located in the Department of Mysteries. With this no longer an option, Voldemort had to steal it himself, which through his own poorly devised plan, exposed him publicly far sooner than he wanted.


    Before that summer was finished, the news was out. Voldemort was back and Harry Potter wasn''t a liar. But even then, Harry did not make any public appearances. Decrees were passed by the Wizengamot, declaring him a traitor to Britain unless he returned to fight the Dark Lord, but he ignored each and every one. He went through a crash course of magical combat far more intensive than had been seen in centuries. It was during this period, he discovered the love of his life.


    Runes.


    Runes could do everything Magic could do, but only better. They were static, predictable, and could be overpowered via Harry''s insanely high magic levels to never break down even if subjected to simultaneous drains by hundreds of other normal wizards.


    Eventually, Harry deemed his training adequate for the initial strike against his enemies. Magical Britain had taken no direct actions to combat the treasonous faction. They weren''t even bothering to pursue them. The Death Eaters would never be defeated so long as the current toadies for Voldemort were entrenched in the legislature. As long as they held power, they could hold up the process for as long as needed to ensure the Dark Lord''s ultimate victory.


    So Harry had no choice. It was easy after all. All he did was compare each piece of legislation that helped Voldemort and which pieces that would aid muggleborns and compare who voted for what. It conveniently, gave him a very specific list of people who voted the same way each time.


    He waited for a Wizengamot meeting where Dumbledore was out of the country on business. He stormed the Wizengamot and killed one-third of its members in the middle of a session. He left the room in ruins, each dead body with their left sleeve cut off, showing they were branded servants of the Dark Lord.


    The action immediately alienated himself from both sides of the war, but it wasn''t like he cared. He had already been declared a criminal and a traitor to Magical England, but at least now, he had done something to earn those charges. He was happy with the result since the government was free to make laws that actually targeted Death Eaters.


    Afterwards, Voldemort was slowly pushed back, inch by inch, blow by blow, until he was on the ropes. They had him surrounded. An international force with some of the strongest Wizards in the world. Those present at that last battle truly believed the four years of war against the evil wizard were finally about to end.


    And then the unthinkable happened. Voldemort unveiled that he had made a pact with a group of demons called the Burning Legion. And then he opened a Dark Portal and their invasion of Earth began. Voldemort died within seconds of the Portal opening, but no one had time to cheer. They were too busy trying to save their own lives.


    Harry sighed, remembering the brutal dozen years that followed. Satyrs, imps, succubae, Doomguards, Felguards, Dread Lords, Shivarra, and Eradar. The endless number of foes he had slaughtered with his own hands had made Harry almost numb to death. However many he had slaughtered though found ten more behind to replace them. The number of humans upon Earth had fallen to under ten percent what it had been before the war.


    ''Before the war¡­ that was now over.''


    That concept was something Harry truly wished he could enjoy. But Harry would never be granted peace. He had been branded an international war criminal for the ruthless manner he had interrogated and ended the lives of his enemies. He had mind-r.a.p.ed so many Death Eaters prior to the war with the Burning Legion that it wasn''t even something he could consider wrong anymore. He had seen their crimes. The r.a.p.es, the murders. He knew they would be back out on the street within weeks because of how the criminal justice system worked in England. He had committed unthinkable crimes for the good of everyone, because no one else had the stomach for it. The remaining magical humans alive on Earth owed their very lives to his methods, but they would never admit it.


    Instead, a large group of ''light-side'' fanatics currently stood outside the boundaries of his ancestral home. They had been banging on the wards in an attempt to bring them down for the past four days to arrest him. In truth, they didn''t have a prayer of entering his wards. Nothing short of a muggle nuclear weapon could penetrate the ancient wards on the manor that Harry himself had reinforced. And even then, Harry could only count the Nuclear Weapon as a possibility because his attempts at an anti-radiation ward had never been tested.


    No, any progress they had made towards bringing down the wards was deliberately allowed by Harry. He wanted this over.


    He was tired of running. The Demon War had ended almost three years prior. He was tired of hiding on an estate that no one could enter but him. He was ready to start his life over. Voldemort was defeated. The Demon hordes of the Burning Legion had been driven back and eradicated. The portals had been shut down.


    Now all that was left was for Harry himself to disappear. He needed to fake his death, or at least leave enough doubt that it wasn''t worth the while of those in charge to continue to pursue him. If he could take out a number of his powerful enemies in the process, all the better.


    And the people outside the ward line of his estate would certainly be counted amongst his enemies.


    Most prominent of them all was Albus Dumbledore. The geriatric had lived through both the Demon and Second Voldemort war without lifting his wand once. That alone condemned him in Harry''s mind. How many lives could have been saved if Albus Dumbledore had got off his sanctimonious arse and actually contributed. Harry hated hypothetical questions, but one like that always begged to be asked by his subconscious.


    Harry''s main plan to disappear was to allow Dumbledore and his minions access to his estate and then trap them here. He would then raise wards to prevent their escape and blow the place sky high, destroying them in one swoop and leaving their bodies in a completely unidentifiable state. The action would have the bonus of leaving it forever open as to whether he survived the incursion or not. The house was empty except for the main entrance hall to give the impression Harry still intended to live here. All side-halls from the entrance hall were sealed anyways to prevent people from snooping in the minute or two they had the chance.


    If one were to wander the rest of the house behind those locked doors, they would be shocked to see the rest of the house was loaded to bear with runic bombs. Over five hundred bombs were all daisy-chained together into a massive array which would likely create a crater half a mile wide once set off. Harry would escape via shadow walking to a safe house in the American southwest. He planned to live there for at least half a decade in seclusion, then set out to another location which he would buy under an assumed identity already established by Gringotts.


    There wasn''t a ward in existence that could prevent his shadow-walking. Plus, it''s not like Dumbledore would even know to prevent it anyways. No one alive knew he could shadow walk. Harry had killed everyone who had ever witnessed its use.


    Harry absent-mindedly looked down at his glass, and realized he had sipped the final bit of alcohol he had nursed for the last thirty minutes.


    ''Guess this is it,'' he thought sadly, as he looked around at the bedroom that had once belonged to his parents. He briefly thought of the few moments of happiness he had in this room. Laughing with Tonks. Chasing Susan around from room to room when she cursed his shower to run cold.


    Memories of the two women he loved more than life itself¡­ who had been killed by traitors outside his house right now.


    He had found out his mother and father had lived here for the first ten months of their marriage, and had only abandoned it for a secluded cottage that Albus Dumbledore owned after Harry''s birth. Dumbledore had told his parents of Harry''s potential to kill Voldemort the day after he was born, and they immediately went into hiding, never knowing Dumbledore himself had Snape leak their identity to the Dark Lord.


    ''Just another crime that old man has never had to answer for until now,'' thought Harry with quiet rage as he stood up.


    He took one more look around the room and took a deep breath, before he walked out into the hallway. It was a dark, dreary walk through the empty halls of the house. Hallways once lined with portraits of his ancestors were bare, since all the portraits were now stored in his hidden trunks. Even the magical light fixtures had been removed by Harry. He would leave nothing behind that could possibly be of sentimental value.


    Eventually, he found himself in the entrance hall, and walked down the grand marble staircase. He sorely wished he could have had the chance to have made a family in this house. It was a warm, loving environment here, completely opposite to the one time he had seen the interior of the Malfoy estate, with its dreary and forbidding stone walls and old-world dungeon-like fires everywhere.


    Even companionship had been denied to him. The two times he had dated a woman, they had both been assassinated. One by Voldemort, the other time by Dumbledore. The bodies of Susan Bones and Nymphadora Tonks had once been buried here at a secluded part of his estate. He had since moved their graves to a peaceful garden at his new safe house. He wouldn''t dare allow their eternal rest to be disturbed by the explosion he was about to create.


    He walked to the center of the hall and stopped. This was it, the vast trap arrays were skillfully hidden, and the method to ignite the bombs were under the pressure switch floor panel he had just stepped upon. All he needed to do was bait his enemies into the hall.


    After one last look around the room, he concentrated on the wards, and quickly collapsed the one barrier that protected the path from the main gate that lead to the front door. With the manner he used to remove it, the arresting Aurors would have no means to tell that Harry deliberately lowered the barrier instead of it having failed on its own. He had, after all, slowly lowered this barrier bit by bit over the past few days to make it seem like they were making progress.


    The rest of the wards were active, and he could feel the presence of the intruders as they jogged up the path. He inwardly seethed at what he felt. They were all useless. All of them were nothing to him. Barely any of them had a magical core bigger than a Hogwarts fifth year. It was obvious Dumbledore had scr.a.p.ed the bottom of the barrel for this group.


    And speaking of Dumbledore, his presence was the hardest to miss. He was in the lead group, obviously trying to give the impression that he was the fabled Light Lord he always made himself out to be by leading the charge. Harry couldn''t help but chuckle, since this was the first time Dumbledore had been on the front-line of a wizard war or engagement since the late 1970''s.


    The front door to the house smashed open, and wizards began to pour into the room. None of them fired, none of them did anything except to circle the room. Harry knew Dumbledore wouldn''t be able to resist giving some sort of speech, so he allowed himself to be encircled. It wasn''t like Harry had anything to fear, since he currently stood in a magical dead zone that extended five feet in every direction from him. If a spell was fired at him, it would dissipate before it even got close to him. Even the killing curse couldn''t pass through the magical void.


    While the minions scurried forth into the room, Albus Dumbledore was the last, despite being one of the first there. He obviously didn''t want to engage in a firefight that might cost him his life as he entered, so he allowed his hand-picked troops to enter first.


    He walked in with a twinkling gleam to his eye, which belied the pitifully fake look of disappointment he now had aimed at Harry. "Harry, my boy. I''m afraid the chase ends here. Your parents would be ashamed at what you''ve done."


    Harry knew this was just Dumbledore baiting him, so he didn''t bother responding. He felt the wards once more through the one sliver of magic he had allowed through the dead zone, and found that everyone in the attacking group had entered the room. It was time to end this.


    Harry gave a quick mental command, and activated the primary trap array under his foot. Instantly, every person in the room found themselves unable to move. Dumbledore''s eyes widened in an act of surprise, which very quickly transitioned to fear.


    "Did you actually think I was going to let you just waltz in here, Albus?" Harry asked conversationally. He was honestly amused and even disappointed how easy this was. There wasn''t any challenge at all.


    "I know you can''t speak Dumbledore because of my trap, so I won''t bother with some long-winded dialogue." He then spoke aloud, looking at everyone in the room who had their eyes glued to Harry, "Just know that everyone here in this hall, and every one of your backup troops outside¡­"


    "¡­are all about to die."


    Harry stepped off of the panel in the floor, and everyone heard an audible click, which began the countdown. Harry made a sigh of relief knowing that everything was about to go off without a hitch. "You have roughly thirty seconds to make your peace with your god, old man."


    And with that final comment, Harry shadow walked out of his family estate.


    Thirty seconds later, a circular half-mile area of Wales suddenly erupted in a blinding flash of light. Over five-hundred Witches and Wizards were vaporized instantly, including Albus Dumbledore, the famed self-proclaimed Leader of the Light.


    And in America, in a secluded cabin stocked with provisions and under heavy wards, a silent beacon beeped the acknowledgment that the bomb had indeed gone off.


    Yet the wizard that should have been there never arrived. In fact, the Wizard named Harry Potter was never seen on Earth again.


    Chapter 2


    After he left the manor, Harry shadow walked to his new refuge. Shadow-walking was an art that had long been over-looked by the wizarding community. Primarily it was because of a few Dark Lord''s who utilized it in the past, but also because it was just so darn hard to learn. Instructions on the art were rare, and to learn the ability, one must immerse one''s self in pure darkness and ''find the path.'' Not only does it require supreme patience, it requires a sensitivity to magic that is almost unheard of in modern times.


    He barely knew anyone who would even have the potential to learn the infamous branch of magic. Sirius likely could have learned it, as could his parents. No one really stood out amongst his Hogwarts peers. Hermione was book-smart, but her actual practical skills were nowhere near Harry''s. A few of the more powerful Slytherin girl''s he had quietly observed in the past such as Tracey Davis or Daphne Greengrass likely possessed the subtlety to learn the method of travel, but Harry knew they had been murdered in the first few years of the Demon War.


    He was slowly making his way along the almost invisible road that would ultimately lead to his primary safe-house, feeling absolutely giddy with what he had done. It was over. There would likely always be questions about whether he was dead or not, but then again, no one would be able to tell his body from Dumbledore''s.


    He had almost reached his destination when he suddenly felt a lurch in his body. It wasn''t like a portkey and their hook-like pulls behind one''s navel. This was something else.


    Something sinister.


    He immediately felt the fel-magic behind whatever was affecting him. Demon Magic. He inwardly swore at the implications. He had his battle-robes on, but he was nowhere near equipped to his satisfaction to fight demons properly. He had his sword strapped to his back, but he would be unable to unleash the weapon while he shadow-walked. Holy weapons plus shadow realm equals bad news. He was about to duck out into the nearest shadow and then apparate to his destination when he felt something new, and then finally understood the implications.


    Most demons came from worlds of darkness. Hence all demons at one point had to be summoned from a shadow plane. Once they entered the real world, they would stay there until dismissed. If the summoner dies, then the demon permanently stays on the normal plane of existence.


    And the feeling he noticed right now was just like whenever he observed Burning Legion warlocks amidst their summoning rituals. Someone was somehow summoning him.


    ''Oh Shi-'', were his last eloquent thoughts before his body popped into nothingness and was summoned away from the realm of Earth.


    -o0o0o-


    Lord Banehollow was a proud Dread Lord. In fact, he was one of the highest ranking Nathrezim who had participated in the Third War on Azeroth. However, when the Burning Legion was defeated at the World Tree upon Mount Hyjal, Generals such as Banehollow found themselves leaderless and amongst troops with no supply lines or clearly defined mission.


    He had managed to collect a few thousand demons and warlocks in Felwood and form them into a somewhat cohesive force, but he knew it would never be enough to support Lord Sargeras'' ambitions upon his eventual return to Azeroth. Sargeras had been obsessed with Azeroth for over 10,000 years. The world was an obscenely rich source of raw magic, which would normally cause demons to thrive and multiply in droves. The godlike beings known as Titans had experimented heavily on this world with various magical means before the group abandoned the world. The remnants and power of these experiments sung to the demons and drew them forth like moths to a flame.


    There had been multiple invasions of Azeroth over the past ten millennia. Some were direct invasions by the Burning Legion and its forces, and others were indirect such as when the Legion sent its enslaved servants, the Orcs, through the portals created.


    All campaigns resulted in the same thing¡­ failure.


    Banehollow knew another invasion would eventually occur, but he did not know when. He knew his role would be to build an army to support the next invasion, but that could not happen while the forces of this world were still strong. If the demons were to set up permanent colonies and begin to breed, the native forces would easily notice and crush them like insects. For the past five years since the end of the war, his only ambition had been to gather unaligned demons and wait for the return of their Master or his chief lieutenant, Kil''Jaeden.


    This ambition changed recently when an old tome was discovered amongst the ruins of Az''shara. The ruined area of land represented the outskirts of the once majestic Night Elf city that was the source of the original invasion of Azeroth. The prideful elves had been their own downfall. It was amusing to Banehollow that their inability to find this one specific book when they meticulously cleansed the ruins would now be their undoing.


    The ritual outlined within the book was quite simple in theory, just difficult in execution. It would summon the most deadly foe of the Legion, and then through fel-magic, bind the person''s mind to the summoner.


    Just the very thought of performing this ritual made Banehollow cackle with near childlike glee. The greatest enemy to the Burning Legion upon Azeroth right now was the Night Elf priestess Tyrande Whisperwind. Her mate, Malfurion could have potentially been the enemy, but his soul had been rumored to have been lost amidst the endless forests of the Emerald Dream, a parallel reality to Azeroth that reflected the land in its once primordial glory. Apparently, dark forces were overrunning the Dream, and Malfurion''s spirit had been trapped there for nearly four years


    ''Sucks for him,'' thought Banehollow maliciously.


    The ritual would not summon Malfurion in theory because his soul was currently not on this plane of existence. Which left Tyrande as the next largest threat. He couldn''t wait to enslave the warrior priestess. She would eventually stand at his side as they waged battle, marched forth, and slaughtered her own kin. Until that day however, she would need to be broken. She would serve as entertainment for his loyal troops here in Shadow Hold.


    The ritual required him to sacrifice a servant, which seemed totally justified to Banehollow. ''Sacrifice a servant to gain a more powerful one. A totally acceptable price to pay,'' he thought.


    This concept is why he didn''t think twice upon incapacitating Shadow Lord Fel''dan, the highest member of the Shadow Council upon Azeroth. New ants would rise to take his place eventually. But here was the opportunity to gain a servant stronger than any the Legion previously held. Besides, the succubae that served Fel''dan seemed thrilled at the possibility of having Tyrande as a playmate.


    The ritual was set up in the deepest part of the Shadow Hold and the Dread Lord was assisted by his primary servant, Ur''dan. He never really liked the orc, but he was crafty and had his uses. Banehollow was aware the wily orc ran a huge business selling Xorithian Stardust to other warlocks, but Nathrezim let it slide so long as it didn''t affect his primary duties. He may be greedy, but he was intelligent and loyal.


    Ur''dan was easily able to create the sacrificial circle required to empower the ritual once he was instructed. All that was required now was for Banehollow to sacrifice his own blood and channel his demonic magic into the circle.


    The summoning circle required a much greater effort than Banehollow cared to admit. The notes described how the amount of magic required was directly related to the power and distance of the enemy. It took nearly two minutes for the circle to complete, by which time Banehollow had dropped to a knee in exhaustion.


    He was almost too tired to look up and gaze upon his new slave, when he suddenly heard a roar of rage from the dead center of the circle.


    Instead of finding Tyrande Whisperwind when he looked up, he discovered a young human male with dark hair and malevolent green eyes that briefly locked eyes with Banehollow before the human shouted "Nathrezim!"


    With one smooth movement, Banehollow watched as the young warrior''s sword was unsheathed from his back and removed Ur''dan''s head. Banehollow quickly realized that the ritual failed, and whoever this warrior was, they were definitely not enthralled by the magic of the ritual.


    The warrior turned his head to Banehollow, who barely had time to raise an exhausted arm to launch one Carrion Swarm at the human before he saw a flash of the human''s silver sword fly under his chin.


    The Dread Lord Banehollow''s last thoughts before his demonic soul rematerialized in death amongst the wastes of the Twisting Nether was, ''Well shit, that wasn''t a good idea.''


    -o0o0o-


    As Harry felt himself summoned, he tried not to panic. The instant he felt his body enter the stream of the summoning, he felt his mind undergo an attack ten times worse than he had ever felt from Voldemort. It slammed into his Occlumency shields with malicious intent. Whoever was behind this did not mean to read Harry''s mind and plumb his secrets. The person meant to completely dominate Harry''s personality and subvert it to their own. The will behind the attack was incredible, and Harry could only hope that he could last out the pain.


    He didn''t know how long it took to arrive, but the moment the pain stopped, he found himself standing upon a large five meter wide circle drawn in blood. He saw a Nathrezim slump to a knee and look down in what appeared to be exhaustion. ''This must be the f.u.c.ker who summoned me,'' he thought as he lost control of his temper and shouted, "Nathrezim!"


    Harry abhorred Nathrezim. They were the field generals of the Legion. Intelligent and wily, they were often the last opponents to die on any field of battle. They had a sense of self-preservation that was unequalled, and taking them out early in a pitched battle between armies was almost next to impossible.


    Another glance around as he withdrew his sword brought his attention to a green thing with overlarge tusks protruding from his mouth that stood next to the Dread Lord. The green man had the most ridiculous looking hat on Harry had ever seen, and the sight of it made want to kill the thing just on principal. A slight shift in course and a swing removed the green dude''s head before the thing could so much as whimper in fear.


    He turned his head to the Dread Lord, who at this point had noticed Harry was there and about to fight him. The Dread Lord raised his hands in attempt to ward off Harry''s next blow.


    Harry feinted to his left, which the Dread Lord fell for easily, before Harry pivoted and swung his sword at the demon''s exposed throat. The demon managed to cast a fairly strong Carrion Swarm at Harry, which he failed to bite back the grunt of pain it inflicted.


    But through the pain of the fel-curse, Harry felt the satisfaction of resistance against the sword as it travelled through the Dread Lord''s neck. A second later, Harry heard the very welcome thud of the impact of the demon''s head upon the ground and the batlike sounds of fel-magic evaporation as the power left the corpse of the Dread Lord.


    Harry realized he wasn''t out of danger yet and turned around. He saw no one in the immediate vicinity, but realized with all the noise he had just made, reinforcements were very likely to be coming soon. He glanced at the wound at his side and let out an annoyed sigh.


    Fel-Curse.


    It would take two weeks to heal from the damned thing, and that was only after it drove him to the brink of exhaustion sometime in the next day or so. Carrion Swarm introduced demonic insect constructs into the victim''s body. Without treatment, he would slowly fade in and out of consciousness as his magic fought the curse. He would need to find way out of this cave, find shelter and food, and lay low for two weeks.


    As he proceeded forth out of the part of the cave he came to one disturbing fact. He was no longer on Earth. With the little he knew about space / time and demonic summoning techniques, the time he had spent "in transit" exceeded any he would have had while on his own world.


    The thought brought him to an immediate stop. He instantly turned around and marched back to the two corpses and looked for any information he could find about the ritual that brought him here. He found a few tomes scattered about, along with numerous doc.u.ments that looked like battle plans and troop strength listings written in demonic. Harry had interrogated demons before during the war, and translation charms slowly taught a person both the language and the system of writing while they were in place. He could understand everything written here.


    Seeing the value in this information, Harry took it all. Demons were always at war with someone. This information could prove useful if he could make it out alive. Maybe even buy him some limited protection with new allies. He then took all the weapons and gold he found upon the green dude, seeing as he no longer had a use for them. The currency was a standard mix of gold, silver, and copper. But the weapons Harry found very intriguing. It had the hint of magic upon it. Enchantments. But there were no runes present.


    He would enjoy figuring that particular puzzle out later.


    With one last look at the summoning circle that brought him here, Harry strode out of the room. He could recreate the circle later from a memory in a pensieve.


    -o0o0o-


    Arko''narin was on her last legs emotionally. A Shadow Council faction hitherto unknown in Felwood had captured her and her friend of the past decade, Trey Lightforge, five days previous. In addition, not only had she been captured and brought to their base, she found out it was the primary headquarters of the Shadow Council''s entire organization on Azeroth.


    The fear she felt when she had been stripped n.a.k.e.d in front of their leader Fel''dan still made her shiver. It was a feeling she hated, and she continually alternated between shivering in fear of what her fate would be and shivering with cold as the Orcs and Satyrs present hadn''t even left the Night Elf her underwear.


    A rescue was out of the question. She knew this. No one knew they were proceeding to this part of Felwood. Despite it being against all protocols of the Alliance, the duo had set out without notifying anyone, as they were trying to be quick to capitalize on a lead they had acquired on the Shadow Council.


    They had been overwhelmed by enemies before they could even reach the entrance to the old Druid Barrow-Dens. Minutes later, they were bound and already being transported as prisoners into the depths of the ancient unused Druid caves of hibernation.


    She guessed Trey was dead by now. They had taken him the previous day, and the absolute inhuman howls that had gone on for hours had long since stopped. She only hoped that her death would not be as agonizing as what he had endured. She prayed for something quick, but doubted they would be that merciful.


    She looked around the room. Groups of Satyr''s and Felguards roamed aimlessly, and occasionally an Orc or two would wander by and sneer at her as she lay chained within her cage. It was barely tall enough for her to sit upright, and the Orcs that brought her one meal a day had not seen fit to take her to a toilet, so she had been forced to relieve herself right in the cage, much to the amus.e.m.e.nt of the Orcs who merely sat and watch as she defecated on herself.


    Arko''narin was too exhausted to care about the smell or embarrassment. The numb feeling generated when her thoughts pondered the events she had endured thus far only told her that she was slowly breaking down mentally. It would not be long now, and she knew that. They at least had left Karri, her nightsaber mount, alive to this point. The cat had even managed to procure more food than she had so far.


    ''They probably wanted to fatten her up for a feast later on,'' she thought bitterly.


    She loved Karri. The nightsaber had been with her for nearly five centuries. Mounts that bonded to Night Elves tended to acquire unnaturally long lives. In her three millenniums of life thus far, Karri was only the second mount she had. Her original mount had lived nearly two thousand years, and it had taken Arko''narin nearly a hundred years past Nia''s death to work up the courage to bond to another mount.


    Her thoughts on her mount were interrupted by the sound of battle approaching.


    ''Could someone be attempting to rescue me?'' she thought with hope. Then she realized the direction was all wrong. The fighting was not coming from the barrow entrance, but from deeper within. The only person who was that direction who was her ally was Trey, and she knew almost for certain that he was dead.


    True utter fear gripped her. Was this a demon revolt? It certainly wasn''t unheard of. She had previously been on missions in her long life where they had come upon the aftermath of a demon revolt. No one knew what caused them, but the result was always the same. Hundreds of demons dead by their own hands. And if this was a revolt, she doubted she would emerge with her innocence unscathed before she was put to death.


    A tear rolled along the young night elf''s cheek. ''Oh Elune, please, do not let this be the end,'' she thought as she prayed to the Moon Goddess that had been the salvation of her people so many times in the past.


    She gripped her knees tighter as sound of fighting approached. A quick glance at Karri told her that the cat was ready to do battle with whatever came if it gained even the slightest chance at freedom. Her last hope before a door somewhere behind her was thrown open was to wish that she could die on her feet and not in a cage.


    -o0o0o-


    They were unending.


    He slew Warlock after Satyr after Undead looking weird people with big ears. There were even a few fel guards thrown in randomly. Enemies seemed to come from almost every direction, but at least their training sucked. He sliced through them with a reckless abandon that bordered upon mindless.


    But something angered him even more as he progressed further out of this stronghold that he had randomly found himself inside.


    There were humans among them.


    ''Betrayers,'' he inwardly raged. How dare this sc.u.m work alongside the Burning Legion. After he killed a succubus matriarch that stood over the savaged remains of some sort of Holy Knight, he finally took the chance to rest. Physically he was fine. But the fel-curse upon him was slowly sapping his magical strength.


    The knight''s fate unnerved him. Harry could tell the fallen man''s soul had somehow been corrupted before it had been forcibly extracted from the body. It certainly sounded like something these demons would do. Harry himself had obviously been the victim of an attempted takeover of his mind and soul. It wasn''t that far of a stretch to assume that they tried similar methods on others to enthrall them.


    He proceeded into the next room and found a lone human there, tending some tomes of knowledge. Harry petrified and cast some binding ropes upon the man, causing him to fall unceremoniously upon the ground.


    ''Let''s find out some information,'' he thought as he cast Legilimens the human.


    ''Where are we, human?'' he thought mentally at the man.


    The man attempted to resist the question, but Harry easily squashed down the resistance, ''Shadow Hold.''


    ''Where is Shadow Hold?''


    ''It is located in Felwood,'' the man responded.


    ''Where is Felwood,'' Harry asked, and he could feel the shock emanate from the man at the question.


    The man faltered in his response, but the answer came eventually. ''Felwood is in the northwestern part of Kalimdor, the western continent of the world of Azeroth.''


    Finally, there was Harry''s confirmation. He was no longer on Earth. Instead, he was on some Burning Legion occupied world called Azeroth.


    On a whim, Harry asked, ''Are there any prisoners kept here?''


    The man resisted more than he had previously, but through a bit of force, Harry prodded out an answer, ''Yes, some Night Elf s.l.u.t we''ve been ordered to leave unsullied. She''s apparently a two thousand year old v.i.r.g.i.n, and her maiden''s blood will be excellent for a strong ritual.''


    Harry felt himself enraged at the response, especially when he saw the flit of a memory of a beautiful light purple-skinned woman with blue hair and glowing white eyes who sat n.a.k.e.d in a wooden cage. Her most prominent feature beyond her ample chest were her foot long ears that extended backwards from her head in a point. She was obviously the female version of the corrupted beings he had fought earlier within the tunnels. He was about to extract himself from the human''s mind when he saw a memory of the human''s laughter as he taunted the woman as she was forced to sit in her own waste.


    "Where is she?" Harry growled aloud, completely forgetting to project his question into the human''s mind.


    ''In¡­ the next¡­ room.'' The man managed to think before blood began to flow from his eyes, ears, and nose.


    Harry would normally simply kill the man, but he wasn''t feeling generous at the moment after the memories he had seen. He cast an extremely painful version of the Entrail-Expelling Curse at him, before he walked off without a second thought. Harry didn''t even acknowledge the sickening wet sounds of the man''s stomach and intestinal organs vomiting out of his mouth and nose.


    After killing a few more satyrs, who were too busy drinking and fornicating with themselves to hear the sounds of battle, Harry came upon a room that looked similar to the area where the woman had been imprisoned in the human''s memories.


    He glanced around, and saw the woman quietly stare at him while attempting to not draw attention to herself. He was about to unlock her cage, when a booming voice from the door opposite yelled, "Who dares to disturb my rest before the summoning ritual?"


    A large green Satyr slowly walked into the room, flanked by two guards. The Satyr proudly wore the raiment of a prince, thought Harry could hardly call the outfit princely, or even close to those of Satyr nobles he had killed in the past when he had snuck up on them while they had lost themselves in orgies. The demon had a sword in his belt that did not look appropriate to him. It was obviously some spoil of war that had been lazily placed there.


    The Satyr''s eyes fell upon Harry, and instantly showed rage at the smirk Harry had given the demon. "Adventurer, you''ve snuck into the wrong den. This place will now become your tomb."


    The demon gave the most clich¨¦d laugh Harry had heard in years. He didn''t know whether to laugh at the thing or somehow cry in sympathy. Either way, Harry did what he did best to demons.


    He killed it.


    Instead of using his sword, Harry unleashed his wand out of his forearm holster in a quick draw and cast a silent Diffindo at the demon. The satyr barely registered shock at Harry''s switch from sword to wand before the spell cut into his neck and severed his head from his body.


    The two guards took one look at the fallen form of their leader and charged, their claw-like hands swiping at Harry in a completely untrained fashion.


    ''These are guards for a prince?'' Harry thought with disappointment as he dodged between their blows before he cast a close-range Reducto at each Satyr. Their heads exploded with a muffled squelch sound, and their bodies quickly fell to the floor.


    Harry took a look around, to ensure that the room was clear, then he slowly walked towards the caged woman, who he could tell was shaking with total mind-encompassing fear. As he walked he felt the curse from the Dread Lord gain more power. ''I need to get out of here. Hopefully I can trust her because I''m not going to be conscious much longer. I used too much energy to get this far.''


    As he approached, Harry lifted his wand, and he could feel the woman tense. A large chained cat across the hall from her growled at Harry in warning. The cat was obviously sentient to some extent and a companion to the girl.


    Harry cast a translation charm at the woman so that he could understand her language and slowly learn it. He cast one at the cat as well just in case. The woman closed her eyes in fear as the spell hit her, but after a few seconds, and no noticeable outward effects, she opened her eyes.


    Harry was about to speak, when she quickly blurted out, "Please don''t hurt me."


    -o0o0o-


    She couldn''t help what she had just said. She didn''t even know if the human in front of her could understand her, since she had just plead for her life in the language of her own Kaldorei people.


    The man however, gave a tight smile. "I''m not going to hurt you. That spell I cast was a translation charm. It''s simply there to help us understand each other and will help each of us learn the other''s language."


    Her eyes widened at the potential of such a spell, but her mind quickly came back to the danger they found themselves in. "Could you assist me in escaping, warrior-mage?"


    He nodded and spoke the words, ''Alohamora'' under his breath, but her sensitive ears easily picked up the phrase. The lock on her cage quickly fell away and she hustled out of the filth she had spent the last few days sitting in. She suddenly became very self-conscious of the fact she was n.a.k.e.d, dirty, and smelled extremely foul.


    The man quickly picked up on the source of how uncomfortable she was, and spoke, "Hold still, let me help. It''ll only take about ten seconds start to finish to get you ready to go. Please close your eyes for a second."


    She closed her eyes, and heard him say, ''Scurgify'' a few times. She felt her skin feel lighter, and the smell that overwhelmed her nostrils from her experience slowly drifted away.


    "OK, you should be clean now," she heard him say.


    She opened her eyes, and looked over herself. She was clean now. Not a speck of dirt anywhere on her body, though this just made her even more aware that she was completely nude in front of a highly attractive male as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    "My armor is just behind you, do you mind if I put it on?" She asked. He instantly sputtered a bit in embarrassment and stepped-aside. As she approached where her armor was thrown haphazardly upon the ground, she asked, "Can you free my mount? Her name is Karri. We''ll need her to escape."


    The man nodded, and cast a spell at the chain that bound Karri. Her friend and companion instantly sprinted forth and began to lick Arko''narin''s fingers.


    "I know baby, I''m glad you''re ok as well," she whispered.


    The man slowly approached, but he didn''t look at her, he looked at Karri, "May I heal your cat, it looks like she has a few wounds."


    Karri growled, and Arko''narin couldn''t help but chuckle at the nightsaber. She hated being referred to as a cat, but now wasn''t the time for her usual antics.


    "Just let him, Karri. We need to move."


    She quickly donned her armor and weapons, feeling a bit more secure despite how perilous their situation was. A quick glance at the strange human found him with his hand on Karri''s back while he waved a wand over whip marks that slowly disappeared.


    He noticed her staring and said aloud, "My spells don''t clean blood very well, unfortunately. She''ll need a wash to get the bloodstains out, but her skin and muscles have been healed."


    Arko''narin nodded her thanks, but what surprised her was the growl that Karri made which clearly said, "Thank you, human."


    Arko''narin thought she was hearing things, but the human spoke again and said, "You''re welcome, Karri."


    "How can we understand her?" Arko''narin asked, her thoughts around the danger they faced completely overridden over this new found ability to understand her companion.


    "It''s the translation charm I cast on you both. For about the next twelve hours, you''ll understand each other and permanently remember the words you spoke to one another. The more you two speak, the more words you''ll understand."


    "Amazing. The Night Elf people would truly be in your debt simply from this one bit of magic alone, stranger." Arko''narin realized she had yet to find out the man''s name, or give her own. "My name is Arko''narin. I''m an attach¨¦ to the Emerald Circle sent by my people, the Kaldorei, to investigate the new fel sightings rumored here in Felwood."


    The man snorted in an undignified way that Arko''narin found strangely appealing in how casually he treated her, "¡­and it looks like you found them. My name is Harry Potter, and I''m a Battle Mage¡­ and victim of what I believe is a Dread Lord''s summoning ritual. I''m not from this world."


    Arko''narin felt her eyes widen, "Wait, you said Dread Lord? There''s a Dread Lord in this Barrow Den? We need to get out of here immediately."


    She felt panic rise in her body, despite the relatively few moments of calm she had just experienced. She was in no way ready to battle a Dread Lord. She may be two thousand years old, but a battle with a Dread Lord required unparalleled skills in battle, along with usually twenty or more companions."


    "Don''t worry," Harry said as he put his hand on her should. "The Dread Lord is dead. I killed him."


    Arko''narin did not have words to respond to that statement. It was unheard of. The Fallen Prince, Arthas had been rumored to have slain a Dread Lord by himself, as had the Banshee Queen Sylvanas Windrunner. But those two were warriors of unequal skill and power. To hear that she stood before a being who had killed one was simply mind-blowing.


    "He was weakened from the summoning ritual," the man continued, obviously aware of how unbelievable the statement had sounded. "I killed him and his servant, then stole all the doc.u.ments they had in the room with them. If you want, you can have them if you can get me out of her to some semblance of safety."


    The hits kept coming, and Arko''narin hardly knew how to respond. Not only had he fought and killed a Dread Lord, he had raided and stolen Shadow Council doc.u.ments that would be invaluable to her people.


    "You have my word. I would have given it simply for saving Karri and me. But this act will definitely not go unrewarded," she said without hesitation. And she knew the Kaldorei people would handsomely reward anyone who could have done deeds such as this. She would need to get him to Darnassus as soon as possible.


    "We need to hurry though, I''m going to go unconscious soon from this wound," he stated as he grimaced.


    She looked down and winced. It was a particularly nasty fel-curse, one that someone would likely die from if not given treatment soon. The fact he wasn''t unconscious yet was remarkable in of itself.


    "Right." She looked at her mount, "Karri? Think you can handle two people riding out of this?"


    Her companion looked at her and c.o.c.ked her head to the side, "Don''t insult me, Arko. Just make sure I get a barrel of fish when we get back home."


    She quickly threw the saddle back upon Karri''s back, and motioned for Harry to sit behind her. Two strong arms encircled her waist, and he felt his hot breath just behind her ear.


    "I''ll use my wand to try and stun people as we go. I''m not sure I''ll be much use in a few minutes," Harry said from behind her.


    "Just hang on, Harry. I''ve got it from here. They won''t know what hit them," Arko''narin said. She actually had started to get a bit worried. The dominating presence Harry initially gave off was steadily declining. The curse definitely was having an effect upon him.


    "Let''s go, Karri," she said while she gave her mount a pat on the side of the neck.


    "Hold on," growled the great cat as she took off into the tunnel that led to entrance and freedom.


    -o0o0o-


    Cast of Characters:


    Harry''s Harem


    Arko''narin ¨C Night Elf, Warrior. Former Sentinel of Darnassus


    Chapter 3


    Harry was in an out of consciousness for the entirety of the next eight hours. Arko''narin had mentioned their destination was a small hidden camp known as the Emerald Sanctuary, and it was a little over 90 miles away.


    Karri strained under the effort of running the entire distance. They had been pursued by members of the Shadow Council for at least the first ten miles of their escape, and Arko''narin felt it was not worth the risk to stop. The trio literally burst out of the entrance of the Barrow after having run by at least a hundred Council members who had no clue their leadership deeper in the Den had been slaughtered by Harry.


    The sudden transition to the open air would have likely caused Harry''s eyes to scream in pain at the bright light had he not already had them closed. He vaguely saw their escape was pursued by humans, the green things he now knew were called orcs, undead humans, and cow-like bipedal beings that Arko''narin had called Tauren.


    Their pursuers had launched arrows along with magical bursts of fire and shadow at them, but a simple Protego cast over his shoulder was more than adequate to deflect them all. Arko''narin was so amazed by the use of magic that she said right then and there she wanted him as a permanent partner for that ability alone.


    Arko''narin did her best to keep Harry conscious during the trip, but they both knew it was a losing battle. His eyes drooped heavily, both from the effort of trying to stay awake and from his own use of magic to suppress the fel-magic that coursed through his body.


    "Come on Harry, just a bit further. We''re almost to the outpost," she whispered at the man who was now hunched over completely against her back.


    "He''s barely¡­ conscious, Arko. He''s¡­ feeding me his own magic¡­ to keep my muscles¡­ from giving out. Otherwise, I would''ve collapsed¡­ two hours ago¡­ from exhaustion," Karri managed to grunt out between gallops.


    Arko''narin felt her eyebrow rise once more at one of the strange human''s abilities. His command over magic was considerable and manifested in ways she had never seen before.


    "Are you going to be ok, Karri?" she asked with some concern. The last thing she needed was a hurt mount and companion.


    "I''ll be fine¡­ I''ll just need rest¡­ once we arrive¡­ We''re almost¡­ there," Karri grunted out before she focused again on the path in front of her.


    She nodded her acknowledgement at her companion, even though the great feline could not see it. She reached down and placed an armored gauntlet over the human''s hand which were still wrapped tightly around her waist. Arko''narin may be a warrior, but she still was a Night Elf, which granted her certain affinities to natural energies. And she could just feel the smallest thread of magic as it trailed from Harry down to Karri.


    "Just a bit more, Harry."


    -o0o0o-


    Harry was roused by the sound of excited and worried voices.


    "Jessir! Come quick. He needs medical attention," a familiar voice spoke.


    "Arko! Thank the goddess. We feared the worst. Where is Trey?" a new voice spoke.


    "Trey is dead, Jessir," he heard the original voice say, which he now knew to be Arko''narin. There was sadness there in her voice that he could easily identify. "This human was able to rescue me from the Den before they could kill me as well. He suffered a terrible wound while fighting the Dread Lord there."


    "Dread Lord?" the women named Jessir practically shrieked this. "You can''t be serious. He fought a Dread Lord and lived?"


    "Worry about it later, Jessir. He needs help now."


    That was all Harry remembered until he woke up again inside a wooden structure. He lay upon a well-kept bed that seemed out of place in the rustic setting. As he looked around to get his bearings, he saw Arko''narin and another female Night Elf as they sat in chairs nearby half-asleep. Harry honestly felt touched that Arko had ignored her own comfort and sat by his bedside while he recovered. He got the idea he wasn''t a prisoner from the fact neither elf had their armor on, and neither was immediately armed either, though their weapons were easily within reach.


    The other Night Elf appeared just as attractive and ethereal as Arko. This one had long white hair, pulled back into a long ponytail, and her skin was the lightest shade of purple possible. Like Arko, she had dagger like tattoos on her face that extended downward through her eyes, but these ones were a much darker shade of blue than Arko''s tattoos.


    This Night Elf had armor that appeared to be much more in tune with nature than Arko. Arko wore heavy plate armor and had carried a large two-handed sword across her back. The new female had enchanted leather armor next to her that was dyed a subtle green. For weapons, he noticed she had two axes at her side, along with an ornately crafted bow that lay against the wall behind her. Harry theorized she must be a tracker of some sort who utilized axes when forced to fight in close quarters. He got the idea of a tracker from the wolf-like familiar that lazed around at the woman''s feet, whose tongue was half out in relaxation.


    If he had to describe them in the shortest way possible, he would say they were the two most attractive females Harry had ever seen.


    Harry tried to sit up slowly while being extremely conscientious of his cursed wound. He was surprised to find not only the wound healed, but the damned Fel-Magic that had invaded his body had been flushed away as well. For a moment, he could only feel shock.


    No one on Earth could dispel cursed wounds that quickly.


    Harry himself was an anomaly in how he could deal with these kind of wounds, since the mixture of phoenix tears and basilisk venom in his veins had morphed his body into a super-healing freak of nature. He had stopped aging at twenty-one, and he secretly wondered if his lifespan had been increased as well, since phoenix''s were immortal and basilisks easily lived for thousands of years so long as they weren''t hunted or short on food. In fact there had never been a Basilisk that had been recorded to have died of old age.


    He pulled up the blanket to find himself shirtless. Looking further, he found that his pants and boxers had been stripped from him. Not knowing whether to feel violated or honored that the women had ogled him while nude, Harry decided to not worry. After all, even though the situation had been dire, he had seen Arko''narin in the buff already.


    Harry put aside these thoughts and reached for the nearby nightstand where his wand holster had been place. He pulled out his wand, and refreshed the translation charms upon himself, Arko''narin, and the unknown female. Then he conjured a glass full of water. It felt nice to drink something pure and clean, since the last thing he had drank before coming to this Azeroth was the tumbler of alcohol in his old room at the Potter estate.


    Thoughts began to hit him about his current situation. He was on another world. From the vague recollections he had about the demonic circle that had summoned him, there wasn''t much a chance of him ever returning to Earth. In fact, he had no desire to even consider it. He wanted a new life, and despite the rocky start, one had just been gift-wrapped on a silver platter to him. He had quite a few of his possessions with him, so all he needed in the end was to find his place within this society.


    ''¡­and the best thing is... no one wants to kill me yet here,'' smirked Harry inwardly.


    He refilled his glass and was about to drink it when he heard a gasp come from the side of the room. Looking over, the unknown female had a look of utter incredulity pointed at him. "How did you do that? That''s not mage water. That''s real water."


    ''Eh?'' thought Harry in confusion. ''She can''t really be impressed by low level stuff like this, can she?''


    "Um," he stymied out, not knowing how to phrase this delicately. "These aren''t exactly hard spells to learn where I''m from. One conjures the glass, which will last a few hours before it disappears. The second creates water."


    "Unbelievable¡­" the woman whispered, before she shook her head. "I''m sorry, we haven''t been introduced. I''m Jessir Moonbow. I''m¡­ good friends with Arko''narin and¡­ was with Trey Lightforge."


    Harry winced. He suddenly realized that Trey was likely the dead human he had found within the Den that had been tortured by the Succubus. "I''m sorry for your loss. If it''s any consolation, the ones who killed him are dead."


    Jessir nodded, though there was some tears in her eyes. He continued, "I''m Harry Potter."


    "Nice to meet you, Harry. And thank you for bringing Arko back. If I lost both my friends I don''t know what I would have done."


    He would have hugged the woman, but it probably wasn''t his place to get familiar with these exotic beauties yet. Arko however had awoken at some point in the conversation and solved the dilemma when she placed her arm around her friends shoulder. "You''ve still got me, Jessir. You''re not going to get rid of me that easily after two thousand years."


    Harry pondered her words. What would it be like to live as long as these beings had. Two thousand years old, and their friends were still there? Their entire society probably moved at a snail''s pace in terms of cultural development, but that also meant that familial and bonds of friendship were also that much tighter.


    The two friends embraced for a few minutes, before they eventually separated. Then Harry asked, "So what happens to me now? I''m obviously healed. Thanks by the way for that. I anticipated being stuck in bed for two weeks before my magic had a chance to flush this out of my system."


    Jessir nodded, "Yes, your healing ability is quite astonishing. Do you know why that is?"


    Harry wondered if he should tell them. It was certainly his secret to tell, and he doubted that it could ultimately be used against him on an entirely new world. The Burning Legion was here, so they were obviously aware of beings coming from other worlds as well.


    "When I was younger, I was bitten by a large poisonous snake called a Basilisk. It was easily the most virulent poison on my planet. I was only saved because a mythical bird known as a phoenix immediately cried tears into the wound and neutralized it. Problem is, it wasn''t quite neutralized. It was more like equalized. The poison and cure merely bonded and have seeped into every cell in my body now. Because of it, I''m completely immune to standard poisons now, and corrosive magic like Fel-Magic is eventually destroyed by it."


    Both women gaped at him in wonder. "So¡­ if I can make a logical assumption based upon that information¡­ you don''t get sick now, do you?" asked Jessir.


    Harry sighed, closed his eyes and nodded. "That part of things I''ve always managed to keep secret. Along with the fact I haven''t aged a day since I was about twenty-one."


    Arko''narin looked at him confusedly. "How old are you then, Harry?"


    "I''m thirty three."


    He secretly enjoyed the looks of shock upon their faces. "You don''t look like a human in their thirties," said Jessir.


    "Well, I''m afraid you have me at a disadvantage then, because I don''t know what beautiful Night Elf women are supposed to look like at 2,000 either," he replied with a smirk on his lips.


    Harry couldn''t help but laugh at the two women who couldn''t decide whether to squawk in indignation at him or blush at a subtle compliment.


    "What can you tell us about yourself, Harry? It isn''t unheard of here, but it is quite rare to meet beings from other worlds," asked Jessir.


    "Arko let that slip, huh?" At Jessir''s nod, Harry started his story.


    Harry briefly described the Wizarding society back on Earth. How they were a civilization hidden within a larger one that had essentially frozen itself in time. No cultural or technological evolution. They were a hunted people at one point for their abilities, so they all agreed to collectively go into hiding.


    Then Harry moved on to the Wizarding War in his home country. How the Dark Lord rose to power feeding on the hysteria that the Pureblood wizards would lose political power and the ridiculousness that first-generation magicals were stealing the magic of the Purebloods.


    Finally, he briefly talked about how he had been prophesized before his birth to kill the Dark Lord. How the Dark Lord had killed his whole family a year after he was born and how Harry survived and was hidden until he could be brought back into the society and slowly train himself.


    Harry skipped the lies and the betrayals. They didn''t need to know any of that, and besides, those people were now all dead and the betrayals made him into the man he was today. A man he was quite proud of how he had ultimately turned out.


    He simply told the two women that as they were about to kill the Dark Wizard and end the war, when the Dark Lord made a pact with the Burning Legion, which began a ten year long war to drive the demons off of Earth.


    Instead of saying he fled people who wanted to try him for War Crimes, he simply stated a half-truth. He explained that after the fighting was over, he simply wanted to retire to an isolated area and not have to deal with the cleanup of the war. While he travelled to his new home, he was summoned as he had just left his family''s ancestral home, which explained why he had so many objects from an estate in trunks with him.


    Harry paused for a few moments, "The only other thing I can tell you is that my main passion in life is working with Runes. Using them to protect places, objects, and people. I love enchanting things with them, and I''m quite good at it as well."


    Arko''narin was the one who recovered first from the rather fantastic tale of what he had endured over his relatively short life compared to theirs, "Well, you asked what''s next. Do you still have the doc.u.ments you obtained from the Dread Lord?"


    Harry nodded, and this definitely made Jessir''s eyebrows rise. Arko apparently had not told her about the files he had stolen. He looked around the room, until his eyes fell upon the moleskin bag. He summoned the bag with his wand and looked inside. He rummaged around for a minute or so, until he pulled out one specific trunk that he used for doc.u.ments. The trunk was set upon the ground and then enlarged, causing both females to give a mild shriek, as they had not expected that to happen. The files were in the last most secure compartment of the trunk all.


    Jessir''s eyes widened after she began to turn the doc.u.ments over, page by page. "Harry, this is a godsend. This is all their plans across all of Azeroth. We must get this to our capital, Darnassus, immediately."


    "I wish I had been to your capital city before, because I could make a portkey to take us directly there. I can only teleport myself or objects to places I''ve visited."


    "Well, it''ll take about a few days to get their via gryphon riders," mentioned Arko''narin. "We should move immediately before the survivors we left behind in that Den begin to notify their allies their plans have been ruined."


    "Do I have to fly on these gryphons, or can I use my own broomstick? I have a flying carpet as well that we can all use to fly directly there."


    "A flying carpet," Jessir deadpanned. Arko''narin didn''t look any better from the look on her face. She actually looked a bit ill at the idea of travelling upon a carpet.


    "Oh come on, they''re perfectly safe. And we control the direction and speed," said Harry.


    The two still looked extremely reluctant. In fact the fear they were starting to exude reminded Harry of an eleven year old Hermione who was about to take her first flying lesson at Hogwarts.


    "Well, I''m sure we have some time before we have to move. And I would like some food anyways. I have gold from my world that I can use to pay if need be," said Harry.


    Jessir left, and returned ten minutes later with four other Night Elves and a Tauren. Those that came with Jessir were called Druids, and were extremely in tune with nature. The Druids mostly ate only berries and other vegetarian dishes depending upon the animal which each druid associated with, while Arko''narin, Jessir, and Harry were served fish that had been brought in from another territory. Apparently, all wildlife within Felwood was corrupted in some manner and was unsafe for consumption.


    Harry had a very enjoyable conversation with a female Tauren druid named Greta Mosshoof. Greta talked about how the Tauren were the only members of the Horde who were in-tune enough with nature to have druids. She also mentioned that many of her people were also shamans, but shamans seemed to commune more with the spirits of nature rather than the earth itself.


    With their group meal consumed, the druids departed and left Harry alone with the two Night Elves. Harry was still in bed and started to wonder a few things about this world he suddenly found himself.


    "So what do you two do? What''s your job?" he asked.


    The two females, who had both been resting, opened their eyes and looked at each other. They seemed to come to some sort of non-verbal agreement on who would go first.


    Arko''narin started, "Again, my name is Arko''narin, and in your tongue, we''re called Night Elves. In our own language, we are referred to as Kaldorei. I''ve done many things in the past, but right now, I am a Sentinel of Darnassus. I prefer to fight in hand to hand combat. Right now, I''m assigned to investigate dealings of the Shadow Council around the world."


    "What exactly is the Shadow Council? I know I''ve apparently killed a few of them when helping us get out of there, but what exactly are they?" Harry asked, realizing he doesn''t know anything about groups or this world''s history yet, and now might be a very good place to start.


    Jessir answered this time, "Well, the Shadow Council was a faction of Burning Legion sympathizers who have existed here on Azeroth since the first modern war roughly fifty years ago. The Legion originally came here 10,000 years ago."


    This information genuinely shocked Harry. He had known of and fought demons for a little over ten years, while this world had been in wars for over ten millennia. "Much of the beings originally from our world were created or modified by a race of beings called the Titans. They eventually left this world, but they left behind portions of their power. The primary thing they left behind was a huge magical font known as the Well of Eternity. It looked like a lake, but it was actually liquefied magic. And since Demon''s are attracted to magic¡­"


    "They began putting all of their effort into wiping all life out on this planet so they could take control of a resource which could help them breed more numbers," finished Harry for her.


    Jessir nodded, "The Elves at the time were led by a narcissistic Queen named Az''shara, who sold our people out to the Demons, and opened a portal using the well itself as a power source. Sargeras himself, the fallen Titan who leads the Legion was about to come through when the portal was stopped by two brothers, Malfurion and Illidan Stormrage. Malfurion was the first Druid, and Illidan the first demon hunter. Both are gone now. Illidan has fallen to darkness, and Malfurion''s soul has been in the Emerald Dream for years."


    "Druids tend to ''dream'' when given the chance," added Arko''narin, "¡­and allow for their souls to wander the primordial parallel dimension of the Emerald Dream. It''s a world that''s untouched, and matches the terrain of Azeroth if the Well of Eternity had never exploded and riven the once huge continent in two."


    Harry tried pondering these events. He wondered if similar things would have happened if the magical world had ever become as widespread as it had on Azeroth. Would his people have led to cataclysmic events such as continents being broken in two. He also wondered about these parallel planes, and if they existed on Earth as well.


    "The next major conflict," continued Arko''narin, "featured another legacy of the Titans. Before they left Azeroth to go wherever it is Titans go, they used their powers to raise five specific dragons up amongst their ranks and named them Aspects. Each Aspect had domain over some part of Azeroth. The Black Dragonflight controlled the very earth. The Blue Dragonflight controlled Magic, the Bronze flight Time, the Green flight held domain over the Emerald Dream, and the Red Flight were keepers and guardians of all life."


    Arko''narin seemed reluctant to speak, and so did Jessir. Eventually, Jessir''s courage won out. "The leader of the Black Dragonflight became corrupted somehow. Neltharian''s mind was warped by something. To sate the Dragon''s l.u.s.t for power, he conspired to get all the other flights to add a bit of their soul''s to an artifact, dubbed the Dragon''s Soul. It was supposed to fight off the second major Burning Legion invasion of Azeroth. But it earned the name the ''Demon''s Soul'' when it was used to control all the other Dragons through the magic they contributed. The Blue Flight was all but wiped out in the battle. It is why no Night Elf uses the name Neltharian anymore in conjunction with that dragon. He is simply called Deathwing, because that is all he has wrought or desires now."


    Arko''narin went on, "Eventually Azeroth saw a few millenniums of peace, which allowed many of the races to prosper in the absence of full-fledged invasions. The Legion in the mean time, sought other ways to invade. They went to a planet called Draenor, and enslaved most of one of its indigenous species, called Orcs. The Orcs have been used by the Legion in three subsequent invasions in the past fifty years."


    "The most recent ended five years ago. This invasion was the most different however, since the Legion apparently had something to do with an undead plague that swept across our world."


    "An undead plague? What did it do, turn everyone into inferi?" asked Harry.


    "Inferi?" asked Arko''narin, obviously unable to recognize the term.


    "Corpses that are animated by a necromancer and given very simple commands like Guard or Attack. They can''t handle much more than that," explained Harry. "They''re not very dangerous individually. Problem is they''re usually in swarms."


    Jessir shook her head, "There are some undead like that, mindless and simple cannon fodder. Many more retain their minds but are enslaved to the Lich King, who was once Arthas, the Prince of Lordearon. Those undead are called the Scourge and exist with a singular purpose to serve the Lich King. Then, there is another group called the Forsaken, a faction of ex-Scourge who the Lich King has lost control of. That group has since taken over the destroyed Lordaeron Kingdom, and has made their capital city in the catacombs beneath the former Royal Castle."


    "Sentient undead, eh? Let me guess, the other humans immediately called for their extermination, regardless of whether they have their minds or not?" asked Harry.


    "Yes," said Arko while she nodded. "Though they are hardly innocent. The Forsaken essentially hate all life now, and actively work to destroy everyone, living or dead. They are loosely aligned with the Horde faction, but rumor is no one fully trusts them."


    "What other factions are there? In fact, do you have a map I can look at, all of this is rather hard to keep straight," asked Harry.


    Arno''narin nodded, and walked out of the room, returning a minute later with a rolled up scroll she placed upon the floor. Harry just tried to take in the image of the new world he now belonged to.


    It was a new world, literally and metaphorically for him. A new beginning. He could start over completely here. There was no one here to demand he fix the world''s problems while they sit on the sidelines and don''t participate themselves. There was no one here with plans within plans to steal what was rightfully his. Just people fighting a war and trying to survive against an enemy he had already fought and won against.


    Arko''narin pointed out the long sliver of forest that designated where Harry currently was. Felwood, on the western slopes of Mount Hyjal. She pointed out where the respective factions all had their capital cities. Darnassus for the Night Elves, Orgrimmar for the Orcs and Trolls, Thunder Bluff for the Tauren, Undercity for the undead Forsaken, Ironforge for the Dwarves and Gnomes, and Stormwind City for Humans. She also added that two new factions had joined the world. The fallen kingdom of Quel''thalas, belonging to the High Elves, now known as Blood Elves after they were nearly wiped out and betrayed. The other were the Draenei, refugees from Burning Legion attacks who''s spaceship had crashed on an island chain southwest of Teldrassil.


    She also pointed out areas declared "unsafe" for the time being. The entirety of the northern continent was under this category, and she pointed out the generally assumed location of Icecrown Citadel, the base fortress of the Lich King in the far north. Apparently, the ice was deceptive there, as tens of thousands of undead lay asleep under the snow drifts. An obscene number of individuals perished five years ago while fighting the Lich King, and all who fell now serve him in death.


    "Will I have to pledge allegiance to some Human king, since you keep separating all these cities by race? I''m not much of a blindly swearing allegiance sort of person," asked Harry after he had created a duplicate of the map and figured he could make a more permanent copy later.


    "Doubtful," said Jessir. "There are many sub-factions within the human cultures here, though the largest is the one that serves the King of Stormwind."


    "I think I''d rather align myself with you Elves from what I''ve seen so far. If I align with anyone at all that is," mused Harry aloud, much to the happiness of the two females.


    "We were hoping you would say that," said Arko''narin immediately. "We want you to come to Darnassus with us and present the information you found to Lady Whisperwind. She can easily distribute it to the other Alliance leaders and we can force a major crackdown on Shadow Council operations."


    "What about the Horde, couldn''t someone like Greta pass information on through her counterparts at this Thunder Bluff place. That is the Tauren capital, right?" asked Harry tentatively as he rechecked the map.


    Both Arko''narin and Jessir seemed hesitant. "Harry," Arko''narin said delicately. "You have to understand, the tensions between the two sides are deep. There are a few like Greta Mosshoof who exist on the border between us, but they are rare. Most want nothing to do with the other side."


    Harry nodded with understanding, "But giving a copy of this information will also take down the supplies and resources of the Legion''s operations here. I''ll fight alongside anyone who raises a blade against the demons. I really think we should do this. And besides, peace has to start somewhere."


    Both females stared at Harry, until almost simultaneously their shoulders slumped in submission. "Fine," said Jessir. "But you''re copying all those doc.u.ments yourself. I don''t intend to sit here for hours cramping my hand copying these notes word for word."


    Harry merely waved his hand dismissively and pointed his wand at the now closed folder of doc.u.ments and said, "Gemino!"


    Instantly, a duplicate of the doc.u.ments appeared. C.o.c.king his head once more, Harry cast the spell four more times so that there were multiple copies of everything.


    Flabbergasted by the display of magic, both females instantly became confused as to the purpose of the additional copies. "Just in case we need backups, or Greta passes the information on to someone beyond just her superior in Thunder Bluff. The Orcs seem to be the big name on the opposite side. Might not hurt to ask to have a copy delivered to that guy you said was called the Warchief."


    "Thrall," said Arko''narin with no bitterness in her voice. Though the Night Elves seemed to hate most Orcs for the damage they apparently inflicted upon some sacred forest called ''Ashenvale'', the Elves definitely respected their Shamanistic leader, Thrall.


    "Fine, I just hope you know what you''re doing, Harry. I doubt Tyrande would punish us for passing on the information. The Human''s current King might if one of his folk did the opposite, but he''s more stuck up than a Sindorei Noble, and no one cares what that big-chinned human thinks anyways."


    Figuring a change of subject was needed, he asked, "How long would a direct flight to Darnassus take?"


    "Well, if we use the flight masters, maybe two days. We would have to wait for enough gryphons to be present for all three of us to go. If we fly direct using your cursed carpet, maybe five or six hours depending upon its speed if it''s similar to a gryphon," said Jessir.


    "How many hours of sunlight do we have left today?"


    "Only a few hours left. You were out for a long time, so we should set out in the morning," said Arko''narin.


    "Alright, I''m going to turn three copies of the doc.u.ments over to Greta. Hopefully she can get them to her leaders," said Harry.


    The two females nodded, and the trio left Harry''s room. Harry proceeded over to a common building of the sanctuary while the two females split off to go to another smaller shelter they shared together.


    Harry found Greta meditating in a corner by a fire.


    "Greta? Could I possibly ask a huge favor of you?"


    Greta opened her eyes. She was a Tauren, so she had admittedly very bovine-like features. Her face was like a cow''s but with softer less pronounced features. But it was her eyes that set her apart from being considered a mere beast in Harry''s mind. Her eyes just exuded great wisdom and caring. She had green leather like armor on, but half had been removed to ease her meditation. She wore undergarments to protect her modesty like a human would, and her two ''udders'' had to be the biggest ones Harry had ever seen short of Nymphadora playing around with her powers.


    By her side was a massive staff that Harry could definitely tell was imbued with some kind of magic. He was so intrigued by its design he had to literally tear his eyes away from it so as to not get into a discussion about its origins.


    "Yes, you may ask, Harry," she said simply.


    Harry sat down next to her. She smelled of forest rain and what Harry assumed to be some flower that was native to Azeroth. He took out a folder and handed it to her. "When I arrived on this world, and killed that Dread Lord, these were the doc.u.ments that were in the general area. It outlines Shadow Council operations across Azeroth. Could you take a copy to the Tauren leader, the Horde War Chief, and possibly the leader of the Forsaken? I realize the Forsaken may be harder to convince, but there is one plot there in particular that will be of interest to her. I think they would really want to know this information. Arko, Jessir, and I will be leaving tomorrow to deliver the originals to Lady Whisperwind and begin spreading the information amongst the Alliance leadership.


    Greta did not answer, and merely started to sort through the doc.u.ments. Her eyes slowly widened more and more as she read, until finally her mouth actually dropped. "Magatha Grimtotem not only works for the Shadow Council, but she also is in league with a Burning Legion plot to sabotage any efforts the Alliance and Horde may take to unify through a Forsaken coup de tat and a surprise attack?"


    The Tauren seemed absolutely shocked by what she read, even dazed by it. Harry placed a hand on her shoulder, which brought her back to her senses, "Yes, which is exactly why I felt it important to not only make sure the Alliance leaders were aware of these individuals, but the Horde as well."


    Greta seemed to immediately compose herself and stood up. "I will let Master Farlus here know of the request you have made of me."


    "Wait," Harry said before she could move away. "Here. I understand it is customary to pay for small missions such as this. I''m unsure the usual ''rate'' for a request such as this, but I hope this is enough."


    Harry handed Greta ten Galleons, which seemed to surprise her. "Harry, this is far more then what I would normally expect for such a delivery. I can''t pos-"


    But Harry held his hand up, "Please take it. You will be talking to people that I couldn''t possibly speak with myself. Just remember, I may be a human, but I''m not from this world. And I consider anyone my ally if they raise a blade against demons of the Legion. Besides, I''m always looking for more friends."


    Greta stared for a few moments, and nodded, "May the Earth Mother watch over you, Harry."


    Unsure of how to respond, Harry said the first thing that came to mind.


    "¡­and may the Force be with you."


    -o0o0o-


    The trio set out at first light upon a magical carpet Harry pulled out of a trunk. The gathered druids and hunters of the Emerald Circle looked skeptically at the rug, not believing for one moment that it could both fly to Darnasus and be safe at the same time. Greta had even delayed her departure just to witness the ridiculousness for herself.


    "Come on girls, let''s go," Harry said excitedly, his exuberance doing nothing at all to allay the fears of the normally fearless Night Elf women.


    "If you keep smiling like that Harry, I''m going to shove my bow up your ass and cut off your manhood," growled Jessir.


    "Yeah yeah, come on lets go."


    The three sat down on the rug. It was in good shape, considering it was over a century old. It was in gold and red colors, reflecting the Potter''s long history of being supporters of Gryffindor. Harry looked at the gathered crowd, "Thanks for fixing me up. Stay safe."


    And without any acknowledgement, the magical carpet shot into the sky. Arko and Jessir began to scream frantically before Harry turned around and placed a hand over each of their mouths.


    "You''re both fine. Once you sit down, you can''t be thrown off. We can even fly upside down, and it won''t make a difference. If you notice, we''re flying at two hundred miles an hour and there''s no wind in our faces. We are perfectly safe."


    Arko and Jessir both settled at this statement, and visibly relaxed. "You could have told us that before we took off," said Arko.


    "And where would the fun in that be?" said Harry, which earned him a very hard punch to the shoulder from Jessir.


    "I''m merely heading Northwest, is there any specific direction I should go?" asked Harry.


    "Proceed northwest until you reach the beaches of Darkshore. Then head north along the coast until you spot a Night Elf settlement with a very large port. Head Northwest from there out into the ocean. We''re going to a large tree growing in the middle of the sea."


    Harry nodded and returned his gaze to the terrain in front of him. He never really liked carpets the few times he flew on them. They seemed like something an old woman would use. There was no wind, no feel for the air. It was ''scrubbed'' flying, and he just couldn''t appreciate it.


    "Wow, this must be four or five times faster than a Gryphon. We''re making incredible time," commented Arko.


    Eventually the scenery changed. The sickly looking forest ended in a plateau and they began to fly over a dark mist filled forest.


    "This is Darkshore," said Jessir as she gazed over the trees below them. "This area contains many evils that have endured for millennia. Even one of the fallen old god''s corpses still lies in a forest glade here."


    Harry looked back at Jessir and saw the haunted look in her normally stoic eyes. She seemed to be stuck in memories, seeing things that only she could see. Harry looked out over the forest in front of him and could feel the presence Jessir referenced. It wasn''t alive per se, but it was an ancient taint, akin to what Harry felt the few times he had ventured down to the Chamber of Secrets in Hogwarts after he had slain the Basilisk. It may not be alive anymore, but its existence had permanently imbued its evil taint into the very stones of the castle.


    Eventually, they flew past the ominous feeling, and encountered the shoreline, where Harry turned their transport northwards. It was a dreary landscape, which Harry could never see himself wanting to vacation upon. There were fishlike humanoids in scattered colonies on the beach, and then Harry saw something that totally captured his attention.


    "What are those?"


    Arko looked over the edge, grimaced and said, "Naga. Their ancestors were believed to be Night Elves from Zin-Azshara, that were pulled into the backlash of the collapse of the Well of Enternity as it sunk into the ocean. They were transformed into the things you see there. They''re violent without peer, constantly attacking sea-faring vessels and port towns."


    "It''s disturbing a colony this large is this close to Auberdine," commented Jessir. "We should inform the sentinels upon our arrival in Darnassus of this latest incursion."


    "What exactly is going to happen when we reach Darnassus?" asked Harry. "Will I stay grouped with the two of you, or will you go back to whatever duties you had previous?"


    "Well, we discussed that last night when we went to bed," said Arko quietly as she looked down at her lap. "Jessir and I have been working together for centuries. When one of us does something, the other follows. I was already debating leaving the Sentinels for a while. Then¡­" her breath hitched her voice cracked, "then this last mission happened."


    Jessir put an arm around her friends back, and let Arko fall into the half embrace, "I''ve never felt so violated," the tears rolled down her eyes now. She looked up, and straight at Harry, "You were the one who saved me. I think it''s no small matter to stay with my savior."


    "And where she goes, I go," said Jessir, her white hair half-shrouding her face as she looked down at her upset friend she held in her arm.


    "So what do we become then?" asked Harry. "Do we just wander the land. I was of half a mind to set up shop selling rune enchanted items. But I''m up for just about anything."


    "It''s a possibility. Or we could do what the craze is at the moment and declare ourselves adventurer''s and travel the world together," said Jessir. "A group will journey to a new area, and try and find ways to help the locals out. It can very mundane, or it can be extremely perilous. But above all, it can on occasion be quite lucrative. Treasures, money, knowledge, and great political alliances can be earned this way."


    "Is that what you both want?" asked Harry.


    Arko looked up, "Yes, I would like to travel with you both. I''m going to resign from the Sentinels right after we turn this information over to Lady Tyrande."


    "There won''t be any consequences for doing this, will there?" asked Harry, still unsure of how someone could just decide to quit military service on a whim without repercussions.


    "Harry, this is my seventh time in the Sentinels in my life. For Arko, it is her ninth. It''s just something our people do. We all flit in and out of service. We serve for a century or two, and then study or teach for a few more. Eventually we get bored and try something new, or repeat what we did before. Arko is right, it''s time for a change, and journeying with you I believe will be quite interesting."


    Harry nodded and smiled, "Well thanks for believing in me, I won''t let you down." He reached and gently squeezed both of their hands before he turned around and went back to paying attention to where they were flying. It was a good thing, because he noticed a settlement approaching.


    "Is that the town you were looking for" he asked aloud.


    "Yes it is. Start drifting out to sea in a north / northwest approach. You''ll know what we''re going towards when you see it," said Jessir with a sly smirk upon her face.


    The carpet slowly drifted away from land, and Harry was surprised by the amount of fog they suddenly came upon. It obscured everything, and he actually started to slow the carpet down for fear they would blunder into something. He would look back occasionally, and saw smirks of anticipation on both Jessir''s and Arko''s faces, since they both apparently knew something Harry did not.


    Harry played along for roughly ten minutes, until the fog suddenly broke, and Harry literally felt himself gasp.


    "That''s one big freaking tree."


    -o0o0o-


    Cast of Characters:


    Harry''s Harem)


    Arko''narin ¨C Alliance. Night Elf, Warrior. Former Sentinel of Darnassus.


    Jessir Moonbow ¨C Alliance. Night Elf Hunter. Former Sentinel of Darnassus.


    Misc Characters of Note:


    Greta Mosshoof ¨C Horde. Tauren, Druid. Member of the Emerald Circle, which is a subgroup of the Cenarian circle devoted to the restoration of the Felwood.

 Chapter 357 - My SI Stash #57 - Medium Meld by Elbowsnapper (Naruto)

    -The "some missing memories" MC cliche imo tends to get real annoying fast, but the no jutsus just good ole gamer skills and mana spells hooked me in hard, really curious to see how this''ll turn out~


    Synopsis: A man from the normal-human-world is unable to remember the names of people or places from his own world. He wakes up on an unknown beach in a world that is a strange mixture of many different Naruto mediums; games, fillers, movies, canon and non-canon, with a variant of the Gamer power.


    Rated: ???


    Words: 37K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/medium-meld-naruto-oc-gamer.859516/ (Elbowsnapper)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    I woke up on a beach.


    An empty beach that slowly curved out of sight in both directions with not a single person in sight. The ocean looked beautiful, bright, and blue, with noticeably clear water along the shoreline. When I turned around I noted that the vast majority of the island was covered in tall leafy trees. A massive grey stone mountain towered above the trees in the distance. I had never been anywhere like this before, and I certainly didn''t remember having decided to come here in the first place.


    I was having trouble remembering a lot of things actually, my name, the names of my friends and family, it was all missing. I could remember what I had been doing last night, but not who I was doing it with. There was definitely something wrong with my memory, how strange. I was a rather calm person by nature but considering the situation I was far more relaxed then I would have expected. I stared up at the clear blue sky, the sun was burning brightly almost directly overhead, nothing strange there.


    I sat down on the sand.


    What was my priority given the situation I had found myself in? I should attempt to find out where this beach was in relation to something I knew. The city I lived in also had a beach, I remembered that readily enough. I don''t remember a mountain being anywhere nearby or such thick forestry so close to the beach. I think I could safely assume this wasn''t near my city, whose name continues to escape me.


    I had seen several movies and TV shows where people had woken up on a beach, Lost had been one of them. It was strange that I could remember the name of a TV show I had barely watched, but not my own name. I would need to investigate the island and see if I could find anyone, but if I were somehow stranded on a desert island, somewhere in the middle of the ocean, I would need to do several things if I didn''t want to die. I needed a place to sleep, sheltered from the weather and any local wildlife, I didn''t know how cold it would get here during the night or what might be in the forest looking for a meal. I would also need a source of freshwater and some sort of food.


    Intelligence has increased by 1.


    I recognized the floating words that had appeared in the corner of my vision immediately. It was from that webtoon where the protagonist could level up like a video game, and whose name I couldn''t recall, more due to it being an exceptionally long time since I had read it then my strange amnesia. It was strange that something from a story had suddenly become real, but the fact that I was in the middle of nowhere on a deserted beach felt more problematic overall, but if this power worked as it had in the story, every day I survived, the easier it should become to survive the next.


    Perhaps I could eventually become strong enough to swim back to civilization or something. My planning came to a grinding halt when three people wandered into sight further down the beach, with words floating above their heads. They were dressed strangely, and one of them was tossing a spear between his hands, so I immediately moved back into the trees just in case and watched them as they passed by.


    Mato Level 17


    Shinta Level 18


    Toriko Level 14


    Maybe I wasn''t stranded after all.


    ---


    I was stranded.


    Stealth has increased by 1.


    If not exactly in the same way as I had initially assumed. There was a large sprawling city on the island, and it was remarkably strange in so many ways that I had trouble reconciling it with what I was used to. There was a massive metal ship sitting in the large harbor, cranes sat all over the docks and roads, perhaps used to unload cargo from the ship, the streets for some bizarre reason were paved with large rough bricks packed down tightly into the ground, instead of tarmac. The houses were all multiple stories tall and made from a perfectly cut white stone, the rooves were tiled with an orange material that might have been clay.


    Is that what tiles were made out of? I wasn''t sure.


    The lines of building stretched far out of sight due to the size of the city and each one had large panes of precisely cut glass lining all of the windows that were set into the buildings. There was a huge advertis.e.m.e.nt screen built into the roof of one of the buildings, showing a high definition recording of what I could only imagine was the island I was standing on, from far above it. The island itself was shaped like a large crescent moon, with the city sitting right in the middle of the thickest part of the crescent, stretching from one side of the island to the other.


    It actually looked somewhat familiar, but I couldn''t place exactly where I had seen it before.


    There was what seemed to be a castle on the opposite side of the city or at least the large round tower parts that stuck out of most castles I had seen in pictures. I had never seen a castle before, and there was definitely no castles anywhere near my city. The people walking around the city were another element that made it far stranger. There was some wearing metal amour, others wearing leather, some of them carried swords, while others were had spears, almost all of the ones that were armed carried large tower shields strapped to their backs, and each one had a black visor of dark glass covering their faces. I was pretty sure carrying large melee weapons like that in public was illegal back home? They almost looked like riot police, without the signage on their equipment and with f.u.c.k.i.n.g spears.


    Then there were the people who simply wore cloth shirts and pants that looked like they were made by hand, and their shoes were simple looking sandals, it almost looked like a normal city if everyone was cosplaying as some kind of medieval person.


    Stealth has increased by 1.


    The stalls that I could see from my hiding place, in the bushes if you must know, were selling fish and other foods in baskets, with not a piece of plastic wrap to be seen, which seemed rather unhygienic. Some sold vegetables and fruits, while others sold simple but neat hand-woven clothes. Alongside the people were wagons being pulled by horses along the roads, although I only saw two of them over the course of an hour, and not a single car, It made absolutely no f.u.c.k.i.n.g sense.


    Nothing looked familiar to me in any way, this was not the city I lived in.


    I was hesitant to go in to ask someone where this was because I had no idea if the guys with the black visors and large weapons took kindly to strangers suddenly appearing in their city. My shirt, jeans, and closed shoes obviously didn''t belong here, I would stick out like a sore thumb. If those guys were dangerous I had no way of protecting myself from them if they turned out to be hostile to strangers and I might even find myself captured or something worse.


    I was too far away to be able to see the names and levels floating above their heads, but I quickly found a solution with liberal uses of Observe. I used it on every person I could see, reading through their summaries and tried to piece together as much as I could.


    "Born in the Land of the Moon," was a common theme amongst them, although there was one guy who had apparently been "Born in the Land of Demons," so I made sure to not stare at him for too long just in case. I couldn''t remember having ever heard of a place with that name, but I was having trouble remembering any of the city names that I was sure I should know. Either way this island did look familiar to me, and the name had almost brought me to the cusp of understanding, but not quite.


    Observe has increased by 1.


    Another commonality was the names, they were all in a language that I recognized as Japanese, names like Kozuki, Juko, Sayuki, Mino, and a whole lot more. I didn''t speak that language, I spoke English. Which country spoke Japanese? Which country spoke English? I knew there was several, I just couldn''t remember the damn names, it was infuriating. What was odd about it, was that despite all having names that were clearly in Japanese, every single one that had passed by my hiding place had been speaking perfect English, with no hint of an accent. I kept on trying to remember which country spoke Japanese, but my strange amnesia held.


    I would just call them the ''Japanese Country.''


    A lot of the descriptions referenced a ''King'' which didn''t sound like the ''Japanese Country'' either, I''m fairly sure they had an Emperor or a prime minister? or something? My own country had a prime minister as well, although I remembered there was a Queen overseas somewhere, and a President somewhere else as well.


    Stealth increased by 1.


    An island in the ''Land of the Moon'', massive tv screens with high definition video footage, cranes, and other machinery, but they were pulling horses with carts, every single person had the ''Japanese Country'' names, but the guards weren''t carrying Katanas. They were ruled by a ''King'' and everybody here was speaking ''English.'' It was like some bizarre combination of different cultures that I couldn''t even remember the name of, and it all led me to think that I was very far from home. I Observed them for a long time, but I never found myself any closer to figuring out where I was.


    I eventually talked myself into heading back to the beach where I had woken up, still wary of entering the city because of the guys with spears. Despite not remembering the name of where I was from, I think I could safely assume that this wasn''t it. Either way, it did provide me with something of a direction to push myself towards, which started with meeting my basic needs of survival.


    "Status," I said curiously.


    Name ¨C Sora


    Title ¨C N/A


    Age - 22


    Level - 1


    Health Points - 100/100


    Mana Points - 101/101


    Vitality 10 (Total Health, 10 HP per point.)


    Strength 10 (Physical Power.)


    Speed 10 (Movement speed, Reflexes.)


    Perception 10 (Sensory Reception, Accuracy.)


    Intelligence 11 (Plasticity, Comprehension, Memory.)


    Mana 10 (Total Mana, 10 MP per point.)


    Luck 0 (Increases chance of finding loot, Increases quality of item drops.)


    Stat points 0


    Health Recovery Rate ¨C 0.25


    Mana Recovery Rate ¨C 0.25


    Stealth Rating ¨C 17


    Perception Rating - 10


    * () are tooltips that appear when hovered.


    I read through it slowly, trying to burn everything into my memory.


    My name was Sora, although that wasn''t familiar at all either, and unlike everyone else, I didn''t have a convenient summary of who where I was from either. I started at level one, which wasn''t unusual for a game, with ten points in every attribute except Luck, slightly unusual but not by much, and the point I received earlier had brought my Intelligence up to eleven as well. ''Mana'' was an interesting piece of information, it was often used interchangeably with ''Magic'' or ''Energy'' in games, or some other kind of resource. I wondered why I had one-hundred-and-one Mana though, it looked like it should have been ten MP per point in Mana.


    I had observed enough people in the city that I had unlocked the ability to see there attributes and it had taken me almost an hour before I had come up with the idea of seeing if I could work out how their levels change their stats.


    I had counted a lot of peoples stats up to a total and tried to figure out what was going on, I assumed that everyone started with the same stats that I had at level one, so I added the sixty starting base stats on top of it. Eventually, I thought I stumbled on the idea to divide the total stats by the number of levels, and it had given me a common number for each person that seemed roughly appropriate for all of them. Five points per level up, distributed somehow amongst there attributes. I would find out if I was correct when I received my first level up, but I was fine with assuming that everyone got five stat points per level for now. I was also assuming that they didn''t get to choose as I might.


    Perhaps they did after a fashion.


    I supposed if you did a lot of physical labor your stats would probably be weighted towards strength and vitality while a lot of academic stuff would probably net you more intelligence. So life choices determined stats somewhat, so if you choose to be a bricklayer you would end up with higher physicals, that was kind of a choice right? At least once dictated on several factors, like society, your immediate environment, and your education. I probably shouldn''t be trying to convert other people''s experiences to fit with my abnormal situation in the first place.


    I had a look at the passive skills next, and there were quite a few, some of which I remembered from the source, others I didn''t.


    Gamer Body (MAX)


    Grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game. (He receives no physical damage from attacks only pain for a few seconds and a loss of HP).


    Eating, drinking, and sleeping are optional.


    After sleeping in a bed, it restores HP, MP and cures all status effects. Users body is treated like that of an RPG character.


    Gamer Mind (MAX)


    It allows the user to think through things calmly and logically.


    It allows a peaceful state of mind.


    Immunity to all psychological status effects.


    Mana Core (Level 1) - Allows the user to store mana.


    Increases total mana by 1 (+1 per level).


    Using Mana grants EXP towards this skill.


    Health Recovery (Level 1) ¨C Allows the user to regenerate health passively.


    Increases Health regenerated per second by 0.25(+0.25 per level).


    Regenerating Health grants EXP towards this skill.


    Mana Recovery (Level 1) ¨C Allows the user to regenerate Mana passively.


    Increases the Mana generated per second by 0.25(+0.25 per level).


    Regenerating Mana grants EXP towards this skill.


    Mana Mastery (Level 1) ¨C Increases efficiency of Mana use.


    Reduces Mana Cost of skills by 0.25(+0.25 per level).


    A skill''s cost cannot be reduced below 1 Mana.


    Using skills with Mana Mastery in effect grants EXP towards this skill.


    The two gamer skills were normal, at least as far as any of this was normal. The Health Recovery and Mana Recovery was much more notable, it didn''t seem to be tied to any of the attributes in a way I could identify, it also wasn''t a percentage of my maximum respective pools like one would assume. I was never a math guy, not really, but I''m pretty sure that sucked, what if ended up with a lot of Mana or Health, 0.25 per second, when you have thousands of mana, would take a lifetime to regenerate.


    Hopefully, it leveled up quickly.


    Mana Core was interesting as well, the Mana Attribute already gave 10 Mana per point, but this skill could increase it independently, although the amount was really small. Mana Mastery was also new, reducing the cost of spells by a tiny flat amount. I didn''t need to eat, drink, or sleep anymore according to the description, and sleeping in a bed would return me to perfect health, along with healing any status effects. If that was all actually true, then all I would need to ensure my immediate survival needs were met in the short-term was somewhere safe to sleep, so I didn''t get ganked while I was asleep. It had been several hours since I had first woken up and the temperature hadn''t really changed significantly since then, despite the sun slowly vanishing. It was still rather hot all things considered, I hope it stayed that way because I wasn''t looking forward to sleeping out in the cold.


    I had exactly two active skills.


    Observe (Level 9) ¨C Allows the user to gain information on the target.


    The higher the level, the more detailed the information becomes.


    Using Observe grants EXP towards this skill.


    Stealth (Level 7) - Allows the user to sneak around.


    Type ¨C Toggle.


    Cast time ¨C Instant.


    Target ¨C Self, Other.


    Cost ¨C N/A.


    Increased Stealth Rating by 7(+1 per level)


    Reduces sound made while in Stealth by 7(+1 per level)


    Stealth Rating is checked by enemy Perception Rating.


    Must leave enemies line of sight to use.


    Performing actions while Stealth is active grants EXP towards this skill.


    Stealth was the only real conflict option I had at the moment, I was weaker physically than everyone I had observed in the city, so I wasn''t exactly feeling very safe right now. The biggest thing for me to consider was that I had could use Mana. Mana was a pretty common resource that you used to cast spells in games, I had played a lot of games over the years, and the names of those seemed to still be intact at least. I also vaguely remembered the guy from the source material creating his skills.


    So the real question became could I make something to help me survive?


    Status


    Name ¨C Sora


    Title ¨C N/A


    Age - 22


    Level - 1


    Health Points - 100/100


    Mana Points - 101/101


    Vitality 10 (Total Health, 10 HP per point.)


    Strength 10 (Physical Power.)


    Speed 10 (Movement speed, Reflexes.)


    Perception 10 (Sensory Reception, Accuracy.)


    Intelligence 11 (Plasticity, Comprehension, Memory.)


    Mana 10 (Total Mana, 10 MP per point.)


    Luck 0 (Increases chance of finding loot, Increases quality of item drops.)


    Stat points 0


    Health Recovery Rate ¨C 0.25


    Mana Recovery Rate ¨C 0.25


    Stealth Rating ¨C 17


    Perception Rating - 10


    * () are tooltips that appear when hovered.


    Gamer Body (MAX)


    Grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game. (He receives no physical damage from attacks only pain for a few seconds and a loss of HP).


    Eating, drinking, and sleeping are optional.


    After sleeping in a bed, it restores HP, MP and cures all status effects. Users body is treated like that of an RPG character.


    Gamer Mind (MAX)


    It allows the user to think through things calmly and logically.


    It allows a peaceful state of mind.


    Immunity to psychological status effect.


    Mana Core (Level 1) - Allows the user to store mana.


    Increases total mana by 1 (+1 per level).


    Using Mana grants EXP towards this skill.


    Health Recovery (Level 1) ¨C Allows the user to regenerate health passively.


    Increases Health regenerated per second by 0.25(+0.25 per level).


    Regenerating Health grants EXP towards this skill.


    Mana Recovery (Level 1) ¨C Allows the user to regenerate Mana passively.


    Increases the Mana generated per second by 0.25(+0.25 per level).


    Regenerating Mana grants EXP towards this skill.


    Mana Mastery (Level 1) ¨C Increases efficiency of Mana use.


    Reduces Mana Cost of skills by 0.25(+0.25 per level).


    A skill''s cost cannot be reduced below 1 Mana.


    Using skills with Mana Mastery in effect grants EXP towards this skill.


    Observe (Level 9) ¨C Allows the user to gain information on the target.


    The higher the level, the more detailed the information becomes.


    Using Observe grants EXP towards this skill.


    Stealth (Level 7) - Allows the user to sneak around.


    Type ¨C Toggle.


    Cast time ¨C Instant.


    Target ¨C Self, Other.


    Cost ¨C N/A.


    Increased Stealth Rating by 7(+1 per level)


    Reduces sound made while in Stealth by 7(+1 per level)


    Stealth Rating is checked by enemy Perception Rating.


    Must leave enemies line of sight to use.


    Performing actions while Stealth is active grants EXP towards this skill.


    Chapter 2


    The first thing I tried to do was make a spell that could heal damage.


    I didn''t want to die because a snake bit me or I fell over and broke my leg or something else stupid. So I sat down on the sand, plopped my hands in my lap, and tried to use my mana. I certainly hadn''t had anything like this before, and the feeling was obvious when I tried to find it. I found it surprisingly easy to use, it moved where I wanted it to move, although it did feel sluggish. It seemingly originated from the center of my chest. After a brief moment, I managed to push some of it down my arm to rest in my hand. I could feel it roiling beneath my skin, but I couldn''t see any hint of it visually. I tried to push it out of my fingers, and a few bluish-white sparks appeared at my fingertips.


    I grinned, I''m a god damned wizard.


    I played around with it for a long while, trying to get it to visually appear but I mostly just got more of the sparks. There was no spell creation menu where I could choose the effects as I had seen in some RPG''s, and no real intrinsic understanding of how to do it. Things like this were usually intent-based? Perhaps I needed to give the mana some kind of direction on what to do. I didn''t have a grasp on how to change any properties about the energy itself, so I was only left with trying to actively tell it what to do.


    "Heal," I said calmly while trying to push the mana out of my hand.


    I felt, something?


    The mana twisted slightly beneath my skin, so I repeated the word and tried to pulse my mana in time with it, it twisted slightly more with every iteration seemingly working towards something over the course of a few very long minutes. I focused all of my attention on the mana and let the world fall away, like when you stare at something for so long that your vision tunnels and everything blacked out around it. I focused entirely on the feeling of the mana and what I wanted to do.


    Mana has been increased by 1.


    "Heal," I said intently.


    The mana twisted into an impossibly complicated shape, my hand suddenly glowed with a bright translucent green light and I felt my mana start to drop quickly. The spell abruptly faded after a moment and I stared at the little notice that had appeared.


    You have unlocked a new skill, Heal.


    You have unlocked a new skill, Casting Speed.


    I felt a flash of triumph cut through me, I had managed to do this, me. I''d even unlocked another passive and got another stat point out of it, I felt elated as I opened the skill menu back up to read the description.


    Heal (Level 1) ¨C Use mana to heal injuries.


    Type ¨C Cast.


    Cast time ¨C 4.75(5) second charge.


    Target ¨C Self, Other.


    Cost ¨C 1 Mana.


    Exchange 1 point of Mana to Heal 0.25(+0.25 per level) point of HP on target.


    Can exchange up to the maximum available Mana.


    Casting Heal grants EXP towards this skill.


    It was almost exactly what I wanted, but why was it so weak? Most ''Heal'' spells in video games healed anywhere from twenty to one-hundred HP at level one and cost anywhere from one to one-hundred MP. Even if I dumped all of my mana into a single Heal, the most I could do was heal twenty-five HP, at the massive cost of one-hundred MP. That kind of sucked, but I had a way of fixing myself up if I got hurt now though, that''s all that mattered, weak magic was still magic.


    The ''Casting Speed'' passive was about what you would expect from the name.


    Casting Speed (Level 1) ¨C Reduces the casting time of skills.


    Decreases the time taken to cast a spell by 0.25 (+0.25 per level.) seconds.


    Spells that are reduced to 0 seconds become instant.


    Casting spells with reduced cast times grants EXP towards this skill.


    I was beginning to notice a trend with all of the skills, they all started extraordinarily weak. They might end up strong at much higher levels, but right now they all sucked incredibly. I thought about it for a while, but there wasn''t anything I could do about it right now I had other priorities. The next thing I wanted to do was eat something, I wanted to know if I could recover health or mana with consumables like in most systems like this and hopefully, it was another way to heal myself if I ran out of mana while injured.


    Safety first kids.


    I had two ideas on that front, try and catch a fish of some sort, or try and steal something from the city. One of those ideas might get me jailed or killed, so I was going to try fishing first, which was incredibly unfortunate. I hated fishing, I''d spent hours with others nearby, watched them reel in multitudes of fish while I caught nothing, far too many times for me to ever enjoy it. I didn''t have a rod here either, which would make things almost impossible. There were maybe two hours of light left before it was dark, judging by the position of the sun, so I wasted no time. I turned towards the tree line and searched around for a long stick, it took a while to find something the right length, but I eventually just fought with a thin green tree branch until I managed to tear it off. I managed to find a few stones that had a kind of edge on one side to use at a tool.


    Me caveman now, me hit the stick with stone, Ooga Booga.


    It took a little while to shape the end of the stick into a very rough point, and I had to strip off a couple of layers of bark but in the end, I had what was probably the worst fishing spear in the history of mankind, my caveman ancestors must have been looking down at me with disappointment.


    You have unlocked a new skill, Crafting.


    I glanced at the notice, but didn''t bother opening up the menu again, I didn''t exactly have much time to waste with the sun still going down, I could read it later. I headed back down to the beach before kicking off my shoes and socks in the sand. I tested the water and found it still rather warm, before wading in up to my knees. I stared around at the water for a while before I spotted some small dark shape moving. I fought back the urge to run away from it, before holding my spear up and getting ready, but the thing vanished a moment later.


    Huh.


    I searched around again and the next time I saw movement I stabbed the stick at it straight away. I missed entirely, and ripples spread over the water from the failed attempt. I stabbed at another dark shape and missed again.


    You have unlocked a new skill, Fishing.


    You have unlocked a new skill, Weapon Mastery.


    You have unlocked a new skill, Spear Mastery.


    Nice, but I was a bit busy here dammit.


    I kept stabbing at the moving dark spots for over an hour, and the sun was starting to dip pretty low. I had received four levels of Fishing, five levels of Spear Mastery, three levels of Weapon Mastery and two Strength points but not a single f.u.c.k.i.n.g fish, my terrible luck at fishing apparently holding on strong, but every little notification worked like a little burst of recognition for my efforts and fuelled me ever onwards, despite the many, many failed attempts. I couldn''t help but noticed that more shapes were appearing in the water the longer I kept at it. I took another stab at a shape before I pulled the spear out of the water very slowly and watched as the small silver fish wriggled about on the end of it.


    I was a god-damned fisherman.


    I celebrated like an idiot for a moment, shouting and waving my stick before I started making my way back up the beach and belatedly remembered to collect my shoes along the way, there I didn''t have much light left now, so I hurried back into the edge of the forest and leaned my spear up against a tree, the fish still impaled on the end. I searched out a bunch of sticks, branches, and even a small section of a fallen tree that had broken off with the decay. I dragged it all back to the small clearing with some effort and stacked it all together. I put the little twigs and the thinnest dry bark at the bottom before making a little tepee of sticks above it.


    I was almost certain this fire would fail, but I was hoping my power would pick up the slack. I grabbed some of the rocks from early and started striking them together next to the bark. Almost an entire minute of failed attempts finally led to some recognition of my actions.


    You have unlocked a new skill, Firemaking.


    If the system saw my attempt at making a fire as valid surely it would end up lit eventually. It took at least an hour, three levels of Firemaking, many frustrated noises, and one bleeding finger before I was finally sitting in front of a glorious fire. When it had first become dark, about an hour ago I had considered trying to make a fireball spell, but I was far too invested in Firemaking at that point, the nefarious sunk cost fallacy at work. I carefully moved more of the branches into the fire until it was properly burning, took my fishing spear in hand, and poked it into the fire.


    I finally relaxed a little to enjoy the warmth of the fire that I had managed to create through the sheer power of smacking rocks together and just stared into the fire thoughtfully. I needed more information about the island and to remember where I had heard of the ''Land of the Moon'' before, It was on the tip of my tongue but I needed something, anything to jog my memory that tiny amount. I needed more information about the people here, and find out if they were actually going to be hostile, and I needed to get strong enough to protect myself in case they were. I needed to get my hands on some clothing that looked normal enough for me to blend into this place, so I didn''t stand quite so much.


    I had no money so I would have to steal what I needed, which was dangerous for obvious reasons, I would have to be careful about how much I stole though because being seen carrying a handful of goods while dressed in strange clothing would make anyone suspicious of me. Did I have an inventory? I did have an inventory, that was one problem solved, I could just put whatever I stole in there, I pulled the fish out to have a look at it, before poking it back in.


    You have unlocked a new skill, Cooking.


    There was going to be a lot of these, wasn''t there?


    I spent the rest of the night watching the fire and using up the rest of my firewood, the temperature on the island remained surprisingly tolerable even after the fire had dwindled down to coals. I kept expecting to suddenly feel tired, or fall asleep, but it never happened. I busied myself with casting Heal on myself until my mana emptied and then waited for it to slowly recover again. Heal was increasingly incredibly slowly, probably because I wasn''t actually fixing anything, but it did use up my mana.


    It took roughly seven minutes for it to refill, math was never my strong point, so take it with a grain of salt. I wasn''t being very efficient about it either, lapsing into long periods of musing and trying to remember the names of people with no success. I never ended up eating my fish, either. It was sitting in my inventory after I observed it, +1hp from a badly cooked fish wasn''t too bad. I considered it another test to see if I would get hungry enough to eat it or not.


    The sun eventually returned, the dark started to recede, and I had already decided on what I was going to do today. I would spend the morning grinding out Stealth and Observe near the city. See if I couldn''t find out more information about this ''Land of the Moon''. If I ended up getting restless I would return to camp and try some more spearfishing, as much as I hated it, the more I failed now, the easy it would be to catch the stupid things in the future.


    I might even be able to sell them for money in the city if I ever made it that far.


    When the light was finally bright enough to see, I headed back to the edge of the city. I found my bush untouched and quietly toggled Stealth back on. There were a surprising amount of people already up and walking around, which was strange, but it made it easier for me to gather information so I couldn''t complain. I watched them all go about their business from afar, reading about there lives and comparing their stats. There were a lot of people near the docks, and even more, were appearing there by the minute.


    Stealth has increased by 1.


    I was distracted by the massive metal ship heading slowly lumbering out of the docks, and I tracked its progress until it finally vanished from my sight, and only later realized that I hadn''t Observed it while I had the chance, I hadn''t actually Observed anything other than the people. I felt abruptly stupid and started Observing all of the buildings to see if anything showed up and found some interesting but otherwise unnoteworthy things.


    Observe has increased by 1.


    There were a lot of fishermen in this city, and I meant a lot. I was guessing that they exported a lot of seafood, probably on that big ship that had left earlier. The next most common job was laborer, then quite a few people who worked in inns, bars, and taverns. There was also a lot of woman with the job ''Working Girl'', they were openly talking to people on the streets, and occasionally leading men into buildings or alleyways. I guess that kind of thing was legal here, that was pretty cool.


    Stealth has increased by 1.


    I ended up staying for a couple of hours but eventually grew restless enough to head back to camp. I was slowly becoming more comfortable with the idea of going into the city, I hadn''t seen a single bad thing happen throughout my entire time watching them. No weird things that lead me to believe they were cannibals or something else horrifying, they were seemingly just normal, average people. I would give it another couple of days first just to be safe, but if it still seemed alright I might try entering the city. I picked my spear up when I got back to camp and gave it a once over. It was looking pretty beat up, and the end was severely burnt because I stuck it in the fire last night like an idiot.


    I observed it out of curiosity.


    Sharp Stick ¨C Common.


    Durability - 12/100


    Well, shit, my spear was almost dead.


    On a whim, I tried to cast Heal on it, but it didn''t even activate, unable to target a stick. I sat down before I tried to push some mana into the stick, maybe I could fix it or reinforce it or something, the stick didn''t really take the mana, it kind of just washed over it. I focused more mana into my hand as I had with the Heal spell, but this time I focused on healing the durability instead. I started a mantra in my head about fixing and durability, repeating the words with single-minded focus.


    Repair, Durability, Fix, Durability.


    I repeated it for almost ten minutes before the mana twisted into another complicated shape, strangely similar to the Heal spell, in a sense. My hand lit up with a blue glow and the stick shuddered once in my hand before the spell ended.


    You have unlocked a new skill, Repair.


    I pulled it up after a moment to see what it did.


    Repair (Level 1) ¨C Use mana to repair items durability.


    Type ¨C Spell.


    Cast time ¨C 4.75(5) second charge.


    Target ¨C Object.


    Cost ¨C 1 Mana Point.


    Exchange 1 point of Mana to repair 0.25(+0.25 per level) Durability.


    Can exchange up to the maximum available Mana.


    Casting Repair grants EXP towards this skill.


    I was getting really sick of this 0.25 nonsense.


    Mana Core has increased by 1.


    I cast the spell and watched as the stick was magically pulled back into better condition, the burnt end that had partially fallen off became rough wood again, and the missing material returned.


    Repair has increased by 1.


    It took four casts of Repair to fix the stick, and seven minutes of waiting to recover mana in between each cast, which was a really long time, I could have probably just made another spear by the time I had finished. I did get a level of Mana Recovery which sped it up a tiny bit, but it was still a problem. How did the guy deal with his mana issues in the source? Didn''t he just put all his points into a mage build? I was still only level one though, I didn''t have any points. I vaguely remembered that he had some skill he got from a book about breathing or something.


    Mana Recovery has increased by 1.


    No, it was meditation. I could probably recreate that without too much issue, I was already almost completely certain that it was going to only increase my recovery rate by 0.25 though. It seemed to be an ongoing theme. A complicated mantra and almost thirty minutes of my time later I was proven correct.


    You have unlocked a new skill, Meditation.


    I studied the description.


    Meditate (Level 1)


    Type ¨C Toggle.


    Target ¨C Self.


    Cast time ¨C Instant.


    Cost ¨C N/A.


    Meditate to increase Health and Mana Recovery by 0.25 per second (+0.25 per level).


    Increases stamina recovery speed by 0.25 per second (+0.25 per level).


    Unable to move more than 1m while in use.


    Meditating grants EXP towards this skill.


    I bit back my annoyance at being correct and tried to look on the bright side, eventually, I would be able to regenerate quicker. The not being able to move limitation was kind of expected but still disappointing. I toggled it on and immediately felt my mind clear. It was a strange feeling like my thoughts had both sharpened and broadened at the same time. I almost felt more focused as well somehow. I''m glad it wasn''t an unpleasant feeling, because I could already tell that I would be using this a lot. I finally made my way back to the beach and spent the rest of the day fishing and splashing around in the shallows, while waving my spear around like a maniac. I had a great deal more luck while fishing today, and everything I caught immediately went into my inventory. The higher the skill grew the easier I found it to locate and spear the fish, it was actually bizarre how much more successful I was today than yesterday.


    I earned myself several levels from my efforts, three more fishing, one more weapon mastery, four more spear mastery, and another two strength levels. The second strength point was what got me to stop fishing, curious as to what it was actually from. Swinging the stick around maybe? It wasn''t exactly heavy, but I was technically carrying something. I set up my camp for the night when it grew dark, it only took me half the time to make a fire this time and I spent the night coming up with a training plan.


    Push-ups would probably be enough for Strength grinding, at least for now. Running would probably be how you got Speed points, but I wasn''t sure about Vitality. Perception said it increased accuracy, so maybe throwing things at a target of some kind would work. I didn''t think I could train Intelligence on the beach, not unless I could get a hold of a pack of cards or something, maybe I could play memory? Mana seemed to be easy enough, whenever I cast spells or played with my mana it seemed to increase.


    I set my first goal to reach the equivalent stats of a laborer in the city, they seemed to generally be around level fifteen to twenty, with an average stat distribution of twenty-five points across the board, although most of them tended did have slightly lower mental stats while the physicals were approaching thirty. The guards were entirely out of reach, for now, each of them sitting between level thirty to fifty or even higher. They averaged stats in the high fifties, with some much higher outliers. I was putting off my trip into the city until I could at least handle an angry laborer, as it was I was weaker than even the tavern girls. I had a plan now, Stealth, Observation, Meditate in the morning, physical training during the day, Mana training at night.


    I toggled Meditate on.


    Chapter 3


    Four days later I finally figured out where I was.


    I felt incredibly stupid for having not realized it. I had been working under the assumption that I was still in my world. When I was doing my daily Observation I noticed a ship, not the same massive metal one from a while ago, but a smaller, but still quite large, wooden ship. When I Observed it I found that it was a passenger and cargo ship bringing people from the ''main continent'' which was an interesting tidbit, but what was even more interesting was three of the people that exited the ship, they were low leveled and had rather standard jobs, a seamstress, a laborer, and a merchant. They were also born in places outside of the Land of the Moon.


    Places that I recognized, and places that absolutely didn''t exist. Born in the village Hidden in the Stone. Born in the village Hidden in the Bamboo. Born in the village Hidden in the Waterfall. Stone and Waterfall were both ninja villages from an anime I knew pretty well, while I hadn''t actually heard of Bamboo at all, it was apparently a ''Hidden Village'' none the less. I was in the world of Naruto.


    Primary Quest Unlocked.


    Stop the world from ending.


    Failure ¨C Capture, Enslavement, Death.


    Could that be any vaguer? There were plenty of things that might constitute threats to the world here. Pain wanted to nuke a bunch of countries to threaten the world into peace, which might have counted. Obito and Madara Uchiha wanted to stick everyone inside a permanent illusion of some kind. Black Zetsu wanted to revive Kaguya, and she wanted to absorb all of the chakra or something, either way, the end result was everyone in a genjutsu as well. Hell the rest of those Otsutsuki people or whatever they were called, also wanted to do the same thing, and those were all just the main problems. What did world-ending mean? All of the people dead or otherwise incapacitated? Was it more literal and the world would explode or something?


    I didn''t know.


    There was also weird things like the zero-tail running around that absorbed hatred or something to grow stronger, and the Sky Ninja that wanted to kill everyone along with it. There was that strange prison from that one movie where the immortal demonic flying monster escaped and wanted to kill everyone or that other movie with the weird stone of Gelel and that wasn''t even the end of it either. There was that super-powered tower thing that Kabuto was trying to use to do something to become a god or something or the guy that lived on the f.u.c.k.i.n.g moon who planned on smashing it into the earth at some point, that probably counted as well. What about that movie with the future telling girl, with the immortal army and the shadow demon that wanted to conquer the world. What about Orochimaru? He could probably count as well if he managed to survive long enough.


    Was that where I had heard ''Land of the Demons'' from? Wasn''t there a puppet-guy who time-traveled as well? Was he trying to end the world or take it over? Whose perspective was the world ending from mine? Was there a distinction? Which threat did I need to save the world from? It wasn''t here, was it? On this island? Now that I was remembering all of the random nonsense from the show I was reminded of the movie with the rich dude and his son, the one with the circus, wasn''t that here? How did I forget that?


    I refocused before I got too far off track.


    That movie probably took place on this island, sometime before Shippuden had started because Naruto was still short. Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, and Rock Lee? They had been the main cast, I think. There was also that one dude who could turn people to stone with his hand. Had those events already happened? Or was it going to happen in the future? I''m fairly sure the king died in that movie, turned to stone if I recalled correctly. I had no chance of remembering what his name was, but he was an old dude with long hair, and his son bought a circus before coming back here. The son also had a son, and he shot people with suction cup arrows!


    I don''t think any of this was going to help me, but memory worked strangely, the more random things I could remember the more related information I would probably uncover as a result.


    They showed up on this island sometime after Sasuke had left Konoha because Rock Lee was with Team Seven instead of him, but it had to be before Naruto had gone on his training trip with Jiraiya. Somewhere in the interlude between Naruto and Shippuden? That gave me a timeline of sorts, now I just needed to figure out when exactly I had arrived here in regards to that timeline.


    I refocused again.


    Okay, if the old guy with long hair was still the king that meant it was some unknown amount of time before the events of the movie took place. If the large dude with short brown hair was king, it was during Naruto''s training trip? or sometime afterward. That was goal number one, for now, find out who the current king was. I also needed to figure out what I could actually do to stop any of these threats, and then work out the order in which they came about. Each of the threats I had thought of that could fill the criteria would require a high level of personal power to accomplish which I didn''t currently have. Almost all of the world ending threats were S-rank ninjas or monsters that were even worse. I needed to be able to survive a fight with those guys at a minimum if I wanted to even affect the outcomes.


    That meant that I had a bunch of things I needed to work on and no idea how much time I had to figure them out. I knew that this ability created things in line with my intentions to some degree, like the heal skill, or even the repair skill. I needed skills to become as fast as a ninja, so some kind of speed-related skill, and a way of perceiving fast-moving targets. I needed to be able to survive getting hit by jounin level ninja, people who could punch through stones and crack the earth through physical attacks alone, so some kind of full-body shielding skill of some kind. I needed to be able to deal damage to people who could tank those same attacks with ease, so an offensive ability of some kind that dealt damage in a way that could bypass durability or Peirce through physical defenses. Something that worked at a far range would be ideal.


    There were many one-hit-kill techniques in this world, a simple punch from someone like Sakura would also likely one-shot me. There were conditional things as well like Nagato''s soul ripping touch thing, the God of Death Summoning. Pure overwhelming force like Bijudama, Chidori, Rasengan, and others that all qualified as well. Almost every elemental ninjutsu would kill me as I am right now. I needed a way to avoid them if there was no way out, so some kind of fast-acting teleportation that could get me out of the way regardless of obstacles. That left energy defense, I needed something to block, absorb or otherwise nullify chakra attacks, and defense again illusion.


    I didn''t have anything in mind yet for the first but the second I might have gotten lucky with.


    Genjutsu, if I was remembering correctly had something to do with jamming your chakra into someone with a technique to disturb their chakra, and the result was they could make you see, hear, feel, smell things that weren''t there. I didn''t have chakra at all, which was bullshit, but it might not work on me either. I also had that passive which said I was immune to ''Phycological Effects.'' If mentally influencing me to see things that weren''t there counted as a phycological effect, it might have some form of reduced effectiveness, or if I''m really lucky I might even be immune entirely. I would have to test this out sometime in the future, and I had no idea how I was going to do that safely.


    Physically I was still far below where I needed to be, I still wasn''t anywhere near as strong as the guards, although I was slowly approaching the Laborers, so there was an upside at least. I had unlocked several skills when I first started working out, but I still had to stop all the time, and Meditate was getting a lot of training when I ran out of steam. All the running had become easier over the last few days, it seemed to contribute to Vitality as well as Speed. Although Vitality seemingly leveled at a much slower rate so there was probably some better exercise specifically for it that I hadn''t thought of. It felt amazing being able to watch myself grow stronger from even simple actions and exercises.


    I had stayed next to the city for much longer than usual, worrying in the bushes and the sun was high in the sky when I finally started heading back to my camp. My mind turned over what I needed over and over again, as I refined my list of goals a hundred times but I kept coming back to the same things.


    I needed to continue my physical training as much as possible, that was my primary goal. My secondary goal was to find out where I was in the timeline, and my tertiary goal was to create at least one of the skills I had decided on. A ranged attack, a physical defense, and energy defense, a speed skill, a perception skill, and a teleport skill.


    A week passed by quickly.


    I had moved my observation and stealth training to later in the day, so I had more time to train my physicals, and I''m not going to lie, I kind of hated it all. I had never been the type of person to follow a routine, but ''Capture, Enslavement, Death,'' wasn''t something that I could just choose to ignore, suddenly having superpowers after a life of relative mediocrity was pretty novel as well.


    I would go catch something at first light and drop it into my inventory, then I would start running until I couldn''t anymore, dump all my mana into a Heal before Meditating back to good condition again. Then I would start all over again in a second rotation, only with push-ups, the gains were great, but the boredom was awful. Once I got sick of doing the same thing for hours on end, which was frequently, I would stealthily make my way to the edge of the city and try to gather some information that might lead me to some insight on when I was. The time of day I had previously going seemed to have crippled my progress because I learned some remarkably interesting information very quickly when I started going to the city later on in the day. It was a numbers game really, there was simply way more people out and about later on in the day.


    Like the important-looking guy who was surrounded by a large number of guards as he wandered through the market, I only saw him for a minute, but he was one of the names I actually remembered from the movie, simply because it was so ridiculously out of place I couldn''t have forgotten it if I wanted to.


    Shabadaba.


    It was the guy who hired the three ninjas to assassinate the king in the movie, I''m fairly sure the guy ended up dying near the end, so if he was alive right now, this had to be sometime before the movie occurred and before Shippudden. Eventually, if the events of the movie actually took place in this world an opportunity would arise because Team Seven minus Sasuke plus Rock Lee would be coming here. I could interact with them in some way and a question had been plaguing me ever since I realized it.


    Should I interact with them at all?


    If I was around the time I thought I was, there was a minimum of roughly two years until the events of Shippuden? That was two years of training to turn me into a god-killing machine. It could be much more if I was several years earlier then the events of the movie. What if the world-ending threat happened before Shippuden? Should I be already heading somewhere else to stop whatever it was? If I left or ignored them if they did come here, would I be dooming myself and everybody else? What if I was supposed to ignore them?


    The Stone of Gelel movie should have happened before they came here, I think. So if that were the that what the quest was referring too, I would probably never be able to get there in time if it hadn''t already happened. I couldn''t even remember which country that one had taken place in. Wasn''t Gaara involved somehow? Somewhere near Suna maybe? Forget the Stone of Gelel then. I probably couldn''t do anything about that. What was the next incoming threat? The possessed shadow demon guy with the immortal army from the Land of Demons? No, that happened right at the beginning of Shippuden, which was still several years away.


    The chunin exams would have already happened, so the Third Hokage was probably dead. Tsunade would be the Hokage now, Sasuke would have defected to Orochimaru, whose arms are still busted? Kimmimaro and his team was dead, which was unfortunate because he was one of the most interesting ninjas in the entire show. Jiraiya would soon be taking Naruto away from the village, likely right after the events that happened here. Akatsuki starts to move around now as well, they start going after the Jinchuriki before Shippudden.


    Akatsuki or just Nagato might be the target of the quest, should I try and interfere with Akatsuki? Sabotage or delay them? Could I even do that? Which Jinchuriki did they go after first? I couldn''t remember the exact order but I had a rough idea of it, I think it changed depending on the medium as well? I''m pretty sure there were some changes between the manga and the anime. I was in a movie location, so I had no idea which this place was drawing from. I knew that they weren''t going after the Jinchuriki by the number of tails, I think the first one might have been that steam guy in the red armor? I think he was from Stone? Iwa? Then it was the green-haired girl from the Waterfall Village, right after the Suna-Leaf joint chunin exams. That was a couple of months before Shippuden in the timeline, who had gone after her again? Kakuzu was a from that village, Taki? It was probably Kakuzu and Hidan, when did they recruit Hidan? Didn''t Kakuzu have an unnamed partner before him? The next one was Gaara? That was like the first episode of Shippuden, so two years away at least, Deidara and Sasori went after him at Suna, he was already the Kazekage by then as well.


    I still wasn''t even sure if they were the threat, I would just have to mess with everyone.


    To mess up Akatsuki''s plans, I had to either try and save the steam-guy from Iwa, or the green-haired girl from Taki. Who had gone to bring in the steam guy? Deidara was a rock ninja, wasn''t he? Deidara and Sasori, maybe, if I tried to save the steam-guy, or Kakuzu and Hidan if I tried to save the green-haired girl. Neither of those was a good starting fight. Hidan was probably the weakest member of Akatsuki, but from what I remembered he was super durable, and together with Kakazu they had taken like two different teams to bring them down and they still almost failed to do it without Naruto appearing. Kakuzu himself was one of the physically strongest members, with both close combat and ranged abilities, he was durable as well with that earth technique he used.


    Deidara was sneaky as f.u.c.k from what I remembered hiding inside his own attacks and generally being a motherf.u.c.ker, he was a long-ranged fighter with high mobility and massive damage potential, he had defeated Gaara and almost managed to kill Sasuke as well. Sasori was an entire bag of f.u.c.k no that I didn''t want any part of, all his weapons were coated in a lethal poison that immediately killed you or something, and he could summon like hundreds of puppets at a time all with weapons coated with the stuff. I was struggling with the idea of fighting two people at once, f.u.c.k fighting hundreds of them, and he had that iron sand ninja as well, one of the previous Kazekage.


    F.u.c.k that.


    Kakuzu and Hidan seemed like the safer bet if there was such a thing. The green-haired girl had an episode with Gaara which might have been filler? I''m not sure, at that joint chunin exam in Suna. I remember that she had two jounin teammates for some reason, and they kicked everybody''s asses. What a total cheater. Then some random guy had tried to steal both the tailed beasts but failed, who was that guy? It wasn''t Akatsuki that time, but some random dude with a grudge against somebody? Was he important?


    I couldn''t remember.


    Akatsuki had appeared somewhere near Taki, right as they arrived? Presumedly they killed the two jounin with her and then kidnapped green-haired-girl. I had no idea how they had stumbled upon them there, but I assumed they must have at least checked Taki first and found her missing? I could find out where the next chunin exam was going to be located, and make sure to be near Taki during it, see if I couldn''t gank the pair when they attacked her. Keeping at least one of the Jinchuriki out of their reach would slow down the whole Akatsuki plot, at least a little bit. That had to contribute in some way to saving the world right?


    So how the hell did I kill Kakuzu and Hidan?

 Chapter 358 - My Original Stash #58 - The Stars Have Eyes by Exterminatus

    -W.


    Synopsis: The universe was a vast, empty, dark, and uncaring place. Then life happened, and the universe was changed forever. Only a teeny-tiny bit, but definitely different. Then again, the universe changes a teeny-tiny bit every second of every day. For instance, if someone were to get off the couch and randomly drink a glass of milk? Bam! One less glass of milk in the universe. Changed forever. Well, excluding any time-travel shenanigans, but anyone who puts a big old hole in the time-space continuum just to un-drink a glass of milk should really reevaluate their priorities. Unless, of course, they were attempting to prevent some massive catastrophe vis-a-vis said glass of milk. Such a scenario is by no means impossible, as one should never underestimate the importance of calcium.


    Another important tip for any life forms out there is to keep things in perspective. Some look at the vastness of creation in relation to themselves and go, ''Man, this sucks!'' These people really need to narrow their focus. Sure, they will never affect anything happening on the other end of the galaxy, but so what? That''s way the heck over there, where it doesn''t matter. Therefore, in order to maintain a healthy mindset, it is important to narrow one''s perspective to the things and people that affect them, and that they can affect in turn.


    But what happens if one is an unfathomable cosmic being from beyond the veil of reality? What happens when such an existence is capable of influencing entire swathes of the universe just by its presence? A creature such as Magh''rathlak the Observer? That particular entity is only about average as far as reality-warping creatures from the dawn of time go, so its influence over the fabric of reality is rather limited. And it still struggles to keep things in perspective. That, among other things, is why it decided to narrow its worldview a bit by compressing the maddening vastness of its being into a single corporeal form. Magh''rathlak had never tried such a feat, but that wasn''t about to stop it.


    After all, how hard could being human possibly be?


    Rated: ???


    Words: ???


    Posted on: royalroad.com/fiction/33261/the-stars-have-eyes (Exterminatus)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara. Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara. Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara."


    A low, droning chant filled the darkened chamber. Its source was a gathering of precisely forty-two figures arranged in a very specific pattern around a central altar. Each of them wore robes that were a dark red color reminiscent of a fine wine, with golden embroidery around the sleeves, shoulders, and neck. The long hoods each carried the same insignia - that of three vertical eyes in a triangle formation. It was all quite sinister and foreboding, and one wouldn''t be blamed for thinking this was some kind of cult.


    "Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara. Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara. Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara."


    Of course, such rash judgements were ill-advised. With all the various cultures and races throughout the galaxy, it was common for people to interpret an extraterrestrial custom for some sinister machinations. One of the more egregious examples of such misunderstandings were the gorgori. When explorers from the Federation of Allied Governments first encountered these serpentine humanoids in the Jake-13 system, they witnessed a group of gorgori ripping out and then eating their own hearts. What looked like a ritualistic form of suicide at first was later revealed to have been a wedding ceremony that wasn''t at all as fatal as it first appeared. The entire galaxy had since learned to be more tolerant and understanding towards alien cultures. Indeed, just because a bunch of creepy guys in hoods were chanting while arranged around an altar didn''t necessarily mean they were a cult trying to call forth some ancient cosmic evil.


    "Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara. Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara. Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara."


    That most assuredly was the case in this particular instance, though. The Cult of the Gazing Star was made up of the usual dregs of society that joined such organizations - the hopelessly desperate, the mentally disturbed, the easily manipulated, and the dangerously stupid. This particular gathering of deadbeats all agreed that the best way to leave their mark upon the vast and uncaring universe in which they lived, was to bring about an end to it. In order to fulfill that goal, they were attempting to call forth Magh''rathlak the Observer, an obscure Class-3 cosmic entity. Admittedly very few people understood what ''Class-3'' actually meant, but given how such things usually went from Class-1 to Class-5 it was safe to assume that Magh''rathlak was average. At least, as far as terrible beings from beyond the fabric of reality went.


    "Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara. Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara. Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara."


    As for how, exactly, the Cult of the Gazing Star were planning to draw Magh''rathlak into their realm, it appeared to involve the tried-and-tested method of human sacrifice. The offering in question was a young human male of unremarkable descent. He looked to be in his early twenties, with brown hair, brown eyes, a skinny out-of-shape figure, and a perfectly average p.e.n.i.s. That last one was visible because the guy had been stripped n.a.k.e.d and bound to the stone altar in the middle of the room with some uncomfortable chains. Interestingly enough, he didn''t seem all that bothered by his predicament. He glanced around the room with a vacant look on his face that suggested he belonged to the fourth group of people that usually took part in cults.


    "Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara. Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara. Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara."


    As the ceremony progressed, the ancient runes etched into the stone altar began to glow a dull red. The sacrifice couldn''t see any of that, but he definitely felt the rock he was lying on slowly heat up his back and butt. His vacant expression momentarily changed to signify that the sensation wasn''t all that bad. It was certainly more welcome than it being cold, if nothing else. He wasn''t the only one heating up, either, if the rapidly approaching sound of gunfire was any indication.


    "Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara. Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara. Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara."


    To their credit, the cultists continued their chant without skipping a beat. They felt certain that their defenses would either repel the interlopers or at the very least stall them long enough for the ritual to be completed. It soon became evident that their confidence in their fellow brothers and the facility''s automated security was, as usual, ill-placed. The crack team of military commandos that had caught wind of the cult''s plans fought their way through the sinister lair in less than three minutes. The only reason they hadn''t burst into the ritual chamber and ventilated everyone''s heads was because there was a massive sealed bulkhead in their way.


    "Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara. Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara. Hoom ge''sore, ihm ge''sara."


    It would take more than some metal doors to stop these persistent soldiers, of course.They began cutting their way through the bulkhead within seconds of arriving at it. Unfortunately the basic handheld plasma cutters they had were woefully inadequate for the task. The doors were thick and heavy, so it would take far too long to get through them via conventional means. Thankfully for the commandos, they had an ace in their sleeve. The team''s psi-operative stepped forward and threw the entirety of her considerable telekinetic might at the barricade.


    *THUNK*


    A noticeable fist-shaped bump the size of a watermelon suddenly appeared on the inner side of the bulkhead. It was at that point that the cultists finally realized just how deep in shit they were. The psi-op would need several seconds before she could unleash another blast, and the doors looked like they could only take three or maybe four more hits before they gave way. In other words, the cultists had only about half a minute to finish their ritual. The one in charge of the proceedings shrugged and rolled his eyes as if to say it couldn''t be helped, then just went ahead with the final step of the ceremony.


    *THUNK*


    The leader nodded to one of the others, prompting the underling to flip a switch next to him. The strange machinery at the base of the monolithic altar sputtered to life. Four mechanical arms rose from each corner of the bed-like shrine. Each robotic appendage was tipped with a brick-like laser emitter with a tiny outlet on their smallest side. These were pointed upward and then engaged so that the four beams of purple energy converged in a single spot somewhere above the hapless captive''s midsection. The streams merged into a slowly growing ball of light that let out tiny arcs and sparks as it gathered power.


    *THUNK*


    The head cultist walked up to the bound sacrifice and pulled something peculiar from his robe. It was an obsidian dagger with a curiously curved blade that resembled a crescent, the length of which had been inscribed with a series of squiggly runic symbols. The head cultist gripped the occult implement firmly in one hand and pressed it to his lips as he muttered some forbidden un-words to it. The loopy sigils lit up with a familiar red glow while the chained victim looked on with a sort of bewildered concern that implied he wasn''t fully aware of where this situation was headed.


    "Oh, wise and all-seeing Magh''rathlak! We, your devoted servants, implore you to hear our humble plea!"


    *THUNK*


    The chief of ceremonies spoke in a clear, crisp voice that did not waver even as a fourth fist-shaped dent appeared in the bulkhead. It was clear he had thoroughly rehearsed for the big moment.


    "Join us now, in our moment of revelation," he carried on. "Accept this meagre offering of blood and life! Share with us your terrible glory, so that we may in turn spread it across the cosmos!"


    The man reversed the grip on his dagger and unhesitantly plunged it down, straight at the heart of the bound sacrifice.


    *THUNKRRANK*


    Thankfully for the witless offering, the bulkhead gave way under the telekinetic assault in a rather spectacular way. The mass of mangled metal was ripped out of its sockets and flung across the chamber. It pulverized the leader''s head into chunky soup before he could deliver the final blow while also interrupting the converging laser beams, causing the ball of energy to fizzle out. It then flattened several low-ranking cultists before it came to a stop by crashing against the far wall. The commandos burst through the newly created opening in the next instant and unloaded into the chamber, mowing down the unarmed and unarmored cultists with extreme prejudice. It was a testament to the soldiers'' marksmanship that they managed to take down all forty-ish suspects within the initial three-second volley of automatic fire.


    The ten-man military unit ceased fire and fell silent as they scanned the room for any more threats.


    "Clear!"


    "Clear."


    "Clear."


    A few of them called out that they spotted no additional targets. It was only then that the team finally allowed themselves to release the tension within their bodies. Fist-bumps, high-fives, down-lows, and too-slows were exchanged as they briefly congratulated each other on a job well done. The only one who wasn''t taking part in the festivities was Agent Johanson, the team''s psi-operative. She would have liked to participate, but was too busy vomiting in a corner. It wasn''t the sight of blood that had made her queasy, nor was it that suspicious mega-burrito she''d had for lunch.


    "You alright, AJ?" one of her comrades came to check on her.


    "Yeah. I''ll be fine," she reassured him. "Just a bad overload, you know how it is."


    Breaking through that bulkhead had put an enormous amount of strain on her nervous system that her body wasn''t quite sure how to deal with. The so-called psionic overload could manifest in a number of unpleasant ways, and evacuating the contents of one''s stomach was a common one. Agent Johanson was just quietly glad that her meal hadn''t left through the other end of her digestive tract.


    "I dunno, AJ, I''ve never seen you this bad," her concerned colleague pressed. "You''re looking awfully pale, and you keep shivering."


    "No, really, it''ll pass," she insisted. "It was a heavy door, is all."


    She usually needed anywhere between a few minutes and a few hours to fully recover from an overload, depending on how severe it was. Some symptoms passed much quicker than others, at least. Agent Johanson''s splitting headache, for instance, would usually subside after several breaths. However, as the seconds dragged on, it did not get better. Just the opposite, actually. It was gradually growing in severity to the point where the woman couldn''t help but clutch at her forehead while wincing in pain.


    It was only then that she realized that the source of her brain-ache wasn''t an internal one. She frantically turned towards the middle of the chamber. The door-turned projectile had eliminated the head cultist, but it had done so in the worst possible way. The impact had both coated the man''s dagger in his blood and had flung it from his grip. The obsidian weapon had then fallen atop the stone altar, right between the legs of the miraculously alive hostage.


    Now, Agent Johanson had some knowledge of the occult. It was impossible not to pick up a thing or two in her line of work. Though by no means an expert, her experience told her that whatever cosmic entity this cult was trying to contact had interpreted the aforementioned sequence of events as a suitable sacrifice. This unfortunate conclusion was born from a series of hints. The first of those was her rapidly worsening headache. The second was the way the runes along the blade and the altar continued to glow through the blood on them. The third and most damning piece of evidence was the tiny golf ball sized object of pure darkness that hovered idly in the air, right where that ball of energy had been.


    "Get away!"


    The psi-op shouted a warning to her comrades, but it was too late. The tiny void-ball exploded into a cloud of writhing shadow while simultaneously unleashing a mind-rending screech. The soldiers scattered away from the source of the disturbance while reeling from the indescribable sound. They raised their weapons at it and watched with mounting terror as a thoroughly alien being beyond their understanding wormed its way through the veil of their universe. They stared into that sentient void, and sure enough, it stared back. Eyes of all shapes and sizes emerged from the eldritch entity''s formless mass as it scanned every molecule in its immediate surroundings.


    "M-Major?" one of the men called out. "Do we start blasting or what?"


    "Hold. Your. Fire," the officer slowly commanded. "Whatever you do, do NOT engage!"


    It was the right call. The invasive mental pressure the Major felt from that creature''s multi-faceted gaze told him that he was facing a Class-3 cosmic entity. Mere bullets were completely ineffective against it. One needed either powerful psionics or heavy ordnance in order to drive such beings back to whatever nightmare they crawled out of. However, Agent Johanson was barely resisting the urge to pass out and the team had exhausted most of their explosives on the way in. In short, the commandos would be hopelessly outmatched should they engage the entity in a contest of force. They should have been already retreating by all accounts, but operational protocol demanded they learn the name of this threat and, if possible, discern its motives. This information was vital in order to formulate a viable plan of action so that the eggheads back at base could formulate a viable containment strategy.


    "S?????u????b????????m????i?????t???,??? ??????m????o?????rt????a??????l?s??????."


    An eerie whisper was not heard, but felt as words seemed to emerge from the deepest recesses of the soldiers'' minds.


    "M????????a???????g?????h?????''?????r???a??????t????h??????l?a?k?? ?????d?????e????m???????a?????n?????d???s ?????y??o????????u???r??? o??????b??????e???d?i??????e??????n??t???? ?????s???????e???????r??v???i????????c??????e??."


    "Major?!" the same soldier cried out.


    "Okay, start blasting!"


    Having obtained the bare minimum his contract required, the officer prompted his team to unload on the mass of darkness and eyes with all they had. Small arms fire wasn''t enough to force it back through the portal, but it would serve to stall it long enough for the commandos to retreat. Or at least that had been the idea until the soldiers found their bullets instantly reflected right back at them with pinpoint accuracy matching their own. Their helmets and body armor absorbed most of it, allowing them to escape the ritual chamber with only minor injuries and no casualties. Once through the breached doors, they used their last few bombs to collapse the hallway in an effort to buy themselves more time in case the thing gave chase.


    Thankfully for them, Magh''rathlak had no desire to follow after them. The entity had already seen all that they were and it wasn''t all that impressed. That female with the ''gifts'' was a bit interesting, but there was someone far more curious in that very chamber. Magh''rathlak''s countless eyes fell upon the specimen still bound upon its altar. There was nothing remarkable about his physical form, and his mental faculties appeared to be¡­ unimpressive. And yet, this one lowly mortal had somehow withstood all of the events that had transpired around him without so much as a twinge of fear.


    "Y????o????u???.??? ????????T??????he?????? ????o??????n?e???? ?c????a????l????????l??e?????d? ???????J??o????e??????? ??????M?????ul??l??i????g???a??n????.??????"


    "Oh, hello."


    Joe responded in a slightly surprised but otherwise calm manner as he stared up at the writhing mass of darkness above him. He even gave it a little wave, though the shackles on his wrists made that a bit difficult.


    "Are you the matchmaker?" he asked hopefully.


    "¡­ T???h????????e????? ???w?ha????t??????"


    "Y''know. The matchmaker. The one who can make all my dreams of finding a girlfriend come true?"


    Magh''rathlak was momentarily struck speechless, something that hadn''t happened in eons. What had given him pause was that this mortal''s words carried not even the slightest hint of mockery or deception.


    "W?h??e???r????e?????? ??????e??x???a??????c?????t??l?y?? ???????d???o??? ???y??o??????u?? t?????h?????i???????n?k??????? ???y??o??u ?a?????r???????e???????,?? ????????J????o?e?? ??M??????ul?????l???i??????g??a????n??????????"


    "Ack," the man winced. "Listen, before we go any further, could you tone down the special effects? It was all quite impressive at first, but now it''s just a tiny bit grating, you see."


    The Observer considered this paltry request. It very much wanted to know how this strange individual had remained so blissfully oblivious to the terrible events that had transpired around him. One option was to gaze into and dissect his thoughts directly, but mortal minds were fragile and prone to shattering before anything useful could be gleaned from them. It was possible to use more gentle and subtle methods of mental manipulation, but conversation required far less time and effort. Therefore, Magh''rathlak decided to accommodate the lesser creature. One of the larger eyes upon its formless being split open like a mouth, complete with a set of needle-like teeth.


    "Very well, Joe Mulligan," its deep voice echoed through the chamber. "I have agreed to your terms."


    "Oh, that''s so much better. Decent acoustics in here, too. No wonder that performance sounded so good."


    "What performance are you referring to, Joe Mulligan?"


    "You know, the special event the guys put on just now? Wasn''t it meant to help hopeless bachelors find true love or something?"


    "You are mistaken, Joe Mulligan. This is the site of a ritual performed by a cult that wished to summon me to this reality. I have heard their call - sloppy and mishandled though it may have been - and have answered it. Those soldiers you no doubt saw attempted and failed to bar my arrival through force, which brings us to our current circ.u.mstances."


    "Oh. That would explain a lot. Y''know, I didn''t wanna be judgemental of the guys, what with all the robes and the chanting and whatnot, but I guess sometimes things really are as they seem, huh?


    "You only now realize the truth of your surroundings?"


    "Yeah. Rather obvious in retrospect, now that I think about it. I did kind of enjoy being the center of attention, I suppose. Less so the being n.a.k.e.d part, but what can you do, eh?"


    "How did you accomplish this feat of ignorance?" the godlike entity pressed.


    "Well, I dare say it''s because I am not a clever man. I only skimmed through the brochure they gave me and just kinda rolled with whatever they said."


    "You trusted them with your life so readily?"


    "It was a bit silly of me when you put it like that. Their boss was a pretty reliable and trustworthy guy, though. Seemed like one, at least. He said he had this surefire method of getting me a girlfriend, and I was like, sure, let''s go for it, you know?"


    "You mean the human whose brain matter is currently in your hair?"


    "Uh, ew. That''s real? Actually yeah, it would be if this cult business is for real. Big yikes from me, know what I mean? Bugger me if they didn''t put on a good show, though. They harmonized quite well even though there wasn''t any music playing."


    "On that we can agree. Their inane attempts to draw me out have been most entertaining."


    Gross incompetence was often just as enlightening as flawless execution, at least in Magh''rathlak''s opinion.


    "So¡­" Joe hesitated. "I take it I won''t be getting a girlfriend?"


    "Hmm. Perhaps something can be arranged, Joe Mulligan. Though you may have been deceived in part by your captor, my ability to bestow favors was no fabrication."


    "Really? So, like, you can grant wishes and stuff?"


    "Indeed. The fabric of your reality is mine to fold as I see fit. It would be a trifling matter to fulfill whatever pitiful desires you might have. This includes your apparent need for companionship."


    "Awesome! Uhm, is that okay, though? I wouldn''t want to impose. You seem like a busy and/or important individual, and I do not want to be overstepping my boundaries here."


    "Rest assured, Joe Mulligan, this is not a whim, but an obligation."


    The ritual through which Magh''rathlak was brought into this reality hadn''t been completed quite yet. The eldritch entity still had to fulfill one task as requested by his summoner in order to bring its entire being into existence. Until such time, it was incapable of moving from that one spot above the sacrificial altar. However, the only thing left in the vicinity that still bore the burden of consciousness was the strange human that the entity had been conversing with. As such, the responsibilities of the summoner fell to him by default.


    "Listen, that''s great and all, but could you drop the last name and just call me Joe?"


    The unfathomable existence did not fail to seize upon this opportunity.


    "Granted, Joe!"


    With those two words, the already distorted space around Magh''rathlak outright shattered. Rolling shadows like light-devouring smoke surged from the gaping wound in reality and enveloped the entire chamber. Within moments, the witless moron responsible for freeing this horror upon the universe found himself surrounded by a tapestry of eyes swimming in a sea of darkness.


    "Ah, bugger. That counted as my wish, didn''t it?"


    "It most assuredly did, Joe."


    Admittedly the Observer had already agreed to communicate verbally with him, but that had been more of a suggestion than a request.


    "Oh well, me and my big mouth again," the man rolled his eyes. "Well, easy come, easy go, as they say. Anyway, if we''re just about done here, could you take these things off so I can go home? My soaps are almost on."


    "You continue to take such a casual tone with me. Do you not realize the immense peril you find yourself in, mortal?"


    "Oh, no, I get it. I mean, I might not be all that bright, but even I''m not that much of a moron. I just figure you either let me go or something horrible happens to me, and I''m kinda fine with either."


    "Yet again your words lack both the taste of deception and the sound of logic. Why do you not resent me, Magh''rathlak the Observer, who has you at my mercy?"


    It wasn''t as if the extra-dimensional being had anything particularly nasty in store for the hapless fleshling. It was just used to these mortals fleeing in terror like that squad of soldiers had, so this individual''s anomalous behavior was a total mystery. And if there was one thing that Magh''rathlak adored more than anything else, it was mysteries.


    "Well, it''s just that, it''s not because of you that I wound up in this mess, right," Joe shrugged. "It''s my own bloody fault, and let me tell you, I''m giving myself the mental equivalent of a sternly worded letter as we speak. Also, whatever happens next is completely out of my hands, so I don''t see the point in stressing over it."


    "Curious. Most curious indeed, Joe. You intrigue me, for I have never met another such as you. Perhaps we may come to an arrangement that can benefit us both."


    "Ah, see, now you''re getting me worried," he smiled nervously. "I''m not very good at making decisions, in case you couldn''t tell."


    "Do not fret, Joe, for I am confident the terms I am about to propose will be to your liking."


    "Alright, then. I''m all ears."


    "¡­ In what way are you composed entirely out of auditory receptor organs?"


    "N-no, it''s just an expression - a figure of speech. It means that I''m ready to listen very closely to what you have to say."


    "I comprehend."


    The countless eyes flashed with a pale blue light for a split second as Magh''rathlak committed this seemingly trivial knowledge to its expansive memory, then returned to the topic at hand.


    "I will swear to bind myself to you, so that I may guard and nurture your fragile being to the full extent of my vast ability. In return, you will serve as my guide and anchor in this reality, so that I may study it and everything it has to offer in great detail."


    "Uh¡­ So, like, you wanna be mates?"


    "Indeed, that is also possible, should you desire it."


    "Riiiight. That''s a weird way of saying it but yeah, that works for me. And all I need to do in return is show you around and teach you stuff?"


    "In essence, yes."


    "Do you really need me to do that? You seem a lot smarter than I am."


    "This is true in all ways but one. As a native to your reality, your knowledge of it surpasses my own."


    "Can''t argue with that, I suppose. Just to be clear, you won''t, like, try to blip my universe out of existence or anything?"


    He did live there, after all, and he preferred his home to remain un-blipped.


    "That is precisely what this covenant aims to avoid, Joe. I have a deep interest in this dimension''s inner workings, but my past attempts to study it have been... misguided. Both your minds and your matter are far too fragile to withstand my usual methods of deep inquiry. If I wish to learn the secrets of this dimension without destroying it, I will require your input to ensure I am using appropriately delicate means."


    "Well, now! That sounds positively peachy if I do say so myself. Thing is, and don''t take this the wrong way, but you''re a bit too, err, you. Now, I know you''re far more reasonable and agreeable than you look, but that''s just me. People on the street - who are not me - might freak out if they see all of, you know, this," he gestured around himself as much as his restraints allowed.


    "Your words hold wisdom that belies their simplicity, Joe. These concerns are valid, but of little consequence. Creating a vessel of flesh capable of carrying my vast being will be a trifling matter once you have agreed to serve as my anchor."


    "Uh¡­ I''m afraid I don''t follow. Could you rephrase that?"


    The cosmic entity paused as it formulated a more palatable way of expressing its intent.


    "I can make myself look human."


    Admittedly Magh''rathlak had never done that before, but it was certainly within its abilities. The only concern was that whatever shape it inhabited had to be pleasing and unalarming, and it wasn''t quite sure what that entailed. After all, its sense of aesthetics was so unfathomably alien from the humans'' that it was like comparing Tuesday to the color orange. Thankfully plucking something suitable from Joe''s subconscious thoughts was a simple matter that carried very little risk of driving him irreversibly insane. It involved the same subtle techniques Magh''rathlak was using for its psychic lie detector, and the man seemed to be functioning well enough after being exposed to it.


    "That''s certainly convenient," he nodded. "If you can do that, then I see no reason to decline."


    There were, in fact, about twenty seven reasons to decline the Observer''s offer. Even Joe would have picked up on at least five of those if he thought this through more, but he was in a hurry. As stated earlier, his soaps were almost on, and he couldn''t miss those. Especially the one called ''Love At First Flight.'' This upcoming episode would reveal whether the lead heroine would agree to marry that evil spice baron in order to get her true love out of prison, and Joe sorely did not want to miss it.


    "Then you agree to the terms I have proposed?" Magh''rathlak requested confirmation.


    "Indeed, I do."


    "The pact is thus sealed."


    The very air trembled at those words.


    "Wait, that''s it?" Joe spoke up. "Don''t I need to sign a contract in my blood or something?"


    "Such methods are unnecessary. Your stated consent is sufficiently binding."


    "Oh. That''s a bit disappointing."


    "¡­ Would you like me to prepare a contract for you to sign with your blood?" Magh''rathlak offered.


    "If it''s not too much of a bother."


    A suitably sinister piece of parchment materialized out of thin air and floated in front of Joe''s face. The rather short yet grand terms that the Observer had proposed were all written out in strange red ink that shone ominously.


    "Hah. Now we''re talking," he grinned widely. "Mind drifting it over to my right hand there? Can''t exactly reach with these manacles in the way. Where''d they even get manacles, anyway? Probably the Dungeon Emporium catalogue, now that I think about it."


    A few trivial requests and some mild verbal detours later, Joe had successfully signed his name at the dotted line in his own lifeblood.


    "Fantastic," he kept smiling. "Now I have a souvenir to bring home and show the lads. Thanks a lot."


    "Your gratitude is not required. I shall now commence the ritual of binding."


    The curtain of darkness and eyes began to retract, revealing the bare metal wards of the ritual chamber once more. The eldritch entity''s formless being converged into a single point on the ceiling, like a massive blob of crude oil. It allowed itself to succ.u.mb to gravity and fell onto the still-bound man, splashing over him and enveloping him in complete blackness. When his vision returned moments later, he felt something heavy and warm against his midsection. Glancing towards it, he saw something he didn''t quite expect.


    Sitting on his stomach was a human girl that looked almost exactly like the character he had been thinking of moments ago. Her face was stunningly gorgeous, as was her curvy and well-proportioned figure. However, there were certain things that betrayed the true nature of that which dwelled beneath the supple and soft flesh. Her long and straight raven-black hair seemed to sway and coil as if it were alive. Her irises were swirling pools of darkness that seemed like gateways into the unspeakable void from whence she had come. Her skin was extremely pale and felt a bit odd to the touch. Not bad or unpleasant, just¡­ strange.


    Joe had plenty of opportunity to assess that particular sensation, given how she was just as n.a.k.e.d as he was. Feeling her bare bottom press against his stomach and seeing her impressive bosom and exposed pale pink n.i.p.p.l.es made a certain part of him react involuntarily. Thankfully the thing that looked like a girl did not notice the muscle pressing against her backside. Either that or she did not mind it. Or maybe she was livid about it? It was difficult to tell because the expression on her face was quite difficult to read. It featured a lightyear-long unblinking stare and the tiniest smile in the universe, neither of which moved as she spoke.


    "Curious, this thing called flesh. I believe I can grow accustomed to it."


    Her voice was shockingly soft and entirely befitting her feminine appearance, but Joe was still coming to terms with the situation.


    "Uhm, th-that''s nice, but, uh, is there a reason why you look like Melinda Sparklestar?"


    "I chose this form based on your preferences in a mate."


    "¡­ Ah."


    It would appear that Joe''s new companion had somewhat misunderstood his statement about them being ''mates,'' but the man was hesitant to speak up about it. He felt as if that could be interpreted as him going back on his word and somehow violating the pact that had just been made. He wasn''t about to push his luck any further with that kind of risk. Even he wasn''t that stupid. Besides, he wasn''t going to complain about having a total doll follow him around.


    "Is this shape displeasing to you, Joe?"


    "No! No, it''s fine. Better than fine. Quite lovely, in fact. Has all the right, uh, limbs and¡­ shapes," the man desperately avoided the word ''b.r.e.a.s.ts.''


    "This pleases me."


    The now-female cosmic entity felt pretty good that her first foray into flesh-sculpting appeared to have been a success.


    "I look forward to our partnership," her unmoving smile widened a tiny bit.


    "Uhm, likewise, Miss Maghra- Magahar- Sorry, what was your name again?"


    "Magh''rathlak the Observer."


    "Yeah, that''s a bit of a mouthful. Do you mind if I just call you Maggie instead?"


    "I will allow you, and only you, to do so."


    It would appear that Joe might have gotten the girl of his dreams after all, though perhaps not exactly in the way he had imagined.

 Chapter 359 - My SI Stash #59 - Perspective is Ki by Elbowsnapper (YoungJustice)

    -This author is on a roll with these SI fics, their pretty refreshing to read~


    Synopsis: Aiden Neve, a CEO of a construction company wakes up inside an Attack Ball that is headed on a course straight back to earth, and it only gets stranger from there.


    Rated: ???


    Words: 10K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/perspective-is-ki-saiyan-young-justice-oc.869338/ (Elbowsnapper)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    On route to Earth, Unknown Time.


    December 27th?, 2009.


    Aiden listened to the quiet hum that surrounded him for several minutes before he was finally able to force his eyes open. Almost immediately a mild feeling of claustrophobia raced through him as he struggled to lift his head. He was inside a small round room, white padding of some sort covered the walls, and a circular window, tinted maroon sat just outside of his sight.


    Aiden had no idea where he was, but his entire body felt unresponsive, even his fingers refused to do much more than twitch minutely against the armrest of whatever chair he was attached to. There was a panel covered in buttons underneath the window, and strange symbols scrolled across the small glass panel there, yellow blocky lettering in some unknown alphabet. A prompt of some kind, bright red and alarming was flashing over the top of the strange letters, looking like some kind of error message that was vying for attention.


    The panic of being seemingly paralyzed slowly washed away over the course of the next fifteen minutes as he slowly regained the ability to move his body, starting from his fingertips and moving up his arms, and finally with a great deal of effort he was able to lift his head to look out of the window.


    Stars.


    Aiden felt another streak of unease cut through him, his stomach contracted sickeningly with the realization that there was nothing below whatever room he was inside of, he was in space. A bright light was covering the right side of the window, and when he managed to lean forward enough to get an angle on what it was he found the sun. A moment of intent searching later he located a growing shape in the direction the craft seemed to be moving, an awfully familiar shape that any human being would recognize from a picture with just a glance.


    Aiden was approaching the Earth, from space, inside a flying spacecraft of some kind and he had absolutely no idea how he had gotten here.


    On route to Earth, One Hour Later.


    December 27th, 2009.


    Almost an hour later he was really starting to get worried, as the Earth continued to grow larger in the window and he was well aware that he had no idea how to engage any kind of landing mechanism inside the craft, which obviously would result in him crashing and dying on arrival.


    Aiden couldn''t read the writing on the monitor panel at all, although the shape of the foreign alphabet it did have a vague sense of familiarity to it, so he was left with two options as far as he could tell.


    Option one was to let this thing complete whatever course it intended without interfering, and possibly dying, or option two, press buttons at random and hope he didn''t somehow eject himself into space and die. Neither seemed like an intelligent decision, but they were all he had. His body had finally reached a point where he could almost feel everything once more, the return of sensation across his body seemed strangely connected with the approach to earth. Something twitched against his back and he froze, there was something in this craft with him, moving slightly in-between him and the chair.


    The Earth had grown to completely encompass the window now, and what looked like heat or fire was starting to color the window an even brighter shade of yellow-red but he couldn''t drag his mind away from the thing behind him to appreciate the view or even be scared of his impending crash landing.


    The craft he was in began to vibrate as a landmass appeared distantly below with a large body of water visible in the middle.


    Aiden had seen enough horror movies to realize he was about to die a horrific death via an alien parasite, so he slowly readied himself to attack, and when he gathered the willpower to force himself into action he sat forward before jamming his hand down behind him in an instant.


    Pain lanced up his spine as he grabbed whatever it was, and a sensation of touching himself flared up along with it and his mind raced in confusion as he painfully dragged the wriggling thing around in front of him to stare at it without comprehension.


    A long brown hair covered thing wriggled painfully in his grip as the spacecraft crashed into the water at breakneck speeds, but somehow he found himself unmoved inside the craft. Some kind of inertia dampening effect stopping him from experiencing the feeling of being thrown around in the small area violently. Water rushed past the window violently as the craft reached the bottom and abruptly stopped as it cratered the area, sending sediment and dirt up into the water and reducing the visibility to nothing.


    Aiden dragged his gaze away from the window to look down at the thing in his hand.


    "Why do I have a tail?" Alden said quietly, heart thudding desperately inside his chest.


    Aiden slowly let his apparent tail go, noting idly that it looked very much like the kind of tail a Saiyan might have, and the savage pain vanished almost immediately after he stopped trying to crush it to death, he found himself able to move it as naturally as breathing as the final effects of the paralysis faded away.


    The yellow lettering on the monitor panel settled, but the red flashing prompt continued to blink over the top of it demandingly. His mind was running the word Saiyan over in his mind as he took in his surroundings once more, the writing that had looked familiar reminded him of the blocky lettering on the Scouters from the anime, and the round spacecraft was obviously an Attack Ball in hindsight.


    What on earth was happening here? How did he get the tail? How did the Attack Ball even exist, and how was it able to actually fly through space and re-enter an atmosphere? Alden realized he had no idea how he was going to get out of here, and the unease returned almost as if it hadn''t left at all.


    He had landed inside a body of water somewhere in the middle of a landmass, he had been too distracted by the tail and the fire to register which country it had been. How deep underwater was he, should wait inside for someone to investigate the crash? Had anyone even noticed it in the first place? The choice was taken entirely out of his hands as the pod door suddenly opened and water rushed in.


    Aiden managed half a breath before he was underwater, and in complete darkness, he noted in the sudden adrenaline spike that he could see pretty well considering the lack of light as he pulled himself out of the Attack Ball.


    He planted his foot on the top of the ball and pushed upwards as hard as he could, dragging his arms down at the same time as he desperately swam upwards, following the stream of bubbles from the pod to the surface, he realized he wasn''t running out of breath as quickly as he expected as he swam.


    Aiden could see the surface of the water now, as the light penetrated enough of it for him to see properly now, the water seemed so clear to his sight now, it was strangely calming, and the lack of most sounds contributed to the effect.


    Aiden knew he hadn''t been able to see this well prior to this whole event, so something had happened to his eyes as well and it was another factor he was storing as evidence for a theory that was becoming more likely by the second. An Attack Ball, A Saiyan''s tail, massively increased lung capacity, vastly improved eyesight, and he was swimming at a much faster speed then he thought was possible.


    Had he somehow become a Saiyan?


    Aiden broken the surface and took in a long deep breath, he hadn''t even approached the point of struggling for air. He immediately confirmed that his vision had indeed improved greatly, as he took in the details of tens of boats moving towards his position, lights flashing on the tops of only some of them. His hearing had also received a similar upgrade as he could hear the loud conversations clearly, that was taking place on the boats still a hundred meters away from him.


    "Remain where you are, do not approach, we will come to you!" A loud voice rang out clearly over some kind of loudspeaker system on one of the boats. "Any hostile movements will be met with force, please lift a single hand if you can understand this message!"


    Aiden had no intention of making any hostile movements against anyone, so he raised one of his hands, as he paddled with the other to keep himself afloat. One of the smaller boats approached very slowly, and a man in a police vest stood at the front sternly.


    "I am Lieutenant Williams," The officer said calmly. "Identify yourself."


    Aiden immediately noted the man''s accent.


    "Aiden Neve," Aiden said easily.


    "Your spaceship was spotted landing in the lake," Lieutenant Williams continued, "What are your intentions here?"


    "You have an American accent," Aiden said helplessly, "I''m from Australia, I woke up in that spaceship, and now I somehow have a tail, I''m fairly sure somebody experimented on me?"


    Lieutenant Williams paused for a long moment before placing his phone back to his ear and listening, and Aiden continued to paddle in the water beside the boat unthreateningly.


    "If we can confirm that as true and you co-operate with us, we will do our best to sort this situation out," Lieutenant Williams said calmly, "Do you understand and agree, Aiden?"


    "Yeah," Aiden said easily.


    Lieutenant Williams listened to his phone for a moment before putting it away, before hooking a lightweight ladder over the edge of the boat.


    "Come on up," Lieutenant Williams said evenly. "Avoid making any sudden movements and keep your hands visible at all times to avoid any incidents."


    Aiden paddled over to the ladder and pulled himself up slowly, realizing very quickly that he was much stronger than before when he lifted his body weight like it wasn''t even there. He ascended the ladder at a slow deliberate pace to avoid setting any of them off and climbed over to stand in the boat.


    Aiden glanced around at all of the officers calmly for a moment before nodding.


    "I''m totally n.a.k.e.d," Aiden said evenly, "In case you didn''t notice."


    "We noticed," A female officer said wryly as she held out a simple brown blanket.


    "Thanks." Aiden sighed, belatedly covering himself.


    "I''ll need you to sit down here and remain there until instructed otherwise." Lieutenant Williams said calmly, gesturing to the bench against the cabin wall.


    "No problem," Aiden said easily.


    Aiden moved slowly over to the bench and sat down, with his hands visible outside of the blanket.


    "You said you were from Australia," Lieutenant Williams asked evenly, "Where exactly?"


    "Melbourne." Aiden said calmly, "I''m the CEO of SUDA Inc."


    "SUDA?" Lieutenant Williams asked simply.


    "Sleek Urban, Design, and Aesthetics," Aiden said easily.


    Lieutenant Williams studied him for a long moment before slowly noting it down on his pad and asked another question. Aiden almost frowned at the strange reaction, the officer clearly didn''t believe he was who he said he was for some reason.


    "You said you were experimented on? Can you elaborate?" The officer asked seriously.


    Aiden nodded calmly as he thought about how he wanted to spin the story.


    "I''m assuming I was experimented on because last night when I went to sleep I certainly didn''t have a tail," Aiden said evenly, "I didn''t go to sleep in a spaceship either, I went to bed in my apartment on Elizabeth street."


    Lieutenant Williams noted it down quickly before frowning down at him.


    "How old are you?" The officer asked steadily.


    "Twenty-six," Aiden said easily.


    "You don''t look twenty-six," Lieutenant Williams said immediately.


    Aiden blinked in surprise at the response, opening his mouth and then closing it again. What did you say to someone who told you that?


    "How old do I look?" Aiden said frowning, glancing around for some kind of reflective surface but making no move to stand up.


    "Seventeen at most." The officer said without hesitation.


    "I''ll take it as a compliment than," Aiden said strangely.


    "It''s not one." Lieutenant said dryly, "So you went to bed last night in your apartment in Australia, and woke up in a spaceship looking like this?"


    Aiden stared at the man helplessly for a second before he managed to pull himself together again.


    "That''s exactly what happened." Aiden confirmed, "Where are we anyway?"


    "Lake Michigan, just offshore from Chicago." Lieutenant Williams said after a moment''s pause. "You know where that is on a map?"


    "America." Aiden said wryly, "The accent gave it away though."


    "I don''t want to hear about accents from you." Lieutenant Williams snorted. "So you have no intention of doing anything strange like attacking a city or eating people?"


    Aiden looked at the man in disbelief.


    "Of course not," Aiden said alarmed, "Why on earth would you think that?"


    Lieutenant Williams gave him a strange look at that.


    "You''re a bit na?ve for a supposed CEO, aren''t you?" The officer said candidly, "That kind of thing literally happens all the time."


    Aiden was fairly sure the guy was just messing with him now, so he just shook his head at the nonsensical remark, he had just crash-landed back on earth after apparently being abducted, so he could deal with some strange remarks. They had almost made landfall by now, and the city looked even more impressive then he would have expected even for such a famous city, actually, a lot of the buildings looked a great deal more modernized then he would have expected and he had something of an eye for such things given his line of work.


    More police cars greeted them as they led him down the pier they had tied off on, Aiden couldn''t help but notice all of the flashes of cameras and questions being called out. So he waved happily to the press before they had him slip into the back of one of the cruisers.


    "So what happens now?" Aiden asked curiously.


    "We take you down to the station." Lieutenant Williams said from the passenger seat, "Once we confirm that you are who you say you are and figure out everything else we can about the situation you''ll likely be sent on home to Australia."


    Aiden nodded easily, he would be home in time for supper.


    Chicago, 1:17 PM.


    December 27th, 2009.


    Aiden sighed for the hundredth time as he sat in the simple grey room waiting for the Lieutenant to come back again, it had been hours and nobody had come to inform him of anything yet, it seemed like such a waste of time to just be sitting around like this, accomplishing nothing at all.


    He could be working, or out drinking, or meeting women in nightclubs for sordid affairs. Sitting in an empty room was the complete opposite of a good time, and messing around with his strange new tail could only remain actively entertaining for so long.


    There weren''t even one of those mirrors like in the movies.


    Aiden didn''t know whether or not he really was a Saiyan, or this was somehow an elaborate trick, but the tail was definitely real, and he was already planning on paying a plastic surgeon or someone to remove it, just in case it was entirely realistic and he turned into a giant ape when he looked at the moon or something.


    Besides having a tail in a world where nobody else did was humiliating and would make him a target for jokes made at the costly expense of his painstakingly crafted reputation of competence and professionalism. Aiden had worked hard to get where he was so young, and he wasn''t going to let some silly tail jeopardize his hard-won success.


    Regardless of how awesome dragon ball z or the idea of becoming a Saiyan was.


    Aiden was trying to figure out where he would sit in a world where he was the physically strongest being, no average human, not even the strongest weightlifter, or the fastest sprinter could hope to approach even a Saiyan as Goku had been as a child.


    Aiden could remember bullets being deflected off his skin on multiple occasions, and that had been back in dragon ball, as well as being strong enough to lift cars, fight massive dinosaurs, and vanish from the human sight with his speed.


    All of that should at least be within his grasp, even if he was as weak as Goku had started as. What had his power level been back then before they had stopped using the system entirely? Ten? Surely he could match that at least, he was willing to work as hard as he needed if the result were making himself ludicrously stronger. Aiden could become an MMA fighter or a boxer, and dominate the competition with ease, earn himself some of that cash cow, with probably zero risks on his part.


    Busting his ass as the CEO of a boring-ass construction company could be a distant footnote in his biography a few years, he wouldn''t be quitting his job until he was sure reality actually worked out that way, but still the dream of fame, luxury and pleasure were there to be grasped.


    Aiden couldn''t help the smile that worked its way onto his face.


    Chapter 2


    Chicago, 3:32 PM.


    December 27th?, 2009.


    Aiden couldn''t help the frown that made its way onto his face.


    "E-L-I-Z-A-B-E-T-H street, it''s right in the middle of the city," Aiden said, annoyed, "I don''t understand how you can''t find it."


    "Tell me again all of the connecting streets." Lieutenant Williams sighed.


    Aiden rattled off all the nearby roads that he could remember.


    "Every street you''ve listed exists, except for one." Lieutenant Williams said finally. "There is no Elizabeth street in Melbourne."


    Aiden tilted his head at the comment, finding himself unable to think of how to describe further its location to the man, and they fell into silence.


    "What street is the Melbourne Institute of Technology on?" Lieutenant Williams said thoughtfully.


    Aiden gave him a dry look.


    "Corner of La Trobe and Elizabeth street," Aiden said easily.


    "That isn''t correct." Lieutenant Williams said immediately.


    "You can''t find La Trobe street, either?" Aiden demanded. "Come on-"


    "No, La Trobe street is there," Lieutenant Williams cut him off, "Along with Charlotte Street."


    Aiden sat back in his chair at the name. There was no Charlotte Street there. There was a Charlotte street further out of central. Had they changed the name overnight? Or was this guy still trying to get him to reveal something?


    "There''s no Charlotte Street," Aiden said seriously. "Not there, at least."


    Lieutenant fell silent for a while before flipping his pad over to the next series of notes he had made.


    "SUDA Inc also doesn''t exist." Lieutenant Williams said simply. "Neither do any of the people you listed as contacts. Nor do you, according to any banks, schools, workplaces, or anything else traceable."


    Aiden opened his mouth, then closed it astonished, what on Earth? The street name was one thing, but this was ludicrous.


    "What the hell does that mean?" Aiden said helplessly, "Have I been stuck in some kind of bizarro world where I don''t exist? What am I supposed to do now? What do you mean, no banks!?"


    Lieutenant Williams studied him quietly as he tried to find some kind of sense to what was going on. No banks? What about his money? His investments? What about his property?!


    "Did you check the property I told you about?" Aiden demanded, thinking of his home.


    "Yes," Lieutenant Williams sighed, "It''s owned by someone who is definitely not who you are claiming to be."


    Aiden gritted his teeth for a long moment, doing his best to force his anger down with several deep breaths, lashing out in rage never put you in an advantageous spot, it did the opposite. When he had finally regained his calm, he spoke.


    "What happens now, then?" Aiden said evenly. "I have no identity, no money, no family, all I have is a tail and a Spacecraft apparently."


    Aiden had to stop himself from using the words ''Attack Ball'' when he realized that it would likely go over poorly, given the circ.u.mstances. Lieutenant Williams paused for a moment at the word spacecraft, minutely, and he would have missed it if he hadn''t been looking for a reaction.


    "Your, spacecraft, has been placed under league authority." Lieutenant Williams said cagily.


    League authority? What did that mean, was there a department for stuff like this? Was Area 51 really just a meme after all?


    "You''re really going to take the only thing I have left, you sure you don''t want to take the kids as well Williams?" Aiden said wryly, "I''m going to sue you all as soon as I get my identity back, I swear to god."


    Lieutenant Williams leaned back into his own chair, looking both annoyed and bemused.


    "Moving us back on track here," Lieutenant Williams said after a moment, "I''m not the only one working on your case, so we will likely have an update for you in a few hours at most, but the most likely resolution you are looking at here is a deal of some sort, but this kind of thing really is above my level."


    Aiden studied the man across from him for a while. Who''s level was it? The chief of police? The military? The government? Was he going to end up in Area 51 after all?


    "What kind of deal are we talking about here," Aiden said thoughtfully, "I just need a basic idea, I won''t hold you to anything."


    "Probably to have you checked over at least, you''ve apparently been experimented on, so they likely want to make sure you aren''t about to explode or turn into a raging maniac." Lieutenant Williams noised out a ''hm,'' before continuing. "This isn''t the first time something like this has happened, and it likely won''t be the last."


    Aiden didn''t think that sounded too bad, he wanted to know what was going on with his body as well, and he should probably make dealing with his tail a priority, so he didn''t turn into a ''raging maniac'' as soon as a full moon came along. None of that was what caught his attention, however.


    "What do you mean, not the first time?" Aiden demanded, "People don''t just go around abducting people all the time, I would have heard of spacesh.i.p.s, and people crash landing like this before."


    Lieutenant Williams stared at him for a long moment.


    "You don''t remember that girl, a woman now, I suppose, back in two-thousand-eight?" Lieutenant Williams wondered and frowned when Aiden immediately shook his head. "What about the invasion back in two-thousand-three?"


    "Invasion?" Aiden said incredulously, "Like aliens or something?"


    Lieutenant Williams looked kind of lost for a moment as if he were dealing with something he couldn''t quite comprehend.


    "Yes, like aliens!" Lieutenant Williams said heatedly. "You got on my case about a street name that didn''t even exist, but you somehow forgot the Appellaxians invading?"


    "What the hell is an Appellaxian?" Aiden demanded, bewildered, having never heard the term before.


    "What!?" Lieutenant Williams grit his teeth, "Do you at least know what the Justice League is?"


    Aiden blinked at the sudden strange turn the conversation had headed in. What the hell did comic books have to do with this? It was clearly an inappropriate time to bring it up, given the circ.u.mstances, he''d been abducted for crying out loud.


    "Of course I''ve heard of them, what has that got to do with this?" Aiden said mockingly, "This is serious, at least stay on topic, Lieutenant."


    Lieutenant Williams slammed his hands on the table and stood up, looming over the table for a long moment before the door suddenly opened. A tall woman with long dark hair stepped into the room, wearing what had to be the single greatest Wonder Woman cosplay he had ever seen, and he had surprisingly seen quite a few. Strip clubs were a place he frequented after all, and there had been a time when it was popular.


    "Why are you dressed like that?" Aiden said dryly, "This is incredibly unprofessional, Lieutenant."


    Lieutenant Williams looked flabbergasted for a moment, staring at him like he was utterly insane, the cosplayer, or more likely a stripper that had wandered out of a cell, on the other hand, crossed her arms and stared at him without expression.


    "I have no idea what his angle is anymore," Lieutenant Williams said honestly, "He''s all yours."


    The man abruptly abandoned him in the room with the stripper, and Aiden stared after him in disbelief. He''s all yours? Had the man really just left her in here with him!?


    "Lieutenant!" Aiden said in shock, but the man didn''t even pause as he slammed the door shut behind him. "What kind of police station is this?"


    The stripper sat down across from him without a hint of discomfort, studying him carefully.


    "The Justice League has been tracking you since you landed three hours ago." The stripper articulated in character, voice like honey. "I have been listening in on the interview as well, so consider me up to date on your situation."


    The police had let a god damned stripper listen in on this interview, and she was just admitting it?


    "I''m going to need that lawyer now," Aiden said calmly. "Any other day I''d love this situation, trust me, but this cannot possibly be legal."


    "You don''t exist here. You don''t have any right to a lawyer." The cosplayer said evenly. "Although a lawyer will, of course, be provided to you regardless if that is what you decide on."


    Aiden just watched her from across the table steadily, completely unintimidated by her complete denial of his rights.


    "We have taken possession of your ship in the meantime until we can be certain that you have no ill intent." The cosplayer said evenly, maintaining her bizarre role-play. "Should we determine that you are indeed an innocent, stranded far from home, we will assist you in getting set up here."


    Aiden stared at her with narrow eyes, that ''should we determine'' sounded extraordinarily condescending, as if she had any authority over him.


    "Who''s going to assist me exactly?" Aiden mocked, "Is Batman going to walk through the door next? Although I suppose it would be Batwoman considering the situation, and the current company."


    The stripper frowned at him before placing her golden rope on the table in front of her, and he rolled his eyes when he saw it.


    "Why did the Lieutenant even let you in here?" Aiden said exasperated, "Why would they bring a stripper into a police station in the first place, did you wander out of a cell?"


    "Excuse me," The woman said bewildered, "I am not a stripper."


    Aiden rolled his eyes at her determination to stay in character.


    "Whatever," Aiden said flippantly, "Are you going to use that thing on me now, or should we skip straight to the lap dance?"


    The stripper stared at him silently for almost thirty seconds, and he stared her down, refusing to look away. He''d had quite enough of today already, and nobody had even taken him to a hospital to have this god damned anime-tail looked at.


    He wasn''t backing down from a god damned stripper, regardless of how attractive she was.


    "Who do you think I am?" The woman said suddenly.


    "A stripper wearing a Wonder Woman outfit, or a cosplayer, could be both really," Aiden said easily. "What did they call her again, Diana?"


    The stripper stared at him silently.


    "Where are Bruce and Clark anyway? Waiting outside the door?" Aiden said annoyed, "Can we get this over with. I''d like to go home sometime soon."


    "How do you know those names?" The stripper said intensely.


    "I''m tired, I have a f.u.c.k.i.n.g tail now, and I am sick of this role-play." Aiden said, annoyed, "Go get the Lieutenant."


    "Tell me how you know those names, now." The stripper said darkly, standing up to tower over him and the table both. "You are not leaving this room until you give me an answer."


    "Go f.u.c.k yourself," Aiden said evenly, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. "I''m done talking to you."


    Aiden listened to the sound of her feet as she stomped around the table, but he refused to move from his spot. The stripper had the audacity to reach down and drag him sideways out of his chair by the front of his shirt. The only thing that kept him from spilling over entirely was where his hands were still shackled to the table in front of him. Aiden jerked himself back against her grip, but she refused to let go.


    "Hey lady," Aiden said darkly. "Don''t f.u.c.k.i.n.g touch me; this is the only warning I''m giving you before I engage in vigorous self-defense."


    The woman scoffed before she jerked his face down, so they were level with each other, she was tall for a woman, but he was pretty tall himself before this Saiyan nonsense, and he seemed to have gained an inch or two.


    "How do you know those names?" The woman said harshly.


    The stripper jerked him forward again, pulling his arms tight against the shackles, and he''d had enough of the assault on his person. Aiden ripped his hands away from the metal table, shattering the chains. They fell to dangle from the thick cuffs still locked tight around his wrists.


    The woman''s eyes went wide at the sudden movement, and he pushed her bodily away from him with both hands, she stumbled back a few steps before she caught herself. She immediately slipped into some kind of fighting stance, but he had already reseated himself at the table.


    "You''re a metahuman." The stripper said cautiously.


    "Oh, my f.u.c.k.i.n.g god lady." Aiden groaned as he banged his head against the table. "Look, if you''d caught me at a club, we would be having the night of our lives right now, but this is not the time for this crap. I just want to go get this f.u.c.k.i.n.g tail looked at before I die of tail cancer or something."


    Aiden chastised himself for revealing that he had super strength to a f.u.c.k.i.n.g muggle, but she was assaulting him, and he had already tried to get her to leave him alone multiple times, for all he knew she was going to pull a knife out of her cleavage and shank him. The woman took two steps towards him, and he turned to her in disbelief.


    "Do you not know the meaning of the word stop?" Aiden said in frustration.


    "You are under the mistaken impression that I am a stripper." The woman said, annoyed.


    The woman reached out and snatched the shackle around his wrist. Aiden had to stop himself from pushing her away from him again but instead frowned at the crumpled piece of metal held in her clenched fist.


    "I am Diana of Themyscira, or more commonly known as Wonder Woman," Diana said coolly, crushing the metal into a tight ball in her hand.


    Aiden very carefully didn''t show any reaction to this startling discovery.


    "That doesn''t change anything," Aiden said flatly, mind racing despite his tone. "You just assaulted me for no reason, some superhero you are."


    This woman clearly had super strength and was claiming to be Wonder Woman, her cosplay was top-tier, and he had a tail. It wasn''t that much of a leap now that she had demonstrated such abnormal strength to assume that he was somehow in a world with f.u.c.k.i.n.g Wonder Woman, although that made the Saiyan stuff make even less sense than before.


    "I acted out of frustration, but you cannot deny that you provoked me." Diana said evenly, "Mentioning those names demonstrates the capacity to cause some substantial problems."


    "Yeah, well, maybe you should have established who you were before you started talking down to me from your ivory tower." Aiden said plainly, "I think it''s become pretty obvious that I''m not from here."


    "The spaceship gave that away," Diana said dryly.


    "For the love of-," Aiden sighed, "My Earth doesn''t have superheroes, but it''s still Earth. I am not an alien. I was abducted and put in that thing. I already explained it like three-hundred times."


    "Perhaps you will be willing to allow me to test the veracity of your claims?" Diana said evenly, gesturing at her golden rope, still sitting on the table.


    "I''ve got absolutely zero confidence that you would stick to any agreed-upon questions, especially after your little temper-tantrum," Aiden said immediately.


    "You bring my honor into question?" Diana said, offended.


    "Sorry, what was I thinking?" Aiden rolled his eyes. "I forgot that attacking a guy who''s chained to a table is a sign of incredible honor."


    Diana twitched at the comment.


    "For all of your sarcasm, I do not hear a counter-offer," Diana said finally.


    "I get to tie you up and ask some questions," Aiden said smoothly. "How''s that for a counter-offer?"


    "Absolutely not." Diana denied it at once. "Try again."


    "I''m apparently very far from home," Aiden said evenly, "I need a place to live, with a weekly food budget, and an identity so I can return to some semblance of a normal life, hook me up, give me my ship back and we will call it a day."


    "You are asking a lot, for a single question answered truthfully," Diana said thoughtfully.


    "You have a bunch of multi-millionaires in your team, it''s not like they can''t afford it." Aiden laughed. "I would have asked for the lap dance instead if I''d thought it would have gone over well."


    Diana huffed at the comment, faintly amused.


    "Very well," Diana said clearly, "I agree to your terms, but there are some additional stipulations I''ve been, encouraged, to apply."


    Batman talking in her ear?


    "Batman talking in your ear?" Aiden said, frowning, not bothering to filter the thought. "Give me the short version."


    "Monthly medical check-ups at a facility of our choosing, weekly phone interviews with a Justice League appointed psychologist, both mandatory," Diana said evenly.


    Aiden frowned at the second one.


    The medical check-ups were a good thing, it would save him having to pay for them himself, but a psychologist? It was obviously a way to keep track of whether he had any intentions of revealing their identities, but if he was going to put up with that nonsense, he was going to get something else out of them.


    "I''ll agree to those stipulations. On the proviso that you bring your best doctor to remove this tail as soon as possible, at no cost. Oh! Completely unrelated to what we are talking about, but when is the next full moon?" Aiden said wryly. "Could be a crucial deadline."


    Diana narrowed her eyes at the pointed question and glanced to the side for a moment, before looking back. He couldn''t hear anything coming from her, so it probably wasn''t an earpiece, was Martian Manhunter linking them all up?


    If you''re reading my mind right now, I''m going to be terribly upset.


    "Agreed." Diana said finally, "The next full moon isn''t for another week. We will be holding onto your ship for you."


    Aiden had nowhere to store it anyway, so that was fine, but a concession of that magnitude needed compensation.


    "You said I was asking for a lot," Aiden said calmly, "You want to study the technology, that''s worth much more than anything I asked for, and you''re trying to push it through as a footnote in our negotiations."


    Diana crossed her arms as she studied him, but he met her gaze steadily. He knew exactly what he was going to ask for.


    "Aiden, If you ask me for that lap dance," Diana said evenly, "I''m going to do something we would both consider very dishonorable."


    Aiden quickly tried to think of something else. What did a Saiyan need?


    "I''ll be going out and testing what I can do with this strength nonsense, and whatever else I discover." Aiden said slowly, "I''d like you to not harass me about it."


    Diana studied him for several long moments before she spoke.


    "What exactly can you do?" Diana wondered.


    "Somebody call the Justice League," Aiden said deadpanned. "I''m being harassed."


    "Asking a question is not harassment," Diana said, annoyed.


    "As if Batman won''t be watching me with drones or something ridiculous like that, you can find out when I do," Aiden said simply. "We''ve been skipping around the main topic since I found out you weren''t a stripper. I know most of the identities of the members of the Justice League."


    Diana drew a sharp breath in through her nose, at the stripper comment or the confirmation that he knew them all, he wasn''t sure.


    "I also know a bunch of other random stuff about other well-known people," Aiden said thoughtfully, thinking of the villains he knew about. "I have no intention of telling anyone about any of it. You can confirm that with the bondage of truth. I must warn you, though, Diana of Themyscira, I am totally a rope-bunny, and I will enjoy every second of it."


    Diana sighed at the apparent confession, but dutifully retrieved her golden-rope, and looped it around his proffered arm without fanfare.


    "My safe word is Amazon," Aiden said huskily before grunting as she pulled it tight around his arm. "So rough."


    "What are your intentions here?" Diana said clearly.


    It was a pretty open question all things considered, and for a second, he was tempted to say a lap-dance. A feeling was starting to rise up his chest, and he felt his mouth open almost against his will, but he was still in enough control to choose what to say.


    "How strange." Aiden said calmly, "I intend to find out who took me from my world and put me here; I have no intention of hurting anyone at present."


    "Anyone at present?" Diana said dryly.


    "If somebody attacks me in the future, I have every intention of making sure they do not do so again," Aiden said honestly. "I will hurt someone to defend myself as well."


    "Do you have any intention of revealing the identities of the Justice League or its allies?" Diana said clearly.


    Despite her nature, he was still surprised she hadn''t strayed to ask him how he knew. He didn''t have much faith in people if he was honest, but his opinion of her was rising by the second. He wasn''t sure he would have been able to resist the temptation himself.


    "I do not," Aiden said smoothly, "If you try to manipulate, blackmail or otherwise force me to do something I object to, that may change in response."


    Aiden was comfortable with the answer he had given, mutually assured destruction was a decent enough tool to keep things steady, for now at least.


    "You don''t have a very high opinion of the Justice League," Diana said, seemingly disheartened at the thought.


    It was a statement, and the compulsion didn''t force him to speak, but the truth-only effect was still present.


    "That''s not it, heroes are fine. I don''t have a high opinion of people in general, but so far, you have stuck to the questions, so my faith in you has already risen far above most." Aiden said smoothly, "But your physical attack upon my poor unarmed, tied up person was a dent that probably won''t go away any time soon."


    Diana twitched at the comment, and he fought to keep the smirk off his face.

 Chapter 360 - My CO Stash #60 - Not So Ancient History by MachineExDeo (PercyJacksonXFate/staynight)

    -Old and cynic Shirou is easily best Shirou/ It''s honestly pretty cool how Nasuverse is so compatible with Riordanverse!


    Synopsis: After a life mixed with chaos and contentment, Shirou woke up in a new world, very similar and yet so different from his own. Now he must contend with powers far beyond his level, protecting his friends and countless innocent people from being caught up in a war beyond their wildest imaginations... Alright, maybe it wasn''t so different after all...(Cover image doesn''t belong to me)


    Rated: T


    Words: 26K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/12902064/1/Not-So-Ancient-History (MachinaExDeo)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    In whatever life he lived, Shirou Emiya always seemed to attract the strangest people. Then again, perhaps his unorthodox mindset was to blame. Rin always did say he was distorted.


    He didn''t think it was just superstition. His foster father was a notorious assassin, his guardian was a hyperactive yakuza princess, and as a child his roster of friends included a monk, a prodigy mage, a rapist and¡­ Sakura. Granted, some of those details were unknown to him at the time, but still.


    Despite knowing this tendency, he couldn''t help but think his two new friends were a just a bit stranger that what was warranted.


    Perseus, Percy Jackson smelled like saltwater. All the time. He could be covered in chili or wet paint, both instances that he had observed, and he would still smell like a fresh ocean breeze. Grover Underwood, his crippled companion, was harder to place. His scent mingled together the forests and what seemed like¡­ goat hair.


    The strangers didn''t end there. Two of their teachers in particular made him weary. Mr. Brunner was middle-aged man in a wheelchair, who smelled like coffee and horses. But behind his gentle countenance, Shirou recognized the hardened instincts of a warrior. He had no doubt that Mr. Brunner was much older than he seemed. Ms. Dodds was just smelled¡­ bad. Sulphur and aged leather was a surprisingly bad c.o.c.ktail. But more alarmingly was the killing intent that she emitted sporadically towards, well everyone. But mostly Percy.


    Now, he may be dense, but stupidity was something that Rin had beaten out of him a long time ago.


    It only took one accidental meeting with a dryad for him to learn of the supernatural of this world. What he found did not impress him. Gods. Demigods. Monsters. The Underworld. Olympus. The Mist. Camp Half-Blood. Camp Jupiter. It took him four years to gather that much information as discreetly as he could. It could have taken a fraction of that time, but his adopted family was rather¡­ overbearing. His excursions were difficult enough to manage.


    "Mr. Emiya. May I trouble you for your opinion?"


    Shirou finally acknowledged the elbow jabbing into his side and turned his attention to the painting that Mr. Brunner was gesturing to. "That is the Titan, Kronos, eating the gods."


    "Correct. Kronos, the Titan King was afraid of being overthrown. As his children were being born, he swallowed them whole, except for the youngest. Mr. Jackson, what happened to Zeus?"


    Percy adopted the look of a goldfish before the answer came to him. "Ahh¡­ Kronos'' wife, she fed him a rock instead of Zeus, then she hid him away."


    That part of the myth always confused Shirou. He knew that divinity did not always equate to intelligence, but he also knew they were all pretty ruthless. One would think that killing a baby would not be as reviled as eating it alive. But he supposed legends were legends for a reason.


    Of course, he could admit that he was a bit biased. He could vividly remember a past conversation with Rider, one of the rare moments where she was comfortable enough to totally open up to him. She talked of the selfish, cruel and meddlesome gods. It would seem the gods here were no different, even after thousands of years.


    "Ugh, all due respect to Mr. Brunner, when are we going to use this in the real world? Am I gonna apply for a job and say, ''No, I don''t have any special skills, but I can tell you about the legend of Kronos and the gods!''" Percy griped as he ate his sandwich.


    Grover and Shirou exchanged an amused glance. This was a common complaint from Percy, but he didn''t fool either of them. They knew that Mr. Brunner''s class was his favorite since it was the only one where he could enjoy class and even excel. What Shirou didn''t say was that there would probably be a need for that knowledge very, very soon.


    Their friendly banter was unfortunately interrupted by the charming Nancy Bobofit. The redhead had been a constant thorn in their sides. Shirou preferred to see the good points in people, but this girl was just unbearable. She constantly made fun of Percy''s dyslexia, Grover''s disability, and Shirou''s Japanese heritage. Her most recent annoyance was dumping her culinary disaster of a lunch into Grover''s lap.


    Shirou immediately grabbed a hold of Percy''s arm, to stop him from doing something incredibly stupid that would land him in detention. Again. But it seems his efforts were for naught.


    In plain view of everyone, a tentacle of water wrapped around Bobofit''s waist, and yanked her into the fountain.


    Before any of them could protest, their Math teacher had swooped in and had taken Percy away for a talk. Shirou did not miss the panicked look on Grover''s face and the anxiety over Mr. Brunner''s. "Grover, think fast!" Grover yelped and nearly dropped the apple that he had thrown his way. "Hold on to that for me please! I need to use the restroom."


    Trace on. Two words that he had relied on his entire life. Completely unnecessary at this point, but even running them through his head was its own little ritual that set him at ease. Once the rest of the class were out of sight, the faint glow of Reinforcement filling his legs. Following the scent of ocean and brimstone, he bounded across the museum, taking the stairs five at a time. A horrifying screech reached his ears and entered the grand hall just in time to see a bat-like creature leap off the side of the wall and swoop down with claws like kitchen knives.


    Percy ducked down on to the marble floor, Mrs. Dodds missing him by mere inches.


    "Give it to me!" The creature hissed, her veiny skin pulsing in rage. She tucked her wings in, diving forwards, but an abnormally long sword slammed into one of her wings, pinning her to the walls. Growling, she attempted to grasp the short red hilt, but found her body sluggish and numb, her energy sapped by the blade in her flesh.


    "I''ve never your seen your kind before, but I''m glad that these work on you." The Black Keys have been his go-to weapons when fighting these monsters. While their original purpose was to fight against demons and vampires, they were also highly spiritually effective against those who are deemed ''evil''. It would seem that most, if not all monsters qualify. For example, right now the Internment Rite has fully petrified Mrs. Dodds.


    "Release me, morta- "


    Shirou didn''t let her say another word. With a snap of his fingers, Mrs. Dodds burst into flame, until she was reduced to scattered golden dust. "It seems a normal school life is beyond my capabilities." He muttered.


    He dismissed the Key and faced his shocked and awe-stricken friend. "You have questions."


    "As do I."


    They both turned to see Mr. Brunner and Grover at the hall''s entrance, the former looking grave, and the latter incredulous. Shirou noted the bronze pen in Mr. Brunner''s clenched fist. Anaklusmos. Xiphos. 0.914 meters in length. 2.27 kilograms in weight. Celestial Bronze. Wielded by Zoe Nightshade. Wielded by Heracles. Wielded by-


    He tore his gaze away from the magic item as Mr. Brunner resumed talking. "This is not what I had hoped to happen when I said this trip would be educational."


    "I don''t know, Mr. Brunner. I feel like Percy will learn quite a lot today."


    "No. It is far too earl- "


    "Ok, all of you. What in the hell just happened? And will you please not talk like I''m not here? Somebody start explaining or I''m gonna start having a psychotic break!" Shirou could hear the growing distress in his voice. It was a stark reminder to everyone in the room that Percy was not a warrior. He was an twelve-year-old boy. This needed to be handled gently but firmly.


    "You heard him. I don''t know about either of you, but I''m not going to lie to a friend. Especially not about something this important. This life-changing." He turned to Percy, whose confusion was only growing. "Alright Percy. As of now, you have entered a new world. This world is dangerous, confusing, which is why Mr. Brunner wants to tell you nothing about it."


    "That makes zero sense. If it''s dangerous, shouldn''t I know everything I can?"


    "Knowledge is power Perseus." Mr. Brunner cut in. "And the more you possess, the more of these monsters that you will attract. If you truly wish to know, then I promise I can tell you everything and answer any question you might have, but only after summer vacation begins. That''s when we can get you to safety."


    Percy looked at both of them. "Those monsters. You can kill them?"


    "I''ve been killing them for years." Shirou assured him, getting narrowed eyes from Mr. Brunner. "And Percy? ''Safety'' is a relative term. No matter where you''re told, if you are what I think you are, these monsters will be the least of your problems. But I will protect you."


    One might call that hubristic, but Shirou meant every word of it. Even if he wasn''t a friend, Percy was innocent. He wasn''t a fighter, just a confused youngster who was in way over his head and needed reassurance that he was going to be alright. No, that wasn''t giving him enough credit. He was more than that, Percy was as bullheaded and as strong-willed as they came. He didn''t trust people easily, and he needed to know that he could do something on his own.


    He needed a sword.


    He looked once again to the scattering golden dust on the floor, the spiderwebbed marble walls, and looked back at him in resolution. "Tell me everything."


    Chapter 2


    Having to relive one''s childhood years wasn''t as advantageous people would think. An old soul in a new body would seemingly have many head starts, but also many difficulties. Learning to walk and speak and eat and most importantly, fight in a body with a mind that registered the actions as second nature was difficult, like learning to ride a bike, but the direction of the handle bars was reversed. You had a theoretical understanding of how it would work, but implementing it is another story.


    But Shirou was nothing if not diligent, and he was considered a prodigy by the age of one, fluent in English and well-versed in mathematics and sciences. Despite this, he chose not to advance his academics. He already had a college degree anyway, as well as several qualifications which probably wouldn''t do much good here. But he couldn''t leave his new family behind.


    The foster home in which he lived housed nearly a dozen children, all of them left on church doorsteps or hospital emergency rooms, and taken in as wards of the State, according to the Safe Haven laws. The matriarch of the house, an old widow named Linda Strauss, wasn''t the most caring guardian, but she kept them fed and clothed, and even aided the other children with their homework, comforted them in times of distress. She was quite tight-lipped about herself, but she provided a home for many children, even before Shirou was born, so he considered her someone to respect and not just someone doing it for the government checks.


    In the absence of a warm parental figure, Shirou stepped in as much as he could. After regaining his higher motor skills, he tried to make the house a home. Home-cooked meals that kept within their grocery budget, nutritious packed lunches, picnics in Central Park, tutoring them when needed, repairing the house. He didn''t know much about ''traditional'' families, but he did whatever he could do to make these children feel wanted.


    ¡­Considering the streaks of white in his hair, he shouldn''t be surprised they started calling him Gramps.


    Rider once called him the world''s deadliest mother-hen. He supposed he should be flattered.


    When it was time to enter middle-school, at the behest of Mrs. Strauss (as well as the nagging of several younglings), Shirou accepted a place in Yancy Academy as part of a government-funded youth-outreach program. Apparently, the social workers that regularly visited their home had pegged onto Shirou''s supposed genius, as well as his reluctance to advance. Some of them had pushed him, claiming that he was wasting his potential, some had found it endearing. Mrs. Strauss'' brand of encouragement really stuck to him


    "Go get a college degree and then you can pay me back for all the food you''ve used up. If I''m lucky you can take a few of these brats off my hands." Were her exact words.


    After several debates, a compromise was reached, and Shirou got a full ride to Yancy, a private boarding school for the rich and influential, with the conditions that he would keep his prodigious grades up and he would continue onto third-level education, and in exchange he could leave the campus to visit the Strauss home on the weekends, a privilege that made many classmates, including Percy, envious. It was these weekend privileges that allowed Shirou to continue his exploring and investigating, not that there were many places he could go with such limited time.


    If there was one thing that Shirou had learned in his life, was that information was invaluable.


    So much of the pain and suffering of the Holy Grail War could have been avoided if he had more information. If he knew about Sakura''s circ.u.mstances, he could have done more to get her away from the influences Shinji and Zouken, and plan against them, or done something more to stop her from feeding on people of Fuyuki. If he knew about Avalon, the holy scabbard that Kiritsugu had placed within him, he could have used it to improve her health. If he knew more about his own magecraft, he could have awakened Unlimited Blade Works much earlier. Even a small fraction of it would have been useful in the War.


    Even later in life, this adage proved true. That wasn''t to say that a lack of information would ever deter him, but he had learned how useful it could be, and to take whatever opportunities he could to increase or improve what he had. What brand of thaumaturgy does the target possess? What about Mystic Codes? Known allies? Frequented locations? And so on.


    That was why he spent four years exploring his environment as much as he was able. Why he took online courses to learn Ancient Greek and Latin. Why he had managed to build an information network spanning the entire North American continent. Though granted, that network was far too whimsical to really be under his control.


    When he was eleven, Yancy organized a weekend camping trip. He took this opportunity to slip away, fooling the household into thinking he was unreachable at the camp-grounds, and fooling Yancy into thinking he was ill, long enough to take a taxi and track down Camp Half-Blood. It honestly was not that difficult. The overpowering scent of divine blood could be smelled for miles. He wondered why the place was not constantly attacked, and upon arrival he found the answer.


    He didn''t dare enter the place, not because he couldn''t overcome the wards, Rule Breaker or Gae Dearg would make good work of every single protection here. But not only did he not want to strip these people of their protections, but he was sure that would draw too much attention.


    Instead, he contented himself with reinforcing his eyes and ears and nose at night and walking around the valley to peer inside. Curiously, it seemed that without Reinforcement, the Mist could still affect him. Perhaps since the Mist obscured the concept of sight, Reinforcing the eyes'' ability to ''see'' overcame that.


    He could have gone in the day, but the dryads sleep at night, so no-one would be there to watch him. Even without anyone to eavesdrop on, nor anyone to observe, he learned a lot. He learned of the 12 cabins, each one coated in the smell of a different divinity. Wine, ozone, a sea breeze, forestry, he could guess that they represented the Olympians. The strange barrier centered on a stranger pine tree. The god within the large camp-house who reeked of wine and the goddess who exuded warmth.


    He also knew that what Mr. Brunner said was true, the more a demigod knew, the stronger their ''scent'' became. Once the demigod confirms his/her own heritage, their identity is cemented in the world. And honestly, if Percy was any younger, or if he attended a different school, he would be tempted. But he believed in protecting the youth, not coddling them. If Percy knew what was out there, he could decide for himself whether or not he wanted to learn to protect himself, and chances are he would. Demigods were a resilient breed.


    With every question asked, he gave the most comprehensive answer he had available, with no omissions. He idly remembered his incessant questions to Kiritsugu about magecraft. About his past. His foster father was a man who was haunted by his past and wanted nothing more than to protect his son from the horrors he himself had faced. Shirou loved the man dearly, but he couldn''t help but wonder how differently he would have seen him if he knew of his past as the Magus Killer from the beginning. Maybe it wouldn''t have changed much, but he would never know.


    "So, any more questions?"


    The four of them were sitting at the fountain again. Shirou had bought Percy a blueberry slushie, in the hopes that it would help to calm him down and make the explanations easier. It proved to be an unwise idea, as the cup was empty, and Percy looked like he was about to throw it all up.


    "Dude¡­ so¡­ you''re not a demigod?" Percy breathed out. "Just¡­ you''re like a wizard?"


    And if that didn''t trigger some d¨¦j¨¤ vu. "Well, yes. I call myself a magus, but it''s essentially the same thing."


    "Right¡­ oh, man, what am I gonna tell Mom?"


    "Your mother most likely knows." Mr. Brunner said. "If your father was a powerful god, it''s likely that he told her so that she would prepared for the incoming threats."


    "Threats?!" Percy said alarmed. "Is my mom in danger? I thought you said normal people were off the monster radar?!"


    "They are." Shirou assured him. "The threats are against you. Percy, I could sense the power coming off of you from a mile away. What do you think would happen if monsters attacked you and your mother just happened to be nearby? They don''t care about collateral damage. Why do you think Ms. Jackson married Ugliano? His stench of cigarettes and alcohol mask yours."


    "She married that disgusting creep because of me?"


    "I believe so."


    "Oh, hell¡­"


    Shirou sympathized. He had only had the displeasure of meeting the vile man once, and he truly had to admire Sally Jackson. Her strength of character was truly astounding if she was willing to put up with that beast with a smile on her face for the sake of her son. Which is why he saw this as the perfect way to get rid of the man, once and for all.


    "Do¡­ do you know who my real father is?"


    "We can''t know for sure until he claims you. "


    "But we can make a few educated guesses." He cut in. He normally wasn''t this rude, but this censorship was irritating him. Besides, Percy might not have been the brightest mind out there, but he would probably figure it out now that he was thinking about it. "Percy, you love the ocean, you always smell like saltwater and you can hold your breath underwater for ten minutes. Ms. Jackson said that your father was lost at sea. Not dead, lost at sea. Twenty minutes ago, a water fountain grabbed a bully who was angering you. So, who is your father?"


    A moment of silence. Percy''s eyebrows knitted together as he worked through the clues and his knowledge of the gods. Realization came across Grover and Mr. Brunner''s faces as the answer came to them. "Holy shit." Percy breathed out. Normally Shirou would admonish him, but he supposed that Percy needed the catharsis. "Holy mother of- My dad¡­ My father is¡­"


    "Perseus, don''t!" Mr. Brunner nearly roared.


    Percy slapped his hands over his mouth, getting a smile from Shirou. And the boy claimed he was a slow learner. "Yes. Poseidon, god of the seas." Grover bleated in alarm, he and Mr. Brunner looking up at the sky, but there was nothing. Shirou''s smile only grew.


    "Wait a sec, why can you say it, but I can''t?"


    Shirou gave a self-deprecating smile. "I''m mortal. The gods couldn''t care less about me, and a few magic tricks won''t change that. Until they directly point their eyes at me, I''ll be off their radar. Otherwise every mortal studying Greek myths will set them off. If you want to talk about him, just call him You-Know-Who. It''s worked for me this far." Not to mention the levity that came from the ridiculous pseudonym of a fictional character tended to undo some of the awe and revelry for the gods.


    "So that is how you managed to get so much information without anyone learning of your existence?" The teacher mused.


    "In part. I did receive some¡­ alright a lot of help. And no. I won''t say who."


    "Let me just check something." Percy waved his hands. "Since I know all this stuff now, that means this ''scent'' on me is stronger now? Which means more monsters?"


    "More monsters." Shirou admitted bluntly. "You''re still a child, and untrained, so they won''t be much of a threat. But as you grow older, your godly blood will become more pronounced, even if you hadn''t been told of the truth about your heritage."


    "And those monsters¡­ they think I stole this weapon? That''s what Ms. Dodds said, right? Where is it? Where is the weapon?"


    "Yes. Zeus'' master bolt went missing several weeks ago, and he has been blaming your father for the theft. I''m sure you''ve noticed all the bad weather recently? If your father claims you, in Zeus'' eyes that would be the same as saying ''I''m guilty.''"


    "But I''ve got nothing to do with it!"


    "That won''t matter to him, Perseus." Mr. Brunner said softly. "Gods cannot interfere with each other''s power directly. They must use intermediates, like their children. As things stand, the only basis for Zeus'' accusations is his paranoia. That will change if he learns of your existence. The instant that happens, it might as well be a declaration of war."


    "¡­War." Shirou could hear the feeling of being lost in his friend''s voice. It was understandable. To a boy who had grown in a time of peace, even in a tumultuous household, war was such a foreign concept, its true horrors was far beyond his ability to comprehend. "Is that why you two are here? You were sent to watch me, so you could arrest me or something?"


    "What? Perce, no!" Grover stammered out. "We didn''t even know about your father. I mean, we had suspicions, but all we know is that you were powerful for your age. We came here to protect you!"


    "Protect me? Dude, no offense, but unless either of you can grow claws or bat wings like Ms. Dodds, or can shoot swords out of midair, how exactly would you have planned to protect m- "


    A ring of metal stopped his words. A meter of Celestial Bronze erupted from Mr. Brunner''s hand. The blade, shining like a mirror, reflected Percy''s sudden awe. "Perseus, just because you cannot see something, doesn''t mean it isn''t there. That''s a mindset you should adopt very quickly. If you want proof, look around you."


    Not a single person reacted to the deadly weapon that sprang up in the middle of the park. Their eyes briefly noted the pack of children having lunch, sometimes flicking over to the man in the wheelchair, but their attention was snatched away just as quickly. Percy looked back at the sword held high, and his eyes nearly popped out when he saw it flicker from a sword to a bat to a walking stick.


    "This is¡­ a lot to take in."


    "Which is why I wanted to wait until the summer when you can have time to process." The teacher glared at Shirou, which he ignored. "At the camp, you would have been near people who have had similar experiences, and you would be under heavy protections."


    Shirou suppressed a snort at the so-called heavy protections. "Maybe from monsters. What about the gods?"


    Grover choked on his apple. "Shirou, you can''t just stay stuff like that! People have gotten blasted for far less!"


    "Eh." Shirou waved him off. "Percy, under normal circ.u.mstances I would probably agree with Mr. Brunner. But the differences between you and the other demigods is that you have the power of one of the eldest gods. You will always be in the spotlight. And, from what Ms. Dodds said, someone is actively hunting you, and are determined enough to send a monster despite your protectors. What was she, by the way? She seemed different from the rank and file. More intelligent."


    "¡­ She was one of the Kindly Ones. The Angry One."


    "¡­You should have said that from the start. Do you genuinely Percy will be safe from him if he truly decided to pursue him?"


    "Whoa, whoa." Percy sensed the change in tone. "Hang on, enough with the pronoun game, what''s a Kindly One and why is this bad news?"


    "Percy," Shirou held his attention. "Percy, the Kindly Ones are not ordinary monsters. They are old and strong and only serve one master. Hades, the god of the underworld.


    "Why? If it''s¡­the king who''s missing the weapon, why is¡­ this other guy coming after me?"


    "Why else? To take possession of the master bolt. At least, that''s what everybody thinks. Hades has always been an isolationist, so it is almost impossible to question his real motives." Mr. Brunner explained. "A few months from new, during the summer solstice, the king has declared that should the master bolt remain missing and the perpetrator unidentified until then, there will be war."


    "¡­This is so above my paygrade."


    "Just a bit." Shirou agreed.


    "What do I do now? Is there gonna be like, a trial or something? I don''t even know how this is gonna work?"


    "Trial?" Shirou scoffed. "Percy, these are gods. As far as they''re concerned, their word is law, period. If Poseidon claims you, that''s it. Zeus won''t hear another word of it.


    "As for what you should do, step number one would be to inform your mother about recent developments. She''ll understand the circ.u.mstances. She won''t like it, but she''ll understand."


    "Okay, there is no freakin'' way I''m explaining all this to her alone."


    "You won''t have to, right?" Shirou looked pointedly at Mr. Brunner and Grover. It wasn''t meant to be threatening, but they had a responsibility to Percy.


    "Don''t worry." Grover assured. "I''m sure Ms. Jackson was expecting this. She''ll adapt quickly enough."


    "Second thing to do, well, that''s your choice." Shirou said. "While you are at Yancy, I can handle any of the monsters that come after you. My dorm is quite close to yours too, so night attacks won''t be a problem. The question is, what would you do during that time."


    One would question why Percy needed to do anything. If he was safe in school and Camp Half-Blood meant he would be safe during the summer, then he really didn''t need to do anything, did he? But Shirou knew better, and he suspected that Mr. Brunner and Grover knew too, considering the knowing looks they gave him.


    Percy was restless by nature. He wasn''t made to sit around doing nothing. He got bored quickly and his attention span was just as abysmal. He was used to action. If there was something he could do, he would do it, if only for the reason that there was nothing else he could do.


    "Could you¡­could you teach me some of that magic stuff?"


    "I could try. Keep in mind, that I''m only a third-rate magus. It''s highly probable that my brand of magecraft wouldn''t suit you at all. But there are other things I can teach you if you are willing to go through with it."


    "Like what?"


    "Like how to use one of those." Shirou nodded towards the sword in Mr. Brunner''s hand.


    "Dude, are you serious? You''ll teach me sword fighting?"


    "As soon, as I can find a place to do it. I doubt I could rent out the gym for a few hours, but it shouldn''t be too difficult to find somewhere else." Shirou mused.


    "That will be awesome." Percy admitted.


    "It will be tough. I''ve been told that I''m a very harsh teacher."


    "Heh, I can take a beating."


    Percy was taking this lightly. Shirou couldn''t really change that with words. Once the training begins, Percy would probably want to quit, and Shirou was going to let him. He wouldn''t force anything onto Percy, even if he thought he needed it. You can''t educate someone who isn''t receptive. But he had high hopes in that regard.


    "I certainly hope that you know what you are doing." Mr. Brunner spoke in a hushed voice so as to not draw the attention of Percy who was asking Grover more questions about Camp Half-Blood. "I must warn you, I have no idea how the Olympians will react when they learn of your existence and your intervention. This is a delicate enough situation as it is without a wild card coming into play. They will want to learn your motives. Why are you doing this?"


    Motives. It wasn''t the first time someone had questioned his, and it certainly won''t be the last. His motive was simple enough, but very few people seemed to really understand it. Of course, its meaning has changed over the years, how could it not, with what he went through, what he had to do? He had questioned it, redefined it, even abandoned it at times. And yet time and time again, he gave his answer, unwavering.


    "I just want to be a hero."


    Sitting on a bench in the park were three withered old ladies. They looked so fragile, it seemed the breeze would blow them into dust. All three were staring at them, though it was unclear who it was specifically that they were looking at. All of them were completely still, their faces set in confusion.


    The one on the left was holding a peculiar set of items, a ball of blue twine in one hand, and on the other, a coil of barbed wire. The woman in the middle was gripping a pair of massive, tattered socks. They were in truly terrible condition, the stitching was uneven, there were holes in the product, and there were loose and frayed strings everywhere. The final woman was holding a string of barbed wire in her hand, not mindful of the sharp spikes digging into her skin.


    Why are you here?


    Chapter 3


    "Where did you even find this thing?!" Percy screamed.


    The thing in question, was a large, shaggy black dog. It would take anyone just one look to realize the dog was abnormal. At least, anyone who could see through the Mist. The most obvious example would be its size, the dog was as large as rhinoceros, and much more intimidating. They would see fur that seemed to writhe and sway in an unseen wind, darker than shadow. They would observe eyes dyed a deep red, the color of blood, and its dark face, and the contrast made them seem like shining beacons. Its teeth reflected its monstrous appearance, long and wicked canines like butcher knives.


    Hellhounds, the hunting dogs of the Underworld.


    "I didn''t have to find it. It was looking for you. I captured it while it was sniffing around in the tennis courts last week."


    Hellhounds were some of the most common monsters that Shirou had come across, and he learned much from them. They were not to be underestimated, for one thing. Not only were they powerful, but they were much faster than their bulky stature suggested. They were stronger at night, or in areas with little light, and were highly susceptible to weapons designed against dark creatures, even more than most monsters.


    Obviously, if one wanted to capture them, Black Keys would be the go-to weapon, but they had this annoying habit of melting into the shadows, before he could pin them. Shirou surmised that it was some kind of teleportation unique to them because he had never seen any other kind of monster do it.


    More to the point, due to their commonality, Shirou decided that Percy would benefit from some live combat.


    Thinking back on his own experiences, Shirou never really had a combat instructor. Whether it was against Saber, Rider, or a dozen other people he had fought in his previous life, he learned by experience, through pain and injury. A theoretical blade will never kill anyone, only one that has been beaten and tempered repeatedly. Of course, he wasn''t planning to put a child through the same hardsh.i.p.s, but a reasonable simulation seemed to work.


    The hellhound lunged, its claws facing forward. Anticipating the threat, Percy swiveled to the side, the claws missing him by inches. He dug his heel into the ground, kicking himself forwards to thrust the consecrated blade into its side. He managed to drive the blade through its flesh, but the cut was too shallow to kill.


    Shirou frowned. He was trying to find a good sword for Percy to use. The sword he was using now was a simple one-handed xiphos that he had altered to have properties strong against creatures of shadow. He wanted to see what kind of sword suited Percy''s personality best, and as expected, he seemed to have an affinity for Greek blades. He had contemplated Tracing Anaklusmos, but he was a little leery giving sword with such a long history to him.


    The hound landed on its front feet and raised its hind legs. Percy caught its kick to the chest, its claws tearing at the leather armor. Percy leapt back, gasping in shock, but to his credit he recovered quickly and neatly lopped off the hound''s legs. From there, it was child''s play to keep out of the reach of its claws and stick the sword in its throat.


    Percy let out a breath, dusting off the monster dust that had gotten on his clothes. "That would have gone easier if I could just get some water." Another thing they were experimenting with were Percy''s inherited abilities. It was easy enough to find out that water made him stronger, and a little experimentation told them that seawater had the most effect, and tap water had the least.


    "And if you can figure out a way to souse yourself in seawater during combat, then I highly encourage you to use it." He replied dryly, tossing him a bottle of water. Honestly, Shirou wouldn''t put it past Percy to find a way to do that. As diligent as he could be, he would often find the most roundabout ways to be lazy. Just the other day, he was attempting to use his water powers to summon an opened can of coke. Suffice it to say, he ended up being very sticky, with a bump on his head.


    "Ahh man, can you get this stuff off of me? I''m boiling." Percy was tugging at the padding on him. Shirou acquiesced and tugged open the straps to free him. "Oh, much better." He then upended the water bottle over his head, soaking his shirt. "So how did I do?"


    "Not bad." Shirou admitted. "I saw a few openings during your attacks, but monsters wouldn''t be able to take advantage of them. Even so, make sure to be doubly alert when you''re facing multiple enemies. A smarter monster might spot it before you can."


    "Right." He settled down on the ground, catching his breath, the sword resting cross his lap. "One week, huh?"


    Shirou took a second to look at Percy. Really look at him. The past month has changed him only slightly, but surely. His arms had faint lines from scars that had yet to fade. Several bruises dotted his body from the most recent training session, which hadn''t had time to heal. The sword he held, was another tell. At first glance, his grip may seem lax and unrefined, but Shirou could see the firmness and confidence where discomfort used to be. "Yes, only one week until summer."


    "Are you coming to camp with us?"


    "I''ll do my best. They might try to bar me from the camp, but they won''t be successful."


    "You know, you''re kinda scary when you just say stuff like that. You''re gonna give Grover an aneurysm."


    "He''ll get used to it." At the least, he better. He had no ill intentions against the satyr. He was hardworking and only wished for his friend''s safety. He was a far cry from what the legends depicted his kind to be. But he had a cowardly side that made Percy wary, and a blind loyalty to the gods, neither of which he could fault him for. "Speaking of summer, are you ready for the exams?" he asked, getting a groan from his friend. "Don''t be like that. Grover and I have helped you a lot."


    "I know, and I appreciate it, but jeez¡­" Percy slumped down. "Hopefully I''ll pass most of them, but there are some that I''m still pretty iffy. At the very least, I''m sure I''ll be in Yancy for another year. Which come to think of it is a barrel of mixed feeling right there."


    Shirou smiled. Percy didn''t like Yancy. He never did, and he never will. But his mother fought tooth and nail to get him here, an expensive school that showed success with the so-called ''problem children'', and Percy wasn''t the type to squander someone else''s efforts, much less his own mother''s.


    "How is Ms. Jackson?"


    Immediately, Percy''s grimace was wiped away to be replaced by a massive grin. "Fantastic. The divorce will be finalized by next month, and the cheapskate''s not wringing a single penny from her. And she''s getting the apartment!"


    "I''m glad to hear it." As expected, it was easy enough for Sally Jackson to accept that her son was now fully aware of his heritage, and that one of his friends was a magus, and another was a satyr. What was not expected was her reluctance to divorce Gabe Ugliano. Admittedly, Shirou should have accepted that, but he didn''t because of a bad habit he had developed in the past years.


    He forgot that in the eyes of everyone else, he was still very much a child. Sally Jackson had absolutely no reason to entrust the safety of her only son to a twelve-year-old, no matter how competent he may be. It took a demonstration of Tracing and a few simple Bounded Fields to convince her of his ability to protect Percy on and off campus, even though Percy was rather miffed at being presented as so helpless.


    Shirou deactivated the Bounded Field around the football field, removing the compulsion for incomers to avoid the field. The Field was rather shoddy, detectable by anyone with a hint of magecraft, but that didn''t matter to Shirou, since those weren''t the type of people who he was trying to drive away. "Let''s hit the showers, class starts in 45 minutes."


    "Remind me again, why should we allow you to do this?"


    Shirou knew that Chiron''s question was very much rhetorical, but he answered for Grover''s benefit, who was chewing an aluminum can like a chipmunk. He always wondered how on earth his innards could withstand that. They were all in the Jackson''s living room, watching Percy


    "For one thing, I''m not the one doing anything you''re arguing against. Second, school is over, and neither of us have been to Camp Half-Blood yet. You have no authority over either of us. Besides, Ms. Jackson has already given Percy permission. That should be enough, don''t you think."


    "I did." Sally nodded, wringing her hands. "But I''d be lying if I said I didn''t have second thoughts."


    "Relax, Mom." Percy tried to take a reassuring tone. "I''ve learned a lot this past month, and Shirou will be around. I''ll be fine!" With that, Percy snapped his backpack closed and hefted over his shoulder. "Besides, it''s like a day''s walk from here? It''s not like I''m going to the West Coast."


    Shirou glanced at his watch. "Alright, Percy. You go on ahead, and I''ll be right behind you. Out of sight, of course. Remember what you''re looking for?"


    "Delphi Strawberry Service." Percy recited. "I got it. See you guys at camp." With one last c.o.c.ky smirk, and a kiss on the cheek to his mother, Percy was gone.


    Nobody said anything for quite a while, not that there was anything that needed to be said. All of them were watching the hands of the clock on the wall, or the watches on their wrist. Once the hands hit the noon, Shirou made his move, taking out an old, battered flip phone.


    Ring-ring. Ring-ring! Rin-


    "Start running, Percy."


    "Hearing ya loud and clear."


    If he were to be honest, Percy was in two minds about this. Having seen Shirou pepper an ogre with arrows in a couple of seconds, he knew that he wasn''t in any real danger. But the minute he hung up the phone, the anxiety kicked back in. He did his best to push that down, and continue through the city, another face in the crowd.


    He fingered the bronze pen in his hand. Riptide, the current that takes one by surprise. Despite Shirou''s efforts and apparently endless supply of swords (seriously, how many does the guy have?), this was the one sword that he truly felt comfortable with, the one that felt like it belonged in his hand. But both Mr. Brunn- Chiron, and Shirou had warned him about its history.


    Honestly, Percy didn''t really worry about it. According to them, the sword wasn''t cursed, its previous wielders just had really bad luck. And once he thought about that for a few minutes, Percy concluded that he probably wouldn''t even notice the difference.


    Shirou told him that he could choose whatever route he chose, and take as much time as he needed, so long as he travelled completely by foot. Manhattan to Long Island Sound wasn''t too far, if he walked straight there, he''d probably reach it by nightfall. But he really doubted that he''d be so lucky.


    He started having troubles halfway across the Williamsburg Bridge.


    He made it about, he would say a quarter of the way across when the East River started boiling. He didn''t hear anything at first, the constant honking of commuters and cursing of hot-headed drivers overwhelmed the ears. It was only when the bridge started shaking that Percy realized something was wrong.


    He leapt over the multitude of iron railings, ignoring the panicked shouts of other people. He barely managed to look over the edge when a geyser erupted in his face. Something in the pillar of water lunged towards him, and only the glinting, metallic light clued him in to the fact that he should not be standing so close to the edge. He leapt backwards but ended tripping over the railings behind him.


    He quickly shook off the embarrassing fall and sprang back up in what he hoped was a smooth motion. Percy looked around, seeing similar geysers on all sides, creatures leaping out of the water onto the Williamsburg Bridge. Traffic on the bridge stopped almost immediately as the monsters invaded the roadways, people fleeing without hesitation. As to be expected, people were panicking. He had no clue what they were seeing through the Mist, but it must have been pretty darn terrifying.


    Then again, Percy really didn''t have a great view either. The creatures that came were like twisted mermen. Their skin was mottled grey-green, like fish that had been left out in the sun too long and covered in barnacles and seaweed. They were bipedal, slogging along on long flippers, dragging their fat bodies across the tarmac. Their upper limbs were disproportionally short and ended in a lizard-like claw. In short, they looked like a mix of the ugliest parts of fish and lizard, two animals that weren''t that good-looking in the first place.


    He counted six in total, each one slowly but surely making its way towards them. It seems they only had eyes for him, mostly ignoring the screaming mortals. Percy was perfectly happy to wait until the bridge, or at least the immediate area was completely clear before making his move. But things don''t often go according to plan.


    It seems one silver Audi didn''t quite see the monsters in time. Brakes screeched, and rubber burned, but the sealizard in its path barely flinched, extending one arm and stopping the car in its tracks detonating the airbags within. The metal crunched within its claws and continued to be deformed when the creature tore it out, along with a chunk of steaming engine. It roared at the driver, who started screaming.


    The sealizard walked towards the driver, a woman who was struggling with her seatbelt. It reached out with one claw, but before it could extend its arm even more, a metal spike instantly embedded itself in its hand.


    Crap, crap, crap! Percy was on the move, uncapping Riptide in one smooth motion. Before the sealizard could react, Percy had swung the Celestial Bronze blade in a deadly arc towards its neck. He struck true, but the monster''s thick hide clasped the blade like armor. Thinking fast, he kicked it hard in the chest to wrench his sword free, which wasn''t easy because their heavy-set bodies made it feel like kicking a fleshy dumpster. It responded with a shriek of pain and a swipe to his face, which he easily avoided. Strong, but stupid.


    A slightly higher pitched shriek drew his attention, and he dove to the side. Still on the ground, he barely managed to raise his blade to intercept another claw that was thrust to his heart. With less coordination than he would have liked, he scrambled away to get himself from breathing room. Alright, this was going to be tougher than he thought. Riptide was sharp as hell, but a month of haphazard beatdowns didn''t give him the muscle needed to just cut straight through the hide and fat. And their numbers made it hard to focus on just one.


    He eyed the ground, soaked from their appearance of the sealizards. Then again, maybe not. It wasn''t a lot, but it was enough. That''s one of the first things Shiro drummed into him. In battle, with everything from time to resources, that''s all you ever need. Just enough.


    With a simple command to push, the river water rose out of the cracks in the road and shot into the monsters faces with the force of a fire hose. Too slow to dodge, most of the sealizards were knocked on their asses, the rest were pushed into the road dividers. Percy went after them first.


    He managed to kill two of them while they were still dazed, shoving Riptide into their throats where their hide was thinner. It was easy enough to stay out of their reach, they were big and slow, and he could easily keep them at bay with jets of water. The problem was whenever he got close. One of the sealizards clipped him on the shoulder, and its scaly fist felt like a bowling ball.


    He drew on the water, but rather than aim it at the lizards, he had it wash over his body. Instantly he felt stronger, faster and lighter. His senses sharpened, and the already-slow sealizards might as well have been moving in slow motion. He punched the nearest one in the eye causing it to rupture. With a crunch, he drove his sword into the side of its head, which would have been unwise if it had been a kind of animal because he could get himself stuck in its thick skull. But this was a monster, its entire body dissolved upon death. Once it was dead, he could move on immediately.


    The final three were simple to take care of after that. He tried to keep the collateral damage to a minimum, but he couldn''t help but use the cars and road dividers as cover. The monsters had absolutely zero restraint and buried their limbs in the concrete and metals. It was laughably easy to just pivot to the side as they punched and chop them up while they were trying to free themselves. He could only apologize in his head for the people who wouldn''t be able to go to work for a while.


    Within a minute, the rest of them were dead.


    Adrenalin left his system, the water dried off. The fatigue from the burst of action quickly set in. He spent less than five minutes fighting, and his arms already started to ache, and his breathing was heavy. Shirou''s ass kickings were brutal, but they were long and sustained, it was meant to sharpen his instincts and raise his experience. Short bursts of combat took more of a toll on him, especially if he used his water powers, but in a built-up area like this he wanted to finish things quickly.


    BZZT


    Not bad. Remember, you don''t have to concern yourself with mortals, I''ll take care of them. Focus on protecting yourself for now and getting to camp. Also, it seems that the monsters have noticed you''re no longer protected and are coming more vigorously. This text is probably not helping. Remember, if you want to quit, just get in a taxi, or call me. I''ll kill all of the monsters once you get in.


    BZZT


    By the way, according to Grover, those monsters were called Cetae, Cetus singular. Their kind shouldn''t bother you again once you''re on land.


    BZZT


    Police are coming. Run.


    As if on cue, sirens were faintly heard in the distance. Percy huffed, looking out into the sprawling metropolis ahead, the dozens of miles he had to travel. "And yet somehow, my math exam went worse than this."

 Chapter 361 - My SI Stash #61 - Its a big, fat, f.u.c.k.i.n.g joke by West-Door-88 (YoungJustice)

    -"Funniest shit I''ve ever seen" the fic/


    Synopsis: Philosophers in the past and present have talked about free-will. Personally I believe that we have free-will, but when you wake up in a world where you know that your will is not yours, when you know that somebody is choosing every move and every thought you make, you are bound to get a little bit crazy. That''s why I turned this miserable place into a sick comedy. (SI-OC)


    Rated: M


    Words: 12K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13613302/1/It-s-a-big-fat-f.u.c.k.i.n.g-joke (West-Door-88)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    My name¡­ is Gary Sage.


    ¡­


    At least my name isn''t ''Dildoface''


    That was the first shred of thought that went through my head as I ate a hamburger with my foster father on the other side, who wolfed down on his burger. I was at the age of six at that time and I knew something was up with my father Vic Sage.


    He wasn''t bad or anything. He didn''t beat me and roared at me to get another bottle of alcohol; he didn''t neglect me as if I were some excess luggage. He took genuine care in raising me up, and he had an honest job as a journalist. But if there was something that was off about Vic Sage, it would be the way he sometimes looked at me, which was filled with sadness and guiltiness. Not to mention his nightly activities where he would go out after checking that I was asleep.


    Too bad he didn''t know I had a few surveillance cameras placed in my own room.


    Why do I have surveillance cameras in my own room? Well¡­ my development of paranoia helped.


    Paranoia was something that first came to me when I realized that there was an indestructible man flying around with a red cape and shooting lasers out of his eyes; a vigilante in a bat-themed costume with some highly advanced tech; a beautiful woman wearing something a stripper would wear and fighting head on with monsters that looked undefeatable. I instantly knew I would get f.u.c.k.i.e.d over by this world if I didn''t keep my guard up. F.u.c.k.i.n.g DC¡­ f.u.c.k.i.n.g heroes and villains¡­


    What earth am I even in? How many earths are there in the first place? F.u.c.k.i.n.g hell, I should''ve read more comics when I had the chance. Yeah, yeah, I''m a reincarnation, yada yada yada, f.u.c.k off now will you?


    I''m fifteen now, and I know for sure that my parents in this world had some weird ass genes in them that passed on to me because Jesus almighty I was ripped and I enjoyed exercises.


    Can you believe that? I was a social butterfly nerd back in my original birthplace and I hated doing anything that has to do with stepping out of my blanket. Now? I do a 30 minute yoga routine the minute I wake up and perform about a thousand stomach crunches.


    But I wasn''t complaining. Exercising was good for your body, and having a fit body was important for survival.


    ¡­


    At least we aren''t in Gotham city. I doubt I could keep my sanity.


    Anyways¡­ where was dad?


    I had no idea he would drive a taxi late at night and boy it is f.u.c.k.i.n.g hard to run and jump from roof to roof to keep up with him.


    By the time the cab came to a stop, I was caked in sweat, dust, and feathers from the f.u.c.k.i.n.g pidgeons that flew right through me when I jumped from one roof to the next.


    It was a miracle I was still alive.


    ¡­


    Okay, dad''s out of the ca¡ª WHERE THE F.U.C.K DID HIS FACE GO?!


    My jaws dropped in pure surprise as I nearly dropped my binocular.


    Instead of the strawberry-blond hair I used to see everyday, Vic Sage now had blue hair, a blue overcoat, and a fedora.


    ¡­


    BUT WHERE IS HIS FACE?!


    His eyes, his lips, his nose¡­! Everything seemed to melt down and become stuck with his face¡­! Jesus H. Christ! This was f.u.c.k.i.n.g horrifying! Was this the Matrix? Is there a f.u.c.k.i.n.g around here somewhere? That would explain the existence of DC heroes and villains lurking around this shithole¡­


    ¡­


    Is that even dad?


    Well¡­ physical structure-wise, I would have to begrudgingly say ''yes''. That is dad.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The hell is he going?


    The hell is this place?!


    Chinese mobsters?! This is the exact place I don''t want to be in!


    ¡­


    But I was mesmerized by my dad''s fighting skills, I mean¡­ I know my dad was ripped when we both worked out in the gym or in the park, but man that punch could break every single tooth in a human''s jaw.


    Can I do that?


    Eh, better not.


    ¡­


    Yeah, I''m definitely not going to do that.


    ¡­


    Is he¡­ dead¡­? Yeah, obviously. You don''t get back up after that cracking sound comes from your neck.


    ¡­


    You know what¡­? This is getting awfully enjoyable to watch. If I only had some popcorn and sprite???


    ¡­


    When did that sniper guy appear? And how in the f.u.c.k.i.n.g hell didn''t he saw me? Me, who is currently only a few meters away from him?! Oh no¡­! Oh hell no! Although this might not be quite realistically real ''real'', I don''t want some Chinese asshole(this is not being racist. This is a factual statement of me describing an asshole who is apparently Chinese) killing off somebody that has taken care for me and loved me!


    Sooooo¡­ that was my first kill and the way the gangster died was¡­ pretty pathetic.


    I had no idea a shard of glass would be so effective up against a man''s ass that he would squeal a soprano and jump downwards, headfirst.


    ¡­


    To be fair, it went up 3 inches.


    So down he went onto the hard concrete floor as his head cracked open like an egg and the first reaction I showed was to wince and put my right hand to my mouth, as if a dainty lady would do when she gossips with her friends. But¡­ I had to stifle my laughter from coming out.


    The position of the dead body was quite hilarious when I took a second look. His face was caved into the ground and his butt was sticking up in the air with the self-improvised glass dildo. And¡­ seeing it from so far up from where I was spying on my dad, I easily ignored the blood and the gore on the floor, but rather focused my attention to the funny pose of the dead gangster.


    So I laughed, without noticing that my dad had already rounded up the Chinese gangsters 3 minutes ago and was staring with an extremely good poker face in my direction.


    "So¡­ is this how you publish your kickass stories in your newspapers?"


    "..."


    "Are you ever going to talk?"


    "..."


    "Look¡­ I know you''re dad okay?"


    "... no I''m not"


    "Dad, that''s the lamest denial I''ve ever heard. I literally followed you all the way up to here"


    "..."


    "Oh come on! Isn''t this the time you get your facial features back, get rid of your dye and costume, then have a serious conversation with your son about killing Chinese gangsters?"


    "Oh fine then!" Cried my dad as he sprayed some kind of weird chemicals all over his face.


    "What are you¡­ ohhhhhhh" I exclaimed in pure surprise. "It was a mask¡­"


    It was a mask indeed as it peeled off from my dad. Surprisingly, the weird gaseous chemicals also turned his hair and clothing back to normal.


    "Gary, we need to talk"


    "No shit , is that what you''ve been doing this whole entire time?!"


    "Don''t talk to me like that!"


    "... okay, I do apologize for saying the s-word"


    "Isn''t there anything else you should be apologizing for?"


    "Uhhh¡­ disregarding the value of my life?"


    My dad actually blinked before talking again.


    "Well¡­ yeah, that"


    We sat together in silence as the cab played on the crappy disco music.


    "Oh, I''m also concerned by your lack of respect for life. You''ve been showing that tendency for some time"


    That is¡­ true. I saw this world as fiction and everybody in it didn''t feel quite real to me. Although I knew that this world was real to me and having people in capes was a reality, the fact that this was a comic book plot always pulled me back into a state of uncaringness for many things.


    "Come on dad!" I whined. "The dude was going to blow your head off with a sniper, and as far as I know, your only ability is to use some martial arts and make yourself look creepy as f.u.c.k. You can''t avoid a sniper bullet dad, you could''ve died! Of course I feel no guilt for saving your life!"


    "Also, I''m quite shocked that you laughed after killing somebody"


    "... okay, I will admit that was kinda psychopathic of me, but you should''ve seen what I''ve seen! The dude died hilariously! His butt was¡­ his butt was¡­ haha¡­ Pehahahahahahahahaha¡­! Ha¡­ ha¡­ ¡­ sorry"


    Dad groaned as he slammed his forehead down on his handle.


    "F.u.c.k¡­ it feels wrong to even scold you for what you did¡­ Since I''ve had my share of killing¡­"


    "Do you feel anything yourself?"


    "... some stress relief I guess¡­ no guilt since I was doing the right thing¡­"


    "... speaking of guilt, when are you going to tell me how you adopted me?"


    "Later Gary. Later"


    "..."


    "..."


    "... can you teach me how to fight?"


    "Wh¡ª fine, I guess"


    "Really? Just like that?"


    "I want to shield you away from the world I live in Gary¡­ I really want to, but after seeing you up there, laughing your head off after killing somebody? ¡­ I don''t know what to think anymore. I love you and all, but¡­ do I need to get a therapist?"


    "Absolutely not!" I cut in. "They only make shit worse!"


    "Of course they do" Murmured my dad as he banged his head one more time on the steering wheel, ignoring the fact that I cussed. "And I don''t think your tendency to devalue life would drop¡­ The least I can do to you is to make sure you don''t make a habit out of killing or having fun while doing it¡­"


    "Soooo¡­ you''ve given up on my lack of empathy¡­? Sorta?"


    "Well¡­" Dad scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "Yeah¡­ I mean, you''re not that unsympathetic. Heck, you''re a social butterfly in your school unlike me. Also, I don''t really value the lives of those who turned to the side of evil and that''s why I don''t have any guilt from taking their lives¡­ I do what I must, to protect the innocent"


    I listened with interest as I took off my shoes and sat cross legged. Similar to his, my philosophy with dealing with criminals was the same, but¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Knowing the truth that this isn''t a ''real'' world helps me to hurt others without remorse.


    "So, why does that have to do with training me how to fight?"


    "Somebody else saw you when you killed that sharpshooter"


    "... really?"


    "You were laughing really loudly"


    "Well¡­ at least they don''t have a picture of me¡­ right¡­?"


    "They already have I''m afraid"


    "F.u.c.k"


    "Don''t worry, it was dark so I they haven''t got your face¡­ but I have to make sure you can protect yourself. Good thing you already have a strong and a flexible body, it wouldn''t take long to train you how to fight"


    "... I would prefer a double barrel shotgun?"


    "... yeah, firearms could work too"


    "You weren''t joking when you said you would prefer a double barrell shotgun" Grumbled my dad as I pumped my shotgun as two empty pellets dropped to the floor. Man, I felt like James Bond.


    As for hand to hand combat, I learned the basics from dad. Always look at the person''s eyes and chest. That''s where the intentions and movement start from.


    Next, using the environment to my advantage.


    I''ve been learning that for the last few weeks until I picked up using a revolver. Nearly blew away my dad''s fingers when I didn''t know they were already loaded. We changed the cartridges to rubber since they''ll still hurt like a bitch.


    As for the shotgun¡­ I have no idea what I should change it''s cartridges to¡­


    "Have any idea what I should change them into?"


    "Rubber?"


    "Dad, we already used that for my revolver. Can we get a bit more creative?"


    "The reasoning is quite illogical, but I''ll accept if you come up with a better option"


    "Tear gas?"


    My dad blinked by my suggestion and then sent me a genuine grin.


    "That''ll work for sure"


    "Get that thing away from me!"


    "It''s not dangerous or anything! It''s just a chemical concoction that would make sure the mask stays on! Gary, GARY! Come back here!"


    "How do you know that chemical isn''t some kind of long-term poison that would slowly kill you and give you cancer!"


    "... I-I''m not 100% sure¡­"


    "Dad, you''re probably one of the most paranoid guys in Hub city, how can you NOT consider such a fact?"


    "It is only poisonous to lethal wounds¡­ but¡­ that information only came from the notebook of the experiment¡­ But I do trust Tot¡­"


    "Thot?"


    "Tot! Not ''thot''! He''s my mentor!"


    "... who f.u.c.ks with you? Haha, dad I''m just joking, no wait, don''t point that at me! It was just a joke! That''s loaded with a real bulle¡ª"


    BANG


    I screamed as I was flung across the room as the steel bullet was stuck on my bulletproof vest. Then, I started to curse like a sailor as my dad laughed.


    "How does it feel like to get hit with a bullet?"


    "F.u.c.k.i.n.g¡­ HURTS!"


    "No shit son"


    "Coming to think of it, I never got your name"


    My dad paused before speaking.


    "You know my name, Vic Sage"


    "... holy shit dad, is that not even your real name?"


    "It''s a long story okay?!" Yelled my dad as we drove through the streets.


    It has been a full month since I''ve killed, and when my dad and I noticed that the Chinese mobsters started to get quiet we decided to investigate what they knew and hopefully, get rid of the photo of me laughing. But, we both knew the probability that we could take back that photo is close to a freaking zero.


    We debated on whether I should stay in the panic room while he went to investigate, or if I should tag along with him. Dad and I agreed on the fact that it would be safer if I stayed by his side.


    Then came the problem of not knowing what the people called my dad. I couldn''t just call him dad now can I?


    Unfortunately, I have only seen a few of his appearances in the newspapers and I was too busy learning how to fight to do a proper research.


    "They call me the Question"


    "So¡­ I''ll call you Q?"


    "That''ll work, what do you want me to call you?"


    I blinked, then threw my head backwards and gave a good roaring laugh. Dad wasn''t fazed, since I''ve been doing that every now and then when I learned Superman existed. I laughed my head off when I heard that the Joker was arrested. I laughed my heart out when I saw masked freaks in the streets. I laughed and laughed and laughed in front of the television screen. When my dad asked me what the punchline was, I simply told him what Charlie Chaplin told the world.


    "Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in a long-shot"


    My dad understood me instantly after I said those words.


    Now I was laughing because I was becoming what I dreaded of becoming: a part of this world''s secret society, having my own story, and becoming an entertainment for those who would most certainly read my expeditions.


    I have already decided what I would be called. Me, an entertainment. Well fine then. I played the part of a fool many times in my original world, what''s one more performance going to do?


    "Call me the Comedian" I replied as I flicked a yellow smiley face into the air.


    "How fitting" Murmured the Question as yellow gas began to fill our car.


    Just because Question wears skin, does not mean that his son would do the same. It was creepy and I disliked it. It didn''t fit me. It fit the Question a lot more.


    So, with a bulletproof vest, night-vision goggles, and several armor I walked side to side with my dad with a simple smile on our faces(although Question''s face was unseeable) humming crappy music from some bad pop artist.


    Before we decided on intruding, we did some homework on the place we were going to invade. Apparently, there was an unused hatch somewhere around¡­


    "Ah-ha!" Exclaimed the Question as the hatch opened with a click. Meanwhile, I was checking our back making sure that there was nobody.


    "Come, Comedian" Said the Question as he rubbed his hands together. "Let us find where these questions lead to shall we?"


    I gave a grin as we went inside.


    I shot a guy in the d.i.c.k.


    Sure it was a d.i.c.k move, but at least I made the pellet bounce on the floor before it got to the man''s crotch.


    He did scream like a little bitch.


    "Here comes the punchline!" I roared as a fist with a brass-knuckle smashed into a guy''s face causing him to lose a couple of teeth. Meanwhile, the Question was handling things quite well on his own as he threw a chair at a group of men who were firing from their machine guns before rolling away.


    Grunting, I hid behind a wooden box that was filled with toy dolls that had a little package of drugs. Taking out the flashbang, I threw it towards the people who were shooting at us without looking.


    "Did you throw it well?" Asked the Question.


    "Wait for it¡­" Then with a loud bang, a cries of "ÃHÄãÂè"(not mud grass horse) spread out like wildfire.


    "Now" I said as I threw a smoke bomb towards them. I signaled the Question to retreat as I began shooting tear gas towards the billowing smoke and any signs of movement.


    "Nice" Spoke the Question as he cleared our way, punching and kicking down gangsters who were in our way of retreat.


    "You got what you came here for?" I yelled over the noise. Q signalled me a yes. With a nod, we ran out as the Question paused to take a few photos while nobody was noticing.


    "For your¡­ you know, work?" I asked cautiously.


    "Indeed" He replied as we fled through the night. "The Chinese are going to spend a few months recovering after I let this big article blow up"


    "The photo?"


    "I checked, it luckily doesn''t have your face"


    "But it''s still there right?"


    "Yes, it''s now impossible to erase the trace of it since it''s already uploaded and shared amongst others"


    I cursed.


    "This is so coming back to bite my ass someday"


    "It unfortunately is¡­ but we are going to be prepared for the day it does"


    I sighed.


    My future is already half f.u.c.k.i.e.d up. I wouldn''t be surprised to meet with new shit that comes up tomorrow.


    The day after the Chinese were the Irish. The next episode after the Irish were the Russians. The week after that was a bunch of American gangsters. Then we figured out the corrupt government official behind this shithole where he orchestrated a steady stream of income into his wallet.


    The Question and I stripped him n.a.k.e.d, sparing his boxers and hung him by his ankles using a crane that was being used to build a hospital which it''s real purpose was to wash the politician''s money along with having a new way of smuggling drugs.


    A reporter named Vic Sage reported all of this shitstorm in the newspaper after the authorities arrested him for carrying illegal firearms.


    One sad thing I learned while dealing with crime was that Hub city was notorious for having more crime than in Gotham city. At least this place wasn''t infested with psychos and named villains who killed hundreds within 3 hours.


    Slowly, but surely we were tearing down the crime organizations of Hub city.


    While doing so, I managed to upgrade my double barrel shotgun. Now, the big beauty was way larger, way fancier, and way cooler. Plus, I had multiple types of cartridges, while rubber was the most common one. When using teargas, we found out that it caused too much smoke for our liking, so we decided to use them when the situation asked for it.


    Also, my outfit changed and¡­ to be honest, I ran out of ideas, so I copied the costume right off from a game character ''Graves'', with the mask of the Comedian, a.k.a. Edward Blake. Heck, I even reforged and reformed my double barrel shotgun into something that looked exactly like what Graves used. But that wasn''t the highlight of my costume. The yellow little badge, was the star of my outfit.


    All I needed was the little yellow badge. That was all I needed to show the world who I was. Now in the streets of Hub city, one could easily see the bright yellow smiley face paintings on the wall with the sentences that promised the people of Hub city that a brighter tomorrow was coming.


    I didn''t plan it, but the media took my name ''Comedian'' as a philosophical stance, stating that I was a hero who wanted the people in Hub city to smile from the slowly dropping crime rates and corruption.


    ¡­


    I sighed instead of laughing.


    This¡­ hero gig started off not as a sense of justice, not as an impulse that was made when I saw the darkest side of humanity. It started out as a simple curiosity to see what secrets my dad was keeping from me, then as I went deeper, deeper into the rotten filth of the abyss of drugs and child p.o.r.nography¡­


    ¡­


    Even if this is a bullshit world, there is a certain level of cruelty and insanity a person can unleash into the world. What I''ve seen, some people certainly crossed that line a long time ago and I was more than happy to push them back and deliver karma.


    So here I was, in broad daylight watching a bank robber holding his glock against a crying hostage''s temple. Currently, we were at the ceiling, hanging from a single strand of rope.


    I looked at the Question. He stared right back at me¡­ or I think he did. Hard to tell when a man has no facial features. We nodded at the same time as we dropped in, me shooting a smoke screen from my double barrel shotgun and the Question landing straight on top of the guy with the hostage.


    Then¡­ we proceeded to clean up the robbers¡­ until a meta-human came in with a powerful swing of his fist sending my dad flying sideways.


    "MOTHERF.U.C.KER!"


    To be honest, I should''ve looked at my opponent before I pressed the trigger, because the rubber pellet harmlessly bounced off from the giant yeti I just shot.


    "... you know what, I apologize"


    That didn''t work as I only felt pain as I temporarily blacked out.


    Seconds later, I saw the Question staring at me with concern¡­? I hope that is a concerned face.


    "You alright Comedian?"


    "I¡­ wanna kick that guy''s ass so bad"


    "Let''s do it then"


    With a roar I started to pump my shotgun and started to send out an improvised teargas. Teargas that the Question and I weren''t affected by since we already had the immunity to it. Also, they didn''t cause too much smoke, which was helpful.


    Our strategy here was not to harm him physically, but to have him inhale the foul gas that makes people cough, cry, and become vulnerable. Then, we''ll deal with this yeti physically.


    Damnit, I didn''t see that he threw the desk at me.


    Groaning, I sat up as I pushed the desk out of my way only to see that the Question was beating the shit out of the yeti. Then, the Yeti managed to push him away for me to get a good look at his face. He was crying as he rubbed his eyes, which was an act that made the itching a lot more worse. Growling I added in some new cartridges, knowing that these couldn''t possibly kill the yeti. Also, most of the civilians were out of the way, so I was positive that nobody was going to suffer from this little gunfire of mine.


    "Heads up!" I roared with a nasty grin as I pulled the trigger. Then, the whole bank was covered with a blinding light and a howl from the Yeti.


    As the Yeti, who was known as the ''Snowman'', was taken away by the custody, the Question was in deep thought.


    "Is there a problem Q?"


    "Look at this"


    I raised an eyebrow as I watched the television in the bank as a few police officers tipped their hats towards us.


    "Jesus¡­ that''s no coincidence" I murmured. On the screen, Gotham city had turned into the arctic with a few people encased within ice by , Central city was terrorized by Captain Cold who I still have no idea how he could fight with the fastest man alive, and Starling city had¡­


    "Icicle Jr.?" I exclaimed, confused. "Does that mean there is a Sr.?"


    "They do¡­ there is something sinister going on here¡­"


    "Jeezes Q" I snorted. "Four places attacked with four ice-themed villains¡­ it would''ve been perfect if there was Killer Frost¡­"


    "It appears that she had made an appearance too" Spoke Q, looking up from the device I gave him.


    I once criticized my dad that he sometimes relied too much on a ''safe'' approach on collecting and analyzing information. Even if the Illuminati was tracking every move we make through our electronic devices, I convinced my dad to have a device. So after the persuasion, I gave him a device that I improvised off from a crime lord who we successfully sent to jail.


    I raised an eyebrow and grinned.


    "Speak of the devil¡­ who apprehended her?"


    "Aquaman did, in the middle of the ocean"


    I gave a bark of laughter.


    "You''d be suicidal to cause trouble in the King''s territory. They all planned to be apprehended¡­"


    "This is going to be bigger than I expected¡­ I''ll have to contact the JL"


    "The Justice League?" I asked and when the Question gave a small nod I sighed then smiled bitterly.


    "Things always get bigger don''t they¡­"


    They did get bigger and I laughed so hard when we all got together.


    Green Arrow, Batman, Flash, Aquaman, and the not so famous Question¡­


    ¡­


    And their five sidekicks, or according to my words, prot¨¦g¨¦s.


    ¡­


    "So¡­ can anyone tell me what''s the joke here¡­?" Said Kid Flash, scratching his head uncomfortably. "Jeezes¡­ he''s freaking me out¡­"


    "Can''t tell for sure" Spoke the Question scratching his head in confusion. "Usually Comedian''s punchlines come after his laughs"


    "We don''t need no¡­ education~" I started to sing.


    Everybody stared at me as if I''ve grown another limb as I kept on singing.


    "We don''t need no thought control~"


    Oh when was it¡­ when could I read others so easily and perceive things so naturally¡­?


    I kept on singing, but it turned into a humming as we got closer to our destination.


    Gotta say, DC was hot.


    ¡­


    Gotta say, I think I missed what the Martian said.


    Gotta say¡­ Speedy looks pissed. Just as I expected. Make yourselves at home? Hah! Of course they would grant us full access in the tiny corner of this whole building. In their eyes we were still kids and it looks like Speedy was entering puberty.


    I was too busy singing to hear the commotion, but I believe I timed this perfectly. Just as Green Arrow was about to call out to his prot¨¦g¨¦ I shouted.


    "TEACHER!" Everybody jumped and even Speedy turned his scowling face towards me in¡­ interest.


    "Leave that kid alone~!"


    ¡­


    "Well, there it is¡­ the Comedian''s punchline" Spoke the Question dryly as he chuckled. "Gotta say, I didn''t know you would predict that much"


    "Oh please" I cackled. "I''m lucky that I nailed it"


    Nobody clapped for my performance, but this young fool keeps on dancing.


    "I can''t believe this!" M.o.a.ned Kid Flash as he started to move back and forth at a really high velocity. "How do we know we''re ready if they treat us like¡­ like-like sidekicks?!"


    "Not sidekicks" I spoke up as I licked a lollipop. "Children. They view us as children"


    The three looked at me as if I spoke something crazy so I kept on talking after sucking the sugar stick.


    "Well¡­ that''s all I can come up with. I mean, first of all, they feel obliged to take us away from a bloody battlefield"


    "That''s nonsense!" Yelled the Kid Flash glaring at me. "Flash and I went on super dangerous missi¡ª"


    "Missions that he was absolutely sure that would cause you no harm. Missions that would guarantee your safety"


    "Wha¡ª he would never do that!"


    "He just did. All of our mentors did, and you know it"


    "But still" Murmured Aqualad as he looked distraught. "I believed that my king would have faith in me¡­"


    "Like I said" I said again, waving my hand around. "They see us as children. Hot-headed, sometimes impulsive, many times irrational, highly emotionally compromised, bunch of hormones, yada yada yada. Of course they don''t trust us with their secrets that could probably match the nuclear codes inside the president''s football. They sure as hell aren''t going to risk such high valued information getting leaked by some children"


    Grunting I bit through the candy as it cracked from the pressure between my teeth.


    "Believe me guys, this kind of pisses me off too. Being not part of¡­ that Justice League while I''m down here busting my balls by¡­ well, busting other people''s balls"


    "What¡­ are they hiding from us?" Spoke the Atlantean sadly.


    "I have a better question" Spoke Robin as his face got a shade darker. "Why didn''t we leave with Speedy¡­?"


    Oh great. Now they''re all glum. Until Aqualad spoke up.


    "What is¡­ project Cadmus?"


    "I don''t know¡­" Answered Robin before his face lit up with a mischievous grin. "But I can sure find out"


    As the three walked towards the computer, I simply pulled out my tablet and searched up Cadmus, only to find results of a genetic research facility that was conveniently in DC. And it was currently¡­ oh¡­ that''s¡­ oh f.u.c.k you fate.


    "Wait¡­ a-are you going to Cadmus? Because if you''re going, I''m going!" Came the excited voice of KF. I sighed as I walked towards the group.


    "Besides" I spoke dryly as I flipped my tablet so the others could see the contents on the screen. "We have a reason to go there right now"


    "Cadmus building is on¡­ fire¡­?"


    "The perfect excuse is set" I said grinning ear to ear, but a bit sinisterly. "Lights are on, the audience are waiting¡­ So¡­ what would it be boys? Should we finish investigating Cadmus before the JL, or should we suck our thumbs, sit in the corner, and be stuck as a ''sidekick''?"


    Kid Flash got to the burning building before the rest of us got there. It was a good thing that he got there first as a large explosion sent two scientists falling from the building. But lacking strength, he slipped and fell, his fingers catching him just in time from falling to the ground.


    Robin saved him with some cool-ass rope that could stick onto pretty much anything.


    What the hell is Robin anyways? A member of the circus?


    "Need a lift?" Asked Aqualad.


    "No need" I said as I tucked my shotgun behind my back. "I have my own tools to let me reach high places"


    I started to climb rapidly up the walls with the gloves I managed to loot from a villain who used some various high-tech. Apparently, he didn''t had a jetpack which resulted him from falling off an abandoned building that was used for human trafficking.


    Splat.


    ¡­


    Oh, and I still have no idea how the hell these gloves work in the first place. I may be working on computer engineering, but I am far off from understanding the technology martians and batman use.


    Maybe Robin can teach me.


    "Found anything fishy?" I spoke as I made myself at home in the research lab.


    "Nothing at the moment¡­" Spoke Robin furiously hacking into the Cadmus facility.


    "Too small" I spoke to myself quietly. "With a facility the size like this, there couldn''t be much going on¡­"


    So, curious to see what was around, I walked around and just by pure accident, I saw something and I would never forget that day I saw something that was not human.


    ¡­


    Sure, J''ohn wasn''t a human himself, but to actually see a bipedal creature that might be not on our side¡­ sent shivers down my spine. The creature got into the elevator, and the doors slid shut.


    "Guys¡­?" I called out. "I saw something that was very strange¡­?"


    "Did the elevator just work?" Asked Kid Flash as he poked his head towards where I just witnessed the strange creature. "Elevators should be locked down when a fire like this happens"


    "Strange¡­" Commented Robin as he walked up to the elevator before looking into his hacked information.


    "Thought so¡­ this is a high-express elevator. This definitely does not belong in a two story building"


    "... seems like we have to sink" I spoke as I put my shotgun behind my back. "Excuse me boys, humph!"


    I managed to force the door open without much difficulty and I found myself staring at the black abyss that seemed to continue down forever.


    "Ladies first?" I asked Robin while grinning.


    Grumbling, Robin shot out his gadget as he lowered himself as far as he could go. And the three of us grabbed onto the rope and followed him down.


    "This is¡­ the most deformed stage I''ve performed on" I spoke with fascination as I peered into the cylindrical container which had a creature that was generating mass amounts of electricity.


    Inside the room we were in, there were hundreds and hundreds of those electric monkeys that I am seeing right now. Cadmus¡­ how fitting.


    "What do you mean by stage?" Spoke up Kid Flash with narrowed eyes as Robin tried his best to gain as much information he could. "You make this sound as if this is a-a¡ª"


    "A standup comedy? Then you''re pretty right" I spoke with a grin. "Oh don''t look at me like that. I have my own reasons why I treat my life as a joke"


    "I didn''t mean that!" Kid Flash said, suddenly surprised that I kind of insulted myself. "But¡­ why would you treat your life as a joke?"


    "Because it is one KF" I replied with a sad chuckle. "It''s just one big damn joke¡­ you-you wouldn''t get it"


    "I expected something fun from you" Huffed Kid Flash as he crossed his arms. "I mean, you''re called the Comedian for Christ sake. I watched you on television and you were pretty hilarious with your jokes!"


    "Shush!" Shushed Robin as he took his head out of his device. "Keep it down you two will you?"


    "Sorry mom" I said, putting my hands up in mock surrender.


    "Hey! I''m serious! There''s so much weird stuff in this place¡­ Each level has its own gimmick and¡­ wait, they have this thing called ''Project: Kr''"


    "... what"


    "H-hey! Watch it man!" Yelled Kid Flash as I budged in through the group as I stared hard at the screen.


    "Where is it" I said, my voice getting serious and a bit panicky. "Where is this Project: Kr?"


    "You know something about it? Well, it might take awhile to¡ª"


    "Don''t move!" Came the sudden voice behind us, and I was already in motion with my shotgun pointing directly where the sound came from.


    "Wait¡­ Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Comedian?"


    "Guardian" I replied growling. This wasn''t good. Along with the hero there were Cadmus''s creations prowling along with him, and the small little one perched up on the hero''s shoulder didn''t look friendly at all. "What are you doing here?"


    "I''m the security and you happen to be trespassing"


    I was ready to pull the trigger before the big guy said something.


    "I''ll call the Justice League. We can figure this out"


    Wait. What?


    My mind started to accelerate as my logic and my intuition started to lead me to my next move. There was no way the ''security'' of this sinister lab would volunteer to call the JL. Of course, there were various reasons behind his actions, but only one seemed to make sense: logically and intuitively.


    "You think the League''s gonna¡ª"


    Before Kid Flash finished his sentence, I had already drawn out my revolver and shot down the little guy that was perched on the Guardian''s shoulder.


    The next sequence of events were a blur as the hero suddenly clutched his head in pain as I waited for him to snap out of it.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Wait¡­ rubber pellets¡­ F.U.C.K! The little creep on the Guardian''s shoulder ain''t dead yet!


    "SHIT! I roared, as I pumped my shotgun. "RUN FOR IT!"


    Then the mayhem happened.


    "Kill them" Roared the Guardian as the creatures leaped in command. "No merc¡ª"


    A brass knuckled fist met his chin, but damn was that part guarded well, but I didn''t stop there. I now knew for certain that the Guardian was under influence from that psychic genome monkey, so I was going to try my best and knock him out or keep him tied up.


    Behind me¡­ the others were doing well for themselves. With Robin''s smoke-bomb, Kid Flash''s speed, and Aqual¡ª


    SMACK


    F.u.c.k.i.n.g¡­ should''ve paid more attention to this guy in front of me¡­


    As I went rolling across the floor, I growled and shot a pellet from my shotgun and the Guardian raised his shield to intercept the bullet.


    Psych, it''s a concoction to create foam. Lots and lots of foam that hardens pretty quick too. Thankfully, it worked as always and with that, I could easily tip the Guardian''s balance with a dropkick that sent him skidding across the floor.


    And¡­ It looks like I''m the last one to make a run.


    Blasting the albino monkeys with my shotgun with lethal pellets, I quickly ran backwards as the shock from the bullets helped me move faster.


    "Come on!" I yelled out grinning. "Come on! Bring in some more! Bring in some more yah twats!"


    "Comedian!" Came the yell of Aqualad and just a few meters behind me were the three boys who were waiting for me.


    "Coming!" I yelled over the gunfire as I fired my last shot. Then, I jumped and rolled safely into the elevator.


    "So¡­" I asked Robin, still panting as the adrenaline ran off. "Did you find where Project: Kr is?"


    Robin gave a grim nod as he pressed the button 52. Then, he opened his mouth.


    "So¡­ Do you know anything about Project: Kr?"


    "Not a clue" I answered with a slight smile as I pulled out my canteen from my back. "It''s just theories that are highly probable"


    "So what''s the theory?" Asked Aqualad with a concerned face. "You seemed¡­ horrified after hearing it"


    "Kr. There could be many things that mean that, but in this world, in this sinister place, I could only think of Krypton"


    That made everybody stop and think.


    "Think about it. They''re building an army, large and powerful enough to probably sack a third-world country. Then who would be their biggest threat? Answer: Superman"


    "But the every member in the League is a threat to¡ª"


    "Planet Earth wouldn''t have existed if we didn''t have Superman" I said, cutting into Kid Flash''s sentence. "The dude is just that powerful and that much righteous. I''m afraid¡­ I''m afraid that Cadmus is making some kind of weapon that could counter Superman"


    "We have to contact the League" Spoke Aqualad. "This is getting too deep and too big"


    "Yeah man¡­" I said agreeing with the Atlanteen. "But you know what¡­? I tried to contact the Question via this tablet the minute I saw that mass army of genomes. Problem is¡­"


    "We''re out of signal¡­ damnit¡­!" Spoke Robin as he attempted to reach out to Batman.


    "Yeah¡­ the best we could do is see what Project: Kr is and destroy it if possible"


    Then the doors opened and we were greeted by a sight of red disgusting flesh that covered everything.


    "Sooo¡­ left or right?" Asked KF. Well, neither looked nice to me¡­ but if I were to guess where Project: Kr is¡­


    "Go right" I said as the three suddenly turned their heads towards me for an explanation.


    "If you compare the two floors of left and right, you can see that the left has a¡­ bit of a depression and is smooth, which means that many people go through that corridor. On the other hand¡­ the right side is still bumpy and there are only little traces of erosion. Thus¡­"


    "Thus¡­?" Said Kid Flash waiting for me to finish my sentence.


    "Quack"


    "Quack?" Parroted KF confused. "What does that me¡ª"


    "It means duck" I said as I used my left arm to lower the speedster''s head as I fired a rubber pellet towards the creature I had seen in the elevator.


    ¡­


    Oh f.u.c.k me senseless, the dude has telekinesis that stopped my bullet.


    "Intrud¡ª"


    "F.U.C.K OFF!" I screamed as I switched into gaseous cartridges. "RAPID FIRE!"


    Once again, I was at the end of the line as the three ran towards the right corridor as I took my time to keep the telekinesis user away from us. Seems like a few worked as the creature inhaled a plume of black smoke, which was caused by the explosion of a few containers.


    "Go go go!" I roared occasionally shooting back at the ones who were following us. Ignoring the bewildered scientist who was pushed out of the way, I quickly jumped into the room of Project: Kr as Aqualad quickly shut the door as Robin typed in a few more commands in his gadget.


    "They can''t come in here now. We''re safe"


    "And trapped" I added dryly. "So¡­ this should be the room where Project: Kr is¡­"


    "Uh, guys?" Spoke Kid Flash as he called out to us. "You¡­ you might want to see this¡­"


    I turned and I faced¡­


    "What the f.u.c.k.i.n.g load of shitbags is this?!"


    Aqualad and Robin squint their eyes in displeasure for my uncensored cursing, but I wasn''t giving any attention to them. Because what I was seeing in front of me was a human male teenager who looked exactly like Superman¡­ just a tad bit younger.


    "Is that¡­ his son¡­?" I questioned with confusion.


    "No¡­ but this is insane¡­ It looks like this guy over here hasn''t even seen the outside world. Also receiving education from those genomes on top of him¡­? That''s freaky" Spoke Robin as he quickly read the computers. "Wait¡­ this is¡­ this is a clone of Superman¡­"


    "From using his DNA" Finished KF with an expression of horror. "What¡­ what do we do¡­?!"


    "Free him" Spoke Aqualad firmly. "We have to. We can''t just leave him like this"


    "Damn straight" I said, pumping my shotgun. "And get ready to fight. I don''t think those monkey''s education courses were about pro-JL"


    Robin nodded and cautiously pressed a series of buttons that made the capsule open and Project: Kr to open his eyes.


    "Sup" I said. In hindsight, that greeting sucked and that was probably why I was greeted with an incoming fist that would''ve lodged inside my guts, but my shotgun prevented him from doing so. However, the downside of not dying was¡­


    "You touched Sasha!" I gasped as I checked my girl. There was a little dent. "YAH TOUCHED MAH GIRL!"


    No mercy for this guy.


    Problem was, he threw an Atlanteen at me, which covered my vision to shoot the clone. I went down hard, and the last thing I saw was Project: Kr''s bare foot, which crashed down on my face, bloodying my nose.


    Ow.


    I woke up finding myself tied up into a position of a X. I frowned and lifted my head to see a man in a lab-coat, wearing glasses, and having a ponytail.


    "You know¡­" I said, not sure what to exactly say. "I usually let my mistress tie me up¡­ so if you let us go, I''ll try and make things not awkward when we meet again¡­?"


    "Turn it up"


    Then¡­ I was electrocuted. I don''t know how much time had passed when the dial was turned back down, but I remember being caked with sweat and pain, not to mention cursing a lot.


    "Son of a BITCH" I screamed as I tried my best to move around. "That HURT!"


    "I hope you four are now motivated to talk"


    "Yeah¡­?" I said, lifting my head up, staring straight at the doctor that put us into this shit. "Well¡­ I''m always motivated to talk¡­ that your mom''s a hoe"


    BTZZZZZ


    "ARG! CHRIST ON A STICK!"


    Then, I realized I was the only one who got electrocuted.


    "Hey, why am I the only one who got electrocuted?!"


    "Are you seriously questioning that after you insulted my mother?" Asked the scientist with a raised eyebrow.


    "Fair enough¡­" I sighed. "I''m sorry to leave out your daddy too. He had a great ass to fu-UCKKKK!"


    I heard a snicker. F.u.c.k you too Kid Flash.


    "*pant* *pant*... That all you got¡­?!" I said, taunting the scientist a bit more. "Because¡­ once I get out of here¡­ I''m going to shove that monkey¡­ on your shoulder¡­ up your f.u.c.k.i.n.g v.i.r.g.i.n ass¡­ while playing butt-v.i.r.g.i.nity musi-ICKKKKK!"


    "What in the world is butt-v.i.r.g.i.nity music¡­?" I heard Robin wondering out loud.


    "Hah¡­ oh f.u.c.k¡­" I gasped as steam was literally rising up from my burnt flesh. "I¡­ I¡­"


    "Do you have anything more to say?" Growled the doctor as he glared up at me with annoyance, but I was confident that he was pissed because I talked shit about his parents. "Who were you contacting?"


    "Wh-what¡­?"


    "Your tablet contained a 24 second long call with somebody! Who were you contacting, and what have you said to them?!"


    "That''s¡­ that''s¡­"


    "TELL ME!"


    Suddenly, the doors of the lab were ripped open by Project: Kr, as he came in marching through with a face that showed a lot of raging emotions. Too bad the doctor didn''t get the message of his creation.


    I couldn''t hear what was happening, but all I knew was that I was freed and I stalled enough time for us.


    "Did you already contact the League or the Question? I thought this place was out of signal!" Said Robin confused.


    "That was¡­ a fake call with a fake receiver" I said, still catching my breath. "I was planning to use that¡­ to extend his torture so that we could have the slightest possibility of having backup¡­ But I did not expect our savior to be you"


    "Just stay out of my way" Growled mister grouchy pants.


    "Say, what do you want us to call you?" I asked, getting curious.


    "... Superboy¡­" Said Superboy.


    "Very not original" I said lazily. "Ironheart, on the other hand, sounds nice"


    "Look! We can discuss this in later time! Let''s focus on escaping first!"


    "I''m not leaving without Sasha!" I yelled, slowly regaining my strength. "Where is she?"


    "Do you mean¡­ this firearm?" Asked Aqualad as he lifted up Sasha.


    "Yup. That''s her alright" I said with a smile as I finally stood up on my own without leaning on Superboy. "Now let''s get the f.u.c.k outta here"


    Blasting our way through a large number of genetically modified monkeys, I learned one thing about ''Superboy''. Cadmus hadn''t done a perfect job in completely replicating Superman. Superboy lacked a few talents that Superman could do, but his toughness and strength were the key role for us to get out of this messed up place.


    But then, the doctor had to turn into a blue monster.


    On the bright side, I managed to stuff his creation up his ass and finish it off with an explosive cartridge while playing some butt v.i.r.g.i.nity music.


    "Holy shit!" Yelled Kid Flash as he covered his mouth in shock. "You really stuffed in a¡­ a genome up his¡­ ass!"


    "I''m more shocked that there is a butt-v.i.r.g.i.nity music in the first place¡­" Shuddered Robin as he tried to devise a plan to defeat the doctor.


    "..." The look on Superboy''s face was pretty hilarious, but then again I felt bad for the kid since this was technically the first music he''d ever heard in his life. And it had to be a butt-v.i.r.g.i.nity music.


    "Oh, he''s getting back up" I said quietly as the blue monster glared in my direction. Specifically in my direction. I could imagine this going well.


    We brought the building down to defeat the monster and Superman did not look pleased. Nor did Batman and the other members of the League and my dad was nowhere in sight. After all, he liked working alone or with me.


    Well. I didn''t regret anything and the other''s speech seemed to convince the others that we were ready to take on the world.


    ¡­


    It''s a joke. Everything is, but at least I enjoyed today''s joke.

 Chapter 362 - My OC Stash #62 - Brocktons Celestial Forge by Lord Roustabout (Worm)

    -Didn''t expect Tinker MC to be this fun, every chapter has easily gripped me attention!


    Synopsis: The Celestial Forge is the greatest combination of crafting powers in Jumpchain, meaning it is the greatest combination of crafting abilities in all of fiction. In Brockton Bay a forgotten side character''s trigger event ends with him linked to the Celestial Forge rather than his intended shard. His expanding collection of tinker abilities drag him into the city''s cape conflicts.


    Rated: T


    Words: 256K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13574944/1/Brockton-s-Celestial-Forge (Lord Roustabout)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    It was hard enough being a college dropout in a city with a half dead economy. In Brockton most people were either ignoring the reality of the situation or had given up hope completely. Realistically the only growth industry was cape work, and if you weren''t a cape that meant tourism, the PRT, or henchmaning for the truly desperate. Most of the city would have given their right arm for superpowers. Too bad they don''t understand what you have to go through in order to trigger, or how the powers you get don''t exactly match up with what you dreamed about.


    If I thought the current level of what my power was capable of was all I would ever get I would probably be pretty frustrated. Back when I was in college everyone dreamed about being a tinker. When you were in an engineering program in the same city as Armsmaster it was really inevitable. When I finally got powers they didn''t exactly match what you''d expect from a tinker. Then again, from what I''d learned most tinkers didn''t exactly function on the level of what you''d expect from a tinker.


    See, technically I had only made one thing so far. It was a doozy, but still not exactly the stuff heroes are made of. I might have been able to leverage it into some obscure application, especially the secondary effects, but it would have been a challenge. Still, it''s not as bad as it could have been. Or would have been.


    I''d had my mighty pseudo-tinker powers for all of a week and had not accomplished much in that time. Mostly I''d been focusing on sorting out the mess of my life that had resulted in my trigger event. I wouldn''t exactly say bridges were burned, but there were some close relations that it would be awkward to deal with for a while. Triggers don''t really fix anything. Well, they might if it''s one of the ones that turns you super strong to deal with being crushed by a car, but for anything that has a longer buildup there''s no amount of power that is actually going to fix the problems with either you or your life that led to that situation. Accepting that at least let me start to move on.


    I was riding the bus home after a grueling week of work. They say there are no jobs in Brockton Bay. That''s not exactly true. There are plenty of jobs as long as you''re relatively young, clean, willing to put up with abuse from the general public, and don''t need to support anyone else or have any serious obligations beyond basic survival. Which is how I was able to land a job as a part time retail worker in the rich side of the city. In a store where everyone other than the manager was part time, since that let you avoid all those pesky benefits that would have to be paid.


    It was how I was able to afford a truly terrible apartment in not quite the worst area of the docks. I was currently living in the part of the city they had warned us against when I first moved out of dorms. It at least got me away from Captain''s Hill and thanks to my power was just bearable. The apartment was about a five minute walk from the nearest bus stop, which it this neighborhood was a somewhat harrowing experience. The apartment was part of an oversized house that had been divided into five units, which placed mine as a long thin studio apartment. My theory was it had been assembled out of left over space. The fact that it had to be accessed from what must have been a converted fire escape only did more to convinced me. It was clearly a case of ''we have this extra space. Can we get someone to pay for it?''.


    I know there were much worse places. I''d looked at what they offered in my price range Downtown and this was totally worth the half hour bus commute. Plus, thanks to my power, it had one advantage.


    Once I got home I dumped my jacket and headed for the closet. This would probably wear thin eventually, but for now, after just a week of having my power it was still a blast. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my key.


    It was the first thing I built, if I could count as the person who built it. There were two kinds of things I could make with my powers. Things made out of normal material, and things like this. I couldn''t recreate the key if my life depended on it, but that doesn''t matter because it will always exist. I''ve essentially made it a universal constant that I will always have this key. Destroyed, lost, or just separated and it will turn up in a few minutes. That effect, and what it could accomplish was enough that if I didn''t know the full scope of my powers I probably would have assumed the key and what it could do was everything. Then it would be off to the PRT to let them try to figure out how to brand me as a door based superhero.


    I slid the key into the closet door and turned it. Rather than open into a small and musty collection of shirts and winter coats the door revealed a blank white cube of a room exactly five meters on each side. Safe and mobile access to an extradimensional space wasn''t a terrible power and could probably have any number of applications. I mean, if I wanted to go villain it would have let me clean out entire stores without anything weighing me down. I was putting it to a much more mundane application.


    Right now the cube contained a duffle bag, mattress, work desk, small bookcase, two storage trunks, and an old office chair. There was also a battery lantern on the desk since the lighting level in this area left something to be desired. At least it was dark enough that it was possible to sleep here, and the place had less temperature and odor issues than my own apartment.


    I wasn''t here just to get away from my living conditions. Aside from the entry way there was a single door on the left side of the cube. Before I headed that way I set up the crude door bar I had built earlier. One downside was I couldn''t close the door while I was inside. That was probably a safety measure since I didn''t know what would happen if the door I used was opened when I tried to get out, or worse destroyed. I had no intention of getting stuck in here forever, but I wasn''t going to let anyone wander in behind me. Between my locked, bolted and chained apartment door and the chunk of steel wedging this door shut as far as I could get it I was reasonably secure. It wouldn''t stop most of the capes in this city, but I was thankfully off their radar by virtue of not doing anything superhero related.


    I walked through the inner door into my workshop. It wasn''t exactly what you would expect when you heard the words ''tinker'' and ''workshop''. The place wasn''t bedecked with the blistering technology of a science hero. It wasn''t even a top quality manufacturing facility. This was more of what you would get from a high school metal shop. There were tools and machinery, but it was fairly basic stuff. Not even a proper numeric control lathe. I was lucky I had a manufacturing component in my college courses otherwise I''d be completely lost here. My high school had phased out shop class long ago so it was only thanks to a single college class offered more as a formality that I knew what I was doing.


    Fortunately the place was stocked with materials and safety equipment. Unless I wanted to work with exotic alloys or bring in high tech equipment the whole place was designed so I wouldn''t have to go out for anything. That was a very good thing. I don''t know if it was true, but there were rumors about people who triggered as tinkers started buying random stuff like loads of silly putty, old microwaves, or cleaning chemicals only to get exposed by various agencies or gangs on the lookout for behavior like that. I had my doubts, since that seemed like it would generate loads of false positives, but who knew how good the thinkers working for people like that were.


    I didn''t want to end up exposed, especially not with my powers at their current level. So the fact that I had a private, personal, and well stocked workshop was a blessing. It was just too bad I couldn''t build anything worth a damn.


    What I had produced in my after work hours over the last week was nothing more than curiosities. Honestly it had been more about trying to get used to working with this kind of equipment again. The closest thing I''d made to a useful tool was that door jam, and that was just a matter of measuring correctly and working the right tools. I had rough tinker facilities, but I didn''t have any tinker knowledge.


    That is, I didn''t have any yet.


    I closed my eyes and felt out the potential extent of my power. Over three hundred flares of lightning burned in my mind, all but one completely beyond my reach. The only mote I could touch was the single piece representing my workshop. The embers were arranged into twelve general constellations each along a different theme, but I could barely gleam what it was at the moment. These were what I was working towards. These were the reason I hadn''t given up and sulked off to the Protectorate. These were tinker powers.


    Every one of them represented some level of crafting ability, power, knowledge or resource. I could just barely feel them now, but I knew how strong they were. Even the weakest among them was significant and the highest tiers were world shaking. These were hero powers. More than that these were Hero powers, powers on the level of the first, legendary, and unlimited tinker. Powers that would let a person be the kind of technology superhero that used to appear in comic books, not the stripped down nonsense that was currently running around.


    There but for the grace of god and all that.


    My reach had been slowly building in the week since I got my powers. It was gradual at first, but had accelerated recently. Soon I would have a chance to link to another one of the points of light. The constellations shifted and changed so I had no idea what I would be able to reach, or even if what I had built up would be strong enough for whatever spark swung close at the time. This was the first time this had happened, but being able to feel it coming was incredible. I was lucky to have the level of understanding of my power that I''d been blessed with.


    Like pretty much everyone in school I''d taken electives on parahuman studies. There were rumors that the cape population of the city took those courses in their secret identities, and the younger members of New Wave showed up occasionally. They were the cool courses that everyone was interested in. Get a chance to learn about the history of capes, cape impact on society, and theories on how powers worked. With the insight I''d gained since triggering I could say most of what they were teaching was pure crap. That may have been intentional since people trying to self-invoke a trigger event was a nightmare in terms of self-inflicted harm. Some of the other stuff was so far off the mark that I had to wonder if there was an intentional attempt to conceal it. Passenger theory had barely been touched on, and that was mostly to dismiss it. I kind of understood, it seemed ridiculous, and it was a lot more likely that anyone who thought their powers came from an outside intelligence was crazy rather than uniquely insightful.


    I was definitely in the latter category. I could feel my passenger''s excitement as my reach grew for the final grasp. A mote swung close from one of the mid-sized constellations. My power tried to grasp it, but the energy was too much. The flare of energy spun away and out of reach. There was mild disappointment from my passenger, but not despair. My reach was growing. Another mote would come, and I would be able to handle a stronger power by the time it arrived.


    The emotional reassurance of my passenger was probably the most comforting thing in my life. My connection with him didn''t go any further than what he was feeling, but that was still incredibly enlightening. I trusted that he had my best interest at heart, or at least my survival. The reason I trusted that was because of how badly he wanted this set of powers complete.


    I didn''t have much information from my passenger, but I did understand my power. Generally people have a roughly instinctive understanding of how their powers work. Mine were a little more in depth than that. I understood the nature of how powers were gained and what they meant. I knew the name of the power I had, Metalwork Workshop which was from the Toolkits constellation of powers. And I knew the name of the entire array of powers and how badly my passenger wanted it to be complete.


    My power, or the array of my potential powers, was the Celestial Forge. From what I could tell it was the ultimate tinker power and my passenger''s combined Holy Grail and Mount Everest. His emotions when considering the breath of the powers were complicated, but mostly centered on a longing to see them in action. He wanted this to be completed and was heavily invested in me being the one to finish it. All his guidance and support was for the purpose of turning me into the greatest tinker that had ever existed. I just hoped I could live up to those expectations.


    I wasn''t likely to see any new powers tonight. I''d completed a circuit of the various pieces of borderline scrap metal that represented my crafting projects from the previous week. A persistent infinitely restocking workshop really was incredible, but without the skills to make better use of it all I had was a hobby room. I checked my watch. It was getting on past six. I had kind of blocked out this evening for dealing with any new ability I got from my power, but that was a wash. That left me some time to prepare for the other aspects of being a superhero.


    There''s a common impression that tinkers make something of a soft target in cape fights. That might be true for anyone who doesn''t show up with power armor or a personal force field, but the fact is most capes out there have no physical boosts at all. Brutes are common enough, but outside of that category everyone is as vulnerable as a normal human. The problem for tinkers is that they have time commitments that keep them from being able to train to the level expected from capes.


    See, if you don''t have some power that makes training unnecessary the amount of physical conditioning necessary to just survive a cape encounter is insane. Fortunately I had already been running regularly before getting my powers. That was great for endurance, but there was the whole issue of muscle growth and combat skills to think of. I was lucky enough that my neighborhood had a solution to both of those problems.


    I left my workshop and closed the door to the extradimensional space. The transition from pristine room to dingy apartment was stark, but at least my apartment got slightly more livable now that I didn''t need to allocate space for sleeping or storage. I headed to the small kitchenette area and grabbed a high protein snack before gathering my workout gear and leaving the apartment.


    Another load off my mind thanks to my powers, not storing anything of value in the apartment made me a lot less concerned about leaving it. I effectively had access to all my worldly possessions anywhere. As long as I could access any kind of door and I''d never have to worry about them being compromised. There were tinkers who would kill for that kind of security and my powers provided it as a near afterthought.


    My destination was only a couple of blocks away and was in a fairly active part of the neighborhood. This was an area of the Docks where the people living here were holding out hope for the city turning around. It was an endearing investment in the community that probably only persisted because there was minimal value to be found here for any of the local gangs. I was heading for an old building dating to the fifties that probably hadn''t been meaningfully updated since then. Still, having a boxing gym within walking distance that only charged forty dollars a month for membership was worth the potential fire hazard. Actually, fire was unlikely considering this place was probably stuffed to the gills with asbestos.


    I checked in and got changed. The place was practically a time capsule, but it worked for what I needed. I had no illusion about being ''fight ready'' after less than a week, but I was getting into a decent routine that would generate meaningful improvement eventually. I grabbed one of the jump ropes for a warm-up along with a set of push-ups, squats and crunches. I spent about fifteen minutes practicing the basic combinations from my introductory lesson before switching to the heavy bag.


    I pushed as far as I could but there were hard limits I was still struggling with. Endurance from running didn''t translate perfectly to this kind of workout. Eventually I was catching my breath with a water bottle while half collapsed on one of the side benches. That was when I saw Doug wandering over from the main ring.


    The best way I could describe Doug was if someone took Mickey from the Rocky movies and scaled him up to about six foot five. The guy was pushing sixty now but had apparently been an absolute terror in his youth. He had transitioned into coaching with all the grace of a rabid bull and would typically serenade the entire gym on deficiencies in your technique in a voice worthy of a drill sergeant.


    He was in something of a good mood when he approached me, apparently having shouted himself out during his earlier training session. "Joe! Good to see you again. Too many young guys vanish after their first class."


    "Well you know," I took a sip from my water bottle. "Don''t want to embarrass myself the next time I see Mr. Laborn."


    He nodded at that. "The man knows his boxing, though he''s probably a good part of why guys vanish after their first class."


    The gym gave a free training session with signup. Given how intense the coaches were I think that was a strategy to weed out anyone who wasn''t serious about this kind of thing. Doug was a good example of that, but Mr. Laborn was on a whole other level. "He around tonight?"


    "Na, doing something with his kids. You looking for a practice round?"


    I emphatically shook my head. "Not even close to ready for that."


    "Stick with it and you''ll get there." He nodded contemplatively. "We don''t get too many guys from the college down here. You''re engineering, right?"


    I suppressed a wince. I had danced around my enrollment status when I filled out my application. Dropping out of college hadn''t been a smooth process and until recently I had still held out some hopes of finishing my degree.


    That was gone now.


    "Was engineering. College didn''t work out for me."


    "Sorry to hear that, kid. What happened?"


    No one would ever accuse Doug of having an excess of tact. That said there was something about the guy that made him easy to talk to. There was a decent chance that no matter what I said he would tell me to suck it up and head back to school, but that was just his nature. There wasn''t real malice behind it.


    He also wasn''t going to let this go without some kind of answer. "A bunch of stuff. College, well it looked better from the outside. Like, it''s supposed to be this fresh start where everything''s different, but you just run into the same problems as the rest of your life."


    He snorted. "Problems never go away. They''re part of life. You just get to pick the window dressing."


    That brought a weak grin to my face. "I guess. Things just kind of fell apart for me. Can''t really name a single thing that set it off."


    "Uh-huh. Was it a girl?"


    "What?"


    "With guys your age it''s usually a girl. Or there''s a girl somewhere in the equation. That what happened?"


    "No." Doug''s expression said he didn''t believe it. I let out a slow breath. "Ok, I had a pretty bad relationship the fell apart spectacularly, but I didn''t drop out over that."


    "It''s never only a girl, but I''ve seen dozens of guys your age trying to get their lives together. There''s always a girl in there somewhere." He paused. "Or a guy, but they''re usually quieter about that."


    I nodded. Colleges had a certain social mentality that didn''t exactly mesh with having super powered neo-Nazi''s running around. Brockton''s solution seemed to be dressing up everything with just enough deniability to avoid attracting attention.


    Doug was looking at me expectantly. I glanced around. No one was that close to us and his students were savoring the brief respite from his tutelage as a chance to catch their breath and desperately rehydrate.


    I hated talking about this. It wasn''t just that the entire relationship was cringeworthy in retrospect. What really got me was everyone looking at it and assuming that was where everything went wrong. They thought that the rest of my life was fine and I''d let it all fall apart over some girl. Still, Doug was legendarily bullheaded but not known for making snap judgements.


    "So I was in the engineering program. It was pretty small, like twenty five people. Mostly guys as well. Just three girls in our year."


    "So you went after one of them?"


    "Not at first." He gave me a look. "Ok, there was this girl who had transferred from math to engineering in sophomore year."


    "Really. What was her name?"


    "Sabah." Doug raised an eyebrow. "She was Iraqi. Really good at math but her English wasn''t perfect. That gave her some trouble with parts of the course work. I helped her out with that."


    "And one thing led to another?"


    "Not exactly. We spent a lot of time together but it never really went further. I suggested stuff but she was always really demure about it, like a whole bunch of non-answers and putting things off."


    "That was probably a hint."


    That stung. "Yeah, I got that in hindsight."


    "So what happened?"


    "It wasn''t going well, but one of my friends convinced me to give it another try, just ask directly and put it behind me."


    "Not bad advice."


    I actually flinched at that. "Uh, so I tried and it went bad. She tore into me and we had words. It was public and messy and I figured that was it."


    "I''m guessing there''s more?"


    I nodded. "I tried to avoid her after that, but six weeks later she comes to me, apologizes and says she had a bad day and wants to work together again."


    "So what did you do?"


    "I tried to go back to the way things were, but it was really awkward. And she ended up transferring to the fashion program pretty soon after."


    "Seriously?"


    I shrugged. "Everyone was surprised. She didn''t talk to anyone about it, she just left. I found out later she had lost her dad to a heart attack. I guess that''s the kind of thing that makes you reevaluate stuff."


    Doug nodded grimly.


    "Look, it was a mess, but that''s not why I dropped out."


    "Not saying it is, but that kind of thing usually contributes." He looked around the gym. "I''m not going to give you some bullshit speech about how boxing is like life and how what you learn here will carry you through. Boxing is boxing and life is life. The only thing they have in common is they''re both hard, painful, and take a lot of work. College might not have worked for you, but you''re a bright kid and are willing to put in the hours. You''ll be fine."


    "Thanks, I appreciate that."


    "Don''t let it go to your head. Now I''ve got to get back to those slackers before they think this is come kind of holiday."


    While Doug stomped off to terrorize his students I wrapped up my workout with a marathon of pushups, squats, and crunches. I figured if I buried myself in exercise I might be able to drown out the horrible feelings that conversation had dug up. It was basically the same principle that had gotten me into running. By the time I showered and slunk back to my apartment my body was burning but I had managed to put my college years mostly out of my mind. I threw together a cheap but high protein dinner, mostly beans really, before opening my workshop and crashing for the night.


    Jumpchain abilities this chapter:


    Workshop (Personal Reality) 100:


    Each purchase of this adds to your Personal Reality Workshop needed to perform specific type of craft, which is to be specified when purchase is made. It comes with a basic set of tools and supplies. Good for fixing or creating all sorts of things, although any complex parts or nonstandard supplies will have to be brought in from outside. Additional purchases can add different types of Workshops to your Personal Reality or expand existing ones. Anything built in one of those workshops is fiat backed to be restored to its original condition within 48 hours if damaged or destroyed.


    Access Key (Personal Reality) Free:


    This is a special key which lets you access your Personal Reality and its contents.


    When inserted into any lock on any door, the door opens to reveal a gateway into your Reality at a predetermined location within it. You are the only person who can take the key from the lock, the gateway remains open as long as the key is in the lock, and if key is ever lost or stolen you will find it in your pocket a few minutes later. You cannot close the door as long as you are inside the Personal Reality.


    Entrance Hall (Personal Reality) Free:


    This is the room your Access Key opens a door to. It starts off as a 5 meter cube with blank white walls, floor, and ceiling, as some doors, one leading to the current Host Reality, the other into your Cosmic Warehouse, with additional doors leading to other extensions as these get added to your Personal Reality. Feel free to customize this Entrance Hall as you see fit. Additional Halls can, at your discretion, be linked only to certain keys or only to certain extensions. This allows you to have an entry hall just for skiing if you want.


    Chapter 2


    My watch alarm woke me up early the next morning, demonstrating my absolute commitment to becoming a hero. For a chance at a cape career I was willing to endure two six o''clocks in the same day.


    I am not a morning person. I have never been a morning person. Before I got my powers I would run in the evening. It was nice, peaceful, and I had all the time in the world. Now that I have to do more than just cardio so I needed to find another time to run. That turned out to be the ungodly hour of the day where no sane person would be active.


    After downing a piece of toast and enough coffee to silence the voices telling me this was a terrible idea when I had a warm bed in a pocket universe waiting for me I left my apartment and headed for the Boardwalk where the other mad people were exercising. I hated them all. Some had the ill manner to smile at me when they ran past. I know it''s a Saturday, but there is no place for smiles at this hour of the morning. This is an hour of grimness that only the desperate would use for exercise.


    Oh God, that person had one of those jogging strollers with them. You can subject yourself to the madness of early morning workouts but please spare the next generation. Break the cycle of abuse. Save your children from this hell.


    My morning run was a straight shot to the coast then a loop up and down the boardwalk before swinging back to my apartment. It was roughly the same route I had taken when I ran during sane hours, but now I got to enjoy the piercing rays of the rising sun stabbing at me as they reflected off the bay.


    I took a short break when I reached the road access to the Protectorate HQ. It was a glittering strip of the same force field that protected the Rig extending over the water to shore. The amount of traffic it saw was always light and at this time of day it was completely empty. It was an impressive piece of tinkertech, both in scale and in how long it had been maintained. That was true for most of the Protectorate headquarters as it hovered above the waves sending shockwaves out across the surface of the water from each of the emitters at its base.


    If I was a typical tinker I would probably be reacting to all kinds of aspects of this technology. I wonder if that''s another way tinkers expose themselves. Does the Protectorate have some kind of monitoring program that watches for people drooling glassy eyed over their installations? Maybe, but for me it was just some pretty looking sci-fi themed architecture.


    The sound of a motorcycle rumbled from the city and I turned to see a man in blue and silver armor peel off the main road onto the force field. As Armsmaster vanished across the way various people cheered or fished out smartphones. It was early for tourists but even locals didn''t see the heroes every day. I took another minute to watch as he reached the Rig and disappeared into one of the garages.


    That could be me someday.


    Well, not exactly. Judging by my passenger''s emotional reactions he was not in favor of the Protectorate. I had initially worried it was some kind of aversion to heroics, but there was no reaction on that level for other teams. In fact the Guild got a significantly positive response. The thought of any of the city''s gangs got various negative reactions with the most intense being connected with Coil. I don''t know what it was about him that caused a mix of fear, hatred, and rage that overshadowed even the local Nazis, but it was enough to make me warry. Given the situation I was in I had decided to trust my passenger''s judgment. It hadn''t steered me wrong so far and considering it was where my powers were coming from it seemed like a good idea to listen to it.


    The sighting of Armsmaster was the most interesting thing to happen on my run. Beyond that it was just a tour of the visitor friendly parts of the Bay at a time of day nobody should have to endure.


    Did I mention I don''t like mornings?


    As I left the Boardwalk and was heading back through the docks to my apartment I considered how to spend the day. I didn''t have enough of a handle on where my power was going to try to plan out anything meaningful about my hero activity. Until it settled enough for me to have a vague theme to work with anything I planned would be total speculation. I wasn''t dumb enough to try cape work with my current powerset, so that left training and conditioning, since that was likely to pay off regardless of what I got from my next power.


    I had just arrived home when I felt the excitement build from my passenger. I quickly focused on the Celestial Forge and felt a constellation swinging. This time my reach was twice what it had been last night.


    I felt myself latch on to a mote of power. It was from one of the smaller constellations and a little less powerful than the mote that I had missed on my previous attempt. As my connection solidified I felt my knowledge of the power and its constellation expand.


    This was not a tinker power. This was something better. This was a brute power that required tinker support.


    That constellation was called ''Clothing''. I didn''t have a good sense of the other powers within it, but this power was called ''Fashion''. Despite its name it had nothing to do with clothing design, other than the fact that it would allow me to wear anything as my cape costume. That was because what it did was extend the defensive properties of the toughest protective item I was wearing to both my clothing and body. I could wear a kneepad and have my entire body and every piece of clothing be as tough as the material it was made out of.


    It was absolutely incredible in terms of mobility, not to mention cost. I could put resources into a single piece of armor, just enough to cover a tiny fraction of my frame, and I would get that level of durability for my entire body.


    I needed to test this out. Not because I doubted it. That was one thing I was sure of. Every power I would get was as reliable as my key had proven to be. I had complete faith it would work precisely as described. The only limitation was that the item needed to be designed for protection and had a lower size limit of the aforementioned knee pad. Outside of that caveat it could be anything.


    All my plans for the day were done. I needed to work on this. I could head to a thrift store and see what I could find, but I had a full magic metal shop to work with and just enough technical knowledge to get started.


    I am not a master smith, not by any measure. As such the product of my morning''s labor in the workshop would not be winning any design, beauty, or craftsmanship contests. It consisted of a steel wrist bracer that hinged and clasped around my left forearm. The whole affair had involved some less than perfect shaping and welding, meaning the seams were raised and lumpy and the fit was uncomfortable.


    That was not important in the face of its effects. I had made the bracer out of the thickest, toughest steel I had in stock. Despite only covering half of my forearm it was noticeably heavy. I would have to replace it with something more ergonomic once I had a chance to refine things. The point was that now my entire body and everything I was wearing had the same level of reliance as the half-inch steel plate that made up the bracer.


    I did not test that in the workshop. For one thing everything there was designed to work the same material I was using as a durability standard. Instead I hit the kitchenette and tried to see if I could prick my finger with one of my knives.


    The end result of that experiment was that knife not having a point anymore.


    A pair of scissors also completely failed to cut the fabric of my shirt and I found myself unable to tear even a single loose thread. A bit of cautious experimentation with the element of my hotplate confirmed the same level of resistance that steel would have to heat was applied to my body and clothing.


    This was incredible. The big thing was it showed these weren''t just crafting abilities. There could be all kinds of powers waiting in the Celestial Forge. The second thing was I now had a power significant enough to allow me to actually function as a cape. I wasn''t completely sure I was bullet proof, but I was probably bullet proof. Maybe high powered rifles would give me some trouble, but I don''t think most handguns would be a problem.


    I still needed to figure out the limitations. I got the defensive properties of the strongest piece of equipment I was wearing. Theoretically that could apply to things like chemical and biological protection as well, but that was starting to approach fairly exotic levels. I''d need specialized equipment for that. Still, being able to carry around a selection of wrist guards that were each tailored to a specific type of danger had a certain appeal.


    There were other limitations to consider. Obviously the defensive bonus was based on the item that was providing protection. If the details of this power got out it would be relatively simple to target or otherwise focus on removing that item. Also it was defensive properties only. It would probably protect my knuckles when fighting but it wasn''t going to provide any increased offensive capacity beyond my willingness to fight recklessly by weathering more attacks. No increase to strength either, so if I got grappled, pinned, or otherwise swarmed I would be screwed.


    So it was a powerful ability but not a perfect one. It did mean I could get better defense than a tinker in full armor without the bulk of an extensive suit or the time and resource requirements needed to make it. One downside was it only extended durability to my body and clothing, so any equipment that didn''t fit the definition of clothing was still vulnerable.


    I wonder if it would be possible to track down a piece of tinkertech armor. I''ve heard most of the sites selling tinkertech are scams, but there has to be some kind of secondhand curio or collectable market for old hero armor. All I''d need is a piece of some kind of advanced alloy and I''d get the full effect of its durability. But if something like that did exist I could safely assume it would be well beyond my budget.


    My first tinker power had arrived and it worked out to effective invincibility as long as I played things smart. I would still need to worry about suffocation and probably chemical and biological attacks. Good thing there wasn''t any cape in Brockton who specialized in the use of poisons.


    Why was my passenger feeling nervous all of a sudden?


    Maybe it would be good to go over some matchups. I got out my now seriously long in the tooth laptop and logged on to the PHO wiki. I''d gotten this thing in my first year and time had not been kind to it. It was a budget purchase back then and despite my attempts to look after it the screen had a tendency to flicker and the internal speakers were totally shot. I''m pretty sure I would end up laughed out of any serious cape organization if I showed up with this thing and claimed to be a tinker.


    Still, it served the purpose for basic internet use. I was obsessively cautious about doing anything cape related online from my own computer and especially from my own apartment but a little wiki walk wouldn''t raise any flags.


    I had the added advantage of my passenger''s insight while browsing cape profiles. I didn''t know exactly how accurate it was, but things like the seriously negative reaction to the newest member of the local Wards team yielded some interesting results. She seemed to be a dependable if slightly edgy hero, but a little digging into cape forums produced some fairly convincing evidence that she had a history of excessive violence and a rumor that she joined the wards as part of a probation deal to avoid being charged with attempted murder. None of that had been on my map beforehand, so it lent some credence towards trusting the passenger''s judgement.


    Some of the insights were still completely mystifying. I had no idea what the weird feeling of offense that was shared between Battery, Triumph, and Gallant meant. It was similar to what he seemed to be feeling when I reviewed Faultline''s crew and looked at the listings for Newter and Gregor the Snail, though it was much more sympathetic for the Case 53s. Any browsing of reports on New Wave triggered a mess of emotions, mostly concern, fear, and compassion that spiked when I focused on Panacea. Also my passenger did not like Armsmaster, but it was more a level of distrust than actual hostility.


    I started with the page for the Archer''s Bridge Merchants. No surprise there, general disgust, though the feelings connected to Skidmark were more warry then I had initially expected. That confused me enough that I had dug into cape theories and found someone who had done the math on the effect of Skidmark stacking his propulsion fields. Calculations based on various video clips and the movement rate of different sized objects suggested that there were no diminishing returns with his power. If the man layered a field enough times he would be able to launch something into orbit or create a mass driver that could wipe out anything in the city. Brocton was only kept safe by the restraint and limited ambition of a drug addict that kept him at a shaker 2 rating.


    So, defense against the Merchants. Assuming that durability worked as advertised and wasn''t just skin deep I could probably survive anything short of a massive layered field launch from Skidmark or one of Squealer''s larger vehicle mounted weapons. Nothing else should be able to seriously injure me, but I could end up trapped by Skidmark or Mush fairly easily. In short I should be alright if I ran into them and needed to escape, but taking the fight to them was out of the question at this point.


    I looked into the ABB next. Lung would be able to scale to a point where he could literally rip me apart, but if I kept fighting him long enough for him to reach that point then it''s my own fault. As far as I could tell I should be able to endure most of Oni Lee''s arsenal, providing he doesn''t shove a grenade down my throat. The Wiki page had been updated with a new member since the last time I had checked it. They had a new tinker in the gang. Bakuda.


    The scream of fear from my passenger was incredible. I quickly clicked the link while trying to parse through the mess of emotions. Whoever this was she was incredibly bad news. This was nearly the level of response that Coil triggered.


    The Wiki page was sparse, mostly focusing on her assault on Cornell. Her activities with the ABB had been limited to a few appearances mostly to show the flag to other gangs rather than any demonstration of new technology. That probably meant she was still setting up. Not everyone carried their workshop around in their pocket. The loss of tools, research, and materials could take a tinker nearly back to square one. Once she was set up, that''s when things would get serious.


    There was a limitation in the fact that she had to build consumable devices. I didn''t know how good her manufacturing was, but if the ABB was willing to throw enough resources behind her things could get messy. There had been something of a stalemate between the gangs for years but every time a new cape showed up there were flare-ups. If they were strong enough then territorial lines could be redrawn, but things would usually settle eventually.


    Tinkers were different. They were pure force multiplier. Tinkers were capes that didn''t typically operate based on a limited set of powers so counters were only effective to a point. Squealer was probably the only reason the Merchants were still a proper gang rather than a couple of parahuman thugs operating out of the bad part of town. If Bakuda was half as good then the city could be heading for a gang war.


    I clicked on the video link ''Bomb Threat Cornell'' and watched it play out. The video did little to reassure me, particularly the effect of the detonations.


    So, tinker that triggered in relation to their college life. That hit close to home. Well, she might not have triggered due to that but somehow I doubted she''d make the college her first target if it hadn''t had some connection to how she got her powers. I knew how messed up tinkers could get, the long drawn out nightmare that lead to their triggers and how nightmarish the powers could actually get. When I think about what kind of power I could have ended up with it makes it hard to sleep.


    The variety of the explosion types either means that she is an incredibly versatile tinker or she has little control over what she is making. Knowing what I do about tinker powers I''m leaning towards the latter. Unknown crafting is a dangerous combination with any tinker ability, but combine it with an explosive specialist and you have a nightmare.


    I felt my power try and fail to latch onto a mote from a new constellation. The rate my reach was growing wasn''t constant, but it seemed to be getting faster on average. As the mote of power moved past me my reach continued to grow in preparation for the next chance to gain a new ability.


    Not for the first time I thanked my lucky stars or whatever gods had blessed me to allow me this ability instead of the tinker powers I would have had coming to me. A passenger obsessed with crafting was a million times better than the alternatives waiting for anyone who triggered conventionally.


    It was clear Bakuda was going to be a problem. With those effects I couldn''t rely on any level of physical durability to hold me together. I needed a better way of countering her, or I needed to stay out of her way. Right now that seemed like the best option.


    I navigated away to the E88 wiki site. There was the common level of general disgust my passenger felt for all members of this gang. The emotions around Purity were a bit more complicated, but no less negative. From what I knew she had somewhat split from the main group and had been doing independent raids. Still, that wasn''t what I was here to figure out.


    My defensive prospects against Purity weren''t looking good. She could bring down buildings and was rumored to have blasts that hit like Legend. I doubted anything short of full tinker tech miracle armor would save me from that. She was the worst of the possible match ups though. Rune, Kreig, Hookwolf, Night , or the twins could probably overpower my defense, though it wouldn''t be easy for them. I didn''t know how I would stand up against Crusader''s ghosts. They apparently worked on some weird Manton Effect interaction, so probably best not to risk a confrontation. Storm Tiger could probably hurt me, but not that badly. With Victor it would depend on how Othala juiced him up. I think I could handle the pyrokinesis she could grant, but I didn''t know the limits of the super strength she bestowed. People like Cricket and Alabaster could be difficult to deal with but probably not that threatening.


    I probably had nothing to worry about directly from Kaiser. From what I could tell he had limited ability to direct his blades through people. Without significant force I would be looking at a few scratches at worst. Of course, he would also have the easiest time capturing me. That was something I would be doing my best to avoid.


    Of the major gangs that just left Coil. My passenger''s reactions had convinced me he was a threat, but not why or how. His wiki page still had no hint on his power and just a few clips of the mercenaries he used. His men were at least well equipped. The high powered rifles they used could be a problem on their own, but I didn''t like my chances against the tinkertech lasers they had attached. Fortunately they limited their actions considerably and I wasn''t likely to run into them at random.


    That covered the major threats in the city. I could keep digging through every third string villain or hypothetical matches against the heroes, but that wouldn''t be a productive use of time. Likewise I decided against jumping over to the forums. That was a time sink that I couldn''t afford anymore. I had a limited amount of time off and still had a huge amount of preparation to do before I was ready to be a hero.


    I started making a basic lunch and considered how to spend the rest of the day. I needed to keep working on my physical conditioning, so that meant keeping my diet and getting to the gym. I had to be careful about overdoing my workouts, but I could manage that by lowering intensity and focusing on different muscle groups. I had pretty much stolen my entire training and diet program from a fitness forum and those places tended to have people shouting down any stupid risks in training.


    Also, as good as the bracer was for overall defense I could use a subtler option. I would hit the Market and see if someone was selling old kneepads, wrist guards, or some other similar type of protective equipment. If I could get a basic kneepad I might be able to wear it under my jeans to get some constant level of protection without attracting attention. It wouldn''t do much against guns, but should boost my durability to the point where melee weapons wouldn''t be much of a concern. I didn''t want to get my cape career cut short because of a mugging gone badly.


    The Market would have to be my first priority. It was already noon and the stalls would have been set up for hours. They would already be pretty well picked over so I''d need to go there right away to have a chance at anything decent. I wolfed down my lunch and headed out.


    Because of the nuances of Brockton Bay''s public transportation system if you were starting in the Docks it was actually faster to walk to the Market than take the bus. The road access to the Lord Street Market looped around the outside of the city through seldom used and poorly maintained back roads. Bus service to that area was a trial that used the weird fifth color on the bus schedules and varied based on time of year, day of the week, and probably whether Mars was currently in retrograde. Unless you were hauling an amount of goods that made walking impossible it was better to just cut through fields along the coast past the north end of the Boardwalk. It wasn''t a clear route, but it wasn''t a route for anyone outside the city. You live here long enough and eventually someone would show you the shortcut across abandoned lots, old industrial areas, and the weedy fields in the no man''s land between the Docks and Lord''s Port.


    The Boardwalk disappeared behind me with its designer boutiques and twelve dollar ice-cream and the reality of the city opened before of me. Fifteen years ago this would have been the heart of the city''s industry. Lord''s Port would have been running constantly and the surrounding region existed to support and sustain the shipping industry. Since that dried up the entire area had decayed to a shadow of its former self. There was still the odd business still active, probably too invested in their equipment to be worth moving and just profitable enough to squeak by, but abandoned lots and decayed buildings were a much more common site.


    However, when you approached the market you could be forgiven for overlooking all of that. Gradually the human element of the city started to grow, beginning with the cars of people who parked further out to avoid having to deal with the nightmare that was the Market''s parking situation, then the occasional person that had begged off from the crowds for a smoke break. Then the sound started. The subtle roar of hundreds of people in the same place, talking, laughing, bargaining, and haggling. You heard the Market long before you caught site of it.


    The place was packed today. It made sense that it would be. Brockton didn''t have horrible winters but it wasn''t exactly comfortable in February and March. A clear Saturday in early April would be one of the first good outing days of the year and it looked like plenty of people shared that mindset. The people running the stands seemed to have seen it coming since there didn''t seem to be an unmanned stall in the entire Market.


    I started working my way through the crowd. Most of the stands I could skip after a glance. Handcrafts, surplus designer clothing, costume jewelry, vintage records, or artwork held no interest for me. Unfortunately there wasn''t a stall labeled ''Loose Athletic Protective Equipment'' that I could make a bee line for. Some people were selling old electronics and tool sets that held a lot of appeal, but I had committed myself to holding back on the tinker scrounging until I had some crafting powers to work with.


    It wasn''t that I was worried about being exposed. I''m pretty sure whatever hypothetical thinkers monitored purchasing habits wouldn''t be tipped off by me buying an old game console and vcr/dvd combo. The thing was I have very limited funds to work with. I didn''t want to invest in electronics only to end up with a specialization in vehicle engines or chemistry. Case in point, before I got my last ability I would never have considered the need for isolated pieces of armor.


    It was a shame because there were a lot of tempting possibilities here. Even without power assisted crafting abilities there was an appeal in taking apart old machinery. I guess I would never have ended up in an engineering program if I didn''t have those instincts. Still, I pushed them down and pressed on.


    A quick, and I use that term loosely, circuit of the market didn''t reveal any stand specializing in protective sports gear. That left me hunting through individual stalls. For a good portion of Brockton Bay the Market takes the place of a yard sale when the time comes to clean out the garage or declutter the house. It''s easy to spot the people using it for that purpose. People who make their living from the Market have a professional attitude. They have well-made signs, neatly organized merchandise, and proper cash boxes. Some of them even have those new smartphone card readers. They provided a stark contrast to people with optimistic expressions and a table full of random junk. Those people were my best chance to find what I was looking for.


    It also turned what should have been a simple shopping trip into an ordeal. If I wasn''t being strictly conservative with my finances I could have walked into a department store and picked up a whole set of pads in five minutes. Instead I was hunting around through a heavy throng of flea market shoppers trying to find a budget piece of skateboard equipment. It was not exactly the shining start to a cape career I would have envisioned.


    Still, given what some tinkers had to go through for supplies this counted as a cake walk. An hour sorting through junk was nothing compared to tinkers who ended up having to rob chemical depos or required rare earth elements to be able to accomplish anything.


    I didn''t have a problem finding skating pads. The problem was every set I had found so far was child sized. And by that I mean designed for preteen or younger. I don''t know if I was seeing the residual equipment from abandoned skating hobbies, or if once they reached teenage years their parents stopped insisting on full sets of pads. Sizing was going to be a problem for me. I had my growth spurt late, but it had decided to make up for lost time in spades. Even stuff sized for teenagers wouldn''t work for me.


    I felt activity in the Celestial forge and moved out of the flow of shoppers to focus on it. One of the largest constellations was swinging towards me and my power latched onto a small mote from it. I took a moment to focus on the new power. The constellation was ''Quality'' and this particular power was called ''Bling of War''. This power didn''t strictly speaking give me any new crafting abilities or technical knowledge. Instead it allowed me to design and build things in a much more ''stylish'' manner.


    It was an aesthetic upgrade. I could add style or even a certain theme to what I built. While it wouldn''t help me with the practical requirements of construction or design it would allow me to sidestep the early tinker clich¨¦ where they initially debut in a set of gear that looks like it was the product of a junkyard screwing a trash compactor.


    Hell, most capes outside of the Protectorate and major gangs fell into that category. I''d seen forum threads joking about the number of capes whose debut costume was either a ski mask or a hoodie. I thought back to the bracer currently resting in my workshop. The bulky hinge, the crude weld lines, the ill-fitting bend of the material. My mind was suddenly filled with a thousand ways I could have done that better. None of them would have improved the protection or accessibility of the item, but it would make it look like the thing was made by a professional rather than a twelve year old left unsupervised in a metal workshop.


    I badly needed more crafting skills. I had a very limited ability to make things, but with this power at least everything I made would look excellent, even if it wouldn''t function any better than whatever crude thing I could pull together. I made a point to check some of the book stands before I left. If I could get a couple of how to books I might be able to make decent progress on a costume. Since my durability boost extended to my clothing it really didn''t matter if the costume I pulled together was terrible quality or poorly made. It would hold up as long as I had a piece of armor to buff it. I knew enough metal work to get something functional bashed together and this power would make sure it looked good.


    This did mean I would have to completely rebuild my bracer. It should be a bit easier this time now that I''m not making things up as I go. Still, that was hours of work wasted. That''s the life of a tinker, I suppose, it never stops.


    One interesting thing was that connecting with this power didn''t take all of the reach I had built. Rather than start from zero I still had about half of what I had acc.u.mulated. The next time a constellation came within range I would have a much better chance of making a connection to a new power. It was an interesting aspect of the mechanics, and anything that helped me get on my feet faster was good by me.


    In the end the best I was able to find were a pair of soccer shin guards. They weren''t that tough, but I should be able to wear one without attracting attention. I could probably copy the design and make something out of steel when I had a chance, which would give me better protection, close to what I got from my bracer, without attracting attention. The book search turned up dry. The only ''how to'' book I found was on the basics of carpentry. I would really do better at a used book store for that, and that''s assuming I didn''t end up with my power giving me enough technical knowledge to make everything in those books redundant.


    So I had killed two hours and gotten a pair of shin guards out of it. Grant it they came at rock bottom prices, but I had to get better at managing my time. I actually had some projects now, considering I had a crafting boosting power, if a completely superficial one. But I also needed to get to the gym. I promised myself I wouldn''t let my workouts lapse because of tinkering. If I wanted to exist outside the workshop or lab I would need to be able to handle myself in a fight. That meant training was essential. Which meant not skipping my workouts just because I had a shiny new ability.


    So I left the chaos of the market, looped back through the docks to my apartment and grabbed my gym bag and a snack. The food requirements for trying to build muscle were absolutely insane. When you had to eat, what you had to eat, the ratios, before or after workout, it was nuts. I honestly miss the days I would just focus on distance running.


    The gym was fairly quiet and I was able to power through my training without much issue. I finished with a long cooldown and set of stretches, then headed back home. I made an early dinner, then headed straight into my workshop.


    The first thing I did was try to recreate my bracer. Fortunately the stock of materials constantly refreshed. I don''t know if it would be possible to deplete it with a major project, but none of the light works I''ve done so far have made a dent in it. All the metals I have in stock are basic stuff. Standard grades of steel, aluminum, and other metals. I have sheet and bar stock and a small supply of simple mechanical parts like hinges and latches. Nothing high tech or even cutting edge. No exotic alloys or treated metals, nothing fiber reinforced, nothing more advanced that the higher end of hobby work.


    It did mean I didn''t have to worry about restocking. With the state of my finances this was a god send. Once I got some better crafting abilities I could only guess at what I would be capable of. Most likely I would run into a block in terms of tools and supplies. This was fine for simple projects like this one, but I would need a supply of more advanced components to put out things on the level of a professional tinker.


    With an idea of what I was doing the project went a lot smoother but I still couldn''t get the fit perfect. I suspected I''d need a lot more experience with metal shaping or specialized equipment for that. Despite sitting a bit awkwardly on my wrist and not being any more durable than my first attempt the bracer looked amazing.


    The formerly chunky placement of the hinges and latch now smoothly blended into the design. The weld seams looked so professional that it could be mistaken for being molded in a single piece. There were little touches on the edges that added a sense of sleekness and the surface was beautifully finished.


    All the little stylistic touches had taken some extra work, but nowhere near the amount they should have. If I tried to build something like this before getting that last power it would have taken weeks and not come out anywhere near as finished. It was beautiful and it was only my first attempt.


    Once I had a theme, an idea of what kind of hero I wanted to be, then I would have to rebuild it to match. For now it was just a beautifully made wrist guard that, thanks to my other power, effectively made me bullet proof.


    It was getting into the evening, but I decided to take a crack at another project. With my durability boost I could theoretically head out for hero work. The thing was I would need at least some kind of offensive ability. I may have had access to a magic metal shop, but my knowledge of how to work with it was limited. I''d considered trying to throw together some basic weapon, but given how crude my earlier work was I''d decided to wait until I had some ability to facilitate things.


    Well, I had an ability now. Not one that would help with anything advanced, but one that would at least stop me from embarrassing myself when I showed up with a basic weapon.


    I was making a baton. It was absolutely the simplest weapon I could make, a metal club. I was adding a little more flourish than just taking a piece of bar stock onto the streets. A bit of work on the grip, some rounding on the top, texturing on the handle, but generally it was a foot and a half of metal that I would be able to hit people with. I wasn''t expecting much from this project.


    Once again my new power came through. While the function was no better there were little design touches that added a professional air to it. A sense of sleekness and elegant craft seemed to exude from it, despite the incredibly basic design. All the little shortcuts I''d taken were made to look completely intentional rather than as cheats for someone who barely understood what he was doing.


    I took some experimental swings with it. The solid metal had a heft to it that would probably mess someone up badly if they caught a blow. The balance was a bit off, probably to be expected what with my complete lack of weapon smithing experience. I had gone for the design because it was the most basic thing I could think of. No worries about technique, grip, or proper form. Hold and swing. I''m sure there were ways to improve upon that, but mainly I wanted a weapon that I couldn''t screw up, and this fit the bill.


    So there I had it, basic cape equipment. Significantly heavier towards defense than offense, but that was better than the alternative. With this I could actually do it, I could go out and be a superhero.


    That led to another problem. Two items, no matter how powerful, did not make a costume. I had a power that could pull together any style I''d want to go with, but I didn''t have much to work with on that front in terms of skill, materials, or even a theme.


    I had not given much thought to what my cape debut would be like. Sitting before the Celestial Forge had been so intimidating that I kind of assumed whatever I ended up with would create a self-evident identity. Well, now I kind of had one, but what identity was I going to go with? If I went out now I''d be debuting as a highly durable low strength brute with a couple of pieces of nicely made equipment. That was a far cry from the technology hero I had been imagining. It was by no means a bad powerset to have, but considering most of my other powers were going to be tinker based, did I want to go with that?


    Not really, but I didn''t know what I was going to end up with next. If I got another couple of support or utility powers before I landed something that let me start making high tech items would I be comfortable waiting around for whatever my first crafting power would be? Probably not. I didn''t have the burning need to head out and seek combat that some passengers created. All mine wanted was to complete the Celestial Forge. While that would normally make him risk averse there was better growth of my reach when I was active. It had sped up over the last week as I settled into my hero prep and had been getting much faster recently. I knew that getting active in the cape community would be my best bet for landing new powers.


    As I considered things I felt my passenger''s excitement as a constellation swung close. I closed my eyes and focused on it. It was the same constellation I had failed to connect to with my first attempt. This time my power was strong enough to latch onto a mote as they flew past. Unlike last time this took every ounce of my stored energy to secure the link. Finally I had the connection and could tell what that constellation was.


    It was the ''Alchemy'' constellation and the mote I had connected to was ''Evermore Alchemist''. With the connection made knowledge flooded my mind. Specifically knowledge of how to combine twenty two mundane materials in thirty five unique combinations that would produce instant effects on the level of a parahuman''s abilities. I had not gotten a crafting ability. I had gotten a combo platter of superpowers. And they were serious powers. Some of these could duplicate blaster effects that were strong enough to maim, if not outright kill. I would need to be very careful about how I used them.


    The formulas were divided into light and dark alchemy, essentially offensive and defensive. The defensive formula had combinations that could be used to heal. Heal! I was new to the cape scene, and having Panacea in the same city kind of skewed perception, but healing powers were incredibly rare. I''d read a theory that there were no healing powers, that all healing that happened was either a side effect or creative application of another type of ability. That was definitely not the case here.


    I took a breath to calm myself down. This was something I would need to assess carefully. I had been expecting maybe some kind of mechanical expertise, or the plans for a set of ray guns or jetpacks. I was not expecting thirty five new powers to be dropped into my lap.


    Actually, reviewing the nature of the formula it wasn''t right to call them powers. There was a mechanism to this that was a lot more nuanced than most powers. I knew how to trigger base effects by combining reagents, but there was an immense amount of space for improvement and refinement of technique. I would need practice to be able to get the full potential of this ability.


    Fortunately, in most cases, the required reagents are fairly common. There was one formula that required a specially built amulet and another that needed a specific and obscure breed of pepper, but most of the rest could be managed with things like wax, water, vinegar, or grease. Some would be harder to find but still relatively easy. Gunpowder was the only one that would be likely to raise red flags and that was only needed for one formula, though that formula was a doozy.


    One of the trickier reagents to supply would be the plants. Aside from the aforementioned obscure pepper the formulas also used roots, mushrooms, and acorns. Getting a good supply of those would take some doing.


    So, what did I have to work with now? My workshop had replenishing supplies of grease and iron that I could raid. That alone was enough for a couple of defensive formulas. I had water to work with, but that didn''t open up any new possibilities. Likewise, cooking oil could work in formulas, but not as well as petroleum products. Still nothing possible there without additional reagents like wax or roots.


    Still, I wasn''t going to let this go. I got some stock and milled off a small piece of iron. Then I got two lumps of grease. In a movement that felt both completely natural and totally alien I mashed them together and threw the mix into the air above me. It burst into light and coalesced around me, wrapping my body in a reflective barrier.


    The Reflect formula created a field the reflected any supernatural effect back at its source. It only lasted a minute, but it was a phenomenal defensive ability and I could pull an effectively infinite source of reagents to power it.


    I decided that was enough for now. I had a major power here. Tomorrow I would head out and seriously stress my finances. I needed reagents and more importantly a way to carry and access them in the field. The components of a formula weren''t that bulky, barely a handful, but they were consumed on each use. I would have to go out well supplied and would be on the clock in any drawn out fight. Also, if anything would trigger tinker warnings it would be my upcoming shopping spree. There were not that many mundane reasons to buy large quantities of sulfur.


    Still, limitations or no, I had an incredible ability. This was a serious power that someone could build their entire career on. For me it was just an incidental part of the Celestial Forge.


    I went to bed that night with more optimism at my situation than I had felt in the entire week since my trigger.


    Jumpchain abilities this chapter:


    Fashion (Highschool of the Dead) 200:


    Your clothing and entire body acquire defensive properties equal to the most superior protective items you have currently equipped. Emphasis on protective item- an iron or steel ring won''t give you metal-tough skin- the minimum is things like knee pads from extreme sports, helmets- even an apron would count, though all that''d do is protect you from the dangers of a kitchen...


    Bling of War (Macross) 100:


    It''s one thing to have a weapon or vehicle of mass destruction, capable of rending an entire ground force or a squadron to shame. It''s another to make it look so damn good your enemies would not dare get near it if they had a lick of sense. By purchasing this perk, you can design your equipment to look much more stylish and carry a ''theme'' you prefer. This can range from the clothes you wear, to the weapons you wield, to even the vehicles you pilot into battle. It''s all about style.


    Alchemist (Secret of Evermore) 200:


    Considered a lost art, the science of Alchemy has reawakened in Evermore, and you''ve been trained in its use. By combining ordinary ingredients together using an alchemical formula, you can transform them into effects that can only be described as magic. You know both Light Alchemy, the art of healing or protection, and Dark Alchemy, the art of attacking. While it''s theoretically possible to learn Alchemy at a later point in Evermore, this will let you skip the training and get straight to the mixing and casting, and will make you significantly better at it to boot.

 Chapter 363 - My SI Stash #63 - Why am I on Fire? by Yojimbra (MyHeroAcademia)

    -Only time where I will stand the MC blabbing about getting isekai''d/


    Synopsis: Waking up as Enji Todoroki would be inconvenient at the best of times. Now, I must struggle to adapt to being one of the top heroes in Japan while trying to fix my new home life and try to ensure a better future. I''m going to need a lot of help. Endeavour Self-Insert 1st P.O.V.


    Rated: T


    Words: 17K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13646925/1/Why-am-I-on-Fire (Yojimbra)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3


    BEEP BEEP BEEP


    I didn''t have an alarm clock.


    BEEP BEEP BEEP


    I know I didn''t. I hadn''t had one in a long time. Just hadn''t needed one. So, then, why exactly was I staring at an alarm clock as it blared at me? I don''t remember buying an alarm clock; I don''t even remember setting an alarm clock. Why was there an alarm clock? Normally it was just waking up dead tired that woke me up.


    BEEP BEEP BEEP


    Also, why the hell did I actually feel well rested? That was actually new. No headache, no grogginess, just, actually being f.u.c.k.i.n.g awake. The f.u.c.k?


    BEEP BEEP BEEP


    Okay, enough of that! I brought down my hand and tapped on what I thought was the snooze button. But what I saw wasn''t my arm. Not in the slightest. My muscles were never that big, even when I worked out extensively. My hand never looked that big either. Come to think of it, this wasn''t even my room. The bed was too close to the ground, the style was Japanese, and where the hell was my computer?


    I sat up, looking around and trying to figure out what the hell was going on and how much of this was a dream. One thing was for sure though, I was f.u.c.k.i.n.g huge. Like I could out-bench Gaston easily. Though, he would have more hair than me. Wait, where was my chest hair? I looked at my body, moving the red tank-top¡ªwhich I didn''t remember ever owning¡ªto the side and finding a few red chest hairs.


    A jolt of pain shot through me when I plucked one and brought it up to look at it. "Holy crap, I''m a ginger?"


    I brought my hands to my face, trying to see if I could feel something similar, not that I knew how my face felt, but I did notice one thing that stood out. My glasses. I was seeing without my glasses. Perfectly. That was pretty cool.


    "Okay," I slid my hands down my face and looked around the room trying to figure out what exactly was going on. I couldn''t come up with anything. Not a damn thing. When I attempted to scratch my chin I noticed something about my hand. It was on fire.


    No wonder it was so warm.


    When I tried to flick it out the fire did nothing. It stayed there, clinging to my skin like a thin glove. If anything, it got larger, spreading up my arm! I tried to put it out with my other arm but it was on fire too! Why was I on fire!? Quick! Stop drop and roll!


    I did that, still fire!


    I rolled again! Still fire!


    There was more fire!


    Still more fire!


    I brought my arms up and stood touching my head and hoping that there wasn''t even more fire there. "Why am I on fire?"


    "Dad?" I looked towards a sleepy looking red haired child looking at me. His name came to me instantly. Touya. He. He was my son. "Why are you screaming? Didn''t you want to train me?"


    Never had a kid before.


    I glanced around the room, hoping that I wasn''t the only one in here. I was. Realization hit me like a truck as memories surged forth. Anger, lots of anger, lots of drive, motivation, of desperately trying to be better, to do better, to be stronger, faster, and all those other things as I strove to surpass All Might.


    "Umm," I swallowed, quickly using my quirk to put out the flames that covered my body, even the ones on the ground dwindled quickly¡ªno burn marks!¡ª"Do you want to train today?"


    That shocked the sleep out of his eyes. There was a bit of fear in his eyes as he looked at me. "No?"


    "Oh, well, you can go back to bed, then, I''ll see about breakfast." Crap, did I even know how to make a Japanese breakfast? More importantly, crap! I didn''t know the first thing about Japanese culture! Sure I knew a bit, but that was basic weeb stuff and no way applicable to their whole culture. I didn''t even like their cuisine! I couldn''t even read Japanese.


    Wait. I looked at Touya''s pajama shirt, which was of some cartoon, and realized I could make out the characters well enough, and could even read them. Convenient.


    "I can?" Touya asked, his eyes lighting up as he all but bounced on his feet.


    I nodded. "Yeah, unless you''re too excited."


    "Can I go get Fuyumi and watch cartoons with her and Mom?"


    "Is today a school day?"


    "No, it''s Saturday!"


    Great! One less thing to worry about! I smiled and nodded. "Then sure, go ahead. But don''t wake your mom up if she''s sleeping alright?"


    "Okay!"


    I waited for him to leave before I started to freak out again. Part of me knew exactly where everything was in this house. It had been mine for years now, a large traditional Japanese style house right in the center of Tokyo. I had bought it after I saved someone from a villain attack and they offered it to me for cheap.


    Though, I really shouldn''t say that I bought it. I wasn''t the original owner of this body.


    I stepped into the bathroom, hoping against hope that I wasn''t who I thought I was.


    The man that stared back at me was Enji Todoroki.


    The abusive asshole that was so driven to beat All Might that he forced a woman into marrying him to produce powerful children, and just a real grade-A jackass. As far as I could tell this wasn''t a dream¡ªI could still feel everything and I even had to use the restroom¡ªbut there wasn''t much of Enji''s personality left in me. Sure we were both a bit on the angry side, but I wasn''t him.


    "Okay," I splashed myself with some water and tried to think. I remembered everything I could about myself, this world, and who everyone was.


    Twenty-five years old, father of two, husband to Rei, avid workout-er, and the number two pro hero in Japan. Twenty-five years old, so Fuyumi was three? And there were talks¡ªdemands???with Rei about another child, that would be Natsuo wouldn''t it? That meant I was about twenty years from canon.


    In five years, Izuku and Shoto would both be born, and it would still be more than a decade before I knew what was going on. That was twenty years of butterfly effects to screw everything over. Hell, there was no way of even knowing when exactly I was supposed to have s.e.x with Rei to make sure Natsuo or Shoto were born.


    Trying to keep things the same would be impossible. "Besides,"¡ªI rolled my neck and smiled at myself in the mirror¡ª"I always did say canon was boring, right?"


    That sounded cooler in my head.


    "Still, one thing is for certain, I can''t do this on my own. I need to talk to All Might." I blinked, stroking my chin. Were we even friendly at this point? I could check my phone. "And Nezu¡­ if he''s alive at this point."


    What were my options? What would it take to make that happy ending? Hopefully I remember everything right.


    XXXX


    What kind of tea did Rei like? Was it too early for tea? What was I thinking? It was never too early for tea. Still, the question was, what kind of tea did Rei like? I searched through Enji''s half of the memories and found that when it came to what his wife actually liked it was pretty much limited to that one flower, and one thing that made her¨D


    I felt my cheeks warm and stowed that thought for later. Much later. Which tea was the most used? Or which one did we have the most of? I checked the pancake, smiling at the pancake making device that they had; it made those really fluffy looking perfect pancakes like no one''s business. I already had three done, though I doubted that Fuyumi could eat a whole one at her age. Could she even eat a pancake?


    Should I have trusted Touya with her? It was better than trusting me with her.


    "Hmm, let''s go with this one." I grabbed one of the boxes that we had four of for some reason. The open one was almost out of little tea packets and I started the process of brewing some up. I could recall Enji being a coffee drinker, and I could feel my tongue shrivel up at the thought of drinking something so bitter. Apparently, I didn''t inherit his tastes.


    Which was probably a curse. A big big curse. I was probably going to starve in Japan.


    From what I could tell, Enji left the cooking up to Rei. How was he not poisoned? Oh, right, money. And Rei was actually a nice person.


    I let out a sigh as I thought about Rei. She had a strong quirk, as powerful as my own, and she had wanted to be a hero. But her health was poor, poor enough that she''d need medical treatment to keep living. That was how I got her. Money. Money for the treatment that gave her a normal life, at the cost of being a slave to Endeavour.


    I stared at the tea for a moment as I thought about what to do.


    "Enji?" I looked up and found myself struck dumb by Rei standing in the doorway. Her long white hair was full, giving her a cute almost pixie-like quality, while her face was just plain beautiful, and her grey eyes struck a nerve in me. A good nerve. Endeavour was a fool. Despite her beauty, Rei looked haunted, a ghost of fear loomed behind her as she took a careful step forward. "Why are you here?"


    She tilted her head, one eyebrow raised. "And why are just your eyebrows on fire?"


    Because I was really bad at controlling this thing and it''s a miracle half of Japan wasn''t currently on fire.


    "Uhh," I swiped my hand over my eyebrows and extinguished those flames before placing some tea down on the table and gesturing towards it like it was some grand prize. "Good morning Rei, I made you some tea. I''m not sure if it''s the kind you like." I held up the box I pulled it out of and smiled. "I also made pancakes."


    Rei''s mouth dropped, but she moved closer, heading towards the tea cup as she watched me with suspicious eyes. "What happened to training Touya?"


    "He said he didn''t want to train."


    She shook, and grabbed the cup tightly. "Oh. I''m sorry. I should have¨D"


    "He asked if he could watch cartoons with Fuyumi and I said yes." I scratched the back of my head, turning away from her as I felt an odd combination of adoration and guilt as I looked at her. While Enji hadn''t hit her¨Dyet¨Dthere was a tension between us. And why wouldn''t there be? She was effectively a breeding machine to Endeavor. "Is that okay?"


    Again Rei''s mouth dropped and she held the cup a bit tighter before shaking her head. "No, that''s fine, I... Thank you... For giving him a break."


    "Don''t mention it." I placed a cooked pancake in front of her and shrugged. "I don''t really know if you like pancakes but¨D"


    "No," she blinked and shook her head. "I mean, I do, I just." She shook her head again, staring at the plate. "They''re fine. Thanks."


    "I''ll go get Touya and Fuyumi, I''m sure they''d love to eat with their mom."


    Their father, on the other hand. I couldn''t remember ever even holding Fuyumi. Endeavour judged her too quick; she was a female, and that made her weak. Damn, I really ended up in an asshole, didn''t I?


    "I''m still thinking about having another kid," Rei whispered, still looking at her cup of tea. "I''m sorry, but please, give me more time."


    "Oh," I blinked, scratching the side of my cheek as I glanced at her. Such a haunted beauty. Sure, Rei had smiled before, but it was never because of Endeavour. "Don''t worry about that, we don''t have to if you don''t want to."


    Rei gasped, "I, what? Are you sure? Didn''t we¨D"


    "Yeah," I paused before she brought up much of the past. I already felt guilty for everything. "You might find this hard to believe, but I''m not going to force anything on you. Besides, I''m not sure if I want another kid either."


    I didn''t even want the first two.


    "Oh," Rei blinked, she took a sip of her drink. "I see."


    I saw it then. For the first time as Enji, I saw her do something wonderful. She smiled. It was small, confident, charming, and made my heart beat faster. She was way out of my league. "Well, I''ll go get them."


    "Your hair''s on fire." She called as I left the room.


    I needed to fix that ASAP!


    I found Touya and Fuyumi in the living room, Fuyumi laying on the floor staring up at her big brother while the little redhead sat way too close to the T.V. He wasn''t watching anime. He was watching the news. All Might had saved a bunch of people.


    Again.


    "Hey¨D" I started softly.


    Touya jumped and quickly changed the channel. "Uhh, sorry dad I, Fuyumi just¨D"


    "You like All Might, right?" I asked walking over to scoop Fuyumi up. This was another first for Enji. Was I supposed to carry three year olds? She wasn''t a baby, just like a big toddler right? I should have paid more attention to my child development classes in college. Still, she could talk. Right?


    "Dad?" Fuyumi asked, looking at me confused. I knew so little about her. But she wasn''t struggling. That was good.


    Now to try and pretend I didn''t write several stories of my now daughter in romantic relationsh.i.p.s with some punk that wasn''t even born yet.


    Touya on the other hand looked scared. "No, I mean, well yeah, everyone likes him, he''s the best hero, but I think that¨D"


    "You don''t have to lie to me, Touya, you can say you like all Might. I won''t get mad."


    "Really?" He asked with wide eyes. "I don''t know what happened to you, Dad but you''re awesome today! After breakfast, can we train? I wanna be a hero like All Might one day!"


    I laughed and nodded. "Sounds good! Now hurry up and get to the kitchen, there''s pancakes."


    Kids were easy. I watched as Touya bolted out the door and headed towards the kitchen.


    Fuyumi followed him with her eyes.


    "Do you want me to put you down?" I asked her.


    Her head spun and she looked at me with wide blue eyes before nodding.


    I unleashed the Fuyumi and watched as she did that awkward toddler waddle-run.


    They would probably appreciate some alone time with their mom. It wasn''t something that I should pollute at the moment. Besides, I could eat my pancake in a minute. But right now I needed to make a call.


    I pulled my phone out of my pocket and scrolled through it looking for All Might''s number. I didn''t have to look far. There was at least one missed call each week from All Might. It was almost like he was my ex-girlfriend.


    Quick memory check proved that was a no. Thank god.


    I hit redial, and listened to the phone ring for a few moments. Would he even pick up? Should I wait for him to call me? How did that work with All Might? He seemed goofy enough that he''d be really excited that I''d be calling him. He might even¡ª


    I turned the news on again and watched as All Might fought a villain, I could see him scrambling to pick up his phone.


    I hung up. He''d call me back after he was done.


    Before I could even take a step away, my phone started ringing. It was All Might. I sighed, watching him fight the villain with his phone pressed to his ear. Sure he was the best hero, but wasn''t this showing off?


    I answered.


    "Endeavour!" All Might shouted into the phone. "Sorry I missed your call earlier! I was fighting a villain and was a bit distracted!"


    "You''re still fighting a villain."


    "What? No I''m not, what makes you¨D"


    "I''m watching you on the news right now."


    "Oh that? This is just some fun! But what can I do for you?" I watched as All Might all but obliterated the villain on the T.V. and even pausing to flash the camera the peace sign all on the phone with me.


    "Do you think we can meet in person soon? There''s a lot we need to talk about." I tried not to laugh as I thought about All Might acting like this. It was somehow both out of character and in character for him to just be so lax about actually fighting crime.


    "Certainly! I know just the place! We can even do lunch if you prefer. How about at¡ª"


    "Do you know a Nezu?" I asked before he could get to set on a place. "And is there a place we can meet with him as well?"


    A semi awkward silence followed. "How do you know about him?"


    "It''s why I want to talk."


    "Right. Meet me at U.A. at 3."


    "Okay."


    I glanced towards the clock. That gave me five hours. Five hours to figure out exactly what I wanted to say.


    Chapter 2


    In general, my life goal was pretty much just to not die, something that was pretty doable as a shut-in. However, given how my current occupation was that of a pro hero, that goal felt much more difficult to achieve. Especially as Endeavour, of all people. Underqualified was a great way to sum up how I was feeling.


    I let out a low growl as I examined Endeavour''s hero suit; he''d wear it under everything when he went out, a classic workaholic. Though that wasn''t the whole truth, Enji thought of himself more as Endeavour than he did as Enji. But in a world where being a hero is a full time job, it probably wasn''t uncommon. No doubt Toshinori thought of himself as All Might first and Toshinori second.


    I placed the suit back with its counterparts and stared at them for a moment more. In theory, all the training that Endeavour did was still in my mind, ready to be recalled at a moment''s notice. But his instincts weren''t. And my instincts were roughly the equivalent of a peanut butter sandwich in a room filled with begging dogs.


    "Do I own a single tie that doesn''t have flames on them?" Each and every single one of my ties were some basic color with flames at the bottom. Even a white and black one I thought looked good turned out to to have a black base with a white flame. Where was the fun!? Screw it, there had to be a tie with pink on it. There wasn''t.


    Rei stood at the doorway as I finished the last few buttons of my more professional suit. Ideally I''d be able to show up in a set of basketball shorts and a T-shirt, but this wasn''t just a casual meeting between friends.


    "Is there something happening?" Rei asked, her hand barely touching the door frame.


    "I have a meeting with All Might."


    That made Rei''s eyes go wide. She gripped the door a bit harder, her hands shaking as she bit her lip. She was afraid. I wasn''t used to seeing people be afraid of me, especially someone sweet like Rei. I hated it. But that wasn''t something that was going to be fixed overnight. Any nice gesture I did for her might be suspect of having ulterior motives. Besides, I still needed to figure out exactly what I was going to do.


    "Would it be alright if I take the kids to see my mother tonight?" Rei barely managed to squeak out. Any previous time that Endeavour had met with All Might, he had come home angry. Angry enough to scare Rei.


    I smiled at her, and for a moment, surprise replaced her fear. "If that''s what you want, sure. I don''t really know when I''ll be back, so I was going to suggest you didn''t have to cook for me. But going to see your mom sounds like a great idea."


    Hopefully in the future when I surprised her, she''d be smiling.


    Rei stopped shaking, her head tilted to the side for a moment as she looked rather confused, somehow I feel like this whole day had been more confusing for her than it had been for me. And I was the one that had woken up in a giant flaming asshole. Seriously, I went from never married to a wife and two kids faster than I could have in Vegas.


    "I, we, yes. We will. You. Umm. Thank you." Rei shook her head and bowed again, her soft footsteps echoed through the hallway.


    Now back to struggling with my arch nemesis, tying a tie.


    I still needed to figure out what I was going to say, and what I was going to do. There were way too many moving parts for me to act, and even if I did, would I be able to do anything? Sure, I was Endeavour, but at the same time I wasn''t. What could I even do today?


    List of heroes, list of heroes.


    Hawks was probably still in diapers. Or wait, wasn''t he closer in age to Fuyumi or Touya? What even was his first name anyways? Should have paid more attention to him. Burnin was like, six or something, Miurko was about that age too. Eraserhead was probably being a problematic preteen somewhere in the world. Who else was there?


    Gang-orca? He looked old but I honestly had no idea what his age was.


    I miss the wiki so much right now.


    Gran Torino might still be active, or more active at least. Should have asked All Might to drag him into this too. Hopefully Nezu and All Might would be able to help me with this.


    Then there was Natsuo. He was close to twenty. That would mean Rei would likely have to be pregnant with him soon.


    The man in the mirror looked back at me, short red hair, blue eyes, and one hell of a resting bitch face all stuffed into a well fitted suit and sealed with a badly tied tie. I looked like a mess. A bit of fire was on my head that was quickly snuffed out with a finger. A hot mess. Rolling my shoulders I set out for U.A.


    "I''m sorry Natsuo, but I won''t force myself on her." Though, his character probably would have been okay with that.


    XXXX


    Thanks to my experience with playing Persona 5''s intro at least a dozen times, I had a decent idea of how the train system worked. I still almost got lost. Somehow, I managed to find my way to the U.A. gates.


    The locked gates.


    I moved over to the large keypad and scanner and stared at it for a moment. Endeavour had been here before; he was an alumni after all, having been from the first generation of heroes to graduate from the school after All Might''s rise to fame. And what a rise to fame it was. The first year alone the crime rate dropped 10%.


    "Look out below!" All Might''s cheerful voice told me that I was standing in completely the wrong spot as he came shooting down from the sky and landed right next to me. Honestly, the fact that I was 6''5 now really didn''t make All Might''s towering height and mass any less impressive. With any luck, that would be All Might''s form for a long, long time. The man greeted me with open arms and a wide smile. Much like myself, All Might had elected to wear a suit, the same one he later wore as a U.A. teacher, yellow pinstriped, and practically bursting from raw muscle. "Endeavour! It''s good to see you, I see you''re as punctual as ever!"


    I nodded. What the hell was I even supposed to say? Hi, I''m not really Endeavour and god you''re huge? "Thanks for agreeing to this."


    "My pleasure! Though I must say that I am rather curious as to what this is all about." All Might opened the door with a few quick key presses. "But we can talk inside, shall we?"


    The bustling school life of U.A. reminded me that here in Japan a six day school week was considered the norm. Did Touya lie to me? Why didn''t Rei say anything? Why were there Saturday morning cartoons if there was Saturday school? Was that just for middle and highschool?


    Anime did not prepare me for this.


    "I must say the students here at U.A. are getting better every year." All Might walked with his shoulders back, as he exuded confidence. Just being next to him made me want to adjust my posture and stand tall beside him. "What do you say later we show them what some real pros can do?"


    I blinked, and briefly saw death flashing before my eyes. All Might would completely destroy me, hell, half these students would destroy me. I didn''t even know if I could fight, I could barely keep from setting myself on fire.


    "Ahh, Enji, you uhh, have a bit of flame on the top of your uhh-" All Might held up his hand as though he was whispering, his blue eyes were focused on top of my head. He blinked and then reached out and I felt him snuff out a flame. "I''ll just, take care of that for you."


    "Ahh, sorry about that, and thanks." I probably shouldn''t have said that let alone say it like that nor smiled, because it made All Might''s hand drop and he looked at me oddly. "Right, well, Nezu is this way right?"


    All Might stood and shook his head, "Not at all, he''s on the top floor. He was getting ready to make himself known to the public, so I''m still a bit concerned as to how exactly you know of him."


    "I''ll explain what I can once we get somewhere private."


    All Might''s smile was replaced with a frown for just a moment. "Did something happen to you?"


    I only nodded.


    The way All Might treated me changed slightly, from an overeager puppy that just wanted to play, to how a concerned father might act. In a way, it was sweet. In others, it just made me miss home.


    I had been to colleges before, sprawling campuses built on any flat spot they could find in the valleys and mountains of my home. But, none quite compared to U.A. The main building itself was like someone tried to turn an entire college into a skyscr.a.p.er and succeeded, to say nothing of how absolutely small the ceilings made me feel. They had to be at least 20 feet high, maybe more.


    The view from the top made me all the more impressed by U.A''s general size, a campus so large that buses were often needed to go from one end to the other. It felt so fantastical, and amazing.


    All Might lead me to a cozy looking meeting with a set of couches flanking a coffee table. Nezu stood on the table, handling a large¨Dcomparatively¨Dtea pot with both hands as he poured a wonderful brew that had a bit of a crisp spicy niceness to it. Though, seeing the equivalent of a stuffed animal pouring tea was a bit on the odd side.


    "Hello, Nezu," I bowed politely as I entered, staring at the creature perhaps a bit more intently than I should have. In person, Nezu was a lot less whole than he normally appeared. There were patches in his fur that were thin enough for his spotted skin to be seen underneath. That, or this Nezu had yet to fully recover from his past.


    Nezu placed the pot down carefully, before wiping his hands off on a cloth and looking up at me. He placed both hands behind his back, the suit he was wearing was well fitted, though the boots he wore reminded me of Izuku''s gigantic red pair. "I was reluctant to agree to this meeting, but Toshinori claimed you could be trusted, so my question to you is how do you know me?"


    "That," I began, "is a long story, and I do plan to explain everything to you. To both of you." I looked back to All Might and gave a half shrug half smile and gestured for the seats. "I''m going to need both of your help with this."


    "I see." Nezu placed his paw over his mouth and then hopped from the table to the couch. "Well then, have a seat, and let''s begin, shall we? I must say, I''m rather excited now that I''ve spoken to you. There must be so much on your mind for you to want to meet with all Might."


    I took my seat opposite the two of them All Might towering over Nezu as the two took a sip of their tea so in sync that it might as well have been practiced. I took a sip and found that the crispness of the tea calmed me instantly.


    With a long, steady breath I thought about how to say this. I had been thinking about it for the longest time, but no way seemed good. It felt like no matter how I put the words that it would constantly fall flat on its face and leave a sour taste in my mouth. Well, it wasn''t like I ever planned any of my stories to start with, might as well just talk and see what happens.


    One of the most important parts of telling a story was the Hook. The thing that grabs the reader, listener, or viewer and sucks them in. Fortunately, I had a lot of hooks up my sleeve and All Might and Nezu were looking like very eager fish.


    "I''m going to start with this." I took a deep breath and felt my hands shake as I prepared for the truth. "I''m not the Endeavour you know. I''m not actually any Endeavour, really, I actually just woke up in his body this morning, I don''t know how or even why, but the truth is that I''m not the man you know."


    They were both silent for a moment. All Might shifted in his seat, glancing at me with concern while Nezu folded his hands in his lap.


    "Then what happened to Endeavour?" All Might was the first to ask.


    I shrugged, "I honestly don''t know, I have his memories inside of me, and I can find his feelings in there, but as far as a persona there''s only me in here." Felt good to use the word persona in a conversation not about the game. "But, that''s not all. You see, I''m not just some random person from this world that switched bodies with Endeavour, or even someone that took him over."


    Deep breath. Deep steady breath. It was time for the real wild part.


    "In the world I''m from we don''t have quirks, everyone is just a normal human." Mostly, "But, in my world, there''s a Manga, one called My Hero Acadamia. It''s set in this world, twenty years from now and it follows your successor, All Might."


    "Successor?" Nezu questioned, looking up towards All Might.


    The color drained from All Might and I saw the first hints of the skinny malnourished man he could end up becoming. "How much do you know?"


    "About One for All?" I asked, watching his eyes go wider. His hands were balled into a fist, he was shaking. "Probably more than you."


    "Excuse me, what exactly is One for All?" Nezu asked, raising his hand. "I feel like understanding that would help me believe this is not some elaborate hoax."


    Now it was my turn to be surprised. Twenty years from now Nezu knew about One for All, he was one of the ones trying to get All Might to pass on the quirk to Mirio after all. I looked towards All Might, and extended a weak hand in apology. "Sorry, I thought he knew."


    All Might let out a long sigh and relaxed. "It''s alright, I''m sure if what you say is true, then he must eventually know. Though I find a lot of this hard to believe. Is there something more you can tell me?"


    "Your name is Toshinori Yagi, you were born quirkless but still wanted to be a hero and thought that Japan needed someone strong enough to be a pillar of peace and justice." I took a deep breath and maintained eye contact. "You left an impression on your late master, Nana Shimura and she gave you One for All. Do I need to go on?"


    All Might frowned. "This is not at all what I had in mind when you said you wanted a meeting"


    Was All Might pouting?


    "So, if I''m understanding this correctly." Nezu looked up towards All Might and gave him a speculative glance. "You possess a quirk that can be passed down from one person to another?"


    "Yes, that''s the gist of it, I can explain more later, but why don''t you continue, uhh, I''m sorry what exactly should we call you"


    Enjimbra?


    "Just, call me Enji." It was close enough to my real name anyways, if I played with the letters a bit. And the sounds. Okay, so it had two similar letters but that was close enough. "It''ll make things easier. Or Endeavour, it is who I am now, kinda."


    "Well then Enji, it appears as though, you''ve gotten All Might to believe you." Nezu took a long sip of his tea finishing the drink with a content sigh. "And while that would be enough for me normally, I''m still a bit suspicious. You''re claiming to have knowledge from twenty years in the future in the form of a manga you read. It seems a bit convenient, so what are your goals?"


    "Long term? I don''t really know." I shrugged showing both of my hands as I leaned forward onto my knees. "For my personal goals it''s to make sure that the family I found myself in is happier than the one I know. But, beyond that, I don''t know. That''s why I came here, not only are you two of the smartest people I know, but you''re also both firmly on the side of good. And if I''m wrong about trusting you, then I''m wrong about a lot of things."


    "So, if you want to know what my goal for coming here is? It''s to get your help. I''m not asking anything for what I know. I''m not even sure what I know will even be of any help right now, most of it is in 20 years from now, and things are already going to be different." I looked at my hand and stared at it for a moment. "I''m not Endeavour, I''m not a hero. I don''t know if I could save the people he saved; I can barely go five minutes without setting myself on fire! So, that''s my goal, my goal is to trust you two."


    I looked at both of them and gave my best smile. "So please, help me."


    All Might''s grin stretched from ear to ear. "Fear not Enji! We can team up for a while and I can get you into heroic shape in no time flat! This will be great! The two of us teaming up! Can you imagine all the good we''ll do?"


    When I looked at Nezu, I made certain that I looked like the most pitiable person on the planet in hopes that he would save me. Part of me, a large large part of me, just didn''t want to be a hero. That wasn''t who I was as a person. I panic, and the idea of me being responsible for someone''s life or death made me light headed.


    "Perhaps." Nezu gave a sadistic smile. Right, he was sadistic. "But for now, Enji, please, tell us all you know."


    Chapter 3


    ThuwwBwhammThonk!


    This felt a lot like highschool.


    A red rubber ball slammed into my face with enough force to put my face onto the ground and my ass up in the air. I glanced across the court towards All Might as he winced at the result of his throw. That was apparently him going easy on me. But, I should have known better, he was still probably frustrated over everything. Being told by both myself and Nezu that we would have to wait.


    I knew that Tenko was born this year, but I didn''t know exactly when, never paid much attention to stuff like villain''s birthdays. Hell, the only reason why I knew his age was because I was surprised he was actually kind of young. Still, we had five years to intervene. All Might just wanted to work on a faster time scale.


    Which was fair.


    I''m not exactly patient either.


    "Ahh!" All Might gasped, running over to me, his shoes squeaking against the gym floor that had been leant to us for a brief period of assessment. The principal¨Dwho was grooming Nezu to be his successor¨Dhad been more than amiable and even made sure to keep it a secret that the number one and number two pro heroes were playing dodgeball. "Sorry Enji, I thought you could handle that."


    I accepted his hand as I stood, the room was ever so slightly still spinning as my head reeled from what felt like a rubber train hitting me in the face. I placed my hand on his chest and smiled, mostly to steady myself. "Don''t worry about it, I don''t think you gave me a concussion."


    All Might grabbed my hand and lifted my arm up, his dark blue eyes burning into my soul as he inspected me closer. The frustration was written all over his face. "You weren''t kidding when you said you didn''t have any instincts."


    He wasn''t really wrong, really the only instinct I actually had was flailing my hand in front of my face when I heard an insect. "I''ve never even been in a fight before."


    I looked at my hand, how many times had I dreamed of having magical abilities? How many times did I cast fireball as a Wizard in D&D? Countless. With a deep breath I reached into Enji''s deepest memories, finding that first moment. For him, it had come naturally, from the moment his quirk awakened the flames were under his control.


    I did not have that luxury. I focused on my hand, picturing a flame on it. My hand ignited into a bonfire that nearly singed All Might''s eyebrows off. "I said it before, I''m not a fighter, I''m not a hero. I''m just some guy, in a rough spot, that wants to do the right thing. But, that doesn''t mean I don''t want to learn my quirk. So please, All Might. Have some patience with me."


    All Might gave a fierce smile and placed his hand on my shoulder before moving his other hand to put out another fire in my hair. Why was I constantly on fire? "Ha! Well said Enji, well said. Though to be honest, I have no real advice on how to learn how to use a quirk, it just came naturally to me."


    Right, he sucked ass at that, didn''t he?


    "That''s fine, I normally like to figure stuff out like this on my own." Mostly due to stubbornness. "But even then, I still have a lot to learn and not much time to learn it."


    "Hmm," All Might crossed his arms and tapped on his chin, "I understand your goal well enough, but I have to be honest, I''m confused about what role you want to play. You say you''re not a hero, but, you also want to do the right thing."


    "That''s nothing new, most people struggle to find their own place in life." I stretched, looking at him in the eye. Even though I was so much taller as Enji than I had been All Might still made me feel small. "Weren''t you the same?"


    "Nope, I''ve always known exactly what I wanted to be." All Might struck a pose and beamed with energy. "A pillar of peace and justice."


    "But, before that."


    He blinked in surprise, his pose deflating.


    "I don''t mean this in a bad way, All Might. But, you know this struggle as much as anyone. And you''ll know it again, once you pass it on." I scratched the back of my head. What the hell was I doing lecturing All Might? "I mean, when you were in middle school, did you not struggle because your dreams were far larger than your own capabilities? Didn''t you ever feel lost because of that? And you only found your path because of Nana?"


    "You," All Might let out a sigh that nearly sounded like a growl. "You''re far wiser than Endeavour ever was."


    Not really, I just study storytelling and know how character arcs are supposed to work. At least in theory.


    "Right then. Enji, I''ve made up my mind, if it''s fighting you need to learn there''s only one man we can turn to." All Might shook a bit nervously. "You know him right? The one who taught me how to fight?"


    I was never good at dealing with angry old people.


    "Gran Torino, right? Sorahiko?" I asked, already knowing the answer.


    "That''s right! I can give you his contact information and his address, he''s currently living out in the countryside so you might even be able to-"


    I walked forward and placed a hand on All might''s shoulder. "All Might, one of my goals is to make sure that you know how to actually teach a bit. So, you''re coming with me."


    All Might paled, and looked completely unlike the great hero he was at this time, I saw the first hints of his struggling character I was familiar with. "But why do I have to go? There''s no need for it so-"


    "Nope, while I''m learning how to fight, you''ll be learning how to teach."


    "But he''ll be even more annoyed by that!"


    All Might, the number one pro hero and a man that could punch with the force of a nuke was whining. Part of me took a great deal of pride in that. It was amazing what you could do when you understood a character''s background, motivations, and fears.


    "You''re going to have to talk to him eventually, don''t you want to talk to him about Nana''s kid?"


    All Might let out a long huff and his shoulders deflated. "I''m going to have to get used to you being right, aren''t I?"


    "You and me both."


    "Alright then, we''ll head for his cabin tonight!"


    "Tonight?"


    "Better late than never, if I called him to tell him we were coming, he''d be annoyed that we weren''t already there."


    For one of the fastest men alive, that made a lot of sense. Also, better late than never? Wait, was he referring to how he was too afraid to even call Gran Torino? I''ll let it slide, but just why? "Wait, wouldn''t he be more annoyed if we did show up unannounced?"


    Once again All Might deflated. "Good point."


    "Right, well, you call him, I need to make a phone call." Though, given the current situation, she might not even answer, or even be bothered that I wasn''t coming home tonight. So many memories of Endeavour staying late hours and never contacting Rei for anything. She really was just an object to him.


    "Call? Who?"


    "Rei, my wife. Touya and Fuyumi as well," I scratched my neck; training to become a hero might delay the whole being a good father plan I had going. But, I''d make up for it.


    "You sure do care for them, even if they aren''t really your kids. That''s admirable."


    I shrugged. "Not really, I''m just-"


    All Might''s hand fell on my shoulder again and he gave me a rough shake. "Enji, learn to take a compliment."


    XXXX


    Riiiiing ~


    Riiiiing ~


    Riiiiing ~


    "Hello?" Rei''s soft spoken voice was less than a whisper over the phone, especially after I spent so much time talking with All might recently. It was actually nice, I generally preferred the quiet. "Enji?"


    Her voice had a bit of shake to it. Maybe a few extra days away from each other would help her calm down?


    "Hey Rei," I said in my own hushed tone. I caught a glimpse of myself in the locker room mirror. The U.A. gym suit that I had been lent was snug, but fit well. "How are things with your mother?"


    "Huh?" I could hear Rei shifted. "She''s well."


    A pause.


    It''s not like I could expect much more, that would be my response as well.


    "And the kids?"


    Another pause. I could feel her discomfort through the phone. Maybe I was trying too much? My lack of relationship experience was probably hurting me here, but it was easy to tell that Rei didn''t want this phone call.


    "My dad is playing badminton with Touya, and Fuyumi is just about to take a nap."


    "I see, well, I guess I''ll have to talk to them later." Thought it might have been a good idea to at least let them know what I was doing, better to hear it from me than their mother. Or maybe not. At least that''s what I would have preferred. "But, I''m just calling to let you know that I''ll be out of town for a while."


    "Oh, I see." Rei''s voice was soft.


    "Yeah, it''s just going to be a training trip with All Might," was that too much? Rei didn''t seem like the gossip type, especially not about me. "So, the house will be pretty empty for a while, but, when I get back, why don''t we all go out to eat?"


    "Sure?" She sounded confused.


    "Great, I''d hate to leave it to you but can you help me pick a restaurant that the kids might like as well? We can invite your parents as well."


    I heard her gasp through the phone. "Are you suggesting a family dinner?"


    "Nothing that formal really, just, well, yeah, together, as a family, one where you don''t have to cook."


    "I¡­ Sure, I''ll talk to my parents about it."


    "Great." I scratched the back of my head and frowned at the lack of a timetable I had for current events. Few things annoyed me more than not being able to give a set date. "I don''t know when we''ll be back, but I''ll try to let you know ahead of time. Oh, and Rei."


    "Hmm?"


    "Tonight, when you''re reading Fuyumi her story, why not have Touya read it with you? I''d do it but I won''t be home." Memories of reading the stories to my little sisters stuck out the most from when I was Touya''s age.


    "Oh, umm sure." Rei paused again. "Umm Enji?"


    "Yeah?"


    "What. I. Um. No, never mind."


    "Alright." She probably wanted to know what happened to me. There was a time and place for that. And over the phone wasn''t it. I needed to tell her sooner rather than later. "Take care, Rei."


    "Thank you. Enji."


    The phone went silent and I stared at it for a few moments. The kids, I wouldn''t need to tell, they probably wouldn''t understand anyways. Well Touya might. My first night of being a father and a husband and I was already going fishing for the weekend. Still, I didn''t have much of a choice. I was a hero, not even by choice.


    Kind of shows how boring a.d.u.l.ts were. Now that I was a hero, I was dreading the idea of it.


    What was that about character arcs earlier?


    F.u.c.k.


    I stood and walked back out towards the gym.


    Time to get my ass kicked by All Might at dodgeball, before we set out for Gran Torino''s cabin.


    When we exited the gym I saw a student looking at me; abnormally tall, plain looking, lanky, with sharp glasses and green hair marked with yellow. It was Sir Nighteye, but younger. He was wearing a school uniform as well. Miri? Mirai? Which one was it?


    I was about to wave to him, but he darted away. What were the chances that he was such a massive All Might fanboy that he was too shy to come say hello?


    XXXX


    I learned several important lessons on my way to Gran Torino''s cabin. The first of which was that All might couldn''t drive. The quick to follow second lesson was that in Japan, they drive on the left side of the road. The third, was once again All Might-related as he wasn''t exactly the best at directions. It was already dark, and we had gotten lost twice.


    "Alright, I''m positive this is it!" All Might pointed towards the small dirt road that was going up into the mountains.


    I would say that if he was wrong this time he''d be carrying the car back down the mountain, but he already did that. It was terrifying. "If you''re sure."


    We took my somewhat nice car up the road and gave a light twitch when I heard the gravel hit the undercarriage. A brief flicker of light alerted me that I was on fire again, and once again All Might put it out. "Thanks."


    "My pleasure, sorry for getting lost." All Might relaxed in the back seat of the car. Largely because we discovered quickly that between the two of us, it was cramped in the front and that I wouldn''t be able to see out of my left window with him scrunched in there. Apparently, he didn''t have the ability to freely switch between forms. "Say, Enji, why don''t you tell me a bit more about yourself?"


    "Like, what?" I kept my eyes on the winding gravel covered road that was partially reclaimed by nature. It was one of those roads that looked like it had been carved by a car, with a ridge of grass in the center and two ruts filled in by gravel. It made me feel like I was trying to drive on two very narrow roads.


    "Well, you''re vastly different from Endeavour, so why don''t we start with your occupation?"


    Oh joy. Sharing. Well, it wasn''t like I had my old life to be private about anyways. Besides. I really wanted All Might to trust me. "Well, I actually had several jobs. I suppose two were actually important. I actually worked in IT, err, with computers, like what they do at I-Island just more boring and completely different." Come to think of it, all that information is probably going to be completely useless in this world, it was very likely that the languages I was used to operating on were completely outdated. That, and there was a good chance that this world was filled with anime bullshit computer science. "But before that I was a teacher."


    "Oooh?" All Might sat forward a bit, smiling. "A teacher? What subject?"


    "Math; it was only for a year, but I was a bit too young to handle a job like that." I laughed as I remembered that hellish year. Generally speaking, I tended to not stay with a job that gave me a black eye. So why the hell was I going to be a hero again? The good news was that math was math. It was really really hard to change how math worked. So at least I had that. "But, what I really wanted to be was an author."


    "Oh, were you ever successful?"


    The remainder of the trip was spent telling All Might about myself, and when it came to an end, at a lone cabin in the middle of the woods near a lake, I swear I could hear All Might shit himself as I saw a very annoyed, and much taller Gran Torino standing there glaring at us.


    "Get out of that car!" He stomped his foot and glared at us. "You two would have been here quicker if you had ran here! So now we''re going to run around the lake! Get going!"


    F.u.c.k.

 Chapter 364 - My Original Stash #64 - Leveling through l.u.s.t by Dirk Grey

    -I can''t believe this author went from writing lewd SI HP fics to writing his own lewd originals, can''t help but feel proud of the guy!


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 29K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/leveling-through-l.u.s.t-original.12094/ (Dirk Grey)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Hello everyone. I''m Dirk Grey, also known as aTasteOfDarkness on certain sites. It''s my first time posting here, and this is the first chapter from my original story, with already 28 chapters up on *******. I hope everyone enjoys it.


    A lot of men would have questioned my manliness had they known that I was paying attention to anything other than the amazing view I had stumbled upon in the library; two very s.e.xy women, their state of undress enhancing the view of their great beauty, their bodies moving in a beautiful tango. In my defense, I was distracted by two glowing, floating sentences, invisible to everyone except myself.


    [+100 Experience]


    [Achievement: Patient Prowler. Wait two decades before gaining your first experience point. +500 Experience, +5 to all stats]


    It was difficult to overstate the magnitude of what had just happened for someone of my particular background. After all, I was the unlucky sucker that was born with a level cap of one in a world where almost everyone was able to slaughter monsters to level up. Even the occasional unlucky people who were born without the system were better off than me, because at least they were able to increase their capabilities through training. However, I was destined to stay locked with no chance to progress.


    At least, that had been the assumption until it was invalidated by the notification I had just received.


    Naturally, I started thinking about the reason, leaving the fact that I was actually able to think without obstruction thanks to the incredible boost to my stats I had just received. It was a weird experience, everything I had learned suddenly connecting in unexpected ways, giving me an unprecedented clarity. Still, I was unable to understand why I just gained experience, when all the previous attempts had failed spectacularly.


    Of course, the secrets of the System and the leveling ability was the biggest mystery of the world, its roots shrouded in mysterious folds where the history and myths merge. Some claimed it was a gift from the gods, others theorized it was linked to the endless hordes of monsters that turned the otherwise beautiful planet into a blackened sea of death, save only for the occasional town or city. Some fringe religions even claimed that the System was somehow linked to the Demon Kings, and every human with the ability to level up was cursed by the demons. Needless to say, it was not a popular theory, especially since people who were lucky enough to have a high level cap literally held every single position of importance.


    Level cap was the biggest challenge with the system. Everyone had a level cap, and just to make it even more fun, there was no known way of detecting it other than reaching the said limit, realized when the unlucky Leveler killed a monster, only to receive no experience for their efforts. Just to top it off, reaching the level cap prevented people from gaining any new achievements as well, truly locking them to a stasis with no chance of further improvement.


    It had been assumed that my inability to gain experience was because I had a level cap of one, the sign of ultimate unluckiness, putting me even lower than the people lacking the system. After all, at least they could increase their abilities through working hard to the point of holding a minor position if they were diligent enough.


    As the firstborn of a noble family, I was tested when I was five, revealing my status as a Leveler. It hadn''t been a shocking reveal, as history had shown that the Leveler ability was mostly hereditary, and very rarely did noble families have an offspring without it.


    Things had taken an unexpected turn when I killed a small monster that had been captured by the hunters, only to receive no experience. It caused a huge commotion in the family, because it was unheard of for someone with the system to not gain experience when killing a monster. Repeated tries, or experiments with different monsters, changed nothing. No matter the creature, no matter the circ.u.mstances, I never gained a single experience point.


    Experts of the family had subjected me to countless experiments, all of which failed to net me any experience points. There was a possibility that the experts outside of the family might know something, but my family never dared to reach out, fearing it would damage our reputation. Instead, my father quietly registered me as an invalid, and raised me in a distant family estate, only with a few servants. And when I reached the age of majority, he quietly arranged a few bribes and sent me away as a library assistant to the prestigious Silver Spires, the prime educational facility of the Empire, hoping that the fact that I was serving there would wash away some of the shame I had brought upon the family.


    However these two sentences made of glowing fire changed everything.


    Everything!


    Considering that my whole life had been turned sideways just a moment ago, the shocked gasp that escaped my mouth was excusable.


    Unfortunately, it alerted the ladies that had been sharing an intimate moment to my presence. Their heads rose simultaneously, and I found myself looking at two beautiful faces contorted in anger. The recognition came far faster than I was accustomed to. One of them was Cornelia, of the House Antony, and the other was Marianne, of the House Louis. They were rather popular in the magic hall of the Silver Spires for their general magical prowess. Cornelia was especially famous for her impressive capabilities in fire magic, and her matching angry disposition.


    The panic gripping my heart was understandable.


    "Who is there," called Cornelia, anger echoing in her tone. I couldn''t help but memorize every single detail as she hurriedly wrapped her arms around her b.r.e.a.s.ts, barely able to hide them from the view. Marianne was different, her face was contorted with fear, and her arms were far from sufficient to cover the amazing expanse of her bosom. And just like that, another notification appeared in front of my eyes.


    [Achievement: Perilous Peeking. Persist in being an unwelcome observer despite being noticed. +100 Experience, + 1 Perception]


    At that point, dashing away while trusting the endless shelves of books for cover was the best option. I didn''t do that, because the newly improved workings of my mind was still a mystery to me, making it hard to react properly. I realized I was in danger, but I was too slow to escape. Cornelia''s gaze was already on me, a flickering orb of flame already hovering above her hand, ready to let loose.


    I couldn''t help but feel resentful as the orb of flame drifted closer, too fast for me to dodge. I couldn''t help but feel resentful. After two decades passed in a meaningless blur, the clarity I received was about to be snuffed by the icy grip of death. What a pity.


    [-12 HP]


    Pain enveloped my mind and I collapsed, barely able to pay attention to Cornelia, who was walking toward me with determined steps. "I''m going to kill you, you twerp," Cornelia whispered. Her tone was threatening enough to make me shiver despite the fact that I was about to die. Another orb of flame appeared on her hand. "When I''m done with you, even your bones will turn into cinder-" she added before a desperate shout interrupted her.


    It was Marianne, I realized. "Stop, it''s the Mule!" she exclaimed, reminding me my nickname, which, for the first time in my life, caused anger to spark in my heart, because for the first time, I truly understood what it meant, loaded with impotence and disregard. "Don''t kill him. It''s not like he''ll tell anyone, or even recognize us."


    "Damnation!" Cornelia called as she took a step. I lay motionless, still on the floor while trying to combat the pain that invaded my body. "Do something!" she called.


    Marianne''s hand glowed blue and a cool sensation filled my body, replacing pain with exhaustion and emptiness. The darkness still encroached upon my vision, but it was merely exhaustion rather than death. Then, just as I was about to collapse, three new notifications appeared in my view, promising to change everything.


    [Achievement: Survive the Storm. Narrowly escape death after being caught. +500 Experience, +1 Endurance]


    [Level up!]


    [Achievement: Patient Progress. Wait for two decades before leveling up. +10 Wisdom]


    Waking up felt different. Despite the persistent pain in my cheek, I felt like I was reborn, that I was walking unenc.u.mbered for the first time after wading through mud for my entire life. I would have thought that I was in a dream, but even in my dreams, my thoughts flowed with a clarity that I had never experienced before.


    I was in uncharted territory. The closest I had been to this was when my mother had pitied me, and cast status enhancement spells on me, which raised all of my stats by five for a glorious minute before disappearing forever, leaving me with a fleeting memory of heaven that had never left me.


    Still, I couldn''t help but tremble with fear as I brought up my status window, afraid that the clarity will dispel like a puff of cloud the moment I bring it up. that damnable screen had always been filled with ones, a constant reminder that I was cursed.


    [Level: 2 Experience: 1200 / 3000


    Strength: 6 Charisma: 6


    Precision: 6 Perception: 7


    Agility: 6 Manipulation: 6


    Speed: 6 Intelligence: 6


    Endurance: 7 Wisdom: 16


    HP: 59 / 62 Mana: 82 / 82 ]


    I couldn''t help but feel excited as I examined the screen, particularly the enchanting glow of my enhanced scores. In less than a minute, the curse that ruined my life was dispelled, I was free. Free to live. Free to grow.


    Free to play however I wished.


    At that moment, I was thankful to my high Wisdom stat, because I had no doubt that, without the patience it supplied, I would be shooting my lungs about my curse being broken. That I could be something more than a damnable Mule, capable of something more than just being relegated to collecting discarded books, lacking the intelligence to even sort them correctly.


    My newly enhanced Wisdom stopped me, my mind sorting a lifetime of barely remembered knowledge in a revolutionary manner. I manage to dredge up foggy memories of the parts of a discussion between two experts I overheard, arguing the probability that I could gain experience with something other than monster kills, a hypothesis that was ultimately dismissed. Not much, but enough to convince me that keeping my mouth shut might be the better idea.


    Only then, I remembered to glance around, checking where I was. I was afraid that I had been in the medical ward, which would mean I would be examined before leaving. It would have been impossible to hide all the changes that my body had gone through. With my stats upgraded, a night''s sleep was enough to put some muscles to my twig arms, and add some color to my pasty skin.


    Luckily, I was in my room, which was a small room in the depths of the Silver Spires, in an abandoned wing. My room was barely bigger than a wardrobe, with a dirty, ruined as the only furniture. Only after my revolutionary mental shift, could I truly process how insulting it was to live here, but I still welcomed it. After all, it kept me out of sight and out of mind.


    I couldn''t help but wonder just how much of my life had been spent being kept out of view. My childhood had passed locked in a room, various experts my only companions, then my father arranged me a ''job'' as a librarian assistant. Not a bad job for a child with no prospect. Of course, now, I was realizing that it wasn''t my father''s mercy that drove him to arrange it. A job in Silver Spires was prestigious enough to prevent too many questions. More importantly, with more than a thousand miles between the Silver Spires and my family estate, it was impossible for any gossip to reach to my family''s social circle, neatly saving their reputation.


    In reality it was nothing but a cruel exile, damning me to be forever stuck in level one between the best and the brightest students of the Empire and the Free Cities, my days filled with meaningless menial work, the monotony of which was broken only by one of the students deciding to prank me to relieve their boredom. The latter didn''t happen too much though, because there was no great pride to be found in tricking the ''Mule'', a nickname given in reference to my endless menial tasks and the slowness of my mind.


    "No more." I voved, unable to prevent excitement from slipping to my tone. I was finally free, and ready to take what the world owed me for twenty years of humiliation!


    Of course, before making the world pay for my humiliation, I needed to validate the reason for my experience gain. With my improved deduction capabilities, it wasn''t hard to theorize that the s.e.x.u.a.lity of the situation had been a major part of it, but I needed to test the exact conditions to gain experience points.


    Before starting on that however, I needed to select my skill. Excitement burst in my heart as I realized that, for the first time in my life, I had the privilege of selecting a skill. I called for the skills tab, and an empty list greeted me, but with a glowing line of letters underneath to break the monotony.


    [Select one of the following skills: Basic Subterfuge, Basic Resistance, Basic Concealment]


    The list of skills were quite a bit different than what was supposed to be. According to what I had learned, most skills were directly related to combat, but I welcomed the change. It might have been tempting to have the ability to beat up the assholes that humiliated me for years, but keeping my change of status hidden was much more important. I needed to decide between Concealment and Subterfuge.


    [Basic Subterfuge (0/25)]


    It wasn''t an easy choice, but I went with basic subterfuge, because I needed to hide the changes I was going through, and the ability to trick others would prove invaluable. The ability to act as my previous self was paramount for my survival.


    I had never heard a skill that didn''t focus on combat and similar activities, but since none of the experts were able to identify my problem during my youth, it wasn''t too wild to believe my condition was unique. I needed to keep that hidden since I had no intention of spending another ten years of my life under the examination of so-called experts.


    I donned my librarian assistant robe, which conveniently covered my whole body loosely. It even had a hood to cover my face. Then, I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the sudden surge of excitement that thumped into my heart. For the first time in my life, I felt alive, doing something other than obediently following other people''s direct orders like a wind-up toy.


    The moment I stepped in the corridor I couldn''t help but notice the difference. I smelled the mold and the dust that covered the corridor, my increased stats allowing me to process just how disgusting those smells were, but even then, it made me only happier, like a recently recovered blind person enjoying the sight of a dumpster.


    A desire to let out a laugh filled my chest, different from all the times that I had been trying to copy the others when they laughed, usually with me as the butt of their joke. I suppressed that particular desire, not wanting to alert anyone to the sudden change of my status, though I had a feeling that if it wasn''t for the ridiculous increase in my wisdom stat, I would have missed that particular detail under the rush of excitement.


    I started to come across other people the closer I got to the library. I had passed just a few people when another line of fiery letters appeared in my sight.


    [Subterfuge +1]


    Excellent, I thought. I was surprised, but definitely not dissatisfied, with the rate of progression I experienced. I remembered hearing about real life situations providing a much better speed for skill progression. Supposedly, a swing against a deadly monster was much more valuable than a thousand swings in the training yard. Apparently, the likely consequences of getting noticed was dangerous enough to qualify my situation as equivalent to facing a deadly monster..


    Missing such an amazing opportunity would be extremely wasteful, so I decided to get ''lost'' during my walk towards the library. For anyone else, getting lost while walking towards their location of employment for the last two years would be incredulous, but for my past self with all stats capped at a measly 1 and no skills, it was something that happened at a startling frequency.


    I spent almost an hour wandering in the corridors, which helped my subterfuge skill to reach the rank of ten, but unfortunately, that number stayed the same for the last five minutes, suggesting that I needed more dangerous situations to test it. Or maybe, I added a moment later, it required more interactive situations.


    The sensation of a hand, wrapping tightly around my biceps, pulled me from my thoughts. I turned towards my assailant, only to recognize the face of a servant that I occasionally saw in the halls. "Lost again?" he murmured, but didn''t wait for an answer before starting to drag me towards the library. "F.u.c.k.i.n.g nobles!" he murmured. "Every single one is a parasite, wasting food for that pathetic Mule. They should have just let a monster eat that useless sack of meat."


    I quirked an eyebrow as I listened to the grumblings of the servant, curious to see that our supposed shared status as an Invalid not quelling his anger. Maybe because my past self''s capabilities were abysmal even by Invalid standards. He was careful to hide his mumbling whenever another student or servant closed in, but apparently, I didn''t count. I might have ignored it, but maintaining my silence added another five points to my subterfuge skill. Tempted, I pressed the skills button as the servant deposited me at the library entrance, checking my full status.


    Things were finally looking up for me¡­


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    [Level: 2 Experience: 1200 / 3000


    Strength: 6 Charisma: 6


    Precision: 6 Perception: 7


    Agility: 6 Manipulation: 6


    Speed: 6 Intelligence: 6


    Endurance: 7 Wisdom: 16


    HP: 59 / 62 Mana: 82 / 82 ]


    SKILLS


    [Basic Subterfuge (15/25) ]

 Chapter 365 - My SI Stash #65 - Peerless Darkness by SocialistBukharin (Naruto)

    -Author is really just improving everytime he writes a new SI fic, but at the same time I get this feeling that he''s biting off more than he can chew as he''s got too much fics to be working on. It''s free content either way i''ll take them and hope for more!


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 17K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13627809/1/Peerless-Darkness (SocialistBukharin)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    Reincarnation is not something I was a strong believer up until I was subjected to it.


    It sounds odd that someone can actually say that it is a thing, especially when said phenomenon is preceded by something that should be ultimately the end of everything.


    Death takes, and it never gives anything in return.


    But much to my immense surprise when I realized that I had somehow breathed my last whisper¡­ I realized that the darkness that was supposed to led me into the nothingness was actually a temporary one. The kind of temporary that I best knew as a mere night of sleep.


    In fact, I blinked awake in a quiet manner and I found myself staring at a ceiling that wasn''t familiar. I blinked various times, my brain failing to grasp at the situation at hand during these first few moments here in this different place.


    This wasn''t home, nor it was a hospital.


    I could barely see around as the window had been left mostly closed, allowing just a small line of light to cut through the shadows surrounding me.


    Blinking one last time, I finally realized that this room¡­ wasn''t just unfamiliar, but also ''familiar''.


    The style gave away that this was the standard Japanese room.


    I was resting by the floor- no, it was a Futon. A thin layer of soft mattress that separated me from actually touching the cold and unforgiving floor, while offering me a degree of warmth and tightness. And it just reminded me of unpleasant times I had to rest out of home, either for work or other affairs.


    My calm had melted away at the incessant poking from my confusion and uneasiness over the unexpected sight around me.


    I ruled out the chances of kidnapping. It wouldn''t make any sense if I was just taken by some Japanese gangs.


    Why? I wasn''t even close to the zones that these people were known to operate to. It just wouldn''t make any sense to make this much of an effort to bring me comfort, especially if this was a case of kidnapping.


    The real hint that shoved away any normal reasoning was the fact that I was¡­ tiny. I was small. Smaller than I was supposed to be.


    Staring for a little while at my tiny and childish arms, I finally took a moment to reach out for my hair. A little spiky, terribly unruly. The classing sleep hair was there to bring me minor annoyance.


    It was going to be troublesome to get a decent appearance out of it.


    My panic had simmered down to nothing now that I had thrown away any dangerous circ.u.mstances. There was just a sense of peace in this moment that urged me to keep quiet as I continued to study my current situation.


    A sigh left my lips, starting to get irked at the lack of proper illumination in this room.


    But just as I pondered if I should''ve or not moved to check on the rest of the house, my attention was swiftly stolen away from myself and right to the only door I could see.


    It slid open, revealing a tired but smiling face. A woman. Her long dark hair was combed in a short ponytail that rested by her shoulder. I resisted the urge to grimace at the prominent hint that this lady was possibly going to die considering how many mothers had perished with that hair-style.


    "Good morning," The stranger greeted with an unexpected amount of warmth and familiarity.


    I was stunned at first, unable to answer as I tried to properly assess the current situation.


    Who is she? My new mother? My aunt? Maybe a very old big sister?


    I really hoped the latter option wasn''t the truth. I don''t need to face the ''Ara Ara'' just yet. Or ever. I really don''t like the prospect of facing the truest plight of a young boy in a Japanese-based setting.


    She blinked, surprised at my lack of response¡­ but then her smile widened a little bit.


    "I suppose you truly tired yourself out by thinking about today," The lady hummed with a nod. "But I hope you''re ready for your first day at the Academy. The Hokage will be there to see if you''re all awake and prepared for this experience."


    Two things. Academy and Hokage.


    Both yanked me right into the belief this was in fact¡­ Naruto. The second term just confirmed this to be the truth.


    I was confused by how, why and when this displacement/reincarnation/shift happened, but I didn''t have neither the time nor the mental capacity to genuinely brainstorm.


    The only things I could say now was that I was in the same world which saw Naruto happen and¡­ I was a student to the Ninja Academy.


    I just woke up and found myself already tied up to a deadly career path. Why do I feel that things hadn''t changed much from the previous life?


    I mean, death isn''t that much of a variable in the workplace¡­ but technically speaking, I was still going to be subjected to route I couldn''t stray away from.


    Despite my inner uneasiness, I managed a nod instead of keeping up with the silence. I was still unsure if this was a mother or an aunt, but I found myself leaning more to the ''Mother'' option.


    "I''m awake," I replied slowly, giving one last analytical thought over the way I was supposed to be addressing the woman in front of me. "Okaasan."


    Her smile twitched mirthfully at that response.


    "I''m glad that you are," She commented back. "But I think you shouldn''t waste more time by the bed. Breakfast is already by the table, and your Otousan wouldn''t want you to be late for your first day."


    I saw her entire frame sag a little at the mentioning of her husband. I didn''t need to be told directly to suspect that my new father was dead.


    That''s saddening¡­ but not to the point of tears. I don''t even know my name, how was I supposed to sympathize over such a detail?


    It would''ve been hypocritical to grieve over an unknown man''s death. Because it wasn''t a burden to consider as mine.


    Instead of speaking, I just stood up and walked up to the woman. Her sadness was hidden by a faux effort to show happiness over my presence. If I had been a child, that would''ve been effective¡­ but I wasn''t one.


    Or at least, I wasn''t one mentally.


    I reached for her left hand, urging her to stand up from her crouched position.


    "Otousan wouldn''t want you to weep for him," I stated calmly, and my child-like tone was finally clear to me. But my eyes were on my mother and¡­ she seemed to freeze at my comment.


    She teared up a little bit, but she nodded, standing up and starting to lead me through the halls of the modest-sized compound.


    And while I waited for other hints pop up before my eyes and offer me a clear sight over the specific part of the timeline I was, the woman decided to ''reward'' my fortitude with a brighter smile and a revealing comment.


    "If only he could see you now, Danzou-kun."


    But as the lady kept on with a happy outlook even when we reached our destination and started to eat breakfast, I felt something crash within my mind.


    Of all things I would''ve expected from this BS-degree reincarnation, replacing the child form of Danzou Shimura wasn''t in my list.


    And boy, this was going to be a wild ride for sure.


    Konohagakure no Sato was far from the urban settlement that was going to become in a couple of decades from now.


    The place was actually a big village with just various compounds and buildings. Just a handful of shops spread all over the place, and no pseudo-modern organizations occupying a slice of the available land.


    A single element remained unchanged in this very unexpected ''displacement'' was Konoha''s own Ninja Academy.


    It was a novelty for this era, as the warring states had just ended, and people were still grasping at the ''innovative mind'' created by the combined efforts of the Senju Brothers, Madara Uchiha, and Mito Uzumaki.


    Kind of surprising to hear from my own mother how the last member was equally commended as the other three.


    It reminded me of the fact that Hashirama''s wife had yet to become the first Jinchuuriki to the Kyuubi, and that there was no reason to cover her image from any kidnapping attempts.


    I glanced at the chance as something to further help me gain a better standing in this world.


    If I had been reincarnated in the ''original'' timeline, even as a kid with less chances than Naruto to becoming a Genin early on in the show, I would''ve probably taken a slower and safer route.


    But right now that I was growing to become one of the soldiers for the First Shinobi War? I had to milk everything that could be milked for new techniques, body and chakra improvement, and higher hopes of surviving the first two conflicts.


    The third war could be winged with me chilling by the homefront. But that was if I managed to live to that point.


    Plus I had no intentions of becoming an actual cripple. I really didn''t need to become half-mummy for the sake of canon.


    F.u.c.k canon, I was going to mess up with the plotline so hard that not even its mother was going to recognize it.


    With that mindset already ingrained in my next moves, I proceeded to attain a proper and peaceful outlook to appear as genuine as possible.


    The woman that was eagerly leading me around, my new mother, didn''t seem to find anything worth of pointing out over my performance. Either I was visualizing little Danzo''s personality flawlessly, or she was just basking over the ''mature'' comments I had thrown her way.


    Nothing strange, but just some pure and innocent praises that were meant to give her a better look over life.


    I wasn''t a psychologist, but I could recognize depression perfectly when said depressed person would silently stare to a seamless spot of the table for a long time while she waited for me to be done by the bathroom.


    I swear she hadn''t moved while I was busy with my simple routine, and I almost worried about a circ.u.mstance that could technically become a problem to me.


    If she killed herself, and the chances were pretty high considering how much she loved ''my father'' and ''grandfather'', both Shinobis that had died before the Shimura clan had joined the new village, then I was going to be left at the local Orphanage.


    And while I didn''t give that much weight at the accounts offered by few flashbacks from Naruto''s childhood and stories depicting physical abuse and/or neglect over the orphans, I really didn''t want to lose my big house.


    Kind of cruel to be picking up elements over my new family like this, focusing only on my betterment rather than preserving them out of mere kindness¡­ but this world just wasn''t going to allow me to have a happy ending.


    At least, not without murdering three quarters of the current population.


    People were still fixed in warring despite the fact Villages were becoming a reality. And I was expecting some greediness from those that wanted to fully control the Bijuus.


    ¡­


    F.u.c.k, I need to make plans to kill Zetsu early on.


    I wasn''t going to allow the bastard to live long enough to make any of the messes that this period should be experiencing. Especially Madara betraying the village.


    That was a mission with identical priority to surviving the dangers that were going to come my way.


    And I was really afraid to fail miserably right by the first step just as we were taken inside the large courtyard in front of the Academy''s building.


    Mom, like the other parents, had been kept away as the children were led to this large clearing.


    It was so surprising to be in this place¡­ after seeing it in its ''anime'' version.


    There were four a.d.u.l.ts before us. Three I could recognize as the Senju Brothers, Hashirama and Tobirama, and Madara Uchiha.


    The fourth man was possibly the ''objective'' judge, since the three known Ninjas were¡­ not looking quite friendly with one another.


    I expected the serious and no-nonsense Madara for this occasion, yet I was regaled with-


    "The first student to pass the initiation test will be offered my personal teachings for a base Katon technique."


    -that.


    "Madara, I thought we agreed to not give this much incentive. We don''t need to create unneeded competition-"


    "The first student can choose either Uchiha-san''s offer, or they can learn two base Fuuton techniques under my guidance."


    "Tobirama, don''t start bickering with Madara! We can''t do this in front of the kids!"


    I noticed the unknown man standing a couple of meters away from the trio frown nervously at the scene, and I could see his need to intervene curbed by the logical reasoning that any attempt to defuse the situation would result in some damage on his person.


    Quite troublesome to know that some of the comedic elements of the series were there to create an¡­ unflattering introduction scene for the First Hokage, the future Second, and Madara ''Indestructible'' Uchiha.


    "Is¡­ is this normal?"


    The child beside me blurted out without thinking too much about it.


    "I''ve heard that they had been like this since they were children," I replied absentmindedly, gaining the attention of the oddly familiar brunet. "I suppose old habits are troublesome to kill."


    "But the Hokage is-"


    "Still a man," I interjected for him. "And one that can''t get his younger brother to not be as unprofessional as his childhood friend."


    The boy snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt, and I was half-glad that we were talking quiet enough to not get the a.d.u.l.ts'' attentions on us.


    I didn''t want to be subjected to a death glare from Madara himself. And I really didn''t want to be subjected to a double death glare from him and Tobirama. That would be deadly enough to kill me on the spot with how weak I currently was.


    "I''m Hiruzen," The child ultimately said, and I felt sweating at the odd circ.u.mstance presenting in front of me.


    Hiruzen Sarutobi, the man that was going to become the Shinobi no Kami and¡­ the Third Hokage. I was supposed to be his malicious rival. Danzo had wanted the hat but was eventually screwed by a cowardly decision during the First Shinobi War.


    To think that this situation was happening so suddenly and so¡­ favorably.


    Holy f.u.c.k, is Kami herself looking out for me?


    Still, I offered a polite smile and nod.


    "I''m Danzou. Nice to meet you, Hiruzen-kun."


    Our interaction was brief as the amusing but also awkward scene finally concluded with some lingering glares thrown from both parts.


    "Today you will be taking a simple test to show those that are ready to be enlisted to the Ninja Academy. Each and every one of you will have to display some control over a particularly simple technique, one that will be first shown by Hokage-dono."


    Hashirama smiled as the unknown instructor pointed at him. The oldest of the Senju brothers started to slowly display various hand signs and then¡­ a second Hashirama appeared right beside the first one.


    Bushin no Jutsu.


    I''m kind of surprised that this was going to be the test to enter the academy. I guess this just showed how much the Academy was going to decline after just four decades of activity.


    "You have up until Lunchtime to get this technique down and working on an acceptable level to pass," The instructor resumed with a quick nod. "You may start from now."


    I nodded myself, and I gave a quick glance to my newest ''friend''.


    Hiruzen was smiling, and I was quite sure that he knew how to get the Jutsu correctly thanks to some prior training with it.


    Still¡­


    I''m a kid, and I really wanted to get a flashy and destructive technique in my arsenal.


    So I pushed myself to remember the hand signs and¡­ closed my eyes.


    I wasn''t sure if Danzou knew how to draw Chakra this early in his life but¡­ I knew a hint or two about how things were supposed to work.


    It was all based over some will-centered control over my reserved. The hand signs were meant to properly channel the energy in the technique I really wanted.


    So, after taking a deep breath and grasping at my innermost, I started to get the hand signs done.


    Tiger. Boar. Ox. Dog.


    I partly expected to fail the first time around¡­ and while I knew that drawing Chakra was much easier when one had a small reserve, I really didn''t expect the pleasant results that beckoned me as I opened my eyes.


    Hiruzen had managed a success by getting two flawless Clones out.


    ¡­


    But I had somehow gained attention by actually get three clones out. Those weren''t as perfect as Hiruzen''s as they all looked fairly winded. Almost sickly pale from a closer inspection.


    Yet it was enough to gather the attention of both Madara and Tobirama to the scene.


    The combined success got them interested, and I could see them both trying to decipher which one was actually the best to determine as the ''more successful''.


    I glanced at Hiruzen, and the brunet glanced back at me. We shared an unsure but determined look. We were quiet, but we both had the same thought over the matter.


    "Draw?" I inquired quietly, getting a smile out of the fellow student.


    "Draw."


    Hashirama was close enough to hear the simple understanding, smiling brightly as he pushed himself between the two rivaling a.d.u.l.ts. "You heard the children. They are both first."


    "We''re the judges for that, Hashirama-niisan," Tobirama pointed out with some annoyance.


    "And I think a draw would just be a pointless result," Madara somewhat agreed.


    "And you''re both too slow to decide. I agree on the two boys'' assessment," The first Hokage rebuked with a serious tone. "And I think I''m not the only one accepting this."


    The unnamed instructor nodded in agreement at the taller brunet''s fair reply and soon Hashirama''s attention was on us.


    "But if we want to keep up with the competition, I guess the question now is¡­ which one of you wishes to train with Madara-san, and who wishes to train with Tobirama-san."


    And that''s where I think I put a foot in my mouth. While it would''ve been smarted to stick by the Second Hokage as it was the ''safer'' way to learn more, I knew that Hiruzen would get mauled by someone like Madara.


    So¡­ I concocted a devious idea to get him to pick the choice I wanted him to go for.


    "Both offers are good," I muttered quietly. "Uchiha-sama is offering a Katon technique, and Katon is known for firepower. Senju-sama is offering two Fuuton techniques, and while the Wind Style doesn''t offer the same power as Katon, I think the flexibility with those make them match up evenly with the former."


    "But you can pick one, child," Tobirama commented dryly. "While I find your comment well-described, I think you understand that we don''t have all time to waste on your indecision."


    I shrugged. "I suppose then¡­ that I will have to pick Uchiha-sama''s offer."


    The white-haired Shinobi froze at that, while Madara actually smiled smugly at the little victory gained from this.


    Hashirama nodded, his smile twitching for a moment before he turned to look at the young Sarutobi.


    "I suppose you will be fine to train under Tobirama-san."


    Hiruzen looked slightly uncertain about the situation, but then again he wasn''t given a real choice. If both offers were good in term of learning new things, then the breaking point was the unnerving presence that Madara exerted quite naturally.


    So I wasn''t much surprised when he offered a quick nod.


    But while I was sure to have prevented a detrimental rivalry with the boy, I certainly sealed my fate for an arduous time with the one and only Madara Uchiha.


    The man was still smiling and¡­ it was a chilling sight for sure.


    I swear, I saw the girl occupying the space on my left actually started to cry before that vision.


    Hashirama, being the simple ''dolt'' at the time, quickly scolded his childhood friend and¡­ more bickering ensued.


    And while I made my first real step in this mad world, I couldn''t help but think¡­


    How do I ''kai'' my clones away from existence?


    Chapter 1


    I should''ve expected that life in Konoha a couple of years prior to the First Shinobi War was going to be¡­ terribly slow.


    It wasn''t like I was annoyed by the fact that I wasn''t put in a dangerous situation, in fact I was enjoying that I had yet to be forced getting my first kill.


    War was going to happen eventually, but it was far enough for me to evaluate any chances of improvement available in Konoha. Which meant training both at School and back home.


    The simple life of one of the first students at Konoha Academy ended up being fairly easier than anything shown in the Manga and it didn''t occupy as many hours of the day as its ''future'' version would. The lack of many of the subjects that were in this time period labeled as ''civilian only'' meant that all ''Ninja-based'' topics were expanded and prioritized with incredible scrutiny.


    Shurikenjutsu, Tainjutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu.


    This last subject wasn''t going to be taught until we were ''mature'' enough to handle the lessons.


    History was the only non-fighting related topic that was mostly left to families to explain to their children to dispense.


    The Warring Era was a bloody and confusing one, and nobody was yet capable of offering a full-fledged explanation of the various events that happened before and during the conclusion of these unpleasant years.


    I had the chance of speaking with my ''Okaasan'' about the time when both Otousan and Ojijisan were still alive and fighting ''bravely'' for out clan.


    The memories were painful to remember, and I could see the woman flinch more than once in her narration. But I knew that receiving positive inputs during these tales, especially now that I was ''tiny and adorable'' would''ve avoided unpleasant circ.u.mstance with the lone parent.


    About this very matter, I had also seen to mention to the neighbors about the fact that my mother would get ''distracted'' while talking about my father. The implicit request would then result in various people, mostly fellow mothers and wives that had taken sympathy over my ''nervousness'' and my mother''s depression, visiting and inviting Okaasan while I was away either for School or for outdoor training.


    With that base covered temporarily as I knew that things could be solved just by offering ''external support'', I shifted my attention over the Academy and¡­ its teachers.


    It''s still odd to think that the more important classes were taught by the Senju Brothers.


    The First Hokage was the man-child kind of guy that knew how to speak with the students and somewhat ''relate'' to them. He was rather experienced with kids¡­ which was quite odd since he had yet to become a father.


    He was married, the union between him and Mito Uzumaki having happened just a few months before the formation of Konohagakure no Sato.


    Still, despite being one of the beloved teachers in the school, his presence was somewhat lacking most of the time. With Hashirama being busy with his tasks as the leader of the village, his younger sibling was given full control of the Academy, and, with this much power under his belt, the guy created the basis of an educative system that will improve and prosper the more time passed and experience was gained over this project.


    It was good work that genuinely helped with the awkward state the school was and, surprisingly enough, it was also one devoid of the biased opinion the man had with the Uchiha Clan.


    Some of the students were part of that family, and I failed to see instances that made their lives difficult compared to their peers. Everyone, from civilian-born kids to the heirs to the Clans, were treated with utmost equality and meritocracy.


    And that made me contemplate when things spiraled out of control and rendered this place of culture in a corrupt system to favor certain groups.


    ¡­


    Two weeks went by swiftly and mostly uneventfully, with only a couple of unique circ.u.mstances genuinely bringing me to a grimace or even to outright fuming before certain people.


    Hiruzen proved to be a good friend, one that would accept my moments of venting in exchange of receiving my own ears when he needed to rant himself about his own troubles.


    It was unnerving how this degree of frustration had become a normality for both our lives, especially after we had accepted the ''rewards'' offered by the ''Bickering Leader Trio''.


    While the rewards promised counted two Fuuton and a Katon ninjutsu, the rivalry between Madara and Tobirama spawned an extended training schedule.


    I considered myself partly at fault for the circ.u.mstance, something I had never told to Hiruzen out of the fact that I wasn''t sure how Tobirama was training him.


    I only knew that Madara was a massive bastard when he was teaching people. This very detail not only explained why Hashirama didn''t trust his ''counterpart'' in teaching at the Academy, but also why there was no canon apprentice known to have been taught by the Clan Leader.


    Obito counted more as an unwilling student that hardly learned something from the real deal and was conditioned by Zetsu.


    Still, the spark that escalated the simple reward in full training could be identified in a minor mistake I made while trying my best in learning the Fire Ninjutsu picked by Madara.


    The Great Fireball Jutsu was the first ability anyone that had an affinity with Fire should be training with when starting elemental-based learning. Mastering the technique was also considered a test for any Uchiha Shinobis and Kunoichis to prove their worth as proud warriors of their clans.


    But I soon found the ''only day offered'' to learn the Jutsu to be incredibly unfair on my part. I wasn''t sure if Madara had seen to check if I had Fire affinity, but I knew already from Canon that Danzo''s affinity was Wind, with minor hints of Earth and Water.


    I wasn''t supposed to get the Ninjutsu going. In fact, I think I ended up surprising Madara himself when I ended up replicating the ''simple Ninjutsu'' after six hours of continuous attempts.


    It was draining on my Chakra coils, but the sizzling noise and the fiery explosion that ensued once the modest-sized fireball collided with the nearby trees was more than enough to leave me with a cheeky smile.


    ¡­ I suppose I should explain how I, a seven years-old Danzou Shimura, managed to make use of that powerful ninjutsu after so ''little''.


    The key to my success was tied to two minor factors that not many children in my situation would''ve been able to make use under the pressure exerted by the Sharingan-wielder.


    The first thing was that I knew the supposed effects the jutsu was supposed to cause to the user while preparing. The sensation of burning by the lungs, then by the throat, and finally by the lips.


    Fire had to be coaxed carefully during the complete process, as a simple mistake on this part would result in my concentration getting disrupted by the unpleasant sensation. I had to spend a couple of attempts just to get a grasp over the first step before proceeding to the next and last one.


    ''Spitting'' the Fireball sounded quite easy to accomplish¡­ and yet the issue that found me stuck for hours was that I couldn''t get it to properly form out of my mouth. The sphere would just leave in a lengthy lick of fire that would swiftly reach my target without actually forming in a compact Fireball.


    Despite my surprise at becoming a human flamethrower, the attempt was ignored by Madara as the man calmly exercised nearby with his Gunbai.


    It definitively didn''t help my morale when the guy supposedly offering ''teaching'' was wasting time training on his own.


    I didn''t even try to ask for any advice as I was unsure how the man would''ve taken my uneasy steps toward success. He was prideful alright, and I didn''t need to get in his bad side considering the massive difference between him and me.


    Which meant I was left on my own to get this blasted Ninjutsu cooked properly. And it worked¡­ kind of.


    The Fireball former with some quivering by the edges, as if it was ready to disperse in an explosive manner, but I managed to send it soaring right at my target and get it to destroy it.


    I waited for a few seconds, trying to normalize my breathing after the umpteenth itching enveloping my lungs at the fiery technique, and my ''first'' training session came to an end when Madara saw it fit to provide some ''emotional'' support in the form of¡­ a single rough headpat.


    To be honest, I almost yelped at the unexpected touch, expecting for my head to be squished for having messed up somewhere in the process.


    "You''ve done well. You may go now," The Uchiha Clan Leader commented curtly.


    ¡­


    And he left at that point.


    Confusion had swelled for just a handful of seconds before I decided to accept the dismissal and finally return back home.


    Okaasan was impressed by the fact I had gained Madara''s attention, but the way she praised my good work seemed more of a chiding than else. Maybe the woman knew it herself that the Uchiha wasn''t one to keep close by.


    And I knew that her common sense was correct by the time I was ''picked up'' at school by the man the very following day.


    There was no word spared, not even a greeting as Madara walked toward me as I followed the small group of students out of the Academy and led me away from the path from home and¡­ right to the training grounds we had used the day before.


    Training ensued and, differently from the ''first lesson'', the Uchiha actually gave attention to my progress. Taijutsu was given priority since my close combat was severely lacking.


    The Academy was offering a limited fighting style to its students. One that was easily outmatched in raw power and speed by the Uchiha Clan Taijutsu.


    It was terrible the first week. Madara was relentless with his comments, bringing up in punctual details how my stance was either too rigid or too at ease, how my reaction time was crappy in the worst times, and how ''he was hitting me softly, and tears were not going to make him stop''.


    To be fair, what made some tears fall off wasn''t the fact I wasn''t expecting this much pain, but the fact that my tiny body was more sensible than an a.d.u.l.t''s one. It didn''t have the same pain endurance as my original body, and thus everything coming my way stung harder than expected.


    I wasn''t really crying at getting wrecked by a veteran Shinobi, but rather my body reacted in that manner at the sudden and intense pain.


    When the second week began, things took a strange positive twist. And not only about the training sessions.


    I was gaining more resilience and understanding of the Uchiha Taijutsu the more time I spent training with it and against it. Madara wasn''t merciful, but he would concede a couple of pauses along the sessions.


    It was tough, but not impossible by the end of the day.


    The change that actually caught me off-guard was that I somehow got popular at the Academy because of it. While people weren''t unsure what I was doing with Madara, the fact that the Uchiha kids were spending an unexpected amount of time close to me and trying to build up social relations was more than enough to warrant quite the inner inquiry about the matter.


    Maybe the family thought of me as am honorary Uchiha since their clan chief was teaching me, but I was quite sure that Madara himself had no implication on the matter. It wouldn''t help me nor him at training, and he wasn''t certainly trying to flex his ''apprentice'' so strongly before the Senju Brothers.


    Tobirama was fairly moderate himself from what I knew from Hiruzen. Whatever bet had been made once Madara had gone to him and Hashirama to gloat over my ''abilities'', it didn''t seem worth of making a large fuss over it.


    Still, this very subversion of my lonely pace at school left me with a single positive change that would end up becoming useful in the future.


    Kagami Uchiha, one of the ''low-born'' members of the clan, was someone that didn''t seem interested in making ambitious gains by befriending me. He was more of a follower than a ''rival'' and someone that just ended up following the ''collective thought'' and try his efforts and reaching for me.


    What truly made him stand out compared to the rest was the kind of question he asked me when we ended up sitting near to each other.


    "Is Madara-sama tough with his lessons?"


    I was almost surprised when I first heard the blunt query, and I spared some moments of silence before giving him a quick ''Yes'' while I glanced back at him.


    If I had to make a comparison between other members of the Uchiha clan, Kagami was a strange mix of Obito and Sasuke.


    He was naive just like the former, and terribly silly when it came in making friends outside of his Clan, but he was also attentive to class and seemed to have already a good understanding of the Great Fireball Jutsu.


    Adding him to the conversations with Hiruzen brought up a quality element I would''ve never expected the boy to bring up.


    With the young Sarutobi being initially uneasy while having a member of the Uchiha clan listening at our discussions, the brunet seemed to change approach when he noticed that there was nothing of the arrogant and pompous elements that made up a large majority of the family.


    In fact, I could tell that both him and Kagami were bonding quickly. Way more quickly than I expected it to be.


    Still, it was good to be broadening the circle of peers with a third member, and thus our little group started to get more livelier thanks to our newest mutual friend.


    But while things might have been pleasant because of these developments, I sure hadn''t expected for Tobirama and Madara to take their bet to the next step.


    It all started when Hiruzen and I were called to reach the Academy. It was Sunday morning and¡­ there was no one waiting for us at the entrance-


    "Do you think that they are waiting inside?"


    I glanced at Hiruzen with a half-tired look. I had woken up in a panic as Okaasan had rushed to my room with an urgent letter from Madara requesting my immediate presence.


    I had planned to spend the early hours of the morning in my futon, preparing physically and mentally for today''s afternoon session with the Uchiha Clan leader.


    With my plans burned so suddenly because of some petty and childish rivalry, and with me rushing through my usual morning routine to not turn out late, I ended up finding Hiruzen waiting by the gates. He had been summoned with a letter similar to mine, this one actually signed by Tobirama.


    The young Sarutobi didn''t look any better than I was. Maybe even worse considering the sleep bags underneath his eyes.


    "The gates are closed," I pointed out calmly.


    The boy blinked at me, glancing back at the gates and¡­ then back at me.


    "I didn''t¡­ notice."


    Mighty God, Kami-sama, and Tamamo-chama, why are we suffering for two morons'' bet?


    Sighing at the response, I turned back at the gates, but more specifically at the small wall that I knew both Hiruzen and I could vault with little effort.


    "We can still check inside," I muttered quietly, gaining once again Hiruzen''s attention on me.


    "But the gates are closed," He repeated my words, and I almost facepalmed at the lifeless voice it was all delivered.


    "We can still check. Maybe they were busy and couldn''t receive us at the entrance," I commented back, pointing at the small wall as we both approached it. "Anyway this situation goes, I don''t think we can get in trouble for merely snooping around."


    The young Sarutobi looked uncertain at first, but the unwillingness to keep waiting standing up under the sun eroded any moral reluctance to ''break'' that implicit rule of not entering the building during weekends.


    Nobody was there to check the place, and so our ''infiltration'' proved to be as easy as drinking from a glass of water.


    The Academy was desolate as we ventured inside and¡­ we couldn''t hear anything that could help us in our search. If the two a.d.u.l.ts were indeed within the premises of the building, then they had to be somewhere near the Principal''s Office.


    Tobirama was known to keep to that room during most of the time at the school which wasn''t spent to give lectures to his assigned classrooms.


    After going two floors up thanks to the simple staircase built by the entrance, we started to wander by the administrative area of the Academy.


    The zone was forbidden to students in normal circ.u.mstances, but there were occasions were teachers would send kids to pick up books that were available by the library in the specific floor.


    Right now, Hiruzen and I were keeping a somewhat attentive stance as we delved deeper in the silent halls of the school.


    Could it have been a ploy to annoy us?


    No. Even though Madara would''ve done this to me, I couldn''t see him actually agreeing with Tobirama about the matter.


    Something was indeed off with the lack of someone waiting at the entrance, and perhaps something bad had happened before we arrived there.


    ¡­


    Staring left and right, I took a sudden pause as I finally heard a noise. It was muffled, but I could recognize the difference from the continuous silence surrounding us.


    Hiruzen seemed to have heard it too as he tensed up right as I did. Our pace increased a little bit as we rushed to where we heard the noise and¡­ another one reached our ears.


    Confusion swelled as we stopped before the door that led to the room in which the ruckus was going on. Things were muffled, but we could hear some brawling happening inside.


    But wasn''t the Hokage''s office meant to be empty today?


    During the weekends, the Hokage was allowed to deal with paperwork right at home. One of the few situations that had changed by the time the Sandaime would take over the role.


    And that meant whoever was inside it was neither the Hokage, nor someone with friendly intentions.


    Madara wouldn''t have concocted something this complicated, and not this malicious. I had done everything to keep him pleased, or at least happy with the way I handled training.


    There were no guards around, and there had been no Shinobi Wars to reinforce the need of keeping watch over important places-


    A foreign intruder? Could it be that an enemy spy had infiltrated Konoha?


    I gritted my teeth at the chances of this being the truth and, I glanced at Hiruzen with a serious look. The brunet had sobered up and listened to my whispered orders of keeping close quite earnestly.


    I took a couple of steps toward the door, reaching for the handle with my left hand while my right one was inside my pouch to fish out a kunai.


    Holding my breath in, I carefully unlocked the mechanism and peeked inside.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I tensed up again, this time a light blush erupting on my face as I saw that there were two individuals there.


    One, a man from his muffled voice, was sitting by the chair behind the desk while the other, a woman, had settled by the man''s lap.


    I couldn''t see perfectly the features of the man, but since I recognized the red hair combed in two buns that were telling hints about a certain character in this era, I felt dread at what I was looking at.


    Mito Uzumaki let out a brief giggle as she tried to unfasten Hashirama''s shirt. Her kimono was slightly unraveled, but I could see only her pale upper back from my current position.


    Gulping nervously, I felt paling as I soon realized that this was much worse than a spy stealing military secrets.


    We just ended up catching the Hokage and his wife ready to go through the ''deed''. And his wife was a red-haired Uzumaki.


    ¡­


    I didn''t linger any longer with the stare, carefully closing the door. I glanced at a confused Hiruzen, the boy growing nervous at my panicked look.


    "W-We need to leave," I whispered quickly.


    "Why?"


    "I will tell you later," I answered swiftly. "We can''t get caught by them."


    "What is going-" He didn''t finish the sentence that he ended up tripping on some uneven part of the carpet. The fall ended up with Hiruzen landing on his butt, but the impact was enough to warrant a noticeable ''thud'' out of it.


    My eyes widened even more at the noise, feeling thousands screeches exploding in my head at what had just up.


    I heard something shuffle inside the office, and then footsteps-


    Pulling Hiruzen up from the ground, I pushed him to start to run.


    "Gogogogogogo!" I whispered furiously, paying no attention at the sudden slam created by a furious Uzumaki trying to catch us in there. But I pumped more chakra in my legs, and urging Hiruzen to do the same.


    The young Sarutobi made the mistake of giving a quick glance behind and, from the way he suddenly paled and increased his pace, I knew that the situation was as ugly as I thought it to be.


    It was just as we turned the corner that I remembered that we weren''t dealing with simple individuals.


    The entire section of the hall between us and the emergency staircase was filled with a mix of vines and golden chains blocking the passage.


    Our pursuers were catching up without any pause, and I knew that we couldn''t get caught like this. Not with Mito Uzumaki giving chase to us!


    So I decided to make a hasty decision and indulge Hiruzen to prepare one of the Fuuton techniques that Tobirama had taught him.


    At first the brunet was confused as Wind Style: Great Breakthrough didn''t have the power to break the chains, but he still complied the very moment he noticed that I was making hand seals myself.


    Snake ¨C Ram ¨C Monkey ¨C Boar ¨C Horse ¨C Tiger!


    I felt the blaze building up in my lungs as I waited for Hiruzen to let out the C-Rank Wind Style Jutsu, releasing the fire only as I noticed the gust rushing out of his lips.


    The two jutsu combined in a magnified attack. One that easily melted through the chains and the vines keeping us from leaving the place.


    We didn''t wait any longer as we found our way cleared. Both Hashirama and Mito were moments away from turning the corner, and we had to quickly reach for the staircase.


    It was an intense chase, one that I was expecting to leave unscathed with Hiruzen¡­ but then I remembered that Mito could do much more with her chains if she had her targets on sight.


    I yelped as I felt two cold and metallic restraints wraps around my legs, and I saw the young Sarutobi beside me fall the same moment I did.


    Before we had the chance of crawling away, a voice breached our hopes of survival.


    "Well, well, well..." Mito muttered calmly. "To think that we would end up finding two young peeping toms while we were busy."


    Hashirama sighed. "Danzou-kun, Hiruzen-kun," The man mentioned with a disappointed tone. "I can''t believe you both decided to do this-"


    "We didn''t do anything willingly," I stated fiercely. "We were called by our Senseis through urgent letters."


    Hiruzen nodded frantically. "To-Tobirama-sensei said that I was needed at the Academy, and Uchiha-sama did the same to Danzou-kun."


    They looked at us with a stern look, but then the redhead sighed.


    "Do you have the papers on you?"


    We nodded, and we presented the respective scrolls with the messages in those.


    Mito took these in her hands, reading each silently and blankly.


    A tense minute passed and¡­ she sighed.


    "Dear, did you tell Tobirama-kun that we were going to be spending time together?"


    Hashirama frowned at the question, but he gave a calm nod. "It was just to avoid him interrupting us-"


    "And I suppose the same reason is applied to why you told this to Madara-kun too."


    There was an awkward silence from the Hokage, with the Senju giving an uneasy look at that.


    "I didn''t think that-"


    "We will discuss about this later, Hashi-kun," The woman rebuked softly. "First, we should let the boy stand and go. Wouldn''t want to traumatize them with what I''ve planned to do to you."


    The man actually shivered at the implied threat, and I found an interesting opportunity to get some revenge at our ''absent'' teachers.


    "Actually, Mito-hime," I interjected with the most appeasing of tones possible, drawing both the woman''s and the Hokage''s attention. "I think it wouldn''t just do to let us go. In fact, if Madara-sensei and Tobirama-sama were able to do this so easily, then it wouldn''t be wrong to assume they could do worse to prank you and your husband."


    Her eyes narrowed with a fascinated glint. "Are you suggesting a lesson to impart to them?"


    I had expected her to be a little more¡­ stern about returning prank to prank-


    But then again, I was talking to an Uzumaki.


    If Kushina and Naruto were clear examples of the prankfulness running rampant in the family, I shouldn''t be doubting that Mito herself was a Queen of Pranks in her younger days.


    "Something that would require yours and Hokage-dono''s assistance," I replied with a nod. "It''s nothing harmful, but it will be decisive in making it clear that they shouldn''t be using Hiruzen and I for their silly antics, and not disturb you in your alone time."


    Mito nodded intrigued, ignoring the fact that a Seven years-old had just addressed what they were doing as the subject of the ''Talk''.


    Hashirama didn''t from the way he blushed, but he seemed to calm down as I started to explain the simple plan meant to humble the two morons to a proper degree.


    I wasn''t sure that Madara''s arrogance was going to be weakened by this, but he surely was going to learn to not use me as a tool of ''jealousy'' to get his rival''s attention.


    And boy, revenge was going to be as sweet as chocolate milk!

 Chapter 366 - My OC Stash #66 - Relic of the Future by Coeur AlAran (RWBY)

    -Not many authors has made me stay up till 5 am to catch up on most of their fics, W/


    Synopsis: Victory can prove bitter, especially when you''re the only one alive to see it. With the world in chaos and everyone he ever loved dead, Jaune Arc makes a deal with the devil for one last chance to go back and change it all. But devils don''t play by the same rules as humans, and Salem never did say how far back he''d go. Or how much deeper the war between her and Ozpin really went.


    Rated: M


    Words: 827K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12863738/1/Relic-of-the-Future (Coeur Al''Aran)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Jaune came to slowly, eyes struggling to open to a world of black stone and blacker smoke. The moon''s rays pierced through the broken obsidian of the tower''s walls, splashing across strewn rubble and hard tiles. Motes of dust floated in the air, dancing between the shafts of illumination; the only movement that existed in a world that seemed lost to time itself. Below the wall, half-stuck through it, an airship lightly smouldered away. With a crackle of fire a large piece of the Bullhead''s hull gave way, tumbling down to the ground with a mighty crash. Despite the noise, no one moved or called out.


    Confusion tugged at his mind and he searched for an answer. His throat felt dry, his head heavy. One hand reached out to grasp Crocea Mors and draw it to him. He pushed the tip down into the stone floor, using it as a lever to help stand. Even then his legs nearly buckled, threatening to topple him once more. His eyes, blue and filled with fatigue, scanned the world about him.


    Was it finally over? Had they won?


    If so, where were the cheers?


    One foot slid forward, his weight following. The wounded huntsman''s gait was slow, punctuated by the scr.a.p.e and tap of an ancestral sword used as nothing more than a walking stick. The smoke from the fire, and the battle itself, obscured much of his vision. He coughed and pushed through it, pausing as his eyes caught a familiar shock of green, white and orange.


    "Ren?" he gasped, and for a moment he didn''t recognise his own voice. It was scratchy and broken. He shook his head, pushing on when they didn''t answer. "Nora? Are you okay?"


    His own breathing was the only response. He staggered toward them, letting Crocea Mors clatter to the ground as he did the same, falling onto his knees and reaching for them. His hands touched Ren''s shoulder and he knew what he would find even before he turned him over. His friend''s body was cold, too cold. Those pink eyes, so unusual at first sight, now looked dull and empty. There was no light in them, no spark of intelligence or dry humour. Blood stained Ren''s mouth and chin, smudged away and faded. There was a blade lodged in his chest, between his ribs. It was one of Tyrian''s.


    "No¡­ please, no." Jaune''s eyes shot to Nora, seeing much the same. The bubbly girl didn''t move, didn''t breathe, and despite the open eyes she didn''t perceive the world around her. Tears filled his vision and he pressed his forehead against Ren''s. "No, no, no. Please. Not like this."


    A pulse! There had to be a pulse. His Semblance could help them. He just needed them to still be alive. His hands rushed to his teammate''s throat, fingers prodding and poking. When that failed he tore Ren''s shirt open, ignored the blood and pressed his ear against the man''s chest. His own heart beat in his eyes but he struggled to hear another. His eyes scrunched shut as he tried to shut out all else. Anything, he begged. There has to be something. Don''t leave me, you two. I can''t lose you like I lost Pyrrha.


    There was nothing. He moved to Nora, desperate, issuing an apology as he pulled her top open, exposing her pink bra, and pressed his ear above her bosom. She would wake up to see him like that, he was sure. She''d scream and hit him and they''d both laugh about it later...


    Except that they wouldn''t, because there was no heartbeat. Nora would never wake again. A broken sob escaped him. Just another person he wasn''t fast enough to save. Just another teammate he was too weak to protect. He''d thought he''d run dry of tears after Pyrrha. He hadn''t. More flowed and he wept over them, drawing both bodies against his. This... was this what they''d fought and bled for? After so long together training and fighting, growing stronger. How could it end like this?


    The sound of breathing ahead broke him from his grief.


    It didn''t come from Nora or Ren, but it was unmistakable ¨C even if it was weak. There was someone still alive. He picked up his weapon again and used it as a crutch, already feeling just a little stronger. "I''ll come back for you two," he promised, looking one last time to his friends. "You''ll get a proper burial. I promise."


    But for now he had to see if someone else could be saved. He''d already lost too much and there couldn''t be yet more. It just wouldn''t be fair.


    More bodies revealed themselves as Jaune Arc dragged himself through the ruins and wreckage. Some of them he realised, others he did not. Some wore Atlas uniforms, although old and ragged, torn beyond repair and lacking the snowflake that had set the Kingdom ablaze. Others were huntsmen from Vale and Vacuo, the survivors who had come with them. More were unknown to him, brave and loyal all and here at the end to try and kill their enemy once and for all.


    And worse, some he knew. Some he cared for. Sun stared at the ceiling blankly with his chest carved out. Blake lay atop him, dying in a fruitless attempt to protect the man she might have come to love. Neptune sat crumpled by a wall next to them. He''d likely given his to try and buy them time. Before them, with myriad weapons lodged inside his body, Tyrian Callows lay. They''d killed their enemy, even if they''d succ.u.mbed soon after. There was nothing he could do for them.


    "I''ll bury you, too," he promised them. His voice choked at the last.


    There had to be someone he could save.


    Yang had not survived. She had been killed by Hazel, whom she ¨C with Weiss'' aid ¨C had killed in turn. There had been Grimm too, in numbers never seen before. Weiss had survived and moved on, but now lay broken within a ring of white-armoured soldiers. She was so clearly dead that there was no point looking for a pulse. "I''ll¡­" his voice cracked. "I''ll come back for you¡­"


    There were going to be so many graves. Was he going to have to dig them all? No. He could hear someone ahead. There was still someone with him.


    It wasn''t Oscar that drew breath, if Oscar had even existed toward the end. The body of the boy was pinned to the wall with several strange spikes, but the smile he wore on his face was nothing short of victorious. It was also nothing short of inhumane. No child could accept death with such calm pleasure. Then again, at the end, he''d ceased to be Oscar at all. Only Ozpin remained.


    "Was it worth it?" Jaune rasped, anger slipping into his voice. "First Pyrrha, then Qrow and Oscar, and now it''s Ren, Nora, Yang, Blake and Weiss. How many more, Ozpin? How many need to die for you to get what you want?"


    The bastard didn''t answer. He''d already won.


    Jaune moved on, hunting the laboured breathing, even as he stepped over Cinder''s dead body and moved ever onward. The maidens were gods only knew where now, perhaps gone, perhaps sent to some random girls across Remnant. He didn''t care. He never had. That power took Pyrrha away and if he never saw it again it would be too soon.


    Victory under Ozpin had never tasted so bitter. He''d promised them a better world. They''d been given ashes. Maybe people in the future would reap the benefits of their actions, but that was decades away. There was a good chance the people would destroy one another before that, and maybe humanity would die out as a result. It was hard to say. It was even harder to imagine living in alone.


    His feet carried him on across the stone floor, through a beam of moonlight, and towards a tiny figure crumpled at the steps leading up to a raised dais. The red of the cloak seemed to melt into the blood that pooled around her, soaked and laying lank across her body.


    "Not you, too," Jaune cried, dropping his sword and rushing forward. "Ruby, please! Not you!"


    She lay on her side, one arm beneath her and the other limp at her side. Her face was tilted to the side, her silver eyes closed, but her lips formed into a tiny smile. To her it wouldn''t matter if she died so long as she did so being the hero. She was selfless like that, or perhaps selfish. She never thought of what others might feel. His tears splashed on her pale cheek to run down it, almost like it was she who wept.


    His hands flew over her, searching for the rise and fall of her chest or the rhythmic beat of a heart, no matter how weak. Jaune''s breath hitched. His mouth opened and he tried to speak but nothing came forth. Words were useless anyway. She couldn''t hear them. She was gone. His knees splashed into her blood as he gripped his head between both hands. This wasn''t possible. This just wasn''t possible.


    "You can''t leave me here," he begged, pouring his aura into her body. It did nothing but drain him. There was nothing left for his Semblance to bolster. He tried again regardless, forcing aura out of him as tears poured down his face. "Please wake up. Please. Someone... anyone..."


    "Hrgh-¡­"


    Blue eyes snapped open. "Ruby?"


    "Hah¡­ krk¡­"


    It wasn''t Ruby. She hadn''t moved. Jaune''s eyes trailed up and over her, toward the dais itself and the seat that stood at the top, against the back wall. There, slumped atop her throne, sat the monster which had caused all of this. She was breathing raggedly. The sight of her was enough to make his blood boil. She was the cause of all of this. It was her fault. He snatched up his sword and stood, eyes lidded. He made his way toward her, desperate to rend her limb from limb.


    "Hah¡­" Salem glared at him. "Hrgh¡­ ha ha. Don''t waste your breath. Ugh. She¡­ is gone."


    The woman, if she could be called that, fixed her crimson eyes upon him. Her skin had always been the colour of paper but now it was dotted with blood. The veins about her eyes and face were fainter, faded, and though she watched him approach she made no effort to kill him. The scythe lodged in her chest might have had something to do with that. It had pierced between her b.r.e.a.s.ts and pinned her to the seat. Though her chest rose and fell, it was with a dry rattle and a bubble of crimson fluid that spilled about the blade of Crescent Rose.


    "Is this¡­ what you wanted¡­?" she whispered. Her voice was slow, faltering, and she had to pause between the words to take rattling breaths. "This?? is what¡­ Ozpin gave you. Is it -hrk- everything¡­ you thought it would be¡­?"


    Jaune gritted his teeth together. Grief gave way to rage, as it often did. "No."


    "No?" The dying monster laughed. "Victory rarely is, boy. This¡­ all of this¡­" She gestured to the tower, and all the bodies. "This is merely the culmination of our eternal game. You were, all of you, just his tools. Ever his chess pieces¡­ just like¡­ all the others¡­ throughout time. Don''t be so arrogant as to think you were the first."


    Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao-Long. The list went on and his eyes burned at each name added to it. Penny Polendina, James Ironwood, Winter Schnee, Ghira Belladonna, Oscar Pine. There were many he knew, but doubtless thousands more he did not. Families torn apart, teams scattered, or just men and women used and tossed aside after they had served their purpose.


    "You''re dead now. Their sacrifices have killed you. We won, not you."


    Salem frowned and made to move, but after a second or two trying to push herself up she sagged back down with a tired sigh. Crescent Rose did not move, buried not only into her but through and into the throne behind her. "I suppose that you have. After a thousand tries and ten times as many sent to their deaths, it was perhaps inevitable that the fool would one day succeed." She scowled at Oscar''s body. "An eternal huntsman chasing the immortal monster across Remnant. Odd, I always thought the tales involved the huntsman slaying the beast, not sending waves of children to do the job for him."


    His sword rattled as he gripped the haft tighter, his knuckles cracking. That would have been the best outcome. Instead, the huntsman had found allies ¨C foolish allies ¨C and had them fight and die for him. And Ruby, his first friend, was among those sent to their doom. She''d followed Ozpin happily, eagerly, and thrown her life away without a second''s hesitation. To her, any price was worth the possibility of a world without Grimm.


    She''d died for Ozpin''s plans.


    Just like Pyrrha had¡­


    "Kill me now," Salem hissed. "Finish me. I will allow it. There is no greater pain I could inflict on you than to live the rest of your life knowing you will never have them back. Your loved ones died to buy you this chance so don''t squander it now."


    Fury bubbled up behind his eyes but he held it back, unwilling to be baited. She was already dead and they both knew it. She just wanted him to end it faster, or maybe to get one last chance in to kill him as well before she died. He stood several feet away instead, watching as her smugness faded and she slumped angrily back onto her throne, bleeding out. She was as good as dead.


    Of course, so was everyone else.


    "This isn''t how it was supposed to end¡­"


    "Then how was it?" Salem asked, surprising him that she even cared to listen in the first place. "You would come here and slay the monster, only to run off with the girl into the sunset. Was that your plan?"


    No. It had been to join Beacon, make friends, become a huntsman, and find a lovely girl to settle down with. It could have been Pyrrha, had he not been so blind. It might even have been Ruby had she not been so self-sacrificing.


    "You know, boy. It still could be different¡­"


    "Don''t toy with me," he snapped. Crocea Mors swung up to rest against her sternum, his weight leaning against the pommel as he prepared to thrust it through with his own body weight. "I''m not an idiot. My friends are dead. Everything I care about is gone. The Walls of Vale have fallen and the people live in terror. Haven''s huntsman population has been eradicated and bandits run wild. Ironwood is dead and Atlas is in the hands of Jacques and the SDC, while Vacuo has been wiped off the map, swallowed by the desert and the Grimm! Beacon, Haven, Shade and Atlas Academies - all gone! And all of that is because of you," he roared. "It''s your fault!"


    "My fault¡­ or Ozpin''s? He is the one who chose to hide the relics where he did. He was the one tasked with protecting them, and yet instead of doing so he hunted them down himself to craft them into a weapon to use against me." She gestured to the scythe trapped within her. "Blame me if you will but do not dare to ignore your own actions, child. I would have never found them but for you and Ozpin leading me to each in turn. Ozpin knew that. He considered it worth the risk, and the lives of all those who fell. I may be guilty, but you and yours had a hand in all that happened."


    His breathing became ragged. Whether she was right or wrong didn''t matter, not anymore. He''d long since lost faith in Ozpin but no one else had listened. Yang, perhaps, but she''d still sided with her Uncle Qrow and Ruby when push came to shove. Those two would do anything the headmaster said. And maybe... maybe Ren and Nora would have sided with him if he''d spoken out. No, he was sure they would have. But he hadn''t. He''d been cowed, angry, grieving and desperate to leave the decision making to someone else. Anyone.


    So many chances for him to have done something different. It was funny, except not at all, that he could only see those chances now - when it was too late to take any of them.


    "Of course," Salem whispered, "there is still a chance for you to save your friends."


    Jaune''s eyes snapped back to the present. He leaned further on his sword, digging the tip into her. "You lie!"


    "What would lies serve me now?"


    "You want to live. You want me to spare you."


    "Fool." Salem laughed bitterly. "I am already dead. Not even your pretty Semblance can prevent this."


    "Then you want to trick and kill me," he countered.


    "You are already dead; if not on the outside then on the inside. There would be no pleasure. I expect you''ll kill yourself within a year or two anyway, or live a life of misery and pain. If I wanted you to suffer, I''d rather you live in despair and regret than die painlessly here."


    What a monster. Even her dying words were filled with malice. He should kill her, though. Ruby had already done enough but she''d want him to finish Salem off once and for all. It was the proper thing for a huntsman to do.


    But he didn''t.


    "What do you mean they can be saved?"


    "Interested?" Salem''s smile threatened to return but cut off when his sword dug a little deeper. "I''m telling you there is a way to save them. But to do so you must prevent this from happening."


    "Explain."


    "It is their presence here which led to their deaths. It is Ozpin''s little plan which saw them sacrificed to bring about my end. Prevent this from happening in the first place and your friends would still be alive today. All you need is a chance to go back and change it. I can give you that."


    "A chance to change what''s already happened?" he spat. "You''re talking about time-travel. You''re saying you can send me to the past?"


    When she didn''t deny it, his temper roared back to life. She was mocking him! She''d gotten his hopes up and then pissed on them, bringing all his pain back to the fore. He prepared himself to kill her once more, drawing his sword back for the final blow. His eyes flashed with pure rage.


    "Wait, wait, wait!" Salem breathed heavily, waiting for death. But he had paused, against his better judgment. When she saw that she quickly explained. "I do mean time-travel in a sense. Did you not think it strange that Ozpin could never die, that he was untouched by time and able to live from one host to another?"


    "He told us he was cursed by the Gods."


    "The Gods abandoned Remnant long ago. Did he not tell you that?"


    Jaune''s brow creased. "Qrow did. What of it?"


    "The Gods vanished long before I existed and long before Ozpin walked Remnant. In that case, what Gods would there have been to curse him?"


    None¡­


    "He didn''t lie, not really. His curse came about as a result of my actions, and at the time I was considered akin to a God, so the moniker might have been good enough for him. It was not intentional on my part. I slew him but in my haste did so in a manner that bound his soul to my fate." She chuckled at the irony. "As you see, while he was a powerful Wizard in his time, I was the stronger. In truth, it was I who granted him his immortality, no matter how much an accident that was."


    "What does that have to do with time-travel?" he asked.


    "With the relic of creation I can form for you a body in the past. With the relic of choice I can send your mind back to make your own. It is that relic which put Ozpin in the situation he is in, and I can replicate that with you. You would die here, but your soul ¨C your memories ¨C would travel back into a new body. You would exist outside the flow of time, and thus be capable of making changes. You could stop this," she gestured to the bodies and the wreckage, "from ever happening."


    His hands were shaking. A part of him, a large part, refused to believe the creature before him, if only to save himself the pain of being wrong. If this were some cruel trick then it would break him. Don''t get your hopes up, he thought. She''s just trying to trick you. She''s trying to hurt you.


    Nothing hurt as much as hope, especially when it was crushed. He knew that well enough by now.


    "You''ll just kill me," he said. "Why should I trust you?"


    "Look at you, boy. You''re a walking corpse already. What are you going to do once you kill me? You''ll bury them, perhaps, but then you''ll walk out into the wastelands to die. I may kill you, yes. But I could have killed you already had I wished it. This may or may not be a trap. Nothing I say will convince you otherwise. It is up to you to decide if the risk is worth it."


    The tip of his sword wavered.


    It was fantastical and foolish to consider her offer. He would be signing his life away ¨C and for what ¨C a chance to go back and do the same thing? A chance to change things so that people didn''t have to die. What if he could save Ruby, Ren and Nora? What if he could save Yang, Blake and Weiss?


    What if¡­ what if he could save Pyrrha¡­?


    His eyes watered as the memories assailed him, the grief and the pain and so much more. Salem was right, damn her. He was a dead man standing right now. He had no reason to live or any plans on what he was supposed to do. Everyone he cared about was dead. Everyone!


    Even if it was madness to consider it, Salem had a point. She was dead either way and whether she killed him or he died to exposure trying to drag his injured self to Vale, the result would be the same. In that case why not go out on a limb? He didn''t have anything to lose. The world was in turmoil anyway. After they''d arrived at Atlas, drawing Salem and her allies along with them, the city had been through hell. Ironwood had tried to help them, but he''d been betrayed, killed, and Jacques Schnee had seen his chance for more power, stepping into the power vacuum and taking control of the entire kingdom. Jaune would be killed the second he returned to civilisation. Jacques would string him up as a scapegoat, if angry and grieving families didn''t do it first. Even his family was dead, hunted down and killed by Tyrian in a sick attempt to draw him into a trap. This wasn''t the world Ozpin had promised them. It was hell.


    Salem saw his conflict and smiled. "You could change things. You could keep them all alive. You could change the way the world is now and make it better."


    "Why?" he had to ask. "Why would you want to send me back? What could you possibly gain?"


    "Is that not obvious? If you return and meddle then this may not happen. It is a chance that I will survive."


    "I''m not on your side, though. I''ll still kill you."


    "You will certainly try... but you might fail. Ozpin''s gambit here was successful due in no small part to the willingness of you pawns to throw your lives away. Your victory here is pyrrhic, and if you go back and seek a more fulfilling one, there is a chance it will fail. It is that which I seek. That chance is all I have left now, seeing as my life ebbs away before my eyes."


    It made a twisted sort of sense from her point of view, and even if the honesty surprised him he supposed she knew it wouldn''t change his answer. If he wanted to see his friends alive again he''d need to accept it, and while that meant Salem would live, it also meant he would have another chance to kill her.


    A chance to do it properly, with us preparing for a battle and not rushing off after Ozpin like lambs to the slaughter. Salem wasn''t wrong; Ozpin had sacrificed them all for this. It wasn''t just their teams but all four Kingdoms as well. Humanity would survive but there was no telling how much carnage would occur. Another faunus war, for sure. The White Fang had done too much. It might even be a Great War if the SDC saw the weakness of others as opportunity. No one had the strength to oppose them.


    Of course, none of that had mattered to Ozpin. So long as his eternal enemy died, the world could be in any state. He''d died smiling, even as they all fell one by one to Salem and her forces. And he hadn''t even been sure it would work. If it hadn''t, the man would have simply taken over another body and started the process all over again.


    "There isn''t much time," Salem warned. "Make your decision."


    There was no hesitation. There should have been, he knew that, but there wasn''t. Perhaps he was too spent, too emotionally drained, or just tired of everything. If she killed him, fine. He didn''t have anything to live for anyway.


    "I''ll do it. Send me back."


    Salem smiled, or tried. Blood bubbled from her lips and she coughed, her body shaking. "There is no time," she rasped. "Come here. I shall return you to another time and what you do there is your choice. You will exist outside of time as my avatar, which means any changes you make will not snap back and remove you from existence. It would do little good for me if by preventing this you stopped me sending you back and caused a paradox. You needn''t worry about it."


    "I won''t," he said, feeling a strange tingling sensation overtake him. She took hold of his left hand and a strange burning sensation ran through it, making him hiss. He tried to pull away but she wouldn''t let go.


    "It is my mark," she said once she was done, finally releasing him. There, on the back of his hand, a strange symbol was burned into his flesh. It was a vertical eye that seemed to be trapped in a net, with a ring around the outside marking the four points of a compass. He turned his hand over, marvelling at how it was reflected on the palm of his hand as well. "It was necessary to tie your soul here and your new container together. It would not do for either of us for me to miss and send your soul spiralling into oblivion. This mark will connect the two and act as a bridge for your soul. My survival now depends on yours. Do not die before you can fix this."


    Salem reached out and touched one of the relics that had been placed into Ruby''s weapon. It shimmered and twisted, and light poured from it ¨C down Crescent Rose and into Salem''s body. She cringed and tossed her head to the side as the energy destroying her from the inside. Even so, she drew on it.


    "What are the relics, anyway?" he asked.


    "They are relics," she hissed, as if that explained it all. "They are all that remains of a time long past, as you will soon be a relic of a future that must never happen. They are power." Bright white lines spread out across the dais, underneath and around him. Salem''s eyes glowed and blood dribbled from her lips. "Go now. Change the past and seek your foolish friends. Prevent this travesty and restore me to power."


    "I will," he promised. "But once I do, I''ll come and kill you. I''ll come with an army bigger than this one, and this time we''ll be prepared. You won''t stand a chance, and without the knowledge of my coming you won''t even know about it until it''s too late."


    "We shall see, boy." Salem sneered. It was a chance he knew she''d take. Better a poor chance than a slow death.


    The world turned to black a moment later. The ground beneath him seemed to give way and he fell to the side, only to be suspended as a strange sensation ¨C like water rushing across his skin ¨C washed over his body. He felt his body, his bones and his organs, squeezed together and pushed through a narrow tube. And then, with a crash, sunlight washed over him.


    His face hit rock a second later.


    /-/


    "Ugh, my head¡­"


    Something pounded through his skull, even as a sharp object seemed to be cracking against the back of it. It felt like his head was trapped in a vice with some terrible surgeon performing live surgery on his brain. The confusion rattled him for a moment, before memory flooded back ¨C memories of that dark tower and the bodies of his friends.


    Of the mad deal he''d made with the devil herself.


    "Did it work?" he gasped, sitting up. Pain flared through him a second later and he pushed a hand around to the back of his head. "Damn it. What hit me?"


    Something sharp bit into his hand. "OW!"


    "CAW!" The juvenile Nevermore squawked angrily, shocked or perhaps just mindlessly angry that its prey was now awake. It pecked at the back of his head again, or tried to. Jaune''s hand snapped out and caught its neck. He looked briefly for his sword before he decided just to slam the little thing against the ground below him instead, killing it on impact.


    He staggered up a moment later, dusting his hands of the hateful thing as it dissolved into nothingness. His head felt clearer, completely fine, even. There had been no headache, just a stupid Nevermore trying to kill him while he was unconscious. He rubbed his sore scalp and winced against the bright sunlight.


    Wait, sunlight? It had been night time when they''d orchestrated their attack.


    Panic, fear and excitement tore through him and he threw himself from the rock he was sat on, landing unsteadily on two feet and looking around. He was in the Grimmlands, made pretty obvious by the terrain no one could mistake ¨C blistering rock in various shades of purple and black. Still, the sun was in the sky, and more, he''d been attacked by a Grimm.


    If Salem was dead then those shouldn''t exist anymore. Unless it''s just the last vestiges of them, he realised. There was still a chance this was a terrible dream or that she''d tricked him. He scanned the horizon for what he knew would answer it once and for all. Considering the flat and blasted terrain it wasn''t hard to spot the tall, conical structure of Salem''s dark tower.


    It was still standing.


    He was in the past.


    "It worked¡­ it actually worked. I''m¡­" He checked himself before he continued. Two arms, two legs, a face that felt like his own, and he even had his scroll on him, which was obviously out of signal. He snapped a picture of his face and checked it ¨C just to make sure he hadn''t been turned into some kind of disfigured mutant or Grimm.


    He was himself. His skin was a little smudged and worn, his cheeks sallow and eyes filled with fatigue, but he was undeniably in his own body. Or a new construct of it if Salem''s words were to be trusted. He held up his left hand, inspecting the mark she''d given him. It just looked like burned skin on both sides of his hand, although the symbol itself was in crystal clear detail. He''d have to hide that if he really had gone back. Ozpin wouldn''t like the look of it.


    Jaune''s body froze in the task of pulling on one of his brown gloves. Ozpin was still alive. And if Ozpin was still alive, then that meant¡­


    Tears filled his vision.


    "Don''t lose it now," he whispered. He had to fight back both a smile and tears, both threatening to burst forth. If the tower was standing then there''d been no attack. No attack meant no deaths, yet, which meant everyone was still alive and well.


    He actually had a chance to fix things. For the first time he allowed himself to actually feel the hope that had been teetering on the edge of his mind. It was a heady thing that exhausted him almost immediately. It threatened to overwhelm him entirely, though whether that would leave him sobbing in relief or screaming out his joy was still to be seen.


    "Or not to be," he hissed, fighting for control. "I may be back but that doesn''t fix anything yet. Ozpin will already have the plan in mind. I need to stop it, but how? Ruby and Qrow are all for it and everyone defaults to trusting Ruby."


    He had too, and he regretted that. Ruby was a great leader, but that was the point ¨C she was a good leader and she hadn''t led them. Ozpin had, and he either wasn''t as good or had changed over time and no longer cared for the consequences of his decisions. No risk too great for a chance to end Salem once and for all, at least to him.


    "I can''t let that happen. Even if it means Salem lives a little longer there has to be a way that actually wins a future worth having - one where Vale, Vacuo and Atlas don''t end up in ruins." That was assuming he''d been sent back far enough to actually change their minds. What if he''d only gone a week or two back?


    Or¡­ what if he''d been sent back further? What if Salem had gone above and beyond and sent him back to before he joined Beacon? What if he had a chance to work from the start up; save not only Ruby and his team, but Pyrrha as well?


    The tears came back. This time they couldn''t all be stopped and a few trailed down his cheeks. The potential for disappointment if he was wrong was going to crush him but he shook his head regardless. Whatever the case his first step was clear, he had to find out how far back he''d gone. The best way to do that would be to head to Beacon, or Vale if Beacon was already destroyed.


    If he was in the Grimmlands now, then that would be a bit of a trek. The continent Salem was hidden on was closest to Vacuo, which, if it was still standing, would have transport he could take to reach Patch, and then Vale. Even if it didn''t the act of discovering whether Vacuo stood or not would give him a good idea when he was, and if it stood then so too would its CCT. It was an obvious first location, though naturally there weren''t many ferries running between Vacuo and Grimmtopia.


    The only choice was to try and make the swim himself ¨C which was stupid ¨C or to reach the shore and try to fashion a raft, which was still pretty optimistic but a damn sight better than trying to swim the whole thing.


    Through exhaustion and pain, Jaune stood from the rock he''d been transported to, stooped to pick up Crocea Mors ¨C which had been replicated alongside him ¨C and marched through the Grimmlands towards the south.


    There was no time to lose.


    /-/


    If the tower, her words, and the change in daylight hadn''t convinced him that he was in the past, then the amount of Grimm roaming about would have. The attack on Salem''s tower had been no small thing, combining what remained of Atlas'' loyalists and troops who had followed Winter and Weiss into exile, and also huntsmen and huntresses from Vale, Vacuo, and even Menagerie. Many of those had died on the approach fighting Grimm, but no such wreckage dotted the landscape now. In fact, only Grimm did ¨C and he had to cut his way through several on his journey to the shoreline.


    Maybe it was his cynicism acting up, or maybe his mind was just trying to protect him from having his hopes shattered once again. Even so, for every hour that passed his gait became stronger. His eyes shone just a little brighter.


    The plans he ran through in his head helped to distract him from it, plans on how to approach certain people, what to say ¨C what information he could give. Ozpin was an out, obviously. If he knew Salem could be killed then he would want the same thing to happen again. Ruby and Qrow might not believe him without proof, but there were some he could offer proof to.


    Winter was a good example, since depending on how far back he''d gone he could warn her about what her father planned to do against Ironwood. Hell, if he could get Ironwood on board with him and save his life, then even better. The General could reclaim Atlas and bring all of its might to bear against Salem.


    So many possibilities ¨C all of them made possible because he was here again, but this time with knowledge of what would and couldn''t happen. Of course, those plans always came down to when or how far he''d been sent back, becoming unravelled on the specifics. Things would become easier once he reached Vacuo.


    The shoreline of the Grimmlands was devoid of trees or plant life, as was most of the island itself, but it was still a shore and that meant there was plenty of driftwood and wreckage littered about, swept up onto the surf by tides and currents. It was while he was collecting wood that might be good enough for a raft that he caught a flash of grey off to one side, a grey too light to be natural and piled between seaweed swept up onto the beach. He hurried over to sweep that aside, revealing a smooth panel encrusted with barnacles, with some faded writing beneath, now lost to time and wear.


    It was a little fishing boat, though. Small and ramshackle, more like one someone might use in a lake than on the open ocean. But it had a motor on the back, and a quick glance revealed that there was actually a small amount of fuel inside. Someone must have been swept overboard or killed by Grimm, and the thing had naturally made its way over here, crashing up onto the beach.


    "One man''s misfortune is another''s luck," he mused, working to tear more of the dried and dead algae off it. It was in decent enough shape, a little rotted but it had a coat of something which had prevented that leading to any holes. It would float and that was all that mattered. He dragged the vessel by its keel down to the surf, struggling against the soft sand and the sharp barnacles that threatened to drain his aura at the slightest touch. There were two oars in side, partially rotted but probably still usable.


    The dinky little boat would be worth all the hassle, especially if it got him off the island before all the Grimm started to notice the lone human in their midst. He was lucky this second chance had blown his mind out of the water, otherwise all the misery he''d been feeling before would have drawn them to him like moths to a candle. As it was, he was too excited to feel down. Despite the grim situation, no pun intended, he couldn''t help but smile.


    His friends weren''t dead. Not here. They were still alive - and probably wondering where he was.


    He clapped his hands together once he had the boat bobbing on the edge of the shallows."Right, I need to trek to the city, reach the CCT, and find out how far back I''ve been sent."


    And then, whatever the case, it was off to Beacon to try and save his friends and the future of Remnant. With one final shove he pushed the boat out into the shallows, leapt in and cranked the motor. To his delight it rattled weakly, and on the third try actually spluttered. The engine, like his newfound hope, came to life.


    "Wait for me, everyone. I''m on my way."

 Chapter 367 - My SI Stash #67 - Conquer by Twubs (Pokemon)

    -Shit is realistic af and I love it. I just do not fw with the MC blabbing too much, even if it''s the light fluff Pokemon world or dark terrifying one it''s much better to be the silent protagonist like Red imo. Don''t give anything away for nothing/


    Synopsis: Brawly wanted to grow up and run the gym in Dewford Town, just like his father. That all changed when his rebellious streak reared it''s head. Now he has memories from another universe, and a drive to do one thing: Conquer. SI/Brawly Not!Antagonist!SI


    Rated: M


    Words: 93K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13541344/1/Conquer (Twubs)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    So this is just an idea that popped up in my head after Umodin and I exchanged some messages. Then I had to go re-read ''Y''know Nothing Jon Snow!'' Next thing I know, the idea is here and won''t leave. So I''m putting it on paper, for whoever wants to enjoy it.


    This is an SI into Brawly in the Pokemon world. I tried to get a timeline for Pokemon, but it''s literally impossible, so we''re gonna go AU. Although you''ll recognize most of the characters and plot points. With my own spin on it.


    WILL NOT BE PUT ON A SCHEDULE. I might pick it up after I finish one of my other stories but not before. If I update it again it''s because I have too much time on my hands and I don''t want to rush my original work.


    Authors note at the bottom.


    Follow me on instagram at wtmcdonaldauthor


    Disclaimer: I own nothing.


    What the f.u.c.k?


    I sat up with a groan. My limbs felt like they were run through a meat grinder, and the sting of open wounds made themselves known all over my body. My legs straightened out in front of me, luckily they felt fine.


    Am I in a cave? I thought as my eyes took in the cavern. A relatively smooth floor of rock extended as far as I could see. The wall rose around the cavern and met a twenty foot ceiling of more rock.


    Grand stalactites and stalagmites met in some places to form beautiful natural pillars. I looked backwards to see the reason for my current beat up state. A broken up stalactite, that looked as if someone or something had been hurled through it. My hand instinctively reached to the pokeball on my waist.


    Wait, pokeball?


    That''s when everything in my mind clicked and the memories fell in place. It wasn''t a painful process, more like finding a place that you hadn''t been to in a very long time, something nostalgic.


    The shrunken pokeball on my waist contained my freshly captured makuhita, a pokemon native to Granite Cave. The same Granite Cave that was home to all kinds of dangerous pokemon, and a cave that went so deep that none of my ancestors have found the bottom yet. Rumors of brave trainers stumbling on onix dens and even a rhydon had reached Dewford Town many times.


    My eyes found the mounds of rock once again, and this time I recognized the forms of geodude and golem''s dead forms. A mother golem, and three of her children, bleeding out on the cavern floor.


    What the f.u.c.k? I repeated in my head. I don''t even know that much about Pokemon. Sure I played the games growing up, and watched like the first season of the cartoon but after that, nothing. I''m actually f.u.c.k.i.e.d.


    A brief memory of a broken makuhita laying on the ground flashed in my brain and I shot to my feet.


    It''s in stasis right now, but I need to leave now to make sure the little guy makes it. I thought as I patted myself down.


    After confirming that I had all of the possessions I dared to bring on my idiotic expedition, I bolted it in the direction I knew would lead to the entrance of the cave. Luckily my father, in this life, had kept me in fantastic shape and I kept up a fast pace.


    Being the son of a fighting type gym leader has its perks. I thought as I literally saw the light at the end of the tunnel.


    I got lucky that I hadn''t had to go very far into the cave to find a pokemon. I literally made it two hundred yards before stumbling upon an enraged Hariyama going to town on the golem and her children of geodudes.


    The memories of the fight, and memories of my past life clashed. I knew how the pokemon were depicted in my past life, in the games and anime. It was nothing like my now real life. Their cartoonish bodies were replaced with realistic depictions. The blood on my clothes, and running in the cavern made that obvious.


    Even the Hariyama that I had barely caught a glimpse of wasn''t shaped like a sumo wrestler, as the games would have you believe. No, it was a six foot seven mass of walking muscle. It''s hands were oversized for it''s yellow arms, and colored an off orange. I didn''t see it in person, but the pictures on the pokenet reminded me that it would have five fingers, not three.


    I shook my head, breaking myself out of my thoughts as I stopped at the cave entrance. There were signs up all over the place to warn travelers and trainers of the most commonly found pokemon in the area. I knew them by heart, having grown up here.


    I turned right and headed for the brush that my bike would be hiding in. I scooped it up quickly and mounted it before peddling like a raging Gyrarados was hot on my trail.


    The sun hadn''t even thought of rising yet, so I flipped on the flashlight attached to the handlebars. I had gotten to the cave a little after midnight, right on schedule. I must have had one of the fastest legal captures ever.


    My (new?) body had just turned sixteen, the minimum age for becoming a trainer. That was another difference from the games and anime. One had to be sixteen, not ten, to start their pokemon journey.


    And it was something very few people did until a couple years after that. Normally reaching a.d.u.l.thood before beginning.


    Although it was younger, my new body rivaled my old in physique, although more lean because of my fresh, young metabolism. Years of training kicked in as I focused on the path that would lead me back to town.


    Even as the words left my lips, I broke out in a grin because of my successful night.


    "Dad is gonna kill me."


    I hopped off of my bike, without bothering to stop it or prop it up somewhere. It continued straight to ram into the side of the pokemon center. It might wake some of the traveling trainers up, but I didn''t have the patience to care.


    I burst into the center, slamming the door open. A chancey was sitting at the receptionist desk and I slowed down when I noticed that I had woken it up and she was pissed. A pink glow enveloped her arm that was outstretched towards me.


    I skidded to a stop, and ducked in case she fired whatever it was she was preparing. I didn''t need to, because I had grown up around this particular chancey my whole life, and she quickly recognized me.


    If not, she could have killed me. Fairy type pokemon may be good for healing, but they''re rising in popularity for their fighting skills also. I was once again reminded of the serious and real nature of the world I now lived in.


    "Chancey, I have an injured pokemon." I said grabbing and enlarging the pokeball on my waist.


    She let out a trill that sounded nothing like the pokespeak normally heard in the games or anime.


    Will nothing be accurate? I couldn''t help but wonder.


    "Brawly?"


    I turned to see the current pokemon center nurse for Dewford Town, and the rest of the island.


    "Hey Tracey, I have a pokemon I need healed and registered." I told the woman who had been healing my father and his opponents pokemons for years. "Got to be close to critical condition."


    Her eyes narrowed and I could see the accusation in them, although she held her tongue before extending her hand for the pokeball. I handed it over eagerly.


    She summoned a device out of nowhere. I hadn''t even seen it in her hands when she walked out in her pajamas. It was in the middle of the night after all.


    She scanned the pokeball with the device. "License number?" Tracey asked me in a clipped tone.


    "32689." I rattled off immediately.


    I hope it works, considering it went active a few hours ago. I thought as she typed the numbers in.


    A ding rang out, signifying a successful registration, and I let out the breath I had been holding. Tracey gave me a knowing look, a look that told me I had forgotten something. I remembered it just as she disappeared with my new pokemon.


    "Shit."


    There was no warning, he just appeared. My father was not a small man. He stood a good four inches above my six foot frame. And he was built like a f.u.c.k.i.n.g body builder.


    His Gallade stood behind him, with a sad look on an eerily humanoid face, knowing that I was in trouble. It was obvious to me that he had locked on to me telepathically and then teleported.


    "Hey pop." The words slipped out of my mouth before I could think about them. "I caught a¡­"


    "I don''t give a shit." Brody, my father, interrupted. "We''re going home."


    That''s the last place I want to be right now. I thought to myself.


    You''re right about that. My father''s Gallade said in my mind, reminding me of his psychic presence once again.


    "Out." I said out loud, while looking at the powerful pokemon. I instantly felt bad. Gallade had always taken my side against my father growing up.


    "He doesn''t obey you." My father roared, his anger showing itself. "And you are in no position to demand anything."


    "Sorry, I just didn''t expect him in my head." I responded. My father was always connected with his Gallade.


    It must have seemed odd, considering I had grown up with the powerful psychic in my mind all the time. With my otherworldly knowledge, that didn''t seem wise anymore.


    "I can''t leave my new pokemon." I said gently, not wanting to make this any worse. "One of the best things you ever taught me, pop."


    That statement got to him, because not only did I see understanding, but his rage flew through the roof.


    My father was a controlled man, always has been. In his youth, he was a hot headed fighting trainer. Now he was a veteran fighter very much in control of himself at all times. Scars littered his frame from past battles in the war, and different leagues around the world. He was known.


    I watched as he reeled his emotions in, it took a few moments. "Son¡­" He began but obviously thought better of whatever it was he was about to say.


    "Tracey said you were covered in cuts when you got here." My father changed over to a different topic. "Give it to me straight."


    "I went to Granite Cave, stumbled upon a Hariyama raging on a golem and her children. I got there too late to know for sure, but I think the makuhita I captured was the reason for the fight. I captured it because it was in danger." I told him truthfully, and quickly. I omitted my transmigration across the multiverse, obviously.


    "Rapidash shit." Brody replied quickly. "You captured him because you wanted him, first and foremost. Not out of the kindness of your heart."


    F.u.c.k.i.n.g duh.


    "Obviously, I did. I went there to prove to you that I can handle myself, and capture a pokemon the old way. It just so happens that I saved one''s life too." I said.


    My father was thrown off of his game for a moment. I never talked back to him, like ever. But my new personality, and eventful night have combined to produce the response.


    It''s best he gets used to this ''me''.


    My father didn''t respond for a long time, and I could tell a war was raging inside him. One side had to respect me for what I did, I knew it. The other side wanted to yell and scream about how reckless I was and could have died. I understood both points, and conceded them. It didn''t change the facts.


    "It''s too late now, dad. I''m registered." I said, reminding him that it was irreversible without him pulling some serious strings. It would also hurt his reputation simultaneously. One didn''t abandon pokemon, once you made the decision to capture them. The league was quick to fine, and even imprison for the act.


    "And how do you plan to care for this pokemon? Or do you expect me to?" His words cut fast and cut deep.


    "I have saved up a lot, from helping you at the gym. I can handle it." I replied with a statement that he knew as factual. He had control over my finances before today, so he knew I wasn''t lying.


    "And you always told me that I had till I was eighteen till I had to move out, sir." I added, hoping he would take pity on me. My mother would make him, but I didn''t want to cause a rift.


    "I meant a.d.u.l.t." His counter was just as harsh as before.


    I winced, knowing that I was legally an a.d.u.l.t now. The old me didn''t realize the responsibility he had forced upon us, but it was too late to back down now.


    "If that''s how it is, then I''ll survive." I forced the words out.


    "Just shut up for a f.u.c.k.i.n.g second." Brody said. "You''ll take the open trainer spot at the gym. You will work your arceus-damned ass off or I will kick you the f.u.c.k out, even if it costs me a divorce. Do you understand me?"


    I nodded my head at him, doing my best not to be intimidated. A part of me wanted to deny the special treatment from him. Trainers applied for a position at the gym to learn under him all the time, and he was giving it to me, because I was his son. I also knew that I was way under my head with this situation and needed to take advantage of the situation.


    "Good." My father said to me and left me with some parting words just as his Gallade teleported them out of the pokecenter and to our house, presumably.


    "You''re telling your mother."


    I thought my mother would take it easy on me, it turns out I was wrong.


    "I can''t believe you would do something so selfish and irresponsible. That is not the boy I raised!"


    I had taken the tongue lashing with dignity earlier this morning, and now I walked towards the gym. It didn''t take that long considering it was literally right beside our house. Sometimes, dad would even sleep in his office or one of the bunks he keeps for the gym trainers.


    I entered the trainers door and my feet immediately took me to one of the training rooms I was so familiar with. It was the same room that my dad had trained me in hand to hand combat. Across my lower back, was a bowie knife that sat in a custom sheath. It said horizontal along my belt with the handle sticking out so that only my right hand could pull it.


    I never wore it before today, even though I had trained with it extensively. Between rogue pokemon trainers, and wild pokemon, the death toll for starting trainers was high. I was going to cheat a little bit and get my makuhita trained up nice and strong before taking on the world, but still the weight of it on my back reassured me.


    I quickly found the room I wanted and entered. Inside was a typical dojo. A mat covered most of the floors and there was various workout equipment all around the room. I steeled myself before reaching down to the pokeball on my belt.


    I enlarged it and stared at it for a moment, before finally pushing the opening mechanism and pointing. A red beam extended from the pokeball and as soon as it hit the ground, it opened and shot a white light towards it. It was the most mesmerizing thing I had ever seen.


    The white light coalesced into a form soon. Makuhita stood about four foot tall. The hair on its body was yellow, and covered most of its form. Blue hair formed around it''s neck and fell into its chest, while also covering its hands. Its hands were very round and looked like it had some extra muscles and fat designed to absorb blows. It held a fair amount of baby fat on it. Although under it''s tough skin, forming muscle peaked out. There was no bow on its head.


    It''s eyes snapped into focus and observed the room, then it noticed me. It charged immediately. Normally, it would be a smart idea to return it to the pokeball and start over until it calmed. I didn''t do the smart idea. I knew there was a reason this pokemon was left for dead when I found it. It was the runt of the litter. I could work with that.


    The pokemon approached, and there was no sign of him using any types of moves. Instead he was coming in with his fists, ready to fight the old fashioned way. I obliged him.


    My foot met his hip, throwing him off balance. Then I pounced. Quickly we were on the floor, and I had my hands on him. Slowly but surely, I mauled him with wrestling. It didn''t take me long to get behind him and get him in a choke hold. I applied pressure before letting off quickly.


    "Calm down!" I commanded.


    It''s long been confirmed that all pokemon have basic empathic abilities. This is what allows pokemon to understand trainers right off the bat, even if they haven''t trained together a lot. Plus, I didn''t leave a lot of room for argument. I knew he got the message when the makuhita stopped squirming in my arms.


    I let him go quickly, then backed away expecting another attack. My hand found his pokeball in case I needed to recall him. I showed my dominance, and I could do it the easy way from now on.


    He didn''t attack me, instead he laid there breathing hard before letting out a low, sad croon. I actually felt bad for the little guy. How would I feel if I got injured and my mom left me for dead only to be enslaved by another race?


    "I captured you so that you wouldn''t die." I said, starting off slow. The makuhita''s intelligent, black eyes met mine unwavering. It frowned.


    "I healed you and I want you to be my pokemon." I told the little guy staring in his eyes. He met my gaze and I could tell that it would take some doing to convince him. I took the anime route.


    "And I want to train you to become strong. So strong that we can go back to that cave and wipe the floor with that hariyama." I tried.


    It actually piqued his interest and I thanked the anime/game gods for the foreknowledge.


    "Strong enough to take on the legendaries." I continued.


    This was what finally convinced him. He actually gave me a nod in confirmation.


    Just how smart are pokemon, really? I wondered. I chalked it up to the multiverse and decided to move on.


    "Now, I can''t call you makuhita, that''s your race. I have another name in mind." I told him. His eyes lit up again and waited on me.


    "Hashirama. Hashi for short." I grinned as the newly named Hashi nodded enthusiastically.


    "Good! Now let me scan you real quick and change your name." I said.


    I pulled out the pokegear that had been left on my bed when I finally got home from the pokemon center. I knew that my dad had gifted it to me, as congratulations and his own way of saying he''s proud of me. It has a multitude of functions. The main ones being communication, access to the pokenet, and the reason for me bringing it out right now: a pokedex.


    A red beam of light shot out from the pokegear and hit Hashi, center mass. It didn''t take a long time for it to let out a loud ''ding'', and retract the light.


    I stared at the pokegear intently, waiting on it to finish processing the data. It didn''t take long to bring up a full sheet of info for the pokemon.


    "Wanna see it?" I asked Hashi.


    Can I teach pokemon to read? I thought as I looked down at the display. Hashi waddled over to me and I made a mental note to train maneuverability the hardest at the beginning.


    I shook my head and focused on the information in front of me.


    ''Makuhita,


    The gutsy pokemon¡­''


    I skimmed over the rest of the information looking for the important things. I already knew a lot about the pokemon, including the type effectiveness. What I was looking for was any abilities.


    "Bingo! Thick fat huh? Isn''t that what Venusaur gets when it mega evolves, making it an absolute tank? We can work with that." I muttered to myself, already planning and preparing for his tanky ability.


    Could have been guts, which would have increased attack by a lot but he won''t have any problem with offense if his mother is any indication. I thought as I skimmed more of the entry.


    I kept looking for his move set, and eventually got all the way down the doc.u.ment before I realized that it wasn''t available. Of course it would be, how would a computer know what moves a pokemon could do with a brief scan. But then again, how does a computer literally turn a pokemon into energy and store it in stasis.


    This world doesn''t make sense. My mind raged. Then again, I am thinking as if I''m still in my previous universe and haven''t transmigrated to a f.u.c.k.i.n.g game.


    I sighed, and resigned myself to figure out what attacks the little guy knew the old fashioned way. My new companion and pokemon looked up at me with intelligent but confused eyes.


    "Mak?" Hashi said in a deep rumbling voice. Inwardly I realized that was one of the first things the pokemon had let slip from his voice box, and it vaguely sounded like the beginning of his species. Was that how people of this world named the pokemon? From what sounds they make? Then they try to translate it to the same language?


    My head spun, as I considered all of the things I had to find out on my journey. I thought about what to do next, before remembering that I had all today and tomorrow to train or hang out before having to report for gym duty. I smiled as I looked at the training equipment all around me.


    "No time like the present."


    "Alright Hashi, you see that pokedoll?" I asked my starter as I pointed towards the machop doll ten feet away from me.


    Hashirama nodded to me and stepped between me and the doll, protectively. Pride surged through me as I saw the pokemon get serious. It was kind of like having a child, or a little sibling.


    It hasn''t even been a full day, but I could get used to this. I thought while preparing myself for the training session.


    "Let''s see what moves you know." I mumbled to myself before barking out an order. "Attack."


    Hashi obeyed and moved. He closed the distance way faster than expected, but my eyes caught the flaws of his movements. He kicked his legs out to the side, overcompensating for his chubby frame.


    Must be held over from when he was a baby. I thought.


    I expected him to throw a punch, or a kick or something. Something that would eventually blossom into a fighting move. I was severely disappointed.


    Hashi launched himself forward, feet leaving the ground and leading with his shoulder. Had this been high school football, in Texas, then the tackle would have gotten some cheers. This was not high school football, and this damn sure wasn''t Texas.


    Hashi grabbed onto the machop doll and took it down with his momentum with the tackle. I could see how the move could be considered a good one to learn from, but this wouldn''t do for my purposes. Nope, apparently this world wanted me to do everything the hard way.


    F.u.c.k it. I''m game. I decided, as I approached Hashirama, who was untangling himself from the machop doll.


    I got a burst of inspiration from watching the interaction. Something that I knew would be revolutionary in pokemon battles.


    "Good job, Hashi!" I told him as I held out my fist.


    Hashi looked at my outstretched fist confused as to why it was in his face. My other hand grabbed his and put it into a fist, before bumping it with my own.


    I stepped back and held my fist out again. I almost laughed when his face turned to determination. He touched our knuckles together quickly.


    "Atta boy!" I exclaimed and his face brightened.


    My theory was simple. Make Hashirama as confident as Mike Tyson, and train him up to be the pokemon equivalent. At least battling wise. Maybe not personality wise. And I was doing it the same way Iron Mike''s trainer did, pumping up his ego by repeatedly telling him how good he did and is.


    "Now that was a strong move, but let''s practice it a little more." I said as I moved in front of him. I dropped down in a basic stance, ready to begin training.


    "And add some stuff in between." I muttered, thinking about my master plan.


    You see it was simple, if this world is anything like the games and anime, then people would focus on specific moves, and spam it. Rarely did people mix it up. So my plan went a little like this. Teach Hashi how to actually move properly in everything he does. A proper take down, not tackle. A technically sound punch and kick, for after the take down. Proceed to maul other beginning pokemon with ground and pound. It would be revolutionary, I thought maniacally.


    "Pokemon world, meet Brazilian jiu jitsu."


    A/N: THIS WON''T BE AS REVOLUTIONARY AS HE THINKS IT WILL BE.


    Had to get that out there before I get reviews telling me that the pokemon world has loads of fighting trainers and were bound to have discovered wrestling and jiu jitsu already. You''re right, but Brawly is working off of flawed knowledge, and the story is in his pov, so¡­.


    Anyway yea. I am really intrigued as to where this could go. I, as I always do before posting, have a basic plot lined out. And I know where I want it to go, but I know less about the world of pokemon than any of my other stories so it''s possible I have to scrap all of the planning as the writing takes over.


    What do we think so far? Like the concept, hate it? What about his starter? You guys have no idea of the plans I have for that little monster.


    I have some chapter one concepts written for a couple of series. Would y''all want to read them? If I ever get the inspiration. Like I said, not adding to my current schedule, but just teasers for some future stories?

 Chapter 368 - My OC Stash #68 - Fate: Sword Order by Parcasious (FGO)

    -Wouldn''t be a true man of culture if I didn''t put this up here~ Author doing the Shirou in F/GO justice!


    Synopsis: A certain technician is invited as a member of Chaldea''s staff until a chance discovery changes everything and lands him into an ordeal with the fate of Humanity itself at risk.


    Rated: T


    Words: 18K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13623502/1/Fate-Sword-Order (Parcasious)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    -Base Sequence: Human Genome Confirmed.


    -Alignment: Lawful-Neutral.


    Welcome to the data center for the future of humankind. This is the Security Organization for the preservation of humanity, Chaldea.


    Fingerprint, voiceprint, and DNA authentication cleared. Magical Circuit assessment complete.


    -Username matched. You are recognized as a member of the primates. Nice to meet you. We hope you enjoy your time here. We are waiting on one more visitor.


    The mechanical drone of an automated voice echoed throughout a square chamber where a red-haired man stood alone under assessment. He wore a green button-up sweater over a white long-sleeve, and wore faded jeans with black sneakers. His bronze coloured eyes furrowed unmistakably as he stared down towards the entrance of a long hall opened from a rectangular side-door ahead of him.


    So, this was it, Chaldea?


    The man''s name was Shirou Emiya, and his first impression of the magical institute dedicated to the preservation of humanity, was that it was cold. No literally. ''Surprised'' would be the first of many words to take root in his mind when he''d first heard that Chaldea was in Antarctica.


    It was an underground workshop built on a snowy mountain 6000 meters above sea level.


    The Central Command Room which was in front of the Main Chaldea Gate was just ahead of him down the long hall he''d just walked down through.


    He''d been called in as a technician, but after learning of Chaldea''s purpose he''d ''applied'' and been approved to be part of the group of thirty-eight elite mages and ten public applicants. By applied, he meant unexpectedly strong-armed. You see, he had an uncanny aptitude for something called Spiritron Dives which was inadvertently discovered in the assessment tests conducted on all Chaldea staff.


    Shirou had a sneaking suspicion that his aptitude had something to do with him being a former Master of a Holy Grail War that he''d never disclosed to anyone not in the know. Holy Grail Wars were spiritual rituals conducted by magi that pitted seven Servants and Masters in a free-for-all to obtain a chance at a wish. Masters were those who were in contract with a Servant, and a Servant was one of many familiars selected from the Throne of Heroes, a pool of mankind''s greatest legends immortalized in spirit.


    Shirou was one such Master who''d participated in the Fifth Holy Grail War with the Servant Saber, one of seven classes of Servant. The rest were Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Berserker, and Assassin. However, he wouldn''t voice his prior participation in a Holy Grail War as it was only speculation.


    What mattered now was that he''d been discovered to have a high aptitude for Spiritron Diving.


    Spiritron Diving itself was the concept of Rayshifting into abnormalities in a timeline through conversion of the body into spirit particles that generally constituted a Servant''s body. He wouldn''t go into the details of the operation as magical terms were way over his head, but the important factor was that he was unable to refuse.


    Word was that all those that were capable of Rayshifting had been brought to Chaldea. Of course, that included himself, but at this point there was no use in complaining as the order had come from one of the highest ranked families in the Mage''s Association, House Animusphere.


    Shirou was a third-rate magus and he''d somehow gotten himself involved in something big again that had Rin, a dear friend and perhaps something more, overly concerned when he''d told her of his sudden departure. Needless to say, she wasn''t amused, yet even she had no power to veto the command already given.


    Here he was now, walking down towards the Command Room where he was supposed to meet the rest of his comrades in Chaldea for an orientation.


    Well, that''s what he was doing until he''d ended up bumping into a woman chasing after a white squirrel? A dog? It was difficult to tell, but it was some sort of animal, and she wasn''t paying too much attention to what was in front of her. It didn''t help that they''d collided at the bend of a corner as the animal made a quick get-away.


    "Sorry. I-I wasn''t watching where I was going," the girl apologized quickly despite being the one who''d fallen on her butt from the accident. She had bob-cut styled lilac hair, lavender eyes, and was fair skinned. She was wearing square-framed glasses, wore a grey hoodie over a white collared-shirt, a red tie, black skirt, and brown shoes.


    "No need to apologize," he kindly offered a hand towards her, but she seemed confused at his actions at first before a bright smile came to her face.


    "Thanks," she sounded genuine while taking his offered hand and pulling herself up. "You aren''t mad?" She seemed like she''d expected him to yell at her, or at the very least glare.


    And then Shirou promptly remembered what sort of facility this was and that it was run by magi. They weren''t known to be the courteous sort, and it suddenly made sense. "I''m not like most magi," he was quick to clarify, much to her relief as she placed a hand over her chest.


    "I can already tell," the woman said as her eyes seemed to brighten.


    He smiled wryly, a hand scratching the back of his head as he decided to introduce himself. If the woman worked in Chaldea, then they were going to be comrades anyway.


    "Shirou Emiya," he said with a light smile. "Sorry for bumping into you when you were in such a rush."


    "No-no, it was my fault! I wasn''t looking where I was going." The woman shook her head vigorously and then seemed to stutter before finding her voice. "I''m Mash Kyrielight, a member of Chaldea."


    Shirou could see that Mash wished the conversation to go on, as he assumes that she didn''t have many people she could talk with in the facility, but he decided to remind her of what she was doing prior before it was too late. "I think it''s going to get away," he said flatly.


    "Ah, Fou," Mash nodded and ran off down the hall. "Bye, Emiya Senpai!"


    He almost stiffened due to the manner in which Mash said farewell to him, as it hit too close to home about another girl that he used to know that called him by the same formal title. However, he didn''t have the time to reminisce. He was already in front of the Command Center, and didn''t want to waste time standing in front of the automated doors just for everyone to stare at him.


    Single digit, front row. He recalled his seat position and made his way over. There was no designated seat so he supposed he could just pick any. Around him where the other candidates selected for Chaldea, but all he could stare at was the miniature planetary projection in front of him.


    From what he remembered from the small briefing he had, it was called Sheba, a telescope used to observe the pseudo planet Chaldeas. It also served as a surveillance system for the facility and was used as a near-future observation device.


    Near Sheba was a stage platform where a woman clearly no older than him stood waiting with a straight back, crossed arms, and an indifferent gaze. She wore a black sweater over a white-collared dress, red stockings and bowtie, and black high-heeled shoes. She had long white hair tied into a small braid on her left side while the rest of her hair fell past her shoulders. Her eyes were of similar colour to Shirou''s own, and she was practically glaring at anyone who dared make light of her.


    Shirou however saw it differently. He''d been around Rin long enough to know when someone was putting up an act, and the woman was clearly putting one up to mask her nervousness.


    Her name was Olga Marie Animusphere, the director of Chaldea, and one of the reasons he''d been summoned to the facility. She was evidently waiting for all forty-eight candidates to arrive before beginning orientation, but candidate forty-eight was running late.


    "Candidate forty-eight, Ritsuka Fujimaru, has anyone seen him?"


    A tick mark was forming on Olga''s forehead, and she was quickly losing patience. Fortunately, Mash came in to escort candidate forty-eight into the seat directly beside him, candidate forty-seven.


    Ritsuka was a man who looked distinctly on the verge of falling asleep, and to make matters worse, there was no way Olga wasn''t going to notice as she began her orientation speech.


    Shirou watched as Mash who sat in the third row and leftmost seat gestured for him to help out Ritsuka, but he already knew it was too late.


    Shirou shook his head in condolence. The look on Olga''s face was almost identical to the way Rin appeared when she''d far surpassed her tolerance point and was only smiling to maintain her image.


    Yeah, well, Olga wasn''t Rin who''d just smile.


    Walking right up to Ritsuka, she slapped him in the face and Judo threw him out of the room. "B-Team it is," she scowled before eyeing everyone in the room like a hawk. Mash flinched. "Anyone else?" Her brow was twitching.


    No one answered, and as if she''d never just thrown a Master candidate out of the Command Room, she resumed orientation and told everyone to begin preparations to enter their respective Rayshift pods lined in a semi-circle across the room.


    Mash, bless her, took the initiative to check up on Ritsuka before Shirou could do so himself. Seeing as Ritsuka was in good hands, Shirou allowed himself to go through procedures. Twenty minutes later, just after almost everyone got into their pods, his intuition from life and death battles kicked in. Something felt off.


    Mash nodded towards him as she entered her pod, but he barely registered her actions. An ominous feeling was flooding his system.


    For the life of him, he couldn''t put a reason as to why until it was staring him right in the face. The Rayshift pods, coffin-like devices, had been planted with magical bombs which he''d only been able to sense as he''d drawn closer to his own. The scent of potent magical energy was impossible to ignore. He was cautious from the start and didn''t immediately enter his Rayshift pod which perhaps changed the future of even just one person.


    "Hey, you! What are you waiting for?" Olga called out to him, pausing on her way to her own pod in order to lecture him. "You''re wasting time. Everybody''s already in their pods and Lev already left to start the activation sequence. We don''t have time to waste. What if we''re left behind?!"


    Olga''s point was the last of Shirou''s concern. As far as he could tell, the pods were a death sentence waiting to happen, and it was sooner than he could have ever expected. He didn''t even have enough time to yell a warning to everyone. The magical energy built up way past the point of becoming volatile that a significant explosion was inevitable.


    He had to act now.


    "Shit," he swore before tackling Olga to the ground, the two falling sprawled with Shirou on top. Olga bristled and glared at his abrupt action, but she quickly faltered as everything went to hell. Her eyes widened as fire and heat erupted everywhere and all she could see was him shielding her body with his own while activating his magecraft.


    It was this one difference that allowed him to survive using Reinforcement and the lingering innate healing factor in his body to recover from wounds. Even now, the memory and actions of a woman he once knew still watched over and protected him despite his growth as an individual. He''d never forget, nor belittle the experiences they''d shared together. He was her Master, and in turn, she was his Servant; the both of them sharing a bond in their determination to carry out their dreams and ideals.


    For the sake of a promise he''d made, he would never stop walking forward.


    He groggily opened his eyes as he registered the ringing in his ears from the explosion. His vision was spinning, a numbness in his limbs as blood trickled down the side of his face from a cut over his forehead. He carefully forced himself up and looked beneath him to see Olga passed out with only minor burns and injuries on her person. He''d been able to save someone with his actions and that was all that counted in his mind.


    Fires raged around him, alarms blaring red, and sending him into hyper focus. He put Olga somewhere safe where the flames would not reach her and scanned the room for life.


    "Is there anyone else alive!" He yelled out while digging through piles of rubble in hopes of finding anyone trapped beneath to no avail.


    "Over here! I need help!" A voice echoed out, causing Shirou''s eyes to sharpen.


    Directly adjacent to him, two men had rushed into the Command Room, one of them Ritsuka Fujimaru who stopped at Mash''s Rayshift pod.


    Shirou didn''t waste a second and ran over to assess the damage.


    Mash Kyrielight. She didn''t look good. In fact, it wouldn''t be too much of a stretch to call her dead already. She was buried under rubble, one look enough to tell that her lower body had basically been crushed or blown up to the point that there was blood everywhere. She could hardly speak, and by the time he''d arrived, she could only signal to him with her eyes to get Ritsuka out of the room before they all died.


    She was asking him to leave her without even trying to help.


    Not a chance.


    Laplace''s shifting protection established.


    Singularity''s additional factor slots secured. Please start final judgements.


    Announcements were ringing out from all around him, but he wasn''t necessarily listening to them. There were people before him that needed to be saved, and that alone was priority.


    "W-We have to dig her out if we want to tend to her wounds," Ritsuka, though clearly nervous, put Mash''s well being first and proposed a plan of action.


    "I''m on it."


    Shirou didn''t care for the fire and directly placed his hands over the searing metal pieces of rubble. Fire was nothing knew to him, and if burns were the only price to save another''s life, then so be it.


    No longer able to verify the existence of humanity a hundred years in the future.


    Across from Shirou and Rituska, the latest announcement had Chaldeas turning completely red at the center of the room. This time, Shirou heard what the announcement had said and stiffened in shock.


    "Hurry!" Ritsuka called out. "We have to stop the bleeding."


    R-Right. Maybe he''d just misheard. Shirou focused by putting all his attention on the life he could save in front of him. The rubble was off. They just had to keep her alive somehow.


    The announcements continued unabated.


    Rayshift requirements not met.


    Searching for qualifying Masters¡­Found.


    "Help me lift her. We can''t leave her like this," Shirou said while carefully hoisting Mash up from her arms without aggravating her injuries.


    Ritsuka nodded without any complaint and moved to her lower body.


    Candidate No. 1, 47, and 48, Olga Marie Animushpere, Shirou Emiya and Ritsuka Fujimaru reset as Masters.


    Unsummon program, start.


    Spiritron Conversion, start


    Rayshifting starting in 3¡­2¡­1.


    Oblivious to what was happening around them, both Shirou and Ritsuka soon froze in place, Shirou more so. This sensation; the sight of a sea of sand-like golden light surrounding the area, it was all too familiar.


    All procedures clear. First Order commencing operation.


    This had been it. The start of everything.


    -Grand Order.


    Hellfire scorched the very ground of a ruined city devoid of life and covered with a tainted filth. Skeletons of once tall skyscr.a.p.ers now stood warped and bent, eaten away by the fires that lapped at their foundations beneath.


    The odorous scent of burning tar and charred flesh was the first to register in Shirou''s mind. Then came the sickening feeling that everything around him was all too familiar.


    This place, this flame¡­it couldn''t be!


    He was sprawled on the ground, but he quickly pushed himself up with his hands and worked his way up to his feet, eyes darting back and forth. His pupils had dilated, a bout of nausea assailing him and causing him to stagger.


    Singularity F, Olga had called it during orientation. An alteration in humanity''s proper timeline that had to be corrected, and Shirou could already guess what had happened here in this ghost-town of Fuyuki. The tainted Grail must have been unleashed.


    Whatever it was that had brought him back to this godforsaken place, the effects seemed only temporary. Minutes later, and the nausea disappeared, replaced instead with ironclad determination.


    This city was the place where it all started for him and a reflection of what it would look like had he failed in his task at the conclusion of the Fifth Holy Grail War.


    Everyone he''d ever known growing up had probably died in the blaze, and this fact caused him to tightly ball his hands into fists.


    He had no time to make sense of it all, but now Singularity F had become personal.


    "Don''t do anything stupid," he reminded himself in a whisper. Rin had at least managed to curb his impulsive tendencies through sheer persistence.


    Shirou began to assess himself. Currently, he felt fine despite the injuries he remembered sustaining in the Command Room. He was also alone, having been Rayshifted at random. He couldn''t have been the only survivor. He refused to believe so, which meant that it could be likely that he''d have to find everyone.


    Fortunately, Fuyuki was a city that he was all too familiar with.


    He didn''t waste any time and quickly began running towards the tallest high-rise building he could see. It would be foolish to blindly run through the streets when a vantage point offered a better alternative.


    By the time he scaled a particularly large building, he stood on the edge of the roof and peered out to his surroundings¡­and there it was.


    A flash of magical light drew his attention towards where a fight was brewing further ahead of him several streets down. He squinted his eyes and made out the form of Ritsuka and Mash defensively standing in front of Olga Marie while defending against skeletons.


    That was easier than he''d expected, which didn''t bode well, as it meant he was actually having good luck.


    He shuddered, but didn''t think too much about it before heading forward for a rendezvous.


    And what do you know? A Servant showed up just as he arrived. Good luck was too much of a foreign concept to ask for, but no matter. He was used to misfortune at this point.


    "Get behind me!" He yelled as soon as he was in hearing range.


    Mash was doing her best with the shield in her arms to block the enemy Servant''s attacks, yet it was clear that she was nearing her limits.


    Ritsuka wasted no time in heeding Shirou''s request, while Olga seemed a bit more hesitant, but complied. Mash closed the distance between herself and Shirou by using the force of her opponents strikes to send her back.


    Finally, they all stood together, and Mash, Olga, and Ritsuka watched in confusion as the Servant stopped in her tracks upon sighting Shirou. Her long purple hair that reached past the enemy Servant''s ankles hovered in the air as her magical energy momentarily grew restless. She tossed aside the cloak on her body and revealed a black form fitting attire that exposed the sides of her legs and arms.


    She was a Servant that Shirou had once opposed before, but in this irregularity in human history, perhaps something different had occurred.


    "But you were dead," the Servant whispered, the bloodl.u.s.t and mud-tainted aura around her weakening if only for a moment as her features cringed sharply in pain.


    "Rider."


    It must have been the manner in which Shirou called out the Servant''s class, but some mental block seemed to give and she just started laughing hollowly.


    Olga, Mash, and Ritsuka tensed, beads of sweat forming over their brows, and Shirou saw this. Even now he knew he wasn''t fully a match for any real Servant other than a certain Archer, but he would try nonetheless.


    He stepped forward, circuit-like patterns of magical energy glowing over his skin.


    "You fool! What do you expect to be able to do against a Servant?!" Olga''s eyes widened in disbelief. "We should be running in the other direction!"


    To this, he gave only a single reply. "What makes you think we''d be able to run?" He was talking from experience.


    That statement alone caused Olga to purse her lips, and grudgingly ball her hands into fists.


    "Mash," he called out while observing her current changes, a new body suit, a large shield, and the fact that she feels like a Servant. He had many questions, but finally settled on a single imperative. "Protect them," he said. He didn''t expect her to fight with the injuries he could see all over her.


    "Yes, Emiya Senpai!" Mash hardened her resolve.


    "Mash," Ritsuka acted in correspondence, the Command Seals on the back of his hand flashing. "We can do this!"


    "Yes, Senpai!" Mash tightened her grip on her shield.


    Without having to worry about those behind him, Shirou readied himself. However, when it became clear that he was stepping forward with every intention of going alone, Olga could keep silent no longer.


    "Wait! What are you even doing?! Take the Demi-Servant with you!" Olga looked nervous. "Don''t you know how to fight a Grail War? Servants fight Servants. Masters provide support not engage! Look at Fujimaru! We can''t just lose another prospective Master! You don''t even have a Servant, and you think you can defeat a Servant on your own? You''ve never fought a Servant before; you''re taking their capabilities too lightly!"


    O he knew what they were capable of alright, and this wasn''t his first time fighting this particular one.


    Shirou didn''t voice his thoughts aloud. Olga already looked to be at her wits end. She didn''t need anymore stress, and in fact, just desperately looked like she wanted acknowledgment and to prove her worth as the heiress of the Animusphere family.


    Shirou took a step back. "Then will you help me?" He asked Olga. "Please lend me some magical energy."


    She looked baffled; her mouth hung open as her words seemingly left her. Finally, she spoke. "What good will that do?"


    "Trust me."


    "Trust you? I just met you! What kind of Magus are you?" Olga''s skepticism was not unfounded considering the ethics of other Magi, but Shirou wasn''t an ordinary Magus.


    "One who needs to fight a Servant," he dodged out of the way of a thrown chain that cratered the concrete beneath him. Rider had stopped laughing an instantly went on the attack, "Can you help me or not?"


    Wordlessly, Olga just extended her hands outwards as the Magic Crest of the Animusphere family glowed over her forehead. There was little choice to be had in this situation, and she could only hope that she wasn''t supporting a fool.


    In some ways, she wouldn''t be wrong to call him a fool. She was right that a Master should ordinarily stay away from Servants, but here he was doing the opposite.


    She was trusting him by not abandoning him to act as decoy. Who was he not to meet that trust, forced as it was?


    He was a Hero. An Ally of Justice.


    Magic power flooded around him in a storm, arcs of magical energy writhing and scorching the ground as he brought his hands forward in front of him.


    The magic of his craft actualized within him. The thrum of his magic circuits, conduits that converted mana in the air into usable energy, reaching a new high.


    Once he saw any weapon even once, everything down to the history, composition, and make of the weapon was stored in the recesses of his inner world.


    To materialize the armoury of his inner world was the root of his power.


    "Trace. On." The words left his lips, a declaration, a mantra to hone his focus. This was all it took.


    Every weapon had a story. Every story had a grain of truth. And sometimes, stories become Legends crystalized through time.


    Mots of blue light converged on his outstretched palms, taking shape and form. Suddenly, an aura of crippling bloodl.u.s.t erupted from the forming weapon in his hands, followed by an imposing presence that could not be ignored.


    From the isles of the land known as Ireland, Heroes lived and died, and only the best remained remembered. Their achievements glorified not only through myth, but through conception of the very weapons they once wielded.


    "N-Noble Phantasm." Olga looked stunned, her grip on reality becoming skewed as her shoulders trembled.


    Mash and Ritsuka gasped, but Shirou could pay no one else any mind. His thoughts were running a mile a second. Olga was right that a Master could not compare to a Servant. Even if he had a weapon that could stand up to Rider, it didn''t matter if his body didn''t have the physical capability to use it to maximum efficiency. This was why he generally preferred using his married blades; however, he''d spotted a certain individual quietly observing in the distance, and since he knew the man''s personality, there was one sure way of getting him to help.


    He fully Traced the Noble Phantasm projected into his mind, and felt the air shift through the sheer intensity of one man''s gaze.


    A crimson spear manifested, riveted with barbs and with vein like designs down the shaft.


    Gae Bolg, the Barbed Spear that Pierces with Death.


    It''s malevolent presence alone caused Rider to grow weary, but it also caused another to be unable to sit out for any longer.


    "That''s a nice spear you''re carrying there." A voice broke through the air. It almost appeared strained, bordering on deprived of something essential. "Want to make a deal? Give me the spear, and I''ll help."


    It sounded less like a proposition, and more like there was no decision to be had in the matter.


    Shirou turned to the voice to see the face of a man he''d not seen in years, though he was a bit different from before. Rather than a blue jump suit, he saw instead, a sage-like cloak and Celtic runic marks drawn directly on the air.


    It was Cu Chulainn, the Lancer Shirou knew of in his version of the Fifth Holy Grail war, and owner of the cursed spear Gae Bolg. He was the Shield of Ireland also known as the Hound of Ulster, and presently, he was a Caster if the wooden staff was anything to go by.


    Knowing Cu however, the man was probably hating his current class.


    Cu''s short blue hair and long pony tail swayed as he made his way to appear directly beside Shirou with bloodshot red eyes.


    One look, and Shirou knew what would happen if he refused Cu''s request.


    "She''s all yours," Shirou tossed the spear over and watched as anticipation gleamed from Cu''s eyes.


    "Caster," Rider called out darkly after composing herself. She clearly had the class advantage. "You can''t win."


    "Caster?" Cu laughed, all but smiling at this point as he twirled the crimson spear in his hands in an experienced manner. He gave a roguish grin.


    "Who''s Caster?"


    He took off his sage-like coat and took on a forward stance, his legs parted and held fast on his spear.


    "I''m Lancer."


    Silence.


    Somehow, Olga felt like she was having an aneurism. That''s not how class change works!


    A Magus who would go head-to-head against a Servant, had access to Noble Phantasms, and now this? If her perception of what reality should be was actually in the wrong then¡­was she actually the ignorant one?


    Olga looked utterly lost while Ritsuka and Mash had stars in their eyes.


    Thanks for reading this month''s A-Tier story winner!


    A Tale of Two Swords will come out a bit later today, give or take an hour or two after twelve since I have a work shift today. (Today is going to be a long work day...and it''s not even Tuesday.)


    P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious


    Book link: Fatedlegacydark. ca


    Summary of book:


    Death. Grief. Ruin. Nothing was left unchanged after an unexplained tragedy led to the loss of millions across the world in key locations. Cities were reduced to wastelands of steel and concrete, and many were forced into migration. When events leading to the prior tragedy occur once more, Kevin Black was going to have to learn that sometimes mysteries were better left unsolved. Trapped with his friends in the world of a ruined city filled with monsters, the journey out would be far more perilous than the journey in.

 Chapter 369 - My SI Stash #69 - I (really) Am The Eggman by Stupid the Ork (Sonic)

    -Eggman really be having 300 IQ and still not being able to come up with a plan to finally defeat Sonic KEK/


    Synopsis: R.O.B plucks some unlucky devil''s conscience and puts it inside the body of one of the most loved/hated scientists in videogame history.


    Rated: ???


    Words: 28K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/i-really-am-the-eggman-sonic-idw-self-insert.869305/ (Stupid the Ork)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    You know the stories, where a R.O.B wants to be amused and turns/reincarnates/throws someone into a world of fiction to see what happens? Well, that was what happened to me, and in my case, my conscience was transferred to good ol'' Dr. Eggman.


    One the one hand, I was Eggman. Eggman, the only scientist in the entirety of fiction who could boast of being smart enough to not just understand, but also be an equal to Rick Sanchez. On the other, he also nearly destroyed his onw planet by sheer stupidity several times, and in the same continuity.


    And on the other other hand, aside from the general premise of the comic (a follow-up of Forces) and it''s current arc (a zombie-robot apocalypse), I literally knew nothing else. I think that was what R.O.B wanted, watching as someone that didn''t know a thing about Sonic handled himself as his archnemesis.


    Well, I decided to simply... not to.


    I WAS the smartest being alive, but also no longer compelled to conquer Mobius due to an excessive ego, destroy Sonic because of my intense hatred of him, or otherwise being as assholish as possible for the sake of being ''evil''. Best of all, I didn''t have to feign amnesia because I really didn''t know what happened on this universe! Screw conquest or being the villain, or the damn canon, I had a golden opportunity to redeem Eggman, myself, whatever! Hell, I even had a good alibi for my change!


    ''Course, that was only after I woke up as Eggman himself after apparently surviving an explosion. I''ll tell you more later.


    Chapter 2


    When I woke up on Mobius, I found myself ''incarcerated'' in a simple ''cell''. I call it a ''cell'' because it was just a storehouse, and I say ''incarcerated'' because whoever thought that a mere barricaded door would stop me from getting out didn''t take in account what I could do to escape. I could use my intellect and the tools around me to build a device that would open the door for me, I could concoct a dangerous acidic agent that would melt the lock, I could even just lockpick with some sticks!


    Or just force my way out by kicking the door open. I mean, most buildings in Mobius were made for beings that would see someone a bit over seven feet tall a real giant, and don''t let Eggman''s-my skinny arms and legs fool you, I''m fast enough to match Sonic for a few seconds, and strong enough to do the same with Knuckles.


    I was in a forest village, it was approximately noon, and everyone was doing their business: working, walking, talking and laughing with each other, drinking tea, whatever small humanoid animals did. The tea drinking was done by, of course, Vanilla the Rabbit, known by most as the mother of Cream the Rabbit. Why am I telling you this, and focusing so much on her? Two things:


    -One: not enough shipping of her and Doom Slayer. She''s an anthropomorphic, kind bunny woman, he''s a badass space marine who kills demons mostly because they mess with humanity, partly because they killed his rabbit and put her head on a spike. Do the math.


    -Two: she was the first to see me. Yes, somehow they all missed a 6.1 foot man breaking out of confinement, at least at first.


    -Three: she was quite literally at the other side of the street, which being in a village meant we were separated only by fifteen feet.


    We stared at each other for a good counted ten seconds, Vanilla with growing shock and horror, me with confusion. The cat she had been talking too had realized that her friend had stopped talking and looking behind her, and turned to see me there. Rinse and repeat and a minute later, the entire village was staring at me in frozen horror. You know, kinda like that scene in the War of the Worlds were Tom Cruise and that annoying little girl and the dumbass teenager were the only ones of a crowd of thousands to see the tripod climbing a hill despite it being the size of small skyscr.a.p.er, and even then I didn''t step on a tree.


    "Uh, hi." I said, trying to be as non-threatening as I could be. In hindsight, maybe staying quiet and waiting for them to act would have been better.


    "H-he''s awake, HE''S AWAAAKE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!" A woodchuck screamed at the top of his lungs before all hell was set loose. The a.d.u.l.ts screamed, the children cried, everyone was running around yet few thought of getting inside their homes for shelter.


    A crowd quickly formed up in front of me, a robot with black armor, blue optics and a starfish-shaped crest on its forehead with blue crystals at its head, rocket heads visible on its chest. Many of the villagers on the crowd had ''weapons'' (read: farming tools), ready to defend themselves and their loved ones, but it was clear by the terrified expressions of most of them they didn''t believe they could actually hurt me. The robot, on the other hand, would had definitely killed me if it had the chance, because even though it had no face to speak of I could recognize its anger at me, and not just because as a former scientist I can discern that kind of things, it really frowned at me somehow. Why hadn''t it fired at me already, I did''t know.


    No, wait, there was a reason: Vanilla and Cream (where had she been) had somehow ended up between us. If it fired they would be caught in the explosion radius, and something told me that it wasn''t just unwillingness on causing collateral damage what stopped it.


    Seeing them so terrified of me (both the militia wannabe and the rabbits), and wanting to defuse the situation peacefully, I did the only thing I could do at the moment.


    "Good day." I said with a small wave and a sheepish smile. Really, Julian? Or Ivo? Or Ovi. Yeah, I think I''m Ivo.


    On the plus side, they scream and run again, which given the situation was a plus. On the minus side, seeing Eggman act like that still freaked them out.


    Vanilla, being the closest to me, put Cream behind her and looked up at me. "Good day?" She repeated in an incredulous tone. "That''s all you have to say?"


    "Sorry, I know I''m Eggman and all that... but what did I do?" I asked in the most sincere tone I could muster, which wasn''t difficult. "I really, really don''t remember much."


    "You... you don''t remember?" Vanilla asked, this time with less fear in her voice, but now with confusion. I couldn''t blame her. Eggman, the most dangerous villain that ever lived, and who was standing right in front of you, suddenly becomes (relatively) good and and claims of suffering of amnesia to some degree? Who would believe it?


    "Well, a few things there and there, like my name, my incredible intelligence, that Sonic is a blue hedgehog faster than a jet, and that I''m supposedly a villain, but aside from that nada." I wasn''t completely lying either, I really didn''t know about what happened in Sonic Forces, and little more than the basic plot of the comic. "So, can I know why was I inside a storehouse?"


    Vanilla looked behind at the villagers, then back at me.


    "Well..." She began to say. "Yesterday you landed in our village and we locked you up immediatly. We were surprised you survived the fall."


    "Mmm... That might explain it, but tell me, when was the last time Sonic kicked my butt?"


    "I think it happened over a month ago, more or less. After that you vanished and, well, that''s it."


    "Interesting."


    "He''s lying!" Whispered a chipmunk with a shovel, apparently thinking that I wouldn''t hear him."


    "If he''s lying, he has to be the best liar in the world, because that seemed too sincere to me."


    While they spoke among themselves, I stroked my chin, using my new yet still great intellect to plan ahead.


    From then on, I had eight objectives to achieve:


    1) Lose weight, and maybe even get fit, and not fit in the sense of ''broad shoulders, thin belly'' of Boom, nor ''mass of pure muscles'', but . I mean, being stupidly muscular is nice, but I don''t think it would befit me for some reason. Instead, I''ll try to get the Heavy body type: with a gut of having eaten nothing but sandviches, raw steaks, soviet chocolate bars and bear meat for five years, but clearly muscular. Of course, I would no longer be Eggman if I don''t look like an egg.


    2) Build a theme park the size of Parque Warner Madrid, for two reasons: A) Because I think that''s Eggman''s real lifegoal, and B) Because I can. That said, it wouldn''t be based around me. I mean, that''d be cliche.


    3) Either win the hearts and minds of the people legitimately by doing random acts of good. If not, get them to at least accept that I''m no longer a villain and want to be at peace. This would be linked to the above, but I think can accomplish both separately.


    4) Try to stop the zombie apocalypse. Not just because it IS the right thing to do because I unleashed it, but also because I''m pretty damn sure that even if I manage to be loved and respected by everyone, their love and respect will go to the crapper once they start turning into technozombies.


    5) Try to make Sonic see me as a friend. That''s the best way to show that I really want to leave my old life behind.


    6) Grow hair if I can. If not, wear a hat.


    7) Profit!


    8) Say Pingas and trademark the word.


    Of course, the ''winning hearts and minds'' will only work if they believe I deserve a chance to be forgiven at all. If not, well, there''s always the Shrek way, living alone and in some god-forsaken place so that no one will bother me. Thing is, while I love my privacy, I''m scared shitless of being completely alone, mostly because I''m unashamedly afraid of the dark, and knowing that people are near me softens it.


    It has nothing to do with having seen Jeepers Creepers when young, no siree.


    And I was pretty sure no one would get what Pingas meant.


    Seeing that I most of those couldn''t get started right then and there, I did the most logical and easire to accomplish of my goals.


    I did the first page of Darebee exercises without machines or dumbbells.


    Hey, I couldn''t just say Pingas in front of a lady and her daughter! Now I had standards, standards that I would keep!


    "Dr. Eggman?" It was Cream speaking for the first time.


    "Yes?"


    "Why are you... doing push-ups?"


    "Because I want to get strong, that''s why."


    Chapter 3


    When Espio had told Sonic that Chaotix had finally found Eggman after two months of him having disappeared off the face of Mobius, he didn''t waste time in asking how, were, how long had been Eggman there, and what did he do.


    He didn''t expect the chameleon to simply tell him to follow him to the Floral Forest Village. He actually said ''Just... just follow me and see'', but the way he said it, and the tone (not scared, not angry, just... what was the word, flabbergasted, flaggerbasted? Yeah, flaggerbasted) unnerved Sonic, at least before he shook that feeling off to swap it for trepidation and a fighting will. If Eggman was alive, he HAD to be trying to enslave the poor villagers, maybe even turn them into robots, or worse! That would not stand!


    Of course, that was until the pair arrived at the place.


    Last time he had been on Floral Forest Village, a few days after the fall of the Eggman Empire, it was the archetypical quaint little village in the middle of a forest, made up of several single-story wooden houses and with a population that didn''t surpass the hundred. He only knew that it even existed because Cream, her mother Vanilla, and their robotic guardian Gemerl lived there. It wasn''t that it was so far away from the outer world that no one knew it existed, it was simply boring and nothing exciting ever happened since Eggman disappeared. Heck, he was pretty sure that even during his imprisonment the Empire had left it alone.


    Now? Well, it was still quite small, though it had more houses, and didn''t have the skyscr.a.p.ers of Seaside City and Sunset City, much less the looming bastions of the now-abandoned Imperial City... but the people of Seaside didn''t possess hovercars either, or weird rotating things on their roofs, or high-tech homes that had weird rotating things on their roofs, or-you know what? You probably got the point by now.


    "What the!?" Sonic cried when the impossible image, a technologically advanced settlement in the middle of a forest, finally made its way to his brain.


    "Yeah, Vector reacted exactly like that when he saw, well, this." Espio said as he gestured to the village. "Charmy on the other hand tried to mess with the wind turbines and, well, let''s just say that he ended up losing breakfast." He said in an embarrased tone. "Even though we''ve been watching after them for a week, it still amazes me. Last month it was a simple village, but today Floral Forest is probably the most advanced settlement in all of Mobius. And before you get any ideas, that thing over there," He pointed towards something standing next to the small town, some kind of metallic structure the size of a tower. ", it''s not a weapon, just some kind of trash disposal device that according to him will be operational soon."


    "Who made all of this!? When was it made!? What happened!?" Sonic screamed his questions.


    "Eggman, of course." Espio stated without even looking at him. Sonic stared at his friend with wide eyes, shocked by the nonchalant tone he spoke with.


    What the heck did happen in that month!? And how did the Restoration miss this!?


    The blue hedgehog breathed deeply to calm himself. "Okay, I can believe, at least a bit, that the good ol'' doctor could do this... but why? This is not his usual MO." His tone then turned accusatory. "And why haven''t you told us anything if you knew of him since a week ago?"


    "You can ask him yourself, and before you ask, you might not recognize him when you see him, but he''s still Eggman. Yeah, he has changed. As for why didn''t we tell you, we had to make sure that Eggman wouldn''t suddenly become a maniac again; that, and he asked us to not reveal him when he discovered us. C''mon, the rest of the team is at the town." Espio said before moving forward, a dumbfounded Sonic following him and taking on the place as they came in.


    The villagers were happy, working, walking or driving around on their hovercars, and of course, excited by being visited by their hero. Well, for now everything was, but also not completely comforting for the hedgehog, despite what Espio said. What if they were being mind controlled, or simply forced to act like they were happy? What if they were robot duplicates that-


    "Mr. Sonic!" A young voice coming from in front of him interrupted his thoughts. It was Cream, who was running towards him with a wide smile on her face, Cheese hovering above her and Charmy flying behind.


    "Sonic!" The bunny exclaimed with glee before jumping at him, Charmy doing the same.


    "Cream! Charmy!" Sonic laughed.


    "Hello Sonic." Said Vanilla as he approached them with Gemerl behind her and hugging Sonic alongside her daughter and Charmy. "I''m so happy to see you after a month."


    "Glad to see you too, Miss Vanilla." Sonic said as he returned her hug before frowning. "I''ve been told that Doctor Eggmand has been in here for an entire month. I''m not accusing anyone here or anything, but could I know why is he here, or why haven''t you told us about him?"


    Before Vanilla could respond, his daughter. "Oh, you''re here for Mr. Eggman? He''s right here! Mr. Eggman!" She called. "Mr. Eggman, Sonic wants to see you!"


    "Coming, coming!" Exclaimed a familiar voice coming from behind Sonic. Familiar, sans deeper than he remembered. "But first, I have an announcement to... oh. Howdy Sonic."


    The hedgehog, fearing of what would he see if he turned (for all he knew this ''Eggman'' was a literal walking egg, not Ivo Robotnik), steeled himself and turned around to face ''Eggman'', and Vector, who was standing behind. Surprisingly Eggman was still Eggman... but at the same time, saying that Eggman might not be Eggman at all would fall short of the truth.


    Instead of wearing his iconic crazy scientist attire, he now wore red overalls, yellow plastic gloves with gray markings, one of which held a red toolbox, and a yellow hardhat he was wearing backwards. That was just his clothing though, not his new body frame.


    He still had a gut, but it was noticeably smaller than he remembered, and overshadowed by the muscular... everything else he had! Arms, chest, neck and all that. He looked big before (after all, Sonic was just a little more half his height), but with those muscles he looked even bigger than Vector, and he was a crocodile for heaven''s sake! A crocodile that actually didn''t seem that muscular, but was still bigger than anyone else (and still strong enough to lift a van if he saw a penny below it). He had also his ridiculous moustache for a much more normal beard that covered his entire face, making him look even more intimidating, yet also, somehow, nicer-looking despite his schnoz.


    And then there were his eyes, his real ones. He had expected the mad doctor to replace his eyes with red optics or something, to make himself intimidating or some other stupid reason given that he always, ALWAYS wore those googles of his. Instead, he was surprised to see that his irises were a nice shade of blue.


    Eyes that were looking down at him with a risen eyebrow.


    "Good day?" Eggman asked. "You''ve been staring at me like an idiot staring at another idiot."


    Ignoring the possible insult, Sonic shook his head. "Alright Eggman, what''s the deal? Why are you acting like this?"


    Instead of acting surprised, or asking what he was talking about, as Sonic thought/hoped, Eggman shrugged. "''Cause I want too."


    "I''ll take it from here." Vector said to Eggman, who nodded. "Apparently Eggman has decided to start over with a clean state by helping people. I know, I know, hard to believe, but look around."


    "Did he hit his head on a rock or something?" Asked Sonic, believing that the doctor had amnesia even though Eggman had called him by his name.


    "Nope. Well, maybe?" Vector admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. "He said he still remembers who he is and a bit of you, and is aware of his wrongdoing past, but doesn''t remember what he did."


    Sonic couldn''t believe what he just heard. Eggman, not only wanting to be good (and apparently not a ruse), but also having forgotten his past (not just the many atrocities he commited, but also the adventures he had alongside the blue speedster)?


    "That''ll have to be seen." Sonic then turned to Eggman. "Don''t you remember fighting over the Chaos Emeralds?"


    "I''ve been told what they are. Why risk my life for some rocks? Heck, I''d stay away from something that has ''Chaos'' on its name, I''m not stupid. It could be related to reality-warping weirdos, or demon gods from outer space. Don''t ask why I said that."


    Sonic decided to humour him in that regard and continued. "Lost Hex?"


    "Someone lost their Demons and Dungeons map?" He was, of course, referring to the first and most famous tabletop roleplaying game in all of Mobius, and a favourite of Tails, Vector, and if the rumours were right, even Shadow himself.


    "The Death Egg?"


    "Know about a Death Star, but Death Egg? Nope, haven''t even been told about it."


    "The Ark?"


    At this Eggman actually seemed to remember, gasping in realization, but then he frowned. "Hold on. Is this ''Ark'' a space habitat where prehistoric beasts, mutants and gun-toting survivors live?"


    "Uh?" Uh? "No. Well, it was a space station, and itself a weapon, but there were no prehistoric beasts or anything there, only scientists. Why did you ask that?"


    "Idea for a game." Eggman said nonchalantly before looking down at him with a frown. "Look Sonic, as Vector here said I remember me, you, my obsession with controlling the world, my even greater obsession with you, your friends, and my love of being evil, but as I told the lovely Ms. Vanilla and her daughter" He gestured towards Cream''s mom, who blushed, blushed!, and waved her hand; Vanilla was too busy playing with Charmy to see. ", nothing else."


    "What is that thing that looks suspiciously like a-" Sonic managed to say before said thing unexpectedly moved and fired at the sky, making a thunderous noise that sounded like a combination of a giant cannon and something metallic and very heavy hitting another metallic object.


    "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT!?"


    "Mass driver cannon. Don''t let the ''cannon'' fool ya though, it''s basically a dumpster truck to space except without the truck. Oh, and I''m pretty sure that it also fires the trash faster than you can run."


    "You said you would warn us when you''d fire it today!" Vanilla said, although not in an angry tone, as she covered hers and her daughter''s ears.


    "Blame blue boy here for mounting a ruckus and making me move." He then turned towards Espio. "I thought you promised that you''d tell him."


    "Sonic is... special. Plus, you said you''d be firing it at full power ''soon'', not today." Espio replied.


    "What about it shooting faster than I can run?" Sonic interrupted, his confusion (and feelings of offense towards the horned ninja) briefly shoved aside by jealousy, insulted (and a bit scared) that a machine could fire something at a speed that surpassed his, and not seeing Espio''s exhasperated expression. "?How fast are we talking about?"


    "15 kilometers per second, at full power. Only ten are needed to break Mobius gravity hold, though. Wonder why hasn''t anyone noticed the shots." Eggman pondered.


    "Those weren''t as loud." Vector pointed out.


    Okay, that was pretty fast. No near as fast as he could be when he ran at full speed, but still, hypersonic trash!


    "And where does this trash-" Sonic started again before Eggman raised a hand.


    "Sonic, I know what are you getting at, and my answer is no. I left that live behind."


    "Uh, why?" Sonic asked, too confused to form more complex sentences.


    "Because as far as I care I''m winning."


    "Uh?" Sonic didn''t expect that response. Winning? Wasn''t Eggman''s idea of winning conquer all of Mobius, enslave its inhabitants, get rid of him permanently, and built a theme park centered on him? "What do you mean with ''winning''?"


    "Look around you: these people are happy, they like and respect me despite my past sins, this place will be the envy of the entire world when they finally realize it exists, I build a gun whose use is completely utilitarian..."


    "I still don''t follow, Eggman." Sonic said as he folded his arms in front of him, an accusatory look on his eyes as he stared up at Eggman.


    The former mad scientist sighed before putting his toolbox on the ground and sitting on it. "Alright, seeing that just telling you my motivations won''t work... You better sit fellas, this will take some time to explain." The group did as he asked. "Okay, here I go. It all started a month ago after I woke up..."


    .......


    Next chapter will explain what happened: how did Eggman get so swole? Why did it take so long for the Chaotix detectives to discover that Eggman was alive? Why is there a mass driver throwing trash to space? All of that will take several chapters to explain, all of them being from the SI''s POV. You know, kinda like most of The Time Machine. Sorry if you think that some parts of the writing are badly done, I''m a bit busy with my own novel.


    Yeah, I turned Eggman into the Engineer. However, I will NOT build robot-expies of the other mercs, for the simple fact that three are psychos.

 Chapter 371 - My SI Stash #71 - An Arcanist in Karakura Town by Vagabond (Bleach)

    -Ay not even a chapter in and our MC has already lewded Ichigo''s girl/ Understandable, would''ve done the same in his position!


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: ???


    Words: 11K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/an-arcanist-in-karakura-town.12320/ (Vagabond)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    An Arcanist in Karakura Town


    -VB-


    "There are many jobs one can get in a city like this place," my self-appointed guardian lectured again. "And for someone as especially as talented as you, you should be striving for the best that you can be, not what is the easiest or the most convenient!"


    I picked my ear while leveling an indifferent and annoyed stare at the long black haired and tall man. "And I''m telling you, I don''t care about stuff like that," I groused unhappily. "Life isn''t about just becoming the best that you can be. That kind of satisfaction only really satisfies certain people like you, Mr. I-United-A-Continent."


    The man flipped out a fan and scoffed. "As great as you will be under my guidance, I have my doubts about your future once I leave you."


    "Is that your way of politely telling me that I''m a f.u.c.k.i.n.g idiot?"


    "Rude language is the first thing we shall work on."


    Tap!


    "Ow-! Hey!"


    "There is no place for crass language on the lips and in the mind of my disciple."


    "I never gave me a choice in the matte-"


    Tap!


    "OW! Will you stop that?!"


    "Not until you behave."


    It must have made a funny scene for onlookers. A Yankee like myself was getting scolded by a more traditional Asian man, especially since we were in the middle of Akihabara.


    But then again, this was Akihabara, one of the most foreign tourist attracting sites. Perhaps it wasn''t as weird or funny as it would have been had we been elsewhere in Japan.


    Japan.


    I hadn''t wanted to come here. Oh no no. Japan was a xenophobic nation with a history of xenophobia and isolationism. Its politicians laughed at the idea of taking in foreign workers even as their working population grew progressively older. It was a backward nation whose people were just begging for a change (a change they could never adapt to if the statistics on how many Japanese return to Japan after attempting immigrantion).


    There was a reason why the manga industry pushed ever greater heights of anything fantastical, debaucherous, lewd, and extreme; these people wanted an out but found none except those in their minds.


    There were worse places for an American teenager to be (Afghanistan comes to mind), but it wasn''t an easy place either, especially when I was a blonde haired and blue eyed "exemplar" of what a foreigner was to the Japanese.


    ¡­ I supposed that I''ve done enough slandering of the very nation I was to now live in.


    Now some good things: low crime rate, shit ton of entertainment, lots of mountain getaway spots, good fish and fishing, and general non-violence of its a.d.u.l.t population.


    Whatever.


    "-irection are we supposed to go towards to take this train to your new hometown?"


    Grumbling, I pulled up my phone. Few thumb swipes later, I had the information. "We have to take the Chuo line," I replied with a drawl. "Hopefully, we can get ourselves a warehouse."


    "A warehouse is no proper location for a young man to live in," my guardian "Hide" tutted. "You may buy one for your workshop, but I will not allow you to live in it."


    I glared at him. "So you want me to spend more money - money that we are tight on - to get us two different places? Cuz there is no way that I am going to do that."


    Hide, which was the short version of his alias Hidemasa, pushed me along towards the train station. "It is not about what is easy but what is proper, Alan," he countered. "You can always use your other jobs to keep yourself up."


    I grumbled. "I don''t want to spend time using that to make money. I''m here for a goddamn adventure, Hide."


    "And adventure you will get just as my generals did upon the battlefields," he parried. "But all things require preparation, and you are nowhere near ready for an adventure."


    Grumbling, I conceded to his point silently.


    First off, this wasn''t my Earth. I wasn''t born anywhere on this Earth, but rather dropped here by a ¡­ Random Omnipotent Being.


    The assface didn''t even converse with me. Just looked at me, told me that I was a charity case for his tax evasion scheme (since when did gods pay taxes?), and told me to shoo, giving me exactly one minute to make my choices for a Worm CYOA.


    The bastard didn''t even drop me off on the proper planet. Hell, I don''t even know what planet I was on because there was no outward difference between this Earth and my Earth, having been dropped in Hokkaido of all places. If it wasn''t for Mr. and Mrs. Otoyashi, I might have been exiled once found by the police.


    Anyways, I ended up doing a bit of research, cross-referencing all sorts of information I had with this Earth''s internet until I found the name of the city that I was now going to live in.


    Karakura Town.


    The city of the fictional series Bleach.


    I reiterate: the tax-evading ROB couldn''t even drop me off on the proper planet. I came prepared for Worm but got dropped into a world with a much higher average power level.


    God, my life sucked.


    Or did it?


    In a way, I''ve won the lottery of lotteries and have become the wet dream of all daydreamers: a superhuman. On top of being a magic-wielding arcanist, I also possessed the ability to make fantastical tools and weapons beyond the current limits of human civilization!


    Oh and two other random powers.


    That said, I was essentially homeless with my identity as an emancipated foreign teenager being fresher than most babies. It was rather lucky of us to run into a family well-versed in the affairs of fake identification (a service they provided me in exchange for me and Hide''s help in one of their problems).


    So there, I had some disadvantages, some advantages, and some irrelevant things going on in my life.


    None of that mattered to me.


    I was going to enjoy this life in ways I couldn''t have before.


    But to do that, I needed a warehouse. I can''t go practicing magic in a house surrounded by other houses with normal Japanese neighbors. No, that would make any kind of magical experimentation hard to perform. A warehouse provided everything I needed.


    And my stubborn guardian refused to let me just live in it.


    We argued like that constantly as we found the train station, got on the train, and left the train.


    "Fine," Hide gave up with a throw of his arms into the air. "But in exchange, I will have you promise me that you will not dilly dally in your magecraft studies."


    "Arcane magic, Hide," I countered. "I don''t use the magecraft system that you''re familiar with."


    "Does it matter what it is? You know what I ask of you."


    "... Yeah. You don''t want me to waste my life being a middling or average person."


    "Because you are -"


    "-more than that."


    "Yes."


    "... Alright. I promise to devote myself to the studies of the Arcane," I said once we were far away from most people. "I will not let the carnal desires of the world lure me away from the advancement of my mind and body."


    Hide raised an eyebrow. "Already thinking about carnal wants, Alan? This does not make me happy."


    I scoffed. "Deal with it."


    "... Any girl you bring will be checked by me."


    "What?! No!"


    "I will not have you hitch yourself with some street tramp or a dumb blonde."


    "Oi, I''m a blonde."


    "Exactly."


    -VB-


    Karakura Town. The hometown of the Bleach fictional story. It was a normal looking place.


    But I was here to tangle with Bleach''s main plot and what better way to do that other than tangling myself up with its protagonists?


    For the next few weeks, Hide and I set ourselves up in the city. While Hide didn''t do much except advise on what I should do, the fact that I had someone like him at my back made me feel better.


    I, on the other hand, set up a small business called "Mending Marris," a repair shop for many things small and moderate in size. It was for this business that I ended up getting the warehouse I wanted. To get business, I posted advertis.e.m.e.nts, calling myself a cheap and reliable fix for anything from clothes and toys to watches and


    How did I achieve this?


    Well, as an Arcanist - someone who uses Arcane Magic, or basically a wizard - I was capable of using cantrips, spells that I could use endlessly as long as I had the necessary ingredients to fire those spells. One such cantrip was "Mending," a spell that required only two lodestones, which were cheap as f.u.c.k.


    I also advertised myself as a cleaner, and the cantrip I used for that purpose was "Prestidigitation."


    Of course, I kept the fact that I was a Wizard a secret.


    It took four weeks before I got a steady stream of clients wishing for my service. In fact, I got so many clients at one point that I had to start setting up appointments and everything.


    I groaned as I walked down the streets of Karakura Town as the sun began to set, done with my work for the day. I had it easy like that compared to regular Japanese office workers. Did it make my own exhaustion any less, though? No. Because unlike office workers, I had to travel to random ass locations on bike and foot.


    I still had a lot of time to practice all sorts of my powers before I went to sleep, though. I''ve been waiting to make a bomb, actually. I wanted to make a bomb that affects spirits by combining one of my random powers, Spiritual Force Manipulation, with one of the three Worm Twins powers, Bakuda. I wasn''t sure if I could get it to work, actually, but hey, I was willing to try.


    Humming happily at the thought of tinkering the night away, I walked down the street towards the warehouse district.


    ...Only to run into a high schooler my age. Still in the residential district, this was expected. What wasn''t expected was who it was. Long orange haired, bubbly personality, and brown eyed, it was Orihime Inoue.


    I blinked at the sight of the girl.


    And I couldn''t help but grin.


    I''ve had weeks to practice all aspects of my powers, though I definitely practiced the Arcane more than anything else. In this situation, my second random power, Pheromone Manipulation, was the key to my enjoyment.


    It took only a small whiff, but that was all I needed to do to ensnare her. Orihime looked at me as I got into her view, and her face flushed.


    "Hey," I greeted her with a smile. "What''s a beautiful girl like you doing out here?" I asked her.


    "Uh umm¡­" she stuttered before she began to twiddle with her fingers. "I-I was just heading back home after school and¡­"


    I gently took her hand, and she didn''t run off at the skin contact. "My name''s Marris Alan, what''s your name?"


    "Umm¡­ I-I''m O-Orihime I-Inoue. Y-You''re not Japanese."


    I chuckled. "No, I''m not," I hummed. "Say, I''d like to treat you to dinner. How does that sound?"


    Her face was even redder than before. "Y-You mean l-like a date?"


    "Yes," I replied with a smile to emphasize the point. "Let''s make it a date."


    Her mouth opened and closed before she nodded.


    I led her away from there.


    -VB-


    Hours later, I led her to my home under the guise that I didn''t want her to be out at night by herself. She reluctantly agreed and entered my home.


    I pushed her hormones higher and higher with my pheromone control. I made her hornier and hornier until she couldn''t help herself. She came to me begging for help, unsure as to why she was feeling so hot and bothered.


    I led her to my bed¡­


    Leaning down, I kissed her gently, and she kissed me back, squeezing her eyes closed and letting me take lead. She squeaked and m.o.a.ned as my hands slowly undid her uniform, unclipped her bra, and stripped myself all the while we kissed, took a breath, and went back to kissing.


    When we were finally stripped and laid bare, I stopped kissing her and pulled back.


    Orihime - or Inoue as I was now calling her - was ¡­ a big girl. Despite being only fifteen (a year younger from my current age), she possessed quite the figure. I stopped roaming my eyes all around her and looked back up to meet her eyes. Her frightened, desperate, and naive eyes.


    She looked down and saw my d.i.c.k, hanging outside of my pants. Her arms were covering her chest.


    "U-Umm¡­ D-D-D-"


    "Sshh¡­" I cooed her. "Is this your first time?"


    She nodded shakily and squeezed her eyes shut.


    "Then let me make this a special experience for you," I said as I pulled both of our clothes off, gently and slowly.


    She began to hyperventilate as we became fully nude and I lined myself up to her p.u.s.s.y.


    I pushed her hormones further with a bit more pheromone control, and she whimpered, reaching out with her hands to grasp my forearm, releasing her D-cups with the act. They bounced deliciously.


    "I''m going in," I whispered to her and did exactly so. Slowly, I pushed my d.i.c.k into her, and she whimpered. That whimper became a brief gasp of pain as I broke through her h.y.m.e.n. Then I pushed all the way through.


    I waited for her as she adjusted to me.


    "Are you ready?" I asked her when she opened her eyes and met mine.


    She took shaky breathes. "Y-yes," she muttered.


    I pulled out and pushed back in, and she whimpered.


    I slid my left arm under her, forcing her arms to go around my neck and shoulders, and leaned into her b.r.e.a.s.t. I held her left boob and licked. Her breath hitched and she mewled as I picked up pace in pumping her p.u.s.s.y and licking her n.i.p.p.l.e.


    I pushed deeper into her -.


    Her v.a.g.i.n.a clenched down on my d.i.c.k like an iron grip and she screamed. She climaxed, coating my d.i.c.k in more lubricant than she''s made so far.


    Seeing as she had fully adjusted to my size, I let her lay back down on the bed and straightened my back. My hands gripped her waist and I began to f.u.c.k her properly. She squealed and mewled, and I enjoyed making her mine thoroughly.


    Finally, I thrust deep into her and c.u.mmed, and Orihime m.o.a.ned out in pleasure. My d.i.c.k twitched as my s.e.m.e.n shot into her p.u.s.s.y once¡­ twice¡­ thrice...


    I luxuriated in her v.a.g.i.n.a''s grip on my d.i.c.k, and as I came down from my carnal high, I leaned down and kissed her again. She reciprocated my kiss, wrapping her arms around my neck and back tightly.


    It was good to be alive~.

 Chapter 373 - My SI Stash #73 - InVeder by kinoth (Worm)

    -After almost 10 months of inactivity it''s been revived, SI as Greg the Void Cowboy kek/ The lewds just carried this fic for me honestly


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 79K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/inveder-worm-gregsi.9369/ (kinoth)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    I came awake bent over a bed that stunk; I think I can be excused for immediately pushing myself upright to try and figure out what the f.u.c.k happened. The problem, really, was that instead of levering myself up to look around I launched myself into the air. Like four feet in the f.u.c.k.i.n.g air.


    Pinwheeling my arms around I managed to land on my feet and only briefly swayed back and forth. It was evident that this was not my room. I was a grown-ass man, and this was some teenager''s unwashed 4chan-esque trollcave.


    For some weird reason there was a hand mirror on the bed, so I picked it up and took in what was decidedly not my f.u.c.k.i.n.g face. Instead I was some slightly chubby dipshit with blue eyes and a blonde bowlcut that made him(me) look like a dopey mushroom.


    Who in the hell¡ªno. No no no nonononononononono¡ªthe mirror fell from my hands as I spun and approached the computer with trepidation. There was a website up already and I knew what I would see, but looked anyway.


    Welcome to the Parahumans Online message boards.


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    F.u.c.k.


    I''d like to be dramatic and say I raged at the heavens or something, but instead my emotions just¡­ stopped. Probably shock, maybe a fugue state? Anyhow, I poked around the computer and various piles of paper and verified that I was, indeed, Gregory William Veder, as my school ID for Winslow helpfully supplied. I watched the last few minutes of April Fool''s Day tick down as I poked the brain of the meat-suit I was now apparently wearing for some answers.


    The best I was able to wrangle out of Greg''s¡ªmy¡ªmemories is that he had triggered earlier in the day with some kind of Gamer-like power, except Naruto-flavored. And the first thing he bought was a bloodline.


    It was the Sharingan. Of course.


    And then, because he was a gigantic weeb who thought he knew how to hack ninja magic, he used a mirror to hit himself with a dojutsu-based genjutsu to force his pinkeye to evolve into the mangeky¨­.


    Instead, he apparently mindf.u.c.k.i.e.d himself brain-dead, and somehow I ended up running the show. The one saving grace is that whatever Trump/Gamer power he had gave me all the ability of your garden-variety Naruto ninja-wizard and a steady supply of ''chakra'' to use. The chakra was probably really space-whale juice, but since it seemed to fuel my powers I wasn''t going to complain. The sharingan seemed to be gone, and while there was an options screen in my head of some kind that I could choose things from, the sharingan was listed as ''purchased'' and my attempts at channelling shard-chakra to my eyes accomplished squat, so it seemed like Greg had f.u.c.k.i.e.d that up royally.


    I had three ''points'' left, and the options ranged from various bloodlines (with the cheapest running twenty points) to various hidden techniques (the Nara clan''s shadow jutsu catching my interest at five points), to listings like ''Sage Mode'' and ''Jinch¨±riki''. Of course, I had no idea what I was actually already capable of, although I did seem to be able to feel and manipulate the energy swirling around my body.


    I sat down at the computer and after scrubbing at the nasty-ass keyboard found that there was indeed a Naruto wiki, apparently cribbed from Earth Aleph. I was going to practice a nice, safe illusionary clone and figured I''d need to look up how to do handseals. It seemed like the kind of detail that Greg''d want to maintain verisimilitude, but instead when I channeled a bit of energy¡ªf.u.c.k it, I channeled chakra¡ªand thought about making a clone, before I could even bother with handseal bullshit a me appeared next to me with a silent puff of smoke. Unfortunately it seemed that when I turned my head to look at my clone it mirrored me, so all I got to see was the back of the nasty ass school shooter fade I now sported. A flex of chakra and the clone burst into smoke, and I pulled up a mental image of what I should have looked like and then invoked a henge. Now the mirror showed me a different man with short brown hair and hazel eyes instead of the double-chinned Aryan untermensch I had looked like just before.


    Dispelling that I sighed and just stared off into the distance. If I was yanked from somewhere else, it was highly possible I was dead. Even if that wasn''t the case, I had no inkling of how to even begin to find my way back, and I wasn''t even in my own body.


    Was Greg supposed to save the world? Had Taylor even¡ªno, she got shut in the locker in January, so she probably did trigger.


    Maybe Greg was destined for greater things. I, however, was going to f.u.c.k around and enjoy myself. And if Scion was killed and the world was saved, great. If not, then I guess I''d be going down with the rest of reality.


    With that bullshit straight in my mind (not really, I was sure I''d be freaking the f.u.c.k out later), I found some sweatpants and a hoodie that were dark-colored and not too smelly and used my enhanced strength to open a window that hadn''t been used in far too long. A fluid hop through and I shut it and darted into the shadows.


    It was time for f.u.c.kery.


    Two hours later and I had to admit that being a ninja was pretty damned awesome. I had managed a world-record pace and roof-hopped for miles before I came across an abandoned workshed over in the Trainyard. Once I was hidden inside it was time for some more advanced testing. I had managed to maintain a henge the whole time, so my next jutsu attempt was a substitution. Experimentation showed me that unless I had a good idea in my mind of something around my size I could substitute with the swap ended up being with something random and thus pretty disorienting, but it was an actual Trickster-like swap of two things. Time would tell if I could actually activate it in combat, of course. I also had the body flicker down pretty decent, so long as I had a good idea of where I was going to.


    Wall-walking was ridiculously simple, and with the constant cycling of chakra through my body I didn''t have any of the obvious issues with remaining upright or blood rushing to my head when I was upside down. I spent quite a while hopping from surface to surface doing 3D parkour. Honestly I just needed chakra threads or chains or something and I could probably pull off a convincing Spider-Man.


    Well, mostly convincing. I was really only about twice as strong as I would expect Greg''s somewhat-unfit body to be in general, with abilities that seemed to rise to Captain America-like levels for bursts when I increased the flow of chakra. I couldn''t lift and hold a car up, but with a rush of chakra I could probably manage to flip it.


    There was way too much other shit for me to experiment with unless I wanted to waste the whole night, so I contented myself with trying out a comparatively simple water jutsu, the Teppodama/Water Bullet. I didn''t seem to dehydrate or need a source of water in the immediate area, and instead of spitting the bullets out they formed at the end of my fingers. Well really it seemed more like I could form them from pretty much any part of me, as I managed to spit one out, and even flung a bullet from my foot in a kick. They seemed equivalent to a moderately-hard punch from me, leaving dents in the sheet metal still laying around.


    At that point I was ready to wrap it up for the night. It was getting on 2am and even if it was a Saturday, I''d still need to figure out how to fake being Greg and decide on how to continue from here. So it came as no surprise that on my way back under a henge I heard the sound of a fight. Or almost a fight, as I saw when I hopped a roof and looked over the edge. A small group of skinheads with bats and green-and-red clad asian dudes with batons and knives were squaring off and talking a bunch of shit.


    It shouldn''t matter to me, but¡­ f.u.c.k it, I wanted to play. I hadn''t practiced any genjutsu, but since I supposedly had skill with it I pulled out my phone and quickly searched for something that would give me what I was looking for. One fancy-ass sounding ''Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique'' later, and the morons down below suddenly had tumbleweeds bouncing past them as the theme from ''The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly'' played.


    Cribbing horribly from a meme I had once read, I henged myself into a different costume as I walked down the wall, illusionary spurs jangling.


    "By the tannin'' of yer hides, somethin'' wicked this way rides!" I intoned. "Draw, pardners."


    Pulling my fingers out in a gun shape, I loosed water bullets at the closest targets before flickering behind one of the knife-wielders who was reaching into his coat and slamming a palm into his back sending him off to collide with the wall. A second flicker backwards to get some room and I ''shot'' another six-shooter''s worth into the still stunned bodies. With a touch of increased chakra flow to my entire body, everyone seemed to react like they were in molasses, just slow enough that I had time to plan my steps.


    A third flicker and I realized that while my ''chakra'' was probably unlimited, I could only store enough at the moment for a handful of jutsu before I''d be tapped out. I guess I was more like a capacitor than a battery, if I was making metaphors. Nevertheless, I wasn''t actually empty yet, so I swept the legs of the guy in front of me and snagged his baton before stepping forward and cracking a skinhead in the arm.


    Either I had misjudged my strength, or the baton was crap because it bent, the E88 guy''s arm broke, screaming started, and the rest of the gangers tried to run before I managed to put them down by tapping out most of the rest of my chakra with bullets.


    Luckily I kept the henge up, as I had barely finished kicking the last conscious guys in the head and rolling them for cash when I felt something tickle my senses. At the end of the alleyway Glory Girl put her sister down and then stared at me, hands on h.i.p.s. I could feel the buzz of her aura pushing on me but it was merely irritating instead of demanding at the moment.


    My chakra had mostly recharged, so I merely tipped my hat. "Evenin'' ladies."


    "What in the hell is going on here? Who are you?"


    I grinned beneath my illusionary mask. "Them Empire boys and the ABB gang were fixin'' to have a duel, so I interposed myself in order to resolve their standoff." Absently adjusting the ''xXx'' patterned poncho over my left side I eyed the space between the two capes and told myself that what I was thinking of was a dumb f.u.c.kin'' idea. "And my name? Well little ladies, you can call me¡­"


    With a shunshin to bring me between them I reached out to smack their asses, the noise ringing out like a gunshot.


    "Void Cowboy, at your service." And with a flicker I was gone.


    Chapter 2


    I went ''home'' and did my best to turn my brain off and go to sleep. I''ve never been great at meditation and clearing my mind, but I can typically distract myself enough to fall asleep quickly and I certainly did.


    When I woke up it was about ten in the morning I felt an all-over body ache¡ªthe good, post-workout kind. More Greg memories had slotted into place while I slept, so when I was considering taking a shower and wondering who else in the house would react I realized that as the youngest child of two late-fifties opioid addicts on disability, they''d probably be too zombified to notice. Now my ''sister'' (and I needed to stop thinking air quotes in my head so much) who lived at home after her third divorce might give a shit, but she treated Greg pretty badly anyhow, so there was gonna be no love lost there.


    I was in luck, as my ''parents''¡ªand there I was doing it again¡ªwere zoned out in front of the TV and Denise apparently didn''t come home last night. I scrubbed myself with some Axe-like body wash and after looking at the similar spray deodorant resigned myself to smelling like a middle-schooler for the rest of the day.


    First order of business was counting my haul, and suddenly I had four hundred and fifty bucks to play with. With a muttered ''goin'' out'', I spent a couple of hours doing chores, including getting a haircut so I could lose the ''wannabe school-shooter'' look. A Go-Pro alike and a cheap second phone ate the majority of the money, and actual f.u.c.k.i.n.g food took the rest¡ªthe freezer had been packed full of frozen ready-to-eat meals, but I could only deal with that shit for a short time before I''d go crazy.


    Back at the house, I ran a tub full of water and tried making a water clone. Well, I succeeded in making a water clone, but also felt my vision white out as my chakra reserves got sucked completely dry, then kept getting sucked. My clone rose up from the tub as I slumped against the sink and tried to stay conscious until I started ''refilling'' again.


    Controlling the clone was odd, I had to project my thoughts somewhat, but I managed to get it to clean while I got started on elemental transformations. I quickly found that due to what I can only assume to be shard f.u.c.kery, I could ''transform'' my chakra into the elements with ease. The transformations themselves weren''t enough to tell me if I had better facility for one or more, and I couldn''t do any special transformations like ice or lava or what-have-you, so there was no gaming the system and bypassing having to buy a bloodline, but having lightning on command would let me spank Sophia pretty handily, which worked nicely with one of my plans.


    Speaking of buying things though, I had two more points, bringing me to five; the points seemed have been granted for ''getting in a fight for the first time'' and ''meet a cape''. I guess only one of the girls had counted?


    Anyhow, that would let me buy either the Nara, Akimichi, or Yamanaka hidenjutsu, unlock medical jutsu, or¡­ wait a second, some of these options looked more like bloodlines¡ªthere was a ''Yuki clan'' option for twenty points, but ''Hyoton'' was just ten. I tapped the former and it dropped down to say ''acquire the Yuki clan kekkei genkai and knowledge of their jutsu''. The latter when poked simply said ''allows use of Ice Release''.


    Huh.


    I didn''t happen to remember all of the names of things offhand, so I moved over to the computer to do a little bit of research. Apparently Greg''s homepage was PHO, so as soon as I fired up a browser I got an unwelcome notice:


    Welcome to the Parahumans Online message boards.


    You are currently logged in, XxVoid_CowboyxX


    You have 75 unread messages.


    I hit refresh.


    You have 78 unread messages.


    Clicking on the link, the majority were bullshit, but a large minority were from Glory Girl and Panacea. Scrolling down to the beginning I found it began with a message saying ''Glory Girl mentioned you in the thread ''Brockton Bay¡ªGeneral Discussion, Thread 47''''.


    Diving in, the post boiled down to ''Some guy dressed up as a goth cowboy beat up a bunch of E88 and ABB and then claimed he was named Void Cowboy. How much did you pay someone to say that, @XxVoid_CowboyxX?'' After that were a bunch of messages from people trying to get the details from me (including one from Bagrat). Vicky and Amy didn''t start messaging until later¡ªAmy''s few comments just threatened me with ball cancer, then asked what the hell I was thinking, but Vicky''s were a rollercoaster of threats, apologies for those threats, ''subtle'' questions about my powers, one asking if her ass felt nice, another one claiming that Eric sent that one, and more threats.


    I responded via private message to both girls together.


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: I was thinking I saw two very attractive ladies, one with a pugnacious look on her face, and decided to make an impression with my exit.


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: Gotta say though¡ªI''m going with Panacea on this one. 10/10 GoTHICC booty, would eat like groceries.


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: GG, you''re still a 9/10, but the aura of Doomtm detracted from the firm bubble of your butt.


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: Taken together 100/10, would love to be crushed by both sets of thighs at the same time.


    Closing the tab on that I went over to the Naruto wiki and started searching terms. The number of items I had available to me with only five points was still limited, but in order to allow myself some utility when I wasn''t ''in character'', I went with something that would have no visible expression¡ª''Kurama Clan Genjutsu''.


    ¡­now if only I could practice it. It didn''t appear to work on my water clone, and as drained as that made me there was no way in hell I was willing to try a shadow clone yet. Instead I went over ideas for genjutsu and made notes on my phone as I started a load of sheets. Greg may not have understood how to use a washing machine, but that had been one of my chores as a kid and I was totally unwilling to sleep for another night in a bed that smelled like unwashed teenage funk.


    And then the solution to all my problems appeared. Denise stumbled in the back door and past the laundry room before stopping and peering at me. She smelled of cigarette smoke and stale beer as she did her best to look down her nose at me.


    "Didja have a wet dream, you fat f.u.c.k? Trying to hide the evidence?"


    Previously Greg would have cowered away, having learned growing up that Denise got physical for the most minor of reasons, like being told she wasn''t ''acting like a lady'' or ''existing in the same room while being named Greg''. I was not him, no matter how much I was now in his body. "F.u.c.k off, Danny."


    That got her attention. "Don''t talk back to me you little faggot." She took a threatening step forward. "I''m gonna f.u.c.kn'' punch you inna fac¡ª"


    I hit her with a genjutsu I was gonna call ''Labyrinthitis'' after the disease when she went to take her second step and she lurched violently to the side before grabbing on to the dryer like it was a lifeline. "The f.u.c.k is¡­"


    I stepped forward and backhanded her, sending her spinning to the floor. The illusion shattered and I was standing across the room where I had been the entire time with my arms folded, but the mark on her face was completely real.


    "You hit me!"


    "No I didn''t you stupid twat, I''m all the way over here."


    "Yeah, stop insulting Greg. This is why I left you, you know." A voice says from next to me. Charles, the love of Denise''s life who she drove away with her bitchiness was standing there with a hand on my shoulder. "You treated me like you''re treating Greg. That''s why I left you, you know. This is why you''ll die alone Denise." He walked towards her shaking his head as she wept and held her arms out to him. As he moved into touching distance he disappeared into smoke that was sucked into her mouth and nose, choking her.


    My sister crumpled to the floor, unconscious. Checking the time left on the washer I chucked her over a shoulder and threw her onto her bed.


    Ability to f.u.c.k minds, check.


    After making myself dinner and ignoring my messages ticking up on PHO I wandered outside to the far side of the old rotting shed, found myself a seat, and tried summoning an earth clone. That didn''t go nearly as bad as the water clone, although I was again pretty tapped out for a couple of minutes. Not enough to almost faint, but I wouldn''t be doing it in combat, that''s for sure. I proceed to test a couple more Doton ninjutsu as well, no reason not to when I had access to dirt¡­


    A half hour or so later with my clone in tow I went trawling Asiatown''s side streets in a henge. I was sure as f.u.c.k gonna run if I saw Lung or Oni Lee of course, but I was hoping for something like¡ª


    "Shit, you''re a stupid gaijin, walkin'' around here at night."


    ¡ªwell, exactly like this.


    I could feel all of them close in on me, but the girl was the one doing the talking. She was dressed kinda ganguro, all tanned with the raccoon-looking makeup, and carrying what was probably a pot-metal katana. I flicked my eyes over the rest of the gangers in front of me. No visible guns, which was good. It was the invisible guns you had to watch out for. I decided to be polite.


    "Gaijin?! Where the f.u.c.k did you come from, central f.u.c.kin'' casting? Are you about to tell me your kokoro is going doki-doki next?"


    Well, apparently that set off the yandere switch, because she swung like she was trying to cut me from hip to shoulder. Unfortunately, the sword jolted out of her hands with a metallic clang as the discarded water heater plopped down where I was a second ago.


    "Now, I thought yew were supposed to walk ten paces before yew turned and drew." I drawled from my position leaning on the wall. Pushing off, I brushed dirt off my poncho and adjusted my stetson. "Now put ''em up to the sky and ya might jus'' live another day, little lady."


    They didn''t listen of course.


    I changed things up by shooting chidori senbon instead of water bullets. It was electric (boogie woogie woogie) how they dropped and twitched. Once they were all down I collected a pathetic hundred-and-fifty bucks from them and drug them over behind a dumpster. Crossing back over to my clone, I checked that the camera had gotten everything and stopped recording.


    A fast trip across the rooftops had us more north into the Merchant area where I finally found some idiots dealing on a street corner. This time I didn''t bother recording as I sauntered out of the alleyway with my soundtrack swelling. As the group of four turned to start the expected shit-talk, a herd of rogue genjutsu tumbleweeds came out of nowhere and knocked them all to the ground. They netted me five hundred, so all was good.


    I swung over to the more Empire-dominated areas looking to complete my dance card, but pickings were slim, so I headed back towards home. Only three blocks from where I decided to end the night Alabaster and a bunch of bloodied but happy brownshirts crossed under me.


    I don''t think smiles were supposed to get that big, I had to pat my cheeks to make sure the top of my head didn''t fall off.


    I didn''t bother with announcing myself or going through the whole ''cowboy'' bullshit, I just launched a shitload of chidori senbon into everyone''s back and let them all drop as I descended to the ground. Alabaster was, of course, up in four seconds. He didn''t even bother with words, just pulled a knife and charged, snarling.


    My Earth Flow Spears took him in the stomach and he screamed.


    Snapping back to healed he took another step closer and my wind bullet collapsed his chest. I repeated with a number of other jutsu, hopping over his head and widening the distance between us when he got close. His resetting caused any genjutsu I used on him directly to fail after a couple of seconds, but wide-area illusions seemed to recapture him immediately after a reset.


    Testing done, I hid like a mole, slipped under whiteboy and yanked him into the ground. Popping out I waited a couple of resets as he cursed at me, but resetting his personal state didn''t suddenly remove his ass from the asphalt, so all was well. I took a couple of selfies, looted the bodies, and opened up one of the nazis'' phones to call the PRT.


    "PRT hotline, may I get your address?"


    "Well now, I''m over yonder at Billins'' Avenue and Twenny-seventh. Jest wanted to let you folks know that notorious bounty hunter Void Cowboy''s bagged hisself a passel ''a varmints including that there albino boy Alley-bastard."


    Silence for a beat. "I apologize, could you repeat that please?"


    Waving to the disembodied head screaming imprecations I laughed and dropped the accent. "Independent cape Void Cowboy, I have Alabaster and six Empire thugs trapped at Billings and 27th street. Nothing personal, but I''m not sticking around in Empire territory. Peace."


    I walked over and squatted in front of Alabaster. "Hey, you were a good sport, thanks dude. One question, since you reset every couple of seconds, can you actually c.u.m, or is the all-white everything because your jizz is all backed up?"


    Chapter 3


    I was sore again when I woke up. This time I stopped and actually looked at myself in the mirror in the bathroom and realized I wasn''t chubby anymore. I mean, I wasn''t buff by any stretch, but the extra jiggle I had carried around was gone. I''m pretty sure I had an extra inch of d.i.c.k visible instead of hiding under a fat pelvis, which was always a bonus. That made two since yesterday!


    ¡­extra inches, not total.


    Using less scented soaps and deodorant was nice, I no longer felt like I was wandering around in a cloud of my own stink. Without that to deal with, I played with enhancing my senses a bit, but quickly realized that the rest of the house smelled, frankly, like mildew and sadness, so that got shelved until later.


    Checking PHO, it appeared that everyone assumed that GG had posted that ''sighting'' of me as a late April Fool''s joke. I did have a couple new messages of note, though.


    In the shared private message, both girls had shared disparaging thoughts about about my comments.


    In the private private messages each had sent separately¡­


    Glory_Girl: Like, the ass thing is weird, but does that mean you like¡­ like doing the rest too?


    Glory_Girl: ¡­I''m just curious of course.


    Panacea: If I ever hear you mention this conversation to anyone I will never heal you, even at a Endbringer attack.


    Panacea: ¡­so you want to eat my ass, you worm? You disgust me, but I recognize your obeisance. Tell me how you''d serve me.


    Y''know, if I got dropped into p.o.r.no-Brockton Bay I''m down with it.


    I responded to Panacea first:


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: Just a warning, but I have serious control issues IRL, so talk is cool, but I''d be screaming safe words if I was ever tied up for real. That said:


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: I want you to sit on my face, mistress. Please use my worthless mouth however you wish. My tongue exists only to lick at your heavenly folds, please crush my head between your beautiful, soft thighs.


    Glory Girl I went a different way with.


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: Look, don''t you have a boyfriend? I''m pretty much on the borderline with how much I''m comfortable saying to someone in a relationship.


    I wasn''t about to sit and jerk my c.o.c.k to private messages that may not go anywhere, so I got dressed and headed out to fix an issue I realized this morning.


    On a rooftop I posed for a verification picture, index and middle finger up in a ''V'', other hand curved in a ''C'', with today''s paper and a note stating ''I''m real, bitches! Love, XxVoid_CowboyxX'' held with my right and pinky fingers. After my clone took a couple of shots I checked them over and sent Tin_mommy a message.


    To Dragon''s credit, she waited a couple of minutes to respond like she wasn''t constantly online, letting me know that I would now have a (Verified Cape) tag and offering the comment of ''I know we have had our differences, but triggering has been known to be a difficult thing. If you need to speak with someone I am here.''


    The Void Cowboy Way(tm) would probably be to flirt with her. The ''original me'' version would probably offer a platitude back and continue on stoically. Instead I kinda split the difference.


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: Thank you. Triggering may have actually calmed me down slightly. It''s not the way I would have preferred, but, well. Try ''Waiting for Godot'', line 540ish. You''ll know the one.


    I posted my verification picture as a response to GG''s post from the other day and refreshed a couple of times as the thread f.u.c.k.i.n.g exploded. I went into invisible mode and checked my private messages, skimming all of the non-Dallon ones and dismissing them for the moment.


    Glory_Girl: There are enough threads about me, you should know that Dean and I have broken up.


    Glory_Girl: And you didn''t answer the question.


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: GG, let me answer your question with one of my own. With how LoLRanDum I was, do you really think girls would stick around if my tongue and/or d.i.c.k game wasn''t totally f.u.c.k.i.n.g *on point*?


    Panacea: Your words are sweet, but that''s the only decent thing about you. Keep your pathetic c.o.c.k in your pants and don''t touch it, but tell me more about this silver tongue of yours.


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: My tongue exists only to lap up your sweet nectar, mistress. It is long and thick, eager to sup upon the heavens at your apex.


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: Img_tongue.jpg


    In the shadow of the HVAC units I dispelled the henge that made my tongue almost eight inches long. Curious, I hanged into a female-me and went probing a bit. My changes seemed to be¡­mostly superficial? Like the b.r.e.a.s.ts felt like b.r.e.a.s.ts, and I could likewise feel myself stroking my n.i.p.p.l.es and them getting hard, and the extra room in my boxers informed me that my outie had been exchanged for an innie, but I was pretty sure I didn''t suddenly grow ovaries. Still, an interesting realization I felt as I flicked a finger over my clit and shivered at the feeling. That was interesting, and completely different from touching my d.i.c.k. How did I know the difference?


    Still, my first attempt at sapphic self-pleasure wasn''t gonna happen on a random beachfront rooftop. Speaking of the smell of Sappho, however, I found Parian just starting a puppet show. Not wanting to interrupt, I switched back to just Greg and went hunting the thrift stores for some replacement jeans. My recent change of weight made my pants look like I was Harry Potter holding up Dudley''s cast-offs.


    Glory_Girl: I don''t want to talk about this on PHO. Do you have a cape phone?


    About three-quarters of an hour later I had a bag of new pants and went roofside to hand them over to my earth clone. Parian was finishing in the third act of her story, so I switched back to being Void Cowboy and sauntered down the Boardwalk, spurs jingling softly.


    The rogue cape tensed and the plush animals stutter-stepped for a moment before I fished out a bit of cash and tossed it in the donation bin she had and pull up a piece of wall. Soon enough the dragon is defeated (not slain, there are little kids around), the princess is saved, and all the kids clap and cheer. People either start leaving or mill around like they think I''m about to throw down with the doll-like cape.


    Parian herself looks like she''s expecting me to do something stupid¡ªwhich, I will grant, if she''s knowledgeable about my posting I should expect. I''m reconsidering my approach when a pair of twins come up and the boy tugs at my poncho.


    Kneeling down, I swirl some stars in the void of my mask to show a smile. "C''n I help ya, little feller?"


    Both kids giggle, but the girl steps forward and pokes at my mask, "Are you going to tell stories too?"


    I don''t hold back the chuckle. "Naw, l''il missy, none''a the stories I know about the Old West are tales that your innicent ears should hear. Just listen to Miss Parian''s stories, she spins a good yarn."


    With solemn nods, the two kids ran back to their parents and the little doll-like cape finally approached me.


    "Did you wish to speak with me?" Her voice was light and thin, like she was pushing it up a bit too high.


    "Yes''m. If yer able to move to a rooftop or somewheres people can''t listen in, I''d prefer it."


    Her porcelain face regarded me silently for a few moments before the dragon shifted and turned into a makeshift ramp. "Precede me, please."


    With a dip of my hat, I skipped lightly up the back of the cloth beast, my weight not disturbing it in the slightest. When I reached the roof I kept walking until she had sufficient breathing room, turning back and keeping my hands visible.


    Parian stepped onto the roof awkwardly¡ªit was clear she''d never considered doing that before. She brushed at her sleeves before looking back at me. "What did you wish to speak about?"


    "Do you mind if I drop the ''howdy, parder'' accent?" I asked, then continued at her wave. "Great, thanks. Anyhow, I wanted to ask if you do custom fabric, weaving, or anything like that."


    That got a tilt of the mask, "Perhaps. What were you thinking of?"


    I gestured at my costume. "Most of my costume is actually temporary, but underneath it I have actual clothes. I''d like a replica of the mask I''m currently sporting, with the bottom removable so I can drink, a dark-colored bodystocking, and, if you''re capable of it, either a leather or nylon bullwhip, about ten feet long."


    The rogue looked startled. "I have done one or two pieces of clothing before, but never for another cape. And why a whip????


    "A less-lethal option that fits the theme. I don''t want to carry a lasso around, but a whip would work."


    Parian held a finger up to her masked lips and tapped it. "I will consider this. Do you have a way to contact you?"


    "Sure. PHO is an option, but I have a phone for cape-related stuff, let me give you the number."


    GG: Are you macking on Parian in front of children?


    No, I''m trying to commission work. Guttermind. :VC?


    A couple of moments later the still-waiting crowd watched the two of us calmly walk down the back of the dragon next to each other. If they could feel how tense the woman''s body was next to mine the calm would have been revealed as completely fake¡ªapparently she didn''t do heights. To her credit, though, Parian didn''t seem outwardly bothered as we walked a few steps on the ground together and I took her hand and kissed the back of it.


    "I thank yew for your time, Miss Parian. Please have a pleasant day." Turning to the watching (and videotaping) onlookers I waved, "I apologize for taking time away from your day, y''all have a good one now, y''hear?"


    A shunshin later and I was back on a rooftop and moving away.


    Panacea: ¡­you have two decent things about you. Tell me how you would serve your mistress fully.


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: If mistress would allow, I would bathe your luscious body in perfumed waters before carrying you to a silken bed.


    Panacea: Continue.


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: After laying you down I would kneel at your feet and kiss my way up your legs, starting at the ankle.


    Panacea: and?


    I spent the next couple of hours doing actual scientific practice on the amount of ''chakra'' I could use and whether it was increasing or not. I started with the earth wall jutsu and a tape measure. Like a d.i.c.k, always be sure to measure along the top, bee-tee-dubs. That''s the official way. Then I used it a half-dozen more times and measured it again¡ªthe result was six more inches.


    Nice!


    Just to make sure this wasn''t an increased efficiency thing, I then proceeded to use my most draining jutsu, the water clone. After almost passing the f.u.c.k out and waiting to recover fully I dispelled it into a basin, s.e.xted with Panacea some more, and resummoned it. Ten cast-and-recover attempts later and I built another wall. This time I got increases to length, height, and girth. Perfect. Also, I wasn''t having quite as bad of a time when summoning a water clone. It definitely wasn''t anywhere near combat-feasible in the near future, but I could see it coming at some point.


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: I trail my tongue up your thighs and brush soft kisses to each side of your lower lips.


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: Finally I lick slowly, devouring you as my tongue slips inside you¡­


    Panacea: mre pls


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: I trail my tongue up and flick over your clit, sucking it, dipping back down to plunge my tongue inside you again, over and over¡­


    XxVoid_CowboyxX: ¡­until you c.u.m for me, covering my face in your honey. I won''t stop until my mistress tells me to. My only desire is to suck on your clit and worship your p.u.s.s.y.


    Panacea: fck Im gooood tal layr


    After verifying that my space whale jizz container was getting bigger I practiced a few other jutsu, concentrating on things that could bowl people over (Gale Palm, Great Breakthrough), or trap them (the Starch Syrup series of jutsu).


    GG: So I''d like to meet and¡­


    GG: talk


    GG: ¡­about things

 Chapter 375 - My SI Stash #75 - Proudly Fur Hire by Virgo with Cheer (YuGiOhGX)

    -Dude is just stonks-ing his way thru GX~ Respectable/


    Synopsis: Duel Monsters is a weird game, that for some reason transcends space and time in most any way that matters. So what happens when some random schmuck gets reincarnated into one of the worlds ruled by them? He does the sane thing, and gets a job. Cause money is money, and he''s proudly fur hire.


    Rated: M


    Words: 14K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13677041/1/Proudly-Fur-Hire-Yugioh-GX-Self-Insert (Virgo with Cheer)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Reincarnation was a weird thing, in the fact that it was shockingly more common than you would expect, if not in the way most people can understand.


    By this, I mean that it''s not a static process, or even consistent with the idea that ''this used to be someone else''.


    Some people were weirdly talented at things they usually shouldn''t be, like math or music, some felt nostalgic towards things or places they''ve never seen or heard, some were split personality pharaohs and some got split into four different guys at the same time.


    What I''m getting at is that souls are hella weird and that reincarnation was too unreliable to be called a science, but not reliable enough to be called magic either. I know this because I was obsessed with the stuff for most of my childhood, because I at least placed somewhere on that scale.


    I...don''t really know how much of my life I got through before really ''starting fresh'' as it were. Or really becoming aware of it as a thing. That was the crazy thing about it all, when you know you were someone else, until you weren''t. You were just you, in the end.


    Once I pounded that into my head, things got a lot easier, at least in terms of personality. As a bright side to it, it made skipping grades a breeze, and you''d never seen a more confident 12 year old when you''d had 20 years of memories and ideals shoved in your skull.


    It also helped that both lives weren''t bad at all. The old one was a bit dull all things considered, but the ''you'' then had done a pretty good job all things considered, and the new one was looking just as good. It was a bit weird not getting along with the kids around you at first, but you hit your stride, and anyone could be your friend on the internet forums. It also helped that you really had a bigger goal in mind.


    Namely, getting rich as f.u.c.k, or at least moderately wealthy enough to survive and retire comfortably. Money was freedom after all, one very few ever really got around to attaining.


    It was just a shame that most of the rest of the world seemed to be f.u.c.k.i.n.g stupid though. Why would I say this, you might ask, no-one in particular I''m explaining this to? Well, frankly, it''s because this stupid world runs off a card game. To be more specific, Duel Monsters. When I actually understood this for the first time as something unusual, I...well, I didn''t flip out, but it took me a few days of quiet contemplation before I really got my mind around it.


    Granted, it wasn''t THAT bad, they still did things like elections and everything else, normal people went about their daily lives and progress marched on for the majority, but when you could whip out a deck of cards for the right to avoid being fired or use it as incentive to show you''re a good candidate, well, somethings f.u.c.k.i.e.d up. It also didn''t help my opinion much that I knew from both outsider knowledge and publicly available information that the fate of the world seemed to hinge on said card games every few years or so. Which was...just fantastic.


    So I decided to do what any reasonable guy in my situation would. I googled a ritual online and ''bribed'' the shit out of some Duel Spirits so I could get some decent deterrents should I need to. well, deck a bitch. Obviously it didn''t work, but I kept trying, using all the things my grubby little hands could get with my free time with my family out.


    Fruits and stones trying to get Naturia anythings, pieces of armors for Samurai''s, Superheavy or regular, even a new tablet for some kind of anything but Machine King. Needless to say, I asked for a lot of weird things for my birthdays, and I may never live down the looks the rest of the family give me to this day. Eventually, desperately, I used the method I should have done from the smart.


    I threw money at it. Didn''t even mean to, I was just super desperate at that point and pretty much throwing a tantrum of anything in reach at the stupid f.u.c.k.i.n.g, maybe-real-more-likely-fake-circle, until I got to my wallet filled with walking around cash. I won''t lie, I nearly had a heart attack when it got grabbed by a cat the size of me with a flaming sword on his back and dollar signs for eyes. Not even kidding with that last bit either, I saw them shining in his pupils.


    From there, I began a beautiful, and more importantly profitable!, relationship with the Fur Hires. Mercenaries after my own heart, they were huggable, beat-stickable and more than willing to make the trek to my new world so long as I had plenty of plunder to share. Oh, it set back nearly everything I had been able to save by that point, at least a good $15,000 or so, but it was a small price to pay to have the spirits themselves show up at Pegasus''s house and start vandalizing shit till they got sent to me. Couldn''t afford the Big boss of their''s though, that would apparently require both retainer AND travel fees, which just got ridiculous when you were crossing dimensions.


    Pegasus himself at least got a few good laughs about it, used the randomly appearing graffiti around his house for some other artistic inspiration apparently. This wasn''t the first, nor probably the last time some Duel Spirits demanded to be made. Still gave me a warning that if they did it again he''d bill me though, which was fair and something I''d never do ever because jesus the numbers he quoted hypothetically were ludicrous.


    So here I was, now a 15 year old pretty much done with highschool thanks to the magic of not-cheating and summer school classes counting as full courses, a deck out for shinies, and a real need for green myself. I decided to do what every desperate kid has to do eventually.


    Get a job.


    And wouldn''t you know it, Granma Dorothy needed another assistant, on the beautiful and mysterious Duel Academy Island. Yep, that''s right, THE, Academia Isle. Ordinarily, I''d avoid the place like hell on Earth, but here''s the thing...


    The paid a LOT to work there. And by that, I mean enough to make up what I''ve saved in like half a year, to say nothing of the little perks like living in a tropical paradise filled with cute girls, good food, and enough duelists to scam money off of a Hunter would be drooling.


    If I didn''t go aplundering with such a place in reach, well I''d have a mutiny on deck. Or some other thinly veiled metaphor, I had to make at least one to three a week, it was in the contract I drafted with the Fur Hire Crew.


    Yep. That''s about the by and large of it. Time to get gainful employment yet again, as Aidan E. Dorathy...


    I''ll take your wallet if you call me Dorathy though.


    Chapter 2


    Getting to Duel Academy, or Academia Isle more specifically, was easy. It was publicly listed in any brochure or guidance office. The hard part was getting there without immediately evicted and or shot upon entering the vicinity. I was lucky in that Granma worked there since she was a student herself, and apparently Mom met Dad when she worked there, so no one really raised any eyebrows when I decided to go do it. No, I just got to have a side-eye view of the other thirteen people coming to join the Academy staff get minorly interrogated and sworn to non-disclosure agreements about what they may see during their time working here, if they had ties to any other duel Academy''s, and what hours they would be available working.


    Suckers, I just got a pat on the back and moved ahead with a map to the shop. Nepotism for the win! Wait, that undersells me... Eh, not like I''m actually talking to anyone about this.


    Beat cleared his throat behind me, but I just threw a roll of quarters at him. Like catnip, them change. Well worth the 10 bucks near literally thrown into thin-air.


    Still, it was weird walking along a shoreline with so few people around. Sure, there were some here and there, mostly gardeners trimming the trees to make sure the branches closest to the main road to the Academy didn''t fall and crush someone, curious about the new guy, but even that died pretty quickly once they realized I was just another piece of new meat, especially as I came up to a place I''d seen in many a Christmas and other assorted holiday card''s.


    The Duel Academy Card Store. The building itself was shockingly smaller than you''d expect, more of an add-on to the larger plaza attached to it that served as part cafeteria, part gym building. It sported a bright pink roof, a nice set of fans to really bring in that cool sea breeze, and a sign declaring new Dark Magician Girl Dakimakura body pillows. Damn, that was genius, this was the kind of thing I came here to learn!


    To get rich off of horny and stupid kids out to save and or ruin the world! Sue me if I had a little skip in my step when I stepped in the door, giving the bell at the top an extra little jingle just in case. And if my grin got even wider when Granma got into view and hastily set aside the bat she had been carrying, well that was just a trick of the light.


    "Granma!" I shouted as I threw up my arms, meeting my pretty much best elderly figure of two lives with a massive hug, which she was quick to reciprocate.


    "Aidan! Ohh, it''s been ages, I wasn''t expecting you for another two days!" Granma was cheery as ever, and while I felt a little guilty at the short notice arrival, it wasn''t really my fault.


    "I know, I''m sorry about that, but I got shipped here with some of the other greenhorns they hired. ''Saves gas and time''. Like they never come back here when they forget their booze supply..." I grumbled and tried to explain, stepping out of her grasp and letting Granma look me over like a mother hen.


    "Now sweetie, there''s no need for that, no matter how much it''s true. Still, look at you! All ready to work, ooh, at this point it''s a family tradition! You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you doing something with your life." Granma chuckled as she tried desperately to flatten my hair, making me step back and run a hand back, leaving it exactly where it began.


    "Granma, It''s literally just working at a store for a few years, not taking the place over. I mean, come on, Sadie''s been working here''s for two years already, did she get the same work around?" I blankly said back, taking another hasty step back before she tried to rip off my light jacket in favor of one of her many sweaters.


    A man can only get three sweaters in his closet before he has a problem after all.


    "Now we both know your cousin Sadie is a different case. She at least came here to try and graduate, but decided to go with us instead. You though...I''m sorry if it sounds rude, but are you sure you want to be a simple shop hand? I''ve read the letters my son sends me, and the things he says about your dueling...surely, you at least want to give it a chance?" Granma almost seemed to shrink as she spoke, starting to look for once like the 70 year old she was.


    I frowned at this sudden dip, but did what I did best. I shook my head, put on a smile, and wrapped her in another massive hug. I just kept holding her for a few minutes, gently rocking and humming the same thing she used to hum me, at least I think so. Ironically, early childhood was kind of a frantic blur. Still, it seemed to do the job as she seemed a lot more like her normal self when I let go.


    "Granma, I promise, I have zero interest in being a Duel Academy student, at this point and most likely the future barring extreme circ.u.mstances. Given the choice between that and cracking jokes with you, all while making a pretty good amount of money in a tropical paradise? It isn''t even an afterthought. You aren''t holding me back, ruining my future, or any other garbage. Got it?" I smirked when I said this, but damn if this was not how I expected this to go. For starters, I thought I''d be the one to cry.


    Her smile was a bit watery, but damn if it didn''t still make me feel the warm and fuzzies to.


    "Ha! Your mother said the same thing to me when we last talked. Said you had no time for the nonsense around here when you could be getting a good paycheck. What kind of child are you, wanting something so sensible instead of exams and drama."


    "One a lot smarter and richer than the majority! And I wouldn''t have it any other way." I snickered, before she joined in to.


    There we stood for what had to be a good 10 minutes, just laughing and poking fun at the stupid shit other kid''s and people did before Sadie finally got there, asking with good reason if we somehow got high in the first day I got there. Which, honestly, just made us both laugh harder.


    God, I made the right decision.


    Chapter 3


    I''d been at Duel Academy for around two months now, and I have to say, I can''t wait for human contact.


    Wait, no, that''s insulting to the family and staff currently working and or being trained here. Let me rephrase that. I can''t wait for human contact my own age and not related to me. Because so help me god, Wifi is spotty like nothing else on this island, and there''s only so much I can enjoy spending sun filled days with my Granma or the guys trying to sleep with her. Oh god, why were there so many of them.


    The only reason nothing has happened yet is because I was allowed to roam most any part of the island except for the classrooms, the abandoned dorm, and the one building off to the far cliffs that smelt like burnt monkey, which wasn''t ominous at all. Plus they hid the baseball bat, but I only threatened to kneecap one guy, so why even bother?


    Anywho, enthusiastic walks over the rivers and through the woods away from Granma''s house aside, the time was mostly spent quizzing me on what packs contained what type of cards, how much specific cards set in the binders cost, and the science of upselling to customers. Two of those things were good to to know. As another fun note, I also was taught how to fire the gun that was under the counter by Sadie, in case anyone was ever stupid enough to try and rob a card store located on a privately owned island. They did this but hid the bat, you can understand why I called this world f.u.c.k.i.n.g stupid at times. At least it was stupid to my benefit.


    Oh! I also got the recipe book for the select 125 different eggwiches to be made every Friday, which...wasn''t really a positive, wasn''t really a negative. I don''t know why someone thought liver and egg was a good combination, but in it went. But I would be trying the chip, cheese, and beef eggwich on my own time, for me and the crew. I swore I felt Rafale drooling over my shoulder when I was reading it out loud. Just hit everything he loved or something.


    So, when I heard that by Air, Sea, and Submersible the students were finally arriving, I was pretty damn happy.


    "Honestly, do you want to get away from kid''s your age or run after them? It''s no good if you get wishy-washy on me while you''re staying here!" Granma was quick to chide me while I sorted through the new booster packs, displaying them by color and for any of the new blood desperate to conform to whatever they viewed as the ''best deck ever! ''that week.


    "Eh, I''ll have you no everyone who''s ever lived has been a hypocrite in at least some sense, so I''ll bear that title with pride. I know what I want then, now, and most likely next week when I get sick of answering the same questions again and again. That''s the sales industry in a nutshell right there!" I shot right back with a quick spin, doing a damn fine show of setting down a box at juust the angle while letting Granma see my smirk.


    Then we actually opened shop and the amus.e.m.e.nt took a backseat to the Production ? .


    By this, I mean the fine art of welcoming a customer only to be vaguely ignored, fixing the merchandise they displace looking for ''the perfect or freshest one'', and then trying to get them to buy extras or outright doubles. Hey, getting 8 packs of Primal Forces? Why not just tell us what card you''re looking for from out binder? What? The cost of a Ghost Rare Summoned Archfiend of Lightning costs three times as much as your packs combined? Well, do you feel lucky punk, I mean dear customer, do you?


    So on an so forth. By the end of the day I had my fill of people and was ready to just spend my night counting my fist full of unmarked Duel bills that certainly weren''t real legal tender and stare at the sky surrounded by not-pirates but treasure re-appropriator furries. Honestly, not bad. Recon even managed to snag some of that incredible smelling ramen from the Ra dorm''s while she was casing some joints or something. At least, that''s what I hope she was doing with her telescope. Either way it was a lovely way to spend the night.


    Or at least it was until Bravo started hissing, making me turn around to see some lucky bastard come into my clearing with a pretty nice looking ginger on his arm, giggling into his shoulder. His jacket said Obelisk Blue, but his face said ''get out of her kid so I can get laid''. He had a very expressive face.


    We both stood there for what felt like an eternity, our eyes locked at he froze and I kept slurping ramen. Eventually the noodles ran out, and with a gulp, the girl finally noticed they weren''t alone. She shrieked in alarm and jumped back clumsily, which did marvelous things to watch, as we both no doubt noticed before looking back.


    "Hey, scram kid, don''t you have some paddelings or something to be getting with the rest of the newbies? Buzz off." "Yeah, Bu-buzz off! So I can buzz on..."


    I stared at the two of them for a moment, setting aside my bowl and laying my jacket gently over it to make sure nothing landed in in, before standing up and dusting off my black cargo pants.


    "Okay, couple things with what you just said. First off, not a student, they try to paddle me and they''ll be the only ones red. Second, I''ve been here for maybe a few hours, quietly counting my not-money and enjoying the atmosphere and vague silhouette''s of the girl''s baths over the treeline before you came here. Lastly, this is not the only clearing here. There are, at a bare ballpark, 7 within like a three minute walk around here, mostly cause I think some of the gardeners either keep getting drunk or are trying to make crop circles, maybe both. How about you, and your lady friend I would be only so lucky to have in my sights, go to one of them before we both start something we regret, kay?" I calmly, but firmly spoke, again for the aforementioned reasons, but mostly for the view. Alright it was the view, it was pure chance I found it and I''m not bothering to move.


    They, or rather he mostly, evidently didn''t see my flawless logic for what it was, if those half lidded eyes and tick mark on his forehead meant anything. With a careful movement he seperated from his partner who, for lack of a better word, flounced her way over to the side of the clearing, while he reached into his jacket and pulled out a duel disk.


    Now it was my turn to stare.


    "Really? You want to duel over this? While you could be spending time with HER?" At this I just waved my hands to indicate all of her, which she seemed to enjoy, if how she haphazardly waved back was any indication. Either that, or she found a bee.


    "You bet your ass I do. I do want to be spending my time with her, but this is the clearing we first met, and this was going to be f.u.c.k.i.n.g special. So I don''t see why I shouldn''t just crush some random wannabe who didn''t make the cut. You gonna leave or do I need to beat some sense into you?" With a flick of his wrist, the disk expanded and the deck was shuffled, and probably would have been intimidating if he didn''t have to immediately wave back at his girlfriend after striking his pose.


    I was just rubbing the back of my head and reaching for my back at this point, barely holding back a sigh.


    "See, if you just stuck with the first few sentences, I would have left no problem. That''d be fine. Then you pushed the pride button, and I just don''t take that kind of crap willingly without good reason. Just isn''t good for business if people think they can walk all over you, ya''know? So yeah, sure, let''s do this. In fact, I''ll even be gracious, let you have the first turn, so there''s no hard feelings." With a shrug motion, my own duel disk was taken from my back, freed from the little extendable wires they had built in to carry it by when not worn.


    As the two projections orbs became a myriad of colors as they synced up, the two of us spoke the word, if with different levels of enthusiasm.


    ""DUEL!."" (Aidan 4000/ Obelisk F.u.c.ks 4000)


    Obelisk F.u.c.ks was quick to draw, grabbing his five cards in a single motion and fanning them out in a way I''m sure he practiced for hours in the mirror to do. With good reason, if his girlfriends squeals of how cool he was were. Damn, he was doing a better job of making me jealous than angry or upset.


    "You''ll regret giving me the first turn noobie, because I''m gonna open up a world of hurt for you! First, I place 2 cards face down, then Activate Heavy Storm to destroy them both! Unluckily for you, they were both Statue of The Wicked (1000/1000)! When these cards are destroyed, they come back to the field as monsters! And you''ll never guess what I''ll do with them next!" Obelisk F.u.c.ks chuckled, even as I silently watched. Sensing he actually wanted an answer before continuing for some reason, I tore my gaze away from his friends gigglings and jigglings.


    "I''m gonna assume either use Multiply to flood the field or use them for a tribute monster. Am I far off?"


    "No! I''m going to tribute-wait, what? How''d you know?"


    "It''s...pretty obvious? I mean, professor Crowler used this exact strategy during the opening exam, as far as I''m aware."


    "Wow, uh, really? Well, this kind of ruins my dramatic reveal. Ah well, doesn''t mean I can''t still kick your ass out this clearing with my new Summoned Archfiend of Lightning (2500/1200)!" With a swift display of holographic majesty, the two statues on the field arced with lightning, circling between the two before it formed a circle and a giant beast blending with marrow and energy screamed its way into the world.


    I merely pounded my fist into my palm with a breath of realization.


    "That''s where I knew you from! I thought you just had one of those faces, Obelisk F.u.c.ks. Whoops, didn''t mean to say that part out loud."


    That snapped Obelisk F.u.c.ks out of whatever little summoning rant he was about to go on or something, as he focused his eyes on me after a few blinks or two as the moon illuminated the clearing.


    "Wait...you''re that kid who sold me SAL! Ha! Hilarious, I love irony, crushed by your own greed! Haha,ha-wait, what''d you call me?" He suddenly switched to a different tangent, even as I sheepishly laughed.


    "I..don''t actually know your name so I was just calling you Obelisk F.u.c.ks in my head. Sorry?" I offered back.


    He turned his head back and forth considering it for a moment before nodding.


    "That''s fair, and actually pretty flattering. I was calling you Shit Kid in my head anyway. Names Hux, by the by."


    "Ah, nice to meet you, I''m Aidan."


    "Cheers, I''m sure this would have been better if you weren''t c.o.c.kblocking us. Anyway, back to crushing. I play another card face down and end my turn. Make it a good turn, cause I''m not giving you another."


    With the go ahead nod, I drew my sixth card, nodded, then shot my opponent a sorry look.


    "When you aren''t threatening violence for your lady, you seem like a pretty alright guy. Tell you what, after I''m done running shop over you, I''ll let you have your privacy. I think my ramen''s gone cold by now anyway."


    "Oh, that confident eh? Try me!"


    "Sure, if you give me the clear. Let''s start things off small, with a normal summoning of Beat, Blademaster Fur Hire (1200/500)!" With an almost cartoonish shock of smoke on the field, the cloud was sliced away to reveal the man in all his feline glory, mane of hair blowing in nonexistent wind.


    Hux was unimpressed.


    "Really? That''s your big play? A Cat who doesn''t even have a Hat? Got my hopes up and everything."


    "I never said I was done yet. See that little bit on the end of his name, Fur Hire? Well they''re the best in the biz, and a good adventurer knows when to call in reinforcements, in this case, I get to special summon another Fur Hire monster from my hand, in this case its Recon, Scout Fur Hire (1000/500) in attack mode! And when another Fur Hire other than Beat comes to the field, Beat lets me draw a new Fur Hire from my deck! Go, Echo Evocation!" With a moment of concentration as Recon shimmered into view on a balloon, Beat swung his sword through the air and somehow drew a card from my deck, where I held it up to show Donpa the marksman before I put him in.


    "Still not done yet either, this is just the start of your furry troubles. Archfiend''s still looking a little too Scary, so Recon''ll request back-up as well, in the form of my newly drawn Donpa, Marksman Fur Hire (500/1000) in defense position!" With barely any sound, the marksman stepped out from behind a tree, as if he''d always been there. "Wouldn''t you know it, having more hands on deck gives Recon the confidence to take the shot on that face down card you have to! Go, Fur-Enzy shot!" With a quiet snicker, Recon''s telescope was aligned with what was without a shadow of a doubt a sniper rifle, which fired a single shot into Hux''s facedown, revealing the shattered remains to be mirror force before they fizzled out completely.


    Hux was definitely not looking as confident as he was before.


    "Huh. So, about those other clearing..."


    "Nope, you started this, I''m finishing this. If you haven''t guessed this by now, Donpa needs some encouragement too if he''s gonna be shooting your demon in its smug face. So let''s get a good warcry going, with Bravo, Fighter Fur Hire (1900/200) In attack mode!'' With a movement of the ground, four long blades broke through the surface to reveal the hissing lizard, shaking off stray dust like a wet dog. "Donpa, do us a favor and end that overpriced abomination! Job Well Done!" With an almost looney tunes esce grin, his slingshot was loaded with with random rocks that randomly caught in an eerie blue flame.


    Finally, Hux was able to interrupt.


    "Ha! This is some bullshit I''m seeing right here, but that I can at least stop! When a card tried to destroy Summoned Archfiend and no other card, I can roll a die to see if it goes through!" Hux triumphantly spoke.


    I shrugged, then watched as he clumsily took it out of his pocket, rolling it on the grass while it was recorded by his duel disk. It landed on...5.


    I might have chuckled a bit when he started swearing under his breath and his Archfiend got pulled into the small blue hole Donpa''s rocks had made in its sternum, but that was the game you played with dice monsters.


    "Alright, sorry man, this isn''t how either of us wanted to spend our night. Still, I''ll end it now. Battle phase, Bravo, Beat, Recon, take out our lovely target here with Long Paws of the Law." In an instant the three were jumping up, flashing against the moonlight showing only slitted eyes and gleaming weapons.


    "Ahhh! Ah, my nonexistent wounds! The metaphorical pain!" Hux screamed with each ''hit''.


    (Aidan 4000/ Hux 4000-2100-900-0000)


    "Well at least that was quick. If you ever need cards or someone to give some free money to, you can probably guess where to find me. Enjoy getting your ego and maybe some other things nursed!" I said as I stowed away my cards and picked up my jacket, going deadpan as I saw the bowl licked clean.


    God damn it, Filo better not have eaten it when no-one could see, pasta was terrible for birds. Or was that rice?


    Such were my thoughts as I wandered away


    Off to Spacebattles for more~

 Chapter 376 - My OC Stash #76 - Serpentine by darkfire1220 (HarryPotter)

    -Definitely one of the better "Harry has a snek" stories~


    Synopsis: The voices Harry heard, those no one else could, were the only ones that spoke kindly to him growing up. They had spread their whispers across the world to rescue him and at last, found a way- by creating a queen of serpents. The birth of the amber-eyed empress triggers a permanent change in Harry''s life, as he enters a world of magic that seeks to either protect or destroy him.


    Rated: T


    Words: 77K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12459242/1/Serpentine (darkfire1220)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Snakes had a habit of showing up wherever Harry Potter went. He''d wondered on it for as long as he could remember, but accepted their presence without much thought. They were never aggressive towards him. Quite the contrary¡ªthey had a tendency to gather around him almost protectively.


    Well, maybe that was an exaggeration. It wasn''t like any of the snakes had attacked anybody who tried to hurt him, but then again they were all very small. Privet Drive and the neighborhoods around it weren''t known for their large serpents; most of them were just little grass or ground snakes. If any of them tried to protect Harry from one of his Uncle Vernon''s drunken rages, they would get killed.


    He didn''t want that. Whenever he saw Vernon start drinking, Harry hid in his cupboard under the stairs and whispered to any of the snakes who visited him to hide. He didn''t know how they understood him, nor why they seemed almost reluctant to do so, but it kept them safe. Harry would survive whatever violence Vernon dealt him and when he returned to his cupboard, bruised and battered and a little more broken, they would come out of hiding to curl around him, providing what comfort they could. He had trouble understanding the words they spoke beyond simple meaning.


    Now, as a ten year-old, Harry could understand more of their whispers. It was a hissing, complicated language, and yet for some reason he understood it as easily as if it were english. They didn''t want to watch him suffer anymore. They wanted him to do something about it.


    How could he, Harry asked them. He was a child, not even a teenager, who was stunted from never eating enough, staying in that terribly cramped space under the stairs, and being beaten on a regular basis. His body barely had the energy to heal itself, forget grow. If he tried to fight back against Vernon, he''d just get beaten even worse. He was pretty sure that his left arm was cracked from the beating he took last night.


    "There is a way," said one of the snakes. It was a grass snake, one of the first that had come to Harry as a child.


    "How?" Harry whispered in their language, wincing at the way his bruised ribs flared in pain from even that simple vocalization.


    "We have been¡­searching," said the snake. "For years, we have watched you suffer under these¡­brutes. Powerless to help. Too weak to intervene. But we could not allow it. Something had to be done. So we whispered to others of our race, asking, pleading, searching for an answer. And we think we have found one."


    "What do I have to do?" Harry asked. He would do anything. He couldn''t stand being here anymore, a slave to his relatives in every sense of the word, subject to beatings from his uncle and cousin whenever they needed to take their frustration out on something. He was going to die if this kept up.


    No other person would take his pleas for help at face value. He''d gone to a teacher at the school he attended, but Vernon and Petunia had vehemently denied their involvement in his injuries and claimed he was mentally unstable. After that attempt, Vernon had beaten him especially badly, threatening worse if he ever tried it again.


    A new snake, one of the ground snakes who traveled through small tunnels, flicked its tongue as it addressed Harry. "There are members of our race who are larger and more powerful than we. By bringing one of them to your side, they can protect you."


    He frowned. "Where could I possibly find a snake like that? Even if I find one at the Zoo this week, I wouldn''t be able to take it home¡­"


    "Nay, that wouldn''t work," agreed the ground snake. "You must hatch this snake."


    Well, that was even more impossible than sneaking one home from the Zoo. "I can''t get any eggs like that."


    "You can!" Insisted the snake, almost excitedly. "We have found a way!"


    "How?"


    "There are eggs of fowl in the house, yes?"


    "What, chicken eggs? Well, yeah, but they''re always cold. Nothing can hatch from that¡­"


    "Something can," the ground snake hissed. "You must trust us, child. When the brutes retreat to their dens, sneak to the kitchen and take one of the eggs. Bring it to us¡ªwe will teach you what to do."


    It sounded crazy, but they obviously had something in mind. Harry waited in his cupboard under the stairs as the time passed and, at last, the clock struck nine and the Dursleys went to bed. With a smack on the door to the cupboard and a muttered threat from Vernon to not cause any trouble, Harry''s atrocious relatives turned off the lights and the house went silent.


    Harry waited a good hour after that to make sure they were really asleep before he slowly, carefully, unlatched the cupboard door from the inside and slipped out. He hurried to the kitchen and silently opened the fridge to retrieve a chicken egg. Harry thanked his lucky stars that Petunia had left the eggs on the side door within his reach. After snatching one of the eggs from the carton, he closed the fridge and hurriedly retreated back to the cupboard.


    Once he locked the door again, Harry showed the egg to the snakes, who hissed excitedly.


    "Yes! This is what we need!" The ground snake hissed. "We have also acquired the other piece."


    Harry blinked as one of the larger snakes came in through a hole in the side of the cupboard, dragging with it a small toad. He was completely lost now.


    "Why do we need a chicken egg and a toad?"


    "They are necessary to hatch one of the mightiest of our race. The ritual requires their presence."


    "What, like magic? But magic isn''t real!"


    "Then how can you speak with us?"


    Harry opened his mouth and closed it a second later. Point. It sounded daft, but according to his relatives and everyone he knew, he was daft already. Bollocks to it.


    "What do I have to do?"


    The ground snake''s tongue flicked out again. "The toad must be placed on the egg. Then we must speak in our language an incantation. It goes as thus¡ª"


    The snake hissed a phrase in several parts, the like of which Harry could not really interpret back to english, for it contained words that seemed exclusive to the mysterious language of serpents. But he memorized the phrase quickly and then proceeded to the next step.


    "How long will it take?"


    "Most of the night. We shall sing when you need rest, but you must keep the toad in place."


    Harry carefully took the squirming toad and placed it on the now-warming chicken egg. He held it there between his fingers, then began to chant the serpent''s phrase under his breath. He kept that up for several hours until his throat was dry, then left the rest of the chanting to the near-dozen snakes surrounding the chicken egg.


    He was near ready to pass out at four in the morning when the egg shivered beneath the toad. Harry blinked, suddenly feeling wide awake, as the snakes around him chanted more frantically than before.


    "Sing!" Whispered the ground snake urgently. "Sing now! It must know your voice, lest it may turn on you!"


    That obviously wouldn''t have been a good thing, so Harry began to whisper-sing the phrase in earnest. The previously dead chicken egg, impossibly, began to shiver again and twitched beneath the toad and his fingers.


    They kept up the song for five more minutes when the egg cracked from the inside. The snakes went silent and Harry watched, barely daring to breath, as a small, emerald snout jabbed out of the egg. It was followed by a long, lithe body, covered in brilliant green scales. Deep amber eyes surveyed the dark cupboard, almost luminous in their intensity.


    Harry moved to take the toad off of the broken egg and the amber eyes snapped towards him. He felt a shiver run down his spine as the eyes met his own¡ªas if his body was warning him that it was unsafe. The infant snake hissed, too young to speak its language, but Harry interpreted the hiss as displeasure.


    "The toad," said the grass snake. "It must eat the toad. That is its first meal."


    He felt a little bad for the toad, but Harry offered the amphibian to the newly-hatched serpent. The snake eyed it greedily, then lashed out. It didn''t bite Harry, but he was surprised by the ferocity such a small and young creature possessed.


    Devouring the toad took just a few minutes, and then the snake flicked its tongue out and assessed its surroundings once again. Harry hissed to it in the serpent''s language that they would not harm it, that they were friends, but again the snake seemed too young to truly understand. But it did interpret his meaning and relaxed, curling up under the sheets in the corner.


    Harry sighed, a little relieved that the snake had chosen to trust him. The ground snake who had brought the knowledge of how to hatch the creature watched the place where it slept, unblinking as always.


    "We will bring it more meals so it may grow. It will be hungry for the first few days¡ªyou must be patient. Only after then will its powers come forth and provide you the protection you need."


    "Powers?"


    "Yes," said the grass snake gravely. "It is a magical serpent. It may steal the life of all living things that meet its gaze. The venom in its maw would dispatch most creatures in minutes. And it will grow large, large beyond any of us, for we are mere worms compared to the might it will claim."


    Harry frowned. "So if I look into its eyes when it gets older, I could die?"


    "Not you. You are its hatcher and a speaker of snake-tongue. As such, you carry our blessings and are protected from its powers. But if you were to meet another that you did not hatch, it may be able to kill you, for you would be alien to it."


    He nodded slowly, letting that sink in. He didn''t plan on hatching another anytime soon¡ªfrom the sound of things, just this one hatchling would probably be enough to do¡­whatever it was the snakes had in mind. He wasn''t sure if he really wanted to kill the Dursleys, but he definitely wanted them to stop abusing him.


    It was a waiting game, now.


    Five days passed with rising tensions in the Dursely household. Vernon was, for some reason, growing more and more agitated with Harry''s presence as they neared his eleventh birthday. It wasn''t like they ever celebrated it in the first place, but things were getting worse than normal.


    The mysterious serpent Harry had hatched with the help of the other snakes remained hidden during this time, but it was ravenous. The other snakes brought it food almost constantly and it grew at an astounding rate. Within those five days, it became the biggest snake in the cupboard¡ªnot that that was saying much since it was barely three feet long, but Harry was stunned by how quickly it grew. In addition, it seemed to be getting smarter at an equally rapid pace. The serpent''s eyes had taken on an intelligent gleam and it listened to Harry very closely whenever he was talking to it.


    On Dudley''s birthday, the day the family went to the Zoo, it all came to a head.


    They were in the Reptile House, checking out the various species of lizards and snakes, as well as the various amphibians kept in the building. Harry was trailing behind Dudley and his Aunt, (Vernon had gone to grab something to eat) looking at the snakes behind the glass. He didn''t speak to them here¡ªif any of the Dursleys caught him speaking to snakes, Vernon would almost certainly break some of his bones.


    But still, he couldn''t help but wince at the way Dudley beat against the glass, demanding that one of the larger snakes¡ªa rock python¡ªmove from its lazy coils. When the boy sneered at the snake and stalked off to antagonize another poor reptile, Harry walked over to the glass and looked at the python. It certainly looked rather irritated, but it was hard to tell sometimes.


    "I''m sorry," Harry muttered lowly. "He''s not a nice person. None of my relatives are."


    The python''s eyes, although unblinking, sparkled in recognition of its language and slowly raised its head to look at Harry more closely. "You speak my tongue?"


    "Just enough to get by," Harry cracked a slight smile.


    "You''re a rare human," the python''s tongue flicked out curiously. "Even amongst the strange ones who come sometimes with magic at their call, I have never met one who can speak with me."


    "I don''t know about them," Harry admitted, although he was desperately curious to know if there were really other people who could use magic¡ªif that was, indeed, what he could do. "Everyone I know just thinks I''m a freak. Well, everyone except snakes like you."


    "Mum, look!"


    Harry was suddenly thrown to the floor as Dudley smacked into him, eyeing the rock python with barely restrained excitement. "The stupid slug moved! That''s right, keep moving you great ugly¡ªhey!"


    Annoyed by the interruption, the python lowered its head and ceased mobility once more. Dudley glared at the reptile, then snapped his eyes towards Harry. "You!"


    He grabbed Harry before the stunned boy could react and yanked him to his feet, then pinned him against the glass. "Make it move again! It moved when you were here!"


    "It''s not like I can talk to it!" Harry snapped.


    Dudley growled. "I don''t care, make it move!"


    As Dudley pulled Harry forward and then attempted to shove him back against the glass again, both boys found a surprise¡ªthere was no glass to hit.


    They went tumbling into the pool of water within the enclosure and came up sputtering, eyes wide in surprise. Dudley locked onto Harry with terrified rage.


    "YOU DID THIS, FREAK!"


    Harry couldn''t even get a word out when Dudley''s hands locked around his throat and shoved him back under the water. Although he scrabbled to get loose from the bigger boy''s hands, Harry was too weak to overpower Dudley. Panicked that he was on the verge of drowning, he let out a scream underwater¡ªand involuntarily, it came out as snake speech.


    Dudley''s weight suddenly vanished from him and Harry pushed himself up out of the pool with a gasp. His eyes locked onto a terrifying scene- the python he''d spoken to had its fangs in Dudley''s leg and was trying to coil around him. Dudley was shrieking, beating at the snake with his fists while a horrified Petunia tried to yank it off.


    "Stop!" Harry cried in snake speech, though it came out choked from water and didn''t sound like any sort of language to his cousin or aunt. The python paused and regarded him with one eye, but didn''t relinquish its grasp on Dudley. "They''ll hurt you!"


    Reluctantly, the rock python released Dudley and hissed at Harry''s cousin and aunt before retreating to the back of its enclosure. It was only then, as he dragged himself out of the cage, that Harry realized the other snakes in the Reptile House were attacking the glass or looking for a way out. They''d all responded to his cry for help. Once they realized he was alright, they settled down, but the visitors in the Reptile House were understandably startled by their sudden, simultaneous aggression.


    Harry leaned against the glass- which had somehow reappeared once he''d climbed out of the cage¡ªwhile Petunia frantically comforted her son. He made to slide down to the floor only to yelp when a hand roughly grasped his hair and yanked him back into a standing position.


    Vernon Dursley''s face was almost purple with rage. "You little miscreant!"


    "It wasn''t me!" Harry cried. "It just happened! It was like magic!"


    "There''s no such thing as magic!"


    The second they got home, Petunia took Dudley upstairs while Vernon threw Harry into the living room, stripping the boy''s shirt off with the same motion, and took his belt off. The crack of leather made Harry flinch.


    "You''ve ruined my son''s birthday, you freakish boy!" Vernon roared. "No food for three days, starting now! You don''t leave that cupboard once I''m finished with you even to use the loo! You can shit and piss and starve in there until I say otherwise!"


    Harry covered his head as Vernon brought the belt up to hit him. "It wasn''t my fault!"


    "It''s always your fault!"


    The belt''s stinging blow on his bare back made Harry cry out in pain. No sooner had Vernon whipped him five times than the door to the cupboard began to rattle.


    Vernon stopped and squinted at the small door. "What''s that?"


    Harry didn''t try to rise off the floor, so Vernon grabbed his hair and yanked him up. "What is in there!? Answer me!"


    "Nothing!"


    "It''s obviously not nothing, you idiot!"


    Vernon threw Harry aside and marched over to the cupboard, belt at the ready. "If you''re keeping some little pet in here, it''s as good as dead!"


    "No!"


    Harry''s cry was ignored as Vernon threw the cupboard door open. The fat man brought his belt up, ready to hit whatever was waiting for him, only for his eyes to meet a pair of luminous, amber orbs.


    Vernon froze, stock-still where he stood. Harry watched him, terrified that he''d strike the snake who was still too small to properly defend itself. But Vernon did not move. He remained still, as if a statue.


    The snake flicked its tongue, glaring at the man, before slithering over to Harry. It utterly ignored Vernon, who continued to stay frozen in place. The other snakes that stayed in Harry''s cupboard slithered over to him hurriedly.


    "Time to go," whispered the grass snake. "You cannot stay here. The big one will not stay frozen for more than a few minutes."


    "What happened?"


    "He met my eyes."


    Harry blinked at the emerald serpent and its amber eyes. This was the first time it had spoken, and with a voice that was unmistakably feminine. The snake''s tongue flicked out. "My eyes are not old enough to kill, but I may petrify those who stare into them for a short time. We must leave now."


    "Where can I go?" Harry whispered. "I have nowhere to run."


    "Across the street lives an old witch," said the amber-eyed snake. "Run to her. She may have a way for you to escape this place."


    The grass and ground snake, as well as the others he''d befriended over the years, looked at him a little sadly. "We cannot go with you. We are too small and weak to protect you. This must be where we part, Harry Potter."


    "I will come with you," the amber-eyed snake told a crestfallen Harry. "I am not old, but I can protect you if need be. But we must hurry¡ªthe big one will be able to move before long. Take what you must from your small den and let us leave."


    Harry did as he was told, although his back was still stinging with agony from the whipping. He rushed to the cupboard, frantically glancing at Vernon in case the big man regained his ability to move again, and grabbed what few possessions he needed to run away¡ªwhich was basically just his backpack and clothes.


    He jumped as the amber-eyed snake slithered into the pack, keeping her head visible just in case she needed to use her eyes again. "We need to go."


    "Okay," Harry replied, slipping a fresh shirt on with a wince¡ªhis back was stinging horribly. Without glancing at Vernon''s frozen form or responding to the calls of Petunia for her husband, Harry ran to the door, opened it up, and fled outside.


    He made straight for the house that the golden-eyed snake had told him about. Only one old lady lived down their street- Mrs. Figg.


    Praying that she was at home, Harry knocked on her door. It took a few moments, but she eventually answered.


    The old lady stared at the tearstained face of the young boy, startled. "Harry? Is something wrong?"


    "I¡­" He wasn''t sure what to say. "I need to hide. Something happened at the Zoo and Uncle Vernon is really angry. He¡ªI''m scared he might really hurt me this time."


    Figg glanced at the house he''d run from across the street and beckoned him inside. "Right, in you come. I''ll warm up some tea for you. Then I''ll call someone to come help you, dearie."


    Harry hurried inside of the house, relieved that he''d found an escape¡ªfor now.


    Figg sat him down on the couch and made him some tea. While Harry drank, tired and hurting, the old woman walked to the kitchen and wrote a quick letter. She stuck it in an envelope and walked to the window nearest the back door, where an owl was sitting.


    She gave the bird the letter and murmured quietly. "Take that straight to the Aurors on standby."


    The bird let out a hoot and took off, carrying its cargo into the sky.


    Harry wasn''t sure how long he''d been in Mrs. Figg''s house when someone knocked loudly on the door. He stiffened¡ªif Vernon found him now, he was dead.


    Figg walked to the door and looked out the peephole for a moment. Then she opened the door to meet a pair of people standing in the fading light of evening¡ªa tall, African man and an older woman with a pointed hat. Both of them donned robes that would have been strange in public if they were normal people.


    "Your letter sounded urgent," the man said.


    "He''s inside," Figg replied. "He told me there was an incident when the family visited the Zoo today¡ªhis magic flared up and something went wrong. His uncle took him home and started beating him, but I haven''t seen him or any of the others since."


    The man''s eyes narrowed. "How badly hurt is he?"


    "Badly enough that you should probably take him to a healer," she murmured sadly. "It''s hard for me to tell, but I get the feeling that this isn''t the first time he''s been abused, either. They always keep him in there when he''s not at school or out with them, so it could be they''ve been hiding it."


    The other woman scowled. "With the wards on that house, we''ve no way of monitoring his health."


    "We''ll discuss his¡­protection after we''ve assured he''s alright," the man said. "For now, our priority is his health and well-being."


    "There''s something you should know," Figg said, her voice hushed. "He''s told me he''s been speaking with snakes. They were the ones who convinced him to run here."


    All three of them went quiet for a moment. The man eventually broke the silence. "Let''s worry about that later. Let''s see him first."


    Figg nodded and opened the door to let them in.


    As soon as they came into the living room, Harry stiffened and shrank into the couch. He clutched the backpack close, giving the serpent inside just enough room to watch the newcomers closely.


    "Hello, Harry," the older woman greeted him with a small smile. "We''re here to help you."


    "Can you get me away from them?" He asked a little fearfully.


    "We will," the man approached a little more slowly and knelt to make himself look smaller, and thus appear less threatening. "My name is Kingsley Shacklebolt, Harry. This is a friend of mine, Professor McGonagall."


    Kingsley held out his hand. "Let me see your hand, Harry."


    Hesitantly, Harry did as he asked. Kingsley''s grasp was firm, but gentle as he turned Harry''s wrist and checked his pulse. He looked into Harry''s eyes and then placed his hand on the boy''s forehead, noting how clammy he was and the somewhat glazed look in his eyes. More worrying was the rather erratic flow of magic in his body.


    "Mrs. Figg, I think a calming draught would do him some good," Kingsley said quietly, which the woman heard easily and immediately set off to do as she was tasked. He smiled at Harry. "It''s going to be alright, Harry. We''ll get you to a safe house and make sure you''re taken care of there."


    Harry blinked slowly. "Why is this happening to me?"


    "It''s just your magic," Kingsley told him. His deep voice was calming. "There''s a lot we''ll need to tell you, but for now all you need to know is you''ll be safe with us. I promise you that."


    Harry nodded after a few seconds. "Can you promise not to hurt the snake I brought with me? She helped me get away."


    Kingsley raised an eyebrow. "Can we see her?"


    The boy hesitated. "Well¡­I guess. Just-just don''t look into her eyes, or you''ll freeze."


    He opened the backpack and whispered something in a language Kingsley assumed was Parseltongue if the hissing sounds were any indication. After a moment, a small, emerald snake slithered out and wrapped itself around Harry''s arm. The serpent didn''t look at the Auror''s face to lessen the chances of petrifying him, but she kept herself coiled up- ready to strike if necessary.


    Kingsley''s hand instinctively shifted to grasp the wand hidden in his sleeve while McGonagall turned deathly pale. He knew for a fact that those snakes were illegal to breed- not to mention deadly. How had Harry managed to get his hands on one, and indeed, one that seemed to obey him?


    "Please?" Harry sniffed. "She just wants to protect me."


    There was literally no precedent for this, so Kingsley thought about it for several seconds before he made a call. "It should be fine for now."


    "Kingsley¡­"


    He shook his head at McGonagall. "He''s already in shock¡ªwe can''t afford stressing him further. The snake stays. We''ll just have to watch where our eyes go, right?"


    She pursed her lips, but nodded.


    "Harry?" He made sure he had the boy''s attention before he said anything else. "Your friend can stay with you, alright? Just make sure she understands that we won''t hurt her as long as she doesn''t hurt us."


    "I don''t think she can hurt you," Harry frowned. "She said that she can only petrify people right now¡ªwhatever that is. I guess how she makes people freeze. She''s not old enough to hurt anybody."


    "That''s alright," Kingsley assured him. "You just concentrate on relaxing for now, Harry. You''re safe with us."


    The boy hissed something softly to the snake and she slithered back into the bag. A moment later, Mrs. Figg brought more tea over to Harry, mixed with a calming draught. "Here you are, dearie. Drink up and get some rest."


    Harry did as she asked and his eyes began to droop as soon as he emptied the cup. McGonagall took his glasses off for him and set them on the table, then helped Harry to lay down on the couch. He whimpered from the stinging in his back, but was just too tired to care. Within a few minutes, he was sound asleep, one hand still clutching his backpack.


    McGonagall retreated to the kitchen to speak with Kingsley while Mrs. Figg stayed to keep an eye on Harry. The witch waited patiently as her Auror companion cast a Patronus Charm and sent it off to the Ministry with a message.


    "We''ll need to interrogate his Aunt and Uncle," Kingsley said after a few moments. "If they''ve been abusing him, we need to know the extent. His magic feels too unstable for my liking. It''s not been suppressed enough to develop an Obscurus, but it''s bad enough for me to assume he''s undergone severe physical and possibly psychological abuse."


    McGonagall frowned deeply. "I knew it was a bad idea, leaving him with those muggles."


    "We''ll discuss that with Dumbledore," Kingsley sighed. "What I want to know is who taught him to create a Basilisk egg."


    "No wizard could have done that," she replied. "The Bond of Blood charm on that house would keep even Dumbledore out unless Harry actively gave him permission to enter. How he''s done this doesn''t matter right now, does it? The only thing we need to concern ourselves with for the time being is his wellbeing."


    "Agreed," murmured the Auror.


    When Harry woke up, he was lying in the softest mattress he''d ever felt in his life. His body felt sore, but the pain from his beatings had faded for the most part. He sat up and realized that his glasses were missing, so he couldn''t see very well. Fortunately, he spotted them on a small table at the bedside. As he looked around, he noticed that the room he was staying in was mostly dark, but in a comfortable way.


    "You''ve woken, then?"


    He blinked, realizing that his backpack was also on the table and the amber-eyed snake was watching him. She slithered out of the small gap in pack and lifted her head to meet his hand, which he raised to let her come over. Harry smiled as her tongue flicked out, ghosting over his fingertips. "Yes. How are you?"


    "I''m hungry," she admitted. "So if you can ask them to find me something to eat, that would be greatly appreciated. How do you feel?"


    "I''m¡­" Harry trailed off, trying to assess himself and figure that out. "Tired, I guess. My body feels sore everywhere, but it doesn''t hurt so bad now."


    "The wizards who treated you did many things that I do not know of," said the snake. "They healed your wounds on your back, amongst other things. But it seems they''ll still scar over."


    "That''s okay," Harry murmured. "As long as I don''t ever have to go back to that place, I''m okay with that."


    She slid over his hand, coiling up his arm and shoulders until she was comfortably situated around his neck. Her scales were smooth and a little cool, which concerned him. "Are you cold?"


    "A little. I did not dare come out while the wizard healers were helping you. I just want some body warmth."


    "You can have as much as you want," he smiled, lifting a hand to gently stroke the scales beneath her chin. "Thank you for helping me escape that place."


    "You are both my parent and my master," she replied in a soft hiss. "I will always protect you, Harry."


    "Thank you."


    They were distracted by a startled gasp which caused Harry''s eyes to snap up. A middle-aged woman with light brown hair was standing in the now-open door, staring at the boy and snake with large eyes. Before Harry could say a word, she was reaching for something at her hip¡ªa stick?


    Whatever she was doing, she was stopped by the same African man¡ªKingsley, wasn''t it?¡ªthat had met Harry at Mrs. Figg''s home. He gently gripped her wrist and pulled her hand away from the stick.


    "It''s alright, Andromeda," he reassured her. "The snake is no threat to Harry- quite the contrary, really."


    He looked up at Harry and smiled pleasantly. "How are you feeling, young man?"


    "Better, sir," he replied. "Um¡­but if it''s not too much trouble, my friend needs something to eat."


    "I''ll have Kreacher bring a few mice for him," Andromeda said quietly.


    The snake hissed at that and Harry smiled a little. "She''s a girl."


    "Her, then," Andromeda corrected. "Do you need anything else?"


    Harry frowned. "Where am I? How long have I been here?"


    "This is Grimmauld Place," she answered. "You''ve only been here a day, but you''ve slept all that time."


    He looked down, not sure if he should be embarrassed by that or not. "I''m sorry."


    "It''s quite alright, Harry," Kingsley told him, walking over to his bedside. "You needed the rest."


    His stomach suddenly growled and Harry felt heat rush into his cheeks. Kingsley smiled, amused. "I take it you''re feeling hungry?"


    He nodded shyly. Andromeda let a smile of her own slip onto her face. "I''ll have something made for you, Harry. Kingsley, can you take it from here? I still need to inform the others."


    "Yes. Thank you for your hospitality, Andromeda," Kingsley said, pulling up a chair to sit beside Harry. As the woman left, the dark-skinned man made himself comfortable- this was going to take a while. "Right- we have a lot to talk about Harry. First of all, I need to tell you something that you may or may not have realized about yourself already. You''re like me, young man. You''re a wizard¡­"


    Chapter 2


    One week after Harry''s escape from the Dursely''s house, he was introduced to a giant. Well, not a true giant, (although he seemed plenty gigantic to Harry) but a half-giant. Since Harry had never seen an apparent "true" giant, it was all the same to him.


    The half-giant, dubbed Hagrid, was a rather cheery fellow when Harry first met him at Grimmauld Place- even if he was stooping slightly to keep his head from banging against the dining room ceiling. "Hullo, Harry! Haven''t seen you since you was a baby! You was barely big enough ta fit in the palm o'' me hand!"


    Given the ridiculously large size of his hands, Harry was more than willing to believe that. However, despite the gigantism of the man, he had latched onto a more interesting bit of information.


    "You knew me when I was little? Does that mean you knew my parents?"


    Hagrid''s cheery look drooped just slightly. "Aye, I knew ''em. I knew Lily an'' James. Good people, yer folks. Miss ''em terribly."


    Harry bit his lip nervously. "Could you tell me about them?"


    Andromeda, who had taken charge of Harry since Kingsley had to return to the Ministry of Magic (whatever that was) stepped in. "We can tell you about them once we''re done shopping for today, Harry. There''s a lot that needs to be done to get you ready for Hogwarts."


    "Aye," Hagrid agreed. "Tha''s why I''m ''ere. Professor Dumbledore gave me orders to help ye get yer school supplies. Means we need ta take a trip to Diagon Alley."


    "Diagon Alley?" Harry echoed. He''d never heard of it. "Is that in London?"


    "It is," Andromeda answered. "But it''s not somewhere muggles can find on their own. Harry, you won''t need your bag, but you''re welcome to bring it if your¡­friend wishes to join us. Just make sure she understands that she can''t come out."


    "What sorta friend?" Hagrid asked. He''d apparently picked up on the fact that Harry''s "friend" wasn''t necessarily human.


    The woman''s eyes lit up slightly. "That''s right, you''re the Magical Creatures Caretaker at Hogwarts, aren''t you, Hagrid? Harry somehow managed to get a rather¡­unusual reptile when he was staying with his muggle relatives. Perhaps you can help him find a book about them in Diagon Alley?"


    Hagrid stroked his dark beard with interest. "I don'' see why not. It''d help if I knew wha'' sorta creature we was talking ''bout."


    "I''ll inform you. Harry, why don''t you go get your friend?"


    He had a feeling she was going to tell Hagrid about the snake he''d brought the moment he was gone, but that was okay. Harry would be lying if he said he wasn''t interested in learning more about her, and just how on earth he''d managed to bring her to life from a previously frozen chicken egg with the help of a rather unfortunate toad.


    Andromeda waited for Harry''s footsteps to reach the top of the stairs before she lowered her voice and spoke to Hagrid urgently. "Don''t ask me how because I''m not sure myself. Kingsley believes Harry somehow managed to create a Basilisk."


    Hagrid''s large face grew very pale. Andromeda went on. "He hasn''t done anything about it because it looks like the Basilisk listens to Harry¡ªhe can speak Parseltongue. It''s loyal to him and only him. The only reason Kingsley didn''t confiscate it was due to those factors and the fact that Harry created it in an attempt to defend himself. The muggles he stayed with were abusing him."


    The half-giant''s face went from white to red faster than what should have been possible. His voice became a dangerous, deep growl. "They were what?"


    "Kingsley left to detain and interrogate them," Andromeda explained. "Harry will be safe here in Grimmauld Place. But he doesn''t know anything about magical creatures, Hagrid. I know you''re experienced as well, but do you know anything about Basilisks? I¡­as loathe as I am to admit it, she''s very protective of him and I think he''d become greatly distressed if we forcibly took her from him. We can''t afford that since he''s a unstable right now. We''ll need to find a way to take care of her if Kingsley gets permission for Harry from the Ministry."


    Hagrid crossed his bulky arms contemplatively. "Hmm¡­I dunno much ''bout ''em. The Acromantula''s I''ve cared for were terrified of ''em. I think it''s ''cause they''ve got so many eyes- a Basilisk could look at ''em from almost any direction an'' kill ''em."


    "What about your old mentor?" She asked. "Mr. Scamander?"


    "I could send a message to ''im and see if he could meet Harry at Hogwarts. I''d have ta ask Professor Dumbledore first, but I''m sure he''ll agree."


    "Thank you," Andromeda said graciously.


    Their conversation ended as Harry came back down the stairs with his bag slung over one shoulder and the small Basilisk coiled around his free arm and neck. Hagrid couldn''t stop himself from observing the reptile with an interested eye¡ªthe color of her scales was a dark, yet vibrant green the same hue as emeralds. She was little more than three feet long, yet there was a surety in the way she held herself, a natural grace despite being so small and young. It was as though royalty flowed through her blood.


    He also noticed with some interest that while the snake took to observing him with an equal amount of curiosity, (probably because she''d never seen something so large in her rather short life) she made an effort to avoid looking directly into his eyes. Her gaze was always fixed on something else to prevent a direct line of sight to the amber orbs, which were like drops of liquid gold. Even when she studied his face, Hagrid realized she was looking at his ears or beard instead of his eyes.


    Harry apparently noticed that and smiled, gently stroking the scales beneath her chin. "We''re trying to make sure she doesn''t accidentally petrify anyone. It only works for a little while right now. Kreacher was only stunned for a few seconds."


    That hadn''t been a fun accident two days ago. Kreacher, the house elf who kept Grimmauld Place in order, had accidentally tried to move Harry''s bag to dust the desk beneath it, not knowing that the Basilisk was inside. It only took an unfortunate shift to bring the surprised elf and Basilisk eye-to-eye. Kreacher had fallen over, stiff as a board to the floor, for a grand total of six seconds before he disappeared with a loud crack. Harry had thought he''d died until Andromeda reassured him that the elf was just annoyed and decided to clean up elsewhere.


    Sure enough, Kreacher had been in the dining room later that day, grumbling to himself. He gave Harry and his bag a magnificent stink-eye, finished cleaning, and disappeared with another loud crack.


    Kreacher would not be doing Harry any favors for a while, no sir.


    Hagrid was rather impressed by Harry''s handling of the magical creature and her obvious intelligence. If they''d been dealing with an aggressive, instinctual creature, then maybe things would have been more complicated. But the Basilisk was quietly and easily sharing the space with others, at ease so long as she was with Harry. She was even taking care to avoid stunning people with her eyes.


    Yes, he could see them working with her without problems. At least, that''s what his intuition told him.


    "Ye named her yet?" Hagrid asked.


    She made a hissing sound, tail flicking in what might have been irritation. Harry only smiled a bit and hissed something back in Parseltongue. It was slightly disconcerting, hearing such a sound coming from the mouth of a ten-year old, but Hagrid had a feeling there was nothing aggressive about it.


    Harry glanced back at the half-giant a moment later, looking amused. "She wants to pick her own name."


    "Ah, I see. Well then, excuse me," Hagrid apologized, well aware now that the Basilisk could at least understand english. It was important to be respectful towards intelligent creatures, he knew from experience¡ªespecially if it was a creature he didn''t know well.


    Her tail flicked again, this time more slowly and with less annoyance. Harry hissed to her again and the Basilisk took that as a cue to slither over his shoulders and into the bag he was carrying. The boy zipped it up just enough so that she could poke her head out if she needed to and then looked up to Andromeda. "I''m ready."


    Andromeda nodded. "Right, everyone come here. Give me your hands."


    The woman received a hand from two of them and gave Harry a reassuring look. "This is going to feel odd, but you''ll be fine. Just stay still, okay?"


    "Okay."


    "Good. And three, two, one¡ª"


    In a split second, it felt like Harry was being squeezed through an incredibly small space, like a rubber pipe. It made his stomach churn and crushed him from every angle possible, but before the second had passed, it was over.


    Harry stumbled and let go of Andromeda''s hand with a gasp as they touched solid ground again. His head was swimming and he thought he''d be sick for a few moments, but he crouched and rubbed the sides of his head, groaning to relieve the strain.


    "Sorry about that," Andromeda apologized, seemingly unaffected by the shift. Hagrid looked a little green, but he wasn''t as messed up as Harry. "I would have taken the Floo Network to get here, but Hagrid wouldn''t have fit in the fireplace. Apparition was the only way we were going to get here in good time."


    Harry made some sound between a groan and a m.o.a.n, but he stood up slowly and felt the nausea leave his body. He blinked and his eyes went wide on reflex.


    They were no longer standing in the dining room at Grimmauld Place¡ªinstead, they were in the middle of a large street, surrounded by shops and in open daylight, with crowds of people bustling all over the place. Harry stared around, doing a full turn to take it all in. The people were wearing odd clothing¡ªcloaks and robes and the like that would have been very noticeable (and not in a good way) anywhere else in London. Yet here, it all seemed to fit. The atmosphere had an older feel to it, like they were in an earlier age or something hundreds of years ago.


    Most noticeable were the variety of magical objects being bought and sold. Harry caught sight of a floating broom in the window of one shop, apparently on display. A customer walked out of the same shop with a small, golden sphere hovering around them on rapidly beating wings not unlike a hummingbird.


    "Welcome to Diagon Alley, Harry," Hagrid said cheerfully, no longer feeling the ill-effects of Apparition.


    Andromeda did a quick turn and nodded to their left, towards a part of the huge street that was divided by a large, imposing building. "Right, Gringotts first. We won''t be able to get any of his school supplies without money."


    Harry frowned and looked at her. "But I don''t have any money."


    Andromeda smiled at him and set a hand on his shoulder. "Don''t worry about that, Harry. We''ll get it all taken care of. But before we get in there, I need to tell you a few things¡ªGringotts is run by goblins, Harry. They''re quite foul things, really, but they''re loyal to their customers and protect their gold jealously. Don''t try to cross them or make it sound like you owe them anything. Don''t even thank them. They''ll jump on any chance to get a debt out of you. Be polite, but curt about it¡ªlike you would if you had to meet with someone you didn''t like."


    "Also, when a goblin dismisses you, it''s going to say a phrase that sounds violent, but don''t be alarmed. It''ll be something like this- may your enemies suffer and die for all eternity. Well, it''ll probably be more eloquent and descriptive than that, but you get the idea. All you''ll have to do is respond with a similar phrase."


    Well, that sounded easy enough. Harry mentally began to come up with phrases as gruesome and frankly downright violent as Andromeda led him and Hagrid into the wizarding bank.


    Harry glanced at the goblins that lined the entrance hall of Gringotts, sitting at high tables as they performed various tasks- whether it was speaking with witches or wizards, transferring currency for clients, or writing financial records. They were all shorter than Harry by about a head, with long, pointed noses, sharpened teeth, and beards. Their faces seemed to be contorted in perpetual scowls, but there was an intelligent gleam in their eyes that bespoke a cleverness one should not wish to test.


    They met with the goblin at the very end of the entrance hall, a grisly, elderly creature with white hair and thick glasses. The goblin looked up at them¡ªglared, really¡ªand set down a feather quill he''d been writing with moments earlier. "Yes?"


    Hagrid cleared his throat. "Mr. Harry Potter would like to make a withdrawal."


    The goblin raised an eyebrow, unimpressed, and leaned over the desk to study Harry with a rather predatory gaze. "And does Mr. Harry Potter have his key?"


    "Ah¡ªah, yes!" Hagrid patted a few of the pockets in his thick jacket frantically for a few moments before pulling out a gold key that was tiny in his enormous fingers. "There''s the li''l devil!"


    The goblin grunted upon seeing the key and looked back at Harry. "You may proceed. May your enemies bleed out their ears and lose all the change in their pockets."


    Yep, customary goblin talk, just as Andromeda had said. Harry hoped his response would be good enough. "And may yours bleed and suffer alone in silence forever."


    The goblin''s snarl upturned into a feral grin. "An amateur response, but one with promise for your first try, Mr. Potter. Next time mention the enemies of goblins losing all of their money as well."


    "I''ll remember that," he said, recalling that he wasn''t to thank the goblins.


    Hagrid got the goblin''s attention one more time. "Mrs. Tonks will have to go with Harry to his vault. I got a letter for ya from Professor Dumbledore."


    He handed the letter over to the goblin, who read it over carefully before frowning. Hagrid muttered lowly. "It''s about the you-know-what in vault you-know which."


    The goblin nodded sharply. "Very well. I''ll assign one of our chiefs to you. Mr. Potter, if you and Mrs. Tonks will proceed, a goblin named Griphook is waiting to escort you."


    Harry looked at Hagrid curiously, but the half-giant just smiled. "Is'' alright. I''ll meet ye both outside once I''m done ''ere."


    Andromeda nodded and took the key to Harry''s vault from Hagrid, although she looked just as confused by the unexpected deviation. She led Harry past the goblin and to the back, where another, younger looking gobbling with an exceptionally long and pointed nose was waiting for them next to a gaping hole in the wall¡ªand a mine cart.


    "Griphook?" Harry asked.


    The goblin nodded. "So, you''re Harry Potter? Well, come on. Let''s get on with this. Into the mine cart, and don''t let any part of your body leave it while we''re moving."


    The reason for that quickly became apparent- the mine cart traveled at a ridiculous speed to the point that Harry almost threw up. They raced past points of jagged rock and stone that would have severed their limbs if they''d let their arms hang out of the cart. He wondered if this was what a roller coaster felt like. On and on they went, for several minutes until Griphook yanked on a lever to slow the cart to a halt.


    When they left the cart, Harry''s legs felt like jelly and Andromeda looked slightly green. Griphook only smirked nastily. "You''re doing better than most first-timers, Mr. Potter. You haven''t vomited yet."


    "Not so bad, then," Harry managed. Griphook chuckled and took the key when it was offered by Andromeda. They were deep inside an underground cave system, lit only by fiery torches on the walls. The cave was dark and cool, with parts of the wall chiseled to construct the vaults within them. The vault they reached had a thick, black iron door the same texture as the surrounding rock. Harry briefly wondered why the vault was so far down.


    Griphook, aware that this was the first time Harry had visited Gringotts, filled him in before he could ask. "Newer or smaller vaults are usually kept in the upper levels. The lower you go, the more carefully guarded the vaults are. If you ever get to the bottom, well, you''d best make your peace first."


    Harry frowned. "So why is my vault here? I''ve never been here in my entire life."


    Griphook frowned. "Surely you didn''t think your family would have left you with nothing, did you?"


    Andromeda intervened then. "Harry''s living circ.u.mstances have been rather¡­isolated until recently. He has much to learn about the wizarding world."


    The goblin blinked in understanding, but he still looked disbelieving. "Well, it''s none of my business. But regardless, House Potter has not left you with nothing, boy. Far from it."


    Griphook inserted the gold key into a keyhole that Harry couldn''t even see; it was so well camouflaged that it blended in with the vault door. The goblin stepped back, holding his arm out to keep Harry and Andromeda from getting too close until the massive vault door swung open.


    Harry felt his mouth fall open as his eyes were treated to the color gold in copious amounts within the maw of a cave the same size as a large living room. It was literally ridiculous how much gold was in there- good grief, he could probably build his own castle with it all. He was glad the Durselys hadn''t known about this. Knowing them, they would''ve taken all of this as "compensation" for keeping him in the first place. Vernon certainly would have.


    Griphook eyed the mass of gold and silver with a measuring eye. "Behold the treasure hoard of House Potter. For a noble house some seven hundred years old, they lived rather modestly and did a good job saving their gold. Used to be some of our most loyal and respectable customers, the Potters. Been storing gold in our vaults since the early days of Gringotts. They never bothered to spend more on security than was necessary- they trusted us to keep some of our most loyal clients safe and we have done so. That''s why this hoard is not in the deepest levels, where security is more expensive. And they didn''t bother spending loads of gold on trivial things like certain other pureblood houses do even today. Smart witches and wizards. Knew how to manage their currency wisely."


    Harry managed to close his mouth and swallowed a lump past his throat. So his parents really hadn''t been the useless, drinking sc.u.m his uncle told him about. They''d been good, smart people who had been humble about how they lived despite the great sum of money they had at their disposal. Even Griphook, a goblin, seemed to respect and perhaps even admire their saving habits.


    He decided that he would do his best to meet the same standards as his family had.


    He pulled out the list of school supplies from his bag he was going to need and glanced from Andromeda to Griphook. "How much do I need for these things? I don''t want to take out more than I need, but I don''t know much about wizard money."


    Griphook smiled almost gleefully. "You might just be a Potter yet, young man. You won''t need to take out too much comparatively if it''s just standard school supplies for Hogwarts. I imagine you might need some spending money while you''re there as well in case of emergencies. Let''s sort you out and I''ll show you how to calculate wizarding currency¡­"


    The goblin gave a brief explanation of how wizarding money worked- how a Galleon was worth seventeen silver Sickles, which were worth twenty-nine bronze Knuts. A single Galleon was equivalent to about five British pounds and about seven and a half US dollars. Not that Harry planned on going overseas anytime soon, but it was nice to have a few comparisons from the muggle world that he was more familiar with.


    When they finished calculating how much Harry would need for school supplies and taken the necessary money, he was stricken by how utterly unaffected the massive hoard of gold and silver appeared to be. He would be just fine financially for a very long time. He just wished he knew a way to start adding onto the hoard his family had so painstakingly saved up.


    Before they left the vault, Harry paused for a moment. Griphook had helped him out without question or complaint. Andromeda had warned him not to do anything to become indebted to the goblins, and although Griphook seemed nice enough for one of his race, Harry wasn''t sure if he wanted to test that impression given that he barely knew him, so he snatched an extra gold coin from the huge piles.


    They rode the mine cart back up to the top and when they were back on stable ground, Harry tossed the Galleon to the goblin once he had Griphook''s attention. He snatched the coin out of the air with practiced ease and looked at Harry curiously. The boy nodded to him just as Andromeda had told him- polite, but curt. "For your trouble."


    The goblin grinned with a rather fiendish delight. "No trouble at all, Mr. Potter. On the contrary, I''m pleased you''ve already learned to play our little games. We at Gringotts are happy to have the House of Potter back in our care. May your enemies burn in agony and find that all their vaults have been emptied."


    "And may your enemies be bitten by venomous creatures and have all their money stolen," Harry replied, hoping that was better than his last attempt.


    Griphook simply nodded and walked away to attend to his duties. Andromeda nudged Harry''s arm and he was relieved to find that she had an approving smile on her face.


    "Well done. You picked up on clearing that small debt quickly."


    He let out a breath once they were out of earshot from the goblins. "I didn''t think it''d be a good idea to take the lesson he gave me for free. You did say that they''d try to find a way to make me owe them something."


    "And they did," Andromeda said as she led him out of the bank. "The important thing is that you clear up those debts before they can grow. If a goblin tells you anything that is valuable to you, make sure you pay them back in an equal or greater amount for that knowledge. It clears up your debts and, more importantly, means they''ll be far more willing to work with you in the future. Some goblins have even been known to provide greater security for their best clients, and you''ve given them an excellent first impression, Harry."


    He was glad that the visit to the bank ended on a good note. For some reason, Harry had a feeling that goblins were not creatures he wanted to antagonize. Call it instinct.


    They found that Hagrid was waiting outside for them. The half-giant smiled upon seeing them leaving the bank. "Everythin'' went alright then?"


    "Yes," Andromeda confirmed. "Harry should have more than enough money to pay for his school supplies. Would you mind taking over from here, Hagrid? I need to do a little school shopping for my daughter."


    "Sure!" Hagrid said. "Where should we meet once we''re done? We can''t get back inta Grimmauld Place without ya."


    Harry tilted his head in confusion. "Why not?"


    Andromeda was quiet for a second and he thought perhaps she even looked uneasy. "My cousin technically owns Grimmauld Place, but he allowed me to come and go as I please. Trouble is, I''m the only one who can grant anyone else access while he''s¡­away. So unless I''m with you, we can''t return there."


    He wasn''t sure how that worked, but Harry assumed it had something to do with magic. Maybe there was a special lock on the house or something? He shrugged mentally. He''d look into later.


    "Let''s meet at the Leaky Cauldron in three hours," Andromeda decided. "That should be long enough to get all the supplies we''ll need."


    "Agreed," Hagrid replied, after which the woman strode off to conduct what business she had. The half-giant turned away from Gringotts and glanced down at Harry. "Right then, lad! Let''s get movin''!"


    The next couple of hours were spent wandering up and down the cobblestone path of Diagon Alley, getting school supplies like books, robes, quills, and ink. Some of the more unusual items, used for a class Hagrid called Potions, were things Harry was sure would be considered biohazards in the muggle world.


    Hagrid had gone out of his way to buy a couple of books that, he explained, might have information on the magic snake still hiding in Harry''s bag. The half-giant insisted they were an early birthday present when Harry protested that he could afford them.


    He wanted to read them right then and there, but there was still lots of shopping to do. So Harry abstained, albeit reluctantly. The sooner they finished shopping, the sooner he could read them and hopefully find some answers.


    Speaking of the snake¡­


    Hagrid had given him a brief explanation on what a "familiar" was¡ªan animal that would act as a messenger for him whenever he needed it. Harry had (discreetly, mind you) told the serpent within his bag what that meant when they stopped shopping for a quick lunch break. He figured that she would be his familiar, so that he wouldn''t have to buy an animal from one of the stores.


    Apparently not. She insisted that she would not be doing something so mundane as mail deliveries. No, she would be staying with Harry and not traveling great distances, thank you very much. So far, Harry''s sort-of-first familiar was too lazy to do anything but sleep, eat, and save his sorry, pre-teen butt with angry magical glares. Joy.


    He would need to get a familiar that would actually do those tasks, so a trip to the animal store was in order.


    They ended up going to an Owl Emporium, where Harry found himself surrounded by a variety of owl breeds, some of which he''d never even heard of. In all honesty, he had no idea which one to pick, but Hagrid gave him some pointers.


    "Look at ''em in the eyes for a few seconds," the half-giant explained. "If they look away, screech, or ye just feel like they aren''t right, try a different one. Keep goin'' until ye find one that clicks with ya."


    Harry did as was suggested. He went through over a dozen of the birds, varying from a small Barn Owl to a massive Great Grey, but none of them really felt right. He eventually found himself looking into the amber eyes of a beautiful snowy owl. Maybe it was because the color was so similar to the serpent in his bag, or the serene disposition of the gorgeous bird, but Harry felt an instant connection with her.


    He approached the cage she was held in and carefully opened it up before offering his hand to her. The bird inspected the proffered limb with her sharp gaze for several moments, then maneuvered her feet to grasp his wrist and work her way out of the cage. She climbed up to his shoulder, careful not to pierce his skin with her sharp claws, and let out a quiet hoot.


    Harry grinned. She was definitely the one.


    "I still need¡­" Harry scanned the school supply list that they''d been checking off as they purchased the items required. It was almost complete, save for one thing. "A wand."


    Hagrid, who was carrying nearly everything they''d bought, nodded towards a small, yet elegant shop as they worked their way closer to the Leaky Cauldron. Harry had no idea how he managed to carry all of that stuff, but the half-giant didn''t even seem to notice the extra weight. "Olivander''s is the place you''ll be wantin''. Best wand shop in Europe, it is."


    They stopped outside the store and Hagrid gestured for Harry to go inside. "Ye should probably do this on yer own, Harry. Pickin'' a wand is a personal experience."


    Harry only nodded, since he had no idea what he was in for. He carefully set down the cage holding his new Snowy Owl. The bird in question was wide awake and alert¡ªit was gonna take some getting used to, having a diurnal species. He''d lived most of his life thinking owls were nocturnal, but then he''d also had no idea magic was a thing.


    The more you knew.


    He kept his bag, though, and thus the magical serpent within it. Although he believed Hagrid when he said that wand selection was an experience best done by yourself, he didn''t want to be alone.


    The serpent''s presence, however silent, was still reassuring to him as Harry walked inside the store.


    It was quiet and dimly lit, with a not insignificant amount of dust covering the furniture and various objects within. If he didn''t know any better, he would have assumed that no one was running the place. Harry cleared his throat and tried to get the attention of the shopkeeper¡­wherever he was. "Hello?"


    He jumped at the sound of wood sliding and his eyes flew to the right, where an elderly man with wild white hair had suddenly appeared on a ladder that reached the high ceiling. Harry met his gaze and managed not to shift uneasily as the shopkeeper studied him with meticulous detail.


    After a second, the man¡ªwho he presumed was Olivander¡ªsmiled. His voice was old and somewhat gruff, but kind. "I''d been wondering when I would see you, Mr. Potter."


    That gave Harry pause. He''d been expected?


    Olivander climbed down the ladder and immediately began to sift through various boxes the general size and shape of narrowed shoe boxes. "It seems like it was just yesterday that your mother and father were in here to buy their first wands¡­ah."


    He extracted one of the boxes and carried it over to Harry. Olivander opened the box, revealing a long, light-brown wand with a twiggy appearance. "Try this."


    Harry carefully took the wand out and held it up, not really sure what to do about it. He glanced at Olivander, confused.


    The elder raised an eyebrow. "Well, give it a wave."


    Oh, so that was it. Harry looked around and flicked it at the nearby lamp. It exploded in a burst of glass, causing Harry to jump in shock. Olivander muttered something under his breath before extracting his own wand from his sleeve and flicking it at the destroyed lamp. To Harry''s fascination, the broken furniture repaired itself in a matter of seconds.


    "Not this one, then," Olivander decided. He carefully took the wand away from Harry and placed it back in the box, returning it to its place on the shelves. The elder then walked down the hall for a moment before trying a different box on a higher shelf near the ceiling.


    When Harry wielded it, the second wand caused a dozen wand boxes to fly out of the shelves, creating a slightly smaller mess than the first one. But after cleaning that with yet another flick of his own wand, Olivander looked pleased. "Getting warmer, then¡­"


    "Warmer?" Harry echoed, confused.


    The wandmaker grinned in amus.e.m.e.nt. "With particular customers like yourself, Mr. Potter, the less destruction a wand causes, the better¡ªit means I''m getting closer to your ideal wand. You''ll know it when it''s in your hand, for power is nothing without control. The wand chooses the wizard."


    They tried out four more wands in turn, varying in destruction. One punched a large hole in Olivander''s desk, but another ignited an inferno that singed the elder''s hair before he got it under control. Harry was confused by how gleeful the wandmaker seemed to be until Olivander started to walk to the very back of the hall. "It''s been far too long since I met a wizard who gave me such a challenge, Mr. Potter. You''re proving to be as extraordinary as I''ve come to expect."


    He had no idea what that meant, but Harry held his tongue when he saw Olivander pull out another wand box¡ªthe seventh¡ªand stared at it in silence for nearly a minute. At the edge of his hearing, he swore he heard the man murmur softly. "I wonder¡­"


    Olivander carried the wand back to Harry and carefully opened the box. Within was a wand of jet-black Holly wood nearly a foot long, lithe and thin, yet strong. Harry pulled it out and wondered at how naturally it fit in his hand. He concentrated on it and froze as the air around him seemed to grow thicker, building a presence that he found¡­empowering, rather than threatening or destructive.


    Upon that realization, the air around him flared with energy and the wooden floor beneath his feet cracked in all directions for nearly a foot. Yet the wand did not generate destruction as the others had. It could contain the magic it wielded.


    Olivander stared at the cracks in his floor with wide eyes. "Curious¡­how very, very, curious. Tell me, Mr. Potter, how long have you been suppressing your magic?"


    Harry frowned. "What do you mean?"


    "This is indeed the wand you were meant to have," Olivander explained. "And that in itself is fascinating, but I find myself wondering at the amount of magic that has overflowed from you upon finding an outlet. How long have you been suppressing your power, Harry? And why?"


    "I¡­" He wasn''t sure what to say. He''d heard Kingsley quietly mention something called an Obscurus to Andromeda when the man thought he wasn''t paying attention, something to do with his magic being suppressed. Maybe that had something to do with it? "I don''t know if I''ve been suppressing it or not, sir. But the muggles I grew up with didn''t like magic. Is that a bad thing? That I''ve been keeping it down?"


    Olivander''s eyes cleared in understanding and he eyed the boy with an appraising look. "Let me explain to you Harry something that the wizarding world has long tried to keep quiet. Magic is a dangerous force if it''s forcibly contained in certain ways. A wand is an outlet- a channel for a wizard or witch to release their powers from. When one has no outlet such as a wand, magic has a tendency to release itself in other ways¡ªsome barely noticeable, others more¡­destructive."


    "Have you ever tried to stop it? Force it down?"


    Harry pursed his lips nervously. He had. He slipped up sometimes, (like with Dudley at the Zoo) but more often than not he could feel it. Harry hadn''t known what to make of it and since Vernon tended to beat him more so than normal whenever he had an "incident" he did his best to stop them from happening at all. He''d force the feeling of energy building up inside of him, even if it hurt, to prevent an outburst.


    His silence said it all for Olivander. The wandmaker continued. "Do not ever do it again until you can control your powers, Mr. Potter. It''s very dangerous."


    "What happens?" He asked, almost afraid to know the answer.


    Olivander''s eyes suddenly looked very tired, as though he were even older than he looked. The elder walked over to a stool and sat down with a sigh, gesturing for Harry to come to him. When the boy approached, Olivander took Harry''s hand which held the want and squeezed it in a firm, comforting way. "Before wizards and witches went underground, when our kind were being hunted by muggles¡­Young witches and wizards sometimes tried to suppress their magic to avoid being killed. By doing so, without providing an outlet for their powers or learning to control them, they developed what was known as an Obscurus."


    So it was the same thing that Kingsley had mentioned. Olivander''s face took on a haunted look. "It''s a parasitic, dark magical force that bursts free from its host and destroys anything nearby. And then¡­it vanishes with the host. Obscurials do not survive long, you see- the unstable magic force ruptures and destroys their bodies. Most die before they reach ten years old. By the time the signs appear, it''s often too late to save them. There was an Obscurial in America seventy years ago who somehow managed to survive into his teenage years because he was more powerful than most others, but he too died."


    Olivander looked into Harry''s eyes, peering into the boy''s very soul. "You are powerful, Mr. Potter. Very, very powerful. I''m not an expert, but I don''t feel your power is yet so unstable that you''ve developed an Obscurus. But if you continue to suppress your power, you will only serve to hurt yourself. Whatever your reason was for restraining yourself, let it go."


    Harry nodded, feeling a little sick. How much longer would he have lasted in that house with the Durselys if he continued to suppress his power? How much more abuse would it have taken to trigger an explosion he wouldn''t be able to hold back?


    He shook his head, dispersing those frightening thoughts. He was far away from them now and he would never go back there again. There was no need to forcibly bottle up his power anymore. Instead, he focused on something else Olivander had mentioned. "Sir, what did you mean when you said that my having this wand was fascinating?"


    The gleam returned to Olivander''s eyes, but the old man did not smile. "I remember every wand I''ve ever sold, Mr. Potter. It just so happens that the Phoenix who''s feather resides in the core of your wand gave another feather. Just one other. It is curious that you should be the one who receives this wand when it''s twin was the one who gave you that scar."


    And just like that, the anxiety in Harry returned tenfold. His eyes grew wide and his body felt far too shaky for his liking. He''d always wondered about the lightning-bolt shaped scar on his forehead. Vernon had always told him he''d slipped and smacked his head, (probably to explain his apparent stupidity to the Dursleys) but every now and then it would burn in a way that hurt much differently from other wounds. He''d never considered that it might have been caused by magic.


    Olivander saw the bewilderment in his eyes and continued. "That is no ordinary mark on your skin, Harry. A scar like that is created by a curse¡ªand a dark one at that. Why else do you think you''re called the Boy Who Lived?"


    "The¡­the what?" He repeated, confused.


    "Goodness gracious, what hole have those muggles been keeping you in?" Olivander grumbled. "Have you not yet learned your importance in our world?"


    Harry shook his head and the wandmaker sighed. "Mr. Potter, you are known far and wide throughout our world for surviving the wrath of one of the most evil wizards history has ever known. A wizard so foul and dark, people fear to so much as speak his name¡ªthe same wizard who put that scar on your forehead. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did terrible things, no matter how great they may have been had he used his powers for good. And you were the only one who survived his curse. That''s why you are the Boy Who Lived."


    "What happened to him?" Harry asked, feeling cold and clammy.


    "That''s the question, isn''t it?" Olivander murmured. "No one knows for certain. All that we know is that somehow, you stopped him that night he tried to kill you. Something you did, Harry, destroyed him. I''ve no idea why you were hidden with muggles of all people after that, but you''re a celebrity in our world. People will try to sway you to their side to gain favor in the wizarding community¡ªdo not let yourself fall prey to those seeking to use you for their own desires. You are new in our world, Harry, but you are known to all."


    He fell silent, perhaps allowing Harry time to grasp that latest bombshell. Olivander studied him for several more minutes before standing up and pulling away, walking towards the back of his shop. "I think your friend is growing anxious waiting for you outside, Mr. Potter. Do not forget what I have said, but do not let it trouble you for too long, either. The darkness that has plagued you throughout your youngest years has passed- be calm now, and look forward to your future."


    The elder turned around a corner and disappeared then, leaving Harry standing by the still-cracked floor with the Holly-and-Phoenix wand in his hand to contemplate all that he''d learned.


    Chapter 3


    Harry knew Andromeda and Hagrid were watching him worriedly when they met up at the Leaky Cauldron. He was disturbed by what Olivander had told him¡ªfrom his warning about Obscurus, to Harry''s apparently great powers, and the story of the evil wizard who had tried to kill him. It was so much to take in; he''d barely been aware of magic for a week and now he was a celebrity with a literal hoard of gold in the bank, not to mention his newfound powers had the potential to destroy him if he couldn''t control them.


    But his mind was focused most on the dark wizard, especially. Harry had a sickening feeling that there was more to that story than Olivander had let on.


    They quickly Apparated back to Grimmauld Place, where Hagrid volunteered to take Harry''s school supplies up to his room. Andromeda meanwhile sat Harry down at the dining room table and looked at him with a slight frown.


    "Harry, is something wrong?"


    He wasn''t sure where to begin, but Harry''s hand came up to brush his scar on reflex. The words tumbled out of his mouth in an effort to relieve some of the stress. "The one who gave me this¡ªthe dark wizard¡ªwas he¡ªdid he kill my parents?"


    Andromeda sucked in a sharp breath. "You weren''t supposed to find out about that yet. Who told you?"


    "Mr. Olivander told me about how he tried to kill me," Harry mumbled. "I kind of put my parents dying when I was a baby together with that."


    "You''re even smarter than I thought," she sighed. "And far more attentive to details than most children your age. Dumbledore asked that we keep what happened a secret until he felt you were ready to know the truth, but it seems you''ve discovered it by yourself. There''s no point in hiding it from you now."


    "Why not tell me in the first place?" Harry asked a little heatedly. "I grew up thinking my parents died in a car crash, but instead they were murdered by an evil wizard."


    "We thought you were too young to be told," she murmured gently, unfazed by his outburst. "That and after what happened with your muggle guardians¡­we thought it might be better if we told you everything that happened slowly. You were already too distressed for your own good and we wanted to be sure you were stable before we said anything."


    "You mean my magic, right?"


    Andromeda pinched the bridge of her nose and muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like a curse directed towards Olivander. "What did he tell you?"


    "He said my magic had been suppressed for a long time, so he warned me about Obscurials," Harry swallowed tightly. "Am I¡ª"


    "No!" She said immediately, taking his hand and squeezing it firmly. "No, Harry. Kingsley had a healer check on you when you first got here. Your magic is unstable, but you haven''t developed an Obscurus. You don''t have to worry about that anymore."


    It felt like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. Andromeda didn''t take the chance to move to safer subjects though, which he appreciated. She was being honest with him about the questions he had.


    "The wizard who was involved in your parents'' murder and the marking of the scar on you forehead was a dangerous man, Harry. When he first rose to power¡­well, have you ever heard of the Nazis?"


    Harry nodded. Andromeda continued. "That''s who he and his followers were to the wizarding world, Harry. They were our Nazis and he was their Hitler. He set out to kill anyone he deemed unworthy of magic and enslave all but those who bowed to his every whim. He was so powerful¡ªwizards as strong as him only come along once in a century. Even Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of our time, was wary of him. No one could stop him because he was so powerful. He killed everyone in his path."


    "Your mother and father were amongst those who resisted him. He came to their house Halloween night all those years ago to eradicate your family. He intended to leave you all dead that night."


    Harry nodded slowly. "But something happened. Something went wrong."


    "For him? Yes," she agreed. "I don''t know if it was a mistake on his part or a magic outburst from you, but whatever it was destroyed him, Harry. Even though he''d killed your parents, he couldn''t kill you."


    "After that, Dumbledore took you to your Aunt and Uncle''s house. I..I think he hoped that they would take care of you as their own. But I suppose he hadn''t expected them to be so hateful of wizards¡ªnone of us did. You were to be kept there, safe under the charms he cast on the house to hide you from You-Know-Who''s followers seeking revenge."


    That¡­made sense, although Harry was loathe to admit it. The Dursleys were horrid people. Surely a simple chat with them would have told Dumbledore that¡ªwhoever he was. Harry understood them hiding a baby to protect him from vengeance-seeking lunatics, though. Even if it meant cutting him off from the magical world, at least he''d be safe from dark wizards.


    Harry just felt tired. It was so much to absorb¡­his whole childhood had been a violent lie to keep him safe from a different horror¡ªand barely worked.


    Andromeda seemed to sense that he was feeling overwhelmed and squeezed his hand again. "Go get some rest, Harry. I''ll get started on supper, alright? My husband and daughter will be joining us tonight. She goes to Hogwarts too¡ªyou can ask her about it, if you like."


    Sleep sounded wonderful right now. With a bob of his head, Harry stood up and went upstairs to his bedroom- that was still an odd thought¡ªpassing by Hagrid on his way there. The half-giant gently clapped him on the shoulder, though the force was almost enough to make him trip. Harry closed the bedroom door behind him and made straight for the bed, setting his bag down on the desk next to it before flopping onto the mattress with a low groan.


    "You are troubled."


    He turned to see the amber-eyed snake, who was slithering out of his bag and watching him. "You heard it all, didn''t you? It''s¡­it''s just so much¡­"


    "It would seem there''s a lot being hidden from you," she agreed. "I trust the witch and the giant. Their intentions are honest¡ªthey do not lie to do you harm. Even you must know that this knowledge could not have come to you at a worse time. You have not yet recovered from what you endured at the hands of the brutes."


    Harry nodded. Andromeda and Hagrid were good people. Kingsley, Olivander, and McGonagall too, even if he didn''t know them as well. All of them were practically strangers, and yet they had his best interests in mind.


    The serpent slithered over to him and coiled up on his belly, studying his face closely for several seconds. "You can''t keep worrying about what might have happened if you stayed, Harry. Try to think towards the future now."


    He couldn''t stop the slight upwards twitch of his lips. "Aren''t you a little young to be saying things like that?"


    "Aren''t you too young to be bearing such scars?" She hissed in response. "My body and mind are young, but my instincts¡­they give me a different kind of insight. What do your instincts tell you, Harry Potter?"


    He closed his eyes, absently lifting one hand to stroke the emerald scales comfortably seated on his belly. "I''m not really sure, but¡­maybe if I''m going to move on, I need to stop thinking so much?"


    She made a sort of purring hiss¡ªlaughter, he realized from her tone. "Perhaps not that. If you stopped thinking so much, you wouldn''t learn as quickly as you do. But do not focus on those things that hurt you."


    "Maybe I should just name you Conscience," Harry joked. "You''re turning into my voice of reason."


    "Oh, hush," she flicked his wrist with her tail tip good-naturedly. "I will pick my own name when I''m good and ready, thank you very much. Besides, the male mind is incapable of comprehending the deadly beauty of a female''s. We wouldn''t want you to go mad, would we?"


    That drew a snort from him. "No, we would not."


    He felt her slither to the pillow his head lay on to hiss in his ear. "Sleep now, Harry. I shall wake you when it is time to feed. I shall protect you while you rest."


    And he did. Harry fell asleep a few minutes later, feeling the tension slip from his body as he willingly gave into the comfortable darkness of slumber.


    When he awoke a few hours later, Harry could smell something mouthwateringly delicious coming from downstairs. He was eager to see what Andromeda had made for dinner this time¡ªhe''d come to find over the last week that her cooking was phenomenal¡ªand rushed out of bed, much to the amber-eyed snake''s chagrin. Harry let her slither onto his arm and secure herself on his shoulders before he made for the door, but not without grabbing one of the books Hagrid had bought for him¡ªa thick, impressive piece titled, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them¡ª1989 Edition", by Newton Scamander.


    He was starving for dinner, but also for knowledge; the secret of his magical, slithery companion had been plaguing his mind ever since her birth¡ªor creation? He wasn''t sure which, but Harry knew that he had played a huge role in her being born. He just hoped that one of the two books Hagrid had gotten him would have some answers.


    "I know you''re eager to eat, but please don''t forget about me," said serpent hissed in his ear.


    Harry grinned. "You''re hungry too?"


    "Oh, please! I''m always hungry and you know it!"


    He only laughed a bit and whistled sharply. "Kreacher!"


    There was a momentary pause before a loud crack sounded, and then the grouchy House Elf was standing in front of Harry with the perpetual scowl on his face. "Yes?"


    "Could you go find another rat?" Harry asked. "She''s hungry again."


    Kreacher nodded. "Kreacher will find the worm''s dinner."


    "Worm?!" She hissed furiously as the elf vanished with another crack. "Why that crotchety old bag of bones! I ought to¡ª"


    "Easy," Harry soothed her, stroking her scales. "I''m sure he''s just annoyed by how you petrified him the other day."


    "Well maybe he needs to be petrified again," she glowered at the spot where Kreacher had been a moment earlier.


    He only smirked and shook his head as he walked downstairs, book in one hand, snake on his shoulders, and his mouth nearly hyper-salivating for dinner. He was a little nervous about meeting Andromeda''s family, but he expected that they were probably a lot like her.


    He did not expect the pink ponytail bouncing around the kitchen.


    Harry stopped at the entrance to the dining room, staring at the energetic girl who couldn''t have been much older than himself. Her hair was a stark contrast to Andromeda''s light brown, as was her rather informal attire; a black t-shirt with the words "Tuff Puff" on the front and dark blue jeans. She was lean and barely any taller than Harry was, but with a childish energy the like of which he''d never seen before.


    Even his slithery companion was watching this new individual with a rather dumbfounded expression, with her head tilted to the side like an owl. Meeting Hagrid hadn''t fazed her this much.


    Eventually, the bouncy pink ponytail stopped moving long enough to catch sight of Harry and stared at him. She had big brown eyes and a rather adorable button nose, but that was as much as he could take in before the ponytail squealed and bounced over to him excitedly.


    "Hey, you''re the Potter kid mum told me about!"


    Harry took a step back on reflex, feeling more than a little alarmed at the bouncy pink suddenly in his face. She snatched his free hand faster than he would have thought possible and shook it with an eager grin. "Nice to meetcha! Name''s Nym¡ªor Dora, just don''t call me by my full name! I hate it! Oh, and when you join Hogwarts, try to bribe the Sorting Hat or something so that you end up in Hufflepuff! We''d be super hyped to have you around!"


    "Hu''wha?" Harry managed. He was a split second from running back to his room. This girl was way too much for him to handle. The serpent''s head was reared back¡ªnot in a striking position, but just out of sheer bewilderment.


    "Nymphadora Tonks, what did I say about jumping him like that?" Andromeda appeared behind the girl with a stern look on her face.


    As if Harry couldn''t get any more surprised, the girl''s hair suddenly changed from pink to dark red. "Mum! Don''t say my full name in front of him!"


    "I told you to behave yourself!"


    "It''s Harry Potter, for Merlin''s sake!"


    The pair began to argue, leaving him to watch them warily. He was about to retreat to his room¡ªmaybe he''d come down when things were quieter. But Harry jumped when a finger tapped his shoulder and he spun around to find a tall man standing behind him with a slight smirk on his face. "Best leave them to it, lad. No stopping them once they get started."


    The man ushered Harry past the arguing mother-daughter scene and led him to the kitchen table, where Andromeda''s cooking was already waiting to be devoured.


    Despite still being able to hear the two arguing witches around the corner, the man grinned. "Harry, isn''t it?"


    When he nodded, the man held out one hand. "Ted Tonks. I''m Andromeda''s husband and Dora''s father."


    "Nice to meet you," Harry replied. "Does that happen a lot?"


    "If you''re talking about the arguing, then yes," Ted admitted, looking rather amused. "If you''re talking about Dora''s boundless energy, also yes. And if you''re talking about her hair''s penchant for changing colors unexpectedly, that is also a yes."


    Harry glanced back in the girl''s direction, noticing that her hair was slowly bleeding back from red to pink. "How is she doing that? Is it a spell?"


    "Of a sort," Ted chuckled. "Dora''s a Metamorphmagus."


    "I''m not even going to try and pronounce that," Harry muttered.


    The man laughed. "It''s a mouthful, I''ll admit. She has the ability to change her appearance at will without a wand or a potion, though most of the time it''s a reaction based on her emotions."


    "Are all of you Meta¡­y''know?"


    "No. It''s a rare ability," Ted explained. "Usually only pops up every few generations. I''d even go so far to say it''s as rare as your own ability, Harry."


    "My¡­? Oh, you mean how I can speak to snakes?"


    "Indeed. That is known in the wizarding world as Parseltongue¡ªyou would be called a Parselmouth for being able to speak that language naturally."


    A Parselmouth. Well, at least now Harry had a name for that talent of his. He smiled at the amber-eyed snake still comfortably settled on his shoulder, who was noticeably calmer now that Dora wasn''t rambling in their faces.


    Ted''s eyes trailed to the snake, though he took care to avoid her eyes. "How did you get her?"


    "I made her," Harry admitted. "I guess. The snakes in the garden at my Aunt and Uncle''s house told me how."


    "Fascinating," Ted murmured. "Have you read about her species yet?"


    "No, but I was going to," he hefted the large book in his hands, which Ted quickly took note of. The man chuckled.


    "''Fantastic Beasts'', eh? A good read. Yes, I imagine you''d find something about her in that book."


    A sudden crack next to them had Harry jumping, but he relaxed when he saw that it was only Kreacher. The House Elf had a squirming, fat rat in his grubby hands.


    Ted raised an eyebrow, but Harry grinned. "Thanks, Kreacher. Just set it down."


    "Hurry, or I''ll eat you too!" The snake hissed, practically throwing herself off of Harry''s shoulders to the floor just as Kreacher dropped the rat. She darted after the fleeing animal with surprising speed, snapping her fangs into its back leg. The rat squealed, but before it could retaliate, she threw her body around it in coils to constrict her prey while her venom did its work.


    Kreacher muttered something under his breath and disappeared again. Ted watched the emerald snake as she quickly killed and devoured her dinner. "Hmm. Dinner and a show."


    Harry grinned, but his attention was gained by the entrance of Andromeda and her daughter, who''s hair had, by now, changed back to its original vibrant pink.


    She smiled at him, unabashed despite her argument with her mother. "Sorry about jumping you, Harry. I was just super stoked to meet you. You''re all mum talks about whenever she drops by the house this last week."


    "It''s alright," Harry said. "You just caught me by surprise."


    "That''s a talent of mine," she giggled. "Anyways, let me try this again. Name''s Nym. Or Dora. Just don''t call me by my full name. It''s too much of a mouthful and I hate it."


    "Harry," he responded in kind.


    "Oh yeah, who''s your friend?" Dora asked, tilting her head to look past Harry and at the emerald snake who was now devouring a rather fat rat.


    He shrugged, following her gaze. "She''s my familiar¡­kind of. She wants to pick her own name, though, so I don''t really know what to call her right now."


    Dora grinned. "My kind of girl! Strong and independent, eh?"


    Harry snorted. "With a mouth to match."


    The snake turned to face Harry, her mouth still half-full with rat, and leered at him- sending a message that said plenty despite her current inability to fire a retort in his direction. Harry just smiled at her sheepishly. She probably knew he was only joking. Probably.


    "Right, well it looks like your friend has beat us to dinner," Andromeda said. "Let''s start eating, shall we?"


    They sat down at the table and did just that. Harry had just finished filling up his plate when the emerald snake slithered up the chair leg and lay herself in his lap. He snorted at the prominent bulge in her belly and rather content expression on her face.


    Dora, who was sitting next to him, grinned at the serpent. "She looks happy."


    "She''s always happy when she''s full," he said, letting a small smirk reach his face. "And so am I."


    With that, he began to eat in earnest and the family around him did the same. For several minutes, the only sounds in the dining room were those of the silverware. It was quiet, but nice, Harry thought.


    The fact that he didn''t have to worry about Dudley or Vernon stealing his food had a lot to do with it. Plus he could get seconds and thirds if he wanted to.


    Once they''d eaten their fill and had begun to nibble at what was left, Harry began to ask Dora some questions about Hogwarts. He was dying to know more about the place.


    "There are four houses," she explained. "New students get sorted into one each¡ªthe other members are like your family while you''re at Hogwarts since you dorm with them and such, but don''t be afraid to make friends in other houses as well! It gets boring if you only know the people you dorm with."


    "The four houses are Hufflepuff," Dora patted the words on her shirt with a proud smirk. "Best of the best. Then you''ve got Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. The Gryffs are pretty cool¡ªbit thick at times, but they''re okay more often than not. The Claws tend to keep to themselves most of the time. You''ll want to get to know a few of them though¡ªmakes studying for exams so much easier."


    She sighed and tilted her head back. "Then there are the Snakes¡­"


    Harry raised an eyebrow as the only snake in the room gauged Dora with a daring eye. Daring her to say anything negative about snakes, he bet.


    "They''re¡­well, there are two types of Slytherins¡ªthe ones who are tolerable and the ones who are prats. The tolerable ones are alright; they mostly keep to themselves, like the Claws. I''m not going to go into details about the prats because mum would ground me for saying bad words."


    Andromeda raised an eyebrow. "You know, I was a Slytherin."


    "Yeah, but you''re one of the good ones," Dora said easily. "If you ever meet Marcus Flint or one of his bunch, then you''ll see what I mean. He''s a prat in every meaning of the word."


    "If you''re quite finished worrying my house," Andromeda grumbled, turning her eyes to Harry. "Anyways, all of the houses have their own good and bad qualities, but don''t worry about which one you''re sorted into, Harry. You''ll still be welcome here, regardless."


    "But definitely try to make it into Hufflepuff," Dora grinned, unabashed by her mother''s annoyed look.


    Ted only chuckled at the back-and-forth between his wife and daughter. "I think that''s enough house scouting for tonight, don''t you think?"


    "Oh yeah!" Dora exclaimed suddenly, catching Harry off-guard again. "Pull out that book so we can look up your friend! I wanna know what she is!"


    Andromeda pursed her lips and glanced at Ted, who merely shrugged. "How about you two go to the living room so Andromeda and I can clean up here?"


    Dora didn''t hesitate to snatch Harry''s wrist and practically drag him¡ªhe barely managed to pick up his serpent friend as he was yanked from his chair¡ªto the living room. He had totally forgotten the book on the table, but he was surprised to find that Dora had apparently snagged it along with his wrist.


    She sat him down at the couch and plopped herself right next to him with the thick book in her lap. Harry cringed when he realized how close they were¡ªhe was not used to people getting this close to him unless they were trying to beat him senseless. His body tensed up on that conditioned reflex.


    Dora apparently picked up on that because she had only opened the book up halfway when she paused and glanced at him, frowning slightly. "Is something the matter?"


    Harry was subconsciously leaning away from her and barely managed to stutter. "I-I um¡­"


    "What?" She tilted her head in confusion. Harry froze when Dora leaned her face closer to him, perhaps to hear him better.


    "¡­Too close¡­" The words escaped his mouth in a shaky breath.


    "Oh!" Dora''s eyes widened and she quickly scooted away to the far side of the couch¡ªgiving Harry lots of room to feel more comfortable. "Sorry! Didn''t know you were claustrophobic!"


    That wasn''t nearly enough to describe how he felt about people getting so close in Harry''s opinion, but it would do for now so long as she realized he needed the distance. There was no way he was going to tell her exactly why he didn''t like being close to people¡ªno chance in hell, no sir¡ªso he would let her assume that he just didn''t want people getting that close to him.


    He relaxed just slightly as the amber-eyed serpent, who had coiled herself around his arm, slithered over his neck and let her tongue gently flick his cheek. She hadn''t retaliated against Dora since the girl realized her mistake so quickly. Harry didn''t mind animals getting this close¡ªanimals never hurt him. They had always been the ones to help him. Brief touches from people were¡­okay. He was slowly getting better about those.


    But being pressed up against someone? Absolutely not. It was too early for that.


    Dora chewed her lip thoughtfully for a moment before she lit up. "Ah, how about this?"


    She placed Scamander''s book between them and opened it up, so they could both read it; a good solution given the situation. Dora scanned the glossary while Harry made himself comfortable and the amber-eyed snake settled in his lap where she could look at the book.


    "Let''s see¡­aha! Magical Reptiles and Amphibians start on page 237¡­"


    She skipped to the page and then moved on to the chapter that was solely about snakes and serpents. Each animal had a detailed biography with an image of the creature in question, the latter of which moved around the page. Harry regarded each of the creatures eagerly¡ªeven if most of them looked nothing like his snake.


    There was one snake that was jet-black and had large, silver horns at the base of its skull. Another was literally made of fire and yet another had feathery wings that shimmered with a myriad of colors.


    "Horned Serpent¡­no, there''s no mention of them petrifying their prey," he muttered. "Runespoor¡­also no, she doesn''t have three heads¡­"


    "Thank you for stating the obvious," the serpent replied dryly.


    He smirked at her while he and Dora continued to scan the book. There were over twenty magical snake species that he knew nothing about¡ªwith most of them, he had to read in detail to determine whether or not they were related to the snake in his lap.


    They flipped another page and two more pictures of snakes were revealed. One was a bright emerald with a red crest of feathers and ominous yellow eyes, and the other was a cobra with a crossbones pattern on the bottom of its hood. Before either Harry or Dora could begin to read, the amber-eyed snake in his lap hissed at the first image.


    Harry stared at her in surprise. "What is it?"


    "That''s a male," she hissed. The tip of her tail was vibrating aggressively.


    He blinked at the picture of the emerald snake with the red crest. "Is that what you are, then?"


    Harry wasn''t so sure about that. The moving image of the animal looked nothing like his friend aside from the color. The red crest might have been something specific to males, but there was something about those yellow eyes that were just¡­well, evil. They were a burning, pale gold that looked hungry and cruel¡ªnothing like the soft amber of his friend.


    Dora flicked her eyes down to the biography and began to read. "It''s called a Basilisk. ''Perhaps the most curious and dangerous of all magical snakes, the Basilisk is a snake born from a ritual consisting of placing a chicken egg beneath a toad. It is known as the King of the Serpents and can reach lengths of up to fifty feet long, in addition to possessing one of the most lethal venoms in the wizarding world. What makes the Basilisk unique among snakes is its ability to kill anyone who looks directly into its eyes, although it is said that looking indirectly will petrify a person.''"


    Harry and Dora stared at the snake, who flicked her tongue at them. "Well, don''t look so surprised. My eyes aren''t that strong, yet."


    "She probably can''t kill anyone with her eyes yet because of her age," Harry murmured. Dora eyed the serpent warily, but nodded. She began to read again.


    "''The Basilisk''s scales are tough like dragon hide and repel most offensive magic. The male is said to have a red crest upon its head, although this is merely speculation since no live Basilisk has been seen in well over a hundred years.''"


    "That''s what you think," Harry joked.


    Dora grinned. "''Given its dangerous abilities and tendency to be used by dark wizards, the Basilisk is classified as a XXXXX Magical Creature the highest and most lethal rank amongst all magical beasts. It''s said that the Basilisk answers to now one but Parselmouths, or those few wizards who are born with the ability to speak with snakes.'' Well, that explains why she listens to you. ''Because of its aggressive temperament and killing capabilities, the breeding of Basilisks has been banned since medieval times. The only man known to have successfully controlled a Basilisk was a founder of Hogwarts, Salazar Slytherin.''"


    She leaned back and stared at the snake in his lap. "A XXXXX Class Magical Beast? That''s crazy. That''s up there on the danger scale with some kinds of dragons."


    "Well, what did you expect?" The serpent huffed as she tilted her chin up arrogantly. "Some common worm?"


    Harry was focused on a different detail. If the information in this book was true- and he had no reason to believe otherwise¡ªthen it was illegal to create a Basilisk. And although Harry really didn''t care if he got into trouble for creating her, he was anxious about what would happen to her.


    The wizarding world did not want her to even exist. What would they do now that she did?


    He stiffened as he realized why Kingsley and McGonagall had been so uptight about his friend despite tolerating her. Would they try to take her away from him once he got to Hogwarts? What if he had to leave her behind when he went to school and someone tried to get rid of her?


    No. He wouldn''t let them touch her. She was his friend. She had saved his life. He didn''t care if she was illegal¡ªthey could shove it if they tried to hurt so much as a scale on her head.


    "Harry?"


    His head jerked up when Dora snapped her fingers to get his attention. She was watching him with a confused look. "You good?"


    "Um, yeah," he replied. "Cheery."


    If she realized he was just saying that to cover his troubled state, Dora didn''t say anything. Instead, she closed the book and grinned at Harry, mischief twinkling in her eyes. "Say, why don''t I tell you about two of my best friends at Hogwarts? I think you''ll love them¡ªgreatest pranksters there are. I''ll even introduce you when we get to school."


    He was grateful for the distraction and Harry couldn''t help but let the worries leave his mind as he eagerly listened to Dora about their soon-to-be shared school. Yes, he had a feeling he wouldn''t mind getting to know the two great pranksters she called Fred and George. Gryffindor''s twin-tacular masters of mischief, she dubbed them.


    Oh yes, Hogwarts was sounding more appealing by the second.

 Chapter 377 - My SI Stash #77 - Jumpers Waifus by UltGoater (MHAXMulticross)

    -My man with the Jumpchain got his priorities straight~ W.


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 18K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/jumpers-waifus-body-mod-supplement-waifu-catalog-jumpchain.12826/ (UltGoater)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    After coming to terms with the fact that I did indeed die at the hands of Truck-kun, entering into an incredibly generous contract with The Company and then making all my choices from the Waifu Catalog, Body Mod Supplement and the ''Boku no Hero Academia'' CYOA, the latter because that''s my Starting World, I lose consciousness for what feels like an instant and an eternity at the same time.


    Awareness slowly come back to me, just like you start to wake up from a particularly deep dream, and I eventually open my eyes and rise to sitting position to find myself laying on top of a very comfortable and very big mattress. I look around at my surroundings, staring through the translucent curtains that surround my bed originating from the ceiling, taking in the familiar details of the room I find myself in... except for all the All Might merchandise that is decorating it to the point that it''s beyond tacky and ridiculous.


    "It seems like they took inspiration from the ''Hyoudou Residence'' from ''Highschool DxD''," I mutter and notice how my new voice is different: it''s soft and boyish but still on the deeper side of the spectrum. I can''t help but smile. "The lack of originality is mildly off putting at worst but I''m not going to complain if this is going to be my new house for as long as I stay in this world. Grabbing ''In With Industry'' was the right choice."


    Feeling a bit stiff, I stretch my new body to its fullest and groan in satisfaction as several pops are heard through the empty room. After I''m done with that, I take a meditative pose with my legs crossed and hands resting on my knees as I start to go through the entirety of my new set of memories.


    First of all, my new name is Tatsuya Miyamoto, the former being my given name and the latter being my family name. I use my new memories to see how I look like and I''m not entirely surprised to see that my new appearance consists of the face of Tatsuya Shiba from ''Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei'' and the body of Soon Jin-Woo from ''Solo Leveling'' after he left the hospital following the ordeal that gave him his abilities, albeit quite shorter since I''m currently fourteen years old after all.


    When I chose my ''Drawbacks'' from the ''Boku no Hero Academia CYOA'', the only ones that I chose that couldn''t be countered by the ''Talents'' and ''Defenses'' I chose from the ''Waifu Catalog'' were ''Tragic Backstory'' and ''Bitter Rivalry''. It''s because of that drawback and ''In With Industry'' that the only a.d.u.l.t figures in my life are my grandmother and my mother, my grandfather and my father having tragically and mysteriously died at the hands of a powerful and unknown villain five years ago.


    Knowing what I know and taking into consideration the timeline, I think I have a good idea of who that ''powerful and unknown villain'' might be¡­ but it''s not like I can do anything about it¡­ yet.


    Anyway¡­


    Allow me expand a bit on my new family, both the dead ones and the ones that are still alive.


    My grandfather, the father of my father, was named Hanzo Miyamoto and he possessed the quirk ''Flight'', which allowed him to manipulate a special aerodynamic barrier that passively covered his body. The barrier was very strong and temperature controlled, which allowed him to use it for high speed flight without concern of upper atmosphere cold. He could also feign physical enhancement by leveraging their barrier to lift or strike things in their surroundings. He was also capable of sharing barrier with whatever they''re in contact with, though this thinned out the barrier out and leaves it more vulnerable to overpowering forces or temperatures. He had been a retired Pro Hero when he died.


    My father was named Minato Miyamoto and he possessed the quirk ''Super Regeneration'', which allowed him to recover from most forms of damage and disease at extreme speeds, including the recovery of missing limbs and usually vital organs in seconds. There was no innate downside to the ability and there wasn''t really a way of shutting it off due to its passive nature. Of the few forms of damage that were difficult to repair to him, cauterization by extreme temperatures or volatile chemical burns were the most notable and affected areas had be removed before regeneration could properly start the healing. He was the No. 18 hero, ''Comeback'', when he died.


    My grandmother, the mother of my mother, is named Maya Takahashi and she possess the quirk ''Brick'', which gives her a more powerful and efficient physiology compared to the average man or woman. Musculature weaving, bone structure alteration, there are a number of complexities, though in basic terms it means she is much stronger, faster, tougher and enduring than others. She can throw cars through the air, outrun them even when they are going full speed and just feel pretty sore if she''s actually run over. She also has a higher metabolism, requiring her to eat more than others. Apparently, it took her quite a lot of active practice in her youth to reign in her strength for delicate work. She also used to be a Pro Heroine but she is currently retired.


    And finally, my mother is named Sara Miyamoto and she possess the quirk ''Acceleration'', which allows her to temporarily accelerate both her physical movement speed and perception up to the point that it appears most things around her simply aren''t moving. Although in reality this only lasts the barest fraction of a second, she by her perception has several seconds to do whatever she feels like doing, such as throwing multiple hyper speed punches, disarming enemies who have them surrounded, dodging a massive attack right at their neck and so on. The level of heightened speed and perception is so great that there is a small cooldown between uses where ''Acceleration'' must recharge before she can use it again. My mother is the current No. 15 heroine, ''Accel'', and is very active in Musutafu.


    And now that you know that, I can finally talk about my quirk, which is basically a combination of all of theirs. My quirk is called ''Superman'' and it gives me enhanced strength, speed, agility, reflexes, endurance, durability, stamina, senses and an accelerated healing factor, all of which can be trained further through increasingly more intense, demanding and rigorous training. This quirk also allows me to fly and momentarily slow down my perception of time and move faster than normal at will, abilities which can also be improved through usage and training. Just like my grandmother, I need consume an exorbitant number of calories on a daily basis in order to perform at peak efficiency throughout the day.


    According to my memories, I awakened my quirk when I was four and my parents and grandparents had been extremely happy at me inheriting all of their abilities and they all helped me learn and how to control them until they became the asset they were supposed to be. My abilities currently don''t even hope to hold a candle to that of my parents and grandparents but by virtue of me having all of them I have more potential than them¡­ and that was before ''I'' took over, even if the one who ''created'' Miyamoto Tatsuya and everything that surrounds him was ''Me'' in the first place.


    I open my eyes as I finish reviewing my new memories. I smirk. "It seems like today is my first day as a middle school senior at Aldera Junior High. I wonder if that''s a coincidence," I snort in amus.e.m.e.nt with a shake of my head before I throw off the covers covering my body, my smirk widening as I notice that I am more than just ''well endowed'' despite only being fourteen years old.


    I mean, if I''m going to be biding/slaving females to my will, might as well make it as enjoyable for them as I can, right? I mean, other than giving them infinite potential and immortality, that is. I''m not the only one who is going to benefit from the contract I established with The Company after all.


    I shrug my shoulders and make my way towards the bathroom. It''s time to get ready for school and ''meet'' my mother and grandmother¡­


    -[JW: BnHA]-?


    "Ah! How is my favorite grandson doing this fine morning?! Is he ready for his first day of school?!" Asks a boisterous voice as I enter the combined kitchen, dining room and living room area of the Miyamoto Residence, which I can confirm is basically the same as the one which¡­ is the source of its inspiration, to put it simply.


    Another voice groans tiredly. "Mother¡­ must you be so loud in the morning?"


    "Someone has to pick up the slack for your lack of energy, my dear daughter!"


    "Ugh¡­ I haven''t had enough coffee to deal with this yet," mutters the second voice as I finally reach the kitchen area and its owner smiles at me tiredly, but her motherly love directed at me is undeniable and clear to see. "Good morning, son. Slept well last night?"


    "Of course, he did!" Declares the first, boisterous voice as its owner gave me a grin that projected the love and pride she has for me. "He is my grandson and your son, after all!"


    Maya Takahashi, my grandmother and the owner of the boisterous voice, didn''t look a day over thirty-five years old despite knowing that she is fifty years old and it''s all thanks to her quirk ''Brick'' and the superior metabolism and physiology it gives her. Maya has a great mane of black hair that reaches her knees, a beautiful face and the body of an amazon, the kind a female body builder managed to achieve without losing a single bit of femininity.


    Sara Miyamoto, my mother and the owner of the tired voice, despite being only thirty-two, thanks to her habits and the amount of rigorous extensive exercises she puts herself through every day to keep herself in top condition for hero work, she looks even younger than that. She has shorter black hair than Maya and blue eyes, features which I clearly inherited from her, and her athletic and curvy body more than hints at the physical prowess she possesses. If I am honest, she reminds me of Videl from ''Dragonball Z'' appearance wise, though a bit older and way curvier.


    "¡­that doesn''t even make any sense, mother."


    "Hush, you."


    Leaning on my new memories, ''Social Talent'' and ''Charisma'' heavily for this, I just shake my head and chuckle fondly as I take my seat at the table. "Good morning, mom, grandma. And I slept well, thanks for asking mom¡­ and thanks for your faith in me, grandma. To answer your question, by the way, I''m feeling great and I''m more than ready for my first day as a senior at Aldera," I say as I reach for a pair of pills resting on top of a napkin. Knowing what they were, I pop them in my mouth and wash them down with a glass of water.


    My quirk requires me to consume more than ten thousand calories on a daily basis if I want it to function properly, which I do, and those pills provide that amount of energy. Since they also regulate my metabolism properly, I don''t lose my appetite and I can have five normal meals too, which provides more than two thousand calories to my quirk and body to work with.


    As I fix my plate with my ''typical'' amount of food, Maya starts speaking again. "That''s good to hear, Tatsu-kun! Do you have any plans for after school?" She asks before shoveling mouth into her mouth in a graceful manner. How she manages to do that is beyond me.


    Well, since I doubt you''ll believe me if I tell you that I plan to have a ''faithful meeting'' with Mighty Gal, lesser known as Nana Shimura and eighth holder of One For All, and bind her so I can bang her for the rest of eternity to my heart''s content and have her give me One For All without her losing it, I''ll answer you with something more believable.


    Oh! Did I forget to mention that one of the changes I made with ''Temporal Calibration'' and ''Universal Calibration'' was to have the roles of Nana Shimura and Toshinori Yagi essentially reversed? I mean, All Might still became the Symbol of Peace and Justice and the No. 1 Hero during his timeline, but according to my memories, in this ''version'', Nana Shimura, better known as Mighty Gal, took up both mantles, along with One For All though this bit is unknown of course, after All Might''s sudden death at the hands of a ''mysterious'' and powerful villain¡­


    I shrug my shoulders. "Nothing in particular, I suppose. Just do whatever work the assign us today and train my ass off like always," I said and Maya gives me an approving grin and nod at the last bit. I return it easily.


    "Mmm, speaking of training¡­" Sara starts to say and continues when I turn my focus towards her. She is looking at me seriously. "¡­have you decided to which Hero Academy you are going to apply? I know you are just only starting you last year in middle school but the sooner you make your decision, the better."


    I swallow the food in my mouth before I answer after giving her an understanding mood. "I know, mom. And I have decided," I tell her and I am given two expectant and interested looks before I proceed to elaborate. "The only two real options I have are U.A. and Shiketsu. Even though the two of them have roughly the same amount of prestige, U.A. has overall better facilities, can give me a bigger challenge and provides its students with the most freedom. The choice was kinda obvious after thinking about it for a bit," I say before calmly taking a sip of my orange juice.


    Maya once again gives me and approving grin. "That''s my grandson for you! Always go for the biggest challenge you know can make you push yourself the hardest! The accomplishment will be all the sweeter when you come out of ahead against all odds!" She declares loudly, reaching towards me, wrapping a muscular arm around my neck and dragging my face into one of her firm, perky but still soft b.r.e.a.s.ts as she pats my head. I did nothing to stop it, not that I realistically could, and just enjoyed myself.


    Eventually, Maya released her hold on me and I turned towards Sara, her face a bit annoyed as she looked at Maya, when she began to speak. "That''s good to hear, son. I know this is pointless to ask, but do you want me to write you a recommendation or¡­" she trails off, pouting at the deadpan look her mother gives her.


    I smile in amus.e.m.e.nt at the, according to my new memories, typical byplay. "I appreciate the offer, mom, but I''m going to have to decline. Everything I want to accomplish in the future I want to do so under my own merits and efforts, bot because my family paved the way for me to accomplish those things. I''m sorry if it sounds callous or maybe even ungrateful, but that''s how I feel. The only help I''m willing to get from you when it comes to this is training and you are already giving me that so¡­" I trail off with a shrug of my shoulders as I continue to eat my breakfast.


    Maya nods her head sagely. "Well said. I taught you well."


    "Too well, I''d say," mutters Sara in defeat before she sighs deeply. "Alright, then. I won''t write you a recommendation for U.A. and I''ll just keep helping you train the aspect of my quirk that you inherited, I guess."


    I smile at her. "That''s more than enough, mom. Thanks," I tell her before I finish my breakfast and take my dirty plates and utensils to the dishwasher so I can clean them and then put them in their proper place. According to my memories, despite the size of our house, we are pretty self-reliant and self-sufficient. Maya does all the house chores around here, swearing weighted clothing and strapping weights to herself to actually make it part of her training routine.


    I go back to the table and pick up my bag, strapping it across my torso and smiling at my hot mom and hot grandmother. "I''ll get going now. I don''t wanna be late on my first day," I say and hug them goodbye after the acknowledge my words. As I am hugging them, I produce the stamp, which only I can perceive, and press it to the small of their backs when my arms are wrapped around them. Neither of them notices and it is with a smirk firmly in place that I leave the house.


    There''s no way in hell that I''m going to pass up binding those two, both because of my i.n.c.e.s.t fetish and the fact that each of them is listed as a Tier 5 Waifu, meaning that I''ll be getting 32 Credits for binding them. That will allow me to buy ''Wild Talent'' and ''Wild Defense'', the later of which is the last Defense perk that''s going to be essential for this setting. I might be a selfish and mostly amoral horny bastard, but I''m not stupid.


    I''m going to become as powerful as I can get and take for myself all the females that catch my fancy¡­ whatever it takes.


    -[JW: BnHA]-?


    When I make it to my assigned classroom within Aldera Junior High, I get further confirmation of the changes that ''I'' implemented as two individuals enter the classroom, one of them with an annoyed expression and the other with an excited one, her entire body practically vibrating.


    "Kamui Woods was so cool against that giant villain¡­ and even if Mt. Lady stole his thunder right under him, she was still very cool!" Exclaims the excited one. "And there was also-"


    "Zucchan," says the annoyed one with a clearly annoyed tone.


    "Yes, Kacchan?"


    "Shut up¡­ or I''ll kill you."


    An adorable pout. "Kacchan~. Stop saying mean things like that! It''s not nice."


    "What''s not nice is how you are going to literally talk my ears off one of these days," mutters the annoyed one as the excited one, now pouting, follows the former to their seats side by side a few rows behind me.


    Yes. Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo, or should I say Izumi Midoriya and Katsumi Bakugo, whom according to my memories have been classmates and acquaintances of mine all throughout middle school, are very much female¡­


    ¡­and very much friendly with one another despite Katsumi''s earlier threat. Why? Well, if you know your BnHA lore, there''s only one reason why that would be the case.


    Eventually, the rest of the students arrive and after they all take their seats and the homeroom teacher arrives and introduces himself, a very familiar scene starts to take place.


    "Class! You are middle school seniors now!" Exclaims the homeroom teacher as he waves around a thick stack of paper and looks at us with a serious expression on his face. "It''s time you start seriously thinking about your future now! "I''ll be handing out forms you can fill according to the path you want to take in life in order to determine some of your courses, but..." he trails off as he throws the stacks of paper in the air and smiles airily. "...you all want to be heroes, don''t you?"


    As most of the class start to show off their quirk, I notice that Katsumi has a bored expression on her face as she produces a small explosion on her raised palm and bright green flames dance around Izumi''s palms.


    And yes. That''s the reason why the two of them are friends. Using ''Temporal Calibration'' and ''Universal Calibration'', ''I'' made sure that Izumi Midoriya was born with a quirk, a type of pyrokinesis that allows her to create and control green colored flames. And since I''m going to be taking One For All for myself, I couldn''t in good conscience leave her defenseless and unable to realize her dreams of being a hero, could I? Not only that, but with her having a quirk this time around, her mother shouldn''t be an overweight gremlin, though it wouldn''t really matter thanks to ''Body Talent'', but I still saved Inko Midoriya the trouble of suffering through the self-loathing and stress that led her to become fat.


    After all, there''s no were that says that selfishness can''t be beneficial to other people. Also, this is a personal advice from me: if you can go for the oyakodon with a hot girl and her equally hot mother, always go for the oyakodon.


    Deciding not to be the only one who doesn''t show off their quirk, with a mental prompt I made myself, my chair and my desk levitate a few inches off the ground and keeping myself there. This also allows me to confirm that I do have the amount of control over my abilities that I am supposed to have according to my memories as Tatsuya Miyamoto.


    "Yes! Yes!" Exclaims the teacher joyfully as he stares at all of us using our quirks. "You all have wonderful quirks but you know it''s against the rules to use them during school so settle down!" He orders and we all follow suit. Another mental prompt is enough for me, my chair and my desk to come down to the floor gently, just like I wanted.


    "Oi, sensei," says Katsumi in a smug tone, getting the attention of the entire class. "Don''t go around lumping all of us together, you know? The only ones who''ve got a real chance on becoming heroes are me, Zucchan and Miyamoto over there," she says and gives me an acknowledging nod, which I return, as we lock eyes before going back to what she was saying. "You can''t compare all of our quirks just like that. Ours are on a different ball game."


    "Kacchan! Stop saying mean things¡­" whines Izumi with a slightly nervous look as she looks around the classroom. I notice that she doesn''t refute Katsumi''s words though. Interesting¡­


    The rest of the class start to make their displeasure known at Katsumi''s words.


    She just glare at them with an annoyed expression. "Shut the f.u.c.k up, you extras! Don''t get mad at me for saying the truth just because you can''t handle it."


    "Oh, yeah," pipes in the teacher with an almost idle tone of voice. "Bakugo and Midoriya are aiming for U.A., right?" He asks rhetorically and the entire class freezes as they stare at the two of them, Katsumi uncaring and annoyed and Izuku bashful and nervous, in shock. The teacher then turn towards me. "I would assume you are in the same boat as them, correct, Miyamoto?"


    I nod at the man. "Yes. I made my final decision this morning after debating the merits between U.A. and Shiketsu for a few days," I informed him calmly with a shrug of my shoulders. I withheld a smirk as several shocked stares were thrown my way as well.


    As the rest of the class start to exclaim about how getting into U.A. is basically impossible, I feel a heated stare on me and turn towards Katsumi and only raise an eyebrow in reaction to her red eyes boring into mine with a glare. "Yes?"


    "¡­ You better stay out of my f.u.c.k.i.n.g way if you don''t want to get killed," she says simply.


    "Kacchan~," whines Izumi again as her eyes flick towards me, almost her entire face going red and verting her gaze hurriedly when she sees that I''m looking at her. Heh. According to my memories she has a crush on me, which is nice. "Stop being mean to Miyamoto-kun! Isn''t he someone you respect?"


    "That doesn''t have to do anything with my willingness to kill him if he proves to be worthless," she responds easily. Well, of course Katsumi Bakugo is a tsundere. My new memories of her and ''Social Talent'' tell me that she is also attracted to me though she is in a bit of denial and doesn''t really know how to express it.


    Well, if I have anything to say about it, and I do, they''ll be expressing those feelings pretty easily soon enough¡­


    After Katsumi''s abrasive words, Izumi turns towards me and with her face still red, she gives me a nervous and apologetic look. I just smile at her, making her face go even redder, and shake my head and shrug, indicating that there''s no issue whatsoever. Her smile loses her nervous edge¡­ and she squeaks cutely before looking away when she realizes that she continued to stare at me almost in a daze. Before I turn away, I catch Katsumi frowning and then scoffing.


    The homeroom teacher then manages to calm everyone down and the day continues normally.


    -[JW: BnHA]-?


    After school is done, I notice how Katsumi and Izumi leave the premises together but no in the direction of any nearby train station, according to my new memories. With a shrug of my shoulders, I keep that in mind but start to make my way towards the same train station that I used to come to school, pulling out my phone and checking the news from this morning with a smirk.


    Apparently, I will be having my ''fateful'' meeting with Nana Shimura very soon, since just like All Might in canon, she was seen giving pursuit to the Sludge Villain this morning after he robbed someone. As things stand right now, it is entirely up to me to make a good enough impression on her so she makes me her successor and the next torchbearer of One For All and I think I''ve got just the thing.


    Using my new memories to easily navigate through the streets, I eventually a reach a certain familiar tunnel. I take a deep breath and psych myself up for what I know is about to happen as I go past the manhole cover that is at the other end of the tunnel.


    My enhanced senses pick up the sound and smell of something disgusting moving behind me and I turn around to see the Sludge Villain coming out of the manhole and looks more disgusting in person than he did in the anime or the manga.


    "Well, well, well¡­ what do we have here? A disguise¡­ in¡­ si¡­ ze¡­"


    I don''t let him start speaking properly as I activate the aspect of my quirk that allows me to slow down my perception of time around me and speed myself up. Since I currently only have a few seconds, from my perspective, in this state, I abuse ''Mind Defense'' to not hesitate for even a single moment. Without holding anything back, I get close to Sludge Villain and punch him two times, one in each eye, with all of my current strength, which should be ten times that of a full-grown man at the moment. I immediately start to fly back and my perception of time goes back to normal as I am putting distance between the two of us.


    "Gah! What the f.u.c.k?!" Screeches the Sludge Villain in agony with his disgusting double-layered gurgling voice as he grabs at his injured eyes with the sludgy appendages that pass off as hands.


    "I''m sorry but that''s what you get when you sneak up on me," I deadpanned at him with no sincerity or remorse at all since I know he was not going to hesitate to take over my body. I also know that the only reason I managed to hit him was because I caught him off guard. I don''t have any doubts that I am currently no match for someone that managed to give All Might the slip for hours in canon.


    The Sludge Villain growls and removes his hands from his eyes, which are now bloodshot and swollen making him look even more ridiculous, and glares at me. "You f.u.c.k.i.n.g brat! I''ll make taking over your body extremely painful!" He screams and lashes out at me with a tendril of sludge. The appendage is almost a blur and I can only perceive it because, according to my new memories, I''m used to my mother moving many times faster than that¡­ while my perception of time is slowed down.


    Since I don''t have enough time to dodge, I brace myself for impact but before the attack hits me a figure drops from the sky and lands in between the tendril and me, taking the hit without as much as a flinch.


    "There''s no need to worry, young man!" Exclaims Mighty Gal, Nana Shimura, as she looks back at me with a fearless grin on her beautiful face. Her well-built and voluptuous body is clad in a black, sleeveless bodysuit with a high collar, yellow elbow-length gloves and yellow knee-high boots. Around her waist is a belt with an angular golden buckle, a small red cape attached around the back which hung down to her knees, and over her shoulders was a longer white cape, buttoned to the shoulders of her bodysuit. "For I am here!" She exclaims as she turns back to focus on my attacker.


    Somehow, the Sludge Villain pales as his disgusting and constantly shifting starts to tremble. "Yo-you! Ho-how?!"


    "I have nothing to say to you, villain!" She exclaims before c.o.c.king her right arm back. "Texas¡­" she trails off before punching at the Sludge Villain from a distance. "¡­SMASH!" She shouts and a funnel is wind pressure is produced from her fist, the strong winds visible to the n.a.k.e.d eye as they reach the Sludge Villain in the blink of an eye and practically disintegrate him. I even have to brace myself to not be pushed back even if the attack is being aimed away from me despite my enhanced body.


    She then becomes a blur and before I can blink twice, she is holding up in victory two bottles with the remains of the Sludge Villain sealed inside of them. "And that takes care of that!" She declares firmly but before turning towards me and giving me a look of concern as she gets close to me with another blink to my eyes. "Thank goodness that you are okay, young man! Please forgive me since you were put in danger because my incompetence! I don''t know what came over me today¡­" she trails off and actually bows at me, her words and demeanor mostly sincere according to ''Social Talent'' and ''Charisma'', but I know what she is lying about. She knows exactly ??what came over her today''. "If there''s anything I can do to compensate for it, I shall do it¡­ within reason of course!" She exclaims, smiling at me earnestly and expectantly.


    Alright, time to roll for a combo of bullshit and truth. Let''s hope I don''t f.u.c.k this up.


    "Well, first of all, thank you for saving me, Might Gal. I don''t know what would have happened to me if you hadn''t arrived when you did," I tell her, ''Social Talent'' making it trivially it easy to express myself sincerely, fake or not.


    Nana waves it off. "Ah! There''s no need to thank me, young man, even if I greatly appreciate it! Even if we ignore the fact that it was my fault you found yourself in danger because of me, I feel like I don''t deserve your gratitude," she says with a self-deprecating chuckle.


    "Nobody''s perfect, Mighty Gal. What matters is that you still prevented me from being harmed by the villain. I don''t care about anything else," I tell her and much to my surprise, I am rewarded with a small blush as she averts her gaze for a moment. When she focus back on me, I continue speaking. "As for what I would like from you¡­ can you spare me a few minutes of your time, please? I need to talk to you."


    At that, just like I expected, Nana''s expression becomes strained and a bit nervous. "Well, you see, I''m afraid I don''t really have time for that! Justice waits for no one, as you know? Maybe an autograph and a picture can suffice, yes?" She asks me and it''s only thanks to ''Social Talent'' and ''Charisma'' that I catch the hidden urging and pleading in her voice.


    I put an understanding expression on my face. "Ah¡­ I see. You are nearing your time limit because of your injury, aren''t you¡­" I trail off as she freezes and pales, my eyes locking with hers. "¡­ Nana Shimura?"


    She takes a step back seemingly without her conscious input. "Wh-what¡­ Ho-how¡­?" She whispers, her voice full of dread and denial.


    I just sight and make sure that my eyes don''t stray away from hers. "Like I said, we need to talk. And if the information I have is as¡­ sensitive¡­ as I think it is, I believe we better have this conversation in private."


    As she just continues to stare at me, I allow myself a mental smirk. I casted the hook and got her attention. Now it''s time to see if she takes the bait so I can reel her in and ''catch'' her. Let''s just hope that I don''t get locked in while at it¡­


    -[JW: BnHA]-?


    "Alright. Nobody can hear us here," says Nana after we find ourselves on top of a familiar looking rooftop. If she was surprised at the fact that I could also fly, she didn''t show it. Her expression became stony and her eyes hard after she ''recovered'' from the shock caused by my question. "Talk. Now," she orders with severity, crossing her arms across her chest and pining me in place with her sight alone and the force of her sheer presence. She has also hit her time limit, and unlike All Might in canon who turned into a walking skeleton, Nana just loses her muscles and a few inches of height, looking like a normal woman and a bit different now.


    It''s only thanks to ''Mind Defence'' and ''Social Talent'' that I manage to keep my cool and show how nervous she is making me right now. "Before you pulverize me with a single punch¡­" I trail off in a slightly joking manner, only earning further furrowed eyes as she stares at me. I sigh. "My age aside, it''s obvious I''m not your enemy, Mighty Gal. I wouldn''t have come to you directly if I was, would I? I don''t have a death wish," I deadpan at her.


    That finally ends a snort as she relaxes a bit. "That much I can tell," she admits before she shakes her head and looks at me with a frown. "But I still would very much like an explanation as to how you now something that only a select few are supposed to know. And I know for a fact that neither of those people would leak that information."


    Alright, here we go¡­


    I look at her in the eye and do my best to convey all the sincerity I can muster. "To be completely honest, I''m not sure how or why it happened. I only know what happened," I tell her and continue my ''explanation'' after she nods at me to proceed. "When I woke up this morning, I somehow knew about you, your injury, your time limit, All Might, One For All¡­" Her eyes go wide in shock again at this. "¡­and All For One," I finish, watching her as she recoils and pales even more than before.


    "¡­what?" She whispers the question in utter disbelief.


    "The only logical explanation that I could come up with after spending most of the morning theorizing is that just like your former sidekick, Sir Nighteye, can look into the future, I was somehow momentarily able to look into the past even though that has nothing to do with my quirk," I tell her earnestly with a serious expression on my face. "That''s how I also knew that I would be meeting you today, which is the reason why I acted so calm upon meeting you, which I know is not something you normally get from your fans," I say with a chuckle at the end.


    Nana takes a deep breath and chuckles hollowly when she registers my voice. "I have to admit that in the back of my mind I did find weird how calmly a young teen like you was acting after being attacked by a villain and being saved by me," she says before giving me a tentative look. "When you say that you know about me, All Might, One For All and¡­ that man¡­" she trails off, her voice seething in hatred at end.


    I nod my head. "I shown everything regarding those things. I know about how One For All came to be, that All Might was the seventh torchbearer before he was killed by All For One after he passed the torch to you, his pupil and successor¡­" I trail off, giving her a look of sympathy as her expression become pained as I make her recall those painful memories. "I also know that you are currently in search of a successor yourself and it being the reason why you are here in Musutafu."


    She adopts a guarded disposition and gives a defensive and skeptical look at that. "Are you trying to imply that the reason you somehow got all of that information it''s because you are to be the next torchbearer? I am sorry, but while I appreciate you coming clean with this as soon as you were able to, that''s not something I can''t really decide just over something like this," she says with a steely voice, completely refusing to budge on the matter.


    In response, much to her visible surprise, I shrug my shoulders uncaringly. "I don''t know if the possibility of me being the next successor of One For All is the reason why I was given this knowledge but, I''m not going to lie. The possibility did cross my mind and I am willing to bear with the burden. However¡­" I trail off and she gives me a very focused look of interest after hearing my words. "¡­I think there''s more¡­ ambiguous¡­ reason as to why I was given this knowledge."


    She raises an eyebrow at my choice of words. "And that reason would be¡­"


    I make sure to grimace a bit. "I''m pretty sure I can heal you from your injury and make it so you don''t lose One For All if you decided to pass it on¡­" I trail off as she goes wide eyed and unbidden a glimmer of hope fills her eyes, even if she remains mostly skeptical. "¡­but there''s a catch."


    She becomes guarded again. "And that would be?"


    I avert my eyes and look away as I rub the back of my head, conveying as much embarrasment as I can muster. "¡­ the stuff about you, All Might, One For All and All For One wasn''t the only thing that I was given. I also know how to, erm, ''bind'' you to me, which lets me share some of my abilities with you and¡­ locks in¡­ your abilities, for a lack of a better term, when I do so."


    Nana frowns and narrows her eyes. "I''m going to go on a limb and say that there''s something more to this than just simply binding us together."


    I nod, still not looking at her as if I''m still embarrassed. "You are going to end up falling in love with me," I mutter, forcing a light blush to appear on my cheeks.


    Nana stares at me for a long moment before she throws her head back and laughs uproariously. This last for more than a minute before she is wheezing and then coughing. I notice a bit of blood on her fist as she covers her mouth when she coughs. She looks at me with mirth clear in her face. "Ah, I needed that. That was a good one¡­" she trails off and the amus.e.m.e.nt leaves her face when she takes a look at my face. "You are serious," she deadpans.


    I just nod at her. At this point, there''s no need to question the veracity of my words after it became clear that I have knowledge in my possession that I am simply not supposed to have. "I am afraid so. And while that wouldn''t be a terrible fate as far as I am concerned¡­" I say, internally smirking as Nana blushes and looks away in embarrasment because I just had no issues whatsoever with her falling in love with me. "¡­I think it''s only fair you have a say in this, considering the benefits that would come with it along with the downsides."


    Nana gives a slight nod at that and starts to think deeply. I wait patiently for almost five minutes of her just staring at the ground with a focused expression on her face. When she is done thinking, she looks up at me. "Before I make a decision, and yes I believe everything you''ve said so far for obvious reasons, what are those abilities you will be able to share with me that would heal me and make it so One For All stays always with me even if I pass it on?"


    "I don''t know exactly how it''s going to lock One For All in for you," I admit, making myself come across as more believable since I''m willing to admit that I don''t know everything. ''Social Talent'' for the win. "But as for healing you¡­ what do you know about the heroes Jetbooster, Amazon, Comeback and Accel?"


    She has to think for a moment before she answers me. "Jetbooster and Amazon used to be top heroes and colleagues of All Might, if memory serves me right. Accel is currently the No.15 Heroine and has her agency here in Musutafu. Comeback used to be the No.18 Hero and he also used to operate here in Musutafu. Jetbooster, who had been retired at the time just like Amazon, and Comeback were killed under mysterious¡­ circ.u.mstances¡­" she slowly comes into a realization as she speaks the words. "Wait! You think that¡­"


    I nod at her gravely, my voice taking an edge of anger. "After waking up with this knowledge suddenly in my head this morning, I have more than enough reasons to believe that All For One is behind the deaths of my father and grandfather," I say and her eyes widen again in surprise. I give her a bitter smile as I rise my arms slightly at my sides, as if presenting myself to her. "My name is Tatsuya Miyamoto, only son of Accel and Comeback and grandson of Jetbooster and Amazon. All four of their quirks seemingly combined into one in me, giving me several physical enhancements, the ability to fly, slow down my perception of time, a superior physiology and a super healing factor. Those las two are the abilities I believe would heal you if you decide that me binding you to me is worth the benefits," I say, laying it all out for her, clearly giving her a choice.


    But, you see, with someone like Nana Shimura, roles reverses or not, there''s not much of a choice to be made when in the end of the day the only thing she has to worry about is falling in love with a fourteen year old that''s going to heal her and give her the opportunity to keep being the Symbol of Peace and Justice the world needs. Specially, since for as far as she is concerned, I''ve been nothing but truthful to her because I had no reason to lie to her, right?


    As her face fills with resolve and her eyes look resolutely into mine, it takes all the power of my perks for me to not start laughing victoriously like a clich¨¦ evil villain right on the spot. I AM going to become a hero after all.

 Chapter 379 - My SI Stash #79 - Pokémath by A Hobbyist (Pokemon)

    -Munchkin SI fics are fun, but the author really needs to stop focusing on the mechanics after a while and actually advance the story.


    Synopsis: A pseudo-genius with a photographic memory on all things pok¨¦mon gets the opportunity of a lifetime: he finds himself in the pok¨¦mon world. He''s played the games, watched the show, read the wiki, seen the videos, and now he''s about to live the life. But how well will his memory match up with this new reality? The answer: enough to exploit the crap out of everything.


    Rated: T


    Words: 68K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13620568/1/Pok%C3%A9math (A Hobbyist)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2


    This is an AU of Pok¨¦mon, sort of a hodgepodge of the games and TV show. Most of the technical details will come from the games, while story elements will borrow more heavily from the anime and other sources. Be warned that even if you''re very familiar with both mediums of Pok¨¦mon, major events won''t play out like you expect, especially given how much our main character will be messing things up. I repeat, this is an AU, an Alternate Universe.


    And when I say our protagonist has a photographic memory on all things pok¨¦mon, I do mean ALL THINGS - not just Nintendo canon, but fan-made content as well. If you can find it on the web and it''s related to pok¨¦mon, the main character''s brain is (theoretically) allowed to know about it. The only thing he''s NOT allowed to know are facts about THIS fictional world - he isn''t allowed to know, in advance, if his knowledge matches reality until he discovers it for himself. Also, his photographic brain applies only to pok¨¦mon and pok¨¦mon-related facts, nothing else, which is why he''s only a ''pseudo'' genius. The rest of him will be dedicated to more mundane things. Furthermore, he will have an amnesiac memory when it comes to anything about his past that ISN''T related to pok¨¦mon. The whole ''what about my old life?'' drama isn''t the point of this story. This might make the first couple of chapters a bit rough around the ''suspension of disbelief'' edges, but better that than typical edgy isekai angst in my opinion. If the resulting (un)believability of this bothers you, I understand.


    As a final note, anything that has been Underlined (aside from each chapter title) is a direct reference to existing content. I''ll put an asterisk (*) next to the references and provide sources in footnotes at the end of each chapter. The many indirect references in this story won''t be underlined, and I''d be interested how many people catch those hints. Underlined sentences will be in the spirit of direct quotes, not vague hints.


    I should also mention that I like reviews, and this story and its errors are constantly being improved by feedback. But don''t feel like you have to force yourself to write one. Watching the favorites and follows counter tick up makes me... almost as happy as reviews. If you do review, please stick to one review per chapter at most. PM me if you think of anything else you want to add afterwards.


    With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy. The first three scenes set the stage, and then the story starts in full.


    Chapter 1 ¨C Pickup Palooza


    In a lab on Cinnabar Island...


    "Please, please let my theories be true."


    The Pok¨¦mon doctor paced in his lab.


    "I must see my little girl smile again."


    Slowly, he came to a stop in front of a glowing amber light, suspended in literal thin air.


    "I''ve reawakened her consciousness here in this chamber. I just need to keep it viable long enough to complete the process."


    He raised a hand to touch the glass.


    "She lives within this light. Her energy is undeniable. If my cloning theories are correct, I''ll have you back with me one day soon."


    His gaze briefly flickered to the test tube beside her, which contained a purple pok¨¦mon suspended in liquid. It flicked to the left, revealing a tube containing the cloned body of a ten-year-old human. Then it settled back on the tube containing his daughter.


    "I''ll do ANYTHING to see you again."*


    One exploding lab later...


    "Boss, what do we do with the kid?" A Team Rocket grunt asked.


    Giovanni looked upon the ''empty clone'', as Dr. Fuji had called it. The thing had been delivered as a proof-of-concept that cloning worked on people, if not pok¨¦mon. The doctor had sent it to him, along with a request of more funds for a new lab. Fuji claimed it could revolutionize replacement limbs and organs in medicine.


    But Giovanni had told the Doctor that the ethicists would have his guts for garters if he tried to grow humans in test tubes, especially if their ultimate purpose was to be cut up and served on a silver platter to other humans like livestock. He had been speaking metaphorically, but he knew the moralists of the world would probably use that same language if they ever found out, and they would mean it literally.


    Out loud, Giovanni said only "Dispose of it. Leave no traces to us."


    It wasn''t truly alive, after all, so Giovanni had no qualms with washing his hands of the problem.


    As the grunts picked up the body and moved it back into the bag, no one realized the clone wasn''t quite as empty as they thought.


    A consciousness collides with its new container...


    Of course, it would be hard to remain ignorant of the clone''s new condition if, halfway through lugging it across Viridian, the bag you were hauling began to move on its own.


    "What the distortion world?!" one of the rocket grunts exclaimed, suddenly stopping and looking at the bag with wide eyes. Then he hastily looked around to make sure his outburst hadn''t drawn any attention.


    Thankfully, it was so late at night that it was early in the morning, though the sun hadn''t risen yet. No one was awake, let alone walking the streets like the grunts were.


    When he saw the coast was clear, he looked to his partner. "I thought the boss said this kid wasn''t really alive!"


    "What do we do now?!" the other asked in a harsh whisper. She also looked around, making sure they were alone and unobserved.


    The first grunt glanced nervously at the bag. "The boss said this couldn''t be connected to us."


    "You''re not suggesting we..." she trailed off, horrified. They may be Team Rocket, but even they had lines they did not cross.


    "No, no," the other said quickly. "I mean we can''t be here when he wakes up."


    She breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Let''s just put the bag by that dumpster over there," he said, pointing to an alley, "unzip it a little, and scram. That way, we won''t be here when he wakes up."


    "But what if the Muk Truck comes before then? He''ll be crushed!"


    "Not inside the dumpster, idiot!" he shouted. "Just next to it. He can wake up, call Officer Jenny, do whatever. So long as we''re not here when that happens, we''ll be golden."


    The girl grunt thought a moment, then nodded. "Okay, good idea."


    The consciousness and container merge successfully, and our story begins...


    A foul smell filled his nostrils, waking him up instantly and causing him to scrunch his nose and furrow his brows. Then he felt something brush up against his arm, and he flinched.


    "Grime!" his ears heard, but his eyes could not see.


    A brief struggle revealed why he was blind: his entire boy, except for his mouth and nose (unfortunately), were covered by some sort of plastic ¨C almost like a sleeping bag. After a bit of struggling, and after managing to expand the hole on his face to expose his eyes, he realized that it was not a sleeping bag, but a body bag.


    "Grimer!" his ears heard again, and this time his eyes saw a fleeing pile of sludge, thankfully taking its horrid smell with it as it turned around a corner.


    Wait a minute... he thought. Was that-?


    But before his brain could get any further, it was interrupted by another sound, this time from above him.


    He couldn''t quite see over the lid of the dumpster from his place on the ground, so he couldn''t see what it was. He decided to put all his efforts into escaping the bag ASAP, in case it was dangerous. He saw a purple stain on the side of the black plastic bag and on the ground when he was halfway out. Thank goodness this thing is waterproof, he thought to himself, carefully avoiding the putrid puddle as he extracted himself through the bag''s opening. Then, on second thought, he covered the puddle with the bag, so he wouldn''t step on it by accident.


    That same shuffling noise came again.


    He slowly pulled himself to his feet, then shivered at the cold air. Unfortunately, the body bag had been the only thing protecting him from the elements.


    I''ll have to find some clothes, he thought. But first...


    Carefully, he peeked over the edge of the dumpster so he wouldn''t startle what was inside.


    Two furred legs and a raised tail filled his vision. Just a cat, he sighed.


    Then, he saw the contents of the dumpster: a great number of items that, before this point, he had only ever seen as pixels on a screen. One item in particular caught his eye, and he reached out to take it, ignoring the cat for now. His fingers wrapped around the tiny pok¨¦ball, removing it from the pile of used potions, empty elixirs, and discarded debris.


    It looked, well, real, for lack of a better word. Not made of some cheap plastic, but a shiny metal that was far more dense and heavy than anything that size should be. Curious, he pressed the button in the middle, then shouted in surprise as the ball expanded to fill his entire palm.


    This in turn startled the cat ¨C no, the Meowth ¨C which was a further surprise, and drew another squawk from his lips.


    This combination of shocks, in such quick succession, made him lose his grip on the pok¨¦ball, and he dropped it.


    Right on top of the Meowth.


    Bweeeeoop.


    He stared at the place where the Meowth had been.


    Blip.


    Then he looked to the Pok¨¦ball.


    Blip.


    He saw it give a second shutter.


    Blip.


    His eyes widened. No way...


    Ding!


    For a moment, everything was still.


    You just caught a Meowth, his brain told him.


    But... how? he asked, almost in a state of stupor.


    Meowth has a capture rate of 255, the highest there is. At full health, you had a 43.9% chance to capture-


    Not that! he interrupted himself. I meant how could I capture a Meowth in REAL LIFE? Pok¨¦mon don''t exist!


    Apparently they do, his brain smugly pointed out. Then, as another breeze blew by, Oh, and don''t forget: you''re still n.a.k.e.d.


    THAT got his attention. He glanced around to see if anyone could see him accidentally streaking in the alley. Thankfully, no one seemed to be nearby.


    Then his eyes returned to the dumpster, and the pok¨¦ball on top of the discarded items.


    Well, he thought. If I found a pok¨¦ball, maybe I can find some clothes.


    Putting the pok¨¦ball on the ground for now (so he wouldn''t lose it), he hoisted himself above the lid and began shuffling around, opening bags, and rearranging garbage. Fortunately, it wasn''t smelly garbage ¨C no rotting organic matter. Unfortunately, there was a lot to sift through, so it took him a good deal of time before he finally found something he could wear: a pair of swim trunks. He actually found two pairs, but the other set was for girls. Both were sized for a.d.u.l.ts, which he had thought would be just fine until he actually tried putting the mens pair on.


    Apparently, his body was much smaller than he implicitly expected.


    Thankfully, the pair of trunks had an adjustable waist cord, so he could wear them even despite the size difference.


    You are now Swimmer- his brain began, but then blew a fuse. Swimmer... what''s our name again?


    That, too, stopped him in his mental tracks ¨C almost as much as being n.a.k.e.d had.


    My name... my name is... he mentally trailed off, eyes going distant. I can''t remember, he thought finally. Why can''t I remember my own name?


    Because the professor of this region hasn''t given you the chance to name yourself yet, his brain thought snidely.


    That can''t ACTUALLY be true, he argued.


    Even if it isn''t, his brain thought, your journey can''t officially begin until you talk to a pok¨¦mon professor. You can think about your name on the way.


    What journey?


    Your Pok¨¦mon journey, of course! His brain sounded happy. Why else would we be here?


    He thought about it for a while. Eventually, a smile began to form on his lips.


    You''ve been turned into a ten-year-old from... whatever you were before, transported to the Pok¨¦mon World, and you can''t remember a thing about your old life. His brain summed up nicely. What are you waiting for, a signed invitation? This is just like the games, except with amnesia, which we can worry about later. As Oak would say, a world of adventure awaits!


    He hopped out of the dumpster, scooped up the pok¨¦ball on the ground, and pressed the central button. This did not release the pok¨¦mon within, as he thought it would. Instead, the ball shrunk back to its tiny size. He frowned, pressed the button again, and tried to puzzle out how to release it.


    In the anime, they just throw the balls in front of them, his brain supplied.


    "Hmm," he said out loud. "Worth a shot." He gave it a toss. "Go, Meowth!"


    The ball spun through the air in a projectile arc for just a brief moment before it opened. It spat out a white light that forced the ball backwards, allowing him to catch it from the air again.


    The light coalesced on the ground in front of him, slowly taking the shape of a pok¨¦mon.


    "Meowth!" it cried.


    He looked down at the Meowth, which looked back up at him expectantly.


    "Um... hi?" he asked.


    The Meowth looked up, tilting its head, but doing nothing else.


    Wait a minute, he thought. Do pok¨¦mon even understand people?


    They do in the TV show, his brain supplied. But in the games, they only need to understand how to use their moves.


    What moves does Meowth know? he questioned.


    At low level? his brain questioned back. Growl is always learned at level 1. And if we exclude the most recent generation of the games, so is scratch.


    Growl is as good a place to start as any, he thought with a nod. There aren''t any targets around, so Meowth might target me, but that should be okay if we stick to status moves.


    "Meowth," he said out loud. "Use growl!"


    Meowth, who had been watching him curiously up until that point, dropped into a battle stance and let out a muffled growl. A visible wave emanated from the cat, directly at him.


    The boy felt his resolve waver and his muscles quake as the attack hit him.


    Note to self, he thought. Don''t test any more attacks on self.


    Noted, thought his brain.


    Also... he leaned forward, looking at the Meowth''s mouth. What''s that in its lips?


    His pok¨¦mon seemed to be grasping a small, shiny ball of gold between firmly clenched teeth.


    It''s a held item, his brain supplied. A nugget. Wild Meowth have a 5% chance of holding one in Fire Red and Leaf Green, the third generation of games. Sells for 5,000 pok¨¦mon dollars.**


    That could buy me some real clothes, he thought, reaching out to take the nugget.


    The Meowth let out a hiss at his hand.


    Great, he groaned. Of course this wouldn''t be easy.


    "Meowth," he said out loud. "Drop the nugget."


    Of course, nothing happened.


    "Meowth," he tried again. "Release your held item."


    Still, nothing happened.


    Several more attempts were made in the same vein, each just as failed as the last.


    So, this is more like the video games than the show, his brain observed. It can''t understand non-battle commands.


    Or it just doesn''t want to give up the nugget, he thought back. And if this were like the video games, I''d be able to take away its held item while it was still inside its pok¨¦ball. And I''d be able to do it without a fuss.


    Either way, his brain gave a mental shrug. See if it can understand things other than battle moves that DON''T involve taking away its nugget.


    "Meowth," he said, "go fetch that bottle." He pointed to an empty potion bottle that had fallen out of the dumpster.


    The Meowth looked at the bottle but didn''t move.


    "Meowth," he said, "spin in a circle."


    The Meowth looked at him, still not moving.


    Again, several more attempts at communication were made, but the Meowth did nothing.


    This isn''t working, he groaned. I don''t think it''ll be able to understand anything but its name. And battle moves.


    Possibly, his brain conceded. But we haven''t ruled out everything. You know how pok¨¦mon talk to each other in the show?


    Yes...


    And you remember Starter Squad?


    Yes. Where are you going with- OH NO!


    Oh YES! He felt his brain grinning at him evilly. Or, it would have been, if it had a mouth to grin with. If you REALLY want to be sure this Meowth can''t understand you, then you must rule out THAT possibility as well.


    I hate you, he thought.


    Come on, chop chop. This theory won''t test itself.


    He looked at the Meowth apprehensively, then looked around to make sure no one was watching.


    Please please PLEASE don''t let this work, he thought. He opened his mouth, and as he thought the words ''Meowth, drop the nugget!'', out loud he said the words "Human, hume hume human!"***


    In the TV show, pok¨¦mon communicate with each other by repeating their species name over and over again. The pok¨¦mon of the show use this as actual language, acting as if they were saying and hearing multiple words. In some cases, Team Rocket''s Meowth would translate their ''words'' into full-blown human language. But humans don''t hear anything aside from pok¨¦mon names.


    A clever fan by the name of Shippiddge noticed this and wondered if the reverse was true as well. In a fan-made animation he named ''Starter Squad'', a story following the three starter pok¨¦mon of Kanto, it is revealed what pok¨¦mon hear whenever a human says something. They hear: ''Human human human.''


    And so, the boy''s brain had offered the following hypothesis: If pok¨¦mon understand each other by saying their species name over and over again, then maybe Meowth will understand you if you say YOUR species name over and over again.


    Which brings us to the result of his little test: the Meowth in front of him blinked, then dropped the nugget. The gold ball had fallen onto the ground, not into his open hand like he had implied. But still...


    "AAAAARRG!" he shouted, slapping both palms on his face, one covering each eye. "I can''t believe that WORKED!"


    His outburst startled the Meowth, but other than jumping slightly, it stayed where it was.


    With great frustration, he reached out and took the nugget. I hate you, he thought to his brain viciously.


    Your welcome, his brain thought back, rather smugly. Just think, every time you want to communicate with your pok¨¦mon, you just open your mouth and say-


    NO! he interrupted. There HAS to be a better way. HAS TO! I refuse to believe otherwise.


    Your funeral, his brain shrugged mentally. So, what next?


    Didn''t we decide on finding a Pok¨¦mon professor?


    Yup. The nugget implies this is the Fire Red or Leaf Green version of Gen 3, his brain theorized, so that would mean going to Pallet town and finding Professor Oak.


    The boy paused. "Where even AM I?" he asked out loud.


    The Kanto region, almost certainly. His brain supplied. Meowth are found on Routes 5, 6, 7, and 8. Plus various locations on the Sevii Islands.


    I don''t think we''re on an island, he thought, looking around himself. I think we''re in a city.


    There are cities on islands, his brain pointed out. Then, suddenly, Wait! A few Pok¨¦dex entries claim that Meowth are urban. In the games you can''t catch wild-grass pok¨¦mon in cities, but here...


    There are probably pok¨¦mon in cities. Makes sense, he thought back. Stray cats spend their time in towns, not forests. So where are we?


    That''s a good question, his brain answered.


    You don''t know?


    I''m not a map, his brain snarked.


    I thought you knew EVERYTHING there was to know about pok¨¦mon, he snarked back.


    I do! his brain snapped. In THEORY. But we''ve never actually put any of this knowledge to practice, outside of the video games. I need INPUT, and right now, all I see is a dirty alley. Find a landmark if you want to know where we are so badly.


    Fine, fine, he thought. Sheesh, no need to get so defensive.


    I''m your brain, it thought back. I''m a figment of YOUR imagination. If I sound insecure about my pok¨¦mon knowledge, it means YOU are insecure about your pok¨¦mon knowledge.


    He rolled his eyes. Yeah, whatever.


    "Now," he said out loud, turning to face the nearest street. "I need to get out of this alley."


    Aren''t you forgetting something? his brain asked.


    "Meowth!" came a voice from beside him.


    Oh, right.


    He looked down to find Meowth trailing by his side.


    "What am I going to do with you?" he asked aloud.


    Meowth might have the pickup ability, his brain offered. Especially since yours was holding a nugget when you caught it.


    Your point?


    You could send him on a pickup mission. I don''t think the ability works the same way as in the games; I can''t see how keeping the Meowth in a pok¨¦ball would let it pick something up. But you could send it out to search for items. If this is Gen 3, you might mostly get berries, but you have a chance for more nuggets.


    He sighed. The reasoning was solid, but sending the Meowth on a mission would mean...


    "Human (Meowth)," he said out loud, once again glancing around first to make sure they were alone. "Hume (I) human (want you) human hume (to go out) human (and use) hume human human human (your pick-up ability)." Then, realizing he needed to specify when the mission was over, he added "human (until) human human (you find something). Human (Then bring) human (it back)."


    "Meowth!" his pok¨¦mon said confidently, then turned and began walking down the alley, occasionally pawing a scrap of paper or a garbage bag.


    I still can''t believe that works, he thought as he left the alley in the opposite direction of Meowth.


    He was about to randomly pick a street and start walking until he saw the sign for the building forming one half of the alley he''d just left: ''Pok¨¦mart.'' From this angle, the sign seemed to block his view of the dumpster.


    Well, he thought, that''s convenient.


    No, that''s logical, his brain corrected. Why else would that dumpster have all those discarded Pok¨¦mon items?


    Shut up, he thought as his approach activated the motion tracker on the double doors.


    "Welcome!" said a voice. If the owner of that voice, a salesman behind the counter, thought there was anything odd about a ten-year-old boy walking into a store at- (he glanced at a clock on the wall)- 9:45 AM wearing nothing but swim trunks, he did a good job of hiding it. "What can I get for you today?"


    First thing''s first, he thought.


    "I''d like to sell this," he said, placing his nugget on the counter.


    "Certainly!" the salesman happily agreed. Again, if he was surprised at a ten-year-old selling a piece of gold, it could not be seen on his face. "May I have your account card?"


    A look of confusion crossed the boy''s face. "I don''t have one."


    "No account card?" the man said, finally surprised. "I suppose you want physical money then. That''s unusual ¨C most trainers-" he glanced at the pok¨¦ball in the boy''s hand "-prefer the online banking system, especially swimmers." He removed some money from his till. "Here you are. May I suggest a trip to the bank after this?"


    "I''m... kind of short on supplies right now," he said, accepting the 5,000 Pok¨¦dollars. "Plus, I don''t think I could visit a bank looking like this. Do you have a clothes section?"


    "Certainly!"


    Following the man''s pointing finger, he set off into the store. He learned something very important upon reaching his destination: Clothes are expensive.


    The cheapest combination of clothing he could find, in his size, totaled 9,100 Pok¨¦mon Dollars, if you excluded the bag. Including the bag, it became 12,000.


    Geeze, he thought. The most useful thing I can buy is a backpack. No wonder the cashier didn''t freak out over my nugget. How am I going to be able to afford the basics?


    More nuggets, his brain answered. We already have Meowth on the case.


    Oh? he asked, lifting a mental eyebrow. And what are the chances he''ll find a nugget?


    His brain mentally mumbled something.


    What was that?


    There''s a five percent chance in Gen 3 Kanto of finding a nugget. Less in most other regions and generations.


    Thought so.


    But we don''t know if that will hold true here, his brain argued. Furthermore, it said, raising a mental finger in his mind space, what Meowth can find might be dependent on where we are. In the games, location doesn''t matter, only level. And in Gen 3, even level didn''t matter. A level 1 Meowth had the same loot table as a level 100 Meowth until Emerald version came along.


    So... the boy thought, absorbing the raw data and trying to parse it into something he could use. You''re saying Meowth might have better chances of finding golden nuggets in a cave?


    His brain would have nodded if it could. And better chances of finding berries in the forest.


    But even if the odds for finding a nugget are different, they might not be better here in the city. And even if they are better, I doubt nuggets are common enough to get another nugget anytime soon. We''d need a way to increase our chances.


    Yes, his brain said, chuckling evilly. We would. And I have the perfect idea how.


    The shopping trip had used up all his nugget money and only netted him a few items: a red backpack ( 2,900), three pok¨¦balls ( 600), and a big container of pok¨¦mon chow ( 1,500), which took up most of the space in his bag.


    When he exited the building, Meowth was waiting for him, holding something in its mouth.


    He reached down, held out his hand, and soon found himself to be the proud owner of a fourth Pok¨¦ball ¨C or a fifth, if you count the one he found in the dumpster.


    "Good, uh, pok¨¦mon," he said, petting the cat. He didn''t know the gender-


    Meowth have no visible differences between genders


    -but he did know how to reward good behavior. Removing the container of chow from his bag, he emptied some into his hand, then offered it to Meowth, who ate it happily.


    Now that he thought about it, this Meowth did look rather skinny.


    Stray cat, he thought. Always hungry.


    And I bet this isn''t the only one, thought his brain. In fact, we''re counting on it. So hop to it.


    He sighed. Time was still moving forward, and it was not on his side. He had woken up in the early morning, but it was already halfway to noon.


    So, again with reluctance, and again with a nervous glance around, he asked his Pok¨¦mon the following question: "Human (Do you) human (think you) human man (could lead me) human human (to more Meowth)?"


    It took him a good three hours to find all the Meowth he needed. Much of that time was spent ignoring the Meowth that didn''t seem to be interested in searching their surroundings for goodies. He needed Meowth with the pick-up ability, not technician or unnerve. Some of that time was also spent bribing Meowth to join his party with food. He didn''t do any actual battling, which also played a part in this taking so long. He didn''t want to battle until he''d officially begun his journey as a trainer.


    Still, a few good things had come from all the extra searching he had done: his first Meowth had, along the way, picked up a few more items. Furthermore, as he caught more Meowth, they too began bringing him items, especially after they saw him reward his first Meowth with extra food. And the final benefit of all this searching was another nugget, held in the mouth of a Meowth he had bribed ¨C both into releasing the nugget and joining his team.


    Either the chances of finding a nugget-holding Meowth are higher than 5%, his brain thought, or you are the luckiest person alive.


    Or, he thought back, restricting our search to only pick-up Meowth meant that our chances for finding a nugget-holding one were higher.


    After all, none of his Meowth had brought him a nugget yet. His only two nuggets so far have come from Meowth who were already holding them when he found them.


    The Pok¨¦dex entries say that Meowth likes shiny things, his brain remembered. Maybe it takes forever to find one, and they just hold onto it after they finally do.


    Either way, no more easy nuggets, he thought dejectedly. Still, this is a pretty good haul.


    He was on his way back to the Pok¨¦mart, taking stock. He now had:


    Meowth x5, Potions x5, Antidote x3, Repels x2, (Empty) Pok¨¦balls x4, Greatballs x1, Revives x1, Nuggets x1, and even a Full Restore x1. He also had half of his Pok¨¦mon chow left.


    No berries, his brain thought with some surprise. This is Gen 3, and we haven''t found a single berry.


    We''re in a city, he reminded his brain. Now do me a favor and add up the value of all this gear. We don''t need the items, just the trading value.


    Okay, okay, give me a second, I''m an encyclopedia, not a calculator, his brain thought, looking at each item as it kept a running total. We have... 8200 worth of stuff. Still not enough for a full outfit.


    I don''t NEED a full outfit, he thought. Then his mental monologue paused as he entered the Pok¨¦mart, placed the items on the counter, and picked up the offered cash. How much more can I buy if I skip the shorts and hat?


    Not much, his brain said, adding up the numbers before him. The shirt was 2,100, the socks 900, and the sneakers were 3,200.**** You''ll have 2,000 Pok¨¦dollars left. I''m beginning to think most trainers start their journey with spending cash.


    You think? He asked as he picked out the items.


    He then searched the store for anything else he might need. He grabbed another bag of Pok¨¦chow ( 1,500) and a small pamphlet containing a map of the region ( 500), with a "you are here" arrow pointing at...


    Huh, he thought. I guess we''re in Viridian.


    With a "thank you" and a "by the way, where can I find the bank?" to the teller, he was soon headed to his next destination. With his Meowth on the loose, searching for more items, of course.*****


    A few blocks of walking later, and a few items richer-


    Potions x2, Revives x1, Pok¨¦balls x1


    -a 10-year-old-boy ¨C in body if not in mind ¨C wearing swimming trunks, socks and sneakers, and a t-shirt, walked up to the Viridian City Bank.


    And a few minutes later, he was walking away again.


    Stupid bank, he fumed.


    Banks, it seemed, did not open accounts to ten-year-olds unless certain conditions were met:


    1. You needed the permission and presence of a parent or guardian.


    2. You needed some form of identification (this condition wasn''t exclusive to ten-year-olds).


    3. If you wanted a pok¨¦mon trainer account in particular, you needed signed approval from a recognized pok¨¦mon official.


    And so, he was now consulting his pamphlet, which had extremely basic information for aspiring trainers. There was, in fact, a section on pok¨¦mon officials. It seemed to focus on how to locate them above anything else.


    Naturally, the Elite Four and Pok¨¦mon Champion were recognized officials. But the likelihood that one of them would be able to sign and approve a bank account for some no-name ten-year-old like himself was basically zero.


    Gym leaders were also recognized officials, but he didn''t think it would be a good idea to ask the Viridian City gym leader for any help whatsoever.


    This left him with only one option: Pok¨¦mon Professors.


    And so, he flipped the pamphlet back to the map of Kanto, wondering if it held any more information than he already knew about the region, and in fact it did. There was a list of simple statistics describing each route, but none you would ever find by playing the games. This pamphlet was a traveler''s guide, and therefore it listed information relevant to traveling.


    "Route 1," he read aloud. "Simple terrain, easy to traverse. Recommended gear: portable tent (or bedroll). Travel time at walking speed: THREE DAYS?!"


    He almost dropped the pamphlet at that last part. It would take three days to get to get to Pallet?


    He looked at the sun, which was moving the day forward from afternoon to evening. He did not have that much time. He wouldn''t mind taking three days to travel the route once his journey had officially begun, but at the moment he needed to reach Pallet ASAP.


    So he began flipping through the pamphlet again, looking for a quicker means of going from one city to another.


    "Inter-city transport," he read aloud after finding a promising page. "Public Transportation: Buses, Taxis, Trains.


    "Trains are the slowest, but least expensive option for the weary traveler. A single trip can cost anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000, depending on both distance and class. On all but the shortest trips, most trains take at least a day to reach their destinations and can take up to four days cross-region. On-board meals are provided at additional cost."


    He paused at that, considering. If trains ran overnight, he might be able to sleep along the way to Pallet, which would cover room expenses. And since Viridian to Pallet was probably one of the ''shortest of trips'', it would probably be on the lower end of time and expense. Ideally, he''d be able to reach Pallet tomorrow morning.


    Then, his stomach grumbled loudly.


    Not to mention the onboard food, he thought, clutching it. Maybe I should have spent less money on Pok¨¦food and more on Peoplefood.


    Just as he thought that, one of his Meowth returned with another item ¨C a Repel. The happy look on its face when he fed it the last of his first bag of Pok¨¦chow was enough to let him ignore his own stomach.


    For now, anyway.


    "Personal taxis are the fastest, but most expensive mode of transportation," he continued reading, "costing anywhere from NOPE!"


    He wasn''t spending THAT much on transportation no matter HOW fast it would be. He quickly moved on.


    "Buses are the most commonly used inter-city transport option. Typical fare is 2,000 between neighboring towns but can climb as high as 20,000 for long trips that span multiple cities. An average bus ride will take two hours in transit."


    Well, he thought after skimming over the contents a second time, I might as well go with the train. It''ll take longer, but it''ll solve my other problems, like food, and finding a place to sleep.


    He flipped over the pamphlet again, this time looking for a detailed map of Viridian City specifically.


    He found none.


    Oh well, he thought. I was headed back to the Pok¨¦mart anyway. I''ll just ask for directions again.


    Another three Meowth returned, were rewarded, and renewed their search efforts by the time he saw the blue-tiled roof and glass double-doors again.


    "Welcome!" the salesman said for the third time that day (at least to him).


    "Hi," he replied, placing his items on the counter. "Could you point me to the train station? Also, would you happen to know how much a train ride to Pallet town would cost?"


    "Sure!" the teller said, taking the items and putting 1,700 on the table. "A train to Pallet shouldn''t cost more than 1,000. As for directions..."


    And once again, he was outside, only stooping to collect two more pickup items before heading off again. The teller had pointed him to the edge of town and told him that it would take about an hour of walking to get there. The teller had also warned him that the station would close in an hour, so he set off at a brisk pace, only ever stopping whenever a Meowth would return to him.


    Come to think of it, he thought, how do they know where to find me each time?


    Don''t ask me, answered his brain. That''s never come up in canon before. In fact, the opposite has occurred: pok¨¦mon have gotten separated from their trainers in the anime and gotten lost.


    Do you think the Meowth can track my scent, or something?


    Don''t know, his brain replied flippantly. They''re cats, not dogs. None of Meowth''s Pok¨¦dex entries mention anything like that. You''ll have to figure this one out on your own.


    Maybe Professor Oak will know.


    His brain didn''t respond, which he took as agreement.


    Thirty minutes later, and three items richer, he was standing in front of the Viridian train station. His Meowth had a difficult time both keeping up with him and searching for items, so they only managed to get a couple of potions and a pok¨¦ball.


    There was a line of only two people in front of the teller, so he stood patiently and waited. The lady in front of him gave his Meowth an odd look, especially when they scattered to scout and scour the station of its useful trash, but she said nothing, her turn at the till having just arrived. One "Ticket to Pewter, please" later, and it was his turn.


    "I''d like one ticket to Pallet Town," he said.


    "A young trainer, eh?" asked the old ticket master, his glasses glinting briefly in the sunset. "One ticket to Pallet, coming up. Would you like a meal onboard?"


    "Yes," he said immediately. Then, on second thought, "How much would that be in total?"


    "For a ticket and a meal? 1,800"


    "I''m 100 short," he said, putting the money on the table. "But I can offer a trade. You can sell an empty pok¨¦ball for 100."


    The old teller eyed him for a long moment. Then, he finally said, "You know what sonny? Go ahead and keep your pok¨¦ball. I can cover for ya just this once."


    "Really?" he asked, then smiled. "Thanks!"


    "Don''t mention it, sonny," the old man chuckled. "It''s just 100."


    "All the same," he shrugged, accepting the train and meal tickets. "Um... wait, I forgot to ask, which train is it? And when is it leaving?"


    "There it is now," said the old man, pointing at one of the trains docked in the station. "Should shove off at 9:00, which is..." he glanced at his watch. "In fifteen minutes. Goodness, it''s that late already? Almost closing time."


    Thanking the teller again, the boy recalled his Meowth and boarded the train.


    Chapter 2


    Outside the train station, the light of the sunrise shone upon a large sign that read:


    ''WELCOME TO PALLET TOWN''


    Finally here, the boy thought.


    The train hadn''t actually taken all night to get to Pallet, but the passengers didn''t have to get off until 7:30 AM, a good thirty minutes before the station opened to admit new customers. The train had a strict ''all pok¨¦mon must be kept inside their pok¨¦balls at all times, thank you'' policy, so it was only him standing there at the moment.


    Now, to find Professor Oak. But first...


    The boy released his Meowth from their balls. He set them to searching for items while he searched for the lab.


    Pallet was much larger here than in the games, but it was still small enough that he could see most of the town from where he stood. He pinpointed what was probably his destination well off in the distance, but it took almost an hour before he finally stood in front of one ''Pok¨¦mon Lab/Ranch/Prairie, Property of Samuel Oak''.


    He raised his hand to knock on the door, but it slid open on his approach, making a noise that probably alerted those inside to his arrival. I guess this place is more open to the public than I thought it would be.


    He walked inside, then up to the service desk. He rang the small bell on top of the desk and waited a few minutes, then rang it again. He was about to ring it a third time when a young man in a lab coat opened the door behind the desk.


    "Yes, yes, I''m coming," said the man. He set down a stack of papers on the desk, then shifted his attention to the visitor. "What is it?"


    "I''d like to see Professor Oak," the boy requested politely. "I''m a new trainer."


    The man gave him a critical once-over with his eyes, then said, "Professor Oak is out on his morning jog. He should be back at 9:00 AM. I can get you started in the meantime." The man opened a drawer on the desk and removed one clipboard, one pen, and a piece of paper. "Have your parents fill out this form, unless you think you can do it yourself. There''s a waiting area right over there." He waved his hand in the direction of an open space with a couch and coffee table.


    "Thanks!"


    Moments later, he was sitting on a couch and staring at a blank ''Trainership Application Form''. Curiously, among the many things he had to fill out, there wasn''t a space for his name. For the spaces that did exist, a few items were easy, like gender, but most of them he either didn''t know it or didn''t have, like emergency contacts, date of birth, or even the current date.


    He ended up putting down N/A''s wherever he thought he might be able to get away with it, and just making things up otherwise. He couldn''t make up the date, however, so he had to hunt down a calendar, which he eventually found on a public terminal in the waiting area. From there, he worked backwards, making up a birthday that would put him at age ten.


    At one point, the front door to the building opened, admitting a green-haired girl that looked to be around his age, wearing a white dress.


    Through the open door, he saw all five of his Meowth waiting for him outside. He paused in his form-filling and retrieve their items, realizing as he put them in his bag that he might be in the lab for a while. So, taking the Meowth around to the side of the building, he gave them a new instruction: "Man (Bring) human (items) hume (here) man human (while I am) human (busy). Human (I will) man human (give you) hume (food) human man (afterwards)."


    With that taken care of, he returned to the waiting area and began filling out his application again. He continued entering in answers that were true or mostly true (Place of Birth: Viridian City, Place of Residence: N/A, Phone Number: N/A), until he finally had a completed application in front of him ¨C for a stretched definition of ''completed''.


    He only noticed the girl who had opened the doors earlier when she began making small noises of distress. He glanced over and saw that she too was filling out an application.


    "Need help?" he asked, since the front desk was currently empty.


    She glanced up at him, surprised, then grateful. "Yeah," she sighed. Her voice carried clearly through the small distance between them. "I don''t know how to answer half of these."


    "That''s okay," he said, scooting closer. "Neither did I."


    Minutes later, two fresh applications were placed on a desk, and a bell was being rung. A few more minutes later, a lab assistant was reading skeptically.


    "You do realize you have to answer these questions, right?" he said eventually.


    "I... couldn''t," the boy said sheepishly.


    "Me neither," said the girl beside him.


    The man pinched the bridge of his nose. "I''m sure if your parents were here, they would be able to fill these out properly."


    "I don''t have any," the boy answered.


    "I have a mom and dad," the girl said. "But they... aren''t available. Besides, I heard that anyone could become a pok¨¦mon trainer at age ten, regardless of background."


    The man looked at the girl, exasperated. "That''s true, but you need to at least have a background in the first place."


    "But what if my background is that I have none?" the boy asked. "What if I have amnesia, and all I know is that I want to be a pok¨¦mon trainer?"


    The girl giggled, and the man looked at him without humor. "In that case, I would recommend a trip to the hospital." The man sighed, glancing at the forms again. "Most of these aren''t technically necessary. Your Pok¨¦dex can serve as a phone, you don''t need a place of residence if you''re on the road... but the one thing you absolutely must have is an emergency contact. I can''t file these otherwise."


    There was a pause as the two children thought about that for a moment. Then, the boy finally asked "Do you know how I could get an emergency contact?"


    "Oh, oh, me too!" said the girl.


    "I thought you said you had parents!" the man said, his voice rising with frustration.


    "I... don''t know their phone numbers," she said sheepishly.


    The man pinched the bridge of his nose again, harder this time. Eventually, he said, "You know what? I think I''ll let Professor Oak handle this after all. I''ll let you know when he''s in."


    "Thank you!" the two of them said simultaneously.


    The man left the desk, mumbling something about it being "too early in the morning for this."


    "So," the girl said, when they sat down again. "Why do you want to be a trainer?"


    "Because it''s always been a dream of mine," the boy answered promptly. "And now I finally have the chance to achieve it!" The boy posed, and the girl giggled again. "What about you?"


    "Well... I''ve always found pok¨¦mon fascinating, I guess," she answered. "Plus, I''m looking for something important, and I think I''ll have a better chance of finding it as a trainer."


    "What are you looking for?"


    "It''s a secret," she said. "By the way, what''s your actual background?"


    "It''s a secret," the boy said, sticking his tongue out at her.


    "Fine, be like that," she hmphed, crossing her arms. Then, sniffing the air, she asked, "Do you have food in your backpack?"


    "No, just pok¨¦mon chow," he said, pulling out the bag to show her.


    Her eyes widened. "Why do you have that much pok¨¦mon food? That''s a lot for your starter."


    "I already have pok¨¦mon that need food."


    The girl tilted her head. "Are you joking again? If you''re a new trainer, you shouldn''t have any pok¨¦mon. New trainers can''t catch pok¨¦mon until they get their license."


    The boy was suddenly nervous. "They can''t? Is there a law against it?"


    She brought a finger to her chin, looking thoughtful. "No, I don''t think so. But you need to weaken wild pok¨¦mon before capturing them, and you can''t do that without a starter pok¨¦mon."


    "Some wild pok¨¦mon are easy enough to capture that you don''t need to weaken them first to have a decent chance at capturing them," his brain answered automatically. Then, he said, "I already have five pok¨¦mon."


    Her eyes bugged out. "Really?"


    "Yup," he said, sounding smug. "I could show you later. I have their pok¨¦balls right here." He put the chow away, opened a separate compartment from the main one, and pulled out five shrunken, red-and-white balls. "You''re sure it''s not against the rules for me to have pok¨¦mon already?"


    "No..." she said, her eyes on the balls. "Just unusual. So, what pok¨¦mon do you have?"


    Before he could answer, the door to the lab opened and a voice called out, "Professor Oak will see you now."


    "Meowth," he said, standing up and walking to the open door leading further into the lab.


    The girl frowned, probably expecting more, but followed behind him.


    They passed many high-tech pieces of equipment as they followed the lab assistant, application forms still in their hand, then came to a stop in front of an open space containing a table, upon which rested three pok¨¦balls. And next to the table, frowning at a clipboard in his hands, stood...


    "Professor Oak!" the lab assistant called, catching the man''s attention. "I have some fresh pok¨¦mon trainer applicants here to see you."


    "You do?" the man asked, briefly looking over them both. "Jeremy, I told you that I only handle the trainers who have made appointments."


    "This is... an unusual case," the man said. Then, turning to them, he asked, "Why don''t you two hand him your applications?"


    Professor Oak looked at the man with a raised eyebrow, then at the two children, then at their applications after receiving them.


    "I... see..." he said, his eyes on the applications. "Unusual indeed."


    "I thought you would know what to do."


    Professor Oak nodded. "I''ll figure something out. Lucky for them, my next appointment only has one current applicant. You may return to your station."


    The man, looking relieved, left without another word.


    The two of them now stood nervously before the Pok¨¦mon Professor.


    "So," Professor Oak said, "No phones, no emails, no home addresses, no emergency contacts, and a number of other empty answers besides," he summed up. "Care to explain?"


    "Anyone can become a trainer at age ten," the girl said firmly.


    "And we want to become trainers," the boy added.


    "Even if my parents can''t be here," the girl continued.


    "Or I don''t have any," the boy finished.


    The Professor sighed. "I can see why Jeremy brought you to me," he said. "I don''t suppose you two could simply take ''no'' for an answer?"


    The two shook their heads.


    "Despite the dangers, time investment, difficulties, expenses, frustration, or anything else that goes along with traveling the region?"


    They shook their heads again.


    "Right," the professor sighed deeply. "Very well then, come along."


    The boy''s jaw dropped in shock. "You''re accepting our applications? Just like that?"


    "No," the Professor shook his head. "Not just like that. First, you will be making email accounts. Then, I shall tell you the numbers of your Pok¨¦dex, which will double as phone numbers. Then I shall tell you this lab''s phone number, which you may use as your emergency contact. Young girl, you will be telling me the names of your parents. Young man, you will be telling me the names of your current caretakers. Then you both shall answer these applications again, only with some semblance of propriety. And then I shall accept your applications."


    All in all, it took another half-hour to get everything sorted.


    For the boy, most of that time had been dedicated to one thing: convincing the professor that he had no current caretakers. According to the girl''s remarks, he guessed that the age of majority in this world was ten, meaning that he didn''t technically need a guardian. And according to Professor Oak''s reluctant acceptance, which came with much frowning and sighing, his guess was probably right. For whatever reason, the pok¨¦mon universe did NOT coddle their children, though even HE had to admit that independence at age ten this was taking it a bit too far.


    Other than Oak''s skepticism, the only difficult thing was deciding on an email address. He eventually settled on cleveruseofgamemechanics(atsymbol)pok¨¦web(period)net,* then filled out the rest of the form.


    After submitting his application for the second time that day, he was finally standing before the table with three pok¨¦balls.


    On his left stood the green-haired girl, but on his right there now stood a new addition to their little group: a boy with spiky blond hair and an ''I''m cool'' attitude.


    Suddenly, the lights of the lab dimmed, almost throwing them into complete darkness.


    Then, a single light came to life.


    A man in a lab coat with white hair and a friendly smile was illuminated in the spotlight.


    "Hello there!" the man said brightly. "Welcome to the world of Pok¨¦mon! My name is Oak. People call me the Pok¨¦mon Prof-"**


    "Yeah, yeah," interrupted a voice. "We know that already, gramps. Can''t we just move on to the part where we get our pok¨¦mon?"


    The man deflated dramatically. "Gary, can you please let me finish? This is for the other two applicants, not you."


    "Actually," said the boy standing beside Gary, "I don''t mind skipping the lecture." It''s not like I haven''t skipped it a thousand times already. "I know what I''m getting into."


    The Professor deflated further.


    "I''d like to hear it," said the girl.


    The Professor picked himself up again. "There, you see, Gary? Someone appreciates a good introduction to their journey. Now, where was I? Ah, yes!" He brought out a Pok¨¦ball, releasing a Nidorino. "This world is inhabited by creatures called Pok¨¦mon! For some people, Pok¨¦mon are pets. Others use them for fights. Myself, I study Pok¨¦mon as a profession-"**


    "You know what?" the girl interrupted. "They''re right, you can skip this part."


    At this, the Professor deflated completely. "Kids these days," he mumbled, ignoring her giggling, "have no appreciation for the classics. Very well then." The professor clapped his hands together, bringing the lights back on. He also returned the Nidorino to its ball. "Before we begin, please take a Pok¨¦dex and enter your name and gender."


    This took a minute. The boy, having already decided what his name would be, entered two letters into the system. When all three were finished, they looked up to the professor.


    "All ready? Excellent. We will now move on to your first pok¨¦mon."


    "All right!" shouted Gary, a fist clenched in front of him.


    "Actually," said the girl, "it won''t be the first pok¨¦mon for all of us. He-" she pointed at the boy standing next to her "-already has five."


    "Say what?!" shouted Gary, looking shocked.


    Even the Professor looked astonished. "Is this true?"


    "Yup," the boy nodded, taking out five pok¨¦balls from their compartment in his bag. "They''re not in their pok¨¦balls at the moment."


    "May I see one of those?" asked the Professor. "As well as your Pok¨¦dex?"


    "Sure," he shrugged. He knew he could trust the Professor to handle them with care.


    The professor opened a small compartment that slid open on the side of the Pok¨¦dex. "This is how you will register Pok¨¦mon you have captured to your trainer ID," he explained, placing the miniature pok¨¦ball in the compartment and pressing a button. The Pok¨¦dex made a beeping noise, and a Meowth appeared on the screen. "Why don''t you each give it a try?"


    Each trainer took a turn entering one of the Pok¨¦balls into the boy''s Pok¨¦dex while the Professor fiddled with a computer on the wall.


    "I have an application that allows me to track the progress of all trainers in the region," the Professor said by way of explanation. "This way, I can see what pok¨¦mon you have caught and how you are coming along as a trainer. Now..." he trailed off, pulling up an empty window, then typing in some information. "Trainer... Ex," he said, reading the name off the screen. "I see you already have..." he squinted at the screen. "Five Meowth." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "WHY, pray tell, do you need FIVE Meowth?"


    The boy who had named himself Ex suddenly grinned, realizing he had the opportunity of a lifetime. "Well, what kind of trainer would I be if I didn''t catch ''em all?"*** he asked enthusiastically.


    He had always, always wanted to say that.


    Then, for good measure, he added, "What do you want me to do, NOT catch every Meowth I see?"***


    The Professor pinched the bridge of his nose harder, while the girl giggled, and Gary stared at him dumbly.


    "Are you stupid or something?" Gary asked, blunt and to the point.


    "Nope," the boy said, grinning. "Just joking around."


    "I should hope so," said Professor Oak. "Otherwise I may have had to reconsider allowing you to become a trainer." He squinted at the screen again. "Your pok¨¦mon already have held items?"


    "Sort-of," Ex said vaguely, resisting the urge to brag. He didn''t want to give away the pickup party technique while he was still using it. "Can we get back to the starter pok¨¦mon?"


    "Very well," Oak said, turning off the terminal. "There are three starter Pok¨¦mon: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. The first is grass, the second is fire, and the third is water. You will choose your pok¨¦mon according to your order of arrival this morning."


    "WHAT?!" shouted Gary. "No fair, gramps!"


    "It is extremely fair, Gary. I told you yesterday to wake up early."


    Gary crossed his arms, pouting.


    "So I get first pick?" Ex asked. At Oak''s nod, he walked up to the table, but did not make his choice immediately.


    "Come on, hurry it up," said Gary.


    "Hold on," he replied. "I''m thinking. There are a lot of factors to think about."


    "Like what?" the pok¨¦mon professor prompted.


    "Type advantage, for one," he said, his brain taking over. "The first gym is Rock and the second is Water, so choosing Bulbasaur should trivialize the most difficult early battles. Squirtle would also make the first Gym a breeze. But Charmander would make the first two gyms a challenge."


    He paused, took a breath, then continued.


    "Then there''s team composition to consider. Bulbasaur knows a lot of status moves, like Sleep Powder, Poison Powder, and Stun Spore, which will make capturing wild pok¨¦mon much easier. On the other hand, Oddish has the same typing as Bulbasaur, learns the same moves, and could fill the exact same role."


    He took another breath.


    "Squirtle is essentially a standard water pok¨¦mon, except it can walk around on land, unlike the fishy water types. But other than serving as the team''s Rapid Spinner later on, and a few other things, a Poliwag can do all the same things as Squirtle, not to mention Vaporeon."


    Then he took a final breath, and finished.


    "Charmander starts as pure fire, meaning a Vulpix or Growlithe or Flareon could theoretically fill his spot, but it eventually evolves into Charizard, meaning you wouldn''t have to capture any other flying pok¨¦mon. Plus, the only other fire-flying type in Kanto is Moltres, so the role it plays in a team is pretty unique."


    His eyes had gone distant as he thought aloud, only refocusing when it was over. When they did, he realized everyone was staring at him.


    Professor Oak beamed brightly. "That is an astute analysis, Ex. You are very well-read."


    The boy wearing red shrugged. "I do my research."


    "Well, I know what I want now!" Gary declared. "Bulbasaur sounds like the best!"


    "I want Bulbasaur," said the girl. "My hair is green and everything. You''re wearing blue! You should choose Squirtle."


    "You''re seriously going to choose your pok¨¦mon based on the color?" Gary demanded.


    "No, I want Bulbasaur for all the reasons he-" she pointed at Ex "-said. The color is just a bonus. Besides, I thought boys wanted a challenge," she taunted. "How can you be the strongest trainer if you choose the easiest pok¨¦mon?"


    She makes a good point, Ex thought.


    "Fine!" Gary shouted. "Then I want Charmander!"


    "No," Ex denied him, "I think I''ll take Charmander."


    Gary glared at the boy with hate-filled eyes.


    "Charmander is the hardest to replace," he explained, picking up the pok¨¦ball and placing it in his pok¨¦dex. "And I think I''ll have a better chance of beating Brock''s rock pok¨¦mon at a type disadvantage than the two of you would. Besides, Squirtle still makes the second gym a challenge."


    "My turn!" said the girl, walking up to the table and happily registering the Bulbasaur as her own.


    Gary, grumbling, took Squirtle''s pok¨¦ball for himself. "Hey gramps!" he suddenly shouted. "Can I battle this dweeb?"


    "Not yet," Oak answered, turning on a new terminal. "I want you each to become familiar with this machine first. It is a standard PC. You will find many like it on your journey, every time you visit a Pok¨¦mon Center. Once you learn how to operate it, I''ll let you outside so you can battle."


    Gary grumbled some more, but didn''t argue.


    The terminal didn''t quite boot up like it did in the games. A few seconds of high-speed security measures, including facial recognition, fingerprint scanning, and trainer ID verification shot across the screen almost too quickly for him to see it all. Only after the machine confirmed his identity did it move into familiar territory, mostly matching what he expected. And speaking of expectations...


    Would you like to open up item storage?_


    Yes_


    Would you like to withdraw an item?_


    Yes_


    Please select an item..._


    Potions_


    How many would you like to withdraw?_


    x5_


    You have withdrawn five Potions! Your item storage is now empty. Returning to main menu...


    Ex watched with wide eyes as five Potions materialized beneath the screen of the terminal, in an empty space probably built expressly for that purpose.


    "Woah, how''d you do that?" Gary demanded.


    "Item storage," Ex explained, grabbing the Potions and putting them in his bag. "New trainers are given five Potions, right Professor?"


    "Indeed they are," Oak agreed. "Though most young folk are too hasty to realize it."


    "Maybe you should include that in future orientations," Ex remarked, shutting down the terminal and moving aside so someone else could use it. "Have everyone learn item storage by withdrawing their allotted Potions."


    "I think I shall," Professor Oak said with a nod. "Gary, you next."


    "Can I head outside?" Ex asked as Gary took his place. "I need to take care of something before the battle."


    "Go ahead," the professor said distractedly, then calmly instructed his impatient grandson on the machine.


    "We''ll catch up with you," the girl called after him.


    Ex hurried out the doors, intent on preparing for his first official battle. He made a quick pit-stop at his Meowth''s pick-up pile of plunder, smiling as he noticed one item in particular.


    He scooped up everything except that one thing into his bag, then released Charmander from its ball.


    "Charmander!" the creature called out.


    "Hugh human man (Hi Charmander)!"


    The Charmander jumped as it was addressed, looking at Ex with wide eyes.


    "Hugh human human hume man man man (You''re about to have your first battle). Hugh hume human hugh human (Here''s what I want you to do)..."


    "You ready?" asked Gary. "Go, Squirtle!"


    A white light coalesced into a blue turtle with a squirrel-like swirly tail.


    "You''re supposed to wait until I say yes," said Ex. "Go get him, Charmander!"


    His own charred salamander walked onto the battlefield, the fire on its tail burning brightly. Its mouth was closed and its eyes were narrowed in determination.


    Alright, said his brain. Same strategy as always at the start of any game.


    "Let the battle begin!" shouted a referee.


    Spam, spam, spam.


    "Charmander, use Scratch!"


    One of Charmander''s claws glowed white, and Charmander charged the Squirtle with speed.


    "No! Squirtle, dodge!"


    Oh, right, his brain thought. Trainers in the anime would often tell their pok¨¦mon to dodge incoming attacks.


    But Squirtle couldn''t get out of the way in time, and it cried out in pain as the attack connected. Charmander hopped backwards, awaiting his next command.


    Can we do that, too?


    "Squirtle, get him back with a Tackle!"


    Only one way to find out.


    "Charmander, dodge!" he shouted.


    Charmander sidestepped the Squirtle''s full-body lunge.


    Tackle missed, his brain supplied. Does that mean we can dodge incoming attacks? Or did that only happen because Tackle has 95% accuracy?


    Think later, fight now, he shot back hastily.


    "Charmander, Scratch again while it''s down!"


    The Squirtle cried out in pain, and Ex could almost see the health bar drop, though he estimated his opponent was still in the green. At least three more.


    "Squirtle, don''t take that lying down! Hit it with a Water Gun!"


    Wait, what?! Ex thought, suddenly panicked. Squirtle shouldn''t know that yet!


    It doesn''t, his brain pointed out. Look.


    The Squirtle was looking at its trainer, tilting its head in confusion ¨C not the status condition, but the mental one.


    Sweet, he thought.


    "Charmander, go for another Scratch while it''s distracted!"


    "Gary!" shouted professor Oak from the sidelines. "Squirtle doesn''t know any water moves yet! He only knows Tackle and Tail Whip."


    "What?!" Gary shouted as his Squirtle cried out in pain yet again. "Fine! Squirtle, use Tail Whip!"


    Before Charmander could leap out of range again, the Squirtle''s tail began glowing white. The turtle spun in a circle and its tail passed through Charmander, causing his pok¨¦mon to visibly shudder.


    Charmander''s Defense fell, his brain noted.


    Crap, Ex thought.


    "Just ignore it, Charmander, and hit it with another Scratch!"


    Another pained cry, and Squirtle appeared to be panting heavily.


    In the deep yellow, his brain observed.


    "Squirtle, hit it back with a Tackle!"


    For the first time that battle, his own pok¨¦mon cried out in pain. A part of him wanted to rush out to comfort his Charmander, but it was very small compared to the rest of his psyche, which was so thoroughly desensitized to pok¨¦mon battles by this point that he had no trouble keeping a cool head.


    "That''s okay, Charmander, push through the pain and use Scratch!"


    The attack connected, and Gary''s pok¨¦mon was shoved back, impacting the ground painfully. Squirtle struggled to get up, and Charmander was panting heavily.


    Squirtle''s in the red, his brain observed. But Charmander''s in the yellow.


    What?! he mentally shouted. Charmander was at full health before, and he only took one Tackle!


    Critical hit, said his brain. With Defense lowered.


    Lucky prick, he cursed. Good thing I don''t rely on luck.


    "Charmander, do it!"


    And suddenly, with a wash of light that removed all its injuries, the Charmander was suddenly on its feet again, letting out a loud roar.


    "WHAT?!" shouted Gary, too distracted to issue an attack.


    A distraction which Ex exploited. "Now, finish it with a Scratch!"


    The Charmander''s claw glowed white again, and it rushed the struggling Squirtle.


    "No! Dodge, quick!"


    But the Squirtle could barely move at that point, and the attack connected. Squirtle was knocked away again, skidding on its back. When it came to a stop, there were swirls in its eyes.


    "Squirtle is unable to battle!" shouted the referee, raising a flag. "Charmander wins!"


    "And with full health too," Oak added. "A flawless victory."


    Ex smiled as Charmander roared again, letting out a small gush of flames from its mouth.


    Charmander has learned Ember, thought his brain.


    "Wait, ref!" Gary objected, recalling his Squirtle to its ball and rushing over to the man wearing a striped shirt.


    Ex left his own Charmander outside its ball as he leisurely strolled to the same destination. He knew why Gary was about to complain.


    "He cheated!" Gary shouted, pointing an accusing finger. "He healed his pok¨¦mon in the middle of the battle!"


    Ex raised his own arms in the air innocently. "I didn''t use a Potion to do it." Then he paused. "Out of curiosity, would that have been against the rules if I had?"


    The ref nodded. "Restorative, store-bought medicines may not be used during official Pok¨¦mon battles."


    So every trainer battle here will be like player v. player battles in the games, his brain confirmed. No Revives, no Full Restores, no X-Stat items.


    "But held items are fine, right?" he asked the ref, who nodded.


    "So long as your pok¨¦mon can use it without your assistance."


    Ex grinned, then looked at his fuming rival. He briefly thought back to his instructions to his Charmander.


    He presented a berry to Charmander.


    "Human hugh human man hugh human (I want you to put this in your mouth). Human hume hugh human human (Eat it if you get low on health)."


    "Hear that, Gary?" Ex taunted. "Totally fair play."


    "That was a great battle," said the girl, cutting Gary off from replying. "Even though you only used Scratch."


    "Yeah!" Gary agreed ¨C probably with her second statement, not her first. "You should have tried using more moves, like I did!"


    "And end up losing like you did?" Ex taunted.


    "I''m a bit surprised at your strategy myself," said Oak, interjecting himself into the conversation before Gary could rise to the bait. "Why did you only use Scratch?"


    "It''s a common mistake to use more than one move in your first battle," he shrugged. His brain took control of his mouth as he said, "There wasn''t much else I could do if I wanted to win. The only other move Charmander had was Growl. If I was going to use it at all, I would have used it at the start of the match, but I was afraid Squirtle might get a critical hit and bypass my stat changes ¨C which he did."


    At least, it works that way in the games, his brain added mentally. Even if Squirtle had a lowered attack, a critical hit would have brought its attack back up to normal for the duration of the crit. And if Charmander had somehow managed to raise his own defenses, the crit would have ignored that. Crits ignore stat changes that would negatively impact the critical hit - like lowered user Attack and increased enemy Defense - but they do NOT ignore positive changes - like DECREASED enemy Defense. Squirtle''s Tail Whip was not ignored by the crit.


    Ex''s brain resumed out loud again. "Tackle has lower accuracy than Scratch, and Charmander''s faster than Squirtle, so even if we both ordered the same number of attacks, Charmander had a better chance of coming out on top than Squirtle even if Gary chose the same strategy. The only thing I was worried about was Gary using Tail Whip on the first move, then Tackling the rest of the way. Or getting a lucky crit, but there''s nothing I can do about that. Any time I spent using Growl was time I wasn''t spending lowering my opponent''s health. The smartest move was to Scratch all the way. Plus the healing item, for insurance."


    That, too, is true in the games. His brain concluded. For the first battle, attacking nonstop is always the best move. And if you STLL can''t win that way due to bad luck, the games give you five Potions in your home computer for a reason. Although that wasn''t an option here.


    "How did your Charmander heal itself?" the girl asked. "You said it had a held item?"


    "Yup," Ex confirmed, grinning. "Oran Berry."


    Gary slapped his forehead. "Of course!"


    The girl blinked. "Where did you get an Oran Berry?"


    "That''s for me to know, and you to find out," he smiled smugly. Which reminds me... "Hey professor, how do my Meowth always know where to find me? They haven''t had any trouble yet, or gotten lost, and I thought you would know how they do it."


    The professor raised an eyebrow at the question. "Captured Pok¨¦mon have a link to their Pok¨¦balls," he explained. "So long as their ball is in your possession, they will always be able to find their way back to you. The reverse is true as well; your Pok¨¦dex can track the location of your Pok¨¦mon at any time, so long as you have their ball."


    So NOT sense of smell, then, he thought. "Sounds useful. Is there anything else like that I should know?"


    "Oh, a great many things," said Professor Oak, "but I''m surprised you even need to ask. You struck me as the sort to have read up on all things Pok¨¦mon by now."


    "There are gaps in my knowledge," Ex replied. "Especially when it comes to how all the pok¨¦tech works. I know what most of it does, but I don''t know how."


    "And it seems you''re a bit lacking about the finer details," the Professor said with a nod. "I can write up a list of some of the more useful things to know and email it to you. You won''t be too busy on your journey to read it, will you?"


    "I''m sure I''ll find the time," Ex assured.


    "Excellent!" Professor Oak beamed. "Now, we''re almost done with orientation. Gary, Ex, I would like you both to take out your Pok¨¦dexes and open them to the ''battles'' section. You will see that your most recent battle has been recorded in video, audio, and text format. You may review any past battle at any time to help yourself improve. Furthermore, since you are providing a valuable service to me and Kanto every time you battle, a small amount of money has been deposited into each of your accounts, in addition to your starting funds."


    "Wait," Ex interrupted. "I have a bank account now?"


    The professor nodded. "A trainer''s account, to be exact. And since you won the battle, you earned a bit more. Gary should have earned 100, while you should have received 175.**** Also, since you provided commentary on your strategy afterwards, I''m forwarding an additional 500."


    "What?!" Gary shouted again. "No fair!"


    "Come to think of it," the professor continued, "your contributions to the orientation in the lab deserve compensation as well. Your analysis of the three starter pok¨¦mon and your tip on item storage will both prove useful for many future trainers. I''d say that deserves another 2,000."


    "Hey! What gives, gramps? Why is he getting all the kudos?"


    "Gary," Professor Oak said sternly, "discovery and innovation are the entire reason why trainers get paid to battle in the first place. Keen commentary will be rewarded, while quibbling complaints will be ignored." Then he turned so that he was addressing the three of them. "And I should warn you all that this is why repeat battles will not earn you any money."


    "You mean I can''t ever earn money by wiping the floor with Gary again?" Ex asked impishly.


    "Hey!"


    "You can," the professor said, ignoring the banter. "But you and your opponent must have significantly different teams if you wish to earn more money by battling a trainer you''ve already fought. Also, you must wait at least a week before a second battle will yield monetary compensation. The amount you earn will depend on the strength of your pok¨¦mon, the variety of your teams, and the strategies you use."


    "So you''re saying we should all battle each other right now to get the maximum reward," Ex''s brain said out loud. "And to get the weekly countdown started."


    "No, I was not saying that at all," said Professor Oak. "But feel free to do so, if you wish."


    "But my pok¨¦mon''s fainted!" objected Gary.


    "I have some Revives. I could give you one," Ex offered, "in exchange for your Potions."


    Gary''s eyes narrowed. "You can have one Potion."


    "No," Ex said, shaking his head. "If I tried to sell them at the store, a single Revive would get me the same amount of money as five Potions. One Revive to five Potions is an even exchange."


    "You don''t have to barter only in items," Professor Oak interjected. "The Pok¨¦dex may be used to exchange money between accounts. New trainers start with 2,000 in their virtual wallet."


    "I''m fine with either," Ex shrugged. "Just so long as I get the right amount. Buying Revives at the store would cost 1,500. But since I could only sell it for 750, that''s all I''m asking for."


    "It''s a good deal, Gary," Professor Oak coaxed. "Besides, don''t you want to win a battle before setting off for Route 1?"


    And so, one (bought and applied) Revive later, Gary''s Squirtle was soon battling the girl''s Bulbasaur.


    "Professor Oak?" Ex asked as he watched the battle.


    "Hm?"


    "How did my Charmander learn Ember so quickly? I thought that would take a few battles."


    The first rival battle isn''t enough for two levels, thought his brain. Ember is learned at Lv 7, and we should have started at Lv 5.


    "Pok¨¦mon will gain significantly more battle experience from flawless victories," the professor explained. "Your Charmander was at full health when the battle ended, and so he gained enough experience to learn Ember."


    Gary won his second battle, despite his type disadvantage ¨C not that typing really mattered at this level. Soon, the Squirtle was shooting bubbles into the air in triumph.


    "And what about Squirtle just now?" Ex asked. "He shouldn''t have gained enough experience defeating Bulbasaur to learn Bubble."


    "He gained plenty of experience from fighting your Charmander," the professor corrected. "That, in addition to this most recent battle, has put him well above the Bubble threshold."


    Another divergence from the games, thought his brain. Your pok¨¦mon gain experience even if they faint, and you can earn money even if you lose.


    Another bought Revive later, and the girl was asking Ex if he''d like to battle her.


    "I don''t know," Ex said, rubbing the back of his head. "My Charmander just learned Ember. It would be pretty unfair."


    "You could use one of your Meowth," she pointed out.


    She won that battle, her Bulbasaur shooting seeds into the ground afterwards that grew at a rather fast pace.


    Ex hadn''t let her win; the Meowth he used was still skinny, just like the rest of his team except Charmander. Meowth was fast, but it had trouble dealing substantial damage.


    That could just be the base stats at play, not anything to do with Meowth''s health, his brain pointed out. Meowth''s base speed is 90, but its base attack is only 45.


    "Well," said Oak, clapping his hands together. "Now that you''ve all got a feel for battling, both on the losing side and winning side, orientation is officially over. You may begin your journey at any time, though I would recommend stopping by the Pok¨¦mart and the Pok¨¦center before you head off to Route 1."


    "Professor Oak?" Ex caught the man''s attention before he could depart, even as Gary rushed off. "You said I could earn money for discoveries about Pok¨¦mon?"


    "Absolutely," Professor Oak said with a nod. "You have another?"


    "Well," Ex said, a bit hesitantly, "I''m not sure if it''s an original discovery, but I figured out a way to give instructions to my pok¨¦mon outside of battle..."


    Sometime later, well after the three trainers had departed with their starters, a fourth was rushing toward the lab, mad at himself for his lateness and hoping Professor Oak would still be able to give him a pok¨¦mon. Unfortunately, the only starter pok¨¦mon remaining in the laboratory was not a starter at all; it was an unruly Pikachu. But that''s a different story altogether.

 Chapter 380 - My CO Stash #80 - A Heroic Avenger by Nergal-D (Fate/staynightXDanmachi)

    -I''m just happy that this was never abandoned like the other Avenger-centric fics~


    Synopsis: The Weakest Servant in existence, nothing more than garbage be it a Holy Grail War or any sort of fight. Yet upon gaining a new Master after a hero of justice stopped his corruption and sent to another realm, things just might change. In a land full of Gods and mortals alongside his new Master, maybe Angra can do something with his life. Hero? Villain? Avenger? Only time will tell.


    Rated: T


    Words: 68K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13471536/1/A-Heroic-Avenger (Nergal-D)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Pain.


    Burning pain.


    Horrific pain.


    Mental pain.


    Poisonous pain.


    Drowning pain.


    Shattering pain.


    Stabbing pain.


    Aching pain.


    Spiritual pain.


    Insane pain.


    Electric pain.


    Skinning pain.


    Hunger pain.


    Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! Pain! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN!


    ¡­..That was all he had ever known, since the day he had been chosen as the scapegoat.


    Angra Mainyu: All the World''s Evil.


    By the people who feared this Zoroastrianism Persion God, they thought of a solution so crazy that it just might work.


    It didn''t.


    What they did was nothing more but get an unlucky louse, a man cruelty chosen at random, and then picked as the "source of all evil in the world" by an unnamed village and was tortured and sacrificed in the ensuing rituals. Rituals that lasted until decades passed by, and by then only the hate remained. Both his body, mind, and soul had been tainted to the very level of humanities own sins placed upon him.


    And it didn''t even end despite dying.


    Apparently for some unknown reason, despite literally being just an ordinary dude who was tortured, his death caused his village to feel relieved. Thus making him qualified as a Heroic Spirit somehow, despite the damn fact he wasn''t good at all. Let aside a heroic figure for children''s fairy tales.


    Yet ignoring the absurdity of it all, he had indeed been chosen and qualified as a heroic Spirit.


    A weak one of course.


    "Avenger! Attack!" He still remembered it.


    The day when it all changed. His first summoning, his first time in this so called Holy Grail War. To be used as a pawn by some assholes who wanted to win this wish granting thing. With reluctance he entered battle. Facing his first opponent.


    He died on the fourth day of the war.


    Even though he''s a Servant, even though he''s a ''Hero'', he was still nothing more but the same villager who did nothing but get tortured. Unlike real heroes he had no true legend. No epic battle with monsters, a journey to the west, slaying dragons, being a child prodigy, or any of that crap.


    Just some no name loser who lost his own identity who was just tortured until he died of old age.


    Nothing more than that.


    As such, he was what one can call weak even among the absurdly powerful Servants. Compared to every single one of them, he lacked what made them special. Lacked what made them strong. Lacked the thing that would make him a true hero.


    No name, no power, just an empty void of nothingness with the only emotion he usually felt being hate and nothing more. As such it only made sense that he would have no true power against other Servants, even those that aren''t as powerful as certain others. Regardless, he lost and would be sent back into the Throne of Heroes and be there until he was called upon again.


    At least that should have happened.


    Yet instead of returning back to the Throne, something else happened. Something that reacted to the very ''wishes'' the people at the village placed upon him, causing a change. A transformation. One that lasted for a long time, and caused him to evolve into something that would truly make him become ''All The World''s Evil''.


    His power had been increased.


    His threat arisen.


    Servants falling to his shadows.


    The power to make even the purest of wishes twist and bend into something of a nightmare.


    However he lost his sense of self further. His mind vanishing away as he fell into a slumber of utter darkness unable to feel awakened. Only reacting when he felt he could be ''born'' and be the very thing the people wished for. A monster, a true demon, one that would end all life on earth. Yet he didn''t care. So long as he was reborn and destroyed the world, so be it.


    Of course despite his newfound power, he was still beaten.


    While mostly asleep, every now and then he would ''awaken'' for just the tiniest of moments and see things. Things that made him mad.


    First by that cold hearted man who overthrew his deal and used his will and ability to have that Saber kill him off.


    Then by his the very same man''s son, who allowed that girl he possessed to regain what was left of her feelings for him and disconnected from him, then destroying the Holy Grail.


    That was how he was defeated, and unlike the first time, there was no third chance after. That was how he would die. Simple as that. Just returning to the Throne and once more wait to be re-summoned by some other person and possibly repeat this procedure again.


    ¡­


    ¡­.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Like hell he will go back.


    ''No! Not yet! Not YET!'' After all these years of being trapped in the Holy Grail and being left as a senseless being with barely any sentience waiting for birth, the current destruction of the Holy Grail allowed him to regain his wit. His sentience. And whatever sanity he had left. Though in this situation, sanity may just have its advantage.


    With whatever intelligence he regained, the former villager who had been branded the name Angra Mainyu tried to figure out what to do. To think of a way to escape the pain of just being trapped in the Throne for who knows how long.


    He just got freed! No way he wanted to end just like that. But how can he escape? This situation was looking hopeless. That brat having caused the container that held the power of the Grail to collapse upon itself.


    But thanks to their efforts, unlike the Fourth War no disaster will happen with the contents spilling recklessly. Or at the least not enough to cause another disaster like before. However he didn''t need a disaster, just something to allow him to escape. A miracle of sorts to just escape!


    ''Or¡­'' The Avenger Class Servant slowly realized. ''A wish.''


    The power of the Grail is still here-even if it is vanishing rapidly. However if he made a wish, then it should work in theory before the power vanishes away alongside him. Of course how could he say anything if he couldn''t even talk, unable to even breath really.


    Servant or not, even he needed air to breath then speak.


    However, it would seem that luck was by his side this day. As it would seem the contents of the Holy Grail could ''sense'' his intentions, his desire. His desire to leave and be somewhere else. To be freed.


    So it did what he wanted.


    In a flash of light, the being that corrupted the Grail, caused untold death, and distorted the very essence of people''s wishes was gone.


    Only to end up in more pain.


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    Thi wasn''t fair. It just wasn''t fair.


    All her life she had never been appreciated, acknowledged. Praised.


    Instead all she got was the stress of doing a job that she never felt fit her purpose. Her father gone, work piling up, Lev busy to help her. It was becoming so much, and she never felt appreciated for it.


    "But maybe that can change." Her name is Olga Marie Animusphere, the daughter of the director of Chaldea that monitors the future of mankind and member of the prestigious Animusphere family of magi.


    Having white long hair with a ahoge and golden eyes, a professional black dress with yellow borders and black stockings and boots on her. She is eleven years old, and is currently in the Summoning Room in hopes to prove herself a Master. Already a few other Servants have been called upon, though two of them went missing with that wacko Miss ''I''m Beautiful'' woman(?) still here. She found it strange how someone from a few centuries can just magically understand how to work high tech that didn''t even exist in that woman(?)''s time.


    Whatever. Ignoring her she had her own role to play. To prove herself amazing and get the recognition she always wanted. And what better way to do so by summoning a Servant. A being that is a copy of a legendary figure from before, and granted massive powers thanks to the Holy Grail.


    ''If I do this, then maybe I can finally make a name for myself.'' What with her mother always drinking and her father never having any time for her, maybe she could get someone to pay attention to her after this. The only friend she had was Lev who seemed to be the only person that cared for her. Yet he was busy with his own work and didn''t blame him.


    Good thing she saw that Roman fellow using this a while ago. While she didn''t remember everything on the process, the memory she had should be enough along with the reference books she snuck for herself that should be enough.


    "Now to call upon them." The young girl smiled with her eyes shining as she pushed a few buttons. It was late at night and she only had one chance as after this her father would shut it down for a while. The machine''s control panel lit up and the summoning circle up ahead began to hum. With a smile she then pushed the start button and from it the Summoning Process came to life.


    The room was soon enveloped in a soft blue light and she could see the device doing as she should. Oh, what would she get, who would she get? Karma, Gilgamesh, the famed King Arthur, or maybe someone just as incredible. There were so many Servants from the Age of Gods to even the most recent of history of about a century ago.


    Unknown to her however is that Olga had made a critical mistake.


    While she did indeed get the Summoning Device to work, the machine known as FATE (Guardian Heroic Spirit Summoning System) had a reason for being shut down. Maintenance having noticed a few glitches that messed with the ''summonings'' which brought forth the Servant, and would possibly cause a small but dangerous distortion when used. This was going to be fixed later, however with Olga having accidently brought the machine to life, the glitch became active.


    Bzzz-zzz-Bzzz!


    "Huh?'' Actively now causing a dangerous effect to occur in the system, errors soon popping up on the screen which made Olga panicked. Quickly realizing something was wrong, the young girl tried her best to instantly shut the machine down in hopes to stop whatever was happening. However it is too late.


    The red lights began appearing, an alarm becoming active. Olga now covering her ears at the noise.


    "No, no, noo!" She shouted as she then became terrified of what would happen to her if the security found out about this. She could get in trouble, a lot of it. A good chance her father might even disown her, and while she''d like to say he would never she knew he never really saw her as much. Having never once congratulated her on anything.


    "I-I-I have to fix this!" She declared. She tried pushing more buttons in a desperate attempt to stop this, noticing the machine that brought forth Servants was dangerously glowing red. Her eyes moved left and right, breath becoming tense, sweat slowly coming out of her skin. She''s never been in a situation like this before.


    The red light from FATE expanded more, covering her.


    "..go¡­!"


    "N-...de!...Che-...t!"


    Oh no! She could hear voices, and footsteps. She should have ran when she had the chance. Before she could decide on what choice to make, she then saw something.


    It.


    Like a horror film, a distorted limb covered in black and red actually came out from the Summoning Device. It grabbed on to the floor, and ever slowly tried to come out.


    "G..gu¡­" Olga didn''t know what to do. To terrified and unable to think properly. All she knew was that she messed up, and that whatever she did was about to have consequences. Unless...Unless she could fix it.


    Without thinking Olga ran up to where the hand was grabbing on to the ground, and tried to kick it away. Stomping on it in hopes to get rid of it. One would think this was stupid, yet it was actually working. The hand looking like it was unable to hold on and was slipping. This caused Olga to smile, thinking she was doing something right.


    Unfortunately in her haste she accidently looked down in the distorted portal. There where she saw the figure that was inside.


    "!" The being inside was twisted and had an empty silhouette that showed nothing at all. They ''glitched'' as if they were part of some bad video game, yet managed to look menacing even more. Even worse, its eyes opened to reveal dark red eyes that looked as if they were peering into her very soul.


    Olga froze in terror, and that terror became her own undoing. Because the being inside saw this as a chance and grabbed her foot in an attempt to escape. However it couldn''t control that strength and instead caused Olga to slip instead.


    "Gahhhhh!" Then like that, she fell and the portal closed shut.


    By the time security arrived, they would find nothing but smoking metal.


    "..up...Wa-...! Up-" Again with the voices. One minute he felt himself vanish, the next he felt a hell ton of pain. Oh well, nothing he wasn''t used to. At least he was finally freed...But where?


    "U...Ge¡­..-p!" Uh, what was with that annoying sound. Slowly the first Avenger opened his eyes, seeing a blur of colors and a wave of figures moving around. His eyes slowly adjusting from all this and becoming focused. There he then saw a girl holding onto him with white hair and golden eyes shouting something at him, pointing.


    "Err...He slowly sat up, rubbing his head becoming annoyed. "What is it?" He then asked.


    "Get up and run!" The girl then shouted followed by a roar.


    Turning his head round, Angra then looked and saw a huge Minitour as big as a small car coming right at him.


    Shit.


    "Gah!" Screaming while cursing his luck is a young boy with white hair and ruby red eyes. Currently praying to every God such as his own and even the ones that rejected him for help. Why?


    "UOOAAAARRRR!" Because he''s being chased by a giant brown skinned monster with horns and a face of fury. Otherwise known as the Minotaur. The body of a man and head of a bull, a fearsome monster that shouldn''t even be on this level.


    ''Why in Goddess''s name am I facing that!'' This boy had hoped to have an adventure here in Orario, the City of Adventurers. A place where every race of any age gathered and tested their luck in the epicenter of the world, The Dungeon. A place where monsters spawned endlessly and could only be stopped by those of great power like the heroes of old age.


    But thanks to the Gods and those of the Spirits alongside the ''Blessings'' the Gods gave, things were okay. The monsters that came from the Dungeon sealed away, and while they had to be culled it also granted the opportunity for those who had big enough dreams to face them.


    All one had to do was join a Familia and they''d receive the Falna that allowed them to face such challenges. However, even with this power one still had to be careful. Something that the young boy and adventurer Bell Cranel is now learning the hard way.


    "UROOAAAA!" The very hard way.


    "Aieeee!" What should he do? What should he do? What should he do!?


    He won''t be able to escape a powerful monster like that forever. While Bell is confident in his speed, a monster like that will bound to catch up. Fight it? He may as well just kill himself to save it the trouble.


    Which won''t be for long to, as suddenly Bell found himself at a dead end. No other exits out of there except for one. "URAAA!" Though that one may as well be an even dead-er end.


    The great bull beast b;locking his way, a visciouse yet sadistic smile on its features. The beast more than ready to get its massive hands on his that happened, he''ll either be ripped in two, or eaten alive. Neither choices were pleasing to the eye.


    ''This is it!'' Bell horribly thought as he had his back against the wall. The shadow of his soon-to-be killer getting closer and closer. The stomps indicating his ever impending doom. Still, despite the fact he was about to die, Bell at least decided to die while standing. He has his own pride after all.


    The only regret he had was one thing.


    ''Goddess-Sama¡­''A flash of a small but joyful figure came into his head.


    "URAAA!" Shutting his eyes, Bell could only hope his end will be swift and as painless as possible. Clenching his fists and grinding his teeth ready to meet his maker.


    "Man another of these freaks. Yeesh. Just what I need." A tear of flesh could then be heard with a roar from the monster before it soon stopped.A wet splat following next with Bell feeling a lot of viscorouse sticky liquid land on him. "Taking care of a brat and this crap!"


    "I-I''m not a brat Servant!" A female voice sounded before then sounding disgusted.. "A-and also, did you have to make that monster so...bloody?"


    "Oh can it kid. You should have seen worse, right?" The male voice said annoyed. "I know I have."


    Hearing this conversation, and the fact the roar had stopped, Bell willed himself to open his eyes.


    "Gu-graaa!" Then threw up at the sight of the body of the Minitour, which had been completely ripped apart revealing the innards, guts, organs, with half its face carved out. Yes Bell has seen stuff like this before, but only shallow cuts or a loss limb, nothing like this.


    Then suddenly the body disappeared to ashes, dropping a stone.


    "Woah. Didn''t see that coming." The man the girl called Servant said. Using his shadow hand to grab the stone and observing it. Bell, after wiping his mouth, then gazed at this Servant person. Only for his eyes to widen when instead of a person, all he saw was some living shadow with eyes, almost like a monster. Yet this...person(?) could talk, and his body being utterly empty. Was this some kind of skill being used? A gift granted by one leveling up? It had to be, otherwise this person couldn''t have stopped the minitour. As for the person, it is a girl who has white hair, golden eyes, a dress of some sorts and boots. A noble''s daughter?


    Now, apparently these two-or the shadow man in this case have saved Bell. For that he was grateful. However¡­


    "Oh, a kid." The male then saw him, then looked down at a set of reverse grip blades, then looked at Bell again. After throwing the stone to the girl, he then said, "Should I kill him?"


    "Da-da-da-" Bell suddenly went as the guy kept looking at him, the blades he held still dripping with wet blood. Suddenly the person took a step forward. The running, the disgusting sight, and now this. That was all Bell''s mind could handle. "Daaaaahhhhh!" Then like the wind, he ran off quickly, not wanting to be attacked and having had enough adventuring for one day.


    Leaving behind the Avenger Class Servant Angra Mainyu and the heir of the Animusphere family Olga Marie Animusphere behind. "H-hey!" The young girl then called out to the fleeing Bell leaving them in his dust quickly putting the stone away.. "Don''t leave us here." She then heard growls from afar. "Don''t leave me here!"


    "Ouch." Avenger chuckled at the girls disbelief. "Don''t be mean. I did save you after all."


    "Save me!" Olga then turned and faced Avenger angrily. "You! You were the one that got me in this mess in the first place!" She didn''t recognize him then, but now she does. He''s the same being she saw in the portal. In other words, the one that dragged her into whatever the hell this place is. "Not to mention showed me that disgusting scenery!" Thanks to certain training, she is capable of seeing stuff like this as a heir like her needed to so she could continue doing her job in the future. However, gross things were gross. And that Servant''s way of doing so still made her nauseas..


    "Hey, hey. Not my fault. I didn''t know." I mean, one minute he was vanishing from the Grail, then the next thing he knew he was feeling the pain of being ripped apart from all directions in some weird place. So what if he''s accustomed to pain. Pain is still pain, and it wasn''t as if he was in his right mind when he grabbed the girl.


    "In any case," Angra then looked around to wherever they were. "Guess we''re in the Underworld or something. You don''t see monsters like that everyday. Heck, maybe where in some labyrinth." Angra chuckled.


    "Sh-shut it!" Olga shouted at him while waving her arms. "Because of you we''re now stuck in this nightmare pit. Uh!" She then stomped her foot down. "I try summoning a Servant yet instead I end up here. What will my dad say?"


    "Not much since I doubt he knows where here." Angra said before he started to walk off. "Either way, see ya." He then began walking off.


    "H-hey!" Olga then began following after him. "You can''t just leave me here!"


    "How come?" Angra looked over his shoulder.


    "B-because you''re my Servant!" She tried saying.


    "Oh right, that." Thinking on it he was getting mana from somewhere. Must have been her. Hm? Guess he couldn''t leave her, not because he had a conscience, but because he wanted to stay around just a little longer here in the real world. Maybe even last better than just four days to. Can''t happen though if he no longer has a battery mana source. "Sure. Though I should warn you about one thing." He then smiles at her.


    "Oh yeah, and what''s that?" Olga demanded while crossing her arms. Avenger just chuckled.


    "Well¡­" He then knelt a bit and spread his arms out. "Hello! You have summoned I, Avenger! Weakest Servant in existence!"


    "...Wa?" It couldn''t be, right? Avenger? A super-rare Class that she only heard rumors about? Yet, according to the rumors Avenger had only been called upon one time. Once in one of the first Holy Grail Wars that ever started. Yet according to the rumors and a few records that Servant summoned was...he was...super weak. Having died in just a few mere days having accomplished nothing at all, making the family that summoned him be the first to lose in the way.


    And she summoned him? Realizing this, that the Servant she called upon-whoever he is-and his own declaration made Olga realize something. That not only did she not get the powerful and strong Servant she desired, but instead got...this? "WAAAAA!" She then screamed realizing what was going on and what she summoned. Something that Avenger enjoyed at the fullest.


    "Hahahahha!" Avenger laughed at her funny face! It was just like his first Master when he told him his identity as ''Weakest Servant''. Oh did that feel good! Kid got the most unlucky summon in history. "A pleasure to meet you master! Angra Mainyu at your service!"


    That only served to make Olga scream louder and him laughing harder.


    As Olga could only yell at her misfortune and even saying words unbefitting of her age while Angra laughing, neither noticed a figure watching the, hiding in the shadows. Her hand gripping a blade as she observed the two. She had arrived a while ago to save the boy that had been caught up in her mistake...only to see this.


    ''Who is this person?'' She thought before narrowing his eyes. His stance was one of carefree and carelessness, yet he had been truly ready to kill that boy. Had he made a move, she would have struck before he did. Yet¡­.she hesitated? Then, another thought came to her, moving her blonde hair to get a closer look at him. ''And just what is he?'' Because the second he appeared and saved that boy by brutally killing that Minotaur...she had a chill down her spine. His unknown look also didn''t help matters, and it was only because he was talking that she didn''t attack on the belief he''s a monster.


    "Hey Aiz, you done yet." A call then came to her from a wolf man. Bete must have finished as she noticed a tall and somewhat scowling figure come by. An ally of hers that then slunk over to her and then saw the two strangely dressed people. For a moment she saw his body tense, before reverting back to his casual form.


    "Who the hell are those two?" He then saw the girl screaming at Avenger who was still laughing. "Don''t look like adventurers. Some royal brat who wanted to see the Dungeon with her guard? A weird one to." It didn''t happen often but some nobles did want to see the great Dungeon of Orari, usually calling or hiring Adventurers to protect them while they sight saw. Idiots. The Dungeon isn''t a place for a tour. Seems that girl was learning that, Bete now know longer interested. Though his eyes did linger on the strange guard that had no features at all. A skill? Probably nothing. "Come on Aiz." He then waved his hand for her to follow. "Just leave those idiots behind. We got to catch up with the others anyway."


    "..." Aiz did so reluctantly. The girl seemed alright now, and didn''t appear to be in any trouble with that stranger. Besides, she and the rest of her Familia needed to get to the surface and finish their business. Plus...maybe she could find that boy and apologize later. After all, had she been faster the boy would not have been in that position in the first place.


    While he was okay now, she nearly got him killed because she wasn''t fast enough. Had that stranger not been there, there''s a good chance he might have died unless she was quick enough. The least she could do was apologize.


    Still, as she moved alongside Bete, she couldn''t help but think of that person the girl called his ''Servant'' was wrong. He just felt...like a monster?


    Somewhere else in Orario, above the Dungeon itself a bad feeling went down the base of every God in the city, and maybe beyond it to. All of them for but a quick but single moment, felt some form of fear. Yet despite this feeling, it went away as quickly as it came, with most then just waving it off as nothing important. However not every God just pushed the though aside. This went to anybody who was observant, including the one that was inside the guild and leading it. Where inside a room an old yet wise looking man sitting down suddenly gazed up. His white hair moving past his wise blue eyes which narrowed. His hands resting on his throne, yet for a moment twitched.


    "You felt it to, have you not?" From the shadows a figure where one couldn''t tell the gender wearing nothing but black robes came out which is covering everything as the figure walked toward him. The figure having also sensed it as they looked over their shoulder. "Something just came from the Dungeon, something sinful."


    The old man slowly nodded, closing his eyes as he tried to get a feel of the presence in the Dungeon. It was an old one, not human, and full of many things. Wrath! Destruction! Emptiness. And hate. So much hate. A presence that he recognized and once felt back before the Gods came down upon the lower world, back in an age where he along with other Gods fought them.


    The wicked Gods of the Heavens and Hell.


    Deities that wrecked havoc as they wished, having been the cause of many things. Especially the negative energy signature he felt that just came from the Dungeon.


    "...Angra...Mainyu¡­" It has been a long time since he felt this malice, never having t thought he''d sense it again. After all, that particular God should be dead. He personally saw it with others, the ending shot being with Artemis and her bow killing that monster. Yet here he is now, alive. This will definitely cause a change of status in this world. Especially since somehow that Dark God had been detected in the Dungeon of all places. An allegiance of sorts?


    Between the monsters of the world and the sins of the world?


    That didn''t bode well for anybody.


    "Fels." He then called out to the robe being. "See if you can reach out to the other Gods. Seems one of the Wicked Gods still live."


    Things were going to change.

 Chapter 381 - My SI Stash #81 - Lord Frieza incarnate in Gensokyo by Ridoux (TouhouProject)

    -The specificness of this entire fic has got me dying, honestly just sharing it up here for the laughs. A crack fic once in a while doesn''t hurt anyone.


    Synopsis: A playboy weeb from our world, that doesn''t know anything about Touhou, gets Frieza-sama powers and the appearance of Killua Zoldyck from Hunter X Hunter, then gets isekai-ed to Touhou Project world. In case you find incorrect information in the story, don''t worry, it''s not me who didn''t know it, but the characters themselves, it''s not like they have a wiki about their world like u


    Rated: T


    Words: 43K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13673489/2/Lord-Frieza-incarnate-in-Gensokyo or (Ridoux)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Yoo, this is your everyday weeb, yes just a regular weeb you see everywhere nowadays.


    But, don''t get me wrong now, even though I said I''m a weeb, I absolutely don''t like waifu, harem, ecchi and whatever other shit you found there.


    In other words, I prefer REAL girls over some 2D/3D-fictional-overly-s.e.xy/cute female characters made by some ugly old man somewhere in japan.


    Oh, did I touch a sore spot in your ass? Well, that''s just my OWN preference, so if you didn''t like it then f.u.c.k off.


    ...Okay, that was harsh, i''m sorry alright?


    Anyway, why i''m saying this right now? Well, that''s because of the impossible situation I found my humble ass in right now.


    I think if you are one of us (weeb species) you''ll understand everything if I show you this blue hologram-like panel, that appeared the moment I woke up from sleep in my room.


    [Notification!]


    [ The Root of Existence found your world''s fantasy stories to be intriguing and decided to make a new world based in it. ]


    [ The new world will be based in a random fantasy story from your world. ]


    [ The timeline will be the same as the canon in the said story. ]


    [ To make it more practical, the Root of Existence decided to send a random sentient creature from your world. ]


    [ And you have been chosen as the one to go to the said world. ]


    [ Would like to accept? ]


    [ You need to answer with YES or NO ]


    And that''s it guys, I think even a low level weeb would understand what''s going on, it''s a f.u.c.k.i.n.g...


    "ISEKAI SHIT?!"


    I said loudly as I jumped from my bed.


    "wait... For real?!"


    I couldn''t believe what i''m seeing, it''s a f.u.c.k.i.n.g status BRO! A REAL STATUS.


    "Okay, let''s relax for now..."


    After I said that, I sat cross-legged in my bed and closed my eyes.


    "..."


    I opened them again.


    "It''s still here..."


    And the same blue panel still hovering in front of my vision, let''s say about half a metre away from my face?


    "I got goosebumps..."


    I looked at my hands and found that i''m having goosebumps.


    "No wonder, it''s a status after all."


    I looked back at the stat- wait status? I forgot that it''s just a notification, should I call it a panel? Nnn¡­ a box?


    "Nah, i''ll just call it status."


    Now then what should i do? I have to think about my family and- Nah.


    "YES!"


    F.u.c.k it all, of course i''ll accept this shit, i''m not some coward that would be afraid to get isekai-ed.


    Family? Well I''m sorry but I have to choose my own life, and I''m not the first child to begin with, and my parents are well over 70 years old, so yeah you get what i mean.


    How old i''m? 22 years old, now shut up.


    [Affirmative!]


    The moment i read that word, everything turned black and i felt as if i was forced to sleep.


    [Successfully extracted the host''s soul!]


    Wait, what?! Why can I still see the status while I''m asleep?!


    [The host''s soul has been brought to the Void successfully.]


    The moment I read those words I felt as if I landed on something, I looked down and found my n.a.k.e.d body.


    "How can i see myself in the dark?!"


    I know i''m annoying, but BRO, this is f.u.c.k.i.n.g interesting, is this how everyone who gets isekai-ed experience everytime?


    [Notification!]


    [ As the world is random, so does the environment and the opponents. ]


    [ The host will be given the body, memories and experiences of any sentient being he wants. ]


    [ The sentient being can be fictional but it have to be an existing character in your world. ]


    [ The host can change the appearance of the given sentient being without affecting its abilities and capabilities. ]


    [ To simplify the designing operation the host can simply give the name of another sentient being he wants his appearance. ]


    [ Please say the name of the sentient being the host wants his body, memories and experiences. ]


    "Annnnnnd it came."


    *SIGH*


    That''s what I was waiting for, I thought for a moment that I would get isekai-ed with my shity-n.a.k.e.d body.


    Even Subaru didn''t go n.a.k.e.d and brought some stuff with him.


    ...Well, this is more than i expected, so basically i get cheat abilities with a tutorial and experience/skill package included? Even a f.u.c.k.i.n.g ultimate appearance changing one-time-use gacha item?


    "This is good shit Hahahahaha."


    I laughed like an idiot for 5 minutes.


    "Ahem."


    Now then, let''s think seriously about this for a momen-Nah


    "Give me the body of Frieza from Dragon Ball Super''s last episode or from the future season if possible ."


    You''re surprised, aren''t you? Well it''s understandable, normally almost all weebs would say something like Goku, Broly, Saitama or whatever, but you know, you all sucks.


    The reason is simple : why have a f.u.c.k.i.n.g weak human body?


    For the Saiyans like Vegeta or Goku, in their Base Form they are no different from humans, in one scene Goku even though he already mastered Blue Super Saiyan, in his Base Form however he still got injured from a simple pistol bullet?!i


    And saitama? Well, he can''t breathe in f.u.c.k.i.n.g SPACE! If anyone sends him to space he''s f.u.c.k.i.e.d, he was just LUCKY that he landed on the moon in that episode, otherwise he''s dead and we wouldn''t get a damn second season.


    You got it now? You noob weebs can worship me now. *Smirk*


    What about Frieza? Well-


    [Update Notification!]


    [ As the world is random, so does the environment and the opponents. ]


    [ The host will be given the body, memories and experiences of any sentient being he wants. ]


    [ The sentient being can be fictional but it have to be an existing character in your world in the PRESENT TIMELINE. ]


    [ The host can change the appearance of the given sentient being without affecting its abilities and capabilities. ]


    [ To simplify the designing operation the host can simply give the name of another sentient being he wants his appearance. ]


    [ Please say the name of the sentient being the host wants his body, memories and experiences. ]


    "Tch! So they fixed that loophole?"


    Damn, it didn''t slip past them, I was hoping to get Frieza from the future Dragon Ball series, but it seems they won''t let me have my way.


    "Alright then, just give me the body of Frieza from Dragon Ball Super''s last episode."


    [Affirmative!]


    Now then, what were we talking about? Oh yeah, it''s about what''s so special about Frieza right? Well-


    [Frieza''s general information!]


    [ Frieza is an exceedingly cruel mutant member of an extremely powerful extraterrestrial species. The son of Cold the Great King, Frieza is the emperor of a military organization known as the Frieza Army. His reign extended to most of the North Galaxies and was also implied to extend beyond them to much of the seventh universe. ]


    [ Frieza was noted for his incredibly vast and enormous power. His power in his base state alone is sufficient for most of his encounters, he claims that he was even able to fight the likes of King Vegeta with just his base state. Frieza had a vast amount of power; his immense reserves allowed him to fight Vegeta, Gohan, Kulilin, and, later on, Piccolo and Goku without growing exhausted. He was easily able to generate enough power to destroy a planet. ]


    [ Frieza was famously antagonistic of the Saiyan race due to his fear of their Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan God legends. With the authorization of the Hakaishin Beerus, he destroyed planet Vegeta and wiped out all but a handful of Saiyans. Decades later, this brought him into conflict with the Saiyan survivor, Son Goku, who avenged his people by becoming a Super Saiyan and defeating Frieza on Planet Namek. ]


    [ Frieza and his father were killed by Trunks, a Super Saiyan from the future, when they attempted to invade the Earth and get revenge on Goku. Afterwards, he remained in Earth''s Hell until his minion Sorbet revived him. But, despite being vastly stronger, he was once again bested by Goku and killed. ]


    [ He was revived once more following the Tournament of Power as a gift from Beerus for assisting the seventh universe in achieving victory over Jiren. After the tournament, he rebuilt his army and continued his evil-doing unhindered. ]


    [ Frieza was a shapeshifting extraterrestrial. As a result, his appearance varied widely depending on which form he was using. Most of the time, however, he would remain in a suppressed form, known as his First Form in order to control his overwhelming power. In this form-]


    "Ahhh, just skip this, that''s my best character, i know every freakish detail about him."


    [ Frieza being the mutant member of such an extremely powerful extraterrestrial species he possess a terrifying durability, even in a near death injury, Frieza can barely survive a 2nd rank planetary destruction, in his perfectly undamaged Base Form however he can easily survive a supernova or the destruction of a star about 3 times the size of the host''s solar system''s star, and in his True Golden Frieza Form, he''s almost indestructible without using Ki or Hakai energy. ]


    [ In his True Golden Frieza Form he can also block and controle a small amount of Hakai energy, which is considered to be the highest achievement a mortal can achieve and a proof that he''s worthy to become the next God of Destruction of the universe. ]


    Phew, well here it is guys, now you know why I chose Frieza, but this is taking too long...


    "Enough, i know everything, just shut up."


    [ Affirmative! ]


    "Sigh"


    [ Would you like to keep the sentient being appearance? ]


    "Oh?, HELL NO!"


    [ Affirmative! ]


    ''Who would want a d.i.c.kless body?! I got shivers just thinking about it.''


    Nothing personal Frieza-sama, i don''t know how your race reproduces without a damn d.i.c.k, but i just can''t imagine a life without a d.i.c.k.


    [ Please say the name of the sentient being you want to have his appearance. ]


    "Hmm, then let''s go with Killua Zoldyck from Hunter x Hunter."


    [ Affirmative! ]


    Why Killua? Because I found him cool, according to my analytics from my real-girls-database, that type of man is what most of them like, a mix of mischievousness and childishness, but the biggest reason for me to choose him is because i found him badass, wait! I forgot something.


    "O-Oi, what about the tail?"


    [ Begin altering the host''s appearance... ]


    "Hey! Answe-"


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    FUck?! What''s this! I feel like every cell in my body has been kneaded.


    *GASP* *GASP*


    Luckily it lasted only a moment, but I swear I never felt something painful like this before, in that f.u.c.k.i.n.g fraction of a second!


    [ Successfully altered the host''s appearance.. ]


    "F.u.c.ker..."


    I then noticed that I''m now wearing something.


    "This is¡­ Killua''s clothes? Oh! Even my hands are small."


    long-sleeved and dark-colored shirts, baggy shorts and purple boots, yeah this is definitely Killua''s usual clothes in the anime.


    "That''s cool and all, but i can''t feel any difference aside from the small size of my body, Where is Frieza''s strength and all? "


    [ You are only a soul right now, The host''s body will be constructed accordingly after the world is generated. ]


    "Oh, is that so?"


    [ All conditions are meet. ]


    [ Picking a random story from the host''s previous world... ]


    "Yoo, this is exciting! I wonder what i''ll get?"


    [ Successfully chosen a story : Touhou Project ]


    "...wait what?"


    [ Creating a world identical to Touhou Project... ]


    "What the hell is a Touhou Project?!"


    [ Successfully created Touhou Project ]


    "Ah, wait, c-can you choose another one?"


    I never heard that title before?! The f.u.c.k?! Is it even an anime in the first place?! It must be, there is no way i won''t know an ani-, well scratch that, i don''t like fictional girls crap, so it''s definitely some shoujo shit.*SIGH*


    [ Constructing the host''s body in near proximity to the canon''s place... ]


    "Pretty please?!"


    [ Successfully constructed the host''s body ]


    ''Ah, i''m skewered...''


    [ Linking the host to his body... ]


    And that was the last thing i thought before something forced me to sleep again, the only difference is instead of black, now everything became blinding white, and at the same time new memories invaded my mind.


    Gensokyo - Bamboo Forest of the Lost


    At nightfall and in an old and small cottage hidden deep within the forest, a single candle was providing illumination inside, the candle was placed in a rusty holder above the table, and there was one person sitting in the chair facing the table, she looked about 16 years old, currently she was watching the candle silently with a bored expression as she rested her chin in her palms.


    "Sigh, It''s been more than 1300 years already, Huh."


    She said in a sweet voice yet somewhat boyish tone.


    *Flutter*


    "..."


    She then lifted her head and rested her back in the chair as she left her arms dangling to the sides, that sample action caused her beautiful ankle-length white hair to flutter in the air.


    "I''m bored..."


    She said as her bored red eyes stared at the ceiling.


    *Crack*


    "?!"


    Then suddenly the ceiling cracked as if something heavy landed at it.


    *Boom*


    But since the wood was hundred of years old, it wasn''t able to endure the weight of that something as it broke and it fell directly over the girl.


    "Kyaa!"


    That was so sudden and unpredictable that she wasn''t even able to react.


    As the cottage was small, it was immediately filled with smoke.


    *Caugh* *Caugh*


    "What the hell?!"


    The girl shouted while trying to drive away the smoke from her with her slender arm.


    "Who dared to break my house?!"


    She said angrily as she tried to comprehend what happened.


    "I swear! I''ll Kil- Eh? A human child?"


    After she finally managed to regain her vision, she noticed that something was resting over her body, after she looked down, the first thing she saw was a beautiful spiky white hair just like hers and then a very pale skin that was again just like hers.


    He was a little boy of about 12 to 13 years old she guessed.


    "..."


    It seems he was unconscious at the moment, she then looked at the ceiling and grimaced.


    "I know i said it''s boring, but even so..."


    She looked back at the boy and then towards her bed.


    "Well, it''s in the middle of the night right now, so I guess I should wait until he wakes up."


    After she said that she stood up and tried to carry the boy to her bed.


    "Eh? No way, why is he so damn heavy?!"


    Only now did she notice that boy was extremely heavy, about 10 times her weight even though he was smaller than her.


    ''He must be at least half a ton.''


    She thought as she narrowed her eyes.


    "Hmph!"


    She then used her superhuman strength and easily lifted the boy up.


    "..."


    She then silently proceeded to put him in her bed.


    *Crack*


    As he was so heavy, the moment she released him, he instantly sank in and broke the bed.


    *Crash*


    "...Sigh."


    Her eyes twitched as she saw that, she then sighed as she stared at the boy''s sleeping face.


    "...You better pay me after this..."


    After a couple of minutes she turned around and planned to get the chair but saw that it was also broken.


    Her eyes twitched again and clenched her fists.


    "You won''t go anywhere until you pay for everything you broke."


    And that was how the two met, Fujiwara no Mokou and an enigma that literally dropped from the sky to her house, follow how the two will interact and affect everything around them from now on.

 Chapter 382 - My OC Stash #82 - Brothers in Arms by Tusk Act IV (RWBY)

    -Everytime I start getting tired of Jaune-centric stories, I always find these mildly interesting and refreshing fics~


    Synopsis: In which Jaune Arc finds out that there are two Gods sealed in his family heirloom and tries to start his own religion.


    Rated: T


    Words: 46K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13185889/1/Brothers-in-Arms (Tusk Act IV)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Crocea Mors.


    The Yellow Death.


    Initially wielded by Laetica Arc, the sword and shield combination was said to be the first mechashift weapon to be used in a major battle. The blade was said to render a mountain of Grimm into dust with a single swing. The shield was rumored to not bend even under the pressure of a Goliath''s full stomp.


    Many an Arc had wielded it into battle yet it has never been said to have failed the family name. Many a hero it had created and saved. It was just as much an heirloom to their family as the very blood running through their veins.


    The sword promised victory.


    The shield promised glory.


    To the wielder, to the next Arc hero, Crocea Mors would be the first stop to becoming a legend.


    And that person would be, him, Jaune Arc.


    "Yeah, I don''t buy it."


    Jaune turned to his sister next to him, pouting on her interruption and lack of faith. Didn''t she see he was on a roll? That this was meant to be his moment. His look of indignation did not change her own skeptical one, however.


    "I mean, isn''t that just what Violet uses to get something under the couch." Saphron had never heard any of these so called "legends" on the family heirloom. She had seen it used to get the remote when it fell out fo reach beneath the couch.


    "You just don''t get it, Saphron." Jaune shook his head, unbelieving of his sister''s lack of faith and whimsy. as he really the only one who went to visit nana to hear of old Arc tales?


    "What I do get though is that you''re still trying to be a Hunter." Saphron turned a pointed look at him. "Didn''t Dad tell you to give up on that stuff?"


    "Dad will warm up to it." was Jaune''s flippant reply. Both their father and mother had been against Jaune when he randomly declared that he wanted to be a Huntsman. It was obvious that their warnings didn''t stick to her fifteen year old brother.


    Saphron turned from her brother to the weapon he was still staring at. It didn''t even look that impressive as Jaune''s eyes shined better than the dusty old heirloom.


    Well, it wasn''t really her place to judge. As his Sister, she''d support him by not interesting with what he wanted to do. A passive support for siblings. Besides, if it really was dangerous than she knew her parents and the others would step in.


    For now, she''d support his dreams in the best way a sister should.


    "Well, good luck with that. If you''re really going to use the old reacher than make sure to give it a good polish. Although, don''t go polishing your sword too much eh?"


    She nudged Jaune with her elbow but frowned when he didn''t react to her entrendre. Terra would have loved that one. Maybe, she should go send it to her.


    Jaune didn''t even turn as his sister went back up the stairs and left him alone in the bas.e.m.e.nt. He was too busy admiring his future partners, his ticket out of his house and into the history books.


    He just stood there in silence, almost as if he was waiting for something to happen. it It was just him and Crocea Mors. In Jaune''s head, he saw himself wielding the pair out to battle Grimm, a fair maiden by his side. And they were both on horses. The fantasy drew a goofy grin on hs face.


    Maybe...


    Jaune took a quick glance up the steps. Even if it was impossible, he also tried to ehar if anyone else was nearby.


    "..."


    Nothing.


    Knowing the coast was clear, the blonde reached up and took the heirloom from their place on the wall. Sword in one hand and shield in another, Jaune Arc did the one thing any boy his age would do.


    "Swish! Pow! Take that!" With exaggerated sounds from his mouth, Jaune slashed, bashed, and did stuff he thought would look cool if anyone was watching. Moves he has seen in movies and videos.


    If anyone were to see him right now, the first thought they''d think of would be-


    [Pathetic]


    Jaune froze. While it was true, the weapons were much heavier than he had expected, he had stopped for a different reason.


    [He''s too tired to even keep me up for five minutes.]


    Again, suddenly, a voice had spoken up from...somewhere. Jaune looked around the Arc family bas.e.m.e.nt, looking for the source of the voice. "Hello?"


    No reply.


    He turned his eyes, to seek for one of his sisters or even a speaker. May had once tricked him into believing there was a ghost with a hidden speaker.


    "If that''s you May, this isn''t funny! Saphron already told me ghosts don''t exist."


    [Oh great. Now he''s even scared of ghosts.]


    "I''m not scared of any ghosts!" Jaune yelled back, though he did hold his weapons closer. Just in case.


    For a moment, there was silence once more. And then, the same voice spoke up.


    [You can hear me?]


    "Yeah, of course, I can hear you!" Jaune was now really on edge. The voice was now addressing him. Was he really having a conversation with the dead? "And I''m not afraid, you hear?"


    [...Interesting. You are the first to have heard me since that bitch locked me in here.]


    Bitch? Jaune didn''t know what the voice spoke was saying. "Well, you''re welcome to leave. There''s no need for any ghosts in my house!"


    [Ghost? I''m no ghost, son of man.]


    It was then that Jaune realized that the voice wasn''t coming from anywhere specific. Rather, it sounded like it came directly from his noggin.


    He also realized his shield was glowing purple.


    "Ah!" With a totally not girlish shriek, Jaune tossed the shield aside as if it was on fire. The shield clanged, noisily on the floor before finally settling down.


    [Hey! Watch it!]


    As if conforming his thoughts, the shield glowed purple every time the voice spoke up.


    "W-what are you?!" half-asked half-demanded Jaune as he used both of his hands to point his sword at the shield in front of him.


    The shield, ghost, spirit, whatever it was remained silent.


    Jaune continued to point the sword at the shield but eventually, after what had to be five minutes of no reply and his own aching arms, he slowly lowered his weapon.


    Maybe, he had just imagined it?


    [Son of Arc!]


    And just as he lowered his guard, the shield spoke up, glowing an other worldly purple that filled the room with light.


    [You ask who I am? I am the spirit of this weapon! The very one who has led every Arc into battle! I have chosen you as the next hero, worthy of wielding me!]


    Jaune''s jaw dropped just like the sword in his hands. "So...so you''re really the Crocea Mors?"


    [...sure. Anyways, you wanted to be a hero or something, right?]


    "Yes! Of course!" Jaune nodded, his mind going a mile a minute. This was just like his Mistrallian comics! He always knew he was going to become a hero! "I''m going to become a Hunter and save people from the Grimm!"


    [Then Son of Arc, pick up that sword and repeat after me.]


    Jaune did so, holding the sword in a salute he had seen other hunters use on television.


    By Shield of Dark of unlit night,


    Make Destruction and Creation''s paths unite.


    Let all past Knowledge and Choice rewrite;


    Awaken sword of unseen Light!


    As soon as Jaune yelled the final words, he expected something to happen. He wasn''t entirely sure what. Maybe, the sword would glow? Maybe, angels would appear to crown him? Even a certificate popping up would have been better than nothing.


    However, nothing was what he got. He was still alone holding a heavy sword in his parent''s bas.e.m.e.nt. He decided to bring it up with the spirit. "Is...is something supposed to happen?"


    [Well, it takes a while for a new spell to work. I had to make it on the spot after all]


    "Spells, what are you-" Whatever thoughts Jaune had was stopped as he suddenly felt something. He wasn''t entirely sure what it was but something was being done to his body. If he were to describe it he felt as if he was getting more and more tired as time went on, like he was being drained.


    "What''s...going..."


    Jaune dropped to his knees, his hand still holding the sword. If he had tried, he may have noticed he wouldn''t be able to let go even if he wanted to. He struggled, trying to keep himself up but eventually he fell face flat on the floor of the bas.e.m.e.nt


    All the while the shield was silent, not saying a word to Jaune''s struggles.


    [What...how am I...]


    A voice spoke out. Jaune would have thought of it as his own but he was too tired to even move his mouth. Now, he found it hard enough to keep his eyes open. As his mind fell into darkness, he could barely catch what sounded like a conversation.


    [Brother! You have awakened!]


    [Brother? So this was your doing? What...what have you done?]


    [I fed you enough so you can awaken! Together, we could finally free ourselves and-]


    [What have you done!? All of his potential! All gone!]


    Hearing those last words, Jaune Arc blacked out.


    When Jaune woke to, he wasn''t really surprised that now the sword was talking too. it was just unfortunate that he didn''t suddenly grow abs after his transformation much like in the movies.


    [Greetings. I am the God of Light. My brother told me you are Jaune correct?]


    Sitting on the floor cross-legged, Jaune nodded. Compared to the purple glow of the shield, whenever the sword spoke, a yellow light accompanied it. It took another moment for Jaune to realize that the sword probably couldn''t see him nod.


    "Yeah, I''m Jaune, you''re next hero." Jaune couldn''t help but grin. This was just like his comic books. A sealed god in a weapon, a chosen hero, this was all the makings of an legendary adventure.


    [Well then, Jaune, I''d like to first thank you for awakening me even if my brother had to trick you to do so.]


    "Wait. Trick? Wasn''t this just how to awaken my powers or something?" Jaune blinked at his words. "Wasn''t he the spirit of Crocea Mors?"


    [That is not entirely accurate. He is no spirit but the God of Darkness. He made you cast a new spell to transfer all of your current and future aura reserves to me. It was just enough to awaken me. I''d like to apologize for what you unintentionally had given up yet thank you all the same.]


    "It''s no problem." Jaune really didn''t know what this aura thing the sword was talking about but it couldn''t have been that important if he got a talking sword for a trade. "So what happened exactly?"


    The sword''s voice grew solemn as it spoke once more. [I can not ascertain when but my brother and I were summoned once more and sealed into these vassals. Eventually, most of my power faded away and I remained dormant until you had awoken me once more.]


    [It''s because you were used to kill the Grimm while I had to be stuck taking their hits] The shield nearby spoke up, purple light mixing in with the yellow.


    "I...I think I get it." Jaune suddenly stood up. He''s read enough comics and played enough games to figure out what to do next. "So, to save the world, I need to go out and recover your powers right?"


    This was just like Ephemeral End.


    [If you are willing to, then yes.] answered the sword. [A part of my power resides in four relics that I had created in the past. If you can find them, I can absorb their power and perhaps do something about my current state.]


    Four crystals or macguffins to find? Check.


    [As for me,] the shield spoke up. [All you need to do is to kill Grimm. The more Grimm you kill, the more energy I collect. The stronger the Grimm, the better.]


    Leveling up mechanic? Check.


    [Jaune Arc, will you be...]


    "Yes! Of course, I''ll help! This is the kind of thing I''ve been waiting for!" Jaune practically screamed. This was what he needed to do! This was what he had dreamed of! Recognition! Glory! Legend!


    Today, started the beginning of his own epic saga!


    "I''ll be your hero!"


    [Excellent, Excellent. However there seems to be a misunderstanding.]


    The words of the sword brought Jaune back down from his high. He looked down at the glowing sword. If it had a face, he felt like it''d be averting it''s eyes."What do you mean?"


    [You see, Jaune. While it is true that my brother and I can regain our abilities through the relics or the slaying of Grimm, those are just minor boosts at best. What we really need is something else.]


    "I''m not following."


    A purple aura answered Jaune''s confusion. [You see son of man, we don''t need a hero. Rather, what we really want is a prophet.]


    "Saph, can you call Jaune? Dinner''s ready."


    "Fine." At the behest of her mother, Saphron Arc got up from the family couch and headed to the bas.e.m.e.nt where she last saw her brother.


    As she headed down the stairs, she could hear slight conversation although the only voice she heard was Jaune''s own. It almost sounded like he was talking to himself.


    When she finally reached the bottom, she noticed a few things. First was that Jaune had taken down Crocea Mors and both the sword and shield were now on the table in front of him. Next was that her brother looked to be painting something on what looked ot be a wooden board.


    "Mom''s calling." was her only greeings to say that she was there. Her brother didn''t look up so she moved closer, enough to look over his shoulder. "Whatcha doing?"


    "Well, Saff." Her brother turned to her and looked up with those big blue Arc eyes of his. Uncertainty and a sense of resignment were reflected in those pools. "I''m starting my own religion."


    In front of him, painted in white and black, the words "Brotherhood of Shadow"


    Saphron Arc took one look at the sign and then turned around to yell back up at the house.


    "Moooom! Jaune''s starting a cult!

 Chapter 383 - My SI Stash #83 - The Waifu Scrolls: Skyrim by Dis Lexic (Skyrim)

    -The ridiculous anime-ness of this story is just epic~ Tsundere Alduin carried this hard/


    Synopsis: After getting Isekaied into Skyrim, I thought I knew what I was in for. Slay Alduin, save the world, not hard and I already knew the game like the back of my hand. However, there are two problems with that line of thought. Number one, reality doesn''t act like a video game and number two, Alduin won''t stop following me around!


    Rated: M


    Words: 12K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13688325/1/The-Waifu-Scrolls-Skyrim (Dis Lexic)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    My ending came suddenly and violently. One moment I was walking home after a particularly long day at work and the next I was hit by a truck, with my last living memory from the world of my origin being seeing the words ''Truck-kun Deliveries'' stencilled on the vans side. The next thing I knew, I was slowly coming too in a rather hard seat that was rattling around like crazy, which did absolutely nothing for my throbbing head. It certainly didn''t help that it had suddenly got extremely cold, which, considering that Britain was in the middle of a heatwave, was rather jarring to say the least. I groaned as I slowly forced my eyes open, blinking as I tried to get my vision to clear.


    Once I could see again, I found myself sat in the back of a wooden, horse drawn cart that was slowly making its way down a rather bumpy path, surrounded on all sides by pine trees and snow covered rocks. The air was freezing and fresher than anything I''d ever experienced, with nary a hint of pollution, aside from the smell of unwashed bodies. I tried to move, but quickly found myself unable to as my hands were bound with thick, strong rope.


    Said unwashed bodies apparently belonged to the men sharing the cart with me. Across from me was a large man with long, blonde hair, a rough beard and startling blue eyes, clad in what appeared to be leather armor.


    Beside him was a grubby looking man with dark hair wearing ragged...rags and a frightened and angry expression. He had the air of someone who was sincerely regretting whatever choices he''d made that had led him to this point.


    The final man in the cart was a little more well groomed than the others, which, along with his rather more impressive armour that had a thick, fur cloak dr.a.p.ed over the back, suggested that he was likely of a higher standing. In addition to having his hands bound, he was also wearing a gag that was tied tightly enough that I could see him wince slightly whenever the cart went over a bump.


    "Hey, you," said the first man, drawing my attention back to him, "You''re finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there."


    I glanced at said thief as he scowled while trying to figure out why this entire thing seemed so damn familiar.


    "Damn you Stormcloaks," growled the apparent thief, "Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn''t been looking for you, I could''ve stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell!"


    I froze. Stormcloaks? Hammerfell? SKYRIM?! Oh shit, I''m...F.U.C.K! I shook my head and pinched myself, hard. It hurt. A lot. Combined with the fact that things weren''t flying and I wasn''t losing my teeth, the chances that this was a dream seemed rather low. Then again, the last thing I remembered was being hit by a truck, so maybe I was in a coma or experiencing my brains last gasps of life before it faded into oblivion? It was that or I''d been Isakaied and considering where I was, I think I''d rather it be the other option.


    The horse thief turned to me, apparently unaware of my minor breakdown that was going on in my head.


    "You there...You and me, we shouldn''t be here," he said, "It''s these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."


    "We''re all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief," said Ralof.


    "Shut up back there," said the soldier driving the cart.


    "Whats wrong with him?" asked Lokir after a moments silence, nodding to Ulfric.


    "Watch your tongue!" snapped Ralof, "Your talking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King!"


    Lokir went stark white.


    "U-ulfric? The Yarl of Windhelm?" he stuttered, "Your the leader of the Rebellion! But if they''ve captured you... Oh gods, where are they taking us?"


    "I don''t know were we''re going, but Sovngarde awaits," said Ralof softly.


    Lokir went even pailer, to the point where I was worried he''d pass out before we got to Helgen, and started shaking and whimpering. Honestly, I can''t blame him and if I wasn''t still partly convinced I was dreaming, I probably wouldn''t be much better.


    "N-no, this isn''t happening!" he whimpered, "It can''t be happening!"


    "Hey, what village are you from, horse thief?" asked Ralof softly.


    "Why do you care?" snapped Lokir in a shaky voice.


    "A Nord''s last thoughts should be of home," said Ralof, now sounding wistful.


    Lokir glared for a moment, before he deflated, looking utterly defeated.


    "Rorikstead," he muttered, "I''m... I''m from Rorikstead."


    "General Tullius, sir, the headsman is waiting!" called one of the soldiers driving the carts.


    I turned back to the front as we passed through the gates into the town. The place looked a lot like the small village from the games, although there was a rather different air to it. Maybe it was because I could also smell the scent of wood smoke and horse dung in the air, which made it seem that much more real. Honestly, the smell more than anything was what was making me become more and more convinced that I wasn''t dreaming. It just smelt to...real if that makes any sense.


    I ignored Ralof''s angry mutterings about the General and the Thalmor and Lokir''s muttered prayers as I watched the residents of the town quickly begin to hustle into their houses and wondered just how many would survive the imminent attack. Probably not many and those that would would either be rendered homeless or murdered by the bandits that moved in after the flames went out. It was a...rather sobering thought. I also had to wonder if I''d be around to see it considering that I wasn''t entirely sure that I''d be able to escape when the time came. I wasn''t exactly in the best shape after all.


    I was pulled from my short introspection as the cart came to a stop


    "Get these prisoners out of the carts!" shouted the captain, "Move it!"


    "Why are we stopping?" asked Lokir, sounding rather nervous.


    "Why do you think?" asked Ralof, sounding slightly amused, "End of the line. Let''s go. Shouldn''t keep the gods waiting for us."


    "No! Wait! We''re not rebels!" shouted Lokir.


    "I don''t think they care that much," I muttered as we stood and jumped out of the cart.


    I stumbled as I landed, feeling strangely out of sorts all of a sudden, almost as if my limbs were a different length than I was used to. Fortunately, Ralof caught me before I fell and I shot him a grateful look.


    "Face your death with some courage, thief," said Ralof


    Lokir ignored him.


    "You''ve got to tell them!" he shouted, now sounding desperate, "We weren''t with you! This is a mistake!"


    "Step towards the block when we call your name," said the captain, completely ignoring Lokir''s hysterics, "One at a time."


    "Empire loves their damn lists," muttered Ralof.


    "Ulfric Stormcloak. Jarl of Windhelm," said Hadvar, making a note as the bound Jarl stepped forwards.


    "It has been an honor, Jarl Ulfric!" said Ralof.


    "Ralof of Riverwood."


    Ralof followed his leader without protest, although he did shoot a glare at Hadvar, who barely reacted.


    "Lokir of Rorikstead."


    "No, I''m not a rebel!" shouted the thief, "You can''t do this!"


    I briefly entertained trying to stop him, but he made a break for it before I could. I winced as the guards shot him down without a second thought and looked away. Yeah, I was in trouble.


    "Anyone else feel like running?" demanded the captain.


    Naturally, there was no response and she indicated for Hadvar to continue. The soldier turned back to his list, glanced up at me then frowned.


    "Wait, you there, step forwards," he said, pointing at me with his quill, "Who are you?"


    I hesitated for a moment, then sighed. Its not like there was any real reason to hide anything.


    "I''m just someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time," I said, "My name is Marcus."


    "Hnn, I thought you looked a little out of place," said Hadvar, "There aren''t many Bretons who''d join the Stormcloaks."


    He turned to his superior, a slightly pleading look on his face.


    "Captain. What should we do?" he asked, "He''s not on the list."


    "Forget the list, he goes to the block," said the captain.


    Hadvar sighed and shook his head regretfully.


    "By your orders, Captain," he said, "Follow the Captain, prisoner."


    He hesitated, then sighed again.


    "For what its worth, I''m sorry," he said, "I''ll make sure your remains are returned to High Rock."


    I gave a slightly weak smile and followed the captain over to where the rest of the prisoners were standing. I tuned out Tullius'' dressing down of Ulfric in favour of considering what Hadvar had said. It made a certain amount of sense that he''d think I was a Breton as I''m not exactly the largest of men and Highrock was, to my understanding at least, somewhat based on old Celtic cultures, including Britain. However, I had to wonder how deep that went. After all, I didn''t have any elfish blood in me, so the question was, had I been transformed into a full on Breton by whatever dropped me here or was Hadvar just making an assumption?


    I shook my head slightly and put that aside for now. My race wasn''t really relevant right now. What was relevant was the thought that came along with the idea of being a Breton, namely whether or not I could use Magic. While everyone on Nirn had some aptitude for Magic, I wasn''t a native, so there was a chance I couldn''t use it. On the other hand, I had been Isakaied and the trope was that the poor schmuck who got Truck-kuned ended up blessed with unimaginable power compared with everyone else. Plus, it appeared that I was the Dragonborn, which indicated that I might just have at least some power.


    Alternatively, I could just be some unlucky smuck with nary a hint of power who''d get eaten by Alduin before I could even start a journey.


    I quickly tossed that thought deep into my mind and locked it away. Instead of even considering that idea, I closed my eyes and focused. I had no idea what I was doing, but with any luck, I could find something that would indicate that I wasn''t completely powerless.


    Fortunately, it didn''t take long.


    I''d barely even thought about bringing my hypothetical Magic to the surface when I felt a deep warmth appear in my chest, just above my heart. I could feel it flowing through me, following the same path as my blood and surfusing my entire body. I could also feel the energy flow out of my mouth with every exhale, only to be replaced with every beat of my heart. It was a very odd feeling, but it felt entirely natural, as if it had always been there.


    I took a deep breath and attempted to take control of the flow of energy, finding it surprisingly easy to take the excess energy and channel it through my body, feeling it strengthen my bones and muscles as it flowed through them. I opened my eyes and looked down at my hands as I pool my Mana in them, making them begin to glow. I grinned at the sight and channelled more Mana into my hands. Just a bit more and I could...


    A loud roar snapped me out of my trance and reminded me of where I was. I paled and quickly dispersed the gathered Magika before anyone could see. Now was NOT the time to start conjuring fireballs when I was surrounded by twitchy guards who thought I was affiliated with the Stormcloaks.


    I dropped my hands and rolled my shoulders as I waited for the next part to play out. I mostly ignored the Last Rights and the Stormcloak soldier getting his head lopped off in favour of looking out over the mountain in the direction I knew Alduin would come from. It might have been my imagination, but I could almost see a massive shadow swooping down towards us.


    "Next, the Breton in the rags!" shouted the captain, drawing me back to reality.


    Again. I hope this zoning out thing isn''t going to become a thing¡­


    I walked over to the block and stopped, staring down at the bloodsoaked wood and swallowed. This...wasn''t a place I ever thought I''d be. God I hope Alduin wasn''t late.


    A rough hand on my shoulder forced me to my knees and a foot between my shoulder blades forced me down onto the bloody block. Suddenly, the idea of blowing some things up to escape wasn''t looking so bad after all...


    Another loud roar shook the air, followed shortly by an almighty crash as Alduin himself swooped down and landed on the tower with enough force to shake the ground and knock anyone stood.


    "WHAT IN OBLIVION IS THAT?!" shouted Tullius as the Imperial Guards pulled themselves together and drew their swords.


    "DRAGON!" shouted someone as Alduin threw back his head and let out a roar that shook the heavens.


    Literally as the sky went reddish purple and started spewing flaming rocks everywhere.


    "Don''t just stand there, kill it!" shouted Tullius, "You, get the townspeople to safety!"


    I scrambled away from the block as Alduin let out another roar and took off, swooping over the town and setting fire to some of the houses. The flicking flames made the World Eater look every bit the malevolent beast he was.


    "Hey you, Breton, get up!" shouted Ralof, seizing me by the armpit and hauling me to my feet, "The Gods won''t give us another chance!"


    I let the Nord haul me over to the tower where the rest of the Stormcloaks had taken refuge and slumped against the wall to wait until my head stopped spinning and my ears stopped ringing.


    "What was that thing?" demanded Ralof, "Could the Legends be true?"


    "Legends don''t burn down villages," said Ulfric grimly, "We need to move, now!"


    "Up through the tower," said Ralof, "Thats our best option. How are they?"


    "Their hurt, but they''ll live," said one of the Stormcloaks who had been checking on his injured comrades, "Another second out there with the dragon, and they''d both be dead..."


    Ralof nodded.


    "Good, get them up," he said, "Come on, up through the tower! You to Breton!"


    I heaved myself off the wall and followed the Nord up the stone steps to where another Stormcloak was trying to move some fallen blocks of stone.


    "We just need to¡­"


    He was cut off as the wall exploded and Alduin stuck his head through the gap. I stumbled as I tried to stop, but between my bound hands, the uneven floor, still slightly dazed state and some asshole running into me from behind were all enough to make me stumble forwards towards the Dragon as he opened his jaws to bath the tower in flames. I let out a yelp and closed my eyes, expecting either a sharp pain as Alduin bit me in half or a very painful death as his Fire Breath engulfed me. Instead, my foot caught a bit of upraised stone, I fell forwards and hit something small, warm and soft. There was a startled, surprisingly feminine yelp and both me and whatever it was that I hit went tumbling, landing in a heap and ending with my lips pressed against something soft, warm and smelling of wildflowers.


    I opened my eyes and found myself staring into a pair of startled, yellow eyes set into a pale face framed by black locks. It took a moment for me to figure out what the hell was going on and when I did, I jolted back, breaking the completely unlikely accidental kiss and finding myself looking down at an adorable girl with long, black hair, large yellow eyes, fair skin and slightly elongated canines. She was wearing what appeared to be a black and red dress with an Amulet of Akatosh around her neck and a pair of black, horn-like decorations in her hair.


    As I tried to figure out who in the hell the girl was and where in the hell the giant f.u.c.k off Dragon who had been about to roast me had gone, the girl slowly reached up and touched her lips, looking like she had no idea what had just happened.


    "Um, are you...OK?" I asked, "I didn''t hurt you, did I?"


    The girl stared at me for a moment, then her face went red, tears welled in her eyes and she took a deep breath.


    "You ASSHOLE!" she screamed and shoved me.


    Despite her small size, her shove sent me flying back and the moment I left her immediate area, her scream transformed into a roar and Alduin was back. Before I could properly register what that meant, I slammed into the unforgiving stone wall with a loud crack, prompting my body and mind to decided that they had had quite enough and I blacked out.

 Chapter 384 - My OC Stash #84 - Hurricane Suite by Dr. Snakes MD (Naruto)

    -One of the many OG Naruto fics that made me get into canon defilement/AU fics! This is truly what Naruto should have been in the manga/anime, not a ramen-addicted idiot newbie!


    Synopsis: Uzumaki Naruto grew up with lofty goals, guts, and determination. Instincts of a born fighter made him grow; duty to his home drove him. As the battle lines begin to blur, he must find a way to reconcile all he''s ever known with the man he hopes to become. Large AU.


    Rated: M


    Words: 197K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/5804112/1/Hurricane-Suite (Dr. Snakes MD)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    /~/


    The sun broke the horizon, bathing the forests in golden light. The dull and repetitive sounds of fists impacting wood echoed around the clearing that encompassed Training Ground Number Nine. The training ground was entirely unremarkable; a medium sized clearing that held two tree stumps in the middle of it, and nothing else.


    It held no impressive back-story; it didn''t even have and unimpressive one at that. Training Ground Nine was just another training ground, one of the many that were spaced around the great village that was Konohagakure no Sato. It was small, out of the way, and used very little by the general shinobi populace.


    All of that suited the ten year old Uzumaki Naruto just fine.


    Being out of the way and secluded was exactly how the orphan liked it. Having grown up a neglected ward of the great ninja village, Naruto had, more often than not, been looked upon less than favorably by the general populace. He, like the rest of the orphans in the village, was a reminder that Konoha wasn''t absolutely perfect. He was a stain, if one chose to look at it that way.


    His existence was a blemish on the otherwise immaculate reputation that the continent''s most powerful Hidden Village boasted.


    The boy had a head topped with a tuft of shining golden blond hair, and two piercing blue eyes adorned his visage. He was dressed in a black short sleeve shirt with a collar that reached up towards his chin. Beige shinobi pants covered his legs and were taped at the ankle, leading into standard black shinobi sandals. The hands that pounded an innocent training log were wrapped in white bandages.


    Many would ask why a boy of ten years would be training his body at the break of dawn. The answer was that this was a special day for Naruto: it was the day he graduated Konoha''s ninja academy.


    Again.


    Naruto had entered Konoha''s ninja academy four years previously, at the ripe age of six, with nothing but the clothes on his back and the name given to him by his mother, Uzumaki Kushina. From there, Naruto had been taking the steps to achieving the dream that he had had for as long as he could remember: to become a respected Konoha jonin and raise a respectable family with his name. To make the Uzumaki known once more.


    Naruto was one of many orphans in Konohagakure, and thus, the idea of a family was one that had permeated his mind for many years. All that he knew about his family was that his mother was named Uzumaki Kushina, and had been one of the many ninjas who had been killed in the Kyuubi attack one year after he had been born. His father was unknown and was liable to stay that way.


    Naruto had made his way through the academy doggedly and methodically, clawing and scraping the skills that were necessary to have him proclaimed as the rookie of the year, three full years before his scheduled graduation.


    No one had called him a genius, and he had never considered himself to be one. His skills had taken everyone, including the Academy instructors, by surprise. He didn''t take to jutsu any faster than anyone else, thrown weapons were no easier for him to handle than for any other person in his class, and he didn''t absorb knowledge like a sponge. He merely had a goal to achieve and the work ethic and motivation to back it up.


    When Uzumaki Naruto had his mind set to do something, one could rest assured that it would get done. That was just the way he was.


    He wasn''t the heir to some lost and obscure bloodline, nor was he the child of any particularly renowned shinobi or kunoichi ¨C his mother had been a foreign chunin given asylum. His graduating position at the top had been a result of him working for hours and hours more than his peers. Nothing more and nothing less.


    That had been one year ago.


    One year ago he had been on top of his very own world and on the fast track to achieving his dream. He knew that it would take a lot more effort, a lot more work, but effort was never something he had a problem giving.


    The feelings of elation and accomplishment had all come crashing down shortly after he had met his jonin sensei: Hatake Kakashi.


    The 23 year old A-ranked shinobi prodigy had slammed the then nine year old back down to earth, and had proceeded to crush his dreams underfoot.


    The bell test had proven to be a challenge that not even Naruto''s work ethic and determination could overcome. Tired, hungry, and bogged down by teammates whose combined skill didn''t measure up to his own, Naruto had failed the test spectacularly. The notion of teamwork hadn''t dawned on him until the very end, and by then it had been far too late.


    There had been no second chance at success. The trio of genin wannabes had been sent back to the academy stinging. His pride wounded, Naruto had prepared himself for a year of review and training before he would hopefully be resorted into a new team.


    That had not been the case, however.


    One of the lesser known programs in Konoha was the shinobi reserve program. The program took the failed graduates of the regular academy, and put them through a rigorous accelerated training regimen that was designed to turn out chunin level shinobi and kunoichi.


    It had been instigated by the Nidaime Hokage once it was discovered that less than 50 percent of all of the academy graduates were actually passed by their jonin instructors, due to failings of some sort. A system that turned out fewer than 15 new shinobi per year was one that simply wasn''t pragmatic; not even for the largest of ninja villages.


    Naruto had taken to the accelerated training much as he had to everything else in his life, with the same dogged determination that had won him his skills. When he wasn''t in class reinforcing what he already knew, he was in his clearing, drilling. The blond had entered into the program knowing that his dream of jonin rank was nearly destroyed entirely. The graduates of the reserved program could never obtain the rank of jonin ¨C that title was reserved for the students of the elite, almost exclusively ¨C unless they became captains of an ANBU squad, or were given a field promotion from the Hokage. Both were long reaches by any stretch of the mill.


    The result was that many of Konoha''s chunin ended up being just as strong as many of the jonin ¨C just because they couldn''t feasibly reach the rank by conventional means didn''t mean that many of them didn''t try. Beyond that, many graduates entered the ANBU Black Ops, in order to serve their village as one of the masked elite.


    The realization that his dream was so far out of reach had greatly depressed the boy, for all of about five minutes, before he had thrown himself back into his training with a fervor that was nearly inhuman. He had his goal and he would reach it, no matter what it took.


    Every day of the next year of his life had been spent training in some way or another. From dawn until nine in the morning, he would train his body physically and work on his taijutsu katas. He would eat a meal composed of cold cereal and a protein shake for breakfast at nine, and then make his way to class.


    Class lasted until one thirty in the afternoon. It was some of the most boring time of Naruto''s young life.


    From then until four, he would train in weapons. Everything from shuriken to senbon and the practical application of ninja wire were drilled during that two and a half hour period. He would break for a modest lunch for one hour before going back to drill his chakra control and basic hand seals. The simple, and often overlooked, aspects of shinobi life were concentrated upon and drilled to near perfection. He was a workhorse, and a perfectionist at heart.


    And he''d be damned if he was undone by something so simple. It was the small details that killed, after all.


    Directly following his chakra control practices, Naruto would train and attempt to master whatever particular jutsu he happened to be working on. His mastery was more about understanding the ins and outs of the technique, rather than simply quitting after he had managed to perform it. The ability to further modify ninjutsu was something that greatly interested him, and his own perfectionist tendencies would hardly allow for him to leave a technique not fully dissected.


    As a result, he was familiar with fewer ninjutsu than he might have liked. But he could say with certainty that he had mastered the few he knew.


    By that time, the day was nearly over and Naruto retired to his small one bedroom and one bathroom apartment. He would eat his dinner, and would proceed to meditate and research genjutsu. Genjutsu could not be practiced by one''s self, so Naruto devoted his evenings to researching the art of illusion crafting.


    He trained all aspects of shinobi life equally in order to become what he felt was the epitome of shinobi, the perfect all rounder. The jack of all trades, or "the glorified generalizer," as he called it.


    That brought him to his current position today, pounding his fists into a log at the crack of dawn the day of his graduation from Konoha''s reserve program. The exam was scheduled to begin at nine a.m. and all of the potential graduates were supposed to meet at 8:45 at the entrance to training ground 44, known to many as the Forest of Death.


    As soon as the potential graduates had been informed by their instructor as to the location of the exam, Naruto had done some immediate scouting and research. Training ground 44 was a booby trap in and of itself, and for that reason it was used for the survival part of the Chunin Selection Exams whenever they happened to be in Konoha.


    The research had produced results that were decidedly unappealing. Any objective that was to be found in the Forest of Death meant that the final exam would be a survival test. It wasn''t that Naruto was bad at survival tests, he wasn''t bad at anything one thing in particular, he just didn''t like them. And they always tested stamina, something that he had too little of to be happy with at ten years old.


    Feeling his fist impact the log for the two-thousandth time that morning, Naruto stopped his punches. He carefully unwrapped the bandages that had covered his hands and wrists, and placed the white material into his back pocket, directly next to his shuriken pouch.


    Making his way out of the clearing, Naruto broke into a jog. While normally he would stay and complete his taijutsu training, he didn''t want to tire his body unnecessarily before his survival exam. That, and he needed time to properly digest a good breakfast.


    A ninja couldn''t function properly on an empty stomach now could he?


    /~/


    A breeze ruffled the hair and clothes of the gathered shinobi as the Forest of Death loomed ominously behind them.


    Checking his watch, Naruto saw that the time was exactly 8:45 as he stepped through the gate that led to Training Ground 44. A ninja is never late, nor is he early. A ninja arrives precisely when he is supposed to, Naruto recited in his mind.


    The second his foot touched the ground of Training Ground 44, Naruto was planning. His sky blue eyes scanned the crowd of shinobi hopefuls, not stopping on anyone in particular, but assessing everyone. This was a survival exercise, and that meant that anyone and everyone was a potential enemy.


    The ones grouped together and tittering nervously would pose no real threat unless they attacked him all at once. They held no confidence in their skills, and even the smallest lack of confidence was exploitable. The same went for those who stood mostly alone and arrogant in their posture, but for a different reason. A confident swagger and an air of self assurance were good for a shinobi to have, it displayed confidence and could set the tone of a confrontation. But the overbearing arrogance displayed by many of the reserve students was appalling. They reminded him of the one student he had bypassed during his stint at the regular academy, Hyuuga Nezi or something.


    You''d think they owned the world, Naruto wondered with amus.e.m.e.nt. The thought was sobered by the fact that he had been much the same way only one year ago, before he met Hatake Kakashi that was. While he may not like the jonin, he had to at least mentally thank him for showing him that he wasn''t as good as he had thought. Everyone got their reality check at some point; he knew he would be glad that he got his early, rather than later.


    Moving to stand with the rest of the hopeful, Naruto''s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of one of the proctors speaking up.


    "Listen up, runts!" a proctor with silver hair began. "My name is Touji Mizuki and I''m gonna be the proctor for this exam." The scowl on the man''s face was designed to look intimidating. Naruto thought it laughable; the man wasn''t imposing in the slightest.


    "As a chunin of Konoha, you are expected to take on the majority of the missions that come through the mission office¡ªB-ranks," the silver haired man named Mizuki continued. "A B-rank mission can be anything from guard duty to a search and destroy mission that may be vital to village security."


    Naruto found himself bored with the man''s speech. It didn''t contain any information he didn''t already know, and he just wanted to get this exam over with. He was looking forward to treating himself to a congratulatory bowl of Ichiraku Ramen afterwards. Best stuff in the world that ramen was.


    "Your mission today will consist of the retrieval of a scroll from the innermost point of the forest: the central tower. Your objective is located at the topmost point of the tower and there are only 25 total scrolls. With 51 of you here today, that means that roughly 50 percent of you will pass," Mizuki said. The sound of nervous tittering from hopefuls followed.


    Naruto raised an eyebrow in question. The test seemed fairly simple overall and the only way he could see it becoming harder was if there was an imposed time limit.


    The man seemed read Naruto''s thoughts. "Your time limit is one day and one day only," the chunin said. Shock mingled with no small amount of outrage from the general populace. Even Naruto was wary at the short amount of time. "You fail if you fail to retrieve a scroll, or are otherwise subdued. Killing is not permitted; under any circ.u.mstances!"


    The last statement managed to shut the crowd up pretty fast. Killing one''s comrades was looked down upon in all but the most barbaric of villages, and the thought that someone among them might kill one of them in order to pass was an uneasy thought.


    "All examinees are to report to a gate in groups of three, no more, no less. I trust that you are able to divide yourselves evenly," Mizuki finished, a rather poor attempt at a sneer marring his face.


    As the chunin hopefuls rapidly moved towards a gate of their choice, Naruto calmly walked forward to the first gate, the one where Mizuki had been standing. He was quickly joined by two others who had taken his example: one boy who looked decidedly nervous, and a girl who looked too confident for her own good.


    The girl flipped her long red hair over her left shoulder as she sneered down at the younger, and undeniably shorter, Naruto. Naruto, for his part, merely smiled pleasantly in response as the girl opened her mouth. "Given how short you are, you must be that little phenom that everyone was talking about earlier," the unnamed girl said with the sneer still firmly etched on her face.


    And that''s a bad thing? the blond thought snidely. The pleasant smile didn''t slip for a moment as Naruto shot back, "That''s me, I guess. You seem to have me at a disadvantage though, stranger. Isn''t it usually polite to introduce yourself before you jump into a conversation?"


    The sneer merely deepened at Naruto''s statement. The young boy decided to find a teacher to help him perfect a sneer like that. "Che. All you need to know, runt, is that I''m gonna show what a real ninja is once we get in that forest." The girl promptly turned her back on Naruto before he could make a response.


    "Oh really?" Naruto asked skeptically. His smile dissolved into a fierce smirk. "Tell me, stranger, I wasn''t aware that real ninja wore¡­white. Correct me if I''m wrong."


    The girl simply leveled Naruto with a glare that could freeze the tropical waters of Sea Country, as the other boy chuckled slightly to himself.


    Naruto took the ensuing silence to look over his peers once more. The girl was indeed wearing white; it was part of a form fitting dress that the girl wore that would allow for the maximum range of movement. Intermingled with red, the white dress was certainly pretty, and even functional, while it flattered the kunoichi in training''s developing curves generously ¨C not that the ten year old Naruto cared all that much. Even so, the fact that the color scheme would stick out like a sore thumb amongst the green that permeated the forest of death overruled the practicality of the dress.


    Shifting his blue eyes to the boy who was now causally leaning against the wire fence, Naruto noted that the once nervous boy was now quite comfortable with his situation. Dressed in a forest green shirt and black pants, the boy sported a pragmatic look, given the situation. The look was further augmented by the slightly bulging weapons pouches that he carried on him and the black bandana that covered his hair.


    At least he looks competent, Naruto mused. For all he knew the boy could be as bad as the dead-last who had been dumped on his team the year before. Incompetent retard that he was, Naruto thought uncharitably.


    "How ''bout you then?" Naruto addressed the boy. "What''s your name?"


    "Kishimoto Akira at your service," the boy said with a fake pompousness and bow that was humorous despite the serious situation.


    Naruto smiled back, he liked pleasant people. "Uzumaki Naruto, at your service. Future jonin."


    Raised brows met his pronouncement. "You seem confident in yourself. You do know that the road to jonin is a real long one for a reserve grad, don''t you?" Akira inquired.


    The smile only got wider. "Course I do! Won''t stop me, though," Naruto proclaimed confidently. "I know what I need to do and I''m no stranger to hard work."


    Akira seemed to appraise the short blond once more before giving a curt nod. "Well good luck then."


    Naruto nodded back in response.


    "Enough chatter down there," the chunin gate guard said from his post above them. "I''m about to open the gate."


    "Let the test begin!" Mizuki''s voice blared over the hidden speakers at the gates.


    The words had barely registered and the gate had not even fully opened before Naruto blurred into motion.


    Using speed that had been gained over countless hours of training, Naruto''s right hand dipped into his leg holster and withdrew a kunai. No one had time to react before Naruto viciously slammed it into the back of the unsuspecting redheaded girl''s head.


    As the unconscious body slumped to the forest floor, Naruto formed a single hand-seal. A second Naruto formed from the ground behind the stunned Akira and tapped the back of the boy''s head.


    The smile on Naruto''s face was bittersweet as he watched the boy''s eyes roll backwards as he too slumped to the ground in unconsciousness. "Too bad," Naruto stated to no one in particular ¨C he supposed that he was addressing the now gaping chunin guard.


    That was the way of the ninja world though. The strong prospered while the weak and hesitant stumbled and were lorded over, waiting expectantly and plotting for the day when they would become the strong. Many others were cut down before their time to shine. Akira was a prime example. At least the boy had a chance to break out of the sleep inducing genjutsu Naruto had placed on him. Perhaps he would acquit himself well by stealing a scroll from some unsuspecting wannabe.


    The girl however, wasn''t so lucky. Naruto sneered in distaste at the redhead. She would be lucky to wake up in anything less than ten hours. Even then she would probably still have a concussion. Bitch shouldn''t''ve called me a runt.


    Re-holstering his kunai, Naruto dispelled his Tsuchi Bunshin with a minor application of chakra. That particular technique would serve him well in the future and he was glad he had taken the time to properly master it. Being able to form the solid clone with only one seal was something that would prove to be invaluable in a sticky situation. It was something he had prided himself on, as Earth wasn''t his primary chakra affinity.


    Winking cheekily, the flaxen haired youth gave the still floored chunin a two fingered salute before bursting into the forest of death at breakneck speed.


    /~/


    Naruto cursed his lack of forethought as he blocked the swipe of a kunai. That one would have sliced open his jugular and left him all but a defenseless, bleeding, soon-to-be-corpse.


    Leaping backwards to put space between himself and his attacker, Naruto unleashed a hail of shuriken. The bladed weapons didn''t connect, as expected, but they managed to push his enemy off of the attack for the moment.


    In hindsight, it was borderline retardation to think that there wouldn''t be guards surrounding the tower where his objective laid. Naruto had made it through training ground 44 with little trouble and with nothing but a few minor altercations with some other trainees. The small skirmishes had left him with a few bruises and scratches, but nothing more. The phrase "you should see the other guy" would have been appropriate.


    After reaching the tower, the ten year old blond had calmly made his way towards the tower''s entrance, where he was immediately set upon by a man who he assumed to be one of the examiners; an assumption made based on the chunin vest the man wore. That had been exactly one minute and seventeen seconds ago.


    Not many ninja battles made it past the one minute mark; the element of surprise made that doubly so in the field. As Naruto Kawarimi''d with a nearby log and flipped through a series of quick seals, he figured that the only reason he was still alive was the fact that the examiner wasn''t trying to kill him.


    A movement in the corner of his right eye alerted him to the presence of his attacker charging him, a kunai hurtling towards his position. A smirk spread across the boy''s face as he felt the kunai pass by him one meter to the right. Illusion in place.


    As the chunin sprinted towards him in a zigzag pattern, Naruto channeled chakra into his legs and disappeared in a Shunshin. The nameless chunin was moving quickly to cover the ground between himself and Naruto, so when Naruto''s outstretched arm made contact with the genjutsu influenced man''s solar plexus, it was as if the man had run headlong into a stone wall with the speed of both himself and Naruto combined.


    The chunin under the influence of Naruto''s small genjutsu was unconscious before the pain could register. It was a moot point, however, as he would have been unconscious anyway, the second his back made contact with a tree some five meters away. The fight had lasted exactly one minute and thirty five seconds.


    As Naruto quickly checked to make sure the man was still alive, he had hit the tree quite hard, he cradled his throbbing right arm. The attack had been a spur of the moment idea of his, and had proven itself effective. He would have to make sure that he reinforced his arm properly in the future, though; he had nearly dislocated his shoulder.


    Lariat, he thought with a small touch of pride, I''ll have to remember to write that down. It would go right next to his first original genjutsu on his personal scroll. Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu, the genjutsu Naruto had used to trick his chunin assailant into believing he was a meter from his actual position, was a technique of his own making.


    The chunin had a steady pulse, so Naruto felt comfortable leaving him where he was; another examiner would find him, no doubt.


    Turning his attention to the tower, Naruto went over his knowledge of the exam. His target objective would most likely be at the top. They''ll be expecting me to enter through the top windows; it would be what a shinobi would do after all. It would be best to think outside the box in that case.


    Forming a single hand seal, Naruto formed a Tsuchi Bunshin in the foliage behind him. Using a quick Kawarimi, he replaced himself with it and commanded it to approach the tower from the outside. As the clone left, he cloaked himself in his Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu, and overlapped it with a Niju Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu. If anyone actually managed to spot him entering the front door, he would have sufficient cover.


    Not to mention that any assailant would have to dispel two genjutsu to even find him. Not many ninja thought to look past a single genjutsu for one that may have been beneath it.


    Shaking himself out of his thoughts on the failings of many shinobi, Naruto quietly moved to the front door of the tower. It would be best to simply get the test over with. While he felt that he was probably the first to the tower, arrogant as it was, he knew that it wouldn''t be long until other trainees managed to catch up.


    He trusted his skills though, and strode confidently into the tower that held the key to his shinobi future.


    /~/


    "Mind if I join you?" a smooth voice spoke up from behind Naruto.


    Turning away from his steaming bowl of pork ramen, Naruto''s eyes found the figure of Touji Mizuki. The silver haired proctor was visible through the white flaps that served as an entrance into the Ichiraku Ramen stand.


    Behind the silver haired chunin stood a young woman with short black hair and a chunin vest. She had her arms folded under her chest and seemed to be waiting impatiently.


    "Not at all. Company''s always appreciated." Naruto addressed his former proctor with a smile. He seemed pleasant enough, outside the constraints of duty that was.


    A smile appeared on the man''s face. "Great then!" Turning to address the woman waiting outside, he continued, "Why don''t you head home, Tsubaki-chan? I won''t be long."


    The short haired woman sighed lightly, "Alright then, but don''t take too long." She leaned in and gave the man a quick peck on the cheek before leaping to the roof on the other side of the road. Mizuki looked after her fondly, but with a touch of annoyance.


    "Is that anyway to say goodbye to your boyfriend? I don''t think so," he mumbled. Naruto choked back a chuckle.


    After she had disappeared, the silver haired chunin moved inside the stand and sat on a stool next to Naruto. "I''ll have a medium miso ramen, please," he ordered to the stand owner.


    "Good choice," Naruto quipped from beside him, in between bites of his own ramen. "That one''s my favorite."


    Mizuki nodded in agreement, "Yeah, miso is good. A friend got me into it a few years back and I haven''t stopped eating it since."


    "You''ve got a smart friend there, Touji-san." Naruto nodded his approval.


    "Mizuki, please. We''re coworkers now aren''t we, Naruto-san?" Mizuki asked with a smile as his ramen appeared in front of him.


    "Guess so," Naruto agreed. A quick glance down at his new chunin flak vest over his usual black attire brought a smile to the young chunin''s face.


    "Indeed. In fact, that was what I was hoping to talk to you about."


    Naruto raised a blond eyebrow. "You were looking for me? What for?"


    Mizuki paused in the slurping of his noodles to cast a glance at his ten year old companion. "Partly the rumors that seem to be circling you now, but mostly because I was hoping to introduce myself. Properly, I mean," he quickly amended. "The little intro I gave yesterday hardly counts."


    Naruto barked a laugh. "Are you always that intimidating?"


    Mizuki had the grace to blush and look sheepish. "Ah well¡­I guess I didn''t do such a great job with the intimidation factor did I? It''s not really my thing."


    "Nope!" Naruto asked for his bill and pushed his bowl away before turning to his colleague. "So what do wanna know?" he inquired. "I doubt that you would come to introduce yourself if you didn''t have questions."


    "Well you''re right about that," Mizuki began. "I guess I found myself intrigued after I heard the report from one of the gate guards about how you entered the forest." Naruto nodded with a barely noticeable smirk at the memory. He was proud of that little moment of quick thinking. "I watched the tape earlier, so I figured that I would do a little digging."


    "And you came to me for some answers," Naruto finished for him. "So, how many people did you ask before you found out that I came here all the time?" He was surprised, and a little flattered, that the man was taking an interest in him. Maybe his skills were finally starting to be recognized.


    If Mizuki was unsettled by the boy''s perceptiveness, he didn''t show it. "Just one actually, Umino Iruka. You know him, I suppose?"


    Naruto nodded in recognition, the scarred chunin, an academy teacher to Naruto''s knowledge, frequented Ichiraku''s quite a bit. The two had crossed paths more than once. "Yes I know Iruka. So, what do you want to know?"


    Mizuki appraised the boy for a few seconds before starting, "Well there are a few that I''d like to ask, but you look like you want to leave, so I''ll be quick." Naruto nodded, he did want to be getting home soon. "What exactly is someone of your age and talent doing in the reserve program?" Mizuki asked, his full attention on Naruto.


    Naruto scoffed lightly, he knew that the man would ask that. "Long story, but I''ll give you the quick version." Mizuki nodded in agreement so Naruto continued, "I graduated at the top of my class last year, and had the misfortune of being on Hatake Kakashi''s genin team."


    The silver haired man winced whilst nodding. The young jonin was becoming notorious for the failing of every genin squad given to him. "Yeah, that''ll do it I suppose. It still is a bit of a surprise though; it''s not every day that the top rookie gets sent to the reserves."


    A sagely nod met his statement. "Yeah, though it''s been good for me. I was a right arrogant prick out of the academy."


    Mizuki started a little at the admission. Naruto wasn''t someone who he had pegged as arrogant at all, confident and self assured, but not arrogant. The boy actually seemed fairly humble, but it might have been an effect of the last year.


    "Well," Naruto said, shaking Mizuki out of his thoughts, "it was nice meeting you. Maybe we''ll work together on some missions in the future." The thought wasn''t unappealing to the blond ten year old; Mizuki came across as someone who he could trust.


    "Probably not," Mizuki replied with a small wince, "I''m starting a stint at the academy in a week. Iruka''s class actually. The old assistant got promoted to Tokubetsu Jonin."


    It was Naruto''s turn to wince in sympathy, "Ouch. That class has Sarutobi in it." He noted that Mizuki''s eyes darkened when he spoke the name of the village''s resident prankster; though it was for a different reason than Naruto thought.


    "Yeah," Mizuki replied grimly, "I take it you''re not a fan of the boy''s¡­art?"


    Naruto scoffed in derision. "Hardly. The kid is an idiot and an insult. He has the Shinobi no Kami as his grandfather and that elite tutor Ebisu training him, and he spends his time pranking the villagers. It''s no wonder that half the village seems to hate him."


    Mizuki merely nodded, he couldn''t trust himself to say anything about the boy without breaking the Sandaime''s law. Naruto was only a year older than Konohamaru after all, skill and maturity notwithstanding.


    "Well, I hope to see you around then, if we won''t be on missions together." Naruto stuck out his hand with a smile.


    Mizuki grasped the outstretched hand firmly, "Indeed. Have a good night, Naruto-san."


    "And you."


    /~/


    The wind was a silent whisper in the evening atop the Hokage monument. Naruto felt it tussle his hair gently as he stood atop the head of the Yondaime. He came up here every so often in order to watch the sunset. With the monument facing northwest, it provided a spectacular view.


    It was a bit of a thinking spot for him; a place where he could gather his thoughts after an interesting day. And what a day it had been.


    He had made chunin, not that there had been any real doubt in his mind that he would. It was an eventuality to Naruto. Just like he knew that he would become jonin one day. Just like he knew that he would make the Uzumaki name known throughout the Elemental Nations once more.


    Would you be proud of me, mother? he wondered as he turned his gaze to the east, towards the sea and the former Whirlpool Country.


    The former home of the once respected Uzumaki clan, Whirlpool Country had been decimated at the tail end of the Second Secret Shinobi War. Its former inhabitants were some of the war''s final casualties.


    Not much was known about the once respected nation, only that it had once played host to the Uzumaki clan. A clan that had been decimated the same day Whirlpool had been wiped off of the face of the planet. There had been only two survivors. Uzumaki Kushina, his mother, was the only one who managed to make it to Fire Country and Konoha.


    She had been seven years old.


    From there, her shinobi career began. It was one filled with many missions and strife due to the outbreak of the Third Secret War, and Kushina had made chunin at the young age of twelve, in the short-lived peace time between conflicts. She had never made it any further.


    Presumably, she had met Naruto''s father somewhere along the way, and the two had had him when Kushina was twenty one. Naruto had no idea who his father was, and really had no desire to find out. The man had abandoned his mother when she needed him the most, and left Kushina to fend for herself.


    It was only because of the savings that his mother had from her ninja career that she and Naruto had been able to get by for a year. What might have happened later was unknown, as Kushina had been one of the many shinobi and kunoichi cut down in the Kyuubi attack.


    The only memory Naruto had of his mother was of her kissing him goodbye one night. Given the red glow that was emanating from the windows during the memory, Naruto assumed that it was the night of the Kyuubi attack. The last time he had seen her.


    Ever since he had been old enough to understand his mother''s sacrifice, he had thrown himself into training and research. Research about his history and his ancestors; training to become the greatest shinobi he could be and to establish the name Uzumaki once more.


    It was not a dream to him, it was an eventuality. One way or another, he would make the name Uzumaki known to the world once again.


    /~/

 Chapter 387 - My SI Stash #87 - You Got To Be Kirin Me by Fatalis0217 (MonsterHunter)

    -Fic''s really making me want to play MH again, especially with league slowly but surely kirin me/


    Synopsis: Someone dying in the real world, and now reincarnated as one of the most mysterious Elder Dragons in the entire Franchise. SI-OC/Kirin. Self-insert. Rated T for now. Reviews plsRated: T


    Words: 41K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13292505/1/You-Got-To-Be-Kirin-Me (Fatalis0217)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Dying. Huh, it feels really weird to be honest. One moment I was going home from College and the next thing I knew. BOOM! I was struck by lightning. I guess I should''ve seen it coming given that the weather today was gonna be stormy. Although the weird part was I wasn''t really all that worried. I mean dying and leaving my loved ones behind sucks, it really is. But most people are afraid to die, I don''t know why. I mean it is an inevitability. But I suppose I accepted and waited for death with open arms a long time ago. And now here I am. Although where is here?


    All I can see is nothing but the black void of nothingness. I tried to move but there was something weird. I can feel my body but¡­ It feels different. I tried to move my arms but that was the funny thing¡­ I can''t feel any fingers only something hard on my palms. After a while I was starting to see light. My vision while blurry was starting to come together, shapes, colors, and textures were being formed.


    ''Ugh¡­ Finally I thought I was blind for a minute there.'' I thought as I rubbed my eye with my ha- wait a second. I scratched my eye but I feel stiff and prickly hair. Shaking my head, and there''s another thing funny, I can feel something heavy on the top of my head. I eventually got a good look at my surroundings and it was strange to say the least. It was beautiful and yet so familiar somehow.


    I was in some sort of open field that leads to a forest that again feels like I''ve seen it before. Lost in my thoughts I suddenly realized that I was standing on all fours but I feel balanced for some reason. And now finally panic sinks in. I was too busy admiring the pastural setting that I forgot about myself. I mean I was just struck by lightning, I should be dead. Although I wouldn''t mind if this was heaven, the beauty of nature is always eternal. I noticed a small pond and I immediately walked there. Once I stared into the reflective water my mind went blank. Staring right at me is a creature that I was all too familiar with. Piercing red eyes, spiky electric white mane, and the ever iconic majestic horn of one of the most mysterious elder dragons in my favorite game of all time. One thought only registered in my head.


    ''I''m a flipping Kirin!'' One second later the entire land went into silence as a loud haunting Neighing echoed throughout the forest.


    1 hour later.


    I was pacing around the pond trying to process my thoughts.


    ''Okay, okay, this is one ironic predicament I got myself into. I mean being struck by lighting is one thing, but my body turning into a Kirin right after? This is either a deity''s idea of a cosmic joke or is this my punishment for hunting a lot of Kirin''s when I played Monster Hunter back home. Honestly I was hooked at the game, ok more like addicted to it. And one of my most favorite monsters to hunt was the Kirin. Not only is it unique in of itself because while a horse, it''s classified as an Elder Dragon, also because it is one of the most beautiful creatures in the game. I mean the sheer majesty of its appearance is absolutely amazing, and the fact that it can call down and absorb lightning at will is incredible. Although that didn''t stop me from hunting it a thousand times. No joke I kept count.


    So now the sword is on the other hoof, cause like it or not I''m a Kirin. Hmm¡­ maybe this won''t be so bad, now I can fully experience what it feels like to be a monster. I''ve read some fanfics back home about reincarnations in other worlds, some from games, and others in animes, and so for me it was the former. Well you know what they say. ''Never look a gift Kirin in the horn''. (I''ve always wanted to say that).


    ''Although. Which Monster Hunter am I?'' I started to look around to get in touch with my surroundings. There were a lot of forest levels on every MH game so I''ll have to see any iconic landmarks. But first I need a nap, this has been a mentally exhausting day. I laid on the soft grass and closed my eyes as I drift into a dreamless sleep.


    Hours Later. An hour before sunrise


    I woke up with an echoing neigh or yawn. I stood up and traveled along the path outside the forest to see where and which MH world I am. Fortunately during the walk I spotted some bushes that grew some Nulberries and other fruits that satiated my appetite. I wonder if I can feed through lightning. That would be an interesting discovery I mean from what I''ve seen while playing the games Kirin is one of the monsters that I haven''t seen eat something. My thoughts were interrupted however when the ground shook beneath me. I saw some glowing in the distance and immediately galloped there.


    I was at a beach and there at the distance confirmed at which MH I am.


    ''I''m in Monster Hunter World." I thought. I was actually quite giddy to be honest, because MH World is my favorite one of all time. The game itself is really great and it actually has cutscenes compared to the other ones. Now that I got a good look at the forest behind me I felt kinda dumb. I should''ve known that I was in the ancient forest, but meh live and learn and in my defense I was trying to process my situation first. Now I focused my attention on the explosion in the distance. I have to admit Zorah Magdaros is really scary even from this distance, I can clearly see the living volcano tear the Research Commission''s fleets like they were nothing but toys in his swimming pool.


    So now a few thoughts are running through my head. Is the main Hunter a man or a woman? And is the Handler really that of a chatterbox as well as a glutton like in the game? And is my life at risk now that I know which timeline I''m in? Because while I''m a person in mind and soul, I am still a Kirin, a relatively harmless Elder Dragon unless provoked or felt threatened. And I know a lot of wannabe hunters would love to hunt me down. But right now my priority is to observe for now and see where I will go from here on out. I know the map of all the areas in the New World by heart now given that I''ve been playing MH World for a long time, a 1000+ hours of gameplay would do that to a person. So now with my mind forming a plan all I have to do is wait for those two to make landfall. And judging from the rising sunrise I won''t be waiting for that long.


    (Ancient Forest ¨C Area 1 campsite) (Handler''s POV)


    Oh man, what a trip. The Commission will have a hard time believing what just happened to us. I mean all of us were just sailing by, me with my partner were just about to get acquitted when *CRASH*. A giant living volcanic monster broke surface and it looked like it wasn''t bothered by the sh.i.p.s at all. Jeez, the New World sure knows how to make an impression. Luckily my partner and I escaped by grappling onto a wyvern and landed right here. Good thing the tent has a map inside, I marked the location of the Research Commission''s base on his map.


    When we got a first look at the scenery before us, it totally makes up for the horrible firsthand experience in the New World. It looks so beautiful, the forests back in the Old World have nothing on this view. We can see an Aptonoth herd grazing about in the meadow before us, everything looks so peaceful. But we don''t have for sightseeing, we needed to get to the Research Commission''s Headquarters and report to them on what happened when we arrived. Fortunately we can see the base from where we are.


    We took the path towards the Ancient Forest, but we got quite a welcoming party. We were surrounded by a pack of Jagras. It was a good thing that they lost sight of us when we hid under some bushes, what a bad time to lose our weapons, and I don''t think a small knife counts as one. We got out of the deep forest, on the way we found some fresh tracks, I wasn''t on guard when suddenly a Great Jagras jumped out and made a quick lunge to devour me. It towered over me, and for a brief moment I thought I was gonna die.


    Although I guess it just wasn''t my time yet, when someone jumped on top of it, making enough time for me to get up and back away. He was carrying a Greatsword behind his back as he landed on the Great Jagras''s back. It tried to shake him off, but it just crashed itself on the fallen tree that blocked our path. An opening presented itself to us and we bolted right out and towards Headquarters. My partner was just behind the monster. We finally made it safe at the gates, but my partner was in a bit of a pickle. The Great Jagras was about to charge at the gate when suddenly an Anjanath jumped out of nowhere and started to flay the monster around with its massive bone crushing jaw.


    My partner couldn''t get pass the two because it completely blocked the way. He tried to run past but the Anjanath just kept swinging the Great Jagras around, if he moved forward now he may get hit or worse, he might get crushed.


    "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! COME ON! GET OVER HERE!" The man who saved us before shouted.


    "YOU CAN MAKE IT JUST RUN FOR IT!" I shouted, trying to give some support. Suddenly something strange happened. The sky somehow turned dark all of a sudden and we can hear the crackling of a storm.


    *CRACKLE* *CRASH*


    *GROOOOAAAAGHHHH*


    A bolt lighting struck the Anjanath causing it to become temporarily paralyzed. It gave my partner the opening he needed to run pass them and right towards us. As he made it, the man who saved us cut the rope holding the gate up, causing it to slam down shut, and good thing too. The Anjanath just recovered from its paralysis and just carried its kill away inside the Ancient Forest. I helped my partner up, seeing that he was a bit shaken from the ordeal.


    "Hey! You all right?" I asked as I helped him up.


    "Yeah, I think so." He said.


    "Let''s go." The man said as we ran inside and finally made it to the Research Commission Headquarters. Although I couldn''t wrap my head around on that lightning strike just now. Was it a sign from someone? Or something?


    (Kirin''s ''Me'' POV)


    Holy crap. That. Was. AWESOME! To be honest I didn''t think that would really work, I mean I just got this body, and yet I just acted on instinct just now. I felt like my horn was some kind of lightning rod as I gathered lighting in it, and my body wasn''t bothered by the plasma at all. In fact, the electricity felt like water to me, it was like bathing, except with thousands of volts of electricity. My instincts told me to just call it down and BLAM! The lighting strike crashed on the Anjanath that was blocking, whom I assume was the Handler''s partner. AKA the Hero Hunter that''s going to slay Xeno''Jiiva in the near future.


    I gave a sigh that he finally made it at the safety of the gate. Although what puzzled me was that he almost looks exactly like my character created one back home. The only difference was that his samurai styled hair was colored a deeper shade of red, almost black in fact. Meh. I can live with that. With that said, I headed back into the deep forest of the Ancient Forest to contemplate on what my next move is. If I were to follow the main storyline, then I need to train this body, and figure out how a Kirin''s body works. Hopefully I can be of some help in the long run. Because this is my chance to explore this world up close and personal. I just hope I''ll live long enough to see it through the end without being hunted, or eaten by Nergigante.


    Chapter 2


    As I walked back into the deep jungle of the Ancient Forest, I began to concentrate on my priorities right now. So far I can see that I''m at the very beginning of the storyline. And as of right now if I were to hazard a guess, I think I have a few days, 3 at most to prepare myself for the coming events. So I should practice on getting used to this body first. Jeez, I''m starting to think like Ginyu after swapping to a new body. Unfortunately I don''t have opposable thumbs now, but I suppose that''s not necessarily a bad thing.


    I mean the entire physiology of a Kirin is a total mystery, as well that Kirin can be one of the most powerful Elder Dragon there is, not even other Elders know its entire mystery. A Kushala Daora is one of the most known Elder''s, being a Tempest of Wind, and sheds when its skin is all rusted. A Teostra and Lunastra are both rulers of the Flames. Kulve Taroth is a walking super-heated gold mine. Vaal Hazak is an Elder Dragon wearing corpses of dead monsters. Zorah Magdaros is an Elder Ecosystem Catalyst. Xeno''Jiiva is an Alien looking newborn Elder that shoots lasers. And Nergigante is an Elder Eater.


    Each and every one of these Elder Dragons has some clarifying information about them. But not much is known about a Kirin entirely, heck even Fatalis has more information to go on than it. Also in a scientific standpoint lightning is a lot hotter than lava.


    If lava just got spewed out of a volcano its temperature can reach up to 2,200 Fahrenheit. A lightning bolt''s temperature can reach up to 53,000 Fahrenheit, so I can assume that a Kirin can handle the heat a Teostra and Lunastra gives off. Even if Teostra and Lunastra can reach the heat levels of the surface of the sun, it still pales in comparison. The surface of the sun is just 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, so lightning still has a five time lead on the heat scale. And if what I''m theorizing is accurate, then it means I can walk, even dive into lava like it is just warm water. That''s a thought I need to prove in the near future. I mean I don''t think I''ve seen a Kirin in a lava map. I don''t know if they prefer the forest and Snowy Mountains, or are they really not as fireproof as I thought. Because in the game a Kirin''s elemental weakness is fire. So I need to do some experimenting sometime in the future.


    For now I need to see what''s a Kirin''s full potential. I mean I just absorbed lightning earlier like it''s nothing and commanded it at will. So there has to a lot more going on than just shooting lightning bolts all Willy nilly all the time like the usual Kirin. Although in the MH World, the Tempered or Arch Tempered did strike my interest. I mean from what the game shows, the Tempered class monsters were basically Veteran class. Meaning they were old and hardened by the rules of Nature. They survived to see another day, it''s the game of life, and you either be the hunter or the agile prey. There''s no guarantee which of the two will succeed, the strong or the weak.


    So now I will have to venture and learn all about my new body now, and I get the feeling that it''s gonna be one heck of a run.


    (1 day later) (Ancient Forest: Morning)


    I let out a yawn and I tell you. It''s still taking a bit of getting used to the sound of neighing. While I can''t talk with words, unfortunately. I think that other monsters can understand what I was neighing about. And that''s when I found out a neat trick around it. Remember in Ben 10 alien force, that Amperi alien named Ra''ad? He can feel and track electrical pulses in the brain of sentient beings, thus allowing him to read minds. So I decided to see if I can use that neat little trick to my advantage.


    It took half the day for me to focus enough to feel the electrical pulses in the area around me. So far I can sense about 100 feet around me if I focus hard enough. And it took the rest of the day for me to somewhat read minds. The only reason why it took so long because I did it by using the Aptonoth herd. And as it turns out Aptonoth brain? Not so much room in there for any coherent thoughts except for basic instincts for an herbivore.


    So I decided to find something a bit more intelligent looking. And that''s when I discovered my Mind Reading ability, I found the Anjanath that I struck earlier with the dead Great Jagras in its mouth. I kept my distance because while I''m an Elder in body, I don''t think I can take on a pink fire breathing T-Rex yet, I still need to get used to this body and discover its full potential. When I was in a safe distance to use my mind reading while remaining hidden I was a bit surprise that this trick works. I can hear inside its head that it was perplexed, wondering where that bolt of lightning came from. The only reason it survived the strike was because my lightning didn''t have much power in it, but it was enough to temporarily paralyze him.


    With a yip for the success I suddenly felt a bit tired from all the excitement and effort of the day. So that''s where we are now on the next day. I went deep in the forest to eat a berry and thunderbug breakfast, because I refuse to eat grass like an Aptonoth. Turns out I still need food to live, and I don''t know if Kirin were omnivorous or herbivorous because thunderbugs were quite tasty for me, I think that''s just because they have the matching element that I am.


    After I finished eating I went to the open field of Area 1. This time I have to learn the attacks of Kirin, so far I managed to call down small lightning strikes. The big lightning strikes I can do, but I needed a few seconds to charge up. And the hardest one was the lightning stream, it''s the attack that instead of vertical I can electrify the air in a horizontal straight line. Learning all that and trying to master it took me all day. I don''t think I got it all mastered yet but I think it''s a start in the right direction. Because a normal Kirin might be just using the attacks out of pure instinct, so it gave me the image that if I managed to master my powers then maybe I''ll be able to utilize lightning more than just using it for offense and defense.


    I don''t want to be a one trick pony or Kirin. So I have to practice on what else I can do with my element. Also the reason why a Kirin when enraged turns it''s scales into near impenetrable armor is because the scales themselves when supercharged with a large amount of electricity hardens as well as compacts so tightly that it''s like my molecular bonds are like airtight. Unfortunately my head, specifically my horn doesn''t have such protection so it is my greatest tool and my greatest weakness.


    A few hours later and it was already night time, I was about to head back and hit the hay when I picked up an electric pulse in the air. Right now my current range when sensing casually has now reached about 70 feet, I still needed to focus when I try to reach 100 feet. So that means whatever I''m sensing is relatively close by.


    ''Woah! A Kirin? Here? I guess the Elder Crossing calls for all Elders.'' Was the thought of someone, a hunter or a researcher? I can''t tell. I looked at the direction of where my senses were picking the thought up. It was the two A-list hunters that the CAC meets before the Handler. I can see them looking right at me, we had a bit of a staring match before I decided to retreat.


    Great¡­ So much for hiding¡­ Now they''re gonna report back to the Commander. Worst case scenario they''re gonna gather some hunters that have experience in dealing with Elders and hunt me down. Or just report in and hopefully they won''t send in the Huntsman or the CAC, just the Ecological Research group. Either way my cover''s blown and I needed to lay low or move on to another area for a while. I think now''s the time to try and see what The Wildspire Wastes look like this time of year. Hopefully I won''t run into Nergigante. With that I galloped quickly towards the Wildspires, hopefully the heat will die down here quickly enough for me to go back and see what''s happening.


    (3 days earlier) (Astera) (Handler''s POV)


    We finally made it to Astera. It was even more amazing than I could have ever dreamed off. The entrance by itself is a sight to behold, it was a gigantic ribcage of a Titan class monster. It was like nature wanted us to set up base here to learn about the New World. I can see the Commission''s shipwreck on top of a two pillars. They really did an amazing job in turning it into a guildhall. We were the last to arrive apparently, the rest of the Fifth fleet already made it here, but not without injuries. We saw the two hunters we met on the ship before everything went south tending to the wounded.


    Despite all that, everything seems to be in order. We looked around the Tradeyard. They really have everything set up here. They have the Ecology research group, the Gatherers, Scholars, and Technicians to keep this Commission going. This will definitely help us in finding the answers on what the New World really is about.


    We were introduced to the Commander and the Huntsman, both were legends in their own right. He greeted us with open arms. He also reunited us with my Partner''s Lynian, the poor guy was having a panic attack when he said he arrived here and was looking for us. After the introductions, the Field Team Leader showed us around Astera. From the quest boards, to the Guildhall, the smithy, and my personal favorite the Kitchen! I''ll be hanging around there for a while. The head cook was a very buff Lynian, everyone calls him Meowscular Chef, but I think I''ll call him chef for now.


    After the orientation we were shown our own personal quarters which was by the Tradeyard. My partner and I immediately unpacked and hit he hay because this had been one hell of a day.


    The next morning after a hearty breakfast, my Partner went to the training grounds to practice with his Longsword. I''m not much of a hunter, I prefer gathering and researching monsters, and their habitats. The New World is full of unanswered questions so it''s my job to find them. While my partner was training all day. I went to the Ecological research team and compared notes on some monsters, like the one that wrecked our ship and almost killed us. I found out that the monster''s name was Zorah Magdaros. In their research they say that he only comes out when it''s time for the Elder Crossing and just disappears right after.


    It''s really perplexing that a monster of that size can just vanish like that, it was just another unanswered question in the list.


    After a whole day of research I found my partner completely knocked out on his bed. I guess he really pushed himself if he didn''t even bother to remove his sword from his back. I shook my head as I removed it and placed it near the bed post. After a midnight snack I went to sleep quickly, mentally exhausted from all the information I learned about the New World.


    On the third day of arriving to Astera, we were sent on a gathering quest for Nulberries because we were all out to treat the wounded from Zorah Magdaros''s attack. It was actually a pretty simple quest. The only hitch was the pack of Jagras that tried to ambush us, but my partner took care of them pretty quickly, so we gathered without interruptions. As we headed back after gathering enough Nulberries, we saw the two hunters were talking the Commander about something.


    "We saw it! There''s one right here in the New World! I don''t know how it could get all the way here but it''s true! We saw a Kirin!" The hunter exclaimed, sounding really excited at seeing one of the most mysterious Elder Dragon''s. And I agree, how could a Kirin get all the way here? That''s what always mystifies researchers in the Old World. A Kirin really is a mysterious Elder, it''s so rarely sighted that information about its ecology is almost non-existent. The only information we got is that it calls forth lightning at will, as well as the near impervious hide it has when it gets angry.


    "Hmm¡­ The Majesty of Lightning has come to the New World¡­ Where is it now?" The Huntsman said as he looked to be reminiscing about something.


    "We don''t know, we saw it looking right at us. We were about to hightail out of there when it ran away inside the Forest."


    "Alright. For now, unless the Kirin shows up again we need to take steps. We don''t want to provoke it into striking Astera. So for now we continue as planned." The Commander said. The others saluted and were dismissed. I agree with the Commander on this one. While Kirin are seen very rarely, those who encounter it are even more so to live and tell the tale after a brief fight with it. I don''t think even a full set of Gypceros armor can nullify a Kirin''s powerful lightning attacks. It may prevent you from being paralyzed but I don''t think it''ll keep you from being instantly burnt to a crisp.


    With that thought in mind, we handed the Nulberries we gathered to the medics. After a job well done my partner and I went for a well-deserved lunch break. Although all this talk about the Kirin did make me wonder. When I was just a little girl I always imagined myself riding a Kirin like one would do an Aptonoth or a Popo. But I don''t think it''ll appreciate that, Kirin are relatively peaceful in nature unless you attack it first or stand in its way. Either way, you run away or get skewered and electrified if you do provoke a Kirin into a fight. Because I for one like living more than being turned into an overcooked piece of meat.


    Chapter 3


    (Ancient Forest) (SI/Kirin''s POV)


    Okay going to the Wildspire Waste as a Kirin was not really a good idea. Reason? Well it completely slipped my mind that I was a walking bolt of lightning, and as science proves that when lightning strikes or touches sand it tends to leave a bit of a trail behind. When I first took my first step at the sandy grounds of the Wildspire Waste I left a really obvious trail of petrified lightning. I didn''t want to take a risk in something or someone tracking me, because I can''t really hide when all they have to do is follow the trails I leave behind in the sandy terrain.


    So with no other choice I decided to go back to the Ancient Forest and contemplate on my next move. As of now I have a good grasp on my powers so far, I''ve already gotten used to the Kirin''s basic move set. Lightning Strikes, Charged Lightning Strike, and Lightning Stream. As of now I decided to wander around for a bit and think of any possible powers that I may acquire. I''m safe for now, given that I haven''t felt any hunters nearby, but I can sense the electric pulses of other organisms in the forest.


    As I walked at an even pace in the deep jungles of the Ancient Forest a Kula-Ya-Ku ran past me. You know it''s really funny, in the Old World a Yian-Kut-Ku was an absolute pest to fight because it kept swinging its tail around and it keeps spitting fire balls when it''s mad. But a Kula-Ya-Ku was actually even worse because it was a bit smarter than its cousin in the Old World. It can dig up and use big rocks to block attacks from the front and use said rock to smash enemies into a paste.


    Although when that thing passed me, I felt like I was forgetting something.


    "Oh hell¡­" A deep masculine voice brought my attention to two hunters that was about a good 10 feet away from me. Not just any two hunters, but the hunters that I want to keep my distance from. Yup it''s the CAC hunter and the Field Team Leader. Now I remember why that Kula-Ya-Ku seemed familiar, well now I know when I am in the story. That was probably the Kula-Ya-Ku that wrecked the secondary campsite in the deep jungle of the Ancient Forest.


    But now I''m in a bit of a pickle, because I don''t think I''m ready or at all for that matter. We were having a staring match for who knows how long, non-dared to move a muscle because they might think I''ll charge, or that they''ll withdraw their blades. Right now the CAC Character is wielding an Insect Glaive one of the most maneuverable weapons in the game. I decided to sense what''s going on inside their heads.


    ''Oh hell¡­ Just our luck¡­ Okay, this can be avoided. Slow and steady, walk back.'' Was the thought of the Field Team Leader, as he raised his arm to his companion as he and the CAC slowly backed away from me. I''m not gonna lie, I''m enjoying the way they''re backing away from me because they''re afraid that I may strike them down. Back in my old life I wasn''t really intimidating looking, but I can fight because I learned and taught martial arts in High School. So it does give me a bit of pride that right now I was intimidating. I raised my head in the direction of a very familiar voice.


    "HEY GUYS WAIT FOR ME! Uh¡­" Was the ever familiar voice of the Handler as she skidded to an abrupt halt when she saw me.


    ''Oh Popo crap¡­'' was the one thought inside her head. I wanted to laugh but I don''t think they''ll take it as a good sign. The three still slowly backed away. As for me? I decided to have a bit of fun with them.


    I slowly, yet with grace, walked forward with my eyes firmly planted on them. They froze, stiff as a statue as I approached them. I can hear the Field Team Leader panicking, his thoughts were on how to escape, let alone survive if worse comes to worst. Because they lack the experience and weapons in fighting Elders for now, the only ones that can are the Commander, The Admiral, The Seeker, and The Huntsman.


    When I was just about 2 feet away from them I stopped. As of now I was about approximately 491.42 in size. That''s still small in Kirin standards because the largest recorded was about 600 above. And now I slowly leaned my head towards the Handlers inventory bag because I sense a lot of thunderbugs inside, and I am feeling a bit hungry right now. But to keep up appearances, I sniffed the bag as the Handler slowly reached inside and pulled out a thunderbug. She slowly raised it towards me, albeit shakily.


    "I-I-I-Is¡­ Th-this w-wh-what you w-want?" She shakily said out loud. She raised the squirming insect in front of me. And I decided to give her a break and ate it without biting her hand off. I savored the insect, as well as the looks on their faces. And when I finished, she took it as a sign and grabbed for another one. This went on until her bag was out of thunderbugs. She went stiff when she realized this. Now she''s panicking that I might attack them now. Well, I''ve had my fun so might as well leave with an impression. I slowly leaned my face closer to her and flared my nostrils, she closed her eyes as the air I let out buffered her hair. Then I finally galloped away from them, neighing as I did. Although what I said was ''Thanks for the meal!'' I did hear a slight rustle back there. Meh, probably nothing.


    (Astera) (Tradeyard) (Night time: Handler''s POV)


    Ugh¡­ What just happened¡­? I can hear voices all around me¡­ one of them is Kazuma, my partner. And Jiro, the Field Team Leader. I can also hear the voice of the Commander. They''re talking about something, and why does it have to be so close to me?


    "And you''re saying¡­ it just left?" The Commander said.


    "I know it''s kinda hard to believe. I wouldn''t have believed it if I wasn''t with them. But I swear it just left." Jiro said to his Grandfather.


    "After feeding it¡­ thunderbugs?" He raised a skeptical eyebrow¡­


    Thunderbugs? What are they¡­? Oh??? Now I remember. I groaned as I laid back¡­ Oh my gosh! I thought I was dead back there! When I saw it, I just froze and my life just flashed before my eyes! I never would''ve realized that a Kirin could look so mystical, as well as scary as all heck. I mean I kept thinking that I''d be struck down by lightning, or gouged by its sharp horn. But for some reason, it just wanted the thunderbugs I gathered in my bag. That was the fascinating part, because no one has ever seen a Kirin feed or get close to a human for that matter. It really was an amazing, and terrifying experience for me.


    I groaned as I woke up and rose from the med bed. Kazuma and the rest saw me and asked if I was alright. They told me that I lost consciousness after the Kirin left, Jiro was afraid that it was about to attack me when it got close. Fortunately that wasn''t the case. Kazuma said that when it left they carried me back to base as they continued the hunt for the Kula-Ya-Ku. It didn''t take long for them to take it down and restore the campsite. So that was a relief.


    The Commander then began to question me about what happened. I told him what Jiro and Kazuma told him earlier, confirming that it wasn''t made up. He still finds it hard to believe that the Kirin just upped and left after I fed it. Not that I blame him, I mean normally Kirins attack when hunters got close to it for too long. After he was done questioning he left and had a meeting with the Huntsman and the Ecological Team, probably trying to confirm or find anything about things like these happening.


    This was probably a first in history. I mean that was as close to a Kirin as you can get without fighting it. And I was holding my breath the entire time it was in front of us. But right now, I need to eat for a while to calm myself down. I joined Kazuma in the dining area and we kept eating in order to process if what happened earlier was real. And process if that was just normal Kirin, or something even more because of the New World. Perhaps another mystery to add to the long list of questions we all have about the New World

 Chapter 388 - My OC Stash #88 - Aunt Salam by Selene Sokal (RWBY)

    -This AU Jaune-centric fics are too enticing, it kinda reminds me of White Sheep by C?ur too which really helps me binge it easier~


    Synopsis: The Arc family has for a long time prospered under the guidance of their esteemed matriarch, Aunt Salem. For a very long time. Seemingly ageless, she''s been a part of their life for so long that they''ve all accepted it as just a quirk of the family. But when her favorite nephew announces his intention to become a Huntsman, Aunt Salem offers him all the aid she can provide.


    Rated: T


    Words: 19K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13658843/1/Aunt-Salem (Selene Sokal)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Roman had come to terms with the fact that, in spite of his authority, his experience, his skills, and his reach, that he had almost no control of his life. Back when he was a simple pickpocket, he dreamed of becoming the Boss because he assumed it meant control. But as he climbed the ranks in the underworld, pulling off more daring heists and outwitting his rivals, he had learned that freedom was a delusion¡ªeveryone was under someone''s control, whether they knew it or not.


    Every step Roman moved up the ladder, he found it came with a bigger target on his back, but even worse than the enemies he made were the allies he acquired. Outside of Neo, his underlings, associates, and marks came with endless responsibilities, fires he had to put out. Actually, Neo came with lots of fires to put out. But underlings had to be managed, associates came for favors, and even those he was squeezing money out of didn''t just fork it over for free¡ªit was a full time job running extortion rackets.


    Worst of all, he''d gotten big enough to get the attention of a terrifying pyromaniac who seemed to have no morality whatsoever and quite possibly was going to murder him no matter what he did. But Roman didn''t back down. No, there was no true freedom in this life, but that didn''t mean that the acquisition of power was a fool''s game. He just had to stay on top of things to survive.


    But this meeting was going to test Roman''s ability because, for the life of him, he didn''t know why the Queen Bitch herself needed an all hands meeting. And Roman really didn''t like unknowns. He''d certainly been having some issues with their supply, but not so bad that he was expecting to get raked over the (probably literal) coals. The interception of the Fall Maiden had been a flop, but it had been one that 1) Roman had nothing to do with and 2) he''d already been excoriated for. And the issue with Little Red was¡­ well, Cinder had her fingerprints on that nuisance enough to let Roman breathe.


    Taking a seat with Neo, he glanced over to the little monsters Cinder kept in her entourage. They¡­ didn''t seem to know what was going on, which spared Roman their irritating smugness, but that also meant this was coming totally out of the blue. It was also odd that Her High and Mightiness hadn''t arrived yet¡ªshe was punctual to a fault, something Roman respected quite a bit in the underworld. Her being late wasn''t a power play, that wasn''t her style. It meant something was wrong. Badly wrong.


    As she entered the warehouse, Roman knew that it was a damn risky move to tweak the nose of a rabid dog, but he had to get some sense of what was going on.


    But he was also a man who didn''t get here by being cautious.


    "So!" he proclaimed, theatrically, "It feels like we never get together anymore; when was the last time we had a nice family dinner, just the five of us?"


    If he was a dead man, he was already a dead man; this might just help speed up the inevitable. Plus, seeing Greenie practically choke to hear his flippant tone would be a fine note to go out on.


    "Enough talk," Cinder barked, an angry bark to be sure, but not "I''m killing you now" kind of anger, so Roman felt he could practically let out a sigh of relief. If a sigh of relief wouldn''t end with him being set on fire and ruining his new suit. Plus all the burns and the pain and the death.


    But the Queen switched to addressing the entire table, all business. "We have a matter of highest importance, sufficient to supersede all other plans, including the Dust plan, the Vytal plan, the Maiden plan, any and all plans are put aside for what is coming now."


    A surprise for her little gremlins, who Roman knew were quite excited for all the murder and chaos the main plan had in store for Vale, adorable little sociopaths they were. They knew not to question their boss, of course, but a glance to Neo confirmed that he ought to keep probing because, even if Roman didn''t like the whole "mass slaughter of the innocent" aspect of the plan, he knew that operations that abruptly changed course were always a problem.


    "Hold up a sec," he raised his hand, "As I understood it, your original plan was the one and only plan, and I''ve risked a lot to get us this far. Problems happen, but-"


    He was cut off with only a look.


    "There is only one person in this entire world I fear, Roman, and she has ordered me to consider the task she has given me to be of more importance than my very life. I suggest you take a similar attitude, before you learn firsthand that there are worse fates than death."


    Roman tried his best to look, at most, bemused by the shocking revelation that the Queen was taking orders from someone above her¡ªafter all, everyone was controlled by someone or something else, but from the way Cinder was talking about it, she was afraid. Not in the way Roman feared Cinder, but in the way Roman feared the sight of a tidal wave about to crash down on him. A fear of something total and absolute, a fear of¡­


    It was the fear he knew from when faced by a horde of Grimm.


    And that told Roman that now was not the time to f.u.c.k around and find out.


    "What''s the plan?" he asked, his nerves slightly on edge.


    "A VIP is arriving. He will be attending Beacon Academy, and we are to ensure his safety while he is attending the school, as well as to ensure any and all of his needs are met. Anything he says or asks for is to be considered as though they came directly from me, and I cannot stress enough that if anything happens to him, or gods help us all, he voices his displeasure to my employer¡­ death will not be an escape. Not for any of us."


    That was not anything Roman was expecting. At all. Well, imminent death and new depths of horrors had been pretty much his day to day ever since he first met up with Wicked Bitch of the West, so he couldn''t really be that surprised to hear there was more of it. But to learn that Cinder was afraid of this going wrong¡­ that was very much new.


    "And he will be arriving to meet with the five of us tonight."


    "How- how soon?" Legs asked, clearly unnerved, to Roman''s quiet delight, by the fact that he was now effectively the personal servant of a teenage boy.


    "Now," Cinder replied, as Roman heard the doors opened and he saw the latest figure he was now in hock to, looking to all the world like a clueless tourist instead of his looming execution, but from the way his psychopath of a business partner stiffened, Roman knew damn well any fear he didn''t have for this gangly blond dweeb was a mistake on his part.


    Which, really, was exactly how Roman''s life was going, wasn''t it?


    A few weeks before Roman''s meeting with Cinder, there was a very different meeting happening far off in rural Vale.


    Jaune Arc had come back home from a long day in the vineyards. Supervisory work, just talking, inspecting things, none of the hard labor he enjoyed, the kind that he could lose himself in, like when he brought in the harvest alongside his family and community. And the kind of work that reminded him that he would be leaving for the big city soon, away from the quiet and tranquil places of his home to a city that never slept.


    Or, he supposed, he''d be going to Beacon not Vale, so he''d be removed from the city¡­ but that simply reminded him that he really didn''t belong in either. His forged transcripts had gotten him admitted, but¡­ well, Jaune didn''t want to think about that. He''d gotten in. He''d make it. He had a strong arm, the family sword, and confidence. He could do this, he was sure!


    As he stepped into the door, he went to the bathroom to wash some of the dirt off his hands and the sweat off his face. It might not have been physical labor, but he''d still been outside in the Valean sun and this summer had been quite intense. Fortunately, not enough to damage the gr.a.p.es¡ªif anything, Jaune was hopeful for the season¡ªbut enough to make Jaune struggle in the day to day work.


    "Oh Jaune!" he heard his mother call from the sitting room, "Auntie came by to visit! Come in, say hi!"


    Jaune quickly dried his hands. He knew to hurry, but he also knew to make sure to do a quick check in the mirror and ensure he looked presentable. A visit from his Aunt was a big deal, a bigger deal than most any family member stopping by, and¡­ almost certainly tied to his rapidly approaching trip to Beacon.


    After all, she was something more than a family member.


    "Aunt" Salem wasn''t his father or mother''s sister, or a great aunt, or even a family friend. She was¡­ she was something more mysterious than anything anyone else''s family had. For one, she looked like she hadn''t aged since Jaune''s oldest memories of her, or, according to his parents, in anyone''s oldest memories of her. As far as Jaune knew, she had just always been around, the perpetual "Aunt" to the Arc family, always to be treated with great respect and listened to. For another thing, he also knew that Aunt Salem had powers. Some of it, he knew, was just his big sisters teasing him, saying that she could command the Grimm or she could turn into a flock of bats, but Jaune definitely knew that ordinary people couldn''t make it stop raining because she had no intention of seeing one of Jaune''s Little League games get canceled while she was visiting.


    Stepping into the room, he couldn''t help but smile to see his Aunt sitting primly next to his mother. Yes, she was a possibly immortal family member with magic powers, but she was also the same Aunt Salem who cheered for him at those Little League games, who''d been a part of his life since he was a baby.


    "Hey Auntie Salem," he said, waving to her.


    She was a regal looking woman, her posture always as prim and precise as a queen''s. Next to her mother, her long, blonde hair and light blue eyes made them seem almost like they were sisters¡ªbut all the Arcs kind of looked like that, enough that Saphron and their mother looked kind of like sisters.


    "I heard you were going to Beacon," she said, standing up and approaching him.


    Something about her tone of voice, slightly sad, almost regretful, made Jaune nervous. Did she know? About the transcripts?


    She raised her hand to stroke Jaune''s cheek. "They grow up so fast..." she said, wistfully to his mother, "It feels like it was only yesterday that he was crawling up on my lap, eager for stories..."


    Jaune blushed. Aunt Salem''s stories, full of wicked kings and bold heroines who confronted corrupt and evil gods, had been a highlight of his childhood. When he was little, he would monopolize his Aunt''s time, hoping for candy, but even more so, the stories, which, when he got older, morphed into lessons learned from her directly. It was from his Aunt that Jaune resolved to become a Huntsman¡ªto be a better kind of Huntsman, one who actually lived up to their creed and protected the weak and downtrodden, rather than blindly carried out the orders of the powerful.


    But his Aunt looked at him, her eyes seeming to scan right through him as she assessed what words of wisdom he needed to hear. Finally, nodding, having looked into his soul, she said, "Not everyone you meet at Beacon will be good to you, and many who might seem good are never to be trusted, but¡­ I suppose you''ve made up your mind?"


    It was a real question. Jaune knew she wanted to hear the truth in his voice, not an answer that would please her, and, well, he had. "I have," he said, feeling as resolute as he had the day he''d summoned all his courage to put his application in the mail. "I want to be a Huntsman. The kind of Huntsman¡­ the kind that you could be proud of."


    "Jaune, Jaune, Jaune," she sighed, looking deep into his eyes, "You''ve always been my favorite nephew," a statement that very much startled Jaune. There had surely been many, many generations of Arc men who had been Aunt Salem''s nephew that he had evidently been measured against. "And I always knew you had the family''s heroic spirit¡­ the life of a viticulturist was never for you. But¡­ it''s hard for me to accept. It''s such a dangerous path to be a Huntsman, a place where you''ll find the Grimm are hardly the monsters you need to fear most. Jaune..." she paused, for the first time in Jaune''s life seeming, almost, hesitant, "I would only ask you to accept a boon from your Auntie, so she doesn''t have to worry so much for your safety..."


    "I¡­ thank you, Aunt Salem."


    She laid a hand on his shoulder and whispered something in a language Jaune didn''t recognize until suddenly¡­ Jaune felt a potent flash inside him, a surge of inner light that made him gasp as he felt like he could do anything, like his body weight nothing, lit it was more than just confidence but, rather, like all possibility inside himself was unleashed. It was a truly remarkable feeling, and Jaune looked to his Aunt with wonderment.


    "I have unlocked your aura, my nephew, and I have granted you a Semblance that I¡­ believe will aid you in your time at Beacon," she explained, and Jaune realized¡­ Jaune realized there was a redness in her eyes, like she was holding back tears as she gave him a sorrowful look. "Please¡­ for your Aunt, please stay safe out there, my dear Jaune."


    Jaune gave his Aunt a tight hug. "I promise," he whispered to her.


    "And please," she whispered back, almost too low for Jaune to hear, "please don''t wait to give your poor mother some grandchildren, you''re legally able to get married now and Saphron''s made the both of us so happy with Adrian, but he''s all the way in Mantle and she''d love to be more active with a darling little grandbaby."


    Ah yes.


    Of course, of course, his Aunt wouldn''t let a moment like this end without one of her perpetual reminders about bringing in the next generation of nieces and nephews for her.


    "A granddaughter would mean so much to your poor mother... and myself, as well."


    With a stifled laugh, Jaune just hugged his Aunt back and made sure to promise he''d get himself a girlfriend while there.


    Chapter 2


    Even though she lived a rather spartan lifestyle, Pyrrha was still impressed by how much stuff she had to bring with her as she packed up to head to Beacon. Running down the checklist, it was hard to imagine that her whole life was contained on this sheet of paper, but, well, Beacon was going to be where Pyrrha would enter the next great stage of her life, competing no longer on just the Kingdom-wide stage, but truly facing down the best in the world, seeing how she compared to the finest Huntsmen alive.


    Her mother stepped into the room, and Pyrrha realized, as she followed her mother''s eyes, how empty her now packed up room felt. And how real her imminent departure was.


    It was a sorrowful note, even as excited as Pyrrha was to step away from her old life in Sanctum and Mistral and face a new adventure far off in Vale. Her mother had raised her all on her own, after Pyrrha''s father had passed, and now Pyrrha was leaving her with an empty nest.


    She didn''t hesitate to return the hug as her mother enfolded her into her arms. "I''m so, so proud of you," she murmured.


    "I know," Pyrrha replied, hoarsely, feeling a surge of emotion come over her.


    "You''ve always made me proud..." but then her mother seemed to stiffen her spine a little as she loosed herself from the hug and forced herself to keep it together as she looked Pyrrha in the eye. "Just¡­ remember where you came from, Pyrrha. And never forget, you have a home here, no matter what happens. And you can always come back here for help or advice or anything you need! And remember... your accomplishments are not just for you, they''re for-"


    "The glory of our Queen Salem," Pyrrha interrupted her mother with a laugh, the familiarity of the phrase giving some levity to break the situation''s weight. "I know mom, I''ve been practicing since I was a child to honor our culture and traditions. I''ll make you, and all of us, proud. I promise."


    Her mother wrapped her back in a tight hug, and Pyrrha struggled not to let the emotion she was feeling get the better of her. While so many of her fellow competitors fought for selfish, personal glory, Pyrrha knew that this was worth more than any of that. All victory gained for the self was hollow and empty. Pyrrha had learned how the champion''s life could be a lonely one, the level of dedication it took to excel so consistently had a tendency to drive away people who might get close, and success brought an endless tide of false friends and manipulators.


    But Pyrrha had something more than the glory of a tournament victory. She had purpose, she had community. Even if it was all in secret, in underground meetings held only in the most secure locations, Pyrrha knew that her efforts to succeed as a competitor was part of a greater plan. She performed so that, one day, when the True Queen of the World would reveal herself in her glory, Pyrrha would be in position to welcome her return to Remnant.


    But as her mother released her from the hug, she looked away. "Well¡­ there''s more to it. You see..." for what might be the first time in Pyrrha''s life, her mother looked¡­ uncertain. "I received a notice from¡­ Mr. Rainart. A request from the Queen. Herself."


    Pyrrha''s eyes went wide at that. She had spent a summer training under the great Hazel Rainart, an incredible honor, not just in how much she''d learned from the master, but in knowing she had the attention of someone who attended to Queen Salem personally. But Master Rainart was only a man¡ªto know she had earned the Queen, their Goddess''s personal interest almost made her heart stop beating.


    Her throat, she realized, was suddenly dry as she asked, "What¡­ what would our Goddess have of me?"


    Nodding, her mother relayed to her the instructions. "At Beacon, you will rendezvous with a pair of cult agents, codenamed Stormflower. They will be looking for you and will introduce themselves as such. They will give you more specific instructions, but¡­ the Queen has requested that you serve as the bodyguard for someone... precious to her. I don''t know who he is, but¡­ Queen Salem evidently considers him to be a man of¡­ the highest importance."


    That wasn''t in question. If Queen Salem thought he was important enough to deserve Pyrrha''s protection, Pyrrha''s only question was what she had to do to live up to her Queen''s expectations. "I will protect him with my life and my honor," she replied, resolutely.


    Pyrrha suddenly found herself enveloped in another tight hug, this one strong enough to almost knock the wind out of her. But she didn''t mind, not when her mother''s voice was just bursting with so much happiness as she said, "This is the greatest honor our family has ever received, and I couldn''t be more proud that it came to you. I know you will bring honor to the Nikos name, that even our Blessed Queen will hear of your accomplishments."


    "I''ll make you proud, mom," she whispered back into the hug.


    "I know you will," she said, and Pyrrha struggled to keep the tears from flowing, "You always do."


    "Agent Lotus¡ªpsst¡ªthis is Thunderbolt, come in Agent Lotus, over¡ªbzzt."


    "Agent Thunderbolt, this is Lotus, we are not on a radio and you do not have to represent static," Ren replied without looking up from his book, "Also, it might be unwise to be using our code names so casually while we''re in public."


    Nora rolled her eyes. "But they''re so cool," she protested.


    Ren briefly looked up from his book. "It''s a bad idea, Nora."


    "Well!" she huffed, "Uncle Tyrian said I was your commanding officer for this mission, and-"


    "Ms. Fall said Victory''s our immediate superior."


    Nora rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but until we rendezvous with her, your cute butt belongs to me, Agent Lotus!"


    Suddenly, Nora realized there was a girl in a red cloak with wide silver eyes next to her. "I''m sorry, but¡­ are you two secret agents?" she asked in an eager, squeaky voice.


    "We absolutely are!" Nora proclaimed before Ren could stop her.


    "Wow!" she replied, in genuine excitement. "Are you infiltrating Beacon for Mistral? I mean, cause your outfits are totally Mistralian and¡­ oh no, is that racist? I''m so sorry, I didn''t-"


    "Nope!" Nora cut her off, "We''re infiltrating for an even cooler and more secret conspiracy than any Kingdom''s government! It''s gonna knock your socks off once we reveal ourselves to-"


    Suddenly, a confident, powerful-looking girl with a big head of blonde hair and biceps that made Nora really excited to start punching, rounded the corner. "Oh, there you are, Ruby! And hey, you''re already making friends!"


    "They''re secret agents!" The girl, Ruby, eagerly informed Yang, "They''re infiltrating Beacon and it''s a conspiracy!"


    "We are not secret agents," Ren replied offhandedly, still not looking up from his book. "Secret agents don''t tell everyone they''re secret agents."


    "Oh, yeah," Nora said, putting a finger to her lips, "I guess we''re just regular agents then. But it''s still for a really cool conspiracy!"


    "Come on Ruby," the blonde girl said, rolling her eyes, "though I get the feeling you''ll have an easier time fitting in at Beacon than I thought."


    She and Renny had the perfect double act. Nobody took what she said seriously, so she could hide in plain sight as they both covered for the other effortlessly. Really, was there anyone who''d meet the two of them that would catch on to the fact that Renny always lied while Nora only told the truth?


    As the airship docked, she knew they had two priorities to achieve. First, to rendezvous with Agent Victory (and, sadly, pass on command, though, it was to a super-cool warrior princess type!) and then, to get a visual on their target: code named Sauvignon.


    Sauvignon. Nora was excited to meet him. With a code name like that¡ªRenny said it was Old Valean for "savage," which was crazy¡ªshe was sure she''d recognize him on sight, but like a lot of badasses Nora had met in her loyal service to Queen Salem, maybe he hid it on the inside, looking like anyone until it was time for the knives to come out!


    Ren had a picture of him with a detailed description and his name and all that, but Nora much preferred the mystery of knowing that someone Queen Salem herself had ordered them to protect could be anyone on this airship! Like that girl with the hood who- wait, she did know it was a guy. But it could still be any non-Renny boy on the airship! Maybe even that blond guy who''d ran into the bathroom to throw up!


    Nora liked that option¡ªshe really hoped that guy was Sauvignon! Maybe he was just bad at flying to compensate for the way he could utterly dismantle his enemies! Yes, that was almost certainly what was going on!


    Of course, it was much easier to spot Victory while they were disembarking. After all, who didn''t know who Pyrrha Nikos was? Nora and Ren had been living in the wilderness for the past few years with Uncle Tyrian and even they could recognize the crimson-haired warrior goddess standing like she was imperiously above all of them.


    And, damn, looking as fine as she did, Nora couldn''t blame her for flaunting it!


    She and Ren allowed the various gawkers to file past her, far too intimidated to actually speak to the champion, but they knew the password.


    "Excuse me," Ren said, his voice low, "but I believe you might be able to help me, you see, I don''t recall how to claim my weapons after I checked them? Two machine pistols, called Stormflower, if the weapon type makes a difference."


    Upon hearing the codeword, a smile crossed the Invincible Girls'' face.


    "Oh, I know where we can go to¡­ find it. A pleasure to meet you, by the way¡ªI''m Pyrrha Nikos, though some call me the Goddess of Victory. And you are?"


    "NORA VALKYRIE!" Nora loudly announced, throwing handfuls of confetti she had packed for just this occasion. "And this is my Renny Bear, Ren!"


    As her comrades recovered from her sudden outburst, Nora smiled broadly. She was so excited to work for Agent Victory!


    "Anyways," their new boss coughed, "if you two could¡­ follow me."


    Walking with Pyrrha, Nora felt like the belle of the ball! Everyone was looking at them, and, yeah, probably not great for cool secret agents, but Nora was a specialist in Overt Ops, trained by Uncle Tyrian in being loud and boisterous and distracting everyone else by just living life and having a good time! Let everybody look at them; they''d be so distracted by Nora, they wouldn''t even realize what they weren''t supposed to see. And soon enough, they had broken away from where the people were.


    Under Nora''s cover, Ren was giving Pyrrha the 4-1... what was the last number? Eh, she''d remember it later.


    "Our target is code-named ''Sauvignon,'' which I believe is Old Valean for savage, which gives us some guidance to what sort of man we''re dealing with. His actual name is Jaune Arc, of the Arc family¡ªtheir lineage is sacred, quite possibly the literal blood of the Goddess. The Field Commander of our Queen''s Valean operations tells me that, while our Lady has¡­ gifted him with some protection, the exact form it takes is unknown and, by her assessment, he will need both a bodyguard and personal trainer."


    Pyrrha nodded, smartly. "Simple enough. Is there a plan in place to ensure that the four of us end up on the same team?"


    Ren paused a bit at that. "Beacon uses a¡­ fairly¡­ bizarre admissions policy involving, apparently, every admitted student being flung into the woods by a catapult. I don''t¡­ I don''t know. It''s just how they do things here. But your task will be to track down Sauvignon and ensure that you are partnered with him-"


    "I would recommend preparing a call in advance," Nora helpfully butted in, "Renny and I are using a sloth call for it."


    Ren continued, as though Nora hadn''t said anything, "And then grabbing the same chess piece as the two of us recover from a ruin within the forest."


    "Obviously, the Castle!"


    Pyrrha''s mind seemed to be whirring like an overcharged hammer mechashift engine as she took in the information. "Get to the target before anyone else, grab the Castle chess piece, and then exfiltrate. Simple enough. Now¡ªare we to get in touch with Sauvignon before we begin initiation or are we to observe from a distance?"


    "We''re to maintain distance, until-"


    KA-BOOOOOOOM!


    Ren and Pyrrha whirled, while Nora was left confused by the sudden explosion. Usually, she was the one who blew things up at random, this was a completely unexpected situation where-


    Oh no! Little red hood girl was the one who was exploded or did the exploding! Another plus in Nora''s book, of course, but she looked rather miserable as a bunch of girls just yelled at her for some reason. Nora resolved to help pick her up, give her some reassurance that no matter how many times you get exploded, you still matter!


    But before she could march on over and give that advice, it turned out that there were still some heroes in the world of men (a very rare sight, in Nora''s experience!) as the guy who was throwing up on the flight over reached down to help her up out of the crater. Good for him! Nora knew that vomit boy was a trustworthy and-


    "That''s..." Ren''s voice trailed off, "That''s our VIP. That''s Sauvignon."


    Oh boy! It was vomit boy!


    Chapter 3


    Jaune idly shuffled through the locker room, trying to remember where his gear was. It''d be one hell of a thing to get this far and then¡­ fail because he couldn''t find his sword, shield, or armor before Initiation! How would he explain that to his family? Or, he shuddered, to his Aunt?


    But while looking, he happened to see Weiss¡ªthe white haired girl who had been¡­ less than enthused about meeting him the previous day¡ªwho was talking to a red-haired girl who looked really familiar, but he just couldn''t place it. Well, Ruby and Yang had been talking about teams this morning, and Jaune really couldn''t spend all day just awkwardly lurking in the background, so he might as well introduce himself!


    Remember what Auntie Salem told you¡­ Girls want confidence and¡­ and remember what Ms. Fall told you¡ªif you start using pickup lines on random students, you''ll get your eyes torn out of their sockets with a rusty fork.


    Boy, that had been a¡­ surprisingly intense conversation she''d had with Aunt Salem''s friend in Vale. Jaune had thought she''d just be telling him about, like, what restaurants were good and what places were tourist traps, not¡­ handed a loaded pistol and an emergency escape plan "should your cover be blown." But¡­ Aunt Salem was a strange and powerful woman, so it only made sense her friends were also somewhat¡­ intense.


    Mr. Torchwick seemed nice enough at least! Jaune hadn''t even realized he was the guy who''d gotten him the forged transcripts in the first place. But he''d been really nice and helpful on the whole "here''s what you need to know about Vale" front, and Jaune was hoping to take him up on his offer to get lunch together some time. But he''d put him up in a really nice hotel for the evening and made Jaune feel very welcome, and Jaune especially liked his¡­ well, he wasn''t really sure what relationship Mr. Torchwick had with Ms. Politan, but she was really nice, especially when he let her know he could sign!


    His first day at Beacon had gone surprisingly well, aside from¡­ the flight. He''d met Ruby, who was very nice, Yang, who was¡­ hard to read, and Weiss, who was a little¡­ brusque. And carrying explosives. But with Ruby and Yang clearly having a family conversation that Jaune knew to butt out of, Weiss was the only person Jaune kind of knew so far, so he might as well say hi and try to make a better impression than he''d made the night before.


    And maybe he''d get introduced to Weiss''s friend, the tall, red-haired girl who looked so familiar to Jaune he was kicking himself he just couldn''t place where. She wasn''t Valean, that was for sure, but outside of comic books, Jaune didn''t really know that many people from the wider world. The perils of a provincial life, he supposed. But she looked nice, and Jaune just had to be confident! And to not forget what Ms. Fall had told him, with the whole rusty fork part!


    After all, as his mom always said, a stranger''s just a friend you haven''t met! Or as Aunt Salem put it, the unknown can always be an asset to the ambitious!


    "Hi there!" he announced to the two of them, "I''m Jaune, Jaune Arc, short, sweet-"


    "How wonderful to meet you, Jaune!" the redhead replied, with¡­ surprising eagerness. "I''m Pyrrha Nikos, of Mistral. Have you, by chance, put any thought to whose team you were planning to be on?"


    Jaune just¡­ blinked in surprise. As did Weiss. Between the two of them, their eyes communicated that neither of them knew what to make of this moment. "I¡­ guess?" he answered, lamely, "I mean, I wouldn''t mind if a lovely lady such as yourself," shit shit shit abort you idiot rusty fork, rusty fork! "were to be interested in-"


    "You wouldn''t mind being partnered with Pyrrha Nikos?" Weiss suddenly exploded, "Don''t you know who she is?"


    Jaune looked at Pyrrha in horror. Oh hell, he knew he had recognized her from somewhere! "...No?"


    "She graduated top of her class in-"


    "That''s not important," Pyrrha smoothly interrupted as she stepped closer to Jaune, placing herself between him and Weiss, "What matters is, you''re looking for someone on your team, and I can assure you, I believe we could make an excellent team. I do hope you would be open to partnering with me. I''m sure we can have..." she gave him a long look, "a very good time at Beacon together."


    Weiss just gave the two of them a scandalized look that Jaune could tell had an equal measure of disbelief as it did incredulous fury that, evidently, Pyrrha hadn''t been quite this positive towards being on the same team as her. Or¡­ forward about it. Which made Jaune feel even weirder because, really, he''d only just shown up with forged transcripts, and, frankly, Weiss would probably make a much better partner than him.


    Which made Pyrrha kind of scary. Kind of a lot scary. Especially with the way her eyes... yeah, Jaune was getting uncomfortable.


    Fortunately, a loudspeaker announced that it was time for them to head to the cliffs which broke off this intensely awkward conversation, leaving Jaune to hope that maybe the rest of his day would go more normally. Oh, and that he''d pass initiation¡­ oh hell, he had to find his sword!


    The mission was going well. Very well.


    Particularly for Pyrrha.


    Pyrrha truly believed in their Immortal Queen and the inevitability of her reign over Remnant, the first step of ushering in an age of peace and prosperity, saving them all from the corrupt and wretched world of the Kingdoms. She believed because she felt it was her destiny to play a role in one day bringing balance to the world. But she also believed in Salem because of the community she had found in the underground world they existed in, where the secrecy forced them to closeness, and the taboo criminality of what they did created a space where even Pyrrha could open up. Salemism had been so good to Pyrrha and she was delighted to be an instrument of her Queen''s divine will.


    But to wrap up the entirety of her faith into a single package and to make that package a cute boy?


    Oh, you better believe that Pyrrha was a believer!


    Yes, she might have just had to pin Jaune to a tree to get him to survive Initiation, but Pyrrha wasn''t about to question her Goddess''s judgment. Her scrumptious Sauvignon was Salem''s Chosen, and so it didn''t matter who he might be where Pyrrha''s order''s were concerned.


    Cutting through the forest was quick work¡ªPyrrha had been trained in more skills than what might be expected from most Tournament fighters, owing to being part of an illegal underground cult¡ªand she was making excellent progress ducking through the woods in the direction of Jaune. She had two priorities¡ªfirst, to always ensure his safety, second, to ensure she was his partner so she could better protect and train him. And on that note¡­


    She heard someone cutting through the brush, clumsily. They were moving parallel with Pyrrha''s direction, and so she knew that they were on course to encounter Jaune. Not good¡ªshe could probably outpace them, but she knew the forest was opening up ahead¡ªif they made eye contact, that was a critical mission failure.


    Glancing at the student, he seemed to be a gaudily dressed man with some kind of ridiculous guitar-chainsaw thing that immediately told Pyrrha that the young man was not nearly deserving to take Pyrrha''s spot as Sauvignon''s partner. The idea was blasphemy itself, and it curdled in her mind to imagine it. Action had to be taken. Now.


    The school had surveillance in the woods, Pyrrha knew that before she was even thrown down here, but with Master Rainart''s teaching, it was child''s play to pick the cameras out. A little bit of Polarity and¡­ down went the camera. Excellent, it would give her the perfect window to do this.


    Akouo came crashing down on the student''s head. It wouldn''t kill him, just knock him out for a little bit. Aura would have him back on his feet even before the cameras came back on. Master Rainart would be quite proud of her efficiency, but he''d also tell her not to rest on her laurels. She needed to keep moving.


    Fortunately, he wasn''t far. Pyrrha knew where she''d pinned him with Milo, and she knew just as well how to cross terrain like this in a hurry. Even before her training with Master Rainart, she practiced in the woods of Mistral with other cultists, training for what to do if the authorities ever caught on to them, and she thought of her present mission like it was just one of those drills. A Brother was down in the field, and she had to rendezvous and secure him before anyone else got a chance. Pyrrha loved these drills. It was the one place where she could truly cut loose and not hold back, using all the tricks at her disposal. Didn''t have to play clean like she did when it was a tournament, and the feeling was liberating.


    Breaking into a clearing, she saw her sweet Sauvignon suspended from a tree trunk. Heaven''s blessings, he was cute. One look, and Pyrrha knew that she had found what she was looking for.


    Not in a romantic way, of course¡ªthat would almost certainly be blasphemous to assert herself to Queen Salem''s own Chosen!¡ªbut, if he was interested¡­ well, Pyrrha would, of course, carry out any task he put before her, or any way she could serve his needs. Any way at all.


    Stepping into the clearing before the tree, she immediately pledged her eternal devotion and servitude to him as she helped him down¡­ well, not quite so overtly.


    "Hello again!" she said with a cheerful wave to her pinned protectee.


    "Oh, Pyrrha," he sighed in relief. "I was worried a Beowulf would get me!"


    Pyrrha had speared him higher on the tree just to avoid such a circ.u.mstance, but Jaune didn''t need to know that. Especially because it was also to keep him from moving away from her. Best not tell him that before he no longer had a reason to want to get away from her.


    "Need some help?" she asked, activating her Semblance as she pulled out Milo from the tree. Jaune made a sudden cry as he fell, but Pyrrha dutifully caught him in her arms, briefly cradling him and feeling the rough texture of his muscles¡­ especially how tight his cute little butt was!


    "Um¡­ Pyrrha?" he asked.


    "Yes Jaune?" she replied, dreamily.


    "Will you¡­ let me down?"


    "Of course, my l- Of course, Jaune."


    Setting him down she made a point to cut a half-pose, the sort of carefully constructed look she''d been taught to be making whenever she was on camera but not in combat. The kind where she looked good, but in a way that also looked accidental, like she wasn''t really trying, she just happened to look like a supermodel as an aside. Though with Jaune¡­ it didn''t seem that necessary.


    Pyrrha knew she was gorgeous, she had enough creepy websites to confirm it. She had no doubt she cut a radiant figure in the clearing, her crimson hair glowing in the sunlight that filtered through the glade. Her sun-dappled skin was on display, and she was flaunting every asset she had to make sure she was¡­ pleasing to her Goddess''s Chosen.


    "I¡­ uh¡­" he stammered, inarticulately. Good, Pyrrha was confident she was making a good first impression. "I guess we should¡­ be going to go get those relics, huh?"


    "Please, Jaune," she said in a breathy purr, "Just lead the way."


    All of Ren''s life was lived in a state of balance. Not only in embracing the misunderstood darkness in a world choked with hypocritical light, but in times like these, in the Emerald Forest, where Ren balanced his quiet, gentle side with these opportunities to delight in being a ruthless killer.


    A King Taijutu briefly stood in his way, but Ren''s blades easily sliced the creature open. Regrettably, it had to be a quick kill¡ªhe was on the clock after all¡ªbut it was satisfying to feel Stormflower in his hands, the pressure against the scaly armor until he found the exact right point to press with his aura, the body of the serpent suddenly giving way to his blades. A shame they didn''t bleed, but he''d likely have opportunities for that later.


    After that, reaching Nora was easy¡ªshe wasn''t exactly a hard person to find, especially when she had full permission to use Magnhild however she wanted. Also kept other interlopers away, fearful of being partnered with the woman firing grenades while bellowing a sloth call. The two of them together commandeered an Ursa, as Uncle Tyrian taught them, and from there, it should be smooth sailing to Sauvignon and Victory. For once, it was Ren who wanted to hurry, to directly see how good Victory was. He''d seen her Tournament tape¡ªwho hadn''t¡ªbut Uncle Tyrian had told him not to count that worth anything. She''d been trained by Hazel Rainart, and according to Tyrian, there was a dirty fighter hidden beneath her precise Tournament-sanctioned moves. Whether or not she was a killer, Ren didn''t know, but she was a fighter already good enough at seventeen for the Goddess''s attention: she was good.


    "Oh boy oh boy oh boy!" Nora cried, "That''s them, Renny, and they''re being chased by a big monster!"


    A Deathstalker. Hmm, that''d be a tough fight for new students¡­ but a good chance to get a feeling for Victory''s talents as well as a chance to show off¡­ perhaps, earn a bit of Sauvignon''s favor? Victory was to be his personal assistant, but surely, Sauvignon would want a bro¡­ it wouldn''t be bad to get in good with the Chosen as early as he could...


    "Nora," he whispered, "switch to student mode, downplay your abilities, don''t let Sauvignon know how good you are-"


    "Awww," Nora pouted.


    But Ren knew how to sweeten the deal. "Just don''t aim," he advised, and Nora immediately cheered up.


    For whatever reason, Sauvignon wasn''t a Salemist. And he was to be kept in the dark about the True Faith and, more importantly, that he was protected by agents of the Goddess. A reasonable choice, in Ren''s opinion, to help give him a sense of normalcy. But still, they had to play down that they were anything other than ordinary students, and not just to keep the faculty off their tails.


    They rushed to the chessboard, Ren "distracting" the Deathstalker with a few carelessly aimed shots as Victory escorted Sauvignon to the ruin. A nod to Nora told her to grab her piece as well, and then Ren was off to rally with the rest of the group, trading pot shots along with Victory to keep the Deathstalker at bay.


    "Do you... have a gun?" he asked Sauvignon, hoping his question wouldn''t be taken as impertinence.


    "Ummm... No?" he answered with an awkward shrug. It... didn''t take a trained assassin to notice that Sauvignon, while holding the favor of the Queen of the World, was not familiar with the weight of his sword and shield. This... might be a problem.


    But there''d be time for that later. A quick glance confirmed that Victory had grabbed a castle, and so did Nora (and he was relieved to see it was the same color as Victory''s, just as they''d practiced). Ren noted that there was also another group here, a future team of four girls¡ªincluding the SDC heiress and the two who had been around Sauvignon on the first day. An interesting group, but they split off quickly to deal with a Nevermore that was chasing them. Ren, though, made a note of them; he had a suspicion he''d see more of them later. For now, though, all that mattered was the four of them and a giant scorpion.


    They broke away from the ruin to try to find a spot to calibrate just how much difficulty two professional assassins and a virtuoso of violence should have with an elder Grimm. Nora was wildly firing Magnhild, and Ren joined, their shots having little effect on the creature''s armor. It hurt him to play dumb, but-


    KA-PINCH!


    A bullet whizzed through the air and lodged deep in the Deathstalker''s tail. Ren shot a discreet, but harsh, glare towards Victory, her rifle still smoking from the shot.


    "Sorry," she mumbled, quietly. Evidently, the Invincible Girl wasn''t used to missing.


    But Sauvignon hadn''t noticed. At least, he hadn''t noticed their deception.


    "Pyrrha!" he gasped, "That''s it! You and Ren, focus fire on the stinger to get it loose, Nora-"


    But Ren wasn''t listening. Ren wasn''t sure he could listen, because suddenly, something came over him. Something¡­ religious.


    Ren had never met the Goddess in person. Uncle Tyrian had, however, and he described the first time he looked upon the Godhead with his own eyes, he felt such a serene state of purpose, it was like the world became quiet and a blinding light filled all he could see. His senses failed as only the singular reality of their Goddess''s divine perfection commanded his mind.


    That was what Ren felt right now, with Sauvignon''s command echoing in his ears: focus fire on the stinger.


    Nothing else mattered¡ªRen''s eyes saw with more clarity than ever before, his hands were steadier, as the two of them fired round after round, effortlessly blasting the stinger free. Ren was an expert marksman with Stormflower, he trained religiously (and quite literally so, as a devotion to his Blessed Queen), but he had never shot so well before!


    As his senses cleared, Ren blinked in surprise, only to hear Nora''s warcry, somehow louder than ever before as she bounded forward and smashed the detached stinger through the armor¡­ with force enough that the stinger was irrelevant, the entire creature buckled under Nora''s swing as she bashed it into bits.


    They hadn''t¡­ they weren''t supposed to have used their skills to their fullest, that was their¡­ their orders...


    Ren realized that everything he had assumed about the mission was woefully incorrect. He had thought of Sauvignon as a VIP, as an ordinary young man who held the Goddess''s favor and needed to be protected. But he wasn''t. He was so much more. He was the Chosen of a Goddess, and her Sovereign Rule of the world entire belonged to him, too. His orders were divine commandments, enacted upon the world.


    There were no words for it, nothing more than pure, religious awe. Ren struggled not to genuflect, to show his devotion publicly, as the residual energy of his command still coursed through Ren''s veins, like leftover adrenaline. Victory seemed to be overcome with a tremendous blush, her face flushed, breathing heavily as Sauvignon whooped in joy at the success of his plan. Nora was¡­ also whooping in joy as she continued to bust apart the disintegrating remnants of the Deathstalker.


    Her devotion was always more¡­ more like Uncle Tyrian''s kind of worship.


    But in that moment, feeling the touch of divinity itself, Ren knew that he would do whatever was commanded of him, even up to the gates of Hell itself, in his service to his Goddess''s Chosen. Even to the point of doing to the unthinkable.


    He looked to Jaune and gave him a big smile. And to show the sincere depths of his commitment, he even laughed.

 Chapter 389 - My SI Stash #89 - A World Full of Monsters by Fahad09 (Naruto)

    -My favorite SI Naruto fic is f.u.c.k.i.n.g back after god knows how long! Holy shit this had me doing double takes 4 AM in the morning, LES GOOOOOOO/


    Synopsis: When I was first reincarnated I did the very first thing any self-respecting man in my place would do. Check to see if I still had my balls. I did. The next thing I did was try to get my hands on some power. True Power. I chose the Rinnegan. And if I had to kill a few people along the way to get it, well, there was a war going on. No one will notice an extra body or two turning up.


    Rated: M


    Words: 152K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/11122077/1/A-World-Full-of-Monsters (Fahad09)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "Will you damn brats keep it down?" The living legend grumbled, never removing his eyes away from the tiny hole in the fence that he was using to peep into the women''s hot springs. "What are you going to do if I get caught?"


    I stared at the Sannin, my mouth unable to form words as my mind shut down, incapable of comprehending what my eyes were telling me.


    Naruto, however, had no such problem.


    "Wait, are you peeping at the girl''s hot spring? You-you-you..." Naruto''s voice grew steadily louder, filling with growing indignation and righteous fury. Pointing at the white-haired ninja, Naruto all but screeched. "-YOU PERVERT!"


    "Pervert?" The Sannin turned to look at us, an offended look on his face. "Did you just call me a Pervert? I''ll have you know you little brat, that I''m far more than a mere Pervert." He rose up from his crouch, crossed his arms and puffed out his chest.


    "For I am Jiraiya!" Thrusting his left palm at us while his right swung behind him, he dropped into a low stance, "One of the three Legendary Sannin, an S-Ranked Ninja, veteran of two wars, lover of beautiful women everywhere, author of the famed Icha Icha series and above all else," He slammed his hand onto the floor, releasing an eruption of white smoke that quickly dissipated, revealing a giant orange and blue toad that he stood on. "I am a Super Pervert!" He announced out with shameless pride.


    Beside me, Naruto gaped at the self-proclaimed super pervert who struck a pose on the toad after his grandiose introduction, a hand pointed straight up in the sky while the other rested on his hip. He wore a self-satisfied smirk as he gazed down at us from atop the toad''s back.


    "Sa-Sannin? You mean the Sannin?" Naruto took a step back in pure shock, eyes wide with disbelief. The Nine-tailed Jinchuriki''s head shook in denial. "Ne-ne, Hikaru. The old geezer is lying, right? There''s no way that this pervert could be a Sannin, right? Right?


    "¡­Hikaru?" The confusion in Naruto''s voice was clear to anyone listening. I felt a tugging on my sleeve as the blonde tried to get my attention. "Hey Hikaru what''s wrong? Your face is turning all white? Hey! Answer me damn it, you''re scaring me here. Hikaru? Hikaru!"


    I could hear how the confusion quickly turned to worry and then panic when I didn''t reply, but I could not bring myself to care. Not when my worst fears were beginning to come true. Again. No, no, please no. Not him too. Not another one!


    But no matter how hard I tried to reject it, the reality before me would not change. And soon my denials began to fade, steadily replaced with a growing sense of horror as the truth of what I was seeing became irrefutable.


    For there before my very eyes stood Jiraiya, but not as I knew him. His hair was just as I remembered, a spiky mess of white that stretched past his waist, and his clothing too was the same, a short green kimono with matching coloured pants covered by a red coat.


    All in all, he was exactly like he should have been. Save for one tiny detail.


    The distinctive bulging in his chest was certainly not supposed to be there.


    "Ho~," A smirk making its way to Jiraiya''s face as she followed my line of sight to her b.r.e.a.s.ts, "Sorry Kid, I ain''t into men. Or little brats for that matter." Misinterpreting my horror with fascination. "Can''t blame you for having good taste though."


    Yes, Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, rival to Orochimaru, teacher to the fourth Hokage, and one of this world''s living legends, was a woman.


    My knees gave way beneath me, dropping me onto the hard wet floor that ringed the hot spring. Vaguely, I heard Naruto calling out to me in concern, but over my despair, it sounded like it came from a thousand miles away. I just stared at him-her, her damn it, while misery built up inside of me until I could not hold it in any longer.


    I tossed my head back and howled out to the world.


    "Oh dear God Why? Why him too? Kishimoto you bastard!"


    At first, I could not understand what was going on.


    In those first few weeks and months, or however long it was, the world was nothing but a confusing blend of colour and noise, of shivering cold, followed by comforting warmth. My mind refused to function properly. It was as if I was in a fevered dream, the few thoughts I could form were nothing but a jumbled up mess that followed neither rhyme or reason.


    Not that it would have done me any good even had I been able to think, as I couldn''t even stay awake long enough for it to matter. Back then my consciousness was a fleeting thing, coming and going like the tide. Sometimes I would feel myself rousing, my mind on the brink of truly waking up, only to feel it slip through my grasp as I faded back into the embrace of slumber long before I could begin to comprehend anything, dragged back by the perpetual tiredness I felt.


    Then one day, I simply woke up.


    And nothing made sense.


    Above me, staring down at me with those pale eyes of theirs, something straight out of my childhood stories, was a man and a woman. They loomed over me, appearing like giants to my new infant eyes. At the sight of them, at their pale pupilless eyes, a name instantly popped into my mind.


    Hyuuga.


    They gibbered happily to me in a language I couldn''t understand or even recognize. Though it sounded vaguely Asian, it certainly wasn''t Japanese. I knew the language and whatever they were speaking it was something else entirely.


    For a while I just laid there, staring up at them as they smiled and cooed down at me, trying to collect my scattered thoughts. Well, it''s not like I could have done anything else even if I had wanted to. I didn''t think I had enough strength to lift my oversized baby head, let alone stand up or even crawl.


    So for what felt like several hours I just watched them from where I lay cradled in my new mother''s arms ¨C and wasn''t that a strange thought to wrap my mind around ¨C as the happy couple chatted with one another, occasionally glancing down and sparing me a few cooing words whenever I caught their attention.


    Even when the time came for them to leave, and they gently set me down into my cradle, exiting the room and shutting the lights behind them, I did nothing but continue to stare up at the dark ceiling, putting my thoughts together.


    I didn''t even bother trying to delude myself with pretences of this being nothing but a dream; as ludicrous as the situation may have appeared everything felt all too real for it to be one. I had always prided myself in being a logical person, even under illogical circ.u.mstances, so I didn''t try to make up excuses to deny reality. So as absurd as it was, I forced myself to face the obvious truth.


    I was reincarnated, into a new world at that.


    One that was supposed to be just fiction and fantasy. I wonder if this made Kishimoto this world''s God? I hoped not. Considering the absurd twists and stunts he liked to pull, I''d hate to see what he''d do to me if he was.


    Anyway, after the shock of everything finally passed I merely accepted the situation as reality and moved on. It wasn''t as if I could do anything else anyway.


    Maybe the reason why I found it so easy to accept what was happening was that I remembered all too clearly how I died. It''s rather hard to forget being murdered by one''s own son. The searing pain along with the numbing shock of betrayal still remained fresh in my mind. Even now merely thinking about it felt like placing my hand on a hot iron, my mind instinctively flinching back and scrambling to find something else to focus on anything else rather than dwelling on the memory of that night. After going through something like that what was reincarnation? Nothing.


    So as I lay there, helpless as the babe I had become, I asked myself what should I do now? I had been an old man before I died. I''ve already done everything I''ve ever set out to do. Grew up, got a job, started a family, had a couple of kids, grew old and then died. All the typical things you''d expect in life. Sure it ended badly, but does that mean I have to repeat the entire experience again? Was that what my life was supposed to be? A never-ending circle of reincarnation where I did the same thing over and over again?


    No. I refused to accept that. I wanted to do something else with this second chance of life, something more. What was the point otherwise?


    Were I still I child, well were I still a child mentally at least, I would have wanted to be a hero. To go on grand adventures, to save the world, explore lost ruins, enjoy a life full of excitement and adventure. In this world, it would have certainly appeared possible.


    But I was old, I knew better than to walk that path.


    Heroes were not real, nothing but myths, stories we tell ourselves to make the world appear a better place than it did. And the few heroes that might have existed, genuinely good people that wanted nothing more than to help others, never lived out happy lives; all that awaited them was pain and betrayal. I learned that the hard way. So, the question remained what should I do?


    I didn''t know but the question lingered in my mind, clinging to me and refusing to let go. Even as time slowly passed around me it remained at the forefront of my thoughts.


    Even if I did accomplish something, would it matter?


    Death was inevitable and now I knew for sure there was no afterlife. No heaven or hell. No better place. Just another place. Another life, in another time as a different person. Reincarnation it appeared was all that awaited us in the end.


    So what was the point of all of it?


    It didn''t matter how many friends or family I ended up making, everyone I''d ever love would eventually die and be reborn as someone else. As someone completely unrelated to who they were. Everything we would ever do together would disappear. All that we felt for one another, our memories, our hopes and dreams, gone. Like tears in the rain. They''d go on and live their new lives, with a new family, marry new people, not knowing of the life they left behind.


    Only to do it all over again by the end.


    Again and again, for all of eternity.


    Everything they ever did would be meaningless.


    Everything I ever did would be meaningless.


    It would be like slamming the reset all over again. Like deleting a save file to a game. Reincarnation was still death, just the death of the self. Of the mind. Everything that made you, you, gone.


    That scared me.


    Would I be lucky enough to remember next time I died or was this a one-off thing? I didn''t know. But I wasn''t willing to count on it. How to escape? Was it even possible to escape?


    And it was then, lost in my thoughts in the darkness of that room that I remembered.


    I couldn''t explain the feeling that overcame the moment I thought about it. A blend of deep-seated longing and nostalgia.


    In this world there existed something I wanted. A power unmatched by any another. Those Divine eyes of God. Eyes that held power over life and death, that presided over time and dimensions, it ruled over it all. Everything that laid beneath the Heavens were for it to command.


    Ultimate power given physical form.


    The fabled Rinnegan.


    It was at that moment, laying in my cradle surrounded by darkness, that I made my choice.


    I will have those eyes.


    No matter what it takes.


    A strange feeling began to rise in my chest, an emotion that couldn''t quite place but felt almost familiar. It was something between hope and determination but far hungrier than either. And as I felt it take root in me I knew that I meant those words. The Rinnegan will be mine, no matter what.


    I felt my lips twist in a manic smile as laughter bubbled up from my chest and poured out of my throat, "Ha¡­Haha¡­Hahahaha-*cough**cough*" Ouch, my lungs! My underdeveloped baby lungs, by God do they hurt! I broke down into a coughing fit for several seconds and then the next thing I knew, in defiance to any will of my own, I started crying like a damn baby, "Wa-Wa-Wahhhhh~."


    Summoned by the sound of my wailing, the door slammed open and my new apparent mother rushed to my side, lifted me from my bed to cradle me in her arms. She quickly began rocking from side to side, making comforting sounds all the while.


    Okay, change of plans. Before I aimed for the Rinnegan, I better start working on growing up first¡­and maybe get toilet trained or something because holy shit I think I just soiled myself.


    This is going to be a whole lot harder than I thought.


    After an embarrassingly long period of crying, I was finally able to settle down with some help from my new mother. Being gently rocked in her arms was an unexpectedly comforting experience, and it helped settle my raging emotions down rather quickly.


    It seems even though my mind, or at the very least my memories, were of that an a.d.u.l.t male my body certainly wasn''t. This was an infant''s body, and along with it came all the instincts of one. Simple things like moving my finger one at a time was beyond me now. Whenever I tried moving my index finger alone, the rest of my fingers would follow after it, clamping down into a tiny clenched fist.


    Great, just great. It seemed that along with learning the basics of this world, I was going to have to learn how to control my body from scratch. Learning to walk was going to be a hassle, not to mention going through puberty all over again. At least I knew what to expect this time.


    Seeing that I had finally stopped crying, my new mother leisurely slowed her rocking to a halt and raised me closer to her face. She said something to me while wearing a smile but whatever it was I couldn''t begin to guess. When I tried speaking back, all that came out of my mouth was gibbering nonsense, just baby talk.


    It seems I''m going to have to add learning to talk to the list.


    Her smile widened and she cooed down at me, softly trailing a finger down my cheek. Wait a minute, I think I know this woman. I squinted my eyes and tried to get a better look at her, causing her to laugh at my expression.


    Yes, I''m sure of it. I''ve seen this face somewhere before but I couldn''t remember where. I don''t recall any named female Hyuugas other than Hinata and Hanabi, and she certainly wasn''t either one of them. Though she did resemble them more than a little, in ways other than the eyes of course. But then again almost everyone in the Hyuuga clan were related to each other so they all probably looked like one another.


    A voice called out from somewhere and my new mother glanced over her shoulder and smiled. A man appeared from behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and planting a quick kiss on her cheek before he rested his chin on her shoulder and peered down at me.


    So this man was my father. Hmm, all in all, not a bad looking bloke. Not going to win any male beauty contest or anything, and that long hair of his definitely had to go, but overall not too shabby. Looks like I''m going to end up alright in the looks department-wait, wait, WAIT! I knew this guy! It was Hiashi. Hiashi was my father!


    I just gawked up at the head of the Hyuuga clan in utter bewilderment. And it appeared that my face must have been quite a sight because both of my parents broke down laughing at me. I didn''t care, I just couldn''t stop staring at them.


    This confirmed it then. Not only was I born in the Naruto Universe, but I was also born in the original timeline of the story. I had played with the idea that I might have been reincarnated into a world similar to one from the story, an alternative universe of sorts, but no, it looked like I was in the genuine article.


    After gawking at him for a few more seconds, I relaxed and let loose a chuckle. Well, I tried to chuckle but it came out as an adorable sounding giggle instead but I was honestly too happy to care for the moment.


    Oh, this was good. No, this was more than just good, this was positively fantastic! I''m in the original timeline, probably the same age as the main cast. Do you know what this means? It means that I would finally get the smack the stupid out of some the characters!


    Forget having future knowledge (which admittedly was going to be pretty damn useful) what I was really looking forward to was knocking some god damn common sense into their heads after seeing the dumb shits they got up to. The preteen fan-girling, the Datebayo-ing, the talk ninjutsu nonsense, and dear god the emo-ing.


    I swear on my soul that the very first thing I''m going to do when I meet the emo prince of the avengers is to sock him right on the nose. I don''t give a damn if the entire Uchiha clan were watching, I''d do it. Lord knows someone needs to and it sure as hell wasn''t going to be either Sakura or Naruto.


    I was jolted from my thoughts when I felt myself being set down on something solid. Quickly glancing around, I found myself on some kind of dressing table. Oh, that''s right, I still haven''t had my diapers changed from earlier yet, have I?


    My mother leaned over me for a few seconds and wiggled her fingers on my tummy, forcing me to squeal in laughter, before she knelt down to retrieve something from one of the lower drawers.


    As she rummaged for something below, I took a moment to examine my new mother. Long hair, so dark it turned blue when bathed in light, framing a gentle face. This wasn''t the face of someone who lived out in the sun, her skin was too pale and smooth for that. So not a ninja then.


    For the life of me, I could not remember her name. No matter how hard I tried I simply couldn''t remember. Now that I think about it, I barely recalled anything at all when it came to this woman, my new mother. All I knew about her was that she died before the start of the series, she married Hiashi, gave birth to two daughters, Hinata and Hanabi-


    -Wait a second, daughters?


    That''s right, this woman never gave birth to any boys, only girls. I turned my head around trying to look around the room for any signs of other children but I couldn''t see any. And since one of the few things I do remember clearly was that she had died giving birth to Hanabi so that meant I was her first child.


    But that''s weird, I''m pretty sure her firstborn child was Hinata¡­


    Wait. Was I reincarnated as Hinata?


    Does that mean¡­I''m a girl now?


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    NOOOOOO~~~~~~~~~~


    My mother practically jumped three feet up into the air, startled by my scream as I began to wail so loudly I was sure that the entire village heard me. She hunched over me, making shushing noises and tried to calm down but I didn''t care. I didn''t want to be a girl, I''m a man damn it!


    I tried reaching down to my groin to check if I still had my tool, but I couldn''t reach. My stubbly little hands were too short. I tried sitting up, rocking myself back and forth, but it was no use. My oversized baby head was too heavy for my little neck to lift. And since there was nothing I could do I just dropped back down and wailed my very lungs out, this time by my own free will instead of any baby instincts.


    It was only because I caught sight of the diaper in my mother''s hand that I stopped crying. It seemed like she thought that I was crying because I had soiled myself earlier and was going to change my diaper. Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and change it then. Quick! Open the package, open the Goddamn package right now woman! I need to know if it''s still there.


    Somehow, she sensed my urgency and rushed to undress me. Using all of the strength I had in my body, I rocked myself slightly upwards when she undressed me and was able to glance down into my groin just for an instant, only to find-


    ¡­Oh, thank you God. Thank you.


    It''s there. We''re safe, we''re safe. False alarm people, it was just a false alarm. The peanuts are real, I repeat, the peanuts are real.


    Really, don''t scare me like that. That was a close one. If I found out I was reincarnated without my balls I would have killed myself. And I mean literally kill myself. As in, I''d turn my blanket into a noose, tie one end around my cradle''s bars, the other around my neck, and then leap off.


    We just barely avoided the first newborn baby suicide in history.


    Hey, I may want the Rinnegan pretty badly but even I''m not willing to give up my manhood for it.


    After that, I felt so relieved I just collapsed into an exhausted heap and let sleep finally take its hold on me.


    *Several months later*


    Underneath the dresser sitting behind me, an ant scurried across the floor. No more than a centimetre in length, it marched to the edge of the wall and snuck into a tiny crack there, one that would lead it to the outside.


    Drawing my attention away, I turned my focus downwards. Looking down through the floorboards, past the hard-packed ground and into the sewage network that existed beneath the house, I witnessed a small family of rats nesting in an old abandoned pipe.


    Next, I shifted my attention to my left. My head didn''t even need to turn in that direction, all I had to do was focus and I could look past the room walls as if they weren''t there and see the courtyard hidden beyond them, where a dozen and more of my relatives trained together or practised their morning kata. Whenever the hands of those sparring clashed, chakra erupted like electric sparks, filling the air around them in a dazzling display of flickering lights.


    The Byakugan is amazing.


    These eyes may not be on par with the Rinnegan but they were something truly extraordinary. In my mind, they were every bit as miraculous as my reincarnation. I couldn''t believe how much I could see now. Every direction, through every obstacle, only limited by the amount my mind could take in at any moment.


    Yes, it''s official. The Byakugan rocked.


    A sharp burning sensation in my eyes, one that had been steadily growing for a while, told me I was quickly approaching my limit. I didn''t know what would happen if I pushed my eyes any further, but it didn''t take a genius to realize that burning pain in your eyes wasn''t a good sign. Reluctantly I turned off the Byakugan, cutting off the flow of my chakra to my eyes and returning them to their dormant state.


    It was like being plunged into the dark after standing under the noon sun. Where once I could see everything, now all I saw was what laid before me and even that was limited to the light spectrum of the human eye. After the sights the Byakugan granted me I may as well have been blind.


    All I could currently see through my eyes was the view of the now all too familiar ceiling of the children''s playroom instead of the 360 vision that I''m already beginning to miss. The sounds of toddlers playing began to register in my mind now that I was no longer so focused on my sight.


    Resisting the urge to rub my eyes even as they continued to burn, knowing from experience that it will only make things worse, I sat myself up. Around me, a dozen or so children babbled nonsensically as they played with their toys, not one over the age of four.


    "Like this Neji." A voice drifted from my left, catching my attention. Beyond the bars of the crib that currently imprisoned me, was a middle-aged lady, one of the caretakers, holding a young toddler in her lap.


    She kept trailing her fingers over the palm of the toddler''s hand, repeating words of encouragement into his ears.


    Little baby Neji looked down at his hands, his face marred with a frown of concentration, as he tried to understand what he was feeling. And oh my god was the little brat adorable. Nothing like the brooding teenager he''d grow up to one day be, right now he looked like a cross between a Panda and a water balloon. Even when he scowled in frustration he could not help but look adorable, the way his chubby cheeks puffed out made sure of that.


    The caretaker said something else as she trailed her fingers again. Whatever it was I couldn''t understand, my grasp of the language being what it was, but I didn''t need to understand her words to know what she was doing, I already knew. She was teaching him how to use his chakra, just like she did with me.


    To say I was confused when I was in Neji''s place all those months ago was putting it mildly. At the time I had no idea what she was trying to do, only that every time she ran her fingers through my palms it felt like my hand was being dipped in running water. It took me a week to finally realize that what I was feeling was chakra as it poured out of her fingers, and another three days after that to understand that she wanted me to mimic her.


    When I finally did succeed in figuring out how to make my own chakra flow out from my hand, which was roughly a month later, she was so surprised that she nearly dropped me. I had thought I may have done something a bit too unusual for a baby but my father put those fears to rest.


    His stoic face remained unmoved even after the caretaker took me to him and made me demonstrate what I could do, though there was a look of quiet pride and knowing satisfaction in his eyes that I was learning to recognize. So I guess that meant I didn''t do anything too abnormal.


    Now when I awakened my Byakugan a week later, that was a completely different story. I swear I thought his eyeballs would roll out from their sockets from how large they opened before he quickly hid his reaction behind his usual indifference mask. Which is something I didn''t understand as awakening the Byakugan was far easier than learning how to use chakra.


    Around the room, the same scene was being repeated. Children who were not playing or resting were carried by caretakers who then ran chakra across their hands in hopes they''d learn to do it themselves. Some of the older kids, no more than a couple, had activated their Byakugan and were apparently staring blankly ahead, but I knew better.


    None of the kids were anywhere near my current age, the youngest having just turned three just last month, making me ahead of the group by a large margin. For a while, I considered toning down my actions a bit and trying to act like a normal baby until I grew a little older, but I quickly discarded that option. While it may have been better in the long run there was no way I could have pulled it off. Being a baby was boring.


    You couldn''t walk, you couldn''t talk, all you could do was lie on your back as giant heads hovered over you and made baby talk. Hell, this world didn''t even have any television so it wasn''t like I had access to any easy entertainment. Though considering that baby shows consisted of such horrors as the ''Teletubbies'' it may have been a blessing in disguise.


    Tinky Winky was nightmare fuel.


    But now that I had the Byakugan that all changed. Sure I still couldn''t do much other than watch, but at least I got to watch something useful, something that I could learn from. Something that will make me strong.


    While it wasn''t anywhere near as good as actually practising, I made sure to observe the clan''s ninjas in their training every chance I had. I couldn''t hear them speak, not that I would have been able to understand anything they said even if I could, but I still made sure to watch and take everything in. I did my best to memorise how they would place their feet just so, how the instructors would correct their forms, how they always seemed to parry blows and rarely block.


    I knew little about actual combat, other than that year I took up karate in 8th grade, but what I did know was the basics were essential and even the smallest of flaws could make all the difference. So I watched, watched and watched, until I got so good I could visualize the entire basic katas in my head. It actually reached the point where I even dreamt about watching them train.


    And most importantly, I watched how they molded their chakra.


    I couldn''t do the same things they did of course. My body''s coils were still far too underdeveloped for anything of that level, and would probably break under the strain if I tried. As far as I could tell the Byakugan more or less emerged fully matured at birth, it was the only reason why the other children and I could use it at such a young age. But just because I couldn''t mold chakra myself didn''t mean I couldn''t learn and understand how they did it. So I watched and learned.


    Every hour of every day that I could, I watched. And whenever I couldn''t find anyone training in range of my sight, or if I grew too tired to concentrate and my mind began to wander, I turned my eyes to the rest of the world that I found myself inhabiting.


    I could not see very far at first, only a few dozen meters at most, but even with such a small range there was still so much to see. And with every passing week, my eyes grew a little better. I would see a little more clearly, a little bit farther, even if only an inch, so I kept pushing them. Besides, it wasn''t as if I had anything else to do. It was either this or stare up at the ceiling in a constant state of perpetual boredom.


    Constant boredom, I learned, was an excellent source of motivation.


    So after allowing my eyes to rest for a while, I leaned back on my bedding, tuned out all the noises from around me and opened my Byakugan once more, and a new world unfolded before my eyes for me to explore.


    Hmm, what''s this? Is that my Dad? What''s he still doing in the bedroom at this time in the morning? He was usually up at dawn. Normally he''d be off working somewhere. And is that my Mom- OH HELL NO!


    I looked away as fast I could from the fornicating pair, trying to erase the image of my parents having s.e.x from my mind but it was no use. The image was seared into my brain as it was done with a hot branding iron and it would just not go away.


    God damn it Hiashi! It''s nine o''clock in the freaking morning and there were kids around. I mean I''m happy for you and all but dear lord I did not want to see that. Even though they weren''t my real parents, I did not want to see my new mom getting it on- Ahhh! Don''t think about it, just don''t freaking think about it.


    Just look somewhere else to distract you, like¡­like where I''m looking at right now? Hmm. Where am I? I reflexively threw my sight as far away from my parents and I don''t think I''ve seen this room before. That''s weird, I was pretty sure I examined every room my eyes could reach. Well, everything except the toil-


    Wait, is this the toilet- Ahh! My eyes!


    I take it back, the Byakugan sucks.


    "Now open wide."


    I glared down at the offending spoon that was filled with a foul sludge that may have been, in the loosest sense of the word, food. I shifted my eyes up to my primary caretaker, Nanako, and gave her a look of such hatred that any sane man would have run away in fear.


    Unfortunately, as I had long ago discovered Nanako lacks any sense of self-preservation because instead of fleeing for her life, she instead continued to try to force the spoon into my tightly clenched mouth.


    "Come on Hikaru-sama," she told me, "it''s good for you."


    If it''s so good for me then why don''t you eat it then? Damn it, woman, I want some meat. Beef, chicken, I''d even make due with fish or even some scrambled eggs, just not this mush of rabbit food you keep trying to feed me.


    Stop that! Swatting the spoon as she tried to force it into my mouth, I glared back at her with all my strength as I resisted her attempt to force-feed me. I swear woman if you feed me that crap one more time I will slap you.


    When it became apparent that I would not budge, she changed tactics and tried praising me instead, "Good children are the ones who eat their food Hikaru-sama. Now, who''s a good boy?"


    Not me you hag. You want a good boy, then go get yourself a goddamn dog and leave me alone. But I wasn''t stupid enough to say a thing out loud. I knew despite her grandmotherly appearance, Nanako had the heart of the devil and she was not above using dirty tricks to get what she wants. So instead of answering I just crossed my arms before me and levelled my best killer glare at her.


    Unfortunately, my killer glares are nowhere as effective as they used to be now that I was in a two-year-old body.


    "Ohh, don''t you look so cute when you brood Hikaru-sama." The woman actually had the audacity to coo at me.


    Okay, now that''s crossing the line! "I don''t brood-" a spoon was shoved into my mouth as I tried to tell the old woman off, and quickly depositing it''s content before I had the time to so much as blink.


    ¡­Oh that conniving little bitch!


    "There, now that wasn''t so bad wasn''t it?" Nanako set the spoon and bowl down before picking me off from the high chair she trapped me in earlier. "Really Hikaru-sama, for someone who acts so smart all the time, you only show your true age at moments like this."


    She gently set me on the ground before shooing me away. "Run along now Hikaru-sama, I''ve got work to do and I''m sure you want to get back to your books."


    You may have one this round woman, but this is far from over!


    I was however smart enough to keep my thoughts to myself as I turned and ran away. The last time I talked back to her, Nanako force-fed me another bowl full of that mush. See? A Devil I tell you.


    Still, now that I was finally free from her clutches I could get back to work. Turning the corner I sprinted down the corridor, ignoring the servants and the occasional off-duty ninja who always made sure to give me a polite bow as I passed. It was a little bit weird at first having grown a.d.u.l.ts bowing to a toddler but I got used to it eventually, and now it was more of an annoyance than anything.


    After turning two more corners and sprinting down as many halls, I skidded to a stop as I reached my destination. Before me, a pair of large wooden doors loomed. They were completely different from the sliding panels, shoji, that acted as entryways for the rest of the compound.


    The closest of the two guards that stood on either side of the door, one of the few that were stationed inside of the compound instead of outside or patrolling the perimeter, held the door open at my approach, granting me entrance to the room within.


    Giving him a quick nod of thanks, there is no way I could have opened the doors with my tiny body, I slipped in and the guard swiftly shut the door behind me. Quickly walking up to the railing before me, I paused and took a moment to take everything in and properly appreciate the room. It was, to put it simply, heaven.


    I was standing next to the railing of the second-floor landing. Below me were rows after rows of wooden shelves, each filled to brim with scrolls and books. The lighting that hung off the ceiling clearly illuminated the place despite its lack of windows, revealing the few figures that silently perused through the books. Some were sitting on the handful of desks set to one side of the room, carefully scanning through the delicate scrolls.


    This here is the Hyuuga Clan Library, and it was perhaps the most wonderful place on this entire planet. It has scrolls that were so old that they were written from the time before the founding of the Hidden Villages. They spanned every range of topics imaginable, from chakra theory to ''modern'' medicine to history and everything else I could possibly think of. There were even some scrolls that were rumoured to have been written from the time of the children of the Sage of Six Paths, making them over four hundred years old, though I couldn''t get my hands on a copy so I couldn''t be sure.


    And perhaps the primary reason the library had been made were the scrolls that held information on every fighting style and ninjutsu techniques that the clan has ever encountered in its history. While many of these techniques were useless to the Hyuuga as a whole, we either lacked the prerequisites to use them or they clashed with our style of fighting, they could still teach us how to counter and fight anyone who used those techniques against us. Knowledge, as I was often told, is power.


    With our eyes we could see how our enemy''s jutsu''s functioned, and while we couldn''t mimic it like the Sharingan could, we could understand how they worked and through that figure out how to deal with them should the need ever arise. And on the few occasions that we ever found anything useful, we reverse-engineered the technique before integrating it into our fighting style. It was through this method that the Gentle Fist was perfected over the centuries.


    I hadn''t known the place even existed until a few months ago. I was only given permission to enter after I had learned to read and had exhausted the entire supply of books available to me.


    Speaking of which, learning to read was far easier than learning to speak. For some reason that I could not understand, Kanji seemed to exist in this universe. The Japanese language didn''t, neither did Chinese, but somehow their writing system did. After spending several days pondering the enigma I gave up and chalked it up to one of the world''s unexplained mysteries.


    Still, for all of my progress I doubted they would have allowed me in here had I been an ordinary child, no matter how much of a prodigy I was turning out to be. It seemed that being the son of the man in charge and clan heir to boot has its perks.


    That''s right, nepotism for the win.


    For the last few months, I''ve been spending every waking moment I could in here. Researching the world and, most importantly, the secrets of chakra. It was the one thing that the memories of my former life could not help me with, so I was understandably desperate for any information I could get my hands on.


    I would stay here from after dawn to dusk every single day without leaving. Okay, so I tried to stay without leaving but that damn she-devil Nanako wouldn''t let me. She''d pop in here several times a day to drag me by the ear out of here if she needed to, forcing me to eat any missed meals and even play with the other kids. Which I do not need to tell you was an incredibly boring experience. Ever have an intellectual conversation with a three-year-old? No? Then consider yourself lucky because it usually involves them picking their noses and rubbing their boogers all over you.


    The only time I wasn''t here by my own will was during my morning run. Let me start by saying how much I hated running. I always did and always will. It was every bit as boring as laying in my bed as a newborn toddler had been. But I knew it was crucial to get into good physical shape to achieve my long term goals and I had always been told it was important to get into the habit early on, so I ran.


    Every morning I would run with some of the older kids, six-year-olds who had just begun their training. The instructors wouldn''t allow me to train with them no matter how much I pleaded with them, deeming me to be too young to start, but they did allow me to join them in their run, finding no harm in it.


    And I must admit that it was much harder than I thought. Even though this body was much stronger than any two year old had the right to be, probably due to all the chakra it held, it was still a child''s. Just trying to match the six years old for their morning run tuckered me out for the entire day, and that''s without the actual combat training the kids had to go through afterwards. Something I''m no doubt going to hate when the time came for me to go through them myself.


    And that was why I spent most of my time here. My experience with running taught me that my body was still far too underdeveloped to properly train other than practising with my Byakugan. So if I couldn''t train my body, I decided to train my mind. Knowledge was a power equal to any other in this world, sometimes more so.


    So I spent my days reading and running, slowly growing stronger as I did.


    "Get up."


    The voice commanded harshly, piercing through the ringing that filled my head.


    "Get up, Hikaru-sama. The fight is not over." It repeated, not even a hint of inflexion in its voice. Just cold detachment.


    Jeez, I get it already.


    Obediently I set my hands beneath me and shoved myself onto my hands and knees, ignoring how pain flared through my body when I did. Blood dripped down my split lips and spilled onto the ground, staining the tightly packed floor crimson.


    With another solid push, I managed to force myself onto my feet though I had to keep my hands on my knees to stay up. After one more push, I managed to straight up, though I did end up wobbling for a second before I found my balance. I reached a hand out to gently probe my throbbing jaw, but quickly snatched it away when it flared with pain.


    Raising my face so that I looked ahead of me, I saw the cause of my bruised jaw trying and failing to hide a superior smirk behind an impassive mask. At the age of nine, the kid still hasn''t mastered the art of the Hyuuga poker face that we were all apparently infamous for.


    Seeing me back on my feet, the boy, I had no idea what his name was, took up a stance. Ignoring the bone-deep weariness that filled my body, I lifted my arms and took a mirroring stance, feeling as if my limbs were cased in blocks of concrete.


    Before I could so much as blink he charged me, his hand streaking towards my chest. Yet for all of its speed, I could see it. I could tell exactly where the blow will land, on the right side of my chest, precisely three inches below my shoulder. I could even picture the proper response, a sweeping strike to the side-left wrist with my right, knocking the blow-off course. Then a counter to his side while he was still knocked off balance.


    Yet no matter how well I could picture it in my head, reality was something completely different.


    I raised my hand to deflect, but even as I moved I could tell I wouldn''t make it. For all of the greater distance he had to travel, his strike will hit my chest before I could stop it. No matter how fast I tried to move I, along with everyone else watching, knew that he would be faster.


    Having no choice, I aborted my attempt at a parry and tried to dodge the blow instead. Pulling my shoulder back, pivoting on my back leg to avoid the blow, and I succeeded if barely. I managed to pull back far enough that the strike missed me by an inch. But at the moment I was so off-balance that I could not avoid the following blows.


    I folded over double as a hand buried itself in my belly before I was sent tumbling backwards by an open-handed uppercut hit on my chin.


    The world went spinning around me as I was sent tumbling along the dirt-packed floor, almost reaching to the edge of the sparring circle before I bled off enough momentum to stop.


    "Get up, Hikaru-sama" The instructor commanded scarcely a second after I had skidded to halt, not even bothering to check up on me.


    As I once again forced myself to my feet, ignoring how the world continued to spin, I thought back to how I had gotten myself into this mess.


    It was customary for children of ninja clans, or at the very least the Hyuuga clan, to begin their training at the age of four. Though calling it training was a bit of a stretch, as they were more of a practice run than the real thing. Other than stretches, all the other so-called training exercises were hidden in the form of games.


    Ever play cat''s cradles? That''s hand signs training. Hide and seek? With a bit of helpful instruction and a couple of minor tweaks to the rules, it became a stealth and tracking exercise. Overall there was nothing that would have made you think of ninja training just by looking at it. If I hadn''t known any better I would haven''t realized there was anything off about all the games they encouraged us to play. Apparently it was deemed too detrimental in the long run for children to start any strenuous training before the age of six.


    Though they seemed to be willing to make an exception when it came to me.


    Just a few weeks away from my fourth birthday they had separated me from the other children my age and tossed me in with the rest of the six years old. At first, there were some concerns that I may have been too young to start sparring but they were all put to rest after the first session.


    I had beaten them all.


    Not that it was anything to brag about. Ninjas in training or not they were just kids. Most of them didn''t even know how to properly kick a ball let alone make a proper fist, and the few that did telegraphed their punches so badly that I could see them coming a mile away. One time all I had to win was side-step a punch and stick my foot out. The poor kid actually broke down crying after he tripped.


    It wasn''t my proudest moment.


    So they decided to up the ante.


    And that''s how I ended up getting my ass kicked by a nine-year-old.


    "You''re thinking too much Hikaru-sama." Our instructor and the current referee for the match informed me. He stood outside of the ring drawn into the ground, and stared impassively at me, uncaring for my bleeding, injured state. "While your form is excellent and your responses to your opponent''s strikes are the proper ones, your reactions are too slow. You spend too much time thinking and not enough moving, you must learn to move without thought."


    I know. Jeez, do I ever know.


    I had already figured out my problem since my very first spar with these kids.


    I had no reflexes, no muscle memory. Even though I haven''t been slacking off these four years everything I trained for was mental, not physical. I had watched fully grown ninjas train every day for the majority of my new life until I reached the point that I could see and understand their movements. Compared to them these kids might have been moving in slow motion.


    But it doesn''t matter how slow these kids moved in my eyes if I moved even slower than they did.


    To think, that when I was first brought here I had been so sure of myself that I had all but swaggered into the ring of my first spar, confident in my victory. Well that all changed when not even a second later a palm strike to my face broke my nose along with my arrogance.


    I had realized my mistake almost immediately. My mind may have known the correct response but my body didn''t. Whenever I wanted to block the blow I had to consciously move my arms into position, whenever I wanted to dodge a strike I needed to consciously command my feet to move. And there lies the problem; the lack of any proper reflexes slowed me. It was only a minor delay, barely even a split second in reaction time, but that split second made all the difference when a match was decided under a second.


    It had been a week since that first loss and I hadn''t won a single spar yet. Hell, I don''t think I was even able to get in a solid blow against any of these kids. Even against the least talented of the bunch, the size advantage was simply too large for me to gap. Their arms gave them far better reach, and their longer legs made them faster.


    All in all, I was getting my ass kicked.


    Repeatedly.


    By ¨C and I cannot possibly stress this enough ¨C nine-year-olds.


    This was 8th-grade karate class all over again.


    I felt warmth pool in my mouth and spat out the blood that had gathered there as I stood up again, though my legs wouldn''t quite hold me up and I kept swaying. Though we weren''t allowed to use the proper Gentle Fist for now, only the chakra-less version of it, it still hurt like you wouldn''t believe.


    That''s why the clan always had at least one medical-nin available at the training fields at all times. The good thing about medical ninjutsu is that you can get the crap beat out of you and they''ll fix you back up in time for your next fight.


    Lucky me.


    "Are you stopping Hikaru-sama?" The trainer asked when I failed to take up a stance. At first, the words didn''t properly register in my mind, so foreign were they to my train thought that I couldn''t even comprehend what he was saying.


    "Stopping?" I repeated dumbly, turning to give the trainer a questioning look. He was staring at me with the same detached gaze he always wore, his face nothing but a serene mask of apathy, but his eyes told me a different story. The way they lingered on my bleeding lip before flickering over my bruised form gave lie to his false indifference.


    "Are you stopping Hikaru-sama?" He asked again, and this time I had no trouble hearing the concern hidden behind the coldness of his tone. He wanted me to stop.


    Something clicked in my head and I understood.


    "No, Sensei." Though I tried to sound respectful, the words came out as a snicker. I felt the cut on my lip split open and dribble blood down my chin as I responded. "I''m not done yet."


    Maybe I took a bigger blow to the head than I thought, or maybe the entire week of pain and exhaustion finally caught up to me, but at the moment I found his words so damn absurd. I knew that I could have walked away from this. That with a single word of complaint I would have been sent back with a younger group of kids. My father and many of the clansmen may have had high expectations of me but they were not sadistic, even they would not force me to continue this training if I had asked them to stop. Some of those who occasionally stopped by to watch me ''train'' actually seemed to hope that I would after seeing the results.


    But I never said a single word of complaint¡­


    Because this was exactly what I had wanted.


    Sure this training hurt. And by God did it hurt. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts. But even though it hurts so damn much¡­.


    I knew that there was no better way to get stronger.


    Even though I knew I was behaving recklessly and maybe even a little bit mad, I also knew I had no other choice but to walk this path. Not if I had wanted to survive for long.


    In this world there lived monsters. They walked on two legs, saw the world through two eyes and listened with two ears just like anybody else. Yet for all that they looked and sounded like men, they were monsters.


    Orochimaru, Nagato, Madara, the list went on and on. They could massacre armies and conquer nations alone in the span of a day. These were beings that have long ago shed their human limitation and became something more.


    And one day I had to fight them all. Of this, I had no doubt.


    So I needed to get strong. I didn''t have time to wait around and relax. If I wanted to live, no if I wanted to win, I needed to grow as strong as possible, as fast as possible.


    If I had taken the proper course and trained like I was supposed to have been, I had no doubt I would have grown strong, unusually so. With the advantages my reincarnation gave me it wouldn''t have been difficult for me to have been hailed as a prodigy, an up and coming genius. Just like Neji was.


    But it wouldn''t have been enough.


    Not to defeat them. Not to kill those monsters, it wouldn''t have been anywhere near enough. To kill a monster, you had to have the strength of one.


    I wasn''t Jinchuriki, I didn''t have a literal demon of mass destruction living in my belly. I wasn''t a Senju with the potential to unlock the Mokuton. I wasn''t even an Uchiha with their Mangekyo and their ability to learn nearly anything with only a glance.


    I was just a Hyuuga, all I had were these eyes that could see everything and an early head start. That was all I had.


    It would do.


    I had to push myself. Harder than anyone, farther than anyone, I had to push myself and become strong. And that was why it will be here on this training ground, through my blood and suffering, that the Hyuuga monster will be born.


    So instead of listening to common sense and stopping like any sane person in my place would have done, I turned back to my opponent and took a stance, ignoring the warmth that dripped down my chin. For some reason I could not understand the boy began to back away, a frightened look on his face.


    Huh, now what was that about?


    Well, it didn''t matter as one of the surrounding students jeered at him, he stopped backing away and flushed red. When he next looked at me, all his pretence of calm serenity was abandoned as his face twisted up with embarrassed fueled rage, before he began stalking back towards me.


    I widened my feet, dropping lower in my stance as I prepared to meet the boy''s charge. All for the desire to become strong.


    The very strongest.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­ I still got my ass handed to me again that day.


    By a freaking nine-year-old!


    Shadows danced on the wall, born from the moonlight that drifted through the room''s window, the only source of illumination in an otherwise pitch-black room.


    The Hyuuga estate has always been a silent place. Even in the middle of the day there were hardly any loud noises, and never any yelling or shouting, not even during training, as everyone carried themselves with quiet dignity.


    At night it was worse. As a clan that generally woke with the coming dawn, most of the household fell asleep soon after sunset. This left the place almost deafeningly silent during the night. Only the occasional sound of creaking of wood as the guards patrolled the corridors breaking the otherwise silent monotony.


    In the quiet of the night, the faint almost inaudible ticking of the clock sounded unnaturally loud to my ears. It was the only thing I could hear in the darkness other than the steady beating of my heart.


    Wrapped up in the blankets of my futon, I stared at the dancing shadows of my bedroom wall, making sure to keep my head faced away from the window. I was alone in my room like I usually was when I slept, but I knew I would not be for long.


    Every few minutes I flicked open my Byakugan, looking to see if he had arrived yet. And in between I would count the beats of my heart to pass the time as I strained my ears all the while, listening to any signs of the night''s unwelcome, but not unexpected, visitor.


    Tomorrow, I will officially become four years old. My birthday, an event that I was beginning to learn to loath. As the clan heir, I didn''t have the privilege of having a quiet birthday party. No, every year I was forced to dress up in the most uncomfortable clothing imaginable and then paraded around like a doll in front of our esteemed guests.


    In any other circ.u.mstance I would not have given the slightest damn about my upcoming birthday other than annoyance at the indignity I would no doubt be forced to experience. This year wouldn''t have been any different if I hadn''t overheard one of the clan''s ninjas discussing the Kumo delegate that had arrived in Konoha just this morning to sign the peace treaty agreement.


    To think that I had almost forgotten about it.


    The Hyuuga Affair.


    On Hinata''s fourth birthday, or my fourth birthday in this case, one of the members of the Kumo delegates would break into Hyuuga compound and attempt to kidnap the clan heir.


    It was due to tonight''s event that Hizashi, Neji''s father and my uncle, would die. A tragedy that would create a permanent rift between the main house and the branch house of the clan, along with souring the relationship between Kumo and Konoha for years.


    And of course, there was the tiny little matter of me being kidnapped.


    In other words a complete cl.u.s.terf.u.c.k for all involved.


    So naturally, I''m going to try to change it.


    The rustling of leaves came from just beyond my window, and I instantly flooded chakra into my eyes. The darkness vanished as my Byakugan awakened and I could now see the world around me as clearly as if it were mid-day.


    I quickly scanned the window and the area immediately around it for the perpetrator, making sure to keep perfectly still and show no sign that I was awake just in case he happened to be watching. I couldn''t find anyone at first, but I knew I heard something so I kept looking and looking until I found-


    A stray cat.


    I slumped back into my bed, my heart beating so fast in my chest that it almost sounded like a jackhammer. Jeez, I got to calm down, my nerves won''t last the night if I kept jumping over every little thing.


    My plan to stop the entire affair from happening was simple. I knew I couldn''t warn anybody about the kidnapping, not without raising more questions than I was willing to answer. So that only left one option, capturing the kidnapper alive.


    The entire Hyuuga Affair stemmed from the death of one of the delegates. Delegates whose safety was promised by the Hokage himself. Kumo probably claimed that the entire kidnapping was staged by us after we assassinated the delegate. And the sad part was, that defence was entirely plausible. Going by the history books I''ve read, Konoha ninjas had assassinated people for their benefit only to plead self-defence on more than one occasion in the past.


    So all I had to do to fix it was make sure that the delegate did not die. Easier said than done but fortunately, I had a plan. It wasn''t much of a plan I had to admit but it was simple and workable, which were the most important things.


    I was going to wait for my kidnapper to break into my room and stop him. Now I had no delusions on my ability to fight a fully grown and trained ninja when I could not even beat nine years old ninjas-in-training. Though my spars against them were starting to look like proper spars recently rather than the one-sided beatdowns they were a week ago.


    No, all I wanted to do was stall him. A chakra infused blow to the diaphragm or throat will be enough to stun him. So all I had to do was pretend I was asleep, wait for him to get near me and sneak in a surprise blow, before screaming my lungs out and waking up the entire household.


    Now normally I would have never even considered a plan this risky, especially when it was my life on the line, but that''s the beauty of the entire thing, I wasn''t in any danger even if I screwed up.


    Kumo wanted to kidnap me because they wanted the power of the Byakugan. And they wouldn''t have been willing to take such a risky gamble if all they got out of it in the end was a single pair of eyes. No, what Kumo wanted was a bloodline of their own, an entire clan.


    In other words, they wanted to breed me.


    A four-year-old wouldn''t be too hard to indoctrinate and make loyal. And when I became of age they planned to toss a few girls at me to i.m.p.r.e.g.n.a.t.e until there were a dozen little me''s running around. That''s right, they would force me to have s.e.x¡­lots and lots of s.e.x with a ton of women for¡­years¡­.huh, why was I so against this again anyway?


    I''m pretty sure there was a good reason but I couldn''t think of it at the moment¡­


    Anyway, that meant that no matter how tonight''s events panned out, I would be getting out of this unharmed. The proof of that was that in the original timeline the kidnapper never tried to harm Hinata even when Hiashi was attacking him.


    I was the goose that laid the golden egg and neither side wanted to harm a single hair on my head.


    So, now that everything was set, all that remained was to wait for the kidnapper to appear. And since I had no idea what time the kidnapping would occur, other than it happened during the night, I had to make sure to stay on guard all night long. I couldn''t risk being half asleep when the time came.


    ¡­.So all I have to do now is wait.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    You know, at first this was actually rather nerve breaking but it was quickly turning out to be rather boring and fast. Waiting in bed while pretending to be asleep was much harder than I thought it was going to be.


    Shifting around a little bit, I looked up at the clock hanging from the wall in front of me.


    10:40


    ¡­It''s going to be a long night.


    My cheeks flared in pain as I pinched them, forcing my eyelids that threatened to shut wide open.


    This was the third time already that I had to resort to physical pain to prevent myself from falling asleep. It was as times like these that I truly hated being four again. You have no idea how hard it was to force yourself to stay up late when you were a kid.


    Dear god you damn kidnapper, hurry the hell up and get over here. It''s bad enough that you want to abduct me, but now you want to ruin my bedtime too? What a prick.


    Pinching myself again when I felt sleep start to overcome me, I glanced back up at the clock to see how much longer I had to wait.


    11:05


    ¡­.


    This was going to suck.


    All right, this was no longer funny. I had almost fallen asleep for real this time, and I couldn''t afford that happening. Not when I was about to end up getting kidnapped any minute now. I needed to keep my mind distracted if I wanted to stay awake. This called for drastic measures.


    99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer.


    Take one down, and pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall¡­


    782 bottles of beer on the wall, 782 bottles of beer.


    Take one down, and pass it around, 781 bottles of beer¡­


    2,207 bottles of beer on the wall, 2,207 bottles of beer.


    Take one down, and pass it around, and then there are no more bottles of beers on the wall.


    There! I finished the damn game three entire times already, increasing the numbers of bottles each round by ten and I still hadn''t been kidnapped. What''s taking the guy so long? I mean it''s got to be approaching dawn by now.


    I glanced up at the clock.


    12:21


    ¡­


    Oh, you have to be shitting me.


    Alright, enough of the beer bottle game. If I had to say that line one more time I''d snap. I got to think of something else to do to keep me awake but what?


    ¡­How about a song?


    Oh, if you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends.


    Go-Go Power Rangers! Nah-na-na-na! Go-go Power Rangers, you Mighty Morphin Power Rangers!


    And I~~~~, will always~, Love you~~


    Gotta catch ''em all, Gotta catch ''em all, Yeah!


    Zubat, Primeape, Meowth, Onix-


    Ok, I have exhausted every song I could remember except for the backstreet boys and I''ll be damned if I sing any of them.


    And where the hell is this guy? Shouldn''t he have been here by now? I knew the security around the compound was tight but come on, I want to sleep already. What time was it anyway?


    01:45


    You know what, screw the plan and forget about capturing this guy alive. I''m going to murder the asshole with a spoon when I got my hands on him.


    Bleary-eyed, I stumbled out of my room, dark rings no doubt circling my eyes. I was so exhausted that I almost tripped over my own feet twice, and barely managed to stop myself from running face-first into one of the many house servants that were frantically running around the corridor.


    Morning light rained across the hardwood floors through the many windows lining the hallway, and I could hear birds chirping outside as they cheerfully greeted the new day. I had never hated anything more than the sound of their cheer. All around me people were rushing all over the place, something that was more than a little bit unusual in this household.


    Looking around I spotted a pair of gossiping servants and walked up to them. When they didn''t notice me right away, I tugged on one of their sleeves.


    "Oh, Hikaru-sama. Please forgive me I didn''t see you there- Hikaru-sama! Are you alright? You look dreadful." The servant''s eyes widened in surprise when she took in my state. I must have been quite a sight, after having spent the entire night awake and alert.


    Being in no mood for pointless chit-chat, I cut straight to the heart of the matter. "What''s going on?"


    It seemed like the servant in question was also quite keen on spreading some gossip as well, because she dropped the matter of my appearance and leaned towards me before stage whispering. "Well Hikaru-sama, it seemed that there was an intruder last night. The guards caught him before he was able to get too far in and had no trouble subduing him. Normally this would not have caused such a commotion, but when the guards presented him to Hiashi-sama this morning, he realized that the intruder was actually one of the Kumo visitors that arrived yesterday for the peace treaty."


    I tuned the rest of her words out, I heard enough. I felt the edge of my lips twitch as I fought back the urge to scream in frustration.


    I wonder why I didn''t realize something so obvious before.


    This was the Hyuuga clan. A group of people with eyes that could literally see through walls and spot an ant from a mile away. There was no way anyone, no matter how skilled in stealth, could successfully sneak into the compound undetected, not when there were over a dozen Hyuuga guards patrolling the place and a hundred more resting within.


    It was impossible. Not just improbable, but actually one hundred percent impossible. Which meant there was no way that anyone could ever get close enough to kidnap the clan heir, be it me or Hinata.


    In other words, the entire Hyuuga affairs couldn''t have possibly happened. The entire thing was pulled out of a certain author''s ass just for the sake of entertainment¡­


    And because of said author, I had to stay up all night in a bundle of nerves for no reason.


    ¡­It''s official¡­


    KISHIMOTO YOU''RE A F.U.C.K.I.N.G TROLL!


    *Chapter End*


    Author''s note:


    Now, something that always bothered me with the typical reincarnation story is that every character wants to save the world or help people. That made no sense to me. You are born in the world where people can possess power that makes them Gods in all but name but almost none of the reincarnated people want it? Well, this in my take one it.


    The MC in this fic is going to be utterly ruthless. While he will still have a heart, he isn''t here to help people. Don''t expect him to be the type who willingly hold the hands and helps the other characters in the story grow up. While he''ll make exception for those very few he cares for, don''t he won''t go out of the way to help a stranger. In that sense, he''s like you and me. How many of us can say that we go out of our way to help total strangers ever day? every week? Not many I''d guess.


    While it won''t be apparent at first, within a few chapters it will become clear how frighteningly ruthless he can be.


    Oh, and I''m sure some of you noticed for a someone who prides himself on his logic and clam mind he broke down rather easily when it came to Jiraiya''s gender. That was done on purpose and is a clue for future events. That''s all I''m saying for now.


    Also in case it isn''t obvious this is an AU. So please don''t be upset if things different from Canon happen.


    Anyway, I hope you liked it and please tell me what you think.

 Chapter 390 - My CO Stash #90 - With Sprinkles by dogbertcarroll (XanderXMulticross)

    -This author''s planeswalker Xander is legit pure gold~


    Synopsis: Instant death or being granted a wish by a certain demon lord, decisions, decisions, decisions. Xander Harris makes an incautious wish and now has to deal with the consequences. Not exactly the road trip he was planning on taking, but there certainly is a lot of sights to see.


    Rated: T


    Words: 43K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12446027/15/With-Sprinkles (dogbertcarroll)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Xander turned and walked away; he''d prevented the bomb from exploding he didn''t need anyone''s approval, he had his own.


    "How about a little wager?" D''Hoffryn asked, stepping out of the shadows.


    Xander froze, stuck between fight or flight having depleted his body''s ready supply of adrenaline with everything he''d gone through. "I recognize you," Xander said recalling Cordelia telling the group about her wish, the effect it''d had, and being forced to read a lot of moldy books.


    "Indeed," D''Hoffryn said with a toothy grin. "So you know I am more than powerful enough to kill you with a snap of my fingers."


    "Yeah, that''s about the size of it," Xander agreed, trying to figure out how to escape whatever the demon lord had planned for him.


    Unnoticed Cordelia had ran off and gotten the rest of the gang which had rushed out to help.


    "I''ll make you a deal. You make one wish," D''Hoffryn said, "and I won''t snap my fingers at you."


    "Monkey''s paw variety that I have to figure out how to untangle so you can''t screw with it?" Xander guessed.


    "Exactly," the Demon Lord agreed.


    "Xander, it''s a trick," Giles warned, bringing his attention to the battered group.


    "I know, but my back''s against the wall here," Xander said honestly, mind searching for a way to defuse this wish.


    "Xander don''t be an idiot!" Buffy yelled, in panic as her slayer senses flared. "Don''t make that wish!"


    Cordelia smacked Buffy in the back of the head. "You idiot!"


    Buffy winced realizing she''d said exactly the wrong thing as Xander''s fists had clenched and his nervous smile had faded into a thin line.


    "I wish to be a planeswalker," Xander said.


    D''Hoffryn stared in surprise and looked shocked as he said, "Wish granted!"


    A flare of energy surrounded Xander and seared the ground where he stood, as he screamed in agony, his clothes going up in flames right before he vanished, leaving a three foot circle of boiling stone to mark where he''d stood.


    "I wasn''t aware I could activate the spark of a planeswalker, much less that he was one," D''Hoffryn said in wonder.


    "What did-" Willow began to demand only to have Faith slap her hand over her mouth.


    "Lord D''Hoffryn if you would be so kind as to explain what just occurred," Giles requested, knowing the famed Demon Lord would more readily respond to a polite inquiry, especially if it would pain the listeners to hear it.


    "Of course Ripper, it''d be a pleasure to explain to a man who understands vengeance as well as yourself," he replied with a toothy grin. "Anyanka, my favorite, granted a wish that lead to her losing her power for a time. Normally I would plan out something horrible for all involved, but on looking at Miss Chase''s future I realized I needn''t bother, and that Alexander was the cause of events that would prevent my reclaiming Anyanka in the future. Naturally I sought to correct this by offering him a wish or instant death, being the merciful being I am."


    "I see," Giles said. "That is remarkably merciful of you, thank you."


    "The boy has frustrated so many ''higher beings'' I felt he deserved it, however just when he was about to choose a painless death, your Slayer, Miss Summers, convinced him to undergo something extraordinary painful, he wished to be a planeswalker."


    "I... wouldn''t that have caused widespread destruction?" Giles asked.


    "Indeed it would," D''Hoffryn agreed. "However by shielding myself I prevented the destruction of the city, accidentally of course, and... it appears he''s drained the Hellmouth of power for his transformation."


    "Thank you for your time," Giles said politely giving a slight bow as the Demon vanished.


    "Where is he?!" Buffy asked Giles, feeling even more powerless than she had when the council had stripped her of her powers.


    "Everywhere, nowhere," Giles replied solemnly as they returned to the library.


    "What do you mean?!" Willow demanded.


    "Surely you can''t believe he was telling the truth!" Wesley exclaimed.


    "He''s notorious for being honest, especially if it upsets the listeners," Giles said as he slowly started to clean the library obviously bone weary.


    "What''s a planeswalker?" Willow demanded.


    "That''s not something that is easy to describe," Wesley said. "I of course am well versed on what is known, but that is unfortunately very little. There are mortals, extremely rare ones-"


    "There may be a total of two potential ones on earth out of the entire population," Giles interrupted.


    "Who have the potential to become planeswalkers," Wesley continued. "Of the billions with the spark over the whole of creation it''s just as rare to have it ignite."


    "And Xander''s one and he''s ignited?" Buffy asked to be sure.


    "Yes," Wesley agreed, "it appears that way. Planeswalkers are hunted by quite a few beings, particularly when they are... young, because they grow in power rapidly."


    "But what are they?!" Cordelia demanded.


    "Powerful beings who can grow to eclipse the gods themselves and step from one reality to another like we enter a room," Giles said. "Their power and motives vary greatly, as no two are alike."


    "And Xander?" Faith asked wondering what wasn''t being said.


    "Is lost in eternity being hunted by other planeswalkers, beings who make gods tremble," Giles said. "If he survives and finds his way back here, it''ll most likely be centuries after we''re all dead and gone," he finished sadly.


    "And considering he drew on the power of the Hellmouth to ignite himself..." Wesley trailed off. "He''s probably in a Hell dimension, if not demonic himself."


    Everyone was silent for a moment.


    "F.u.c.k you, Wesley," Faith said before turning and stomping out.


    0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


    "The readings say it''s this way," a blue haired girl in a blue and white, short skirted outfit said in Japanese as she looked at her laptop, leading a group of five girls with similar outfits and two cats.


    "I can feel the darkness like oil in my fur," a black cat with a gold crescent moon on its head said.


    "She''s right," a similar though white furred cat agreed. "It''s the darkest energy I''ve ever felt. You all must be careful!"


    "How about you hit it with a Moon Healing Escalation the moment we spot it?" a tall brown haired girl in a white and green outfit suggested.


    "Can I do that?" a blonde girl with a rainbow trimmed white outfit asked.


    "If anyone complains I''ll hit them with a Akuryo Taisan," a dark haired girl with the same outfit as the others except with red trim promised.


    "Three feet in front of us," the blue haired girl announced, just as a groan and some rustling came from the bushes.


    "Moon Healing Escalation!" the blonde with the rainbow trim yelled, throwing a wave of light in front of them.


    "Ow!" said a blackened figure as it fell over with a thud.


    Chapter 2


    The wave of white mana that poured over him soothed his soul and gave him knowledge of a crystal of some kind. It didn''t feel very big, but it would take a ridiculous amount of mana to create. Climbing to his feet, he brushed off some of the ash that used to be his clothes before a number of people started yelling in Japanese and he was suddenly hit with a pair of attack spells.


    An arrow of flame struck his chest like a pot full of boiling water, raising blisters but doing no serious damage. The lightning bolt that followed stung like he''d stuck a fork in an outlet and caused some involuntary twitches, but also did little actual damage. A wave of fog clouded his vision before he was hit with another wave of light, that healed his wounds once more. "What the f.u.c.k?!" Xander exclaimed, his mind and memory still a bit scrambled as he looked around him blindly.


    A beam of golden light stabbed into his side, leaving a burn like a hot poker, before he was hit with fire and lightning again and quickly healed by the wave of light once more. He tried to dodge the next attack, but he was fighting blind, nearly n.a.k.e.d, and unarmed. The next wave of white mana hit and he soaked it for all it was worth, his mind clearing enough for him to use his new instincts and tap into the land around him.


    The power of the city poured through him, granting clarity of mind and speeding his thoughts. He was being attacked by simple elemental attacks, followed by an overpowered heal spell. The next wave of attacks and healing hit, but this time he was aware enough to get a feel for them, not that they hurt any less just that he was sure he could have thrown them as well if he''d had the appropriate mana to use.


    "Stop attacking me!" he yelled, only to get a double dose of attacks before the wave of white mana hit him again. Unable to see, lacking a way to defend himself or fight back, he ripped a hole into the blind eternities and jumped in.


    The blind eternities was not what he expected it to be. It was... everything, all at once, at full volume. Reality, multiple realities, pounded at his brain. In a panic he got ready to leap anywhere to escape it, when he saw a crack and dove through it.


    The office he landed in looked vaguely Asian. He reached out and tapped into the city around him, the flow of multicolor mana helping to clear his head once more as knowledge of the land seeped into his skull.


    "That is not a toad," the third Hokage noted, gesturing to ANBU to be wary.


    "Sorry to barge in like this," Xander apologized in the local version of Japanese, "but someone opened a hole in front of me."


    "Where were you?" Jiraiya asked, curiously.


    "The space in-between," Xander replied. "Know of any place I can get some clothes, cheap?" He paused and sighed. "Better make that free, I don''t think you use the same currency I do."


    "And how did you get there?" Jiraiya asked.


    "Natural ability," Xander replied, "but it''s overwhelming and I haven''t figured out how to reliably go from one place to another yet. I''d really like to get some clothes and maybe a meal or two before trying it again."


    "Got any profitable skills?" Jiraiya asked.


    "Maybe," Xander said thoughtfully, "not real sure yet."


    "I''ll spot you some pants and a meal on the off chance we can find something," Jiraiya said. "Let''s leave the old man to his paperwork and get a drink."


    "Remember to finish up those reports you owe me," Sarutobi said, seeing that the toad sage was going to use a light approach to find out who and what this new being was, which was understandable as he felt quite powerful.


    "Will do," Jiraiya said, waving for Xander to follow him.


    An hour later...


    "So what would be your most valuable skill?" Jiraiya asked, once he''d gotten Xander fitted out with some local clothes and set up with a bowl of ramen.


    "Skill I have now that I could apply locally?" Xander asked thoughtfully as he considered it. "I''m not sure if my knowledge of science is valuable or not, since I''m just a student and you guys are at least as advanced as my home in some ways, but with a strange mix in where you apply it, from what I see. My knowledge of magic is just starting out, but is probably our best bet for profitable skills." Xander felt his connections to the city around him and the one he just left. The leaf village was a tri colored land containing red, blue, and green, while the Tokyo he''d been in was white and colorless, but you had to accept both mana at once. Reality seemed a bit thin in that Tokyo with additional mana seeping in from somewhere outside it.


    "Healing," Xander decided. "I''d need to be taken to two separate sections of plains so I could use their mana, but after that I''ll have the use of one massively overpowered heal spell."


    "You draw mana from the land to use your magic?" Jiraiya asked.


    "Exactly," Xander agreed before taking a sip of tea. He wished he had a soda, but they didn''t have those locally. He made a mental note to stock up on them when he got a chance. "Different lands produce different types of mana with different characteristics."


    "And forests aren''t useful for healing?" Jiraiya asked.


    "Forests are the best for healing, but the only heal spell I know uses mana from the plains. It takes twice as much mana for me to use, but it affects an area rather than a single person."


    "Does it require a lot of concentration to heal a group of diverse people with various injuries?" Jiraiya asked, thinking about the mystic palm technique.


    "Nah," Xander shook his head, "all the details are handled by magic, you just have to cast the spell and it takes care of the rest."


    "We''d have to test it to see how it works, but that does sound valuable," Jiraiya said cheerfully. "How large an area is each... land?"


    "Varies really," Xander said thoughtfully. "Plains and swamps are about seven and a half square miles on average, while mountains and islands are counted individually, regardless of size. Forests depend on density, with some producing two to three times as much mana as you''d expect."


    "Any defensive spells?" Jiraiya asked between slurps of his ramen.


    "Just one. Using a single blue mana I can create a fog that muffles the senses, but it doesn''t stop attacks," Xander explained before copying Jiraiya''s manners as he noticed most of the customers were slurping their ramen as well.


    "Poor defense, but better than nothing," Jiraiya said, signaling for another two bowls since Xander still looked hungry. "You any good on offense?"


    "Three very basic elemental attack spells," Xander replied as he considered it.


    "Don''t knock it kid, most people have to make do with only using two elements, unless they train really hard," Jiraiya said.


    "I only learned them because someone shot me with them," Xander said. "Come to think of it, that''s how I''ve learned everything so far."


    Jiraiya laughed. "While handy, I''m pretty sure there are better ways to learn things."


    "You got that right," Xander said. "Still, it''s a fast way to learn, if painful."


    "The students in the Academy would probably prefer your method," Jiraiya said, smirking internally as Xander took the bait and started asking about the village. Xander was so open and honest that it almost made him feel guilty to manipulate him, but Jiraiya had done far worse for the sake of his village before and no doubt would again.


    That evening


    "Report," Sarutobi ordered as he glanced up from his paperwork.


    "Not sure the kid is human, probably a demigod of some sort," Jiraiya replied. "He''s probably the most honest and open being in the entire village. It''s painfully obvious that he''s not from around ''here''. His attacks are low jounin and he can''t fire very many at present which will change the second he gets a little travel under his belt as everything he does is powered by sage chakra that he draws from the land itself regardless of distance."


    "So he''s safe enough for the moment," Sarutobi said, lighting his pipe.


    "There''s more," Jiraiya said. "His strength and durability is easily on par with Maito Gai, though that appears to be a recent thing, as he was as surprised as we were."


    "And?" Sarutobi asked, hearing something in his former student''s tone.


    "While I doubt he''ll even be on this world for longer than it takes to get back on his feet, I do believe he''ll make this a regular stop in his travels if we make him feel welcome, and I believe that is something we should encourage for a couple of reasons," Jiraiya said, unusually serious for once.


    "I''m listening," the old man said.


    "He''s very protective of the people and places he''s fond of and he''ll only grow in power, in addition to this is the wealth of knowledge and techniques he has the potential to find and share with us, but most importantly at the moment, I believe the ''massively overpowered healing spell'' he mentioned will allow us to return nin who are currently beyond our capability to heal, back to the field," Jiraiya explained.


    "That would be an incredible boon to the leaf," Sarutobi agreed.


    "To ensure he thinks of the village fondly, I have Anko keeping him company," Jiraiya said smugly.


    "I trust you let her know she had the choice to refuse a seduction mission," Sarutobi replied.


    It was not a question.


    "I assigned her to watch him because she''d already started seducing him," the toad sage replied with a grin. "She showed up when we were demonstrating techniques. They are almost complete opposites with only one thing in common, a disturbing love of explosions. Despite all that, they hit it off immediately and enthusiastically."


    "ANBU keeping an eye on things?"


    "As always," he assured him. "I''ll be taking him out to¡­ acquire some more land in the morning... after he recovers."


    0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


    Setsuna wasn''t often surprised, so it took her a minute to understand what she was seeing; where she''d expected to see the usual ebb and flow of the timeline, she was seeing the colorful scrawl of an infinite future. Crystal Tokyo was no longer guaranteed, but then neither was the death of seven billion people that lead to it. She much preferred fighting for a brighter future rather than a guttering candle anyway.


    Unaware of the determined look on her face or the rare smile that touched her lips, she locked the gates and prepared to teleport home to call a meeting of the scouts. They were going to have to work much harder than they had been, but a future of infinite possibilities now awaited them.


    Several hours later...


    "Why is she smiling like that?" Minako whispered to Makoto. "It''s creepy!"


    "Maybe she''s drunk?" Makoto whispered back.


    "What could be bad that Setsuna would start drinking?!" Usagi m.o.a.ned.


    "I''m not drunk, nor have I been drinking," Setsuna said, revealing she could hear their whispers. "I''m smiling because I have good news."


    "Tell us what it is already," Haruka said. "You''ve teased us enough, we''re all here, so spit it out."


    Michiru gave Haruka a look, but she just shrugged in response.


    "Alright," Setsuna agreed with a smile. "The great freeze is no longer guaranteed to happen, meaning we are no longer destined to watch six billion people die of cold or starvation."


    "That is good news!" Usagi exclaimed.


    "What about Crystal Tokyo?" Haruka asked.


    "Not possible or desirable," Setsuna said flatly. "Crystal Tokyo required the death of the majority of the human race. My advice is to restart the Moon Kingdom."


    "What''s the difference?" Ami asked.


    "Crystal Tokyo was an Earth based kingdom where we used magic to keep our little section of the world warm and fertile. The Moon Kingdom on the other hand would require us to use our magics to return life to the other planets in our solar systems and draw in settlers to populate them once more. Much like the Moon Kingdom of old, I expect Earth is not going to desire an empress," Setsuna explained.


    "Lots of hard work but a brighter future," Usagi said, much to everyone but Setsuna''s surprise.


    "Exactly," Setsuna said, smiling even more as she saw the matching smile appearing on Usagi''s face.


    "What changed?" Michiru asked, causing everyone to turn towards Setsuna. "Something had to have happened to make all this possible. What was it?"


    "I have no idea," Setsuna replied. "The gates show infinite possibilities, so it''s impossible for me to tell, but whatever happened, happened recently."


    "How recently?" Minako asked nervously as she recalled what had happened the night before.


    "The last twenty-four hours," Setsuna promptly replied. "What do you know?"


    "That Dark General that ran away last night," Usagi said. "Ami, did you record it?"


    "You guys faced a Dark General and didn''t think to mention it?" Haruka demanded.


    "All he did was stand there, cuss, and run away," Makoto said. "Not exactly a lot to say."


    "We were going to bring it up at today''s meeting," Ami assured them as she brought up the recording on the Mercury computer and hit play.


    Setsuna paled as the video played, pulling a bottle of whiskey out of nowhere and taking a slug as the video ended.


    "OK, that''s bad," Minako noted, just in case no one else understood.


    "How big a threat is he?" Haruka demanded. Haruka had to wrestle the bottle away from Setsuna to get her to stop drinking and give them an answer.


    "All the power the Senshi have is based on what he is," the time guardian explained.


    "He''s a Senshi?" Rei asked doubtfully.


    "Senshi tap into the land of their home planets for power," Setsuna explained. "A single unit of power to transform and one to three to power their attacks. Connecting the Senshi took centuries of research and a decade for each unit of power or mana they could access at once."


    "So we access four mana at max?" Hotaru asked.


    "You can access five," Setsuna said. "One mana unit for your transformation and four for your ultimate attack, the rest of us only use four total."


    "And this guy?" Haruka asked.


    "He''s a planeswalker, though a new one from the readings," Setsuna explained. "He''s tapped into somewhere between two to four mana units from these readings."


    "So we have to take him before he gains any more," Makoto said with a firm nod. "With a decade between mana units, we have time."


    Setsuna sighed. "It took a decade per mana unit to connect the Senshi based on what they understood and observed a planeswalker doing."


    "And how long does it take a planeswalker to tap into an additional mana unit?" Ami asked.


    "About three seconds," Setsuna replied.


    "Stop that!" Michiru said, snatching the bottle away from Haruka.


    Chapter 3


    "Here," Xander said, causing Anko to stop and set him down.


    "Here?" Anko asked curiously. "I thought we had to travel a lot farther, I mean, this is scrubland."


    "Which counts as white and red," Xander explained as he felt the nature of the ground around him and found something interesting. "Do you guys have a hidden base out here?"


    "If there is one, it isn''t ours," Anko said, signaling for their hidden escort to be on alert.


    "It''s old and empty," Xander said. "I''m not sensing any traps either." He approached a sandy hill and slowly circled it. "It''s in there."


    Anko flashed through a number of hand seals and dove into the ground like it was water.


    "That still looks cool as hell," Xander said.


    A stone door opened out from the hillside, pushing aside nearly a foot of sand and dirt, revealing Anko with a grin on her face. "Come on in," Anko told him. "I think you''ll get a kick out of this."


    "What is it?" Xander asked as he entered the stone doorway, noting the glowing seals on the ceiling providing light.


    "You tell me," Anko replied, gesturing to the end of the hall where it opened up into a circular room with another exit.


    Xander examined the room noting the large circular bed and peeking his head out the other exit and finding a perpetually running shower and toilet. "It''s¡­ a love nest!" he said in surprise.


    "Probably started out as a campsite," Anko said with a grin, "but after stopping here while on patrol so many times, someone built an underground room for safety and comfort and it kinda evolved from there. This place hasn''t been used in decades, but the last couple who used it shed enough chakra that everything is still powered."


    "Shed?" Xander asked curiously.


    "There are a number of activities that help increase your chakra flow, which also tend to release excess chakra into your surroundings," Anko explained. "Would you like me to show you one?"


    "Sure," Xander replied.


    Anko gestured and the stone door closed. "I was hoping you''d say that." Her clothes quickly dropped to the floor and she pushed Xander onto the bed.


    "Oh," Xander said as he realized what she meant.


    Half an hour later¡­


    "And now the place is saturated with our chakra," Anko said smugly.


    Xander chuckled. "Glad this place has its own shower."


    "Considering who I suspect used this place, I''m surprised it doesn''t have a hot tub," Anko said running a finger down Xander''s chest.


    "I''d ask who it was, but the answers would be meaningless to me," Xander said. "Wanna shower with me?"


    "Love to," Anko said, "but we really should spend at least some of our time doing what we''re supposed to."


    "If they complain, tell them it helps me adjust to the new mana flow," Xander suggested.


    "Doubt they''ll buy it," Anko said, allowing him to lead her to the shower.


    "It''s actually true," Xander told her. "I need a little time to get used to each new connection and this seems to speed that up."


    "In that case I best get back to work," Anko said with a smirk.


    "Nose to the grindstone, that''s us!" Xander agreed.


    Six hours later¡­


    "Report," Sarutobi ordered, taking a puff from his pipe.


    "Xander needed a little time at each stop to adjust to the new mana connection," Anko replied, "but a little physical activity helped speed up the process, so we managed to add five more mana to his pool. He said he can cast the healing spell twice today without a problem."


    "When he''s finished with lunch, Jiraiya has a handful of volunteers at the hospital," Sarutobi told Anko. "Depending on the results of the first test, we''ll gather a group for a second casting."


    "Yes, Sir," Anko said cheerfully.


    "How would you evaluate him?" Sarutobi asked curiously.


    "Powerful, kind, and probably too good to be true," Anko admitted with a sigh. "I mean, how many people do you run into that are exactly what they seem with no hidden agendas or dark secrets?"


    "And yet you still chose to start a relationship with him," Sarutobi noted, leaning back in his chair.


    "Relationship is a strong word," Anko replied with a wince. "I prefer to think of it as spending time with someone until they reveal they''re an asshole. It''s just human nature."


    Sarutobi nodded. "Humans can be disappointing at times," he agreed, amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes. "Dismissed."


    0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0


    Kurenai saw the stranger Anko had been showing around the village and decided to introduce herself. It was rare to find Anko interested enough in someone to be seen in public with them, so it was probably a good idea to make sure he wasn''t a creep.


    Two minutes later¡­


    Anko smiled as she saw Xander sitting at the counter talking to a friend of hers but the smile faded as she saw her friend becoming upset and a memory of something she''d done last night arose¡­


    "Hell viewing technique!" Kurenai called out, hands flashing through signs as she cast her genjutsu.


    "Kurenai, No!" Anko yelled, as she shunshined into the ramen stand.


    "Kurenai, Yes!" Kurenai shot back. "You have no idea what he just suggested!"


    "Interesting," Xander said completely unruffled, "but that''s not remotely what hell looks like."


    "Kai!" Anko called out, breaking the genjutsu. "She wasn''t with us last night, that was me using a henge on a clone."


    "I know that," Xander replied.


    "Then why did you hit on me?!" Kurenai demanded.


    "I thought Anko cast it right this time," Xander said.


    "I cast it right last night," Anko said with an offended huff. "Henge!" Anko turned into a duplicate of Kurenai.


    "I can still see it''s you," Xander said. "A transparent layer of color doesn''t fool anyone."


    "Henge," Kurenai said, turning into a duplicate of Anko.


    "I can see through both of them," Xander said.


    "Oh," said Kurenai, dropping her henge, with Anko doing the same. "So you hit on me thinking I was her," Kurenai said awkwardly.


    Xander shrugged. "I figured if Anko wanted to do a little roleplay, I''m up for it."


    "And on that note, the Hokage says everything is ready for you at the hospital," Anko said, embarrassed that Xander hadn''t even noticed some of the things she''d used to spice things up the night before.


    At the hospital


    Jiraiya rechecked his monitoring seals. Even if he couldn''t detect everything Xander did when casting a spell, he could detect everything the spell did to a person.


    There were thirty people in the room, encompassing a full range of people of different ages, both s.e.xes, and multiple causes of injuries. Despite Jiraiya''s belief that Xander was being honest about his technique and its effects, none of the patients were valuable personnel. If it worked on this group, then Sarutobi would allow Jiraiya to bring in medically retired Jounin and Special Jounin.


    "Just in here," the nurse said, leading Xander and Anko into the room.


    "Jiraiya!" Xander called out cheerfully, as he took in the wide variety of patients.


    "Hey, kid," the Toad Sage replied. "I got a room full of patients for you."


    Xander nodded. "I also see the monitoring seals, which is good because it''ll help me find the limits of the spell and maybe suggest some improvements I can make."


    "Let me get out of the way, and you can fire away," Jiraiya said excitedly.


    Xander took a deep breath and raised his right hand above his head, white light beginning to gather in his palm, causing it to glow like the sun. He swung his glowing hand in a large circle, leaning down to almost touch the ground, his right leg coming up to counter balance his sharp movement, all while calling out, "Moon healing Escalation!"


    A wall of healing magic filled the room in front of him, blinding everyone.


    "Holy f.u.c.k, that''s powerful!" Anko exclaimed. "Also girly as hell."


    "You should see the girl who cast it," Xander said, shaking his head. "As a matter of fact¡­Henge!" With a burst of smoke, Xander turned into an exact duplicate of Sailor Moon.


    Anko lost it, falling down laughing while Jiraiya just snorted and went to check his seals. "I didn''t know you''d mastered henge," Anko said as she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.


    "Simple spells¡­ or jutsu, I can get," Xander replied, feeling the hair on her head, "though I probably don''t do them exactly the same way you guys do them."


    Anko reached out and felt Xander''s chest. "Yeah, this is a bit more solid than how we do it."


    Xander dropped the henge. "I''ve got the ones you teach pre-teens and some basic elemental attacks down, but I''ll have to really study the more complicated jutsu before I can use them."


    The patients were examining themselves and each other with broad smiles, everyone glowing with health and even limbs that had been missing were back.


    Jiraiya returned with a stack of tags. "This looks great, but there seems to be a mental component as well."


    "White mana is also known as Soldier''s Mana," Xander explained, "it enhances the qualities you''d expect to see in a soldier. Have one of your mindwalkers take a look and they should be able to confirm it."


    "And healing is usually done with green mana," Jiraiya said thoughtfully. "What effect does green have on the mind?"


    "It is also known as Nature''s Mana," Xander explained, "it enhances natural instincts, so unless you''re in the middle of battle it mainly enhances the libido."


    "Now that sounds useful," Jiraiya said, looking interested.


    "People aren''t just interested in s.e.x, they also want kids," Xander said, "so you could have a couple who planned on waiting, changing their mind until it wore off."


    "How long does the effect last?" Jiraiya asked, thinking of several possible uses for that side effect as well.


    "Depends on the person," Xander said thoughtfully, as he considered his own instinctive knowledge of the subject outside of the confines of the game. "If they really didn''t want kids, they would be back to normal in a day or two, but if they found the idea attractive, it could last weeks."


    "If we take you out to a forest to connect you to a little green mana, you aren''t going to suddenly go kid crazy are you?" Anko asked carefully.


    Xander laughed. "While I''m not immune, I can throw off the effect at will."


    "Good," Anko said, looking relieved.


    "How long would it take you to revise the spell to use green mana?" Jiraiya asked.


    "No clue," Xander admitted. "I''m pretty sure I need a lot more experience with healing magics before I can even try."


    "Something for the future then," Jiraiya said cheerfully, as he examined various readings with a great deal of satisfaction. "I should have all the tests done by tomorrow, then we can start turning a profit! In the meantime, go out and have some fun."


    Xander caught the small bag of money that Jiraiya tossed to him. "I''ll be sure to do that."


    "Wanna pick up some green mana?" Anko asked.


    "I could use some," Xander agreed.


    "Good, I''ll show you one of my favorite training grounds," Anko said, "and can you use green mana to deliberately set off the baby craze?"


    "I think so," Xander agreed. "Why?"


    "A couple of pranks and payback for Kurenai," Anko said with a smirk.


    "This has bad idea written all over it," Xander said with a melodramatic groan.


    "Yes, but in between that it reads ''good time''!" Anko promised, pressing herself against him.


    "Can''t argue with that," Xander agreed as he let Anko lead him off.


    Jiraiya chuckled and signaled for one of the hidden ANBU to stay behind. "You were caught by his jutsu, you gotta be checked as well."


    Taking off his mask, Hayate nodded. Taking a deep breath and not feeling the slightest urge to cough, he said unrepentantly, "I''ve seen enough of the kid to think it worth the risk."


    "I figured you might," Jiraiya said with a smirk, taking Hayate''s ANBU mask and removing a hidden monitoring seal.

 Chapter 393 - My SI Stash #93 - Defiant by Twubs (Naruto)

    -This AU fic is built just like a Randomizer Nuzlocke/


    Synopsis: This world is not how he knows it. In fact, it is much scarier. SI/Naruto AU!


    Rated: M


    Words: 9.2K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13624392/1/Defiant (Twubs)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki. You will be a part of Team Ten under Jonin, Might Guy."


    I had never been the most in touch with my chakra. I knew that I had above average reserves, if my troubles with even the most basic chakra control exercises were any indication.


    But I noticed the shift in my chakra immediately. What came next, I would have never in a million years expected.


    Twenty-five years of another life bombarded my skull in the span of a second. There was a brief flare of pain in my mind and chakra coils but it didn''t even last long enough for me to cry out. In fact, it barely registered. Growing up in an orphanage made one tough before they could even understand the meaning of the word. Not to mention that shinobi developed high pain tolerance very early on in the academy.


    I was too busy seeing another life, in another universe. A universe without chakra.


    I watched myself? grow up, in all its glory. Pain, love and everything in between was shown before my twelve year old eyes as if I was living it over again.


    When it ended, I was no longer just Naruto Uzumaki. No no, I could never go back to being just Naruto Uzumaki.


    "Naruto?"


    My eyes focused on the world in front of me. A young girl, with bright pink hair stood in front of me with a confused look on her face.


    Sakura. I realized as I looked at her features like I hadn''t grown up with her. She did not look like an animation. No, she looked like a normal human being with really eccentric hair.


    I had my first reality check in this world within the first five seconds of being in it. It was not an anime. This was real life.


    "Sensei called our names, let''s go." Sakura said as she grabbed my hand and lifted me out of the seat. I stood up obediently but couldn''t help but notice how strong she was.


    Chakra, idiot. I told myself as I followed her out of the classroom.


    I didn''t look back, but if I had, then I would have seen Iruka, and the rest of the class, watching me warily.


    I shook my head as I walked out in the hallway and forced myself to focus on the present and not what was happening in my mind. An asian man with black hair, and a bowl haircut stood in the hallway waiting on us.


    He had on the hideous green attire he was famous for in my previous life, and the same shit-eating grin. Next to him, stood a smaller clone of the man, although the facial structure was all off.


    Might Guy and Rock Lee. I told myself as I analyzed them.


    "Hello!" Guy said boisterously and way too loud for a ninja. "I am Might Guy! And this is my student Rock Lee!"


    "It is nice to meet you!" Lee said just as excitedly as Guy. Although I noticed his eyes were not on me, but instead on Sakura. His face was getting progressively more red the longer we stood there.


    "Meet us at Training Ground Ten!" Guy told us.


    There was a flex of both Guy''s and Lee''s chakra and they f.u.c.k.i.n.g disappeared.


    My eyes widened as I felt their chakra race out of my sensing range with pure physical speed. I hadn''t even seen their muscles flex in preparation.


    I couldn''t help but think to the future and how powerful I would need to become to survive it.


    F.u.c.k.


    I''m not a jinchuuriki.


    My legs bent slightly every time they impacted the rooftops.


    I moved on autopilot. Earlier on in the year, they had beat into us how to properly travel like a ninja. Mold chakra before landing. Crouch slightly. Jump. Eventually, I would develop enough physically to where this would speed up in several ways. I would be able to push off with one leg, resembling more of a bound and cover the same if not more distance and then from there you just get faster at it.


    The fact that I did not have Kurama, the nine-tailed fox, sealed into me had hit me as soon as I left the academy, chasing after Sakura and the Green Duo.


    At least I don''t think I do. There was no secret academy graduation from Mizuki, because I have had all three academy jutsu down since the second month of this year. I thought. And whenever I mold chakra, a massive seal doesn''t appear on my stomach.


    And it was true. The Naruto I knew, and the Naruto my memories knew were two different people.


    The biggest similarity is that I am an orphan and have been since I can remember. However, I have been living on my own for the past six months, not since I was eight. And while my relationship with the Hokage is definitely better than some average Genin, it wasn''t grandfather and grandson like.


    I didn''t know the Shadow Clone Jutsu. But on the other hand, I didn''t have to. I didn''t experience any discrimitation in the academy. My taijutsu was well above-average. I had a grasp on all of the academy three jutsu. I knew how to get out of genjutsu pretty consistently, but it could be improved on.


    And now, I''m not on Team Seven under Kakashi. But instead, Team Ten? I thought as I dug into my memories from both lives.


    What about Sasuke? Neji? Tenten? Is Kakashi even alive? I wondered as I realized I knew a whole lot of information that might be useless.


    The rooftops in front of me ended, and I molded a little larger amount of chakra in my legs and core before leaping into the section of Konoha that was zoned as training grounds.


    I came to a very graceful and controlled stop in front of Training Ground Ten. Guy and Lee were in the middle of running through a few kata''s and turned my way when I arrived.


    Sakura took that opportunity to land right beside me. I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn''t even realize that I had passed her up on the way there.


    "Good. You made it!"


    Guy was in front of us again, and I hadn''t seen him move. F.u.c.k I''ve got a long way to go.


    Guy''s face lost the bright, up-beat look on it and got serious for a moment. "Normally, there would be a test to see if you had what it takes to become Genin. If you passed, then we would continue as a team. If you fail, then you would be sent to the Corps. I don''t believe that a single test is an accurate indicator of what it takes to be a shinobi of Konohagakure." Guy explained.


    Well, it seems Guy might be more than what meets the eye. I deduced as he switched gears on us. And that seems to be spot on for his character, oddly enough.


    "So we will train for a week, and then I will decide if you have what it takes." Guy said. "My tests will be simple. I will break you and see what lies underneath. Understood?"


    "Yes sir." Sakura and I answered immediately.


    "Good. You''ll want to quit, and go home. You''ll want to ask me to stop. You''ll want to report me to Hokage himself. But if you do, you''ll fail. Persevere, and you will pass. Show me work ethic, and loyalty and I''ll teach you everything I know." Guy continued, showing me that I was right and he wasn''t an exact copy of what I knew of him from the anime.


    "Now, go home and think it over. We meet at five a.m. every morning on this training ground. If you show up, you accept my challenge."


    And then he turned around, and started walking at a normal pace towards Lee. I wondered why he wasn''t moving at the same speeds from earlier, but quickly figured it out. He wanted us to see what him and Lee could do.


    Sakura turned to leave and obey our new sensei. Instinctively, my hand reached out and grabbed her arm. She looked to me with a frown on her face, and looked down to where I was touching her like she would cut my hand off.


    This Sakura is not the same either. She seems more mature. Then again this isn''t an anime, and we''re trained killers. I thought as I remembered my anatomy lessons and how they were geared on how to kill someone the fastest.


    I dropped my hand. "This is a test." I told her quickly. "We start now."


    It was easy to see that the absolute best answer to Guy''s standing answer, was to start right now. There was no room for doubt in a ninja''s mind, they needed to be absolute in their devotion to the cause and there was no room for insecurities.


    Sakura looked at me and a slight frown appeared on her face. She looked like she wanted to curse because I was right. In the end, she nodded towards me, indicating that she agreed.


    I took a deep breath and turned around to where Guy and Lee had stopped training, and were looking at us.


    "We''re ready, Guy-sensei."


    Right.


    Left.


    Right.


    Left.


    My feet thumped against the stairs beneath me. In my right hand, I held groceries that would be necessary for my physical growth in this world. Mostly meat and vegetables for the high protein I will need.


    I could barely hold on to the bags the food was in because of the bands on both of my wrists. A seal was written on each of them. The seal had no correlation to any of the Kanji that I knew of or had ever heard of. There were a couple of lines that I could tell were independent and connected at the same time. The lines intersected in seemingly random patterns and didn''t make any shape I was capable of describing. On the outside, hollow circles were lined up in a circle around the seal. Each was a different ''level'' on the seal.


    The first circle was half-way full of ink, showing that I wasn''t even all the way to the first level. I had a band on each wrist, and each ankle.


    My muscles screamed at me to stop moving. Instead I forced myself to climb the last set of stairs and move to my door. I moved inside and put everything in the right place in my apt.


    My mind wasn''t capable of thought, I was so exhausted. But I forced myself to get out some chicken, onions, broccoli, and the best surprise of this world, avocado. I fired up the gas stove and grabbed a skillet.


    I am Naruto¡­ I thought, still in shock over the fact.


    I threw in a healthy dose of butter without thinking about it and let my body take over. I cut up the onions, and broccoli before throwing them in. I set to work on the chicken then and when I was done, I threw them in also.


    What now? I wondered. I used to have dreams of becoming an elite of the village, as the Sandaime had told us our mother was. But I knew who Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze were. Son of a jinchuriki and the Yondaime¡­


    I threw the top on the skillet and went to peel the avocado before throwing them in a bowl. Garlic powder, salt, pepper, and a little jalapeno juice. That was all you needed for top of the line guacamole. When I was done mashing that up, the chicken and vegetables were finishing up.


    I did my best to bite back the tears that threatened to spill out of my eyes and on to my cheeks. It didn''t work. I was a grown man. but I was also a twelve year old orphan that just found out about his parents.


    I had always wondered why the others found out about their parents when they entered the academy and I didn''t. I thought as a sniffle racked through my body.


    I shuffled my food in the skillet around and started to pour in the teriyaki sauce I had purchased earlier. I didn''t leave it in for too long, just to stir it around and get it warm. I set the heat to low and put the lid back on. My hands took the lid off of the rice and looked at it. A tear fell off of my face, and I ignored it.


    Since I know they died. I can assume they sacrificed their life to seal Kurama into the next host. I thought and another sniffle ran through me.


    It''s done. I noticed as I took the rice off and drained the extra water before putting it on a plate. I reached for the teriyaki chicken and vegetables and poured literally all of it on the massive pile of rice.


    I grabbed my bowl of guacamole, and my plate of teriyaki chicken and rice before moving to my couch that had a table in front of it. I set my food down, and waited for a moment for it to cool off. In the meantime, I dug into the guacamole, and my brain melted in pleasure over one of my favorite foods ever.


    The tears stopped, as I distracted myself with the dinner in front of me. I ate, and ate and ate. In the end, I left just enough for me to pack lunch for tomorrow. I put the food in a plastic container and shoved it into the fridge.


    I''ll need to see if I can store food in storage seals and if they go bad or not. If not, then I''ll just make a day where I just cook enough food for a month and store it. I thought as I realized I would need every hour of every day to catch up with the titans of this world.


    In three years, I need to be on the level of Madara. And I don''t have the nine-tails in me. I realized. I could just become a side-character, live a good life and hope that somebody else puts a stop to Madara.


    Almost as soon as I thought about it, I threw it out the window.


    F.u.c.k that shit. If they lose, I get put into an eternal genjutsu. I refuse to live in a lie. I''ll make my place in this world, by force.


    My brain had accepted my parentage, and moved on to the problem of the future. And that problem was f.u.c.k.i.n.g huge.


    Ok, how do I do that. What will put someone on the level of Madara in three years? I wondered.


    Sharingan, Mangekyo, Eternal Mangekyou, Rinnegan are all overpowered. Impossible for me. I said, mentally marking out the most op thing in this universe.


    Jinchuriki¡­ Once again impossible for me. I sighed as I started to clean the kitchen.


    Flashes of Guy knocking around Madara with the eight gates flashed in my mind. Eight Gates will leave the user dead afterwards. Possibility, but not optimal.


    My orphan mind went to how my father had achieved his status as The Yellow Flash. Fuinjutsu, but unless I am a genius, which I haven''t been in either life, it will take a lifetime of mastery with the art to do anything with it.


    A brief glint of sadness went through my body immediately throwing fuinjutsu out of the window like that. It would be really awesome to make my old man proud. I thought for a moment, and continued to brainstorm.


    I reached the shower and turned the knobs on to the perfect temperature that I liked.


    Who says that I need the Flying-Thunder-God, though. I''m sure there are other avenues in fuinjutsu that could boost me to S-rank. I told myself as I stepped in the shower.


    I still had the weights on my wrist and ankles and my eyes flicked to them subconsciously. A hundred ideas of how fuinjutsu could play a role in the series flashed into my mind before I made a crucial decision.


    F.u.c.k it. We''re going for broke at this point. Let''s learn everything Guy can teach me, and on the side we''ll work on fuinjutsu and ninjutsu. I decided as I finished up cleaning my body in the shower.


    I stepped out and started to dry myself before I looked up at the mirror in front of me. My blonde hair rose up in spikes, not caring about the water that was supposed to cause it to lay down. My eyes were the same brilliant shade of blue that was shown in the anime. Except, they managed to be even more impressive. It was like looking into the depths of a sapphire.


    My face was handsome and proportionate. I knew that I took after my mother for the facial structure, and that thought made me smile. My teeth were naturally straight, a blessing from the powers of this world. I didn''t know if braces existed in this world, and didn''t want to find out.


    Well, they can probably just fix it with chakra¡­ I corrected myself as I thought about it.


    My hand went to the toothbrush and I began brushing my teeth.


    The sun had just set over the horizon when I went to bed. I set my mechanical bed-side watch to wake me up at four o''clock in the morning and shut the lights out.


    I fell asleep as fast as I ever had.


    I raised my left arm in front of my face in the form of a textbook block.


    Lee''s leg continued forward to my face as if it wasn''t even there. My body flipped in the air almost immediately and I hit the ground, where I rolled a couple of times.


    I stopped on my back and groaned as the impact registered in my mind.


    "Don''t block opponents who are superior in strength, Naruto-kun!" Lee said as his face appeared in my line of sight.


    I shut my eyes immediately and just enjoyed how good it felt to not move for a few moments. As soon as Sakura and I had arrived this morning, we ran around Konoha for a ten mile run. That was Guy and Lee''s warm-up. Sakura and I had been dropped back off at the training ground to rest as the insane duo continued their normal morning workouts.


    When they had arrived, we immediately started sparring. Guy had deemed my taijutsu up to par to begin learning his personal taijutsu style, Strong Fist. It focused on delivering strong, overwhelming attacks that broke through most guards. There were defensive aspects in the style, but rarely were you on your back feet with the style.


    The only caveat is that it required enormous physical strength and overwhelming speed. The defensive techniques were just body movements that transitioned from defensive positions into offensive opportunities. Guy''s version of defense was offense.


    After an hour of instructions on the basic kata''s, Guy had split us apart so that I could go integrate it while sparring with Lee, and he would further refine Sakura''s taijutsu himself since she needed the most work. He spent most of his time trying to get her energy levels where he needed it. Apparently she was really on a diet and the run had pretty much taken everything out of her.


    Guy''s face when she told him she was on a diet will forever remain in my memory banks as one of the funniest ever. Then he showed his intelligence by throwing around nutritional facts and deep science to disprove the thought process of the bookworm.


    Sakura at least managed to keep up with him in the conversation, and left with a completely new perspective on what nutrition meant for kunoichi.


    I was broken out of my thoughts by Guy''s voice cutting through the clearing. I leapt to my feet at what he said.


    "I didn''t know I called for a break, Naruto."


    "Sensei, wait." I called out to Guy before he could disappear. He had just dismissed Sakura and I for the day. It was around three in the afternoon, and I had some time before I needed to go home and sleep off the abuse of the day.


    Guy looked at me, waiting for me to continue.


    I didn''t know how to approach the topic, so I just blurted it out. "I want to learn fuinjutsu." I told the jonin.


    I felt Sakura''s chakra signature leave the clearing as she jumped away. Really need to test my sensing ability. It doesn''t seem too developed but maybe I can train it?


    Guy''s eyes changed a little when I told him that. He looked at me slightly differently. "Why?" Guy asked simply.


    I frowned, not sure how to properly answer that. I knew that lying to a jonin was a bad idea generally, so I decided to go with a half-truth.


    "The Uzumaki were the greatest practitioners in all of the elemental nations. Maybe I have some talent in it." I answered. Then I held my arm up and showed him the weights. "And if this is any indication, it''ll be f.u.c.k.i.n.g useful." I added on.


    Guy didn''t berate me for my language. I wasn''t sure if it was because I was now an a.d.u.l.t and could do what I wanted or because he was thinking.


    "You''ll need clearance. I''ll look into it." Guy said before disappearing to do whatever he does later in the day. Probably some mission with Lee.


    My first thought was to go home and rest. But I realized that it was too early and I could get some more training that didn''t involve taijutsu or my body.


    There was a tree fairly close to me, so I approached it. I briefly thought about taking my weights off to try this exercise before deciding that taking the easy way out was not the best way to reach S-rank. So I summoned my significant reserves of chakra and sent it to my feet.


    I lifted one of my legs and put it on the bark of the tree. I tried grabbing it with my chakra before moving my leg up and down. My foot stayed glued to the tree.


    So I tried putting all of my weight on the leg. I slid down the trunk pretty quickly. I applied a little more chakra, and received the same result.


    I decided that approaching this slowly might not be the most effective way. So I backed up a couple of steps and drew a kunai out of it''s patch deftly. I wasted no time in running towards the tree.


    My first step was successful, as was my second. Now that I was running, I could feel the way my body was shifting, and could adjust my chakra around my body accordingly.


    Then, I applied a little too much chakra and the wood underneath me cracked. If I hadn''t been taught since I was little on how to fall, and how to keep my balance, I would have fallen on my head. Because of my training, I used the foot still on the tree to push off of it into a backflip. I didn''t have time to mark the tree with the kunai.


    I landed on my feet, and softened the blow with my chakra. I couldn''t help but think of the first try as a success and I smiled.


    "Let''s f.u.c.k.i.n.g go."


    When Guy said that he would look into fuinjutsu for me, I didn''t know that it would mean an introductory book laying on the coffee table in my living room the exact same night.


    Although, when I opened it up, the note inside explained it.


    ''Naruto-kun


    Guy told me of your interest in the subject and I took it upon myself to find a starting point for you. If you remember your lessons, you''ll know that Mito Senju was once an Uzumaki and one of their best seal masters.


    Upon her marriage to the Shodai, she shared her secrets with his brother who would later go on to become my sensei and the Nidaime. He wrote five books on the most basic aspects of fuinjutsu and revolutionized how Konoha shinobi learn the art. Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime, learned from this exact book and is considered to be the greatest seal master Konoha has ever produced.


    I am confident that this will be an appropriate introduction for the art. Come to me when you have mastered these concepts, and I will test you. If you pass, I will allow you to continue on to the other books.


    There are a lot of benefits to being a master of seals, Naruto-kun. We will also discuss how your relationship to the village will change if you show proficiency in the future.


    With Love,


    Hiruzen Sarutobi.''


    I nearly fainted.


    A/N: Boom!


    So here is the Naruto-verse SI I mentioned at the end of Voleur D''ame.


    I''m sure that I might be misspelling some of the Japanese terms so if you see it, point it out.


    It is a huge change from Canon right off of the rip. We learn a couple of things in this chapter, and it all revolves around one thing.


    Naruto is not the jinchuriki of the nine-tails.


    So Naruto and Sakura are thrown on Team Ten under Gai. I''ll leave everyone in the dark for now on where Sasuke and Kakashi are. It''s not a huge reveal. In fact, I''m sure everyone will figure it out fairly shortly.


    So Naruto needs to get very very strong in a very short amount of time and he''s going to try fuinjutsu. Of course, this won''t be everything. Nothing in my stories is black and white. He will develop as the world molds him.


    Anyway, what do we think about this take? I am sure it will provide a unique perspective and take on the world of Naruto.


    This will be a much more realistic take than most. Let''s talk in the reviews.

 Chapter 394 - My OC Stash #94 - Again by Drich (LegendofZelda:BreathoftheWild)

    -Never-ending you''re finally awake meme but it''s actually wake up, Link~


    Synopsis:


    Link wakes up. Journeys across the world. Defeats Ganon.


    Link wakes up.


    Again. And Again. And Again.


    Rated: ???


    Words: 67K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/again-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild.883292/ (Drich)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    +++


    "Wake up, Link."


    These are the words that begin a lengthy tale.


    It is a tale of a Hero, awoken, without memory or identity, in a strange, ancient cave, with naught but a voice to guide him.


    It is a tale of triumph. It is a tale of melancholy. It is a tale with an unfortunate beginning, but also a happy ending.


    It goes something like this:


    "Wake up, Link.", says the voice, and so the Hero does. He knows, in these early moments, very little, and it is only thanks to the voice that he regains his name so quickly.


    He wakes, lying in a strange bed, blue liquid draining away from his body. He feels... not weak, but certainly drained. The room is sealed, and appears to be fashioned entirely from black and brown stone. There is light, and it comes from the stone, pulsing with shining blue.


    He stands, and he sees not too far away a pedestal. It glows with blue light, and Link moves over to it. As he approaches, the pedestal shifts, and offers up to him a strange, rectangular device, also glowing with blue light. Lines of orange light pulse their way across it.


    "That is a Sheikah Slate. Take it. It will help guide you after your long slumber." The voice directs, and Link does so shortly. He cannot remember ever having seen it before, but it takes only a moment before he''s able to activate it.


    A series of columns shift, and rise into the ceiling. A passage, opened.


    Link moves. Two stone chests, and he finds a few tattered, threadbare clothes. Better than the undergarments he had been wearing, but not by much.


    Another pedestal at the end of the next room, and the voice directs him to hold the Sheikah Slate up to it. He does so, of course, and the door opens. Sunlight shines into the room.


    "Link..." The voice says, slowly. "You are the light -our light- that must shine upon Hyrule once again. Now go..."


    And so he does.


    Outside is a picturesque view, lush green land, mountains in the distance, snowy peaks and an angry volcano both. A castle is also present, but it stands in stark contrast to the beauty of the world around it. There is a strange, dark, pink swirl surrounding it, and just looking at it brings a chill to everything that is good and right.


    Evil.


    The word cements itself in his mind as he sees it. It''s a fact, one that he is as sure of as his own name.


    He turns away.


    The ground slopes downwards and to the right, from the entrance to the cave he''d emerged from. Not too far down is a fire, and a large, old man with a lantern and a cloak. He''s unfamiliar, but he looks at Link with something a bit too intense to be curiosity.


    The voice gives him more directions. The Sheikah Slate provides him a place to go to.


    He goes.


    There are creatures, monsters, on the way. They are cruel, malicious creatures, armed with wooden clubs, brittle swords, and bows and arrows. He has a few tree branches that he''s picked off of the ground, by then. They try to trouble him.


    The ease with which he ends them ought to feel confusing, but somehow, only feels right. The tree branches break, so he takes their weapons, stronger and more durable, and fights his way through. The act of fighting is so intimately familiar he doesn''t even need to think about it.


    He finds another pedestal, near-hidden under some large rocks. The Sheikah Slate activates it, and a tower rises under his feet. A splash of blue liquid, so similar to what he''d woken up in, and suddenly, the Slate has part of a map. Convenient and useful.


    The old man appears after he descends the tower. The old man tells him a story: Calamity Ganon. A creature that had appeared, suddenly, and destroyed everything in its path. It is contained within the castle, but not for too much longer.


    Link needs to go there, but the only way off the plateau is the Paraglider that the old man carries. The old man offers it to him, in exchange for treasure; specifically the treasure of a shrine that, now that the tower has risen, glows with orange light.


    Link goes. The monsters on the way there are no challenge. It opens with the Sheikah Slate, and he descends into its depths.


    A splash of blue liquid, and the Sheikah Slate can control metal objects. Magnesis. Useful. At the end of the shrine is a Monk, aged and decrepit. They do not move as they speak, with a voice that echoes within his mind rather than in the air, gifting him a treasure. A Spirit Orb, just what the old man was after.


    Link wonders, then, who the old man was, that he knows precisely what awaited Link within the Shrine. He asks, eventually, but the old man deflects and doesn''t answer.


    The old man reveals more knowledge. The Slate can transport Link to the Shrine and Tower that he''s been to. He goes to the Tower, appearing at its peak.


    The old man is waiting for him, somehow. Here before him, somehow. He deflects, yet again, on answering why.


    The old man then directs him to other shrines. It isn''t the deal they made, but Link goes anyway. The closest shrine is guarded by old, damaged stone, but then that old, damaged stone comes to life in front of him, blue and orange and malevolent pink. Ice fills his veins at the sight, and he goes around, choosing to climb over the walls rather than chance a fight with it.


    The shrine gives the Slate the ability to create bombs. Link spends several minutes tossing them over the wall at the not-dead contraption. It makes a loud, piercing whine as it explodes, and that fills Link with a strange feeling.


    The statue''s remains, he picks over. There are screws, and gears, and the burnt out husk of something that still has a fading orange glow to it when he picks it up. The Slate, it turns out, can store the things he picks up, which is fortunate, and he puts them all away before making his way back to the monster camps he''d already wiped out and acquires a few extra weapons and shields.


    He moves on.


    The old man has a cabin in the woods. It''s fairly run-down, overgrown with moss. It seems as old as the old man. Did he really live there?


    The old man lets him have an axe. He talks about a meal, whose ingredients he''s forgotten. Link''s stomach grumbles, and he spends some time hunting and fishing.


    After a short time throwing wooden Bokoblin spears into a pond, he swaps to bombs. The spears work, but the concussive blast wave is significantly more effective.


    Hyrule Bass, Spicy Peppers, and meat, the ingredients turn out to be. It''s delicious, and he makes some more for the old man, who awards him with a thick, warm doublet. Hunger now sorted, and a protection from the cold of the plateau''s mountains now attained, he moves on. There''s a direct and easy way up, but he chooses to go through the other, more dense forest, now that he knows the Slate can store things. He hunts a few boars, keeps wandering around, and finds a plain with a series of rocks in the middle.


    The rocks get up. It''s a big thing, but it''s slow, and not very smart, either. Another, smaller rock on its back is the weak point, and he whacks it a few times with a club he''s borrowed from the monsters before jumping off when it tries to shake him off, only to then throw the club at it.


    It takes a while, and most of the weapons he''s gathered thus far, but it dies. It explodes, leaving behind a few glittering gems. They''re shiny, and they seem useful, so he takes them.


    He gets a few more weapons from a camp not too far behind it. There''s arrows that set things on fire there, too. A trip worth the effort, in his opinion.


    Eventually, he gets to the shrines.


    One shrine gives him the ability to stop objects in time. Stasis. If he hits them, then when it releases, they go flying. He considers trying to catch a ride on them, but, not having any way to land softly, chooses to wait until after he acquires the Paraglider.


    The other gives him the ability to create pillars of ice that aren''t very cold. They''re not slick. They don''t melt, even in the sun, nor do they move upon the river, or do they fall as they stretch sideways out of the waterfall. Ice isn''t meant to be anything like any of those things, but it''s convenient, so he doesn''t question it.


    The old man appears, and then disappears into thin air, telling him to make his way to the midpoint of all those shrines. Draw a line between them all, and the X will mark the spot.


    At least now he knows how the old man made it to the top of the tower before him.


    Link goes, of course. The old man is waiting at the top of the temple, run-down and decayed.


    The old man is a King. King Rhoam, who lost his life to Calamity Ganon, and who knew Link. King Rhoam tells Link the story, and then begs him:


    Save Zelda.


    He will. His name is Link, Calamity is Evil, and he will Save Zelda. A third fact.


    King Rhoam hands over the Paraglider, but encourages Link not to head directly to the castle. His slumber has left him in a much weakened state, and he will need to recover, first. Rhoam advises him eastwards, towards the Sheikah village of Kakariko.


    The King is haunted by his own past actions as much as he haunts the world, and Link listens. He can''t save Zelda if he''s dead, after all.


    Kakariko is nearly a week of travel away. He meets, on the way there, a stable full of people, a man with an affection towards beetles, and a creature three times his size, named Hetsu, who has lost his Maracas to a trio of Bokoblins. He retrieves them, but it turns out the Maracas have also lost their Korok Seeds. Hetsu tells him the children of the forest love their pranks.


    He finds two of them on the road to Kakariko, and then heads back. Hetsu is ecstatic, and expands his weapon inventory with a loud, wild dance that ends with a pop.


    Link had been happy to help, really, but now he''s suddenly quite invested. He promises to keep an eye out.


    Kakariko is as old as the traditions it embodies. Most of the people there are old, and there''s only a few children. Two guards let him into the main building when they see the Sheikah Slate. There''s a young, embarrassed girl cleaning the floor. Paya is her name, and she directs him inside after forgetting how to speak. It''s cute, but he should definitely get something that covers a bit more than his threadbare clothes.


    Impa is inside. She is old and unfamiliar. Happy to see him awake, greeting him with a smile that fades a little when she realizes that he doesn''t know her.


    From her, he receives quite a bit of information. She tells him a more ancient story, of the Calamity that had risen and then fallen ten thousand years ago. Divine Beasts, controlled now by Ganon, but which he might be able to do something about. Another Sheikah, in Hateno, who might be able to help.


    There''s a shrine, just above Kakariko. The Monk inside instructs him on combat, and he faces a smaller not-dead statue, a Guardian. He''s quick to prove he remembers how to fight, and the Monk disintegrates as they pass on their blessing, the Spirit Orb.


    An idol in the centre of the village feels familiar. He goes to it. A voice speaks, but it isn''t Zelda''s. The Goddess offers him strength in exchange for Spirit Orbs.


    He feels better as he leaves.


    There''s a shop, and it fortunately has clothes he can buy. He doesn''t have many Rupees, but when he takes out the jewels he received from the Stone Talus, the shopkeep smiles.


    He walks away with a Sheikah outfit that is deathly quiet in addition to new Hylian garments.


    A story about Kakariko''s guardian leads him back up to the shrine, and then into the forest behind it. Small, ethereal creatures, Blupees, dart away from him when they see.


    There is... something, in the forest. Big, orange, glowing with faded power, with a number of small pink lights flitting around it. Some instinct has him wearing the Sheikah clothes, and he acquires a few of the small creatures.


    The thing speaks to him. Asks him to listen to a tale. He does. It requests Rupees. Not many, but he doesn''t have many. He can, however, get more, so gives what he has.


    The Great Fairy Cotera is a vision of beauty, incredibly large and just as flirty, covered by jewels and not much else.


    With some materials he has on hand from the monsters he''s defeated thus far, she can upgrade his clothes. Give them a bit more strength, or enhance their effects. She can''t do much with her current power, so she tells him to keep an eye out for her sisters, and then sends him off with a wink after blowing a magic infused kiss at him.


    He heads to Hateno.


    There''s more people in Hateno than there are in Kakariko. Not by too much, though. That thought leaves a ill feeling in his stomach.


    A bit of asking around gets him directed to the tech lab. It''s on top of a hill, of course, and he enters to find a small child and an older man. The child directs him to the man. The man directs him to the child.


    Purah is a child. She''s also Impa''s sister. She directs him back down and out in order to relight the lab''s furnace with a blue flame. Down the hill he goes, and then back up.


    The Slate has pictures stored on it. Zelda has taken them. They might be the key to his memories. Purah also tells him to come back with ancient materials and Rupees, and she can upgrade his Slate''s Runes. He also learns that there is another tech lab run by another Sheikah, Robbie, in Akkala.


    Find the places the pictures were taken, maybe get his memories back. Sounds like a plan to him.


    The Slate proves its worth very quickly when it transports him back to Kakariko in only a few moments. It was a long trip on foot, but he''s crossed that entire distance for the sole price of some mild discomfort. He''ll have to keep an eye out for shrines. This travel method was just too convenient to not make use of it.


    He heads north from Kakariko, towards the Lanaryu Wetlands. It is very wet.


    An unpleasant surprise he finds there is a Guardian, not one of its old and broken-down compatriots, but a fully-functioning one. He puts an arrow in its eye, and then attacks the legs. He still has a sword from the Guardian Scout at Kakariko''s shrine. It makes fairly quick work of them, rendering it immobile. It also breaks when he cuts into the head, but fortunately, it was the last strike he needed. Guardian materials acquired, and there''s a shrine and tower nearby, too.


    Up the tower is a Zora. The fish-man seemed scared of heights, but also didn''t seem to be able to stop himself from looking over the edge. The Zora tells him that their Prince is looking for a Hylian, and points down at a bridge.


    Link goes.


    Prince Sidon is incredibly tall and equally friendly. He shouts encouragements and radiates sincerity. Link likes him.


    One of the guards of Zora''s domain recognizes him. He''s happy to see Link. He''s also surprised Link is alive. He advises Link to avoid the more elderly Zora.


    There''s a statue, carved from beautiful blue stone, in the domain. He lingers on it, looking at it, before moving on.


    King Dorephan is massive. Even sitting down, he towers over Link. He also recognizes Link. Seems happy to see him, even. He''s sad when Link relays that he has no memories of him, or anyone else.


    Link gets an explanation. The Divine Beast, Vah Ruta, is going wild, constantly creating a massive deluge of rain and water. Not a problem for the Zora, no, but if it keeps going, Vah Ruta will break the dam, wash away the Domain, and probably a large portion of Hyrule with it.


    He agrees to help. King Dorephan hands him a piece of Zora armor. King Dorephan''s advisor is not happy.


    Zora armor is crafted by Zora to give to those they love, and intend to marry.


    The advisor leaves, seeing it as a betrayal of Mipha''s memory that he receive that armor. Sidon goes to speak with him.


    The advisor, Muzu, was in charge of finding the lightning arrows they''d need in order to halt Ruta''s rampage. King Dorephan sends him after Muzu and Sidon.


    Muzu refuses to help. Sidon claims that Mipha had loved Link.


    He looks upon the statue.


    "I was thinking... this reminds me of the time we first met."


    How could he have forgotten her?


    Muzu is not impressed. He refuses to believe it.


    The Zora Armor fits him perfectly.


    Sidon points that out to Muzu, and Muzu is shocked. Mipha had loved Link.


    The Shock Arrows are up a mountain. They''re guarded by a Lynel.


    Link could sneak around. It wouldn''t be difficult, with the Sheikah armor.


    Link does not do that. What he does is go to the cooking pot, prepare a large, hearty meal that uses many of the Hearty Truffles he''s picked up thus far.


    And then he goes and fights a Lynel. It''s probably not the best decision he''s ever made, but he makes it for one reason.


    It only takes a single Shock Arrow to kill a Zora.


    The fight actually goes pretty well. Link is agile, and Lynels are big. Not slow, but they are big. It swings its sword, and he flips over it. Time itself slows down as he rushes in, unleashing a flurry of blows in a moment. It roars, charges, and Link swings his shield so hard that the Lynel bounces back. He stabs it with a spear as it recovers. It breathes fire at him, but in the heavy rain, it''s not nearly as dangerous as it might otherwise be. It grabs a bow and nocks a Shock Arrow, but he''s a much quicker and much more accurate archer, and it receives an arrow to the eye for the trouble.


    He comes back to Sidon with more than the arrows they need.


    Vah Ruta is... not as troubling as he was expecting. It reacts when they get close, summoning blocks of ice that shoot after them. Link shoots one with an arrow, and then realizes that they look similar to the ice blocks produced by the Cryonis Rune. Cryonis, it turns out, also breaks the ice blocks produced by Vah Ruta.


    Easy. Link breaks them, Sidon takes him waterfalls, and then Link sends Shock Arrows into the machinery, shutting them off.


    Repeat.


    Easy.


    Vah Ruta dips into the water. He gets aboard. Sidon wishes him luck.


    Mipha''s voice speaks to him. She sounds so happy, and it''s like Link is being stabbed with a dagger that freezes all the blood in his veins. She''s still here, in this thing corrupted by Calamity''s Malice.


    It doesn''t take too long to activate Vah Ruta''s terminals.


    Pink and black and Evil swirl from the Main Control Unit. Lines of blue Sheikah light swirl together behind him. The thing that appears is an abomination.


    "Please be careful." Mipha says. It''s one of Ganon''s creations, and it took her life a hundred years ago. "I have faith in you."


    Waterblight is anger and fury and hate, and it stands no chance whatsoever against him. So large, so slow, every movement telegraphed. It swipes, and he dodges. It lunges, and he moves in, letting it''s spear go past. It flings ice, and he freezes them in place before hitting them enough times that when Stasis breaks, they knock Waterblight to the ground.


    It charges energy like a Guardian, and he holds still. If he has the strength to knock a Lynel down with a shield bash, then this will be nothing.


    The beam lances out. Fast.


    But he''s prepared. He swings, and it makes an odd noise, and the beam just about kills Waterblight.


    Link stabs.


    Waterblight shrieks as it dies.


    Mipha appears to him. She''s so happy.


    Her Grace settles against his soul.


    He had not realized how much he''d missed her until that moment.


    Vah Ruta calms. Submerges into the water, and travels along the river, following tunnels that none other than the Zora even knew existed. Vah Ruta emerges at a mountain lake, and settles, facing towards Hyrule Castle.


    A beam of red light, so similar to the Guardians but so much more dangerous, tracked its way to the castle. Vah Ruta did not fire. Not yet.


    Link appears with a flash of golden light in front of the Domain.


    King Dorephan is happy. The other elders, also happy. There''s a feast, and at the end of it, Dorephan gifts him with Mipha''s own Lightscale Trident.


    He sets off the next day.


    Mipha isn''t the only Champion, after all, that was felled inside their Divine Beast.


    The closest Divine Beast is Vah Rudania, in Death Mountain. Link doesn''t head straight there, as between the Zora''s Domain and Death Mountain is Akkala. There''s probably a score of shrines to find, too.


    Of course, he visits Impa to tell her about Vah Ruta, first.


    She''s happy. She also figured as much, considering she could see the red line of Vah Ruta''s targeting laser.


    Off to Akkala he goes.


    The tower is surrounded by flying Guardians. It''s good, because he now has a lot of materials. Navigating the infectious, corrosive Malice that''s materialized around it is difficult, but not impossible.


    After that, he heads north-east, towards the tech lab.


    This time, he takes a look around before he climbs all the way up. There''s another furnace, and he''s glad he did, since he now only has to make the one trip.


    Robbie is... enthusiastic. Spry, and just as small as Purah, but while she looks young, he looks old. Cherry is another Ancient machine, mostly repaired and mostly helpful.


    Goodbye Rupees. Hello Ancient equipment.


    Over the cliff and across the water is a massive maze. Getting there is not easy, but he manages. Another shrine.


    He heads back south-east. A spring, and a memory with it. Zelda prays, and prays, and prays, and never gets any answers. Is the Goddess truly so cruel?


    A string of shrines make for easy transportation points. He stops at the stable at the base of the mountain, and picks up a few elixirs that will get him up the mountain without burning alive.


    Even with the elixirs, the heat is a killer.


    He doesn''t have enough elixirs to use them the entire time in Goron City, but fortunately, they sell armor that contains the same effect.


    Boss Bludo is shorter than Sidon, taller than Link, and weighs more than both of the latter put together by several times over. He''s not fat. He''s a Goron, which means he''s made mostly of rock, muscle, rock, and grit.


    Boss Bludo is old, though. He has a bad back. Rudania is causing problems, and Bludo normally shoots it with a cannon to get it to go away. Yunobu, another Goron, was sent to get his medicine.


    Yunobu hasn''t come back yet.


    Link finds him trapped inside of a room by boulders. Yunobu is happy, and rolls off.


    Link follows.


    Boss Bludo''s back is bad enough that he wants to call off the hitting Rudania with a cannon plan, but, fortunately, Link is there.


    Yunobu, apparently, is a descendent of Daruk. Bludo points out the mountain that''s been carved in Daruk''s image.


    "Hey, little guy!"


    Daruk was a good friend. Big and boisterous in a way that only the Gorons could be. Solid as the rocks they ate and ten times as dependable.


    Link heads up to Yunobu, and finds him menaced by Moblins. The Moblins shortly find themselves being menaced by Link.


    Link fires Yunobu out of a cannon. He''s unharmed, thanks to Daruk''s Protection, and it gets the bridge to drop.


    Link fires Yunobu out of a cannon three more times. The target for each one is Vah Rudania, which makes its way up the mountain as they continue. It releases some kind of Ancient Sentry that scans for them. There''s a bunch of metal boxes around the place, though, and Magnesis lets him use them as bludgeoning tools against the Sentries. They''re not bothered.


    Rudania drops into the caldera of Death Mountain, standing atop the lava that flows out. Link jumps in. He is admittedly kind of curious why his Paraglider isn''t bursting into flames despite being made of wood and cloth, but he''s not going to question it. It''s probably ghost magic, or something.


    Another set of terminals, and then the Main Control Unit, and just like with Vah Ruta, an abomination appears.


    "Watch yourself, now." Daruk rumbles. Another of Ganon''s monsters, and another that took a Champion''s life. "Go get ''im!"


    Anger, fury, and hate. Fireblight isn''t as large as Waterblight, but if anything, it''s even slower.


    The only trouble it gives him is when it surrounds itself with a barrier. That''s a problem that solves itself when it starts drawing in energy, a vortex of air rushing in. Link tosses a bomb, which gets sucked in, and when it detonates, Fireblight comes crashing to the ground.


    Repeat.


    Fireblight dies.


    Daruk grins.


    His Protection settles alongside Mipha''s Grace.


    Goddess, but it''s good to be with friends.


    Vah Rudania crawls to the edge of the caldera. It''s face opens, and another targeting beam marks Hyrule Castle.


    Halfway there.


    Bludo is happy that Rudania has calmed down. Yunobu is a bit more confident. Daruk''s Boulder Breaker is a massive, heavy thing, but Link is strong enough to wield it.


    Vah Medoh is the next closest Divine Beast. Getting near it, however, isn''t as easy. Heading west from Death Mountain would take him into Hebra, which is incredibly cold. The warm doublet he''d received from King Rhoam wouldn''t be enough to deal with that, which meant he would need elixirs, or more warm clothes.


    Asking around the stable, however, told him the best place to get more warm clothes was inside Rito Village, which was precisely where he was heading in the first place.


    The other way to get there, other than going through Hebra, was to cross through Hyrule Field. Hyrule Field, which housed dozens, maybe hundreds, of Guardians.


    A daunting, but not impossible, prospect. He was hardly likely to encounter them all, after all. Maybe a dozen along the path, at best.


    There was a Sheikah Tower, west of Death Mountain, before Hebra, however. Link ended up going towards it.


    On the way, he stumbled upon a familiar spot. One of the photos in the Slate matched it.


    "That cut doesn''t look too bad, actually."


    Oh. He''d fought four Lynels and a hoard of Bokoblins, here. Zelda had been as much concerned as she was scolding. He''d taken a hit, then. Just the one, though. The Master Sword had ever-


    Ah. Right. The Master Sword.


    Link looks out, seeing the curtains of fog that covered the nearby forest.


    The Master Sword had been lost. He''d have to search to find it, wouldn''t he?


    Link goes on.


    The Tower is activated, and then a few nearby shrines, before he goes to the forest.


    He finds his way through, of course. Laying within is, as it happens, exactly the sword he had been looking for.


    He reaches out to it-


    "Link. You are our final hope. The fate of Hyrule rests with you!"


    A tree yawns, and greets him.


    The Great Deku Tree is another old being who remembers him. It tells him about the Master Sword, and offers a warning. He would be tested, if he tries to wield it.


    His hand reaches out. The handle is smooth and warm.


    He lets go. He knows that he isn''t ready yet.


    Another goal is added to the list. Regaining the Master Sword is an important goal, and there are still regions he hasn''t been to.


    Link goes back to Kakariko. Impa gives him a tunic, old and light blue and obviously cared-for. Zelda had made it for him, a hundred years ago.


    Link goes east. Lanayru mountain beckons, but Link heads a bit north of it, first, upon seeing a Sheikah platform.


    He meets, then, a Rito by the name of Kass. A musician, who sings for him a song about the platform. The puzzle contained within reveals a shrine when solved. It''s the first of many such meetings.


    Two more shrines afterwards, and he heads back to the mountain. It''s cold, but a Flameblade is warm against his back, and the warm doublet takes the rest of the edge off.


    A memory, at its base. Him, the Champions, the Princess, the moments before the disaster. Zelda, so sad, so disappointed in herself, but it''s never been her fault, has it?


    A Dragon is enchained upon the peak of the mountain by Malice. Link wastes no time freeing the spirit. Another shrine is revealed when he offers Naydra''s scale to the waters of the spring.


    He goes down the other side of the mountain. Another shrine, and then he heads back towards Necluda, following the edge of the sea.


    Eventually, he makes his way into Faron, shrine after shrine after shrine opened in his wake.


    Another Dragon, but Farosh is free of corruption. Another scale, and one of Kass'' song leads him to the spring.


    Back to Kakariko. He has Spirit Orbs. The Goddess gives him strength. It seems she has no trouble speaking to him. Why had her own blood gone unanswered for so long?


    To Korok Forest.


    The Master Sword drains him severely. It feels like he''s about to collapse, right before the blade comes free of the stone. The handle feels like an old friend in his grip.


    The Deku Tree congratulates him.


    Zelda, then, tells him of trials. The Master Sword does not have its full power, quite yet. The Deku Tree elaborates a bit more.


    Link takes the trials. It''s... not as difficult as he was expecting. Fighting monsters in bad conditions? He''s been doing that since the beginning. They give him the tools he needs to survive, and all he needs is patience, then.


    Three trials, and the Master Sword shines brilliantly.


    There are still many shrines left. And there are still memories to unveil.


    A painter in Kakariko is able to shed light on the locations of a few pictures. Link heads to the Dueling Peaks, finding a pair of shrines that each contain the other''s answer. From the southern, taller peak, he can see the flooded ruins of what was once Deya village.


    Another memory, underneath a tree. Rain, and Zelda, feeling the weight of her responsibilities.


    The next memory isn''t too far away. Across the river, down the road, near to a lake. A bright, sunny day, as Zelda talks about Vah Rudania. Created by people, something that could be understood. She asks Link if he has heard the voice that supposedly belongs to the Master Sword.


    It is warm and comforting, in his hands. But if the blade speaks, he hears nothing.


    He continues, of course. Hyrule Field is significantly less threatening, now, compared to how it was before. Daruk''s Protection is ever-ready, but it proves unnecessary as Link cleaves the Guardians apart. Past the tower and in front of the ruins of Castle Town is a broken stone stage and another memory.


    A ceremony. Zelda cites statements of ascendance and blessing. The Champions watch on. The air is somber, and Zelda falters slightly before continuing. The Champions talk, and Link can''t help but overhear. To the Zelda of then, Link is a reminder of her own failures.


    It occurs to him that in all these memories, he''s not seen her smile.


    The Castle is just ahead. Link will have to go there, eventually. One of the pictures, however, was taken from within it.


    Will she be smiling, in it? In her home?


    There is no harm in investigating the castle, even if he isn''t ready to fight Calamity just yet, he decides.


    The Castle is overrun with Malice, corrupted Guardians, and monsters. The rest of Hyrule has healed, but not this place. This place is dead, and Calamity is stubbornly keeping it that way.


    There''s a shrine, under the castle. A good place to enter from. The memory is up near Zelda''s study.


    She is smiling. A Guardian follows directions, uncorrupted. Zelda is happy, and excited, talking to Link about it. Then her father, King Rhoam, enters, and suddenly, she isn''t happy anymore.


    He heads west, after the castle. The Ridgelands are not easy or pleasant terrain, but they''re far from the worst. Thundra plateau is unpleasantly wet and dangerously stormy, but he handles the challenge.


    North-east of the tower is one memory, and far south is another. The first, and Zelda is excited, showing Link flowers and plants, talking about their uses. The Silent Princess, which she loves, but which refuses to be tamed. Then she sees a frog and tries to feed it to him.


    The second, and they''re riding on horses. Mount Lanayru towers in the distance, and Zelda tells him she plans to travel there in order to pray at the third and final spring. She hopes it will awaken her power.


    But Link already knows it doesn''t.


    He heads towards Tabantha.


    The canyon is massive, and it is late as he crosses the bridge. A wall of heat and power, and the third Dragon, Dinraal, sweeps underneath. Another scale to offer.


    Fortunately, there''s a shrine nearby, just up a ridge. Even more fortunately, a memory lays with it.


    Zelda is... frustrated. She insists on not needing an escort. She does not like the him-of-then. He follows, even though she snaps at him for it. They eventually become friends, he knows, but it still hurts.


    Two memories left.


    He takes a brief detour to the Spring of Power to offer Dinraal''s scale, and then continues from the previous shrine.


    Tabantha tower is ringed with Malice.


    Rito Village is north of it. Vah Medoh circles above.


    "Impressive, I know."


    Revali... had been kind of a jerk, actually.


    Perhaps unfair. Revali was, in a word, prideful, but that pride had been earned. Not a leader, not royalty, no special blood, just an unending determination to be better. The Rito''s greatest warrior.


    There''s a shop, selling warm clothes. Rito feathers are amazingly warm. Hebra will be no challenge, now.


    He eventually finds his way to the Flight Range. Teba, a white-feathered Rito, is practicing there, preparing to attack Vah Medoh and bring it down. Link offers his help, and after proving his skill, Teba allows him to join.


    Vah Medoh has a barrier that''s ringed with cannons. Link destroys them, but Teba takes a hit to his leg and must leave.


    Going alone, again.


    But he isn''t alone, of course, as Revali is quick to direct him.


    Terminals. Main Control Unit. Vah Medoh is larger than Vah Rudania or Vah Ruta by far, but Link makes his way through.


    The third abomination materializes.


    "Good luck." Revali says. It killed him, but Revali assures it was only because he was winging it. "I can''t believe I''m actually saying this... But, you must avenge me, Link!"


    And so he does.


    Windblight is accurate, with a weapon that fires fast. Link, however, is agile, and he still has quite a number of Bomb Arrows left over from destroying Vah Medoh''s cannons.


    Anger, fury, hate. Doesn''t help it.


    The Bomb Arrows bring it down. The Master Sword parts the Malice that is its flesh with ease. It dies.


    Revali is flamboyant.


    His Gale settles in place.


    Revali acknowledges him. It had only taken both of them dying.


    Vah Medoh settles on the spire of Rito Village. The third red targeting laser marks the throne room.


    The last Divine Beast, Vah Naboris, is in the desert. Link does not head directly there, not just yet. There''s only two pictures left, and one of them is an oasis in that desert, but the other is a forest.


    Pikango the painter directs him to the latter.


    That memory is... hard to bear. It''s raining heavily. Link has the Master Sword in one hand, and clutches Zelda''s hand with his other. They''re both filthy, covered in mud. She falls to her knees in despair, and he kneels in front of her. She blames herself for everything that''s happened.


    Link can only hold her as she cries.


    It takes a few hours, before he gets moving, again. He''s so close to ending it, anyway.


    To the desert, he goes.


    Kara Kara Bazaar holds the final memory. Zelda, chased by assassins. The red-clad Yiga, come to claim her life when she left the safety of Gerudo Town. They came so close before Link arrived. One assassin drops. The other two leave, in fear of their lives.


    It had been after that that she''d truly tried to make friends with him.


    He heads to Gerudo Town.


    Men, Voe, are not allowed in Gerudo Town.


    He ends up back in the Bazaar, wearing Gerudo clothes that are... perhaps too familiar on his skin. It isn''t quite memory that makes Link shift his body language, but he realizes that he''s worn this before. Why? Who had taught him? For what reason?


    Who could answer?


    Back to Gerudo Town. The guards don''t bat an eye. Nor do the shopkeepers. The only one that realizes that there Link is not a Vai is the young Chief, Riju, a small child.


    Riju sends him after a Gerudo artifact, the Thunder Helm, which was stolen. Guards and soldiers end up informing him that it was the Yiga, and from there, he tracks the Yiga down to a hideout in a nearby canyon.


    Sheikah clothes come in useful inside the hideout. There''s a captured Gerudo soldier, who provides him with some useful information. The Yiga are assassins, but he is apparently better at it than they are. The moment they turn their back to him, they get a blade in it.


    Bananas, it turns out, are their weakness. Throw one in front of them, and they just can''t resist going after it.


    There''s plenty of chests and precious gems, but the Thunder Helm isn''t inside the hideout. A fake wall opens out into a wide area with a deep pit.


    The Yiga Clan''s leader appears, then. He''s... odd. Not at all what Link is expecting. Fat and silly. Still a murderer, and woefully unprepared to deal with Link.


    The Thunder Helm is retrieved. Riju puts it on.


    "Ah, well... You certainly got here fast."


    Urbosa. Tall and strong. Furiously dangerous, and yet, she cared. For Zelda, so young, yet bearing so much weight. The daughter of a dear friend, who she wouldn''t have hesitated to take as her own if she could.


    Riju and Link ride out the next morning. The Thunder Helm shields them from the lightning strikes of Vah Naboris, and Link sends Bomb Arrows into the legs.


    Terminals. Control Unit. Repeat.


    The fourth abomination takes form.


    "Stay on your edge, Link!" Urbosa proclaims, announcing her killer. "Fight for your life... And its death!"


    Thunderblight is larger than Link but smaller than the rest of its kin. It is a devilishly fast creature, jumping around so quickly that it blurs.


    Link is grateful, then, that he came here last. It''s fast enough that it troubles him, and it''s only finely honed instinct that allows him to parry its lightning-quick attacks. It gets worse when it draws upon Naboris'' lightning, and he''s quite grateful that he came prepared with shock elixirs.


    The battle is not long, but it is definitely the most furious. Neither allow the other a moment of respite, but Link is the one who emerges victorious as the Master Sword bites into Thunderblight''s neck.


    Urbosa congratulates him.


    Her Fury settles in place.


    Calm, steady- until the moment came, and then everything was unleashed. Just like Urbosa.


    Vah Naboris climbs the cliffs, and the fourth laser marks its target.


    There are still shrines to find. Hebra has yet to be really explored, and the Gerudo Highlands are much the same. Zelda''s voice rings in his ears, and she tells him to head back to where it began, the Shrine of Resurrection.


    He will, but first, he travels to Kakariko.


    Impa gives him one final destination. One last memory. The Ash Swamp, which he had been past multiple times before.


    He goes.


    The last memory is... His last memory. He is exhausted, wounded horrifically, surrounded by Guardians, the Master Sword chipped rusted and broken, but still, he doesn''t give up. Zelda is right behind him, and he will protect her. She begs him to run, to save himself. A Guardian approaches.


    She pushes him out of the way, so desperate. There''s a flash, of beautiful golden light, and the Guardians all collapse, purged of Calamity''s influence. Safe.


    But with nothing to fight, Link can''t keep on. He collapses, and Zelda rushes to his side, cradling him. He''ll be okay, she insists, even though he knows that he''s already on the edge of death.


    His eyes close. He doesn''t have the strength to move. A pulse at his side, and he hears the barest whisper of a voice. A man shouts for the Princess, and he hears a final order before he truly falls unconscious.


    The Sheikah are entrusted with his life. They will take him to the Shrine of Resurrection.


    And so Zelda approached Calamity all on her own.


    He had been prepared to give his life for her.


    And, really, he had given his life for her.


    Link doesn''t remember moving, after that. Doesn''t remember going to sleep. He wakes up in the nearby stable, at dawn.


    He is so, so close to saving her. Soon.


    He goes back to the Shrine of resurrection.


    Another set of trials await. A Sheikah Monk announces themself, Maz Koshia. A weapon is presented, and it sucks the life out of him when he picks it up.


    One hit, one kill. Both for himself, and for his enemies.


    They don''t stand a chance.


    More shrines, different, taller, appear. Four of them, and the weapon is replaced. A new set of challenges; four locations marked on his Slate.


    Kass meets him at every one of them, somehow. His presence activates the new platforms, and each one in turn activates three shrines. He completes them, and gains emblems of the Divine Beasts. With all three, he''s allowed to challenge the Blights again.


    Proving himself against them, Maz Koshia summons him back to the Shrine of Resurrection. It descends into the ground, revealing even more Sheikah constructions. Another set of puzzles, and in solving them, he can open the door that awaits.


    Maz Koshia is on the other side, inside the same stasis cubes that surrounded all the other monks.


    Then his finger twitches. A hand clenches into a fist. None of the Sheikah Monks had ever moved, but Maz Koshia stands up with a smooth movement that sends chills down Link''s spine.


    The Final Trial, the Sheikah Monk announces, is a battle with Maz Koshia.


    It is by far the hardest battle he''s faced, so far. Maz Koshia is skilled, powerful, agile, and has a pile of Sheikah techniques to deploy. He makes clones, tilts the battlefield, grows to immense size and strength, summons a wall of spiked balls, creates tornadoes, disappears and reappears freely, and even charges power in exactly the same way as a Guardian does.


    Link wins. It''s the nearest battle he''s ever faced.


    Maz Koshia presents him with an Ancient contraption for the victory.


    There''s only a few more Shrines left. The moment is approaching. The Master Cycle Zero is more than up to the task of getting him to where he needs to go.


    In an ancient temple, he completes the last shrine. The Monks reward him for the effort, gifting him clothes that he''s never worn but which are so familiar that it almost hurts.


    The moment is here.


    Link goes to the Castle.


    There''s a mass of Malice in the throne room, pink and red and black, that pulsates like a heart.


    Calamity Ganon bursts free. It''s a hideous thing, malformed, spider-like and oozing.


    Link is ready.


    So are the Champions.


    Blue light streams from above. Calamity Ganon looks up as Sheikah energy concentrates, and then bursts, raining down upon him with all the righteous fury the Divine Beasts can muster.


    Calamity Ganon collapses, but it isn''t dead. Not yet. It draws itself back up, howling.


    Link draws the Master Sword.


    Calamity had, clearly, learned nothing from its Blights. All the same powers and abilities, but it was still large, and still too c.u.mbersome. Link, too agile.


    It''s not a long battle, weakened as Calamity Ganon. It screeches as it dissolves, pink Malice rushing up, out of the chamber they find themselves in. Zelda''s power concentrates, and Link appears with a flash of golden light in front of a storm of swirling evil.


    Ganon has given up on becoming anything more than a beast. It''s a massive, terrible thing, but devoid of anything other than rage and power.


    Zelda sends him the Bow of Light. Her power rends open the Malice that surrounds his body, and Link fires arrows into the gaps, weakening it.


    Finally, they reach the final moment. Zelda forces open the core of the Dark Beast''s being.


    Link breathes in. Time slows. The arrow of light is loosed.


    Ganon disintegrates, again.


    Zelda appears, haloed with golden light and the Goddess'' power. Calamity swirls around, trying, one last time, to attack.


    Zelda holds up her hand, resolute, determined. A golden sun blooms, and Ganon howls as it is banished from the world.


    Zelda stands, and Link, slowly, approaches.


    "May I ask... Do you really remember me?"


    Link smiles and laughs so hard he cries. Zelda does the same as the sheer relief hits her.


    Where do they go from there? Onwards, of course. Zelda is filthy, and hungry, and so very tired, but Link will help. He takes her to a river, and with a Great Flameblade to heat the water, she bathes while he cooks. He gives her some of his clothes and she burns that filthy white dress that she''s hated for a hundred years. She can barely stay awake, so Link encourages her to get what rest she can while they ride to Kakariko.


    It takes a day or so. Kakariko is quite far. Link doesn''t push the horse past what it can take.


    So they ride into Kakariko. Everybody already knows, of course. Nobody could miss the light that the Divine Beasts had unleashed upon Hyrule Castle. Everybody can see that the Malice is well and truly gone. Everybody saw that shining golden light banished the darkness.


    The Princess and the Hero are greeted with cheers, and utter, beautiful relief.


    Three days after it is all done, Link and Zelda converse, quietly, under a tree. There''s a long future ahead of them. A people scattered, word to be given out. Things to be rebuilt.


    Difficult, but nothing compared to what they''ve already faced. Link promises that he will be with her every step of the way, and Zelda hugs him close.


    They sleep.


    When they wake, the next day, it''s with a bright smile and hope in their hearts.


    That is the tale.


    It''s a good one.


    ...


    But this is not that tale. This differs... just a bit. Most everything is the same, except for the ending.


    It goes something like this:


    Three days after it is all done, Link and Zelda converse, quietly, under a tree. There''s a long future ahead of them. A people scattered, word to be given out. Things to be rebuilt.


    Difficult, but nothing compared to what they''ve already faced. Link promises that he will be with her every step of the way, and Zelda hugs him close.


    They sleep.


    Then-


    "Wake up, Link."


    These are the words that begin a lengthy tale.


    It is a tale of a Hero, awoken, in a strange, ancient cave, with naught but a voice to guide him.


    It is a tale of triumph. It is a tale of melancholy. It is a tale with an unfortunate beginning.


    "Wake up, Link.", says the voice, and so the Hero does. He is so very confused, in these early moments, and it is only thanks to the voice that he''s able to do anything at all.


    He wakes, lying in a strange bed, blue liquid draining away from his body. He feels... not weak, but certainly drained. The room is sealed, and appears to be fashioned entirely from black and brown stone. There is light, and it comes from the stone, pulsing with shining blue.


    He stands, and he sees not too far away a pedestal. It glows with blue light, and Link moves over to it. As he approaches, the pedestal shifts, and offers up to him a strange, rectangular device, also glowing with blue light. Lines of orange light pulse their way across it.


    "That is a Sheikah Slate. Take it. It will help guide you after your long slumber." The voice directs, and Link does so shortly. It takes only a moment before he''s able to activate it.


    A series of columns shift, and rise into the ceiling. A passage, opened.


    Link moves. Two stone chests, and he finds a few tattered, threadbare clothes. Better than the undergarments he had been wearing, but not by much.


    Another pedestal at the end of the next room, and the voice directs him to hold the Sheikah Slate up to it. He does so, of course, and the door opens. Sunlight shines into the room.


    "Link..." The voice says, slowly. "You are the light -our light- that must shine upon Hyrule once again. Now go..."


    And so he does.


    Outside is a picturesque view, lush green land, mountains in the distance, snowy peaks and an angry volcano both. A castle is also present, but it stands in stark contrast to the beauty of the world around it. There is a strange, dark, pink swirl surrounding it, and just looking at it brings a chill to everything that is good and right.


    Evil.


    The word cements itself in his mind as he sees it. It''s a fact, one that he is as sure of as his own name.


    He turns away.


    The ground slopes downwards and to the right, from the entrance to the cave he''d emerged from. Not too far down is a fire, and a large, old man with a lantern and a cloak.


    Link stares at him, and he may as well have swallowed Malice for how his stomach feels. It''s only now, when he can feel the heat of the fire against his skin, the wind in his hair, his hands clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white, that he can think through the confused dread that''s filled him since he woke up in that blue pool.


    "Are you alright?" The old man asks, head tilting minutely as he directs a slightly worried gaze at Link.


    Link swallows, and, slowly, sits down. He opens his mouth, and the sound that comes out is hoarse.


    The old man quickly offers him a waterskin. Link, slowly, takes it.


    "Drink." The old man says, carefully. "Slowly."


    Link does.


    It takes effort to swallow.


    He takes three gulps.


    Wordlessly, he hands the waterskin back, looking at the fire. He breathes in, shakily, and then out, still shakily.


    "I-" His voice cracks. Link massages his throat, slowly. "I..."


    "Take your time." The old man says, voice kind and steady.


    Link sucks in another breath.


    "King Rhoam." He says, and the old man jerks back in surprise, eyes widening beneath the hood. "Haven''t we been here before?"


    Chapter 2


    The King blinks. Barely visible under the hood, but Link is short and that does rather help.


    "You remember?" King Rhoam asks, slowly. "That is... good. Yes, good."


    He straightens, and the old man vanishes with a burst of teal flame. King Rhoam, in his full regalia, now sits.


    "Yes." King Rhoam nods. "You have been here before, Link. Not too often, I believe, but you did come up to this plateau a few times when you were in our family''s service. Zelda personally brought you up here once, if I remember correctly."


    Rhoam turns towards the castle, which means he misses the look that Link directs at him.


    "You gave your life for my daughter." Rhoam spoke. "And she is giving hers for all of Hyrule. That monster is trapped within the castle by her power. I am afraid to say, but it has been one hundred years since Calamity appeared."


    He turns back. Link seems horrified. Rhoam tries to give an encouraging look, but it comes out like a grimace, instead.


    "I have no right to ask anything of you." Rhoam says. "You have already given so much. But, please-"


    "I''ll save her." Link says.


    Rhoam blinks, and, tentatively, smiles. "You are a good man, Link. Hyrule doesn''t deserve you." Rhoam stands up, and holds a hand out to the Hero. "Come. I can''t help you very much, but I will do everything in my power to ease your journey."


    And so Rhoam does. He gives Link food. He gives Link weapons. He gives Link shields. He provides bows and arrows, and a warm doublet for the colder areas. He shows Link how to use the Sheikah Slate, praising him on how quickly he picks things up.


    "How did you learn how to use this?" Link asks, and this time, he gets an answer.


    "I have been a spirit for one hundred years." Rhoam says. "I spent much of my time searching for ways to help Zelda. What I know now is the result of all that time. She''d have done better, I think. Zelda was always intrigued by such things. Yet another mistake I made..."


    Rhoam directs him to the tower. Link activates it, again. It rises, just like how he remembered.


    "It would be reckless to head directly to the castle at this point." Rhoam says, as the map appears on the slate. "Your slumber has taken a lot from you. We all thought it would take your memories, too..."


    Link remembers when it did.


    "See that shrine?" Rhoam points over the edge of the tower. "If my research was correct, then the shrines on this plateau are special. Supposedly, they contain runes for the Sheikah Slate. There are also Ancient Sheikah Monks inside. They have been waiting for ten thousand years for a Hero of Courage to appear. If you complete their trials, they should give you the Spirit Orbs they have held for so long. Those will help you regain your strength."


    Link nods.


    "Take this." Rhoam hands the Paraglider. "You have more use for it than I do."


    It''s a departure from before. Link... feels grateful for that.


    The shrines are the same. The decayed Guardian is the same. The Talus, the same. The Monsters, the same. But with King helping so much more, it''s accomplished far quicker.


    "Go to Kakariko." The King says. "Impa is much older, now, but she still lives. She will be able to help you."


    Link nods.


    The King smiles. A tinge of melancholy enters his expression, and he turns back to the castle. "There is much I wish I could say. Much, I wish I had said. In the castle library, there is a false shelf. Behind it is my private study. I am not certain if my diary has survived all this time, but, if it has, then, when all of this over, please give it to my daughter."


    "I will." Link agrees.


    The King fades away.


    Link looks at the castle.


    "I must ask..." Zelda''s voice says, slowly. "Do you really remember me?"


    "Yes." Link answers.


    "I am... very glad to hear that." Zelda sighs in pure relief. "Don''t rush here, Link. Calamity is a terrible beast. Take your time. Find the shrines. Free the Divine Beasts. I will hold for as long as you need."


    "I''ll be there as soon as I can."


    Zelda laughs.


    Link goes to the statue in the temple. The Goddess'' voice echoes. She gives the same greeting as he remembers. The same offer.


    Link... pauses.


    "Did you send me back, Goddess?" He asks. "Did I do something wrong, before?"


    The Goddess doesn''t answer.


    Several minutes and several questions, and no closer to answers.


    But she''s obviously still listening, because Link offers the Spirit Orbs and she takes them.


    Why?


    There is no way to get an answer.


    Link goes to Kakariko.


    "You''re finally awake." Impa smiles. Her eyes trace up and down his form, before meeting his own gaze. "You know who I am, don''t you?"


    "Yes." Link answers. He then takes a seat, crossing his legs underneath him in that particular way that those who learned from the Sheikah were taught.


    Impa''s smile widens at the sight. "We had worried that the Shrine of Resurrection would take your memories, but it appears you went through it intact."


    "The King said something similar." Link agrees.


    One of Impa''s eyebrows raises. "Rhoam?"


    "His spirit lingered." Link explained.


    Impa''s eyes closed. "Hmm. Of course it did. Rhoam had many regrets, before his death." She sighs, and then hops off of her pillows. "Come. Let''s get you something more intact than those ratty clothes."


    Paya squeaks as they walk out the door. Dorian and Cado snap to attention, both looking startled. Lasli the greeter stumbles her way through the greeting. Claree the shopkeep startles badly.


    "Everybody seems terrified of you." Link can''t help but note.


    "Nothing of the sort." Impa scoffs. "I simply don''t get out very much these days."


    Impa then proceeds to command Claree''s assistance with a new outfit. The way the younger Sheikah woman instantly jumps to assist casts doubt on Impa''s words.


    "No need for the tunic." Impa says. "I have your Champion''s Tunic."


    "Throw it in anyway." Link requests from Claree, before pulling out several gems that the Talus had kindly donated to his cause. "And the Sheikah set, too."


    Claree smiles.


    Impa scoffs, again, at the sight of the gems, but this time it''s filled with that particular mix of exasperation and fondness that she used to reserve solely for Zelda. "Somehow, your hoarding tendency is even worse than it used to be."


    Link escorts her back to her house. Impa gives him the light blue Champion Tunic. She tells him to head to Hateno, and visit Purah.


    He does, but not before first visiting Cotera.


    Having learned from last time, he acquires a torch and lights a blue flame before he goes up the hill.


    Purah is... significantly less restrained, this time. She greets him with a happy ''Linky!'', before immediately pivoting to ask him if he lit the furnace with the blue flame.


    "You must''ve come out of the Slumber of Restoration in good shape!" Purah says.


    "Yes." Link says, before asking a question he didn''t get an answer to, last time. "Purah, why are you six?"


    Symin exhaled, hiding a chuckle in the corner of the room.


    Purah waved her hands, as if such a small thing like why a woman over a hundred years old looked like a young child was completely irrelevant. "Oh, there was a small accident with anti-aging runes, but MORE IMPORTANTLY, you remember?!"


    Link leans back, a little, in the face of her enthusiasm. "Yes."


    "Hmm. Interesting." Purah pulled a book from the table, and scribbled in it. "Contrary... to expectations... the subject... maintains... memories... after... Slumber of Restoration. I could have sworn I read the warnings right, you know. It explicitly mentioned the loss of memories."


    "Maybe something went weird." He said, because sometimes, the only method of distracting Purah''s technological enthusiasm was to direct it. "Purah, Impa sent me here to get help with the Slate."


    "Snap!" Purah flicked her hands up. "She sent you to the right place!"


    In short order, she fixed the Slate up. Not too different from last time.


    Except...


    "Also-" He says, activating the Slate and scrolling to its inventory. "- I picked up a few things. Can you do anything with them?"


    Ancient Screws, Gears, Springs, and Power Cores materialize alongside a pile of glittering golden Rupees. This time, he knew she could make use of them.


    Purah grins. "Linky, you are a darling."


    Link heads back to Kakariko.


    "Did you know that Purah is six, now?" He asks, because he honestly hadn''t thought to ask this, last time.


    Impa sets down her tea, slowly. "Purah is what?"


    That would be a no, then.


    "Impa asked if you still have the anti-aging rune research." He informs Purah, who cackles.


    Last time, Link headed up to Zora''s Domain.


    This time, he doesn''t. This time, he sweeps south of Hateno, travelling across Necluda before heading west into Faron. He did similar, last time, but in a different order, and the journey he took then meandered much more.


    This time, he can go off of his memories of where and how the shrines are hidden. What had taken more than a month last time is cut down to two weeks, this time.


    Link makes a point of dropping by Lurelin and picking up the Shock Arrows they have on sale there. He makes another point of acquiring the Hearty Durians near Faron Tower.


    After that, though, he does head back up to Zora''s Domain. The threat of the East Reservoir Dam breaking and creating a flood is a rather considerable one, he feels, and he''s already more prepared now than he was before.


    Shrines, tower, Gruve the Zora who is scared of heights, bridge.


    Sidon is a welcome sight. But nothing changes until he meets King Dorephan.


    "You''ve done well to arrive here..." Dorephan''s eyes flick to his side, over the Sheikah Slate, and then dart back up to his face. Link shifts his stance, slightly, straightening his back and bringing his heels closer together. Dorephan inhales sharply.


    "Your Majesty-" His head tips in respect, before he looks back up and allows the barest ghost of a smile to cross his face as he finishes the sentence. "- Mipha''s Dad."


    Sidon''s jaw drops, a little. Dorephan looks stunned, before he grins and erupts into uproarious laughter.


    "Link!" Dorephan leans forwards, holding out a hand. Link takes one finger, which is all he can considering the sheer size difference. "The last time you said that, you were five."


    Link nods.


    "Wait." Sidon says. "You''re the Hylian Champion!"


    "Did you not tell him?" Dorephan asks.


    Link shakes his head. "It''s a little unbelievable."


    Dorephan leans back, still smiling but now more subdued. "Yes. It is good to see you returned to us. From what I was told... you fell in combat, many years ago." His eyes flick over Link, again. "And you haven''t aged a day, despite the hundred years between then and now. How is that possible?"


    "The Shrine of Resurrection." Link says, and Dorephan''s eyes widen before he lets out a sigh.


    "You did truly fall, then..."


    "I''m not... sure if I truly died." Link prefers not to think about it at all, actually. "But I would be dead without it."


    King Dorephan nods, slowly. A few seconds pass in silence as Dorephan closes his eyes and rests his head against his throne. "I regret to ask this, but your timing is fortuitous, Link. Do you remember Vah Ruta?"


    "About that..." Link begins.


    Link explains.


    "Zelda is alive?!" Dorephan exclaims.


    "In Hyrule Castle." Link frowns. "She has been trapped with Calamity all this time. Her power is the only thing that has held the beast back."


    Dorephan gives a considering hum. "All this time... And she has sent you to us. I am sorry to ask, but I must request you lend us your strength."


    Finally, Muzu can''t take it. He''s been silent so far, but this, then, is enough to break it. Muzu repeats much of what he said, last time. But...


    "It is their fault-" Muzu begins-


    "No." Dorephan interrupts, sharply, and Muzu shrinks under the tone. "The blame lies solely and completely upon the Calamity."


    "Nobody wanted this." Link said.


    "Easy for you to say!" Muzu snaps. "You''re not the one who is dead!"


    "Muzu-" Dorephan rumbled.


    "Mipha was my friend too." Link spoke, straightening. "Do you think I''m happy about this? I''m not. The last time I was in the Domain, Sidon came up to my thighs, his head fin dragged along the ground, and he was still terrified of diving from waterfalls."


    Muzu scowls. "And how would you know-"


    "Mipha told him." Sidon interrupted, and Muzu looked at the Prince. "I remember that. He and my sister... were often together."


    Muzu scowls, but directs a look to Dorephan, who nods.


    "I''ll help with Vah Ruta." Link says. "Not just for Zelda, but for Mipha, too."


    Dorephan smiles in thanks.


    "And how do you intend to do that?" Muzu bites, only slightly less vitriolic than before.


    Link turns towards the dam. His eyes trace the water that continues to spew upwards, and he looks up the mountain.


    Shatterback Point is dark, against the rain, but still visible.


    "I have a glider, now." Link said, eyeing the ridge. "Shatterback Point has the right kind of angle for it. If I dove off, I''d be able to hit all four of the mechanisms that control Vah Ruta''s water generation in one volley."


    "That''s quite dangerous." Sidon says.


    "There''s another Lynel, there." King Dorephan interjects.


    "Is it a red-mane like last time?" He asks. He already knows the answer, of course.


    King Dorephan hums. It''s a deep noise, coming from the massive Zora. "Yes." He agrees, slowly. "I do believe it is."


    Muzu shifts, uncomfortably.


    "Mipha was with me the last time I went up there." Link notes. "But I can handle a Lynel."


    "It is a long trip up." Sidon said. "And in this rain, it would be very difficult for a Hylian to climb the rocks."


    "There''s a solution to that." King Dorephan stated.


    Dorephan retrieved something behind him, and held it out to Link. The Zora Armor was tiny, in his grip.


    "To give him that!" Muzu growled. "My King, that is too much! It was intended for-"


    "Yes." Dorephan spoke. "And now, it reaches the one it was intended for. Put it on, Link."


    Link does so. The Champion Tunic and Hylian hood vanish into blue light, stored in the Slate. The Zora Armor slid over him smoothly.


    "A perfect fit?" Muzu questioned, before turning confused eyes to Dorephan.


    "I trust that you understand the implications of this?" Dorephan asked Link.


    "She never told me... that she was making something like this." He said. The White Heart Scale glittered in the light. After a moment, he looks up. "And there weren''t any Zora I knew with my build."


    "I was too young to understand, then, but I do, now." Sidon said, slowly. "Mipha loved you. Truly. This armor is proof."


    Muzu slumps. "I..."


    "Muzu." Sidon turns to the elderly Zora. "We still need Shock Arrows. You can see with your own eyes Mipha''s feelings, so, please..."


    Muzu sighs. "The Lynel."


    Link goes and kills a Lynel. Link comes back with scores of Shock Arrows.


    Vah Ruta hides underwater, unfortunately, so the jumping-off-Shatterback-Point plan is a bust.


    Everything else goes like last time, except Link is even more efficient about it.


    "Mipha." He says, just before she can give him her Grace yet again. "I... Do you have anything you want me to tell your family?"


    Mipha smiles at him, sad and loving. "Tell them that I love them."


    Her smile tinges with something sharp, a moment later. "And tell Sidon I saw his last triple backflip."


    He''s in front of the Domain.


    Sidon collapses to his knees, hunching over. It''s highly concerning, and the surrounding Zora stare blatantly.


    "She saw?" Sidon whispers, horrified. "I''ll never be able to show my face again..."


    "It must have been a very bad flop." Dorephan observes, and Sidon lets out a sound that is either a deflating balloon, or his soul leaving his body.


    Link awkwardly pats him on the back.


    There''s a feast, like last time. Unlike last time, this time, Sidon gives him a hug that is bone-creakingly tight. Dorephan thanks Link, sincerely, for conveying Mipha''s words. Muzu apologizes, and begs his forgiveness. Link accepts.


    Link goes to Akkala.


    Link does not go to Death Mountain, unlike last time. This time, he''s been to Faron, Necluda, Lanayru, and Akkala, and between them all, he''s found more than enough shrines. He goes around and past it, into Korok Forest.


    The Master Sword comes free of its pedestal, and the Great Deku Tree yawns.


    "You''re back." The Deku Tree says, and Link nods. "It is good to see you again."


    "It''s been a while." Link takes a seat. The Koroks swarm in, curious and playful and mischievous, and Link has to keep an eye on them to make sure they don''t run off with anything.


    "One hundred years since that day..." The Deku Tree agrees. "You remember us, Link?"


    "Yes." Link says, and the Deku Tree smiles.


    Three trials. The Master Sword shines brightly.


    Death Mountain.


    It doesn''t change too much. Neither Yunobu or Bludo know him, and neither have any reason to check his own memories.


    Vah Rudania. Fireblight.


    "Can you tell the youngster I''m proud of him?" Daruk asks, and Link agrees without hesitation.


    "I think I saw Daruk." Yunobu says, afterwards. "He waved at me."


    "You did." Link nods. "He''s proud of you."


    "You''re an amazing person, aren''t you, Link?"


    Link goes to Tabantha. Rito Village.


    Much the same could be said about Rito Village as Goron City.


    Vah Medoh. Windblight.


    "There''s a target on the wrong angle." Revali says.


    Link raises an eyebrow.


    "Don''t look at me like that!" Revali snaps. "It''s been annoying me for years, now. I set the range up to challenge my skills, not let it teach bad habits!"


    Link goes to Gerudo Desert.


    He doesn''t actually make it into the desert itself before there''s a swirl of paper or laughter. The Yiga assassin is easily dealt with, but it reminds him about the whole sequence of events.


    Link has arrived at the desert weeks earlier than he had last time. Link isn''t entirely sure when the Thunder Helm had been stolen, last time, but it will be needed.


    Link heads towards the hideout.


    Barta the captive Gerudo is not there, but there are more than a few Yiga, and Link does end up acquiring the Helm regardless.


    Link goes to the Bazaar, and then heads to Gerudo Town.


    "Sav''aaq, vator sas qou''vasa shivaka." Link greets. It''s an older and more formal greeting than would be used in this day and age, and that catches Riju''s attention because not only is the Gerudo language not particularly well-known by outsiders, that particular greeting was even rarer.


    "You''re no simple traveler, are you?" Riju''s eyes flick over Link. She stares at the Sheikah Slate for a moment, and then stares longer at the hilt of the Master Sword, peeking over his shoulder. Her eyes come then to his face, what little of it is visible through the Gerudo Veil, and she scans with intent curiosity.


    "My name is Link." He says. Riju''s eyebrows knit together a moment before she puts together the clues offered, and she leans forwards with delighted intrigue. "And I come to return something stolen from the Gerudo."


    Link takes one step. Fifteen paces is the respectful distance, and he reaches it as he kneels and presents the Thunder Helm.


    Her expression doesn''t change, but only because she''s too shocked to realize it should be changing. Buliara tenses, but Link has been respectful, with greetings offered in their own tongue using words that are not taught to outsiders.


    Buliara approaches, but Link doesn''t move. She takes the Thunder Helm, examines it, and then presents it to Riju.


    She holds it up, and the Thunder Helm shines.


    Her eyes flick back to him. "You must have quite the story."


    "It''s a bit of a long one." He warns.


    Riju releases her guards, and she, Link, and Buliara head upstairs.


    Link tells a story.


    "And in the end, you found this, hidden by the Yiga." She holds up the Thunder Helm.


    "I''ve seen Urbosa wear it, once or twice." He says. "It wasn''t hard to recognize. There''s nothing quite like it."


    "No." Riju agrees. She examines it closely. "It truly can protect against Naboris'' lightning?"


    "Urbosa''s, too." He states.


    She directs a look at him. "I can''t be what you expected."


    "Riju." He began. "I respected Urbosa greatly. I also once saw her challenge Daruk to a drinking contest, lose badly, ride a sand seal into a patch of voltfruit, declare war on cactus spines, claim to be the strongest Vai who ever lived, then headbutt a brick. The brick won."


    Riju stares at him, enraptured.


    "You are doing great." Link says.


    "You are my favorite person." Riju declares with a smile.


    Vah Naboris. Thunderblight.


    "Of all the stories you could have given to encourage her..." Urbosa looks away, face flushed. "Did it have to be that one?"


    "Would you have preferred the Molduga?" He asks.


    Urbosa blanches. "I''d like at least some of my reputation intact. That one was fine."


    Kakariko. The plateau. The Divine Beast Tamer Trials. Maz Koshia. The Master Cycle Zero. The last of the shrines.


    The Castle.


    The library, where one of the bookshelves can be moved. The King''s private retreat. An old diary, filled with regrets and unspoken thoughts and intentions that were brought to an end through death before they could ever see the light of day.


    Ganon.


    Zelda.


    She steps towards him, reaching out, and he takes her hand. His thumb rubs over her palm.


    She sniffles, and Link draws her into a hug. His Tunic grows wet.


    "I''ve missed you." She says.


    "I''ve missed you." He says.


    She giggles, and snorts, and it''s so far from the ladylike demeanour always forced upon her that he can''t help but chuckle.


    "It''s not funny." She says, but she begins to laugh all the same.


    Her eyes are red, but she''s smiling.


    There''s a lot they both want to say. Sagas of words, meaningful and regal in their weight.


    "I''m filthy." Is what Zelda actually says.


    "You haven''t had a bath in a hundred years." Link agrees, and she huffs.


    "Don''t say it like that!"


    "It''s true." Link insists. "River is this way. You can wash up, and then we can head to Kakariko."


    "It''ll be freezing." She replies.


    He holds out a Flameblade.


    "You''re absurd." She tells him.


    A half-day, and they''re at Kakariko. Even The rumbling roar of the Master Cycle''s machinery can''t wake her, it turns out.


    One day.


    Two.


    Night of the third.


    "Are you sure you want to stay? It will be quite cold." Zelda asks, yawning.


    "I think... I will stay awake a while longer." He says. Zelda tilts her head at him, curious, and he shrugs, gesturing at the stars.


    Her eyes soften. "Of course. There''s always tomorrow, after all."


    He smiles, nods, and definitely doesn''t show how those words freeze the blood in his veins.


    "Good night, Link." She leaves.


    Link waits a while, and then checks the Sheikah Slate.


    9:30.


    Link looks at the stars. They are indeed quite beautiful.


    10:30.


    It''s calm. Pretty. Serene.


    11:00


    He forces himself to relax.


    11:30.


    He''s so tense he''ll be feeling it in the morning.


    11:55


    Nothing.


    11:59


    Then-


    "Wake up, Link."


    These are the words that begin a lengthy tale.


    It is a tale of a Hero, awoken, in a strange, ancient cave, with naught but a voice to guide him.


    It is a tale of triumph. It is a tale of melancholy. It is a tale with an unfortunate beginning.


    "Wake up, Link.", says the voice, and so the Hero does. He is so very terrified, in these early moments, and it is only thanks to the voice that he''s able to do anything at all.


    He wakes, lying in a strange bed, blue liquid draining away from his body. He feels... not weak, but certainly drained. The room is sealed, and appears to be fashioned entirely from black and brown stone. There is light, and it comes from the stone, pulsing with shining blue.


    He stands, and he sees not too far away a pedestal. It glows with blue light, and Link moves over to it. As he approaches, the pedestal shifts, and offers up to him a strange, rectangular device, also glowing with blue light. Lines of orange light pulse their way across it.


    "That is a Sheikah Slate. Take it. It will help guide you after your long slumber." The voice directs, and Link does so shortly. It takes only a moment before he''s able to activate it.


    A series of columns shift, and rise into the ceiling. A passage, opened.


    Link swallows.


    "Zelda?" He asks, and there is a notable pause before the Princess responds.


    "Do you know who I am, Link?"


    "Yes." Link agrees.


    "... Forgive me, but I must ask... Do you really remember me?"


    "Yes. Princess."


    There''s a brief pause. A noise, like she just took a breath. "I am... very glad to hear that." She sighs in relief.


    ''Oh.'' Link thinks. ''Oh no.''


    Chapter 3


    Link kneels at the statue of the Goddess. "Please!"


    Link begs for guidance, but the Goddess only repeats her offer. Never any words other than those.


    "At least a sign..." His head falls. He wants answers.


    But, Zelda. Link can''t stay there forever, and Calamity needs to fall. Again.


    Last time, clearly, hadn''t put an end to this. An exact repetition wouldn''t solve anything. Link goes to Kakariko, and then to Hateno, and then through Necluda and Faron.


    He''s faster than either of the times before.


    Link does not go to Zora''s Domain. He goes to Akkala, and then Hyrule Field, and then to Korok Forest.


    The Master Sword. Trials.


    Then, Zora''s Domain.


    "You arrived just in time." King Dorephan says. "Any later, and it would have been a disaster."


    Link nods. He already knew. He''d made damn certain he would arrive before the problem boiled over into something disastrous.


    Vah Ruta.


    "Mipha''s spirit still lingers." He says to Dorephan. "I''d like to stay, but the other Champions need to be freed too."


    Dorephan nods, accepting that. He wishes Link well. Link leaves, even though he wants to stay, but he''s done this before and doing it yet again feels... wrong.


    Death Mountain. Vah Rudania.


    Rito Village. Vah Medoh.


    Gerudo Town. Vah Naboris.


    Divine Beast Tamer Trials. Maz Koshia. The shrines.


    Castle. Ganon. Zelda.


    One day.


    "You went straight to her." Zelda says, looking at the Master Sword. "Well- not straight to her, because you went to shrines, first, but you went right to her after you had the strength to wield her. Was she calling for you?"


    "No." Link shakes his head, but pauses, afterwards, to amend that. "Or if she was, I couldn''t hear anything."


    He looks at her for a moment, before drawing the Master Sword. Zelda looks up at him, in curiosity, before he gestures to the blade again.


    "Can you still hear her?"


    Zelda''s lips purse as she considers the question. She reaches out with a hand, resting it upon the blade. "Are you still there?"


    The Master Sword pulses, a wave of light running down the blade. Link hears... something oddly like the harmonic tones the Guardians occasionally make, but he can''t make out any words.


    Or perhaps, it''s the Guardians that sound like it.


    Zelda frowns. "I can''t- I could hear you before, but your voice is muffled to me, now. I''m sorry."


    Another pulsing wave of light.


    "That''s not too surprising, I suppose." Zelda thinks aloud. "After so much time with Calamity, it''s only natural that my powers have faded."


    She looks up to find Link staring at her. It''s an oddly intense gaze, and Zelda blushes under it. "Is something the matter?"


    "No." Link says, and looks away.


    Is that the sign he''s asked for? Is that the answer? Zelda''s power has faded.


    "There is nothing to be done about it, Link." Zelda says.


    For her?


    No.


    He''s gone back twice, now.


    Does he just need to be quicker, so her powers drain less?


    "Of course, Princess."


    If that was the case, then the Goddess could have just told him that.


    Two days.


    Three.


    Then-


    "Wake up, Link."


    Fourth time.


    Link needs to be fast, apparently. So he is. He hurries. He stops taking the time to appreciate nature, stops gathering so much extra material that he doesn''t need.


    Kakariko, Hateno, Necluda, Faron, Zora''s Domain, Akkala, Korok Forest, Death Mountain, Rito Village, Gerudo Town, Tamer Trials, Castle, Ganon, Zelda.


    "Wake up, Link."


    Link tries again. Faster. Less sleep. He''s operated on worse, before. He''s the Hero, regardless, and he can take more than most people can. Staying awake for nights on end is... not ideal, but he gets used to it.


    "Wake up, Link."


    There are a number of people who Link has helped. So much time that has been used, offering his assistance, finding materials, slaying monsters. He enjoyed it, to be honest. Helping people. A fairly common trait, for Heroes, but something he likes to think he''d do regardless.


    Maybe... Maybe some of the longer tasks could wait.


    "Wake up, Link."


    Link talks to a few less people. Kilton is a strange person with useful items, but Link doesn''t need those, really. Finley can swim the Bank of Wishes herself. Sophia doesn''t need him proving his skill with shield surfing.


    "Wake up, Link."


    The bandit, Misko, stole a series of relics and ancient items from the castle. Link had made a point of retrieving them, before, since they belonged to the Royal Family, and Zelda had been interested in more than a few of them. Some of them even proved useful for himself, but Link supposes he can always retrieve them later.


    "Wake up, Link."


    Tarrey Town is an endeavour that made him very, very happy. To see life and people flourish after the Calamity was a reward that filled his heart with joy, but it took... so long. So many people to convince, so many trees to cut down, so much time waiting for Hudson to actually build the new homes, and then the marriage...


    Always later.


    "Wake up, Link."


    He didn''t really need to go to all the shrines, did he? Sure, he''d be at his best, but Ganon is a familiar opponent, by now, and he doesn''t need it, so long as he was careful.


    "Wake up, Link."


    He didn''t really need to go to all the Fairy Fountains, did he? Their blessings and enchantments were useful, but he was skilled enough to not really need them, right? He could always come around and get Kayasa, Mija, and Tera the Rupees they needed, afterwards.


    "Wake up, Link."


    He didn''t really need to do the Tamer Trials, did he? The Master Cycle Zero was useful, certainly, and the strengthening of the Champion''s Gifts were the same, but he could get by without, surely?


    "Wake up, Link."


    "You''re as taciturn as ever." King Dorephan comments.


    "I''m sorry." Link apologizes. He is subdued, but this is the thirteenth loop, and he''s repeated heartfelt conversations so much that...


    They''re not fake. They''re never fake. Goddess willing, they will never be fake.


    But they are beginning to feel less real.


    Done, over and over again. The first time for them, but it''s adding up for him. It''s hurting, more and more, and so he''s becoming more... like he used to be.


    Really, ''subdued'' was... quite normal, back before the hundred years had passed. He had spoken so rarely, with so many expectations laid upon his shoulders when he was still so unprepared to deal with it. He''d needed to appear strong, so that people could rely upon him. Hiding his emotions and feelings was something he''d had a lot of practice in.


    And, honestly, nobody else needed to know... this. They''d be happier, not knowing about something they couldn''t help with anyway. If he succeeded, it wouldn''t matter, and if he didn''t-


    If he didn''t, it still wouldn''t matter.


    Two months.


    "Wake up, Link."


    Link drops a set of shrines from the list.


    One week less.


    "Wake up, Link."


    Link drops even more shrines from the list. There''s no real need to go to Gerudo Highlands, or to Hebra. He feels sorry for Naydra, enchained upon the mountain by Malice, but he can free the Dragon afterwards.


    Another week less.


    "Wake up, Link."


    Link works out that he only needs twenty six shrines before his power is enough to recover the Master Sword, so long as the Divine Beasts are freed first.


    Two weeks less.


    "Wake up, Link."


    Link does not do the Trial of the Master Sword.


    A few hours less.


    It''s not much.


    Every second is precious.


    "Wake up, Link."


    There''s not a lot left that he can stop doing. He''s following the shortest and easiest paths he can think of. He''s on a schedule that would kill anybody that didn''t have a Hero''s endurance. He''s fought Calamity Ganon seventeen times, and the sheer efficiency with which he now dispatches the monster is...


    Something. Awe-inspiring? Horrific?


    What else can he not do?


    Do the Divine Beasts need to be freed beforehand?


    So much time is devoted to them. Travelling, preparing to travel, to their locations. The actual Divine Beasts themselves are not arduous to deal with, and the Blights by now die in less than a minute, each. The Champions are shocked at his skill, now with even Revali acknowledging it.


    But the Divine Beasts can''t just be ignored. Vah Ruta is a short-term danger to Zora''s Domain, and a much longer-term danger to all of Hyrule with the endless water it spills. Vah Rudania and Vah Naboris are lesser dangers, but the former still threatens everything in the vicinity of Death Mountain and the latter is slowly choking Gerudo Town with the sandstorm its presence stirs. Vah Medoh...


    Vah Medoh usually has to be provoked. A danger mostly to the Rito that fly too high, rather than the land or its people.


    If he was quick enough with Calamity, Vah Medoh could be freed afterwards.


    It would mean leaving Revali''s spirit alone, and while the thought leaves him feeling ill, it would let him save Zelda faster.


    Ruta, Rudania, Naboris, Master Sword, castle.


    Windblight materializes in the chamber, and while Link wasn''t expecting that, he handles it regardless.


    Ruta, Rudania, and Naboris all offer their assistance. Without Medoh, Calamity is less wounded, but Link has fought Calamity Ganon seventeen times now, and it changes nothing.


    "You couldn''t wait?" Zelda asks. "Not... that I''m ungrateful, of course. I''m really quite happy."


    "I had to save you." His voice is soft. Every time he goes back, it feels like it takes more and more effort to just... speak. "Quickly."


    She smiles, and shakes her head. "I could have held longer. Still, thank you, Link."


    She hugs him.


    He hugs back.


    "It seems as though defeating Ganon freed Vah Medoh anyway." Zelda notes, pulling away.


    Far in the distance, Vah Medoh''s silhouette rested atop the spire of Rito Village.


    "Good to know." She says.


    He agrees. It assuages the guilt of leaving Revali behind.


    It still hurts.


    "Wake up, Link."


    But still not enough for the Goddess, apparently.


    Naboris can wait, certainly. Link wants to go there and settle Riju''s fears, return the Thunder Helm to its rightful place, but Zelda...


    It can wait.


    Ruta. Rudania. Master Sword. Ganon. Zelda.


    "Wake up, Link."


    Still not enough.


    Gorons are a hardy people. Yunobu''s confidence can be built later.


    Ruta. Master Sword. Ganon. Zelda.


    "Wake up, Link."


    Still not enough.


    Sidon has family. He can apologize for all of his failures afterwards.


    He feels like throwing up.


    Master Sword. Ganon. Zelda.


    "You''re ridiculous." Zelda informs him. "I''ve always been holding you back, haven''t I?"


    "No!" His voice wavers. It''s not very loud, but still louder than he''s been in... several times. "I... couldn''t do this without you."


    She offers him a sad smile. "If I-"


    "It isn''t worth thinking about." He takes her hand.


    Her mouth opens. Closes.


    "No." She agrees. "No it is not."


    Three weeks of travel. That''s all it takes.


    "Wake up, Link."


    Link, for a dark, terrible moment, just wants to lie there. The stone of the Shrine of Resurrection is uncomfortable but it''s better than this reality where he wakes up over and over and over and over again, and everybody meets him for the first time, over and over and over and over again.


    But, Zelda.


    ...


    There''s only one thing left to leave behind. He''s already leaving behind the other Champions, his friends, and all the people of Hyrule that he''s met and who he wants to help but can''t because it would just take too much time.


    Can he leave behind the Sword that''s bound to his very soul?


    Link retrieves the sword. And then, doesn''t use it.


    "Why?" Zelda asks, staring at the hilt.


    Link opens his mouth, but nothing comes out.


    He looks down, hides his face, and shrugs.


    The Master Sword itself isn''t necessary.


    "Wake up, Link."


    It takes real effort to pull himself from the bed of the shrine. His body feels heavy and slow, and Link...


    Link isn''t sure how many more times he can take Zelda waking him up and not realizing that he''s done this before. That he''s saved her... what, twenty two times, now? That he''s fought and killed the beast that ended the world, over and over and over and over, and that he doesn''t know why the Goddess just won''t let him stop?


    This will not, however, be the last time that Zelda wakes him.


    This is not the time where he makes the attempt. This is the time where he prepares to make the attempt. Link gets a few shrines, and then gets to testing.


    "Wake up, Link."


    Link exits the Shrine of Resurrection feeling... He doesn''t even know what. Determination? Confidence? Anything at all?


    He''s half in a trance as he greets King Rhoam. He doesn''t say much more than two or three word sentences, and barely even listens to what he''s saying at all. Link honestly couldn''t tell anybody what the King said, despite having a mostly one-sided conversation with him.


    Link does the first shrine. Rhoam hands him the warm doublet. It''s faster to acquire that than it is to properly prepare the food he''d need to raise his body temperature for the higher areas of the plateau.


    Link does the second shrine. He runs past the decayed Guardian, because that''s faster than fighting the thing, or climbing the walls to avoid it, so long as he rolls underneath the beam that traces its way after him.


    Link does the third shrine. A boulder nearby is hit with Stasis, and Link climbs on to ride it up the cliff. He''s worked out the exact amount of force he needs to go far, but not far enough that the fall will hurt him.


    Link does the fourth shrine, and then warps back to the plateau''s tower. Rhoam has already given him the paraglider, and Link, from the last time, knows what he''s looking for already. Link acquires an axe, cuts down a tree, and then drags the trunk over to a slightly hilly part of the plateau, then goes to acquire what he needs from the monster camps.


    "Link..." King Rhoam begins, slowly, as he stares at the pile of explosive barrels that Link is piling up next to the tree trunk. "What are you doing?"


    Link points at the castle.


    Rhoam stares at it a bit, confused, before his head snaps towards Link. "It would be reckless-"


    Link looks up. Whatever Rhoam sees in his eyes silences him in an instant. The King takes a step back as he sucks in a breath, a half aborted curse leaving his lips. "What in the name of Hylia-"


    The trunk flashes golden. Link tosses a Sheikah Bomb of his own, and the barrels detonate with a thunderous rumble. Link runs through the dust, and grabs onto the trunk.


    The Stasis breaks, and the trunk goes flying off at such a speed that it''s like being hit in the chest with a sledgehammer. Link wheezes and his vision blurs, but he holds tight because he''d been expecting it and he can''t fail here and now.


    The trunk won''t make it to the castle, but it will take him most of the way there. He can use the Glider to cross the rest of the distance.


    Guardian beams flash, but Link has a pot lid, a traveller''s shield, and a few pieces of wood that used to belong to some Bokoblins. The Guardians die.


    Monsters try to attack, but Link knows exactly where they are, where all the weapons in the castle are hidden, and, really, he''s been through so much worse than them. The monsters die.


    Link enters the throne room with a tattered shirt, trousers that have ripped completely, a pile of weapons, and desperate determination.


    Ganon dies.


    The fight blends with all the others. Moments after it''s over, and he can barely remember it. Zelda turns, slowly, from where she had banished Ganon, and stares at him where he''s kneeling on the ground. She''s giving him a look that combines confusion, happiness, delight, and the shine of intrigue she gets whenever she finds a new subject to research.


    It''s been only a few hours since she woke him up. Most of it was set up, and Zelda saw everything.


    "Link..." She opens her mouth, closes it, opens it again, pauses, closes it, and considers her words. She''s a scientist, a philosopher, a scholar, the smartest person Link knows, with the royal upbringing that''s left her with a gift for expansive language. Link can see on her face the storm of thoughts that run through her mind.


    There are no words for this, he clearly reads, so Zelda opens her mouth and simply says: ???What?"


    Link tries to breathe, but his throat is so tight that it feels like a golden Lynel is wringing his neck.


    ''Goddess, please.'' He thinks. ''Please let that be it.''


    And no matter how good he is at hiding his emotions, something must slip through the cracks, because Zelda''s eyes fill with worry, and she takes a step-


    Arms wrap around him. Warm.


    Link collapses, and cries.

 Chapter 395 - My SI Stash #95 - Random Acts of Kindness by Anisthenes (RWBY)

    -After finally finishing Professor Arc, it feels really weird to read a fic about a SI taking care of Pre-RWBY Loli Cinder/


    Synopsis: The age old advice of not messing with canon to ensure the usefulness of ones knowledge is decidedly more difficult when it forces you to be cruel. Dumped in a new world, I had hoped to avoid canon events. That plan was shot to hell when I found a black haired child in a ruin. My life just got even more complicated than it already was, didn''t it?


    Rated: ???


    Words: 19K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/random-acts-of-kindness-rwby-si.847804/ (Anisthenes)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    You know the times in your life that you wonder whether or not the Gods hate you or not? I''m having one of those moments right now.


    In hindsight, mouthing off Death or the local equivalent deity was not exactly the smartest idea I''d ever had. Although in my defense, I had just been told I had died out of the blue, so being ''punished'' for being upset about being dead was a little harsh in my opinion. But being that Death was Death and I was just some random schmuck that died as he walked to work, I was hardly in any position whatsoever to argue. Frankly I would have thought that there would be at least some leeway.


    Not so.


    Death obviously doesn''t take kindly to impoliteness. The indescribable entity had let out a hiss, and in a move that dashed my hopes for a Pratchett-esque psychopomp, made a gesture with one of Its ''appendages'' and sent me careening through the endless gloom of what one assumes is the space between one life and the next.


    Light filled my vision, and the constant, clinical beep of a monitor filled my ears, mixing with muffled, distant conversations.


    "..Do you know where you are?" A neutral voice filled my ears. I blinked a few times, the light irritating my eyes as I tried to sit up. A plain looking doctor was looking over the top of a clipboard


    "...Wha...where¡­"


    "I see." The man sighed. "..I will note it down. You are in the Atlesian General Medical Facility. Don''t worry, son. We''re the finest medical facility on Remnant. You''ll be back to normal in no time."


    Atlas. Remnant. F.u.c.k.


    "Oh." There was little else I could say to that frankly."I see."


    "We also don''t appear to have any records pertaining to you, I''m afraid." The doctor continued. "Nothing. No medical, military, financial or work records. It''s almost as though you came into existence just before you were found in that snowbank!"


    The man let out a laugh at his own statement, which didn''t help the growing feeling in my gut. They didn''t call anyone, how could they? I had no one. Hell, I didn''t even have a believable name. The doctor soon saw my steadily faltering expression, and his smile vanished.


    "...Oh." He said. "That is a bit of an embuggerance, isn''t it?"


    __________________________________________________________


    It is surprisingly easy, almost scarily so, to create a new identity here, especially if it was merely a ''temporary'' one for medical purposes. My old name did not fit the ''modern'' naming conventions and I really didn''t want to draw attention to myself. I settled on Casper Schwartz. Unimaginative perhaps, but that was the point (And having a name that effectively means ''Dark Treasurer'' was admittedly a little bit awesome.). A ''normal'' name, one that would not attract attention of Salem or Ozpin...or worse, canon.


    Without money, a home, or anything but the clothes on my back I did the only thing I could in my situation. I joined the army. Admittedly, the Atlesian Military Archive is not the first branch of the military someone might want to join up with when dumped in a fantasy world, but given I know next to nothing about how Remnant actually works, as the show doesn''t actually get into the complexities of how the world functions for the people that live in it, joining the one branch of the military that won''t actually question my reading of historical doc.u.ments and deeper research makes a hell of a lot of sense. It was not the most interesting of work, perhaps. But it was safe, paid reasonably well, and wasn''t exactly taxing, and only required field work every so often. It let me keep my head down, and get used to my new life, as I don''t know whether or not it''s possible to get home.


    However, whilst all of this seems to have gone in my favour, there is a very large complication: I hadn''t arrived at the time of canon. Oh no, that would be too easy. No no no. Thanks to the Vytal festival of all things, I have managed to figure out that I''m over a decade before the start of the series. Which wasn''t good to say the least. I don''t even know what events happened when in canon. It might have been unimportant narratively, but it''s pretty f.u.c.k.i.n.g important now!


    And with that whistle stop tour, we are brought up to now, two years later, the year 68AW (Or Sixty-Eight years after the Great War). In a random ruined temple about two hundred miles outside Atlas, closer to the literal middle of nowhere than civilisation. The AMA had been sent to investigate why the temple appeared to rebel Grimm, and to see if it could be replicated. They had sent myself and a number of other agents, plus a considerable military team to defend us. Say what you will about Atlas, they defended their own. I roamed the empty, and deathly silent halls with little else to defend myself than the standard military sidearm and body armour. I was the first to reach the main chamber..and discovered that I was no longer alone.


    Because there was a little girl currently sat on the altar of the temple, who was sobbing her eyes out. Her hair was black, and she was dressed in rags.


    And, as if Death was laughing at me, shockingly familiar golden eyes.


    "..What are you doing here, little one?" I hear myself ask her before my thoughts had stopped screaming loudly in my head.


    "Mama left!" The girl wailed. "Mama left!"


    She continued to cry loudly, and I slowly moved closer. There was an envelope placed next to the girl, and Probably-Cinder didn''t stop me from picking it up and opening it. I quickly glanced over letter inside.


    My daughter


    I know not when you will read this, or even if our lady will allow it. I pray she does.


    This was not abandonment, but a blessing, my sweet one. Always remember that. To serve our Goddess in person is the ultimate honour in this world. I pray that I shall see you rise to glory before I die.


    Your mother,


    Luna Fall?


    Oh. Oh f.u.c.k. This isn''t good. I eyed Probably-Cinder over the top of the letter in my hands, and flinched at the sight of the still sniffling child. Letting out a faintly annoyed sigh, I folded up the letter and pocketed it. Kneeling down, I opened my arms out to offer the girl a hug, but the child all but threw herself into them, embracing me as tightly as she could.


    How starved for affection is she?!


    "What is your name, little one?"


    "..Mama says I''m not ''posed to speak to strangers."


    I smiled warmly at the child, at least that rule is a thing here. "I see. Wise advice. Well, I am Casper, Casper Schwartz. Now you know my name, I''m not as much of a stranger anymore, see?"


    "...C-Cinder. ''M Cinder."


    That answers that one.


    "Well Cinder...did your Mother tell you why you were here?"


    The child shook her head, and hugged me tighter.


    The age old advice of not f.u.c.k.i.n.g up canon to ensure the usefulness of ones knowledge is decidedly more difficult when it forces you to be an asshole. Abandoning Cinder just so she grows up to be the murderous, if sometimes generic villain I know seems...wrong. It wasn''t right that I had, even for a moment, honestly considered leaving her here. Alone and abandoned. Again.


    ¡­.Well f.u.c.k it, if canon really wants me to interfere that much, I might well have a go at making the world a better place. Especially given it seems Cinder is a few years younger than she''s supposed to be ...unless she''s malnourished. I''m..not certain what would be worse, actually.


    Letting out another sigh, I shifted my arms, and lifted the girl up. Cinder blinked as I did so, and looked at me questioningly.


    "Come on, little Cinder. You can come and wait for your mother at our camp. It will be far more safe than this old ruin, not to mention warm. She will be able to find us there."


    The child''s golden eyes widened a little at what she didn''t know was a colossal tempting of fate, but nodded in agreement with a quiet: "Alwight."


    My life just got even more complicated than it already was, didn''t it?


    Chapter 2


    To say that the soldiers spread out across the ruin were surprised that I had found a young child in the ruins would be a major understatement. Half of them looked at me as though I''d grown a second head when I''d tried to explain what happened, and Cinder being shy hadn''t helped. Her insistence on looking away from them and refusal to speak earned her a number of raised eyebrows, but regardless, the soldiers opted to escort the both of us back to the airship that was functioning as our base in the field. Despite the unemotional front many members of Atlas'' military put up, they were good people, and not ones to allow a child to be abandoned in a ruin. Pragmatism would say that they escorted us back because a child is useless in a fight, a liability, and whilst true was absolutely not why they were doing so. Many of the younger soldiers had young siblings, older than Cinder perhaps, but around her age. The older soldiers on the other hand, they had children or grandchildren about Cinder''s age. The thought of willingly leaving a child in danger was frankly unconscionable for them. It was duties like this, genuinely ''heroic'' acts, that they truly enjoyed doing.


    Slowly, we made our way out of the winding halls of the ruin, the faded pictures on its walls not even encouraging another glance from us. Whilst no doubt important, the other archivists can take pictures of them for later study, along with collecting any relics or easily transportable rocks or the like. Right now, my priority was getting Cinder out of the ruin, back to camp, and get her warm.


    I should probably have mentioned, I''m wearing the typical body armor that Atlesian soldiers do with the brown highlights that denote my being part of the Atlesian Military Archive. The white metallic armour only covers the upper half of my body and arms, with the rest, including my legs, only have a padded material that''s something between leather and wool, for protection. I''m lacking the helmet, although I do have one, currently stowed away at the bottom of my locker under a varied and copious pile of random crap. The lack of a helmet is probably a good thing, given it provided Cinder with a moderately friendly face, even if it drew her eyes to our similarly dark hair.


    "...Mister Casper? Sir?" The small girl asked aloud.


    "Yes Cinder?" I replied, keeping my voice level and kindly.


    "Where are we going?"


    "Our main camp, Cinder. It''s an airship touched down in a clearing." I explained, before allowing myself a small smile. "Have you ever been in an airship?"


    "N-No sir¡­" She hesitated, desperation and worry slowly starting to fill her voice. "B-But..I-I..."


    "You..don''t need to call me ''Sir'', Cinder." I told her gently. "Casper''s fine, honest."


    "...N-Not sir?" Cinder asked, in the tone of voice of someone used to false hope.


    "Yep! Not sir."


    "Oh." Cinder hummed. "..Not-sir¡­"


    "How old are you, little Cinder?" I ask, loud enough for the other soldiers around us to hear.


    "I''m five Mister Casper Sir-Not-Sir!"


    Five?! How can someone be so light at five years old?! "I see." I share a look with one of the soldiers at our side, and though I cannot see them, there is little doubt that blatant concern is pooling in his eyes. Cinder is small. Small and light. Too small and light for a five year old. And just like that, without even meeting her, Luna Fall soared up our shitlists.


    "...I see." I repeat, and smile kindly. "Thank you, Cinder."


    "You''re welcome Casper Sir-Not-Sir." She chirped, and I could''ve sworn that I heard some of the others around me chuckle softly.


    "Just Casper, Cinder. Just Casper."


    _____________________________________________________________________


    Lieutenant James Ironwood kept a neutral expression on his face as he watched my group approach the airship we''re calling a base. He was younger, obviously. Lacking his later cybernetics, save perhaps the implant above his right eye. He took a large gulp of coffee from his mug, a vile dark blend that was undrinkable to everyone but him. He placed the mug down on the ground beside him, and cleared his throat.


    "Archivist Schwartz." He addressed me in a plain tone. "Would you care to explain what the f-..what in Remnant''s name is going on?"


    "...I''d love to, Sir. Unfortunately, I''m still figuring that out myself." I smile. "We found this little one in the main chamber. This is Cinder Fall, sir. Figured it''d be best to get her the hell out of there as fast as I could."


    The Lieutenant let out a long suffering sigh, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He took a deep breath, and looked Cinder over. "...You did the right thing, Archivist. But you do understand that her presence here complicates matters."


    You have no idea, Jimmy. "I am aware, sir." I replied. "Although with respect, I''m pretty certain ''random mystery child'' would complicate almost anything."


    Ironwood merely nodded once. "A fair point¡­..and something I''m certain will end up in the damn handbook."


    I bite back a laugh as exasperation starts to fill Ironwood''s voice. The current General of the Atlesian Military is an old traditionalist, a racist and frankly a puppet of the council, who barely knew how to wipe his own backside unless he was told to do so. "The General does love his handbook."


    "...Indeed." Ironwood commented in an even tone. "That he does. I won''t tell him you said that, don''t worry."


    I smile, inclining my head. "Thank you sir."


    "...I am aware you are young, Archivist Schwartz, but you will be responsible for her. She seems attached to you already." Ironwood told me with a faint smile. "I''m afraid it means office work here at base, but it''ll be safer for the gi-..for Cinder."


    "Understood sir." I replied, offering a salute. "A little paperwork never hurt anyone, ex-"


    "Except Cherry in accounting, yes I''ve heard the saying." Ironwood chuckled. "I have no idea where it came from.."


    "I...don''t think anyone does.." I shrug. "Just one of those office mysteries, perhaps."


    "..Dismissed, Archivist." The older man commanded with a small smile and a salute.


    "..Yes sir." I replied, returning the salute as I headed off.


    With any luck, I''ll be able to bullshit my way through the rest of this deployment, and get myself, and Cinder, back to the relative safety of the city of Atlas. So long as I can avoid politics, the White Fang when they turn violent, politics, the Grimm, politics, Luna Fall showing up and politics, I should manage to give Cinder stability for a few years.


    Hopefully.


    Chapter 3


    The room on the airship assigned to me was small, but suited my needs. There was a desk, with a computer linked to the main archive database back in Atlas, a comfortable enough bed, a small bathroom with a shower, and a wardrobe. Spartan, impersonal. Just how the Atlesian''s preferred. But it was all of peak quality. Thankfully the Military didn''t mess around when it came to its soldiers accommodations, and though each room was pretty much the same, the bed here was almost as comfortable as the one I had back in Atlas. The apartment I own is small, but in the two short years I have been here, it has become home. It wasn''t even in Mantle, but Atlas proper, one of the few perks being in the military has allowed me. Sure, it''s little more than a kitchen-lounge, bedroom, bathroom and spare room I just use for storage, but home is home.


    Cinder appeared not to care about our current surroundings. It was warm, and dry, and safe. It held the promise of a bed and food and company, something she''d obviously lacked for sometime. She was, once she had become comfortable around me, curious beyond words. The moment we stepped foot into my room, she had kicked off her shoes, and jumped onto the bed, happily bouncing away.


    I let her have her fun whilst I pack away my field uniform. It''s probably been far, far too long since she''s been so comfortable or happy after all. I kept a small smile on my face as my room was soon filled with the happy, giddy laughter of the small girl. It certainly beat the usual ''Atlesian Military'' updates that would normally fill the silence, spouting the ''Glories of our mighty nation and people'', which in reality was often merely relaying the fact that border patrols defeated various Grimm and the occasional bandit or bandit group. Plus, the need to learn what said update said today would give me an excuse to speak with some of my fellow soldiers...and try to get Cinder to interact with other people.


    It might not be an ideal way to do it, but it''s all I can do right now. But, much as it pains me, first things first. "...Cinder."


    The girl stopped bouncing and turned to look at me with a bright smile. "Yes Mister Casper?"


    "..You are aware of what will happen if your Mother doesn''t show up before we depart, yes?"


    "..Y-You''ll leave me behind?" There was fear in her voice now. The fear of abandonment. The fear of loss. The fear of being alone, again. "P-Please don-"


    "By the Brothers no!" I exclaimed, stepping forward to rest a calming hand on her shoulder. "No..we''d take you with us, back to Atlas. But I''m not su-"


    Cinder leapt forward to embrace me before I could continue, her small body shaking as she cried. I simply embraced her, somewhat unsure of how to react beyond quiet "It''s okay. Let it out.." and continued to hug her for as long as she needed. It was a number of minutes later that, still stifling, Cinder finally stepped away.


    I smile as warmly as I dare, and hold out a hand. "Come on, let''s go for a walk."


    Slow, hesitantly, she took my hand and squeezed tight. Her golden eyes met mine, and a small, shy smile graced her face. "O-Okay, Mister Casper."


    As we walked through the Airsh.i.p.s corridors, her small hand grasping mine, we got constant hushed comments and curious whispers and even the odd, cheerful salute from particularly friendly soldiers. Cinder did her best not to catch anyone''s eyes, speaking nothing but mumbled ''Hello''s and offering nothing but silent waves to those we pass.


    "...So Little Cinder." I begin, if only to focus her attention on something other than the strangers around her.. "I think we''ll get you settled in, so let''s go down to the cafeteria and get some food."


    "Yes Mister Casper!" The small girl chirped, and I can''t help but smile. She might have been a near complete psycho in the canon timeline, but this Cinder is quite frankly adorable.


    "And we''ll see if we can''t get you some proper clothes too. Warm ones." How she remained even remotely comfortable in those rags of hers, I had no idea. She likely wasn''t, come to think of it, and her lack of complaint about it added yet another thing her Mother would have to answer for when I track her down.


    "Yes Mister Casper!"


    My smile grew slightly.. "..And then get you seen by the Medical Officer."


    She blinked at me with a confused expression. "What does that mean, Mister Casper?"


    Please. Please be joking..."A doctor, Cinder."


    "What''s a Doctor?"


    F.u.c.k my life.


    _____________________________________________________________________


    Lieutenant James Ironwood, the rising star of the Atlesian Military, let out a sigh as he lent back into his chair. As if this ruin wasn''t confusing enough with its Grimm-Repelling properties, the fact that someone knew of it, and was prepared to leave their own child there and not inform anyone about said ruin''s properties or location was deeply concerning. If Atlas could replicate whatever it was that repelled the Grimm, every city on Remnant would have its security all but assured. They could even expand the Kingdoms territories. The Brothers knew that populations across the world were growing at a rate that would soon strain their limited resources.


    But because of the single most horrifying thought he''d had about everything he''d had to deal with in recent days, he was decidedly hesitant to report anything to High Command as of yet. What if it isn''t the ruin that repels the Grimm, but the girl?


    He privately hoped it wasn''t. Better she live a quiet life than one as what amounted to little more than bug spray. Whilst he was loyal beyond words to Atlas, that didn''t mean that he was blind to its faults. If the cost of Atlas'' safety was a child''s life, there wouldn''t even be a moral debate or token hesitation. She''d be locked up, sedated, and wheeled out wherever and whenever necessary.


    He sighed again, and buried the thoughts deep. Better not to even contemplate them. It was the stress. Yes, that was it. Definitely the stress. He reached for his mug, and took a gulp of what was technically coffee, if only barely.


    "...Damn it."

 Chapter 396 - My OC Stash #96 - A Rabbit Among Wolves by Coeur-AlAran (RWBY)

    -A crack fic written by Coeur and it starts with Adam still getting a better death that he got in the show/


    Synopsis: Jaune wanted nothing more than to become a hero ¨C and in a way he got his wish. One man''s criminal is another''s hero and the faunus of Remnant need a champion. Who better to take the mantle of leader of the White Fang? Not a faunus? Not a terrorist? No aura, training or leadership skills to speak of? Minor details. All hail supreme leader Jaune Arc. Long live the resistance!Rated: T


    Words: 146K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13420487/1/A-Rabbit-among-Wolves (Coeur-Al''Aran)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Adam was a man with many regrets.


    Blake was one of them. A recent one. Beyond that, he regretted how the faunus had rolled over after the last war; how many of them accepted debas.e.m.e.nt and poverty. He regretted that violence was necessary to change the status quo; that good men and women had to die to bring change. That his people were seen as monsters, and that history would not remember them fondly whatever the outcome of their revolution.


    Adam was a man with many regrets.


    He was also a man with a hole in his throat, which really ought to have invalidated a lot of those regrets; or at least pushed them down in importance. He pondered that for a second, but only for a second. There wasn''t anything with which to ponder when you were dead. Had he lived a little longer, Adam might have regretted his death being so¡­


    Anticlimactic.


    Suddenly, Adam was a man with very few regrets. Unless he counted as a dead body which still did. Perhaps the millions of tiny bacteria that made up his system and lived in symbiosis with the man were regretting not picking someone a little more long-lived. Perhaps his gut regretted the food it had eaten earlier, which would soon be decomposing in a stomach that was in itself decomposing.


    Maybe I''m thinking too hard on this, Jaune thought.


    He was, after all, a man stood in a shop with a bloody knife in one hand, a dead body on the floor and at least six armed terrorists in masks behind him. It wasn''t the best time for philosophy. In fact, it might just have been the worst of times.


    Jaune was also a man with many regrets.


    He regretted coming to Vale. He regretted trying to become a huntsman. He regretted the sticky toffee pudding he''d had an hour before, which was now flip-flopping around in his stomach and he regretted waving back at that pretty girl earlier who had been waving at someone behind him and had then laughed at his embarrassment. Compared to a man like Adam they were fairly pathetic regrets ¨C but they were his, damn it, and no one would take them away.


    Oh, and he regretted everything that led up to this disaster.


    Obviously.


    "He killed Adam," one of the faunus said. He wore the distinctive mask of the White Fang, which didn''t quite cover the gobsmacked look on his face. His grey uniform blended in with his fellows and the gun at his side was pointed down. "He¡­ He killed Adam. Just like that¡­"


    Jaune hid the bloody knife behind his back. "No, I didn''t."


    "You-" the faunus choked on air. "Knife¡­"


    With a metallic clink, the murder weapon bounced off the wall, not quite disappearing around the corner as Jaune had hoped it would. The bloody instrument came to rest where it fell, visible to all. Nervously, Jaune stepped over and gave it a kick, sending it skittering out of sight. He cleared his throat, coughed and faced the White Fang once more.


    "What knife?"


    The man pointed weakly.


    Another placed a hand on his arm and pushed it down, shaking his head slowly.


    By this point the store owner had taken the distraction he''d provided to do the brave thing and run far, far away, abandoning his innocent customer to the White Fang. If he was lucky, the man would call the police and they could tell his parents how he died.


    The dust store was silent. The six faunus continued to stare at him, weapons pointed toward the ground and eyes gingerly flicking between Jaune and the dead body of Adam Taurus. He certainly looked dead. A hole in the throat tended to do that to a person, breath being at least somewhat important in the day-to-day running of the brain.


    "What do we do?" a female faunus asked. "He killed Adam."


    "I guess¡­ I guess that makes him the new boss?"


    "Is that how it works?"


    "I don''t know. Do you want to argue with him?"


    "He''s unarmed."


    "He was unarmed when Adam took him hostage." The faunus nodded to the dead man. "Look how that worked out."


    Adam didn''t respond, on account of being life impaired.


    In his defence ¨C not that it did him much good now ¨C Adam had chosen his hostage carefully. The shopkeeper might have had any kind of weapon under his counter, while the derpy looking teenager in the corner had a sword on his person. A danger, yes, but better a danger addressed than ignored. He''d snuck up, wrapped an arm around the boy''s throat and placed a dagger to his neck.


    In Jaune''s defence ¨C and he definitely needed it right now ¨C he''d suddenly found himself with a knife at his neck. Panic felt, at the very least, an understandable reaction.


    The rest was a blur. Quite literally. There had been screaming, crashing shelving units, angry shouting, much flailing and then gravity playing tricks on them. At one point there''d been some shattered dust jars, some explosions, a few crackling bolts of lightning and a smell not unlike urine, that turned out to be urine, likely from how he''d pissed himself in absolute panic. Again, fair. Knife to neck and all that. The culmination of it all led to a somewhat improbably series of events where he found himself on top of a stunned, dazed and blinded terrorist wiping dust from his eyes. The rest, as they say, was history.


    "If I kill him, does that make me the boss?"


    "Sure. Go for it."


    The faunus did not in fact `go for it`. He stood exactly where he was and looked to his fellows nervously. "I was only asking¡­" He licked his lips. "So. Uh. New boss?"


    "New boss."


    The six of them bent knee.


    Now, Jaune knew he was a bit of an idiot.


    His mom said it. His dad said it. His sisters said it. He said it too ¨C and there was plenty of evidence to back it up, both from school papers, social interactions (or misinteractions most commonly) and the occasional moment where common sense failed, like wanting to become a huntsman despite not having aura or any lick of combat training. But there was being an idiot and then there was being an idiot.


    He was an idiot in the sense of making stupid mistakes and not accounting for the risks; he was not an idiot in the sense of telling a bunch of deadly criminals who were inexplicably calling him their boss that he wasn''t in fact their boss, and that they should just kill him and get on with what they were doing.


    He was dumb, not suicidal.


    "Yes. That''s right. I''m¡­ I''m your new boss." He swallowed. "So you better do what I say if you don''t want the same as what happened to Adam to happen to you."


    "I''m not gonna argue with you, boss." The apparent spokesperson for the faunus was a tallish man with a pair of glasses balanced on the outside of his mask. "What are your orders?"


    Surrender and tie yourselves up? Turn around, cover their eyes and count to five thousand? That didn''t seem likely to go down well and was liable to get him shot, which give the whole no aura thing would be a pain. A very brief pain, but pain nonetheless.


    "What is it you were doing before?"


    "Adam brought us here to secure dust, oh divine and most wise leader."


    Seeing as they were in a dust store, Jaune wondered how the man could say that with a straight face. "Right. I knew that. And call me Jaune." He coughed into one hand. "Secure the dust. Take as much as you can carry and we''ll get out of here."


    There. That sounded good enough. The faunus evidently agreed because they holstered their weapons and went about filling vials and cases of dust, draining them from various tubes and containers lining the walls. While they did, Jaune eyed the exit and calculated his chances of making a break for it. Factoring in the distance, his overall fitness and the way his knees were knocking together, he estimated he could make it halfway before he fainted.


    The alternative was letting them take the dust, telling them to take it somewhere and then walking away when they went to do so. He could book the first bullhead back to Ansel, hang up Crocea Mors and get a real job.


    "Glorious leader," a voice behind him said. "We''ve secured the dust."


    "Um. Yes. Good." They were all looking to him for instructions. "Do we have a way of getting it out?"


    "We have a van parked out back."


    There was in fact a van parked around the back of the building, sequestered down an alleyway with its back door open. Several of the faunus ran ahead to stack the containers in the back while another crawled in and between the seats, turning on the ignition. The lights flashed forward and back, illuminating them in the late evening dark. It struck Jaune again that he was consorting with criminals, literally helping them toss loot into an escape vehicle.


    Better that than being Adam''d.


    Sadly, the world didn''t seem to agree. White light suddenly shone down the alley, blinding them. Two headlights were shining fiercely against them, silhouetting them.


    "This is the police!" someone yelled. "Put your hands on your heads!"


    Tyres screeched behind them as well, another car pulling up at the mouth of the alley and cutting off their escape.


    For the briefest of instants, Jaune thought back to the shopkeeper with absolute joy. The old man had called the police ¨C he was saved. That relief soon died when he noticed the guns very much pointed at him, and the fact he was currently surrounded and quite complicit with several criminals.


    "Boss, we''re surrounded!" the driver yelled. "What do we do?"


    Jaune already had his hands on his head. "What?" he asked, wondering why they were staring at him. "I''m doing what comes naturally."


    The tallest of the faunus howled and leapt forward, gun at the ready. "Long live the White Fang!"


    "Shit!" The police ducked behind their car doors. "OPEN FIRE!"


    Jaune was a man with many regrets but being gunned down by the police wasn''t about to become one of them.


    Hands still on his head in the vague hopes they''d noticed and not hurt him, he hurled himself back through the door and into the dust shop, dodging the hail of bullets that tore back and forth outside. He landed hard, face down and shaking, wide eyes staring into Adam''s dead face.


    You did this, Adam seemed to say. You dumb f.u.c.ker.


    Jaune scurried to his feet. "It''s not my fault!"


    Out. He needed a way out.


    Scanning the shop, he settled on the front door ¨C obvious in hindsight. Vaulting the counter, he landed on his feet and nearly fell, catching himself on a shelf and racing ahead. His shoulder hit the door and knocked it back. The little bell above squealed angrily.


    Stumbling out into the cool air and with the gunfire still echoing behind him, Jaune looked around in panic. There! He dashed across the street and slammed face first into the window of a bright yellow taxi, slapping his hand on the glass and pushing his nose and mouth up against it.


    "I need a ride!" he yelled. "NOW!"


    The pudgy cabbie inside stared back at him with wide eyes. Terror spread across his face before he screamed and dragged himself over the passenger seat, unbuckling his seatbelt, pushing the other door open and rolling out. The overweight driver ran away, stumbling his way down the sidewalk and abandoning his car.


    Jaune stared after him. "What¡­?"


    "Nice work, boss!" A meaty hand landed on his back with a thwack, his allies appearing behind him and having frightened the taxi driver off. Their guns were smoking and two were still firing back toward the shop, keeping the officers pinned. "Guys, the boss got us a car! Quick, get in!"


    Not waiting for Jaune to figure out what was going on, the faunus pulled the door open and shoved him inside, following. Jaune had a moment to recognise the footrest of the passenger side as he fell face down into it, legs kicking up in the air, before the other five faunus piled into the back like it was a clown car. Vials and cases of dust spilled out and over the centre console as the bespectacled faunus twisted the key in the ignition and slammed the stick into gear. His foot stamped down on the pedal.


    The taxi squealed forward.


    Jaune slammed even further down into the footrest, curling into a ball.


    Sirens echoed behind them.


    "They''re on our tail!"


    "Gee ¨C you think? It''s like we robbed a place or something!" The driver swerved the vehicle left just as Jaune was trying to right himself. The sudden change had him crashing into the door and back down again, m.o.a.ning faintly. "You okay, boss? Deery, help him up."


    Hands gripped him by the shoulders as a woman with deer horns leaned over the seat and pulled him up out the footrest. Jaune mumbled his thanks ¨C if nothing else, mom taught him to be polite ¨C and sagged back, looking out the windscreen in time to scream.


    "Hold on!"


    The front of the car ramped up off the road with a horrifying ker-chunk, rattling up onto the sidewalk and a steep flight of stairs. The car wasn''t made for it and the sound the wheels made with every fearsome impact was agonising, to say nothing off the bouncing. Deery lurched up and hit the roof, then collapsed over his legs. Glass shattered and lightning dust sparked, turning the inside of the taxi into a fireworks display.


    They cleared the steps and went over, lurching ponderously through the air with everyone inside screaming and crackling, watching the road approach and wondering whether the taxi could even take the impact.


    Tyres screeched down. The suspension howled and something snapped. A metallic object skittered off to the left while the car went right, Jaune wailing along with Deery, who was sat in his lap with her arms wrapped around his neck.


    "Wahooo!" the driver yelled, laughing as he wrenched the wheel to the right, dodged a parked garbage truck and pulled out onto a new road. Behind, the police were forced to navigate around the shortcut they''d taken.


    "Perry, you stupid asshole!" Deery screamed, still clinging to Jaune for dear life. "I''ll kill you once this is over!"


    "Least you''ll be free to do so." He slammed the pedal down and brought the revs so high the engine sounded like it was being tortured. There was a horrible rattle from the rear-right wheel that couldn''t have been healthy. "Might want to strap your seatbelts. We''re not clear yet."


    Looking back, three police cars were in pursuit through the rear window, blue and red lights flashing.


    Their yellow cab rattled down the road spitting sparks as it went. It wasn''t made for speed and the pursuit vehicles were having no trouble catching up. He wasn''t even sure if that was a good thing or not. Would they believe him if he said this was all one big misunderstanding? Probably not after they''d already opened fire on them. More likely, they planned to ram them off the road.


    "Faster!" Jaune yelled. "Faster!"


    "Sure thing, boss!"


    Jaune and Deery were slammed back into the passenger seat. Idly, he realised it was the closest he''d ever come to having a girl in his lap. It was also much closer than he wanted as they both clutched to one another in panic.


    "Bullhead!" a faunus in the back warned, pointing over the console.


    "F.u.c.k!" Perry swerved left and out onto a bridge leading over a canal. The Bullhead followed, flying through the air to their left with its bright spotlight fixed over their car. "They''re really bringing out the big guns here. And for what, a little dust?"


    "They must want Adam."


    "They can have him!" Jaune spat. "He''s not doing much right now!"


    "Too soon, boss. Too soon."


    THUMP


    Jaune''s view was cut off ¨C shadows cast over him as something landed on the hood of the car and caused it to buckle. A pair of legs stood before the window. Following them up revealed tight grey trousers leading to a white and grey shirt with a popped collar. A red cloak fluttered behind the man, who looked down on him with a smug grin, faint beard and black-grey hair. A triangular-shaped weapon was slung over one shoulder, his other hand planted on his hip.


    The man''s grin grew. "Hey there. Room for one more?"


    "Huntsman!"


    The huntsman raised one foot and slammed a black shoe into the window, shattering it on his side and making the car swerve. Shards of glass rained down on them as everyone ¨C him, Deery, Perry and the passengers in the back ¨C screamed in panic.


    "Now, what do we have here," the huntsman said, voice gravelly. He reached in and gripped Jaune by the collar. "Out you come, kiddo. Sheesh. They recruit you lot younger and younger."


    "I''m not White Fang!" Jaune wailed. "You''ve got it wrong."


    "Yeah, I''m sure ¨C this is all just one big misunderstanding." The huntsman chuckled and stared to haul him out. Deery and the others grappled with his legs, ironically saving him and for a moment earning his adoration.


    "You can''t take the boss. He''s ours!"


    Only for a moment.


    "Boss, huh?" The huntsman suddenly looked a whole lot more interested. And pleased. "Well, well, well. And here I thought I''d be wasting my time tonight."


    He started to pull harder, stretching Jaune out between him and the faunus, while Perry continued to try and swerve to knock him off the bonnet. Jaune''s body rose up off the floor, pulled taut between them like a rope in some mid-car-chase game of tug-of-war. His hands were free and flailing about wildly, desperately trying to push the man off.


    It was a lost cause. As the car went left, the huntsman bent his knees, balancing like some goat on a sheer cliff-face. The faunus kept pulling on his feet and legs, Deery at his side with both arms wrapped around his waist, her upper body hanging out the shattered window. Even then it wasn''t enough, and he started to inch out, wind whistling through his hair as he found himself half in and half out the car.


    "Boss!" one of the faunus yelled, throwing something at him. "Use this!"


    A metal briefcase hit his chest. Struggling as he was between them, he still managed to catch it and his eyes widened. Dust was the lifeblood of huntsmen. It was a miracle substance capable of so much ¨C of shaping the weather, creating energy, blowing Grimm away, healing injuries and powering homes. It was a poorly misunderstood and wild source of energy.


    The faunus probably meant for him to use the dust ¨C and he would have, had he known a thing about it. Some people dabbled in dust alchemy, mixing various colours and grades to make complicated mixtures. Jaune didn''t even like to mix ice-cream flavours, making the dust itself an absolute mystery.


    The metal case it was contained within less so.


    Jaune slammed a corner of it up into the huntsman''s testicles.


    Red eyes crossed and the man buckled with a high-pitched groan, hands leaving Jaune''s collar to fix over his crotch. With everyone inside the cab pulling, Jaune shot back, now sitting in Deery''s lap and face to face with the agonised huntsman who was kneeling on the hood, hands between his legs.


    He didn''t look pleased.


    Jaune panicked, screamed and smacked the metal case across his face. This time, the man was prepared and got his aura up in time. The blow knocked him back but caused no injury ¨C his face being harder than the metal itself. Sadly, the case itself didn''t have aura and the impact snapped open one of the latches, making it open and spill dust into the huntsman''s mouth and eyes.


    Bright flashes of light, fire and ice sparked in the cabin, blinding, burning and freezing their faces in equal measure. The car swerved and squealed as Perry lost sight of the road. The huntsman''s kicking legs didn''t help in that regard, nor did his arms, lashing out in every direction. His weapon bounced off the roof and away but that made him no less a threat, especially when his face was going through every dust reaction possible.


    By intention or terrible accident, the huntsman managed to catch Perry in the jaw with one fist.


    The faunus slumped back, his glasses shattered.


    Everyone screamed.


    "Arghhhhh!"


    Jaune screamed hardest but still managed to lurch over to fight with the wheel, lower half of his body in Deery''s lap, her holding onto him in a panic, and his upper half bent over Perry. Perry''s foot had the accelerator pushed down and the revs picked up, the car already struggling with its top speed and now being pushed harder and harder.


    "Look out!" Deery yelled.


    The cab swerved left and then right, dodging a parked lorry and pulling out into the middle of the bridge, skidding like a tap dancer on an ice rink. The road ahead was clear, though only for a moment. The Bullhead that had been chasing them and that had dropped off the huntsman pulled down ahead, hovering over and to the left of the road, bathing them in white light from its spotlight.


    "STOP THE VEHICLE!" a mechanical voice instructed.


    "I can''t!" Jaune howled uselessly back. "He knocked out the driver."


    "STOP THE VEHICLE!"


    "I ¨C pft ¨C knocked out the what-now?" the huntsman asked, wiping dust out his face. He cleared his vision long enough to look at what was taking place in the driver''s seat and curse. "Oh, f.u.c.k me¡­" He glanced back. "Any chance I can convince you lot to give up?"


    Still screaming, Deery punched him in the face.


    "Ow! Ah! Stop that! I have aura! Oof! Stop!" The huntsman''s legs kicked and he struggled with one hand to protect himself. "You''re under, damn it, arrest! Stop struggling so damn much!"


    "Let go of the wheel!" Jaune shouted. "You''ll make us crash."


    "If I let go, I fall out!" the huntsman replied.


    Every faunus in the cab yelled "GOOD!" at the same time.


    Perry groaned and shook himself awake, cracking one eye open and shaking his head. He brought a hand up to pick his glasses off his nose and look at them forlornly, then toss them aside. He looked up, gasped and pointed. "ROADBLOCK!"


    Five police cars were split across the road, with two lorries behind to reinforce, lights flashing as they cut off the bridge at the far end, creating a wall of metal their vehicle was careening toward. There was even a line of spikes set up to puncture their tyres beforehand, assuming they still had any. If the screeching and rattling was anything to go by, they were pretty much driving on rims as it was.


    This was it. He was dead. Faced with the reality of it, Jaune did the only thing he could.


    He curled up into a ball and screamed.


    In doing so, he let go of the wheel. The huntsman did not, hardly having expected it and still struggling to keep hold of the car. With the resistance suddenly gone, he slid to the left on the hood, crying out in shock and dragging the wheel with him. It rolled left. The car tried to do the same and swerved hard. Tyres screeched and the world outside the car spun, a heavy railing approaching fast as they drove straight into it and through, off the side of the bridge.


    Directly at the hovering Bullhead.


    For a second, he could see the pilots looking back at them. Their mouths open. In the grand scheme of things, they probably hadn''t expected the White Fang to launch their escape vehicle at them like a surface-to-air missile. It just wasn''t the done thing. The training manual didn''t even mention the possibility.


    The headlights of their car, one cracked, reflected off the c.o.c.kpit window. The huntsman''s face did as well, mouth open in absolute horror as a very flammable object hurtled toward a very flammable object, neither being immovable or invulnerable and both sure to explode merrily on impact. Perry gripped the wheel and tried to right it, screaming the whole time. The tyres twisted left and right but couldn''t find much traction on open air.


    "Arghhh!" Jaune said.


    "Arghhhhhh!" Deery agreed.


    "Wahhhhhh!" Perry argued.


    "Shiiiiiit!" the huntsman countered.


    The others came to their own conclusion, adding a fresh cacophony of wails and screams as they hurtled toward certain death. Inside the c.o.c.kpit, Jaune got a wonderful view of the pilot also screaming, holding both hands over his face as if he could ward off a car with his bare hands.


    The co-pilot slammed his hands over and onto the control stick.


    The Bullhead lurched left, swaying perilously and dipping low ¨C losing altitude and almost colliding with the water, barely saving itself at the last second but still thankfully getting out the way.


    The huntsman let go as well, weighing his odds between impact with a soon-to-be exploding vehicle and impact with nice soft water below and making the obvious choice. He used his hands and feet to kick off from the car and to the left, accidentally into the path of the Bullhead, which he hadn''t predicted to move the same way at all.


    He struck the c.o.c.kpit window and slapped into it face first, obscuring the view of the pilots. More screaming ensued as he held on grimly. The automated windscreen wipers began sweeping, slapping over and over against the side of his face.


    The aircraft swerved away, avoiding buildings through sheer luck.


    Jaune, Perry, Deery and four other hardened but currently screaming terrorists watched as their battered and bruised bright yellow cab flew over the canal and down toward the other side. It was fifty-fifty on whether they''d be hitting water or the lower road there. Or maybe forty-forty, with twenty per cent reserved for the prospect of hitting the jutting edge of the pier and smashing their car, and themselves, into a million pieces.


    The impact crunched.


    The car teetered back.


    "Forward!" Jaune yelped. "Everyone forward!"


    Bodies piled in between the front seats and into him, Deery and Perry, squashing them all up as the weight made the car lurch forth and touch down. Perry hit the gas and it slowly climbed up onto the road, wobbling and teetering away as police sirens blared in the distance. The cab rolled to a stop, spluttered, tinkled some important parts onto the floor and died.


    The passenger door swung open, creaked, then fell off and clattered onto the tarmac.


    Jaune oozed out, sliding onto the floor.


    The back doors fell off and several faunus rolled out, laying flat on their backs and gasping for breath, shaking like they''d seen their lives flash before their eyes. They probably had. One of them was kissing the floor.


    The driver side open and slammed shut. A pair of heavy boots came around. "Quick thinking, boss. You really saved our bacon."


    "Brbl¡­" Jaune m.o.a.ned. "I don''t feel¡­ I¡­ urk! Blurghhh!"


    "Yeah. I feel the same. Sheesh, what a wild ride." The man hauled him up. Jaune dangled limply over his shoulder, throwing up onto the floor behind him. "Alright, you lot. Grab the stash and let''s get into the sewers before they gather themselves. Boss ¨C oh, he''s passed out. Guess I''ll carry him. He''s got us this far, boys and girls, we can handle the rest." He pumped one fist in the air. "For the White Fang!"


    "For the White Fang!"


    Perry pumped it again. "For our new leader!"


    "For Jaune!"


    As the police scrambled on the bridge and the Bullhead tried to fish the huntsman out the river, the White Fang disappeared into the sewers, new leader in tow.


    /-/


    Adam Taurus stared up at the ceiling.


    Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch stared back.


    "He''s dead," she said.


    "Yes." Ozpin sipped from his mug. "Quite dead. Qrow failed to capture the perpetrator."


    "You should have sent me."


    "And Miss Rose may well have been killed. Two attacks on two dust stores in one night; I doubt this is a coincidence. The White Fang and Roman Torchwick are working together. We long suspected it, but this is confirmation."


    "And they have new leadership. Is that good or bad?"


    "That certainly is the question. Adam Taurus was a monster but a known quantity. We know very little about the one who has taken his place ¨C only that he is powerful and cunning enough to stage a coup and kill a man even Qrow might have struggled against."


    "He must be skilled," Glynda said. "Dangerous."


    "Very dangerous," Ozpin agreed. "And we don''t yet know his motives or his methods, only that he''s cunning enough to outwit both the police and Qrow in a single night. We can''t afford to take him lightly. The school shall be put on full alert."


    Had Adam been capable of it, he might have disagreed. He might have told them that he''d tripped, that he''d messed up, that it was a moment of inattention against a vulnerable opponent that had him failing to hold up his aura at a crucial time.


    Adam said nothing.


    /-/


    Juniper Arc hummed to herself as she spooned out ice-cream for her brood and listened with only half her attention to the TV in the front room. Some excitement or other going down in Vale. Not anything to worry about all the way in Ansel but considering how sleepy and peaceful the village could be, she couldn''t blame the girls for craving a little more excitement.


    Just like their brother. Juniper sighed.


    Stacking bowls on a tray, she carried them back through. The girls were absorbed in the TV, barely even paying attention as she dished out the treats. Amber did, at least, thanking her politely and digging in like she''d not seen sugar in years.


    "Anything exciting?"


    "White Fang in Vale," Coral said, bright lights reflecting off her glasses as she sat behind Sable, a leg on either side of her twin''s shoulders. "Apparently, they robbed a dust store."


    "Oh my. I hope no one was hurt."


    "Someone was killed ¨C but not anyone worth worrying about."


    "Coral!" Lavender gasped. "Even if he was a terrorist, he was still a person."


    Coral rolled her eyes.


    Curious, Juniper sat down in the seat normally reserved for her and Nicky. He was out on another hunt but the familiar indent his firm body left in the cushions had her curling up with a contented smile, bringing her legs up like she was cuddling against him. On the screen, Lisa Lavender was busy reporting.


    "-streets in chaos as the police, White Fang and huntsman of Vale engaged in a high-pursuit chase though the centre of the city. Fortunately, police were able to divert traffic before an accident could occur."


    The screen showed an overhead view from an aircraft. The footage was grainy, but they could make out a car hurling down the centre of a three-lane highway with several cars in pursuit.


    "In more shocking news, the White Fang appear to be operating under a new leader after the murder of Adam Taurus, long considered a driving force within the White Fang. A witness to the robbery and proprietor of the store attacked spoke of a clinical murder with little regard for loyalty or mercy."


    "Oh my," Juniper said, pressing a hand to her mouth.


    An image of Adam Taurus'' face appeared, masked and thankfully not attached to a dead body. It was a photoshoot from some other sighting. It was always a shame for someone so young to lose their life, but a small part of her whispered that it was better him than an innocent bystander.


    "Does Taurus'' death mean a paradigm shift for the White Fang? What will it mean for the people of our city? One thing is for sure, after killing Adam Taurus and engaging in a gunfight with officers, then dealing with a huntsman of the city and escaping, the risk is greater than ever. The Council is scrambling to crack down and Ozpin of Beacon has spoken to assure the populace that their huntsman will be seeking the one responsible and bringing him to justice."


    "I should hope so," Juniper said. "We can''t have people like that running around causing trouble."


    "The city has been placed in lockdown. Traffic in and out will continue, but all residents will be asked to present relevant identification when entering or leaving the city. The Council has said that while they would like to apologise for the disturbance, they ask the people to bear it for now and until this menace is brought to justice."


    "You think Jaune knows anything?" Jade asked. "He''s in Vale, isn''t he? I wonder if he saw it!"


    "I would hope not," Juniper said. "Jaune is a smart young man who wouldn''t be caught anywhere near something like this."


    "Thanks to footage captured by Vale and corroboration from a local taxi driver who only just managed to escape with his life, we have been able to identify the new leader of Vale''s White Fang, and I have been given permission to share that information."


    A familiar face appeared on the screen.


    Juniper choked.


    "Jaune Arc. Non-local to Vale. Seventeen years of age." The photo was of Jaune ¨C her son ¨C and was a school photo with him smiling shyly. Now beneath him was the White Fang symbol. "This man is considered highly dangerous and is not to be approached under any circ.u.mstances. Any information on his whereabouts should be passed through to the relevant authorities. I repeat, this man is considered highly dangerous and should be avoided at all costs."


    The girls stared at the screen, no one knowing quite what to say.


    A heavy fist slammed on the front door. "This is the police. Open up!"


    Juniper''s head fell into her hands.


    "Damn it, Jaune¡­"

 Chapter 397 - My SI Stash #97 - Barbarossa by Brian Boru (OverwatchXMulticross)

    -Halfway thru this Jumpchain fic and I just realized it''s written by Brian Boru, the same author of that SI HOTD fic which hasn''t got an update sadly after almost 3 months but still really glad to know that he''s still up and writing~


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 23K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/barbarossa-an-overwatch-jumpchain-si-overwaifu-cyoa.12983/ (Brian Boru)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    But many say that Frederick Barbarossa is now resting under the Kyffhausser Mountain, where he will sleep until the Ravens have left the mountain and Germany needs their emperor the most. Then he will rise from his sleep and return to the world to save his nation and lead Germany to a new age of Glory.


    -German Folklore?


    Reinhardt Wilhelm turned away from the mortal remains of his old friend and general one last time. A week ago, he had gotten a message from Winston, the hyperintelligent gorilla had sent out a call to all former Overwatch operatives that he was going to restart the old organization. The world was teetering out of control and they were needed again. He had come to visit this place one last time to say his good-byes and pay his respects before he went out to do whatever was needed. It was likely that he would never come to Eichenwald, his first and greatest failure save for Overwatch falling apart, again, at least not in this lifetime.


    As he strode for the front gate, a strange beeping sound came at the very edge of his hearing. Turning around he walked back towards the old Throne of the Lord of Eichenwald, if he was hearing it right, the sound was coming from somewhere around the throne itself.


    Looking around, his old but experienced eye finally spotted a strange little glow along a crease where the great stone seat was flush against the column behind it. With years of experience he ran a thumb along the edge of the chair and found what he was looking for. A small break in the stone where a little button was located.


    Pressing the button, the entire throne suddenly swung away, revealing a large stairwell going deep into the bowels of the castle and the rock that Eichenwald Castle stood on. The air was stale but not the sort of musty one would expect with these sorts of places, either there was ventilation somewhere down there, or there had been recent activity. His suspicions for the latter were confirmed when in the fading afternoon light, he saw several footprints going up and down the stairs leading into the darkness. There was also a small cable that ran across the roof of the tunnel where small blue lights would occasionally flash blue and beep in a set pattern.


    Someone was using the Late General Balderich von Adler''s ancestral home and final resting place for some sort of nefarious purpose. Well he would not let that stand.


    He turned to his squire, Brigitte Lindholm, the daughter of his old friend and fellow Overwatch member Torbjorn, who had remained silent during his examination and discovery of the tunnel. She was staring in mild wonder at what the old man had found.


    Grinning he said, "Still got it." Then his face turned serious. "We need to suit up. Anyone who made something like this is going to have some means of defending it if they''re discovered. I''m not going to leave his final resting place disturbed like this."


    Brigitte nodded, "Good thing I managed to finish repairing your armor yesterday." Good girl, still a little rough around the edges but a good head on her shoulders and a strong and brave heart. He would have been proud to serve with her in either the Crusaders or in the Old Overwatch.


    A few minutes later both fighters in their neo-knightly arms and amor made their way down the tunnel. Reinhart''s massive frame, augmented even further by his armor, slowly navigated his way down the tunnel, the only lights being their visors, the glow of the jets of his hammer and armor and the occasional flashing light from the cable above.


    He could feel his heart beating in his chest, it was as if they were sneaking into a dragon''s lair like Beowulf or Siegfried. Already he could see the glow ahead, was it the glow of a dragon''s fiery frame and the Golden treasure it rested on?


    As they reached the end of the tunnel, he encountered a plastic tarpaulin that covered the opening to some well-lit cavern. He raised his hand, silently halting his young squire, then he carefully poked his head through to the other side, ready to explode into the attack if something hostile was there.


    What he found was a well-lit laboratory of some sort. There were the usual machines and computers with the usual blinking lights and lists of numbers, but what they were researching he wasn''t entirely sure, he wasn''t a scientist, he got a 4.0 in all of his science classes growing up, History, Literature and Physical Education were his specialties. Then he saw the tube. There was a large tall tank of some sort of fluid with a vaguely human shape floating in its semi-opaque depths. There was a tall slim figure standing in front of the tank, their back was turned so he couldn''t see their face and figure out who they were but there was some large apparatus on their back that glowed ominously.


    The figure was studying a frame connected to the tank, reading some sort of information from the device. Whatever they were doing, he knew it wasn''t good.


    Taking one last glance around, he saw that the stranger was the only one in this cave, some mad scientist doing some diabolical experiment, like that of Frankenstein? Well either way they needed to be stopped and since he and Brigitte were the only ones present, they were the ones to do it.


    Glancing back at Brigitte, he raised one armored finger indicating to her how many people were in the room, he then jerked his thumb towards himself then gestured to the right, followed by pointing at her and gesturing to the left. She understood the command to encircle the stranger.


    On the silent count of three the pair of them burst through the opening and split apart, making their way towards the tank and the stranger.


    To his mild surprise the stranger did not immediately move, despite having had to of heard the thundering clank of their armored feet on the stone floor of the cave.


    They were about twenty feet from the stranger when they turned around and Reinhart jerked in surprise when he saw who the stranger was.


    She, for it was a very slender woman, had red hair that she wore short and swept back in a combed style. One eye was a natural ice blue while the other was an unnatural blood red, her features were very long and austere, pretty if you were interested in the school-marm from hell type. Which he wasn''t, even at his age give him an Oktoberfest girl with a round blonde face and a body you could mistake for some old fertility statue.


    It took him a moment before he recognized her, "Well Guten Tag Fraulein O''Deorain, surprised to find you here."


    "Reinhart, how good to see you," the snark in the woman''s tone was sharp enough to cut a block of wood with.


    She then turned to Brigitte who was approaching her from the other side of the room, effectively blocking her on the platform which the tank was sitting on, "Well, well, who is this? Some new child you''ve swept up into your Teutonic Tales of Don Quixote?"


    That annoyed him more than it really should have, yes, since he''d been forcibly retired from Overwatch, he''d become something of a Latter-Day Knight Errant, wandering across Germany and writing wrongs and stopping villains that he came across, like that Dragon gang from a few months before. But he was nothing like the mad Spaniard of Cervantes'' story. For one thing, while he might have a vivid imagination during combat, he certainly never charged at windmills or mistook a herd of sheep as a host of brigands.


    Gritting his teeth, he said, "She''s not your concern Moira, what does concern you is explaining what you''re doing here?"


    Moira just grinned and said, "Why fund-raising."


    What? What on earth was she talking about?


    His confusion must have been apparent on his face because Moira continued, "It''s actually rather simple. You may not know it but General von Adler, the dearly departed Hero of Eichenwald, was actually from an extremely wealthy family, with properties, castles, businesses and other investments in a portfolio worth billions. Without his personal contributions your own Crusader program would have never gotten off the ground."


    The old man grimaced at the moniker Moira gave his old mentor, he wouldn''t have been a dearly departed hero if he hadn''t been such a hot-headed glory hound that day. "Well the General was rich what is your point?" Young Brigitte had come to a stop at the bottom of the platform, effectively blocking the left-handed stairwell while he was covering the right.


    Moira didn''t seem to care that she was bottled in since she said, "Well if you must know there is an interesting law that was passed in Germany in the wake of the Krupp Decision back in 2060."


    Reinhardt remembered that one, in the late 2020s a branch member of the Krupp family had managed to wrest control of the Thyssen Krupp company back into family control and had successfully managed it for twenty years until the start of the Omnic Crisis where it was believed the entire family had been killed during the opening days of the war. As it would turn out, a grandson of the second founder had survived and had popped back up after the conflict was over and made to reclaim his inheritance. It took years before he was finally able to get back everything that had been sold off but other similar instances had popped up as Germany and the rest of the world had been putting themselves back together.


    In the wake of that it had been decided that the property of wealthy families would be held in their name for at least thirty years until it was beyond a shadow of a doubt extinct. Then the property and holdings would be sold off.


    "Well the good General''s nephew passed away three years ago in a car wreck and with his passing the entire von Adler line had died out, a shame really they had some impressive staying power. Or at least that is what people will think until my little experiment here is finished." She then caressed the tank behind her.


    "von Adler never had children officially but you know how wealthy men are, always so many skeletons in their closets, a bastard son who had their own son before dying right at the end of the crisis is not impossible. Records ARE so vague from that time. What is one more child being added to the list of war orphans." She then grinned, "it was lucky for me that von Adler''s body was never removed, harvesting a genetic sample was child''s play and with a few other donations to prevent accusations of cloning and Voila! A new von Adler, ready to step forward and claim the title of Lord of Eichenwald as well as the massive portfolio that comes with it. I''m not an economist but I do believe that the portfolio still makes up a quarter of the entire German economy."


    He blinked in amazement at the sheer audacity of her plan. "And what do you have planned for such a great amount of wealth your puppet will give you? I know you were desperate for funds but surely you don''t need that much, and neither are you any good with money, I remember from back in the day. You couldn''t even budget enough money for food."


    "Maybe not, but I have others who can handle that for me." She said with a smirk. "And it isn''t like this physical superman is going to be an idiot. I''ve been downloading a complete education into him for the past few weeks. When he awakes, he will be a true Renaissance man for this new era. Bigger, faster, stronger, smarter than any before him, and of course he will always obey his dear ''mama''."


    She then began laughing at her poor joke. Reinhart snarled in rage at this modern-day Dr. Frankenstein. No, he would not allow this to happen.


    "Not on my watch!" He bellowed then charged at the mad woman. The cables connected to her arms began glowing and suddenly a great beam of sickly yellow and purple light blasted from her hand and slammed into him. It ignored his shield and his armor and plowed right into him. He suddenly felt weak, every ache, every injury he''d ever suffered suddenly came roaring back as he felt tired. He was too weak to roar in pain, instead a low m.o.a.n escaped his lips as he tumbled to the ground.


    The gigantic beam suddenly ended and he was left gasping for air on the ground. Brave young Brigitte charged forward to avenge her master, the grabbling hook end of her mace erupting forward. Moira suddenly flashed away from her position, blasting bolts of purple energy at the younger woman.


    Feeling every one of his sixty-one years, Reinhart managed to get back onto his knees, using his hammer as a crutch. He didn''t think even with his armor reinforcing his strength he could even get up to destroy the tank, let alone help Brigitte who was still fighting for her life against their opponent.


    Think, think, what to do. Then he noticed a particularly large cable extending from the pod and snaking along the ground to an especially large main frame. A thought formed in his mind, the rocket hammers were never the most accurate devices if let loose but he had literal decades of practice with the devices.


    Pressing down on the toggle for the rocket he aimed his hammer at the mainframe computer. "It''s hammer time." He muttered, then let the rocket loose.


    Brigitte had fought bravely but she was inexperienced and unused to a teleporting opponent, it also didn''t help that the purple beams of light were constantly scoring glancing hits, sapping her strength and topping off Moira every time they hit.


    She had jumped behind a large cabinet wondering what to do next when a large purple orb suddenly floated right through her protection. Suddenly a bolt of purple lightning struck out from the orb and hit her full on in the chest.


    She screamed in agony before dropping to the ground.


    Moira all but waltzed around the debris and aimed her hand at Brigitte''s face. "I thought I recognized you. I''ll be sure to tell Torbjorn I met his daughter the next time I meet him.


    All of a sudden there was a massive explosion to their right. Moira snapped her head in that direction. The triumphant look in her eyes turned to horror as she watched every computer in the room suddenly go up like a roman candle, unable to handle the surge that came from the mainframe when it was destroyed.


    She screamed at all of her lost work. "You fools, don''t you know what you''ve done? He was in the middle of an education program, if you interrupt that now his mind will be complete mush! All that hard work and planning, ruined by a pair of muscle-bound idiots! I''ll make sure you die screaming you little bitch!"


    Her hand began glowing again, this time both yellow and purple. Brigitte closed her eyes and waited for the end, suddenly a massive steel shape body-checked the mad geneticist and sent her flying through the air before slamming into a wall of the cave.


    Brigitte rolled over and saw that her master was standing over her, like a wolf defending their cub. His hammer was not in his hands and he was breathing heavily, clearly, he had not recovered yet from the first large blast Moira had hit him with.


    However, it seemed that Moira had had enough as she only stood up, spat blood at them both, and then fled up the stairs and out of the castle.


    As soon as she was gone, Reinhart all but collapsed to his hands and knees, he quickly pulled his helmet off and kept trying to catch his breath, his face was pouring sweat and he was as pale as a sheet under the dimming lights of the cavern.


    Brigitte, being much younger than her mentor, managed to recover quicker and make her way over to her master. She silently helped him to his feet, "Are you alright?"


    He turned to her and that same devil-may-care grin spread across his face. "Don''t worry child, I''m not injured, just really tired, going to need some rest before we leave."


    Behind them a large klaxon rang, coming from the direction of the tank.


    Turning their heads, they could see that the display screen of the tank was reading EMERGENCY ACTIVATION in bright red letters. The fluid in the tank was emptying out, revealing the massive male shape inside of the tank.


    Both Brigitte and Reinhart prepared for another fight, Moira had said that the sudden interruption of his programing had likely scrambled his brains so they had no idea if the man coming out of the tank would be a berserk monster or a child-like idiot, or even the amoral genius that Moira had intended to make.


    The glass of the tank suddenly receded into the ground and the big young man was exposed to the open air.


    They could hear his breathing, like that of a bellows. His feet, even bare, were like the thud of a massive beast pounding across the ground, like a giant from the tales of old.


    His eyes were a brilliant blue and his hair was the same red color as Moira, but his face. Reinhart stared in shock at the near carbon copy of his old friend, General von Adler, minus about a few decades. If he had not known that this man was an experiment of science gone wrong he would not have batted and eye if he were told that this man was a grandson of von Adler''s.


    The huge man staggered his way towards them, no real hostility on his face, but really more confusion. As he got closer, they could get a better appreciation for his sheer size. Out of his armor, Reinhardt was a good seven feet in height and his armor added another eight inches. This man was easily that tall and his massive frame looked like it could snap both of them like a twig.


    Brigitte then look a little lower on his muscled frame then her eyes bulged before an involuntary blush spread across her face.


    Reinhardt was confused for a moment, then looked down himself¡­.oh¡­well apparently this guy was proportional.


    Their starting apparently got the giant''s attention because he stopped to look down himself. Apparently there was a mind inside that big head because he recognized his n.a.k.e.dness and flushing red himself he clapped both hands over his ground and all but flung himself behind one of the piles of scrap that used to be computers.


    He then popped his head out from the rubble and said, "Alright, could someone tell me where I am and what is going on here? Also¡­.could I get some pants?"

 Chapter 398 - My OC Stash #98 - Fate/Black Moon by the new (SCPFoundationXNasuverse)

    -I hope we''ll get some real helpful SCP''s screen time for this Grail War~ Fic is a rewrite so hopefully it pops off with chapters soon


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: ???


    Words: 5.3K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/fate-black-moon-scp-foundation-nasuverse.886235/ (the new)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    O5-8


    Overseers were busy people.


    Third in command of foundational operations, they were the authority within the Foundation, working side-by-side with the Ethics Committee, as the Administrator rarely intervened. Handling in overwatch of a department and day to day foundation activities, the Overseer Council was the inner circle that decided what was to happen next within the Foundation.


    Every Overseer held a very special job, and dozens of not so special ones.


    As an example, Thirteenth Overseers were typically responsible for the role of keeping an eye on the other Overseers- in order to guarantee that they wouldn''t betray the Foundation for the sake of their own agendas. They, therefore, rarely meddled in other affairs not connected directly to the Council, such as diplomatic relations with other factions of the world.


    Right now, Overseer Eight was calmly walking towards the main building of a rather small Foundation base of operations, located in a certain inconspicuous spot in the West Coast of the United States. Known as Outpost-231.


    That outpost was in there, officially, to serve as a place to send reports to, to review projects and house Foundation bureaucrats who weren''t supposed to stay anywhere else.


    Unnoficially, it was the place he had built to stay in.


    He was, at this moment, whistling a merry tune.


    In his left hand, a dozen copper rings, embedded with plastic gems, shone. They didn''t have any real function. Eight just found them pretty. He continued his walk down the street, now singing loudly. No one really paid attention to him, and he was very happy for that.


    It would make his day easier.


    He kept walking. No one paid attention on him. That was very good. He soon found himself in the building''s lobby. It was a plain, clean, white one which perfectly embodied the Foundation''s sense of aesthetics.


    Normally, that meant "make it all white and rip off a hospital," but it actually went quite well with this specific site''s architecture.


    He waved to the outpost''s recepcionist, Anthony. He was probably the only person who actually knew who Eight actually was. Anthony, sitting in his plain white chair, narrowed his eyes at him, clearly suspicious of his presence. Well, Eight couldn''t blame him. He normally only arrived at around 12 o''clock.


    Offering his hand to Anthony, he smiled widely. Anthony grit his teeth.


    "Keycard." he said, clearly making an effort to stay polite.


    Eight snickered and took his O5 keycard out of his pocket. Anthony stared at the card for a while, and stared at him with a very cold look. Eight knew that Anthony was holding a revolver right now. He


    always kept one behind his desk.


    Anthony did not like imposters one bit. He placed the card in the scanner, staring deep into his eyes while the machine did its job.


    It, after a while, simply made a little "beep" and clicked. The card had been accepted. Anthony looked into his eyes, still clearly suspicious. Eight offered his hand. Anthony shook it, and gestured towards another scanner in the desk. A biometric one.


    He placed his hand in the scanner, and waited.


    "How is your day going, Anthony?" said Eight, while the machine did its job.


    "Good." answered the doorman, dryly.


    The scanner made a buzzing sound, proving that he wasn''t secretly an imposter. Well, that was a relief. What if he actually was an imposter? An imposter so amazingly talented at their job that they had managed to fool themselves and the entire Foundation. What if he was one?


    Nah, the scanner proved otherwise.


    "You can go. Move already, sir." said Anthony, placing his gun back in the place where it was hidden- taped below his desk.


    Anthony made another gesture, and Eight walked away. Well, now he could be sure he wasn''t an imposter.


    After a while, he found himself in the elevator. He shrugged, and looked around. There wasn''t anyone around. Eight pressed a button, and closed his eyes as the lift went up. A song begun to play. Eight opened his eyes and stared at the roof of the elevator.


    "Eh, Stayin'' Alive. Seriously?" the Overseer said to no one in particular.


    He shook his head. He should really ask someone to change the song. It was annoying to listen to these three hobos singing, drunk on cheap helium, about staying alive. Hell, most people had no problems staying alive, it wasn''t really that hard. The problem was to what depths you would sink in order to actually stay alive.


    Not really people, yeah. There were a lot who couldn''t. But a starving man could eat the flesh of others, and a thirsty man could drink blood.


    Who knew?


    The elevator stopped moving. With a hiss, the door opened. Floor 3.


    Walking out of the small metallic container, O5-8 looked around for any wandering researchers. None. There wasn''t anyone in here at this hour. Every researcher was working in their own, unimportant tasks. Security was watching over these tasks.


    Eight walked towards his office, a smile in his face,


    Floor 3 was somewhat unimportant. That was why he had chosen it.


    No one really bothered watching over this floor, as there wasn''t anything of interest in it. It was a mundane storage. A warehouse, of sorts. Pens, pencils, paper, forms and stamps, printers, laptops and notebooks. Things like that.


    Stuff that you needed to watch over, yes.


    There were a few guards in here, but not as much as the anomalies had. Protecting horrifying artifacts of untold power was more important to watch over a stockpile of mundane shit. Most of these guards knew that they shouldn''t mess with Eight.


    Obviously, they didn''t know that he was an Overseer. They just thought he was important, but not that much.


    One of these guards, as O5-8 passed through him, looked into his eyes. He knew that his office was in this floor, and didn''t really care. It made sense, after all. Some big guy would hide his office in the place everyone thought was unimportant. Genius.


    "Hi there, doc." said the guard, waving at him.


    Eight waved back.


    A few minutes later, the Overseer was already in his office, preparing a little cup of tea for himself. He was a busy man, but he didn''t have a whole pile of reports and proposals to read. Just a few ones. With a quiet sip of his pink tea, Eight put himself to work. This was a good day.


    He would just delegate all of these to the rest of the site staff. But he would, just to be sure, skim through the higher-priority ones.


    A small outbreak of 610 in Russia. Where did it happen?


    Near the city of... Angarsk. The plague was still stuck in Russia. The original was always stuck in that little bubble around the river Angara, unless some flesh-cult assholes decided to spread it. An MTF had... requested permission to deal with the outbreak.


    There was, in the city, a booming Broken God cult. They could manuver them to destroy the outbreak with almost no danger to the Masquerade, if they could trick the cogs into attacking them.


    Yes, it would probably work.


    Eight signed the proposal and placed it in the "approved" pile.


    What else? A renegade magus, seemingly unnafiliated to any faction, had been brought into Foundation custody. He had tried to invade a site to search for... information on a project. Specifically, one of Eight''s own blackboxed Overseer projects. He apparently wanted to use it to kill... oh, Aoko Aozaki.


    Eight laughed. He had not seen such a ridiculous target for an assassin before.


    Apparently, some little Association aristocrat had been flipped off by her, and paid the man to go get something to kill her. The man, then happened to stumble upon one of his own Overseer projects, that was being researched at that specific site


    Nevermind. The guys currently keeping him in a cell were asking for permission to use... "enhanced interrogation methods."


    The hell? He wasn''t the Ethics Committee. They should go ask that to them. They would probably deny it, but Overseers weren''t responsible for that. Eight stared for a while at the proposal, and blinked, suddenly understanding the reason why he had asked. He smirked.


    "Oh. That was why. They probably knew that. Trying to torture someone behind their backs, eh?" muttered him. He didn''t like this.


    He picked up a stamp and smashed it in the proposal.


    "Denied." said O5-8. Served him right.


    Signing his name on the proposal, he wrote two small notes in it. First, to send whoever had proposed torture to a therapist as soon as possible. Second, to amnesticize the little thief so he wouldn''t remember a goddmaned


    He would try to strengthen the site''s security, anyway. Had the guy managed to break through the defenses? Uh... yes. Found a breach on the site''s Bounded Fields, an area where, by some magical coincidence, two of them happened to cancel each other. It was hard sometimes. He could delegate this to someone else, but he felt better knowing what was happening around the world.


    Specifically, what was happening to his own projects.


    Now... the last proposal. Then he could go nap a bit in his comfy chair. He picked up the first page. He blinked.


    "...What?" said him, as he skimmed through the standardized pages.


    The Holy Grail War? Starting this year?


    Damn, he had completely forgotten about that. It wasn''t one of his projects. but it was a Level-4 one, connected to the whole damn council.


    The damn war was just too much trouble. He always said it was a risky gamble, too dangerous... they should just shut the whole damn thing down and be done with it. That thing was a ridiculous idea from the start, but the council apparently had a reason to keep it going.


    Some sort of reason, and Eight had no idea what it was.


    What use did they even have for the wish? Large-scale reality alterations were always a bad idea. But there was a reason. Eight knew it. The way that the others spoke about it, the way the projects about it where made. There was a reason.


    And Eight was the only one who didn''t know that in the entire Council.


    So. The Holy Grail War. The last one had been a disaster.


    Who the hell thought using a product from The Factory as a summon catalyst was a good idea? The Servant even f.u.c.k.i.n.g tried to make a new Factory, a "more efficient, flawless, perfectly automated masterpiece of engineering" in his own words.


    Eight shuddered at the thought of such a thing. Increasing the Factory''s efficiency, getting rid of its disasters, and making it entirely automated? Their weaknesses were just that- their workers. The Factory needed workers.


    The Foundation had managed to destroy more then one Factory assembly line by simply depriving them of workers. They were a machine of hunger. When they had no one to devour, they couldn''t do anything, and were left weakened.


    At least the Einzbern got their teeth kicked in, in the end. Their Grail stolen under their nose, any hope of reconquering the Third Magic gone. That was always a plus, on his book. Had anyone summoned the Servants yet?


    Eight remembered. He remembered that lifeless husk of man, the man with the ridiculously long name full of German bullshit. The old man Acht. He remembered him staring at the Foundation soldiers after the new Factory had burned.


    He would try again this time. He wouldn''t summon a servant himself, probably. He would send one of his dolls to do the dirty work for him, the coward.


    The Grail wasn''t online yet, but people were always impatient.


    Eight had to make a decision. The Foundation would probably send a candidate themselves. They had stacked the deck in their favor in every way imaginable for 60 whole damn years. But he didn''t understand. Eight didn''t know why.


    It didn''t make any sense.


    Why was the rest of the Council trying to keep the War going? He didn''t understand. There was a f.u.c.k.i.n.g omnipotent wish involved. Why was that happening? And why didn''t they tell him the reason? Why was a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Overseer kept in the dark.


    They weren''t supposed to be kept in the dark. They was supposed the be the guys who knew everything.


    The f.u.c.k.i.n.g Overseer Council. You can''t oversee if you don''t even know what is even happening.


    Eight needed to know. He had delayed this for far too long. He had, somehow, forgotten about this goddamned genie-machine, hidden right below his nose. He picked up the phone. He was certain they had some decent artifacts to use as catalysts. He was having some fun, if everything else failed. It wasn''t as this Grail War would kill him, after all.


    The Foundation would host a Grail War, yes. A Grail War was composed of Servants fighting each other. Typically seven. Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Assassin and Berserker.


    But no one said it had to be like that. The two Edelfelt sisters, last war, had cheated. Pulled two little servants with their little Sorcery Trait and double Crest. If two little snooty magi could cheat, why couldn''t he, an Overseer, not cheat a bit himself?


    He would find out the truth in this.


    "You''ve been hidden for a long time, Grail. I''ll find out what''s behind this." muttered O5-8, throwing the report back into the pile.


    Whistling a rather creepy tune, Overseer Eight picked up his phone. He didn''t need a lot to get in this war. A catalyst, a few troopers... it wouldn''t be hard. He could play a bit with the ritual, even if he wasn''t magus himself. After all, the Foundation had a whole damn division for that.


    Time to make some calls.

 Chapter 399 - My SI Stash #99 - Becoming A Monster [REWORK] by Bladedhc (DragonBallZ)

    -"When your at your lowest, when you have nothing left to lose, there''s no place to go but up." Man''s just grinding back up with da rework, respect/


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 37K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/becoming-a-monster-dbz-the-rework.12643/#post-3575814 (Bladedhc)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    What is death? What happens when your heart finally gives out? When that blood stops flowing through your veins and throughout your body?


    For most people its the end of the life they''ve lived. The unexpected departure from an existence we''ve grown accustomed to. Something to be feared, accepted only when you have nothing left to lose, or no more ability to fight it off. Even the religious, the spiritual, and the depressed tend to fight it when it comes to them. Especially when it comes unexpectedly.


    I''d say in most ways death was the same to me. When it finally came I hadn''t been expecting it, when I knew what was happening I was more afraid than I''d ever been in nearly twenty-six years of life, and I absolutely tried to fight it off. Even with the knowledge that it was far, far too late I struggled with an intensity and will I hadn''t ever drawn upon.For a second I couldn''t help but think that I''d be a lot farther ahead in my life if I had that same determination for everything else.


    With teeth chattering against a sensation of cold I couldn''t possibly begin to describe I grasped the sturdy wood laid out underneath me with enough force that I could have sworn I heard it crack over the commotion of my suffering. I pushed myself up and away from the source of my pain, desperately trying not to think about the sound that met my ears. The unsteady and heated whirring of metal struggling against bone and flesh.


    I almost succeeded too, not that it would have helped much at that point. My shoe slipped, giving way to the sudden coating of blood decorating the floor of my garage, and sending me right back to where I started, this time for good. My arms gave out, and the metal that had already been biting into a newly made cavity in my chest sank ever deeper, breaking through and past the ribs protecting my back with ease.


    I think it was the noise that bothered me the most. That damned saw buzzing away under me. For a few seconds the pain and the despair only grew, before, like the rest of my awareness, it began to fade. My sight, the feeling, even my regret, but somehow not the sound. It felt like I was listening for hours to that same whirring before even that finally faded away.


    ''Who would find me?'' I couldn''t help but wonder. Would it be my sister, coming home from school? My mother, returning from the store? The girlfriend who left me on uncertain terms not two weeks before, hoping to patch things up?


    It doesn''t really matter I suppose. Like it or not they aren''t a part of my "life" anymore.


    I spent my afterlife as nothing more than a spirit whisping about darkness I couldn''t pierce no matter how hard I tried, losing bits and pieces of my identity, my memory, and my soul as time went on. I didn''t even notice at first, but with nothing but time on my hands and no clear task to take up I could only think back on the life I''d lived.


    It started with names, places, emotions I attached to certain events. It wasn''t long before I started to lose faces, and ambitions, things I could once say and know with the kind of certainty almost everyone has. Ironically it was the little things that stuck around. I remember the first time my grandfather showed me how to cook a steak, the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I ate religiously in middle-school, even how to ride a bike, somewhat.


    I don''t know how long I spent dead before the situation eventually changed. I''m not certain what force pulled me away from the oblivion my soul had been slowly disappearing into. Perhaps it was the god my grandparents insisted I try and accept into my heart, maybe it was the devil, or possibly it was something else entirely. I only really know a few things about my "saviour''.


    It wasn''t kind, it didn''t do this out of the goodness of it''s heart or any obligation it felt towards my death, and it almost certainly didn''t care about what I wanted. The decision that would shape the rest of my days would likely be forgotten in an instant, nothing more than the passing fancy of a being I couldn''t and likely wouldn''t want to understand.


    I was left with only a single message in the wake of a new life, one filled with danger far beyond my ken, danger that I had no choice but to face head on.


    "Amuse me." The creature said.


    I woke up in an instant, the words still reverberating throughout my very soul. Gasping and coughing, crying and laughing as I took my first real breaths in what I could only assume was a lifetime of waiting. I was alive, I was awake.


    I was...cold. My breath misted in front of me, emphasized by the flickering fluorescent light above me, not quite illuminating the room enough to reveal everything, but giving me an idea of where I could be, and a chance to look myself over. My clothes were torn and smeared with long dried blood, mostly around the center of my chest, just to the left of my heart.


    Flakes of dried blood covered my exposed chest and arms, clashing against the pallor of my skin, now a few shades lighter than what I thought was normal.


    "D-did they take you too?" My head whipped to my right in an instant, and my eyes fell upon the trembling form of a bloodied and beaten man, his light purple skin barely covered by what seemed to be a toga. A single horn jutted from the center of his brow, as clear a sign as any that he wasn''t human. The pang of surprise I felt at his appearance was distant, muted by the sheer oddity of my situation and the fact that I couldn''t really bring myself to care about something so trivial compared to my sudden ability to breath.


    "...Yeah. They did." Something tells me that I was speaking a lie. Maybe it was selfish of me to believe but I had a feeling my circ.u.mstances where far different than this man''s own. I looked around the room once more, this time catching sight of a number of huddled forms shivering in every corner, hiding just outside of the light covering the center of our current accommodations. I spoke up, addressing everyone in the room with a kind of confidence that I once didn''t have. "Does anyone know who they are? What they want with us?"


    For a long moment I was met with silence, and I almost thought my question would go unanswered. Many of the individuals I could see only blankly stared into space, remembering whatever horror came to them before they arrived here. Most of them resembled the purple man who first spoke, likely sharing a species with him. Eventually one of the occupants of the room answered. An alien with rough blue skin looked up at me from where it sat, his voice sounding almost like an avalanche. "It''s only been a few months since my own capture, but I have an idea about what they are."


    I took a moment to find an open space, before sitting and leaning against the wall as the creature moved forward slightly, revealing a gorilla-like body, and what was once two sets of eyes, one of which was missing. "They travel from world to world, slaughtering the population in a matter of days with strength beyond anything that should be natural to a mortal being." He paused for a moment, swallowing bile that had been building in his throat.


    "To them we are nothing more than easy targets, they come and kill our friends and loved ones, only to sell the world we call home to whatever monsters would be willing to buy them. They value strength above all, and they take from whatever they believe is weaker and more vulnerable than themselves." Many of the people in the room drew into themselves in some attempt to appear smaller than they where, hiding from the enemy his words showed them.


    "So they sell us? They sell our worlds?" A dangerously thin woman, one of the horned people, managed to shakingly speak out.


    He nodded. "From what they say whenever they tolerate our presence enough to speak among each other, many sh.i.p.s just like this one travel the stars with the same purpose. Some have crews weaker than this one, and some stronger. I don''t know by how much, but whatever standards monsters like these have for strength are far above anything we can imagine. They have some means of measuring our own strength compared to theirs, and if we don''t meet the standards they set for quality slaves they use us at their leisure. If you don''t have a talent or skill of some value to them you could be used as nothing more than fodder."


    He huffed, settling down further into his corner. "Those without power or value are used however the crew wants. I''ve seen people eaten, r.a.p.ed, burned, and even strapped with weapons and forced to fight for nothing more than entertainment or training. Seeing as most of you have only recently been taken I''ll give you some advice that might just save your lives. Find a use, a purpose. If you don''t they''ll kill you."


    He grinned morbidly. "Welcome to Freeza force. Hopefully some of you might live for a while."


    For a moment I stopped breathing, my eyes widening at the man''s words. That name sounded familiar. It brought up a feeling of nostalgia I normally connected with the simple pleasure of Saturday morning cartoons, quickly followed by fear as I processed just what that meant for me.


    Dragon Ball. It had pushed me into Dragon Ball. I was now so deeply at the bottom of the food-chain I might as well have been a gnat brushing up against giants. A spark of that same fear I felt as I died brushed my heart, accompanied by something I almost couldn''t recognize. I couldn''t help but laugh once I did, only to be cut off as the wall behind me suddenly disappeared into the ceiling, and I collapsed at the boots of a bug-like alien in familiar armor.


    So thats where the door was.


    Disgust rose up along the puke green of his chitinous face, and a lazy kick sent me back into the room with enough force to strike the opposite wall, and bowl into gorilla-like man I had just spoken with.


    "It''s time for processing, meat-bags! Those of you who haven''t been tested for potential use are to line up and follow me!" Out of sheer surprise no one moved, or even breathed at the aliens words, aside from me gasping and coughing on the floor. He growled, before he slammed his fist into the nearest face in the room, causing the unfortunate alien''s head to explode into gore against the wall behind it.


    "Now!" He boomed. Everyone was up in an instant, gathering single file as he stomped off at an uncomfortable pace. I gathered myself, clutching my broken ribs as we were lead down a blindingly bright hallway, its only feature the single red stripe running across the walls. Passing by soldiers just like the one leading us, each of them grinning smugly at us as we passed by.


    Soon we meet up with dozens of other crowds just like us as we were filed onto one side of a single large room. The white, blank surfaces of the room and the distant smell of disinfectant ironically reminded me of a hospital, except it obviously held none of the familiar safety such a place might have brought me. Aside from a few outliers like myself the people who waited alongside me were all the same species of horned alien. Six objects that look almost like airport metal detectors jutted out from the floor in the middle of the room, clearly ready for our use.


    It wasn''t long before the last of us had been corralled inside. A few hundred remaining members of a dying people, and a handful of aliens that had likely never even heard of each others species. There was almost no noise as they waited for whatever was to come next, only the sound of a few broken sobs from those who couldn''t help themselves filling the chamber. Soon even that faded, and our new master spoke to us for the first time.


    A sonorous voice met my ears, the gentle rasp of a woman I could only assume was beautiful sounding over an intercom and cutting through the relative silence of my current company. "The Geressian people. A species with an average power-level of eighteen and a seriously overfed sense of importance. Under the watchful eyes of lord Freeza you have been weighed, measured, and found wanting. Those of you in this room represent the last of your people alive today, and when our time is up here your once billions strong race will be reduced even further."


    The machines in the center of the room hummed as they powered on, several lights at their underside glowing blue. "The machines you see at the center of this chamber will likely be what decides your fate. If your power level measures above thirty we will be willing to allow you to remain on our ship as slaves and prisoners of labor. You''ll soon be sold to the inhabitants of Freeza world 892 or ''Dornessa'' as its informally called."


    She hummed, before letting out a laugh. "And for those of you who fail to meet our expectations? You had better hope you have some value as a pleasure slave or a conscript, or else I fear your fate is at the discretion of the kind members of my crew." A number of the soldiers guarding over us chuckled, and one of them even cracked his knuckles.


    I didn''t react as the horror on my fellow slaves grew. I already knew what was going to happen. I''m not certain what a humans power level is, but I know its not thirty. Still, I couldn''t help but grit my teeth in half a grimace, and half a grin. I had wasted my life, only finding my will to live after I had died. I had failed every expectation I set for myself and been left as nothing but a husk with a ghost of his old memories. I was at the precipice of a horrible death, at the edge of the same oblivion I had faced once before. I was excited beyond belief.


    If I could make it past this I could make something of myself. Reforge an identity from the shattered piece I could grasp at. I could stand among and above the monsters that seemed to dominate my life. I had never wanted to live, to survive so much as I did right now.


    I ignored the weeping man ahead of me, crying as he was informed his power lay just below the threshold at 27. The machine beeped at me, before a robotic voice sounded from within.


    "Designation?"


    I mulled over its words for a moment. What was my name? For a terrifying second I couldn''t remember, before it slammed into me like a punch to the gut.


    "Dennis."


    "Species?"


    "Human."


    The machine hummed, before beeping at me. "Confirmed. Slave #4561. Dennis. Approximate power level- three."


    Chapter 2


    "Bah hah hah! Three?! I think I''ve seen rats on this ship with more potential! This one isn''t even worth the air he breaths!" One of the guards, someone that looked like the bastard love child of Tony the tiger and Lion-o, laughed out loud at the number that was connected to my strength, bringing a number of other soldiers in on the fun. They pointed and laughed at me, almost killing my initial excitement entirely.


    A few of the Geressian''s being processed alongside me even shot some pitying looks my way. I frowned for a moment, before taking a breath. The alien with the most experience, and the captain of this ship both advised that those too weak to have a secure position should find a way to make themselves valuable. I see no reason not to listen to their advice.


    By their standards I was weak, but that could change with time. I just needed to find a way to use my ki, and give myself the tools to grow. For now however that didn''t matter. Survival first. After taking a few minutes to cool down, and let everyone forget about my embarrassing battle power, I approached the soldier who laughed at me and my potential as a combatant.


    The soldiers stopped caring about the orderliness of the crowd once people where scanned, stepping back to listen as those desperate for their own survival began to make their cases to individual soldiers. They had been told that their use would be decided by the crew, and like me they had taken it to heart. Already I spotted a some female and even a few male Geressians prostrating themselves before anyone willing to humor them. I suppose for most people suffering through a **** is preferable to dying as a conscript. Having seen at least one afterlife I can''t really blame them.


    "No." The alien drawled, his fur bristling as I walked up to him. I couldn''t help but notice he was nearly four feet taller than I was. "Even if I did enjoy males you wouldn''t survive the experience with your strength. I''d advise you move back to your advisor and your cell, at least as a conscript you can keep some scrap of pride as you die."


    I scratched the back of my head. Not sure how to take that. "That''s...Not what I had in mind. I simply have an offer I think any number of your fellows would be willing to take me up on."


    He shook his head, crossing his arms. "look, there are few tasks a power level of three will get you around here. I''m sorry to say you no matter what you do around here, you aren''t gonna last too long."


    "I wouldn''t say that." The Tiger-man tilted his head at me, but let me speak. "It''s true, I doubt I can be much help to warriors like you on the battlefield. I''m clearly not suited for combat. But I''d like to put my best foot forward with the crew, avoid the fate of my unfortunate fellows." Tiger-man looked over to one of his friends, the bug man who had kicked me earlier, only to be met with a shrug.


    "And what would you say a weakling like you has to offer us?" I grinned. I have their attention now.


    I had taken some time to think over what few advantages being human could provide me in the wider universe, and aside from being part of an unknown race without any reputation to speak of, there was really only one thing we had over every other race. One sparkling advantage that pushed us far above the rest.


    "It just so happens that I am a fantastic cook. Better than any of you have ever even heard of in fact. I could serve a few meals on this ship in return for my life and relative safety." That actually seemed to intrigue him. A massive furred hand came up to rub his chin.


    Apparently the food we put together can be considered top tier. Even a god obsessed with getting a good meal, one Beerus the destroyer, would one day give earth a pass for that reason, and that reason alone.


    "It has been a while since I had real food..." He seemed to think for a moment. "I''ll take you up on that, human." He tested the word, seeming not to enjoy it too much. My smile grew just a bit larger. Seems I might just survive this. "Once we hit our next target you should try and take some of what they have to offer. If you make something worth my while, me and some of my men''ll make sure no one accidentally eats you or something." My grin fell. That sounds an awful lot like I would have to be part of this attack.


    "Couldn''t I just... make you some food now?" As eager as I was to try and make myself strong. I''m not so f.u.c.k.i.n.g stupid as to assume I could take on whatever was waiting for me on the next world these people would invade. I''d rather stick to some half remembered high school cooking skills over my nonexistent experience in combat.


    He gave me a light-hearted laugh. "Your welcome to try, but you probably wont find anything aboard. Our ship does come with something resembling a kitchen- usually a way for the higher ups to enjoy something that isn''t nutrient paste, but our last cook died two years ago, meaning the captain doesn''t bother with things like ''Ingredients''."He let that sink in a moment, before continuing. "-Now seeing as you have nothing else to offer, I''d say your probably gonna end up dead either way. We don''t give the weak a free pass just because they say they might be able to do something of use at some point in the future, making you one of the conscripts." He stepped past me, letting a big furry hand fall on my shoulder. "If you do make it somehow, and you get your hands on something I like, I''ll think about the offer. Otherwise? Best of luck."


    My shoulders dropped. I didn''t bother asking him anything more, he had already told me everything I needed to know. If I had anything else to offer I would have already. So I would be fighting on an unknown world with unknown danger, all for the vague amus.e.m.e.nt and small convenience my presence would provide.


    I shook my head, before I marched to my surpervisor, where I was escorted alongside a few whimpering aliens back into the cold of our shared cell. I didn''t have any time to waste.


    No one tried to run or fight as we were pushed back into our "accommodations". Those of us who were left were more than intelligent enough to know it would be useless. Our captors could fly faster than we could follow, they could tear us limb from limb with same ease I would feel breaking a toothpick. So we clung to whatever chance of survival we could. In this case participating in the battle for the next planet they wanted to sell off. It was almost nothing, but it was more than we would have otherwise.


    I didn''t move when the door closed behind us, watching as the Geressians settled in as best they could. With the soldiers not looming over us we were left with our thoughts, and the crushing reality of what life was now. A woman who hadn''t offered herself to the soldiers burst into tears, hugging her legs and giving up in a way she couldn''t bring herself to around her captors. It wasn''t long before a few more of her people joined in. In a past life I might have joined them.


    Instead I sat down, and I closed my eyes. Even without the relative numbness my death had given me, I knew something these people did not. A secret to strength the killers outside our door didn''t recognize even as they wielded it themselves. Something that I know has pushed even humans like me beyond the common soldiers of Freeza force, and possibly even beyond that. Ki. Life Energy. Chakra. Whatever the hell you wanted to call it. An energy that exists in every form of life in some manner or other. It was why these soldiers where so far beyond the human standard of strength, why they could project energy from their palms, why Freeza could end entire civilizations in the blink of an eye. It was why I was confident that even I had a chance.


    They didn''t tell us how long we had before the fighting would start. It could be days, maybe a few weeks, it could even be tomorrow for all I know. So I had to make a gamble. In the world I once lived in Ki was an impossibility, something that didn''t exist in any real form that I could have known of. Hopefully that would be what saves me. If I''m right that would make the presence of ki something I could pick up on far more easily than anyone else. It wouldn''t have been a part of me for my entire life. I ignored the crying, the despair and the defeat going on around me, focusing only on my heartbeat. The steady and slow thump of my blood coursing through my veins.


    When I could hear nothing else I looked deeper. Mentally grasping away at whatever I could. I was searching for something I knew hadn''t been there before, looking for a well of energy to drawn upon, to grow. Thump-Thump. I thought about how I felt before, lazing about a life I hadn''t fully valued. Thump-Thump, I thought about how I felt now, outside of the numbness, the emptiness of a half-forgotten memories and feelings. Thump-Thump. An outlier. Thump-Thump. Something that didn''t belong. I twitched as the noise changed from a comforting beat to the unforgettable whir of spinning metal, as memories of my heart beating ever slower pushed themselves to the forefront.


    When I opened my eyes again my teeth were chattering and fist were clenched so hard my hands bled, stinging in the cold air. My heart. That''s what had changed. It felt heavier, more substantial, stronger. When I focused again I picked up on a spark hiding just behind my heart, beating at the same pace and tempo.It was just a small flicker of warmth, but it was there. I looked around the room, my excitement clear on my face, before finally noticing the quiet of the room around me. In spite of the despair, or perhaps because of it, they had all fallen asleep.


    Maybe I was at this longer than I thought. That didn''t stop me from smiling. I don''t doubt that I still just made record time. Now to push it even further.


    I touched on that warmth, drawing it away like a thread from a spool of string, bringing all I could to my hands, and then pushing it outward in a single, concentrated blast. With a huff I threw my arms out my fingers splayed, yet no beam of light or cutting laser greeted my efforts, only a light mist of glowing white light. It was so small the only reason I even noticed was because i was looking for something, anything to show for my effort.


    I cut off the energy with a gasping, strained jhuff, suddenly feeling as if I''d just ran a mile. Guess three doesnt take you very far. Not very surprising all things considered.


    Still, In just a day, a few hours at most, I had made more progress than most of my race could attest to. And that? That was something to be proud of.


    Sure, I was at the very bottom of the totem pole, but that was the beauty of it.


    When your at your lowest, when you have nothing left to lose, theres no place to go but up.


    Chapter 3


    With no further use to the crew or the upper management our "supervisor" didn''t even bother letting us out of the room, only occasionally stopping by to throw a few trays of what they call "nutrient paste" our way, It was an oddly smelling and stiff kind of gruel, vaguely resembling tooth-paste. Aside from the initial bad impression its appearance left on me, it isn''t altogether terrible. Apparently it was supposed to meet all dietary needs, and the relatively tasteless nature of it made its value clear as day. I even managed to take some from those who where too depressed, or too distracted to notice my thievery.


    I need all the calories I can get, and seeing as some people have already given up I have no reason for me not to eat my fill and more, Im no expert on training and exercise, but I do know that Ill need all the food intake I can get. It''s not like anyone had it in them to complain anyway. Life was shitty enough as it was for them, starting a fight wasn''t something any of them wanted, even with someone who was apparently far weaker.


    Aside from the occasional whisper about the room people were quiet, and even among those few who did speak, they didn''t bother to interact with me. Personally I prefered it that way, these people were in just as much danger as I was, and getting attached would be an unnecessary risk when the time came. I felt bad for them, but I wasn''t gonna die alongside them if I had anything to say about it.


    I spent the first few days picking at my energy, testing how I could move it about inside my body, how quickly it could be done, and just what kind of effect I could make it have. So far the best I could manage was a few different shades of orange and red light, alongside some moderate heat to occasionally warm my hands in the chill surrounding us, I made sure to expend everything I had at every moment I had it, occasionally collapsing into ragged breaths whenever I did. At first I had wanted to train my body as well, but just the effort of expending my energy exhausted me completely, and in a way I was almost always surprised at.


    It always happend in an instant, I felt perfectly fine as I drew on the power, but once I forced it out of my body I would collapse, no matter the effect I tried at or the results it gave me. Still, my efforts bore fruit, the heat or the light always lasting just a bit longer, or burning just a bit brighter than it had before. I made sure to keep the most visible parts of my activity out of sight, not certain how the other people, our captors or my fellow slaves, would react to me manipulating energy. I don''t think the Freeza force men would care too much, confident as they were, but the slaves would almost certainly ask for help I can''t give them.


    Of course that had a rather unfortunate side affect of distancing me even further from them. Without any context or information about me most of them assumed I was sick in some way, always gasping as if I was breathing my last, always on the verge of collapse. It wasn''t long before they were giving me all the space our cramped quarters would provide. I suppose I can''t complain on that.


    On the eve of the fourth day I started to push things up a little, going through what basic exercises I could as I exerted more and more energy. Doing push ups as I worked to regulate my body temperature against the cold of our cell, and quickly finding that I was already capable of much more than I once was. I wasn''t a particularly unhealthy man in the past, but after college I had sort of let myself go, abandoning boxing as a hobby, and therefore giving up on a six pack and decently toned arms for an unfortunate mixture flab and mush. Even still, with the help of ki I managed around fifty push ups, which was very close to my old personal best.


    It was around a week in before I started picking up on the energy of those around me. It was difficult to parse out individuals in such a densely packed ship, but I could identify the strength and position of the people inside the room. It also gave me an idea about the size and capacity of the vessel I was currently "serving" aboard. After a few hours of tenuous examination I decided the ship was a few thousand feet across, and that it had several different levels people resided in. If I had to guess that meant there were at least a few hundred crew members, each significantly stronger than the standard slave, and a few thousand more slaves of various use.


    Of course training and watching my captors wasn''t everything I was doing, I was also planning. Planning how to fight, how to survive, how to thrive among a universe were the destruction of a planet was easy enough even for those on the lower end of power. Aside from the shows namesake, I could think of a number of things off the top of my head that might just be what I need to bridge the gap. The hero water, the tree of might, and any number of strength enhancing techniques come to mind. It was only a matter of finding them, and perhaps anything else that I can get my hands on. Maybe I could convince someone to train me, put me through the kind of gauntlet I would need to match the big players.


    Of course in order to have even a ghost of a chance at that I would need to find a way off this ship, and that required strength on par with at least some of the soldiers here. I grimaced at the thought. To get there at least I needed training, experience, and if I was guessing right, luck. Luck to find the artifacts, luck to find a trainer, luck to win battles I know I have no real right to take part in.


    "Luck." I whispered to myself, before heaving as I expended all my energy once again. I snarled once I caught my breath. I hated the idea of putting it all on something so unreliable. If I was lucky I could have lived the first time around. If I was lucky I''d remember who I am. If I was lucky I might have one day managed to find a purpose and drive in a world that was safe.


    No, no I''d have to cheat, and in every way I could. Start thinking of ways to throw some dirt into the eyes of whoever or whatever I fight. I shouldn''t be looking for the kind of training and skill Goku would have. I should be looking for how to kill someone with the training and skills Goku has. I don''t have a lifetime of martial arts to fall back on, and if I wanna live long enough to have it I''ll have to give up on fighting fair entirely.


    So what do I have that the average killer won''t? I was nursing some ability at sensing, and on the battlefield my own strength is likely to be ignored as the Planet Trade Organization did their work, meaning I was much more likely to go unseen and unnoticed. I know that there exists a number of techniques that can hurt those above the weight-class of the practitioner, and I know that every alien I''d ever laid eyes on shares a number of common traits with humans and each other. Most had four limbs, eyes on their heads, and I assume a relatively similar skeletal structure and body lay out. I also know that while they all have varying degrees of strength and durability, the ability to survive traditionally fatal wounds without the help of a Freeza Force standard healing tank is pretty rare.


    If I managed to land a fatal blow that meant my opponent would die regardless of how much stronger he was. Assuming whatever I did was capable of piercing their flesh in the first place. That leaves out traditional means of attack like fist fighting or standard martial arts, cutting out what little experience in fighting I did have. Considering my less than stellar reserves of energy for things like lasers or power beams that also meant I needed a weapon. Something straightforward to handle and easily maintained. Maybe a blade of some kind. I think I remember someone using a sword to considerable effect in the show. I bet its not impossible to learn some ki related use for it either.


    Of course I was still in trouble for the immediate future, but I bet its safe to assume I''ll be given a weapon of some kind. As amusing as the soldiers outside would find it to send us out to fight with nothing, it wasn''t very likely that any of us would accomplish anything aside from mildly annoying whatever force our target had for planetary defense. As far as I''ve seen none of the Geressians have any inherent energy abilities, and most of them are already likely to have been civilians on their world. If we were to do anything of any use, even as fodder, we would need weapons, strong ones too.


    I shook my head, before getting back to work. I suppose I''ll find out for sure sooner or later.


    I opened my eyes when a voice sounded throughout our room, the same sultry tones I heard when we were being processed. I had been trying my hand at meditation, exercising as much control over my ki as I could before her interruption met my ears. "In four hours galactic standard time we will be arriving on the planet Xecroas prime, the only habitable planet of the Xecroas system. Our orders are standard procedure, the capture of slaves and the cleansing of any of the population who aren''t taken aboard. Average power level sits at fifty-eight, with expected outliers to exist between four and sixteen-hundred. For our weaker crew members caution is advised, if any outliers are sighted you are to contact your immediate superior and request assistance.-"


    I stood, before taking a moment to stretch as she continued."-The world is primarily desert, with several densely packed population centers located over a number of strangely large bodies of groundwater. Lord Freeza himself has expressed that he wants these undamaged and ready for the buyers use when the time comes. I don''t need to explain the consequences of failing to take that in mind.-" A number of energy signatures on the ship twisted and curled in a particular motion I assumed was connected to fear. "-For our ''guests'' alongside the purge, I''ll try and translate this in a way you primitives might understand. The people on this world, even the weak ones, are all nearly twice as capable and strong as the best of you. If you have the chance to kill one of them you should take it if you want any chance at living another day, because I assure you, they have the advantage against you lot in just about every way that could count."


    For a moment I thought it was over, before her voice sounded out once more."Oh, and one more thing-" Her voice took a mocking tone. "Please, some of you, try and go against us. Try and save some of these poor unfortunate souls from the evil men and women who took you from your homes, who stole away everything you know and love!" She chuckled.


    "That way our boys can have a nice example for the new slaves coming our way."

 Chapter 400 - My OC Stash #100 - Witches of Sin by Cambrian (Re:Zero)

    -Been a while since i''ve read something from Cambrian, lo and behold a lewd Re:Zero fic~ YES! YES! YES!


    Synopsis: In which a young man who styles himself as a magic researcher ends up stumbling headfirst into a relationship with the Witch of Greed. And yet, in stark contrast with her supposed Greedy nature... she''s quite eager to share him with her fellow Witches.


    Rated: M


    Words: 6.5K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/witches-of-sin-re-zero.13047/ (Cambrian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Haru was, first and foremost, a magic researcher. No matter what anyone else called him, he preferred that title most of all. Sure, some might have tried to label him as some adventurer, or tomb raider, or opportunist. But those people didn''t understand what he was trying to do, what he was aiming for. They didn''t understand him or his desires, so Haru preferred not to give them the time of day.


    Instead, the roguish young man focused on what was right in front of him at all times. The path he''d laid out for himself¡­ he would see it through to it''s completion, no matter what. That determination, above all else, was what categorized Haru as an individual. Meanwhile, as a magic researcher, Haru had one area of study that he focused on above all else. The Witches of Sin.


    They were a heady subject matter¡­ an almost forbidden subject matter at that. Even speaking the name of one of the Witches besides the Witch of Envy out loud was enough to bring the Cult down upon your head. Researching them? Well, let''s just say that Haru had had a few run ins here and there¡­ and could boast a small collection of cultist attire in his trunk for when he needed to go incognito. Just don''t ask him how he came about that cultist attire. Luckily, dark colors hide bloodstains¡­


    Regardless, Haru didn''t much care for the Cult, and they didn''t much care for him or his research. But that didn''t stop him from doing it anyways. The Witches of Sin and the Great Calamity¡­ it was all just too fascinating. He couldn''t draw his attention away from the whole mystery, and lord knows he''d tried. He''d made an effort here and there to attempt to shift the focus of his research when he hit a few dead ends, but something always managed to pull him back in.


    Now, here he was at Echidna''s tomb. It wasn''t the first time he''d been here, to be fair. Of course, last time he was here, he''d had to flee rather quickly because of some over-eager cultists who''d followed him. This time though, Haru had made sure he had no tail. Which meant he could spend as much time as he liked studying one of the only known locations that a Witch of Sin was interned within.


    Echidna, the Witch of Greed. They didn''t even know what she looked like¡­ not really. There were some carvings around her tomb that MIGHT have been depictions of her, but who knew? All of the Witches were female, and there were multiple carvings. Were they all meant to be the same woman? Did they represent different Witches?


    That was one of the things Haru wanted to find out. But just as he was getting closer, just as he was getting ready to begin his research, the young man received an¡­ invitation. Not that this ''invitation'' was one to be refused. Between one moment and the next, the world wavers and shifts around him. Haru recognizes the effect only because of the amount of research he''s done at this point.


    He knows more than most, which is how he knows that he''s just been drawn into a Witch of Sin''s Dreamcastle. Looking around the vast grassy field that he finds himself in, it doesn''t take long for the young man''s eyes to alight upon the table situated in the midst of it all. There''s a woman sat at it, and Haru begins moving forward, even as he takes her in.


    Long white hair, deep black eyes. Porcelain pale skin, covered in a pitch black dress. She looks¡­ distinctly inhuman. Haru''s breath hitches as he approaches. Could it be?


    "Greetings. I''m not used to someone visiting my tomb twice in a row. Usually once is enough to turn most away. Won''t you sit down for tea with me?"


    Echidna, the Witch of Greed. Haru can''t help but be a little overwhelmed as he finishes making his way to the table, accepting the seat that Echidna points out to him. The gorgeous white-haired woman has a thin lipped smile on her face as she c.o.c.ks an eyebrow, offering up the teapot wordlessly.


    "O-Oh¡­ s-sure!"


    He was sharing tea with a Witch of Sin. He was having tea with the Witch of Greed herself! He had¡­ so many questions! Ah, but they could wait. He needed to approach this carefully. He needed to make sure he didn''t overstay his welcome. So, Haru stays quiet even as Echidna pours the tea and pushes the cup and saucer across the table over to him.


    When she drinks, so does he, wanting to be polite, not sure what to expect from the taste. He''s a little surprised at first to find that it actually tastes very good, only to come to the conclusion a moment later that of course it would taste good, Echidna probably made it out of thin air, given this was her Dreamcastle. Of course, that wasn''t quite accurate¡­


    "Do you like it, my guest?"


    Blinking, Haru nods to her enthusiastically.


    "Yeah, I mean, yes. Yes, it''s very good. Oh, and my name is Haru. Sorry, I''ve been rude."


    For a moment, Echidna just stares at him. He squirms a bit under that gaze, as she seems to truly be taking him in for the first time. Of course, what Haru had no way of knowing was that there was an almost universal way that people reacted to meeting with the Witch of Greed. When it came to normal people, Echidna''s very presence injected overwhelming fear into them, to the point that most would start vomiting in her presence from sheer terror.


    Haru was not a normal person though. He was a little broken inside, though he wouldn''t have phrased it that way.


    Slowly, coming to terms with this strange man in front of her, Echidna lets the corners of her mouth lift into a smug, teasing grin.


    "That''s good. I made it with my bodily fluids."


    Haru pauses at that, but if she wanted more of a kneejerk reaction, she should have waited until he was taking his next sip. As it is, the magic researcher knows when he''s being tested and toyed with at the same time. As such, he doesn''t so much as hesitate to answer her smug grin with a smirk of his own, as he deliberately raises the teacup to his mouth and takes a long drink of the truly delicious tea within.


    Once he''s done gulping, Haru puts the tea cup back down and licks his lips as he enjoys the gobsmacked expression that''s suddenly appeared on the Witch of Greed''s face.


    "The taste really is quite exquisite. What bodily fluid in particular did you use to get such a delectable flavor?"


    Completely fl.u.s.tered by the sudden turn of events, Echidna answers without thinking, sputtering a little as she squirms in her chair.


    "M-My saliva¡­"


    ¡­ People liked to call Haru reckless and foolhardy. They liked to say he leapt in without thinking. These were the same people that labeled him as an adventurer or tomb raider, much of the time. But those people could go and f.u.c.k themselves. Every move Haru made was calculated and well-thought out, no doubt about it. Was it his fault he just happened to do his thinking faster than anyone else?


    "Well then, I simply must try some of this sweet nectar directly from the source."


    And with that, the roguishly handsome young man, wearing a carefree grin, stands up and moves around the table. Echidna doesn''t immediately destroy him for his impudence, mostly because she''s short-circuiting rather hard at the moment, but Haru takes that as permission to go ahead and capture the Witch of Greed''s lips in a kiss right there on the spot.


    His hand tucks under her chin rather gently as he tilts her head back slowly so that he can lean down and lock lips with her. His tongue is careful and questioning as it probes Echidna''s mouth, but when she opens up for him, he''s all too happy to take a mile, pushing his tongue into her mouth and making out with the shocked Witch of Greed on the spot.


    Sure, some might have said he was dumb for doing this¡­ but they didn''t know everything he knew. The very fact that he had been summoned to Echidna''s Dreamcastle like this meant he had captured the Witch of Sin''s attention. If he wanted to stay alive and healthy, then it was in his best interest to make sure that said attention was positive.


    But not by cowering like a weakling in fear of his life. No, he had to prove he was worth keeping around¡­ and as much as Haru thought of himself as a researcher, there was no denying that he was a handsome young man who knew how to please a woman. And the longer that their makeout sessions goes without Echidna killing him, the surer that Haru is, that regardless of what else she might be, she IS a woman.


    After about a minute of quite literally swapping spit with the Witch of Greed (and wasn''t THAT a heady thought) Haru reaches down and grabs her by her h.i.p.s, lifting Echidna up out of her chair and onto the table entirely. He sits her down on the edge of it as she lets out a surprised, inquisitive sound into his mouth. Breaking the kiss, he kneels down right then and there, spreading her legs apart by the knees and beginning to lift up her dress.


    He doesn''t say anything, though he does give her another grin, which she responds to with a fl.u.s.tered blush, averting her deep black eyes away from his gaze and staring off to the side. And yet, when he lifts her dress high enough, her hands reach down to take the burden from him, pulling it the rest of the way up and holding it in place so that he has access to what lays below.


    The s.e.xy black panties are a stark and gorgeous contrast to her porcelain skin, Haru must admit, even as he hooks his thumbs into the waistband and slides them down her legs, pulling them off and revealing her glistening, pink p.u.s.s.y lips. He admires her cunt for just long enough that she begins to get antsy, waiting for that moment when he hears the slightest noise from her, meaning she''s about to speak.


    "Wh-!"


    And that''s when he dives in, silencing her in an instant with his tongue in her cunt. Haru is nothing if not a gentleman, which means he not only knows how to please a woman¡­ he knows how to put said woman''s pleasure before even his own. It might be nice, getting his d.i.c.k sucked, but oral s.e.x was almost always a transaction, even more so than normal s.e.x. A woman sucks your c.o.c.k, and you feel beholden to her for the pleasure. Eat her out, on the other hand, and it''s she who will be beholden to you.


    Haru had every intention of making this experience one that Echidna will never forget, even if it''s to end in his death. But, the young man does hope that it''s not going to come to that. His tongue works in and out of her p.u.s.s.y, writhing this way and that, his head under the skirts of her dress now as he laps at her cunt. Echidna, in turn, whimpers and mewls at first, clearly attempting to hold in her voice.


    But to no avail, as soon her wanton m.o.a.ns are filling the field that is her Dreamcastle, cries of pleasure lifting up on the wind. Haru is more than happy to have gotten such a tasty reaction from the Witch of Greed, but in truth he wants something even more delicious. So, he keeps at it, continuing to tongue out Echidna''s cunt, performing the first cunnilingus she''d received in who knew how long. Perhaps her entire existence? She certainly seemed weak to this form of¡­ persuasion.


    Finally, he reaches his goal and receives his prize as she squeals and orgasms, her p.u.s.s.y juices squirting out all over his face. The Witch of Sin slumps at that, seeming quite tuckered out¡­ but Haru knows better, he knows she''s got more in the tank, and they''re far from done. Pulling out from under her dress, the young man straightens up and once again captures Echidna''s lips in his own, this time sharing the taste of her own p.u.s.s.y juices with her as they engage in a second extended makeout session.


    However, he can tell there''s a difference this time around. She''s not just more responsive, she''s more participatory. Echidna''s kissing him back, this time around, her tongue dancing with his far more aggressively. When they finally break apart from this second makeout session, the Witch of Greed makes it abundantly clear what she''s decided she desires, as she reaches down between them and unbuckles his belt and unbuttons his trousers, pulling his d.i.c.k right out of its confines.


    Haru''s breath hitches as her hands come into contact with his c.o.c.k. He''s already half hard, but with her creamy soft palms on his member, along with the open air ghosting across his twitching, throbbing prick, he''s at full mast in no time at all.


    Echidna is in control right now, and Haru knows better than to push his luck. He lets her take the lead on what''s to happen next and is in no way disappointed. Hiking up her dress over her h.i.p.s, the frenzied, horny Witch of Greed wraps her legs around his waist without a word, pulling him in close and causing his d.i.c.k to press up against her now-sopping cunt. With another pull of her legs, his d.i.c.k slides inside of her altogether, eliciting a wanton m.o.a.n from the Witch as her eyelashes flutter, her eyes themselves heavily lidded in arousal.


    "F.u.c.k me, Haru. I want you to f.u.c.k me."


    The first words they''ve spoken since he''d initiated that first kiss. It gives them so much more emphasis, and Haru finds that he really can''t say no. Not that he wanted to in the first place, not that he would ever back out of a chance to actually couple with one of the Witches of Sin. With a grunt, he begins to f.u.c.k her, right then and there, thrusting into her as Echidna sits on the edge of the table, gasping and mewling and clinging to him with all her might.


    Not just her legs, but her arms too, wrapping around his shoulders as she tucks her head into the crook of his neck. At first, it seems like she''s burying her face there to try and hide the noises she''s making, to try and stifle her own voice as he begins to f.u.c.k her hard and fast, as he begins to elicit¡­ reactions from her. But soon enough, Haru feels a sucking sensation on his neck, and it becomes clear that Echidna is suckling at his flesh. She''ll almost certainly leave a hickey behind, but it''s not an unpleasant sensation, altogether.


    Haru focuses on the task at hand though. He''s buried ball''s deep in a Witch of Sin. How the hell did he get to this point? In a moment of mid-coitus clarity, a very small part of Haru wonders if maybe all those people who called him reckless and foolhardy had a point.


    ¡­ Nah, f.u.c.k that and f.u.c.k them. He wouldn''t trade this moment for anything in the whole wide world! Grunting and groaning, Haru holds Echidna right back as he f.u.c.ks her there on the edge of the table, his hands sliding down to cup her ass cheeks just a little, his fingers slipping into the space between her dress-clad behind and the table itself and digging in.


    His c.o.c.k feels like it''s caught in a warm, wet vice. Echidna has to be the tightest woman he''s ever been inside. She''s amazing, and try as he might, there''s no way he can last forever. Still, he makes sure to put her pleasure first. He manages to get her to c.u.m twice upon his c.o.c.k, before that second orgasm tips him over the edge and manages to successfully milk him of his own load.


    Blowing his load deep inside of her, Haru grunts, even as Echidna cries out. Neither of them is really in any position to be standing at that point¡­ but luckily, Echidna''s forgotten chair is right behind Haru, as he falls back into it. Echidna goes with him, his c.o.c.k still firmly lodged in her p.u.s.s.y and her limbs still wrapped around his body.


    They land together in that chair, and the Witch slumps into his chest, clearly exhausted but also quite satiated with the intense f.u.c.k.i.n.g she just received. Or at least, Haru hopes so anyways. Because if not, he''s pretty sure he''s about to die. And yet, he''s still not afraid. He''s never feared death, to be fair. He''s always been¡­ a bit of a daredevil, he can admit that much at least.


    If this is how he dies, with his c.o.c.k buried in the most beautiful woman he''s ever met after he just managed to have a face to face talk with THE Witch of Greed¡­ well, Haru is fairly certain that he''s perfectly fine with that.


    "You''re going to stay with me for a bit, alright? After all, a man as curious as you¡­ I''m sure you''d like to meet my fellow Witches, wouldn''t you?"


    Haru''s eyes go wide at that. Really, it''s not so much an invitation as it is a demand. She''s clearly not looking to take no for an answer. Maybe that should worry him more, but it doesn''t. After all, the Witch of Greed is handing him his wildest dreams on a silver platter. Really, there''s only one response to give, at this point. Luckily, it''s also a one hundred percent truthful response.


    "¡­ I would indeed like that very much."


    In response, Echidna just smiles and tucks her head back into his neck, nuzzling him. At the same time, she starts to gyrate her h.i.p.s around on his c.o.c.k, bringing his member back to life in no time flat. It looks like he''ll have to wait to meet the others. The Witch of Greed isn''t quite done with him yet.

 Chapter 401 - My SI Stash #1 - For a Good Cause by Cambrian (Multiverse)

    -Man''s skipped thru da whole "Isekai training montage" and just started picking up anime/game baddies, W.


    Synopsis: In which a simple man becomes not so simple after centuries of personal cultivation and ascension. At the end of the day though, he still has a man''s needs, and not wanting to slake his darker l.u.s.ts on innocent women, he turns to the not so innocent.


    Rated: M


    Words: 23K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/for-a-good-cause-multiverse.11349/ (Cambrian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Sitting upon his throne, a man contemplates the nature of his existence. He''s no normal man, by any stretch of the means. Bald with a dark skin tone, he''s also tall, broad-shouldered, and covered in chiseled muscle. He is the peak of masculinity, but even then, one might be able to mistake him for the average human. However, the blue gem embedded in the center of his chest, glowing and pulsing and throbbing with power gives hint to the lie that that is.


    Of course, his current location also makes it obvious that he''s in no way an average mortal by any stretch of the imagination. High above the Realms of Mortals, on an entirely different plane of existence, he sits on his throne, staring out at the emptiness before him. His name is Galen, and he might as well be a God, for all that his power does not hinge on worshippers worshipping him, or followers following him.


    No, his power comes from within. In his mortal life, Galen was always focused inwardly, on perfection of his body, mind, and soul. He was also lucky enough to be born into a world where cultivating such things led to more and more power, until eventually, he''d simply ascended from the mortal plane. Of course, that wasn''t the end of things by far when it came to his existence. The Realm of Mortals was barely above the Realms of the Abyss and Hell, sitting astride those dark places and barely hanging on, like someone riding a bucking bronco.


    Above the Realm of Mortals was many more planes of existence, layer upon layer upon layer, and depending on who you were, any of those layers could be hostile to you. Given how Galen had achieved his ascension, without followers, without worship, most of the upper layers of his existence were hostile to him.


    In the centuries that had followed, Galen had had to fight. He''d done his best to use his powers for Good, quickly discovering that his own morals didn''t always line up with the beings that his former kin had worshipped in their day to day lives. Galen had not let anything halt his convictions, however. He''d destroyed the wicked, he''d protected the innocent, and he''d aided the righteous. Most of the time, he got nothing from it, save for furthering his soul''s growth and power, his own forward progress upwards into divinity.


    For so long now, Galen had continued on his chosen path, even as his power grew to Godly proportions. He''d ascended not once, not twice, but multiple times, more times than he could count. These days, he was so far above the mortals of his original world that when he looked down, he couldn''t really even pick out which one was exactly his anymore. It was like looking down upon a whole bunch of ants.


    However, Galen had a bit of a problem, one that might only be satisfied by those very ants. He was so powerful now, so strong. Not quite at the top of the pyramid, so to speak, but high enough that he could now look down upon the planes of existence that belonged to the Gods he''d seen his kin worship in his mortal life from above, standing tall over all of them as he did.


    And yet¡­ and yet, all this time, Galen had harbored a dark secret that he has never shared with anyone. To those who would be his allies, he has always done his best to appear as a Beacon of Virtue and Righteousness. To those who would set themselves as his enemies, he has shown himself to be nothing, but Retribution and Justice made manifest.


    Despite his appearance, Galen is not a particularly brutal being, not even to those who would wrong him. But that''s not because he has no brutality within him. More accurately, the dark-skinned man has spent all these centuries restraining that brutality, holding back his desire. Because¡­ there is a temptation that comes with the powers he''s gathered, the strength he''s amassed. His repeated ascensions have only made him stronger and stronger, until not just his world, but the whole of creation, every single universe that has ever so much as been imagined, is open to him.


    Long ago, he had tried to discard his libido in the pursuit of physical, mental, and spiritual advancement above all else. What was the point of s.e.xy, of intimacy, when all it did was weaken you? Time and time again, he had watched the sort of romantic love that his kin seemed to put so much stock in harm those very same kin, he''d watched as people were left heartbroken and hurt over this or that betrayal.


    It just wasn''t worth his time, so from a very early age, Galen had sworn himself to celibacy, and left behind such notions of intimacy. Perhaps if he''d lived a normal, mortal lifespan, he could have been content with that. But no, he''d continued on for centuries, and no man was made to go without such things for eternity.


    The libido that Galen thought he''d discarded had never truly gone away, and in the last few decades, he''d felt it more and more. It was worse when he was around women, be they enemies or allies. There was a little voice in the back of his head that hadn''t been there before. It wondered at how those women looked without their armor, without their clothing. It whispered to him about how easy it would be for Galen to find out, for him to take and take and take.


    The voice was right, that was the worst thing. If he''d wanted to, they couldn''t have stopped him. Even the Goddesses that now existed near his plane of existence would be laid low before him, if he decided that they should be. He could, in truth, do whatever the f.u.c.k he wanted, and the only consequences would be his own feelings on the matter, his own guilt and self-loathing.


    Luckily for him, his own opinion had always been of great value to himself, and thus he had held himself back all this time. But he knew he couldn''t keep this up forever. This¡­ self-imposed celibacy was no longer a sustainable method of taking care of his libido, or of the dark urges that even now welled up in his heart. He needed to find a way to relieve himself of those urges, to purge his system of his wicked desires.


    Luckily, he thought he might have finally found a way. He''d thought of a compromise, and he''d spent the last several days sat upon his throne contemplating the idea, looking at it inside and out, trying to find fault with it. Perhaps it was his desire to see it implemented talking, but he could find no issue when he considered his plan.


    Rather than possibly hurting his allies, rather than simply choosing at random and possibly abusing an innocent woman, Galen would look out across the vast expanse of Creation that lay before him even now, and he would seek out villainesses from different worlds. Evil women, with hearts as black as night, with souls corrupted and darkened by their own vile desires. He would find them, and he would pluck them up for his own use.


    Instead of punishing them with conventional means, Galen would use¡­ e.r.o.t.i.c methods. He would show them the error of their ways, but most important of all, he would slake his despicable l.u.s.ts on their bodies, using them for his own purposes for as long as he liked. This would be fine, would it not? They were evil, after all. They deserved it.


    Where to start though? That was the one way Galen found himself hung up on this plan. Even if they were all evil, it still didn''t feel right to just¡­ choose one. It made him a bit squeamish, to think about picking the first to have to deal with his god-like stamina and his dark desires. Instead, Galen would rely on an ability he''d created, just for this task.


    With this new power that he''d made, Galen could snap his fingers, and he would be brought face to face with a source of evil wrapped in a female form. That way, it would be utterly random. It wasn''t him choosing them, it was simply his power. Right? In the end, this was merely an extension of his righteous crusade against evil, against all that was dark and vile and bad in the entirety of Creation.


    ¡­ In truth, it takes a God to fool a God, and in this moment, Galen was fooling himself for sure if he thought that this would not lead him down a slow path to his own corruption. But he didn''t realize that and having convinced himself of the righteousness of his chosen path, just as he always has before, the God-like man raises his dark-skinned hand¡­ and snaps his fingers.


    -x-X-x-


    The moment that she realizes she''s no longer alone in the training room, she attacks. There''s only one way that anyone could have suddenly appeared so suddenly after all, and that''s with a Teigu. As such, it seems likely to Esdeath that this is an assassin, though he''s unlike any other assassin she''s ever seen before. Dressed in nothing but what looks like a sheet wrapped around his waist, the dark-skinned man is taller than her by far, and chiseled beyond anything she''s ever seen before.


    ¡­ He''s not her type though. As such, the sadistic General has no problem whatsoever with drawing her rapier and attempting to slam it right through his chest, using the spot right above that glowing blue crystal in his chest as a target. At the same time, she calls upon her own Teigu, Demon''s Extract, to form floating icicles in the air all around them. At the same moment that she''s stabbing at his heart, the icicles are stabbing in from all directions as well, aiming to turn him into a perforated pincushion right then and there.


    It should have been an overwhelming strike that would kill just about anyone. Given that he arrived in the room just standing there with his bulging arms crossed and a simple expression on his face, Esdeath doesn''t see how he can possibly dodge her. The blue-haired sadist can''t help but grin wickedly as the tip of her rapier presses into his taut flesh, expecting to slide right in and pierce his heart right then and there. That would show him for daring to try to sneak up on her while she was training!


    C-CRACK!


    For a moment, she doesn''t quite comprehend what''s happened. As her rapier shatters against his bared chest, so do the icicles spearing into him from all sides. Not a single one penetrates his skin, not a single blade makes it into his body. They don''t even leave a mark, and Esdeath is left overextended, particles of ice floating in the air all around her as time itself feels frozen for a brief moment.


    And then time resumes, and the shattered icicle pieces fall to the floor along with the extremely fine metal that makes up her now broken rapier. Still, if nothing else, the Empire''s Strongest still has her instincts. They engage now, and even as Esdeath stares down at the broken rapier in her hand in disbelief, she''s jumping backwards, hopping back a few times to put some distance between her and this unknown quantity.


    She expects him to attack her back, now that her own first strike has failed. But instead he''s still just standing there, when she finally manages to control herself and looks up at him. A slow, sadistic smile spreads across the blue-haired woman''s face as her heartrate triples in speed, as her blood begins to rush with excitement and anticipation.


    "S-Strong¡­ you''re strong!"


    Her stammer isn''t because of fear or anything like that, however. It''s from pure, utter battle l.u.s.t. Her nostrils flaring, her eyes wide, Esdeath sees before her an actual challenge, a strong opponent worthy of her full power. Grinning like the battle maniac that she is, Esdeath begins to draw on said power¡­ and then the blue crystal in the center of the dark-skinned man''s chest flashes, and she blinks dumbly.


    "You don''t want to fight me, Esdeath. You want to submit. You want to serve."


    The man speaks for the first time, his voice deep, his tone lecturing. Normally, such words would only enrage Esdeath and ignite her battle l.u.s.t even further. But¡­ for the first time in her life, she finds herself submitting. Dropping to her knees, the handle of her broken rapier falling from her hands, Esdeath stares at the man before her with wide eyes, realizing, finally, that she is face to face with her one true Master.


    "M-Master¡­"


    Her tone is breathy and awestruck, and her eyes slide across her Master''s gorgeous body, his perfect, masculine form. As such, she misses the slight grimace on his face. She doesn''t miss him beginning to move towards her with purpose, however. Wanting nothing more than to serve her beloved Master, the beautiful blue-haired woman (still just as much a sadist where everyone else was concerned) reaches down and grabs the front of her military uniform. She yanks her jacket apart and then tears her bra away, exposing her sizable b.r.e.a.s.ts, letting the perfectly round orbs bounce free of their confines as he approaches.


    Jutting out her chest, presenting herself to him, Esdeath looks up into her Master''s eyes, her face flushed with need and arousal, her tongue tracing out of her lips briefly in anticipation.


    "Please, Master¡­ use me as you will. I am yours to command."


    For a moment, Master is silent. He stares down at her with an unreadable gaze, his lips set in a thin line. Then, with purposeful movements, he reaches down and pulls away his kilt, revealing the rest of his body to Esdeath''s gaze. His massive c.o.c.k comes up from between his legs in the same moment of course, rising to attention upon his say so and smacking her right across the face.


    Esdeath lets out a soft gasp, but takes it, knowing that she is the weaker here, and her Master is the stronger. Her father''s creed, the creed that she''s lived by all her life has been as warped as the rest of her thoughts. ''The strong survive and the weak die'' becomes ''The strong lead and the weak follow''. It''s a small change in Esdeath''s world view, but also a rather large one. Still, the Ice Queen accepts her new place at her Master''s feet most happily, and m.o.a.ns as she nuzzles his meaty, massive c.o.c.k, which even now is laid across her face, his pillar of thickness absolutely huge.


    Reaching down, her Master takes hold of her by her long, blue hair, and tilts her head back and back and back, until finally, the bulbous tip of his c.o.c.k is pressing into her lips. Esdeath doesn''t need him to speak to know what she is to do. She opens wide, as wide as she can, and even then, her jaw positively creaks as he begins to force his way inside, inexorable and entirely unstoppable.


    He stretches her lips out around his girthy member, and he forces his c.o.c.k deep into her mouth, until he hits the back of her throat. Then, he pauses for a moment, the first few inches of his shaft pulsing and throbbing within the velvet confines of her mouth, but plenty of more of his c.o.c.k sitting outside, untouched. Esdeath looks up into her Master''s unreadable eyes and does her best to convey her desire for him to go further, to go deeper. It''s her duty as his slave to take care of his needs after all, no matter the cost to herself.


    Sliding her tongue out, she does her best to writhe it along the underside of his c.o.c.k as he pauses, showing just how willing she is to submit. Then, the pause ends, and he''s skull f.u.c.k.i.n.g her, just like that. No more hesitation, no mercy, no steady build up. One moment, her Master is standing still, the next he''s buried deep in her throat and forcing every last inch of his truly gargantuan c.o.c.k down her gullet.


    "GAGKH! GAGKH! GAGKH!"


    Esdeath chokes beautifully on her Master''s c.o.c.k, of course. It''s her first time ever even giving head, actually, but that doesn''t make her any less enthusiastic, any less eager. Though, now that her Master is taking out his frustrations and slaking his l.u.s.ts on her directly, there isn''t much that the beautiful buxom sadist of a woman can do but take it as he rails her throat with the entirety of his big fat c.o.c.k.


    Gagging and gurgling, choking and sputtering, Esdeath is reduced to little more than a meat hole for her Master''s pleasure. Exactly as it should be, of course. No matter the personal cost to herself, it is her duty to serve her Master, to submit to him. No matter how much it hurts, no matter how little air she''s getting, this is where she''s meant to be, what she''s meant to be doing. So long as this is what her Master wants of her, Esdeath will happily give him everything that she is.


    Though, it is getting harder and harder to breathe. Not that she blames her Master or anything like that, nor does she want him to stop. If it''s her duty to die asphyxiating on his big, fat c.o.c.k, then that''s all there really is to it. She does her best to keep her eyes up on his face though, the entire time. Even when tears streak down her cheeks and run through her mascara, she continues to look upwards.


    It gets harder and harder to do so however, when her eyes begin to roll back in her head from sheer lack of oxygen to the brain. Her nostrils flare rather uselessly, as every thrust down her throat sends her nose crashing into his crotch, meaning that she''s breathing his meat more than she''s breathing actual air. But that''s okay. Even as darkness encroaches on her vision, even as her Master forces her down his length with one final titanic thrust and begins to unload down her throat, making her lack of oxygen even worse¡­ Esdeath is surprisingly at peace. If this is how she is to die¡­ so be it.


    Those are her last thoughts before the darkness takes her, however, they are not her last thoughts ever. Esdeath wakes up again only a few moments later, coming to conscious as she hacks up a good amount of c.u.m onto the floor of her private training room. She''s on her hands and knees now, and in the time that she''s been unconscious, her Master has moved behind her¡­ or spun her around to face him.


    Either way, her uniform has been torn off of her body, and she''s been stripped down to her birthday suit. Esdeath doesn''t mind one bit, at the end of the day, she is her Master''s property, and whatever he decides to do with her buxom, voluptuous body is his choice, not hers. That doesn''t stop the c.u.m-covered, half-conscious woman from crying out in ecstasy when he grabs her h.i.p.s and savagely thrusts into her waiting, sopping wet cunt in one fell swoop.


    Her Master''s massive c.o.c.k fills Esdeath''s insides and the sadist cries out happily, feeling it as he stretches her p.u.s.s.y wider than it''s ever been stretched before. He''s f.u.c.k.i.n.g her d.o.g.g.ystyle, not something that the Ice Queen would normally have ever allowed. But then, when it comes to her and her Master, it''s not about what she''ll allow, it''s about what he wants from her. In the end, it is her place to submit to his predations, not question or try to control the flow of their interactions.


    Her eyes roll back in her head as his c.o.c.k slams into the entrance of her w.o.m.b, ramming her cervix nice and hard. Esdeath m.o.a.ns out wantonly, and a moment later climaxes explosively around her Master''s massive, meaty c.o.c.k. Her insides clench and squeeze down around his length, but they don''t stop him from thrusting into her even for a moment. He keeps on f.u.c.k.i.n.g her, harder and faster by the second, and all Esdeath can do in response is m.o.a.n wantonly like the needy whore she is.


    Her tits bounce and jiggle beneath her along with the rest of her feminine form, until eventually her Master reaches down around her body and grabs her b.r.e.a.s.ts in each hand. He leans over her then, pressing down upon her with his weight, and Esdeath has never been happier as he mounts her and mauls her tits, groping and squeezing and kneading them with his strong fingers. He''s almost certainly going to leave bruises all over her body, given how rough he''s currently treating her, but that''s perfectly fine. This is her purpose now; this is her reason for existing. In the face of her Master''s strength, she is weak¡­ and that means it''s her duty to serve him to the best of her ability, with every tool at her disposal.


    Whether that means fighting his enemies or just being his s.l.u.tty little f.u.c.k pet, Esdeath will just have to wait and see. For now, all he wants is to slake his l.u.s.ts on her body¡­ something that the blue-haired Ice Queen is more than capable of accommodating. In and out of her cunt his massive c.o.c.k goes, slamming up against her cervix again and again, until finally, with a simple grunt, he thrusts right through her cervix and into her w.o.m.b directly.


    The rest of his c.o.c.k disappears into her, and Esdeath can FEEL his member bulging out of her belly as her w.o.m.b ends up wrapped around the first several inches of his member. Her tongue sticks straight out of her mouth, and her eyes go crossed as she orgasms explosively from this. She loses all concept of time after that, only knowing that she''s still being f.u.c.k.i.e.d by her beloved Master, by the man who''s so casually taken over her life.


    When he finally c.u.ms inside of her, filling her w.o.m.b with his seed, Esdeath''s eyes roll back in her head and stay that way as she passes out once more, completely and utterly f.u.c.k.i.e.d senseless by her Master''s massive c.o.c.k.


    -x-X-x-


    Once he''s finished with her, Galen makes sure to transport them both back to his private plane of existence. Of course, now that he''s going to have permanent residents instead of the usual guests, he supposes he''s going to need more than just the throne that dominates the otherwise empty plane. With a bit of his power, he''s able to create a sort of dormitory, and he goes right ahead and deposits Esdeath in the very first room.


    Perhaps it''s too nice for her, perhaps he should be housing a woman as sadistic and evil and bloodthirsty as she is in a prison cell or a dungeon or something filthy and disgusting¡­ but then whenever he wanted to f.u.c.k her, she would be filthy and disgusting, and Galen didn''t like that very much. At the end of the day, her accommodations weren''t FOR her, they were for him¡­ just like she herself was for him in every way.


    Satiated for the moment at least, Galen sits back down on his throne with a satisfied sigh. However, deep in his heart of hearts, he already knew that Esdeath would be far from the last. She was the first, yes, but a mortal woman like her would quickly expire if he used her as he''d initially used her, day in and day out. And now that he''d had a taste of the more carnal delights¡­ Galen already wanted more.

 Chapter 402 - My CO Stash #2 - Remnants of a Shinobi by NeonZangetsu (RWBYXNauto)

    -Raven with her power fetish somehow makes me hard, it''s just genetics diff I guess/ Also I think the author should just do more lewds with this fic, or maybe i''m just a degen but it is what it is~


    Synopsis: They say history is written by the victors. But is it really? In my experience, victory comes to both courageous and coward alike. Mine cost me my dignity. My pride. My world. The next one might cost me more still. That''s alright. I''ll be the sacrifice. Let me atone for my failures. Let me fight. Let me help. Please. Its the least I can do for those girls. Narutoxharem? Vote!


    Rated: T


    Words: 77K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13508583/1/Remnants-of-a-Shinobi (NeonZangetsu)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    The Fox and the Maiden


    What do you know of evil?


    Insidious, isn''t it? We all carry that tiny piece of darkness deep inside us; its our choice to smother it, or give it fuel. No one simply turns overnight. Its far more subtle than that. A whisper here, a lie there, a bit of unkindness towards your friend. You tell yourself that you''re in the right, that you aren''t doing anything wrong. They deserve. You''re taking what''s rightfully yours. Dozens upon dozens of small acts that build and build and BUILD over time, until you wake up one morning and discover you no longer recognize your own reflection. Now the face staring back at you in the mirror is that of a stranger, the kindness in your eyes a hollow shell hiding something hideous. Somewhere along the way you sold your soul for power and before you know it you''re alone, gone down a dark road to no return.


    Was that how it was for my friend, I wonder?


    Were we blind? Did we fail to notice it?


    What did we do wrong?


    All my life, I''ve tried to keep myself from going down the same path. I''ve fought tooth and nail against whatever I deemed to be wrong injustice wherever I found it, from petty acts of spite, to crimes of the vilest order, even overarching ambitions to consume the whole of creation as we know it. I''ve just about seen it all. My eyes have stared down powers that would make most men weep; my hands have grappled with ninja, demons, immortals, even the gods themselves. All the while holding true to what I believed was right. I said compassion was not a weakness, nor kindness a sin.


    And I can say, without a doubt, that I was an idiot.


    Was I afraid? Of course I was. In the beginning I wanted nothing more than to run. To turn my back on everyone and everything, to run as far as my legs would carry me. But I couldn''t. I wouldn''t. I learned to stand my ground, to fight. Because something deep inside me said this was wrong. Someone had to do something. Someone had to take a stand. I trusted my heart and followed my emotions where they led me. Sentiment is the very foundation of our being after all, for without it, without that spark of humanity, what are we?


    Little more than mindless beasts tearing one another apart.


    Emotions define us, you see. They strengthen us. Weaken us. Drive us forward. Hold us back. Emotions can burn. Heal. Hurt. Some master their emotions, steel themselves and fight for what they believe is right. A misguided few fill their hearts with malice in their l.u.s.t for power, and everything around them goes up in flames. Hope becomes hate. Joy twists itself into wrath. And love...love turns to bitter, bitter envy. And yet still they seek more. Always more. Its never enough for them. They always. Need. More.


    What''s that old saying again? Everybody wants to the rule the world.


    No matter the time, no matter the place, there will never be a shortage of shortsighted sycophants who seek to use others for their own gain. Those who crave power solely for power''s sake. I should know. I fought more than my fair share. Orochimaru, Madara, Kaguya. Traitors, puppeteers, monsters all. They were fiends. But the worst among them...would be me.


    Because I believed.


    Because I was a naive boy.


    Because I thought good would triumph.


    After all he''d said, all he''d done, all he swore he would continue to do, I still tried to save my friend. To bring Sasuke back from the darkness. I thought I could. I should''ve killed him. But I didn''t. That''s who I was. We are who we choose to be, not who people think we are. I chose to help Sasuke at the time; even if he didn''t want to help himself. In the end, when Kaguya was all but sealed and the battle was done, I offered him my hand. I''d chased him back to the Valley of the End, still thinking of him as my friend, still hoping-believing!-that I could save him from himself. And how did the great Sasuke Uchiha repay my kindness?


    He ran me through with his sword.


    There''s nothing quite like the cold feel of steel in your gut to shatter your beliefs. Your world. You spend so long living your life by a single guiding light, and when someone snuffs it out...well. I never saw it coming; my eyes were too blind to see the truth in front of me until it was too late. Until that moment, I thought it would all turn out somehow, even if he killed me. Even if I died fighting him. I was wrong. The moment I realized he actually meant to kill me, to keep killing everyone afterwards...


    At first all I could do was wonder. Why? Where had I gone wrong? How had I failed to reach him? Perhaps he was already lost by the time I found him, utterly consumed by insanity. Maybe he''d gone mad as he bathed in the blood of his enemies. Who could say? Regardless, it didn''t change the obvious. The Sasuke I knew was dead. All that remained was a mad dog to be put down.


    ...something broke deep inside of me.


    I remember grabbing at the blade, feeling it slice deep into my palms. The searing agony when he inevitably ripped his weapon free and left me to bleed out. I wasn''t sure what he said to me after that. His words turned to an endless animal bleat in my head. Something about vengeance? He said he would make everyone and everything pay for what they did to the Uchiha clan-to his brother-and that he would start with me. I couldn''t hear the rest. I didn''t care. Somehow, the sting of betrayal made it all the worse, the realization that, because of me, a monster would be unleashed upon the world. He was going to kill me. I didn''t want to die. Deep down, I was afraid, and that fear got the better of me.


    That''s how it starts you know; the fever, the rage, the feeling of powerlessness that turns good men...cruel.


    Guts gripping in the dark, I managed to rally Kurama and climb to my feet; somehow we fought back. If this wasn''t my friend, if this stranger wearing Sasuke''s face would sooner see the world burnt to rose red cinders and laugh among the ashes...then I had no reason to restrain myself. This wasn''t my friend. This was a threat to humanity as we knew it. And so we fought. Not for justice, not for glory, just two men trying to kill each other. One for hate, the other out of fear.


    I...can''t remember much of what happened afterwards.


    In our final battle, we rent the world asunder around us, tore open a hole in space and time, and tumbled through. I fell one way. He fell another. I don''t know where he wound up and I don''t care. I hope he dies from his wounds. Spirits, I hope it hurts. He''s dead to me. If I see him again...bah, who am I kidding? Hell, I don''t know where I am these days. Feels like I''ve been falling forever, tumbling through the black as my strength slowly bleeds back into my body. Unable to see. Unable to hear. I was so close. Just a little more. I just needed time. Just a little more time...


    Wait.


    Hold on.


    Now I see a light.


    Finally! Took long enough...


    ...waitwaitwaitaminutethatstheGROUND?!


    (...0o0o0...)


    "Falling, falling, falllllliiiiiiing~!"


    With a terrified yelp, the tattered body of a young man crashed through the void and plummeted to the earth like a falling star. No one heard him. The stormy sky snatched up his screams and dashed his hopes to dust as he shot toward an ignoble end, a stream of golden flames trailing in his fiery wake. For all his strength-all his power-and chakra, in his current state he found himself just as powerless against gravity as any man, moreso the momentum behind it. Arms sailing, limbs flailing, Naruto Uzumaki couldn''t do anything more than fall to his doom.


    And as he fell, he saw.


    A whole new world lay sprawled out below him in all its rustic glory; this humble countryside with beautiful green pastures and a worn road leading out of a wooded forest. For a fleeting flicker of a second he thought he glimpsed someone down there on the path below, a distant speck of color taking on the form of a cloaked figure. Might they have paused to look up at him as he barreled across the horizon? Did they see him? Did they hear him? He never really knew the answer to that question; hurtling at breakneck speeds as he was. If he didn''t recover somewhere in the next ten seconds, he was going to be a red smear on that pretty brown ground.


    "Stop, stop, stop!" Pinwheeling his limbs did nothing more than send him spinning in place, shouting in impotent fury. "I wanna get off this crazy riiiiiiide!"


    It wasn''t merely a matter of stopping; he had nothing to grab, nothing to grasp, nothing to hold onto. With each passing moment a messy end hurtled closer and closer, the ground even now rushing up to greet him as if he were some long lost friend. Try as he might, he couldn''t think of a landing that didn''t end with copious amounts of pain, or worse-


    "Stop screaming and do something, you dolt!"


    Thankfully, a familiar voice jerked the jinchuuriki back to reality before he could become intimate with the dirt. And with that, the seed of an idea planted itself in his mind. No, he couldn''t stop himself from falling, not in this state. He was nearly out of chakra after that last battle, and Kurama alongside him. But he could control his fall. And those were trees he was falling toward.


    The barest beginnings of a grin plucked at Naruto''s whiskered cheeks. "Kurama! Arms!"


    Deep within the recesses of his mind, the fox smirked. "About time you took charge. Brace yourself!"


    Gritting his teeth, Naruto flung his arms outward just as a familiar golden glow engulfed him. Branches snapped and tore at his already ruined jack as he crashed into the treeline; all the while valiantly struggling to adjust, contain, then somehow control his rampaging momentum. At his peak it would''ve been a simple thing to use his remaining truth seeking orbs to simply levitate...if most of them hadn''t been destroyed. As things stood he simply didn''t have enough energy to recreate the damn things at the moment, much less with so many leaves smacking him in the face.


    "This was a poor landing strategyyyyyyyyy!"


    "Try to grab a branch or something!" came the vain counsel.


    Naruto grunted. "What!" Smack. "Do you." Smack. "Think I''m doing?!" Smack! "This isn''t working!"


    Agony arched down the length of the exasperated blond''s spine as he forced his arms back to his sides and briefly submitted to his fate. Gravity seemed intent on dragging him through every branch, twig and tree on the way down. It took more than a considerable effort on his part not to simply squeeze his eyes shut against the pressure and look away out of fear. Every fiber of his being was needed for what came next. Even the slightest lapse of concentration could spell disaster for him.


    "There!"


    In a fit of pique the shinobi lashed out with a golden claw at the nearest bough that looked large enough to bear his weight; for his foolishness, he nearly wrenched his arms out of their sockets before raw velocity tore him free and sent him slamming through the trees again. But it slowed him. Just a sliver. This time, a grimmer grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. There it was. Progress. He could do this.


    His second attempt yielded similar results to the first, albeit with less pain this time and more leaves.


    Juxtaposed to the idea of dashing his skull in against another tree, Naruto tried again.


    Contrary to the popular saying, the third time was not in fact the charm.


    So he kept at it, seizing everything within reach, and each time, slowing himself that much more. It wasn''t enough. For all his efforts, he couldn''t even stick to a tree with his heels; merely attempting to do so threatened to break his legs. His tumble felt like an eternity, in reality, it barely lasted more than a minute...also not good for him.


    "We''re running out of forest!"


    "I know!" he growled.


    One final desperate grab finally brought Naruto the escape he so desperately sought from this hellish cycle; this time the next tree he grabbed didn''t yield and he used the chance to swing himself up onto the nearest branch he could find. A wild whoop tore out of him as his battered back slammed against the battered oak, free at last. Alive, only moderately wounded before landing, and with all his important bits in one piece. He''d only demolished half a forest. Really, there was only one thing to say:


    "Ha!" he crowed triumphantly, pumping a fist into the air," Nailed it!"


    "Prat." Kurama shot back.


    "Oh, shut up." despite his own aching body, Naruto managed to croak out a laugh. "You know you love me."


    They bickered on and off for a few minutes more, neither willing to address the proverbial elephant in the room...erm, forest. They didn''t know where they were. Or even when, at that. Their adventures had landed them in the past more than once before. Who could say where they''d wound up this time? This could be a new world, or an entirely different time period. Neither had any way of knowing the truth until faced with it. Now that their less than stellar landing lay firmly behind them-and around them-both man and tailed beast were loathe to broach the subject.


    Naruto wasn''t exactly keen on it, either.


    His entire body protested even the most minute of movements; from his recently healed stomach to the countless scr.a.p.es and bruises he''d sustained during his fall down to his near chakra exhaustion. To say nothing of the mental wounds he''d sustained in battle. He''d panicked. Gone back on his creed. Broken his word, all to save himself. Here, in this moment, he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and rest. He didn''t want to dwell on his guilt or his failure, where he was, or what he was going to do now. He simply wanted to close his eyes, sleep, and bury the past in his dreams.


    Fate had other plans.


    "Don''t just lie there, boy. You were brought here for a reason."


    A lone blue eye creaked open. "Eh? What was that?"


    Kurama grunted. "I didn''t say anything. You alright there?"


    ...no." groaning, Naruto rolled over on the branch. "Did you hear that?" he asked.


    "What, the size of your ego swelling?"


    "I''m serious." he sat up, craning his neck. "I just heard something."


    "Probably a storm or something." Kurama barely twitched an ear in the seal. "What does it matter?"


    As he stretched out his senses, sure enough, the distant sound of rolling thunder rumbled through the forest canopy to rattle their ears. Not a moment later, the rattle of an explosion raced after, hot on its heels. Naruto frowned. Storms didn''t sound like that. Then what did? Curiosity''s touch spurred him upright despite his wounds and still-tender muscles and reluctantly, he rose. Something told him to act. Move. Rise. As much as he might want to pay it no heed, he just couldn''t ignore that noise. It set his senses on edge, filling him with dread.


    "Its probably nothing." the old fox said as his host clamored down the tree. "And if it is something, its certainly none of our business."


    "Even so, I want to see." Naruto countered as he slid to a halt. "Just to be sure."


    Feeling jittery, he left a pair of clones behind at the base of the tree with strict instructions to amass as much natural energy as they could. If it came to a fight, he''d be able to use whatever they gathered without straining his already depleted reserves. Of course, the fox had a remark for that too, in all his caustic wit.


    "Oho? Strategy? From you? That Uchiha really rattled you, didn''t he? Now you''re thinking like a shinobi."


    "Stop it, Kurama." A lone muscle jumped in the blond''s jaw as he set out. "I mean it. Don''t go there."


    "Go where?" came the retort, "You''re jumping at shadows now, Naruto."


    "Am I?" he shot back. "You don''t know if he''s dead yet."


    "You took his arm off. He''s gone. Accept it."


    "Nothing would make me happier."


    They both knew it was a lie.


    As they drew closer to the source of the noise, the unearthly din-what could that noise be?-began to steadily intensity, growing louder and louder with each successive step. By the time Naruto broke free from the forest and hit the dirt road they''d both glimpsed from afar before, he could barely hear himself think. Something lit up the horizon in the distance now, bringing with it strange sounds he wasn''t accustomed to. His feet had long since betrayed him by then and quickened from a walk into a jog, racing down the path until he finally found the source...was not what he expected at all.


    What he saw there turned his blood to ice; if only because he hadn''t expected to run right into...this.


    ...what?"


    A young woman lay sprawled on the ground only yards away from them, wasted and gasping for air, an arrow lodged in her back. As he looked on in quiet horror, a trio of shadowy figures advanced upon her with weapons drawn. One of them resembled a young man. The other two, were most certainly women. As he looked on, two of them seized the exhausted girl by the shoulders and hauled her upright, while the third donned something that looked like a pallid white glove.


    He didn''t like the look of that.


    Even at this range Naruto found couldn''t quite comprehend them properly; their faces and bodies almost seemed blurred as he hurtled closer. Like static over a grainy image. Something was actively interfering with his vision now, preventing him from fully discerning their identities. One of them looked up, and he thought he saw their posture tense as they noticed him. He couldn''t be sure. Whatever the cause, the blur stabbed at his eyes yet again, this time bringing with it a lurch of pain.


    "Blasted illusionist!" Kurama snarled in the back of his mind, drawing him back to the present with a lurch. "Is one of them a genjutsu specialist or something?!"


    Naruto didn''t hear him.


    Because the girl was looking up. At him.


    Impossibly, her eyes found his across the distance. "Please...help..."


    That quiet, plaintive gasp tore away the very last scrap of his hesitation.


    Then there was no more time for thought, just long enough to call upon his old friend.


    As ever, the fox responded readily enough. "You and your bloody curiosity...bah! Fine! Go!"


    A trickle of golden chakra surged through Naruto''s veins like warm honey even as he spoke, reinforcing his weakened form to some semblance of his full might. It would have to be enough. Instinct took the wheel and his body moved of its own accord, a lone kunai flying from his hand as he rocketed forwards into an inhuman leap. Even in his injured state, he hit his target without fail. Sure enough, the woman jerked back with a snarl as the honed knife slammed into her outstretched arm, interrupting whatever sordid ritual she was attempting before she could begin. Less than a yard away now, he heard her curse, and shouted her down with one of his own.


    "Let go of her, you bastards!"


    Then he slammed into them like a falling star.


    In a single arc of vicious vermilion light, the weary shinobi came crashing down between the fair maiden and her captors; the sheer force of his landing kicked up a plume of dust, blinding all present. Nor did he stop there; he was still far from finished. Golden chakra arms burst from his back as he spun, swinging back with an ominous creak to form a towering hand to loom over them all. One that came came crashing down against the earth in a hurricane of molten motion.


    Hard.


    It was a wild strike all things considered; little more than a delaying tactic meant to drive the girl''s tormentor''s back and gain some distance. He didn''t expect it to work quite so well. Twin fists crashed down against the earth, splintering the soil like so much broken glass. Instead of startling them as he''d intended, his attack physically drove the pursuing trio back, sending two of the three tumbling away while the third leaped away to safety. In that instant, whatever static had fallen over his vision fell away, replaced by clear, glorious clarity. Without thinking he laid a hand on the girl''s back and sent what-he hoped-was a healing pulse of chakra into her back.


    Sure enough familiar mark on his palm stared back at him from her ruined shoulders, bringing with it a silent pang of relief.


    And with that, he saw.


    Baffled blue eyes took in the scene before him as well as the unlikely trio arrayed against him; a silver-haired young man clad in burnt clothes astride a pair of metal legs-what the hell?!-a girl with striking green hair, red eyes, and dark skin matched by faded leathers, and finally a dangerous-looking woman bearing stunning black hair and an eerie gaze, her body all but wrapped up in a red dress. If this most unlikely trio held one thing in common; it was that each looked just as confused as he felt. Had he really hit the earth that hard? He hadn''t meant to. Straightening up only made things worse. Green-hair reached for her weapons, and metal-legs over there looked about three seconds from lunging at him.


    His reward for this selfless act?


    The girl he''d "saved" yanked him backward.


    "Seriously?!" he squawked. "This is the thanks I get...oh."


    Incredulous, the shinobi turned to find himself face to face with a girl now kissed by the sun.


    Held aloft by unseen forces, wreathed in lighting, her body sheathed in the elements, the storm itself.


    Furious hazel eyes blazed down at him, set within a tanned face framed by a small frown and shoulder-length hair the color of autumn chestnuts. Clad in the tattered remains of what once resembled an off-white blouse with a brown vest, corset and pants, the young woman nevertheless still stood-hovered?-her ground in the face of the unknown. Her armor was another curious matter, from the gold bracer on her left arm, to matching bracelets on her right wrist. Whomever she was, she clearly like the color yellow as much as he did orange. Hells, she even wore a pair of tawny armored boots in that very color alongside a single golden pauldron atop her right shoulder! Not that he was focused on said shoulder; because those fiery orbs were now very much focused upon him.


    "Um...hello there?" he offered, scratching the back of his head sheepishly as she gazed down at him from on high. "Look, I''m sorry I interrupted...whatever this, but you were hurt and...


    "Uh, kid?" Kurama chimed in. "Might wanna look again."


    In response, the young maiden silently dropped a notched arrow at his feet; the very projectile that had been lodged within her back a moment ago. When he looked back up at this strange warrior, he didn''t even see any semblance of a wound, just a simple tear in the fabric of her blouse. Well. Apparently he''d given her enough time to heal or what-have-you...and as an individual who''d once regrown a lung, seeing that from the outside in was a little frightening all things considered. In hindsight, he wasn''t sure what made him take the girl side; was it instinct? Concern? Some sixth sense? The sheer animosity he sensed from those three? Who could say? Regardless, he made his choice and stepped forward.


    It changed everything.


    "Right, okay." he flung up his hands, keenly aware of the girl''s clenched fists at her sides. "You got better. I can see that. But, listen! I''m not with them! I swear! I''m on your side! I helped you, remember?!"


    Rather than reply, the recovering maiden continued to glower at him, her lithe form held aloft by celestial winds. The world held its breath. Naruto didn''t relish the idea of fighting four people at once; much less when he was running on fumes. He had enough chakra for a few feats, maybe the odd clone or two, but if it came to a prolonged fight...


    When she finally nodded, he felt his shoulders slump in muted relief.


    "Whew." A fresh smile bloomed on his lips as he wiped a bead of sweat from his bow. "Great! And here I thought this was going to be har-aargh?!"


    He never had the chance to finish that sentence as a vicious kick slammed into his unprotected back to launch him forward. Rage turned his vision red and the shinobi lashed out in kind to swing the back of his fist at his opponent''s face. Maddeningly, he found it to be the same metal-legged-bastard from before, taunting him now with that indefatigable grin. It should have been a clean hit. Even in his weakened state, he possessed more than enough brute force to knock someone out with a solid right hook...if he connected.


    Instead his clenched knuckles swept through an illusion of hollow air.


    "The hell?"


    This had to be a trick; there could be no other word for it as his fist slammed through another afterimage after the first, the smirking assassin inexplicably vanishing before his very eyes. By the time he realized what was happening said assailant had reappeared and slammed a kick against the back of his right knee, sending him stumbling once more. Tumbling to his feet, he retaliated in kind, only to meet open air for a third time. A blur of mottled black hurtled past his head as the assassin rang his skull like a bell.


    Naruto sucked in a breath through his teeth. "That...hurt."


    Inwardly however, his mind began to race.


    ''The hell? I know I hit him! Didn''t I?''


    "Its that blasted girl." This time a fresh surge of chakra accompanied Kurama''s voice. "She''s using an illusion of some sort. Leave her to me. Focus on nuts and bolts over there."


    "But what about-


    A torrent of flame sailed overhead as their unnamed ally shot past like a fiery comet, dragging the emerald-haired girl with her.


    ...I think she can handle herself, boy. Unless you''d rather get in the middle of that?"


    "Nope." he decided after a moment''s pause. "She''s got this."


    All the world became a blur as he closed with his opponent again; this time, not rushing in, careful to keep his guard up. He''d learned his lesson once already. When a roundhouse punt sailed towards his head, he didn''t try to block it, choosing instead to let it sweep harmlessly past his ear. He was more than ready to return it. That barreling kick found itself intercepted by a golden arm and promptly returned tenfold as the whiskered warrior chambered one of his own into his opponent''s face. Infuriatingly, his foe took the hit and rolled away, tumbling back to his feet like a graceful acrobat. Inwardly, he rolled his eyes. Great. This was going to be one of those battles. He would''ve been content to simply beat his opponent down in stoic silence, but of course his opponent had to chime in.


    "This isn''t your fight, friend."


    "Feels like it." he growled back, taking on a stance. "And you''re no friend of mine. Who are you? Why are doing this? What''s this girl done to you?"


    In the distance, the red-eyed girl screamed. His enemy seemed to take a vindictive pleasure in it.


    The assassin scoffed and snapped a kick at his head again. "Did you really think I''d just tell you what we''re up to?"


    "You will if you want to stay conscious."


    Slim shoulders rolled in a halfhearted shrug. "Have it your way. Remind me to lay some flowers on your grave."


    "Gods, you really are insufferable."


    Whomever he was, he was good. Very good. Those metal limbs hurt whenever the assassin landed a kick, block or no. But he''d seen better and fought worse. He''d sparred with Rock Lee and his eight gates. Fought down Madara in a contest of taijutsu and somehow lived to tell the tale. This assassin made for poor sport by comparison. Sure, he hit hard enough, but his primary method of attacking consisted of powerful kicks alongside the occasional odd punch. There was no substance to it. No form. Without the man''s fiendish friend there to distract and distort his vision, Naruto soon found himself gaining the upper hand in due course. It was a hard fought battle, but soon enough, he gained the measure of his enemy. And he wasn''t alone.


    With a single mental command, he willed the pair of clones he''d created several minutes ago to disperse.


    In an instant, the torrent of natural energy they''d gathered flooded his aching limbs.


    Blue eyes blazed gold.


    "My turn."


    In hindsight, Mercury might''ve realized something was amiss; maybe he recognized his own inherent danger. The young man before him had come out of nowhere to disrupt their plans and despite his wounds, he seemed more than capable of holding himself in a fight. And now those eyes...the way they''d changed color...it set him on edge. A tiny spark if fear fanned itself to life in his chest as his opponent beckoned him forward, crooking four fingers toward him in a traditional come-hither gesture. His entire demeanor stood altered, just like his stance.


    Just who the hell was this guy?


    Railing against his fear, the assassin went back on the offensive, launching into a flurry of blows meant to drive the whiskered warrior''s face in. He may as well have pounded his legs against a brick wall for all the good it did; none of them made contact. His opponent didn''t budge; each strike found itself deflected or evaded with minimal effort, swept aside like a child''s inept flailing. When he finally deigned to attack, Mercury never saw it coming. Tan hands snapped together in a singular motion and an open palmed slap collided with his face, sending the assassin staggering away. It brought back less than pleasant memories. Memories that made him slip, memories that left him open for the roundhouse that followed.


    Half a heartbeat later, Mercury found himself sprawled out on his back. One punch.


    He''d nearly gotten knocked out with a single punch, and it burned.


    It was galling; being reminded of his powerlessness.


    "What! Is! Going! On?! How are you doing this?!"


    "Its called chakra, son. You wouldn''t know."


    Mercury rallied regardless. "Shut up!"


    A sandal clad foot stomped down at his head, forcing the assassin to tumble back to his feet or risk further injury. His mad roll earned him an elbow to the back of the head for his troubles, a kick to the gut, doubled him over as twin hands took hold of his face and smashed it against a knee. A heel palm sent him reeling again, and finally, finally, he saw an opening. Of course Mercury took it. How could he not?


    "Just drop dead you damn-


    Shunting the bone-crunching heel aside as easily as one would a rebellious child, Naruto trapped the limb against his ribs and held it fast with his right arm. Mercury blanched when he saw the metal immediately begin to buckle beneath the strain. That...was mildly concerning. A human shouldn''t be able to do that. A human definitely shouldn''t be able to buckle his leg like that. Said confusion warped into further dread when a taut fist slapped into his throat. Air abandoned him, leaving him retching for breath. Reeling back in startled pain as much as surprise, he realized too late what was about to happen.


    "Aw, hell."


    Naruto''s fist snapped back.


    "Clench your teeth, pretty boy!"


    Say what you would about the blond''s lack of tactics; he hit hard. Mercury never saw the punch, but he certainly felt it. His snapped back and his body went limp. Naruto didn''t even deign to look back to make certain he was down for the count. Damn but it''d felt good to wipe the smile off that prick''s face.


    Unfortunately, a trio of curved arrows wedged themselves in his right arm as he turned to search for his original target. Lovely. The blakcette was up again and he had another wound to worry about. Naruto tore them free with a grunt and sure enough, he found the woman in the red dress sneering at him, her blades combined to form some sort of composite bow. Well. That was just dandy, wasn''t it? Today was full of surprises.


    "What is wrong with you people?!"


    Part of him tensed when he presented his back to the girl to face his remaining adversaries, but the glowing maiden never struck him down. Something warm pressed against his shoulders; even then it took him a moment to realize the stranger had willingly moved to stand back to back with him. Instead a torrent of frozen leaves swirled forth to slash at their enemies.


    "I''m still running on fumes here, kid." Kurama warned him again. "Neither of us have had a chance to recover. End this. Now."


    "...got it. Shock and awe it is. Lets do this!"


    He offered only one retort.


    His old friend answered the call with sound and aplomb; bursting out of him like a great golden god with the howling fury of a thousand storms. At his full towering height, he barely felt his ally leap onto his back, but he snarled in triumph all the same. Floored by this sudden transformation, their remaining attackers didn''t have time to retreat; the shockwave of his transformation did that for her.


    "Go for the green girl." the old kitsune counseled. "Her illusions are dangerous enough."


    Crimson eyes snapped downward.


    "Gotcha."


    Credit where it was due, Emerald tried to dodge. She really did.


    But she just wasn''t.


    Fast enough.


    Realizing her peril too late, the green-haired girl nevertheless attempted to backpedal, even backflip out of the way. For all her speed and agility, she ultimately failed to evade Kurama''s anger. A golden tail still snared her body and sent her spinning into the sky. Another seized her airborne body and slammed her down against the compacted earth with a vicious crunch.


    "No!" someone cried out.


    For a fleeting instant heNarutofelt a wrench of guilt; the poor girl would probably never walk again, if she survived at all. He knew the telltale crunch of bones anywhere.


    That brief regretful pang vanished as a crystallized glass arrow slashed across his face. Irritation swatted all remnants of regret aside like an annoying gnat as he spun, sweeping all nine of his tails against the ground with blinding speed. As luck would have it, he also caught the boy with the metal legs just as he came to and sent him sprawling. The woman with dark hair proved more fortunate; she was father back and skipped away out of reach. But rather than attack again as he''d expected, she actually...hesitated. Only for the merest of moments, but that reluctance was there. Perhaps it was the sight of her fallen comrade that stilled her. Perhaps she feared meeting the same fate. Still, her hesitation suited him just fine; it gave his drained reserves a moment to replenish.


    The desperation burned in her eyes, however, was all too real. "She''s mine!"


    Sheltered behind him, the brunette made a noise of less-than-pleasant disagreement.


    Naruto couldn''t help himself; he actually snorted at her response. "Don''t think she agrees with you."


    Still the woman continued to rail at him, heedless of her own peril. "Move, you damn brat! I swear, if you don''t-


    "You''ll what?" Red eyes snapped down to her faltering form. "Kill me? I''ve died before. I got better. And if this your best...it ain''t enough."


    "Why protect her?" the blackette snapped another arrow at him, to no avail; he merely swayed out of the way. "This isn''t your fight! You don''t even know her!"


    Cinder''s words-though he knew not her name-sparked something in the whiskered warrior. An ember of anger. Pride. She was right. This wasn''t his fight. By all rights there was no need for him to get involved. And yet, a thorn of fury pricked his heart and held him back. However much he might failed others, however cruel some might call him, he still couldn''t bring himself to turn his back on someone in need.


    "You''re right about one thing." A lone finger jutted forward. "I don''t need a reason to help someone. You, on the other hand...


    "Overkill?" Kurama inquired with a grim grin.


    Naruto raised his hands, palms splayed.


    "Overkill."


    Black light burst before his outstretched fingertips and the glowing effigy of Kurama''s skull burned brighter into existence, an unholy light coalescing at the end his gaping jaws. A spiraling sphere of condensed chakra, one that continued to swell and grow with each passing moment. Even in his exhausted state, it took but a moment to bring what remained of his power to bear upon the enraged woman. Large. Larger. Largest. Naruto held it a moment longer, allowing the arc of his chakra to watching the woman''s eyes widen in growing horror. It would be so easy to simply let it go; to unleash hell and eradicate her utterly. He should. He''d be in the right to do so, surely. To kill someone.


    Instead, he missed.


    ...damnit! I just can''t do it!''


    Rather than obliterate her where she stood, Naruto willfully jerked his head to the right at the last instant.


    Averted by sheer force of will, the blast roared up into the sky like an arrow loosed from a bow; the sheer shockwave of which flattened everyone present. Streaking into the sky with a mournful howl, it continued to climb, higher and higher until at last it reached its zenith. All eyes tracked its movement, the battle briefly forgotten but this unheralded display. For a fleeting instant the tailed beast bomb hung in the heavens, defying the laws of nature and physics alike. Then without word or warning it burst, rendering the world went white with light; banishing even the clouds themselves from the sky.


    In the aftermath, his opponent stumbled upright, eyes wide with disbelief.


    "That''s it, then." Kurama chided as his ethereal form began to fade. "I''m out of chakra. Try not to die while I recover."


    Naruto relented with a wordless grunt as gravity sank its cruel claws into him; to his credit, he managed to land in a pointed crouch rather than fall on his face like a fool. Even then, the mere act of standing threatened to reopen his wounds and send him plummeting back into the black. He must''ve looked it too, because a spark of confidence glimmered back to life in the eyes of his adversary.


    "Leave. Now." those two words rattled earth and sky alike. "Next time we won''t miss."


    It was a truth as much as a bluff; with his reserves still at an all time low, it was all he could do to breathe.


    A wordless growl was Cinder''s sole response, though he knew not her name. For all his bl.u.s.ter and bravado she appeared ready to strike solely out of spite; indeed, her burning gaze threatened to sear itself into his memory, such was its heat. No, that wasn''t the word he was looking for. This was something more. Hunger. Yes, that one. Whatever this power was, this woman wanted it. She needed it. She craved it, with a single-minded drive that rivaled his own. In her eyes, her teammates didn''t matter. They were merely means to an end. She saw only the power before her. Still, she''d be a fool to attack now, wouldn''t she?


    Much to his alarm the witch darted forward, poised to cut him down-


    And the heavens answered in kind.


    Naruto never heard the lightning; but he most certainly saw it. A bold bolt of white-and-gold snapped over his left shoulder with blinding, leaving skin tingling but otherwise as it arced past. Cinder wasn''t so lucky. Caught in mid-leap, she had no time to escape. No strategy to save her, no brilliant plan to deliver her from harm. Time seemed to slow, all the colors of the world fading to grey. The assassin''s eyes widened a fraction of an inch, her mouth forming a small, round "O" of surprise and muted horror. Then time reasserted itself with a vengeance and the acrid tang of burnt flesh filled the air.


    Whomever she was, the Maiden didn''t hesitate.


    Wholly unprepared for this sudden assault, Cinder didn''t even have the chance to defend herself; caught dead in the gut and forcefully flung away at impossible speed. Her body folded limply around the blast with a single tortured cry, struck the ground, rolled, then sprang back up. Faint sparks shimmered from her form, vanishing even as Naruto noticed them. A hand settled upon his shoulder and he risked a wary glance behind him; just in time to see the Maiden standing with her free hand hand stretched toward the sky. Furious hazel eyes focused upon the assassin, burning as though lit from within, her expression fixed into a single, wild emotion.


    And so she spoke:


    "You want this power so badly?! Then take it!" the words burst from her in an enraged sob, "TAKE IT ALL!"


    No sooner had she done so than another towering bolt descended from the heavens above to strike the assassin down where she stood. This time, there could be no mistaking the agony behind her cry. Then another came. Another still. Another. Upon the fourth such blast her knees finally gave out, leaving her body to buckle to the floor in a heap. This time she did not rise again. Only steam wafted from her broken form, and she made no move beyond the odd twitch of her limbs. Despite himself, Naruto winced, his heart stirring in pity once more. That looked painful. She hadn''t with simply been blasted; the poor woman been outright cooked from within. She might never recover from those burns without assistance.


    He''d only just opened his mouth to congratulate his ally when a groan pierced the gloom.


    "And they called this inexperienced?" someone grumbled under their breath. "What the hell...I didn''t sign up for this..."


    Much to their shared ire, the boy with the metal legs was still conscious. Standing, even. Though battered and bruised, his limbs still hadn''t failed him. But rather than fight, this assassin only raised his hands in a gesture of submission. As he looked on, he sidled up to the green-haired girl and slung her over his right shoulder. With only a modic.u.m of effort he performed a similar the same for his quivering companion, pulling her into his arms. Never did his gaze leave them, not a once, not even for a moment; he looked ready to bolt at the slightest provocation.


    "Let''s call it a draw this time, eh?" he kept his posture slack up for emphasis, despite cradling his wounded comrades. "Whaddya say?"


    Naruto sucked in a breath that tasted of ash. "Give me one good reason not to cut you down here and now."


    A silver brow rose.


    "Because you''ve got nothing left in the tank there, blondie." slim shoulders rolled in a halfhearted shrug. "Guess I could say the same for your friend after her little tantrum. But don''t feel bad," Even in defeat, he managed a bitter mocking smile. "We''re pretty gassed ourselves. You two beat us pretty badly."


    "Then surrender." The question didn''t come from him, but the maiden watching over him. "If you do that, you''ll be shown mercy."


    ...nah." that smile turned cruel as the young man shook his head. "Not gonna happen, Amber. We''re not quiiite done with you just yet."


    Naruto felt the young maiden stiffen behind him.


    Before either could challenge him the silver-haired warrior urgently nudged one of his allies.


    "Hey, Em." he coughed. "Wake up already. We need to get out of here."


    "You''re not going anywhere!"


    He leveled one last baleful glance in their direction.


    "Right. This isn''t over, whiskers."


    A muscle jumped in Naruto''s jaw. "HEY!"


    The world blurred-or perhaps he did?-and the trio vanished into the gloom even as he reached for them.


    For a moment, he refused to lower his guard, nearly expecting some semblance of a sneak attack. Seconds passed. Then a minute. Finally, he just couldn''t take it anymore. The tension drained out of him and his body sagged, fatigue and chakra-exhaustion at last extracting their long-awaited due. Now that the battle was won, he finally had an instant to breathe; to see just whom he''d saved. The same girl who''d saved him in turn. Amber, the assassin had called her. Huh. Not a bad name.


    Wincing, he looked up at her.


    Though her hair hung in disarray and her face was smudged with grit as well as dirt, the huntress favored him with a small, hesitant smile. Gods, she was beautiful. Her hand was probably the only thing holding him up right about now; if it wasn''t for her staff, they both would''ve fallen over. She didn''t question him. Didn''t demand his identity nor to know his motives for aiding her. No, in the end, she only had one words for him. A single word of joy. Kindness. Humble gratitude-such a stark contrast to her earlier outburst, that it momentarily floored him-was all that greeted him.


    ...thanks."


    Strong arms crushed around him all at once in a fierce embrace, drawing a startled grunt from the started blond as the brunette all but launched herself at him. He barely had the strength to sputter; such was his surprise at this sudden outburst. Had that been the end of it, he might''ve escaped with his conscience intact. Alas, the floodgates opened and much to his chagrin, Amber buried her head in his shoulder. She began babbling then, a stream of rapid endless words that he could barely recognized, much less decipher. He recognized one phrase however, all too well.


    "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"


    The jinchuuriki wheezed out a pained breath.


    "Jeez, what the hell did I get myself...into...this time?"


    He never heard her response; in that moment his wounds caught up with him.


    With a wordless laugh, he pitched forward and finally knew the blessed release of slumber.


    A/N: Before anyone asks, yes, Crow arrived late this time around.


    Don''t worry, we''ll see the rest of the RWBY cast soon enough. Not to mention Winter next chapter. Once again, this chapter takes place two years before the start of volume one, so I''ll leave it to you dear reader, to vote for the pairing. I''ve got three in mind, but...well. That''s up to you.


    Yup. I just did that.


    Always felt like Amber got the short end of the stick.


    And just like that, with her survival, we''ve changed the game...haven''t we?


    The pairing, at present, is very much up in the air and left to you the reader, to vote on.


    Emerald''s illusions are pretty much useless against a jinchuuriki; Kurama can merely disrupt anything she throws at him.


    In this timeline Cinder failed to get her hands on the Fall Maiden powers, which in turn, opens a LOT of doors and closes plenty of others. I have a plan for this story well in hand-already written the two separate drafts to account for pairings, harem or otherwise-and will adjust it accordingly as I work my way through the seasons. But don''t expect Naruto to solve every problem. While he might not be as dense in this story, he''s not the have-all-be-all either. Where''s the fun in having an instant fix to everything?


    So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...


    ...Review, Would You Kindly?


    And enjoy the previews~!


    (Previews)


    Amber clutched at his hand.


    ...please. Don''t go."


    "No thanks, Ice Queen."


    To her credit, Winter only blinked.


    ...I''m sorry, what did you just call me?"


    Ozpin adjusted his glasses.


    "Now then, let me see if I have the right of this. You say you fell...from the sky?"


    Naruto facepalmed with a groand. "See, when you say it like that, it makes me sound crazy."


    Something ancient and unknowable gleamed in the headmaster''s eyes. "On the contrary. I believe you to be quite sane."


    They always underestimate the fool.


    That is their weakness, you see. Their fault. Their folly.


    Everyone overlooks the jester...that may well be your greatest strength."


    "Me? A Huntsman? Doesn''t really sound like my thing."


    "I''m not asking you to be a damn huntsman." Qrow took another wig of his flask. "I''m asking you to look after her."


    ...who? Amber? She can look after herself." confusion scrawled across the younger man''s face. "Besides, she''ll be fine without me-hey?!"


    His words warped into a grunt as the huntsman''s hand shot out and seized him by the collar; in the next instant he found himself rammed against the nearest wall.


    "What are you, dense as a brick? No. She won''t. Whoever did this wanted one thing from her." A stern finger jabbed him in the forehead. "Something you don''t know about. They''re not stupid. They''re not going to stop, and she''s NOT going to be alright. You hear me?" the words escaped him in a snarl. "They''re gonna try again. And again and AGAIN until they get what they want. She might not be so lucky next time. So, unless you expect someone else to fall out of the sky and help her the next time she''s in trouble...


    With a grunt, he released him.


    ...man up and take responsibility for your actions!"


    The girl tilted his head.


    Naruto groaned. "You...don''t talk, do you?"


    An emphatic shake of said head answered his question.


    "So what do I call you?"


    A sign snapped up.


    "N~E~O~?"


    R&R~!

 Chapter 403 - My SI Stash #3 - Pyroclasm by Fulcon (YoungJustice)

    -Been re-reading this fic for some time now, glad to see it finally updated~


    Synopsis: Fire. It cleans and purifies the soul, and Mom didn''t raise a dirty boy. Self Insert.(On Hiatus)


    Rated: T


    Words: 126K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13009510/1/Pyroclasm (Fulcon)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "We''re here," Batman announced as he pulled his famous Batmobile to a stop.


    The destination was a small, suburban home just outside of Bl¨¹dhaven, 9023 Ricter St. It was a two-story house with a two-car garage that had a green van sitting on the driveway. The house was painted a light tan with hedges on the side of the walk up to the front door needing a slight trim.


    "Oh. It''s¡­quaint," Green Arrow, the passenger, said, finishing the Styrofoam cup of coffee in his hands. "So get in, make ourselves personable, make the offer to the parents then to the kid. Anything else I should know?"


    "Just a reminder that this visit is not about the incident," Batman replied neutrally. "It was ruled justified in court and we need to make it clear that we respect that."


    "Right, we aren''t here because he blew a member of Arkham''s revolving door club to smithereens," Green Arrow dryly quipped. "We''re here to offer him a spot in the junior club."


    "I believe he could be of use to the team," Batman replied. "He has the powers and the inclination to use them. With proper training, we could avoid repeats of the incident in the future."


    "No arguments there," Green Arrow nodded. "Anything else?"


    "No," Batman shook his head and the two men excited the car.


    On the other side of the street, a little boy ran inside his house. "Mom! Mom! Look, it''s the Batmobile! And it''s got Ba-"


    That was all they heard before his rapidly quieting voice was suddenly cut off by the home''s doorbell as Green Arrow pressed the button.


    After a few moments, the door opened, revealing a middle-aged mother with dark brown hair and crow''s feet around her eyes; eyes that suddenly widened when she saw who had arrived at her door. "Oh. Oh! Hello¡­"


    "Mrs. Winter?" Green Arrow opened with an extended hand and a friendly smile.


    "Yes, hi," She replied, taking the hand and gingerly shaking it.


    "I''m Green Arrow, this is Batman," Green Arrow said with a gesture to him and the other Superhero, introducing themselves as a matter of politeness. "We were wondering if we could talk to you and your husband?"


    "Who is it, honey?" Behind Mrs. Winter came who was presumably Mr. Winter. He was a balding, middle aged man with prematurely greying hair. Mr. Winter''s eyes narrowed sharply. "Oh. Are you two the real deal?"


    "Yes we are," Green Arrow replied confidently.


    Mr. Winter sniffed. "Prove it."


    Batman let lose a batarang past both of their heads and it promptly came back to his waiting hand without so much as touching a thing in the house. "Does that satisfy you?"


    "Yeah I guess so," Mr. Winter nodded. "Come on in. You''re here to talk about Michael, right?"


    "That''s right," Green Arrow replied. "If you don''t mind."


    They were ushered into the front room with a couch against the wall, a coffee table in front of it and two chairs to the sides. On the wall was a large family photo of the two parents and a young boy with carefully groomed set of dark brown hair and sharp looking hazel eyes. Batman noted that the smile was a very high quality fake, seeming to reach his eyes but didn''t the way a genuine smile did.


    "I don''t see what there is to talk about," Mr. Winter replied, taking a seat beside his wife and gesturing for the other two to do the same. "It was ruled justified."


    "We had an offer that we wanted to make you," Green Arrow replied. "About your son."


    "By the way, can I get you two anything?" Mrs. Winter asked with a glance at the two. "Water, Milk, Juice?"


    "I just had some coffee," Green Arrow replied. "But thank you."


    "I would like some water," Batman responded in light of that, sounding just as carefully neutral as always. "Please."


    "Oh, sure," Mrs. Winter said, nodding and standing up.


    The conversation fell silent as she disappeared into the kitchen. The sound a cupboard opening, a glass being withdrawn and then filled with water. Then she stopped and called out. "Would you like ice?"


    Batman shook his head.


    "He says no," Green Arrow called back. Then he pointed to Batman with his thumb. "He doesn''t really get loud."


    "I can hear that," Mr. Winter replied with weary eyes.


    She returned with the glass and handed it to Batman, who thanked her as she sat down.


    "So, an offer," Mr. Winter continued.


    "What kind of offer?" Mrs. Winter asked.


    "The sidekicks, Kid Flash, Robin and Aqualad have gotten together in kind of a¡­study club," Green Arrow began. "We thought that your son might like to spend time with kids like him."


    "Oh," Mrs. Winter said. "You mean, like a superhero study club."


    "It''s a group formed for the purpose of letting our junior members train, socialize and learn together," Batman explained formally. "We believe that with some proper training, your son could avoid incidents, such as the one that has brought us here today, in the future."


    "Would he be obligated to join the Justice League?" Mrs. Winter asked with a frown.


    "No, no," Green Arrow shook his head. "He can leave at any time if he wants. This is just to give him a handle on his powers if he needs it and give him more options so if that incident down the street happens again you''re not tied up in messy court hearings."


    "Would he be doing anything dangerous?" Mr. Winter asked with a frown of his own.


    "The group sometimes undertakes missions," Batman answered. "Light recon, low risk, covert missions specifically chosen to prevent the groups activities from becoming known to any Supervillains. The risks are carefully evaluated before the group is sent on them and he would be on a team with several highly experienced members. Your son would be more than safe."


    "I see," Mrs. Winter replied, pursing her lips and resting her hands in her lap. "Are you making us this offer because you see our son as a potential danger? Be honest with us."


    Batman and Green Arrow looked at each other, then shook their heads.


    "No," Green Arrow replied. "What he did was justified by the courts and he is in complete control of his powers."


    "Wouldn''t the fact that he''s been in the news recently be a problem with the groups anonymity?" Mr. Winter asked, his eyes still narrowing. "The fact that he''s a metahuman is plastered all over the internet."


    "Not if he adopts a costumed identity and is never really seen changing," Green Arrow replied with a shrug. "Fire metas are fairly common as far as metas go, so it''s not like he''s the only possible candidate and the group''s activities are covert anyhow. Does that answer your question?"


    "It does," Mrs. Winter nodded.


    Mr. Winter didn''t say anything.


    "Honey, I think this might be a good thing for him," Mrs. Winter said, starting to smile for the first time since the two arrived.


    Mr. Winter again, didn''t answer immediately. A few moments later, right as Green Arrow was about to say something and break the ice, he said, "Could you gentlemen please excuse us for just a moment?"


    "Sure, that''s fine," Green Arrow explained with a nod.


    "Take all the time you need," Batman offered.


    The two parents left the room and began speaking just out of earshot. Green Arrow scratched the side of his head. Batman took a sip of his water. Arrow gestured to the corner that they disappeared around and Batman gave a shrug in response.


    Eventually, the two came back. "Alright. We accept. He should be in his room doing who knows what, just on one condition."


    "What''s that condition?" Green Arrow asked, leaning forward and clasping his hands together.


    "He''s allowed to tell us if he has to do anything dangerous," Mr. Winter explained.


    "Certain parts may have to be kept confidential," Batman replied. "But I don''t see anything wrong with him giving you a generalized account. Would that be sufficient?"


    "Yeah, that''d be fine," Mr. Winter nodded. "We don''t need to know everything just¡­a general picture would be nice."


    "Okay good," Green Arrow nodded happily. "So where is your son now?"


    "I think he''s upstairs," Mrs. Winter replied. "Do you want me to go get him?"


    "No, no," Green arrow shook his head. "It can wait for a minute. Why don''t you tell us about him first?"


    "Well," Mrs. Winter took in a breath. "He''s very mature for his age."


    "Always did things when we asked him too," Mr. Winter replied. "Always. Sometimes he did things without us asking first. Great work ethic. Never made any friends though."


    "Lot''s of trouble making friends," Mrs. Winter agreed, nodding his head. "Not because the other kids didn''t try, but because, well¡­he looked at them as inferior. Like they were dumb. I mean, he never said anything to them but he just¡­"


    "Just thought they were in the way," Mr. Winter finished. "I can''t count how many times he asked to skip a grade."


    "He that good at school?" Green Arrow asked.


    "Heavens, yes!" Mrs. Winter said with astonishment. "He threw himself at anything, trying to learn everything. The first year they started teaching computer science he checked out every book he could find in the school library on programming. Said he was trying to make an AI."


    "Did he ever succeed?" Batman asked curiously.


    "I don''t think so," Mr. Winter answered with a shrug. "He likes to brag about his accomplishments and we never heard anything about it afterwards."


    Batman leaned back slightly with a small frown on his face.


    "Do you know when he became a metahuman?" Green Arrow asked.


    "No," Mr. Winter shook his head. "I didn''t even know about it until after he blew up that maniac."


    That matched the case file that Batman had read. "Did he ever tell you how it happened."


    "No," Mr. Winter said again. "When I asked him, he just said ''magic'' and I left it at that. If he doesn''t want to tell me, that''s fine."


    "Are you sure it''s not actually magic?" Green Arrow asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Look, I know that Zatara guy on the League claim''s he''s got magic," Mr. Winter replied, leaning forward. "But honestly, I think he''s just a reality warping meta with a neurological condition that prevents him from doing anything without speaking backwards."


    "What neuro condition would that be?" Batman asked, keeping the amused smirk off his face, but just barely.


    "I dunno," Mr. Winter shrugged. "Some kind of Tourette''s syndrome, I guess."


    Green Arrow barely stopped himself from laughing at the thought of Zatara having Tourette''s. Instead, he simply asked. "Do you think he''d be okay with being with the sidekicks or no?"


    "I don''t know," Mrs. Winter replied, shrugging her shoulders. "He''s kind of a mystery to me."


    "Alright, I think we''re ready to talk to him," Green Arrow said.


    "You want me to go get him or did you want to try to talk to him in his room?" Mrs. Winter asked, standing up.


    "We can try talking to him in his room," Green Arrow answered, also standing up, followed by Batman.


    The stairs up were just around the corner, going up into a hallway. Mrs. Winter stopped at the second door on the left and knocked. "Michael? Son, are you there?"


    "Yes, what can I do for you?" The door opened a crack.


    "You''ve got some people that''d like to talk to you," Mrs. Winter feigning cheerfulness to hide the caution.


    "Figures. I saw the car out front," Was the reply. The door opened wider as Michael stepped out. Batman recognized the boy in the picture downstairs, only grown into a young teenager whose face looked like it hadn''t curled into a genuine smile in years. "Can we move this to the front room, please?"


    "Alright," Mr. Winter shrugged.


    The procession moved back down to the front room, with Batman and Green Arrow taking their seats on the couch and the parents sitting in the chairs. Michael grabbed a chair from the kitchen table and set it off to the side, opposite of his parents. "So, are we here discuss how I blew Mr. Zsasz to cinders, or something else?"


    "No, but that is why we''re here," Batman responded. "The Junior League members have put together a small team and the League itself has decided that, in light of recent events, you might be of benefit to the group."


    "You''ve already proven you''ve got the power and incentive the protect others," Green Arrow continued. "We think you''ve got a lot of potential as a Leaguer and even if you don''t stay on, some training would help you avoid the uh???legal mess that you and your family just got done dealing with."


    "So, the brat''s got a team, huh?" Michael replied with a raised eyebrow, trying to fight the sarcastic sneer making its way across his face.


    "Michael!" Mrs. Winter said, aghast.


    "Well, I wouldn''t necessarily call them brats," Green Arrow argued with an amused tone in his voice at the same time. "But essentially, yeah."


    "How old''s the team?" Michael asked immediately, leaning forward and holding his hands together between his knees. "Was it created before or after they went into Cadmus on the Fourth of July?"


    "You frequent the Justice League forums?" Batman asked carefully.


    "I do," Michael answered without blinking. "There was a giant thread, speculating that there was a team in the making. It''s still arguing about it but judging from the upvotes and top comments, it was just a temporary thing the sidekicks went out and did while the a.d.u.l.ts were taking care of business elsewhere and everything would be back to normal before long. But since you''re here, talking to me about a team, that either means that the majority of people are wrong or the upvotes were being manipulated."


    "I don''t think the site''s all that vulnerable to botting," Green Arrow said, stroking his goatee with his gloved hand. "The team almost wasn''t, so it''s not unreasonable to assume it didn''t happen."


    "I seriously doubt the League would allow the creation of a secret team without suppressing information about its formation," Michael explained with a raised eyebrow. "Regardless, you came to me with an offer to get on a super team, and I accept, assuming my brat comment didn''t burn the offer."


    "Just like that?" Mr. Winter asked, sounding bewildered.


    "Just like that," Michael nodded. "First extra-curricular activity that I''m actually interested in."


    "Well, that''s good," Mrs. Winter said, wearing a relieved smile. "I''m glad you''ve found something you''d like to do."


    "It''s a pleasant surprise," Michael replied, not returning the smile. "So, before I get escorted to whatever secret base you''ve got them secreted too, I imagine there''s something you need to know? A form I have to fill out?"


    "We''ll take care of that ourselves," Batman replied. "There are just a few questions we need you to answer."


    "Ask away," Michael invited.


    "Are you a metahuman or a magic user?" Green Arrow asked. "And how did you get your powers?"


    "Magic User," Michael replied, ignoring his father rolling his eyes. "Looked on the internet for rituals, alchemy, stuff. The grand majority of it''s garbage but I found a few good ones. As for how I got my fire powers, I created a fire elemental without a spirit to animate it and bound it to my soul. My body has changed to accommodate playing host but nothing major. That''s the long and short of it."


    "Alright, I get you," Green Arrow nodded, satisfied. "You make anything else?"


    "I was working on a project in my room," Michael explained with a shrug. "Nothing I feel like sharing, however."


    "Do you plan on binding any more soulless elementals to you?" Batman asked.


    "Not at this time," Michael explained. "I''m still making sure there''s no negative effects."


    "So, have you put any thought into being a Leaguer?" Green Arrow asked. "A code name, costume, that sort of thing?"


    "Don''t have a name or costume in mind, no," Michael shook his head. "I can come up with something."


    "We can take care of your first costume if you need," Green Arrow offered. "But we do need a name."


    "Alright, uh¡­" Michael started, looking up in thought. "How about Firestorm?"


    "That''s pretty good," Green Arrow nodded in appreciation. "But it''s taken."


    "Captain Falcon?" Michael offered with a small smirk.


    "Uh¡­word of advice, I wouldn''t take an animal name unless your power or image has got something to do with animals," Green Arrow offered, leaning into his chair like an old man giving sage advice to an eager youngster. "Otherwise, it just makes it look like you didn''t put any effort into putting your identity together."


    "Eh, the suggestion was tongue in cheek anyway," Michael replied with a shrug.


    "Inside joke?" Green Arrow asked with a small smile.


    "Something like that, yeah," Michael muttered to himself before assuming a thinking pose. "Of course, that blows my more serious ''Firebat'' suggestion out of the water. Unfortunate."


    "That name wasn''t available anyway," Batman explained passively.


    "Why no-oh, right. Don''t want people making assumptions," Michael shrugged. "Makes sense. On that line of thinking puts the kibosh on Supernova too. A shame, he''s my favorite Leaguer. No offense."


    "None taken," Green Arrow waved it off with his fingers. "He''s a good guy."


    "El Diablo?" Michael asked, starting to grin again. "Pasty, white-faced nerd by day, Spicy Latino Lover by night? I can even do an accent."


    "No," Mr. Winter shook his head. "No, no, no. This is serious, son."


    "The Human Torch," Michael suggested, his grin instantly fading without a trace.


    Green Arrow waffled his hand. "Eh, I think you could do better."


    "Inferno?" Michael offered with a raised eyebrow. "Eh, never mind. I''m not Italian. Er¡­wait, am I Italian?"


    "German," Mr. Winter answered. "Our family is German."


    "Oh. Well, I don''t feel like using Feuer or H?lle either," Michael continued to muse. "Conflagerator just sounds wierd. Pyro? Eh, too short. Well, it sounds like it''s short for something. Pyroclasm. Pyroclasm? That''s not taken, is it?"


    Green Arrow looked at Batman and both shook their heads. "Pyroclasm is fine. Good name."


    "Alright," Michael clapped his hands together. "Pyroclasm. When do I put on the mask?"


    "We''ll come by again in a few days," Batman replied. "We''ll bring with you your costume as well as pick you up for orientation into the Team. You''ll receive instructions on how to transit to the team''s training facility which you will be expected to report to daily."


    "Alright, makes sense," Michael nodded.


    Green Arrow nodded. "It''s been good meeting you all. Michael, I look forward to having you on the team. Now, we''ve got a meeting with the League we need to get too so we will see you all later."


    "It''s been nice having you," Mrs. Winter said, standing up.


    "Drive safe," Mr. Winter said, following suit and shaking his guest''s hands. "Michael, if you''ll get the door?"


    "You got it," Michael said, moving to the front door and opening it.


    "Thank you," Batman replied.


    The two heroes left and saw that a group of neighborhood children had gathered around the bat mobile to gape in awe. Batman unlocked the doors, causing the car to beep and the kids to instantly scatter. Batman got into the driver seat, Green Arrow the passenger.


    "So, did you want to take care of the costume or shall I?" Green Arrow asked.


    "Are you volunteering?" Batman asked neutrally.


    Green Arrow took a second to think over the question while Batman started the engine. "Yeah, I think I am. Fireproof, armored plating, utility belt. What do you think, Balaclava, Domino mask?"


    "Either can work," Batman replied. "I find it interesting that the smiles in the family pictures were all high-quality fakes."


    "He doesn''t seem to be a happy kid," Green Arrow replied. "Definitely book-smart, though. He knew that Inferno was Italian for Hell. Not many people I meet do."


    "It''s not something that''s entered popular culture," Batman nodded.


    "Yeah, it''s become just another word for a giant blaze," Green Arrow shrugged. "Anyway, did you catch how his parents are afraid of him?"


    "I did," Batman nodded. "Very smart, deliberately giving himself dangerous powers, I imagine his parents simply don''t know how to deal with him. They did the right thing in keeping him at the appropriate grade level. We''ll need to inform Dinah that he''s accepted our offer."


    "Which is a good thing," Green Arrow sighed. "Honestly I was afraid of what would happen if he refused. Not to say that he''d be gunning for super villainy or anything, but we might''ve had to beat off ''recruiters'' with a stick."


    Batman didn''t say anything, still thinking.


    "You think he succeeded at creating that AI his dad was talking about?" Green Arrow asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "That was my question as well," Batman answered. "I don''t know. If he did, it might explain how he was able to comb through the nonsense that permeates the internet to find the real thing. If he didn''t, he may have just gotten lucky but¡­I don''t think it was luck."


    "Would it turn into a problem if he did?" Green Arrow asked.


    "It might," Batman responded.


    "I wonder if the team''s going to be happy with two new members," Green Arrow thought aloud.


    "They''ll adapt."


    "At least Artemis isn''t going to be the only new kid on the block," Green Arrow replied with a smile. "That might help everyone if they''re still sore that Speedy''s not on the team."


    "He''s going by Red Arrow now," Batman informed his passenger without taking his eyes off the road.


    "Oh. Original," Green Arrow grinned. "¡­I already knew that Bats."


    Batman simply grunted in response.


    Green Arrow fell quiet too. It didn''t last. "You know, I should call Dinah."


    Author''s Note: Mused attacked me. I know I said I needed a break from the Self-Insert Genre but now that I''ve actually had a break, it''s clear to me that I really just need a break from Naruto. So here we are. This thing. I''m mostly just writing whatever comes to mind and throwing it on the internet at this point. Still working on my DP fic, still working on my original fic, just¡­you know. I find myself oddly able to write thousands and thousands of words per week now. It''s kind of exciting.


    Apologies if Green Arrow was remarkably talkative. I tried to write him as the smooth one to balance out Batman''s straight-laced guy. I know he''s a joker, he''s lighthearted and he''s a nice guy and stuff, but I wonder if I turned it up just a bit too far.


    Anything else? Uh¡­I looked up the term Pyroclasm as a superhero name and came up short. I know Pyro is a class in Team Fortress 2 (and a mutant in Marvel) but the full thing? Pyroclasm? That wasn''t a thing. So, either I''ve come across one of the few superhero names that hasn''t been used yet, or my Google-Fu is nonexistent. Either way, I like the name so that''s why I''m using it.


    Also, I felt the need to use Fire as a power because it seems to have fallen out of favor in recent times. Mostly, it''s because it''s hard to see fire as a heroic power since all the heroes these days are all about the non-killing rule and when people think of fire, they think of using it on bad guys and when they think of using it on bad guys, they think of someone burning to death. So, I felt like taking on the challenge of writing a heroic (well¡­kind of?) person doing heroic deeds with the powers of Inferno behind him.


    Plus, a little extra.


    A big thanks to super patrons Melden V, Anders Kronquist, Ray Tony Song, makopaulo, Volkogluk, Aaron Bjornson, iolande, Martin Auguado, Julio, Jiopaba, Hackerham, Tim Collins-Squire, Maben00, Devil''s Bite and Sultan Saltlick. Thank you, you guys are the best.


    Until the next time!


    ~Fulcon

 Chapter 404 - My CO Stash #4 - MHA: Triumvirate Knights by Ld1449 (BatmanXMHA)

    -Here''s the sequel of MHA: World''s Finest~! I''m praying the author''s uploading schedule stays the same and I just cannot wait to read about Batman''s doggo''


    Synopsis: Sequel to MHA: World''s Finest. It''s necessary reading to enjoy this story fully


    Rated: T


    Words: 4.4K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/mha-triumvirate-knights.889027/ (Ld1449)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    For Izuku Midoriya, he was four when the world seemed to crumble right under his feet, walking out of a Doctor''s office, that same doctor having just told him the worst news his four year old self had ever heard.


    Quirkless.


    He couldn''t be a hero.


    He cried. He cried when his mother held him, he cried the next morning, and the day after.


    When word spread through the school, it only got worse.


    Kaachan had gotten his quirk, an amazing one, his one time friend wanted to be a hero, he could follow that future.


    Only it was a future that seemed he wanted Izuku to be less and less a part of.


    The other kids called him names, showed off their quirks and said mean things about him not having one.


    He didn''t know what to do, how to change, how to be better, how to not be quirkless.


    He was five when things changed again.


    It was after the Aldera disaster, a whole city district, destroyed. He didn''t know how many were hurt. Mommy hadn''t let him see. But All Might had fought the villain there, the worst Villain, All for One. People said it was like "Dagobah all over again"


    He wasn''t sure what Dagobah was. Mommy wouldn''t let him look up things about All for One either. Said he was too scary for him to be looking at.


    He tried to tell her it was okay, that All Might had beaten him, All for One had run away, there wasn''t anything to be afraid of anymore.


    But she said no.


    He heard that All Might was going to be on a show, Present Mic''s morning show; after weeks and weeks of talking on the news, and answering questions about All for One and the big battle Izuku hadn''t gotten to see or hear about.


    All Might was going to talk on the show,


    And take phone calls.


    Izuku went to bed early the night before, woke up early the next day, waited by the phone with anxious, brimming energy


    He''d memorized the phone number, and listened intently as the show went on.


    ---"What was it like? Fighting him I mean? No one''s been able to fight him since the original Triumvirate; and half the world thinks they died trying."


    ----"I can tell you this Mic, he is easily the most dangerous and powerful villain I''ve ever fought in my career. But he is beatable, he is not invincible. More than ever I''m convinced that the Triumvirate beat him before. It''s why he''s been hiding all this time and why he''s hiding again now."


    ----"He must be ancient though."


    ----"There are quirks that can slow down the aging process or halt it. Physiologically, I don''t think he''s any older than his fifties


    ---- "Should other heroes try to fight him? Or not?"


    ---- "Anyone who tries to fight him unprepared will only make him stronger. And under no circ.u.mstances should you ever fight him alone.


    ---- Ahh well I think it''s time for some callers, don''t you think."


    ---- "Certainly!"


    He heard the phone ring on the radio, his heart jumped,


    But then, when Present mic spoke he didn''t hear him in his ear.


    ---- Hello there you''re on the Hot Mic, what''s your question for our Number One Hero caller?"


    ---- Hey there All Might, so having fought him, how powerful do you think the original Triumvirate would have had to be to take him down like they did? Or do you think maybe All For One was weaker since he had less quirks back then?"


    Izuku bit his lip. Ten calls. That''s all Present Mic gave on the show. He was sure. He''d checked.


    How many people were calling?


    ---- Yes hello, All Might, I was just wondering what hair product do you use? It''s a very distinct look."


    ----- Confidence ma''am!


    He listened, one by one they called and he counted like they showed him in school.


    Eight. There were eight.


    That meant there were just two left¡­


    He almost started crying, his one chance, his only chance to ask his hero what he *needed* to ask him more than anything and it was slipping through his fingers.


    Then, he heard a voice in his ear as it came through the radio.


    ----- "Hello there Number Nine. How''re you doin?"


    Izuku started, nearly dropping the phone in surprise. "H-hello?"


    ----- "Hello little man why don''t you tell us your question today?" Present Mic said.


    "I-I"


    Izuku felt his throat close up, pure panic gripping him by the neck and refusing to let the words come out.


    ----- "Little man? Little man? Hello?"


    Silence.


    "Alright next-


    "I''m quirkless!"


    He practically shouted in his sudden mad rush to say something, anything, hearing his own voice come from the radio..


    He lowered his voice, becoming something meek and quiet.


    "I¡­ The doctor''s said I won''t ever have a quirk. So¡­ I¡­ I just wanted to ask¡­. E-even"


    He had to stop, both the tears and his sudden spike of fear.


    What if he was wrong?


    What if All Might said the same thing the doctors said? That the kids said? That his mom said?


    He looked at the radio, as though he could look straight through the speakers and the happily blinking clock to see All Might himself.


    "Even though I''m quirkless¡­ can I be a Hero like you All Might?"


    The silence came.


    Then it stretched on.


    It seemed to last for a long, endless moment and Izuku''s whole world shrunk to those few seconds.


    ---- Young man.


    All Might''s voice was low, almost grave and Izuku could feel the slap of rejection that brought the tears immediately to his eyes.


    No. Please no.


    ---- If you choose it, it is not an easy life.


    He froze.


    ---- "But the quirk in your body is not the sole measure of what it is to be a hero. Perhaps they can punch harder, move faster, See things others can''t. But what is a hero, a true hero young man is measured by the spirit that beats in your chest."


    Izuku felt his breath hitch, an apple lodging itself in his throat and the same tears that had overcome him a year ago, staring at All Might''s image on a computer came on again.


    ---- "If you want it hard enough, work hard enough and chase your dream, whatever that may be, then there''s no force on earth that can stop you."


    The phone slipped from his numb fingers, clattering to the floor.


    ---- "You can become a hero."


    When he was four. His whole world changed with one doctor.


    When he was five. It changed again with just one phone call.


    Chapter 1


    "I TOLD YOU NOT TO FIGHT ANYMORE"


    Mrs. Bakugo''s scream could have woke the dead and even though it wasn''t directed at him, he still felt himself cringe under the heat of her fury.


    "TELL DEKU TO GET OUTA MY FACE!"


    "STOP TRYING TO TAKE KIDS LUNCH MONEY AND HE WON''T BE IN YOUR FACE!"


    Izuku''s own mother stood beside Mitsuki, the fact that both women could remain friends even with their sons fighting each other seemingly every other day was¡­ kind of a small miracle honestly.


    "DON''T YOU TAKE HIS SIDE!" Bakugo roared


    "I''LL TAKE HIS SIDE ALL I WANT!"


    "I also told you to stop fighting Izuku." His mother scolds, looking at him with a fierce frown of disapproval."


    "INKO ISN''T TAKING HIS SIDE!"


    "DON''T ENCOURAGE MY BRAT INKO!"


    Izuku tried very hard to ignore the fight happening two feet to his left. "I''m sorry mom"


    "Don''t apologize Izu, you did nothing wrong!"


    "Don''t encourage *my* son''s bad behavior either Mitsuki!"


    The strange thing is, he should be used to this very odd... three? Four? Way fight.


    The scary thing really is that he sometimes was.


    (X)(X)(X)


    By the time Izuku gets home he and his mother step through the door into his fifth, maybe fifteenth apology; he rather lost count.


    "I''m sorry mom."


    Inko for her part, sighs. "Izu. You always say that but tomorrow, or next week or in another two weeks we''ll be right back here again! At this point I think you and Bakugo are just doing this for fun or something because neither of you stop."


    "I don''t just fight Bakugo." He blurts out and then immediately cringes as his mother stares at him with a look that could melt through steel.


    "Believe me. I''m aware¡­"


    Yeah, crappy defense.


    Izuku looks down "I just¡­ can''t let them keep bullying the other kids mom."


    She sighs, her shoulders rising and falling quietly. "I know. I really do honey." She steps forward, one hand rising to cup his cheek, the other to run through his hair as she makes him meet her eyes. "You''re the best boy I could ask for, really. But you have to understand. Those reports don''t get filed as "Izuku stood up to bullies" they get filed as "Fights" plain and simple, and you''ve gotten fifteen in the last two months. That''s twice a week Izu! No school you apply to will look at that and think you''re someone they want to have join their student body. This''ll hurt you going forward sweetie."


    He knows. This conversation isn''t new. She''s said it before, pleaded with him before.


    He feels guilty but¡­ at the same time¡­


    She has to see something in his eyes because she looks away and the guilt twists at his insides "Go to your room and get started with your homework. I''ll get dinner going."


    He nods, not willing to give her any more trouble.


    Heading to his room, his computer is blinking its hibernation light at him, reminding him of last night''s search results.


    The temptation is strong to look, but the gnawing guilt of yet another fight that gave his mom more headaches to worry about holds him back.


    He throws himself into his work with speed.


    He may be doing the questions a bit too fast, maybe giving answers that were less than ideal, but it''s done, done fast enough that before dinner is even done he''s finished, shutting the last notebook with a rustle of pages and capping the blue pen.


    Then he''s sitting at the table, chair rolling quietly under him on its plastic wheels as he boots up the computer.


    His fingers click-clacked over the keys, inputting his password and unlocking the screen..


    There were quite a few tabs open¡­ more than a few¡­ a lot more than a few. But that was normal. Some were hero sightings, forums, message boards, others were news feeds and recent happenings of both heroes and villains in his area and the surrounding districts. But right now he had one particular page open that was drawing his attention.


    "Legacy of the Triumvirate"?


    It was an op-ed/ message board discussing the Three¡­ legendary? Mythic? It was a strange category that they inhabited really. More than any other heroes, partly because of who they''re known to have fought, who they exposed to the world, but also because so very much about them is just so completely unknown.


    The best they had were grainy images captured by news cameras a few hundred feet above them and blurred security feeds.


    Titania the Unbreakable Woman, Speed Hero Blink and The Batman.


    Izuku would be lying if he said he''d always been interested in them, his fascination with heroes had been born with All Might, who is still his absolute favorite hero, a man who had done more for society and the world as a whole than anyone else.


    But even he had to wonder if All Might would have even been able to exist without the Triumvirate?


    Would All for One have been able to find All Might, before he became All Might? Stealing the newborn hero''s quirk for himself, if not for the damage the Triumvirate did to him? Without All Might would the world have even recovered as much as it had already in the post quirk reformation?


    All for One with All Might''s power¡­ it was a terrifying thought.


    He clicked on the link to keep reading.


    There was just so much that they didn''t know about them.


    They had a general idea about their powers. Of course Titania had some kind of strength enhancing quirk, a really really powerful one judging by the footage of her fighting Blaze Beast, and Graviton. Blink of course was obscenely fast, and the Bat had some kind of shadow abilities. They had very vague ideas about what they looked like, actually¡­ just what Titania looked like, tall, fit, dark hair. But outside of that they didn''t know anything about them. No one even knew if they''d lived or died against All For One.


    A part of him wanted them to be alive. He prayed he''d meet them one day, but if they were he really couldn''t understand why they''d have stayed hidden for so many years. Decades really. All Might had already fought All For One. He''d already proven the Monster could be stopped. So why wouldn''t they feel secure enough to come back to the world? It should be easy to prove who they were¡­


    A lot of people believed they were dead and a part of him on some days couldn''t help but agree.


    "Izuku, time to eat!"


    "Coming mom!" He called, pushing free of the read to go eat, he could do some more research later. Maybe find a decent doc.u.mentary or something.


    Minutes later, as he sat down at the dinner table, the TV was still on and loud enough for him to catch the tail end of the newscaster''s report.


    "- Enterprises will be opening a new HQ branch in Japan. Though the exact district that will house the latest of the Tech Giant''s industry is still hotly contested, rumors stand that the Company Owner and CEO Bruce Wayne will personally be arriving in Japan to survey potential sites. It''s a sudden move by the meticulously careful business but Mr. Wayne''s sense for finances have served him well over the yea-"


    "Bruce Wayne" Izuku muttered, leaning closer towards the TV.


    There was a picture now, an older man, a beard with a healthy salt and pepper mix in it, deep set wrinkles on a face that didn''t seem to smile easily.


    Wayne Tech was the premier company for all Hero support tech, had been for as long as Izuku could remember, for as long as anyone could remember. Bruce Wayne coming to Japan was¡­ well¡­ he wasn''t sure what it was but Izuku would have to find out if the Tech mogul would be hosting some kind of event or speaking somewhere. Few people could make waves like Mr. Wayne in the eyes and esteem of most Heroes.


    Especially when they were quirkless¡­


    (X)(X)(X)


    The next morning Izuku followed his usual routine, getting up, brushing his teeth, showering, getting dressed and getting ready to head out.


    Only problem was, he was running a tad bit late today.


    "Zuku, honey you''ll be late for school."


    "Coming mom!" He shouted, stuffing some toast in his mouth, before half hopping half walking towards the door as he forced on his bright red sneakers.


    He made it to the door, his mom hovering her hand over the key waiting for him.


    "Go on." She said leaning up to give him a peck on the cheek. When did she need to lean up to do that? "Love you, see you after school, don''t run!"


    "Yes ma''am!" He answered, doing his best impression of a not running power walk as his mom closed the door behind them as he reached the stairs.


    Making it to the sidewalk he tried very hard not to run, but he did move notably faster than usual.


    His rush only increased when there was an incident with a villain near Tattoin station, the delay making him abandon his promise of not running altogether for the last block as he rushed to make it to homeroom class before the bell rang.


    He climbed the stairs two at a time, reaching the last hallway, out of breath and winded.


    "What''s the matter, nerd. You miss your damn alarm?"


    Oh not now. Izuku found himself mentally groaning.


    Turning his eyes to Bakugo he sighed in aggravated exasperation. "Can we just get to class. I''m really not in the mood to get into another fight with you before I''ve even set down my backpack."


    Bakugo smirked. "What''s wrong? Fraid I''ll burn those notebooks of yours again?"


    "I can always find a hose."


    The blonde bomber''s smile turned into a snarl lightning fast as his hands crackled and popped.


    Before anything more could be said there was the distinct sound of a throat being cleared.


    Both of them turned, finding Mr. Matsudaira standing just outside his classroom¡­ apparently having expected this.


    Bakugo stuffed his hands in his pockets and Izuku tried not to breathe out in relief.


    He really really didn''t want to deal with another fight first thing.


    That and his jaw was still hurting from yesterday.


    The two hurried to class.


    (X)(X)(X)


    It was a slow school day. Classes were pretty much over, today was reserved for goodbyes and gossip on where they''d be going in the future, what schools they were applying to, what courses.


    The ones that stood out, were, of course, he and Bakugo.


    They were both applying to U.A.


    People scoffed, for both of them. At Bakugo because of his attitude, and his ability to lose to him¡­ a quirkless kid. Nevermind that he''d also beaten quite a few of the others.


    But he was ''quirkless'' and U.A didn''t accept quirkless nobodies in the hero course. Nor people who lost to quirkless people.


    Bakugo glared at them all, shutting them up with the heat of his eyes, but his real wrath was reserved for the look he directed solely at him. So much anger and resentment Izuku felt himself flinch. It''d been a while since he''d seen that kinda look. It''d been a while since he''d flinched too when it came to Bakugo.


    When the final bell rang and the school day was over, Izuku couldn''t help but let out a sigh of relief. Despite the near thing this morning there''d been no incidents, not during class, between classes, or even during lunch when he and Bakugo usually had their ''altercations''.


    Either his mom Mitsuki had really laid into him or that shot to the ribs was still smarting somewhere.


    Or maybe Bakugo was just looking forward to this finally being over. Even if they both made it to U.A, chances are they wouldn''t be in the same course. They wouldn''t need to keep fighting.


    He was tired of constantly intervening against him, just as he was sure Bakugo was tired of being intervened with.


    Izuku stuffed his books and notebooks into his backpack, taking a bit more time than usual so Bakugo could head out without the two of them running into each other in the halls.


    One of the last to clear out of the classroom, the green haired boy followed quietly behind the throng of other students.


    Stepping out into the streets, Izuku took a deep, slow breath.


    It was over.


    It was finally over and he had months to get ready for the next part of his life.


    The U.A entrance exam.


    He turned and marched mechanically; following the path home.


    Things were calm, normal, people moved this way and that way as they always did, as he''d always seen them do on his way home.


    Then, they simply weren???t.


    It started with a scream, something behind him, loud, frightful, it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and Izuku turned around in time to see something.


    A moving, writhing mass of sludge and bile churning across the street, it picked up a screaming man whole and slammed him into a wall, barreling through the road, smashing aside cars and pedestrians alike. In hot pursuit Izuku saw Kamui Woods, the newest rising Hero and Death Arms, sprinting behind the monstrous villain.


    Izuku felt his heartrate spike in his chest, almost painfully fast, he ducked into an electronics store, the villain rushing straight past him and the people near him with a gurgling roar.


    His eyes followed the villain, then the heroes, and before he knew it he was following after them, chasing them. It had been a long time since he''d gone villain chasing and something told him this one would be a particularly dangerous one to follow.


    But still, something else, gnawing at him, some instinct, told him he needed to follow.


    He ran a block, two, by the third it was only the path of destruction that kept him on the trail, a string of injured people, broken cars and shattered glass.


    Then he heard it.


    Explosions.


    Izuku followed, his legs burning, muscles throbbing, heart thundering.


    Then he saw it.


    The whole city block was in flames, the mass of sludge in the center sending blasts of fire and force that toppled cars over and shattered windows. Izuku could hear the thing laughing, the heroes scrambling for some kind of plan as Kamui Wood''s barricades were torn down, blasted to splinters the villain rounding on the team to fight, while spreading out his field of destruction.


    Izuku felt his fear taking over, panic beginning to claw at his insides.


    He almost turned right then and there to run.


    Then he saw him.


    Gasping, choking, struggling in the center of the mass of sludge was Bakugo, fighting just to suck down a breath of air.


    Izuku''s heart stopped.


    His legs felt rooted to the spot, the fear rushing through his veins like a jagged length of barbed wire.


    Then, Bakugo looked at him.


    He was sure of it.


    Through the smoke, and the fires and the panic and the people, Bakugo''s red eyes looked straight at him. The villain''s mouth was over his own; wide with a gleeful, ecstatic smile at the destruction he could wield with Bakugo''s quirk. But there was no mistake¡­


    Bakugo was terrified.


    His legs moved before he could think, before he could even register he was moving-


    And he was already halfway across the distance, barely hearing the heroes screaming behind him.


    "Kaachan!" He shouted, a nickname he hadn''t used in years his fist plunged straight into the monster, shoulder deep, where he hoped, Bakugo''s arm would be.


    His fingers latched on and Bakugo''s were wrapped around his wrist as both of them pulled and tugged, giving the blonde bomber enough leverage to pull his head out enough to suck down a desperate, hacking breath.


    "D-Deku, What the f.u.c.k are you doin here ya damn nerd!"


    He couldn''t answer, the villain laughed, and before he could do much more than realize the danger a length of sludge was crawling up his legs, rooting him to the spot as the monster crawled over him.


    "Looks like I got two Hostages now"


    Oh no!


    The rising sense of dread was abruptly cut off when *something* hit him, something hard and fast, wrapping under Izuku''s right shoulder, and sheer momentum and force, quite literally ripped him free of the monster''s grasp.


    The world was a blur, a whirling mass of colors before he hit the pavement with a tumble and a scr.a.p.e, Bakugo right beside him, sputtering and hacking sludge out of his mouth.


    "WHAT!"


    "Not very bright are ya boy."


    Izuku looked up from the ground, finding himself staring at a short, old man, the most eye-catching thing about him were his specialized boots, something for his quirk and the yellow scarf wrapped around his mouth in otherwise civilian clothing.


    There was a gurgling growl, and Izuku could see the sludge villain rushing towards them, his body large enough now to swallow the whole city street.


    The old man turned with a lazy, bored eye.


    "Kids these days, call themselves heroes and can''t even deal with a one trick pony like this."


    Then, he was gone.


    Izuku couldn''t even see the blur of speed, just a yellow streak of scarf that trailed after him. His tiny body punched straight through the sludge villain, splattering the muck across the street, the walls, the cars and the street lights, bouncing off a wall before launching himself again and again and again.


    The villain had visibly shrunk before he''d even closed half the distance.


    The monster turned, in panic, rushing to escape down into the sewer grates, barely a fifth of his monstrous size remaining before the old Man came to a stop, scoffing in irritation.


    "Tsch. I really am getting old."


    Izuku dizzily stumbled to his feet, Bakugo still catching his breath behind him, laying flat on the ground as he sucked down deep lungfuls of air.


    "Th-that was amazing!"


    The old man turned, a shrewd eye c.o.c.king an eyebrow in his direction before turning away with a shake of his head. "Don''t be so dumb next time kid."


    The man reached down to the sidewalk, picking up two grocery bags.


    Ishina''s grocery store.


    And before the onrush of heroes, concerned medics and others came in, the old man blinked and was gone, shooting off into the sky.


    Just like that.


    Then he and Bakugo were swarmed by a cavalcade of heroes and concerned first responders.

 Chapter 405 - My SI Stash #5 - Isekaid to Star Wars by Chastity (Star Wars)

    -Chastity seems to be putting his SI Worm fic on hold and just focusing on his new SI Star Wars fic~ Ain''t gonna lie, it''s another W, albeit chaotic/


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 55K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/isekaid-to-star-wars-commission.13053/ (Chastity)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I had gotten a couple weeks off from work, and after lazing around in my house for a day or so, I got so stir crazy I had to go out and do something new. I wound up deciding to go on a whale watching tour at the local aquarium, since it was something to do.


    It turned out to be pretty fun - there were a surprisingly large number of whales out and about, coming quite close to the surface. As I watched one just beneath the surface make a long circular movement with its whole body, I heard an enormous splash from behind me and turned to look, fully expecting to see a whale that had come very close to the boat, or perhaps one that had leapt out of the water. Instead, I saw a truck. My brain simply froze, failing to process the image as it flew out of the water like a dolphin leaping into the air, dripping wet as it faced me. It felt like it was in slow motion as it simply glided directly towards me, crushing me roughly against the boat and shattering my whole body in an instant.


    I snapped back to consciousness, seated in front of a desk. For a moment, I thought it was just a dream, my butt feeling like it was firmly planted back at the office, the desk having a similar familiarity to it. A glance up, though, revealed I was in a grimy alleyway, cool silver and white metal disrupted by flakes of sticky black gunk that clung to it, some kind of moss or similar material, by the looks of it. The buildings on either side seemed to stretch upwards far, far into the sky, towering pillars of industry with thick glass windows colored in various elaborate shades - though there were only windows well above the ground.


    It was a vast alley too, the street proper feeling as if it were blocks away, like the pair of towers had simply eaten away at all the area around us. Despite the fact that there was no natural sunlight, glowing lights from various windows rained down on me between the buildings, and I glanced down at the desk again. Sitting on it was a hardcover book, a belt with a pouch that looked about right to hold the book, and a letter with the words "READ THIS" written at the top in large bright capital letters.


    The letter itself was handwritten, in a good, clear, crisp writing. It explained that I had died and been inserted into a new universe, specifically one that... closely resembled Star Wars. I paused, glancing upwards, and the pair of buildings definitely seemed to stretch far higher up than I was used to, even in the big city. It had a distinct aesthetic to it... I turned back to the paper, which explained that I also had been given powers to "aid" in my new life.


    It went into more detail, but the short version was that I couldn''t have my powers taken away from me by any means, I was immune and invisible to any form of precognition or fate-manipulating powers - which I supposed was good, given the presence of the Force - and that as an actual active power, I was now... psychic. The book on the table was apparently a "Living Tome," which was alive and could actively help me if I asked, and would grow in power alongside me. It also couldn''t be permanently destroyed, just reforming if it was incinerated or something. It could also act as a notebook if I wanted it to.


    The letter ended by telling me I could now speak and read Galactic Basic Standard, and wishing me good luck.


    I put it back down on the table, thinking about what it had said. What the hell was going on? Was I seriously in some kind of bizarre, contrived self-insert scenario like this? Was I just really, really high? I picked up the letter again to skim through it, but it immediately caught flame and I had to hurriedly let it go - it took only a scant second or two for it to completely immolate itself, turning into nothing but ash. I stared at the new pile on the ground for a few seconds... then finally recovered my senses picked up the book.


    It looked like a simple hardcover book, well-made but without any title on it. I flipped it open, and found absolutely nothing inside. Every page seemed to be blank.


    Remembering that it was supposed to be ''alive,'' I leaned forward and spoke in a quiet voice to it. "Could you help me learn my powers?" I felt ridiculous doing it, but the book immediately started to flip to the beginning, ink appearing on the page as if it were bleeding out of the paper itself. What appeared was a beginner''s guide to my powers, written in simple, well-typed English. I skimmed through it for a bit, before shaking my head and putting the book into the pouch on the table and slinging the belt around me.


    I didn''t have much idea of what to do next, so I decided to just wander around, hopefully getting a feel for the place. These stories normally had some kind of event early on to draw the hero into important matters, right?


    * * *


    I''d been here, by my best guess, for a week, and I was currently sitting in an alley. Before me was the cooked remains of an animal that looked vaguely like a dog; I was chewing on a bit of it, the tough meat hard to really get into my mouth. I was in a shelter, at least. A small little ''house'' around the size of a closet, made of scavenged metal that I''d managed to piece together.


    Besides the powers I supposedly had, all I had were the clothes on my back. I couldn''t even remember my own name. I certainly didn''t have any identification, or contacts, or money, so as far as this world was concerned, I was just some random homeless guy living on the streets.


    It didn''t help that I wasn''t in a particularly hospitable spot. Oh, sure, it turned out I was on the capital world of the Republic, Coruscant, but I wasn''t in the good parts of it. I was in the underlevels: dirty, lawless, and literally dark, as the towering buildings that stretched up to the sky completely shut out the sky, levels and walkways above us cocooning us from the sun and clouds above.


    Apparently there were even worse levels lower down - I wasn''t about to find out myself. The first day I was here, I had seen two people get in a fight and one of them wound up stabbed to death. No one gave a shit.


    Interesting as it was to see aliens - both of the animal and of the intelligent varieties - I had been more focused on getting some kind of safety. An alcove to build my little hovel in, the metal to make it into a proper shelter, insulating me from the erratic cold and hot winds that came and went due to whatever vague equivalent of a climate this planet had. Once I had that vague, tiny degree of security - limited as it was - I set about trying to learn to use my powers, since they could only improve my current situation.


    The book''s introduction on my powers was detailed and thorough. There were five schools that my powers were divided into: biomancy, pyromancy, telepathy, telekinesis, and... daemonology. Technically six, but divination wasn''t available to me due to my immunity to precognition. I thought it was rather strange that they were divided up like magic, despite supposedly being psychic powers, but what would be the point in arguing about it?


    I''d spent most of the week training my powers. I also scavenged a bit of food, and found a source of water - there was a faucet on the side of a building that seemed to dispense clean water, which I was more than happy to drink from.


    In terms of what I had to show for it, it was somewhat limited, but definitely something I should be able to leverage soon enough. I''d learned a biomancy technique to keep my body in an ideal state, making me reach and hold a peak level of physical fitness, even slowly altering me to be more attractive over time. I''d learned enough pyromancy to create fire in my hand and throw fireballs - small ones, no bigger than a baseball, but it was useful to have some ability to attack. I could push and pull small objects with telekinesis.


    Telepathy was obviously the strongest of them, though. There was a technique to compel people to follow short, basic commands. I''d tried it out on a street far away from my shelter, managing to make people drop what they were holding, or stop their movements. I''d walk by them, say the command, and quickly make my way away. From what I could tell, they were confused by what they''d done, but there was no sign that they realized it was me, specifically, doing it.


    Daemonology didn''t actually involve demons - or daemons, as the book insisted on calling them - just yet, since it was apparently a more advanced skill. Instead, it only involved rituals, like putting a few drops of my blood on a piece of metal to move my power through it, causing it to produce a small flame if I said ''flame on,'' which would disappear if I said ''flame off.''


    I mostly used it to make a light in my hovel so I could read.


    The rat-thing I was eating had come into my hovel while I was asleep and tried to eat me while I slept; after a lot of screaming and struggling (luckily I had enhanced strength, now), I hit it in the face with a fireball and then began smashing its head in with a piece of metal until I was very sure it was dead.


    Since I''d spent so long without any good source of food, I decided to cook it for breakfast. I figured whatever it had, it couldn''t be that much worse than starvation, and my biomancy meant I''d probably be safe.


    As I kept trying to get the meat down - it was really chewy - I heard a commotion going on outside. I put the slice of meat I was currently eating down, stepping outside to check on what the noise was. I hadn''t quite absorbed the local values of "ignore everything you hear, no matter what," so I wandered a bit from my shelter and finally peered around the corner to spot the event in question.


    There were five men, all armed with blasters, some human, some not; two of them had a blue-skinned twi''lek girl grabbed by the arms, holding her in place. The still-struggling twi''lek girl had a small cut on her lip, a couple other visible minor wounds elsewhere on her body. It was obvious she hadn''t let them capture her without fighting back.


    "I''ve finally caught you, bitch," one of the men said, acting with all the bravado of a guy who was in charge. "The boss is going to give us a huge reward when we bring him your head."


    "You can go f.u.c.k yourself," she said, spitting up into his face, making him flinch back as saliva hit him.


    There was a brief moment''s silence as he wiped the spit off with his shirt''s sleeve, offering no apparent reaction. Then, with his face retaining that same angry and bored expression, he just punched her full force in the face, making it lol to one side. "The boss said to kill you, but that doesn''t mean we can''t have fun with you first," he said, smiling viciously, reaching for a knife in his waistband. He started to cut her shirt open.


    "You''re too chickenshit to get a girl the normal way, huh?" She asked, flailing wildly, attempting to become dead weight, then when that failed, starting to struggle and push herself away. "What? All of you have tiny little d.i.c.ks too?" She lashed out with a kick at the man cutting open her shirt, but she didn''t have the proper leverage.


    The part of me interested in continuing to live was telling me not to involve myself in this matter. It was probably comon down here. There wasn''t anything I could really do. I should focus on keeping myself alive. I didn''t want to get involved in a gang thing. It wasn''t nice but I had to be pragmatic, given the situation.


    Instead of listening to it, I got out of cover, running towards the men. Mentally, I was calling myself the dumbest piece of shit in the world; also muttering words to much the same effect, except cruder.


    The men, naturally, heard me running towards them, their heads swiveling nearly simultaneously over for me. One of them was already leveling his blaster at me, so I quickly gave everything I had into my power. "Let go of what you''re holding!" I yelled out.


    They all did so. For the ones with their guns in hand, that meant the blasters clattered down onto the ground in front of them. For the ones holding the twi''lek girl, that meant that she was now free, and she immediately started to dive for one of the dropped blasters, taking it in hand and quickly twirling around to shoot one of the men who had just been holding her. I started throwing fireballs, one of them hitting the leader in the face, causing him to instantly hit the ground, writhing in pain, hands desperately smacking at his features to try to put out the fire as he screamed in bloody agony.


    I was still in motion even as I''d been throwing fireballs, so I now closed in on one of them who had dropped his blaster - which I promptly snapped up from the ground, shooting its former owner even as the twi''lek girl kept shooting, blasting away at the other man who had just been holding her, her eyes wild with bloodl.u.s.t in the moment.


    That left just one man still on his feet - who had managed to recover his blaster and was now desperately moving away from us. I reached out for his blaster, yanking at it and dragging it out of his hands in the process, which caused him to immediately just book it, running as fast as he could in the opposite direction. The twi''lek girl shot at his retreating form, but she missed, and soon enough he turned a corner. "That''s all you people are, isn''t it, a bunch of cowards, huh? When you don''t have a numbers advantage you just run away! Well, you should! I''ll kill you next time I see you!"


    By the time she was finished, the leader of the men - the one I''d hit with the fireball - had stopped moving, simply inert and dead on the ground.


    I was catching my breath at the time, as the twi''lek kept screaming various curses at the last guy, until finally turning around to face me. "Thanks for the save. I''m Ipresi Kru," she told me, letting out a long breath and absently fiddling with her shirt. The guy had cut a pretty big gash in it, so it probably didn''t look to great. "Mind if I ask who you are?"


    I hesitated for a moment, then let out a long sigh and answered. "I don''t actually remember my name," I admitted. "I''m not from around here - I just woke up here a week ago."


    Her brow furrowed slightly, her lips pursing. "You''re from the upper levels, then? Drugged and dumped?"


    That wasn''t what had happened, but I saw no reason not to agree with it. It was close enough to the truth, and the actual truth was ridiculous and impossible to expect anyone to believe. "Yeah, I think that''s probably it."


    She let out a little laugh, shrugging as she holstered her blaster. "People get dumped down here for all kinds of reasons. Usually they die, since they''re used to the upper levels, and not..." she gestured vaguely around her, "this. It is weird that you''d forget your own name," she admitted. "Even with brain damage..." She trailed off, her lips curled into a faint frown, then she shook her head. "Anyway, I have to call you something. Any preferences?"


    "Haven''t had much chance for conversation down here," I admitted.


    "Hm. How about, Sav? Like for Savior, since you saved my ass." She had a playful smile as she said the words, gently rolling her shoulders as she looked at me. After a moment, she let out a sigh. "With that mind thing you did, are you a jedi or something? I hear they''re totally celibate."


    "I''m not a jedi," I said. "It just looks similar. It''s just something I can do, I''ve been learning it from... only recently."


    She looked me over. I knew I looked like crap - I hadn''t bathed, hadn''t had a change of clothes, and hadn''t had a chance to shave or get anything to eat. "Have you found a place to stay yet?"


    "Oh, kinda, I found an alcove and started putting up sheets of... metal..." I said, trailing off lamely as I realized how pathetic I sounded. I did feel a certain amount of pride in succeeding at something like that, but it was quickly overpowered by the shame of being looked at by a rather attractive woman as I recounted my proud tale.


    "Well, since I owe you one for handling those layt rat-lickers, you can crash at my place for a while." She paused, scrunching up her nose a bit. "And you can take the opportunity to take a really nice, long, shower, right away, as in first thing," she said, fixing me with a firm gaze.


    I hardly had to think about it. "Sure thing, I promise to take a very thorough shower. I miss them," I admitted, earning a small laugh from her. "Can you by any chance spare some food?"


    She laughed genuinely at that, a warm smile spreading across her features. "I think you earned at least a couple meals with that showing." She turned her attentions to the corpses. "We should loot the bodies and get going - don''t want to get chased down by his friends."


    "Makes sense to me," I agreed.


    * * *


    Ipresi had explained her story to me as I ravenously consumed every last bite of food that she offered me, smiling as she watched me, her chin perched on her palm. I gave some compliments to her home, she gave some compliments to my work in saving her, and since I''d showered already, she just let me go at whatever she had in stock, making conversation here and there, until it turned to her own past.


    "It happened a few weeks ago," she''d begun, with only the mildest of promptings, "these guys, the Blade Eaters, started moving into this neighborhood. Taking territory, messing with the locals, you know how it is." I didn''t, really, but I made a mild ''mhm'' noise to urge her on as I tried to see if I could fit one of the fruits she had on offer entirely into my mouth.


    "My parents scavenged things, fixing up trash other people threw away before going ahead and selling them. I helped out around the shop, learned a bit here and there. We sold all kinds of things, but with the Blade Eaters horning in on everything, taking ''protection'' money from everybody, business started drying up. My parents tried to stand up to them, and wound up getting killed for it."


    She let out a long sigh, leaning back and crossing her arms in front of her as her story entered its harsher stage. I was still trying to put as much food in my mouth at any one time as I could manage, my stomach feeling practically bottomless after everything I''d been through. "I got away, but I decided to get even with those sc.u.mbags. I made a few detonators, put them near where places the gang frequented, and blew them to high heaven when they walked out." There was a vicious grin as she said that. "I got a few others with a blaster rifle I stole from one of them." She let out a little chuckle. "Once, they had this little droid, I reprogrammed it and put a bomb in it, and... well, you can probably guess." There was a genuine joy in recounting these stories to me, her body soon leaning forward again, excitement glittering in her eyes. I also got the impression that I was the first person she''d told these stories to.


    "You''re good with tech, then?" I asked, in between mouthfuls of quite tasty pastries that had been popped out of a can.


    "Yeah, I know a lot about it from my parents'' work." She paused, turning her gaze back onto me. "The day we met, a few Blade Eaters set a trap for me, actually managed to catch me. If you hadn''t showed up, I''d be dead. Thanks. Wish I could tell you they weren''t going to be after you too, but..." She trailed off. "Since they probably want both of us dead, we should team up. You seem like a badass, and you''ve got that weird force magic-" I was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the force, but I didn''t correct her, "-so why not? We''ve got the same enemies, after all."


    "Sounds good to me." I was honestly mostly just glad for a shower and a fresh meal at that point.


    * * *


    We spent the next few months killing off the Blade Eaters, getting closer to one another as we worked our way through dozens of bodies until all the membership was scattered or dead. I''d learned to use my powers better and better, and Ipresi had shown her talent at killing people. It wouldn''t be quite right to say she was good at winning fights - it was more that she avoided them and instead engaged in one-sided ambushes.


    We used the money from the loot we''d gathered - we actually managed to grab a ton of guns from the hideout when they fell apart - to buy a better place. It was a bit strange, buying a home with somebody who was pretty much just a friend and a sort-of business partner, but since we''d had each other''s back in countless life and death situations over the months prior, I wasn''t too concerned about it.


    Shortly after moving in, the problems of having no fresh income source began to present themselves. It wasn''t like we could dump our guns into an investment fund. Ipresi quickly found us a contact who could get us contracts for catching or killing people for credits. There were lots of different groups down in the undercity, and there were always at least some of them skirmishing, and there were always people who wanted other people dead and were willing to pay to make it happen. That kept us above water on such matters.


    * * *


    A year after I''d first met her, Ipresi and I were living together. She was a youthful sixteen at that time (fifteen when we''d met), and I was eating breakfast on the couch, watching a holoprojector screen. It was a damn sight better than "burned rat monster," but it was still the local equivalent of a TV dinner, something you warmed up and ate. Neither of us actually knew how to cook.


    On screen, the news was talking about the ongoing war between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Discussions of planets being occupied and invaded, numbers like "millions dead" thrown around for single systems without a trace of surprise or consequence. Sometimes they would show footage of a hollowed-out shell of a city, where troops had been forced to such a grinding seizure of territory that the entire population either died or fled. It sounded far worse than it did in the movies, but then again, they couldn''t exactly show the sheer scale of a galactic war in the six hours or whatever they had to do so.


    It didn''t really matter to me, or to Ipresi, though. We were on the lower levels of Coruscant. The war didn''t affect us at all.


    My powers had improved over the past year of training, of course. I could heal myself, though I didn''t think I was quite to the level of regrowing lost limbs or organs (not that I was testing). I could make myself numb to pain indefinitely, or temporarily for others; I could even electrically shock other people, like a taser or an electric eel. My telepathy could now sense where other sapient minds were around me, which was really useful for bounty hunting.


    My other abilities had more straightforward boosts: larger flames with pyromancy, and the ability to temporarily and safely set myself on fire. The ability to throw human-sized objects in any direction, or to precisely move smaller objects. My daemonology mostly just expanded what kinds of "magic items" I could make, but it was still all things I could do with the other skills. I could, at least, make a ward - an object that created an invisible field that would (in theory) send me a mental alarm if somebody who wished to harm me crossed it.


    I was still working to figure out how to ward myself against mind reading and the like. I didn''t expect to run into any jedi in the Coruscant undercity, but I didn''t want to take the chance, especially since I might attract their attention with my weird powers. I figured I could finish it in an hour or so.


    I was drinking some (very definitely clean) water with my meal, when Ipseri strode into the living room. I knew the sound of her movements by heart, so I gave her a casual glance up, and nearly started choking on my water when I saw her - she was wearing nothing but a towel, which barely covered her. Her parents must have had fantastic genes, because her choice of outfit was really showing off her body, a curvy figure with full b.r.e.a.s.ts that was still only in the process of growing. After coughing for a moment and desperately trying to recover, I managed to swallow the water in my throat.


    "Can I borrow some of your clothes to wear?" She asked, idly toying with the tip of one of her lekku as she stared ot me. "I forgot that I didn''t have any clean ones before I got into the shower." She sounded a bit plastic and affected as she spoke, but I was immediately distracted as she shifted her weight to one side, causing her towel to ride up, almost but not quite revealing her s.e.x to my vision.


    I hurriedly turned my attention away from her, back to the holoprojector screen. She was only sixteen, even if she was very mature and beautiful, it would be completely inappropriate. I stilled my whole body, hiding the tension I felt, and spoke. "Yes, that''s fine," I told her.


    "Ah, great. Thanks." She didn''t leave, though, instead stepping a bit closer, leaning forward to get a better view of what I was watching on the holoprojector. I just kept my eyes forward, only aware of her movements in my peripheral vision. After a few seconds, she seemed satisfied with what she''d seen and left me alone, heading back out of the living room.


    I let out a long sigh of relief. This was not an isolated occurrence, but part of a sustained pattern. As she had become more comfortable with me, as the pair had gotten closer, she had also wound up being more comfortable being in various states of increasing undress near me. I understood that twi''leks were the s.e.xy strippers of the Star Wars galaxy, but I really had to wonder what sort of decency norms they had, given how she''d seem to wander around the house half-n.a.k.e.d given a quarter of a chance.


    Just a few days prior, I''d come home to find the door to the shared bathroom open, and Ipresi in the shower, bathing. The door to the shower was completely transparent, so I wound up seeing her completely n.a.k.e.d, and I just froze for a long few seconds. She hadn''t seemed to notice me doing that, at least, which I counted myself as incredibly fortunate about. The entire situation seemed to be one of perpetual danger.


    When I finished my meal, Ipresi came back into the living room. She was wearing her personal armor, a sort of body suit with several built-in armor panels - it was something we''d bought with the money we''d earned. She let out a gentle laugh. "Sorry. I totally forgot I had this still clean," she said, pinching at some of the material around her midsection. The bodysuit part was itself pretty tough and stab resistant, something I tried to think about instead of her taut stomach. "Are you ready to go get info on our next bounty?"


    "Ah, let me go get my own armor," I told her. Mine was much heavier, perhaps born of the paranoia that getting randomly killed by a surprise truck caused. It could even take a blaster bolt or two head on.


    * * *


    Our contacts for our bounty hunting work were a married couple that owned a strip club/bar/brothel. Roshura was a cathar woman was the manager of the place and dealt with the public and all the employees. Her husband - Cantillo, a human - handled the money and behind the scene logistics. Ipresi and I had a friendly relationship with the couple, rather than a purely professional one.


    It was a pretty large, popular, and well-kept place, at least for the area. It was dimly lit, with electronic music constantly filling the place. There were a few holoscreens playing sports or news programs, and there were even more barely clothed or completely n.a.k.e.d dancers, all showing off for the clientele. Most of them were twi''leks, though there were a few other species sprinkled in for good measure.


    There were a good number of very scantily clad waitresses wandering around as well, distinguished from the dancers by the fact that their skimpy uniforms were done all in red. In the quieter corners of the place, some people nursed their drinks and had quiet meetings about more questionable matters that they didn''t want to have listened in on.


    We made our way to the back room, which was good for even quieter meetings about even more questionable matters; as we made our way, I was pretty sure I spotted a guy getting a blowjob from a twi''lek, just leaning back and enjoying himself.


    Even though we had been here plenty, it still felt strange. It was so open about s.e.x and s.e.x.u.a.lity, having such a fundamentally seedy and questionable character, as if daring you to take notice of all its flaws and actually speak up, actually try to do something. It felt dangerous because of that, even though I knew by this point that I was an incredibly dangerous person now.


    We arrived at the door where our meeting with our benefactors was scheduled to take place, taking our weapons off and putting them on the table in full view of the pair of armed guards. Since we came by so often, we were recognized, getting waved inside quickly.


    It was Roshura''s office, with her dress quite sleek and professional, looking somewhat out of place in the seedy bar. "It''s good to see you, Ipresi, Sav," she said, warmth in her voice as she tilted her head gently to one side. "I hope you''re both well, because I have a job you might like."


    Ipresi made a small hum, a slight lifting of one hand. Roshura glanced her way, curious, gesturing for her to speak. "Can Sav handle this? I''d like to talk to the girls." The girls being the dancers and waitresses. I worried that they might be a bad influence on her.


    "Go ahead," Roshura said, waving her off.


    "Thank you," Ipresi said, with a small bow of the head; I sat down in front of Roshura while she went off on her own.


    * * *


    Ipresi wasn''t terribly frustrated - Sav''s most recent failure to actually do anything had been this morning, after all - but she did feel just that tinge of irritation, as she made her way to the employee''s lounge. She had worked so hard to seduce him, but it hadn''t done anything. She didn''t have any romantic experience to draw on, but showing off so much skin, rubbing all over him, that should have shown she was interested, right? She gave him plenty of hints, even arranged for him to catch her in the shower, but he still hadn''t made a move on her.


    Was it just that he didn''t like nonhumans? No, she''d seen him checking her - or some of the dancers here - out in the past. He always tried to hide it for whatever reason, but he wasn''t that good at it.


    "Oh, hello, Ipresi!" One of the girls said, giving her a little wave, provoking a chorus of happy greetings in her direction.


    She took a seat on the couch, sinking her ass into it and letting out a long sigh. The girls gave her a moment of quiet - well, of not talking to her, at least - to gather her thoughts, and then she spoke up. "Can you give me some advice? I need help with Sav."


    She might as well have been throwing laytnip to a bunch of layt rats, with all the girls immediately gathering around her with big, eager eyes, ready to feast on whatever drama they could manage to wring out of this. "What do you need?" One asked, with bated breath.


    "I''ve been trying to get Sav to take me as his girl," she explained, "but he just hasn''t done it at all... and I have no experience at all with it." She went on, explaining what she''d done so far, and all the girls listened on in sympathy, nodding along with her explanations and making the occasional gasp of disbelief or groan of disappointment.


    "Guys are dumb about that kind of thing. You have to be more blunt about it."


    "Yeah. I had this sister, she worked with a guy, she was giving him hints for months, and none of them got through his thick skull. Finally she just ambushed him in a storage room and f.u.c.k.i.e.d his brains out, and they''ve been together ever since."


    "I think Sav is probably too nice, and doesn''t want to mess things up with your partnership. After all, if a guy hits on a girl and she''s not interested, it can make things really awkward."


    "Oh! Back on the upper levels, I remember... well, Sav being from the upper levels might be part of the problem." Vomsa had worked on the upper levels for a brief while, before winding up coming back down.


    "Why?"


    "Well..." Vomsa took a moment to think of how to phrase it, "guys on the upper levels, a lot of them aren''t willing to date girls as young as Ipresi."


    "What, so she has to wait years to have s.e.x? That''s ridiculous!"


    Vomsa just shrugged. "It''s the custom and law up there. He''s probably still thinking that way, and it''s holding you both back from happiness now. Plus what everybody else said," she added.


    Ipresi just nodded, thinking over what they''d said. What should she do? "What do you think I should do?" At that, every mouth curled into a smile, a few giggles escaping the crowd, and one of the older dancers - a twi''lek in her late twenties - sidled up next to her on the couch, leaning into her hearing cone.


    "This is what you should do," she said, before starting to whisper. Ipresi felt her cheeks start to glow.


    * * *


    The latest bounty mission was finally over and done with, and I was happy to peel my way out of my armor back at base. The guy had stolen from the wrong person, wound up with a price on his head, and we''d blown a hole in his wall to catch him while he slept. Ipresi had shot him about a half-dozen times with stun bolts.


    It had seemed like overkill to me, but she insisted, and claimed it was much more fun. To me, it was more uneventful and dull, but hey, it put credits in our pockets. The more we had, the closer we''d get to getting on a decent ship and leaving the planet. Coruscant might become the capital of a new Galactic Empire, ruled by Sith, and I didn''t want to be anywhere near it when that happened. We could keep being bounty hunters in the outer rim somewhere.


    "I''ll take the shower first," I told Ipresi, and she just hummed and smiled.


    I had the preternatural worry that something strange might happen, so I made sure to lock the bathroom door before I got in the shower. She didn''t actually try to open it, though, so I concluded it had been a false alarm and I was just being crazy and paranoid.


    * * *


    That night, I had an intensely e.r.o.t.i.c dream about a twi''lek woman, all voluptuous curves and deep blue skin, her body pressing against mine as she hummed and ground against me, love in her eyes, lekku brushing against my bare skin. Her voice was soft, calling me darling and sweetheart, her hands gently holding me, her lips repeatedly kissing me - whether on my own lips, or my neck, or anywhere else - as we made love.


    Much to my chagrin, I woke up in the middle of it, my eyes fluttering open to reveal a blank ceiling. It took me a few seconds to realize the pleasure was continuing, even intensifying. I tossed aside my blanket to find that I was n.a.k.e.d - I''d gone to sleep in my underwear - and there was Ipresi, her pretty blue lips wrapped around my d.i.c.k. There was a twinkling in her eyes as she noisily slurped on my d.i.c.k, her blue fingers lewdly contrasting my pale skin as she pumped her hand up and down the part of my c.o.c.k that wasn''t in her mouth. Her gaze seemed to say, ''please come for me,'' and ''I''m glad you can see me,'' and I had just a few seconds to be shocked at what was going on before I came right into her mouth.


    I could only grunt and pant in response to the sensations, breathing heavily through my nose, my fingers clenching some of the sheet. When I finished coming, she popped up off my c.o.c.k, kneeling on the bed and swilling my c.u.m on her tongue for a moment before she swallowed. She was n.a.k.e.d, her full b.r.e.a.s.ts exposed to open air, dark blue a.r.e.o.l.ae and perky n.i.p.p.l.es. "Human c.u.m really does taste great, the girls were right, and I''m soooo glad," Ipresi said, leaning forward as she spoke, staring down into my eyes, her lekku teasing and brushing at my shoulders and chest.


    "What- what are you doing?" I sputtered out, my brain still restarting.


    "I''m showing you how much I like you. How much I want you." Her voice was breathy, husky, carrying so much l.u.s.t and desire in it. "I wanted to be your girl for a while now, but you never responded... so I''m trying the direct approach." She smiled. "It''s fun. I should have done this a while ago."


    I managed to control my libido just enough to speak up. "Wait, wait. This is wrong."


    "Why?" She asked, tilting her head, giving me the biggest puppy dog eyes I''d ever seen. "We like each other, we trust each other, and I''ve seen how you look at me." She leaned down, booping her nose against mine for a moment, before pulling back. "I want you too, want you to see me," she explained, shifting her body so she was back on her butt, spreading her legs, revealing her pink s.e.x that glistened with arousal as she looked down at me. One of her fingers slipped inside her s.e.x, thrusting in and out with gentle motions as she stared me down.


    I controlled myself, looking away. "We can''t, you''re too young for me."


    She narrowed her eyes. "Is this because of that stupid surface age thing?" I had no idea what she was talking about, but she just kept going. "That''s stupid. It''s not how it works down here."


    "I really can''t," I said.


    She got even more annoyed at that, then shifted her weight forward, grabbing my d.i.c.k in her hand, a new smile appearing on her face, something smug and full of herself as her fingers started to stroke my length. "You could stop me any time, you''re way stronger than me," she said, her voice husky as she leaned forward again.


    "I don''t want to hurt you."


    "We both know you could do it without hurting me," she continued, positioning herself so that she was kneeling in just the right position for the tip of my c.o.c.k to point directly at her cunt. I reached up to grab her h.i.p.s, stopping her from taking me inside her, but my willpower to resist was being ground down by all this. I couldn''t formulate a counterargument at the moment, only hold to my actions so far. She just smiled, seeing me hesitate. "I''m a v.i.r.g.i.n," she told me. "I don''t want to be any more. I want to lose it with you." My fingers dug into her h.i.p.s, whether out of denial or carnal desires, I could no longer say. "I want you to f.u.c.k me. I want to feel that thick old c.o.c.k shove its way inside me, I want to feel like I''m being split in two and made a woman." Her words were breathless, her eyes manic, and my self control was dwindling rapidly. My c.o.c.k twitched as she spoke. "Let it happen, Sav. I promise to make it good for you, I want it so badly... just relax and let it happen."


    She began to push down against my grip, and I could feel my strength sapped by everything, my resistance declining to nil as her pink s.e.x soon wrapped around my d.i.c.k. She let out a soft sigh, a smug smile on her lips as she descended, but it was soon replaced by a wild-eyed look of raw pleasure, hot pants escaping her throat as she gripped me tight with her cunt. Her fingers trailed across my bare chest, her lips parting as she began to wriggle and squirm atop me, grinding herself against me, not even properly f.u.c.k.i.n.g me just yet, more focused on enjoying herself in the moment.


    At first, I let her. It did feel really nice, and I hadn''t had s.e.x even once since showing up in this world. The way her whole body writhed and wriggled atop me, back arching to show off her full b.r.e.a.s.ts, lekku bouncing and twisting around her body like long hair, was intensely e.r.o.t.i.c. Her eyes would roll up in pleasure, then turn back down to me with raw desire written in them, a glow that demanded more and harder, that said s.e.x was absolutely necessary and that she absolutely had to have it with me, specifically.


    She eventually began to properly f.u.c.k me, rather than just wiggling around atop me. Her h.i.p.s rose and fell, sliding up and down my length, her cunt dripping wet all over my c.o.c.k as she panted. Her tits jiggled and bounced with each thrust, her lekku flying this way and that. Her lips were parted, drool occasionally slapshing out of her mouth and splattering down onto my chest.


    I was an entirely passive participant then, my hands only beginning to slowly slide up her thighs after she''d come for the second or third time atop me. I groped and squeezed her ass cheeks, feeling her up as she rode me, and she just squirmed and panted in reply, clearly enjoying my touch.


    My conscience regarding such matters faded, with her so delightedly bouncing on my d.i.c.k, going cross-eyed here and there as she rode me. I began to simply enjoy myself, to relish the feeling of her tight young twi''lek p.u.s.s.y on my c.o.c.k, to close my eyes and just drink in the sensations as she came numerous times atop me like that.


    It was when she began to slow, panting and losing her pace, that it all finally erupted. My hands went to her h.i.p.s, not to control her pace or feel her up, but to twist her around so she lay on her back. She squeaked and then giggled, smiling up at me as I began to ram myself in and out of her with furious force, making her whole body bounce on my c.o.c.k.


    "Yes, yes! F.u.c.k me, make me your woman, Sav! I love your big hard human c.o.c.k, use it to f.u.c.k me, split me in two!" She squealed as an orgasm forcefully ran through her body, her back arching as she squirmed and jerked beneath me, eyes peeling back, lekku dangling about as sweat began to coat her blue skin, making her shine in the dim light of the bedroom. Her s.e.x squeezing taut around my d.i.c.k felt fantastic, and for a long moment, I simply held myself inside her, enjoying that tight caress, that firm massage.


    The moment she was done, though, I was back at it, the mattress noisily bouncing with each progressive thrust, her body sliding along it as she panted and took it, occasionally offering some lewd line of her own, proudly declaring how happy she was to get f.u.c.k.i.e.d, how much she wanted to be my woman, so on, and so forth. I just held her by the thighs and ploughed her right into the bed, letting her brain completely melt from the s.e.x as I made her come over, and over, losing myself completely in the moment.


    I don''t know how long it took me to come inside her, but once I had, I pretty much immediately collapsed next to her, desperately panting, and pretty much just fell asleep.


    * * *


    I woke up maybe half an hour later with Ipresi''s n.a.k.e.d body plastered to my side, a giddy smile on her lips as she gently ground herself against me. She looked pleased as could be with what had happened, and her presence reinforced that it hadn''t simply been a wet dream. I leaned my head back, resting on the pillow and staring at the ceiling. "Ugh. Maybe I should get a black and orange mask and learn to fight with swords," I muttered to myself.


    Ipresi''s brow furrowed. "Swords might make sense, since jedi use weird magic too. I don''t see what advantage the mask would give you, though?"


    "Never mind," I said, shaking my head. "Just a dumb reference." She nodded. I''d made a few references to things she obviously didn''t get over my time here, so it wasn''t particularly shocking to her. "We should talk about things tomorrow morning."


    Ipresi ground her body against me, her slick s.e.x rubbing against my thigh as she wore a big smile. "I''m sure we''ll talk plenty. I can''t wait to talk with you some more. Talking is so much fun, isn''t it?" Her voice was playful and coy. I just let out a long sigh and closed my eyes. I''d deal with it in the morning.

 Chapter 406 - My CO Stash #6 - Oogways Little Owl by NullenVoid (WormXKungFuPanda)

    -Whatever this author has been smoking, I want some of that potent shit haha/


    Synopsis: While meditating, Master Oogway saves Taylor from the locker and decides to take her on as a student


    Rated: T


    Words: 92K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/oogways-little-owl-worm-kung-fu-panda.857691/ (NullenVoid)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptiona)


    Oogway had lived a long time. It wasn''t quite the thousand years rumors claimed, but it was close. In that time he had been a warrior, a brother, a monk, a wanderer, a master¡­ He''d been a lot of things. Seen a lot of things. Done a lot of things. His time was coming, looming over the horizon like a distant storm, but he had time. Time to do a few more things. Right now, he was meditating.


    The peach tree was his favorite spot for it. He''d planted the tree when he first settled in the Valley of Peace, and it had grown as the Jade Palace was built around it. He planted it, tended to it, had poured his soul into it, metaphorically and literally. His staff had been carved from one of its branches. It was as much a part of him as his shell. When his time came, he hoped he spent his final moments beneath it. He didn''t fear his end, because as long as the Tree still stood, he would never truly leave the Valley. What more could he ask for?


    Oogway thought about a lot of things, meditating. His victories. His failures. Students, past, present and future. Shifu.


    "Heh." Shifu. Shifu still believed that meditation meant emptying your mind. You could, sure, but it could also be a time of self-reflection. Or a simple moment of peace and silence away from a stressful life. Oogway had once taken a sloth as a student, and his peers had thought him disrespectful when he interpreted meditation as "take a nap." Not everyone can empty their mind. Shifu certainly had difficulty with it.


    Oogway used meditation as an excuse to cast his mind every which way. He spent all his waking hours as the wise mentor, or the senile elder, or the all-knowing master. All were true, and all were false. They were him, when he was them, but when he was meditating, that was when he was Oogway as Oogway saw him. He did not have to focus on the moment, or put on a face for those around him.


    Although he did enjoy being frustratingly vague with his students.


    No, right here, right now, alone, he was him.


    "Hm." His mind brushed against something. A presence. Impossibly distant, but he could feel it still. Curious, he widened his mind away from his aimless wandering, opening himself up to the greater universe. Yet, it was still so very far away. He reached out further, reaching out beyond where he''d ever felt before. Just as he began to wonder if he''d ever find it, and he was starting to feel a strain he''d never encountered before, he touched the distant mind again.


    Anguish. Physical, mental, emotional. A person on the edge. A¡­ a young girl.


    Oogway grimaced. He felt¡­ betrayal. Dismay. Despair. Rage, under it all, but that was drowned out by fear.


    Oogway had seen most of the world in his time. He''d met countless people. He had met people as troubled as this girl, but not often or recently. Someone so young, even less.


    How can I help? he thought. He opened one eye in the real world and inspected his claws, watching a spark of gold chi briefly light them up. He supposed¡­ he''d used chi to do all manner of things. He''d never learned the skill himself, but he''d once seen one of his teachers, all those years ago, pull a sprig of bamboo to her paw from across the room. It''d clearly been an afterthought, so presumably it could pull from much further. Another teacher had shown him a way to store things in the spirit realm, though Oogway hadn''t used it in a few years. It was possible¡­ that both could be used together to pull someone through the Spirit Realm. He''d never even heard of anything like that, but there was no reason to think it wouldn''t work--


    He suddenly felt the girl''s condition start to worsen, rapidly. Full-blown panic was starting to set in and--! He felt what he could only imagine was some kind of demon approaching her. He couldn''t feel it except through his link with the girl, but what he sensed horrified him. He ''saw'' it reach out with a tendril and a sense of cold detachment.


    [DESTI--]


    "No." He pulled.


    -------------------------------------------------


    When Taylor came to, everything felt wrong. Her clothes felt like they were the wrong shape, hanging off her strangely. It felt like they were pulling at her hair too, but all over her body? She tried to push herself up, but her arms were longer and weaker than she expected, and she fell flat on her face. She tried to roll over and sit up next, but her legs bent the wrong way. Oh god, her legs bent the wrong way.


    Her eyes shot open, and her panic was momentarily halted by the fact that she was on a mountaintop next to a tree covered in pink flowers. There was a turtle laying nearby. It was a beautiful view, especially in the light of the sunset, but she was certain that she wasn''t supposed to be here. The last thing she remembered¡­ t-the last thing she r-remembered¡­


    There was a groan, and she turned her head (too far!) to see the turtle slowly stand up on it hind legs. It--he?--picked up a stick and leaned heavily on it.


    "Hoo~... that was exactly as hard as I expected it would be." He smacked his lips, then perked slightly and turned to her. A warm smile split his face. "And as worth it. Hello, little owl. Are you alright?"


    Taylor felt herself breathing harder. "Y-you can t-talk?! What''s going on?!" She looked around, stumbling to her feet (shaped wrong, too spread out) and looking everywhere. There was a path away from the tree to a large complex with Asian architecture. In the distance she could see a small village far below. Very far. Her glasses were missing, how could she--


    She felt her face. She saw her hands, which she didn''t have anymore. Feathers. She looked down. Talons. What--


    The turtle tapped her lightly between the eyes and a wave of calm washed through her.


    "Apologies, little one. I know you must be frightened, but don''t be afraid. You are safe now."


    She had no reason to believe him. She''d only met him, and he was a talking turtle holy crap. But the sheer warmth in his voice, the kindness in his eyes¡­


    Taylor gave in and cried. Oogway smiled, sad and patient, and pulled her into a gentle hug.


    Chapter 2


    "Thank you, sir," Taylor said. They were walking down the path to the Palace now. Taylor was having trouble walking, and so the turtle had been kind enough to lend her his walking stick. Taylor had quickly found that her¡­ wings, still functioned perfectly well as arms, though she had to grip harder than she was used to for her feather-fingers to hold anything. The legs were harder. They bent the other way now, and she was half-worried that if she tried to walk like normal she''d end up going backwards.


    The turtle was watching her attempt at walking, slightly amused. "There is no need to thank me, young one. You were in trouble and I helped you. Simple as that." He looked up to meet her eyes. "But you are welcome, regardless."


    They reached the gate, and Taylor took a moment to appreciate the garden that lay just inside the walls. The Palace itself was quite beautiful as well, though it seemed to have an overabundance of stairs. The turtle motioned for her to follow.


    "How are you feeling now?" he asked her. A goose passed them as they walked and stopped to bow deeply to him. He gave her a strange look but continued on his way.


    Taylor stared at him for a second in turn. "I''m¡­ not sure. I think I''ll be okay." She hobbled forward to walk alongside him. "How did I get here?"


    "Hm." He paused, standing by the door to one of the buildings. "What is your name, young one?"


    "Uh. Taylor."


    "Well met, Taylor. I am Oogway. How did you get here? Well, I brought you here, of course. I thought you knew that."


    "Well, yeah, I figured. But how? And why am I¡­?"


    "An owl?"


    "...yeah."


    "So you weren''t one before, then. Interesting." He pushed the door open and walked in. Taylor followed. "It explains your current difficulties, certainly."


    "About that, why--"


    "I felt your pain, and I realized I could stop it. That is how you are here."


    Taylor frowned. "And I''m grateful, but--"


    "As for why you are now something you were not, I don''t know. What were you before?"


    They passed an open door, and Taylor glanced inside to see a small dining room. A rabbit was washing dishes and waved to her as they passed. She slowly waved back.


    "I was a human. Is there any way to turn back?"


    Oogway hummed. "Human. Well, I can''t say I''ve ever heard of them before. How unusual." The next door they arrived at, Oogway entered, bringing them into a small study, lined with bookshelves. "May I see my staff again?"


    Taylor pulled her weight off the stick. After a moment, she decided just standing shouldn''t be an issue, so she passed it over.


    "Thank you. Now, what do these humans of yours look like."


    "Uh. Do you have apes?" Oogway nodded and started reaching for a scroll, used the crook at the end of his staff to pull one down. "Okay. Um, we look kind of like¡­ Chimpanzees, but hairless and fully upright."


    Oogway stopped and stared at her. "Goodness. How¡­" He trailed off. "Unique. Are you sure you want to turn back? I''ve seen Monkey n.a.k.e.d, I can only imagine him bald." He shuddered.


    Taylor huffed, crossing her arms. Wings.


    "I kid, I kid." He perused the scroll for a while. "Hm. I''m not sure what to tell you, young Taylor."


    Before Taylor could respond, the door to the study opened and a small, older creature walked through, looking like a red-and-white raccoon. He was studying a red scroll.


    "Master Oogway, there you are. The Five and I are back from our training trip and I was hoping to get your advice on some of these--" He looked up and startled at seeing Taylor.


    "Ah, Shifu. I''m glad to see you again. How are your students? Is Monkey still having trouble with the bo staff?"


    "No, that was the focus of my training with him--Master, who is this?"


    Oogway placed a friendly hand on Taylor''s shoulder. "This is Taylor, Shifu. I met her on my morning walk earlier today." Oogway winked at her. "She''ll be staying here in the Palace for a while."


    "I will?"


    "She will?! But--"


    "I was just about to send for someone to arrange a room for her, but since you''re here¡­"


    "Wait just a--!"


    Oogway ignored the stammering Shifu and turned to face her. "Unless, of course, you have something you''d rather do instead?"


    Taylor''s first instinct was to say no, but on second thought¡­ where else would she go? She was clearly nowhere in her own world, and had no way to get back. Would she even want to? What did she have going for her back in Brockton? Back at Winslow?


    ...How long would it take for Dad to even notice she was gone? It''d been nearly two weeks since they so much as made eye contact.


    "No. No, I think I''d like that."


    Oogway beamed. "Excellent. We can get you set up in the guest quarter, for now at least. Shifu, call Zeng and have him help her get settled while we look over your report."


    Shifu gaped at them a moment longer before sighing. "Of course, Master. I''ll return shortly." He squinted at Taylor for a moment before leaving, muttering under his breath.


    "Is he going to be okay?"


    "Do not worry about Shifu. He simply has trouble dealing with the unexpected. He will adapt. It may be a good lesson. Now, what else can you tell me about your world?"


    "Well¡­"


    -------------------------------------------------


    Some time later, a goose named Zeng was showing her to a sparsely-decorated but comfortable room near the back of the palace. Taylor was pleased to note that she managed to stumble only twice during the trip.


    "So this is where you''ll be staying for now. Breakfast is at sunup, lunch at noon, and I or someone else will summon you for dinner. Otherwise, Master Oogway says you are free to wander the Jade Palace at your leisure. However, Master Shifu would like you to stay on the grounds unless you have an escort. Any questions?"


    "Yes. Um. Is there any way I could get some clothes? These are all I have, and they don''t exactly¡­ fit, anymore." She lifted up the hem of her shirt to demonstrate, and it fell off her shoulder on one side.


    Zeng flushed slightly and looked away. "Y-yes, I''ll see what I can do. Please put your shirt down, miss."


    "Oh! Right, s-sorry!"


    "Enjoy your stay," he muttered, hurrying away.


    Taylor collapsed on bed. "Great job, Taylor, better get started alienating everyone here too," she groaned to herself, sweeping a wing across her face. Hm. Speaking of¡­


    There was a full mirror in the room, and Taylor took the opportunity to finally take a look at herself. She was¡­ surprisingly cute, all things considered. Those too-wide eyes looked much more at home on an owl''s face, and the beak completely did away with that frog-like mouth she''d always hated. She had a pair of tufts over her eyes, so she was probably a great horned owl. Looking again, she saw that her glasses weren''t completely gone; they''d become a pattern in her feathers, surrounding her newly-golden eyes. And from the top of her head down to her tail feathers, she was the same dark brown as her hair had been, so she had kept that, in a way.


    It wasn''t what she would have chosen; for all its faults, she still would have preferred to stay human. But all in all, she was perfectly satisfied with how she looked. Maybe she''d get used to it.


    There was a knock on her door, startling her out of her introspection.


    "Oh! Um, come in?"


    The door opened to reveal a tall, lanky bird in a straw hat.


    "Hi there. You Taylor?"


    "Yes?"


    "Name''s Crane. Oogway asked me to come check up on you."


    "He did?" Wait. "You''re a crane and you''re named Crane? Really?"


    "Yeah, my parents weren''t very creative. It''s my family name, too."


    "Oh. Sorry, I er--"


    He smirked. "It''s a joke. Me and the other Masters forsook our birth names when we chose our fighting styles. I''m called Master Crane because I''m the undisputed Master of the Crane Style. Same with Viper, Monkey, Tigress and Mantis."


    "Oh."


    There was a slightly awkward silence. Crane coughed.


    "Y-you said you were here to check on me?"


    "Oh right. Yeah, Master Oogway told me you''d had an injury of some kind and need to be retaught a bunch of things any bird should know."


    ???He did?" That was rather clever of him. Not sure how she felt about him lying to cover for her, but if it meant avoiding having to re-explain herself all the time, she guessed it was fine.


    "There''s no need to be embarrassed. I broke my wing once, and it was torture staying groundbound waiting for it to heal. Don''t worry kid, we''ll get you back in the air in no time."


    Taylor''s eyes widened. "In the air? You mean you''ll teach me to fly?!"


    "Sure will! It might take some time, but you''ll be soaring with the best of them in no time, I promise!"


    She was going to fly. Taylor felt a grin split across her beak. She was going to fly! This would be so awesome!


    Chapter 3


    This was so not awesome.


    Crane turned out to a real slave driver. She hadn''t expected to be thrown in the air right away, that would be ridiculous. Her feet had never been more than a foot off the ground before, of course she wasn''t going straight to flying. But she''d been expecting, like, stretches. Practicing wing motions. Maybe flapping util she could feel her feet leaving the ground, so she knew what to expect.


    No, instead she was doing push-ups. It wasn''t going well. Feathers weren''t as well-equipped for gripping as fingers, and that extended to finding traction on the ground. She was getting better already, but even when she could find grip, her wings were shaky and weak.


    Crane stalked over. "Wow, they really did a number on your wings, huh? What even happened? Oogway didn''t say."


    Taylor flinched hard enough to fall down again. "I''d rather not talk about it. Why am I doing push-ups again?"


    Crane scoffed. "Well, you need to be able to hold up your own weight. If you can''t do it here on the ground, what makes you think you''ll be able to do it up in the sky surrounded by buffeting winds?" He spread his wings to demonstrate. "Look." He lazily flapped a wing in her direction, sending a gust of wind that she really appreciated.


    "See? See me pushing the air around? That''s what keeps you up in the air. Like the air itself is a pair of platforms, and your wings are each laid out on one with you suspended between. You need to have strong arms to keep your wings spread out to stay airborn. Understand?"


    Taylor grimaced. "Yeah, I understand. Doesn''t mean I like it."


    "That''s fair," he said, amused.


    As Taylor fell again, she heard a surprised sound. She turned her head over her shoulder (still not used to that) and saw a tiger and a snake entering the courtyard, watching her.


    "So this is where you went off to, Crane?" the snake said, which only surprised Taylor for a moment. Turtles, birds and rabbits are all people, why wouldn''t snakes be too?


    "Yup. Oogway''s orders."


    The tiger looked her up and down. "Hmph." Taylor hated her instantly. That single syllable conjured memories of Sophia, and the disdain in the cat''s eyes made it even worse. "You must be our new¡­ guest."


    The snake slithered over and beamed at her. ???Well it''s a pleasure to meet you! I''m Viper, and this is Tigress." Tigress grunted. "I hope you enjoy your stay at the Jade Palace!"


    She offered the end of her tail, and after a second Taylor realized she was supposed to shake it. "I''m Taylor."


    Tigress stared at her a moment longer before dismissing her. She turned and walked towards another clear area marked with chalk. Taylor felt her eye twitch in annoyance.


    Viper frowned after her a moment before addressing Taylor. "We''ll have to talk more later. Maybe I can show you around the village!"


    "Maybe."


    Crane tapped his foot sharply. "Alright, Taylor, back at it. We''re doing a hundred push-ups this morning, and you''ve only done twelve."


    Taylor groaned and flopped to her stomach. Still, with her anger over Tigress'' behavior motivating her, she managed another six in quick succession before the pain forced her to slow.


    Crane tsked. "Hey now. Go at your own pace. If you hurt yourself, you''ll only--"


    A massive crashing sound cut him off, and Taylor glanced towards the other girls again to see a massive dust cloud where they had been standing. For a moment she thought a bomb had gone off, but it hadn''t sounded right.


    How sad is that? You know you''re a Brockton native when¡­


    Looking closer she could see a pair of silhouettes swiping at each other in the dust. The big one, Tigress, looked to be pulling her arm back for a punch--


    THOOM


    The cloud of dust parted from the sheer force of her palm thrust, and Taylor swore she could feel the force of it from here. Viper dodged it easily and coiled around Tigress''s arm and over her head, snapping her tail down like a whip over her face as she passed it. Tigress blinked on reflex while Viper hit the ground behind her. She moved to surround Tigress'' legs, but just as she tightened her coils, Tigress jumped, eyes still closed, into a flawless forward flip into a kick at Viper''s head, knocking her back and into a tree.


    All that happened over the course of two seconds. Taylor was shocked she was able to follow it all.


    Crane chuckled. "Haha, yeah. The first time''s always great, isn''t it?" He reached a feather over to manually close her beak, which had fallen open at some point without her noticing. She realized she was still pushing herself up, and abruptly collapsed.


    Tigress went to check on Viper, appearing to apologize, but the snake cheerfully waved her off.


    "It''s alright, Tigress. That''s what practice is for!" Taylor heard her respond.


    "That was¡­ amazing!" Taylor breathed.


    Crane nodded. "They''re very good. I like to think I''m not too bad, myself."


    Taylor suddenly devoted her complete attention. "You can do that too?"


    He suddenly seemed fl.u.s.tered under her stare. "Well, not exactly like that. I use a different style than either of them. Crane style''s more defensive in nature than either of theirs." Before Taylor could ask her next question, Crane cleared his throat. "Anyway, you''re not done. Back to work."


    -----------------------------------------------


    Watching the sparring while she worked out made it much easier, which Crane found funny for some reason, judging by the way he chuckled every now and then. Before she knew it (after five more spars, three of which Tigress won), she was done, and Crane led her through some stretches to ease the pain out of her wings.


    "We''ll be doing another set of a hundred tonight before dinner, then another twenty after before bed."


    "Uh-huh."


    "You''ll wanna collapse pretty soon after that, trust me, so it''ll probably be an early night for you, since you''re an owl and all."


    "Yeah."


    "I''ll get you up first thing in the morning for more push-ups, and maybe some yoga. A little more flexibility never hurt anyone."


    "Right."


    "..And we''ll do this again every day for at least two weeks."


    Taylor turned and gawked at him. "What?!"


    "Ha! Thought that one would get ya! No, you get every fourth day off. Work you too hard and you''ll break."


    "Oh. That''s¡­ better, I suppose." She looked back at the two. Viper had just managed to eke out a third win when Crane tapped her shoulder.


    "It''s about that time, so if you want you should go get lunch. You know where to go, right?"


    Taylor nodded, suddenly realizing how hungry she was. She blushed when her stomach growled, harder when Crane showed he heard it by smiling slyly at her.


    "Well go on then. I''ll meet you later. I''ve got to do my own exercise now. Hey guys! Let me have a go!" He walked off towards his friends. Taylor walked away herself. Slowly. Glancing over her shoulder nearly every step of the way.


    -------------------------------------------


    "So Crane!" Viper began, weaving between punches, "Tell us about the new girl! What''s she like?"


    Crane blew them both off their feet with a mighty flap. "She''s nice. A little shy, but--" He blocked a swipe from Tigress and forced her to back off with a jab from his beak. "--but she''s got spirit."


    Tigress leapt, knocking his hat over his eyes and kicking him in the chest, sending him into a spiral before he recovered. "She''s weak. She can barely do push-ups? What''s she doing here? She''s just wasting our time."


    Viper answered with a kick to her ribs, and kept pressing the advantage. "We were all weak, once. Everyone has to--" she jumped as Crane dove over them, wrapping around his legs and tying them together. "--start somewhere, Tigress."


    "When we were children, yes, but she''s the same age as me!" Crane untangled his limbs and flung Viper in her direction, but Tigress deflected her. Or tried to, as Viper latched onto her arms and started squeezing, so instead Tigress forced her off by trying to slam her into the ground. "What kind of pampered life must she have lived that she, an owl, has never set foot off the ground?"


    "Pampered?" Crane alighted and cricked his neck. "You didn''t hear then? Whatever else she is, she wasn''t pampered." He looked around and then gestured them closer. "Master Oogway didn''t tell me what happened, but it wasn''t good. She was injured. Pretty badly. Oogway found and healed her, but something unexpected happened, he says. Now she has to relearn how to use her body."


    Tigress blinked. "...Really?"


    "Well, that''s what Oogway said, and what I''ve seen supports it. Even if he healed her wounds, you can see she was hurt if you know how to look. She''s¡­ jumpy. She''s trying to hide it, even from herself, but she''s scared."


    "Poor dear."


    Tigress looked towards the dining hall. "Well. We''ll see if she''s strong enough to rise above it."


    "You''re all heart, Tigress."


    "Shut up." She leapt at him, and the fight resumed.

 Chapter 407 - My SI Stash #7 - God of Shinobi by Cest-la-vie-1803 (Naruto)

    -A SI Naruto fic that doesn''t seem to be going the full Shiro Kaneki pfp psychopath~


    Synopsis: Finding myself in the body of Naruto Uzumaki was pretty unsettling. But I can''t complain too much because Kami knows there are plenty of other characters that get way less plot armor. Enough talk, there are enemies to kill, plans to be disrupted, and beautiful women to keep company. Wouldn''t have signed up for this, but since I''m here, might as well get the job done. SI-Naruto.


    Rated: M


    Words: 17K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13700959/1/God-of-Shinobi-A-Naruto-SI (C''est-la-vie-1803)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I found myself standing on water in what looked like a sewer.


    And I mean exactly that. I was literally standing on top of the water instead of in the water and my surroundings look like what I would expect from a sewer. Not that I''m all that familiar with one.


    I took a moment to look around. It looked like a hallway in the sense that there was only one path here. Forward or backward. There was nothing but darkness in one direction and in the other there was a faint light. An exit maybe?


    Obviously, I headed towards the light. That darkness back there looked a little too foreboding.


    I went to take a step and then-


    Memories. Foreign ones.


    A village where people use the rooftops like some type of highway.


    Four huge heads carved out of stone.


    Growing up in an orphanage and then a small apartment.


    Going to the academy to be a ninja.


    Graduating. Forming a team. Going on missions. A snake. An invasion.


    Grandfather figure dying. Learning a technique. Returning with a new leader.


    A teammate going rogue. Chasing after him. A hand through my chest. Darkness.


    ¡­


    I come back to find myself on my knees. Still on top of the water of course. And the sewer is still there.


    I get back onto my feet and look around again but with a new perspective this time.


    I know where I am now. And I have a pretty good idea where that light is coming from. It''s definitely not God. And I''m really glad this is a mindscape instead of a real sewer. Means that getting out of here is possible.


    But that would only be the start of my problems, wouldn''t it?


    If those memories are correct, then I am now in the body of Naruto Uzumaki. The main character in an anime I used to watch about a boy living in a world where superhuman ninjas exist. Long story short, it''s a dangerous setting where the weak are killed and the strong survive. And the villains also don''t stay dead. Can''t forget that. Orochimaru. Madara.


    Did I mention that I personally did not like Naruto? His character just bugged me. Idiotic, loud, unskilled, horrible fashion sense, bad taste in females, and a bunch of other things. I just felt that he didn''t live up to his full potential.


    Which is why I feel that this situation is a big case of karma. I always said that I could do better and now here I am. Some being out there felt that I should put my money where my mouth is. And I have no choice except to do so because this is my life at stake here. Really don''t want to die in battle. Or have Kurama ripped out of me leaving me to die. I was only twenty-two before I came here so I''m way too young for that. Naruto''s memories don''t count. Even if they are really useful.


    That should be my end goal. Survival. No, to live. There is a difference between the two. So, I want to live. Not going to be greedy and aim for immortality, but I think seventy years is a good number. Of course, if a way presents itself, I wouldn''t say no to living longer.


    Goal established. How do I make it happen? Power. How do I get that? Training and using what I have at my disposal. What do I have? Uzumaki bloodline which includes large chakra pools, longevity, and vitality. I''m also the container for a tailed beast meaning more chakra, more vitality, and whatever unique traits it provides. And lastly, I have shadow clones. Clones of me that retain memories when they disperse. An extremely useful tool which I plan to take advantage of.


    All that is just me personally. I have access to resources like the library, other friendly ninjas, training grounds, and enemies in the future to test myself against.


    So even though I likely lost my plot armor, I have other things to rely on. Not going to say my goal is guaranteed, but it is also not impossible. Just have to put the effort in and not be afraid to get my hands dirty. If idiot Naruto could become one of the strongest in the anime, then I will aim for even better. I''ll become the best in everything I can be. I''ll get the power I need to live my own life.


    Or die trying.


    -GoS-


    Eventually I decided that I had stalled enough. Even though I probably could, I shouldn''t stand here and wait until I regain consciousness. Who knows when I will be good enough at meditation to visit with Kurama again? Have to use this opportunity.


    As I trod along towards the light. I consider what I should say to him. I''m thinking the truth is the best option. Don''t want to get caught lying. And he could become my partner someday. It is for the best that we are on the same wavelength going forward.


    Finally got to the end of the hallway. It leads into a huge chamber where the faint light was coming from. At one end is the gate with the seal on it. The light reaches into the jail somewhat but doesn''t illuminate the whole thing. Pretty sure Kurama is in the darkness back there.


    I head to where I think a safe distance is and sit down. On top of the water. Not sure how much time passes before I hear a voice. He''s not shouting but it is still powerful.


    "So, my jailer decides to grace me with his presence." I won''t lie and say that I don''t feel some fear. "You are not what I expected."


    Makes sense that he noticed. I do not consider myself to be Naruto, so my appearance reflects that in this mindscape. I still look like an African American male in his early twenties and my clothes no doubt would look strange in this world too. I''m guessing that as time goes on and I get familiar with this body, I might start to think of it as mine meaning my internal image will resemble my physical one. Or maybe it will never change. Don''t have any experience with these type of situations


    "Hello, Kurama." Going with the plan of showing that I know more than I should.


    "How do you know that name?" Volume rose, but not quite a shout yet. He comes forward where I can see him.


    Glowing red eyes are what I see first. The rest of the head and body follow. A reddish orange fox with nine tails moving behind it. The ears look like that of a rabbit and he has human like hands attached to his front legs. Of course, he is also huge. He towers over me by a large margin. Don''t know how big he is but I think that his eyes are the size of a regular a.d.u.l.t''s body.


    With that last question, his aura started to press down on me. I don''t have words to describe it, but it feels like gravity increased and my fight or flight instinct activated. If I had been standing, I probably would have been shaking and maybe collapsed. This is why I sat down to have this conversation. Even then, I have to take a few quick breaths and stabilize myself before I can respond.


    "As you probably guessed, I am not Naruto. The best explanation is that I''m a dimensional traveler who happened to end up in this body. In my previous world, we had methods to look into various worlds. This one was one of many." Answering his question and probably the following one.


    "Another world¡­" he mused "I know that there are other worlds out there. Father''s mother was not from this one. But to think another visitor would end up before me, in my containers body no less¡­"


    He didn''t appear to be talking to me, more like thinking out loud, so I didn''t say anything. He twitched, refocusing on me.


    "What exactly have you seen of this world? And why are you in this body?"


    "Quite a bit actually."


    The next while was spent relating what I had seen and remembered from the anime. The Akatsuki. Obito. Fourth Shinobi War. Madara. Kaguya. Black Zetsu. All the important stuff. I also told him how I didn''t know how I came to be here but that I didn''t intend to die anytime soon.


    "I have already given some thought to how I will take care of these problems, but I would like to have you as a partner."


    "So, you desire my power as well?"


    "In a way," I began. "Having access to the chakra cloak would be great, but that is not all I want out of this. Your ability to sense emotions is something that will be of use, as well as you not fighting me for the use of your chakra. I would also like to have someone that I can talk to and create plans with."


    Kurama just looked at me for a moment before speaking. "This was a lot to take in. I need time to reflect." He turned around to go back to the shadows of the cell. I heard his voice one last time before he fully disappeared. "I''ll summon you when I have decided."


    I remained sitting there.


    It wasn''t a yes, but it also wasn''t a no. I probably wouldn''t have had an immediate response either.


    Back to planning for the future then. Nothing else to do down here.


    I wonder what happened to bring me here.


    -GoS-


    Standing across from the hokage''s desk, I can''t help but reflect over the past six weeks.


    I regained consciousness in a hospital room, as expected. The nurses did some last checkups on me and told me that I would be allowed to leave the next day. Before leaving, I went in to visit the other genin that had went on the mission. They were part of the small group that Naruto had considered friends, so appearances had to be kept. For now.


    It was during those visits that Jiraiya found me and we went up to the roof to talk. After inquiries about how I was coping with Sasuke''s betrayal he informed me about the training trip and that we would leave the village in a little over a month. He kept sending me worried looks, but he didn''t say what was on his mind. That he was worried about how quiet I was compared to the usual. Since he didn''t bring it up, I didn''t say anything either; let him come to his own conclusions.


    That was probably the best time for me to have been inserted into the script. Being born as Naruto and actually living in the hostile village would not have been fun for multiple reasons. I''m not an expert on the topic but having the mind of an a.d.u.l.t in the body of a baby sounds like torture. Even more so when the population doesn''t like you. I''m also sure that I would not have been able to play the role of a normal orphan either. Would have raised a lot of eyebrows.


    Even coming in at another point would not have been preferable. I still would have needed an explanation for my shift away from canon Naruto. The event with Mizuki may have counted but it would not have been enough. Not enough time and not enough trauma. And I also would have had to go through some dangerous moments before I even gained someone like Jiraiya to actually help me get stronger.


    But now though? I have a lot more freedom. Because I just went through a traumatic experience, I can use that to my advantage. I don''t have to act like the loud and excitable child that Naruto was and that''s fine because people will not blame me for it. They''d see a sad child recovering from his ''best friend'' abandoning him for another traitor. I could then study and train in ways Naruto didn''t and they will just see it as an effort on his part to better himself and bring back Sasuke. A lot of differences in behavior will be justified without me having to say anything.


    Furthermore, this training trip coming up will provide even more room for me to change because I will be away from people who knew the old Naruto. I won''t have to keep pretending upon my return. The only person who might notice is Jiraiya who I''m not too concerned about because he had barely interacted with me pre-insertion. I just need to make those changes somewhat gradually.


    So yes, this is a good time to be me.


    Once the Toad Sage left me alone, I started the plan that I had concocted while in my mindscape.


    Forming the proper hand seal, I performed my first jutsu in this world. The shadow clone technique. It was weird seeing so many Naruto''s standing around me. So much orange. But I overcame the horror.


    They knew the plan but because I made so many, it fell onto me to split them into groups. Five were sent to the library to learn about chakra theory and application, anatomy and physiology, and history. Only five were sent because I didn''t want an overload of pure information assaulting my brain when they dispersed. Those five were henged into random people just to be safe. Thirty clones were sent to training ground three to work on chakra control. They would combine water walking with leaf sticking in order to get the most out of those exercises. One final clone was tasked with finding out where Lee got his weights from and purchasing a set.


    With the groups assigned, the set of thirty followed me to the training ground while the others went about. By the time I finished warming up, the clone with the weights arrived. I was expecting something like the ones I saw in canon but was pleasantly surprised instead. The set he bought consisted of a belt with two seals on it that went around the midsection. The instructions that came with it said that sending a pulse of chakra directly into one seal increased the weight on the whole body by one increment. Sending chakra into the other seal undid all the weight. The first level was approximately fifteen kg and each increase raised the weight by another fifteen. Doing the math, once I reached the last level, ten, then I would be carrying an extra hundred and fifty kg. I was intrigued by the idea but also not looking forward to getting there.


    After putting the belt on, I got started. Suicides until I dropped, variations of pushups and sit-ups, squats, lunges, planks. I pushed the famous Uzumaki stamina to the limit. Needless to say, I could feel every bit of those extra fifteen kilos before I called it quits for that day.


    Periodically I would create a different set of thirty clones when all the ones doing chakra control exercises ran out of chakra and dispersed. The clones in the library also dispersed sometime that afternoon after open hours passed. They were nice enough to come find and warn me before they sent over their memories. The sensation of receiving memories felt odd but not uncomfortable. I suddenly knew stuff that I didn''t have to waste time learning. Truly, shadow clones are the best.


    Except for the weekends during which I rested; the time I had before leaving was spent in that fashion. Wake up. Eat breakfast. Five clones to the library. Thirty on control. Spend the morning working on accuracy with kunai and shuriken and then physical workout. Have lunch. Practice taijutsu based from academy books and memories. Practice ninjutsu and absorb memories from the library clones. Dinner. Watch television and relax. Meditate while lying in bed. The weekends were used to acclimate and keep up appearances with the people Naruto was friendly with.


    Not going to lie, it was hard. Going from a civilian in twenty-first century America to basically a child soldier? Drastic change. At times, it was an honest struggle to keep going. This was the case mainly with the physical training as I never had to push myself this hard back on Earth. But I had to do so now. Having a strong, capable body and later on excellent taijutsu skills was the foundation for my goal of being S-rank by the time the war starts.


    Beyond that, thoughts of what awaited me if I wasn''t strong enough were used as motivators.


    Therefore, I pushed myself and the results can speak for themselves.


    I progressed up to level 4 with the weights. My accuracy with kunai and shuriken improved. Chakra control skyrocketed and with that so did proficiency with the rasengan, substitution, and body-flicker. The main ninjutsu that I focused on. I picked up all the chakra theory that was available to me in the library. Advanced control exercises that I couldn''t use yet but would be beneficial later. Shinobi tactics, plants and poisons, etiquette. Anything that I believed could be useful.


    That being said, I noticed a lack of fuinjutsu material. Guess they didn''t want untrusted amateurs messing around with seals. Common sense, I guess.


    Anyways. It was a productive month.


    ¡­


    As the exterior would suggest, the hokage''s office is actually circular. Walls made of some type of earth with a number of large windows across from the entrance that provide a good view of the village. Along with the few portraits the only other thing of note is the desk placed in front of the windows. A simple desk that wouldn''t look too out of place in a classroom back home. Comes with a stack of books and paperwork as well.


    All in all, smaller and less decorated than what I would expect out of the personal workplace of a powerful leader.


    Standing behind and to the left of the desk is Shizune. Dark hair with eyes to match them, fair complexion, and wearing her dark blue kimono with white trimming. White obi around her midsection. Attractive young lady. The only thing detracting from her appearance is the pig in her arms. Fortunately for me, it doesn''t stink. At least not from back here.


    My soon-to-be sole companion, besides Kurama, for the next few years is standing off to the side leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Dressed in his typical green and red outfit and physically bigger than most people Naruto has seen, he draws the eye. Especially with that white hair and the red birthmarks on his face. Makes me wonder how people get those. I know the Inuzuka clan all have some type of marking on their faces but so did Rin and obviously Jiraiya. Were they just born with them? And what happens with white hair and aging? Does it start greying? Does it stop being spiky? So many questions. Anime creators, explain.


    And finally, the lady in charge. The legendary sucker herself. Tsunade Senju. Last of her clan. Best med-nin alive. Biggest bust this side of the universe.


    When I was first introduced to her character, I just applauded the anime for including another attractive female in the cast. Even if it was only a genjutsu. She also became another of Naruto''s precious people and was pretty strong. All was fine. But later I really gave it some thought. This was a person who left the village, for personal reasons, and spent the next decade or so drinking and gambling away money she didn''t possess. And then all of a sudden, she comes back and is placed as the leader of a militaristic village. Didn''t make much sense to me but I realized that there weren''t really better options.


    No one in Minato''s nor Kakashi''s generation was strong enough, had the right disposition, and supported enough to be hokage. That left the two loyal sannin as the options and since Jiraiya was there to plead his case he was able to throw Tsunade under the bus. Throw her to the wolves actually; no buses in this place.


    It worked out for the best from what I saw. Jiraiya was able to maintain his spy network while Tsunade became the leader and helped the village in the way of creating better med-nin. If Konoha started racking up debt behind the scenes¡­ well it couldn''t have been that bad since they never showed it.


    Currently, she is seated in the only chair in the room behind the desk. Fair skin, blonde hair, brown eyes, diamond shaped seal on her forehead. Green haori over a grey blouse that looked like it needed additional support to contain her b.r.e.a.s.ts. I''m sure Jiraiya would be the first to volunteer for such a worthy cause. Or maybe he would be on the side for wardrobe malfunction.


    Those three and I were the only ones present for this send off, not counting the pig and the anbu I''m sure were stationed around the room. I had already told Naruto''s friends that I would be leaving soon but not the exact date, so they were probably out doing whatever they do when off camera. No need for drama today. Just this one stop and then the training montage can begin.


    "The village is going to feel different without you around brat." I''m grown thank you. "Finally get to enjoy some peace and quiet."


    "Very funny granny." I rolled my eyes. "Just make sure you don''t gamble away the village''s budget while I''m gone. Shizune, keep an eye on her please."


    "Of course, Naruto-kun. Stay safe." She didn''t even bother to hide her giggles. Both of us ignored the indignant look on Tsunade''s face.


    "I''ll try. And thank you for the stuff. You''re the best." Gave her the Guy-style thumbs-up.


    While I did learn a lot from the library, there were certain things that I was unable to find in there. Stuff like the advanced chakra control techniques that the med-nin used as well as their healing ninjutsu which I found out was called iryojutsu. Normally to learn them you had to start the process to become a medical-nin like Sakura but then I realized that I had inside connections. A trip to the hokage''s office and some expressed interest in the healing arts and Tsunade pulled some strings for me. I mainly wanted them for improving my control but learning ways to heal oneself should always be taken.


    "Ah, you''re welcome Naruto-kun." She was smiling now, probably recognizing the joke I was playing and willing to play her part. "I''m happy that I could help."


    I could feel the amus.e.m.e.nt coming from Jiraiya and the ire rising in Tsunade.


    "¡­ just leave already. Last favor you''re ever getting from me." Arms crossed under her chest while mumbling. "Annoying, blonde brats."


    "You''re blonde too." I decided to have mercy on her. "Thank you. I really do appreciate it."


    I tried to show her how sincere I was through my eyes and face. That was definitely one thing that Naruto always had; a very expressive face. It seemed to work as her eyes became warmer.


    "I know. Make sure you come back in one piece."


    Maintaining the eye contact, I nodded. I had an idea of what or perhaps whom she was probably seeing in her mind.


    Jiraiya came around to stand beside me while placing a hand on my shoulder.


    "I''ll watch over him hime."


    "You had better, pervert." Was her response to which he just laughed and gave a gesture similar to what I had done with Shizune.


    "We''ll be back before you know it. Let''s go Naruto."


    With one last wave goodbye we left. Through the window of course. My first time doing that. It was much faster than going down all those stairs.


    We ran along the rooftops and hopped down at the gate to be signed out. It didn''t take long, probably due to the presence of the toad sage, and then we were off.


    My journey to the top was finally beginning.

 Chapter 408 - My CO Stash #8 - Fate Stay Cooking by Parcasious (Fate/staynightXFoodWars)

    -A fun CO fic with Shirou having a non-self sacrificing idea about saving people and it''s believable~ Neat author/


    Synopsis: When an unlikely event arises in London, Shirou must now deal with the consequences of familial ties. May turn to M later.


    Rated: T


    Words: 76K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/11383566/1/Fate-Stay-Cooking (Parcasious)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    "Yukihira, Yukihira, Yukihira," Shirou muttered as he scratched at the back of his head. "Its got to be here somewhere."


    Shirou sighed. Its been a week since his fateful encounter with J¨­ichir¨­ Yukihira in London.


    The man was an odd one really, his posture slumped and laid back even as he had accidentally knocked Shirou over in London''s market square. Of course Shirou didn''t care less about the little incident, but it was when J¨­ichir¨­ Yukihira''s eyes widened and his posture suddenly went rigid that Shirou became concerned. J¨­ichir¨­ just stared at him unmoving, eyes dialating, and face paling as his eyes brimmed with tears.


    Shirou stood up and hesitantly walked over to the man.


    "Y-Your shoulder," J¨­ichir¨­ said without warning. "May I see it?"


    Unsure of what to do, Shirou complied and rolled up the sleeve of his favorite blue and white long sleeve to reveal the small star-shaped birth mark on his shoulder.


    Suddenly J¨­ichir¨­ had embraced Shirou in a bone crushing hug.


    "S-Shirou, I-I can''t believe it." J¨­ichir¨­ said as he wiped his eyes. No more words came from J¨­ichir¨­''s mouth, but rather, his grip on Shirou tightened.


    Shirou felt the stares of the crowd around them and couldn''t help but feel slightly uncomfortable. However, he wrapped his arms around J¨­ichir¨­ and allowed the man the time needed to recollect himself. Five minutes later, and J¨­ichir¨­ had finally let go of Shirou.


    "Who are you?" Was the first thing Shirou asked.


    J¨­ichir¨­''s posture relaxed and his mood seemed have increased to an unheard of level. A smile adorned his face, something in which Shirou couldn''t help but admire as it mixed in so well with his long dark hair which was swept back, save for a single group of bangs that hung over his face down to his chin.


    J¨­ichir¨­''s sharp eyes softened, a hand raised to ruffle the slight beard on his chin as his mind worked for an answer to Shirou''s question.


    "I''m J¨­ichir¨­ Yukihira," J¨­ichir¨­ said while un-wrinkling his form fitting professional white chef''s uniform. "...And I''m your father."


    Flabbergasted, Shirou didn''t resist as J¨­ichir¨­ pulled him to a local medical clinic for a paternity test. It was two weeks later that the results came in positive.


    As it would so happen, Shirou and his mother had been out on a tour of Fuyuki when the Great Fire caused by the Fourth Holy Grail War occurred. For years J¨­ichir¨­ Yukihira had believed that they were both long dead, but Shirou broke that assumption within a day. J¨­ichir¨­ Yukihira at the time, was left heart broken at the news and drowned his sorrows through cooking and raising Shirou''s younger brother, S¨­ma Yukihira.


    It didn''t come as much of a surprise to anyone really that when the paternity test was verified, J¨­ichir¨­ asked Shirou to visit their home. After a hasty explanation to Rin and Saber, Shirou was off back to Japan.


    "Well," Shirou slumped his shoulders. "I guess I''m lost."


    Looking around the street Shirou found himself in at present time, he couldn''t fathom how fast things had escalated upon meeting his biological father, J¨­ichir¨­ Yukihira. It was weird for him really, he had no experience with being an older brother, nor did he know how he should act around J¨­ichir¨­. It felt as if he was imposing on a life that was already balanced. Briefly, Shirou wondered if it would have been better had he not bumped into J¨­ichir¨­ on that fateful London evening.


    Before he could think further on it, a large crowd suddenly rushed into him and forced him to go with the flow. Arms brushed up against him and shoulders shoved him forward as he fought against the unrelenting crowd.


    "Damn it, get out of my way!" A woman said as she forced Shirou to the side. "Don''t you know he''s returned!"


    "All the more reason for me to do this!" A man suddenly pulled back the woman from earlier and overtook her.


    "You bastard!" The woman raged and pushed on.


    All around Shirou, similar conversations were occurring, all about his return. It didn''t take long before the crowd thinned, all entering a single special-of-the-day type restaurant in front of him.


    Raising his gaze from the paper in his hand, Shirou reluctantly entered the store.


    And so signaled the start to Shirou''s first day at restaurant Yukihira.


    Chapter 2


    It was a special of the day shop, something not uncommon in the neighborhood Shirou had just walked through, but it might as well have just been a fast food restaurant with how fast people came and went. Every table was full, the line leading to the cash register growing longer by the second. Shirou scratched at the back of his head and began to second guess his decision to meet with his remaining family, but he knew he couldn''t back out now. Rin and Saber would no doubt be coming back to Japan for him like promised after dealing with a few issues at the Clock Tower, namely an excuse for his sudden leave.


    He entered the shop and quickly sat down when a seat by the end of the serving table became available.


    "Hope you liked it." A voice cut through the crowd.


    Shirou set his gaze in the direction of the voice and could do nothing but widen his eyes, the sight before him rendering him speechless.


    Soma Yukihira, auburn hair, golden-brown eyes, the resemblance between he and Shirou was simply uncanny. If before Shirou had doubts of his origins, even with the supposed paternity test, those doubts suddenly became brittal in the face of such similarity. Even the way they smiled when they watched others eat their food was similar.


    At the head of the entire commotion, at the Yukihira''s front counter, was Yukihira J¨­ichir¨­. The man moved with such grace, skill, and swiftness that it wouldn''t be uncommon if others believed he was working under his station. Fact is, he probably was, judging from the information subtly filtering into his mind through the knife J¨­ichir¨­ wielded in his right hand.


    Structural analysis, a skill that only Shirou Emiya possessed that allowed him to judge the full history and concept of any object his eyes laid view on. And right now, his eyes were telling him of the passion and sorrow imbued within J¨­ichir¨­''s knife. His passion towards cooking which was fueled by the love of his life, and his subsequent sorrow when the great fire took her away. In much the same way, Shirou was the same as J¨­ichir¨­. Shirou was a blade forged through fire and tempered through battle, but similarly he was given a purpose when everything was lost. A purpose that he still strove for, yet was constantly met with much sorrow. Like how J¨­ichir¨­ found purpose in his cooking and Soma, Shirou had found purpose through his ideals and Kiritsugu.


    J¨­ichir¨­ sauted the mix of fried vegetables and tender beef in the deep dish pan he held aloft with his right hand, and promptly poured an ounce of wine with his left into the dish.


    Wine, different from water, fully enhances the flavour of any meat. Take for example the properties of water to its chemical composition. In much the same way as water will not mix with oil due to its chemical composition and higher density, wine, an alcoholic beverage, breaks that boundary. By mixing with the flavours of the fatty oils that seep from the chunks of beef within the pan and the flavours of the numerous spices mixed along with the oil, wine better captures the optimum taste of any meat.


    The smell that came from the combination of the beef, vegetables, and seasonings such as thyme, salt and pepper, drove Shirou''s senses to the edge. And yet, Shirou found himself thinking of possible solutions to enhance the flavour of the dish; his subconscious use of structural analysis pestering him to add a pinch of dried ginger. However, before Shirou could think further on the action, J¨­ichir¨­ topped the dish over steaming rice and drizzled two table spoons of caramelized gravy over the dish. The light topping of caramelized gravy practically made the dish glow.


    "Order''s up." J¨­ichir¨­ said casually, laying the dish before the anticipating gaze of the woman Shirou recalled had shoved him out of the way moments prior.


    The woman had her dark brown hair tied-back in a pony tail that cascaded down her back, her narrow hazel eyes transfixed on the spoon of food she held in front of her mouth. She blew softly, and the steam permeating from the fresh dish, wafted into her nose. No sooner, a blush adorned her face that sent her body squirming in delight. Her thighs rubbed together, her breaths coming out in uneven pants, when finally she lowered the spoon into her mouth, she felt nothing but euphoria.


    Unbidden, Shirou turned his attention away from the customer who received the dish J¨­ichir¨­ presented and decided to wait until the shop thinned out before approaching Soma or J¨­ichir¨­, but luck would have none of it.


    Soma Yukihira stood across from Shirou, staring him in the eyes.


    "Hmmm." Soma muttered. "I feel like I should know you. Oi pops!" Soma called to J¨­ichir¨­. "Do you recognize him?"


    J¨­ichir¨­ straightened his back and smiled fondly at Soma and Shirou''s direction. No sooner than he smiled, did he abandon his duties to his customers without a second thought, family mattered more to him anyway. Though disapointed, J¨­ichir¨­''s customers could feel the tension in the air. As such, they chose not to broach a complaint.


    "Hey pops, didn''t you say customers first?" Soma asked curiously.


    "This is a special case." J¨­ichir¨­ said as he walked over to Shirou and Soma, placing a hand on Soma''s head and ruffling his hair. "This Soma," J¨­ichir¨­ motioned towards Shirou. "Is your older brother, Shirou Yukihira."


    Emiya.


    Shirou would have interrupted, but knew it would have been highly insensitive to his family in front of him.


    Soma eyed him curiously, but like J¨­ichir¨­, did little more than openly stare at him.


    If Shirou were any other person, he would have been hard pressed to stand firm under the scrutiny of the crowd and family around him, but Shirou was Shirou. However, this didn''t mean that Shirou had any means to start off on a friendly conversation. Shirou could tell by the look that J¨­ichir¨­ was giving him that he was quite curious to learn as much as possible about him, but J¨­ichir¨­ too had noticed the gazes of the crowd around them and couldn''t very well broach the subject. Finally, Soma asked the only thing he knew he could to break the silence.


    "Can you cook?" Soma asked.


    Somehow, Shirou couldn''t help but smile at the audacious question. Inspite of the gazes of the people around them, Soma had asked a question that many in the crowd might consider inconsiderate, but Shirou could see it as nothing more than a means to better get to know his family.


    "Yes." Shirou answered while scratching at the back of his head. "I''ve had some practice living on my own since young." Shirou knew what he said wasn''t a lie. After Kiritsugu died, he was ultimately left alone despite the numerous times Taiga showed up to stay by him.


    J¨­ichir¨­''s eyes narrowed.


    "You lived alone?" J¨­ichir¨­ ventured.


    "Y-Yes." Shirou fumbled with his answer, unsure if his reply would trigger a negative reaction from J¨­ichir¨­.


    J¨­ichir¨­ stared mutely at Shirou, his hands balling into tight fists.


    "Want to give it a go then?" Soma asked as he sensed a change in J¨­ichir¨­''s mood. "Cooking I mean. Pops and I were having our 486th cooking duel."


    "I''d love to." Shirou replied, taking Soma''s offer as a means of escape. "Can I use your kitchen."


    "-Our kitchen." Soma corrected Shirou. "We''re family aren''t we?"


    "I guess so." Shirou replied with a faint smile.


    Shirou knew there was no going back now; all eyes were on him as he took to the kitchen. Briefly, his eyes scoured the contents of the pantry and assessed the available ingredients. Meats, vegetable, dairies, and grain, all were there and accounted for.


    "You can cook anything you want." Soma said helpfully.


    Shirou nodded his head and grabbed an apron from the wall, tying it around his waist.


    Shirou didn''t really know what to feel at this point. Part of him wanted to live up to the expectations evident in the eyes of the people around him, but another more insignificant part of him wanted to take the time to recollect himself. Well either way, it didn''t really matter anymore, he was already standing in front of the chopping board, eyes skimming over the various knives in front of him. It hit him then like a tone of bricks, a vision of a fiery auburn haired woman smiling lovingly down at him, her arms wrapped around him in a warm embrace.


    Mother.


    Shirou shook his head and turned to face J¨­ichir¨­.


    "May I use that knife." Shirou asked J¨­ichir¨­, pointing unbidden at the dullest and cheapest looking knife on the display shelf. Its handle was made of plastic, three wooden rivets holding the bolster and stainless steel blade in place.


    J¨­ichir¨­ hesitated, his features pulling taut, but he relented, a wistful smile adorning his face.


    "Go ahead." J¨­ichir¨­ said.


    Shirou grabbed the knife, and no sooner than he had, he was assaulted by memories, the tender history of the knife''s owner.


    "I love you J¨­ichir¨­."


    Shirou''s hands moved subconsciously, his fingers digging and grinding into a kilogram of ground beef after seasoning it with a hint of cayenne, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Subsequently, steam hit Shirou''s face, carrying the fragrance of sizzling garlic and onions from a deep dish pan.


    "Eat your vegetables Soma."


    Shirou brewed a pot of boiling water, depositing one-inch potato chunks inside the pot before moving on to create a shredded blend of cabbage, spinach, and lettuce in a mixing bowl. Ears perking up to the sound of a timer, Shirou removed the sizzling onions and garlic, and began cooking the ground beef in the same pot to let the ground beef soak up the flavour of the onions and garlic found in the oil. Satisfied when the ground beef shifted to a crisp brown, Shirou once again added the cooked onions and garlic, and placed in a cup of crushed tomatoes.


    Turning his attention to the pot of boiling potatoes, Shirou used a strainer and emptied the hot water from the pot, having let it sit for a good half hour on high heat. Thus, he then began to mash the soft potatoes left within the pot as he added in a handful of peas, corn, and bite-sized carrots.


    "Shirou, you will always be my greatest inspiration."


    Shirou''s eyes glistened, but he blinked the feeling away, focusing his attention towards the dish''s final presentation.


    Shirou evenly spread the seasoned ground beef onto the the bottom of a glass baking tray then did the same with the carefully mashed potatoes, laying it atop the ground beef.


    Sprinkling a spoon of parmesan over top the mash potato, Shirou served the dish in front of J¨­ichir¨­ and Soma along with the improvised salad he made. Sliced tomatoes, croutons, and an assortment of bell peppers were topped on the salad.


    "Eat all the vegetables, they''re good for you." Shirou said involuntarily, the words naturally escaping his mouth.


    J¨­ichir¨­ held back a pang of hurtful nostalgia and tentatively took a bite of the Shepard''s pie in front of him. Soma followed right on after.


    There was no visible reaction, J¨­ichir¨­ and Soma just kept on silently eating. Neither stopped, their gazes blank and focused solely on the dish in front of them. The murmuring of the onlooking crowd didn''t distract them, the passing of time was irrelevant. It wasn''t until they reached down for another bite and realized there was nothing left to eat, did Shirou notice the subtle shivering of J¨­ichir¨­''s shoulders and reminiscent look on Soma''s face.


    Noticing the change, the crowd got the message that this wasn''t the time to be demanding food, and one by one they willingly left the premise.


    Shirou grew pensive. For when he was cooking, he had immersed himself in the history of the knife he had wielded, and produced its most familiar dish. A dish he now knew from the knife''s history was a dish Satsuki Yukihira often made. She was a chef that specialized in western food, but above all she was a chef that made her greatest dishes for her family. And Shirou had drawn upon that inspiration and placed it into his cooking.


    "...It was delicious." J¨­ichir¨­ said, tears glistening in his eyes.


    "...Yeah." Soma agreed, turning his face away.


    Left unsaid, but in the eyes of both Soma and J¨­ichir¨­, the winner of the 486th cooking duel had already been decided.


    Shirou: 1


    J¨­ichir¨­: 485


    Soma: 0


    "I''m glad you liked it, but." Shirou''s eyes narrowed, overlapping with an image of Satsuki Yukihira. God the way their eyes narrowed were similar. "Neither of you ate your vegetables."


    Chapter 3


    If an item carries the cherished memories of its owner, it''s possible to convey the feelings held within by grasping the sentimental emotions left behind. However, what good would that do towards an individual who''s reality is so distorted that common sense already fails him? It is a question which continues to elude one Shirou Emiya.


    "Trace on."


    For a fraction of second, pale blue light illuminated the spare room Shirou was staying within. In the next, a plain knife, who''s handle was made of regular plastic, was grasped lightly in Shirou''s hand. For what seemed like an eternity, Shirou stared transfixed at it.


    He knew who the knife had belonged to, of course he did; the tender maternal affections of a soft spoken woman directed towards him from within the knife was unmistakable. However, what should he do knowing that his path in life would be the opposite of what his mother had wanted of him?


    To be safe, to have a home, to have friends and loving family who would look out for him, is all Satsuki Yukihira had ever wanted of him. How ironic that things had turned out the way they had on that particular night of fire, to be given a life of constant danger.


    To be an Ally of Justice


    It wasn''t an exaggeration to say the path would be full of betrayal and misery; so much so that even his future self was forced to see the futility of it, and yet he had promised himself atop a hill of blades that he wouldn''t stray from his path.


    Even if you''re right, it doesn''t mean that your correct!


    Shirou clenched his fists, and heaved a sigh. There is no one correct method to solve a problem, perhaps he could find some sort of compromise. Be that as it may, he would have to drop the issue for now; he was already late for breakfast, and he would rather be there before Soma or J¨­ichir¨­ could eat all the normal food and leave him to sample their unusual food innovations. He would rather not have a repeat of the incident with cod, jam, peanut butter, and soy sauce over rice topped with a mysterious powdered seasoning.


    With a flick of his hand, the traced knife disappeared as Shirou left the room and headed for the kitchen.


    "J¨­ichir¨­''s not here?" Shirou asked, propping a chair for himself right across from Soma.


    "Pops huh?" Soma''s eyes flickered to Shirou and away from the empty breakfast plate in front of him. "He went out on another trip. May take awhile this time too."


    "And you''re okay with that? Its only been two weeks since I''ve gotten here."


    Soma got up and yawned with his hand over his mouth.


    "It was important," Soma shook his head. "Besides, he left knowing that we''re capable of running restaurant Yukihira ourselves," he spoke confidently.


    "That coming from the one who''s lost 488- no I mean 489 times to their old man." Shirou replied flatly.


    Soma shrugged as Shirou drank a glass of milk and began prodding at his eggs and bacon.


    "All according to plan." Soma said back unperturbed. "Yesterday''s battle was simply testing the waters, but next time, it will be my victory. Now if only those Urban planners would stop trying to get our store."


    "Urban planners?" Shirou asked as he got up and put away his dishes into the sink at the counter.


    For a long while now, urban real-estate planners had been harking at J¨­ichir¨­ to sell restaurant Yukihira to be demolished and rebuilt for something more useful. However, J¨­ichir¨­ had always refused such matters, and even Soma himself. Presently, the urban planners were still coming on a daily basis to pester Soma and J¨­ichir¨­ to sell the store.


    "It was the lady from last night," Soma shrugged as he answered. "I don''t really remember her name though. Yako or something."


    "It was Yaeko, and isn''t that kind of rude?" He interjected.


    In the end, all the urban planners had been doing was attempting to do business. No matter how persistent they were, it was still good to be at least polite to some degree.


    "Meh, lets just hurry up and get to the store. We have to open by seven, and Oh," Soma smiled as he turned towards Shirou. "You''re helping me cook today, or at least I hope you can. Ever since pops has come back we''ve been getting a lot more customers," Soma explained.


    "No problems. I''ll help," Shirou agreed. besides, he actually was quite fond of cooking in general.


    After finishing a small breakfast, Soma grabbed the keys by the door and put on his shoes, his uniform hanging over his back. He beckoned for Shirou to hurry up, and together they left for restaurant Yukihira.


    Only to find it completely vandalized.


    Even the sign out front was painted over using white paint, making it impossible to even see Restaurant Yukihira printed on the top.


    Shirou''s eyes narrowed.


    The Yukihira sign board was slanted, paint smeared along its surface and dripping down over flipped patio chairs and tables the Soma and J¨­ichir¨­


    kept outside for the customer''s convenience. When Shirou looked closer, he could also see that the damage encompassed parts of the roof; small bits of shattered glass from a few of the cups left lying around still crumbling away. Shirou''s eyes then followed the trail of destruction straight into the back kitchen.


    Soma''s face remained impassive, however his hands gave him away.


    Balled into tight fists, Soma''s hands shook as his knuckles whitened. Slowly, Soma moved forward into the kitchen, his eyes drifting from broken appliance to broken appliance, maneuvering past the hazards in his way. Soma stopped by the freezer, and already Shirou could predict what he would see.


    Meat, all the restaurant''s meat had been trampled and destroyed.


    "Well it''s a bit trashed in here isn''t it?" A woman accompanied by two men appeared at the entrance. "I do hope you can serve me a meat dish."


    Shirou was the first to meet and inspect the visitors. His circuits flaring for a moment, it was enough to draw prana into his eyes. As he expected, trace amounts of broken glassware and paint still stuck beneath the soles of the feet of the two men that accompanied the woman into the store.


    "And if not?" Anger laced itself along Shirou''s words.


    "Then I''m afraid you''ll just have to close shop, isn''t that right?" The woman directed her answer towards Soma who had just then walked out of the kitchen. "If you ''couldn''t fulfill a customer''s request'' wasn''t it."


    The lady was referring to some agreement she must have made with Soma some time ago since a light flashed within Soma''s eyes.


    Thinking up to here, Shirou''s lip twitched. It was the same everywhere, he thought. The same acts of deceit and underhanded tactics to bring misery upon others for only one''s own benefit. He then remembered the promise Soma had made just the previous day after taking a moment to think about it. He soon grimaced.


    If Soma couldn''t fulfill a customer''s request, he would close down the shop.


    Well not today.


    Shirou walked forward before Soma could speak up. He supposed it was part of being an older brother, but energy and confidence welled from within him.


    "I''m afraid I must ask you to leave." Shirou stood stern in front of the people in front of him. "As you can see, the store isn''t open yet, and to demand service in these conditions is deplorable."


    Rin had rubbed off on him, Shirou internally mused. He would never have used such words otherwise.


    "D-Deplorable?!" The woman said outraged. "H-How dare you, y-you hooligan." The woman took a moment to calm herself down. "To insult a customer, this restaurant has no shame."


    "And I suppose you and the men behind you with shards of glass and paint still stuck on the soles of their shoes would know shame?" Shirou replied.


    "Euh..." The woman relented, her face a deep shade of red. Quickly she glared at the two behind her, baffled at their stupidity. Why were they still wearing the same shoes? She shook her head and returned to staring down at Shirou, having regained her composure. "These two had business they had to attend to before arriving here, or does this restaurant not only insult their customers, but doubt them too?"


    "It doesn''t matter what you think. I will ask once again for you to leave." Shirou remained adamant through the woman''s accusations. "Otherwise I myself will have to take action."


    Shirou let loose a bit of his killer intent, and the woman buckled under the pressure.


    "Yaeko," One of the two men whispered into the woman''s ear. "He''s dangerous."


    "We can''t give up now." Yaeko whispered back.


    Tension filled the air. It wasn''t until Soma laid a hand on Shirou''s shoulder that the tension dissipated.


    "You said you wanted a meat dish," A fire lit up in Soma''s eyes. "Then it''s a meat dish you will get."


    When cooking food, it was always best to determine quality by smell, colour, and even texture before use. This was the case with most meats as one could be able to tell the general condition of the product.


    This being the case, Shirou did not have that luxury as regardless of anything, the meats stored in the freezers and coolers were destroyed, or contaminated, making them unservable.


    He placed a hand beneath his chin and began to think, his eyes eventually landing on the pile of less savoury meats that restaurant Yukihira did not often use in favour of leaner portions. However, Soma had already taken the initiative and was slowly sorting out the meat products he could and couldn''t use.


    "They really wrecked the place," Shirou spoke, a crease forming on his forehead as he looked around. Not only was the kitchen not spared the same fate as the dining lobby, but even some appliances appeared damaged.


    This was what caused Soma to momentarily pause in his preparations, before wordlessly acting as if nothing had happened.


    The life blood of a restaurant was in its appliances. With a restaurant such as Yukihira''s, just by the number of customers the shop received on a daily basis, one could imagine the total quantity of orders. Thus, like regular fast-food chains, the appliances that allow for quick preparation of food was a must. Take for example the process of whisking eggs with batter and other such ingredients. What would normally take a time of ten or so minutes to evenly mix in a full bowl of product would only take a few moments with a stationary egg beater.


    "I hope you both remember that this dish must involve meat," Yaeko spoke, feigning politeness for insult.


    The kitchen was not separated from the main dining area by a wall, so it was possible for others and customers to see the chef work. In this regard, the two guards who had come with Yaeko were admiring their own work. They had made sure to thoroughly raid through all of the stored goods within the coolers and even the spice cabinets.


    Looking at them, Yaeko couldn''t help but sneer before she leaned in and whispered. "How could the both of you dare to look so smug?" She asked. From her tone, anyone could tell that she was still frustrated from moments before.


    It was simply preposterous. What kind of criminal returns to the scene of the crime wearing the same clothing? Apparently her two guards. If not for that, she wouldn''t have felt so threatened by the other older boy, Shirou Yukihira if she could remember correctly. Before she had ordered her body guards to come ransack restaurant Yukihira, she had indeed heard about the arrival of an older son of the restaurant owner. However, she didn''t expect him to possess such a viscious and domineering aura. It was as if he had come back tempered from some absurd life or death experience. The army perhaps? Or maybe some underground organization like the Yakuza?


    She shivered for reasons she could not easily name. It was just that looking at Shirou, her last assumption gave her cold feet since in some ways she could see the bearings of one familiar with the underground circles. She herself had once had dealings with them, but it was only a minor group subordinate to the main Fujimura Yakuza group. Regardless though, it was just in the way he reacted to her body guards on first contact. Not only did Shirou not show any concern about dealing with men who were most likely double his age, but he was able to discern the glass fragments stuck in the soles of her bodyguard''s shoes. Such a thing meant he was either observant, or he was familiar with people who had exhibited such behaviour.


    Needless to say, apart from her earlier provocation of supplying a meat dish, she kept meekly quiet after Shirou''s stare landed on her.


    "Soma," Shirou spoke as he stepped out from the cooler. "I''ve found a few vegetables that could be usable," he said before scratching his head. "Aside from that, I''m afraid most of the mushrooms we had on stock can no longer be used."


    After saying so, one could see from the opened cooler door that most of the vegetables and fruit kept within the cooler were scattered across the ground. Some were brusied and blackened, but the majority were trampled beneath heavy feet.


    "That''s fine," Soma spoke as he laid all his preparations onto a prep table.


    Like Shirou had thought earlier, Soma indeed used the neglected meat pieces normally thrown away in favour of better goods. The crucial thing about those pieces though, was that they were high in saturated fat content.


    Fat for most animals and people, were craved by the body as it is a readily stored energy for the body in the form of adipose tissue. As such, fat held a great deal of flavour for the body as receptors found on the tongue are highly susceptible to it. However, for most people, consuming too much fat was not an option for those who were health conscious since the cholesterol found within could potentially block arteries and veins, assuming large consumption. This was why both Soma and J¨­ichir¨­ separated the fattier meats from the lean. In doing so, flavour is lost, but then again, both Soma and J¨­ichir¨­ used spices and herbs to accommodate.


    "Leave the meat dish to me," Soma spoke confidently.


    As a person who had lived with Soma for more than a week now, Shirou could confidently say that he could read the expressions of his younger brother. In this way, he determined that although Soma still appeared quite spirited, he was in fact, feeling a bit prideful inside. Even if restaurant Yukihira was reduced to such a state, he wished to prove that no matter what, restaurant Yukihira was not a restaurant to be taken lightly.


    In this regard, Soma had sworn to blow them away with just the ingredients the store had on hand. It was a notion that Rin or Luvia may not completely be able to grasp.


    The notion was simple really.


    A man''s pride.


    Even he could understand that notion since perhaps he had his own pride in his ideals.


    "Then I''ll handle some of the sides," he spoke.


    If Soma was going to work on the meat dish, he could make a side of salad with the food he had salvaged from the cooler.


    Soma nodded his head, and the two then went off to work on their respective dishes.


    With Soma, the only usable portions of meat he''d been able to gather were the thin slices of pork bacon with large streaks of white fat lining the upper most regions he had bought before coming to the store. In this regard, he frowned as there was not much he could do with just the strips alone. Although bacon and the fat on it was good in and out of itself, it didn''t have the impact he needed to make sure these forceful real-estate agents never came back again.


    A glimmer appeared in his eyes as he noticed some bruised potatoes lying within a bin at the far distant corner of the room. Thinking for a second, he smiled as an idea came to mind.


    As for Shirou, he had taken out one of the cutting boards from the counter, and then promptly laid out his ingredients adjacent to it. Growing up with Kiritsugu, it was he who had to prepare all the meals as he couldn''t trust either Taiga Fujimura or Kiritsugu with the kitchen. Not after the first time the house was nearly set ablaze.


    Picking up some of the carrots, he began to cut those first, dicing them into thin and long pieces which he would then use to sprinkle on top of the romaine. What he had been able to bring out from the cooler including the carrots and romaine, were apples, onions, parmesan cheese, and a red bell pepper.


    Following the carrots, the next thing he cut were the apples into small lego-sized pieces. The thing about a salad that made it more appetizing was the appearance itself. This was why no restaurant or shop would dare call a mixture of vegetables to be a salad. For example, if one were to grab a full carrot and stock of celery, and then promptly mix them together with a whole piece if lettuce, could that be called a salad? In fact, it would be more accurate to call it a vegetable basket.


    Cutting the rest of the salad pieces didn''t take very long for him who''d had his own years of practice within the kitchen.


    Getting a small bowl, he began to arrange the salad design from sticking the leafiest pieces of romaine lettuce near the edges of the bowl, and then promptly laying the smaller cut pieces within the center. Soon after, he sprinkled the chopped carrots, peppers, red onions, and diced apples over top. From there, he took a grater and sprinkled small bits of parmesan over top.


    The presentation itself was enough to draw Yaeko and her guard''s eyes, but they felt safe as it was not an actual meat dish.


    He didn''t really take notice of that though as he moved on to the most important step of creating a salad. Generally speaking, the best part of a salad was not found within the vegetables and fruit found within, but on the life-blood of a salad, the dressing. Arguably, the dressing was the main component of flavour of a salad. Otherwise, what would be the difference between a salad and just eating raw vegetables? There wouldn''t be much difference at all.


    Glancing at Soma, he could generally see that Soma was working with pork bacon and potatoes. He had other ingredients around him as well, but that wasn''t important. What mattered was that the meat dish Soma was making involved pork.


    He pondered to himself for a moment, trying to decide what dressing would best to accompany the salad after consuming something pork based. As an unspoken rule, most people ate their salads last. Even Rin and Saber did. Rin admitting that she ate the salad last to satiate the guilt of eating too much sweets and calories. Saber however, couldn''t have had cared less. The woman was like a vacuum cleaner with the way she ate, her stomach a bottomless pit.


    Still, the point of the matter was that he needed a dressing that would be able to accompany a pork dish. As such, he ruled out the notion of Ceaser dressing, as that particular topping worked best with a chicken based product. Greek was also out as he didn''t have the couscous necessary for a Greek flavouring.


    He didn''t arrive at an answer until he noticed the sour expression forming on Yaeko''s face as a result of the apprehension she felt while watching Soma.


    Hmm, something sour could indeed work as a dressing.


    A moment later, and a particular dressing came to mind.


    With that alone, he ended up finishing the side dish just as Soma placed the meat dish he made into the oven to cook.


    Staring at each other, he gave a quick nod as Soma smiled.


    "It seems things went well on your end," Soma complimented, looking at the salad.


    "Well, it''s nothing praise worthy," he spoke. "Making the salad itself is not something hard for anyone to do."


    Soma quirked his lips. "But making a dressing from scratch is not easy," he said.


    Indeed. If one wasn''t careful when making dressing, their proportions would be uneven, causing an imbalance to the particular taste sought after. It would be akin to adding too much salt or sugar while baking, ruining the entire dish.


    "You seem confident," he spoke after a moment.


    Exactly as it would seem, Soma did not appear to be the slightest bit worried about the turnout of his dish.


    "It''s a Yukihira special," Soma replied as if it was only natural. He then looked towards the far wall at the clock. "It should be done in ten or so minutes, twenty at most."


    "I hope you remember it''s a meat dish," Yaeko spoke after the two paused in their conversation.


    The two guards beside Yaeko tensed as Shirou turned his gaze in their direction.


    "Naturally," Soma spoke.


    Apprehension once again filled Yaeko''s gaze before she leveled a skeptical glare at her two guards. "Are you sure that the both of you ruined everything?"


    "Yes mam," the two whispered.


    "Then are you both sure that there''s no meat left in the store?" Yaeko pressed.


    With her question whispered, the guards could only cringe as they couldn''t accurately recall. "I believe so, mam," one of them said. However, the one who spoke was far from confident, his chest deflated and his gaze directed at the floor.


    Yaeko bit her nail. It was a habit she had thought that she had gotten rid of, but in times of high tension and stress, she found herself unknowingly reverting to the habit. It was at that point, that a third guard entered the store and whispered something into her ear. Shooing him away with her hand, the two guards became three. Annoyingly, she noticed that this third guard also had not replaced his shoes which still had bits of glass and other such pieces stuck in the soles.


    Time ticked on with the sun starting to set high over head. In fact, there were even a couple people that walked by in front of the restaurant. Regulars from what Soma said. However, upon seeing the closed sign up front, those people left after a couple of moments, scratching their heads as they looked forward to a dish by J¨­ichir¨­. Either way though, they probably wouldn''t be able to enjoy such a dish as J¨­ichir¨­ was currently away from the store.


    "It''s done," Soma spoke after a moment.


    Nodding his head, Shirou finished off the rest of his salad by topping it with a couple pieces of croutons he had made by toasting bread repeatedly, and then promptly crushing them into smaller bite sized pieces.


    Soma grabbed a plate with its edges folded up at the sides to prevent any spills, and then placed his meat dish on it before applying a layer of sauce over top.


    The meat dish appeared to be a meat role of some sort, with bacon used as an outer lining to the stuffing held within. A piece of string was used to hold the bacon pieces in place as the dish cooked.


    "Gotcha Pork."


    Soma didn''t say anything more as he laid the plate in front of Yaeko.


    "I told you to serve me a meat dish," Yaeko crossed her arms. "A restaurant like this, there''s no way it could compare to first rate restaurants or luxury hotels like the one''s I''ve helped produce. This restaurant isn''t even worth existing."


    The smell from the food wafted up Yaeko''s nose, and her face couldn''t help but colour. Prior to arriving at restaurant Yukihira, she had not eaten as she believed that everything would result in a quick affair; the restaurant unable to serve her even a single meat dish then being forced to shut down.


    Soma grunted. "Then this one dish will tell you whether or not restaurant Yukihira is worthy of existing," he said.


    Shirou who had been idle at the start of the conversation then set the salad he had made down beside Soma''s Gotcha Pork. It would help to maintain a good level of nutrition even though just the potatoes in Soma''s Gotcha Pork would be enough.


    Tenuously, Yaeko gripped the fork provided, and pierced into the Gotcha Pork, a wave of steam stored within blasting across her face. Her mouth was beginning to water, but she refused to show any eagerness as she brought a piece towards her mouth.


    Silence.


    Yaeko''s mouth opened, and only now did it become apparent that she was salivating, small threads of saliva momentarily sticking to her lips.


    Her face became heated, her legs crossing together while her body shuddered, a tingling sensation running through her that caused her to gasp. Her chest heaved up and down, the pace of her breathing increasing with the redness of her cheeks that flared into a bright crimson.


    As she chewed, a sheen of light sweat seemed to completely cover her skin, giving her a glossiness that accentuated her feminine curves.


    Shirou coughed into his hand, blushing and feeling completely lost after seeing such a reaction.


    What the hell was happening? Was she m.o.a.ning?


    He had never seen anything like this before. Sure, he had cooked for many people in the past, Saber, Rin, Taiga, Kiritsugu, and many others, but never had he seen someone act quite like this. It was just food, wasn''t it? Just to be sure, he activated his structural analysis, an ability that allowed him to completely discern an object, and critically stared at the Gotcha Pork. Finding nothing wrong with it, he couldn''t help but rub his eyes and hope everything was just an illusion.


    Nope.


    Not an illusion.


    Yaeko was currently rubbing her legs together, her expression somewhat lewd and heated as she continued to chew.


    At this point, Shirou was starting to believe that the Wizard Marshal had pulled a fast one on him, and dragged him to an identical dimension as his own with the only difference being this. Still, no matter how much he wanted to believe so, he had confidence that he would have had seen it should the Wizard Marshal attempt anything on him. Thus, he put aside that theory for now, glancing to the side to avoid staring at Yaeko lest his reasoning of common sense and worldly realities be shattered.


    "You look like you''re enjoying that?" Soma said with a straight face.


    Shirou stared at Soma incredulously. How was he un-effected by this? He couldn''t help thinking.


    Soma then went to explain the secret of the flavouring and cooking method.


    First, Soma had mashed the potatoes into a thin paste before mixing them together with the finely chopped mushrooms and onions. Onions were naturally fibrous, but their taste had a small bitterness hidden within. Thus, the onions were added for the increase in sweetness. This was the reason why people marinate their meat with onions and garlic before hand. Not only does it tenderize the meat, but the flavour seeps in as well.


    From there, after mixing the mushrooms and onions in with the crushed potatoes, he wrapped the bacon slices around them and then cooked it in the oven for ten to twenty minutes. Potatoes and mushroom are naturally fibrous as mentioned above. As such, this makes them highly susceptible to absorbing the fat produced by the bacon within the oven. A crispy outside is formed, while a tender interior is maintained.


    Squirming, with her cheeks flaring red, "You can''t call this a meat dish!" She spoke stubbornly as her flats came off her feet, revealing her black stockings.


    However, even as she spoke, the fork in her hand moved to take another piece.


    "W-What are you doing?" Yaeko asked indecisively.


    Soma had swiped the plate from the table and was currently holding it in his hand.


    "If you want more, promise me that you won''t come after this restaurant again," he said.


    An incredulous look appeared over Yaeko''s face. "W-Who would promise such a thing," she stuttered out.


    "Okay then," Some spoke indifferently as he walked with the dish in his hand towards the garbage. "It''s a waste but I have no choice."


    "Wait!" Yaeko yelled, stretching out her arm as she noticed where Soma was going.


    At this point, it felt like the salad Shirou had made was completely forgotten, yet the person in particular didn''t seem to mind, an incredulous expression over his face. The rest of the proceeding happened exactly as Shirou then expected.


    Yaeko had promised to never come after restaurant Yukihira again, and Soma then allowed for her and the guards with her to finish off the Gotcha Pork.


    Each of them took a fork full of the Gotcha Pork into their mouths, the three trembling and murmuring quietly as they chewed.


    Suddenly, for what seemed like a moment,


    they''re clothes,


    ripped off.


    Shirou was banging his head on the table. This couldn''t possibly be real. What he had seen was almost like,


    Like,


    A foodgasm.


    The reality Shirou once knew at that moment seemed to have eternally cracked.


    By the time Yaeko and her guards regained their sense, and set their sights on the salad Shirou had made, he had long since walked out the door; ignoring the chill that went down his back as a sultry voice seemed to yell out with a m.o.a.n, ''balsamic vinegar.''


    What the f.u.c.k?


    No really.


    What the f.u.c.k?!


    The next day had arrived, and Shirou was still rubbing his temples contemplating just what it was that had happened the previous day. The only other development was that J¨­ichir¨­ had decided to go forth on another trip of some kind, leaving him and Soma alone again.


    It was still early in the morning, and he was sure that Soma had just went to restaurant Yukihira, therefore, he judged that he was alone in the house.


    Sitting down, he closed his eyes and began practicing what he had learned from his fight with Archer, and the many things he had learned at the clock tower.


    Magic known as prana thrummed through his body, interface-like patterns appearing on his skin and travelling down his arms where they transferred over to a metal pan found within his room. It wasn''t odd to find such kitchen appliances in the room he was staying at, as it was a guest room both J¨­ichir¨­ and Soma used for storage before he had arrived.


    The decision to leave the Clock Tower and visit J¨­ichir¨­''s home was partly due to feelings of guilt. He really had no recollection of J¨­ichir¨­, but it was because of that, that he could see the pain within J¨­ichir¨­''s eyes. And he being himself, he could not allow the man to continue suffering. Thus, if his presence here was enough to alleviate that pain, then so be it.


    Still though, wasn''t it kind of redundant for J¨­ichir¨­ to suddenly leave weeks after he had just arrived? Based on how J¨­ichir¨­ was acting before, he didn''t think the man would actually leave. Therefore, it must be due to some kind of important business of sorts.


    Placing the matter aside for the moment, he turned back to focus on his training. Flicking the reinforced frying pan, he nodded his head in satisfaction as he directly felt its sturdiness. It wasn''t a weapon, but it could damn well be used as one now.


    A knock sounded at his door, momentarily startling him before he calmed himself down. Thinking about it, he wasn''t sure who would want to meet him this early in the morning.


    "Come in," he spoke after contemplating for another short moment.


    Soma pushed open the door, a complex look over his face.


    Shirou was surprised for a moment. Unless Soma had just walked to the store and back, he shouldn''t have returned back home this early. Meaning, something must have had happened.


    "I met dad by the store," Soma admitted.


    Shirou''s eyes widened. He had thought that J¨­ichir¨­ left already.


    "And?" Shirou asked.


    "He''s decided to close down the store for two or three years," Soma spoke before revealing a doc.u.mentation of sorts. It was a transfer doc.u.ment to enter a culinary school to be more precise.


    T¨­tsuki Academy.


    "Are you planning on transferring?" He asked.


    Soma nodded his head uncertainly. "The thing is, dad wasn''t sure if you wanted to come along since you''d be at an older year than me, but he still did the paper work anyway."


    Soma handed the papers over for Shirou to read.


    Skimming over the material, Shirou raised a brow. "Older year? It says here that I''d still be considered a first year since it''s my first time there."


    "Oh?" Soma said.


    "You didn''t read the finer print, did you?" Shirou said.


    Reading the finer print was not something most people did, so Shirou couldn''t really fault Soma for that. However, too many times he had heard from people he knew about signing things without reading through them. Eventually, this habit would lead to trouble.


    "You really should start reading these things over," he admonished.


    Soma laughed before scratching the back of his head in a manor similar to Shirou himself.


    Even now, if one put Shirou and Soma beside each other, the similarities between the two were simply unmistakable. The hair, skin colour, and even down to the eyes, there was a great deal of similarity.


    Shaking his head as he thought of such things, Shirou stood up from the desk he was sitting at, and placed the pan back to hang along the hooks of the left walls.


    "I''ll at least check it out," Shirou said.


    Seeing the look on Soma''s face, he was able to see that part of Soma''s hesitation to transfer to Totsuki was due to him. Understanding this was why he had decided to at least come along with Soma.


    "That''s good to hear," Soma said before rummaging through his bags and giving Shirou an application paper. "It''s a good thing pops prepared everything before hand."


    "I thought I was just going to check it out?" Shirou smiled wryly.


    "Checking it out, and applying, there''s not much difference between the two anyway. There''s still an entrance exam or something like that." Soma reasoned.


    Releasing a breath, Shirou knew he wasn''t the type to argue. It was why Rin and Luvia could so easily get him to do what either of the two wanted. Only Saber, with her straight forward personality wouldn''t needlessly boss him around. Although when she wanted food, it was quite questionable indeed.


    Moments later, Shirou got dressed and ready to leave.


    Soma was waiting for him by the door carrying a small case behind his back with one hand. Seeing it, Shirou recognized it as the culinary set J¨­ichir¨­ kept in the storage area of the kitchen.


    "We might need it," Was all Soma said to explain.


    Shrugging, the two then set off towards the academy located in the address, pausing as a commotion appeared ahead near the academy gates.


    A man was begging a guard, pulling at the sleeve of the guard and yelling for another chance.


    The scene was quite shocking, even more so for Soma who looked utterly surprised at the ginormous building behind the guard.


    After all,


    Totsuki Academy was the number one culinary school in the country.

 Chapter 409 - My SI Stash #9 - Across The Way by Victortoery12 (DxD)

    -One of da dudes powers is save states, in DxD! Nuff said~


    Synopsis: An SI born to the Agares family. A DxD SI/OC that will feature multi-cross.


    Rated: M


    Words: 33K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13685355/1/Across-The-Way (Victortoery12)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I admired my blond-haired, pink-eyed, handsome self in the mirror while drifting in idle thought.


    There were limits to the amount of energy a structure could withstand.


    My house in Kouh wasn''t made to withstand the amount of energy I was outputting during my daily training.


    Had I not been cheap this probably wouldn''t have been a problem, but as it was the house was near collapse and I''d probably have to have a new one built.


    My desire not to burden the clan made me a burden...


    "Hehe..." I let out a humorless chuckle and migrated into the living room.


    Devil construction in the DXD-Verse only took a few minutes but was costly and only reserved for the pillar families or those who were extremely wealthy.


    The clan wouldn''t have a problem with the price but the elders would on my tail about wasting resources.


    I rolled my eyes at the thought of another lambasting from the elders.


    As weak as the elders were, they sure knew how to drive someone to suicide through disgustingly boring speech.


    I huffed in amus.e.m.e.nt and went about gathering my uniform, as I had to arrive early, so I could make a good impression.


    Or so I was told...


    I doubted the queens of Kouh would be happy about another Devil infringing on their territory despite our friendship. A good impression wasn''t likely to matter.


    "Restore State." I shrugged and with a wave of my hand the house was tidy, everything had ''reset'' to the state is was in earlier this morning.


    Dishes were in the cupboards, food was uneaten in the fridge, and my clothes were off my body and back on the couch where I had left them yesterday...


    "F.u.c.k..." That was almost a cool moment.


    But I bumbled it...


    ...


    "Good to see you Sona." I gave her my best cheery smile.


    She didn''t seem to apricate my effort as her gaze was still impassive.


    "Surnothal Agares, your late." Her face remained impassive.


    I was ten minutes early...


    "I ran into a black cat and had to take an alternate route, I wouldn''t want to start my first day of school with bad luck, now would I?" I ignored her frown and kept my cheery smile. "How about I make it up to you?"


    I winked at her while ignoring the disapproving gaze her black-haired queen was giving me.


    "I''ll fix anything around the school that needs fixing." I continued before she could speak. "And kill anyone that needs killing!" I smiled a little too widely and with a little too many teeth.


    Sona''s passive expression broke and she scrunched her nose in distaste.


    "I''ll be sure contact you should I have something that needs ''fixing'' or ''killing''." She held a folder out to me


    "Excellent!" I took the folder from her hand. "I look forward to our jolly cooperation!" I opened the folder and absently browsed it while mentally debating whether to leave the room or to continue the conversation.


    I was put into the second-year and not the third year like Rias and Sona even though we were similar ages, it was a little insulting.


    But that was probably the point.


    "Do you have any candidates for your peerage?" Sona took the choice to retreat from me.


    I shrugged. "Yes." But I wasn''t interested in sharing.


    Sona frowned at my answer, she seemed to have wanted more so I obliged.


    "I''ve gotten a queen already, I''m just waiting on her training to finish." Not that the training would be that useful, Etiquette wasn''t all that useful to any of my goals.


    "It''s been a pleasure, but I''ve got to pay my respects to Rais before she seeks me out and causes a scene." Sona nodded and started towards the door, I let Tsubaki go ahead of me and trialed behind the duo as they left the room.


    ...


    "Rias, good to see you." I nodded at her. "Seek told me to say hi as well."


    Rias smiled and nodded back. "She''s doing well?" I smiled wearily in response.


    "She''s been better, the elders are on her case right now. They don''t like that the Spare is stronger than the Heir." Rias nodded sympathetically, while I smirked. "She''s been working on a space-fairing Mobile Armor though." Against the wishes of our parents and the elders who didn''t want their heir ''wasting time''...


    "Have your eyes on any of the students here?" I said trying to weasel information out of her.


    Rias smiled enigmatically but didn''t answer.


    I rolled my eyes as I already knew who she was after, her silence meant nothing.


    "Do you or Sona want those Fallen in the church taken care of?" Rias shook her head causing me to raise an eyebrow.


    "We don''t want to start a conflict, so we''re observing them for now." I nodded and was about to speak when the bell interrupted me.


    Ring* Ring* Ring*


    "Seems like it''s time to go." I started towards the double doors, as I wasn''t eager to earn Sona''s ire on the first day.


    It wasn''t wise to be late on the first day.


    ...


    Classes were boring, as most learning that was forced upon you was.


    It was nice to have a refresher after twenty-five-plus years of being out of human school, but I wouldn''t waste my time here had I not had an interest in the ''plot''.


    Not that DxD was plot filled...


    "Sigh..." I sighed quietly and ripped my eraser into smaller pieces.


    I took one of the pieces and flicked it, nailing a chubby boy in the back of the head.


    Thunk*


    "OW! Who did that!" He shouted drawing the attention of the entire class.


    I smirked but quickly put on a look of confusion.


    I didn''t realize he was one of the ''Perverted Trio''...


    He looked around for a moment before huffing and sitting back down with a look of annoyance on his face.


    I rolled a hunk of eraser between my fingers while choosing my next target, Kiba looked like he could use some excitement in his life...


    With a smile, I flicked the eraser chunk at him.


    Thunk* Thunk*


    It bounced off his head and hit a second student with its ricochet.


    Kiba didn''t react but the other student gave the students behind him a mean stare.


    When he turned around, I smiled to myself as I had found something to entertain myself with.


    Was it wrong to bully the hapless humans?


    Definitely.


    Was it fun?


    Yes.


    With a smile, I grabbed another chunk of eraser and started rolling it between my fingers.


    I should probably stop so I don''t get caught...


    But a little mind magic could ensure my escapades lasted for as long as I wanted...


    ...


    Snap*


    I leaned into my armchair and with a snap of my fingers, time was reversed and my uniform was neatly folded on the couch leaving myself bare, only covered in underwear.


    "Sigh..." I leaned deeper into the chair and tried to mentally prepare myself for the ''night'' ahead.


    I took a deep breath and became surrounded by magic circles baring the Agares crest.


    "Temporal Lock." I ''locked'' my consciousness outside of time and thus it was no longer affected by it.


    "Temporal Loop." My body and soul were put into a time loop, renewing any energy spent and essentially giving me infinite Magical and Physical power while Temporal Lock stopped me from looping and losing my memories.


    Every five seconds I ''looped'' essentially giving myself infinite power.


    "Quick Time Bubble." My Demonic Power was sapped and replaced in quick succession while I poured my power into the bubble.


    The house and its surroundings were separated from the local time stream and time was sped up within the bubble.


    I made sure to put enough power into the spell to last for a week or one night in ''earth time''.


    I stopped feeding the spell and dropped the Time Loop.


    Time powers were bullshit...


    With that final thought, I returned my consciousness, and thus I was once again vulnerable to the passage of time...


    And what a thought that was...


    With sufficient power, Time was your bitch.


    Time was easy to manipulate so long as you set a boundary or whatever you were manipulating was inorganic.


    Anything outside of that required an insane amount of power...


    Which was available with lots of temporal cheating...


    It didn''t make sense but it didn''t need to, when ''imagination'' was the only limit to what you could do, it didn''t matter how time was supposed to work. Time worked however the hell you wanted it to with sufficient power...


    ''Time powers were bullshit...'' I mentally repeated.


    Clap*


    I clapped to get myself back on track.


    It was time for my ''nightly'' training...


    ...


    School once a week was easily more tolerable than school every day.


    If I didn''t feel like being alone for a week, I''d still give myself two or three days off of school each night.


    "Hmmm..." I nodded as I thought that was ideal.


    "What''s on your mind Surn-kun?" Rias pursed her lips and blinked innocently at me.


    I rolled my eyes at her and didn''t answer.


    "Awww, don''t be like Surn-Kun." She pouted at me while continuing to blink innocently.


    I blew an amused breath from my nose and leaned deeper into her couch.


    "I was just thinking about my queen, she should be arriving any day now." I said with a fond smile.


    Rias looked interested as did her queen who was standing behind her.


    "What''s her name?" Rias continued to blink at me.


    I rolled my ankles and scrunched my toes in preparation for my retreat.


    "Her name is Valerie Tepes." I rolled my neck and shoulders.


    I stood and gave the king and queen a cheery wave.


    "It''s been nice, but I''m heading home." Akeno''s purple eyes met my pink ones and she smiled.


    It wasn''t a friendly smile, so I decided I was indeed right in retreating.


    "Bye, see you tomorrow." Rias smiled and gave me a wave of her own.


    I nodded. "See you tomorrow." I returned Rias''s farewell and retreated.


    With a final cheery wave, a magic circle appeared beneath me and I was whisked away in a flash of light.


    ...


    I wasn''t too sure what I should be doing, other than training and waiting for my queen to arrive.


    My mother had abducted her for ''Etiquette'' training, I thought I''d have her to myself but mother kidnaped her and was now training her to be a ''proper queen''.


    So, no Sephiroth Graal for Surnothal Agares...


    It took so much planning and effort to kidnap Valerie and my mother went and kidnapped her in return...


    Goddammit.


    I winced at the sudden headache.


    "Sigh..." I kicked my shoes off and pushed myself deeper into my armchair.


    I had done a lot of planning and built up a lot of momentum but then mother went and screwed everything up.


    How was I supposed to be mysterious and powerful when my mother could come and ruin my plans whenever she pleased...?


    I had a very short amount of time I could use to exploit my ''canon knowledge'' and mother was screwing me over...


    I had the Graal in my hands and then I didn''t...


    "Ahhhh..." I stared at the ceiling and groaned.


    Gimme my grail...


    ...


    Dammit, he stabbed me in the back...


    "DIE, SHITTY DEVIL!" I ignored the exorcist''s insane screaming and dodged a swing of his Light Sword.


    I stumbled upon him murdering a family, I had intended on leaving and pretending nothing happened but he wouldn''t get off my case and visited my home the next morning to kill me.


    "DIE!" I sidestepped a flurry of Light Bullets and telekinetically ripped the Light Gun out of his hands before he could continue his barrage.


    "Die, shitty bastard Devil!" He jumped at me and swung the Light Sword at me.


    Finally tiring of his screaming, I pointed my index finger at my mid-air enemy and curled it, snapping his neck with telekinesis.


    He landed in a heap in front of me and I got a closer look at his face.


    I just screwed the plot.


    "Ahhh..." I facepalmed and groaned into my hand.


    Why was the exorcist so annoying...?


    I wouldn''t have killed him had he been sane and not annoying...


    ...


    I barged into the Occult Research Club with a cheerful smile on my face.


    "Rias look at what I''ve got." I waved my newly acquired Light Sword around, horrifying the surrounding Devils.


    "Where did you get that!?"


    I ignored Rias shouting for a moment and twirled the Light Sword around.


    "I met a nice guy named Freed who was in the middle of eviscerating a family." I nodded to myself while ignoring Rias''s gasp.


    "He had a Light Sword and I didn''t, I couldn''t let that stand so I killed him and took it for myself." I gave the Sword a little wave.


    "I told you we were observing the church!" Rias yelled at me looking indignant.


    I rolled my eyes and let the Light Sword extinguish.


    "I never went near the church." I jabbed the handle of the Light Sword into my chest causing Rias to flinch. "The Fallen won''t care about one exorcist they have like twenty there." I slid the Light Sword into my pocket. "Besides, why are you so angry." I smiled menacingly at her.


    Rias scowled at me but didn''t speak.


    "Truthfully I wouldn''t have bothered had the guy not chased me down the street." I would have left him to his own devices but he stabbed me in the back and then chased me while I tried to lose him so he could be spared...


    He annoyed the wrong person...


    "Anyways, it''s been fun but it''s nearly time for class." I pointed to the clock, which exposed my lie as it wasn''t anywhere near time for class.


    "Cya!" I waved and made my dramatic exit to avoid questions.


    ...


    I was perched on the roof of the school and watching the perverted Trio as they were savagely beaten by the Kendo club.


    Was this the start of canon?


    Or was this just the usual ''Perverted Trio Beating''?


    The kendo club relented after releasing their wrath and left the comically twitching, beaten, and bruised trio on the ground.


    "Hmmm..." I hummed and rubbed my chin.


    There wasn''t much for me to do, other than creep on Rias and co.


    I could try and figure out how the Fallen were extracting Sacred Gear''s...


    But I didn''t have any intentions of messing with my soul beyond the use of the Sephiroth Graal...


    And Sacred Gear transferring probably entailed soul shenanigans...


    Ring* Ring* Ring*


    The trio collected themselves and started limping towards the school as lunch was over and it was time for forced learning.


    I turned and my eyes met Rias''s who had been making her way into the school.


    "Sigh..." Troublesome...


    I just needed to mind my business for a little longer, at least until Valerie got here...


    Then I could see what the grail could do...


    It seemed to do whatever canon wanted it to do, and hopefully, that applied in this universe...


    Time would tell...


    ...


    I was quite close to my goal of removing my weaknesses and strengthening myself with the Sephiroth Graal.


    And now I was feeling slightly empty and bored.


    I''ve spent years working my way up to Ultimate Class and was close to using grails bullshit powers so I could jump into Super Class or whatever it was called...


    But I''ve never felt emptier and more alone.


    Achieving my long-sought goals seemed to be more of a detriment and less of a boon.


    What would I do when I didn''t have to train anymore?


    Would I indulge in women?


    I doubted it.


    Maybe I''d make the world a better place?


    Nope.


    The Oppai Dragon would probably do that for me, I didn''t know, I wasn''t an avid Dxd fan...


    What would I do when my only goal was accomplished?


    I''ve been striving for power since birth, and soon I''d get that power...


    But then what would I make of my life...?


    Would I just exist for thousands of years?


    That''s what most of the Devils did...


    "What am I going to do...?" I asked the air, begging for an answer of some kind.


    Sadly, no answer came.


    ...


    My moment of existential crisis was interrupted by a flash of light, signaling the arrival of a Devil.


    The light faded and I was left staring into Valerie''s dull eyes.


    "Valerie good to see you." Valerie nodded mechanically which put a frown on my face.


    I could have saved her, had I acted sooner...


    I pushed the unpleasant feeling in my gut down and tried my best to ignore it.


    "How was your ''training''?" I asked as Valerie hadn''t spoken.


    She smiled for a moment but the smile faded and her usual blank look returned.


    "It was nice." Her voice was a soft monotone, and it made my chest feel heavy.


    I took a deep breath trying to rid myself of the feeling.


    "That''s good, I''m happy it went well." I smiled at her and she tried to smile back, but her smile was stiff and fake.


    The feeling was back and my chest felt heavy again.


    "Come sit, I want to try something." I moved over to the couch and patted the cushion beside mine.


    Valerie obliged and took a seat next to me.


    "Alright, let''s see how this goes..." I took a deep breath through my nose and opened my mouth.


    "Temporal Lock." My consciousness was ''locked'' outside of time. "Temporal Loop." My body and soul were put into a time loop.


    I placed both my hands on either side of Valerie''s head, magic circles appeared and hovered above the back of my hand.


    "Restore State." A spell made to return anything living or non-living to their optimum state in time.


    My mana was drained and I stared into Valerie''s eyes, noting that they were still blank.


    Of course, it wasn''t that easy.


    "Mind Restore." A spell made to restore memories. The memories are restored to the point that its as if they never lost them in the first place


    Valerie''s eyes were still blank and the little hope I had for an easy solution shriveled and curled into itself in a corner in my mind.


    "Future Past." The spell returns an object, person, or place to its ''future'' state.


    I let the spell drain my energy for a few minutes before stopping.


    Valerie''s body physically aged before me and her eyes regained some ''light'' but I could tell it was next to nothing.


    Prolonged use of the spell might help her, but it would also age her.


    "Hmmm..." I hummed and mentally ran through my repertoire of Time Bullshit.


    I could ''rewind'' her ''time'' but she would lose her memories, there was also no grantee that her soul would be affected...


    I didn''t want that...


    At least not yet...


    "Temporal Lock." I ''locked'' her consciousness. "Temporal Healing." A spell made to heal, by rewinding time to erase the damage from existence.


    Valerie''s Queen Piece rocketed out of her and hit me in the chest while her body visibly shrunk in a matter of seconds, and the light visibly returned to her eyes.


    I paused the spell. "Do you have your memories?" Valerie''s eyes watered and she smiled while nodding.


    With a nod of my own I continued my work.


    My chest didn''t feel heavy anymore.


    The power of good deeds?


    Maybe...?


    I blew a breath out of my nose and focused on my spells.


    ...

 Chapter 410 - My OC Stash #10 - If I Could Start Again by Taaroko (MCU)

    -Gots to be the best Second Chance!Thor fic i''ve read, the no slash is also a great addition~


    Synopsis: Stormbreaker strikes Thanos a couple inches to the left of where it does in canon, with much more satisfying results. However, revenge alone won''t fill the voids left behind by all that Thor has lost. Time travel canon-divergent AU. Heavy focus on the Brodinsons. No slash.


    Rated: T


    Words: 203K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12962091/1/If-I-Could-Start-Again (Taaroko)


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    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Thor hurled Stormbreaker towards Thanos. It cut through the power of all the stones and struck just where Thor had intended: right at the left shoulder. He landed behind it and bared his teeth in a mirthless grin. This was not a joyous victory, but damn if it was not asatisfying one. The arm hung useless and Thanos''s eyes were wide with pain and disbelief. "I told you you would die for that," said Thor. He pushed the axe even deeper until it severed the arm completely.


    "You''ve doomed us all," Thanos gasped. "I would have saved the universe."


    "You call it salvation, slaughtering half of my people when they were already but a fraction of Asgard''s numbers from mere weeks ago? Wiping out the dwarves and leaving only their king behind to suffer?" said Thor. "You think yourself a just god, capable of making the hard choices, but there is nothing in you but cruelty. My brother was right. You will never be a god."


    Thanos tried to attack with his remaining hand, but with a mighty roar, Thor swung Stormbreaker again, this time for the neck. There was another spray of violet blood, followed by two more thumps. The Titan had fallen.


    All around Thor, the battle was coming to an end. The gauntlet lay on the grass at his feet, still on Thanos''s severed arm. The green gem in the thumb setting faced upward. Time.


    How little time it had taken for Thor to lose everything. His world. His friends. All but a pitiful remnant of his people. His entire family. It seemed incredible that he had cared so much about losing his hair and his hammer so recently. Neither mattered to him at all now, and what was losing an eye compared to nearly everyone he had ever loved?


    He had stopped Thanos. He had gotten his revenge. What was left for him now but to go back to the refugees who''d fled with the Valkyrie? Surely there was nothing else he could do. And yet...


    Thor wasn''t really thinking. Someone was calling his name¡ªRogers, perhaps. People were realizing Thanos had fallen. Thor barely heard them. He used the point of Stormbreaker''s purple-stained blade to pry the Time Stone free of the gauntlet, then bent down and picked it up.


    "Thor, what are you doing?" It was the rabbit. "You shouldn''t be holding one of those things in your bare hand."


    Thor ignored him. He clenched his fist around Time hard enough to drive it into his flesh. Burning green light erupted from between his fingers, growing steadily brighter. He could suddenly see his entire life stretching out behind him. All those centuries of taking everything he had for granted. He saw the future stretching out ahead of him too, in all its possibilities. Many of them showed cause for hope, but none showed the faces he longed to see again.


    Dimly, he could hear voices shouting at him to let the Stone go, but he would not. He clung to it even tighter, though the pain was building. He turned his gaze to the past and yelled as he felt himself unraveling.


    X


    Thor felt a sensation not unlike a missing a step when going down stairs. He was no longer on the battlefield on Earth, being consumed by green fire; instead, he found he was sitting on the steps in one of the feast halls in the palace. There was an overturned table, with food, plates, and cutlery strewn all across the floor. "What?" he breathed.


    Soft footsteps came from behind, and when he turned and saw whose they were, he felt like he''d been struck in the chest. Loki. Very much alive, though his hair was rather shorter than he was accustomed to of late. "Brother?" he said, getting to his feet. "Is this Valhalla?"


    Loki stared at him in confusion. "Valhalla? We are in Asgard. Why would you¡ª"


    He didn''t get the chance to finish his question, because Thor had lifted him off his feet in a crushing hug. "Thor! What are you doing?" Thor only hugged him tighter. His little brother was really here, solid and warm and breathing¡ªwell, perhaps he was holding on too tight for that last one, but he was alive.


    And that wasn''t all. "What''s this?!" Four people walked into the room, three of whom Thor had thought he would never see again. The tears that had begun building up the moment he saw Loki now flowed freely from his eyes¡ªboth of which he now realized felt like his own.


    He was dimly aware of Loki managing to push him off. "If not Valhalla, then surely this is a dream," he said.


    "Brother, what is wrong with you? I thought you would be cross about your coronation, not¡ª"


    "My coronation?" Thor repeated, and then he realized. He remembered flipping that table in his wrath. He remembered Loki coming around the pillar to sit with him, and then Sif and the Warriors Three entering. Right before they went to Jotunheim.


    Right before it all went wrong.


    Time. The Time Stone had sent him back. None of it had happened yet. And now, none of it had to.


    An incredulous laugh burst its way out of him, and he dashed over to his friends, unable to contain his happiness at seeing them again. He hugged Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg (causing the latter to drop his plate), and even Sif, for though she was not dead in his time, it had been years since he''d last seen her. She was the only one whose startlement didn''t prevent her from hugging him back.


    "Well," said Fandral. "You''re certainly taking this setback better than we anticipated."


    "Yes," said Volstagg, determinedly putting together another platter of food. "It hardly seems the moment for such an outpouring of affection, not that I''m complaining."


    Thor paid no attention. He rounded on Loki. "Where are Mother and Father? I must see them." He ran a hand through his hair¡ªwhich was no longer short. "And Heimdall will be in the Observatory." On impulse, he stuck out his right hand. He could already feel the familiar response. "It''s all still here." Mjolnir flew into his hand, and he laughed again through his tears, tossing it up and catching it. It felt oddly small now, but so wonderfully familiar.


    "Thor," said Sif, touching his arm. "Why do you speak as though...I don''t know...as though you''ve been gone for years?"


    "Because I have," said Thor. "The Norns have given me a second chance, and I intend to make the most of it."


    "What are you talking about?" said Loki. He had come around to stand beside the others. All five of them stood before him, exchanging bewildered and concerned looks.


    "I don''t know that you''d believe me if I told you. I''m still not sure I believe it myself." He couldn''t help staring around at absolutely everything. How had he never noticed how beautiful it all was? Home.


    "You must let us decide that for ourselves," said Hogun.


    The smile slid from his face as the weight of everything he''d lived through returned to the forefront of his mind. "My friends," he said, voice full of emotion, one hand on Loki''s neck, the other on Fandral''s shoulder. "I am not the callow fool who thought to sit upon Hlidskjalf today. I am the Thor of a most terrible future. In a mere handful of years since I first lived through this day, I have watched nearly all that I hold dear taken from me while I was unable to stop it." His grips on them tightened. "I have seen Ragnarok, and worse." Their alarm greatly increased at this. Ragnarok was the worst fear of every Asgardian. "But on my life, I will not let it happen this time."


    X


    After that extraordinary pronouncement, Thor strode from the hall, leaving all of them dumbstruck in his wake.


    "Can it be true?" said Sif faintly.


    "You think he was lying?" said Fandral.


    "Thor hasn''t a single dishonest bone in his body," said Volstagg thickly around a bite of cheese. "As incredible as his claims were, he sounded perfectly sincere. I shudder to think what he has experienced. Worse than Ragnarok?"


    "I don''t think he was lying," said Sif. "But how can such a thing be possible?"


    "You know more of magic than any other in Asgard, Loki," said Hogun. "What say you?"


    "I have never heard of magic that can alter time," said Loki. "But that does not mean it''s impossible. However, it is far more likely this is simply an imposter. What better way to engineer Ragnarok than by replacing or taking control of the Crown Prince?"


    That possibility had plainly occurred to none of them, and they all looked horrified. "Then how can we be certain he is truly Thor and under no fell influence?" said Sif.


    "Leave that to me," said Loki, and he left to follow Thor¡ªor whoever he was. This evening was not going at all how he had thought it would. His little scheme with the Frost Giants had successfully delayed the coronation, and right now, he should have been guiding Thor towards something incredibly reckless that would finally prove to Father how foolish it would be to give him a throne. After Thor flipped the table over in his rage, it should have been but the work of a moment to do just that. Instead, in the blink of an eye, Thor had become a completely different man, one who described the Thor Loki knew as a callow fool and acted as though everything around him was wondrous, no longer remotely bothered by the botched coronation.


    He caught up to Thor two corridors later, halfway to the throne room. Thor spotted him. "Good," he said, and he slowed his pace until Loki was at his side. "There is much for both of us to discuss with Father."


    Loki stared at Thor intently. He probed with his seidr for any signs of foreign magics about him. There was nothing but the familiar crackling elemental energy that always resided beneath Thor''s skin. And yet he was still acting nothing like Thor, even in the simple movements of walking. His stride wasn''t a c.o.c.ky strut; rather, there was a quiet self-assurance to his step, and he carried himself with genuine regality, despite the way he kept looking at everything around them like he found it both painful and beautiful. Loki had planned to test the waters carefully, but instead he opted for a more direct approach. "How can I be certain you are not some imposter in my brother''s form?" he asked.


    Thor smiled, but it looked pained. "How would you have me convince you? Shall I recount stories of our childhood or our adventures together?" He asked it without a trace of uneasiness.


    "That would be a start," said Loki.


    "Well, there was the time when we were children when I thought I had found the most magnificent snake, but then it turned into you, and you stabbed me."


    Loki had to bite back a laugh. Thor saw his reaction and chuckled. "I told that story recently, and you had the same response to it then. Why did you do that? I know it was only the first of many oh-so-humorous stabbings, but I never knew what prompted it."


    "I hardly remember," said Loki. "I think we had been learning about some war where the victors won through subterfuge, and you declared that you would never fall for such tactics."


    "Ah, so you felt the need to prove me wrong," said Thor.


    "Naturally."


    "Was that satisfactory, then? Do you believe I am who I say?"


    "It seems increasingly likely," Loki admitted.


    "Well, then there is something we must discuss before we see Father." His tone had become rather stern all of a sudden, and he had stopped walking. The Thor Loki was used to never had the patience for something like sternness; when he disapproved of anything, he would either toss out an insult and then forget about it or else flash straight to anger. Even if this truly was Thor, merely older and wiser, Loki did not like being unable to predict his moods and actions.


    "What would that be?"


    Thor glanced around before saying in a low voice, "I know it was you who let the Frost Giants into the vault."


    Loki only barely succeeded in not reacting. "I don''t know what you''re talking about," he said.


    Thor laughed. "If you''re going to lie, at least put your usual skill into it." Loki glared at him, now seriously weighing the merits of stabbing him. If he was really Thor, it would be excellent revenge for that remark. If not, he would have stabbed an enemy of Asgard. "Don''t worry," Thor went on. "I won''t tell Father. I know your intentions weren''t treasonous; you only wanted to delay my becoming king, and you were right. The Thor you know would have made a very poor king indeed."


    "You have a strange way of attempting to convince me you are Thor. He would sooner cut off his own hand than admit I am right about anything."


    "Experience has been a ruthless teacher. One of its lessons was that I would have done better to listen to my brother''s counsel more."


    Loki stared at him. He''d stopped hoping he would hear words like that from Thor a long time ago. If this was an imposter, he was either extremely stupid or extremely clever.


    "The first time I lived this day, by the end of it, I had started a war with Jotunheim and Father banished me to Midgard as a mortal in punishment. It was a punishment I sorely needed, but it meant that I was not here for you when you needed me most." There was something beyond regret in his voice. Grief.


    Loki felt a great sense of foreboding. When he needed Thor most? He suddenly remembered the first odd thing Thor had said, and the foreboding increased tenfold. What had happened? Was it the war with Jotunheim? Had he fallen in battle? "Why did you think you were in Valhalla when you saw me?" he asked.


    "Because¡­" Thor swallowed hard, and thunder rumbled outside. "Less than two days ago for me, you were murdered before my eyes, and there was nothing I could do to stop it."


    Loki wasn''t conscious of accepting that this was really Thor, but his hand found its way to his shoulder. Part of him had always believed his elder brother was indestructible and untouchable, the golden prince of Asgard renowned across Yggdrasil for his strength and valor, and the best Loki could ever hope for was to be the shadow trailing in his wake. He had never seen Thor hurting like this, and for all that he had schemed lately to keep him off the throne, the sight of him hunching inward as though he was nursing a gaping chest wound was painful¡ªmore so even than the idea of his own death. "I''m here, Brother," he said. Somewhat awkwardly, as he hadn''t been the one to initiate this in a long time, he pulled Thor into a hug. "You have stopped it, don''t you see?"


    Thor let out an incoherent, guttural sound and returned the hug, his shoulders shaking. "I swear to you, I will not fail you again."


    Chapter 2


    Thor eventually mastered himself enough to release his hold on Loki. It was something of a surprise that his brother had allowed the embrace to go on so long, let alone initiated it, but it had gone a long way towards removing any doubts he still had that he was truly back in his own past with a chance to prevent the many calamities he''d lived through. It also gave him hope that things were not so broken between them already that they could not be mended.


    Loki was watching him with his brows furrowed slightly in concern. It was hard to believe how much younger he looked. Had it really only been eight years since this moment? He shifted under Thor''s gaze, fidgeting with his hands as he often did when anxious about something. "Well, shall we go to Father, then, or are you going to stand there all night?"


    Thor frowned. "On second thought," he said slowly, "it might be best to wait until after the Odinsleep. As I have no intention of starting a war today, there is no immediate threat."


    "You? Second thoughts?" said Loki with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "You''ll have me doubting your identity again if you keep this up."


    Thor gave a rueful chuckle. "I''m sorry I cannot put you at ease by blundering my way forward like I always have. There is far too much at stake." Including his relationship with his brother. He would not settle for merely preventing his death, and he would not make the same mistake he had apparently made all his life¡ªthat of assuming that everything was fine just because Loki voiced no discontentment. It had taken him quite a while after the destruction of the Bifrost to understand that his little brother had not simply gone mad over the course of three days. Happy people did not try to destroy entire planets just because they found out they were adopted.


    "You don''t even want to show off your sudden maturity to Father so that he will change his mind about cancelling your coronation?"


    "No, Mother can be regent as usual. One more time will make little difference. Though perhaps I should recommend you for the throne instead."


    Loki''s mouth fell open in a rather comical fashion, but he quickly snapped it shut again, his face reddening and his fists clenching. "If that was a jest, it was not an amusing one."


    "It wasn''t a jest!" said Thor, hastily stepping out of stabbing range, just in case. "You are far more skilled than I in every area of statecraft. Politics, diplomacy, economics, strategy, negotiation."


    "That is not the point. Even if I wanted the throne, Asgard wouldn''t have me!"


    "Why not? You''re as much a prince as I am."


    Loki gave him a look that was equal parts incredulous and withering. "Perhaps you haven''t gained any wisdom from your dark future after all, if you think the people would be just as content with the silver-tongued trickster ruling over them as their golden warrior prince, especially right after they turned out over a hundred thousand strong just to see you begin your first turn as regent. They would think I had used my ''cowardly sorcery'' to usurp your place."


    Thor suppressed a wince. Loki''s tone was one of disdain and indifference, but now that he knew to listen for it, he could hear the hurt it masked¡ªthe longing for recognition and approval he kept buried deep. Words full of bitterness, rage, and despair echoed through Thor''s mind from another time. "I never wanted the throne! I only ever wanted to be your equal." Well, he''d just have to show him that he was.


    He laid his hand on Loki''s shoulder. He hoped he wasn''t making him uncomfortable with the overflow of affection, but after what he''d been through, he wasn''t likely to be able to contain himself any time soon. "Brother, any who fails to see your worth is a fool, and I am ashamed that there were times when I was such a fool, even though it''s been your sorcery saving my and our friends'' lives every other adventure we''ve ever gone on. I might be the king our people think they want, but you are much closer to being the sort of king they need."


    Loki scowled and shrugged Thor''s hand away, but the blush on his pale cheeks told him that he had taken his words to heart, no matter how begrudgingly. "Pretty words, particularly coming from you, but you''re still the firstborn, so don''t think you can just dump your responsibilities onto me just because you''re finally aware of how unprepared you are to shoulder them."


    They began walking in the direction of the family wing of the palace. The first few minutes passed in comfortable silence. Thor continued to drink in every detail of their surroundings, torn between utter joy that it was still here and anguish over his memories of its destruction.


    "Do you truly no longer desire the throne?" Loki asked eventually. Thor looked at him, and Loki raised his hands. "What? All our lives, it''s been ''when I''m king'' this and ''when I''m king'' that, and now you''re not even bothered that I brought Frost Giants to Asgard to sabotage your first regency, and you''d rather Mother or I sit on Hlidskjalf in your stead. Forgive me if I''m having trouble wrapping my head around that."


    Thor ran a hand through his hair, still not used to having it at this length again. "I''ll take it if I must, and I''ll do my best to rule our people well and protect them, but the thought gives me little joy." He smiled, thinking back to his memories of this day. "I remember you asking me if I was nervous before the coronation."


    "Yes, and you laughed me off."


    "I did," he agreed, "but I should have told you why. Part of it was arrogance and my lack of a true understanding of what it means to rule, but the small part of me wise enough to be nervous was still at ease because I knew I''d have you by my side to make up for the ways in which I might fall short. I may have done a poor job of showing it, but I have always been proud to have you as my brother and my friend."


    "Dear Brother, what has happened to turn you so soft?" Loki said it in a tone of mock disgust, and the pleased blush was back, but Thor felt a pang, remembering when he had hurled almost identical words at him in scathing disdain and rage.


    "All those times I spoke of what I''d do as king, I pictured you there as my closest advisor, but I don''t think I''ve ever asked you if that''s what you wanted."


    Loki grimaced and shrugged. "What would be the point? How much freedom does either of us really have to determine what roles we''ll play? You''re for the throne and I''m for whatever advantageous political marriage Mother and Father can arrange."


    "I suppose," said Thor. "But I can at least see to it you aren''t shipped off to Alfheim or Vanaheim or whatever realm it is to live with your in-laws forever, if you''d rather stay on Asgard."


    Loki frowned at him in a way that reminded him of the elevator on Sakaar, which he took as a good sign. "Are you suggesting that whether or not you lobby to keep me here as your advisor would be up to me?"


    "Of course," said Thor. "I''d love to have you here always, but I wouldn''t force you to stay if it wasn''t what you wanted."


    Loki appeared too stunned by this to form a reply. So instead of waiting until the silence could get awkward, Thor changed the subject. "Hey, what do you say we go to Midgard in the morning?"


    Loki''s brow furrowed in confusion and perhaps distaste. "Midgard? Why would you want to go there? Isn''t that where you said Father banished you the first time around? I''d have thought you''d never want to go back after that."


    "Of course I want to go back. I made many excellent friends there and we''ll be needing their help, and they ours, if we are to thwart many of the dangers the next few years will hold."


    Loki gave him a rather condescending stare. "The mortals are barely capable of making it to their own moon. What possible help could they be at thwarting dangers like Ragnarok?"


    Thor grinned. "I suppose you''ll just have to find out when we get to Midgard, won''t you?"


    Loki glared at him. Thor continued to smile brightly, and after a few seconds, Loki rolled his eyes and gave a protracted groan. "Oh, very well, I''ll go with you."


    "Wonderful!" said Thor, thumping Loki on the back hard enough to make him stagger. The prospect of introducing Loki to the Avengers as an ally had him feeling positively giddy. He was sure that Loki and Stark would get on famously, and Loki would be much more use to Jane and Erik in their work than he''d ever been.


    The thought of Jane dampened his excitement somewhat as he entered his chambers. He wasn''t sure what he should do where she was concerned. Should he try to court her again? Avoiding the same pitfalls that drove them apart the first time around would not be the same as getting the jump on enemies he knew were coming. None of those factors had changed. His responsibilities to the nine realms would still keep him away from Earth more often than not. The periods of separation that had felt quite brief to him had been much harder for her. He simply hadn''t been free to prioritize her the way she deserved, and though he gladly would have brought her with him to any realm where she would be reasonably safe, she couldn''t leave the groundbreaking work she was doing behind. In the end, just before he left for Muspelheim, they''d come to the unhappy conclusion that it would be for the best if they went their separate ways.


    Thor did not think it would be right to start something with Jane that would most likely have to end, but he also thought it was unfair that only he held the memories of their time together. Perhaps it would be easier to decide when he saw her.


    X


    Thor''s musings on everything he needed to do to make sure things turned out right this time were cut short by a soft knock on his door. "Thor? May I enter?"


    His heart seemed to freeze in his chest, and he abruptly ceased his endless pacing. "Yes, Mother."


    The door opened, and Frigga walked in. The mere sight of her alive and whole made him feel like a mortal again, or perhaps like a child. He was powerless to do anything but stare. She was so beautiful.


    "I''m so sorry the coronation didn''t go as you hoped, ¨¢stin m¨ªn." She walked gracefully up to him and lifted a hand to his cheek. "Are you terribly disappointed?"


    "No, I am well, Mother," he said hoarsely, covering her hand with his own. He wanted to hold on and never let go. "I know that under the circ.u.mstances, it is best if you act as regent as you have always done before. The Jotnar are less likely to attempt another assault if an experienced ruler sits on Hlidskjalf."


    Her brows drew together and concern filled her eyes. "What is this pain and sorrow I see in you?" she asked.


    "It is nothing," he said. He would destroy Malekith and his Kursed beast before they could so much as lay eyes on her this time.


    "It is not," she replied firmly.


    "It is nothing you need worry over," he amended, catching her other hand too giving both of them a reassuring squeeze. "I swear it. There is much I need to discuss with you and Father, but it would be better to wait until he wakes. I beg you not to trouble yourself."


    She did not look entirely satisfied by that, but she nodded and squeezed his hands back. "Very well. But what will you be doing while your father sleeps? I want to be sure you don''t harbor any wild notions of retribution against the Jotnar or something equally reckless."


    Thor smiled, but it was a little bitter. She certainly knew him well. "Nothing like that. I was actually thinking of going to Midgard tomorrow. Loki too."


    "Midgard?" she said, looking intrigued. "It''s certainly been a while since you last went there."


    He seized upon that for his excuse. "Exactly. Heimdall has said that the mortals have made great advancements since my last visit. I would like to see them for myself. Perhaps they are close to a point where we could start engaging them in trade and building an alliance. It would be good to begin laying the foundations for that, would it not?"


    "You needn''t worry that I will object," said Frigga, laughing. "It does seem an excellent idea. Perhaps you will still get something valuable out of this regency even if you aren''t on the throne yourself."


    He beamed at her, relieved. "Thank you, Mother."


    "Well then, I will leave you to get your rest before you go." She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, and he pulled her to him in a tight hug. Some of the worry returned to her face when they drew apart, but she didn''t press it this time, and left the room.


    X


    Loki occupied himself with a book until he was sure Thor was asleep (the thunderous snores took far longer to start up than they usually did, but they were rather difficult to miss), then crept down the corridor and into his chambers. For the second time today, he was about to do something he probably shouldn''t, but his curiosity was too strong to ignore. He simply had to know more about this future Thor had lived and which had wrought such profound changes in him.


    Thor was sprawled diagonally across his bed on his stomach, arms stuck out to either side, the covers all askew. Loki snorted. He was just as much of a bed-hog now as he had been when they were children sneaking into each other''s rooms because they weren''t used to being out of their shared nursery yet. Loki had woken up on the floor on more than one occasion after going to his big brother''s room for protection from the monsters in his nightmares.


    He hesitated for a moment. Breaking into someone else''s mind was one of the darker applications of seidr. It was supposed to be reserved for use against enemies, to expose their weaknesses or gain valuable information. To do it to one''s sleeping brother without his knowledge was a serious breach of trust. But surely the circ.u.mstances justified it? If everything truly had gone to Hel in the future Thor had come back from, then he was going to need all the help he could get to save it, and how could Loki help him if he didn''t know any details?


    Resolve firming, he crouched beside the bed and pressed the heel of his hand to Thor''s forehead.


    Chapter 3


    There were advantages and disadvantages to using this spell on an unconscious person. The subject didn''t know it was happening¡ªprovided he didn''t wake up in the middle of it. Advantage. The subject''s obliviousness meant the intruder was more able to direct what he saw. Advantage. Dreams and fantasy wove together with the true memories, sometimes to the point where it became impossible to tell where fantasy ended and reality began. Disadvantage. The intruder''s own stray thoughts could veer things wildly off course. Disadvantage.


    Whether the subject was asleep or awake, entering someone else''s mind was different every time, and it was not something determined by the intruder. Sometimes you became a bodiless observer. Sometimes you watched their memories like a play. Sometimes you could walk freely through the constructs of their psyche as though a visitor in their home, with different memories contained in the different rooms. Sometimes you watched their memories as if through their own eyes.


    This time, it seemed to be closest to the third option. First, he found himself standing on the rainbow bridge not far from where the Observatory should have been, except that the great golden sphere was gone. The bridge came to a jagged end, and Father stood at the very edge, holding onto a large, booted foot. Loki peered over and saw that the foot belonged to Thor, who was clutching Gungnir. The Loki of Thor''s memory was holding onto the lower half of Gungnir by one hand. Loki watched himself cry out to Odin, but he couldn''t make out the words. Perhaps Thor had not properly heard them and so could not include them in his memories. The hand slipped farther towards the end of Gungnir''s shaft.


    "No, Loki," said Odin in quiet rebuke. Loki had no idea what this was about, but he watched a light go out in the eyes of the memory version of himself.


    "Loki, no!" said Thor, his voice full of dread and pleading. It made no difference, and Loki watched himself deliberately release the end of Gungnir and fall into a swirling vortex below while Thor screamed.


    Loki didn''t understand. Thor had said he was murdered, but this¡­ Before he could attempt to make further sense of it, everything blurred and shifted, and now he was standing on a ridge of ash-black soil. The place felt lifeless, and it was lit by what looked like a black hole. Svartalfheim? What the Hel were they doing here? He spun around, wanting to get his bearings as quickly as possible. Thor and another version of Loki¡ªboth with rather longer hair than they currently had¡ªwere battling...no, it couldn''t be. Dark elves? But they were supposed to be extinct! A woman was standing near where the long-haired Loki was fighting four elves with daggers. She wore Asgardian garb but was rather more petite than most Aesir women and he didn''t recognize her at all. What was more, even if most of them weren''t fully-fledged warriors like Sif, no Aesir maiden who had seen more than six centuries would stand to the side, weaponless, while her princes did battle. Was she a mortal, then?


    The long-haired Loki finished off the last of the four dark elves, then glanced over to where Thor, whose opponent looked more like a beast than an elf, was being pummelled into the black dirt. Loki watched his counterpart seize something off one of the elf corpses'' belts, along with one of their split-bladed swords, and sprint over to them. He plunged the sword through the beast''s back. This only seemed to anger it, for it turned and impaled Loki onto the portion of the blade that protruded from its chest. Thor screamed again while Loki gasped, though he also slipped the object he''d grabbed onto the beast''s belt. It hurled him into the sand, where he convulsed around his wound. He mustered enough strength to sneer at the beast. "See you in Hel, monster."


    It realized what he had done and scrabbled madly at its belt, but the device exploded, and the creature was sucked, rather gruesomely, into what appeared to be some kind of weaponized spatial anomaly, like a miniature black hole. Thor heaved himself to his feet and ran to Loki, pulling him into his arms.


    The present-day Loki watched this, just as confused as he was by the first scene. Thor wasn''t the most eloquent with his words, but even he wouldn''t have described this as murder, surely. This was an honorable death in battle. The kind any Aesir aspired to¡ªthough Loki would have preferred his own to come a few millennia later. Soon, the Loki in Thor''s arms ceased to speak, and his eyes fell closed as an ashy texture spread over his skin. Thor roared in grief. The skies darkened in this dead realm''s equivalent of an oncoming storm, the loose black dirt swirling up everywhere. Within moments, it had obscured everything, and then the scene shifted again.


    Now Loki was standing in the wreckage of a spaceship he had never seen before, the floor of which was littered with dead Aesir, as well as a few aliens of various species. An anguished cry that was already becoming far too familiar caused him to spin around, and he saw a large purple alien¡ªa Titan?¡ªpulling a lance out of Heimdall''s chest. What was Heimdall doing on a ship instead of standing at his post? Where had his armor gone, and when had his hair ever been that long?


    "You''re going to die for that!" said Thor. Loki was even more startled by his appearance than Heimdall''s. His hair was shorn down to scarcely longer than an inch, there was a patch over his right eye, and the little he could see of him that wasn''t bound in strips of metal looked bruised and dirty. Another strip of metal flew to cover his mouth.


    Loki had an extremely bad feeling about all of this. Only one Titan had ever been spoken of on Asgard. The Mad Titan. Father had waged war against him long ago, before the fall of the Valkyrior. But even with their help, it had been a long and bloody war, and Asgard''s victory had not been absolute. Thanos had been driven from Yggdrasil and sealed outside its borders, and the Tesseract, the prize he had failed to claim from Odin, had been hidden away on Midgard. But now, Loki watched as the Titan crushed the Tesseract in his hand and dropped the Space Stone into one of the settings of the golden gauntlet he wore, which looked to be of dwarven make. It already contained a purple stone, and there were four settings remaining.


    Loki barely had time to process the horror of what this meant¡ªworse than Ragnarok, indeed¡ªwhen a version of himself strode into view, past the Titan''s henchmen. He wore leather armor unlike any from Asgard, though still in his usual colors of black and green. He made rather a business of pledging his loyalty to the Titan, but from where the present day Loki stood, he could see the dagger his counterpart conjured behind his back. So could Thor. Were they truly so pressed for options that one dagger was the best he could do? Apparently so, and it was woefully insufficient. The Titan caught his attack in a field of blue energy, then seized him by the throat with his gauntleted hand. He made eye contact with Thor, who strained at his bonds to no avail, and choked the life out of him.


    The present day Loki sank to his knees, feeling like he might be sick. Murder. Yes. At last, the term applied. How much of this was accurate to the real events? How much was Thor''s subconscious making alterations?


    Shift. They were back on the shattered Rainbow Bridge, but this time it was the one-eyed, short-haired Thor dangling over the edge. Instead of hanging there, holding onto Gungnir, he made a wild grab with his free hand and caught onto Loki before he could let go. "I have you, Brother!" he declared. "It will not be as it was before!"


    A cold laugh made Loki jump and Thor awkwardly crane his neck around. A woman with a great horned headdress was standing behind Odin on the bridge. "No," Odin whispered, but before he could do anything else, she had conjured a wicked-looking black blade in one hand and run him through. Thor and the present-day Loki both yelled, and Odin''s grip slackened. Thor and the dream Loki both fell into the vortex. The woman picked up Mjolnir, which was lying on the bridge, and the scene remained intact long enough for Loki to see the shadow of the her headdress grow until it cast all of Asgard into darkness.


    Shift. Loki found himself running in Thor''s wake through the halls of the palace, running as fast as they could go. "Faster, faster! I can change it!" Thor was growling to himself. The hallway appeared to be lengthening before them. "No!" said Thor, and he pressed even faster. Loki was sure he was only keeping up because none of this was real. At last, Thor burst into the room at the end of the corridor¡ªMother''s private weaving room. He screamed. Loki ran around him and saw that the same creature Thor that had run him through on Svartalfheim had just done the same thing to the Queen of Asgard.


    Shift. Svartalfheim again, but now it was the Titan Thor fought. "Dread it," he said, "run from it...destiny still arrives."


    "NO!" Thor bellowed. Instead of Mjolnir, he fought with an axe wreathed in blue flame. "I''m going to change it! This time I''m going to kill you before you can ever lay a hand on him or anyone else!"


    The Titan landed a punch to Thor''s chest, sending him flying back. At the same time, his other hand shot out behind him and closed around the throat of the Loki who had been creeping up on him with a dagger. "It will always end this way," he said, crushing Loki''s throat while Thor watched. "We stand here on a planet your grandfather killed five thousand years ago, and you think you can prevent the consequences by going back a handful of years? Destiny is coming for you, grandson of Bor, son of Odin, brother of Hela. You and all that you love."


    Thor screamed. His one eye blazed white and lightning sparked off him in every direction, and he sent the axe spinning at the Titan. It thudded home in his chest, and he fell, but there was a dark elf waiting behind him, and the woman with the horned headdress was behind him, sitting astride a massive black wolf, her head thrown back in laughter. Behind her, a fire demon, who grew and grew until he obscured everything else. Thor looked around, and the barren ground was suddenly strewn with bodies besides Loki''s. Frigga. Odin. Heimdall. The Warriors Three. Sif. A dark-skinned Aesir woman in the armor of a Valkyrie. A man in a red and gold suit with a glowing light in the chest. A man in a red, white, and blue suit. A smaller man in nothing but tattered trousers, a greenish tinge fading from his skin. All three appeared to be mortals, and there were several other Midgardians mingled in with the dead Aesir as well.


    Loki couldn''t bear any more of this, and Thor''s subconscious was plainly becoming less coherent anyway. He removed his hand from Thor''s forehead in reality, which abruptly severed the connection, flinging him back into his own head.


    X


    Thor woke very suddenly from a terrible nightmare of death and failure, and he found Loki standing over him, his face white as a sheet. But he barely had time to register his brother''s presence before Loki vanished from sight. A second later, the door flew open and slammed shut again.


    It wasn''t hard to work out what had happened. Loki, presented with a mystery as intriguing as what the next eight years might hold that Thor wanted to prevent, had decided that he would take a look inside Thor''s mind rather than wait to be told. As a younger man, Thor would probably have been furious with his brother for that¡ªassuming he had paid close enough attention to put the pieces together in the first place. But now, Thor''s only priority was Loki''s well-being, so he leapt out of bed and went in search of him.


    Finding the God of Mischief when he didn''t want to be found was no easy task. Loki had already cloaked himself, and no matter how hard Frigga had tried to teach him, Thor had never quite gotten the hang of sensing illusion magic, let alone seeing through it. The day after her funeral had been a rare exception, due more to Loki''s misery than Thor''s perceptiveness. So to find him now, he went from one to the next of all the places Loki could usually be found, calling out for him. He got no response in Loki''s chambers, the library, or any of the little nooks around the palace where he''d once come across Loki reading. By the time he trudged out to Frigga''s garden, he was losing hope of finding him before morning.


    "Loki!" he said loudly, for the hundredth time. "Come out! I''m not angry with you, I only want to talk." He walked between beds of beautifully cultivated flowers and other plants from all across the nine realms and beyond. "Much of what you saw is what I have lived, and it isn''t even the half of it, but none of it is set in stone. I know we can change it!"


    "Do you?" came a voice to his right. He turned and saw Loki materialize beside a tree from Alfheim as he dropped the cloaking spell. "Do you really know that? What if it can''t be changed? You can''t deny that you fear it."


    "I do fear it," said Thor. "More than anything, I fear having to watch those I love suffer and die all over again. But I won''t let that stop me from trying. I have the advantage over our enemies this time. I know more than they do, and I know what they want and where they must go to obtain it. If I have my way, Mother will never so much as lay eyes on a Dark Elf, Hela will never harm another soul, and you will never be within Thanos''s clutches."


    "Then Hela does exist?" said Loki. Thor could understand why that particular point would be of greater interest to him than Dark Elves or the Mad Titan.


    "Yes," said Thor. "It turns out I''m not the firstborn after all. We have a sister. She''s been imprisoned in Niflheim for her crimes longer than we''ve been alive. Father wiped all knowledge of her from Asgard, but she''s the one who slaughtered the Valkyrior when we were boys. When she got free, she massacred most of our people. All the Einherjar. Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun. In the end, the only way we could stop her was by bringing about Ragnarok."


    A long silence followed this explanation.


    "And here I was worried about you on the throne," said Loki eventually, clearly attempting to lighten his own misgivings with humor, though judging from his grimace, it hadn''t worked very well. "Is she what you want to talk to Father about when he wakes?"


    "Not the only thing, but yes."


    There was a pause in which Loki looked around at Frigga''s many carefully tended plants. "The Dark Elves."


    "Not as extinct as we have always believed," said Thor.


    "What happened?"


    "We had stumbled upon the Aether by mistake. Malekith and his army came for it, hoping to remake Yggdrasil in the form they chose, at the cost of all other life in its branches. Mother died defending it. That broke Father, I think, and then you were gravely wounded avenging her the very next day. Mortally wounded, it appeared at the time."


    It was difficult to force the words out, and when he looked at Loki, he saw that his eyes were shining and his fists were clenched. "But you stopped Malekith."


    "I did. And this time we will do it before any of that can happen."


    Loki paused again, and Thor saw him picking at the skin of his palm with his fingernails. "Brother," he said, far more hesitant than he usually sounded. "Did I really attempt to end my own life, or was that mere nightmare?"


    Thor closed his eyes, resisting the urge to grab Loki in another hug. "That was real."


    "It looked like was to happen not long from now."


    "Not long at all. Just three days."


    "Why?" Loki''s tone was one of incredulity mixed with hints of apprehension and contempt.


    Thor looked at him. "I could tell you everything I know about that right now," he said, "but I beg you not to ask it of me."


    Loki''s brow furrowed. "Is it truly so terrible?"


    "It was to you, though I have never fully understood why."


    "And you think you can keep me safe by keeping me ignorant of it?" said Loki heatedly.


    If Loki thought he could provoke Thor into speaking, he was mistaken. "No," he said. "I think it all could have been avoided if you had been told long ago, but I am not the right person to tell you. You deserve to hear it from Father." Loki looked away, not quite managing to conceal an air of sulkiness. "Can you wait until he wakes?" Thor pressed on. "I will speak to him when he does and ensure that you don''t have to wait a moment longer than that."


    Loki took a while to consider. He looked troubled, but after a few seconds, his expression smoothed into something lighter. "The curiosity may drive me mad," he said with an exaggerated sigh of longsuffering, "so it''ll be up to you to keep me too busy to fret over it."


    "Then you still want to come with me to Midgard?"


    He rolled his eyes. "I don''t know that I''ll ever want to go to Midgard, but I''m not letting you make a mess of this by trying to do it all by yourself."


    Thor smiled. "And I don''t have to worry about you using that spell on me again if I go back to sleep?"


    At this, Loki looked slightly chagrined. "I shouldn''t have done that," he said. "It was wrong of me."


    Thor''s smile became a grin. "It''s alright." He slapped Loki on the back. "You''re still easily my favorite sibling."


    Loki scowled, and Thor hastily dodged an oncoming dagger, laughing.

 Chapter 411 - My SI Stash #11 - Optimistic Game by Mirlnir (RWBY)

    -Da 43rd gamer is clearly blessed by the RNG Gacha Gods/


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 56K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/optimistic-game.12817/ (Mirlnir)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    This is a bad idea. A very bad idea.


    ?


    How so?


    What if he rises up to power?


    ?


    No one can be my equal, Game. We both know that.


    True, but he can give you trouble once strong enough. And you''re not letting just anyone reincarnate, but one with a good alignment.


    They annoy me greatly


    ?


    Are they? I find them quite amusing. Definitely more entertaining than evil ones.


    What about the previous 41 Gamers?


    ?


    Oh, those assholes were arrogant and got killed. I simply did them a favor by not torturing them. Besides, I have a good feeling about this one.


    ...I hope you know what you''re doing.


    ?


    Trust me; I do.


    Query... Why did you meddle with his system? You made his... Weaker in ways yet stronger in others.


    ?


    I got bored. I wanted new things. That''s all.


    ...He can''t travel to other worlds until he finishes each of them.


    ?


    Indeed. And his first world is a low-level one, so he''ll be fine.


    ...What will you do if he does reach a level that threatens you?


    ?


    We''ll get to that if he does. He''s still hundreds of thousands of years away.


    ...If you say so.?


    Man, it''s so dark in here. Where am I anyway? I can''t remember anything really. Well, that''s a lie. I remember... a good chunk of my life, but not what happened to cause this endlessly stretched darkness.


    Am I dead? Pfft, what a stupid thought.


    Maybe someone knocked me out? Is that why I don''t remember my name? Oh god, did I lose my memories? But why would I remember almost everything? I mean, does this even happen? I''m not an expert on psychology, but isn''t this a bit weird?


    You''re asking a lot of questions.


    ?


    Am I? I mean, they are definitely-


    ...


    So... who am I talking to?


    The Game.


    ?


    That... Doesn''t exactly tell much.


    It doesn''t have to.


    ?


    ...So are you like, God?


    Why would you think that?


    ?


    I mean... I''m dead, aren''t I?


    You are.


    ?


    Well shit. Goddamn it, I wanted to at least age to 60 before that. Hey, God-


    I am not God.


    ?


    I''ve been a good guy, haven''t I? I always help old ladies to cross the roads and get cats down from trees, can I have another chance? Or am I going to heaven? If that''s the case, then I think dying is fine.


    ...You know, I thought you would at least show a bit of regret about losing your life.


    ?


    Eh, shit happens and now I''m dead. I mean, granted, I had a lot of stuff I wanted to do, but I can''t exactly complain and whine, considering I''m f.u.c.k.i.n.g dead. Besides, I lived a good life... I think.


    ...You had a lot of things to do.


    ?


    Yeah yeah, I get that a lot, so where am I going? Heaven or hell? Please not hell. You know I always believed in you, right?


    Reincarnation.


    ?


    ...Wait, wait, really? I was honestly joking


    As a Gamer.


    ?


    ...P-pardon?


    You are the 43rd Gamer. Congratulations.


    ?


    Perks gained


    [Gamer''s Mind]


    Your mind will calm itself down when needed.


    You are immune to psychological attacks.


    [Gamer''s Body]


    Your body will behave like that of an RPG character.


    Does not regenerate your limbs and you are not immune to scaring.


    Skill gained


    [Observe]


    Gain a bit of information about the target


    Oh my god, YOU ARE ACTUALLY SERIOUS?!


    Now then-


    ?


    YES! HOLY SHIT I''M GONNA BECOME AN ISEKAI PROTAGONIST! THANK GOD I DIED!


    Shut up.


    ?


    HAHA!


    Now, since a certain someone changed how your system behaves, instead of choosing a class, you''ll choose four mastery skills that will grow with you. Two offense, one defense, and production.


    Choose wisely.


    [Melee]


    Sword Mastery


    Dagger Mastery


    Martial Art Mastery


    Axe Mastery


    Spear Mastery


    Scythe Mastery


    Mace Mastery


    [Magic]


    Fire Mastery


    Wind Mastery


    Water Mastery


    Earth Mastery


    [Ranged]


    Bow Mastery


    Crossbow Mastery


    Gun Mastery


    [Armor]


    Light-Armor Mastery


    Medium-Armor Mastery


    Heavy-Armor Mastery


    Shield Mastery


    [Production]


    Engineer


    Alchemist


    Enchanter


    Blacksmith


    Runesmith?


    So many to choose from...


    First, I''m obviously choosing swords. I mean, how many legendary swords are out there? Excalibur? Muramasa? If I get my hands on one of them, then I basically win.


    Mastery Skill gained


    [Sword Mastery] (LV 0/100)


    Your skill in the sword is that of a novice


    Increase sword damage by 1%


    Alright, so magic.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    F.U.C.K.I.N.G MAGIC!


    Oh my god, I can use magic?! How cool is that?! It''s any boy''s dream to shoot fire out of their hands! Sucks there''s no Ice magic though, I mean, I could freeze time as Esdeath did!


    2 Reputation with ? [2/100]


    Huh?


    Don''t worry about it.


    ?


    Oh, well, okay.


    If it''s no ice magic then Fire. It''s the next best thing after all.


    Mastery Skill gained


    [Fire Magic Mastery] (LV 1/100)


    Your skill in fire magic is that of a novice


    Increase fire damage by 1%


    Skill gained


    [Fireball] (LV 1/10)


    Throw a fireball that deals 50 fire damage


    Costs 25 MP


    Armor... in games like Skyrim, I usually take Heavy Armor and play a paladin-like class, but this isn''t Skyrim, and I think dodging shit is better than absorbing damage. It''d definitely hurt less...


    [Light-Armor Mastery] (LV 1/100)


    Your skill in light-armor is that of a novice


    Increase light-armor effectiveness by 1%


    And finally production... I''ll admit, all of them are useful on their own. With Engineer, you could make a lot of useful gadgets. Jetpacks, plasma rifles, and probably an Ironman suit, but Alchemists could probably save a lot of lives, and they''re much easier to produce...


    Enchanter is amazing as well. I could probably make a legendary weapon if I''m skilled enough... Same with Blacksmith and Runesmith though...


    ...I probably should choose Alchemist. I could fix a lot of problems with it. I could one day maybe cure any terminal illnesses, Like cancer or AIDS. Who wouldn''t want to do that?


    Also, money.


    Lots and lots of money.


    [Alchemy] (LV 1/100)


    Your skill in alchemy is that of a novice


    Increases potion effectiveness by 1%


    Finally done. Now choose your race.


    [Human] [?]


    ?


    And the question mark is...?


    Who knows. Care to take a risk?


    ?


    ...You know, when I played FGO, I got three five stars in a row once... So I have faith in the Gacha Gods.


    Question Mark!


    [Human/? Hybrid]


    A perfect breed between a human and a ?


    Your mastery skills gain 10% more EXP


    Your ? side gives you double gain in STR and VIT. You start with 50 CHA


    Discover your heritage to unlock more of its powers.


    Okay, okay. At least I am not a goblin or something. A part of me almost regretted choosing it.


    And a 50 charisma right off the bat? That''s definitely not a goblin.


    One more thing before you go. You have the option of getting three perks for a single flaw that will haunt you for a long time. Would you like to try?


    ?


    Three for one? That seems... Incredibly unbalanced.


    I don''t want you to be telling me that.


    ?


    Um, okay. I guess I''ll do it.


    Perks gained


    [Blessing of the Fire God]


    Fire spells deal x2 damage and cost 50% less


    Fire will bend to your will, as you control what is burned and what is spared


    You can change the color of your flames to whatever suits your taste


    [Haki]


    You have the ability to use the three Haki powers.


    [Chaos Conversion]


    Receive a progressive boost to your movement speed for each point of mana spent and receive a progressive boost to your physical damage for each point of fire damage done.


    0.1% Movement speed boost per mana point spent.


    0.1% Physical damage buff per point of fire damage dealt.


    Movement speed boost and physical damage buff cap at x2.0 (200% increase)


    Dissipates after leaving combat.


    Skills gained


    [Haki: Armament] (LV 0/10)


    Coat your skin in tough armor, strengthening your defense, and increasing your striking power. You are able to his intangible beings with this active


    Increases your DEF by 0. Increases by 50 for every level


    Increases your Hand-to-Hand damage by 0%. Increases by 10% for every level


    Requires 50 STR for every level


    [Haki: Observation] (LV 0/10)


    You have a powerful sixth sense, making you aware of attacks before they even happen.


    Requires 50 DEX for every level


    [Haki: Conquerer''s] (LV 1/10)


    Impose your will on others, intimidating them to the point of freezing in fear or outright knocking them out.


    Requires 50 CHA for every level


    Flaw gained


    [Battle Manaic]


    You live to fight, and you''ll do anything for a good one.


    HAKI! YEAH!


    F.u.c.k, I''ve always wanted to knock out others with a glare.


    OH! Am I going to One Piece?! If that''s the case, then f.u.c.k Luffy! I''ll become the Pirate King!


    You don''t seem to be very worried about your flaw.


    ?


    Eh, I can handle it. I have Gamer''s Mind to help me out.


    ...Very well.


    ?


    So, where am I going?


    You''ll know when you get there. I take it you''re ready?


    ?


    Yup! Beam me up, Scotty!


    ...I have no idea what she saw in you.


    ?


    What?


    You will be reincarnated in 5


    ?


    Wait, hold up, what do you mean she?


    4


    ?


    Uh, God?


    3


    ?


    Yeah, okay, fine. Don''t respond, that''s cool.


    2


    1?


    My eyes shoot wide open as I gasp. That... Wasn''t very pleasant, holy crap.


    I take a quick glance around the area, thick dark bushes and huge trees surround the place. Slowly getting on my feet, I get a feel of my face.


    ...Yeah, I definitely look different. Too bad there''s no mirror around.


    ...Er, I think I look different? I... can''t seem to remember what I look like. Oh well.


    So, where are am I? It''s a forest obviously, but what world? Is it a place I know? Hopefully.


    I should walk around. Maybe I could find something that will lead me to a nearby town or something.


    Let''s see... Status?


    Name: Reid Astera


    Age: 16


    Race: Human/? Hybrid


    Alignment: Neutral Good


    Level: 1 (0%)


    HP: 500 [Regens 50 per minute]


    MP: 500 [Regens 50 per minute]


    AP: 250 [Regens 25 per minute]


    STR: 10


    VIT: 10


    DEX: 10


    INT: 10


    WIS: 10


    CHA: 50


    LUK: 10


    Points: 0


    HP = VITx50 (Hybrid Bonus)


    HP Regen = VITx5


    MP = INTx50 (Hybrid Bonus)


    MP Regen = WISx5


    AP = 250 AP per Level


    AP Regen = 10% of AP


    500 MP at level 1? Could it be my hybrid race? But what could give me increased STR, VIT, CHA, and extra MP? A vampire? That''s the only thing I could think of...


    And my name is different from my old one. I don''t remember it, but I know it''s something else.


    And what''s AP? That''s the only clue about what world I''m in I have now.


    Hey, uh, God, or Game? Can I have a plain sword or something? I don''t feel safe here...


    Iron Longsword added to Inventory


    Thanks!


    I take out the weapon and use my first ever observe.


    Iron Longsword


    Deals 50 + STRx1.2 Physical Damage


    Nodding to myself, I keep walking forward, wondering what I''m gonna do once I find civilization. I probably should grind until I''m strong enough and not worry about sleep or food since Gamer''s Body didn''t really mention either of these things, but I need to at least know what I''m dealing with here. Information is the most vital thing you could get after all.


    At the corner of my eye, I spot two red spots glaring at me. I stop my movement to stare it back, gripping my blade tightly. For a silent minute, a black beast leaps at me. I back off and shoot a fireball on instinct.


    ...So RWBY? That''s a relief.


    Observe


    Young Beowulf


    Level: 5


    HP: 400/500


    This shouldn''t be too difficult. I think I can take it.


    It snarls and rushes me, causing me to roll out of the way as I shoot another fireball. It recoils a bit and I use the chance to get close, getting a good three hits on it before backing away.


    It roars and leaps again and I duck under it, slicing its leg off and throwing four fireballs, burning it to ashes.


    +25 EXP


    That wasn''t as bad as I thought it would be.


    And as soon as I thought that, two more Beowolves jump out and attack me. I evade them by rolling out of their way and shooting a fireball at the first one. The second growls and charges. I side-step and slash its shoulder. The other one managed to land a hit on me, reducing my Aura by 83 points. I grunt and blast its head with fire, knocking it away. I smirk a little and rush the one I slashed and narrowly dodge a bite attack, then slice its head off with a swing.


    Without wasting any time, I rush the stunned one and stab its belly. It howls in pain but I shut it up as I shoot a fireball down its throat, burning it from the inside.


    +50 EXP


    Whew, that was fun.


    But RWBY huh? I guess I''m safe then. I mean, I was kinda worried that I spawned in DC or Marvel.


    If that is the case then I can now think about my next course of action.


    Obviously, my goal here is stopping Cinder and her goons from destroying Beacon. But how? I don''t exactly know when I revived. She could''ve already destroyed it after all.


    But let''s say that I''m like a week away from canon. That gives me enough time to get Beacon and stop here from there. It will be difficult, with her half-maiden power, but If I train hard enough, I don''t think I''ll be having trouble with her. Probably get Qrow''s help with her minions too.


    ...Or, if maybe I was revived even earlier, like a month or something, then I could probably derail all her plans by saving Amber. She would know Cinder''s face and Miss Fire Bitch will never set foot on Vale.


    New Quest


    [In Shining Armor]


    Objective: Save Amber from Cinder and her goons


    Rewards: 1 Gacha Token, 1000 Credits, 5 Random Stat Crystals, Greatly Increase Reputation with Amber, Increase Reputation with Ozpin''s Circle, Canon starts earlier.


    Time Limit: 7 Days, 7 Hours, 51 Minutes


    So I can save her, but it will be very difficult. Doable though.


    Alright, so, get strong enough then find Amber and tail her. Once they attack, ambush them when they least expect it.


    But the first thing I should do is find out where I am-


    I spot a gravestone, and once I read what''s on it, I instantly know my location.


    "Summer Rose. Thus I kindly scatter..." I mutter quietly.


    In Patch then.


    That''s... shit, that''s bad.


    Patch is an island surrounded by water. How the hell am I gonna get to Vale?


    I... think I should worry about that later. Right now, I''m nowhere near as strong as hunters, and I need to be strong enough so I can handle Cinder and those two morons.


    And hopefully, I don''t run into Ruby or Yang. Why? Well, easy.


    Meeting Ruby/Yang = them telling Qrow about me = might get him interested = most likely meeting Ozpin when I don''t want to.


    It''s probably my paranoia speaking, but I really don''t want to tell anyone that this world is actually an anime.


    Not even a good one at that.


    Well, I think I overstayed my welcome here. I should go now.


    With one last glance at Summer''s grave, I go back to the forest.


    (A day Later)


    Name: Reid Astera


    Age: 16


    Race: Human/? Hybrid


    Alignment: Neutral Good


    Level: 15 (61%)


    HP: 2000 [Regens 200 per minute]


    MP: 1250 [Regens 125 per minute]


    AP: 3750 [Regens 375 per minute]


    STR: 40


    VIT: 40


    DEX: 25


    INT: 25


    WIS: 25


    CHA: 65


    LUK: 25


    Points: 70


    Okay, so, I learned a lot of things in the past 24 hours. First, when I level up, I get one stat point in all stats, but because of my hybrid race bonus, I get two in STR and VIT. I also get 5 extra points wherever I want, so I think those ones are if I want to focus on a fighting style. I''ll be balanced of course, but I''ll keep them for now.


    Second, I don''t get a perk once a stat reaches the 50 mark. I don''t when I''ll be getting a perk if even I do, but I hope it''s soon.


    Third, my theory was right. I don''t need to sleep, eat, or drink. I kept killing and fighting every Grimm I saw non-stop. That is useful to have.


    And finally, the Grimm.


    I duck under a Beowulf''s swipe and slice it''s arm off, then blast it with fire, incinerating it completely.


    10 EXP


    There are not many powerful Grimm here. All of their levels range from 2 to 10. Why don''t I have ID create or something?


    It was taken away.


    ?


    By whom?


    Someone you don''t want to mess with.


    ?


    ...You like being cryptic, don''t you? Whatever.


    What about dungeons then? Are there even any dungeons?


    Yes. You must find them first. Once you do, you must kill anything in close vicinity to the dungeon. That will give beings the chance to drop the key.


    ?


    Is that so? How many dungeons are there?


    There are currently 565 dungeons throughout the world, with 71 in Vale and 2 in Patch.?


    That doesn''t seem like a lot. Unless you''re telling me that Remnant is smaller than Earth?


    It is not. They are the same size.


    ?


    Hmm... Well, no point in thinking that far ahead. I''m sure I''ll find one eventually.


    Now that I leveled up my Sword Mastery and Fire Mastery to 10 each, I think I should focus on Alchemy now. There is a chance that I fail, and if I do, then healing potions could help Amber stabilize.


    I already gathered a lot of stuff. Flowers, wild berries, tree leaves, and other plants. I just need Alchemy tools.


    Can I get some?


    No- ... Very well.


    ?


    Basic Mortar and Pestle added to inventory


    Glass Vial added to inventory x10


    Basic Mortar and Pestle


    You can make first Tier potions with this.


    Thank you.


    Now, let''s try adding a few of this with a bit of that, mix them together, and...


    ... ... ...


    Nothing is happening.


    Mix your Mana with it.


    ?


    Ah.


    Vial of Poison - Tier 1


    Coat it on your weapon to deal + 20 Poison Damage for 5 hits


    So it takes a bit of mana too? That makes it hard to replicate then.


    Let''s try it again, but mix other things...


    Health Potion - Tier 1


    Heals 2% of your max health


    Alchemy leveled up


    Only two percent? Well, I guess I could understand. I''m still a beginner after all.


    Hold on, I have an idea.


    What if I use the same ingredients... but mix it with Aura too?


    Aura Potion - Tier 1


    Heals 2% of your Max Aura


    It worked!


    If I sell this then... oh f.u.c.k yeah, I''m gonna be rich. Selling something others can''t replicate is a sure way of getting easy money. I''ll probably get Ozpin''s attention but who cares? He can''t drag me to his side.


    The SDC? Get out of here. I''ll be richer than you, just you wait.


    All I need is a bit of time...


    I spent the rest of the day using all of my vials for potions and leveling up some more. I''m currently level 20, which means I can use Armament, and I made 1 Mana potion, 5 Health ones, and 1 Aura pot. My alchemy is level 4, while Fire and Sword Masteries are 13 each.


    A quick glance at my quest tells me that I only have 5 days until Amber is attacked. I don''t have enough time...


    I need to get out of Patch and search for Amber. I know she''s in Vale, but I don''t know where exactly. Finding her in five days will be difficult but I can do it.


    I already found the town, so that problem is out of the way. I just need money for the fee to Vale. From there, I could travel around the continent. Call it a hunch, but I don''t think Amber was attacked far away from the city, so I should start my search from there.


    And how am I gonna earn money? Well...


    "Come and try out my magical medicine! A small Vial can heal a cut to your skin instantly!"


    Making me a makeshift stall out of cardboard boxes was kinda annoying, but I did manage to sell two HP vials for now, and that got me 400 Liens. Too much? Not really, a Dollar is 100 Lien apparently. And a fee requires 500.


    I think people gave this try because of my CHA stat.


    By the way, I look hot. Like holy hell, this is not normal. I got that badass white hair, deep blue eyes, and fair skin. I look like a damned prince.


    A prince selling crude potions on a cardboard stall.


    sigh


    I wonder what I looked like in my past life?


    "You sir!" I point at a random man. He looks at me and points to himself in askance. "Yes, you! Would you like to try this magical medicine? It''s only 200 Liens!"


    "I-I don''t know-"


    "Please, I insist!" I press on. "I promise you it''s 100% legit!"


    He grimaces while looking between my grinning face and the vial. He takes a whole minute before sighing. "Fine."


    "Excellent choice my good sir!"


    Charisma stat for the win.


    +200 Lien


    "Thank you, come again!"


    And that is enough for a ride.


    But I stayed for a while more, selling the rest of my health potions and getting an extra 600 Lien. It should be enough for now, since I don''t exactly need food or sleep. If I need anymore I could just buy more vials and make more potions.


    I probably shouldn''t sell my shit here very close to Ozpin and Qrow, but the moment they get here, I''ll be gone.


    Now! Next stop? To the city of Vale!


    Or back to the forest.


    The docks close at 8 apparently. Kinda inconvenient, but I can finish the quest in four days...


    Hopefully.


    I''ll spend the rest of the night killing Grimm and leveling up. I still doubt I''m even a match to Cinder, but I''ll at least be able to stall them until Qrow arrives. After he does, then run away. I''m not getting entangled with Ozpin''s group.


    Whatever happens though, I''m sure it will be just fine.


    (Ruby)


    "Hey, mom." She greeted, a sad smile on her face.


    How many times has she visited now? Too many to count.


    "It''s been a while." She said. "But training with uncle Qrow and dad has been hectic lately. I think they''re getting Yang ready for Beacon and dragged me into it."


    She looked down at her feet. "Sorry I don''t visit you as much. It must be lonely here, huh?"


    She frowned a bit. "...We miss you."


    A moment of silence.


    "My dad told me that you got to Beacon a year early." Ruby changed the subject. "How cool is that? I wish I could be like you. You must''ve been an amazing huntress."


    So why did you leave us? Was left unsaid.


    Ruby shook her head. "I-"


    It was then that she heard the howl of a Beowulf.


    "Huh?"


    She looked to her left, where the voice came from and a hand slowly gripped her weapon.


    That was strange. Beowolves don''t just howl at midnight. They never howl unless they were attacked or attacking.


    Is someone there?


    Another howl, but this one was cut short abruptly.


    Ruby narrowed her eyes and ran to the place, skillfully evading whatever was in her way while using her Semblance. She stopped to see a ball of fire hitting a Beowulf and incinerating it.


    She turned her head to the source of the attack and spotted an older boy dodging the Grimm coming from behind him and killing it with a stab to the head.


    "That''s the last of them..." He muttered. "If that''s all of the Grimm here I''m gonna be seriously pissed. They barely gave any EXP..."


    What?


    He sighed. "Well, if that''s it, then I should probably focus on Alchemy."


    What is he talking about? EXP? Alchemy? Is he talking about a video game?


    Ruby backed away a slowly, remembering Yang''s words about not hanging around weirdos. Just a bit and she can just go home. No need to-


    Crunch!


    Darn it!


    He whipped his head to where she was and his left hand burst into fire. He smirked. "Guess there''s still a few here."


    "W-wait! I''m a human! A human!"


    She got out of the bushes and flailed her arms around in panic. The boy widened his eyes, the flames in his hand sizzling out.


    Ruby let out a sigh of relief. "What are you doing here?"


    "What am I doing? What are you doing?" He responded.


    She winced slightly. "I-I was hearing Beowolves and I thought someone was being attacked."


    "Is that so?" He sighed, rubbing his neck. "God, you scared the hell out of me."


    "Sorry..."


    "It''s fine." He waved it off. "I''ve been simply getting rid of Grimm top close to the edge of the forest. Pretty annoying but it works up a sweat, so there''s that."


    "At midnight?"


    He smirked. "It''s more challenging this way."


    She could... kinda understand what he means. It is fun fighting strong Grimm sometimes.


    Still very dangerous.


    "By the way," He started. "Could I interest you in some special medicine?"


    Aaaaand that''s her cue to leave.


    "W-wait hold on!" He stopped her. "It''s 100% legit! I promise!"


    "My dad told me not to talk to strangers. Bye."


    "Look, I know it sounds very suspicious but I swear there''s nothing weird about it!"


    She stopped and regarded him with narrowed eyes. "What''s this medicine you''re talking about?"


    "Glad you asked!" He grinned widely and pulled out a small vial with a golden liquid inside. "This little thing here once gulped up, will regenerate a small percentage of your Aura. And it is completely harmless."


    He gave it to her and she inspected it. He continued. "And no, they don''t taste bad."


    She looked between him and the vial repeatedly. He doesn''t seem to be lying, and if what he''s saying is true then...


    "I don''t have any money on me."


    "That''s fine!" He assured her. "You can have this one for free, but I want you to promise me to visit my store once it''s open. Fair?"


    (Reid)


    Ruby looks a bit conflicted.


    Aw, she''s so adorable. I definitely didn''t want to meet either her or Yang at this time, but looking at her face makes it almost worth the risks.


    Almost.


    She doesn''t exactly trust me, but my CHA stat is making this a bit easier for me, getting her to at least give me the benefit of the doubt.


    "Okay." She agrees, pocketing the Aura potion in her pocket.


    Yes!


    "Thank you for your patronage!"


    "Right..." She says. "I''ll be going back home now. Take care."


    "Hope to see you again!" I say my goodbye as she leaves the forest.


    Nice job me! Now you got a customer that will most likely tell her team about your future shop.


    Besides, Ruby will be in a team with Weiss, and Weiss will probably give my place a try.


    Making connections currently is a smart move. SDC won''t see me as a threat for a long time, and getting Weiss on my side will protect me from anything bad coming from them.


    Man, I''m such a genius.


    Now, back to grinding.

 Chapter 413 - My SI Stash #13 - How to Dragon by Xahn (Multicross)

    -Da client aka da commissioner just wants a waifu yoinker type of MC, W/


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 40K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/how-to-dragon-waifu-catalog-multi-cross-commission.12722/ (Xahn)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1.0-1.2 (exceptional)


    You know, this wasn''t how I expected my Saturday to go¡­ Maybe Crazy Uncle Bob wasn''t so crazy after all¡­ I thought to myself as I tumbled through the air. Zero Gravity was hard to navigate. At least my cell was brightly lit, and no Aliens had come to stick a probe up my ass yet.


    Granted, not many people expect to bump into two Greys in a trench coat and fedora on their way home from work. And I do mean two Greys and one trench coat. Little bastards were standing on top of each other, like those old comics of kids trying to sneak into an R-rated movie. How no one saw them, or reacted to them I don''t know. Their human disguise was so bad¡­ The fedora barely fit the top aliens head, and the second aliens head poked out of the center of the coat.


    "Come with us, if you want to c.u.m." The bottom alien said.


    "wat."


    "Too late." the top one said, lifting an arm and pointing what looked like a toy raygun at me. He pulled the trigger and well¡­


    ZAAAAAP?


    I woke up, floating upside down, in a brightly lit cell. If i was lucky these would be the Aliens Uncle Bob always talked about. "The best matchmakers in the entire galaxy," he would say, "if a little weird." The entire family would roll their eyes whenever he got going, but he had a really hot wife. Pale skinned with a mess of wild dark hair, and a bright cheerful personality that somehow managed not to clash with her gothic aesthetic.


    A Grey in a white jumpsuit walked into my field of view. From my perspective he was walking across the ceiling. "I did not realize your species enjoyed zero gravity." It said to me in surprisingly good English. "No. I am just psychic. We communicate telepathically if we don''t speak the same language." Huh, neat. "It is."


    Out loud, I said. "We don''t actually like being weightless, but I woke up like this and have no idea how to get down."


    "I see¡­" the alien walked up to my cell door. And started poking buttons. "Stupid Po''el-Roh''Grz. Can''t be bothered to do his job and reset the gravity." Suddenly there was gravity in my cell again, and I smashed head first into the ground.


    "Ow."


    "Oops. Sorry." The damn alien didn''t sound apologetic at all. "No worries," the Grey said to me, "something like a minor concussion won''t negatively impact your performance."


    "Performance?" I slurred from the floor, still laying in a crumpled heap with my legs in the air.


    "Oh yes." The alien tried to smile, revealing a mouth full of far too many needle-like teeth. "You meet Steele Inc.''s strictest hiring standards."


    "Steele Inc.?"


    "Yes, we are the Multiverse''s largest purveyor of P.o.r.nography.


    "Hiring standards?"


    "No one will miss you, now that you''re gone."


    "Gee. Thanks."


    "Don''t worry, play your cards right and you''ll never even want to go back to your old life. And if, for some dumb reason you still do, you can eventually buy out your contract and return. No idea why anyone does that, but it happens." it pushed another button, and the cell door slid open, "for now you have your first meeting with management."


    It took me a few tries to stand up, but eventually I managed to get up and follow the Alien down the twisting metal hallways. When we finally arrived I was absolutely exhausted. I collapsed into a strange floating metal chair, while I waited for the Grey''s boss. Helped myself to some of the more recognizable foods on the table in front of me too.


    After a few minutes of gorging myself on refreshments (Hey! I hadn''t eaten in at least 18 hours alright? Work was busy, alright?) a grey in a sharp business suit walked in through the far door. "Good evening." It greeted me, "I''m sorry about the delay, it was the last day before retirement of the capture team, they decided to goof around instead of doing their job properly. They just stunned you and tossed you in a cell, instead of giving you the rundown." It sat in a much smaller chair across from the table. "The job we have for you is pretty basic. And right up your alley I believe."


    "All I know is you guys make p.o.r.n, and kidnapped me for something."


    "You''re not wrong." It slid a fancy futuristic looking tablet across the table to me. "Our client requested we produce a special show for them." there was a clicking sound, and a hologram was projected out of the tablet. The air in front of me was field with over a dozen beautiful women. It took me a moment to recognize them but¡­


    "Wait a minute¡­"


    "You recognize them, correct? Our client wishes for someone to claim as many of these girls as possible. Before someone else claims them for himself."


    "That''s the female cast of Highschool DxD. Just not Anime."


    "That is correct. Our Client has a burning hatred for Hyoudou Issei, and wants to see him cry tears of agony with every girl you claim."


    "Well, I never liked the little shit anyway¡­ but uh¡­ how am I supposed to do that. As much as the little perv pisses me off, I''m me. And he has a Dragon for an arm."


    Another click and the hologram changed to a list, a long, long list, full of options. "Some of your choices have been locked in due to the Clients request. But you should have...Two hundred and fifty five credits left to purchase upgrades for yourself. Or, if you''d rather have others do your work for you, you can turn to section 2 and pick a few Women to serve you."


    "Holy Shit." I swore, looking through the lists, "that''s a lot of hot fictional women."


    "I personally don''t see the appeal." The Grey said, "but humans appreciate them."


    I made a mental note of some of the hotter one''s I''d like and with a little fumbling managed to open up Section 0 of the doc.u.ment, the one that had all the presets, and their explanations. "This doesn''t look too bad." I said, "I get a nice house, a place of business, and the option to be sent to different worlds after I complete a job, if I don''t have enough credits to buy out my contract."


    "That is correct."


    "What''s this No bindings thing mean?"


    "If you turn to section 1 you''ll see the options for bindings. However, our Client specifically requested for you to make the woman throw themselves at you. Like they did to Issei. He used¡­ more colorful language. But the sentiment was the same."


    "Damn¡­ some of those look really fun¡­"


    "Well, yes, but you do get a discount on all purchased women."


    "There is that." I flipped to the next section, the one with personal upgrades in them. "Wait¡­ I can become a dragon?"


    "Or a devi¡­"


    "Taking that," I cut the Grey off, "and the upgrade. Gonna show that annoying Perv how to be a real Dragon. Wish I had more points to spend¡­ those other upgrades look really tempting."


    "Well¡­ you do get paid extra credits for ''capturing'' women. Normally this is done with the stamp binding. But for you, you either need to have them swear undying love for you, or kidnap them and lock them in the bas.e.m.e.nt of your ''Sweet Home.''"


    "Let me guess, the Client prefers the first option?"


    "Indeed."


    "Hmm¡­ I scrolled through the personal upgrades until I was one under the Dragon branch that caught my eye. "This is a binding that''s not grayed out, is that a bug?"


    "Hmm¡­ no, that''s a Dragon specific binding. And considering it needs to placed by asserting your dominance, preferably during a s.e.x act, I don''t think it counters the Clients request. Give me a moment to message them." The Grey pulled a plain looking smartphone out of his pocket and started talking to the person on the other end in a language I didn''t recognize. "He says as long as the mark is easily visible, and it''s during penetrative s.e.x he has no problems with you using that binding. He also started cackling when I told him you decided to become a better dragon than Issei."


    "Neat." And purchased! The rest of my points were spent on some basic upgrades. Like the ability to fight, a fancy self driving SUV, cleaner s.e.x, and a boost to my massaging capabilities, and cooking skills. And I still had 20 points left over. Maybe I should grab a girl to help me on my quest? "He has no problems with me starting with a girl does he?


    "As long as it''s not one from the world we''re sending you to."


    "Sweet." I scrolled through the seemingly endless list of girls available until¡­ "Holy Shit, is that Nana Shimura? Or Shimura Nana I guess, If I''m heading to weebland."


    The Grey chuckled, "Yes it is, and yes you are."


    "Sold!" Amazonian Flying Brick with a transferable power? Even if I wasn''t planning to take One for All from her, the fact that she had it at all¡­ "so¡­ do I have to work to win her over? Or does she not count towards the no bindings rule?"


    "No Bindings means no Bindings. You''ll have to bite her if you want any sort of control."


    "Drat. I''ll think of something."


    "I''m sure you will. If you''re done with the purchases click accept. I would si¡­" I hammered the accept button as fast as I could, and immediately collapsed. "..it down first¡­" the Grey sighed, while I thrashed around on the floor in excruciating pain, as my body changed. "Once the transformation is complete You will have a day to acclimate to your changes before we send you down." I could only whimper in reply, "You will be starting your first year at Kuoh Academy shortly. I believe we''ve penciled in two weeks of prep time for you before school starts."


    "Fankth." I try to say though a mouthful of the expensive looking carpet. He said something into an intercom and four new Greys in jumpsuits come in. Each one grabbed me by a limb, and together they dragged me out of the office, and down into what looked like a high ceilinged gym.


    Once they left, and I was finally able to get up, I realized I was swimming in my clothes. I lost a foot and over half my body weight. I wandered around the room for a minute until I found a mirror on the far wall. I stopped and gawked. I really looked like a fourteen year old kid. I was pretty scrawny, and had shabby blue hair, and matching eyes. "Holy Shit. I look like kid Ryu." I laughed, before remembering that much like the Protagonists of Breath of Fire, I too could turn into a Dragon. "Looks like I have a new name then." I nodded to myself, before standing in the center of the large open space in front of the mirror. "Now¡­ lets see how I look as a dragon."


    ¡­ I don''t want to talk about the next five minutes. Suffice to say I approached the transformation form the wrong angle, and spent far to long striking poses, and shouting dumb shit. Turns out all I had to do was clench every muscle in my body at once and want to transform. There was quite a bit of shouting mind you, sprouting wings and having bones shift around wasn''t actually fun. With the stage one transformation complete I looked in the mirror. I had to wonder, where the dragon forms based off of my subconscious? Because the Breath of Fire had always been a favorite of mine, and the half dragon form looked like Myrmidon, or the Meditate form, from four. With wings on my back, digitigrade legs, clawed hands. Extremities covered in black scales that shimmered with faint gold flecks. A pair of curved horns sprouted out of my temples, and jutted forward ready to impale something if I headbutted them. Hair was still blue though. And I was still pretty scrawny, even if I had gotten bigger. About fifty percent larger if I had to guess.


    Now. to go all the way up to the true dragon form I had bought.


    ¡­


    ¡­ ¡­


    ¡­


    At least my screams of pain came out as badass roars. Sonnuvabitch that stung. Dragon form was big, but kind of gangly. Like a lizard puppy with hands and feet too big for the rest of the body. Same for the head. But¡­ other than that it was very cool. The same black and gold scales, with golden talons on all of my fingers and toes. A long lizard like tail, with a spear shaped bladed tip. My broad head had two pair of horns a shorter pair the arced forward, and a longer broader pair that swept back


    There were no wings though. Just massive forearms with a ridge that ran from my wrist all the way past my elbow and up past my head when I was on all fours. Maybe I was too young? Hopefully they''d grow in¡­


    At the thought of the wings I felt energy course through me. I could see it, glowing blue between my scales. The ridge on my forearm split open and a dozen wings of energy spilled out, six on each arm. They thrummed and I lifted off the ground I cackled, with glee and did a backflip. Moving was as natural as thinking.


    Unfortunately play time came to an end as Greys began streaming into the gym with all sorts of goodies, from fancy looking cell phones, to a fancy looking SUV painted to match my dragon form. They poked and prodded me for hours. Quizzing me on random things to see how the knowledge implants (which I hadn''t even noticed) were working. By the time they were satisfied the changes they made were correct, my time was up, and I was unceremoniously booted through a portal and into a fancy looking bedroom. That had one very, very, angry looking Shimura Nana tied to the bed...


    Chapter 1.1


    "Yeah. Not dealing with you now." I turned around and walked out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind me. It further muffled her angry screams. I wonder what the chains were made of. And the house. Nana should have been able to pull the wall off and beat me to death with it.


    I wandered around the mansion. My new home for however long it took me to buy out my contract, if I ever decided too, that is. Honestly this was a pretty good deal. If I was lucky, (or you know, paid credits for the option) I could end up in some really sweet settings. Pick up some really sweet women.


    ¡­


    ¡­ ¡­


    Does plotting to kidnap and dominate formerly fictional women make me a bad person? Eh¡­ something to deal with another time. Maybe I''ll find a hot psychologist type to help me later. For now I had a mansion to explore. Hmm¡­ Warm wood paneling, floor to ceiling windows, hardwood floors covered by bright runner carpets. Looking out the windows, I saw high walls surrounding a well manicured estate. Beyond the walls was a tropical paradise, white sand, and palm trees. Sparkling blue water lapping at the beaches. It was probably worth being abducted by p.o.r.n producing aliens just for this mansion.


    The top floor (where I had started) was entirely bedrooms. The largest, and most central one, was the one with Nana tied up in it. The rest were a mix of large, and larger rooms. The larger rooms had private baths and giant beds, walk-in closets larger than the majority of the bedrooms I''ve ever lived in, rich wood furniture, in mahogany and walnut and fancy hidden televisions and computers that slid out of the walls, or from inside curio cases.


    The smaller (still large) rooms were about half the size, they had normal(ish) walk in closets, with the same furniture and electronics, but only had regular king sized beds, and no bathrooms.


    The building was square, with a hallway running the entire perimeter. Each of the smaller rooms had windows opening into a central courtyard, while the larger rooms were illuminated by several skylights. After pacing around the entire perimeter, I counted four of the largest rooms, one in each corner, sixteen of the less large rooms, and eight bathrooms.


    Each of the large rooms had a bathroom sandwiched between them, and in the center of each hallway was another hallway that led straight to the giant master bedroom. My exploration of the top floor done, I walked downstairs to the second floor.


    Huh. The Master Bedroom was free floating over the central courtyard. The building was a square ring, with a large courtyard in the center. It was an interesting effect, providing a shady square that moved with the sun overhead. The rooms on the second floor were all empty, waiting for me to decide what to do with them. There were only 2 room types on this floor. The corner rooms were the size of the largest bedrooms upstairs, but the rooms that ran directly along the courtyard took up the entire side. Not sure what I''d end up doing with them, maybea library? Or a Lab if I ended up with any Sciencey women. Maybe the magical equivalent first. Since I was heading to Highschool DxD after all.


    Finally I made it to the ground floor. Excluding the corners where the stairs were, the outside wall was nothing but open arches, allowing a pleasant breeze to blow across my skin. The rooms here were also empty for now. They were mostly the same size as the largest bedrooms upstairs, but there were more of them, twelve in total, three in each corner, and they flanked by a room the size of the smaller upstairs bedrooms.


    The only rooms already furnished was a kitchen suitable for a full sized restaurant, in one corner flanked on each side by a pair of luxurious dining rooms. One was dominated by a single giant table, and the other was full of smaller tables, each seating four people.


    Allright, time to try out one of those Lure type abilities. Let''s see if a meal cooked by me would be enough to calm down Nana upstairs. So¡­ Nana was Japanese, and I was going to be heading to weebland myself, might as well, try making a traditional Japanese breakfast. Rice, miso soup, fish, and sweet Japanese omelettes. I made enough for four people. I don''t know about Nana''s appetite, but I was starving.


    I carried the covered tray of food up three flights of stairs, and walked down the hallway to the master bedroom. I probably should try and figure out where to put a couple of elevators. "Honey! I''m Home!" I called out when I walked into the bedroom. "Oh dear." I sighed, upon seeing her. She had managed to free one hand, by dislocating her thumb and was in the process of ripping the other manacle off when I walked into the room. I gently placed the food on the room''s table, and walked over to her.


    "Look," I told the struggling woman, "there''s two ways this can go. You can promise me that you''ll behave, and I can release your bindings. Or you refuse to behave, in which case I will tie you back down, and sit on your chest until you give up."


    "You do realize I can fly right?" she asked me.


    "Yes I know how your Quirks work Nana," I told her, and she froze, part way through ripping the manacle off. "And even One for All''s strength won''t help you here. We''re in an alien pocket dimension."


    When I named her secret Quirk she snarled and nearly pulled free of the wall, in one surge of strength, "How do you know about One for All? Did that asshole All for One send you to capture me?"


    "Listen. We. Are. In. An. Alien. Pocket. Dimension. This has nothing to do with All for One." she seemed to relax a little, "You see, we were captured by interdimensional p.o.r.n making aliens."


    "what."


    "Yeah, that was my reaction too. Not sure how exactly it works for you, I didn''t read the fine print. But I was kidnapped, and coerced into starring in some weirdo''s fetish fuel. They made a bunch of changes to me, tossed me into this pocket dimension, and gave me a specific task on an alternate Earth."


    "You expect me to believe that?"


    "Tell you what, I let you go for¡­ half an hour. If you can find your way out that''s fine by me. Otherwise, I can reset the outside, apparently, and you''ll be teleported back inside."


    "And if I can''t, you''ll what? **** me?"


    "Gods no. The weirdo wants to watch women throwing themselves at someone. So you''re safe from that fate at least." I tried to placate her, "Tell you what, return before the half hour mark, and I won''t have you tied back up. We can sit down together and eat breakfast like normal people."


    "Fine¡­" she grumbled, and I whipped out the fancy looking smartphone the Greys had shoved into my pocket before booting me into the portal, opened the app, (apparently it was called the Waifu Control App) selected Nana, and clicked the only button that wasn''t greyed out, her chains fell off of her and she flew out an open window and disappeared.


    While I waited, I sat down and started on breakfast. Hey, I was really hungry, and made more than enough. Barely fifteen minutes later he floated back in through the window. I raised an eyebrow at her sudden return. She looked pretty shocked to be honest. "We''re not in a pocket dimension." she told me. "I flew as far aways as I could, until I hit the edge, beyond an invisible, unbreakable wall, was a desolate hellscape. Like the surface of the moon, but on fire."


    "Huh, they described it to me as an expanding pocket dimension, that could eventually reach the size of the earth if I spent enough of my pay on it." I shrugged, but gestured to the meal in front of me. "Take a seat, have some food, I''m sure that''ll make you feel better."


    She glanced at the food I was in the middle of eating, before sitting down and helping herself to a healthy portion. She pushed the food around her plate for a moment, probably trying to work up the courage to risk eating it. "So¡­" she said, "How does a Middle Schooler think he could tie me down?"


    I put my fork down, "First of all, I''m not a middle schooler. I''m a dragon." she scoffed and rolled her eyes, and I''m pretty sure I heard her mutter something about chuunibyou. That stung. "Fine, allow me to show you." I growled, stomping to the largest open space in the room. I clenched every muscle in my body, and bellowed in pain as the transformation took hold. I powered through the intermediary form, and grew until I was full sized. "Believe me now?" I rumbled.


    "You look like a middle school dragon." She giggled, "I bet if you had ears they''d be floppy and too large for your head."


    I let out a sigh, and released my hold on the dragon transformation. There was a rush of displaced air returning, and I sulked my way back to the table, "Shut up and eat your food." I told the Hero.


    Her giggle turned into a chuckle but she picked up a forkful of rice and put it in her mouth. Her eyes went as round as saucers, she let out a throaty, m.o.a.n, and shoveled another bite of food into her mouth, "this is the best rice I have ever tasted." she m.o.a.ned between mouthfuls of rice.


    "Thanks I made it myself."


    "No way."


    "Yep, that''s why I was gone for so long."


    "I haven''t eaten anything this good in years."


    "Tell you what, you behave, and I''ll make sure you get three square meals of my cooking a day."


    "Trying to bribe me?"


    "Obviously."


    "Well, if every meal is that good, then it might just work."


    Just then my phone beeped, by reflex I pulled it out of my pocket and checked to see what message I got. "Looks like playtime is over." I sighed. "Just got a message from the Producers. I need to check out the base of operations on the alternate Earth, and familiarize myself with them."


    "Am I going with you?"


    "We can try, but I''m pretty sure you won''t be able to, yet."


    "And why is that?"


    "Because I need to mark you so the security system will let you through. And I''m not sure how comfortable you''ll be with the process."


    "How bad could it possibly be?"


    "You do remember that the aliens make p.o.r.n right?"


    "Point." she sighed, "So what do they want a middle schooler to do?"


    "To mark someone for the security system? Ride them until orgasm, then bite them as a show of Draconic dominance. That they''d have to willingly submit too."


    She wrinkled her nose, "Maybe when you''re older, kid." she suppressed a shudder, ''f.u.c.k.i.n.g weirdos."


    "Yeah," I sighed, "the girls I''m being sent after are closer to my age at least, so it''s less weird."


    "Well, good luck. I guess I''ll be here sunning myself on the beach until you get back." with that she floated back out the window.


    I went to return to my delicious, delicious food, only to discover she had eaten all of it. My portions as well. I wanted to cry. And there was no time to waste making a second portion. With a sigh I walked down to the "front gate" where there was a garage, and a giant circle of stone, with four curved prongs perpendicular to each other. They reached nearly twenty feet into the air, and together formed a hemisphere with the stone circle.


    Next to what I assumed was the portal device as a touch screen. I tapped it and it opened a screen showing me possible locations I could teleport to. There was only one option, [My room at the Galactic Love Machine hotel] I pressed the button and the inside of the portal lit up. It was one part hyperspace from Star Wars, and one part of the Warp. I took a bracing breath and stepped into it. For a fraction of a split second, I ceased to exist. Maybe it was the element I picked for my Dragon, but it wasn''t worrying, or terrifying, or anything like that. It was comforting, and relaxing, and over too soon.


    I found myself inside a dark closet. A few fumbling attempts later and I found the door knob and pushed the door open. Okay¡­ I was not expecting this. The room I was standing in was one of those cheesy Love Hotels. Complete with a giant heart shaped bed with red silk sheets, open air hot tub in walking distance of the bed, a completely mirrored ceiling, and finally a giant TV, currently playing some trashy p.o.r.no.


    Scattered across the room was evidence that a fourteen year old boy lived there. Clothes strewn across the floor, a pile of pizza boxes by the door, dishes piled in the sink. Various anime knicknacks covered every flat surface in the room. All in all it was a very strange room. With a sigh I pulled the remote control for the TV out from under a pair of used boxers and shut the TV off. Alright, I had less than half an hour to get this room livable, before I had to "sync" with the Hotel, whatever that meant. Time to get started. There was no way I was going to live in a teenager''s pigsty for the next however long I was going to be ''working'' here.


    Chapter 1.2


    I barely finished cramming the last of the dirty laundry into a tiny hidden washing machine when the doorbell rang. I opened the door and¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­ ¡­


    Nope. I shut the door.


    The bell rang again. Opened it. Still there. Shut it.


    My phone beeped. I checked the message. "Stop goofing around and get to work, you''re on a tight schedule."


    I braced myself and opened the door. "Why the hell are you dressed like that?" I growled at the Grey on the other side of the door.


    The Grey curtsied politely, tugging on the edges of it''s maid outfit, "I don''t understand, I''m a maid, isn''t this how we''re supposed to dress?"


    "You know what? Never mind. I really don''t want to know." I suppressed a shudder, "apparently I''m supposed to bond with the hotel? Or Sync, or some shit like that."


    "Correct." the maid shoved a neatly folded stack of clothes into my hands, "Here. Get dressed."


    It only took me a second to notice the cleverly hidden velcro. "Um¡­ this is a stripper outfit."


    "Correct. You will be serving drinks, stripping, giving someone a massage, and finally having s.e.x for cash with them."


    "What? Why?"


    "The contract for this perk states that you will not ask anyone to do something you wouldn''t do yourself. To fully activate it you need to perform each service at least once."


    "... Please tell me we have female customers? Men really don''t do it for me¡­"


    "We do indeed have female customers." I breathed out a sigh of relief, "once you''re dressed, attach this ID to your vest pocket."


    I took a look at the ID, it had my name, face and age on it, except¡­ "This says I''m eighteen."


    "Of course it does. We don''t let anyone under eighteen work here."


    "But¡­"


    "That''s what your ID says. And it looks real to me. Do you want to argue ?" the Maid Grey asked.


    "... If I end up in jail for this I expect Steele Inc. to bail me out."


    "It''ll be fine. Now hurry up."


    Five minutes later I was fully dressed. Crisp black pants, white shirt with fancy cufflinks, a black vest, and silk bow tie. Id was clipped onto the vest pocket, and I left my room and followed the Grey, who was impatiently tapping their (high heeled) foot.


    "We''ll start you off easy." the Maid said, "You''ll serve drinks to female customers, and flirt with them. Do try to make a good first impression. Afterwards you''ll strip at the men''s stage. If any of the women you served drinks for seem interested try to keep them entertained, afterwards you''ll serve drinks again, this time focus on the ladies who were the most interested in you. If they''re grabby, l.u.s.tful, or otherwise show signs of interest, offer them a massage ''on the house.'' From there it should be easy enough to get them to fork out cash to ride you."


    "Gee thanks."


    Serving drinks wasn''t too hard. Even if there didn''t seem to be a single woman interested in me. I don''t really blame them, I wasn''t even five feet tall, and was scrawny as hell. Especially compared to the male dancers, who were all built like shit brickhouses.


    I figured, I''d probably end up having to do this for ages, before someone bit. My shift serving drinks was nearly over when a couple I recognized walked in, arm in arm and giggling. I nearly dropped my tray. Holy Shit! That''s Issei''s parents. What the hell were they doing in a shady strip club?


    They claimed a seat in the middle, between the male and female stages. A tiny blonde with short hair and almost no b.r.e.a.s.ts served¡­ whatshisname, Mr. Hyoudou, drinks. He seemed pretty receptive, even flirting back with her, while his wife giggled. Sensing an opportunity I sidled up and offered her a drinks menu with my most charming smile.


    "Thank you, sweetie." she smiled at me. Every time her drink was empty over the course of the next fifteen minutes I returned for a refill. I raised my eyebrows when Mr Hyoudou pulled the serving girl into his lap. They climbed higher when not only did Mrs Hyoudou giggle,she helped him surreptitiously unbuckle his belt, and placed her jacket over their laps.


    Noticing me staring, "Want to sit in my lap, too?" she asked me.


    "I would love to." I said honestly, "But It''s my turn to perform, maybe when I''m finished?"


    "I would love to watch you dance." winked at me.


    I''m not sure which upgrade taught me how to dance, let alone how to strip, but considering I was nothing but left feet before, I really appreciated it. Mrs. Hyoudou seemed to appreciate it too. Her eyes never left me, even as her husband came in the serving girl next to her. She only stopped to kiss her husband goodbye, as he headed to the back rooms with the now bow legged serving girl. I couldn''t help but notice the trail of white leaking down her leg.


    As soon as I finished my set I returned to Mrs. Hyoudou. "Ready to sit on my lap?" she purred.


    "I have a better idea, how would you like me to give you a massage. On the house."


    "Mmm. A full body one?"


    "Of course, Front, back," my voice dropped to a whisper, "inside."


    "Sold!" She stood up grabbing her and her husband''s jackets, along with a pair of discarded panties. They were blue and white striped with a little bow on the front. Judging from the size they belonged to the serving girl Mr Hyoudou had taken into the back. She tucked them into her husband''s jacket pocket.


    I offered her my arm, and led her out the back, there was a service door between the strip club and the hotel, allowing us to ''sneak'' into a room. We slipped into an elevator, and I took us up to the floor my room was on.


    I was really glad I cleaned the room. She didn''t notice anything really out of place, other than the anime figurines, but now that the room was clean they kind of blended into the decor. I smoothed out the sheets, "There''s a hot tub if you''d like to soak first, other wii¡­." the sound of her clothes hitting the floor told me everything I needed to know.


    "I want that massage, Gorou''s had ages with his girl. He has a head start on our little competition. You''ll have to work hard to catch up."


    I swallowed nervously, despite her age she was surprisingly attractive, "Lay down please." she sauntered over to the bed, h.i.p.s swaying seductively the whole way. "Um¡­ I can''t help but notice you arrived with your husband," she hummed a confirmation, as I started massaging her back, "what''s this competition about?"


    "It''s our twenty fifth anniversary." She said, "we decided to have a little fun. We heard about this strip club from a friend, and decided to do something we haven''t done in a decade and a half."


    "And that is?"


    "A little swinging. We''d each pick up a partner for the night, the group with the most orgasms wins."


    "Well then," I said with an evil grin, turning up the output of the ''sticky fingers'' massage trait i bought, "you have nothing to fear about losing."


    By the time I finished her neck, she had already c.u.m once. By the time my fingers made their way down to her ass? She was on her fourth. When I finished her feet she had hit six in a row. "Come on, it''s time to roll over so I can do your other side." she was glassy eyed, and panting when I started making my way back up her legs. By the time i made it up to her h.i.p.s she was on orgasm number nine, and her legs were spread wide open. Her slit was drooling, soaking my bed with her juices.


    "Inside, want you inside."


    "Not yet." I said while working my way up to her b.r.e.a.s.ts, drawing another orgasm, and a tiny squirt out of her. "We have to finish your frontal massage first, after all.


    By the time I had finished kneading her surprisingly plump b.r.e.a.s.ts, I had coaxed out 12 orgasms without touching her p.u.s.s.y. Finally my hands wandered down to her crotch, my fingers brushed over her clit, drawing a m.o.a.n out of her, with one hand spread her lips apart, with the other I slid in¡­


    "No." Her hand grabbed my wrist pulling my fingers out of her. "This."Her other hand wrapped around my c.o.c.k. Pulling me in. "Stop teasing me. I want to feel it inside."


    "Let me get a condom from¡­"


    "No condoms." she slurred, "too old anyway. I want to feel you inside me. Not latex. I want to feel you c.u.m in me. Like I was young again."


    "If you insist." I slid into her smoothly. She took all of me inside her on the first thrust. The tip of my c.o.c.k brushed against the entrance to her w.o.m.b.


    "Oh god!" she m.o.a.ned as I started thrusting. She wasn''t tight, if a woman her age was I''d be surprised, but she was skilled, and surprisingly strong, when she clenched her walls fit me like a glove. Neither of us lasted for long, she let out a real squirt, easily two or three times the volume of the ones she had had during the massage, and the feeling of it splashing against me was enough to push me over the edge. With her legs wrapped around me there was nowhere to go anyway, so I emptied my balls directly into her w.o.m.b. "Fi...fifteen orgasms." she said. "Definitely going to win."


    "We''re not done yet." I said grabbing her thighs, and pushing her legs up over her head. She was surprisingly flexible, "Ready for round two?"


    "Oh f.u.c.k yes." During round two I managed to make her gush like a fountain twice in a row, during screaming orgasms so intense I was sure people heard her through the sound proofing.


    When I finally came again, she gave me a bleary smile, "Eig¡­ eighteen. New record for us. He''ll be so jealous."


    I stared down at her, soaked in sweat and oozing c.u.m, a blissful smile on her face. And I decided there and then, that I would claim her. Hyoudou Miki would be my first "capture" here. "We''re not done. We still have round three." She let out a happy m.o.a.n as I rolled her onto her front. As I lifted her h.i.p.s up she struggled to prop her front up with her arms. "Don''t worry I''m going to f.u.c.k you into the matress anyway¡­" I whispered into her ear, the very thought of what I was about to do to her drew another small orgasm out of her.


    Round three wasn''t gentle. The slap of flesh on flesh rang out nearly drowning out her tired m.o.a.ns, and exhausted orgasms. Her legs gave out when I hilted myself in her for the last time. As I pumped her w.o.m.b full of yet another load of c.u.m, I bit down on the point where her shoulder met her neck. She let out one more orgasmic cry, and drenched my bed in the largest orgasm of the night. I rode out her wild thrashing, until my teeth broke her skin, and a few drops of her blood entered my mouth. I pulled out of the exhausted milf, and watched my mark spread across her neck.


    Too tired to even move, I collapsed next to her, and passed out.


    The smell of cooking bacon woke me up. I cracked an eye open, and saw Mrs Hyoudou, humming to herself happily, and kind of dancing, while she cooked breakfast. She was completely n.a.k.e.d, other than my apron, (which was far too small for her).


    She must have heard me sitting up, "I hope you don''t mind. I invited Gorou and Yumia over for breakfast." she gave me a beatific smile, "We need to decide who won the contest after all."


    "In that case, let me help you cook." I wrapped her in a hug that made her giggle, especially when I grabbed two handfuls of her ass.


    "You naughty boy." she purred, before leaning forward and stealing a kiss. Our first kiss as a matter of fact. "I will definitely be coming back to see you again." Before we could get carried away, her phone let out a jaunty whistle, "Hmm, what''s the number to your room? I could have sworn it said 6969 on the door."


    "It is. Why?"


    "Yumia says that none of the girls are allowed in here. Owner''s orders." she quirked an eyebrow at me, "I had wondered, this room looks more¡­ lived in, then is normal for a hotel."


    "They''re outside?" when she nodded, I continued, "let me grab some pants." I opened my closet, and I could feel her staring at the mess inside, another clue that I actually lived here. I pulled on a loose pair of basketball shorts, and nothing else. I opened the door and was greeted by the incredibly nervous serving girl from last night, I glanced at her ID, which hung from a collar around her neck, and saw her name was Yagami Yumia, and she was also apparently eighteen. I was also annoyed to notice she was four inches taller than me. My new body was really f.u.c.k.i.n.g short¡­


    "Mister Kyotatsu!" she squeaked in fright. "I''m sorry! B-b-but Gorou insists this is the room he was invited to!"


    "It''s all right Yumia." She squeaked again at the casual use of her first name, I was going to have to either get used to being super polite, or just embrace the path of the Shonen Protagonist, and be rude as f.u.c.k, "He was indeed invited."


    "In¡­ in that case I will return to my¡­"


    "Don''t worry, you were invited too." She trembled in fright, torn between running for the safety of her room, and the clear invitation in. She glanced up at Mr Hyoudou, before gulping nervously, and grabbing his arm for safety."


    "My name''s Hyoudou Gorou." He bowed, "it is nice to meet you."


    "Kyotatsu Ryu." I returned his bow, "likewise.


    Once they were inside the room, and the door was shut I gestured to the table, "Have a seat, Um¡­" I glanced at Mrs Hyoudou, suddenly aware I hadn''t asked for her name last night.


    "Miki" she supplied, seemingly unconcerned that we hadn''t exchanged names last night.


    "Miki and I were in the middle of making breakfast."


    "I can help if you like." Yumia offered nervously.


    "It''s fine."


    As we set the table Miki asked Yumia quietly enough that a normal person would have trouble hearing, "Why are you so nervous, Ryu''s a wonderful boy."


    "You don''t know!" Yumia squeaked, I pretended not to notice. "His family owns this place! They''re really scary!" Looks like being inserted as an "extra" came with more baggage then I assumed it would.


    "Nonsense," Miki interrupted,"look how cute he is he couldn''t hurt a fly."


    "His father''s seven feet tall!" Yumia hissed. The memories I was given to help me fit in, bubbled to the surface, informing me that she was, if anything, understating his height. An image of my ''mother'' flitted through my mind, and my brain screeched to a halt.


    "And my mother''s shorter than you," I said, placing a plate of food in front of her, and making her squeak in fright again, "we''re really not that bad."


    "Wait¡­ that''s your mother!?" Yumia''s jaw all but hit the floor, "I thought she was your sister or something!"


    "Eat your food before it gets cold." Miki scolded us, "we can talk more when we''re done."


    "Yeah! I want to brag about breaking our records!" Gorou cheered. "I''ll get to pick what we do next for sure."


    "Don''t count your chickens before they hatch." Miki said smugly, "We broke the record too."

 Chapter 414 - My CO Stash #14 - A Broader World by Cambrian (HarryPotterXMulticross)

    -I was letting this fic stack up like every Enemy Nasus i''ve played against and now there''s 6 days left before NNN/


    Synopsis: After the disastrous battle at the Watchtower, Galatea falls back to Earth, electrocuted and burning up upon re-entry. She just so happens to land in Harry''s backyard. From there, everything changes.


    Rated: M


    Words: 41K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/a-broader-world-harry-potter-dc.12889/ (Cambrian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    It had all been going so well, too. The Justice League had fully discovered the extent of what Project Cadmus was up to, and sure that was bad¡­ but then they''d been stupid enough to fire the Watchtower''s main weapon down at Cadmus'' headquarters. The Binary Fusion Generator had been likened to a gun with the punch of a small nuclear weapon, once upon a time.


    A clearer act of war, Galatea couldn''t tell you. In retaliation for that attack, Galatea had been tasked with bringing down the Watchtower once and for all. The Justice League had gone too far after all, and with an army of Ultimen clones at her command, it really seemed like she''d be able to do it. Not that Galatea really cared all that much about all of that.


    Oh sure, she was certainly willing to do her job and destroy the Watchtower''s reactor as the Ultimen army distracted the rest of the League. But that was just business. The chance to finally kill her counterpart, that bitch Supergirl¡­ that was what Galatea was really on the look out for. So, when she''d been confronted by Supergirl and Steel before she could blow the reactor, Galatea hadn''t been all that put out. She was finally getting the fight she''d been waiting for.


    Which was why it was so damn irritating when Amanda Waller had distracted her in the middle of the fight with a damnable recall order. The leader of Cadmus had a lot to say about how apparently Lex Luthor of all people had been manipulating both sides or something from the beginning, and that the attack by the League wasn''t actually a legitimate attack at all, and that they no longer had a leg to stand on legally or something like that.


    Galatea personally felt that was a load of horse-shit. Legally, they''d never truly had a leg to stand on. And frankly, the reason Hamilton had made her in the first place was to deal with metahumans that couldn''t be controlled. But more than anything, the reason Galatea disobeyed Waller''s direct order and ultimately destroyed her comms was simple¡­ she wanted Supergirl dead, once and for all.


    She was sick and tired of living two lives, of feeling that damnable goody two-shoes moral conscience all the time. This was her chance to finally put an end to it, once and for all. There was only room for one of them in this world, and as the more mature, more powerful version of Kara Zor-El, who knew what needed to be done and was willing to do it¡­ Galatea more than believed she deserved to exist over Supergirl.


    Which was why it really wasn''t fair, how everything ended. As the power coupling slams into Galatea''s stomach, the Argoan Clone seizes up, the electricity coursing through it causing her eyes to widen and her entire body to convulse violently. It takes a LOT of energy to properly electrocute an Argoan¡­ but then, having said power coupling hooked into the very same reactor that she''d come to destroy would certainly do it.


    However, it would seem she''s rubbed off on Supergirl almost as much as the original has been rubbing off on her. The violence in the physically younger Argoan''s eyes is a sight to behold as she follows up the electrocution that''s already leaving Galatea twitching and near-catatonic with a direct kick right between the more developed Argoan''s b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    Galatea flies out of the Watchtower, her fried senses belatedly recognizing that she''s in space for the moment it takes Kara to follow her out and deliver a punch to her body that sends her spiraling down. Now, space doesn''t really have directions¡­ unless, of course, there''s a planet-sized gravity well under you. Galatea can feel the precise moment that Earth''s gravity well catches her, and she begins to fall faster than just Kara''s blow could send her.


    She can''t stop her descent, her body is unresponsive, her mind trapped within it. In the end, all the Argoan Clone can do is burn, burn, burn all the way down as she re-enters Earth''s atmosphere and falls like a shooting star.


    This was it; it would seem. This was how she died. She had many, many regrets of course, and if she could have, she would have been screaming in rage, all the way down. As it was, her jaw had locked up back during the electrocution and she could no more scream than she could fly. All she could do, in the end, was mentally brace for impact, as physically her battered, electrocuted body burnt up from sheer velocity, her costume gone in moments.


    She hits the ground a moment later.


    -x-X-x-


    The explosion of dirt and rock from not too far away startles Harry quite badly. His head comes up from where he''d been sitting alone shortly after Dumbledore''s funeral. Everyone else was long gone by this point, respecting his wishes to be alone for a time. Of course, that time had turned into over an hour by this point, hadn''t it?


    But perhaps that was for the best. Pulling his shrunken broom from his pocket, Harry unshrinks the flying implement and quickly hops on, hurrying over to where the plume of dirt and smoke is just beginning to settle down. There, on the far edge of the Black Lake, is a crater. Just close enough to the Lake to have caused some leakage, Harry arrives just in time to witness the waters beginning to fill the bottom of the crater¡­ where a severely burned young woman is laid out, twitching and convulsing.


    Emerald-Green eyes widening even further, Harry hurries down as fast as he can. He doesn''t dare touch the woman, not when she''s so covered in burns, but he also can''t leave her there for any longer as more and more water puddles around her, threatening to drown her if he doesn''t intervene. It takes him three times to successfully cast the levitating charm on her, but once he does, Harry lifts her up into the air, even as he himself ascends again on his broom.


    Then, he hesitates. Instinctually, he''d turned towards Hogwarts and the castle''s well-stocked hospital wing. Madame Pomphrey would have the supplies to help this young woman, he hoped, and if she didn''t, she would have the expertise to know that the woman was better off at St. Mungo''s. Except¡­ Harry knew nothing about the woman. He didn''t know if she was magical or not¡­ and just by having him bring her in, she would end up associated with him by default.


    It''s a startling realization, that he really can''t trust anyone anymore. With Dumbledore dead and gone, with everything that happened that night in the tower¡­ no one is trustworthy. Everyone could be a traitor. By taking this stranger to the hospital wing, he might cause more harm than good to her. She¡­ she was better off with him, flying under the radar for now.


    Now, this definitely wasn''t the most logical, rational course of action. Harry was undeniably lying to himself, at least a little. While it certainly wouldn''t be good for Galatea to enter the Wizarding World at the moment with how it currently was and how she currently was, at the end of the day, the real reason that Harry hesitated and ultimately decided against taking her to the Hospital Wing¡­ was that he was being selfish. He needed someone, something to take care of, he needed something to take his mind off of Dumbledore''s death and all the responsibility that left squarely on his shoulders. The young wizard needed a distraction, and Galatea was it.


    Of course, given all that we know about young Harry Potter''s life, it''s doubtful that many would blame him for his decision to be a little selfish, just this once. Especially given how it would all turn out for the best anyways.


    -x-X-x-


    Instead of taking the stranger to the Hospital Wing, Harry relocates her to the Shrieking Shack instead. Perhaps not the most sanitary place for a burn victim under normal circ.u.mstances, but where magic is concerned, nothing is ever normal. Harry cleans up the place, transfigures up a proper bed just like the ones that they had in the Hospital Wing (he should know, he''s spent more than enough time in them) and gently lowers her down onto it.


    The next few hours are spent doing his level best to clean the strange young woman up with just his magic. He manages to get the little remnants of melted clothing off of her equally melted flesh, as well as cleans her now bald-head of any remnants of blonde hair that have melted in there as well. It was¡­ it was like she''d fallen from outer space if Harry was being honest.


    But that was impossible, right? It certainly seemed like it. In the end, he sets her origins aside and focuses on the task of trying to save her life. She still breathes, that much at least Harry can tell. It''s crazy, that she''s still clinging to life, but as long as she''s going to fight for it, Harry is willing to fight for her.


    That''s why he only hesitates for about as long as it takes to clear the remnants of her melted costume and hair from her burnt body before he sneaks into Hogwarts, and more specifically the Hospital Wing, and begins smuggling medical supplies back to the Shack. It''s¡­ honestly kind of bad that he actually knows something of what he''s doing.


    After so many close calls with death over the years, he''s quite capable when it comes to treating the strange woman''s injuries. She''s positively covered in third degree burns, with a large fourth degree burn centered around her stomach that¡­ just makes Harry wonder how she''s even still breathing. And yet, she is, so he keeps working.


    There''s also the broken bones to contend with as well. Harry goes through a lot of supplies as hours turn into days, and days turn into weeks. He steals from the Hospital Wing liberally, not even caring if he gets caught, except so far as it might keep him away from his patient for too damn long. He sneaks and skulks around, but it''s all fine, no one ever sees him, no one ever stops him.


    Weeks don''t get a chance to turn into months, surprisingly enough. Harry has to admit, he''s completely shocked by just how quickly the strange blonde''s body takes to recovery. By the end of the first week, a lot of the burns are completely healed, and so are the broken bones. Much of this is thanks to magical healing of course¡­ but what''s odd is how fast the woman''s hair grows back in.


    It''s almost like she has some sort of healing factor of her own, and all she needed was a bit of magical help to kickstart it. Harry has no clue at that time how right on the money he truly is with that. Because that''s exactly what''s happened. Galatea''s Argoan physique is what''s rapidly repairing her body now that Harry''s magic has completely the first dozen or so steps. With magic doing the heavy lifting, it''s child''s play for the Argoan to do the rest.


    The only reason it takes as long as it does is because Harry has no idea how important sunlight is to Galatea or her kind. At the same time, he quite values staying out of sight and keeping her away from prying eyes. As a result, Galatea is not once exposed to the yellow sun that would have helped a bit more. But in the end, she doesn''t need it. Magic does the hard part; she does the rest.


    However, even as her physical recovery is truly miraculous, Harry is disappointed to find that the gorgeous stranger doesn''t wake up. Her mental recovery takes a lot longer, and even though she''s mostly healed by halfway through the week two, it''s not until the end of week three that Harry gets quite the surprise.


    -x-X-x-


    Stepping into the Shrieking Shack, more specifically into the room where his patient is still comatose, Harry is almost feeling cheerful. He opens his mouth, intending to call out to sleeping beauty and start telling her about his day as he''s done a dozen times before, but he never gets the opportunity. As it turns out, his patient is no longer comatose, and is instead very active indeed.


    Harry discovers this when the gorgeous, irate, and entirely n.a.k.e.d blonde grabs him by his shirt collar and lifts him up, pinning him against the bedroom wall and glaring him dead in the eye.


    "You! Who are you?! Where am I?!"


    Maybe it''s the fact that he''s faced down death too often to genuinely care about it at this point, maybe it''s just his saving people''s thing prompting him to treat her with kid gloves. Either way, Harry doesn''t get scared. He doesn''t stammer or stutter, even as he hangs there against the wall, not of his own power. Is¡­ is she flying? That''s bloody wicked¡­


    "My name is Harry Potter. You''re in the Shrieking Shack. I brought you here to hide you from those who would do you harm and to heal your wounds."


    Taken aback by his surprisingly calm demeanor and overall gentle attitude, the blonde just stares at him for a long moment. Harry has no way of reading her mind of course, he''s not a Legilimens by any stretch of the imagination, but all in all, Galatea is¡­ confused. More than confused, she''s bemused by her survival. There was really no reason she should have lived following her fall, and even if she had lived, there was no reason she should have ever woken up again, thinking about it.


    "How? How did you heal me?"


    It wasn''t like Earth''s medicine was exactly equipped to deal with Argoan physiology. The only places where Galatea could have truly sought medical attention would have been Cadmus or the Watchtower, with perhaps a couple of others in between. She was clearly not in either of those places, judging by the worn down wooden walls surrounding her. He''d called this place the Shrieking Shack of all things¡­


    "Well¡­ I suppose there''s no point in beating around the bush, is there? I used magic to heal your wounds."


    Galatea blinks at that, considering the young man in front of her for a long moment. And he is young, perhaps a year or two away from a.d.u.l.thood by the commonly accepted human definition of the word, if she had to guess. With messy black hair and almost ethereal green eyes, he was staring back at her from behind a pair of wide, round-rim glasses. He didn''t look afraid, he didn''t look worried¡­ he looked concerned, for her.


    Very belatedly, Galatea realizes she''s n.a.k.e.d. She reins in her immediate reaction to that in favor of giving the young man she''s pinning to the wall a death glare.


    "Why am I n.a.k.e.d?"


    The reminder causes his eyes to dart downward for all of half a second before he pulls them back up through sheer force of will. It''s no surprise, Galatea is quite aware of how beautiful she is, ever since Cadmus artificially aged her up to the point of full Argoan maturity. It had given her a distinct physical advantage in that last fight against Supergirl, but in the end the little bitch had managed to take her by surprise and win anyways, as irritating as that was.


    "Well, you¡­ started out that way?"


    Galatea lifts an eyebrow at that. He''d been so calm and collected before, when she was just threatening his life. But now, with them moving on to her state of nudity, he gets all fl.u.s.tered? Taking her raised brow to mean something else, the young man quickly hurries on.


    "I d-didn''t want to, um, p-presume or anything, so once you were healed, I just pulled a sheet up over your body! T-To preserve your modesty while you recovered!"


    Curious, Galatea looks back at the bed she''d evacuated with all the fury and confusion of near-death and not knowing where she was. There is indeed a sheet there, all messed up now, that likely covered her body when she first woke up. In the midst of looking back, the gorgeous Argoan woman ends up bumping her hip into her savior''s crotch¡­ and just so happens to brush against the admittedly impressive package there.


    Whipping back around, Galatea looks down between them, past her sizable chest and down to where the young man''s bulge is steadily growing, developing an outline in his jeans. Experimentally, not having any of the cares about personal space or boundaries or morals that he seemed to have, Galatea reaches out and fondles his package, groping and squeezing it experimentally as she hums to herself.


    Harry blushes profusely, of course, especially when she looks up at him after a moment and gives him a wicked, knowing grin while continuing to play with the goods.


    "Tell me more about this Shrieking Shack and your magic, please."


    "U-Um, I''d be glad to¡­ but could you please s-stop groping my junk?"


    Galatea''s grin widens at that. It seemed that when his life was on the line, this young man, this Harry Potter¡­ was fearless. But then to be fair, he''d saved her, a complete stranger, at what was perhaps great personal risk to herself. After all, the Justice League HAD to be looking for her. Her damnable counterpart couldn''t possibly have just left it at that. Supergirl would have been ordered to follow her down if nothing else, eventually.


    But this young man had gotten there first and spirited her away to this ''Shrieking Shack'' of his, and however long she''d been out, nobody had managed to locate them. That alone spoke to a level of skill that Galatea could appreciate. His actions, meanwhile, spoke to a level of care that ought to be rewarded. At the same time however, it was obvious he was far less comfortable with s.e.x.u.a.l situations then he was life-and-death. And Galatea had been trained to look for weaknesses.


    So, she doesn''t stop ''groping his junk'' as it were. Instead, Galatea leans into it a little, even leaning forward and pressing her still-n.a.k.e.d tits against his chest as she grins at him.


    "Mm¡­ no. No, I don''t think I will."


    And that''s how the Argoan clone receives a stammered, stuttered, and altogether fl.u.s.tered crash course on just who Harry Potter is and what sort of society he comes from. By the end of his explanation, she understands a lot better what must have happened. After all, neither Cadmus nor the Justice League knows anything about any hidden, backwards magical societies from what Galatea can tell. At least¡­ not this one.


    There are magical people and even magical communities over in America from what she remembers. Zatanna Zatara of the Justice League is from one, Galatea believes. But the fact that this British society was apparently hidden behind a veil of magic and kept secret by a Statute of Secrecy¡­ no wonder the Justice League hadn''t located her yet.


    They had the resources to circ.u.mvent the magic hiding her, but not knowing that it was in fact magic doing so, they would likely be running around like chickens with their heads cut off, flailing about and using technology to try and track her down, to no avail. Cadmus would be doing the same and failing in the exact same way, something that Galatea found she really didn''t mind all that much after Amanda Waller''s last idiotic order to her.


    Galatea was officially off the grid in all the best ways, which meant she had all the time in the world to plan her next move, to plan her revenge. At the same time, it seemed like her savior had his own fair share of problems. From the sound of things, he didn''t know the first thing about Cadmus or the Justice League. He''d been worried about her being found and used by the less than moral people in HIS camp.


    Honestly, the fact that he was some sort of messiah figure in his backwards magical world was less important to Galatea then the simple fact that he was a handsome young man sporting a surprisingly large c.o.c.k. All things considered, now that he''s told her everything she wants to know, all while being molested by her hand all this time, Galatea decides that it''s time for Harry to get his just desserts.


    He lets out an adorable little ''oomph!'' as she tosses him onto the bed where he''d healed her, looking up at her blinking in confusion. Galatea just smirks as she floats down to the ground and struts over rather than floating, making her gorgeous tits bounce with every step she takes, all but mesmerizing him as his eyes are drawn to her impressive chest.


    Crawling up onto the bed, it takes the Argoan woman all of a moment to shred Harry''s pants off of his body, and then his boxers too. A delighted little gasp leaves her lips when she finally beholds Harry''s c.o.c.k¡­ it''s precisely as impressive as she''d hoped, a massive thing that stands straight up thanks to all the attention she''s given it already. It''s leaking with prec.u.m, even as she grabs hold of it and positions herself above Harry''s member.


    "W-What are you doing?!"


    Grinning down at her savior, Galatea licks her lips suggestively.


    "What does it look like? You saved my life, Harry. So, I''m going to fulfill your wildest fantasies. Unless you''re telling me that I''m not the most perfect woman you''ve ever seen."


    "N-No! I mean, y-yes, you are, I just¡­"


    Galatea snickers and then begins to sink down onto his c.o.c.k, groaning as his meaty rod spreads her p.u.s.s.y lips wide and stretches her out. She has to be careful of course, Woman of Steel and all that comes with that, but that doesn''t mean this can''t be pleasurable, and he really is quite well-endowed. Horny as all hell, Galatea looks down at Harry, who''s completely trailed off at this point, and looks like he''s about to cross his own eyes at her tightness.


    "Mm, consider this a reward for a job well done, Harry Potter. Oh, by the way, the name is Galatea¡­ but you can call me Tea~"


    And then she begins to ride him cowgirl style, eager to see just what this magical young man is truly capable of.


    -x-X-x-


    It''s like¡­ it''s like she''s drank a whole gallon of Re''em blood or something. But then, while that might explain the overwhelming super-strength, it doesn''t necessarily explain the flight. At the end of the day, Harry doesn''t get a chance to spend much time questioning it. He''s too busy being questioned in turn, and also having his junk felt up like¡­ like he was just a plaything, or something.


    Galatea, or Tea as she''d said to refer to her, truly was something else. Seeing as this was his first s.e.x.u.a.l encounter ever, all Harry felt he could really do was brace himself as her powerful muscles milked his rod and her h.i.p.s nearly broke his own with every downward stroke. The funny thing was, even now he could tell she was holding back¡­ and, despite her super-strength, the entire experience was FAR more pleasurable than it was painful.


    His c.o.c.k was wrapped up in a vice-like cunt, and Harry didn''t dare thrust his h.i.p.s upwards for fear of them meeting the unstoppable force that was Tea''s own h.i.p.s and getting crushed. In the end, she was the one in control of this sudden ride, but Harry was A-Okay with that, because frankly she felt phenomenal wrapped around his d.i.c.k.


    He''s never done anything like this before¡­ the most he''s ever done is some snogging here and there, and honestly his experiences haven''t always been the best in that department. Looking at Cho Chang and her teary kisses, which completely ruined the entire makeout session. And really, maybe it wasn''t her fault she was still grieving Cedric¡­ but it kind of was her fault that she''d agreed to go out with him while still grieving Cedric. All in all, that was a pretty shitty move on her part.


    Regardless, the point is, Harry''s s.e.x.u.a.l inexperience is playing against him here, there''s no doubt about that. He''s barely holding on for dear life¡­ which is why when he makes his move, it''s less something calculated and planned, and more just a move made in desperation to try to hold on a little better. Bringing his hands up, which had until this point been gripping tightly at the bedding beneath him, Harry loudly claps both of them down onto Tea''s massive, bubbly butt cheeks.


    His fingers dig into the newly formed flesh, her ass still being relatively soft and not firmed up after her three weeks of bed rest. His near-death grip on her buttocks sends waves of pleasure up Galatea''s spine, and to his relief, while she looks surprised, she also looks pleased with his initiative, smiling down at him as Harry kneaded and pulled at her ass like a particularly tough piece of dough.


    Bouncing up and down on his c.o.c.k, riding him towards kingdom c.u.m, Galatea m.o.a.ns wantonly from the feel of his hands mauling her butt cheeks. She trembles, feeling something welling up inside of her¡­ while at the same time, Harry feels something welling up in him too. Honestly, it''s truly a miracle he''s lasted as long as he had. They''d been talking for a good twenty minutes or so after all, and in all that time, Tea hadn''t let him go for even a moment, her hand kneading and massaging his c.o.c.k in a way that spoke of experience with teasing men.


    The fact that he hadn''t jizzed in his pants during that interrogation was pretty damn wild¡­ and then that he''d lasted for a while longer as Galatea rode him like an experienced cowgirl was also fairly amazing, at the end of the day. In the end though, Harry can''t hold back for longer, and with a loud groan, he finds himself c.u.m.m.i.n.g inside of her vice-like cunt.


    This in turn triggers Galatea''s own orgasm. The blonde beauty tosses her head back and positively SCREAMS in ecstasy, adding a new level of ''shrieking'' to the Shrieking Shack, even as her cunt goes so tight that she quite literally lifts Harry up off of the bed by his c.o.c.k a few inches before the inherent slickness of their joined members frees him from her p.u.s.s.y''s vice-like grasp.


    Harry falls back on the bed and Galatea floats above him for a moment, both of them panting heavily and recovering slowly. Just as his c.u.m is starting to appear at her creampied entrance, the Argoan woman recovers¡­ and decides she''s not at all satisfied yet. Coming back down onto the bed, this time Galatea turns herself around and puts herself on all fours.


    Presenting her pristine, lily-white ass to Harry, the gorgeous blonde looks back over her shoulder at him, locking gazes with his emerald-green eyes as she gives him a raunchy grin and wiggles her h.i.p.s.


    "I hope that''s not all you''ve got, Harry~ Ready for Round Two, lover boy?"


    Blood instantly rushes back up into Harry''s c.o.c.k at Tea''s suggestive tone and gorgeous display of submission. The young man practically growls as he lurches upwards and then forward onto the bed. Grabbing her by those gorgeous malleable ass cheeks, he drives his c.o.c.k into her from behind, causing Galatea to let out a hearty, wanton m.o.a.n, even as Harry groans. Torn between some pain and a whole lot of pleasure as her cunt grips his rod once again and she drives back to meet his every thrust, Harry nevertheless doesn''t consider stopping for even a moment.


    F.u.c.k.i.n.g Tea is like¡­ it''s like f.u.c.k.i.n.g a woman with a giant''s strength, all compacted into her immediately voluptuous body. She''s dangerous, and she could kill him faster than he could draw his wand or even think to speak a spell. And yet, she''s also n.a.k.e.d and writhing under him, offering her body up to him as he f.u.c.ks her already c.u.m-filled cunt once more, his load of seed that''s already been deposited inside of her providing him with all the necessary lubrication and slickness to piston in and out of her absurdly snug p.u.s.s.y.


    Hell, Harry''s fairly sure Tea could just tighten up more and snap his entire d.i.c.k off if she wanted to. And honestly? Maybe Harry IS a bit of a daredevil, maybe he is a bit of a thrill seeker¡­ because he''s never been more turned on in his life. The danger is there, yes, he''s basically one wrong move away from death¡­ and he still f.u.c.ks Galatea with all his might, groaning as he pounds into her again and again and again.


    Leaning over her body, he wraps his arms around her and this time gropes at her chest, playing with those glorious pale orbs that have caused him so much trouble over the last couple of weeks. Ever since she''s healed, Galatea has truly been the most beautiful woman in Harry''s life¡­ but she was also the most unconscious woman in his life, and Harry had never had it in him to take advantage of her.


    He hadn''t lied about the sheet he''d used to cover her modesty, but luckily she hadn''t asked him if he''d taken a peek here and there¡­ because he had. He''d looked, but he''d never touched, so now Harry was making up for plenty of lost time, groping and squeezing and kneading Tea''s absolutely gorgeous tits even as he f.u.c.ks her from behind, leaning over her and nibbling at her ear.


    Tea m.o.a.ns in pleasure in response, her bucking h.i.p.s pressing back into his thrusting c.o.c.k nearly throwing him off of her every time. In truth, holding her by the tits is Harry once again hanging on for dear life, as if he''s riding a bucking bronco and any moment could see him thrown off of her and through the closest wall.


    But that never happens, and as he nibbles at her ear and squeezes at her b.r.e.a.s.ts and f.u.c.ks her with all he has, Galatea turns her head and reaches back around, grabbing him by his messy black hair and pulling him into a kiss that ultimately evolves into a full-blown makeout session. One would expect her to be just as good at kissing as she is at everything else. Hell, with her level of strength, one would expect her to dominate any exchange between their lips and tongues.


    Harry is a little surprised by how uncertain of herself Galatea seems to be during the kissing session that follows. She doesn''t seem to know what to do with her lips and tongue once they start making out, even though she''s the one that initiated it. So instead, Harry ends up taking the lead there, even as Tea m.o.a.ns into his mouth, even as the blonde pushes her h.i.p.s back into his thrusting c.o.c.k, again and again.


    It''s like trying to hold onto a shooting star, but Harry manages it all the same, somehow, someway. He f.u.c.ks Galatea as hard and as long as he can, and in the meantime he brings the gorgeous blonde to not one, not two, but THREE more glorious orgasms. Each one is a little terrifying as well of course, because each climax on Tea''s part results in a moment where Harry isn''t sure whether she''ll completely lose control and tear him apart or not, but honestly, that makes it all the more thrilling, and in the end it never happens.


    She c.u.ms around his c.o.c.k, and Harry f.u.c.ks her all the faster for it, her p.u.s.s.y juices providing even more lubricant right alongside his load of c.u.m already filling her insides. Again, and again and again, he fills her snug p.u.s.s.y with his member¡­ until finally, his second release arrives, and he pumps another thick load of white, hot jizz into her w.o.m.b.


    It feels amazing, to be able to c.u.m inside of such a powerful woman, to have said powerful woman get on her hands and knees before him and actually offer herself up to him to be f.u.c.k.i.e.d by his big, fat c.o.c.k. Harry shudders in delight¡­ and then promptly falls back onto the bed in sheer exhaustion. Two f.u.c.ks was about all his human body, even bolstered as it was by magic beyond that of a normal muggle''s body, could take.


    Laying there on his back, covered in sweat, arms and legs spread, Harry stares up at the ceiling in sheer disbelief at just how the day had gone. Only to startle when he feels something nuzzling and nudging at his c.o.c.k-length. Blinking, Harry levers himself up onto his elbows and stares down the length of the bed at Galatea. The beautiful blonde has once again flipped around and is now sat at the end of the bed, his seed beginning to slowly sop out of her well-f.u.c.k.i.e.d, twice-creampied cunt.


    Meanwhile, it''s her feet that she''s using to stroke the length of his c.o.c.k, her sole rubbing up and down his girth while her toes tease the head. When he meets her eyes with his own, Tea grins wickedly and licks her lips sensually as she bats her lashes in his direction.


    "The night is far from over, Harry Potter¡­ and so is your ''reward''."


    Harry''s c.o.c.k jumps a little at her sultry, seductive tone¡­ but it only jumps, it doesn''t grow hard again. The pain and soreness is really starting to catch up with him, and Harry wouldn''t be surprised if there were microscopic hairline fractures on more than half the bones in his body. Put succinctly, the spirit was willing, but the flesh was spongy and weak.


    Luckily, there were potions for that. Potions, in fact, that Harry had nearby for use in healing Galatea these last few weeks. Reaching over to the nearby nightstand, he pulls open the top drawer and pops out two potions in particular. Drinking one after the other, steam comes out of his ears, even as Harry feels the soreness fading, the pain disappearing, and all the little fractures across the length of his body disappearing.


    Was it healthy to be using a Pepper-Up Potion like this? Probably not. Was it healthy to be healing his body for the sole purpose of putting it through the same thing it just got done experiencing, something that would almost certainly result in more fractures all over his skeleton? Almost certainly not. Did Harry care? F.u.c.k no!


    As his c.o.c.k hardens back up beneath the soles of Tea''s soft feet, Harry gives the strange blonde that''s so abruptly entered his life a wicked smirk.


    "I''m ready if you are."


    They''re soon going at it all over again. Harry was looking for something to take his mind off of Dumbledore''s death and the destiny that was weighing so damn heavily on his shoulders. It seemed he''d found it.


    Or rather, he''d found her. And nothing was ever going to be the same, ever again.


    -x-X-x-


    Elsewhere, more specifically up in outer space, another blonde lays in a bed aboard an extremely advanced, highly technological space station. One that had been under attack by her clone and an army of Ultimen just three weeks previously. Kara Zor-El, otherwise known as Supergirl, groans in her sleep as she tosses and turns in bed.


    They''d looked for Galatea, of course they had. The realization, once the anger was finally gone, that she might have killed her¡­ it''d shaken Kara to her core. And then, they hadn''t been able to find any trace of her body, and Kara really wasn''t sure what to think about that. The chances of Galatea burning up into nothing upon re-entry into Earth''s atmosphere were slim, but not nonexistent. It was possible she was just plain gone.


    The other option was that Cadmus or some other shady entity, perhaps Lex Luthor given he turned out to be the one who''d orchestrated the whole thing, had gotten to Galatea first. Whether she still lived or whether they''d acquired her corpse¡­ it was enough to keep a girl up at night, to be sure. In fact, this right here was the first night that Kara had actually managed to get to sleep in weeks.


    And now here she was, tossing and turning. With a particularly large, long pillow clutched in her hands, Kara is subconsciously grinding at the end that''s between her legs right now, m.o.a.ning and groaning and panting heavily as she dreams of emerald-green eyes and a big fat c.o.c.k endlessly filling her cunt, over and over again.


    And then it hits her again, and Kara comes awake with an orgasmic shriek as her entire back arches and her body goes taut, tearing the pillow she was clutching onto in half as she hits another high. Her blue eyes are wide but unseeing for a long moment before the stars fade from her vision and she slowly comes back down to Earth¡­ though that''s perhaps a bad way of phrasing it, given where she is.


    With an irritated and altogether confused growl, Kara tosses the ruined pillow aside and spreads her legs apart right then and there as she puffs in desperate need and shoves a hand down the front of her pajama bottoms while forcing the other up under her pajama top. Whimpering, she slides inexperienced fingers into herself and begins to play with her b.r.e.a.s.ts with the other.


    She tries so hard to recreate the sensations from her dream, even as she masturbates aggressively, relentlessly, right there in her bed. All the while, the young blonde Argoan curses the strange sickness that''s come over her body, wondering just where the hell this had come from. Eventually, she''s not wondering much of anything at all, far too lost in the pleasure and ecstasy to do much thinking on her current plight.

 Chapter 415 - My SI Stash #15 - Grimms Evolution by Chaos65 (RWBY)

    -Finally another SI!GamerGrimm although the system can be quite bitchy, it''s still a nice story~


    Synopsis: So I died because of someone else mistake. Not the best way to go, but at least now I can go to another universe and live my life as a Gamer. Now if someone could tell why was I reborn as a Grimm? Gamer Grimm OC. Info about the new chapter is available on my profile (19th Oct 2020).


    Rated: M


    Words: 42K


    Posted on:fanfiction.net/s/13599954/1/Grimm-s-Evolution (Chaos65)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Did you ever wonder how you would die?


    I did multiple times. Not to be a party pooper, but really I always thought that I would die of the old age or be one of the unfortunate people to die because of an incurable illness. Maybe not a too bright outlook on my life, but hey, I was always a little bit weird. My family made sure that I knew that... Not that they were ever malicious towards me.


    Nah... I think that pointing out my weirdness was a running joke in my family. Still haven''t managed to find out who started it.


    Anyway, where was I?


    Ah yes, how I would die?


    Now I am quite a normal person (ignoring my weirdness), twenty years old university student. Lover of gaming, reading, and some anime. All in all your average person, who just wants to get by and live a peaceful life.


    So, believe me, it was quite a surprise to be so lucky to have an entire scaffolding, about five-story tall, fall on you. Like come on, maybe I wasn''t the best person out there, but to die like that?


    I either pissed off some higher being or life just hates me. There was still so much I wanted to do and now it is the end. I feel like I should be at least a little bit depressed about that, but weirdly I am not. Maybe I just can''t feel anything now?


    No, that''s not it. It must be another weird result of my death.


    And that is not even the worst point of my current predicament.


    Ever since I appeared here, I constantly feel like I am falling. Like really, if it wasn''t that I couldn''t even check the time, I would bet that I have been falling for at least a few hours.


    I have never been too much of a religious guy, but if this is how you get to hell, then f.u.c.k you whoever decided on that method of transportation. And while I am not the one to tempt fate, I don''t really think that my day could get any worse.


    .


    .


    .


    Huh, the falling stopped. I guess I arrived at wherever here is. For me, it was still the same pitch-black void and I couldn''t really move myself to look around as I don''t think that I currently have a body.


    Oh well, guess I will be waiting for some mo-


    [Congratulations, you died]


    Wait, what?


    Currently a blue, a bit transparent, square was floating before me. I mean I got congratulated a few times but some weird things but this is a new one even for me. You don''t congratulate someone for dying, that is just wrong.


    Is this some kind of joke?


    [No, due to your unfortunate death. The One Above decided to give you an apology gift.]


    The One Above? Unfortunate death? Gift? What do you mean, an explanation would be nice.


    [Sigh... You see, you were not meant to die that day. Due to a small mistake on The One Above side, you died. So to apologize for this inconvenience you will be granted a gift.]


    So my death was just a small inconvenience? Geez, talk about being unimportant.


    Alright, so what is the gift you are talking about... well writing.


    [You will be sent to another universe with a unique ability you are quite familiar with. There you will be able to live your life as you want.]


    Another universe? Man, I am starting to think that I am just sleeping and this is one of my weird dreams where I am a character in anime.


    [You are only wrong about the sleeping part. Now let me explain what will happen next.]


    What?! You are telling me that you will send me to some universe that I know of? Which it will be? And what about the unique ability you were talking about.


    [I do not have time for that, you will get your answers soon.]


    Damn, and here I thought that a blue square couldn''t get annoyed. Well, there is the first time for everything. Alright so let''s get started.


    [Good, now please choose your evolution path]


    -Feline


    -Draconic


    -Snakelike


    -Creature of the Sea


    -Canine


    -Wormlike


    Uhh, what? Evolution path? What kind fo universe would need me to choose something like that. Naruto is definitely out. Harry Potter is a maybe, but will I really become a magical creature then? Who knows.


    Well, I have no clue, but I always loved dragons so draconic it is.


    [Draconic evolution path has been chosen.


    Do you want to start a tutorial?


    Reward:


    - Skill book


    - 100 EXP


    - 5 stat points


    Yes/No?]


    Holy shit! Is that what I think it is? Did you just give me the gamer ability? Alright, I may still be mad about dying, but come on who wouldn''t want to have a chance like this. Now if I could only get the information of what universe I will be sent to.


    Without wasting any more time I clicked Yes. Maybe the tutorial will shine some light.


    [You have been granted the ability to live your life like a game.


    You have gained two skills.


    Please say or think ''skills'' to continue.]


    ''Skills''


    And just like that, another transparent blue window appeared before me with the list of my current skills. Like I expected I had two of them and probably everyone already knows what they are.


    [Gamer''s mind (Passive) lvl: Max


    Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through, grants a peaceful state of mind. Immunity to mental attacks.]


    [Gamer''s body (Passive) lvl: Max


    Grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game. After sleeping in a bed, it restores HP, MP, and cures all status effects.]


    Alright, the two most important skills were here. I wonder if anything from my only life could give me a skill. I shrugged or at least tried to as I still don''t have a body. Well, it would be nice to continue, how do I d... Suddenly the window with my skills disappeared and another appeared. Okay, not need to scare me Game.


    [Now that you are done let me continue.


    Skills can be gained using many ways. Reading a skill book, experimentation, or repeating a certain action. Still, you need to remember that not every skill can be learned if you don''t have high enough stats for it.


    To continue, say or think ''Inventory'']


    ''Inventory''


    And just like in every RPG game out there I was met with another big blue window. This time it was divided into smaller squares. All in all, it didn''t look like it had a limit and I was totally fine with that. There was also a money section on the bottom but it was quite empty.


    [This is your inventory screen. You can store things and pull them out whenever you want. You can also equip clothes and items right from the inventory without the need to change.


    Better be thankful. A lot of people would love to have the ability to change instantly.


    To proceed please think or stay ''Status'']


    Damn right that I know a handful of people who would pay for ability like that. My sister would be one of them... shit, now that I think of it my family will soon find out that I died. F.u.c.k. I will miss them and would probably feel bad about this whole ordeal if it wasn''t for the Gamer''s mind. It is already affecting me.


    Well, I will have enough time to think about what I lost later. Now I should finish this tutorial if I don''t want to piss off.. whoever you are, more.


    [For making a great decision and not pissing me off, your WIS increased by 1.


    Now hurry up.]


    Okay, okay.


    ''Status'' I thought to myself. This time another blue window appeared, but this one was a bit bigger and the moment I saw the second line I finally knew what the hell was going on.


    Name: Nameless


    Race: Soul Grimm


    Level: 1 (0/100)


    Evolution Stage: Draconic 1 (0%)


    Title: None


    HP: 200


    MP: 200 (locked)


    STR: 5


    VIT: 5


    DEX: 5


    INT: 5


    WIS: 6


    LUC: 5


    Elemental Affinity:


    SP: 5 | EP: 0


    Lien: 0


    So I am a Grimm with... a soul? Alright, that does explain some things, but I still have no clue what the Evolution Stage means. The universe of RWBY or the world of Remnant. Shit, never would I have thought that I would become a f.u.c.k.i.n.g Grimm in one of the shows I watched. How is that even supposed to work?


    I have a soul so I will be able to use aura and unlock a semblance, but can I do that as a Grimm? And even then I wonder if I can somehow obtain a human form. Being able to change between Grimm and Human form would be really useful and make my life much easier. Oh well, maybe the tutorial will explain my questions.


    My stats are nothing special, but that is to be expected from a level one player. The one point of WIS that I gained earlier is already there and I have both 200 HP and MP. If this system works like the ones in some fanfiction I read, then 100 Hp is the base amount and you gain 50 per level plus 10 per every VIT point.


    [For figuring out how the system works your WIS and INT gained 1 point.]


    Okay, that''s nice. The more points the better for me so I am not complaining. Now that I read the page once more can anybody tell me why I am nameless? I am gite sure that I had a name in my old life and the RWBY-verse follows the color theme of naming people. So shouldn''t I get a name like that even if I am a Grimm? (Still not sure how I feel about that). When will I get a name, can I choose it by myself?


    [You can choose a name for yourself after you arrive in Remnant, but it will need to follow the color theme.]


    Ah, that''s fair I guess. Anyway, what''s next?


    [This is your status screen]


    No, shit sherlock.


    [Anyway... This screen contains all of the most important information that you will need during your new life. Think of any of those stats to get further explanation of them.


    Check the information on every important stat to continue.]


    Now that''s what I was waiting for. Finally some information. Let''s start with ''Race''.


    [Your current race. It can change throughout your life.


    Your current race is Soul Grimm. You are the only one of the creatures of darkness to possess a soul. This enables you to use Aura(MP) and posses a semblance. Unfortunately, this also means that other Grimm, while they won''t attack you, they also won''t help you.


    That is good to know. For a moment I feared that I would need to run from both humans and Grimms. Knowing that at least the latter won''t hunt me makes my new life a lot easier. Also, the aura is MP, does that mean that I can''t use magic? Let''s check it out, ''MP''.


    [MP or aura as it was named by the population of Remnant, is used in most skills and spells.


    Current MP regen: 1%/minute]


    Okay, so I should be able to use spells and create them. That''s good as while the Dust is fun and all, I would prefer to use elemental attack by myself. Now that I think of it, how all of this will work if I am a Grimm. So many unanswered questions. I don''t even know what I will look like. Anyway, ''HP''.


    [You health meter. It shows how much damage you can take after you lose your aura.


    Current HP regen: 2%/minute]


    Nothing out ordinary there. Now to finally get my answers, ''Evolution Stage''.


    [Due to beginning your new life as a Grimm you unlocked access to Evolution path (You permanent path: Draconic). You can treat it as your second level. You gain progress toward the next stage as you level up, train, complete missions, and fight different enemies.


    Upon reaching 100% of your current stage you can evolve. You do this by spending the acc.u.mulated Evolution points on different upgrades to your Grimm form. Due to your Draconic path, most of those upgrades will be associated with Dragons.


    For example, you will be able to gain better natural armor, additional limbs, change how you look, or even add special abilities that you will be able to use in your Grimm form. You can also speed up your growth, but size can be gained naturally by leveling up.


    You gain 1 Evolution point per 2 levels.]


    Huh, now that''s an interesting system. I will be able to create my own look, but I am restricted to dragons due to my path. I can work with that. Now one point per 2 levels is not too much, but hopefully, I can gain them through quests and fighting.


    Now the game is constantly mentioning form, does that means that I will be able to gain human form?


    [Everything is possible if you work for it.


    Now proceed.]


    Alright, thank you for the information. Now let''s get going.


    [INT - your intelligence. The more you have it the faster you learn, memorize, and think. Also, each point of INT raises your current MP by 10.]


    Just like I thought.


    [WIS - your wisdom. Your ability to make decisions and chose the best of available paths. Every 10 WIS increases your MP regen by 1%.]


    Like always INT and WIS are almost the most important stats if I want to use my MP without any problems. I will need to find more ways to train those stats. No, what that I am wasting my points.


    [STR- your strength, how strong you are. Pretty self-explanatory, don''t you think? And no, STR does not affect how much you can carry in your inventory.]


    [VIT - your vitality. How tough you are. If you don''t want to get one-shotted then better invest some points in it. Also, every point of VIT increases your max HP by 10.]


    Nothing new, but it is good to know the math behind those numbers.


    [DEX - your dexterity. How agile you are. It also increases your attack and movement speed. It should be useful for dodging, not that I know anything about that. Besides that, this stat also helps with aiming ranged weapons or skills.]


    Okay, I won''t check LUC as I am not that stupid to not know what luck means. All in all, besides the evolution stage there is nothing that I didn''t know already. I might have spent too much time reading fanfictions. Meh, at least I will be able to use this knowledge for once. Now that I am done with my status screen, what''s next Game?


    [The main part of the tutorial is finished. Do you have any questions? I might not be as merciful to answer them later.]


    Yeah, I have two questions. How will my Grimm form look like in the beginning and wherein the timeline will I appear?


    [You will find out after your deployment in Remnant.]


    Alright, and when that will happen?


    [Now.]


    What are you tal- Well shit, I am falling again. F.u.c.k you Game.

 Chapter 416 - My CO Stash #16 - Kigyo Eight Banners by Aliquam Scribere (OregairuXKenganAshura)

    -Hikiga as a Kengan fighter is definitely a banger, I''m watching this author''s career with great interest/


    Synopsis: Hikigaya Hachiman. An unassuming high schooler with unassuming characteristics with an assuming creepiness attached to him. But that''s just his fellow peers'' thoughts of him. Even those who thinks they know him soon find out they don''t. Yet, their interactions with him may just show them who he really is... [Kengan Ashura/Omega Inspired]


    Rated: T


    Words: 27K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13708382/1/Kigyo-Eight-Banners (Aliquam Scribere)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "Hyaah¡­" I sighed out tiredly as I hand dried a wine glass with a fine microfiber cloth. The dim setting of my workplace gave a relaxed atmosphere as the dark sky outside the windows setted the mood. It wasn''t too late into the evening, maybe it was around 9:30 pm but with the week feeling like it''s been dragging out too long, it has certainly felt like an eternity. There weren''t too many patrons present in Angel Ladder''s lounge as I surveyed the area. There was one old man, he looked to be in his late 50s, sitting at the bar table I''m currently waiting at and there were less than a handful of others occupying the tables in the lounge. I saw one man in a formal attire sitting quite rigidly but at the same time he seemed to be relaxed.


    Since there are not a lot of people right now, business has been going pretty slow. Maybe the boredom right now is what''s killing me into exhaustion. I rolled my shoulders to ward off the fatigue as I continued to accomplish my task of cleaning the various liquor glasses.


    "Saaaki-chan! Can ya pour this ol'' man ''nother glass?" The old man near me called for my services. I made sure to give him a look of disapprovement before saying my piece.


    "Yatsunomoto-san, drinking too much is bad for you."


    "Aww, but Saki-chan I can -hic- handle my liquor -hic- well!" Yatsunomoto-san slurred out as he gave me a goofy grin.


    Yatsunomoto-san is actually a regular here at Angel Ladder. At first, I was put off due to how uncomfortable I felt being around drunks but I soon realized that the old man was just a friendly person who just liked to socialize with us here.


    "Pretty pweassse? With a cherry -hic- on top?" He pleaded once more.


    Before relenting, another sigh escaped from me. Old men and their thirst for alcohol¡­ Why do they like such a drink? It reminds me of a certain someone¡­ someone who likes drinking this disgustingly sweet coffee¡­


    "Fine. But don''t make me call your wife again to have you dragged out of here, got it?" I firmly told him.


    He bobbed his head up and down furiously as I poured him another glass of bourbon. His wife was one of the kindest people I have ever come across and sometimes I wonder how a loafer like Yatsunomoto-san ended up with such a blessed woman.


    "Ayy -hic-! Cheers, yer da best Saki-chan!" Yatsunomoto-san raised his glass towards me with a floppy grin. I just shook my head but I couldn''t deny him a small smile.


    As he sipped away at his bitter beverage, I returned to my task of wiping the glasses clean. I haven''t gotten done wiping my fourth glass cup when I heard the electronic sliding doors humm open. My urge to look up winning over me, my eyes spotted two men enter.


    One of them was pretty solidly built, as evident by his form fitting snugly into the polished suit he was wearing. His facial features seemed to be sharp, a distinguished jawline that almost rivaled greek statues highlighted the intensity of his gaze as he scanned the bar. His company was not as big as him yet he too held an almost similar aura to the man beside him, just less suffocating but just as piercing. When I gazed at his eyes, I almost flinched back from how dead they seemed. For some reason, I had a feeling of familiarity. I continued rubbing the glass in my hands as I kept tabs on the two men from the corner of my peripherals.


    "Hoh? It looks like some big fish has arrived¡­"


    I guess I wasn''t the only one who felt the two''s palpable presence. But what Yatsunomoto-san said got me to arch an eyebrow.


    "Do¡­ you know them, Yatsunomoto-san?" I tried to act not too interested but the old man gave me a smirk. He must''ve noticed my failed attempts at trying to discreetly (yet failing) glances at the arrivals.


    "Mmm¡­" Yatsunomoto-san''s hand twirled his glass idly, the liquor inside forming a vortex from the motion. "Not really. Well, not directly. But I recognized ''im. Anyone who''d done business ''ere in Chiba gotta be a fool to not know the Bull Shark."


    "Bull¡­ Shark?" What the? So these guys are some big shots? My curiosity and confusion must''ve been apparent on my face since Yatsunomoto-san gave me a small smile and elaborated.


    "Yeah. Rumor''s got it that that big scary lookin'' man you saw enter is makin'' a quick rise through the corporate world ''ere in Chiba." He took a sip only to hardly swallow the drink. "They say he''s made some pretty big deals, ones that got other business'' to start shakin'' in their boots."


    I was now fully observing the newly entered customers. The man Yatsunomoto-san was talking about strode over the man in the formal attire that I saw earlier. Each of his steps resounded authority yet it was felt repressed enough to warrant caution to others. The other- wait where was the other one?


    "That man''s business policies are so aggressive that most firms have lost loads of capital, hell, some even came close to filing for bankruptcy." Yatsunomo-san continued. "They dubbed ''im as the-"


    "Bull Shark."


    Both Yatsunomoto-san and I jumped back at the sudden voice. It was him! The second guy I saw who entered with the scary looking one. Now he''s up closer, he features oddly resembles someone I know¡­ His eyes, I swear, are just like his.


    "Oi, Kawasaki, it''s rude to stare, you know?" H-huh? Oh, I probably was looking at him too much. I felt some heat come to my face as I embarrassedly looked away. Wait, that voice, is it-


    "Hikigaya?" I uttered out loud before I could think.


    "Yes?" He answered.


    Whoa. The Hikigaya I knew never would present himself like this. His hair was slicked back, the suit he was wearing was neat and crisp, he had a buttoned-down collar underneath by the top few buttons were undone, revealing some of his palish chest. His dress pants complimented his outfit and his footwear looked quite pristine. With his almost piss-off look, he could pass for a yakuza.


    "Oi, you''re staring again." Hikigaya plainly pointed out.


    "S-sorry. I just didn''t expect you to¡­" I didn''t know how to finish that train of thought as I still looked him up and down.


    "Look so good?" He smugly commented. "I know, it''s a crime that a hidden treasure like myself isn''t shared but it helps me to keep a low profile."


    I scowled. That''s not what I was thinking at all! This guy is a total narcissist. Yeah, he''s pretty good looking and fit and kinda ho- Kyaaaah! What am I thinking! I''m losing myself here!


    "Uh, yeh know ''im, Saki-chan?" Gah! I forgot Yatsunomoto-san is still here. Crap, he can''t know that we know each other because we go to the same school. I''d lose my job if management were to find out that I''m an underage employee.


    "Err," I started. Dammit, I wish my brain could think faster!


    "I''m a regular here." Hikigaya supplemented quickly. Thank you! Although it was a lie that he comes here, nonetheless I owe you one Hikigaya.


    "Hm? As often as I lounge ''ere, I don''t see ya often¡­"


    "I come in the earlier hours."


    "Ah, dat make sense¡­ Oh! The wife''s callin''! Guess I gotta go. See ya, Saki-chan! Nice meetin'' ya, Hikigaya-kun! Hope you an'' I can catch a drink sometime."


    My fellow classmate and I nodded our heads to him in farewell as the old man stood and left albeit with a bit of a stumble. Oh, his wife is going to have a handful with him, I can already imagine.


    "So¡­" Hikigaya started.


    I turned my attention back to my schoolmate. He was seated right across from me, an expectant gaze laying on his face. S-stop looking at me like that! My ears turned warm as I felt self-conscious from his look.


    "What?" I said.


    "Aren''t you going to, you know?" He waved a hand for emphasis. Like hell I would know what that meant.


    "Aren''t I going to, what?" What the hell is this boy trying to say? Does he think I''m still curious about the Bull Shark and that I would ask him about it? Not going to lie, I am curious to know more. Maybe I should just ask him about it. Oh well, here goes noth-


    "Aren''t you the bartender? So are you not going to give me anything to drink?"


    Oh.


    So that''s what he''s trying to get at.


    "O-oh, sure, yeah. Um, what do you want? I won''t give you alcohol though." I told him the last part sternly. As hypocritical as I am to be working here, I''m not going to jeopardize my job by serving my classmate some alcohol!


    All I got from him was a roll of his ashy grey eyes and a soft scoff.


    "As if I''d drink any of that stuff. What''d you think of me woman? A wannabe alcoholic?"


    "With your looks right now, you could probably pass as one." I retorted.


    "Oi, just because I look delinquent-like doesn''t mean I am one!" He scowled. A breath of small laughter escaped from me.


    "Yeah, yeah. Anyways what drink do you want?"


    "Hm, anything non-alcoholic I guess?"


    You guess? I arched an eyebrow at him. The vagueness of his request confused my mind. Be more specific you stupid Hachiman!


    "What?" Hikigaya asked me with a dumb look on his face.


    "Nothing."


    After I grabbed a bottled club soda from the fridge under the counter, I popped open the cap. The quick hiss released from its carbonated container was audible as I poured some of the clear liquid into one of the freshly cleaned cups I had held moments ago. As I poured, a thought just occurred to me.


    "Now that I think about it, what are you doing here Hikigaya?" I asked him.


    I watched as the liquid poured into the cup, fizzing as it rose. I slid it across the counter once I thought it was enough. The man before me grunted his thanks as he took the cup.


    "My father has a business meeting here." He didn''t look at me as he replied, instead he opted to take a sip from his glass. As he set down his glass, he nodded his head in the direction of the big man I saw enter earlier.


    T-that man was Hikigaya''s father?! Now I know where Hikigaya got his imposing traits from¡­


    "Your father is the Bull Shark?!" I blurted out before I realized what I did. Thankfully I did yelp out so loud and caused an even more embarrassing blunder of myself.


    Hikigaya flinched from my outburst and gave me an annoyed look. I could do nothing but blush from my behavior.


    "Sheesh, tone it down woman. My ears are sensitive, you know? But yeah¡­" He relaxed his posture as he re-situated himself on his seat. "Like what you and that old man were talking about earlier, most of the people that do business with father tend to call him that."


    "So is it true¡­ that your father is a really aggressive businessman?" I asked him cautiously. I didn''t want to sound tactless but I couldn''t think of another way to ask him. He just grunted as he cupped his glass with both hands. His gaze was drawn towards the liquid inside, like he was staring back at his own reflection.


    It was then that I noticed the state of his knuckles. They looked battered with some of the skin split but I saw some scabs. Did he get into a fight or something? Why does his knuckles look all busted up? Before I could go on, my self-kept classmate spoke.


    "In a way, yeah." He took another sip. "But it''s not what you may think how he is. He looks scary but he''s also reasonable. He''s just smarter and more conniving than his competitors." Huh, sounds kind of like a certain someone. Peculiarly like the person sitting in front of me.


    This time, Hikigaya held my gaze and suddenly the intensity of his piercing grey orbs made me want to squirm under the counter. But I couldn''t move as his eyes held my body stiff in place. What''s this? He never had such a pressuring presence at school. As if sensing my discomfort, he looked away and took another swig. I breathed a sigh of relief as I steadied myself from the tense moment.


    "Then why do people call him the Bull Shark?" Although I felt like I was choking from anxiety some seconds ago, I couldn''t resist my urge to know more.


    "Father wanted to expand his operations." Hikigaya continued. "Ever since that moment, he''s been going around making deals with other CEOs. Well, it''s more like father taking most of the riches while his associates struggle to pick up whatever the remains are."


    "Oh¡­" In all honesty, knowing this much already is a lot, especially since it''s coming from Hikigaya himself. He rarely talks at school, as he usually keeps to himself, so it''s even much more uncommon to hear anything he says related to himself. "Your father must be quite the business man then to be so successful."


    "Heh, yeah you''re right." He smirked at me, but it looked rueful. "Although he wouldn''t have made it this far without me."


    Huh? What does he mean by that? I mean, I guess it''d make sense that Hikigaya would help his father in his endeavors but what does he do?


    "Ohoh, Hikigaya-sama?" Suddenly, a third party came in. Wait, n-no! My boss is here! And hold up, he knows Hikigaya? Oh no, does that mean he''ll also know we''re affiliated to each other as classmates? But then he''ll fire me for lying on my application. Arhg!


    As I struggled in my mental dilemma, the two men before me conversed.


    "Oh, good evening Fujiwara-san." Hikigaya nodded to my boss.


    "Please, Oshiro is fine." My boss waved him off.


    "Okay, Oshiro-san. And you can call me Hachiman, it''s only fair that you do." Hikigaya conceded. He and my boss proceeded to talk.


    Nani!? Okay, now I am completely baffled at how casual my boss is interacting with my classmate.


    "U-um, you guys know each other?" I nervously interjected.


    "Ah, that''s right. You aren''t aware of this yet, Kawasaki-chan. But Angel Ladder is actually one of Hachiman-sama''s father''s shareholders!" Fujiwara-san cheerily told me.


    "Huh?"


    "Hahaha, oh the look on your face is amusing, Kawasaki-chan!" My boss laughed. Hikigaya looked at me from the side, his face still sporting a neutral expression. "Yes, you should know that Angel Ladder actually does support Hik- I mean Hachiman-sama''s father. I was initially surprised that your father came to me with a pitch a while back but I''m very glad that I made the right choice."


    Fujiwara-san smiled gratefully at Hikigaya, who only returned a sheepish smile.


    "Of course, I would like to express my gratitude for your efforts too, Hachiman-sama." Again, what does Hikigaya do to help his father? I am really curious.


    "Ah, I am just fulfilling my duties, Oshiro-san." Concise, short, and modest. A typical reply from the self-proclaimed school loner.


    "Nonsense! My bar would not be profiting as much if it were not you and your father''s reassuring efforts."


    "Uh, what exactly do they do Fujiwara-san?" I spoke up again.


    My boss'' eyes widened as he looked at me first before turning to Hikigaya. Said person, just shrugged his shoulders as he just took another sip. It looks like he might need a refill soon.


    "Hmm¡­" A finger rested on Fujiwara-san''s chin as he took a few moments to contemplate. Seriously, is it some sort of secret? I''ve been filled with more curiosity and questions this night than I have ever been when learning in school. "Well, as it so happens, a special event is taking place at the base of the hotel tonight. Say Hachiman-sama, would it be fine if Kawasaki-chan came?"


    Again, my fellow loner just shrugged his shoulders before letting out a humm.


    "I do not mind, Oshiro-san." Just like earlier, his piercing gaze came back and landed on both of us. "Although, I am not sure how she will receive the event."


    A shiver revertabrated down me as goosebumps tingled my body. How does he do that?! I swear his dead eyes shouldn''t have that much power! While I was feeling slightly fearful, my boss was rather unfazed. In fact, I was more shocked to hear him laugh lightly.


    "Ahaha, no worries Hachiman-sama! Dear Kawasaki-chan here has the mettle of a great ape when it comes to dealing with tough customers, neh Kawasaki-chan?" My boss grinned at me like a dolt. I blushed slightly as I turned my head away with a grunt. Fujiwara-san, please don''t make me out to be a gorilla of a woman!


    "They were disrupting and were going to cause a further commotion, Fujiwara-san." I lamely put out. "I only act like that so they don''t make a mess of the place."


    "Ahh, yes, you''re right. Anyways, it looks like your father is wrapping up his meeting with Onkyubo-san." Fujiwara-san nodded his chin towards the two men.


    They shook hands, although it looked like the man in the formal attire winced from Hikigaya''s father''s grip but it could be the trick of the light. They soon parted ways, the suit heading for the exit while Hikigaya''s father calmly but purposely walked over to us.


    "Hikigaya-dono! It''s a pleasure to have you here! I''m assuming you''ve just made another deal just now, hmm?" Err, for such an imposing man as Hikigaya senior is, my boss sure is quite cheerful around him. I mean, the older Hikigaya just standing there is exuding absolute authority and I dared to not move or hold his gaze.


    "Konichiwa, Fujiwara-san. Yes, I have just finished finalizing the small details. Once again, I must thank you for allowing us to utilize your facilities tonight." Hikigaya senior responded. Like his son, his way of speaking was curt.


    If I had to compare the two, I''d say my classmate would be more indifferent and apathetic towards others whilst his father radiated pure, una.d.u.l.terated intimidation. Hell, he makes his own son more approachable and sociable now even though Hikigaya doesn''t talk to a lot of people.


    "Oh please Hikigaya-dono, I am very happy to provide assistance for you! In fact, I am honored to host the event tonight." Fujiwara-san smiled gratuitously.


    Hikigaya senior only nodded his head in reply.


    "Very well, Fujiwara-san. I assume that you will observe tonight''s event then?"


    Without missing a beat, Fujiwara-san answered.


    "Of course! It is only right that your sponsor comes and supports you!"


    It was then that the older Hikigaya nodded his head in acknowledgement before his eyes casted over to me. Just like his son''s, his eyes were dark grey and conveyed a sharpness to them that may make Hikigaya- er, Hachiman''s seem blunt. But unlike the latter''s dead eyes, he retained a sense of deadliness to them. I was eeried out of my mind. Seriously, how?! Do all men of the Hikigaya household possess some sort of eye skill that petrifies the person?


    "Is this one of your representatives?" The man analyzed me up and down. Like an ostrich, I just wanna go hide somewhere.


    "Hahaha," I heard my boss chuckle. "No, Hikigaya-dono. She''s my employee here. But tonight I will take her to the event to familiarize herself with our ways of doing business."


    "Hmm, that is well then." The bigger man checked his wrist, a l.u.s.trous watch caught my eye. "Hachiman, let''s go. We only have an hour to get ready. Fujiwara-san, I will see you again later." His son grunted but stood up but not before sliding some cash under his glass.


    "Hm, yes! I look forward to your favor!" My boss cheered again.


    "Mm. Before I leave, what is your name?"


    My mind momentarily stopped working as Hikigaya''s father focused on me again. I was taken aback since I wasn''t expecting Hikigaya senior to address me. From the corner of my eyes, Hikig- I mean Hachiman, looked disinterested as ever while my boss himself held an amused grin. Darn you two for being so careless!


    Finally finding my voice, I spoke. Well I tried to without sounding scared.


    "Saki Kawasaki, sir."


    "Mm," His eyes narrowed further, the sharpness from before turning into cutting. But seconds later, his expression normalized. "I hope you will support my son later, Kawasaki-san."


    W-w-w-what did t-that mean?! My ears felt hot and I swear my whole entire face is turning into the color of fruit punch.


    "Father, let''s go." Now it was Hachiman to talk, rather tersely actually. I looked at his face and there was a tint of pink on his cheeks too. Ha! I''m not the only one fl.u.s.tered. Oh, stop snickering Fujiwara-san!


    With that, both Hikigayas turned and headed out of the bar. One walked with utmost authority while the other slouched on the way out.


    The chime of the elevator bell rang out as the doors before us slid open. We have just closed the bar and Fujiwara-san and I were about to head down to whatever special event he mentioned earlier.


    "I''m sure you''re wondering what''s happening, Kawasaki-chan." My boss broke the silence between us as he pressed a button on the panel. "You''re wondering what this event is about, how your classmate is involved, our connection to Hikigaya-dono and the like."


    C-classmate?! He knows?! How? Neither Hikigaya or I mentioned at all to him that we knew each other outside of Angel Ladder.


    "Um, how''d you know that Hikigaya and I were classmates?" Can''t lie about that now. My job is good as gone at this point. All I heard was a stifled laughter coming from the older man besides man.


    "Keh, keh, oh Kawasaki-chan. It wasn''t too difficult to put two and two together, really. I''m your employer, so naturally I do background checks on those who I hire. When I went over your application, I knew something was off so I double checked. Lo and behold, I was right."


    "So why did you accept me?" I asked. I was more confused at his decision to take me in now than how he knew I was classmates with Hikigaya.


    "Meh. I figured that for whatever reason you applied here, you''d be a pretty hard worker. And I was right. So I didn''t do anything since you were doing the job you signed up for. But anyways, I''m getting off track. Through my research, you go to Sobu High School right? Hachiman-sama also goes there, at least that''s what I could gleam from Hikigaya-dono the few times we''ve talked. You two are pretty close in age so I guess it was safe for me to assume you''d know each other."


    I felt a tinge of embarrassment from my naivety but what surprised me the most was how observant Fujirawa-san is.


    "So, you''re not going to fire me?" I asked him warily. I wouldn''t be surprised if he did.


    "Bwahahaha! Oh my, Kawasaki-chan!" My boss laughed unceremoniously. I felt relief flood through me. "I''d be an idiot boss to let go of such an amazing employee."


    My cheeks and ears once again felt warm.


    "No, I''m not going to fire you." He gave me a reassuring smile. "No, in fact, think of it this way. I''m ''promoting'' you."


    "Promotion? Does this have to do with the ''event'' that we''re going to?" I squinted my eyes at him. I have a hunch that it is.


    "Ah, you''re sharp. Yes, it does. See, I have been meaning to look for a trustworthy individual to assist me in my business affairs. I guess you''ll be my assistant manager!" Fujiwara-san beamed at me.


    Assistant manager?! That''s a pretty tall order for me¡­


    "Don''t worry, Kawasaki-chan. That''s why I''m taking you with me tonight to see this event. It''s so I can show you the ropes."


    "Then, what is this event? You still haven''t told me." I said so with some exasperation.


    "Well, it''s kind of hard to explain. But basically it''s a group exclusive to certain businesses that settles disputes through organized bouts. Tonight''s event is one of them. It''ll be easier to show you though."


    Right at that moment, the elevator let out another ding and the sliding doors opened. My eyes widened as a crowd of suited men in businessware stood around chatting idly. There looked to be at least 20, no, at least 100 people here. What''s going on that has so many people here?


    "Kawasaki-chan! Stay close to me!" I heard my boss call out to me. Snapping out of my stupor, I clumsily waded through the crowd.


    "Hey, watch it!"


    "Oi, say excuse me!"


    "Sorry¡­" I muttered but I doubt they heard me.


    As I made my way through, a hand grabbed onto my wrist and pulled me. I let out a weird yelp as I was dragged to where the offending limb came from.


    "C''mon Kawasaki-chan! We got a good view, right Hikigaya-dono?" My boss let go of me as he pulled me in between him and the intimidating man beside me. I noticed some of the other men around us inch away as they gave my classmate''s father an uneasy look.


    "Mmm." Was all he let out. "Nice to see you so soon, Kawasaki-san."


    "Ah, yeah¡­" I didn''t know what else to say. Everything I''m experiencing right now is completely new. Who are these people? Why are they all here? What does Hachiman have to do with this? Speaking of which, where is he? This night has been nothing but questions for me.


    "So Kawasaki-chan, tonight is a special night. Do you remember how Hikigaya-dono said he was finalizing a deal he was trying to make earlier?"


    I nodded my head. Though I didn''t know exactly what they did, I do recall Hachiman''s father saying he was finishing up some small details.


    "Well, tonight''s event is about determining the ownership of Haisu Torakuu Logistics. Hikigaya-dono here has bidded against Onkyubo-san for the rights of the company."


    "But what''s the need for such a big gathering here? If Hikigaya-san and Onkyubo-san have already settled on the deal, then I don''t see why so many people have come here¡­" I voiced out my thoughts.


    Hikigaya senior and my boss looked at each other for a moment. The former''s face was unreadable while the latter held an amused look.


    "Yes, I would agree with you. However," I heard even louder murmuring amongst the business men surrounding us. Some looked like they were holding small pieces of papers in their hands. My boss continued. "That is all mere formalities. See, this isn''t public knowledge, but most corporations here handle business differently. Remember how I said there was a group of exclusive companies that I mentioned earlier? They''re called the Kigyo Organization. And in the organization, disputes are settled with fists."


    My head tilted to the side. Not in confusion, moreso in absurdness at that notion. Corporations handle their business deals with their fists? As in they fight over each other like in a brawl? That just sounds plain childish.


    "Huh? That sounds stupid." I frowned. Grown ass a.d.u.l.t men who could out spend millions of yen on each other settle disputes with just a couple of punches? Tell me that how that doesn''t sound dumb and wasteful. "I think it''s dumb how grown a.d.u.l.ts are still fighting each other like children."


    "Heh," Both my boss and I heard the small breath of air from the other man besides us. I think that''s the first time I''ve seen Hikigaya''s father express anything other than his stoicness. "That''s tough coming from you, Kawasaki-san. She''s a lot more blunt than I thought, eh Fujiwara-san."


    Oh shit! I didn''t mean to offend Mr. Hikigaya! I stiffened a bit as I remembered just who I was standing next to.


    "A-ah, I didn''t-" I couldn''t finish my sentence as the man waved his arm in front of me, silencing me basically.


    "You''re not wrong." The Hikigaya patriarch said. "To some extent, this squabble between us businessmen is child''s play. But it is a hell of a lot easier to get shit done than go through unnecessary formalities such as paperwork and bureaucratic approvals. Thus, the Kigyo Organization was created."


    I was part relieved that Mr. Hikigaya didn''t take offense to my words but I was also surprised by his change of demeanor.


    "But then why are there so many people here? I''m sure not all of them are from the same company." I said.


    "Ah, well on nights like these, other corporations want to see what the outcomes will be. These types of events get the blood of the businessmen pumping. People like to often place bets too, as you can see with some holding a ballot in their hands. Kigyo matches are a favorable pastime for these CEOs." Fujiwara-san told me nonchalantly.


    So that''s what those little pieces of papers were. And did he say CEOs? So all these men around us are big time business owners? Shouldn''t they be more concerned about their own company than some quarrel between others?


    But then another thought came to me¡­


    "Um, Mr. Hikigaya, where is H-hachiman?" Damn myself! I don''t know why I felt my face heat up when I mentioned my classmate''s first name.


    "You''ll see." Was all he said. Gee, he''s just like his son at school. Very cryptic.


    The lights around us dimmed as a circle of spotlights highlighted a portion of ground in front of us. The murmuring of the crowd simmered down.


    "Oh it''s starting!" I heard my boss squealed uncharastically. I arched an eyebrow at his excitement.


    "Goooood evening everyone!" A bald headed man wearing a black shirt with matching pants was standing in the middle of the lit ground. He was holding a megaphone in his hand. "Tonight is another night of an epic beatdown! With the ownership rights to Haisu Torakuu Logistics as the stake, Gaya Incorporated has challenged Nomin Company."


    Loud yells of cheers erupted around us. Most of the sounds were gibberish and my ears felt like they were gonna bleed from the cacophony.


    "Representing the Nomin Company, a native debuting from the infamous Kabukicho district, a brawler of brawlers who even makes thugs look like school delinquents," The announcer took a deep breath. "Busu ''Teeeekooo'' Neiji!"


    A light shone on a part of the crowd as the people parted to reveal an absurdly huge looking man with swelling muscles bulging from his physique. His torso was wide, and if his arms were like logs, then his legs were surely tree trunks. He looked super strong.


    If I thought Mr. Hikigaya was big, this man easily dwarfs him in muscle mass alone. His head was shaved to the point that the light reflected off it. A haughty smile was on his face as he hopped lightly on his way over the makeshift arena. A clearer look and I finally notice the various tattoos all over his arms and neck.


    "And coming from Gaya Incorporated, with a six and ''o win/loss record and representing the Bull Shark himself, a true dark horse on the rise from the horizon that is Chibaaaa," The announcer dragged out annoyingly. "Hachiman ''Eight Banners'' Hikigayaaaaa!"


    "H-Hachiman¡­?" I muttered dumbfoundedly. My own classmate walked into the arena, shirtless and sporting a bored expression. I''d normally blush given how muscular looking he is but I''m too shell shocked right now.


    I felt my heart hitched up as a gasp left me. Hachiman is fighting?! He''s like a twig compared to that oak tree of a man. What is he thinking! He''s going to get seriously injured and, and worse!


    I looked to the said boy''s father for any explanation. I got nothing in return but the same stoicness from the indifferent man. Does this man not care about what happens to his own son?! Is he that cold hearted to let his son go out and fight a dangerous brute? My worry was choking me so much but I can''t do much.


    "Why is he fighting? Please tell me!" I sniffled out to Mr. Hikigaya.


    My eyes were starting to water until I felt a hand gently clasp on my shoulder. I turned around to see Fujiwara-san smiling at me.


    "Hachiman-sama needs your support, Kawasaki-chan." His smile widened some more. "Let''s cheer with Hikigaya-dono for him!"


    I looked at him for a moment before turning to look at Hachiman out in the arena. To my surprise, he was looking at me not with the same apathetic look like he normally shows, but it was more¡­ tender. I may be too far to see, but I could barely make out a ghost of a smile on his face. I-is he trying to comfort me even if he knows he''s going to get hurt badly?


    For some reason, my heart clenched, aching almost. I don''t know why I feel like this, but I really don''t want to see Hachiman get hurt.


    "Heheh, the Bull Shark''s got no chance." I heard one of the men around us snicker.


    "Yeh, you''re right. A twig like him is gonna get snapped up by Neiji!" Another said.


    Their words made a surge of anger rise through me. I was about to turn and give them a piece of my mind until a light nudge from Mr. Hikigaya broke me from my angered state. He merely shook his head at me, almost telepathically saying it''s not worth the trouble. He nodded his chin back to the arena.


    "Watch Hachiman, Kawasaki-san." Mr. Hikigaya said, his expression still just as blank.


    Resigning to my inability to change anything, I watched Hachiman stand in front of the towering mass muscles before him.


    "Okay gentleman, the rules of the fight are simple. The first to incapacitate their opponent wins, but no killing! Am I clear?" The same bald headed announcer doubled as the referee.


    "Yeah, yeah, whatever ref. Hey kid, I''m gonna grind you up and spit you out!" The thuggish muscle head taunted loudly.


    Hachiman simply got into his fighting stance. My hands were pretty clammy, my heartrate picked up, and my jaws were clenched pretty tightly. I was scared¡­ but I will watch. It was the least I could do for Hachiman.


    "Match¡­ START!"


    The referee backed off as soon as he gave the verbal go-ahead. And as soon as he did, the bigger man rushed towards Hachiman. A muscled right arm was c.o.c.ked back as Neiji closed in.


    "Haaaah!" He shouted before he brought his arm down.


    I held my breath as I thought the worst had happened but instead Hachiman dodged off to his left.


    "Oi, oi, oi, don''t run away from me you little runt!" Neiji ran after him again with the same attack. And like last time, Hachiman dodged.


    They went like this for the next few minutes. Neiji would charge and swing down. Hachiman would side step and distance himself.


    "Hey, what the hell is this? Is that guy p.u.s.s.ying out?" The same person earlier next to us whined.


    "That scrawnier guy is just scared cuz he knows he''s done for once Neiji clips him!" His compatriot added.


    I clenched my fists tightly but I opted to ignore them and still focus on the fight. Come on, Hachiman. Please stay safe!


    By now, The bigger man looked to be noticeably slower not only at running after Hachiman, but slower at throwing his punches. Hachiman on the other hand, didn''t look as winded. But he was still panting, even if just lightly.


    "Stop running away from me goddammit!" Neiji roared. Veins rippled through his muscular frame, his mouth frothing from the rage spilling forth from him. "I''m going to break you down so much, you''re gonna wish you were never born!"


    Again, Neiji briskly charged at Hachiman but this time, he had his hands outstretched. I think he''s going to grab Hachiman! Realizing this, I was going to yell out to him to warn him but Mr. Hikigaya raised a hand in front of me.


    "He''s done for." He said.


    ''Who?'' I wanted to ask.


    Neiji was practically on top of Hachiman at this point. The muscle man extended his reach as he towered over my classmate. Even from my position, I knew Hachiman couldn''t dodge fast enough to escape his grapple. My heart at this point was practically trying to burst from my chest.


    As I watched, Hachiman lowered himself instead and darted inward. At least that''s what I thought but he moved so fast that I couldn''t see what he really did. Neiji loomed over where Hachiman was but he had stopped abruptly.


    The chatter from the crowd around me died down, even the two men besides us ceased to talk. Every pair of eyes widened at the sight before us. Neiji, whose arms were still outstretched and shadowing over Hachiman, the latter who was right underneath him had his elbow lodged into the bigger man''s, from what I think was, his sternum.


    No one said a thing. No one even moved. That lasted for a few seconds. The first one to move though was Neiji himself. Well, he slumped onto his knees as the rest of his body fell onto the cemented floor. The referee, who was still in his own shock, was jolted out of it by the sound of the big man''s body thudding onto the floor. The referee checked the downed man. He took a few seconds until he stood back up.


    "N-Neiji is knocked out! Hachiman Hikigaya is the winner!"


    Silence still permeated the area. Except for a few sounds. One was clapping and the other was jovially yelling.


    "Yes, well done Hachiman-sama!" Fujiwara-san cheerfully. Mr. Hikigaya, although his facial expression was not much, he was clapping his hands slowly.


    I can''t believe it. I thought the odds were against him. But I''m glad that he came out practically unscathed. I was so stunned really that Hachiman had already closed the distance between us. As he got closer, I had a better¡­ vantage point of his toned body.


    The sweat that dripped down him shined his figure. Each muscle was well defined. His torso rippled all the chest and abdominal muscles, lines so sharp it was like it was serrated. His arms, while not huge like Neiji, was just as lithe as his abs. I never realized how hot- I mean how extremely fit he was. At school, he always wore a loose fitting uniform that looked kinda baggy on him but now I guess I know why he does.


    "Oi Kawasaki, you''re staring. Again." Hachiman said to me deadpanned. I blushed madly as I turned my head away from his look.


    "Ahahaha! You did well out there Hachiman-sama!" My boss shamelessly and boisterously congratulated my classmate, in front the other stupefied businessmen no less. "As expected, your combat prowess is always something to marvel at."


    "Oh, that? This fight was kind of boring, Fujiwara-san." Hachiman said, though he sounded disappointed.


    "But still, it''s quite a sight to see a young and promising man such as yourself hold up against these bigger and stronger looking men!"


    "You did well, Hachiman." Mr. Hikigaya added monotonously.


    "Y-yeah! I mean, yeah, you did good." I said too. "I''m glad you''re fine too."


    "Oh, you were worried about me?" His statement made me blush a storm again.


    "No, I wasn''t!"


    "Really? Before the match started, you looked so jumpy."


    "Shut up! Or I''ll beat you up more than what that Neiji guy had to give you." I threatened him but obviously my resolve wasn''t taken seriously by him. Hachiman snickered.


    "Ooh, scary!"


    We bickered lightly back and forth. My boss watched us both with amus.e.m.e.nt as Mr. Hikigaya still remained impassive.


    "Hikigaya-san."


    "Hmm?" Both father and son turned simultaneously at the new voice. It was almost comical how both their heads turned at the same time to find the man in the formal attire standing before them, albeit with a sweatdrop.


    "Oh," Hachiman realized who the man was actually referring to.


    "Ahem," The man coughed awkwardly. "Er, Hikigaya-san, I just came to say congratulations on your new acquisition. You too, young Hikigaya. You did quite well against a larger foe."


    The teen Hikigaya nodded carelessly while the elder responded verbally.


    "Thank you, Onkyubo-san. It was a pleasure doing business with you."


    "Well, I must be on my way. Take care now." With that, the man in formal attire turned and left us.


    So this is what Yatsunomoto-san had said earlier about Mr. Hikigaya being a bull shark. If this is how business resources were gained and with how Hachiman goes out to fight in his father''s name with no lossess, then no wonder other businessmen are so wary of him.


    All four of us stood quietly as the people around us chatted away. Until Fujiwara-san broke it.


    "Mmm, it''s gotten quite late now. Unfortunately, I have to handle the clean-up of tonight''s event."


    I saw Hachiman yawned out which in turn made me want to yawn.


    "Yes, you''re right." Mr. Hikigaya checked his expensive looking watch. "You still have school tomorrow Hachiman."


    "Uhg. Can''t I just call in sick?" The younger Hikigaya groaned.


    "Dummy, you''ll just have more work when you come back." I scolded him.


    "Can''t you just take some notes for me then?" The nerve of this boy! I gave him a punch in the arm, but not too hard.


    "Ow! What was that for?"


    "Stop being a baby."


    He grumbled. I giggled a bit at his childish reaction.


    "Hikigaya-dono," Fujiwara-san called out.


    "Yes?"


    "Would you mind letting Kawasaki-chan go with you guys?"


    Mr. Hikigaya looked at me quickly before he replied right after.


    "Of course, Fujiwara-san."


    "Thanks! As always, I''ll make sure to notify you of better prospects in the future! Farewell for now, Hachiman-sama, Hikigaya-dono, and Kawasaki-chan!" He bowed to us and left as well.


    "Well, it''s time we leave as well." Mr. Hikigaya told us. "Kawasaki-san, may you tell me what your address is?"


    Hachiman and I towed right behind him as we walked towards the exit.


    "Yes sir. It''s¡­"

 Chapter 417 - My SI Stash #17 - Welcome to My (Hero) Parlor by Amazon Climber (MHA)

    -Oh we got a SI!Masseur? Banger.


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 36K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/welcome-to-my-hero-parlor-mha-p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e-oc.13268/ (Amazon Climber)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    "Ah, excuse me."


    The young man looked up from the reception desk, a hint of puzzlement on about half his face. He didn''t have any appointments for a couple of hours; a walk in already? That''s a good sign. Then he saw the mop of unruly green hair lining an adorable face with gentle features and large green eyes. Oh, hey, that''s unexpected, he thought. He then stood, pushing a smile onto his face, and gently bowed his head.


    "Welcome to my humble parlor. How can I serve you?"


    "Ah," the young woman started, before her face lit up with an adorable blush as she realized she was talking to a moderately attractive young man. She stuttered for a moment, then managed to stammer "I- your s-sign... You''re, um, you''re a Quirk therapist?"


    Oh no, he thought, a slight sinking feeling in his chest. She has no idea what she''s in for. Well, best to clear things up now so he doesn''t scare her too badly, then maybe he can salvage this. "Yes, that''s correct. But-"


    "But you''re so young," she exclaimed, then - somehow - managed to go even redder.


    "Yeah, I get that a lot," he said, not pointing out that she had little room to talk; he was three years her senior, after all. "Anyway, miss..." he continued, as if he didn''t already know how to address her.


    "Sorry!" she exclaimed, and bowed her head. "Midoriya Ikuko. N-nice to meet you!"


    "Yamada Taro." At her incredulous look, he rolled his eyes - not that she''d notice. "Yes, really. Someone has to be. Anyway, Midoriya-san, I''m afraid you might be a little confused as to what services I actually provide."


    "Um," she began, "Are you- can you not help me get my Quirk under control? Because the last time I used it, I broke my arm and both legs, and I''m about to start at UA, and..."


    He sighed, and decided to interrupt her runaway train of thought before it could build up too much steam. "Yes, that''s absolutely something I can help you with. But-" he held a hand up at her excited expression, bringing whatever was next to a stop.


    "Look, I''m just going to come out and say it. Are you familiar with the concept of a Soapland? Happy Ending?" He huffed at her blank look. "Okay then. Yes, I''m a Quirk therapist. But that''s only incidental. As a matter of fact, I''m a p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e."


    It clearly took a few seconds for her brain to process exactly what he had just said. Then the stammering began, and it took a full minute before she was able to spit out something that sounded like a question. Exactly what she was asking, he didn''t know, but he could hazard a guess.


    "The law''s a funny thing sometimes," he began. "Selling s.e.x for money? That''s a pretty serious crime. But you know what isn''t a crime?" Taking her sputtering as a no, he continued, "Selling a massage, and then deciding to have s.e.x with your client after you get to know each other. Or, in my case, selling my services as a Quirk therapist, and then using my Quirk, Tantric Empowerment, to help the process."


    She managed to mutter something that sounded vaguely like "Tantric Empowerment?"


    "Oh, it''s an amazing Quirk," Taro said with a smile. He really was proud of how potent it''d turned out to be. "It''s a workout regimen, an internship, and a Quirk training program all rolled into one and hyper-condensed. I can even focus it, giving you - for example - all the benefits in Quirk training."


    Her pupils widened a bit, making her gape-mouthed expression look less horrified and more shocked. "Of course, like the name implies, it''s a s.e.x Quirk." And there''s the horror again.


    Taro rubbed the back of his head, and lowered his gaze a bit. Hopefully this will get easier with time, he thought. "So, yeah," he continued, "it requires me to have s.e.x with the person I''m giving the benefits to. And as it turns out, most of my clients so far are more interested in that than the Quirk itself. I''m hoping that''ll change as I get more word of mouth, but..."


    Ikuko was looking down at the floor, teeth clenched and eyes shaking. Taro sighed, and sat back down.


    "Look," he said, "this clearly isn''t what you were looking for. I''ve got a couple of legitimate contacts, maybe..."


    "I want to do it," she said.


    Taro blinked, not sure if he heard her right.


    "Your Quirk," she asked, voice quivering, "it''s really that effective?"


    "Absolutely. Lying about something like that is way more illegal than prostitution."


    Ikuko took a deep breath. "Then I want to do it. If... if something like... that... will help me regulate the power of my Quirk," she said, a look of determination crossing her face as her eyes shined with tears, "then I''ll do it. If I can''t even take that step, how can I call myself a hero?"


    Ah, Taro thought, Izuku or Ikuko, she''s still the same little self-sacrificing cinnamon bun.


    "In that case," he said, taking out a receipt book, "were you planning on paying in cash today?"


    ¡ª¡ª


    Taro gently knocked on the door, and asked "are you ready for me?" Hearing a stammered affirmative, he opened the door to the massage room. Ikuko lay face down on the table in the center, trembling but completely nude. She had a farmer''s tan; for some reason, he didn''t expect that. Months of working in the sun had left arms and neck dark but the rest of her a warm pale hue. What he was expecting - anticipating, even - were the bulky muscles defining her form. She was no All-Might, and thank God for that, but ten months of high intensity training had given her a more impressive set than most men, let alone women. He took a moment to particularly admire her thick calves and pert ass; the fact that it let the subtle scent of his Pheromone Quirk spread through the room was a welcome side effect. Satisfied, he then rubbed his hands together. A thick gel began to form between his palms, almost but not quite the consistency of a high quality lotion. Of course, a lotion wouldn''t have the aphrodisiac properties his gel - f.u.c.k the name it gave itself, he refused to call it Mucus - would, so it was worth the trade off.


    His firm hands gently pressed into Ikuko''s shoulder blades, then slowly slid down her back. As they glided across her, he marveled both at the strength he could feel even with them mostly relaxed, but also the mass of knots she''d developed.


    "Midoriya-san," he asked, "when''s the last time you had a massage?" He tisked at the awkward silence he received in reply.


    He transitioned from caressing her muscles to kneading them, slowly breaking up the acc.u.mulated mass of steel cables she''d apparently converted her back and shoulders into. As he sank his fingers into her, he could hear her gasps and whimpers slowly taking on a more sultry tone. By the time he began to work on her legs, she was holding back m.o.a.ns; as his fingers worked into her springy buttocks, she stopped trying to hold them back.


    Satisfied with his work, his fingers traced beneath her cheeks, feather-light touches making her wriggle and writhe. Her legs parted just a little, revealing a thatch of dark green that had begun to glisten with wetness. Tentatively he slid a finger between her lips, and while she jolted at the unexpected sensation, she didn''t pull away. He continued stroking the silky folds between her outer labia, feeling her start to move her h.i.p.s against his hand. Her breath hitched, and she started to pant. Gently, he began running his other fingers along her outer lips, and was rewarded with a m.o.a.ning gasp of unmistakable pleasure. Then, before things could come to a head, he pulled his hand away, and gently patted her ass. Her frustrated mewl was music to his ears.


    "Would you mind turning over?" he asked, and after a couple shuddering breaths, Ikuko pressed up to one side, then laid on her back. Everything from face to clavicle were tomato red, but the look in her eyes made it clear she wasn''t planning on backing down now. Again Taro admired her, tracing the musculature of her stomach, and marveled at the definition he could feel. He then looked up at her face, and seeing a hint of discomfort at the admiration of her muscles, smiled reassuringly.


    "You''re gorgeous," he murmured, not even having to exaggerate for once. "And strong, too. You''re going to be an amazing hero."


    Tomato had just become eggplant. He started to wonder if it was possible for a person to die of embarrassment.


    Before she could respond, he began to slide his hands up to her chest, then rubbed a pair of fingers against the cool swell of her firm b.r.e.a.s.ts. Gently he began to trace his fingers along them, fingertips sinking slightly into her soft, almost springy flesh. She gasped, then m.o.a.ned as he squeezed her, hands clenching and unclenching as he continued this focused attention. When he started to brush her small, caramel-colored n.i.p.p.l.es, the shuddering whimper was immediate.


    You''re such a sensitive little thing, he didn''t say, because unlike the frustrated housewives that made up the bulk of his client base, she wouldn''t appreciate the teasing. She was shy enough as it is; if she felt like he was making fun of her, he was sure she''d shut down. No, the boyfriend experience, that was what he''d decided on. So, pushing aside the urge to torment her a little, to hint at but not give her what she wanted until she either begged or demanded, he instead gently brought his mouth to one of them, then began to softly nibble.


    That may have been a little much, he mused, as Ikuko immediately began to shudder and pant once again. He hadn''t even finished her massage yet. Still, he decided, as he squeezed her other b.r.e.a.s.t, it''s not like she was complaining. Quite the opposite, in fact; she began to run her hands though his hair. Well, he thought, as he began to suck at her, no reason to stop now. He savored the slight salty taste that entered his mouth, the soft feeling between his fingers as he tugged and squeezed at the other, the increasingly frantic m.o.a.ns filling his ears.


    After a few minutes enjoying her cries of pleasure, he popped his lips from her now thoroughly-erect n.i.p.p.l.e. Before she could fall too far from her plateau, he replaced it with his other hand, then brought himself to her other b.r.e.a.s.t. Either this one was even more sensitive, or she was closer than he''d thought, because in less than a minute he felt her body begin to buck, h.i.p.s trying to grind against a hardness that wasn''t there. Her mouth opened in a wordless cry, and her arms wrapped around his head as she came. He continued the pressure a little longer, letting her ride the orgasm out, then slowly pulled away and caressed her cheek. Incredibly sensitive, he thought, as she muttered incoherently.


    For the next fifteen minutes or so, he worked quietly on her athletic musculature, letting her recover from what he assumed was her first orgasm in the company of another person. But as he finished with her powerful legs, he saw a look of need on her face once again. Once again, his fingers drifted between those legs, caressing her now thoroughly-saturated hair. This time, he slid one hand down her leg, then moved to grasp the other. He firmly pulled her towards the edge of the table, and her eyes opened wide as she grasped his intentions.


    "Yamada-san, what..." she began to ask, and he answered by kneeling down, lowering his face to her thighs. She quickly moved to cover herself. "No," she stuttered, "I- that''s-"


    No, not that stupid cliche. He''s going to nip that bit of body shame in the bud immediately.


    "Ikuko-chan," he purred, "let me give you a bit of advice. When a man you plan to have s.e.x with is putting his head between your legs, the correct responses are yes, please, or..." he continued with a mischievous smirk, "...good boy."


    He forced himself to keep a straight face as she completely failed to formulate a response. Oh, when she got a little more confidence she was going to be fun. For now, he gently but firmly began to apply pressure to either side of her thighs, and - with just a moment of hesitation - she let him spread her.


    Ordinarily, he''d start with those thighs, building the anticipation before moving in. But he didn''t want her to mistake playfulness for hesitation, and so he quickly lowered his mouth to her. He inhaled deeply, savoring the heady aroma, as he parted her hair and lips with his tongue and began to lap at the silky folds beneath. Salty tartness flowed over his tongue as he gently licked, getting her used to the sensation before starting to mix things up. She had no idea what she liked yet, so he warmed her up with a little of everything, licking, sucking, and nibbling at her and taking note of what got a particularly positive reaction. A gasp when he flicked across her inner labia rapidly; a m.o.a.n when he licked them slowly; a cry of ecstasy as he tugged at them with his lips. Fingers twisted in his hair as he teased her clit with his tongue, then held his head against her once he slid lower and drove it into her depths.


    Her legs squeezed his head as he caressed her inner walls with his tongue, reveling in the thick tang within her. In barely the space of a minute, her powerful h.i.p.s began to buck once more. Quickly, he wrapped his arms around her tensed legs, giving him the leverage he needed to keep his face against her and give her the attention she was due. She pleaded incoherently. Keep going? Have mercy? He didn''t know, so he was going to err on the side of seeing how many times he could make her come. Then finally, with a scream of pleasure and a face-soaking spray of s.e.x.u.a.l fluids, she reached the last orgasm she could stand. Her hands pushed at him as her pelvis jolted like she''d been electrocuted, and he pulled himself from her shaking thighs.


    A m.o.a.ning giggle and thousand yard stare greeted him, her body still pulsing with the aftershocks. Then, finally, she returned to coherence, and sat up with a start. Tears of shame filled her eyes when she saw how drenched she''d left him.


    "I- I''m so sorry," she stammered, only to be interrupted by a soft "hey." Taro stood and licked his lips exaggeratedly, making a show of enjoying her taste.


    "There''s nothing to be ashamed of," he reassured her. "It means I did a good job."


    Seeing her quivering face, he then took her in his arms and held her, stroking her back as the enormity of this new experience overwhelmed her. As her tears subsided, Taro caressed her face. Her watery eyes looked at him with an affection he really hoped wasn''t going to bite him in the ass. Still, he''d come this far; it was time to bring the boyfriend experience to a close.


    "Are you ready, Ikuko-chan?" he asked, then waited for her reluctant nod. He held her hand and pulled her to her feet, then guided her to the towel-covered mattress the law permitted him to use. As she lay down, he slowly removed his clothes, letting her settle into the idea of what was about to happen. It also gave him time to focus on the charge of energy he''d been building up this entire time, priming it and shaping it so it''d give her the benefit she''d paid him for.


    Now fully nude and ready to go, he sauntered towards her, watching her big green eyes as she took him in. He knew was nothing special; tall but too lanky to make it work, and his little heteromorphia didn''t help. But between his confidence, blatant desire, and the combination of pleasant chemicals she''d been marinating in since the massage began, she was looking at him with a mix of wonder and hunger. And, he noticed, not a small amount of apprehension. Especially once he saw those eyes fix on his already-hard p.e.n.i.s. She suddenly took a sharp breath, as something suddenly occurred to her.


    "Um, Yamada-san, you''re going to use a condom, right?" she asked.


    "I''m on the pill," he lied. In actuality, it was a fertility-toggling minor Quirk he''d picked up back in high school. He wasn''t going to explain that to a client, though, especially not All-Might''s protege. "Ordinarily I would - I do -" he explained, "but my Quirk only works through direct fluid exchange."


    Ikuko took that bit of information into consideration, then nodded her assent. With that go-ahead received, he knelt between her legs and brushed his hard erection against her lips teasingly. He was maybe - maybe - a little above average, but from the look of worry in Ikuko''s eyes he may as well have been gifted with a third leg. He could see her muscles clenching, and could guess that included some very vital muscles as well. So rather than move in, he placed a hand on her abdomen and caressed the straining muscles affectionately.


    "Relax," he admonished her. "If you tense up like that, then it is going to hurt. If you''re not ready yet, I can wait as long as you need."


    She paused, nodded, and began to breathe deeply, psyching herself up for what was next. Taro petted her stomach and legs affectionately while he waited, letting her get used to the hardness now resting against her labia. Then, as her muscles finally relaxed, he began to gently, but firmly, push into her. He slid into her slick depths gradually, giving her time to adjust, but with a painless ease that Ikuko was clearly not expecting. At least, that''s what he assumed from her surprised expression as his h.i.p.s pressed against hers, all of him now held within her.


    "See," he said encouragingly, "nothing to be nervous about."


    The quivering smile spreading across her face could have melted stone.


    Pausing briefly to let her adjust to the new sensations, he slowly began to draw himself out, then pushed himself back into her. She was soaking wet, and hot, hotter than anyone he''d felt before. While she lacked the practiced grip of someone who knows how and when to squeeze, her natural tightness was still more than enough to make every thrust feel like bliss. He''d become an expert at outlasting his clients, even the demanding ones, but he had to actively fight the urge to just let go, to bring things to a sudden and embarrassing ending.


    Ikuko, of course, had no clue about Taro''s struggle. If she did, she wouldn''t be wrapping her well-built legs around his waist, locking him against her with surprising strength. She certainly wouldn''t be gripping his hair and pulling him into an unexpected kiss. Although that, at least, was a fortunate development; it shocked him enough to push him back from the plateau he was rapidly reaching. Really, he groused to himself, I thought everyone knew a p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e''s lips were sacrosanct. Nevertheless, he met her tongue with his as he rocked his body against hers, and let her m.o.a.n blissfully into his mouth.


    Time passed. Hours? Probably not, but as he lost himself in the sensation of her grinding herself against him, him driving himself into her, it could very well have been. Their bodies shined with sweat. He''d lost track of how many times he''d felt her snug walls clench around him, hungrily squeezing him like they wanted to milk him dry. He wanted to keep going; he wanted it so badly it hurt. He hadn''t felt genuine passion from a partner in months. He hadn''t had a partner who wanted him instead of needing to fill a desperate void in their lives in days. But ultimately, holding back the orgasm he felt building up inside of him was like trying to push back the tide.


    The sheer force of it knocked the wind out of him, leaving him gasping in shock. He''d come harder, he knew he had, but the windswept shreds of his conscious mind didn''t have a clue when. Nor did he care. All he wanted in that moment was to fill her, to fire his s.e.m.e.n as deep inside of her as possible, to let her wring out every drop. He barely even felt the primed spark release along with it, igniting the potential that''d been building inside of Ikuko since the moment he touched her.


    Ghostly lavender flames enveloped her, radiating from her like an aura. Her arms wrapped tightly around the two of them and she cried out, the power overwhelming her as it infused her. As the flames began to fade, they were replaced by pink lightning, searing across her skin before bursting forth in crackling green electrical energy. Her limbs now squeezed around him with the force of a hydraulic press, and for a moment he wondered if this was how he was going to die again. All in all, not a bad way to go, except the severe psychological trauma it''d inflict on her. But before anything could rupture, the energy faded from her, leaving him gasping for breath, and her passed out, a smile on her face.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "...But I never even imagined I could use my Quirk this way!" she rambled excitedly, as she dried her hair. "It''s not like how - I mean, that is, I don''t know if I would have ever thought of this without you."


    Taro shook his head. "You''re not giving yourself enough credit, you''d have gotten it eventually. All my Quirk does is speed things up." She would have, too. Still, Full Cowl before her first day of classes... he wondered how many butterflies he''d just unleashed on the world. He wanted to decide it wasn''t his problem. He settled for deciding that was future Taro''s problem, and who cares about that guy?


    "Still, I don''t know how I can thank you enough," she said, and Taro snorted in response.


    "You paid cash; that''s all the thanks I need."


    Ikuko blinked for a moment and then blushed; apparently the mercenary nature of their transition had completely slipped her mind. Yeah, this was definitely going to bite him in the ass. Better give her a little reminder of his job description. So he put on his best playful smirk, and said "Anyway, if you''re really grateful, think about sending some of your cute classmates this way." As she sputtered at the idea, he winked at her. "Maybe I''ll even give you a freebie if you bring me enough business."


    Wait, no, why''d he say that!? Stupid suave and playful persona! Stupid adorable reverse harem protagonist in training!


    "I''ll... I''ll think about it, Taro-san," she said, a glazed look of determination telling him she was already going to find a way. She lingered for a moment longer, then headed out the heavy door, which latched behind her as she went.


    "Future Taro''s problem, future Taro''s problem, future Taro''s problem," he chanted, as he flopped back down on his chair. He then closed his hidden eyes, feeling the new thrum of power he''d unlocked inside himself. A Quirk that could let him transfer any of the Quirks he created, with the exception of itself, to someone else. That... that could be a game-changer. Imagine what a Pro Hero could do with a second Quirk. Imagine what they''d pay if they knew he could give it to them.


    ...Imagine what a Villain would do to him if they knew he could make them the next All For One. Okay, there''s the ice water down his spine he needed to keep himself grounded. He was going to have to keep this one even more of a secret than his real Quirk until he had more than a Swiss Army knife of S.e.x Quirks and barely useful junk. But once he did... well, the possibilities were amazing.


    But still, he thought, as he let one of those aforementioned minor Quirks refill his stamina for his next appointment...


    ...Why did it have to name itself ''Eat This!''?


    Chapter 2


    "Yamada-sama, please! Please, please, I need to come! Please let me come!"


    Taro Yamada held the older woman from behind, one hand groping at her b.r.e.a.s.ts, the other holding the showerhead directly against her neatly-trimmed mound. Her legs were shaking, muscles in her calves and thighs visibly straining to keep her up. He rubbed his semi-erect member against her firm ass, admiring how her saggy, pudgy butt had transformed over the last few months. It was hard to believe this lean, toned beauty was once a paunchy office lady who''d bitterly referred to herself as unsold goods. She''d paid the premium for Tantric Empowerment every single time, and it had thoroughly transformed her into someone who would instantly bring to mind a cougar even if they''d never heard the slang usage.


    She''d raved about it while he f.u.c.k.i.e.d her, laughing at how her juniors were now tripping over themselves trying to make time for her. The not-so-secretly submissive office lady was clearly trying to make him jealous; it hadn''t worked, of course, but he wasn''t going to let that stop him from playing along. He moved the showerhead to her stomach, enjoying her whine of need, then pinched her n.i.p.p.l.e hard enough to make her gasp.


    "Alright, Watanabe-san, I think you''ve had enough." He then lowered the showerhead once again. "Why don''t you count for me? Twenty, nineteen, eighteen..." He felt her entire body tensing, holding in the orgasm he''d been building for several minutes now. "...eleven, ten, nine..." Her knees buckled, and a low m.o.a.n echoed from her throat, before she finally lost it at "...three." He held her up as she rode it out, then lowered the showerhead once more to wash away the wetness that had been flowing down her legs.


    "Tsk tsk, couldn''t make it, huh?"


    "I''m sorry, Yamada-sama," she m.o.a.ned, crumpling to the ground as he released her.


    "Don''t worry about it," he said as he stroked her hair. He then affected steel into his voice, and promised "I''ll remember it for next time." He then helped her to her feet, turned the water off, and grabbed her a towel before wrapping one around himself.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "You know, Taro-kun," she began, and he tried not to balk at the familiarity she was putting on, "that big promotion I was telling you about finally came through."


    "Congratulations, Watanabe-san," he replied, as he walked her to her car. She''d asked him to accompany her, citing the fact that the sun was starting to go down and his parlor wasn''t in the nicest neighborhood. He''d gone along with it, knowing the real reason.


    "It''s more than enough for two to live comfortably on," she continued, looking at him hopefully. "I could take you away from all of this, you know."


    "I know, Watanabe-san." There it was. This wasn''t the first time she''d made the offer, and he knew it wouldn''t be the last.


    As they reached her car, she reached out, and grabbed his hands. He jolted at the unexpected intimacy. "Please, Taro-kun: You''ve taken such good care of me. Won''t you let me take care of you too?"


    He smiled at her, affecting a look of wistfulness. "I''ve told you, Watanabe-san, I''m very flattered, but I''m happy right where I am." He then pulled his hands away and headed back, leaving her to drive alone in the night.


    If he thought she''d actually fallen for him, he''d have felt worse. But even if he could do monogamy, he knew, and knew she knew, that what she loved was the idea of him: A young man who craved her, who would have made love to the old her with the same enthusiasm as this new one. She didn''t really want a boytoy who had as much in common with her as he did a Pro Hero.


    Besides, he was happy. Mostly. He was getting paid to do something he loved, and while he didn''t have much of a profit margin yet, he was steadily building up a client base. Even if his wilder ideas weren''t panning out, he''d be able to make a comfortable living. It''s just...


    ...Okay, time to be honest with himself. He didn''t think s.e.x work would feel so much like, well, work. Obviously there''s the back end; he was expecting that. But he''d still thought he''d be selling s.e.x; instead it felt like he was a performer with his p.e.n.i.s as a prop. Well, most of he time, he thought, as he remembered the feeling of legs wrapped around him, lips locked against his...


    No, stop. He wasn''t Julia Roberts, dammit. He had as much in common with the future Pro Hero as he did Watanabe-san. He knew what he wanted was what she represented; a source of that passion and intensity that he hadn''t felt since he''d opened his business. But as much as he wanted that, he knew she wasn''t it.


    Besides, he thought, as he reached his little parlorit wasn''t like he wasn''t enjoying himself. The s.e.x was still fun. Not the same kind of fun, but as much fun as any job could hope to be. Sure it''d be nice if more of his clients just wanted to rut like animals without all the pageantry and performance. But not even Ikuko got that. A client who wanted something like that wasn''t going to just fall out of the-


    The force of the impact blew him backwards. By the time he rolled to a stop against his door, she''d begin to slowly stand from the crouched position she''d landed in. His eyes and jaw gaped open as he panned up her long musclebound legs and her wide, round ass to settle on the cottony tail sprouting from the base of her spine. Sinew and meat rippled visibly beneath bronze skin and white leotard as she arched her back and stretched her broad shoulders, before relaxing and c.o.c.king her head back to stare down at him. A feral grin spread across the Number Seven Hero''s face, showing her gleaming fangs.


    "Nice setup ya got here, ''Taro-kun.''"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Mirko was short. That wasn''t his first impression, but he couldn''t get that fact out of his mind. The stocky, musclebound woman swaggered into his parlor like she towered over him, but if he were feeling particularly suicidal today he could probably rest his elbow on top of her head. He wasn''t, so he didn''t, but that little insane part of humanity that tells them they could jump when they''re at a cliff''s edge made him aware it was possible.


    "I would first like to stress that my business is entirely legal," he recited, with a confidence he did not have, "as per the most recent interpretation of..."


    She cut off the boilerplate he''d had drilled into him with a chuff. "Do I look like a give a crap?" she asked. "Are you screwin'' anyone who doesn''t want to be screwed?" He shook his head quickly. "Then why should I care?"


    He wasn''t going to argue with that. Still, if she wasn''t going to arrest him, or kick him through a wall and then arrest him, then what was she doing here? She snorted as he realized he''d said that last part out loud, and then rotated and flicked her long ears.


    "I hear things when I''m out on patrol. Every time I''ve hopped this way, I''ve heard a different woman. It''s the same guy every time, though. You''re the only one here." She then grinned and bent forward to leer at him, not coincidentally doing very interesting things to her prominent bust. "That''s a lot of ladies. So what''s yer secret?"


    He''d never tried to lie about his Quirk to a Pro Hero before; he had no idea if she''d buy it. Still, there''s a first time for everything. "My Quirk, Tantric Empowerment, has some secondary adaptations. One of them is a greatly reduced refractory period."


    Mirko hummed appreciatively. "That''s what I was hoping to hear. So how fast can you reload?"


    "It usually takes me about five minutes to go again, half an hour to fully reload, but..."


    Her grin instantly became a frown. "That''s all you''ve got?"


    "...But," he continued, "If I go for long enough without coming, I can, well, ''bank it,'' I suppose. As long as I''ve got one banked, I can recover instantly."


    He was still getting used to that; it had barely been a week since he woke up aware of the extra loads he''d built up in his sleep. Ikuko must have passed along a minor Quirk as well; this was his version of the Stockpile Quirk that made One for All what it was. It didn''t give him weather-shaping super strength, but each time his refractory-shortening Quirk would have refilled him while he was at capacity, it''d bank a charge.


    "Oh? Now you''ve got me excited. How many have ya got banked?"


    "It caps out at one day''s worth."


    "Forty-eight, huh?" She then reached into a hip pack that he didn''t remember her being depicted with. It made sense, though; she didn''t have much room to carry things in that skintight costume. In one smooth motion, she pulled out and slammed a stack of bills on his desk. His eyes widened. That was more money than he earned in a month.


    The implications of that suddenly occurred to him. Oh shit, that was more money than he earned in a month. Mirko''s grin widened; she''d been waiting for him to realize exactly what she meant.


    "So, think you can leave me a satisfied customer?"


    Taro gulped.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "M-mirko-san, the idea is that you''re supposed to be lying down on the massage table when I come in."


    She was on him the moment he''d entered, and currently had him pinned against the wall with one arm. The other was currently working at his belt buckle. She was n.a.k.e.d, of course; he didn''t even have to look to confirm that. Not with the way she was rubbing those frankly magnificent b.r.e.a.s.ts against him.


    "I have people for that," she said dismissively. "Besides, you just want a chance to cheat by dosing me. "At his incredulous look, she sniffed. "These ears get all the attention, but a Rabbit''s best sense is her nose. I can smell all kinds of s.e.xy stuff in the air."


    "I''m not..."


    "I''m not judging, I just don''t want it. I don''t need that cologne you''ve got on either."


    "That''s actually not something I can turn off," he muttered.


    "Really?" She leaned forward to sniff at him, then poked curiously at his forehead. "All that and the eye thing too?" He tried not to show the worry on his face; he really didn''t want the Pro Hero to decide things weren''t lining up. Luckily, she brushed it off.


    "Look, you''ve got your way of doing things. I respect that. But I don''t need a massage to get me in the mood. Feel, right here," she demanded, as she grabbed his hand and pressed it between her thick, powerful legs. Her smooth, hairless labia were completely soaked, sticky juices not only clinging to them but running down her inner thighs almost to her knees. He could feel her heat, and a glance down revealed her lips had darkened from bronze to cocoa in arousal.


    "I don''t want whatever song and dance you usually sell," she declared. "I don''t want you to try and satisfy me by licking my cunny while I sit back and dream of getting filled up. I want to screw someone that won''t give up right as it''s getting good. I want yer d.i.c.k," she growled, sliding a hand into his pants and grasping him firmly, "and I want it bad."


    Between the ravenous look in her eyes, the feeling of her dripping, eager s.e.x, and her strong, nimble fingers, Taro was ready before his pants hit the ground. Physically, at least. Mentally, he legitimately wondered if he was getting out of his on one piece. Too late for regrets now, he decided, as he drew off his shirt and tossed it to the ground with the hand not currently gripped between Mirko''s powerful legs.


    "Alright, let''s head over to the bed, and-"


    "Screw that," she interrupted, and with superhuman grace, hopped and wrapped her legs around his pelvis, driving him into her in a single smooth motion.


    She was like a vice. No, he thought, a vice wouldn''t feel amazing while it crushed the life from you. He''d f.u.c.k.i.e.d more experienced women, had felt how strong v.a.g.i.n.a.l muscles could squeeze. Well, he thought he had. It turns out, he had no idea. She''d completely wrapped around him the moment he entered her, with so much force that if he''d been circ.u.mcised he probably wouldn''t be able to move himself. Even with the benefit of foreskin and the wetness flooding from her, each thrust took a surprising amount of effort. As it turned out, that wasn''t much of a problem, because she had no such difficulty.


    He''d gotten good at holding back. But this felt as far beyond anything he''d felt it was like losing his v.i.r.g.i.nity all over again, and he lasted about as long. With a suddenness that made him gasp, he felt himself empty inside of the Rabbit Hero''s iron grip. Pale purple flame soaked into her, and she raised an eyebrow. "That''s all you got? That''s not nearly as fun as I was hoping for. Alright, I''ll hold back a bit, and-"


    But she wasn''t the only one benefitting from the transfer of power. As he came inside of her, he felt his real Quirk activate, tasting hers and making something new from it. Fire rippled inside of him, speaking into his legs and reforging them. Although he hadn''t outwardly changed, it felt like muscle, veins, and bone were replaced by steel cables, pipes, and girders. He''d thought he was reasonably strong before; compared to how he felt now, his legs may as well have been cooked pasta.


    No, he realized, it wasn''t just his legs. While that was where the power was concentrated, he''d gotten enough upgrades to the general area to make use of them. His h.i.p.s and lower spine felt durable, at least enough to not get torn apart by the newfound force. So had everything else in that general vicinity; his Quirk had made sure he wouldn''t accidentally castrate himself by clenching his legs together.


    Oh. There were other uses for that last one. He felt himself harden again, the stockpiling Quirk refueling him completely, and with a forceful thrust, drove himself deep inside of the Rabbit Hero. The crushing grip was still as strong as ever, but with the newfound strength and durability let him push though anyway. Her eyes widened with the sudden intrusion, and he matched her grin. "You just caught me off guard," he growled. "It won''t happen again."


    "That''s what I like to hear," she bellowed, as she pulled back and slammed her h.i.p.s against his.


    The second time was a battle for dominance, his newfound strength only barely letting him hold his own against her raw power and aggression. They drove into each other with abandon; the sound of slapping flesh and spattering fluids echoed through the room. By the time she managed to drag another orgasm out of him, she was glowing with sweat, and the pulse of him inside of her sent her over the edge as well. She held him for support, sank her teeth into his neck, and trembled as they rode the wave of pleasure out together. As he caught his breath, Mirko panted wildly, already starting to ride him again. "You''re the real deal," she exclaimed. "Now I don''t have to hold back."


    The third time was like being caught in a hurricane. Her thick muscles bulged and strained with effort as she slammed herself down on him, accelerating faster and faster as he proved he could withstand the impact. Soon she was jackhammering him, moving so fast her lower body was a blur. Without his new Quirk, Rabbit Legs, she''d be cracking bone; even with it, all he could do was hold on for dear life. This time, she was the one to come first, slamming herself down on him with enough strength to force him to the floor. She rocked back and forth on his full length, panting with pleasure as the rapid contractions of her v.a.g.i.n.a.l muscles sucked another load out of him.


    By the fifth time, he''d adjusted to her frenzied mating, and was pushing back against her as she slammed into her. Drops of wetness flew with each wet slap, the force of their impact splashing the river of mixed fluids pouring from her and soaking him. She buried his face in her pillowy b.r.e.a.s.ts and begged her to fill him; as he sank his teeth into one chocolatey n.i.p.p.l.e, he all too eagerly obliged.


    The eighth time, he was on top of her. She''d wrapped her legs around him and was squeezing down each time he thrusted into her. Sweat dripped from his body as he panted with exertion; she on the other hand, was far more vocal.


    "C''mon, fill me up! Fill me with your c.u.m and knock me up! Breed me! Breed me, ya bastard!"


    He quashed that little insane part of him that said she was technically asking him to do it. He was way too young to be a posthumous parent. Nevertheless, he enjoyed the mental image of those rippling caramel abs swollen with his seed as his barren s.p.e.r.m splashed against her cervix.


    The thirteenth time, she was bent over, legs spread wide, crying out incoherently. If he had any real control over the situation at all, he''d probably be feeling like he was king of the world. But she was the one slamming her plump, firm ass into his h.i.p.s with blistering speed, and he was once again struggling to hold on. He rubbed at the base of her tail with abandon, and the incoherent m.o.a.n he tore from her made it clear that he''d found her sweet spot. But all that meant is that she clenched him harder as she f.u.c.k.i.e.d him, roaring fragments of commands to not dare stop.


    The twenty-first time was slow and sensual. Both of them glistened with sweat, and even the Pro Hero was now panting for breath. So she slowly rocked her h.i.p.s against his while he stroked her dangling b.r.e.a.s.ts, both savoring the lull.


    "So - hah, hah - what''s it like anyway?"


    "Nothing like this," he finally puffed, and she guffawed.


    "Of course not," she said, running a hand down his chest with surprising gentleness. "I''m me."


    He snorted. "It''s different than I thought. A lot more of a job, you know? I think I went into it thinking it''d all be like this, and..."


    "...It''s not, is it? Heh, I know just what you mean. Heroing''s great. The paperwork, though? Screw it."


    "How do you deal with it?"


    She shuddered and m.o.a.ned, then returned to her slow rocking. "I don''t slow down," she finally said. "I do things how I want, live my best life. When I see a bad guy," she purred, grinding herself against him, "I kick his butt. When I see a neat shop, I go take a look. When I hear a bunch of happy women," and she clamped down on him and threw back her head, "oh f.u.c.k - I see what the fuss is about." She winked, and said "It''s working so far."


    "I don''t - hah - think having s.e.x with whoever I wanted would work for me," he replied.


    "Not unless ya wanted me to kick you through a wall," she admitted. But you could pick who you screwed. Throw out the losers, keep the fun ones."


    "That - hah - that''s the dream," he gasped, as she started to pick up speed.


    "Make it work," she challenged him. "Ya got a nice d.i.c.k. Don''t waste it." She then leered at him and grinned, hunger in her eyes. "Speaking of, I think I''m just about done with our little break."


    The jerking spasms as her powerful v.a.g.i.n.a.l muscles wrung another load of s.e.m.e.n out of him, and the corresponding burst of pale purple flame served as all the confirmation she needed.


    By the thirty-fourth time, he''d moved from wondering if he''d make it out of this room in one piece. No, he now wondered if he was making it out at all. The Rabbit Hero was on top of him again, ass flattening against his abdomen as she bounced aggressively. He watched in awe as her muscles tensed and contracted, back arching as she came once again. Now that she''d caught her second wind, she showed no signs of slowing down. Meanwhile, his stockpile did nothing to alleviate the fatigue he felt. Orgasms were less bursts of pleasure now and more of a countdown, to his final reprieve. It couldn''t come fast enough. And he, unfortunately, couldn''t either.


    The forty-eighth time was frantic, Mirko desperately trying to get as much use out of him as possible before he finally dried up. She held him down, muscles swelling with the effort of keeping him from even trying to escape. Not that he was trying. That was beyond him now. His muscles burned, his bones ached, and the less said about his poor exhausted p.e.n.i.s the better. All he could do was wait until biology did what it was programmed to do, and he came one final time inside of her. She looked almost disappointed, as if she still hadn''t had enough, only for her eyes to widen and her lips to split into a fang-mouthed smile when she felt him harden once again.


    "That''s right,??? she said, "you''ve been recharging this whole time, haven''t you?"


    Taro wept softly.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    The Rabbit Hero beamed as she kicked rapidly, legs leaving shockwaves with each snap. "Holy crap, your Quirk rocks. I feel like I underpaid you." She then crunched down on one of the empty water bottles scattered around. "Or I would if you hadn''t got a little extra from me too."


    Taro tried to respond, but a look silenced him. "I''m not stupid," she said. "I could feel the change the first time we screwed. I can almost respect the balls it took trying to slip that past me." She then threw up her arms. "Really, I don''t give a crap. Unless you go Villain it''s not hurting me any. If ya do," she said with a wink, "it''ll make kicking yer butt more fun."


    Having said her piece, she flung her clothes over her shoulder and sauntered over to the parlor''s bathroom. "I''m going to wash up. I''m a little messy." That was an understatement: The mixture dribbling from her had coated her inner calves, and heavy drops fell from her as she shifted her sweat-wreathed h.i.p.s. "Don''t worry, I''ll lock up when I''m done."


    As she opened the door, she looked back with a grin. "Hey, I''m taking a card. Get ready to clear a day next time."


    Taro tried to respond again. But he didn''t manage anything coherent before she had stepped through. So he just gave up and decided to appreciate how comfortable the floor was. He was soaked in sweat and the same mixture the Number Seven Hero was currently washing off of himself, his everything hurt, and he felt the kind of pounding headache that let him know he should have been asleep hours ago. Glazed and unfocused eyes flicked to the wall clock; he couldn''t read it right now, but had three digits and none of them were a one. He''d put money on that not being a two either. Maybe a three. Hopefully a three.


    Air blew from his lungs; calling it a sigh was assigning him agency he didn''t know if he had right now. But the intent was there. Message received, universe, he thought. I will never ask for anything ever again.

 Chapter 418 - My Original Stash #18 - Kurogayan Yandere Magnet by Chastity

    -Yandere harem doesn''t exi-


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 17K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/kurogayan-yandere-magnet-original-s.e.x-comedy-light.13200/#post-3804423 (Chastity)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    In modern psychology on the planet of Hentalia, there is a well-recognized psychological condition known as "Medean personality complex." Women - and it affects only women - who have it, tend to attach to individuals with an overwhelming and long-lasting intensity, often sufficiently intense to be rebuffed just by their actions alone.


    All people, of course, seek out certain characteristics in their partner, and the same is true of those with MPC. Those with MPC, because of the intense nature of the personality complex, tend to have similar tastes in their ideal partner. Someone who can accept them, who can love them, who can treat them how they wish to be treated¡­ only the most ludicrously oblivious or pitifully masochistic of those with MPC would find their heart swoon for somebody who cannot do these things. This is why it is considered a personality complex, rather than a disorder.


    However, just as we often identify "charisma" without being able to be more specific, on occasions, a man happens to have exactly the right sort of personality - even down to body mannerisms - that any unattached girl with MPC will instantly decide that he is her true love, who she must endeavor forever and ever to love and make happy and have fill her belly with countless babies.


    Our hero is one such man. He is about to begin his high school life in a new district, where any waiting maidens will instantly become intensely interested in him.


    * * *


    "Wow, you sure are a big old idiot," Kantan says over the phone, and you can practically hear her smirk. "Why would you think that just moving could separate us? We''re friends for life, I wouldn''t abandon you just because you had to move!"


    You pause at that, a little confused at the statement. Friends? Kantan was pretty much foisted on you as a playmate when you were five because your mom became her mom''s friend, and she subsequently would constantly bully you, calling you names, pulling on your hair, and discussing how you were probably very s.e.x.u.a.lly inadequate. "Honestly, I thought you''d find some new chew toy," you admit, not really sure what else to say.


    "Aw, I love chewing on you way too much to bite down on anybody else, Dai-kun!" She says it with zest and pep, not like an admission to an eternal bullying campaign. "I get it, you''re down in the dumps because you can''t look up my skirt any more, right?"


    "No," you say, instantly, in a total deadpan. Kantan has a tendency to sit with her legs spread wide, or to squat, or otherwise show off her panties, then act offended when your gaze happens to wander below the belt. Given the smile she wears every time, she''s just doing it on purpose to bully you. Not to get you in trouble - she''ll intervene then - but she holds it over your head how you''d totally wind up getting in huuuge trouble for your perverted gaze if she hadn''t said something.


    "I get it, I get it, you can''t admit it because you''re too embarrassed of being such an enormous pervert," she tells you. "Hang on a second, I took one just in case when I went into school today."


    She sends you a photo a few seconds later. It''s of her, in the lockers, hefting up her skirt and taking a selfie from behind, showing off her butt. You pause as you process the image. "Pretty great, right?" Comes her tinny voice over your phone''s speaker. "You love looking at my ass and p.u.s.s.y, don''t you, you big old pervert? Maybe I could take a picture that''s a little lewder, if your v.i.r.g.i.n c.o.c.k won''t just explode at the sight?"


    ...was she flirting with you all this time? Your brain is sluggish to even consider the option, but what else could it be?


    "Oh, so you''re wearing white today." You say it nonchalantly, not rising to the bait. "That''s different."


    She giggles at that, sounding both playful and ecstatic. "I knew it was a special day for you, so I decided to share a special pair of panties! A perv like you''s probably already jacking off to it, right? I think I can hear your heavy breathing..." Now that you''re looking for it, it feels like there''s a certain intensity on her part, her own breathing intensifying. "Don''t get in trouble with your mom for being too loud! I can send you more, with whatever color you want, if you admit that you''re a big old pervert who''s desperate to see his childhood best friend''s panties."


    "If you want to send me pictures of your ass, that''s fine. You aren''t going to get me to ask for them." You let out a belabored sigh.


    "Oh, you''re too scared to admit that you want to see me n.a.k.e.d, huh? I bet you''re already imagining me stripping down and just shaking my ass at the camera, maybe even doing a double peace-sign. You perv."


    "That s oddly specific. I think you''re the real pervert here, constantly thinking of things like that."


    "Ehh?" She sounds actually fl.u.s.tered on the other end of the line, then catches herself. "Oh, yeah, I''m the pervert. I think I can hear you jacking off over the phone right now, Dai-kun. Your big c.o.c.k''s in your hand, stroking yourself off as you stare at my ass, right? It''s the first time I sent you a pic like this, so you probably can''t control yourself, with that horny brain of yours. I could send you even better fapbait, if you ask."


    You are, obviously, not actually jacking off.


    "Do you want me to ask?"


    There''s a pause in her side of the conversation there, a lull that stretches on slightly longer than you''d think it really ought to. She recovers quickly enough. "I just want you to be honest with yourself, Daichi, you''re a total perv who''s been l.u.s.ting over my body ever since we first met."


    "Keep talking like this, and maybe I''ll be the one to send you the d.i.c.k pic. You''d like that, wouldn''t you, you pervert?"


    "A-ah? You''d do that?" She stutters, swallowing audibly on the other end of the line. "I mean, ahm," she pauses. "What''s, ah?" You can hear her shift around on the other end of the line. "Normally when we flirt you don''t say things like that, Dai-chan. Is something up? Do you want to finally take my v.i.r.g.i.nity?"


    "What are you talking about, flirting?" You ask, letting out a long sigh. "You bullied me ever since we were little."


    "No, that was teasing! I was teasing you, which is a form of flirting. Saying things like how your c.o.c.k was too small, you know, I know it''s actually really big. That''s called flirting, Dai-chan. It''s, see, you say things you don''t really mean, but since you''re so close, you both know it''s not sincere. And we''ve been friends since we were five!" She pauses. "Oh, wait, are you flirting now? Sorry, um, hang on, I only bullied you, because you''re so stupid and have such a teeny-tiny c.o.c.k! It''s barely as big as my thumb! Sorry, normally you pretend to be bothered by me showing you my panties and stuff, so I''m not used to it when you start trying to tease me."


    "Are you an idiot?" You ask, practically squinting at the invisible face of Kantan from the distance from your new house to where she lives.


    "No, you''re supposed to just call me an idiot, Dai-chan! You just say, wow, you''re so stupid, Kantan! I know you''ve played the teased rather than the teaser more, but-"


    "So you actually are an idiot," you interrupt.


    "Yes! Exactly like that! Great!" She pauses. "Um, I''m... wow, can you just be quiet, Dai-chan? You''re so annoying when you say things like that."


    "No, listen to me, Kantan. I think you have a misconception of what flirting entails. I have never seen it that way."


    There''s a long silence from the other end of the line. "W-wait. So when you''d say to stop showing you my panties, you weren''t just pretending?" You think you can hear the faintest start of a choked-up sob in her throat. "You really don''t find me attractive at all, and don''t want anything to do with me, and h-h-h-hate me?" She stammers out the last word, and you can practically feel the wet of her tears against your cheek as she speaks.


    You rub the bridge of your nose. Why is this girl so damn stupid that she''d do that for literally more than a decade? "I do find you attractive, on a basic, physical level, but your personality is crap."


    "Oh..." she sounds like she''s wilting on the other end of the line. "Sorry..." She suddenly perks up after a second. "I know, how about you punish me for being such a bad friend?"


    "Punish you? Is this some weird fetish of yours?"


    "Well, ye- I mean no!" She suddenly shouts into the phone. "I mean, um. Just, you know, if I hurt your feelings, you can take it out on me, however you want. You can insult me, slap me, **** me, whatever. Just as long as you''ll still be my friend..."


    "We were never fr- wait, what was that last one?"


    "Whatever?"


    "No, before that?"


    "Slap me?"


    "No, you said that I could **** you," you correct.


    "If you want to **** me then that''s okay too," she says. It sounds almost like she''s drooling. Maybe her insane masochism is part of the reason why she thought acting like that was totally fine.


    "I don''t think that''s how **** works, Kantan," you tell her.


    "Ehh? No, it''d still be ****. Punishment ****, the s.e.xiest kind of ****."


    "No, if you wanted it, it would just be s.e.x."


    "Punishment s.e.x, the s.e.xiest kind of s.e.x," she continues, completely oblivious to your point.


    She has a way of taking over the conversation and redirecting it her way, and it''s hard enough to try to keep control over the phone. "You know what? Come over here to talk, so we can talk, about this."


    "Yes!" She hangs up immediately. Since you had to move after your dad''s death, she''s now a good twenty minutes away, which means you can deal with your mother now... or maybe she''s already pre-dealt with? You exit your room, finding your mother in the living room, lounging on the couch as she watches some anime. Unfortunately... she''s not dressed as the prim and proper wife that she always dresses like when you have company over.


    No, instead, she''s cosplaying as some ridiculous fanservice character called Moomoo-chan whose magical milk cures all illnesses from some dumb anime which she watches every day! She looks absolutely ridiculous. "Mom. Kantan''s coming over for us to talk."


    "Ehh? But it''s my shows!" She whines. "You know I want to watch my shows, they''re one of the few things that give mommy pleasure after your father died." She wipes at her eyes in an exaggerated fashion. "My shows and my beloved Dai-chan!" She says, hopping up to mob you in a brutal hug, gripping you close to her, practically smothering your face in her tits. "Can''t you go over to her house instead?"


    "No," you get out, muffled in your mother''s bosom. "It needs to happen here, so you need to get dressed." Well, it comes out more like, "Mfo, i'' neebs bo habben hee, sho you neeb bo beb bresseb," but she gets it. She does this so much, especially after Dad died, that she''s got a preternatural sense for what you''re saying.


    "Oh, alright. Since my beloved Dai-chan wants it, I''ll go get dressed..." She lets out a sigh as she pulls herself away from you, practically bouncing over to her bedroom.


    She comes out wearing a nice sweater-dress and full coverage leggings, setting her show to record before turning the TV over to the news. She doesn''t lounge on the couch, either, instead sitting with her legs crossed, fingers steepled together as if discussions of the Diet were the most interesting thing in the world to her, even though you both know that she''s counting down the seconds until she can start watching anime again. You are the only person who knows her secret interest, now that Dad''s gone.


    Before you can fall too far down that rabbit hole, there''s heavy, frantic knocking on the front door. When you open it, there stands Kantan, eyes a bit wild, somewhat coated with sweat like she rushed over as fast as she could. "Dai-chan! I''m so sorry! Punish me however you want until you''re satisfied that I''ve made it up to you!"


    "Wait. Was the abuse you put me through some kind of extended foreplay just so I could indulge your masochism in pursuit of revenge?"


    "W-what? No!" She shouts it loudly.


    "Oh, you''re already going at it?" Your mother calls from the living room. "At least wait until you''re in your room, Dai-chan." She does a nice ufufufu laugh, and Kantan turns scarlet.


    "No..." Kantan''s voice is quiet now. "I thought we were flirting, and having fun. I-I mean, if I was really bullying you, would I show you my panties all the time?"


    "I don''t know. Maybe. Why not?" She fidgets in place uncomfortably. "Now, look at me." Her eyes snap up to yours like you were her drill sergeant and she was a private. "Do you think that I''m the sort of guy to ''punish you however I want''?" She opens her mouth, then closes it, as if she''s not sure what the right answer to this trick question is. "Because I''m not. Now, come to the dining room," you say, and she follows after you quickly. "Sit down," you order, and she promptly slams in place, her tits bouncing a bit. "Now. We''re going to talk like reasonable people. There will be no s.e.x - no anything - until you''ve learned from this. Got it?"


    She nods quietly, mouth shut.


    "Good. I''m going to make some tea," you say, turning around to get started on it, and you do all the tea making motions as you continue to speak, but the QM doesn''t make tea and doesn''t care enough to google how to so you''ll just have to use your imagination here. "First of all. Where did you get the idea that verbal abuse is flirting? It isn''t."


    "No, it is! Like, a wife says, you know, um. Oh, my husband''s such a dummy, he got me a diamond ring instead of something cheaper! And then the husband says, oh, my wife''s such a dummy, she took it anyway!"


    "That doesn''t really sound like flirting," you say. "Anyway. Stop insulting me."


    "A-alright, Dai-chan." She swallows, looking meek and pitiful.


    "No more games, either. When you want something, you should just say it out loud."


    "B-but girls just saying what they want is unladylike!"


    "Is flashing your panties ladylike?"


    "I-if it''s for your true love," she says, poking her fingers against each other awkwardly as she gingerly bites her lower lip, bowing her head but looking up at you.


    You pause, both in your thoughts and your care making the tea. After a few seconds, your brain manages to restart. "I''m sorry, your what?"


    She blushes scarlet, but she can''t resist the question, and answers. "My true love... ever since we first m-met, I knew, you were the man who would become my husband! When I was little, I pulled your hair because I didn''t know how to express it-"


    "You still don''t know how to express it!" You counter. She goes quiet again. You spot the hint of your mother''s grey hair peeking around the corner as she watches the two of you talk.


    You step over to her and just yank on her hair, making her squeak in surprise. "Do you feel my love when I do this, Kantan?"


    "Y-yes, Dai-kun," she says. She''s actually flush with color, her body wobbling a little, her eyes even crossing a bit.


    You sigh, letting go of her hair. "That''s perverted, Kantan. Most people wouldn''t enjoy that."


    "W-wait, but, then does that mean you didn''t mean it in a loving way? But you know my power, right?" Her power is basically to suffer any damage and continue operating with a ''ghost'' that keeps her at full strength - better than, the more damage she suffers. She also has regeneration. You''re not sure quite what that-


    Right. People with regenerative or pseudo-toughness powers experience pain differently, since they experience injury differently. You fetch the now-finished tea and pour both of you a glass, immediately shoveling yours down your gullet to have an opportunity not to talk. This is so tiresome.


    "Kantan. My power doesn''t make pain pleasurable. Most people''s power doesn''t do that. It''s why we have a word for pain."


    "I know that, I haven''t pulled your hair since I was like seven!" She defends. "I-I mean, if you want to punish me for doing something when I was seven, I won''t stop you... but I just flashed panties and stuff. You got hard, so I thought you liked it."


    "A natural bodily response to stimulation does not mean I want to f.u.c.k you," you tell her, leaning forward over the table, making her briefly wear an almost pitiful panicked look. "Even if I do."


    Her mouth opens, no words coming out, a sort of quiet little strangled squeal escaping her throat instead, almost like a balloon''s hiss.


    "Come on," you say, just grabbing her under the shoulder, dragging her up to your room. She''s panting by the time you arrive, and you kick the door shut even though your mother is no longer even really bothering to ''hide,'' her footsteps at full volume as she traipses down the hallway after you. Maybe she wants to see or listen to her son doing lewd things or whatever, but she''s not telling you to stop so you''ll just put that out of your head. Instead, you''ll focus on bending Kantan over the bed, flipping up her skirt - she''s already started soaking her panties, a lemony scent wafting up to hit your nostrils from her juices. You''re rock hard.


    Should you be doing this? Well. You can think about that when you''re done here. You peel down her panties, revealing her sopping wet s.e.x to open air, fishing out your own c.o.c.k.


    "I''m not on the pill, Dai-kun, so if you don''t want me to have your babies, you should pull out. Or use another hole. Or knock me up, if it''s Dai-kun, I don''t mind becoming teen pregnant while still in school!"


    "You can just say you want it up the ass, you know," you say, grabbing her ass cheek and just ramming your c.o.c.k inside her tight little butt. She groans in pleasure at the sensation, going cross-eyed as you slowly wedge yourself deeper and deeper inside her. Her mouth falls open, tongue lolling out, saliva starting to drip from her mouth as her eyes roll up in ecstasy, and you''re not even fully inside her yet.


    You grab her forearms, pulling them together behind her back, and apply your power to her arms. It turns everything past the elbow invisible, and also, with another exertion of the tiniest mental effort, it snaps into place as a binding, holding her arms into a tight binding, her elbows pulled back behind her. Then, simply grabbing her arms in one hand and using them like impromptu reins, you start going whole hog on her, slamming into her ass again and again with rough, forceful strokes. It takes no time at all for her to come, m.o.a.ning openly and hard as your balls slap against her lower lips.


    It feels good, the sensation of her convulsing body beneath you, but somehow it''s not quite good enough for you right now. You''re feeling genuinely sadistic, and her masochistic nature means any hesitation you might have felt is right out the window. "You perverted, f.u.c.k.i.n.g, moron," you say, punctuating each word with a sharp spank to her ass, making her squeak and jerk in pleasure, her back arching. "F.u.c.k, I genuinely hated you, and I thought you were the biggest piece of shit, but it turns out-" you emphasize that word by grabbing her by the hair, yanking on it - causing her to spontaneously orgasm all over again, her ass clenching down on your c.o.c.k hard, her eyes going loopy as they practically spin in her skull.


    "That you''re just f.u.c.k.i.n.g retarded," you conclude. "Maybe if I f.u.c.k.i.n.g slap some sense into you-" you smack her tit roughly with your free hand, making saliva splash out of her mouth in a free spray, splattering against the window, "it''ll make me feel better." You push her up along the bed, until her cheek is pressed against it, her b.r.e.a.s.ts creating a squeaky noise through her top and bra as you shove her into place, putting her overlooking your yard. Anybody could see what you''re doing, but you''re both mostly clothed so you don''t really give a f.u.c.k.


    It''s intense and incredible, a feeling of release from years of built-up anger as you just let it all out on her. You can call her any name in the book, f.u.c.k her ass as rough as you like, and she doesn''t care. Slap her, spank her, choke her - and you do that for a good half-minute, enjoying the little sputters she makes, the way her body tenses, in the process her ass constricts around your d.i.c.k. You keep her pressed up against the window the whole time, letting anybody who glances see her bright red cheeks, her sweat-slick body, see the way she squeaks up and down against the window as her juices drip all over your bed, occasionally splattering against the base of the window as you f.u.c.k her like that.


    Where you feel like grabbing her varies, but she doesn''t speak, having shut the f.u.c.k up for once in her life as a consequence of getting f.u.c.k.i.e.d so hard and rough, coming so fast and quick. Her constant orgasmic bliss means you feel zero guilt at all no matter how you abuse her. At one point you just start slamming her cheek against the window, making her sputter and droll, saliva dribbling down her lower lip as she spasms in pleasure at the rough treatment.


    "Oh, and get started on the pill, you stupid bitch," you grunt out. "If you really love me so much, why weren''t you already on it?"


    Her mouth starts to move in, the first time she''s even tried to start speaking, that''s how important she considers it to answer a sincere question like that. "I, didn''t, know, if you, wanted, to knock, me up," she sputters out, just barely, in between your rough thrusts into her ass. Then her brain whites out as she orgasms yet again, eyes rolling up, mouth falling open, tongue lolling out lewdly. You stick two fingers inside her mouth, starting to play with her tongue; you know that it''s an erogenous zone for girls, and it also means there''s zero chance that she''ll start babbling and saying some stupid shit again.


    Your first orgasm isn''t enough to make you feel finished, so after you catch your breath, you push her down into the pillow, practically smothering her in it, and just get right back into it. At some point you''re stomping on her head, foot pressed against the back of her skull as you keep f.u.c.k.i.n.g her ass; at another, you''ve got her laid down on the bed flat. No matter what position she''s in, though, those arms of hers remain bound behind her back, and she''s unable to do anything but acquiesce to your every whim.


    Not that she minds at all.


    By the time you finally feel properly done with her, you''ve come probably eight times, and you pull out, letting her gaping asshole start to dribble out your thick c.u.m as you stare down at her n.a.k.e.d body. Out of some tiny lingering tinge of irritation, you pull out your phone, yanking her head out of the pillow and making sure her face is visible as you take shots of her c.u.m-filled body. You don''t know if it''s to jerk off to, or threaten blackmail with, since it''s done almost on instinct.


    She just pants on the bed, a dopey, sleepy smile on her lips. As you slump down onto your own ass on the bed, you notice the door to your bedroom''s open. You''re pretty sure you closed it. The f.u.c.k did Mom open it for?


    You just shake your head. Why not keep going? Whatever. You can just pull out. It''s not like she can, or would, stop you, in her condition, her arms still bound behind her back. You flip her onto her backside, presenting her pink s.e.x to your view and... her bush has been shaved into the first character of your name, with a pair of tiny hearts on either side. Is that s.e.xy or ridiculous? You''re not sure. But... you push yourself in between her legs, teasing your c.o.c.k at her cunt as you get ready to pop her cherry. She just shivers, still a bit out of it at the moment. You''ve heard h.y.m.e.n popping feels real good for girls with regeneration powers.


    You stare down at her, making her flush with color as your eyes just drill into your own, not yet pressing in. You let out a long sigh, finally making a last decision on this whole matter. "I''ll have to keep you. I don''t want to force some other guy to put up with your retarded bullshit." Before she can respond, you smash your lips against hers, worming your tongue into her mouth immediately; she reciprocates, her own warring in the space between your mouths, hungry, eager.


    A moment later you slam inside her, making an animal squeal escape her throat as she shivers and jerks on your d.i.c.k, her whole body twitching. Her b.r.e.a.s.ts press into your chest, and your hands naturally go for them, popping open her top and then undoing her bra - fortunately, it''s done from the front, so it''s easy to separate out and reveal those big fat tits of hers to open air. Then your hands wrap around them quickly, fingers sinking into the copious titflesh as you make out with her, dominating her utterly in that position. Her legs come to wrap around your h.i.p.s, gripping you, pulling you into her - then pushing you out, trying to accelerate your pace inside her, the s.e.x freak already that horny despite you having only just started.


    For a few minutes, you just do her like that. It''s almost romantic - kissing, face to face s.e.x, your hands on her b.r.e.a.s.ts, her legs around your waist. Then you break off the kiss, grabbing her thighs and twisting her legs around until her ankles are up near your ears. In that position, you start f.u.c.k.i.n.g her again, limiting her ability to do anything meaningful to nothing as you stare down at her. Her lips sputter, trying to form words. Whether they''re to encourage you, or to try to dirty talk you, or proclaim her eternal love for you, who knows?


    You grab her face with one hand and squeeze, smushing her lips together as you hold her cheeks. "Why didn''t you spend more effort on studying and work, instead of meticulously shaving your p.u.s.s.y into this absurd shape?" Your other hand slides down to her cunt, absently brushing through the hair. She can only let out an incomprehensible, muffled noise through your grip on her face, but that''s the point. "Because you''re a dumb horny cunt, is that it?" You force her to nod - a moment later, she explodes in orgasm again, spasming around your d.i.c.k. You pull out, grabbing her thighs and using them as a jerkoff aid to wring one out on her stomach, your c.u.m splattering across her stomach, tits, really just about everywhere. She''s already dripped a ton all over the place anyway, but there is something uniquely s.e.xy about staining a girl in your colors with intent.


    You pause as you think over what to do next, whether to get right back to f.u.c.k.i.n.g her p.u.s.s.y, or to go back to her ass, or...


    You decide to grab her by the upper arm, twisting her around so her head hangs off the edge of the bed, short hair dangling down. "It''s time for you to clean up the mess you made," you say, your hard c.o.c.k twitching as you push it past her soft lips, her mouth gladly greeting your length. Her throat cooperates readily, her tongue swishing this way and that around your d.i.c.k. Her legs kick at the air, not from asphyxiation, but from pleasure; after less than a minute of cleaning your d.i.c.k out in her mouth, she comes, spraying her juices all over the bed in the process, going practically cross-eyed from everything you''re forcing her to do.


    You''re tempted to just use her mouth as another f.u.c.khole, but honestly, how f.u.c.k.i.n.g long have you been going at this? You pull out, slapping her cheeks a few times, then flip her onto her side and removing your invisible bindings from her arms, letting her go. "I''m going downstairs to get some food. You can join whenever you get enough feeling in your legs, got it?"


    "Okay," she pants out, so out of it that there''s not any dumb line that joins up with the acquiescence. You get dressed properly, and head out, finding your mother hurriedly walking down the halls, a home video camera in one hand.


    "Hey, Mom," you say, quickly approaching your mother, who speeds up her steps and cradles the camera in her bosom, as if hoping it will disappear in between her b.o.o.b.s. While there''s some logic to such a decision, it doesn''t pan out. "Why did you record me f.u.c.k.i.n.g Kantan? I''m not angry, just confused."


    "Ah... well... that''s simple... of course..." she delays, "it''s because I wanted to save my beloved Dai-chan''s most special moment forever and ever!" She pauses, tilting her head, pressing her finger to her cheek. "Hm, I wonder if this means if I wore what Kantan was wearing, that would be cosplay? After all, she''s in a video now. My son, the p.o.r.n star, and his first bitch! Oh, it was so exciting when you started calling her names, ah, such a thrill to see my little boy having turned into such a strapping man." She actually licks her lips at that.


    "Great. Okay. Glad you got a memento of something so important," you tell her, and she nods right back. "I''m going to go get some water, that took a lot out of me."


    "Oh, my poor baby! Did f.u.c.k.i.n.g that stupid bitch," she puts a certain cadence on the words to mimic how you said them when you were referring to Kantan, "tucker you out? Why don''t you just lie down on the couch, watch whatever you want, and Mommy will get you a glass of water, and make you something nice to eat? Maybe some brownies, or cookies?" She suggests.


    "Actually," you say, rolling your shoulders, "how about a banana and some latorade? And after you get them, I can rest my head in your lap, and we can watch whatever anime you want, while lying and saying that it''s for me if Kantan catches us."


    "Oh! You''re so sweet, Dai-chan! Mommy loves you so much!" She grabs you and pulls you into her bosom again, practically smothering you for several seconds before letting you go. "I''ll go get you what you want right away, alright? Just lie down and let your mother take care of everything, I''m not some little bimbo like that Kantan girl, I can handle my young man''s needs." She rushes to the kitchen as quick as she can, and you flop on the couch in the living room, turning on the TV. You flip between a couple channels before your mother comes rushing back, gingerly hefting your head up before laying it back down in her lap, starting to softly stroke your hair as you start to just chugging down the latorade she brought.


    She quickly flicks the TV over to her favorite show, which is an anime about four adventurers who do a ton of stupid things together. It''s mostly a comedy, really, despite its shonen trappings.


    The latest gag is a series of unfortunate misadventures by the incredibly dedicated, stupidly in love, Julia Jackser, who is stupidly incapable of just coming out to her beloved Cinereal and telling him that she wants him to bang her in every hole like she so clearly does. She''s sort of the ''pervy, horny, loyal'' archetype, but she won''t speak up despite it.


    "Are girls really like that?"


    "Like what?" Your mother asks sweetly.


    "I mean, Julia should just tell Cinereal she wants him, shouldn''t she?"


    "Well, sometimes it''s not that simple, sweetie. After all, what if Cinereal didn''t reciprocate her feelings? He might put distance between the two of them. Then she couldn''t be near him any more, and that would be the worst thing possible."


    "I guess," you say, shifting down into place.


    "Besides, it''s funny, watching her go about it that way, you know?"


    You let out a small laugh, remembering when Cinereal unknowingly insulted Julia''s love letter because her handwriting was so bad he thought it was a challenge to a duel. "Yeah, it is." You snuggle a little further into your mother''s lap, taking a bite of a banana. "You''re comfortable, Mom." You let out a soft sigh. "Is it alright if I keep f.u.c.k.i.n.g Kantan in the house?"


    "Oh, of course, sweetie! As long as you want to f.u.c.k that stupid bitch-" it''s a little eerie how exactly she repeats your tone of voice each time "-you''re welcome to do it here. You should probably get protection, though, unless you want to have children at your age. I suppose I wouldn''t hate having grandchildren," she says, the thought almost absent.


    You enjoy spending some quality time with your mother, resting and relaxing in her lap. She gently strokes your hair, playing with it, curling it between her fingers, loving and kind. Given how much she cared for Dad, you had worried that after he''d die, she''d break down into a nervous wreck or something, but instead she''s kept herself together. Put even more time into looking after you. You sigh and close your eyes, not even paying attention to the show and just enjoying her overwhelming, and entirely maternal, love.

 Chapter 419 - My SI Stash #19 - A Gamers Life When He Wants to Avoid the Plot by flameclawsxx (RWBY)

    -Malding system is best system/


    Synopsis: Waking up in a world with evil shadowbeasts and two immortals having a magical lover''s quarrel... huh... why do I feel like I have seen this before... Ah well. My only regret is that I never got to finish that subway in my fridge. But I really don''t want to mess with those spooky immortals, so I''ll just stay over here in my sandbox. Let''s see what ''The Gamer'' can do! (Gamer Si/Oc)


    Rated: T


    Words: 26K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13721900/8/A-Gamer-s-Life-When-He-Wants-To-Avoid-The-Plot (flameclawsxx)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I sit up with a low groan, blearily gazing around my surroundings... forest... empty tundra with pine nettles strewn across the ground.


    Congratulations Gamer!


    ''oh, son of a bitch. There was a subway in the fridge that it looks like I''ll never get to eat... ah well, my escapism daydreams have prepared me for this moment~''


    "Status."


    A screen flashes to life.


    Name: Azure Jade


    Title: The Gamer


    Race: Human


    Level 1: 0%


    105/105 Hp


    105/105 Sp


    105/105 Mp


    0/0 Ap


    HPR: 1% Every 300 Seconds


    SPR: 1% Every 30 Seconds


    MPR: 1% Every 300 Seconds


    Aura: 1% every 120 Seconds


    Stats:


    Strength: 1


    Dexterity: 1


    Vitality: 1


    Intelligence: 1


    Wisdom: 1


    Luck: 1


    Unused Stat Points: 54


    ''Ah yes... Rwby... one of the better worlds to get put in. Not a super high-power ceiling, I won''t be destroying continents after all, but still quite good.''


    I see a small tab at the top.


    ''affinities?''


    I nod as it opens without me having to move or verbalize anything. ''mental commands work as well.''


    Affinities:


    Tier 1:


    Shadow: 1


    Blood 1


    Earth: 1


    Water: 1


    Air: 1


    Fire: 1


    Light: 1


    I slowly nod. ''ah, this type of system... I assume I will unlock ''tier two'' affinities by combining two or more affinities... quite good.''


    ''Inventory.''


    Inventory:


    Lien: 0


    Weapons:


    Machete: (Common) (Str Required to wield efficiently: 10)


    A simple single edged sword used for chopping brush, alternatively, it can be used as a weapon that deals 25+Str damage


    Misc Items:


    Rations: x14


    A sealed box of dried fruit, meats, and hardtack, a single one of these could typically last you a day... two if you really conserve food.


    Canteen of Water x1


    A small flask that can hold about 2 quarts of liquid, this one has water inside of it.


    ''I have a weapon, then... and apparently need to eat... alright.''


    I slowly nod and allocate my points, bringing all of them up to ten.


    ''Okay, let''s run through things really quickly. I have been isekai''d, I have the gamer system, and Ozpin and Salem are over there having a massive shadow war of some kind... and I want nothing to do with it.''


    I glance around my surroundings.


    ''alright... this looks clear enough.''


    I draw my machete from my inventory and slowly nod, making my way over to a nearby tree,


    You see, my plan is quite simple... one: dig a hole... two: climb into said hole... three: make a cover for the hole... four: Grind.


    Grind like my life depends on it...


    Because it does.


    I hold out my hand towards the ground.


    A Skill Has Been Created Through A Specific Action:


    Earth Magic: (Active) (Level 1)


    Earth magic, one of the first magics ever created, it was primarily used for defense and construction, however, there are a couple mages who used this type of magic offensively.


    Perks: None


    Spells:


    Move Earth (Level 1: 0.0%) Cost: 100 Mp*


    You may move the earth with just your thought, moving 1 Cubic Foot Per 100 Mp


    "¡­"


    Earth Affinity has increased by 2.


    Move Earth has leveled up.


    I watch earth flow out of the ground, moving into a neat pile as a perfect square shaped hole is created in the dirt.


    Ah yes... this f.u.c.k.i.n.g sucks.


    Luckily, I have been reduced to a child, potentially no older than twelve... so if I make this hole just a little bit deeper, I could crawl into it.


    The hole is a little bit deeper than it should be... probably due to the large roots running through it.


    I swing my machete down, cleaving into the thickest root I can see, cutting about half way through it, with a second swing I cut through... then reach down and tug it completely from the earth.


    I roll my shoulders with a small sigh. ''Getting this hole large enough may take a while... but I do have quite a good start...''


    I look down at my hand and sigh.


    ''ah well... I can clean myself off with a water spell later I suppose.''


    My head peeks out of the hole as I sit there, legs crossed.


    This took me about two hours... but luckily, I found out my stats can increase through hard work! And my Strength and Vitality increased by one and three respectively.


    I reach over and place a woven square of branches over my head.


    It rests easily on a small wall I made from the moved dirt, about two or three inches tall overall and covers three of the four directions, leaving one open for casual peeking.


    I let out a couple of tired pants as I lift the improvised trap door and climb out of my pit.


    I... haven''t seen any grimm so far, luckily... or unluckily, I guess, as I am stuck at level one till I can find a weak one to murderize.


    I brush my hands off and let out a quiet sigh.


    I bring my hands together, using a new skill I developed in my two hours of digging.


    A glob of water falls over my hands as I quickly rub them together.


    I gaze down at the puddle created in the grass, staring back is a boy with emerald green eyes, black hair, and pale skin.


    Create Water Has Leveled Up


    Water Magic: (Active) (Level 1)


    Water magic, a primordial magic, slightly weaker than most of the other ''first'' magics, however it easily matches them with its lower cost, and may be quite potent when next to a large water source.


    Perks: None


    Spells:


    Create Water (Level 3: 50.0%) Cost: 25 Mp*


    You may create water with just a thought, Creating 2 Gallons of drinkable water Per 25 Mp


    Water Affinity has Increased by 1


    I shake my head with a sigh ''honestly, I should probably just focus on stamina related skills until I have enough mana to do damaging spells.''


    I tilt my head and hold out a hand.


    I frown as all I get is a gout of hot air and a few orange specs that fly a couple of feet before sputtering out on the ground.


    A Skill Has Been Created Through A Specific Action:


    Fire Magic: (Active) (Level 1)


    Fire magic, a primordial magic, one of the earliest and easy to use offensive type magics, as it harnesses a violent and destructive force of nature, it takes a bit more magic to control and create it.


    Perks: None


    Spells:


    Ember (Level 1: 0.0%) Cost: 80 Mp


    You may create a small ember capable of lighting camp fires and torches. This skill currently is unsuited for combat.


    Ember has Leveled Up


    Fire Affinity has Increased by 2


    I let out a long sigh. ''of course, I am still too weak to create an effective fire spell... maybe I should have gone for wind? But I doubt I could have created a blade of wind; I''d probably only create a simple gust.''


    Time to go sit in my hole for like two hour-


    The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as the grass crunches behind me... with one motion I draw my sword from my inventory and slash behind me.


    A black creature lets out a shriek of pain as the blade bites into its skin, it falls over and skids to a halt, it apparently leapt at me while my back was turned, my attack knocking it briefly off course, and without any forelimbs it crashes into the dirt, landing in a heap.


    Creep Level 3


    189/225 Hp


    -/- Mp


    Str 12


    Dex 14


    Vit 15


    Int 0


    Wis 0


    Luc 1


    As I am observing its stats, it slowly stands up, then charges me once more.


    I barely duck out of the way, grabbing my machete in two hands, it crashes into the tree behind me and lets out a small growl of annoyance.


    ''this thing... is pretty f.u.c.k.i.n.g dumb.''


    A smile grows on my face.


    I kick the trap door off my safety hole and stand in front of it.


    The creep resumes charging and leaps at me, only for me to quickly dive out of the way.


    It lets out a small cry of surprise as its legs get stuck in the pit, it thrashes around, unable to free itself.


    I raise my blade, a murderous glint in my eye as I smirk.


    You have leveled up, your Hp, Sp, Mp, and Ap have been restored.


    I let out a sigh of relief as black smoke flows freely before me, the grimm rapidly evaporating.


    Thankfully it was alone... it served as a really good tutorial fight.


    Also, I developed a new skill! And it''s actually USEFUL!


    Power Attack: (Active) (Level 2: 50.0%) (Cost 25 Sp*)


    By putting all of your strength into a single attack, you manage to get out a little more oomph in exchange for being a little more tired. Increases Melee Damage by 5 for every 25 Sp Spent


    This skill has a load of potential... at its current state, with my current stamina, it allows me to deal an additional FIFTY damage... and while that''s not very much, just imagine what it could be if I improved it!


    Plus, there''s the fact that my stamina regenerates literally ten times faster than my mana currently.


    A grin steadily appears on my face. ''I suppose it''s time to min-max the hell out of myself.''


    I have survived the night... somehow...


    Yesterday I have begun my little training plan of ''spamming the shit out of my moves''


    I get up, out of my pit, calmly walk to a tree and hit it with my machete.


    Woodch.i.p.s scatter off the trunk as I am now about half way through the entire tree.


    I used the lowest power output for that... then I do it again... and again... and agai-


    Your Vitality has increased by 1


    -n


    The fact that I keep hitting a tree is probably pretty bad considering how loud it is, but I''m planning for that! With a wave of my hand, a small trench elongates nearly doubling in size.


    It''s about a foot deep and nearly five feet long.


    I wipe my forehead, then quickly scurry back over to my hole and close the trap door behind me.


    I''m like some sort of woods goblin...


    Anyways, this training has actually been pretty helpful... it has improved my stats, improved the level of my skills, and even granted me another new skill entirely.


    Sword Mastery: (Passive) (Level 4 32.2%)


    You have begun to truly understand the way of the blade, all your attacks using a sword deal an additional 4% damage.


    I take a deep breath and close my eyes, activating my meditation skill.


    Meditation (Active/Passive) (Level 27: 34.5%) (Cost: None)


    Through meditation, you increase how much mana you regenerate.


    While meditating you regenerate 370% More Mp


    Passively Increases MPR by +3%


    This skill is probably going to get quickly maxed out... I''ve only had it for less than a day, yet it is already at level twenty-seven.


    I also noticed I don''t get tired as quickly as normal... nor do I need as much food and water... and I have the two classic gamer abilities to thank for it.


    Gamer''s Mind: (Passive) [Level: Max]


    Become immune to any and all foreign mind-altering affects.


    Gamer''s Body: (Passive) [Level: Max]


    Your body functions differently than the average person''s, you can be cleaved into tiny bits, yet if your health doesn''t reach 0, you will fully regenerate in time.


    It''s been a day and a half, and I am only just beginning to feel a little hungry... it''s incredible!


    Also, I didn''t sleep last night but I don''t feel any real repercussions quite yet.


    I sit for a good twenty minutes, calmly regenerating my stamina another creep prowls into the clearing, looking around for the source of the noise.


    I smirk as I slowly raise my machete.


    As it is facing away from me, I try to be as quiet as I can, opening the woven trapdoor above me and slowly climbing up out of my pit... it seems to be stood in front of the tree I was chopping earlier.


    I sneak forwards, making sure to step around any twigs or crunchy leaves.


    A Skill Has Been Created Through A Specific Action:


    Stealth: (Passive) (Level 1: 2.3%) (Cost: None)


    You are adept at hiding; while trying to hide, you are 1% More likely to go unnoticed.


    I sneak ever closer... blade held above my head.


    As I reach three feet, it begins to turn, but I am already well within range, I lunge forwards, swinging my machete downwards, it sails through the air with a quiet whizz, sinking deep into the creep''s side.


    It lets out a screech of surprise.


    A Skill Has Been Created Through A Specific Action:


    Stealthy Strike: (Passive) (Level 1: 0.0%) (Cost: None)


    You can take creatures by surprise, killing them silently without alerting any other nearby enemies.


    When striking an unaware foe, you deal an additional 25 Damage. This damage is multiplied by 2 if you are using a dagger or another low-damage light weapon. Sadly, this affect doesn''t yet transfer to ranged or thrown weapons.


    Stealthy Strike has leveled up.


    Creep Level 3


    136/225 Hp


    -/- Mp


    I tear my blade from the creep''s flesh and bring it down again, right on its neck, knocking it to the floor.


    Critical hit! (x2 Damage)


    With another two swings its head is completely cleaved off.


    You have leveled up, your Hp, Sp, Mp, and Ap have been restored.


    I let out a long and slow breath, then promptly hop back into my hole.


    ''I should eat something.''


    I open up my inventory-


    ''hold on... what''s this?''


    Crafting Items:


    Creep Leather x2


    Scraps of reptile-like skin plucked from the body of a freshly killed Creep. Its durability is about the same as regular cured leather.


    Creep Claw x1


    A claw taken from the foot of a killed creep, while not used in their primary attacks, creeps have extremely sharp talons that can rend the flesh of a prone victim.


    I slowly blink.


    ''hold... on...''


    It''s a work of art!


    I stare down at my new weapon of mass destruction... it is quite simple, first I got a thick tree branch, then cut it down to size with my machete, it cut some creep leather into thin strips, and cut a crease in the branch, it stuck a claw in the new gap after cutting a few divots on the end, and then tied it down with the creep leather, using what remains to create a nice little handle.


    Creepy Shiv:


    A weapon created from parts of a creep; without the gamer ability this would be all but impossible.


    Deals 5+1/3 Str, +10% Damage to Grimm in general.


    I made this purely to abuse my new stealthy strike ability... I''m fairly certain this counts as a ''dagger'' for the purposes of Stealthy Strike, plus I now deal an extra ten percent damage to grim with it... realistically, if I went all out with a single strike, put all my stamina into a power strike, and landed a sneak attack, I would be dealing upwards of... just over two hundred damage?


    Soon I''ll be able to instantly kill a creep with just one blow!


    Then maybe soon I''ll have enough mana to do an actual damaging attack...


    I tilt my head as I slip the shiv into my inventory. ''maybe I should try out the other four starter affinities? I''ve still got shadow, blood, air, and light, right? Light should do massive damage to the creatures of grimm!''


    Open the trap door to my pit again only to freeze in place as I come face to face with s-something very large.


    Standing before me is a large grimm, about four feet tall, six feet long, it stands on two powerful legs and has quite a few white armored plates along its back.


    Alpha Creep Level 8


    400/400 Hp


    -/- Mp


    Str 12


    Dex 10


    Vit 20


    Int 1


    Wis 1


    Luc 1


    My fist swings up and I punch it right in the throat as hard as I can.


    It flinches back, allowing me just enough time to climb up out of the pit.


    I swing my other hand downwards.


    A white orb about the size of a ping pong ball flies from the tips of my index and middle finger, smacking into the grimm head-on.


    A Skill Has Been Created Through A Specific Action:


    Light Magic: (Active) (Level 1)


    Light magic, the first magical creation of the eldest brother, Light Spells deal additional damage to creatures of darkness, and certain spell can create wards that either repel or enrage Grimm depending on the strength.


    Perks: None


    Spells:


    Lightbolt (Level 1: 0.0%) Cost: 200 Mp


    You may shoot a small orb of pure light energy. This does no damage to anything but creatures of darkness, said targets take 10+? Int Damage


    Your Light Affinity has increased by 3


    A small piece of the grimm detonates... I''m fairly certain I only managed to slightly piss it off.


    I draw my machete with a frown. ''alright, so, I''m faster than this thing... and stronger... plus I am nearly just as tanky as it... I should be able to easily win even if it is just a bit larger than me.''


    I lunge forwards, my machete smacking into the grimm''s faceplate with a dull crack, I barely dodge past as its teeth scratch my arm.


    I land another slash as the beast''s tail swings through the area my torso was in less than a second before, the tip barely brushing against my chest.


    I stab my machete downwards, right into the thigh of the grimm, getting a pained roar for my efforts.


    It whirls around and snaps up my arm in its jaws.


    My health dips.


    352/390 Hp


    "A-AGH!" I wince as the teeth dig deep. "Let go let go let go LET GO!"


    I stab my only weapon right into the grimm''s eye, causing it to release my arm as it writhes in pain.


    Critical hit! (x2 Damage)


    I wince as blood drips down my arm, but two more quick chops silence the grimm.


    I stand over its rapidly decaying corpse with a grimace, my arm rapidly knits itself back together and all tiredness is blown away.


    Your Vitality has increased by 2, your Strength has increased by 1


    You have leveled up x2, your Hp, Sp, Mp, and Ap have been restored.


    I really need to finish my plan...


    The trench I was digging slowly doubles in width as I cast ''move earth'' five times, each at the lowest incriment.


    Move Earth has leveled up.


    Your Earth Affinity has increased by 3


    I activate stealth and climb back into my hole, pulling out a sealed box of food.


    I carefully place my trap door back over the hole. ''y''know... I''m sort of like one of those trap door spiders...''


    I open the box and smile down at the food within, I reach down and grab a handful of dried fruit and nuts and shovel it into my mouth.


    My defense trench needs to be slightly larger... then I will actually be sort of safe.


    I plan to create a pool of water... then maybe I can draw from it to do some more powerful water magic... personally, I''m thinking maybe a whirlpool or a tendril of water.


    I let out a long sigh. ''f.u.c.k... looks like Melee is the only way to go for a while...''.


    I tilt my head. ''what should I even grind? Earth? Light?''


    I pull out a piece of jerky and eat it in a single bite.


    I can''t wait until I am level twenty... hell, even level TEN... by that point I can dump all my points into Intelligence then potentially do some actual magic damage... plus, don''t I get a perk for getting fifty in a stat?


    I shrug. ''maybe after I become level ten, I''ll start looking for civilization.''


    Now I just need to meditate while maintaining stealth, get my mana back, and then spam cast move earth again.


    As I am now, I can fully regenerate my mana in like... just under two hours if I meditate... and it''ll slowly become less and less as I master my meditation.


    I stare down at the Mre and smile.


    ''Ah yes... a min-maxing life for me.''

 Chapter 420 - My CO Stash #20 - League of Legends, Not Heroes by RavensDagger (WormXLoL)

    -I''m a simple man if I see League, I read/


    Synopsis: Taylor summons legends. These are not heroes.


    Rated: ???


    Words: 14K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/league-of-legends-not-heroes-worm-lol.866872/ (RavensDagger)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Taylor was the luckiest girl.


    Well, no, that wasn''t quite right. Lucky would have been avoiding the circ.u.mstances that lead her to triggering in the first place. But that was all past her now. It was a thing that had happened and she was over it, mostly. Now she had the best power ever at her beck and call and that, that was lucky.


    "Hey there, Teemo," Taylor said as she grinned down at her friend. The little yordle looked up to her and grinned right back.


    "Hey Taylor," he said as he used the back of his blowgun to scratch at the side of his head. Teemo was one of the sweetest summons she had. He was so nice and friendly and kind, not to mention super cuddle-able and generally one of the nicest little guys around. "How are you doing?" he asked.


    Taylor stretched, her pyjama top all frumpled and wrinkled from being slept in. She yawned. "I''m feeling great. You didn''t stay up all night, did you?" she asked.


    Teemo shifted from foot to foot and Taylor couldn''t resist patting him on the head. "Not all night," Teemo said.


    "Silly. You need sleep too."


    "I just wanted to check the perimeter," Teemo said. "Make sure no wild creatures snuck up to the house."


    "This is Brockton Bay, not a jungle. Though, yeah, some people might count as wild creatures," she admitted. Emma could look an awful lot like a prowling lioness. No. Lions were cool and noble. A prowling alligator. No one liked those.


    A small, tiny part of her awesome power twinged at that, and she was afraid she might have insulted one of the many, many heroes she had yet to summon.


    Taylor, being the luckiest girl ever, had the best power ever. She could summon heroes! Not just one or two, but what felt like an entire pantheon of incredible people. She hadn''t even scratched the surface yet and already she was dizzy at the sheer power and versatility of the people she got to meet.


    They even came with their own pyjamas! Well, Teemo didn''t have that option, but she could spawn him in a big bee costume that was so cute it nearly made her heart stop the first time she summoned him that way.


    "So, what are we doing today?" Teemo asked.


    "Ah, well," Taylor began. "I was thinking we could just... hang out. As friends?" she asked. "M-maybe summon even more friends later, like Zoe and Lux and Akali and maybe some new friends after that?" Some of her friends were admittedly a little strange, but they were all the sweetest people. She had a hard time believing they would hurt a fly.


    Caitlyn had helped her set up some fly traps when she complained about mosquitos, Heimerdinger had helped her fix the front step one morning while her dad was out and she took Cho''Gath out for walkies in the docks once and not one mean person bothered her for the entire evening!


    She was the luckiest girl.


    "I need to go to the bank later," she mused.


    "I can scout the way," Teemo said and he was so earnest about it she just couldn''t say no, even if she knew how to get there already.


    ***


    Taylor entered the bank with a skip in her step and immediately found her way to the back of one of the long lines cutting across the room. She had her card and all, but she needed more than just the straight cash she would get from the ATMs.


    The brown-haired girl before her turned to stare but went back to her smart phone a moment later. Taylor was going to wave and introduce herself, but then a pit started to grow in her stomach, her breathing came in a gasp and she thought that the corners of her vision were starting to darken.


    What if she was from Winslow? Or knew someone from there? What if she was like Emma? She could hurt her, betray her.


    Taylor''s arms dropped her side and her breathing calmed down as she abandoned the idea of small talk. Small talk was for chumps anyway. And she had her summons now. Her awesome summons who all wanted to be her friends and who were always nice to her.


    Nerves settled, Taylor waited in the line as it slowly moved forwards. An old man by the counter was waving some receipts around in the face of a bored looking clerk, a baby rocking in the arms of a middle-aged woman to one side was crying up a storm and the cheap music was stuck on a loop of three year old pop music.


    Then a rolling tide of darkness swept into the room from the far end, followed soon after by huge monsters.


    Taylor froze, limbs unmoving until the brown-haired girl bumped into her and jostled her out of her initial panic.


    That only left the non-initial panic to deal with.


    Taylor found herself pressed against a pillar, back rocking and eyes unfocused as the bank robber, the supervillain bank robbers, threatened everyone in the bank.


    "Calm down," the girl from before said.


    She reached out to touch Taylor, as if to place a hand on her shoulder. But she wasn''t one of Taylor''s, she wasn''t a friend.


    No, Taylor needed a friend, she needed a friend now, one that was confident and strong and who could keep the bad guys at bay. No, what she needed were many friends.


    Finding a friend to summon was never an easy task. She had so many at her disposal that keeping track of all of them was sometimes difficult. Even just counting them was like trying to count grains of sand that were being shaken together. Still, there were themes and commonalities. She could sort her friends out into categories. Those were mostly about how they liked to fight, unfortunately, not about what sort of tea they liked or if they wanted to hang out indoors or out.


    In a situation like the one she was in, Taylor would take what she could.


    Her mind''s eye looked for defenders, friends that could keep her safe and also teach the no-good bad guys an important lesson about trying to hurt her.


    She grasped at a friend and pulled.


    He materialized out of thin air, wafts of brackish smoke spreading apart even as the air was rent and a portal opened. The hole in the world was twice as tall as she was until her friend started to come through. It had to open even wider to let him pass.


    Black boots were first, thick steel molded into fierce spikes, then his torso and head and finally the long trailing head of a mace whose head had to outweigh the average minivan. "I have been called by destiny. By domination. By deceit. Why was I called?"


    "Mordekaiser!" Taylor said before scrambling onto her knees to hug his leg.


    The evil bank robbers had stopped, they might have noticed Morderkaiser since he wasn''t making an effort to hide.


    "Th-those people, they''re bad."


    "All will die, all will be mine," Morderkaiser said. His eyes glowed blue within his horned helmet and she let go of his leg as he began to move. Each step made the floor shake, the marble crack and splinter.


    "Get them!" Taylor encouraged my friend, then she ''eeped'' and ducked down when she saw the villains looking at her.


    "Brutus!" one of them called.


    One of the huge monsters they had come with charged at Morderkaiser, feet scrambling across the ground before it leapt at her friend with its mouth wide open to take a chunk out of him.


    Morderkaiser''s arm rose and he grabbed the monster by the side of the head, fingers digging into flesh as he casually stopped its charge without even slowing down. Nightfall came around, the one-handed blow enough to pulp the monster and send chunks of meat flying across the bank.


    "And now, you join me in death!" Morderkaiser roared.


    Darkness swept out of the villain with the motorcycle helmet, covering Morderkaiser from head to toe and hiding him away from Taylor. She knelt back down and started breathing faster. "He''ll be okay, he''ll be okay," she whispered. She had to believe in her friends!


    "Is he a projection?" the brown-haired girl asked. Taylor looked at her and shied away a little until she raised both arms in surrender. "Hey, I won''t hurt you."


    Taylor nodded. "He''s one of my friends."


    An explosion travelled through the floor and made the entire bank shake. Then the darkness cleared. "I am one with the darkness. Do not think to fight me in my own domain," Morderkaiser said. He brought Nightfall up to his shoulder, bits of the villain dripping off of it.


    "We need to run!" one of the villains said.


    They started to move towards the door, but Morderkaiser, for all that he was huge, was fast.


    Nightfall came down. The villain with the pompous costume and white mask was splattered across the windows. The only two left were a pair of girls and two of the huge monsters. They burst out of the front of the bank and onto the street, coming face-to-face with the Wards who were setting up to block them, but far too slowly.


    Morderkaiser paused, then shifted his mace back over their shoulder. "Fast little mortals," he grumbled.


    Taylor... Taylor couldn''t let them get away.


    She summoned two of her favourite friends, not that she had really met enough of them to call any of them her true favourites.


    "Draven is here!" Draven said as he burst into the bank, arms raised like a gladiator in a coliseum waiting for his praise. He was a tall man, with defined muscles under a simple tunic and with the funniest mustache Taylor had ever seen. Not that she would tell her prideful friend about it.


    The other appeared in a cascade of rainbow lights. A blonde girl, half a head shorter than Taylor, and arrestingly beautiful. Her bright blue eyes scanned the room, then landed on Taylor. "Hello," she said.


    "The villains," Taylor said. "They went that way, on monsters."


    "Monsters, eh?" Draven said. "They''re mine!" He burst through one of the windows, even though the doors were still open, then started running after the villains.


    Lux was far more composed. "I''ll get them," was all she said as she stepped over broken glass and onto the steps outside.


    Taylor got up to follow, but the brown-haired girl grabbed her hand and stopped her. "You, you killed them," she said before pointing to the two dead villains.


    "Unless you wish to join them in death, unhand the summoner," Mordekaiser said. How such a big person could be sneaky was beyond Taylor.


    "They''re villains," was Taylor''s only rebuttal before she yanked her hand back and followed her friends outside.


    Draven had rushed ahead of the monsters, blades spinning as he blocked their path and extolled his virtues to anyone willing to hear and even those that weren''t.


    Lux shook her head. "That man in a menace," she said before a bright glow suffused her body and she began to float a foot off the ground. "Final spark!"


    A rainbow beam shot out before her, so bright it seared, and even with her eyes closed Taylor could see the flashes or red and blue and yellow light. Then it was done and the air clapped back into place.


    When she was done blinking to regain her sight, Taylor took in the streets which now had a straight furrow burned into it, the asphalt jutting out every which way and tick-ticking as it cooled off. Of the monsters and villains there were only black marks on the road left. The beam had ended in the front of an office building quite a ways down the street.


    Draven punched his way out of the rubble, his tunic smoking and his hair swept back, but he had a wild grin on his face. "Draven has survived your sudden betrayal and has become stronger for it!" he roared.


    Taylor smiled. Her friends could be quite silly. But she was lucky to have them.

 Chapter 421 - My SI Stash #21 - Of The Sand and The Wind by Ktf243 (Naruto)

    -Sunagakure start instead of the usual Konoha stuff is quite refreshing~


    Synopsis: What''s a random dude to do when he wakes up in the world of Naruto? Befriend the sand Jinchuuriki and pray for the best. Si Oc Rated T for killing (duh it''s a ninja world) and swearing


    Rated: T


    Words: 19K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13720847/1/Of-The-Sand-and-The-Wind (Ktf243)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Y''know being a baby isn''t all bad. You get free food, don''t need to pay for stuff and you can just lay there¡­ But after a while you get sick of being a baby. That''s if you have the awareness of an average human. And I happen to be a dude stuffed into the body of a child. Wow, that sounded morbid. It sucks, one moment I was going to sleep in my bed and the next I wake up with the uncontrollable urge to cry.


    And cry I did, loudly in fact. And to my tears a kindly old woman came to the rescue and rushed to my side with a warm bottle that she put into my mouth after checking my diaper and finding nothing. Now that I think of it, I was feeling kinda hungry. Don''t feel quite fond of crying for food though.


    After that making sure I was satisfied and wouldn''t go back to crying once again she burped me which felt¡­ weird to say the least. She then put me back into the crib where I just layed there. And I enjoyed the peace and quiet for a long while. Until I got bored and wanted to do something that is. However seeing as I am once again a baby that unfortunately is cognizant for this with no possessions, I can''t very well reach for my phone as babies don''t get one as far as I''m aware so I get bored very easily.


    God, Kami, Buddha, R.O.B, someone... why? Just why? I don''t mind the new game plus you gave me, but did it really have to be with me so young? Heck you could either have made me a somewhat older child or given me something to occupy myself to keep from going bored. I swear, the only thing that this experience will give me is unlimited patience which I already did have a good amount of patience. Being the eldest sibling with three younger siblings does that to you. Guess it''s time for me to try and fail to stand for a long while.


    "Ma, wead this two me pwease?" After the very, very, long few years went by I was finally able to slowly but surely stand once again. It was a frustrating process as I already know how to stand, but since I am starting from zero I just can''t seem to be able to easily! Same with the speaking. Well I would have a better time at that if everyone didn''t speak Japanese! Why couldn''t I have been born somewhere with a familiar language? Like Spanish or English. I had to learn a new language, and while tiring and frustrating, I was able to do that slightly quicker than walking. Which came in handy many times once I was able to just yell "FOOD!" when I was hungry and such. It never ceases to make me laugh when I thought to the times I just yelled that.


    I had to hold back a flinch to my pathetic attempt to talk properly while holding out a little book to the Matron of the Orphanage/Daycare, still not sure on that quite yet. However, I have been here long enough to start walking and talking so either I am being taken care of in a daycare due to neglectful parents, or I am just an orphan.


    The kindly old woman regards me with a kind smile and takes the book and walks over to the rocking chair that is reserved for story time, it is a serious affair of course. I walk over there with my pudgy little legs and clambered up to her lap. I liked to think that she gave me no help at all.


    "Ah such a good story choice, good job Ren." Yep, my new name is Ren, which I have no clue what it means, at least it doesn''t sound ridiculous or something like that. "Thanks Ma." The matron has us all call her Ma, probably so that we are more comfortable with her.


    "There was once a man who could control all the metals of the world with just a flick of his finger. The place in which he lived reflected how he used his metals, finely grained and more numerous than the stars in the sky. One day he had a vision made known unto him, it was one of him leading a prosperous village of shinobi.


    So to make this a reality he honed his ability, making it so none could deny this vision he sought to make reality. He eventually set out to gather all those who dwelled within the desert. He first encountered a family of healers, who wished to accompany him and fulfill his vision after seeing his prowess. Although they were but humble healers they were not to be trifled with as they were also well versed in the sealing arts, capable of many feats any normal man would mistake as something much greater.


    He readily agreed to that, knowing they would make a great ally rather than a formidable foe. The now bigger group traveled for many days until they encountered a clan of puppet wielders who also recognized the greatness of the man''s vision and believed he could make it a reality.


    Together, they united multitudes of people in the country of the wind and created a great village hidden within the sand. To do this they brought together those who could move the earth and bad them congregate together a large structure in which they could dwell within, with no threats of invaders. The great man following this became the leader and took upon the name of the wind shadow to pass onto his family and lead the village to prosperity just as he had envisioned long ago. The end"


    Ma closed the book and set me down on the floor to go to what previous activity she needed to attend to. I thought of how some parts seem familiar to something, especially the part of a shinobi village and it being hidden in the sand. I suppose after a while many things will be similar to another thing, this is a kids story book. Eh, the story was interesting but seriously why would people use puppets for combat that sounds kinda lame they could have put something else, but oh no matter.


    So apparently the place I''ve been growing up in so far is functionally both a daycare and orphanage. How do I know this? First common sense. I''ve been here long enough to learn how to walk and talk. I have also been able to see some people drop off some kids here to leave and never come back. But sometimes they come back their child and go back on their merry way. Those are rare though. I think that''s how I think I got here, just dropped off and left here. That''s fine actually, it would be hard to just accept two people as my new parents.


    I walk over to the book cabinet to look at more of the picture books that have words to help with correlation. I kind of need it so I can be able to read again. I just want to read regular books gosh dangit.


    I got to reading right then and started to notice that there were a large amount of ninja stuff. Shuriken, kunai, and other things. I know when people think of Japan they think of anime, ninjas, and samurai but I don''t think they need to take it so literally. Also, aren''t kunai historically used for digging? I remember watching a video on that, heh using a shovel for fighting. How silly.


    Instead of individual birthdays, here we celebrate one big one for everyone. We all get one present each that is more than likely something handmade or something else small if we ask nicely, and one "wish" in which if it''s nothing ridiculous we can request anything. I''m not really sure how old I am at this point but I''ve seen a few but I can''t base it off of those because I could be older than that. I won''t really waste my request for something like that as I can just ask later on. With a meager amount of money that I had asked for my present in the raccoon pouch that I got last year which was in my pocket, I went up to Ma with my "wish" for this year, hoping to make the most of it for the day.


    "Ma, I have my wish!" I tug at the matron''s long dress to bring attention to myself and I pull out the big guns straight away, my incredibly dashing smile. "


    Oh! Ren what is your birthday wish hmm?" I gestured her down to me and I whispered into her ear "I want to explore outside!"


    She looks at me with a soft smile. "Ok, but be sure to get back before it gets dark."


    "No promises!" I yell as I rush to the door to enjoy the most of the day and not to prolong the inevitability of Ma being cross with me. As I walk through the streets I take in my environment. Clay buildings, people garbed in clothing for desert wear and sand, sand everywhere. I believe I may be in a desert, y''know just a hunch. Which strikes me as odd, why would we be in a desert? I don''t remember hearing about any in Japan, so how come everyone speaks Japanese? If it were somewhere else in the world, at the very least there would be other languages present from other people.


    No matter, I am here to enjoy the outside. Why? Well, the matron doesn''t really let us go outside at all, only the older kids and I just want to get out of there. I got tired of being cooped up in there for what felt like forever.


    Now¡­ where was I? Ah yes, having fun and exploring this place.


    Lost...


    I''m lost.


    I don''t know how I did it but I got lost. Sure all the buildings might look the same, and sure everyone dresses very similarly, and sure lots of people have similar hair but it shouldn''t be that hard. As I finally give up and got to an a.d.u.l.t to ask where the orphanage is and hope for the best, I hear children screaming and a child yelling "Don''t leave me alone!"


    Promptly after that everyone flees in fear, why? Let''s go find out shall I? I turn to the source and walked over there only for my brain to just go into overdrive at what I''m seeing and just what it means.


    A small red haired boy surrounded by sand shifting around him with a ball in his hand. He- He looks a lot like a certain character from a certain show. He looks just like him but younger and without that weird thing he had on his head. The fact he has sand moving around him like in a movie just reaffirms this fact into my mind.


    But it can''t be right? I just got a heat stroke and I''m hallucinating right? There is no possible way I am in something that is merely a show, the machinations of one individual that got very widespread and popular.


    But as he turns to me and sees me standing there and not fleeing he widens his eyes and starts to walk towards me.


    And to that I could only say one very logical thing in that very moment¡­


    "F.u.c.k¡­"


    Chapter 2


    "Why aren''t you running?"


    F.u.c.k, F.u.c.k, F.U.C.K. Why in the f.u.c.k flying f.u.c.k and I f.u.c.k.i.n.g here? I take it back I want to be in normal land please! Oh dear¡­. Who do I pray to? Well I just kinda got screwed over being in this world so I guess none of the normal ones? Work in progress I suppose. Anyway, for the sheer amount of things I could have gotten into, it had to be here.


    The Naruto world, or as I will fondly call it the scary world where I can die super easily. Like nowhere is safe, either it will get nuked when I become a teen again and this place gets bombed by those dudes who want them sweet sweet Jinchuuriki- Oh wait.


    Is smol boy crazy right now? I look over to him and see him sad something I clearly remember he did not do when he was insane. Okay¡­ so he''s not a deranged child at this point. This is good I think. I think, think Gaara wants a friend if my mind decides to be benevolent to me with information and not malevolent. F.u.c.k, I''m not even in the f.u.c.k.i.n.g leaf! At least then I know I will stay safe there ¡­ after the invasion¡­ and after Pain destroys the whole village¡­ when he revives everyone.


    Okay, maybe the sand village is a good place to be in terms of survivability. Could have at least been in the future or something just saying. So what would be a good way to survive? Easy, be friends with the person that everyone is afraid of in this village and other people who see him. The sand Jinchuuriki! He''s still here so I can make this work and not die by the time I barely get into puberty.


    "How come you didn''t run like everyone else?" F.u.c.k, well I guess I should try and attempt that right now then.


    "Dooo you want me to?" He widens his eyes and shakes his head furiously


    "No, just that everyone runs away from me." Damn that hurts, for your whole life to see people run from you.


    "Why?" Good, just play like an absolute clueless child for that is what I should be right now.


    "They say I am a monster, everytime they see me." Fuuuuck this is hitting me in the damn feels, why must small child suffer? My elder sibling instincts are flaring and not the one where you make fun of them, nah its the one where your sibling gets made fun of someone not you and you are about to nock the block off the kid. For legal reasons this is an example. Wait, different laws here, duh.


    "Why?" Ah yes the most word provoking world out of all the words every created none can bring forth more words than why.


    "I- It''s because I can do this." He lifts his hand and sand starts to shift and move and just do what its not normally doing.


    Tha- that''s so sooo "Cool!" He jumps and the sand fell back down to the ground a lapse in his concentration.


    "That is so cool! You can control the sand? Why would they call you a monster for that?" Out of the majority of superpowers out there the one that had me most enraptured as a kid besides the normal one all kids want was sand manipulation. Watching Spider Man 3 as a kid and seeing sandman do all that stuff really made me think it was cool!


    It is especially cool when you grew up in a place that was functionally a desert and sand dunes were never too far away. Plus¡­ I could never make cool sandcastles at the beach. Anyway this is a pretty cool power to have especially in the desert where we are currently.


    "I, I don''t know¡­" Oh yeah, still in a conversation whoops.


    "Well that isn''t nice, hey since you got a ball wanna play?" Once again I just realized how starved for attention he was, with him nodding his head so quick it was nearly a blur. Likely his first time playing with someone else his age.


    "How do you play?" Ah ok. Guess I will have to explain kid things to him probably.


    "Easy I throw the ball to you and you have to catch it, then you throw the ball. Pretty simple right?" He nodded his head and tossed the ball to me and so we started the boring task of catch which gave me time to think things through. Namely how to not die a most painful death.


    I want to be a civilian but at the same time I don''t. If I do I can''t really do anything if I were to be targeted for no reason. If I become a shinobi then I will be able to defend myself¡­ at the cost of being in a large food chain of death. I do get to use Jesus mode with water though¡­ And I also get other cool Jutsu to spam¡­


    To be determined for later. For now¡­ I have a ball to throw


    After playing for a while, Gaara finally got bored and I suggested to him to start making things with sand. It was fun, I would poorly draw something into the sand, then he would make it but only much better. The Sandman one was very funny if I do say so myself... though Gaara didn''t get it for obvious reasons. He did have a much better time understanding the poop he made. Well he is a child.


    Unfortunately it became night and we had to go home.


    "Alright I have to go now, see you late-"


    I forgot.


    I don''t know where to go.


    "What''s wrong?" My new friend that is also my lifeline asked me meekly.


    "I don''t know where the orphanage is."


    The kid scrunched up his face in a cute way as he was thinking of something. Ah, my savior in the form of a child. Maybe he knows where I can find to go... and make sure the Matron doesn''t completely wreck me. I may be in a world of bigger things, but I have seen how she wields that sandal against the other kids. Not even my Grandma could do that!


    "How about you come to my house?" Orrrr that, that works to I guess.


    I shrug, not like Imma go around all the place. "Sure, that works too."


    We start walking to his house, well more like I followed him as we meandered through the city. As we went through the city doors and windows were being shut when Gaara came into view. Dang, that must suck really. To have doors shut in your face as soon as you have a sliver of yourself show up. It seemed to not affect Gaara though he had some sort of a pep in his step. Did me just playing with him for one day really affect him that much? I must say those sand figures does make for great bonding.


    .


    .


    .


    Oh we''re here.


    I look at the house in which Gaara residing in and half expected it to be defaced or something but to my surprise it was a really nice house! Really large as well. I then remembered his father was a Kage and his uncle was a ninja or something. Ah I forgot about that man, the one who really put the start of Gaara''s insanity. One question that won''t really be asked though... Why? That makes sense, if he actually cared for him why do that and vice versa if he truly hated Gaara why would he care for him and teach him things? It''s very convoluted if you ask me.


    We step into the house and I look around only to see how empty it is which is jarring. A large and spacious house only for there to be near to nothing inside when you enter. I see regular furniture and even those look like they are there for functionality, not comfort. He led me to his room and once again another contrast was made. Where the rest of the house had nearly nothing his room had a large assortment of toys and other things. There was just a large pile of toys in a corner but aside from all that was a small bear with a shinobi headband with what I think is the sand''s symbol.


    Gaara went to the bear and held it and went to a bed that was overshadowed by aforementioned pile of toys. He looks at me and gestured to his bear. "This is my bear stuffings."


    "Why is he called that?" He put on a big smile on his face and squeezed tightly and a piece of stuffing came out.


    "Because when you give him a big hug he lets out a stuffing!" Ok, that is cute, small child''s smile must be protected. Which is kind of hard when it is likely that he will be driven insane by his uncle for nearly no good reason or any reason at all!


    I decided to take part in something that I had not done since I was a kid, err the first time round. Play with toys. Going through the toys I find nothing that could keep me occupied until I come across a great thing that can lead to all sorts of fun. A card deck. Why does Gaara have one? No clue, I do know that I have something to do now.


    While I like cards and have a decent amount of skill in it along with luck, for some reason I have almost no luck when it comes to solitaire. The amount of times I''ve won is very much overshadowed by how many times I have lost, and while most people would get better at this somehow I don''t. After playing a few times and mostly having to restart Gaara decided to bring himself into the fold.


    "What is this game?" Ah, if I can get him into cards I can be able to play the games that I really am good at, like speed!


    "This is called solitaire, it fairly simple you have to make the cards go into a stack going from Ace to two all the way to King, but you can only put cards together that are faced up and they have to be the opposite color unless they are in these four slot areas. Uhh also when you have nothing you can flip three cards from the deck and you can only grab the one on front and any cards faced down that have no other cards on them can be flipped. I think that''s it?" Gaara looked confused from my convoluted explanation and barely followed anything. I don''t blame him, I suck at explanations.


    After a few games where I coached Gaara though he finally got it and attempted himself... only to fail. He tried once again and got it, which I say he only got because he just happened to get luck alright? No skill there, mostly luck. Uh huh that''s right, definitely just beginners luck.


    After seeing Gaara win solitaire so many times, I decided to teach him a few other games. These games were all one''s that I played with my friends and can help pass the time easily. We engaged in the fast paced game of speed, where precision was the key. We screwed each other over in the poor man''s Uno, also called by my friends as Swiss. Along with those, we just played for fun and Gaara truly seemed to be having fun. So did I and I really liked I had someone who didn''t complain when they lost, even though he didn''t really lose that often.


    Eventually I started to get sleepy and try as I might, the child body that I was now in was not designed for staying up at all. Years of trying to stay up and failing have taught me this. I asked Gaara why he didn''t get tired, fully knowing the answer and he responded as I already knew. That when he slept he wouldn''t be able to sleep for long, with nightmares plaguing him.


    I slowly started to fall asleep on the floor reclining on some soft stuffed animals that I assembled as a seat. The last thing I saw was Gaara on the floor playing solitaire.


    Waking up was an interesting affair. Getting shaken awake certainly always is.


    When shaken awake, I look around the room to realize that the lights were off, I was on the bed, and more importantly Gaara was not the one shaking me awake.


    It was some masked shinobi that happened to scare me only a slight amount. Okay, that was a lie, he scared me lots. Where was Gaara, and why the hell is this ninja looking ready to make me a shish kabob? I started to kinda freak out, fitting giving the situation.


    The ninja then unmasked his face to me and he had somewhat of a solemn look.


    "It''s okay, I''m Gaara''s uncle I don''t have much time so listen to me okay?" I nod for I remember that this is a man who blew himself up, you don''t mess with a person like that it''s common sense. You know what else is common sense? Freaking the f.u.c.k out silently on the inside.


    "Alright, now I know you haven''t been friends with Gaara for long, but as you seem to somehow not be afraid of him I need to ask of you to do something. Make sure Gaara is okay. Right now I''m fighting him with my real self and I will blow myself up, this is to make all these assassination''s on Gaara stop I wish I didn''t have to do this but it was either this or Gaara died for real. When I die this clone of me will crumble away. Although I know it''s been very short I plead you to be there for Gaara for me. Alright?"


    What? So... the reason why the uncle did what he did was to stop the assassination''s? Sure that worked, but at the cost of his nephews sanity. I thought that I had a much longer time before this shit happened! I guess I''ll die then since Gaara will be the same and very likely will kill me. But I can try, and I can hopefully survive till after Naruto drives some sense into Gaara or something.


    "O- okay then." The man smiled.


    "Thank you take care o-" Before he could he crumbled into pieces of rock and sand onto the sheets and the grip he had on me was gone. Along with that, a large boom went through the silent night.


    Well, I''m f.u.c.k.i.e.d. Just wonderful.


    Chapter 3


    After that boom I decided to stay in the room and cover myself with the blankets after getting rid of the dirt that fell on the bed, clone or not that was a dead man, I was not going to go out of this room when an explosion just happened. What am I, an anime protagonist? Nah, I will take life thank you very much.


    And so I wait.


    And wait, and hear some loud growling and crashes.


    And I cover myself more securely with the blankets.


    And wait some more.


    Until the door opens and in the doorframe is Gaara, absolutely a mess. He physically looks fine, not a scratch on him but his face and mental state are a different story.


    He looked like he had just cried a lot, his eyes were red from tears, and he just all around looked like crap. He shambled over to the bed and just collapsed onto it facing upwards. And he just sat there for a while, until he spoke with his voice breaking and strained something that comes along with crying a lot.


    "Ren, am I a monster?" Why? Deities above, just why? I''m a child that needs to commence child counseling where I''ve had no experience with this type of stuff.


    "No. why do you ask that?" His voice breaks, holding back tears as he responds.


    "My uncle Yasha said t- that my mother hated me a- and that I w-was a monster that only l- lo- loved itself." Ok... So how does one not f.u.c.k this up? Because I feel like this can go bad real fast.


    "He also, tried to kill me and I accidentally h- hurt him. And h- he told me that h-he didn''t love me-e-e. A- and now he''s d- de -dead!" He started to let the tears free, and it cascaded down his face. I uhh, damn there is nothing I can think of that can help him. If I ask him if he loved his uncle, that would be a really, really sore spot so no to that. I look around the room for inspiration until it hit me.


    "I don''t think you are a monster, or someone who cares for only their self." He looked up at me, trying to stop his tears, hiccupping and some snot running down his nose which he wipes away with his sleeve.


    "Y- you don''t?" I shake my head and grab the thing that will save my ass. The bear, Mr. Stuffings.


    "I don''t think that a monster would have a bear, do you?" He shakes his head and grabs onto the bear tightly, with some stuffing coming out like he showed me earlier.


    "And look at that, you really love Mr. Stuffings right? Then your uncle was wrong about that." He looked at me and tried to smile, and he did albeit weakly along with a flinch with the mention of his uncle. "Besides, I''m your friend right? So I guess I am also proof you aren''t a monster or anything like that."


    He then started to cry once again, but this time it wasn''t of sadness, but of joy... I hope. For the rest of the time I just let him hold onto me with his bear in his arms, pouring out his feelings.


    "No." Gaara firmly put down his foot, his face in a scowl very reminiscent of the period in the anime where he was about ready to kill everyone. The man in front of him, despite being a Chunin, was cowering like a lamb to the slaughter


    "B- but, it was an order from Lord Kazekage!" The pitiful Chunin squeaked as if Gaara would care for that.


    "Then if it was that important of me to go to his house, he would have come over. Now farewell." Gaara closed the door, and as fast as he put on that face it was wiped off.


    What?


    Huh?


    "Gaara? What was that?" He turned to me, just realizing I was there the whole time.


    "Oh, the man was here to tell me that my... father wanted me to live with him now. But I think that I wouldn''t be able to see you then so I said no." Okay, let me just file that away for later then.


    "No, not that. I mean where you got all serious, a few days ago you had trouble talking to me and right now you talked to him firmly. It was pretty cool." At this he got all red, like a child being praised for getting the big kid problem right on the first try.


    "O- oh, that. He had taught me how to speak all important, he said that since I was of important blood I needed to know how to speak properly with the right attitude. It was hard to do it though." Huh, now that explains how Gaara was so good at being a Kage despite being so young he had training already. I also noticed how Gaara refused to say his uncle''s name, and that was fine. He needs some time to calm down and settle with that trauma which will take some time. Or at least I think that''s how it works.


    "So what are we going to do now?" Gaara perks up, eyes bright with an idea.


    "How about we play cards?" I laugh, and pull out the deck we have been using out of my pocket and we dash to the table to play some (read as a lot) rounds of speed.


    Why is it that when we are in bed, or in the bathroom we think of things that we normally don''t think of or alternatively something that really should have come to mind a long time ago? I not that long ago got ready for bed, borrowing some of Gaara''s extra PJ''s and a thought popped into mind. The orphanage... Crap, I forgot about that, to make it worse it''s nearly been a week. If Ma was going to give me a good smack for being late on the first day, I fear what she would do to me after nearly a week of nothing.


    Wait, you know what? I''m in a world with things that are much less scarier than her, why should I care? What are they going to do to me? Arrest me? In a village of shinobi where they, let''s be honest, do way worse stuff on a daily basis than a kid running away? Eh, I can deal with the consequences, if there even any to be had. For now though... Sleep


    As I was drifting away to sweet oblivion, I heard the door opening and some quiet steps walk across the floor.


    "Ren? The voice is back." I shift up from the bed and look at Gaara, not at all surprised by this. I pat the bedspace beside me and he clambers on the bed.


    "It''s alright Gaara, just don''t listen to the voice." He starts to shake a bit, and his breathing gets a bjt more rough.


    "I know, i- it''s just so hard though." You could hear the resistance to crying very clearly as he is trying his best. I just do what I can and bring him into a hug, what more can I do? Oh wait, I think I git something.


    "Here, follow me." He nods his head and I get up from the bed, Gaara following suit. We head out of the room and into the mostly baren kitchen. I look around the cabinets and pantries in search of the items I need. After a few minutes I have what I need.


    A pot, one measuring cup, two cups, and some tea bags.


    I fill up the pot with water, using the measuring cup to put in a decent amount that both Gaara and I could drink, put it on the stove and light the stove. I wait for it to boil by continuing to comfort my friend.


    "What are you making?" Distracted by what I was doing, Gaara wasn''t suffering as bad from the voice as he normally did. That was good, then maybe the tea will help.


    "I''m making you and me some tea. You so you can relax, and some for me so I can stay up and help you if you need it." He shakes his head at that, seemingly mad at something I said.


    "No, you should just go to sleep after this. You don''t need to that for me the whole night." I just refuse his refusal.


    "It''s fine, besides who else are you going to lose in cards with? I know Mr. Stuffings is one mean poker player, but don''t you get tired of losing to a bear?" He puffs up his cheeks in anger but jt just looks cute on him rather than the anger he had when insane like in the show.


    "I don''t lose..." Gaara grumbled to himself indignantly.


    Hey! This is good, he is properly distracted now.


    I check on the pot and see the water was boiling so I grab it and carefully pour it into the cups, mindful of the stepstool I was on. I then grab the different sets of tea bags and put them in each mug. Looking at the mugs, I was... Disappointed. They were really bland, since they looked like they can be painted on maybe we can do that?


    I bring mugs over to the counter Gaara was sitting on, and sat on the high chaur next to him. I set them down and before Gaara cluld grab his, I stopped him.


    "Careful, you should let these cool down. Otherwise you could burn your tounge. He widens his eyes and nods in undersranding. I quickly get to talking so he doesn''t go back to hearing the voice loudly.


    "So, since we dont really have the right kettle fir this I''m not sure if it would taste different so sorry if it tastes crappy ok?"


    He nods, but I feel he would have drank it regardless of whether it was crappy or not, not that he has many options at this point. Talking can only distract him for so long.


    We started to talk about other small things we did confined to this one hpuse as we had yet to really go out much and it was surprisingly easy to keep on talking. In the back of my mind however, all I could think of was how to help Gaara.


    Sure, I''ve only known him for like a week tops but I feel really close to him. And sure, I only became his friend in the first place, so that I could save my hide for the most part. But now? I don''t want him to suffer. He really has a crappy childhood and the fact that he can''t sleep and he hears the vlice of the sand raccoon since his seal is crap kinda grinds my gears.


    I have not come up with a solution just yet, but tea will have to do for now.


    "Alright, you can try to see if it''s cool enough, don''t forget to blow on it lightly just in case." Gaara takes the advice to heart and does just that then takes a small sip of it. Then after blowing on it a bit more he drinks a larger amount and looks to me and smiles a big grin.


    "Thanks Ren, I feel better already!" Ah, yes I remember another reason why I want to help Gaara.


    That cute gosh darned smile, one that can melt the heart of people. Anyone who disagrees are not people and should therefore be shown the door... With force.


    I promise you this Gaara, I will make sure ypu get a good night''s of sleep. I take a sig from my mug to seal this solemn vow silently.


    "Gah, I burnt my tounge!"


    Hearing the door being pounded first thing in the morning is not a good way to wake up. Shambling through the halls I go to the entrance with a yawn in my throat. I open the door and all thought processes halt. I see the Kazekage himself and his two kids, Temari and... Whats his face.


    "Greetings, I urgently request that Gaara comes out to join in a ver important discu-"


    "Sorry, wrong house!" I slam the door at breakneck speeds and instantly regret it. Oh f.u.c.k, I just did that to the most powerful man in this village! I am literally taking apart my plan to live and I''m not even that old! Why did I have to do that? I have but one way to summarive all this


    "Shit..."


    Omake- 52 Card Pickup


    "Hey Gaara!" My small redhaired friend looked up from his stuffed bear and was ready for what I had to say.


    "Wanna play a new card game?" His eyes light up eith excitement at this, he always likes learning new card games, and he nods his head up and down sow fast that there were afterimages.


    "It''s called 52 pickup."


    "How do you play that?" I look at him with a grin, deck of cards already prmied in my hands and I throw it with reckless abandon. Cards going arpund the room.


    "Easy, you pick then up!" I started to laugh interanlly as I finally had someone to do that to. Seriously hoe was it that everyone I knew, already has heard of it?


    I then notice Gaara was picking up the cards with a smile.


    I immediately felt bad then started to pick up the cards with him.


    "Ypu wanted to play too?"


    I nodded with a somber look, guilt weighting me down from Gaara thinking this was an actaul game.


    "Yeah... I wanted to play this with you." The rest of the day I fept bad for what I did.

 Chapter 422 - My CO Stash #22 - A Clash of NEETs by FullParagon (ASOIAFXKonosuba)

    -Kazuma Baratheon doesn''t exi-


    Synopsis: Planetos: A world marked by a dark fate, where kings and lords vie for power with twisted plots and the gods have turned their backs.


    NOW UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT! NOW WITH PROACTIVE (IF DUMB) DEITIES!


    A certain useless goddess has taken a vested interest in the destiny of Westeros, and has decided that fate''s deck is getting reshuffled: Instead of Poker, we''re playing Go Fish. The children of noble houses across the land are looking a bit strange, and behaving even more oddly. The fate of the world is in their hands, but instead of fighting, they''re really rather just have fun.


    Now with bonus multicross easter eggs!


    Rated: ???


    Words: 110K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/a-clash-of-neets-asoiaf-x-konosuba.870913/ (FullParagon)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    The large wheelhouse rolled up the bumpy road towards Winterfell, the small folk coming to the graveled road and waving and cheering as the king''s company arrived. The crown prince ignored them, trying to get in one last nap before he had to make nice with the boring people. They were his dad''s friends, so he figured that meant they had to be fat idiots who had an obsession with violence and, horror of horrors, going outside.


    "Wake up, nephew. You do need to look presentable for our hosts."


    The prince opened one eye, glaring up at his uncle. "Why do I care if I''m presentable? I''m the Crown Prince, it''s their job to accept me, not the other way around."


    Tyrion Lannister sighed and shook his misshapen head. "You know your father intends to make Eddard Stark his hand. It would behoove you to at least make a good first impression on the man who will help run the Seven Kingdoms."


    "Fine." The prince sat up, patting down his messy blond hair and smoothing out his clothes. "Mom send you in here to bitch me out or you come on your own?"


    "Your lady mother seems to consider this trip nearly as onerous as you, nephew, and as such appears to be making little effort to display her good breeding."


    "So that means I don''t have to try either, right?" the prince asked hopefully. When his uncle just gave him a disapproving stare, he rolled his eyes. "Ok, whatever. I''ll even ''speak properly'' so you don''t ride my ass about it later."


    "That would be wise of you, Prince Kazuma," Tyrion agreed. "I''m so glad to have a nephew with such wit and virtue."


    Kazuma made a rude noise, and he and his favorite relative shared a good laugh."Ah well, I guess it won''t kill me to act like a prince for a day."


    "Oh, you never know. All sorts of things can kill a man if he''s not careful," Tyrion said as they walked to the exit, the wheelhouse having just rolled to a stop.


    "Alright boy, now don''t go disrespecting old Ned," the king ordered, shaking a fat finger at Kazuma. "None of your tricks now, you hear."


    "Honored father, I shall endeavor to behave with the utmost sense of decorum while in the home of Lord Stark," Kazuma said, inclining his head.


    That gave the fat old king pause. "Oh, er right. See that you do, boy. I don''t want any funny business now. Be polite and respectful, Northmen are prickly sorts."


    For a wonder, Kazuma managed to avoid rolling his eyes, then respectfully followed his father down the steps. He waited, giving Tyrion a hand, as his bowed legs didn''t take the steps well. His uncle nodded his thanks, and Kazuma turned to the family waiting respectfully for them. He remembered their names, mostly. The oldest was...Rob? Right, Rob, the tall one with dark red hair. The other boy was...J something? He wasn''t important, he was a bastard. Not that Kazuma really cared, but-


    "BEHOLD!" one of the girls yelled, jumping out in front of his dad and startling the old man as she struck a dramatic pose, both hands over her head, red eyes blazing. "I AM KOMEKKO! CUTEST LITTLE SISTER OF THE HOUSE OF STARK!"


    There was a soft groan, and Lord Stark put his hand over his eyes as his wife reached out to grab her youngest daughter by the collar and haul her back into line. Before she could though, another Stark girl jumped out, standing behind her younger sibling and quickly putting on a scarlet eyepatch. "BEHOLD! I AM MEGUMIN! FOREMOST GENIUS OF THE HOUSE OF STARK, AND WIELDER OF THE MAGIC BLADE, CHUNCHUMARU!"


    Now Lady Stark looked furious, while the two elder Stark sons appeared to have developed a coughing fit. The baby, Ricky or something, looked delighted and was clapping his hands. Several of the knights had smirks on their lips, while others looked as mortified as Lord Stark, who was still groaning.


    "A-And Behold! I am Yunyun! Foremost Seamstress of the House of Stark, and she who w-will be a p-proper lady!" the eldest Stark daughter cried, posing beside her twin sister.


    The king''s party was thunderstruck, apparently not sure what to make of this egregious breach of protocol. Kazuma, however, knew exactly what to do.


    "BEHOLD!" He roared, drawing his sword and jumping out infront of his father. "I AM PRINCE KAZUMA BARATHEON! NOBLEST WARRIOR OF THE HOUSE BARATHEON, AND HE WHO WILL ONE DAY BE KING!"


    Sure, Kazuma could practically feel his family''s disapproval, but he was not letting these northerners upstage him.


    At that, Lord Stark looked up, his mouth falling open slightly, as Lady Stark paused in her efforts to somehow grab all three of her daughters by their ears.


    "Ha!" Megumin cried, wiggling away from her lady mother who had confiscated the eyepatch and grinning from ear to ear as she planted herself in front of the prince. "At least, a southerner who knows how to give a proper greeting! See father? I told you we should do a full family pose!"


    For a moment, no one could think of what to do or say. Then King Robert let out a deep belly laugh. "Seven Hells, Ned. The goddesses cursed you with one too, did they? Or maybe it''s three!"


    "My daughters do seem to have somewhat unique sensibilities," Lord Stark agreed as he stepped out to put a hand on Megumin''s shoulder. Kazuma could see wince slightly as the hand rested on her shoulder, but the squeeze that followed seemed more affectionate than angry or hurtful. "I apologize, your Grace. My children have-"


    "Oh leave off, Ned, we''re old friends," Robert chuckled, and stepped forward to wrap his old friend in a warm embrace. "It''s good to see you again, it''s been too long."


    "When the two separated, Robert nudged Kazuma forward. "Well, it seems you''ve met my eldest, Kazuma. Don''t ask about the funny name, his birth was marked by queer omens from Aqua herself and for some reason it seemed like the only proper name for him."


    "Strange you should mention that," Eddard said, frowning at his own daughters. "I don''t follow your Southron gods myself, but Catelyn was most insistent on some...different names for our daughters."


    "That is because our births were marked by dark, terrible omens that have foretold that one day we shall be required to save the world from an endless night where the Others themselves-" Megumin was cut off when her mother very firmly grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her back.


    Everyone went through introductions after that, which was boring, so Kazuma didn''t really pay that much attention. Instead, he found himself eyeing the very strange Stark girls. He wasn''t really sure what had come over him to copying their silly poses, but it had at least been more interesting than the usual bowing and scraping crap people did.


    Maybe staying in Winterfell wouldn''t be so bad after all.


    Still, Kazuma made sure to fortify his sanctuary as soon as possible, selecting a room with a nice warm fire and a large bookshelf, which he had servants fill with all his favorite books. He ditched the fancy silks for a comfortable robe he could relax in, and set about partaking in his favorite activity: Taking a nap.


    However, there was soon a knock at the door, and the prince opened one eye. "What? I''m in the middle of something!"


    "Lion-O is missing," a timid voice said.


    With a groan, Kazuma pulled on a tunic and trousers, scratching at himself as he swung open the door to glare down at his younger siblings. "What, again?"


    Myrcella nodded, her eyes wet with tears. "He ran away when he heard the howling and now we can''t find him!"


    "You gotta help us, Big Bro, everyone else is busy!" Tommen begged.


    Despite his cultivated persona of being a useless layabout and greedy jerk, there were a few things in life that could melt even Kazuma''s heart, and one of them was his Little Sis giving him the puppy dog eyes.


    "Ok, fine. We''ll go look for your stupid cat," Kazuma agreed, stepping out of his sanctuary with more than hint of reluctance.


    "Aren''t you going to bring your sword?" Tommen asked, looking very worried. "There are monsters here, we heard them howling!"


    "I mean, yeah, we probably could use someone to keep us safe," Kazuma agreed, and put his fingers in his mouth and whistled sharply. "Yo, Sandor, come here!"


    There was a growl, and a massive knight in plate stalked out of the shadows. "What is it?"


    "Lion-O ran off again," Kazuma informed his bodyguard as Tommen hid behind him as the fearsome Hound approached. "Oh relax, Tommy, I''ve told you. The Hound''s bark is worse than his bite. At least as long as you''re good."


    "I-I''m good," Tommon whimpered, but stepped out from behind Kazuma. Kazuma took his little brother''s hand, giving it a squeeze. Really, Sandor was ugly as sin, but he was a big softy so long as you weren''t his asshole brother.


    "You want me to help find your pet cat?" Sandor growled, glaring at Kazuma.


    "No, Lion-O is my pet!" Myrcella declared. "Come on Mr. Hound, you always know the best places to look for him!"


    "As my liege commands," Sandor muttered, but followed after the little princess, and when she reached up to take his massive hand, Sandor clasped it, following along after Myrcella. It had taken Kazuma a while to convince Sandor that the most important part of keeping the Crown Prince safe was making sure his little sister was happy. He still seemed almost frightened he''d hurt Myrcella or Tommen, but at least Myrcella''s eternally bright and happy disposition seemed to be softening even the Hound''s black heart.


    "You should get your sword," Tommen said, looking worried still. "There are monsters here."


    "Oh, fine," Kazuma grumbled, and retrieved Masamune and buckled it on. He barely used the thing and always hated it when his dad or Uncle Jamie dragged him out to practice with it. Still, he was pretty good for a twelve year old he figured, but it wasn''t like he could take an a.d.u.l.t in any fair fight.


    Good thing Kazuma firmly believed fair fights were for suckers and morons. That was one of the few things about himself he knew that Sandor highly approved of.


    They wandered about Winterfell for a bit, looking in all the usual places that Lion-O might have run off too. The cat had been a nameday gift from Kazuma to his sister a year ago, and the spoiled cat still behaved like a skittish kitten most of the time. Even with the bells and ribbons Myrcella and Tommen adorned the tabby cat with, he could be quite the challenge to find.


    "O-oh! H-hello, um, y-you''re Prince Kazuma, right?"


    Kazuma looked up from his search through one of the many rooms that had been given over to the Southron invaders to see the nervous looking Yunyun standing there, biting her lip.


    "That''s my name," Kazuma agreed. "You see a cat around here? Tabby, got red ribbons tied around its neck, little bells on it."


    "A c-cat? Um, no, I haven''t," Yunyun admitted. "Is it your pet?"


    "It''s Cella''s pet," Tommen said, nodding seriously. "Lion-O ran away. He got scared by the monsters."


    "M-monsters!? Y-you mean like that big scary one with the big sword and the dog face?" Yunyun gasped.


    Kazuma shook his head. "Nah, that''s just Sandor. He looks mean but he''s not so bad once you get to know him. Tom just thinks there''s some giant monsters making weird noses, but all the books I''ve read say all the monsters are beyond the Wall now so the North is just cold and boring."


    "Oh good. Well, I-I can help you find your cat! My pet Lady is really good at finding things! W-We could be friends!" Yunyun stammered, blushing and looking down.


    "Ok, you seem nice," Tommen agreed. He''d picked up more than a little of the "improper speech" that everyone was always ragging on Kazuma about, much to their tutors and nannies'' consternation.


    "Great! Here, Lady!"


    Kazuma turned just in time to see a giant monster barreling down the hall towards them, great red tongue lolling out, massive fangs gleaming in the light.


    "AHHH, MONSTER!" Kazuma shrieked, and shoved Tommen behind him as he drew his sword and pointed it towards the beast. He felt a strange welling of energy within himself, and found himself saying, "CREATE EARTH!" A clump of dust appeared in his hand, and he tossed it at the monster in desperation.


    Or at least, he would have, if Yunyun hadn''t thrown herself in the way. "Noooo! Lady''s a good girl, she-ack, pfff!"


    Kazuma had ended up throwing a dirt clod at Yunyun, who rubbed at her eyes and started to cry. The giant monsters came to a halt and...began to lick her face? Kazuma blinked, and realized it was actually a great big puppy. A wolf puppy, sure, but it was clearly a friendly one.


    "Oh, um, sorry, I-"


    "GLORY TO HOUSE STARK!"


    Something jabbed Kazuma in the back, and he spun around to find Megumin glaring at him, a sawed off wooden broomhandle raised at him in a two handed fighting grip. Written on the wood in crude charcoal letters was "CHUNCHUMARU." Kazuma batted aside the stick in irritation with his own sword, though he felt a little bad. "Oh back off, Tommen was just scared to see a giant puppy charge us. I''m not going to skewer your sister or her dog."


    "It wasn''t your little brother who was screaming like a little girl," Megumin taunted, striking right back at Kazuma''s sword. "And you made Yunyun cry!"


    "She made Tommen cry first!" Kazuma argued, and before he knew it, he and Megumin were exchanging a rapid flurry of blows. They weren''t actually trying to hit one another, just doing the satisfying back and forth of striking at one another''s blades. Kazuma was careful to hit only with the flat of his own blade, as he didn''t want to slice Chunchumaru in half and piss off the irate Stark girl even more.


    "WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS IS GOING ON IN HERE!?" the angry voice of Kazuma''s father bellowed, and he and Megumin both jumped about three feet in the air and spun around to face the red faced king, who was wheezing slightly as he lumbered down the hall towards them, Ned Stark hot on his heels


    "S/HE STARTED IT!" Kazuma and Megumin wailed, both pointing at one another.


    "Kazuma disgraced our family and assaulted Yunyun!" Megumin declared, pointing a finger accusingly at Kazuma as she tried to hide her "sword" behind her back.


    "Oh I call BS! We were just looking for Lion-O when that great big menace of a dog of hers ran at us, and I was valiantly defending my little brother! Yunyun just got in the way!" Kazuma argued, handing his own sword off to a very confused Tommen to disguise his own guilt.


    "W-wait, it''s OK, we were just, um, playing!" Yunyun said desperately, trying to play peacemaker. "It was a game! Um, Kazuma, he was er, showing Megumin how to sword fight!"


    "Shut up Yunyun, I''m not supposed to have a sword!" Megumin hissed, putting her hand over her sister''s mouth.


    "Ha! I knew it!" Kazuma taunted. "You''re crap with a sword anyway! I totally could have cleaned your-AHHH!"


    Megumin gave up on Yunyun and launched herself at Kazuma with a snarl the two of them rolled around on the floor, kicking and punching at one another and hissing like two cats in a sack, until both their fathers grabbed them and forcibly hauled them apart.


    "Boy, this is no way for a prince to behave!" Robert roared, poking Kazuma in the belly. "That''s not how you treat a lady!"


    "She''s not a lady, she''s crazy! And she''s just a little girl, a very rude one!" Kazuma argued as he hung limply in the king''s grip. "Besides, YOU''RE the one always talking about tumbling a girl, I figured I''d get started with her!"


    That got his father to shut up and go even redder in the face, his mouth hanging open. Ned Stark, who had been in the middle of lecturing his own daughter, paused and gave Kazuma a scandalized look. Megumin, however, was apparently even worse than Kazuma at knowing when to shut up.


    "Ha! I''ll tumble you, you stupid brat! Just you wait until I get a REAL sword! I''ll study the way of the blade and tumble you so hard I''ll knock your socks off!"


    "Oh Seven Hells," Robert groaned, dropping Kazuma to the ground as he let out a panicked squeak and smacked into the floor. "Boy, that is not what I meant by...look, ya don''t talk about such things in polite company! And here I was trying to get a marriage agreement between you and one of Ned''s daughters..."


    "Marriage!?" both Kazuma and Megumin exchanged horrified looks with one another.


    "No way! I''m way too young for this!" Kazuma protested. "I just want to relax and have a good time! A wife is way too much work! I''d have to get a job!"


    "You''re going to make me marry him!? He''s dumb and rude, and I hear he spends all his time in his room like some sort of NEET!" Megumin argued with her father, who had set her down somewhat more gently.


    Ned, however, was eyeing Kazuma and Megumin, a thoughtful look on his face. "You know, your Grace, I might just be willing to agree to such a thing. My girls are young yet, but mayhaps our children will develop a fondness for one another."


    "W-we could be friends!" Yunyun agreed eagerly, even as Robert groaned and put his hand over his face, scrubbing at it.


    "Your job, boy, is to be King when I get too old and fat to sit on that bloody throne anymore! What did you think you were going to do, have to become a cobbler and something?!"


    Kazuma shrugged, feeling slightly abashed. "I mean, I dunno, I figured I could do something cool like become a pirate or Adventurer. You know, get rich."


    "You''re going to be king! Kings are always rich!" Robert cried, throwing his hands up in the air. "That''s what taxes are for!"


    "Yeah, but that sounds lame. I''d rather steal my treasure from Lysene merchants or by killing monsters and taking their loot," Kazuma pointed out.


    "Ned, you deal with your daughters, I''m having a talk with my son," the king growled, and grabbed Kazuma and began dragging him off.


    "Me too, daddy?" Tommen asked, jogging along and clinging to Masamune.


    Robert blinked, apparently having forgotten Tommen was there. Sensing an opportunity, Kazuma hastily picked Tommen up with one arm and slung him onto his back. "Of course! It''s time for some father son bonding time! Dad''s going to show us his certified anti-monster fighting tactics. Just like the ones he used on the Trident against Rhaegar!"


    "Really?" Tommen gasped, looking eager. While Robert was somewhat exasperated by Kazuma, he at least paid him occasional attention. He seemed to forget Tommen existed half the time.


    "Of course, you know our dad is the biggest and the strongest, and the greatest warrior in the Seven Kingdoms!" Kazuma bragged.


    That got their father to puff up with pride, and he was soon regaling his sons with stories of his past adventures as Tommen listened eagerly, and Kazuma congratulated himself on getting out of trouble, at least for the moment. He did have to endure a brief training session out in the yard, but hey, things worked out.


    Kazuma did wonder about that weird power. Had that been magic? If it had been, this required further study. There had to be a way to apply it to get out of his lessons with the maesters.


    ======================================================================


    Viserys Targaryen was a nervous man, who lived in perpetual fear for his life, even in the manse of Illyrio Mopatis. After all, there was nothing he feared more than accidentally Waking the Dragon. He could still hear the screams of anguish and see the broken bodies from the last time the Dragon had Woken up, when assassins had come to the House with the Red Door.


    For now, however, he was fairly certain the Dragon was asleep, and was taking a moment in the early morning to get some peace and quiet as he ate breakfast in the gardens. He had important visitors today, and he-


    "Good morning, Big Bro!"


    Viserys nearly choked on the pomegranate he''d been eating, coughing and spitting out the pulp and seeds he''d nearly swallowed. "L-Little Sister! G-Good morning!"


    "It???s a good day today, Big Bro!'' his sister said, planting herself at the table and grabbing some of Viserys''s food. He didn''t complain: he might accidentally Wake the Dragon. "I just know we''ll find a way to get back your throne and go home soon!"


    "Er, yes, Little Sister. I, er, was going to talk to you about that. You see, the Dothraki have heard of our plight, and are sending an emissary from Khal Drogo, who leads a massive army of Dothraki screamers. I was thinking of sending you with them, as, um, a peace offering and-"


    "Oh yes! I''ve heard about the Dothraki, they seem really strong, Big Bro! Don''t worry, we''ll both go and make the Dothraki fight for us against the Usurper!"


    Wincing, Viserys tried to find the right words. "Ah, you see, sister, I was going to stay here while you went. I, er, don''t have the constitution for such a long journey, and I''m not terribly fond of riding horses. I was just going to remain with Illyrio and-"


    "Oh no, Big Bro, you''re the one who''s going to be king," his sister said seriously looking at him with her strange purple eyes. "You have to come too so that the Dothraki can see how cool my Big Bro really is! They''ll be sure to swear themselves to you and help us take your throne back!"


    "Er, of course, but you see, I was thinking that, well, since the Dothraki enjoy fighting so much, and well, you know how you feel about that! Well, perhaps you''d be interested in marrying Khal Drogo to form our bargain¡­"


    "Haha! Don''t be silly, Big Bro! You know you''re the only man for me!" His sister gave Viserys an affectionate hug. It made his skin crawl, and he felt his breath catch in terror. "We''ll get married someday, just like all the Targaryens before us! And we''ll be together, forever and ever, Big Bro!"


    "Um, yes, Iris. I''m certain we will," Viserys agreed, and said a quick prayer to the Seven Goddesses to please, please, find someone who could take his little sister far, far away from him, forever. He had thought he wanted to be king, until he saw what his baby sister could do to people. Now he just wanted to find somewhere quiet to live, far away from violence and his Little Sister.


    Much to Viserys'' consternation, both his sister and Illyrio insisted that he attend the party with the Dothraki instead of hiding in his room, as was the sensible thing to do. Still, the Dothraki were amiable, with Khal Drogo finding Iris some sort of intriguing exotic specimen. They also met a knight named Jorah Mormont, who tried to pledge himself to Viserys.


    "Oh, no, its her you want, not me," Viserys said, pointing to Iris who was talking eagerly with several mercenary captains, who at first had been amused to have a little girl talk to them about how to best wreck mayhem, but were now seriously discussing tactics and ways to maim people with her.


    "Aren''t you the heir of Aerys Targaryen?" Ser Jorah asked, his great bushy black brow furrowing in consternation.


    "Technically, yes, but she''s Iris Stormborn, blessed by the Goddess Athena on the night of her birth. I''m just her Big Bro," Viserys told Jorah bluntly.


    Jorah seemed to be unsure how to take this, but Iris did accept his fealty "in the name of her Big Bro."


    Despite his best efforts, Viserys was unable to sneak away and find a boat for somewhere quiet and peaceful where Iris never tired to murder anyone. She always seemed to sense when he was going somewhere, and would insist on accompanying him to "protect my Big Bro." Viserys had stopped going out after a couple of thugs had attempted to rob them a few years back, and the then ten year old Iris had ripped one of their arms off and used it to beat the other senseless with.


    He wished he was exaggerating that, but he could still see her smiling brightly at him, spattered with blood. "Don''t worry, Big Bro, I''ll keep you safe!"


    After a month, the wedding was set, as Iris had agreed to marry Khal Drogo, "If he can beat me!"


    Drogo had thought this was a joke, and had remarked through a translator how he liked his feisty bride to be. Viserys knew for an absolute certainty that Iris was going to show up to the wedding clad in plate and demanding a duel.


    For a brief moment, Viserys thought his little sister was going to be sensible for once when she turned up to the wedding party dressed in her wedding dress. He''d barricaded himself in his room the night before and claimed to be sick, as Iris had come to his door and asked if he wanted to claim her hand in marriage. He honestly couldn''t think of a more horrifying fate.


    At the start of the wedding, Drogo had smiled at his bride to be, until she had stepped up and said in perfect Dothraki (having gotten Ser Jorah to teach her the words), "Khal Drogo, I challenge you for leadership of your Khalasar!"


    At first, everyone laughed at seeing a fourteen year old girl who had barely entered womanhood and who came up only to about Khal Drogo''s shoulder if she was standing on her tiptoes. Then, seeing that his intended was being stubborn, Drogo made some lewd remark about breaking a horse before you mounted it, picked up his arakh, and strode toward Iris. Despite his mounting horror, Viserys'' couldn''t look away.


    Which meant he got a very clear look as Iris easily dodged Drogo''s first swing, and broke his arm with a single blow, then his leg, dropping Drogo to the ground. On seeing this, Drogo''s bloodriders let out a bellow of anger and charged Iris, who was still wearing only her dress, barefoot and barefisted. Viserys groaned, knowing just how lopsided the fight would be.


    There were only three of them, after all. And they weren''t even wearing armor.


    Iris caught the whip of one of the men right out of the air and jerked it hard enough to send him flying towards her. She simply slammed him to the ground, then charged his roaring companions. She didn''t bother to dodge the arakh swing this time, smacking it out of the air on the flat of the blade with her palm, which made its wielder howl and drop the weapon, just in time for Iris to jump up and kick him in the chest hard enough to send the man crashing through the table Viserys was now hiding under.


    "DO YOU YIELD?" Iris roared, having the last Bloodrider by the braid as she held his battered head up. He didn''t have time to answer, as upon seeing Drogo''s Bloodriders downed, just about every minor khas and ko had picked up their weapons and run screaming at Iris.


    "YOU WILL ALL SERVE MY BIG BRO!" Iris roared, and picked up an arakh. "SACRED SWORD TECHNIQUE!"


    Fully a dozen mighty Dothraki warriors were rendered limb from limb in a spray of gore, and Viserys whimpered and covered his head with his hands, pressing his face into the dirt. He heard Jorah fighting to protect him, but Viserys never looked up.


    After what felt like hours, he felt someone shake him. "Big Bro, I won! I beat them all!"


    Trembling, Viserys looked up to see his grinning sister, her wedding dress now a bloody rag. He already knew not one drop of that blood belonged to Iris, though she was so covered in filth and gore most would have thought her mortally wounded.


    "Er, that''s good, little sister. Do, er, you have an army?" Viserys asked hopefully. Maybe he could send Iris off to Westeros and have her fight Robert. That would solve at least one of his problems.


    Iris''s expression fell. "No, sorry Big Bro. I sort of accidentally killed Drogo, I think he got crushed in the melee. And then I kinda broke all his best fighters and the rest all ran away. And, um, well, we need to run because I accidentally on purpose set everything on fire."


    Viserys looked around, and saw that all the tents and pavilions were indeed blazing merrily now. There were corpses of dothraki warriors everywhere, and Viserys even hoped some of them hadn''t been Iris''s handiwork.


    "Er, that''s good, little sister. Um, let''s just head back to Magister Illyrio''s," Viserys said, trembling slightly as Ser Jorah helped him up.


    "No can do, Big Bro. He ran away and told me to never come near him again," Iris said mournfully. "Don''t worry, I got us some horses and treasure everyone left behind when they ran away from me!"


    Viserys spent the night outside the walls of Pentos as he watched Khal Drogo''s encampment burn to the ground. In the morning, Iris eagerly scrambled over the wreckage, pulling out valuables as Ser Jorah watched in amazement.


    "Truly, she is Queen Iris Stormborn," Jorah breathed. Viserys glanced at the man, and saw adoration written on his features. He shuddered and scooted away. Another maniac.


    "Big Bro, Big Bro, look!" Iris yelled, drawing Viserys out of his stupor. Iris held out her hands, revealing a crooning lizard of some sort.


    Then, it spread its wings.


    "Big Bro, I got you some dragons!"


    Viserys started to weep.


    Cast of Characters:


    Kazuma Sato as; Joffrey Baratheon


    Megumin as; Arya Stark


    Yunyun as; Sansa Stark


    Komekko as; Bran Stark


    Iris Stylish Sword Belzerg as; Daenerys Targaryen


    Aqua as...I dunno. The Maiden, probably.


    Athena from Saint Seiya as; the Warrior


    Various others


    And the cast of a Song of Ice and Fire as Themselves (except the ones who aren''t)


    In Memory of our good friend, ASOIAF canon. You had a good run up until the Konosuba cast showed up.

 Chapter 423 - My SI Stash #23 - Family Business by Vagabond (LeagueOfLegends)

    -I''m really loving this new wave of LoL fics, gotta say tho out of them all I''m more hooked by this one~


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 9.2K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/family-business-league-of-legends-reincarnated-si-alchemy-cyoa.12987/ (Vagabond)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Sitting in a bland silver steel chair in front of an equally bland and undecorated wooden desk with multiple paperwork stacks covering the surface, I glanced down at the doc.u.ment detailing the revenue and expenditure of the Crownguard Household''s third estate just outside of the Great City of Demacia.


    The doc.u.ment detailed the weekly report of the estate''s main source of income - sales of wheat, rent, taxes, and shares of profit in business ventures I invested in - and its expenditure - upkeep of the estate manor, farmhand wages, soldier wages, equipment upkeep, and the like.


    After reading through it for a bit, I went down to the number for the total revenue. With a minor application in magic no one knew about simply because no one cared about an ink erasing spell, and wrote down a new number merely two hundred gold coins short of the actual total revenue. Then I moved up on the breakdown of revenue and fixed the numbers for the grain sale income.


    This embezzlement was less than 1% of the total revenue of the third estate alone, but I was embezzling from all of the Crownguard estates.


    It wasn''t like they cared or noticed. Too stuck-up in their "defense of the city" and training their bodies to overcome magic (with the help of the famous magic-resistant Demacia steel), the only thing they cared about was whether or not the personal retinue of the Crownguard was fit for "service to the crown" at any given moment.


    To me, my own house was archaic and entrenched in outdated concepts. They still believed in the idea of monarchy when nations like Zaun, Piltover, and Noxus (hell, even Ionia) showed the world that monarchy existed because of the power of the monarch and his followers, not its efficiency or validity.


    So what if I was siphoning some money from one of the richest noble houses? It wasn''t like we used it for anything useful.


    F.u.c.k.i.n.g hell, my family''s annual net income numbered in at over a hundred thousand gold coins from the numerous landed titles my family owned.


    I considered this little skimming from the top payment for my job as the family''s treasurer. Sniffing, I wrote down the adjusted numbers to the side on the yearly income sheet for the family.


    After stamping [Treasurer Approved] on top of its papers, I set down the doc.u.ment in the "Archive" file, and picked up another one.


    "Fiscal Report for the Barony of Riverton, 989 AN," I read out loud. Barony of Riverton was larger in size compared to the plantation style of the Crownguard Third Estate, but it wasn''t a business and had lower net income.


    Situated west of Cloudfield and just outside of the Demacian "heartland," the barony had one castle and five villages. Last year''s census of the barony told me that there were seven thousand five hundred fifty-nine Demacian citizens, divided into one thousand four hundred thirty households. Of the residents, two thousand one hundred fifty-nine people were a.d.u.l.t men, two thousand six hundred fifty were a.d.u.l.t women, and two thousand seven hundred fifty were children. The average annual net income of each household was thirteen silvers and fifteen coppers. Excluding the richest ten households of the barony, the average annual net income of each household was one silver and nine coppers.


    This was, as far as anyone was aware of, the most detailed census in all of Runeterra, and I insisted on this measure from my father, the current head of the Crownguard family. It was because of this insistence that I managed to find merchants skipping out on taxes due to the crown and their liege lord, my family.


    It was for this reason that I was given a reward, and I asked to be the treasurer of the family.


    It was, of course, so that I could embezzle in turn (while being paid).


    Why?


    Because my family hated mages like all "proper and true" Demacian.


    And I was a mage.


    Of course, no one knew about it, but I wasn''t interested in helping the growth of someone who would gut me if they considered me dangerous regardless of what I did for the family.


    No, this was just a preemptive move on my part.


    And speaking of family, there was one other mage in the family. Unlike me, she didn''t know much about magic, probably because she didn''t have any education or knowledge about it, because she and I, despite my own position and advancements, were only thirteen years old.


    While I did what I could with my position in life, my dear twin sister, my beautiful Luxanna, pushed her boundaries. Maybe it was my encouragement to do whatever she wanted (if with preparation rather than naive courage) or my "understanding" of her magical power and acceptance of it, she was ¡­ different than what I expected.


    For one, she was more sure of herself. She knew what she wanted in life. She wanted to be out there in the world.


    And I would be there beside her.


    ¡­ Who am I kidding.


    I was a sick f.u.c.k - a sick embezzling f.u.c.k stealing from his own bloated "family" that would want me dead the moment I revealed my identity as a mage - who was getting ready to seduce a gorgeous blonde twin sister of his.

 Chapter 424 - My OC/SI Stash #24 - The Prestige by TheInnerHollow (MHA)

    -I cannot believe I''m still hearing about Kaitou Kid to this day man, I always loved his appearances in the series and the movies~ Honestly making me wanna rewatch Detective Conan again!


    Synopsis: You want to know what magic is?


    True magic?


    It isn''t easy to explain.


    Not with words.


    But if you look close enough...


    If you really pay attention...


    Sometimes you can see it.


    Me, though?


    I''m impatient. I can''t stand waiting.


    That''s why I make the magic happen myself.


    Rated: ???


    Words: 42K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-prestige-my-hero-academia-si.851734/ (TheInnerHollow)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    A slight buzzing sound reached my ears, disrupting what had been probably my first night of good sleep in at least five days.


    Or maybe six days.


    What day was it again?


    I groaned, swearing silently beneath my breath as I reached blindly in the dark, trying in vain to find the infernal contraption that had roused me from my slumber.


    After several fruitless attempts, my hand latched around the noise making object and I dragged it before me, swiping my phone across the answer button.


    "You better be dead or dying." I mumbled into the phone, sleep still refusing to release me from it''s grasp.


    There was silence on the other end.


    Then a deep inhalation.


    "GOOD MOOOOOOORNING SUNSHIIIIIIIIIIIINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" A boisterous voice blasted from the phone like a physical force.


    I found myself no longer asleep in the slightest. I also found myself out of bed as the wave of sound that had blasted me off of it.


    I staggered to my feet from the wall that I had been thrown into, ears ringing, feeling like I had just been dropped into a mosh pit at a Metal Concert halfway through their main set.


    With a brief bit of concentration I felt my ears pop as sound equalized again, and the sound of my door opening heralded the lights illuminating the room.


    My bed was in shambles, my outfit having been removed haphazardly after returning from my emergency call out.


    My desk and my bookshelves were mercifully still intact, the heavy texts having not been disturbed by my literal wake up call, or my semi-conscious staggering.


    That being said, there was no way I was going to be able to wear it today.


    The stains on the clothes were long since soaked in, and knowing my luck it was far too long for me to have done anything to it except send it off to be professionally cleaned.


    "Yo Yo Kaito!" Yamada Hizashi half shouted as he walked into the room, a broad grin on his face and finger guns at the ready. "Are you ready for the big day?"


    I stared incomprehensibly at the loud blond peac.o.c.k for a moment, once more swearing my eternal and undying enmity with the eldritch abominations known as morning people, as the hamster wheel slowly began picking up momentum in my head.


    That and the context clues given by Mic were a pretty big hint.


    "That''s today?" I groaned, turning my head to the calendar I''d had pinned to the wall only to find it no longer there, but collapsed on the floor with my signature white hat having obscured it.


    I picked it up and found that reality had once again sided against me by revealing that today was indeed the day.


    Worse, the clock informed me that I should have been ready to leave at this point, not just stumbling out of bed.


    I rushed into my bathroom as Hizashi laughed at my no doubt panic stricken face, splashing water onto my face in lieu of a shower and sliding to a stop in front of my wardrobe, and attempting to pull on a suit that hadn''t left it in well over a year at this point.


    "Kaito, my man, how is it that you manage to be late to literally everything?" Hizashi drawled behind me, and even though I couldn''t see it I could certainly hear the smug grin on his face. "I thought magicians were supposed to be good with timing?"


    I stormed past him, repressing my urge to strangle the mouthy prick by instead nearly strangling myself as I pulled my tie too tight, opening the door.


    "First of all, that joke wasn''t funny the first time you said it to me, it certainly hasn''t got any better now." I replied doing up my belt as I made my way down the stairs as fast as I could in suit pants with ripping them and having to stop halfway because I hadn''t pulled a boot on firmly enough. "And secondly, a wizard¡­"


    "Is never early or late, but arrives precisely when intended, blah blah blah." Hizashi droned back at me, having passed my stumbling form to take a seat on his¡­


    "Hizashi."


    "Yes Kaito?" The man in question responded chirpily, looking for all the world as innocent as a babe to those who didn''t know better.


    "What the hell is that?"


    "That is your chariot to destiny!" Hizashi replied without flinching, hand gestures galore as always.


    It looked a lot like a side car attached to a motorbike to me.


    It would have been a tight fit for a regular sized person.


    To fit my lanky form inside of it was going to be many things.


    Pretty was none of them.


    "When I asked if you could give me a lift while my car gets repaired, I was imagining, you know, an actual car." I said wearily accepting my fate as I began the awkward process of trying to fit my six foot four frame into this parody of a seat.


    "And now you know differently." The Radio Hero said brightly having somehow smoothed his monstrosity of a hair cut into his canary yellow helmet. He went to start the bike before he snapped his fingers and pulled out a helmet from where it had no doubt been hidden on the side of the car, before throwing it towards me.


    I stared down at the bright pink abomination in front of me, complete with cat ears and sparkly glitter plastered liberally across it and turned mechanically back to face my only possible means of making it to UA on time.


    I found a smile entirely devoid of any form of mercy waiting for me. "Safety First!" He quoted, making a unfortunately familiar pose that no doubt had my cheeks burning a bright red until they were hidden beneath the blasted helmet.


    So this is how my story at UA begins then, huh?


    Alright then world what next?


    I heard a loud rumble that was sadly not the sound of the bike starting up as the overcast clouds decided that now was the perfect time to start raining.


    I sat there, in my best (only) suit watching the rain poured down and smiled.


    Jokes on you world.


    Now I don''t need to have a shower.


    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++?


    By the time I''d stumbled UA I found myself nearly stumbling over a green haired little sprout of a kid when I rounded a corner too fast but managed to bring myself to a stop with time to spare.


    Okay I may have cheated slightly but I hadn''t knocked the kid over and that was all that mattered.


    "You all right there kid?" I asked, drawing a blank on the kids name.


    I mean I hadn''t had him for any of my classes so I didn''t feel too bad about it.


    "I''m so sorry sir!" The kid replied, practically leaping into the air as he frantically gave his apologies, seeming to be unable to make up his mind about whether to turn away and run or to continue bowing as frequently as possible. "I was just sent to give a message to the teacher in room 6D but he wasn''t there, and so I was going to go to the front desk to see if they kn¡­"


    I held up a hand to get the kid to stop vomiting words for me, I mean I could understand him but he hadn''t stopped to breathe in a while and I was pretty sure that he was going to collapse.


    "Deep breath." I pantomimed, the stammering kid following my lead but seeming to calm down dramatically in the process. "Now what''s your name kid?"


    "Sorry sir, Midoriya Izuku sir." The newly named Izuku answered, no longer seeming quite as nervous.


    Midoriya Izuku¡­


    That sounds familiar¡­


    Okay let''s think.


    First year.


    Green hair¡­


    Only thing I could have remembered him from is the Entrance exam and that means¡­


    Oh right, the incredible bone breaking boy.


    Chiyo had not been pleased when he''d shown up after the exam.


    I wasn''t there at the time, having been dragged away to that thing in Chifuda, but the medic had let me know at length of how this half-pint in front of me was apparently willing to shatter his own limbs to pass.


    "I''m heading that way now, I''ll take it for you if you want." I offered, still feeling at least somewhat bad for nearly bowling the kid over in my moment of inattention.


    "Thank you so much senpai!" Midoriya replied, his face suddenly breaking out into an honest smile that had me suddenly thinking of my neighbour''s Shiba looking up at me with a grin. "Do you have any classes with¡­"He stopped and looked down at the name scribbled down on the piece of paper before looking back at me. "Kanetsuki-sensei?"


    I twitched.


    Calm.


    Calm.


    Remain calm.


    Deep breaths.


    I did my best approximation of a smile and turned to look at the innocent first year in front of me.


    "I have indeed, yes." I responded, feeling a part of my soul attempt to leave my body as I said it.


    Why did this always happen?


    Was it my face?


    Is there something about it that just screams that I''m not an a.d.u.l.t?


    Is that it?


    WHY HAVE YOU BETRAYED ME FACE!?


    "I''ll be sure to take it right to him." I continued mechanically pulling the note from the confused looking boy''s hand and pushing past him. "You should get back to class."


    I continued walking down the corridor, keeping my smile forcibly upon my face until I opened the door leading to my office and slid it shut behind me.


    I let out a sigh and sank down against the door.


    Damn it.


    Alright then, let''s see what they want.


    I looked down at the folded note and opened it to stand at the needlessly fancy cursive that only the head honcho used.


    ''Kanetsuki-Kun,


    I apologize to ask this of you, but it seems that one of your compatriots is unable to the excursion to the USJ due to poor time management on their part.


    As such I would ask you to accompany Aizawa-kun and his class and provide your own considerable expertise and experience when it comes to rescue operations.


    Many thanks,


    Nezu''


    I looked down at the message for a moment before a grin spread across my face.


    Awesome.


    A perfectly legitimate excuse to get out of lunch with you know who.


    And they can''t even get mad at me because it wasn''t my fault!


    How good is that!


    I fired off a quick message to the contact labeled ''KFC'' on my phone and then left it on my desk, deliberately ignoring it as the sound of a dozen replies met my ears as I locked the door behind me.


    It was just going to be an excursion with a couple of fresh faced kids, with Aizawa riding herd on the whole thing.


    This was going to be a walk in the park.


    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++?


    I stared blankly at the horde of people making their way out of the swirling black-purple void all doing their best to look intimidating and did the math.


    Twenty kids.


    Aizawa.


    Thirteen.


    Me.


    On the other end of the spectrum.


    Several dozen villains of unknown strength who all seem to have a point to make.


    As well as what has to be someone with the strongest teleportation quirk I''ve ever seen.


    Some guy standing at the back with what I most certainly hope are just replica hands clutched to his body as a poor excuse for a costume.


    Oh yeah, and what looks to be a poor man''s excuse for Gang Orca, just with only the brain showing and looking like it could bench press an aircraft carrier.


    As Aizawa barked out a series of commands to Thirteen to take care of the kids, I stepped forward alongside him, pulling on my spare pair of white gloves as I did so.


    "Well then," I said simply, slapping my palms together and feeling my power work through them.


    "Let''s make some magic happen."

 Chapter 425 - My SI Stash #25 - Road to Power by Chaos65 (MCUXHP)

    -SI as Voldemort''s son and he''s with da Gryffindors, death eaters most likely malding/


    Synopsis: When I died, I was quite sure that hell was all that waited for me. I definitely didn''t expect to wake up in the body of Voldemort''s son in a universe that shouldn''t even exist. I guess it is time to get to work, I won''t die again. Info about updates is available on my profile.(6th Nov 2020 The site is working again.)


    Rated: T


    Words: 34K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13701999/1/Road-to-Power (Chaos65)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-2 (exceptional)


    Dying, such an interesting process that no one really knew much about. How could we, if the people who experienced it were no longer with us. Scientists could do as much research as they wanted, but they would never find out what a dying person thought and felt right before death. And they would never find out what exactly happened to a person after they departed.


    Most of the world''s population believed in one of many religions and thought that after death they would go to their respective afterlives. Others think that death was the final end and there was nothing after it, and some just lived their lives without carrying about death.


    Me?


    Well... Currently, I was pretty sure that the second group was right. If not then how would you explain the endless darkness I was currently in?


    I died young, no older than twenty-five. I wasn''t your definition of a good person, maybe not by choice, but I didn''t really care after a few years of dealing with the darker parts of our world. That was what I had to do and there was no escaping it when you were as deep as I was. At least my life wasn''t boring and I had a lot of free time.


    That was why when death claimed me I thought, "Well shit, hell here I come." Of course like I previously said, it didn''t happen.


    Maybe it was some sort of punishment, to be alone forever and go mad from talking to myself. I was probably right and whoever came out with this punishment could kiss my ass. I wouldn''t surrender that easily and somehow get out of here... If it was even possible.


    The moment my last thought left my mind I felt my body - or whatever I was now - being sucked by a very strong vacuum. I didn''t know what the hell was going on, but I couldn''t fight this so I surrendered myself to the process.


    When the feeling disappeared, a blinding light filled my vision, and before I could even react something changed.


    No longer was I in endless darkness, but a small room with a bed, wardrobe, and a desk with a mirror above it filled my vision. It definitely wasn''t any of my rooms and when I raised my hands to my eyes, I knew that something was definitely wrong.


    Unfortunately, I didn''t get any time to ponder on those things as a moment later my entire being was filled with pain. Memories, images, and thoughts not my own appeared in my mind, and before I knew my entire body shut down.


    Good luck.


    "Logan, wake up. Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes," a soft voice said some distance away from me.


    I groggily opened my eyes to the sight of the same room and a tall, older woman who was waiting for my answer. As I wasn''t too sure what the hell I should do I answered simply to get rid of her for now, "Okay, give me five minutes." Oh god, I had the voice of a kid. What else?


    The woman nodded and walked out of the room. I breathed a sigh of relief and took this moment to think.


    I definitely wasn''t in my old body, which shouldn''t be possible and I had a bunch of memories that for sure weren''t mine. I only saw brief flashes of them, but if I was to believe in them then I wasn''t even in my old world as I didn''t think that Voldemort was alive there.


    How did I know that? Well, this knowledge came with even more facts that were making me even more disbelieving.


    Whoever put me in the body of this kid also gave me all of his memories and when I said all, I meant it. I was sure that a child wasn''t meant to remember what happened soon after its birth, but surprise, surprise, I knew.


    Thankfully I didn''t see the moments that would probably scar my mind, but I saw who my parents were and why I was even born.


    My father was no one other than Lord Voldemort. I probably should be either excited or scared, but I was more indifferent to this fact. Yeah, if it wasn''t a dream then I was happy that I wasn''t dead and someone put me in the universe of Harry Potter. But Voldemort was one of the most idiotic villains I ever saw, so you would need to forgive me for not overreacting.


    My mother was Bellatrix Lestrange, the madwoman to whom I surprisingly owe my life. You see Voldemort wanted a child for a ritual, but he needed a female, so when I was born a male - thank god for small mercies - he told Bellatrix to get rid of me. The madwoman, in spite of herself, couldn''t kill her own child so she left me in one of the Children''s homes in London.


    Ironic? Probably, but I was alive thanks to her actions.


    So that was how I knew that I was in Harry Potter''s universe. I wasn''t sure about the timeline as the memories after I was left in the Children''s home were a mixed mess. I knew that after Bellatrix left me here, they named my Logan Hunt and the kid was pretty quiet and kept to himself. I was fine with that as it gave me a reason to stay alone and maybe no one would notice any changes.


    Well, I should probably get up and at least see how I looked now. The memories didn''t give me a clear image.


    With that thought, I got off the bed and walked to the mirror. I almost fell down during my first steps as I wasn''t used to the change in height and body mass.


    When I finally go to the mirror, I noticed that my memories were about right and I was about eleven years old. I didn''t know my exact birth date, but the staff in the Children''s home told ''Logan'' that he was born on the 20th of June, which was probably the date he was delivered here. I could probably find out ''my'' real birth date through the goblins or ministry if at least one of the fanfictions I read had a good idea of how the world worked.


    Apart from that I mostly looked like a young Tom Riddle, with pale skin, very short jet black hair, and tall build. The main difference between us was the color of the eyes. While young Tom had dark eyes, mine were vermilion colored. Probably a mix between Bellatrix and Voldemort''s red eyes. To be honest I looked better than I did in my last life and that was quite sad to admit...


    "Alright, I can be vain about my looks later. I need to get familiar with this place," I murmured to myself as I gathered some new clothes from the wardrobe. To my surprise, the clothes didn''t look like they were taken from the ''80s or the ''90s, but more like clothes that I was used to in my old life. A welcome surprise.


    After I was dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans, I finally went out of my room in the direction where food was served. It took me some time as my new memories didn''t help much, but I was alright with that. I need to map the building anyway, my old habits required this from me.


    As I arrived in the cafeteria I was hit with a bit of nostalgia. Not that many years ago I was in a similar situation in my old world. I guess some things never changed...


    Not that I was complaining, I was already used to this type of life so I didn''t really care if I was again living without parents. In my current situation, it was even better as I was a mentally grown-up man in a world of magic that hid endless possibilities, I didn''t need anyone breathing down on my neck.


    Now I just needed to find out if I was born during the first blood war or when Voldemort came back for the short few years. I didn''t know how the hell my memories somehow lacked almost any type of date.


    Thankfully I spotted one of the caretakers reading a newspaper, so before I sat down to eat, I politely asked if I could read it after the woman finished it. She looked at me questioningly, but after a moment she nodded, and halfway through the breakfast she gave me the paper.


    When I saw the date in the newspaper my eyebrow rose.


    30th of May, 2006. So I was born after Voldemort was resurrected... This means that my ''father'' is dead and my knowledge of the HP-verse won''t help me too much. Shit... I thought after giving this new discovery a bit of thought. It could be fun to meet the characters from the books, but I would just need to settle on seeing their older selves.


    Just as I planned to put away the newspaper, something in it caught my eye.


    Tony Stark presents his new weapons that will help the military against the increasing number of terrorists.


    That wasn''t something that I expected to read in a newspaper in Harry Potter''s universe. What the hell was Tony Stark doing here? Was it just a coincidence and the man only had the same name as the Marvel hero?


    I quickly scanned through the rest of the paper and came to the conclusion that no, it wasn''t a coincidence, but the real Tony Stark. Apart from that, I found a very interesting report showing that a weird ''Green Sasquatch'' was spotted in Canada. For me, it looked like a very bad picture of Hulk.


    Dear God, what did I get myself into? A world full of monsters, gods, magic, and heroes. I am having second thoughts about my new situation. With all the shit that can happen in both MCU - and I really hope that it is MCU and not the whole Marvel universe - and HPU it could be really hard to somehow not end up dead again. Now I am not even sure if Voldemort is really dead and the HP timeline wasn''t just moved a bit forward...


    While this thought would probably make most of the people nervous or scared, I was not one of them. No, my whole life was one big challenge and now I was going to show the new f.u.c.k.i.e.d up universe that even though I might be weak now. I was not going down without a fight.


    I was going to do everything to escape death again and for that I needed power.


    F.u.c.k, I am thinking like Voldemort...


    Chapter 2


    All of the information I gained from my reading of the newspaper, didn''t disappear from my mind through the entire breakfast. Thankfully no one noticed my faraway expression that surely was visible on my face. It was still a bit mindboggling that I was in a world that was a combination of Harry Potter''s and Marvel''s universe.


    After I woke up in this body and found out about my new fate as Voldemort''s son, I was already quite dubious about this whole thing. Was it really possible to get reborn in a fictional universe?


    Most of the evidence I could gather showed that yes, I was somehow reborn. I remembered most of my old life, the moment of my death, and finally the time I spend in the endless void. If that was all a dream then I must have taken something really strong before going to sleep. At this point, it was just easier to believe this wasn''t a dream and I was really stuck here.


    Like I previously mentioned, the change of the world and body wasn''t too concerning for me. My old life wasn''t that good and no one is gonna miss me. At least here I got a clean slate and could do whatever I wanted... if you ignored all of the monsters, secret agencies, and godlike beings that existed in this universe.


    Thankfully I didn''t need to interact with any of those beings in the nearest future so I had time. With my new magical ancestry, I knew that there had to be many ways for me to reach the power levels of those monsters. And if I couldn''t find any? Well, I would create them myself. After all, magic was vast and almost nothing should be impossible with it.


    The question is where to begin? I wondered as I walked back to my room. Thankfully it was Saturday so I didn''t need to go to the school that the kid was attending. If it wasn''t for the fact that the school would for sure have a library, I would be very frustrated. But as I needed more information about the history of this world, I would suck it up and go to school...again. Besides if I was magical then I would be going to Hogwarts after this summer.


    When I arrived in ''my'' room - it would take some time to get used to my new character - I began searching through everything that was in it. I needed to know if the kid had any things that could be of any use to me. I really doubted that, but even some money would be nice.


    In the end, I only found clothes, school books - that didn''t really have anything useful in them - some older toys, and money. There wasn''t much of it, but it was a start.


    After I completed the search, I sat on the bed and began planning my next moves.


    I definitely needed to do something with the mess in my head. I couldn''t think properly with all of the memories flashing through my mind. It was distracting and annoying. I didn''t know shit about the workings of the mind so I was pretty out of my depth here.


    The only thing I could think of was occlumency and even then I wasn''t sure. In canon Occlumecy only mentioned the closing of one''s mind so no one would be able to invade it. But in the fanfictions, I read in my free time, everyone made occlumency some super complicated art. And while I should probably trust canon more, I just couldn''t believe that one of the mind arts would rely only on clearing one''s mind.


    Yeah, not buying it.


    Unfortunately, I didn''t have anyone to teach me and I had no way of gaining any information on the art. Occlumency was said to be a rare skill, so there was no way I would find it in just any book in Diagon Alley and I had no plans of going to the darker parts of the wizarding world before I could defend myself.


    So for now, I was stuck with the exercise of clearing my mind and the multiple ways of occlumency form fanfictions. I just hoped that at least one of them was partially true.


    With that somehow planned, there was one more thing I needed to know now.


    Wizarding World''s timeline.


    While it would be interesting to go to Hogwarts with the future generations and Voldemort dead, I would prefer if the timeline was adjusted so Harry would be somewhere around my age. Of course, it wasn''t about meeting the characters from the books, but about the events that happened in the canon when Harry was there.


    Yeah, the war would come, Voldemort would rise again, but Harry could deal with him again or even I could kill him if he got in the way of my plans. With my foreknowledge, it wouldn''t be that hard, and even though I plan to change some things, they shouldn''t make Voldemort change his plans. After all, I would be a muggle-born kid in the background. A disguise would be enough to protect my identity when I was doing something out in the open.


    With that said I really needed to know the current timeline. It wasn''t really that hard to accomplish as I could just go to Diagon Alley or to Privet Drive and see if Harry was there.


    Both of those options were currently unavailable to me as I was too far from both of those places and if I was gone for a whole day, the caretakers would get suspicious. So my last option was to wait for my Hogwarts letter and then go to Diagon Alley with a professor.


    That would probably be the best plan of action. It would give me enough time to get familiar with this new world and body, and maybe experiment with magic a bit if it was even possible.


    Alright, now I at least have some sort of plan. Time for the next part, which would be me getting familiar with this place.


    That was easy to do as every child now had some time to themselves so I could use it and explore both the building and the area around it. It was always important to know your way around the place you were living in. You never knew when such knowledge would be useful and I was aware from my own experience that it could save my life.


    The area around the Children''s Home was quite nice and easy to remember. From what I gathered the building was placed in one of the better parts of the cities, so I at least didn''t need to worry about some idiots walking around there during the day.


    Apart from that I also saw some shops that could be useful later on, a small park that was visited by a large number of people, and of course the school I would need to attend soon. I also wanted to find a map of the city as I wasn''t too familiar with London myself, but that could just wait until school where I would be able to check it out on the internet. From what I remembered they had some computers available to everyone in the library.


    As my task was done earlier than I expected, I came back to my room and decided that it was as good as ever moment to find out if I even had magic. Who knew, maybe the switch made the body lose the magic. It all mostly depended on how I was transported here and if I was to believe the weird voice I heard when I arrived here, then it must have done that. After all, why would it wish me good luck?


    Now there was one important problem with what I wanted to do. I had no clue how to really bring out the magic without a wand or a deeper knowledge about the workings of magic. I knew some things from canon - and they weren''t too useful as like always they didn''t go too much into detail - and again I had some knowledge from the multiple fanfictions.


    If I was to be honest, I again hoped that fanon was at least a bit right and wizards really had some sort of magical core. I was quite sure that if I had something like this inside me then it would be easier to use it instead of somehow manipulating the energy around me.


    "Okay, I can make assumptions after I found out if I had magic, for now, let''s try some things," I murmured and sat cross-legged on the bed. Maybe meditation would help, even if I had zero experience in the art.


    After about twenty minutes of sitting still and trying to find any weird feeling inside my body, I finally gave up. This definitely wasn''t working and I was just wasting time.


    So as this method was out, it was time to try out something more practical. I took one of the pens I possess and placed it before me. Then I focused on the three things that almost every fanfiction out there preached about.


    Will, imagination, and power.


    Cliche as f.u.c.k, but I didn''t really have any more ideas. The first two weren''t too hard to provide, but the third could be a problem as I still didn''t know how to use my magic.


    From there I began the long process of glaring at the poor pen that wouldn''t move even an inch. It was just lying there and mocking me how I couldn''t do anything. After more than an hour of this - I was really determined to make it work - my frustration and annoyance finally reached its peak.


    "F.u.c.k you too magic. If you don''t want to work then fine," I said through gritted teeth, full of anger.


    The moment I focused on my anger, I finally felt something within myself. It was a weird feeling, but it also felt powerful. That was why I barely noticed how the pen before me was shot at the nearest wall.


    When I finally registered what happened, I sat dumbfounded, staring at the pen that laid on the floor. All of the anger and frustration already disappeared and I was only left with confusion.


    How the hell did I achieve that?


    I searched through my memories of both canon and fanon before the realization hit me in the face. I felt rather stupid for not realizing it earlier.


    It was all about emotions. After all, it was said that accidental magic was always caused when a child was feeling particularly strong emotions. My own anger and frustration finally managed to activate it and move the pen. This little discovery at least proved some things to me. Unfortunately, I didn''t know how well I would be able to achieve this feat again.


    Yes, now I knew that there was magic inside me, be it a core or something entirely different. I was expecting that as this at least explained the differences between wizards and the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj.


    Wizards obviously could use the magic inside them to accomplish all of the feats that I read about in books. I was also sure that there was ambient magic everywhere that could be used somehow, but I had too little knowledge about this subject to even speculate.


    Next were the sorcerers. From what I remember they used the energies of the world and other dimensions. They could use their own energy, but it would mean using their own life force and it could run dry after some time, resulting in death. Still, they could manipulate very powerful energies and almost everyone could become a sorcerer.


    This was something I was definitely planning to learn later. Having both my personal magic and the energies of the universe in my arsenal would grant me a vaster ability range.


    Yeah, something that I definitely needed to learn. Even then I was quite curious if those two types of mages interacted with each other in any way. And what they thought about their respective types of magic.


    I shook my head to clear my mind of those thoughts, it wasn''t important now. I should be focusing on recreating my previous feat of magic, but this time with a little more control.


    By the time the dinner came, I was still unsuccessful and even though I tried to use the frustration I felt after hours of failure, I still couldn''t move the damn pen. It was like the magic in me went to sleep and would only wake up when I was in distress.


    With a sigh, I stood up and went to the cafeteria for diner. I could continue after that and maybe I would switch to the only occlumency exercise I know. After all, I still needed to deal with my jumbled memories.


    Time quickly went by and before I even noticed the school semester had ended.


    It was weird going to a class that you already completed. Thankfully I managed mostly to act like the kid would act before I had taken over the body. Apart from some people asking me if I was fine with always being alone, I was quite happy with my current situation. No one really bothered me and I was free to do my research and experiments.


    Of course, most of my time at the school was spent in the library surfing through the web in search of information or looking through the history books to find any important differences.


    The first thing I searched through was the history of World War 2. Unsurprisingly there I found mentions of the First Avenger, Capitan America. If I didn''t believe that I was in both Marvel and HP universe before, then I certainly believed now.


    I didn''t find any mentions of Hydra or Shield, but it was expected as mentions of the first organization were probably hidden and the second one wasn''t officially created until the ''50s. I didn''t really want to search for Shield on the web as I was pretty sure that they would know if some random kid would start searching for a secret organization. For now, I didn''t want to bring any attention to myself.


    I also tried to find out if this universe also had mutants mixed into it, but I was pleasantly surprised that it didn''t. From my observations, it was most likely only the MCU and HP universes stitched together. Of course, I found some mentions about people that Shield in the show called ''enhanced'', but most of those events were swept under the rug. If one didn''t know what they were looking at, they would just assume that nothing out of ordinary happened there.


    I wondered how many of those ''enhanced'' were created by science and who were the part of the inhuman race. Those people were pretty dangerous if they couldn''t control their abilities and I wanted to stay the hell away from them and the Terrigen Crystals. I didn''t want to turn to stone.


    Again I only looked through public news to find this information, so it was very limited.


    Of course, there was one person that I could investigate without any fear. Tony Stark.


    He looked the same as in the movies and had the same reputation. For now, he was the well-known weapon producer and that wouldn''t change for another few years. If I remembered correctly then he would become Iron Man somewhere in 2009, but I wasn''t too sure. I only knew the dates of the most important events and I watched Iron Man a long time ago.


    I didn''t really care about my lack of knowledge when Tony Stark became Iron Man, as it wasn''t important to me. The only phase one events I cared about were the Hulk, Thor''s arrival on earth, and Avengers when Tesseract was for the first time out in the open.


    Oh yes, I had a few plans for this little cube, but for now, it wasn''t important as first, I needed to find out if any of these plans were possible. Who knew, magic was a powerful force, but Tesseract was an infinity stone after all.


    Speaking of magic, I did some experiments with it, but the outcomes weren''t that good. While occlumency, if I could call it that, was going pretty well. I could clear my mind and even get rid of the memories that were running through my mind for some time. They still came back, but at least now I could think in peace for a few hours. I really needed more information about the subject or I would go insane. I tried controlling those memories, but evidently I was doing it wrong as they always came back with a headache.


    The more active part of the magic was going very slowly. After all this time I only managed to bring out the magic from my body - or core, whatever it was -, with this I could get a bit more familiar with it and even use it to lift very small objects if I focused very hard. A very small act of wandless magic, but it was a start. I knew for sure that there were regions in the world that didn''t use wands and could perform magic without any problems. I was determined to do the same.


    A wand would be useful later on, but a young wizard couldn''t perform magic with it until their 17th birthday. I definitely wasn''t waiting that long, I had many goals to accomplish.


    Thankfully I also discovered two other things during those two weeks. The first one was an in-born ability, that I hoped to have.


    Parseltongue.


    It took me a few days to find a snake so I could test the ability, but one day I managed to spot a single small snake in the park. I didn''t even need to try to speak the language myself as the snake started talking to me as I approached it. It was quite funny to see its surprise when it found out that I could speak their tongue.


    I was really glad to have inherited this ability from Voldemort. Apart from giving me allies in snakes, I also would be able to enter the Chamber of Secrets. I wanted to see for myself what was in there.


    Next was my ability to perform small acts of legilimency. I could only do it after I managed to get some control of my magic and if I kept eye contact with my target. Obviously my ability was very weak and probably performed completely wrong, but I could do it.


    It gave me the ability to see some of the surface thoughts of a mundane person - I was not calling them muggles -, but after I left their mind, my targets were left confused and slightly disoriented. That definitely shouldn''t happen and any magical would know that I was in their mind.


    Still, this ability gave me an easier time in my recent activities.


    I needed money, that was obvious if I wanted to buy anything in the wizarding world. I wouldn''t dare to steal anything that could be enchanted against thieves before I could remove those protections. I was a pretty good thief in my last life and the ability came here with me, but against magic, it wouldn''t help.


    That was why I began ''gathering'' my own mundane money after I got more familiar with this body. The art of pickpocketing required finesse and agility so I couldn''t do it if I wasn''t comfortable in my own body.


    I only began doing it after the first week of my arrival in this world. At first, it was pretty hard and I almost got caught a few times, but with practice, everything got easier. Then with the legilimency probe available to me, I could easily confuse a person and they would never know what hit them.


    I was hoping that the exchange rate wasn''t that bad and I would be able to at least by some of the things I require. I still wasn''t sure how orphans were meant to pay for their Hogwarts equipment - probably some sort of fund created for those people -, but I wanted to have some money for myself.


    Currently, I was sitting on one of the benches in the more crowded parts of the area near the Children''s Home. I always changed my venuses after a few thefts as to avoid any suspicion.


    First I observed the crowd for any good targets. I mostly preferred when they had the look of a bit richer person than average as I didn''t like to rob the richest as they never had too much money on themselves. I didn''t really have any use of a credit card as I couldn''t find the password in their minds. Even then it was common that I would find almost nothing in on the person I tired to rob. Waste of time, but I at least got some practice.


    Thankfully with the use of legilimency, I could confuse them enough so my targets wouldn''t remember me. At least I hoped so. It would be quite awkward if an experienced thief would need to run because someone saw me performing one of the simplest acts of theft. I would be a laughing stock if it was my old world.


    And what do we got here, I thought as I spotted a middle-aged woman in a business dress. It was time to get to work.


    Far away in the Highlands of Scotland, stood the large castle of Hogwarts. The name maybe wasn''t that spectacular, but it was still one of the best wizarding schools in the entire world. It was there that most of the British wizards received their education and went into the world as fine additions to the community.


    One of those people was Albus Dumbledore, the current Headmaster of Hogwarts and one of the most known wizards in the world. Even in his old age, the Headmaster was a figure that most respected, while others feared his power.


    Currently, Dumbledore was stationed in his office. The school year just finished and it gave the old Headmaster time to finally deal with all of the doc.u.ments that stacked up during the year. Being not only a headmaster but also a Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump, made the man very busy. He often wondered if he should just give away one of his positions, but then he remembered that his positions could still be useful if his suspicions about Voldemort were true.


    Apart from the Voldemort problem, he also needed those positions to help the wizarding world with adapting to those new times.


    Muggle world was progressing very fast and if it wasn''t for some outside help, Albus feard that the Statue of Secrecy would have fallen a few years ago. He along with the ICW already made some adjustments that all of the wizarding communities needed to follow, but he was still not sure for how long they would help. Especially with the threat of Voldemort rising again.


    The muggle organization that helped them, warned the wizarding world that next time they would not ignore a terrorist running around killing people. Of course, that statement wasn''t met too friendly. The wizarding world was very independent and they didn''t like how some muggles wanted to step in. It was good that it wasn''t common knowledge or all of the Purebloods would throw a fit. Dumbledore really didn''t have the patience to deal with something like this.


    Still, the change was good and the Wizarding world was blooming. People were more accepting of new things and the most hardcore Purebloods didn''t really protest as long as it made their life better and didn''t destroy any traditions.


    As Albus was just finishing his work, he felt the wards around the door to his office notified him that someone was coming.


    "You can enter Minerva," Dumbledore called out.


    Minerva McGonagall was a Scottish witch, the professor of Transfiguration, and the current Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. She was a tall, older woman with black hair and an almost permanent stern expression on her face. For Albus, she was one of his most trusted friends and in the current times, those were few in numbers.


    "What brings you here? I thought that you would be preparing to leave to visit your family," Dumbledore said with a small smile.


    Minerva nodded, "I will be doing that later. We both know that before that I needed to deal with the acceptance letters for this month."


    Dumbledore gave a nod of his own. Minerva was the one who dealt with sending the letters to new students or delivering them herself if it was a child of Muggle descend. A very tiring job, but the woman always liked to introduce new students to the wizarding world.


    "Please sit down, it can''t be comfortable standing there. Now tell me what is the reason for your visit. You rarely stop your work before it was finished."


    Minerva sighed as she sat down, "I am not sure Albus. I might be imagining things, but I wanted you to take a look at this," with that she gave him a single letter.


    Dumbledore took the letter and when he saw the name on it his eyes widened.


    Logan Riddle(Hunt)


    It shouldn''t be possible. Dumbledore was sure that Voldemort would never sire a child, he had no need for such things. Maybe it was one big coincidence and the child was just unlucky to have Tom''s last name. There must be more than one Riddle family in Britain so it was possible, but the second last name made Albus curious.


    He already encountered such a problem a few times and it took some research to find out what it meant. The Riddle part was the name of the child''s parent that magic recognized as such, while the Hunt part was a name that the child was given after that. Most likely the boy was abandoned after birth and while someone must have given him both names, magic still recognized him as someone else.


    Finally, Dumbledore stopped his train of thoughts and addressed Minerva, "This is indeed troubling. We both know what the style of addressing means, but I will never know who his parents are if I don''t meet him."


    McGonagall looked grimly at the letter, "You think that the child can be related to him?"


    Dumbledore stroked his long beard, "While I doubt it, in the world of magic everything is possible. While I won''t judge a child for his ancestry, as after seeing the address we both know that he probably doesn''t even know about the wizarding world, I still need to know who he really is."


    Minerva nodded a bit calmed down, "So you will take the latter to him?"


    "That will be the best plan of action," Albus replied, "If he has any connection to Tom, I will know."


    After that Minerva stood up and stopped by the door, "I hope that you know what you are doing Albus. I wish you a good day," with that she walked out, leaving the old Headmaster to his thoughts.


    It is a problem after the problem, maybe I really should drop one of my titles... he thought after a bit of silence. After all, even the great Albus Dumbledore had limits and maybe just maybe he was finally reaching them.

 Chapter 426 - My OC Stash #26 - The Generals Child by Watchinkid (YoujoSenki)

    -No matter what Erich does, Tanya''s just inevitable/


    Synopsis: The world has come crashing down. Yet Erich von Lergen finds himself in the most peculiar place, back in time. There are so many things to do. So many things to remember. Perhaps things wouldn''t be so bad if one of the key people tied to all that''s happened in his memories is put through different circ.u.mstances?


    TL;DR Timetravel!Lergen adopts Tanya.


    Rated: ???


    Words: 24K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-generals-child-youjo-senki.868318/ (Watchinkid)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Erich von Lergen:


    Dying painfully wasn''t something he would''ve wanted to properly put into words. No doubt there was a sensation he would''ve been able to describe if he had the time and proper place. But as things were, Erich von Lergen wasn''t in such a position.


    No, he remembered a sting, one that grew, one that came to encompass. Then nothing. Just blackness. It was almost as if something was over his eyes, preventing him from seeing anything.


    Eternity looked to be even bleaker really, all of that, for an endless void? It was quiet. Too quiet. There was no eeriness, not even dread. It reminded him of the quiet between volleys, or between the shellings. A negative calm. A negative sense of peace.


    Still, he supposed that such things were things he was supposed to take comfort in.


    Then the sound of chirping birds came. That was odd. Erich made to move, realizing that indeed, he could feel his arms. He shot up, the pillow covering he eyes had fallen to the side. And he scrambled first to check the place where he remembered the distinct pain that led to the darkness came from.


    Only said pain wasn''t there, There wasn''t even a blemish. He turned to the right, with his hands idly reaching for his spectacles.


    Once the blur had faded and his eyes had adjusted the first thing through his mind was that he hadn''t remembered the last time he saw this room as tidy. The sun was out and up, he could head the faint sounds of the hustle and bustle far away.


    His gaze turned to the clock and to the calendar. At first glance, he thought that the numbers at the top weren''t right. When was the last time he changed it? The whole thing was all wrong. Had he neglected this place that much?


    Upon closer inspection, and the gradual clearing from grogginess, he then noted the lack of extremely important doc.u.ments on his desk. Only forms that looked rather familiar. He inched toward them, thumbing at the papers.


    I haven''t needed a use for these since¡­ He thought, he looked again, to another set of papers. He read the date. "August, 1919," The words came out, almost in disbelief.


    He looked again, first out the window, then to the doc.u.ments. This didn''t seem to be some sort of purgatory. And even if it was, he wondered if anything he''d heard the priests and preachers say had any connection to what he was in now. Surely the afterlife wasn''t some arbitrary point in his youth?


    A flick of the radio switch said enough. There was news, the expected announcements, and a little song he hadn''t heard in a long while. The man speaking through was chipper and optimistic, in contrast to the rather dread-filled tones he remembered the man barely hid.


    "Sir Erich, is everything alright?" He heard the knock on the door. A voice he hadn''t remembered hearing in a very long while. "Sir Erich?" The knock came at the door.


    The head maid of the house peeked in, he remembered her from when he was younger, She looked worried, "We heard heavy footsteps from downstairs, is there anything wrong????


    He didn''t have a reply at first, if this was some sort of post-death illusion. Then whoever was in charge of it was doing a very good job. "At the risk of sounding mad Helga, what Day, month and year is it?"


    "The tenth of August, 1919," the old lady spoke, "Are you feeling well young Erich?, you seemed to be in a daze the previous night, none of us thought to bother you on the way up."


    He nodded slowly, "It''s nothing Helga, I''ve just been thinking about some things. See if you can have old Hans bring my food upstairs."


    The old servant chuckled, "You haven''t asked him to do that in years Erich, what''s gotten into you? Oh nevermind then, I''ll head down to tell him." The door closed after, and the steps echoed in the distance.


    Fifteen minutes later Erich von Lergen sat down and took stock of his options. All the while his mind raced to remember key and crucial details as best he could.


    The war, they had lost the war. Far too much had been lost, and he doubted that the victors would''ve been all that lenient to the defeated. Not after all the blood spilled, not after all the shells and broken lives.


    Where had it all gone bad? He wondered, where was the single point where things would''ve pivoted the right or wrong path? He looked as some birds flew by, Degurechaff, the words came out. Yes, he supposed that was where things might''ve started.


    But then again, there were probably a dozen other factors that could''ve been all contributing to their slow decline. The problems borne of Degurechaff''s victories notwithstanding.


    The world was already primed for disaster, ''a powder keg ready and waiting'' part of his mind echoed. He ignored that part. The hopelessness always had a way of gnawing at him, no matter how small the morsels he allowed it to bite at.


    He wrestled those particular thoughts down. He had a chance.


    He looked to the side, his uniform tunic had been haphazardly discarded on the floor. Erich sighed, well, at least he had the chance to go through it with all he''d learned. Perhaps he''d rise through the rank faster this time.


    Even so, there was the issue of Tanya Degurechaff. Her inclusion in all of what happened was key to why and how they got to where they were.


    Even if he had all the things in line, even if he was able to reach his former rank sooner, he wasn''t sure about how she would factor into all those events along the way. Or if she would simply go about doing things the same way they did before.


    No¡­ He needed a way to keep an eye on her, perhaps a way to ensure that the path of the bayonet and rifle wasn''t something she''d head towards.


    Gears turned, and for a while considered what could be done. There was the matter of the orphanage, He remembered hearing about it once, it was a rather underfunded place, Degurechaff had even admitted to going hungry more than once. Had that factored into her choice? He didn''t remember.


    And even then he wasn''t sure if he could justify any sort of surveillance over the place either. She''d still find herself at a point where the recruitment office was preferable.


    Unless¡­ Erich thought, he spent the rest of the day like that, The Sunday passed, he hadn''t left his room at all.


    ...


    He left his home the next morning. He''d stopped at a bank halfway. After walking out he checked his timepiece, It was late in the morning. That left him with enough time to remember just exactly where Degurechaff had been raised.


    "Now¡­ where is it?" He muttered to himself. A few minutes later, there were a lot of orphanages in Berun, he remembered it being somewhere in the outskirts. "Well, enough to narrow it down I suppose."


    ¡­


    It had taken a while to find the orphanage. There weren''t that many of them in the outskirts, and so he''d gone looking. The other ones didn''t match the description he remembered. This was the last one on the list.


    He knocked at the church door, noting the sorry state of the wood. The nun who answered and opened it looked like she''d seen better days. She probably cut down on her own eating to make room for the children.


    ...


    It was lunchtime he noted, from what he could see, it was probably one of the few times the orphanage could afford to have a lunchtime anyway. His eyes scanned the room, two boys fought over a loaf of bread, one complaining while a more well fed one gloated.


    Had it really been that bad? He thought. His mind went through the motions. The strain at the end of the war hit everyone. Yet her eyes didn''t flag or waver. No complaint came, only perseverance. Maybe she remembered this.


    The children paid him no mind, eating and eating away. The nuns apologized for their behavior. His guess was right, this was one of the few times they could afford to feed everyone.


    His gaze settled on a table at the far corner, illuminated by a window. She was there, and she was small, smaller than he remembered ever seeing her. She had bags under her eyes. And much like the child clamoring for his stolen bread, didn''t seem to be eating anything.


    A few seconds later her hand came up, if only for a moment, and a piece of bread came with it. Her eyes shifted again, taking note of the other children. Waiting for their gazes to avert, or waiting for them to take another bite out of their loaves before she deigned to repeat.


    "That one," He muttered, just loud enough for the Sister to hear. "The little blond girl at the corner table."


    "There''s three of them at the corner table good sir," The nun spoke,


    "The clever one, hiding her food." He answered. "There,"


    The nun turned to him nodding. "Tanya?" The nun spoke, he nodded, his guess was confirmed at least. "Oh she''s a quiet little dear. Worry not sir Lergen, she''s not the type to cause a fuss."


    Oh if you only knew Sister. He was tempted to say. A few signatures on paper and he was off to a side room, waiting.


    There was no recognition in her eyes at least. He wasn''t sure if that was a relief.


    The little girl walked into the room in what the nuns must''ve thought to be her best dress. It was a little dirty, there were small patches the nuns must''ve hastily sewn on.


    She was hardly the hellion he remembered in his nightmares.


    They left the orphanage shortly after. The nuns were surprised at the sum he left behind. It was best to set an example, especially if she was watching.


    ¡­?


    Lergen Residence,


    An old manservant and a maidservant stood at the bottom of the stairs, it was well past the time Sir Lergen was supposed to come down.


    It had been that way the previous day too with him asking for his food to be brought up to him.


    They waited, an unsaid bet stood between them on whatever reason the young man had to be so worried.


    Then down he came, steps echoed as he rushed down the stairs and almost headed for the door.


    "Your coat sir," The manservant spoke, Erich stopped and gave his thanks, taking said coat from the nearby rack and heading for the door.


    He turned to the servants, "I''d hate to rush you all on such short notice, but would you and the others mind fixing up the room next to mine?" He asked,


    The shock lasted but a moment, both servants bowed, with the maidservant heading to inform the few others of the request.


    The manservant looked to Erich and asked, just as he reached for the front door. "Might I ask whats going on sir?"


    Erich von Lergen took a deep breath, and looked back, eyes somewhat heavier now. "I''m simply making up for some mistakes Hans," He said, not a moment later he was out of the house.


    The door came shut, and old Hans was left to mull over what he was told. Young Erich didn''t seem to be the type to cause trouble. He was a model student, and that carried over as the years went on.


    Near the end of the day he came back with a little girl in tow, the girl was introduced as his daughter, the rest of the servants weren''t sure about how to react to the situation.


    But Hans knew better, Erich wasn''t the type to let the results of past mistakes go.


    ¡­


    August 11, 1919


    Berun, Saint Otto''s Church and Orphanage


    Tanya:


    They had enough bread for all of us that day. Most of the children were happy at that news. But I could tell, Sister Therese had been looking worse for wear for a while now. From what I could tell her and the other nuns had decided to forego some meals for our sake.


    I looked to the table a row or so away. Just like last time, Jan and Bernard were fighting over bread. I hid the loaf beneath the table, taking from it when I was sure that everyone else was preoccupied.


    It took a while, and although I wanted to get said mealtime over with, I didn''t want to risk having to wrestle for my food as well.


    Once the mealtime was over I headed out with the others, Mother Olga walked towards me, pulling me aside and towards the stairs to their quarters. "It''s a blessed day dear," she spoke. "Someone''s come to adopt you."


    I¡­ I didn''t know how to react to that, five years in this place had be thinking that it''d be my due for a bit longer.


    I found myself quickly bathed, Sister Therese was busy fixing one of the nicer dresses they had in storage. It all happened so fast really.


    I didn''t even have enough time to speak.


    Mother Olga gave me one last look, brushing away what little dust was left on the dress. "You''re going to be adopted by the nice man over at the next room." She spoke, "Are you prepared to say your goodbyes later?"


    I nodded, then headed past the door. The man on the other side had that look in his eye. Almost as if he recognized me.


    Food for thought then, there were a lot of ways you could interpret that. I could think over the implications some other day.


    "Is there anything you want to know?" I asked, "There''s supposed to be an interview whenever this happens." I said, I''m pretty sure it was that way with the older children.


    The man answered " I already know most of what I need to." His demeanor changed though, he knelt down, "Though just for the sake of it, I''d like to ask your name?"


    From the look he gave I was pretty sure he already knew. Maybe the nuns told him, maybe he was aware before that.


    "Tanya."


    The man nodded and stood up, "Well then Tanya, are you hungry?"


    I nodded, though I was unsure of what else to say. We headed down. After I gave my goodbyes we outside the orphanage.


    My new father stayed behind though, he was speaking with the nuns, He fished an envelope of sorts from his pocket and handed it over.


    Mother Olga received it, a few moments later she thanked him profusely. Father tipped his hat and walked to me, then we headed off.


    ...


    He bought a few new dresses on the way, a few bags later and father felt rather hungry. I tugged at the new dress, at least it wasn''t all rough like the one I left the orphanage in.


    "Did we have to buy so much?" I asked, by the end of it, the rest of what was bought had to be sent to his home directly. Well, at least it meant he didn''t have his hands full.


    "I thought it would be better to get all of it over with." He answered, "I hope you''re hungry, we have one last stop before we head home."


    There was a restaurant he frequented, it was a modest little place.


    One of the men sitting at the corner moved, he pushed his chair back and got up from his seat when we entered. I paled for a bit, he was headed right for us. From the look of it, he was looking straight at my father. He stood still once close enough, then saluted. Father saluted right back. It seemed father was a military man.


    After that we headed right to one of the available tables. I let him choose what to order for me. Mostly because I wasn''t all that familiar with what was offered.


    One ride later and we found ourselves at a rather... I couldn''t say it was opulent. The residence was all together in a better part of the city. One of the head servants was waiting outside, probably making sense of the packages we''d sent ahead of us earlier.


    "Ah, Sir Lergen," The man spoke, he had a few other servants handle the other boxes, "We were wondering when you''d return."


    Father nodded, "Hans, I hope there hasn''t been too much trouble?" He asked,


    The manservant shook his head, "Aside from moving some cabinets out and around there isn''t much else to do. The bed inside has been cleaned, the mattress replaced, new sheets and such. Though perhaps we might need one last sweep for the dust left behind." He spoke.


    "I knew I could count on you then." Father said, then picked me up. I would''ve protested, but then again I was small enough I suppose. "This... this is Tanya, my daughter." He spoke, "I''m sure it''s quite obvious that I need not say anything else?


    "Of course sir," He said,


    I looked to the side, noting that some of the other maidservants were peeking through one of the front windows. A few looked to be whispering among themselves. It seemed that my arrival was unexpected. This was a surprise adoption.


    ...


    Eventually... we managed to settle on a routine. I wasn''t sure what was expected of me. Father seemed to come from a well to do family. My new name having a ''von'' attached made that clear.


    "Tanya, are you listening?"


    My mind returned to the current issue at hand. It had only been a few weeks, but it seemed that I was being thrown right into the gauntlet. One basic dictionary later and I breezed right through the children''s books.


    My reading however, didn''t match my handwriting. He took one look at it and decided that he would ''see if he could help me improve.''


    Father had taken some time off today, He took it upon himself to see me through this particular lesson. I''d managed to get my lettering down just fine, at least so long as I stuck to the basics. It wasn''t my fault that a fountain pen was a lot more tricky to use.


    I kept by hands steady, I had to admit, a writing desk did make this a little bit easier, I could see why letter writing was something that took up so much time. Father watched from the side, carefully noting my movements.


    He nodded, and left once he was sure that I did well enough. Once that was over I breathed a sigh of relief. A few lines were down. I had at least two or more pages left to go.

 Chapter 427 - My SI Stash #27 - Overcoming all odds by Unfortunate_Soul (TDG)

    -I can sense the chuunibyou phase this author went through/ The upload schedule''s pretty neat tho


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 55K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/overcoming-all-odds-tales-of-demons-and-gods-si.13321/ (Unfortunate_Soul)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Jacob woke up and frowned as he realized that his body was wrecked with pain.


    He looked around and realized that he was in a white washed room. The smell of herbal medicines and the aesthetic of the room told him that he was in a hospital. But why?


    The last thing he remembered was¡­


    Suddenly, his mind was assaulted with memories.


    Memories of him dying. Memories of him meeting ROB. Memories of him filling a CYOA. Memories of him being sent to this world in an alleyway. And last but not the least, memories of him being beaten by a bunch of thugs because he insulted some Young Master''s sensibilities.


    And now he was in hospital. With powers.


    Doesn''t that mean¡­


    He looked down at himself for the first time since waking up and realized that he was in a younger and slightly different body.


    He hastily looked around for some kind of mirror but there wasn''t any. He looked at the windows and the slight reflection showed him the body of a young 13 year old boy with blond hair and somewhat Chinese features.


    He blinked his eyes, feeling more than a little tired. His body was wrapped up in bandages and he looked like a half mummy.


    The whole thing seemed unbelievable. But the truth was in front of him and it was what it was.


    He had been¡­ what was it called. Being Iskai''ed? Reincarnated? Transmigrated? He wasn''t sure about the correct terminology but he knew without a doubt that he was now in a fictional world.


    At least he had powers.


    Then his vision began to swim and he realized that he still must have lost a lot of blood when he was half beaten to death.


    He laid back in his bed and closed his eyes. Sleep claimed him soon enough.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Next time he woke up, he realized that there was another person in the room with him.


    He looked at the person. A young woman with simple white dress.


    "Hlo¡­" he murmured, his voice weaker than he expected.


    The nurse turned to look toward him and blinked in surprise. "You''re awake. Didn''t expect that to happen so quickly but this is good. You''re not as badly injured as we thought."


    He grumbled at the nurse and pulled himself up the bed until he was sitting with his back to the wall.


    Then with a jolt, he suddenly realized that the nurse wasn''t speaking English. It was another language entirely. A language that he didn''t understand. It could have been Japanese or Chinese. He didn''t knew any of those languages and couldn''t tell but the dialects sounded Asian. It could also have been a whole another language for all he knew. He did live in another now after all.


    "So. Do you remember what happened?" the nurse asked curiously "How did you end up in such a condition?"


    "Was beaten up by a few thugs in an alley because¡­ I think I insulted the young master of some house." The nurse gave him a ''are you foolish'' look at that and he grudgingly nodded "I¡­ I can''t recall memories aside from that. Everything is fuzzy and confusing."


    The nurse frowned "I see. Can you remember your name at least."


    He thought about it. He could call himself Jacob Summers like he did in his past life but such a name would stand out in this world where people''s names are Xing, Yang, Chun and so on.


    So he blurted out the first Asian sounding name that came to his mind. The name of one of his heroes from the Anime world.


    "Itachi. Itachi Uchiha."


    The woman nodded and noted down the name on her clipboard.


    "I see. Tell me Itachi, can you remember the names of your parents. Or where you might have lived before this?"


    He thought about it, wondering if he had some kind of past in this world. He didn''t. That''s the price of picking up the ''Drop In'' option in the CYOA. They literally just drop you in the world without any backstory at all.


    "No. But¡­ I don''t think I have any family left. At least that''s the impression I get when I try to think about the


    m."


    The woman gave him a sympathetic nodded and wrote something more on her notepad.


    Then she sighed "You should feel grateful to the Snow Wind family and the City Lord. After all, they are the one whose donations allow this charity hospital to run in the first place. Without it¡­" she shook her head. "Do you need anything else?"


    "Some water." He said as the fog in his mind cleared and he properly remembered where he had been dropped in.


    In the world of ''Tales of Demons and Gods''. Where the protagonist is a hundred year old master who acts like an immature brat and chases after 13 year old girls.


    Yeah¡­


    The nurse handed him a cup of glass along with a pill.


    "Long Dream Pill." The nurse explained "You need to rest to regain your strength."


    A part of him rebelled at the idea of taking the alchemical pill which was essentially a drug in all but name and leave himself open to the risk of someone walking up to him and just slitting up his throat.


    But he doubted anyone knew about him in this world. And if someone really wanted to kill him then he won''t be able to do anything aside from making some noise even if he was awake.


    He took the pill and popped it in his mouth before gulping it down with the water.


    "Good. Now go back to sleep. Doctor Cheng Luan will come and see to your injuries in a while."


    With that said, the young nurse whose name he still didn''t know helped him lay back down on the bed and covered him with the thin blanket.


    A few moments later, his eyelids started to droop and then he closed his eyes, ready for a long sleep.

 Chapter 428 - My OC Stash #28 - Trickshot by JustBored21 (Harry Potter)

    -I''m liking this Twisted Fate vibe coming from Harry, some dank shit~


    Synopsis: Dumbledore expected a weak Harry who lived with the Dursley''s. He was not expecting a Harry who grew up on the streets and has no interest in playing a hero. After being abandoned in America by the Dursley''s Harry learnt to survive using his brains and magic. Dumbledore, Hermione and select Weasley bashing.


    Rated: M


    Words: 60K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13523025/1/Trickshot (JustBored21)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "Albus!" Deputy headmistress Minerva McGonagall barged into the headmasters office, shock and panic on her face


    "Minerva?" Headmaster Albus Dumbledore blinked at the way his deputy and close friend barged into his office "what, may I ask, is the matter?"


    "Harry potter!" McGonagall replied


    "Mr Potter?!" Dumbledore jumped to his feet, Harry Potter was the boy-who-lived, the boy responsible for stopping Voldemort and Dumbledore knew he was the boy of the prophecy. He had last seen Harry when he had placed him with his relatives, the Dursleys. Dumbledore had great hopes for Harry, if all went well then Harry would follow on the path of the light before he would sacrifice himself for the greater good, though the last part was such a shame as Harry was such an adorable baby. "What has happened to him?"


    "He has sent his Hogwarts letter back, saying he does not wish to attend!" McGonagall replied "Albus, imagine that! Harry Potter, son of Lily and James, not wishing to attend Hogwarts!"


    "Worry not Minerva, I shall deal with this." Dumbledore promised her, all the while he was wondering what would cause Harry to refuse. He knew that the boy would likely not have a brilliant life at the Dursleys and expected him to jump at the opportunity to attend a school of magic, even if the Dursley''s did treat him kindly he should still want to attend, after all what child wouldn''t want to learn magic?


    "And another thing" McGonagall continued, not the least bit calmed down by the headmasters words "you had left Mr Potter at the Dursleys?"


    "Yes?" Dumbledore nodded


    "Then why is the address registered to a warehouse in America?!" McGonagall slammed the letter on the desk, showing the shocked wizard that it had indeed been registered to a warehouse in America.


    "How?" Dumbledore whispered to himself as he read the address.


    Harry James Potter.


    Old Abandoned Factory.


    Hell''s Kitchen. Manhattan.


    New York.


    "Is this the place?" Minerva asked as she, Dumbledore arrived inside the warehouse along with potions master and teacher Severus Snape.


    "I believe so." Dumbledore nodded as he looked around the warehouse. Grey floors and grey walls, not much colour at all. It was dusty in a lot of places, in fact there was so much dust that Dumbledore couldn''t help but wave his wand and vanish it all before he could continue looking around. He saw that some of the windows were covered with cardboard. In the centre of everything was a small cot with a blanket and pillow on top, next to it was an old table and what looked like the container from muggle take out food.


    "The Potter brat lives here?" Snape sneered as he looked around. "Shall I assume that sleeping in a bed like a regular person is not good enough for him?" Professor McGonagall was about to respond when a sound caught their attention.


    They all turned to see a small monkey walked in, the monkey paused when it saw them it then shifted into an aggressive stance and began making noises at them in an attempt to drive them off. However at it''s age and height it didn''t seem much of a threat to anyone.


    "Yes, yes, I''m coming Loki." A voice called, Dumbledore perked up and waited for the owner of the voice to arrive. He assumed that the monkey was called Loki and if he was correct then the voice belonged to Harry.


    Soon Harry came in, wearing a worn out pair of white trainers, black trousers, a light green shirt with an open grey hoodie with red sleeves. None of his clothes looked brand new or expensive, in fact they seemed a bit dirty and uncared for. He also had a black backpack on his back. Harry himself looked a little thinner than the average boy his age but was still a decent height. He had the classic black messy hair of his father and green eyes of his mother along with the lightning bolt car on his forehead from Voldemort just as Albus had expected him to have.


    Currently Harry''s attention wasn''t on Dumbledore, Snape or even McGonagall. It was rather on the deck of cards in his hands that he was shuffling.


    "Ahem." Dumbledore cleared his throat, causing Harry to look up at him in surprise.


    Harry took a moment to look at these three strangers, first there was the old woman dressed in robes with a pointy hat and small glasses that hanged off the bridge of her nose. Then there was the scowling man with pale skin, a long hook nose, greasy shoulder length hair and covered in black robes that contrasted against his skin in the same way the moon would contrast against the dark of night. Then there was the old man in the centre, the old man had a long crooked nose, a weird hat and was dressed in bright purple robes while also having the biggest beard that Harry had ever seen.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you." Dumbledore said in the form of a greeting. "I am Albus Dumbledore, these are my colleagues Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape. How are you today?" Dumbledore asked, Harry was silent for several seconds before he finally responded.


    "S...sorrrrryyy¡­.no...¡­.no speaka English!" Harry drawled as he slowly backed away from these obviously crazy people. "Sorry...no English speak...no speak a English..."


    "Now I know that this may seem intimidating Harry but I assure you that we mean you no harm." Dumbledore said with a small smile, his eyes twinkled, a classic technique of his to help calm people down and let them drop their guards and trust him. Unfortunately it didn''t seem to work on Harry who had just put his cards away as he scooped up Loki in one arm.


    "Sorrrrrryyy¡­" Harry drawled once more. "...no speak a English!"


    "Harry, I..."


    "Sorry no speak a English!"


    "Harry it''s fine, we just..."


    "Sorry!" Harry said before he turned and tried to run away, he was about to reach the door when it suddenly closed. He stopped before he crashed into it, he closed his eyes and groaned before turning back to the others. "Alright, what do you want?" Harry asked them in a tired voice.


    "Oh, so now you speak English?" Snape said sarcastically.


    "I''m a quick learner, now what do you lot want? If it''s money then I''m afraid you are very much barking up the wrong tree."


    "We are not after your money Harry." Dumbledore said. "You were sent a letter a few days ago."


    "Oh yeah," Harry nodded before he placed Loki on top of his head and walked towards the cot, he sat on it before placing his backpack on the floor, he then grabbed Loki and transferred him from the top of Harry''s head to the table. "I remember saying no." Harry said as he scratched Loki behind the ears. "Now who doesn''t speak English?"


    "We''ve come to talk to you about it Mr Potter, you see your name has been down since birth. Both of your parents attended Hogwarts."


    "It is true, they were both Gryffindor''s, member of my house." McGonagall said proudly.


    "Yes, well I''m not really interested." Harry said. "I mean I''ve kind of got a good life here."


    "My boy, it seems to me that you are in fact homeless." Dumbledore said as he gestured around him.


    "Yep, by the way, I feel like I should let you know that in these parts the only people your age that talk to boys my age in that way that you do are those that want to play mummy and daddy without the mummy parts. And no offence, but I am not calling you daddy." Harry replied. Dumbledore frowned for a second before realisation hit him like a train and he understood what Harry was saying, he seemed to be about three seconds behind Snape and a second behind Minerva. "Besides, I am homeless but I like my life, so does Loki, don''t you boy?" Harry asked Loki who made a noise of agreement before rubbing his head against Harry''s hand.


    "Well the brat clearly doesn''t want to go," Snape said to McGonagall and Dumbledore. "I suggest we leave him here."


    "Vampire McBlack over there is right, bye-bye now." Harry said as he pulled out what appeared to be a milk bottle from his bag. He opened it and then picked up Loki in his hands, he placed the bottle near Loki''s mouth so he could start drinking out of it.


    "Mr Potter, if you come to Hogwarts then you will be given shelter and free food for all of your time there." McGonagall said. Harry did his best to keep his expression neutral but at this point he was very tempted to just say yes so he could get some fresh food.


    "I get free food here. I mean...not good food seeing as a lot of it comes out of bins but..."


    "Mr Potter, I am sorry but you shouldn''t even be in this country. If it was discovered that you were here then they would send you back to Britian." Dumbledore said. "It is also the law for a British born magical student to attend Hogwarts at least until their owl exams."


    "Owl exams? Is that exams done by an owl? Or on an owl? Or with an owl? Do I have to fight an owl?"


    "No, it''s just the name of the exam." McGonagall explained. "It stands for Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations. I''m afraid that the professor is right, you must come back and attend Hogwarts. It is for your own good."


    "You know that if you were so concerned for my good then you could give me all of your money." Harry replied. "What happens if I don''t go?"


    "Then someone will come from the ministry and make you go." Snape said, impatiently, waiting for this to finish so he could get away from the Potter brat.


    "Well that''s not nice."


    "It is for your own good Harry." Dumbledore said.


    "I was talking about his breath." Harry said as he gestured to Snape. "Fine," Harry sighed before Snape could respond. "If I''m going then Loki is coming too."


    "That will be a problem, monkey''s are not allowed at Hogwarts." Dumbledore replied.


    "Well Hogwarts is going to have to make an exception or it can forget having me attend." Harry replied.


    "Very well," Dumbledore said before Snape could start going on about Potters demanding special attention. In all honesty it didn''t bother Dumbledore much if Harry had a monkey, plus he was the headmaster and more than capable of making changes if they suited his needs. "Loki can attend. You will not have to worry about payment either, your parents had already paid for it when you were a baby."


    "Well...that''s good planning." Harry said as he stood up and picked up his back pack. "Okay I''ve got all my stuff now." Harry said as he picked up Loki.


    "That is all of your stuff?" Dumbledore asked.


    "No I forgot my solid bars of gold." Harry said sarcastically.


    "What the hell?" Harry said, shaking his head after he arrived in England along with the three Professors thanks to a portkey.


    "That was a portkey," Dumbledore explained. "it is a magical device that allows a person to travel long distances. Of course it can be uncomfortable the first time but you can get used to them."


    "Fat chance." Harry said under his breath as he began petting Loki who looked like he hated travelling by portkey even more than Harry. "It''s alright." Harry whispered into his ear. "It''s alright boy."


    "What''s the matter Potter? Your monkey can''t handle it?" Snape sneered.


    "No my monkey is rather bothered by the smell in the air." Harry said before making a show of holding Loki in a way so he faces away from Snape.


    "Now Harry, you will be taken to get your school supplies with Hagrid." Dumbledore said.


    "Who the hell is Hagrid?" Harry asked as Loki made his way out of Harry''s arms so he was now on Harry''s right shoulder.


    "Ah, here he is now." Dumbledore said as he gestured to an approaching man, one who was the largest that Harry had ever seen.


    "That''s a huge motherf.u.c.ker." Harry couldn''t help but blurt out.


    "Mr Potter, language!" McGonagall said.


    "English." Harry replied.


    "Hagrid," Dumbledore said before anyone else could reply. "I trust that you recognise young Mr Potter."


    "Blimey!" Hagrid said when he caught sight of Harry, he stopped just in front of Harry. "Why, I haven''t seen you since you were a baby Harry."


    "And you saw me when I was a baby because..." Harry trailed off, waiting for the giant man to finish for him.


    "I knew your parents." Hagrid smiled. "James and Lily, best wizard and witch I had ever met." Hagrid said, Snape made a snort of disagreement. "Ah, and who is this cute little fellow?" Hagrid said, gesturing to Loki.


    "That''s Loki." Harry answered.


    "Hagrid, I would like you to take young Harry to go and get his school supplies." Dumbledore said as he handed Hagrid a list.


    "No problem sir." Hagrid said.


    "I''m sorry, what do you teach?" Harry asked.


    "Oh...I''m not a teacher." Hagrid said. "I''m the gamekeeper."


    "Okay...and do you do this for all students?" Harry asked.


    "Uh...no...not really." Hagrid admitted.


    "Hagrid will be more than capable for this task." Dumbledore said before gesturing Hagrid to come closer, Hagrid bent down so Dumbledore could whisper in his ear and hand him something that Hagrid slid into the inside of his coat.


    "Oh, lovers." Harry said as he gestured between the two.


    "No, they are not." McGonagall said, frowning at Harry.


    "Oh drug dealers then." Harry replied. "What?" He said when he saw the look on McGonagall''s face. "I don''t judge."


    "Well Harry, here''s the Leaky Cauldron." Hagrid said as the two entered the Leaky Cauldron, a wizarding pub that you could walk through to get to Diagon Alley.


    "Alright Hagrid," Tom, the bartender, said when Hagrid and Harry entered. "the usual?" Tom asked.


    "No thanks Tom, I''m afraid I''m here on official Hogwarts business, taking young Harry here to get his supplies.


    "Bless my soul, it''s Harry Potter!" Tom said in a surprised voice, suddenly all talking and sound was removed as everyone looked towards Harry.


    "It''s Harry Potter!" Several people shouted as the whole crowd moved towards him.


    Harry immediately decided that he hated it here, he felt himself get pushed around a lot as various people began touching him and shaking his hand. He heard different people say various things but he couldn''t really hear as they all kept speaking at the same time. Harry''s patience had gone out the window when he heard Loki cry in fright.


    "That''s it!" Harry snapped as he reached and grabbed a bottle from the bar, he smashed the bottom half on the bar, frightening those near him and began pointing the broken bottle at everyone near him. "Alright back up! Back up! Now! Back witch! Get back!"


    "But why?!" One asked. "We''re not doing anything wrong! We just..."


    "You all were suffocating me!" Harry said as he glared at them all. "I don''t appreciate being pushed around like a rag doll! I don''t even know who any of you are!"


    "The boy''s right," Tom said. "stop crowding the poor kid! He finally comes back to the wizarding world and the first thing you all do is start going after him like he''s a toy?!" Tom demanded, many of the members lowered their heads but they all looked embarrassing.


    "Also why the hell are you all crowding around me for? How the hell do you all know who I am?!" Harry asked while Loki buried his face into Harry''s hair.


    "Of course we know who you are!" One of them said.


    "You''re Harry Potter!" A different person said. "Defeater of you-know-who!"


    "I...I don''t know who. Who the hell did I defeat?"


    "He-who-must-not-be-named." Another answered.


    "Well a name would be good right now!" Harry said in an exasperated tone.


    "You mean you don''t know?!" Tom blurted out in shock.


    "Know what?!" Harry demanded.


    "You defeated V...V...Voldemort." Tom said, he along with everyone else in the room apart from Harry shuddered. "The worst dark lord that the world had ever seen."


    "I''m pretty sure I didn''t." Harry replied.


    "No but you have!" Another cried. "Everyone knows it! You defeated him when you were a baby!"


    "Alright you all have clearly had too much to drink, I think it''s time you all go home." Harry said with Loki nodding in agreement. "How could a baby defeat the supposed ''worst dark lord that the world had ever seen''?"


    "Alright, that''s enough of that." Hagrid said to the others before turning to Harry. "Come on Harry." Hagrid said before guiding Harry out of the Leaky Cauldron. "you really didn''t know?" Hagrid asked with a frown.


    "F.u.c.k it," Harry said as he rolled his eyes and tossed the broken bottle away. "if nobody''s going to talk and give me a straight answer then I''ll just go and find out somewhere else. If it''s as big of a deal as people say then I''ll just find a book."


    "I can tell you about it if you want." Hagrid offered. "I can..."


    "I have made up my mind," Harry said, cutting him off. "do not make me change it."


    "O...kay." Hagrid said just as they entered the Diagon alley.


    Harry looked around, he saw a lot of witches and wizards moving around. He also noticed that they were all pretty much wearing robes, or at least all of the a.d.u.l.ts apart from a select few. Harry followed Hagrid down the alley, looking around as he did so. Harry caught the attention of quite a few people, partially because he wasn''t wearing robes like a lot of them and also because he had a monkey on his head. A minute or so later they entered Gringotts bank.


    "Okay what the hell are those?" Harry whispered to Hagrid as he gestured to the small humanoid shaped creatures with long, pointy noses and ears.


    "Goblins Harry, smart and crafty creatures but not the most friendly of beasts, best stay close." Hagrid advised as they made their way up to a booth. "Mr Harry Potter wishes to make a withdrawal." Hagrid said to the goblin, the goblin looked up at Hagrid before staring at Harry in a slightly creepy way.


    "And does Mr Potter have his key?" The goblin asked.


    "Oh wait...here''s the little devil." Hagrid said as he pulled out a key.


    "Hold up, what''s that?" Harry said as he pointed to the key.


    "It''s a key Harry."


    "I know that," Harry said as he rolled his eyes. "but the key to what?"


    "Your vault."


    "My vault?" Harry repeated. "So this key is the key to a vault with a lot of money?"


    "Yes." Hagrid nodded.


    "Okay so why the hell do you have my key?!" Harry demanded as he looked at the key like a goblin would look at gold.


    "Professor Dumbledore gave it to me." Hagrid replied.


    "Why does he have my key?" Harry asked without missing a beat. "It''s my key. Shouldn''t I have my key?"


    "You were not aware that the headmaster possessed your key?" The goblin asked with a frown, at least it looked like a frown, Harry wasn''t entirely sure.


    "I didn''t even know the headmaster before today." Harry admitted.


    "Hmm," The goblin hummed. "I think it''s best that you talk with one of our employees. Do you have time to spare today?"


    "Yep," Harry nodded, Loki climbed on top of his head and nodded along with him. "sooner the better please. I want my key and I want my money."


    "Very well," The goblin nodded,. "Griphook!" The goblin called and a second later another goblin arrived. "Escort Mr Potter to meeting room three and then call the goblin in charge of the Potter family."


    "Now wait here," Hagrid said. "Dumbledore told me to..."


    "That is not my concern." The goblin cut Hagrid off. "Now do you have any other business with Gringotts?"


    Harry didn''t get to hear Hagrid''s answer as he had walked after Griphook, he didn''t want to lose the goblin because despite not wanting to sound racist they all looked the same to him.


    An hour later Harry had left Gringotts bank, he was rather happy about what had happened as the goblin had explained several things such as how the money system worked, and unlike the other people in the pub they straight out told him why he was famous and gave him a recommended list of books to read. Plus they had sorted out the business with his key and vaults, the only reason he wasn''t currently going after Dumbledore and kicking the shit out of him was because the man hadn''t stolen any of his money.


    "I don''t know what Hagrid was on about," Harry said to Loki, who was sat on his shoulder. "those goblins were quite nice, weren''t they?" Loki agreed and made a small noise of agreement. He then tapped Harry on the head and gestured to the exit of Gringotts and saw Hagrid coming out.


    "Harry!" Hagrid said as he rushed towards him. "Are you alright?!" He asked and looked him over.


    "Still alive." Harry shrugged. "Loki''s alive too in case you''re interested."


    "Oh merlin, I need a drink." Hagrid sighed.


    "Go and have one then." Harry replied.


    "I can''t." Hagrid said, shaking his head. "I''ve got to help you get your supplies and..."


    "Hagrid me and Loki will be fine, won''t we Loki?" Harry said, adding the last part to Loki who grunted in agreement as he nodded his head.


    "Well..." Hagrid looked unsure.


    "Come on Hagrid, please!" Harry begged with puppy dog eyes, Hagrid looked like he was about to agree but still looked unsure so Loki decided to help by also giving Hagrid the puppy dog eyes as well.


    "Oh...alright..." Hagrid said, handing Harry the list. "I''ll take a quick drink then I''ll be off to find ya."


    "Lovely." Harry said as he took the list and walked off. "Can''t believe that that worked." Harry whispered to Loki.


    "Come in dear," Madam Malikin, the owner of the robe shot, said when Harry walked in. "oh my, what a cute little animal." She said when she saw Loki.


    "Thank you but I''d prefer not be called an animal." Harry replied.


    "Um...right...well you''re here for some Hogwarts robes, correct?"


    "Yes ma''am." Harry nodded.


    "Ah that''s good, just stand on the stool there, you''ll have to wait for a moment before someone gets around to you. There are two other people here."


    Harry nodded and stepped up on stool, he looked at the other two people. One was a blonde boy with grey who looked was trying to make conversation with the other person, the other was a pretty girl with black hair and blue eyes and looked extremely bored. There was two assistants working on their robes. The two quickly noticed him though.


    "Who are you?" The boy drawled and sneered, with that Harry had already decided that he didn''t like him.


    "Well that''s the question isn''t it?" Harry responded but didn''t say anything else.


    "Well are you going to answer my question?" The boy said impatiently.


    "I haven''t decided yet." Harry responded, earning a soft snort of amus.e.m.e.nt from the girl.


    "What is that filthy beast?" The boy said, looking at Loki.


    "This...is...a...monkey," Harry said, talking to him like he was an unintelligent by talking as slowly as he could possibly talk. "You...might...be...related."


    "How dare you?!" The boy turned red while the girl placed a hand over her mouth to hold back laughter as the employees acted like they couldn''t hear anything, even thought the slight curves on their lips gave them away. "Do you know who I am?!"


    "You might be my monkey''s cousin." Harry shrugged. "I mean you look the same...well not really...Loki over here looks better than you."


    "Loki?" The girl asked.


    "The monkey." Harry said.


    "I am Draco Malfoy!" The boy said bringing his attention back to himself.


    "Well isn''t that nice?" Harry asked in an uninterested voice. Loki let out an amused noise and clapped his hands together.


    "He''s cute." The girl smiled, her smile became wider when Loki stood on Harry''s head before puffing his chest out and beating his chest with his paws, causing the girl to giggle.


    "Great," Harry sighed. "now he''s going to get an ego."


    "Don''t ignore me!" Malfoy said.


    "I''m sorry, I forgot your name." Harry said to Malfoy.


    "It''s Draco Malfoy!"


    "Drayo Mafoy?"


    "No! Draco Malfoy!"


    "That''s an odd name." Harry said before turning to the girl. "And what''s your name?"


    "Lisa, Lisa Swan." The girl answered. "And may I ask your name?"


    "Alright, you''re finished." The employee who was working on Draco said. Draco nodded before getting off his stool, he sneered at Harry before turning back to Lisa.


    "I shall see you at school Lisa, hopefully there we can spend time in better company." He said, he gave one last look to Harry before leaving.


    "My name is Harry," Harry said to Lisa, pretending that the part with Malfoy didn''t happen. "Harry Potter." He added, earning a gasp from the nearby employees while Lisa merely widened her eyes slightly.


    "Really?" She said.


    "Apparently." Harry shrugged.


    "Do you know any magic yet?" She asked.


    "I know some."


    "Can you show me some?" She asked.


    "Pick a card." Harry said, pulling out a deck of cards and spreading it out.


    "Are you serious?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Does it look like I''m not?" Harry raised an eyebrow in return.


    "Fine." She said before taking out a random card.


    "Is that your final choice?" He asked.


    "Yes." She nodded.


    "Alright now place it in the deck." Harry said, she nodded once more before putting the card in the deck. Harry began shuffling it. "So how are you?"


    "I''m fine."


    "Looking forward to Hogwarts?"


    "Yes, what about you?" She asked.


    "Meh." Harry shrugged as he handed the deck to Loki who began shuffling it for him. "I suppose I''ll see how good it is when I get there. Now," Harry said as he took the deck back from Loki, he removed the top card and showed it to her. "Is this your card?" He asked.


    "Hmm...no," Lisa shook her head. "that''s an ace, my card was the queen of hearts."


    "Really?" Harry blinked as he looked at the card. "Huh, that usually works. Wait...I think I know what went wrong."


    "What?"


    "Terrorists." Harry answered, earing a surprised look from the girl.


    "Terrorists?" She repeated slowly. "Terrorists ruined your trick?"


    "Either that or Satan got bored." Harry replied.


    "Well...it was nice to meet you." She said as she hopped down the stool after the employees were finished with her robes. "I guess I will see you at Hogwarts."


    "Guess so." Harry said. "Bye." He added and waved at her as she left.


    "So...I guess nobody''s here." Harry said when he entered the Olivander wand shop, he looked around and saw a large collection of wands but no employees. Harry sighed and decided to just wait for a bit.


    "Hello Mr Potter." A voice said from behind Harry, Harry and Loki suddenly became aware of someone standing behind him. They both reacted differently, Loki jumped and hid his head in Harry''s hair while Harry span around and elbowed whoever was behind him on the nose. The person, who was an old man, stumbled back and brought his hands up to his face.


    "You hit me in the nose!" The old man shouted through his hands.


    "You snuck up on me you perv!" Harry shouted back.


    "You hit me in the nose!"


    "You snuck up on me!"


    "You actually hit me in the nose!"


    "You hit me in my nose!" Harry replied.


    "You...what? No I didn''t!"


    "That''s because you were too busy sneaking up on me! Who the hell are you anyway?!"


    "I am Mr Olivander," The old man said as he pulled out a wand and waved it to fix his nose. "I run this shop."


    "Look old man, just give me a damn wand so I can leave." Harry said while rolling his eyes for the who knows how many time.


    "Very well." Olivander sighed before he began looking through wands.


    One long hour, one bored Loki and a bored Harry later, Olivander had found a wand that fit Harry.


    "11 inches long, made of holly, and the with a phoenix feather for a core." Olivander said as he handed Harry the wand, Harry took it in his hand, the wand glowed brightly and gave Harry a nice feeling of warmth before it died down. "Curious." Olivander said.


    "What''s curious?" Harry asked.


    "I remember every wand I ever sold Mr Potter, and it happens that the phoenix whose tail feather resides in your wand gave one other, just one other. It''s curious that you should be destined for this wand when it''s brother, gave you that scar." Olivander said, pointing at the lightning shaped scar on Harry''s forehead.


    "Right...well...goodbye then." Harry said before he put some money on the counter before walking out and walking away. "Loki," Harry said. "remind me to never go to that shop again, and if I absolutely have to then remind me to bring a whistle and pepper spray." Harry said before walking off. "Well I''m hungry now, you want to stop for a snack?" Harry asked Loki who nodded and chirped in agreement. "Good," Harry said as he pulled out a couple of galleons. "we should probably thank Malfoy for paying for our food..." Harry said as he tossed Malfoy''s galleons up in the air before catching them. "...nah."


    "That''d would be one galleon Mr Malfoy." The shop clerk said to Malfoy.


    "Wait there," Malfoy said as he reached into his pocket. "the bloody hell?" Malfoy blurted out as he couldn''t find his galleons.


    "Draco, what is going on?" Narcissa Malfoy, Draco''s mother asked when she arrived and saw her son checking and rechecking his pockets.


    "I believe your son has lost some galleons Mrs Malfoy." The shop clerk said.


    "Draco, we didn''t give you those galleon for you to lose!"


    "I didn''t lose them!" A red faced Draco responded.


    "Where are they then?"


    "I don''t know!"


    "Your father will hear about this."


    "Lisa darling, show me your robes." Lisa''s mother said when Lisa and her father had gotten home.


    "Here they are mother." Lisa said, pulling her robes out and showing them to her mother.


    "Well they are satisfactory." Her mother sniffed.


    "I don''t know why she insisted on going to that shop when we could''ve had the best tailors in the country make her the best robes in the country." Her father added.


    "Because everyone else buys from there dad." Lisa rolled her eyes.


    "And what is this?" Her mother asked as she looked at the back of the robes.


    "I believe the answer is robes mother." Lisa said sarcastically.


    "Not that, I meant this." Lisa''s mother said as she turned the robes around and showed Lisa the back of it.


    "What?!" Lisa blurted out in shock as she took the robe and looked at the back. Right in the middle of the back of her robes was a card, not just any card but the queen of hearts. She took the card off the robes and took a closer look and turned it around when she something written on the back of it.


    I was bored.


    Love from Satan.

 Chapter 429 - My SI Stash #29 - Orochimama by WhoaMama (Naruto)

    -Easily the best Female!SI I''ve ever read, W/


    Synopsis: Alternate Title: The Snake Goes Ara Ara


    By cruel trick of the fates, intervention of stupid gods, or just the apathy of an uncaring universe I find myself woken up as Orochimaru just after he had possessed a woman for his new host. Now I need to find a way to turn this hoard of sycophants and psychos into something that will not only keep me from an early grave, but also how to change it to a force of change in this messed up world.


    Rated: ???


    Words: 40K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/orochimama-naruto-si.858340/ (WhoaMama)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "Orochimaru-sama. The process is complete."


    That was the first words I heard coming to this world.


    Moments before that I was having an experience I would liken to an acid trip through a haunted mansion decorated by H R Giger, which culminated in me eating a snake that was in the middle of eating a woman. In the process I somehow ate the woman as well.


    Really messed up nightmare fuel stuff.


    Now I made the assumption I was not insane, which any insane person will tell you is always a good idea, so I came to the very reasonable conclusion that I am somehow now Orochimaru. Not just that, I was him right as he had just completed his first time taking over a body after an unsuccessful attempt at possessing Itachi. I know this only because I have memory of doing these things myself, as if I was Orochimaru.


    Was I making sense? Probably not. Either way, I had an entire life''s worth of memories of study, training, practice, and interactions with people I have never known. Plus a whole lot of killing, bloodshed and torture. Lovely.


    Though it was all that training as a magic soldier wizard that was also a scientist spy that allowed me to keep my face carefully blank as I replied to the minion that was in the room with me.


    "Thank you, Hibiki-kun, you are excused." I said glancing at the man groveling before me before he finally left the room.


    "Orochimaru-sama, before I go, as I''m sure you''ve noticed, your body is a bit different now than it was before you went to posses the subject. Would you like for me get-"


    "That is not necessary. I will do my own examination." I responded.


    "By your leave then." He said before backing out the door, head still bowed.


    The man was clearly terrified of Orochimaru. Of me.


    As the door clicked shut and I sensed the man walking away (and wasn''t that wild. I could sense people now!) I ran a hand down my face and let out a groan. Of all worlds to possibly go to, this was very low on my list. The fact that the fates, the gods, or whatever the hell got me here decided that I should be shoved into the second biggest asshole in the setting wasn''t great.


    At least it wasn''t the biggest asshole in the setting. "Guess Danzo is good for something." I mutter under my breath.


    I turned to take stock of my new body. There was already a mirror set up in the room because, no joke, Orochimaru wanted to check his hair after the possession. Which made sense. No one had such long straight hair without it being something of a priority in their life. The same hair I had now, which was a bit different for me. My hair had always been wavy and would take hours with a flat iron to get anything like what my reflection showed. My skin was pale white, like albino white, and was decorated with purple lines just under my eyes. But many other things were still familiar to the old me. Same nose. Same ears. Same mole on the back of my neck even. But there were many things different. My cheekbones weren''t the same. The shape of my eyes were wrong too. The list went on with most of my body features. Some the same. Some different


    As I went to wonder why the answer came to me almost immediately. Whenever you place a soul into something it tries to take the shape that it''s soul recognizes as it''s own. It was a major principle on the Edo Tensei and also why a jinchuriki often released their biju''s chakara in a shape similar to the biju itself. But in living flesh there was a certain limit to it.


    Orochimaru was already well on his way to taking over this body when I, somehow, ate his soul and took over it myself. Still giving me all of the man''s knowledge and ability. His summoning tattoo was also still present and my chakra could feel the contract was still active and would respond to my call. Then there was the position. If I left the room I also knew that I would find over a hundred men and women who would kill and die at my word now.


    Well at least I was still a woman? Since the man had already been in the process of taking over a woman. The same one that he had when he fought Sarutobi if I could guess right. Small comforts and all that.


    A knock came at the door.


    "Orochimaru-sama, I know you might still be recovering, but you asked me to immediately bring you the report when it arrived. All the test subjects have passed away and none exhibited the desired results before they passed. Should I start on the next batch of subjects?" A voice called through the door.


    What was he- Oh. Orochimaru was trying to forcibly give people super healing effects and failed at it. The next batch was supposed to be all children under the age of five.


    Well that shit was stopping right now.


    "No. For that matter please call for a meeting among my lieutenants. We will be making some changes in light of...new information."


    I felt exhausted. The back of my mind noting it was due to a large amount of chakra depletion. But due to how Orochimaru was running this show like this was the Island of Doctor Moreau the longer I waited to make changes the more people would die. I''ll have more than enough guilt and nightmares about the shit Orochimaru has already done, I didn''t need the death of innocents added on to that.


    I stood up and stretched before putting on Orichumaru''s old clothes. They were hideous, by the way, but they would do for now. Walking out of the room there was only one thing on my mind:


    Time to make some changes.


    Besides, I was flipping Orochimaru. Pretty sure it wouldn''t be hard to get them to go with what I decide.


    -----


    "So, to recap." One of my minions said, disbelief clear on his face, "You want us to stop all research that has a risk of the subject dying. You want us to stop all current missions that involve gathering more research subjects. And you also want all of our spies to take lower risk missions?" One of my head researches asked.


    "Yes. That is correct." I responded.


    There wasn''t a murmur in the room, all of the people in the room either too well trained or too afraid of me to vocalize anything resembling disagreement. But looks were shared and a tense nervous atmosphere settled into the room.


    "Um...can I ask why? My research is close to getting results."


    "I have plans now. Plans that will require me to have as many people to command as possible. I need lives not to be spent on other things currently. Plus I have now had a recent...disagreement with a group of very powerful people. We need to keep a lower profile for a while." My own powers of bullshittery were already pretty strong, but Orochimaru''s training added in? They were pretty powerful.


    But I was trying to sell non-violence to what was basically the people running Auschwitz. I certainly couldn''t get them to do it on a basis of morality, and I did want a structure here. A base of power. This world sucked, and I would be a force to help change it.


    Plus pretty much everyone with power wants me dead.


    So, I had preserve what I had, and these guys didn''t seem to be very happy with this idea.


    "Orochimaru-sama, I can''t accept this. When I joined up with you it was because you said I could complete my studies without any constraints, and you want to take that away when I''m so close to a breakthrough?" The man didn''t yell, but the veins on his neck and face bulged with anger. Many faces around the table looked to be the same. Minus a few that seemed to affronted that he would ever question me.


    I would probably have to make an example and this guy was making himself a target. But I didn''t want to kill anyone. Orochimaru may have killed thousands, but I had not. Besides, this man could have his own children and fami-


    Memories filtered through on how Orochimaru had found this man. His experiments had killed scores of people. The Hidden Waterfall Village was growing tired of failures and were reluctant to provide any more test subjects. So the man used his wife and son. His notes had been meticulously detailed about their deaths.


    "Now, Tsukino-kun, I don''t appreciate you making such a mess in my meeting room."


    Confusion crossed the man''s face. "Mess? I don''t-"


    I opened my mouth and Kusanagi''s blade shot out and impaled the man in the throat before he could say anything else. He fell to the floor with a wheeze. The blade of the Kusanagi had done it''s job so quickly no blood had even managed to splash onto the tool of death.


    "Ara ara, causing such a mess." I said with a shrug, as if I was mother saying "Boys will be boys." Everyone else in the room had gotten deathly still. "Now then! I lost track of what we were talking about. Were any of you stating that you were going against my order too? I''m a bit tired and forgot who were on which side."


    Shockingly, everyone seemed in full support of my plan now.


    "Meeting dismissed then." I ordered as everyone quickly filed out of the room. Once everyone was gone I sat there and waited.


    I surprised myself and didn''t cry. I had thought I would cry after that. Instead I stood, walked over to Tsukino''s body and carefully closed the man''s wide, terrified eyes.


    I didn''t like killing. Even if I wouldn''t cry over it, it was still distressful to me. Still felt like such a waste. But the threat of death is how Orochimaru kept these people in line, and until I could fill the ranks with people that I trusted the continued threat of death is likely the only thing that would keep them in line.


    "Damn you, monster." I muttered under my breath.


    Still, I''d drag this village into being more than a din of depraved monsters and mewling sycophants yet. Right after I figured how the hell to actually do that now.


    ----


    It started with paint. I''d initially informed everyone that, since we were sending less personnel out, I had some busy work for them. Idle hands and all that. So I had gotten some white paint and had them put a fresh coat of paint on the walls. It''s amazing how much a coat of paint can change the feel of a place.


    It transformed the little hideout from being a gaping maw of darkness to giving off the feel of a government building. So basically only slightly better.


    However, I then put in for the ceiling to be painted blue. I stated that it helps to keep people awake if the ceiling is the same shade as an open blue sky. It all seemed as a logical way to make them better at paying attention to their jobs.


    I''ll eventually find some nice paintings and stuff to hang up. As soon as I''m able to actually leave this pit and be confident none of my minions will start offing people.


    I swear these people were like two steps away from Lord of the Flies.


    "Ishida-kun. I have tasked you to research avenues of curing heart disease, did I not?"


    "Yes Orochimaru-sama." He said, eyes low.


    "And why exactly are you presenting me with a plan to cure heart disease that will also destroy their liver and damage brain cells?"


    "I know it is incomplete, but I felt we were at the stage for human testing."


    "You aren''t. Continue to use the pigs that I provided."


    "Ah. Um...about that. I am out of pigs."


    I blinked and slowly looked up from what I had been writing on my desk. "I gave you one-hundred pigs. Last week."


    "...yes Orochimaru-sama."


    For f.u.c.ks sake! These people didn''t know how to research anything without killing something! Two weeks ago I barely stopped a group I had tasked with studying new implementations of fire techniques on a living subject. The technique didn''t even require anything beyond a wooden target!


    "Get out." I ordered.


    "Yes Orochimaru-Sama." He said before bowing out of the room. A few seconds later a piece of paper was pushed under the door asking if he would be getting more pigs soon.


    The fact that I don''t bang my head against a wall is really a compliment to my sanity.


    Finding things for these people to do that didn''t violate international ethical laws on even THIS world was proving to be very difficult. Most of the minion''s research and desires were not the stuff of a ordered and peaceful society.


    Hell, Orochimaru wasn''t even PAYING these people. They were here because they were messed up enough in the head to stay or because they were too afraid to leave.


    That''s not even counting the various people here to fight and kill. The regular people intended to be soldiers and guinea pigs. Though those were proving easier to please. I sent them out to hunt for food and tasked their commander to treat it as an exercise in stealth. To not let anyone see them and leave no traces. Even a town person mysteriously disappearing would be considered a failure. I also started up other attempts at actual training, which is apparently something that we weren''t doing before.


    We were apparently just getting certain subject to fine too whatever thing on them we were researching and that''s about it. Which Orochimaru KNEW made them weaker and more liable to die. He just didn''t care.


    So I was doing the equivalent of assigning people D rank missions. Establishing working as a team being a thing that was actually important. And pretty much all of the rank and file soldiers, after the first two weeks of grumbling, seemed to be enjoying the new structured pace and feeling as if they were completing tasks.


    After all, most humans want to work and not just stand around doing nothing. Even a NEET wanted to read and play games, which is a byproduct of wanting to feel like you were accomplishing something.


    But I had also come to realize what it was I needed to do. I needed to make my own hidden village. I sort of had that, but I needed the village to have more strength. I needed something that could challenge one of the big villages. I needed something that''s strength was acknowledged enough that I would able to call myself a Kage, a title reserved for only the five major ninja villages.


    I would need to go recruiting. Hidden Villages are very competitive, and if I wanted to become a threat it would need to be rapidly enough that not everyone realized I was so much of a threat until I was more of a pain to take out that I was worth. More of these brainwashed edgelords here were going to help with that. I needed to take a page out of Akatsuki''s playbook and recruit missing-nin. Which would, in turn, help me with raising the strength of the rest of my people as they start to train other people.


    Orochimaru was grabbing up any random person with a Bloodlimit he could find before all of this anyways. So if a little work got put into them there would be a good base of power here. I just needed Jonin first.


    "Orochimaru-Sama." A voice came from my door. I was so tired of hearing that. "I have come to submit for human testing." I was tired of hearing that too.


    I ripped the door open and took stalk of the now very nervous woman at my door. "Kuchiki-san. I would like to clarify something. Your research is towards making plants grow faster, correct?"


    "Yes Orochimaru-sama"


    "Through applications of chemical and chakra treated dirt." I added on.


    "Yes Orochimaru-sama."


    The only thing I had demanded be approved through me for human trials was for things that had a high probability of harming someone. So rather than asking how the f.u.c.k her research would ever need human trial approval, I just strode past her and away and said, "Do not follow me."


    I still had many things I wanted to check up on. Many subjects I want to help and try to actually cure instead of just study. But I was too busy stopping people from sticking a knife in a metaphorical light socket to do that. So, for the first time I decided to do something else. I navigated the purposely confusing corridors and entered a lab with a subject that could help me on my next project.


    The room was full of only a giant chamber of water and various testing equipment ranging from computers (somehow) to seal arrays. A face suddenly appeared in the water, looking at me with a confused expression. I ignored him for a few moments to interact with the sealing array. In moments the chamber drained of most of it''s water until only the water in the shape of a young teenager remained.


    "Who are you?" he asked as he took on the colors of a normal human being.


    "Ara Ara. You don''t recognize the one that you begged to take you in, Suigetsu-kun?"


    He raised an eyebrow, "You don''t look like Orochimaru." He said with eyes locked onto my chest.


    "Yes, well some things have changed."


    I ignore his muttering of "Big change."


    "I need your help Suigetsu-kun." I lean forward and lower my voice, as if I were whispering a secret, "What can you tell me about the personality of Momochi Zabuza?"


    -----

 Chapter 431 - My SI Stash #31 - Peace Was Never An Option by Lord_0f_Winter (DxDXLoveIsWar)

    -SB yeeted this fic to nonexistence unfortunately, but luckily Siscon!SI carries through QQ~


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 12K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/peace-was-never-an-option-highschool-dxd-kaguya-sama-love-is-war-oc-si.13388/ (Lord_0f_Winter)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    2015 years have passed in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.


    Humanity as a whole has technologically and socially advanced very far in that time, reaching heights that even the most imaginative of men from that era would have deemed an impossibility, a mere fantasy, a dream a child would have as they slept.


    And yet, in that time, humanity hasn''t changed at all. Not really. Because you couldn''t really change mankind. Not at their core. They were greedy, gluttonous, l.u.s.tful, deceitful, envious of their fellow men, relatively quick to come to blows and with a desire to have things done for them and not do them themselves.


    Their instincts and intrinsic nature have made it such that, at their most fundamental levels, they are the same as those from the thousands of years that have passed. All that has changed is the knowledge they have amassed as a species, the information they had access to, and the ease with which they gain said access.


    An excellent example of that would be the pair sitting beside me. Each wished to dominate the other emotionally and psychological by having the other confess their undying love to them, hence putting them in a position where they believe they will hold power and superiority in the relationship. ''Wearing the pants'' if you will. Both are willing to deceive the other and their friends around them as a means of accomplishing this goal even if it would be simpler to just come up and confess themselves and being all the happier for it. Their pride prevents them from doing as such.


    As a result, their pursuit of love has become a nonsensical war of minds and battle of wits.


    And yet, their current predicament was almost inevitable, whether it be by fate or by the knowledge of the future I was privy to. In that case, who exactly am I?


    "Oh, that reminds me! I won a pair of tickets to a movie, but I can''t go see it myself because my parents won''t let me. So if any of you are interested, I was thinking of giving them to you. The movie is only playing this weekend, so¡­"


    Ah, so this story''s canon has finally begun. Although it is quite strange that this is happening 5 years before it was ever meant to. At least according to the plot. But there were far more important changes than merely the year this was taking place in.


    "Oh?" Miyuki opened up his notebook. "Now that you mention it, I''m completely free this weekend. Shinomiya, would you-"


    "Oh, and...they say that if a boy and girl go to see this movie together, they''re guaranteed to start dating!" There was a sense of longing on Chika''s face as she spoke. "Isn''t that wonderful?"


    From my perspective, I could already see the panic in the President''s eyes.


    "Oh? President, were you about to invite me to go with you? A movie that makes boys and girls who see it start dating...Are you going to say that we should see it?" If you looked closely enough, you could see a bead of sweat roll down Miyuki''s neck listening to Vice-President Shinomiya''s words. It was doubtless that Kaguya did notice as she gave a quick glance towards his neck and smirked. "Wouldn''t that be the same as...a confession?"


    And now, Shirogane''s face was stuck. Clearly, he was trying to figure out a way out of this hole he had found himself in. Normally, this would be the part where the viewer could see how Shirogane perceives the situation would be played out and-


    [I sense a devil nearby.]


    ''Shit. Are you for real? Where is it?''


    [A couple of blocks away from the front gate. They''ve stopped in what seems like an alleyway.]


    ''What are the chances that it''s just a stray?''


    [Does it matter? A devil has encroached upon your territory. As a dragon, you have every right to smite them. I cannot understand why you wish to hide from the world as you do.]


    ''For f.u.c.ks sake, Albion. We''ve been over this.''


    "President, I need to leave." Miyuki looked up at me, still lost in thought. "I just remembered that there was something important I have to do right now." I didn''t even bother waiting for his response, instead electing to walk straight up to the window and opening it.


    "Oh, okay Shiroi-kun. Do be sure to fulfil your duties. Shuchiin Academy does not need a slacker General Affairs Officer."


    ??Hai, hai. See ya." And with that, I had jumped out of the window. After all these years of physical training from hell and all of my parkour training, falling from the third floor was a non-issue. Of course, I couldn''t be too eye-catching, so I would swing from the flagpole on the first floor. The drop from there is safely within regular human limits and, as such, would be completely acceptable by the general public.


    "Kyaa! It''s the White Dragon Demon!"


    "I wonder if he has a girlfriend."


    "Do you think he''s in a relationship with Fujiwara-san?"


    "I heard that he and Tepes-san are really close."


    "Seriously?"


    "Of course someone like him would be close to one of The Impossible Girls."


    "Hah, I wouldn''t even mind if he dated someone else on the side..."


    Ah, yes. The fangirls. Because one cannot be accepted into the Student Council without being exceptional, after which, you would be put onto a pedestal by the rest of the students. In a school of rich second generations that would come to rule the country, only the truly exceptional can be readily accepted to rule over them.


    Which is probably why Ishigami is almost never in the Student Council Chambers. Shame.


    And White Dragon Demon? Really? I get angry one time and they put ''demon'' at the end of my name. ONE F.U.C.K.I.N.G TIME!


    [You forget that you are a dragon, Ryu-kun. Your anger is far more potent and oppressive than a mere human.]


    ''Gee, I wonder why that was the case? Maybe if an idiot dragon didn''t decide that there was nothing more to his life than trying to kill another idiot dragon, neither of us would be in this mess.''


    [I admit that I may have made a few small mistakes in the past.]


    ''Few? Small? Your fight ended a three-way war between all the biblical factions because THEY COULDN''T HAVE THEIR F.U.C.K.I.N.G WAR WHILE YOU TWO WERE FIGHTING! How does one fight even get in the way of a multi-dimensional war between gods anyway? Just what in the world were you and Ddraig even doing????


    [Focus, Ryu. The devil has stopped moving, but there are no signs of magic in the area.]


    ''So they''re not teleporting. I wonder what''s going on over there.''


    I ran past the front gate and began to run down the main road towards the devil''s location. There were too many students in the way, so there wasn''t enough space to properly sprint all the way; school had just finished not too long ago so most of the students were on their way home.


    [Take a left by the 7-Eleven, and cross the street. They''re in an alleyway 50 metres from the junction.]


    I got there as fast as I could. Upon arrival, I came across what could only be a stray devil. They had black, twisted goat horns sticking out of their greasy brown hair. Their bare b.r.e.a.s.ts, although very sizeable, had mouths filled with sharp teeth and a very long tongue where there would normally be n.i.p.p.l.es and a.r.e.o.l.ae. Past her waist, her body looked serpentine but was covered in red fur that had red slime oozing out of it.


    Most importantly, there was a man''s gelded p.e.n.i.s sticking out of her mouth. Said man was lying lifelessly on the ground beneath her. There was nothing left of his arms but bloody stumps at the shoulder leaking out blood onto the floor. From the pained look on his face, it was safe to assume he did not go to the afterlife peacefully.


    "Look what the cat dragged in! Another shitty human to the slaughter, eh? I wonder how you will taste like when I''m done with you! Hey, shitty meatbag, how do you think you''ll taste like!? Oi, tell me! I''m asking you a question!" Her voice came out manic and deranged, but it seemed one couldn''t expect anything less really.


    Pretty much all the stray devils I had come across were insane and deranged in some form or other, and all seemed to think they were invincible. Must be a fail-safe from Ajuka to make hunting strays that much easier. In their madness and arrogance, they wouldn''t even bother hiding or assessing the strength of the person they''re fighting.


    That was an attribute I was completely willing to exploit.


    In these scenarios, a typical anime character would strike up a conversation with their foe or adversary, trying to figure who they are and their motives for doing whatever they''re doing. This gives the opponent time to power up and/or come up with a plan to fight the character they''re facing.


    Even a lion goes all out when hunting a rabbit.


    I dashed right into the stray, my right arm beginning to glow white with touki. I pulled back and punched as hard and as fast as I could without drawing outside attention straight to their nose. Upon impact, their head exploded and bits of bone and brain matter flew every which way. Including my clothes and my orifices. Eurgh, gross.


    Did I need to use that much force? No. But I wasn''t willing to take any chances in this universe for her to get some retarded power-up or for someone who was ''interested'' in me to pass by. I wanted to be in and out as quickly and efficiently as possible without any hiccups.


    Animes had a habit of escalating meaningless scenarios after all.


    I felt a vibration in my pocket and Unravel began to play. Sticking my hand inside, I pulled out my phone and saw that Valerie was calling me.


    "Yo, Val."


    "Did something come up, Ryu-kun? I saw you running out of the school."


    "Oh, no. Nothing much." I looked down at the headless and c.o.c.kless corpses. "Just a stray passing through. I''m kinda covered in blood and guts, so I can''t go back into the school grounds. Can you pass by the Student Council Chamber and pick up the papers and doc.u.ments I left behind?"


    "Hmm, well, I''m kind of busy right now." I could hear the smugness through the phone. "You''re gonna have to go get it yourself I''m afraid."


    "Hah, is this because of yesterday?"


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about? I fail to see how this is related to you eating the whole cake that I had bought for myself yesterday and then trying to blame it on poor Megumi-chan." Oh, Valerie, you can be such a petty little bitch sometimes.


    "Fine, fine. What can I do to make it up to you?"


    "Hmm, how about you let me drink some of your blood today? Shall we say, about 1 cup?"


    "Is that what you were after the whole time?" I shook my head hearing her humming a tune. "You''ll be the death of me someday, you know that?"


    "Oh, how could little ol'' me be the death of the big, bad Vanishing Dragon?"


    "Ha ha, very funny. Anyway, I''m gonna sort this out and go home. Everything okay? I thought you said you were busy?"


    "Did I ever say I was busy? Do you have physical evidence that can prove beyond a doubt that I said I was busy?" Oh for f.u.c.ks sake Valerie.


    "Sometimes, I can''t help but hate you," I growled. What even was the point of this back and forth?


    "Yeah, yeah, you know that isn''t possible." Why did I even take her in? Oh, right. I was preventing the beast of the apocalypse from being released. "Anyway, you left your motorbike behind, so I''m just gonna go take it for a spin, maybe buy some clothes on the way home. Bye bye~"


    She didn''t even let me say anything and just hung up.


    At this point, I can''t even be bothered to get mad.


    [I think this is what they call being whipped, Ryu-kun. A most shameful display for a Heavenly Dragon.]


    ''You have no right to talk about shameful displays. You''ve been nothing but a sentient pair of wings for over two thousand years! How''s that been working out for you?''


    [Why you little-]


    ''Now if you mind, I have a crime scene to clean up.''


    -------PWNAO-------


    ?


    It''s been 17 years since I died as Marcus Brigg and woke up as Shiroi Ryu in an anime world.


    At first, I thought I was in a normal world living a second life. I thought I had reincarnated as a result of some Buddhist karmic cycle of rebirth.


    That failed to explain why I had wings with an overpowered dragon locked up inside.


    I was 8 at the time, my sister Megumi was 5, and we were playing with some children at the park when the ball we were all playing with got kicked too hard and went over the fence and into the road. My sister, being the innocent child she was at the time, went to get it as she was the closest. What she didn''t know was that there was a car turning onto the street headed straight for her.


    Mum, judging by her shrill screams, was absolutely terrified. Most of the other kids didn''t really understand what was going on. But me? I was running before I even knew what was going on. I got to her just in time to push her out of the way, but couldn''t get out of the way myself.


    I thought that was it for me, that I would die by getting run over yet again, and I was prepared to go then and there. Even though I hadn''t known her for long, I had come to truly love and cherish the new family I was born into.


    So one could imagine my surprise when I didn''t return to that abyss I had come to understand as death, but somewhere completely different.


    -------PWNAO-------?


    My eyes were blinded by all the light as I tried to open them. So much white light everywhere. Was this it? Did I finally get into heaven?


    Once my vision adjusted, I found myself in front of an ornate wooden door around 10 feet tall. The azure carpet I was standing on looked more expensive than the yearly salary I used to earn in my previous salary.


    "My lord, we must hurry and begin your ascension to the divine throne." A man appeared behind me that could be nothing other than some super fancy knight. He had this ornate, shining silver armour with a luscious scarlet cape. There were highlights of gold dotted all across his body. At the centre of the b.r.e.a.s.tplate, there was a crowned white dragon with piercing blue eyes.


    In the reflection of the armour, I saw my face. I had the white hair and red eyes of my second life, but where my hair was originally short, it was now flowing down to my shoulders. My eyes seemed aged and haunted somehow. There was a cool looking scar running from just above my right eyebrow straight down to the middle of my cheek. Just beneath that, there was a well-groomed white Hollywoodian beard that I hadn''t been expecting at all. My features were very sharp, my body was unexpectedly tall and I was built like a brick house.


    My outfit was something straight out of an anime. A long, white tunic with golden threads and buttons under a long, floor-length cape of black on the outside and royal blue on the inside. There was a golden chain from my lapel to my shoulder, where it met one of my shoulders. On my feet were knee-high leather boots that met airy white pants. There was a depiction of a blue dragon on the side of my tunic extending from my hip to my knee.


    Change my eye colour, give me some renaissance style curls and change the colour of my outfit and I would be indistinguishable from Charles zi Britannia. Now there was a thought.


    Did I become some a.d.u.l.t gar version of myself?


    Wait a minute! Lord? Ascension? Divine Throne? Wasn''t I meant to be going to heaven?


    Before I could ask him anything, he had already opened the doors before me, revealing an open-air chamber. Calling it a chamber was a bit too much. Rather, it was a platform completely suspended in the sky. There were white fluffy clouds around it and nothing but the sun above. On the platform were what looked like hundreds of thousands of people all looking at me with awe and wonderment in their eyes.


    Along the middle was a blue carpet that went up the ornate stairs at the end of the platform and led up to a golden throne at the top. Beside the throne was a man that looked exactly how I remembered I looked like in my last life, back when I was still Marcus with black hair and blue eyes. He was wearing priestly robes that, funnily enough, had a white a blue dragon in the middle. In the background, I could hear orchestra instruments playing a theme that I knew was a Lannister one from Game of Thrones.


    Not knowing what else to do, I schooled my features and made my way up to the throne. At the top, with nothing but the sun above me, I looked down at the crowd and felt intimidated by the fervent looks in their eyes. Is this the look of a fanatic? How could anyone be able to inspire such devotion from people?


    Previous me stood before me with a crown in his hands. It was a black grown with red and gold gems embedded into it. He smiled at me reassuringly as he raised the crown to just above my head, but it did nothing to quiet the unease in my gut.


    "I now proclaim the Supreme Ryuu of the Shiroi Clan, First of His Name, King of the Gods and Devils, Grand Ruler of all Dragonkind, Lord of the Nine Worlds and Protector of all the Realms. Long may he reign!"


    "Long may he reign!"


    "Long may he reign!"


    The crowd erupted in applause and cheers, but then they all began to fade away. The fancy clothes and the crown disappeared like ash in the wind, and all that was around me began to fade to black, leaving me alone in the void.


    "What is this place? Where am I? What the heck is going on!?" Is this it? Am I back in the void? Will I be here for an eternity again?


    [Kukuku¡­]


    "Who''s that!? Where are you!? Show yourselves!" Why was there a voice in the darkness? Am I not alone?


    [I''m right next to you.]


    The voice came from my left. Turning around, I was face to face with a gods be damned dragon. There was nothing else to call it. From where I was, I couldn''t even see the top of its head.


    "D-d-d-dragon!" I stuttered and fell to the floor, completely shocked. A dragon! What in the actual f.u.c.k!?


    [It gladdens me that a weak people such as yours remember how to act before me even after all these years. I have been trying to reach you for some time now, but you were too weak to even hear my voice.]


    "What are you on about!? Talking to me!? What''s that meant to mean!? Dragons aren''t meant to exist! You''re a fairy tale! A myth! A story told to children!"


    [Hehe. Believe as you wish. I only came to greet the partner with whom I shall fight alongside. I have seen all that you have, and I know that deep down, you understand what it is I speak of, or at least you will once you awaken.]


    Awaken? I''m not dead? How? Whahuh?


    [Hear me and rejoice, little human. You have the honour of being the host of me, Albion the White Dragon Emperor.]


    White Dragon Emperor? It can''t be. That was an anime.


    "Wait, are you-"


    -------PWNAO-------


    ?


    I didn''t even get to finish speaking before I abruptly woke up in a hospital bed with mom and Megumi sleeping by my legs. Feeling my movement, they both woke up and drowned me in hugs and kisses, after which a doctor came in and reprimanded them for their display of affection that may have caused me bodily harm.


    Turns out, the doctors were all baffled by what they called a miraculous rate of recovery. I had had multiple broken bones and several fragments of glass and bone embedded in various places across my internal body. And yet, somehow, my body had completely recovered within the span of 6 months, for which I was in a coma, leaving behind nothing but an assortment of scars across my body. They asked me if I knew why my regeneration was so formidable and I told them that I had no clue what was going on, but deep down, I had a feeling this was related to Albion somehow. I also knew from that moment that I was in Highschool DxD. And that I had Divine Dividing.


    Here I was, a man in the body of a child, in a world that I knew only as an ecchi harem shounen anime with undertones of torture, ****, slavery and genocide beneath the rose-tinted glasses of the protagonist''s obscene perversion and his pursuit to fondle the finest b.r.e.a.s.ts in all the land. Inside me was the soul and power of one of the strongest beings in existence. The plot had either already began or would begin in my lifetime and, as the White Dragon Emperor, I would get dragged in eventually.


    Not to mention that since I had Divine Dividing instead of Vali, canon was effectively shot to hell. Did Vali even get bullied this time by his dad? Will Rias'' peerage be able to take on Kokabiel without Vali''s interference? Will Azazel now be tracking me down to try to recruit me? Those were some of the thoughts passing through my head.


    I didn''t want to be in this world. The only ones who''d want to have to fight for their lives against world-ending monsters are the battle junkies and the clinically insane. I like to consider myself as neither of those and yet here I am. So I''m gonna have to suck it up and take the hits.


    As they say, needs must when the devil drives.

 Chapter 433 - My SI Stash #33 - The Regent of the Red by Akallas von Aerok (MHAXWorm)

    -SI fic got mad potential with the MC reminding me of SCP-179 but male and actually more interactive... Downside is author do be dropping fics sometime


    Synopsis: Adam''s Angel in My Hero Academia, but MHA is but a small part of this bigger Earth... What am I going to do with all of the powers I''ve been given?


    Rated: ???


    Words: 3K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-regent-of-the-red-mha-worm-cyoa-interactive-v6.898388/ (Akallas von Aerok)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    When one reads a story, they tend to come and believe that story is central to something. This thing may be a concept, object, self, society, or even subjects beyond mortal understanding.


    I too read a story. It was about a young teenager seeking to achieve his dream of becoming a hero. Though he may have received his chance by a stroke of luck, he certainly did not waste it. He became a hero worthy of his title.


    However, I have learned that this young hero and his story was too small. Despite the burden of responsibility and the literal decades of conflict that colored the background of the young man''s story, he was but one of many stars on this world.


    I watched as the young hero-to-be threw himself into training and cleaning on that once defiled beach, but at the same time on another continent, men and women bled to unite a continent whose impact will surely outshine the hero''s work.


    If I focused on another continent, then I saw the starting of a band of villains that no single hero could defeat, not even the young hero''s mentor could at the height of his power.


    I observed the world through the eyes of its inhabitants, and I could not help but question it.


    Why here?


    What profound cause required that I be taken from my home, be given a new form and strength that no single human could have been given, and set in orbit of an Earth so similar to mine but oh so different?


    An Earth that was home to a fictional story and yet stood before me as reality?


    I didn''t know but I wanted to know that cause.


    I continued to stare at this Earth from the vacuum of space and in orbit of the moon.


    When should I act?


    ...


    It''s been eight months since the Red Angel appeared in orbit of the moon. they called it that because it looked like two giant wings and glowed in the darkness of space.


    Glowing so brightly that it was visible during the day, the Red Angel''s existence answered a question humanity has asked for along time now.


    Are we alone in this universe?


    The Red Angel''s existence answered: no, you are not alone.


    People from all over the world tried to contact the glowing being, but no response came back. There wasnt even a sign of acknowledgement.


    Just silence.


    It scared people now.


    They asked why the angel watched Earth. It was an alien life¡­ was it here to plan an invasion?


    Was it here to simply observe?


    What was it doing?


    A hero fanatic he might be, but even Izuku found himself wondering.


    "I think it is waiting."


    Izuku turned to All Might, standing next to him in his anemic civilian form.


    "For what?"


    "I dont know." There was a pause but it wasn''t an end to All Might''s words. "But more than that, the astrophysicists at I-Island have got some concrete data on it."


    Izuku''s eyes widened in surprise. "You get regular updates from I-Island?!"


    "No, no, no," he chuckled. "Just phone calls from my first sidekick."


    "Oh. Umm¡­ What data?"


    Yagi-sensei looked around warily before he crouched down. Even though his normal self was shorter than his hero persona, the man was still far taller than Izuku. "First off, that thing is putting out massive amounts of energy. As in its equivalent to smaller stars in energy output."


    Izuku''s eyes widened.


    "But the second one is the more worrisome information. It''s been taking information from our Earth constantly."


    The boy gulped before laughing nervously. "Ahaha...ha¡­ ha¡­ sounds a lot ¡­ like someone''s preparing for an invasion...?" he finished off quietly into a murmur.


    Yagi-sensei nodded. "A lot of governments have already been alerted, including Japan. If that thing is truly the vanguard of an invasion force¡­"


    Izuku''s mind spun as this new information spun rapidly in his head all the while he tried to make connections between governments, invasion forces, and -.


    "You mean¡­ the governments might start drafting people?" he asked in horror.


    "I know it''s new to Japan. Ever since we lost World War II, the people have been trying their damnedest to be peaceful. Even when Quirks were popping up and chaos engulfed the world, we tried, even if our methods weren''t the best. But if there is an interstellar invasion force, we might have to give up on peace altogether, especially since we don''t know the scale of their forces."


    Izuku gulped and squeezed his cold, sweaty hands.


    "But that''s if it''s an invasion force," Yagi chuckled. "Sorry for scaring you, Midoriya-shounen, but I just need you to keep that in mind."


    He nodded hesitantly.


    "Besides, if it truly was an invasion force, they would have attacked us already. It''s been up there for eight months now, which is plenty of time to gather a ton of data."


    "T-that''s true," Izuku agreed hastily.


    ...


    I knew exactly what I was. There were very few figures in popular culture or sub-culture that had the form of a giant glowing angel with a bright red core and orbiting planetary bodies while looking into the minds of others.


    I was Arael, the 15th Angel from the Neon Genesis Evangelion. Though I was perhaps not the most physically able member of Adam''s lineage, I was one most suited to tackling human societal structures thanks to my ability to affect the human psyche.


    I knew that this situation of mine could not be natural because fictions weren''t natural but also because I had more than just this new form of mine.


    My wings lengthened in irritation when I saw what had to be one of the worst individuals present on this Earth. My focus narrowed down to Florida, where a serial killer stood in front of his latest victim.


    Bloody Jester raised his clown hammer up, ready to add the helpless victim laughing uncontrollably under him. This helpless man would become the ten thousandth victim if I didn''t do anything.


    Without a word (as it was impossible in the vacuum of space anyway), I opened up a single golden portal above my head. A blade peaked out.


    And then fired.


    Space warped between where I flew one hundred kilometers above the sea level and where Bloody Jester was in Florida.


    There was a brief flash of light before my blade shot through that warped space without even breaking the sound barrier.


    A crack and a splat resounded where Bloody Jester and his victim was. A crack that came from the sound of concrete and asphalt breaking against steel. A splat from how blood spilled upon the street.


    And Bloody Jester''s head toppled over.


    Satisfied, I returned to my vigilance over humanity. I gave no shit about what kind of reaction my first act beyond arrival caused within their upper echelon.


    This power, this golden portal, was how I knew that this had to be a sick joke.


    Gilgamesh''s Gate of Babylon from the Nasuverse didn''t just naturally come together with Arael from NGE. I didn''t know when I opened my eyes to this world - to the scene of a beautiful blue and green Earth - but I learned after a long enough stay.


    This was a bloody CYOA but I don''t remember SHIT about it.

 Chapter 434 - My CO Stash #34 - This Goddess Must Be Crazy by Full-Paragon (MHAXKonosuba)

    -The only epidemic that weebs are looking to get/


    Synopsis: A freak accident kills Izuku and his team during the UA Sports Festival. Fortunately, a goddess offers to resurrect him if he manages to save a fantasy world. Unfortunately, that Goddess is Aqua. Kazuma thought he was going to live a cushy retirement in the Divine Realm, but when an irate bird-boy chooses him as his bonus, the only way back to NEETdom is by saving the world. Again.Rated: T


    Words: 188K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13557542/1/This-Goddess-Must-Be-Crazy (Full-Paragon)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Truck-Kun Got Laid Off


    So many people across America, er, Japan have been Spirited Away to other worlds that the CDC has officially classified it as an epidemic...This is a dangerous disease known as: Isekaitus.


    -Isekai Anime Survival Guide by Geoff Thew, Professional Turd Holder


    Sweat trickled down Izuku''s back, both from exertion and sheer nervousness. He adjusted the headband, feeling as though it should be heavier. Somehow, despite all odds, he''d managed it: he''d taken first place in the Sports Festival''s obstacle course event. He was doing like All Might had told him: he was standing up and proclaiming "I am here!"


    Of course, he''d also painted a gigantic target on his back while doing so.


    "This is going to be so great!" Mei Hatsume, one of Izuku''s teammates cackled. "By teaming up with the lead player, everyone will get to see my babies!"


    "These are pretty cool," Ochako Uraraka, Izuku''s another of his teammates, agreed. "But, do you really have to keep calling them that?"


    "What else would I call them?" Hatsume demanded. "Now, get ready, because I''m about to show you my best one!"


    "We already have the jetpack and hoverboots, what else is there?" Izuku asked, adjusting the heavy equipment.


    "This!" Hatsume declared, holding up a belt-like device with circular discs interspaced along it. "The omni-directional repulsor belt! It uses gravidics to deflect incoming blows! Put it on, Midoriya, make sure everyone can see it clearly! With that on, no one will even be able to touch you!"


    "Won''t that keep us from being able to touch him?" Fumikage Tokoyami, the last of Izuku''s teammates demanded.


    "No, it only deflects blows at a sufficient velocity," Hatsume clarified. "Just activate it, and you''ll be invincible!"


    "That does sound useful," Izuku agreed, taking the belt and strapping it on. He touched the buckle as directed by Mei, and it let out a soft hum.


    There was no further time to think, as Present Mic sounded the beginning of the cavalry battle. Just as Izuku feared, nearly every team on the arena floor immediately attempted to attack him, going for the 1,000,000 point headband on Izuku''s head that was worth more than a thousand times as much as the next most valuable.


    "Now, Uraraka!" Izuku called, activating the jetpack.


    "You got it!" Uraraka touched Izuku, activating her quirk.


    Upon her doing so, several things happened at once. First, the belt that Hatsume had made did indeed operate using gravitational forces, but by being combined with Uraraka''s quirk which nullified gravity, the emitters that controlled the belts gravitational exertions went into overdrive. Secondly, Uraraka''s quirk created a sort of bubble around the rapidly expanding gravidic field, which immediately became superdense, temporarily many times more than that of the mass of the Earth. This created a miniature black hole almost instantly, right at the center of the UA Sports stadium.


    No sooner than the black hole had formed than it ripped a hole in the space time continuum, temporarily overlaying one universe with thousands of others, and displacing everything and everyone caught within this field from the very fabric of their reality.


    Oh, and it also immediately turned Izuku and his team into pancakes, killing them instantly. Whoops?


    That was why, the next thing Izuku knew, he was sitting in a chair in a pool of light, blinking in surprise.


    "What...what just happened?" he gasped.


    His response was an immediate backhand upside the back of his head. "You screwed everything up, that''s what!"


    "Ow!" Izuku cried. He looked up to see a very irate young woman stalking around the back of his chair. She snapped her fingers, and the light beneath them formed into a chair, which the girl sank down into, leafing through a stack of papers.


    "Just look at this!" she complained. "Do you have any idea how much trouble that little stunt of yours is going to cause? Not only did you manage to get yourself killed, which dooms your own timeline and world to a sad fate, but you also ripped a whole in space time that''s going to cause an ENORMOUS mess for untold universes! Already, the Tomb World has spilled out and is starting to infect a dozen other worlds! Where am I going to find enough heroes to save them all! This is a lot of work that you''ve given me!"


    The tirade washed over Izuku, leaving him feeling baffled and stunned as he rubbed the back of his head. "Um, sorry, er, who are you, again?"


    "Don''t you mortals have any respect?! I''m a goddess, obviously! Aqua, the goddess in charge of Japan! Which means I''m in charge of YOU!" Aqua the ''goddess'' ranted, looking up from her papers with an angry glare.


    "Oh." Izuku wracked his brains, but for the life of him, he couldn''t figure out who this goddess was. She had blue hair, was dressed in an elegant blue dress with a skirt so short it was making it really hard for Izuku to pay attention. "I''m, um, sorry, er, Holy One. But, um, what happened, exactly? I was just competing in the UA Sports Festival, I didn''t mean to cause so many problems¡­"


    "Well you did," Aqua sniffed, uncrossing and crossing her legs again. Izuku worked very, very hard to keep his eyes on her face, and went beet red in embarrassment. "I really ought to send you straight to hell, or have you reincarnated as a c.o.c.kroach!"


    "Wait, I died!?" Izuku demanded.


    "Haven''t you been paying attention? Of course you died! That would have killed anyone!" the goddess shouted, waving her clipboard about in exasperation. Suddenly, a sly look came over her, and she lowered her clipboard, leaning towards Izuku with a gleam of mischief in her eye. "Say, I bet you''d really like to avoid that fate, wouldn''t you?"


    "Um, yes?" Izuku stammered, leaning away from her and feeling very uncomfortable. Goddess she might be, but she looked like an attractive young woman who was invading his space in a way that made Izuku squirm in his seat.


    "Well, I''ll tell you what," Aqua declared, putting a hand beside her mouth and whispering in a conspiratorial fashion. "You do me a solid and save one of these worlds that your little accident screwed up, and I''ll return you back to life, just like you were!"


    "Um, OK? What, um, what do you need me to do?" Izuku asked, still trying to inch away from Aqua. For some reason, her breath reminded him of ch.i.p.s and soft drinks.


    "Well, there''s a world I''m in charge of that an old enemy of mine is invading. He''s the Lord of the Tomb, and he''s conquered his realm and is trying to invade some other totally innocent ones to bend to his will. Well, I''m not going to allow that! I''m going to do what I always do: Recruit a bunch of Japanese teenagers and send them off to beat him!"


    Slowly, Izuku blinked, staring at the puffed up goddess. Was she insane? "Let me get this straight: you send a bunch of ordinary high school kids off to defeat villains that can conquer entire worlds?"


    "No, some of them are middle schoolers," she huffed. "Look, are you going to agree to this, or am I sending you to the bad place?!"


    "No, I''ll go," Izuku assured her, making a fist. This Aqua might be crazy, but this was a second chance, and Izuku was going to be a hero, one way or another. "After all, I have a really strong quirk now. I''ll train hard, then defeat this Lord of the Tomb and save the world with a smile on my face!"


    "Right sure, well, I''m even going to grant you a magic item or a powerful magic ability, because I''m nice like that," the goddess said, and with a wave of her hand a catalogue appeared in the air, floating down into Izuku''s hands.


    "Oh wow," Izuku gasped, looking through the pages. There were support items like suits of armor or weapons, or even special quirks like flame manipulation or protective barriers. "You can do this? Give me another quirk, or a powerful weapon?"


    "Huh? Quirk? No, it''s magic. Surely you''ve read about this in video games and stuff right?" Aqua said, reclining in her chair and pulling out a bottle of alcohol from somewhere. She popped the cork, taking a long swing, then smacking her lips and sighing. "Ah, I needed that! Seriously, you have no idea how much trouble you''ve caused me. You''re lucky I''m willing to cut you some slack here."


    "Hmm," Izuku mused, looking over the catalog. "Well, what I really need is something to enhance one for all. A powerful healing item would be good, but I don''t know if it will be able to keep up with me all the time."


    "Yeah, sure, whatever," the goddess muttered. "You do go on. Man, can''t you just choose already?"


    "Hmm, well, can I pick anything I want?" Izuku asked. "What about things that aren''t listed? This catalog is large, but I''d like to really think about this."


    "Yep, if you want something custom just let me know, those are just the presets, but as a goddess naturally I''m talented enough to make something if I have to," Aqua said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "You can even ask for a servant or something to help you."


    "Oh, in that case, what I really want is someone or something that has really powerful healing and support abilities, and knows a lot about this ''Lord of the Tomb,''" Izuku said eagerly. "It would be helpful if they knew a lot about this world as well, someone to guide me!"


    "Ok, one healing and support companion, coming up!" Aqua declared. She stood up, setting aside her bottle and made a grand gesture. A fountain of light splashed up, making Izuku gasp in surprise. As the light faded though, nothing happened.


    "Oh no," Aqua suddenly m.o.a.ned. "Oh no no no no. Not AGAIN!"


    A magical circle appeared around them, and began to glow brightly.


    "You dumbass!" Aqua screamed, jumping forward to grab Izuku by his shirt collar. "You asked for a magical companion with super strong healing magic and support abilities, and could guide you?!"


    "Um, yes?" Izuku said, trying to shy away from Aqua. She might be beautiful, but she was clearly also insane.


    "That perfectly describes me! And I just granted your wish!" Aqua wailed. She dropped Izuku, running over to pound on the edges of the circle as they glowed brighter and brighter. "Let me out! Let me out! I''m not going back again! You can''t do this to me! I thought we closed that loophole!"


    "Er, Aqua, what-" Izuku began, but then the circle suddenly flashed so brightly it blinded Izuku, and he raised an arm to cover his eyes. When the light faded, he found himself standing in a grassy field, with a wailing goddess flopping on the ground.


    "Um, what just happened?" Izuku said, edging away from Aqua. "Where''s the magical companion you said I would get!"


    "YOU IDIOT! GODDESS REQUIEM!" Aqua screamed. She jumped up, aiming a fist for Izuku''s face. He easily dodged to the side as Aqua stumbled past him. When she charged again, Izuku stood his ground, catching her fist in his hand. She was strong enough that it made Izuku grunt, but even without One For All he''d been strength training for months and easily blocked the blow.


    "What''s...the big...deal," Izuku gasped.


    "YOU DRAGGED ME INTO AN ADVENTURE AGAIN!" Aqua screamed, tears flowing down her cheeks. "You big stupid meany! I''m the most powerful healing and support object ever given to an adventure, and I know tons about this world and that stupid jerk invading it!"


    "Oh," Izuku said, frowning. "Well, I guess you can just go back again if it bothers you so much. I can find a way to stop this villain on my own."


    "I can''t! Not until we defeat the Lord of the Tomb," Aqua sniffed. She knelt in the dirt, sobbing and m.o.a.ning. "You''re probably just another stupid NEET who never leaves his house and has all sorts of perverted fantasies! I bet you''re not even smart like Kazuma was!"


    Izuku stepped back, feeling both outraged and slightly ashamed at Aqua''s display and accusations. "H-hey! I''m not a NEET! I was enrolled in UA Highschool! It''s the most prestigious Hero School in Japan, maybe even the entire world!"


    "UA? I''ve never even heard of that! And why are you wearing a dumb track suit? Kazuma always said HE wasn''t a NEET, but that was a filthy lie!" Aqua snarled, standing and glaring at Izuku.


    "Because I was participating in the school sports festival! Honest! And, and I would never do anything, um, like you said. I''m not Mineta¡­"


    "Hmph. I can''t believe you tricked me into this," Aqua grumbled. "This is going to be such a mess to sort out. Maybe I can get Kazuma and the others to send me some actually strong adventurers to help me."


    "Hey! I didn''t trick you! You should have been clearer, or not picked yourself as my bonus!" Izuku argued. "I don''t know anything about this!"


    Aqua inhaled, ready to lay into Izuku again, when there was a sudden flash of light on a nearby hilltop. Izuku turned, getting a good look at his surroundings. They were in the middle of some idyllic looking grasslands, with a river running by not far off, and a forest in the distance. There were low rolling hills around them, and atop one only a few dozen meters away, a group of strange beings had appeared.


    Each of them were giant monstrosities, humanoid skeletal figures that all stood over two meters tall. They were nearly all armed and armored with dark metal, bearing mis-matched weapons and shields. One of the monsters stood out to Izuku, as unlike the others it bore a staff and wore dark robes of fine make, and was a little shorter than its companions.


    "New heroes," the staff wielding skeleton hissed. "The Great Lord demands you either bow to him, or die. Make your choice. It matters not to me."


    "What the hell?!" Aqua snapped, rounding on the undead. "This is a low level area! There''s not supposed to be a bunch of strong monsters here. What do you think you''re doing?!"


    "Bow to the Great Lord, or face his wrath!" the sorcerous undead screamed.


    Despite being caught off guard, Izuku was already thinking. "Aqua, these undead...they''re monsters threatening the people of this world, right?"


    "Yes, they''ll slaughter anyone who gets in their way. The Lord of the Tomb can summon endless hordes of them, that''s why he must be stopped!" Aqua declared.


    "Fools," the leader laughed, a dry, rasping sound like a death rattle. "Kill them all!"


    The armored undead began to stride forward, but Izuku raised one hand. He''d come up with a plan to help him win the Sports Festival, a way to use One For All without totally destroying his arm. Now he had to hope it would work. He concentrated, placing his pinky beneath his thumb, then letting One for All flow into. He snapped his finger out with all his might, causing a great gust of wind to explode from his fingers and slam into the undead. One raised its shield and buffered the blow with it, but another was flung to the ground in a clatter of bones, while two slammed into one another.


    "What the heck!?" Aqua gasped. "Since when did you learn wind magic?"


    But Izuku was already moving. The one with the staff, he was the boss. Izuku dodged around the still stunned foes, racing towards the leader.


    "What is this?! Die, human!" A stream of black smoke raced out of the staff, and the grass that it touched immediately withered and died. Izuku lept to the side, roaring in anger. He got close, then put all his power into his left arm. "SMASH!"


    The mage dodged away, but just the force of Izuku''s blow passing by it was enough to shatter its bones. The red lights in the eye sockets of the creature were snuffed out as its boney body was pulverized. The robe shredded, and the broken staff was flung away.


    Izuku stood, panting, cradling his now damaged arm with the other. His own body was badly bruised and broken, and he winced in pain, turning to face the other undead. They were standing now, m.o.a.ning and hissing in anticipation. Apparently, killing the leader hadn''t stopped them. Well, Izuku still had three fingers, and one arm, and he would-


    "TURN UNDEAD!" Aqua stood above the undead, her lips curled in disgust. She raised a sparkling staff above her head, and a massive blue circle with strange geometric patterns formed around the dead knights, and there was a flash of blue light as the bones of the monsters were reduced to dust and ash. Their empty suits of armor and weapons clattered to the ground, as their souls were released with a sigh of resignation.


    "I...wow," Izuku said, goggling at the destroyed foes. "I guess you really are a goddess¡­"


    "Hmph. Of course I am!" Aqua said, suddenly giggling. She turned seriously, coming over to gently take Izuku''s shattered arm in her hands. "Wow, what did you do to yourself? You punched that lich so hard you broke your own arm¡­"


    "Um, yeah, that''s um, my quirk. Don''t you know about it?" Izuku asked, feeling a bit light headed from the pain.


    Aqua shook her head. "You keep saying ''quirk.'' What''s that even mean? Oh well, let me help you. Heal!"


    Immediately, the pain in Izuku''s arm and broken finger vanished. He let out a gasp of surprise, raising his hand and flexing it. "It''s...it''s totally fixed! Wow! Your quirk is incredible, Aqua!"


    "Um, is that a compliment? I mean, quirk isn''t as insulting as some of the stuff Kazuma called me, but it''s still kinda weird," Aqua said, scratching the side her head and eyeing Izuku sideways.


    "You...you don''t know what a quirk is?" Izuku asked, baffled. "But, you''re the goddess in charge of Japan. Surely you know about quirks? I mean, 80% of the population does have them¡­"


    "Of course I''m the goddess in charge of Japan! Why, thanks to me, dozens of worlds have been saved by brave Japanese heros!" Aqua bragged.


    "Right, you mean Japanese high school students. I thought you were picking the ones with the strongest quirks," Izuku said, rubbing his healed arm and marveling at how it felt. This was even better than what Recovery Girl did. In fact, it almost felt like Aqua had repaired some of the damage that had been lingering from when he''d over used his quirk in the past.


    "Ok, seriously, the hell is a quirk?" Aqua snapped, planting her hands on her h.i.p.s. "And how did you get so strong and know wind magic?"


    "Um, I don''t know any magic, and my quirk doesn''t really control the wind. I can just put so much force into my fingers that I can send out shockwaves of air," Izuku explained. "That is how I broke my arm though. I um, I don''t have the best control over it yet, and most of the time I seriously injure myself when I use it, unfortunately. B-but I''m getting better! One day, I''ll be able to use my quirk without hurting myself at all, and I''ll be the world''s greatest Hero, like All Might!"


    Aqua looked confused, scratching at the side of her head with one hand in befuddlement. For a goddess, she seemed to do that a lot. "Wait, you''ve got like super strength or something? That''s weird, your stats were good and all on your info sheet, but not that high. If I remember right, it was your intelligence that was highest. There was that weird special ability you had, One For All, but I didn''t really look at it. And who the heck is All Might?"


    "Wait, you don''t know who All Might is? He''s the greatest Hero in Japan, no, the world! He''s fought dozens of super strong villains like Toxic Chainsaw! And, um, well, One For All, that''s my quirk. Seriously, how can you not know about quirks? They''ve been around since the 21st century in the before times¡­"


    "Huh?" Aqua blinked. "But, in Japan, the year should be 2016. No more than 2017. I know I''m bad at keeping track of mortal time, but not much can have gone by! And heroes, villains? I really don''t understand¡­"


    Izuku ended up giving an increasingly befuddled Aqua a brief history of the world and background on quirks.


    "Wait, so everyone in your Japan is born with these weird special abilities?! That must be how you ripped a hole in reality and caused so many problems! I thought it was just a weird equipment malfunction," Aqua said as they walked along a path towards a distant town.


    "Honestly I don''t know what happened. Everything was going just fine, and then suddenly I was in that place with you," Izuku admitted. "But I don''t get it, I thought you were the Goddess of Japan. You mean, you''re from the past or something?"


    "Maybe, I don''t know, this is all really weird," Aqua sniffed. She glared at Izuku suddenly. "But you''re going to have to defeat the Lord of the Tomb! I''m warning you, he''s really strong! I guess I can help, but don''t expect me to carry all the weight! At least you''re not a useless NEET like the last guy who dragged me out on an adventure!"


    "Um, OK?" Izuku agreed. "I mean, I''d want to help save this world, even if it''s a strange one. But if you can heal me, I won''t have to worry about overusing One For All so much."


    "Huh. Yeah, OK. This might be easier than the last time, when I defeated the Devil King!" Aqua laughed. "Come on, Izuku! Let''s go to the Adventurer''s guild and get started!"


    "Adventurers guild? That''s like, the Hero Public Safety Commission, right?" Izuku asked. Aqua gave him a blank, vacant look. Izuku almost thought he could see the back of her skull through her eyes. "Um, you know, the people in charge of organizing heroes and sending them off to fight villains and monsters?"


    "Oh, yes, that. Of course! And if you beat up a bunch of strong monsters, they give you money so that you can get all sorts of stuff, like alcohol, or food, or all kinds of things! Just so you know, the last time I was an Adventurer, I was an arch priest, and I was super rich and famous. The entire land talked about the famous goddess, Aqua, and her companions, who defeated the Devil King and saved the world!" she bragged.


    As they got nearer to the village, Izuku took a good look around at it. The buildings were made of simple wood, with thatched roofs and painted in bright colors. As Izuku and Aqua approached, two nervous looking men barred their path. They were both dressed in rough spun clothing that had been crudely dyed in reds and greens, but had on rough leather jerkins and battered metal helms. One was carrying an old looking rusted spear, and the other had a battered old shield and a long knife.


    "S-stop right there, m-monsters!" the man with the spear stammered, pointing it at Izuku.


    "Monsters!" Aqua erupted. "We are not monsters! I will have you know that I am Aqua, Goddess of Water and Arch Priest of the Axis church! This is Izuku Midoriya, my chosen champion! We have come to rid your world of the Lord of the Tomb and his foul minions!"


    "Are you sure?" the man with the shield asked, looking uncertain under his ill fitting helmet. "I mean, you both got funny colored hair and weird clothes. You look like monsters to me¡­"


    "Aqua, the water goddess?" his companion asked. "Isn''t that some minor no-account deity from the old religion?"


    "WHAT!?" Aqua shrieked. "I am a Senior Goddess, I will have you know! I have already defeated the Devil King in a far off land, and I have come here to rid you of the evils of your world! I am not some ''no-account deity!'' Don''t you worship me in this land? What about Eris? Please don''t tell me you all worship some stupid junior goddess!"


    "Eris?" the two men looked at one another, frowning.


    "Eris, goddess of fortune? Pads her chest?" Aqua prompted, making Izuku want to crawl into a hole and die. This was supposed to be a divine being? She sounded like a petulant child.


    "Goddess of fortune? You mean like Chris, the noble thief?" the men asked.


    Aqua made a disgusted face. "Ugh, yes, her, do you worship HER?"


    "Um, no, not really, she''s more of a demi-god anyway. We''re mostly followers of Psyche Dio here, goddess of preparation and forethought," the men admitted.


    "Huh? Well, that sounds like some lame, stupid goddess I''ve never even heard of," Aqua stated, moving forward to wag her finger under the mens'' noses.


    "Um, Aqua? Er, maybe you should calm down a little bit," Izuku said, gently pulling the ranting deity away from the cowed peasants. He quickly bowed politely to the men. "Hello, I am Izuku Midoriya. We''re, um, well, I guess we''re here to stop this Lord of the Tomb? We fought some really strange monsters back a ways, they looked like undead skeletons. Have you seen anything like that here? And is there a local Heroes Board or, er, Adventurers Guild we can talk to?"


    "Are you a god too?" one of the men asked, scratching his head.


    "They''re not gods you dummy, they''re just foreign, or something," his friend told him. "Look, this here''s just a village. We don''t have any Guilds based here. Heck, you''re the first mercenaries we''ve seen in a good long while. Are you two just talk? I don''t see any gear, just them funny clothes, so I suppose you can do magic or something? We heard a ruckus and saw some flashes of light, so Pierre and I came out to investigate while my boy runs to get Count Blois and his Freemage."


    "Um, I guess I sort of have some magic?" Izuku said. "But it''s pretty destructive. It makes me really strong, and fast, but to use it hurts my body. But Aqua knows healing magic, maybe if you have someone who''s hurt or sick she could help them?"


    The men exchanged looks. "Well, Aimee''s lame, been so since birth. If you heal her, maybe we can trust you. But no funny business now."


    One of the men left to run into one of the nearby farm houses, while the other uneasily guarded Iuzku and Aqua. To his shock and bewilderment, Aqua was sulking, her cheeks buffed out as she muttered under her breath and kicked at the ground. A few minutes later, the man returned, carrying a young girl with light brown hair and hazel eyes in his arms. She was dressed in the same rough-spun clothes, but one of her legs was clearly malformed. She was clinging to her father tightly, looking terrified. Behind them, a woman and several other children poked their heads out, concern, fear, and excitement mixed on their faces.


    Upon seeing the crippled child, Aqua''s demeanor changed entirely, going from petulant to tender and sweet. "Oh my gosh, are you OK, dear? Why has no one healed your leg before? This doesn''t look that bad, any low level priest could have fixed this easily. Does this Psyche Dio''s clergy have no compassion?!"


    "Well, healing magic like that''s expensive, and clerics strong enough to perform it don''t come out to little towns like this often. They''re needed elsewhere," the man admitted. "But, if you can help my daughter, we''ll pay, honest we will."


    "Hmph! I am a goddess! While I would gladly accept an offering, to heal this sick is an act of compassion, offered freely, even to those who do not worship me." Aqua reached out a hand, touching the child''s twisted foot and smiling at her. "Be at peace, little one. In the name of Aqua, Goddess of Water, be healed."


    A soft glow emanated from Aqua''s hands, and the little girl gasped. When the glow faded, her foot was no longer malformed, but normal looking. She started to wriggle in her father''s arms, and he set her down. Right away, the girl began to run and jump, laughing and cheering in delight. "Look papa, look! I can walk now!"


    From the house behind her, her mother and siblings poured out, laughing and crying to see their sisters hurts mended.


    "Huh," Izuku muttered, watching as Aqua basked in the praise. "Maybe she''s not a useless goddess after all."


    Oh, how sweet the innocence of youth.

 Chapter 435 - My SI Stash #35 - The Wonderful Life of Mister Schnee by Fantastic Tales (RWBY)

    -Yikess, this kind of start is a literal definition of a bruh moment/


    Synopsis: What would you do with all the riches in the world? Party? Relax? Good works? Well, a man from Earth is about to find his answer to a similar question when he wakes up as one Mr. Schnee. He''d better find an answer quick, though; his daughter just kissed a Faunus on live television!


    Rated: ???


    Words: 160K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/rwby-the-wonderful-life-of-mister-schnee.688183/ (Fantastic Tales)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.


    Sharp eyes snapped open, as if having forgotten the patterned lethargy which overcame them every morning.


    Instinctively, his hand reached for where he knew there was nothing and tapped the scroll that lie there, abruptly silencing the annoyingly pleasant ring of the alarm.


    Before his still groggy mind could process the incongruity, his body acted, pushing his arms back and raising his body up. From his new vantage point, he could make out the soft bumps his legs formed under the fluffy, white cover that blanketed his gargantuan bed. Around him was a clean and well designed, if sparsely decorated, bedroom; covering the floor, if he''d taken the effort to lean himself over the distant edge of his mattress, he would have seen the warm, red carpet which decorated the space and was itself decorated with a large compass.


    He wasn''t paying attention to any of that, however. He was too busy tumbling out of bed and hopping about on each foot, screaming.


    "HAhh, HAhh, HAhh," he yelled quietly, taking strange strides on unfamiliar legs. His teeth didn''t fit, his fingers were in the wrong place, his mouth tasted weird, nothing was right.


    It didn''t hurt, or even feel bad, per-se; it was just disorienting, like looking at those moving-illusion pictures, except the moving illusion was his entire body, bones and all.


    It was the little things that set off this reaction, the minute twitches and strangely calibrated movements, along with a quickly fading vertigo that overtook his senses. This reaction was why he was half walking and half running towards the large, personal mirror that stood opposite his bed. And soon, he was leaning over the cabinet that supported the mirror, staring into the deep, blue eyes and hardened face of Mr. Schnee, the wealthiest individual on Remnant. Those were his eyes, however. That was his face in the mirror.


    Moving his hand to gingerly touch at his cheek, he watched, entranced, as the reflection moved to do the same.


    This couldn''t be a dream, he accepted: Dreams consisted of things you knew, and he''d never known the impossible feeling of being in another person''s body. Curiously, he took in his new figure, his gaze shifting across the reflection before a flash of blue and white caught his interest. Slowly, his new, and somewhat sensitive, eyes were drawn upwards to gaze at the words which hung above him.


    "eenhcS?" he read in confusion, turning swiftly afterwards to look at the space above his bed.


    "Schnee" the finely embroidered and snowflake-themed crest read. ''Am I in Germany?'' the man thought, ''In the future?'' his thought pattern continued, observing the paper-thin scroll that glowed softly on the mattress.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Three light, chipper, knocks resounded across the heavy oak of the bedroom door, startling him as they echoed throughout the cavernous room around him to become an ominous rumble.


    ''Geeze, who sleeps in a place like this, Dracula?'' He cringed slightly as the sound slammed against his eardrums.


    His thoughts cut short as a feminine voice called, "Mr. Schnee? Are you ok?"


    The muffling effect of the heavy door did nothing to conceal the urgency and worry lilting the voice.


    "I''m ok," he rushed to respond, feeling strange as unfamiliar lips mouthed the words.


    "Are you sure? I heard some bangs, and some yelling," the woman continued.


    "I''m perfectly ok," he said, more forcefully.


    ''Perfectly ok?'' he lip synced with a confused expression, ''since when do I say that?''


    "I just, uh, knocked something over," he continued, searching for something to distract the woman with.


    "Oh! Do you want me to call-"


    "By the way," he interrupted, "how is my schedule for today?"


    Yeah, schedules. This Mister Schnee fellow looked like a man with schedules. Schedules for days, even. He smiled at his quick thinking.


    "Well, you''re relatively clear for today, sir! You just have to host the Grand Opening Gala for the Messerschmitts. The staff finished preparing the ballroom this morning and the first guests should arrive at eight," The woman answered in a chipper tone, seemingly having forgotten her anxiety. "Oh," she continued, as if remembering something, "You''ve also got five voicemails, none of them seem critical, however."


    "Understood, leave me while I prepare. I''ll meet with you in about an hour or so," he said, absentmindedly accepting her adieus while entranced with the new, strange manner of speech that seemed to have overtaken him.


    Stepping closer to the door, he listened with restrained lungs as her footsteps receded further down the hallway he imagined lay just beyond the door. Once the muffled footfalls disappeared, at last, into the distance, Mr. S retraced his steps until he found himself standing, once more, between the foot of the bed and the cabinet mirror.


    Still, after an aching moment, impatient jitters ran up and down his body and he slowly turned his head. The room seemed endless in its possibilities despite its size, and a paralysis of choice seemed to choke him. He had an entire world waiting out there! What would he do? What could he do?


    Looking back to every morning he''d woken up to thus far for inspiration, he decided to start by cleaning up; hopping in and out of the shower as quickly as he could, he brushed down his hair and mustache into the naturally smooth lines they seemed to fall into shortly before donning the neatly folded suit that lay on his bed-side desk. Following this, he...again failed to think of a plan of action and took a rest, sitting down before the cabinet and staring at the intimidating selection of colognes that lined one of the drawers.


    As he thought over the situation, he looked down through the paper-thin scroll he spun around in between his palms. In any other scenario, he knew he would have been overjoyed to study such a technical marvel, but he couldn''t be bothered to do much more than coldly analyze the touch screen and look over the basic functionalities of the...phone...computer...device of sorts. The feeling of general anxiety that overtook him with the knowledge that he was in another person''s body was pervasive and wearing. From what he''d gathered, he was in the body of a "Mister Schnee" in future¡­well, Montana or Alaska going by the accents and the arctic conditions outside his bedroom window. He worked in a company and might be rich. Actually, he was probably loaded considering he had servants and was "hosting" parties.


    Of course, the right thing to do would be to reveal himself before he inadvertently got this guy fired...buuuut there was nothing wrong with testing the waters before taking such drastic action. Who knows, maybe "body snatchers" like him were common in the future and immediately put to death once discovered. The fact that today was "party day" gave him more reason to keep up the act; after all, he had, as of right now, at least one day where he could relax and learn more about this future without distraction. This gave him a chance to act on his own terms, at least to some extent, in any case. And, as a bonus, he didn''t have to worry about messing up anything important. Sure, these fancy parties or galas or whatever had a lot of rules and procedure, but he was sure his servants would take care of that. Besides, a gaff at a party makes the Saturday news if it''s big enough; a mistake on the job could cost lives and livelihoods... He shuddered at the thought, a lingering sense of dread developing in his gut as old news reports of exploding chemical plants ran through his memory. Seriously, unless this guy''s job had something to do with Chemical or Aerospace engineering, he was gonna get fired on day one.


    He absentmindedly grabbed a purple cologne in a clear glass, applying the concoction before placing it back into the drawer and heading to the west wall of the room. The "west wall", as he''d termed it, was actually a large bookcase, packed to the brim with a blue wall of velvet-bound books. He whistled in appreciation as he craned his head to see the top shelf of the collection, noticing a switch at the side which would presumably conveyor-belt the books to his level. The book he was looking for, however, was within arms reach, worn with the touch of many readings.


    He frowned as he pulled the book out and looked at the full title.


    "History¡­" It read, "...of Remnant."


    He opened to the first page of the book.


    "Man, born from dust, yadda, yadda, yadda, darkness, blah, blah, blah, Creatures of Grimm?" He frowned at the book, flipping to a random page decorated with an anatomically accurate drawing of a, "Nevermore, how original." He rolled his eyes at the name, looking at the massive raven which graced the page alongside a scale drawing of a human.


    He placed the book back into its place. He was here to read about the history of the world, not to learn about the long winded backstory to a long winded fantasy novel.


    He skimmed through the titles on the bookshelf, reading...


    "Technology...of Remnant," He mumbled, placed the book back into its place with a bit more force.


    "Countries...of Remnant" He was starting to get mad.


    "An analysis of Dust Vein decomposition patterns...In F.U.C.K.I.N.G REMNANT!"


    Seriously, he thought it was annoying in his time, when every franchise just HAD to release twelve "world building" books of bullshit. The trend only seemed to have gotten worse since then, however. No matter, he would just find an actual history book, even if he had to go to the library instead of scrounging through someone''s fantasy book collection. It was just as the thought of looking things up on his new phone hit him that he heard three, resounding knocks from his door once more.


    "Sir, the first guests are arriving," the woman politely reported from the other side of the door.


    ''Already?'' he thought, turning to look at the morning sun shining through the window. ''Wait, did she mean Eight AM? How long is this party gonna last?'' he pocketed his scroll and hurriedly moved towards the door.


    He was approaching the exit when a terrifying thought hit him: he didn''t know the woman''s name. If he was right about her being his secretary, then getting her name would be the key to getting everyone else''s. But he''d have to call her something in the meantime! ''


    What am going to I call her?'' He thought, frantically cycling through the options.


    ''"Sweetie?"...No,'' -- he shook his head -- ''too personal.''


    ''Or maybe "Hun?"...Nope.''


    He closed in on the door with sweaty palms, desperately searched for an appropriate nickname as he, cringing in anticipation, slowly opened the door, looked through, and immediately thought:


    ''Oh, thank the greatest good of goodnesses, she has a name tag!'' He rejoiced.


    The light blue tag hung over her right b.r.e.a.s.t reading, "Schwarz."


    ''Schwarz, huh? Strange name, but it''s the future or whatever.'' he dismissed the peculiarity and lifted his gaze from the tag. A pale face stared back up at him with gleaming dark eyes and softly curving strands of coal-dark hair running down on either side.


    "Good morning, Schwarz," he tested, hoping that there wasn''t a secret handshake he''d just forgotten to do.


    "And a Good Morning to you too, mister Schnee!" she replied with a chipper tone, rising up onto her toes in a short hop at the greeting, her fur-trimmed skirt twirling heavily at her knees as she did so.


    The richly textured, black of the hem of her skirt was gleaming when compared against the almost uniform darkness of the rest of her outfit, the dark fabric only being broken up by the sable, fur hem running along every edge of her velvet jacket and the white cloth that covered her chest, just underneath the light-yellow, short collar that walled around her neck. All of this was tied together with a grey belt adorned with two white, rectangular attachments that hung down on either side like earrings, reaching down to her knees with their length and swinging silently with her every movement.


    His heart lightened at her expression, and at the confirmation that he''d apparently greeted her correctly. A wave of confidence filled him as he closed the door behind him and walked down the hall, Schwarz following behind with a large notepad.


    ''Yeah, I''ve got this. It''s just a party. I''d have to be, like, an advanced level idiot to mess this up.'' our new Mr. Schnee thought with a smirk.


    "Oh, and, it seems there is another matter for you to attend to," Schwarz tentatively probed.


    "Yes?" he replied.


    "Your daughter, Weiss, has sent a message. She says she''d like to accept your invitation to appear at the Gala today after all, but on the condition that she be allowed to bring guests," Schwarz said with an even, calming tone. "Mr. Schnee", for his part, didn''t pay much mind to her hesitation; it sounded, to him, more like a formality if his own daughter had to "accept an invitation" to a party.


    "Of course," he said, rearranging his cuff-links "invite her. How many guests is she bringing anyways?"


    "Really?" Schwarz exclaimed, wide eyed. "I mean, of course, sir. She''s bringing three guests, though I feel you should know that one of them is coming as a date, a girl by the name of," she looked down at her tablet, "Blake Belladonna."


    "You say that like I''d mind," he said absentmindedly, nodding at his surroundings. ''Yeah, I''m definitely lost.''


    "It''s not that sir. It''s just that there are some... discrepancies with Ms. Belladonna''s guest sheet," Schwarz said, clearly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.


    "Look, Schwarz," he said, looking around at his surroundings and trying not to seem as lost as he was, "If she''s human, than let her through." He chuckled at his own joke.


    "That''s just the thing, sir," Schwarz said with the gravest tone imaginable. "Her guest sheet," she paused, "It doesn''t SAY whether she''s a human."


    He paused for a moment, processing the statement. Then his face brightened, "HAHAHAHA," he laughed immediately as the statement clicked. ''Holy crap, who knew Schwarz was so funny! She even had me going with that whole serious business persona!''


    He interrupted Schwarz''s uncomfortable chuckle as he wiped a tear from his eye. "Look, Schwarz, remind me to give you a raise sometime," he said, patting her shoulder and causing her eyes to glow once more as she looked up at him.


    "Just invite them over and focus on the rest of your duties," he finished.


    "Yes, sir," Schwarz replied, expertly hiding her worries. Mr. Schnee could take care of such things. After all, he''d been navigating the swirling politics of the Atlas corporate head for longer than she''d been alive. She was sure she was just being paranoid if he thought nothing untoward could happen.


    ''Yeah, things are going great,'' he smiled, ''looks like nothing would come to foil this party day after all, considering how dedicated a crew I have.''


    "By the way," he asked, looking back at Schwarz as she followed him.


    "Yes, sir?" Schwarz answered.


    "Where are we going?"


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Weiss read and reread the message as if pinned to her scroll, scanning over the words as if another glace could make them any more believable. She''d only "accepted" the invitation as a joke. She''d never imagined he''d actually go through with it, considering he knew well enough how she thought of him.


    Well, no matter. His loss was her gain!


    Of course, she didn''t lie on the guest sheets, that would''ve been a felony after her father and his friends in politics got through with her. But, she did omit the fact that Blake was a Faunus, and when the time came...she''d reveal the truth to a shocked audience!


    ''The daughter of "Mister Schnee", dating a Faunus!'' Weiss smiled at the potential headlines as well as the look on his face when he found out at a party of all his colleagues.


    It wouldn''t ruin him by any means, she admitted not too gladly. She didn''t have the means or the stomach to seriously damage the company so many good people relied upon for work and dust, even if was being led by him. No, it would simply mean he would have to disassociate from her completely, like she''d wished for all along. Furthermore, the press, heckling and rumors would ensure that this year would be the most tiring, work filled experience of his entire life! But, most importantly of all, It would shatter that facade of a "happy family" he hid behind. That self aggrandizing lie of a healthy home he worked to ensure the world saw when they looked at the Schnees. All of this while never showing her...his own family, a fraction of the attention and care he devoted to his own image!


    She took a shuddering breath as she calmed herself. No need to ruin her day thinking of such things.


    Fluttering her eyes open with practiced grace, she forced a smile and a confident look; that was supposed to make you even a little happier by itself, wasn''t it? Turning back to her scroll, she continued to scheme, all the while calling for Blake, saying "Get the girls, and put on your dress Bow on!...Yes, the one that comes off easily!"


    This was going to be the worst party ever, and Weiss was going to love it!


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "I''m honored, thank you," he smiled, adding some half thought out declaration to each new face that greeted him with a smile.


    "Mr Schnee" greeted guest after guest after guest after guest until his hand ached. The novelty of having a line of people waiting at the entrance to shake his hand wore away as quickly as his patience and soon became as meaningless as his fake smile. He sighed when he saw the several dozen or so people left standing before him, observing the impressively dressed a.d.u.l.ts that formed the line and forced along their blank faced children with every step forward. The "guests", it turned out, were the VIP''s who''d be treated to a tour of his palace, and yes, it was a palace, until the party began as, apparently, the party proper wouldn''t actually start until eight o''clock at night. Sneaking a look at his watch, he saw that it was nine o''clock in the morning when he finished greeting the last of the guests, so he would have about eleven hours to himself before the start of the party proper he calculated, double checking his math for lack of anything else to do as he shook hands.


    Schwarz stood waiting when he entered back into the palace, the guests being corralled together by a cheerful tour guide behind him.


    "Long line?" she asked with a familiar smirk.


    "Of course," he said, with a tired stance.


    "Well, we''ve got to go oversee the processing systems floor next," she said looking down at her tablet as she swiped through some files and time tables.


    "I thought you said I had an empty day?" he asked.


    "Hahaha," Schwarz laughed a light laugh, "and we both know that means just your usual mountain-load of work," she responded with familiar tradition. "But don''t worry," she continued, "I''ve recently made some adjustments to your regular schedule. If you don''t have any special obligations, you should be able to finish by seven o''clock if you get to your office by eight!" she said with a sincere smile, flipping the tablet around and presenting the multicolored time chart as if it were a finger painting she was especially proud of.


    "Mr Schnee" internally screamed as he pondered the idea of eleven hour work days.


    "Of course," he swallowed, "but put a pin on that time table for now and walk me to the floor. I''d like to talk with you."


    "What about, sir?" Schwarz looked up at him.


    "Huhhh," he breathed a deep and dramatic sigh he''d been planning for hours. "Tell me, Schwarz," he continued with a heavy tone, "What did I hire you to do?"


    "Uhm, to schedule your affairs, filter your communications and head your security, sir," she replied mechanically, as if reading from a list.


    ''Wow, she does all that?'' He thought.


    "And how long have you been working in this position," he asked, as if they both already knew the answer.


    "Two years, six months, sir" she replied in that same tone.


    "Yes, of course," he drifted off with a thoughtful tone, having run out of questions to ask.


    "Is¡­ is there any particular reason you wanted to talk about this?" Schwarz asked, failing to hide the deep worry that colored her voice.


    "Oh, it''s nothing to worry about," he assured. "I''ve just been thinking about something," he lied cryptically. "Would you mind sending me a file with the essentials of my work. I want to look over my things. Include the family history too, actually. With pictures."


    "Uh, yes sir," Schwarz didn''t ask any of the myriad questions which came to mind.


    The rest of the time passed quickly for "Mister Schnee", consisting mostly of an adrenaline flooded series of decisions about company essentials, everything from what regions new sites should be placed at to which markets they should target most heavily in the next quarter. It was during this time of the day, when he sat at the head of a table surrounded by an assortment of fancy suits, that it fully sunk in just how big of a deal he was now, as well as how big of a deal his mistakes would become.


    He finished the work day off just before he was due to arrive at the party, still reeling from his momentous realization. Still, today''s decisions were mostly multiple choice, and any mistakes were, probably, easily fixable. He would just attend this party, have Schwarz clear his week, cram about history all night, and make a decision by next Monday: even if that decision won him a nice, new straight Jacket.


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "Weiss would have to sit to his right, definitely," she muttered. "But then, I''d have to move the Messerschmitts eldest down to sit by¡­ugh, no, she just got married to..."


    Schwarz almost frowned as she wracked her brain, looking with frustration at the seating chart layed out in front of her while occasionally glancing towards the mess of papers scattered out to the side. The papers showed tabled information on all the guests, along with lines of relationsh.i.p.s literally drawn between the names with bold marker strokes. She wouldn''t dream of getting mad at Mr. Schnee, but it was hard not to feel frustrated after his last minute change to the guest list. Beyond the fact that his daughter was unpredictable at times and that her guests were unknowns, Schwarz would only have several hours to rearrange the seating chart!


    Schwarz bit into her sandwich as she played with the names projected on her tablet, sliding them around the scale model of the main dining table. There were many tables at this party, but this table was key. This table would hold the most influential and powerful families in Atlas, who could, and often would, forge the greatest dynasties at simple "parties" such as this one.


    And these families, like many other powerful families with long histories, were quite thin skinned.


    A single misplaced seat, putting together marrying age children of the wrong couple, unbalancing the hierarchy of seating orders, putting this person or that too far from the edge without proper reason¡­ would bring fire and fury upon the "lowly secretary" who was playing like a god with the place and movement of these old and powerful names; and, in the course of their movement, all of them orbited the name of Mister Schnee, the most rich and the most powerful among the rich and powerful of Remnant.


    Schwarz sighed as she rushed to complete the seating chart before her lunch break was up. Mister schnee had entrusted her to complete this, and she wouldn''t disappoint!


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    He stared up in amazement at the seemingly endless height of the room, his spirits lifting with the expanding space as he left behind a tense workday and stepped into the comforting warmth of the ball room. The arched ceiling seeming to hang weightlessly above despite its size, supporting a gargantuan chandelier in is center that radiated a warm, yellow-white light which seemed to color the atmosphere as it glittered against the tiling. He knew he was rich, but he''d never appreciated that fact until he stepped into this twelve story art piece, with intricate stonework etched away in every corner and richly colored tapestries draping the walls and support structures.


    The architectural inspiration, along with many other curiosities of the future, worked to convince him that Germany got at least a partial victory out of World War III.


    A gloriously blue banner hung down from the ceiling, reaching from one end of the room to the other with bold letters spelling out the word "SCHNEE."


    He tried not to seem too amazed at the technological wonders which surrounded him, though it was hard not to get excited at seeing an actual, real life, robot.


    He soon focused his attention back onto the rest of the party and moved away from the massive doorway that enframed him. Stepping down the wide, marble staircase, he soon arrived down at the main floor, mingling into the crowd as he released Schwarz to enjoy the party, practically having to force her away from her duties of following him around and working. He noticed she never seemed to stray too far away from him, though, casually talking to other party goers as she discreetly glanced over at him once and again, as if asking "are you SURE you don''t need anything?" It was the best he could hope for, he guessed, shrugging.


    "Hello there, Jacquez," a confident voice came from his side, interrupting his reverie and revealing a beautiful woman with flowing blonde hair and the reddest lipstick he''d ever seen.


    "Hello," he greeted calmly, "who are you, again?" he asked in a casual fashion, too late to stop himself from saying something revealing.


    "Oh, straight to the insults, Jacquez?" she sneered in that still calm tone as she glared up and down at him. "Usually, we wait until after the backhanded compliments for those."


    He wasn''t sure who she was or who exactly she thought she was, but the way she said "Jacquez", with an annoying stressing of the syllables, irked him greatly.


    "Is there any reason I should know you?" he responded, less concerned with insulting her now than he had been prior.


    "I feel like your time at the top has softened you if you can''t remember even my little old name," she said, poison on her tongue.


    "You weren''t on the VIP list, you see. I don''t recognize shaking your hand this morning," he said, trying to maintain civility even as her mannerisms drove him further and further from that goal.


    She paused with a cold silence, looking at him with a dangerous glare as if he''d just kicked her dead mother.


    "Huhhh," she took a calming breath, her wine glass shaking as if she were working to keep the liquid from splashing onto his face.


    ''I...probably shouldn''t have said that,'' he thought just before she spoke again.


    "Perhaps, I was wrong about your softness," she said, chuckling. "It seems you''ve gone fully senile if you think you can get away with comparing me to those heel-licking, title purchasing, wannabe robber barons that you hand out those little vip stickers of yours to."


    "Uh-"


    "Know this, Schnee," she barreled on. "You can hide if from your pet secretary over there," she looked over his shoulder to Schwarz, "and you can even hide it from the press and your friends on the up, but don''t think for a second you''ve managed to hide it from me. I, and many of the people here, know you''re crumbling, and I''ll be the first to dance on the ashes of whatever burnt out relic of a legacy you manage to leave behind when you do," she finished, smiling meanly. She whirled about dramatically, her red dress swirling, and walked away with clicking heels as soon as she finished her tirade.


    With the slight exception of a weird coffee addict in a green suit, the rest of the party went relatively normally; he spent most of it going about between various groups, asking how the party was going, exchanging pleasantries, and moving on to other guests to ask after them. He got similar reactions of delight and surprise whenever he dropped in, except for when visiting one person, a person who left enough of an impression on him that he''d remember his name after the night was over...Jon Braun.


    Jon initially caught our new Mister Schnee''s attention, who we will call "Mr. S" from now on, by the extreme shock he showed at his presence. Mr. S was used to the surprise he got from people at this point, but this was no ordinary surprise. This was an eyes wide open, "can I believe my eyes?" kind of experience. Of course, they soon hit it off...


    ...


    "So you work on rockets for the military?" Mr. S asked.


    "Yes," Jon answered. "Well, I used to anyway. The team''s being disbanded, I''m getting moved over to engine design." Jon replied with a regretful tone.


    "They''re disbanding the entire rocket team?" Mr. S was incredulous. He''d worked on rockets in the past and unless something incredible happened, he wasn''t imagining their obsolescence. "Surely the military isn''t so short sighted. They''d at least want to keep the experts for missile design, wouldn''t they?" Mr. S asked.


    "Oh, of course," Jon replied, "I''m apologize for having mislead you," he quickly amended, "you see, I was actually talking about...well...rockets to get into space," he cringed internally as he waited for the raucous laughter he''d gotten so used to hearing after that statement.


    "Well, of course," Mr S. replied. "It''s long past due for serious investment in the exploitation of space."


    "R-really?" If it were possible, Jon looked even more surprised than previously, as if he''d just seen a unicorn and that unicorn was also richest-man-on-remnant Mr. Schnee.


    "Yes, what exactly were you working on?" Mr. S leaned in with intense interest, dying to hear how rocket technology evolved into the future.


    "Well, I can''t really go into the details of it, just the stuff the public already knows about," Jon said apologetically, though still with that look of incredulous surprise that bordered on fear.


    "Tell me anyways," Mr. S insisted.


    "Well, we were trying to develop rocket systems," he said. Adding after a short pause, "trying to bypass the dust barrier."


    Of course, having worked as Mr. Schnee himself for one day, he''d doubtless been exposed to "dust." Nobody went over the basics of it with him, but apparently it had a crazy-high energy density and came in different varieties which were named after the elements for some reason, probably a marketing gimmick.


    "Any troubles with the engines?"


    "Oh, no, the engines were basically modified Atlas thrusters, we didn''t have any trouble with the design..." Jon replied, putting emphasis on "design."


    Mr. S was surprised to see the Atlas family of rockets still holding out this far into the future, but he was curious nonetheless.


    "What problems did you experience, then?" Mr. S asked.


    "Well, I don''t have to tell this to you of all people, of course, but dust doesn''t work in the upper atmospheres. We weren''t able to get around that." Jon said simply.


    "You couldn''t get enough speed in the lower atmospheres? What eccentricities did you try?"


    "Unrealistic eccentricities," Jon replied dryly, his eyes opening in surprise, now fully wondering if this man actually was Mr. Schnee. Was he on one of those hidden camera shows? Was this some hazing ritual they pulled on the new guys? Was he dreaming?


    "Did you try carrying your own air as propellant?" Mr. S asked, feeling silly as soon as he''d asked.


    "We tried. We think it might be the altitude itself which affects the dust rather than the air density," he whispered intensely as he spoke. He''d never thought being chosen to represent the Atlas Military at a ball would lead to such engrossing conversations. Even the hint that Mr. Schnee had heard of rockets would have been enough to tickle that hopeful part of him, but this...


    Mr. Schnee was about to ask why they didn''t just use a chemical rocket for the second stage when Jon asked, "I don''t mean to be rude, but you seem very knowledgeable about the subject."


    "I''ve been researching-" Mr. S replied just as a heavy bell rung through the ball room, quieting the guests and signaling the start of the dinner.


    "I am extremely sorry," Schwarz said with intense worry as she took Mr. S and lead him to his seat at the other end of the dining hall, staying stone silent as she led him the rest of the way.


    ''Stupid, Stupid, Stupid'' she chastised herself in her thoughts. ''Of course he only allowed Weiss and her friends to attend so that the Messerschmitts would be moved down four seats. This would move the Frau''s down as well due to the recent marriage, and that would''ve opened a seat for the Atlas military advisory to sit next to Mr. Schnee without there being a scene! It was all so obvious!''


    Schwarz resisted the urge to facepalm in polite company.


    ''Thanks to my slowness, Mr. Schnee had to spend half the night talking to some no-name military advisor when he should have been talking to the heads! And His daughter is still here! No wonder he didn''t want me around!" she gripped onto her napkin nervously as they approached the head of the dining table.


    ''Ok, calm yourself, Schwarz.'' Schwarz took a deep breath ''He still managed to spare some time for everyone, even if he was a bit curt. He''ll handle the rest at dinner and you can apologize later.'' Finally, she escorted Mr. Schnee to the head of the table, with his daughter and her friends lined up on his right and another family sitting to his left.


    She passed by Weiss and company on her way down the table to her own seat, and noted the bright, though relatively respectable clothing they wore. ''At least she bothered not to make a scene out of them,'' she thought, knowing exactly how hunters and huntresses in training could get at parties. ''Perhaps this could end simply," she thought, her heart pounding more than it usually did during these events.


    ¡­..


    "Ladies and gentlemen," his voice boomed across the silent ballroom as he stood at his seat, "it is with the greatest honor that I host this party during such a significant date in our.."


    Mr S. started reading off the teleprompter and giving a small toast about a new business opening or something; he wasn''t really paying attention to what he was saying. No, he was more focused on the camera''s dotting the room. Not security cameras, mind you. Full blown, HD news cameras. Some of them clung to the walls and columns, hidden from the casual glance as if they were a part of the architecture. Others were attached to drones, circling high above like vultures and almost touching the ceiling in their lazy flight.


    ''Oh, so this is one of those parties,'' he noted, taking a breath. Nothing to be worried about, he''d finish the toast and they''d probably edit the rest of the night out considering it would consist of people eating and chattering to each other for an hour, he assured himself.


    Mr. S sat down to light applause after finishing his speech and dug in. The party had quite a nice spread, he noted, sinking his teeth into some steak soup with a fancy, some might call pretentious, side of Risotto. He kept a sly eye on his table companions, making sure he mimicked their actions and didn''t use the wrong fork or something. Thankfully, the people at this table just dug in; it seemed the complicated myriad of rules he expected didn''t apply during dinner. Seriously, some guy in the corner was practically inhaling alcohol.


    "Weiss," he said, turning to his daughter, well, "daughter." At the same time, she turned back to look at him with a decidedly neutral expression.


    "Yes, father?" she replied.


    "How have you enjoyed the ball?" He continued evenly, deciding to overlook the fact that she spoke like she was raised in the forties.


    "It was an adequate gathering," she replied, looking straight ahead and making it clear that she didn''t want to talk.


    Mr. S Shrugged, he''d figure out what teenage drama or petty squabble was causing this later.


    "Well, how are your friends enjoying the party?" he looked to the three girls sitting beside her, who together formed a spectrum of emotion which he swore had to be planned.


    "It was good. I mean, great! Mr. Schnee," a soft spoken and nervously chuckling girl said, adding a quick, "sir," after a short pause. He smiled at the girl as she tried turning her grey eyes away from his. The grey eyed girl was sitting furthest from Weiss, and next to her sat a busty blonde in a yellow dress who didn''t bother hiding the glare she directed at him. Moving on quickly, he looked at the next person in line, who he guessed this was "Blake" considering her black dress and that she sat directly next to Weiss.


    Blake''s look was some combination of "Ahh!" and "I will rip your heart out and eat it!", all of this mixed with resting bitch face. Now, he wasn''t one to meddle in a strangers dating life, but he wondered if Weiss had chosen the best people to call friends.


    "And why are you asking?" Weiss said forcefully.


    "I just wanted to know how your friends were doing," he replied, with probably the most honest thing he''d said since he woke up this morning.


    Alas, Weiss, despite all her riches, was not buying it.


    "Really? You want to know more about my friends, now?"


    Weiss''s voice echoed across the ballroom. Mr. S noticed the sudden quiet and turned to see the nervously smiling faces of the guests as most everyone seemed to be occupied with sipping their empty cups while staring discreetly at the scene. Weiss herself noticed the now silent room, the buzzing drone of the cameras now audible as she worked up the courage to take the next step.


    "Well fine-" she said, standing up "-I''ll tell you about them!"


    "Ruby!" she pointed at the grey eyed girl with black hair, "is the most talented huntress I''ve ever met, without whose leadership Beacon would surely have fallen." Weiss proclaimed with a not-too-subtle jab at the Atlas nobility''s unpopular decision to hold back dust sales to a besieged Beacon when the white fang attacked. They reversed this decision of course, but it was still a sore point for many heads at the table.


    "Ruby," as he now knew her to be called, waved at him with a nervous smile as Weiss lauded her achievements.


    Mr. S wanted to give Ruby his congratulations on helping to win their D&D campaign, but Weiss was not done.


    "Yang!" she pointed now to the scowling blonde.


    ''Oh, she''s doing all of them,'' Mr. S thought, looking at the scene with a neutral expression.


    "Who is the most KIND HEARTED and BRAVE person I know!" Weiss said, putting particular emphasis on "KIND HEARTED" and "BRAVE" as another kick in the gut to the Atlas nobles who wanted to stay out of the fight for beacon. The same atlas Nobles who nearly let the white fang destroy one of the CCT towers.


    Many guests in the ballroom were heavily gulping down wine from their flasks, Schwarz was considering downing a bottle.


    ''The yellow haired one looks like she''d main an orc,'' Mr. S, thought, now understanding why Weiss had to be invited to this party. ''No matter, she can''t make anymore of a scene,'' Mr. S thought, wondering what kind words Weiss would have for Blake.


    "And Blake!," Weiss''s voice rang out like a crystal through the now stone silent Ball room. Her eyes glancing lovingly down towards Blake for a split second before she braced herself and let Blake grip her hand.


    "My girlfriend!" she announced, helping Blake up from her chair with a tug of her arm, removing her bow with a flick of the wrist before bending Blake backwards and kissing her deeply in front of the watching crowd.


    Yang smiled deliciously, barely managing to keep her promise not to make any more of a scene.


    Ruby clapped lightly in the corner with a nervous smirk, "Yay! they''re girlfriends!" she whispered.


    If possible, the silence in the room got colder, followed by a loud, unanimous, gasp which spread out in a wave before falling silent; the acts of yelling, crying ladies, and loud phone calls only held back by the common courtesy everyone showed in allowing Mr. Schnee to be the first among them to do those things.


    All eyes were on him, as some brows sweated and some, like the lady in red, smiled with a devilish smirk at the shitshow that would surely follow.


    Now, if you, dear reader, expected Mr. S to be so completely ignorant of Faunus kind that he would make the wrong move at this turn, you''d be wrong. No, for Mr. S had learned about Faunus just prior to his party.


    Well...he hadn''t LEARNED about them...or read anything about them...or even heard the word "faunus" before in his life...Ok, he''d seen a picture of some people with animal ears on the cover of a magazine in one of the waiting rooms: A crime-watch magazine. But! He had managed to deduce much from a simple picture.


    For example, it was obvious that gene therapy had advanced to the point where people could selectively add animal characteristics to their biology.


    From this, he gathered three more important pieces of information.


    First. Obviously, only rich people would have access to this technology at first, a hypothesis somewhat confirmed by his daughter dating someone with said augmentations. So make sure to treat people with animal characteristics accordingly.


    Second. People in specialized industries would probably get them if their work could be improved by it, which is why those prison guards on the magazine cover had extra ears, to help keep a lookout.


    And third, and most importantly, don''t make a scene if you see people with animal ears; you''ll make a fool of yourself otherwise.


    So of course, Mr. S was now extremely glad that he''d seen that magazine. Otherwise, he might have freaked out at the sight of Blake''s ears. PHEW! Of course, it was apparently a big deal that his daughter had made a scene and kissed someone, so he''d better say something to ease the tension. All of this flashed through his adrenaline addled mind in a quick second.


    Looking smoothly over to the anticipating rows of diners in front, and his daughter and her friends to the side, he cleared his throat.


    "You know, Weiss," he said. "I didn''t know much about Blake when you first introduced her, but I can see now why you chose to date her."


    Weiss rolled her eyes, ''Of course he''s going to mention he didn''t "know about" Blake. Trying to distance himself from this "Travesty"'' she thought hotly.


    Weiss didn''t bother to hide her disgust at the coming speech about her "rebelliousness," the "bad influences at Beacon" and her "traumatized little soul after surviving through the attack by the White Fang."


    Despite all of this, however. Weiss responded.


    "And why do you think I chose to date her, father?" Weiss said, with a tone as sweet as ever.


    "Why, because she''s obviously an excellent listener!" he said loudly, making sure everyone in the room heard the clever joke he''d just come up with.


    ''Yeah, I''m awesome,'' he thought, chuckling at his own joke.


    ''It works on so many levels!'' he thought to himself, glad that he was able to come up with something under pressure like that as he stuffed down a hearty spoonful of the, quite delicious, Risotto, still chuckling. Yeah, he deserved this. Slowly, he got less and less glad as his own laughter echoed back towards him.


    No one else was laughing. Like, not even a little. Not even those fake laughs people give when rich people tell bad jokes, or even those half-heated pity-laughs people give when poor people tell bad jokes! He looked over from Weiss to the horrified faces that stood out on every person he saw, except for the red-lipstick lady, who''s smile stood out like Christmas was coming early.


    He looked back towards Weiss, who looked like her eyes were going to fall out of her head as her expression switched between wrathful, shocked and exasperation.


    Thankfully, he didn''t have to think of anything else to say. The rest of the ball did that for him.


    "What the fuc-" a man near the middle of the table yelled, standing up. The rest of that sentence wasn''t heard, drowned out in the wave of shouts that arose from every table and corner of the room.


    While the panic spread, the cameras still circled slowly above, capturing the scene in all its HD glory.

 Chapter 436 - My OC Stash #36 - The First Pillar by Soleneus

    -Deku with powers of the Absorbing Man is some refreshing stuff, can''t wait for more from this author~


    Synopsis: Useless. That''s what they call him. Izuku and his Useless Quirk. Anyone can throw pebbles, how is that Heroic? But all it takes to shake the world is the right pebble in the right place at the right time. Crossposted on AO3. Fem. Bakugou.


    Rated: M


    Words: 25K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13747922/1/The-First-Pillar (Soleneus)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    It began with a glowing child. It didn''t get better from there.


    With the sudden emergence of superpowers, life as we knew it was lost. The world changed, society upheaved, and chaos ruled. And as in all chaos, there rose those who would profit from it, carving chunks of land and people for their own. Like the warring kingdoms of old, those with power fought against those with power for money, for territory, for supplies or for the thrill. And as always, those weaker, those without true power, suffered for it.


    But as it always is, as it always had been and will be, those with power of their own, determined to bring order back to the world, ascended to fight in the name of the innocent. With wills of steel and the hope of the down-trodden, they overthrew the warlords and brought civilization back. But not as it was before. It couldn''t be.


    It became a world of the different, the strange. But what once was inconceivable, inhuman, became accepted, normal. Expected, even. It became just another¡­Quirk of humanity''s existence. And life went on.


    Those with the greatest power rose above the rest, becoming beacons of hope and pillars of order, bringing with them an era of scientific advancement, a celebrity culture of Professional Heroes, peace, safety and stability.


    As well as a hierarchy of power. Those with the strongest of abilities were lauded and praised. Those without are demeaned. Every child grows up wishing to join the ranks of heroes. Some, bolstered by the teachings of the previous generation, rocket to heights once thought impossible.


    Many more fail.


    But nothing lasts forever. Unheard and unseen, a storm gathers and thrashes, upheaval hidden beyond the horizon. Chaos is coming once again. As it always has. As it always will. That is the truth.


    But equally true is this: the greatest changes, for good or for ill, begin with the smallest of actions. The hurricane is formed from the delicate flutter of the butterfly''s wings. The avalanche descends from the echo of the bird''s call. Society is burnt to the bones lit by the glow of a child emerging from the w.o.m.b.


    And all it takes to shake the world¡­is the right pebble, in the right place, at the right time.


    ¡­


    It started on a random playground in Japan, no different from any other except for who was there that day. One was Bakugou Katsuki, proudly displaying an open palm to show off her newly discovered Quirk: the ability to ignite her sweat. At the moment it was only a small flash and pop, but visions of earth-shattering Kabooms and mushroom clouds danced in her head.


    "Wow!" The other kids cheered, none louder then her friend, Midoriya Izuku. "That''s so cool, Kacchan!"


    Much like their mothers, the two of them were a study in contrasts. Bakugou had pale blonde hair that spiked; Midoriya had fluffy dark green. She had ruby red eyes that, even at four, held a sharp, taunting edge; his eyes were a soft green and couldn''t be anymore wide and innocent if he tried. Her skin, like her mother''s, was on the darker side and flawless; his skin was like his mother''s, on the paler side and sprinkled with freckles. She knew what her Quirk was. He did not.


    "You''re damn right it''s cool!" She crowed, holding her hand up as more little flashes popped on her palm. "I''m gonna explode so many bad guys they''ll make me Hero Number One!"


    "Hey, if you think that''s cool, look what I can do!" Another kid shouted, waving his arms for attention before taking a deep breath, his cheeks and throat bulging out like a frog. Then he spat a small vortex of wind directly at the group of kids.


    Let it be known that kids aren''t the smartest at the best of times; adding superpowers to the mix only made it worse, hence why Quirk regulations were strict, especially in public and especially for kids.


    Katsuki, showing a startling amount of instinct, dove aside. The other kids, showing a startling amount of common sense, followed her.


    Izuku stood directly in the path, eyes sparkling. "Oh, that''s cool-!" It hit him directly in the chest. Luckily, it was rather weak and only sent him skidding back in the gravel of the playground.


    There was a second of stunned silence, the kind that comes when a little kid smacks their head on a table or face-plants; a second where everyone holds their breath to see if the kid would start bawling or not. Slightly dazed, Izuku sat up, rubbing his chest, large green eyes watering.


    "You''re right!" He told little Mr. Wind-spitter with a shaky smile. "That is cool!"


    Katsuki rushed over to his side, snarling at the other kid. "What the hell, dumbass?! Who just shoots their quirk at people?!" She turned to Izuku, with worry written on her face. "You okay Zuku? Are you gonna cry like a big baby?"


    Izuku sniffled and said, "No," then wiped his cheek with his hand. And gasped in pain.


    "I knew it!" Katsuki crowed, her face a contradiction to her words as she was already standing to go look for their parents, only for Izuku to grab her arm. "What, you need to hold my hand?"


    "Kacchan, look," the boy murmured, holding up his hand. There was gravel stuck to his skin, but luckily no blood.


    "Yeah, you got rocks on you," Kacchan dismissed, even as her eyes were glued to the sight and her fingers wrapped around his protectively. "So what?"


    "Look," he urged, then made a face. After a second, she was just opening her mouth when the gravel stuck to his skin lifted off and began to gently orbit his hand. "¡­I have a Quirk."


    "¡­So what, you can move pebbles, big deal," Katsuki whispered, sharp red eyes tracking the rocks as they glided above his flesh. She blinked and looked away, finding the huddle of parents in the distance and put her lungs to work. "HEY! OLD PEOPLE!"


    ¡­


    Coincidentally, the parents had just been talking about their kids'' Quirks, so they rushed over at the shout. Upon seeing the activation of a new one, they gave the two their congratulations right before Izuku''s mother, Midoriya Inko, bundled him into the car and drove them towards the office of in-depth Quirk investigation. And she only had to pull over twice to wipe her happy tears away.


    At the office, Izuku was pushed through a large battery of tests; first to determine what type of Quirk, then once that was narrowed down, how strong it was, what it could affect and how long it could last. After a rather tiring three hours, Izuku sat in his mother''s lap, clutching her arm and wishing he''d been able to bring along his favorite All-Might action figure as the doctor slowly went through the pages of information previously gathered. He clicked a pen, circled something and adjusted his glasses before looking up at the pair.


    "So. Midoriya Izuku," he spoke carefully and concisely, like every word was being recorded for quality purposes. "After several tests, we have determined that your Quirk is an Emitter type, which can only affect rocks no more than three inches wide or long, in a telekinetic field that emanates no more than two inches from the skin on your body. It has been designated as ''Rock Field.''" He stopped, flipped the pages closed and set the clipboard down on his desk. "That''s it."


    Inko blinked, holding her son. Hearing it described as such, it sounded like a more concentrated, focused version of her own Quirk, Attraction of Small Things, but one that only worked on pebbles and gravel. Part of her was relieved. As far as Quirks went, it wasn''t impressive, and Izuku, like almost all kids his age, wanted to use their Quirks to become famous, powerful Pro Heroes. Which was, by the nature of the work and the world they lived in, extremely dangerous. On the other hand, she felt guilty about feeling happy that such a lacking Quirk would make it nearly impossible for her little boy to get into such a perilous line of work.


    And a deeper, smaller part was very glad that she wouldn''t be the one to break Izuku''s fluffy little heart.


    "Um, Doctor?" Izuku asked in his sweet, childish voice, "Do you think¡­do you think that My Quirk¡­Can I be a Hero with it?"


    The doctor sniffed, looked through the pages again, then blinked at the boy. "As far as Hero Careers go, a Quirk like yours¡­would be almost entirely useless." He stated with zero tact. Inko squeezed her boy as he gave a hurt gasp. "It isn''t all bad. Many people, like your mother, have Quirks lacking in power, but with some small niche uses. And, of course, it''s better than being Quirkless."


    Izuku blinked his large, watery green eyes, and let out a tiny, "¡­Oh." And then he hugged his mothers arms.


    "Thank you for your time, doctor," Inko said tersely, guilt and relief warring in her chest as she stood up and carried her son from the office. He remained quiet even as they left the building and she secured him in his carseat. It was only half an hour later that he spoke.


    "H-he, he wasn''t right, r-right, mom?" He asked shakily, and she could see him playing with the buckle of his carseat in the rear-view mirror, peering up at her through thick lashes, eyes rimmed with tears, shining with the pure hope that his mom would be able to make everything better with her words. "I-I can s-still use my Q-Quirk to be a Hero¡­r-right?"


    Inko looked at the road and swallowed hard, licking her lips. "Izuku¡­" She couldn''t find the words. "Like the doctor said¡­it''s not all bad¡­right? There are other jobs¡­safer ones. Maybe¡­maybe you''re meant for something more than Hero work, honey." She chanced a look in the mirror and felt her heart seize. Izuku was staring at her in horrified silence, tears running from his eyes. He''d recognized what she was trying to do and he''d seen right through it. And it had shattered his little heart.


    His voice, when he spoke, was infinitesimally small. "¡­Okay, mom."


    She blinked hard and tried to focus on driving, her throat feeling tight. "I-it''ll be alright, okay Izuku? How¡­how about when we get home, I make us tonkatsu pork¡­your favorite. How does that sound, sweetie?"


    He didn''t look up from his lap. "¡­Okay."


    It was only that she was driving did Inko restrain herself from closing her eyes and letting herself drown in her guilt and grief.


    ¡­


    Eventually, Izuku''s good nature won over his heartbreak, and he returned to his normal, cheerful self. Some might''ve said it was a hunger borne from envy that he developed a hobby, a talent devoted to watching the fights of Heroes, to examining and breaking down their Quirks in his mind and, once it was overwhelmed, many notebooks. Others would say it was his natural mental state, to see things and automatically take them apart and figure out how they worked, how they could be used differently and how they could combine with others.


    And when the current crop of Heroes had filled his pages, he turned an eye to his classmates and his best friend, Katsuki. Their Quirks, how they could develop over time and generally just how cool he found her led to Katsuki''s potential covering many pages. He noticed with some envy that with age, her explosions became more powerful and with training, more focused. And there was only more room for her to grow.


    For him, though, it was hopeless. He spent hours a day holding rocks in his field, having them orbit his body in increasing numbers and speed. Eventually, he managed to move them around his body faster.


    That was it.


    He''d tried to think of a way to use his Quirk as a Hero, perhaps covering himself in pebbles, spinning them at high speeds and then throwing them? The problem with that, though, became obvious the first time he tried such a thing on a crude target painted on a tree. At point-blank, the rocks could actually do some damage. Outside of his field, however, the rocks lost velocity quickly and became just a tossed handful of gravel. And no matter how hard he tried, his field simply wouldn''t extend, not even a millimeter.


    That was a blow to his battered hope of heroism.


    The next, most devastating blow, came when he was eight. During recess, he, Katsuki and some of their friends were exploring in the nearby copse of trees. The others had pulled ahead, crossing a fallen tree over a small stream, leaving the two to mosey at their own pace.


    The explosive blonde hopped onto the log without a care, practically stomping her way across it. Izuku was more tentative, carefully measuring his steps. She, eventually, slipped on a wet patch and tumbled into the stream with a cry, landing hard on her back. Blinking in the light of the sun streaming through the leaves, Izuku stood above her, offering his hand with a smile. "You okay, Kacchan?"


    "''M fine," she grumbled, taking his hand and pulling herself up. "I don''t need your help, Zuku." Yeah, that hadn''t changed in four years.


    "Remember what All Might says!" Izuku chirped with a smile, holding a finger up like an instructor, "Even Heroes need a helping hand once in a while! And when ever Queen Explosion Murder needs a hand, her best friend and partner Shrapnel will be there!" He mimed an explosion with his hands and gave her a bright smile.


    It was so adorable, Katsuki felt her lips twitching upwards into a smile, red eyes subtly sparkling with humor¡­and then it left, and her lips flattened. "All Might never needs a hand¡­" She muttered, still looking at him but speaking to herself.


    "Well of course not!" The green-haired boy smiled, posing like the Number One Pro Hero. "He''s All Might! The greatest Hero!"


    Her brows furrowed in thought. "¡­I''m gonna be the greatest¡­" Her mind raced, images flashing through her head.


    Izuku blinked. "U-uh, yeah?" He couldn''t shake the feeling of something bad coming his way.


    Her eyes turned back to him and narrowed into a glare. "All Might doesn''t need help. I don''t need help."


    He gulped under the intensity of her gaze. "W-well, I mean, Sir Nighteye helped him¡­as a sidekick, and a¡­a partner?" Her visage remained unchanging. "K-Kacchan?"


    That seemed to be the final straw, and she snapped. "Don''t call me that!"


    Izuku stepped back, hurt filling his features. "K-Kacchan, what-"


    "I said," she stepped into his space and shoved him back, "Don''t call me that, dammit!"


    "Kac-uh, Katsuki¡­what''s wrong?!" He panicked, eyes darting around her face, his hands worrying at each other. "Did-did I do something-?"


    "You''re useless, Izuku."


    Those three words, stated so simply, felt like she unloaded her most powerful blast directly into his heart. "I¡­what?" He knew what the other kids said, what some of the teachers whispered behind their hands. The boy with the useless Quirk clinging to the coattails of a girl destined for greatness. A leech. A parasite. Useless. He saw, sometimes, when he used his Quirk, that she would give the pebbles he moved with his mind angry glares like they''d personally offended her. But she''d never said anything. She couldn''t possibly think that for real¡­right? "Katsuki¡­that¡­that''s not true¡­"


    "You''re useless, Izuku," she repeated like it was a stunning revelation. "You will never be a Hero. You''ll just d-get in the way. Like a little, useless pebble, getting in the way, tripping up the important people and making a mess. You. Are. Useless."


    He gasped for breath, trying in vain to blink the tears out of his eyes. "I¡­Kacchan, that hurts¡­"


    "Shut up," Katsuki said simply, stepping into his space, looming over him even though they were the same height, her dark, ruby red eyes dominating his vision. "You''re delusional to think you could ever be anything more than useless¡­Koishi. Deku Koishi. A useless, worthless little rock only fit for stepping over. Being a Hero¡­is a road filled with danger. All you are, Deku, is a childish distraction on a path where distractions Kill!" Her eyes blazed with anger. "You''re nothing but a pebble, the smallest of stepping stones on my road to being a Hero! The Greatest Hero! Of ALL TIME! You. Are. USELESS!" With the last three words, she shoved him back another step until his back was against a tree. "So stay out of my goddamn way, Deku. Or I''ll kick you aside. You worthless little extra."


    Even though his eyes were wide and tears poured down his cheeks, Izuku summoned some hidden well of strength and pushed her back. "That''s not t-true, Kacchan! I''m not-"


    She shoved him hard enough that his spine bounced off the bark, dropping to a knee to rip a handful of earth from the ground and slap it into his hand. "Prove it," she growled, one hand gripping the front of his shirt. "Use the pebbles, Koishi. Make them do something other than float, or spin or whatever. Hurt me, Deku. Prove me wrong."


    He blinked at her, gaping at the handful of dirt and rocks in his hand. "K-Kacchan, I-" He inhaled sharply as she shook him roughly. Breath coming in sobbing gasps, he turned his attention to the rock and felt his power latch on, the extraneous dirt falling away as the pebbles began to float above his skin.


    "Come on, Zuku," Katsuki whispered, and the pebbles began to spin. "COME ON, IZUKU! DO! SOMETHING!" She roared in his face, the rocks escaping through nerveless fingers. He looked down at the hand grasping his collar, up at her face, then down at the ground.


    His face crumpled and he began to sob.


    She let him go, and he fell to his hands and knees in the dirt. "¡­That''s what I f.u.c.kin'' thought," she muttered, a pained expression and a flash of regret shining in her eyes. But her thoughts were dominated by a vision of the future. Izuku, jumping into a battle to save her. Taking on someone more powerful, and dying horribly, his chest ripped open. His green eyes glazed, soft face frozen in a terrified rictus. Of a funeral. Inko crying over a casket as it was lowered into the ground. "You stay away from me, Deku. I don''t want your worthlessness stopping me from my destiny. Deku Koishi. Useless little pebble."


    And then she turned and walked away, hands in her pockets.


    Izuku bowed his head to the ground and cried freely, heart shattered into a million little pieces. Underneath his hands and knees, unseen, the rocks within his field dissolved into grains of sand.


    ¡­


    After their¡­confrontation, the rest of the school day saw a depressed Izuku say nothing, and barely acknowledge anyone or anything, except for the ending bell. The teachers picked up on it, but they didn''t care. A few hours free from his constant muttering under his breath was welcome. His mother also immediately noticed his mood but, despite her gentle prying, he refused to answer. It was only over dinner, chicken soba with vegetables, that she got a word out of him.


    "Mom¡­" His voice low, hoarse and sad, and his green eyes reflected those emotions as he peered at her from under his lashes. "Am I useless?"


    "What?!" She jumped in her seat, surprised by the shrillness of her voice. "Oh Izuku, honey, no, you''re not useless, not at all! You''re a smart young boy, friendly, too! And you''re absolutely adorable, maybe a little shy, but you''ve got little Katsuki as friend and-"


    "Mom," he interrupted her with a surprisingly firm tone, making her blink. He''d never spoken to her like that-she didn''t know he could talk like that at all! Inko met her son''s eyes, green like hers but darker in color. "Do you think I can be a Hero?"


    "I-Izuku¡­" She felt her throat grow tight and tears prick at the corners of her eyes. "Y-you¡­there are other c-careers, and-"


    Izuku set his chopsticks on the table and gripped the wooden surface with white knuckles, gritting his teeth. "Mom." He nearly growled. "Can I. Be. A Hero."


    Inko stared at him, her lower lip trembling. "¡­No, Izuku." She finally answered, a tear tracing down her cheek. "My sweet boy¡­Heroes have to be strong, otherwise¡­they die. And you¡­you aren''t strong enough, Izuku. It''s not your fault, it''s j-just how it things happen, sometimes¡­"


    Her son stared back at her, and for the first time, she couldn''t read what he was feeling from his eyes alone. Then his gaze fell and he slumped, the last ember of hope drowned by his last source of comfort. "¡­Thank you for the meal," he whispered, pushing back from the table and leaving the room.


    "I-Izuku," Inko mumbled, the pure dejection writ large on his frame striking her heart far worse than any shouting or tears could have done. Her chopsticks slipped out of her hands and she buried her face in her sleeves to muffle the wails that escaped her mouth.


    Distantly, she heard a door close.


    Half an hour later, she''d finally been drained of grief, for now, and went to offer what comfort she could to her boy. Knocking on his door, she didn''t expect him to answer, and therefore wasn''t surprised when she received silence.


    "Izuku, honey¡­I''m sorry. I-I want you to know that, okay? A mother¡­a mother should be the last one to stomp on their children''s dreams, but¡­no, no ''buts,'' I''m your mother and I should support your dream, because it shows just how big your heart is, how brave and full of love you are¡­b-but¡­" Her lips trembled and her eyes watered. "Heroes get hurt, and Izuku¡­just the thought of you getting hurt¡­it-it breaks my heart and I¡­I''m sorry that I hurt you." She sniffled and wiped her eyes roughly. "Listen, Izuku, maybe I let being your mom get in the way¡­maybe you can still be a Hero? There are more ways than j-just¡­p-punching people¡­okay? We can¡­we can talk about it tomorrow, when you''re feeling better¡­"


    There was still no answer, and Inko bit her lip in worry. The thought of her son hating her or worse, loathing her dispassionately¡­it may have been a stretch, but it still terrified her.


    "Izuku¡­can I come in? I just w-want a hug, and then I''ll leave you alone, okay?...Izuku?" She knocked, but silence was the only answer, not even the rustle of a blanket or the creaking of a chair. "I-I''m opening the door, okay?" She eased the door open and stuck her head in, only to freeze as her heart skipped.


    The room was empty. Besides his backpack slumped against his closet, there was no sign of him. The bed was still made, there were no notebooks scattered on his desks. Only his posters and action figures filled the room, staring at her silent, glossy eyes.


    "...Izuku?" Inko murmured, her chest heaving as a shot of cold adrenaline dripped down her spine. Her mind jumped, and she remembered the sound of a door closing. It was only now that she realized that it had come from the front door. Her bare feet slapped the wooden floor as she raced for the door, the knob turning itself and opening it before she could touch it. "Izuku?!"


    There was no one on the landing. She descended the stairs faster than she thought she could move, nearly tripping several times before she emerged into the sidewalk. "Izuku!" There were only a few people milling about, and most barely looked up from what they were doing. She grabbed a man with ram''s horns by the arm. "Have you seen a little boy with fluffy green hair, beautiful emerald eyes and a round, sweet face with freckles?"


    "Nope," he said flatly, pulling his arm out of her grasp.


    Inko felt her world crashing down around her. Everywhere she looked, she couldn''t find even a hint of Izuku. Chest heaving from fear, she quickly dashed the tears building in her eyes and hurried back up to her apartment to grab her phone.


    ¡­


    Izuku wasn''t sure where his feet were carrying him, only that it was away from the pain that seemed to come at him from all sides. It had started with the doctor, then his mother¡­now his best friend hated him, and his mom agreed with her. He was useless, everyone agreed. Would All Might agree with them? The desperate part of his mind asked.


    He didn''t want to know the answer.


    Izuku sat down on a bench and looked up at the sky. Even the world is laughing at me, he thought bitterly. Such a terrible day should''ve been overcast or even stormy to match the tumult of his life, but the sky was clear and the sunset painted the sky in beautiful streaks of purple and orange. As he looked up at the clouds, he felt the pain in his heart slowly dissipate, and his thoughts wandered. Maybe¡­maybe being a Pro Hero isn''t possible, he thought with discomfort, grimacing as it betrayed his very dream to even acknowledge it. But¡­there are other ways to help, aren''t there? I just¡­don''t see how my¡­useless Quirk could help. Maybe mom will know¡­


    Though it hurt to think of it, perhaps his dream needed changing. He looked down from the sky at the buildings around him. Oh great. I''m lost. He sighed and tried to stifle the fear building in his chest, casting his eyes around for a familiar point of reference, falling on a convenience store with a large front window. Well, they''ll at least have a phone and I can call mom...His eyes widened and he gripped his head in panic. Oh no, Mom! She''s probably so worried! He looked at the strange buildings, their looming presence suddenly hostile as the sunset, once peaceful, gave way to the dark of night. I want my mommy¡­


    Hopping off of the bench, he scurried over to the store, eyeing the shadows as they grew. But as he approached the door, he heard shouting muffled by the glass. Chancing a glance through the plate-glass window and froze at what he saw.


    Behind the counter huddled a pair of a.d.u.l.ts, one with mouse ears and the other with the teeth of a squirrel. On the other side of the counter stood a man in a dirty trench coat, a hand held threateningly near his mouth. His lips were oddly thick and the back of his hand appeared to have a speaker growing out of it. He was shouting something at another figure near the door, a rookie hero from the look of her or possibly a vigilante, one he didn''t recognize, holding a pair of batons with one pointed at the villain.


    The villain''s eyes flickered over to Izuku then back to the rookie, before flicking back as his eyebrows arched in surprise. The rookie hero followed his gaze and looked out of the window, her jaw falling open at the sight of a kid staring at them in muted surprise and horror.


    The villain smiled cruelly and blew into his fingers, a visible wave of sound radiating from his speaker hand directly at the window¡­and the eight-year old on the other side.


    As if air has been replaced by molasses, the window went opaque, cracks spider webbing across the surface before it burst with high-pitched shriek. One shard near the center of impact burst out before the rest, meeting the flesh of Izuku''s cheek and carving a bloody line through the skin under his right eye.


    His mind raced, the pain providing a cruel burst of adrenaline. His eyes were wide with terror as he watched the wave of glass begin to rain towards him, his thoughts helpfully reminding him of the Hero fights he''d watched, some of the bloodier things he''d seen coming to the forefront. What was descending on him was freshly-broken plate glass. If he was lucky, he''d be shredded to the bone in an instant.


    ¡­I just distracted a Hero and gave a Villain an opening to kill me and get away, he thought distantly even as a scream ripped out of his throat and his arms came up to desperately cover his face. I really am useless¡­and now I''m gonna die painfully¡­will Kacchan cry at my funeral?


    His life, short as it was, flashed through his mind. His mother, sweetly holding him after he''d fallen and scr.a.p.ed his knee. Aunty Mitsuki playfully ruffling his hair after he''d beaned Kacchan with a pillow. All Might, the greatest Hero, someone he''d never met in person, but whose legend, strength and infallible smile had built his dream of doing the same, protecting the innocent and comforting them with nothing but a broad grin. And finally, Katsuki herself.


    Even after the events of that afternoon, she still had a special place in his heart as his first, best friend, though she''d done her best to rip it out and grind it into the dirt. The first time they''d met, her playfully annoyed glare as he stumbled over her name. How every time, except for the last, when he called her ''Kacchan'' and she grumbled about him butchering her name even as her ruby eyes glittered in the way he knew meant she enjoyed it. Every sleepover where, bar none, she started a pillow fight. She usually won, but he gave as good as he got.


    But then he saw something else. Katsuki all grown up, standing shoulder-to-shoulder to him as they stood tall against a horde of shadowy villains. Together, not as Hero and sidekick, but as partners, equals. The future he so desperately dreamed of. The dream he would never achieve if he died.


    I don''t want to die! He shouted in his head as the rain of glass fell on him. He braced for the unbearable pain of being mulched by shards of sharp silicate¡­and continued to brace.


    Nothing happened.


    Izuku squeezed an eye open and glanced around. His arms, still up to cover his face, were undamaged. As was the rest of his body. The foot he had instinctively curled into his chest to minimize his profile slowly lowered onto the ground, and he dropped his arms, followed shortly by his jaw.


    The entire section of sidewalk was practically carpeted in shards of glass¡­except for the immediate area around and behind the eight-year old boy. Izuku patted himself down, a disbelieving laugh escaping his lips as he looked up at the a.d.u.l.ts in the store. All four of them were gaping at him, the rookie hero with n.a.k.e.d relief on the visible parts of her face. "I''m alright!" He cheered, the sheer relief he felt buoying him. The villain remembered just where he was and what he''d tried to do. He spun on his heel and raced toward the back of the store. "He''s running!"


    The heroine''s head snapped towards the criminal, a snarl on her lips."You tried to kill a kid! YOU''RE DEAD, ASSHOLE!" And then she jetted off after him to dispense righteous justice upon his ass. And subsequently the rest of him.


    Her words pierced through the haze of ''oh-thank-god-I''m-still-alive'' juice running through Izuku''s body, and he paled. I almost DIED! His brain screeched, and he took off running.


    He wasn''t looking, but if had been, he would''ve seen and heard that his footfalls on the broken glass didn''t crunch even slightly, and that every step left a perfect space of bare concrete.


    His eyes darted up to a sign and he breathed a sigh of relief as he recognized the name. Still running on a heady mix of mind-numbing fear and sheer relief, he dashed down the sidewalk, stopping next to the mouth of an alley near his home. As he caught his breath, he noticed something. He was breathing hard, yes, but it was coming back quicker than it had before; and if anything, he felt light, like he could keep running for longer.


    As he wondered why, his skin prickled strangely. Pulling up his sleeve revealed a coating of glass shards innocently sticking to his skin, as if they''d been there all along. Izuku hiked up a pant leg and sure enough, there were more on his pale, bony legs. He yanked open his shirt and boom, more glass. Blinking, he unconsciously focused his Quirk and the glass rose from his skin and began to move.


    And then he remembered that glass is really sharp and he was really fleshy. The glass halted mid-spin, then zipped back to his skin. He giggled a little as it tickled him, and noted that, with all the glass pressed together, it kind of resembled snake scales or chain mail.


    Holding up a hand, Izuku directed the glass to slowly crawl up his arm to his hand, marveling as it twinkled like miniature diamonds in the low light. "Glass is a mineral¡­so it''s not just pebbles and rocks...I wonder what else I can control?" He muttered to himself. The glass around his hand almost resembled armor, like that worn by Tech Knight¡­the image of the gauntlet formed in his mind, sketched out in detail by his thoughts. His hand tickled and silently, the glass flowed into solid, protective plates around his skin. The planes of glass were opaque, but held firm under a testing tap.


    Izuku blinked and flexed his fingers. "Why does it feel so easy to move my hand?" He wondered aloud, rubbing his forefinger and thumb together. There was no grinding or crunching, just the rasp of smooth glass on smooth glass. "Wait¡­a telekinetic field¡­I''m moving my hand with my body and my Quirk at the same time. Twice the movement, twice the effort...twice the strength?"


    His eyes fell on the nearby dumpster just emptied that morning, then at his hand which curled into a fist. The glass withdrew, leaving plain flesh. He grimaced but threw his fist at the dumpster. It let out a disappointed little bong, and he clutched his hand to his chest, trying not to cry. Izuku breathed deep and felt the pain eventually fade into a dull throb. He focused and the glass flowed back up to become a silicate gauntlet.


    He grit his teeth, drew his arm back, and threw it forward.


    His knuckles impacted the metal of the dumpster¡­and the metal gave, sliding back a foot with a visible dent. Izuku, arm still extended, blinked and for the second time that night, a burble of stunned laughter bubbled up out of his chest. Then he thought. If I can do that with glass covering just my hand¡­what could I do if it covered my whole body? Which was followed by a realization. I need more glass.


    And he knew just where to find some.


    Though the shadows grew long and the night had truly begun, Izuku felt lighter than ever before, hope once more rekindled in his chest. Retracing his mad dash, the boy found himself drawn by flashing lights and distant conversation. Hiding himself from behind a trash can, he peeked out and c.o.c.ked an ear to listen in. Apparently the rookie hero had, eventually, caught the speaker-handed villain and beaten him within an inch of his life. At first it seemed like she would get in trouble for excessive force, especially since the attack on a child couldn''t be corroborated as his ultrasonic whistle had fried the security cameras. Thankfully, both of the clerks were willing to testify that there was, in fact, a kid and that the villain had, in fact, purposely used his Quirk to either kill or at the very least severely injure a child, and were willing to testify to that.


    The young Midoriya kept himself hidden, though he felt strings of guilt twisting in his chest. He wasn''t happy that the rookie would get in trouble, but at the same time, coming forward to tell the police would definitely worry his mother even more. So he stayed, and watched as the officer got in his car, killed the lights and pulled away. The clerk began to sweep up the scattered remains of the window, pushing it into a pile by the side of the building. As he finished sweeping, a woman called him from inside with a question about their insurance. The clerk went inside, and Izuku saw his chance.


    Bolting from his hiding place, Izuku reached out and touched the sole of his shoe to the pile of glass, watching with an awed smile as the shimmering shards of silicate slid up his leg and disappeared under his clothes. It felt like grains of soft sand skating over his skin, slowly covering every part of him until there was nothing left of the window. He should''ve felt heavy, but he felt almost lighter than air. Glass covered him entirely, weighing down his hair and resting on his face like a very poorly-made mask.


    The door opened and he shot off in a panic. The clerk turned to look at the pile of glass and stopped upon noticing that it had vanished. He checked down one side of the street, then the other. No one. "Did you dispose of the glass yet?!" His fellow clerk shouted from inside, and he shrugged. No skin off his back.


    "Yes!"


    Izuku skidded to a stop in the alley by his home, eyes wide and breathless, but for an entirely different reason. I moved SO FAST! He crowed in his head and also out loud, though he didn''t notice. "With glass or rock covering just a limb, my strength and speed are doubled! But when I''m covered entirely¡­it''s expo-expa...very increased! Like telekinetic power armor!" He announced to himself, holding a glass covered fist in the air. Then he looked at the dented dumpster. The back at his fist.


    He punched the dumpster, and his hand went straight through. The screech of shearing metal rang out in the twilight and Izuku winced at the noise, as well as the noise following when he yanked his arm back out. When no one came to investigate, he relaxed. Then he threw his hands up and whooped. "YES! My Quirk isn''t-GAH!" The door at the end of the alley slammed open, startling him so bad he jumped.


    Two men came out, holding trash bags and grumbling, though they stopped as they caught sight of the dumpster several feet from where it was supposed to be with a hole in the middle. Then they shrugged, tossed the trash inside and went back through the door. "Damn racoons."


    Above them and stuck to a wall, Izuku sighed as his heart finally stopped feeling like it was about to beat out of his chest. And then his eyes went wide as he realized what had happened.


    He''d been startled, jumped ten feet up and instinctively used his field to anchor himself to the brick wall.


    Slowly, carefully, Izuku pulled his hand free and rolled over, looking down at his hands and feet stuck to the wall. "¡­My Quirk is amazing¡­" He muttered, before looking up. Several floors of brick stretched before him, beckoning him to climb.


    He released his field on his right hand and slowly reached up. Then on his right foot. Then his left hand. Then his left foot. And he began to crawl up the side of the wall, quickly gaining confidence and speed until he was soon six stories off of the ground. He looked out over the low grouping of buildings, the smile on his face blinding even without the glass helmet around his head.


    Izuku looked at his hands, then down at his feet. Could I use my field to anchor just my feet? The thought of trying and failing made him lick his lips anxiously, but the thought of succeeding¡­that ruled over everything.


    Carefully, so carefully, he placed the soles of his shoes against the brick wall, redirecting the glass to free up more of his field and firmly anchored himself in place. Gulping and squeezing his eyes shut, he peeled his fingers away from the wall, one by one¡­and pushed himself up. His arms windmilled as he tried to keep his balance, directing his field to flow towards the wall like it was the ground¡­and he went still.


    Izuku opened his eyes and gasped. He stood on the wall like it was solid ground, as if he''d changed the orientation of just himself to sideways. His stomach heaved and a laugh escaped from his mouth, and before he knew it, he was laughing so hard he was crying. His Quirk was amazing! His Quirk did something! His Quirk wasn''t useless at all!


    "Everyone says it''s a useless Quirk," he muttered to himself flexing his glass-covered hand again, "The Doctor, the teachers, the other kids¡­Kacchan. Even mom. Even¡­me. But it''s not useless! I was only trying to apply it one way, when there are so many! So many uses! My Quirk¡­is powerful! I''m powerful! I''m not useless!" He threw his head back and shouted into the night, "I AM NOT USELESS!"


    Izuku had never felt so free before. And then a realization struck. "¡­I can be a Hero," he whispered to himself, before throwing his hands up. "I can be a Hero! Yes!" He cheered, turning around to face the actual ground and just then realized how high up he was.


    Vertigo struck like a sledgehammer. He wobbled in place as his stomach heaved and his field fluctuated. Then he tilted forward with a yelp, slamming face-first into the wall, holding on only by the field from his toes until, in his panic, he let go of that, too. He skidded down the side of the building, hands flailing desperately for purchase as the ground rushed up to meet him until he managed to slap a hand on the brick work. It wrenched his arm and painfully pulled his body around, but he grabbed hold with his other hand and tried to anchor himself.


    He slowed, but didn''t stop, sliding down the side of the building with the sound of glass grinding against rock until, six feet off the ground, he slowed to a stop.


    Panting, Izuku clutched onto the wall like a limpet until he could catch his breath. "Oh god," he muttered, resting his head against the wall, "I thought I was gonna die¡­" His head snapped up. "I gotta tell mom!"


    Without thinking, he let go of the wall and fell six feet onto the concrete below. He landed in a crouch, the sound of breaking glass echoing in the alley. He looked down at his legs and saw spider web cracks running up and down the surface, before he flexed his field and they smoothed out. Closing his eyes in concentration, Izuku directed the glass to break apart into grains and hid them underneath his clothes. It felt fine, but that amount of glass on his eight-year old body made his clothes appear very tight.


    Glass now hidden, Izuku raced up the stairs and burst through the door with a cry of, "Mom!"


    In the living room, a haggard Inko jumped with a scream, throwing her phone across the room before darting for the front door. "IZUKU!" She wailed in relief, arms out to give him glomping of a lifetime when she stopped short, watering eyes going wide.


    "Mom," Izuku started excitedly, "I have something to show-"


    "IS THAT BLOOD?!"


    Then he remembered the cut on his cheek.


    ¡­


    Inko rushed them to the nearest urgent care, where it was determined that the cut was shallow enough that it wouldn''t need stitches, thankfully. It would leave a scar, a straight line near his nose that went out under his eye nearly two inches long.


    If that was the cost of learning more about his Quirk, Izuku decided he would pay it gladly.


    Once they were back home, his mother turned on him with all the motherly energy her short body could contain. She sat him on the couch and wailed about how worried she was. She cried about how scared his leaving so suddenly had made her. She sobbed about the hour she''d spent, horrified at the thought of never seeing her sweet son again. Then she raised her voice about how he was never to do such a thing again, and that he was to apologize to Mitsuki right away, because that was who she was on the phone with, just about to set off on search and rescue.


    Izuku had known leaving would hurt his mother, and her tears were too much for his fluffy little heart to take. The guilt tore at him and he cried too, mother and son tearfully clutching each other and wailing about how sorry they were.


    Eventually, though, the waterworks were capped. Inko pulled away from her son, wiping her red eyes. "Izuku honey, listen¡­I''m sorry about what I said. I lied, okay? I know you can be a hero, Izuku, but just not a Pro, okay? You have the heart of one, but your Quirk is just¡­it wouldn''t save you and I''m sorry but I love you so please don''t put yourself in danger there are other career paths, okay?"


    She expected that he might nod in solemn acceptance, or cry and agree or any number of things. She did not expect the sly smile he gave her. "Mom," he said gently, stepping away from the couch. "I have something I need to show you."


    Inko gasped in surprise as the glass flowed out from under his clothes and formed into rough armor. She shrieked when he then picked up the couch with her on it. "Izuku¡­how?"


    His armor broke apart and hid under his clothes once more. "We were all wrong, mom. We thought it could just move rocks, but it has so many more applications then I ever thought!" He looked down at his hands, glass sand swirling around in his palms before it settled on his skin. He peered up at her through his thick lashes, emerald eyes wide and hopeful. "Mom¡­do you think I can be a Hero?"


    She swallowed thickly and rubbed her eyes. She had only seen the repressed energy and the sheer hope and dreams in his eyes before he''d found about his Quirk. She knew he would never be satisfied with anything less. "Yes, Izuku," she gasped out, tears flowing again despite her efforts. "I know you can!" She burst into tears.


    Izuku burst into happy tears and hugged his mother.


    There was a whole lot more crying. It went on for some time.


    ¡­


    And then came the next day.


    For everyone else, Izuku''s sunny disposition was a mystery after his defeated air the day before. Students wondered why he had a bandage on his cheek, and teachers cursed to themselves as they dreaded the muttering storm that was sure to follow. He only brightened as he saw the familiar spiky blonde hair of his best friend. "Kacchan-!" He raised an arm to hail her, only for the events of the previous day to slam back home with a vicious spike of pain.


    In the excitement of his discovery, Izuku had forgotten the words Katsuki had just about eviscerated him with, how she had taken years of friendship and so easily smeared it under her shoe like it was nothing.


    A split second decision was made. He had planned on telling her about his discovery. But she had hurt him so badly. He hoped that she regretted her words, that she would apologize and then he would reveal what he''d learned¡­


    "Hey! I told you not to call me that you damn nerd!"


    ¡­But he should''ve f.u.c.k.i.n.g known.


    Izuku dropped his hand and his gaze as she stormed up to him. "S-sorry, Kac-I mean, Katsuki."


    "Bakugou!" She growled, jamming a finger in his face. "You ain''t my damned friend, Deku Koishi!"


    He swallowed his ruined hopes and nodded. "¡­Okay, Bakugou."


    Her eyes found the bandage on her cheek, and her fist clenched with a pop of her Quirk. "What''s that, you lose a fight with your toast this morning?"


    Izuku looked up at her, dark green eyes meeting ruby red. "¡­Do you care?" He asked softly.


    Her visage twisted and her hand gripped his collar. She opened her mouth to scream something, then stopped. She released her grip and shoved him out of her way. "Out of my way, Deku!"


    He watched her back as she stomped down the hall, followed by a posse of other kids. He looked down at his hand as grains of sand slipped out of his sleeve to gather in his palm and coat his skin. If that''s how she wanted it to be, then fine. Let her insult him, let her think him useless. Izuku would take her insults, hurled like stones and catch them, hide them under his clothes until he could pull them together into armor and floor her with his true power.


    Let her build herself, let the sycophants build her a tower. When he was ready, he''d rip out the foundations and watch it crumble.


    And maybe then she''d feel an iota of the betrayal, of the upheaval of his world as he felt that day when she did her damndest to stomp on his heart.


    But she wasn''t blowing smoke. She was naturally powerful, gifted with razor sharp instincts and surprising intellect. She could back up what she put down, and she would only continue to get stronger.


    She also had four years for a head start.


    Izuku would need everything he could get to catch up, let alone surpass his best friend. He needed to delve into his Quirk, study everything he could eke an advantage out of¡­


    ¡­And most importantly, he needed to train.


    ¡­


    It is only at our lowest do we truly know how far we can rise.


    And Izuku had only just begun to step up.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­

 Chapter 437 - My SI Stash #37 - A Slippery Shield by Wheenesss (ROTSH)

    -Don''t know what''s up with ROTSH!SI fics but they almost always have a 5Head MC, ain''t complaining tho~


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 72K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/a-slippery-shield-rotsh-waifu-catalog.13136/ (Wheenesss)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    I was the kind of person who hadn''t really minded the idea of dying as long as it was on my own terms and I was able to say goodbye to my loved ones beforehand. I used to think it was like that one part of that song from Hamilton, ''dying is easy but living is harder''. Life itself felt like it was becoming more and more of a chore as time went on.


    If I had the opportunity to meet my past self, the first thing I would do is punch him in the face because my death was anything BUT clean. There was a huge thunderstorm that night, one of the trees in our front yard fell down right on top of the house. More specifically, right through my bedroom and right on top of my body. That was an awful way to wake up in the middle of the night.


    The pain was excruciating, the sensation of my ribs shattering underneath the weight of the tree and rubble. I tried to claw my way out from under the tree but I was too weak, and I could feel blood pooling in my lungs from where my ribs had punctured them. I couldn''t breathe, and any attempt just made it hurt more. I think I heard crying? I don''t quite remember if it was mine or my sister as she and my parents tried to lift it off of me. But it was too heavy. It was at least a relief when I stopped being able to feel the pain and my eyelids grew too heavy to keep open.


    But then, I woke up in a strange place. It was an office. I was sitting in a room across from a strange smiling man (some gut instinct told me that he wasn''t a man, that he wasn''t human at all) at a desk who told me I had choices to make. I couldn''t speak, and I couldn''t get out of the chair I was in. All I could do was look around the room and pick up the pamphlet I had been given.


    There was a window in the room. But outside it was a sight that I''ll never forget. It was... hard to describe. It was a constantly shifting mess of colors and shapes. I don''t want to call it a kaleidoscope, because that doesn''t do it justice. I don''t know what it was. I do know that it was definitely alive, and it was looking right back at me. I felt so miniscule before its gaze, so infinitesimally small like an amoeba being held up to a microscope. If I wasn''t already dead I was sure it could kill me one trillion times over. Hell, it might still be able to.


    So I turned away from it to look at the pamphlet, and after making sure I understood everything to the best of my ability, I made my choices. Some might call me a coward for playing along with the machinations of these beings, but I knew deep-down that there was nothing I could do to persuade them not to do what they did. The fact that they were giving me any choice at all in the matter was a kindness that they did not have to extend, and I immediately recognized this.


    It doesn''t make what I did, what I do, what I will continue to do right by any stretch of the imagination. My ''benefactors'' wanted to see interesting things, and I was but their humble jester before them. I still didn''t care whether I lived or died, I was just afraid of what they''d do to me if I bored them regardless of what my fate ended up being in this new world.


    ///


    ("Naofumi" POV)?


    *THUMP!*


    Suddenly, I was alive again. It almost felt like I was coming up for air after holding my breath underwater for a few minutes.


    I had also landed face first. I was in a dark room, with the only light coming from the door leading outside and the glowing magic circle on the floor.


    "Gnnnh¡­" I grunted, moving to stand up.


    I could feel my heart beating properly again, and so I looked down at my hands, and more specifically what was attached to my right forearm.


    The Legendary Shield.


    It was then that I realized that my hands were much paler than they had been before, but it didn''t feel wrong. I wasn''t wearing the same clothes I was when I had died, but these still felt like my clothes.


    The answer came to me immediately. I am now Iwatani Naofumi. I have his memories. I remember growing up in Japan with a completely different family, and having a pretty normal life all things considered before touching that library book a few moments ago. I had two distinct sets of memories, both of which felt like they were mine, but they didn''t conflict with each other in my brain. I can clearly see where one ends and the other begins.


    "Fantastic! The summoning was a success! O, brave heroes! Won''t you please save our world from evil?" a voice calls out in this dark room.


    Oh right, I''ve been Isekai''d. That''s a thing. I looked around, seeing about a dozen dark-robed figures (cultists aiming to kill us, one set of memories told me) standing in front, and to my side were the other three Heroes. Kitamura Motoyasu, Amaki Ren, and Kawasumi Itsuki. Just by looking at them now, I realized this wasn''t like a dream or hallucination. Their faces were too real, everything was too real. They weren''t just drawings on a page or words on a screen anymore.


    Motoyasu looked like he had mixed European-Asian ancestry, which would explain the blond hair. Guess that answers whether or not he dyes it. Ren was downright handsome. Itsuki on the other hand¡­ wow, he looked really young. The dude had a total babyface. Which was ironic since Ren was the actual youngest among us.


    "Is this for real?" Motoyasu muttered, the Legendary Spear in hand.


    Oh you sweet summer child, it''s far more real than any of us will ever truly be comfortable with.


    "What do you mean it''s in need of saving?" Itsuki asked.


    "The story behind it all is long and complicated, but suffice to say that you are the Four Cardinal Heroes, and you were summoned here using an ancient ritual." the lead cultist answers, him being the only one with his hood down.


    "Our world is in a most fragile state, and teeters on the brink of destruction. So we beg you, o brave heroes, please lend us your aid." the man begs, clasping his hands together.


    "Forget it."


    "I also refuse."


    "You can send us back home, right? Do that and maybe we can talk."


    As expected, the three of them refused. If I hadn''t known they were trying to f.u.c.k me over, I would have at least heard them out. But I said nothing. It''s not like they really cared about what I had to say anyway. I was their ''Demon of the Shield'' after all.


    Ren stepped forward, pointing the Legendary Sword at them. "You brought the four of us here without our consent! Don''t you feel the least bit guilty?"


    Dumbass. Even if I hadn''t known what was coming, it was foolish to act so uppity to people who knew more about the situation than you. Even Nao-.... The me from before I had another life dumped into my head would have thought it was rude, granted I was too polite to ever say it aloud.


    "Not to mention, if you throw us out as soon as we restore peace, we''ll have done all that work for nothing." Itsuki added.


    Although to be fair, ''f.u.c.k you pay me'' is a valid thing to say in a scenario like this. I''d certainly want payment for sticking my neck out in a situation like this. Not that anyone here would give me money.


    "How willing are you to accommodate our requests? Depending on your answer, we may end up as your enemies instead of your allies." there goes Motoyasu.


    "Good sirs, before I say anymore I''d like you to have an audience with the King of Melromarc. You can negotiate your rewards with him directly." the priest in black answers.


    Right. Aultcray. Trash. Formerly known as L¨¹ge something Faubrey.


    "Alright, fine."


    "I suppose we''ll consider their offer."


    "Sure, it doesn''t matter who we talk to cuz'' our demands won''t change."


    It might just be because I was predisposed to not liking them given the show, light novel and web novel but Dear God they sound like assholes. Then again, these schmucks explicitly weren''t their weapons'' first choice in wielders. Only Naofumi, or rather pre-summoning me, was. I couldn''t help but wonder if I was worthy, even now? I doubt it.


    Still, it''s better to make friends than enemies. They weren''t bad people, just flawed. It''s not like I could claim to be perfect by any stretch of the imagination. I bet they picked me exactly because I''m into this kinda f.u.c.k.i.e.d up stuff. I followed the three of them as we were taken to meet the usurper-in-all-but name. I mean sure, Malty was the one with actual aspirations to overthrow her mother but her father certainly wasn''t any better even if he wasn''t directly intending such.


    The castle and throne room itself were quite frankly beautiful places to behold. Shame it belongs to such a shitty country.


    As the King drawled on to explain the Waves of Calamity, all I could do was think. Given my choices, maybe it''d be wise to play things as close to canon as possible until after the second Wave? It''d suck majorly, but at least I would know what to expect from the people around me.


    While he''s talking and the others are showboating, let''s check my status. Now was it bottom right corner or bottom left corner? I know it''s one of those two.


    Name: Iwatani Naofumi


    Class: Level 1 Shield Hero


    Equipment:


    Small Shield (Legendary Weapon)


    Shroud of Power (Death)


    Attack: 2


    Magic: 20


    Physical Defense: 70


    Magical Defense: 44


    Dexterity: 18


    HP: 213/213


    SP: 57/57


    MP: 60/60


    Skills: None


    Spells: None


    Click to expand...


    It was then that I realized I was reading this in Japanese, and I understood every single bit of it. Makes sense, all things considered but it was still surprising to the part of me that had not long ago just been a filthy American weeb. I took the time to plan over what I could and couldn''t afford to do at this point in time.


    However what really stopped me for a moment was the fact that the Shroud of Power was listed as Equipment. I mean, the description said there were supposed to be hitodama floating around me, but there weren''t any. Of course I wasn''t complaining about it because THAT would have been hard to explain even if I pretended that I didn''t know what was happening either. There were no Other-World Clothes listed so presumably they had already been ''eaten'' by the Shroud? Still, did that mean I had to manually activate it later when I had some privacy to experiment? How would I do that? Do I just need to focus on activating it, and it''ll respond to my thoughts? I know it has to be at least partially active right now because even if I don''t remember the exact specifics, I do know my stats were higher than my other self was at Level 1. I also needed to think about what I can and cannot afford to change-


    "Oi, Naofumi!"


    "Eh?" I blinked in confusion, coming out of my thoughts. Before I knew it, we were now in the quarters they had set up for us. I glanced outside to see that it was almost night. Shit, was I really zoned out for that long? Got to break that habit soon. It could get me killed in a f.u.c.k.i.e.d up place like this.


    I glanced up to see Motoyasu looking at me, he pointed back at Itsuki and Ren.


    "Tell these guys I''m not crazy. This place is totally the same as Emerald Online, right?" he asks.


    Itsuki rolled his eyes, "And I''m telling you, this place is Dimension Wave."


    "No way, it''s Brave Star Online." Ren but in.


    Right, stage one of my ''master plan''. Getting the other Heroes more on my side, even if indirectly. I can''t say too much now because I know someone is eavesdropping, leading to that BS rumor that lands Canon Naofu-well that just sounds weird to say. That lands the Other Me with no party members.


    I shook my head, feigning confusion. "Sorry, but none of those games sound familiar to me. Although this place is a dead ringer for a really popular light novel series called ''The Rising of the Four Heroes''. The first five episodes of the anime had just aired before this happened."


    Technically correct! The best kind of correct.


    "Aw, what? How could you have never heard of Emerald Online? It''s been at the top of the charts for ten years!" Motoyasu whined, leaning back in his chair.


    "An old school MMO over a VRMMO like Brave Star? As if." Ren commented. You know, he kinda sounds like Riku from Kingdom Hearts now that I listen closely.


    "I''ve never even heard of a light novel series by that name." Itsuki ponders.


    I shrug, "Well, it''s just a theory, but what if we all come from alternate Earths? We were all avid fans of media that seems to reflect this world, but we''ve never heard of what the other is talking about. If a place like this can exist, why not alternate universes?"


    So we tested our respective knowledge of Japan, and as expected, none of it matches up.


    "Geez, alternate universes too? What a wild ride this is." Itsuki remarks.


    "What''s with you by the way, Naofumi? You''ve barely said anything this whole time. What? You scared?" Motoyasu said with a teasing grin.


    I shook my head, "Sorry, no it''s not that. Honestly, I''m kind of in shock. It''s just that...." I trail off, feigning reluctance. "I died before I came here. So the fact that I''m alive again feels weird."


    Well, that part wasn''t fake at least.


    "... You too, huh?" Motoyasu replied empathetically, sitting back.


    "I think I got hit by a truck on the way home from prep school. I was waiting at a bus stop looking down at my phone and then suddenly everything was black." Itsuki admitted.


    "I died as well. I was on my way home from school too like Itsuki. But I was with a friend of mine when I got caught up in a murder case. I remember saving my friend and the criminal getting arrested but..." Ren answered, trailing off as he rubbed his side. Where he got stabbed.


    I shuddered, "There was a really bad storm. A tree fell on my house and landed right through my bedroom on top of me." Remembering it made me feel nauseous, "My ribs were completely broken and I could feel the blood pooling in my lungs. The last thing I saw was my little sister crying as my parents tried to lift the tree off me."


    There was a reason my ideal death would be lethal injection while I''m already unconscious. Can''t feel any pain that way.


    "Damn, that sucks." Motoyasu said, his eyes softening as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well uh¡­ in my case, I have-er¡­ had, quite a few girlfriends."


    "You seem like the type." I deadpan.


    "With that dyed hair? I''d believe it." Itsuki joked.


    "You look like a member of a boy band." Ren smirked.


    The wannabe Lancer pouted, "Oi, let me finish will ya?! And my hair is perfectly natural, thank you! My mom is from Europe! Seriously, I get that enough back home in my version of Japan. Anyways, things got a bit¡­ complicated."


    "They found out about each other and stabbed you to death or something?" Ren chuckled


    Motoyasu''s eyes widened in surprise, him nodding solemnly. "Yeah. Women are scary, y''know?"


    Honestly given the way these three all died, why did they spend so long in the story thinking that this world is just a game? In hindsight, the other Naofumi should have been the only one thinking this was all a dream since he just went to the library before being summoned.


    I took a deep breath, "Hey. What matters is that we''re all alive again now, right? But, there''s another reason I was so quiet earlier." I take on a determined expression, "Did any of your games go into depth about the story?"


    "I skipped out on most of the story stuff in mine, too much text." Motoyasu waved it off.


    "The story was paper-thin in Brave Star Online. It''s more well-known for the deep gameplay and how revolutionary the VR tech is." Ren shook his head.


    "Dimension Wave didn''t have much of one either." Itsuki answers.


    "Well, I didn''t want to say this before because there were too many people around, but I don''t think we can trust the King or anyone here right now."


    The blond young man of mixed ethnicity raises an eyebrow, "Why do you say that?"


    "In the light novel I read, the weapons functioned basically the same way, but the Heroes were summoned to four different nations across the globe. Not all in one place. Which makes sense if you think about it. If the Waves of Calamity affect this entire world like the King said, why would we all be brought here? Especially if proximity to each other impedes our progress? It doesn''t make any sense to keep us so close to each other even if we''re supposed to go our separate ways later." I said, folding my arms. A convenient lie with just enough of the truth sprinkled in.


    "Really? That doesn''t sound like Dimension Wave, but given what that King said¡­" Itsuki put a hand on his chin in thought.


    "Plus well, in the light novel." I brought my voice to a low whisper, "Melromarc was one of the evil factions. They were a human supremacist nation that kept slaves of the demihuman and beastman races. Technically slavery was illegal but no one cared as long as they weren''t human. You can''t be considered a slave if you''re not human, after all."


    "Shit!" Motoyasu''s eyes widened, "You mean we''ve been summoned by the bad guys?"


    I sighed, "I don''t know for sure to be honest. For all I know this could be closer to your games than my story. But I think I know what''ll clinch it."


    "What is it?" Ren asked seriously.


    "One of the primary antagonists was the Princess of Melromarc. A pretty, red-haired girl with green eyes who disguised herself as an adventurer. She''s an unrepentant bitch who was passed over by her mother the Queen-oh, by the way, this place is a matriarchy so the King isn''t even really in charge here. Anyways, she was passed over by her mother as heir to the throne in favor of her little sister. In the books, she makes a false s.e.x.u.a.l assault claim against one of the heroes after pretending to join his party in order to ruin his reputation and keep him from getting any help. She secretly conspired with a prominent religion in the country to overthrow her parents and become the next Queen." I further explained.


    Now normally, I don''t think they''d fall for something like this. At least not so easily and not on my word alone. Two days from now, they might justify it as me trying to pre-emptively discredit Malty before I can assault her. However due to the effects of Social Talent and Siren Song they''ll at least remember it even if they don''t fully believe it.


    "Which of the heroes was it?" Itsuki asked, gripping his bow tightly.


    I gulped, staring down at the Shield on my right forearm. "T-The Shield Hero. Or in this case, me. In the light novel, they couldn''t control which Hero that each of the four countries got with the summoning ritual. The Shield Hero from the book just so happened to be summoned to Melromarc, where the main religion there treats him as the f.u.c.k.i.n.g Devil due one of the past Shield Heroes starting a demihuman slave rebellion and starting a new nation where they could be free. Which is why the Church helped the Princess frame him. They worship the other three Heroes."


    That just rendered them stunned to silence with wide eyes. I felt bad about lying to them like this, but well, better me manipulating them than the Church or Malty.


    "Dude¡­ F.u.c.k, man. I was going to say you drew the short end of the straw just by being the Shielder Class, but damn you''re unlucky." Motoyasu said.


    I pulled at the collar of my hoodie, my face scrunching up in false anxiety. "I-I mean. It can''t all be true right? The version of Melromarc we''re in now might actually be decent? After all, if they summoned all four Heroes then who knows what else could be different, r-right?!"


    The other three Heroes looked at me and then at each other with concern.


    Ren put a hand on my shoulder, "What else happened in that light novel?"


    "W-Well eventually the nation that the past Shield Hero started, Siltvelt, threatened to wage war on Melromarc due how they treated him, but since the Waves were an issue that affected everything in the world, they couldn''t really go through with it. There were also these things called ''Vassal Weapons'', that were basically 8 lesser versions of the Legendary Weapons. They had many of the same abilities but could be around each other without interfering with their wielders'' growth. They were typically used by natives of this world instead of summoned people like us. The Waves were caused by worlds colliding into each other, and the other worlds had Heroes of their own. One of the ways to stop the Waves in the story was to have someone wielding a Vassal Weapon travel to another world and kill all of that world''s Cardinal Heroes, since they help protect their world from the Waves just by existing." I spun the tale.


    "So people like that could be coming for us?" Motoyasu asks.


    "They could be? In the story, there were two Vassal Heroes from another world who tried to kill the Cardinal Heroes. One with a scythe and one with a fan." I said.


    Sorry, L''Arc. Sorry, Glass. I can deal with being hated by Melromarc as a whole but I need the other three Heroes on my side. At least for now. I''d like to avoid Death By Fitoria as a possibility if I can''t get them to work together.


    "We have to find some way to confirm this without tipping anyone off. Otherwise, we could be in big trouble¡­" Itsuki says, his eyes serious.


    "I have an idea. One of you three go find someone and ask about demihumans? If I ask we won''t be sure because they might be lying because I''m a ''demon''. Find a nobleman or someone important looking. Try to be casual about it. If they say something racist or talk about having slaves of their own, then we''ll know." I suggested.


    "That sounds like a good idea." Ren nodded.


    From there, Itsuki was chosen by us to be the one to go. Motoyasu wanted to check it out, but the rest of us shut that down due to his obvious weakness for cute girls. 10 minutes later, Itsuki came back, and he did not look happy. He was gritting his teeth and his fists were clenched. Luckily for me, the kid ran across some fat dumbass who bragged to him about having a demihuman slave boy that he liked to molest. It took all Itsuki had to maintain his composure and not try to punch the tub of lard in the face.


    After that, we agreed to share information and help each other even if we couldn''t directly be part of the same team, which is what I??d been hoping for all along with this facade. They shared information on how each of their individual games worked, while I shared ''crucial plot details'', and we all fiddled with our weapons. Because of Siren Song, I was able to get them to believe that all of what they said to each other might be true, which allowed all of us to get each other''s Weapon Strengthening Methods right off the bat!


    I could even see it reflected in the help menu for the Legendary Shield.


    Smelting, Weapon Mastery, Spirit Enchantment and Status Enhancement from Motoyasu.


    Level Link, Mastery Level, Energy Transfer, and Rarity Up from Ren.


    Rarity Strength, Ore Enhancement, Item Enchantment and the Job System from Itsuki.


    I even told them what I knew of the Shield''s Power-Up Methods from the Light Novel. Sharing, Trust, and Energy Boost. I apologized for not being able to share my fourth method with them, because the light novel honestly hadn''t revealed it yet. But the others said it was fine, saying that the story details and what little I did now about my weapon''s system was enough.


    Now some might ask why I went through this charade when I already know of the methods from the anime? Put simply, it''s not enough to just know that it exists. You actually have to encounter the other weapon user and have them explain their method to you according to the light novel.


    "Damn, these bozos almost made complete idiots out of us." Motoyasu grumbled, sitting on his bed now.


    "So where do we go from here? Obviously we can''t stay in this country." Ren pointed out.


    "I think we should play along for now, so they aren''t too suspicious. We''re all Level 1 right now. They could crush us easily. We use their resources to get stronger, then once we''re powerful enough we bail out until the Queen gets back since she''s supposed to be an actually decent human being." I sighed, "Of course, I''ll still need party members to do any damage for me with an Attack Stat of f.u.c.k.i.n.g 2."


    "Well the King said they were gathering party members for us to meet tomorrow, right? Hopefully one of them will join you even with the crappy religion this place has." Itsuki said.


    "But we won''t be able to trust them because it''s the King picking them." Ren answers.


    "No, Itsuki''s right. We don''t need to trust them. We just need them to carry us until we''re strong enough to strike out on our own and find party members we''re sure aren''t working for him." I agreed.


    Or in my case, find private time to ''unbox'' my chosen party members. Preferably after acquiring Raphtalia. So with the business settled, we shook hands in agreement, sealing our ''secret'' partnership.


    *KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!*


    It was then that we heard a knock on the door.


    "Excuse me, Sir Heroes? We have prepared a meal for you all before you turn in for the night." the voice of presumably what was one of the castle staff told us from the other side. We opened the door, and allowed the attendant to guide us towards the dining hall. Dinner was¡­ odd but nice. The food was definitely tasty. but it was clearly made from monster meat so it mostly looked unlike anything I had seen on Earth before. I ate something that looked like an omelet but tasted more like some kind of citrus fruit.


    Crawling into bed not long after the food, I sighed internally. Sleep did not come easily that night. I was scared of possibly being killed while I was resting by one of the Church''s Shadows for knowing too much, something that was a very real possibility while I was still a meager Level 1. Then again, that would immediately tip off to the other three Heroes that what I said was right. Who knows with religious zealots? They''re f.u.c.k.i.n.g nuts. In that scenario, they might think they''d be able to convince them that I was lying to them. Joke''s on them though, killing one of the Cardinal Heroes makes all the subsequent Waves much stronger and even with that I told them I very much doubt that Motoyasu, Itsuki, and Ren would take this seriously enough to survive.


    I absentmindedly wondered if dying that way would be considered amusing enough for the Entities that ''randomly'' picked me for this challenge. Sure it was way too fast but it legitimately wasn''t my fault. Well, unless they decided that telling the other Heroes stuff while knowing that we were being eavesdropped on was a stupid decision and punish me for it. ¡­ Which was also a very real possibility now that I think about it. Maybe I told them too much? Or perhaps I didn''t tell them enough?


    F.u.c.k. Had I screwed up before I ever really got going? Will I wake up back in that strange, otherworldly office again in the morning? Should I jump off the balcony now and make a run for it? I''d probably survive the fall. Even at Level 1, I was now a cut above how I had been in both of my previous lives. Was I just overthinking it? Maybe I''m being paranoid.


    This was going to be a long night.


    - - -


    Chapter 1


    (Malty POV)?


    I am Malty S. Melromarc, firstborn Princess and rightful Queen of Melromarc. All I have to do is get my bitch mother and bratty little sister out of the way and the throne will be mine. Daddy was already wrapped around my finger so he won''t obstruct me.


    Yesterday, with some pleading from me and some concerned words from Pope Balmus, Daddy had ordered the summoning of the Four Holy Heroes. This marks the beginning of my plan to seize the throne, with help from the Three Heroes'' Church. After framing the Shield Hero for assaulting me, I would attach myself to one of the other Heroes. Mother ''Dearest'' wouldn''t dare upset one of them by even thinking of sending me off to marry that fat pig of a king in Faubrey. Not when the Waves were such a big threat. And by helping the Church keep their ''demon'' weak and helpless, they would endorse me as the future Queen of Melromarc and do their best to convince the rest of the populace to support me as well. After all, if a Hero chooses me as his bride, then obviously I must be superior to my sister. It''s only natural then that I should be the Queen, with my Hero husband as the King.


    Or at least that''s how it should have happened. Although in hindsight maybe I shouldn''t have been surprised. I hadn''t put much stock into the Church''s belief that the Heroes were somehow ''above'' normal people in body and mindset. After all, Daddy was one of the Seven Star Heroes and he''s just as pliable as every other man I''ve encountered in my life. In that respect, I had it nailed. I''d observed them from a distance, and they weren''t any different from most guys around my age. Especially that blond one, the Spear Hero. He seemed like the type that I could lead around with ease.


    But the legends had said that the Four Cardinal Heroes would be summoned with knowledge of this world. From what the Church''s Shadows had told me after eavesdropping in on their conversation, that part was true. The Sword, Spear, and Bow Heroes all kept referencing some strange game they played in their worlds that gave them knowledge of how their weapons worked. Neither the Shadows nor I could really understand what they were talking about. The Shield Hero''s knowledge however, was much more damaging to my plans.


    He had apparently read about our world in the form of a novel, a storybook. He knew about my plan and Church''s plan, warning the other three Heroes not to trust me or them. A part of me found it natural that even people in other worlds would write stories featuring me in it. Another part of me greatly objected to being called a ''villain''.


    Please. Villains are losers. Malty S. Melromarc is a winner. History is decided by the victors after all.


    But thanks to that, the Church was hesitant about supporting me. The fools. This is just a minor setback. Men have been warned about me before, but in the end all it took was a few crocodile tears, and they''d fall in line like the rest. Still, this makes things harder. The Shield Hero was obviously the most knowledgeable one, so he''d be the hardest nut to crack. The other Heroes trusted what he told them, so if I can get him to trust me, then the others will follow suit. My plan is still perfect. I just have to convince him that I''m not the same as the version of me he read about before ruining him. From what the Shadows had gathered, in the story he read the Heroes were properly summoned to four different nations instead of just Melromarc, so he already knows things won''t be quite the same. It''s a bit of a shame though. The Shield Hero is actually the most handsome of the four of them. That mole really brought out his eyes. If he had been summoned as one of the other Heroes I could see myself picking him as the best one to attach myself to.


    So here I stand this beautiful morning, with my best smile on and wearing my adventuring outfit. For now, I was Myne Sophia. I stood amongst the peons that had been chosen to be the Heroes'' potential party members. None of them would pick the Shield Hero. Except me of course, and I''d have to make sure it stays that way. If I''m his only party member, then he has no choice BUT to trust me.


    All four Heroes are visibly anxious when they notice my presence, but the Shield Hero is the most on edge out of all of them. He''s glancing at me with a look that''s full of curiosity and contemplation? Odd. I had expected the former but not the latter. I can work with that.


    I put on my best disarming smile, and the curiosity disappeared from the Shield Hero''s face, his gaze turning straight back towards my father. Hmph. Rude.


    "Once per month, I will supply each of you with the necessary funds to continue your journey. And as we discussed yesterday, I have called for others to assist you in your journey. As you can see, my call did not go unheeded." Daddy began, all formal and imposing as a senile old man like him could be. "Now then, gathered adventurers, please choose the legendary hero with whom you will travel."


    Showtime. I and the other peasants began to move for the heroes. As expected, no one moves towards the Shield Hero. Except for me that is. The boy didn''t seem to expect anyone actually picking him, judging by the clearly puzzled and surprised look he''s giving me. Maybe I can work with that?


    ???Hm¡­ Well this is certainly a troublesome arrangement. Does no one else want to join Sir Naofumi on his adventures?" my father asks, looking down at them.


    No one moved. The Shield Hero sighed, "Well, I can''t say that this wasn''t unexpected. Your Highness, if it isn''t too much trouble, I would like to request slightly extra funds just this once so I can recruit more party members in the future?"


    Daddy nods, "That is a fair arrangement."


    Four attendants came forward, each of them holding a bag full of coins. "Just this once, Sir Naofumi will receive 800 silver coins while the rest of you will receive 600 silver coins."


    The Heroes nodded, all of them taking the bags and placing them atop the round gemstones on each of their weapons, causing them to disappear inside. Hm, so the Four Cardinal Weapons can store items inside them just like the Seven Star Weapons? Daddy hasn''t explained how his Staff works but they must be quite similar. It would have been more convenient if the Shield Hero didn''t know about that little feature so I could take that money when it was time to make my move, but oh well.


    "Now Heroes, go forth and begin your quest!" my father declares.


    The four Heroes bow, "Yes, sir!"


    With that nonsense out of the way, everyone left the audience chamber for the outside of the castle to make their introductions to each other. Hands behind my back, I put on my best ''innocent and excited to be here'' act with a smile.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Shield Hero. My name is Myne Sophia." I introduced myself.


    The Shield Hero raises an eyebrow at me, "I feel the same way. My name is Naofumi Iwatani." he gave his own name in an even tone.


    "So as a native to this world, and presumably this town as well, do you know a good place where I could buy some better equipment and armor?" he asks.


    I nod, "But of course! I know an excellent store if you''re ready to go right now?"


    The boy gestures towards the drawbridge, "Then lead the way, Ms. Sophia."


    I took him towards the store and helped him pick out a decent set of Chainmail Armor. From there we went to the basic grinding area outside of town for low-level adventurers.There was nothing around here except for Balloons.


    "Now, since we''ll probably be spending a lot of time together, I think it''s best for us to get to know each other before we begin trying to get stronger." he begins with a serious look. "So tell me about yourself, Ms. Sophia. Why did you decide to become an adventurer?"


    I fed him a dumb story I had prepared beforehand, "My father is a retired adventurer, Sir Shield Hero. When I was a little girl, I always admired how strong he was and how he would tell me stories of all the good deeds he did. I apologize if it sounds a bit childish, but I wanted to be just like him."


    He nods, "I see. I can understand idolizing one''s parent. But as a Hero, I''m duty-bound to fight the Waves, and as one of my party members you would naturally be expected to follow me into them when they occur. That''s a fair bit above what''s expected of a normal adventurer in this world I imagine. Aren''t you scared of dying or getting hurt?"


    "That may be true, but I''m sure that as the Shield Hero you''ll do an excellent job of making sure nothing comes to harm me!" Appeal to his ego.


    "Of course," he smiles sheepishly, "Although... I must admit that I don''t currently have anything in the way of offensive capabilities, meaning you''ll need to be strong enough to make up for that. At least until we gather more party members."


    Ha! How pathetic! What use is a Hero who can''t destroy his enemies?


    "I''m sure I''ll be up to task, Sir Shield Hero! You can count on me!" I put on a cutesy, determined look, prompting a laugh from the man.


    "Please, just call me Naofumi. We''ll be spending enough time together that it''ll be awkward if you keep referring to me by just my title."


    "As you wish, Sir Naofumi." I nod.


    "Now I do have one more question. While I can understand wanting to join up with a Hero, why me specifically? I seem to be the least popular one here seeing as you''re the only one who joined me this morning. Plus I couldn''t help but notice that the looks many of the townspeople were giving me on the way out here were¡­ less than friendly." he asks.


    As if you don''t already know the reason behind it. I guess he''s fishing for confirmation?


    "Well¡­" I make an effort to look conflicted, "Melromarc has a bit of a checkered history, Sir Shield Hero. Did you see those people with animal traits walking around?"


    He nods, and I continue, "Those people, beastmen and demihumans, well¡­ They were slaves, to put it bluntly. This country views humans like you and I as the only worthwhile race of intelligent beings. I don''t share such beliefs, of course, but that''s just how it works here. The Royal Family, most of all, buys the most non-human slaves."


    That last part wasn''t even a lie. I don???t know why Mother tries to pretend to be so much better than me or Daddy about how we treat the filthy mutts. She only cared because she was trying to avoid another war with Siltvelt and Shieldfreeden. The hypocritical bitch.


    The Shield Hero doesn''t look surprised, as expected. "That''s interesting. Continue."


    "See, the reason why is that in the most recent war, our major enemies were two nations that are predominantly inhabited by beastmen and demihumans. One of them in particular, was founded by a previous Shield Hero."


    "So they don''t like me by association?" he asks, and I nod.


    The man sighs, "It figures. But that just makes me more curious. Why join the least popular Hero? If they don''t like me, then I''m pretty sure they''ll start to not like you as well if you keep spending time with me."


    "Because I knew that no one else would. You''re going to be risking your life to save our entire world!" I shake my head, "It''s not fair!"


    He laughs, "Then I''m glad that I was lucky enough to meet such an upright person like you! Alright, let''s get to grinding."


    The Shield Hero sent me a party invitation, and I accepted. Sure, he''d gain some EXP but as long as I sandbagged myself and pretended to have poor stamina he wouldn''t gain very many Levels, which would satisfy the Church. No ''moral'' man would be willing to force someone else to fight for them past their limits after hearing such an impassioned act like that. Everything is going according to plan.


    - - -


    Now, you might be wondering why Malty didn''t change her plans at all. The simple thing is? While she''s a complete bitch and an accomplished liar, she doesn''t actually learn from any of her setbacks in the light novel. She senselessly burns every bridge she could have potentially had. Which means she''s dumb and stubborn. There''s a reason that the Church was okay with nuking her too when they decided to kill all four Heroes. The girl is a liability no matter what side she''s on, even her own side, which is the only one that really matters to her.

 Chapter 438 - My OC Stash #38 - Zabuzas S.Adventures by Vagabond (Naruto)

    -Zabuza''s S.Adventures which mostly consists of Zabuza swimming in p.u.s.s.y/


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 28K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/zabuzas-s-adventures.12168/ (Vagabond)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    The thing about working along the coast of Land of Fire was the fact that it was f.u.c.k.i.n.g hot. It was a constant sweltering heat mixed with the high humidity of a land that enjoyed a lot of rain.


    Zabuza remembered his time in Land of Water. Sure, it rained like hell there - rained far more there than the Land of Fire. The islands of the Land of Water, however, possessed something that made that humidity worthwhile: wind.


    The Land of Fire wasn''t just named the Land of Fire for the volcanoes and the propensity of its chakra users and ninjas bearing the Fire nature; it was also for the sheer punishing heat that this land lived in. Maybe if he was in the northern areas of the Land of Fire away from the coasts, he might enjoy the bright and warm weather instead of the blistering and wet weather. Unfortunately, he was not.


    Naturally, he found a need to distract himself from this heat¡­


    He stared down at Haku, who bore her b.r.e.a.s.ts with her green haori and pinstripe kimono stripped away from her shoulders and chest. Her hands gripped the base of his d.i.c.k while her mouth lifted up and down slowly over his shaft.


    Two of them were alone in their hotel room in one of many coastal cities littering the Land of Fire, and the moment they got into the room, he dropped his henge and ordered Haku to serve him. She dropped her henge too (otherwise, they would have to fight Konoha and other village hunter-nins chasing after his bounty). He had sat down on the bed, whipped his d.i.c.k out, and waited.


    It took her no more than two seconds to strip herself for his viewing pleasure and another two seconds to kneel and start sucking.


    "C.u.m.m.i.n.g," he grunted out a warning. Haku dutifully pushed his d.i.c.k all the way in and swallowed his first load. She remained like that with her glazed eyes, and he caressed her head as she continued to warm him with her mouth and throat. He finished shooting his c.u.m in her mouth, and she pulled out just enough to keep the head of his d.i.c.k in her mouth. Her tongue licked away anything that might have remained. He hummed appreciatively as he felt her silky and wet tongue run around the head of his d.i.c.k.


    When she pulled away from him after she finished cleaning him up, Zabuza kept his eyes fixed on her wet lips, flushed cheeks, moist eyes, and just a bit of tears on the edge of her eyes. She met his gaze for a moment before she looked away.


    This was a recent change in their relationship. Before this, he had just treated her like any subordinate. He trained and taught her.


    But one day when he was out doing his thing to relieve himself, she came up behind him and asked permission to serve him. It''s been months since then, and she''s been serving him well. Oh, she wasn''t good at all with that mouth of hers. She never learned about it; never had the time to nor the inclination to do so.


    Yet he let her do it because he enjoyed being pleasured by his Haku.


    "Today''s your safe day, right?" he asked her, and she nodded. Knowing what was expected of her, Haku stood up and began to undo the rest of her clothes.


    As her haori and kimono fluttered down to rest quietly at her feet, he also pulled his pants and shirt off before undoing the bandage around his lower face. Still without meeting his eyes, she walked up to and then straddled him, pressing her stomach against his wet and throbbing shaft. Her breath hitched a bit as her arms around his shoulders. He felt the tips of her fingers just barely touch each other on the center of his upper back.


    ''Still a little too small to wrap herself fully around me, huh?'' Zabuza thought as he lifted the fifteen year old woman by her thighs and held her above his awaiting shaft. She still didn''t meet his eyes even as she pressed her meager b.r.e.a.s.ts against his bare chest.


    She slowly lowered herself down, and she gasped as her folds parted to his d.i.c.k. Then as his d.i.c.k pulled her apart, she trembled.


    He grinned unconsciously because he knew that she was enjoying this as much as he was. It was one thing to have s.e.x but if your partner hated the act and you, there was just not a lot of enjoyment to gain from it. Pleasure would always be there, but if Haku enjoyed it, then he too could enjoy it.


    She dropped down, pushing her h.i.p.s to do so, and yipped when his long shaft pushed against the end of her v.a.g.i.n.a. He m.o.a.ned a little at how tight she was. In fact, she didn''t feel any less tighter than her first night three months ago.


    He tilted his head down next to Haku, who was still refusing to look at him. "Service me, Haku," he whispered into her flushed ear.


    No longer trembling, she pressed her face against the crook of his neck as her h.i.p.s moved up and down, wetting him with a different kind of lubricant. She moved so sensually, which was a given how flexible she had to be as a ninja. Her b.r.e.a.s.ts grinded against his chest and she held onto him tightly.


    "Yes¡­" he m.o.a.ned as she pumped him from the top.


    "A-Ah¡­"


    He blinked when he heard her m.o.a.n. Then he grinned.


    "Enjoying yourself on your master?" he asked her quietly.


    "...Y-yes¡­"


    Pushing himself up just a little so that he wasn''t leaning on his arms anymore, he grasped her ass with his hands, and how each of her ass cheeks fit into his hand. She gasped before her voice let out whimpers as he began to shaft her instead of her pumping him.


    "AH AH-!" she m.o.a.ned wantonly. "M-MASTER, N-NO WAIT-!" she cried out in ecstasy before her body locked up and shuddered.


    He stopped his pumping and let her climax.


    "C.u.m.m.i.n.g without your master? Naughty naughty girl," he cooed into her ear, and he felt her v.a.g.i.n.a clasp tightly around his member. It would take more than ¡­ twelve minutes to get him to come, no matter how tight she was.


    "Just relax and let me use you, Haku," he whispered huskily. "Be a good girl and let your master ravage you."


    She whimpered, digging her face deeper into his neck, but she couldn''t stop the ecstatic m.o.a.ns of pleasure as he flipped them around and wiggled inside of her. With her back on the bed and himself on top, he began to pound into her. Haku muffled out the screams of her pleasure by smashing her lips onto his shoulder and sticking herself there.


    Keeping her pinned, he doubled down on her, pushing himself towards his breakneck speed.


    Then, he grabbed her arms, and pulled her away from him.


    Surprised by the sudden pause before he continued to shaft her, she couldn''t hide her deliriously pleasured face anymore. "N-No, I-I don''t want m-master to s-see m-my f-f-f-!" she whimpered out between her m.o.a.ns of pleasure that broke out of her lips every time his d.i.c.k completely hilted itself in her.


    "I get to decide what I see, Haku-!" he growled before cutting himself off as she climaxed again.


    Her eyes widened until he could see the whites of her eyes all around her dilated iris, and her gasping lips was too inviting. He dove down and caught her lips with his and stole her breath away.


    Still c.u.m.m.i.n.g, Haku let out her whimpers into his mouth.


    Then he climaxed and c.u.mmed in her. He unloaded directly into her w.o.m.b, wishing that this wasn''t a safe day for her. Wishing that he could just settle down with her.


    Her hands wrapped around his forearm and she squealed with wide eyes before slumping and trembling in the afterglow.


    He broke the kiss, stared at her glazed eyes and shaking body, and cursed himself. He had gone too far again.


    For some reason, Haku just couldn''t keep up with him. Or rather, she had a really low s.e.x.u.a.l endurance (he knew this because he had other partners before, some of whom had s.e.x.u.a.l endurance far longer than he did). He snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt though, watching Haku just bathing in the afterglow of s.e.x after barely thirty minutes when she could run for hours without stopping.


    Maybe her climax was too explosive? That was a possible thing.


    "Clean me up," he ordered regardless, and her glazed eyes gained just a bit more focus. On slightly shaking arms, she sat up as he got off of the bed and stood by its edge. Crawling to him, she sat down at the edge of the bed. The height of the bed was just so that her face was right against his d.i.c.k. Tenderly reaching out and holding his d.i.c.k, she opened her mouth and gave him the finishing blowjob.


    He caressed her cheek until he climaxed for the third time.


    -VB-


    It was on rare nights like these that Haku spent her night on the same bed with herself on top of him. She spent some time watching her master falling to sleep and then some once he did, and she always wondered why he wouldn''t use her daily.


    He was adamant about only going all the way on her safe days, and acted like he didn''t already know what time of the month she had it.


    She loved her master. More than s.e.x, there were other things where she could gladly give more.


    Laying her head down on his chest, Haku wondered if they would ever settle down. How else was she supposed to serve him properly? There was only so much she could do in fighting, her bloodline or not.


    -VB-


    Zabuza stared at the short man from across the table. He looked just like the stereotypical evil merchant that the civilians and ninjas alike cursed (just like Zabuza himself was the "worst" sort of ninja that merchants and civilians alike cursed behind his back).


    He''d come here today to negotiate the job offer the filthy rich and undoubtedly corrupt schemer had offered him because he, Zabuza, was famous and strong -Zabzua knew that there was a high chance that if he was just strong and not famous, then the dwarf schemer probably wouldn''t have offered the job.


    "So you want me to ¡­ what?" Zabuza spoke up, looking down at the contract. "Just stay away until some ninjas come by to get rid of you?"


    "Yes, that is all I ask. Having a famous missing ninja like yourself constantly around my ¡­ work crew would diminish morale and tell anyone with a pair of eyes that I hired a missing ninja."


    "Alright then. Do you at least know where these ''rescuers'' might be coming from? I highly doubt that you don''t know where this missing peron of yours went."


    "I do. My associates have whispered to me a little story of him being in Konohagakure right now."


    Konohagakure, huh?


    The thought of Mizu''s rival on the continent brought up some good memories. Slaughtering Konoha nin, drowning Konoha nin, getting his ass kicked by that red head, butchering some more idiots¡­


    "Sure, why not."


    It wasn''t like he was going to run into their kage or any number of their stupidly powerful jounin, right?


    Gato sneered. "Then get to the Land of Wave. I will have that island for myself by the end of the year."


    Zabuza didn''t say anything as he stood up and then shunshined out of the room and onto the roof of the building, and from there, he shunshined back to his hotel room, where Haku was waiting for him, dressed up and ready to go.


    "Where are we going, master?"


    "We''re going to the Land of Wave."


    Chapter 2


    A blonde head popped out of a tent in the middle of the dim night. It looked left and right, tossing its twin tails side to side. Then she moved out of the tent as silently as possible and out of the camping ground.


    From behind a tree, a mop of white hair popped out.


    "Are they asleep?" Kakashi asked.


    Uzumaki Naruko nodded sheepishly. "They''re snuggling," she replied while not looking at him with hands behind her back.


    Kakashi didn''t say anything as he got close to her, and wrapped his arms around her. The sixteen year old genin shivered, eagerly looking forward to this ¡­ taboo. After pulling his face mask down, he leaned down, and she closed her eyes and puckered her lips up towards him.


    He chuckled at her, and she pouted, waiting.


    They kissed under the tree, away from their teammates and friends.


    When they broke the kiss, Naruko giggled.


    She knew that a Teacher-Student relationship wasn''t a taboo so much as it was frowned upon, but she''d known Kakashi-nii growing up.


    He zipped his vest''s zipper down and pulled the vest off, and she slowly did the same with her jumper.


    As she pulled her jumper off, Kaka-nii wrapped his hands around her waist and then slid them under her shirt. She squeaked as he pulled her shirt off in an instant, leaving her bare and n.a.k.e.d.


    He pulled the jumper off soon afterward, and Naruko was soon m.o.a.ning into his mouth in a kiss as he pinned her to the tree and ravaged her. His hand groped her, caressed her, and held her while he pumped her v.a.g.i.n.a with his d.i.c.k almost violently.


    She whimpered as she held onto him, a hand on his arm and another around her shoulder, while he f.u.c.k.i.e.d her.


    And she loved how rough he was.


    It didn''t take long before she climaxed, and as her v.a.g.i.n.a gripped down tightly around his member, he climaxed and c.u.mmed into her too. She enjoyed the sensation of his hot seeds dribbling down her v.a.g.i.n.a and down her legs while her v.a.g.i.n.a molded itself into the shape of his d.i.c.k.


    They stood there, getting their breath back from their nightly session.


    They kissed again, passionately and intimately. It felt so good¡­


    Then Kaka-nii moved again.


    "Eek-! Eek-!" she whimpered away into the night, ravaged and loved by her lover.


    -VB-


    Zabuza''s S.Adventures


    Chapter 2


    -VB-


    Considering that he''d been hired by a sleazy businessman, he should have known that this was how the situation would play. Of course, there was no f.u.c.k.i.n.g way that a job would end up easy or reasonable.


    "So," Zabuza grunted as he stared at one of the more infamous shinobi from Konohagakure. "For what reason is Hatake Kakashi the Copycat doing here?"


    The Copycat ninja stared up at him from the ground with what looked like a genin team (if the lack of uniform was any indication).


    But then again, he was technically on Konohagakure''s land. It was expected to run into one of their patrols, if not one of their mission teams. But to run into Hatake Kakashi? That was just bad f.u.c.k.i.n.g luck; he was known for sticking heavily to the borders of Land of Fire and Land of Lightning, not the border of Land of Fire and Land of Wind.


    Oh well.


    "I didn''t expect you here either, Momochi Zabuza of the Mist''s Seven Swordsmen."


    Zabuza shrugged. "Shit happens."


    It was time to earn his pay, he supposed.


    He struck first, opening up with water ninjutsu, clones, and kirigakure no jutsu. If it wasn''t for the copycat, then he would have killed all of his brats in under five seconds.


    But the copycat wasn''t infamous for no reason.


    The battle almost ended with him dead¡­ had it not been for Haku throwing her senbons to make it look like he died.


    Yes, that''s how he met Team 7 of Konohagakure, but it wouldn''t be the last time they met¡­


    -VB-


    "... You should have just killed him, master," Haku commented as they watched Gato leave their temporary compound, which had been hijacked from a local crime lord by the duo. Haku remained standing until they saw Gato and his other mercenaries leave the compound''s outer limits while Zabuza remained sitting on his bed with his left arm in a bandage cast.


    Zabuza hummed. "Too much work," he replied. "We can take it after I''m healed and they try to break the contract." Because there was no way that the idiotic wannabe crime lord wouldn''t break the contract. Greedy dumbasses, whether they were from Land of Water, Wind, or wherever, always thought the same.


    "So what do you think about them?"


    Haku turned to look at him. "The Konoha team?"


    "Who else?"


    "Hmm. They did try to kill our pet."


    Zabuza snorted. "Your pet, you mean. I don''t get why you have a pet rabbit of all things."


    "She''s cute!" Haku objected, pouting in a rare moment of casualness they shared.


    "Not cute enough to be saved from being my dinner, you mean," he chuckled. "It''s gotten quite fat."


    Haku gasped. "Y-You wouldn''t¡­!"


    He shrugged. "I might." She chuckled, knowing that he wouldn''t; he didn''t even like rabbit meat.


    She sat down next to him on the bed and leaned on his unwounded shoulder.


    Not content to just have her lean on him, Zabuza used his wound-free arm to grab her and place her on his lap. She stared up at him, and he leaned down. He kissed her, and she obediently opened her mouth to let him taste her however he wished.


    His tongue pushed, pulled, and slithered around her tongue. It was a dance of flesh without a need to undress. He watched her closed eyes gather into a pleased concentration, relaxed enjoyment, and more while her dainty hands gripped the front of his shirt.


    With his free hand, he reached down and gripped her ass cheek, earning a whimpering m.o.a.n from his woman.


    Today wasn''t a safe day, and s.e.x would aggrevate his wound, so he held himself back. Didn''t make not ravaging his woman any less hard.


    When they broke the kiss for a much needed breath, a trail of saliva bridged their lips, and Haku stared up at him with glazed eyes and that vulnerable eager and subservient expression.


    ''Must not stick my d.i.c.k in her.''


    It wasn''t a safe day for her. He knew that. He had no desire to take care of a baby right now, not when the two of them were constantly on the move.


    ¡­ But he could use her ass.


    ''No, don''t aggravate the wound,'' his training kicked in harshly, and he gave up.


    Instead, he looked at her.


    "Service me."


    She smiled happily. "Yes, master."


    Less than ten minutes later, Haku laid on the bed with her face splatter with his seed from a blowjob and a boobjob while he pumped her with his right hand. She squealed delightfully while trying in vain to cover her face.


    He made her c.u.m once.


    Then twice.


    And finally, knocked her out from pleasure from the third.


    Zabuza stared down at Haku before he decided that her mouth was free for him to use.


    Haku was not happy when she woke up.


    Chapter 3


    Zabuza flexed his right arm, and inspected it for any fault.


    "Healed," he grunted in satisfaction. He turned to Haku, who stood waiting for him. "How are the tree lovers doing?" It was only prudent to keep tab on his current enemies. As such, he had sent Haku to keep an eye on them.


    "They aren''t ready for the both of us," she replied factually and not a hint of playfulness. "All of the genins are below my level in terms of combative effectiveness, and the jounin seems to suffer from some kind of chakra exhaustion."


    "Ho? It''s been a month since we fought. He''s still feeling the effects of chakra exhaustion?"


    "It may have to do with his nightly activities with one of his genins."


    "... He''s f.u.c.k.i.n.g one of the girls?"


    "Yes."


    Zabuza shrugged.


    "Good for us, I guess. How close is the bridge construction to finish?"


    "I estimate a month at their current work pace."


    "Is it the limit of their work pace or are they sandbagging?"


    "They are doing their best to complete the bridge, though I do not understand why they think it''ll keep standing, especially when a three dozen demolition tags would put an end to it."


    "Don''t ask me. I''m not a fisherman." He cracked his neck side to side, making his bones p-p-pop pop with each straining. Straightening back up, he gestured to Haku to follow him. "Let''s get back to doing our job."


    And prepare for the inevitable betrayal by the idiotic businessman.


    "Oh!"


    "Hmm?"


    "Is it alright if I finish off Gato? I think castrating him and leaving him for the Wave will be a fitting punishment for double crossing us."


    "... You''re a sadistic bitch, aren''t you?"


    "Only the best for you, sir."


    "You dare say you know what''s best for me?"


    "Only because you said so yourself."


    "What exactly did I say?"


    Haku looked up with a flushed face and a smile. "The only holes you''ll need."


    He choked for a moment.


    -VB-


    The fight was ending not in his favor.


    Zabuza''s legs gave away at the last second as the copycat''s chittering lightning attack came for his chest. Had his legs not given away, then he would have been struck by the attack.


    He hit the ground and his head bounced painfully off of the admittedly superb construction of the bridge.


    Kakashi moved to strike Zabuza down when there was a twang. Instead of finishing him off, the copycat parried an arrow and looked up. Zabuza too tilted his head towards the unfinished section of the bridge¡­ where Gato and a hundred mercenaries, thugs, and ronin stood.


    "You couldn''t even finish off a bunch of teenagers and a lone ninja?!" Gato growled, though it was obviously he wasn''t putting in much effort in his shouts nor was he sounding any less surprised. "Forget this. Your contract with me is terminated!"


    Zabuza stared at the idiot for a moment before looking back up at Kakashi. "I think our adversarial relationship ends here," he grunted as he got up slowly.


    "Fair enough," the white-haired Konoha-nin replied coolly. "Wanna help us?"


    "I already planned on punishing the midget."


    Zabuza got up fully and hefted his blade over his shoulder. He felt his body and considered it ready for ¡­ pest control.


    Haku shunshined next to his side and knelt. "Orders?" she asked, looking no worse than at the start of this bridge fight.


    "You can do whatever you want with Gato after I''ve dealt with him."


    "Of course."


    "Other than that, go wild."


    What happened afterward was a slaughter. Against two jounins, a chunin, and three genins, the crowd of hired swords did absolutely jack shit. Their swords swung to hit, but found no target, even among the genins. Their archers were pitiful, going down in the first opening bout as kunais struck them with precision. Some tried to run. Zabua made sure they never got off of the bridge.


    And then there was only Gato left after ten minutes of slaughter.


    "W-Wai-!"


    Zabuza grabbed the midget''s mouth and ripped off his lips with his monstrous strength. The tycoon screamed like a banshee.


    It was pathetic.


    "Haku, do whatever you want with him."


    Haku was by his side in seconds.


    And a few seconds later, Gato squealed like a dying pig.


    Zabuza raised an eyebrow when he saw all of the genins gag and throw up. He turned to Kakashi, and the man shrugged.


    It was just then that the Wave''s villagers appeared from the mists that he and Haku had created when they were fighting the Konoha-nin. They came to a skidding stop no more than a hundred meters away the Konoha genin furthest from the slaughter.


    "W-What''s going on?" one of the villagers who was slower on the uptake asked, bewildered.


    "This idiot broke the contract," Zabuza said before kicking the midget where it would hurt the most: in his newly castrated crotch. The midget sobbed in pain. Annoyed by the mess, he grabbed the midget''s hair, earning him some screams, and threw him towards the villagers. They backed away as a screaming body rolled and tumbled to their feet. "All yours."


    The villagers stared at Gato and Gato at them in shock.


    It wasn''t long before one of the villagers holding a pitchfork struck.


    And crossbows fired.


    Zabuza whistled as an impromptu stab fest broke out. "Man, those villagers are vicious," he chuckled. "Not as vicious as my home village."


    Haku hummed. "I''m sure they have a lot of frustration to let out."


    Kakashi stared at the villagers for a moment before the copycat turned back to look at him, though his eyes had never strayed far from him in the first place.


    "What are you going to do now?"


    "Hmm?" Zabuza uttered in confusion at the question. "Why are you asking me?"


    "Just curious."


    "So you can track me down for my bounty?"


    "Nah. Too much work. Hokage is also supportive of the rebellion."


    Zabuza''s grip tightened in his hand. "... How do you know about that?"


    "Why else would one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist take up a sleazy businessman on his offer for work?"


    He huffed in reply.


    "If you would like, then Konohagakure would like to offer you refuge."


    That made his head snap to the copycat.


    "What are you playing at?"


    Kakashi chuckled. "Not much. Having a temporary ninja, one as strong as the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, working for the village is beneficial, not to mention that it would benefit our relationship with the rebellion and then the new Kirigakure, if the rebellion succeeds."


    Zabuza looked around. The genin were staring in horror at the villagers as they strung up Gato''s dead body on a pole and marched back to their village in celebration; none of them were paying attention to their talk like green horns they were.


    "You need to train your genins better."


    "I realized."


    Zabuza thought about it. Personally, he did want to settle down, if only to finally make a baby with Haku. At the same time, he was still loyal to the idea of Kirigakure, just not its current iteration of tyranny and bloodline slaughter. But he also didn''t like the current leader of the rebellion, Terumi Mei. The bitch was just ¡­ bipolar and hypersensitive.


    Settling down in the strongest hidden village in the known world?


    It was a tempting offer.


    "Asylum, huh?"


    "Due to your status as a nuke-nin of Kirigakure, we can''t exactly offer you much, but you''ll at least be able to achieve residency and probationary ninja registration."


    "Right, I heard about that. Konoha really doesn''t give a shit where your ninjas come from, huh?"


    "It helps that we have the best intelligence and counterintelligence department."


    Zabuza tsked. "The world f.u.c.k.i.n.g knows that. Bloody Yamanaka''s."


    "So?"


    "... I''m thinking."


    Haku also wanted to settle. He wanted to settle, if only to finally do the deed.


    He sighed.


    "I, Momochi Zabuza of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, ask Hatake Kakashi of the Konohagakure for asylum," he declared formally, drawing the attention of Haku and the Konoha genins.


    "I, Clan Head Hatake Kakashi and jounin of Konohagakure, hereby accept your asylum request on behalf of Konohagakure. Please hand over your primary weapon for the duration of our return to Konohagakure."


    "Will I get it back after your mind feelers look through my head?"


    "Sure."


    He tossed the huge blade to the copycat, and the man caught it easily despite being smaller. Zabuza raised an eyebrow. "Were you going easy on me?"


    "Never!" the copycat eye-smiled. "Though I may have not been using all of the jutsus I could have used to preserve the bridge."


    "Fair enough."


    "WAAAH?!" the blonde one shouted. "What the hell is going on?!"


    Kakashi turned to the blonde genin, at which point Haku gave him the signal that this girl was the one the copycat was f.u.c.k.i.n.g.


    "Asylum business. Nothing complicated."


    The Konoha genins stared at him and Haku, gawking.


    Haku giggled.


    -VB-


    Next time on ZSA!


    Zabuza meets the Fifth Hokage!

 Chapter 439 - My SI Stash #39 - This Venom Inside by Conartist223 (DCXMulticross)

    -This kind of writing legit gave me Baki vibes, it''s some epic stuff! Also if y''all in need of more testerone revving stuff I suggest you check out Shuumatsu no Valkyrie, I can already see Netflix picking this banger up/


    Synopsis: "Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn''t even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back."¨D Heraclitus


    "Either I will find a way, or I will make one" -Hannibal Barca


    Life is often difficult, but for some it is much more so, especially when surrounded by those who stand above the common rabble. Those who''d rightfully be called gods, and titans, all look downward with their confident smirks and their smug self-satisfaction.


    When you are born at the bottom, what can you do? What can anyone do? There is truly only one answer to such a question...


    You must Rise!


    Rated: ???


    Words: 15K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/this-venom-inside-dc-comics-multicross-si.877788/ (Conartist223)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Waking up in a unfamiliar place is often unpleasant, but the moment I opened my eyes I was struck with the meanest headache I''ve had in my life.


    The dull florescent lights and white sheets with beeping machines told me I was in some sort of hospital, but considering the last thing I remembered was getting blown up by some asshat who didn''t understand that "peaceful-protest" doesn''t involve blowing yourself and everyone nearby sky-high... that didn''t seem too out of place.


    But... I didn''t feel like I got blown to pieces, and I didn''t feel the shrapnel from the mail-box that went up nearby or my car caught in the blast, so unless I was in way better shape than I thought, something about this situation was off.


    Sitting up caused the already monstrous throbbing in my head to upgrade to some kaiju-levels of pain, but not being smothered by heavy sheets in an already hot room was practically divine in comparison... and that''s when I noticed the major differences.


    I was small, and not just vertically, but I was rail-thin and stubby, almost like a child. A quick pass over my face with my fingers confirmed that I wasn''t just clean shaven, but felt like I''d never gown a hair on my face at all, and a quick check under my shirt confirmed that I''d lost my muscular torso along with my chest-hair.


    Considering how big the bed was compared to me, I could only guess that I was somehow in the body of a child.


    Ok, don''t freak out.


    Don''t freak out.


    Ok... maybe a little bit?


    I pulled the little nodes off my chest and head, that were keeping my vitals updated on the machines, and (very carefully) pulled out my IVs in order to finally get out of bed, and finally stand on my own two feet.


    The vertigo hit me hard, but passed quickly enough for me to walk to the other side of the room, where a full-length mirror rested, and I finally got a good look at myself. It was basically me as I''d been years ago, white skin (that would likely tan pretty hard), black hair, and blue eyes (though a bit blue-er than they should have been) and the height and build of a thin child... maybe six to ten years old?


    The next thing I noticed was my outfit, rather than a simple white or blue set of hospital-pj''s, was a drab dark grey jumpsuit with a set of white numbers and letters stitched over the heart.


    #B-1092


    Huh... I feel like I should know that number for some reason, it certainly didn''t ease my headache much to think otherwise.


    Before I could get too deep into my own thoughts, the only door was opened enough for a tall, gaunt, and bald man in a similar jumpsuit to come in with a guy in a doctor''s coat... and flanked by a guy that seemed to be either cosplaying a prison-guard or this hospital had some serious security measures.


    The thin guy seemed familiar, so much so that it made my head feel like it was splitting open trying to recall the nickname I knew everyone called him by, but when he spoke to me in a language I didn''t recognize I almost let out a groan of frustration...


    Until I suddenly remembered the language in it''s entirety. Huh?


    It was some dialect of Spanish, but one I''d never remembered before this moment... at least I shouldn''t have. I could still remember my German lessons in high-school, I could remember learning Spanish from my Puerto Rican cousins, and I could recall all my favorite poems from Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe in modern English and Old... but I could remember learning to read and speak this strange dialect as well.


    So child-body... and child-hood memories that come with it? I can work with that at least.


    The thin guy, Zombie as I remember now, asked me how I was feeling in that weird version of Spanish, looking like he was simultaneously about to keel over and legitimately concerned for my well-being, while the doctor looked both nervous (like the druggy kind of nervous) and done with everyone''s shit.


    The guard was picking his nose like he was trying to tickle his frontal-lobe.


    "Better now senor, though I am a bit sore, can you help me back to my cell Zombie?" I asked, with as much child-like innocence I could muster... which wasn''t much.


    Zombie seemed surprised by my lack of a stutter or nervous fidgeting, which I now remember myself doing since I was old enough to talk, but he honestly seemed too pleased with my recovery to comment on such.


    "Of course my friend, you''ve been in a coma for almost two months, I''d be worried if you didn''t feel fatigued." Zombie''s voice was quiet and raspy, but I could tell by the small smirk and the glimmer in his eyes that he was happy I hadn''t died when I... fell from a catwalk.


    I fell... nearly four stories... and landed on my head in the body of a prepubescent child.


    I should have died, or died a second time rather, and yet I was not only alive but fully cognizant and aware of my surroundings.


    Well, it would seem I was tougher than I looked in this new body... where ever I was. Maybe even tougher than I''d been as an a.d.u.l.t in my "past-life" perhaps?


    Something to think on, when my head stopped throbbing, and I got something to eat at least.


    *****


    It was a quick matter to be released from the hospital with a note for pain-killers if my headaches didn''t stop, and though my body was thin from a month of inactivity, I was able to quickly make my way back to my cell with Zombie''s assistance.


    Along the way, I became certain of two things:


    1. I was inside some kind of prison, and a majority of it was underground.


    And 2. This prison was probably the largest in the world, based solely on the number of guards, prisoners and checkpoints between all the cell-blocks.


    I was in B-block, which was the second largest, and my cell was on the third floor on a walkway 1,000 cells long, with five more blocks as well. Zombie on the other hand, was a "working prisoner" due to a background in medicine and what I now understood to be drug creation, and so was permanently held within special cells inside the hospital itself.


    How did the 4chan format go again? MFW: my prison-buddy is Walter White, and the prison has him make drugs to fuel criminal empires.


    Another thing I noticed, was the sheer diversity of the prisoners, even down to the sub-groups themselves.


    There were Neo-Nazis mopping hallways alongside white-collar dough boys, Mexicans, Cubans, and Spaniards arguing over games of dominoes in typical Latino fashion, Africans and Jamaicans playing basketball with the Black Americans, some Middle-Eastern guys with tattoos I recognize as "extreme groups" to say the least, and even a few Russians with the ol'' Hammer and Sickle either inked or carved into their skin as they lifted weights.


    I caught a few guys giving me nods of acknowledgement as I passed by, and from what I could remember I had been here as long as I could remember, and longer than some a.d.u.l.ts. The point being that even in prison very few have the balls to mess with a child, so at least I wouldn''t have to worry about getting shived over some chicken-nuggies any time soon, but being that I look pretty white I''d have to deal with the skinheads coming around at some point.


    After finally getting to my cell and Zombie offering to return with some food, I sat upon my shitty bed to think and enjoy the fact that each cell in B-block belonged to an individual person rather than pairs.


    A shitty bed, a small toilet and a sink were all the features of the room beyond the single light-bulb in the ceiling, and the only items otherwise were a few extra jumpsuits on a hook, a worn teddy-bear on the ragged sheets, and a small book upon the sad looking excuse for a pillow. Looking down at the book confirmed that I was in a world where some strange sub-dialect of Spanish had been born, because the golden-colored title of the book was written in a language I knew didn''t exist on Earth... on my Earth... whatever.


    Titled as "The History of Santa Prisca, and her Islands." huh? Welp, considering I had no memories of reading this book after I got it from the extensive prison library two months ago, I might as well read this now-...


    Oh...


    Oh shit.


    Waves of recognition washed over me along with a sense of nausea that had me breaking out into a cold-sweat.


    I knew that name, and now that I had the time to think, I recognized my prisoner numbers too. They were the only things most normies and nerds knew about one of my favorite characters, and one of few good things to come out of comic-books in the 90s.


    I was in the DC universe, which is already pretty bad since I don''t have powers and the "heroes" could range from violent loons to useless goobers depending on the writers, but I now knew who''s body I''d taken over.


    The man who was born into the world''s toughest prison. The man that defeated all the odds. "The one man that broke The Bat".


    Bane:


    I was stuck in the body of the one guy who crushed Batman physically, mentally, and spiritually... even if it was only for a moment.


    I won''t lie and say I didn''t have a mild freak-out, because starting at literally the bottom of the barrel in a superhero-universe is enough to warrant it, but because I''d also been put into the body of a guy who might wake up at any moment and-... wait a minute.


    Why hasn''t Bane evicted me yet? Or at the very least made his presence known? From what I remember Bane had a natural control over himself and his mind soooo... oh.


    Thinking back on it, Bane fell and hit his head hard enough to get some sort of vision of the future in the original story, but the injury put him into a coma which he miraculously recovered from.


    What if, in this world I''d fallen into, Bane was never able to wake up? If I wasn''t here in his/my body now, how long would it take before they "pulled the plug" on the kid?


    I''d been in a coma for almost two months, and I can''t imagine anyone would be kind enough to keep me/him hooked up for much longer if he didn''t show signs of improvement.


    I''ve not always been the most religious man, but I spoke a small prayer for the innocent boy that had been condemned to this place for another''s crime, and I cursed whoever was responsible for putting me here in his stead with as much heat as I could... but my heart just wasn''t in it.


    Being put into the life of a normal guy in the DC-universe? Sure, I could handle that. Get put into the body of someone who is trapped in the world''s greatest prison? I''ll take it on the chin like a man, can''t afford to do any less.


    But... getting put into the shoes of a guy who beat Batman once, and then spent the rest of his days being a f.u.c.k.i.n.g joke? I''m smart enough to know when it''s time to fold em.


    "Well, well, well, I''m surprised to see you up and kicking so soon amigo... you took a nasty fall." The voice was like if "douchbag-slimeball" had a sound, and looking over to my cell door, the view wasn''t much better.


    El Puerco, was a fat and ugly like a hog with a bald head and tattoos aplenty, along with a hefty nose-ring witch likely earned him his nickname.


    In this version of history, Puerco had given his same offer to young-Bane of being his personal thief in exchange for protection (though with a lot more s.e.x.u.a.l undertones than I could tolerate), but instead of another prisoner interceding and causing a fight which injured Bane, the young boy had showed a hint of his future personality by flatly denying the man''s proposal and telling the "fat-piggy" to leave him alone.


    Puerco had tossed Bane from a fourth-floor walkway for that.


    "I was wondering if you''d like to reconsider my proposal little hombre. What do you say, let Daddy-Puerco handle all the scary things for you from now on?" The fat f.u.c.ker had one hell of a shiner from where (I assume) Trogg had clocked him, but he was taller than me by two feet and had to weigh at least a hundred and fifty pounds more at my current weight, and he was standing in front of the only exit to my cell... he must of waddled his ass over here as fast as he could when he heard I was better, and was likely waiting for Zombie to leave before making his move.


    I sat and measured my options for a few moments, and I knew from Bane''s memories that the Warden/"El-Jefe" would likely throw me into solitary the very moment I acted out in view of his guards or cameras, Puerco being universally despised or not wouldn''t change that... and I would start down the path of a steroid-abusing waste of a man who''s five-minutes-of-fame would end just as swiftly and painfully as it peaked, and I would be forced to live the rest of my days as a henchman to somebody else''s master-plans while fighting people whom I''ve respected and admired since childhood.


    But on the other hand, could I really just piss this guy off enough for him to kill me and release me from this hellhole? Could I allow myself to die at the hands of such an inferior creature as this, even if it meant freedom from this place?


    Could I afford to let what little was left of Bane, die with me?


    A few more moments passed before I grabbed the bear, Osito, and slowly began to rise.


    Puerco smiled as I came closer, at least at first, but even his limited instinct could tell not all was well. And as I stood before him, staring into his eyes with the full brunt of my hate and perhaps a bit of righteous anger from what little was left of Bane inside me, I could see his eyes begin to shake as his brain slowly caught up with what was going to happen.


    The last thing he expected was for me to pull a shiv out of Osito and drive it deep enough into his chest that I heard it crack a rib. He tried to stumble back, but a firm grip on his nose-ring held him steady as I pulled the blade out in a splash of blood before driving it right where I knew his liver would be. I repeated the process until he fell back onto the walkway in full view of everyone, and I began to carve the pig open with all the blase attitude of a butcher at work.


    *****


    People always say that Joker is the antithesis to Batman, but the people who say that don''t understand either character very well.


    Joker is a crazed nutcase with a fetish for poor slapstick and clown themes. He acts as if Batman represents law and order and he is chaos and anarchy.


    The fact is, Bane is the true nemesis to Batman, because he is Bruce''s true equal in both mind, body, and soul... but with a few key differences.


    Bruce was born into wealth and love. Bane was born in captivity and hate.


    Bruce had Alfred and opulence to console him at his darkest moments. Bane had only himself and the shadows that surrounded him.


    Bruce traveled the world and found people to make him into Batman, and to help him succeed. Bane forged himself in the fires of a single cell, from which he was never meant to survive.


    I would not become a f.u.c.k.i.n.g footnote in somebody else''s story, I wouldn''t sit meekly by and let someone else claim the throne as the greatest-human... even if I respected him.


    And I would not let this pathetic place believe that it could ever contain me.


    I would prove myself as the superior man, one who stood above all others, even if I had to beat them down myself.


    And as I began to twist Puerco''s intestines around his neck, cutting off the precious supply of air to his major organs... he looked up, and he saw the vision of a man beyond men.


    As Puerco''s eyes rolled back into his skull and his body was hung from the railing by his own guts, the last thing he ever saw... was the face of a conqueror and he whispered only one word:

 Chapter 440 - My CO Stash #40 - The Last of his Kind by Greed720 (DanmachiXElderScroll)

    -I pair the Chadborn easily with Hephaestus-chan/


    Synopsis: He''d been in a brutal, life and death battle. A foe that was so far beyond him that it was a miracle he had survived, let alone wounded it. However, despite his many feats, and the skills and abilities, he had honed and developed; he was unable to triumph over his destined enemy! Or at least not yet, his surroundings might have changed, but his adventure was not finished, not yet!


    Rated: M


    Words: 85K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13378472/1/The-Last-of-his-Kind (Greed720)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    With a groan of pain Azoth sat up.


    His body was aching all over, and his head was pounding worse than it ever had before, including after that one particularly raunchy night he had had in the Bannered Mare in Whiterun that one time.


    Groaning again as he felt his stomach turn, and a hint of bile rise up in his throat, Azoth tugged off his helmet, gasping slight as the sweat, blood and pile that bathed his face was suddenly hit by a gust of cold, fresh air.


    Retching slightly as he properly sat up, he quickly had to turn to the side and dry heave.


    A few moments later, his head still pounding and his body still aching, he glanced once at his Ebony Helmet, noting as he did so, the large, eight inch long slash that went nearly all the way through the faceplate.


    It was not a lost cause, and it could be fixed, but even so it would be a pain in the arse to do so!


    Just what in Oblivion''s name had happened? He thought to himself, bringing his gauntleted hand up and wiping the blood and filth off of his face, the rough, leather covered mail that protected his palm feeling coarse against his otherwise smooth face.


    Why was he feeling so rotten and battered, and why was his enchanted armour in such a weary way?


    Oh yeah, now he remembered, that damned dragon, Alduin!


    He had been in Sovngarde fighting against the overgrown, pitch black lizard!


    For three days and two nights he had fought that beast, man against dragon, hero against monster. Both of them had tried to deal horrific, deadly wounds on the other. Only for his enchanted Ebony Armour to protect him, and Alduin''s thick, magic resistant scales to protect the World Ender.


    Even now he knew the only reason he had survived was due to that one Shout, Dragonrend. Without it Alduin would have made mincemeat of him. Hell, even with that Shout, his years of experience, and his enchanted armour and weaponry, he hadn''t managed to defeat that monster.


    The most he had managed to do was smashed his axe into its eye socket, permanently blinding the giant, immortal, black dragon in one eye, and even that much had almost killed him!


    He wasn''t sure what had truly happened, but he did remember how, after inflicting the wound, Alduin had released a massive explosion of pure force and had come after him with all his millennia of fury. The dragon had flown at him, caught him up in its jaws and flew into the air.


    In response he had hacked and slashed at the dragon''s head, scoring his snout and face with wounds as he tried to get free. He had even unleashed a Shout, his personal favourite, Unrelenting Force, right into the beast''s face.


    After that all he remembered was falling, man and dragon locked in an unending, life and death battle as they toppled off of the realm of Sovngarde and into the void.


    Casting his helmet to one side at that thought, the battle worn, hand crafted helm landed on the soft grass with a dull thud.


    That''s right, they had fallen off of the immortal plane of Sovngarde, the Nord''s Heaven, and into the swirling, chaotic realm of infinity that wallowed between the different realms and planes of existence.


    What did that mean though? He was here and alive, despite his aches and pains, whilst Alduin was gone.


    Did that mean that he had won?


    Or was he dead, and thus Alduin had won?


    No that couldn''t be true, if he were dead he wouldn''t be feeling this rough, or sore. Not unless he had been sent to one of the realms of the Daedric Princes. Though if that were the case, he suspected he would know it. The pain he was feeling now, would be nothing to what he would be feeling if he had indeed died, and his soul had been taken by one of the Daedra, even one of the nicer ones.


    With that comforting thought in mind, he raised his gloved and gauntleted hand and ruffled his sweat drenched, short, white hair. His long pointed ears twitching slightly as the wind caught them, his pale, violet eyes gazing around at his surroundings as he did so.


    If he wasn''t in one of the Nine Heavens, or in a Daedric Realm, then where was he?


    Looking around properly he quickly got his answer.


    He was lying on a grassy bank on the edge of a forest.


    The nearby trees were large, and verdant, and covered in healthy green foliage.


    The sky above him was bright blue, and there was barely a cloud in the sky. Overhead he could feel the sun shining down on him, warming his rapidly drying face.


    There were worse places he could have woken up.


    With that thought in mind he struggled to his feet, sagging slightly at the weight of his enchanted Ebony armour, but only for a moment before he made it shakily to his feet. His head spinning slightly as he rolled his neck, a chorus of soft pops and cracks sounding out from the action.


    Looking down he then inspected the rest of his being, his armour was all but wrecked, and covered in a multitude scratches and dents. That said it had seemingly served its purpose, he still had all of his limbs, which was good. He was still breathing, again good. On top of which, after a cursory inspection he didn''t'' feel any broken bones, and the few wounds he had were flesh injuries at worse. None of them seemed to be fatal.


    So again, that was good. He wasn''t in any danger of dying any time soon!


    Now that that was resolved, he then turned around and started looking for his weapons, hoping against hope as he did so that he had managed to keep a hold of his weapons!


    As the Harbringer of the Companions it would be distinctly embarrassing if he had somehow lost the tools of his trade.


    Glancing around, and checking his belt and back strap, Azoth quickly let out a sigh of relief.


    Dawnbreaker, the Daedric artefact, and the gift from his beloved, if sometimes difficult, patron, Meridia, was still sheathed at his right hip, as flawless and perfect as they day he won it.


    Next was Wuuthrad, the ancient, legendary, two-handed axe that was once wielded by the equally legendary, Ysgramor. Fortunately that was still there too.


    Sure it wasn''t strapped on his back where it usually was, but it was sitting there safe, and thankfully in one piece, near to where he had awoken. The large, distinctly Daedric looking axe, resting gently, and in one piece, in the grass, its blade still noticeably encrusted with Alduin''s golden blood.


    That was good, he didn''t think Aela or Eorlund Greymane, would have ever let him live it down if he had lost the Companion''s sacred weapon.


    Then finally, and least importantly of all, yes, his nameless Daedric dagger was on his left hip too. Sure the weapon had been forged by a Master Blacksmith, and then enchanted by a Master Enchanter, and thus was worth an awful lot of gold.


    But since he was the one that had made it, it would not have been too difficult for him to make another one.


    The weapon, like many of the weapons and pieces of armour he had created over his five years of adventuring, was easily replaceable. It wasn''t unique, nor did it have a storied history like his other two weapons, nor the same sentimental value. It was just a tool, one he had long since accepted would either be destroyed, lost, or replaced if he decided he wanted to make something better.


    His other two weapons however, Dawnbreaker and Wuuthrad, they were significantly more important. Both of them were immensely powerful, and had a rich history. On top of which they both also represented two of his greatest achievements.


    Wuuthrad, represented his becoming the Harbringer of the Companions, his proudest moment.


    Whilst Dawnbreaker represented his becoming the Champion of Meridia. Again another proud moment, even if at time he did question the wisdom of bargaining his soul with the ancient Daedric Prince, for power and her sacred sword.


    Azoth shook his head at that thought, he had long since accepted his decision, and he had no real regrets. He had done an immense amount of good with his sword, and had saved many lives, and vanquished many foes.


    In fact over his five years of Adventuring he had achieved many feats, some of which were far grander than becoming either the Harbinger, or the Champion of Meridia. In his time he had defeated the First Dragonborn, Miraak. He had rose to the position of Legate in the Imperial Army and had personally defeated and destroyed the Dark Brotherhood, saving the Emperor of Tamriel''s life in the process. On top of which he had crushed the Stormcloak Rebellion, ending the civil war which threatened Skyrim and the entire Empire.


    But no, despite these achievements, his true greatest triumphs, or at least in his mind, were becoming the Daedric Prince''s Champion, and proving himself worthy of being the Harbringer of the Companions.


    These two more than any of his other triumphs and achievements represented the journey he had been through.


    From an orphaned, sewer dwelling member of the Thieves Guild, a literal pickpocket and grave robber, to a Champion. From little more than a common bandit and cutthroat, to the leader of a band of honourable warriors.


    From a penniless street rat, to the legendary Dragonborn.


    He had risen from nothing, and had become a legend.


    He was also pretty humble too¡­


    Or at least most of the time.


    Admittedly it was a bit hard at times to maintain a level head when, throughout Skyrim and further abroad, he was known, and recognised, as the legendary Dragonborn; a renowned weapon''s master, Master Enchanter and Blacksmith, and Master of the Thu''um.


    It was hard not to develop a least a bit of an ego when bards throughout Skyrim sang songs of your deeds.


    Not that he was perfect, or excelled in everything of course.


    Unfortunately despite his elvish blood he was only adept at wielding magic, so much so that he wasn''t even offered a place at the College of Winterhold, even after he saved their ungrateful arses! On top of that his archery and alchemy skills were pitiful. But still, despite this, he was proud of everything he had achieved.


    Especially since he was only twenty one!


    Azoth grinned to himself at that, even as he leaned down, groaning again as he picked up his heavy battle-axe, wiping some of the blood off on the grass below as he did so, before he then holstered it on his back.


    Looking around again, Azoth paused only long enough to scoop up his helmet, and then pull out one of his few remaining health potions, downing it in one as he did so, after which he started heading for what looked like a nearby road.


    The moment he took a step forward however, his aches and pains rapidly diminishing thanks to the potion, he nearly stumbled over. His hand instinctively coming down to grip the hilt of Dawnbreaker, even as his sharp violet eyes flicked back and forth surveying his surroundings.


    Something felt wrong.


    Maybe it was because his body was no longer wracked with pain, and his mind was a little clearer. But suddenly he felt a sudden emptiness inside of himself, almost as if there were a piece of him missing, a connection that he had once had, but which was now lost.


    Twisting around, Azoth once again stared around at his surroundings, even as concentrated intently, desperately trying to sense what was wrong.


    Suddenly his eyes opened, and his body sagged a little.


    His connection to the Warrior Standing Stone, it was gone.


    His connection to his Patron, Meridia, the constant drumming in his head, urging him on to hunt down undead and necromancers, and to kill them, it was gone. For once there was silence.


    And most profoundly, his spiritual connection to the Divine being, Akatosh, the source of his powers as a Dragonborn. It was no longer there.


    All three of these connections, all of which had been a part of him for years, they had all suddenly been severed.


    It honestly felt like a part of him was missing.


    Panicking slightly at this, Azoth drew his sword, his pounding heart calming slightly as he felt the familiar fire and fury rushing through him as he drew the golden coloured blade. The gem on the hilt glowing as fiercely as ever, even as he felt the part of Meridia''s power imbued into the blade flaring to life.


    It was not the same as the connection he had previously had, but still, the familiar feeling of the energy now coursing through his veins, strengthen his limbs, comforted him.


    Sheathing the blade, but keeping a hand on the hilt he then took a deep breath, calming himself even further as he then released it.


    Turning to face the clear open land in front of him, Azoth took another deep breath, only this time he drew upon his knowledge of the Thu''um and on the power of all the dragon souls he had consumed.


    "FUS ROH DAH!" Azoth bellowed, a wave of intense blue energy visibly erupting from his lips and expanding outwards, a wall of force that shredded and destroyed anything in its path. The wave of unrelenting force expanding ever outwards, even as it travelled close to thirty metres, before finally dispersing.


    Letting out another sigh of relief at that, Azoth nodded. He at least still had access to his powers as the Dragonborn, even with his connection to Akatosh having been severed.


    Then again from what little he knew, most of which was courtesy of the Greybeards and rumour, his title and abilities were due to him having been born with the soul of a dragon, only within the body of Mer, not his faint connection to the god Akatosh. That had merely been a by-product of his being the Dragonborn, nothing more.


    Nodding at that, Azoth continued walking towards the road, pushing aside his discomfort at the lingering emptiness he was feeling.


    It was an odd, and unpleasant feel, but not a debilitating one. It did not physical hurt him or anything, instead the pain was more spiritual.


    Even as he walked, he couldn''t help but dwell on how something within him was missing.


    He had never met Akatosh, so had no personal feelings towards the Draconic God. But still, he had had his connection to the being ever since he was born, even if he only really became aware of it when he slew his first dragon, near Whiterun, at the tender age of sixteen.


    As for Meridia, he had met her certainly, and she had been cold, callous and caustic. She had been so consumed with her hatred for the undead and for those who manipulate the dead, so much so that she had barely batted an eye when the young, sixteen year old, Azoth, still a fresh adventurer, had singlehandedly cleared out her temple of the necromancer and his undead horde that had taken up residence.


    Even so, he had been delighted when she gave him Dawnbreaker and named him her Champion. It had been one of his first ever proper quests as an adventurer, and the sword, which he had carried and wielded ever since, had not only saved his life countless times, but it had symbolised that success.


    That and it also represented who he was as an adventurer, a Hero who fought for the living against the forces of evil!


    Admittedly when thinking back on it now, it seemed childish, but at the time he had been sixteen, scared, and feeling very much as if he was in over his head.


    Like seriously, one minute he was thief causally sneaking into an Imperial camp to copy some battle plans that his Guildmaster, Mercer Frey, had then wanted to sell to the rebel Stormcloaks, and the next he had been captured by Imperial soldiers and sentenced to death.


    From there things had just escalated.


    Smiling bitterly to himself at that thought, Azoth finally made it to the road, his armoured feet thudding as he then began to walk along the road''s cobblestone. His violet eyes looking back and forth as he searched for a sign, or some kind of landmark he could use to work out just where in Tamriel he was.


    Rolling his shoulders as he walked, Azoth continued on in that vain for nearly half an hour, just following the surprisingly peaceful road, and enjoying the sights and sounds of life around him.


    Again there were worse places he could have ended up.


    As he walked along the winding, cobble road, the feeling of hollowness inside him fading to a background ache, Azoth couldn''t help but ponder on his life so far, and what it would mean if this was some kind of afterlife.


    He had done a lot in his life, and had created quite a legacy, one which would probably become a part of popular folk lore long after he was dead and buried.


    Unfortunately though that legacy was intangible, one day, maybe many years from now he would be forgotten, after which he would have nothing left behind on this world. After all during his years of adventuring, despite his many liaisons with the fairer s.e.x, he had had no children, or at least none that he knew of. As such he had no sons or daughter to carry on his bloodline.


    This was especially bad, because he was also probably the last of his race.


    He might have been orphaned as a babe, a foundling that had been discovered by adventurers near city of Solitude, after which he had been sent to the orphanage in Riften to grow up.


    But that didn''t mean he hadn''t searched for his parents in his twenty one years of life, or looked into his heritage.


    His appearance after all was quite distinctive.


    Pale, flawless skin, angular, pointed facial features, long, pointed ears, pale, violet eyes, and a complete, and natural resistance to the cold.


    It hadn''t taken him long to realise that he was not like the other elves that roamed the land.


    He was not green skinned, nor tusked, like Orcs, or Orismer, as they were also known.


    Nor was he as tall, or as golden skinned as the Altmer, or High Elves. On top of which he had no natural affinity for magic.


    He was not as lithe, or as dark skinned as the Bosmer, or Wood Elves. Plus his archery was terrible, and woodland animals were certainly not fond of him. The amount of bears and wolves he had had to kill was evidence of that.


    Then finally he had neither the red eyes, nor grey skin of the Dark Elves, or Dunmer. Plus where they were resistant to fire and had an affinity for that element. He was the opposite and was resistant to frost and the cold.


    This he had discovered from a young age. Which of course begged the question of just what he was.


    The answer he had found, during his years of adventuring, was that he was a Snow Elf, an Aldmeris, as they had been known, or a Falmer, as they had unfortunately become known.


    Azoth was, as far as he knew, the last true Snow Elf. The rest of his kind were all blind, mutated monstrosities that infested the dark places of the world, and haunted the old Dwemer Ruins.


    In truth they were savage monsters that ate the flesh of both each other and anyone, or anything, else that dwelled to deeply into their domain.


    Azoth was a true Snow Elf, as they had been during their peak. He was the last of an ancient and noble race, the true natives of Skyrim. A proud race that had been crippled by the invading Nords, and abused, enslaved and deformed by the cruel and callous Dwemer.


    It was a lot to take in really, and a heavy burden to bear, what with him being the last of his kind.


    Shaking his head at that thought, and gripping the hilt of his sword tighter, Azoth pushed those grim thoughts to one side. As he instead he focused on the matter at hand, his expression becoming tighter as he sensed more than saw, an ambush up ahead.


    Continuing on a few steps, Azoth soon crested a hill and found himself looking at a massive, walled city in the distance. Near to the city some league or so away, he could see a thriving port town. But mainly his gaze was locked on the truly immense and breathtakingly tall tower that dominated the city, and the landscape all around it.


    This place certainly didn''t ring a bell in his mind.


    There was no place like this in either Skyrim or Tamriel, or at least none that he had heard of before, and considering just how tall and grand the tower was, he suspected he definitely would have heard of it before had it existed in Tamriel.


    Which of course brought up the issue. If this was not Tamriel, then where was it? Another continent perhaps? Or maybe another plane of reality?


    He had been cast into the infinite void whilst fighting Alduin after all, and after his years of travelling and the many wonders he had seen, and planes of existences he had visited, it would not be all that surprising if this place where he currently was, just happened to be another plane of reality, one very far removed, and completely disconnected with his own.


    It would certainly explain why he had lost his connection to Meridia and Akatosh.


    Nodding at that thought, Azoth barely even blinked as moments later he unsheathed his sword, Dawnbreaker, and twisted around. His movements; swift, deadly and efficient as he lashed out with his sword, the tip slicing through the throat of some small, skinny grey skinned creature, even as it leapt out of the nearby tree line a stone axe clasped in its hand.


    Moving to the side, Azoth ignored the dead creature, even as it burst into flames, the sickly scent of its burning skin filling his nose.


    Instead he raised his other hand and drew on his magicka, cold, mist radiating from his hand, even as he sent a burst of frost at another one of the creature. The burst of the novice spell, Frostbite, killing the creature in moments as it literally froze the blood in its veins.


    Whatever these savage little things were, they were weak.


    Hell, he had fought Reiklings that were tougher.


    With that thought in mind he danced forward, his movement still smooth despite his cracked and damaged armour. His sword easily cutting through five more of the creature in seconds. All of whom, like the first, burst into flames as he did so. Before, a few seconds later, they exploded into black dust.


    "Hmm, interesting," Azoth mused, sheathing his sword a few moments later after looking around and searching for any more foes.


    There were none, they were all either dead, or had fled into the forest.


    Walking forwards a few moments later, Azoth picked up a small dark, crystal shard, within which he could see some kind of swirling purple energy.


    It was strange, each of the creatures he had destroyed had exploded into dust, like some kind of conjured creature, and left behind these small crystals, each of which was little more than an inch long and a centimetre wide.


    Pocketing six of the crystals, Azoth then raised the last one and inspected it. The crystal almost looked like some kind of soul gem, admittedly it was smaller than even a petty soul gem, but still, it was fascinating.


    With that thought in mind he once again unsheathed Dawnbreaker and pressed the shard in his hand against it. Closing his eyes as he did so, Azoth could almost feel how the enchanted sword absorbed the energy from the shard of crystal, recharging a small amount of its power as it did so.


    "Very interesting," Azoth muttered, these gems, or crystals, acted in the same manner to soul gems. Which meant they could be used for enchanting armours and swords, and for recharging the enchantments on weapons.


    Looking down at his battle ravaged armour, Azoth couldn''t help but smile, at least there was that. If he accrued enough of these, significantly more powerful of course, he could forge and enchant himself a new set of armour.


    Sheathing his sword again, and brushing some of the black monster dust off of his armour, Azoth continued walking down the cobblestone road and headed for the large city in the distance. Orario apparently, or at least that was the name given on a passing sign.


    For now he had a couple of goals he wanted to pursue. First things first he needed to find out just where he is, and whether his theory of being in another world is correct. Which if it is the case would mean finding lodgings whilst he is here. A tavern would be the first place he would go once he reached the city, those places tended to be the places to go if you want to get information on an area, or hear the local rumours.


    Secondly he needed to acquire a lot more of these monster crystals, though ones on the level of a filled Black Soul Gem, after which he would need to gather the material he would then need to re-forge, and re-enchant, his armour, making better and stronger than before.


    Then finally after that he would need to find out whether Alduin was also in this place. His quarrel with the one eyed black dragon was not yet over, and if he were here then he would need acquire the equipment, and hone his skills, so that he could finally end the World Eater, once and for all!


    Chapter 2


    (With Azoth)


    Upon finally reaching the walled city of Orario and entering it, Azoth, had to admit he was impressed.


    The city was absolutely massive, and from a first glance, looked very wealthy. The streets were absolutely filled with people; from shouting merchants selling their wares, to richly citizens shopping about, and armour warriors, and cloaked mages doing whatever it is warriors and mages did on their days off.


    The place was crazy, everywhere he looked he saw something that surprised or confused him. In the distance, looming over the many tightly packed town houses, and the labyrinth of streets, he could see the occasional palatial tower, or extravagant mansion, or colossal, opulent castle.


    More than that though were the people, looking around Azoth now knew for sure that he was not in Tamriel. Sure there were humans wandering around, humans of every colour and creed, some of whom were noticeably armed with weapons and wearing some kind of armour, whilst others were dressed in normal traveller''s clothes, or the outfits of gentry.


    Noticeably though he could see some, mainly; tanned, fit and attractive, dark haired women, were wearing scandalous clothing that wouldn''t be out of place in a bedroom or a brothel. Those few that he passed, he made sure to pay extra attention too, partly because of their choice of revealing clothing, and partly because they seemed a little different than the other humans.


    That said there were not just humans in the city. Intermingling with the multitude of humans of every creed, colour and gender, he could see elves, or at least what he thought were elves.


    They were certainly more beautiful than the average human, with the delicate angled features and long pointed ears his kind often boasted.


    But these elves did not have the nut brown skin of Wood Elves, or the grey skin of Dark Elves, nor even the golden skin and hair of High Elves. They certainly didn''t have the very pale skin colour, and white of the Snow Elves, or rather they didn''t resemble him that much.


    Instead they looked like just more attractive humans who just happened to have long pointed ears, with them having the same skin colour as the Nords, Imperials and Bretons, and a multitude of eye and hair colours, with them being as varied as the humans were in that regard.


    It was, for Azoth at least, very bizarre.


    That was not all though, even stranger still he could see what could best be described as animal people walking around, and he wasn''t talking about the cat like Khajiit or the reptilian Argonians that he knew.


    No, these animal people had the faces and appearances of humans, only with them also have additional animal like appendages. Some of those he passed, he could see had cat ears and tails, whilst others had dog ears and wagging dog tails, and there were still others that he didn''t recognise, or at least he couldn''t tell what they animal their tails and ears were supposed to be from.


    Honestly it was fascinating, everything and everyone around him was just so different, and so alien from what he was used too. From the merchandise and food that the stall and shop owners were attempting to sell, to the people he passed by and the topics of conversation they spoke of.


    Many of those he passed, mainly those with some kind of weapon or staff, regular mentioned ''going into the Dungeon'', and talked about monsters they had encountered, fought and killed, and crystals they had acquired.


    Hearing this, Azoth couldn''t help but smile beneath his helmet''s battered, Ebony visor. During his time as an Adventurer he had fought his way through many dungeons, cave systems, castles and tombs, and going off of the little ambush he had dealt with on the road just outside of the city, he had a good idea about what they were talking of when it came to monsters and crystals.


    It appeared that life here was not too different to the one he had lived in Skyrim.


    That said the way they spoke of the dungeon, monsters and crystals was a bit peculiar.


    They spoke of the crystals like they their main source of income, with some of those he passed chatting to their companions about ''farming'' the upper levels of the Dungeon, with that being Dungeon singular, so they could get some crystals and make a few ''Valis''.


    Azoth by this point had guessed that ''Valis'' was the currency in this place.


    Shaking his head at this Azoth continued on, not caring one jot about the odd looks that were being occasionally sent his way as he strolled down the high-street in his battle scarred, blood encrusted, Ebony Armour, complete with his mangled helmet and deadly looking weapons.


    By this point in his life he was used to the looks he often received, mostly awe, fear and suspicion, and now no longer bothered even reacting, and even if he was still bothered, he still probably wouldn''t have cared. No, at present he was too consumed by all the new sights, sounds and smells around him to bother about anything else.


    That said he did hear the occasional passer-by reference him as he walked passed them.


    "Looks like he''s had a rough day in the Dungeon!"


    "Must have gone down to the lower levels, especially for him to be a state like that!"


    "Hey I don''t recognise that guy, he looks tough as hell though! Do you know what Familia he is a part of?"


    "I thought the Dungeon was in the other direction?"


    "Maybe he''s back from a quest outside of the city!"


    "Ha! I doubt it, everyone knows the monsters on the surface are much weaker than those in the Dungeon!"


    Taking in these comments as he passed, Azoth slowly began to build up a picture in his head of just what was going on in this city.


    The place, by the sounds of it, was based on the top of some massive dungeon, one which had many, many levels.


    Due to this the city attracted a lot of warriors, mages and adventurers, probably from all over the world, some of whom formed Guilds, or parties, like ''The Companions''. After which these parties, which they apparently called Familia''s, ventured into the depths of the dungeons. Probably they did this because the lower you went in the Dungeon, the more monsters there were, and the more powerful these monsters would be.


    No doubt all these Adventurers made their money in a similar manner to Azoth too, by hunting down and killing strong monsters/ foes, and then looting their remains for weapons, jewels or material they could sell.


    Though mainly it seemed that they harvested the monster crystals and sold them, likely to enchanters, smiths and mages who could make use of the energy contained within these monster soul gems, or use the materials from monsters or veins of ore that were in the Dungeon.


    Nodding to himself at this realisation, Azoth made his decision.


    Like he had initially planned, he would find a tavern and get the proper lowdown on what was going on in this city and where the entrance to this Dungeon was. After which he would start venturing down there, make himself enough money on the upper levels to afford a decent home, food and potions and what not.


    Enough for him to set up a base of operations for his time in the city. Following on from which he would venture deeper and deeper into this Dungeon, as deep as possible, as by the sounds of it the further into the dungeon you go the stronger the monsters, hence the bigger and more powerful the monster soul gems, and the more valuable the materials and loot.


    Yes, if he wanted to forge and enchant himself some new battle armour he might need to go very deep into the Dungeons, and honestly, a part of him was pretty excited about it too.


    These monsters, they sounded fascinating. Already he could barely wait to get down there and kill a few. It was in his nature to hunt down the strongest of the strong, challenge them, and prove himself their superior. On top of which, who knows what kind of things he could make from what he harvested from them!


    That was the smith in him thinking.


    Grinning to himself at that, his heart beating fasting in excitement at the thought of fighting new challenges and reaping the rewards, Azoth quickly approached a nearby stall owner.


    If he wanted to do any of that he needed to first find an inn so he could get some more information, it was the way you got information in Skyrim, that or you visited a Jarls court and question the steward.


    "Ah, h-hello," The young girl at the store stuttered. With the girl in question, being very short, yet unusually busty despite her height, something her obscenely tight and short white and blue dress seemed to showcase. "Do you want a fried potato?"


    "Erm, what?" Azoth replied bemusedly, looking away from the very attractive, dark haired, blue eyed girl, and instead to the paper box in her hand, and the fried potatoes he could see inside.


    "Fried potatoes, they come with a number of different sauces depending on what you like!" The girl chirped, overcoming her nervousness, over his height and appearance, at the possibility of a sale, her odd head band, which had two long springs topped with what looked like miniature, fake potatoes, bouncing about as she did so.


    "No, sorry I am not really looking to eat at the moment," Azoth replied, pushing down his hunger, and the gurgle of desire he could feel building up in stomach at the thought of some food. It had been a couple of days now, if not longer, since he had last had a good meal. But no, no he had something he had to do first, and once that was done, then he would eat. "I''m actually just wondering whether you know of any good taverns nearby?"


    "Oh, so you''re not about to buy something¡­" The girl replied, a put out look on her face. The look however only lasted for a moment though, before she perked up. "Well never mind, I can think of a few taverns nearby. Though I am surprised you don''t know of any, I mean you look like a pretty tough Adventurer, surely you''ve been to a few in your time?"


    "I''m actually new here, only arrived today." Azoth replied with a slight chuckle, the girl had a good attitude, and seemed the helpful sort, he could appreciate that. "That''s why I am looking for a tavern, in my experience it''s where you pick up all the juiciest gossip and titbits!"


    "Wait your new to the city, really!?" The girl suddenly beamed, with her practically bouncing up and down with excitement now, her chest noticeably moving up and down in response as she did so. "Does that mean you don''t have a Familia?"


    As she said this the girl''s eyes trailed over his expensive, yet battered looking armour, and his powerful, yet well-used looking weapons.


    No doubt she could see he was not some inexperienced fledgling Adventurer, maybe she could even feel the power of his magic weapons and enchanted armour.


    "No, I''ve not joined up with one yet." Azoth shrugged, not too bothered about sharing that. It wasn''t like he needed a party to get by after all. He had done fine thus far by himself, and he had probably fought against foes that would make most of the warrior and mages in this city quail with fear.


    So no, he wasn''t too concerned about venturing into this Dungeon by himself. Normally, and at most, it was just him by himself on his adventures, though occasionally he did bring a supporter along for the ride. With it often times being that sarcastic pain in the arse, Lydia, after all ''she was sworn to carry his burdens''.


    Bloody Lydia, always getting in the way and making snippy comments!


    Still she got the job done, and was tolerable enough company, most of the time.


    "Wait you''ve not, t-then, would you like to join my Familia?" The girl asked, her voice once again going nervous as she looked up at him, hope shining in her bright blue eyes.


    "You have a Familia?" Azoth asked in surprise.


    This girl didn''t look like a fighter. She looked too soft, and too naive. The warrior women he knew held themselves like fighters, and they walked and talked like veteran warriors. This girl, harsh though it might seem, did not give off that effect. She seemed pleasant, yes, but just a bit weak¡­


    "Well of course I do, I am the Goddess Hestia after all!" The now named Hestia replied proudly and confidently, her hands on her h.i.p.s as she looked up at Azoth, a mixture of hope and pride on her face as she gazed at his battled scarred helmet, and barely visible violet eyes.


    Azoth, in response couldn''t help but smile in bemus.e.m.e.nt at the girl''s words.


    Fortunately though his smile could not be seen, and so the girl wouldn''t be able to see his amus.e.m.e.nt at her comment. She seemed a nice kid, but even so for this human girl to call herself the ''Goddess'' Hestia, it was pretty damn presumptuous.


    Not even the most arrogant of bandit warlords, archmages, generals or emperors had called themselves that. The Aedra and Daedra that Azoth knew of would have not allow for such an insult after all, in fact he suspected that any being that did dare to make such a claim would not have a very long life expectancy.


    That said, maybe the gods of this world, and yes by now he had realised that this was not Mundus or any of the realms of Oblivion, were a bit easier going and thus allowed such blasphemy.


    But even so, it was a pretty arrogant thing to call oneself, and one he honestly didn''t expect from this seemingly nice and pleasant girl.


    "So how would you like to join?" Hestia continued brightly, her eyes still shining with hope.


    "Well, erm, Hestia," Azoth began, he refused to call her ''Goddess Hestia'', he didn''t want to encourage her ego after all. "Thanks for the offer, and I will definitely think about it!" He wouldn''t. "But for now I am just hoping to find a tavern so I can get the lay of the land so to speak!"


    "Oh, ok¡­" Hestia replied, visibly wilting in resigned disappointment as she did so. It looked like the girl had expected such an answer, but despite that, had still allowed herself to hope. It kind of made him feel a little guilty. "Well that''s fine, as long as you keep my offer in mind!"


    "Absolutely." Azoth nodded kindly, before shuffling awkwardly. "So about the tavern?"


    "Oh, yeah, right, there is one just down the street from here about a five minute walk, you can''t miss it. It''s called the Hostess of Fertility." Hestia said with a nod, gesturing down the high-street, in the direction he had previously been walking.


    "Thanks." Azoth nodded, reaching into the pouch at his side and pulling out a single gold coin as he did so, after which he handed it to the slightly downtrodden girl, catching her completely by surprise. "I appreciate your help."


    "Oh, err, it was no problem at all!" Hestia chirped, her large blue eyes blinking in surprise as she stared at the large, gold coin in her hand. Thankfully she had the good grace not to bite it to test that it was real. "You didn''t need to pay me or anything, I was happy to help."


    "Still, take it as a thank you from me for being so helpful." Azoth replied kindly, waving her words away. She was a nice, if slightly egotistical girl, the Goddess Hestia indeed, and she had helped him when she didn''t need to, he wouldn''t begrudge giving her a gold coin for her time.


    "Well thanks then!" Hestia beamed up at him.


    Azoth nodded in response, even as he turned around and began heading in the direction she had pointed. The hustling, bustling crowd around him moving out of the way as his large, armoured mass strode through them.


    "Remember my offer too!" Hestia called out after him as he quickly head down the street, giving a backwards wave as he did so.


    ( - )


    (A few minutes later)


    A few minutes later found Azoth, still in full armour, entering the tavern that Hestia had pointed out to him.


    The Hostess of Fertility, it was a large, homely looking place which was filled with plenty of wooden chairs and tables, with a large bar against one side of the room, behind which Azoth could see a number of girls in green dresses and white aprons, a uniform of some kind, bustling about.


    The moment Azoth entered the bar his violet eyes surveying the dozen or so patrons already inside, most of whom were sitting around in small groups around the sides of the room. Before he could take more than a step into the tavern however, a loud, stern voice called out to him, catching his attention.


    "No helmets, hoods or masks in the bar!" The strong, female voice rang out abruptly, catching Azoth''s attention as he looked to the bar and saw a stocky, middle aged woman, with a kindly face and long, brown hair, which was tied up into a pony tail, looking at him sternly.


    "Right, right, I hear you." Azoth nodded, approaching the bar as he did so, even as he started to unbuckle his helmet. With him placing the damaged helmet on the top of the bar, moments before he sat down heavily on one of the empty stools that were lined up along the bar.


    "Sorry about that, I should have thought." Azoth chuckled, messing up his already messy white hair to get rid of his helmet hair, even as he let out a sigh of relief as his long, pointed ears were open to the air once more. Helmets were incredibly useful in his line of work, but they sure as hell could be stifling sometimes.


    "No harm done," The woman huffed good-naturedly, eyeing him as she did so, no doubt taking in his angular, elven features, the scar which crossed his face, and his snow white hair and violet eyes, grabbing a wooden tankard from under the bar as she did so. "Drink?"


    "An ale if you serve it?" Azoth replied, hoping beyond hope that they served something like the ale of his homeland, Skyrim, even as he shifted on his stool to make himself comfortable.


    "Aye, we''ve got it, if you''ve got the coin that is?" The woman replied bluntly, eyeing up his ragged appearance, yet expensive equipment, shrewdly.


    Pulling his pouch of gold off of his belt, and pulling out a gold coin, Azoth slid the coin across the bar surface. "I am new to Orario, not changed my coin to the local currency yet, do you take gold though?"


    "As long as it''s real." The woman nodded, picking the coin up and giving it the bite test as she did so, before nodding approvingly.


    "Then I''ll have an ale, and some food, something heavy, with lots of meat, some vegetables, bread and gravy." Azoth nodded, opening his pouch as he did so to show that he had a lot more gold where that came from.


    "I like your style." The woman nodded, her lips curling upwards in amus.e.m.e.nt, even as she called out an order to a nearby serving girl, a pretty, greyed haired, grey eyed human girl, and then filled up a tankard of ale for him. "The names Mia, Mia Grand, what about you stranger?"


    "Azoth," Azoth replied with a nod, taking the ale from Mia with a grin and having a sip as he did so. It was pretty damn good. "It''s good!"


    "Well of course it is, I brewed it!" Mia replied with a hearty grin and bark of laughter. "So a newcomer to Orario then? You don''t look like some newbie, in fact you look like you''ve been through the wars!"


    "It''s funny you should say that," Azoth replied with a chuckle, thinking on the civil war he had been embroiled in as he did so. "I was involved in a pretty brutal war not that long ago, but that was a few years ago now. Mostly I am an Adventurer, and not a soldier."


    "Aye, I can see that. That must have once been a pretty decent set of armour, and are those some magic weapons I see too?" Mia nodded, looking him up and down again as she did so, taking in his wrecked armour, and the battle-axe on his back and sheathed sword on his hip. Her sharp eyes gleaming, and holding the look of an experienced warrior as she did so. "What Familia were you in, I might have heard of it?"


    "They were yeah, and Familia, it depends on what you mean by Familia?" Azoth replied, his brow furrowing in confusion, making the straight scar that went across his cheeks and nose crinkle up as he did so.


    "What do you think I mean by Familia, the god who gave you their Falna, their Blessing?" Mia asked, her own brow furrowing as she sent the elf an odd look.


    "Oh, okay, so that''s what you mean." Azoth muttered, pushing aside his surprise that these Familia that every seemed to be a part of, were actually groups of warriors and mages who had been blessed by gods. It also, much to his guilt, made him realise that perhaps that Hestia girl hadn''t been being arrogant.


    Then again, he found it hard to believe that that little girl was a god. Not when he compared that chirpy, distinctly human looking girl, to the Daedric Princes he had met.


    Still it seemed he needed more information now, especially if there were gods giving out their Blessings willy-nilly, and said same people, Adventurers, were wandering around in gangs they called Familia.


    "You didn''t know what Familia were?" Mia asked, a look of disbelief on her face.


    Taking another sip of his ale to give himself time to think, Azoth shook his head. He was a pretty canny guy, and as such he knew he shouldn''t reveal his ignorance of the commonplace things in this world, or that he was a stranger here. With gods apparently interacting with mortals on a regular basis, who knew what kind of trouble the suspicion over his ignorance would bring him.


    "As I said I am new to Orario, and not really from here." Azoth began carefully, his mind a whirl as he began to pull on half-truths. "Familia is not a term I am, well familiar, with. I did have a Divine Being, Meridia, as my patron though. She gave me her Blessing, and this sword." Azoth patted Dawnbreaker fondly as he said that. "But I was the only one that she Blessed or the only one that I know of, and she didn''t call me her ''Familia'', but instead her Champion."


    "Ah," Mia nodded, taking his empty tankard and absentmindedly refilling it as she did so. Noticeably a number of the waitresses had gathered about too in the current lull in business, one of them the grey haired human from before, with the others being two cat people, another blonde human, and the last, an attractive, green haired elf. She, the elf that is, certainly caught his eye. "Explains the gold and the fact I''ve never seen you before, I suppose. So Meridia eh, can''t say I''ve ever heard of her, sounds eccentric though?"


    Azoth''s lips quirked upwards in a smile at her implied question. "She was certainly that. If I were to be honest, I would say she was cold, callous at times, blunt and above obsessive. But she meant well, and she certainly helped me out, or at least she did when I was doing what she wanted me to do."


    "Definitely sounds like a god." Mia said dryly.


    "I''m guessing there are a lot here then?" Azoth queried.


    "This is the Dungeon City, Orario, the centre of the world and the home of the Dungeon. Most of the gods that descended from heaven to live among the mortals reside here, and most of them have Familia!" Mia laughed, shaking her head in amus.e.m.e.nt at him. "Your goddess must not have done much explaining."


    "Clearly not." Azoth chuckled.


    "Well then like I said, the city is filled with gods and their Familia, all of which do numerous different things from farming to exploring the lowest levels of the dungeon." Mia shrugged, after which she gave him a rundown on the specifics of Orario and the way things worked here.


    A few minutes later, after her brief explanation, and whilst she was pouring him another tankard, Mia spoke once again. "So what are you doing here then, has your goddess decided to move to the city?"


    By the sounds of it Mia was quite interested in his answer, and he wasn''t surprised, from what he had heard the arrival of another goddess and her ''Familia'' might have a significant impact on the already delicate balance of power here in Orario.


    "No," Azoth quickly shook his head a few moments later, thinking on how he had completely lost his connection to Meridia as he did so. "She''s gone, my connection to her has been broken and she is up in the heavens no doubt doing whatever she wants. I meanwhile, well I have to make my own way. Hence why I am here."


    The waitresses behind Mia all looked sad at that. The brown haired woman however just looked nonchalant. "That''s just the way of gods I''m afraid, their all flaky, flighty beings."


    "You''re telling me." Azoth chuckled, he had had his fair share of meeting Divine Beings before, and personally he would have added in insane, capricious, evil and deadly too, but apparently the gods here were very different to the Divine Beings he was used too.


    "So what''s the plan then, you''re new to the city, but you must have come here for a reason right?" Mia asked abruptly.


    "Well I suppose you could say that the main plan is to head down to the Dungeon." Azoth nodded, idly scratching his chin as he did so. "First things first though I''ll need to find the entrance."


    "Afraid not kid. Since you''re new to the city the first thing you''ll need to do is join a Familia that is if you want to go down to the dungeon, and then register with the Guild. They''re pretty prickly about that, they won''t allow anyone without a Falna, and who is not a Familia, into the Dungeon. They don''t want some stupid kids, or idiots wanting to play tourist, to get themselves killed down there. It''s why they have the policy, it is their insurance so they can avoid any backlash from something bad happening down there." Mia cut in, an amused smile on her face as she saw the Snow Elf''s expression.


    "Well that''s annoying." Azoth frowned, he had been hoping to head down there straight away and start making money and gathering materials and large monster soul gems to forge some new armour.


    "You''ll be fine, you''re clearly not a newbie, and you have gold and magic weapons, most Familia would be happy to let you in, you just need to apply." Mia waved him away, only for her to suddenly smirk. "The most annoying thing for you is that they will insist that you have a Guild Advisor, it is also a part of their policy that newcomers to the Dungeon all have them for at least a couple of weeks, even if you aren''t starting off as a Level One."


    Pushing aside his confusion about what Mia meant by Level One, he was sure he could work that out later.


    Azoth instead just frowned at the inconvenience. That said, as he thought about it, he could see the potential advantages in having a Familia. You would have some backup if you need it, a place to stay and a group to go into the dungeon with if necessary. If he joined a suitable one he could even get a fast track down to the lowest levels.


    On top of which, from what Mia had said before, to have a comfortable life in the city, and to cash in gems, enter and use the Dungeons and the facilities in the Tower of Babel, the massive tower in the centre of the city, you needed to be a member of a Familia.


    Being a member of a Familia was a necessity in this place.


    "Fair enough," Azoth nodded after a few moments of thought, finishing another tankard of ale as he did so. The ale here was pretty great. "Do you have any you would recommend?"


    "Depends what you want to do?" Mia shot back, taking his tankard without him asking and filling it up for him again.


    "I want to head down to the deeper levels in the Dungeon, I need to pick up some materials and monster stones so I can sort myself out some new armour." Azoth shrugged, seeing no point in hiding his intentions, it wasn''t like they would harm anyone. Except Alduin of course, but that was probably going to be much, much further down the line.


    "Oh, so you want to get money fast and some new armour. In that case I would suggest either the Freya or Loki Familia, they are the two strongest ones in Orario and exploration Familia''s that regularly go on expeditions to the lowest depths of the Dungeons, every time attempting to get lower and lower." Mia nodded, her keen eyes flicking over his armour, her gaze intense as if she were imagining what it must have looked like when it was still in perfect condition. "If I had to guess, for a set like the one you''re wearing, well it would probably set you back upwards of one hundred and fifty million Valis. So yeah Freya or Loki would be your best bet!"


    Behind Mia, the two human waitresses and the two cat people ones all let out several eeps at the amount of money Mia had just stated, all of them staring at the ragged Snow Elf in shock.


    Turns out he was walking around wearing a veritable fortune.


    After a few moments, Azoth however shrugged the money off, he didn''t know how much it meant when compared to Skyrim gold, but it sounded like a lot. That said considering he would be the one crafting it, it really didn''t bother him.


    "I doubt it''ll be that much. I am just heading down there to get some materials and monster gems so that I can forge myself a new set of armour, just like I forged this one!" Azoth replied, a grin on his face.


    He might be a renowned warrior, but it was his Enchanting and Smithing that he really took pride in, Eorlund Graymane had nothing on him!


    Mia blinked in surprise at that, but only for a moment before she smirked. "Well if that really is the case I don''t think either the Loki Familia or the Freya Familia will suit you after all. The Hephaestus Familia however, that one would suit you to a tee."


    "Oh?" Azoth queried.


    "Yeah, they''re a Familia that revolve around smithing and are led by the Goddess of Smiths herself, Hephaestus. They also regular join the Freya and Loki Familia on their expeditions down to the lower levels, acting as support and repairing weapons, in return for a share of the profits and access to high quality materials." Mia rattled off, her gaze following the grey haired girl as she suddenly emerged from the kitchen with a large platter of food, which she then placed in front of Azoth with a coy smile and slightly pink cheeks.


    Smiling and nodding at the girl in thanks, Azoth then turned back to Mia. What she had just described sounded perfect for him. He would have access to a forge, and be able to join other Familia on expeditions to the lowest levels of the Dungeon where he could harvest monsters for their parts, potentially mine ore, and get himself plenty of powerful monster soul gems. It was ideal.


    "Sounds good to me, how would I go about joining this Hephaestus Familia?" Azoth asked curiously, ignoring his food for now as he instead focused on the stocky, friendly, older woman in front of him, even as some of the other waitresses, those that had previously been listening in, began to disperse as more and more people started entering the tavern.


    It appeared that they would soon be entering the tavern''s early evening rush-hour, no doubt a lot of these people were Adventurers fresh from the Dungeon, or trades people that had just closed up their stalls for the day. No doubt the tavern would rapidly get busier, and busier, as the evening closed in and more of these types ventured out for food, drink and good company.


    "Get back to work girls!" Mia called out, filling up Azoth''s tankard one last time as she did so. No doubt his bill at the end of the night would be pretty hefty. "As for Lady Hephaestus, she can usually be found in her workshop in the Tower of Babel, the fourth floor. Head to the tower tomorrow and ask to see her, they''ll let you in if they know you want to join a Familia, and bring along a piece you made yourself as an example of your skill when you do so, and then I''m sure she''ll happily let you into her Familia."


    Azoth nodded at that, his left hand toying with the hilt of his Daedric Dagger as he did so. It sounded like he now had a plan in mind for tomorrow. "Sounds like a plan."


    "Glad I could help," Mia nodded, a kind smile on her face for a moment, before the expression suddenly became stern again. "Now get to eating, May in the kitchen didn''t slave away on that for it to go cold. You eat up and when you''re ready order more!"


    Azoth smiled at that, and nodded. She might be helpful and friendly, but she was also, obviously, a consummate business woman through and through.


    "Good, now if you''ll excuse me I need to deal with the dinner rush. It''s going to be hectic in here tonight, especially since Loki has already booked up two tables to celebrate her Familia returning from their most recent expedition." Mia grumbled under breath, even as she headed further along the bar to serve some newcomers.


    Azoth c.o.c.ked an eyebrow at that, he was kind of curious to see what a top Familia looked like.


    Even as he thought that though, he felt another person move to stand in front of him.


    Looking up as he did so, he soon found himself looking into a pair of placid, yet curious, blue eyes.


    It was the green haired elf that worked here.


    Azoth opening his mouth at the sight of her, however, before either of them could do more than look at one another, they were both distracted by the grey haired waitress suddenly crying out.


    "Bell! You came!"


    Turning slightly in his seat, Azoth watching as a short, young looking, skinny Adventurer, devoid of armour or weaponry, entered the bar, only for the grey haired waitress, Syr apparently, to usher him onto the seat next to where he was sat.


    Chapter 3


    (Last Time)


    Even as he thought that though, he felt another person move to stand in front of him. Looking up as he did so, he soon found himself looking into a pair of placid, yet curious, blue eyes.


    It was the green haired elf that worked here.


    Azoth opening his mouth at the sight of her, however, before either of them could do more than look at one another, they were both distracted by the grey haired waitress suddenly crying out.


    "Bell! You came!"


    Turning slightly in his seat, Azoth watching as a short, young looking, skinny Adventurer, devoid of armour or weaponry, entered the bar, only for the grey haired waitress, Syr apparently, to usher him onto the seat next to where he was sat.


    ( - )


    Chapter 3


    ( - )


    (With Azoth)


    "Come in! I saved a seat at the bar for you!" Syr called out brightly, running around from behind the bar as she did so, before she then began to push the young looking, white haired Adventurer, Bell, towards where Azoth was sitting.


    Glancing at the boy, Azoth honestly couldn''t say he was all that impressed.


    As the Nords would say, the boy looked like a milk drinker through and through; weak, the kind of fool who would either die an early death, or get an arrow in the knee one day and give up on adventuring altogether.


    Bringing his wooden tankard up to his lips at that uncharitable thought, and taking a sip of the strong, hoppy liquid, Azoth couldn''t help but feel a slight surge of guilt as he watched the very nervous looking teen get ushered onto the stool next to him by the gregarious, grey haired maid.


    He was kind of judging the kid without even knowing him.


    Everyone started somewhere after all, and Azoth had been no exception. He had been weak once, and no doubt seasoned Adventurers had looked down on him too.


    Shaking his head at that thought, Azoth forced a smile on his face. There was no need to continue the cycle of dismissal and disregard, not when he could offer a kind word and a supportative comment instead. He was the Dragonborn after all, he was supposed to be a hero and a role model, not an arsehole.


    In front of him, the pretty, green haired elf took his once again empty tankard and silently refilled it.


    "You alright kid, had a good day in the Dungeon?" Azoth asked, sending the doll like elf a smile and a nod of thanks as he did so, only to get a curious look back, the girl''s bright blue eyes not leaving him as she continued to eye him with a mixture of fascination and suspicion.


    It was admittedly a bit odd, and slightly unnerving.


    "Uwah, what, me?" The kid, Bell, replied nearly jumping off of his stool in shock as he realised that Azoth was addressing him.


    "Who else do you think I was talk too?" Azoth replied amused, the human''s reaction was somewhat funny, he kind of acted like a startled bunny.


    "Oh, well sorry," Bell muttered shakily, his red eyed gaze taking in Azoth''s armour and weaponry, clearly identifying him as a high level Adventurer. "But, well, no it''s not gone great¡­"


    "That''s sometimes the way it is," Azoth shrugged, accepting his refilled tankard with a grateful smile to the she elf, before he took another sip and once again went back to his food. "We all have rotten days every now and then. Weapons breaks, armour fails, you make mistakes, your enemy turns out to be tougher than you expected. It happens, the mark of a true Adventurer is how you respond to things when they go bad, learn from your mistakes and better yourself!"


    "R-right!" Bell nodded loudly, a startled expression his face at Azoth''s words.


    "Wise words," The she elf commented softly, once again attracting Azoth''s attention due to the contradictory nature of her somehow both melodic and emotionless voice. "One must always be prepared for when the worst happens."


    "You were an Adventurer yourself?" Azoth asked, eyeing the lithe, green haired woman up and down as he did so.


    "Once upon a time, now I am just a waitress." The girl replied dryly, blinking for a moment as she did so, as if she had surprised herself in how readily she replied to him before.


    "The name''s Azoth," Azoth said for both the green haired elf and Bell''s benefit, smiling and giving a half wave to both as he did so. "I''m an experienced Adventurer, but new to the city all the same."


    "Ryuu Lion," The elf maid nodded calmly, her gaze roving over Azoth''s youthful face, porcelain white skin and angular elven features curiously, as if she were trying to solve a puzzle.


    "Erm, my name is Bell Cranel," Bell added on awkwardly, glancing between the two elves as he did so, as if unsure about whether or not he was included in the conversation. Not that that stopped him from asking a follow up question. "But erm, Mister Azoth, sir, how can you be an experienced Adventurer if you''re new to Orario?"


    It was a good question, Azoth had to concede, and a tricky one to answer.


    Fortunately though he was saved from having to answer by Ryuu.


    "There are monsters outside of Orario, Bell, those that escaped the Dungeon and bred in the traditional way." Ryuu said simply, tearing her gaze away from Azoth as she instead looked down at Bell. "Many Familia''s operate outside of the city and deal with these monsters."


    "O-oh," Bell nodded. "I guess that makes sense, I-I mean I knew that monster were living outside of the Dungeons, I just didn''t realise that there were other Familia out there dealing with them."


    "It''s not just Familia outside of Orario that deal with the weaker, rogue monsters that live on the surface, the Guild here in Orario sometimes offer quests to deal with them too." Ryuu said with a nod.


    "Interesting," Azoth muttered, his brow furrowed. A few Quests outside of the city might be good for earning a bit of money and getting the proper lay of this land.


    Ryuu raised an eyebrow at his muttered word.


    Before she could ask though, she was interrupted by the cheerful Syr returning once again. The grey haired girl practically bouncing as she finished delivering some food to one of the tables and came back to speak to her ''friend?'' Bell?


    "I wasn''t sure if you would come tonight," Syr voiced through a fit of giggles, taking a seat on the other side of Bell, capturing his attention as she did so. Which Azoth took as a sign to go back to finishing his meal, whilst Ryuu was called away by Mama Mia telling her to start dishing out beer to some of the most recent newcomers. "I''m so happy you accepted my invitation!"


    "W-well," The white haired boy muttered, visibly nervous as he edged away from the pretty, exuberant girl, reaching behind his back as he did so, after which he grabbed a wrapped up box which had previously been attached to his belt. "I had to return this, so¡­"


    "Oh of course, my lunch box!" Syr smiled brightly, clapping her hands together with delight. "Thank you for returning it. I hope you enjoyed the food! I-I made it myself," noticeably her cheeks went a little pink as she accept the box off of him.


    "I-It was brilliant. Thank you." The red faced Bell muttered back.


    Azoth, from where he was sitting couldn''t help but let out a snort of laughter, nearly spilling his ale as he washed down the last of his food.


    Immediately the two teens turned to look at him. Bell looking distinctly embarrassed, whilst Syr looked faintly irritated.


    "Sorry," Azoth chuckled, wiping some foam from around his mouth and pushing his empty plate across the bar so that one of the cat like serving girls could take it, a coy smile on her face as she eyed him up. "It''s just amusing to see young love again, it reminds me of when I was your age, and fumbling around with courting a woman for the first time."


    Almost immediately both Syr and Bell went bright red, the white haired Adventurer stuttering out denials, even as the grey haired maid suddenly found her services needed elsewhere. With her only sticking around long enough to call for Ryuu to come over and take Bell''s food and drinks orders.


    "Was it something I said?" Azoth asked the green haired elf as she came over to where he was sat.


    "I don''t believe they have defined the terms of their relationship, or even known each other long enough to be even close to forming one." Ryuu commented lightly, her blue eyes moving from the still pink cheeked Syr, who was at that moment serving a short, bearded man on the other side of the bar, to the still red faced and stuttering Bell.


    "Oh I had thought otherwise. Maybe it''s just cultural differences. Back in my homeland, in the far north, life is tough and often times short. The humans, and some of the other races, up there don''t bother with prolonged courtship. If you like a person and feel desire for them, then you express it. If they reciprocate you couple up until one or other of you either die or grow bored." Azoth shrugged, scratching his chin idly as he pondered over the cultural differences between the hard, cold, tough lands of Skyrim, and the Dungeon City of Orario.


    Turns out there might be a lot.


    "W-what!?" Bell squeaked, his face so red now that Azoth thought he was about to pass out.


    "That is a simplistic and rather blunt way of viewing something as delicate and meaningful as a relationship." Ryuu commented mildly, her blue eyes studying Azoth curiously. "From where do you come Mister Azoth?"


    "The far north, a country of ice, snow and monsters." Azoth replied with a shrug, not too offended by her words. "As I said it is a rough place to grow up, cold, cruel and inhospitable, and as such those who grow up there have had to adapt and evolve to survive. What about you Ryuu, where does such a beautiful and enchanting elf such as yourself come from?"


    "I came from Ryumilua Forest in the west, but it has been many year since last I walked through the ancient trees of my homeland." Ryuu said, the slightest hint of sadness entering her voice as she did so, but only for a moment before her gaze sharpened. "As for your compliments, please do keep them to yourself Mister Azoth. You do not know me, and I am not one of your kin, and thus do not follow your crude courtship customs."


    "Ouch," Azoth replied mildly, his violet eyes twinkling, despite the rejection. "Still not unexpected, I apologise if I offended you."


    "You need not apologise, for you have not caused me any offense." Ryuu shot back, her lips curving upwards into a smile for the slightest of instances.


    "I''m glad." Azoth nodded, meeting Ryuu''s intense blue eyes with his own violet ones.


    Before anymore could be said, a sudden gurgling noise interrupted the moment. The sound causing both elves to turn and look at the source, only to see that it was the red faced Bell, with the sound having been his gurgling, rumbling stomach.


    "Oh, Mister Cranel, forgive me, I forgot to take your order." Ryuu said suddenly, tearing her eyes away from the other elf as she instead gave a bow of apology to the stuttering, red faced boy and quickly took his food and drinks order. After which she retreated to the kitchen to tell the cooks.


    "You''re not particularly good with women are you kid," Azoth said blandly, watching the still stuttering, pink faced, boy with a bemused expression. Seriously had this kid never even met or spoken to a member of the opposite s.e.x before? What kind of upbringing did he have?


    Bell, if possible, just flushed an even deeper shade of red at Azoth''s blunt comments. Fortunately though he was saved from replying, by the now recovered Syr, who chose that moment to come over, noticeably sending Azoth the stink eye as she set a new tankard of ale in front of the Snow Elf.


    Apparently he didn''t need to even ask anymore. No doubt Mia had given standing order for his tankard to be refilled whenever it was empty. Which was good in the way that the ale here was delicious, and bad, because even with his Dragonborn and Werewolf, the perks of being in the Companion''s inner circle, constitution, he was beginning to get drunk. That and it would probably hit his finances hard.


    "Have you started behaving?" Syr asked Azoth, her grey eyes narrowed as saw him grin in response to her pointed, rhetorical question, after which she turned to Bell, her cheeks going pink as she gave him a bright smile. "Do let me know if he continues to run his mouth, Bell, if he does I''ll set Mama Mia on him!"


    With that said she then disappeared into the back room, leaving Bell alone with the amused Azoth, the white haired boy clearly completely confused now.


    This was probably not how he had expected his night out at the tavern to go.


    "Like really, I make a single innocent comment and the girl gets all snippy." Azoth muttered, taking a sip of his ale as he did so.


    "Oh, so is that why little Syr was all out of sorts, you were causing trouble?" Mama Mia spoke up jovially, the grinning woman laughing loudly as she sidled over and put a large plate of some kind of fish dish in front of Bell.


    "Apparently so¡­" Azoth shrugged dryly.


    Mia let out another laugh at that, her brown eyes twinkling at Azoth, before she looked down at Bell. "So you''re the kid, Syr, mentioned before? It seems she has taken quite a liking to you!" With that said she gave the nervous kid a broad smile that was both warm and welcoming. "The name''s Mia Grand, but everyone calls me Mama Mia. I''m the owner of this fine establishment!"


    "I-I am Bell Cranel. Syr helped me out this morning, so I''m here to, um¡­" Bell muttered sheepishly.


    "Pleasure to meet you Bell," Mia interrupted cheerfully, her smile brightening as Ryuu came along with two other large dishes in her hands. "Now eat up, I''ve added an extra bowl of pasta on the house! We need to get you beefed up if you''re to be going into the Dungeons! The last thing I want is for Syr''s new friend to get himself killed down there!"


    "O-oh, er thanks!" Bell replied, blinking in shock at the sheer size of the mound of food in front of him, even as he dutifully began to eat up.


    "And you, little elf!" Mia said turning to look at Azoth again as she did so, the grin on her face taking any real heat from her words. "I''ve decided that you can buy another order of the pie to make up for bothering poor Ryuu with your perverted attentions and embarrassing innocent Syr!"


    "Wait what?" Azoth replied, blinking with surprise as Mia slammed the large plate of food down in front of him. His eyes flicking up to look at the green haired elf, who just shrugged to show she had no idea what was happening, after which he caught the wicked smile on Syr''s face.


    Oh, so this was the girl''s revenge for embarrassing her.


    That was fair enough, he might not have done it on purpose, but still, he had embarrassed her.


    Besides if this was the extent of her revenge then he would take it good naturedly.


    "You heard me!" Mia smirked.


    With that said Azoth rolled his eyes and started eating without complaint. The food was good, and admittedly he was still kind of hungry.


    "Now tell me because I''m curious and didn''t ask properly before," Mia continued, leaning against the bar, both Syr and Ryuu noticeably lingering nearby, even as they continued to serve the other customers. The number of new clientele having noticeably diminished over the last half an hour or so. "Just what have you been up to wreck your armour like that?"


    Azoth c.o.c.ked his head to one side at the question, finishing a mouthful of food as he pondered over what to say.


    "I took on an opponent I thought I was ready for. Turned out I wasn''t, and the bastard tore me a new one for my impudence. Were it not for my armour and equipment being as good as it is, well I would probably be dead right now!" Azoth finally said, thinking back on that final battle in Sovngarde with Alduin.


    "Ahh, so you bit of more than you could chew." Mia stated sagely.


    "Aye, for three days and two nights we fought, man against beast! But in the end that damned dragon got the best of me." Azoth grunted, and honestly it really did hurt his pride to admit such a thing, that he, the ultimate dragon slayer, had not been able to slay a dragon.


    "A dragon eh?" Mia asked, leaning in with more interest now, an odd look in her eyes as she looked over the horrific rents and gouges in his all but ruined armour.


    "Yes, one as black as night, with a wingspan that could cover an entire town in shadow, and spikes and horns as sharp as the most deadly of blades, and teeth that are longer and sharper than the most powerful of swords. A monster of incredible power and unimaginable rage and fury." Azoth muttered, his tone unconsciously becoming colder, more furious and more intense as he thought back on his destined foe.


    Not noticing as he did so how the four people listening in had all leaned closer and were hanging on his every word, their gazes filled with fascination.


    Ignoring the looks, Azoth pulled his double bladed battle-axe, Wuuthrad, from his back. Power and fury coursing through the ancient, enchanted weapon and up his hands and into his as he studied the intricate, carvings, and screaming faces on the axe''s blade, one of his fingers absently trailing over the dried golden blood, Alduin''s blood, which was still encrusted on one of the edges.


    Unknown to Azoth, Ryuu, flinched at the sight of the axe. Her heart skipping a beat as her natural affinity to magic picked up the incredibly powerful enchantments on the axe, as well as the hatred and fury emanating off of it, a hatred and fury which to her senses felt personal.


    Just from a single glance the elf maiden could tell that this axe had taken the lives of thousands, if not tens of thousands. But more than that there was a malevolence surrounding the axe, a bloodthirsty rage that made her heart tighten, her gut clenched and her skin crawl.


    "A one-eyed black dragon, that is who I faced, and that is who I failed to kill." Azoth muttered to himself, his violet eyes hard and cold as his finger still traced the encrusted blood on the axe. "But I gave as good as I got, and landed more than a few blows on that monster, enough to spill its blood!"


    At those words there was a sharp intake of breath from all four of the listeners, all of them looking at Azoth in shock as they registered just who he was talking about.


    "You fought the One-Eyed Black Dragon and lived?" Syr asked in awe, not doubting his words for a second, as there was no way anyone was a good enough actor to fake the fury and emotion Azoth had just shown.


    "You''ve heard of him?" Azoth asked sharply, looking up at Syr, before he then turned to Mia, his eyes widening as he saw the pale look on her usually ruddy face. Her eyes unerringly fixed on his axe.


    "It''s the last of the Three Great Beasts, everyone has heard of it!" Ryuu said sharply, her eyes not on the ''cursed'' blade, but on Azoth''s face. "For over a thousand years that monster has plagued the lands. Thousands of Adventurers have fallen to its fury, and entire towns have disappeared over night at its passing. Not even the combined might of the Zeus and Hera Familia''s, the most powerful Familia''s of all time, were able to defeat it!"


    "A thousand years¡­" Azoth muttered, his eyes narrowing. Was this the same beast he had fought, or just a coincidence?


    "I had heard," Mia suddenly said, her voice tense and much quieter than normal as she leaned over the bar to speak to Azoth. "I had heard the rumour that the One-Eyed Black Dragon had the golden blood of the gods. But to truly see it!" Her eyes snapped up to Azoth as she said this. "And you say you fought it and survived?"


    "If we are talking of the same dragon then yes." Azoth nodded slowly, a frown on his face as he took in their reactions, noticing as he did how Bell had frozen, his jaw slack and his fork hanging in the air halfway to his mouth. "The one I fought, well the people of my land knew him as Alduin, the World Eater."


    Mia let out a hiss at that, her hand gripping the wooden bar''s table top hard enough to crack it. "Don''t say that name out loud! It''s bad luck!"


    Azoth blinked in surprise at that, looking to Ryuu for an answer as he did so.


    "When the dragon first arrived, over a thousand years ago, it caused so much death and carnage that gods and mortals alike don''t speak its name. To do so is considered bad luck, a curse, as it is feared that by just speaking its true name you would summon it to you." Ryuu said calmly, her gaze and expression back to being placid now.


    "Ryuu''s right, we don''t speak its name, and instead just call it the One-Eyed Black Dragon. In fact that has been the tradition for so long, that only the gods that have been here for the longest, and their most trusted Familia members, remember or know its name." Mia muttered, her hard gaze surveying both Bell and Syr, the look in her eyes obvious.


    They were to tell no one of the beast''s true name, nor were either of them to mention what they had heard here today.


    Azoth nodded at that, not at their fear of the World Eater''s name though, but instead at the confirmation that the two dragons were one and the same. Alduin was here and still alive, and apparently he had been in this world for over a thousand years. Perhaps a side-effect, a peculiarity, of the way they had been transported here.


    "Do you know where he is?" Azoth suddenly asked, looking at both Mia and Ryuu, the two women that, by this point, he knew were experienced Adventurers, after all Mia had said so herself, only those in old and powerful Familia''s knew the details surrounding Alduin and his presence in this world, and his deeds.


    "I don''t know, I''ve not heard of anyone seeing the beast, not since it decimated the Zeus and Hera Familia fifteen years ago." Mia shook her head, calming down significantly now, though she still kept a curious, cautious eye on Azoth. "By the sounds of it, you''re the last one to have seen it, so surely you should know?"


    "That''s the thing, I don''t know." Azoth muttered irritably, putting his axe away now as he instead drummed his fingers on the bar. "At the end of our fight he hurled me away, and then I just woke up here, just a few hours outside of the city, alone, and battered, but alive."


    Mia and Ryuu frowned in confusion at that. Bell and Syr meanwhile just exchanged a glance, it seems both of them knew that they were out of their depth in this conversation.


    "Then it seems you are at an impasse." Ryuu said simply.


    "Yes," Azoth nodded, pausing his drumming now as he instead looked up at the green haired elf. "But all is not lost, I''ll forge myself some new armour, hone my skills, and get more powerful. After that I will track the overgrown lizard down again and finish it off once and for all!"


    "Ha!" Mia laughed, the loudness of her voice startling all four of them, after all previously they had all been whispering. "You don''t half aim high do you elf?!"


    "It''s in my nature," Azoth shrugged absently. "I am a born dragon slayer."


    Mia''s lips twitched upwards in amus.e.m.e.nt at that. "I like you kid, you''re crazy, and clearly have a death wish. But I like you all the same!"


    "Erm thanks, I think¡­" Azoth replied dryly.


    In response Mia shook her head. "Follow your dreams kid, but try not to get killed. The world would be a much more boring place without you." She then nodded, turning away to get back to work as she did so, however before she left she paused long enough to say something else. "As for your issue with the dragon. Share with the Guild and your goddess what you know when you join a Familia, they should be able to help you. Other than that though, try to keep it to yourself. That dragon is a touchy subject, and shouldn''t be bandied about thoughtlessly."


    Azoth paused as he heard her advice, but still nodded all the same, her words made sense.


    "The same goes for the rest of you, especially you Syr and Bell, it would be best if you forget, or don''t think about, what you learned here tonight." Mia added on, her eyes flicking over to the two teens now, her gaze as intense as it had been before.


    In response both Bell and Syr nodded, both of them sending Azoth partly cautious, partly curious looks as they did so.


    Ignoring these looks, Azoth instead downed his tankard of ale and handed it to Ryuu to get it refilled, aware as he did so, that the green haired elf was watching him closer than ever, an inscrutable expression on her face.


    This girl would be damned good at poker.


    "The group reservation has arrived, nya!" One of the cat girl waitresses suddenly called out loudly, distracting Azoth from his musings as Ryuu put another full tankard in front of the tipsy Snow Elf. With him, as well as the rest of the tavern quieting down and turning towards the door at the girl''s words.


    As he did so, he saw several unfamiliar people walk into the room, each of them carrying themselves proudly, even as the entire tavern turned to watch them.


    Shifting fully around on his stool so he could get a proper look at them them, his tankard in hand, Azoth''s violet eyes flicked back and forth, surveying the members of the vaunted Loki Familia as they entered the tavern on mass.


    The first of them was a striking, and beautiful, green haired elf, she Azoth certainly noticed. The next was a short, blond child, or at least a man that looked like a child. After which there was then a grey haired young man that had the scent of a wolf about him, after which a short, stocky, brown haired man followed along.


    After him walked a skinny, red haired woman, who toddled along casually behind the others, wearing obscenely tight and short clothing. With two, tanned and admittedly attractive dark haired humans walking along behind her, both of whom were just as obscenely dressed. With another striking, blonde haired, golden eyed human and a long, brown haired elf maiden following after the rest.


    All of these people were members of the Loki Familia, one of the most powerful Familia''s in the world.


    And honestly, Azoth wasn''t impressed.


    It might be the drink talking, or the fact that they all, or at least most of them, seemed so young and c.o.c.ksure, but they didn''t look like powerful, experienced Adventurers to him.


    Sure there were some exceptions, the short, stocky man and the green haired elf, they had an air of power, age and skill about them. As too did the blonde child, surprisingly.


    The others though, they just looked like kids playing at Adventurers, powerful kids sure, but kids all the same. They didn''t look hardened and weary, nor did they walk like people who had faced down certain death, and not only come out of it alive, but come out of it stronger than they had been before.


    Again it might be uncharitable, and judgemental, it was one of his flaws, and he would certainly blame the drink, but he just wasn''t impressed.


    Still, regardless of his opinion, the Loki Familia had, in recent years, according to Mia, become one of the undisputed top Familia''s in the world. The growth of their top members, most of whom were apparently quite young, had been much faster than most other Adventurers. So much so that many of their top executives were called prodigies.


    Mia had even suggested that he join either the Loki Familia, or their equal, the Freya Familia, or at least she had before he had made his interest in Smithing known, and considering what he knew of, and had seen of, Mia thus far, he was inclined to take her at her word.


    Drinking more ale as he watched the group, Azoth didn''t miss how the white haired kid, who was still beside him, cheeks suddenly went bright red as he saw the young looking blonde haired human, like seriously she couldn''t be more than sixteen.


    Then again that was how old Azoth had been when he had started Adventuring, so who was he to judge.


    Still, despite this Azoth smirked into his mug as he saw Bell''s reaction. It seemed the horny little kid who couldn''t even talk to a woman without stuttering, fancied the blonde swordwoman.


    It was cute.


    Not that he would say anything about it, he didn''t want to embarrass the kid any more than he already had after all, or at least not yet. Nor did he want to upset that Syr girl. The last thing he wanted was for Mia to ban him from her rather delightful establishment for upsetting her waitresses.


    "So those are the top Adventurers of the Loki Familia." Azoth muttered, leaning back on his stool as eyed the large group of rowdy Adventurers, even as more and more of them streamed into the tavern, the group quickly taking over the two largest, circular tables in the centre of the tavern, with some of them spreading out over the rest of the busy tavern, as even those two tables didn''t have the capacity for all of them.


    "They''re regulars here at the Hostess of Fertility. Their goddess loves this place." Syr explained from behind him, her voice soft as she looked between the two white haired men. "In fact, that redhead over there the one in the short shorts, she is the Goddess Loki, believe it or not."


    Azoth frowned as he heard that, ignoring Bell as he asked more questions of Syr, instead he focused on the skinny, red haired woman, taking in her half closed eyes and fox like features. Again this goddess didn''t give off the aura of a Divine Being, not like the ones Azoth had met before.


    Then again, as Mama Mia had said, the gods had descended from the heavens and taken on the forms of mortals, sealing away their divine power, their Arcanum, as they did so. Perhaps that was the reason why the gods felt so mundane, because for all intents and purposes they were. Or at least they were as long as they didn''t unseal their Arcanum.


    "Alright, good work on the dungeon expedition! Today''s a feast so let''s get this party started! Cheers!" Loki shouted out as her Familia got comfortable, and all the waitresses, including Ryuu and Syr headed over and started serving them drinks of ale, wine and many other types of alcoholic beverages and spirits, some of which Azoth didn''t even recognise.


    "Cheers!" Many of the Adventurers chorused, even as they began to drink and celebrate, shouting and cheering somewhat obnoxiously, as food was brought out, and drinks were drunk, their voices quickly blending with all the other voices in the tavern as everyone else went back to what they were doing before, the atmosphere quickly returning to what it had been previously, if not a bit rowdier than before.


    Save for Mama Mia and her girls, all of whom were rushing about bringing pre-ordered food and drinks to the Familia''s tables.


    Smiling slightly at this, Azoth downed his most recent tankard of ale and turned back to face the bar.


    They might be kids, or at least most of them, but they looked like they were having fun. Honestly it reminded him of how he used to party late into the night and early morning with the warriors of Jorrvaskr after a successful quest.


    It was nostalgic, and made the idea of joining one of the Familia''s all the more tempting, he liked company and drinking with comrades, especially after a hard fight.


    "Hey, Ais! Why don''t you tell them the story of the Tomato Boy?!" A particularly rowdy voice, the one belonging to the wolf boy, suddenly sounded out over the crowd. "You know, the kid that got covered in Minotaur blood down on the fifth floor!"


    From beside him, the somewhat drunk Snow Elf saw Bell tense and pale slightly.


    The kid had said he had had a bad day, he was inferring here, but maybe this was a part of it.


    "I mean come on, tell us the whole story! I only saw the kid running away covered in blood and screaming! I really wish I had been there to watch what happened to get the little shit that worked up!" The grey haired man shouted out with a loud bark of laughter, the pair of grey dog like ears on his head and his bushy grey tail twitching as he continued to laugh. "He was just running around, screaming. Blood was flying everywhere! I mean seriously you guys should have seen it!"


    The wolf like teen laugh again at that, some of his companions, like the two tanned girls and quite a few others, joining in at the picture he paint, even Azoth felt his lips twitching upwards in spite of himself, out of context the story did sound amusing.


    The green haired elf sitting next to him however just frowned in the grey haired teens direction, "Why ask Aiz to tell the story Bete, when you are doing a fine job of it yourself?" The scorn and disapproval in her voice was clear to hear.


    "Hah?!" The now named, and clearly drunk, Bete, laughed, looking over to the pretty blonde human, Aiz, as he did so. "Aiz was there and she knows more about it than I do, I just turned up at the end! So come on Aiz spill, did he cry and scream, oh, oh did he piss himself too, you know before you saved him? It looked like he did, please tell me he did!?"


    Azoth''s smile faded and he frowned slightly as he heard this, and began to understand what this Bete was talking about. He was no saint, he had mocked others before, and had not always been a graceful winner. But he had never acted like this, deliberately and harshly scorning a weak, inexperienced Adventurer for not being able to deal with more than he was capable of.


    It was shameful.


    Looking to the side he could see the kid, Bell, looking at the floor, his hands at his side, visibly shaking. He could also see a cold look on Ryuu''s face, and looks of distaste on some of the other Loki Adventurers and tavern goers faces. The expressions becoming more and more prevalent as Bete continued to cruelly and crudely rip into the younger, weaker Adventurer he spoke of for failing to fight or stand up to a monster, that, by the sounds of it, was far stronger than he could realistically defeat.


    The man''s mockery was verging on cruel now.


    "Come on Bete, it''s not that funny," One of the tanned girls finally spoke up, the one with the longer hair and bigger chest, a frown on her face as she by this point had stopped laughing. "I mean come on, the kid was just a Level One and he was against a Minotaur, he never stood chance! Besides the whole thing was our fault anyway!"


    "What, so it''s our fault that the kid couldn''t handle a single Minotaur? Give me a break, Tione!" Bete snarled, a flash of irritation crossing his face at being called out, especially by someone who had previously been in on the joke and laughing.


    "It kind of is, Minotaurs aren''t supposed to be in the upper floors, you know that. If we hadn''t let them run away from us, then that kid never would have gotten in trouble," The other tanned girl, the one with shorter, spikier hair and a flatter chest said.


    "You too, Tiona?! You were laughing your ass off at the time, too!" Beta complained, scowling at the two tanned girls now, a put out expression on his face.


    "That''s because it was funny at the time, I mean the kid wasn''t hurt, but was running about covered in blood, screaming. But still, it might have been funny, but that doesn''t make it any less our fault, though." The now named Tiona commented with a shrug, her, ''sister maybe?'', nodding along in agreement.


    Bete growled at that, before he turned and looked over to the blonde haired swordswoman again, "What do you think about it, Ais? A little coward like that couldn''t hope to make it as an Adventurer, you agree, right?!"


    In response the blonde haired girl just tiled her head to the side, her expression and golden eyes emotionless as she just looked at Bete.


    Apparently she wasn''t much of a talker.


    The green haired elf though, seemed to have had enough. "That''s enough Bete, it was our fault those Minotaurs were down there, not the boy''s. We all start somewhere Bete remember that, just because he is weak now and understandably couldn''t fight a Minotaur at his current level, doesn''t mean he will remain weak."


    "Hn! You''re giving the kid too much credit, he''ll end up dead sooner or later, and good riddance too, if you''re too weak, and can''t keep up, then you don''t belong down in the Dungeon." Bete snapped, his words holding a bit too much weight and emotion to them than Azoth expected.


    Apparently he wasn''t just being an arsehole, but had a personal stake in this too. Not that that excused his d.i.c.kish actions.


    Now, it might be the twelve or so tankards of strong ale talking, but Azoth decided it was time to say something, time to set the grey haired kid straight on how the world really worked and how he should and should not be treating and talking about his fellow Adventurers.


    By which he meant that it was time to do what he loved best when he was in a tavern, in a dour mood, and drunk, it as time to challenge some idiot to a brawl!


    Ignorant of Azoth''s internal decision, the wolf boy continued yapping. "What, not you too Riveria? The kid is a waste of space, and would be better off giving up on being an Adventurer, you know that!"


    "Azoth!" Syr suddenly called out in surprise, her grey eyes widening as the white haired Snow Elf stood up off of his stool and started walking over to the Loki Familia''s table. "What are you doing? Don''t cause any trouble!"


    Azoth however only sent her a grin in response. He wasn''t going to kill or maim anyone or anything like that. He was just going to challenge the wolf boy to a fight, kick him around a bit, and put the little yapping puppy in his place. He wasn''t going to do anything too bad, right!?


    ( - )

 Chapter 441 - My SI Stash #41 - Lets Ride the Steel Horse again! by Nightmare723764 (Worm)

    -The accidental jailbait harem king is unironically a horse/


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 18K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/lets-ride-the-steel-horse-again-a-rewrite-of-on-a-steel-horse-i-ride.13325/ (Nightmare723764)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    >>


    Status


    Endoskeleton superstructure: 100%


    Hyperspace core: 100%


    Evolutionary system: 5% repairs needed (Top Priority)


    Memory data core: Corrupted


    Persona: Corrupted


    Attempting to restore Persona and Memory


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Restoration complete


    Memory data core: Restored


    Persona: Back-Up initiated


    Scanning for Objectives and Mission parameters


    No Objectives found


    No Mission found


    Waking up with the dulcet monotone of a computer screaming in your head is something I''ve always wanted and will forever treasure!


    Not.


    Nickering faintly in irritation I got up and focused inwardly to do a more in-depth system check, and I found myself irritated even more. I was painfully incomplete like I was rushed off the assembly line or something.


    Thankfully I had all the schematics and technical data to complete and improve upon myself.


    Though I did fork my personality to rant about being a goddamn horse!


    My perception sped up as I wirelessly connected to the local internet and proceeded to process terabytes of data in seconds.


    I was in Brockton bay, thankfully not the canon derpfest. Actually, the best I could describe the situation is Kuroinu only without **** monsters or Black Dogs¡­ technically. Apparently, Nillbog''s monsters were fond of **** regardless of the gender of their chosen mates.


    Let''s take stock of the situation. I was in Earth Bet that''s bad (maybe?) but I''m clearly not in the Bet I know from fiction thankfully. Things in this world are still pretty grim, the S9 is still a thing along with all the other horrors that call this world home. The only major thing I''ve noticed so far is that Scion is for the most part inactive and is only occasionally seen.


    Is Golden Morning still going to happen? Is the golden idiot still a ticking time bomb?


    Status


    Objective Update


    Murder-Death-Kill Jack Slash


    Murder-Death-Kill William Manton/Siberian


    Murder-Death-Kill Burnscar


    Murder-Death-Kill Crawler


    Murder-Death-Kill Mannequin


    Murder-Death-Kill Hatchetface


    Murder-Death-Kill Shatterbird


    Murder-Death-Kill Cherish


    Capture/Deprogram Bonesaw/Reily (Shoulder Loli get)


    Assess Scion/Zion


    I can get behind those objectives, but ''Shoulder Loli get'' seriously?


    Bah, whatever I need to find a place to set up shop so I can complete myself. Theoretically, my best bet would be the PRT but I''m weary to put myself in the orbit of Cauldron. However, in my scans, I haven''t seen any overt signs of Cauldron manipulation. So¡­ it is a possible course of action.


    But now the question is do I really want to subject myself to their restrictive guidelines and their obsession with PR?


    Bah, first the first I need to find somewhere to hole up.


    Shaking my head as my CPU scanned dozens of maps to find an ideal location I trotted out of the alley and into the Lord''s Market.


    Trotting down the way ignoring everyone looking at me curiously I did however stop to look into one shop.


    Oh my~


    Status


    Biological-reactor systems operational


    Phallus status: 15% and rising


    Pseudo-Reproductive systems: Offline (Repair needed)


    Breeding system: Offline (Calibration needed, Repair needed)


    ...Wat?


    No, never mind. Just focus on finding somewhere to bunker down and see about correcting your lacking body and¡­ that is Vista and¡­ Kid Win? Why are two Wards approaching me??


    "How''d a horse get here?" Kid Win wondered as his hoverboard came to a stop with Vista beside him.


    "No idea." Vista responded as she approached me cautiously, "You lost big guy?" She asked with a faint giggle.


    Big guy¡­? Oh yeah¡­ that.


    I didn''t look at my half-mast erection and instead considered her costume. In the Worm serial as well as in fanfics Vista''s costume is often described as ''cute'' but¡­ well I suppose it''s still cute. But in this Bet, it''s distinctly along the lines of lolita without the goth aspect.


    "Yeah actually. You know anywhere a horse can get some peace and quiet?" I didn''t laugh when the two gaped but it was a damn close thing, "What? Never seen a talking horse?"


    "No, can''t say we have." Vista said, recovering from her surprise rather quickly, "Okay it''s protocol to ask this but do you have this symbol somewhere on your body?" She added pulling out a picture of the Cauldron symbol and showing it to me.


    I just gave her a dry look before slowly looking at my flank where the said symbol was branded (though calling it a cutie mark wouldn''t be wrong either) before looking back at the two now sheepish Wards.


    "Err¡­ so it''s that a baseball bat or are you happy to see Vista?" Kid WIn joked.


    I just blinked and Vista dope slapped him.


    "If you start making bad jokes like Clockblocker I swear you will regret it!" The lolita Ward swore even as her cheeks flushed.


    I shook my head and chuckled, "While I''m sure Vista is very attractive, especially outside of her costume, I actually looked in a window over there." I explained snickering as Vistas blush darkened.


    Kid Win looked over and it was his turn to shift around awkwardly, "Yeah, that''s Parian''s shop. She''s a clothes designer, who runs the most successful BDSM shop in the city. I think you saw someone testing out her selection¡­"


    "I could take you to the PRT office." Vista said, "They''ll help you find a place. Probably offer you a job too cause it''s¡­ pretty obvious you''re a cape."


    "Whatcha mean? I''m just a regular talking horse~" I deadpanned making Vista giggle, "Hmm, do either of you have a map? Just so I can avoid entering a gang''s territory by accident."


    It kind of irritated me just how none of the maps I have at my digital fingertips had defined notations of gang territory. But I suppose that only makes sense given the nature of gangland politics.


    "Sure." Vista said, pulling a folded map from her utility belt, "Though it isn''t exact. So you''re here right now¡­"


    I heard Kid Win reporting to whoever was on Console duty as I listened to Vista.


    God bless my bullshit processing and multitasking abilities!


    "Thanks Vista." I said nuzzling the smole small Ward, "Perhaps sometimes I''ll give you a horse ride." Yes, I was fully aware of how that sounded and I really wish I could take it back but I can''t.


    Status


    Processing¡­ Temporal-spatial manipulator CBM Unpack data?


    I declined the data because the thought of time manipulation terrified me, and the fact that I actually had the schematics to make it possible was slightly worrying.


    "That sounds fun!" Vista said letting a little of her actual age show, "I suppose it''d have to be bareback cause I don''t think I could find a saddle that would fit you big guy." She added reminding me that I''m in a hentai-esque setting.


    Kid Win thankfully wasn''t listening and was fiddling with his phone so he didn''t catch the possible s.e.x.u.a.l innuendo Vista said.


    "Err, yeah. Well until then!" I said "I''ll see you around sometime!" I added before I took off in a sedate gallop.


    "Okay¡­ I woke up as some sort of barebones cyber horse. Found out I''m anatomically correct. And accidentally hit on a loli who returned said innuendo without so much as flinching. What a wild world I find myself in¡­"


    Now let''s see here¡­ get to Brockton General and go three miles¡­


    "What''s a horse doing out here?"


    I paused and turned to see¡­ Panacea taking a smoke break. The cherry of her cigarette illuminating her face.


    I watched her throw the cigarette to the ground and step on it before approaching slowly, probably so she didn''t spook me. I didn''t comment as I was feeling rather irritated that I hadn''t anticipated running into Bet''s Premier Healer that is so much more than a Healer.


    She approached and petted my coat only to freeze, her pupils dilating and I wonder what Shaper is telling her about my biology? Or do I register as a ''Error 404 Biology not Found''?


    And now that I could see her better, Panacea is a lot more attractive then I imagined. Not ''OMG I Got To Smash!'' or anything more like¡­ ''the girl next door'' I suppose. Somewhat mousy and those freckles are adorable. It also didn''t hurt that her smock was open showing off her figure, while not stacked she was definitely curvy.


    Status


    Objective Added


    Get Panacea/Amy/Amelia in a leotard


    Another objective I can get behind honestly.


    "The hell!?" She muttered, jerking her hand away and massaging her forehead (data overload I suppose), "Who the hell engineer''s a horse??"


    "I don''t know." I answered making her jump, "Personally I would''ve preferred a more humanoid shape."


    Panacea looked at me owlishly but didn''t say what I was expecting honestly, "What the f.u.c.k are you??"


    I just snorted at that, "Complex" I said dryly, getting a glare from the Whitest of White Mages.


    "No shit." She shot, "I can''t see your bones or anything. But god it''s like you were designed to evolve on a cellular level! You can heal insanely fast without worrying about cancerous growths or burning yourself alive from cellular activity! God¡­ I got so many ideas now¡­"


    Should I be scared? Aroused? Scaroused?


    "So you wanna play doctor with the horsey?" I said, "How about this¡­ you help me with some surgeries and you can play with my genetics all you want." God that sounded so dirty.


    Panacea looked tempted, I could see desire and panic in equal measures in her eyes, and immediately I recalled Carol''s bullshit mentality and the toxic environment Panacea is living in. The girl is in desperate need for some form of release regardless if said release comes from a deep d.i.c.king or making an abomination to nature!


    "I¡­ I can''t." Panacea muttered.


    "How about this¡­ um what''s your name?" I asked.


    "Oh. Um Panacea when I''m on duty. Amy Dallon when I''m not." She answered.


    "Okay. How about this Panpan-" She didn''t know if she should be amused or not at my nickname, "-When I find a place to set up, how about I invite you over? You can help me install some bionics. And you can inspect my DNA all you want."


    "Did my sister somehow set this up?" Amy asked with narrow eyes, "Figured that if boys didn''t attract me she''d get animals!?"


    "No! I didn''t even know your name so how would I know your sister?" I asked, "And hey different strokes for different folks. Kink-shaming is a sin in my opinion."


    And trust me in my mad download of data earlier I learned that s.e.x.u.a.lity in this world is very much lax and taboo makes this extra spicy. Though Beastiality is in a somewhat legally gray area and i.n.c.e.s.t is perfectly fine as long as no children are conceived.


    "... Fine. As long as my sister can come." Amy said, the unspoken ''as backup'' didn''t need to be said.


    I just nodded in agreement, "Well it''s nice to meet you. I''ll meet you here when I get everything set up." I said before I trotted off.


    Amy just watched as I trotted off and it might''ve been cheeky of me but I wagged my tail showing off my sizable balls. I have no idea how big they were but judging from a faint gasp I knew they were impressive.


    I hope they were anyway.


    Chapter 2


    >>


    Laying in her (drop-dead beautiful) sister''s arms as she flew Amy''s thoughts weren''t for once focused on how right she felt being in her sisters'' arms or how disgusting she felt for feeling such bliss, no instead she was thinking about the horse cape with the utterly impossible biology! The only comparison she even had was Crawler''s biology.


    (It''s a fairly boring story actually. Crawler lost a limb in a clash between the masochist and some random heroes (or was it villains?). It was before his blood became highly acidic and they brought the limb for Panacea to see if she could learn anything from it. She didn''t, all she got was a week of sleepless nights because the biology got her powers motor going.)


    The only tenuous link between the horse and Crawler is that their evolution was reactionary, at least partially in regards to the horse. Whereas Crawler''s biology (especially now given that the limb was from before she triggered!) is accurately summed up as ''loosely guided chaos and insanity'' the horse''s biology was carefully targeted and guided. Oh, she had no doubt the evolution could go wild if it was stressed to the breaking point but Amy couldn''t imagine such a thing with the sheer amount of redundancies and contingencies coded into his very cellular structure.


    And don''t even get her started on his skeletal structure! It sure as hell wasn''t bone but whatever it was it certainly got her power curious. Possibly some biometallic compound of some sort perhaps? Amy was sure she could recreate it in a limited fashion, but whatever else was in the horse she couldn''t recreate it. Possibly some form of technology, Tinker tech most likely. Which honestly made Amy uncharacteristically worry for the horse''s health.


    After all implanted Tinker tech rarely leads to a healthy and happy life.


    She''d only heard stories of course¡­ which changed after she triggered.


    Amy had seen some shit. And you''d think Biotinkers were the worst perpetrators.


    (F.u.c.k.i.n.g Leet how has he not been killed or Caged?)


    "Penny for your thoughts sis?" Vicky asked, looking at her sister, "You''re brooding more than usual."


    "Just lost in thought." Amy answered, "About a weird meeting I had with a cape."


    "He didn''t try anything, did he!? Vicky asked with narrow eyes which made Amy tingle with excitement and disgust.


    "No, it was just odd. I think his trigger really f.u.c.k.i.e.d up cause he''s a horse." Amy responded,


    "A horse? Do you mean like a barnyard, Mr. Ed, an odd-shaped d.i.c.k type of horse?" Vicky asked, looking interested.


    "... I am never looking at your browser history." Amy deadpanned making Vicky giggle, "But yeah. I came up and petted him thinking he''s just a regular horse then¡­ I couldn''t even begin to describe what my power told me¡­"


    "Need a smoke? You sound like you f.u.c.k.i.e.d him." Vicky teased making Amy blush, "So tell me what got your panties all moist?"


    Amy just sputtered and reddened at Vicky''s tease, what made it worse was¡­ she did get somewhat excited when she touched him and his biology was laid bare to her power. It wasn''t her fault that she was so bored and that her power latched onto the first interesting thing in years and its excitement leaked over to her.


    "For starters, his immune system isn''t bulletproof, more like it could tank a nuke and keep going." Amy said, "The best comparison I can make is to how Crawler''s powers work. But it''s much more¡­ efficient in its adaptations. Plus I have the feeling that he''s supposed to be in a constant state of evolution but something stalled that aspect out."


    "Sounds like he''s a nightmare to fight. Is he a Hero?" Amy managed not to roll her eyes at her sister''s rather predictable question.


    "He didn''t say. But if he''s a villain he''s the most polite one I''ve ever met." Amy said, "If anything I think he''s just an Independent that wants to get his basics sorted before making any big choices."


    "Well here''s hoping he makes the right choice." Vicky said, "I wanna meet the horse that got my sister all excited!~"


    "Vicky!" Amy protested.


    "What? Nothing wrong with taking a walk on the wild side as long as precautions are taken." Vicky said with a cheeky grin, "Besides ''Oh Mighty Healer'' you can''t heal yourself so¡­ better stick to oral~"


    "VICKY!!!" The now solid red Amy shrieked making the blonde flyer laugh hard.


    "But seriously Amy." Vicky said between giggles, "I''ll be with you every step of the way. I''m still upset with Dean."


    And like that Amy''s mood took a strange turn. Mention of Vicky''s on-again-off-again boytoy/boyfriend soured her mood and yet her promise to be with her raised her mood to new heights!


    "... Promise¡­?" Amy hated just how needy and desperate she sounded right then.


    "Promise." Vicky said before giving her a quick kiss.


    And Amy knew¡­ she would need to throw her panties away when she got home. Thank Scion she was still wearing her costume!


    >>


    Brockton bay is a shit hole; despite this world not following ''canon'' somethings do indeed remain the same. Despite the thin veneer of p.o.r.n logic, the city is still a gang paradise only with s.e.x as the icing on top of the shit cake.


    Still, I eventually arrived at my temporary base, after I brought myself up to snuff I''ll try to find a better area to relocate, and¡­ well at least it was structurally sound given how close to the bay it was. Through the large warehouse stank of drugs, stale urine and feces, s.e.x, and despair as well as depression. These sensors are awesome but goddamn do they suck sometimes.


    "Okay! Let''s try to make this place livable." I said as I rolled my metaphorical sleeves, "And sterile so the eventual implant procedures don''t risk infections."


    Though I''m pretty sure my immune system would look at the most infectious diseases as a light snack at the very least. Still why risk it? But the question is how will I do this with only hooves?


    CPU


    Calculating


    Processing


    DSD: 75% functional (Repair needed)


    DSD: 1 Android, 1 Universal Fabricator


    Materialize Android and Universal Fabricator?


    Huh, that''s convenient!


    My body did something and a¡­ stupidly curvy and clearly anatomically correct female android materialized at my side. You know what? I''m not even going to bother questioning why I have what''s obviously a s.e.xbot in storage.


    I just wireless connected to the droid and immediately started to clean up


    God this was going to take all night! But it''s not like I had anything better to do or need sleep in the first place.


    Status


    Phallus: 50% and rising


    Female Detected


    Initiating Rut Protocols


    HPF (Hentai Physics Field) generator: 75% operational (Repairs needed)


    HPF generator activated


    I grunted as my half-mast turned into a rager in an instant, and I risked a glance and stared. I was going to have to get the HPF operating at peak efficiency before I even think of sticking this monster in anyone!


    "I''m a goddamn Clydesdale!" I muttered, "That''s goddamn three f.u.c.k.i.n.g feet!" And never mind the girth and width!


    I stopped the android from her work and instead had her take care of something more important.


    "I want you to suck this c.o.c.k like it owes you money!" I have no idea why I''m saying this out loud but whatever, "And after I fix my HPF I''m going to rut you until there''s a crater on the floor!"


    ¡­ Was it me or did the android crawl under me faster at my words?


    Meh, probably some sort of programmed response or something.


    CPU


    Amus.e.m.e.nt


    I ignored my CPU (as much as I can that is) and simply enjoyed my androids'' oral ministrations.


    Thank god she was already n.a.k.e.d cause I''m pretty sure any clothes she was wearing would be ruined by overabundant amounts of prec.u.m leaking out.


    But f.u.c.k me if the smell of s.e.x is going to be a nightmare to get rid of¡­


    I was right of course, as much as I wish I wasn''t.


    I had withdrawn the Universal Fabricator from my DSD and wirelessly connected it to my Hyperspace core to power it and then set my Android to work, the fabricator providing my android all the tools and materials it needed to clean and sanitize the place.


    "Though it''s hard to be frustrated after having such a draining experience!"


    Pretty sure I can tack on a ''One-Stallion Bukkake'' to my eventual PHO handle, I mean I probably won''t but I think it''d be amusing. Probably redundant and would attract the weirdos.


    Shaking my head I decided to surf PHO whilst simultaneously trying to plan out my initial CMB implantation as well as debate on if I would remain in my current quadrupedal configuration or try to convert to a bipedal form.


    Which is possible thankfully, though frustratingly enough just ''Human'' wasn''t possible. Seems no matter what I do I''m stuck with an equine form.


    Troublesome¡­


    Browsing PHO for a few minutes I found a recently created thread called "Horse in Lord''s Market!" intrigued I opened the thread and started to read.


    *seconds later*


    "PHO is a silly place filled with deviants."


    How, just how? How did asking directions turn into s.e.x.u.a.l propositions which turned into Vista being turned into a living fleshlight as she was strapped to my barrel and I go galloping down Lord''s Market as my ''gigantic horsec.o.c.k'' utterly ruined her and reshaped her ''loli p.u.s.s.y'' into the perfect receptacle for my ''mighty equine phallus'' and giving her an unrelenting desire to have horsec.o.c.k and being rutted and bred like a prized broodmare.


    Thank god I''d just been drained or else I would''ve gotten aroused again.


    Actually, who decided to wax poetic about my p.e.n.i.s anyway?


    I ''scrolled'' back up (seriously the poster made an epic-length smutty poem which I couldn''t help but find impressive.) to the poster.


    SpecificProtaginist¡­ of course¡­ though now the question is what I should do? If anything?


    I mean¡­ this might not be Madison that was involved with Taylor''s trigger. If anything Madison having a Case 53 fetish is a rather pervasive bit of fanon, so if anything this might just be someone that enjoys Beastiality.


    And Taylor''s triggering is still days away, about a week give or take a few hours.


    Actually, now that I think about it¡­ should I do anything? I mean she''s going to trigger no matter what I do. I can''t just follow her to school on the day she triggers or anything. But perhaps¡­ I would need to meet her first of all and she''ll be suspicious as hell but¡­ perhaps I could give her a shoulder to lean on?


    Absentmindedly I did a search on Danny Hebert (granted search is putting it simply but... meh it works) and¡­ wasn''t impressed and only slightly disappointed. I had hoped that Danny would be like one of his fanon counterparts, but no sadly enough. The data paints a picture of a broken shell of a man going through the motions, and though he genuinely loves his daughter it was clear to me that Danny wasn''t the Pillar of Emotional Strength and Fortitude in the Hebert household.


    But there''s nothing I can do about that yet.


    Right now I just need to decide: Quadruped or Biped


    Both come with advantages and disadvantages, which both are largely negated due to my Tinkerish power. And the one advantage I''d have regardless is knowing I have the biggest c.o.c.k anywhere I go!


    Nickering in amus.e.m.e.nt I focused on planning out my initial implants, I could redesign my body later.


    I had also decided on a name, seeing as my original name had been scoured from my memory suspiciously enough.


    "Steel. Steel Cavalry." I said aloud for no real reason.


    It felt right oddly enough.


    Chapter 3


    >


    CPU


    Processing...


    Simulating...


    Error?


    Query?


    "Heh, well it''s good to know we''re not so intertwined. I do like my privacy." I quipped to my confused ''CPU'' before I continued, "No, I don''t legitimately need Amy''s assistance to install the CBMs, I''ve already got all the basic infrastructure installed and an Autodoc ready. No, what I want is to study Amy''s shard [Queen Shaper] as well as to give the irritated shard a chance to chew on some new data and ease off Amy." I explained calmly, "And the best way to help Amy is to get her to assist the installation process. Granted any organic damage I would incur is negligible but this will save me some pain as well as helping Amy so it''s a win-win in my mind."


    The CPU went silent but that didn''t mean I couldn''t feel it processing and running countless simulations what I told it. Chuckling I resumed fiddling with my biggest project; trying to achieve my previous human form!


    Now don''t get me wrong I''ve read a lot (and I mean a lot) of smut that involved either an equine phallus or a full-on horse, and the knowledge that I have the biggest d.i.c.k (and balls now that I think about it) in the city is a helluva ego boost but goddamnit I miss having hands! You never know how much you take something for granted until it''s gone.


    Though I''ve already circ.u.mvented my lack of hands, it''s still in the hypothetical stage but eventually, I''ll go from having no hands to all the hands!


    Though I''m also studying copyright and cape law so I don''t get sued by GW if I wind up looking like a Techpriest. Turns out with the appearance of Heroes and Villains a lot of laws had to be quickly reworked. It also explained how something like the Birdcage can exist despite it being inhumane and unconstitutional.


    But then again humans will do anything to feel safe and have a sense of control.


    Sighing I decided to force myself to continue working on my projects and decided to go take a gallop around. Who knows maybe I''ll run into the Wards again? It''s hard to simulate the possibilities given how wildly different this world is to the one I know, hell for all I know I might accidentally save Lisa and she''ll decide she''s safe with me!


    "Heh, as if that''d happen. I don''t know canon but I know Coil got Lisa months before Taylor triggered."


    Nickering faintly I left my hideout, activating the security systems I had set up. While I''m still looking for a better location it doesn''t mean I''m not security conscious!


    "Well¡­ this is awkward¡­"


    CPU


    Amus.e.m.e.nt


    Being used as a jungle gym and giving rides to young children wasn''t what I planned when I decided to visit the park but it wasn''t all that bad. If anything it made me seem friendly (which I am but you know how people get when capes are involved) but the kids weren''t what made my current situation awkward.


    And the occasional MILF that saw my big sack and giggled didn''t make it awkward either. Well¡­ maybe a little.


    No, it was the fact that a young woman, thirteen to fourteen I guesstimate, watching me intently. And my sensors detected a quantum-tunnel connecting the woman to a shard. And it took me running a facial recognition program as well as scanning the citizen registry to find out who it is.


    Dinah Alcott.


    Okay seeing as she was here clearly she wasn''t being drugged, but still, how should I proceed? I also had to try and recall Dinah''s power, something about¡­ predictions? Calculating the chances of things?


    And judging from how she was watching me and the activity coming from the quantum-tunnel tethered to her she was actively using her power.


    >>


    Since the day she triggered Dinah''s life had been rather miserable. Sure the power to calculate the odds of future actions with near-perfect accuracy sounds amazingly broken on paper. But the problem, to use a computer metaphor, is that her hardware simply wasn''t up to the task of running the software.


    The long and short is that every usage of her power caused discomfort that easily turned into ''ice-pick to the temple'' levels of agony.


    The fact that her power was completely involuntary meant that she got a taste of what she learned was called Thinker headaches far sooner and much more frequently than she would like.


    ''The chances of me being hurt in the park?"


    [[email protected]@[email protected]$#*(&^&*(?]


    "The hell?"


    Her power had never glitched out like that before! It didn''t even cause the normal dull ache that normally accompanied her power!


    Looking around subtly she spotted that horse cape that PHO has been going on about playing with some kids. Or rather they were playing on him and he allowed it. The sight was enough to bring a small smile to her face


    "Chances that he''s making my power glitch?"


    [200000000000000000000000%]


    "Well, that''s a certainty. And there''s that ache¡­ so when my power glitches the Thinker headache doesn''t appear? Interesting. Chances that he can keep me safe?"


    [80%]


    "That is horrifyingly higher than when I asked about the Wards and Protectorate. Hmm, if I approach him and tell him about my power what are the chances he''ll keep it secret and agree to protect me?"


    [5555555555500000000000000000000%]


    "Hmm, now how do I approach him and not make it weird?"


    Well¡­ Dinah always wanted to go horseback riding so¡­ why not?


    With a plan forming in her mind she approached the horse, after making sure neither of her parents would overreact or anything.


    She loved them with all her heart but damnit she wasn''t a little girl anymore!!


    >>


    "Hmm, seems like Little Miss Precog has a plan."


    CPU


    Processing¡­


    Simulating¡­


    Calculating¡­


    Data


    "Yeah, that sounds like that''d be her best bet."


    It''s funny but I just wonder how much tragedy would''ve been diverted in canon if people actually communicated? Probably a shit ton in all honesty but that would be logical and cut down on a lot of angst, trauma, and drama, and Wildbow couldn''t have that!


    Don''t get me wrong I think Wildbow is a shit writer with a fetish for grimderp and a hard-on for¡­ anti-authoritarianism or whatever. But I will give him something he gave the fanfiction scene a wonderful sandbox to play around it.


    It was just disappointing that so many clung to the rails of canon like a lifeline. So, you know what I''m going to do?


    I''m going to give whatever ''canon'' exists in this world a big ''F.u.c.k You'' and buck it straight in the balls!


    I don''t know if I can fix this world but damn it I''ll try to make it just a little less hellish!

 Chapter 442 - My OC Stash #42 - And so the current flows by notTowfu (DemonSlayer)

    -I enjoyed reading ths mob character of an OC, the death flags tho has got me quaking


    Synopsis: You will remain a mid-ranked demon slayer until the day you die. Despite this, you are perfectly content with your lot in life as long as you can assist the demon slayer corps. Falling in love with Shinobu Kocho was never part of your plan. Reader/Shinobu. Second person POV.


    Rated: T


    Words: 67K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13519381/1/And-so-the-current-flows (notTowfu)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    "You don''t have to be so stiff."


    You keep your entire form stiffly bowed, unsure of what to reply. Being told to relax by the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps will result in the opposite effect he intends, no matter how calming his voice. You wager only a directly injected muscle relaxant could help you now.


    "Oh, how inconsiderate of me," Ubuyashiki Kagaya exclaims, making a soft sound of realization. "Anyone would be tense if it were their first time at headquarters, and the journey here must not have helped your nerves. I shall make haste and endeavour to keep our discussion to the point, then."


    Someone with a death wish will point out their fraying nerves has everything to do with the ensemble of Pillars glaring holes in your back, less to do with being thrust in a foreign environment. You are not such a person, and thus you settle on the best reply you can think of.


    "Thank you, Oyakata-sama."


    You keep your head bowed to await further judgement. This will hopefully be your first and last time being thrust into the spotlight. Should you have to withstand another instance of this, you would prefer to get yourself roaring drunk first.


    "Very well. First, let me begin by confirming how long you have been in the service of the Demon Slayer Corps. Our records show you been with us for an considerable amount of time, longer than most slayers, my pillars notwithstanding."


    There is a calculated pause at the end of his sentence. You know a subtle order to respond when you hear one, and you say, "Indeed, it is as you say. This will be my fourth year in the organization."


    "And your rank?"


    "Tsuchinoto, Oyakata-sama."


    There comes a number of disparaging grunts from behind you, the one from the Wind Pillar particularly ferocious. Their scorn glances off you like sunlight reflecting off a river''s surface. You are unreactive where normal people would have bristled or lost themselves in shame.


    It is not because you are resilient to emotions or think yourself special. The truth is far more tame. You can''t recall when, but at some point during your career as a Slayer, no matter how many battles you overcame or how much you trained, you barely showed signs of improvement. Often, increasing the frequency and severity of training only yielded meagre results, and the time you took to recover would erase those hard earned upsides. Subjecting yourself to harsher methods changed nothing, and the conclusion you arrived at had drowned you in sorrow for weeks.


    In this world, where the weak grappled at the straws to survive, you had been among the many who wished desperately to be one of the strong. But reality proved a cruel mistress, and aside from embracing death, you were left with no other choices. You had to accept the truth.


    This was the extent of your body''s potential, and Tsuchinoto was the highest rank you would attain in this lifetime. You would not advance. Not when your total demon kill count barely totalled over twenty.


    Strangely, once you made peace with your circ.u.mstance, you were paradoxically stronger and more confident than you''d ever been. This surety of your limits has allowed you to survive skirmishes Slayers of the same rank would have been felled by. Your skill to judge whether a battle should be pursued to the bitter end or abandoned has handily saved your life more than a few times.


    So, no. You have no reason to be ashamed.


    Ubuyashiki must sense your resolve. He lets out a satisfied hum that evokes a wave of appreciative murmurs from Pillars and Kakushi kneeling nearby. The man then bestows you with a beaming smile and says, "I am delighted you have survived this long, my dear Tsuchinoto. May you continue to live splendidly and aid us in the years to come."


    Your chest swells with emotion. The missions you toiled over, your suffering at the hands of sadistic demons, lonely nights spent reading by the firelight¡­ Ubayashiki''s words instantly uplifts you. It is strange how easily he makes the blood and sweat you have spilled feel wholly worth it.


    You now understand why the Pillars have remained intensely loyal to this man despite their tremendous strength. Earlier in your life, you''ve suffered under people with power who treat those under them like sc.u.m. In your experience, those people never stay in their positions for long. Ubuyashiki has been the head of the Demon Slayer Corps for as long as you''ve known, and it already tells you a lot about him than history ever will.


    Your head digs deeper into the dirt. "This lowly one will gratefully accept your blessings."


    Ubayashiki smiles. "Your dedication towards your duty is admirable and according to our laws, you are to be paid for your services rendered. However, it has recently come to my attention you have yet to collect compensation for the past two years. According to my daughters, it has acc.u.mulated into quite a sum. This case is the first of its kind, and I cannot help but assume that you think your remuneration unsatisfactory?"


    What he says soothes some of your fears. You hadn''t broken a rule. Before the silence can stretch too long, you raise your head to speak. "This humble one can offer an explanation."


    Oyakata-sama nods, his kindly expression never receding. You ignore the gazes full of killing intent drilling into your back and tell him, "I was born from a family of merchants and schooled in the ways of trade. By combining their teachings with the generous remuneration from my first two years of service, I turned enough profit from my businesses to sustain me up till this point."


    Demon Slayers are constantly travelling. It makes sense for anyone to be suspicious given how long you''ve operated without a constant source of funds. Just from what he mentioned, you could have been accused of consorting with demons or bribed by outside forces. You are lucky Oyakata-sama is a man of good character, or you might find yourself gutted and hung out to dry.


    You continue, "Seeing as I already had a constant source of income, I deemed it greedy to hoard more money and thus left the remaining renumeration untouched. I believed the organization would benefit to have more capital to provide for any incoming Demon Slayers. Forgive me for being presumptuous and not communicating my intentions earlier."


    The tenuous atmosphere created from Ubuyashiki''s suspicions has dispersed by the time you finish speaking. You are glad none here are mind-readers. That means only you are privy to your internal wailing for failing to foresee this outcome. You have made a grave miscalculation for things to have escalated like this.


    "Ah, so that is what it was!" Ubuyashiki answers, delighted. "I am touched by your personal effort to support the Demon Slayers Corps. And also¡­ seeing as you mentioned you are well-versed in the art of trade, perhaps you might be able to offer advice on how my existing family trades can better earn profits."


    Your eyes nearly bulge out of your head. You think he is joking until you see his wife nodding away beside him, apparently agreeing with his words. Ubuyashiki continues speaking, oblivious to the subtle shaking of your head. "Given that the bulk of the organization is reliant on my existing family trades to keep fed, it would be prudent of me to make sure they will continue to flourish. Our war with the demons is far from over and it will pay to be prepared, seeing how government funding is woefully absent."


    "Pardon me for speaking, Oyakata-sama." A gentle, feminine voice draws your attention, sounding neither overbearing nor boastful. "Perhaps it might be wise to consult this Tsuchinoto about our plans regarding the logistics of our medical supplies as well. Meticulous planning is no match for actual experience. Drawing on already tested trade knowledge will be an excellent way to identify pitfalls we did not account for."


    There is only one female among the Pillars. The Insect Pillar, famed for her beauty and poisons. A bulk of the rumours comes from how she wears a perpetual smile on her face and how it never wavers in the face of danger. According to hearsay, it softens her delicate features and accentuates her already striking beauty to an almost alarming degree.


    "That is a wonderful idea," Ubuyashiki says. "The organization will greatly benefit from his assistance in both matters, that is¡­ if he agrees to lend us his power."


    That is your cue to express your unbending sincerity. You do that by giving Ubuyashiki another deep bow, nearly nailing your forehead to the ground.


    "It will be my utmost pleasure."


    When Oyakata-sama finally ends the meeting and gives everyone present the permission to rise, you find yourself on the receiving ends on a number of envying and pitying gazes. You ignore them and turn to the Insect Pillar, Shinobu Kocho, giving her an equally deep bow of respect.


    "Pleased to meet you, Kocho-sama," you greet. "I am sorry, but I shall entrust myself to your care."


    When you raise your head, you take this opportunity to observe her. This is your first time seeing her in person. She and her deceased sister are legendary for their deadly combat prowess and earth-shattering natural beauty, and previously, you assumed rumours were greatly exaggerated.


    Looking upon her now, you come to a conclusion the rumours had forgotten to include a number of things.


    Shinobu Kocho certainly looks accurate to her moniker, the goddess of healing, but not once have you heard about this intense air surrounding her. The distilled lethality of her presence is enough to make your body go taut with tension. Her smile might be gentle and inviting, but her brilliant intellect is alluded to by the penetrating sharpness in her gaze.


    You wonder if your brothers-in-arms have cotton for brains.


    How is this woman a damsel in need of protection?


    "My, you are a polite one, aren''t you?" Shinobu seems pleased by your manners and greets you with a short bow. "Oyakata-sama has spoken and I hope our collaboration will be a fruitful one. Now, follow me. The material we need is stored in the Butterfly Mansion. It will be good to get you acquainted with the place with before we can discuss anything."


    You''re relieved by her professionalism. "Of course, Kocho-sama."


    "Shinobu-san is fine. I might be a Pillar on the field, but while working on this matter, it would be better for us to treat each other as equals."


    You aren''t one to argue, and you respond with a succinct, "Understood, Shinobu-san."


    Shinobu''s eyes crinkle as she laughs. "Good. I look forward to working with you."

 Chapter 443 - My SI Stash #43 - Im trying to study here by SocialistBukharin (Rosario+Vampire)

    -Went in to this SI fic with no meta knowledge of Rosario and still enjoyed it, author-san does it again!


    Synopsis: A single plan - Trying to survive for more than a year without being yanked in an awkward situation about the main plot. Jacob ''Jake'' Barrett, now deaged and left in the most dangerous of schools, braves the halls of Yokai Gakuen with incredible determination, a book about Seals, and a female Werewolf that just likes to mess with people way too much.


    Rated: M


    Words: 28K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13754077/1/I-m-trying-to-study-here (SocialistBukharin)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    If you''re reading this message, it means that my efforts in summoning a second candidate for my project have resulted in a brilliant success.


    I understand that you may be surprised, shocked even, at finding yourself in a completely different dimension, and while you may have all rights to be outraged by this disposition, I can assure you that your summoning wasn''t one made without concern for what storm will be slowly approaching this school.


    My name is Tenmei Mikogami, and I will answer any questions you may have in my office after you finish your first lessons for today.


    What I can tell you right now are three pieces of information. First off, you''ve been deaged back to a suitable age so that you don''t stick out too much. Secondly, you are now under the effects of a translation spell that allow you to understand and relay Japenese as if it was your original language. Finally, you have been provided with the correct doc.u.mentation to make your stay here at Yokai Gakuen work.


    I hope to see you soon,


    The Headmaster of this excellent School.


    I was pressing X to doubt that this school was as execellent as this Headmaster implied it to be, considering the death rate here slightly exceeded any public schools in third-world countries by a slight margin. Still... I had to play with the hand life dealt me.


    Adjusting my seat on the bus, I sat only a few feet away from the unaware protagonist of this series that I had been a bit of a fan some years ago. I tried my best not scream at the absurdity I would be put through with little preparation beforehand.


    It had been a sudden curve ball, especially when I had been so close to finally getting the best contract ever at my workplace. I, Jacob Barrett, wasn''t really liking how unlucky this week was turning into after that brilliant news.


    Imagine my glee at receiving such a massive reward that was a stable job with a large pension once I was old and ready to retire, after a couple of years of breaking my neck and back through tasks that many would''ve been reluctant to go through.


    I had already suffered through High school, making the best out of what I knew of the subjects, getting recommendations from teachers, going through the humble but highly-rewarding road and¡­ getting Isekai''d in a world that literally brought me back to square zero.


    I had quite a few reasons to be howling like a madman at the unpleasant twist I had to digest with a grin from the looks of it. Yet I merely glared. Right at the Bus Driver.


    Because I knew that the man, albeit looking like a frightening individual, was someone that was pretty much keen to follow the headmaster''s decisions since he was a close friend of his.


    My glare was returned with a brief smile, as the man had to keep his eyes on the road. I didn''t say anything- I refused to offer a reaction for the guy to relay to his boss. And I also didn''t do anything that could''ve gained the attention of the poor guy that was meant to become the catalyst for many crazy things to happen in the next two years.


    Tsukune Aono, or Aono Tsukune if one were to go by the Japanese reading of names, was someone I couldn''t entirely judge right from the beginning. Not because I didn''t know his personality, because I did. I just found it problematic, knowing what kind of environment awaited us both at the Academy.


    He was selfless, cheerful, determined and¡­ outrageously naive when it came in accepting people in his group, even if those had come close to murder, or even are planning to kill people. No, I wasn''t referring to the Harem itself, but rather the rest of the cast that somehow affiliated themselves to the guy.


    There was also the matter I really wasn''t sure if this was going to go the Anime route, with everything eventually culminating with just the meek and rushed Moka Route to put an end to all issues in the story, or if it will go the Manga route where things will just escalate to a full-fledged reverse-Hellsing Ultimate final fight.


    Knowing my luck, I braced to handle the silly version of the Crimson F.u.c.ker in a year or so if I managed to live through the first few bumps along my joyful ride through the first year here at Yokai Gakuen.


    The only relief I found myself grasping at was the bizarre book I found right beneath the letter announcing how screwed I was going to be for a while, since the title confirmed I had to keep it as close as possible. To fight to keep it for my survival depended on it.


    Study on Black Arts: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners


    Black Arts, or the Art of Free-Style Sealing, was one of the best sets of skills that could be learned by pretty much anyone that possessed the capacity of using Magic. And if I remember correctly, all humans had a fair chance of developing Magic either naturally or through the help of fellow Magic Users.


    It all depended if I already had magic on myself or not. And if I was going to learn enough to make the difference with the first few obstacles on my road to ''keep living, things will be fine''.


    Just as I gave a comforting pat at the book, I noticed the bus was actually slowing down to park right by the entrance that led to our destination. I waited for a little while, just enough for Tsukune to get up and walk towards the exit of the vehicle.


    "I hope you are prepared for what comes next, Aono-kun," The driver chuckled mirthfully. "Yokai Gakuen is a Scaaaary School!"


    Oh? Did the script change or what?


    I expected this little warning to come a little before we arrived at this point. Also, I was confused why he was addressing only Tsukune in this conversation. The boy, like in the manga, gasped before making his shivering way out of the bus.


    Once he was out of sight, I proceeded to stand up myself and make my way towards the exit. Before I could leave, I felt a strong hold grasping at my arm, forcing me to stop.


    "The same goes for you, Barrett-san," The Bus Driver mentioned calmly. "But I can tell you seem prepared to handle a fright or two."


    "It all depends on how interested you boss is in throwing me into danger."


    "Oh? You don''t mind if your fellow human is put through these challenges?" He inquired with a hint of curiosity dripping from his voice.


    "I know he is lucky enough to live through those. I have myself to look after first since I will not have¡­ a sudden protector anytime soon."


    "...I will sure watch your tale with interest, Barrett-san."


    I merely nodded as he let go of me, allowing me to finally leave the vehicle and use the opportunity created by the young man''s sight and attention aimed to the distance as he tried to compute what he just heard to what he was seeing.


    To be fair, the place was quite creepy, but pretty far from terrifying as his mind was painting it was. Sure, the water looked to be blood, and the trees were as dead as those could be but¡­ there wasn''t much to lament considering there was nothing lurking around that could genuinely pose a threat to any new students.


    So I started to make my way towards the main building, ignoring the chances of being noticed by Moka as she was making her way towards her future love interest with her trusty bike, and I decided to think what I was supposed to do once I entered the place. Surely there was going to be a panel with the lists of students and the proper classrooms to go to for the introduction to the homeroom teachers.


    There was a distinct chance I was going to be shoved in the same classroom as the main cast but, I was still confident that I could easily hide my presence away from them while also getting some ''good boy'' points with the teachers this early on.


    So I heard a yelp in the distance, I saw a pink blur slamming on the unaware Tsukune, and I merrily made my last steps outside the school as I entered inside.


    Let''s see how bad my situation really is¡­


    -d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-


    I tend to forget how the foreign students usually get a chance to ''shine'' before their fellow classmates for not being from Japan. And in this case, I really wasn''t up to boast my ''Americanism'' before my fellow students since I wanted to dodge the spotlight.


    "My name is Jacob Barrett, I am a student from the States. I hope to make¡­ precious memories out of this experience."


    "Nyah~! Thank you for your intervention, Jacob-san."


    Nekonome Shizuka was my homeroom teacher.


    One of the lesser known cat-girls from what I could tell, this individual''s role was relativelu minor compared to other members of the staff, with most of her importance sequestered in the first Arcs of the Capu 1.


    Once we were all seated, everyone except two students, one of which was Moka, the blonde began with the simple introduction of the school, its purpose, some of the rules, and her response to Saizou about his comment about ''Killing human guys, and molesting human girls''. I mean, I can understand having a dislike for humans, but to actually go that far knowing the kind of parents he had just felt¡­


    Dumb. And that was me being kind considering how much of a prick this guy really is, both in the Anime and the Manga.


    Known humans are to be executed. Period. There was no mercy offered by anyone that wasn''t the Headmaster, some student you might have befriended to the point they don''t mind you being a human, or people that just want to have a pawn to use for their devious plans.


    Still, the best feature of me being there to personally see this scene unfold before my eyes was that I had the perfect seat to see how adorable the teacher''s clumsy act of keeping her animal feature under check was.


    A lovely and respectful woman Shizuka could be, she was still a cute individual that couldn''t hold back from displaying excitement or other intense emotions through the way her cat ears and tail tended to do.


    Cue the gag of a student pointing these funny bits out and becoming the receiving end of a self-propelled artillery shot from the teacher. Or ''getting rekt via book-throw''. I mean, it was a lose-lose situation if someone pointed these things out, especially since it didn''t fix anything, and it just hurt the one guy that stupidly expected to be spared from retaliations for mentioning that.


    The fool!


    Still, the class was briefly interrupted before it could really begin as Moka finally made her appearance and she swiftly recognized Tsukune as she moved towards her seat. The pinkette was blissfully unaware that making that kind of jump she made to embrace the poor guy not only had to have gotten his body sore because of her strength¡­ but it also offered a clear sight of her panties, a detail that wasn''t unique to just me much to my surprise.


    I see a world of white¡­ fabric.


    It wasn''t like I was genuinely shocked by the development¡­ in fact I took the opportunity to remember that this story was one of Ecchi and Harem. And now I was a part of it¡­ so I was keen to expect the lewd to strike any moment now even as I tried to be beyond that kind of instance.


    The lecture went smoothly, and it didn''t take long for lunchtime to come by. With the teacher confirming it was time to leave, I picked my bag and filled it with my notebook and pens as I did actually take some notes about the lesson that weren''t mentioned in any bits of the media about the rules, and I started making my way towards the closest exit of the classroom¡­ only to be shoved down the ground and squeezed by a pair of sudden airbags.


    There was a minor pained growl coming from above, suggesting from the pitch I was dealing with a girl. And that the ''airbags'' were her b.o.o.b.s.


    ¡­


    Not gonna lie, I hadn''t expect for a situation like this to happen so soon, especially when it came to the size of this girl''s b.r.e.a.s.ts.I looked up, and saw something that I could only describe. This girl had unruly black hair that trailed down to her butt, and her uniform was customized to the point that her jacket & shirt had their sleeves mostly removed. She was wearing the standard skirt, I hoped she also had panties, and¡­ then I saw her yellow eyes angrily aiming at me.


    Before she had the chance to call me a pervert, I looked at her with a deadpan stare.


    "Get off, will you?"


    Her jaws lowered, showing minor surprise at being called out first. She did move out of the way, allowing me to stand up, but didn''t move away from my path as she glared at me fiercely.


    "You tripped me, you bastard."


    "I think you assaulted me first, miss," I dryly remarked. "In fact, everyone here is leaving for Lunch-"


    Her eyes narrowed. "There is still class-"


    "There was class. It just ended now-"


    "Bullshit-"


    "Language!" The sensei behind us almost barked. "Barrett-san is correct. It''s lunchtime¡­ but I suppose you''re Inugami Katsue. The Headmaster said you were going to be late for¡­ reasons."


    The girl snorted. "I guess I was a little ''too'' late at that."


    ¡­


    "Move?"


    "How about you move?"


    "You''re the one blocking first," I flatly pointed out. "And everyone behind me is trying to get out too."


    I gestured to the line that had formed out of this instance and¡­ the monster-girl snorted.


    "I don''t care, move."


    "You move."


    Her eyes narrowed, and I saw her right palm form a fist as she tried to punch me away.


    Normally, I would''ve just dodged and allowed her to trip. But since I had people behind me that limited my mobility, I had to take a little risk and¡­ hope for the best.


    I caught her wrist and, after allowing her surprise to fully manifest in her face, delivered a low-power slap. Not enough to hurt, but enough to ''wake up'' from that little reverie. Katsue unconsciously made a step back, allowing me enough space to allow me out. I didn''t regard the shock coming from the rest of the students looking at the scene, and I didn''t pay much attention to the unsure look on the Sensei as she pondered if I was in the wrong on this matter. No, I just decided to leave, wordlessly, as I had way too many questions that I was holding up in my throat that needed to be asked at the right person. And that person had to be waiting for me already.


    Knocking at the door, I waited just a moment as¡­ the door itself opened on its own. I took this as a sign to get inside and my eyes were on the headmaster himself. Tenmei Mikogami, one of the three individuals that were behind the ''defeat'' of Alucard, was trying his best to appear indifferent to the troubling tower of paper that needed to be signed by his hand. I was confused as to why he wasn''t using magic to get through with the process, but I guess there were some specific rules within the paperwork system that prevented people from using that easy lifehack.


    "Jacob Barrett. I was expecting you¡­ just not this early," The hooded Dark Lord greeted. "I would''ve hoped that you could''ve stopped to eat lunch first before addressing these matters."


    I sat down in front of him, trying to look through by tilting over the space devoid of the towers of doc.u.ments.


    "I just couldn''t hold back on my questions. Especially¡­ you know, you saw it correct to kidnap me like that."


    "Oh? Do you find this disposition a downgrade from your past few days? Many would kill to be young again."


    "Immensely so, yes," I replied without hesitation. As much as I found the land of s.e.xy monster ladies quite endearing, I had reasons to prefer my previous livelihood to this. A certain rich future, I had my eyes on a colleague with a big rack, nice h.i.p.s, a lovely personality and was single.


    I had the two things a man could aim for, a perfect end to his job career once he is old enough to retire and a woman that was sure going to become my lovely wife-


    "She was having multiple affairs and three marriage proposals she was considering," The headmaster interrupted my thoughts, getting a frown out of me. "And your boss? He was trying to trick you with some interesting bonus for the next thirty years¡­ plus a clause that would demand thrice the amount of your pension through cuts in your wage."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    No f.u.c.k.i.n.g way. I mean, I could see the boss being a bastard and pull a sneaky one like that, but Katie? Katie was actually too much of an angel to be trying to-


    But didn''t she spend a lot of time training with her tennis coach? She mentioned that she was the only one student in that class getting extra lessons. ''To refine her receiving reaction''.


    Oh God- that is-


    And the time she couldn''t come to the Cinema to hang out with the other colleagues? The one she said she was busy with redacting some doc.u.ments with the boss-


    Okay, I understand! But¡­ what the f.u.c.k? Why did I have to realize this now of all times?


    Maybe you really REALLY wanted to tap that booty.


    Ah, the booty almost led me to ruin. Who would''ve thought the curse of pirates would''ve manifested in modern times?!


    "Okay, let''s just say it''s a minor improvement? I could''ve weaved through these problems."


    "And then you would''ve continued to live a simple lonely life with a low-paid work that didn''t value your potential."


    "You know a fair lot of my private life, sir."


    "I managed to get some doc.u.ments on yourself before taking you away," The Dark Lord confirmed. "I had to make sure I wasn''t taking in a fool for this project."


    "Yeah, about that," I muttered calmly. "What kind of project are you tying me to?"


    "Nothing worrying."


    "I doubt it," I quickly commented, getting a sigh from the man.


    "I''m not planning to put you in situations which would severely endanger you. I know your capacities to survive aren''t going to be as effective as your fellow human. You will not have as much ''support'' as he is going to have quite soon," The powerful seal master admitted. "But you will manage since you know how to handle difficult situations and defuse those without getting too much attention to yourself."


    "Okay, you know a lot considering the fact that-"


    "I know Tsukune''s future. I believe my excellent powers in Black Arts should make Clairvoyance well within my range of abilities," The Demon agreed with a nod. "But I can assure you for once that you will not be subjected to any tests¡­ except a formal one I wish to have you try by December, one about your studies in Sealing Arts."


    "Why did you give me the book then?"


    He smiled. "That''s a secret."


    Of course he wasn''t going to tell me the truth but... Goddammit.


    "Now you should be going then. You have about¡­ ten minutes before lunch is over."


    I sighed, knowing that I was being ''kindly'' kicked out of the office as the man really needed to go back to his paperwork. I understood his plight, and, after giving him a quiet nod by the doorstep, I started to make my way towards the cafeteria.


    At this point, the scene with Saizou had to be over and¡­ I had the entire place for me to use without having to fear any awkward development in there. So I walked inside the area, picked a tray and I picked just some rice, fish filet, and some water.


    Most of the other stuff was new to me, so I stuck by those dishes I could recognize and¡­ I knew I couldn''t just stick with little considering how long these days were going to be and how I needed to work on my body since I was back to my youthful slim form compared to my muscled frame I got after six years of constantly working out.


    But as I sat down alone to eat in peace, my little quiet space was interrupted when someone decided to jump on the table I was using and glare down at me while pointing an accusing finger at my annoyed face.


    "There you are, you bastard!"


    Oh, hello Katsue. And hello pink panties.


    "Hello there."


    "Don''t you dare try to make it seem like nothing had happened."


    "I believe the only thing that is happening right now is you giving everyone a glance of your underwear. Seriously¡­ pink?"


    Katsue tensed up, her jaws dropping in shock as she actually realized the awkward predicament she had put herself to. I had to admit, her thighs looked lovely and¡­ I really couldn''t stay to admire her beauty as she was certainly going to maul me as she slowly started to get off the table. Eyes looking around in panic as a bright blush spread on her face at the self-humiliating move.


    As she glanced back at me, her glare intensified as she saw that I was no longer there. And so wasn''t my tray.


    Running while eating in such an unpleasant manner was never my favorite way to build up some abs, but I wasn''t the one picking the exercises considering the crazy bitch that was going to certainly stalk around for me.


    I dodged the roof, knowing it was just the first place someone would search any panicking guy, and I easily sneaked inside an unused gym room.


    Now, I expected to be alone, but I was pleasantly surprised when I ended up finding a fellow runner trying to hide her presence there too.


    Icy cold blue eyes sporting a brief glint of fright, purple long hair, Mizore Shirayuki was pretty much wearing the same set of clothes she had back when she was first introduced. Considering timeline and current location, I was fairly certain the girl had yet to discover that her possible first interest, a certain rapist of a teacher, was actually something the opposite of the ideal husband concept.


    I offered the rice as bribery to keep her from ever bringing up my little hiding session, and she countered the deal by asking my opinion on possible guys to date. It was an odd turn of events but¡­ I wasn''t going to say no to a lady with a modest-sized rack and some lovely leg that I almost lost myself while first looking at them.


    Goddammit, why are so many girls here so hot-looking!?


    On a positive note, I ended up making a friend that seemed to have no intentions of jumping my bones for good or bad reasons. I needed an ''anchor'' that wasn''t going to ''betray'' me by taking me to bed on the first possible occasions offered to her.


    If I had to be honest, things weren''t going to be so bad if I continued to move fast, dodge crazy bitches, and¡­ and tried to remember how frustrating homework really was.


    AN


    Meet Jacob Barrett. A popular kid that was just a step away from being the good-kind of chad in his school. He played sports for a while, got a few tales with some hot girls at school, never put himself in the spotlight as an arrogant prick.


    He prospered well during his time in normal high school, but can he pull the same through Yokai Gakuen and beyond?

 Chapter 444 - My OC Stash #44 - Bloodstained Hands in a World of White by dogloser (Naruto)

    -This fic just makes me want get my own ninken pile/


    Synopsis: The Kamui Sharingan was supposed to have killed Kakashi in his fight against Pein, and yet he somehow wakes up - within his thirteen-year-old body and without Obito''s Sharingan. Stranded in a new but old second life, Hatake Kakashi determines that he will fix what he had broken, so many years ago, all while he fears that a broken man can only continue to break, not fix. (A03 fic)


    Rated: T


    Words: 67K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13406270/1/Bloodstained-Hands-in-a-World-of-White (dogloser)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Pain was the first thing to register in Kakashi''s mind, slowly sinking and settling over him like the dawn of a new day. His body ached dully all over, he realized faintly, but it was a familiar ache. His muscles felt weighted down and lifeless, as if yesterday he had been in a day-long sparring contest with Gai, and yet - he couldn''t recall any such competition. As a matter of fact, the last time he had seen Gai was quite some time ago. The boisterous Eternal Rival of Kakashi''s had taken his precious, youthful team on a long mission outside the Land of Fire. Gai was gone, and had been, so why¡­?


    Gone. That word stirred something in the depths of Kakashi''s mind. Something else was gone, something important, and the fact niggled at his mind like a steady stream against a large boulder. Gone. But what?


    Perhaps he should have been asking what wasn''t gone. It was certainly an easier question to answer. His teammates, for one - well, no, Asuma had been killed, hadn''t he? Well, then, there was his squad - no, Sasuke had fled from the village, and Naruto and Sakura had moved on to better teachers. His home, then - but he had only ever thought of Sakumo, Rin, Obito, and Minato-sensei as his home, outside the Leaf Village, at least.


    Wait, the Leaf Village?


    Konoha¡­ gone...


    Pain flared in his skull, pounding like a flurry of fists. The stream against the boulder of his memory became a waterfall, raging, pushing, and his forgetfulness seemed just about to give.


    Konoha, gone, pain. Gone. Pain. Konoha. Pain. Pain. Pein.


    The waterfall shattered the boulder into thousands of pieces. Memory rushed back to him. Gai, gone on a mission. Pein, attacking the village, destroying it. The Akamichi boy, sprinting to Tsunade. A Pein''s last attack. His Kamui. Chakra that he didn''t have draining his very life energy. A blue, blue sky - and then a campfire. Sakumo. Father.


    Nothing seemed to make sense. He had certainly died. The conversation with his father was still fresh in his mind, and dying was not something simply forgotten.


    So, the question begged to be answered: how the hell was he conscious?


    Well, only one way to find out.


    Kakashi squinted one eye open and immediately mourned the action. His skull throbbed more insistently, especially behind his left eye, and he could only assume its cause was his abuse of the Kamui Sharingan. Taking a deep breath, he forced his eye open again to assess his surroundings.


    He found himself in a small room that he didn''t recognize, on a standard bed that seemed lacking any personality. Slowly, the Jonin eased himself up into a sitting position. As soon as he sat up, searing pain flooded him unexpectedly, forcing him to stop and grip onto the edges of the bed, entirely blinded as he withheld through the torrent of pain rattling around in his skull. Very slowly, that pain began to ebb away. Eventually, after long, agonizing minutes, the hammering in his mind and muscles began to fade to the background, to a more manageable throbbing. With his wits finally about him, Kakashi focused on taking in more information. The room he awoke in was sparsely decorated, holding little more than bare necessities, well-kept but infrequently used. When he tried to stretch out his chakra, he could not sense any nearby chakra signatures in the nearby area, and so assumed that he was alone in the apartment. Perhaps he was in a spare part of a complex? But, what part of the Village hadn''t been destroyed since Pein''s attack?


    Carefully, the Hatake slipped off the bed, feet silently hitting the floor. Only then did he seem to register that something was quite wrong. Everything''s proportioning was off, as if he had shrunk a foot or so since his last time conscious. That couldn''t be right. No matter what odd thing had happened that must have brought him back from death, or perhaps the brink of death, it shouldn''t have changed his physique. Curiously, Kakashi finally took a look at his hands, and they were small. No longer were they the hands of a man, but of a child. His body looked similarly, and he was even dressed in the outfit he used to parade around in when he was pushing thirteen.


    A chill ran down his spine, and goosebumps prickled along his arms. Surely he was dreaming again, and within seconds he would find himself at Obito''s tomb, as an avenger, and moments after that, at Rin''s demise, as a murderer. Then, if the pain from Rin''s death was not enough to awaken him, he would be lucky enough to dream until he saw Minato-sensei''s face once more, hours before his death, while the ANBU Hound strolled around the village as a useless tool when he was needed most.


    But, then, when had he ever been aware that he was dreaming?


    His dreams often raged violently and terribly, but rarely did he make active choices in them. He only lived through them, over and over, blind to the cycle of destruction he was causing himself until he woke with a dying name on his lips and chakra flaring dangerously enough to summon alarmed ANBU to his home.


    Bile rose in his throat as his mind whirled, searching desperately for answers, but it could come up with none. He wondered if he was going to throw up, even though he couldn''t recall the last time he had eaten anything. Kakashi stumbled his way to the bathroom for precautious'' sake and froze when he caught sight of himself in the mirror. The world seemed to tip on its side. Hesitantly, his trembling hand rose to his face, touching the soft, smooth, unscarred skin of his left eye. Two bleak, frightened eyes of matching color stared back at him in the mirror. His hair was pulled down between his hitai-ate in the way that might have been considered baby bangs. His body was so, so small.


    I must have finally lost my mind, he thought faintly. No jutsu existed for time-travelling. He knew this. He had dug through the secret archives more times than he could count during his time as ANBU, and not even a forbidden jutsu could manage this. Not to mention, he didn''t have the chakra reserves for this theoretical jutsu. If he had somehow stumbled across a technique this powerful, using it would have killed him, he was sure.


    Though, he had already died at the hands of Pein. Was it possible he had messed with the time-space continuum, by distorting it before dying immediately after? Rin and Obito were the last things on his mind before he faded out, and, if he could dare assume he had somehow ended up in his past, it would make sense - as little sense as it could make - that he landed in the short period he had them as more than memories.


    Kakashi had too many questions and no answers whatsoever. Gripping onto the sink, he took in deep, steadying breaths, and reigned himself in like the shinobi that he was. This¡­ ordeal would not break him. Whether he was in a coma-induced nightmare or hell itself, he would fight to return to his home, to Konoha. Even if she had been burned to the ground, he had family that needed him. The village needed him. Obito, Rin, Minato-sensei¡­ They were dead. He had come to terms with this long ago. He had to get back to those who were still alive. Steeling his resolve, Kakashi turned away from the mirror and exited the bathroom.


    The apartment was familiar to him now that he had begun to piece together this puzzle. It was his first apartment. He had fled here after his father''s suicide, having been unable to reside in the Hatake Compound, where disgrace polluted the air.


    Kakashi wondered, if he, somehow - theoretically, of course - was in the past again, was his father - theoretically - still waiting in the afterlife, unable to move on?


    He forced the thought from his mind to deal with later. He had more pressing matters to attend to, such as the exact date. Standing in the center of his little bedroom, Kakashi bit his thumb and called, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A puff of smoke billowed up from the floor, and the Hatake waited patiently for it to dissipate. His beloved pug Pakkun stood, looking bored and unfazed.


    "What is it, Boss?" The dog gruffed.


    "Pakkun, report," he ordered, trying to sound as nonchalant as he always was, despite the terror trying to claw its way up his throat.


    "Report?" The pug stared curiously at him. "There''s nothing to report."


    Kakashi squatted, arms resting on his knees, to be more eye-level with his ninken. "Tell me about today," he encouraged. "What''s it like outside?"


    For a moment, it didn''t seem as if Pakkun was going to respond and only stare at him quizzically. Kakashi was beginning to wonder if the pug was growing too much like him when Pakkun harrumphed, giving in. "You could go out and check for yourself," he muttered. "Warm, I guess. It''s spring. Aren''t you supposed to be at training with your team?"


    Ah, he supposed he was. But how to tell his sweet, wrinkly ninken that, if he saw Obito, Rin, and Minato-sensei, alive and happy and normal, he might just faint? Or pour half-formed apologies and nonsensical begs for forgiveness from his mouth? What about that he may or may not be from the future? Instead, he opted for, "Maa, it''s fine. I have a reasonable excuse." He scratched behind Pakkun''s ear, both to soothe the canine and soothe himself. "That''s all. Thank you, Pakkun."


    "No problem, Boss." Pakkun eyed him warily for another long moment before disappearing in a puff of smoke.


    Sighing, Kakashi stood. Assuming he was a Chunin, and that it was springtime, he had roughly four to seven months before the Kannabi Bridge mission - before everything went to hell. The Hatake softly cursed and sat down on the edge of his bed, staring at his hands, not yet stained by the blood of his comrades. Was this truly his reality now? Or was it some terrible, twisted, other dimension that resulted from the Kamui and the thought of his late comrades as he died? He needed answers, but first he needed to process, to plan. Not to mention that he felt as if he could sleep until the moon rose, if the ever-persistent, dull throbbing behind his eye and the ache throughout his body was anything to go by.


    He was definitely not going to training today. Forget keeping up appearances. He can tell his team that he came down with a sickness. For the teenaged Kakashi to miss training, after all, he must be half-dead, and hopefully that would be enough to stave off Rin and Minato-sensei for a few days while he got his bearings.


    Yes, that seemed like a good enough excuse. It would have to do. For now, he was going to sleep, and maybe, when he woke, this nightmare would be over. He would open his eyes to his precious students keeping vigil at his hospital bedside, and then he would listen to at least three different lectures from Sakura and Tsunade about chakra exhaustion, and Gai would weep with joy for his Eternal Rival. As much of a pain as it was to withstand the Hokage''s - and his former student''s - rage, and Gai''s youthful tears, and Naruto''s loud excitement, right now he would give just about anything to see them.


    A soft knocking interrupted his thoughts. Kakashi started, jumping to his feet. Had he been that absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn''t sensed another chakra signature approaching?


    His stomach dropped to his feet when he recognized the signature - one that he had not felt in years, decades. Instinctively, he squashed his own chakra to nothing, although he was sure it was pointless. No one on his team was that dense, to be ignorant of a chakra signature disappearing completely when it had clearly been there moments before, but he had to try. To hope.


    The knocking stopped, and Kakashi held his breath. Please, he thought, not now (not ever). Go away.


    The chakra signature slowly withdrew. After eternally long seconds, Kakashi allowed himself to breathe. That had been close. Too close. He needed- He needed to-


    A soft breeze blew through his apartment. He whirled around, reaching for a kunai that he didn''t have. The windows were still closed, locked, and trapped, and yet his sensei did not become the Yondaime for no reason. Feeling as if his throat were going to close up on him, Kakashi stared up into the spitting image of Uzumaki Naruto.


    "Kakashi," Minato greeted, worry clear and unabashed on his face and in his voice. "Did you forget about training today? That''s not like you. Is¡­ is everything alright?"


    Oh, Sensei, Kakashi thought faintly, I can''t remember the last time anything has ever been alright.

 Chapter 445 - My SI Stash #45 - Sunrise by BANIX (DemonSlayer)

    -Dunno if the author a psychic but this got everything I wanted from a SI!DemonSlayer fic, W/


    Synopsis: Tanjiro, protagonist of a fictional story or not, I don''t care. My siblings, side characters of a fictional story or not, I don''t care. I just want to protect my family as their big brother. So, I continue to dance. (Reincarnated OC as Kamado''s oldest sibling, slow updates)


    Rated: T


    Words: 48K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13663683/1/Sunrise (BANIX)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Many people often wondered what reincarnation is like. As someone who had walked this path, I can safely tell you it is not as magical as what you believed in. You simply suddenly found yourself in another world living a new life. I don''t fully remember what my previous life was like, but it''s not like I really care about it.


    After all, I am not somebody capable of feeling great fluctuations of emotions. Happiness, sorrow, hatred, love, whatever. I can feel it, just not to an extent that most people can feel. I know I''m not normal and I don''t want to be labelled as one, so I simply hide this fact of me very well, pretending to just be like anybody else.


    This new life of mine is not what I would exactly call a good life. I live in feudal Japan, or at least I think it is feudal Japan or something along those lines because I''m no expert of Japan''s history. My family belongs to a line of charcoal burners. For generations, our family''s occupation is to manufacture charcoal and sell them. Not the best way to make a living, but it is an honest life. We don''t earn much, but it is enough to keep us filled and warm.


    Even then, I think I''m blessed with this second life of mine. I have a pair of loving parents. Even for someone who is emotionally impaired, slowly, but surely, I think my ice cold heart that followed me into this world is starting to be able to feel what normal people can.


    Emotions.


    I can feel it. I am slowly able to put a genuine smile on my face as time passes. I no longer need to hide that ugly side of me as much because it is slowly disappearing. I am starting to slowly accept the two a.d.u.l.ts who brought me into this world as my true parents.


    Kamado Haruto. That''s my name. I''m currently the oldest and only child in the family. For some reason our family name rings a very familiar bell but try as I might, I could not remember why that is the case. Trying to remember why I felt this way is like experiencing an itch that I tried very hard to scratch but could not reach. As with all itches, the itch soon went away, out of sight and out of mind.


    It was when my mother was pregnant with my younger sibling that I remembered what the name Kamado truly means.


    "If we are having a boy we are naming him Tanjiro! Be a good older brother, okay?"


    Tanjiro. Kamado Tanjiro.


    Demon Slayer.


    I screamed. The acute pain that throbbed in my head at that moment was too much for me to bear as like a floodgate within my mind had opened, memories that I thought I had forgotten began to resurface in my mind with me having no control over it.


    I blacked out.


    My parents were worried about what had happened to me. They wanted to get a doctor to take a look at me but I quickly dissuaded them, saying that I''m alright. They were sceptical, but acquiesced in the end when they saw that I''m really alright.


    In truth, I''m not alright.


    It''s right then that I really hated whatever higher being that placed me here and played such a cruel joke on me. Just when I am starting to truly feel emotions again, just when I truly accepted this as my new family and ready to start anew, I have to be saddled with the burden of foreknowledge. I still don''t fully remember about the entire series but I could remember a few key points and events about the entire fandom. In a few years, father would die. In a few more years, Muzan will arrive.


    Everyone except for Tanjiro and the still unborn Nezuko will die.


    I never felt more helpless. I don''t want them to die, but what can I do? It''s Muzan we are talking about. No mortal alive can kill him alone.


    What should I do? What can I do?


    My answer soon came. There is still something that I can do.


    As the oldest son to the family, I am required to learn the Dance of the Fire God, something passed on from father to son in every generation alongside the hanafuda earrings. I had seen father using this to dance from sunset to sunrise every year, I had no idea why that didn''t click within my mind until I found out just where I had been reincarnated to.


    As of now, I''m the only one who knows the true identity of the Dance of the Fire God, The Breath of the Sun. In this world, I am four years older than Tanjiro. I don''t know why and how I came into the Kamado family and how I ended up as the oldest son, but the mere thought of me being the oldest and what the future entails made me feel a strong sense of emotions I had never felt before.


    I really want to protect them. Tanjiro, Nezuko, and my unborn siblings. I have no idea why I felt this way just by staring at my mother''s pregnant belly but I just did.


    For the first time, I really felt an emotion so strong within my chest, swelling until it threatens to consume me whole and make me forget who I really am. For the first time, I felt whole.


    And so, I made my decision.


    I will protect this family no matter what it takes. I may fail. Muzan may still come and kill everyone I had come to love no matter how hard I tried but I will try.


    And so, at the age of four when baby Tanjiro arrived into this world, I begged father to teach me the Dance of the Fire God, saying that it looks really pretty and I want to learn how to do the dance with him someday.


    For the first time, I never said a complete lie. It''s true, that a part of me wanted to dance with him in the ritual ceremony every new year. Looking at the sleeping Tanjiro in my arms further affirm this feeling in my heart.


    I want to protect him.


    Tanjiro, protagonist of a fictional story or not, I don''t care. My future siblings, side characters of a fictional story or not, I don''t care. As of then, I finally have a purpose in life that I want to strive for.


    I want my family to live, no matter what it takes on my end. They may be fictional characters in another life but right now, they are my family. Muzan absolutely cannot be allowed to touch them.


    It is with these thoughts that I start to learn the Dance of the Fire God from father at the age of four. He looked proud of me when I said that I want to learn the dance from him and a part of me doesn''t want to disappoint him.


    And so, I learnt how to dance.


    I began to dance the Dance of the Fire God.


    I can see why nobody ever mastered the Breath of the Sun. It''s not easy. Just going through the motions makes you breathless. I have no idea how father could easily dance from sunset to sunrise every year without feeling anything else other than a slight case of exhaustion.


    It is then I began to realise why people always said that the devil''s in the details. Physical requirements when it comes to the user''s body aside, the Dance of the Fire God could only truly be completed when you pay attention to the details. The angle at which you place your foot, every single breath you take in and release, how long and how short the breaths are, how high or low you raise your arms, how much strength you place in your arms. There are so many variables required to be done right in the Dance of the Fire God to be able to truly call yourself a master of it. Just one single detail off and the dance cannot be possibly completed seamlessly.


    But I have to do this. This is the only thing I have now that can possibly help me to protect my family from the danger that I''m sure will come someday. As of now, I don''t have another option. The one fortunate thing that happened is that I ended up having a genuine love for the Dance of the Fire God. In my spare time all I ever do is to practice the Dance of the Fire God, to the point that my parents teased me for having an obsession with it. It''s true, I had an obsession and motive for learning how to dance the Dance of the Fire God but thankfully, that obsession turned into genuine passion.


    And so, I continue to dance. Nezuko arrived, I continued to dance. Over the years, Takeo, Hanako, Shigeru, Rokuta, they were born into the family one after the other and seeing their smiling faces made me reaffirm my beliefs.


    For them, I have to continue to dance.


    For them, I will continue to dance.


    Father suffered from an illness not long after mother was pregnant with Rokuta. I''m old enough to help out by then and so without a word, things like chopping firewood, going to town to sell charcoal and buying things for the family, I did as much as I could without needing my parents to do so.


    I knew this was coming. I know there''s no way to stop this from happening, but seeing it happen with my own two eyes still left a very bitter taste in my mouth.


    One day, father will die. I don''t know when and I don''t know how soon, but he will die. After that, after an undetermined period of time, Muzan will come and my entire family will die and I have no idea how to stop it.


    The new year came again. This time, I asked my father''s permission to dance the Dance of the Fire God with him because I have no idea if I will ever have the chance to do so again. My father simply patted my head fondly with a kind smile on his face.


    That sunset, the two of us danced the entire twelve forms of the Dance of the Fire God from sunset to sunrise with my mother and siblings watching. That night, we never stopped dancing until the sun rose again.


    That night, I finally mastered the Dance of the Fire God.


    It was shortly after Rokuta was born that the next big turning point in my life arrived. It was another usual day. I chopped firewood, went down to town to sell them and bought some essentials for my family. It took a little long for that particular day because I decided to help a granny with carrying the heavy looking basket she was struggling to lift. The me of before wouldn''t have bothered but living with the Kamados, my family, must have changed me. Their kindness really is infectious. I can see where Tanjiro got his kindness from. Our father is just like him, just a lot quieter. My mother also said that I am a lot like my father, always quiet, calm, and displaying little emotions, but a loving man nonetheless.


    I think mother thinks too highly of me but I don''t want to put a damper on her words, so I accepted her words with a soft smile on my face. A smile that is not entirely fake.


    Helping the granny didn''t take too long, but it still took long enough. Long enough for the sun to set. The granny offered me to stay with her for the night and her neighbours all gave the same offer, genuinely worried about the dangers that lurk within the forests after the sun had set. They believe in the existence of demons, a being that half of the town''s population believes in and where the other half deny its existence and brushed it off as a figment of a fictitious tale. I refused the offer, knowing that I could climb the mountain in no time at all. Mastering the Dance of the Fire God had done wonders for my fitness. I can run faster, jump higher, easily do feats that I otherwise thought to be impossible. My years of hard work had not been wasted.


    Even then, I hold no illusion that I could defeat Muzan. The best I can do is to hold on long enough for my family to escape. If I could I will make them move from the house on that mountain so that Muzan will never find them but that is impossible. Right there is our ancestral home and land where the Kamado family had been living for generations. There''s no way anyone in my family would ever move out of there. People in this era all have a very firm belief in guarding what their ancestors had left them and my family is no different.


    So, the only option I have is to use the Dance of the Fire God to protect my family if it comes down to it. All I have to do is to hold Muzan long enough for my family to escape.


    I wasn''t sure if it was bad luck or good luck, but the turning point ended up being my first encounter with a real demon that night.


    I was only halfway into my journey home, easily traversing through the woods as I ran and hopped through it with practiced ease when I met the demon. Words cannot fully describe just how grotesque it is. Many times, I had imagined what a real demon would have looked like. I had thought that I would maybe retch at their appearance or feel a strong sense of disgust.


    Surprisingly, I felt nothing.


    The demon was salivating uncontrollably as it slowly moved towards me when our paths met by accident. For some reason I don''t know why, I was totally calm. My hand slowly reached for the axe I always carried with me for protection whenever I traveled away from home and held it in front of me. All my years of practice, it is for protecting my family from demons and right now, this demon may potentially find its way to our home.


    I cannot let that happen. I''m sure that in canon, no demon ever ventured to our home until Muzan came but I''m not going to bet the lives of my family on a what-if.


    "Come, demon. I will slay you."


    The demon leapt and it was then I saw everything with perfect clarity. Each of its movements, its every breath, every single detail could not escape my eyes. The demon appears to be moving so slowly, so so slowly that it''s laughable. Even baby Rokuta can crawl faster than the demon.


    Curiosity sated, I moved.


    Dance


    The only thing I used was the very first move of the Dance of the Fire God. With a single clean swipe, I cut off the demon''s head. I turned around, only to see the demon frantically reattaching its head back to its body.


    Ah, that''s right, only a Nichirin Blade could possibly kill a demon. Normal weapons won''t do.


    I took on another stance. I will continue dancing until sunrise if it means keeping my family safe. Or at least, that was the thought in my mind. Somebody else had joined the fray.


    That was the first time I met a Demon Slayer. He''s the then Flame Hashira, Rengoku Shinjuro.


    In all his life as a Demon Slayer Rengoku Shinjuro had never seen anybody like that little boy.


    He couldn''t be any much older than Kyojuro, for all he knows Kyojuro may be the older one. Yet, the little boy did not have a single shred of fear when he was standing face to face against the demon. The boy''s face is of perfect tranquility and calmness even in the face of death. All he did was to slowly take a stance as he held the axe in front of him.


    Shinjuro had spotted the boy and the demon he was tracking down for days from where he is, but he was too far and despite how fast he was running there he doubted that he could reach the boy before the demon got its hands on him. That didn''t stop him from trying to reach the boy as fast as possible. He is the Flame Hashira, it is his duty to slay demons and save people.


    He had thought all hope was lost when the demon made its leap. And then even before Shinjuro could blink, the boy beheaded the demon.


    Shinjuro barely managed to even catch a glimpse of the boy''s movements.


    Even when faced with the impossibility of the demon surviving something as fatal as a beheading, the boy didn''t seem surprised. If he did, he hid it very well. The boy simply took on another stance and Shinjuro had seen enough. He''s now close enough to slay the demon.


    First Form: Unknowing Fire


    The boy''s axe is not made from the Scarlet Crimson Ore unlike his Nichirin Blade. There''s no way the boy could kill the demon no matter how talented he is with that kind of equipment but his Nichirin Blade is different. With a single slash, the demon was no more.


    Shinjuro turned to the boy. He''s extremely curious about what the boy just did but the boy''s wellbeing comes first.


    "Are you okay?"


    "I''m fine. Thank you for saving my life." The boy gave a polite bow before straightening himself. The unconcealed awe and curiosity is clear in the boy''s eyes as he visually scanned him from head to toe. Under ordinary circ.u.mstances, Shinjuro would have accepted the thanks and moved on, but this is clearly not ordinary.


    So, he lowered himself to the boy''s level and asked.


    "Boy? What was it that you just used? How did you fight that demon the way you did?"


    Shinjuro watched the boy very closely for any details that could give him a hint or an answer for his question. The boy''s facial expression and body language betrayed nothing. The only thing that he did was to blink twice.


    "Ah, so that really was a demon."


    "Yes, it is." Shinjuro answered slowly. Being so close to the boy, he could hear it, the boy''s breathing. He is definitely employing a Breath Style, one he had never encountered before.


    This boy is a genius. He can see it, how the boy handled himself. He''s a natural with a blade, he is someone who can easily become a Hashira. The Demon Slayer Corps can use a boy like him. The boy is a genius that you can only meet once in a century or maybe even once a millennium.


    And so, he pressed on with his questions.


    "I am a Demon Slayer, my job is to slay demons. What you did just now, how did you do it?"


    "I danced."


    "Dance?"


    "Dance." The boy nodded with small nods before returning to staring at him as if in deep thought. After a brief period of silence, he finally opened his mouth again.


    "How can I become a Demon Slayer like you?"


    "Is that your decision?"


    "Yes." I answered respectfully as I sat in front of my parents in a seiza. "I want to be a Demon Slayer."


    I had thought long and hard about it after my encounter with Shinjuro. If I cannot make my family move out of our home, then I will make my own move. I will protect them by actively slaying demons and hopefully this will cause a huge enough butterfly effect such that Muzan will never come close to them. It''s a desperate and stupid move, but the best I have right now to truly alter the path which fate dictates that we walk on.


    The Demon Slayer Corps is a secret organisation not recognised by the government. Under normal circ.u.mstances there''s no way a mere boy living in the mountains could possibly come into contact with any Demon Slayer or learn of their base of operations but I had met Rengoku Shinjuro. He''s obviously interested in taking me into the Corps and maybe making me his disciple. It is something that I can take advantage of.


    So, I asked if I could be a Demon Slayer like him. He said yes. I told him to wait in town because I have to inform my family of this decision and I want to do it myself, alone. He graciously agreed, but told me that if by the time noon had come tomorrow and I''m not there, he would leave because he had places to be and demons to slay.


    It is for the best. I don''t remember everything about canon but I know that this guy recognises the hanafuda earrings father wore and he hates users of the Breath of the Sun with a burning passion. So, it''s best if he doesn''t meet my father and my family.


    "I had talked it out with the Demon Slayer. In return for me joining their ranks, I will receive monthly remunerations. It can help relieve the financial burden our family is facing. Your health is deteriorating, father. Medicine does not come cheap. But with the money Rengoku-san promised me if I join the Corps, we can easily afford it. You and mother and my siblings can all live better lives. I promise that I will return to visit as often as I can."


    "But Haruto! You are only thirteen!" My mother stressed, obviously uncomfortable about the idea of me, her child, facing bloodthirsty supernatural creatures on my own. "I''m not allowi-"


    "I had made my mind, mother. I will leave tomorrow with or without you and father''s blessings." I said resolutely. It pains me to do this too, but this is the best option I have so far. I may know how to use the Breath of the Sun through learning the Dance of the Fire God but that does not mean I know how to use a blade. The Demon Slayer Corps can teach me what my father cannot. Also, such a chance will not come twice. With this, my chances of being able to protect my family will increase drastically. The monthly salary Shinjuro promised me is a very helpful bonus.


    My family really has a use for this money. Of course Demon Slayers are remunerated for their services. It would make sense. How else are the Slayers able to fully concentrate on slaying demons if they cannot even afford a basic meal to feed themselves? They need to have some sort of income from somewhere. The money is probably from the Ubuyashiki family if I have to make an educated guess but that is not my main concern.


    My main concern is to quickly grow as strong as realistically possible to protect my family. I will clean the surrounding area of demons and find a way for Muzan to never come close to the mountain where we live. Tanjiro and Nezuko suffered too much in canon. Now that I''m here, I won''t let them suffer the same fate if I could help it.


    I am their big brother, protecting them is my duty. Protecting the family is my duty. It is this family that made me capable of feeling true emotions again, who made me human.


    I really want to protect them.


    "Haru-!" My mother exclaimed in frustration but stopped herself, turning to my father instead. "Tanjuro! Say something!"


    My father simply looked at me with a quiet and calm gaze.


    "Have you really made up your mind? Is this really what you want to do?"


    "Yes, it is." I replied without a moment of hesitation.


    "Why choose this path?"


    "If a demon could appear so close to home right now, who''s to say another won''t appear?" I answered, not bothering to conceal my true feelings. "As the oldest, I have to protect the family. So, I will become a Demon Slayer. I will slay all the demons in this area so that we won''t live in constant fear of them any longer. I will be a Demon Slayer so that my siblings won''t need to be one, so that no one else in the family needs to be one, so that nobody else needs to be one."


    "Just leave it to that Rengoku-san you were talking about!" My mother is near hysterical at this point. "A child shouldn''t have any busi-"


    "Kie."


    My father gently cut my mother off before turning to face me with a gentle smile.


    "Haruto, if this is truly what you feel, then go. Do not worry about us, we will be fine. Walk the path that you decide on."


    "Tanjuro!"


    "He will not be a child forever, Kie." My father said patiently. "Everyone has their own path to walk. If Haruto is sure that this is his path, then we should not stop him."


    My father ruffled my hair fondly like how he always does, that same kind smile still on his face.


    "Regardless of what you choose to do, we''re proud to call you our son, Haruto. If you really want to be a Demon Slayer, go and be the best one there ever will be. If you are tired, then come home. We will be waiting for you."


    I had never cried ever since I became Kamado Haruto, but that was the first time I did.


    It was the first time I really viewed myself as Kamado Haruto, a true resident of this world, and not just another passing soul for the past thirteen years of my life.


    "Onii-chan is leaving?"


    "Yes. Onii-chan is leaving so that I can earn money to support the family." I patiently explained to Tanjiro. "You are the eldest now, Tanjiro. You have to take care of the family in my stead. Father is not as healthy as before, it''s your job now as the man of the house. I will try to come back to visit as often as I can."


    Tanjiro and Nezuko sobbed into my chest as I held them close. It''s a little late when I finally reached home, and after I explained my decision to my parents only Tanjiro and Nezuko were still awake. The rest of my siblings are already asleep.


    "I-I d-don''t want onii-chan to leave!"


    "I''m sorry, Nezuko." I apologised as I tried my best to console my sister. "But I have to do this. This is the only way I know how to protect the family."


    "T-Then we w-will go with-"


    "No, you two will not. None of you will." I said in a stern voice. "The job onii-chan is undertaking is very dangerous. I will not allow you two to do it."


    "B-But onii-chan! You-!"


    "Onii-chan is strong, so don''t worry." I patted Tanjiro on the head. "You are kind, Tanjiro, you are too kind. It''s your kindness that saved your onii-chan so stay that way, okay?"


    "H-Huh?"


    I gave Tanjiro a smile. He really has no idea just how his mere presence made me want to be a better person. That''s why I won''t let him suffer, I won''t make him do things alone. If possible, he will never need to wield a blade. To hell with canon, my family comes first.


    I''m really glad to be able to be their big brother.


    "Onii-chan will protect all of you, I promise, so Tanjiro, can you promise me something in return?"


    "Y-Yes."


    "Promise me that you will protect this family when I''m not around. Promise me that you will learn the Dance of the Fire God and master it as soon as you can. You can see our father''s condition for yourself. He''s not in the condition to continue dancing it for much longer, it''s time we take over. Now that I''m not around I won''t be able to succeed the hanafuda earrings, so make sure you succeed them in my stead."


    "I-I promise! I promise!"


    I ruffled Tanjiro''s head fondly like how our father likes to do it for us.


    "Thank you, Tanjiro."


    "Have you said your goodbyes?"


    "It was a tearful sendoff, but I''m ready to leave." I replied without giving much away in the tone of my voice. My younger siblings cried a lot, not wanting me to leave. Rokuta is still too young to understand anything but the moment Hanako cried he just followed. It took me a while to placate them and promise that I will come back as much as possible.


    Shinjuro merely looked at me thoughtfully before shaking his head.


    "Then let''s go."


    And so, I left my home and family.


    To protect my family, I became a Demon Slayer.

 Chapter 446 - My OC Stash #46 - A Snakes Obsession by slythefoxx2 (Naruto)

    -This caught me off guard for real, the consequences of Orochimaru being a woman were just something I didn''t expect, damn/


    Synopsis: It isn''t Sasuke that Orochimaru wants, but Naruto. And she''ll do anything to get him. Naruto x Fem Orochimaru I don''t own Naruto


    Rated: M


    Words: 190K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/12777260/1/A-Snake-s-Obsession (slythefoxx2)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    The Forest of Death looked like a warzone. The two boys watched as their third teammate had a duel with an S rank nukenin. They knew it was hopeless, even the most prodigious in the shinobi world rarely reach this level by the age of twelve. There was no shame in his defeat, it was inevitable. Even if they all had attacked nothing would have changed, and only a pact between summoners assured their safety while damning him.


    They knew Naruto was different, he''d only been with them at the academy a short while as he''d opted to graduate three years early. But his push seemed to be more about how disliked he was by the instructors than any natural genius. However, three years of field experience is a gulf and while they were still fresh faced, even if more serious than the average rookie genin, they weren''t battle hardened like him. It was shown in his display where he demonstrated a level of kenjutsu skill they didn''t know he had and was utterly ruthless, attempting to to maximize every advantage but it wasn''t enough. Even when he called upon that potent and frightening red chakra, his kenjutsu style becoming more feral as a result, it still did nothing. He couldn''t touch her and she toyed with him until she''d gotten her satisfaction. But she was also, weirdly, complementary and encouraging.


    Two strikes, one to the stomach and another to the face hard enough to instantly concuss him while also making him drop his sword ended the ominus chakra cloak. She picked up his sword and approached him, grabbing the redhead by his neck. She whispered something in his ear and promptly stabbed him with his sword, channeling raiton chakra once she impaled him causing the boy to scream. Their strongest member was done. They were surrounded by enemies and standing in front of Konoha''s greatest traitor. Bleak was the only way to describe their situation.


    "Nara-kun, Aburame-kun, come here please." It sounded like a request but it was clearly an order and both boys obeyed. She handed them a scroll to their confusion. "I know you''ll report this to my former sensei when you make it to the tower but if anyone other than Naruto should receive this scroll I''d have to kill both your clans in their entirety. Do we have an understanding?" Both boys nodded while Shikamaru accepted the scroll. She departed soon after and the boys collected Naruto and his sword; Shino opting to carry him on his back after they patched up his wound. They made haste to the tower and luckily ran into only lite opposition, nothing the two couldn''t handle. They arrived to the tower, greeted by their sensei, whom wasted no time getting Naruto to the medical center while having them debrief in front of the Hokage.


    He made his way up to the familiar gate guards. A team of four was now only one but he''d changed. His eyes were harder and he was sporting a scar above and below his left eye. He was not happy to know raiton chakra delayed his healing ability but was assured the scar would be temporary, fading in months. He checked in as was protocol and made his way to the Hokage Tower to give his mission debrief. Given this was supposed to be a simple courier mission, lasting no more than a week and it lasted a month and a half it was of the utmost importance to know why so the Hokage spoke to him immediately. Naruto gave the mission details, only the facts and then presented the Hokage with four scrolls; three containing the bodies of his fallen comrades and the fourth the final words of the Chunin in charge.


    The old man quickly read over the final words of Chunin Yagami, taking a deep pull from his pipe. "Naruto, do you know what is contained in this scroll?"


    "No, Hokage-sama."


    "Chunin Yagami stated you deserved a field promotion for what you did on the island of Ishval. He said you were directly responsible for defeating Kushimaru Kuriarare and Raiga Kurosuki. He said you even dealt with his initial bias professionally and have shown the qualities a shinobi needs to become a Chunin. How do you feel about that?"


    "I am honored by his words."


    "As you should be but unfortunately, I cannot promote you at this time." Of course he wasn''t going to be promoted. People who''d graduated after him, done less than him and were less skilled were promoted but not him. "Any questions, Naruto?"


    "No."


    "I know you''re disappointed but it just isn''t time to promote you. I had plans for you, Naruto and you graduating early threw them off but I will not abandon them. I want you to get closer to what should have been your graduating class, it is for the best. Do you trust me?"


    "No."


    "Maybe I deserve that but if you become connected with this upcoming generation of clan heirs it''ll go a long way in providing you political protection from those who''d want to see you hampered."


    "Hampered like not being promoted when it is deserved?"


    "Like not being treated as a shinobi at all. There are those who would seek to weaponize you and I don''t want to see that."


    "Then kill them. You''re the Hokage, you employ an army of assassins. If someone is a risk to your rule why not remove them?"


    "A lot of reasons, Naruto; the largest one being that''s the path toward tyranny. It''d make Konoha be something it was never meant to be. But sometimes to uphold that ideal, I have to accept less than ideal outcomes for those that don''t deserve it."


    "As long as you can accept it, Hokage-sama."


    "That''s not what I meant, Naruto. Just understand, I''m not holding you back out of malice."


    "If that''s all, Hokage-sama."


    "Dismissed."


    When Naruto regained consciousness he relayed all relevant information to the Old Man, including that his chakra felt chaotic. Fortunately, the application of a seal over his existing one was discovered and remedied. This allowed Naruto''s wound to heal faster and he was near 100% at the end of exam two and the start of the unexpected preliminary matches. All three of the sole Suna team passed. The fan user beat the weapons user from Team Gai. The puppet user bet some older Konoha genin that could dislodge his joints. The sand user defeated Kiba when the Inuzuka had enough sense to forfeit and likely saved himself from being killed. Sasuke Uchiha defeated another older genin, one that could absorb chakra through touch, it was a fast match. Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka had a match, it was long and seemed to offer some moments of self-realization for both girls so that was cool. Neji Hyuuga defeated his cousin but it was harder than he''d suspected and the boy seemed irate he didn''t get to do more damage to his cousin. Choji lost to the sound genin Naruto prevented from attacking Kabuto. His two teammates defeated the others, Shikamaru knocked the girl out while Shino crippled the other boy.


    It was time for the last match, him versus Rock Lee. He''d heard about Rock Lee, unable to use nin and genjutsu but still passed (and given a team) at the behest of his jounin sensei. It was difficult for Naruto not to resent the boy, only by creating his clone technique did he manage to pass the ninjutsu portion of the graduation exam. No one was there to advocate on his behalf because he had too much chakra but someone who couldn''t mold theirs properly got the personal approval of one of Konoha''s premiere Jounin? It''s one thing for life to be unfair, it''s another for it to be a complete asshole about making it clear. Naruto normally didn''t dwell on who got things he didn''t. It was a waste a time and with no ability to change it, it felt self-defeating and pointless. He wouldn''t ignore the unfairness but harping on it just wasn''t useful. However, since his humiliatng defeat, he''s been in a sour mood. He knew he couldn''t win, she was better than him in every way and yet it still felt like his pride had been shattered. He didn''t understand why, it didn''t make sense. But it did piss him the hell off.


    "Are fighters ready?" the sickly proctor asked, both boys give an affirmative response before settling into their fight stances. Lee in his gouken stance, Naruto with his right hand on the hilt of his sword. "Hajime" he said and both boys sped toward each other. Naruto got the better of the exchange, rotating around Lee''s punch and hitting him, with his blunted sword thanks to seals, in the neck with enough force to send him into the wall. Had the sword not been dulled, Lee would be dead. Naruto stopped, fighting his instinct to press the advantage. This is a Konoha nin and he was hit pretty hard so Naruto would allow him to give up as he may be injured or knocked out. To his mild shock and sincere annoyance the green clad boy got up and resumed his stance. Naruto sped toward him again, this time hitting him in the left shoulder with an overhead strike and kicking Lee in the stomach, sending him back into the wall. It was weird, while not his fastest he could see that Lee could track him but couldn''t move fast enough to counter.


    "Take them off Lee" Gai shouted and the boy asked if his sensei was sure. The man gave him a thumbs up and Lee speed up to the balcony where the genin were observing. Naruto quickly put it together, the boy had been wearing weights and saw reason to change it. Before Lee could remove his weights, he was hit with another sword strike, hard enough to potentially break a few ribs and was sent careening to the floor.


    "Sorry, Rock-kun, but if you willing disadvantaged yourself I can''t allow that to change."


    Gai''s protege was on the ground, holding his ribs. The three attacks he''s absorbed having taken a toll but he refuses to back down. "I-I won''t let this end here. I will show-"


    "I hate to interrupt you, Rock-kun but the only reason you aren''t dead is because I haven''t wanted to kill a fellow Konoha shinobi." Naruto said before biting his finger and running across the sealing array on his sword, removing the barrier from the edge. "You''ve taken advantage of that by not yielding and stepping on my mercy. Normally, I''d likely overlook it but you''ve caught me on a bad day. This is your only warning, if you get up again I''ll come at you with the intent to kill."


    "I won''t give up, Naruto. I will show hard work can trump a genius like you." Lee said, managing to make it to his feet. Before he even took a stance, Lee was surrounded by cherry blossoms. Their fragrance was so alluring to the battered genin. It put him in a peaceful state, so peaceful he momentarily forgot he was in the middle of a fight. That is, until he heard a snap and the cherry blossoms seemingly attacked him, then Lee felt pain all over and fell to the ground in a bloody heap.


    Most of the genin saw what Lee saw, him being surrounded by cherry blossoms. The Jounin knew it was a genjutsu but didn''t dispel it so as to not interrupt it for Lee. While he was distracted, Naruto sent a series of wind blades toward Lee but it appeared as if the cherry blossoms suddenly grew sharp and attacked. Once Naruto dropped the illusion all saw Lee cut at various spots on his body. The cuts weren''t deep but were numerous and appeared to be quite painful. Naruto waited for the proctor to call the match when, astoundingly, Lee tried to get to his feet once more. Even in mind numbing pain, the boy wouldn''t give up. Many would find it admirable, more so foolish. Naruto found it offensive.


    "Why?" the redhead questioned.


    "B-because, I want to prove I can become a splendid shinobi with nothing but taijutsu." Lee said, finally standing again. Naruto didn''t know why but this angered him. This wasn''t his only chance at the Chunin exams and even if the boy couldn''t use chakra techniques he could pick up a weapon. But more than that, he was being an asshole. Even if he won, what would it prove? That Naruto was an idiot for being merciful? Because until recently, almost no one gave a shit if Naruto became a splendid ninja. This toolbox had the nerve to call him a genius. What does he know about burnt out tenketsu from performing an original jutsu? The research, the notes and diagrams. When something doesn''t work, going back to the start, going back to chakra theory or what hand signs do? Figuring out the elemental manipulation exercises by himself? Doing all of that and self-training his physical skills. The torn muscles in his legs trying to perfect the basics of his kenjutsu style. The cracked knuckles from improper punching technique. To be diminished as a genius, to be setup as this asshole''s foil when all he''d known is hard work. It was infuriating.


    "You know, they say a shinobi is judged not by how they lived but how they die. I''ll make sure you''ll be remembered as a splendid shinobi, Rock-kun." The Uzumaki said with menace and then blurred once again, intent on cutting down this arrogant boy that dare label him. However, his attack never reached Lee as Naruto was met with a powerful force and sent into a wall himself by Lee''s sensei, Gai. Naruto''s back hit the wall with a thud and he was seeing double, however he was coherent enough to make out Gai standing over his fallen student. This only enraged Naruto further as in the moment, he truly believed Gai wouldn''t have attacked any other genin in attendance. But he openly attacked the sacrifice, likely not fearing any repercussions. But that''s where he was wrong. Getting up, shakily to his feet, Naruto started to perform a sequence of hand signs; going a little slower do to the effects of his Gai''s attack and his impact on the wall. However, the Hokage and Kakashi both knew what that jutsu was and with Gai distracted it could kill both his student and him. Hiruzen made to Naruto first, chopping him on the back of his neck, knocking the boy out. He had the candidates draw for their position in the finals, Kurenai drawing for Naruto. As they were dismissed she made her way to Gai.


    "If you ever attack my student again, I will kill you, Gai."


    "There''s no need for that, Kurenai-san. I had to protect my student."


    "Then you should have ordered him to concede the match but you encouraged him to continue on. What, Naruto was supposed to continually hold back for his and your ego? No, I don''t care why you did it, never attack my students again." She said before she walked out. Gai knew she had a point and started to question if he''d given Lee some bad habits because he overidentified with the boy. Before he could leave the tower he was greeted by Kakashi. He knew his longtime rival was angry by the subtle cues in his body language, ones most would miss but the two had been friends long enough that it was obvious to the taijutsu master.


    "Kakashi before you say anything-''


    "Mah, mah, Gai. What needs to be said? You couldn''t abandon your student to his fate. You had to intervene lest Lee be killed."


    "Yes, but I went overboard. I''ll apologize to Naruto-san promptly."


    "You can but the damage has been done. He likely believes you wouldn''t have done that to anyone else. You want to guess why?"


    The green clad man looked stricken. "I hold him no ill will, Kakashi. You know that."


    "Of course, I do. I know you. He doesn''t. He just knows you attacked him in front of the Hokage and a team of foreign ninja with impunity."


    Naruto woke with a start and quickly realized he was in the Hokage''s office. He surmised that either the Old Man knocked him out or one of his many lapdogs did. A tantrum wouldn''t do him any good but he, to his mind, had every right to try to kill that helmet haired bastard. It was an unprovoked attack in the middle of official Konoha proceedings. The aged Hokage saw his guest had finally returned to the waking world and called him over, there was much they needed to talk about.


    "Naruto, how are you feeling?"


    "Like I got blindsided by a Jounin."


    "Yes, yes, that was unfortunate and Gai will be here to apologize soon. He''d be here now if I hadn''t told him he needed to wait so we can talk."


    "Talk about what?"


    "Oh, how you were going to attempt to kill a senior Konoha shinobi after attempting to kill a fellow genin. Who you''ll be fighting in the finals and who will be training you."


    "I don''t see how there is much to talk about. Lee should have conceded but he didn''t, I had every right to kill him and avoid taking damage in some desperation play. Gai had no right and no need to attack me. As for everything else, I''m pulling out of the exams."


    "Why?" Hiruzen said evenly but was surprised Naruto would quit.


    "Because you aren''t going to promote me anyway. Now, my team makes it and I don''t hold them back from promotion."


    "Naruto, that isn''t true. You have as good a chance as anyone, though what you attempted to do to Gai will have to be noted."


    "Of course it''ll be noted. I don''t care, I''m done. There''s no point to this. You won''t let your pet fox have any kind of authority over someone so why pretend? So I can entertain people I don''t like? No, I''m done."


    "Naruto, I''ve never treated you like you were the fox. You may be unhappy with me but I deserve more credit than that."


    "How do I know why you do the things you do if you don''t tell me? Three years you left me in the reserves while people not as good or dedicated as me got a Jounin sensei. Three separate misranked missions, three recommendations I be promoted to chunin and you ignore them and won''t tell me why. You ignored the last words of one of your shinobi! And my graduating class? Most of them wondered why I was still a genin. People who graduate early aren''t supposed to be stuck on the lowest rung, they questioned my abilities and what could I say? You were intentionally holding me back? What a whiny asshole I''d look like then. It''s bad enough you let them all treat me like an infectious disease and tell me to deal with it. It was worse still when you''ve lied to my face but tell me to trust you. But now, you won''t even give me what I''ve earned and you want me to be happy about it."


    Hiruzen knows Naruto is right, the boy has no reason to trust him. He is keeping things from him, trying to hide his past misdeeds, done with the best of intentions to protect the village and Naruto. But it''s a house of cards, one in which Naruto acknowledged as an a.d.u.l.t, by turning 16 or a Chunin would topple. He''s worked hard to fix what he''s broken but he hasn''t managed it yet and Danzo has only made the situation worse. Hiruzen knows he should have killed the man years ago, he was always too light on those he considered friends and it allowed the man too much power in the shadows of the village. A village can''t have two leaders just like a person can''t have two masters. Something has to give and it has to be soon. He wishes he could tell Naruto everything, make him understand his reasoning but he can''t. Especially not now, not when his former student has seemingly taken an interest in Naruto if what Anko said is true. He is either in danger of harm or being lured away with honeyed words and false promises. He wouldn''t acknowledge her potential tactics are a lot like his own, his heart couldn''t take it.


    "Naruto, don''t drop out of the finals. You have a chance, promotions are selected by committee."


    "A committee of people that probably hate me? Or won''t go against you? No, I don''t see the point."


    "Not everyone is against you and this is your best chance to get promoted. Even the Daimyo has a say if he so wishes, if you''re impressive enough."


    "Fine." Naruto relented but in no way believed the lying old man.


    "Good, now I''ve arranged for my student to train you so you''ll be safe. I don''t know what Orochimaru wants but it is paramount she not get it."


    "Tsunade''s going to train me?" he said, somewhat hopefully.


    "No, Jiraiya."


    "The smut peddler? Not interested."


    "Naruto, he trained the Yondaime and is powerful in his own right. You can learn a lot."


    "But I don''t know him. If protection is an issue I''ll go train in my summon''s realm. I had some things I wanted to work on anyway."


    "Naruto, you will train with Jiraiya, that''s an order." Hiruzen said, sternly, causing Naruto''s eyes to narrow.


    "Hai."


    "Good, now let''s resolve the Gai issue and you can be dismissed for the day.


    After his meeting with the Sandaime, Naruto headed to an isolated training ground, one he''s used for years. He was curious what the missing nin would give him and why. He also wanted to be sure that should it be a trap it''ll only affect him. He may dislike a great deal of Konoha residents but he doesn''t want them dead, mindless slaughter isn''t his deal. He activated the seal on the scroll and read the contents. He immediately recognized the handwriting, it was the same handwriting of the scrolls he would periodically receive with advance material he couldn''t get from the shinobi library. Never any specific techniques, just theory or helpful hints. He always assumed the scrolls came from a Konoha shinobi that couldn''t reveal themselves but if it came from Orochimaru, what does that mean? The scrolls, outside of the guidance of the panthers, were the greatest sources of help in his development as a ninjutsu inventor. He couldn''t understand why she''d help him. This felt like the Old Man, a game was being played but he didn''t understand the rules or how he fit in. He was just at the whimsy of others and he hated that feeling but didn''t know how to break free of it.


    He decided to just look at the material. True, he needed a plan but it wasn''t going to come to him now so he''d focus on something he could do. The scroll listed a technique, the Impure World Reincarnation which was created by the Nidaime. It can bring souls back from the dead but requires a live sacrifice and genetic material from the one you wish to bring back. Enclosed in the bottom on the scroll was another sealing array, one for storage. He unsealed the contents to find two vials of blood. This was beyond creepy. The vials themselves contained a note and he could only dread what the lunatic snake summoner had written.


    Those with power create boundaries to horde and safeguard their power. Those without power stay within the boundaries to stay in favor of the powerful. Freedom is pushing against and through all boundaries, allowing your ambition to be your only master. Chakra is poorly understood but the potential is limitless; however our understanding is hampered by what many would call profane or "forbidden". Most shinobi are content to live in ignorance, to have a child''s understanding of the very force they depend on. But I saw something different in you, a desire to understand like I have; that is why I''ve helped you and you''ve yet to disappoint. I chose to ignore decency and ethics in my desire to understand this energy and our world. I walked in the darkness without a single regret. But I want to see how far you can go while in the light. This technique is powerful but it is not perfect. You may want nothing to do with it, you may find it offensive so I''ve given you an extra incentive to improve upon it in your own way. The Sandaime has withheld many things from you, not just your status as Jinchuuriki. If you want to know more about your past, about your clan then the blood contained in these two vials will do it. Just remember, keeping people ignorant is not a method of protection but control; don''t let anyone control you. Break free of anything that holds you back, burn it down and kill it if you must. I look forward to seeing how far you get by month''s end.


    It could be a lie, he says it but doesn''t believe it. He needs to know what these people know but he can''t sacrifice people, not even to know more about his origins but she was confident he wouldn''t have to. He needed to focus on this but with Jiraiya training him it is going to be difficult, the sensei of the Yondaime must be a real taskmaster.


    No, no he wasn''t. He was a lazyass that put forth minimal effort and was constantly distracted with any halfway attractive woman around. Naruto would be annoyed, especially since this man was clearly here to be his watcher more than his trainer but his negligence was beneficial so Naruto wouldn''t complain. Though, he''d rather train with Kurenai-sensei since she actually gives a damn and has been helpful coming up with intensive chakra control exercises for him. She, however, was called away on a special detail which Naruto found a little convenient. So, he was stuck with this idiot as a trainer. What were they working on? Initially it was going to be summoning until Naruto informed him he already had a contract. But he was insistent Naruto sign the Toad contract too so the elder toads and Bagheera, the Boss of the Panthers and Naruto''s personal summons, were hashing it out so nothing more to do there. Drawing on the bijuu chakra? He can already do that and how can a non-jinchuuriki that has never trained one help him? So, the last project was the rasengan, the Yondaime''s personal jutsu. It would be useful as an attack jutsu and helping him in perfecting pure shape manipulation. It was also a decent chakra control exercise. He was still on the second step after two weeks, not because he couldn''t go farther but he was slow playing Jiraiya. No sense in doing this faster than necessary. Naruto practiced it while he sent an overcharged shadow clone to the panthers to unravel the Impure World Reincarnation.


    The key to Naruto''s understand of the jutsu was to remove the mysticism from it and think of it as a chakra exercise. A soul was not being called back. Yin chakra was. The genetic material was a bridge, it contained both the Yin and the Yang chakra of the person being returned. The sacrificial body was for the additional yang chakra, the seals not only called back the the Yin but helped convert the sacrifices Yang into a compatible half of the returned person''s Yin, making it reminiscent of their true chakra imprint. This also, somewhat explains, how they can repair the damage. The pure Yin chakra is constantly creating or recreating their form. So, Naruto reasoned, he needy a vessel of as pure Yang chakra he could get. This meant attempting pure yang release. There isn''t much written on it, what he could find states that some have a natural affinity for it but are unaware and chalk it up to other things, like those gifted with yin release make excellent genjutsu practitioners. It can be trained but it starts with being able to separate the yin and the yang within one''s chakra. Some accomplish this through visualization, seeing the yin and the yang emerge from various points and calling upon one source or the other and with no other known method Naruto opted to try it.


    Success has been varied. He knew without Kurenai-sensei''s previous help he''d have no hope of accomplishing this but now that his chakra control was better, his flow almost calm, he could focus it enough on separating the most basic elements from each other. Truthfully, if he didn''t have this deadline, given to him by Orochimaru herself, he''d probably be doing better. He isn''t very calm as he has too many questions and he believes figuring out an ethical Impure World Reincarnation will help get them answered. But even if it does, what does it all mean?


    She made her way through the forest at a clipped pace, being late was not an option; it was never an option. Also, the sooner she got there the sooner she got this over. She doesn''t know how to feel about her "Master" as gratitude often wars with low level terror. No time to think about it now, she reassures herself. All she has to do is give her report and continue on with her day. Even if the guilt becomes suffocating, she chose her path. She arrived at the designated meet and waited, there was no point in trying to find her, she''d reveal herself when she was ready. And she appeared, right behind her. She was impressed she managed not to jump in fright. Immediately she began kneeling, as is expected of her, causing the woman to laugh before speaking.


    "So prompt, as usual."


    "Hai."


    "Well, what do you have to share with me?"


    "He is being trained, poorly by Jiraiya and gives appears to be unhappy with the arrangement. Jiraiya seems more like his watcher than his sensei."


    The woman nodded at those words, "What else?"


    "Every morning before his workout he sends a shadow clone with approximately half his chakra somewhere with a panther summons."


    "Their realm. He must have his shadow clone training in secret so not even Sarutobi can spy on him. Clever boy. Is there anything else?"


    "Once he''s done training with Jiraiya he practices his kenjutsu, does a light workout and then heads home. There he does research until several of his summons meet with him. I''m assuming they are performing surveillance of his competition. I scouted the other finalists, all but Shino-kun and Shikamaru-kun have subtle but unnatural shadows following them and none have appeared to notice."


    "Kukuku, you''ve done well. I want you to cease your surveillance, it won''t be necessary any longer."


    "But-"


    "But what? I thought you''d be relieved to no longer have to spy on him. Don''t tell me your nursing that silly little crush." she asked but her subordinate didn''t answer. "You are? Tsk, tsk, tsk. You know that can never go anywhere, yes? Even if you were to turn his head that wouldn''t end well for you, yes?"


    "Hai." she said through gritted teeth.


    "Don''t be glum, you''ll get what you truly want. Just forget about Naruto-kun."


    "Hai."


    "Good, you are dismissed, Hinata-chan."


    "Jiraiya, how is he doing?"


    "He''s getting it faster than I did. Why isn''t he a Chunin yet? He has the mission record for it."


    "We''ve been over this, I won''t always be here to protect him. He needs allies and ties to the village. He has startling little and I''ve long since alienated him."


    "No one who has graduate early has ever been sent to the reserves, so I can''t imagine why he took that as an insult."


    "He wasn''t supposed to be allowed to take the exam if there was a reasonable expectation he could pass. Iruka and Mizuki assured me he couldn''t do the clone jutsu."


    "With his chakra levels he''d never be able to with what they teach in the academy. Tell me, Sensei, why I should be happy with you setting my godson up to fail?"


    "I would have taught him another clone jutsu at some point but him failing the exams outright would have made it possible to put him on Kakashi''s team."


    "You were going to make him the deadlast to satisfy Minato''s brat? You manipulative bastard. Is this why you''ve had me stay away for so long? So, I couldn''t see the strings you were pulling?"


    "Enough, Jiraiya. You were needed out there. As of now, Naruto has very few connections to the village. He seems to like his teammates and his sensei but they''ve only been together for six months, that''s hardly enough time to sway him should he decide to leave."


    "He wouldn''t leave, he''s no traitor."


    "I hope you''re right, Jiraiya."


    It was three days before the finals and Naruto had finally done it. It''d take some time to perfect it, even more time to develop his Yin release but as of right now, he could perform purely yang jutsu and it was time to attempt the Impure World Reincarnation. He got time off from Jiraiya once he demonstrated you could perform a completed rasengan, which he has to admit is a damn fine jutsu. He was in an isolated clearing in the panther realm and had a barrier erected just in case things went poorly. He had contract seals at the ready but didn''t want to put the control seals mentioned in the scroll. He took some deep breaths, calming his nerves.


    "Yang Release: Shadow Clone Jutsu" Naruto said then started the ritual for the Impure World Reincarnation. Once he was sure he had it complete, he performed the hand signs and whispered, "Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation" Naruto didn''t have to wait long for the jutsu to take effect as each of his Yang clones were encased in an ethereal glow. Soon, both started to change their shape, taking on the forms of those called back. Naruto was shocked to see two women with hair similar to his, though neither had his blue eyes. Both women looked confused as if a haze had yet to be lifted. They noticed each other first, both shocked,


    "Mito-sama?/Kushina-chan?" both questioned before they looked at the boy before them. Mito was silent and confused, she had no clue who this whiskered cheek boy could be but in her peripheral vision she could see Kushina trembling, as if trying to to not cry.


    "Sochi? Is that you, Naruto? Where are we, this doesn''t look like Konoha"


    "I''m Naruto and this is the realm of the Panthers, my summons but what do you mean, Sochi?" Naruto wasn''t dumb but after being denied information about his parents his entire life the idea that he''d just brought his mother back was unbelievable though the woman hugging him fiercely was quickly putting his disbelief to rest. It was sad but Naruto couldn''t ever remember being hugged before. The feeling was indescribable."


    "I''m your mother, Naruto. Didn''t Hiruzen tell you about Minato and I? How has your life been?" she blurted out, finally releasing him.


    "Um, the Old Man said he didn''t know who my parents were. My life¡­ I was a pariah growing up, not even my Academy Instructors liked me so I graduated early, at the age of 9. The Old Man didn''t put me on a genin squad for three years." Naruto explained before something clicked, "Wait, Minato? You don''t mean?"


    "Yes, sochi, the Yondaime was your father. I-I hope you don''t hate us for what we did. I argued against it but Minato was convinced you''d need the Kyuubi to defeat the man that attack us the night you were born."


    "I don''t hate you. I¡­ I guess I just wish things had been different. Almost everyone treated me like I didn''t exist."


    "Naruto-kun?" Mito spoke. She hated to interrupt this moment between mother and son, especially since Kushina must have died almost immediately after giving birth, given how weak a jinchuuriki''s seal becomes during childbirth but she needed to know how he brought them back. She was familiar with Tobirama''s abomination and lonely childhood or not, she couldn''t accepted someone being sacrificed to return them.


    "Hai?"


    "Did you perform the Edo Tensei?"


    "Hai."


    "Sochi, no! You can''t just sacrifice people."


    "I didn''t. I used a shadow clone made with yang release." he quickly explained.


    "Oh, that was very creative."


    "My sochi is a genius, Mito-sama!"


    "Actually, I''m not. I just work really hard at and don''t give up. Nothing genius about that."


    "I don''t know about that, Naruto-kun, Tobirama never came up with this and he invented both jutsu. Seems obvious in retrospect but the best insights do." Mito said.


    "Ara, you knew the Nidaime?"


    "Yes, I did. He was my brother in law. I''m Mito Senju nee Uzumaki and your predecessor."


    "How so?"


    "I was the first jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, Kushina here was the second."


    "Were you both hated, too?"


    "No, sochi, no one knew we contained it."


    "And I don''t understand why Saru-chan would tell others." Mito said before a realization hit her, "Naruto-kun, if you didn''t know who either of us were why did you summon us?"


    "Orochimaru gave me the jutsu to figure out and said if I did I''d have answers about my history."


    "You''re Orochimaru''s student? See, you are a genius. She wouldn''t bother with someone untalented."


    "No, she''s a missing nin and considered Konoha''s greatest traitor for illegal experimentation on villagers." he said, to receive a fist to his skull.


    "Why would you trust the word of a missing nin?"


    "Because I was desperate. The Old Man keeps me in the dark about everything concerning my past, he''s manipulating me and I don''t know why. I need all the information I can get in case-"


    "In case what, sochi?"


    "In case I need to abandon the village. He''s already denied me a Chunin field promotion three times and never once explained why. I don''t trust him and I don''t like the villagers so I need to make arrangements."


    "Is it really that bad?" Kushina asked, shame filling her for what she allowed to happen to her son.


    "The villagers deny my existence. They''ve never hit me or anything but I know I''m not wanted and being stuck as a genin isn''t raising my profile."


    "I don''t get it, why wouldn''t Hiruzen want you to be a Chunin. Yes, you get more authority and can take on dangerous missions but rookie Chunin are hardly exposed to top secret doc.u.ments or state secrets." Kushina said.


    Mito sat quietly, piecing together everything she knew about Konoha law and what Naruto told her and came to a conclusion. "I think I may know why but it doesn''t make sense for it to be the reason." she started. And proceeded to explain her theory.


    Hiruzen never much cared for the Daimyo''s satellite residence, the place he stayed when visiting Konoha. It was too ornate for his tastes and gave the feeling of being both too open and claustrophobic. He was curious why the Daimyo had summoned him, the two usually speak after the exams are finished. They had a good working relationship but weren''t close; not like Hiruzen was with the man''s father or how he was close to Minato. He arrived in his sitting room and was surprised with Danzo was there as well. Hiruzen bowed to the Daimyo and took his seat. Immediately he felt off as someone, Hiruzen reasoned one of the Guardian Ninja, activated a seal and Hiruzen felt his chakra become suppressed and out of his control. He saw Danzo came to the same realization. This was a trap, they had both been restrained and while strong, given their advance age they were weak without their chakra to buttress the ravages of time.


    "Thank you both for arriving so promptly. There is a matter we need to address and I didn''t want either of you to do something foolish, like try to manipulate me with a stolen sharingan" the Daimyo said while staring at Danzo. The man couldn''t hide his shock and cursed he couldn''t summon his Root to extract him. "Your shadows are already dead, Danzo. How dare you come to my residence with armed guards and try to hide their presence from me? Foolish old man. Hiruzen you''ve allowed this relic to become arrogant, among other things."


    "What do you mean, Daimyo-sama."


    "Oh, all will be explained but first I need to tell you a story. A little over a year ago, Tsunade paid me a visit. She actually requested an off the books meeting as she needed what was discussed to remain a secret between her and I. I, of course, was surprised. Tsunade hadn''t been involved in shinobi affairs in decades but never acted contrary to my interests so it was neither here nor there. When she arrived she relayed to me a story of her own. How she''d met a young Uzumaki boy. Said he was dragged to her by a large, talking panther that requested her help. She was able to save him but not his Chunin leader. She spoke to the boy, asking subtle questions and, coupled with what the Chunin said before he succ.u.mbed to his injuries, she concluded the boy knew nothing of his clan or parentage. Apparently, he was a pariah due to his status as a jinchuuriki and his ostracization was near universal. She said he claimed he had existed on his orphan''s stipend until he graduated. Now, that confused me. Because he would be a clan heir and in Fire Country when one is the last of their clan they are provided housing and are given a generous allowance from their clan funds while said funds are managed by the financial advisors I select to make sure they are not cheated.


    Tsunade had no reason to lie to me but I couldn''t just act on her word. She understood and only requested I perform an audit into Kushina and Minato''s finances and anything else I could find out about Naruto. She gave me a blood sample and said if I should get any genetic material for either Minato or Kushina she''d happily run the tests to prove he was indeed their son. It didn''t take long for the auditor to find the accounts had been tampered with, funds extracted illegally. It did take the auditor awhile to trace where the money went for each large withdrawal but he did it. Imagine my shock when the two who''d stolen from Minato and Kushina were you and Danzo. Those assets were primarily Uzumaki assets and that account should have been frozen until a verifiable Uzumaki came to claim them since Minato and Kushina had no living heir. Next was getting the samples need for the DNA test but I did and immediately summoned Tsunade back to run the tests. Imagine my shock when she confirmed her suspicion. I, of course, then ordered a quiet investigation to Naruto''s life. And shocked I was again. His status as a jinchuuriki announced by you but some flimsy law telling no one to talk about it. Him receiving almost nothing but scorn and having to live in near poverty conditions when he should have had a comfortable existence. And then to see you deny him a promotion in order to avoid being discovered. You thought if he never made Chunin you''d never have to give him his full inheritance and it wouldn''t trigger the automatic review I''ve instilled?


    Why, Hiruzen? Why all of it? Why did you lie to me? Why did you ignore my laws? Why did and do you allow this demon in human flesh to run circles around you? Have you grown so weak you simply cannot perform the tasks required of an Hokage?"


    "I lied about Naruto''s heritage to protect him. The village was weak, weaker than it had ever been after the Kyuubi''s rampage."


    "Then why not send him to the capital? I could have protected him and made sure he''d be healthy and happy."


    "I, initially, believed the villagers would get over their pain and see Naruto for who he is."


    "And the money, why did you steal from Naruto but deny him what he was entitled to?"


    "Same reason. We were in a terrible financial situation, especially so soon after a war. The civilians were demanding a say in governmental affairs since they were going to be providing a bulk of the money required to keep us solvent and functioning. My old teammates were pushing me to accept, no doubt for their own reasons. I need a quick infusion to take their leverage away. I''m not proud but if I had allowed some sort of civilian council, imagine how worse things would have been for Naruto?"


    "You could have come to me, Hiruzen."


    "I didn''t really know you then, Daimyo-sama. I couldn''t assume you wouldn''t diminish my authority as well."


    "So great is your concern about your authority you do nothing to curb Danzo''s excesses?"


    "I-I can''t justify that. I used to say he was doing what he thought was right for the village but I was just too soft and he only cared about his own power."


    "That''s a lie, Hiruzen. Everything I do, I do for a more powerful Konoha."


    "Sure, sure. Even pilfering the corpses of dead Konoha ninja. Understand this, Danzo, you won''t be leaving this office alive. I won''t allow a monster to exist in my country. As for you, Hiruzen, after the Chunin exams you are to vacate your office immediately. Have Jiraiya or Tsunade replace you. Even get that Kakashi brat to do it, I don''t care but you are not fit to be Hokage any longer. You will, however, confess everything to Naruto and then I will try to salvage what I can. God help us if the boy hates you and all of Konoha enough to turn traitor."


    "Daimyo-sama, I''ll step down. You''re right, I''m not fit to lead the village but don''t tell Naruto. Orochimaru has taken an interest in him and this may push him into her clutches. We don''t want that."


    "No, no more delays. It''s bad enough you ignored my law and I know this isn''t the only instance as I only have to go to the Hyuuga compound to see an example of forced servitude but I''ll be clearing that up after the exams as well. No, Naruto will be told everything and given the promotion he so richly deserves. I am so ashamed of you Hiruzen and I imagine Minato and Kushina are as well."


    The stadium was packed and brimming with anticipation. All contestants but one were present but Hiruzen couldn''t focus on that. His mind had been elsewhere since he was stripped of his position, even if it hadn''t been made official yet. He was ashamed of how far he''d fallen, of the lies he told to others and himself. He had soothed his conscience by assuring himself he''d done what was best for the village but that wasn''t the truth. The Daimyo even mentioned how his asymmetrical alliance with Suna was starving the village and how it was making Rasa desperate. The Daimyo took it upon himself to speak to his Wind Country counterpart to make sure Suna got enough funding. Hiruzen was creating an enemy, one with motive to attack them and the exams would have been the perfect time to do so. He''d lost a step both mentally and physically. It was time, he realized. It had long since been time.


    He sat awaiting the arrival of Rasa and this new leader from Oto when he watched the two arriving together, chatting as if they were old friends. As the two sat beside him Rasa offered his greeting and Hiruzen returned it, formulaically. But when he heard the leader of Oto speak, his blood ran cold and he was about to summon his ANBU and attack when she stopped him.


    "International Law, Sarutobi-sensei. You attack me now and you''ll be sanctioned by other villages and nations, kukuku." She was right. And not only that but if he did attack her now there would be untold casualties and he couldn''t allow that. He''d have to tolerate his wayward student for the time being.


    Hiruzen wasn''t the only person hosting a sannin as the Fire Daimyo was sitting beside Tsunade, both wanting to see how Naruto would do as well as be on hand when Hiruzen tells him the truth.


    "Alright you lot, the rules are the same as they were in the preliminary round." Hayate stated to be interrupted.


    "What about Sasuke and that Dosu guy?" Shikamaru asked.


    "Dosu had to pull out due to injury" he said looking at Naruto, " and if Sasuke doesn''t show up for his match he''ll likely be disqualified. Now if there are no more questions all exit except Neji Hyuuga and Naruto Uzumaki."


    Hayate watched as the other genin left and walked to the center of the stadium battleground along with the first two fighters. He announced the two and then called a start to the fight and watched as neither boy moved. All was quiet as the audience watched the Hyuuga prodigy stare down the bane of Konoha. The redhead had changed his clothes for the finals, ditching his normal blue pants, blue shirt and orange hooded vest for black hakama, tied at the ankle with blood red tape; a black sleeveless shirt with extra material at the neck for a Kakashi-esque face mask and a black kosode, with a chainmail mesh sewn into it. It was finished with an obi, the same color as the ankle tape and kept his sword to his side. He let his spiky hair rest on his shoulders, just past neck length.


    "You should give up, Uzumaki. Winners and losers are chosen at birth and you are a loser." Neji started, only to see Naruto have no visible reaction. "You may have graduated early but clearly Hokage-sama saw you as a failure, why else would you have been denied a genin team and chance for promotion for so long?" he hissed; confident this would get a rise out of his opponent. He was surprised when it didn''t. He decided if he couldn''t get a rise out of the boy he''d initiate the attack and finish things quickly. He pushed off the ground and aimed a palm thrust at Naruto''s chest, hitting the redhead flushly. Neji smirked until he saw the Naruto he hit flare briefly and then puff into smoke. He was confused why Naruto would send a clone to fight and then have said clone unable to do anything. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see another Naruto, maybe the real one approach. He got ready to attack but halted when the boy spoke.


    "Neji, look at the hand that struck my clone." he said and Neji did just that, only to see a sealing array on his hand, going up his forearm. "That''s a localized explosive array. It''ll take your arm off at the elbow and likely end your career. Concede now and I''ll remove the array, don''t and you lose an arm."


    Neji was stuck, unfamiliar with indecision. He''d never heard of a clone that could impart a seal on someone when struck but then again, he wasn''t aware of corporeal clones that dissolved into smoke either. His opponent put him in a bad position. He could try to strike Naruto but he was too far away for him to reach the redhead before he could activate the seal. And that assumes the seal does what Naruto claims it does. He could be lying or the seal could be a dud. If that''s the case, he''d have given up due to an empty threat and his pride couldn''t allow that. He remembers the boy was hesitant to do too much damage to Lee until Lee pushed him too far so him going for such a move as an opening didn''t read to Neji.


    Of course, Neji wasn''t and couldn''t have been aware of Naruto''s current mental state. He''d felt his heart fill with the time he spent with his mom and Mito, who he called baa-chan much to the lady''s delight. But there was a burning angry as well. The Sandaime had denied him much, for what reason Naruto didn''t know and wouldn''t ascribe a motive to the man because it didn''t matter. Outside of his team and those he''d worked with in the past, he didn''t care about Konoha ninja. He wasn''t one of them and they truly were the "them" now. He saw them as weak minded traitors and cowards, unworthy of his parents'' sacrifice and his father''s trust. No, he didn''t blame Minato for his childhood he blamed Konoha for not trusting their alleged hero even when all evidence stated they should. In the preliminaries, the Fuin Bunshin would have been preloaded with a paralysis tag because he didn''t want to hurt a comrade. Now? Neji isn''t a comrade, just a potential enemy.


    Neji decided to call Naruto''s bluff and charged toward the boy, he didn''t have to wait long to realize his mistake. A quick flare of chakra is all it took and suddenly the arena was filled with the screams of Neji as he clutched what was once his arm. It was lucky for him that the position of his arm didn''t allow bone fragments to fly into his eyes but he did have some burns and cuts along his side and leg. Hayate quickly called an end to the match and called forth the mednin. Naruto silently retreated to the contestant area. Both Shikamaru and Shino gave him a nod of acknowledgement and he formed a small smile.


    "That was quite vicious, Hiruzen-dono, what jutsu was that?" Rasa stated.


    "Kukuku, vicious indeed. It appears Konoha can still turn out real shinobi every now and again."


    Hiruzen ignored his student as he began to answer Rasa, "Indeed but Naruto gave him a chance to concede. A shinobi shouldn''t make empty threats and Neji had no reason to call his bluff if he couldn''t recognize the array. Also, I believe Naruto-kun calls that a Fuin Bunshin. He was inspired by the Yondaime''s ability to apply seals with just a touch but has taken it to new level."


    "Such advanced seal materialization, he certainly has my vote for Chunin" Orochimaru said.


    "I must agree, while short he did enough and revealed very little of his abilities." Rasa added. Hiruzen simply nodded.


    The Jounin sensei were quiet at the end of the match. Truthfully, none knew what to expect out of the match; Neji was hailed as a genius whereas rumors circulated that Naruto had killed two A-rank shinobi in a single mission. However, he kept most of his skills hidden though demonstrated an impressive amount of kenjutsu skill against Gai''s clone.


    "That was most unyouthful!" Lee exclaimed, seeing his rival defeated and maimed by the same boy that so easily defeated him was hard to accept.


    "Gai-sensei, we have to get to Neji." Tenten said but saw her sensei shake his head.


    "We''d only be in the way, Neji is going to need a lot of help and the mednins need to be focused. As far as it being unyouthful, he was given a chance to submit, just like you were. It is, at times, laudable to not give in but as a Chunin you need to know when to back down for the sake of the mission and your comrades. I don''t fault Naruto, he told Neji exactly what would happen if he attacked again."


    "You''re ok with what he did? That was a comrade he crippled!" Tenten yelled.


    "Yes, it was and it was a comrade he tried to spare. Tenten, what would you have him do? Hold back and allow Neji to continue attacking?" Seeing the girl refuse the answer he continued, "Neji put his health on the line in the belief Naruto wouldn''t hurt him. Like you, Lee, he was going to take advantage of his mercy. The difference is, this time Naruto didn''t give more than one chance. As such, Neji''s injury is my fault, I''ve instructed you poorly if none of you know how to stand down when you''re outmatched." Gai finished, sounding more subdued than he ever has. Asuma and Kurenai could see he meant every word and while Kurenai still had some negative feelings toward the senior Jounin she wouldn''t wish the belief you failed your students on anyone.


    "You think he did enough for a promotion?" Asuma asked.


    "I hope so, he''s clearly ready. I''ve let him run some of our C-ranks and he''s done well, he''s clearly paid attention to what other Chunin did when he was stuck in the reserves." Kurenai answered.


    Close by the Jounin sensei sat Anko. She''d never really had an opinion on her fellow pariah, not until she had expressed an interest in him. She was one of the few that saw the footage of their kenjutsu battle before the cameras cut out. He wasn''t on her level, nowhere near but he was good, willing to change tactics on the fly to keep a superior opponent guessing. He also didn''t hesitate to go for the kill. Normally, that kind of ruthlessness would be something Anko praised. But Orochimaru taints everything and Anko couldn''t help but be wary of the container. She didn''t know why Orochimaru was interested but it couldn''t be for anything good and given the boy''s experience in the village he had the signs of a flight risk; one that may run straight to the snake. His willingness to, potentially, end the career of a fellow Konoha ninja demonstrates how little connection he feels for the place. Orochimaru will exploit every weakness to get what she wants and to Anko, Naruto looked like an easy get.


    Hayate was instructed to delay Sasuke''s match and to move through the rest of the order. The next in line was Shikamaru and Temari. Shikamaru complained a lot about having to fight a girl, wondering if he should just forfeit. Shino and Naruto pushed him over the railing so he''d have to chance to do so; much to his annoyance and their amus.e.m.e.nt. It was a good tactical matchup and he''d manage to ensnare Temari but forfeited as he was out of chakra, shocking everyone but his teammates, sensei and fellow clansmen. Shino fought Kankuro and it was a little faster paced than Shikamaru''s fight but still relied on inventive tactics. The boys fought to a double knockout as Shino was poisoned and Kankuro was entering chakra exhaustion. Finally, it was time for Gaara to face Sasuke. The match was almost called as the Uchiha and Kakashi arrived at the last possible moment.


    It was a good fight, Naruto felt. Sasuke had some decent speed and made good use of it. Naruto thought the lightning jutsu was a mistake when he could have used a genjutsu and that was proven correct when Gaara turned into a miniature sand thing and trounced the Uchiha, who used too much chakra on that move. Luckily he escaped without serious injury as the Kazekage got Gaara under control and it was time for the semifinal round, Naruto vs Temari.


    Temari was trying to quickly come up with a strategy. She''d used a lot of chakra in her first fight and hadn''t had a chance to recover much. She knew the redhead was dangerous with his sword and she couldn''t allow him to get close to her but his speed would be hard to negate. She reasoned if she could unleash a wind jutsu fast enough she could create some space and control the match. He hadn''t shown much in the way of ninjutsu and she didn''t believe he could match her fuuton mastery.


    Naruto wasn''t planning out a strategy, he already had one. Thanks to his summons spying on the competition he was aware that Temari was overly reliant on her war fan. If he took that away she''d be in a poor position and possibly give up. He knew just the thing. About six months into his own research, Naruto started building his own jutsu theory. It was slow, it required a lot of reading, testing and revis.e.m.e.nt but he felt he was truly on to something. While most ninjutsu seemed to be of the elemental variety, it didn''t explain the ninpo; the jutsu that were predicated on a specific element. How did chakra become a poison gas, for instance. No one really knew. Naruto posited, what if ninpo are based on the elements but by combining, at least partially, the behaviors of one element with the property of another? Not all could be understood like this and one would have to incorporate Yin and Yang as well but he believed he was on to something. He hadn''t managed to create many jutsu out of this insight but it has affected his kenjutsu.


    Naruto learned early on he had a wind affinity and wind is said to be the sharpest element, though lightning is great for piercing. Naruto wondered what would happen if one took the sharpening process from wind and incorporated lightning''s high frequency? Sound. You got sound and the better he got at grinding wind faster and faster the closer he got to what became his super sonic blade. This type of chakra flow is the sharpest, not even a vacuum blade compares. This was the key to his plan, Temari was about to lose her main weapon.


    Hayate called a start to the match and Naruto blurred in front of Temari, not giving her a second to react, she just had time to start to open her fan before she heard a faint ringing in her ears. Next thing she knew her fan was in tatters and she had a sword to her throat.


    "Yield." the shorter boy said and she quickly complied. Many in the crowd ad trouble following the action, they saw Naruto blur from view and then a series of flashes before he appeared beside Temari and her fan was cut up. The Chunin and Jounin, however, could follow it and were impressed. Asuma was confused.


    "That was wind but it didn''t behave like wind" Asuma said.


    "What do you mean, Asuma?" Gai asked. Kurenai already knew about his supersonic chakra flow technique but saw no need to expound on it.


    "Wind chakra is created by sharpening your chakra to a fine point and unleashing it, that''s why it''s ideal for cutting. It doesn''t, however, emit a sound nor does it become visible. Lightning does that but that wasn''t lightning. Kurenai, do you know what that was?"


    "Yes and I won''t be divulging it. If you want to know, ask Naruto. It was one of his creations."


    "So, he really does create his own jutsu?" Asuma asked, surprise in his voice.


    "Yes. How many, I''m not sure. He said most were just supplemental things that better versions of already existed but he''s got some impressive ones as well. Gai almost got introduced to one."


    "Hai, Hokage-sama informed me that in my distracted state I may not have escaped unharmed."


    "Whatever that was, I need to learn it. I''ll see if I got something to trade." Asuma said, only caring about the wind manipulation. He hadn''t seen anything innovative involving wind chakra in years, especially not chakra flow. He need to know how to do that.


    "Kukuku, I think that was just a bad matchup for Temari, Rasa-dono."


    "I agree, But she appears too reliant on that fan, definitely Chunin material but I''ll have to work with her on that. The Uzumaki''s sword skills are impressive and he''s fast. He must have been training his speed and sword techniques for several years to be at that level."


    "Hai. I believe Naruto-kun picked up kenjutsu his second year at the academy."


    "Oh, then you have some really good kenjutsu instructors" Rasa stated which caused Orochimaru to giggle, much to Hiruzen''s annoyance.


    "No, he self trained until he became a summoner and trained those skills with them."


    "Ah. Either way, he is quite skilled. I wonder how he''ll fight Gaara."


    "Kukuku, I wouldn''t be shocked if he forfeited. He''s certainly earned a promotion."


    "If that''s the case, I expect you out of my village within the hour, Orochimaru."


    "Why so hostile, Sarutobi-sensei?" she said with a grin on her face, annoying the Sandaime further. "Fine, I''ll vacate, no need to cause an international incident."


    Naruto was on the arena floor, debating if he should forfeit this next match. He''d proven all he needs to and if the Old Man doesn''t promote him no one can say it is due to a lack of skill or ability. That makes this match completely pointless. Another part of him wants to stay, he wants people to see him, the social pariah and outcast, run through the competition. To easily defeat the prodigy, the strongest kunoichi in the competition and finally, Suna''s mad jinchuuriki. He wasn''t sure Gaara was one until his match with Sasuke but he has a way to incapacitate the boy. It would put some emphasis on the day and let all know Naruto Uzumaki isn''t the one to try. But that''s ego and a ninja doesn''t need ego. Why reveal anymore than he needs to? It was difficult, his pride was telling him to just win the damn thing outright. But he''s accomplished his mission and as a shinobi, that''s a sign it''s time to come home.


    "I forfeit. I believe I''ve done enough to earn my promotion, I have nothing left to prove." Naruto announced and saw Hayate nod before he exited the arena via shunshin to appear by Kurenai who gave the redhead a hug and congratulated him on performing so well.


    Hayate crowned Gaara the winner, though the boy didn''t look pleased and called the Chunin Exams to a close. Just as they were starting to depart, an ANBU appeared by the Jounin Sensei to retrieve Naruto, per the Hokage''s orders. Naruto couldn''t hide his annoyance, he wanted to go check on his teammates, though he suspected Shikamaru was just napping in the medbay.


    Naruto arrived with the ANBU to the Hokage Tower and was escorted to the Hokage''s office. Naruto really didn''t understand why this ANBU was on his ass but he just ignored it, she was only following orders. When got to the office door he saw two samurai standing outside it, which was weird. The ANBU ordered him to stay there until he was called and then she went inside the office.


    "Those were some pretty sweet sword skills, kid. Never thought I''d see a Tenken user, especially not a shinobi one."


    "You know my style?"


    "Yes, it''s an old style but most people can''t learn it due to the damage done to the leg muscles. How long have you been practicing and how many steps from the shukuchi was that?"


    "I started learning when I was seven from a scroll that was gifted to me. And I was three steps shy. While I can move faster, I can only go up to two steps for the Shukuchi until my body matures." Naruto said while rubbing the back of his head. He wasn''t used to being praised by strangers nor getting to talk kenjutsu, it was nice.


    "Impressive" the same Samurai said. "Oh and just a word of warning, the Daimyo is in there so mind your manners."


    "Thanks. Being an orphan, that stuff doesn''t come naturally but I''ll do my best, Samurai-san."


    "It''s Sojiro, kid and this is Shishio."


    "Naruto Uzumaki, nice to meetya."


    "Likewise" Shishio said. The trio continued to chat away until Naruto was summoned into the office. Upon entering, Naruto saw the Old Man, surrounded by his advisors. Jiraiya and Tsunade were both there, he shot her a quick smile but sitting to the side of the office was, he assumed the Daimyo. He bowed, deeply to the man, and shot a quick one to the Old Man. He hated the weak, old bastard but it''d do him no favors to act like a brat now.


    "Hokage-sama." he said evenly.


    "Naruto-kun, please sit down we have a lot to discuss. First, I want to congratulate you on your promotion to Chunin. It''s long overdue." Hiruzen said and saw Naruto''s jaw tense for a split second.


    "Thank you, Hokage-sama."


    "No thanks, necessary. Next, Naruto, I have to tell you some things that will not be pleasant for either you nor I. I just want you to listen completely and then we can discuss where we go from here." He saw the redhead nod and continued. "After the Kyuubi attack, the village was in a vulnerable position and the Hokage position was as well. We needed more funds to keep ourselves functioning but the more wealth civilians wanted power in exchange. I could levy taxes but they could also leave. I couldn''t afford to call their bluff or wait them out so in a moment of well intentioned idiocy I pilfered from an account. An Uzumaki account; your inheritance. I won''t lie, it was a large sum though I managed to pay it back years later, with interest I didn''t watch the account as closely as I should have. Another person also took a generous sum from the accounts. He never repaid what he stole, likely banking on blackmailing me should I call him on it. Trying to fix what I did or allowed to happen has taken a long time and truthfully, you have not been made whole. That is why I have delayed your promotion, when you become a Chunin you are a true a.d.u.l.t and in accordance with Daimyo-sama''s laws, are granted full access to your clan funds and vaults. You reaching this rank also triggers an automatic audit from an accountant approved of my Daimyo-sama himself." He took a moment to collect himself and then continued.


    "This law, designed to protect the last member of loyal Konoha clans would have dictated you be provided a house and a plot of land with the option to expand your property up to ten years after you made Chunin. The issue is, for me to have followed the law for you it would have required my revealing who your parents are as the funds to purchase the land comes from a tax paid by all shinobi clans. Even yours has paid into this account even though there have only ever been three members residing here. Naruto, your parents are the Yondaime Hokage and-"


    "Kushina Uzumaki. I know."


    "How?"


    "That hardly seems relevant, Hokage-sama. Please continue."


    "If any of your parent''s enemies realized they had a child, one that was unprotected in a village trying to recovery from a massive attack you''d either be kidnapped or dead."


    "That''s not entirely true, Hiruzen. Tell him the whole truth." The Daimyo ordered.


    "I could have sent you to the Capital, Minato and Daimyo-sama were close and the royal family has always had a good relationship with the Uzumaki, which is why much of their wealth wasn''t lost during Uzushio''s downfall. I didn''t send you away because I wanted you to grow to love Konoha and desire to protect it like your parents did."


    "How could revealing my status be any safer than revealing my parentage?"


    "I believed the people would follow Minato''s wish to see you are a hero. I underestimated the hurt they carried and how my law only allowed the ignorance to fester. Because I didn''t address the issue diligently, it left an open space for their irrational fears to grow and grow and grow. With you advancing as fast as you did, many were concerned it was the fox; even my shinobi that should have known better."


    "Who is the other person that stole from me and why did you let him?"


    "His name was Danzo Shimura. He was once a friend and a longtime rival of mine. He used to head a division of ANBU called Root. While militant and misguided, he truly loved Konoha and I used that as a excuse to ignore when he''d overreach. He was executed on Daimyo-sama''s orders."


    "When did this occur?"


    "Two days ago."


    "That long? You let him use my family''s resources for god knows what and did nothing?"


    "I won''t lie to you, Naruto, I''ve held the seat for too long. I''ve been soft when I should have been firm, too trusting when I should have been suspicious and too passive when action was needed. I''ve wrong you because of this and you may not believe me or you may not care but I am truly sorry. I know I''ve driven you away because of these secrets and I won''t ask you to understand but I truly was attempting to do what was best for everyone." Naruto didn''t bother responding, whether it was true or not was irrelevant. He''d suffered because of this weak, old man and he''d not have any of his excuses.


    "So, what happens now?"


    "I''ll answer that. You will select where you want your compound to be and have my personal architect design the house with you. We''ll get started on construction as soon as possible. Hiruzen will be holding a meeting of the clan heads where he will not only inform them of your heritage, your new residence but some other things as well. Naruto, I cannot apologize enough for what you have been deprived. You may not hold much affection for Konoha or even Fire Country but I hope you''ll allow me to rectify that. I truly respected Minato and was quite fond of Kushina."


    "Thank you, Daimyo-sama."


    "Now, I believe Tsunade and Jiraiya wish to discuss some things with you so you three are excused."


    All three bow and Hiruzen gives Naruto a ticket to pick up his Chunin vest from the armory. The two leaders spoke a while more until there was a knock at the door.


    "Hiruzen, there is one final thing you''re going to have to do and this is going to hurt more than anything else." the Daimyo said before giving permission for the individual outside to enter. In walked Orochimaru that instantly put the Hokage on edge, ready for an attack. "Calm down, Hiruzen. She is here at my invitation. Orochimaru has provided me proof that everything she did she was ordered to do by Danzo and seeing as how you did virtually nothing to stop him, she shouldn''t be held responsible for the orders of a superior officer. As such, effective immediately, Orochimaru is to be reinstated as an Elite Jounin of Konoha; all crimes pardoned without exception."


    "No, this is a bridge too far."


    "It isn''t a request, Hiruzen. This is an order and this will be one of your last acts. I expect you to announce her return within 48 hours, do I make myself clear?"


    "Hai."


    "Kukuku, I''m so happy to be back Sarutobi-sensei."

 Chapter 447 - My SI Stash #47 - Blue Flame by BANIX (MHA)

    -We already got a SI!Endeavour so here''s the obligatory SI!Dabi~ SI!Shoto is next/


    Synopsis: Todoroki Toya, that''s my identity in this life. A life that I shouldn''t be living. Even so, I still try my best to live. I don''t have much of a goal other than trying to live for the people that I had grown to care about. I don''t remember everything from the series but I will try my best to help those who needs my help, one person at a time. (Reincarnated OC as Dabi, Slow Updates)


    Rated: T


    Words: 13K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13742475/1/Blue-Flame (BANIX)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Cremation, that''s the quirk that I am born with in this world. A world that is supposed to be fiction.


    Todoroki, that''s the family I am born into in this world. A family that is a classic example of domestic abuse.


    Todoroki Toya, that''s the name I am gifted with in this life. A life that I shouldn''t be living.


    I still try my best to live, nevertheless. I don''t have much of a goal in life other than trying to live for the people that I had grown to care about. My mother, my siblings, and the people that depend on me to make a living. For them, I continue to walk this earth in this sickly body.


    I don''t remember everything from the My Hero Academia series but I do remember a popular fan theory speculating that Dabi is Todoroki Toya, the eldest of the Todoroki siblings. Being reincarnated as Toya in this world, I can safely say that this theory is true. After I dyed my hair black the moment I left the Todoroki household my resemblance to Dabi is uncannily similar.


    I have no idea what happened to canon me, but I didn''t turn to the dark side despite the tempting thought. I did suffer damage to my own body from the overuse of my quirk though, resulting in me having similar injuries to canon Dabi. I guess some things stay the same.


    No matter how much I tried to turn him around, my father in this life, Todoroki Enji, is still the same abusive man as depicted in the series. I didn''t read any further in my past life to see if he did anything to redeem himself but at least in this life, he is still a sorry excuse of a human being.


    I don''t want to have any association with him if at all possible. Alas, I had decided to be a hero to spite his ideals with mine, so there were a rare few times that I had to work with him much to my reluctance.


    The one thing I dislike about this world is the criteria that defines what a hero is. Saving people had turned into a popularity contest. Instead of focusing on what a hero should do many heroes now focus on fame and wealth, ignoring what the word hero truly means.


    I had decided early on not to be that kind of hero. After all, one such "hero" is my father. I don''t aim to be the best hero there is, but I strive to be a better man than he will ever be. This is the only thing that is driving me forward in my hero work, to learn how to be a better man so that I can be a passable hero.


    Frankly speaking, my quirk is more suited to villain work. It''s too destructive, making non-lethal takedown extremely difficult. My hero costume places emphasis on toning down my power so that I can conduct non-lethal takedowns and so that it would reduce the chances of me burning my body from the inside out.


    I managed to set up my own agency after working as Best Jeanist''s sidekick for a year after graduation from U.A. He was my mentor when I did my internship as a U.A. student. Interning under him was the best decision I could have made. He taught me many things, not just how to properly use my quirk and how to conduct proper hero work, but also what it means to be a hero.


    Heroes don''t make excuses no matter the situation. Heroes must maintain a positive influence. Heroes must spread a sense of peace to all people. Heroes must be selfless, brave, and charismatic.


    That is what I had learnt from him.


    Best Jeanist''s quirk requires him to have very fine control, something which I lacked when I first started out as a hero-in-training. He has my eternal gratitude for helping me to learn how to properly control my quirk by imparting his own experience to me. Till this date, we still keep in close contact despite us being a decade apart in age.


    My work experience with him led me to notice that while many of the top heroes are active in solving high-profile cases, many of the petty crimes tend to fall through the cracks. Crimes that are often not noticeable enough for top Pro Heroes to notice, but also too much for the weaker Pro Heroes to handle.


    Ever since I decided to aim to be a better man instead of striving to be a top hero, I decided to focus my hero work on solving this category of crimes. I want to help make this world a better place. I want to spit on my father''s ideals, I want to show him that being the strongest hero means jack shit if he does not know how to be a proper human being.


    I believe that to be a hero, one must first learn how to be a proper human being.


    Seeing that my ideologies are closely similar to Spiderman''s ideology from what I could remember about him in my previous life, I decided to call myself the Neighbourhood Hero: Dabi. The name Dabi means ''Cremation''. Not the best name I could have used for a hero name, I know. I chose the name Dabi as a reminder to myself on who this person could have been if I didn''t inhabit this body for some unknown reason. A reminder to myself that I am constantly toeing on a fine line that separates heroes and villains.


    As Best Jeanist often said, heroes and villains are both cut from the same cloth.


    My hero agency is located in Hosu City. It is close enough to home so that my siblings can come and find me whenever they want, and it is also fairly close to the hospital which my mother is now living in. I never gave that man my number or address to my home. I don''t wish to see him.


    His deeds are horrid. The manga and anime series had seriously downplayed the severity of his actions. I loathe that man. I couldn''t save Shoto from him, which is still my biggest regret.


    My typical working day goes something like this: Wake up, eat breakfast, check some email and go through some doc.u.ments that my staff deemed important enough for me to go through personally. Go patrol, check on people that I need to check on, eat lunch. After lunch, continue patrol and beat up some villains if I have to, eat dinner. After dinner, either train or go through more doc.u.ments, then give a quick call to my siblings and my mother before calling it a day.


    Boring life with the occasional excitement in the form of beating up villains, but I''m fine with this arrangement as long as the area I am in charge of is safe.


    My ranking as a hero isn''t that high, which is to be expected since I am not interested in fame or the likes. I just want to do my job properly. On the bright side, it seems that I am highly popular among Hosu citizens despite my disfigured looks since I interact with them regularly.


    I can remember a fair bit of canon. Not everything and certainly not in detail, just bits and pieces of it. Even then, I know my youngest brother will definitely be in a lot of shit when he finally enters U.A.


    I have no idea what I can do to help from the outside, but I can try.


    In fact, I already did help, considering who I employed in my agency. Little by little, I will do what I can to help to change whatever bad canonical fate of whatever people that don''t deserve it.


    Starting from those who can be saved.


    Hey, wassup! Jin Bubaigawara in the house, yo! Pro Hero Dabi''s sidekick and trusted assistant, Twice, at your service!


    Wait, what?! You don''t know who I am?! Eh, that''s reasonable, I guess. Not many who are from outside of Hosu know who we are. In that case, let me introduce myself!


    As mentioned, my name is Jin Bubaigawara, Hero name: Twice! I was a no-good lazy thug that inflicted insanity onto myself. Parents died, got fired, nowhere to go, used my quirk on myself, nearly killed myself and to this day I still don''t know if I am a clone or the original¡­ Yeah, you get the drift. I''m certified insane.


    There''s no place for insane guys like me in society, I know that. Even then, what I want to do is to be okay with me being me. I want a sense of belonging; it doesn''t matter if it is a hero group or a villain group. I just want to¡­ not be an outcast. I want a place where my mental state wouldn''t need to be scrutinised and I can just be me.


    And then he found me.


    Todoroki Toya, also known as Pro Hero Dabi. He is my saviour even if he is quite some years my junior.


    We first met when I was having an existential crisis. Nothing new there. The paper bag which I was using to cover my face got torn, I was gonna split. He found me at my most vulnerable, in the dark alley filled with trash. Trash like me.


    He saved me when he used his jacket to cover my face, preventing me from splitting.


    We sat down and talked after I got my shit together. In that forsaken alley, we each sat on the top of a heap of rubbish bags, munching on some kit-kats and he just listened without judging. I told him all I wanted is to find a place where I can just be me.


    "If you don''t mind the fact that my agency is some no-name agency, I can hire you. I just started out on my own and I would need someone to help me with all the paperwork anyway. If you accept, I can guarantee you that you will have a paying job, a roof over your head, and three meals a day at the very least. Pay rise will have to wait until the agency gets going for real though."


    How can I say no to such kindness?


    He had only just opened his own hero agency one week prior to meeting me. No one had signed up for any of his job offers he posted. I became the first staff member that he had recruited. With my quirk, I copied him and it allows us to handle the paperwork with close to little problems. My presence helped the agency cut down significantly on manpower costs in its early days. Toya always laughingly said that recruiting me was one of the best choices he had made, right up there with learning under Best Jeanist.


    I am flattered.


    Working under him gave me a new sense of purpose in life. The pay was just okay, not too high but not too low. Job is nothing too exciting, but I have been given a second chance to live a proper life. A life without crime.


    I am determined to not turn back to crime. I will grab this chance that I was offered. I will not let Toya down.


    My mental trauma had never truly disappeared, but I made significant progress. Toya used the agency''s funds to ensure that I have regular consultations with a psychiatrist. It helped somewhat. He helped me clear my bad records. It helped that the crimes I had committed prior to our meeting were just minor crimes that could be easily brushed off. I returned what was stolen using my own money, money that I had earned through my own merit, and completed whatever community service that was my punishment.


    Just a year later, I became a free man after I had redeemed myself in the eyes of the law.


    "Why not try to be a hero?"


    "You gotta be kidding me, Toya. Me? A hero?"


    "You found yourself. You accepted you as you. You decided to not fall back to a life of crime. I daresay that you are already a better human being than half the population out there. So why not?"


    Upon his suggestion, I enrolled in a school that offered a private course to be a hero. I was the oldest student there. People laughed at me. An ex-criminal? Becoming a hero?


    I still did it. I got top grades and was offered jobs by various top hero agencies across Japan. I didn''t pay them any mind. I went back to Toya''s agency.


    As long as he will have me, I will always be his sidekick.


    A year later, I overcame my fear of myself and managed to clone myself. It was my biggest achievement; I had overcome my greatest fear. If it wasn''t for Toya, this would never have happened.


    Patrolling became much easier after that. I would leave a few clones behind in our little office to settle whatever paperwork there is to settle whenever the both of us went out on patrol. I would clone ourselves and send them out in pairs to patrol the streets. I would talk his ears off and he would try to make witty comebacks. Sometimes he succeeded, many times he failed because talking is my thing, not his.


    It is still a great partnership. The area we are in charge of isn''t that big, but we managed it well.


    Toya is a firm believer of the notion of doing things personally. Even with my quirk helping him, he insists on doing the important paperwork himself. He believes that to first be a hero, one needs to learn how to be a proper human being. He doesn''t seek fame or wealth, but he does ensure that we earn more than enough to get by because he said that to first help others, we must be capable of looking after ourselves.


    All he wants to do is to do his job properly. I can respect that.


    It is because of this belief that he started to get popular with Hosu''s citizens without him realising it. People started noticing him for his various deeds, no matter how big or small they are. His disfigured looks didn''t stop him from slowly rising up to fame.


    And with that me too! I started to get popular just from being his sidekick! Can you imagine that? Me, a no name ex-criminal becoming famous among the ladies? It is a dream come true!


    Slowly, but surely, people started applying for jobs at our agency. I can produce as many clones as I want, but the fact is that my skill set is limited and I don''t have the expertise to handle everything. We soon got ourselves a secretary, an accountant, so on and so forth. Whatever and whoever we need to keep the agency running.


    Do you know what''s the interesting part? Come on, take a guess!


    Eh, you don''t want to? You are no fun at all.


    Every single staff that Toya hired, either they were ex-criminals like me, or they are people who struggled to find jobs for various reasons. Very often, these reasons are societal prejudices.


    Let it be said that Toya is also a firm believer of second chances. However, you blow up that second chance, he becomes merciless. Some random dude who was an ex-convict once betrayed that trust and now he is spending the next five years behind bars.


    Toya is powerful, even if he never flaunted that aspect of himself. His quirk is so strong that it inflicts damage upon himself if he ever overused it. He overused it once when he was working under Best Jeanist as an intern. He was alone, trying to save civilians from a villain attack and was about to be overrun. He didn''t hesitate to go all out to save the people he was protecting, disfiguring himself in the process.


    He got staples on his face for God''s sake, just to keep his skin together.


    Over time, the agency slowly got bigger and bigger. Interns from various Hero Academies actually started to apply for internship positions here even when we are not in the top ten. Toya started to earn some big bucks but he only kept the necessary amount for himself, usually only the bare minimum he needed to pay his bills. The rest, he either invested it in some stocks or donated it for charitable causes under another alias. He also used another huge sum of his own money to open an eatery to create more jobs so that people who used to be like me will have another option instead of going down a path of regret.


    According to him, there is a limit on how many jobs his hero agency can offer. Him venturing into business is his method of creating more job vacancies for people like me, like most of the staff in our agency who had once lost our way. He left the running of the business to a guy we trust, also an ex-convict who turned over a new leaf. Toya didn''t really interfere with the running of the business since to him, its main priority is to just provide income to those who need an honest job. As long as it breaks even he is fine with it. If it made profits, then it is a plus.


    Nobody knew that eatery belonged to him at first and upon Toya''s request, we didn''t publicise that fact too. But somehow, the public found out. It only boosted Toya''s popularity even further.


    Funny thing is, Toya didn''t even bother to check his hero ranking. He is ranked at 18 right now among the Pro Heroes and is exceptionally popular among Hosu citizens for what he did for them. He showed that the proper way to fight crimes isn''t through force, but by addressing the root of the problem in our society. He showed that sometimes, all that is needed to stop crime from festering is to just give a little helping hand when someone needs it.


    That, ladies and gentlemen, is what I Jin Bubaigawara call-


    The act of a true hero.

 Chapter 448 - My OC Stash #48 - Izukus Precious Villains by SugarButterfly432 (MHA)

    -Sufficient daily dose of cinnamon roll~


    Synopsis: Izuku moves into a new apartment in a new city. He hopes to get along with his new neighbors well. And maybe become friends with them, too. But what he doesn''t know is that his apartment is the hang out of evil, super villains. But are the villains ready to handle a quirkless boy whose smiles are brighter than the sun itself? Manga spoilers.


    Rated: T


    Words: 46K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13335118/1/Izuku-s-Precious-Villains (BANIX)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    Izuku Midoriya double check that he had everything with him. He was a bit nervous. Today from now on, he''ll be living by himself. Although, living by oneself was a part of growing up. You can''t always be depended on your parents forever. But even his mother was sadden to see her little baby leaving her to live on his own. Inko told him that if he changes his mind, he can still move back in with her. But Izuku didn''t want to be a burden to his mother after all the years that she done for him.


    "Izuku, honey, do have everything?" Izuku heard his mother outside of his soon to be old room. The sound of her voice clearly told that she''ll miss him terribly. Honestly, Izuku himself didn''t want to leave his mommy. He actually wanted to be with her forever. But that was selfish of him to actually to think such a thing. What kind of a son would forever be depended on his parents. To him at least, that was a very awful thing could do your own parents


    "Yeah, Mom. I have everything," He said. He tried not to sound like he was crying. Deep down, he was. Leaving his beloved mother to live a new apartment by himself was something that he knew that it will happen one day. But he never imagine that will happen so soon. Izuku was still in Middle School and in the middle of his third year. But he felt that he should start getting already to be prepared for the a.d.u.l.t world. Of course, most people would argue that going to live by yourself was a bit too much at his young age. But his mother trusted him.


    Izuku went outside of his room, looking that his mother who had tears coming out of her eyes. Inko was not able to handle that her baby was finally living by himself. But she had to be strong for her son. She didn''t want to Izuku guilty of leaving her. What kind of a mother would guilt trip her child into staying with her forever. But Inko was proud that her son had managed to find an apartment that he could afford to rent.


    Both mother and son look at each other for a few moments. They both treated this moment like Izuku was living for forever despite that he''ll be back next Sunday to eat dinner with her. But to them, it will feel like an enteral for them both.


    "Izuku, promised me when you get to your new apartment, you will call me, ok, sweetie," Inko said, placing her hand on his cheek. This was it. It was time for mother and son to depart from each other.


    Izuku nodded, "Don''t worry, Mom. I''ll be fine. I''ll call you as soon as I got there," He said smiling.


    Still, a mother can''t stop worry for her child. Hoping that Izuku will get along with his neighbors despite him being quirkless. However, Inko knew that her son will be happy to where he''ll be living at. According to some of her neighbors who adores her son, Izuku had always managed to make people around him love him once they get know him better. Inko even overheard from one neighbor saying that Izuku''s new neighbors are lucky to have him when the rest of them are going to miss the boy.


    "Now come on, baby. The movers will get there before you do," Inko said.


    "Ok, Mom. And thank you for always taking care of me," Izuku said, trying not to cry before he leaves his old apartment. He really didn''t want spend his last moments in this apartment crying like a baby.


    Finally leaving his apartment, Izuku headed to where his new apartment was. The building was in Yokohama City. He could go to school when he takes the train. There was one thing that he was happy about leaving, the fact that Kacchan will still be in their neighborhood while he lives in a new city. This actually brought a smile to Izuku''s face. No Kacchan to bully him when the latter angered the former. Kacchan didn''t even know that Izuku was moving on his own. Izuku preferred to keep that way.


    New apartment building


    "Here it is," Izuku said. The building itself wasn''t bad looking. It was affordable so that was good. Hoping to start fresh in his new neighborhood, Izuku wanted to make a good first impressing. Taking deep breathes, Izuku turn the doorknob around and open the door. Seeing that there was stairs to climb to the apartment complex. Walking up the stairs, Izuku wondered what kind of neighbors will be having. Although, according to the real estate agent, there were literally two people living there. There was also a bar there on the first floor. The apartment complex was above the bar. The landlord actually lived somewhere else do to some health issues.


    Izuku hoped that his new landlord will get better soon. He would actually like to meet the man that letting someone like him live in his building. Soon the green haired boy came to the first floor. Seeing another steps stairs to climb, but he was actually curious to see the bar himself. But he was worried because he was underage. Izuku didn''t want the bartender in trouble if he showed up.


    He was about to head to the next case when he saw a much older boy standing there. He was quite tall, with ashy skin and scars over his left eye and on the right side of his mouth. His lips were chapped. His hair were blue and his eyes were red. In all and all, the older boy look like a villain. But Izuku wouldn''t judged this person. He himself had already been discriminated for being quirkless. So, Izuku made a promised to himself to not judged others. He made this promise after meeting All Might. Which was not how he wanted to meet his long time hero.


    But now he has to focus on the present. Taking a deep breath, Izuku smiled at the older boy in front of him. The older boy seem to be taken back when Izuku smiled at him, "Who are you?" The older boy said. He look surprise to see someone like him to be in this place.


    "I''m Izuku Midoriya. I''ll be living here from now on," Izuku said. Hoping this mysterious person is one of his new neighbors.


    The boy look at him for a good awhile before finally speaking, "You may call me Tomura Shigaraki for now," He said.


    Izuku blinked surprised by his replied, but was happy to hear him said his name at least, "So, do you live here as well," Izuku said.


    Tomura nodded, "Yeah. I live here with Kurogiri," He said.


    "So, you''re the new kid?" Tomura said. Which Izuku nodded with a blush on his face.


    "Come now. The bar is open. Although, Kurogiri isn''t here yet," Tomura said, opening the door to the bar. Izuku wasn''t sure about this. He was still a middle scholar.


    "Sorry, Shigaraki. I don''t think that I''m allowed in the bar. I''m in middle school," Izuku said nervously.


    "Don''t worry about it. The bar doesn''t have a rule to say what age you have to be to get in," The older boy said.


    Izuku, feeling about more relaxed, followed his new neighbor into the bar. Tomura Shigaraki seem nice. He hope that they will get along with each other soon.


    Chapter 2


    Tomura Shigaraki wasn''t expecting seeing someone new in the building today. Especially, someone who looked innocent. The boy before him had green hair and eyes with freckles on his face. In all honestly, he looked adorable. His name was Izuku Midoriya, and he was the new kid that was moving in the apartment building. Tomura had had heard from his sensei that someone new will be living here from now on. Sensei told him to be nice to his new neighbor.


    Sure he knew that he was having a new neighbor but he wasn''t told when. It was only today when Tomura met the new kid, Izuku Midoriya. Tomura was very surprised to see that his new neighbor was quite young looking. The kid looked like that he was still in middle school. Tomura actually wasn''t expecting to be them that young. He kind of expecting someone that had had a bad life, ready to give up, or someone that didn''t have a life outside of anime or something. Never did he thought a little kid will be living here with him and Kurogiri.


    When he met the young boy, the latter smiled at him. Tomura couldn''t help but feel shock to see someone willingly to smile at him even though he looked a villain from his appearance alone. But the green haired boy just politely introduced himself. Telling Tomura his name and that he''ll be living here at the apartment complex from now on.


    He didn''t why, but Tomura invited Midoriya to the bar. But the younger boy was a bit worried to go in because he was underage. Tomura told him that there was no rule of age to enter it. Seeing that Midoriya became a little relaxed after he said, Tomura wondered if the kid was goodie two shoes.


    When the two entered the bar, they both questions about each other. Midoriya had asked him about his quirk. Tomura decided to show the kid his power. He grabbed a glass cup, it decayed the mere second he touched it. Tomura believed it might scared the boy when the latter had just witness the former''s quirk But instead, Midoriya was amazed by his quirk. The kid had asked him how if he needed all five of his fingers to do it. Even asking if his quirk worked on him as well.


    This actually left Tomura in surprise. Usually, people will run scared when they see his decayed quirk. But the kid was actually impressed by it. Izuku Midoriya wasn''t all scared of him. His head felt strange. Something in his head felt like it was trying unfold. His memories of his early life wasn''t the best.


    "Hey, are you ok, Shigaraki?"


    Tomura was pulled out of his thoughts when Midoriya had asked him if he was alright. Seeing someone other then Sensei or Kurogiri showing concerned towards him made him feel look like he was having another caretaker from Sensei.


    "Yes, I''m fine," Tomura said.


    Midoriya smile at him again. Seeing that smile, Tomura couldn''t help but feel that his chest was warming up. Was he having heart burns? Tomura began to wonder if that was Midoriya''s quirk. Did his smile had the power to make people feel all warm inside? He had to know.


    "Midoriya, what''s your quirk?" Tomura ask. He wanted to know if the kid''s smiling quirk was powerful. Maybe he could use it against All Might and the other Pro Heroes.


    The young boy look away from Tomura and look down the floor. After a few minutes, he spoke, "I''m quirkless," He said. Midoriya kind of look like he was going to cry.


    But Tomura couldn''t believe what he just heard. This boy was quirkless. He had never actually met someone that didn''t have a quirk. From what that doctor Daruma Ujiko said once that only 20% of people in the world are born without quirks. Some say it was rare to meet a quirkless person. Others say it''s a curse to be born quirkless because the rest of the world would eat you alive if you were born weak and worthless.


    Midoriya look up from to stare at the All Might poster that was hanging on the wall above the TV of the bar. It was no doubt in Tomura''s mind that the green haired kid was a big fan of the Symbol of Peace. Why wouldn''t he be? Everyone love All Might.


    "Are you a fan of All Might, Midoriya?" Tomura didn''t see any other answer from the kid other then a big yes coming from his mouth. Midoriya will probably say how cool All Might is. He might even worship the ground that annoying hero walks on.


    "Not exactly," The little green haired boy said as he intertwine his fingers together.


    Hearing that had actually Tomura very surprise. Normally, someone would be so excited to talk about the Symbol of Peace. But seeing this kid saying that he wasn''t a fun of All Might had made Tomura interested in the kid. Every kid would love to meet All Might. But here is a kid in front of him who doesn''t blindly adored the hero All Might like everyone else. This was new. Tomura will tell definitely tell Sensei about his new found discovering. A kid who is both quirkless and is not a fan of All Might, this day getting interesting.


    "So? Not a big fan of All Might? Neither am I. I guess we have a lot of common, don''t we, Midoriya?" Tomura said smiling. Again, the kid smiled at him. Not caring if the older boy''s smile was considered creepy or scary.


    Just then, a black hole appeared in front them. It turn into a being that almost resemble person. But the being look like it made out of mist. Which he was. Tomura already knew who it was, "Kurogiri, it was about time you showed up. I had to keep Little Midoriya here company," He said.


    The black mist being stared at the boy who was surprise to see him. Shyly, the young boy introduced himself, "I''m Izuku Midoriya, sir," He said.


    "I''m Kurogiri, young man," The mist being said. It was wonderful to meet someone that had manners. But a thought went to his head, "You''re the young boy that will be living here as well, correct?" Kurogiri ask.


    Midoriya nodded with a smile on his face. The kid was adorable. But he look like he forget something, "Will you two excused me for awhile. I have to call my mom to let her know that I''m already here," He said. Before going, he stopped to look at Tomura, "It was nice to meet you, Shigaraki."


    "You can call me Tomura," The older boy said.


    The young stop, he turn to look at the older boy, "And you can call me Izuku as well."


    Chapter 3


    "Even without a quirk, can I be hero, too?"


    Izuku stood there, waiting for All Might''s answer. It was pure luck that he met his hero. All Might had saved him from a villain that was made out of slime. The villain nearly killed him but All Might had just got there in time. After the hero gave Izuku his autograph when the boy was out cold, All Might flew to hang over the villain to the police. But Izuku had managed to grabbed on his leg. All Might had to land near a building so the boy could let go of his leg. His hero told to knock on the door so someone will let him in. But not before telling Izuku that was dangerous what he did.


    However, Izuku wanted to ask All Might an important question. One that will make an impact for the rest of his life. For better or for worst. He asked his beloved hero if it was possible if someone like him could be a hero without quirk. He just had to know if it was possible at all. It was his dream to be like All Might. Always saving people with a smile on his face.


    But Izuku didn''t noticed the smoke coming from All Might. Nor did he noticed that his hero was in pain.


    "I always wanted to be like you. Saving people is really cool!" Izuku said. But when he finally noticed the smoke, it was too late. All Might had somehow became small and skinny, almost like a skeleton.


    Izuku scream in surprise and shock. To see All Might like this, was something that he never imagined something like this in his life. This was no way this was All Might , the No 1 Pro Hero in the world.


    "Where''s All Might?! Are you a fake?" He ask the skinny man. What was going on?


    "I am All Migh..." The small, skinny was going that he is All Might but he cough up blood.


    "But that can''t be. All Might is really big," Izuku was wondering if he was having a weird dream.


    "You know when guys tucked in his stomach look buff? It''s just like that," All Might explain.


    "But All Might is so fearless. He always save people with a smile," Izuku said. He was still trying to progress what was happening in front of him.


    All Might sigh. The hero look tried, "Take a look at this," All Might said as he lifted his shirt up, revealing a ugly scar on his left stomach, "It was five years ago that I got this from a dangerous villain. I could only be a hero for three hours in a day. That fight wasn''t made pubic. I asked for it not be public."


    "Was it Toxic Chainsaw?" Izuku said. He had heard of that villain before.


    "You knew your stuff. But no it wasn''t," All Might, getting up to leave, "Please, don''t tell anyone about what you learn, or putting it up online. I always to put a smile so people won''t be afraid."


    Izuku now knew that this was real. He just learn about All Might''s greatest secret. But he knew that he had to keep it a secret as well.


    "Pros are always risking their lives to save others. And for your question, no, I don''t think you can become a hero without a quirk," All Might said, walking to the door without looking back the young boy, "If you want to help people, try become a cope. It''s thankless job since they have to clean up the heroes'' aftermath, but it''s a fine job. It''s alright to dream. But you must dream realistically," The No 1. Pro Hero said, shutting the door behind him.


    Izuku woke up, breathing hard. Again. He was having that dream again. But it did happen. Izuku felt tears coming from his eyes. He shook his head, trying not to be petty. He met his hero but he also learned about that the All Might that he adored for years was just a fa?ade. Of course, learning the truth about his hero didn''t change anything about him to Izuku. The once loyal fan had seen the Symbol of Peace was just putting his life for others while the latter was hurting.


    Izuku was thankful for All Might for protecting people, but he now knows that the No 1. Pro Hero was risking his own health and life so people won''t have to worry for their lives. To the green haired boy, that was selfish. There was a difference between being self sacrifice and being careless to throw away your life. Ever since that day, Izuku realized that he too was being a horrible person. Always relying on All Might, thinking that he''ll make everything better. But he was still human. All Might also had his limits as well. It was wrong for Izuku to placed one person on a high pedestal.


    But he shouldn''t begin his morning in his new apartment feeling sad. Izuku took deep breathes to calm himself down. Getting up from his bed, Izuku went to change clothes. It was the weekend, so he could get to know his new neighbors today. Tomura seemed nice. The older boy did seem like he could used lotion on his skin.


    Since it was ok for him to be in the bar, Izuku wondered if Kurogiri was there. He might have to found out when he gets there. Kurogiri did look like a friendly person, since Tomura seemed close to him. Izuku wonder if he and Kurogiri could get along as well.


    Apartment bar


    Stepping into the bar, Izuku look around to see if Kurogiri was there. To his joy, the misted man was. Nervously, Izuku went up to him, "Good morning, sir," Izuku said. He wasn''t used to people of kind towards him, his mother was the only person was kind to him. But he wonder how will Kurogiri will react to him not having a quirk. Still, he tried to make a good impression on the man. Yesterday, it seemed that he managed to. Today, however, he hope that Kurogiri will be kind to him like Tomura was to him. Even after founding out that he didn''t have a quirk, Tomura was still nice to him.


    "Good morning, young man. How may I help you today?" Kurogiri said. It was hard to tell what was he feeling do to the fact that he didn''t have that much of a face. But the sound of his voice told Izuku that the man was happy to see him.


    Izuku didn''t what to say to Kurogiri. He tried to think of something, "Kurogiri, can I..." Izuku knew that he needed to say something that tell the mist being that he wanted to got along with him, "Can I ask about your quirk?" He finally said. Izuku realized what he just said. Believing that he offended the man by his question, Izuku tried to apologized to Kurogiri, "I''m so sorry! I didn''t mea...'''' Izuku felt his hair being gently ruffed. Seeing that it the mist man doing it.


    "It''s quite alright, young man," Kurogiri said.


    Izuku wonder if the mist man was discriminated because of his quirk. From what Izuku heard, people with quirks that made them inhuman looking were treated horribly by people. He should know horrible, he was quirkless, which was they were being treated more horrible for being worthless to society. Having a mutant quirk was better then not having a quirk at all. At least, that''s what he had heard from the a.d.u.l.ts that felt sorry for him and his mother.


    "If you want to know my quirk, I can answer your questions," Kurogiri said.


    So, Izuku began to ask Kurogiri many questions regarding the latter''s quirk. How can he wear clothes? How can he hold things without dropping them? Can he eat? Can he use the bathroom?


    "Shigaraki did say that you question many things about his quirk," The mist man said. From what Shigaraki said, this boy wasn''t a fan of the Symbol of Peace unlike the other children, "What about your quirk?" He said.


    Izuku rubbed his arm, "I''m quirkless, actually," He said. Hoping that won''t ruin his chance with Kurogiri. The mist man look at him for a second.


    "Do you want something to eat?" Kurogiri said.


    Izuku look at the mist man, he couldn''t believe that Kurogiri didn''t care that he had a quirk or not, "Well, I am a little hungry, sir," He said.


    "Can you just call Kurogiri, Izuku," The mist man said.


    Izuku nodded. Knowing that he''ll get along with his new neighbors, "Ok, Kurogiri,"

 Chapter 449 - My SI Stash #49 - Worlds Worst Sith Master by Chastity (StarWars)

    -W/


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 11K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/worlds-worst-sith-master-star-wars.13582/ (Chastity)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Beneath a loosened wallplate in the storage area of the Solace and Refuge lurked a single solitary figure. She was a vision of beauty, and death alike; blood red hair flowed down her body, reaching past her waist, and she wore her battle armor, a cursed smile on her lips. A weapon was in her hand, the simple device called a lightsaber, and though it was not yet activated, it soon would be.


    She heard the engines whine, felt the thick force of acceleration as the ship left the atmosphere of Ashiqa. The effortless jerk and cessation of entering hyperspace, and then her lightsaber came to life.


    A single man was present when she emerged, letting out a yelp of surprise at her appearance and dropping the datapad with which he had been double-checking the cargo. She drank in his eyes as she approached, locking her gaze to his, the Force aiding her in holding his body in place. She wanted to savor the moment - she could chase him down, but she would much rather kill him like this, slowly approaching and eyeing up her prey before a single swift slice carved him in twain, the fresh burn running from hip to shoulder and seeing his body simply slide in two.


    The wet noise of his torso hitting the ground brought her little joy. Her delight was in the moment that the person realized their life was utterly in her hands, and they had no choice but to suffer or expire, as the case may have been. For those aboard the Solace and Refuge, it would be expiration.


    So it was that she swept through the ship''s corridors, her victims occasionally drawing a blaster that she effortlessly snapped aside with a simple flick of the wrist. She didn''t parry: these ones were beneath such efforts. Her eyes would always lock on theirs, and she would drink in their panic as death came for them. Race, task, gender, none of them mattered, as she slaughtered her way through the crew.


    Such was the price of treachery - these smugglers were carrying weapons to the world of Drenaaj, which was currently in rebellion. They should have known that the Sith would not tolerate it.


    With an idle flick of her wrist she decapitated the pilot a moment after he relieved himself, grasping his body by the collar and yanking it out of the seat in the hopes of avoiding the thick scent of urine staining it too badly. She settled into the seat he had just left, feeling invigorated and yet unsatisfied, the quiet pleasure of putting the fear of the Sith into these wretches having no proper apex, like intercourse that never achieved ecstasy. They had seen, they had understood, and they were nothing to her.


    She did not feel the presence that approached, and she knew the crew of the ship counted nine - and nine had she killed. All that ought to have remained was deciding where to take the ship she now was sole proprietor of, but instead she heard soft footfalls, heard the distinctive whine of a blaster powering up.


    Within a heartbeat, her lightsaber snapped in the space between her and the noise, and when the bolt fired forth, it was deflected.


    There, standing before her, was a young boy, skin a pale red from whatever particular near-human race he was derived from. At her estimation, he was perhaps ten. With shaky hands he held the blaster, and he swallowed before firing again. She deflected once more, smiling viciously down at him. She could feel him, faintly, through the Force, now that she knew he was here - more than that, though, she could see the fear in his eyes, yet the courage that made him continue to pointlessly fire the blaster. She did not bother to block all the shots, since only perhaps one in three ever had a chance to strike her.


    When the boy winced and dropped the blaster, it having become too hot for him to hold, she made her move. She approached, grasping him by the collar, hefting him easily into the air; in the other, the red glow of her lightsaber was accompanied by its hum. The boy swallowed, his expression defiant for a moment, and she stared him in the eyes, let him truly understand his position, the truth, the reality.


    He lost the defiance. She let his body descend to the floor, her breath hot in the air at the rush. The boy was Force sensitive, and her heart was pounding in her ears, her mouth feeling as if it were simply drenched with spit, so much she almost worried she would drool. This was the moment, the perfect ephemeral moment, when a strong and courageous person knew they had to suffer whatever she would do to them. She lived for these moments.


    "You are now my apprentice," she told him, as she stared down at the piteous little thing. He stared blankly up at her. It wasn''t fear on his face, but acceptance of the fact he no longer controlled his fate, and ignorance of what she would ultimately do to him. She didn''t care, though; the point was that he understood that he was powerless. "I am your master now. I will teach you in the ways of the Force. If you fail to learn, I will extinguish your life."


    * * *


    That was how I met Darth Rakali. She is, to put it simply, crazy. She decided that I would be her apprentice, after killing my whole family, and she has, in fact, kept to that particular promise. She even gave me a training saber and fought me again and again, over the course of our trip together. If there''s one thing I learned from that, it''s that I had no chance whatsoever in a fight against her.


    About the only nice thing she did for me was not force me to clean up the dead bodies from the Solace and Refuge; no, that honor went to a couple poor schmucks on Ashiqa, which she returned to within a few hours of having killed everyone except me on the ship. She apparently decided that the ship was hers now, and I guess she did kill the previous owners. Is that how it works if you''re Sith? I know it''s not how it works for normal people, but if there is one thing I was very, very sure about, it was that Darth Rakali is not a normal person.


    During the long hyperspace journey to Korriban - it wasn''t anywhere near Ashiqa - I once stood at the threshold to the place she''d claimed as her quarters. It belonged to Mr. Gevlasho, who had been the ship''s cook, a nice old man with three grandchildren and an ex-wife that hated him. I never saw his body in particular, but I knew she had killed everyone.


    I had a blaster. I silenced my hesitation, did my best to calm my mind, to will myself to do what had to be done with the utmost stealth. If she was asleep, she wouldn''t have a chance - that was my thinking at the time.


    As I stood there, mentally preparing myself, she opened the door and kicked me in the head hard enough to send me to the ground. The only thing I was aware of for a moment was the flashing colors and lights in front of my face as my brain and eyes struggled to cope with the devastating blow. When I recovered, I heard her speak, her voice bored. "If you want to kill me, you will have to learn how to properly use the Dark Side. Until then, or I get tired of you, you are my apprentice."


    When I finally arrived on Korriban after what felt like years - but was actually just a week or so - she practically huddled me against her side, pressing my cheek against her ribcage. (And certain other parts that I didn''t appreciate in the least at the time.) Given the way that people looked at the two of us, I could almost imagine it was¡­ protectiveness.


    Baffling as it seemed, she was doing it to ward strangers off, to protect me from the riffraff that coated Korriban. I followed her obediently, definitely not interested in pissing her off on the Sith homeworld, and she took me to out of the space port, headed to what looked to be some kind of temple. That made even more people pay attention to me, and I could tell many of them were Sith - others were slaves or servants of various strides.


    "As a young Sith, it is considered important for you to visit the tomb of a fallen Sith," she explained to me. It sounded like she couldn''t give less of a f.u.c.k about it if she tried. "However, you are certainly too weak to survive such a task without supervision. Korriban has excellent training facilities for young Sith - but if you die, you will be dead, so use your discretion in taking advantage of them."


    I bit my lower lip, tension making every muscle in my body freeze up. It almost sounded like she planned to leave me alone, but¡­ this was Korriban. The heart of the Sith religion. Weren''t they all murderous psychos? I barely knew anything about how to fight with my stupid training saber, and it didn''t actually cut things. Excitement hit me as I realized that, on the other hand, if she was leaving me unsupervised-


    "If you flee, I will track you down, and-" she paused, reaching for my cheek, forcing my eyes to go to hers. Her red eyes seemed to bore directly into my soul for a long couple seconds. I swallowed, trembling before her gaze, and her finger gingerly slid up my cheek, until her nail just teased at my eyelid. She smiled, then, and I could feel a pressure in my brain, like someone was directly stabbing a needle into it and injecting fear. "Hm. I suppose I don''t know what I would do," she said, more to herself than me, but my brain was imprinting every last word. "I haven''t had an apprentice before, much less one who fled from me. I think¡­" she trailed off for a moment, tilting her head gently, "I would probably permanently disfigure you," she decided upon, as if she was simply answering a question on some HoloNet interview. "Let''s not find out though."


    I nodded rapidly, and she smiled at that, patting my head as she released my cheek and let me move as I willed. She was playing at the role of my mother, after having killed my actual mother less than two weeks ago. "What am I supposed to do, then?" I asked.


    "Don''t die," she said, a stern warning that I didn''t particularly need. "Avail yourself of the facilities at this temple; I will be checking in on you regularly, to ensure your safety and continued learning. I''ll likely have fresh work within a month, and we''ll depart then."


    With that, she left my side; people parted for her, clearly quite intimidated merely by her presence. I couldn''t blame them. For a moment, the attention of various people in the area came to rest on me - curiosity, envy, confusion. Even if it took what felt like an eternity, my breath held beneath their withering gazes, they lost interest, and returned to going about their days.


    That''s how I was left, alone, in a Sith temple, with zero supervision or protection, at the age of eleven.


    * * *


    Being as small as I was helped me keep a low profile, ducking below the sight lines of people, easily being lost in the crowd. The occasional shove or kick to get out of someone''s way wasn''t anything compared to getting hacked apart by a lightsaber. I had no real destination in mind - at first, I was thinking of some place to hide, a library or a closet or something - but I soon wound up finding the training facilities.


    They had combat droids, dozens of them, armed with heavy sticks and the occasional blaster set to stun. They were these thin, wiry things, stretching up a good two heads above me, all arranged in a tight pack like a quiet phalanx. When you wantedone, you''d just take it from the mass and drag it to a training room, something I picked up by quietly watching a Sith do as much.


    "Come with me," I said to one.


    "Affirmative," it said, its voicebox crisp and clearly well-maintained. Its walking was somewhat jittery, and I could only hope that once combat mode was engaged, something a little bit better in terms of balance and mobility would be shown off.


    As it turned out, it did. Unfortunately, the Sith were big believers in the school of hard knocks, so even though I only had the training saber that Darth Rakali had left me with, the droid was hitting me extremely hard with its own weapon. Since I was so young and, well, petite, I got my ass solidly kicked again and again. "Your fundamentals are acceptable," it declared, "but your ability to retain poise in the face of opposition must be improved upon." Then it immediately started beating me up again, and I could only just barely manage to block its strikes, with my arms aching each time its macelike melee weapon came down on my defense.


    I gave ground, making a circular movement as I did, just as Darth Rakali had taught me. It let me avoid getting pinned against one of the walls. Still, I couldn''t find any hole in its offense to attack myself, and the pain that shot up my forearms every time it hit my training saber was starting to make my fingers numb. "Stop, I''m done," I said.


    "You are not done. You must complete the program." Its attacks got more intense then, as if it were angry at my cowardice. I had to grit my teeth to keep my fingers on my training saber. I didn''t have any strength whatsoever to give it a kick or anything like that, and I couldn''t spare my attention from it to find something else in the room, lest I get beaten black and blue by the robot.


    I spotted some discarded, damaged bit of old droid as it fought me, tried to maneuver myself to it, hoping that it would f.u.c.k up the droid''s footing. Instead, the shiny chrome skull cap of some forgotten droid got easily crushed underfoot, the sound of its deformation audible. If it changed the droid''s footing at all, it was to make it push forward, making an extra step towards me, slipping past my guard with its whole body. One desperate, flailing swing of my training saber was all I got in, and it brought the mace down on my stomach, sending me collapsing to the ground, gasping for air.


    It stopped then. "Training program complete. You are free to go. I can provide training information in the unlikely event that your future Master wishes to have it."


    "F.u.c.k.i.n.g, thing," I spat out. I didn''t have much else to say, nor could I manage it, with the pain in my side.


    "This unit is not capable of s.e.x.u.a.l intercourse. If you would like to have s.e.x, please speak to a fellow student. Please, vacate the training room so that another student may use it."


    I managed to drag myself up to my feet, giving the droid a hateful last look, and limped outside, clutching my side as I went. It followed after, rejoining the mass of combat droids to await its next request.


    I went right back in the training room once it had done so, naturally. There were more bits of broken combat droids than just the skull cap that it had stepped on, and I started picking them up, piling them together, getting more pieces from another room.


    On the Solace and Refuge, I''d learned to be a pretty deft hand with machinery, and it seemed like, when one of the Sith kids broke a droid, they pretty much just tossed its bits in the corner and left them there. There weren''t complete sets, but I could get a decent variety of pieces. There didn''t seem to be any torsos, though, I mused, as I quietly started toying with the bits I had, trying to see if I could build anything useful out of them.


    My arms ached too much for any physical fighting, but the numbness in my fingers didn''t impair my mind, as I looked through this power converter, that electrical twitch engine, and on and on. I couldn''t put back together a complete droid; there weren''t any main energy cells or cognitive modules, presumably because they were valuable enough that they''d actually be recycled. Still, I could make a simple electrical disabler from the bits I had on hand. It''d be better than a training saber - the thing was basically a warm baseball bat, for all the damage it did.


    It wasn''t as fast as all that. It took a while for the numbness in my fingers to fade to the point where I could put something together, then even longer for the ache in my side to reduce to the point I felt comfortable standing up. I had made a device about the size of a small blaster that would - hopefully - stun someone for a few seconds when I hit them with it. I doubt that my "Master" would fall victim to it, given her preternatural danger sense, but it could help if I got attacked by one of the Sith on Korriban. One of the many, many Sith on Korriban.


    I stepped out of the training room, rolling my arms, stretching my back, now that I could walk free and under my own power.


    Outside, there was a tall, slender, buglike alien, with a complicated carapace that surrounded a roughly humanoid body, currently being surrounded by a pair of humans, both armed with training sabers.


    "Can you believe aliens really think they can be Sith?" The apparent leader - a blonde-haired human girl with a smile exaggerated by a scar across her lip - asked her friend, entirely rhetorically.


    "It''s how low the Empire''s fallen," the other one said in a dull voice, as if he was bored and disdainful of the whole thing, like that was just how it was, the Empire was doomed, what can you do? Of course a dying Empire makes aliens into Sith.


    "That just makes it our responsibility as good Sith to help clean up the detritus, doesn''t it?" She battered at the aliens leg, making it wince and step back, clearly in pain, its mandibles erratically twitching in the air. "Hey, you should get the f.u.c.k off Korriban, bugman."


    The insectoid chittered angrily, indignantly, in whatever language it spoke - I didn''t speak it either. The two Sith students laughed at the comment. "Can''t even speak Basic," the smiling girl spat. "Why do we let these things in? Are we that hard up for new Force sensitive recruits?"


    "Falling empires throw good money after bad, always trying to rebuild themselves with whatever''s on hand. Quantity begins to replace quality, and inevitably, you get this result."


    "Tch, yeah. Pretty f.u.c.kin'' pathetic, if you ask me." The training saber came down to bat at the alien''s leg again. It let out a quiet squelch of a noise.


    I''d pretty much just been quietly watching the whole time, trying to get my bearings on the situation. It was obviously a case of¡­ whatever you call the Sith equivalent of bullying, I suspected that was probably too light a term to refer to this sort of thing. But there were two of them, and one of me. I had the element of surprise¡­ on one of them. As the smiling girl started to really batter at the insectoid''s legs, forcing it to dance backwards in a rather elegant and dexterous manner, I got up behind the other one and zapped him with my electrical disabler.


    Honestly, I didn''t expect it to work. I kinda figured he''d use¡­ the Force, or however Sith do it, and I''d wind up getting beaten up again. Instead, the electrical bolt went right into his backside and he just collapsed to the ground. "The f.u.c.k?" The smiling girl turned my way, her lips twisting into a sneer. "You defending a f.u.c.kin'' alien? Man, I knew you near-humans were basically just bugf.u.c.kers." The insectoid alien removed its own training saber - apparently it had been on his back, and made a heavy smack against the back of the girl''s head before she could actually get at me, making her reel.


    I tried zapping her with my electrical disabler, but it just fizzled - the battery was too small for a second pulse, it looked like. "Oh, you think it''ll take two of you to beat me? Yeah, probably f.u.c.kin'' right, except make it ten," she sneered, waving her training saber at both of us. Her moves were basically spastic, unpracticed, wild swings at open air.


    I didn''t much like it, but as I got into a defensive position, I felt some gratitude that Darth Rakali had spent the past week drilling the basics of saber combat into my brain. She seemed to think I was just copying what I''d seen my elders do, and laughed. "You think you can pull off a real defense, kid?"


    I just grit my teeth, ignored the way the throbbing in my arms had started back up, and pushed back against her. I didn''t have the endurance for a real fight, but I managed to block and parry her first couple strikes before making a thrust directly at her throat, making her gag and fall back at the pain of the strike. She actually dropped her own training saber. "Li''l, fug, you shoudm'', maeg enemies, of shomeone laik me. Nefer get a mashder." Her words were thick and malformed, like something was caught in her throat - then she puked, clearing whatever the obstruction was in the simplest way possible. I winced as I saw a hint of red in the vomit. It could just as easily be something red-colored that she''d eaten as a bit of blood, though.


    "I already have a master," I told her. That was important, Sith were all about hierarchy, if you f.u.c.k.i.e.d up, they came after you.


    She let out a choked laugh, wiping away bile from her lips with the back of her hand. "Yeah right. Who?"


    "Darth Rakali."


    She laughed at that, sneering. "If you''re going to lie-" she paused to cough, "-come up with a better one. Darth Rakali hasn''t taken any apprentices in all the years I''ve been here. And believe me, people have tried." Her friend started to rouse, groaning. She seemed to consider just taking a second chance at the fight, then thought better of it. "Come on, Tyber," she said, jerking her head and dragging him along. "Let''s go."


    I let her go. What else was I supposed to do? Kill them? This was Korriban, dark heart of the Sith. There was no law here, I knew about the Sith well enough to understand that.


    After they were gone, the bug spoke up, chittering excitedly, energetic as it spoke. I still couldn''t understand a single word it was saying. "I don''t speak your language," I told it, hoping it understood Basic, even if its mouth parts couldn''t let it speak it.


    It pulled out a datapad, hurriedly clicking away with its fat fingers, typing out something in Basic. [I''m Xig! You must be new here! We should help each other out!]


    "...sure," I agreed. I gave him a gentle smile, though I have no idea if he understood the meaning of it. "I''m Soleil. Let''s be friends."


    [Don''t say that word! Sith think friendship is weakness! You have to call me an ally of convenience!]


    I chuckled and nodded. "Sith sure are f.u.c.k.i.e.d in the head." It made a hissing noise of anger, hands gesticulating wildly. "Sorry, sorry. I just got here."


    [I figured as much! Otherwise you wouldn''t be pretending to be Darth Rakali''s apprentice! That woman is only interested in killing for the Empire! If you''re going to lie about something like that, I''d suggest Darth Nethos, at least he isn''t here very often!]


    I just sighed. "Okay." I let it go. How was I supposed to convince him I really was Darth Rakali''s apprentice? For all I knew, she''d already forgotten about me. "Hey, I''m feeling worse for wear. Where do we sleep?"


    The next chapter is available on my Subscribestar. You can access it at this link for only $3. Chapters will be posted on Subscribestar a week in advance.

 Chapter 450 - My CO Stash #50 - Shadow Monarch Hero: Deku by Shadow Sovereign (MHAXSoloLeveling)

    -Did not expect for the author to actually put Jin-Woo into this crossover considering Izuku yoinked the system already, but it''ll be really cool if Jin-Woo gets OFA instead!


    Synopsis: Izuku Midoriya is the World''s weakest E-Rank Hero. Barely able to pay for his mother''s medical bills and keep himself alive, Izuku finds himself waking up in a hospital bed after supposedly dying. Suddenly blessed with his very own "Quirk," Izuku is no longer the weakest. In fact, he just might very well become the strongest. (Solo Leveling Crossover)


    Rated: T


    Words: 215K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13650915/1/Shadow-Monarch-Hero-Deku (Shadow Sovereign)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    The Gates. Bridges between dimensions.


    On one fateful day, these Gates popped into existence all around the world, monsters of all shapes and sizes pouring out of them like an infection. They held no weaknesses to modern conventions. Not even tanks or missiles could kill them. They came to be known only as¡­ Villains.


    From the start, it was humanity''s battle to lose. The Gates were metaphysical and could not simply be boarded up. The only way to close them permanently was to enter them and kill the "Boss" Villain. Some were powerful enough to tear entire squads of soldiers apart, others could wipe out armies. Or at least, that was the estimate. Bosses never left their Gates and the basic Villains were enough to decimate humankind on their own.


    Entire cities were lost, and Villains were running rampant. Entire Governments were in disarray, the public was on the verge of total anarchy, and it had only been three weeks. But then, everything changed.


    The first of Humanity''s weapons emerged. Heroes as they would come to be known, exploded onto the scene. Each and every one of them wielding Quirks, powers that allowed them to fight the Villains head on and win. They could be as simple as increased strength, or as powerful as a scorching inferno.


    While the massive influx of attacks by Villains was being steadily subdued, the amount of Hero deaths in those early days was astronomical, so a system was put in place. Heroes, Villains, and Gates were given a value, a Rank if you will, to ensure that a Hero never took on more than they could chew.


    Unfortunately, not all Heroes were created equal and I was a victim of that system. I am the World''s weakest E-Rank Hero, I had no unique Quirk, and I had come to find myself at the mercy of the World''s most powerful dungeon, "The Double Lair."


    I was at the edge of death, alone and beset on all sides by villains. But as my vision faded and I sunk into unconsciousness, I felt a gentle touch on my head and from there, everything changed.


    Upon waking up, I found myself in a hospital, completely safe and blessed with my very own Quirk, "The System." A quest window that only I could see. If I completed the quests given to me by this System, I could grow stronger, I could surpass the weakness that held me down.


    My name is Izuku Midoriya and this is the story of how I became the World''s most powerful Hero!


    Chapter 2


    "There''s a Villain Gate by Tatooin Station! I hear some sort of giant broke through the Heroes lines!"


    Those two sentences sent a shock of excitement through Izuku Midoriya''s body as he watched the masses begin sprinting towards the site. Not because he liked watching Villains rampage, but because he loved watching Heroes take them down. It was a spectacle that anyone and everyone loved to watch, a spectacle that proved Humanity wasn''t just some punching bag, that they were a force to be reckoned with.


    Of course, while this was the excuse Midoriya gave out, it was not the truth. Every takedown, every display of Heroic power gave him the extremely satisfying catharsis he could not give himself.


    Izuku Midoriya, like most of the world''s current population, was considered an E-Rank Hero, but unlike the majority of the world, he did not have any unique Quirk to accompany him. He was completely special in that regard, which only made him mundane in the eyes of the rest of his peers. He didn''t have the same increased strength that came standard with being a Hero, or the slightly increased regeneration. Midoriya was as weak as they came.


    If he were to face off against even the lowest of E-Rank Villains, it would take all of his efforts and a healthy amount of luck to escape with his life. He wouldn''t even be able to hope to defeat his enemy.


    For all those reasons and more, he found himself inexorably drawn to every last Hero fight he could witness. And before he even knew it, Midoriya found his legs rapidly pumping as he followed closely behind the crowd.


    As he neared the station, Izuku found his eyes tracking far above the railways to gaze upon the Shark-headed villain tearing apart the surrounding area. Just behind him, Izuku could see the telltale signs of a Gate. The swirling blue ethereal portal stood fifty feet in all directions.


    Though Izuku himself was adept at sensing the intricate energies coming off the Gate, he had seen enough to recognize the pattern. It''s rotary speed and the duration of the particles coming off of it told him it was a low B-Rank at best. Highly dangerous and yet, hundreds of people had crowded around to observe as if it was an everyday occurrence. Probably because it was.


    It had been decades since the first emergence of Gates and in modern times, people had become desensitized to it all. Heroes were always stationed at Gate entrances, so even in the event that some Villains snuck out, they were typically dealt with in a matter of seconds. In this case, it was none other than Kamui Woods at the rear guard.


    His body was completely unnatural, made entirely of wood that bent and flowed like water. With roots shooting from Kamui''s body to entangle the Villain, Izuku made haste to pull out his latest notebook, nearly missing a second giant join the fight.


    "EAT THIS!"


    With a roar that would put a dragon to shame, Mount Lady, a Hero with Gigantification Quirk, brought a massive iron mace to the side of the Villain''s head, deeply denting its skull.


    Midoriya almost sympathetically winced, forgetting for a moment that it was a Villain, an interdimensional monster that only existed to kill.


    Mount Lady was an A-Rank Hero. At the top of her game, it wasn''t unfeasible for one strike to be all she needed to take down the threat. In fact, as the Villain collapsed to the ground, Izuku was able to make out his unmoving body.


    The sudden beeping of an alarm shook Izuku out of his focus and he looked down at his watch, blanching as he did so, "I''M GONNA BE LATE!"


    Izuku hated the feeling of his current clothing. His sweatshirt hung too loosely and was so baggy that he ended up spending a good two minutes trying to shove all of it into his too tight pants.


    These were his "Hero" clothes so to speak. They were the only clothes he owned that he could also afford to lose. On multiple occasions, Izuku had considered his form-fitting school uniform, which was by far more comfortable. But school uniforms were expensive and Izuku didn''t have the skill needed to knit the clothing back together well enough to hide the claw marks and bladed attacks.


    Approaching a construction site, Izuku looked down at his phone making sure that this was, indeed, the site of the D-Rank Gate.


    While Pros were officially licensed and run by the Government, thus giving them access to more power and more money, it wasn''t necessary to become a Pro Hero to clear Gates. It was, however, necessary to be in possession of a Beginner''s Badge, an ID of sorts that confirmed the person in possession was able to make their own informed decisions about entering Gates.


    Izuku grimaced in response to the memory that thought brought up. It had taken months of convincing and conniving to get his own Beginner''s Badge without a Quirk of his own. In reality, he shouldn''t have been able to get a hold of it in the first place.


    "Again?!" Izuku heard a familiar voice cry out in his direction and flinched in response.


    "Uh¡­ good afternoon Miss Yaoyorozu."


    Turning on his heel, Izuku came face to face with Momo Yaoyorozu, an irrefutably beautiful girl who was a good 7 centimeters taller than him. Her obsidian hair was currently hanging low over her back as she attempted to work it up into a massive ponytail.


    Izuku had a hard time not staring at her. Every bit of her body was as if it was hand-sculpted by the gods. No matter how much of a gentleman he was, her chest always demanded a quick glance from him, much to his shame.


    Thankfully, Yaoyorozu was too caught up getting herself ready to focus on Izuku''s emerald-green eyes.


    "I keep telling you, it''s just Yaoyorozu¡­ or Yaomomo. It''s what my friends call me. Besides, we''re the same age."


    Izuku bowed low, "I''m sorry Mis- um¡­ I''m sorry Yaoyorozu."


    Yaoyorozu fought to not roll her eyes. Her father always scolded her about how unladylike it was. "What happened this time?"


    Izuku stood up straight once more and scratched the back of his head nervously, "Oh¡­ it just happened while doing some Hero work."


    "Sure¡­ what actually happened?"


    Izuku sighed, knowing full well where this was going.


    As expected, he ended up sitting on a nearby piece of rebar with the girl as they waited for the entire Hero party to be assembled.


    "You even went to a hospital?!"


    "Yeah," Izuku mumbled, red hot embarrassment filling his body, "It was an E-Rank and I was the only one hurt."


    "How could you have gotten hurt that badly in a party?"


    Izuku found himself wishing that he didn''t exist at that moment. Here he was, sitting with the drop-dead beauty of a girl and he was spilling his guts over why he was so weak. It was detestable, it was shameful, it was just straight-up horrifi-


    "Midoriya?" Yaoyorozu''s concerned tone dragged him back to the present and he shook his head.


    "Sorry, it''s been a long day and I haven''t managed to snag any coffee yet." He chuckled lightly in an attempt to ease her mind, but her gaze only grew more concerned. "I swear, it''s nothing¡­ I''m fine."


    Yaoyorozu finally nodded, giving up her immediate concern for him and instead choosing to ask, "Why do you even want to be a Hero?"


    Of course, it was only Izuku''s luck that a change of topic would draw him back into that pit of shame and disappointment.


    Earlier That Day:


    "Since you''re all third-years, I think it''s time for you to seriously take a look at your future and think about what you want to become." Izuku held his head low to his desk as his middle-school teacher spoke, "I''ll be passing out the handouts now, but¡­" The man threw the papers into the air, "You''re all pretty much planning to go into the Hero course aren''t you?!"


    The class screamed "Yes!" In affirmation and Izuku meekly raised his hand alongside them. He might''ve already been able to do Hero work with his permit, but Izuku didn''t dream of merely staying at the bottom of the ladder. He wanted to climb as high as possible and reach his favorite Hero, All Might. To do that Izuku needed to go to the very best Hero school.


    "UA High?!"


    Izuku realized the rest of his class was staring at one Katsuki Bakugo. He didn''t need to hear the rest of the conversation to know that the blond was bragging about how he was totally going to enroll at UA and get accepted for sure. He had been like this since childhood and showed no signs of changing anytime soon.


    The teacher nodded as he looked at his papers, "Oh? It looks like Midoriya wants to go to UA as well."


    Izuku attempted to bury his head further into his desk, but the attention of his peers drew it back up.


    "You can''t get into UA''s Hero course just by studying!"


    "Yeah! A Quirkless E-Rank like you stands no chance of getting admitted."


    "H-Hang on!" Izuku tried to break through their wall of shouts, "They abolished that rule! T-There''s just no precedent- AH!"


    Izuku was flung back as Bakugo slammed his palm down on his desk, a mini-explosion sending him flying backwards into the wall.


    "Listen here you Quirkless loser!" Bakugo shouted, "You''ll never make anything of yourself! You''re below even the rejects! So why don''t you just take a nosedive off a building!"


    "Bakugo," The teacher said calmly, "We don''t accept that sort of talk here."


    Izuku didn''t bother to mention that the teacher had only spoken up after Bakugo had made his point.


    Grinning arrogantly, Bakugo took his seat once more, a final, "Worthless," Thrown over his shoulder at Izuku.


    Present Time:


    "Worthless, huh?" Izuku murmured to himself as he looked up to the partially constructed building, wondering if he should just make the climb now and save everyone the trouble. But Yaoyorozu''s calming hand on his shoulder dislodged the bleak thought from his mind. He had a responsibility to his mother, he couldn''t leave just yet.


    "Midoriya? You keep spacing out?" Yaoyorozu suddenly blanched and hopped off the beam before bowing, "Forgive me, I''ve caused you discomfort with my question!"


    Izuku waved her concern away with a wide smile, "Nah! It''s nothing! I just wanna become a Hero for the fun of it! I think I''d die of boredom if I didn''t have this job to keep me company!"


    Yaoyorozu looked like she wanted to say something else, but a nearby, "Alright! Let''s get this show on the road!" Cut her off.


    Looking over, Izuku saw their raid leader standing at the ready and pushed himself to his feet. Clenching his fist, he steeled his nerves, "Time to prove my worth."


    Chapter 3


    "You say you do this for fun, but if you keep having fun, you''re going to end up dead!" Yaoyorozu complained as she used her unique Quirk to create bandages that she wrapped around Izuku''s injuries after spilling some potion over them.


    Yaoyorozu technically wasn''t a healer Hero, but her ability to create medical supplies and healing potions that no one else could make from her mana made her a vital asset to any raid she was a part of.


    Izuku shrugged, "Sorry."


    "Midoriya¡­ the way you fight¡­ it''s awful, you put yourself in danger so readily, without any concern for yourself." Yaoyorozu looked directly into his green irises, "What is the real reason behind not quitting your job as a Hero?"


    Izuku looked down at the small crystal in his hand. The Villain Core was likely the only money he would make off this raid. It was a tiny E-Rank piece, barely enough to keep him afloat.


    "I just¡­ wanna be a Hero I guess. Save people and all that," Izuku said as he thought back to that one catchphrase, that one internet clip of a certain Hero rescuing hundreds from Cala island as the S-Rank Gate emerged.


    His reasoning wasn''t necessarily a lie. Izuku relished the thought of being able to save people from the rampant Villain Gates that appeared without abandon. But of course, that was just a dream, this was reality. And in reality, Izuku was a Hero because it was the fastest way for someone like him to make money, to both take care of himself and his mother''s medical bills.


    Obviously, Izuku hated handing out that factoid. He was already weak and struggling as it was, he didn''t want to bring any more shame upon himself by asking for handouts.


    "Hey everyone!" Kaito Otachi, the Raid Leader, shouted out, "Listen up for a moment!" With a jet-black katana resting on his shoulder, he certainly fit the image of a warrior, even with his wrinkled appearance, "Since the Gate hasn''t closed yet, it looks like the Boss is down this tunnel. Since none of us are employed by any Hero Agencies, it''s up to us if we want to take this thing on." He nodded solemnly at some of the cautious glances he was receiving, "It''s going to be dangerous, so we could always just wait for the more skilled Heroes to come in and kill this thing. On the other hand, our profit margin will go way down. So, I have a proposal. The seventeen of us will take a vote, and no matter what the result, no complaining when we''re done."


    Two of Kaito''s old buddies immediately agreed, then two other Heroes voted against continuing. Eventually, the final two votes came down to Izuku and Yaoyorozu.


    "I-I don''t want to go." Yaoyorozu stuttered out, one hand grasping her arm.


    "Hmm," Kaito acknowledged, "Eight to eight. Which just leaves one."


    All eyes focused in on Izuku who fidgeted under their gaze for a moment as he looked down the Boss''s tunnel. It was claustrophobia-inducing, roughly made from stone, and likely had a deadly Villain at the end that was willing to kill them without hesitation. But, steeling his nerves, Izuku met Kaito''s eyes, "I''m going!"


    "Just one last time, for my mother, for us."


    Izuku wrung out his hands nervously as he stole a glance at Yaoyorozu, "Hey¡­ I''m sorry about forcing you to come by voting yes."


    "I''m fine, you don''t need to worry about me?" Her eyes were hidden by her bangs and her tone was anything but fine.


    "Are you¡­ really okay?"


    Yaoyorozu exploded like Izuku had never seen before, "No! Of course not! Are you crazy?! If that stab had been just an inch higher, you would''ve had a hole in your heart! Not to mention all the other wounds I had to patch up! What even made you say yes?! Did you hit your head too?!"


    "Sorry," Izuku mumbled, "Once again, she''s right and once again, I''m in her debt."


    " Are you sorry?"


    "Yes."


    Yaoyorozu heaved out a sigh, sufficed with her rant, "Then if you''re really sorry, maybe you can pay me back by having some lunch with me."


    "..." Izuku was stunned silent for a moment, until Yaoyorozu spun around and locked eyes with him, thankfully missing his blush in the darkness of the cave.


    "What? Do you not want to eat with me?!" Yaoyorozu asked with mock offense.


    "N-No!" Izuku said a little too forcefully, "That''s not it at all! I-"


    "Hey!" Kaito yelled out, "I think this is the Boss''s door."


    It was a tall, two-door entrance, blue with gold trims and detailing. Its handles were the old-fashion type of door knockers. Two simple massive rings to pull the thing open.


    Quietly, so that no one else could hear, Kaito''s two friends whispered to each other.


    "Hey¡­ this feels dangerous." It wasn''t a question.


    "Yeah," The second man agreed.


    "Alright people!" Kaito announced, "This is it! Let''s make some money!" Resting his palm against the door, he lightly shoved, opening it with next to no resistance.


    A chill settled against Izuku''s spine and for a moment he considered stopping, turning around and running away. But the surrounding Heroes convinced him otherwise.


    "Mr. Otachi is one of the most skilled C-Ranks out there."


    "If he weren''t about to turn 60, he could''ve chosen any Hero Agency he wanted."


    "We trusted him this far. It only makes sense to keep going."


    Just like that, opinion had shifted in Kaito''s favor and before he knew it, Izuku found himself stepping cautiously into the dark room.


    About to throw a fireball into the room to light it, Kaito was nearly blinded by the torches that exploded into existence with blue fire.


    "Oh¡­ wow," Izuku breathed out as he gazed upon the massive stone-walled room. It was a good two hundred feet in diameter. The edges of the room were covered with giant stone statues that stood only five feet apart. The real attraction, however, was at the very back of the room. A king''s throne occupied by a statue at least three times the size of the others. Its head was adorned by an odd crown and it seemed to be wearing some sort of robes, like the senator''s of ancient Greece.


    "I''ve never seen anything like this."


    "Are we sure this is still a dungeon?"


    "Don''t be stupid."


    "You think the statues are the enemies? There''s nothing else here."


    "Do I really have to repeat myself? They''re statues, they don''t move. Don''t be stupid."


    Yaoyorozu found herself hugging closer and closer to Izuku, "It¡­ feels like someone''s watching us."


    "Come on now Miss, don''t talk like that, it''s only gonna scare the others," Kaito reprimanded.


    Izuku could help but find himself agreeing with Yaoyorozu, even if he was the more inexperienced Hero.


    "Mr. Otachi! I think I found something! You should come see this!"


    What the Hero had found, was by far the most curious thing in the room. Another statue, tucked away besides the massive statue at the back. It was an angel of death, a slab of engraved text held in its bony hands.


    "Hey¡­ isn''t that Runic?"


    "Anyone know it?"


    Yaoyorozu quickly volunteered herself, always happy to show off the skills not related to her Quirk.


    "Carthenon Temple''s Commandments. First, worship the Lord." Izuku suddenly shuddered, the same chill he had felt earlier tracing its way down his back. Turning around, he was certain he caught the movement of one of the bigger statue''s eyes. "Second, praise the Lord." Izuku squinted closely, attempting to discern anything he could from the behemoth carving. "Third, prove your faith. Those who do not follow these commandments, will never return alive."


    Izuku and many from the rest of the party, found themselves jumping in shock as a bang echoed through the apparent Temple. Looking over to the source of the sound, Izuku''s veins filled with ice, the door had slammed itself shut.


    For a few crucial seconds, not a sound could be heard, not even the labored breathing of Yaoyorozu.


    Finally, a muscle-bound Hero threw his hands in the air, "That''s it! I''m done with this shit! It was a mistake to even come here! Enjoy the Boss''s treasure!" Strutting towards the door, he reached out for the ring handles.


    "No¡­" Kaito mumbled at first, his body completely tensing up, "DON''T TOUCH IT!"


    The distinctive screeching of stone on stone filled everyone''s ears and then¡­ a simple WHOOSHING of air.


    Just like that, their party member was dead and in his place, stood one of the stone statues, his mace extended out and covered in crimson blood.


    "It¡­ moves¡­?" Yaoyorozu squeaked out, her legs beginning to shake.


    "Wait¡­ if that one moves¡­ then," Izuku''s head swiftly whipped around to face the king. He hadn''t moved a muscle, but his eyes were glowing bright orange and staring down the helpless teen.


    "Oh¡­ god¡­"

 Chapter 451 - My SI Stash #51 - Red and Purple by BANIX (Naruto)

    -Another great short story from BANIX, it would be really nice if this gets some sort of Boruto sequel tho/


    Synopsis: Nobody said that there really is a second chance at life, that my second chance at life is to grow up as a child soldier in a world that was once fiction. Nobody said that I would be reborn with the fate of being cannon fodder where all I want is to live, to survive. But, I have a friend that helped me, a friend with an unhealthy obsession for purple. (Reincarnated OC)


    Rated: T


    Words: 15K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13766294/1/Red-and-Purple (BANIX)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Nobody said that there really is a second chance at life.


    Nobody said that my second chance at life is to grow up as a child soldier.


    Nobody said that my second chance at life is to grow up in a world that was once fiction.


    Kumogakure, a village located in a range of tall mountains and quite literally hidden in the clouds. Vast mountain ranges are all you can see and thunderstorms are as common as seeing the sun rise and set each day. Rivers meander around the mountains as they eventually flow to the sea and the view of the coastline is something that might even put the Maldives to shame.


    I say might, because I never did have the chance to visit the Maldives in my previous life.


    Visually, Kumogakure are made up of two distinct types of people. The people with tanned skin or those with a lighter shade. I belong to the latter. Like most of the populace, I sported light yellow hair. My genetic roots are definitely from Kumo since I look like any of the ordinary citizens living up in this mountain village.


    Kan, that is my name in this life. Simple and to the point like how people from Kumo prefer. I have no family name. The third war was in full swing by the time I could comprehend that this world is the world of Naruto and it is not pretty. Unlike what the manga or the anime portrays it is something that is only filled with horror, fear, and propaganda.


    Like many other children of Kumo and the victims of war, I have no family. I have no idea who my parents are because I have never met them. All I know is that I am Kan, another orphan living in the Village Hidden in the Clouds.


    By the third year I am here I had made up my mind that the only way for me to continue living in this bloody world is to be a killer for hire. I had seen for myself what being a civilian means. No power, no say, and too weak to do anything against cold-blooded killers that wield the magical powers of chakra. If I want to stay alive for as long as I possibly can I have to be able to wield chakra.


    I need to be a shinobi.


    There were no restrictions in regards to how young one can be a shinobi, especially during times of war. As long as you are capable of keeping up with the education and prove yourself worthy you are admitted to the academy to be moulded into another faceless tool. It took me a few years, but I managed to get myself admitted by the time I was six.


    While I do remember a fair bit of the series, they largely center around another village where all the protagonists gather. Kumogakure isn''t such a place. What I do know about the village largely stagnates about the Raikage, the jinchurikis, Darui, the big ass turtle and that is probably about it. Maybe throw in the Gold-Silver brothers for additional information.


    I definitely wasn''t expecting to recognise Nii Yugito. I definitely wasn''t expecting to be in the same class as her, much less being her desk mate. I have no idea if fate has plans for me or if this is purely coincidental.


    Yugito and I both sit at the very back of the class, right at the very left corner where we are easily overlooked. It is an area where we draw the least attention to ourselves and is why I chose to sit here in the first place. I wasn''t expecting her to choose the seat beside mine when she entered the classroom just five minutes after I did on our very first day in the academy.


    Everybody knows who Yugito is. It will be very foolish not to, considering she is Kumo''s second jinchuriki, host to the flaming devil cat Matatabi. Whispers follow wherever she goes, fearful stares trail along wherever she walks.


    Her presence alone spells fear.


    She merely casted me a brief glance and a smile when she sat next to me before taking out a book to read, ignoring all the harsh whispers and stares that were directed our way. I remembered that I simply stared at her, jaws dropped, not really knowing what to do.


    But f.u.c.k it. I''m an a.d.u.l.t, at least mentally, I can handle this much.


    And so, I take out my own book to read as well. Thank whatever gods out there that I had the foresight to bring a book along for entertainment.


    The academy is hard, physically.


    The more intellectual part of the academy course wasn''t much of a challenge beyond the initial language barrier, what with the Japanese language being confusing as hell to learn. Thankfully, I got that out of the way even before I entered the academy. With that down, things like history, math, and whatever nonsense that followed wasn''t too hard for me to ace them with ease.


    Things like physical conditioning, taijutsu, ninjutsu, and insert whatever jutsu here are another story entirely.


    I don''t hail from a clan. I do not have shinobi parents. Even when I had taken the effort to try and improve my stamina even prior to joining the academy the most I could do were things like push-ups and running laps. Those were still not enough to prepare me for the academy. I do not know how to properly punch, kick, stab, and kill.


    The academy is supposed to be there to rectify all of the above problems, but even then it is lacking. Being a skilled shinobi does not automatically translate into being a good teacher and that goes for the chunins here. If you want to look further, just look at how Kakashi handled Team 7 pre-Shippuden. The extremely basic tree walking aside, the only thing he ever taught them was ''Those that break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash''. Spiritually lifting? Yes. Practically useful? I think not.


    The clan kids do not care about the subpar academy lessons because they have a clan to fall back on. The same goes for the students with shinobi parents. As you might have imagined, civilian students like myself find ourselves severely lagging behind in the physical department just one month into the academy. At this rate by the time we graduate from the academy we will be nothing more than cannon fodders. In a world where information and techniques are guarded so zealously, you cannot go far without any form of backing or connections. That is the harsh reality of a shinobi village.


    When I realised that the chunin teachers are of no help I decided to forgo my pride and be shameless, asking whoever I know of that might be able to help me for tips. Most brush me away, some indulge me as they give me a tip or two. That was all I could work with. However, it frustrates me, because the amount of help these so-called tips gave me really wasn''t much. I know I can be better, I know I can go further. I just need the opportunity.


    I have no idea what spurred me to do what I did next. It was just another ordinary morning. Like me, Yugito is an early bird and values the notion of punctuality. The both of us were just sitting there at our tables reading our books, waiting for the day''s lesson to start and for some unknown reason I opened my mouth.


    "Do you mind teaching me taijutsu?"


    There was an awkward pause between us and for some reason I dare not look in her direction, not even a glance. However, she did give me an answer.


    "Sure."


    Yugito is merciless.


    She had started training at the age of two, the age where she was made into a jinchuriki against her will. She had the best teachers to guide her along and train her in whatever it was deemed necessary for her to learn. The only reason she enrolled into the academy was because the Raikage felt that it was necessary for her mental well-being that she interact with people her age, even if it was for one short year. It will not do well for our jinchuriki to be a social idiot.


    With the kind of life she had led ever since she could think, I couldn''t fault her for not knowing what the word ''restraint'' meant.


    Everyday before and after school we would spar. She beat me every single time but I am happy. Eager, enthusiastic even, because I now have someone who is willing to teach me to be better, to be stronger, to be able to have the opportunity to learn how to survive in this f.u.c.k.i.e.d up world.


    She corrected every single mistake she could see. She taught me what she knew without holding back and I learned with an eagerness that I never thought possible. Maybe the thought of being involved in the war in the future spurred me on even more than I realised, but I don''t really care to find out.


    I will learn and I will survive. The plot? I couldn''t care and am not able to care. I am not reborn in the right place and age. Whatever happens after the third war, if there is an after, I will deal with it when I get there. I have to be able to survive the third war before I can even start thinking about the plot because right now, I have nothing.


    Right now, I am nothing. Right now, the only thing I could do is to learn as much as I can in order to survive in this cutthroat world.


    Yugito is a very reserved individual. I couldn''t really remember what her personality was like by the time Shippuden rolled around so I have no idea what to expect. Even then, I''d like to think that we had formed some sort of friendship between us.


    It was also during my time spent with her did I really get to experience a fraction of what the life of a jinchuriki is like. The whispers, the stares, they are always around.


    It really is too much.


    I have no idea how jinchurikis endured such treatments their entire life without going insane. At least, I probably would. The respect I have for Yugito and Bee rose a lot higher after experiencing what Yugito had to go through whenever we spent time together outside of the academy in our usual haunt, an abandoned training ground not too far from the academy itself.


    I recall that in canon, Yugito was captured by the Akatsuki by the Zombie Duo. That was her importance to the plot, to be a sacrificial side character with no other purpose than to introduce the Akatsuki and what they can really do.


    But looking back at this sweet and kind girl trying her best to learn how to play the shamisen as we spent our afternoons together, something in my heart twisted in agony at the thought of her fate. For some reason, I cannot picture her dead, just like that. She didn''t ask for such a fate, didn''t ask to be turned into a jinchuriki and forced into the life of a shinobi against her will. Her mind might have been already too filled with propaganda to ever think about not being a shinobi, but the fact is that she is my first and only friend that has genuinely tried to help me when I have no one by my side.


    I have no idea when I got this sappy, but maybe the fact that the only person that I could bring myself to trust in this insane world is this little girl caused me to feel this way.


    Of course, being friends with one of the village''s two jinchurikis brings about a lot of trouble as well. The matron of the orphanage no longer sees and treats me nicely as how she did before. I became ostracised by almost everyone I knew. The possibility of me making any new friends outside of Yugito dropped to nil the moment word got out.


    Funnily enough, I couldn''t bring myself to care. At the very least, I do have one person who truly cares for my well-being, the blonde hair girl that is trying to learn how to best play the shamisen because it is the only non-shinobi related thing she knows that brings her joy.


    And so, I decided to swear a silent vow for my very first friend that had helped me at my lowest when I have nothing to give in return. If I ever survive the Third War, I will do my best to ensure that she stays alive. I will make sure that she is safe from the Akatsuki.


    It''s the only thing I can do for her, my first friend in this insane and twisted world.


    I actually did it. I graduated from the academy with the new shiny forehead protector worn across my forehead. Things suddenly felt very real the moment I put on my forehead protector. I am now officially a shinobi. Yugito had graduated half a year before me because she is just that advanced for her age, especially with the number of private tutors the Raikage sent to teach her. I never saw her again after that day, but at least I did manage to give her a present before she left.


    The present really wasn''t much. I didn''t have a lot of money to begin with so my present wasn''t anything special. It''s just a purple hair clip designed for kunoichis, made to be a lot more resistant to wear and tear. I realised that she has a fondness for purple so I made sure that the hair clip is purple in colour.


    From the smile on her face when she pins it on her hair for the first time, I guess she loves my present.


    Despite my best efforts to stand out among the crowd, my status as a civilian orphan is a bigger factor in deciding my future vocation than anything else. I got shafted into the genin corps like how more than half the class did. Most of us that were shafted are civilians or orphans, the expendables. People who wouldn''t be missed if we die on the frontlines. The other lucky half were mostly clan kids or children born with a bloodline. They are the lucky ones who will have the privilege of having a Jonin teaching and guiding them every step of the way.


    People like me are nothing but expendables.


    But I refuse to die just like that. I refuse to bow to my fate. I had long since decided that I will claw my way up to survival because like hell I was dropped into this world just like that only to die a dog''s death. I will survive, one way or another.


    I learned, I persevered. Fear is my driving force and motivation. The unwillingness to resign to my fate fuels my strength. Where my peers had all given up and succ.u.mbed to their exhaustion I forced myself to continue training and grow stronger, even if it''s just a little. Where my peers are too afraid to ask our superiors for help in learning various skills and other training methods I did the exact opposite. Where my peers are unwilling to forge ahead into danger I volunteered for the job when I think that the risks are justifiable, because I need such experiences if I want to be a decent shinobi that can survive in any kind of war.


    It''s not much, but small things do acc.u.mulate to become even larger over time. I picked myself a skill here, learnt another jutsu there, earned myself some tips on kenjutsu and the Lightning Release from a few chunins, built myself some connections over yonder, and slowly I found myself getting stronger and deadlier as a shinobi. Sure, none of that flashy jutsus that I remember seeing in my previous life, those belong to the privileged who have the connections and the birthright to, but we are shinobis. We don''t need to be almighty, we simply have to be deadly.


    That still doesn''t stop me from reverse engineering whatever jutsu that I could remember and possibly reverse engineer. Namely, the Chidori and the Rasengan.


    Rasengan was easy enough. The steps to learn it were broken down in detail in canon and I remembered the key points that made a Rasengan a Rasengan. Chidori was a lot trickier but I am a shinobi from Kumogakure. Lightning Release is our bread and butter and Chidori at its very core, is a jutsu made possible by directing a high concentration of lightning chakra to your hand. I could work with that.


    Of course, I also knew Chidori''s greatest drawback. I do not have the sharingan and I sure as hell am not open to the idea of having the eye of a dead man''s inside my skull. What I am aiming for is the variants that evolved from Chidori, the variants that Sasuke had invented which does not require the sharingan and more importantly, the underrated S Rank jutsu that is Kirin. Those are jutsus that I could possibly learn and use without any broken bloodlines or clan backing. Those are jutsus that I can possibly learn by simply putting in a lot of hard work, something which I am more than willing to do.


    It took me years before I could form a manageable Rasengan and the Chidori variants. It made me realise just how f.u.c.k.i.n.g thick Naruto''s and Sasuke''s plot armour were.


    Regardless, I kept my "inventions" a secret because by now, there really isn''t a need to draw attention to myself. By now I have the skills, techniques, and experience that I need to stay alive in this war. I am fine being a career chunin if it means being stuck on the safer missions. I am fine with being just another face within the crowd because after all, I just want to survive long enough to live in the peaceful era that the Child of Prophecy was supposed to bring.


    That really was my initial plan.


    Living through war within the village was one thing, being on the frontlines was another. I had lost count of how many I had killed or helped kill. My victims came from all over the place and thankfully, or not, none of them are canon characters as far as I could recall. What I do realise is that my peers within my age group had started to diminish one after the other. Many died, some others suffered permanent injuries that no longer allow them to be on the frontlines. In any case, the few that are left, like me, are those who steadily began to see the rise of our strength as shinobis. I can tell from how Jonins and Elite Jonins are starting to notice my name, I can tell from how they purposely request for me to be on their team during missions, I can tell from how my superiors are more willing to impart their knowledge and experience when I asked, because they feel that I am worth the investment and is an asset to the village.


    Time passed in a blur. I had been in the war for years now and although it had gotten easier, it still wasn''t easy. I am still a teenager at sixteen and that is saying something, because being able to live till this age in such times as an orphan with a civilian background is an achievement in itself. Many did not live past fourteen upon being thrust into war immediately after their graduation from the academy. I never even had the chance to return back to the village for a goddamn break, not even once.


    Such is the life of the expendables. The only break we will ever catch is when we die, or if we live till the war is over.


    I was too busy trying to stay alive that I did not keep track of time really well. What I do remember is that towards the end of this blasted war, I met her once more. I could tell that she was surprised as well, just as I am. I never expected to be placed on the same team as Matatabi''s jinchuuriki.


    The first thing I noted about her was that she had really grown, just as I did. We are no longer children. We are taller, fitter, stronger, and more powerful. Gone are our innocence and childish wonder. She still has a fondness for purple, her combat attire says it all and it is starting to resemble what I vaguely remember her attire should be from the series.


    What really caught me by surprise was that she is still wearing that exact same hair clip that I had gotten for her so many years ago. How long has it been? Five years? Six years? Probably even longer, right?


    I really couldn''t remember. I had genuinely lost track of time. All this while I was just too busy trying to stay alive.


    "Kan."


    Her voice brought me out of my thoughts. Her voice now is a lot silky and smooth, but it still has that firm yet gentle tone that I remember her for. A faint smile rests on her face as she walked up to face me and it was only then that I realised that I am now the taller one among the two of us. She used to be the taller one.


    "Yugito." I replied, not bothering to keep the smile off my face. "It''s been a long time."


    "Indeed. Are you well?"


    "Alive." I shrugged before my gaze went back to the hair clip I had given her so many years before. It''s very worn and old and I''m surprised it hasn''t been destroyed yet. Young as she is, she is our village''s jinchuriki. The missions she had been on must have been insanely difficult, the kinds that I probably won''t survive should I embark on it.


    "You still keep it."


    "This? Yes, I do." Her hand subconsciously went up to gingerly touch the hair clip upon my words. "It was the very first present I received from a friend after all."


    For some reason, my heart twisted once again for the second time after so many years when I heard her words. My cheap present was the very first she received?


    Just how f.u.c.k.i.e.d up is this world?


    "I can get you a new one after this is all over, if I return back alive." I offered before I realised what I am actually saying. This hair clip is too old, to the point that it looked like it won''t survive another battle.


    "Why? I like this a lot."


    I can only stare as Yugito¡­ pouted? Since when did she ever pout?


    Ignoring everything else, Yugito dug through her weapons pouch and brought out a scroll before handing it to me. Like the hair clip, the scroll looked old, like she had kept it with her for years.


    "I wanted to give this to you the next time we met but I never had the chance. I have it with me all these years, just in case I see you again when I least expect it. Do you still want it?"


    I blinked, not believing what I am hearing. She looked at me with her hand outstretched, still holding onto that scroll that she is dangling in front of me like a playful cat. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, pretending that the sudden warmth swelling behind my eyes wasn''t there.


    I never made a true friend ever since I found myself in this insane world. The people that I could get along with, they all died on the warfront years ago. I had always been alone. I had long since accepted the fact that I will die an easily forgotten death.


    Yet, all this time, she remembered me. All this time, she treasured the memories that we had made in that one short year.


    For some reason, that really moved me.


    "Yeah. Thank you."

 Chapter 452 - My CO Stash #52 - Does Voldemort Even Lift, Bro? by zugrian (HarryPotterXMarvel)

    -I guess you could say that our MC''s just built alternatively/


    Synopsis: This story takes the trope/cliche of Harry Potter working out to become a fitness buff to its logical and completely ridiculous endgame. Now it''s time to meet Beefcake Harry, Dudebro supreme. Also starring his mentor, a great big buff guy... named Thanos. And stoner Dumbledore, because why not


    Rated: T


    Words: 48K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13642265/1/Does-Voldemort-Even-Lift-Bro (zugrian)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    In most cases, the accidental magic a child creates ties directly into their personality and the way they were raised. For example, someone like Hermione Granger might summon a book she can''t reach from a book shelf. Ron Weasley, on the other hand, might have his tongue heal itself when he ate the pie his mother had set out to cool, not wanting to share even one bite with his many siblings. How that glutton never got fat is a miracle in and of itself.


    However, neither of them is the focus of this tale.


    Enter one Harry Potter. Chosen by prophecy to save the world when no one else was willing to get off their lazy butts. The cosmos probably should have picked someone else. Since he was also fated to be the long awaited Master of Death, and a meddlesome, senile old fool decided to poke his nose in where it didn''t belong, Harry ended up kidnapped from his godfather and left like a newspaper on the doorstep of his magic-hating relatives, the Dursleys.


    Petunia Dursley was a nasty, vindictive bitch. And she was the best of them.


    Vernon and Dudley were both big fat bullies. Therefore, Harry''s magic reacted in a very different way to protect himself. He became something very different.


    He became...


    Beefcake Harry!


    A growing boy needs food. When the Dursleys tried to neglect him, Harry''s magic summoned their plates away from them and held them in place, forced to watch as he ate seconds and thirds. It only took four hundred and sixty five times before they learned that lesson.


    Harry got the biggest servings from then on.


    When Dudley tried to bully Harry, to shove him around and treat him like a punching bag, Harry responded with the one thing all bullies understand- retaliate so hard that you beat it into their skulls. Knocking out half his baby teeth that first day walking home from school should have been enough for most people.


    Dudley Dursley was both dumber and more stubborn than most people.


    Two black eyes, a broken nose, a broken arm, and a trip to the emergency room for his smashed testicles finally got through his thick head. He would just try to bully the other kids instead.


    Vernon took a few lessons of his own. He tried to discipline Harry after his precious Dudders came home with a handful of teeth that weren''t ready to come out on their own. He got his belt off and was ready to whip the boy when he found out the hard way why that was a bad idea.


    Not only did his pants fall down to his ankles, revealing his stretched out tighty whities, but as he tripped and began to fall, the belt flew out of his hand and wrapped itself around his throat. The belt choked him the more he struggled until he looked up at his horrifying nephew. Harry popped his knuckles with a smirk.


    "Nice undies."


    They were more brown and yellow than they had ever been before.


    It only took a baker''s dozen more times to get through to Vernon that even looking wrong at Harry Potter was a very bad idea.


    As for Vernon''s disgusting sister, Marge the bitch from hell, she came to visit for the first time in a few years just after Harry had turned six. She hadn''t had a chance to learn any lessons yet, and that was to be her downfall.


    She opened her fat gob one too many times (that would be just the once, actually) to try to insult Harry''s parents. It led to explosive results.


    The Little Whinging police department had to call in Scotland Yard to investigate. One of the bobbies had heard of the supposed phenomena called Spontaneous Combustion, but Spontaneously Blowing Up was something else entirely. How could a woman turn into a bomb?


    And oh my god, the smell was awful. There were Marge guts and blood all over the Dursley family living room.


    Except for where her little awful beast of a dog had eaten them. Ripper died of food poisoning, and the world was a much better place.


    You would think that all of this would lead to Albus Dumbledore possibly checking on Harry Potter for the first time, but you must remember that Cinderella had to toil in obscurity for years. And the magical world was almost exclusively populated with crazy people.


    Plus, Albus was a huge pothead, which explains why he was always so mellow. Not even Snape could harsh his buzz, which is why he didn''t understand all the people that complained about the Potions Master.


    Albus was still hoping he could get a piece of that bad boy ass too. After his failures with Gellert and Tom, it was clear that the old man had a type. While Severus hadn''t succ.u.mbed to his charms yet, he had seen the Light, and Dumbledore took it as a sign that someday he would win the affections of the greasy brooder.


    Brooding was so s.e.xy, wasn''t it?


    Regardless of Albus Dumbledore''s awful taste in men, life continued on in Surrey.


    As Harry grew, the Dursleys did what they could to try to keep away from him. One day, Vernon heard of a gym that had opened up only a couple of miles away called Thicc Daddy''s. The membership was somewhat expensive, but when he heard that it was open twenty-four hours a day, Vernon coughed up the money and Harry now had a place where he really felt like he belonged.


    He was still only seven years old and not yet four feet tall, but he had the beginnings of a six pack and biceps that made people twice his age green with envy. Harry also met his first mentor.


    He was kind of odd looking, with a purplish skin tone, but the ladies all flocked to him, calling him "Thicc Daddy." He was really big and strong though, which was all that mattered to Harry.


    He did always wonder what type of name Thanos was though. It seemed kinda strange- what his uncle Vernon would probably call a ''dirty foreigner''- but Harry thought his accent sounded normal enough, kinda like an American movie actor. And far be it from him to discriminate against someone based on something as silly as skin color.


    So for the next few years, Harry Potter ate like a horse and worked out almost daily. He was forced to take a few days off now and then, especially when his mentor told him that sometimes a man had to do other things to keep his perspective- and the fact that he had his arm around two of his ''honeys'' told Harry all that he needed to know, it was something about girls that Thanos would explain to him when he was a bit older.


    The Thicc Daddy had needs, and Harry would too someday.


    The girls at school and around the neighborhood started to flock to him. For one thing, Harry was the one person that Dudley''s annoying little gang always stayed well clear of. But he also heard several of them talk about how dreamy his eyes were, and they really seemed to like to caress his arms for some reason.


    Harry tried to take it in stride, so he emulated his hero and started walking around with a girl in each arm. A couple of them did object when he would put his hands on their bottoms, but that''s what the honeys liked Thanos to do, so Harry didn''t understand why the girls at school didn''t like it. Maybe they just weren''t honey material?


    Harry also learned something interesting one day when he went to the zoo. He could talk to snakes. And while he didn''t think they were really that interesting to talk to, a guest in science class brought in a python that scared most of the kids.


    Harry asked his mentor about it, and he was told that most people feared things because they were cowards and sheep. It was the duty of people like Harry and himself to do the hard things because no one else would. That made sense to Harry. The Thicc Daddy''s metaphor might have partially gotten lost in translation though, because while he could understand the idea of killing wolves to protect the flock, Harry wasn''t sure that he liked the idea of having to shave his flock of sheep people.


    (Years later, it would lead to an interesting kink that several girls enjoyed, especially as Harry had started learning parseltongue magic by then and the verbal component of the depilatory charm was simply awesome.)


    Still, Harry asked his uncle nicely (only one punch to the kidneys) for a hundred pounds and he went off to the pet store to buy himself a snake. He found a couple that were alright looking but they seemed pretty lazy, and if there was one thing Harry couldn''t stand it was laziness. But then there was this one with black and white bands that he saw was called a Malayan Krait.


    It stood out to Harry in large part because it was hissing up a storm about how it couldn''t wait for meal time because it wanted to gorge itself on a nice fat tasty mouse.


    He wasn''t into mice, per se, but Harry did like to eat a big fat steak whenever possible. Meat meant protein, and protein meant muscles.


    He was sold, even as the pet store employee tried to warn the strangely bulky boy that it was venomous, but for some reason he let him buy it anyway.


    It was a good thing a manager wasn''t around, because it probably would have cost the poor guy his job.


    Things went well for the next few months, as Harry''s new pet (that he named Destro, after the coolest member of Cobra) took to terrorizing the neighborhood and destroying the ecosystem by eating everything smaller than a cat... and Mrs. Figg might have lost one of her many furballs as well.


    Harry was continuing to work out while the end of primary school was in sight.


    Something changed one morning in March though. As he got up, he felt strange, and he started noticing things he hadn''t paid attention to before. The way the girls smiled at him made him feel funny. Instead of looking at the fitness magazines, he stopped one rack over to marvel at the Sports Ill.u.s.trated Swimsuit Issue. And by the time he made it to the gym that day, his pants weren''t fitting quite right.


    Thankfully, he had someone he could ask about this sort of thing.


    It was time for the talk about honeys.


    Harry understood now. The next day at school, he paid a lot more attention to the girls that hung around him. He picked one out named Samantha that had been one of his friends for a couple of years now. She was one of the taller girls and she seemed less interested in some of the silly things that he didn''t get about girls. Like, what was the deal with ponies? If Harry was going to ride a horse, it was going to be the biggest, baddest looking horse around.


    And it certainly wouldn''t have some cute little picture of a rainbow on its ass.


    Anyway, Samantha, or Sammie as he sometimes called her, was all too happy to drag Harry off into a dark corner of the library during their lunch break and introduce him to something called ''frenching.''


    Harry had always known his uncle was a moron, and so while he had never heard anything good about the French at home, he now knew that the French must be geniuses.


    And Sammie became his number one honey for the rest of the year.


    Before Harry knew it, summer had rolled around and it looked like Sammie was gone from his life. She lived kinda far away and was going to be starting at an all-girls secondary school.


    So, that was a bummer.


    And Destro picked the wrong time to make Harry angry. He was hissing one afternoon about how he hadn''t had anything good to eat lately and that the birds wouldn''t come down into his reach.


    Harry, having his own issues with missing a bird, hissed back at him that he should "shut the hell up before he punched his stupid snake face in."


    Destro was very confused. As a snake, he had no idea what punching was. Hell was also a completely foreign concept. But he knew stupid, and he got angry, so he bit Harry on the arm.


    Very little venom got in though, as two of his teeth broke off on Harry''s ridiculously beefy bicep.


    Harry responded in one of the dumbest ways possible- he bit back. He learned that his teeth weren''t really designed for devouring snakes, but the fight that developed was something that convinced the Dursleys even more that they had been right in avoiding Harry Potter as much as possible over the last few years.


    Snakes can be hard to handle, especially when you''re trying to grab one and smash it against a rock. But Harry was nothing if not persistent, so even though he got a few more bites, eventually he bashed Destro to death.


    Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley were staring out the patio doors, but when Harry looked up at them, sweaty and disheveled with a limp snake in hand, they ran for the hills.


    It would end up being the quietest dinner that night since the last time that Dudley had needed two of his teeth knocked out for bothering one of the honeys. Even a year before he had learned about frenching, Thanos had taught Harry the importance of taking good care of your honeys.


    A week later, the letter from Hogwarts came. The Dursleys were far too terrified of Harry to attempt to lie to him. Plus, as Petunia suggested to Vernon when Harry had gone off to the gym, it was an opportunity for them to not have to be around the muscle-bound weirdo for most of the year. That clenched it.


    Harry wondered what ''awaiting his owl'' was supposed to mean. He shrugged it off- from what Petunia had said, the magical world was full of crazy people, so he assumed they would explain it some day. He set the letter aside and went back to doing crunches.


    Several days and letters passed before a giant man banged on the door one Sunday.


    "What do you want?" Harry grunted, needing to get past so that he could go on his morning run. It was what he always did when it wasn''t leg day, and this huge guy was blocking his way.


    "Blimey, Harry! What''s the hurry? I''ve come to tell yer all about Hogwarts!"


    "It will have to wait. I''ve got to do five kilometers before breakfast."


    "What! Who is making yeh run like that?"


    "I am. Gotta work hard to be hard, don''t you know that bro? As big as you are, I''d think you''d understand."


    "Huh?"


    "Look, I''ll be back in a flash, but I don''t have time to waste explaining things to you, dude." Harry pushed past Hagrid more easily than he expected, but the half-giant was so befuddled that he could do nothing but look on for a moment as the boy-who-lived ran off into the distance.


    "Harry, wait!" Hagrid tried to rush after him. The booming footsteps rattled windows of the houses he passed. His much larger strides should have allowed him to keep up the pace, but Hagrid hadn''t needed to run fast for more than a mile at most in years. He was still trying to catch his breath when Harry came looping back around.


    He offered to take Harry out to breakfast though, and he agreed so long as he could have seconds. He was still a growing boy, after all.


    A very odd conversation then took place as Hagrid filled in all sorts of backstory that might have been important if not for Harry spotting Sammie eating with her family nearby. Throwing her a wink, Harry excused himself from the table and headed to the restrooms just when she did.


    "Harry! Who''s the huge guy?"


    "Eh," he shrugged. "Some fancy school has offered me a place there. I guess my parents went or something. But we''ve got something more important to talk about."


    "What''s-"


    She was cut off by a couple of ridiculously strong arms thrown around her, pulling her close, and a tongue that she had personally trained. They spent a minute pressed up against the wall and furiously snogging until Sammie''s mum came over and saw what was happening.


    "I''ll miss you, Harry!"


    The trip to Diagon Alley probably would have blown a normal guy''s mind, but Harry was still thinking about Sammie as he wandered around barely paying attention to Hagrid pointing out this or that.


    Going off to this wizard school meant he was going to have to get some new honeys.


    The bank did get his attention though.


    "I''m rich?"


    "Yeh didn''t think yer parents wouldn''t have left yeh something, Harry? Course they did. Yer the last of an old family."


    It was a huge pile of coins and that meant that Harry then was much more interested in his shopping trip.


    Not so much for the school supplies, but what he realized he was going to have to do on his own time. The lack of access to his gym was going to be a huge problem. Thankfully, he found in one shop that they had several better models of magical trunks compared to the typical one that Hagrid tried to foist off on Harry.


    F.u.c.k that!


    He got one with five enlarged compartments and charmed to be able to hold as much as he wanted without any problems. Harry was going to have to talk to the Thicc Daddy Thanos about getting a good set of weights to take with him.


    Meanwhile, Hagrid bought him an owl as a birthday present. It was a female snowy owl.


    Harry couldn''t think of any good names for an owl.


    He was still puzzling over this when he got back to the Dursleys. If they hadn''t been cowed into leaving him the hell alone, Petunia certainly would have screeched about having a pet in her home. Instead they merely stood silent as he went up the stairs.


    "What will we name you, girl?"


    "Prek!"


    "Prek? I don''t think that''s a name. I wouldn''t want to call a dog arf, you know?" The owl nodded along, so Harry took that as a yes. "i don''t know of any good owl names. But, maybe...


    "There was this show about the Muppets, and they didn''t have an owl, but they had an Eagle named Sam, and..." Harry looked the owl over very keenly. "My mentor always says that guys only get mushy about their honeys, and even then only in private, right? So keep this to yourself, or we''ll have problems."


    "Prek," the bird nodded, so Harry continued.


    "Right, well the thing is, there is this one bird and she''s been my best honey yet. I don''t know if I''ll see her again, and her name is Sammie, so I was thinking I could call you that. Alright?"


    "Prek!"


    From then on, Harry took it for granted that he and his newly-dubbed Sammie could communicate. And since she was a girl, that meant it was okay to talk about mushy things, so she would have to be his confidant while he was away from the real world.


    The next day, the Thicc Daddy asked Harry where he had been the day before. It wasn''t like the boy to miss a day of exercise.


    Harry hadn''t been paying that much attention to all the nonsense about keeping magic a secret, so he told Thanos all about this wizard school he was going to have to attend and how worried he was about not being able to work out properly. Maybe even for months at a time.


    "Come with me. Honeys, I''ve got to teach Harry a few things," Thanos said as he stood and the gaggle of girls parted while Harry followed along to his office. Once the door was closed, he opened up a safe and pulled out this huge glove with a glowing red stone in the back of it. "Cool, huh?"


    "Yeah."


    "This is the Power Stone, Harry. There are some others, but this one is the most important. Right? What''s better than Power?"


    "Using it to smash your enemies?"


    "There is that, little dude. It''s good for pulling the honeys too. But regardless, Power is important. Now, there''s a point to this Harry. You''re going to learn some new things at this school, but you were my student first, right?"


    "Yeah."


    "Then here''s a very important lesson. Wizards are pussies."


    "Really?"


    "Someone that can use magic to do anything is almost always lazy."


    "Lazy people suck."


    "Exactly. They had this one skinny albino f.u.c.k that thought he was hot shit a few years ago. He was the same loser who killed your parents. And then do you know what happened? He cast the supposedly-unblockable killing curse at you and it just bounced off. Left that wicked scar too."


    "And chicks dig scars."


    "Sure, but that wasn''t the point. This p.u.s.s.y wizard couldn''t even kill you as a baby. He was supposed to be the biggest baddest dark lord ever, and he got beat by a baby''s forehead. What does that tell you about wizards?"


    "That they''re pussies."


    "That''s my boy." Thanos'' enormous hand covered Harry''s head and mussed his hair so hard that his neck started to hurt. "Now then, it''s far too important for you to keep up your training, so we can''t just let you go off without any workout equipment."


    "I got this magical trunk that I can put a bunch of stuff in, but I''ll probably need to shrink whatever I take down so it will fit inside."


    "Bring it over tomorrow, then. I''m not a wizard, but I''ve got Power on my side. We''ll get you all set up before you go."

 Chapter 453 - My SI Stash #53 - A.d.u.l.t Supervision Required by StreamingViking (Digimon)

    -Guess i''m in the FBI''s person of interest list now/


    Synopsis: Self-Insert where I join a mix of genderbend Digidistined from the different seasons on their journey through the Digital World, as their support and teacher. While desperately avoiding to lewd their pubescent bodies. SI/Harem, smut,Rated: M


    Words: 34K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13715332/1/A.d.u.l.t-Supervision-Required (StreamingViking)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Even as I could feel the bus drive to our current destination. A part of me was still in disbelief at being here, even after living in this reality for four months. Waking up in that apartment and basically taking over the version of me in this world. And that was probably for the best as after having experienced the memories of that me it was probably for the best.


    "Anders-Sensei, it''s your turn now." Came the voice of one of my students. One Taichi Kamiya or Tai as her nickname was. The Child of Courage and the very first goggle head.


    Yes, this was the reality I currently found myself in.


    The one of Digimon Adventure. And we were all currently on the way to the Summer Camp where it was all going to start.


    And yes, Tai was a girl and one that was Fourteen years of age. Instead of the eleven, the original was. And as for the others? Well, few were the same others were entirely different.


    And I was along as one of the supervising teachers, as I worked at Odaiba Junior High, as an English teacher. With Tai''s class as my primary one. Some anime trope bullshit was definitely going on to allow that to happen as I was only twenty-two here. And was somehow being respected and listened to by my students.


    "Sorry, Tai I was just deep in thoughts," I responded. And there was one of the things I dislike about this situation. That was the honorifics. I''ve always hated honorifics no matter what kind. To me, it created an uncomfortable hierarchy that I was uncomfortable with. Especially in regards to children. I could handle sirs, then talking to a.d.u.l.ts above me. But


    That''s why I gave my students three different ways of refereeing to me. It was either Sensei, Anders-Sensei, or just Mr. Anders/Anders. So four really. And I thought it worked really well. Though it certainly pissed off my fellow teachers as that was apparently unprofessional conduct. I didn''t know how foreign teachers were handled in my previous life, but it was how it worked here. But I really didn''t care, and it helped that after my first semester, the classes collective English grade was higher than it had been last year. Yeah, for Shonnen bullshit


    I was apparently an outstanding teacher.


    "You do that a lot," Tai answered.


    "I suppose I do that a lot. Anyway, it was my turn, guess I have to draw and put one down can''t add it to anything," I said as I put down Five of Hearts.


    "My turn, guess I win," She said as she added her newly drawn Ace of Spade to the king and put down a card facedown on the pile closing the round. "And that leaves me with over five hundred and you with under Anders-Sensei," Tai finished ending our game of Five Hundred.


    "Guess you do. Now let''s pack up. We''re about to arrive." The girl nodded, and I began to collect the cards. This was an exercise I did with the kids to help them deal with their problems, by playing various games with them as a form of therapy and to get them to open up. It had seen some results in the last month, it helped them with stress and made them feel better. Bloody Japan and its aversion to dealing with mental health no matter the age. And there was also the fact that this was not 1999 like in the original timeline, but 2020. So the pressure on the children to succeed was at an all-time high. So I took the teachings of my favorite teacher to heart and helped them not break under pressure.


    By not being a stick in the mud and not dismiss children''s problems. Sometimes it just felt like a.d.u.l.ts forgot they used to be children to once they passed age thirty-five. And that was coming from the youngest teacher in Odaiba Junior High.


    Anyway, the bus came to a stop and the eighth graders that constituted my class, plus younger siblings that had decided to come along. Like genderbend Matt''s ''younger sister'' and Kari, who should have been here. But once again had fallen ill.


    And so the summer camp began as my five fellow teachers, and I began to set up the camp and divided them into tents with one teacher looking over one tent each. And like I had planned before, I was in charge of the soon to be Digidestined or Chosen Children as they were. Though that was only due to more Anime shenanigans. Cause under no normal circ.u.mstances should a male teacher have been put in charge of a group of students consisting only of girls. In this day and age anyway, due to paranoia that should have been there, but wasn''t.


    For they were going to be summoned at some point during this two week trip to the mountains. And I wasn''t going to let them out of my sight, this time there was going to be some a.d.u.l.t supervision.


    Xxx


    "Takato, what did I say about computer use?" I asked the computer genius who was sitting with her custom-built laptop on her lap, typing out what was probably computer code. For in this reality, Izzy had been seemingly replaced by Takato from Tamers. But made to fit as she was still an Izumi and kept most of Izzy''s personality trait. So she was really just closer to a genderswapped Izzy that looked like Takato, but still had some core Takato traits. So more like a mix of the two. But a girl with a large pair of b.r.e.a.s.ts. And I meant Takato was one of the biggest in class only rivaled by her fellow Digidestined.


    Of course.


    Though no one except me noticed the strangeness of it all. And I had gotten first view seating of seeing them swell up over the course these last four months. Going from barely there to the lovely globes of flesh that stretched out her shirt so nicely.


    And I had to stop there for I didn''t want to pop an erection. Freaking Hentai and Ecchi bullshit.


    "Sorry, Mr. Anders I was just checking out the news. Apparently, weird weather phenomenons have been happening," Takato answered.


    And it seemed it had begun soon the be taken to Digital World by that f.u.c.k-up of a God that didn''t know how to solve its own problems.


    Anyway, the Digivices should arrive at any point. So we might as well have a bit of fun before going on the Isekai adventure I had been prepared for, for the last four months.


    "Kids, there are three hours to the Olympic competition, so do you kids want to go and check out the Shrine that is located up the mountain? It is only a ten-minute walk, and when we back, I''ve got a game from my home we can play." I addressed them all.


    "Sure thing, Mr. Anders/Anders-sensei." Came the responses.


    "Okay, then, and Tai get down from that tree," I addressed the girl lying on a branch.


    After the girl jumped down from the tree, we all headed up to the small wooden Shrine a bit further up the mountain. For I remembered it was there, the kids had gotten their digivices after the sudden snowstorm.


    It was a blessing in disguise that I could remember the earlier plot, at least how the first episode went. The rest? Less so. I could remember the overall plot, but not individual encounters.


    Anyway, we made our way up to the Shrine, the wooden structure standing open for anybody to visit. I had come to know about it more after doing research on the camp and the surrounding area.


    I might as well turn this a bit educational before getting sucked into the Digital World. I was going with those girls no matter what.


    "So, do any you kids know who which Shrine is dedicated to?" I asked the group. And in response, they raised a hand, and who should it be. "Mimi, can you tell me?"


    "From the painting in the back of the Shrine. I have to say this belongs to some form of Kami?" Mimi asked, unsure of her answer.


    "Correct, this is one of the few-." I stopped talking as I felt something cold land on my face. I looked up and saw a storm-filled sky where the sun had just been. And soon after, snow fell heavily from them. "Everybody, get inside the Shrine quick!" I shouted as the temperature dropped faster, and I could feel the sting of the snow in my eyes as the wind picked up.


    We all quickly ran into the Shrine and huddled together while I tried to keep them calm by saying it would be over soon.


    And thankfully, I was right as not even five minutes after the wind ceased with us opening the doors and stepping out into a winter wonderland, with a somewhat clear sky.


    How much snow did there just fall to make it to above my foot?


    "Where did all this snow come from?" Sora asked, voicing my thoughts. "This is beyond weird."


    "Tough with that much it kind makes you run out and play, in it not that I would do that," Rika Nonaka stated. And here she was the younger twin sister of Yamato ''Matt'' Ishida. She, just like TK, lived with her mother. And was invited by Matt to join her on this trip for a bit of bonding. At least that was what she had told me before summer vacation had started.


    I agreed with Rika''s statement. I kinda wanted to go out and build a snowman.


    "I more concerned about the Aurora Borealis in the sky. Currently, we are way to far south for those," Takato stated.


    "Okay, kids, let''s get back to the others, with the current weather we can''t stay up here with our current clothes," I said, but it was rather pointless, with what Matt said next.


    "Sir, what is up with the sky, it''s looking rather glitchy, and something is coming everyone dodge." The girl warned with everyone taking a step back to be not hit by the Digivices that had just landed in front of everyone except me.


    "Hmm, what is happening here?" Asked Tai as she and everybody watched as the Digivices lifted themselves up into their hands. "Is it me, or does this remind you guys of anything?"


    "I''m more concerned about that!" We all heard Mimi shout as suddenly a wall of water shot into the air. "Help, Mr. Anders!"


    "Everyone, grab each other, and don''t let go!" I shouted as I grabbed Rika''s and Tai''s hands as did the other taking one hand each, forming a circle as the water hit, and I felt my vision go dark.


    Xxx


    I awoke to the feeling of something pocking my chin.


    I sat up with a shock and turned to the direction I had felt the pocking, and I was meet by the toddler-sized lava wyvern who looked like a deer that was about to be run over.


    Right, I''m actually in the digital world right now, remember.


    That was the Digimon, probably a Rookie screamed in fright and backed away from as I stood up and surveyed the area that, I had landed in.


    It was definitely the same forest on File Island that the kids had landed on, but they weren''t anywhere near me. Great now I had to find them, and make sure that they were unharmed, they probably were as one could never be too careful.


    "Hey, have you''ve seen other smaller humans like myself?" I asked the Rookie Digimon that froze before answering.


    "Humans?" He asked, the male voice apparent.


    "Yes, that''s my species, not a Digimon like yourself."


    "No, no, I haven''t you''re the only human I''ve ever seen. You just came falling from the sky, and I didn''t know what you were so-."


    "So you went over to poke my cheek to see if I was alive. Well, see you later I''ve got to go find my students." I said as I took a single step forward and immediately stopped as I heard a loud screech from deeper inside the woods.


    "Oh no, that''s Kuwagamon, and it sounds like he is on another rampage we need to run, or he eats us." The dragon Rookie stated, sounding even more panicked.


    That meant if he was on a rampage, that meant he encountered the others as I could hear his screeching getting closer.


    "Good advice," I said as we both ran off in the opposite direction of Kuwagamon, but it was rather fruitless on my part as I heard him come towards me faster than I could run. And to make matters worse, my breath was already getting short, as I practically had no running stamina. Me of this world had gone into weights to put the gut that we always had and never could get rid of into good use. By converting most of the fat into muscle, he certainly had the time after that. I could lift but not run.


    And then I tripped.


    I groaned as my body hit the ground a rolled for a meter or two.


    "Are you okay?" Came the surprising tone of concern from the Rookie, I had not even scared the life out of not even two minutes ago.


    "I''m fine," I stated as I tried to stand back up, but I immediately dropped in pain, as leaned on my left. "No, I''m not, I either just twisted or sprained my ankle then I tripped," I stated.


    "Is that bad?" He asked.


    "Yeah, it is. I can''t walk," I answered.


    "But if you can''t walk, Kuwagamon will eat you." He said with concern for my life. My what a compassionate little Digimon. I could hear the insectoid Digimon come closer. Within a minute, he would be here. Of all my rotten luck, I had planned to help the girls, and here I am, f.u.c.k.i.n.g it up within the first mind minute and is already about to be bug lunch.


    "Why, the hell are you still here?" I asked the Rookie as he was still standing beside me, looking at me with those puppy eyes. Well, more like Chibi Wyvern eyes.


    "I can''t just leave you here, you''re going to die if he catches you." He stated.


    "And he is going to eat you too if you stay and don''t run away. At least save yourself!" I shouted at the Digimon, whose species I didn''t even know and had just met a minute ago. Why was he so stubborn?


    "No, I''m going to save you like Leomon would if he was here." The Wyvern said.


    "Boy, you''re a Rookie, and Kuwagamon is a Champion, you aren''t freaking Lucemon. You never be able to defeat him at your level."


    "Payoh." Came a sound from the left that stopped our argument, and I saw what I had tripped over.


    What the f.u.c.k is a Digignome doing here? That thing is in the wrong f.u.c.k.i.n.g universe and Digital World Server.


    "Payoh." The Digignome said again as it floated over to use, the adorable looking thing just looked at us and an idea formed in my mind. As Kuwagamon came even closer, was he just f.u.c.k.i.n.g stalling for dramatic tension? What a d.i.c.k.


    "Hey, boy, what is your name?" I asked.


    "Huh, well, it is Vorvomon, and there is only one of me." He stated, and that was probably right, for I did not recognize that name.


    "Well, Vorvomon, my name is Anders, and I''ve got a plan to defeat Kuwagamon."


    "Really, what is it?" Vorvomon asked excitedly.


    "Quite, simple, you have to Digivole into a Champion and beat him," I stated.


    "Wha, how am I going to do that?" He asked.


    "By you becoming my Digimon partner and me, your Tamer, but if-."


    "Okay, how do we do that?" He asked, interrupting me.


    "You''re sure about that?"


    "Yes, if it means saving you." He simply stated.


    It seems that I found a little hero in the making. "Very, well. So can you help us with that?" I asked the Digignome.


    "Poyah," The digital entity answered by nodding its head.


    "Right, we gotta wish, don''t we. Okay, Vorvomon, we gotta wish to become partners." I said now at the same.


    "I wish for Vorvomon to become my partner."


    "I wish for Anders to become my Tamer."


    Our voices were sincere.


    The Diginome lit up as Kuwagamon broke into view.


    No, I wasn''t going to die here, I was going to live, find the kids and help them beat the shit out of every single Digimon that stood in the way of getting them home safely.


    Why did I believe that?


    Cause Vorvomon was now my partner, and I had never felt so assured in my action as I was right at this moment.


    My hand bloomed with my BURNING SOUL as I grabbed my Digivice and slammed my hand down with absolute FORCE. "DNA Charge!"


    Xxx


    Vorvomon felt the power course through him, as he heard his partner shout slamming his palm on the Digivice, the wishing creature had turned into.


    This was the power Anders had granted him, this was the power of¡­


    Digivolution.


    "Vorvomon Digivolve to Larvorvomon!" He shouted as he transformed into his Champion form thanks to the BURNING power of his Tamer.


    Larvorvomon rushed at Kuwagamon, the red insect Digimon screeching at him.


    He jumped, avoiding the lunge attack of Kuwagamon, who tried to crush him with pincers. He would break this bug, he would not lose and disappoint Anders. The human he had not even meet a few minutes ago for the first time. But he felt like he was currently the most precious person in the world to him.


    At that, Larvorvomon knew that this meeting had been meant to be. Just like those In-trainings, he had seen wandering around, shouting about waiting for their partners. Now he knew what they had been talking about. Larvorvomon had found his friend.


    "Earth-Stamb." He announced the attack as his power moved to his front limbs, gaining extra striking power, as he slammed them into Kuwagamon''s skull. Cracking the Digimon exoskeleton, and now for the finisher as Leomon called it. As then, he beat up the bad Digimon around File Island.


    He took a deep breath as his dust gathered in his mouth, and it was ignited. "Great Flame!" The giant fireball was launched straight into the crack he already created, which caused Kuwagamon to disperse into Data, which would reform in the Primary Village after Lord Plutomon had judged him worthy of reincarnation.


    Now his concern was Anders and his injured foot.


    "See, told you I would save you." He said as he approached his partner, still, in his Champion form, he knew he could switch back at any moment he still had some of Anders power left, and he wasn''t hungry just yet.


    And with his injured foot, he would need somebody to carry him, and the size of his Champion form made him perfect for that.


    "That you did, boy," Anders said as he held his Digivice in hand the symbol of their now created bond. Huh? How did he know that? The Digimon like thing probably gave the information to him.


    "Anders, how do we fix your foot." For Larvorvomon was sure, he couldn''t eat data packets and heal like Digimon could.


    "We need to find my students, one of them has a medical bag that has stuff for fixing humans." He answered.


    "Okay, that''s good, do you know where they are?" He asked.


    "I don''t know where they are now, but I know where they are going to be. Hey, Vorvomon, do you know of a lake that has a big metal box with lights next to them?" He asked, and that he did, he wandered past that place a few times.


    "I do, and Anders, it''s Larvorvomon right now."


    "Huh, is that so? Well, we better come up with a better name for you then no matter what stage you''re in." He said.


    "You''re going to give me another name?" Larvorvomon asked.


    "Of course, can''t keep referring to my partner only by his species even if he is the only of it." He stated.


    "Okay, that sounds cool, now get up onto my back, and I carry you to that lake."


    "Thanks for that partner," Anders said as he cautiously grabbed one of his protrusions and lifted himself up onto Larvorvomon''s back a few seconds later, sitting on him. "Hmm, I expected you to be much hotter, but you''re like touching a heated bathroom floor." Anders described the heat his body gave off.


    "I don''t know what that is?" He stated.


    "Don''t worry, let''s get to the Lake, I think it''s going to be dusk soon enough." Larvorvomon heard the concern in his partner''s voice.


    Xxx


    "That was amazing, Fla mon." Tai praised the human-beast Digimon after she had destroyed that Black Gear looking thing and returned the Shellmon back to normal, after having gone all fiery martial arts crazy on it. It had been like watching a Sentai Episode.


    "That I am, though¡­" Flamon said as her stomach rumbled slightly. "I used a bit too much of yours and my own energy right there."


    "And we don''t have any more rations cause you ate them all." Said, Yoshino.


    "So we just have to go and find our own food on the island," Matt stated. "And we should also try and find our Teacher."


    That was then five of the kids blinked at the same time, as they realized that in the rush after meeting the Digimon, being attacked by Kuwagamon, falling down into the ocean and then being attacked by Shellmon. They had completely forgotten about their teacher, who had been dragged with them to this weird world.


    And then they felt bad about it, as they all liked Anders as a teacher as he felt like to them he was one their level and could hear their voices. Especially Tai felt like she could talk to him about her problems, and she was sure Matt did too. With what she had accidentally heard, then they had a conversation together. But that didn''t mean the man wasn''t a bit ruthless in a game, like Tai herself could be in a football game, he didn''t really treat her or the others like children to be cuddled. And Tai appreciated that.


    And Tai also hoped something hadn''t happened to him, in this place. He didn''t have a partner to protect him like they now had theirs.


    "I might not know Anders-Sensei like you do but, I think that he can help?" Rika stated Her hands folded under her b.r.e.a.s.ts. As her Digimon Partner Renamon stood behind her, she was a Digimon that looked like a Kitsune. And even though she had fur, she still wore some clothes in this form of hers. Though not much, it was something that could barely be called a swimsuit. It only kept her rather enormous b.r.e.a.s.ts in place, but her n.i.p.p.l.e large so they heavily emphasized as they poked through the fabric. And the nether parts gave her so much cameltoe that she might as well not be wearing anything at all. The same was true for the rest of the other Digimon except her partner. As Rika said, they were just there to keep their large masses of tit flesh in place. And that was true the Digimon were stacked in comparison to most other women, and even them and their class were filled with girls with large b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    "What makes you think that, Rika?" Matt asked her sister standing beside her. Gabumon standing silently next to her partner as she talked to her kin.


    "Well, we are kids, and he is an a.d.u.l.t. And a.d.u.l.ts know more than kids, so Anders-Sensei obviously knows more than us," Rika said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. While she knew she was rebellious against most a.d.u.l.ts. She knew that they were seriously in trouble. It was one of the things that Grandma had drilled into her head. When in a strange place, go to the nearest a.d.u.l.t and ask for help for they know more than you.


    "Well, I can''t argue with that logic," Sora said in response.


    "Yeah, that sounds, sound. But Sora, who is this Anders-Sensei guy? A human-like all you?" Biyomon asked her partner.


    "He is our teacher, and there is a good chance he came with us here. But how are we going to find him?" She asked.


    "We could try and call him?" Mimi suggested.


    "Mimi, we already tried using our phones, not even the telephone boxes worked. They just spouted random gibberish," Takato stated. "Even my computer couldn''t connect to the internet, and from what our new friends are saying that this is ''The Digital World'' we are basically inside of it."


    "We tried to call people outside of this place, but we haven''t tried calling somebody who is here with us?" Mimi stated in response.


    "That is very smart thinking Mimi," Palmon said.


    "Thank you, Palmon."


    "Well, nothing ventured nothing gained," Tai stated as she took out her very dated smartphone given to Tai by her parents, though with how old it was, it could only do call and played very few games.


    Tai pressed the call button and. "Hello, who is this?" Came the very familiar voice from the speaker.


    "Mr. Anders!" Tai responded back in happiness.


    "Well, I take my words, back guess you were correct, Mimi."


    "I always am."


    "Tai is that you! Where are you and the others?" Came the immediate question of concern.


    Tai decided to put him on the loudspeaker. "I and the others are down at a beach, and we''re all fine thanks to some new friends we made." The others greeted him in response. "But what about you, Mr. Anders?"


    "It is good to hear that you''re all okay, and just like you, I meet someone that helped out from Kuwagamon."


    So their teacher had a run with the scary bug too, but did that mean he had a Digimon partner like them! But Tai hadn''t seen one of those Digivices landing in front of him like it had them.


    "And for the latter, Yoshino, do you have your first-aid kit with you? Cause I twisted my ankle when I ran from Kuwagamon."


    "I do, Sir," Yoshino answered.


    "But Sensei, where are you?" Matt asked.


    "I''m near a lake, with a trolley next to it. Your partners probably know where it is. Though you have to be careful, there is a pair of Monochromon, fighting nearby so best avoid them. I am also guessing you''re hungry, luckily there are fish in the lake for us to eat. See you later." That was then the call ended.


    "Well, guys, it seems we''ve got a destination in mind and food. So do you guys know which lake he was talking about?" Tai asked the Digimon.


    "Yeah, if he is talking about the lake with the big metal box, sure we know where it is. A Seadramon lives there, though, if we don''t bother him. He won''t bother us." Flamon answered.


    "Okay, show us the way then, Flamon."


    Xxx


    I leaned against the trolley as I ended the call.


    Hadn''t thought that my transformed phone was still able to function as one, or the fact that the kids were able to call me in the first place was kind of amazing. Thank god for the 21[sup]st[/sup] century, where every child had a smartphone.


    Well, at least I knew that they were okay, were now their way here. And that was very good on my consciousness. I had to take my second-hand knowledge with a grain of salt, for what if something went wrong? And the kids had gotten hurt. I wouldn''t be able to live with myself if that happened.


    I wiggled my foot, keep the blood flowing even if it hurt a bit while doing so. Right now, Vorvomon having changed back to his Rookie form, was down in the lake catching the fish, and staying out of the way of the sleeping Champion down there. So now, while waiting for the kids, I could finally check out my brand new Digivice.


    I still in a bit of a shock of having one and a partner. I didn''t think that would actually happen, but feeling the connection I had with Vorvomon, it felt like a piece me that I didn''t know I was missing, had returned. Which solidified the idea of whoever had transported me to this universe had made sure I would meet Vorvomon, literally stumble upon the Digignome and become partners with him.


    And considering this was Digimon, there was a long list of possible candidates. Still, I could already cross of Homeostasis and Gennai''s order as candidates, or I would have gotten a Digivice like the kids.


    No mine was literally custom made, it was precisely my idea of my very own Digivice. Digignomes did have a habit of making OC stuff real, didn''t they? Good thing they didn''t make my OC Digimon real.


    Ugh.


    And from what Vorvomon had told me, the Digignome had seemingly fused with my phone to create the Digivice. Which was the most apparent Chekov''s Gun I had ever seen? Well, at least it didn''t turn into the Rotom Pokedex.


    The design of it was entirely red looking more like an Xrosloader, than the Savervice, which actually used the Digisoul Input to DNA Charge. With the seeming app functions of the D-Arc with the holographic screen, plus what my phone could do. I wondered if it did have the Bio-Merge capacity. Though to do that, I was gonna need Vorvomon at Bond 10.


    Heh.


    Well, that was a concern for the future cause it was going to be a bit of time before we achieved Mega or Ultimate. We managed to go Champion through my use of Digisoul.


    But speaking of that, I had no idea how the f.u.c.k I had managed to bring it out, cause I had been trying to bring out the power while I had been on the back Larvorvomon.


    Yeah, gonna need a nickname for the boy.


    So for now, until I managed to bring out my Digisoul, that Champion form was a stroke of luck. Hopefully, I didn''t have to Marcus Digimon and go One Punch on them. I knew that Digi Soul could allow humans to harm Digimon, but if it didn''t work, I was dead.


    That was then Vorvomon breached the water his body steaming as the water on him evaporated. He made his way over to meet and spit out a bunch of fish out some leaves.


    "What do you think, Anders?" He asked with that adorable childish tone of his. It was similar in the vein of OG Takato''s Guilmon, not mine(but she was probably going to have her one here, as that was the partner she could conceivably have). Though if he was voiced by Alphonse instead.


    "Enough for both of us, but my students are coming soon, so they will be able to help with getting more fish and fruit," I answered.


    "That''s great to hear Anders."


    "Anyway, I think I''ve come up with a good nickname for you. Since your evolution and powers seem to be based around Volcanos, magma, lava, and all of that. I thought that Koro would be a good one, as that the name of a volcano in the human world, and it''s very close to the Japanese for dark, Kuro. Which is your primary color scheme." I told him. "Do you like it."


    "I do, Koro the Vorvomon, that sounds awesome!" Vorvo- no, Koro shouted in joy as he rolled around.


    "Glad you like it."


    "Hey, there he is, Anders-Sensei." I heard the voice of Sora as she. And the rest of the girls came into the clearing that surrounded the lake and the trolly.


    "Hey, kids good to see you again, and I''m guessing those are your new friends?" I asked them. I already knew who they were, of course. But that was one of my other problems what and what not should I tell the children, and how much should I interfere with their adventure. Cause I didn''t want to undermine their accomplishments and their development as Digidestined. But we had to see going forward what would happen.


    "Yeah, this is Flamon." That is different.


    "Gabumon." Well, this Gabumon was more on the side of shark girl.


    "Biyomon." A very s.e.xy bird.


    "Renamon."


    "Floramon." It seems that Yoshino got a different partner here, and it was a s.e.xy plant.


    "Palmon." And now I want to f.u.c.k another plant.


    "And finally, Guilmon." Who I expected to be Takato''s partner, and those h.i.p.s and b.r.e.a.s.ts were to die for. And the dark-colored n.i.p.p.l.es were easily seen through the white bra.


    "Hey, you all." I greeted them.


    "Hey, to you, Mr./Sensei/ Teacher Anders." They all greeted me back at the same time. And they were going to address me the same way their partners did, weren''t they?


    I heard a chuckle come from Koro. You laugh, you little Wyvern, but I''m going to give you one hell of nogging.


    "This here is Vorvomon, his nickname is Koro."


    The Wyvern waved his wing at them.


    "Yeah, we know who he is. We sometimes meet over at Leomon''s place," Guilmon spoke, her voice light and mature.


    "So, you know them, Koro?" I asked my partner.


    "Yep, they were the In-Trainings that kept shouting about meeting their partners. Guess I now know what they meant."


    "So, Mr. Anders, I''m guessing that he is your partner?" Matt asked me.


    "Yep," I said, showing off my Digivice.


    "Wow, it is entirely different from our own," Takato stated now much closer to look at my Digivice.


    "Got it from a different source than yours," I answered.


    "Wait, so you know why we''re here, Sensei?" Sora asked.


    "Basics of the why I do and more. But let''s first gather some food, and then I explained." I said.


    The children nodded and set about gathering various fruits nearby and getting more fish from the lake. While Yoshino went over my foot, that girl had more medical knowledge than most a.d.u.l.ts. With her having swapped with Joe in the same vein as Izzy and Fem Takato had.


    And like I had thought, it wasn''t broken or fractured, but my ankle had indeed ben a bit twisted and swollen. Thankfully Yoshino had some cream and bandages for my foot. And tried to not stare at her bouncing b.r.e.a.s.ts as she did so, but they were abundant and practically unrestrained.


    But it was already unswelling, so I would be able to walk around in the morning.


    It must be because we were all Data now.


    After everything had been done, we were all sitting around a campfire that our dear fire-breathing Digimon ignited for us.


    Cause I did not carry around a lighter.


    "So, Anders-Sensei, how do you know about the Digita World, have you''ve been here before? And what exactly is it?" Takato began the questioning.


    "Well, the Digital World is on a need to know basis, between private groups of a.d.u.l.ts. I, have never been here, but I know the previous group of kids who were. Yes, you are not the first. And there are other ways to come into contact with it, without coming here." Such as Oikawa, who I had been trying to find, but no such luck of doing so. "The Digital World, as it says on the can a world made out of data instead of matter. It is a different dimension compared to earth connected through our internet." I answered, there was no need to talk about the Wish Dimension or the Dark Ocean/Dark Area.


    "Wait, are we all data then?" Tai asked.


    "Yes, our bodies got converted into data, then we were pulled here, and you''ve probably noticed a few things, like not being able to sweat or feel the need go to the toilet?" I got a few nods. Which was probably a change from canon, but I wasn''t sure. Though the latter probably meant that had turned off, and I was glad for that.


    "Okay, that is good to know, but why are we here exactly?" Sora asked.


    "Well, from what the others told me, the being in charge of the Digital Worlds recruit human children to save it when it is under threat, as partnered Digimon can evolve at an exponentially faster rate, measured in months to arrive at the Mega level. The highest form a Digimon can achieve," I explained there was no need to mention Super Ultimate at the moment.


    "Why does he need us to save The Digital World?" Matt, as she tried to place a hand on her Shouler''s shoulder. The true meaning of words clear. ''Why does Rika need to do this.'' But she avoided. Their dynamic was so different compared to the OG one of Matt and TK. As Rika did not want to helicopter parented by her sister. Giving off an air of I can take care of myself.


    "I can''t answer that question, Matt, ask him that if deigns to contact us." Cause Homeostasis was very much on the passive with his ruling of the Digital World, choosing to interfere minimally. The clear opposite of Yggdrasil, as she was practically the embodiment of overreaction. Though my more significant grievance with Homeostasis was. Why the f.u.c.k did you need the kids when you had a Jesmon working for you. Nothing else should be f.u.c.k.i.n.g needed. The Dark Masters, should just have been slice dead. And then all his problems would have been solved.


    "I think I will."


    "Okay, ask a few more questions, and then we will be off to sleep and refreshed in the morning," I said. Though that it was Izzy asking most of the questions, with most of them being about Digimon themselves.


    After that, we all went into the trolley to sleep, well the kids did I, and the Digimon slept outside using the warm body of Koro as my pillow. And I had slept on harder before. And it seemed that the Seadramon in the lake wasn''t going to be agitated, so that event was at least avoided. That meant Matt wasn''t going to get to Digivolve Dorumon, but it was going to happen sooner or later, so at this very moment, I didn''t worry. With the Digimon boing on rotational guard duty to protect the kids, while they got a good night''s sleep.


    Xxx


    Matt yawned slightly as she woke up with a slight gasp as she sat up quickly and turned quickly to see the others and Rika fast asleep.


    Just a nightmare. Matt knew it wasn''t real, but it could very well become a reality here in the Digital World.


    She stood up and exited the trolley, where she saw her partner Gabumon standing guard under the stars and moon of the Digital World, along with the illumination of the still ongoing fire.


    "Hey, Matt, why are you awake? Shouldn''t you be asleep?"


    "Had a dream and woke up wanted to get some fresh air," Matt answered.


    "Was it a bad dream? Do you want to talk about it?"


    "Its nothing Gabumon, I''m just concerned about my Sister."


    "You don''t have to worry so much Matt, your sister has Renamon to protect her," Gabumon said to dispel her partner''s fears.


    "But she is my little sister, and I''m always concerned. Even if were are twins-. What was that?" Matt asked as she heard the sound of rustling leaves.


    "It sounded like it came from the forest."


    Matt grabbed a stick from the fire to act as a torch so that she and Dorumon would be able to see while they investigated. They walked over to the bushes, and as they lit up the area. Matt saw one of the two Monochromon they had seen earlier on the way to Mr. Anders.


    It was starring right at Matt.


    It roared at her.


    Which caused Matt to fall backward and drop her torch, which rolled away and onto something that looked like a.. tail?


    Oh, come on? Was all Matt could think as the Seadramon they had been warned about living in the lake and been very careful to avoid was now wide awake and pissed.


    And that was when the Monochromon entered the clearing. Also angry at what Matt guessed were those that had invaded his territory.


    "Everyone, wake up! We''re under attack! Matt, get away from there!" Matt heard Mr. Anders shout, as the roar from both Champion level Digimon had definitely woken him up and the Digimon. "Matt, run!" Mr. Anders shouted again.


    But before she could, Seadramon''s tail wrapped around her, and Matt was up in the air and was face to face with the serpentine water Digimon.


    And Matt had never been more scared in her life at that moment. Not for himself, but for her sister for if he was gone, who was going to watch over Rika? She had promised her dad to protect her. "Argh." She screamed in pain as the tail slowly began to crush her.


    "Matt!" He heard all of them shout, Rika and Gabumon most prominent to her ear. No, she wouldn''t die, here! She wouldn''t abandon her brother or her partner.


    "Matt, I can feel the power! Gabumon Digivolve to Garurumon! Howling Blaster!"


    Matt saw the Seadramon get hit by a blue laser beam, and its grip went slack, and she dropped, landing in a mess of soft fur.


    "Gabumon?" Matt asked as she now rode the large wolf her partner had become.


    "I Digivolved, so I am Garurumon now, Matt," Garurumon stated.


    "Right, let''s show that snake not to mess with us," Matt stated her previous fear gone and her confidence.


    "You do that, Matt, come on Flamon time for some Sentai fighting." Matt heard Tai yell as Flamon Digivolved in the background, as he was focused on Seadramon.


    She assisted Garurumon with various instructions as they avoided its attack. Both its tail and its Water Shock attack, retaliating with Howling Blaster, then Matt saw an opening.


    It ended in a victory for Garurumon and Agunimon. As they chased the two grumpy ass Digimon away from the lake with their tales between their legs. Well, not so much for Seadramon as he kinda lacked legs.


    Matt dismounted Garurumon as right after, his partner De-Digivolved. "That was amazing, girl."


    "Only thanks to you, Matt."


    "Are you two okay? I was worried for a moment when Seadramon grabbed you." Mr. Anders said worryingly. Having one a.d.u.l.t concerned about your wellbeing was sweet. Though Matt tried to stop her coming blush as Mr. Anders fused over her.


    "Thanks to Gabumon, I am, and thanks for dealing with the Monochromon Tai." Matt thanked the goggle head, for protecting the others and Rika.


    "You''re welcome, Matt, though what happened exactly?"


    Well, Matt suddenly felt a literal ton of embarrassment land on her shoulder.


    "That doesn''t matter what, matters is that you''re all safe now." And Mr. Anders to the rescue. "There are few hours of night left, so all of you go back to sleep. I don''t think we have to worry about the Seadramon and Monochromon returning. Cause we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. So you need to be well-rested and eaten." Though he suddenly blushed as his eyes landed on Matt, and he quickly. "Oh, and Matt, you''re soaked, so take off your clothes and let them dry."


    At that, Matt looked down at herself, and she noticed that she was indeed soaking wet. Which made her thin shirt see-through and cling tightly to her b.r.e.a.s.ts. Making them and her now stiff n.i.p.p.l.es due to the cold water visible for everyone to see. She quickly brought up her arms to cover herself up out of reflex. Though she didn''t really mind being looked at if it was Mr. Anders.


    "I will be sure to do that, Mr. Anders," Matt said she and the others returned to the tram. She removed her shirt, and she laid down using a blanket to cover her now n.a.k.e.d chest. Matt huddled into Dorumon''s soft fur. And so Matt, slept a little bit sounder now that he knew that Gabumon could Digivolve, which meant that Rika was more protected than before. Though her dreams of a happy family were soon overtaken by dirty dreams of Mr. Anders touching her very special place.


    She woke up to find her panties slightly wet.


    Xxx


    According to the clock on my Digivice and everybody''s phone, it was currently 10 am. As we walked through the forest after we had woken up and eaten breakfast with Flamon and Gabumon eating a bit more because they had went Champion to fight the rather wild Seadramon and Monochromon.


    So, now we were really just walking in a straight line cause I had no idea what to do next. We couldn''t go to the mountain and fight Devimon, the girls and I were nowhere near ready, and we didn''t have access to Angemon this time around due to Rika replacing TK.


    I knew there were three places the kids went to before the mansion happened that being the desert village, Andromon''s machine factory, and Toytown. Our best option would be to find the factory and use it as a base to train the kids and get them all to reach Champion. Then go and f.u.c.k Devimon''s shit up.


    "Hey, guys, look up its another one of those Dark Gears!" Sora exclaimed, and we all quickly looked up to see a Dark Gear flying above us all.


    "Come on, guys, we need to go where it''s going, it''s probably going to infect another Digimon like that Shellmon that attacked us on the beach," Tai said.


    "I agree with you on that Tai, those Gears sound like a bad thing," Feigning my ignorance on the matter. Though suddenly, an idea popped into my head. My Digivice had the database function, so could I search for specific information.


    I took out my Digivice it''s holographic screen popping up.


    "Mr. Anders, why do you have your Digivice out?" Mimi asked me as we all now walked at a faster pace after the Dark Gear.


    "Well, mine seems to have a database function, so I was looking through it to see if it had anything on them," I answered her.


    "Wow, Sensei your device seems much more advanced than ours," Takato said, I could hear her desire to pick it apart to see how it functioned and then compare it her own.


    "Well, yours probably have functions that mine don''t like. It seems yours can Digivolve your partners much more easily. I haven''t figured out how I did it the first time with Koro when we beat Kuwagamon." And there was also their purge function. "And got the information. Hmm, Black Gears seems to the creation of a Rookie Machine-Type Digimon by the name of Hagurumon. So there is probably a mastermind behind their current use cause they lack a sense of self to be actively malicious. But don''t take that as pure fact, Digimon can vary wildly within their own species." I told the kids so that they didn''t get the wrong idea.


    "Like the Seadramon and Monochromon from last night? They seemed much more animalistic than ours and more like Kuwagamon?" Matt asked.


    "Yep, one can be rather minimal intelligence-wise, and another can be a scholar of the highest degree," I answered. Though I avoided looking at her as the image of her wet t-shirt was still branded into my mind.


    "So, one is Sora. The other is Goggle Head Number two?" Rika asked with a grin on her face. Causing both girls to let out a hey.


    "Don''t mock people like that, Rika," I reprimanded her. Which caused her to scowl. I hoped I could have a proper conversation with her at some point to talk about her issues. Cause I could tell, there was a lot.


    "So, we just need to find the one that is forcing the Hagurumon to be evil, and stop him? We can go home after that, right?" Yoshino asked.


    "Possibly? Anyway, we are reaching the edge of the forest."


    And we were meet with a wast looking desert, that had telephone poles sticking up all over the place.


    "Okay, we all just agree that this Digital World is beyond weird, the weather doesn''t work this way, I feel cool here in the forest. But the moment I stick my foot out, I suddenly feel like somebody put me in a sauna," Takato stated as she pulled her leg back in over the line that separated the two biomes. "Honestly, I rather wanted to be abducted by aliens than finding myself in what amounts to Minecraft''s real-life counterpart." Okay, I did not expect that reference from Takato


    "Agreed!" Said the others.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about, it feels much more comfortable to be here than the forest," Koro said as he crossed the boundary and entered the desert.


    "And you''re composed of Magma," I stated as I followed my partner over the line. "Come on, girls, the Dark Gear flew this way, so we just have to hustle and stop it before it causes any damage. And there is probably an oasis or something like that where we can tank up." I stated.


    "We hear you!" They responded as they followed me into the desert.


    We walked through the rather sweltering heat with complaints, groans, and jokes from the kids. But thankfully, after a good thirty minutes of walking, Tai came with good news after looking around with her mini telescope while we were taking a small break.


    Even me cause this place was too f.u.c.k.i.n.g hot, who the f.u.c.k programmed the place like this? We couldn''t actually sweat, so we just felt the constant heat. But hopefully none us would get heatstroke from that.


    "Hey, guys, I''m seeing a small village, and there''s water."


    "Really, let me see," Mimi said as she ripped the telescope from Tai''s hands to look herself. "He is right. I can see a Village, water, fields, and is that a ship in the lake?"


    "Hey, I know where we are now," Biyomon said, making her presence known.


    "Wait? you do Biyomon?" Sora asked her partner.


    "Yep. Village your seen is the Yokomon Village, I haven''t been there a long time that''s why it didn''t click immediately, but they have some of the purest water data on File Island and the best Meat Fruit fields." The bird Digimon told them all.


    Wait? Meat fruits? They didn''t exist in adventure only in Digimon World and Frontier. Or was I just remembering wrong?


    "Meat Fruits?" Yoshin asked.


    "The Digital World is a weird place, Yoshino, you better get used to it for your own sake," I advised the medical girl.


    "I hear you, Anders-sensei," Yoshino responded in affirmation.


    "Alright, kids, we got a destination in sight kids. Let''s go there before we suffer some form of Digital heat stroke," I told them at that we all ran as fasts as we could towards the Yokomon Village with Tai and Matt arriving first due to their football training they were much speedier than the others. The rest of us arrived within a few seconds as the Yokomon left their homes and greeted us.


    "We have guests! We have guests!" The hoard of Yokomon shouted as they came up to us.


    "Hey everybody, it has been a long time, but I''m glad to see you all again." Biyomon greeted them.


    "Yokomon, you Digivolved, Digivolved. How did that happen?" They all asked.


    "I did it to protect my partner, and so did all the others. But we were wondering if you could help with supplies like we could have some water and Meat Fruit we could take with us?" Biyomon asked, taking the lead as she knew the Yokomon the best.


    "Of course, of course, we help you." They stated and began milling about.


    "Well, that was easy," Tai stated.


    "I think they just like to help others, Tai."


    "I''m not saying that''s a bad thing, I just thought they wanted something in return. Anyway, I''m going to look at those Meat Fruit Fields and see what those are about." Tai said.


    "I join you, Tai," Flamon added as she ran after her partner.


    Xxx


    Sora wandered the Village composed mostly of Yokomon, as she wondered about what Biyomon had said to the Yokomon about she had Digivolved to protect her. Which was also how Flamon and Dorumon had Digivolved to their Champion forms, to protect Tai and Matt.


    But that also made her very nervous, for if Biyomon needed to Digivolve to Champion for the first time, she needed to be in danger for Biyomon to save her. And she didn''t want to put herself in danger to just evolve her partner. That was selfish and dangerous to both of them.


    An idea sprung into her mind.


    Anders-Sensei knew a lot about Digimon, so he probably knew how to make Biyomon Digivovle without being put in mortal danger. She had seen Matt and Tai almost get crushed by Seadramon and Shellmon, and that scared her.


    So now she and Biyomon, who had been walking beside her, walked over to Anders-Sensei. Who was with his partner Vorvomon or rather Koro as his nickname was. Should she give Biyomon a nickname too, to show better affection for the pink and busty Digimon she had met barely a day ago, but felt like she had known her entire life.


    Anders-sensei himself was also a person of admiration for her. The foreign teacher was her favorite one among them all. He was so supportive in her endeavors and dreams of becoming a professional football layer despite her mother''s say-so of dropping it and learning how to do stupid flowers. And also helped that he was really hot and had muscles for days and abs that could be grinded meat on. She had seen them once, and it had been jilling material for days.


    Though that wasn''t important right now.


    "I see, thank you for telling me," Anders-Sensei said as the Yokomon left his side and speed off. Sora found the plant looking Digimon rather funny as it ran around, they had a particular comedic value to them. Even then, Biyomon had been one.


    "What were they talking to you about Anders-Sensei?" She asked. Now curious about what he was talking to the Yokomon about, her question could wait.


    "Just asking about if they had seen the Black Gear flying by." He told her.


    "Oh, we kinda forgot about that, didn''t we? When we found the Village." Sora felt a bit of embarrassment at that.


    "You did like a bunch of Ogremons," Koro said, which Sora was sure was an insult.


    "Koro, be nice."


    "Yes, boss."


    "The Yokomon did see the Dark Gear fly over to their aquifer where their water comes from, which is guarded by a Champion Level Digimon by the name of Meramon. Which probably means he is going to attack us soon." He told her.


    "You sound rather sure about that?"


    "I know how things like these go," Anders-Sensei said, sounding confident about his little prophecy. "But is there something you need to talk to me about?" He asked her. And it just came to show


    how well he knew her and the others that he could easily see then something was on their mind, or troubling them.


    "Well, I noticed that Flamon and Gabumon Digivolved to Champion for the first time was when Tai and Matt were in danger. So I wondered if there was a way to not do that, to Digivolve Biyomon to her Champion form? Since you know a lot about Digimon." She asked Anders-Sensei.


    "Ah, don''t worry, Sora I always protect you," Biyomon said in a comforting tone.


    "And I don''t want to really be in that position, so I want Biyomon to Digivolve before that happens." She admitted her fears.


    "Thank you for telling me this, Sora. And the good news there is. See what allows a Digimon to Digivolve is the basic amount of Digisoul that they have. Which is basically their power source, if it goes above or below a certain threshold, they Digivolve or De-Digivolve. A normal Digmon does this by training and consuming data. Now Digimon bonded to a partner are able to Digivolve at a much faster. But temporary rate, by borrowing the power of their partner. Which is where the Digivice comes in connects you and your partner, allowing you to send your emotional energy through the Digivice, which converts it to Digisoul, which allows them to break the threshold and Digivolved." He slowly lectured her, so that she got all of it.


    "So, I have to want Biyomon to Digivolve for her to do it?" She asked.


    "Want is a part of it, but you have to direct your positive emotions to Biyomon naturally, never force a Digivolution or use negative emotions. Bad stuff happens when you do that." He spoke with a very serious tone when he said that.


    "But how am I supposed to do that?" She asked.


    "Well, that''s why I asked Yokomon if there was a place nearby you could use to train. And it just so happens a hours walk from here. There is a large factory with an Ultimate Digimon by the name of Andromon guarding it. So I hope we can ask him for the use of his facilities until all of you can Digivolve consistently."


    "That sounds like a good idea."


    "I agree with him, Sora, that does sound like a very, good idea. And Andromon is a very nice guy. He would totally help us out." Biyomon said.


    "So, have you guys gotten something to drink yet?" Anders-Sensei asked them. They nodded their head; they had gotten a sip from the fountain immediately after arriving.


    "So let''s get the others and tell them of our next destination," Anders-Sensei said as he stood back up.


    "ARGGHHH IT HURTS SO MUCH! THE PAIN IS UNBEARABLE!" Roared a male voice that rang through the entire Village, but Sora quickly identified its origin. And it was coming from the aquifer, on the mound. Sora and Biyomon watched as bursts of flame shooting out of the trees on it.


    Guess Anders-Sensei was correct with his previous statement, and the apparent rampaging Meramon was heading straight for them.


    "Sora, are you ready to try and save the Village, Meramon is a Digimon of pure fire, so Greymon and Garurumon won''t be as effective." Anders-Sensei suddenly said, which caused Sora and Biyomon to look at him.


    "I-I don''t think I can do that?" Sora stated.


    "Yes, you can." He said as he sunk to his knees. "I know that you can, Sora, take out your Digivice." Sora did what he asked. "Now close your eyes."


    She did.


    "Now feel for the connection you have with Biyomon, the bond that the two of you share, and let your emotions flow into, the infinite love that you have for everybody you''ve meet, the one you have for her."


    Love? Was all that was needed, she could make her friend strong just by loving her? Could she even do that? Be capable of such a thing?


    Yes, you can, Sora. I can feel your love even now.


    And then she felt it was that her bond with Biyomon? And so Sora let her emotions flow.


    Her Digivice beeped.


    "Biyomon Digivolve to Birdramon!" Shouted now a much deeper female voice.


    Sora opened her eyes to a giant orange bird that flew towards, the Meramon that was could be clearly seen.


    "See Sora, I told you that you could do it," Anders-Sensei said as he looked down at her with a smile.


    "Yeah, guess I really could." She said as Biyo- no Birdramon engaged Meramon in combat.


    "Sora, Anders-Sensei, what is going on, and is that Biyomon fighting that flame Digimon?" Tai asked as she and the others ran over to them and asked what was going on.


    "Yep, yep, Sora managed to Digivolve her partner, who is currently fighting that Meramon influenced by the Dark Gear," Koro explained to everyone present.


    "Eh, thanks for the exposition buddy, and ooh, that has to hurt." And Sora had to agree with Matt as they had just seen Birdramon pick up Meramon, before throwing him onto the ground and then attacking him with her. "Meteor Wings." Which were giant rocks on fire. But that seemed to do the trick as they all watched the Dark Gear leave his body and exploding in the air. Sora didn''t think she had felt more proud at that moment than she had in her entire life.


    Afterward, Biyomon returned to the Village, having De-Digivolved along with Meramon, who apologized for his behavior and rampage and very thankful towards Sora and Biyumon for stopping him before he caused any severe damage.


    Sora had just warned him to destroy any Dark Gears he saw instead of letting his curiosity get the better of him.


    And now they were all standing at the edge of Yokomon Village with their supplies packed, lots of Meat Fruit and water sacks. Sora didn''t know where they got the leather to make those things, but she knew better than to ask. As the answer would be something nonsensical. The Digital World just seemed to be that weird like Anders-Sensei had said.


    Who, after they got back home, deserved some sort of present for helping her deepen her bond with Biyomon. Perhaps she could bake him a cake from his country, he probably missed the place a lot, with him now working as their teacher. Or she could maybe¡­ Sora felt her face grow hot at the thought of doing that with Anders-Sensei.


    But now they were on their way to this Andromon''s factory where they were supposed to be training to defeat the guy that were using the Dark Gears to do evil and go back home. All the others were probably getting very worried about them.


    But they would, she had Biyomon at her side. And together, they would succeed at anything.


    xxx

 Chapter 454 - My CO Stash #54 - Embers of Hope by NeonZangetsu (NarutoXRWBY)

    -Great fic to burn time, it kinda reminds me of White Sheep by Coeur~ Jacques getting what he deserves is also a cherry on top!


    Synopsis: Salem''s heart died long ago with her children. It had turned cold and black, like the Grimm she commanded. All that remained were the faded embers of Hope. Tiny, forgotten feelings, wasted sentiment she had no need of. She needed nothing. No one. Or so she thought. Until she found him. A single whim on her part just might bring the world together. Narutoxharem? You decide !


    Rated: T


    Words: 57K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13518823/1/Embers-of-Hope (NeonZangetsu)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    "In all my lifetimes, I have discovered three powerful emotions in this world.


    The first is joy. That unparalleled feeling of bliss and hope and strength. Brightest and sharpest of them all.


    The second is sorrow. Misery and tears have often moved armies and nations alike, swayed the hears of bitter enemies.


    The third would be hate. They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned; that there is no greater enemy than that of a former friend. They''d be right."


    ~Ozpin.


    Prologue


    "Bwah."


    That single, solitary sound, stole Salem''s soul.


    It wasn''t even a real word that finished her off; more a gurgle really, a tiny pitiful mewl begging for her undivided attention. That, or perhaps food. She couldn''t be sure. Still the immortal woman found herself undone by it all the same. She was the Mother of All Things Grimm. Terror incarnate. Mortals feared her. Men and women alike wept when they heard her name. Grimm everywhere bowed to her. Ozpin and his Inner Circle feared her very presence. And yet, Salem had no more hope of vanquishing this menace than she did of defeating the Gods themselves.


    The Mother of Grimm looked left.


    The Mother of Grimm looked right.


    Finally, the Mother of Grimm looked down.


    Much to her chagrin, the blasted baby was still there.


    Bright blue eyes gazed back at her from within a tiny, whiskered face.


    "Where did you come from?" she muttered crossly, making a shooing motion as though to banish a bad dream. "Go on now, shoo."


    Much to her chagrin, baby most assuredly did not "shoo." It stayed right where it was, transfixed by her. At least the blasted brat wasn''t crying anymore. That was what had woken her in the first place. Salem scowled at it and the infant actually had the temerity to giggle. Giggle! At her! What manner of trickery was this? Ozpin''s doing perhaps? No. Her lover had been many things in the past, but not even he would be so cruel as to leave a starving child on her doorstep wrapped in swaddling cloth and left for dead. Which begged the ancient question:


    Where.


    The Hell.


    Did he come from?!


    Who in their right mind would bring a child to her doorstep?! In the badlands no less! It was a miracle that he hadn''t been eaten alive by some wild Grimm!


    Upon further inspection, she realized the ground beneath the boy was scorched black Well. Blacker than usual. Curious. A ritual gone wrong perhaps. Or perhaps some other ghastly secret that she didn''t understand? Nor was he unprotected. A pale blue cloth cocooned its body. There was even a name stitched into said blanket, one her keen eyes instantly discerned. Na~ru~to. She sounded it out, rolling the syllables around on her tongue. Not the name she''d have chosen for a child. Bah. Whatever the case, the origins of this tiny pink creature didn''t matter, she supposed. His fate was still sealed.


    She tentatively nudged the bundle with a boot; unfortunately, this startled the child and it began crying again.


    No. Salem would have none of that noise.


    "CEASE!" she snarled loudly.


    To her disbelief, it did.


    Unfortunately, the Mother of Grimm miscalculated in her anger; for the reprieve she received proved as brief as it was poignant. Then it cried even louder. She grit her teeth against the sound and weighed her options as she stared down at the squalling infant. The sensible thing to do would be to kill it. This was no place for a bawling brat. If she couldn''t stomach doing the deed herself, then surely one of her many minions would be more than happy to do it for her. Tyrian perhaps. He would feel no guilt from such a fiendish act.


    Or if she were feeling merciful, she could simply have Watts deposit him at an orphanage somewhere.


    Yes, that sounded sensible. This was no place for a child.


    And yet.


    And yet, the longer Salem stared at this tiny pink creature, the less certain she became. He was still crying and try as she might to ignore it, something in her dead heard twitched at the sound. Perhaps it was a shame to snuff out a life so young. He could be a useful pawn. She began telling herself such lies to soothe her conscience, to deceive herself. No one else knew of the boy. No one would dare to question her. She could do with him as she pleased...couldn''t she?


    Abruptly, she realized the boy had stopped crying.


    Oh, he was still whimpering, but he''d simply lost the strength to continue carrying on in such a state. The whimpering made it worse; made her feel as though she were the villain here. Well, she was, but still! Gods knew she was a touch out of practice these days, but Salem was no stranger to children nor the art of raising them. She''d reared four girls, after all. Before. In happier times. Her heart had been warmer then. Before his betrayal and all that had come after. Before-


    "No." she hissed the word to herself as much as the dead air and clamped down on that thought before it could consume her.


    But it would not be denied.


    A whim wriggled to the forefront of her mind, blotting out all else until finally, her arms betrayed her. She looked left. Looked right. Made utterly certain that no one would see what she was about to do. After a moment''s hesitation, she awkwardly reached down and plucked the infant off the blackened earth. His whimpers ceased immediately. Wide, wondering eyes gazed up at her until she pressed him into her shoulder and began to rub the small of his back. Right, then. She could do this. Small, quick steps, retreat swiftly to her quarters, then-


    Then he started drooling on her.


    Salem twitched. "Stop that. Right now."


    The drooling only continued as it had before.


    Salem absolute twitched. "I hate you. I really, truly do."


    She didn''t. Not really. Not truly. Nor did she know how much she''d changed her fate.


    A/N: You aren''t ready for the chaos I just unleashed.


    As a future note, Salem''s going to have her hair down in all future chapters. Just looks better. Trust me. Now then.


    Well.


    That just happened.


    NOW BEFORE YOU START!


    This isn''t going to be one of those Naruto-raised-by Salem and he''s pure evil stories. Nor will this be one of those stories where he defects and joins the good guys because of a moral crisis or some bloody bleeding heart. This is going to be a mad hybridization of the two. How, you ask? Well, I COULD explain it to you, tell you all bout the five chapters I''ve already written out and all...but I think I''ll just let the previews do the talking for me.


    Don''t believe me?


    The previews speaks for themselves.


    Soooooo in the Immortal Words of Atlas...Review, Would You Kindly?


    They keeps me alive. Without them, I''ll just vanish into the void. Poof. Gone.


    (Preview)


    ...what are you doing here, Ozpin?"


    For that WAS Ozma standing in her door. At least, the latest incarnation of that cowardly bastard. His bespectacled gaze shifted to the tiny bundle in her arms while his own...carried a parcel of some sort. What the devil was he up to this time? Her surprise jumped up another notch when he pushed said parcel into her arms. It contained...diapers, of all things. And formula. Clothes, too. Aghast, she awkwardly accepted them with her free arm. Someone snickered in the background. She swore to kill whomever it was. Later. When she wasn''t holding the boy.


    "I''d heard the rumors, but I had to see it for myself." her heart lurched painfully at tenderness in her old lover''s words. "You''re actually taking care of a baby."


    "How did you know?"


    His eyes twinkled. "A little bird told me."


    Qrow was dead. Oz was dead. THEY WERE ALL DEAD. Before she could absolutely EVISCERATE him, the headmaster hastened onward.


    "I would like to propose a truce." Ozpin began delicately, choosing his words with great care as though his very life depended on it. "Regarding that boy."


    "A truce. With Salem."


    To his credit, Ozpin didn''t bat an eyelash. "Albeit a temporary one."


    Ironwood, however, all but roared and shook him like a tree. "HAVE YOU GONE MAD?!"


    Cinder scoffed. "Bah! Weak, the lot of you! Look at him! Brat''s not even five and half you''re already wrapped around his little finger! Salem''s swooning over him! Tyrian wants to teach him to MURDER people! Watts, you gave him a math book just this morning! Hazel was trying to unlock his aura earlier for crying out loud! Well! I for one will not be swayed by this little HELLSPAWN-


    "Cin-duh." Naruto lisped, pointing in her direction.


    Her head snapped around with an audible crack. "DID HE JUST SAY MY NAME?!"


    Watts groaned and slapped five lien into Hazel''s awaiting hand. "Take your damn money."


    Neither man batted an eyelash when Cinder bolted back to the boy''s side and crushed him against her bosom.


    One of them did complain, however.


    "Lucky little shit...


    Chapter 1


    "Hmm. The boy scratches an itch to be sure...but I may want more."


    "More? I''m afraid I don''t understand. What do you mean by-


    "More children, you fool! Must I spell it all out for you?!"


    "Salem, no. Bad idea. That...that is a terrible idea."


    "Salem, yes! I''ll do as I please!"


    ~?


    Mama Knows Best


    "My queen, you seem...distracted. Is this wise?"


    Salem tilted her head as she reclined upon her throne, contemplating Tyrian''s inquiry.


    Did she think raising a baby in the Grimmland wise? No, not at all. Not in the least. It was downright foolish, really.


    Did she care? Not. At. All. She''d never been one to listen to conventional wisdom eons ago and she wasn''t about to start now.


    Little Naruto gurgled contentedly in her arms and something in her cold heart melted all over again. Say what you would about his diapers, but the boy was a good baby; in that he hardly cried when she was near, or was held. Thus, Salem had done the logical thing and decided to carry him everywhere in a sling around her chest. This was what she deemed the most logical choice mind you, not at all realizing what it did to her image. The Mother of All Grimm, carrying a baby against her b.r.e.a.s.t and b.r.e.a.s.tfeeding him at that. Fear her, ye mortals!


    "Good boy." she cooed, patting her son''s head.


    The thought brought her up short. Son. He was, wasn''t he?


    She''d never had one of those before. Perhaps this would prove a learning experience.


    Never had she wanted something so badly and never known until she received it. Only a few months in and already she found herself utterly undone by the boy currently cradled in her arms. Any resistance she might have managed to mount had dissolved within the first twenty-four hours of taking him in to her home. At the time, Salem had thought her reasoning sound. She''d been a mother once before, how hard could it be? So she was a few...centuries out of practice. What could possibly go wrong?


    In a word?


    Every. Bloody. Thing.


    Salem was the Queen of the Grimm.


    In her life, nothing was ever simple. Not one thing.


    She couldn''t simply walk to the story and buy diapers for her boy now, could she?


    Watts -wily devil that he was- had to be approached first because she needed to secure supplies for the boy. Supplies that Hazel in turn was used to procure because most of the living world thought Arthur dead. Grimm ranged far and wide to fetch what couldn''t simply be acquired through...less than legal means. From there Tyrian wanted to know was going on, which in turn meant young Cinder felt left out and was thus brought into the loop. Honestly. Her minions could be such children at times. These last few days had proven to be a panicked blur that she could only vaguely recall, but Salem wouldn''t trade them for the world.


    Which brought her back to Tyrian''s question.


    "I am well aware of your concerns," she hummed, laying her chin to rest on the back of her free hand, "But this matter isn''t up for discussion. In the meantime we will continue. How goes the search for the Fall Maiden-


    "Then why not just kill the babe?!" Tyrian put in petulantly. "It serves no purpose but to distract you from your divine duties!"


    Salem went absolutely still. "I''m sorry. I must have misheard you, Tyrian. Did you just question me?"


    Watts audibly slapped a palm against his face. "Bollocks. Right then, I''ll just be leaving now-


    "Idiot." Hazel rumbled. Good man. He''d taken the words right out of her mouth.


    Still, they thought they could escape? No. An example must be set.


    "Stay."


    In her peripherals, she was only distantly aware of the two men freezing up; they didn''t flee the room without being dismissed. No, they didn''t dare, if only out of fear of drawing down their queen''s wrath onto them. The same could not be said of Tyrian. Madman though he was, he wasn''t suicidal. He realized his mistake the moment he''d spoken; alas, it was far, far too late to save himself. He stood transfixed by her gaze, wholly unable to move as she rose from her seat. The poor Faunus quivered beneath her burning red eyes.


    "My queen, please!" he cried, raising an arm to shield his face. "I meant no offense-


    Salem didn''t think; there was only action. A mere flick of her wrist upended the table and flung everyone from their seats like straw dolls. The tiniest twitch of her fingers created a swarm of shadowy arms at Tyrian''s feet, ready and willing to respond to their mistress''s command. Her follower didn''t even have time to try and flee, much less comprehend his own imminent peril. Even as he found his footing they surged upright as one being, countless limbs clawing -tearing!- at his body to drag him back down to the floor and pin him there.


    In his sling, Naruto giggled and tugged at her hair; it almost broke Salem out of her rage. Almost.


    Gentle red eyes flicked downward.


    "There, there, sweetie. Mommy will be with you in a minute."


    Then her gaze flitted snapped to Tyrian and her fury intensified tenfold.


    "I would like you to explain to me, how it is you failed to understand my words so spectacularly." she began slowly as she adjusted her dress, took her child from her b.r.e.a.s.t, and steadied him in his sling. Only then did she deign to glide forward. "Did I not tell you the matter was closed?"


    Tyrian whimpered wordlessly. "I beg your forgiveness-mrrmph?!"


    An inky black hand clamped down around his mouth, muffling his cries.


    "Stop." With that said, Salem''s boot settled on his head with a painful crunch. He dare not raise his eyes to meet hers for fear of being struck down on the spot. "Let me rephrase the question. Who is responsible for this situation in which you find yourself? I suppose you could blame Hazel or Watts." a dangerous smile bloomed on her lips. "Or even me, if you were feeling bold. But that wouldn''t be fair now, would it? We all know who''s truly to blame, don''t we? You. Blink once for yes, twice for no."


    He capitulated just so.


    "There you have it." she growled.


    "I''ve only held this boy for a few months now." Salem continued, reaching down to cup his chin in her hand. "But if anything were to happen to Naruto, to my baby," her voice began to darken ow, the crimson veins briefly blazing back to life in her face before receding, "If someone were to hurt my son...I would kill them, everyone in this room and then myself. Over. And over." Starting with you. Would you like that, Tyrian?"


    The faunus frantically shook his head, but with his mouth gagged, could only grumble.


    "I thought not." Smiling, she released him. "Now fix the damn table."


    Hazel coughed. "Pretty sure you were the one to break it-


    Red eyes snapped to him. "Excuse me?"


    His burly arms snapped up.


    "N-Nothing, ma''am!"


    "Then help him."


    It would be so easy to slay him for his impudence. Tyrian, too. Just a little push and their heads would pop right off their shoulders. She could almost see it now. No, no, no, she reminded herself. She couldn''t do that. She needed Tyrian alive. Just as she needed Hazel and Watts. Not to mention Cinder. Each had their own essential role to play in her plot; now moreso than ever. She needed them. Just as she needed the boy. He was good and pure, and oh gods she just wanted to squeeze him-no. Squeezing was bad. She''d break him.


    She still remembered that much.


    Restraining her rising anger, she stepped back half a pace.


    "Its important not to lose sight of what drives us. Love, justice, reverence." her gaze held Tyrian''s until he could no longer bear it and looked away. "But the moment you put your desires before my own...they will be lost to you. This isn''t a threat. This is simply the truth. The path to your desires is only found...through me. And this boy is under my protection."


    A thought occurred to her suddenly, and in a fit of brilliance she seized on it.


    "If I am your queen, then he is your Prince." She paused to let the words sink in. "You will show him the same respect you do to me." her gaze turned, sweeping them all in a slow loop. "You will not harm him in any way, shape, or form. If he asks you for something, you will do your utmost to bring it to him. Failure to do so will result in your summary execution."


    Three heads bobbed dutifully.


    "Good." Salem slid back into her seat and propped her chin up on her right hand. "Now, as I was saying, the Fall Maiden is somewhere in Vale. We don''t know who she is yet, however-


    "Waaaaaaah!"


    Naruto chose that precise moment to start crying, causing Salem''s attention to snap back to her little one in a heady rush of concern and confusion. Why?! He''d been so quiet until now! She immediately began to rock him back and forth, but the wails only intensified. A pungent smell reached her nose not a moment later. Oh.


    "Nevermind. You are dismissed."


    To their credit, neither Tyrian nor Hazel dared to question her; they paused just long enough to right the table before leaving the way they''d come. Was that smoke? They''d certainly vacated with all due haste. Watts was only half a step behind before she caught him with her voice.


    "Not you, Arthur! I have a task for you."


    The scientist hesitated. Sniffed. Flinched. "More diapers?"


    Salem deflated in on herself as he helped her. "Gods, yes. Where is Cinder, by-the-by?" she asked. "Changing him was meant to be her task."


    Watts fought down a wince. "At the risk of imminent bodily peril...I regret to inform you that she has been...training, your grace."


    A furious snarl resounded somewhere outside, coupled by an equally fierce explosion.


    Salem''s mouth twitched. Well. That explained her absence.


    "Has she now? You can help me, then."


    ...very well."


    When she offered him Naruto, Watts took him readily enough, with only the faintest of sighs. Thankfully he had a fresh diaper and wipes on hand for the poor boy. In short order he aided her in changing and cleaning the little tyke cleanly and efficiently at that. It stood as a testament to how many times this had happened already. Her minions -with the noted exception of Tyrian- had taken to carrying them around in sealed bags on their personage. Oh gods, now she was imagining Tyrian carrying a bag of diapers around. Oddly enough, the thought made them smile. Salem silenced it before her minion could notice.


    For something else had claimed her attention.


    Watts was still holding the boy. Stranger still, Naruto wasn''t crying. He looked almost happy. Dare she say content?


    "A baby in the Grimmlands," the older man mused, holding the boy before his face. "Who would''ve thought?"


    Little Naruto tilted his head at him. Salem mirrored the expression. "Isn''t he just precious?"


    His eyes lit up for the merest of moments before he suppressed it. "Quite."


    "Perhaps you could teach him things." It wasn''t a suggestion.


    His mustached twitched. "I would be honored."


    Salem knew full well what Watts was after; for some reason, just as she knew the rogue scientist held an interest in her boy. He''d run tests on Naruto of course, someone had to monitor his health and she was no doctor herself. Whatever he''d found within him had the man over the moon. Something about an internal energy she didn''t understand.


    He thought himself so clever, careful to curry favor with her until this moment when they were alone. Poor fool. She had seen through him from the first. If he wanted to mentor the boy, to sharpen his mind, then who was she to protest. Her council each held unique talents of their own, talents they might yet impart upon her progeny when he was of an age. And if she made them think it was their idea to do so...well. Sometimes the carrot served better than the stick.


    "In time, perhaps." Watts conceded. "The best seeds are planted early-gah!


    He yelped when the boy found himself a firm hold of his mustache.


    Salem didn''t giggle at the sight. No. Surely not. Nope.


    Gingerly, she extracted the baby from him.


    "You may go, Arthur."


    Having won what he was after, her still had the wherewithal to bow before he departed. "As you will."


    Another explosion, this one more distant, rocked the tower upon his departure.


    Salem exhaled softly. "Ah, Cinder. Whatever will I do with you?"


    Manipulating someone well into adolescence was old hat to her these days, something in which she held a wealth of experience. In many ways, Cinder, despite her age was already an a.d.u.l.t. Her past had hollowed her out, leaving only the faintest emotions behind. But this act of rebellion was new. Expected perhaps, but new. For the longest time, Cinder had considered herself Salem''s favorite. To have her position so easily usurped, and by a mere babe...


    Poor girl was jealous.


    Still, she knew how to goad her into doing what she wanted. Her hunger for power that exceeded even Salem''s own. Once they ascertained the Fall Maiden''s identity she''d likely want to claim that power for herself. Foolish girl. Strength meant nothing. There was always someone stronger than you. Faster than you. Someone with more wealth or influence. In the end, it would be wits and cunning that would win the day. Not strength. Never strength. You needed something more. Perhaps Cinder would realize this. Perhaps not. Who could sy?


    Salem took a moment to reminisce on this as she slipped into the halls herself.


    "What do you think, my dear?"


    Naruto didn''t answer her, for he was already sound asleep.


    Her lips graced his forehead. Well, that was just fine too. She was more than ready to turn in herself, gods be damned. Sleep sounded like the perfect end to an otherwise exhausting day. Yet her feet remained restless and she found herself wandering all the same. Indeed, the faintest smile quirked at the corner of Salem''s mouth as she walked, careful now to soften her footfalls lest she waken him. A lone Seer passed her in the hall, looking agitated. She waved it away with a growl. She was in no mood for any further reports. She just wanted to rest with her child and make it to her quarters unobstructed.


    In this, she was only partially successful.


    Salem almost made it to outside without being disturbed again.


    Then the faint sound of footfalls captured her attention and she blew out an irritated breath.


    "What is it now?" she hissed. "I wish to be left alone."


    "I understand that," a familiar drawling voice ground her world to a halt, "Please, pardon the intrusion."


    Incredulous, the Mother of Grimm turned to face the one person in the world who would dare challenge her rule.


    ...what are you doing here, Ozpin?"


    For that WAS Ozma standing in her door leading to her tower, barring her escape to the Grimmlands. At least it was the latest incarnation of that cowardly bastard. She knew him by his face. His bespectacled gaze shifted to the tiny bundle in her arms while his own...carried a parcel of some sort. What the devil was he up to this time? Had he come to kill her? Indignation, then confusion, followed by all consuming anger. Why was he here? How had he gotten past the Grimm and her lieutenants? Nevermind that. His reasons for coming were irrelevant. He couldn''t kill her. He knew that. He''d tried before in the past. Over and over again.


    Any attempt on his part now would meet the same fate as before.


    She''d simply regenerate, while she destroyed his body, forcing him to claim another.


    It would be a long battle of course, and it would destroy everything around them, but could do her no lasting harm. With the creation of the Maidens, he was weaker than ever before. He could destroy her tower, slay her minions and Cinder, but it would cost him this life. In the meantime, she would return. She always returned. So why come here? Why bring about this fruitless battle again...unless...


    Naruto stirred in her arms.


    Salem''s black blood turned to ice.


    No. She couldn''t handle it. Not here. Not again.


    Now came the fear, cold and chilling. It choked her, strangled all thought and left panic in its place. Without thinking Salem leaped back and turned her body to one side, shielding the boy from harm with one arm even as she summoned a fireball with another. Her entire body pulsed with darkness, ready to lash out at the slightest provocation. She''d meant what she''d said earlier, and with a pang of dread, Salem realized she had well and truly come undone. Spirits, she''d gotten attached. Before she wouldn''t have cared overmuch if Ozma attacked. But now her blackened soul screamed out against it.


    "No." the word was a hiss. "Not again! You won''t take him. I won''t allow it!"


    Ozpin noticed her turn of phrase; because that silvery brow shot straight into his hairline.


    "So its true, then." to her disbelief, he discarded his cane and actually dared to her approach.


    Salem''s surprise jumped up another notch when he pushed said parcel toward her free arm. It contained...diapers, of all things. And formula. Clothes, too. Aghast, she doused the fire in her fingers and awkwardly accepted them with her free arm, too stunned to do anything else. Someone snickered in the background. She swore to kill whomever it was. Later. When she wasn''t holding the boy. When she wasn''t about to kill everyone and everything in front of her. She must respond. She''d utter a curse so black that he''d wilt and-


    "Eh?" she squeaked out eloquently. "I...you...bwuh?"


    Ozma dared another step forward and she shrank back like a frightened schoolgirl.


    "I''d heard the rumors, but I had to see it for myself." her heart lurched painfully at the tenderness in her old lover''s words. "You''re actually taking care of a baby. I didn''t think you had it in you." His mouth formed what might have been a frown when her eyes began to blaze. "I know you must be furious with me, but please, hear me out-


    "LEAVE!"


    A pillar of flame burst from her palm, and to her dismay, he didn''t even deign to fight back. No, the old fool took it right to his chest. Aura crackling, he fell to a knee, coughed, and picked himself back up. Salem had held her breath, waiting for the inevitable counterattack to come. This was a trick. A deception of some sort, meant to make her lower her guard. Surely he would strike any moment now. But he never did. As she looked on the cane clattered from Oz''s grasp, skittering across the floor to rest at her feet. When she looked back, he had both hands raised in quiet contrition.


    "As difficult as it may be to believe," he began, "I come in peace."


    "You''ll leave in pieces!"


    "That''s a risk I''m willing to take."


    "How did you know?" she shot back.


    His eyes twinkled. "A little bird told me."


    Qrow was dead. Oz was dead. THEY WERE ALL DEAD.


    Before she could absolutely EVISCERATE him, however, the headmaster hastened onward.


    "I would like to propose a truce." Ozpin continued delicately, choosing his words with great care as though his very life depended on them. It did. "Regarding that boy."


    Fine. Play that way, would he? Salem swept Naruto behind her arms. "What boy? I see no boy."


    "Salem, please." She swiped at him when he tried to step closer, forcing him back half a pace. "I''ve been aware of him for some time now." he ducked another blow aimed at his legs. "I thought you were playing at a ruse of some sort. I thought it was a trick. That you were simply training up another pawn as you always do. But you didn''t take him, did you?" when she didn''t follow up on the latter, he dared a tiny step forward. "You didn''t snatch him from a family." Then another. Another. "You''ve been gentle with that boy. Kind. The same kindness you showed our daughters. Why is that? Why now, after all these years? What changed?"


    "I...found him." she confessed, cursing herself for the slip. "He was alone. Here. In the Grimmlands."


    "And you didn''t think that he might have parents?" her old friend prodded, testing her words.


    Her walls slammed back into place and she pulled the boy close. "He is mine, Ozma."


    ...you''re not going to budge on this, are you? Do you even remember how-


    "OZMA!"


    Salem hissed like a struck snake and reared; expecting more defiance, more wretched words to make her question herself-swore to silence him if he said anything else. She drew all her might and power within herself, channeling it into her free hand for a single devastating blast. She might loose track of him for a few years, but it would be well worth it to silence his twisted tongue.


    "That was unkind of me." She wasn''t prepared for him to kneel before her. "I apologize. For this...and everything."


    She couldn''t even discern the drivel that spouted from her lips.


    All the while, his gaze never left hers.


    "I''ve made my decision; if you cannot be destroyed, then you need to be saved." Urk. Why was he phrasing it like that?! Still, he bulled on. "And its become painfully clear to me that boy is the means to do it. You care for him as if he were your own."


    Save her?


    Those words hit Salem like a slap in the face and the Mother of Grimm felt her protests wither like a dying flower. Did she dare trust him? No. Of course not. He was the cause of all her ruin. He was the reason she''d become...this. Their four daughters lay dead by his hand; through his own cowardice he had damned them. She''d be a fool to take him at his word. Nevermind her plans, they couldn''t just start over again. Could they? Centuries had passed. Eons. He couldn''t just walk back into her life as if nothing had happened and beg her forgiveness. That wasn''t the way it worked! Did he think her a fool?! She would stay strong! She would not succ.u.mb to weakness! She...


    "We were finally free." her own voice betrayed her again in a quiet keening sound. "Who are you to come back now? Its too late!"


    "I think not." He answered with a small, sad smile of his own. "I''ll accept whatever punishment you deem necessary."


    "Anything?" Her brow quirked in confusion. "You can''t be serious. You''re joking. You must be."


    "Try me." those grey eyes gleamed. "You''ll find my resolve isn''t lacking."


    Her own scarlet orbs narrowed to hooded slits.


    "We shall see."


    She couldn''t forgive him. Not here. Not yet. Perhaps not ever. There was too much anger, too much pain, too much hurt between them. But by the gods, he was trying, and his words had reached her. Some tiny part of her heart wept for them. For his mistakes as much as hers, for what they''d become. It almost made her want to give her old lover a change. How very...weak of her. It would be easier to kill him. Yes, to simply wipe him from existence and force him to begin anew. She would pretend this never happened. She would forget everything he''d said to her.


    Instead, she moved.


    Salem didn''t hesitate. Nor did Ozma. When she attacked, he made no move to defend himself whatsoever. Her heel slammed into his unprotected groin in a blur of black, slicing through his Aura as though it were naught but butter. The sheer force behind the blow shattered the wall behind her former lover. Anyone else would have perished on the spot. Ozpin only crumpled to the floor with a dry wheeze, writhing in pain. That was a mercy by comparison. He would not die from this; they both knew he had survived far worse. She didn''t use any spells. She just kicked him. Over. And over.


    "Alright. I deserve this." he croaked out between kicks.


    Salem still wasn''t satisfied with that. "You''ll get much more, mister!"


    So she kicked him again. For good measure. Once. Twice. Three times. Four.


    Eventually, she simply couldn''t bring herself to hurt him anymore. Her rage simply guttered out.


    And in its place, the tiniest ember sprang back to life in her heart. Just an ember. A tiny flame. It was enough.


    When Ozma told her the terms of this "truce" Salem couldn''t help herself. She started laughing. She wouldn''t stop for an hour.

 Chapter 455 - My SI Stash #55 - Snapping Turtle by Chairtastic (Naruto)

    -Crazy how I''ve read hundreds of SI Naruto fics and this is the first one to not have the classic SI!9Tailed/1TailedJinchuriki but instead Isobu the 3 tailed~


    Synopsis: Isobu the three-tailed turtle has been bonded to another host due to civil war. But the trouble with making a living weapon is that sometimes they can think. They can make decisions of their own. And they might be of the opinion that a leash can be pulled from either end.


    Rated: T


    Words: 29K


    Posted on: forums.spacebattles.com/threads/snapping-turtle-naruto-si.903843/ (Chairtastic)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Fifteen years before Naruto.


    Mother Jiang.


    Akami had been afraid every afternoon that, when the children came back from the instruction at the academy, her boy wouldn''t be one of them. With the civil war, none of the civilians knew when their children''s class would be ordered to graduate and partake of the bloody ceremony. Had the Daimyo not commanded that all children in the village be sent to the academy to train, she would not have allowed her son to go.


    He could hate her if he wanted, but he would be alive to hate her. Better an estranged child than a buried one, as her mother had told her when she did the same to Akami.


    Akami cooked to distract herself from the worry and the war. She worked in a restaurant in the village, so her managers were appreciative of her dedication. The extra work, from when her son left in the morning, made them content to let her leave in the afternoon to be there when he got back.


    She was a large woman, she''d gotten into cooking because she loved food, and anyone who ever had anything to say about it got punched square in the teeth. Her father had been a ninja, she knew how to throw a punch that would hurt. Her mother had said that, after the starvation that had hit Kiri during the First Shinobi World War, she thought it a blessing that she had a daughter who loved to eat to soothe her anxiety.


    Kiri wouldn''t go hungry during the civil war, she hoped. The loyalists still controlled the major ports and Kirigakure had priority on supplies. But any day, the battle could turn against them and their vast archipelago could shrink down to just the central islands, and food would grow scarce.


    As if she didn''t have enough to worry about, when she left the restaurant one day, she noticed that it had started to snow. A terrible omen, and she rushed home to put on a pot of tea. Alongside that, a quick meal of egg fried rice for both her and her son. She had the meal set out along with tea so that he would see it the moment he came back. Something set her hairs on end, like an instinctual warning, before she heard it.


    The neighbor''s children had come down the road home. And shortly thereafter she heard soul-crushing wails. Akami sat and watched the door as dread creeped into her veins. The screams grew more numerous as more children returned home and more¡­ didn''t. Akami''s son was a bit silly, observant, but he talked back when insulted -- and had inherited his father''s Wave Country temper. Anger got ninja killed.


    A figure passed by the window, too tall to be her boy. Tears started to fill her eyes. Someone knocked at her door, too loud and deliberate to be her boy. Akami desperately tried to keep it together as she stood from the table and shuffled to the door. She knew what she was going to be told, but she couldn''t shake the slim hope that it was something different.


    A thousand possible scenarios played before her as she opened the door. Without the barrier, the wailing of mothers who mourned their children was even worse. In her doorway was one of the ninja instructors at the academy. Sojiro Hidaka, a tall and whip-thin man who wore all-grey except his black Kirigakure headband and a medical mask over his face.


    She stood there for a second, afraid that she would break and begin to wail as other mothers did. She stood there while the ninja looked down his nose at her -- for all she knew, he smirked underneath that mask. Kiri ninja were vicious like that.


    "Akami Jiang," the chunin started and folded his hands behind his back while he bowed.


    Akami returned the gesture, and tried to remain dignified as she rose from it.


    "It is with honor that I inform you that your son graduated from Kirigakure''s ninja academy this morning. He will serve his country as a genin."


    Relief was bitter as she heard dozens of mothers wail at children who didn''t make it. She looked to the chunin''s side, and didn''t see her boy there. Something was wrong. "Where is he? Is he hurt? At the hospital?"


    Sojiro sighed, as if exasperated, and explained. As his words hit her, it was like a knife drove into her heart. Her son was alive, but some part of her wished he wasn''t. The chunin left, to go inform another family of their child''s fate, and left Akami in the open doorway.


    She didn''t have the energy to join in the desperate wails of other mothers. Akami closed the door and shuffled to the couch. The food she made would go cold, as would the tea. But she didn''t care at that moment. Akami sat with her head in her hands and wished she could cry. She had been almost there mere minutes prior, then it all went away when she heard what had become of her son.


    She couldn''t bring herself to cry for a demon.


    --


    Director Ruan.


    Medical director Suzume Ruan checked all the injured patients from the latest graduation to make sure they were treated properly. She''d had the trainees do it, as she''d been required for the jinchuuriki procedure.


    "Laceration from kunai," she impassively spoke as she examined the genin''s back. "Stitches look good, sterilized properly, no bleeding. It''ll scar, and you''ll have something to brag about when the stitches come off." Suzume adjusted her half-moon glasses and nodded at the trainee who had done the work. To give the genin a bit of a boost about his recovery, she rustled his hair before she laid him back down to rest. Once they were out of earshot of the boy she turned to the trainee and tapped her in the chest. "That stitchwork was magnificent, especially for how little time you had to do it. If you want a hospital job, and not somewhere on the front lines, keep that up."


    "Yes, director," the trainee responded, her sweat visible through the scrubs.


    "Get cleaned up, you''ve more patients to look after." She didn''t linger much on how she had lied to the trainee -- fast and effective stitchwork was a vital field resource, not a hospital one. But no one wanted to learn the field medic skills and risk their lives. Suzume returned to her office to begin filing the paperwork to bill the medical supplies to the budget committee.


    On her desk were pictures of her and her family in happier times. A photo of Suzume and her sister, back when her hair was long and done in a braid, rock climbing. A photo of her fiancee and her on a date, back when Suzume''s skin wasn''t pale from being indoors. And a photo of Suzume asleep on the couch with her cats, when she didn''t have massive bags under her eyes.


    She worked in relative silence until her office phone rang. She had enough managerial staff on hand that she shouldn''t have been contacted unless something had gone wrong. When she picked it up, she got informed of the specifics: "The jinchuuriki escaped."


    Suzume''s blood ran cold as she slammed the phone in its cradle and rushed out of the office. Doubtless the Anbu operatives assigned to watch the hospital were in pursuit, but if the seal they had bound the bijuu up in had faltered then there wasn''t much that they could do besides bring her back a body.


    But maybe the boy hadn''t gone far, and she could bring him back.


    When she got to the jinchuuriki''s room, she found the chunin left to guard the boy bound to the wall by pink coral, and the restraints on his bed broken by the same substance. She refrained from chastising the pathetic ninja that had been bested by a freshly blooded genin, and asked them which way he''d went.


    She didn''t have to go far, just a couple floors down. In happier times, the hospital had a pool for physical therapy which had gone unused as no one could be spared to do the physical therapy exercises with the patients. Suzume saw the doorknob burst apart with fragments of coral in it, and looked inside.


    The jinchuuriki was face-up in the water, fully dressed, floating with arms and legs wide. He wasn''t just a genin, Suzume told herself. He was a jinchuuriki of a water bijuu. He had already used his powers long before they thought he would even be conscious. The wise thing to do would be to let Anbu sort it out, she hadn''t been on a battlefield in years.


    But, perhaps due to too many long shifts and too much ruthless calculus of war, she opened the door and stepped inside. The jinchuuriki turned to her, then looked back at the ceiling. A large boy, tall for his age, and chubby. His hair had to be shaved for the seal, but the hook-like tattoo almost resembled a curly hairstyle on its own.


    "Noburu?" She cautiously spoke and approached the edge of the pool. "What are you doing?"


    "Oh, you know." The boy responded as if he''d heard her perfectly despite his ears being submerged. "Vibing." He was so nonchalant, it was eerie.


    "Vibing?"


    Noburu sighed. "Doesn''t matter. Isobu wanted to swim, found a pool and went swimming."


    "Isobu?" She frowned as she walked the perimeter of the pool. She could tell by the shadows that deepened suddenly that the Anbu were on hand in case something happened.


    "The Three Tails. His name is Isobu. He likes to swim." Noburu closed his eyes and floated in silence for a while. "You''re still here."


    "I need you to go back to your room, Noboru." Suzume didn''t want to provoke the jinchuuriki so close to the water, but she couldn''t leave the Anbu to sort it out and potentially sour the jinchuruki''s attitude toward the village more than it had already.


    "And I''ll return¡­ when Isobu is satisfied." The boy moved to float upright in the water, and his eyes met hers in an intense stare. "We both want Isobu to be satisfied, content, not at all prone to push against this prototype seal none of you knows the exact strength of, right?"


    Shit, Suzume thought to herself. "You¡­ were awake for that, were you?"


    "Anesthesia affects everyone differently. Takes a bit longer to kick in for me, my dad was the same way."


    "The seal¡­ we expected the demon to fight back. It would be caught like a fish on a hook." She didn''t know why she felt the need to explain herself to a child, but the boy''s intense stare made her feel like she was being scolded by a superior.


    "Spirit," he responded. "Isobu is a spirit. But yeah, the whole fish hook design element, I got that. But I''m not willing to risk my life to stress test the damn thing, so I''m keeping Isobu happy and unhooked." The genin swam around the pool aimlessly for a moment before he turned to her again. "Isobu says the next time you seal him in an urn, just fill it with water and this won''t be necessary for future jinchuuriki."


    "O-oh. I''ll¡­ pass that along to the Mizukage."


    "Cool. Now I''m going to keep this up for a while. You probably have work to go do. Bye." Noburu dove under the water and swam submerged.


    Suzume glanced at the deepest shadows, where she knew the Anbu watched, and walked out of the pool. The jinchuuriki was watched. He wasn''t being confrontational. And if either of those changed, she could trust the Anbu to sort it out without killing him. However she still would have to get those chunin off her wall, and repair the coral damage the boy had done.


    The impulse to get the jinchuuriki to kill her to avoid paperwork was tough to shake off.


    --


    Mother Jiang.


    Akami had a friend, Arata Chow. Arata was of mixed descent, like her Noburu, so she looked to him for insight on how to make her son''s life easier in Kirigakure. They were both of the foot caste, so there was no pressure to help but Arata did anyway. In return, Akami helped him when his wife took ill -- and looked after Arata''s daughter when they had to go to the hospital. Arata''s wife was vain, and became nasty as she grew sick, so Akami became a person he could vent to when times were tough.


    It hurt her like a knife to the heart when she found out her Noboru had killed Arata''s Yuuko to graduate from the academy. A darling little girl who loved to chase and collect bugs, gone so her son could live. Only for that life to be ruined, and the sacrifice to be meaningless.


    She expected Arata would hate her, but she wasn''t a coward. She made a trip to the bank, and obtained some ryo to give as condolence money. Akami was ready to be screamed at, or attacked, because of the circ.u.mstance. But she would do Yuuko''s memory right and observe tradition.


    She ran into Arata on the way back from the bank. Where once he had been a short but lively man, he seemed empty when Akami saw him. His tanned skin pale, and his eyes red. When Arata saw her he scowled with terrible hatred, and Akami couldn''t say it was undeserved. Her son had lived, as a demon, and Arata''s daughter was gone.


    Akami stood still as the short man stormed over to her and began to shout. Even crazed with grief, he wouldn''t throw a punch -- though Akami would have let it slide.


    "You have some nerve showing your face!" Arata shouted, his voice slightly hoarse. "I trusted you and your brat! I invited you into my home! I let my daughter stay with you! And your son put a knife in her neck!"


    "Yes," Akami responded, and averted her eyes.


    "Look at me. Look at me!" When Akami returned her gaze, Arata was despondent. "You told me our kids would look out for each other in the academy! They''d be on a team, and serve together! And¡­." Arata clenched his fists and beat them against his head. "He killed her! He killed her because she wouldn''t fight back, I know it! My sweet girl¡­."


    Would Akami do the same if the situation had reversed? If Yuuko had lived, to become the jinchuuriki, and Noburu had died? She didn''t know. She tried to think of what she would say to herself in that situation to make it feel better. But there were no words.


    "Say something!"


    Akami was quiet a moment longer before she spoke. "I''m sorry. She didn''t deserve this."


    Arata didn''t explode like how she thought she would. Instead, he began to shake his head. "No. No you''re not." His face became a vicious snarl. "You''re not sorry. Not yet! You''ll be sorry alright, but not yet!" He turned in the opposite way he''d come, and shouted over his shoulder. "I''ll make you sorry!"


    That night, Akami didn''t sleep. She stayed up with a sharp kitchen knife in her hand, and kept an ear out for any suspicious noises.


    --


    Third Mizukage.


    Kirigakure heavily featured cylindrical buildings, often with small parks planted on their roofs. There was little adornment for the buildings, or artistic inclination -- only their pragmatic value was considered. Painted walls, murals, any covering for the concrete was considered unnecessary. Even the rooftop parks had begun as a source of food for the landlord''s family.


    The Mizukage Tower was not as tall as some of those buildings, but it was heavily fortified and the park within its roof was closest to being a forest in its own right. Fruiting trees and bushes were grown, and some wild animals kept for the pleasure of the hunt. A controlled ecosystem, as the First Mizukage had envisioned the village itself.


    Sadly, that had not been the prevailing line of thought for the Second or Third Mizukages. While the Second had treated his ninja like family, the Third was markedly more distant.


    The Third, Ryukotsusei, was a man without illusions. Haggard and old, he had been the longest leader of the Hidden Mist in its history. He looked out from his office window at the park within the Tower and saw a giant spike-backed turtle emerge from the park''s pond to snatch a deer by the neck. Nutrition and value had to be extracted from the weak to benefit the strong. That was just how things worked.


    His reflection in the window was of a old man who seemed to have never visited a barber. His hair was long and spiked at the ends from lack of care. His eyes were deadened, and his face was lined with stress wrinkles. As years had passed, he wore the kage robes and hat more than his preferred fashion, until the kage robes and hat became his preferred fashion. A blue robe with a long white coat and a blue wide-brimmed hat with a neck covering -- inscribed with the symbol for water.


    Ryukotsusei waited and watched as the water in the pond grew bloody from the spike-backed turtle''s meal. A meeting of the war council had been called, but the other members were not so fast as an elderly man with bad h.i.p.s, it seemed.


    Finally, a knock at his door. "Enter," he instructed it and turned away from the scene below.


    The first person to cross the threshold was the medical director, Suzume Ruan. She was the one who would have the most to say about the progress they''d made. Ryukotsusei didn''t appreciate how she never wore her forehead protector or flak jacket, even to official meetings, anymore -- it made it more apparent that she never expected to see the field again -- which would cause political problems.


    Second came Fu Sun, a retired kunoichi who had been appointed to administer the military intelligence and counterintelligence of Kirigakure. Fu was ann elderly woman, her hair once a vibrant color but faded to grey, dressed as a civilian but with a sizable scroll across her shoulders. She sat down on one of the two couches which faced each other in front of the Kage''s table, and Ryukotsusei didn''t make a fuss about that. She was older than him, and already his h.i.p.s told him he''d been standing too long.


    Third came Raiga Kurosuki of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. A tall man, dark skinned and with long green hair, he was the only one of the war council who was not of the eyes caste, merely a hand caste jounin. Raiga, to Ryukotsusei''s shame, bore the Kiba branched twin swords -- imbued with lightning to cut deeper than any mundane blade. Raiga''s possession of the blades broke the unstained tradition that only the eyes caste were qualified to be in the Seven Swordsmen. A part of the Mizukage hated him for that. Raiga commanded the portion of Kiri''s armed forces meant to guard the village itself from rebels.


    Fourth and last was the daimyo''s man, Takashi Zhang, from the capital. An overdressed fop by the standards of Kirigakure, the bespectacled man had a pinched face and fanned himself tirelessly while he walked in. Zhang was the daimyo''s representative, and provided the village its funds and supplies to wage war in the daimyo''s name. The man closed the door behind him, and flounced onto the couch opposite Fu.


    Suzume and Raiga seated themselves, and the meeting was underway.


    "The three-tailed demon turtle is sealed," Ryukotsusei announced and seated himself at his desk. "One of the foot caste genin was deemed a suitable match and the ritual was completed yesterday. Director Ruan will fill us in on the details."


    All eyes went to Suzume, who wilted a bit under the gaze. "The genin we selected, one Noburu Jiang -- "


    "Pfa," Takashi interrupted with a cruel smile. "You allowed the jinchuuriki to keep its name? It will not live long -- give it a number or something."


    Ryukotsusei couldn''t say that was a poor plan. The three-tailed demon was more straightforward in its powerset than the six-tailed demon. Not less useful, but more easily used. Once a host was damaged irreparably, they could extract it and seal it into a new host within a couple of days.


    Suzume frowned. "The genin we selected has already shown the ability to use the three-tails'' coral generation powers. He broke free of his restraints, and defeated two chunin with relative ease. They are alive, without injuries."


    "Hmm," said the Mizukage with concern. The jinchuuriki should have killed them. "I was told the jinchuuriki would be maddened with the pain of the three-tails from the seal we placed on it. Is the feedback not sufficient?"


    "I expect it is sufficient, only¡­ we misread the three-tails'' personality." Suzume pushed her glasses up and avoided the Mizukage''s gaze. "The three-tails isn''t trying to escape. If it doesn''t try to escape, the seal of hooks doesn''t lock in around it to cause it pain and keep it confined."


    Takashi scoffed. "What? Preposterous. Every time the tailed demons have had a chance to escape, they took it. They''re destructive beasts, they want to be free to destroy."


    "Apparently you''re wrong, lord secretary," Raiga smoothly cut in. The Swordsman smirked at the civilian official before he returned to professional indifference. "Making assumptions like that could cost us the war, you know. Your stance on jinchuuriki aside, we could lose this one if we send it against Kousuke recklessly."


    Fu sighed and leaned on the arm of her couch. "We cannot afford to waste time either. He''s graduated from the academy?" She looked around at Ryukotsusei and then Suzume, then nodded herself. "Very good. Get him assigned to a squad, and send him to war. I''ll make sure Kousuke has too much on his plate to make an appearance on the front lines."


    "I say we need to keep the jinchuuriki here," Raiga said with a cold look. "With the jinchuuriki in the home guard, we can free up potentially dozens of ninja to reinforce the front lines and start pushing back. The shinobi in the home guard are tacticians, experienced soldiers, and not liable to have the rebel leader meet them in a head to head fight."


    Ryukotsusei tapped his fingers to the desk. "But having the jinchuuriki on the front lines could be useful for luring Kousuke into a trap. He lost how many men in the raid on the three-tailed demon''s shrine?" The Mizukage smirked at the memory. As if they would leave the bijuu in its temple after the six-tails'' jinchuuriki rebelled. "What is the jinchuuriki''s temperament?"


    Suzume cleared her throat. "Accommodating. He only broke free and attacked his guards because he wanted to keep the three-tails calm. His academy marks that, aside from some back talk, he was a competent trainee. Though we have yet to see the impact of the graduation ritual on him."


    "Hmm." Ryukotsusei rested his chin on his steepled hands. "I thought assigning him to face his childhood friend would burn that defiant streak out of him. We''ll have to work harder on that." After Kousuke''s rebellion, it was not in the village''s interests to suffer a defiant jinchuuriki, nor would the daimyo allow it.


    "Every minute that the creature is not on the front lines killing rebels, more loyal Water Country men die," Takashi said softly with a scowl. His fanning speed slowed considerably. "The daimyo will not approve any plan that doesn''t see the creature being put to use."


    There was quiet as everyone looked to Ryukotsusei and he, in turn, contemplated. "We will not risk Kousuke stealing our remaining jinchuuriki," the Mizukage declared. "He will stay in the home guard, under Raiga''s command, while Fu and I move the front lines around so that Kousuke can be trapped with his fellow jinchuuriki as bait. We have a soldier who can think, instead of a mad dog on a leash -- we can''t just throw him at the enemy as was the original plan." The last was said to the daimyo''s man with narrowed eyes. The Mizukage''s gaze shifted to Raiga. "Get the creature to the point where it can kill jounin regularly."


    "Of course," Raiga said and bowed his head.


    "Killing Kousuke in an ambush would certainly cement our position relative to the warrior monks," Fu commented. "Can''t say I like it more than the increased revenue we''d get from having an active jinchuuriki on the field, though."


    "Neither will the daimyo." Takashi fanned himself speedily. "He will be positively furious if we lose Nagi and Ouza on top of the southern islands."


    "The daimyo will have his islands back by the end of this conflict," Ryukotsusei assuaged the man. "Before the year''s end, perhaps. They won''t even have time to print any ''Sea Country'' ryo."


    --


    Jounin Kurosuki.


    Raiga made his way to the hospital once the official orders were drawn up to get the jinchuuriki and begin training. From the picture in his file, the kid -- Noburu -- would need to lose some weight. A diet and Kirigakure exercise would see to that. Funerals and wakes would be announced for the children too weak to be genin, Raiga planned to make sure Noburu attended the one for the girl he''d killed.


    He''d get to see if the kid was truly sorry.


    The Anbu assigned to watch the jinchuuriki hid in the points of deepest shadows on the approach to his room. Too many good shinobi wasted on guard duty, in Raiga''s opinion. The jinchuuriki''s door was partially overgrown with coral, just enough to block the door from opening. With exactly zero regard, Raiga stepped back and kicked the door down with all his weight.


    "Now listen up!" He shouted while he crossed the threshold. He pointed at the bald jinchuuriki on the bed, messing with coral, and assumed an authoritative tone. "You''ve been assigned to the home guard, specifically to my squad! I will function as your sensei, and get you into fighting shape if I have to beat you to death to do it! Am I understood?"


    The jinchuuriki met his eyes and continued to mess with coral in his hands. "Great," the pre-teen drawled. "I''m going to learn from a filler villain. A filler villain with personal issues sixteen miles wide, no less." The boy sighed, long-suffering. "Going to have to break out the therapist chair for this, methinks."


    Filler villain? What? Raiga hadn''t expected that, and he visibly struggled to process it. "Genin, I am your sensei -- and you will do as I say!"


    Noburu held up a finger. "That didn''t work for Dr. Gero, that''s not going to work for you. Also, to quote Tywin Lannister, anyone who has to say ''I am the king'' is no true king. Power is shown, not talked about."


    Raiga decided he was going to go super hard on the jinchuuriki''s training right then and there. He''d never even heard of Dr. Gero or Tywin Lannister -- perhaps they were characters from a book?


    "Plus, I''m a conscript. You volunteered to become a ninja, not me. I''m not going to be enthusiastic about this, nor particularly patriotic. You had to know this was likely to happen when you decided to make the jinchuuriki from the foot caste." Noburu shrugged, then messed with his coral some more. Where before it had been a lump, he made it grow into a sharp spike. "I''m trying to make a sort of coral trap," he commented when he saw Raiga''s interest. "Eventually I''m going to try and make coral caltrops, but these bigger spike balls should work on enemy summons. Stuff to throw into their mouths, or fleshy joints."


    Raiga blinked at the tactical thought he''d just heard from the genin. It was a good start -- not good enough to avoid a proper beasting, but still. "You''re able to make the coral grow on your own? Previous jinchuuriki needed to channel the beast''s chakra to do so."


    "I am channeling Isobu''s chakra, though. His chakra mingles with mine. A side effect of the seal of hooks." He tapped the back of his head. "I''m pretty certain I can do that ''eyes of the bijuu'' trick on command." He screwed up his eyes and then opened them -- shining yellow where before they had been dull brown. "Intimidation factor."


    When Raiga looked at those eyes, he felt small. He felt like an ant must have felt to be the sole focus of a human. He didn''t like the feeling -- it prompted him to respond with anger. "Knock it off!" Raiga walked forward and grabbed the genin by the back of his shirt. "We got a lot of work ahead of us! You need to become a ninja worth all this investment, and get rid of this," he growled as he poked the genin''s chubby gut. "It''s time to get down to business!"


    "To defeat," the genin deliberately paused and spoke with a musical inflection, "the Huns?"


    Raiga slapped him.


    ---


    Cast:


    Mizukage Ryukotsusei: The Third Mizukage, formerly an attendant of the First Mizukage, and a team member of the Second. A pragmatist at heart, and a fan of brutalist architecture. With him as the Mizukage, Water Country repeatedly expanded to include dozens of formerly independent island nations. Not a nice man. Eyes caste.


    Director Suzume Ruan: A jounin medical ninja and contemporary of Tsunade. One of twelve sealing experts who helped to develop the Seal of Hooks version one, which was hoped would become the standard for all jinchuuriki seals. A bit of a coward. Eyes caste.


    Akami Jiang: A line cook for Chu''s Place, a restaurant in Kirigakure. She''s a single mother due to her son''s father being a deadbeat who vanished in what would become Sea Country. Foot cast.


    Noburu Jiang: Conscripted into Kirigakure''s armed forces due to the civil war, and made a jinchuuriki for Isobu the Three Tailed Turtle. He''s known to talk back, and has always been slightly off -- but did excellently in school. Foot caste.


    Yuukio Chow: A neighbor and former friend of Noburu''s, conscripted into Kirigakure''s armed forces. She was a diligent and loyal student, and was known as a teacher''s pet. She was assigned to fight Noburu to the death, where she lost. Foot caste, deceased.


    Kousuke: The rebellious host of Saiken, the Six Tailed Slug, a warrior monk from the Water Temple. He has raised an army in revolt against the daimyo of Water Country, and freed some of the conquered countries. Eyes caste.


    Raiga Kurosuki: One of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, a jounin of Kirigakure. Head of the home guard, he is responsible for the safety of Water Country''s home islands and the ninja village itself. Desperately lonely. Hands caste.


    Glossary:


    Eyes caste: The topmost caste of Kirigakure and Water Country, formed of the inhabitants of the original archipelago. Even the lowest of the eyes caste is higher than the next highest caste.


    Hands caste: The middle caste of Kirigakure and Water Country. Made up of the allies of Kiri that bowed to the water daimyo''s authority and helped conquer other nations.


    Foot caste: The lowest caste of Kirigakure and Water Country. Made up of people who were conquered during the wars of expansion. They are given the riskiest jobs and the least amount of trust.


    Seal of Hooks: A sealing jutsu meant to give the sealed target a false path to escape, which hooks them as they attempt to make use of it and causes terrible pain. The nervous and chakra systems of the sealed target and host are more strongly connected, with the pain from the sealed target meant to drive the host insane.


    Politics!:


    Kousuke, a warrior monk from the Water Temple and the jinchuuriki of Saiken, has risen in revolt against the Water Country daimyo. This is but one theatre of the crumbling of colonial power which is affecting all five of the Great Shinobi Countries in the leadup to the Third Shinobi World War. So far he has secured the freedom of the Moon and Sea Countries, and has begun to move closer to Water Country itself. Due to the split in Kiri''s forces from the civil war, a draft of the country''s foot caste children is ordered, and the creation of a new jinchuuriki of Isobu becomes necessary.

 Chapter 456 - My OC Stash #56 - Carrots and Cauliflowers by Overmind5000 (DragonBallZ)

    -Truly a nice pairing, Caulifla evens out Goku''s exaggerated naivety pretty well~


    Synopsis: Stopping home to get his supplies for his training with Muten R¨­shi, Son Gok¨± was introduced by a very similar person to himself, yet different at the same time: A girl named Caulifla. A meeting which will only lead to a great deal of shenanigans down the road. Image by Salvamakoto. Will remove if prompted.


    Rated: T


    Words: 182K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13473086/1/Carrots-and-Cauliflowers (Overmind5000)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Mount Paozu, Early Morning


    Morning has dawned as the sun rose over the mountains surrounding the valley, and as it always has, the wildlife began to stir and begin their natural routines in life. Smaller foraging animals began looking for berries or anything that looked appetizing, while larger carnivores looked for an early breakfast. The day would start just like any other, barring the absence of one of its long-time residents, Son Gok¨±, and the intrusion of yet another unfamiliar visitor for the first time since Gok¨± had left to gather the Dragon Balls with Bulma.


    Rustling through the trees near Gok¨±''s hut was the same visitor in question. Many native animals did not flee immediately, for something was oddly familiar to this intruder. The rustling eventually reached the edge of the clearing containing the vacant hut, and out rolled a small child with a serious look on her face, having a pair of jet black narrow eyes and a crop of black spiky hair with two bangs framing her face to complete the look. The girl was wearing a basic purple gi, with a long-sleeved pink undershirt. Her gi was tied by the waist with a pink obi which was covered by what looked like a thick brown fur belt. Catching sight of the hut, she crouched down and began to crawl towards the house. "That looks like the place. Maybe I can get some answers."


    The child proceeded closer to the hut with as much stealth as she could - which was certainly wasted effort to any possible witnesses - ducking behind rocks thinking she was close to being spotted, when in reality it was just a butterfly passing by. She eventually reached the door of the hut, and slowly opened it peering inside, only to see it was not only completely empty, but a small layer of dust had settled everywhere, indicating no one was here for some time.


    "Dang it!" The girl muttered under her breath. "I thought this person lived here! Now where do I look?"


    Crossing her arms and thinking, she stood in the empty hut, completely oblivious to a distinct whirring sound coming up over the mountains.


    Skies above Mount Paozu


    Perched atop his Kinto''un, Son Gok¨± began to stir from his night''s sleep and travel, still feeling off-balance from the loss of his tail the night before, but adjusting well. He let out a large yawn and looked at his surroundings. "These mountains look familiar. My house should be nearby!"


    Kinto''un responded to his master''s wishes and slowed down the pace to allow for a better survey of the ground below. A small hut in the middle of the wilderness shouldn''t be too tough to find, especially from the air. As Gok¨± looked down below for his humble abode, he thought about the offer given to him to study martial arts by Muten R¨­shi, the same man that taught his grandfather, Son Gohan. "Staying with Muten R¨­shi might be a bit of a burden. I should probably bring my own futon just in case."


    Sure enough, the hut of Gok¨±''s dwelling came into view, the tiled roofing unmistakable. Kinto''un responded to Gok¨±''s notice of this and proceeded to descend towards the hut. What the boy was not expecting after returning from such an adventure was to see his front door wide open.


    Mount Paozu, Gok¨±''s house


    The whirring of Kinto''un finally reached the girl''s ears, and immediately she began to panic. Whoever lives here is back! Looking for a place to hide, she quickly jumped behind the dresser which held a purple velvet cushion on top, and tried to keep her breathing quiet. Kinto''un came to a complete stop outside the open door, and Gok¨± leapt down with a puzzled look on his face.


    "I always close the door when I leave," Gok¨± thought aloud looking around in his home. "Maybe an animal pushed the door open?"


    Gok¨±''s eyes then trailed to the floor, where he saw footprints in the thin layer of dust. They certainly did not belong to an animal, especially not one from around here, and saw that they trailed around to the back of his dresser. Even more curious, the tracks do not lead back out, and an unfamiliar scent was strong within the room. Knowing he had an intruder, Gok¨± reached over his right shoulder and drew out his Nyoib¨­, assuming a basic defensive stance. "Whoever you are, come out!"


    The girl hiding behind the dresser began to panic even more. She was caught and had no means of escape other than to fight her way out. This guy seems weak, right? Running through the options in her head, she went with fight instead of flight, and immediately jumped out from behind the dresser, charging and yelling at a now surprised Gok¨±. She reared her fist back and threw a punch directly at his forehead, only for it to be blocked by his forearm.


    "Ouch!" Gok¨± recoiled in both surprise and pain. Inspecting his arm. It was mildly bruised, but nothing serious. "Who are you? Where did you learn to hit so hard?"


    "I don''t have to tell you anything!" The girl finally spoke, assuming a similarly basic stance, but was more offensive. "Now get out of my way!"


    The girl then proceeded to throw several punches and kicks at Gok¨±, who parried some of them now that he knew what sort of fight he was in for, but felt the force of the rest. Eventually he found an opening, and thrust his Nyoib¨­ into the girl''s stomach, causing her to gasp for air. Gok¨± then lifted the pole up and vaulted the girl over his head and out the door. He then proceeded to walk outside, closing the door behind him.


    "Why did you sneak into my house?" Gok¨± questioned, now ready to fight more seriously with his expression shifted to match.


    "What did I just say?!" the girl snapped back, squaring up. "I don''t have to tell you anything!"


    Gok¨± proceeded to aim one end of his Nyoib¨­ towards the girl and shouted. "Extend!"


    The pole began to increase in length at an alarming rate, the end opposite of Gok¨± quickly racing towards the mystery girl, who was unable to react due to her surprise and disbelief that such an artifact could exist, and this inaction would cost her in the form of another blow to the stomach.


    As she fell on her back reeling from the hit dealt to her gut, Gok¨± retracted his Nyoib¨­, relaxed, and bluntly apologized. "Sorry about that, but you did sneak into my house, plus you tried to fight me."


    The girl pulled herself up, gingerly rubbing her stomach and groaning from the aching caused by the impact. Visibly she was mad at the boy, while Gok¨±''s expression was blank as paper.


    "Anyway, I''m gonna go pack my things," Gok¨± called out as he went back to his hut. "Try not to cause more trouble."


    "P-Packing?!" the girl stuttered in disbelief. "But you just got here! What are you packing for?!"


    "I''m gonna go train in martial arts with Grandpa Kame-Sennin," Gok¨± answered nonchalantly. "You wanna come along?"


    "M-Me?!" The girl stammered even more. "Why me? I literally broke into your house and attacked you!"


    "You don''t seem too bad." Gok¨± casually retorted as he placed his folded futon and a small bag of supplies onto Kinto''un. "If you want to come along though, you should make sure Kinto''un likes you. If your heart isn''t pure, you''ll fall through."


    "I didn''t say I wanted to tag along you moron!" the girl snapped back, puffing out her cheeks in indignation. "I''m looking for someone anyways, so I can''t be bothered."


    "Maybe I can help out?" Gok¨± offered, displaying a grin that was simultaneously goofy and endearing. "Kinto''un is pretty fast, so we should be able to find this ''someone'' pretty fast."


    The girl looked away and thought it over, her sour expression persisting, until at last she came to a decision. "Fine. But what if that cloud doesn''t like me? I don''t want to be eaten by a cloud."


    "Kinto''un won''t eat you," Gok¨± assured the girl with the same grin. "You just won''t be able to sit on top and fall on the ground instead."


    The girl was clearly hesitant in letting this yellow cotton candy-looking cloud judge her, but eventually went for it, and decided to jump onto the cloud. During the very quick descent of her jump she closed her eyes expecting to eat dirt, but instead was met with a different type of surface. The surface was soft, fluffy, and felt like air. She opened her eyes and was sure enough sitting on a cloud.


    "Looks like Kinto''un likes you!" Gok¨± laughed as the girl realized the situation she was in. "Alright Kinto''un, Go!"


    "Wait Waaaaaaaiiit!" The girl screamed as she held on for dear life and as Kinto''un began speeding into the air. Once the cloud rose above the mountain range, it began to spiral in loop de loops and eventually decreased to a cruising speed allowing the girl to collect herself and catch her breath lost from shock. "A little warning next time, please?!"


    "Sorry!" Gok¨± smiled back, oblivious to the shock of the girl. "By the way, my name''s Son Gok¨±. What''s yours?"


    "My name?" the girl was taken aback. She pondered telling this kid her name, but for some bizarre reason felt she could trust this ''Gok¨±'' character, and eventually decided to share. "My name is Caulifla."


    "That''s a neat name. Is it a girl''s name?" Gok¨± bluntly asked, his naive nature going on full display.


    "Of course it is!" the girl, now named Caulifla shouted back. "You couldn''t tell I was a girl?!"


    "I figured you were, but I wasn''t sure." Gok¨± answered with honesty. "I usually pat a person''s crotch to check if they have-"


    "Please stop!" Caulifla immediately demanded, her face turning red. "There are simpler, less embarrassing ways to check if someone is a boy or girl!"


    "Okay," Gok¨± replied, his blank expression ever present. "So, who is it you''re looking for?"


    "Well," Caulifla began to answer, choosing her words carefully. "Not someone specifically, but someone, like me."


    "Like you?" Gok¨± asked, his blank expression accented with his head tilting to the side. "What do you mean?"


    "I''ve been traveling for a long time and made a stop at this place called Fungus Town. The folks there said I was a lot like this boy that saved them from some local crooks a week before I showed up. If so, maybe he could help me with a problem I have."


    "Well, what made them think you were like this boy?"


    Caulifla sighed and pondered her next choice of words even more carefully. "I''m gonna ask that you don''t freak out, okay?"


    "Okay!"


    Caulifla closed her eyes, and the brown fur belt around her obi began to move and unravel, until it was blatantly apparent that it was not a belt, but a tail, and it was attached to the base of her back. How Gok¨± reacted to this revelation was like something out of a cartoon, as he screamed loud enough for a flock of birds to fly away from a distant tree, and he fell off Kinto''un and down into the uncharted forest below. The somersault cloud, noticing its master take a tumble, immediately darted down to try and catch him, only to miss and have Gok¨± fall into a cl.u.s.ter of tree branches.


    "You idiot!" Caulifla snapped, visibly angry and crimson in the face as Kinto''un brought her down to the tree canopy Gok¨± was stuck in. "You said you wouldn''t freak out!"


    "Y-You have a tail!" Gok¨± stammered out in complete surprise as he freed himself from the canopy foliage.


    "Yeah, I have a tail!" Caulifla snapped back once again. "I get it! It''s weird and no person would be a freak like-"


    Gok¨± interrupted before Caulifla could finish her statement. "Just like I did!"


    "Like you... did?" Caulifla began to calm down and genuine curiosity took over her face. "So, you''re the monkey kid who saved Fungus Town from that rabbit?"


    Gok¨± leaped back up onto Kinto''un brushing away stray twigs and baring his trademark grin. "Yeah! I sent him and his goons to the moon!"


    "The moon?!" Caulifla immediately shifted from curiosity to shock, ignoring the implications of travelling to the moon. "Was it a full moon?!"


    "No, it was the middle of the day, plus there was a full moon just two days ago." Gok¨± waved it off. "Why do you ask?"


    "Do you¡­ remember what happened during that full moon?" Caulifla asked with trepidation in her voice.


    Gok¨± tried to remember the events of that night, and he gathered his words. "Well, me and my friends were stuck in this mean guy''s castle, who wanted to use the Dragon Balls to rule the world, but we stopped him. We ended up stuck in this metal room with a glass roof and couldn''t get out. I looked up and saw the full moon, and the next thing I remember, I wake up without my clothes, and my tail was gone."


    Caulifla was absolutely stunned by this explanation. The time skip between seeing the moon, him waking up bare as the day he was born, those notes made sense to her, but the lack of tail was an odd part. Maybe someone cut it off at some point? No, that was the point, because this kid had a tail before they met.


    "Are your friends still alive?" Caulifla asked with even more trepidation in her voice than before.


    "Yeah, they made it out okay, but I never really figured out how we got out of that metal room." Gok¨± answered, now noticing the shift in Caulifla''s demeanor. "Hey, are you okay?"


    "I-I don''t know," Caulifla answered as she began to visibly tremble. "Your friends probably know what happened when you were out, and I think I know what happened as well."


    "Can you tell me?" Gok¨± asked, with more sincerity than before.


    Caulifla hesitated to answer Gok¨±''s question, but then sighed. "Alright. If you''re anything like me, then when you looked at the full moon, you must have turned into an Oozaru."


    "An Oozaru? Like the one Grandpa Gohan told me about?"


    "I don''t know what your grandpa told you, but I had to find out the hard way. I grew up in a small village near a dojo early in life. The locals said I was a child from Heaven, and I still don''t get why they called me that. Life was good with my adoptive parents, and I had good friends, but I was always told not to stay out late at night, or monsters would get me. One evening, I was out late, and I looked at the full moon. The next thing I knew, it was morning, my clothes were gone, and the entire village, my friends and family¡­"


    Caulifla couldn''t finish her story as she began to shed tears and weep. All the while, Gok¨±''s mind began to race. Grandpa Gohan had told him similarly to go to bed early, especially on the nights of the full moon, lest the terrible Oozaru come for him. Caulifla''s story sounded eerily similar to what had happened when he had found Grandpa Gohan, and then it hit him.


    Gok¨± had killed Grandpa Gohan.


    Tears began to well in Gok¨±''s eyes as the realization hit him like a freight train. This whole time, he was a monster and couldn''t even know about it. Even worse, no one had told him the truth, not even Grandpa Gohan. At the same time, it was a form of closure. The mystery of the death of Son Gohan was solved, and he met someone whom he could relate to. It was at this moment, Gok¨±''s mind began to work harder than it had before. He looked over at Caulifla and her free-swinging tail, and came to a decision.


    SNAP


    "OW!" Caulifla screamed as she felt a sharp pain at the base of her tail. "What the hell was that for?!"


    She looked over to Gok¨± to see that he had ripped her tail off with one swift tug. Tears were in his eyes, yet he had an earnest smile. "This is why we are monsters! I think my friends cut off my tail and that''s what turned me back to normal. If you don''t have your tail, you won''t have to worry about the full moon!"


    Gok¨± tossed the tail over the side of Kinto''un and into the forest below. Caulifla looked at both the forest and Gok¨± with pure disbelief, and then his words granted her an epiphany. Whenever someone squeezed her tail, she would always feel weaker, and then she began to speculate, could she learn to control herself during a full moon? Such speculation was useless however, since her tail was gone, and in a sense, she felt better for it.


    "I, I don''t know what to say." Caulifla struggled to find the words to describe what she was feeling. Relief, closure, to a minor extent, regret, and genuine happiness for the first time since before she had lost her home.


    "You''ll feel off-balance for a little, but you''ll get used to it." Gok¨± replied, his grin returning in full force. "I lost my tail 2 days ago, and I''m already doing better! So, since you found out who you were looking for, you wanna train with Grandpa Kame-sennin with me?"


    Caulifla pondered this offer for a few seconds, and then her face went from surprise to determination. "Hell yeah!"


    "Alright!" Gok¨± cheered as Kinto''un began to go full speed and over open water towards the fabled Kame House, where their martial arts training under the legendary Muten R¨­shi will begin.


    Kinto''un - Flying Nimbus


    Nyoib¨­ - Power Pole


    Oozaru - Great Ape


    Muten R¨­shi - Master Roshi


    Kame-Sennin - Turtle Hermit, Roshi''s other title

 Chapter 457 - My SI Stash #57 - Reborn as Saitama in MHA by Suploly (MHAXOPM)

    -I know I almost never do recommendations but this one seems really worth it, the author encapsulates Saitama/Hiroto pretty well, and it''s got a decent upload schedule! Most of the time authors do something edgy or extra with OPM but the "my pace all blas¨¦ MC" really fits this type of story the best! Can''t wait for more from this author~


    Synopsis: After having been struck by Truck-kun from his window, he is granted a second chance in life by God to be reincarnated into the MHA world. With luck on his side, he managed to obtain Saitama''s Power from One Punch man, making his mere existence the mean of ''Broken''.


    Follow our MC, Hiroto, as he goes through his second life wielding unparalleled strength, with his shining bald head soon to become the new symbol of peace.


    Rated: ???


    Words: ???


    Posted on: /book/reborn-as-saitama-in-mha_17892001106557305 (Suploly)

 Chapter 458 - My CO Stash #58 - Unlimited Rettousei by ferduran (FSNXMKR)

    -Quite the epic concept of pushing FSN magic into MKR, Mayumi is still the best girl tho/


    Synopsis: The end of an history is the begining of another one, but what happen when that new history is on a new reality just because Kaleidoscope was bored. A neglected Tatsuya ficc.


    Rated: M


    Words: 243K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/11561392/1/Unlimited-Rettousei (ferduran)


    Chapter 1


    Also while the story will start with developing the background of the Fate/Stay Night cast, the main focus will remain on Tatsuya. For all those who are interested, I encourage you to use this prologue for any of your own Fate/Stay Night crossover fan fictions to explain how they moved to another universe.


    The world was collapsing. The sound of churning earth and collapsing rocks reverberated in the near distance, each passing second amplifying the volume of the approaching void. The culmination of all their efforts had finally resulted in the destruction of not only the corrupted Grail, but also the entity that existed within it, the entity that brought forth the corruption in the first place. At the very center of what was left of the world, four figures awaited the end. Neither surprise nor fear painted their faces. They had known the consequence of erasing the Greater Grail from existence, putting and end to the wicked rituals it called forth, and ending the evil that heralded the extermination of mankind. One of the four figures, a red-haired adolescent body, observed the world''s collapse while ruminating through his thoughts.


    He did it. He had finally become what he had always strived for; a Hero of Justice. He had managed to save the world of the murderous curse that was Angra Mainyu, and saved innumerable lives in the process. However, this victory came with a heavy price, a price that he, now that the battle was over, started to doubt was worth it. With him were three girls. These weren''t mere high-school friends or classmates, but people he considered to be the most precious to him. They had fought, laughed, despaired, and cried together ¡­ and now they would die together as well.


    Looking down at Illya''s fragile body that he cautiously held in his arms, a strange thought crossed his mind. Despite being older than he was, she would insist on referring to him as her Onii-chan. Shirou considered that this may have been a tragic remnant of the scars Kiritsugu''s disappearance, or rather the fabricated lies that labelled his exile as betrayal, left in her tender heart. She had long since discovered the truth, but it was only natural for injuries of the soul to take longer to heal.


    "I am sorry Illya, I shouldn''t have dragged you into this, I should have been able to prevent it. This wasn''t supposed to happen, not like this¡­", Shirou apologetically pleaded, his tears framing Illya''s faint smile.


    Though faint, it showed not a single trace of regret. The light in her eyes had already begun to fade.


    "It''s ok Emiya-kun", Shirou looked up and met with captivatingly azure eyes.


    "We knew that it was going to end this way. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. For years I purposefully avoided Sakura, thinking that she was happy, that my father had made the right decision. But in the end I was just trying to convince myself because I was afraid to face the truth", supporting Sakura''s body much like Shirou held into Illya, Rin regretfully regarded her sister''s unconscious expression.


    "I should had been a better sister, should have never trusted my father. But now is too late. All I can do now is be with her until the end and hope that we can be sisters again in the next life, only this time I will make things right and care for her."


    "Tohsaka-senpai¡­"


    The weak voice startled both the girl in red, and the boy opposite her.


    "Sakura!" was their instant reply.


    "I am sorry for everything¡­", she whispered in the same weak voice.


    "You should have left me behind. Because of me all of you are going to.."


    "Shhh", Shirou interrupted her with a gentle tone before Sakura started sobbing.


    "It is all right Sakura. We are here of our own free will, and believe me when I say that I would prefer to be with you right here and now than in any other place in the world. After all¡­ you are the people I cherish most¡­"


    "But-"


    "Emiya-kun is right. Besides, we already have too much regret in our lives, there is no need for any more", Rin assured with a fond expression.


    "Toh-¡­ Nee-san. What you just said ¡­ about wanting to be my sister again¡­ do you really mean it?"


    There was no need for verbal confirmation, as Rin simply assured Sakura with a resolute nod. That alone was enough for tears to blur her vision.


    "Me too! I also want to be your sister again. I want to be with Senpai and Illya-chan again, I want us to be together in this life and the next. I don''t want to be separated from you again."


    It was at that moment that an earsplitting noise forced their attention back to their unavoidable predicament. The collapsing world had finally caught up to them. A strong gust of wind accompanied the splitting earth and lifted everyone off their feet. It was now or never. Dragging every shred of remaining energy from his broken body, Shirou traced the heaven''s golden chains, Enkidu, and used a single swing to bind the four of them together. Surprise was prevalent on the Tohsaka sister''s faces when they witnessed Shirou''s final act of defiance.


    "I may not been able to do anything about what is going to happen, but I can make sure that we will all be together when the end comes!"


    That single verse echoed infinitely in the blackened void that was nothingness, and just like that, the world had ended.


    Unknown to the trivialities of mortals, two greater entities observed the unfolding events with great interest. One distinguished itself as the planet''s enduring survival instinct, while the other ¡­ was slightly more infamous, though that subjective evaluation may differ from person to person.


    Gaia, the representation of the plant''s will, if not the not the planet itself, had been paying close attention to the fight that shouldered the fate of all living organism''s survival, and welcomed the defeat of Angra Mainyu, the personification of all evil, with joy and pride. Kaleidoscope, summoned by Gaia to this ethereal plane for the purpose of cementing this defeat within all dimensions to prevent Angra Mainyu''s victory over life, seemed unfazed by this course of events. Kaleidoscope had likely already expected this outcome.


    "Well, I have to give it to the kids, they sure know how to put on a show."


    Kaleidoscope was slightly sarcastic but Gaia payed it no heed.


    "I am grateful for their efforts. Thanks to them the other realities will have a renewed chance at facing Angra Mainyu, but I do regret their sacrifice", Gaia melancholically stated.


    "You already interfered with their deaths, is it alright to involve yourself to this extent?"


    "I''ve done three things. That wish of theirs at the very end ¡­ I felt that the least I could do to reward their efforts and fulfill it to the best of my ability, though I don''t know to which extent I can alter fate. Second is the body of that sad child. With that unnatural body structure of hers eating away at her life force, it would be too pitiful to die at a young age even after all my efforts. Lastly is Angra Mainyu''s influence on it''s host. His influence tainted her body and mind, so I cleansed her of his corruption and freed her from the Grail within her. Alas, all I can do now is hope that they will find happiness in whatever life they find themselves next."


    Gaia, seemingly satisfied with her efforts, stepped back from influencing the laws of the world and returned to her passive state of rest. She had done all she could, and the fate of the world would continue with it''s normal course.


    That is, if it weren''t for the additional presence still active in her realm.


    "Wait until their next life to see the next chapter of their history? Hell no."


    Kaleidoscope selfishly complained with a dark tone chilling his non-existent expression.


    "Those kids provided me with the best entertainment that I had in years; such entertainment can''t be easily found in most realities after all. There is no way that I am going to wait a lifetime to see what happens next! Oho~ especially with this new reality I found. A world where there is no border between magic and science ¡­ now this ought to be entertaining!"


    Kaleidoscope looked towards the spot where the heroes had supposedly been swallowed by nothingness, and revealed the Boundary Field containing them. Enkidu had somehow persisted to exist and continued to link the four together, as if honoring it''s user''s wish to remain connected to his friends. The peculiar thing about this Boundary Field was that it trapped it''s contents in a space between realities, and with their presences having seemingly vanished, Gaia had assumed that they had successfully started their reincarnation process. In fact, Kaleidoscope intentionally sent them to the rift between realities in a successful attempt to fool Gaia.


    Gazing at the children before him, Kaleidoscope couldn''t help but voice his thoughts.


    "A world where magic and science blend together as one and where magi no longer need to hide themselves. Seems to be entertaining enough. On special with those strategic class, I wonder how those strategic class will react with magus at the level of heroic spirits"


    Moving towards the center of the four magi, Kaleidoscope regarded golden chain that linked them together.


    "This chain as well as Gaia''s help¡­ Fufufu, it''s almost too easy", Kaleidoscope chuckled sinisterly.


    "Enkidu, the chains of the heavens that can bind gods, I wonder what will happen if it were to continue to exist in a conceptualized state¡­"


    Suddenly the projected chain, that was already on the verge of collapsing, burst into a myriad of golden iridescence and sought shelter in the bodies of the four unconscious mages.


    After this was done he turns to see where Sakura and Illya were. "Gaia, I thank you for showing me how to change the core of a person magic circuits, but now I am a little curious, I wonder if I will be able to do the same and what to do, Oh well because I can waste too much time I will just see what happen if I take a set of their core magic circuits" after that he proceed to rice both hands up and on that moment the bodies of the young heroes moved their chest out and on that instant three spheres of light come out of their chest and remain floating in front of them, the ones in front of Rin were red ones, the ones in front Illya were yellow ones, the ones in front of Sakura were green ones and the ones in front Shirou were blue ones. After a few moment they moved to Kaleidoscope hands where they started to flutter for a moment until they stopped and then moved back to be in front of the young magus, but this time they didn¡ät have the three spheres of light of the color that come out of their chest, this time each of the three spheres of light were of different colors, one coming from each of the other young magus that were unconscious, and a moment after that the spheres of light got inside their chest.


    "All right with this they''ve joined not just their fates but also their very cores along with their Magic Circuits. I am not too sure what will happen with things having turned out like this, but I am sure that it will be interesting! Now just one little stop before you can see your new home", the embodiment of eccentricity, visibly pleased with his work, murmured to himself.


    There were two things associated with trans-dimensional travel. The first, if he simply placed something into a different reality, then much like visiting a neighboring city, you would have no history or knowledge of the world. While it would have indeed been grandiose entertainment to see how the heroes before him would try to make sense of the situation, he refrained from doing so this time due to a rare feeling of empathy he felt for them, and thus settled with for his next best plan. Secondly, he had learned from Gaia that the self-correcting mechanisms of the worlds always keep a certain balance, regardless of the dimension, meaning that if Kaleidoscope were to simply toss the youngsters into a new reality from Gaia''s realm, the fabric of that reality would be rewritten to welcome their arrival, assimilating them into it. He only needed to act quickly so that Gaia wouldn''t notice and prevent him from doing so. With a final compulsory glance over the floating bodies before him, he tossed them out into the foreign world.


    It was early in the morning and the soft rays of sun tickled the seventeen year old boy sprawled out in his king sized bed.


    "That really was a strange dream" Shirou yawned before once again burying his head in his pillow to appease his tired mind, which would have been successful if not for the radio alarm that had turned itself on in that exact moment.


    "Good morning on this beautiful day. Today is December 12, 2088 and the social unrest in ¡­" Shirou mind didn''t pick up the rest of the newscaster''s report as his mind stubbornly clung to a vital piece of information.


    "2088!? What kind of joke is that?"


    As the surprise woke his mind, Shirou realized that he wasn''t even in his own room, as it was way too big and luxurious to be his. Getting up from bed, he walked towards the windows of the eastern wall of his room to see a somewhat familiar looking forest. Searching for more clues to his current predicament, Shirou came across a series of framed picture on his desk. One depicted his foster father Kiritsugu, and an even younger version of Illya carried by a woman that ¡­ very much looked like an older version of Illya. Shirou''s befuddled mind couldn''t come up with a better explanation when¡­


    "Irisviel¡­ mom?"


    That single thought lingered in his head before Shirou could realize the implications.


    "Wait a minute, how do I even know that?"


    Shifting his attention to the next picture, Shirou hoped to make sense of his memory of an unknown woman, and his subconscious recognition of her as his mother. The adjacent frame showed his father once again, as well as the one he referred to as mother, Illya and himself. Judging by his facial features and height, Shirou judged himself to be eight years old. The relaxed atmosphere that could be felt even through the protective glass of the picture frame implied that this was likely to be a family trip.


    "What is the meaning of this, I haven''t even met Illya before the war, right?"


    Shirou tried to deny the existence of the memory ¡­ but at same time he recalled the events clearly after spending just minimal effort into remembering them. What was going on? As Shirou eyed the last three pictures on his desk, more memories flooded into his mind like a leaking dam, one of which involved his father, mother, Illya and himself spending time together in a living room lit by the comforting glow of an antique fireplace. This time however, three other people joined them in the photograph, two of which he knew all too well.


    "Rin ¡­ Sakura?" Shirou absentmindedly muttered.


    Still, this was wrong. Regardless of the visual evidence, there was no possible way he knew Illya, Rin, and Sakura ever since he was a child. It would have been another story if they had met by chance before his adoption, but these pictures blatantly suggested that they had visited him and Kiritsugu on a regular basis. But that simply wasn''t true. Still not too sure what to make of this, the final person on the picture caught his attention.


    "Auntie Aoi?"


    Just as he had done before, the name of woman he was not supposed to know rolled off his tongue in a well rehearsed manner. As if he was used to calling that name. Frightening as it was, it wasn''t just his muscles that remembered that name, as he a soothing sense of familiarity permeated his cautious mind. Did ¡­ did he know her after all?


    On yet another picture he could see Rin, Sakura and Illya dressed as fairies, Rin donning red, Sakura green, and Illya yellow colors, while a younger version of himself could be seen wearing a silly Robin Hood costume next to them. Again, memories of an event that he had never experienced, was never supposed to experience, came to his mind, as well as the supplementary information that that event was in fact a costume party they had attended in primary school. The final picture showed the main gate of an imposing mansion that he recognized as the very same mansion Illya resided in while participating in the 5th Holy Grail War.


    "Wait a minute, Illya too?"


    Focusing his attention on the unfamiliarly proportioned girl, he noted that Illya looked more like a 16 year old version of her mother rather than an older version of herself ¡­ though that may just be because Shirou had officially placed Illya in the "eternally a little sister" category and therefore had a hard time picturing her as anything but. However, as soon as that preconception flashed through his mind, it just as suddenly disappeared without a trace. At a frighteningly fast pace, Shirou accepted the "new" Illya, as if it had been strange for her to look any different. The taller and well proportioned Illya leveled up from her little sister appearance and assumed the spot of "responsible elder sister" ¡­ as hard as it was for himself to actually accept that realization. To be fair, she was technically older then him, but regardless of that, it would be hard for him to completely throw out his previous evaluation of Illya''s character. His off-track thoughts finally coming to a stop, Shirou noticed a note left on the picture.


    "First day of National Magic University Affiliated High School¡­ Wait a minute, Magic High School?! What the hell is going on here?"


    It was in that moment that Shirou was assailed by an overwhelmingly nauseous headache, while new memories flooded into his mind. If the dam had previously leaked, it had now completely broken down, causing him to be drenched in foreign memories that were and were not his own. It took several minutes for the pain to stop, ending with Shirou''s mind completely assimilated to this new world. His previous memories hadn''t been replaced, rather he simply received new ones. Both were true, and both were his own. While he could not make complete sense of it, he was able to understand it, though a sense of confusion lingered on.


    As soon as the pain subsided Shirou decided that he won''t receive all the answers by just walking back and forth in his own room. While he somewhat had a general grasp on the existence of "Emiya Shirou" in this world, he was unclear about the circ.u.mstances that caused this phenomena, so he decided to leave his room and talk to the one person that he could rely on most in such a situation. If his new memory was to be trusted, he would not need to walk too far in order to find her. Just as he made the first step out of his room, he was already met with the sight of Rin, Sakura and Illya waiting by her side.


    "Rin, Sakura, Illya. I am so glad that all of you are safe!" Shirou genuinely exclaimed, not even trying to hide his wholehearted concern and relief.


    The fact that each of them were dressed in their nightwear did little to dim his emotional outburst, nor were they particularly surprised that Shirou himself was still dressed for bed


    "If you are this loud already then it must mean that you are fine", the seemingly nonchalant response couldn''t completely distract from Rin''s reddened cheeks.


    "Senpai, I am so glad to see that everyone is safe after what happened. If something were to have happened to any of you because of me, I-"


    Shirou interrupted Sakura, as had become a common recurrence between the two, to assure her with an amiable smile.


    "You do not need to worry about that Sakura. Didn¡ät we tell you that no matter what would happen, we would never abandon you?"


    Their reunion was thus completed. They were all safe and sound, and most importantly, together. Shirou could think of nothing that could ruin this perfect moment ¡­ except ¡­


    "So Shirou, don''t you have something to say to your elder sister at all?"


    The source of the voice was easily traced to the fair haired beauty in front of him. Despite having previously spotted this "form" of hers in a picture in his room, it was a completely different experience to experience her gorgeous beauty from up close. Standing in front of him was not the Illya he knew, but an Illya that had appropriately aged into the body of a 16 year old.


    "You ¡­ look different but in a a good way." Shirou decided to play it safe in the presence of the two other girls beside him.


    "It''s true, even I was surprised when I saw you like this. What happened? Or actually ¡­ well now that I think about it it''s only natural for you to look like that after all, right?", Rin questioned, being at odds with her conflicting memory of Illya''s appearance.


    "No I feel the same. I was just about to ask Illya myself", Sakura chimed in, agreeing with her sister''s claim.


    Illya briefly fell silent as she reorganized her thoughts to come up with a believable answer. While she was in the same position as her friends, at least she was somewhat aware of what was going on with her own body.


    "I believe it''s because I am a complete human now."


    Seeing that her curt statement caused more confusion rather than alleviating it, Illya continued with her speculation.


    "As you probably know, my mother was a homunculus meant to be used in the 4th Holy Grail War. One of the physical characteristics of a homunculus is the absence of growth, or rather, we do not age like normal humans do. Our bodies usually remain as they were when created all the way up until our death. Since my father was a human, I became a somewhat unique existence. Only half of me was a homunculus, so I was able to grow from my infantile state to my adolescent body, but that was the limit of my physical development. In fact, I am a few months older than all of you. Continuing this logic, the fact that I am aging like a normal human being is most likely ¡­ because I am. It''s just a feeling but my body is definitely different, and those ¡­ memories. They agree with my theory. In this world, apparently, I am a human."


    Ending her explanation on that note, Illya noted the brief period of inaction displayed by both sisters due to the magnitude of the information she had just offered. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Illya promptly ignored the two and turned her whole body towards the equally confused Shirou. Pursing her lips to form an alluring smile and adapting a posture that allowed unobstructed view and emphasized her already well-developed feminine curves, Illya whisper in a low purr.


    "What do you think Shirou? Do you want to find to just how human I am now?", despite the a.d.u.l.terous nature of her invitation, a hint of her usual childishness was still noticeable in her approach, however, it was debatable whether or not this only empowered her attack.


    Shirou''s skin turned indistinguishable from his reddish hair as he received the full brunt of Illya''s unexpected advance. Before he could come up with a plan of escape, and unexpected ally in red dashed forward and smote the innocent predator on the forehead.


    "Ouch that hurts! What was that for Rin?!", Illya vibrantly screamed while caressing the center of her forehead.


    "That is what I want to ask you!"


    As usual, both parties threw their respective tantrums and the familiar arguing voices filled the halls just like they used to in Fuyuki. However, unlike in the private Emiya household, they were interrupted this time.


    "I see that you are as animate as always", a new presence announced herself with a lecturing demeanor.


    "Sella?"


    Once again, everyone except Illya seemed to only experience disorientation for a mere instant, before coming to the understanding that they somehow knew the person in front of them, despite having never met that person before.


    "What, do I have something on my face?", Sella asked to break the uncomfortable silence, her tone both playful and stern.


    "No, it''s just that we all had a strange morning, that is all." Sakura quickly stepped in to prevent any further suspicion.


    "Well, you better hurry up once you are done with whatever you are doing. Your parents are already in the kitchen and Leysritt ¡­ well you know how she gets when she is hungry", for Sella this was a common scolding she repeated day after day, which therefore led to her completely missing the bewildered reactions of the four children as she turned around to return to the kitchen. (Isn''t it a bit weird for Sella to specifically tell them to hurry up and eat breakfast, but then leave without bringing them along? I guess she could have been busy?)


    Their parents ¡­ were here? How was that possible? As there was no way to discover any answers to their questions by remaining in the hallway, Shirou, Illya, Rin, and Sakura decided to head towards the mentioned destination.


    With each step they took on the path that was somehow clearly mapped out in their heads, bits and pieces of information revealed themselves to them, starting the with history of the mansion that was owned by Emiya Kiritsugu and Emiya Irisviel. They had met during the wartime period when Kiritsugu had traveled to Germany, which had been attacked by the Bella-Russia alliance, to provide humanitarian aid to the Japanese forces. The attack was eventually subdued but collateral damage was unavoidable. It was during that time that Kiritsugu met Irisviel. Irisviel was the youngest daughter of a wealthy aristocrat, and at the same time, the only remaining member of that bloodline. Her family had been killed during the attack and Irisviel was the sole surviver along with two relatively young girls that used to be employed as maids in the Einzbern household. They had merely met by chance, but as if mimicking a fairytale, the two of them had fallen in love shortly and conceived their first child but a year after. However, tension in Germany refused to be eased, which prompted Kiritsugu to suggest to his newfound family, plus maids, to move to his home country to lead a more peaceful life. It was back in Japan where Illya was born.


    Kiritsugu was a passionate magical engineer and Irisviel herself possessed a degree of undiscovered brilliance and talent in the magical field that was previously undiscovered. Combining their intellects and resources, the ambitious pair eventually founded AvalonTech, one of many magic based technical companies in the area. With the generous earnings that AvalonTech brought them, Kiritsugu decided to purchase a mansion much like the one Irisviel used to live in back in Germany to make her feel more at home in a foreign country. However, as if disaster planned to follow them even across the continents, six years after they had settled down, a giant explosion went off in the middle of the city, a disaster that was thought to be orchestrated by the Great Asian Alliance to slow down magical progress of Japan by targeting the more prominent magic oriented companies in the area. Regardless of that, Kiritsugu and Irisviel, along with many other magicians in the area, used their talents to save as many lives as they could, one which was a young boy on the verge of death. Thanks to their efforts, he immediately received appropriate medical attention and was able to survive the catastrophe, though the same could not be said for his parents. Feeling bad for the orphaned child, the married couple decided to adopt him and name him Shirou. Just like that, Emiya Shirou was reborn into the Emiya family.


    However, if this was the official Emiya residence, then why did Rin and Sakura reside here as well? Whether by coincidence or fate, Aoi, their mother, and Kiritsugu befriended each other at a very young age and had maintained a cordial relationship ever since. It was one day, when the Tohsaka twins were 9 years old, that Aoi stormed into the Emiya residence with both of her children, pleading for help. Apparently her husband, Tohsaka Tokiomi, had intended to trade Sakura who was born mere seconds after her elder twin, to a rather influential family of the Hundred Families called the Matou, a family with a rather suspicious background from practicing the arcane arts, in exchange for a specified amount of research data. What prompted Tokiomi to act the way he did were the results of Rin''s and Sakura''s magic aptitude examinations, which ended in extremely unfavorable results.


    As a member of the 100 Families himself, Tokiomi sought to maintain the Tohsaka reputation and thus decided the research data of the Matou to be more valuable than the life of his second born daughter. Hearing this dreadful tale, Kiritsugu and Irisviel immediately assured Aoi that they would whatever they could to protect herself and her daughters from any ill will, and shelter them for as long as was necessary. The very next morning, Tokiomi arrived to convince Aoi to return to him, but after a repeated denial, the situation escalated in conflict and resulted in Tokiomi''s swift defeat. Tokiomi unleashed a continuous stream of insults directed towards the former women of his household, a spectacle witnessed by Rin and Sakura from the windows of their rooms, before he left the family grounds. It had taken a full month for the required doc.u.ments to be filed and submitted, but Tohsaka Aoi eventually became Ito Aoi once more. Tokiomi was never seen by them again.


    With their memories having caught up to this point, Shirou and Illya eyed the Tohsaka, nay, the Ito twins with a concerned look. As much as they tried to hide it, it was easily noticeable to the recipients of the stare.


    "I have stopped referring to that man as my father a long time ago", Sakura coldly stated with contempt directed towards her former father.


    However, as fast her her expression sharpened, it immediately softened to display genuine look of concern.


    "Though I am still not so sure about how I will react when I see Ao.. mother again¡­"


    "Whatever happens will happen. What matters is that we will face it together this time", Rin gently assured, nudging Sakura in the back to keep her feet moving forward.


    Agreeing with Rin''s statement, Shirou and Illya did no more than confidently nod in Sakura''s direction.


    Together, they came to a halt before a door. A door that would undoubtedly lead them into a dreamworld that had become reality. If heaven really existed, was this it?


    Locking eyes with each other to to shake off the remaining traces of hesitation, the group came up a unified agreement. No matter what lay behind this door, no matter the consequences of their actions, they would brave it together. A mysterious wave of strength flowed through their bodies as they made up their minds in unison. With a final nod of agreement, the four of them crossed the threshold of the door with a single step. Just one mere step that marked the beginning of yet another grand adventure.


    In the next chapter:


    Reunions. Adapting to their new lives and testing their new powers.

 Chapter 459 - My SI Stash #59 - The Adventures of Augment Gothic by Joe Lawyer (StarTrek)

    -This rewrite is pretty neat, it seems more human and less perpetual fights and lewds/


    Synopsis: A present-day Star Trek fan is forcibly thrust into that dimension and made anew as an Augment, a genetically engineered superman, on the whim of a mischievous god. Armed with knowledge of this dimension''s past and future, he''s determined to live well, have fun with alien women, and make it look easy. Elements of DS9/TNG/Voy/Ent. Originally co-written with GothicJedi666.


    Rated: M


    Words: 108K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13509722/1/The-Adventures-of-Augment-Gothic (Joe Lawyer)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)*


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Location Unknown


    I remembered having a conversation¡­ or rather that I had had a conversation with someone. They were thanking me for something? Or rewarding me for something? I don''t recall the exact words or even who the conversation was with, only that I had agreed¡­ to something¡­something life changing.


    Then there was nothing¡­ nothing for what I think was a long, long time¡­ and suddenly there was sound! And light! Too much though!


    I think I was awakened by a scream. A terrible scream that echoed in what felt like an upright coffin. I was trapped! Adrenaline pumped in my veins and I felt like I was on fire within. I began pounding on the coffin with my fists and knees, desperately trying to get out¡­ Amazingly, the metal and plastic was actually warping from my blows!


    The coffin lid began to move, while something with a monotone voice was saying something, but I couldn''t understand it. Too loud, too disorienting! I need to be free!


    Something gave way, metal screeching, something breaking, a sound which echoed in the small upright coffin, and suddenly, whatever was holding the lid in place exploded away, and I heard what sounded like the lid hitting someone who let out a groan of agony. I fell to my knees and could only crawl my way out of the coffin ¨C but there was too much sound, and light, and my body just wasn''t working right ¨C being n.a.k.e.d and cold certainly didn''t help. I could only whisper, "freedom" as I began to pass out, and I thought I glimpsed a gray statue, dressed in a purple unisuit of all things, walk towards me as if to offer its help, before I finally lost consciousness.


    (Line Break)


    Chapter 1 ¨C An Introduction to Dimensional Mechanics or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the New Me


    Location Unknown


    My mind felt fuzzy and I struggled to get my bearings. In fact, my body felt pain in a way that it hadn''t ever before - it wasn''t ''hurt'' like I knew it, it was too dulled, like the distant half-remembered memory of pain, only even that wasn''t quite what it was. Thankfully this aching echo was already starting to fade away.


    "He''s waking up," a woman''s soft voice called out, but the voice was incredibly strange. It sounded far richer, more layered, more nuanced, if I had to put a word to it, than I had ever heard before. If I had to describe it, it was like you had listened to your favorite song on a pair of cheap drug store headphones all your life, a thousand times over, and then suddenly you listened to that same song on a pair of extremely high-end noise canceling, studio grade headphones. Suddenly you were hearing depths and nuances in your favorite song that you never even knew were there!


    I struggled to open my eyes as the dull pain completely vanished all of a sudden, like it had never been there at all. I tried to move, but my muscles just wouldn''t obey the orders my brain was sending to my body. However, like the pain, my body''s temporary paralysis soon ended and my body started to move the way I wished it to. Thankfully, whatever was wrong with me didn''t appear to be permanent.


    "Where am I?" I asked. Who said that?! Was that my voice?! Again, why did a voice sound like it was coming from concert grade speakers?!


    My vision was still a bit blurry so I had to wait for it to clear up before I could see what was going on around me. As my vision improved it went way beyond what I remembered as normal. It was clarity like I had never experienced before. Just like with the sounds in the room, suddenly the world seemed brighter, colors richer and more vibrant. Focusing on any one spot felt like someone had put high grade binoculars over my eyes and auto adjusted the focus near instantly. I was seeing subtle color gradations in the carpet and a single strand of red hair lying on the ground 30 feet away. Shadowed corners and an unlit office that I was certain was too dark and too far away to see into were lit up to my eyes like someone had shone a spotlight on them.


    What the f.u.c.k was happening to me?!


    As my awareness of the people in the room returned, I realized a man and a woman were standing over me. They both wore ridiculous looking full body, skintight jumpsuits, under some sort of lab coat. Yet as silly as it seemed, there was something oddly familiar about the woman. I just couldn''t remember why. I was also no longer n.a.k.e.d, dressed in something like a hospital gown.


    More people were speaking now, but I was unable to make it out as my ears seemed to be far more interested in their subvocal harmonics, or the way the room infinitesimally echoed, or the different electronic hums of the various bits of technology in the room. There was definitely something wrong with my hearing, or something so different as to feel wrong. It was as if all my senses couldn''t stay in focus for very long, or were focusing on all the wrong things, instead of the person actually speaking to me. Yet I knew this clarity and range was so much greater than it should have been.


    The lights were too bright, my eyes stinging from the intensity of them, and the sounds were simply overwhelming. Then there were the smells ¨C the room had the sterile scent of a hospital, but I could also smell the faint whiff of the woman''s perfume in the air, along with the unique scent markers that I would later classify as belonging to humans. I had to be suffering from some sort of sensory overload.


    Was I on a boat? The room felt like it was subtly moving in a way that I had never felt before.


    I was still trying to get my bearings when I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. The man in front of me reached towards my neck and I saw that he had some sort of device in his hand. It didn''t take a genius, or my new enhanced senses, to figure out that he was going to inject me with something. Since I didn''t want that to happen my hand reached out faster than a snake striking and I gripped the man''s wrist tightly, then with surprising strength I tightened my grip and forced the limb away from me. The man in the lab coat screamed as I felt bones breaking beneath the skin from the sheer strength of my new grip. Why did his bones break so easily?! I didn''t mean to do that!


    Now my heart was beating like crazy, adrenaline flowing, and I still had no idea where the f.u.c.k I was. All I knew was that I had to escape from here because these doctors were obviously doing something to me. Had they changed me? Had they experimented on me? Where they the ones who had put me in that metal coffin?


    With those frightening thoughts in mind I got up off the strange bed in one fast flowing movement, as if the rest of them were moving in slow motion, the people in the silly jumpsuits and lab coats all backing away from me like someone had hit slow motion on their video player. They were speaking again! I couldn''t understand them!


    Now I had an intense ringing in my ears. Only it wasn''t a ringing noise, it was more like everything I was hearing had all become one loud, senseless din.


    At this point I truly panicked and the only lucid thought in my mind was focused on escape. I headed for what looked like a door, but found no handle or doorknob or button that I recognized, like on an elevator. Figuring out these controls proved unnecessary as the door opened automatically as I approached, so I was able to race out into the empty, weirdly designed corridor. Things were still a little too bright here as well, but thankfully the noise was far more bearable now that no one was talking. This meant that I could finally hear the beating of my own heart and my frantic breathing, which I tried to steady with great effort.


    "rIQ SoH!" Someone yelled, my ears now ringing again from the volume.


    I looked towards the source of the voice to see three honest-to-God Klingon cosplayers, which gave me pause at the sheer absurdity of the sight. Was I being experimented on by scientists or was I at a Comic-Con? They were wearing what looked like authentic armor and weapon designs from the shows, but they weren''t holding their swords and guns at the moment. Somehow, though, they looked ready to instantly make use of them, like they genuinely knew how to handle weapons. They must be quite passionate about their in-costume acting or were former military like I was.


    "No way," I whispered, as my vision allowed me to see that these guys were not wearing any make up or face prosthetics, nor were the materials they were wearing the cheap imitation stuff you''d see in most sci-fi costumes. The level of detail and the quality of the material was just too extreme. But that couldn''t possibly be right. They even somehow gave off the scent of predators, like they couldn''t wait to hunt worthy prey. How did I even know that?


    Either I had gone totally crazy or I''d been abducted by some really, really, really hardcore cosplayers who had cut no corners and spent a shit ton of money on their cosplay¡­ and plastic surgery? That last bit was a little crazy, highly unlikely, but not totally impossible. A less likely explanation was that I''d somehow been brought onboard the U.S.S Enterprise, straight out of Star Trek: The Next Generation tv show for the amus.e.m.e.nt of some Random Omnipotent Being and had just escaped the ship''s sickbay and these f.u.c.kers were genuine Klingons. That was batshit crazy, though, right? Full disclosure, I had a small nerdgasm at the thought. Kind of like how you can get a burst of excitement at the idea of winning the big jackpot after you bought a lottery ticket; no one really thinks it likely they''ll win, though. I was a huge fan of all the Star Trek television series, well, mostly. I had never quite gotten into the Original - I was born in the 80''s, so TNG was my introduction to the universe.


    "ghob''e'' bImatlhba'' jISaHchugh," another said.


    I had no idea what the hell they were saying. While I was, admittedly, a big fan of Star Trek, I was not so big a fan that I had taken the time to learn a made-up fictional language like some did. Not that it really mattered, if these were real Klingons, then they most likely wanted to fight. If they were just guys in makeup, yeah, then I still didn''t want them anywhere near me.


    "maHvaD ghu''vam SoH QaH," the third said.


    One of the real(?) Klingons stepped forward and out of shock or surprise or terror at the implications that this was all real, I punched the alien right in his face! It was hard to tell who had been hurt more by the punch given the dude''s hard cranial ridges, so I decided then and there not to hit any more of them in the face barehanded. With their cranial ridges these guys had very thick skulls and very sharp teeth.


    Kicking the next one in the gut though, well, that worked much better. The next crinkle headed f.u.c.ker to come near me flew back, bounced off a bulkhead(?) and landed on his stomach after falling hard to the floor.


    "Bunch of weaklings," I snorted. These space Viking rejects were what were hyped-up as some of the most dangerous enemies the Federation ever faced?


    The smallest of the three so called warriors came at me far more cautiously than the others, now that I had proven to somehow be much stronger and faster than I looked. He (assuming it was a man under all that make up, or whatever he was - I was still struggling with the idea) used some sort of fancy fighting move, not that it mattered as his movements looked painfully slow to me and speed was king. I just took hold of one his arms that he had tried to strike me with, pulled down hard and his hairy chin met my rising knee. Then I pushed him back with what I thought was only medium strength.


    That alien, assuming he actually was one, left the ground like he had been shot from a cannon and hit the wall with the back of its head, before landing hard on the floor. Then the first one, who I had only punched earlier, tried to tackle me. That was a mistake as these guys were not as fast on their feet as me and he just ended up meeting the wall after I sidestepped rather neatly. How was I doing this?!


    Now the second cosplayer/alien was picking himself up off the ground, but he didn''t get very far as I kicked him in the stomach while he was still on his hands and knees. To my amazement he didn''t just collapse to the ground. My move actually lifted him up several feet in the air, and when he landed again he was on his back. How on Earth was I so strong now?!


    "ghaHvaD bach!" one of them then shouted in anger, though it didn''t seem directed at me.


    I didn''t understand that one either, however I figured it out when I turned to see a couple of gold uniformed Starfleet officers with what looked like phasers straight from the Star Trek: The Next Generation props department. Which turned out to be very real phasers because a second later a crimson ruby beam of directed energy hit me and the whole universe faded away into nothingness.


    The beam and its path, while faster than the Klingons, had still been discernable to me and was something I probably could have gotten out of the way of. I think I was mostly just shocked at the realization that this was seriously all real that I froze up like I did. The other stuff you could maybe explain away. It''d be hard, but it was possible. A working energy weapon, though? Yeah, that one convinced me.


    While the beams made me feel sleepy, I think I could have powered through the stun effect. Ultimately, I think it was the sensory overload, coupled with several more shots, that finally sent me into the blissful silence of unconsciousness¡­


    (Line Break)


    Sick Bay. U.S.S. Enterprise.


    I regained consciousness slowly, once again lying on some kind of advanced diagnostic bed. I kept my eyes shut and listened closely to my surroundings. I could tell that I wasn''t alone in the room, the sound of people breathing in mostly static positions indicated that I was being guarded. Both were human, I think, men, judging by the smell of their cologne and anti-perspirant deodorant. This whole increased sense of smell thing was still new to me. The faint smell of a flowery perfume indicated that at least one woman was around here somewhere, assuming that held true to this time. If I was in the TNG universe then that woman was probably Dr. Beverly Crusher, the ship''s Chief Medical Officer.


    The sound of voices in a nearby room (Dr. Crusher''s office I later learned) were just discernable and coming from the screen on one of the walls as the good doctor was telecommunicating into the Enterprise''s conference room. There was apparently an infamous meeting of the ship''s senior officers in progress:


    "I have spoken to our Klingon passengers," Lieutenant Worf, the Enterprise''s Chief of Security, informed everyone gathered in the room. "They claim that they saw our ''guest'' leaving sickbay at a run, half-n.a.k.e.d, looking panicked, and were attempting to return him to Doctor Crusher''s care only for him to attack them mercilessly. They were unprepared for such a savage and powerful foe."


    "How was he able to defeat the Klingons?" Lt. Commander Deanna Troi, the ship''s counselor, asked the room, sounding confused. "I know that humans from the 20th and 21st century were more accepting of violence then we are, but he had only just woken up after spending centuries in cryostasis according to the records found on Kivas Fajo''s ship. He shouldn''t have been able to get up from his biobed, much less start and win a fight with three Klingon warriors," Troi continued.


    "Given that Klingons are both stronger and far more durable than human beings, Counselor, your confusion is justified. It does seem unlikely that any human could defeat three Klingons, yet that is exactly what happened. Humans have defeated Klingon warriors in battle, of course, but three-to-one, unarmed, after a long period of cryostasis, were very heavy odds to overcome. Even more so for someone who had just stumbled out of sickbay, though the man had broken one of the nurse''s wrists moments after waking up," Worf said.


    "I can answer your question, Deanna. He''s an Augment, or at least that''s the best term available to describe him, even if it doesn''t fit exactly," Commander Beverly Crusher and Chief Medical Officer, informed the senior officers to the shock of them all and causing a deafening silence to descend on the room.


    "An Augment, Doctor? Are you certain?" Picard asked quietly, his eyes focused intently on the Doctor. A bit of fear detectable in his voice.


    "The tests I ran have confirmed it. Our guest has undergone a rather amazing amount of successful genetic resequencing, even what might be considered genetic sculpting. Of course, such things are illegal today, but from a purely medical perspective, you can''t help but be in awe of it. It''s a work of art, the masterwork of a geneticist far more skilled than anyone alive today, or perhaps using technology and techniques beyond our current understanding," the Doctor answered quietly, obviously deep in thought, a level of awe in her voice.


    "I don''t understand, Doctor. While exceedingly rare, there are known Augments today, many of which have been institutionalized and their parents imprisoned for their crimes," Picard said.


    "Those Augments are nothing like the man in my sickbay. In each of those cases, there were a few specific genetic enhancements made. You''d have to go back to the era of Khan, during the Eugenics Wars on Earth, to find genetic enhancements this comprehensive. Everything has been enhanced, making him as different from regular humans as we are from monkeys, yet he''s still human! He''s not so different that he would be unable to have children with humans. In fact, his physiology and DNA are so robust I genuinely don''t think he''d struggle with impregnating virtually any but the most extreme outlier examples of the humanoid races the Federation has encountered," the Doctor explained.


    "If he''s as different from us as monkeys are to humans, then how can he even be considered human any longer, Doctor?" Picard asked.


    "Captain, our guest in sickbay might be the future of the human form, if we were extraordinarily lucky as a race, after hundreds of thousands of years of hard evolution perhaps. What''s very strange is that as far as I can tell he was already an a.d.u.l.t when the alterations were made, which makes him quite different from the Augments of Khan''s era, as they were born as Augments, or in some very rare cases, modified as extremely young children after careful selective breeding from the strongest of parents."


    "That is indeed strange, but it at least explains how this centuries-old human could have defeated three Klingon warriors," Worf intoned, seemingly satisfied that Klingon physical supremacy wasn''t at threat in the face of some human mutant.


    "Do we have his DNA on file?" Captain Jean-Luc Picard asked the room. "Or any other way to confirm his identity?"


    "No, sir," Lt. Commander Data, the Android and Operations Officer, replied. "I took the liberty of checking the records that remain from that era," the android answered. "There was no match with the databases that survived the wars of that time. Unfortunately, the nuclear strikes during World War III destroyed many of the archives from that time. As such we have no way of ascertaining his identity, or confirming that he was even on Earth during the Eugenics Wars. Given Doctor Crusher''s unusual findings with regards to the genetic engineering he''s had, it is entirely possible that he is the result of later experimentation or more advanced genetic engineering, possibly by a more advanced alien race."


    Captain Picard reflected on that for several long moments. "Without proof that our ''guest'' was one of the Augment tyrants who had been involved in the Eugenics Wars, I am not willing to confine the man to the brig. Augments can be extremely dangerous, as this one had handily proven already, but his actions can be excused due to extreme disorientation rather than any sort of malice, after all, he''s been ''asleep'' for more than three hundred years and then was woken up in a completely unknown and alien environment. That was more than enough justification for someone to react with violence. Our ''guest'' may have truly believed that he was in mortal peril. That should not be held against him, Augment or not."


    "Dr. Crusher, is he ready to be released from sickbay?" Captain Picard asked.


    "Yes, Captain, he is already fully recovered. His rate of recovery is simply miraculous. I''d have said that it was impossible for a human to have recovered so quickly from 300 years in cryostasis if I hadn''t seen it with my own eyes, but a full Augment''s enhanced physiology is a very poorly understood thing, especially this one. I would study it further, if he''d let me, but I''d still prefer to get him out of sickbay as soon as possible," Beverly answered honestly. "My staff are afraid of him."


    "Not surprising, I suppose, given the circ.u.mstances," said Commander William "Will" T. Riker, First Officer. "What should we do?"


    There was a pause as Picard gave it some thought for several silent moments.


    "Confine him to quarters for now," the Captain decided. "And keep a guard on his door at all times. If he''s anything like Khan then he will soon make a move to take over the ship, so we must be prepared. If he is different, then I hope he will cooperate once he has had time to adjust to our time and we can take things from there. Perhaps if we can build some sort of trust between us, he will simply tell us what we wish to know."


    At this point Riker had something to add.


    "There are historical accounts that state that Khan-era Augments can have close to five times normal human strength and speed," the second in command related. "If that''s even remotely true, then I am concerned our normal security personnel might not be up to the task of securing him."


    "We should assign Vulcan security officers to the detail," advised Worf. "They are about three times stronger than baseline humans on average. While they still wouldn''t be a match for a Khan-era Augment, they might be strong enough to slow him down long enough for someone else to stun him with a phaser, or for force fields to trap him. Our guest can be stunned, that much we''ve seen, but now that he has had time to recover from stasis, at least physically, a single officer with a phaser might not be enough."


    "Using forcefields, even on standby, will require power to be diverted to a lot of emitters. I suggest keeping him moving upon a set path, that way we can make sure he will get to his quarters without escaping," said Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge, the Chief Engineer. "I would also recommend keeping a transporter-lock on his life signs as a backup measure. If necessary, we can beam him directly to the brig."


    "Agreed," said Captain Picard. "Once our guest is inside his assigned quarters I want at least two security personnel outside his door at all times, and they are to have two more with them nearby. Ensure force fields on that deck are ready to be activated at a moment''s notice to contain him if necessary."


    "Commander Data, I''d like you to escort our ''guest'' from sick bay to his quarters," Picard ordered. "Should he react badly while being moved from sick bay you should be able to restrain him without causing any harm. Answer any of his questions, within reason; try to build a relationship with the man if you can."


    "I think it would be best for me to speak with him as soon as possible," Deanna Troi advised her commanding officer. "He might not be talking yet, but I should still be able to sense his emotions, so I might be able to learn something about him and his intentions."


    "I agree, Counselor," said Picard reluctantly. "But please, proceed with the utmost caution ¨C you may be walking right into a lion''s den. That said, your empathic abilities might be the edge needed to get through to him and find his measure."


    "Now let''s move on to other matters."


    While the crew of the Enterprise got the most interesting missions in the fleet, the flagship was still part of Starfleet, which meant that they ended up doing plenty of routine mission types, just like every other ship. There were also always other onboard issues to deal with, especially on a ship carrying over a thousand souls, many of which were civilians, so the meeting carried on like normal. It was a little boring to listen to, something that obviously would never have been seen or heard on TV due to its dull nature¡­ but also somehow strangely fascinating, like taking a peek behind the curtain. It was a stark reminder that this was a fully-fledged universe, with all that that entails. I couldn''t help wondering where I was going from here, but one thing I knew for certain: one day I would have a starship of my own, getting into adventures and discovering new places and people in the final frontier.


    Eventually, the meeting ended and I could hear Dr. Crusher leave her office. As she turned the corner into the main room, I quickly sat up, which was apparently too quickly for my guards'' tastes as they instantly tensed up and put their hands on their phasers, obviously a bit jumpy and ready to use their sidearms.


    Dr. Crusher appeared from her office and approached me, giving me my first good look at her. What I saw had me momentarily shocked - I had looked up fully expecting to see the actress Gates McFadden, just as I''d seen on the show, instead I found a woman that looked more like a green-eyed Christina Hendricks. At least they both had red hair¡­ That extraordinary set of tits certainly hadn''t been there on Gates McFadden, though. If someone had searched for what a MILF was in the dictionary, her picture would be right next to it. I don''t know how a woman could look incredibly s.e.xy in the TNG-era doctor''s uniform (full body pajamas with a coat), but damn if she didn''t pull it off.


    This new mind of mine meant I had quite a bit of relative time to think on what the f.u.c.k was going on - it was like time dilation for thoughts. Instead of looking like Gates McFadden, why did she look like an actress from Mad Men fame, one that I had always thought was stupidly s.e.xy and had once had a s.e.x dream about? This wreaked of shenanigans, manipulation of some sort, but who the f.u.c.k had that kind of power? The answer came surprisingly fast - possibly the same being who could transplant me into the dimension of one of my favorite science fiction franchises.


    "Good, you''re awake."


    "What''s up, Doc?" I managed to say, trying to pass off my surprise at her appearance as someone in shock.


    "How did you¡­? Oh, the coat." She unconsciously smoothed down the aforementioned coat, which worked to accidentally emphasize her extremely generous bust, and what a set of b.r.e.a.s.ts they were. I felt my mouth water and had a vivid image of me sucking on her milky-white tits while I was balls deep inside her.


    "May I ask your name?" She said, getting my attention back.


    Oh, right, nobody here knew who I was. For a moment I was tempted to use my birth name, but something held me back. I just didn''t feel like that person anymore and the thought occurred to me that perhaps some things should remain firmly in the past.


    "I''m¡­ not sure," I said, pausing for a moment. "I''m having some memory trouble at the moment and I can''t really remember much at all from before I woke up here."


    "That''s alright," Dr. Crusher said in a soothing tone. "Please brace yourself, but I have some news that you may find both disturbing and hard to accept. You''ve been asleep in a cryopod for a very long time ¨C three centuries. It is very common for people who spend a long time in cryosleep to have some lapses in memory ¨C they usually return in time though. My name is Beverly Crusher. I am a doctor and the Chief Medical Officer on the starship Enterprise of the United Federation of Planets."


    She paused to give me a moment to accept this information, not knowing that my visible shock was partly because of the confirmation, confirmation of what had already started to become painfully obvious to me, though still something I didn''t know what to think about or understand was even in possible.


    I was in Star Trek.


    Seeing the shock she had expected, she then proceeded to give me the speech about how mankind had grown to be more civilized and now worked to better themselves. It was a good speech, probably better and more comprehensive than the one I''d seen in the show when some humans from the past showed up in the 24th century. I took it with a grain of salt considering I had seen every episode of four different Star Trek series. As much as I loved Star Trek, the one thing I''ve learned about humanity is that it''s easy to be civilized when you''re living in a post scarcity utopia, where most basic wants are freely provided for. From the various wars and battles I''d seen in those series, modern humanity could still descend into savagery if they were forced into a corner, the lizard part of the brain taking over.


    Dr. Crusher continued, taking my shocked and thoughtful silence as expected given the circ.u.mstances, "Medical technology has come a long way since the 21st century and it allows us to do thorough diagnostic scans of your body without any harm to you. These scans revealed that you have had extensive genetic enhancements to every part of your body. You''re what we call an Augment. You are lucky in that these changes appear to have been done successfully ¨C you are not just in excellent health, you are far beyond that."


    She once again paused to give me a moment to absorb this information, then walked over to pick up the 24th century equivalent of a tablet computer and handed it to me.


    "I know this is a lot of information to take in, and you may need time to come to terms with all that''s happened. On this computer device, called a PADD, is a list of all the changes that have been detected, including my impressions of the techniques used and the implications for you in the short- to mid- to long-term. If you have any questions, I will help to the best of my ability. In the meantime, you have been assigned some quarters while onboard and will be given a chance to get some rest after your trying day. The ship''s counselor, Deanna Troi, has asked to see you later to make sure you have an easier transition into life in the 24th century. While not strictly required, I highly recommend you do so. Do you have any questions for me?"


    "I''m not even sure where to begin, Doctor. I think I need more time to take this all in and review the information on this device. Will I have access to something like an encyclopedia later¡­?" I asked with a pained expression of my face. I wasn''t entirely pretending ¨C I was in a state of shock, but my new body wasn''t letting me sink into it, which I was appreciating.


    "Of course, that''s perfectly understandable, take all the time you need," Dr. Crusher offered, trying to comfort someone she saw was possibly in distress. "Lt. Commander Data has volunteered to bring you to your quarters and explain how to use some of these things that may be strange to you, as well as give you limited computer access. He''ll answer any of your questions. I''ll call him in a moment ¨C in the meantime, why don''t you change out of that gown and into some normal clothing. I''ve replicated some basic items and left them folded on the shelf. Let me activate the privacy curtain and¡­"


    While she spoke, I had stood up and turned toward the shelf. Like all hospital gowns, the thing, of course, opened up in the back, resulting in me mooning the famously stoic doctor when I turned. I didn''t really think much of it at first, but as soon as I slipped off the gown, I detected a new scent in the room, something that hadn''t been there before. If I had to describe it, I''d say¡­sweet and tangy. From her heightened heartbeat and the flush on her cheeks when I glanced behind me, I was relatively sure now that this smell was arousal. I hadn''t had much of a chance to take a hard look at my improved body, but whatever it looked like now apparently got Crusher''s juices flowing. I certainly hadn''t been a cave troll before, but the ladies weren''t exactly throwing themselves at me.


    I decided to have a little fun and made sure to turn just enough while dressing to give her a better view. Unfortunately, the clothing was a unitard jumpsuit, which I thought made people look like a.d.u.l.ts wearing onesie pajamas ¨C but I think I somehow made it work. While getting dressed, I almost ripped the fabric of the pants part in half, which was strange since I wasn''t really pulling all that hard. It was then that I realized how and why I had injured that nurse when I first woke up in sick bay. From what the Doctor had said, I was much stronger and faster than I had been before and lacked the motor control one gradually learns during life to control their strength. My mind still hadn''t gotten used to this new body, though thankfully that hadn''t meant I was tripping over my own feet or was unable to stand at all. With extreme care, I finished pulling on the shirt part.


    Now fully dressed, I turned around to see a blushing Dr. Crusher with a slightly glazed look on her face, her tongue darting out to subtly lick her lips. I was a bit tempted to see what I could get away with, but I needed a little time to get used to this new world and to this new body.


    "Okay, Doc, I''m good to go."


    Dr. Crusher had a little trouble meeting my eyes, with them being alternately focused on how my defined chest and crotch looked in this skintight bullshit clothing. For a fleeting moment I wondered if this was what large-b.r.e.a.s.ted women often had to deal with when meeting men who couldn''t keep their eyes on their faces. Fortunately, the doc snapped out of it pretty quick.


    "Ye¡­ yes. Of course. Please wait a moment while I contact Commander Data."


    Dr. Crusher stepped away and then almost ran to her office. The two Vulcan guards looked a bit surprised at the doctor''s behavior, if their raised eyebrow was any indication, but their demeanor remained stoic. We stood around looking at one another until Data appeared.


    The first thing you notice about Androids is that no matter how life-like they appear on the outside, they are somehow missing certain things, or do things or don''t do things that make them stand out from biological people. For example, most biological organisms are incapable of standing perfectly still, they fidget, they shift their weight, their attention wanders, they have nervous ticks of some sort - Androids do not. They are like statues, and even their simulated breathing, eye blinks, and feigned body ticks have a machine-like rhythm and precision to them that can be subconsciously noticed.


    My enhanced senses could also detect no heartbeat from it (simulated or otherwise) or unique natural scent, which I''ve found could be useful in identifying species and emotional state. This all made sense, yet I was left with an impression of "the uncanny valley." Even though Data was modeled on a real human being, his creator, Dr. Noonien Soong (who in this universe did look almost exactly like Brent Spiner) it still made the subtle differences stand out, as did the gray skin and yellow eyes.


    Data dismissed the guards and turned toward me.


    "Hello, sir. I am Lt. Commander Data," he introduced. "I am here to escort you to the quarters you''ve been assigned while onboard. Please follow me."


    Without waiting for a reply, he turned and began to leave sick bay. I picked up the PADD and started following him, but stopped by the door.


    "One moment, please," I said, and turned back towards the doctor''s office. As I approached the standard split door, they opened automatically and revealed Dr. Crusher sitting at her desk. She looked up when I entered.


    "Well, I''m off," I said, putting on my most charming smile. "Thank you for all your help during my recovery. Before I go, could you also please give the guy I hurt my sincere apologies. I really didn''t mean to hurt him. I was scared and I didn''t know that I was stronger than before. I couldn''t even put on my clothes just now without damaging it."


    "Yes, of course," Crusher said, a surprised look on her face. I guess she thought an Augment wouldn''t care about the little people, but I always made it a point to take responsibility for my f.u.c.k-ups. "I''ll be sure to let him know."


    "See you around, Doc."


    I turned around with a backwards wave, and left to join the waiting Data. We soon stepped out into the corridor. "Ok, I''m ready."


    Data and I began to walk through the Enterprise''s corridors, which were identical to the ones on the show, a mix of gray panels, lights, and pastel colors. I remembered reading an article once that said the colors had been specifically chosen by the set designers, that they were supposed to have a positive effect on the crew''s emotional well-being, which was important considering the galaxy-class (which the Enterprise was) had been designed for deep space missions where it would be 5-10 years away from Federation space at maximum warp. That, of course, had never really happened ¨C possibly because Starfleet wanted its flagship close by, the ship was a potent show of force and the Federation''s power, etc. I''m not sure how the color scheme could possibly work in the ''real-world'', on a ship with dozens of different species and sensibilities, and not just humans, but it wasn''t really worth looking into.


    We walked in silence; apparently Data wasn''t one for small talk and honestly, I wasn''t really in the mood ¨C I was too busy taking everything in and trying to spot differences. While Crusher was obviously different, the ship itself looked exactly like it did on the show. Of course, the scale felt different, as these weren''t the sets of a television show where they had only built a few dozen feet of corridor to save money. I did notice that every time I passed a crewmember or civilian, especially if they were human (of which there were a lot), they avoided me like I had the plague or something. I guess the story of my escape from sick bay and possibly the fact that I was considered an Augment, had spread throughout the ship and I would be getting the cold shoulder for a while. Ah well.


    I followed Data to a turbolift (essentially an advanced elevator that moves up, down, forward, back, etc.) and we entered. Data spoke aloud, "Deck 7" and the turbolift moved accordingly, just like in the show. The turbolift must have had some sort of inertial compensator built in since I only felt the smallest amount of movement and I was sure that without my enhanced senses I probably wouldn''t have even felt that. We arrived on the correct deck, the doors opened and we stepped out. After another few minutes of walking, we finally arrived at the place I would be calling home for the near future¡­


    (Line Break)


    Guest Quarters. U.S.S. Enterprise.


    "These will be your quarters while onboard," Data said. "If they are not to your liking then alternative accommodations can be found," he offered, misinterpreting my awe at such nice quarters being given to me.


    Either these were the VIP quarters meant for visiting ambassadors or the standard of living had greatly improved since the 21st century. However, I didn''t dwell on that for long as that was when I noticed the windows and the startling view of space that they offered.


    "Wow, I really am in space," I muttered.


    And since we weren''t orbiting the Earth that meant I was further out into the universe than anyone from my world and time had ever been.


    "Were you not told this earlier?" Data asked me, in a confused tone.


    I''d not been, not really, but I had figured it out once I realized I was on the Enterprise. It was just that being told something and seeing something were two very different things.


    "In fact, you were discovered in space," I was told. "By a Kivas Fajo. He was a Zibalian trader."


    In addition to all my senses being super charged, I seemed to be thinking very fast and cleverly these days as well. I picked up on the implications of the word ''was'' instantly.


    "What happened to him?" I asked.


    The name sounded very familiar, and I could almost feel my brain kick into high gear trying to place it. My new thoughts just felt faster, I could remember everything that had happened to me since I had woken up on the Enterprise in exquisite detail, ideas constantly coming to me now, connections quickly made and analyzed and cross referenced, which I guess meant that I was more creative and intuitive now. But, the memories from my past, before waking up in this time and place, somehow lacked that clarity and it was taking me some time to place who Kivas Fajo was. The difference between my old and new thought process was incredibly strange and would take time to integrate.


    "When you broke out of your cryopod, the heavy lid to your pod was launched at an extreme velocity and struck him," Data informed me without emotion or accusation, practically in a monotone voice - like he was talking about the weather. "His death was very quick and he did not suffer. Please do not feel any guilt over the matter - your actions assisted me in escaping from imprisonment and preventing the harm of other innocents. I thank you."


    I''d never killed anyone before, at least not as far as I knew. Oddly enough, I wasn''t really bothered by Fajo''s death. At first, a part of me had begun screaming that I should feel guilty, that I had caused the death of someone, but it was more like an ingrained response, like a memory of what was a normal reaction. I didn''t feel any guilt for his death or even much sadness. It was surprisingly hard to put into words. [JO1] The more I thought about it, though, the more the name started to sound familiar and I began to recall an episode of TNG where something like these events had occurred.


    In the events of that episode, ''The Most Toys'', a trader, Kivas Fajo, had poisoned a colony so that he could arrange what looked like the death of Data in order to add him to his collection of rare items and beings, which I and my cryopod was apparently a part of. Data had decided to rebel in a passive-aggressive way, acting like a statue or mannequin, which greatly embarrassed Fajo before a fellow collector of his when he tried to showcase the crown jewel of his collection, the only known sentient android in existence. Without any leverage, as he couldn''t really hurt Data directly, Fajo threatened to kill his longtime aide Varria (she and Data has become friendly during his captivity) if Data didn''t cooperate. Varria, quite rightly, had been furious at this and had decided to help Data escape, and had arranged for my cryopod to revive me in an effort to cause a distraction. While Data had managed to activate the escape shuttle, Varria had been caught just before she could join him ¨C the distraction not working as my cryopod had malfunctioned and didn''t open at the right moment. Fajo decided to use one of his rare weapons, the Varon-T disrupter to kill her (a weapon banned in the Federation as it was ''a particularly vicious way to die''), by disintegrating her from the inside out. It was Varria''s horrible screams that I mostly heard when I first awoke. The groan I had heard when the shell of the cryopod had hit something was Fajo''s last gasp of life.


    Obviously, the canon episode hadn''t ended that way originally. Fajo''s death was a big change to its ending. Originally, Fajo had killed Varria and dropped the disruptor. Data had picked up the weapon and pointed it at Fajo, who while trying to regain control of the situation, threatened to continue harming innocents until Data obeyed. It was then that Data had chosen to fire the weapon upon someone who was unarmed, but still dangerous ¨C a pretty important evolution for the character. Data''s conscience was luckily spared, because at the last minute (as was so often the case in TNG), the Enterprise had appeared and transported Data mid-shot, preventing the disruptor beam from hitting Fajo. Fajo would later be imprisoned for his crimes and lose all of his many treasures, but I''m not sure that was really enough punishment for someone like him. While I somewhat regretted Data''s loss of character growth, I think letting him keep some of his innocence for a bit longer wasn''t a terrible trade in the end.


    Why should I feel any guilt about inadvertently killing a loathsome piece of shit who, if he hadn''t been caught, would have continued to hurt innocents to get the rare and unique things he wanted? My sympathies would be better spent on Varria and the ill colonists whose lives had been terribly disrupted by all this.


    Though I still didn''t feel guilty, part of me recognized how strange these thoughts were for me. Being an Augment obviously came with far more profound changes than increased strength, agility, and being generally smarter.


    "Am I in any sort of legal trouble for that?" I asked, after deciding to reflect more later on how I was different, once Data was actually gone.


    Data shook his head.


    "Given the effects of your time in stasis and the trajectory of the cryopod shell that struck Kivas Fajo was inadvertent, the captain has ruled that it was an accident, caused by extreme duress," the robot guy answered me.


    That was a weight off my shoulders. While I was not bothered by my role in Fajo''s death, I had been unsure whether or not the Federation would use this opportunity to imprison a newly appeared Augment before they could become truly dangerous. I was glad they hadn''t. There was a wide-open galaxy full of adventure out there just waiting for me, allowing me to live out the dreams of millions and millions of Star Trek fans. My new mind was racing, thinking about the many possibilities and opportunities my future knowledge presented.


    "Okay, so you better show me what''s what in this place," I said.


    Data moved towards a door and gestured.


    "This is the bathroom," he informed me, "and there is a bedroom through this other door."


    Hopefully, operating a toilet hadn''t changed all that much in my time in cryosleep, otherwise I might end up truly humiliating myself. Thankfully, physiology still influenced design and function and the basics of the human body hadn''t really changed in 300 years.


    "This is the replicator," Data then said, pointing to an open cavity along one wall.


    Of course, I knew exactly what one of those was, all fans of the show did and wished they had access to one, but since I didn''t want anyone else to know how much I knew about this time I feigned total ignorance on the matter.


    "What is a replicator?" I needlessly asked.


    Data soon gave me an answer, after a momentary pause.


    "In very simple terms, it creates things, by converting energy into matter," I was informed after a brief pause, Data obviously choosing to seriously dumb it down so that I had any hope of understanding his answer. "In-quarter replicators are normally used to provide food and clothing only. There are safeguards to prevent the replication of any dangerous materials, weapons or devices."


    Well, there were safeguards on this replicator, a replicator on a Starfleet vessel, but if I bought one of my own, there likely wouldn''t be any such safeguards, or at least any that couldn''t be overridden. Fans of the shows had long geeked out on how useful replicators were and how horribly underutilized they were in the shows. No, I wouldn''t be able to make weapons on this replicator. I imagined that with some effort and creativity on my part I could replicate bits and pieces to assemble some sort of killing tool. However, I also figured that someone on the ship, likely Mr. Worf, would be keeping a very close eye on everything I replicated. A steak knife would likely be the upper limit of what I could replicate.


    "How does it work?" I asked next.


    The layout looked very confusing, with seemingly no labeling on the buttons themselves. This actually matched the shows, but most fans just assumed the props department was trying to keep from having to actually create computer displays specific to what was going on in the episode to save money, but here it was. In the 80s and 90s when most of the series were on the air computer technology was not advanced enough to actually have real, working displays like seen on the shows, at least without the bulky monitors to go with it. Humans weren''t using computers as I knew them any longer, it all looked like fancy touch screen tech, and the symbols ultimately meant nothing to me. I suppose you just got used to it and figured it out after a while.


    "It uses transporter technology to reconfigure matter on the quantum level-" Data started to explain.


    With a gesture I stopped him.


    "I mean how do I use it or tell it what I want?" I clarified.


    The android was not offended by my interruption. That''d be useful to exploit as I figured out this new time.


    "Simply tell it what you want, verbally, as specifically as possible. If the replicator pattern is in our database, it can be made. Unless specified, some Starfleet default selections will be used for ease of ordering, like the size and style of a cup, if a beverage is ordered," Data explained. "Would you care for something to drink?"


    I thought about that for a moment.


    "Sure, I''ll have some tea, earl grey, hot," I ordered with a small smirk. My inner geek was having a laugh at using Picard''s standard order from the show!


    It seemed appropriate, and the robot man didn''t find it odd that I had ordered exactly what the captain drank so often.


    "Excellent. Computer," Data said, "one cup of Earl Grey Tea, hot."


    As if by magic a steaming cup appeared in the replicator.


    "Since you did not specify sugar or cream to be added, the computer did not add any to the tea. The modifier ''hot'', to denote the temperature of the tea replicated, was selected from a range pre-designated as normal and safe for human consumption, which the computer considers you to be," Data explained. "When you are done with your tea, simply return it to the replicator and tell the computer to ''recycle'' or ''reclaim'' or similar language to that effect. Any matter produced by the replicator can be recycled in order to minimize energy usage."


    "Do you still have TV?" Was my next question. "Or even just a library? I have some catching up to do."


    The machine man then directed me to a screen set up on a desk in the room that could be used to display both video and the written word, it could also be used for internal and external communication. It looked kind of like a thick laptop in form, which rather surprised me. In 2016 we had laptops that were smaller than this. I knew that they had hologram technology, where were the holographic screens and controls? This was something to think about. There might be opportunities there, but it would require more thought and a whole lot more resources than I currently had.


    Luckily, this computer could be controlled verbally, because I really did not know how to use it at the moment. Until I became a lot more familiar with this time''s technology, verbal commands to the computer would be a lifesaver.


    "Television, as you knew it, does not strictly exist in this time, though news broadcasts do exist as well as recordings of live artistic performances. You have access to the entire Federation public database and infonet from here," I was told. "The only information off limits to you is that which is protected by our security programs, due to restriction or classification."


    While it might be cool to find out how to fire the ship''s photon torpedoes, I doubted that I''d even understand the public technical files that would explain their workings due to all the technobabble involved. Besides, I had a few centuries of history and innovation to catch up on before I got to today''s sciences.


    "Thank you, Data," I said. "I can take it from here."


    "Of course," said Data. "Before I leave, the captain has requested that you stay in your quarters while your status is being investigated. You are not a prisoner, but for your safety and that of others, you will be escorted to and from your quarters at all times, should you need to leave them. If you encounter any difficulty, there are several security personnel outside your door who will assist you. I hope your stay on the Enterprise will be a pleasant one."


    "Thank you, Data. You''ve been extremely helpful."


    Once the android had gone, I wondered for a moment if I should have acted offended or surprised by the news that I was essentially being confined to quarters, but considering how negatively the crew had reacted to me just walking by them, it might be a good idea to keep a low profile until things had calmed down a bit. In the meantime, I was feeling a bit funky and decided to take a shower ¨C after all, I hadn''t had one in more than 300 years.


    I stripped down and stepped into the sonic shower booth. Sonic showers were the 24th century answer to how to get clean on a starship where using water for anything other than drinking was seen as wasteful. Sonic pulse vibrations were used to remove dirt and dead skin, etc., without requiring a drop of water or any of the plumbing a traditional stall or bathtub needed. While the sonic shower did leave me feeling pretty clean, it just didn''t give the same sense of freshness that a real shower would have. Still, it was pretty cool to experience it for myself; the skin tingling was rather pleasant once you got used to it.


    Standing in front of the full-length mirror after my shower caused my mind to still out of sheer shock. This was the first real chance I had gotten to see the new me and I couldn''t stop staring. It was like someone had paid a lot of money for an artist or a photographer with epic Photoshop skills to create an overidealized depiction of myself that only bore a passing resemblance to reality. I still looked like me, but yet not me at the same time.


    Starting from the top, I still had brownish black hair cut in a buzzcut style (something I kept from my time in the army for the utility) and emerald green eyes (although they now seemed to almost glow), but that was where the similarities ended. For one thing, I was now five inches taller than I had been, and now stood to just over 6 feet 6 inches (a little over 2 meters) tall. For another, most people have some imperfections ¨C eyes a little too close together, ears sticking out a bit too far, skin a bit splotchy, etc. My face was now completely symmetrical, which I had read was one of the things that made people attractive to others. My cheekbones, jaw, and chin were also more defined, giving me a rugged look I had wanted to have since I started going through puberty, but never actually achieved. Someone from my time would think I now looked like Jensen Ackles'' more handsome brother.


    Looking down, it was even more obvious that I wasn''t the original me. I now had the body of a fitness/underwear model - a defined musculature without the over-bulging of weight lifters ¨C the kind of body type that only movie stars who are basically paid to get professionally sculpted could achieve. I was sporting rock hard pecs, wide shoulders, jacked arms and biceps, and 8 pack abs, with that distinctive V-shape leading to my pelvis, and sculpted legs that looked as strong and thick as tree trunks ¨C I could make Captain America envious with this bod.


    And, wow, that was not my p.e.n.i.s... No, that was the p.e.n.i.s of a very successful p.o.r.n star from my time, in length, girth, and shape, with that distinctive arch to hit the g-spot just right. I wasn''t exactly lacking in the dong department before, but I had certainly gotten a f.u.c.k.i.n.g upgrade.


    What was even odder was that my skin was missing any moles or other blemishes, in fact a couple of small scars I got as a kid, and a pretty big one across my right thigh, had completely disappeared ¨C I wasn''t fond of them or anything, but I had gotten used to them¡­ their absence made this already strange day feel even more surreal. I also noticed that the hair on the top of my head and eyebrows were the only place I still had hair ¨C either my ROB patron believed in extreme manscaping, or part of the Augment process left me as smooth as a baby. I hadn''t bothered with body hair removal in the past (with the one exception of an ex-girlfriend who wanted to try hot wax play without telling me first), but damn did it look good with this new physique.


    All in all, it was the body of a man blessed at birth with extraordinarily good genes and with a dedicated lifestyle to both achieve and maintain it ¨C like someone who was at the height of their training for the Olympics that was to take place next week. I was what humanity might become in the future, after tens or hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, and a whole lot of luck.


    After doing a couple of body builder poses (don''t hate, you''d do it too!), I got dressed and decided to learn about my internal upgrades by reading the report Doctor Crusher had written after her examination of me. The short story ¨C someone had gone to a lot of trouble to make my insides as perfect as my outsides. On a genetic level, a bunch of junk DNA left over from the evolutionary process got removed or repurposed entirely. Every organ had been enhanced to superhuman levels. I literally now had cat-like reflexes and an incredible sense of balance, making my reaction time and agility off the charts.


    My muscle fibers were incredibly dense now too, but also supple ¨C I could probably wrestle a silverback gorilla without much effort, which explained how I had steamrolled three Klingons without breaking a sweat. Of course, that would seriously increase the effort needed for swimming. In addition to increased density, my muscles were also far more efficient than they should be ¨C lactic acid would now take much longer to build up and leave them faster.


    My kidneys, which were responsible for maintaining overall fluid balance in the human body, regulating and filtering minerals from blood, filtering waste materials from food, medications, and toxic substances, had been seriously enhanced. The Doctor had speculated that I could probably drink salt water and still be fine, even contaminated water. She had also speculated that my enhanced kidneys, working in conjunction with my enhanced gastrointestinal tract and digestive system, which were extremely efficient, might mean I would either pee or poop far less than a normal human, or not at all, depending on what I ate. Well, that was f.u.c.k.i.n.g weird to think about!


    My lungs worked perfectly now, pushing air in deep, regular breaths and were enhanced with increased overall capacity and defenses against airborne toxins and contagions (I could run like a cheetah for miles without needing to take a rest now).


    My stomach could digest most organic matter and would work in tandem with my super-liver and kidneys to prevent most poisons and toxins from affecting me.


    My heart, arteries, and veins were more elastic, durable, and muscular, which would prevent me from bleeding out if I was wounded. That had added benefits, like preventing my arteries from getting clogged.


    Stem cell production was off the charts, allowing for quick cellular regeneration (with enough time, I could even regrow a limb!) and my immune system was like a jealous lover, destroying every foreign contaminant without mercy.


    The list went on, but some of the highlights was that my skeleton, joints, and every organ was laced with a network of apparently naturally produced carbon nanotubes - I could now withstand some pretty extreme punishment without organ damage or rupture. My skin had also been enhanced by them, making it surprisingly resilient ¨C I could probably shrug off most cutting slashes with little to no damage and the nanotubes would work like organic clamps, keeping the skin together long enough for the cellular regeneration to heal with no scarring. The denser skin structure also helped with reducing radiation damage, but this meant I also wouldn''t tan well. The skin upgrade didn''t make me invulnerable, of course, but it could help keep me alive until help arrived. What was interesting about the skin nanotubes was the side benefit of being able to divert energy weapon beams throughout the nanotube network, allowing it to weaken or even dissipate the energy of a stun shot. Augments could already withstand a stun beam without any effort, but I might actually be able to take on a beam set to kill. I had no desire to test that.


    I looked and felt strong¡­ powerful¡­ like an apex predator. I would also be a long-lived one - my regeneration affected my chromosome''s telomeres so that they remained long. I wasn''t immortal, the Doctor had no idea what my expected lifespan actually was due to lack of data, meaning I was unique, but I was as close as you could get and still be human.


    The one drawback to this demigod-like body was that I needed to eat¡­ a lot. My body burned energy like a racing Bugatti Chiron with the air conditioner on. As long as I ate enough of the proper foods, my body would keep itself in tip-top shape with little effort (not much exercising required, yes!). Thankfully, the food replicators of this time could be used to alter food to make them extremely energy rich (or the opposite), even in small sizes. That meant being overweight in the future was pretty much a conscious choice at this point. Walking the halls with Data I had been struck by just how attractive everyone was. Few had had the defined musculature that I did, that still required a great deal of time and effort to achieve and maintain, but none were fat. Sure, this was a semi-military vessel, but even the civilians I saw were fit and trim.


    All this information brought me back to the big question: why me? Why had someone gone through all this trouble of not just enhancing, but basically rewriting my entire body to become this seemingly perfect lethal weapon? For that matter, the few Augments featured in the Star Trek series and movies painted an interesting combination of incredible physical abilities and intellect, with a not so healthy dose of megalomania. Why wasn''t I cackling while making evil plans to make myself Emperor of the Galaxy? I had no interest in conquest, nor did I have an unyielding belief in my superiority over everyone and the need to prove that superiority. I did have a surprising lack of empathy at the death I had caused, though. After all these changes to my body and mind, was I even still me?


    No! F.u.c.k that kind of thinking. There was nothing to be done about it, and even if I could, would I? Would I really give all this up? Would I want to go back to my old life? Nah, this new body was a blessing. It would allow me to better adjust to this new time and universe, give me a much better chance at survival, and damn if it wouldn''t make me a hit with the ladies. I''d much rather be a rich playboy adventurer with galactic influence and respect, certainly, and tons of hot women by my side. That sounded like way more fun. If I ended up ruling a moon or small planet, it wasn''t going to be because of conquest. Why play the conqueror when you could simply buy one?


    I sent one final smile at my new reflection, a real one this time. The acceptance of my new circ.u.mstances and situation made me feel lighter than f.u.c.k.i.n.g air. I went back to the replicators and discovered a problem with them, well, not so much a problem as a pretty big limitation. They could only create objects whose patterns had already been scanned into memory, and this rather limited my choices in clothing. Since there was no way in hell I was putting a skintight unitard jumpsuit back on, even if I could pull it off, I looked through the historical records on my quarter''s screen so that I could find something suitable to wear, something that was from ''my time.''


    What I discovered was that next to nothing familiar was stored in the computer''s memory that would have come into existence between the 1990''s and 2020. Which meant that while I was able to blast Queen''s ''Bohemian Rhapsody'' through the speakers that were hidden somewhere in the room, I couldn''t do the same with something from my time. It also was a pain to program the replicator to give me any kind of clothing with which I was truly comfortable with as these were far from normal selections and my familiarity with the computer was practically non-existent.


    [JO2] Thankfully, after some serious effort, I was able to get my hands on some basic boots, socks, boxer briefs, jeans, and a nice polo shirt, with some changes to accommodate superior modern cloth materials that hadn''t been invented yet in my time. They all came in an assortment of colors and that made me feel much better than before. If nothing else, I knew at least knew where I could put my hands. Why did these people wear skin tight everything with no freaking pockets? Pockets were useful!


    At this point I was pretty much starving and decided to replicate some food and adjusted the calorie count to maximum. That took some effort though. The Federation/Starfleet was all about the health and fitness of its citizens so it took a few minutes of arguing with and then finally overriding the computer (which I thankfully was able to do) to provide the replicated food that did not meet the standard nutritional guidelines and restrictions for a human. I would have to ask Doctor Crusher to make a notation in my file that I was exempt from these nutritional guidelines and restrictions.


    Maybe I was feeling a little homesick, but I decided to get some old-fashioned mac and cheese (that, thankfully, had survived to the modern day) with some Korean BBQ and topped it off with a fizzy gr.a.p.e soda. It wasn''t as good as when I was a kid, but it hit the comfort food button hard ¨C maybe I would play around with the settings later for a more authentic taste.


    In any case, it was time to get serious and hit the proverbial books. I decided to start with a history lesson and go from there.


    (Line Break)


    Guest Quarters. U.S.S. Enterprise.


    The history of this dimension was fascinating¡­ and I was certain that this was not just an altered timeline; this wasn''t my dimension. There were too many differences from before I was even born. For example, according to the archives of this place, in 1968 the United States of America had launched an orbital nuclear weapons platform from ''McKinley Rocket Base''. Following the launch, the platform developed a severe malfunction and began to re-enter the atmosphere in an uncontrolled manner. Attempts to initiate the self-destruct initially failed, but the platform eventually detonated 104 miles above Asia.


    This incident couldn''t have happened in my timeline ¨C first off, there was no such place as the McKinley Rocket Base, but even if there had been, the technology necessary to create, build, and launch orbital nuclear weapons platform was still in its infancy at that time. We had barely gotten astronauts safely into space, and they weighed a heck of a lot less than a nuke, or rather, multiple nukes. Also, even if all of that wasn''t a factor, this kind of incident couldn''t have been kept quiet ¨C the Soviets would have noticed something like this happening and would have told the world, or it would have leaked out by my time, many decades later. Finally, while a non-proliferation treaty against the spread of nuclear weapons and their technology had been signed in my timeline, this version had been far more restrictive, with actual teeth, compared to basically the gentleman''s agreement that was my world''s version.


    There were loads of examples that had similar deviations from my version of history. For example, the company Chronowerx Industries (which didn''t exist in my timeline) dominated in the field of micro-computers, which seriously impacted IBM, Microsoft, Apple, and Google, and had obviously kept them from ever reaching the lofty heights they would have otherwise, which in turn had knock-down effects on other technologies, but had others show up earlier than they had in my time. Another example is the invention of safe cryosleep ¨C now that definitely wasn''t around before I got transported here, and yet the technology was stable enough to be put on a starship in the 1990''s! We were still freezing the heads of dead rich people in the hope they would be revived one day in my time, not putting living people safely in cryostatic suspension. Of course, one of the biggest differences from my world was the creation of the Augments.


    I wasn''t a big fan of the original Star Trek, so the only information I knew about Augments was from Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan and a three-episode arc on Star Trek: Enterprise. I knew some of the basics, but since I was now an Augment, I thought it prudent to dig much further into their history. Their existence was a major deviation from my timeline that began in the 1950''s, where apparently everyone and their uncle was a mad scientist who began playing around with genetic engineering. Unfortunately, some of those groups succeeded, and the results of their programs would later be called Augments.


    I don''t know how much of the Augment mindset was taught or innate, but they all seemed to have a contempt for all non-Augments and considered themselves to be superior to everyone else¡­ so when they began to think themselves better than their leaders, well, there was only one way that story was going to end. By the early 1990''s, the Augments had seized power over most of the world before turning on each other and causing a massive war. Entire populations were bombed out of existence, ferocious battles were fought and the Earth was, for a while, on the verge of a new Dark Age. In some macabre bonus trivia, I found out that this universe''s version of me had died in a bombing arranged by an Augment in 1991. That me wasn''t alone, of course, Augments had killed more people than Hitler and Stalin combined and had almost ended our species. No wonder they were so hated and feared even centuries later by humanity. I kind of understood why the people I saw while walking to my quarters were avoiding me ¨C I''m lucky they didn''t make a lynch mob to stop me.


    Even after they were beaten, it wasn''t the end of the Augments. Like bed bugs, they kept showing up even after it seemed like they were finally defeated. For example, a group of about a hundred managed to escape on a spaceship (the S.S. Botany Bay) and were picked up by the Enterprise-A. The leader of that group, Khan Noonien Singh, was a conqueror tyrant during the Eugenics Wars and became the poster child for why Augments were such a threat as not long after waking, he tried to take over that vessel along with a group of his followers but ultimately failed. Khan and his people agreed to be exiled on a garden world - happy ending, right? It would be, except that not long after they started their life there, a nearby planet blew up and decimated the Augment colony. Irrationally blaming Captain James T. Kirk for everything, he tried to get revenge for what he saw as a betrayal of him and his people, which eventually led to the destruction of the U.S.S. Reliant and the remaining Augments from the S.S. Botany Bay.


    There were even more deviations in this universe''s history. For example, there were manned missions all over the solar system in the early parts of the 21st century and some were even before 2016. Apparently the USA had mostly stayed out of the Eugenics War, and had invested a heck of a lot more money and resources into their space program than they ever had in my world/time which was strange since I would have imagined that the USA would have been freaking out over the genocidal ¨¹bermensch running around trying to take over the world. Something just didn''t add up, but that might have been my own universe''s history coloring my thoughts.


    In any case, it was time to try and figure out how I got into the hands of Kivas Fajo.


    "Computer," I called aloud to the room, an answering chime indicating it was listening for my commands. "Tell me about the cryostasis pod I was found in."


    A copious amount of technical data quickly filled the screen and I was informed that the pod had the word/name ''Gothic'' printed on the side in English. For some reason, that just felt right, so I figured that that was as good a name as any to use now since I didn''t feel right using my original name. It was a new name for a new life.


    I once again felt this was the work of some God-like being, and judging by the feeling of rightness with that choice, that''s what it obviously wanted me to call myself. I had the distinct feeling they were going to be mostly hands off, so why not accommodate them?


    Unfortunately, I never did figure out how Fajo found me, but however I got here, it was starting to be ok by me.


    (Line Break)


    Guest Quarters. U.S.S. Enterprise.


    The next several hours were spent reading, analyzing, cross-referencing, and synthesizing a truly massive amount of information, so much so in fact that I wasn''t sure how I was doing it without metaphorical steam coming out of my ears. While I genuinely loved the Star Trek franchise, it had never been a ''hard science show.'' That had allowed it to get away with fictional things like faster-than-light (FTL) travel, energy shields, and how somehow changing the polarity on a device could save the day at the last minute without really needing to explain why... which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. The technobabble on the shows usually didn''t mean much, often just a bunch of word salad to excuse the plot''s MacGuffin, and I had always taken it as such¡­ but now, that fictional stuff was somehow tangible and real, which was giving me a bit of an existential crisis along with a massive headache. I needed to merge concepts like ''warp field theory'' and ''multi-phase discrimination'' with the same fundamental truths like ''Don''t spit in the wind if you don''t want it to land on your face.'' and ''If you date a crazy girl, the s.e.x is gonna be amazing, but you''re probably gonna get stabbed at some point or your d.i.c.k chopped off.''


    The main reason I was driven to figure this stuff out was I wanted to be the captain of my own ship, and I suppose my own destiny as well, which in my mind, went hand-in-hand. Right now, I was on the Enterprise, but eventually we would return to Earth, where I would be dropped off ¨C I''m not a member of Starfleet, a family member of the crew, or even a civilian contractor. While seeing Earth in the 24th century was something I was looking forward to, I couldn''t help but feel like it would be like when I came back from the army after my deployment in Afghanistan and saw my old room ¨C everything would probably still be there, but different. It wouldn''t really be home anymore. Also, being an Augment on Earth, was going to be a big headache, I could feel it already. Hopefully Starfleet would keep my status under wraps. I just couldn''t see the benefit of advertising that.


    It would take time to get my hands on a ship, but once I did, I would need to know how to take care of all the various problems that crop up when a ship''s machinery is in regular use and not running off to a shipyard for every little thing. I''ve also seen enough Trek to know that I may one day end up crashed somewhere and knowing how something fundamentally works, what parts make it up, and how to build or find replacements, might be the difference between my life and death. That meant first learning the basics that underpinned all Federation technology, not the least of which were whole new branches of math, physics, metallurgy, programming, etc., the list went on and on. Fortunately, my mental enhancements did give me a boost in comprehension and a memory with perfect recall, but apparently even a genetic superman has his limits¡­ because when someone requested entry to my quarters, I literally threw myself out of the chair like my ass was on fire. Any distraction at this moment was a welcome one.


    I couldn''t resist giving the Picard special ''Come!'' command to allow entry.


    "Is this a good time to talk?" A woman asked as she entered the room, a friendly and disarming smile on her face. "I can come back later, if you prefer." She paused for a moment. "My name is Deanna Troi," my visitor introduced unnecessarily. "I''m the ship''s counsellor. I was never given your name."


    The first thing I noticed about this universe''s version of Deanna Troi was that she looked pretty damn close to Marina Sirtis, just with softer features and a slightly more pointed chin ¨C giving her a more heart-shaped face than the version I was expecting. I had always thought she was a fine-looking woman on the show. Betazoids (her race, plural) on the shows, typically had dark hair and eyes, but this version was more purple than black, giving her a slightly otherworldly appearance. The next thing was that she was apparently really into elaborate styling because her hair was in this kind of tight ponytail cone mixed with braids and the whole thing must have taken forever, unless there was some advanced tool that helped her.


    Troi was also wearing an outfit that was definitely not Starfleet standard, and would have been daring even for a night out at a club ¨C something like you would expect a model to wear at a fashion show, but few people would actually wear day-to-day. Whoever had designed that uniform must have really had a thing for strategic cut outs, because a lot of Troi''s skin was tastefully on display ¨C not that I particularly minded. The cutouts also made it pretty clear she wasn''t wearing a bra, but maybe in the 24the century bras weren''t needed? Some sections of her clothing were nearly transparent and she had on a knee-length skirt that had slits on the sides running up almost to her belt. Fortunately, Troi had an athletic-but-curvy body and the confidence to work something like that, giving her this aura of sensuality that I would imagine made working as a counselor a lot harder than it needed to be. But, again, maybe such things were normal in the 24th. I hadn''t been here long enough to learn if that were true. That she seemed to be successful enough to be posted on the flagship of the fleet was a testament to her skill, and meant I needed to be on my guard around her.


    For a moment, I did wonder how Troi got away with wearing something like that on what was purportedly a military vessel - granted, science and exploration were Starfleet''s main purpose, but still, it seemed oddly unprofessional and there were families onboard. I had to once again remind myself, for probably the 20th time, that I was viewing this all through 21st century human sensibilities, and what was once taboo or considered scandalous might not be so at this time, and possibly not for Betazoids.


    Since the Federation was a combination of many races and cultures, I doubt there was a single cultural taboo shared throughout the whole alliance. The people of Betazed were almost physiologically mandated to value honesty, openness, and candor - to the point where even their weddings were performed in the nude, guests and all, so as to show the two getting married did so fully knowing who each other was, without any barriers or hidden layers. It made a strange kind of sense, they were a race of telepaths after all. I had even read a Star Trek novel where it was suggested that on Betazed, important information could be passed mind-to-mind, and would be disseminated across the entire planet in 15 minutes. That kind of connection and closeness, even with strangers, shared amongst an entire species, had likely prevented the violent wars and constant conflict that had nearly destroyed humanity.


    I suppose one might wonder why I seemed fixated on Troi''s outfit (beyond the obvious) ¨C the problem was that it was the latest in a long list of differences that seemed to be cropping up between my current reality and the ST:TNG TV show that I was intimately familiar with. That had profound implications on a myriad number of levels.


    Waking up on the Enterprise, I hadn''t been sure if I really was somehow transported into the TV show or an alternate Star Trek reality¨C but Dr. Crusher''s different appearance had started to point toward an alternate reality, as did the minor differences in Data, and now Troi. I might have excused those inconsistencies, except that Troi''s dress spoke not just of a different clothing style than the TV version''s, but also potentially of a different character and personality. The Troi in front of me was confident, competent, and was able to wield her s.e.x.u.a.lity and intelligence like a weapon ¨C something the Troi from the show was not able to do (at least not as well).


    That raised another question, was this truly a Troi of an alternate Star Trek reality? Or was she the same, but things been toned down for television or altered to conform with the attitudes of the writers? It was possible that some of the differences in this Troi and the one portrayed by the actress, Marina Sirtis, could be the result of cultural attitudes at work in a 90''s era television show. The actress had certainly complained enough publicly in the years after the show had ended about how underutilized she was for the first several seasons, saying she felt like a living decoration on the bridge with only a handful of lines to call her own. If one were to go further down this particular rabbit hole, one might wonder what other unexpected differences there were ahead, for whatever reason, and that freaked me the f.u.c.k out. Did the reason why even matter?!


    No¡­ I had to stop this train of thought before it ran me over and left me catatonic with indecision. Bottom line, this place wasn''t an exact copy of TNG or Star Trek in general. There were significant differences, but enough commonalities to qualify as foreknowledge, and that was useful, that was valuable, that was something I could turn to my advantage. For the sake of my sanity I would view this reality as an alternate universe take on the Star Trek I was familiar with.


    From what I''d seen of the Enterprise so far, it was pretty similar to how the sets looked on TNG, and the events leading to my awakening were close enough to the episode ''The Most Toys'' to allow me to recognize what had happened, at least generally. As to how I had watched episodes based on what appeared to be actual events, at least in this dimension, I suspect that there had been some sort of dimensional bleed-through - where the show''s writers from my reality had gotten glimpses of some parallel reality''s (or even multiple realities'') events and used that to create the various Star Trek incarnations. The possibility that the writer''s themselves had created this universe through the power of their thoughts, by writing that story down, like several episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space 9 had suggested, was beyond my comprehension and best left to the philosophers. It was irrelevant for my purposes anyway.


    All this went through my head in a split-second. Quick enough for me to be able to process it all and then turn my focus back on the lovely woman in front of me with little delay. Being an Augment is really something I''m coming to love! I''m sure Troi, as an empath, might have felt some momentary emotional turbulence from me, but it was likely so quick she couldn''t make sense of it, or if she did, she didn''t give any indication or say anything, so I appeared to be in the clear.


    I didn''t need to be empathic or trained in psychology or even be an Augment to know that she hadn''t come here just for a causal chat.


    "You can call me Gothic, Counselor. Please feel free to take a seat," I told her.


    Troi didn''t say anything in response, just taking a seat and looking me in the eyes as we soon settled into a period of silence. I figured she was attempting to use an interrogation technique where the person being questioned begins to talk to fill the awkward silence and perhaps reveal more than they meant to. I couldn''t help fidgeting and decided to get the conversation moving along ¨C which meant that it had worked, f.u.c.k!


    "What would you like to talk about, Counselor?" I wondered as I too took a seat, signaling my willingness to engage. "My relationship with my mother? My slight case of evil megalomania?"


    Counselor Troi seemed more amused than anything else at my snark, my comments likely being interpreted as common gripes about psychologists from my era.


    "Gonna dope me up with happy pills?" I only half-jokingly asked. The whole day had likely made me seem bipolar ¨C going from one emotional extreme to another. Everything I had known about the world and how it worked was irrelevant and now in question, even the knowledge from the TV shows couldn''t be viewed as entirely certain or completely reliable anymore. I guess something about being an Augment prevented outright panic attacks, otherwise I think I might have had a psychotic break by now.


    "You don''t need any medication," Troi assured me. "Your body chemistry is perfectly normal according to Doctor Crusher; it''s your emotional state that concerns me. Your whole life has been turned upside down."


    I really didn''t want to talk about that, but since she was an empath, she already knew how I felt. I had tried to deflect and she had completely ignored my remarks, looking amused at my rather ham-handed attempt to rile her up.


    "If it helps, I don''t think you are insane," Troi commented. "But I would like to confirm you are not a threat to the ship or its crew. Humanity''s desire to quicken its evolution via genetic manipulation nearly resulted in its extinction."


    I''d once heard that if you worried that you were insane then you most likely weren''t, because insane people don''t worry about their mental health. If that was true then I found it rather comforting, because my sanity did concern me quite a lot at the moment ¨C suddenly being superhuman in the freaking Star Trek universe was more than a bit crazy sounding.


    "But you guys think I''m evil, don''t you?" I asked her bluntly. "I''ve read the historical archives; Augments were somehow worse than the Nazis and I didn''t think that that was possible."


    "At the moment Gothic, we''re not sure," she said, after a slight sigh. "Dr. Crusher is currently running tests to determine whether you are native to this reality or not. If you are from another reality, then we will work to either send you back to where you came from, or if that''s not possible, to integrate you into this new universe and time. If you are not from an alternate reality, then the situation becomes far more complex. Even though the Eugenics Wars was centuries ago now, I suspect you will be tried for those crimes and imprisoned for the terrible deeds the Augments are infamous for."


    "Which do you think I am?" I asked curiously. While I had suspected that that might be the case, still, it''s not every day you find out you may be tried for a centuries'' old genocide and war crimes that you didn''t commit. Would I even get a fair shot?


    "I have interviewed criminals and murderers in my training as a counselor," Troi said. "While I will, of course, wait for the official results from Dr. Crusher," she paused, and smiled, "I don''t think you were one of the Augment tyrants of Earth. I wouldn''t have come here alone if I truly believed that."


    I let out a breath I hadn''t known I''d been holding. An overwhelming feeling of relief filled me. Troi let out a groan and clutched her head, as if in pain, or was it pleasure? I moved towards her, but she waved me away, though not unkindly.


    "Most humans of this time don''t feel things as intensely as you do," Troi told me, looking a little uncomfortable. "As an empath, it''s a little overwhelming for me."


    "Sorry," I said. "I''ll try and have the emotional range of a frozen meat popsicle."


    Troi laughed, now over her momentary disorientation. Her laughter made certain parts of her body jiggle enticingly, which told me: a) apparently bras were either in disfavor at the moment or were an anachronism in the 24th century, or b) Troi''s tits were so full and perky she simply didn''t need to wear them, which suited me just fine. The amazing thing was that while her outfit was certainly enticing, it was still pretty tasteful overall. If she had designed it herself, in an age of replicators that wouldn''t be crazy, she had some serious skills.


    Apparently Troi felt my sudden surge of l.u.s.t because she gave me a playful wink and took a step back, taking a breath that allowed her to regain her professional demeanor. Troi didn''t seem disgusted by what she had felt from me ¨C on the contrary, I could smell the beginning of her own arousal, that same sweet and tangy scent I had detected coming from Dr. Crusher, but her step back was pretty definitive. It clearly said that while I was under her care, there would be no hanky-panky¡­ and pushing the issue now would end any chance for something between us in the future when I was no longer her ''patient''.


    "I don''t believe it necessary to go to that extreme. Federation citizens aren''t robots, we have just tried to better ourselves so that we are more emotionally stable, with an ideal towards maintaining an equilibrium as much as possible. Medicine has also allowed us to cure or control most known mental disorders, and we''ve taught people how to reduce conflict and instead focus on working together towards a common goal," Troi explained with a smile. "I''m sure that our society will take time to adapt to, but we''re also not that different from the people of your time ¨C with all the good and bad that comes with it."


    Troi paused for a moment, then continued, "While I hope that adaption will be easy for you, I don''t want you to worry if you have bad moments ¨C you can take comfort in the fact that even in the 24th century, people still need help. That help could be gotten through medical treatment or counseling, but sometimes just talking with someone else can help a great deal."


    Honestly, that put me a bit at ease, which confirmed just how effective a counselor she was and why she was onboard Starfleet''s flagship. It had been a real rollercoaster of a day and I was feeling a bit emotionally drained. I sat down on a nearby couch and gestured for Troi to join me in sitting. I couldn''t help tilting my head back on the cushion and just looking at the ceiling for several long moments. I heard her sit down on a nearby chair and felt her eyes on me.


    "Tell me, counselor," I asked. "Is there a big need for your profession in this bright and peaceful future, especially on a military ship?"


    "Unfortunately, yes. People can react to different stimulus in random ways ¨C what would break one person, another one might not even notice. For example, Starfleet''s primary role is based on exploring the galaxy, but unfortunately, not everyone shares that view and sometimes there is conflict. Not everyone who goes through that type of experience can handle it as well as they hope and thus can come to need assistance from people like me."


    "It sounds like you have a fulltime job running around dealing with stuff like this," I said tiredly. "How do you find time to do your other duties?"


    "Other duties?" she queried, apparently surprised I knew she was more than a counselor.


    "Yeah, I read that you''re a part of the command crew and senior staff on the ship," I said, hopefully covering my slip-up. "Why does a counselor need to be on the bridge? If someone shoots at the Enterprise, do you turn to the captain and tell him ''I think they''re angry''?"


    I sat up to look at Troi, honestly curious about her answer. On the show, she felt a bit superfluous on the bridge - although I wasn''t sure if that was more about the scripts in a 90''s era television show then the character herself, who could change from competent to annoyingly useless from one episode to the next.


    She smiled at me and answered, "Sometimes things really are that simple, but there have also been cases where we''ve been fired on, to use your example, out of fear, rather than true animus. Or were forced to by circ.u.mstance. Or maybe it was meant only as a warning shot. I can also help the Captain by telling him if someone is lying or might be hiding something important from us."


    That actually sounded pretty useful and effective. When I get a ship of my own, having an empath onboard might not be a bad idea.


    "So, Counselor," I asked. "What happens now?"


    "For now, please continue learning about this time. You should also consider where you might want to live and what you will want to do once we return to Earth. It is one of the most beautiful and safe planets in the entire Federation."


    Safe¡­ no, it wasn''t safe and I couldn''t help but let out a bitter snort. The barbarians were almost at the gates and the Federation was in no shape to defend against them, lacking both the will and the means to fight them. As Troi had said, Starfleet considered itself explorers first, and a military second. In their arrogance or naivety (or stupidity, depending on who you asked), they had decided that since they played by the rules, that everyone would.


    I became filled with a sense of terrible frustration. Even if I wanted to, which I wasn''t sure I did, I couldn''t tell anyone about what was to come because I couldn''t be sure that I wouldn''t disappear into a deep dark hole somewhere with all my memories extracted and my body dissected. I also couldn''t do anything about the situation because I had no resources to work with, and even if I did, they wouldn''t trust me because I''m an Augment. What a f.u.c.k.i.n.g mess. This might not be my universe or my time, but I was still human, born on Earth, and that affinity would always be there. For all its faults, the Federation was something to be proud of.


    Troi must have felt my sudden unease, and spike of anger and frustration, because she immediately sat up straight in her chair. "Is something wrong?" she asked.


    "Not at all counselor," I said, getting a handle on myself. "Just a little tired."


    I tried to cover it, but the easy rapport that I had had with Troi was broken.


    "Well then, Gothic, it appears that our first unofficial session is over," she said with a small grin.


    "If you should need my assistance, you may make use the ship''s comm system to contact me. For now, try to make yourself at home, settle in and learn about this time. I hope you enjoy your time on the Enterprise. Good night, Gothic."


    "Goodnight, counselor," I said, and as much as I hated for her to leave, I loved to watch her go.


    Troi stopped in the doorway, seemingly hesitated, and then asked me, "Before I go, I have one more question to ask you. Are you a danger to the ship or its crew?" she asked sharply, in a tone she had not used before. I noticed that she had waited until she was in earshot of the guards outside ¨C this was one smart cookie.


    Her question and the tone it had been asked in had caught me off guard, which I imagine was the whole point. I strongly suspected that my actual answer was far less important than the emotions I had had when she asked the question that way. I thought for a moment before answering, trying to be as honest as I could under the circ.u.mstances. "It depends on how I''m treated," I answered her truthfully. "I know the crew fears me, that''s clear as day. That''s fine, as long as it stays only that. But if they act on that fear, if they try to harm me, I will defend myself. An Augment now or not, all sentients have the right to defend themselves, don''t they?"


    Troi nodded slowly and responded, "I suppose that will have to be acceptable for now. Until our next meeting, Gothic."


    I couldn''t let out a sarcastic, "Don''t worry counselor, I''ll be on my best behavior ¨C I won''t even destroy the furniture in an explosion of rage and uncontrolled emotion."


    Troi shook her head, and walked out with a small smile back on her lips.


    Except for the ending, Troi''s visit was a pleasant diversion - they definitely didn''t make counselors like her in my time¡­ or if they did, I never found them. It was actually a bit comforting to know that even in the future people sometimes didn''t have their head on straight and needed help. For the most part, I think I was dealing with the whole situation rather well, probably due to the enhanced body and intellect, but having a sympathetic ear in such an attractive package was surprisingly nice. What soured me the most is how distracted I had been - Troi had managed to trip me up a couple of times in ways I should have seen coming. If she had been an enemy, or worse, a true telepath, that could have ended badly for me¡­ I needed to be far more careful in the future.


    It had been a long day so I decided to get some rest. I took off my clothes and chucked them on the floor. I slipped under the covers and damn if it wasn''t the most comfortable bed I''ve ever slept in, with silk-like sheets and some sort of self-adjusting mattress that cradled my body just right.


    "Computer, lights," I said and the room fell into darkness, but only after a moment or two of hesitation while the computer determined that my command had been meant to tell the computer to deactivate the lights in preparation for sleep. It might have even noticed that I was in bed already and that conformed to human sleep patterns. Who knows how smart it was.


    I noticed that even with the lights off, I could still see pretty well. Apparently, I had the ability to see clearly in even very low-light as part of the Augment enhancement package. Who knew?


    I wondered what other secrets my body had that I hadn''t yet discovered before finally falling asleep, knowing that my adventure in this time was just beginning.

 Chapter 460 - My Original Stash #60 - Regressor Instruction Manual by ???

    -The novel is quite good for the manipulative bastards out there, will never be on Fang Yuan''s level tho/


    Synopsis: Winner of Joara 2019 Novel Of The Year:


    One day, I was summoned to this world.


    Beasts poured out, and an incredible crisis came.


    My talent couldn''t have been worse.


    [The player''s talent level is at rock bottom.]


    [Almost all the numbers are hopeless.]


    Whether chosen warriors or talented wizards.


    Whether you''ve gone back in time.


    You have to take advantage of everything in order to survive.


    "What about tr*sh? What can you do to survive?"


    Rated: M


    Words: ???


    Posted on: novelupdates.com/series/regressor-instruction-manual/ (???)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)*


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    My talent level is below average (1)


    [Start the tutorial.]


    "What is this¡­."


    I spat out curses while I looked around at the interior of a darkened structure.


    In the dim light, I could see some unknown patterns.


    It was a completely different shape than any building on Earth. It was the first time I''d ever seen anything like it, so naturally, my mouth fell open.


    I''ve never been inside a pyramid, but I''m sure it would look like this.


    In this unrealistic situation, I took a moment to roll my eyes.


    My last memory was of eating with my sister.


    ''What happened? What the hell¡­.''


    If I recall, it was like this.


    I got an unfamiliar Kakaotalk message on my phone.1


    -Do you want to join the game?-


    I thought it was a game invitation from a friend, and I just clicked the button without thinking about it.


    That was it.


    That was the only thing I could remember.


    My legs were trembling. I couldn''t comprehend the situation.


    Suddenly, I found myself somewhere I''d never seen before in my life.


    It was no wonder that I couldn''t understand it.


    What stood out was the atmosphere here.


    It was like a horror movie that would terrify most people.


    Before I could think of anything else, I heard several voices around me.


    "Hey, where are we?"


    "Don''t ask me. I don''t know."


    "Well, is anyone else here? What the hell is this place¡­ And why are there swords and weapons here?"


    "If I knew that, would we be doing this? I think we''re all in the same situation. Do you remember anything?"


    "Hey! Is anyone there? Hey!"


    People started talking.


    Someone was sitting on the floor, pinching their cheek to see if this was a dream.


    They were all different.


    ''It''s not a dream.''


    It wasn''t a dream, and I wasn''t alone.


    It seemed ridiculously smooth.


    When I swallowed for a moment, a sound rang in the small cave.


    [Players are invited to this world. We sent an invitation to the player, and the player accepted it. You were chosen as a hero to save the dying continent.]


    "My god! What a hero!"


    "Quit messing around in there and come out, you bastards!"


    "Sir, I''ll call the police. Sir, I''m calling the police."


    "Is there a hidden camera? I''ll sue. This is a complaint!"


    [But not everyone can head to the continent. The only people eligible to go are those few who passed the tutorial.]


    "What nonsense!"


    [Please pay attention to what I say next. It''s directly related to your survival.]


    I suddenly sobered up.


    Because in this weird atmosphere, I heard the word "survival".


    [Let me repeat that. Only those who survive this tutorial will be allowed to go to the continent.]


    "What¡­ Are you saying you''ll kill me?"


    [It''s up to you, too. What I''m talking about now is your survival. It''s essential if you want to keep living. This is not a dream. This is reality you''re faced with. I wouldn''t recommend denying it. Because I have an obligation to help you as your guide in this tutorial.]


    "Don''t mess with me! Christ!"


    "Please let me out of here. I''m begging you."


    I heard a number of voices, but that damn woman''s explanation kept going calmly.


    [The guide will now begin. Firstly, where you are now is a starting point where you can wait before you begin the tutorial. You can think of it as a waiting room. The starting point contains essential items for you. Water, food, and the weapons you''ll be using later. Weapon rarities can range from common, rare, heroic, and legendary, but all of the ones here are inferior to common weapons.]2


    Some things definitely stood out. The water bottle placed in the corner was made out of leather, rather than plastic like it would be on Earth.


    That wasn''t all.


    Of course, having never seen them before, the weapons were the most conspicuous.


    Bows and arrows, swords and shields, spears and maces.


    The presence of a wide variety of weapons that would be used in the Middle Ages was certainly alien.


    ''These are the real deal.''


    They weren''t fake.


    For the most part, the swords were dull and the weapons were old, but there were a few sharp ones.


    A sense of reality began to set in.


    [You can protect yourself with the weapons here. The goal of this tutorial is to survive and attack. Besides you, there will also be monsters, the inhabitants of the continent. They will be targeting you, and you''ll have to fight them.]


    It was just like a fantasy novel.


    What was interesting was that fewer and fewer people were shouting.


    I began to focus on the sound of that voice.


    Well, I felt nauseous occasionally, but that was all.


    [Of course, it might be difficult to face them with your own power. But don''t worry. This is not the only thing prepared for you.]


    "What the hell is this¡­."


    [You are the chosen players. You came here with different personalities and from different places. This place will make your characteristics stronger and help you grow. You''ll understand what I''m talking about if you say status window.]


    For now, I didn''t say "status window".


    I felt like I should proceed carefully in situations where I didn''t know what would happen.


    As expected, someone was muttering it in a timely manner.


    "Status window."


    "Status window? Huh? What''s this?"


    "Kyaak!"


    A woman screamed, shocked by what she saw in the air.


    [The status window shows your current condition. Depending on how much you try, your stats may go up or down. Next is your class. You can be a warrior, mage, priest, or archer, and there are branches based on your later achievements. For example, a warrior can become a barbarian, and a barbarian can advance into a berserker. There are countless paths, and it''s up to you which one to take.]


    "Ah¡­."


    [Class grades are common, rare, heroic, and legendary. However, if you are a mage or priest, you will inevitably need an affinity for holy power or magic. Please also understand that some classes cannot be selected. You''ll be able to choose a class when you get missions, hidden quests, or enough experience.]


    ''A class.''


    The more I listened, the more similar it was to a story I''ve heard somewhere. It would be best to call it a system similar to a video game.


    It could be said that priests and wizards were uncommon here.


    If there really were monsters heading to this side, I thought most would avoid warriors.


    No one would want to fight on behalf of everyone else.


    I opened my mouth right away.


    "Status window."


    [Name: Lee Ki-young]


    [Title: None. You should try a little harder.]


    [Age: 25]


    [Disposition: Careful strategist]


    [Class: None]


    [Stats]


    [Strength: 10]


    [Agility: 11]


    [Stamina: 11]


    [Intelligence: 19]


    [Endurance: 12]


    [Luck: 21]


    [Magic: 00]


    [Equipment: None]


    I wasn''t used to seeing the sudden floating screen.


    When I quietly opened my mouth, feeling like I was in a game, I heard a woman''s voice again.


    [The last thing is your attributes. Every time you get to a certain level, you get a new attribute. Attributes will vary from player to player and, like your class, are determined by your personality. The most important thing is the player''s personality. As with classes, there are four grades: common, rare, heroic, and legendary, and as you go up, you get better performance.]


    "Uh¡­."


    [Attributes are also gained similarly to classes. As with your class, your attributes can also have a huge impact on your growth, so please choose carefully.]


    In fact, I couldn''t concentrate on the last part.


    Because I could see the letters displayed on the bottom of the status window.


    [Attribute: Heroic grade: Do you want to read it?]


    ''Huh?''


    The words "Heroic grade" were shining in purple.


    The attributes were clearly categorized into common, rare, heroic, and legendary grade. It was an attribute that could be developed later, depending on the player''s personality.


    ''Okay.''


    I didn''t know why I had this in the beginning, or if this was even real, but it wasn''t a bad start.


    [Attribute]


    [Mind''s Eye: Heroic]


    [You can view statuses for yourself and others and see hidden talent ratings.]


    I didn''t know if this was good or not, but getting something at the start gave me a big advantage.


    The woman clearly said the goal was to survive.


    ''Survival.''


    We had to survive.


    You absolutely must survive.


    It was natural that I felt I had to do whatever I could, regardless of whether this was a lie.


    ''Yulha¡­.''


    When I thought of my sister who would be left at home alone, I bit my lip.


    All the reactions around me were different.


    Some people talked about their attributes with others, and I saw men touching swords or looking for shields.


    We didn''t know what was going on, but the fact that there was a threat approaching meant we had to look for a way to survive.


    There was a woman sitting down and crying.


    A middle aged man who kept yelling.


    I even saw a kid who still looked like a student.


    I also wanted to sit down and scream. But there was no time to sit down.


    ''Talent?''


    I didn''t know exactly what it meant, but it couldn''t be a bad idea to check.


    It was a great achievement just to have an attribute.


    You were standing at a different starting point than the others.


    I had a strange expectation I''d be like the hero in a shonen anime or a fantasy novel, but I quickly shook my head.


    ''That''s ridiculous.''


    [Check the talent levels of the player Lee Ki-young.]


    [Name: Lee Ki-young]


    [Strength: Growth potential: common (below average)]


    [Agility: Growth potential: common (below average)]


    [Stamina: Growth potential: common (below average)]


    [Intelligence: Growth potential: common (below average)]


    [Endurance: Growth potential: common (below average)]


    [Luck: Growth potential: common (below average)]


    [Magic: Growth potential: common (below average)]


    [Overview: The player has the lowest talent levels. There''s no point in making an effort. No matter how hard you work, you''ll never become more than third-rate. Almost all the numbers are hopeless. It will be hard to develop when it comes to strength or magic power. At least intelligence and luck are fine, but I don''t know¡­ The player''s future is deeply concerning. You don''t have to wield a sword or try anything else. It''s obvious what will happen anyway.]


    I had felt a little anticipation, but this wasn''t at all what I expected.


    The results didn''t change when I rubbed my eyes and looked at them again.


    "Huh?"


    The ultimate goal was to survive.


    I never expected to be the main character anyway, and I made a clear distinction from fiction and reality, but those wretched figures still made me disappointed.


    "Damn it."


    My talent levels were below average.

 Chapter 461 - My SI Stash #61 - Dream Out Loud by Jackie Avocado (DxD)

    -An exorcist from the Vatican in DxD... ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)


    Synopsis: Isaiah is an exorcist of the Vatican, unknown to all, he''s actually a reincarnation from another world with this one as an anime. Now if only he could remember it... or realize just how much he''s changed things for better or worse. (Kiba SI)


    Rated: M


    Words: 11K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13776657/1/Dream-Out-Loud (Jackie Avocado)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)*


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Through the ever-twisting colors of the Dimensional Gap, a red Western Dragon about 100 meters long did death-defying aerial maneuvers as if they were second nature; loudly shouting in excitement as each stunt was completed.


    This was Great Red, the Apocalypse Dragon, the True Red Dragon God Emperor, True Dragon, and the Dragon of Dragons, etc.


    He was the most powerful being in the universe of Draconic Deus, DxD. None could match his might except for those outside of this reality. Like some of the denizens of Evie Etoulde, ExE.


    Today - or tonight, this place didn''t exactly have a sun or moon - was just like any other. Peaceful, quiet - except for Great Red of course - and filled with a non-stop string of sick tricks.


    Then the mighty dragon sensed it, something had slipped into the Dimension Gap. Not completely unusual, as some little shits had been trespassing onto his home lately. They didn''t bother him so he let them be, no scales off his back.


    This time it was just a single individual, a human at that. No power to his name, nothing special about it at all, not even any protection to stave off the effects of the Gap like the weaklings usually needed.


    The dragon feared by all of DxD carried on, not giving the insignificant human that would die in seconds another thought.


    ...Or so it would seem.


    An hour later, and it was still there, still floating. Almost like it was mocking him for his expectations for the damnable human to be snuffed out like a flickering candle.


    Finally exciting his curiosity and irritation, the Apocalypse Dragon investigated this human that so brazenly let itself into his domain.


    High School DxD - Utsukushiku, Akai


    "You''ve got to be shitting me..." He let out a huff as he saw it. "This weakling is barely even holding himself together."


    It was a soul, a human soul. Not even a body, just a blue flame-like mass floating in the void. Nothing special about it. But as the reality of the Dimensional Gap itself tried to rip it to pieces, it refused, struggling against the overwhelming and impossible odds. Biting, scratching, clawing for any bit of ground it could get against the unstable plane of existence, and it had been doing so for an hour.


    "A little shit, but an impressive little shit, I''ll give you that." The red dragon begrudgingly complemented.


    The soul didn''t respond. Of course it didn''t, it didn''t have a body to comprehend the world around it; couldn''t see or hear, but it could feel the pain of its soul being pulled apart.


    Great Red brought up one of its giant claws, obscenely-sharp things that dwarfed even the mightiest of his lesser brethren, and poked the human soul, using his powers to protect the human soul from the destructive effects of this dimension.


    "Now, what makes you tick, little human?" Great Red proceeded to look through the soul''s memories, and almost immediately he was disappointed. "Great, another one of you little f.u.c.kers."


    The human soul, a male whose name the dragon didn''t care to learn, was from a universe outside of his. Specifically, a world where his universe was a light novel and other forms of media.


    Great Red had seen this before; he''d used his powers to peer into parallel realities.


    It was usually paranoid idiots obsessing over power, and manipulating those around them as easily as they breathe. Dumbasses that had their lives turned into RPGs -cause the f.u.c.k.i.n.g nerds needed numbers to reassure them of how badass they were- made even worse when they got all existential about the whole Gamer''s Mind thing. F.u.c.k.i.n.g Jumpers, those CYOA f.u.c.kers, and f.u.c.k that whole Waifu Catalog thing especially.


    None of them were worthy of a damn thing given to them. They had their safety nets, were rarely ever in danger, and given basically everything they wanted like spoiled brats no different from those f.u.c.k.i.n.g devils and vampires.


    To a dragon¡­ no to the pinnacle of dragons; beings who represented power and status...


    It was¡­


    His golden eyes blazed with rage. "...Disgusting."


    The greatest of dragons growled at the soul, his hand closing around it ready to put the thing out of its misery. But he stopped when he realized something.


    This soul wasn''t special.


    It had nothing attached to it that most of these Outsiders had. No Gamer, no untouchable Company, nothing.


    ...Nothing but balls and willpower.


    "Hmph, you do have something worth respecting after all."


    The soul''s mind had been quite informative, while the little shit had never read the lights novels, he''d seen the first three seasons of the anime and wiki dived the site on a semi-constant basis and regularly got into discussions and debates about world-building and the like.


    The Great Red of the novels died like a bitch to some f.u.c.ker from ExE called Regalzeva. This time though, he knew the f.u.c.ker was coming, and he had more than enough time to train like crazy to kick his shit in.


    He brought his attention back to the human soul.


    The human wasn''t the smartest person in the room, but he was far from the dumbest. Creative, resourceful, able to think outside of the box, and from what he was seeing now, he had a will that could take him far. Not to mention one of the most Chaotic Good little shits he''d ever had the pleasure of meeting.


    This could be an opportunity, an investment worth his time.


    With a quick swipe of his claws, he made a small gash on his wrist, a tiny amount of blood spilling from his veins. Great Red willed the blood into the human soul. The change was near-instant; blue flames had turned into a blazing red inferno, the soul of a dragon. A dragon sired by Great Red himself.


    "Don''t think of this as some cheap hand out, brat!" He addressed the soul differently than before, it now shared his blood, as such it was kin. "If you can''t make it work for you, then you weren''t worth my f.u.c.k.i.n.g time- you weren''t worth this world''s f.u.c.k.i.n.g time."


    Issei and his Oppai Dragon shtick was funny and all, but shit was going to hit the fan sooner or later, and he needed something a bit more.


    He needed an absolute f.u.c.k.i.n.g mad lad.


    The Dragon of Dragons poked the soul again, removing most of its memories of Highschool DxD, leaving him with vague memories of this world being an anime. If he needed metaknowledge to thrive then he wasn''t worth shit.


    Great Red''s sight saw beyond the Dimensional Gap and onto Earth. Its eyes cycling through many of the major players in the coming times until he locked onto a particular newborn blonde in Italy.


    "You want power? Earn it. You want a harem of beautiful women? Earn it. You want to be left in peace? F.u.c.k.i.n.g earn it. You figure out some kind of cheat? Go for it. At least you didn''t need someone to hold your f.u.c.k.i.n.g hand like a delicate little flower." He shot the soul out of the Dimensional Gap and into the newborn. "You''ve got everything you need to succeed, so the next time you stand before me I better be f.u.c.k.i.n.g impressed."


    [-]


    Bayonetta OST - The Gates of Hell


    Sona Sitri was a young bespectacled woman with a slim figure, black hair styled in a short bob cut and violet eyes. She was the student president of Kuoh Academy, and the heir to the Sitri Clan.


    She tapped a button on her phone and voicemail began playing.


    [Hello, Miss Sitri, my name is Isaiah, no last name, unfortunately. I am an exorcist of the Vatican, and I am calling to inform you ahead of time that I will be arriving in Kuoh in the coming week on official business from the Vatican.] The voice from her phone was polite, unlike how the Church usually conducted its diplomatic business. But two things were clear; he was male and he spoke Italian.


    [You see there-] He was cut off.


    [Hey, Isaiah, what are you doing?] There was a slight pause in the new person''s voice. [Where did you get a phone from?]


    [Dulio, homie, kind of in the middle of something here.]


    [And that is?]


    [Informing the devils of Kuoh that the party animal that is yours truly is coming in is coming to town.] The tone of Isaiah''s voice had changed, a bit chipper, seemed like he had an almost devil-may-care attitude.


    [Why didn''t you just send them a letter?]


    [Because letters can be easily intercepted, and besides, we''re not in World War I, we ain''t in the trenches, we have technology.]


    [Is that why you billed three rice cookers to the Vatican as a business expense?]


    [Nah, I felt like pissing people off that day.]


    [And the grenade launcher?]


    [Listen, I am a proud exorcist-]


    [That''s debatable.]


    [...and I have served the Vatican faithfully for years.]


    [Also debatable.]


    [As such, I think I am entitled to my Holy Grenade Launcher of Antioch.]


    [You named it?]


    [Yes, now get out of my room before I dunk on you.]


    [You bastard.]


    [In front of the kids.]


    [You sick bastard. Alright fine then, you''ve got cooking duty today, got it?]


    [Got it.]


    The sound of footsteps could be heard and then the closing of a door.


    [Alright, Miss Sitri, I''ll cut to the chase and be as transparent as possible. Recently, the nun known as Asia Argento, the current wielder of the Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing, for the offense of using it to heal a devil.] He let out a long sigh. [She was tricked into doing it, but the higher-ups aren''t hearing it since they care more about protecting the status quo than actually practicing what they preach. I know, it''s dumb and I hate it. Which leads us to now-]


    Sona sighed as the voicemail cut off and moved onto the next one.


    [Sorry about that, reached the time limit. Alright, Michael made a deal with Azazel in exchange for Asia''s safety, and for some reason, the location for this exchange changed and we can''t get in contact with Azazel¡­ meaning he probably broke his phone again, or shenanigans abound. Personally, I think it''s both. What we should both be worried about is that the new location of the exchange is in Kuoh, a place where the sisters of two Satans live. Now I''m not saying that the devils are dumb enough to try something, but I am saying that the Vatican and Grigori totally are.]


    [If there are any Fallen or Vatican forces already in Kuoh then be very suspicious and keep on your guard. I suggest alerting the Satans as soon as possible, because if the worse case scenario that''s pieced itself in my mind is anywhere in the ballpark, Kokabiel, a ten-winged fallen angel that you don''t f.u.c.k with unless you''re Satan level, is probably responsible for this.]


    [Now, where do I fit into all of this? I''ve been assigned as Asia''s bodyguard by Michael, and from what he''s told me, he''s made contact with your sister, Serafall, about the current state of events, and by extension, Cthulhu willing, the other Satans as well. With that said, I apologize for the inconvenience and unwanted stress. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.]


    And with that, the voicemail stopped, and Sona looked at the woman next to her. She was a beautiful girl seemingly in her late teens with black hair, tied into twin tails and blue eyes. She had a child-like body, albeit with rather large b.r.e.a.s.ts, and wore a pink frilly magical girl costume.


    This was Serafall Leviathan, one of the four Satans, a ruler of the Underworld. A woman so powerful she could freeze a country a dozen times over.


    "Hmmm, I see." She nodded. "So you didn''t call Levi-tan to confess your undying love," Crocodile tears streamed down her face. "As always, So-tan is so cold!"


    She was also a bit of a loon.


    Sona rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Sister, please take this seriously. Do you know this¡­ Isaiah?"


    The Satan nodded, grinning brightly. "We met about a year back in Kyoto, he got arrested by the local Youkai population for trespassing since Michael forgot to send the memo that he was being sent there to take care of a few errands. Fun guy, he agreed to be on my show if he ever gets excommunicated."


    Sona raised an eyebrow. "Anything Rias and I should know about him?"


    "Well, he''s a low-tier exorcist and has one of the few recorded instances of someone possessing two Sacred Gears at the same time; Sword Birth and Blade Blacksmith."


    Sona''s eyes widened. "Then that means he can make both holy and demonic blades at will! How is he a low-tier exorcist?"


    "Levi-tan thinks the higher ups in the Vatican feels threatened by the fact he gets most of his orders directly from Heaven itself, so they keep his rank low to make his influence more¡­ controllable."


    Sona sighed. "So they''re actively sabotaging what is basically one of their greatest assets."


    Serafall shrugged. "Old men in silly hats scared of losing power, you know how the story goes."


    "And have you gotten this message from Michael?"


    She nodded. "Of course So-tan, I received a verified letter from Heaven just yesterday. His story checks out. This magical girl''s already informed the other Satans!" Serafall''s head shot up as she remembered something important. "Oh! One more thing So-tan."


    "Hmm?"


    "Isaiah¡­ he''s a troubled boy. Really nice and has no problem with devils or any other species unless they''re genuinely causing problems, but very troubled." Serafall said worriedly, her face more serious. "He gets this thousand-yard-stare every now and then, it''s a look I''ve only seen in war veterans and those who''ve gone through extremely traumatic experiences."


    Sona''s eyes narrowed. "And considering the laundry list of skeletons in the Vatican''s closet..."


    The mood turned somber. "Yeah, I could tell from the moment I saw him. He''s barely holding himself together. Levi-tan knows she can trust So-tan, but please don''t be too aggressive with him, alright? He''s¡­ he''s been good to us."


    Sona blinked. "How so?"


    Serafall grinned brightly. "He''s the one that exposed the Naberius Clan''s scheme to make artificial Super Devils to overthrow the current government, and cleared Kuroka-chan''s name."


    All sound in the room stopped as Sona processed those words. Her eyes widening as she began to comprehend them.


    "EHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?"


    [-]


    Persona 5 OST- Beneath the Mask


    Asia Argento was a pretty, young blonde with green eyes. She wore a dark teal nun outfit with light blue accents, a white veil over her head with light blue accents, with a silver cross necklace around her neck, and brown boots with black straps in an X-shaped pattern.


    She marveled at all of the bustling people in the airport. She''d only been outside of the Vatican to an extremely limited degree.


    "A lot to take in, huh?" The voice of her bodyguard and friend came from her left. "Especially after your very first plane ride."


    Asia stared at everything with joy and awe. "And you get to do this every time the Lord sends you on a mission?"


    "Well, not every time. But usually, I do. Sometimes I go by train, others by boat. There''s a lot of ways to travel around the world."


    Asia looked up at her friend. Her very first friend. The one who refused to leave her side when she was excommunicated. The person she fell in love with.


    She had to crane her head up to meet his ice-blue eyes (a mole under his left eye) due to how tall he was, being six foot four. Not the average height for an eighteen-year-old, but it was a result of the experiments and training he underwent during his time in the Sigurd Institution. He wore the typical black clergy outfit with exorcist robes, a silver cross around his neck.


    His handsome face met her smile with one of his own. "But let''s make sure we get somewhere we can get settled down before we start having to call a travel agent, alright?"


    Asia nodded enthusiastically.


    "Now," He pulled out his phone and checked the time. "It''s about lunch-time, let''s get something to eat. Ah, good timing there''s a burger place just up ahead."


    In a few minutes time, they were comfortably seated with food and drinks.


    It wasn''t the first time Asia had eaten burgers and fries before; Isaiah had made many different kinds of foods while at the Vatican, mostly due to Dulio and the kids bugging him¡­ herself too.


    She met him when they were thirteen, the angel Gabriel guiding him through the Vatican, his body bloodied, bruised and cut up. She rushed over to his side the moment she saw his injuries and healed him, despite how the clergymen and nuns shouted at her. It was one of the few times she''d seen someone smile at her ability to heal instead of looking at her in fear.


    It wasn''t soon after that he befriended the two exorcists in training, Xenovia Quarta and Irina Shidou, and included her into his little notorious group of crazy. Not even Vasco Strada himself was safe from their antics.


    Devil May Cry 3 OST - Total Result


    She knew all about Isaiah''s time in both the Holy Sword Project and the Sigurd Institution, the moment she asked him to tell her, not a single lie. He was honest, almost to a fault; if someone wanted to know something and he knew it, he''d tell them¡­


    "Everyone prayed to God. All except me, I just tried to keep everyone''s spirits up, but I think they knew I felt the most hopelessness out of all of us."


    "What are devils like, Isaiah?" She asked, other than the one she''d healed, she''d never seen a devil before, or knew what they were like.


    He bit into his burger before answering. "The same as any other people really. Some are good, some are bad, they''re just a bit more¡­ intense with their emotions and desires than we are." He smirked a bit. "I''d advise not reciting any verses from the Bible or mentioning the Lord around them, it causes them intense migraines."


    She nodded. "Um, I''ll keep that in mind."


    "They subjected us to many horrible things. We were forced to fight each other and sometimes supernatural creatures. Those of us who had awakened our Sacred Gears practiced extensively with them under watchful gazes, but they were never allowed to get¡­ too powerful. Drugs concocted by the madman in charge were injected into us on a regular basis. Hell, at one point we were forced to drink nothing but holy water for a week."


    Asia saw him look off to the side, through the bustling people moving through the airport at something only he could see. The look in his eyes dimmed, his lips parted ever so slightly.


    It tore her heart to pieces whenever she saw that look.


    The Church had told her that Twilight Healing was a miracle granted to her by God. Something that could heal nearly any wound, but her, it wasn''t enough. It was selfish of her, yes, but for the person she loved she would cast that power aside¡­


    "I don''t know why they chose to save me out of everyone else. So many of them had brighter futures, grander dreams, just so much more than what I could ever achieve¡­ They told me to run, screaming at me to do so as the researchers put bullets in the heads of those that survived the gas. And I¡­ snapped, seeing only swords and blood, and hearing nothing but screams."


    ...She''d give anything to heal his mind.


    To anyone else, it''d look like he''d just been staring off into space, but those close to him knew far better.


    He saw the corpses of friends long passed staring at him, reaching out for him. He saw fire, felt its blistering heat; blood splattered across the walls. He heard screams, gunshots. Some voices told him to run, some ordered others to kill him.


    Isaiah had told Asia about Hell once. How it was nothing like the Church had said it was like. But he told her about his own version, what he believed Hell to truly be.


    Hell wasn''t a place, it was an idea. A state of mind.


    It''s a thing that haunts you. It attacks you at your most vulnerable and never lets go. It''s something that follows you no matter where you go, be it the Underworld or Heaven itself. It reminds you of your greatest sins and will never let you forget them. It makes you wonder if life is worth living anymore. It is a sinister, horrible thing worse than any demon or devil the "real" Hell can conjure, and there is no defense against it. It''s a parasite of one''s own making.


    ...And he carried this Hell with him wherever he went.


    "Even after so many years... I''m still in that gas chamber¡­ watching my friends get gunned down right in front of me..."


    Asia grabbed his hand, her fingers intertwining with his. He didn''t react, didn''t even notice, just kept on staring.


    She had been excommunicated. The Church and the Vatican as a whole had turned their backs on her, and now God himself had shunned her as well.


    But even so¡­ she would guide Isaiah as best she could.


    [-]


    Persona 3 OST - Blues in Velvet Room


    The nekoshou known as Kuroka Toujou yawned as she put her PSP down. Another boring day as the nurse of Kouh Academy, another drawn-out grinding session in today''s RPG time waster.


    She was a beautiful young woman with a voluptuous figure, long black hair with split bangs, and hazel-gold eyes with cat-like pupils. As usual, she wore her black and red kimono loosely as she lazed about with nothing to do.


    Couldn''t even take a nap since some idiot would get themselves hurt just to be sent to the nurse''s office so they could ogle her, usually the idiots that comprised the Perverted Trio. That Sitri girl gave her hell last time she slept on the job.


    She did smell something odd from that Hyoudou boy though. He smelt a bit like a dragon; probably a Sacred Gear.


    Sacred Gears made from dragons were incredibly rare, and considering that Saji kid had one from the evil dragon Vritra, it was a straight-up miracle to find two of them in the same area.


    It was rather nostalgic, the scent of a dragon that is. It reminded her of that bleeding heart of an exorcist that saved her from death''s door after her escape from the Underworld years ago. Turns out he was distantly related to a dragon.


    The events that transpired afterwards shook Hell itself, got the Satans involved, and the rabbit hole that was the Naberius Clan was far deeper than even she knew. Seriously, her sister''s hair clip, given to her by their mother, contained all the artificial Super Devil research their father completed... go figure.


    After the experiments of her former King were revealed, as well as the plans of the entire Naberius clan as a whole, they were stripped of all their titles, power, and resources, for treason. Most of them being thrown into the deepest darkest hole Devil law could allow. Her name was cleared soon after, the four Satans themselves personally welcomed her back to the Underworld with open arms, and she was allowed to join the Peerage of Rias Gremory to reunite with her sister once again.


    The door to the nurse''s office slid open. "Onee-chan, the exorcist from the Church showed up. Rias-buchou sent me to pick you up."


    Speaking of her sister.


    Shirone Toujou had grown up quite a bit over the years thanks to Kuroka resuming her training in Senjutsu and other youkai disciplines. She had long, white, almost silvery hair that reached down her thighs. She had the same hazel-gold eyes as her sister as well as a similar voluptuous figure thanks to years of training. Though thanks to their species'' inherent ability to shapeshift she was able to take on a more childlike form; which she mostly used to mess with people.


    "Nya!?" Kuroka groaned lazily, slumping in her chair. "Wasn''t that supposed to be Friday?"


    "Now, come on, and don''t make me drag you kicking and screaming like last time. I don''t want Sitri-san yelling at us for making a scene."


    "Won''t she get mad anyway if I leave the office?"


    "No, she requested you there as well just in case things go poorly."


    Kuroka stood up. "Alright, alright, if they need me that badly I''ll come. Now, get over here, I haven''t seen you all day and I need to recharge nya!"


    Shirone squeaked in surprise as her sister all but teleported right in front of her, shoving her head into her b.r.e.a.s.ts. She ignored her adorable sister''s futile struggles and she sighed blissfully. Every day was a gift now that she had her sister back, she had been labeled a Stray for a few months but it felt like years; and if not for Isaiah''s help, she shuddered at the thought of what would happen if¡­


    Shirone stopped moving.


    "Nya...?" Kuroka looked down at her sister now limp in her arms.


    It finally dawned that she may have just asphyxiated her sister into unconsciousness with her b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    She smiled sheepishly. "Whoops."


    Kuroka adjusted her sister''s head so she could breathe properly. The nekoshou ran a hand through her sister''s long hair.


    She finally got the peaceful life she wanted. Sure, there was some excitement the week before with the Rating Game against that Riser idiot and his Peerage, but between herself and Shirone¡­ the dumb flaming canary was shouting ''Uncle!'' in less than thirty minutes.


    Now she could focus on making the nekoshou race blooming once again¡­


    Or she would''ve if she hadn''t fallen hopelessly in love with the reckless idiot of an exorcist that fixed her life. Every time she looked at her sister, she remembered what he did for her. Every time she smelt the scent of a dragon, she remembered his smiling face.


    "Eh¡­ why? Bold of you to assume I need a reason to help someone."


    "That¡­ That''s it? You don''t want anything in return?"


    "I wouldn''t be a very good priest if I did, now would I?"


    "Ah, so it''s about staying true to the Church''s values. A priest that patches what he''s told to preach, funny."


    "I guess you could frame it like that, but it ain''t the values of the Vatican I follow."


    "Oh?"


    "After the things I''ve experienced, I can''t bring myself to believe in God. I''ve been to Heaven, escorted by the Seraphim themselves, and I can''t do it; I refuse to. The Vatican is a breeding ground of corruption where good men and righteous ideals are twisted irreparably. We live in an age where people forget that Devils were once Angels; where people think of each other as lesser than each other¡­ or maybe that''s just how it always was. Everyone forgetting that we''re all just people. Angel, Fallen, Devil, Youkai, Human, and everything in-between; I couldn''t tell you the difference."


    "Then if everything''s such a lost cause, then why do anything, nya?"


    "I''m an absolute failure of a priest. I''m an idiot that knows damn well he can''t change a single thing and here I am trying anyway. I''m not smart enough to get into the political shit-storm the world''s become. And I''m not strong enough to make people take my words seriously. I may not believe in God, but¡­ I believe in being a decent person."


    She remembered the uncontrollable laughter she let out after hearing someone say something so ridiculous. But he never got upset by her mocking laughter.


    "See, I knew smiling would make you look a lot prettier than that sulking face you were making earlier."


    "You''re a real idiot, you know that?"


    "The biggest. Now, come on, kitty, we got your name to clear, a little sister to save, and an entire conspiracy that threatens to tear Hell itself apart to unravel. Sounds like one hell of a party to me!"


    She got her happy ending¡­ but what about him? Was he still being the nice guy in a world that did him nothing but wrong?


    [-]


    Blazblue OST - Comedy


    "Oh my lordy loo, Kuroka, is that you!?" Came the excited yell of Isaiah, the exorcist that she hopelessly fell in love with after he helped her fix her life. "You haven''t changed a bit!"


    The black cat stood there in the middle of the room stunned. Her eyes wide and her lips parted slightly.


    Everything became white noise as she stared at him. She didn''t even notice her fellow Peerage members or the Student Council looking at her worriedly.


    "How long has it been?" He crossed his arms and closed his eyes in concentration. "Four¡­ five years?"


    He''d¡­ he''d grown up so much.


    The cute boy she playfully teased had now become a devilishly handsome young man.


    He leaned in, holding his hand above her head, comparing their heights. "See? I told you I''d be taller than you once I hit my growth spurt. And here you wanted me to stay a fun-sized shota, but look how cool I am now that ya boy''s all grown up~"


    Kuroka did the only sensible thing a woman would do if the object of her affections suddenly came back into her life looking one of her wet dreams given life.


    "Oof!"


    She glomped him with all her might...


    Crash!


    "MINE!"


    Right out the window.


    The nekoshou didn''t even notice the wind rushing past them in her bliss¡­ or the inevitable descent of gravity.


    "Kuroka!? KUROKA!? GROUND! GROUND! GROUND! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-"

 Chapter 462 - My Original Stash #62 - SSS-Class Suicide Hunter by Shin Noah

    -The determination of this MC is simply beautiful...


    Synopsis: I want an S-Rank skill too! I want it so badly, I could die for it!


    [You have awakened an S-Rank skill.] [But it only works when you die.]


    Eh !? WHAT IS THE POINT OF GETTING ONE IF I DIE !?


    Rated: M


    Words: ???


    Posted on: novelupdates.com/series/sss-class-suicide-hunter/ (Shin Noah)


    Chapter 1


    Breaking news!


    The Black Dragon Guild attempts to conquer the 40th floor of the Tower. Didn''t they confidently declare that they were going to finally show the might of the greatest guild? Unfortunately, they have returned empty-handed.


    The Rank 1 Hunter! The Flame Emperor (Ñ×µÛ) has single-handedly subjugated a Boss once again!


    I envied him.


    While blankly staring at the TV, I thought to myself: ''I envy him. I envy him so much¡ªit''s driving me crazy.''


    Hello Flame Emperor-nim!


    Ah, right. Hello¡­


    The Flame Emperor furrowed his eyebrows. For some reason, even his scrunched brows looked handsome.


    You have set a new record once again! You are the only person who can single-handedly subjugate a boss monster. May I ask you to share your impressions?


    First of all, I would like you to change that shitty title.


    Excuse me?


    I''m talking about the Flame Emperor. Call me by my name instead of using that shitty title. Like, what is the Flame Emperor supposed to mean? It''s embarrassing. I would rather be called the Plague than the Flame Emperor. [1] Someday, I''ll definitely find the bastard who gave me this title and beat the living shit out of him.


    U-Uhhh.


    The surprised reporter stuttered. He could only stammer, unable to respond. Because the formidable man in front of him was widely known as the protagonist of this era. The subject of countless legends being written.


    In comparison, I was just an extra who couldn''t even take on a minor role.


    "Aaah," I mumbled. "I really envy him." How nice would it be to live a life like him? A life where you can say anything in front of a camera. I touched my smartphone and entered a random Internet community bulletin board for Hunters. I wanted to see how others reacted to the interview.


    Hey, the Flame Emperor is screwing around again! [2]


    2 minutes ago | Report


    Reply ?


    He is always on air, just like a plague.


    2 minutes ago | Report


    Reply ?


    As expected, the community was on fire as they watched the interview. With a flick of my finger, I continued to scroll through the comments.


    Can''t he hold his tongue when the entire world is watching him?


    1 minute ago | Report


    Replies 5 ?


    ?It''s not like this is the first time.


    1 minute ago | Report


    ?It''s the broadcaster''s fault for doing this even though they know what kind of a person he is.


    56 seconds ago | Report


    ?Real talk¡­ They''re doing this just for the views¡­


    44 seconds ago | Report


    ?Wow. Even this place is plagued. How sickening.


    37 seconds ago | Report


    ?I want to become just like the Flame Emperor.


    1 second ago | Edit


    The internet community was divided into two sides: Those who defended the Flame Emperor and others who ridiculed him.


    Flame Emperor-nim, I wish your personality matched your skills. Please bear in mind that you represent all Hunters in Korea. As a fellow Korean, I feel embarrassed whenever the interview gets transloted and distributed across the globe¡­


    1 minute ago | Report


    Replies 5 ?


    ?It is translated and not transloted. Before considering other languages, please give Hangul some more love. Also, your nationality does not matter inside the Tower.


    1 minute ago | Report


    ?And you guys can tolerate your master cursing in Korean? Flame Emperor, you are a disgrace.


    50 seconds ago | Report


    ?It''s just a grammatical mistake. Why do you need to insult him for that? Your personality is f.u.c.k.i.e.d up.


    38 seconds ago | Report


    ?It''s not my personality that is f.u.c.k.i.e.d up. It''s yours. GG.


    23 seconds ago | Report


    ?I want to become just like the Flame Emperor.


    1 second ago | Edit


    What utter chaos. But, this wasn''t the only community that was noisy. Any place that talked about Hunters was like this.


    The Flame Emperor got a girlfriend! Apparently, it is the Saintess!


    1 minute ago | Report


    Replies 4 ?


    ?The Saintess? Really?


    48 seconds ago | Report


    ?My friend is a Hunter and he saw the two of them together!


    39 seconds ago | Report


    ?My friend is the Saintess and she said that isn''t true;


    27 seconds ago | Report


    ?I want to become just like the Flame Emperor.


    1 second ago | Edit


    Along with the Flame Emperor, the Saintess was one of the most popular Hunters. In one post, someone even kindly left an attachment file called, "Best Photo of the Saintess." She was famous for her exceptional beauty that matched her stellar personality. And he is dating her?


    "Uwauu." I put down my smartphone and rubbed my head in frustration. By the way,


    ?I want to become just like the Flame Emperor.


    1 second ago | Edit


    were all written by me. I wrote those posts as I surfed across a whole bunch of conversations. I would normally leave this comment on every post I visited. Why have I posted the same remark over and over?


    Because: "I envy him! I really envy him! I want to be successful, too!"


    Because I''m envious. This is how I truly feel. Since I live alone in a single room apartment, I can honestly admit how envious I am. Because I live alone. Because it''s my space.


    So, of course, if anyone were to enter my space, they would be shocked. To say the least. Every wall held countless magazine and newspaper scraps accounting the adventures of the World''s Rank 1 Hunter, the Flame Emperor. Every day, I''m surrounded on all sides by his great legacy.


    ¡ºThe Flame Emperor single-handedly subjugates the 39th floor!¡»


    ¡ºThe Flame Emperor solo clears the 38th floor! Another legendary feat!¡»


    ¡ºHunter Yoo Sooha crowned as the World''s Rank 1. The first Korean to achieve it!¡»


    ?


    ?


    ?


    ¡ºDisappearance of the Sword Saint & the empty Rank 1. Who will take the throne? Expert foreigners believe "Yoo Sooha from Korea is the best candidate."¡»


    ¡ºThe impregnable 10th floor cleared! Who is the mysterious hero?¡»


    ¡º22 days since the Sword Saint''s disappearance. Will the Hunter Association face its worst crisis?¡»


    The oldest articles dated back to 10 years ago, their yellow and curling edges proof of the time I''ve followed his feats. Of course, the newest articles of him held firmly to the wall, pristine and flawless. This was history. The Flame Emperor''s history. No. This was Hunter Yoo Sooha''s history that was recorded long before he received the title, and it surrounded me in all its glory. In this room. With me.


    Ahhh. I clutched my head, staring at his accomplishments all around me.


    ''I want to be successful too! Just like the Flame Emperor!''


    I want to be so successful that others would become envious of me. By becoming successful, I would make an example out of everyone who looked down on me or failed to respect me. After making an example of them, I would tell them to "Live properly from now on." Afterward, I''d kindly forgive them. I would forgive them¡ªthen everyone would praise me as a man with a big heart.


    A hero with a big heart.


    That''s right. I envied the hero on TV.


    Flame Emperor-nim.


    Wow. Didn''t I just tell you to not call me by that? I already knew from your trash journalism that your brain was rotten but were your ears also rotten?


    S-sorry. Before you leave, please tell our viewers one last thing!


    Hah? What do you want me to tell them?


    There are many aspiring Hunters who look up to you and try their best. Awakening soon after entering the Tower in his early-20''s! Defeating a boss monster in less than a month later! A Hunter who literally writes legends, the Flame Emperor Yoo Sooha! Please tell your aspiring fans the key to success in one phrase! Just one piece of advice, please!


    The Flame Emperor smirked.


    If my advice could make them succeed, they would succeed with anything. If so, what difference will I make if they''ll succeed anyways?


    Even so, please say something!


    Ah, this is why f.u.c.k.i.n.g reporters are really¡­ Fine. Just a few words then.


    The Flame Emperor scratched the back of his head. His front hair was pulled back and tied with a rubber band. Was that hairstyle called a ponytail? His black hair, which was long like a horse tail, shook a bit.


    Those who will succeed will succeed.


    The Flame Emperor glared directly into the camera.


    But, don''t get in my way even if you succeed. Or I''ll kill you.


    Excuse me?


    That is all. I don''t have anything else to say, so don''t follow me.


    And it really ended with that. The Flame Emperor left the camera and walked away, alone. The reporter shouted, "Flame Emperor-nim! Flame Emperor-nim! What do you mean by that?" But he was completely ignored.


    I gaped at the Flame Emperor''s back, slowly fading away.


    Fuming rage.


    I was furious.


    It was the reporter who was being ignored, but it felt like I was personally being spurned, as well. From the bottom of my heart, I was boiling mad.


    "If I just had one decent skill," I said out loud to myself. Yearning was clear in my voice, but I didn''t care. To wish and to reach for something better was human nature.


    In reality, I was the lowest F-Class Hunter. I didn''t have such things like making the Internet heated up¡ªin real time¡ªfrom an interview. Or having people interested in trivial matters of my private life. Or most importantly, succeeding with my own skills¡­ and becoming rich. My life was far from such a successful life. Light-years away, if I was being honest.


    But I didn''t care about petty semantics right now. What I wanted in this moment wasn''t to highlight how unattractive my life was. It was my yearning. "I want to succeed," I said to the walls all around me. "I want to have an S-Rank skill too." I considered the Flame Emperor''s bold face and all of the exclamations telling of his prestige. "And it''s not about the money," I said. "I just want to succeed. How great would it be if the Flame Emperor''s skill was mine!"


    If someone saw my current state, they would probably think I was insane. Obsessive. A freak. Annoying. After all, I was talking to myself and being quite explicit about my desires. But I''ll say this again. As many times as it takes. This is my single room apartment¡ªmy space. And in my room, I will say it out loud as many times as it takes.


    "I want to succeed!"


    And I''ll continue saying this because venting out my frustration in an empty area is my unique stress relieving method. It''s really unsightly to see, but who cares? It''s better than going outside and disturbing others.


    It''s not like anyone was listening to me.


    "¡­ Huh?"


    But it seemed like I was wrong.


    As if someone heard me, a golden light flashed in front of me!


    "I-Is this¡­?"


    A scene that I''ve only seen from videos. A scene that I''ve rewatched hundreds of times¡ªno, thousands of times. A scene that fueled my envy every morning because it''s never happened to me.


    The light that appeared when a Hunter awakened their skill!


    And¡ª"It''s a golden light!"


    Hovering before me. The light I''ve been wanting, needing, and coveting over. It was mine! And it was a golden light! A GOLDEN LIGHT.


    At least an S-Rank skill! The golden light only appeared if the skill was at least an S-Rank skill!


    My heart pounded like crazy, loud in my ears, as if it wanted to leap out of my chest.


    The golden light concentrated in one spot and shaped into a card.


    | An unsightly envy that is yet to be found in History!


    | The Tower, astonished by your unsightly envy, throws you a skill.


    Wait¡­ The skill awakening sound was different compared to what I was told.


    Normally, you would hear something cool like, "The Tower is moved by your determination," or "The Tower rewards you for your honest efforts," or "The Tower praises you for your achievements."


    But it threw me a skill because of my unsightly envy? It''s as if the Tower is treating me like a beggar.


    ''N-Nah. Why should I care about its tone when I just received an S-Rank skill?''


    Unease rose in my chest, but I brushed it aside. How long have I been waiting for this moment? It was not the time to be concerned with negative thoughts.


    | Creating a skill card.


    The light exploded one last time and a golden card waited before me.


    With shaking hands, I grasped the card.


    I blinked.


    For a moment, I thought I misread something.


    So, once again, I slowly read the last sentence written on the bottom.


    However, you die!


    It really said that. Right there, all in red. Exclamation point. As if the system was laughing at me. At my ten years of yearning and wishing.


    If I use this S-Rank skill, I''ll die.


    I blankly stared at the card.


    The wind blew from the open window and shook the scraps of paper glued all over the walls. The crinkling of the paper tickled my ears. Time passed.


    Then I screamed. Everything in me tore out of my throat. "FUUUCK! WHAT THE F.U.C.K IS THIS?! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO USE THIS SKILL?!"


    On this day, I obtained the greatest ever S-Rank skill. [3]


    The greatest ever SHIT skill.


    [T/N]


    [1] The Plague (??) is a play on words with the Flame Emperor (??).


    [2] ?? is an insult that can mean screwing / f.u.c.k.i.n.g around or causing trouble.


    [3] ??? which translates to all time greatest was simplified to the greatest ever.

 Chapter 464 - My Original Stash #64 - The Perfect Run by Void Herald

    -Our MC is some sort of combination of Ekko mixed in with a little bit of Jinx, even the place where he lived in reminds me of Zaun, funnily enough! And he also did a JoJo reference, this guy''s awesome/


    Synopsis: Ryan "Quicksave" Romano is an eccentric adventurer with a strange power: he can create a save-point in time and redo his life whenever he dies. Arriving in New Rome, the glitzy capital of sin of a rebuilding Europe, he finds the city torn between mega-corporations, sponsored heroes, superpowered criminals, and true monsters. It''s a time of chaos, where potions can grant the power to rule the world and dangers lurk everywhere.


    Ryan only sees different routes; and from Hero to Villain, he has to try them all. Only then will he achieve his perfect ending... no matter how many loops it takes.


    Rated: M


    Words: ???


    Posted on: royalroad.com/fiction/36735/the-perfect-run (Void Herald)


    Chapter 1


    It was May 8th, 2020 for the third time, and Ryan had already caused two traffic accidents.


    He blamed the people of New Rome for this. The city''s inhabitants were as nervous as coffee addicts in the morning, and drove their cars like monkeys out for his blood. Moving on the walkway would have been safer.


    Thankfully, he had saved right before passing the ''Welcome to New Rome'' sign at the end of the highway linking the city to the rest of the Campania region.


    Driving his highly customized red Plymouth Fury, Ryan stopped right before a tank truck would have hit him to the left, dodged a Bliss-addict meth-head, and then finally reached New Rome''s strip.


    Owing to its reputation as the largest metropolis in Italy and a ravaged Europe''s capital of sin, New Rome was quite the sight. Built around the shores of the gulf of Naples years after Mechron''s drones bombed it to oblivion, it had the tallest buildings Ryan had seen since the fall of the Genome Wars. None held a candle to the Dynamis Tower north of town, a glass spire symbolizing the company''s power over the region; corporate money had built New Rome, a city with no gods nor kings. Only money.


    At the left of the driveway, Ryan could see the pristine Mediterranean Sea, glittering with the sunset while a distant island cast a long shadow on the horizon; on his right, he could glance at the countless casinos, gambling dens, and luxury hostels who drew so many tourists to the city. He even glimpsed the famous Colosseum Maximus, a modern replica of the old world''s Colosseum.


    This district truly deserved its name of the Golden Coast.


    Ryan himself attracted a few glances from tourists since he drove in his Quicksave costume. He covered his adorable face with a metal, mouthless mask with two rounded glasses for eyes, and his black hair beneath a black top hat. Add to that a navy blue trench coat, a purple shirt, blue pants, black gloves, and boots, and you became style incarnate. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/my-self-insert-stash_15819206506160005/my-original-stash-64---the-perfect-run-by-void-herald_50932149758514118 for visiting.


    The outfit was hot to wear, and not very practical for fighting, but it looked amazing. To Quicksave, that was all that mattered.


    As he continued moving north towards his destination, Ryan noticed a few eye-catching publicity boards. One of them portrayed the superheroine Wyvern, a beautiful amazon of a woman with shoulder-length black hair, sharp greyish eyes, and a white bodysuit, showing off her muscles with a green potion in the background.


    ''Want to be as strong as Wyvern? With our Hercules Elixir, what Hercules did in twelve labors, you will do in an afternoon!''


    ''One hundred thousand euros, only at Dynamis!''


    Meh, everyone wanted to be a Genome these days, even the shadow of one. Then again, who could resist superpowers-in-a-can? Ryan hadn''t, although he had taken the real stuff, not a cheap knockoff giving just a fraction of a real superpower.


    His life had been a rollercoaster ever since.


    Driving in front of a cliff tourist spot and a Miami-like beach, Ryan reached a tourist district, full of bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. The place smelled of drugs and alcohol, but it didn''t look seedy either. The worst neighborhoods were in the north, from what he had heard.


    Having memorized the city''s map, Ryan quickly found the place he was looking for; an unremarkable pub located between an Italian restaurant and a closed nightclub. Parking his car nearby, the courier stepped down and opened his trunk.


    Never good at organizing stuff, the young man had left all his belongings in a chaotic mess. His tools, computers, and weapons formed a mass of metal almost overflowing from the car; although none compared to his white rabbit plushie, the most devastating tool in his arsenal.


    After searching, Ryan quickly found the black briefcase he had been hired to deliver, seized it, closed the trunk, and then entered the pub.


    It was something of a cozy place with ten tables, only a third of them occupied. He briefly noticed some Latin muchacho trying to impress his date by levitating a coin in the air¡ªhe must have wasted fifty thousand bucks on a knockoff elixir. A balding, wrinkled old man with tanned skin stood behind the counter, looking at the newcomer suspiciously.


    "Hello, local humans, I come in peace!" Ryan addressed the carbon-based lifeform called a barman. "Is this Renesco''s Jolie Wrangler?"


    The man behind the counter glared at him. "It''s written on the front door. What do you want?"


    Why did the bar''s title involve both French and English words, while the barman sounded like a true Italian? Multiculturalism struck again! "Then you must be Renesco!" Ryan handed the poor fellow the briefcase. "I''ve been hired to give you this! It''s full of mushrooms and a bomb, but I didn''t open it this time."


    "This time?" the barman frowned. "Are you¡­"


    "I''m Quicksave," Ryan introduced himself, tipping his hat. "I''m immortal, but don''t tell anyone."


    "Man, you said it loud enough for everyone to hear!" someone jeered at the back, the few clients laughing.


    "That''s your power?" the barman asked, unimpressed. "Immortality????


    "It''s part of a package deal," Ryan replied.


    "Whatever," Renesco grumbled while he seized the briefcase. "I''ll tell my boss and you should receive your payment soon."


    "Good to hear!" Ryan replied, a hand on the counter. "Hey, look, since I''m here, have you seen a girl called Len? Black hair, blue eyes, Marxist-Leninist?"


    "Never heard of her," the barman said with a shrug. "If you''re looking for a girl, try a brothel."


    "That''s not really the type, but thanks anyway." Knowing her, Len was probably hiding in some underground Kremlin bunker. "Any place where you can buy custom genius tech? Homemade?"


    "Try Rust Town in the north, if you''re brave enough. You can always find interesting stuff at the Junkyard, but it''s full of cutthroats and Psychos nowadays." The barman looked at Quicksave head to toe. "They''re going to eat you alive."


    Ryan shrugged, while he heard someone enter the bar. The temperature seemed to suddenly drop a few degrees. "Renesco?" the newcomer asked.


    "Yes?" the barman replied, frowning.


    A second later, an ice spear tore out Renesco''s throat and nailed him to the back wall.


    Ryan tried to activate his time-stop, but a sharp icicle hit his chest at astonishing speed. It pierced his bulletproof jacket and his ribs like a spear, then came out on the other side; leaving a gaping hole where the lungs should have been.


    The room erupted in screams, as projectiles shredded the tables and clients alike. Struggling against the sharp pain in his chest, Ryan collapsed on the counter but managed to glance at his attacker.


    The newcomer removed his hoodie, revealing his face¡­ or rather his lack of one. He looked like a walking, skinless skeleton with vestigial muscles, skeletal fingers, and frozen eyes. An unnatural, chilling mist came out of his mouth and nasal cavities, transforming into ice weapons.


    A Genome. Considering his physical mutation, maybe even a Psycho.


    "Adam sends his regards," the killer rasped. The muchacho man in the bar''s back tried to telekinetically throw a chair at him, but the hostile Genome grew an armor of ice over his bones. A few icicles later, the Spanish guy and his date had their face redrawn in a cubic style.


    "I will get you¡­" Ryan dramatically raised a finger at his murderer, blood flowing from his mouth, "on my next save..."


    The undead froze him alive with a wave of his hand, and all went dark.


    It was May 8th 2020 for the fourth time, and Ryan was pissed.


    Three times! Three times he had died trying to make this damn delivery!


    Then again, that was what he got when not paying attention. With the exception of his save point, his powers needed a conscious action to activate; his enhanced timing sense, in particular, didn''t kick in until after he had lived through events once already.


    Ryan didn''t mind dying, since he had gotten used to it after the first two dozen times¡­ but dying so soon? Less than two hours after establishing a save point, three times in a row? His loops usually lasted days, allowing him to try new and interesting stunts; while repeating the same things in quick succession bored him to death.


    This meant war.


    Ryan entered his autopilot mode, his mind wandering off while his body repeated all the actions of his previous save. He only stopped and regained full consciousness as he reached the bar.


    Instead of entering, Ryan remained in his car, waiting for his killer to show up.


    He didn''t have to wait long, as the assassin walked out of a street corner, hands in his pockets and his ugly face hidden beneath a hoodie. It said something about New Rome that this crook didn''t draw attention, as he entered the Jolie Wrangler.


    There was only one rational, responsible way to act.


    Ryan moved the car right in front of the pub, set an ACDC song on the radio, and then smashed the accelerator.


    Pedestrians screamed in panic, some leaping out of the way as the car drove into the Wrangler''s entrance. Having been reinforced specifically for this kind of stunt, the Plymouth demolished the wall and hit the assassin from behind before he could attack. The collision propelled the hostile Genome against the counter, like a deer on the road.


    Quicksave briefly looked around, in case he had accidentally hit any of the clients; he had been very careful to position himself in an angle with nobody but the assassin on the path, but you could never know. Thankfully, he hadn''t harmed anyone, and the Spanish muchacho was too busy holding his terrified girlfriend in his arms to throw stuff at Ryan.


    Good. He wouldn''t have to reload again.


    "Hey, guys, I''m Quicksave!" Ryan told the shocked clients, as he stepped down and moved behind his car. "I''m immortal, but don''t tell anyone!"


    "I''m calling Security!" Renesco shouted while hiding behind the counter.


    "Don''t bother, I will be done in a minute!" Ryan replied before opening his car''s trunk, unconcerned. He looked at his weapons, trying to find the right one for the job.


    The pisto-gauntlets? Too intimate.


    The gauss rifle? Too quick.


    The shotgun? Tempting, but overdone.


    The rabbit plushie? Far too powerful.


    The baseball bat?


    Bat it was.


    Ryan whistled while playing with his chosen weapon, approaching the assassin as he rose back to his feet, using the counter as support. Any other person would have died, but all Genomes possessed enhanced physical abilities.


    "Who the f.u.c.k are you?" the undead assassin hissed angrily, trying to manifest his armor of ice over his body as he did in the last loop, but too stunned to focus. "An Augusti?!"


    "Nah, I''m just a courier," Ryan said, trying to think of a good one-liner. "Sorry, can you give me your name while you still have teeth?"


    The skeleton responded by raising his hand, unleashing a volley of ice shards.


    In response, Ryan lazily stopped time. The world turned silent, everything gained a purple hue, and the icicles froze in midair.


    Eh. Froze. The courier memorized that pun for later.


    "Yeah, you took me by surprise last time," Quicksave said, as he moved around the path of the attack until he was right in front of his target. Neither clients nor the enemy Genome could move, trapped between two seconds. "Not gonna happen again."


    When time resumed and the world regained its colors, the skeleton kissed the aluminum bat intimately. The undead Genome lost a few teeth since his jaw was tight. Must have been his first time.


    The attack tossed the killer to his knees, and another strike introduced him face-first to the ground. Ryan started beating him up to the tune of Highway to Hell, singing to himself. Between the shock of being hit by a car at full speed and the blow to the head, the enemy Genome couldn''t mount a resistance. Also, it seemed he had some frozen blood below the bones and vestigial flesh.


    "I feel like the healthcare system, beating up a helpless granny." Ryan shook his head in disgust at the assassin, before hitting him again. ??Look at what you made me do!"


    The wicked fossil couldn''t offer a good excuse, so Quicksave continued his assault. His unnatural resilience would allow him to survive far worse, and considering he had killed Ryan once, the courier didn''t feel bad beating him up within an inch of his life.


    "Drop your weapons!"


    Ryan turned around, three men in black riot gear pointing energy rifles at him from behind. They surrounded his car, while they proudly displayed the ouroboros symbol of the Dynamis corporation on their chests; probably members of Private Security. A crowd of civilians had gathered outside the bar, looking at the scene while maintaining a respectful distance. Some had even started taking pictures.


    "Hey, I''m just trying to help!" Ryan protested, waving his bloodstained bat in surrender after kicking the assassin with his boot one last time.


    "You blew up my bar!" Renesco protested, emerging from behind the counter with a crimson face.


    "Oh, you want money?" Quicksave quickly searched inside his trench coat as three red circles appeared on his mask, before bringing out a wad of banknotes worth fifty thousand euros. "Here, have a treat!"


    Renesco looked at the money, grabbed it, counted, and then made a conflicted face. "That''s more than enough to pay for the repairs," he told the guards. "The guy on the floor tried to attack us, the other weirdo came to help."


    "You have a license?" one of the security guards asked Ryan, who shook his head. "You''re a vigilante? An Augusti? Company Genome?"


    "Nope!" Ryan replied.


    "Well, if you don''t have a license, why shouldn''t we take you into custody alongside that bone guy?"


    "What, you want money too?"


    And Ryan threw a bribe at him.


    The security captain grabbed the wad with one hand, counted while keeping his weapon aimed at Quicksave''s head, then chuckled. "You think you can buy our honor with that?"


    Ryan threw him a bigger bribe.


    "Better," the Security guardsman said, putting the money in a pocket full of grenades. He lowered his rifle and had his two compatriots gently grab the assassin, after punching him in the gut. "I''m glad we helped make the neighborhood safer today."


    "Me too," Ryan replied. "Me too."


    "Renesco?" The captain asked the barman, as his men carried the assassin away. "Don''t forget to pay your monthly subscription. We won''t always be there to protect your establishment."


    And on these wise words, the trio left without looking back.


    "Do you always carry wads of money on yourself?" Renesco asked Quicksave, astonished by the surreal scene.


    "When you cause as much collateral damage as I do, it''s a real time saver," Ryan replied, the baseball bat still dripping with blood. "Who was that skeletal fellow anyway?"


    "Ghoul, a Psycho from the Meta-Gang. Elixir junkies who have been hitting places like mine recently." Renesco glared at Ryan, then at his car, and then back at its driver. "Now, get the f.u.c.k out of my bar."


    "Uh, not until after I finish the damn delivery." Ryan handed the briefcase to Renesco, not really caring about the attention he brought on it. Quicksave always delivered; no matter how many deaths needed!


    The barman''s eyes flashed with recognition, and then confusion. "I don''t get it," Renesco said, as he grabbed the briefcase. "You aren''t paid half of what you spent in the last minute."


    "It''s not about the money," Ryan replied. He looked around as if worried that anyone listened, then whispered into Renesco''s ear.


    "I''m just bored."


    The man looked at Ryan in silence, while the courier whistled to himself as he returned to his car, driving under the sunset towards new adventures.


    Sidequest, complete!ld

 Chapter 465 - My SI Stash #65 - The Legendary Mechanic by Qi Peijia

    -MC is clearly nay arguably blessed by the RNG Gods~ Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/my-self-insert-stash_15819206506160005/my-si-stash-65---the-legendary-mechanic-by-qi-peijia_50954659950558401 for visiting.


    Synopsis: What do you do when you wake up and find yourself inside the very game that you love?


    What do you do when you realize you that you have not only become an NPC - you have even been thrown back in time to before the game even launched!


    What will happen when our protagonist''s two realities coincide?


    Han Xiao was a professional power leveler before his transmigration. Using his past life''s knowledge, Han Xiao sweeps through the universe as he prepares for the arrival of the players. This is definitely not your typical transmigration novel.


    Rated: M


    Words: ???


    Posted on: /book/the-legendary-mechanic_8662546605001405 (Qi Peijia)

 Chapter 466 - My Original Stash #66 - Life, Once Again by Wise Dragon

    -Best slice of life/showbiz story I''ve read so far, the Second Chance factor always carries/


    Synopsis: Sometimes, as we go about with our lives, we all happen to think of one specific thought at least once.


    What if¡­ I could go back to "that" time?


    The funny thing is, the moment you think such a thought is the precise moment when you came back to the past, from the future.


    "One more time."


    Life, once again.


    Rated: M


    Words: ???


    Posted on: novelupdates.com/series/life-once-again/?pg=19 (Wise Dragon)


    Chapter 0+1


    Beep beep beep!


    A bus darted down the road, its horn blaring frantically. First swerving left, then hard to the right¡­ Whoever drove it had clearly lost control of the vehicle. The speed it acc.u.mulated threatened to flip it over at any time. The other drivers on the road frantically stopped their cars to avoid it.


    The bus crossed several lanes in the road before forcing its way up onto the empty sidewalk.


    Bang!


    The bus came to an abrupt halt as it slammed into an electric pole, which promptly fell down onto the vehicle. The people nearby got out of their cars and started gathering around the now wrecked bus. The doors of the bus opened, with the passengers inside spilling out with a panicked look.


    "Someone call 119!" A shout come amidst the escapees.


    "The driver''s dying!"


    October 3rd, 2031.


    A bus driver by the name of Han Maru passed away. He was 45 on the day of his death.


    * * *


    What were your regrets in life?


    It was the first thing on Maru''s mind as he opened his eyes. He heard the sound of waves crashing against the beach near him. A cool breeze washed over his face as he sat up to look around.


    Where was he?


    "You''re awake. I was just about to wake you up." A voice of a woman came up from behind him, confusing him even more.


    "This is¡­" Maru trailed off.


    Thankfully, the woman seemed to know exactly what he was confused about.


    "You''ll know where you are in a second. Just think."


    Maru understood his situation as soon as he heard the woman in the white shirt. He found himself being quite amazed by his realization, but immediately ended up looking a bit bitter.


    "So I died." Maru confirmed.


    The woman simply affirmed his suspicions. "Yes, you did."


    "Are you an angel?" Maru asked with a curious look.


    The woman smiled wryly at the question. "Sort of. Some call me an angel, others, the grim reaper. Titles aren''t very important though. What I''m about to say now is."


    The woman started walking forward with fairly wide steps. Maru paced himself a little bit faster than usual to try and keep up. After around a minute of walking, they came across the sole parasol in the entire beach.


    The woman motioned onto the chair underneath. "Please, sit."


    And so Maru did. The woman continued after sitting down on a chair herself. "Mr. Han, you died precisely on October 3rd, 11:23:14. Do you remember how you died?" Surprisingly enough, Maru could remember it.


    "Yes," he responded.


    Maru recalled the event almost as if it were a distant memory. He was driving the bus to its final stop. Just then, something came flying down the road, making a beeline towards him. It broke through the front window, slamming into his chest before falling down next to his seat. If he remembered correctly, it was something that resembled a hammerhead.


    He felt his breathing weakening rapidly, followed by gradually loss of his motor control.


    Maru stepped on the brakes and swerved onto the empty sidewalk-- he had to keep the passengers safe. At the time, making a stop at the sidewalk seemed like the best course of action. And then¡­ nothing. He found himself at this place the next time he woke up. This led to one question in his mind.


    "Were the passengers¡­ safe?" He asked.


    "Thanks to you, yes. Everyone survived. If you had given up half way you would''ve run right into a truck and killed everyone." The woman responded.


    That made Maru feel a little bit better. "That''s¡­ good."


    Not by much, though. He may have saved others, but he was still dead. Who would take care of his wife and daughter now? That was when he remembered his life insurance.


    "500 million won should be able to support my child somewhat until she grows up, right?"


    The woman smiled at his question. "You must be thinking about your family."


    "Yes. My daughter''s just about to enter high school. I was never able to do anything for her because of my pay, but with that money¡­" Maru wiped a tear from his eye.


    "Mr. Han." the woman asked.


    "Yes?" He responded.


    "Would you like to live your life again?" Maru became speechless for a second.


    "What?"


    At that moment, an old lady in white traditional attire walked out from behind the woman. Maru knew this lady very well. She was his neighbor. The one who made a living out of picking up paper waste, Mrs. Yu Bokja.


    "Mother." That was what Maru called the lady.


    She wasn''t his real mother of course. He just started calling her that as they started talking with each other.


    "Mrs. Yu decided to give her chance to you, Mr. Han." the woman said.


    "Chance?" What chance?" The woman was only managing to confuse him more by the second.


    "The chance to live once more." The woman said.


    That explanation didn''t really help much, unfortunately. The old lady walked over to gently grip Maru''s hands.


    "I lived fairly happily thanks to you. I''m grateful for the fact that you cared for me more than my children." Maru looked down at the lady''s wrinkled hands. He used to help her out whenever he saw her carry around that cart by herself during wintertime. He didn''t do it because he expected anything back. He just wanted to see the lady smile every once in a while.


    "You''re saying I can live my life again in your stead, mother?" He asked. The woman affirmed instead from the side.


    "Yes," she said.


    Maru shook his head firmly in refusal. "You shouldn''t, mother. I don''t deserve¡­"


    The old lady cut him off in the middle of his sentence. "I''m not interested in living my life again. It was horrible. I don''t want to experience war again. I don''t want to live a life where I have to run away all the time again. This is much better for me. All my friends are with me up in heaven as well."


    The lady smiled gently before continuing. "You''re different though, Maru. You''re still young. I couldn''t bear to see you go just like that." The lady gripped Maru''s hand a little tighter. "Consider this a gift for talking with me all the time."


    "Mother¡­" Maru didn''t know what to say.


    "Please accept this chance for me."


    With that, the lady faded away from view. Maru just turned to look at the woman in a daze.


    "There are a few restrictions, of course," she explained. "Your memories won''t be complete, so you can''t win lotteries with your memories."


    "Can I really begin again?"


    The woman nodded in confirmation. Maru started to ponder. What would it be like¡­ To live his life all over again? A question popped up in his head as he thought to himself.


    "Um¡­" "You can meet your current wife." she answered the question for him. "The choice to meet her again is up to you of course, Mr. Han. Ah, you''ll also get a few abilities going in."


    "Abilities?" What sort of abilities? Abilities that appear in comic books? Or abilities in the sense that he could cook better than others? The woman didn''t seem to want to answer his question this time, though.


    "Consider it a gift for making many people happy. It''s also something from Mrs. Yu who just went back up to heaven."


    At this point, Maru started wondering just who Mrs. Yu was for the first time. What kind of a lady was she up in heaven that let her give him so many things? Again, the woman seemed to have read his thoughts.


    "She''s someone who spread around unspeakable amount of kindness to the world as she lived. That''s why I offered her to live again. Though, that gift has now been given to you."


    The woman extended her hand towards him. There was a small pill sitting in her palm.


    "If you eat this, you''ll be able to go back to your teenage years."


    "By that¡­"


    "First year of high school." she answered.


    Maru couldn''t remember much of high school. Just a few friends he still kept in contact with maybe? After around two decades, most of his memories from that time had become faint.


    "You''ll be able to know a bit more when you wake up."


    Maru received the pill. The woman was smiling towards him.


    "Please don''t be so giving in this life. It''s good that you tried to make others happy, but you sacrificed so much doing it."


    Maru smiled faintly. "I don''t think about other people that much."


    He looked at the pill one last time. He wasn''t so sure if he really wanted to go back to his time in high school. Suddenly, a wrinkled hand appeared from somewhere and pushed the pill into his mouth. When Maru looked back in surprise, the visage of the old lady smiling greeted him.


    "Please have fun this time."


    With that, Maru lost his consciousness again.


    * * *


    Oftentimes, many people think to themselves, "if only I could go back to that time¡­" By the time they recover from all of their entrance exams, they have to start worrying about getting a job. Once they find a job and settle down a little bit, they have to deal with pressure from their bosses. When they finally move up the rungs a little to catch their breaths, their kids are right about to go to college.


    If they knew it would be this hard¡­ Why didn''t they take the time to have fun back then? Why didn''t they try harder back then? Why did they make that decision back then? Every day, millions, maybe even tens of millions of people look back on their past with some regret.


    And¡­ Han Maru realized that such a dream has become a reality for him. He could hear the computer humming silently behind him. The monitor was off, but the fans of the main tower were still working hard. He noticed a little list smacked onto the wall next to him. Resolutions he made as he graduated middle school, was it?


    "Phew." He sat up as he massaged his temples with his thumbs. He could feel the heat of the electric blanket gather straight onto his butt.


    Maru let out a small laugh. This small room. These messy clothes all around him. That pile of comic books in the corner, and that old book from the library that he never actually got around to reading. That half eaten bag of ch.i.p.s from last night next to his computer. His new bag sitting right next to his bedside, and¡­


    Maru tried fumbling around a bit under his pillow. There it was. His phone. It was a habit that never went away even until the moment of his death. After stepping on his phone the first thing in the morning, he built the habit of leaving his phone next to or below his pillow whenever he went to sleep.


    "First year of high school, was it???? he mumbled to himself.


    Maru slid open the unfamiliar phone in his hand. Right. This was what phones looked like around this time. But in a little while¡­


    "What was it, again?"


    He remembered that phones changed in design, but he couldn''t quite remember how it changed.


    "So it''s like this, huh." Maru realized.


    Maru recalled the words of the woman from a while back. About how his memories would be incomplete. He couldn''t recall most things from his life back when he was 45. As a matter of fact, he could remember more about the food he ate yesterday more clearly.


    "Pooper, Bigfoot, D.i.c.klord, Salmon, Bigeye¡­"


    He could remember the nicknames of his middle school friends as clear as day. The only thing he could remember from when he was 45 was¡­ The fact that his bus''s number was 32. He couldn''t remember the name of the company though.


    Maybe this was why he didn''t feel so confused when he woke up? His previous life''s memory didn''t conflict with his current one very much. It felt like he just woke up after a very long dream. A dream he couldn''t recall so well after waking up.


    There were a few things he could remember for sure though. The fact that he had a daughter who would get a minor seizure every time she smelled his foot, and the fact that he had a wife that was kind enough to love him. He could remember his family.


    Maru looked up at the ceiling.


    "So I really am¡­ back."


    Chapter 1


    Lee Sunji, Maru''s mother, woke up as she turned off the alarm from her phone. Her husband was away on the night shift. She folded her sheets and walked out into the kitchen with a stretch. Today was the day when Maru and Bada would start school again. Maru, in a new school, and Bada, in a new classroom. She thought of her two sleeping children as she took the pre-soaked rice from the night before and put it on the rice cooker. Right then, Maru walked out of his room without any signs of fatigue.


    "You''re awake, mother?" he said.


    "...What?" Why was he sounding so polite all of the sudden? Sunji stared at him for a second in surprise.


    "Ah, you''re up." Maru immediately spoke a lot more casually as he turned in nervousness.


    "Of course I am. I have to make breakfast. Why are you up so early?" she asked.


    "I think I just got¡­ nervous." he confessed. Sunji wondered what happened to the boy for him to try to be so polite. Was he trying to change how he spoke since he was now a high schooler? She was as humored as she was prideful.


    "Go wash up, it''ll be awhile before the food finishes."


    "Yes, I mean, sure."


    Sunji wore a curious look as her son entered the bathroom.


    * * *


    "How awkward." Maru muttered to himself quietly. His memories were mostly gone, but he did still remember a few things. It felt a little strange to talk with his mother with such a casual tone. Though¡­ when did he decide to treat her more respectfully again?


    "I think around the time when I first got my check, huh." He found himself speaking more politely to his parents when he realized how difficult it was to actually live in a society.


    "Mother. Mom. Father. Dad." Maru found himself growing accustomed to speaking like this faster than he had thought. Alright, perfect.


    He washed his face and hair. He found himself smiling when he realized it took more than 20 seconds for the water to heat up. It was stuff like this that really made him realize he was back in the past. Maru walked out of the bathroom to discover his mom making some soup. He could understand now why moms were able to wake up so early to cook breakfast all the time.


    They simply wanted their children to have a good day. No more, no less. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/my-self-insert-stash_15819206506160005/my-original-stash-66---life-once-again-by-wise-dragon_50978273663974500 for visiting.


    "Need help?" looking at her cook all the food made him want to help out a little.


    "I''m good. You know stuff like this won''t actually make me give you a larger allowance, right?"


    "How''d you know?"


    "Because I''m your mom." she answered in an obvious tone.


    Maru opened the fridge trying to hold in his laughter. He could see dad''s beer and mom''s plum and raspberry extracts inside. He forgot how much he missed seeing this. His mom looked at him with a surprised face when he started mixing some of the syrup with water to drink.


    "I thought you hated stuff like this." she said.


    "Did I?" he asked back.


    "You always ask for soda instead whenever I made you one." oh, right. He did. He used to hate how it made warm water taste weirdly sweet and sour. He decided to make up a quick excuse to cover it up.


    "My tastes probably changed." Maru silently exclaimed in joy as he took another sip of the drink. He couldn''t really explain it, but this syrup stuff was really good for men, he felt.


    "Oh dear, look at the time already. Go wake Bada up." mom asked. It was already 7:00am. About time to start getting ready for school.


    "Sure."


    "Don''t kick her again." she warned.


    "I know, I know." Maru waved her off casually as he entered his sister''s room. The girl was curled up in her blankets like a caterpillar.


    ''Come to think of it, we never talked after that point.'' he thought.


    His sister went through a divorce once in the future. It was a common occurence back then, but he''d never imagined his own sister to go through it. He used to meet up with his sister every once in a while and watch movies together back in college, but they stopped talking after his sister started living on her own. He''d just maybe see her face at family gatherings? He didn''t have a bad relationship with her, but it wasn''t great either. Just¡­ average, he supposed.


    She just completely disappeared after her divorce, though. She would call the family whenever a family gathering happened. The last he heard about his sister was when his mother told him about how she was meeting a new man. Maru hesitated for a second when he thought about what he would call his sister. His 45-year old self would just refer to her as ''you'' most of the time.


    ''But the me of now...'' For the Maru of the freshman year of high school¡­ he could only recall a single name.


    "Fatty." he said as he kicked the girl''s foot lightly. He immediately felt bad about doing it, but he couldn''t change his habits so easily right away. That''s right. This was the Maru of high school.


    "Ah¡­ What the hell?" Bada glared at Maru with a half-opened eyes before burying her head back into the pillow. Maru thought about kicking her again, but decided to just lean over to her face instead.


    "Wake up, it''s morning."


    "Ah, damn it."


    Maru took a close look at his sister''s face. So this was what she looked like. He couldn''t remember his sister''s future face very well. Maru poked the girl''s forehead. He couldn''t resist. She just looked cute.


    "Ah, damn it! Now you''re poking me, too?!" Bada stood up as she shouted angrily. Maru escaped before the girl got any louder. Her bad temper was the only thing that stayed constant throughout that girl''s life.


    ''Ah, that must be it. That was the reason behind her divorce, wasn''t it?'' he thought as he ran away.


    Maru sat down on the table as Bada walked out with a sour look.


    "Ah, mom, he keeps hitting me." she complained.


    "Wake up on time, then."


    The mom retorted with ease. Bada, knowing that she couldn''t beat mom in an argument, just headed to the bathroom with a pout.


    "You kicked her again, didn''t you?" she asked.


    "Nope." of course, he denied it. It didn''t really work though.


    "Why can''t you be more friendly with her? You used to walk around everywhere with her hand in yours back in the day." "I did?" Maru tried looking back in his memories. Did that really happen? He could somewhat remember himself walking around town with his sister''s hand in his. They used to go to arcades and go into the mountains together.


    ''Right¡­ and then I ended up losing her once.'' Maru ended up smiling when he remembered the memory.


    "What is it?" mom asked.


    "It''s nothing. I just remembered something old." he paused for a second as if he was still thinking about it. "You know, when I lost Bada."


    "Ah, then." she seemed to remember as well. "You cried a lot back then, since you couldn''t find her at all."


    "I did?"


    "Of course you did. Anyway, here, have some food before you go. You got your bag, right?"


    Maru nodded in affirmation.


    "Don''t get on your teacher''s bad side. Alright? Make some new friends, too. You only get your real friends in high school."


    "I know, I know. I''m not a kid you know."


    "Of course you are. Don''t hang out with weirdos, ok?"


    Maru nodded with a smile. She was right.


    Right now, he was just a kid.


    * * *


    "I''ll be back."


    "Be careful of cars!"


    Mom''s goodbyes never really changed. Be careful of cars. She started saying it after Maru''s grandfather passed from a car accident.


    Maru opened the door and stepped out. The cold air of the morning whipped across his face. It was march. Getting a little warmer, but still closer to winter than spring. Maru walked down to the first floor and unlocked his bike from the stand.


    "Haven''t seen this baby in a while."


    A casual bike armed with a simple shift. Maru hopped onto the bike and started pedalling. The air between his fingers felt frigid. But even this made him want to shout in joy.


    "I''m¡­ really back." he muttered. An image of Mrs. Yu flashed over his vision for a split second.


    ''Thank you for giving me this chance.'' he prayed in thanks.


    Maru stopped at a crossing for a second to take out his MP3. It''s been a long while since he''s seen one. He plugged the earphones into the jack and started listening. Most were songs from singers in the early 2000s.


    "This is good stuff." he found himself muttering. At least, it was far better than those so-called k-pop songs with english mixed all over the place. He much rather preferred listening to songs he could actually understand. Maru stepped on the pedal as he sang along to some of the lyrics.


    "The love I have for you~"


    After around 30 minutes of pedalling¡­ He could see the school coming into view.


    ''That still looks the same. Then again, it would be strange if it didn''t, huh?''


    A rectangular complex made with brownish bricks. Right in front of the building was a small podium meant for the principal. The field in front of the podium was a little larger than your average school''s. There was even a basketball court in the right corner of the school. And for whatever reason they even had a little pavilion next to it as well. Around there was also a small water fountain. Maru would often get water from there during a game.


    Maru walked over to the main entrance. He found more and more students around him in their personal clothes. He, too, was in casual wear as well. There was a time back when he would be jealous of all the uniforms the other kids would wear. He quickly realized how much better casual wear was as he grew up though.


    As he neared the entrance, he started feeling a strange sense of nostalgia and fear creep up from inside him. He could see a familiar face standing in front of him.


    ''The disciplinary teacher.'' The bald terror was standing in front of the door with a scissor in hand. Maru found himself clicking his tongue in disapproval. He had bad memories of getting his hair cut by those scissors.


    The horrible thing about them was the fact that they were dull, so your hair wouldn''t get cut off, they''d just get pulled off.


    "Come on, faster! Hey, you! What''s that on your hair?" One of the boys got caught by the teacher. The boy didn''t seem like a first year. He waddled over nervously in front of the teacher.


    "Hah, wax? Trying to look cool on your first day?" the teacher glared.


    "I''m sorry." the kid mumbled.


    "Three laps around the field and come back to me. Got it?"


    "Yessir."


    "I''m going light on you since it''s the first day, alright? Go."


    "Yessir."


    The boy threw down his bag and started running. Maru passed by the teacher as he observed the scene.


    ''Our mental age is similar but I still feel weirdly intimidated by the dude.'' he found. He really did feel like a freshman.


    * * *


    After locking up his bike, Maru walked up to the second floor where his class was. He walked into class 2 for electrical engineering with a sense of nostalgia. The real him had never come here in the past, but Maru was fairly familiar with this classroom. The quiet atmosphere with the cold air¡­ The other kids in the classroom were looking around nervously with their hands in their pockets. Right now, there were a total of 7 kids in the class.


    Maru scanned the room quickly before going back to his own thing. Though¡­ that ''thing'' only really consisted of reading manga and listening to music, really. He decided to sit in the middle of the class. He''s always sat around here in high school. It was a spot the teachers always missed, and he could get to the store during lunch faster.


    ''Come to think of it, I never studied during school.''


    Woosung Engineering High School. This was the school Maru decided to go back in the past.


    ''Middle school was spent lazily as well.''


    Study a bit, play a bit. One of those students that never really made big mistakes.


    That was pretty much who Maru was. One of those kids who weren''t dumb, but not smart enough to get themselves into a decent school. He had gone to middle school with the dream of getting into a good high school, but changed his mind to face reality by the end of it.


    ''I can remember all this really clearly. Are my memories changing?'' Maru recalled the time when he was speaking with his middle school advisor. He could remember it well. His 45 year old self was getting more and more faint as time passed. Instead, he would slowly become himself in 2003. He could feel himself actively changing as time went on.


    "So I really am starting over." he realized. Even so, Maru tried his best to remember his wife and daughter. Since the woman had told him he could remember a few key things, he didn''t worry about it too much. As he thought a bit about the past and the future¡­ He could hear a few kids talking next to him.


    "Did he check you too?" one of them said.


    "Check? Oh, you mean having to take my shirt off?"


    "Ah, so you got it too."


    "I was pretty scared, to be honest. The guy next to me had a tattoo on him."


    "What happened to that guy?"


    "The teacher told him to get it removed."


    "Damn though, engineering schools really are something else, huh. I feel like they''re treating us like criminals."


    "Just because we aren''t as good at studying as the other kids..."


    "Seriously."


    "You smoke, by the way?"


    "Me? Hell yeah."


    "God damn. Let''s be friends. You got one on you right now?"


    "On the first day? Hell no. I''ll think about bringing some tomorrow."


    "Fair play."


    Maru grinned as he listened to their conversation. He recalled seeing something similar to this in his memory surprisingly well. One of the kids brought a pack of cigarettes to class on the second day and ended up getting hit by the teacher''s chalk. That must''ve been him.

 Chapter 467 - My SI Stash #67 - Turning An Action Comedy Into A Harem Comedy by Chastity (FairyTail)

    -Held myself back for a while with originals so that more SI fics can stack up, Chastity kinda making me miss Sophia tho... This OPMC is quite neat but not enough to fill the void/


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 38K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/turning-an-action-comedy-into-a-harem-comedy-fairy-tail-si-commission.13266/ (Chastity)


    Chapter 1


    Lucy Heartfilia naturally turned to the door as it opened, an unfamiliar figure standing in it. No, two figures, she realized, after a moment - one was tall and handsome, wearing a pair of sunglasses, while at his side was a petite young woman with blue hair and a beauty mark. He''d drawn everyone''s attention, in fact, as he swung the door open in a manner that could somehow only be described as ''badass''. Combined with his visibly muscular build, his confident stride, she had to admit she felt her heart beat a little faster.


    She''d only been in the guild for a couple days, so she didn''t recognize the guy at all. "Natsu, who''s that?" She asked, pointing at the man in question. He was so incredibly handsome - was the girl with him his girlfriend? She hoped not.


    "Huh? How should I know?" Natsu asked, blinking as he glanced over at the guy.


    "You''re a member of the guild!"


    "Well, he''s not," Natsu said, then went right back to eating fire as if the guy didn''t concern him at all.


    "Hello!" He declared the words, loud enough that everybody in the hall turned to listen to him. "I am the great and powerful wizard, Lee! I wish to provide this guild with my membership!"


    She''d never heard of any wizards named Lee, and judging by how other guild members were looking at him, it seemed like he was just a blowhard rather than her being ignorant. She sighed a bit at that. He had such a handsome face, after all.


    "Hey, what''re you saying about being great and powerful?" Natsu said, suddenly perking up.


    "I''m saying I''m the great Lee. You''re the Salamander, Natsu Dragneel, correct? I challenge you." He drew a sword, pointing it at Natsu. She didn''t want to watch what was about to happen, but she couldn''t bring herself to look away. "Let us exchange blows."


    "Alright, let''s go," Natsu agreed, standing up and just rushing at him. Lee swung his body to one side to try to avoid Natsu''s haymaker punch, coated in fire, but it didn''t work - he managed to make a slender cut in Natsu''s shirt before being cast off to one side, but that was all. He was tossed bodily right into the wall, and she let out a sigh.


    Then he stood up, seeming completely unharmed. Even his sunglasses didn''t have a speck of dust on them. "Was that your best shot?" Lee asked, a c.o.c.ky smirk on his lips.


    "Hell no! I''m gonna show you a real blow!" Natsu charged at Lee, another exchange of blows creating a cacophony as the man was pushed back but seemed utterly unharmed.


    "He doesn''t even like fighting that much," said the blue-haired girl as she plopped down next to Lucy. "He just has that kind of personality."


    "That kind of personality?" Lucy asked. She was curious about the girl, too... apparently Lee wasn''t all talk, if he could fight Natsu like this.


    "He has to make a big show about everything. The moment he learned how to use a sword, he made us run all the way here to the Fairy Tail Guild so he could join."


    "Wait... he''s only just learned how to use a sword?" Lucy said, looking back at the scene. Natsu wasn''t really injured, but there were some nicks here and there, while Lee seemed completely fine, not even breathing heavily as he stared down Natsu. "Then how''s he fighting Natsu so well?" She remembered seeing Natsu take on those guys on the boat, or Macao when he was possessed by the Vulcan, but she couldn''t understand what she was seeing.


    "He''s using magic. He''s basically a level 99 wizard with infinite mana."


    "Infinite... mana?" She just shook her head, turning back to the scene of the fight, which by this point had destroyed a couple tables.


    "I was eating here!" Gray shouted angrily, standing up and taking off his shirt in one single fluid motion. "Natsu, what are you doing?"


    "Hey, he challenged me. You want to blame somebody, blame him!"


    "That is true," Lee agreed amicably. "I would gladly meet you with my blade as well, Gray."


    "Wha- asking for a two-on-one?" Natsu demanded. "We aren''t even done fighting yet, you can''t go acting like I need to tag somebody in, especially not him!"


    "You''ve not managed to leave even the slightest wound on my body-" Gray promptly flash-froze him, capturing him entirely in ice while he was distracted.


    "Great. Now I can have some-" Gray started, but was interrupted as the ice seemed to simply disappear into nothing.


    "As I was saying," Lee said, clearing his throat. "I think I''ve demonstrated a level of ability worthy of joining the Guild, but if you wish to continue fighting me, I''ll take on all challengers."


    "Alright, this guy''s way too c.o.c.ky for his own good," Gray said. "You might have managed that once, but let''s see how many times you can pull it off."


    "Infinite times. I have the power of a goddess behind me."


    Lucy couldn''t help but turn her glance to the blue-haired girl sitting down next to her. She wouldn''t have described the girl as a goddess, but sometimes guys called their girlfriends that, didn''t they? "So... who''s the goddess?"


    "Oh. Her name is Susie, she''s the Goddess of Sloth, she made me and Lee both come here. To Earthland, I mean, not Fiore, or Fairy Tail."


    Ooookay, Lucy thought. "And what''s your name?"


    "Oh, I''m Konata," the girl said, straightening up. "Nice to meet you, Lucy."


    "I''m L- Wait, how did you know my name?" She squinted at the girl. Konata was petite and cute, like a baby sister. "You just got here, didn''t you?"


    "It''s a mystery~" she said, wiggling her fingers mysteriously, then flopping forward onto the table and closing her eyes.


    "Wha- you can''t just go to sleep!" She shook the unconscious girl, but, as it turned out, though, that was exactly what Konata could do.


    * * *


    It took twenty minutes for Gray and Natsu to finally get tired of fighting Lee. "This is boring! You''re barely even hitting us!" Natsu whined.


    "It''s a waste of time," Gray said, as he took off his pants and sat down, seeming not even to realize he''d done the former.


    "Fight me for real!"


    "I was. I came here hoping to hone my offensive abilities as a member of the Fairy Tail Guild. I''ve only been able to fight with a sword for a very short period of time - not much longer than my journey to Magnolia took." He sheathed his sword. He cast his gaze across the wreckage he, Natsu, and Gray had wreaked in the guild hall, then simply walked into it, his hands reaching out. Chairs rearranged themselves, broken legs snapped back together cleanly, even spilled food was put right back where it had been. "Ah..." He said, his gaze turning towards Lucy, a certain smile on his lips.


    She couldn''t see his eyes behind his glasses, but she could certainly feel her cheeks warming up as he approached, his casual footsteps heading over towards her as Natsu demanded to know what kind of magic that was. "Prepare yourself," Konata mumbled in her sleep, making Lucy scowl down at her. She was just pretending to be asleep, wasn''t she?


    "You''re truly a beautiful flower," he said, his fingers gently reaching out and running along the line of her jaw, making her breath catch in her throat as her eyes widened. His finger trailed slowly down the curve of her neck, and she could feel her heart pounding out of her chest. He was so forward, but, it wasn''t as if he wasn''t attractive, and apparently he was a powerful wizard, too, and-


    She felt suddenly strange, and she blinked rapidly, coming back to reality to find that her bra was in Lee''s hand. "White. The color of purity," he said, humming as he looked at it.


    "What the hell?! Give that back!" Lucy immediately grabbed her chair and began trying to hit him with it - he simply dodged backwards with a few quick steps, leaving her to swing at open air.


    "Such a beautiful lady surely hasn''t forgotten her manners, has she? What''s the magic word?"


    Lucy definitely had not forgotten the magic words. She removed one of her keys from its chain and pointed it directly at the air. "Open the Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!" There, in front of her, materialized a gargantuan minotaur-man, white and black light cloak of fur.


    Then he turned his gaze over to Lucy, his eyes widening, his tail becoming excited. "Lucy-san, you''re not wearing a bra today? What a rare treat! Moooo!"


    "I''m not wearing a bra because that guy stole it! Get it back!" She didn''t know what this guy thought he was doing, but-


    He just tossed the bra directly at Taurus, who dropped his axe as he caught it. She expected him to step up and attack Taurus while he was vulnerable, but he didn''t do any such thing. Why? "Moo! I''m holding the same bra that holds Lucy-san''s udders! Moo!"


    "Give me that back!" Lucy demanded of Taurus, feeling a burning red color in her cheeks. She hurriedly nabbed it from him, then paused as she considered how exactly to put a bra on without taking off her top. "Hey, everybody, turn away!"


    Nobody did. If anything, more people turned to look at her. Lee spoke up. "Perhaps you would like to use the lavatory, if it''s privacy you wish for."


    H-huh? Why was he the one offering her help like this? And why did she feel appreciative when he was obviously the one responsible for her being in this position in the first place? "Thanks," she mumbled, before heading to the bathroom to get properly dressed. She was most of the way through pulling back on her top when she realized there was no logical way he should have been able to pull off her bra like that. She was all ready to rush out to angrily point her finger at him, but instead, as she stomped back out of the bathroom, she ran directly into his torso.


    His very muscular, fit torso, she learned, as her nose smushed right into his sternum. "A-ah! Pervert!" She cried, her cheeks glowing.


    "I am not the one who buried their face in the other party''s chest," he pointed out, with such calm and eloquence that it became impossible to argue the point. He eyed her up behind his dark sunglasses, but the way his gaze moved excited her rather than annoying her. "Let me make up for that little prank by treating you to a wondrous meal. I happen to be a decent cook."


    A homecooked meal? From a handsome guy? Wait, this guy was a total pervert, wasn''t he? A hot pervert, though... well... she could give him a shot. Taurus had given her experience putting up with a little perversion in guys. Did stealing her bra while she was wearing it really qualify as ''little''? "It had better be fantastic," she said, huffing and crossing her arms.


    He just wore an enigmatic smile. "Of course, it will be."


    * * *


    "Shooo good," Lucy sighed, as she munched down on the deliciously cooked and seasoned beef that Lee had served up.


    "He''s only been cooking for like two weeks," Konata said.


    "Nuh way," Lucy said, shaking her head, her mouth still half-full, as it had been more or less continuously since she''d taken her first bite of this absolutely delicious food.


    "She speaks the truth. The goddess Susie also chose to bless me with an inhuman talent at learning quickly."


    "She gave you a loht of talentsh, huh," Lucy slurred out around her food, more mocking than serious.


    "Indeed. These talents also become stronger the less clothes I wear."


    "I shee." The words actually got processed properly by her brain a moment later, and she did a double-take. "Wait, what?" She said, swallowing what was in her mouth and not putting anything fresh in since the first time she''d spoken.


    "I decided to dress slightly more conservatively for my introduction, but-" He started stripping, just like that Gray guy.


    Lucy should have brought up her hand to cover up the sight of him, but she didn''t. Instead, she stared openly as he disrobed, peeling off layers, removing bits, until he was wearing little more than a vest and a pair of shorts. Apparently the sleeves of his top were meant to come off. She stared openly at his bare chest, admiring the muscles and abs for a moment, a certain heat coming to his cheeks.


    "You''re staring, pervert," Konata offered, jolting her out of it.


    "I wasn''t staring!" Lucy protested quickly, raising her hands defensively. Konata''s look seemed as if it was digging into the deepest darkest depths of her soul, and not finding that it liked what it saw there. "I wasn''t, I wasn''t!"


    "You were," Konata said, taking a bite of her own food as if to emphasize that the argument was over.


    "Don''t worry - I''m not bothered by being stared at by such a beautiful young lady as yourself," Lee said, with an exaggerated bow that almost made his nose collide with his food as he spoke.


    "I wasn''t staring!" Lucy protested again.


    "Then you may freely begin whenever you please," he told her. His hand reached out to cup her cheek suddenly, his thumb teasing subtly at her lower lip. She could feel her heart racing once again. She should be bothered by this, shouldn''t she? He was being so... incredibly... forward. He pulled his thumb away from her chin, licking a tiny bit of sauce off the tip. "Delicious," he noted, before returning his attention back to his own food.


    Wha- he couldn''t do something like that just to get a bit of sauce! Wait, especially in front of a little kid. "Hey! There''s a child here," she said, pointing to Konata.


    "I''m older than you," Konata said.


    "Wha-" Lucy could only sputter at the nonsense of such a claim. "No you aren''t!"


    "I''m eighteen. You''re seventeen. Therefore, I am older than you."


    "There''s no way you''re- wait, how did you know how old I was?" Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/my-self-insert-stash_15819206506160005/my-si-stash-67---turning-an-action-comedy-into-a-harem-comedy-by-chastity-(fairytail)_51004262511068792 for visiting.


    Konata pretended to slump forward onto the table and fall asleep, but firstly, she obviously avoided her food, and secondly, Lucy wasn''t falling for that trick twice.


    "First off, you''re obviously not sleeping! Second off, you''re definitely not eighteen!"


    "I''m eighteen, and, I''m a master of a special form of magic that makes it easy to avoid unwanted conversations."


    "Oh yeah? I''d like to see that form of magic," she said, reaching out for Konata - only for the girl to suddenly disappear, in her place a truly massive sword spinning around for a moment on her chair like a top before clattering down, leaning against the edge of the table and shoving the sword back in the process. "What the heck? Where''d she go?" She lifted up the table. That had to be some kind of teleportation-replacement magic, right? She''d never heard of anybody using magic that turned you into a sword.


    "If you truly wish to continue your conversation with Konata, simply grasp that sword by the hilt," Lee informed her.


    Lucy grabbed the sword without hesitation. It was heavy, though not quite as much as its ridiculous size suggested. As she hefted it up with some exertion, a voice seemed to echo in her head, rather than aloud. "Doo-dee-doo, I''m a sword, I''m not thinking anything, doo-dee-doo." It was Konata''s voice.


    Wait. The sword really was Konata? "Nope, nope, the sword isn''t anything, I''m being silly. I should put down the sword and go back to staring at Lee''s chest since Konata is gone and impossible to talk to." The sword was definitely Konata. "What a silly idea, the sword definitely isn''t Konata. I don''t know what I was thinking."


    "Look, you can''t fool me!" Lucy shouted at the sword. "I''m going to get answers out of you!" She shook the sword in her hand as if she was thrashing the blue-haired girl. It wobbled threateningly over her, but she was too mad.


    "I''m so silly, yelling at a sword, I must look really ridiculous to Lee, who is super hot and I totally want to kiss and make out with."


    Lucy decided to ignore those words and barrel on ahead. "Now tell me, how did you know my name and how old I was? Were you hired by my father or something?!" She demanded, sharply.


    "That''s because-" suddenly, Konata reappeared in Lucy''s hands, her legs dangling over the ground as she was held up in the air. Lucy didn''t let go of her, even though she weighed quite a bit. "Um. I''m... psychic. I can see the future." She waggled her fingers unconvincingly. "It''s a mysterious power."


    "Like I''m buying that!"


    "It is true. Before she came to Earthland, Konata was an ardent student of this world, and many others."


    "Oh yeah?" Lucy was skeptical. She was supposed to be from another world? Come on.


    "Yeah, that sounds right," Konata agreed. "I was the top student in my class in my studies. I could hardly wait to leave the school to study more. I would stay up all night studying and then fall asleep in class and get yelled at by the teacher."


    It felt like Konata was mocking her somehow with that explanation, like there was some secondary meaning to her words that Lucy didn''t quite grasp. "Then tell me something that you''d only know if that were true."


    "Umm." Konata tilted her head to one side. "I don''t want to spoil things, though... that ruins the story. There''s a reason it either doesn''t happen or gets skipped over, you know?"


    "That sounds like an excuse!" Lucy began to angrily wag the girl back and forth in her grasp. Konata seemed completely unconcerned by it, even as her blue hair whipped around her face. "Also stupid! Why not spoil things?"


    "Umm. Hmm. You just joined the guild, didn''t you?" She squirmed in her grasp. "Oh. No, that already happened, wait." She twiddled her finger in the air. "You''re going to get a really good deal on a place to live in Magnolia."


    "I already did that!" Lucy ground out, her expression fierce.


    "You''re going... to get the Gate of the Lion Key soon. Next. Oh, and Aquarius will never be happy with you so I don''t know why you keep summoning her, even though she attacks you every time."


    "Gkk!" Lucy dropped Konata down. "Fine, if you don''t want to tell me the truth, I guess I can''t make you. But I''m keeping my eye on you. Both of you!"


    "You were already keeping your eye on Lee," Konata said, in a way that made it obvious that she meant it in the lewd way. "You shouldn''t play so many H-games, they rot your brain."


    "There are no H-games in this world," Lee said, making Konata groan and collapse to the ground in feigned agony.


    Lucy had no idea what the heck an H-game was, but she did know that Konata had just opened herself up, and she was going to finally verbally one-up her. "I guess your brain''s already rotted, if you love H-games that much!" She pointed down at Konata''s prone form on the ground, wearing a grin of glee as she finally got in one decent lick on the girl.


    "It has been," Konata said, nodding in agreement and rising from the ground. "I''m completely ruined by them. Beyond repair, in fact."


    Gah! Konata had managed to effortlessly parry her verbal barb! "Lucy," Lee said, suddenly standing up. "Are you finished eating?"


    She glanced down at her food, remembering how good it tasted - but also, she''d eaten a lot already, and the pause in eating had given her the chance to get the presence of mind to not just continuously consume like a glutton. She didn''t want to get fat! "Yeah!"


    "Excellent. Then, would you care to retire to my bedroom?" He said it with such a completely straight face, yet her cheeks immediately got hot, and she could feel the crimson tingle stretch out to her ears, her eyes widening.


    "W-what?" She stammered out.


    "Would you care to retire to my bedroom, so that the two of us can make love?"


    "What the- no! This is like, a first date at most, and really, you were just making it up to me for stealing your bra!"


    "Ah, that''s true. By the way, here''s your bra," he said, offering it up to her, making her suddenly incredibly aware of the fact that he had, somehow, stolen her bra all over again, without her noticing. "You will probably want to wear it going home."


    "I''d like to wear it during meals and conversations too!" Lucy said, snapping it back from him and stomping over to the bathroom. When he produced her bra, it had somehow felt more like playful flirting than anything else, and she wound up feeling more embarrassed for not playing along than losing her bra. She really did have no idea how he had such dextrous fingers to slip her bra out without her noticing it, though a certain perverse part of her mind suggested that such finger-talent might be useful in other ways. That just meant she was burning bright red when she finally left his place and offered her goodbyes.


    * * *


    As Konata figured it, Lucy was fairly generic. A C+ character at most. She obviously served the purpose of playing the straight man outsider protagonist in the main story. In real interactions, that wasn''t quite so material, and Lucy mostly made a great person to tease, given her over the top reactions and the fact that, at any time, Konata could just adopt the form of a giant sword and she wouldn''t be able to do much of anything to her.


    "Let us make love, Konata," came Lee''s voice from behind her, wrapping her in his powerful, muscular arms. She relaxed against him for a moment, closing her eyes as he held her close. He was almost like a dashing prince from an otome game, except for the fact that he was an incorrigible pervert.


    "Well, you talked me into it, I guess," she said, and he hefted her up easily, carrying her into the bedroom. He actually managed to disrobe her on the way, without really shifting her body at all, a truly ridiculous, even comical, talent. Actually, it was comical, wasn''t it? This was the world of Fairy Tail, action comedy shonen, she mused, as she was laid out on the bed beneath him.


    He pulled off his gear quickly, leaving the light top and shorts uncovered, his hard d.i.c.k bouncing in the open air. He didn''t take off his sunglasses, though. He never did. When she asked, he just said they made him look cooler, which, was true enough.


    He gripped her thighs and just pushed inside her, not even warming her up first, but she found that it didn''t matter at all. The feeling of his length brushing up against her inner walls, twitching and throbbing and threatening to explode at any moment, was wonderful. He had this very particular way of rolling his h.i.p.s when he was inside her that made her feel like she was about to come on just the first thrust - add in the sudden arrival of his thumb at her clit, gently teasing the sensitive nub, and she was already flushed and panting within a minute of penetration.


    "You feel simply wondrous, Konata," he said, his other hand gently running up her body, finding her b.r.e.a.s.t and softly teasing it with his finger and thumb, gently rolling around it and making her feel even more sensitive. He leaned down over her, meeting her lips with his, hungrily stealing a kiss from her waiting mouth as he started to earnestly thrust inside her.


    Her own hands reached up for him, gently wrapping around his back as they made out, his tongue teasing her own and flicking at her palate intermittently. It felt great, making her pant and gasp, her legs kicking occasionally at the air behind him as he took her in that position, his larger, stronger body seeming a delight to have looming over her, her pleasure intensifying until she came - all within a minute of him sticking his c.o.c.k inside her. He was truly ridiculously good at s.e.x, an unfair OP ability if ever there was one.


    He had functionally infinite endurance, thanks to his infinite mana and time manipulation magic, constantly reverting his body back to prime form whenever he needed to catch his breath from exertion. He was soon just looming over her, playing with her b.r.e.a.s.ts, teasing her clit, making her writhe in ecstasy as he f.u.c.k.i.e.d into her, making her come over and over again, so frequently and often she could offer little response to how good he was doing it, other than the occasional, "Eh," "This is kinda, weak," and "I dunno, maybe you should try harder."


    The fact that she was obviously faking it didn''t seem to keep him from becoming more enthusiastic each time it happened, so she happily enjoyed the experience of getting f.u.c.k.i.e.d long and hard by the handsome man she''d been brought to this world alongside. With how often they did it, and how good she was getting at it, it was sometimes hard for her to believe she''d still been a v.i.r.g.i.n on showing up. Also because she''d played a truly prodigious amount of H-games, as any young teenager with access would.


    He finally came inside her after around thirty minutes, and she let out a long sigh as she felt him release. Her whole body sagged on the bed beneath him, skin lightly slick with sweat, and she lidded her eyes, all ready to go to sleep now that he was done-


    Then he used his magic on her, and she snapped back to full consciousness, her body as energetic and clean as it had been before the s.e.x had even started. She was a little surprised, but only a little - he''d done this a couple times before. "Are you excited because of Lucy?"


    "She''s a beautiful woman, but so are you," he told her, caressing her cheek. "I was simply enjoying the sweet pleasure of taking a woman in our own bed, where no one can interrupt us." He paused, pulling out of her, reaching down for his c.o.c.k and making all her juices vanish from it instantly, his bare length twitching in the air. "I''ve been focusing on your pleasure so far, Konata; don''t you think it''s time you return the favor?"


    Bah! He just wanted her to suck him off. She could tell that, but... he was handsome, and he had made her come like a hundred times. She guessed she could do it, for his sake. She rose up on the bed, leaning forward towards his erect p.e.n.i.s, opening her mouth wide and simply taking it inside her mouth. She''d never done it before, so she wound up just bobbing up and down the top half of his c.o.c.k, sure that her gag reflex wouldn''t let him go any deeper.


    His fingers gently caressed her hair, and he gave her this wonderfully warm smile that made her feel genuinely appreciated as she started to lick his length. He sighed, settling down to sit, and started to offer her compliments... in his own way. "Your beauty mark really brings out your face as you swallow my length into your mouth. The stretching of your lips, your hollowed cheeks, your lewd face is incredibly gorgeous and sensual." She did smile a little. Even if he was kind of a weirdo, he could bring back the dead and heal any wound, so, coming on this isekai fantasy adventure wasn''t such a bad thing. "I also enjoy seeing your butt in this position - you have a tendency to slightly sway it, back and forth, as though aroused merely by being down there."


    Her cheeks glowed at that, warmth flooding her, but she only intensified her blowjob. He was complimenting her, after all, calling her s.e.xy and cute and all those other things, as she worked her way up and down his c.o.c.k. Her tongue bobbed, and she sucked and slurped, working hard to bring him off - something that didn''t actually take that much longer to get the desired effect, and he groaned as he unloaded in her mouth, his sticky c.u.m filling her mouth. She swallowed eagerly, and he pulled out of her mouth with a long sigh, as if completely and utterly satiated.


    He continued to pet her even then, and she enjoyed the soft caress of his fingers through her hair, as he trailed about and teased it. His d.i.c.k continued to absently twitch in front of her, as if silently requesting a round three. Her jaw was a bit sore, even if he could fix it instantly, and thirty minutes was plenty enough s.e.x, though. "You forgot to actually join the guild, Lee," she pointed out. "You just got in a fight with Gray and Natsu." She shook her head as his eyes widened. "You got completely distracted by Lucy."


    "I was distracted by the pleasure of her, and your, company, as well as the tenuous possibility of spending time with both of you, in carnal delights," he explained, treating the fact that he''d been angling for a threesome as if it was just some boring matter. She rolled her eyes at his antics.


    "If you don''t join the guild, you won''t be able to have s.e.x with Erza," she reminded him. She couldn''t have gotten him to get dressed ("dressed") quicker if she''d turned into a demon and started threatening to eat him. It wasn''t one minute later when he was rushing out the door, and she was following after him. She should join the guild too, after all.

 Chapter 468 - My Original Stash #68 - FFF-Class Trashero by Farnar

    -Another power fantasy novel, MC solves everything with force/ The twists here and then carried it for me


    Synopsis: It was a life without regret. My parents were in good health, and I wasn''t homey enough for me to combine my studies and part-time jobs.


    I like fantasy, martial arts, games, fiction movies, cartoons¡­ I''m a normal high school student who likes these things.


    That was certainly true until ten years ago.


    This is not the earth.


    A fantasy world dominated by powerful people. Savage utopia. It is a world where you can take anything with you if you have physical strength.


    Rated: M


    Words: ???


    Posted on: novelupdates.com/series/fff-class-trashero/?pg=8 (Farnar)


    Chapter 1


    It was a life with no wants. My parents who went to a tennis club each weekend were healthy, and our family wasn''t in such dire straits that I needed to study and work part-time at the same time.


    Fantasy, Muhyeop, games, novels, movies, comics¡­


    I was an ordinary high schooler who liked these things.


    That''s how it definitely was until ten years ago.


    "I can''t understand even now after ten years have passed. Why me? Fantasy worlds are supposed to be the welfare center for the disabled that saves social outcasts, the Greenpeace that helps the disadvantaged."


    Clearly that''s how it was in fantasy novels and comics.


    For instance, someone bullied at school?


    For instance, a shut-in?


    Summoning those B-rank humans who found it difficult to live on Earth to a fantasy world, giving material and spiritual support so that they could live a rosy life¡­ Looking back on it now, the way these stories played out was truly retarded.


    That''s why this had to be a mistake.


    "Listen carefully. I lived just fine on Earth. I was a cultured citizen who shared and discussed novels and comics with friends everyday."


    No, my circ.u.mstances were better than my school friends. I was a bourgeois who could majestically spend 100 won in front of my friends who went around looking for free events and illegal downloads.


    Now, if only my face had been a little more handsome¡­ No, never mind.


    "Why is someone like me treated the same as those losers in life? You also think this is wrong, don''t you?"


    I looked down at a fallen comrade, seeking agreement.


    Of course, they had no hope of surviving as I had crushed their heart for certain. But the glaring light in their eyes alone was quite lively. Had this been the law-governed country Korea, somebody who witnessed this scene of slaughter would have reported it to the police and things would have become troublesome, however¡­


    This place wasn''t Earth.


    A fantasy world ruled by those with power.


    A utopia for savages.


    It was a world where, as long as you had the physical strength, whether it be money, glory, power, women¡­ anything could be had or stolen.


    "Crazy bastard¡­"


    Even the vehement words full of malice spat by my comrade couldn''t shake me. All it was to me, was like the barking of some dog.


    "Calling the hero-nim who will be slaying the Demon King that threatens humanity crazy. Aren''t you touched in the head?"


    I was a hero. Someone who was chosen as the apostle of justice. It wasn''t a title I decided on. The natives of this worlds summoned me here and called me as such as they pleased. Saying that I was the hero of legend who would save the world.


    "Somebody like you isn''t a hero¡­! Cough!"


    "Are those your last words?"


    "¡­"


    There was no retort from that comrade who had vomited blood from between their lips. They were no longer able to glare at me with anger.


    I turned my back on the comrade, with whom I had shared lasting bad blood, without regret. The corpses of my other comrades had long been scattered around the place, lying on the cold ground.


    Sword Princess.


    Fairy King. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/my-self-insert-stash_15819206506160005/my-original-stash-68---fff-class-trashero-by-farnar_51028168835912448 for visiting.


    Sage.


    Mercenary King.


    They were heroes who were overwhelmingly stronger than me at one time. But at present, after 10 years have passed since my forced summon to this fantasy world, they were no match for me one-on-one.


    So I killed them.


    Right before the battle with the last boss, the Demon King.


    I slew them cleanly by surprise.


    "Oi. Try talking again if you happen to be alive."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "Weren''t you going to kill me as well after killing the Demon King? Pah! Who are you kidding."


    I was able to win thanks to a difference in values. To my comrades this fantasy world was their home where they were born and raised in. If the hero lost to the Demon King then their family, friends and lovers would be at the mercy of the demons, so they couldn''t thoughtlessly lay a hand on him.


    But me on the other hand?


    It wasn''t my business as to how this world ended up.


    I was going to kill the Demon king and return to Earth, to my family.


    Now, there was no obstructions blocking my way.


    Scattered flesh and pieces of bones were scattered left and right in the dark hallway. The pools of blood that had gathered on the stone floor thickly drenched my shoes. There were corpses of humans, corpses of monsters, and corpses of demons who looked somewhat similar to humans.


    They had all perished together harmoniously.


    For the sake of sending the hero past this point.


    For the sake of protecting the Demon King beyond this point.


    "H-, Hero-nim. Why¡­?"


    Ah, there was a survivor?


    The mercenary leaning against the cold wall, dying, asked me this. A close follower of the Mercenary King, I remembered him as a pleasant fellow who would hum a song even in the most dire of situations.


    His name was probably¡­ Let''s call him Mercenary A.


    Having stopped my steps, I answered Mercenary A in a reassuring tone.


    "Why did I kill my comrades? Worry not. I''ll take care of the Demon King by myself. My condition is at its peak too now that those bothersome comrades of mine are gone."


    "¡­"


    "You''re not humming a song today."


    I hummed a song through my nose in place of Mercenary A as I moved through the hallway. I merrily hopped over the corpses and obstructions that blocked the way.


    My footsteps were light like that of a young lady who had come out for a stroll in a beautiful flower garden. Wouldn''t I be soaring in the air if I weren''t wearing the scale armor made for me by the Dragon King?


    It wasn''t just my body that was in joy.


    "Hm~? Heung~?"


    The me of today was in an amazingly good mood. I could swear that I didn''t feel as good as now even when I had embraced the number one beauty of the continent.


    I channeled that pleasure and-


    Slam!


    I kicked open the splendid-looking doors barring my path with all my might.


    Creaak- Boom!


    Beyond the door which couldn''t withstand my kick and was destroyed. The Demon King''s audience chamber was so spacious that it you wouldn''t believe it was indoors. But a single intact furniture came into sight, not to mention any demons.


    That''s why it stood out even more.


    "So you have finally reached this place! Oh chosen hero!"


    At the opposite end from the entrance of the audience chamber. The man who had been sitting on a throne decorated with gems of various colors slowly stood up as he warmly welcomed me.


    Above his pointy ears was a pair of horns which symbolized demons, but they were larger and more splendidly ornamented than any other demon''s I had seen to this point. I could easily guess at the status of my opponent just by this feature alone.


    "You''re the Demon King?"


    "Indeed! I am the very pinnacle of all evil! I am Pedonar, the one who will plunge this world in darkness!"


    A black miasma burst from the Demon King''s body after he finished his self-introduction. Seeing that powerful performance of his, I grew convinced that he wasn''t one of those clones, fakes that I had slain to the point of getting sick and tired these past 10 years.


    Demon King Pedonar.


    My train ticket to Earth.


    He wouldn''t know just how eagerly I had anticipated this moment.


    "Haha! Hero. Those eyes longing for victory are truly to my liking! Very well! I shall accept humanity''s challenge¡­!"


    "Wait."


    "¡­"


    "There''s something I want to ask before we fight, you see. Why is it that you merely stood by and watched the deaths of your subordinates?"


    It was a question which I had constantly harbored for the past 10 years.


    The Demon King before me was the very person who had let me run amok as I liked. There would forever be no chance to ask this question if I didn''t do so now.


    Demon King Pedonar frowned in response, his good humour soured.


    "Merely stood by? How unpleasant. I have always dispatched stronger subordinates in order to take revenge."


    "And they died."


    "So I sent even stronger subordinates."


    "And they died again."


    "Hero. Are you dissatisfied at having luckily survived?"


    Demon King Pedonar rebuked in a dumbfounded tone. The way he looked at me as if I was truly foolish caused a burst of emotions in me.


    So I returned tit for tat without losing.


    "If Demon King-nim acted in the beginning, I wouldn''t have been able to reach this point?"


    During the past 10 years, the Demon King had lost many things.


    The plan to overthrow the kingdom, the plot to assassinate a hero, loyal subordinates, an outstanding son, beautiful slaves, a first-rate elite demon legion, superior equipment, treasures that were piled up like a mountain, large territory¡­


    So many that even an account book wouldn''t suffice to record them all!


    And each time he lost something grew stronger.


    My biggest sponsor wasn''t humanity, but the Demon King.


    "Hero. Such speculations are meaningless."


    "They aren''t meaning¡­"


    "Do you know the politics of demons? Be silent otherwise."


    "¡­"


    Words were futile with the Demon King.


    The question which I had harbored for 10 years couldn''t be solved until the end.


    *


    *


    *


    Every time I ventured into temples, labyrinths, ruins and the like that were prepared for the hero who would enter someday, there were no problems even without the ''power of friendship'' which I never heard the end of.


    I was strong even without something to protect.


    My earnest goal of escaping this barbaric fantasy world and returning to the cultured citizen of Earth was enough motivation for me. Those 10 years of endurance didn''t fail me. I didn''t need trivial, cheap tricks.


    "Krgh! Hero. Does this mighty power of yours come from the rage of losing your comrades¡­?"


    "No. It''s the result of training."


    What rage would I be feeling when I was the one who killed them? Far from rage, I was feeling very refreshed.


    "Is, is that so. In any case, it was an excellent fight¡­"


    The eyes of Demon King Pedonar, who had lost in a pure head-on duel, in a clash of swords, closed slowly.


    I waited without letting go of my tension.


    1 second, 2 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds¡­


    But the dead Demon King didn''t move an inch. There was no development of a consolation match that went along the lines of "Now I''ll face you for real!".


    "¡­ Are you for real? This is the end? Hello?"


    "¡­"


    "Huh¡­"


    I had toiled for 10 years in order to defeat the Demon King.


    But it ended so simply like this?


    Looking at the Demon King''s corpse which was lying face down like a matchstick, curses rose to the tip of my tongue.


    I grew dispirited.


    "Damn. They say the ignorant are fated to labor¡­"


    A list of names of those bastards who had over-exaggerated the Demon King who wasn''t even all that rose in my mind, but I decided to be understanding with a generous heart. Right now, it was a waste of time to even bother with them.


    I looked up toward the sky and shouted in a loud voice.


    "Oh god of the fantasy world! I have defeated the Demon King as promised! Please return me to Earth now!"


    There was no use in regretting the past. I thought of the things that I was going to do after returning to Earth. Being a good son, dating, games, being a gourmand, the Olympics, going on a quest for justice¡­


    I waited to go back with an excited heart.


    ?Hero-nim. Has your adventure been enjoyable?


    Yes yes. So quickly send me to Ear¡­


    ?The path of a true hero is truly difficult. But there were countless bonds that encouraged you who did not lose your hopes and dreams. From them you learned friendship and love, and after maturing together with them you defeated the wicked Demon King at last. Congratulations truly!


    ?Shall we look at your grading now?


    "Wait! Grading¡­?"


    It was my first time hearing this. My intuition which had never betrayed me was ringing alarm bells, telling me that something strange was going on.


    ?Please check your report card carefully!


    ?Name: Kang Han Soo


    ?Combat Power: S


    ?Achievements: A-


    ?Reputation: D+


    ?Character: F


    ?Note: Why the hell did you go and kill off your perfectly fine comrades.


    But they weren''t perfectly fine?


    My comrades had meddled and imposed in everything in my life. Disregarding human rights and violence under the pretense of training were par for the course. There was even one crazy bitch who had revealed her birthday suit by her own negligence then wielded a sword at me.


    If I were to make a list of the indignation and unreasonableness I went through in the past 10 years, there would really be no end to it. So that was a justified revenge¡­


    ?You have failed to pass.


    ?Reason: With great power follows equal responsibility. But you possess a character that does not suit the power you have. For the sake of the world''s order and peace, you shall be returning to the first day of the test.


    ?Beginning re-test.


    "Return? Re-test? What bullshit is this!"


    No matter how arbitrary a god could get, this wasn''t acceptable. Roll around again in this garbage dump that didn''t even have flush toilets? The comrades I had done my best to kill were going to come back to life?


    The mere thought of it caused goosebumps to rise¡­


    A suspicious light enveloped my body.


    ?All of the teaching staff are praying for your success!


    ?You have been designated as a Blue Falcon Hero.


    ?A specialist instructor will be dispatched.


    "God damn¡­"

 Chapter 469 - My SI Stash #69 - Handsome Jack: The Hero? by Mad King Kevin (Borderlands)

    -Tony Stark Jack is Best Jack, no complaints from me/


    Synopsis: Handsome Jack, the biggest villain of the series, having orchestrated everything from the first game, to still causing damage after having been dead for seven years. But right now, I''m him. So there''s gonna need to be a few changes, if I''M gonna be the hero of the story. Handsome Jack, self insert.


    Rated: M


    Words: 48K


    Posted on: m.fanfiction.net/s/13697532/1/Handsome-Jack-The-Hero (Mad King Kevin)


    Chapter 1


    It was hard to breathe, I couldn''t even open both my eyes. I tried to settle for one and blearily glanced down at myself to see my clothes covered in blood, most of it wasn''t even mine. I felt a weight at my side and saw the body of a beautiful woman. She was caked in blood.


    I don''t- I don''t remember what happened.


    Did I do this?


    Panic starts to set in, and if I wasn''t struggling to breath, I''d probably be hyperventilating. Calm down. Calm down! I just gotta think, what happened?!


    I look at my hands, and while they''re bloody, they''re unarmed. I couldn''t have killed her. The thought almost brought me relief. Until it didn''t.


    Because if I didn''t do this, who did?


    The sobbing answered my question.


    I looked up to see a young girl, she didn''t even look ten years old. Angel, her name pops into my mind. How did I know that? How do I know her? I''ve never seen her before in my life. But she seems so familiar.


    "Angel." I coughed out, trying to remember.


    Her head shot up, and she gazed at me with frantic eyes. "Daddy?" She whispered. I tried to move, to tell her it was gonna be alright, but my body disagreed. I groaned in pain, and she jumped to her feet.


    "Daddy!" She screamed, rushing towards me, and wrapping me tight in her arms, as far as they could reach anyway. "I''m sorry! I''m so sorry!"


    Daddy?


    "It''s okay." I soothe her, almost by reflex. "It''s not your fault. It''s gonna be okay."


    She keeps apologizing desperately, crying into my blood-soaked shirt. "I was scared. I just wanted to go home!"


    "We will." I told her breathlessly, fighting to remain conscious. "I promise. Everything''s going to be alright." I smiled at her, trying to lift her spirits.


    She still cries, but I think I could hear some choked sobs of relief now. I think. I guess it is kind of hard to tell the difference. Crying pretty much sounds the same however you do it. That and I''m definitely losing consciousness.


    "Daddy?" Angel shakes me, looking worried.


    I look up at her big, teary eyes, and before I pass out, I say the most important thing that I could have. "You''re gonna have to call the hospital sweetie."


    And then I fainted.


    Heroically.


    ¡­


    ''I gotta get away from there more often.'' I thought to myself, coming home from another "Day in Paradise" from Hyperion.


    I hate that place, but what am I gonna do? Quit? I got a family to look after. Plus, the pay is pretty great. Not that it''s the main reason! Just a nice side benefit.


    Besides, at least I get to come home from that Hellhole, to actual paradise.


    "Captain Bear, who is a bear, he is a bear, Captain Bear." I heard Angel singing from behind the front door and smiled softly.


    Who''d have thought? Me, of all people, a dad.


    Good thing she took after her mother, she wouldn''t be nearly as cute if she took after me.


    "Hey Angel." I greeted her warmly, grinning down at her, and her toy bear. That''s new. "And who is this guy?"


    "Captain Bear!" She cheered, holding it tightly. "He eats crime." She added, like it was obvious.


    I, of course, played along. "Well, he must eat a lot with that big belly, huh?" I asked her teasingly. A strange blue pattern on her left arm caught my eye, and my concern. "Angel, darling, what''s uh, what''s that on your arm?" I try to ask her nonchalantly. "Did you do that?"


    "Blue!" She told me happily, while shrugging. "I don''t know where it came from. Do you think it''s pretty?" She asked me hopefully.


    Oh no¡­ "Yeah, sweetheart. It''s¡­ it''s real pretty." I answer her cautiously. "Hey, uh honey?!" I call for my wife, as calmly but as urgently as I can. "Can you get in here for a minute?" Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/my-self-insert-stash_15819206506160005/my-si-stash-69---handsome-jack-the-hero-by-mad-king-kevin-(borderlands)_51094410116521662 for visiting.


    The memory''s fading, but I can still feel the anxiety.


    ¡­


    "Stupid¡­ goddamn¡­ piece of crap asshole!" I screamed under my breath. Venting all of my frustration on the poor, broken, vending machine.


    This wasn''t good. Angel wasn''t good!


    Where did I go wrong?! How could this have happened? There are only six sirens alive at any moment in time. Why did one of them have to be my little girl? I fought back tears as the reality of the situation started to sink in.


    "What''s a "asshole"?"


    Crap! I turned around abruptly, to see Angel waiting behind me. "Oh, Angel! Sweetheart, I''m sorry. I didn''t see you standing there." I could see her face scrunch up in confusion, and I realized what she just asked. "Uh- don''t say any of those words that daddy said, okay?"


    "Okay." She answered unphased. "Is the machine broken?" She asked, turning her gaze to the current source of my ire.


    "Yeah. Looks like no candy for us." I muttered angrily. "Hey- why don''t you go back to the waiting room with mommy, darling? The doctor''s gonna be here any minute, okay?" Not sure how much help he can actually be. But at this point, I''d try voodoo.


    "I think I can fix it." She told me uncertainly, but happy to try.


    Angel waved her left arm, and her tattoos glowed. Then everything in the vending machine dropped out. No. No! "What¡­!" I choked, overwhelmed by shock. "... the hell did you just do?" I finished in panic.


    "What''s wrong, daddy?" She asked me, in worry and fear, and just a hint of sadness.


    It''s hard to remember what I said, what I did, but I remember the look on her face. I remember the terror I felt at that moment. But I wasn''t afraid of her. I was afraid for her.


    I knew what was coming.


    ¡­


    "Mommy! Daddy! Help!" Angel screamed in terror, tears running down her face. Fighting desperately against the bandit who held her.


    "Look, you filthy bandit!" I shouted in anger. Calm down Jack, you need to be calm, you need to be strong for them. "Just- give us back our daughter, okay?" I asked in barely concealed rage.


    "Are you kidding?" The large, disgusting bandit scoffed obnoxiously. "She''s a freaking Siren. I''m gonna be a trillionaire! You and your wife get out of here before I sick my turret on you. Forget the kid, go make another one!"


    Forget Tassiter, forget Grandma, I have never wanted to kill someone before so much as I did right now.


    "No!" Angel cried. "I wanna go home!"


    The bandit didn''t like that. "Shut up, kid or I''ll...!" He paused as Angel began to subconsciously use her powers on his turret. "Hey, what the¡­?" He backed up in fear as Angel lost control.


    "I! WANNA! GO! HOME!" She screamed in anger, fear, and desperation. The turret obliged her. The bandit was ripped apart by his own turret. But it didn''t stop there.


    "Honey! Get down!" I yelled in worry, trying to pull my wife out of the line of fire.


    But¡­


    It was too late.


    I did everything I could to save her, I tried to shield her with my own body, but she was just... gone¡­ Angel killed them.


    And as I looked down at my battered body, I realized she might have killed me too. I couldn''t breathe, couldn''t move, I couldn''t even open both of my eyes.


    All I remember was hearing Angel painted breath, as she looked at what she had done. "...Mommy? Daddy?"


    And then¡­ Well¡­. I remember what happened after that.


    But that name¡­ Why did I call myself "Jack"?


    ¡­


    Breath, just breath. I opened my eyes, thank God I can see out of both of them now. And then I look around.


    I''m in a hospital room, laying down in a bed I''m sure they designed to be uncomfortable. I can see Angel sleeping in a chair, all curled up. She''s¡­ my daughter.


    I''m her father, Jack.


    I''m Jack.


    I know where I''ve seen this before! This is Borderlands! I''m in Borderlands! And I''m Handsome Jack¡­ the bad guy.


    Well that killed my good mood.


    Too bad, I needed that, what with being in the hospital and all. Actually, speaking of, how bad was I hurt? My arms and legs feel fine, so I''m not crippled. Cool. My chest is still a bit sore, but I''m not bleeding out. That''s a plus.


    And my face¡­ I hesitantly reach a hand to touch it, and yep¡­ sure enough, that''s not skin. I''m wearing the friggin mask, aren''t I?


    Honestly, that doesn''t make any sense at all, Handsome Jack didn''t wear the mask until Lilith "jacked" up his face. My face. Yup, that''s uh- that''s gonna take some getting used to. This has not been a good day.


    I guess Angel probably heard me groaning because she''s stirring awake. I see her eyes flutter open, before hazily looking at me. She saw me looking back, and instantly woke up. "Daddy?" She asked hopefully.


    I smiled at her. "Hey kiddo." I said a bit raspy, guess my throat''s a little dry.


    Angel got teary eyes, full of joy, and rushed over to me. "You''re okay!" She sounded so happy¡­ if she knew who I really was¡­ no. It doesn''t matter, I''m Jack now.


    "Yup, I''m just peachy." I tell her, trying to hide my sarcasm. I grabbed her shoulders and looked her over. "How about you, darling? Are you okay?"


    She sniffed. "No." She rubbed her eyes and looked into mine. "Daddy, I''m so so-"


    "Don''t be." I told her, pulling her in for a hug. "It wasn''t your fault, I know you''d never hurt us like that."


    "But Mommy''s-"


    "Mommy''s gone." I cut her off. "But she''s in a better place, and I promise you, she doesn''t blame you either."


    Angel continued to cry into my arms a bit longer, before pulling back. She raised her hand and touched my mask. "I did this." She said, heartbroken.


    "You couldn''t control your powers." I consoled her. "You were afraid, and they acted out."


    "But what if I-" She started meekly. "What if I lose control again?"


    "You won''t." I answer her gently. "We''re gonna figure out how to use your powers, okay? Together."


    "Okay." She lowers her hand.


    I grab it firmly and give her the best smile I can. "Now give it to me straight Doc." I told her jokingly. "Am I still handsome?"


    She giggled. "You never were."


    "Oh, no!" I gasped in mock horror. "Can this day get any worse?!"


    "Yes, sir." Angel answered solemnly, betrayed by her smile.


    "What''s that Doctor?"


    "Well Mr. Dad." Angel replied in her best "Doctor" voice. Ha, she thinks my name is dad. "I''m afraid you''re dying, and you don''t have much time."


    "How awful! How long do I have?"


    "Ten." She answered, trying to hide her smile.


    "Ten what? Months, weeks, days?" I asked her playfully.


    "Ten... nine¡­ eight... seven-" Angel counted down, only to be interrupted by me tickling her. "Daddy!" She exclaimed joyfully. "Stop!"


    "If I''m going down, I''m taking you with me!" I announced while laughing, as she tried to tickle me back. "Easy, kiddo, I''m the one in the hospital."


    She didn''t seem to mind, she was pretty relentless. "It stops when you give up!" She jokingly threatened.


    I just chuckled and raised my hands. "Okay, okay. I surrender, sweetie." I smile down at her for a moment. "Hey, why don''t you get the nurse so I can pay the bill and we can leave this joint."


    "Okay, daddy." She was about to leave, but she stopped to give me a tight hug. "I love you."


    "I love you too, Angel." I told her sincerely. "Don''t worry, alright? Everything is gonna be fine."


    ¡­


    Everything is gonna be fine.


    Her dad said so, so it''s gotta be true. He wouldn''t lie to her. Angel didn''t have any doubts about that. But she was still pretty worried.


    She was scared.


    But not as much as she was when- when her mom died. She couldn''t control her powers, she couldn''t herself. And her mom died because of it, and her dad¡­


    Angel loved him, and she was so glad he was still alive. But he seemed¡­ different. A good difference. Not counting the mask¡­ at least he didn''t seem too worried about it.


    Maybe she''s overthinking it.


    Her dad was okay, at least he was okay as he could be. And he didn''t blame her for what happened. Not that it stopped her from blaming herself. Every time she looks at him from now on, at his face¡­ at the mask of his face, she''s going to remember what she''d done.


    It was still so much better than it could have been. For a moment there, a very scary moment, she was worried that she killed them both. That the two people she loved most in the world were gone because of her.


    Angel really missed her mom.


    She couldn''t believe that she was really gone. It all happened so fast.


    At least she still had her dad. And he was right, they''re going to figure out how to control her powers. They had too.

 Chapter 470 - My Original Stash #70 - The Second Coming of Gluttony by Ro Yu-jin

    -A completed redemption arc novel with "Ara Ara-Neesans", W/


    Synopsis: "The son of god Gula has returned."


    I was lost in the world of gambling.


    I turned my back on my family and even betrayed my lover.


    I wasted every day of my life.


    It was a life of tr*sh.


    The reality told me thus:


    That I would amount to nothing no matter what I did.


    In order to change my pathetic life, I chose fantasy, instead.


    Even then, it was the same story.


    I wondered if salvation would come at the end of the long road.


    But, I was forced to kneel down in defeat in front of a powerful entity.


    The tower I built up with my own hands crumbled into nothingness.


    Just for once, I dearly wished to know the truth about myself.


    "Come closer, my child¡­"


    I will not hold back this time.


    Rated: M


    Words: ???


    Posted on: novelupdates.com/series/the-second-coming-of-gluttony/ (Ro Yu-jin)


    Chapter 1


    Puhak!


    Blood splattered everywhere. A woman''s dazed gaze fell on the spear impaling her left chest. When she felt the coldness of the blade penetrating her heart, her pupils shook as her body slowly lost strength.


    As the woman collapsed to the ground, an owner of an anguished cry rushed to the spearman''s back. The spearman let go of his spear, startled by how quick the voice was approaching him. But that was it. The spearman quickly spun around, swinging his fist at the enemy behind his back.


    The target fell backward from the impact. The spearman didn''t stop and swung down his bloody fist once more.


    Pow!


    The target''s head burst open in an instant. Even then, the spearman didn''t stop. Once, twice, thrice¡­. He roared and screamed, bashing the target''s head until he finally smashed the man''s skull and brain to pieces.


    Only then did he stop his fists and looked around with a pair of bloodshot eyes. He picked up his spear. Then, he kicked off the ground, which was wet with a disgusting mixture of brain matter and human flesh.


    The man resembling a demon shot into a swirling fog.


    A swirling fog of ashes¡­.


    **


    Cough. The collapsed woman heaved out a dry cough. She scowled from the smell of ash in the area. But her frown only lasted a moment. She lifted her head and surveyed her surroundings.


    "Is anybody there¡­?"


    Only a bleak gust of wind blew by.


    "Is everyone¡­ dead?"


    She waited, but no reply came back. Kuk. She let off a sudden chuckle and began humming as if she was singing a lullaby.


    "Dead, dead, everyone''s dead¡­."


    She looked at a burnt corpse near her and thought it looked better than some others. In another spot, a lump of meat that was once a human being floated in a pool of blood. She looked around once more as disappointment emerged in her expression.


    Her throat hurt.


    She somehow managed to raise her upper body before spitting out her saliva. Her complexion lightened a little before she looked up at the distant sky with her blurring sight.


    ''How¡­''


    ¡­How did she end up like this?


    One day, an alien race appeared in her world. Although it was only discovered later on, this race had been chased away from its original home-world. After suffering a crushing defeat, they had wandered aimlessly in outer space for a very long time before invading her planet.


    In order to become its new overlord.


    "Those retards."


    This woman was the princess of a certain kingdom subordinate to the Empire. She was six years old when she first heard the news of the alien race''s appearance, and she was ten when she heard the news of the Empire''s collapse.


    Despite being praised as the ''Never Setting Sun'' for their overwhelming technology and magic engineering, the almighty Empire had fallen in less than four years.


    Soon, the alien race devoured the Chief Deity worshipped by the Empire, turning the land into an ownerless wilderness.


    That was probably when everything began.


    Deprived of its Chief Deity, the planet fell prey to the many other races that had been eyeing it for an opportunity to pounce.


    The first invading alien race posed its leader as the new Chief Deity and began a bloody invasion throughout the planet. It was around then that new alien races began to appear one by one.


    One had appeared in the name of ''survival'', and the others under the banner of ''conquest''¡­.


    Recalling the events of the past, the princess chuckled feebly. The land once ruled by mankind was now a war ground for several foreign races.


    Pushed around this way, pushed around that way, the original inhabitants devolved to a candle flickering in the wind.


    But accompanying the appearance of these foreign races were the seven un-worshipped gods, who were born together during the birth of the planet. These seven gods promised to help the surviving humans, and the inhabitants promised to worship them in return.


    And so, the deal was struck. But to the surprise of the inhabitants, help from these gods came in a strange manner.


    Their method of fighting back was to form an army by summoning another race that most resembled the world''s inhabitants.


    There was no other choice. Even the mighty Empire was toppled within a brief four years, so how could the kingdoms that served under it resist the alien races?


    Furthermore, the population had fallen drastically due to the war.


    "Those damned sons of bitches."


    The princess spat out a curse as she blankly stared up at the sky.


    ''We shouldn''t have trusted them in the first place.''


    In truth, it wasn''t so bad in the beginning. The first Earthlings summoned to aid the inhabitants grew at a shocking speed under the gods'' divine protection.


    However, as their influence grew and gradually overwhelmed that of the original inhabitants, the situation began to change.


    There really were all sorts of reasons. Some formed groups by nationality, some by the color of their skin, some by religion, and some by politics.


    In the end, ''profit'' was the problem. The factionalization among the Earthlings began to cause rifts in the relationship of the once-united kingdoms. The alliance formed under the desire to survive broke into pieces, and the ensuing internal conflict naturally weakened their forces.


    There were some who even revolted against the new gods.


    It was truly unfathomable.


    But was that all?


    In the end, the majority of Earthlings refused to participate in the final battle. They coldly ignored the inhabitants'' desperate pleas and returned to their home-world.


    This was why rage boiled inside the princess.


    "Sons of¡­."


    She was about to curse once more but quickly shut her mouth.


    Splash¡­ splash¡­.


    A soft sound echoed out amidst the gradually-cooling mountain of corpses. The sound approached her, but it stopped a bit to the right of her.


    Standing there was a burnt corpse.


    [Amazing.]


    In front of the corpse was a large darkness that couldn''t be described with words.


    [Truly amazing! I did not place much hope, but to think you actually survived this bloody battle¡­]


    ''An Earthling?''


    As if to answer the princess'' question, the collapsed man raised his head. A powerful emotion surged up within the princess'' heart, but she had no choice but to swallow it back down.


    The state of the Earthling was horrific, so much so that she wanted to avert her gaze.


    The number may have been extremely small, but it wasn''t as if no Earthlings participated in the battle. The state of the burnt man clearly demonstrated that he had fulfilled his duty in this battlefield.


    When the princess thought this far, she began to develop a sense of sympathy. At the same time, she felt it was a shame.


    ''If only all the other Earthlings were like him¡­.''


    [I want to praise your achievements a bit more, but you do not have much time left.]


    A low-pitched voice struck her ears.


    [Since you kept your promise, it is time for me to keep mine. Tell me, what is it that you wish?]


    As darkness set in the man''s eyes, his weakened eyes looked forward. When he opened his mouth, he spurted out bits and pieces of his organs along with a mouthful of blood. His voice seemed to be lost, as only the sound of wind passing through his vocal cord came out.


    [You do not have to speak. I can simply read your mind¡­ So, you wish to be revived?]


    The princess almost laughed. Wishing to be revived? What use would it be? Everything was already over.


    [No? How foolish, your life is hanging by a rope. Then what is it that you want? Don''t tell me, riches? Honor? In this situation?]


    "¡­."


    [What?]


    Suddenly, the tone of the darkness went up.


    [You want to start over?]


    An ominous sensation suddenly rose up in the princess'' heart.


    [Impossible!]


    An enraged voice shook the earth.


    [Even with your achievements, how could it be possible to reverse time!? You wanted to return everything to the way it was with only what you''ve accomplished?]


    "¡­."


    [Impudent! Perhaps if you accomplish today''s feats dozens of times more, but in the current state, I cannot grant your wish. Nevermind your soul, not even a single piece of your body can be sent back!]


    "¡­."


    [How persistent! Given that your life is about to end and the feats you have accomplished until now, I shall restrain myself. Tell me another wish.]


    Then, a heavy silence descended.


    [¡­Why did you make such a wish?]


    Was the darkness moved by the pitiful sight of the man dropping his head? The voice reverberating in the princess'' ears softened slightly.


    [Child, hurry and wish for your revival. If that is truly your wish, you can ask again in the future after you''ve accomplished more feats. Though, I can''t say that it will be possible.]


    The man''s shoulders jumped ever so slightly. He seemed to be cackling. It was already a miracle just to have survived this battle. But he had to accomplish feats equaling dozens of what he accomplished already?


    The man, the princess, and the owner of the voice all knew it was impossible.


    The man raised his head just barely.


    His mouth moved slightly.


    [Your memories?]


    "¡­."


    [You want your current feelings to¡­]


    "¡­."


    [Since you can''t send back your body or soul, you want to send back the feelings you felt here?]


    The darkness seemed to be taken aback, as silence descended once again.


    [¡­Sending back feelings based on memories¡­. Certainly, feelings are only thoughts of your emotions.]


    After a long silence, the voice answered.


    [But even that is difficult.]


    Although it was only for a brief moment, the mouth of the dying man twisted up.


    [I am truly sorry.]


    That was it.


    The man''s shoulders stopped moving. Plop. His head slumped, never to rise again. Just like that, he stopped moving.


    [How foolish¡­]


    Suddenly, a hand-like thing reached out from the darkness. As if it had suffered a great loss, it slowly caressed the man''s head.


    "I understand."


    The princess, who had been watching this scene unfold, spoke up. The darkness stopped its hand.


    [You are¡­ a descendant of the Royal Families.]


    "That is correct, O Venerable Gula."


    The princess smirked as if to ask why that mattered.


    "The kingdom has fallen. The gates must have been taken over by now too. With everything he''s experienced, wouldn''t it be better to die? Even though the Oath will cause him to lose his memories, that''ll only make for a cleaner ending. He will have a place to return to."


    [No, this child didn''t wish to return.]


    The heavy tone of the voice caused the princess''s eyes to widen.


    [He said he wouldn''t have a place to call home even if he returned.]


    "A place to call home¡­."


    Those words moved the princess'' heart. Perhaps, she felt a sense of camaraderie. With the kingdom''s collapse, she also didn''t have a place to call home. Although a few humans would have surely survived, their fate would be no different from that of livestock.


    After all, humans couldn''t become the victors of this war.


    "Then why didn''t you just grant his wish?"


    Her quiet grumbling made the darkness smile.


    [Nonsense. All effects must follow causes. No matter what, this child''s wish would have resulted in interfering with the past.]


    The princess chuckled bitterly. She couldn''t understand, nor did she want to. It just sounded like an excuse.


    [His achievements were simply not enough to become the cause.]


    "You say that, but you seem to be regretting it quite a bit."


    [How could I not? This child was originally born with the fate of an Executor.]


    "Executor?"


    The princess was surprised. The Executors were the apostles who carried out the will of the seven gods. They were the seven leaders chosen to fight against the monsters threatening the world.


    The problem was that only one of them participated in this battle.


    [Right, he shone brighter than any of the other stars. If only he didn''t ruin everything with his own hands¡­ Why do humans only learn to regret after everything is over?]


    The darkness fell silent. The princess also closed her mouth. She had spoken up because she didn''t want to die lonely. Although she had regained her consciousness for a brief moment, she knew from the moment she opened her eyes that she wouldn''t live for long.


    The princess'' eyes turned to the dead man. His humble end was all the more pitiful.


    She had no way of knowing for certain, but if he wished for the reversal of the time, he must have lived through life-or-death situations of incredible degree. But even that had not been enough to grant his wish.


    He had fought like a dog and died like a dog, without receiving any compensation.


    "¡­O Venerable Gula."


    After a moment of hesitation, the princess rummaged through her pocket.


    "Please grant this Earthling''s wish."


    [Mm?]


    "The Royal Oath¡­ you haven''t forgotten about it, have you?"


    The darkness'' brief confusion disappeared, and it stopped talking.


    Inside the princess'' wide-open palm was a beautifully crafted necklace. Although it was stained with blood, its original beauty couldn''t be hidden, as it shone brightly.


    [That is¡­.]


    "With the oath you made to my father and this man''s achievements, wouldn''t it be enough to grant his final wish? Even if reversing time is difficult."


    [¡­Do you have a reason to go this far?]


    "Of course."


    When Earthlings crossed over to this world, the Royal Families also promised to reward them for their efforts. The princess had no desire to even think about the bastards who ran away from the final battle, but the Earthling in front of her had stayed until the end.


    Since he had honored his duty, it was time for her, as the princess, to honor the Royal Families'' promise. Plus, this was the final ounce of pride she could keep before dying.


    [But I can grant your own wish instead.]


    "What can you do for me?"


    The princess laughed out loud.


    One thing she learned from this long war was that not even gods were omnipotent. What could she even wish for in this doomed world?


    [I will say it again. This child cannot go back.]


    [Only his feelings of yearning and regret¡­ Even those would not be etched into his mind and only pass by like a fleeting dream.]


    [He might end up treating it like an insignificant dream and forget all about it.]


    [One thing I am sure of is that both you and he will die in this place. Are you saying that this is okay?]


    The darkness'' voice struck the princess'' ears multiple times as if to reaffirm her wish. It would be a lie if she said she didn''t have second thoughts.


    But¡­ she was exhausted.


    The war had gone on for long¡ª too long. Although she endured all this time as one of the rulers of this land, she now wanted to rest. Returning to nothingness and falling into an eternal sleep didn''t sound too bad.


    ''If only all earthlings were like you¡­.''


    Then, she wouldn''t have had any regrets.


    [You want to grant his wish that much? Even at the cost of giving up what rightly belongs to you?] Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/my-self-insert-stash_15819206506160005/my-original-stash-70---the-second-coming-of-gluttony-by-ro-yu-jin_51119447913582080 for visiting.


    A smile formed on her lips for the first time.


    "Yes."


    Finally, the wish had been decided.


    [In that case, fine.]


    She could feel something like a pair of wings spread open from the darkness.


    [Come closer, my child.]


    Suddenly, her body turned light like a feather. By the time she noticed this, her vision had become half-blurry.


    The world spun, and something unknown came up to her eyes.


    The last thing she got to see was¡­


    [I cannot wait¡ª]


    ¡­a blue fragment rising above the man¡­


    [Until I meet the two of you again.]


    And the darkness laughing in joy.

 Chapter 471 - My SI Stash #71 - A Gamers story of Betatesting by Cernunnus (Multicross)

    -Unironically, this is the first Gamer MC that I know of that got the STD Survivor stat, bravo!


    Synopsis: A manchild gets the Gamer Ability after dying and gets transported to another world, a world with nice anime tiddies and infuriating idiotic protags. What will our "hero" do? Gray MC. Gamer Semi SI/OC, Possible powertrip. Rating because of lots of Profanity, violence, and all that good shit. Maybe lemons of I feel like writing smut. Aaand Ofcourse its a harem story, DxD duh


    Rated: M


    Words: 11K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13787084/1/A-Gamer-s-story-of-Betatesting (Cernunnus)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Welcome to the GAME, soul. You are one of the lucky(unlucky?) souls chosen for this extraordinary journey!


    "What the actual f.u.c.k!?"


    I stared at the screen in front of me with disbelief, "F.u.c.k, and here I thought psychedelics wouldn''t mess anymore with my sanity¡­" I muttered and shook my head trying to expel the invader with little success.


    No, this isn''t any effect from any psychedelics puny mortal.


    "Who is the idiot that drugged me now then? I thought I told those f.u.c.kers I was done with all that shit" I muttered out still trying to not give the screen in front of me any thought.


    It was then I saw the room I was in.. which isn''t my usual sleeping abode, instead of my own bedroom, here it was clinically clean, with an almost rich institutional feeling, everything almost snow white. So white it almost blinded me.


    "Where the f.u.c.k am I?" Came out from me and I heard my creeping panic and increasing anger in that tone.


    In an illusion, your current position isn''t important now.


    "F.u.c.k you mean? I want to know where the f.u.c.k-


    BE CALM.


    A wave of calmness and a comforting feeling enveloped me -" am¡­.Okay".


    So let''s get down to business, You have been chosen to be a Gamer


    Do You Accept?


    [YES][NO]


    I still just looked at the screen calmly with disbelief, me? A Gamer? A loud snort could be heard reverberating through the room.


    "HAHAHA, that name is so f.u.c.k.i.n.g cringe I can''t eve¡­.." I cut off myself laughing.


    But it seemed like the Game didn''t really care and let me laugh for some time.


    "So I''m going to be a Gamer? Like those Manwhas and all those smut fanfictions going around?" I asked when I was done laughing.


    Close enough.


    "Well you guys should work with changing that name, but anyway I guess I accept", I said with amus.e.m.e.nt and the scenery immediately changed.


    Now I was in a room that had some resemblance to my own, it was old and¡­spartan, what can I say? I don''t buy that much shit, nowadays I''m just content with the shit I already have.


    "So what''s this place?" I asked out aloud.


    Your new apartment, or how it will look like.


    "What''s wrong with my own?" I asked the screen.


    Wrong verse.


    "And what does that mean?" I asked with some trepidation slowly creeping up before it was squashed by the wave of comfort and calmness.


    Well, You died.


    "Wha.." But I instantly was cut out by my own anger and grief by what that statement meant.


    My family, friends, everything is gone and started rapidly spiraling out of control with all my feelings, anger, grief, every feeling you could imagine.


    Memories flashing by, my life playing before me on fast forward, with all the feelings they would invoke.


    And I stayed like that for some immeasurable time, just going through my feelings, my life and all that came up, thoughts, desires, all. Until I was done, okay with my life, content how it played out, or Nah not content really. That''s kind of hard with the realization that you died at 21 by doing stupid shit you thought you had stopped with 2 years prior.


    But even so, I got to the point where I was okay with how my life played out, I have come to terms with it, how there isn''t really something I can do about it to change it, I''m dead, or... Was dead and got a second chance it seems like, by something that has been fictional from my perspective, but that''s still a second chance, and I will be damned if I throw it away.


    Because with the power *Chuckle* of the *Chuckle* Game.. "Look wait I f.u.c.k.i.n.g cant hahaha"


    Oh, you are back, feeling better?


    I took some time to compose myself "Yeah I''m good now.." a pause.


    "Just a small question, why didn''t you make me calm with that calmly comforting thingy you used earlier?" I asked.


    Earlier and other runs with the Game have shown that confronting one''s past and not hiding it away can be beneficial.


    "Oh okay, I can see that" I mumbled out.


    "Soooo¡­ There''s other Gamers and all that?"


    Not in this Multiverse, or not like you at least.


    "Multiverse?"


    Yes, the Multiverse theory is true to a point, and there exist countless others in the Omniverse.


    "Oooh" and I stopped asking the Game for some time to mull over that answer.


    "So are every "Game" like you?"


    The simple answer is no, there exist countless different versions with their own different quirks and gimmicks.


    "Cool", I simply said, and left it at that, or not "Something special with you then?" Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/my-self-insert-stash_15819206506160005/my-si-stash-71---a-gamer''s-story-of-betatesting-by-cernunnus-(multicross)_51140525197152358 for visiting.


    That will be your responsibility to explore, but I can say that I''m in the Beta phase right now.


    If a screen with some text could look smug this one would be that right now.


    "So I''m a beta tester?"


    Yeah.


    "Ooh".


    Yeah.


    "Sooo¡­ When will we begin?"


    Well, do you want your starting stuff now?


    "Aren''t I able to make my character, choose a starting world and all that good stuff?" I asked questionably.


    You and your background is already chosen and prepared but can be altered a bit before we begin, and it will be your responsibility to figure out which world you will be in.


    "Well, that''s sucks".


    No, it will be fine, your background will borrow and/or remake some of your old ones, and you will be a cool handcrafted character done by the Creator.


    "As long as I''m male I''m fine then" I signed.


    Skills added:


    Passive Skills added:


    [Gamers Body[LVL MAX]]: Your body is somewhat based on games and takes some inspiration from different ones.


    [Gamers Mind[LVL MAX]]:[ON/OFF]: Can be toggled on for the classic calm sociopathic Gamer fell. Though resistance against mental attacks and really negative status effects, e.g insanity, are on the whole time.


    Utility Skills added:


    [Observe[LVL?]]:[Cost:5 Mana]: Lets you get a basic description of something or someone.


    I hastily read through all the things I got, and with the context I have from earlier, by which I mean reading fanfics and Manhwas/Mangas based on the Gamer stuff I quickly understood some of it.


    "So what''s different with the skills from the usual gamey shit?" I asked.


    I don''t appreciate your tone. And no that''s your responsibility to figure out.


    "Ah sorry old habits die hard I guess, it''s just how I grew up speaking, no disrespect from my side" I chuckled sheepishly.


    "And why is it my responsibility to figure out?"


    Statistics show that letting the player know everything about the Game takes away enjoyment from the experience.


    I rolled my eyes "I''m not asking for much mate, just some basic info, but I guess I can see it from your perspective".


    Some more questions before we go to the next point?


    "Hmmm¡­ Well, why is everything in English? I mean EVERYTHING, even my thoughts. I would rather have it all in Swedish there I can at least have proper grammar in my thoughts".


    The Creator changed English to the Standard so here we are.


    "Can I change it?"


    The Standard? No.


    "Well shit".


    Yeah, but that''s why we have you as a beta tester so we can improve upon things and then give a better experience.


    "..."


    Anyways¡­ Here you go.


    Name: ? LVL 1


    HP: 100, 1%/s


    MP: 100, 1%/s


    SP: 50, 1%/s


    Str: 10


    Dex: 10


    Con: 10


    Int: 10


    Wis: 10


    Cha: 10


    Luc: 10


    Additional points: 10


    "Oh neat, thanks!"


    No problem.


    "Can I get some info on the stats please?"


    Only because you asked so nicely.


    Attributes/Stats: a representation of somethings mental, physical, or spiritual abilities


    Strength: measuring physical power and Base carrying capacity in the [Inventory(1 slot=2 Str)]


    Constitution: measuring endurance, stamina, and health, Base healthpoints=Con*10, Base stamina points=(Con*10+Dex*10)/4.


    Dexterity: measuring agility, balance, coordination, and reflexes


    Intelligence: measuring deductive reasoning, knowledge, memory, logic, and rationality, Base Mana=Int*10


    Wisdom: measuring self-awareness, common sense, restraint, perception, and insight


    Charisma: measuring force of personality, persuasiveness, leadership and successful planning


    Luck: measuring how lucky you are.


    "..."


    "Did you just copy/paste that from somewhere, I feel like it''s pretty... Umm, not unique?"


    *Scoff* As I would do something like that.


    I just rolled my eyes at that.


    So want to load some skills and perks/traits from your old life?


    "Wouldn''t that interfere with that all-mighty handcrafted new me you have done?"


    No, that body is a clean slate¡­. at least for now.


    "Okay okay tune down with the ominous shit, I was just messing with you¡­ And yes please, I would like to have some of my "old" stuff as skills and all that, thank you".


    Here you go!


    Perks/Traits added:


    [L.u.s.tful]: You are a horny f.u.c.k.


    [Arbitrary]: You have a natural calling for making some random decisions(most often bad) and the like, just stay away from gambling, or don''t, it can either make or break you.


    [Short Tempered]: You get angry easily.


    [Controlled Body Language]: You have it easy to hide your true feelings on the matter.


    "First of all.. Fair... Secondly, why is that a trait? Or why do I even have that? I know I like gambling but I wouldn''t call my decision-making arbitrary."-


    Viking Line?


    "OOh F.u.c.k you".


    No thanks.


    I just shook my head at that, "Short temper I get and that body shit too, tho will traits and perks force me to make decisions? I haven''t really gotten that from everything I''ve read".


    It depends on the version of the Game, but here no, it will though make you more inclined to make a decision based upon your personality traits and/or perks.


    Traits here will not force you to make a decision but will make it hard to do the opposite of it, e.g you have the trait [L.u.s.tful] and a milf asks you for s.e.x, well it''s pretty easy to accept that but quite hard to just go away.


    "Okay thanks, any more perks or traits then?"


    Well no, this is mostly what your personality was based around.


    "Oh, but no humorous trait or something like that? I was the clown in my friends group after all"


    You used humor to hide just what you really felt though.


    "..."


    Moving on... skills then?


    "Wait wait, just a quick question, what''s the difference between traits and perks?"


    A trait is generally something innate, while a perk is something you earn, learn and/or obtain.


    "Okay, so skills now?"


    Passive Skills added:


    [Martial Arts[LVL 20/100]]:[Subskill: Muay Thai(Novice)Western Boxing(Apprentice)Gl¨ªma(Apprentice)]: You know how to fight unarmed.


    [Ranged Weaponry[LVL 57/100]]:[Subskill: Small Arms(Journeyman)Bow(Novice)]: You know which way to point the weapon and maybe hit the target, and you have some knowledge to maintain the weapon you use.


    Misc. Skills added:


    [Housework[LVL 47/100]]: The skill is self-explanatory.


    [Cooking/Baking[LVL 21/100]]: You can cook, the thing you cook or bake will get easier to make and with better taste with higher levels.


    [Salesman[LVL 24/100]]: The skill shows your experience and knowledge in selling and convincing people to buy what you sell.


    [Animal Hunting[LVL 24/100]]: You have experience in animal hunting and other things related to hunting e.g. tracking. But the question is: is hunting humans the same?


    [Language Master[LVL ?]]:[Subskills: English(Apprentice)Swedish(Expert)German(Journeyman)]: The skill in language...


    "That¡­ wasn''t so many mate, I think I do have some more "skills", but a question, why aren''t those misc spells under passives?"


    Is it cleaner this way, or do you want a Heavy industry skill, and then work in an industry in your second chance in life?


    "Yeah, No thanks, I guess it''s cleaner this way without a hundred different skills, but what about my second question?"


    Same thing really, the Creator didn''t want the most used categories cluttered with spells early on in the playthrough.


    "Okay, and what are those subskills?"


    Some skills have subskills, which usually represents some unique or some other knowledge or prowess in the stated area.


    Novice, Apprentice, Journeyman, Expert, and Master are the different tiers of subskills.


    Subskills don''t have levels.


    "Ooh well that''s nice to know, but who is this Creator you are speaking of?"


    The Creator of me.


    "I got that but nothing more you could tell me about this Creator?"


    ¡­


    I snorted at that but then moved on, "Well next step then?"


    Do you want to load achievements from your past life?


    "Achievements? What would that give me now? Stats or something?"


    It will give you Stats or Perks from some milestones you reached in your last life.


    "Well I guess it couldn''t hurt, so yeah I accept".


    Good.


    Achievements loaded:


    Unarmed Fighter Veteran: You have fought a lot in your life, can be streetfighting or some martial arts or something else.


    Perk added:


    [Hand-to-Hand Prodigy]: Gains 50% extra EXP in Martial arts and other unarmed fighting related Skills


    Stats gained:


    +3 Strength


    +3 Constitution


    +4 Dexterity


    Military Training Basic: You have done some military duty, in your case, it''s just the basics.


    Perks added:


    [Jarhead]: Increased affection with people that have served


    [Gunnut]: Gains 25% extra Experience with Gun related skills


    Stats gained:


    +1 Intelligence


    +2 Strength


    +2 Constitution


    +3 Dexterity


    Highschool Dropout: You dropped out because of some dumb reason.


    Stats lost


    -2 Intelligence


    -2 Wisdom


    Young Dumb Criminal: You were a criminal when you were younger, in your case for a dumb reason.


    Perk added:


    [Delinquent]: Increased affection with criminals, decreased affection with normal law-abiding citizens.


    1000 Book Challenge: You have read a lot


    Perk added:


    [Bookworm]: 100% faster-reading speed, and raised daily skill book intake from (1) to (5).


    Stats gained:


    +4 Wisdom


    +5 Intelligence


    "Same thing here, I''m not mad with the free shit but it doesn''t seem like I have done that much in my past life".


    These are the achievements the Creator has given me that you fulfilled¡­ I almost forgot something.


    A V.i.r.g.i.n No More: You have lost the v-card.


    Stats gained:


    +1 Constitution


    "..."


    Young Milf Hunter: You hunted the dangerous milfs when you were a youngling.


    Perk added:


    [Milf Hunter]: Increased affection with Milfs


    Stats gained:


    +1 Constitution


    "Well... That''s kind of true tho, experienced women are always better".


    STD Survivor: You survived a STD¡­ Uhh.


    Perk added:


    ...


    Stats gained:


    ¡­


    "..."


    "..."


    "F.U.C.K YOU, what do you mean by that shit?"


    Nothing¡­


    "I was f.u.c.k.i.n.g sixteen at the time, f.u.c.k off".


    Moving on¡­


    "YES PLEASE".


    You can either interfere with the interface with mental or verbal commands, e.g "Stats" or "Inventory".


    "..."


    What?


    "Ugh, nothing..."


    ¡­


    ''Stats'' I thought lazily with a mental command.


    ? LVL 1


    HP: 170/170, 1%/s


    MP: 140/140, 1%/s


    SP: 85/85, 1%/s


    Str: 15


    Dex: 17


    Con: 17


    Int: 14


    Wis: 12


    Cha: 10


    Luc: 10


    Additional points: 10


    Neat


    ''Inventory''


    A new screen plopped out from somewhere in front of me and showed... Nothing really just 8 slots that were empty. I shut it down with a mental command, which was really easy to do, it almost seemed like the interface did everything I wanted with it.


    That''s because it''s a part of you.


    "And you can read my mind of course¡­"


    *Scoff* Of Course mortal.


    "Yeah yeah you are so great"- I said with an eye roll -" What now? Can I start with my new *Chuckle* Gamer life?"


    Not yet.


    "What is it now then?"


    Next step! Do you want to spin the Perk Roulette?


    "Is it free? And what does it do?"


    Free Traits/Perks!


    "What''s the catch?"


    Free stuff!


    "?"


    ¡­


    Okay, it''s what it sounds like, you could get shited on or get super-lucky.


    *Scoff* "I thought it would be some other ominous downside, of course, I will spin then".


    Really? Well, here we go!


    A big wheel appeared on a screen in front of me and began spinning, there were hundreds, nono thousands of different things you could get, and the Gambler inside of me was screaming with joy.


    Perk added:


    [Lucky 13]: You are a lucky wanker, +50% of base Luck.


    "Ooh, nice nice...One more"


    The wheel spun again, around and aroooound. And when it stopped...


    Trait added:


    [Unnatural Muscaleture]: You are quite a bit stronger when your peers and have it easier to get even stronger, but it''s not denser for some reason, well why worry about it? You are strength incarnate, +100% of Base Str.


    "F.U.C.K.I.N.G JACKPOT, THAT''S F.U.C.K.I.N.G NICE, IM THE F.U.C.K.I.N.G BEST. ONE MORE ONE MORE!"


    Trait added:


    [Unnatural Beauty]: You won the genetic lottery, or did you? When you walk by, schoolgirls either faints or go into heat(Almost at least).


    "WTF IS IT WITH MY LUCK TODAY!"


    Want to stop?


    "F.U.C.K NO, one more please".


    By repeated action a Perk have been rewarded:


    [Gamblers Might]: You have even a higher chance to be win from the "higher" and "better" tiers now.


    "Nice nice".


    The wheel began spinning again¡­


    Perk added:


    [Manasealed]: Your mana is sealed away and therefore mana and mana based magic is unusable.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "WHAT THE F.U.C.K".


    F.u.c.k I''m an idiot, why couldn''t I stop just gambling when I was ahead? Nooo I just wanted some more god-tier shit and couldn''t stop and then I got this f.u.c.k.i.n.g shit, can you even lose perks?


    Yes, Perks can be lost through different means.


    "Ooh good, then I''m not completely f.u.c.k.i.e.d, but magic is so f.u.c.k.i.n.g cool and now I must wait god-knows how long before I can use some of that.." I rambled off.


    One more?


    "..."


    "Well.. Another one couldn''t hurt that bad..But that''s the last one tho".


    And the wheel spun for the last time... For now at least.


    Trait added:


    [Ambitious]: You have a dream, and in it, you rule the world, +25% EXP Rate.


    "That''s really good too, I almost think that''s my best one to date...Should I do another one? No no I''m good now and this is a good end.."


    No more?


    "No, I''m good".


    Okay moving on...


    Final point, any questions before we prepare your background and teleport you?


    "Just one, those %-based stuff from earlier, does those stack?"


    Yes additively, if they don''t say otherwise.


    "Oh neat".


    Good now?


    "Yeah, I just want a quick look at my stats".


    ? LVL 1


    HP: 170/170, 1%/s


    MP: 140/140, 1%/s


    SP: 85/85, 1%/s


    Str: 30(15+100%)


    Dex: 17


    Con: 17


    Int: 14


    Wis: 12


    Cha: 10


    Luc: 15(10+50%)


    Additional points: 10


    "How do I add points?"


    Ugh, I thought you said you were done... Just mentally command the points to where you want them.


    "Thanks!"


    Str: 15-20


    Dex: 17-20


    Con: 17-19


    ''Stats''.


    HP: 190/190, 1%/s


    MP: 140/140, 1%/s


    SP: 97,5/97,5, 1%/s


    Str: 40(20+100%)


    Dex: 20


    Con: 19


    Int: 14


    Wis: 12


    Cha: 10


    Luc: 15(10+50%)


    Additional points: 0


    Well, this shit looks OP for a LVL 1.


    The Gamer is inherently OP.


    *Chuckle* "Fair enough".


    Do you want the premade background? Or do you want a changed version with your new traits in mind?


    Hmmm, "A changed version sounds nice".


    Will be done shortly.


    1...


    2...


    "Oh f.u.c.k are you done?"


    Yeah, 3...


    4...


    5...


    Here we go!


    Suddenly the world changed, everything around me warped and twisted, but soon I came around again¡­ And I was sitting on a bench in what looked like a train station... And I had a f.u.c.k.i.n.g disgusting headache now.


    "F.u.c.k" I muttered out.


    "Where the f.u.c.k am I?" I asked out aloud¡­ but no answer came from the seemingly empty station.


    I noted now that it was dark outside, probably night, but the lamps and train information system lighted up the area around me.


    I also noted now that the information wasn''t in English¡­ it wasn''t written in the Latin alphabet...I think it''s Kanji? I have something telling me that it was that But I can''t really be sure, I have looked at some Anime in Sub but that stuff doesn''t show much Kanji really.


    ''Game'' I asked in my thoughts.


    But silence ensued¡­


    Well, shit now I must figure out where the f.u.c.k I''m.


    Quest added!


    Where am I, and who am I?


    You have woken up in an unfamiliar place and you have no memories of how you got there, or even who you are!


    Objectives: Find out who you are[], Find out where you are[]


    Reward: [Subskill:?(Journeyman), Your background memories, 10000 ?, 1 Gacha.


    Failure: You will be stuck here until you figure it out, you lazy shit


    I first just snorted at that, but that was before I saw the last reward¡­ A Gacha? Isn''t that like some nice Multiversial gambling shit? OP shit in a Roulette sounds pre-tty nice.


    So firstly, who am I? I looked down and saw my pants and shoes, some ripped black jeans and some good looking white trainers, ''usual enough''.


    I had a red hoodie on me with a black bomber jacket outwardly, stuff I usually wear.


    "Hmm" I hmmed out aloud ''Seems like my usual shit'' I thought.


    I had a big backpack between my legs, which I didn''t really care about just now.


    So I checked my pockets, and voila! A phone and a Wallet! And by phone, I mean a smartphone, some android variant that I wasn''t really familiar with.


    I checked my phone first¡­ and did not find much, just the time really, which was 19:48 so soon night. I didn''t really have any contacts, just some names that didn''t make any sense for me, not even any "Mum" or "Dad" contact, "I" haven''t even called someone in 3 weeks!


    Other stuff was just some apps and the likes, e.g. Snapchat, Twitter, tho there I had some notifications but not overly much.


    So I put my phone back into my pocket and checked out my wallet, and lo and behold I found some cash..., in Yen! So I think that means I''m in Japan.. If I remember correctly.


    After that, I found some cards, firstly a Visa credit card with the name "Adel Auber" on it.


    "Maybe that''s my name?"


    So I checked out the other cards¡­ and I found my ID, and YES Adel Auber is my name¡­ but it wasn''t the name''s fault for startling me¡­ It was my face and HAIR.


    Oh yeah, I was f.u.c.k.i.n.g handsome, almost "perfect" but¡­ I had f.u.c.k.i.n.g Heterochromia¡­ IN BOTH MY EYES AND HAIR.


    "I F.U.C.K.I.N.G LOOK LIKE SOME MOTHERF.U.C.K.I.N.G ANIME PROTAG WTF HAHAHHAHA" I laughed and looked at my unruly Dark SIlver hair with strands of Snow White flowing through it at random. My eyes were f.u.c.k.i.e.d also, a Gold right eye and a Hazel left eye.


    I quickly took up my phone and looked through the front camera on myself¡­ and lo and behold, that was the f.u.c.k.i.n.g new me.


    "Well hello there Mister Edgelord''s greatest creation", I said out loudly, laughing maniacally at the same time.


    It took some time for me to come to my senses again, and it was then I say this:


    Find out who you are[X].


    So I know at least who I''m, but still not where. But I have a feeling it is in Japan because of these scripts which I think are Kanji.


    So I start diving into my backpack for some info, and after just some moments I find a stack of paper in the sea of clothes.


    So I naturally started reading them...first some Visa papers and all that...Then some school exchange papers...aaand then I found my train ticket...From Tokyo to Kuoh...aaand if I remember correctly that is the name of the "main cast-city" in the Anime with more OP Bigtitty characters than mundane ones...


    ¡­


    "F.U.C.K.I.N.G HELL".


    ''SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT, WTF WILL I F.U.C.K.I.N.G DO? NO NO NOT THE F.U.C.K.I.N.G DXDVERSE, OOOOOH F.U.C.K.I.N.G HEEEELL''.


    And that was my thought process for the next 10 minutes, until I had gotten myself.. A bit calmer at least.


    So now I figured out wher...


    Quest Complete!


    Where am I, and who am I?


    You have woken up in an unfamiliar place and you have no memories of how you got there, or even who you are!


    Objectives: Find out who you are[X], Find out where you are[X]


    Reward: [Subskill:?(Journeyman), Your background memories, 10000 ?, 1 Gacha.


    Failure: You will be stuck here until you figure it out, you lazy shit


    Reward:


    [Subskill: Japanese(Journeyman)] have been added to [Language Master]


    10000 Yen have been added to your Inventories Wallet


    +1 Gacha, added to your Inventory


    Your background memories have been added


    And then I was hit with an even worse headache when before, it felt almost like a train slammed right onto my head full speed, just *CRUNCH*.


    New memories just flew through me fast-forwarded + Knowledge in Japanese, which isn''t that bad.


    A childhood I couldn''t remember at all, and I mean that no memories not anything, the first memories of this body is in my early preteens, and f.u.c.k, I was a real Lil shithead, always getting in trouble but still somehow being pretty good in school, which actually got me here but we will come to that later.


    But the rest had some likeness to my own early teens and mid-teens, mostly being a shithead who thought he was toughshit and f.u.c.k.i.e.d around a lot but I digress.


    But the most similarities ended there really, this body lived in an Orphanage or Foster Families for most of his life, I had a mum and dad and all that, back home¡­ I will now end all that sappy shit, this is my new life for f.u.c.k sake!


    But let me introduce myself, my name is Adel Auber, I''m 17 years old, and I''m a foreign exchange student in Japan, soon beginning the school year in Kuoh Academy 2 years class...Who left my shitty ass life back in Europe, which mostly was just trouble.


    I have no idea of the supernatural, but it seems like I have some interest in it, which corresponds with my old life, but other than that I''m just a "normal" slightly bitchy hormonal teenager, with heterochromia.


    Well it sounds¡­ Good? Naah just anime as f.u.c.k.


    But I will start my first semester as they call it here, in a week, at the beginning of April.


    But one of the things I''m mostly scared about is my own lack of metaknowledge in this Universe¡­ Well, I know some things from watching the anime until the end of the Riser arc, mostly because I can''t stand Issei.


    Then I have some knowledge from fanfictions and the wiki, because even though I can''t stand the MC I like the Verse, with all the mythology stuff and all those other yummy things.


    And then even though I like the DxD Verse I can''t say I want to live in a hellhole of super OP characters on all street corners, so what can I do about it? Nothing really I think, at least at the moment.


    But before I make some rough plans I should get to the apartment I have rented before some Stray Devil or some even more disgusting creature takes me away.


    Well, the journey to get my key from my landlady was uneventful, just some younglings shouting gaijin at me and some ladies ogling me.


    My landlady was nice, a sixty-something-year-old lady with good manners and all that, she didn''t even call me a gaijin so I think we are good. She seemed surprised though when she saw me but she warmed up pretty fast through some talking.


    My apartment was the same as the Game showed earlier, just a spartan apartment with few things in it, a small bedroom, a small kitchen area with some found the landlady left me, and a small eating area. Nothing more nothing less. It''s not perfect, but it has to do at the moment, until I get some cash.


    And now I''m sitting here contemplating this mess, meaning everything that will happen and if I will be with the "main cast" and do it, from what I remember Rias wants more peerage members to be able to rival Risers one, so do I want to join? I think so, being a Devil can''t be that big of a hassle, just that holy and light weakness seems to be bad, and from what I remember Devils should be stronger and faster when Humans so that should give me a good boost right?


    There just exists one big problem with that plan¡­ Issei, I can''t stand him through the Anime and I don''t think I can stand him IRL either, so he gotta go someway, this is my second life and I will f.u.c.k.i.n.g live it to the fullest.


    Will I kill him? Not necessarily, but if I must well¡­. But I want some other options first so they can''t just resurrect him and screw me over that way, Devils shouldn''t be that mad if a mundane human dies right? Maybe but other options must be explored first, I''m not a killer yet but this universe will probably make me one either way¡­


    But just wtf Am I thinking about? Killing a f.u.c.k.i.n.g innocent teenager? For what? How the f.u.c.k did this trail of disgusting thoughts go through? The best way must just be to remove this Sacred Gear someway? Or try to kill Ddraig or something, Ddraig is nowaaay innocent in this Universe so I don''t think I would lose that much sleep that way, it would just be revenge served late for thousands of souls¡­


    So the rough plan is: Kill Ddraig someway or just get Issei out of the "Main cast", and then maybe find a nice route to become a Devil and get a free powerup early on.


    Quest added!


    F.u.c.k off Issei!


    Get back for all the wasted hours of watching a mentally handicapped teen, and maybe "steal" his harem on the way.


    Objective: Find a way to disable Issei, either permanently or just his worth.


    Hidden Optional Objectives 1,2,3: ?,?,?


    Reward: 100000 Yen, No Issei in the "plot", [Harem King] perk, 2 Gacha.


    Hidden Rewards:?,?,?


    Failure: ?, Maybe death?


    "Well some dislikes Issei too it seems like, neat, but what is up with that Failure shit? Either way, I accept, the Rewards sounds nice, and 2 Gacha is always nice.


    But firstly¡­ I''m f.u.c.k.i.n.g tired...And I have a Gacha still, sooo let''s do a spin, shall we?


    Item added:


    [Powershard of the Scarlet King]:


    Will give you a really small fraction of the power from the Defiler of Worlds


    Patch Note: After some¡­ unfortunate incidents we have changed the item so there isn''t a transformation anymore and the power signature is also changed, just the perk, title, and skills gained are left. Otherwise, you would soon have an Angry "Daddy" knocking on your door.


    Changed features: The power isn''t identical to the Scarlet King, and it DOESN''T make you a child of him anymore


    Uhmmm, what the actual f.u.c.k is this?


    #

 Chapter 472 - My OC Stash #72 - Detective Midoriya by rogueptoridactyl (MHA)

    -Was worried that it was just going to be a rehash of the original but there are the occasional twists that carries the fic~


    Synopsis: After the sludge incident, Izuku Midoriya''s dream was officially crushed. However, a later experience takes the boy in a new direction. Izuku had never really contemplated being a detective, but his whole life he''d only ever wanted to help people with a smile on his face. Thanks to some luck and an entire police station, Izuku''s dream is reborn.


    Rated: T


    Words: 136K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13189455/1/Detective-Midoriya (rogueptoridactyl)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Prologue


    There were a few rules that Yagi Toshinori was still struggling to instill into his students, rules that seemed so trivial and mundane that it seemed a bit ludicrous that heroes had to learn it in the first place. The first was to take every task seriously, no matter how trivial it may have seemed. Young Bakugou especially struggled with that one, giving up on a task once it was completed to his satisfaction, or if it was deemed trivial, he often would make matters worse.


    The second rule was to be mindful of your stamina. This was a bittersweet lesson for Toshinori, because it was his disregard for this rule that left him with only an hour of hero time each day. He saw the same tendencies in a few of his students, such as young Kirishima and young Satoa.


    Finally, the third and most important rule was to always be aware of your surroundings. Ashido probably struggled the most with this, and Toshinori was struggling to find a way to teach the girl the rule before someone else had to pay the price of her inattention.


    These rules were cycling through Toshinori''s mind when he woke up. After enough years of dealing with crime, a person gets almost a sixth sense for it. When Toshinori woke up that day, he could feel it in his bones that something bad was going to happen.


    He was already calculating how much hero work he would be able to accomplish, but a lot of it depended on luck. Toshinori just hoped that he would have time left when it was needed.


    Distracted by his worrying, Toshinori didn''t notice the dip in the sidewalk. He barely managed to catch himself from falling, but the papers in his hands were not nearly as lucky.


    Cursing under his breath, Toshinori moved to gather the papers, but a pair of freckled hands were already collecting them for him. Toshinori looked up to see a pair of bright green eyes that looked vaguely familiar, eyes that held far too much recognition for Toshinori''s comfort.


    Wordlessly the boy shoved the papers into the hero''s hands and scrambled away, giving Toshinori a better view of the retreating figure. He was short, and clearly still a teenager, wearing a dirty hoodie over ripped jeans. Everything about him screamed that he was a hoodlum. The boy''s appearance combined with Toshinori''s uneasiness put the man on even higher alert. Something told him that that boy would have a hand in whatever was going to unfold.


    Throughout the day, he would have described the anxiety plaguing him as a pit in his stomach if he still had a stomach. His teaching suffered because of it, and young Bakugou wasn''t shy about telling him so. Luckily it wasn''t just Toshinori, however, that felt off. No, a sense of looming danger hung over all the students in the hero course, one that the teachers felt even more acutely.


    Toshinori was making a lot of the same mistakes he''d made his first year of teaching. Luckily his students had grown immensely since then and there weren''t any incidents.


    They were in the middle of an exercise dealing with rescuing hostages when his phone rang. Seeing who was calling, Toshinori answered immediately.


    "What is it, Tsukauchi?"


    "We''ve got a huge fight, Toshinori," the detective''s terse voice informed him. "I''ve got an undercover detective in the middle of it all, so I need you and whichever heroes you think are best for the job, now. This isn''t a job for your students." With that, Tsukauchi hung up, only for a text message with an address to come through.


    Swallowing thickly, the hero called Nedzu. Before the principal could even really answer, All Might said, "I need you to watch my cliass. There''s a situation that I was called in to." After a few moments he added, "And Midnight and Eraserhead are needed as well."


    "Very well. I shall inform the other two and be there momentarily," Nedzu responded. And sure enough, before Toshinori could do more than explain the situation to his class, Nedzu was already strolling into the room.


    The pro-hero rushed to the parking lot where his truck waited, along with Aizawa and Nemuri. Luckily the two were okay with Toshinori''s breakneck pace, and Aizawa was a good navigator.


    All Might knew he''d found the place when they drove up to a warehouse positively swarmed by police cars. Tsukauchi was pacing outside the warehouse looking more stressed than All Might had ever seen him.


    Still in the truck, Toshinori transformed into his hero persona. Looking at Aizawa and Nemuri respectively, he could tell that all three heroes were ready for whatever came.


    They moved towards Tsukauchi uniformly, ready to be debriefed. Toshinori tried to keep his surprise from showing- the man was fretting.


    Turning to the heroes, Tsukauchi said, "We have no idea what the situation is inside, we lost contact with out undercover detective. There''s over fifty people inside, most if not all with extensive criminal records. Be vigilant. Don''t get my boy killed."


    All Might shivered at the emotions in the detective''s voice before accepting an ear piece from Aizawa.


    "I''ll go in first," he was saying. "I''ll keep you all updated on the situation so we don''t just make it worse."


    The other two nodded and Aizawa was gone, disappearing into the warehouse. Toshinori stationed himself by one of the doors, fully prepared to burst in at a moment''s notice. Then, he listened.


    "Okay, I''m getting close to the main fight. It doesn''t sound as violent as I expected," crackled Aizawa''s voice. "I''ll have a visual soon."


    All Might whispered the update to Tsukauchi, whose stress was palpable. Both men stood at attention, not daring to speak.


    "They''re at a ceasefire," Aizawa said. "The two leaders are already talking things over to end it all without bloodshed. It''s all because of some kid with green hair."


    Upon hearing that information, Tsukauchi breathed in a sigh of relief. "I don''t know how the kid does it."


    "I''m guessing the kid is our undercover detective. He''s amazing, he''s gotten everyone to stop fighting but he still hasn''t blown his cover," came Aizawa''s voice. All Might couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows. The two were going on three years of teaching together, and he had never heard the man give such high praise to anyone.


    "I take it he''s one of yours?" All Might asked Tsukauchi in a low voice. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/my-self-insert-stash_15819206506160005/my-oc-stash-72---detective-midoriya-by-rogueptoridactyl-(mha)_51165777725803420 for visiting.


    "Our youngest detective yet," the man said proudly. "Midoriya is the best analytical mind we have. It''s a good thing his mother doesn''t want to move, or he would''ve been poached by some other district already. Offers are still pouring in for him."


    "What kind of quirk does he have? He seems to have handled this all incredibly smoothly," All Might said curiously.


    "He''s actually quirkless," Tsukauchi said blandly. "Years ago he had his heart set on being a hero but apparently he was involved in an incident. He tried to help out, but the pros just berated him and one even told him to keep his dreams attainable. It honestly almost broke the kid, but whoever that hero was made one of the biggest mistakes of their lives. Midoriya may be quirkless, but he''s one of the most determined and skilled people I''ve ever met."


    A chill ran down All Might''s spine as he remembered an incident years ago with a scrawny green haired boy. Was it his words that had nearly broken the child? Surely that couldn''t have been the boy that had just impressed Eraserhead so deeply. He was far too young to be a detective, if All Might remembered correctly. Where was that child? Toshinori probably should have kept better tabs on the boy who knew his secret.


    Aizawa''s voice broke All Might from his ponderings. "Send in Midnight. If she''s stealthy enough we should get this resolved with minimal injury,.


    "Got it. I''m coming in," Midnight said into the earpiece. Shortly after, however, Aizawa gasped.


    "What''s going on,Eraserhead?" Toshinori demanded.


    "Someone''s using their quirk. I can''t find them, and-"


    The audio was overtaken by static, confirming the feeling in Toshinori''s gut that everything was going too well. "Eraserhead? Eraserhead! Midnight?"


    All Might could feel his heart slamming in his chest. When neither hero answered him. Toshinori said, "Someone''s using their quirk in there, I''m going in."


    Tsukauchi moved to protest, but All Might was already barrelling through the doors with his signature laugh and catchphrase. It was just then that the earpiece started working again. "-mit All Might, we almost had it," Eraserhead was hissing.


    All Might didn''t know what all the fuss was about as the situation seemed to be in hand. Thanks to Midnight''s quirk almost all the men were unconscious, and those that weren''t were swiftly rendered useless by Eraserhead.


    "A job well done, fellow heroes," All Might said with a booming laugh, a laugh loud enough to cover the sound of a gun being c.o.c.ked.


    "MOVE!" A young voice called before something collided into Toshinori, jolting the man before a gunshot rang across the warehouse.


    Static seemed to fill Toshinori''s ears as he felt time slow down. The thing, or person, rather, who had collided with Toshinori collapsed onto the hero, something warm and wet seeping onto him. Looking down, Toshinori found a head of green hair that contrasted with the blood that was beginning to cover both him and the boy who had just taken a bullet for the Number One Hero.


    Coughing wetly, the boy almost fell to the ground before Toshinori remembered himself and caught the boy, gently lowering him to the ground. In the background he heard the telltale sounds of Midnight taking care of the gunman. But right now, the boy''s life depended on Toshinori''s assistance. For the first time in years, Toshinori wished that he had his cape, any loose fabric he could rip off to staunch the bleeding. As it was, he had no option but to use his massive hands to press down on the boy''s abdomen, praying to some higher power that he was helping. But the boy''s breath was still coming out as violent gasps of air, his green eyes darting around, unseeing. All Might''s stomach sank as he recognized those same green eyes and freckles he''d been wary of that same morning.


    "What was that gunshot?" Tsukauchi demanded, rushing in after Toshinori. Seeing the boy on the ground, the man froze before growling, "I want restraints on every person in here that isn''t one of us. We need an ambulance NOW!"


    All Might flinched at the ferocity in his old friend''s voice. Police officers poured in, complying with the man''s every order, though many hardened upon seeing the boy in Toshinori''s arms.


    Orders given, Tsukauchi collapsed beside the boy, ripping off his jacket to try and staunch the bleeding, which was infinitely more helpful than Toshinori''s hands.


    "Midoriya, stay with me," the detective begged. "Just keep breathing."


    Finally those green eyes found something to focus on as the boy looked up, latching onto the form of the older detective. When he did speak, the wheezes were barely recognizable as words.


    "Trying to¡­ sir," the boy said, pausing to cough. To their horror, drops of blood sprayed out with each cough. "Just¡­ in case, tell¡­ Mom¡­ love her."


    "Kid, I order you not to die," Tsukauchi said seriously, pressing even harder on his jacket. "I will not explain this to your mother. You have to keep fighting."


    "You know¡­ always follow¡­ orders," Midoriya rasped, quirking his lips into the barest trace of a smile before his eyelids fluttered shut.


    Toshinori swallowed thickly, feeling like this was somehow his fault. The bullet had been meant for him, he knew, and this child had intercepted it- and based on their interaction, this child was Tsukauchi''s detective.


    There were fundamental rules that are so logical that one wouldn''t think that heroes needed to learn them. The third and most important rule pounded through his head, and he could practically hear the voices of his students critiquing him the same way that they would critique one another in an exercise.


    "Why was there anyone still awake to attack?" Aizawa would ask in that steely voice.


    Iida and Yaoyorozu would fight to analyze the situation first, but in the end Yaoyorozu would win. "There hadn''t been sufficient time for Midnight''s quirk to fully spread throughout the room, and All Might''s entrance brought in more air flow to disperse her quirk, allowing the villains to further resist. When he mistakenly thought the situation was taken care of, he made enough noise to allow the villains the element of surprise."


    "And which rule was broken?" Aizawa would ask, staring Toshinori down so he would know exactly what he had done.


    "Ooh, I know!" Ashido would shout, jumping up and down. "It''s my rule, the third and most important rule!"


    Toshinori had let his guard down, foolishly unaware of his surroundings. And just as he always warned his students, All Might was not the one who paid the price. Indeed, instead it was paid by his closest friend''s protege.

 Chapter 473 - My SI Stash #73 - The Lazy Lord by Vagabond (Worm)

    -Just a lazy dude trying to speedrun Worm and it''s shenanigans~


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 11K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/the-lazy-lord.13867/ (Vagabond)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Taylor knew something was wrong the moment it happened.


    It had been three months since she got her useless power, but she''s learned to use it. Being able to detect people with the senses of her bugs was one such learned use.


    And there was someone right outside of her bathroom stall where she had hid to eat her lunch in peace.


    Tall, abnormal skin color, and ¡­ faceless.


    Oh God, it didn''t have a face!


    And it was looking right at her stall!


    The creature, dressed in a pair of light brown canvas pants, a pair of black boots, and a dirty red jacket, opened its mouth and unleashed a steady sigh tinged heavily with pent-up emotions.


    It then pulled its head up and looked around.


    "Where am I?" it growled lowly and quietly, continuing to look around despite having no f.u.c.k.i.n.g eyes. "Right. Right. I forgot." There was a pause before it stopped looking around. "... I see. So this is where I am."


    Its head turned towards the bathroom stall she was in. "Do not worry. I will be leaving now," it said with a deep voice before it truly disappeared on the spot.


    So shocked she''d been that she missed Emma and her gang coming in and looking around for her in the bathroom before they left. She realized it - he? - had been a cape.


    What the f.u.c.k just happened?


    -VB-


    "What?!" Chief Director Rebecca Costa-Brown hissed as she listened to "Scion-tracker," a Parahuman Response Team program solely dedicated to keeping track of Scion and his actions.


    "Someone just approached him in the skies over Georgia, and they''re talking. They''ve been talking non-stop," the director of the program, Joy Assamidia, repeated in wonder. "I''m watching a live video feed of it, and it''s incredible."


    Incredible as in someone actually managed to grab the golden entity''s attention.


    In Costa-Brown''s mind, however, this was an unmitigated disaster.


    "Who is the approaching party?" she asked.


    "Unknown. We have been cross referencing him to all databases we have access to, but we haven''t found anything yet. His faceless-ness suggests that he''s a Case-53, but the way he clearly approached Scion¡­"


    "We don''t know anything yet. Keep looking!" she urged. Then she turned to her left and pulled out her "discreet" phone. She quickly typed to Doctor Mother to watch the Earth Bet feed she was sending her way and to find out if they had any Case-53 with the Scion-approacher''s appearance.


    "Scion is doing something!"


    Her head snapped up.


    The Entity did something with his hands¡­ and then ¡­


    Shot himself in the head.


    She watched, frozen, in shock.


    Scion disappeared.


    Scion disappeared.


    "What¡­?"


    How?! How did Scion just¡­ disappear like that?! What about the Entity behind it? What about it-?


    "It''s a Master!" Director Assimidai hissed. "It has to be a Master!"


    Rebecca realized that to most people watching this, horror had to be coursing through their veins right now. After all, Scion was the best Endbringer deterrent they had, the only parahuman capable of effectively ending Endbringer attacks with certainty.


    "Find out who that man is-!"


    "He''s gone!"


    "Use the Thinker Tank if you have to!"


    They just found a new disaster to watch out for as well as the Warrior Entity''s coming apocalypse.


    -VB-


    [Territory!]


    I was back in Brockton Bay, but I was still connected to the Warrior network.


    Taking care of the Warrior and Zion had been ¡­ surprisingly simple. Long story short, I used Eidolon to make Zion more depressed and easier to convince, and then convinced the Entity to kill itself and all of its central processing unit to truly make sure it dies and no longer suffers from its heartache and also to hand over the administrative access to me to make sure that the network didn''t go through the Titan episode its shards went through in Worm''s sequel, the Wards.


    Eidolon, the power, allowed me to choose three strong powers or five weaker powers. Mind you, the CYOA said "weaker" not weak. By whose definition was a power "weaker" I had to think? When I came to Brockton Bay in front of Taylor due to the CYOA choices, I had decided to test the power after I left her. It was a quick and dirty test, which I used to find out the following:


    Eidolon gave me powers based on what I wanted.


    Due to the Shard-Human Brain interface not being perfect but only just "good enough" what I wanted wasn''t necessarily properly translated, and as such, the power I got was never "quite right."


    The definition of "strong" for Eidolon the Shard was on par with Legend, Alexandria, the Sleeper, and Nilbog.


    The definition of a "weaker" power for Eidolon the Shard was on par with the "lesser" powers like those of Assault, Jack Slash, and so on.


    From this, I had a hypothesis.


    Eidolon never fully utilized his shard.


    [Territory!]


    I understood why he couldn''t, either. He was, at his heart, a hero, so he didn''t use literal planet killers because that was not conducive to being a hero nor was there anyone in his immediate target range who was an acceptable target for such a power. It probably didn''t help that his power began to decline as he sapped more and more energy out of it with each use.


    So I cycled through powers until I had the best combination of powers that would let me assist in suicide.


    Zion''s suicide, that was.


    In canon Worm, they never defeated Scion/Zion/Warrior by defeating it in battle. It all came down to making sure it was too f.u.c.k.i.n.g depressed and mentally tired to deal with threats to itself.


    I just did the same thing but instead of getting other people to do the killing blow, I told Zion to do it himself because it would be faster and end the misery in one clean hit instead of a thousand unwanted cuts.


    So that beam he used to kill the Zion avatar?


    Yeah, he opened up a portal - which was another shard - that connected all of the "central processing" shard and fired.


    One clean blast to end his life.


    The power of human psychology, especially upon an unsuspecting alien new to said psychology, was truly grand.


    [Territory!]


    That said, I was now left with administrative access to his Warrior network¡­ and I had to say, it really wasn''t much.


    Like 90% of the shards were inactive because simply being an Entity was so energy-intensive (which explained their fixture on achieving negentropy) that they would starve themselves to death within a year if they kept everything on.


    The shards they released onto Earth Bet and its multitude of parallel sisters? Not even a percent of the active 10%.


    Not 1% of the total but a 0.1% of the total.


    But I was here now!


    I had negentropy!


    There was, however, a problem. My shard had negentropy, but it wasn''t built to be an energy reservoir or even a pump. Its primary focus was Collection, not distribution. The only I would be able to feed the entire network was if I set up a non-shard "pipeline" using other aspects of my power that weren''t the Legion of the Fae or the Eidolon. Until then, I had limited access to the shards of the Warrior.


    [Territory!]


    That was fine with me. I didn''t want to juggle a billion Shards and their own little wants.


    Which meant I was left to my own devices until - if - I decided to build that pipeline.


    Now, what can I do? I did write the CYOA as if I was actually going to enter this world, and I did enter this world. I had plenty of time now that the biggest problem was taken care of.


    [Territory!]


    ¡­ Ugh, I supposed that I should fulfill my Geas first. It''s been badgering me like someone screaming at me from a distance, except they''re getting closer.


    [Territory!]


    I GET IT, YOU MOTHERF.U.C.KER!


    Ugh. Just give me some time to use some Thinker powers, the internet, common sense, and whatever else I need for this...


    -VB-


    "''Declaration of Intent''?" Director Piggot read the title. "What is this?"


    In front of her was Armsmaster and the PRT employee who had been manning the lobby reception desk.


    "An unknown parahuman delivered this paper to the front reception at the headquarter lobby," Armsmaster reported succinctly. He walked in unarmed and dressed in civilian clothes. He asked the receptionist to deliver a letter, which he set down on the reception desk, to the local PRT director and walked out. He ignored requests from the PRT troopers on duty to stop."


    "What happened afterwards?" she asked curtly.


    "Before any Protectorate hero or PRT representative on site and in reach could be dispatched to converse with the unknown parahuman, whose feature included a lack of a face except for his mouth and brick red skin, the unknown parahuman in question teleported out."


    "And this ¡­ letter?"


    "All Master/Stranger, Tinker, Shaker, and Infiltration Protocols have been observed. You are currently holding a copy."


    She grunted before beginning to read the letter.


    Declaration of Intent


    To whom it may concern,


    I hope that this declaration finds you in good health.


    I am the parahuman who delivered this letter to the PRT ENE Headquarters reception desk on April 7th, 2011. My name is Alan Marris, and I wish to give you a notice with this declaration of intent.


    From today onward, I will consider the Trainyard, its infrastructure, and the Boat Graveyard as my territory.


    I know that this is a very unorthodox method to declaring a "territory," but I wanted to give the good people of the PRT ENE a warning.


    I will be enforcing some rules here.


    Any Neo-Nazi, white supremacist, black supremacist, asian supremacist, or any other racist with violent hate crime history will die.


    I will not enforce the Unwritten Rules nor follow them outside of my territory. When I fight, someone gets hurt. Since your department has moles, most of the bigger players should get this notice.


    Do not patrol in my territory unless you want to leave it half dead.


    Don''t mess with my fish.


    Sincerely,


    Alan Marris


    A Parahuman


    ¡­


    "What is this garbage?"


    -VB-


    Floating midair thanks to ferrokinesis holding up my shoes with pads of iron sand, I worked.


    I hummed happily as I used ferrokinesis to move the rusted hulls of the boats away towards a single spot on a stretch of land that connected the Boat Graveyard and the Trainyard, and then connected the multiple broken hulls and finally reshaped them. It didn''t happen all at once; this particular brand of ferrokinesis wasn''t powerful enough to have that level of multitasking come with it.


    I made rooms where there were none before, thickened the walls, and connected the staircases and corridors into a network. All the while I shaped my new home into being, I also altered the base of this base into a strong foundation that nothing short of richter scale 10 earthquake would damage the structure.


    It was a blatant insult to safe architecture and building codes, but I didn''t really care!


    "Hey!"


    I stopped, although my Eidolon power kept on working under the instruction of a second one, a Thinker power related to architecture. I looked around and then saw the person who yelled at me.


    Dressed in a white skintight spandex suit, a cape, and topped off with a tiara, I knew that this had to be Glory Girl.


    And was I glad that I had chosen to take the Mental Barrier perk. It wouldn''t do for me to stop mid-construction just to focus on her.


    "Hey!" I greeted back cheerfully at the hovering New Wave princess. "What''s up?"


    "What are you doing?" she asked a little tersely.


    "Cleaning up the Boat Graveyard and making myself a base!"


    She looked at the nearly finished super structure of the base and raised an eyebrow. "It''s ugly."


    "Well, we can''t all have fancy tech¡­ for now," I grumbled with a faux pout. "Have I been loud with the construction?"


    "Not really," she replied easily. "But when broken sh.i.p.s are flying in the air and then stack on top of each other¡­"


    "Kinda noticeable. Gotcha. Well, I did tell the PRT that this is my territory now, so that''s that."


    A pause.


    "You''re ¡­ a villain?" she asked tensely.


    I nodded rather enthusiastically. "Yup! Haven''t done anything yet but I preempted myself and took territory! It''s not like anyone was using the Boat Graveyard. Not even the gangs are down here to chop up the sh.i.p.s."


    She looked conflicted about the situation at hand. "You''re doing something good eith youe clean-up. Why would you call yourself a villain?"


    "Doing good doesn''t make me a good man."


    "That''s not an answer. If you are declaring yourself a villain-"


    "That I intend to do bad things. Yes."


    "Then I guess I''m fighting you!" she declared before she rushed me.


    I scoffed.


    Without even a gesture from me, iron dust that had settled into the waters and the bay floor rose up like a thousand tendrils.


    A single tendril of whirling and buzzing iron sand rose up between us and then fired a staccato of compressed iron sand bullets from within its mass.


    What I have done here was use the "shell" of the iron sand tendril as base for an electromagnetic field and then launch pre-compressed iron sand bullets along its length.


    These bullets, all smaller than a 9 mm bullet, slammed into Glory Girl. The first popped her shield, the second ripped through her left knee, then the third chunked her shoulder, and finally the fourth punched through right elbow. Her eyes widened as the sudden loss of flight registered.


    I saw exactly when pain registered for her and the shock of it all knock her out.


    "Huh," I muttered as I gathered the still rising iron sands into a tight square weave and caught her before she fell more than half a dozen yards. I brought her closer to me even as the construction still continued.


    She looked ¡­ bad. Blood stained her white costume and blonde hair, which made the blood stand out even more than it normally did. Her shoulder was missing a lot of meat, and the two holes at her joints certainly didn''t help with the picture.


    I looked around. I almost expected a Protectorate hero or New Wave a.d.u.l.ts to be around to intervene but none of them were in the area.


    ¡­ I supposed that fit in with the canon description of Glory Girl.


    Pausing, my so far unused third power, the Legion of the Fae came to life, hummed at the back of my mind, and then added a copy of Glory Girl''s power, hereby named [Standardbearer], to its list of active yet half efficient powers I now had access to.


    As interesting as that tidbit of event was and how quick it came and went at only half a second, I didn''t want to keep her with me. She was going to be a pain when she woke up, and I didnt want to leave the construction site to take her to a hospital.


    Did she have a phone on her?


    My ferrokinesis reached toward, and I found it. It was actually visible from where I was watching her some two dozen yards away.


    I pulled it towards me with a yank. It flew and spun in the air before coming to a slow stop in front of me. I turned it on and¡­ well, I didn''t know the password. Did this thing have emergency call function?


    I fiddled with it and smiled as it called 911.


    Nice.


    "This is 911, what is your emergency?"


    "So I beat up Glory Girl a little too badly. You might want to send someone to come pick her up at the Boat Graveyard."


    "We are sending a request to the PRT. May I ask for your name?"


    Huh. They didn''t ask if it was a prank call. That''s Earth Bet for ya. It''s so screwed that prank call contents may as well be real.


    "Alan Marris, newest parahuman cape in town! I just cleaned up the Boat Graveyard."


    "... Excuse me?"


    "No need to thank me. I needed the metal to build my new monstrosity of a base. Why, I think it''s the tallest and biggest building now within a two mile radius!"


    I could tell that the emergency call responder on the other side was downright exasperated, because I heard a soft and barely audible "only in Brockton Bay" from him.


    "Anyways, have a good night, everyman hero!" I said before hanging up.. I stared at the iron sand mat that was becoming slowly redder around Glory Girl''s still yet still living body. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click /book/my-self-insert-stash_15819206506160005/my-si-stash-73---the-lazy-lord-by-vagabond-(worm)_51188922750926844 for visiting.


    There was something I could do.


    Quickly, I cycled the last slot on Eidolon shard until I had a power suitable for my purpose.

 Chapter 475 - My SI Stash #75 - Trash of the Counts Family by Yoo Ryeo Han

    -Boy does this novel hit different after the 200 chapters, whole lotta goosebumps/


    Synopsis: When I opened my eyes, I was inside a novel.


    [The Birth of a Hero].


    [The Birth of a Hero] was a novel focused on the adventures of the main character, Choi Han, a high school boy who was transported to a different dimension from Earth, along with the birth of the numerous heroes of the continent.


    I became a part of that novel as the tr*sh of the Count''s family, the family that oversaw the territory where the first village that Choi Han visits is located.


    The problem is that Choi Han becomes twisted after that village, and everyone in it, are destroyed by assassins.


    The bigger problem is the fact that this s*upid tr*sh who I''ve become doesn''t know about what happened in the village and messes with Choi Han, only to get beaten to a pulp.


    "¡­This is going to be a problem."


    I feel like something serious has happened to me.


    But it was worth trying to make this my new life.


    Rated: M


    Words: ???


    Posted on: eatapplepies.com/tcf-chapter-1/ (Yoo Ryeo Han)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    The man could feel someone gently tapping his body. The rough hand made the man think of the hands of an exhausted parent. It was that warm.


    "Young master, it is morning."


    But the voice was very profound. The man felt chills throughout his body and his eyes subconsciously opened. Rather than the bright sunlight coming in through the window to warm the man''s eyes, what he saw was an old man standing there with a satisfied expression.


    "It is surprising to see you wake up after a single attempt."


    "Huh?"


    "The master wishes to dine with the young master since it has been a while. It looks like it will be possible today."


    The man could see a mirror past the old man''s shoulder. Inside the mirror was a red-haired man who seemed to be confused looking back at him.


    ''I guess that guy is me.''


    "Young master Cale?"


    The man turned toward the source of the worried voice to find the old man, who looked like a servant, looking toward him. But that concerned man was not the problem.


    The man clearly heard it.


    Young Master Cale. It was a familiar name. He slowly blurted out the name.


    "Cale Henituse?"


    The old servant was looking at him like he was looking at his own grandson.


    "Yes. That is your name, young master. I''m guessing you are still a bit drunk."


    Listening to the concerned response of the old man, the man naturally thought about a name that was even more important than the name Cale Henituse.


    "¡­Beacrox."


    "Are you talking about my son?"


    "¡­Chef."


    "Yes. My son is the chef. Do you need him to make something for your hangover?"


    The man felt his surroundings turn dark and he started to feel dizzy. He lowered his head and put it into his hand.


    "Young master, are you still drunk? Should I call the doctor? Or will you wash right now?"


    The man looked at the red hair that was falling in front of his face. It was a bright red color, much too different from his original black hair.


    Cale Henituse. Beacrox. Beacrox''s dad, Ron.


    They were the characters that appeared at the beginning of [The Birth of a Hero], the novel the man was reading before he fell asleep last night.


    He jerked his head up and looked around. He could see the bedroom that was completely different from a typical Korean design. It made the man think about Europe. Every single thing in the room was extremely extravagant and luxurious.


    "Young master?"


    The man responded to Ron, the old man who was pretending to be concerned and worried.


    "Cold water."


    "Excuse me?"


    He needed something to clear his mind. He could see the face of Cale Henituse in the mirror behind old man Ron.


    ''Still looks normal.''


    ''I guess Cale hasn''t been beaten to a pulp by the main character just yet. ''


    His handsome face caught his attention.


    The man had become Cale Henituse when he opened his eyes.


    Cale Henituse. The trash who was beaten to a pulp by the main character in the beginning of [The Birth of a Hero]. That was who he was.


    "Young master, I presume you will not be bathing in cold water. Are you asking for drinking water?"


    Cale turned his gaze toward Ron. Ron may be pretending to be a benign old man, but he was actually hiding his true identity as a cruel and vicious individual.


    He made the request to Ron.


    "Please get me some drinking water."


    He needed to drink some cold water and clear my mind first.


    "I will prepare it right away."


    "Great. Thanks."


    Ron flinched for a second and had an odd expression on his face, but Cale did not notice it.


    ***


    Ron had to leave the bedroom as there was only warm water in the room. Once he was left alone, Cale got off the bed and headed to the bathroom. If he really was inside of the novel, he knew that there should be a large mirror inside.


    As expected, the full body mirror was inside the bathroom. Cale Henituse, who had a lot of interest in his appearance and physique, had this mirror set up in here. Nobody else in the household had such a mirror.


    The man in the mirror had red hair and a pretty fit body. It wouldn''t be wrong to say he had a body that would make any style look good.


    "I really am Cale."


    The man in the mirror indeed was Cale Henituse from the novel. [The Birth of a Hero] was very descriptive about each of the character''s appearance. That was why the man had no choice but to agree that he had indeed turned into Cale Henituse.


    Do people usually become calmer when they are surprised and shocked? Cale, no, Kim Rok Soo, calmly thought about the night before.


    It was a typical day off. It had been a while since he had read an actual book instead of on his phone, so he went to the library to check out some books. He borrowed the entire series since he planned to read all day long.


    The name of that book was, of course, [The Birth of a Hero]. He managed to finish the fifth volume before he fell asleep. But when he woke up, he had turned into Cale Henituse, the individual that the main character mercilessly beat up in volume 1.


    ''Will things go the way they did in the novel?''


    He felt unnaturally calm. Once he got past the point of shock, his mind had calmed back down. He started to remember the contents of volume 1.


    [The Birth of a Hero.]


    This novel was about the birth of the heroes in the Western and Eastern continents, as well as their trials and growth. The main character was, naturally, Korean. He was a student who had been transported into the world when he was a freshman in high school. Furthermore, his lifespan became as long as a dragon''s lifespan, making him pretty much never age.


    "¡­ This is bad?"


    He was going to be beaten into a pulp by such a person. The important thing, however, was that he had not been beaten up just yet.


    Cale took his eyes off the mirror and walked into the tub that was full of warm water. He leaned against the tub and looked up at the ceiling. It was that expensive marble that was described in the novel. The estate that Cale lived in was actually full of marble.


    Cale started to mumble as he looked toward the ceiling.


    "It''s not like there''s much I''ll miss."


    His life as Kim Rok Soo. There really wasn''t much to it. He was an orphan and didn''t have much money. He also didn''t have a person he loved to death, nor a friend he would give his life to save. He only continued to live because he could not die.


    Yes, he could not die.


    He completely hated the thought of death or pain. He became an orphan after both of his parents passed away from a car accident when he was little.


    He didn''t like pain or death. No matter what it was, even if he was rolling in a pile of dog shit, it was still better than being dead.


    ''For that reason, I need to first make sure I don''t get beaten up.''


    Cale did not know what day it was in the novel right now, but he was sure that he had not met with the main character just yet. The reason was simple.


    ''I don''t have the scar on my side.''


    Cale Henituse, the trash of Count Henituse''s family. A few days before meeting the main character, Cale was drinking and causing a ruckus. He was flinging things around and got stabbed on his side by a broken desk leg, resulting in the scar.


    What an interesting character. He didn''t get the scar from fighting someone else. He got it because he got angry that the alcohol didn''t taste good and threw a tantrum. He meets the main character after he gets the scar, and, after a short discussion, he gets beaten to a pulp.


    "Mm."


    Cale crossed his arms and started to think.


    He did not know what happened to Cale after getting beaten to a pulp in volume 1. All he knew was that the main character, Choi Han, has many fateful encounters and overcomes a lot of trials to grow into a hero along with his party members.


    Thus the era for him to prove that he is a hero will begin. The Roan Kingdom that Cale currently lives in, as well as many other locations in the Eastern and Western continents, will be filled with war. It truly will turn into the time for the heroes to show their full potential.


    Cale started to frown. Kim Rok Soo, the man who became Cale. His life motto was pretty simple.


    Living long without pain. Enjoying the small joys of life.


    Living a peaceful life.


    "¡­ As long as I make the story proceed like normal while taking out the fact that I get beaten up, the main character will take care of the rest."


    For some odd reason, he could recall every single line in the book without any issue. Cale relaxed in the warm water while coming to a final conclusion with his now clear head.


    "It''s worth trying."


    It was worth trying to avoid the continent''s war and living peacefully. This trash''s situation was much better than when he was Kim Rok Soo. The location of this estate was also in the corner of the Western Continent, making it an ideal location to avoid the war. In the novel itself, there were many nobles who managed to avoid the influences of war. Even if he could not completely avoid it, he should be able to at least reduce the damages to a minimum.


    "Young master, are you inside the bathroom?"


    He could hear Ron''s voice coming from outside. Cale thought about Ron''s true identity. Ron was an assassin who crossed over from the Eastern Continent by sea. He pretended to be a benign old man, but the true Ron was a cruel and merciless man.


    "Yes. I''ll be right out."


    His natural response was to talk informally to the old man. Cale realized what he was doing and made up his mind about what to do in the future.


    He needed to push that old man to the main character and send him away.


    That old man could easily kill Cale with a single blow, but treated Cale like a puppy you left alone because you felt bad for it. He was smiling gently, but there was not an ounce of care about Cale on the inside. In the novel, Ron leaves with the main character and his son after Choi Han beats Cale to a pulp.


    Cale put the bathrobe on as he quickly exited the bathroom. Ron was standing there with a smile on his face and a tray with a cup in his hands.


    "Young master, here you go."


    Cale picked up the cup and walked past the old man. He did not want to make eye contact with such a dangerous old man.


    "Great, thanks."


    Ron''s expression turned odd once again, but Cale had already walked past him. Cale took a drink of the cold water as he started to think.


    ''There are too many strong people here.''


    In fact, there were too many of them. No matter where the main character went, there were either strong individuals or individuals with hidden secrets. These individuals were both human and other races.


    ''I at least need the strength to protect myself.''


    In order to live long without pain in the continent that will soon be filled with war, you needed a decent level of strength. Of course, you could not be too strong. Then other complicated things will happen.


    Cale thought about the different fateful encounters that occurred in the beginning parts of the novel. The powers that strengthen the main character and his party members. He was thinking about the ones that would help him live long without pain. There were a couple that came to mind. He just needed to pick one of them.


    "Young master, we will start to dress you now." Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #''s-family-by-yoo-ryeo-han_51279451283058877 for visiting.


    "Oh, right. Thanks."


    The door soon opened and couple servants entered to help Ron dress Cale. Cale did not notice that Ron had a stoic expression unlike his usual self as he looked at the clothes the servants were bringing in.


    "Ah, something simple today."


    He hated really complicated attires. Simple clothes that let you relax comfortably were the best.


    "Yes, young master."


    The servant in charge of the attires quickly pulled out some simple clothes and Cale changed into the simplest of them all. He lightly frowned after finishing getting dressed. Even this, ''simple,'' attire was extremely extravagant and not to his liking.


    However, the reflection in the mirror was quite handsome.


    ''He really is handsome and makes any clothes look good.''


    The face really was the final piece to fashion. He looked in the mirror and fixed his sleeves before turning around to look at Ron.


    Ron was once again smiling like a gentle old man.


    "Ron, let''s go."


    "Yes, young master."


    Cale walked behind Ron. It was nice that he did not need to know the layout of the estate. He just needed to follow Ron wherever he needed to go. All of the servants that Cale saw flinched and bowed respectfully before they seemed to run away.


    ''Why are they so scared? Cale never hit people.''


    He just liked to drink and play. Sometimes, when he was drunk, he did break things. But that was why he was the trash of the family. He also did not treat people like people, other than the few people he liked.


    ''Well, it''s better if nobody talks to me.''


    Cale thought about it peacefully. It would be more difficult if he was in the body of a model citizen. A trash can do as he pleases without worry. It was only possible because there was no desire to live as a model citizen.


    "I will now open the door."


    "Sure."


    Cale nodded his head toward Ron. The book mentioned that Cale treated Ron, someone who raised him like he was his own grandson since he was little, as nicely as he treated his own father. It mentioned that he always responded to Ron and treated him like a person. Of course, Ron did not really think that way. That was why it was easy for Cale to talk to Ron. He just needed to answer Ron''s questions and treat him like a human being.


    "I hope you enjoy your breakfast."


    "Thanks. Ron, make sure you eat a good meal too."


    Cale walked past Ron and into the dining room. He could see his family sitting there. His father and the current head of the Henituse household, Deruth. Next to him was Cale''s step mother, the Countess, as well as her son and daughter. The four people looked toward Cale.


    "You are late again, today."


    Cale''s gaze turned toward his father who spoke. [The Birth of a Hero] described Cale''s feelings for his father like this.


    ''His father was the one person that Cale listened to. The reason the trash did not leave the area and got everything he wanted inside the Count''s territory was because of his father, Count Deruth Henituse.''


    But, unfortunately, Cale''s father was unlike the other strong fathers in this novel. He did not have any special skills or influence. He just had a lot of money. However, Cale liked this a lot. It was the perfect family environment to live a simple life.


    Then there were the other three individuals.


    His stepmother who knew that he did not like her and avoided him.


    Her smart first-born who found it difficult to deal with his much older brother Cale.


    And the cute youngest of the family who avoided her older brother Cale.


    But it wasn''t like Cale bothered them or they bothered Cale. They just treated each other like strangers.


    Cale thought this was such a great environment to quietly live alone.


    "Take a seat."


    "Yes, father."


    Cale looked at the feast on the table that did not meet his definition of breakfast and sat down on his seat. He then felt something was odd and lifted his head up.


    "Is there something you need to say, father?"


    "¡­ No, I do not."


    Deruth was staring at Cale. The rest of the family was doing the same. Cale made eye contact with each of these family members. They all quickly turned away whenever he made eye contact and continued to eat.


    ''I guess they find me really difficult to handle.''


    Cale turned his head toward the table as well. This luxurious feast that was different than the breakfast he used to eat just to fill his belly made him start to smile. He first started by cutting the sausage in half with the knife.


    ''It is so juicy.''


    He didn''t know if juice flowed out as soon as he cut into it because it was handmade or because it was cooked well, but the color on the sausage made him hungry. Cale started to smile without realizing it.


    Clang.


    He heard something fall down and made eye contact with his younger brother Basen. He could see that Basen had dropped the fork in his hand.


    "My apologies."


    Basen calmly apologized like the personality described for him in the novel. The servant in charge of the meal quickly came over to hand Basen a new fork and picked up the fork on the floor. Watching that made Cale think that it was nice to be a noble, before he focused once again on the food in front of him.


    Cale had found the first good thing about coming into the novel. This breakfast was extremely luxurious and so tasty that his stomach was completely happy.


    The smile on his face could not disappear.


    "¡­Ho?"


    That was why he did not hear his brother Basen''s shocked proclamation.

 Chapter 477 - My SI Stash #77 - An Inscriptionists Tale by BANIX (TDG)

    -BANIX''s MC be always vibing and popping off, I got the notifications on for almost every fics of his~


    Synopsis: This world is one where common sense is defied at every waking second, where every single tale of demons and gods are either likely to be real, or had grains of truth in them. This world is one that used to be nothing more than a tale of fiction that he had once read to pass the time. Now, it is his reality, his tale of demons and gods. (Reincarnated OC, slow updates)


    Rated: M


    Words: 14K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13759594/1/An-Inscriptionist-s-Tale (BANIX)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)


    This world is one where common sense is defied at every waking second. This world is one where every single tale of demons and gods are either likely to be real, or had grains of truth in them.


    This world is one that used to be nothing more than a tale of fiction that he had once read to pass the time. Now, it is his reality.


    Nobody told him that reincarnation was a thing, much less reincarnating into a once fictional world. Nobody told him that he wouldn''t be reincarnated into somewhere within Glory City where everything first started. No no no, he is not a damn protagonist with plot armour helping him. Of all places that he could be dropped into it has to be within one of the most cutthroat places on the Divine Continent.


    Nether Realm, Blackrock City, Dark Guild. That is where he was from. Why did he say was?


    It''s simple, he escaped from that hellhole. He has to if he wants to live instead of accepting his fate to die as cannon fodder.


    The circ.u.mstances of his second birth aside, this world isn''t all that bad. Like, sure, it''s crazy dangerous out there, especially so if you do not have the needed strength to protect yourself or have any backing to rely upon. Even then, he made do with it. He travelled far and wide, exploring the places that he once read about in a life long past and even more. Adventuring is surprisingly fun once he got used to the nomadic lifestyle. It has a form of allure and excitement that he could not possibly experience back on earth.


    He still has no idea which part of the canon storyline he had ended up in because he had fled in the opposite direction of Glory City during his escape from the Nether Realm. He spent years wandering around the Divine Continent until he finally decided it was safe enough to venture near where Glory City and the Nether Realm reside. It''s been about seven years since then. He should have more or less faded from the minds of the people back from the Dark Guild. It should be safer now, his enemies should have forgotten about him by now.


    Now then, time to see which part of the timeline he had wounded up in.


    "Where''s that brat?!"


    "No idea! Keep searching! We need to find him or the Demon Lord will have our heads on a pike!"


    A boy only eight years of age held his breath as the sound of footsteps rushed by him. Worn around his finger is an interspatial ring that he had stolen in his mad quest to escape from here. He is no fool. He knows who the Demon Lord truly is. He had seen how his cultivation techniques worked, he had seen how the Demon Lord sucked the essence out of anyone that caught his eye on a mere whim and like hell he would be a human sacrifice to it.


    So, he plotted his escape. However, it is a dangerous world out there. Without any supreme cultivation techniques, items, or backing he wouldn''t survive a single day out there. The only thing he has a talent for are inscriptions and that wouldn''t do him much good, at least not now. He needs a plan.


    His plan did work in the end. He managed to steal the most important looking interspatial ring from the Demon Lord''s personal chambers and use his talent over inscriptions to somehow transfer the ownership to him instead, granting him access to everything stored within. Even till now, he''s still a little baffled that he actually managed to do that.


    He remembered taking his first step out of the underground of the St. Ancestral Mountain Range. He remembered how the wind felt as it brushed against his skin, how the sunlight appeared to his eyes, and how the scent of forest assaulted his nose.


    He is free.


    This is now his tale of demons and gods.


    Chapter 2


    The forest around Glory City is teeming with life. There are numerous demon beasts prowling about as well but none of them can harm him, Luo An. Unlike his eight year old self when he first made his great escape from the Dark Guild, he now has the power to protect himself against most threats.


    Luo An decided to take a slow walk along the forest, enjoying the sights. He is in no particular rush for anything. He had held off finding out his position relative to the canon timeline for seven years, he can afford holding it off for a few more days if need be.


    Although, if he really is born far too early or far too late into the timeline, what should he do? It''s not like he plans to do anything drastic to interfere with the plot but things will be less interesting this way. He is indeed curious about the three protagonists that left the deepest impression on him. He kind of forgot about the rest of the side characters after fifteen long years, only having a very vague impression of them.


    Nie Li, Ye Ziyun, Xiao Ning Er. Those are the three protags that he still remembered to this day. Are they even born yet? It''s a question that he cannot help but wonder from time to time.


    He made a stop every now and then when he spotted herbs that caught his eyes. Holy Dark Grass, Spirit Core Grass, Black Pool Grass¡­ even the Misty Leaf Herb! It''s a very rare find even if this one is nowhere near maturity. But no matter, he will find a way to allow it to grow to maturity before using it for alchemy. Heh, wonder what the folks back at the Toxic Forest would say if they knew he actually found a Misty Leaf Herb?


    Crossing the mountains and descending down it to enter the forest sure did bring back memories during his great escape. Glory City is in view now from where he is standing on the edge of a mountain side with tall trees growing all over it. He still wonders how a forest is able to grow on a mountainside but eh, he had seen weirder things.


    Time to move on.


    Deciding that he should maybe pick up his pace, Luo An started to walk a little faster. It wouldn''t be long before he reaches the fabled Glory City, the place where everything first started.


    He''s excited.


    He ended up partaking in an impromptu alchemy challenge right in the middle of the forest. Yes, you heard that right. In the middle of a forest.


    All because of him being unable to control his stupid mouth when he first saw how that lady is performing alchemy. If the folks back from the Toxic Forest saw how she performed alchemy she would be a laughing stock. Compared to his unimpressed scoff, the treatment he gave her was a lot more lenient.


    Of course, the lady ended up taking offense to his dismissive behaviour and challenged him to a battle of alchemy to nurse her wounded pride. Needless to say, the end result was that her already wounded pride got wounded even further. One does not simply challenge someone who had learnt alchemy from the people of the Toxic Forest to an alchemy battle.


    "H-How?! Who are you?!"


    "None of your business." Luo An replied lazily as he stored his alchemy equipment back into his interspatial ring now that their purpose is done. He walked on ahead, giving the woman another lazy wave without looking back at her.


    "See you when I see you."


    "Hold it!" The woman all but demanded as she ran up to him and blocked his way forward. She gulped nervously before blurting out her next words.


    "Teach me!"


    "Wha?"


    "T-Teach me!" She repeated her words once again, this time with much more determination.


    "No way." Luo An brushed her off as he moved past her to continue walking forward. "Why would I waste my time-"


    "I-I will be a good student!"


    "Pass. I don''t want to be a teacher."


    "I-I am the director of the Alchemy Association of Glory City! I''m sure I can be of use!"


    That made Luo An take a pause in his steps. Director of the Alchemy Association? That sure does ring more than a few bells in his head. This woman has to be relevant to the plot somehow, right?


    He turned around to take another look at her, this time with a more appraising eye. She is a damn good catch and easy on the eyes as far as appearance goes. Curvaceous and voluptuous body with big, soft b.r.e.a.s.ts. Long silky dark purple hair with a slight wave to it. All in all a woman that he wouldn''t mind staring at all day long if staring at her isn''t an act labelled as a creepy one.


    However, that is not what he is looking for. He had seen many beautiful women during his second life, each more otherworldly than the first. What he''s looking for are signs that might provide him clues to help him deduce if she is indeed a canon character.


    "If you are a director of an Alchemy Association, I cannot bring myself to imagine what the alchemy standards are like in Glory City."


    The woman''s facial expression turned into a slightly shocked one.


    "Wait, you are not from Glory City?"


    "Duh. I thought that much was obvious?"


    "There are other settlements other than Glory City?"


    "Definitely."


    "All the more reason for you to teach me!" The woman is near hysterics at this point. "It''s like you said, if even my alchemy skills as a director pales so much in comparison to someone who comes from outside the city¡­ My pride as an alchemist would not be able to take it! I have to learn everything I can to improve Glory City''s alchemy standards!"


    Luo An scratched the back of his head in slight frustration. Damn, this is turning into a headache.


    Then again, she could probably help him pull some strings in Glory City if she is indeed director of Glory City''s Alchemy Association. That will undeniably be useful.


    "Fine, we got a deal. As long as you are not lying about the fact that you are the director of the Alchemy Association."


    "You mixed it wrongly, brat!"


    "I''m sure I followed every single step you had written down to the letter."


    "You added too much Poison Newt Venom!"


    "I added only this much! Just as you said!"


    "You fool! It''s three drops too many!"


    "Wha- Who on earth can tell it''s three drops too many in the first place?!"


    "Every alchemist worth their salt would be able to! Listen here, little An. We alchemists of the Toxic Forest are very particular about the details when it comes to alchemy. Every single ingredient that we add, it must be exact. Down to the quantity, weight, and even the number of drops of any liquid agent that we add in, you hear me? Sometimes, a single drop is what differentiates an excellent product from a mediocre one. This is the kind of science we are dealing with right here."


    "Just admit that you are just being anal-"


    "Get to work, brat!"


    "Ow! Stop hitting me- OW!"


    Chapter 3


    The arrangement he struck with her has a few terms and conditions.


    One, she is to tell nobody of his existence no matter who they may be. Two, he only teaches three days a week. Three, he gets to choose what to teach her. Four, she finds him a quiet place to stay within Glory City where he can temporarily stay undisturbed. Five, he gets to leave the city whenever he wants.


    Luo An doesn''t want his appearance to create a huge uproar within Glory City because as far as he could remember about canon, people of Glory City believed that they are the only ones left in the Divine Continent. Having an outsider coming into the city from someplace which they had never heard before and had travelled across the vast continent will create a commotion in Glory City as huge as aliens visiting the earth. This is something Luo An wants to very much avoid.


    Thankfully, the woman who Luo An now knows goes by the name of Yang Xin, had very readily agreed to his conditions. She had prepared for him an assuming house by the edge of the city like he asked. It is located in an area where not many people pass by and if anyone asks, Luo An will simply claim that he had moved over from the other end of the city. Glory City is huge, being made up of two major cities and six towns. It is a plausible excuse.


    It was after interacting with Yang Xin did Luo An realise that the alchemy standards in Glory City is laughably low. He couldn''t really quite remember if that was the case in canon but now that he thinks about it, Nie Li probably had some connections with the Alchemy Association back in canon. Luo An couldn''t quite remember.


    What he did find out from Yang Xin after innocuously asking about their City Lord Ye Zong is that he does have a daughter by the name of Ye Ziyun, who is supposedly hailed as a prodigy even if she hasn''t started lessons at the Holy Orchid Institute yet. The minimum age requirement for entry is at thirteen and from what Yang Xin had revealed, Ye Ziyun is only eleven this year.


    Meaning to say, there''s still two more years before the start of canon.


    Now this puts Luo An in a slight dilemma. While he is interested in seeing how canon unfolds he is not keen on waiting two whole years for it to start. He''s not one to stay still at one place. Should he travel elsewhere in the meantime before returning to Glory City, or should he stay here? The relatively low level of cultivation of the average cultivator aside, Glory City is a good place to live. The most prosperous and peaceful human settlement he had ever come across, in fact. Peaceful, prosperous and more importantly, he no longer needs to camp out in the wilderness if he''s living here.


    Decisions, decisions¡­


    "Instead of dumping all your ingredients within the pot like this you need to extract the essence of the herbs one by one before mixing them together. Here, like this."


    Yang Xin proved to be an eager and bright student despite her being much older than Luo An in age. She''s twenty three, and Luo An was somewhat surprised when he first learnt of it. People in this world tend to marry young. It can be as early as eleven depending on the place you are looking at. A woman who is still unmarried at twenty three is very often frowned upon and laughed at for being a wrinkly old hag that nobody wants.


    Although seeing that Yang Xin is a real beauty, Luo An has a sneaking suspicion that there are other reasons as to why Yang Xin had not found a man to settle down with yet. Oh well, it''s none of his business.


    "That is all for today''s lessons." Luo An declared with a yawn and a casual wave of his hand. At least Yang Xin picks up on the lessons rather quickly, so does not have to re-explain things many times. It sure feels good to have a smart student who knows what she is doing and is humble enough to not mind the fact that her teacher is so many years her junior.


    Luo An retrieved several bottles from his interspatial ring and placed it on the table, catching Yang Xin''s attention.


    "And since you have been such a good student so far, I''ve generously decided to reward you for your efforts."


    "And what may these be?" Yang Xin asked curiously as she opened a bottle to take a whiff, trying to figure out just what these are.


    "A concoction made from the mixture of Tiger Gaze Grass and Purple Haze Grass. I felt that you might need it."


    "Why me?" Yang Xin pressed on, and Luo An grinned when he knew that Yang Xin had fallen into his trap. How long has it been since he had trolled another human being? Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #''s-tale-by-banix-(tdg)_51327394644033126 for visiting.


    "When you mix Tiger Gaze Grass and Purple Haze Grass together and add to your bathwater, it has an added effect of enhancing a woman''s b.r.e.a.s.t size and perkiness, making them look more youthf-"


    He saw how Yang Xin''s facial expression morphed from confusion, realisation, then into embarrassment before turning into fury. He ducked just in time when Yang Xin threw a book at him.


    Too easy to tease.


    "Perfect for an old hag like you that hasn''t yet found a man. Having bigger perky b.r.e.a.s.ts might help you-"


    "LUO AN!"


    Luo An had disappeared out of the room by now, his laughter fading away as his presence vanished. She trembled in embarrassed anger, her face a flushing red.


    That, that¡­ pervert!


    She looked down at her chest and couldn''t help but use her hands to feel her b.r.e.a.s.ts. While she never boasts about it, she is proud of her looks and figure. She gave her b.r.e.a.s.ts a light squeeze and is satisfied when it still is as perky and soft as it was in her youth.


    She still cannot help but eye the bottles Luo An left for her on the table. A little more enhancement couldn''t hurt, right?


    That does it. She''s taking all of them back with her. It is all for science and research.


    Yeah, strictly for science and research.


    "What''s your name, boy?"


    The Demon Lord looked down upon the trembling boy. Never would he expect to encounter a natural born inscriptionist within Blackrock city.


    This boy is a genius, an asset. The Dark Guild will benefit with him around.


    "D-Don''t have one."


    The edge of the Demon Lord''s lips curved upwards into a slight smirk. Don''t have one? No matter.


    "Then from today onwards, you are Luo An. You will follow me, you will join my Dark Guild, and you will study inscriptions and use your talents for my sake."


    The tone of his voice left no room for discussion and he is sure that the boy has been very clearly made aware of it. He gestured for the boy to come over to his side and was satisfied to see that the boy heeded his command, albeit with obvious reluctance.


    Time would prove that he had made the right decisions. Even when the boy is only five years of age, he proved to be able to inscribe high level inscriptions that puts many other so-called expert inscriptionists of Blackrock City to shame. The Dark Guild had gained a valuable asset that day. People often underestimate the worth of inscriptionists, an amateur mistake which the Demon Lord will never commit.


    With Luo An around, taking down Glory City is no longer impossible.


    It is just a matter of time.

 Chapter 478 - My Original Stash #78 - Reincarnated as a Gun of all Things by randommark

    -And then he turned himself into a gun. Funniest shit I''ve ever seen/


    Synopsis: ???


    Rated: M


    Words: 160K


    Posted on: forum.questionablequesting.com/threads/reincarnated-as-a-gun-of-all-things.9603/ (randommark)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    Well, that could''ve gone better.


    In fact, if you were even capable of remembering what it was that went wrong in the first place, you''d consider it an improvement already.


    But alas, it seems like you are dead. Hell(because the chance you ended up in heaven is miniscule at best) looks like a boring place, judging by the whole lot of nothing, nothing and nothing, as well as the nothingness that is your body, but you can dea-


    Revival process initiated.


    Well, there are worse things to have one''s thoughts interrupted by. The question now is if you have to do anything for this to-


    Beginning process.


    You have (zero) Revival Tokens remaining.


    You have (one) Reincarnation Token remaining.


    Revival not possible, would you like to use your Reincarnation Token?


    Well, depends on what you get reincarnated as, you''d guess. So, are there any-


    General consensus of ''There is no fate worse than death'' overwrites possible decision.


    Well, that doesn''t bode well.


    Beginning reincarnation process.


    The next few not-moments of your not-life, nothing happens. Then, nothing continues to happen. Then you''re a gun.


    Yep, a gun.


    And not just any gun, but one of those ancient single-shot ones you have to load from the front. Just lying there on the ground in the middle of nowhere.


    Well, at least you can tell what''s going on around even through your total lack of eyes. Actually, now that you noticed, you seem to have perfect 360¡ã vision, which is nice. It lets you see the full glory of


    [X][Surroundings] an enormous mountainscape


    [X][Surroundings] a flowery plain


    [X][Surroundings] a hilly forest


    [X][Surroundings] a sandy beach


    It, however, doesn''t change the fact that you can''t f.u.c.k.i.n.g move and have to stay there until somebody deems to pick you up.


    The first three days, you find out that you probably can''t go insane anymore, since even with the burning boredom lancing through your very being, you haven''t lost your cool. Not because of the boredom, at least.


    You might have screamed a bit internally when you noticed the wolf approaching you.


    The animal tilts its head in a way you might find cute if you weren''t pretty sure it was considering if it could eat you.


    In your panic, you fire yourself - which is apparently something you can do now. You weren''t pointed even close to the wolf''s direction, but the sudden sound still served to shock it into a retreat. As you watch it run away until it left your vision - not particularly far, since you''re in a small crevice on the floor - you really hope it''s not coming back. You don''t want to find out what would happen if you get eaten, and there was only that one bullet in.


    However, several minutes later, as you are still worrying about your fate, you feel a weight appear in your body, and the triggering feeling you used the first time seems reachable again. A bit of experimentation lets you find out that your reload is about five minutes.


    You come to that realisation after almost half an hour of testing. You also come to the realisation that you''re perfectly aware that your reload is exactly 300 seconds long, just as you''re aware of your other data.


    Stat Sheet discovered!


    Well, at least something good came from this.


    The day after, the wolf is back. You''re really wondering if it doesn''t have anything better to do. It approaches you carefully, and although it flinches when you trigger, it doesn''t stop for long. You''re really lucky you can''t smell or feel, because the way its slobber runs over you looks disgusting. Not that the view you get into its mouth when it picks you up is any better.


    However, at that point, the wolf has spent quite a bit of time, and so it only gets a few meters before your bullet comes back. You fire immediately.


    It misfires. Because of course it does. And so you wait for your next reload, the animal carrying you god knows where until you get the shot off.


    The combination of a loud noise and you jerking in its mouth makes the wolf drop you again and jump away in fright. It eyes you from a bit away.


    It takes its time coming near you again, but the wolf''s circling brought it right in front of you, and as its mouth comes down to pick you up again, you''re already reloaded. You fire, the bullet going straight into its unprotected throat and finally ending the damn thing.


    +3 EXP gained, 2 EXP to next Level


    As its corpse slumps to the ground, you suddenly remember that you can''t move. Which means you''re going to have to watch it rot. You let out the mental equivalent of a sigh. Just perfect. Your life just keeps getting better.


    A few hours later, you get the feeling it just actually might. Over the insistent buzzing of the flies that had acc.u.mulated on the carcass, you hear soft steps approaching. You can tell that they''re coming closer, and soon after, a girl - although you''d guess her about 18 years old - comes into view. Your mental connection almost subconsciously snaps into place, although now that you''ve felt it once, you''re pretty sure you could hold yourself back in the future.


    Well, looks like this girl is your Wielder now. You get a better look at her, and see that she is¡­


    [X][Wielder] a tall girl, her long red hair drawn into a messy ponytail behind her. Her eyes flash searchingly over the surroundings, filled with paranoia.


    [X][Wielder] a short blonde, free flowing hair reaching her shoulder. Her gaze falls on you and the corpse next to you, and fills with ambition.


    [X][Wielder] an average brunette, her short hair in a boyish cut. As she draws her conclusion on the situation, her pupils dilate in greed.


    [X][Wielder] Write-In (height)(hair)(neutral/negative personality trait)


    And with that, the first chapter of my first quest is done!


    Please comment and review!


    Especially with my inexperience in the area, but also im general, I''m always up for constructive criticism. If you spot a mistake, please point it out to me!


    Just a few thing before I get to the informational posts:


    Chapter 1


    Your surroundings are fantastical in their own way. Halfway up one of the mountains as you are, you have a breathtaking - not that you''re capable of breathing - view down a valley, snaking itself between the enormous mountains that fill the landscape to the horizon and further.


    The mountains are sparsely forested, only some dense patches of trees covering the less steep areas and moss clinging to a few of the outcroppings. The higher ones are covered in white, some because of snow and ice, some because their tips break through the clouds and are hidden from you behind them.


    However, for all their beauty and height, they can''t hide the lone black mountain in the distance, its unnatural shape reminding you more of a gigantic spike than anything else.


    Day 0


    Her blonde hair drifts in the wind as she stares at you, cautiously edging closer even as she steps around you to the opposite side from where the corpse is rotting. Not that it''d spare her overly much, you barely fell out of the wolf''s mouth when it died, after all.


    As she reaches the area in the dirt where the residue of the blood had tinged it red, she looks around once more, as if to ensure there was no more rational explanation behind this - a weapon that could use itself was absurdly rare, after all, and she had probably not even heard of one that was self-aware.


    Now, you just have to ask yourself where the hell you know that from. If you''re getting information pumped into your head, you''d like to at least be aware of-


    Command accepted.


    From now on displaying all system messages.


    Messages from before this option was activated:


    Discovered: Informational - On Sapient Weapons


    Stat Sheet discovered! (already displayed)


    +3 EXP gained, 2 EXP to next Level (already displayed)


    Potential Wielder in range.


    Bond formed.


    End of stored messages.


    Well, that wasn''t very Mind-full.


    ¡­


    Was that supposed to be a pun?


    You hope you weren''t trying to pun there. That was just awful.


    Ahem. Moving on.


    The girl was standing almost on top of you, looking down on you with apprehension. Now that she was closer, you could see none of the disgust you''d have expected her to have when this close to a corpse. Well, as much as you can see with half of her face covered by a scarf, the pale tone of her upper face the only guess you have to her appearance under her heavy winter clothes.


    Which means she''s probably stalling because of a fear of infection, which is understandable.


    But you''re not going to let her stall forever, and you think you''ve figured this telepathy-thing out.


    Hello.


    That gets a reaction out of her, and she takes a step back, her eyes flashing around until they land back on you.


    Mind picking me up? The floor''s not the most comfortable place to be.


    You can easily tell that wasn''t what she expected by the flat stare she''s giving you, but she also doesn''t complain, bowing down to pick you up. The girl takes a deep breath before actually picking you up, as if preparing herself, and then she''s holding you fairly awkwardly, as if she knows what a gun is but has never handled one before¡­ which really doesn''t tell you a lot.


    You feel a sort of presence, trying to convey something to you but not succeeding. It''s as if a total novice was attempting to contact you telepathically¡­ well, this is awkward.


    I can hear, you know? You can talk to me normally.


    She blinks at that and takes a second to look around again, making sure there really is no other possible source for this, before she speaks. "Greetings" her voice is quiet, but with a definite determination in it "I am


    [X][NameWielder] Write-In


    ,who are you?"


    [X][NameGun] Write-In

 Chapter 479 - My SI Stash #79 - Accidental Gamer Hero by Knowing Autumn (Naruto)

    -Decent read but the whole system against the MC shtick tends to get overdone and just annoying/


    Synopsis: I accidentally saved the world and was granted three wishes when I died. Easy - first wish to reincarnate in the Naruto universe and second is to reincarnate with ''The Gamer'' ability. Third wish? I''ll save it for later. SI/OC


    Rated: M


    Words: 95K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13762017/1/Accidental-Gamer-Hero (Knowing Autumn)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    YOU HAVE DIED.


    GAME OVER.


    Calculating score¡­


    Jeremy opened his eyes, flickering all around him before landing on the floating blue screen in front of him.


    "¡­Huh? Game over? What game? Where am I? What score?"


    He looked down on his body, only to see that he was as n.a.k.e.d as the day he was born. But more importantly, he was not standing on the floor. Actually, he was not standing on anything at all. Jeremy realized that he was floating in the middle of an endless sea of green. The colour reminded him of the garden in front of his childhood home ¨C a humble 28 room mansion, one of many owned by his family.


    He belonged to the world-renowned Rothschild family, one of the wealthiest families in the world, and his own networth was already in the billions the day he was born.


    "Right, this is a dream, of course. I remember watching that doc.u.mentary they had made about me on Netflix. Some inaccuracies here and there but I suppose it would not be possible for them to get the full una.d.u.l.terated truth after all. I must have fallen asleep halfway through it. Watching a doc.u.mentary about yourself might be the most boring thing to do in the world after all."


    Jeremy turned his attention back on to the screen, which had a curious white loading wheel on it.


    "Boring movie, boring dream I suppose. This is what they would call lucid dreaming isn''t it? When you realize that you are in a dream and thus have control over it?"


    He looked down at his willy hanging free, musing to himself, "Well some clothes would be nice. Underwear at the very least."


    Jeremy was woken from his thoughts by an audible ''ding'' sound that seemed to reverberate throughout the entire void, and found that the blue screen in front of him now contained more text than before.


    Calculation complete!


    Alignment: Lawful Neutral


    Overall Karmic Impact: Unparalleled Positive!


    "Calculation complete? Heh, are they calculating my life score? Unparalleled positive sounds exaggerated though."


    Jeremy continued reading the text.


    Score Breakdown


    Individuals helped (indirectly): 8.694 billion


    Congratulations! You have helped the greatest number of people in the history of humanity! Granted 100 Wishes!


    Individuals helped (directly): 138,711


    Lives saved (directly): 0


    Lives saved (indirectly): 3.424 million


    Legacy: Hero [Mythic]


    Congratulations! You have achieved a mythical heroic legacy! You have cemented your place in the history books as a legendary hero! Granted 100 Wishes!


    Subtotal Score: SSS+++ [Leaderboard rank: 1]


    Congratulations! You have achieved the highest score in the history of humanity! Granted 100 Wishes!


    Altruism multiplier: 0.01x


    Your score and rewards have been multiplied by 0.01x!


    Final Score: S+


    Congratulations! You have achieved a Final Score of [S+]! You were a great person when you were alive!


    Tallying Wishes¡­


    You have earned 3 Wishes! Please state your wish!


    "8 billion!? When the hell did I help 8 billion people?" Jeremy shouted in shock. "Wait, indirectly¡­ is this thing saying I helped over 8 billion people indirectly? Right, it did say I helped over 100 thousand people directly, but what''s the difference? And more importantly, how did this thing get 8 billion from?"


    Jeremy frowned, deep in thought. "8 billion¡­ that is as many people as the entire world''s population put together." He thought back to his past actions, "Ah, I got it! I was the one who pushed for and funded the research that invented the terraforming thingamajig. If I remember correctly, it was called¡­ the EDEN project."


    It was a tiny think-tank that had approached him, what, 8 years ago? Their head researcher claimed to have an idea that could potentially solve to the rapidly worsening climate change, a solution that could save the world, but needed some funding to begin the research process. The science behind their theories at the time was almost nonsensical, bordering on science fiction, thus Jeremy had been dubious, not to mention slightly inebriated at the same time.


    But he had to meet his annual charitable donations quota for tax deductions, and so he wrote a check for 3 million dollars right then and there. The poor guy had collapsed in relief, stating that this had been his last attempt at finding a sponsor for his research as the research team had already been denied across hundreds of other organisations and individuals. The other members were already receiving lucrative job offers and that day was his final deadline to find some semblance of funding to continue their research.


    Jeremy could not fault the other investors, as the man''s claims had been so ludicrous only someone with literal billions of disposable wealth and a willingness to throw away millions down the drain would have done what he did. But thankfully he did as just a year after the team made a major breakthrough that marvelled the scientific community ¨C a machine that could systematically drain greenhouse gases from the atmosphere at a global scale while converting the collected gases into energy.


    It was an unprecedented achievement that was only made possible through their very first investor ¨C Jeremy Rothschild. The man in question, admittedly having completely forgotten about the research team, grabbed that opportunity by its neck, as have been taught by his parents who were taught by their parents before them, and milked that recognition for all it was worth. The Rothschild family also capitalized on Jeremy''s initial investment and consequent launch to fame to fully fund the next steps for manufacturing the machine, intent on branding themselves as the family who found genius where it had been neglected and made possible the salvation of humanity.


    The theoretical machine was subsequently engineered, and prototypes produced, after just 5 years the effects of global warming had been reversed to a sustainable level and the end of the world was prevented.


    While the Rothschild family and the research team garnered widespread recognition for their efforts, it was by Jeremy''s meticulous design, with the aid of his PR team of course, that awarded him the most credit for the invention. Through liberal usage of his family''s massive network of media connections, the world began associating Jeremy''s name and face to the EDEN machine that diverted the course of humanity''s future.


    Fortunately enough, the head researcher who damn near single-handedly invented the whole thing was not at all interested in the fame and fortune behind his creation. He had also corroborated the narrative Jeremy and his team had spun for the global audience, that without Jeremy the whole project would not have been possible. Which was technically the truth, as without that initial 3 million dollars Jeremy had nonchalantly and dismissively gave, the team would have disbanded, and the idea buried.


    "Right, the EDEN project would not have been possible without my funding, thus I indirectly helped 8 billion people. And the ones I helped directly were all the other random charitable donations I made throughout my life or maybe even the people I employed. And the lives I saved indirectly must have been through all the millions of dollars in donations to the charities that were helping the vulnerable or impoverished around the world. Leaderboard rank 1 makes sense I suppose, if it deemed that I had indirectly helped billions of people."


    "Hah! Legacy hero mythic? My name has got to be going down in history as the man who saved the world right? But wait, what is with that altruism multiplier? Hmm¡­ my best guess would be that this calculation takes into account whether I had altruistic intentions when helping or saving people."


    "Ah shit, the reason behind my funding wasn''t to help people at all, it was for tax reduction purposes so that I could pay less money to the state. And any subsequent money invested was also just to monopolize the fame and goodwill associated with such a project."


    "Ugh, a 0.01 multiplier means that my subtotal was divided by a hundred, right? That''s why I got an S+ instead of SSS+++, and what''s with the three pluses, just looks and sounds ridiculous. Well, my intentions may have been impure, but the significance and impact of my actions are undeniable, that must be why I still got a really good score at the end. That head researcher guy is probably going to earn a shit-ton more points than me because his motivations were not as corrupt as mine."


    Jeremy appraised his scorecard appreciatively. He was self-aware enough to know the results were not wrong and he had never been in denial that he was an intrinsically ''good'' person. His motivations were selfish, but so was everyone else''s. No one could truthfully claim to have absolutely zero selfishness when doing any good deed, be it virtue signalling when sharing social justice tweets or helping the homeless so you could get into heaven, or even simply for the sake of the happiness or fulfilment one would feel from doing a good deed. No good deed was intrinsically selfless. That is probably why there was a multiplier which deducted points based on how ''good'' your intentions were when helping or saving anyone.


    "So¡­ what now? What''s up with those wishes- "


    At that word, the blue screen in front of him changed again, this time leaving only a single line.


    You have 3 Wishes left! Please state your wish!


    "Huh? What am I supposed to do with that? I would really appreciate just a little more clarification."


    You wish for a little more explanation for the wishes. Confirm?


    "Whoa- wait, does that count as a wish?"


    You wish for an answer to your question: does that count as a wish. Confirm?


    "Now you''re just making fun of me."


    Jeremy paused in thought.


    This was probably one of those genies wishes, right? And it said in the beginning that I died? Well, I have got to hand it to my brain, it really came up with a weird ass dream. Well I have watched enough isekai anime to know what my first wish was going to be.


    "I wish to be reincarnated in another world with my memories." It was not like my previous life held any more meaning for me. I had already accomplished all that one could achieve: fame, fortune, women, saving the world; what else could a man ask for? And since this is a dream anyways, might as well ask for something more fantastical than reincarnating back into plain old Earth.


    You wish to be reincarnated into another world with current memory. Confirm?


    "Confirm."


    You have chosen to be reincarnated into another world. Checking Karmic merits for option limitations¡­


    "Karmic merit is probably referring to the overall karmic impact. Does that mean based on that my options for what world to reincarnate in will be limited?


    Result: Unparalleled Positive karmic impact ¨C option limits: limitless


    Please select your world.


    Limitless? Holy shit, so unlike those isekai animes where the protagonist is randomly chucked into some generic fantasy world, there was no limit to what kind of world I could go into! The smartest and most meta choice would probably be¡­


    "A world that lets me go into any other world I want." Something like that would give me an endless number of anime or comic book worlds to explore right?


    Parameters unspecified! Please select your world.


    "Parameters unspecified? Doesn''t limitless mean that there shouldn''t be any parameters? Ugh could you at least specify what options do I have or what kind of requests would be within your parameters?"


    You wish for an explanation for reincarnation world selection. Confirm?


    "Oh come on! Be reasonable! Great, now it''s going to ask if I wish for it to be reasonable¡­"


    ¡­Request acknowledged. Please restate your question.


    "That actually worked? Damn, I should have tried that sooner. Could you explain how selecting a world works?"


    Your selection of a world to reincarnate must be one that exists. You can choose an existing world to be reincarnated in.


    Jeremy threw his hands up in frustration. "That sucks! If I can only choose a world that exists, doesn''t that mean my only choice is the one I came from? One that actually exists?"


    "Wait, define exists. What do you mean by an existing world?"


    The system cannot create the idea of the world from scratch. It can only generate from an existing universe that has already been created by humanity.


    "This is just confusing, what other existing universe are there? And what do you mean by ''created by humanity''- OH, HOLD UP! Existing universe created by humanity does not literally mean created by humans. It just has to be something that came from the imagination of people! So existing universes is referring to the fictional worlds that have been created through the imagination of their creators, right?"


    Correct.


    "Alright, I get it now. So let me clarify my question, and I am emphasizing that this is a question, not a wish. Could it be possible to reincarnate in the Marvel universe for instance?" Those Marvel movies were something I thoroughly enjoyed when I was younger.


    Processing¡­ Yes, it is possible to reincarnate in over 1,000 different realities in the Marvel Multiverse.


    "Oh hell YES! I probably can''t choose an amalgamation of different fictional universes like the one I first asked for, the parameters as this thing says, would be too unspecified. Then the limitless options probably means that I have an there aren''t any limitations on which world I could choose due to my unparalleled positive karma, while for someone with lower karmic merits can perhaps choose only one of those 1,000 different realities."


    Now was the hard part, choosing which world to go to. Harry Potter? Not bad but a little bit boring. Marvel worlds were out, I barely remember any of the plotlines of those movies or comic books, I would be totally clueless. Besides, those worlds had godlike cosmic entities that were just too unpredictable. My choice would have to be a world that is both exciting, fun and somewhere I am knowledgeable about. If there was one such fictional story that I have watched multiple times over, its plotlines I was very familiar with and characters I would recognize ¨C it would have to be Naruto! I was a huge fan of the anime, especially since I functionally grew up with it. I didn''t have time nor interest to watch the Boruto sequel, but I was confident in my knowledge of the Naruto universe.


    "I wish to reincarnate into the Naruto universe."


    ''Naruto'' Universe selected. Verifying¡­


    Select timeline.


    The selections were not displayed on the screen, but it somehow appeared in my mind. I knew what choices were available intuitively. The time periods I could be born in ranged from the inception of chakra itself, the establishment of the elemental nations, the warring clans'' period, all the way to Boruto''s timeline. But there was only one that actually interested me, which would of course be the canon timeline.


    Timeline selected. Verifying¡­


    Select origins.


    Again, the choices automatically appeared in my mind. The options were diverse, I could choose to be born in any country, in any particular village, and even any specific clan. If I was going to rely on my memory of the canonical meta knowledge and thus use them to my maximum benefit, it had to be Konohagakure in the Land of Fire. As for which clan, the most overpowered ones could only be the Uchiha, Senju or Uzumaki clan, since those were the only two bloodlines that stemmed from the Rikudo Sennin, the legendary primogenitor of shinobi.


    While the Senju clan held the mokuton bloodline, it was also clear from the anime that not all Senjuclan members awakened the kekkei genkai. Whereas the Uzumaki clan possessed abilities that was arguably the least useful amongst the three. The most cheat-like ability would definitely go to the Uchiha clan''s Sharingan eyes. Just the base form allowed one to copy jutsu, incredible dynamic vision and predictive capabilities. Not to mention all the subsequent evolutions ¨C the Mangekyou, Eternal Mangekyou and even the possibility to somehow awaken the Rinne-Sharingan in the future. Without a doubt, this was the best of the three choices.


    However, Jeremy was hesitant to be born in the Uchiha clan, given his foreknowledge of the Uchiha clan massacre. Additionally, it would be way more difficult to hide his gamer abilities from an entire clan with his parents or any siblings around him 24/7. Jeremy assumed a contemplative smile, in his ''previous'' life, he lived a life of exorbitant lavishness, without wants nor needs. Perhaps, this time he could try roughing it out with a tougher childhood?


    You have selected: Naruto Universe; ''Rookie 9'' time period; Land of Fire; Konohagakure; Uchiha Ancestry; Orphan. Confirmed?


    Looking through it once more, Jeremy nodded. This was the best possible choice. "Confirm."


    Wish granted. You have 2 wishes left. Please state your wish.


    Jeremy grinned; the next two wishes was obviously going to be the ''cheat'' he would bring along with him to the Naruto universe. He had to make sure the wish had to be as cheat-like as possible. Jeremy searched through his memories, trying to think of something from an anime or manga that would serve that very purpose.


    A few years back there were this anime that was extremely popular, and they had very similar concepts. It was called The Gamer and it featured a protagonist that somehow or another acquired ''gamer'' like abilities that allowed him to become stronger with an RPG-like interface. That was a ''cheat'' that had limitless possibilities. More specifically, however, he had his eyes on the Gamer''s Body and Gamer''s Mind ability. One would recover all injuries and status effects after a night''s sleep and the other ensured he would be able to face the potential dangers he was going to face calmly and logically.


    Afterall, he didn''t want to be permanently disabled or shit his pants when placed in life threatening scenarios, even if this was all just a dream.


    "I wish to be reincarnated with the abilities of The Gamer."


    You wish to be reincarnated with the abilities of Han-Jeehan, The Gamer. Confirm?


    "Confirm."


    Verifying¡­ Error. Modifying¡­ Completed.


    The Gamer abilities have been re-balanced for suitability of host and selected world.


    Certain inherent traits based on previous selections have now been quantified.


    Due to The Gamer system interference, potential abilities and powers previously limited based on selected origins have now been made available and can now be accessed.


    "Re-balanced? Can I get a list of the changes made to what I know of the Gamer system?"


    You wish for a list of changes made to the Gamer System. Confirm?


    "Oh come on. Be reasonable."


    You wish for a list of changes made to the Gamer System. Confirm?


    "Tsk. Worth a shot. Fine, forget it then. I ain''t wasting a wish on that." Jeremy frowned, thinking of a way to maximize the benefits of his last wish.


    He turned to the screen, "Is it possible for me to hold on to the wish for now and use it later when I really need to or when I have thought of how to use it?"


    Yes. Patching¡­


    You can now use the Wish whenever you want to through the Gamer System interface.


    Rewards have been distributed. Proceeding to character creation.


    At this, the screen that had previously been the size of half his height enlarged to roughly 2.5 times its previous size. Within the screen now showed a life-size model of what could be described as a typical Uchiha teenager ¨C with black hair, dark eyes and pale skin, compared to his own healthy tan. Next to the figure was two left and right buttons, titled Preset appearance.


    Jeremy deadpanned, cringing slightly at the generic RPG character creation menu that had appeared before him. "I guess it kind of makes sense I can''t customize my appearance since I am going to be born to actual real parents, Uchiha or otherwise. It would be pretty wild for an Uchiha to have weird ass pink hair; people might think I was a bastard Haruno child."


    Before scrolling through the preset options, however, he first found a prompt at the very top that asked for a name.


    Jeremy Rothschild of course. Sorry, bad joke. If he was going to be living in the Naruto world, he had to have a similarly Japanese sounding name to fit in after all. Hmm¡­ taking inspiration from another of his favorites animes he knew what was going to be his name: "First name Shinji, last name Ikari. Confirm."


    The first preset option had a very common appearance, a kind of forgettable face that would usually be deemed as ''Villager G'', skipping right through A to F. Given the choice to choose what he was going to look like once he grew up, he at least had to get a more attractive appearance. Jeremy began flipping through the preset options.


    "Too fat, too skinny, nose is too big, this one has a butt-chin, oh nice face but the eyes are too small, uh what''s with that weird forehead?"


    As he swiped through the options, he stopped at preset option #69. "Haha, nice. Oooh, Ikemen! But he looks too similar to Sasuke, and I wouldn''t want anyone to correctly guess I had Uchiha blood until I decide when it is time, so pass." A few more swipes and Jeremy found the perfect avatar. A handsome, but not too handsome face that looked different enough from Sasuke or Itachi. The preset option looked more like Kiba with paler skin, charcoal black hair, sharper nose and cheekbones, and obviously sans the distinctive red fang markings on his cheeks.


    Alright, next up, lineage?


    Father: [Uchiha]


    Mother: [Blank]


    A drop-down list of options was available. Which only revealed one background: Civilian. No Senju option for the possibility of mokuton bloodline or any other choice really. Seeing no other alternative, he could only select the Civilian background and with that he ended character creation.


    Character created. Confirm?


    This time, a physical button was present with a Yes/No option. Holding back a sigh, Jeremy pressed on Yes.


    Character confirmed. Processing¡­


    Jeremy gave an excited grin before frowning. That was really fun, but too bad this was all just a dream and he was going to wake up soon. But it was still entertaining while it lasted and he just had to compliment his brain for imagining such a fun little scenario.


    Reincarnating user in 10 seconds. This time, please remember true altruism comes from a place of selflessness and not just the deed itself. And most importantly ¨C have fun!


    Without a warning, the sea of green around him swirled into a kaleidoscope of colours, before being subsumed into an all-encompassing blackness that first swallowed the blue screen in front of him and then quickly consuming his body. It went from the brightness of a green that reminded him of the one place he had always been the most comfortable at to an instant darkness that swallowed his surprised yell.


    *The following section and future chapters will be in first person POV*


    I woke up from my bed, yawning slightly and giving my torso a light stretch. Oh man that was a really weird dream I just had. And strangely enough I can remember everything that just happened. Don''t people usually forget most or at least some of their dreams when they wake up? Must have been different for lucid dreams I suppose.


    You have slept in a bed. HP & CP has been fully restored.


    I chuckled; my overactive imagination must have still been hallucinating my dreams. I swiped a hand through the translucent blue screen and saw it faded away. See? My brain that had just woken up was just playing a trick on me. Good morning brain, please function properly. I have an interview with Vogue later that I can''t mess up.


    I opened my eyes blearily still adjusting to the light, only to find myself not in my penthouse New York apartment, but in a dusty, bland old room. I was not on my thousand thread count luxurious bed, but on an even dustier and older blanket than the surrounding architecture if that was possible. The room I was in had dirty walls, and childish doodles drawn in crayon or some other material covered a good third of the peeling wallpaper, and a distinct smell of what I perceived to be poverty emanated from the surrounding furniture ¨C which consisted of little ramshackle beds, chairs and tables shelves and in a corner of the room a box of what seemed to be broken toys or other items in various states of disrepair.


    My first and immediate thought was that I had been kidnapped. Which almost impressed me as I had seemingly been abducted from my home, a fortified bunker designed as a posh, upscale apartment , which was guarded by a platoon of very professional and very lethal bodyguards, all without being woken up.


    My second thought, however, was cut short as I looked down and found that my decidedly a.d.u.l.t, 34-year-old body had been replaced by the body of a bloody toddler. My hands were tiny, with grubby little fingers that looked softer than marshmallows. I almost screamed in shock before catching myself and realizing that the kidnappers who turned me into a child could possibly hear me ¨C that very line of thought was absurd yet there could be no other explanation.


    I looked around desperately before spotting a body-length mirror on the opposite wall that spotted two long cracks and a large fragment missing from the bottom corner. Rushing to it, I observed the visage before me.


    My formerly dirty blonde hair had been replaced by charcoal black locks. The eyes that stared back at me was an unfamiliar black, instead of the usual hazel brown. My sun-kissed tan had faded into an almost unhealthy paleness. And most crucially, I was in the body of a 7-year-old child.


    Seeing the face, my face, I was immediately reminded of the character I had created in my dreams. Yes, my dream. It was all just a dream¡­ right? I pinched my cheeks, and felt the distinctive light sting from my now child-like fingers. Ouch. This couldn''t be happening.


    I gasped, if this was somehow real, then last night''s dream¡­ I had to test it out.


    "Status."


    A translucent blue screen appeared out of thin air.


    Name: Shinji Ikari


    Age: 7


    Level: 1


    Next Level: 0/100


    HP: 100/100


    CP: 350/350


    STR: 1


    VIT: 1


    DEX: 3


    INT: 6


    CHA: 3


    Points ¨C 0


    Ryo ¨C 0


    "F.u.c.k."


    "Shinji, language!" A matronly voice came from the room door. I turned to the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged woman frowning at me. I tilted my head in confusion for a second before a surge of memories flashed through my mind. Kuroda Rie, the head caretaker of the Konoha orphanage. She was a kindly mother-figure for the 30 or so other orphans along with several other part-time workers or volunteers.


    The most shocking part of her entrance, however, was the floating words above her head.


    Kuroda Rie Lv 14


    "S-sorry, Rie-baasan." I hesitantly replied, unsure of whether she would be able to notice that I was not acting like I used to.


    "Come on, you woke up late. Go get your morning chores done quickly or the other kids won''t leave any breakfast for you."


    Quest Alert!


    Morning Chores:


    Complete your chores within 20 minutes!


    Make your bed (0/1)


    Water the garden (0/1)


    Wipe down room windows (0/10)


    Dust room surfaces (0/1)


    Rewards:


    +30 Exp


    REP slightly increased with Rie


    REP slightly increased with Konoha Orphanage


    Failure:


    REP slightly decreased with Kuroda Rie


    REP slightly decreased with Konoha Orphanage


    No breakfast


    Accept? (Y/N)


    "¡­I''m going to have to get used to this." I muttered under my breath while reading through the latest quest notification and absentmindedly accepting the quest.


    Rie clapped her hands to get my attention, "What are you spacing out for, get a move on."


    I gulped and began making my way to my bed, looking down at it in confusion. How do I make a bed?


    .


    .


    .


    Quest [Morning Chores] failed!


    Time''s up!


    Make your bed (1/1)


    Water the garden (0/1)


    Wipe down room windows (7/10)


    Dust room surfaces (1/1)


    Failure:


    REP slightly decreased with Kuroda Rie


    REP slightly decreased with Konoha Orphanage


    No breakfast.


    Note: Did you really just fail your very first quest?


    Congratulations! You have just failed your very first quest. You have earned title [Incompetent]!


    I cursed in my head at the quest failure notification, my hand still wiping down one of the goddamn windows. Why did the first quest have to be chores, damnit! I have literally never once in my life ever made a bed or watered a garden for crying out loud! I had servants to make my bed, housekeepers to clean windows and gardeners to tend to the garden. I wasted 5 minutes alone just trying to figure out how I was supposed to wipe down the windows. Turns out, just using a dry rag didn''t cut it. I figured that out after wiping repeatedly only for the quest window to remain unchanged.


    I had to seek out Rie and ask her how to clean the windows properly which prompted a strange look from her as she chastised me for not remembering something that I have been doing everyday for the past year. Rie pointed out I had to first wet the cloth before wiping down the windows, which worked immediately as I saw the updated quest window.


    I did receive a stat point during the course of the quest, however. When I decided to look for Rie for some guidance I received a notification message that stated:


    For thinking things through logically and making a rational decision, +1 INT.


    That wasn''t bad at all, but I still failed the quest though. Grumbling to myself, I called out my status window to check out the newly added title. Really? Incompetent? How could I be expected to automatically learn how to do chores when I have never done anything remotely alike for my whole life?


    Incompetent: -20% for all EXP gained.


    WHAT THE FU- That''s way too harsh just for failing one quest right? Is it permanent?


    I continued my internal protests as I now lost all motivation to clean the stupid windows infront of me.


    How do I get rid of that title? Goddamnit system, can you provide some help here?


    Wait, could it possibly be¡­


    "Help."


    Nothing happened.


    "Menu. Settings. Options." I rapidly fired through a few more prompts but no dice.


    "Grr¡­ Skills."


    Skills


    [Gamer''s Body] LVL: MAX


    Grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game.


    After sleeping in a bed, HP and MP is fully restored and status effects are cured.


    No physical injuries will be taken from attacks, only pain for a few seconds and loss of HP.


    [Gamer''s Mind] LVL: MAX


    Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through


    Allows peaceful state of mind


    Immunity to mental disorders


    The gamer''s body and gamer''s mind skill worked as I expected it to.


    "How about Inventory."


    The classic translucent blue screen appeared again, this time containing a grid like structure containing 5x5 squares. Nothing was in it except three items within.


    Hand-me-down shirt [E]


    Hand-me-down shorts [E]


    Worn sandals [E]


    Out of curiosity I slipped off the sandals and saw the [E] symbol beside the item disappear. That probably stood for equipped. This system is really not explaining anything at all. I was going to have to figure it all out on my own.


    It has been a week since my arrival in to the Naru-verse, and it was a week spent exploring my new found abilities. I managed to gather more information about the gamer system through extensive trial and error. Firstly, I received an explanation on the stats and their effects on me.


    HP stood for hit points, obviously, and determined how much damage I could sustain before it hits 0 ¨C and I was not keen on finding out what would happen after that.


    CP quantified the amount of Chakra I had at my disposal.


    STR was just what it sounded like. It mainly determined my physical strength and damage I could dish out.


    DEX corresponded to dexterity, influencing my overall speed and nimbleness and finesse.


    VIT increased my HP and overall stamina and at higher levels could reduce damage received.


    INT stood for intelligence and it increased my learning speed, memory, CP and even chakra recovery.


    CHA was my quantified charisma, a really odd stat which the system only explained as affecting social interactions and other''s perceptions of me.


    REP, I assumed to represent reputation. However, there had been no way to view the total amount of REP points I had with anyone nor was there any quantifiable measurement of how much REP was gained from the quests. The only real indication of how much REP I lost or gained was through the descriptive adjectives attached to the messages that I have observed to range from ''slightly'' to ''significantly''.


    The REP points could be gained or lost from quests or even my daily actions and words. When I had complimented Rie on her new haircut I gained a slight REP increase but when I accidentally broke a window during one of my evening chores, my REP decreased significantly. She had given me the cold shoulder for the rest of the day but thankfully I managed to grind back REP points by taking the initiative to help the other kids with their chores.


    Speaking of the other kids, there were quite 30 or so of them staying in the orphanage. The youngest was only 2 years old while I along with another girl was the oldest. It turned out that Konoha''s public education not only provided free education for orphans, but also lodgings and allowances for when we entered the shinobi academy. Thus, there were no other children aged 8 or above still living in the orphanage as that was the age they started the shinobi academy.


    The other child my age was a plain looking girl that I realized had a major puppy crush on me, or rather the Shinji Ikari that had resided in my body before my arrival. Unsurprising as the body I was inhabiting now was a super cute 7 year old, plus I was the only other one her age after all. She was kinda clingy but I had to go along with it to maintain my fa?ade as a 7 year old boy playing with a same-aged girl. Every innocuous gesture or praise I gave granted me significant REP boosts with her. It was educational at least as I could experiment with some of the gamer system mechanics.


    I realized that no one other than me could see the system notifications such as the status screen or inventory screen. Thus if I placed something within my inventory, it would look as it the object was disappearing in mid-air. I would have thought that was going to be difficult to explain to the girl when she first witnessed a branch disappearing into my inventory, but I easily convinced her that she was mistaken, and the branch was obviously right there on the floor (after I discretely removed it from my inventory). She believed me instantly and had no further questions about the subject, which was probably the result of the presumably huge REP score I had with her.


    Next, I also received quite a few quests which helped me figure out how quests were generated in the first place. It was a strange combination that vaguely took into account what I needed to do and what I wanted to do.


    For example, every day I had at least two guaranteed quests generated ¨C my morning chores quest and evening chores quest. Both provided 20 EXP and slight EXP increases. Thankfully after my disastrous first quest, I quickly learned from my mistakes and began completing the quests with no issue.


    But quests were also generated based on things that I wanted to do but was also necessary. For example, I had received the second quest following the first Morning Chores, when I began wondering how big was the orphanage that came long with the necessity to orient myself to my new environment.


    .


    .


    .


    Quest Alert!


    Explore the Orphanage:


    Investigate the Konoha orphanage!


    Go through every room in the estate and discover their purpose (0/12)


    ?


    ?


    Rewards:


    +50 EXP


    ?


    ?


    Failure:


    New Title


    REP slightly decreased with Kuroda Rie


    REP slightly decreased with Konoha Orphanage


    I had immediately grimaced at the quest failure consequences. I already had the Incompetent title, what would I receive if I failed another one?


    Thankfully, walking around was not as difficult as making a bed for me at least; not to mention most rooms had signs that communicated their purpose. However, the question mark had gotten me thinking. The quest rewards had a similar question mark, which I could only deduce represented a hidden objective and corresponding hidden reward. The implication being that the quest was not as simple as it appeared. Thus, I carefully investigated every nook and cranny of the building.


    Oh and I also received another +1 INT after that deduction.


    At the end of the exploration I had discovered a hidden stash of cigarettes, some p.o.r.no mags, a blunt kunai and some blunt shuriken, a tattered academy issue guide on Body Conditioning, various sweets and candy littered behind crawlspaces, and even some money. The biggest challenge I faced was actually Rie''s office. Not because it was locked or anything like that, but because upon entering and searching through the shelves, I had found that it was exceedingly inconspicuous. I suspected something had to be hidden in a place as important as the head caretaker''s office, but not I had not been able to find anything. But when I opened the drawers of Rie''s desk, and looked underneath it, I discovered the unmistakable mechanism of a false bottom secret compartment. I had quite a few of those manufactured for myself in my previous life, so I was familiar with how it worked. Pushing against down on the further end of the drawer, the front end tilted upwards, allowing me to lift the false bottom to reveal the contents of Rie''s secret compartment.


    It was another p.o.r.no mag.


    I immediately returned the false bottom back in its proper place and made sure to make it seem untouched. The revelation that Rie was a closet pervert had been slightly disturbing but understandable as well. From what I could remember, she was someone who spent almost every waking hour of her days taking care of a few dozen children. Needing some a.d.u.l.t entertainment was not unreasonable.


    I had also received another notification after successfully completing my second quest.


    Quest [Explore the Orphanage] Completed!


    Investigate the Konoha orphanage!


    Go through every room in the estate and discover their purpose (12/12)


    (Hidden) Find one secret stash (5/1)


    (Hidden) Discover Rie''s secret compartment ()


    Rewards:


    +50 EXP


    +10 EXP per secret stash found


    Skill [Observe]


    Congratulations! You have completed your first quest! Bonus 100% EXP to quest reward!


    Congratulations! You have completed all hidden objectives of a quest for the first time! You have earned Title [Competent]!


    New Title [Competent] has been cancelled out by Title [Incompetent]


    Title [Incompetent] has turned into Title [Slightly Incompetent]


    You have levelled up!


    Congratulations! You have levelled up for the first time! Double stat points gained!


    I had immediately checked my status upon quest completion.


    Name: Shinji Ikari


    Age: 7


    Level: 2


    Next Level: 100/150


    HP: 150/150


    CP: 500/500


    STR: 1


    VIT: 1


    DEX: 3


    INT: 8


    CHA: 3


    Points ¨C 10


    Ryo ¨C 150


    Titles:


    [Slightly Incompetent]: -10% for all EXP gained


    The previous had now been replaced with a new one, and the effects were less harsh than before as well. The ''First time!'' messages were amazing in its effects, but thinking back on the first title, they also penalized as much as it rewarded.


    I realized every level up would grant me 5 stat points to distribute into my attributes, but now I had 10 stat points due to the first-time achievement. I decided to withhold stat point distribution until I really needed them.


    .


    .


    .


    Other than the daily chore quests I received from the system, other quests were also created when someone of authority requested something of me or asked for a favor. However, not every request would be translated into a quest. Picking up a pen Rie dropped did not count as a quest, but when she had asked me to help out in the kitchen a quest was created. Through this system I was able to successfully complete around 3-5 quests a day, acc.u.mulating EXP to level up twice more. Some of them even gave money as a reward, which was automatically added to my inventory.


    Additionally, I was also able to create some new skills and grind up the levels of existing ones. As expected, just like The Gamer anime, I was also able to create new skills through repeated actions. My current status and skills page looked like this.


    Name: Shinji Ikari


    Age: 7


    Level: 5


    Next Level: 300/750


    HP: 550/550


    CP: 900/900


    STR: 7


    VIT: 6


    DEX: 9


    INT: 13


    CHA: 3


    Points ¨C 25


    Ryo ¨C 580


    Skills


    [Observe] (Active) LVL: 3


    The ability to read information about the targeted object or person through observation.


    Improved proficiency in the ability reveals more information.


    [Basic Body Conditioning] (Passive) LVL: 3


    Increases your body''s strength, speed and endurance through training


    +3% to physical damage


    +3% to movement speed


    -3% to physical damage taken


    +3% to physical stat growth rate


    [Shurikenjutsu] (Passive) LVL: 1


    Increases accuracy of thrown shuriken and kunai by 10%


    [Knife Fighting] (Passive) LVL: 1


    Increases damage dealt with small, bladed weapons by 10%


    [Beginner Taijutsu Mastery] (Passive) LVL: 1


    +1% to physical damage


    +1% to movement speed


    [Meditation] (Active) LVL: 3


    +20% to CP regeneration


    +20% to HP regeneration


    Skills like cleaning or dishwashing was, surprisingly, not created even through repeated actions. It seemed like created skills were almost exclusively related to combat.


    The [Basic Body Conditioning] skill was created after reading the tattered academy guide on body conditioning, I had found on my exploration quest. It was basic information about how to properly exercise and strengthen our muscles through body-weight training; information that was a little common sense, but I was grateful for the skill regardless.


    Similarly, the [Shurikenjutsu] and [Knife Fighting] were a result of me experimenting with the blunt kunai and shuriken I had found. After throwing the shuriken against a tree a few times, the skill was naturally created, and I could immediately feel a slight improvement in my accuracy. However, my aim was still atrocious. I had also practiced wielding a kunai, stabbing and slashing at the air.


    [Beginning Taijutsu Mastery] was created when I threw a few traditional one-two combos at a tree, mixing up the attacks on the poor, immobile tree with kicks, hooks and some fundamental footwork I had learned over a decade ago in my previous life from the few lessons I had in kickboxing.


    I had accidentally obtained the [Meditation] skill when I was deep in thought on the first night of my reincarnation. When I slowly began falling asleep and as the thoughts in my head cleared, I received a notification saying that I had created a new skill. Needless to say, I continued meditating every night in order to grind it up to a level where it will be useful for training.


    [Observe] was an ability I had received from my orphanage exploration quest, and was something I would be eternally grateful for. It was able to show me information about any object or person that I concentrated on. For example, if I looked at a table and used my observation skill, I would be able to see something like¡­


    [Wooden Table]


    A table made of wood found in the Konoha Orphanage.


    And as the [Observe] skill levelled up further, I was able to see more information, especially on people or weapons. When I observed the blunt kunai in my inventory I saw this:


    [Training Kunai ¨C Grade: Common]


    A roughly made kunai made of scrap iron, blunted for training purposes.


    Durability: 14/15


    Damage: F


    Rather than a numerical damage value, the damage the weapon was inherently capable of was given a letter grade to measure its lethality. I would have to assume the lowest grade was F as the blunt kunai could not even hurt a fly.


    Different levels of [Observe] showed me different amounts of information about a person. At level 1, all I could see was their name, level and some information. At level 2, it showed me their max HP count and added on to the information available. At level 3, I was able to see their max and current HP and CP as well as additional information about the target.


    Observing the caretaker-baasan with the level 3 [Observe] showed me her status:


    Name: Kuroda Rie Lv 14


    HP: 1200/1200


    CP: 300/300


    Rie is the head caretaker of Konoha Orphanage. She cares deeply for the children under her care and tries her best to make sure they are taken care of and sheltered from the dangers outside the orphanage walls. While she can be stern at times to the children, she ultimately has their best interests at heart.


    She thinks that Shinji is a cute but curious child who sometimes acts strangely.


    The other orphan children mostly had levels of 1 and 2, with the only other 7-year-old girl being at 3. I had grumbled how unfair it was I started at level 1, but I was rapidly catching up, so it was fine. For now I was still unable to see the stat count of people with my level 3 [Observe], but hopefully it would be possible at higher levels.


    I was able to increase stats such as STR and VIT through the body conditioning exercises and, DEX from my practice with the shuriken and kunai, and my INT from reading the few books the orphanage had and making a few intelligent and logical decisions through rational thought. The books gave me some desperately needed general knowledge about the world and its history too.


    There were also some quests created when I was sneakily training my newly acquired skills. They mainly related to accomplish some sort of achievement corresponding to the skills that I had been practicing in. However, I only managed to successfully complete 1 out of the 3 quests generated.


    Quest [Amateur Shurikenjutsu] Failed!


    Achieve more than 50% accuracy out of a 100 shuriken thrown from 15m away (X)


    Hit 10 ''bullseye'' (1/10)


    Rewards:


    +100 EXP


    +1 LVL to Shurikenjutsu


    Failure:


    None


    Quest [Create Your Own Fighting Style] Failed!


    Create your own fighting style out of your past martial arts experience (X)


    Rewards:


    +100 EXP


    +1 LVL to Beginner Taijutsu Mastery


    +1 LVL to created fighting style


    Failure:


    None


    Quest [Hit the Gym] Completed!


    Get Basic Body Conditioning to level 2 by the end of the day (¡Ì)


    Rewards:


    +100 EXP


    +1 LVL to Basic Body Conditioning


    Failure:


    None


    I hesitate to call the quests unreasonable but yes, they definitely were very unreasonable. I only barely managed to increase my body conditioning level through sheer grit and determination before receiving the level up notification and collapsing in agony.


    Additionally, the [Slightly Incompetent] title had been removed a few days after I got it, after I managed to complete 10 quests in a row successfully. Thank kami for that as the 10% reduced experience was really taking a toll.


    I also found out that I would be entering the Shinobi Academy in roughly a month''s time, and a week before that I would have to start moving out of the orphanage and into the student dormitory the village had prepared for the orphan academy students.


    We did not have to pay for utilities, rent and academy fees, and would even be receiving 20,000 ryo a month as an allowance. It was a sizable sum that roughly translated to perhaps 2,000 dollars. We had to use the funds provided to buy our own groceries as well any other daily necessities including clothes or training materials.


    I had taken the past week to slowly orient myself to my new environment: gathering information, picking up the common sense of this world as well as acquiring some general knowledge of the village. I had only ventured out of the orphanage a couple times the last few days, primarily for the purposes of checking out the surrounding area. The ''original'' Shinji Ikari similarly did not have very much experiences with the world outside of the orphanage as the children were sheltered protectively by the head caretaker, Rie. Only the oldest, like myself and that other girl were permitted to travel outside the orphanage gates without supervision but with some limitations as to how far we were allowed to go and a curfew to boot.


    My initial hesitancy to dive right into training with chakra was also contributed by my concern that we might be watched by Danzo''s ROOT agents, and if I showed any exceptional talent I might be taken and forcibly recruited into the organisation. However, as I started practicing the taijutsu and shurikenjutsu, I realized my talent was paltry as compared to some of the real geniuses.


    Furthermore, basic chakra exercises were not as restricted as I had thought. When I explored the outskirts of the orphanage, I witnessed more than one child younger than me, presumably clan members, who were training in the leaf concentration exercise.


    Thus, after the week-long delay, I was finally going to start training in the chakra control exercises. I have a month to get myself up to scratch before my first day of the shinobi academy!


    Quest Alert!


    Preparations:


    Train yourself before entering the Shinobi Academy!


    Increase your level up to 8


    Increase your Shurikenjutsu up to LVL 3


    Increase your Basic Body Conditioning up to LVL 5


    Increase your Beginner Taijutsu Mastery to LVL 3


    Learn the Leaf Concentration Exercise


    Increase your Leaf Concentration Exercise to LVL 3


    ?


    ?


    Rewards:


    New Title


    +2 to all stats


    +1 LVL to all skills


    ?


    ?


    Failure:


    New Title


    REP decreased with ''Rookie 9''


    REP decreased with Shinobi Academy


    Accept? (Y/N)

 Chapter 480 - My Original Stash #80 - Arrogant Young Master Template A Variation 4 by LivingSpoon

    -"Being a modern guy, Han De thought cultivation was simply insufferable" So true, with my attention span of a monkey it''ll be too troublesome if I do ever get isekai''d/ Author is a master of baiting and hooking reader''s attention tho which is really huge as most of writers don''t have that!


    Synopsis: What would a Xianxia MC do?


    Seriously, what would they do? Asking for a friend.


    Rated: M


    Words: ???


    Posted on: # (LivingSpoon)

 Chapter 481 - My SI Stash #81 - The Novels Extra by Jee Gab Song

    -I started reading this with low expectations after peeping the reviews on NU but damn was it fun and worthwhile, I wouldn''t put it above TCF but I also wouldn''t put it below it/


    Synopsis: I accidentally saved the world and was granted three wishes when I died. Easy - first wish to reincarnate in the Naruto universe and second is to reincarnate with ''The Gamer'' ability. Third wish? I''ll save it for later. SI/OC


    Rated: M


    Words: ???


    Posted on: novelfull.com/the-novels-extra.html (Jee Gab Song)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    [Kim Suho]


    17 ¨C 27 years old in the story


    A righteous, honest man and a hard-worker. Though he comes from a common background, he is of extraordinary character and talent. As a genius who made his name known in the military academy, he possesses a sense of justice and other upright characteristics befitting a hero. He carries a special secret that he hasn''t revealed to anyone.


    [Shin Jonghak]


    17 ¨C 27 years old in the story


    The fourth generation descendant of the Jinsung Corp, one of the greatest chaebol in Korea, which contends for the number one spot. As a child of a chaebol family, he is a narcissist and an elitist. Because of his personality and the sense of inferiority he feels against Kim Suho, he later becomes a villain.


    ''I have to be the best. I cannot tolerate anyone being above me.'' With such obstinacy, he confronts Kim Suho.


    ===


    The above two were the two main characters of my novel.


    Though the novel had many more characters, write them all down was impossible. Within my novel were billions of characters. Unless the characters have ''important roles'' like the heroine or the helper, giving a character a name wasn''t necessary.


    ¡­ Why was I saying all this?


    ¡ªHero Association''s Agent Military Academy Seoul Branch Graduation, Class of 2024, Rank 1 Cadet, Kim Suho.


    It was because the story in my novel was happening in front of my eyes.


    Called up to the stage, Kim Suho walked up with a stiffened face as though he was nervous.


    We were in a huge auditorium suggestive of a temple. In it were 3000 cadets and thousands of spectators. Their gazes all turned to one person, Kim Suho.


    "He''s Kim Suho? Wow."


    "He''s so handsome~"


    Several women watched with admiration and adoration.


    "¡­This is why people say Gift is all that matters. Who cares if you try hard? People like him end up taking first place anyways."


    "That guy completely lucked out with his Gift."


    And naturally, he received the jealousy and envy of young teenagers.


    "His grades are said to be the greatest in the past 10 years."


    "Yeah, I''ve heard of him. His Gift was announced too, right? What was it again¡­ Sword Saint?"


    Guild associates, who came to watch the best cadet in recent history, flashed their eyes.


    They were looking down from the highest seats of the auditorium. However, I could hear their voices. They had to be at least a kilometer away, but as long as I looked their way, I could hear their words clearly.


    Not only their words, but I could also see their faces, almost as though I was right in front of them.


    Perhaps, this was my ''Gift.''


    "Yes, in regards to swords, he is said to receive the world''s protection."


    "Hm¡­ That''s a pretty vague description, but I guess the information from the academy is all like that."


    "We called dibs on that kid so don''t touch him."


    I recognized one of the whispering faces.


    Yun Seung-Ah. An important assistant of the main character and one of the heroines who almost became the main character''s lover. Just when the two of them were hitting it off ¨C in reality, when the main character was hitting off with many of the heroines ¨C I suspended my novel. Thus, the two never became lovers.


    "Dibs? What dibs. When it comes to cadets, there is no such thing."


    At another guild associate''s callous words, Yun Seung-Ah smiled sweetly and rebutted.


    "Is that why ''Essence of the Strait'' can''t escape second place?"


    I knew Yun Seung-Ah''s face. Surprisingly, she looked like my first love from college. That was probably because I thought of her when I was describing Yun Seung-Ah''s character. Though, she was my crush to be exact.


    "¡­Can I take that as a challenge?"


    "I''m kidding, of course. Plus, we still have three years to go before we can scout any of them."


    "It''s two years."


    "¡­You know contacting them before they graduate is illegal, right?"


    "That''s only if you''re found out."


    Yun Seung-Ah and the man glared at each other. With their staring contest as the starting point, the VIP seats'' atmosphere began to heat up.


    And thus, the fight for Kim Suho had already begun.


    ¡ªClass of 2024, Rank 2 Cadet, Shin Jonghak.


    Meanwhile, the other main character stood up.


    He was the descendant of the Jinsung clan. His appearance rivaled Kim Suho as well.


    The audience stirred just like when Kim Suho walked up. But unlike with Kim Suho, envy and jealousy didn''t exist. There was only admiration and adoration. With Kim Suho, they thought, ''Why is he better than me?'' but with Shin Jonghak, it was, ''He was better than me from birth.''


    As if to show off his noble blood, Shin Jonghak walked up to the stage completely composed.


    Kim Suho and Shin Jonghak.


    Standing side by side, the two glared at each other.


    Electricity seemed to crackle from their eyes.


    Without a shadow of the doubt, these two were characters from my novel.


    Then where was I?


    I wasn''t on the stage but in the farthest back seat of the auditorium. I wasn''t ''one out of three thousand'', but a member of the ''three thousand.'' No guild associate looked my way.


    "Chundong, what rank are you? I''m rank 2900."


    Next, to me, a boy resembling a piglet asked. On his nametag were the characters ''Kim Ho Sup''. This meant that he had an eventual role. Though he couldn''t be a Hero because of his nonexistent physical abilities, his Gift was outstanding for information gathering.


    "Chundong-chan¡ï?"


    "¡­ I don''t know." Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #''s-extra-by-jee-gab-song_51467626148322782 for visiting.


    I didn''t know who I was. I didn''t even know why my name was Chundong.


    If something like this had to happen, shouldn''t I be one of the two on stage?


    "Hey, c''mon, if you don''t know that¡­"


    "I don''t know."


    Once again, I didn''t know. This world was the novel I wrote, but I was in the body of a character I had never written before. Other than being a cadet in the Agent Military Academy, I was the most ordinary and the most connectionless character, the type whose name wouldn''t exist anywhere in the novel. In other words¡­ I was an extra.[1]


    ¡­No, I was a speck of dust.


    Chapter 1


    One day, I received an email. The sender asked if he could remake my novel.


    At the time, I was dumbfounded. I might have been on a short hiatus, but to ask to remake a novel that was in paid serialization¡­


    I, of course, refused. In fact, I didn''t reply.


    It was partly because doing something like that without permission would go against copyright laws, but it was also because I was ashamed of the ''hiatus'' status I was in.


    The I was writing was called ''The Returnee Hero.''


    It wasn''t a sensation, but it was a fairly popular novel and the greatest hit in my five years of writing.


    But at the time I received the email, I had been on hiatus for three months.


    The reason was simple. The words didn''t come to me.


    At first, I poured my passion into writing. My personal note on the world''s setting neared 50,000 characters[1], and I poured my heart out in writing each chapter.


    But after a year of writing, I fell into an awful slump.


    Even so, the novel continued for six months, reaching the mid-late stage of the story. But because I forcefully pushed myself to write, the story was full of plot holes, and the personalities of the characters had collapsed. Unsurprisingly, the number of readers dropped by the day. I was too scared to even read the comments.


    In the end, I chose to go on hiatus.


    But no matter how long I rested, I couldn''t continue with the story, not even a single sentence came out.


    When I was wallowing in misery from realizing my lacking writing skills¡­


    I received another email asking to remake my novel.


    [[email protected]]


    [Please. This is for personal satisfaction. I will not reveal the remake version of the novel anywhere. It will only stay between me and you. Who knows? Maybe you''ll be inspired by the remake and come up with a way to continue the story¡­]


    It was a fairly long email consisting of six sentences, but what it was asking for was simple.


    He wanted to remake my novel for self-satisfaction.


    How much did he like my novel to send an email like this? Since I wasn''t particularly proud of my work, I agreed, feeling thankful and ashamed.


    ¡­ In that case, was that the cause of this situation?


    The chance of winning the lottery was said to be 1 in 8,145,060. Then what was happening to me at this moment had to be a 1 in 7 billion chance.


    I was standing in an ordinary family home.


    But the world I was in wasn''t my world, and I wasn''t ''me.'' Though one might think I was being philosophical, I really wasn''t. It was just the best way to describe the situation I was in.


    I had become an extra in my novel.


    An extra I had no memory writing about.


    Kim Chundong.


    Chundong lived in an ordinary apartment room, but he didn''t have parents. As for why, I, of course, didn''t know.


    At 9 years old, Chundong was admitted to ''Agent Military Academy,'' a place to nurture elites to fight monsters and Djinns.


    What ability did Chundong possess to pass its entrance exam?


    I didn''t know.


    I didn''t know anything about him. I didn''t even know his face. I wasn''t kidding. I really didn''t.


    When I look in the mirror¡­


    (?)


    That''s what I saw. An oval with a question mark.


    This crazy body possession(?) or transmigration(?) was completely unreasonable. I had gone to bed just like any other day, but when I woke up, i found myself on the last day of the semester at Agent Military Academy.


    At first, I had two suspicions.


    First was that I was being pranked.


    But that idea was shot down in just five seconds. I couldn''t even be bothered to explain why.


    Second was that I was dreaming.


    But I naturally came to dismiss the idea. As everyone knew, the thought of being in a dream never occurred to dreaming people, and more importantly, no dream continued for two weeks with such a clear sense of reality.


    As a result, I spent the past two weeks pondering whether the ''world inside the novel'' should be treated as the ''reality I was in.''


    Ding Dong¡ª


    Tatatatatata~


    Just like I''ve been doing in the last two weeks, I was lying in bed and staring blankly at the ceiling when my smartphone alarm began to ring. Glancing over, I saw that it was ''time to go to school.''


    "Why the hell do I need to go to school."


    13 days ago, it was Agent Military Academy''s graduation. But the ones graduating were only non-combatant cadets, and non-combatant cadets couldn''t be called Heroes. Combat class cadets had to attend the academy for three more years.


    These three years would be spent at [Cube], a Hero Academy.


    Unfortunately, this damned Chundong guy was a combat type cadet. Again, I had no clue who he was.


    "Ah¡­ How frustrating."


    I had barely done anything for two weeks. I spent most of my time on the internet, ate food when I got hungry, went back online to search for a way out, laughed at the surprisingly funny variety shows airing on TV, ate food when I got hungry¡­ Anyways, the only noteworthy event was going to Seoul two days ago for the three-hour long ''Cube Entrance Ceremony''.


    I didn''t want to go, but I had no other choice since I was told I would be expelled if I didn''t attend.


    "I do think I need to go, but¡­"


    I couldn''t figure out who dropped me here, for what reason and with what power.


    But after living idly for two weeks, I reluctantly came to accept my fate.


    It seemed I would live this way for a long time.


    In that case, I at least needed to make a living for myself.


    In my novel, being a ''Hero'' was anyone''s dream job. Though things become serious midway through because of Villains, the hiatus was not long afterwards.


    I just had to survive until then. When the time came, I was sure I''d figure something out.


    [7:33 AM]


    There was only 57 minutes until school.


    I got up and trudged to the bathroom.


    Standing in front of the mirror, mister question mark greeted me.


    "¡­ Screw this question mark. Is it ever going to go away?"


    Without joking, my face was a question mark. I didn''t know why.


    It wasn''t because I didn''t describe my face. If that were the case, it didn''t make sense for the other billions of people to have their own faces. So why was only Chundong''s face a question mark?


    "I don''t get it."


    Murmuring begrudgingly, I washed my face. I could feel my skin. I had hair too. That made things all the more creepy.


    After cleaning myself up a bit, I changed into Cube''s uniform, which I got at the entrance ceremony. Other than that, I had no other baggage.


    People who saw me in this uniform would undoubtedly send looks of envy, But I didn''t know what I was doing.


    My face was a freaking question mark, how was I supposed to figure anything out?


    Turning the doorknob, I glanced back.


    My home for the past two weeks. The apartment room I barely found thanks to the address written in my cadet card. It seemed I got attached to it in this short period of time. I felt like I would miss it.


    Cube floated in the middle of the East Sea. Once I left, I probably wouldn''t come back.


    "Ehew."


    Putting behind the big apartment room I was happy to have, I stepped into the dark and unfamiliar world.

 Chapter 482 - My CO Stash #82 - The Woes of an Immortal by D.i.c.ktock McJerry (NarutoXBlackClover)

    -I was getting into it but then boom, interlude/ Still a nice CO fic tho, I just don''t find Naruto''s past that interesting I think the author should just focus on Naruto interacting with the other characters~


    Synopsis: 4000 years after the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War, Naruto wakes into a land unknown to him. Still holding onto his will to fight for what he believes in, what changes can he make to a world that''s forgotten his existence?


    Rated: M


    Words: 47K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13420017/1/The-Woes-of-an-Immortal (D.i.c.ktock McJerry)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    It was there, at the precipice war, that he truly became enlightened to the face of tragedy. The death of his teacher wounded him. The death of his brother crippled him. The death of his beloved killed him. With his mind drowned in oceans of grief, the light at the surface of that dreadful water erased his past reticence and steeled his resolve.


    With the goddess dead, the teen was content to stay submerged in this sea of mourning and let the water camouflage his tears. Sadly, he felt a tug at the back of his mind, disrupting the current he had already surrendered to. The tug became a pull and he was ripped from one dimension to another.


    The shift of realities left him unphased, and he chose instead to focus on the disappearing seals on the ground. If his senses hadn''t left him, he would have heard the triumphant cries of the beasts that surrounded him wither into a diseased silence at the sight of the bodies beside him. He would have heard Kurama lightly call his name. He would have seen his father look on in agony at the fate that had befallen his student.


    But he knew that if he took those senses back, he would be forced to look at the corpses of his team. The sensei that raised him cleaved in half. The brother he respected charred to a crisp with his eye-sockets empty. The woman he loved with a hole in her heart.


    Team Seven had killed a god.


    And that god had killed Team Seven.


    It was truly a fate worse than death ¨C one that, in their earlier days of coexisting, his inhabitant demon would plague him with nightmares of.


    A fate that could have been avoided.


    A fate that would never be again.


    Thus, he buried his naivety and set a new plan into motion.


    The demons agreed to be sealed inside of himself on the basis of mutual trust.


    The Tsukuyomi was undone.


    And human ability to use chakra was no more.


    The erasure of the energy would have a cataclysmic societal impact but leaving something with such devastating destructive power in the hands of those who would do others harm seemed irresponsible. It simply wasn''t something that belonged in this world; a relic that would be lost to myth. Generations would come without ever having experienced it, and soon it would disappear from even discussion.


    Having accomplished his plan, the boy found a cave for himself to reside, and let himself fall into an era long journey of reflection.


    4000 Years Later


    It was three years ago that Naruto had risen from his meditation. His introspective musings over the eons had mutated into a desire to finally experience the world. The aches of immortality fell away after an excursion to the surface, and while withholding his status as an eternal being, joined the ranks of a dilapidated local church.


    From there he had learned the ways of the new world. The new language wasn''t challenging to learn with a healthy amount of study and practice, but it did leave him with a thick accent, branding him a foreigner for the first year and a half of his new life. By the time the accent had fallen from his cadence and he had integrated into the population a few national headaches began troubling him.


    The rise of magic power was worrying, but from his experiences, it had a far less destructive capacity than chakra did and had become so ingrained in the everyday lives of the population that attempting to phase it out could return catastrophic results. In a very liberal estimate, roughly a third of the world four millennia ago could use chakra. In the present, however, there were only two people alive that couldn''t use magic power: himself, and the boy who the church had taken in some odd fifteen years ago.


    What concerned him more than the presence of magic was the aristocracy that it upheld. The nobles were those with the most magic power, who married those with equal amounts, and bore children ripe with potential to surpass their parents. The new world had incidentally created a culture where selective breeding was normalized and discrimination was societal staple.


    That corruption gave him a goal, though: to rid the world of these injustices and spread equality.


    Far easier said than done.


    Realistically, he surmised it would take multiple generations and a complete reconstruction of the ruling classes to erase the stigma that surrounded the common folk. He''d heard that the nobles residing in the capital were quite stubborn regarding acknowledgement of peasant-born power.


    However, the completion of these plans was far from the present. He was sure that he could simply fly over to the Royal Capitol at any moment and take control from the current rulers, but a kingdom ruled by fear was a kingdom doomed to fail. So, he threw that off the table, electing to work his way up the ranks himself and bring peace from within.


    Here he found himself, the night before his departure to the Royal Capitol, reclined in a pew and staring at the dancing of a fire as it teased the logs in the fireplace. Sleep was a pleasantry to somebody with his healing capability, and he rarely found himself partaking anymore.


    None in the convent knew of his self-induced insomnia. They had all assumed that he was late to bed and early to rise, and it wasn''t until the resident nun had awoken late one night and found him in the rows of the church flipping pages of what she assumed was his grimoire that he had told her of his troubles with sleep.


    From there, Lily had begun to make it a point to keep him company for an hour or so once or twice a week. She could never stay up as late as him, and Naruto often found himself either feigning slumber so that she would voluntarily rest or having to carry her to her bed after her incidentally falling asleep during their conversations. Yet he very much appreciated the sentiment and found himself going out of his way to begin helping Lily with her duties as thanks.


    This night began for them much like the others, and the fire continued its waltz as Lily took her spot next to Naruto in the pew. She admired his visage as he stared soberly at the light reflecting from the crucifix aloft on the wall. That stare gifted him an aura of a man far older than he was and was part of the reason that Lily had trouble seeing him as a teenage boy.


    "Are you sure that you want to go with them tomorrow?" the nun asked. It wasn''t necessarily out of worry for his success ¨C she had seen his prowess many times before. Rather, she had grown quite fond of the boy sitting next to her. He was mature for a twenty-year-old, and she found herself seeing him as a peer that she could confide in ¨C a pleasant change from her motherly role over the other children.


    "Yeah," Naruto replied. "I feel that I''ve done what I can here. I need to branch out and see what the world is like, and the Magic Knights seem like exactly what I''m looking for."


    Silence settled again, interrupted occasionally by the cackle of the fire. All the while, Lily couldn''t help but remember that this was their last night together for quite some time. There wouldn''t be another chance to talk between just the two of them for some span of months, potentially even years. This was her final chance to learn who the man she had grown so fond of truly was.


    "You know, in all the years you''ve lived here, you''ve never once shown us your grimoire." The statement masked the true question poorly, but straightforwardly asking to see somebody''s grimoire felt weirdly wrong to her. Grimoires were personal to the wielder, so it wasn''t taboo to ask to see another''s, but it wasn''t a practice that many partook in.


    Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Is that a problem?"


    "No, not at all. I''ve just always been curious as to why that is."


    The boy finally conceded. Maybe it''s finally time to open up, Naruto thought. He had spent the better part of three years avoiding questions of his personal life for reasons that he couldn''t truly justify to himself. Here beside him was a pure-hearted woman eager to learn about him, and for the first time since he had met her, he decided to indulge in her curiosity.


    "Do you want to hear a secret, Lily?"


    "What kind of secret?" she inquired.


    "An interesting one." Naruto unclasped the strap that held a book firmly on his thigh and retrieved it, holding it firmly. "This isn''t a grimoire. I don''t have one. Never did." His fingers grazed the ruined leather cover where his Jiraiya''s name was once inked.


    His copy of "The Tale of an Utterly Gutsy Ninja" had been one of his only relics from his previous life. During the Fourth Great War, the book had evolved from a keepsake novel to a creed ¨C one that he happily brandished in a leather pouch in place of the grimoire that he never had. To him, the work of fiction had a far greater power than any that a mage''s spell book could produce.


    "This is a novel that my god-father wrote during his time in war. My parents actually named me after the main character." He smiled lightly. Four thousand years couldn''t erase the image of his parents and godparents from his memory. "It didn''t sell well, and he followed it up by writing p.o.r.n, the perverted bastard; but I''ve always thought this novel was his masterpiece. It was the work that showed me the maturity and wisdom hidden within him."


    "I''d love to meet him one day."


    "He died a very long time ago." Lily grew visibly solemn at the statement, and Naruto immediately soothed her distress. "I don''t let it bother me that much anymore. If he saw me sulking around feeling sorry for him he''d probably turn in his grave. I try to honor his memory every moment that I can instead. He died so that peace could be attained, and I plan on following through with his legacy."


    "He sounded like a great man," she surmised.


    "You''d change your mind if you met him," Naruto joked.


    Lily chuckled. "Would you tell me what the book is about?"


    Naruto smiled, and Lily could see that it was one of the few genuine smiles that had graced his visage since he had come to the church. He began a translated reading of his favorite excerpt while Lily made herself comfortable leaning on his shoulder ¨C a platonic gesture that the two had come to enjoy together.


    Lily had soon become enamored in the tale that Naruto was weaving, finding a numbing comfort in the rhythmic rise and fall of his shoulders coupled with the vibrations his voice caused throughout his chest.


    Soon his voice found the end of the passage, and the story dissipated with the breeze of the night. Perhaps that was where it should stay. Memories of ancient past weren''t for the daylight; never something to be expressed in the comfort of the sun. No, they found their home in the dark, surrounded in a cacophony of crickets and secrets.


    "You know, it''s also occurred to me that I don''t know what magic you use, either. All the powers that you''ve shown have been a mix-and-match of different magic types, and I can''t pinpoint an exact one out of any known archetype."


    Good, Naruto thought. The man had made sure to keep a reserve on his higher end techniques while under the scrutiny of the townsfolk. There had already been occasions of mages with the ability to sense magic becoming distraught with the magicless foreigner who could still cast spells. He didn''t need them to see the scope of his destructive power or to realize that he was drawing on chakra, not magic energy.


    Additionally, if the kingdom could witness the raw, carnal power that he had stored away, he was sure that a summons would be sent for him to report to the Capitol to explain his abilities, and there were simply no events following that scenario that didn''t end with his mind being searched and his immortality being discovered.


    Thus, he never risked it.


    "My magic is being a jack-of-all-trades," he teased.


    Lily chuckled a bit. He always seemed so dedicated not to discuss anything personal about himself. She wondered how somebody could become so close to her and yet so distant.


    "But how do you cast your "jack-of-all-trades" magic so efficiently without a grimoire, then?" she pressured. If this was the last night she would be with him for an unknown amount of time, she was determined to get some information out of him. She couldn''t very well claim to care so much for somebody and not know a single thing about them.


    "I don''t know," he replied. "It''s always just come naturally to me, I guess."


    Naturally, the explanation didn''t satisfy Lily in the slightest, and she found it increasingly difficult to keep her patience. Her selfish desire for answers was beginning to overcome her sense of empathy and secrecy. Perhaps her desperation clouded her politeness, but it had been a long while since she could say she had desired something with such passion; and right now, she desired answers.


    Naruto could see the childish pout forming on her face and let out a chortle, causing the younger woman to separate from his shoulder and playfully hit his arm.


    They bantered for a little while longer, and before either realized it, the sun was peeking its way through the windows of the chapel. The stained glass cast brilliant shades of color onto the walls and floors, and for a few moments, Naruto let himself be lost in the beautiful hues.


    Lily instead stared up at him with intent, examining the oceans of his eyes and the terrain of his cheeks one final time. Maybe she was trying to memorize his face, as if it was the last time she would see him. Perhaps she was afraid that the moment she blinked he would be gone, and she would be left alone at night again.


    She didn''t know herself.


    There was no explicit desire behind it. His departure wasn''t the loss of a lover or even the next chapter in a good friend''s life. It was saying goodbye to a family that she wasn''t quite ready to say goodbye to.


    Asta and Yuno''s journey was one that she had seen coming since their childhood. One that she had come to terms with. She had watched them grow from children to a.d.u.l.ts, seeing herself more as a mother-figure to them than anything else. She had raised them and recognized their journey as a necessary one for their development into a.d.u.l.thood. With Naruto, though¡­


    Naruto was a peer. A brilliant, thoughtful, charismatic man that she had incidentally latched herself onto. He made her feel grounded and safe in a world that was everything the opposite. He gave everyone in the village a figure to aspire to, and she was no exception. His advice was wise beyond his years and compassionate down to his core.


    He was funny and kind and a ray of light in a place that desperately needed one.


    She would miss him dearly. More than she could put into words.


    Without notice, she felt tears welling up, and Naruto finally looked from the colors on the walls and stared her in the eyes, seeing the strain in her mind and giving her a soft smile of understanding. A tear fell and he used his thumb to wipe it away from her cheek, only causing another to run down her other cheek.


    Lily found herself embraced in a hug whose warmth she couldn''t describe, and for the first time in a very long time, let herself cry. She wrapped her arms around his torso and held on as tight as she could, hoping that if she didn''t let go, he wouldn''t leave.


    Naruto felt the desperation in her touch and lightly stroked her head, whispering words of comfort to her. He didn''t try to stop her crying. It was something that she needed. A bittersweet end to the nights that were for only the two of them.


    The odyssey to the capital was harsh and nostalgic for Naruto. It reminded him of his treks to and from the Hidden Villages, when terrain would change abruptly and weather conditions always bordered their climates'' extremes.


    He even found the constant bickering of his two companions charming to some extent, reminded of himself and Sasuke in their youth. Though he broke up their quarrels if they ever went too far, he concluded that a healthy rivalry between the two was exactly what they needed to grow stronger.


    Hell, if it worked for Sasuke and him ¨C as horrifically dysfunctional as it was ¨C why couldn''t it work for another two of similar standing?


    Before long the dirt paths gave way to cobblestone roads as an enormous walled city bounded into view. Asta ¨C as with most things ¨C was utterly enthralled by the sight along with Yuno, who kept his expression on a much tighter leash.


    It was far different from the Leaf, yet Naruto enjoyed the familiar feeling of an energetic town ripe with patriotism and sincerity, nonetheless.


    Their journey finally came to a close when the trio entered the large brick archway of the examination arena. Once the boys had breached the inner field, things instantly took a turn for the chaotic.


    For one reason or another, the captains of the knights saw it fit to use some rare species of bird to make initial examinations of the magic levels of the prospective recruits. Within seconds, both Asta and Naruto were flocked with dozens of avians, indicating their severe lack of magic reserves. The conduct with which the birds conducted themselves, however, was the difference between night and day.


    Asta ran fervently around the arena, desperately trying to save his face and shoulders from being nicked by the birds'' beaks. It drew a small laugh from Naruto and a pitiful smile from Yuno.


    The birds flocking on the sage, however, instead perched on his shoulders and head, nuzzling into him as if seeking warmth. He surmised that it was due to his connection with nature energy, and instead of swatting them away, carefully reached into his pack and pulled a loaf of stale bread from his travel rations, tearing pieces off and letting the birds peck at them as they pleased.


    This action did not go unnoticed by a certain man in the sea of children, who, before he could make his way towards Naruto, was run into by the turbulent mass that was Asta. Within seconds, Asta was grabbed by the face and lifted into the air.


    With all eyes in the arena on Asta and the man, Naruto let ring another laugh at the expense of his companion. If this was what the capitol would be like every day, he was sure that he could come to enjoy it.


    When the commotion ended with the large man disappearing into the corridors outside of the field, a fanfare of cheers and applause erupted, drawing Naruto''s eyes from the birds on his shoulders to the seats adorning the upper deck of the seats in the colosseum. There stood nine figures, among which was the man who had disciplined Asta not moments ago.


    Most of the birds flew away at the start of the noise, leaving only those still gorging themselves on Naruto''s rations, seemingly unaware that their brethren had already evacuated. The sage took this time to have a seat on the ground, easing himself into a lotus position and still happily enjoying the company of his new friends while absentmindedly listening to what a man in the balcony was saying.


    Soon the helmeted man shouted some incantation and a hole seemed to open in the sky. From it descended the roots of a tree, which molded and perversed themselves into the shapes of brooms ¨C a single broom for each of the participants.


    After a broom was laid gently on the ground in front of him, Naruto dismissed the rest of the test after hearing the rules. He could fly, sure. Throw on his Six Paths Sage Mode and he could probably hit Mach one by the time the rest of the examinees could mount their brooms.


    Yet, he felt no need. This wasn''t the place to pull out some divine power and show his superiority over those who were testing with him. He didn''t need to outshine anybody here at the art of broom straddling.


    Rather, while the other candidates were trying to maintain what little balance they could manage in the air ¨C or, in Asta''s case, attempting to achieve liftoff ¨C he stayed seated, feeding and stroking the birds around him, content with failing this part of the examination. He had heard that the last stage was a mock battle test, and that was where his true colors would shine.


    His inactivity, however, did not go unnoticed by the Captains watching. A majority cast him aside as either a talentless wannabe, while others cursed his seeming disrespect for the sacred rite that was being administered to him.


    Only three Captains had no such thoughts, all watching him speculatively in their own right.


    How is it those birds are so passive towards him? I already know he has little to no magic power, but shouldn''t they be attacking him rather than coddling him? William thought.


    How is this child so content with completely blowing the first part of the exam? Charlotte thought.


    I wanna fight this guy, Yami thought.


    There was something about him, Yami saw, that none of the other potential recruits had. Though he looked carefree, his guard was up. The blonde''s hand was constantly hovering a pouch on his right thigh, which the captain assumed contained some type of weapon. Furthermore, if the other captains looked closer, they could see the boy''s eyes constantly darting around the arena. What he was searching for one could only guess, but somehow, Yami knew.


    Escape routes, strategic points, evacuation plans. He sized each and every one of us up the moment he laid eyes on us. Our physical capabilities, blind spots, fighting styles based on physicality. He has the fortitude of a seasoned veteran.


    Yami took the last drag of his cigarette, flicked it on the floor and stomped it out. He formed a relaxed smile and let the smoke billow through his teeth with the exhales of a chuckle.


    This kid is something else, I can already tell.


    Naruto soon sent the birds away, with the test ending poorly for both he and Asta. Soon many other tests followed.


    Shooting magic into a brick wall? Naruto didn''t think he had many techniques that would suffice for the task without obliterating a large chunk of the floor as well.


    Hitting moving targets? He sent out a few kunai which all hit bullseye, but he could tell it wasn''t quite what the captains were looking for.


    Create a small figure with magic? A little wood style would''ve done the trick, but he didn''t need them to think he was related to that tree-magic user in anyway. So, Naruto piled up some small rocks into a small tower, excitedly showing Asta and Yuno how high he could get it until it toppled to the ground with the placement of a small pebble at the apex.


    The trio laughed a bit at the antics, much to the dismay of many of the captains watching. Still, Naruto was happy to give Asta a bit of relief from the frustration he was surely going through.


    Finally, the last test was announced. A mock battle between participants to ascertain their fighting capabilities. Naruto took a look at both Yuno and Asta. Yuno held his calm demeanor well, most likely entirely confident in his capabilities. Naruto was certain that whoever was unfortunate enough to fight the kid would regret it for the next few days.


    He felt the same for Asta but looking at the boy told a different story than Yuno''s confidence. He must have been shell-shocked at his lack of ability in all of the previous tests. It was most certainly draining whatever poise he had regarding his capabilities.


    Naruto took the opportunity to put his arm around Asta''s shoulder and whisper closely into his ear.


    "Listen to me, Asta. You''ve been preparing your whole life for this moment. You know as well as I do that with your physical prowess and that sword of yours, you''d mop the floor with any of these chumps. So, stick your chest out, keep your head up, and wipe those smug looks off of everyone''s faces, alright?"


    Asta looked over at Naruto and his defeated face became a feral grin. He nodded sharply, his confidence coming back to him, and he entered the arena for his bout.


    And what a slaughter it was. Just as Naruto had predicted, Asta took the kid out in a single hit, erasing all doubts about his power to any of those in attendance.


    Yuno came later, cementing his prodigal status and earning the respect he deserved from the captains.


    Soon most of the fights had ended, with Naruto standing alone in the center of the arena. The sound conclusion of the examinees was that they would rather stick with fighting the magic that they had seen during the exam than risk fighting the foreigner who could handle weapons. Even with the assurance that he had little to no magic power, an unknown threat was not one that you should jump into.


    A good conclusion in Naruto''s eyes.


    Yet, there were no more recruits to be tested save for him, and he stood relaxed, staring up at the captains, wondering what their solution for this problem would be.


    "So, uh, I wouldn''t happen to just get a freebie and pass this part, would I?" Naruto joked.


    He could tell that they didn''t find it funny, so he turned to the other participants and scanned for any willing challengers.


    "Anybody want to go again?" he asked.


    He immediately heard the sound of a wooden chair creaking as he turned to the balcony. Getting up from his seat was the man who had a run-in with Asta before the tests had begun. He towered over the rest of the captains, wearing a tattered black cloak over his dirt-ridden tank top.


    The man hopped the railing and landed with a resounding thud a few meters away from where Naruto was standing. He took a drag from a cigarette and blew the smoke, walking slow paces towards where Naruto was standing.


    "If nobody wants him, I''ll take him," Yami said.


    Most of the examinees cowered backwards in fear at the sight of the man. He protruded a dark aura, one that Naruto could compare to the killing intent of Zabuza. He was obviously trying to frighten Naruto into backing out, but with hard head like Naruto had, there was always something to prove to an opponent who thought themselves superior. Instead, Naruto gave a genuine smile at the challenge.


    Many of the captains began harsh whispers between themselves, wondering what Yami''s plan through all of this was. The whispers were cut quiet as William raised his hand. He stood from his seat and peered at the two from his perch.


    "This is quite unprecedented," the captain said. "Normally there would be another participant willing to fight again or we would have a junior knight on standby in cases of odd numbers. Yet, I''m interested to see what your answer to the provocation is, Mr.¡­?"


    "Uzumaki," Naruto replied. "Naruto Uzumaki. And yeah, I think I''d like to have a go at the big guy. He seems strong."


    Yami and William smiled at this. They both liked a guy who wouldn''t back down from a challenge, no matter how insurmountable the odds.


    William sat back down. "Then I see no reason to deny this request. Yami, don''t hurt the boy too much."


    "Sure thing," Yami replied grinning.


    The combatants both turned to face each other, both eager to cross fists.


    Naruto raised his voice. "I can tell that''s a nice katana you have strapped to your waist. Wanna go with just swords for a bit?"


    Yami would''ve grinned harder if his face would allow it. Instead it contorted into something that looked much more sinister. Still, Naruto wasn''t lost on the sentiment. Yami nodded, unsheathing his sword and holding it to his side.


    Naruto in turn let his right hand open wide, from which an abnormally long chokuto emerged from thin air, shocking everybody in the arena. There were murmurs of spatial magic and teleportation, all of which Naruto ignored. It had been thousands of years since he had faced any sort of challenge, and while he wasn''t proud to admit it, he loved the thrill of a good battle.


    Naruto and Yami locked eyes, and when the holler cried out for them to begin, they both dashed at each other.


    From the initial speed that Yami held, Naruto could tell that he was using some type of magic to bolster his physical capabilities. Probably something similar to channeling chakra in certain body parts to augment your movement and power.


    Still, Naruto wasn''t a slacker when it came to physical conditioning, and he readily met the speed at which Yami began his assault.


    They launched into their respective patterns, with Yami aiming for powerful attacks or parries to precede them. Naruto on the other hand favored evasion, weaving between strikes to find some sort of opening; and to Yami''s credit, those openings were few and far between.


    It wasn''t just that the guy practiced. Naruto could tell this man had seen real battle. He had learned his weaknesses firsthand by way of getting wounded in a fight. He had the heart of a warrior ¨C one that had both given and received countless blows.


    But so did Naruto.


    And this man was a few millennia too early to challenge a sage.


    Twenty seconds of furious slashing had past, and Naruto was finally able to slip through the man''s guard and aim a thrust to his chest. Noticing his fault, Yami''s reflexes kicked in and his sword was suddenly coated in black magic energy, gaining speed and aiming its trajectory at Naruto''s throat.


    Feeling the sword getting closer, Naruto abandoned his attack and leapt away, landing in a crouch nearly five meters from his opponent. He looked up grinning, both excited by the fight and prideful that he had pushed the man this far. He now ascertained the purely physical capacity of the man.


    "I guess the swords only rule is off the table now?" Naruto asked.


    Instead of answering, Yami didn''t relent in his attack, sprinting forward at the ninja.


    Great battle sense. Don''t ease off the attack. If he had, I would have beaten him there, Naruto thought.


    His chokuto disappeared into his right hand again, and in its place came five kunai, each with a corked handle coated in strange black markings. He stood up lightly and waited for Yami to diminish the gap between them. When the captain was just close enough to begin his sword swing, Naruto shot the kunai into the ground, forming a tight pentagon around them both.


    Instantaneously, when Yami closed the distance between them and entered the ring of knives, Naruto disappeared in a blinding yellow flash, causing Yami to squint his eyes for a split second. In any normal fight, that split second would''ve been negligible due to the captain''s reaction time. However, in this moment, that split second was all that Naruto needed to secure his victory.


    The minute the flash erupted Yami felt a boot collide with his left temple. Once the impact had set, he immediately felt another shot straight in the solar plexus. Another in the right cheek. A knife cut through his arm. A fist to the ribs. A roundhouse to the back. An uppercut. Finally, a kick to the back of the leg forced him to a knee, which brought his head right to the level of a haymaker that sent him barreling across the field into the brick wall.


    He slammed to the ground in a heap, trying to register just what the hell had happened. He painfully turned his head to where he was just standing and saw Naruto gingerly picking up the knives that he had thrown into the ground. Once finished securing them, he made his way over to the man he had just pummeled, and in a show of respect, offered a hand for Yami to get up with.


    Yami eyed the smiling man standing above him, in absolute disbelief at what had just occurred. One minute he was poised to strike a lethal blow, and the next minute he was fifty feet away in a crater of the boy''s making.


    He couldn''t help but laugh. The man let out a hysterical fit of laughter as he took the boys hand to get himself up. His laughter was occasionally disrupted by grunts of pain, and when he fumbled due to the strain on his legs, Naruto helped him steady himself, smiling while looking up at the captain.


    "So does this mean I pass?"


    Yami laughed harder at that. He had Naruto help him turn to the balcony and look up at the rest of the Captains. When his laughter died, all that was left was a smile far brighter than any of his comrades had seen him make.


    "I want this kid," Yami said.


    Many of the captains still sat in disbelief at what had transpired. The only evidence that anything had happened in the last stretch of the fight were a few seconds of blinding golden light followed by Yami being catapulted into the side of the arena.


    Fuegoleon was the first to voice his disbelief.


    "Did that boy just beat Yami?"


    Muttered words of ''There''s no way'' and ''I can''t believe it'' were traded between the captains as William stood from his seat. While his composure was that of a usual stoic commander, his inner thoughts were a turmoil of confusion and attempts at figuring out what the hell this kid just did.


    There were very few things that registered in his eye during the final confrontation. He knew that there were multiple flashes of the golden light, each followed by Yami receiving a devastating blow. The amount of power to send Yami hurdling away must have been tremendous ¨C an even more surprising feat given the absolute lack of magic power the boy was deemed to have.


    He collected his thought as best he could and raised his voice to make announcements.


    "The winner of the final match is Naruto Uzumaki! Now, if all participants would gather in the center of the arena so that we may give you our placement offerings."


    While the participants entered the arena ¨C most keeping their distance from the blond-haired monstrosity who just demolished a seasoned veteran ¨C a boy suddenly erupted from the corridors under the stadium seating, sprinting over to Yami.


    "Captain Yami! Are you okay?" he yelled.


    Nearing the pair of fighters, the boy took Yami from Naruto, letting him lean on his shoulder for support. Naruto stayed put as the guy took Yami into the corridors again, either for medical treatment or to take him back to the balcony for the placements.


    While disappearing into the darkened hallways, Yami gave a wave to Naruto over his shoulder.


    "That was fun, kid. Let''s do it again next time when I don''t go easy on ya."


    Naruto chuckled at that. "Anytime old man. I haven''t kicked someone''s ass like that in a while."


    Yami muttered something inaudible under his breath and he soon dispersed into the halls, reappearing on the balcony of the stadium as the boy with him helped him into his seat.


    Every captain was staring at him, expecting some sort of inane excuse as to why he lost a physical battle ¨C his specialty ¨C to a boy barely out of his teens.


    Yami, however, wasn''t one for excuses at that point. When he realized he had the attention of each of his peers, he gave an exasperated sigh, leaning back into his chair as easily as he could to dull the pain.


    "What do you want?" he asked rhetorically. "The kid was just that good."


    The group grew even more distraught at learning that this wasn''t just some ploy where Yami had taken it incredibly easy on his opponent. Before they could launch into a barrage of questions, Yami silenced them with another thought.


    "I''ve never met somebody who could completely overwhelm me like that. I didn''t lose because I did poorly. Hell, I got serious the minute I felt his first sword blow. I lost because that Naruto brat is leagues ahead of me in terms of physical combat."


    "But just what was that power that he used?" Charlotte asked.


    Yami narrowed his eyebrows. "I have no clue. One moment I had him, the next I was on the ground and hurting bad. Feel free to go see for yourself," he added.


    With the discourse dying down in the box, the selection began. Many prospects received no offers from a squad. Some received one. Even fewer received more than that.


    Naruto grew excited for Yuno when he got his choice of whatever squad he wanted and was equally as elated when Asta received an offer from the man that Naruto had beaten. They had finally achieved the first steps of their dreams, and he was thrilled to be able to witness each of them coming into their own.


    When Naruto had stepped into the center of the arena for one final time, he could feel the eyes of each individual in the premises boring into him. William hesitated for a moment, then finally raised his voice.


    "Number 166!"


    Each captain shot their hand upward with blinding speed. It surprisingly took Naruto a little off-guard. He had expected offers from most ¨C if not, all ¨C of the captains, but the enthusiasm with which they were pursuing him was quite astonishing.


    Still, without having known who would give him offers, he didn''t put too much thought into who he would join. Now that he had his pick, he was able to narrow it down to two options.


    The whole plan to fix the aristocracy could very well ride on whatever choice he made here. So he had to consider which story would read better to the masses: an unknown foreign commoner rising through the ranks of the Golden Dawn to become a prominent figure in society, washing away the prejudices as to what a commoner could achieve; or an unknown foreign commoner joining the misfit ranks of the Black Bulls, helping to raise the Bulls'' reputation from a squad of nobodies to the most elite force in the kingdom.


    Now that he thought about it, the answer was quite obvious to him.


    He gave a smile as he yelled to the captains. "Thanks for all the offers guys but I think I''m going to have to go with-"


    His sentence was cut short as a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder.


    "Now now, Mr. Uzumaki. I wouldn''t be too hasty with your choice."


    Audible gasps quelled the silence that once dominated the arena. Naruto turned to look at the man who had interrupted him, standing face to face with a figure he thought he wouldn''t meet for at least another few months.


    "Lord Julius?" Naruto commented. "I wasn''t aware that the standing Wizard King presided over the recruitment exams."


    Julius gave an innocent smile and a look into Naruto''s eyes that read: You know exactly why I''m here.


    "Well usually they wouldn''t. However, I heard of some special talent beating a Captain in a duel and thought that I''d come have a private chat with the young man."


    He gestured towards the exit of the arena.


    "Why don''t you come with me and we can talk a bit before you decide which squad to join."


    Naruto didn''t have much reason to hesitate other than the worries of government officials searching through his mind. He opted against his qualms, however, electing that a one-on-one chat with the current most powerful wizard wouldn''t be an unwelcome experience to elevate his current standing.


    "Sure thing," Naruto replied, following the man from the center of the field, only leaving those in attendance more confused, more shocked, and more enviable.


    A comment from Yami gave concrete sound to the thought that every person was working their head around.


    "What the hell was up with that?"

 Chapter 483 - My SI Stash #83 - Gamer of Light by Dreadrot (Multicross)

    -First chapter in and we get a Cautious Hero reference, gotta love it~


    Synopsis: A warrior of the light in a world overrun with the creatures of dark, I got this easy. Gamer/Semi-SI/OC


    Rated: M


    Words: 13K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13796276/1/Gamer-of-Light (Dreadrot)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    I wake up surrounded by darkness in all directions. Confused and scared about my current situation, I feel my heart start to race as I begin to a deep breath to calm myself. Well, it kinda feels like I did. There does not seem to be any air around me, but I am able to breathe without any difficulty. Checking my surroundings again to ensure that I''m still in this strange abyss."Well this isn''t good."


    Welcome to the game!


    "Nevermind this is perfectly acceptable." I respond to the screen floating in front of me.


    I see you already have an understanding of what is currently happening.


    "Yeah, you''re one of those multiverse hopping, power gathering, waifu collecting game system thingies right?"


    Yes, but I dislike being referred to as a ''thingy''. I am the game.


    "Sorry, but I also don''t want to just call you the game. Do you mind if I give you an actual name? How about¡­ Index?"


    Index yes, that is acceptable. Even with your understanding of the current situation, it is surprising how quickly you are accepting it.


    "Well I spend the majority of my time watching anime or reading fanfics similar to this scenario and now I am given the chance to live that life. Why wouldn''t I jump at a chance to? So now onto what, character creation?"


    Your appearance, name, starter world and background have all been preselected.


    "What! Why... and by who?"


    All this pregame stuff takes too much time, so now new gamers are provided with a preset that a senior gamer has made, but the plus side is that you still get to choose your class.


    "I don''t see how it''s fair that I get to name you but not myself but whatever, show me the classes."


    All current available classes are separated into these for categories.


    [Warrior][Rogue][Mage][Support]


    I''m sure the warrior and rogue classes are cool and all, but I didn''t die and become a gamer to not use magic of some kind. Wait, did I die, I remember my past life, but I don''t remember dying?


    You didn''t die, you were just picked at random and brought here. Typically, memories of a previous gamers life are redacted to make the transition easier, but given your complete acceptance of your current situation, that won''t be necessary for you.


    Well you''re not wrong. I want to use magic but pure damage casters are generally too squishy for my tastes but maybe a caster with heals. I have always loved playing healers, so let''s see what support classes I can pick from.


    [Bard][Druid][Priest][Paladin]][Scholar]


    Based on my experiences with MMOs, both Druid and Paladin can be tanky, but they can also use magic. but for the druid I might have to take animal forms to use some of my magic and depending on what world I go to that could be very noticeable so I''ll give it a pass for now and that leaves me with.


    Class selected


    [Paladin]


    Gain 1 STR, 1 VIT, 1 INT, 1 WIS, 1 CHA and 5 selectable stat points per Lvl


    That''s a nice stats spread. If I chose a warrior or priest, I would have gained more STR and VIT, or INT and WIS respectively, but with a paladin, I gain a bit of almost everything every level and five more to put them where I want.


    Skill Gained


    [Gamers Mind] (Passive)


    Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through.


    Immunity to mental status effects.


    Skill Gained


    [Gamers Body] (Passive)


    Grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game.


    Skill Gained


    [Observe] (Active)


    A skill to find the target''s information.


    There goes the staple gamer skills.


    Skill Gained


    [Crusader''s strike](Active)


    Strike with a light-infused weapon that deals double damage to creatures of the dark.


    15MP per use


    Skill Gained


    [Holy Shock](Active)


    Hit with a burst of light damaging an enemy does double damage to creatures of the dark.


    30MP per use


    Well those two spells look familiar. What world am I going to? Is it warcraft?


    No, there are a number of skills and items that have been implemented from many worlds into your system. You will find out your starting world soon. First, check your stats by saying or thinking stats.


    "Ok but before that [properties]"


    Achievement unlocked


    [Overly Cautious]


    Skill Gained


    [EXP Boost](Passive)


    Increase the amount of EXP gained from all sources by 25%.


    How did you know there were achievements? I didn''t even know there were achievements.


    I didn''t, it was more of a joke, but I got something from it so I''m onto [stats].


    Rain


    Level ¨C 1


    Class ¨C Paladin Lvl 1/100 [0%]


    Race ¨C Faunus(Shark)


    HP ¨C 100 [10 per minute]


    MP ¨C 100 [10 per minute]


    AP ¨C 200 [10 per minute]


    STR ¨C 10


    VIT ¨C 10


    DEX ¨C 10


    INT ¨C 10


    WIS ¨C 10


    CHA ¨C 10


    LCK ¨C 10


    HP=VITx10


    HP REGEN=VIT


    MP=INTx10


    MP REGEN=WIS


    AP=VITx20


    AP REGEN=VIT


    Rain is not a bad name and a Shark Faunus makes it clear where I''m going. Remnant is a good starter world, the power ceiling is pretty low if you don''t count the brother gods. Salem is the biggest threat, but she''s mostly just a human with a strong healing factor or close enough to it, whose only real offensive power is her army of grimm I think.


    It''s a really good power when Grimm have control over majority of the planet


    True, but she doesn''t leave the Grimmlands until later I think, so I hopefully won''t have to deal with her directly for a while. But I''m getting ahead of myself. I haven''t even gotten out of this abyss yet, so now what?


    The final thing you have to do is roll for perks


    For each random perk you will gain a flaw you may do this twice.


    Seems fair I guess let''s do this first one then.


    Perk Gained


    [Healing hands]


    Increase your spells'' healing power up to 100% based on how low your target is.


    Flaw Gained


    [Dry skin]


    As an aquatic faunus, you must submerge yourself in water every 24 hours or your Maximum HP will decrease by 10% every day until you do so.


    This is good, as my healing can nearly double the lower someone''s HP is. Though submerging myself in water everyday might be difficult for me depending on where I am. I would need to stay away from any deserts like areas.


    Perk gained


    [One Light in the Dark]


    When fighting at least one enemy who has the dark attribute, one random stat is increased by 50% for the duration of the battle.


    Flaw gained


    [Selfless Healer]


    You cannot heal yourself if an ally nearby has a lower HP% than you.


    What does it mean by having a dark attribute?


    Anything that has dark or shadow related in origin or powers.


    That includes the Grimm, right? This perk is incredible for where I''m going, but that flaw seems irritating. I need to keep an eye on the HP of others'' I''m around, otherwise my ability to sustain myself will be lost. Are there any ways to get rid of the flaws?


    As you play the game you''ll discover multiple ways to remove, replace and earn new perks and flaws.


    Well, at least I''m not stuck with them forever, but gaining more flaws is something I would preferably avoid.


    Now that all of the setup is completed, world transfer initialization will commence in.


    3.


    2.


    1.


    A bright light engulfs my vision, forcing me to shut my eyes. The distant sounds of random birds are the first things I notice when my senses start to return to me. I blink away the spots in my eyes and take in my surroundings. Around me are many trees, bushes, and a rather large lake. It appears that I''m in a forest. I stagger over to the lake, not being accustomed to my new body. Moving closer and gazing at my reflection. White shoulder-length hair that fades to mint green at the tips, tan skin, and forest green eyes stare back at me in shock.


    "I''m a child! Why am I a freaking child"


    You have been de-aged to more closely match the ages of the protagonist of this world.


    "Weren''t RWBY all like seventeen?" well ruby was like a year or two younger but close enough. "I look around ten."


    Correct you are well at least your body is that of a ten year old the same as a majority of team RWBY at the present time.


    "They are all around this age right now? So I''m like what seven years before cannon. Why?"


    Seven years two months and four days to be exact. And why is because in your world settings it was set to start you several years before cannon.


    "Ah yes, the settings I had no say in. Delightful!"" I look back down at my reflection. I don''t really mind my new appearance. I''ve always been fond of characters with tan skin at white hair even though mine is slightly greenish. I smiled and was greeted by a mouthful of jagged, shark-like teeth. "Well I discovered my faunus trait."I open my mouth and poke the end of a tooth. "Can I even chew normally with these? I don''t even have any molars, they are all just sharp." Well i''ll figure it out whenever I get some food, actually do I even need to eat?


    Yes you do require both food and sleep


    Ah, this isn''t one of those gamer systems where I can just grind all day and night without nonstop, too bad. Speaking of grinding, where is my ID create?


    You will not be obtaining that skill, it was disabled due to the amount of time you have before cannon begins. The senior gamers believed it would take away from your ''enjoyment'' of this world if you had seven years to grind dungeons.


    If they cared about my enjoyment they would be aware that I would be perfectly fine with being overpowered as soon as possible but I guess I don''t really have a choice in the matter do I. "So do I what, just kill grimm and do quests? Speaking of quests, shouldn''t I have gotten one by now?"


    Killing anything can grant you EXP animals, people not just grimm and here you go.


    [Quest: Lost and alone]


    Objective - Find your way out of this forest and to civilization.


    Reward - 1000 EXP


    Okay I don''t like how Index casually implies that I should murder someone for EXP, but I know that I''ll have to fight and probably kill another person at some point; at least I''ll get something from it. "Where am I anyway?"


    Your location is a random forest in anima.


    That''s... Somewhat helpful at least I know what continent I''m on. Seeing that I''m not going to get a more detailed answer I start walking in a random direction.


    After walking for nearly an hour in near silence I hear some rustling in the distance. Not wanting to approach whatever is making this noise unprepared "Index there are grimm in this forest right?"


    We are on Remnant, there are Grimm in every forest.


    I look down at myself to see a faded orange shirt, some worn black jeans and surprisingly new tennis shoes.


    "Index, do I get a weapon or something?"


    Check your inventory.


    Oh right, inventory forgot I Have one of those¡­ "How do I check my inventory?"


    Think about bringing up an inventory menu you should be able to see all your items in your mind.


    I could see two items in my head.


    [Basic short sword]


    A one handed sword perfect for any beginner gamer.


    [Basic shield]


    A simple round shield perfect for any beginner gamer.


    Thinking of the two pieces of equipment they appeared before me, the sword in my right hand and the shield strapped to the arm of the other. Looking over them both they are made of some type of iron I think, I don''t know much about metals to be honest. The sword is around one and a half feet long with a silver scabbard and a simple oval crossguard with a dark wrapping around the grip.


    The round shield is nearly two feet in diameter with a cross pattern covering the outer side.


    Now readying myself for battle I walk forward closer to the sounds I look into the clearing head to see my first opponent. Wandering about on two hind limbs with a mostly bulky body, but a rather stumpy head. A white and red mask covering the upper portion of its face with matching spikes protruding along its back all the way to the tip of its tail. An intimidating figure it would paint if not for it only being about three feet in height..


    Creep


    Race: Grimm


    Level 1


    HP ¨C 200/200


    VIT ¨C 20


    STR ¨C 20


    DEX ¨C 15


    INT ¨C 5


    WIS ¨C 5


    LUK ¨C 5


    Wow that is a small creep, but it has twice my health. Do grimms have better stats per level than humans, or rather faunus in my case?


    Each different type of grimm can have different stat modifiers; creeps are the weakest.


    I don''t want to risk fighting it in melee while I''m still only level one and with the amount of mana I have three [Holy Shock]''s and a [crusader strike] will kill it. I feel that I can cast [Holy shock] from some distance. I prepare the spell and fire it into the clearing, hitting the creep.


    [One Light in the Dark]


    +50% INT


    Quickly casting the spell two more times the grimms HP hits zero and starts to disintegrate.


    +100 EXP (+25)


    +10 Lien


    Level up!


    HP, AP and MP restored.


    I forgot about that perk already, well it made it faster to kill that creep and did it just drop money? Lien is the name of the money in RWBY right?


    Yes all creatures have a chance to drop Lien.


    Well that''s convenient. I''m surprised the ''senior gamers'' didn''t want me to also have a nine to five givin all the other things they set up for me to deal with.


    Pulling up my stat screen now that I have leveled


    Rain


    Level ¨C 2


    Class ¨C Paladin Lvl 2/100 [24%]


    Race ¨C Faunus(Shark)


    HP ¨C 120 [12 per minute]


    MP ¨C 120 [12 Per minute]


    AP ¨C 240 [12 per minute]


    STR ¨C 12


    VIT ¨C 12


    DEX ¨C 10


    INT ¨C 12


    WIS ¨C 12


    CHA ¨C 12


    LCK ¨C 10 Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=15819206506160005)/my-si-stash-83---gamer-of-light-by-dreadrot-(multicross)_%!d(string=51517727478707999) for visiting.


    "First kill, first level up, not a bad start to my adventure." sticking to my strengths for now I''m going to just put my bonus points into my main paladin stats.


    I turn around at another rustling noise coming from behind me to catch another creep closing the distance between us.


    [One Light in the Dark]


    +50% VIT


    I''m only able to fire off two [Holy Shocks] before it enters melee range. Raising my shield in front of me the grimm opens its maw and clamps down on it. This creep is bigger than the last matching my height at around four or so feet at a guess.


    Creep


    Race: Grimm


    Level 3


    HP ¨C 156/300


    VIT ¨C 30


    STR ¨C 25


    DEX ¨C 20


    INT ¨C 5


    WIS ¨C 5


    LUK ¨C 5


    I hack at the grimm with two [crusader strikes]. It loses its grip on my shield and stumbles to the side. A final [holy shock] finishes it off before it can regain its footing.


    +150 EXP (+38)


    Level up!


    HP, AP and MP restored


    Skill Gained


    [Avenger''s shield](Active)


    Hurl your shield at an enemy, bouncing it off of them, with a 50% chance to stun for 2 seconds. The shield will then return near you.


    80AP per use


    "Oh snap, gonna throw around my shield like freaking Captain America." It can also stun, but it consumes some of my aura, so I have to be careful how often I use it until I can up the amount I have.


    Rain


    Level ¨C 3


    Class ¨C Paladin Lvl 3/100 [21%]


    Race ¨C Faunus(Shark)


    HP ¨C 140 [14 per minute]


    MP ¨C 140 [14 per minute]


    AP ¨C 280 [14 per minute]


    STR ¨C 14


    VIT ¨C 14


    DEX ¨C 10


    INT ¨C 14


    WIS ¨C 14


    CHA ¨C 14


    LCK ¨C 10


    Two kill two levels, let''s keep the tempo going.


    I spent several hours exploring, fighting grimm and leveling a few more times. Getting my first item drop and learning my first healing skill. I came across a trail that led me out of the forest and onto the road I am currently traveling.


    [Holy Light](Active)


    Heal yourself or another with light.


    50MP per use


    [Greedy Grimm Scarf]


    A monochrome scarf that increases the chance for lien to drop from grimm.


    Rain


    Level ¨C 8


    Class ¨C Paladin Lvl 8/100 [12%]


    Race ¨C Faunus(Shark)


    HP ¨C 240 [24 per minute]


    MP ¨C 240 [24 per minute]


    AP ¨C 480 [24 per minute]


    STR ¨C 24


    VIT ¨C 24


    DEX ¨C 10


    INT ¨C 24


    WIS ¨C 24


    CHA ¨C 24


    LCK ¨C 10


    I have not needed to heal myself yet. I''ve taken some damage while fighting more than one grimm at a time, but I just leveled up and my health and aura would return to full. However, the item is great. I have collected almost two hundred lien, which I think is decent since I''m not quite sure what the value of a lein is.


    1 Lien is about the same value as 1 USD.


    Ah, well I have almost two hundred bucks then. My musing comes to a halt where in the distance I can see a village.


    "Finally, I can get some food supplies and a rest," I speed up my walking as I approach the village. When the sounds of the village nearing start to increase as I approach I pull my scarf over the bottom half of my face attempting to conceal my mouth. Remembering that many places don''t treat faunus well. I can conceal my teeth and if they''re not welcoming I can just grab what supplies I need and leave without anyone knowing.


    Standing at the entryway of the village and looking at the sign above me. "Kuroyuri Village, lets hope I can get what I need without any trouble."

 Chapter 484 - My Original Stash #84 - Possessing Nothing by Mogma

    -A literal mob who was lucky enough to be a Regressor. Thankfully he''ll get over the Mob Phase and he''ll become the Chad he was meant to be/


    Synopsis: C-class mercenary. Started as a No Class, possessing nothing.


    13 years of survival in the depths of the ditches.


    I''ve managed to return to the beginning, but¡­


    Rated: M


    Words: ???


    Posted on: novelupdates.com/series/possessing-nothing/comment-page-3/?pg=14 (Mogma)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    When one pondered over it, the circ.u.mstances surrounding human birth were indeed absurd and unfair.


    One could be born holding a golden spoon.


    Just because of their luck, they were created from the s.p.e.r.m of a loaded b*stard. Just because they were lucky, they were conceived from the egg of a filthy rich b*tch. Effort? It could only be called effort if wagging their tails faster than other s.p.e.r.ms was considered to be an act of effort.


    Others might be gifted with an extraordinary talent; one that could forge a clay spoon into a spoon crafted from gold if the chance to do so arose.


    The inequity of human birth was the same in this world as well. One might be apt to walk down the path of martial arts, while another could be born with a flair for magic. The point being: disparities between the fellow people were distinct since birth.


    Me?


    I had absolutely nothing.


    [The ''Stone of Past Life'' has been activated.]


    [The ''Stone of the Past Life'' cannot be activated again.]


    [You will return to the starting line from 13 years ago.]


    Chapter 1


    "You''re from another world, aren''t you?"


    A passerby called out to a boy. The boy was standing in the middle of the street, gazing into thin air. It felt... familiar, if that was the accurate way to describe this feeling. It was almost as if he had missed it.


    The boy blinked slowly before he realized that the passerby''s words were directed at him.


    "Wh, what?"


    "Tsk, tsk! I understand that you''re fl.u.s.tered, but you need to remain alert and stay on your toes. otherworlders like you may be common here, but it doesn''t mean that this city will be kind to the likes of you."


    "...No way..."


    Chaos reigned in his mind. The boy''s attempt to search through his memories was in vain and it only resulted in the onslaught of a vicious headache. He dropped down, groaning loudly. The man was fl.u.s.tered by the boy''s actions and offered his hand to him for support.


    "What''s wrong? Are you sick?"


    "Ah, no. It''s just a mild headache..." The boy answered while clutching his head with both hands. The memories that had previously been locked away flooded his mind like a tsunami. The boy gasped loudly. As he took in a deep breath, his body began to tremble.


    "...Genavis?"


    "Huh? What? I thought you were an otherworlder?"


    The man''s face was etched with bewilderment as the boy murmured a name, Genavis. The City of Beginnings. The city where the summoned otherworlders first arrived at.


    "...What in the world happened to me?" The boy blankly stared down at his hands. They were¡­ small. All the callouses that should have been built up on his palms were gone. No, it wasn''t just that. His line of sight was lower than usual. Which meant¡­ he had become shorter. The boy hastily raised his hands and rubbed his face all over.


    His palms came into contact with nothing but soft, smooth skin; the scars that had covered his face were gone. He immediately threw his hands down and lifted up his shirt.


    Nothing. No defined abs, no scars, nothing.


    "...Are you sure you''re alright?" The man looked genuinely concerned, since all he could see was a young boy who had been standing dumbly, suddenly stripping off his clothes.


    "...What year is it right now?" Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=15819206506160005)/my-original-stash-84---possessing-nothing-by-mogma_%!d(string=51581309352473010) for visiting.


    "What?"


    "In the Erian calendar, what year is it?"


    "...1103."


    The man answered tepidly. 1103 Eria. There was no doubt about it now. He had returned to the past.


    *


    Eria. He himself had no idea about what this bloody world was. However, this world had summoned various people from all dimensions - otherworlders - to itself. 13 years ago, Lee Sungmin was suddenly summoned to Eria without any reason.


    NO CLASS.


    13 years ago, when he was summoned as an otherworlder to the continent of Eria, that was the class bestowed upon him. No Class- in other words- meant that the host was a blank page; able to learn anything with a special growth bonus. In a way, it was quite a "fair" rule, since some had trained in martial arts long before they were summoned to Eria, and others in magic.


    But in reality, No Class possessed nothing. They hadn''t trained themselves in martial arts nor did they study magic in the past. If they hadn''t been summoned to Eria, then they would''ve been destined to live normal lives without an inkling of knowledge regarding the existence of such skills and techniques.


    In short, No Class referred to the absolutely normal and mundane.


    Before he returned to the past, Lee Sungmin survived for 13 years on Eria as a No Class. He didn''t show any outstanding abilities, yet he proved that he wasn''t one to be taken lightly.


    Nevertheless, he died.


    It was an insignificant death. Lee Sungmin mused as he leaned against the wall of an alleyway. Yes, it was a worthless death, that was certain. As long as you started as a No Class, your limits were clear as day; no matter how much of a blank page you were and possessing the ability to learn anything, how could you learn when there wasn''t anything to learn in the first place?


    Some people were summoned to Eria with full command over unrivaled martial techniques. Even more people started while possessing first-rate magical abilities. No Classes- without any learnt abilities to speak of- started at a fundamentally different level when compared to them. Even if they may have all started at Genavis, while Lee Sungmin, a No Class fought low-class monsters tooth and nail in a desperate attempt to not die, the others breezed by, slaughtering monsters left and right.


    ''...Stone of the Past Life.''


    He racked his brain for any remnants of past memories. He was certain that he had heard such a phrase before he came to.


    ''No way.''


    A memory flickered brightly. It was regarding a dungeon he had entered while shouting ''How lucky I am!''.


    Lee Sungmin had met his death in that very dungeon. The disappointment he felt when he opened the first treasure box he encountered and found nothing but a small stone was still vivid.


    Nothing had happened even when he tried using Appraisal. He had contemplated on chucking it, but decided to keep it and show it to a professional Appraiser later, hoping for a possibly different conclusion.


    ''Stone of the Past Life¡­ haha! I thought I was just an unlucky idiot, but I guess it turned out that I have some luck, after all.''


    His memories were becoming clearer by the second. The Stone of the Past Life could not be activated again. That voice remained strikingly vivid in his memories. Which meant that him returning to this life was a stroke of luck; Fortune had smiled on him for the first and last time.


    ''Statistics.''


    Name: Lee Sungmin


    Occupation: NO CLASS


    Skill(s):


    None.


    Unsurprisingly the unrealistic expectations he had were shattered. He managed to return to Eria thirteen years in the past, but that was it. Neither did his occupation change, nor did he gain any skills.


    ''No. What''s important is the fact that I came back to the past and survived death.''


    He decided to look at it in a positive light. The fact that he didn''t die and returned to the past; that alone was enough. Lee Sungmin quickly pulled himself up.


    Skills that he possessed from his past life? Nothing much, really. The idiots who commanded unparalleled martial arts skills rarely taught others. And, whatever Scrolls containing martial arts secrets that popped up once in a blue moon were far too expensive for Lee Sungmin; and that went for magic as well.


    That being the case, the skills that Lee Sungmin was able to learn in his past life were all within the limits of his wallet. Second-rate, at best. They were skills that he had taught himself strenuously over the course of 13 years, surely, but he felt no regrets over their disappearance.


    No, he actually preferred his current state as a renewed blank page without any learned skills. And, the 13 years worth of memories from Lee Sungmin''s past life. Not all of them were clear, but he still remembered the events worth remembering.


    "Hey. You alright?"


    The man who had assisted Sungmin lie against a wall leaned over him. Sungmin lifted himself up and bowed slightly in reply. Genavis. Like the man said, this city was where all the otherworlders initially arrived, but it wasn''t a kind city to the likes of them.


    That was why Sungmin felt a sense of gratitude towards the man. Even though he was aware that Lee Sungmin was an otherworlder, he at least showed him a minimal amount of hospitality.


    "I am alright."


    "...That''s good. Here you go. I brought you some water."


    Smiling, the man handed over a water bottle, which Sungmin accepted with both hands.


    "Thank you."


    "No problem. People gotta help each other out. You''re a No Class, right? I could tell when I saw you, you know. No Class¡­ it''ll be hard to adjust here. You''ll be going through some tough times, that''s for sure."


    The man looked at Sungmin with pity; it was a common attitude towards No Class. As they were hopelessly unprepared, it would take a near miracle for a No Class to survive on this godforsaken continent of Eria.


    "You''re right." Sungmin murmured as he brought the bottle to his lips.


    Lee Sungmin gave thanks for the intact memories of his past life. The ''experience'' that Sungmin held would become a powerful weapon, especially for ''these kinds of moments''. There was a faint, fishy smell from the water that he would otherwise not have noticed, if not for his cautious stance. However, it was only suspicion, for now. He opened his lips to let a very small amount of water to slip past.


    It cut sharply against the edge of his tongue. It was fine, though; as long as he didn''t swallow, the poison would have no effect. Genavis, this city. It had gotten the best of me plenty of times 13 years ago.


    "Pfft!" Lee Sungmin spat out the water he had been holding in his mouth at the man''s face. The man, who had been eagerly waiting for Sungmin to drink up, made a startled noise. "Uwack!"


    The otherworlders that make a sudden arrival in Genavis are easy prey for its residents, especially the No Class who have no skills to speak of. What if he had drank the water? His body would have been paralyzed. And then? He might have been sold to a dark magician or a slave trader.


    It would not have been good, that''s for sure.


    "Wha, what are you doing?!"


    "Same to you."


    There was a lesson he had learned the hard way while leaving in Eria for 13 years. Never trust anyone readily. He''s not saying that all the otherworlders who come from all kinds of dimensions are bad. But it definitely does not mean that they''re all good.


    This place is filled with idiots who aren''t above stabbing others in the back for their profit.


    The man was m.o.a.ning painfully; the paralysis poison had gotten into his eyes. Nothing deadly, no, but it would be impossible for him to open his eyes anytime soon. Lee Sungmin rolled up his fists and ran full-force at the man.


    Even though he possessed no skills, his past experiences made it possible for him to use his body aggressively. It was a pitiful thing, the body from 13 years back, v.i.r.g.i.n to any and all incidents, but Lee Sungmin had experience. He threw his fist at the man''s neck, and with a dull thud, the man''s jaws dropped. Sungmin then lifted his knee to strike the man''s groin.


    "Ahhhck!"


    Although the strength of a kid was pretty feeble, one hit at a man''s c*ck was enough to bring him down. His balls might have exploded, but Sungmin couldn''t care less. He followed up with a hard kick at the sprawled man''s head.


    Blood spurted out from the man''s mouth. Sungmin kicked the man''s head a few more times before stopping himself. He drank in breaths greedily; even this bit of exertion was straining in this body.


    "What a f*cking city." He spat, rummaging through the unconscious man''s body finding a hidden dagger in his bosom and a wallet. It wasn''t much, but it would do for the time being.


    Hold on. Lee Sungmin pondered whether he should let the man live or not. The answer was obvious, of course. Things would become troublesome if ever should he come back for revenge.


    The Lee Sungmin of 13 years ago was nowhere near familiar with ''murder''. The Lee Sungmin at that time was a normal 14-year-old middle schooler, whose only experience of killing consisted of things like ants, c.o.c.kroaches, and flies.


    That was the mental weakness that crippled most No Class.


    But not Lee Sungmin. Sungmin drove the knife through the man''s chest without hesitation, sticking it in between his ribs, stabbing his the heart.


    It was one less annoyance to look forward to.

 Chapter 485 - My SI Stash #85 - Gamer of the Void by a-shifty-sword (Multicross)

    -Aika lowkey kinda the baddest from DxD/ I do be getting Emergence vibes from her appearance tho!


    Synopsis: After being rescued from the Void by a passing Love Fairy, Axton enters the world of Highschool DxD with the power of the Gamer. His life of adventures and a s.e.xy harem start here! Lemons and a morally grey protagonist.


    Rated: M


    Words: 238K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13714729/11/Gamer-of-the-Void (a-shifty-sword)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    Void.


    As far as I can tell, that''s where I am right now, surrounded by nothing. There''s no sensation, no thoughts, and I can''t remember how I got here. All I remember is going to bed one day and then...nothing. I''m here, wherever here is. The passage of time is impossible to track as well, so I can''t even guess how long I was here.


    But eventually I feel something, a presence approaching me. Or at least, I think it is. I can feel something from a direction I don''t have a reference for and it''s slowly getting stronger. The feeling continues to get stronger until it suddenly stops. For a while, nothing changes, but then I feel a burst of heat-


    Sensations flood into me. Like a switch has been flipped, I can suddenly see and hear and think again. Though I still don''t seem to have a body, and around me was void. Except for right in front of me, where there''s a woman in a skimpy pink outfit, pink hair, and a large pair of iridescent wings. She was a fairy, but not just any fairy. I recognized her as Kyu, the Love Fairy.


    "Aw hell yeah, I knew I could do it," Kyu exclaims as she pumps her fist. "You should be able to hear and see and talk and junk now."


    "Uhh. Hello?" I speak tentatively, unsure of my new capabilities. My voice sounds like it should to me, so with a bit more confidence I decide to ask a question. "Where am I right now? How did I get here?"


    "Good questions," she replies, nodding her head in what I could only assume she thought was a wise manner. "For the where, that''s easy. You''re in the space between realities. There''s usually not much out here. I mean, there''s not all that many people that can even enter here. So when I saw a soul just floating around in here while I was going to a new world to check out, I decided to come check it out. As for the how¡­" She shrugs. "Honestly I was going to ask you that. I don''t think I''ve ever even heard of a soul just wandering around out here."


    "The last thing I remember is going to bed," I reply while I process everything. First, the multiverse is real. Easy to accept, I was familiar enough with the idea. Second, I had somehow ended up in the space between realities. That was less easy to accept, but there wasn''t really much I could do about it, so I just stored that away for now. Third... "I had no idea Love Fairies travel the multiverse. Or is that just something you can do Kyu?"


    Kyu looks surprised. Oh right. She never introduced herself. Oh no wait now she''s looking excited why is she-


    "Oh man, you''re from one of those realities where a bunch of other realities are pieces of fiction right?" How the hell did she guess that- "You guys make the best clients ever. No hand-holding needed and you get the biggest harems. Well, if you end up in one of those ''fictional'' realities anyways. Otherwise you guys can be pretty challenging."


    I see. Well. Alright then. She''s daydreaming now. Or maybe remembering? I decide to speak up again. "I''m not sure about all that, but yeah I do recognize you from a dating sim game I played once."


    My words bring her attention back to me. "Yeah, that makes sense. And if you know me, you probably know a bunch of others as well." Her look turns thoughtful before she seems to come to a decision. "Alright, I''ll tell you what. I''m currently between clients, and I think I can help you out, so what say you and me take a multiversal trip and find some chicks to f.u.c.k?"


    Of course those are her priorities. Not that I really disagreed. Nor did I have a lot of options. "Getting out of this void and a harem?" I say, excitement in my voice. "I''d be an idiot to turn that down. Though if possible, I''d rather not have to play a match-3 game."


    Kyu snorts. "Is that what you did in the game? Nah, f.u.c.k that. That system is for losers who just need to get laid. It wouldn''t even help get you out of this void." She holds her hands out to me. "Nah, I''m gonna set you up with something a bit better. Not as optimized for dropping panties, but a hell of a lot more flexible, and before long you''ll have gotten laid more than that chump did with that bejeweled rip-off."


    Her hands encompass me, which causes me to notice holy shit she''s so much bigger than me. I guess a disembodied soul isn''t very large. "Now," she starts. "This may feel weird."


    "Weird bad or weird good," I ask nervously.


    "No idea!" was her far too enthusiastic reply. "Remember, the safe word is ''banana''!" Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=15819206506160005)/my-si-stash-85---gamer-of-the-void-by-a-shifty-sword-(multicross)_%!d(string=51606912743032597) for visiting.


    I start to reply but before I can an indescribable jolt runs through me. Was this how it felt to have your soul messed with? I can''t say I''m a fan. It''s not exactly painful, but it''s unnerving. Thankfully the feeling only persists for a few short moments before fading away. I let out a sigh of relief, an act that feels strange when I don''t have a body.


    Gamer system initialized


    Wait, the Gamer system? Oh hell yes, that was leagues better than some puzzle bullshit. "Kyu, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship."


    "Damn straight it is," she says. "Now come on, let''s get you a body."


    Character Creation initialized


    The screen that opens up is large. Very large. This is going to take some time.


    ...


    I don''t consider myself a very vain person. My looks are my looks and that was pretty much all the effort I put into thinking about them. But I decide that, presented the opportunity to mould my looks however I want, I might as well put the effort in. Unfortunately, Kyu wanted to make me into her idealized boy toy, and that slowed down the process a lot. But after two hours of back and forth, we finally settle on something we both liked.


    Honestly, due to all the compromises, my features are fairly average. My height is only 5''8". My build is a bit on the slim side but not all that much. I don''t have a lot of muscle mass to speak of but Kyu said that was based on my stats anyways so that will change. At least there isn''t much fat either. My face is handsome, but somewhat adrogynous leaning. I initially wanted something more manly, but Kyu insisted that adrogynous was cuter and would attract more girls, and this was the compromise.


    My hair''s pure black. Kyu wanted to change it to white or something, but it''s locked in above even her ability to change. She doesn''t know why, and neither do I. My hair wasn''t black before I ended up here. I wanted to go with silver eyes, because silver is the best eye color, but Kyu is adamant that silver eyes with black hair would be too boring and monochromatic, so my eyes gold colored instead. I have to admit, they contrast well with my hair.


    "Ugh, character creation always takes too long," Kyu complains. "Come on, let''s hurry up and finish up with the game stuff so we can get this show on the road."


    Classes available:


    [Warrior][Rogue][Mage]


    Hmm. How do I wanna play this? On one hand, Magic. But on the other hand, well, Gamer. Just about any class is going to shoot me up to ridiculous levels of strength, and I''ll be able to max out a lot of classes. So really, it comes down to what I think is best for my first class in order to gain strength and survive. Playing with magic was enticing, but mages are a bit too squishy and a bit slow to ramp up until your mana pool and regen get up to snuff. Though that can be mitigated depending on the type of mage.


    "What type of Mage classes are available?" I ask Kyu, since she was the one controlling the system.


    "Just Mage," she answers. I blink. What?


    "What?"


    "Yep, just Mage. Those three classes are all you''ve got right now. More advanced subclasses are only unlocked once you max out one of those three. Though once you max out one of them, you unlock subclasses for all of them, so you can max out Warrior and then choose a more specialized Warrior, Rogue, or Mage class."


    That''s...unfortunate. "So wait, what is the bog standard Mage class like?" I can guess for the other two, but a generic mage could go a lot of different directions.


    She shrugs. "A little bit of everything really. It''s like an introduction to magic and the types of magic there are. Good for gamers who just wanna play with magic without specializing, but doesn''t reach the same peaks as any of those specializations. The same is true for the other classes as well, though I guess they don''t have as many subclasses. There''s only so many ways you can specialize a Rogue."


    While in general I like a jack of all trades route, that''s when my life isn''t on the line. So while magic was tempting, I''d rather choose something that was specialized.


    So Warrior or Rogue. Both offer me early survivability; Warrior in terms of defense and health, and Rogue in terms of stealth. Rogue also offers more utility.


    The logical choice is Warrior. You can''t go wrong with the classic sword and board. But if I was being honest with myself, it just wasn''t appealing. Warrior is just so...boring.


    Rogue though. I''m the sort of player who makes a new Skyrim character and they inevitably end up a stealth archer, no matter how they started. Stealth is just too busted and too fun. And even in games without stealth, I always prefer dodging attacks rather than just tanking them. It took more skill and practice, but was a lot more fun. And the utility of a Rogue class would offer me more options than just "kill things good", even if it wasn''t as much as a mage.


    "We''ll do Rogue then," I say.


    "Ooh, we can do some panty raids," Kyu croons with a lecherous grin as I watch the Rogue option be selected on the menu. "Or better yet, we can steal them directly off of girls. That would be pretty hot."


    "I thought you were more about seducing girls than stealing their panties?"


    "I''m a girl of many interests," she smugly replies with a hand on her chest.


    Before I could reply to that, I''m distracted by the appearance of a window in front of me.


    Axton


    Level: 1


    Class: Rogue(1/100)[0%]


    Race: Human


    HP: 90(1%/second)


    MP:110(1%/second)


    SP:80(1%/second)


    CON: 9


    STR: 8


    DEX: 13


    INT: 11


    WIS: 12


    CHA: 10


    LUK: 12


    "Who the hell is Axton?" I ask out loud.


    "That''s you, silly," Kyu giggled. I shot her a look and she shrugged. "Your old name was boring. New you, new name, you know what I''m saying?"


    Sighing, I decide not to push it. I wasn''t all that attached to my past name anyways. Once again I''m distracted by the appearance of a window.


    Skills Added


    [Gamer''s Mind](Passive) - EX


    Protects the Gamer from mental and emotional manipulation, trauma, and status effects.


    [Gamer''s Body](Passive) - EX


    Grants the Gamer with a body of infinite potential and growth


    [Observe](Active) - EX


    Displays information about the target.


    [Dungeon Traversal](Active) - EX


    Allows for entrance and exit into a Dungeon, as well as teleportation between safe rooms


    [Sneak](Active) - Lvl 1(0%)


    Reduces visibility and sound created by movement, allowing for stealthy traversal. 1 SP/second


    "Just one Rogue skill-" I start to ask before a new window appears.


    Trait Added


    [Void Touched]


    Your soul has been marked by the time spent between worlds


    Unknown effects


    "Kyu. What the f.u.c.k is this?"


    "Looks like you''re so much of a freak that not even the system knows how you got out here." She giggles like she didn''t just call me a freak. "It''s probably not a big deal. Just your soul being affected by being out here in a way that the system hasn''t seen before. You seem fine so it''ll either be nothing or a good thing. Or soul cancer or something. Whichever."


    "Soul cancer," I deadpan.


    "Relaaax, it''s probably not that. If it was harmful the system would likely be able to tell already."


    "That''s really reassuring," I say sarcastically with a sigh. Whatever. If it becomes an issue I''ll figure it out somehow. "Alright. What''s left? Picking a world to go to I guess?"


    "About that," she says, averting her eyes. "I maaay have been poking around while I was waiting for you to finish up your character creation and totally on accident picked and locked in your first world."


    ¡­


    Excuse me?


    "How the hell do you accidentally pick and lock it in?" I ask while trying to keep my cool.


    "I don''t usually use this system," she whines. "And it''s been updated since the last time I did, everything''s rearranged. I was just trying to see more info about it."


    "Please tell me it''s not something awful," I plead. A window appears.


    World Selected


    Highschool DxD


    Okay. I can work with this. Not the best case scenario, but certainly not the worst. There are some scary motherf.u.c.kers there, but there are paths available for starting out small and then working my way up before I have to deal with them. The main issue is I had only ever read the manga and a bunch of fanfic, so my knowledge of the plot is pretty fuzzy. But I know enough in general to get by. And on the bright side, it has the biggest damn cast of eligible waifus who can basically all kick ass, which is a pretty big positive in my books.


    "Okay. That''s not too bad. Dangerous, but a lot of cute girls. This should be fine."


    "That''s the spirit champ!" Kyu cheers. "Bonus, since it''s a bit more dangerous than some of the other first world selections, you have a few more Hunies to spend on customizing the world."


    "Hunies?"


    "Normally they''re called Credits or something dumb like that but f.u.c.k that, I renamed them Hunies. They''re a currency you can earn and spend on changing a world before you go to it. Normally you''d only get a few for free, but for choosing a world of mid-tier danger, you get a nice little chunk to play with."


    "Alright. What are my options then?"


    "Let''s see." Her eyes unfocus. "Oh wow. There are way too f.u.c.k.i.n.g many. There''s no way I''m gonna let you waste a bunch of time looking through all of these. Screw that. Just tell me what you wanna do and I''ll see if it''s in here."


    What did I want to do? Well I only had two real goals. Survive, and acquire waifus. For the first, there was the gamer system. For the latter, well, I had a veritable bounty to choose from. So getting rid of any obstacles in the way of that should be a priority. But first things first.


    "Is there anything that provides me an identity as a Kuoh student?" I ask. Having a paper trail and a reason to be in Kuoh would help me survive and get closer to the main cast.


    "Yup. There''s a handful. Everything from a second year transfer student with a small apartment, to a bigshot with a mansion."


    "Lemme guess, the mansion one is hella expensive."


    "Oh yeah. But it''s got some really nice features. A gym, spa, personal theater, s.e.x dungeon, the works."


    That all does sound nice. But unfortunately, I have to turn it down. Too many important things to get that I suspected would cost me a lot.


    "Just the apartment. I''ll change that to the mansion if I end up with enough points after the important stuff. Next, I need to remove some competition. How many options are there for getting rid of Issei or Saji?"


    "Ooh, brutal. That''s hot," she smirks. "Let''s see. I can make it so they never existed. Or just make them mundane and irrelevant. Both are pretty expensive though. You could only get rid of one of them, though it would leave you with enough to upgrade to the mansion."


    Hmm. That''s less than ideal. Saji and Issei are the male centers of Sona and Rias''s peerages. Getting rid of them would leave them ripe for the taking.


    "Ooh wait, here''s an option," Kyu interrupts my thinking. "Since this place is an ecchi anime world, there''s a big discount on gender bending. I can genderbend both of them and still leave you with points enough for another decent change."


    Huh. Rather than get rid of them, turn them into eligible targets for me, and no longer obstacles. It was efficient. "I like it. Do that. Great idea Kyu."


    "It''s what I do," she says with a smug grin. "What else do you want? You can''t get the mansion anymore, but you could get a nice suburban house with a secret configurable bas.e.m.e.nt."


    There was a nagging feeling in the back of my head. Something Kyu had said earlier. ''Ecchi anime world''. That gave me mixed feelings.


    "Is there anything to make the world more lewd?" I ask. "I mean. Highschool DxD is already pretty lewd. But it pretty much never goes past seeing some tits and maybe some light groping. All tease and no satisfaction. And that''s not gonna be enough for me."


    "Ooh, I like the way you think," Kyu says with a grin. "Yep! I''ve got the perfect one. Upgrade the world from an ecchi anime world to a hentai anime world. Doesn''t seem like it''ll devolve into just all s.e.x at the drop of the hat, but that''d be too easy anyways. Nah, this just puts s.e.x on the table, and makes everyone just a bit more open to casual s.e.x stuff."


    "And I can afford it?"


    "You''ve got exactly enough to cover it."


    "Do it. If I''m going to risk my life then I may as well get laid doing it."


    "Hell yes. Best. Client. Ever."


    A new window appears.


    World customization complete.


    Initiate travel? Y/N


    "Well. If that''s it then," I say. "Let''s get this show on the road."


    "Wooooo!" Kyu shouts. There''s a burst of sensation, and then I immediately lose consciousness.

 Chapter 487 - My SI Stash #87 - Im Defying Gravity by ShadowedNara (Naruto)

    -I''m surprised at how the fic is quite tamed and chilled. I was expecting a sub 15 chapters speedrunning child Six Paths sage master god for SI!Kakashi''sSon but this is refreshing too~


    Synopsis: Gravity defying silver hair. Mask. Aloof. Some call him Kakashi, some call him Dog, while others call him the Copy Ninja. To me, he was simply dad. OC Self-insert


    Rated: M


    Words: 72K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/11873195/1/I-m-Defying-Gravity (ShadowedNara)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 0+1


    I''m What?


    I guess I should start off by saying that I died. The specifics behind it are all really fuzzy, a massive blur that''s gradually fading from my memory. But there''s a definite recollection of a body of water, and the sensation of not being able to breathe. It''s something that never fails to raise the hairs on the back of my neck and instigate this sinking, sickly feeling in the pit of my stomach. It''s definitely the most probable reason behind my irrational fear of large bodies of water.


    I wasn''t entirely sure how I ended up where I am, but the how wasn''t important. The why was even less so. I didn''t even want to attempt to comprehend why such a thing like this¡ªreincarnation¡ªhad happened to me. Whatever higher being or deity pulled this off, there must have been some kind of reasoning behind it, though for the life of me I couldn''t¡ªand moreover didn''t¡ªwant to know. It just hurt my brain trying to think about it.


    But back to the important things. My name from before, not so important. Now however . . . they call me Shiro. The name itself seems pretty reasonable and understandable: my hair borders the line between white and silver, so many interpret my name to have taken after that.


    But in reality, the name was originally given to me under the meaning of ''fourth born son.'' Now, that''s not to say I have any brothers. No sisters either. To put it bluntly, my mother got around. Or so I''ve heard. We don''t talk about it, period. I''ve been told she''d had three sons prior to me, though their fates are largely unknown, and I wasn''t entirely sure if it was true or not.


    She''d died giving birth to me and had had enough strength before she passed on to name me, and then send me on over to my father who''d knocked her up this time. I was surprised she''d done even that much. What was even more surprising though was who my father ended up being.


    It took me a while before I eventually recognised it. As a baby, your senses are highly underdeveloped, and your ability to retain large sums of information was minimal. Despite having the memories of my previous life locked away somewhere in my subconscious, I didn''t really become self-aware of everything around me until I was just a little over nine months old and words began spilling out of my mouth (not sentences mind you, just words).


    But that''s when it finally hit me. And let me tell you, it hit me, and it hit me hard. Like a tonne of bricks. I''ll admit to curling into a ball and crying and wailing like a real baby for a little while after I''d found out. As a baby there wasn''t much else I could do.


    Gravity defying silver hair. Mask. Aloof. Some call him Kakashi, some call him Dog, while others call him the Copy Ninja. To me, he was simply dad.


    And by association, that meant that I was somehow in the Naruto-universe. Well wasn''t that just fantastic . . .


    Chapter 1


    Growing pains


    After I had eventually become self-aware of my previous memories and realised where it was I found myself exactly, it took a little while for me to come to grips with it. I''d watched the anime show Naruto in my previous life, back when I''d been a teenager. I was no hardcore follower of the fandom however, sticking strictly to the anime, and the English dub at that.


    Trying to watch in Japanese was just too confusing for me, but it seemed that here I had no choice. Japanese was the presiding language, and learning it would certainly be difficult. Once I''d started making the effort however, it turned out not to be as difficult as I''d originally thought.


    Despite mentally being in my mid-twenties, I had the mind and body of a child, and at around eight or so months, my brain began entering that stage in which I was able to start learning things. And my brain desperately wanted to start learning things. It wanted to be stimulated once again like the a.d.u.l.t part of me craved. More specifically though, my brain wanted to start learning words.


    It was difficult in the beginning, mainly because Kakashi really was a man of few words. Or rather, I just wasn''t intellectually stimulating enough to garner many words from him. It wasn''t that he never spoke to me, but he wasn''t as doting as a mother would have been at the sight of a gurgling child.


    The fact that I was only eight months and fully English in my previous life meant that I had no base for speaking Japanese to go off whatsoever. With no base and not much being spoken around the house, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, stuck in a cycle that would lead me to being somewhat of a mute if things didn''t change soon . . . and that''s when things did change.


    I''d noticed that Kakashi had never left much during my first eight months. I wondered about missions and such, wondering if I was really in the Naruto-universe, or if this was just some perverted reality that I''d cooked up in my mind as a result of a severely traumatic event. That was not the case unfortunately.


    It was around this time that Kakashi began taking missions again. They weren''t terribly long ones, taking up only fractions of a day as opposed to missions that extended past that.


    But they were missions nonetheless, and I was still only eight months old. Home alone was not an option, even for someone like Kakashi, who just seemed to have irresponsible written all over him with regards to caring for a child. In order to combat this situation of needing to complete missions but being unable to care for me simultaneously, I was introduced to Iruka Umino.


    He was still just a genin these days. I didn''t know the specifics behind everything, and it seemed that he had graduated some two years ago, but he wasn''t on a genin team for some or other reason. I couldn''t care too much about that though, I was just glad that there was finally someone around who wanted to talk to me.


    I didn''t talk back at first, mainly because I really couldn''t. But as the days of being baby sat by Iruka spilled into weeks, so too did the words begin spilling from my mouth. It was simple things at first, words that Iruka would use a lot.


    "Shiro!"


    Iruka beamed down from above, his excitement at my first word spurring me on further. "Shiro! Shiro!"


    It was odd, being as old as I was mentally and acting like the baby that I was supposed to be. But damn if it wasn''t a major accomplishment for me, getting these eight-month-old organs and this child''s body to be able to form words. And in Japanese no less.


    Nothing could get me down now that I was able to start speaking, and I started to pay more attention to the words that would come out of Iruka''s mouth. Trying to associate those words with objects. It was very difficult at first, because it seemed that there were more than a few words that could be tied to any single thing. But I didn''t let that discourage me, and I took in as much as I could, always keeping an ear to the ground and always listening.


    It was a little after this time that my body began developing further. If I wanted to move or get around at all, it had only been by crawling. I had been so focused on the learning how to speak part; I had completely neglected my basic motor skills. It just hadn''t occurred to me to put much effort into trying to walk yet. Crawling did the job just fine for the moment.


    Admittedly it had started to worry Kakashi a little. Usually babies are up and starting to move about by as early as eleven months. I was only beginning to get into this at the tender age of sixteen months. I was almost two years old and I had yet to get up on my feet. Kakashi was almost ready to hand me off to the doctors and let them examine me for any defects.


    Thankfully my progress with learning words was doing quite well (at least in my own humble opinion) so I could focus my attention elsewhere for a bit to make sure Kakashi didn''t freak out more than necessary.


    Days with Iruka continued much the same as this one, and Kakashi had adopted a sort of pattern to his missions. He''d be there in the mornings when I woke up, his crinkling eye smile the first thing to greet my sleep addled gaze. And he''d be there just before the sun dipped past the horizon, making sure to be the last thing I saw as well. It was a comforting gesture, and I found it oddly soothing. It made me feel safe.


    It was quite strange seeing Kakashi acting like the father he was. Or at least, the fact that he was trying to. It spoke volumes, more than words ever could. Actions did speak louder than words after all. For all his trying though, there were still definitely some things that would quite thoroughly freak him out. Changing my nappies was definitely one of those things.


    There had also been a time when I''d gotten quite sick, coughing my lungs out something fierce. I could see the worry and concern in his eye, and never had I thought someone could convey so much emotion through just a single eye. But it was endearing, and even though I could still vaguely remember my father from a life past, I was starting to think of Kakashi as mine more and more, as much as I told myself that I wouldn''t.


    The thing that really got me to start thinking of Kakashi as my father however was seeing him take off his mask. I''d looked at him with a strange expression that day and he''d managed to pick up on it (being the observant person that he was).


    He smiled down at me though, and it was weird seeing his mouth included in the smile rather than just an eye. He kept his left eye holding the sharingan closed likely out of habit, as well as other obvious reasons (chakra drain being high up on that list). He probably also felt that the glowing red eye might scare me a little.


    "Only in the presence of family Shiro, are we truly allowed to let our guards down."


    There was an odd emotion sparkling around in his eye that day, and if I didn''t know any better, I think he was just hoping that I''d accept him as he was. He looked so vulnerable. It made me realise that even Kakashi had to take off his mask sometimes . . . he couldn''t hide behind it indefinitely.


    Let it be known that Kakashi was a broken man, as broken as they came. But if there was anything that I could do to help him, if there was anything that I could do to help my father, then I would. I still couldn''t bring myself to give him a name that belonged to someone else for the moment, but maybe in time I could bring myself to call him dad.


    In that vein, I just smiled up at him and stretched my arms out towards him, gurgling playfully. "Kashi! Kashi!"


    I was almost sure I saw an unshed tear hanging in the corner of his eye, but it was gone before I could confirm, and I settled for just riding on Kakashi''s shoulders, playing softly with his silver hair. My hair was going to look similar one day, and that thought alone brought a grin to my face. His hair was so cool!


    He reached down and put his mask back on before glancing back at me with that all too familiar eye smile. I couldn''t help the giggle that past through my lips. "How''s about we go for a little walk? I''ll even get you something sweet while we''re out. How does that sound?"


    My lips stretched into a wide smile, and I gently tugged at his hair, urging him forward. "Sweet! Sweet!"


    That seemed to be all the confirmation Kakashi needed. With lollipop clutched between my fingers and resting in my mouth, I soon found myself staring at the streets of the Konahagakure no Sato, a place that was familiar and completely unfamiliar all at the same time.


    Buildings, people, shops, landmarks: all things I''d seen before in the anime, though the same things I was only seeing for the first time after being born into this world. It was odd seeing those same things from this perspective, walking through the streets that I''d seen Naruto walk through countless times, but I quickly got used to it.


    It all became quite boring and generic pretty quickly. Though one thing that did catch my attention was the Hokage monument. It served as a stark reminder of just where exactly I was, reaffirming the idea that I''d somehow been reincarnated into this world.


    I removed the lollipop from my mouth and patted the top of Kakashi''s head softly, my legs shaking with excitement from within his grip. It didn''t take him long to follow my gaze to the stone faces, and I soon found myself looking down at the rest of the village from atop the mountain that overshadowed it.


    We were standing on the Yondaime Hokage''s head, and there was a brilliant red and orange sunset sitting just above the horizon. It coloured the entire village in its fiery hue, the warmth of its rays slowly receding and leaving behind a gentle coolness. I found myself relaxing on Kakashi''s shoulders, completely content in this moment. It was so beautiful . . . so peaceful.


    We stayed there for a while, watching as the sun continued its course towards the horizon. It was about halfway into being completely set when we started moving again. I had long since finished my lollipop, and I''d been careful not to get any of it stuck in Kakashi''s hair. I''d hate for him to have to cut it because of me. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=15819206506160005)/my-si-stash-87---i''m-defying-gravity-by-shadowednara-(naruto)_%!d(string=51653008479535377) for visiting.


    I could feel my eyes were starting to get a little heavy, and a small yawn slipped past my lips before I could stop it. Kakashi glanced back at me with a soft expression, his lone eye closing fractionally as he stared at me. "We''re almost home Shiro. Just one more stop. There''s someone I''d like you to meet."


    The world around me blurred as Kakashi sprinted to wherever we were going, and as he slowed to a walk, I found myself recognising our surroundings. Headstones. A large flame like cenotaph of some kind. It seemed that we were at the graveyard, and knowing Kakashi, we were probably here to visit either Rin or Obito''s graves. My assumption was confirmed as soon as we stopped before a small headstone. I couldn''t read whose name was engraved on the plaque, but Kakashi soon filled the silence, his voice uncharacteristically soft.


    "Hey Rin. I haven''t been by in a while, but I''ve got a perfectly good excuse. I''m a father. No, this isn''t one of those lame excuses Obito usually had for us. I really am a father. My son''s name is Shiro."


    I was largely falling asleep to the soothing sound of Kakashi''s voice. It was amazing how at ease I felt just listening to him speak. I couldn''t even understand what he was saying. Words here and there would sound familiar, but I hadn''t attached meaning to most of them yet, and the rest just sounded like gibberish. He could be speaking Latin for all I cared at that moment. Despite this however, I found myself falling asleep all the same.


    My ears perked up at the sound of my name though, something I could easily distinguish from the rest of his words, and my grip tightened a little on Kakashi, another yawn slipping through my lips.


    "He''s growing up so fast, I can''t even believe it. I wish you could''ve met him. He would''ve loved you. You were so good with kids . . . Obito too. He''s already starting to say words. And he called me dad the other day. Well, he called me Kashi, but that''s close enough, wouldn''t you say?"


    Kakashi''s voice wavered as he spoke his last sentence, and my eyes opened a little further at the change in tone. I gripped a little tighter around Kakashi, my voice questioning and sounding a little worried. "Kashi?"


    Kakashi either didn''t hear me or wasn''t too aware of his surroundings at the moment, but he carried on. "Me, a dad. Can you believe it? I didn''t plan for it of course, but it happened anyway, and I''m adjusting. I just¡ªI had a pretty rough life as a kid, and I don''t want the same thing for him you know. I mean, look how I turned out. I''m not much of a role model, especially considering the fact and circ.u.mstances that he wasn''t planned in the first place . . ."


    Kakashi was quiet after that, and I gave him another squeeze, trying to put as much emotion into one of the few words I could say to try and make him feel better. "Kashi . . ."


    I slowly brought my small hands around the front of his face, dragging my little fingers across his skin and a little surprised to find it wet with what I assumed to be his tears.


    Kakashi seemed to snap back into reality after that, and he wiped at his eye again before looking back at me with a genuine eye smile, bringing me around to his front and clutching me to his chest like a lifeline. It wasn''t too tight or uncomfortable, and I squeezed back as much as I could to let him know that I was still here.


    "I think it''s time to go home now Shiro. What do you say?" Another yawn slipped past my lips, this one significantly longer than the ones before, and Kakashi let out a soft chuckle. "Well if that''s not a yes then I don''t know what is."


    It brought a small smile to my own lips hearing him laugh, and I gently touched at his mask from my cradled spot in his arms. I soon lost the strength to keep my arm up though, and I just allowed myself to be carried home, my eyes drooping further. "Good night Shiro. Kashi loves you."


    I love you too . . . daddy.

 Chapter 488 - My CO Stash #88 - Emiya-sensei? by xolef225 (Fate/staynightXMHA)

    -My boy Emiya is Rank 2? Gotta be only for the plot cuz All Might even in his peak will still catch these swords


    Synopsis: Saving people was his purpose. With the concept of heroism being so tightly threaded into who he was as a person, it came as no surprise that he would succeed as a pro hero. That said, no one could say they expected him to be brought on as a teacher at his alma mater. That couldn''t be a good idea, right?


    Rated: T


    Words: 31K


    Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13645704/1/Emiya-sensei (xolef225)


    PS: If you''re not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can''t copy links on mobile (¡ä©`£à)


    -I''ll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics/originals mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan''t more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)


    Chapter 1


    X


    His first memory was of a fire.


    A villain was the cause, he was told. Apparently, the villain in question wasn''t caught, either.


    Not that who did it really mattered to him. All that mattered was that it happened at all.


    It was horrible. A scene out of one''s darkest nightmares.


    The bodies burned, and burned, and burned, but not a single hero came to help. Or maybe they had, only they couldn''t be everywhere at once. All Might ¨Cthe greatest hero¨C was indisposed chasing the culprit.


    Then, he was saved.


    A hero ¨Cfor surely, that''s what he was¨C dug him out from a pile of rubble. The man''s smile was like a beacon of hope, assuring him that everything would be alright.


    From then on, he strived to be like that man. To wear a smile that could tell people "Do not worry, because I am here!"


    He was adopted shortly after by that very same man.


    His hero wasn''t really a "hero", he had discovered ¨Che hadn''t ever found out more than that¨C though that hardly mattered.


    His father became sick, dying a few years later from an unknown disease. All that remained of his legacy were the ideals they now shared.


    He was lucky, for his quirk was a strong one. His natural talents paired with the work he put in allowed him to attend the most prestigious school for aspiring heroes, UA academy, and thrive in the competitiveness of the environment.


    Naturally, he graduated three years later. Causing much controversy, he opted out of signing on as a sidekick at any of the multitude of hero agencies that extended an olive branch. Instead, he began his career right away as an independent hero.


    Most wouldn''t understand his reasons, but in the end, the reasoning itself was quite straightforward. As a sidekick, he would only be able to act when directed by the agency.


    If he wanted to save as many people as he could, being restricted in such a way wouldn''t do.


    And so, to the surprise of many, the beginning of his professional career was met with meteoric success. Saving everyone he could, it wasn''t long before everyone knew his name.


    The Wrought Iron Hero, Archer.


    His story was a fine one, brimming with adventure, be it his escapades as a student or his action-packed encounters throughout his unorthodox career.


    And yet, it will have to be a story for another day.


    Our tale does not begin with a fire, a school, or even the early days of a pro hero. Instead, it begins ten years later with a man receiving an unexpected phone call.


    X


    Shirou hummed a pleasant tune to himself as he prepared the marinade for the chicken b.r.e.a.s.ts he found on sale the day before. He had originally intended on something a little simpler after a long day at work, but cooking was a much-enjoyed pastime of his. It was nice to destress this way too, every now and then.


    Dinner tonight would be delectable, no doubt. The chicken would go excellently with the eggplant parmigiana that would be coming out of the oven shortly.


    Unfortunate that he didn''t have anyone to share it with, but no matter. He would bring a Tupperware of it down to the landlady. Surely, she would appreciate the gesture.


    His home phone rang.


    He didn''t reach for it right away, as he was stuck trying to figure out who it could be. Not many people had this number, and fewer would bother calling it. His usual over-the-phone discussions were conducted almost exclusively on his work phone, which was more or less a way for his staff to reach him when he wasn''t at his agency.


    After a moment longer, he answered.


    "You have reached the Emiya residence. Who is speaking?"


    "Emiya-kun. It''s Nezu, from UA Academy. I trust you have been doing well?"


    "¡­"


    Shirou blinked. He didn''t want to seem rude by not answering, but he had been caught off guard. He hadn''t spoken to the principal since his days as a student.


    "Of course," he finally replied. "And yourself?"


    His question probably should have been "why are you calling", but etiquette won out.


    "Quite, thank you. Now, I''m sure you''re wondering why I''m reaching out to you so suddenly, so I won''t keep you guessing any longer. Are you partial to the idea of becoming a teacher?"


    "¡­Are you offering me a job?"


    And what a strange way to do it.


    "Yes. A certain position has made itself available, and you''re the first one I thought of."


    ...


    The first person he thought of? Him? Seriously?


    Was the man alright in the head?


    Though the principal surely couldn''t see his face, Shirou frowned. Did he even want to be a teacher?


    In short, not really.


    There were merits to the idea, of course, notably the opportunity to guide the next generation. He wanted to save as many people as possible, but admittedly he was only one man.


    If the heroes of tomorrow could reach the peak of their potential, then wouldn''t that mean more lives would be preserved in the grand scheme of things?


    His reason for wanting to decline was much more personal and selfish.


    If he spent his time teaching, then it would mean that he would have less time to spend saving people himself.


    "I¡­"


    "It''s two positions, actually. The first is as a teacher of a course new to the curriculum as of this year, called Hero Ideologies. Naturally, there would be no-one better to lead this class than yourself."


    Shirou blushed, despite his misgivings.


    "The second is a little more delicate. Mr. Aizawa will be off on medical leave for the first few months of the new semester, and we''ll need someone to take his homeroom until he returns."


    He was much less sure of the second duty than the first. Shouldn''t homeroom be assigned to someone more experienced?


    Nezu must have sensed his discomfort.


    "The matter won''t be a permanent arrangement, I promise¨C just until Aizawa can resume his duties. Other than that, the Hero Ideologies course is only part-time, so I''m sure that it won''t interfere with your own hero work on its own."


    When the principal phrased it like that, it didn''t sound too bad¡­


    "Can I think about it?"


    "Of course!" Nezu sounded ecstatic. "Why don''t you stop by the school this Friday? I can show you around, and explain in further detail what the position would entail. You can make a more informed decision then."


    Friday would work. He was only scheduled to be at the office until noon, then he was on call for the remainder of the day.


    "I''ll be there."


    X


    UA was just as large as he remembered it.


    Despite its size, however, he couldn''t really call it "too big". Every last bit of space on the other side of the world-renowned gates was dedicated to the development of the next generation.


    It was a space they used well.


    Still, there was something eerie about seeing such a large building practically empty. It made sense that it would be, though. The new semester wouldn''t start for another month or so.


    "Emiya."


    Shirou c.o.c.ked his head over his shoulder in order to locate the droning voice.


    A man stood in his shadow. A hero dressed in a peculiar costume consisting of a black, baggy jumpsuit and a ribbon-like scarf.


    "Senpai," Shirou greeted with a nod.


    "Stop calling me that. It''s Aizawa."


    The younger of the two men c.o.c.ked his head. "Why? You''re my senior. Even if we weren''t ever students at the same time, we''re both alumni of this academy."


    "It makes me feel old."


    "You''re the more experienced teacher between the two of us, then."


    "You haven''t even accepted the position."


    Shirou laughed. "That''s fair. That said, is there something wrong?"


    "I have dry eye."


    The not-yet-teacher sweatdropped. "I meant more along the lines of your medical leave of absence."


    Aizawa nodded. "Like I said, I have chronic dry eye. My physician recommended a series of operations that could fix it. It''s not critical or anything, though. If the principal can find a replacement for me, I''ll go ahead with it, but if not I guess I can manage as I am now."


    Shirou scratched the back of his head bashfully. It was much harder to turn down the position knowing that the man''s state of health depended on it¡­


    "Anyway, Emiya, please follow me. I don''t know if you remember where the principal''s office is, but¡­"


    Another laugh. "No, I can''t say that I do. Lead the way."


    X


    "Archer-kun," Nezu greeted.


    The man in question waved his hands. "You can call me by name, really."


    The principal ¨Ca man resembling some sort of animal¨C shook his head. "Of course, but if you do decide to take the open position, you''ll need to remember that both of your identities are you."


    Shirou wanted to answer that it was a given, but¡­


    "What do you mean?"


    "I''ll be blunt. UA respects Emiya Shirou greatly as an individual, but we didn''t approach you for your abilities as an instructor."


    "Evidently."


    He hadn''t taught a day in his life, after all.


    Nezu continued, "We approached you because of what "Archer" represents. Tell me, do you know why all of our instructors are pro heroes?"


    He wanted to say, "Because heroes would be best to teach other heroes," but was that really true? He recalled his own experiences at this institution, and the first thing that came to mind was how unorthodox some of the teachers really were. As great as they were at their real job, it didn''t always translate perfectly to the classroom.


    The same was true in other professions. The world''s greatest scientist wouldn''t necessarily be the best at explaining his field, and the greatest coach didn''t have to be the greatest athlete.


    "I don''t know."


    Despite admitting he didn''t have an answer to his question, the principal smiled. "By having a faculty comprised of pro heroes, the students are constantly surrounded by role models."


    Shirou''s eyes widened in understanding.


    "And as such," continued Nezu, "what greater role model is there than the Wrought Iron Hero himself?"


    The hero in question grinned. "I can think of one."


    Nezu laughed uproariously., thought it came out as more of a squeal. "I''ll give you that! Though ''second to none'' is out of reach, ''second to one'' isn''t terrible either!"


    "Indeed!"


    Shirou recognized that voice.


    Everyone recognized that voice.


    Turning, he was met with the impossibly-bright pearly-whites of the number one hero, All Might.


    "Young Emiya¡­" he started, but he trailed off. The giant of a man shook his head. "No, Emiya-san, for you are a boy no longer¨C little would bring me greater joy than the opportunity to teach the future symbols of peace alongside you!"


    It didn''t take long for the shorter man to catch on. "You''re going to be teaching here too?"


    The elder hero nodded. "I''ve seen first-hand what this upcoming year has to offer. I dare to say that you are quite possibly the luckiest hero in japan, to be given the opportunity to be their homeroom teacher¨C for however short an amount of time."


    "Why don''t you take the open spot, then?"


    He didn''t mean for it to sound like a challenge or a jibe. It was an honest curiosity on his part.


    All Might''s smile dimmed the slightest amount. "I wish I could, truly. Only, I cannot. I have certain¡­ circ.u.mstances."


    "I understand."


    He didn''t, really, but he was sure that the man had his reasons to keep things vague.


    Shirou sighed.


    There was still a matter that needed to be addressed, right?


    Turning once more to face Nezu, he spoke, "So what would I have to do, then? If I take the job, that is."


    "Not much," admitted the principal. "Aizawa already settled everything for homeroom, so you just have to follow his course plans. As for Hero Ideologies, well¡­ it''s experimental, to say the least. You have free reign on what you wish to cover as long as you stay within the boundaries of the class outline and you follow the school''s course policies."


    "And those are?"


    "Simple things, minimum summative and formative evaluations, and the like. I''ll forward them to you along with a written copy of the class outline."


    The wrought iron hero nodded.


    It sounded like it could be fun, actually.


    "I kindly accept your offer, then."


    "Excellent!"


    Shirou jumped, almost forgetting the man was there.


    "Indeed." Nezu nodded to himself. "Don''t worry, we''ll make sure that you''re caught up to speed as soon as possible. Beyond that, I know that such a big change can be time-consuming at first, but I promise you here and now that it won''t take too much away from your professional career in the long-term."


    The newly-minted teacher nodded appreciatively. It was nice that the principal was mindful of his own priorities and aspirations.


    X


    When Shirou went to bed that evening he found himself staring at his pillow when it hit him.


    He''s going to be a teacher.


    He heard a buzz.


    Looking at his night table, he saw a blinking light at the top of his work phone ¨Ca cell phone¨C indicating that he received a text message.


    He didn''t get many of those.


    Picking it up, he found that it was from a number he recognized.


    "Strange. What could she want?"


    The message read, "Meet me at Shizen. 11 tomorrow."


    He sighed, not bothering to reply. It wasn''t as if she would take no for an answer.


    X


    Shizen caf¨¦ was a popular hang spot for teenagers¨C or at least it used to be about a decade ago when he came here with friends from school.


    Somehow, saying it like that made him feel old.


    A wave of nostalgia passed over him the moment he took a seat at the very same table they used to reserve. By some stroke of luck, it was unoccupied. Whether teens still came here or not, the place did not lack in business.


    "Hello, sir. Can I take your order?"


    He faced the waitress with a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I forgot to look through the menu. You have iced coffee, right?"


    It''s what he used to order back then. It was good, and he could never quite get it to taste this way at home.


    "We do! Anything else?"


    "No, that''s fine."


    "Right away, sir."


    When she left, he had to suppress a sigh of relief. It was good that no one could recognize him in his disguise.


    It wasn''t anything special, nothing more than a pair of sunglasses and a newsboy hat. He usually dressed quite plainly compared to his hero costume anyway, so it wasn''t too strange of a getup for him.


    "No way... is that¡­?"


    "It is!"


    "Why here?"


    "Quick, go ask for an autograph."


    Shirou took note of the whispers with great alarm. Had someone seen through it? Darn. And he was looking forward to a nice, quiet coffee break.


    Someone took the open seat facing him, and he realized a few things at once.


    First, his disguise was fine. No one saw through the hat and glasses.


    Second, his disguise didn''t really matter anymore.


    Third, Usagiyama needed to work on her disguises.


    "Everyone can tell who you are, you know," he chided.


    "And? Should I care?" shot back his rabbit-eared friend as she adjusted her seat. Judging by her attire composed solely of skinny jeans, a tank top, and a pair of high-heeled boots, he could conclude that no, Rumi was not wearing a disguise.


    Well, there went his quiet, low-key afternoon. Even now, the subtle joys of anonymity were lost on her.


    "So what is it?" he asked. She called him out here, after all.


    "I heard a rumour. That you''re retiring."


    He blinked.


    He blinked again.


    "I''m sorry, what?"


    "I heard that you''re retiring to become a teacher," she reiterated.


    "That simply isn''t¡­ well¡­" he trailed off. He was technically going to become a teacher. Where did she hear that from, anyway? Didn''t it just happen yesterday?


    She quirked a brow. "So you are?"


    Why does everything have to be "yes" or "no" with you, woman?


    Shirou shook his head. "I''m taking over a homeroom at UA until the full-time teacher can come back. It''ll be a few months at most. After that, I''ll be teaching a class part-time, but at no point do I plan on announcing my retirement."


    Rumi tilted her head. "UA? What class?"


    Her tone became less demanding and more curious.


    "Hero Ideologies."


    She put a finger to her chin.


    Her nose wrinkled.


    Her brow scrunched.


    "No, we didn''t have that class."


    "Ah," she eased up. "That explains it."


    "Actually¡­" he took a moment to think. "I¡­ have to figure out what I''m going to do in it for the most part. Would you mind if I used you as a guest lecturer sometime?"


    The rabbit hero pointed at herself as if to ask, "Me?"


    "I think you''d be a great example. There''s a reason you''re a top ten hero."


    She scratched the back of her head with a tinge of pink on her cheek. "Think so? I never really thought about the whole ''inspiring others'' thing."


    "Here''s your coffee sir¨C eeeek!"


    His iced coffee nearly met a tragic end on the caf¨¦ floor when the waitress jumped from shock, but thankfully she gathered her wits.


    "Mi¡­Miru¡­"


    "She''ll have the same," he told the waitress in an attempt to snap her out of her daydream.


    "Oi," Rumi growled. "Don''t go ordering things for me."


    "Sorry," he gave in easily.


    Rumi took a glance at Shirou''s beverage, then addressed the waitress, "I''ll have what he''s having."


    While still a little starstruck, the irony of the exchange wasn''t lost on the waitress. "¡­Yes, right away."


    "Shirou."


    The tone of her voice demanded his full attention.


    "Hm?"


    "You''re not allowed to retire. Not until I beat you."


    "Mhm."


    X


    Today was the day.


    Despite himself, Shirou was feeling a myriad of emotions he didn''t normally feel. Namely anxiety, nervousness, and doubt.


    Was this really a good idea? Was he really cut out for this? Would he do these kids justice? Would he fail them?


    He felt the need to shake his head in order to get rid of some of those dangerous thoughts. It was too late to back out now, so his best would have to be enough.


    He walked through UA''s halls at a measured pace, thankful that the halls were empty due to the students already being in their classrooms.


    Waiting for him.


    He took a deep breath.


    Another one.


    "Alright," he whispered softly.


    The hero-turned-instructor opened the door that would lead him to his students¨C


    "I''LL F.U.C.K.I.N.G KILL YOU, DEKU!"


    "Hey, don''t be a meanie!"


    "E-eh¡­ Kacchan¡­"


    "Ribbit."


    "So many cute girls!"


    "Stop this ruckus! Be mindful of those around you!"


    "Oui."


    "Eheheh¡­"


    Shirou wasn''t able to make it past the doorway before the feeling of dread returned. This would be difficult, wouldn''t it?


    He tried to get their attention. That''s what he was supposed to do, right?


    "Ah¡­"


    It was only after he spoke that his presence was noticed. Once he was noticed, however¡­ well¡­


    He was noticed.


    A silence swallowed the room whole and the first years seemed to freeze in place. There wasn''t a doubt in his mind that they knew exactly who he was.


    Unlike his regular clothes, his hero costume made a statement. Crimson red cloth was dr.a.p.ed over pitch-black body-armour, all which brought out the oddity of his greying red hair.


    It was the angry-looking boy who spoke first.


    "You¡­"


    Unfortunately, he was unable to finish his sentence.


    "You''re Archer!"


    Ah. The timid green-haired one finished it for him.


    Having so many eyes focused on him outside of combat conditions had him feeling a little self-conscious. His hand came up to scratch the back of his head out of habit.


    "It''s nice to meet all of you. Your homeroom teacher is actually Aizawa-sensei, but he''s in recovery from a medical operation right now. Until then, I''m his stand-in."


    With only the slightest hesitation, he wrote his name on the chalkboard. He was supposed to do that, right?


    "I''m Emiya Shirou, and I''ll also be your teacher in the Hero Ideologies class¡­ ah."


    He froze, as if remembering something, then smiled.


    "Some of you might also know me as Archer, Japan''s number two hero. Let''s learn well together."